The Summer House, where Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops enters a living room. 'Kids' he calls out to Rachel and Nathan a.k.a. Prestige and Cable, respectively. 'Hello, father' Rachel replies as she leans back on a round sofa. 'What's up, Dad?' Cable asks, looking up from where he is inspecting a large gun. 'A lot' Cyclops tells them, reporting that yesterday, amid all the drama unfolding on Krakoa, a second island appeared 100 miles off the southern coast of their sentient mutant homeland, but no one knows how or why, but this island got the attention of Krakoa itself, and now Krakoa is making a beeline for it. Cyclops continues, informing his children that about twenty minutes ago, Aurora and Northstar returned from a flyover and reported that the island appears to be full of hostiles – giant beasts from that other place they don't normally speak of. 'So... I'm headed out on a recon mission, and I was wondering... you two wanna help your old man beat up some monsters?' Scott asks. Both of the Summers children smile in response.
Shortly, Cyclops, Prestige and Cable depart Krakoa in a Blackbird jet, and sitting up front next to her father, Rachel asks Scott if he has any idea why Krakoa is headed toward the other island. Scott tells her that he has none, but that they should – however the only person in the universe who can talk to Krakoa is a couple of galaxies away. 'Someone had the bright idea of letting Doug Ramsey and company use our gateway to the Starjammer' Scott mutters. 'It was you, wasn't it?' Rachel asks. 'This is the voice of a guilty man, Rachel. Throw the book at me' Scott admits. Sitting behind them, the teenage Cable announces that he brought about a couple hundred rounds for his pistol – standard issue – a couple thousand for the rifle that he got from Raza, which is a lovely bit of business, along with the thermal grenades he is carrying. Cable remarks that all of that sounds fine, but he is wondering if he should have brought anything else. 'Well, son... take a look for yourself' Cyclops suggests as they all look out the front of the jet. 'Yeah... okay... I shoulda brought a bigger gun' Cable decides, as they descend towards the mysterious new island, with a large volcanic crater in the center, that has strange energy glowing out the top of it, leading up towards clouds of black smoke.
Later: 'A tricky bit of landing there, Dad... I'm impressed' Cable remarks as they exit the Blackbird which now rests on the shore of this mystery island. 'I've got more hours in a cockpit than I do in therapy, son, and let me tell you... I have done the work' Cyclops replies, before pointing into the jungle ahead and telling his children that at Krakoa's current speed, it will be here in around five hours, which means they have a good bit less than to figure out what is going on here. 'Rachel, if you don't mind' Scott asks. 'On it' Rachel replies as she does a telepathic scan of the island, and reports that the island is dense, but what is out there is of low intelligence – wildlife – however, it is tough to tell exactly because it is all a little off, she is picking up something higher on the food chain – something that feels human-ish. 'Where?' Scott asks. 'I'll give you one guess' Rachel replies, looking into the jungle.
Three hours later – two hours until Krakoa arrives, the three Summers are trudging through the dense jungle. 'This is taking forever' Cable complains. 'And forever we do not have' Scott remarks, adding that he was hoping they could do this with subtlety and nuance. 'But who has the patience for that anymore?' he asks, telling his children to stay behind him. He fires a powerful optic blast ahead, clearing a path through the jungle. 'Much better' Cyclops decides, before telling Cable to take point. Cable moves up front, while Rachel remarks that now they are not fighting through the foliage, it is hard to miss how beautiful this is. Cyclops agrees and tells Rachel that it reminds him of Hawai'i – not the Big Island, one of the other ones. 'Ever been?' Scott asks. 'Once, but, you know, world-ending, fighting for my life... all that' Rachel replies. Scott tells his daughter that that is no way to experience paradise, and suggests that she will need to give it another shot. 'You know what... why don't I take you?' Scott decides. 'Really?' Rachel asks, surprised.
'Of course' Cyclops replies, before remarking that now that he thinks about it, he might know a better place – there is a little island on Chandilar, an imperial preserve, where the water is so clear that you can see a couple hundred yards down, and at night – because most of the sea life is bioluminescent, it feels like the island is suspended in a sea of stars. 'Well. That sounds amazing' Rachel replies, to which Scott tells her to put it on her calendar – they're going. 'Hey! Got something!' Cable calls out as he raises his weapon, and up ahead sees a strange black creature. 'It's a weird rhino thing' Cable tells his sister and father. 'Think it's dangerous?' Scott asks, putting a hand to his visor. 'Sure. It's a big boy' Cable responds, pointing out that it is not a carnivore. 'Look at those back legs and its feet... those are not the wheels of a meat-eater' Cable explains, deciding that it still looks cool. Suddenly, 'Hold up. Got more motion' Cable announces as he raises his weapon again – and suddenly, a large tentacled creature emerges from the jungle around them – wraps its tentacles around the rhino creature, and drags it into a large gaping mouth full of teeth!
