A snowy landscape outside the uncanny X-Men’s hideout. Emma Frost stands alone, focusing. Finally, she screams in rage and frustration before sinking down, feeling this quiet is going to drive her insane. All these years, she could read everybody’s thoughts. All those little insignificant thoughts and dirty secrets that dangled in front of her. And she spent all that time shutting it all out. Now it’s all gone. She swears. She misses it so much!
What’s the first thing she teaches her students? Don’t dance with fire and you won’t get burned. Now look at her; her powers are broken. She is half the mutant she used to be. She was a mutant leader. She was a queen. She was the White Queen! She wants to blame Scott. She wants to blame the Phoenix. She wants to blame Jean Grey for bringing the Phoenix here in the first place. Secretly, she wants to blame Jean Grey for everything, but she knows that’s just her personal issues. And she so badly wants to blame Tony Stark for accidentally putting the Phoenix Force inside her and breaking her powers and condemning her to silence. In fact, she would like to spend a lot of time blaming Tony Stark.
But she has no one to blame but herself. She put herself there. She knows why this really happened. She betrayed the one man who loved her. When she used to read people’s darkest, deepest fears, all she heard was everyone wondering if the person they loved really loved them back. She lived inside Scott Summers’ head and she knew that, even though he is a dark and complicated man, and even though the door that is his love for Jean Grey would never fully close, she knew that he loved her. Scott was loyal to her. And she betrayed him. And then she told him she betrayed him. And she’s surprised he lashed out at her? She’s surprised they are done? She deserves this.
Suddenly, Scott Summers addresses her. He thought she’d want to be there when they talk to the new mutants. Could he hear her thoughts just now? she asks startled. She was projecting, he tells her. A little bit. On and off. How much did he hear? Enough. Emma swears. Maybe it’s a good sign, he suggests. Maybe her powers are healing. It’s only good news if she was trying to project her thoughts, she snaps. Not knowing when and if she’s going to project her thoughts is a living nightmare!
They have to retrain themselves, he tells her calmly. Him, her, Magneto… their powers are flickering on and off. Even Illyana is using powers she didn’t have before. They have to start from scratch. They need help, Emma states bluntly, but Scott points out no one is willing to help them. They’ll help each other.
Their whole relationship she could read his mind, she reminisces. Not knowing exactly what he is thinking is going to take some getting used to. What does she want to know? Scott offers. Oh, the old-fashioned way, she mocks gently, talking. What does she want to know? He repeats.
Is he upset they are not together anymore? she asks. Scott admits to having mixed feelings. Emma admits that seems like an honest answer. She thinks he hates her. He thinks she hates him, Scott retorts. Emma smirks. She thinks Scott hates himself so much he can’t imagine anyone not hating him. And she said she couldn’t read his mind, he jokes.
Does he want to get back together? Emma asks point-blank. He doesn’t see how they could, he muses. Emma agrees. Yet, here they are. He’s not keeping her here. How romantic, she snarks. He means it. If she doesn’t want to be here, go with his blessing. He brought her here because he thought she’d want to be here. He wants Emma here because she believes in what they are trying to do. His mutant revolution, Emma states. Their mutant revolution, Scott corrects.
It’s come to that? she asks. They tried everything else, he insists. Did they really? Emma wonders. He wants her here because she is an outstanding teacher. Maybe the best he’s ever seen. And these kids need her help. They have never had students this raw. That’s true Emma agrees. Which part? All of it.
Scott hopes that, even though sometimes they hate each other, they respect each other enough to get past their nonsense and help these kids.
Because that’s what Charles Xavier would do? Emma asks. That’s all Charles Xavier ever did, Scott agrees. He wasn’t the saint Scott wants to remember him as, Emma points outs. He knows. When she brought him up, she didn’t mean to—
Is she going to stay? Scott asks. Emma smiles. She isn’t going to leave, because Scott is right. She is an outstanding teacher, And for all this nonsense she still remembers what she was like before she met him… and she hated her .She hated her so much she doesn’t even want to think about her! So if they can at least try to enjoy each other’s company, for the sake of these kids, she could live with that. Happily. He would love that, Scott agrees. Oh, thank God, Emma thinks. She is projecting again, he points out.
Suddenly, lightning announces the advent of Magik. She informs them everybody is waiting inside. She looks at them critically, then asks if they are together again. She thanks the dark lord when she hears the answer is no and disappears again.
She scares the hell out of her, Emma confides. She’s been through a lot, Scott points out. They’ve all been through a lot, Emma retorts. She scares the hell out of her.
Next chapter? Scott asks and gestures towards the entrance. Emma walks ahead of him. She misses being in his brain, she admits. Not to spy on him. She liked being there because it was safe, she thinks. She is projecting, Scott points out. Good, she replies. He admits he misses it too. But it’s for the best. Emma agrees half-heartedly.
They join the others inside. They watch the footage of their fight with the Sentinels. Where did those things come from? Eva Bell aka Tempus wonders. They are mutant-hunting Sentinels, Illyana explains. They track and attack mutants. That’s all they do.
