7:15 PM (BST) at the penthouse suite within the Boneyard on Krakoa, home and headquarters to X-Factor Investigations. 'Wouldn't it remove important context?' Kyle Jinadu-Beaubier asks as he sits on the bed he shares with his husband, X-Factor's leader, Jean-Paul Beaubier a.k.a. Northstar. 'Non' Jean-Paul replies from the ensuite bathroom. Kyle is already dressed in his Hellfire Gala costume as he asks 'But... why choose to discard something formative like trauma?' Wrapping a towel around his hips, Northstar steps out of the shower and explains 'Because then we get back a not-dead, not-traumatized mutant!' Kyle agrees that that makes sense. '$#%&'s sake, Kyle!' Jean-Paul snaps. 'No, you're right – you're right, I get it!' Kyle replies.
Elsewhere in the Boneyard, Trevor Hawkins a.k.a. Eye-Boy skateboards down a corridor, while his mutant ability enables him to see conversations going on in other parts of the complex, like the one between Rachel Summers a.k.a. Prestige and Akihiro a.k.a. Daken, who sit in the main living room on the sofa. 'So, you and 'rora, huh?' Rachel asks, while her warwolf pup, Amazing Bar, sits on her lap. 'Yup' Daken confirms. Sitting near them, watching the television, is the strangely reborn Rockslide.
''rora' he quotes Prestige in his strange voice. Rachel asks Daken if she can tell him a secret. 'Uh... okay' Daken replies, to which Rachel announces that she misses the old Mojoverse programming. 'I know it's better that Krakoa's showrunning now, but I mess their chaotic trash!' Rachel exclaims. Daken laughs, before admitting that he thinks the same.
Observing their conversation still, Eye-Boy snorts, before his sight changes, and he peeks in on David Alleyne a.k.a. Prodigy, who is opening a package that has arrived for him. David is puzzled that the package has no return address. David holds up a beautiful gown in the box, complete with wings, and a note that says “Wear this tonight”. 'I scanned it, it's safe!' Eye-Boy calls out to David, who thanks him, but is confused by the note. Eye-Boy continues down the corridor, when suddenly, Jeanne-Marie Beaubier gasps as she wraps her dressing gown around herself. 'TREVOR!' Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris shouts, holding a towel around her body as Trevor skates past them. 'Trevor, were naked! And why aren't you getting ready?' Lorna calls out. Trevor glances back at the women and apologizes, before Lorna creates a magnetic wave that forces Trevor and his skateboard up the main internal staircase that winds through the center of the complex.
'Go get dressed, mister!' Lorna instructs Trevor. 'All right, all right! Geez...' Eye-Boy replies. Lorna and Aurora begin to walk upstairs as Aurora remarks that Lorna seems a bit on edge, and asks her if she is all right. Lorna sighs, before telling Aurora that she is fine, but nervous about tonight. 'Oh? You have a date I don't know about?' Aurora asks. Lorna closes her eyes as she explains that it is nothing like that, but it's just a big night. 'I mean – you feel it too, right?' Lorna asks, and Aurora tells her that she does.
Shortly: 'Transport has arrived!' Hope Summers announces as she and the rest of the Five teleport into the Boneyard. 'Wow, you guys look great!' Egg calls out as he and Hope stand with Tempus, Proteus and Elixir. 'Merci. As do you all' Northstar replies as he, Kyle and Daken stand together wearing their costumes. Rachel approaches them wearing her dark red, spiked costume. Aurora arrives in a blue gown, while Polaris is wearing a green and white gown. Prodigy wears a a gold gown with wings that leaves his chest bare.
Elixir asks if everyone is ready to head over, while Tempus tells Lorna that her gown is stunning. 'I can telepathically retreat the spikes, see?' Rachel tells her “niece”, Hope. 'Smart' Hope agrees, before Proteus asks where Eye-Boy is. Northstar looks upwards and shouts 'Trevor Hawkins, if you don't -', while in his room, Trevor quickly takes his clothes off, ties his long hair up and wraps a blue and gold pattern material around his waist, where it falls like a long skirt.