'Gross' Rachel mutters. 'Damn' Cable exclaims. 'Okay...mnow that's a meat-eater' Cyclops jokes. Cable agrees, before Rachel begins to ask 'Father, should we...?' to which Cyclops tells her that he doesn't think they have a choice: 'FIRE!' he shouts as he unleashes an optic blast at the tentacled creature, while Cable fires his weapon and Rachel attacks with a psychic blast.
Inside the Ark Maw, what appears to be deep inside the volcano on the island, strange creatures scuttle along the sides of the crater, while on a small rock jutting out of the lava that bubbles, a being that glows white utters 'Someone's here'. The being turns to a peculiar black object that hovers behind it. A glowing energy can be seen within that black object, which suddenly speaks: 'Ours is a hard land, son. But this soft place will offer trials of a different sort – ones you are not used to'. The strange being tells her son that war is all he has ever known, and it will not have prepared him for this. 'How will I know what to do?' the glowing white being asks. 'The only wisdom I can offer you is this: Find Him. Follow Him' the strange mother replies. 'Mother... please...' the white begin utters as he cries black tears that streak down his face. A strange black symbol can be seen on his chest, while his mother tells him 'No more of that, child... we are long past favor and sentimentality... they are coming now... across the land and over the walls. So make me proud, son. Do not fail'.
Later, one hour from contact with Krakoa, the Summers family are riding on the backs of the rhino creatures across an open area of the island. 'I think I still have demon squid on my shoes' Rachel mutters. 'You're lucky. I'm pretty sure I still have some in my mouth' Cable tells his sister, while wiping his mouth with his gloved hand. 'Well, no one told you to bite it' Rachel points out. Cable glances over at Rachel and explains that he couldn't help himself – reflexes took over. 'See octopus, eat octopus?' Rachel asks. Cable smiles at Rachel as he tells her that if a gun is not an option, then it is fight, fight or bite. 'Don't put me to the test' he adds. 'Hey, Dad, they say it's never the dog...it's always the owner' Rachel calls out, asking Scott if he cares to comment on this rabid son situation. 'Are we going to have to find a new home for him or put him down? Or we could just have him neute-' Rachel calls out, before Cyclops interrupts her, announcing that they have company. Indeed, up ahead in the clearing, the mysterious white figure has appeared, and stands facing the X-Men.
The mysterious being remains silent, before remarking 'Hello' in his native tongue. The Summers family get off the rhino creatures and slowly approach the mysterious being. 'Hey there. Can you understand me?' Cyclops calls out. 'What are these sounds you're making? Are you unable to speak?' the mysterious being replies in his native language. Cyclops tells his children that he can't place it, that it doesn't sound like any language he has ever heard. 'It's like singing' Rachel adds, while Cyclops suggests that they try something else. 'All that grunting, like you're ill. Are you in pain?' the mystery man asks in his language, adding that he knows pain, and telling the Summers family that they must fight through it – refuse the shape it tries to make of you and instead shape it into an armor that you wear – one you wear with pride.
Cable announces that he has an idea, and walks past Cyclops and Prestige, telling them that he is going to give this creature something. 'Here, friend. For you. Maybe you'll understand' Cable remarks as he hands something to the mysterious being. 'Ah. A gift. Thank you' the white being replies. Cable walks back to his family: 'See? Success!' he tells them, adding that he is a good person, that he does good things, and that is why people love him. 'You should remember that, Rachel' Cable suggests. Cyclops asks Cable what he gave the mysterious being, to which Cable reports that it was something awesome – a thermal grenade – his last one. 'Oh no...' Cyclops utters as they all turn back to the white being. 'So shiny' the mysterious white being declares, before pressing one of the buttons on the thermal grenade – which detonates the powerful weapon, and the blast knocks Cyclops, Prestige and Cable backwards.
Cyclops and his children look up to the fiery smoke that billows nearby, while Cable admits that he honestly doesn't know what else he was thinking could've happened there. 'Well, you were probably hoping for the best...after all, you're a good person. You do good things, and that's why people love you' Rachel replies sarcastically. Cyclops tells his children to stop arguing, and as the mysterious white being emerges from the smoke and flames, Cyclops points out that it is time to do the other thing. 'You have erred greatly. Can you see what I am? I am a Summoner' the white being snarls.
