The X-Men, each in their own way, spend a day in leisure activity. Storm surfs the beaches of Valle Soleada barefooted, Bishop and Sage play a game of chess, Gambit and Rogue sit on the beach finishing a late-night dinner, Lila Cheney and Sam Guthrie eat at a fancy restaurant, Rachel and Kitty spend a day shopping, Callisto juggles her knives as she plays on the beach, and Magma watches the volcano she created earlier as Sunspot informs reporters what happened.
Their leisure time is interrupted, as late that night they are shocked by Neal Conan and Manoli Wetherell's report of the devastation wrought by Magneto in New York City. Conan reports that Magneto seized control of Manhattan Island and its two million inhabitants and took America hostage. Conan continues on, as the television shows the destruction that Magneto caused by destroying bridges, as well as the famous Statue of Liberty, describing the destruction Magneto caused. Elsewhere, Manoli Wetherell shows the Red Cross tents, with the many hundreds of cots and body bags lining the grounds before them. The X-Treme team watches with their friends, as on the television they see Wolverine decapitate Magneto; they also see Cyclops's tears, as he holds the lifeless body of his wife, Jean Grey. The narrator on the television, Bob Edwards, comments on how Xavier's Institute has been destroyed. He continues on to say that the X-Men's victory came with a cost, the death of one of their members.
The phone rings, Gambit picks it up, telling Storm the phone call is for her, its Val Cooper. After hanging up from the phone, Storm tells the others that the president has called a halt to the X-Treme team in their involvement with his government. Bishop looks up and exclaims, with the recent events, who could blame him. Magma walks to the door, as Sam states that he doesn’t care if they are government sanctioned; he is still going to help the injured on Manhattan Island. Roberto stands to his feet, telling Sam that he can count on his help. Storm tells the others to get in uniform; they will for Xavier’s in one hour. With that said, Magma pops in, telling Storm that she may want to rethink her plans when she sees who is outside.
Looking outside, the team is greeted by a host of mutant and human residents of Valle Soleada. Vange tells the X-Treme team that she and the others saw what was happening on television and they’re there to go with them – to help. Jack Freestone tells them that they are mutants, humans, first-responders, and even some of them have military training… Marie states that they can roll bandages, pour coffee, and hold kids… Guy tells them that this is their country too – their all Americans. Without hesitation, Roberto starts barking orders; he commands them to get everyone organized by powers, skills, contributions, and then make him a list. Roberto looks behind him and asks Lila if she can teleport them all. She gleefully replies that as long as they do not mind traveling via the Crab Nebula, she can. Behind the X-Treme team, Rogue approaches Sage, telling her that they need to talk. Sage replies that she wondered how long it would take her to ask.
Gambit walks into Rogue and his’ room, startled to see rose petals across their bed. Gambit looks around for Rogue, telling her that Roberto and Lila have almost got everything prepared. He begins to question if he forgot a Birthday or Anniversary? From behind a door, Rogue steps out in a sexy, lingerie-type outfit, showing her pink undergarments through a see-through top. Gambit tells Rogue that it is killing him to say this, but this moment is not the time for them. Rogue approaches Gambit, wrapping her arms around him, she tells him that its carpe diem. She leans in to kiss him, saying that moments like this may never come again.
Rogue kisses Gambit - she states delicious. Hearing this, Gambit suddenly realizes she is not Rogue. He tries to pull away, but to no avail. She tells him not to be afraid, as lightning courses through his body. She states that he will feel pain, but it’s for the best. Gambit falls to the bed, as the true Rogue comes bursting through, telling Gambit that everything will be okay. Sage stands to her feet, as the illusion that surrounded her falls away. Gambit, angered, screams at the two women, asking them what the two of them just did to him. Sage pulls a card from her brazier and tosses it to Gambit. The thief catches the card in mid-flight, telling Sage that he can knows he has the ability to catch a card. Sage tells Gambit that he is not paying attention. Gambit looks at the card, glowing in his hand with kinetic energy. The card is seen as the Joker, as Gambit powers it down. Rogue explains that Sage needed the right surge of adrenaline in him to jump-start his powers again. Gambit caresses Rogue’s cheek and asks if she can do the same for her.
At Manhattan Island, the Avengers, along with other relief workers, are already busy rebuilding. Storm waves towards Captain America as she flies by him. Minutes later, she looks down on Thor, as he works hard carrying steel. Looking out onto the vast devastation on the ground below, she watches as Xavier’s Estate is being rebuilt. Above her, a shadow of an Angel appears in the sky. The shadow calls down to her and she recognizes the voice of Archangel. Storm maneuvers around Warren, asking herself if he still blames her for Psylocke’s death. She tells him, as lightning courses around her, that he should not expect an apology from her about Betsy’s death. Archangel tells Storm that her accusations are not the reason she is there, but to see if she is okay after the news of Jean’s death is. Storm tells him that she and Jean were best friends.
Warren and Storm fly through the sky as they talk. She asks Warren why Magneto would have killed Jean. He tells her that the reasons are not needed. She replies that losing her last time was unbearable; it doesn’t get easier with time. They fly closer to the Institute and, as Warren and Storm embrace, he tells her that, if she needs a shoulder to cry on, he is there. She exclaims that she always wanted a kid brother. As the two part, he tells her, jokingly, to call him a big brother.
