Harry's Hideaway, Salem Center, New York.
'You look like $#%&' Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops remarks to Logan a.k.a. Wolverine, who is sitting at the bar, drinking some bourbon. 'Feel about the same' Wolverine replies as Scott goes over to him and pours himself a drink. Logan is wearing a singlet, and Scott tells him to get changed, as Illyana is taking them to the service in a half hour. 'I'm not going' Wolverine replies. 'Everyone is going. And take a shower' Cyclops responds as he knocks back his drink. 'I don't mourn the same way you do' Logan replies as Scott walks away from him. But Scott has the final words as he tells Logan 'This isn't for you... you're part of a family, Logan. Show up for them'.
Soon, in his stark quarters, Logan has changed into a suit as Jamie Madrox the Multiple Man stands in his doorway and tells him that he didn't expect him to won a suit, and asks him where he got it. 'Off a dead man' Logan claims as he adjusts the tie. Madrox holds an envelope and replies that he will pretend that is the normal “Logan sense of humor” and move on. 'I got what you asked me for' he adds, handing the envelope to Logan, who looks through the papers inside it: 'This is right?' Logan asks. Madrox confirms that it is the official police report, to which Logan asks him how he got it. 'That's kind of what I do' Madrox boasts. 'That's my line' Logan snarls, grabbing his jacket and marching out of his room as Madrox calls out 'Logan...they aren't going to do anything to them' to which Logan responds that he figured that. 'What's one more dead mutant?' he asks.
Logan marches through the makeshift-lab in the basement where the Dark Beast conducts his experiments. Dark Beast turns to Logan and tells him that he cleans up so nicely for a funeral. 'If I'd known how sharp you look I might have killed the wee little wolf lass myself -' Dark Beast begins, only for Logan to spin around and pop his claws right in front of Dark Beast's forehead. Wide-eyed, the Dark Beast utters that he will be quiet now, while Logan passes a table where Warlock, who is merged with a Madrox dupe, and two Madrox dupes wearing nothing but their boxer shorts are playing cards. 'Hey, Logan. Didn't expect you to own a suit, if I'm being honest' one of the dupes remarks. 'What the hell are you guys... never mind. I don't want to know' Logan mutters, before announcing that he is taking Kwannon out of lock up. 'Self was put in charge of the prisoners. It was voted on. Self can't let scary-friend Logan take -' Warlock begins, to which Logan tells him that he wasn't asking.
Shortly, Wolverine and the mysterious Kwannon walk down an alley behind Harry's Hideaway, towards a gold car, where Alex Summers a.k.a. Havok is waiting for them. 'Springing prisoners and going on the run? I'm worried I'm becoming a bad influence on you, old man' Havok remarks. Logan asks Alex if Scott sent him to stop him, to which Havok explains that he is here because he is going with them. Wolverine frowns at Havok while speaking Japanese to Kwannon. He tells her that if Havok won't move, she can take control of his mind and move him. 'Or you could just use your claws.' Kwannon, whose face is covered by a mask that only leaves her eyes free, while a cowl is positioned over her head, suggests. Havok smiles and tells Logan that it is really cute he thinks that the two of them are the only ones who speak Japanese. 'Guess what? I took a year' Alex reveals. 'I know she just called me handsome' he adds, running a hand through his hair. 'You're not going' Logan replies. 'It's not your call' Havok points out, but Logan tells him that it is.
'It's my car, Logan. What are you going to do about that?' Alex asks. Logan holds up the car keys and jingles them in front of the surprised Havok, who reaches into his now empty pocket and tells Logan again that he is going with him, that he wants to be a part of this. Logan pushes Havok aside as he opens the car door and tells Havok that is exactly why he is not going – as nobody should want this. As Kwannon gets into the car, Logan tells Alex to stay with his brother, to stay with the team, as they need him here now. 'You don't think they need you here?' Havok exclaims. 'This is what they need me for' Logan replies as he and Kwannon drive away.
Shortly, at the MacDonall Cemetery, Scott stands next to a casket and remarks that he thinks he is supposed to thank them all for coming, but that he knows they don't have anywhere else to go. He tells those gathered that if they want to speak, they should do so. 'No matter how many of these I do, they never get easier' Scott adds, telling everyone that he wished they had reasons to all see each other other than death – but that is not their world.
