Krakoa:
Boom Boom is dancing and drinking in the middle of a party. She slams into Pixie and spills drink on herself. Pixie suggests she lay off the booze a little. Boom Boom isn’t interested in good advice. She stumbles and falls. Pixie helps her walk home. On the way, Boom Boom complains that she helped Armor, who never even said ‘thank you’. Pixie suggests that may be because Armor isn’t back yet. She’s been gone for three days.
They have no idea what’s going on in Pilger, Nebraska, where Armor, her companions and the family of Beak and Angel are being held prisoner in the cellar of their farmhouse by a strange gang. Angel ties to comfort her kids.
One of the gang members opens the cellar door and announces that Tumulo wants to talk to the Japanese one. Armor is taken to a room, where Mr. Barnell is still recovering with his wife.
Tumulo announces with fake concern he expects they and the children are hungry by now. He explains he is from Costa Perdita. Years ago, there was a plague called Perdita Fever. The Perdita River was polluted by white men and their industry. It infected thousands. They were dying at a rate of about five hundred a day and their government didn’t know what to do. They had no treatment, no cure… and then a great white hope stepped forward. An American cracked the disease in his laboratory. Developed a vaccine. And it could be theirs… for one 1,000 dollars per dose of vaccine.
While he and the government argued, thousands more were infected. The count rose from 8,500 to nearly 65,000, and of course the price rose as well. An 8.5 million dollar problem suddenly became a 65 million dollar problem and kept on rising.
By the time they reached an agreement, it was over 100 million… and more than 20,000 were dead. The rich, white American had won. Curing a disease crated by his own kind. Armor tetchily suggests Tumulo take it up with him. With a nasty grin, he replies that he has been dealt with.
Tumulo continues that the mutants hold the world hostage with their cures. But now it’s time for someone else to benefit. She will bring someone to him to negotiate. One ton of medicine for each hostage. Armor refuses outright. She tells him to talk to his president and take Charles Xavier’s deal. They have offered access to the medicine. All Costa Perdita has to do is recognize Krakoa as a sovereign nation.
Tumulo surprisingly replies that he doesn’t want his president to take the deal. Then everyone will have ready access to the medicines and there goes Tumulo’s profit margin.
He tells her to take her time to think; a day maybe. When she agrees, they will get food. He is a very patient man. He has no doubt that she has a very strong will. But what about the kids?
Krakaoa:
Boom Boom is annoying Sage, asking if this is what she does all day. Taking attendance? She should change her name to Roll Call. Not even looking up from her computer, Sage mildly replies this is not what she does all day and not all of them change their codenames like their underwear. When Boom-Boom begins to protest, Sage rattles down a list of her former aliases: Boom-Boom, Meltdown, Firecracker, Doctor Madame Mcsplode, Time Bomb, Boomer— did she miss any? Boom Boom begins to mutter that Doctor Madame Mcscplode was never— cuts her off, stating she is busy. Boom-Boom asks if Armor is back. She was going to bring Beak and Angel and how many kids do they have… a hundred? Six, Sage replies. And they are not back yet.
Boom-Boom now has her attention. Armor left five days ago with Glob, Maxime and Manon. None of them have returned yet. And she doesn’t think that’s weird? Boom Boom asks. Returning to her work, Sage replies she isn’t their babysitter.
Pilger, Nebraska, the next day:
Sitting in the cellar and outfitted with powers suppressors, the mutants discuss what to do. Beak worries about his father and Glob worries about his stomach, causing Maxime to make a mean comment about his weight. Armor tells him to knock it off and assures Beak his parents are fine.
The kids complain about being hungry and Angel promises someone will help them soon and then they can all got to Krakoa…
Krakaoa:
Boom Boom hikes to a distant gate. Taking a swallow from her bottle, she mutters of course there is no direct gate. Stupid Nebraska!
Pilger, Nebasra, the next day:
Armor sits outside the house, tearing into a sandwich. Tumulo commends her for making the right choice. Her friends are being fed. He’ll have her escorted to the closest Krakoan Gate where they will wait for her to bring a representative from Krakaoa.
He warns her though that if she brings back any mutant like Wolverine, Magneto or a telepath, or does anything suspect, his guards will radio back and they will kill all the hostages.
Armor asks how they knew that Beak and Angel lived here, that they would come. That’s easy, he laughs and takes out his cell phone.
He shows her a site called Dox that has a headline of mutants in Pilger. He remarks that many keep up with them and are distrustful of mutants. The internet is a wonderful thing, no? Anyway, it is time for her to returns to Krakoa.
He calls three of his people to accompany Armor and reminds her once again that her friends’ lives are in her hands.
In the cellar, Maxime and Manon complain about the food to the guards, who are decidedly unimpressed.
Holding her bowl with some gruel, Angel announces she can’t eat this. She needs to spit on it to break it down, so that she can digest it. She can’t do it with the collar on. Neither can her kids. The guard laughs that he isn’t going to remove the power dampener from her and her children. Just from her, she pleads. She can do it for the kids!
Maxime and Manon come to her help and point out if any of them starve, their stupid hostage plan is done.
He finally agrees but keeps his gun on Angel. She spits some green fluid on the food then does the same on Maxime and Manon’s shackles which dissolve.
The twins use their powers to plant a false memory in one of the guards, of how the other guard killed his wife and parents, making him mad enough to kill.
Glob orders the others behind him. As the two men are about to kill each other, Glob asks the twins if they couldn’t make the two men friends instead. However, the twins consider this just vengeance for what the men did to them.
And soon outside, the others hear the sound of guns fired. Armor immediately believes that her friends were hurt or killed. The men warn her to do her job or they will shoot her, too.
That moment, the jeep behind them detonates, courtesy of Boom Boom. Swallowing some more alcohol, she points out Armor said they weren’t going on an adventure…
