Upstate New York…
The mysterious boy is startled to find both his parents dead. He doesn’t even know where he is or what happened and demands to know what’s going on. As he starts to cry, police officers arrive and want to arrest the boy. The frightened boy doesn’t understand what the cops want from him. Can’t they see his parents are dead? He needs help! The officers claim that the boy is right about one thing: his parents are dead… and because of the fact that he killed them! The boy freaks out and doesn’t think that’s possible. Suddenly, he finds himself on a grassy field, all alone and the house and the officers are gone. What’s happening to him?
Westchester Cinema…
Scott grabs Jean’s hand and tells her they are leaving. Jean smiles and follows Scott, but wants to know where they are going. Scott happily explains that they are going back to the mansion, and that Jean can have her wish: he’s going to be more spontaneous. Jean wants to know what they are going to do about their dinner. Scott doesn’t want to worry about that now, and promises they’ll pick something up on the way.
Outside the Nowhere Special bar…
Storm and Wolverine are confronted by Sabretooth. Wolverine notices that he didn’t die. Sabretooth smirks that Logan always has been the smart one. He confirms that he didn’t die. But, with an angry look on his face, he adds that it wasn’t for lack of trying on Logan’s part as he nearly took his head off! Luckily for Sabretooth, there were still a few threads hanging on, which were enough for him to survive long enough to heal. He admits that he went into some kind of coma for a while, but eventually his healing factor managed to do the job.
Wolverine snikts out his claws and warns Storm to get out of there, claiming that this is between him and Sabretooth. Storm jokes that this is her night off and will do whatever she can to make this nonsense go away faster. She doesn’t see the need for another six-hour brawl between Logan and Sabretooth when she can fry him and go get some milkshakes instead. Logan ignores her and attacks Sabretooth, but he kicks him down and jokes that Logan should have listened to his girlfriend. He decides to fight back, wanting to see if Logan can live long enough to learn that lesson.
Sabretooth attacks Wolverine, but he drops the guy down. Logan notices that Sabretooth managed to survive real nice, but wonders why he didn’t throw a party or retired or something. He could have even taken a little vacation. He doesn’t see the point why he came back trying to kill him. Storm tries to stop the battle, but can’t get a clear shot to use her powers. Sabretooth claims that he didn’t came to kill Logan, but he sure is now. He punches Logan off of him and snikts out his four claws. Logan remembers that Sabretooth had four claws, but he isn’t really impressed by them as he brought his own.
The two of them confront each other again, but Storm finally manages to get a clear spot and uses her powerful winds to create a path between the two. However, she drops Logan accidentally against a truck and he hurts his nose. He jokes that Storm really needs to stop helping.
Sabretooth quickly grabs Storm and uses her as his hostage. He wants Logan to remind him that she doesn’t have a healing factor. And he warns Storm, before she gets any ideas, that he realizes it’s completely within her abilities to fry him with a bolt of lightning before he kills her, but he realizes that’s a big risk to take. In fact, he thinks it’s a pretty safe bet that being struck by lightning would cause his wrist to twitch and he’ll kill her with his claws nonetheless. He suggests that both Storm and Wolverine take a moment to relax. He smiles and reminds Wolverine that he didn’t attack Logan, but he fought him. Sabretooth claims it’s like he said: he didn’t came here to fight, he came to talk.
Outside the Westchester General Hospital…
Kurt teleports himself and Colossus out of the hospital. He admits that certainly wasn’t the evening he had planned. He suggests that they walk back to the car before he gets the urge to stare at Dazzler more and they have to spend another hour locked in a closet together. Peter didn’t know that Kurt was planning to go back to the mansion, as the night is still young. He realizes they get so little downtime and suggests they grab a dinner together or something. Kurt hesitates to respond, but Peter lays his hand over Kurt’s shoulder and smiles that he won’t take “no” for an answer. It will even be his treat.
