In the super-human prison known as the Vault, in Colorado, a guard, wearing the typical Guardsman green battle armor that all Vault guards wear, enters a cell of a prisoner, who asks the guard if he saw him. The guard faces the prisoner and asks her is she is crazy. He is five floors beneath them in the Omega Block. Even he doesn’t have clearance to step off the elevator down there. Why is she asking anyway? If anyone knows what is going to happen to the Big “M” first it would be her. Right, Destiny?
Sitting on her bed and wearing the common orange prisoner outfit, Irene Adler smiles and admits that it has been a while since anyone referred to her as Destiny. Usually, she is called prisoner 4201, except of course when someone needs lotto numbers. Then they remember her name is Irene. The guard takes off his helmet, revealing that he is a young African-American man. Destiny tells him that she shouldn’t complain, as she could be stuck in the Omega Block too. A blind lady like her in the Omega Block, asks the young man in disbelief. What, questions Destiny. He does not think that she is dangerous enough to be locked down there?
The man kneels in front of Destiny and asks if she is sure that they are coming. Destiny confirms this and tells the man that, as the hour draws nearer, her vision becomes clearer. He must remember what she told him about the teleporter with the device on her arm. Yes, says the man. He remembers and has already made arrangements, though it may take a few days to gather the others. He will try not to leave her in suspense. Her being in suspense, Destiny asks jokingly. The man kisses Destiny on her forehead and tells her that he will be back. In two days, four hours and twenty-three minutes, replies Destiny. She knows. She always knows.
The guard leaves the Vault and, at the guard station at the front of the building, presents his credentials before leaving. The guard realizes that it is the man’s first day on the job and reminds him to keep his guard up. One can never know what is truly going on behind the friendly smiles that some of the inmates have. As the young guard drives away, his eyes glow yellow, as he calls his friend Dominic on his cell phone. He orders the man to meet him at the rendezvous point and reminds him to not forget the tranquilizer gun.
Elsewhere, a tear in reality opens as the Exiles fall out. While Mimic, Blink, Sasquatch and Morph land gracefully, Beak and Namora land less so. This group of mutants jumps from one reality to another to repair events that have gone wrong. It is a thankless task that sometimes requires them to break laws and unite with those who are enemies in their native realities. Very seldom does anyone realize that the Exiles have come to save their world. This time, however, things are much different. This time someone is expecting them.
The Exiles land on a railroad track in the middle of a forest. Namora and Beak immediately fall to their hands and knees, as they are overcome by sickness. Blink assures the two that they will get used to it. Jumping from one reality to another makes everyone want to barf the first few times. Namora slowly tells Blink that the queen of Atlantis does not barf, but Beak has no such reservations and pukes, much to the disgust of Sasquatch. Upon seeing this, Namora gags once more and then throws up herself. Morph congratulates Beak on making Namora barf and bumping her out of her ivory tower so she could join the rest of them. Mimic holds back a chuckle and tells the two new Exiles that they all barfed when they first joined up. The trick is not to eat when they know a jump is coming soon.
Suddenly, the team hears a loud sound and all turn to see a train heading right for them. Blink teleports away, as Namora flies and Sasquatch and Mimic grab Beak and Morph, respectively. Up on a cliff side, the young man from the Vault tells his companion that it is his cue. The other man tells the guard to get ready to rumble. Blink teleports to Sasquatch and Beak and asks them if they are all right. Sasquatch confirms that they are fine, but asks if they cannot land in the middle of traffic ever again. She will try, replies Blink. Suddenly, there is a rumbling sound, as the Exiles realize that now there is an earthquake occurring! A fissure opens under the railway and causes the train to derail, which scatters the Exiles.
On the cliff, the guard lauds Avalanche over his nice aim. If he wants an aftershock, replies Avalanche, it will cost extra. The other man, as he shape-shifts back to his real form, tells Avalanche to give him the tranquilizer gun and to stay out of sight. She has it under control there, says Mystique, as she presses a button on the detonator in her hand. One car of the train explodes, with Blink trapped on one side of the wreckage and the rest of the Exiles on the other side. Smoke envelopes the group, as Blink begins to search for her friends. However, in her haste to be reunited, she does not see Mystique sneak up behind her with the tranquilizer gun.
As the smoke clears, Morph asks the others if they breathed it in, because it looks like the Man-Thing’s morning breath. Sasquatch rubs her tearing eyes and tells Morph that he is lucky he has no nose. Mimic wipes his nose and thinks that his has stopped working. Sasquatch confirms that she cannot smell either. Mimic turns to Sasquatch, since she is the resident doctor, and asks if their healing factor can cope with it. Sure, says Sasquatch, but he should tell her if she starts growing a third eye just in case.
Namora flies over to the group and asks if this is why they are there. Are they to contain this train wreckage? If so, then she thinks they should do so quickly, so they can move on to a less toxic reality. Beak wipes dust off his jacket and admits that he would rather move ten tons of train wreckage than fight the Impossible Man again. Mimic agrees, but points out that only one of them can tell them what their mission is.
Speak of the devil, says Morph, as he spots the coughing Blink walk through the wreckage towards them. He asks if she is okay and Blink tells him that she hopes so, because she cannot seem to teleport anymore after breathing in the smoke. Mimic tells her that it messed up his senses and Sasquatch’s too, so hopefully it is temporary. Blink wonders why she was affected differently, but Mimic suggests that Sasquatch give her a physical after their mission. Speaking of which, what does the Tallus say?
