The Consortium, location unknown:
Amelia Trask worries about Fury’s knowledge of their operations when she receives an urgent transmission by one Doctor Schiller, who wants to keep her abreast of their latest acquisition. They got some anomalous baseline readings. Does he consider this significant? Trask asks, while in the background a colleague mutters that they should just kill the mutie.
Schiller protests that would be a mistake. This subject’s interaction with the X-Men and Magneto, indeed the very nature of his powers, make it essential they investigate more deeply. They have never encountered anyone quite like Fabian Cortez, he remarks, looking at the emaciated mutant prisoner. He’d rather solve the mysteries before proceeding with the ultimate resolution. Trask decides to defer to his judgment and tells him to be quick about it.
Elsewhere, in Alaska, Scott Summers is going for a motorcycle ride with his son, Nathan. They take a break at a diner. When can he drive? Nate asks. When his feet reach the pedal, Scott tells his pouting son. They enter the diner where the waitress, Phoebe, recognizes them and chats with them.
That moment, three lowdown truckers enter and Phoebe already anticipates trouble. Scott whispers, asking if she needs help, but she tells him she can handle them. She tells the men to take a booth, but asks them to mind their manners and language. They have children present. Best they learn young how working folk talk, one of them mocks. Another sneers that they can behave like gentlemen if she makes it worth their while. Start with a smile and move up from there.
Nate looks questioningly at Scott, who tells him to let Phoebe handle it. Phoebe angrily tells the men to leave until they remember to behave better. The trucker goes for her throat.
Scott gets up, asking if there is a problem. Calling him “boy,” the trucker orders him to mind his business, then attacks with his fists. Scott dodges the blow and hits back, only to have the trucker’s stronger friend come at him. Still no problem. Scott easily takes care of him too and the third man runs.
Phoebe thanks him. First truckers down north always need a lesson, he tells her. Word will get around and the next crew will behave better. Phoebe tells them breakfast is on the house. Nate admiringly tells him how brave he was, while Scott replies he only did what was necessary.
Some hours later, Scott and Nate return home, where Scott’s brother, Alex aka Havok, and his girlfriend, Lorna Dane aka Polaris, have come for a surprise visit.
Later in the kitchen, Alex and Lorna tell the family what’s going on in Westchester while Nate is playing outside. No one knows how to deal with Burnout. What makes them think he knows any better? Scott asks. Alex reminds him they always counted on Scott to lead them. Scott retorts he has other priorities. Nate isn’t his only responsibility, Alex insists.
As the debate gets heated, their father, Corsair, asks both of them to give it a rest. Scott stresses he owes it to Nate and his mother to raise him safe. Their grandmother, Deborah, hears a noise from outside.
A giant airship is hovering above the house and two armored men grab Nate. Debora alerts the others and they run outside to see the departing vessel.
Scott figures he cannot fire his optic blast at it with Nate aboard. Corsair suggests the Starjammers can catch them, so Scott orders Polaris to get airborne and hold their foes’ attention till then.
Polaris flies after the vessel. She gets no sense of ferrous metals. Apparently, it is constructed of plastics and composite fiber, so she cannot affect it directly with her magnetic powers. She wonders how best to get creative. She tries to clog their air intakes with grit and pebbles, instead though she is fired at with a mix of solid gun shots and energy bolts. She generates a wall of magnetic energy to block the attack but finds her foes won’t quit. And she cannot simply smash the vehicle.
However, help arrives as the Starskimmer fires plasma bolts at the vessel to take out the guns and the fire supply. The Skimmer is positioned above the enemy vessel and Cyclops and Havok jump out, attacking with their powers and creating a hole in the hull.
The two enter and fight the armored guards. They go looking for Nate. Cyclops figures he recognizes that armor; these guys seem to be Consortium. He feels uncomfortable with the fact the X-Men know nothing about them.
They find the chamber where the shackled Nate is guarded. The guard attacks Cyclops, but the angry Cyclops takes him out with one blow.
Outside, Polaris uses the downed shields to make a mess of their computers and the ship goes down.
Scott freed Nate, Alex points out. It’s time to go. Scott blasts out a piece of hull, at which point they jump out and are aptly caught by Lorna. Scott asks her to give the ship a soft landing; he wants them alive.
A little later, Cyclops tells Corsair that he is hoping that the Starjammers can shield their prisoners from reprisals and get them to talk. Corsair remarks Scott sounds like he made a decision. He doesn’t want to go back for a whole lot of reasons, Scott admits. But he wants his son to grow up safe. That means rejoining the X-Men.
Corsair replies that he missed his sons’ lives. Now he has a chance to make amends. The Starjammers will keep the family safe. Scott thanks his father. He is glad he is home.