A restaurant in New York City…
Xavier admits to Lilandra that his research didn’t turn up much about her Shi’ar organization. But he does want to know what her interests are in his X-Men. Lilandra believes that mutants are the future, and the Shi’ar invest into the future. That’s how the group managed to last as long as it has. Xavier apologizes for bringing it up, but he recalls that Lilandra offered a lot of money to him so he could continue his work. He doesn’t accept her earlier explanation. Lilandra tells Charles that, if he wants to continue this charade that he never read someone’s mind without permission, she’ll oblige him. But, she reminds the Professor, just so that he’s aware, with her realizing that Xavier probably already knows everything about this conversation is annoying to her.
Lilandra reveals that the Shi’ar believe in equality, balance in all things and everyone’s right to exist. And Xavier’s cause is very important to her group and in line with their beliefs. She believes they could perform a lot of good things together. Xavier, with a serious look on his face, gets the point. Lilandra smiles to Charles that, if he isn’t careful, it’ll make her think he doesn’t want her money. Xavier assures her that’s not the cause, but he admits to her that he has had problems with investors before in the past. Lilandra is aware of all the problems the X-Men had with Sebastian Shaw and the Hellfire Club. She completely understands his hesitation and isn’t offended in the least. However, she’s also very aware of Xavier’s current need of the Shi’ar’s support and, as a gesture of good will, they have already started to build a new X-Wing plane for the X-Men to use on missions, as she learned that the original was recently destroyed.
Xavier wants to know how Lilandra could possibly know about that. Lilandra reveals that the Shi’ar have members in every organization in the world, including SHIELD. She asks Charles where he thinks her group got the schematics from to begin the construction of the X-Wing. Charles smiles that he believes Nick Fury would be very displeased when he hears about this. Lilandra is aware that Fury and Charles have had a bit of a falling out, so she doubts he’s going to tell him.
Xavier’s, Iceman’s room…
Bobby and Rogue are kissing each other, ready to make love. Bobby stops, wanting a confirmation from her that her leeching powers won’t kick in into the middle of this. Rogue denies that, confirming that she now fully absorbed Gambit’s powers and that those are the only ones she has at the moment. Bobby thinks that’s cool and they start kissing again. Suddenly, they hear the doors closing below them. Rogue tells Bobby to relax, joking that Magneto wouldn’t sneak back into the mansion and quietly close the door. She believes it’s probably Kitty trying to sneak Spider-Man into her room. They start kissing again.
Below them, Jean and Scott have come back home. Jean hugs Scott, wondering if he thinks anyone heard them coming back in. Scott doesn’t care, but he admits that this is hard for him. He knows that Jean doesn’t want him to be all repressed, and instead wants him to take charge and not timid. He promises to try to be that way, but he tells Jean she isn’t making this easy for him. Jean smiles that she understands, and jokes that she’s putty in his hands. Scott playfully tells her to shut up and to kiss him. Jean does, and telepathically tells him that she hopes this new him will stick around, as she could get used to it.
Westchester, New York, General Hospital parking lot…
Peter went to pick up some hamburgers and Kurt his share. Unsure what to say, Kurt thinks they would better go back to the mansion. Peter thinks Kurt is kidding, because it’s a beautiful night and really peaceful, too. Hesitant, Kurt claims he’s got some reading left to do. A bit angry, Peter admits that he doesn’t like Kurt. He doesn’t understand. Peter thinks Kurt doesn’t want to hang around with him because he thinks he’s in love with him. Peter can promise him that isn’t the case. Kurt doesn’t know what to say, but Peter is fine with it and tells Kurt he doesn’t need to lie to him.
Peter asks Kurt if he never met a girl he didn’t immediately get a crush on. He claims that it’s the same thing with him: he doesn’t like every man he meets. He admits that Kurt’s fur is cute, but he isn’t his type, so Peter promises to keep his hands to himself and just wants to go back to the way things were before Kurt found out about him being gay. Kurt just doesn’t know. Peter admits that he’s the same friend Kurt always knew. Kurt isn’t so sure he ever knew his friend that well.