Blink looks at the Tallus and informs the group that this is one of those missions where they help the bad guys for the greater good. They are to regroup the Brotherhood of Mutants and spring the Big “M” from prison. Morph shape-shifts into Magneto and complains that, wherever they go, the master of magnetism is always involved. Beak takes off his Xorn helmet and asks if he can sit this mission out. He was in the Brotherhood for a few seconds, so wouldn’t this be a conflict of interest? Nice try, says Mimic, who knows that Beak is making a futile excuse. If it is any comfort, these things end up differently than from how they start. This Magneto may be destined to have a change of heart. It would not be the first time.
Beak tells Mimic that he has seen Magneto go straight before. He was his teacher and Beak fell for his lies. Even when he found out who “Xorn” really was, he was in so deep he had no choice but to follow him. Been there, says Mimic. In his reality, he led the Brotherhood. Every Magneto reminds him of his mistakes, but one has to learn from those mistakes. “I guess,” says Beak. Mimic tells the group that they should check on the train crew and then asks Blink if the Tallus told her where they can find the Brotherhood members. Blink smiles and informs her team that she can lead them right to the Brotherhood.
At a bank, a teller calls for the next customer, but is left shocked to see who he is, mostly because of his size. The woman asks the man how she can help him. The Blob passes a note through the window and tells the woman that all he needs is in the note. The teller opens the note, which reads that this is a robbery and he is a bulletproof mutant. She needs to hand him over her money. Before the teller can mutter anything more than an “oh God,” a voice calls out to Blob and tells him that she would like a word with him.
The Blob turns to see Blink at the front door to the bank. He informs the girl that, whoever she is, she has lousy timing. Is he sure that he does not know her, Blink asks as her eyes glow yellow. Who else would know that he was robbing a bank today? Blob squints at Blink and asks Mystique if it is really her. During this time, the teller informs the guard of what is occurring. The guard takes out his gun and shoots the blob three times in the back. Angrily, Blob turns and reminds them that the note said he was bulletproof. Cannot they read?
The guard tells the Blob to freeze but, before he can shoot again, someone runs at super-speed and disarms him. Mimic stands next to the guard and tells Blink that she said she wouldn’t cause a scene. The guard is shocked and terrified to see Mimic, so the Exile apologizes for startling him and assures the guard that he won’t hurt him. Blob is also shocked to see Mimic and calls out his real name. Blink taps Blob on the shoulder quickly and tells him to bend over, because she needs to explain something. Blink whispers something in Blob’s ear and, when they are done, the Blob agrees to go with them. Mimic stands confused, as the guard runs away.
The three run out of the bank and Blob tells them that his van is in the back. “Blink” tells him to forget it, as they have borrowed a pick-up truck that can carry them all. He needs to sit in the back, of course. Morph, who is at the wheel, grows his ear extra big and informs his teammates that he hears sirens, so they should go. Everyone gets in and Mimic asks Blink about what she said to Blob. Blink tells him that she told him some stuff the Tallus told her to help convince the Brotherhood members. The Tallus never gave him that kind of help, Mimic says. Blink does not say anything in reply. Outside in the back, Blob tells the Exiles that if they are rounding up the Brotherhood then he knows where they can find Pyro, assuming the man is still alive.
Later on, the Blob, who is now in uniform, leads Mimic into an A.I.M. facility, where the two find themselves being shot at by dozens of A.I.M. goons. Blob laughs, as it has been a while since he had a good fight. Mimic reminds Blob not to kill and Blob tells Mimic that he knows. Maybe he should tell that to the A.I.M. guys. As the A.I.M. guards hold their ground, Mimic blasts them all away with one optic blast, as the bullets bounce of his metal skin. When the battle is over, the other Exiles come in and, with the aid of Sasquatch, Blob is able to open the door that the A.I.M. guards were guarding, so they can see what is inside.
When the doors are open, both Blob and Sasquatch are knocked down. Modok flies out and announces that the A.I.M. workers were guarding him and they gave their lives for him. Now the Exiles will die too! Morph is surprised to see Modok, of all people, but Namora runs right to the beast and tells him to die. After you, says Modok, as he knocks Namora away with an energy blast. Nobody dies today, screams Mimic, as he blasts Modok’s hover-chair, causing the big beast to fall to the ground. Mimic then kicks Modok, which causes the man to roll down the hallway. Blob smirks and tells Mimic that he thought he was a pansy now, but I guess he was wrong. Mimic tells Blob that they need to find his friend.
The Exiles enter the next room and find Pyro, strapped to a chair in the center. Pyro calls out to whoever is there. Mimic introduces the group and informs him that they have come to free him. Pyro recognizes the voice and is shocked. He asks Cal if it is really him. Blob tells Pyro to shush and puts his hand on Blink’s shoulder. The little lady will explain everything, once they are away. Mimic pops a claw out to free Pyro and simultaneously demands to know why everyone they meet reacts this way to him. He has a feeling that this world’s Mimic isn’t a nice person.
Blob begins to speak, but Blink tells him to stop. They need to finish their mission before Modok fixes his thrusters. Mimic helps Pyro up and the pyromaniac asks him what kind of mission are they on. Mimic explains that the short story is that they are supposed to gather the Brotherhood together and bust Magneto out of jail. Pyro is puzzled and tells Mimic that Magneto is dead. Are you sure, asks Mimic. The Tallus would not send them to find a dead man. They are out to free the Big “M.” Pyro tells Mimic that he is confusing him. The “M” does not stand for Magneto. Annoyed, Mimic turns to Blink and demands to know what is going on.
Blink sighs and tells Mimic that she did not tell him earlier, because she did not want to upset him, but in this reality the Brotherhood was led by none other than Calvin Rankin, a.k.a. Mimic, a.k.a. the Big M. Right now, he is in the Omega Block of the Vault, where the worst of Earth’s super-criminals are held. Unfortunately, this world needs him. This whole reality needs him. Tomorrow, they are going to bust him out and, tomorrow, they will see what Mimic would be like if Xavier had never taken him under his wing.