On the ground, somewhere near Westchester, New York, the woman called Sage has the scope of her gun set on the winged X-Man. Sage, sarcastically, comments on how the X-Treme team are supposed to look towards Storm for their example. Behind her, Bishop arrives and lowers her weapon. Checking the setting, he sees that the gun is set for stun. He states that it is a relief the gun was set that way, but he wonders why she thought Warren would harm their leader. Sage explains that she was not worried for Storm; she was worried about Warren. She continues to explain that, since Storm’s arrival back from Tokyo, she has become a different person, unpredictable at best.
Harry’s Hideaway is a quaint tavern near the Xavier Institute that has been almost like a second home to the X-Men, ever since their formation as a team. It is there that Storm first arrives, knowing that friends will be there. She thinks, as she floats to the ground, about her first reaction to Warren’s approach and how she was truly ready for a fight. The first friend she greets is Rahne Sinclair, a.k.a Wolfsbane. Turning feral, the young woman tells Storm to get away from her and she pounces into the bar, escaping what she thinks is danger. Storm exclaims to an approaching Dani Moonstar that she has known the child for years, but has never seen that reaction out of her. Dani tells her that Rahne’s senses are honed to their peak; that maybe Storm is not the same Storm Rahne knew.
In a room adjoining the tavern, Amara sulks over a few mementos from her days as Allison Crestmere. Sam Guthrie enters the room and questions Amara about her sad look. She shows him what is left of her belongings after the recent destruction of the mansion at the hands of Magneto. He asks her why she has called herself Amara, as of late, because he thought she had discovered that her past was a lie and that she was truly a girl named Allison. She tells him that after her recent crucifixion and Archangel’s saving of her life, her memories came flooding back to her, making her remember the truth about her past. She explains that her name is Amara Juliana Olivans Aquilla and that her father is the first senator in the lost city of the Romans and Incas. Sam holds Amara, as she tells him that Allison was just a vicious vision that stole her from her home and plagued her true family.
At the Xavier Institute, two women are hard at work on what is left of the mutant detection unit, Cerebra. Kitty asks for a screwdriver, which is handed to her via the telekinetic powers of Rachel Summers. Rachel sits with her legs crossed, as Lockheed sleeps in her lap, hovering in mid-air. Rachel asks Kitty if it was worth saving her life, only to be brought back into the X-Men again. Kitty tells Rachel that it was worth it. Rachel exclaims to her, that she needs to be careful, as people may start talking about them, relationship-wise. When Rachel asks Kitty how many times the mansion has been destroyed, Kitty tells Phoenix that it is a Zen thing, that they will keep rebuilding the mansion till they finally get it right. Rachel tells Kitty that her mother’s name was Phoenix, and to call her Marvel Girl. The two X-Men rise and walk towards the exit, as Kitty tells Marvel Girl that the name was also her mother’s. Rachel states, “Absolutely.”
The two women phase through the floor and into the kitchen, to the surprise of a few of the workers that are helping fix the mansion. Kitty tells Rachel that she will do her mother proud. Rachel, changing the subject asks, a nearby Sam Guthrie what the heavenly smell is that is permeating throughout the kitchen. He tells her, as he and Amara set the table, that Gambit is teaching Bishop a Cajun jambalaya recipe. Nearby, still in the kitchen, the Cajun sprinkles in some spices, as Bishop stirs the pot. Remy tells Lucas not to forget about the rice, as he goes off to cut up some Andouille sausage. Rogue appears behind Remy, as she tries to steal a piece of sausage from the chopping block. Remy smacks her hand with the blunt part of his knife, telling her not to be so grabby.
Sage asks Remy if he is sure they cannot help. He asks if either one of them is good at making salads, as Rogue menacingly stares at her lover, Remy. Gambit allows Rogue to eat a piece of the sausage, as nearby the kitchen table the others talk about what is going on. Kitty tells Sam that the city is considering suing Xavier for the New York tragedy. Sam asks if they are talking billions. She tells him that billions is at the low end of the monetary damage. Sam asks how they can possibly atone for Xavier’s student’s actions. Kitty tells him that she is not sure they should even try. Kitty goes on to say that at a time the team needs their leaders the most, both Xavier and Logan have left them. Sam watches the doorway. Seeing Dani walk by, she interrupts Kitty’s speech, rushing over to talk to Dani. He asks her if she has considered his invitation. She tells him that he can be the Marshal, as she is content to stay a teacher. Dani kisses Sam on the cheek, as two nearby students whisper to one another.
Later that evening, Storm has joined the others, as she toasts them with a glass of wine before their meal. They all stand, as Storm speaks. She quotes a Charles Dickens’ phrase, from the book A Tale of Two Cities. She tells them that it was the best of times and the worst of times, though it seems now that the later statement is true. She goes on to say that their efforts have all been reduced to ashes thanks to Magneto’s terror. She tells them that they are more feared now than ever before, that there is talk about governments branding mutants as outlaws, not even letting them have children, and sending them into concentration camps. Storm continues to talk about how some people believe that a war between humans and mutants has already begun and that is why the X-Men must stand up to both factions, fighting against one another. She tells them that both sides will hate them and jeer their successes, but with great power comes great responsibility.
She holds and X.S.E. badge in her hand; as she raises it up, she tells them that she has a badge for each one of them; she asks who will join her in shouldering the responsibility? Near her, the others hold their wine glasses up, as if in approval of her words.
