‘Beloved brothers. Honored sisters. Choose your targets!’ Serafina of the Children of the Vault tells her companions as they confront Rogue, Magneto, Indra and their own Luz. A red-haired member of the Children of the Vault lunges at Indra as he raises his armor. ‘Stop, girl. I - I don’t want to hurt you’ Indra begins, but the woman tells him that his armor is no good, that he has a hole in it, as she literally dives into his body, she begins twisting inside him - her fingers poking out of his mouth. Rogue takes on Martillo, while Magneto falls to the ground as he attempts to take on the member of the Children of the Vault wrapped in bandages. ‘Magneto fields. You make me laugh, mutant. When you touch Olvido - even with the energy - you touch the void’ he exclaims, adding ‘And the void touches back!’ as he uses his powers on Magneto.
Luz quickly leaves the battle by sneaking into a nearby room inside Indra’s father’s mansion, while Rogue is attacked by the Children of the Vault called Cadena, a woman wearing a strange capsule around her head. Inside the other room, Vaipala Rani sits up in bed and asks what is happening. ‘Shut up, doll girl. Just…hide under the bed or something. And you might actually survive this’ Luz tells the young woman. ‘Tell me what’s happening’ Vaipala exclaims, to which Luz peers out the door and replies that her people have come for her. ‘They’re going to take me back. And they’ll kill anyone who tries to stop them!’ she exclaims. Vaipala peers out into the corridor and replies ‘But…you have powers, yes? You must use them, then. You have to do what you can to stop them’. Luz just frowns.
Back in the hallway, the Children of the Vault are disposing of Rogue, Magneto and Indra with ease. ‘Trying to pick my pocket, Rogue? I doubt that our post-human abilities are even compatible with your powers’ Cadena declares, adding that she sees no reason to take the chance, she knees Rogue in the face. Cadena asks Martillo for his hammer. ‘Sister, you’ve already won’ Martillo replies. But Cadena declares that while Rogue lives, the ghost of her beloved Perro cries out in anguish. ‘The hammer’ she orders. Martillo passes the massive weapon to her, and Cadena holds it above Rogue, while saying something in her native tongue, she prepares to bring the hammer down, when suddenly: ‘Don’t kill her!’ Luz exclaims as she steps out of the room. ‘I’ll come back with you. Now. Without a fight. So long as nobody dies!
Cadena steps towards Luz and remarks ‘You brought this. You made this happen’. Luz hangs her head and replies that she knows, and is sorry. ‘Please, let them live, and I’ll come home’ she declares. Serafina stands on Magneto and informs Cadena that he might be useful to them. ‘Useful? How?’ Cadena asks. Serafina explains that his power levels are incredible, and could take a place in the angel fire. ‘There is no time for this’ Cadena replies, announcing that Corregidora will decide, she tells her companions to take Rogue and Magneto both to the city.
There is a blinding light, and in an instant, the Children of the Vault - along with Rogue and Magneto - are gone. ‘No! No!’ Indra exclaims, before his father Mr Rav Gavascar, accompanied by Indra’s teammates Anole and Loa, enter the hallway. ‘What is the meaning of this?’ Rav asks his son. Indra tells his father that they were attacked and his friends were taken. ‘I have to go after them. Try to find them’ he declares. ‘Rogue? Rogue and Magneto?’ Anole asks, while Loa asks Indra where they have been taken to. Indra replies that he doesn’t know, while his father exclaims ‘Nonsense! This is nonsense!’ and reminds his son that he is to marry tomorrow - that is all that matters.
‘Your friends have brought nothing but trouble here. They won’t be missed at all!’ Rav declares. Indra looks at his father and tells him that, with respect, he will do this thing. ‘And the wedding? What of your promise to this girl?’ Rav asks. Indra announces that he will honor it, and turns to Vaipala, telling her that he is hers if she still wants him, but that it has to be today. ‘Today?’ Vaipala asks. ‘Right now. And then I’m going to find my friends’ Indra exclaims. Vaipala replies that if that is how it has to be, they should do it.
In the Corridor, ‘And so - all things come around, in time, to where they were meant to be. All wounds are returned on those that dealt them’a voice exclaims. It’s Corregidora, who stands before Rogue, while Serafina, Cadena, Perro and Martillo surround her, Martillo holding on to Luz. Rogue’s hands are clamped behind her back and tells Corregidora that there is so much wrong with that sentence that there is no point in going there. Corregidora asks Rogue if she understands where she is, how far she is from home and how completely she is in their power. ‘And how bitterly every citizen of Quitado hates you?’ she adds.
