There are two louds SNIKT! sounds within a bar, and a table – and everything on top of it – goes flying into the air as Jimmy Hudson rushes forward and snarls 'You made a mistake... coming after me... hunting me down! I'm not going back... and if I have to kill you to drive that point home – THEN YOU'RE GONNA DIE!'
Jimmy Hudson is the son of Wolverine from an alternate universe – the same universe where the four New Marauders are from. Quicksilver is one of them, and he speeds around the walls of the bar, knocking out Hank McCoy a.k.a. The Beast and dodging ice-balls thrown towards him by Bobby Drake a.k.a. Iceman. Armor, another of the New Marauders, encases herself in a large dragon as she battles Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops, while the winged Guardian goes up against Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel, as Jimmy finds himself levitated into the air by the fourth member of the New Marauders, Mach-2, who tells Jimmy 'Sorry. If you want to kill me, you'll have to do better than that. All that metal might impress some people... but in this fight, it makes you sort of a lame duck'.
As her fellow time-displaced X-Men battle the reality-displaced New Marauders, Jean Grey a.k.a. Marvel Girl throws a telekinetic force field around herself, Sheriff Kira Lee and the pub patrons. Cyclops' optic blast strikes the side of Armor's dragon and he asks her what she is doing here, as he thought she was on their side. As Quicksilver runs past him, the Beast suggests to Cyclops that given Jimmy is not from this world, it is possible these “Marauders” might be reality-displaced also. Iceman continues to try and strike Quicksilver with ice-balls and tells the others that he thinks Quicksilver is a jerk in this world, but not this much of a jerk.
'Snowballs? Really?' Quicksilver asks. 'They're ice-balls. They sting more when they hit you' Iceman replies. 'All right. Who are you -' Angel asks his opponent, but the Guardian doesn't respond, he simply rakes his claws across Angel. 'So much for masking our presence with the civilians. We've gotta get them out of here before they get mulched in the crossfire' Jean thinks to herself as the civilians within her force field look around anxiously.
Metal objects that are levitated and tossed around the room by Mach-2 are deflected by Jean's telekinesis, while inside the force field, Sheriff Lee tells Jean to give her some cover while she gets these people clear. 'Are you sure -' Jean begins. 'Yeah. Do your thing' Sheriff Lee tells her. Get moving!' the sheriff tells the civilians, motioning to a nearby door where the civilians start to run through, as Jean continues to maintain her telekinetic force field. 'Ahh! 'Cyclops cries as he leaps to safety, narrowly avoiding Armor's large dragon foot stepping on him. 'OEEOOW!' Iceman screams as Quicksilver grabs his arm and begins to twist it. 'Let's see what happens when I twist your arm at supersonic speeds, hmm?' the speedster asks. Mach-2 continues to hold Jimmy in her magnetic field and she reports that they are done here, as she has secured their wayward friend. 'Break off and -' she begins.
But nearby, Cyclops is crouched on the floor and prepares to release an optic blast. 'That's it. Both of you hold still for just a -' he remarks quietly before he releases the blast, which narrowly misses Iceman, and strikes Quicksilver, knocking him backwards, before it darts against Mach-2, hitting her in the side, and causing her to drop Jimmy Hudson. Unfortunately for Cyclops, Armor uses her large dragon claw to knock him over. 'Cheap shot. And it bought you a split second at most. Who do you think you're dealing -' Quicksilver begins, when suddenly, he finds himself surrounded by several ice-copies. 'Sorry, were you saying something?' Iceman asks, before telling Quicksilver that they are not done yet. He controls the ice-copies, using them to punch Quicksilver repeatedly. 'Ice stings more when it hits you!' Iceman exclaims.
'Always be a feathery avian-powered mutant. Unless you can be a fiery, feathery avian-powered mutant! Then be that!' Angel exclaims as he fires cosmic fire from his wings, which knock the Guardian backwards. Cyclops is grabbed by Armor who has returned to her regular armored form, and holds him by his leg, waving him about as cosmic fire lands nearby. 'Angel! Your feathers! They're setting the place on fire!' Cyclops calls out. 'Sorry, Cyke! I'll -' Angel begins, before he shouts 'YAAA-' as sharp knives and forks are thrown towards him by Mach-2. 'Bringing you down, birdy' she warns Angel. But as she continues to magnetically control the cutlery, Mach-2 is distracted and doesn't notice Jimmy pop his claws and walk up behind her.
The Beast goes over to Marvel Girl and tells her that he knows she is worried about reading people's minds without their permission, but that now is an okay time to do it. 'Figure out where these bozos came from!' he tells her.