At the same time: 'This is it' Logan tells Kwannon as they pull up to a suburban house, which has several other cars parked in front of it.
Back at the cenetery, Cyclops stands away from the casket, as Xi'an Coy Manh a.k.a. Karma steps up to it. Among the mourners are fellow X-Men members Havok, Dani Moonstar, Cain Marko a.k.a. Juggernaut, Hope Summers, Sean Cassidy a.k.a. Banshee, Illyana Rasputin a.k.a. Magik, Jono Starsmore a.k.a. Chamber and Madrox, who is accompanied by Layla Miller, who rests her head against his shoulder. Warlock is with them, as are the owner of Harry's Hideaway Harry Morrel, Longshot, Congresswoman Stevie Hunter, Evangeline Whedon, Dr Kavita Rao, Doop and David Alleyne a.k.a. Prodigy.
Karma announces that she is here to say goodbye to her sister and teammate. 'She was... was. I'm just so $%&# tired of having to talk about the people I love in the past tense...' Karma then bids Wolfsbane to sleep well, and tells her to give their love to Tier, and to Roberto, Sam, Amara, Doug and Guido. She then continues – listing more names – Bobby, Warren, Hank, Jean, Lorna, Kurt, Kitty, Ororo, Piotr, Anna-Marie, Rachel, Betsy, Ali, Jonathan, Remy, Jubilation, Lucas, Shrio, Japeth, Neal, Nathan, Tessa, Jean-Paul, Paige, James, Hisako, Meggan, Jimmy, Laura, Joanna, David, Angelica, Monet, Gabby, Nezhno, Evan, Idie, Celeste, Mindee, Phoebe, Santo, Noriko, Victor, Robert, Gabriel, Laurie, Matha, Jia, Trevor, Iara, Lin, Eva, Alani, Ruth, Fabio, Erik, Charles – and too many others.
'You don't say anything unless I say' Logan tells Kwannon as they walk onto the front porch of the suburban home. Logan pops a claw through the keyhole, which opens the door. 'There' Logan remarks, motioning to another room within the house.
Madrox stands before the other mourners next, and tells them that Rahne Grace Sinclair didn't have a place in this world, everyone who ever met her knew it. 'In a world that teaches only hate, she learned love. In a world full of fear, she found hope. It was a world that turned its back on her years ago, and she fought for it every single day'. Madrox declares that Rahne gave more than she had to and never asked anything in return. 'This world didn't deserve her'.
Back in the suburban house: 'Who the hell are you, and why are you in my house?' one of five young men sitting in a living room playing video games asks, looking up from the TV screen, as Logan and Kwannon appear in the living room doorway. 'Which ones?' Logan asks Kwannon in Japanese. Looking past the food and canned drinks scattered about, Kwannon tells Logan 'those four, not him' as she points at a boy in a red cap. 'Merry Christmas, bub. You get to leave' Logan tells the young man, motioning to the doorway. 'What is -' the man begins. 'Run' Logan instructs him.
It is Magik's turn to speak now, she stands with her hands on front of her and states that Rahne didn't have a place like all of them, but that they took her in, gave her a home, a family and a purpose, and in return, she loved them – and nothing they would ever do could repay that. Magik recalls the day Rahne left and wishes she said something – anything – to make her stay – but she let her leave and watched this world swallow her up. 'I'm so mad at her... when I see her next I'm gonna ask her why she left and made me stay'.
In the house, the young man with the red cap rushes out the door, as the other four back up against their chairs and couches, while Wolverine asks Kwannon to show him. 'It was them. Trust me, Logan' Kwannon responds, as one of the other men gets up to leave, announcing that he doesn't live here – 'SIT!' Logan barks at him, while demanding to Kwannon that she show him.
At that moment, Dani Moonstar addresses the other mourners.'I'd be lying if I didn't say that this year is breaking me. I'm so sick of feeling this way, I lie awake and ask for anyone to make it go away...' she begins, adding that these days she doesn't know who she is asking. 'But last night I saw her... I saw Rahne like I had so many nights before... she smiled at me... I didn't know what to say. I asked her to take care of herself... and I asked her to help take care of the rest of us, too... I don't know that I believed in anyone or anything anymore... but she did'.