Corregidora exclaims that the Children of the Vault did not ask to be born - human scientists made them, to repopulate the Earth after some hypothetical disaster. ‘We lived secluded from the world for endless centuries of compressed time. And when we emerged to claim our birthright, you stopped us. Took it from us. And presided over the murder of our brothers and sisters’. Rogue replies that she did not mean for anyone to die, and reminds Corregidora that the Children of the Vault were trying to wipe them all out so that they could get vacant possession of the entire planet. ‘Yes. We were. But we’ve thought better since’ Corregidora remarks.
Cadena declares that Rogue’s world is beyond repair - too badly damaged to be worth taking. ‘We’ll make our own world, here in the void between dimensions. But still, what you did will not be forgiven’ she exclaims. ‘So it’s a crime to kill your people’ Rogue mutters. ‘Yes’ Cadena replies. ‘But not to kill mutants or humans’ Rogue states. ‘That’s just pest control’ Cadena adds, before asking Corregidora to give them a verdict. Corregidora places her fist-formed right hand into her open left hand and exclaims ‘Let her be executed in sense forum, so all can see and feel her death’.
Corregidora points out that Perro was one of those hurt, and tells him that he will carry out the sentence. Perro grabs Rogue, while Luz exclaims ‘Wait! You promised! You said nobody would be killed!’ Martillo tells Luz to be grateful, for if she was not needed in Angelfire, this might be her fate. ‘Only the fact that you’re one of the thirty protects you’ he reminds her, while Cadena exclaims that, in that regard, she should see to their other guest.
Shortly, Magneto kneels before Cadena, his arms locked behind his back, he remarks that the manacles drain his power in some way, and adds that he is clearly outnumbered, surrounded by Cadena’s people, her weapons, her systems of defense and control. ‘I welcome these things’ Magneto exclaims, adding ‘They virtually guarantee that you’ll under-estimate me’. Cadena tells Magneto that it is an honor that they do, and that he should thank them. ‘For making me a prisoner?’ Magneto asks.
‘For making you a legend. Your name will be a part of our history’. Cadena places a hand on Magneto’s head and tells him that he will never be forgotten, even when the race that spawned him is lost to time. ‘This day makes you immportal. This day, and this machine - the Angelfire. It is the most perfect mechanism ever created. Except that it requires two small components in order to complete it. Our sister, Luz…and you’ Cadena declares. Several beings who look identical float up to the large device, where others are enclosed in pod-like capsules, and two other beings stand over Magneto.
Back at the Gavascar home, a ceremonial tent is set up in the garden. Several chairs with guests sit in front of it, while Indra and Vaipala stand before the priest, who exclaims ‘We are gathered to witness and solemnize the union between Paras Gavascar and Vaipala Rani. We will begin with the sevenfold prayer’. Indra interrupts, addressing the priest as Saadhu, he tells him that they do not have much time and adds that they would like to say their vows and have him pronounce them married. ‘What? My son, this is a weighty thing you do. It cannot be rushed’ Saadhu replies. Indra tells him that this time, it must be, for there are lives at stake. Saadhu asks Mr Gavascar if he wishes for him to proceed, to which Rav replies that he does, as the wedding must got forward. Dressed in a suit, Anole tells Loa that he cannot believe they are just sitting here wasting time. Loa reminds Anole that this is Indra’s wedding day, adding that they don’t even know where Rogue is. ‘Let the bride and groom step forward. In the eyes of their family, and of the enlightened’ Saadhu announces.
Meanwhile, Cadena stands over her servants as they load Magneto and Luz into the capsules, and she explains that Quitado has always faced an energy crisis, pointing out that there is no sun in the void, no natural source of heat or light for them to draw on. Cadena declares that the decay of transdimensional particles fuels their generators, but the processing is dangerous and the waste is highly toxic, and explains that they bleed it off into Magneto’s world, which is why they need to stay anchored to it. ‘The storms in Mumbai. You’re destroying the city, sending thousands into coma - just to throw out your garbage. That’s ruthless even by my high standards’ Magneto exclaims, while Luz begins to cry and announces that she has changed her mind, that she doesn’t want to do this. ‘Please’ she exclaims. ‘We wanted - needed - to be self-sufficient. Angelfire was the answer’ Cadena declares.