'Okay – I'm ready!' Eye-Boy calls out, as he, the rest of X-Factor, Kyle, Amazing Baby and the Five are teleported to an open area on Krakoa where others are gathered, ready to teleport to the Gala. Their grand arrival does not go unnoticed, Cannonball, Laura Kinney, Domino, Gambit, Karma, Kwannon, Iceman and other party goers all turn to them. There's a lot left to say. They have all come a long way. But they still have a long way to go, too. Trauma reshapes a person – but healing from it does too. Daken and Aurora smile as they hold each other close. Northstar and Kyle holds hands, while Polaris and Prestige strut through the area like it's their runway. Prodigy and Eye-Boy hug and laugh.
Suddenly, Prodigy realizes that he forgot something at home. He tells his teammates to go ahead and that he will meet up with them inside. As mutants queue up to be scanned by Quentin Quire prior to teleportation, 'Want me to just -' Northstar offers, but Prodigy tells him that it's fine, that he will be quick. 'Okay, see ya, Prodigy' Eye-Boy remarks as he, the rest of X-Factor and the Five step through a portal into the Hellfire Gala on Mykines – with none of them anticipating how their lives will change in one night.
9:04 PM (BST), the Gala is underway. Madrox dupes carry trays of champagne around, while the Thing can be seen holding a very large glass. Synch, Manifold and Rogue are gathered together talking, while the Beast can be seen walking towards Monet. Frenzy is chatting with Dr Strange, near where Colossus and Professor X are speaking. Rachel, with Amazing Baby on a leash that resembles hair, walks past a young woman in a white gown, and heads towards Kate Pryde, who crouches down to hug the grinning Amazing Baby.
Eye-Boy walks up to the young woman in white and introduces himself, smiling. 'Hi... I'm Carmen' the young woman replies somewhat nervously. Eye-Boy asks her if she is new to Krakoa and offers to show her around. 'Welcome back, idiot' Daken smiles at Laura Kinney a.k.a. Wolverine as she approaches Daken and Aurora. Aurora smiles as she tells Laura that Akihiro has told her so many wonderful things about her and Gabby while she was gone. 'Ha! Don't lie!' Laura smiles, before Northstar interrupts the reunion. Holding something in his hand, he extends it to Daken. 'What's this?' Daken asks. 'This is a “cell phone” which is -' Northstar starts to say, but Daken interrupts him, pointing out that he knows what it is – but he wants to know why Northstar is giving it to him. 'So you can... call for help. The next time you need it' Northstar explains.
Polaris walks past her father, Magneto, as she finishes a glass of champagne. 'Thank you, Jamie' she tells one of the Madrox dupes as she takes another glass from a tray the dupe holds. 'Another glass already? Some decorum, please, Lorna. Remember, you represent House of M at all times' Magneto remarks, frowning. 'Ah, yes. Hello, Father. I'm happy to see you as well' Lorna responds tartly, while at the same time, Kyle is holding baby Shogo as he talks to Jubilee. Jubilee tells Kyle that he is so good with Shogo, and asks when he and Jean-Paul are going to make some little friends for Shogo. 'Unk peepee!' Shogo cries out. 'That's right, baby – Uncle JP' Jubilee replies. Northstar overhears this, and spits his champagne back into its glass. 'PTOO! He still calls me that?' he asks, horrified.
Meanwhile, at Club Pepper, in Los Angeles, 1:30 PM (PDT): 'Sorry, we're not open yet' one of the bar staff calls out as Prodigy, still wearing his Hellfire Gala gown, enters the club. Two of the bar staff look up at him in shock. '...wow. It's him' one of them utters. 'It's him!' the other exclaims. 'Uh...hi?' David asks them. 'Go – yeah, get the thing! The baggie!' one of the staff tells the other. 'I am, I am!' the other responds as he reaches into a drawer and pulls put a ziplock bag containing a cellphone, and a note that reads “For Prodigy. With love, Prodigy”. Prodigy looks at the cell phone and realizes that it is the one he lost nearly a year ago. 'What? No, you didn't. You gave it to us for safekeeping that night you left here with... um...' one of the staff begins. 'We'd given up hope. We thought we'd never see you again. Just like the rest of them' the other wide-eyed bar tender remarks. 'You... don't remember any of this, do you?' the other asks.