Inside the house again, Kwannon suddenly tells Logan that she is sorry, as she shoves her psi-blade into his head, and lets recent events play out in his mind.
Flashback, takes place off-panel during Uncanny X-Men (5th series) #16:
Four young men walk through a dimly lit park at night, while Rahne Sinclair sits on a bench nearby. 'That sucked. We never shoulda traded Porzingis' one of the young men remarks to his friends, before one of them looks over at Rahne. 'Hey?' he asks, walking over to her, he asks her if she works down at McAleer's. Rahne looks up at him and with her thick accent explains that she doesn't, and that she does not really live around here anymore. The young man notices Rahne's accent and tells her she has quite an accent, before asking if she is Australian. 'Ah'm from Scotland, actually' Rahne replies, running a hand through her hair, while the young man leans in closer and tells her that was his next guess. He then tells her that he is thinking of taking a trip over to Dublin this year, and asks if she can tell him some cool places to check out. 'That's Ireland' Rahne corrects him.
'Oh, right. Well, maybe -' the young man begins as he sits down next to Rahne, who then stands up, informing him that she has to get going. The young man tells her to wait a second, and reveals that he doesn't live far from here. He informs her that he and his friends are going back to his place to hang out, maybe have some drinks, and tells her that it would be cool if she came. 'Another time perhaps' Rahne tells him as she starts to walk away, before he gets to his feet and grabs her by her arm, suggesting that maybe just the two of them could go there, then.
'Take yer hands offa me, please!' Rahne snaps, spinning around and pulling away from the man, who tells her to calm down, and claims that he just wanted to hang out. His friends begin to move in, as the young man tells Rahne that he was trying to be nice, and that she doesn't have to be stuck up. Rahne asks him to get out of her way then shouts 'AH SAID NO!' as she bares her fangs at the young men.
Realizing what she has done, Rahne backs away from the men and apologizes. 'I dinnae mean ta do that' she utters, as the men surround her. 'What the hell are you?' one of them asks. Rahne tells them to let her walk away, while one of the men declares that she is a mutant. Rahne claims that she is just a normal girl. 'Alex tried to bag a mutie chick!' one of the men exclaims, before Alex pushes Rahne to the ground, asking her if that's what this is about – she's out here to trap normal guys. 'Dirty freak!' he shouts as he clenches his fists.
Rahne suddenly transforms into a half-wolf half-girl form and growls, leaping upwards and shoving Alex backwards, her claws raking across his face. 'My face!' Alex cries out. Rahne returns to her human appearance, and tells him that she didn't mean to do that, before asking to be left alone.
'You screwed up now, mutie!' Alex shouts. 'Do your trick for us, doggy! Do it!' he yells at her, while his friends begin to punch and kick her. Rahne falls to the ground, and Alex joins in the attack, asking her if she thinks she could trick them, and tells her to stop pretending she is a normal girl. 'Ah am...' Rahne utters.
Present:
An enraged Wolverine grits his teeth, while Alex and the three other young men look up at him, terrified. Logan looks to the ground and remarks that Rahne wouldn't change, that she wouldn't defend herself. He has seen it his whole life, and will never understand it. 'Someone so special and all she wanted was to be nothing... she wanted to be normal. She wanted to be like you' Wolverine tells the young men.
One of them declares that they didn't mean to hurt her, they just wanted to see what she really was. 'Shut up, Ron! Don't talk about her!' Alex shouts. 'Her name was Rahne Sinclair' Wolverine informs the men as he clenches a fist. 'Say her name' he tells them. 'Rahne' one of them replies. 'Rahne Sinclair' the others remark. Logan tells the men that Rahne was something beautiful, that they didn't deserve to see what she really was. 'But I'm gonna show you what I really am' he warns them as he drops a bag on the coffee table. 'What... what is this?' one of the boys asks, frightened. 'You want us to open this?' Alex enquires. Wolverine tells them that he has just one request. 'Anything you want!' one of them exclaims, as the boys begin removing weapons like knives and chains from the bag. 'Fight back' Logan tells them, as the scared men look up at him.
