Somewhere in a pub…
Sitting in a pub filled with people, Dazzler hears on the news that Professor Xavier is dead. Stunned ,she listens as a TV news anchor explains that they’re continuing coverage of the mysterious death of the well-known mutant activist Charles Xavier. They don’t even know the cause of his death. All that is known is that the growing world mutant community has lost an avid supporter and that conspiracy theorists are already concluding things.
Xavier’s…
Iceman enters Kitty’s room and sees her packing her things. He asks if she’s really leaving and Kitty confirms. She just can’t stay there anymore, especially not after what happened. She feels she’s just a kid and shouldn’t be dealing with any of this. Bobby doesn’t understand what she’s talking about. Kitty used to love this stuff, and nobody was more exited to join this team than she was. She replies that she just thinks that maybe she grew up a little and matured. She mocks that perhaps Bobby should give that a try. Bobby jokes he’ll see what he can do about that.
He then asks Kitty if she thinks the Professor would approve of what she’s doing, and that he would like the idea of her running away. Kitty angrily reminds Bobby that the Professor is dead and that she doesn’t care what he wants anymore. She feels it doesn’t matter. And, she defends, she isn’t running away, and is not quitting because the Professor died. At least, that’s not the only reason. She explains she came there to learn how to control her powers. She did and thinks there’s no reason to stay here past that. She’s not in danger of hurting herself now and she doesn’t need to learn to use her powers better. Kitty admits when she first came there, it was fun, but things change.
Bobby smirks and asks if the fact that Kitty’s mother lives closer to Spider-Man has anything to do with her leaving as well. Kitty tells Bobby that, when she’s with Spider-Man, things are still fun. That’s not the cause there, and she calls Bobby a jerk. Maybe she’s just trying to get away from him. She wants to get out of before Magneto breaks out of the Triskelion and takes over the school. Kitty leaves, leaving Bobby to ponder Kitty’s words.
After leaving Kitty’s room, Bobby goes to check on Rogue in her room, who is sitting on her bed. Seeing her somber mood, Bobby asks if she’s okay, to which Rogue replies she is, physically. Her arm grew back fine, but everything else… She asks Bobby if he can hold her, as she really needs that. As he Bobby goes to sit next to her and does so, Rogue warns Bobby to be careful, and he promise he’ll be. She doesn’t need to worry about that.
Meanwhile at the White House’s Situation Room…
Sitting on a table with the president and another general, Nick Fury explains that his team has completed an examination of Xavier’s remains, and confirms it’s him. Everything checks out: dental, DNA, everything. Charles Xavier is dead. The general wonders if they are truly recognizing the gravity of this situation. Do they realize what could be ahead of them? They could be looking at World War Three here. The president doesn’t believe they need to be preparing for the worst just yet. They can’t let their lack of information feed their fears.
The general points out they really don’t know anything. He believes the best mode of action they can take is to assume the worst. He thinks the mutants could rise up and take over the world. Xavier could have been the only thing keeping them in check. Fury tells the general he has been made aware of his suspicions of Charles Xavier. While they didn’t always agree on things, Nick can assure the general that he has never witnessed Charles to be any less than an honest citizen. To this, the general expresses the belief that Xavier could be somehow controlling his students, or the president, but Nick finds that absolutely absurd. He sees this as little more than a civil rights issue, and strongly believes the death of one man will not lead the world into World War Three.
The president asks Fury if he can have his word on that. Fury gives it, if it will make the president feel better. The general tells Fury they both know that’s a promise he can’t keep. He asks if they have an official cause of death here. He believes they need a smoking gun, otherwise they’re just one-person-hinting-this-was-a-government-sponsored-hit away from the riots in the streets. Fury disagrees with that. He states the mutant population is still so small that this is a non-issue. After all, a mutant killed Charles Xavier. The details are a bit sketchy but they can have a public version of events ready for broadcast by the evening news. The days of the Sentinel program are behind them. There are a growing number of humans supporting the mutant cause, but they don’t have anything to worry about as far as a massive revolt in the streets.