Ben observes they seem to have come out of nowhere. The question is who took them off their leash, Emma remarks. Fabio bursts out that this probably isn’t the coolest thing they have ever done but yesterday he was working at corn dog on a stick! And now he’s here with them being chased after by those… And he doesn’t even know where here is and he’s freaking out!
It’s okay to be a little freaked out, Scott tells him. How come none of the others are freaked out? Fabio ask. Head-desking, Benjamin announces he’s freaking out. All she is, is freaked out, Eva agrees. He’s good, actually, Chris smirks.
Emma wants the tape to be shown again. His name is Scott Summers, Scott tells the hysterical Fabio. He is a mutant and so is he. Is he sure? Fabio asks. He is Scott Summers. He is pretty sure. He means is he sure Fabio is a mutant? Show them everything, Scott tells Magneto.
Magneto takes out a small round device. A holographic map of the world appears. Every light dot is a mutant. Scott explains these are the first new mutants activating in years and they are among the first. This is the best news their people have had in years. This means their people have a fighting— Their people? One of the kids asks. They are part of something bigger than themselves, Emma explains. They always were but now they know. Feels pretty good, right? Magik asks.
Eva asks she thought mutants were born mutants. She was born mutant, Magneto replies. And she just didn’t know it yet. And the rest of her family? Eva asks. Hard to say, Magneto replies. Will she ever see them again? She is not being held hostage, he tells her.
Christopher announces he thrilled. He hated college and his life. Now he’s an X-Man? Hell, yes, this is awesome! Easy for him to say, Fabio protests. He doesn’t have goldballs or whatever flying out of him.
Scott admits his power manifestation is interesting. Can he do it right now? He’d love to see what they are made of. Magik suggests he close his eyes and concentrate. Fabio suggests they do it outside. Just do one, Emma tells him.
Fabio concentrates and a lot of golden balls poink into being, flying around. Scott admits this may be an outside toy.
Where are they exactly? Christopher asks. Is this underground? This is the new Charles Xavier’s School for Mutants, Magneto announces. And they would live here? Chris asks. Absolutely, Scott tells him. Do they have to live here? Ben asks. No, he can go back to working at Corndog on a stick and feeling up little mall girls, Emma snarsk. That was him, Ben refers to Fabio.
Scott asks he doesn’t understand why they are so reluctant to take this gift at face value. Really, he can’t? Illyana asks. He speaks of revolution, she reminds him. In the country where she was born, that is the scariest word. Words mean something. She reminds him these are children. Just like she was, like he was. And she remembers how scary all of this was to her.
Ben points out he thinks he is the same age as her. But he is scared, she retorts. Everything about his life has changed now. Change is terrifying. She should know. She raises her sword. When she was younger, she would say to herself; What she wouldn’t give to live a normal life. But none of them in this room will ever have normal. Because they are punished for being different? No. Because there is no normal, Eva pipes up. Illyana agrees. She’s the smart one, Emma praises Eva.
Fabio is grateful for them saving him but he would still like to see his family. He doesn’t. Screw ‘em! Chritopher announces. There is nothing for him back in the real world. That’s sad, Fabio remarks. Whatever, Goldball, Chris shoots back. Fabio is afraid the name will stick.
Eva admits she would like to tell her family she is okay and get some personal belongings. Maybe when things calm down, Scott tells her. When are things going to calm down? Eva asks. Scott warns her that the authorities will be looking for her. They will be at her home, interrogating her family.
Eva gets agitated. So they are stuck here, Ben points out. Eva announces if her mother is in trouble because of her she would like to help. She’s not in trouble! Scott claims. Is he telling her he doesn’t understand what she is asking for?
Magik announces she will take them. Emma decides they will all go. Scott gives in. Illyana manifests several stepping discs and tells everyone to take a portal. How does she do that? Ben exclaims. Her mutant power is teleportation. They go from point A to point B through a demonic dimension called Limbo. Fun, right? The kids are not amused. Like hell? Christopher asks. Little bit. Chris hopes she’s joking, but Emma announces she’s never heard her joke.
Magneto tells them he has things to do here. Have fun. Once they are gone, he calls SHIELD to tell them of the X-Men’s whereabouts and reminds them their powers don’t work properly.
The team arrives in Gold Coast, Australia. So they just went into a demonic dimension? Ben repeats. For a split second, Illyana explains. So quick he wouldn’t even notice. So he just went to hell? he tries to understand. He’s probably going there anyway, Illyana smiles.
Eva shows them where he lives. Ben ogles Illyana and smiles. She warns him she would break him. Cyclops orders her to teleport herself over to that building and keep an eye out.
Eva runs towards her mother and they hug. She thought she was dead! the woman babbles, the police said she was kidnapped! She was saved, Eva replies. Scott introduces himself. He tells her Eva is a very talented mutant. And they were able to help her.
Emma swears when she sees who’s coming for them. They are not ready for this, she exclaims as a team of Avengers comes in…