Wolverine pops his adamantium claws, when suddenly, one of several O*N*E soldiers exclaims 'Office of National Emergency! Hands up! Now!' as they burst into the living room.
Wolverine turns to Kwannon, who informs him that the soldiers are wearing psychic shielding. 'Don't suppose you're here to have a discussion with these men who killed a defenseless girl last week, are ya?' Logan asks the soldiers, while one of them shouts 'DON'T MOVE!' as they aim their weapons around the room. One of the soldiers then announces that they are here to make sure two known terrorists don't go around murdering civilians. 'Mutie' he adds. 'I wouldn't say that word again if I were you' Logan replies, while the O*N*E officer reveals that his brother was at the Danbury facility they attacked a few months back and didn't make it out. 'I've been waiting for my chance to put you in the ground' he adds. 'Guess that settles it' Logan remarks as he lunges forward, leaping over the four young men as his claws point towards the O*N*E soldiers, who open fire at him.
Moonstar continues with her eulogy, remarking that she doesn't know that she believed in anything or anyone anymore – but Rahne did. 'She always believed someone up there listens to us at night when we pray... always and forever... and she reminded me that I do too. I believe in you, Rahney' Dani finishes her speech.
Later, Illyana and Scott sit at the bar in Harry's Hideaway, several empty glasses in front of them. 'It takes some nerve to skip the funeral and then walk back in here like it's your home, Logan' Scott utters without looking at Logan, who enters the bar. 'Not now' Logan replies. 'No, we're doing this now. I know not caring about anyone but yourself is sort of your thing, but this wasn't -' Scott begins, standing up and grabbing Logan, before stopping himself when he sees Logan, whose suit is in tatters, thanks to all the bullets that bombarded him. 'What the hell did you do?' Scott asks. 'I told you I mourn in my own way' Logan reminds Scott, who then announces that he wants Logan gone, tonight. Others begin to gather, including Moonstar and Madrox, as Logan reminds Scott that he isn't team leader anymore, and tells him not to worry, as he is done.
'You made sure to tell us you weren't a team player every chance you got. Well guess what, “Bub”? You were right. You were never a good teammate' Scott exclaims, pointing at Logan, who warns Scott to be careful, that if he pushes this, everyone might start choosing sides again. 'Didn't end great for you last time' Logan reminds Scott. 'Why were you even here? You don't care about what we're trying to do. We're a family. You're just here to hurt people' Scott declares through gritted teeth. Logan reports that he spoke to Blindfold before she killed herself, and asks Scott if Blindfold told his family that she warned him not to do this. 'Did you tell them she said you were going to get them all killed?' he asks. Scott tells Logan to shut his mouth, and that this is about the legacy of the X-Men, something he never cared about.
'What legacy?' Logan asks. 'Suffering? Taking on the whole world? Burying our friends too young? This is forever, right?' he declares, revealing that Blindfold told him to stay close to him because something bad was coming – but he didn't realize it was them.
Scott then punches Logan in the face, and Logan responds with a punch back. 'Hit too close to home, Slim?' he asks as the others look on. Scott and Logan fall to the floor, 'Don't you get it? We're the same!' Scott shouts, an optic blast darting towards Logan's face, slicing down the right cheek. 'I let her leave! I told Rahne she could have a different life, and they killed her! She died because she believed me!' Logan exclaims. 'That's what we do! We march them into hell but only we get to always come back out!' he adds, before Juggernaut comes between them and pulls them apart from each other.
'That's enough! Both of ya!' Cain exclaims, reminding them that they have real enemies out there. 'Remember? You made your little list!' Cain declares, as Logan and Scott get to their feet, Cain asks them if they would rather fight themselves than stop Mister Sinister, or Black Tom Cassidy, or the Marauders or Stryfe.
'Or... hey... why isn't Emma Frost on your list?' Cain asks. 'What are you talking about, Cain?' Madrox asks as he, Layla, Banshee, Moonstar, Wolverine, Hope, Magik, Karma, Vange, Doop, Warlock, Prodigy, Havok, Longshot and Cyclops all turn to him, and a confused Cyclops asks 'Who the hell is Emma Frost?'
