In Area 51, Mystique is tied up to an upright table. Two people walk to her.
One of them, Dr. Eaton, says that it's impossible to examine her like this.
The other one says that it's the only way possible, because she's a tricky
one and he doesn't understand how they captured her. A flashback shows the
X-Men and Brotherhood escape Area 51, and Scott blocking the way for
Mystique because she refuses to reveal the location of Xavier. The flashback
ends, and Dr. Eaton says that they have to loosen her left arm. The other
man says that he'll go get a pole restraint. He leaves the room. In the
hall, a soldier gives him a pole. As he turns to return, he sees Dr. Eaton
walking past him and says "never mind." Surprised, he returns to the room
and realizes that Mystique just escape. Sirens start, and he is heard
telling everybody to find Dr. Eaton immediately, because she's the mutant.
Mystique passes by a soldier, and he runs after her. She kicks his gun,
throws him away and shape-shifts into him. She takes off, and the soldier
uses his phone to inform everybody that the mutant is now impersonating him,
Security Officer Chris Barr. Outside, Mystique escapes as a flock of crows.

At Xavier's, the mansion is now almost finished and the X-Men and the New
Mutants are putting some final touches. Magma uses her fire to fuse rocks
together and create a smooth path leading to the Institute while Multiple is
painting the window trims, walls and stair railings. Inside, Rogue is
hanging a painting. Spyke slides in with carpet rolls, slams against a wall
and throws spikes all over the place. Rogue angrily chases him out past
Beast and Iceman, who are working on the computer. Bobby is typing a code,
and Hank tells him to slow down, since they have to make sure they do this
right. Bobby says that he is just setting up the lighting, but then all the
lights go out. Outside again, Jean uses telekinesis to make a satellite dish
float to the roof. Wolverine and Cyclops catch it, and then Logan sets it.
Jean waves to Scott, who smiles back at her. Just as she leaves, Shadowcat
phases up with a cable, hands it to Cyclops and phases down. In the yard,
Cannonball is shooting himself at the ground again and again, creating a
series of holes, and Sunspot plants trees in them. Cannonball them slams
into a pile of bricks next to Berzerker. Logan and Scott are watching from
the roof. Scott looks at Jean talking to Storm, and asks Logan if he ever
really cared for someone so strongly, he couldn't even get the words out.
Logan answers that if Scott won't tell her, he'll do it himself. A crow
flies in Scott's face and then flies away. Jean gets distracted by Scott and
almost drops a statue on Storm. She puts the statue on a fountain and Ororo
uses rain to fill it with water. Storm says that Jean and Scott have grown
quite close this year, and Jean answers that a lot has happened and Scott's
always been there for her. Ororo tells her that it's a good day for new
beginnings and for telling people how you feel, and Jean agrees.

Later, in the Pillar Room, Jean and Scott bump into each other. They get
awkward and almost confess about their love, but then Nightcrawler teleports
with a phone and tells Scott that it's his brother, Alex. Scott sighs and
takes the phone. He asks Alex what's wrong. Alex is in a phone booth in
Mexico, and tells Scott that he won a surfing competition in Cabo, but then
someone stole his wallet and he can't reach his foster parents. Scott sighs
again and says that he'll be there as soon as he can and tells Alex to meet
him at the airport. He hangs up and apologizes to Jean, saying that they'll
talk when he'll get back.

In Mexico, Scott and Alex meet in the airport. Scott says that they should
go get something to eat and Alex leads him towards a restaurant. They walk
away, and suddenly Alex pushes Scott and shifts to reveal that it's
Mystique. She says that it's payback time, and throws a gas bomb at him. He
passes out.

Later, in the middle of the desert, Scott wakes up without his glasses. He
calls out, but nobody answers. He starts walking, as the sun begins to set.
He decides to open his eyes, but all he can see is sand and a cactus. He
closes his eyes and continues to walk. At night, he opens his eyes again,
but this time a pack of wolves sees him and attacks him as he begins to run.

Back in the mansion, Jean wakes up in fear from a nightmare, calling Scott's
name. Professor X enters and asks what's wrong. She answers that she sensed
Scott is in trouble, but he tells her that Scott is out of psychic range and
that she only had a nightmare.

In the desert, the wolves are surrounding Cyclops. He scares some of them
with optic blasts and runs away. Two oil workers see the blasts from afar,
say something in Spanish and head off in their jeep. Scott falls unconscious
off a cliff and the wolves surround him just as the oil workers arrive and
save him. Mystique, watching the whole thing, gets angry and follows the
jeep as an eagle.

In the mansion, Jean decides to check her suspicions and calls Alex, who, of
course, tells her that he hasn't talked to Scott lately.

In a Mexican hospital, Scott wakes up in a hospital bed. A doctor approaches
him and introduces himself as Dr. Ramirez, saying that he is in Mexico City.
He asks Scott to open his eyes. Scott refuses but the medical staff holds
him down and forces his eye to open. A blast is shot through the roof, and
Scott runs away with angry citizens after him.

In Cerebro, Xavier tells Jean that Scott is in Mexico City, but he doesn't
know where exactly. Jean walks away, saying that she'll find him.

In Mexico City, Scott is wandering in the streets. He calls for help, saying
that he can't see, but no-one responds. He feels a payphone and tries to
dial, but it's cut off. Elsewhere in the city, the Blackbird lands and
Professor X tells the X-Men to spread out and that he's within a five mile
radius. Jean, Ororo and Logan leave the jet and head in different
directions. Back to Scott, three men approach him and he tells them that he
doesn't want trouble. They are angry about the hospital roof, and he says
that if they'll help him call his friends they'll bring money. They don't
want to hear it, and toss him down the street. Cyclops grabs one of them,
throws him at a wall and optic blasts the wall. The other two run away, and
the first reveals himself to be Mystique. She taunts him and he demands her
to end this. She answers that the fun is just getting started, and suggests
that they'll try the North Pole next. She tries throwing another gas bomb
but he knocks it out and they start battling.

A few blocks away, Jean senses Scott and sees through his eyes. She tells
the professor that Mystique is after him and that they're in a church.
Xavier answers that it must be the Plaza of the Three Cultures and sends
everybody there. Cyclops and Mystique's battle goes into a warehouse and
Scott accidentally blasts two cars. She tells him that he better keep his
eyes to himself and keeps attacking, though he manages to dodge almost all
of her attacks until his foot gets stuck. He uses his optic blast on the
floor to avoid getting hit, and they both fall to the basement. A light
above them is causing noise, making it impossible for Scott to hear
Mystique, so he blasts the light, evening the odds, as now Mystique has
trouble seeing as well. The battle becomes a cat-and-mouse, with the winner
keeps switching. Then, Jean enters and calls for Scott. He warns her that
Mystique is here, but she says that she just saw her escape. He asks her how
did she find him, and she answers that Cerebro led her in. He sees through
the lie and blasts her right in time, and she reveals to be Mystique. She
tries attacking again, but right then the real Jean enters and levitates
Mystique. She then tosses Mystique around and sends a psychic blast at her.
After Mystique is beaten, Jean goes to Scott, and he finally rests in her
lap.

In the Blackbird, Scott has his glasses again, and he and Jean kiss. Logan
and Ororo are watching them, and agree that "it's about time." Xavier smiles
and raises an eyebrow.