The president asks where this leaves them in regards to the initiative Xavier was involved with. Fury will make sure Charles Xavier’s death won’t affect the Legacy Project in any way.
Xavier’s…
Mister Westerfield has arrived in a limo to transport Kitty away from the school. When Westerfield notices aloud that there’s no big farewell for “the Kitty Cat,” Kitty claims to actually prefer it this way. She thanks Westerfield for driving her, which is his pleasure to do.
At the same time, Wolverine sits alone on the grass, thinking quietly to himself. He closes his eyes, and says, “I don’t believe you” to Sabretooth, who appears from behind a tree. He doesn’t care what Logan believes or not. What’s true is true: he really is Logan’s son. As Sabretooth walks towards him, Logan reiterates that he still doesn’t believe him, but then asks Sabretooth what he’s doing there: is Sabretooth going to make him gut him for good? Sabretooth explains he is going to find his mother – Logan’s wife – if she’s still alive. That will be the proof Logan will need. Sabretooth suggests they could do it together. But Logan hasn’t got the time to deal with that right now. He thinks Sabretooth hasn’t been watching the news. And now, Sabretooth is telling him he didn’t kill his wife? That’s a reversal. He wants to ask Sabretooth if he has any more statements he’d like to share. But before Logan can end his question, he smells something. When he looks behind him, Sabretooth is gone.
Elsewhere in the mansion, Scott is getting dressed up for the funeral. Jean is sitting behind him on the bed, and she still can’t believe the Professor is actually dead. Scott is sorry, and admits… he misses the Professor, too. Jean doesn’t say anything. Scott tells Jean they need to get ready because everyone will be arriving soon. Jean just thinks this is too much. She wonders why it has to be such a big event. It’s just too much, too soon. There’s so much to do. She still has to learn to maintain the Professor’s psychic blocks on Kurt before he wakes up. Who knows how long those will last with Kurt constantly fighting them? She doesn’t know how they’re going to do all this without the Professor.
Scott stares at Jean quietly. He looks around the room, and finds his birthday present still unopened. Jean tells Scott she’s definitely not going to open it today. Scott understands. He wasn’t even going to bring it up. Jean already misses the Professor so much. Scott knows. He knows how much the Professor meant to her… to all of them. They share a hug, with Scott looking uncertain.
At the game room of the school, Colossus is on the phone with Northstar. He thanks Jean-Paul for coming over. It means a lot to him – and he doesn’t even know if he would be handling this well without Jean-Paul. Lying on his bed at the Academy of Tomorrow, Jean-Paul asks Peter if he’s going to take him up to his offer. He swears Emma won’t even notice if he stayed with him for a while, and it would be so much fun. Peter won’t deny that. But he’s still thinking about it. He doesn’t want the people there to think he’s abandoning them at such a horrible time. Jean-Paul smiles they’ve got a lot to deal with over there at Xavier’s, and they don’t need him “hunking” up the place. He asks Peter not to upset him and Peter promises to think about it. He tells Jean-Paul he knows he wants to be with him. But he has to go now, as the service will start soon. Jean-Paul understands, and says he should probably get a move on himself. He tells Peter he’ll see him soon and hangs up.
Wolverine, dressed in a nice suit, meets up in the room of Storm, who is still getting ready. Logan asks Ororo if Kitty is gone and Ororo confirms, adding that Kitty left everything she didn’t want. She had piles of old magazines and junk mail, trash… you name it. The room was a mess. Logan tells Ororo she looks nice. Ororo says she got all dressed up so they can bury the most important person in their lives. She wants to know why they can’t curl up in bed and cry for a few days. Logan thinks it’s a respect thing.
Ororo remarks that it looks like Logan respected the Professor a great deal, as he’s not looking too shabby himself. Logan thanks Ororo for that. She notices her laptop and sees a document on it, entitled “The Shadow King.” Logan wonders what kind of a name that is for a play. Ororo quickly slams her laptop shut and asks Logan not to look at it because the play is private. She apologizes to Logan, saying that she’s just upset. The play is not done yet and she doesn’t like people reading it when it’s not done. She didn’t mean to snap at Logan like that. Logan gently touches Ororo’s shoulder, smiling that he handled worse than that. He suggests the get out of there.