Three strange creatures suddenly appear, summoned by the mysterious white being, who introduces the large tentacled creature as Uhr'Oggioth the great beast of the outer realm, and a dark, four-armed humanoid being with glowing red eyes, who is introduced as Hool-go-Dir, the vanquished god, and finally, a large crab-like being called Dur, the undying. 'See them...and see your end!' the mysterious Summoner exclaims, as the creatures move forward. Cable fires his gun at the tentacled beast, while Cyclops readies an optic blast as the four-armed being moves towards him, and Prestige launches a psychic attack on the crab creature. The mysterious being announces that he is a son of Arakko – a defender of the keep. 'One does not attack me and live!' he boasts. Cable attacks the tentacled beast with a knife and mutters to himself 'You know what you could really use right now, Cable? I do, Cable. A thermal grenade. Well, yes, Cable, but if you hadn't already used it, you actually wouldn't need it, would you? Hey! Shut up, already! I'm a time-traveler! Nothing makes sense!'
Cyclops's optic blast splits Hool-go-Dir in half – and creates a second one. Cyclops calls out to Rachel and tells her that Krakoa must be close by now – and they are not getting anywhere this way. 'We need to be able to talk to him' Cyclops exclaims. As she continues to battle Dur, Prestige reminds her father that they tried. 'Yes... but you've helped download Krakoan into every mutant's mind when they get to the island, right?' Cyclops asks. 'Right. Good idea. I should've thought of that' Rachel replies, as she reaches out into the Summoner's mind, and a moment later, Cable groans, 'Ca – can you understand us now?' he calls out to the Summoner. The mysterious white being pauses, before confirming that he can. 'Tell me... why did you try to destroy me?' he asks. 'I didn't. It was a gift' Cable explains, hanging upside down from one of the tentacles. He tells the Summoner that he wasn't supposed to turn it on.
'I don't understand. Does gift mean something else on this world?' the Summoner asks. Cabble sighs, and asks if they can agree he made some poor choices and just move on. The tentacled creature drops Cable to the ground, while Cyclops tells the Summoner that they don't want to fight him – they simply want to know why the island they are from – Krakoa – is headed to this island, and if that is going to be a problem. 'Do you love someone?' the Summoner asks, cocking his head to one side. 'Complicated question' Cyclops smirks. 'But for the sake of expediency let's just say yes. I love a single someone' he replies. 'And you want to be with them?' the Summoner asks. 'Of course' Cyclops tells him. 'Then you understand. Watch' the Summoner remarks, motioning to the edge of the island – where Krakoa has arrived. Vines from both islands reach out and tangle together. 'Oh man... I... are the islands... are they...' Rachel asks. 'I honestly don't want to know' Scott tells her as flowers bloom nearby.
'What. Was. That?' Cable asks, covering his face with one of his hands. 'Well, son, I think that's how all my best mistakes have happened' Cyclops replies, while Rachel glances away. 'Now the two are one' the Summoner announces. 'As they should be. As they always were'. Indeed, Krakoa is nestled up against this new island, Arakko. The Summoner turns and walks away, while Cable calls out to him, asking him where he is going, and what happens now. 'I'm not going anywhere. Because now I live here... and I live here because he lives here' the Summoner explains as he walks off into the jungle.
Later, night has fallen over Krakoa and Arakko, and the Summoner stands in the jungle, 'This world is strange... the sky is something to behold. It's almost overwhelming, the lack of darkness' he remarks. 'My mother told me all about you. It's fitting you come by night' the Summoner calls out. 'For at night... even new gods slumber' the ancient mutant called Apocalypse responds as he steps out from behind some bushes. 'We have never met, but I would recognize your seed anywhere' Apocalypse tells the Summoner, asking him if he ran away, or if he was sent. 'I wanted to stay. I would have stayed...' the Summoner responds. 'Of course you would have. How could you not?' Apocalypse asks. The Summoner tells Apocalypse that the enemy has come. 'And though the walls hold – and for now, your children hold the point – soon Arakko will fall'.
Apocalypse frowns, and asks the Summoner 'And which of my children is mother to you?' The Summoner looks up at Apocalypse and reveals 'War'. Apocalypse holds out his arms and embraces the Summoner, 'Yes. I can see that now. You have it in you' he remarks to the Summoner, who asks 'Will you save us? Can you save us?' Apocalypse assures the Summoner that he can, and will. 'For I mean to save all of my children'. He holds the Summoner close as he declares 'Those of Krakoa... and those of Arakko'.