Back at the Hellfire Gala, it's 9:32 PM (BST), and some dancing is underway. 'Quit steppin' on my feet, Pryde' Rachel tells her friend, but Kate just laughs at her. Laura Kinney can be seen dancing nearby, while the Beast patrols the area as part of the X-Force security detail. Suddenly, 'No way...' Rachel utters. 'What's wrong?' Kate asks her. The spikes on Rachel's costume suddenly stick out further, as Rachel announces that Shatterstar is back. Rachel goes to the edge of a balcony and looks down below, where she sees a crowd part so that Shatterstar can walk through them. He's wearing his hotpants and boots, and is covered in blood, while a strange energy trails behind him. Rachel informs Kate that Shatterstar set out earlier today on some fated, ancient quest to save Siryn from the Morrigan once and for all. 'But if he's here... it means he already succeeded' Rachel utters. 'So? That sounds good' Kate points out. 'It... should have taken him months' Rachel explains, while Shatterstar looks around the crowd of people.
Turns out, you can never really “kill” a death goddess, only repurpose the magic. Much later, Shatterstar would explain every word that the Morrigan said before her defeat. The Morrigan was correct in saying that mutants have no need of a death goddess – but mutants do die. Who knows what being so close to the death of a death goddess could do to a person? After all, the Morrigan's last words were “To the victor go the spoils”.
Shatterstar enters the Gala proper. Emma Frost sees him, and Eye-Boy, who is showing Amazing Baby to a child at the Gala, looks over to Shatterstar, while Wolverine stands nearby. At the same moment, Siryn's body grows inside an egg within the Hatchery. Finally, Shatterstar sees Rictor. He smiles and tears fall down his face as he goes over and puts a hand on Rictor's shoulder.
At 2:32 PM (PDT) in a Bel Air mansion owned by film producer Buck Thatcher. A loud scream can be heard within the mansion – it's Buck Thatcher, who has fallen to the floor and scurries backwards, screaming, as Prodigy stands over him. 'You – you, no... no!' Buck calls out. 'Me...?' David asks. 'You – dead' Buck Thatcher utters. 'That's right!' David snaps at Buck, before he grabs him by the back of his head: 'Came back from the dead to drag you to hell, baby' he snarls, before he punches Buck in the face. 'You killed me!' David exclaims.
Back at the Hellfire Gala at 10:15 PM (BST), 'Ah, more humans. Hi, I'm Kyle Jinadu-Beaubier' Kyle calls out to Captain America. 'Oh! Northstar's husband, right? Hi, I'm Steve' Cap replies, while Mr Fantastic can be seen talking to someone nearby. As all of the mutants at the party are focused on Jean Grey who hovers above them all, Cap asks Kyle what is happening. Kyle explains that the X-Men elections are happening. 'Live in Krakoa long enough and you get used to the whole mutant mind-link thing' Kyle replies casually. Cap is surprised by this, and asks 'Wait, you live in Krakoa? And you're human?' to which Kyle replies 'Sure am. Enjoy the party!' and leaves Cap, he heads over to where the members of X-Factor are gathered and are taking a photo.
'Congratulations on your win, dear girl. The X-Men are lucky to have you' Jean-Paul tells Lorna as he takes her hands. Lorna smiles and hangs her head as she tells Northstar that she should have mentioned to him she had been thinking about this move sooner, and apologizes. Northstar puts his hands on Polaris' face and tells her that he is so proud of her, of all that she is, and whether they work together or not. 'You're formidable, kind and brilliant' he adds. Lorna tells him that she is going to miss them all so much. 'And we'll miss you. You'll always have a home with us, no matter what' he assures her.
At 11:30 PM (BST), John Greycrow is forced to restrain Wild Child, holding him back as Wild Child lashes out at Daken. 'YOU'LL BE SMILING OUT YOUR THROAT!' Wild Child warns Daken, who casually walks away from the scene. 'Pfft. That's one way to announce we're dating, I suppose' Daken tells Jeanne-Marie as they begin to dance. 'Dating, and yet you still don't really know me at all' Jeanne-Marie replies. Daken tells her that he knows that if she was a season, she would be autumn – a tease of biting wind, a promise of something cold but exhilarating. 'Ahikiro -' Jeanne-Marie begins, attempting to interrupt him, but he continues, and asks her if she knows that people have a natural scent. 'I know yours – sugar and the sea. Not the brine, but the other aspect the ocean has – the part that's wild and unknowable. Was. You smell like sweetness and infinity' Daken utters.