Soon afterwards, all of the guests arrive at the school for the funeral.
Moira MacTaggert walks over to Lilandra and her assistant, Gerald, who are already sitting on chairs in the yard. Moira just wanted to introduce herself. She mentions she was married to Charles and that they had a child together. Lilandra knows, as Charles spoke of Moira. She says it’s nice to finally meet Moira, but wishes it was under different circumstances. Moira smiles, saying that she spoke to Charles briefly a number of days ago. He told her he was seeing Lilandra. Charles seemed happy, at least happier than she’d heard him in a while. Moira just wanted to thank Lilandra for that. She finds it comforting to know that, in the end at least… Charles was happy. Lilandra thanks Moira for saying that, and found it nice meeting her. Moira leaves Lilandra, while behind her Nick Fury shares a doubtful look with Captain America, who is dressed in his Army uniform for the occasion.
The Fantastic Four are also present. Reed recalls they could never have been able to stop the alien Gah Lak Tus without the Professor’s help. Everyone there would have been dead without Charles. Sue tries to comfort Reed and knows how horrible this is. Not far away, Bishop tells Colossus and Bobby he should have stopped this, yet he failed. Colossus tries to comfort Bishop that there was nothing he could do, and shouldn’t blame himself for this. Jean-Paul arrives and meets up with Peter, who is glad to see him. Jean-Paul smiles he made good time, too. Ms. Frost and the others were at the airport this afternoon and it looks like he beat them there. Only by a few minutes, Peter jokingly notices, as Emma and the others have also arrived.
Emma tells Warren, Cannonball, Sunspot and Doug to find them all seats while she goes to pay her respects. Alex goes to talk to Scott and apologizes for what happened, because he knows how much the Professor meant to him. Scott thanks his brother, while nearby Jean and Lorna share a hug.
As he stands before Xavier’s coffin and touches it, Logan remembers how he was first send to the school. Magneto, with the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver standing behind him, ordered Logan to kill Xavier before he converted any more young mutants to his “naïve, integrationist ideals.” Logan had already heard about Xavier on TV, as he was the one behind this new mutant strike team. Logan was confident he could take the Professor out. And a few years later, the man called Cable sheathed his claws open and said, “It’s over, Bub.” Logan sighs and remarks that the mission has been accomplished. Storm is at the casket as well and cries horribly. Logan tends to her and tells Ororo to try to keep it together.
A mutant priest with a purple skin starts the ceremony. Afterwards, the coffin is lowered into the ground, while the mourners look on. The X-Men are of course all at the front row.
Later that night…
The guests return to their homes. Emma compliments Scott and Jean that it was a lovely service. Scott agrees. He thanks Emma for coming, as he thinks the Professor would have liked that. After everyone is gone, Scott closes the door and asks Jean if she’s going to bed, because he is. Jean isn’t and apologizes. She has too many things to do and tells Scott she’ll see him in the morning. Alone, she walks to the lower levels of the mansion, where she presses a green button on a lock, which opens a door to a cell. Jean wants to see what they can do about keeping Kurt in his trance. When she enters the cell, she finds that the chair Kurt was bounded in, is… EMPTY?! Jean looks behind her, and is speechless at what she sees.
Somewhere else…
Magneto sits on his throne in his palace, which looks more like a church. Servants are in the room as well, and Longshot sits besides Magneto. Forge enters the room and Magneto asks what he wants. Forge apologizes for interrupting, but they received news from the outside world. There’s something he felt Magneto should be made aware of right away. Forge hands a newspaper to Magneto. When Longshot asks what it is, Magneto replies that he can’t believe it: Charles Xavier is dead.
Forge asks what that means. Shall they continue things there? “Of course,” Magneto responds. This changes nothing. If anything, this news makes what they are doing infinitely more important.
Outside Magneto’s base, scores of mutants are working together with cranes and other equipment to build something.
Magneto orders all of his servants to leave him, as he has an adversary’s death to enjoy…
