The world reacts to the mutant seed. Agriculture stocks plummet. Anti-mutant protesters in Paris turn violent. Senators demand sanctions, claiming the mutants want to destroy the American way of life by killing the economy. Tony Stark has refused to comment, though Stark Industries enjoys a healthy stock boost.
A weak, dehydrated young woman arrives at the settlement of Utopia. Storm recognizes her as Husk aka Paige Guthrie. Rogue warns the others not to trust her. She tried to kill them all! Zero asks for someone to get Kitty. Storm chides Husk for having a lot of nerve while creating a mini rain cloud to get her some water.
A little later, Paige is debriefed by Kitty. Husk knows how mad everyone is. She’s afraid to go out there and face them. Kitty points out everyone already knows she’s here. It’s probably best she stay indoors.
Is Kitty angry with her? She wouldn’t blame her. Kitty reminds Paige that she strapped on a bomb, walked into a crowd of mutants and killed five of them. Wounded 17. Does she really need her to answer that?
She refused the Cure, Paige points out. She is one of them. This is where she belongs. Kitty spits back she made it clear she isn’t one of them. Paige insists she was brainwashed but they treated her. She was released. She is fine now. Kitty doesn’t buy it. Paige tells her that, because of the mutant seed, most of the mutants left in the country are coming here. Word is spreading this is the new homeland.
Bobby Drake knocks at the door, wanting to see Paige. Not now, Kitty tells him but the two ignore her. No one else, ok? Kitty tells Rogue. Paige and Bobby hug, and Bobby promises her everything will be fine, though Kitty still worries.
Night time, six miles away, Iron Man has a vehicle put there. Jimmy Hudson asks why they aren’t putting up weapons. Stark replies you shouldn’t shoot until you know who you are shooting at. Jimmy points out that, if they come without calling, they can assume they aren’t delivering pizzas.
Tony tells him they have become an economic entity, and that’s a very different thing than just being mutant rebels. All people are paying very close attention to what they do next. But to start thinking they are a nation with a military? They aren’t prepared for what comes after. They don’t have the numbers or the allies.
Jimmy replies that they have weapons and they’ve proven they know how to use them. They liberated the Southwest. Tony explains he has to approach the idea of fighting maturely. If Kitty means to stick to this idea of non-violence, he is going to have to become her enforcer. She doesn’t know how much that depends on him being in that role.
He wants him to be her bodyguard? Jimmy asks. He wants him to be Utopia’s bodyguard, Tony clarifies. The strong- arm reserve, reserved, but capable. Preferably invisible. If the mutants break the laws of trade and commerce, there are penalties, but if the other side thinks they can get away with it, they will wipe Utopia off the map. They don’t want to pick a fight with anybody. But when the time is right, they may need to let the world know there will be a penalty if they come after Utopia. Jimmy promises he will be ready.
The sensor alerts go off. A plane is heading right for them. Stark tells Jimmy to stay here and cover him from the ground. He dons the Iron Man armor and flies off. He takes out the flier and captures the pilot. He gets to have all the fun, Jimmy sulks.
Iron Man takes brings his prisoner with him. Jimmy asks who sent him and threatens the man. Iron Man tells him to bring him back to camp. From there he’ll call SHIELD to collect him.
There is another sensor alert but it’s quickly gone. Tony figures it was just a bird. He doesn’t see Farbird hovering above.
Later, Tony, Jimmy and Kitty question the man. Kitty reminds him this is a sovereign nation, and he just violated international borders. The man refuses to talk. Jimmy suggests they chop him into small pieces and toss them in the desert for the coyotes. Tony suggests if they want to set an example, they should send him back. Take the high road. He’ll take back the message that the kids in the desert are maybe a tougher target than they might seem. And they get to be the peaceful ones. They could use that PR. Over Jimmy’s protests, Kitty agrees.
In the morning, they send him away with a jeep. Kitty tells him to inform his superiors they are no threat to anyone and they have friends in high places who would not respond well to further attacks.
The man finally speaks, suggesting she check in with those friends of hers. Make sure they still have their back. She might be in for a surprise.
Tony tells them he was posturing. He reminds them they need the PR. Does he think he was a US soldier? Tony is sure but the identity of his handlers is the question. Kitty decides she has something to tell everyone.
Very soon, all of Utopia is gathered for Kitty to hold her speech. She wants to talk about them. About who they are – a divided community. And in light of recent attacks, that’s only going to make them more vulnerable. They simply have too many enemies in common to be divided. Why do they ask for help from people like Fury or Tony Stark when they are only going to destroy themselves from within?
She addresses Nomi directly. She’s been challenging and challenging Kitty, undermining her decision, splitting the community… and the threat against her life? Don’t think she doesn’t know it was her! But she is prepared to let that go. For the sake of a unified mutant nation.
If Husk is right, there are more mutants on their way here; they are coming for a place of refuge. Is this what they want them to find here? Arguing and backstabbing and grudge holding? She has said they want to be an example to the world. That starts with each and everyone being an example to each other first. The world expects them to act like children. To be targets to further abuse.
Do they remember what happened when they pulled together and started working together? They liberated the camps! Shola calls out. They killed the Sentinels! another boy states. They won their freedom! Jimmy adds. They did all that together, Kitty agrees. And they can build a homeland together. For the future of mutantkind. For Uto –
At that moment, the greenhouse blows up. They run there and find nothing left. Kitty’s people believe Mach Two was behind this, but Mach Two has gathered her followers, telling them this is what they get when Kitty makes deals with humans. Cheated, attacked, bombed. Shola suggests Kitty set off the bomb herself. At this point, they can’t rule out anything. She suggests they get away from Kitty and the others and find a place to start a true mutant nation.
Mach Two, Warpath, Psylocke, Shola, Zero and another boy start to leave. Nomi looks back at Husk and Iceman. Husk asks for a minute. She explains to Bobby that Kitty’s people will never accept her. But Nomi will. This is the only future she will have here. But it won’t be much of one without him. Come with her? Please! Silently, he agrees.
Soon the news reports that the explosion reportedly destroyed all traces of the so-called sentient seed. To some parts of the world that were expecting delivery of the seed to resolve food shortages, this loss will be lamented. Though many groups will certainly be glad.
Kitty accompanies Stark to his plane. She announces now that the world thinks the seed’s gone forever, this plan might work. It is already working, he replies. Kitty admits she hates lying to her friends. He tells her that she bought them some security from future reprisals and in time they can start to release the seed through back channels. It may take years but he promises her it will get out here. History will have the final word but he believes that word will be: mutants cured world hunger.
Kitty hugs him and thanks him. He tells her to trust her people and that he gave some of the seed to Storm and Blackheath. They had some ideas for it.
Elsewhere, the shady group states that this does not solve the mutant problem. They decide to accelerate the plan. Start to bring pressure to bear on key individuals. Captain America’s executive overreach cannot stand. They state a recommitment to their goals to see that the mutant species is stripped of any and all protection and that we the people tolerate them no longer!