Aurora listens intently as Daken continues, informing her that he already knows about her dissociative identity disorder, and that she – all of her – are managing it beautifully. 'And I know that you killed Eddie. And that you tried to cover it up by dying'. 'No, I – I -' Aurora starts to say, before Daken dips her on the dancefloor and tells her not to worry, that her secret is safe with him. 'Especially since later I went back and killed the rest of his bigoted buddies in the mutant hate group that attacked you. So if you go down, I go down...' Daken explains, smiling. Aurora looks up at Daken. She is about to say something, when Daken's new cell phone rings – Daken pulls his phone out of his pocket and sees that it is Northstar calling him.
It's now 3:40 PM (PDT) at Buck Thatcher's mansion, when suddenly: 'Helloooo?' a voice calls out. Prodigy turns around and gasps in shock, as he sees Eye-Boy enter the room he is in. 'Just me. Hey, buddy' Eye-Boy remarks. David is surprised to see him, and Eye-Boy points out that he never came back to the gala, and he missed him. 'How'd you find me?' Prodigy asks. Eye-Boy looks over to where buck Thatcher is slumped against some furniture, and informs David that he knew he was lying about going back to the Boneyard, and he saw the Club Pepper address pulled up on his tablet earlier, so he checked there first. Trevor informs David that the bartenders were worried about him, before remarking that Buck Thatcher has a really bad reputation. 'With good reason. This predator $#%& is the one who killed me' David announces.
David hands Trevor his phone and tells him to watch it. A recording of David appears on the phone screen: “Hi, future me. If you're watching this, it means, basically – I got killed because I $#%& around and found out”. Eye-Boy watches the video intently and tells his friend that he knows he is telling the truth, and is terrified. The message continues: “I'm leaving this message for you from the past to explain how yu got here”. But David looks at Trevor and informs him that he doesn't remember any of this. David explains that it all happened in his backup blindspot because he planned it that way – plausible deniability. David informs Trevor that his past self left a breadcrumb trail for resurrected-him to find – photos and messages. He engineered his own alibi, and had a duplicate made of what he was wearing that night he was killed, to set it up to be mailed to him wherever he would be in Krakoa.
David reveals that it was fairy tale costume night at Club Pepper, which is where he knew that Buck Thatcher found his victims – and he knew that he only targeted young queer black men. 'So I didn't plan on getting killed, but I left a contingency plan because... I was dead set on taking down a serial killer'. Eye-Boy looks at David and asks him if he wants to see something cool. 'Uh...sure, buddy...' David replies. Trevor starts to position his hands in various poses, 'Wait, that's not it either...' he mumbles as he changes his hands. 'Sorry, hold on... okay, maybe... yeah! Take that!' Trevor exclaims as suddenly, energy pours from his hands, or probably from the various eyes on his hands, and the energy strikes Buck Thatcher. 'DUDE! My boy! You – that's so cool!' David exclaims, smiling. Trevor laughs, and he and David hug as Trevor explains that he has been experimenting with his powers. 'You're incredible. I'm so proud of you!' David tells his friend. Eye-Boy glances at David and tells him that he will feel better if he cries.
'I know you don't remember any of what happened to you, but I promise that you will feel better if you let yourself cry just because it did' Trevor explains. David begins to sniff, and asks 'Is he -?' to which Trevor tells David that Buck is still alive, but is going to have some of the worst sunburn of his life – possibly radiation poisoning – but is still alive. 'I – I couldn't go through with it...' David utters. 'So we heard' a voice calls out. Eye-Boy turns to see Daken and Aurora enter the room. 'Oh, good! Hi! You're here!' Trevor smiles, while David walks to the other side of the room. Daken explains that Kwannon called Northstar and raised the alarm, so Northstar sent the two of them to bail Prodigy out. 'That guy killed Prodigy' Eye-Boy explains. Aurora walks over to Buck, while Eye-Boy uses his sight powers to locate David's corpse, revealing that it is in the basement under the stairs, down the hall behind them, last door on the left. Daken offers to get David's body before the cops show up, before telling Trevor that he did good here.