Jean tells the Beast that she will try, but that Jimmy's mind was blocked to her. 'Maybe these new guys -' she begins, but as she activates her telepathy, Jean looks concerned – someone has joined her on the Astral Plane. 'Well, well, well. What have we here?' a shadowy figure asks. She moves closer to Jean Grey and reveals herself as Miss Sinister – bad news. 'An eavesdropper. Let's have a chat, hmm?' the woman also known as Claudine Renko suggests.
'Jean?' the Beast calls out, and as she concentrates on the Astral Plane, Jean tells the Beast that the New Marauders are not alone, that someone is pulling their strings.
'I know you. You're Mister -' Jean begins, but Claudine interrupts her: 'You should be so lucky' while back in the real world, Jimmy roars as he lunges at the surprised Mach-2, he shoves her to the ground and wraps his hand around her throat, choking her. 'You control metal' Jimmy declares, while on the Astral Plane, Jean turns to Miss Sinister and asks her what it is she wants – is she after Jimmy? 'An interesting question' Miss Sinister responds, and adds 'Looking at you, I'm at a loss for a reason. Maybe I'm chasing the wrong rabbit'. At the same time, Jimmy reveals to Mach-2 that his claws don't have to be metal, as the adamantium that covers his bone claws falls away.
'Jean Grey. The belle of the ball. The feather everyone wants in their cap' Miss Sinister remarks, her fingers reaching out to touch Jean's face. 'Don't touch me -' Jean declares.
'Let's see how you control them now' Jimmy tells the terrified Mach-2, his claws inches from her face.
'Answer me! What do you want with Jimmy? These mutants – who are they?' Marvel Girl demands, clenching a fist and shaking at Miss Sinister. 'Oh, very well. If I must indulge your innocent sense of wonder -' Miss Sinister remarks, before casting her hand upwards, where images flash before her. She informs Marvel Girl that there are other worlds than this, worlds that are similar to their own, but follow divergent chords of reality, and on many of these worlds, there are mutants. But not mutants as they understand them, in some cases, they are quite different, presenting exhilarating possibilities, but not all of these words are destined to survive, as some meet tragic, cataclysmic endings, and it would seem, in the final moments of those worlds, a handful of mutants fell from one reality into another – into this one, where her own research into genetic mutation drew her to these anomalies. So, she collected them, studied them – but not all of them adapted to her ministrations easily, as their clawed friend went rogue, but she is certain she can bring him back into the fold. Jean sees the Ultimates, and Miles Morales, Jimmy Hudson discovering his claws, the remnants of an alternate world X-Men team, Magneto, Claudine Renko discovering the reality-displaced mutants, capturing them in her lab, and Jimmy's escape.
'I'll find a way to guide him back to who he is meant to be' Claudine boasts, while Jimmy continues to hold his claws to Mach-II, who looks at them nervously, before he retracts them, and rushes out of the pub. Mach-II rubs her choked neck, and warns the others that Hudson is bolting. 'We have to go after him!' she calls out as flames spread through the pub. 'Oof!' Iceman exclaims as he is pushed aside by Quicksilver who speeds past him. 'I've got him! He can't outrun -' Quicksilver shouts, before suddenly, he falls flat on his face. 'Are you kidding me?' Quicksilver mutters as he turns around and sees his feet covered in solid ice. 'I can do this alllll day long' Iceman smiles. Quicksilver wipes the blood that trickles from his nose and boasts that a little ice isn't going to hold him for long. 'The problem, friend, is that when you stop to gloat – you have to slow down so we can hear you!' the Beast exclaims as he leaps at Quicksilver and kicks him in his stomach. 'I doubt he's stop to talk next time' the Beast remarks, rubbing his hands. 'Stop helping the bad guys grow as people' Bobby complains to the Beast.
Suddenly, Bobby and the Beast find themselves attacked by cutlery and other metal items in the pub. 'Look out!' the Beast exclaims. 'Ah! Ow! Baby She-Magneto is back in the fight!' Bobby exclaims. Angel continues to battle the Guardian, while Mach-II tells everyone that the target is getting away. She instructs the Marauders to get after him, while she covers them. 'You're the boss' Armor replies as she knocks Cyclops aside and moves towards the exit, with the Guardian flying behind her. With cutlery and other objects flying around her, Mach-II goes over to Quicksilver and levitates him. 'Sorry, losers. I'd love to stay and play some more. But we're on the clock' she grins, before rushing out the exit and calling backl 'Next time'.
The flames start to spread around the young X-Men and Iceman tells his friends that they have to move, that they can't let the Marauders get to Jimmy. Cyclops struggles to get to his feet, and tells his friends to go, while he will stay here and make sure Jean is all right. Cyclops looks over at Marvel Girl, who stands motionless as she continues to engage with the Astral Plane. Angel carries the Beast and flies out of the pub, with Bobby ice-sliding alongside them. They move past Sheriff Lee and Angel tells his teammates 'All right. Let's go save Jimmy. Because they always just love it when you do that'.