Elsewhere, Perro stands in a large chamber with Rogue kneeled before him, and he calls out to the darkness around them: ‘Beloved brothers. Honored sisters. Sense Forum is convened’ he begins, telling his brother and sisters that they may link in either through remote terminals or via direct sensorium feed, before declaring that today’s business begins with a live execution. He introduces his brothers and sisters to Rogue, and exclaims ‘You know what she did. Now you get to see her punishment’, adding that they can tune into his sensorium and be with him as he kills Rogue. ‘Any last words?’ he asks rogue as he grabs her by the chin. ‘Not if Ah’m on live TV. Ah wouldn’t want to hurt your ratings’ Rogue replies.
As Magneto and Luz are loaded into Angelfire, Cadena declares that many of their number have powers that involve energy - that they produce heat, electricity, radiation, or like Luz - light. ‘What, we wondered, if a device could be built that drew on all these powers? Combining and converting. Turning all these unique beings into capacitors in a single wondrous engine’ she exclaims, while one of her minions informs her that they are ready. Cadena announces that they needed thirty to balance the load and meet all the city’s power needs. She explains that simultaneous bio-feedback would repair the body cells of their volunteers, prevent all damage - like aging. ‘They’d live forever, barring accidents. But we only had twenty-nine - until we found you’.
Rogue now lies on the ground in front of Perro, who announces that for the means of death he chooses gravity - meaning Rogue’s mass will increase until her heart bursts. ‘Needless to say, this will not be quick. Rogue is young, and strong’ Perro points out, while Rogue begins to grimace with the pain. ‘She my oblige us by holding out for whole minutes yet’ Perro declares.
In Mumbai, ‘This rice, for plenty’ the priest remarks as he drops rice into Indra’s hand, before turning to Vaipala and dropping coin into her hand, for wealth. ‘Your garments bound, as your souls are bound’ the priest remarks as a young woman wraps cloth around and between Indra and Vaipala. ‘Walk four times around the phere fire. And become as you are meat to be’ Saadhu exclaims. The young couple do so, while Rav and Bhakti Gavascar watch them.
Inside Quitado, ‘Slave all city systems to this station. The switch to Angefire must be instantaneous’ Cadena exclaims. ‘You have control, sister’ someone remarks, while Luz exclaims ‘I mean it! I shouldn’t be here! Don’t do this!’ But Cadena pulls back the controls and announces that Angelifire is live.
‘Vaipala Rani, I pledge my body and soul to you. In the darkness of this world, you will be my light. In the silence, my voice. In sorrow -’ suddenly, Vaipala puts her fingers to Indra’s lips and tells him to wait. ‘No offense. But this really isn’t working for me’ she announces.
A burst of energy rips through Angelfire, jolting Magneto and Luz. Energy whiplashes around the chamber, knocking Cadena and her servants around. ‘What happened?’ Cadena demands. ‘Only 29 links established. The system is out of balance. It’s not feeding to the grid!’ one of them replies. ‘MAGNETO!’ Cadena shrieks. Magneto tells Cadena that he is not guilty, and that if she wants to see her weakest link, she should look to his left. ‘Luz!’ Cadena gasps as Luz hangs in her pod.
Indra asks Vaipala what it is she is saying. ‘You don’t want to marry me?’ he asks. ‘No. I never did’ Vaipala replies, before exclaiming ‘Verdad, I just thought you were cute. But this was a stupid idea. And it wasn’t mine. Your - what’s the world, fiancée? - wanted to see the world’. With that, Luz uses her powers to remove her disguise. ‘No!’ Anole gasps. ‘That - that’s just -’ Loa begins, while Rav looks horrified. Luz shrugs her shoulders and remarks that Vaipala didn’t seem to care particularly which world she got.
‘Why? Why have you done this? Why have you ruined our son’s wedding?’ Bhakti asks. ‘Hey, I kept your son from getting killed!’ Luz exlcimas, while Indra asks his mother to let Luz talk, before asking Luz where Vaipala is now. ‘Never mind Vaipala. Where’s Rogue? What did you do to Rogue and Magneto?’ Loa demands as she approaches Luz. ‘You answer me, girl, or I’m going to walk right through you!’ Loa exclaims. Luz hangs her head and tells everyone that she is really sorry, but she could face going back to that place, as she hates it.
Suddenly, everyone is knocked to the ground and there is a massive rumble. ‘What was that?’ Anole asks as he looks around. ‘I don’t know - but if you’re serious about looking for your friends…then probably that’s where you should start!’ Luz exclaims, motioning to the massive complex, Quitado, which has crashed into the city beyond….