'Well, look who's awake' Aurora remarks as she crouches down in front of Buck. 'Please – no -' Buck utters. 'You're afraid. Of, don't worry though – we're not here to kill you. We don't have to. Because human police are on their way' Aurora reveals. She stands back up as she informs Buck that firstly there will be a trial, then a jury, a verdict, and a long, lonely prison sentence. And then maybe they'll just kill you' she suggests. Daken goes over to Aurora and explains that California has a moratorium on the death penalty currently. 'Pity. Maybe you'll resist arrest?' Aurora suggests to Buck. She narrows her eyes as she tells him that it would be a more poetic ending for him – the powerful rich, untouchable racist sexual predator and serial killer who has been exclusively menacing LA's population of young queer black men for two decades – or so she is told. 'Stop looking at me like that, Akihiro' Aurora adds as she turns and walks out of the room. 'Like what?' Daken calls back. 'Like you're turned on' Aurora tells Daken as he catches up to her outside. They hold hands and smile at each other as they pass the police cars arriving outside the mansion. 'God, how could I not be? That was like wathcing you play with your food' Daken replies. 'Ha! Flatterer!' Aurora replies. 'Devourer' Daken utters.
Back at the Hellfire Gala on Mykines, at 4:04 AM (BST), Prodigy and Eye-Boy walk past several others outside as the party starts to come to a close. David tells his friend that he is a lot sharper than people give him credit for. 'Oh... that's kinda be design, I guess. I act a certain way because it gets results' Trevor replies. He explains that when people let their guard down around him, he can read them like a book – they show him all these tiny secrets tucked away in their body language that they aren't say aloud. 'I'm kind of... super literate in all things hidden, actually' Trevor smiles. Suddenly, there is a loud gasp – from Tommy Shepherd a.k.a. Speed, who smiles at Prodigy and exclaims 'We can wear dresses here? Why didn't I think of that? You look incredible! We should always wear dresses!' David is shocked to see Tommy, and asks 'How did you -?' to which Speed explains that Eye-Boy invited him. 'Hehe, I read people!' Trevor smiles at David. 'I can see exactly what – or who – it is that they want most'. David and Trevor hug, and Trevor tells David not to mention it. 'Now c'mon, Cinderella – let's at least get you to the after-party!' Trevor suggests.
The trio make their way down a path surrounded by trees and bushes. 'Someone's partied too hard. Amateur' David remarks as he looks over and sees someone's legs sticking out from the bushes. 'I wonder who it is -' Tommy remarks, before Eye-Boy quickly tells him not to go over there. 'The hell? How's you grab me so fast?' the surprised Tommy asks as Eye-Boy grabs him by his arm. 'I... can see movements people intend to make' Eye-Boy explains. Tommy asks him if he wants to ease up, and shrugs Trevor off of him. 'What if they're hurt or something?' Tommy asks as he runs towards the trees. 'NO!' Eye-Boy screams, unleashing some of his newfound energy towards Tommy. 'Ow! That hurt – what is wrong with you?' Tommy asks as he looks back at Eye-Boy. Eye-Boy glances at Prodigy and tells him to call Northstar as he runs towards the trees. 'What the hell?' David asks. 'Get! NORTHSTAR!' Trevor exclaims urgently.
A look of horror falls across Tommy's face as he sees who is lying in the bushes – 'Mom? Mommy?' he cries out. Eye-Boy runs in front of him and pushes him away from the scene. 'No! Who did this to her?' Tommy calls out. 'You shouldn't have to see this' Trevor tells Tommy, as Prodigy is on the phone, informing Northstar that they are over by the bushes in the area to the right of where security screening was. '... Yeah here' David's voice can be heard on Northstar's phone, as Northstar arrives on the scene. 'Wanda?' Northstar calls out, shocked.
Shortly, Northstar is joined by Xavier, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, Magik and Wolverine as they all look down at Wanda's body. Jean is wide-eyed, while Xavier frowns, and Wolverine kneels beside Wanda as he looks at her lifeless body and asks '... where's Magneto?'