Back inside, Cyclops has gotten to his feet and moves towards Jean. 'Can you -' he calls out. 'Hear me?' Cyclops asks, while Jean floats before Miss Sinister: 'You erased their minds' she declares. 'No, I believe that is a by-product of the transition from one reality to the next' Claudine explains. 'You turned them into weapons' Jean tells her. Claudine confirms that she did – and more. 'So much more that I can't wait to show you' she remarks, while nearby in reality, Mach-II, Armor and the Guardian have caught up to Jimmy and surround him. Jean warns Miss Sinister that they will stop her, to which Miss Sinister smiles and tells Jean that she believes she might try at least, but that for today, she thinks they have had enough of each other. 'And so... an olive branch'. Miss Sinister begins to fade away as she tells Jean that their clawed friend, with his natural resistance to telepathy, is too much trouble, anyway, but that she has a good feeling about the two of them, that no they have met, she is positively thrilled about their mutual future.
The New Marauders look behind themselves, but by the time Bobby, Angel and the Beast catch up to them, they are gone. 'Any sign of Jimmy? Of the Marauders? Where did they go?' the Beast asks. 'They left' a voice calls out. Jimmy appears from behind a tree, and informs the X-Men that the Marauders had him, they could have taken him, and although he might have gotten in a few good licks, he doesn't think he could have held them off. 'But they left' he remarks, confused. 'We're getting really good at chasing our enemies away' Bobby grins. 'That's not necessarily a good thing' the Beast points out. 'They're scared of us' Bobby replies. But the Beast tells him that their enemies are sizing them up and regrouping for next time. 'Then we do the same thing. We make sure we're ready for them next time' Jean calls out as she, Cyclops and Sheriff Lee join the others in the snow-covered woods.
Jean puts a hand on Jimmy's arm and tells him that she, they, want him to come with them. 'We can help you. We can help each other' she assures him. 'So... I guess this is goodbye' Sheriff Lee asks. 'Unless maybe you want to come with us, too?' Angel smiles at her. Sheriff Lee smiles back and tells him 'No such luck, flyboy – unless one of you has a mutant power that involves completing mountains of paperwork'. Jean hangs back as the guys and Kira Lee walk on through the woods, and Cyclops tells her not to worry about the damages to the bar, as no one got hurt, and they have got...friends... with deep pockets, they can make it right with the owners. Kira thanks him and tells him that will help. 'We're the X-Men... that's what we do' Cyclops replies. Jean looks at something red, glowing in the snow.
Later, in Madripoor, Magneto smirks as he looks at the new arrival. 'A son. Wolverine's son' he remarks as he stands beside the fireplace. Bobby and Angel stand on the other side of the fire, while the Beast sits on a sofa, Jean stands in the center of the room and Cyclops leans against a table. Jimmy stands several feet from Jean and looks at Magneto. Jean explains to Magneto that Jimmy is not from this world, and that she thinks they know more about his past than he does. She reveals that Miss Sinister is very interested in him, and in other mutants like him, not just because of his abilities, but because of the very nature of his mutation.
Jean points out that even Cerebro detected something different about Jimmy, that he is a mutant, but different. 'You seem – familiar, somehow. I see Logan in you... but there's something else, too' Magneto remarks. 'I dunno. But could you stop looking at me like that?' Jimmy asks, folding his arms.
Magneto turns to Jean and tells her that she could have taken Jimmy to the school. 'If he was an ordinary mutant, maybe. But every time we clandestinely drop a new mutant off, we run the risk of Kitty asking more questions' Jean points out, reminding Magneto that the X-Men would not approve of them working with him. 'Besides...I thought we could use a Wolverine on the team' Jean adds. Cyclops watches Jimmy, who replies 'You're not calling me that'. 'This is your team, Miss Grey. I leave such decisions to you' Magneto tells her.
The young mutants leave the library and Magneto, as Cyclops suggests to Jimmy that they show him around and get him settled into a room. 'Is there food?' Jimmy asks. 'Yes! Ferris is the best robot-cook you could hope for!' Bobby announces. With the men walking ahead of her, Jean pulls something from her pocket – a red broach with a woman's face on it, attacked to a black band. She wonders what it is – some sort of parting gift from Miss Sinister, perhaps? Jean realizes that they know nothing about Miss Sinister's agenda. She looks concerned, and wonders what kind of power Miss Sinister really has, and whether her team of X-Men is up to the challenge....
