Utopia, 3.35 AM.
Colossus and Kitty Pryde, in her spacesuit, are slumbering in their room when Colossus is hit by a dart in the neck. Kruun tells him to stay silent, as he holds a knife made of Breakworld metal to Kitty’s throat. He’d put a finger on his lips but, thanks to Colossus, he doesn’t have any to spare.
He explains that the Cure which was in the dart has taken his powers. If he makes any noise, he’ll take away his little mate’s life, too. And if she thinks to try something, she should be aware that no matter how well-trained or fast she thinks she is, he can end her life in a heartbeat.
Kitty points out that the Breakworlders may be a little confused by their language but “intangible” means stabby-stabby isn’t really a big threat. In response, Kruun cuts her slightly, drawing blood. She found it hard to pass through the metal, didn’t she? It finds it hard to pass through her, too, Kruun explains. And forged in the right way it won’t. It will open her up and he will butcher her, unless her mate obeys him.
Peter announces he understands. Now this goes without saying, but he wants to be clear: hurt her and he will kill Kruun! Cliché, Kitty remarks as she gets up and walks in the direction Kruun points. Adorable, but cliché.
He is not there to slice throats in the night, Kruun states as he carefully and silently leads them out. Killing them is nothing! He is there to beat them!
Outside the room, Haleena expects them. He does not have to do this, she tells him. What else can he do? Kruun retorts. Their people are over, all that is left is to settle all debts and carve a worthy tombstone. Then, until the next life, farewell, she wishes him, and Kruun and his two hostages walk on.
He leads them outside to a cliff. He isn’t planning on getting out of this alive? Kitty asks. His life ended with the Breakworld, he announces. It didn’t! Peter protests. Kruun is arrogant, deluded and selfish, what about his people? That’s a question he should have asked before he ruined Breakworld, Kruun shoots back.
He orders Peter ten paces back and Kitty to get out of her suit. Both comply. Colossus unarmed him, Kruun announces. So they fight unarmed. It’s not too late, Peter pleads. Kruun interrupts him. Kruun uses his Breakworld knife to pin Kitty’s shoulder to the sign behind her. She shouts out unheard and tries to remove it, but reaches through the blade. The blade touches her, he states, but she can’t touch the blade. Frustrating, he’d imagine. Get used to that!
“Enough to quicken the blood, my Powerlord?” he asks mockingly. Good. Peter runs toward him and hits him hard. Very good, Kruun decides.
Inside, Haleena walks to the lab. She sees the two prisoners and Kruun’s work. The die is cast, she remarks, takes the hammer and continues working the lump of Breakworld metal.
Outside, the two men still battle and this time Kruun lays a hard blow on Peter, followed by more blows, until the Russian lies still. Kitty shouts angrily and unheard. Kruun orders her not to look like that. Kruun took his powers and he still fought well. He is one to be proud of. He is one worth saving.
He removes the knife from Kitty’s shoulder. “So what now, little Kitty?” He cuts Peter with the knife. Before he came, he made a study of humans’ weak flesh… how to cut to kill! How to do otherwise… he will bleed out unless... Kitty is already gone. Good, he commends, she understands. Clever child. Let us proceed.
Kitty runs inside the complex. Unable to make herself be heard, she has to rely on someone seeing or sensing her. But everyone’s asleep or taken out like the telepaths.
In the command center, she finds Cyclops sitting in a chair and tries to make him notice her. He doesn’t move.
Kruun stands in the doorway. She thought he came to her first? he asks. He would have revenge against them all! Cyclops is paralyzed but he can see her. A leader forced to watch all he strived to create torn down in a matter of minutes… there is little pleasure in it, is there? he asks Scott. Where now? he asks Kitty. Who can hear her cry?
She phases downwards to Emma and Scott’s bedroom. Kruun follows by smashing a window. Yes, she could, he agrees. She’s a powerful telepath too. Powerful, but arrogant. He had part of his mind laced with a false consciousness camouflage to hide the desires that he knew people would object to. Were she a notch less arrogant, she could have caught it all. He tells Kitty not to worry. She’s just unconscious. What did she do to Breakworld? She’s just a little soldier. Unimportant. Not like Kitty. She stopped his world’s revenge against hers. She stopped the exchange of gouged eyes to make their mutual destruction fair. She thought she could save everyone. And now she can’t save anyone!
He holds his blade close to Emma’s throat. The longer Kitty lingers in one place, the more his blade hungers.
Kitty runs on outside, finding Logan sitting with closed eyes in meditation. Him? He will never know you are here, Kruun mutters. Maybe not, Wolverine replies as he opens his eyes. But he knows Kruun is here. He unsheathes his claws. Kruun may be damn good but he still has a smell. Kitty smiles triumphantly. Logan tells her to see if she can get them some company.
Kitty runs inside as Kruun remarks she is going to try. She is a clever girl and a worthy opponent. As is Wolverine. He was planning on coming for him last. He was led to understand he is the most feared fighter on his planet. They have that much in common. Wolverine snarls at him to quit with the posturing. The stink of what he’s been doing is all over him. He’s torturing his friends! Summers too.
Kruun attacks with his Breakworld knife. Logan dodges the attack. Good to see him again. Not much point in having only one alien arm around the place. Always had a hankering for the matching set…
Kitty runs inside and phases downward to the lab, where she finds Haleena. Kitty tries to talk and Haleena tells her she understands. Time is short, but it is important. She must know: would Kitty do anything to save her mate? Kitty’s expression makes it clear the reply is yes. Good, then she will understand, Haleena replies and slashes Kitty’s throat with a knife of Breakworld metal. So would she.