Nowhere Special…
Wolverine agrees to let Sabretooth talk, but he wants to go over it fast. He also threatens that, if Sabretooth hurts Storm, he’ll kill him for good this time and has him suffer as well. Sabretooth continues to explain what he was trying to do before Logan attacked him, his healing factor shut down his body for repairs and he was in some sort of coma for a while. When he awoke, things were different. Things didn’t make sense anymore. Sabretooth admits that, when he and Wolverine were members of Weapon X together, he always hated him. He hated a lot of things but none like he hated Logan. For some odd reason, he had a specific, intense hatred of Wolverine but never knew why. He never cared much, either.
Logan continues to hold himself ready for a battle, but doesn’t say anything. Sabretooth sarcastically smiles that he thinks he now finally has the answer. Lately, he’s started to remember things.
New York City…
Lilandra reveals that, in fact, her group is far more than an organized religion. They have a network of private hospitals all over the world. They have highly advanced compounds in five locations everywhere. They have members in every corner of the world. Their contacts in Hollywood alone would make a housewife in the Midwest drool herself to death. Aside from monetary support, she offers near limitless ways so the X-Men can use her resources to improve their work. Xavier promises he’ll certainly take this offer into consideration, but he won’t allow his X-Men to be used as Lilandra’s personal errand boys.
He admits that his work requires outside funding, but he refuses to be bought. Lilandra promises that their agenda is nowhere that sinister. Although, there is one thing she will require from the Professor. Xavier wants to know what that is. Lilandra promises it won’t be anything bad.
Westchester…
Colossus and Kurt don’t look at each other, nor speak. They just stare into nothingness, unsure what to do.
Xavier’s…
Rogue runs into the kitchen and bumps into Scott. She admits she didn’t know he and Jean had come back. Hesitant and without his shirt on, Scott claims that they just got home. He notices a cap on Rogue’s head and asks if that isn’t Bobby’s cap.
Somewhere in the city…
Kitty and Spider-Man are standing in a warehouse together, and share a passionate kiss.
Nowhere Special…
Storm panics, as Sabretooth still uses her as his hostage.
At an unknown location…
The mysterious boy doesn’t think it’s possible that he killed his parents. He couldn’t have. Suddenly, Nick Fury and his SHIELD agents enter, and Nick holds his gun aimed at the boy. He reveals to the boy that he’s a mutant and will come with him.
Nowhere Special…
Wolverine angrily wants to know what it is Sabretooth remembers. Sabretooth reveals that his memories were faked, just like Logan’s. He remembered being at Weapon X before Logan arrived, but Logan truly was the first. Even the files Sabretooth read about Logan were faked. He explains that they call him the poor man’s Wolverine. People mock him because of who he is. Even Logan told him as much before. He asks Logan if he never wondered why they are so similar. They’ve both got healing factors and survived the Adamantium integration.
Sabretooth sheathes his claws back in and releases Storm from his holding grip. He reveals that he was brought into Weapon X to replace Logan when he escaped the first time. He remembers that now. Those agents came after him so he could replace Logan. They were confident the same experiments that worked on Logan would work on him as well. He asks Logan if he knows why. Sabretooth claims that he is Wolverine’s… son!
Holding his claws ready for action, Logan responds that won’t be the case for much longer.
New York City…
Lilandra explains that, of course, she doesn’t expect any kind of decision tonight. She wants Xavier to think this over and discuss it with whomever he wants and later on contact her again so they can move on. But she’s confident Xavier will accept her kind offer.
She notices a waiter and asks him for another glass of water. Xavier recalls that they’ve discussed Lilandra’s proposal for over an hour at this point and, he adds, while she is a religious organization he recalls her saying nothing about her actual religious beliefs. In fact, to him, she sounds more like a secret society than an organized government-recognized religion. Lilandra defends that is the fine line every religion walks. She doesn’t want to bore the Professor with the details and origins of the Church of the Shi’ar Enlightenment. On top of that, it would take much longer than one dinner to fully explain it all.
However, she does reveal that they are a monotheistic religion, based on ancient texts dating back to the birth of this planet. They are the only religion that has no afterlife. She also reveals that they worship a god called… the Phoenix! Xavier panics. With the look on Xavier’s face, Lilandra takes it that he has heard the name before.
