Nighttime in Miami:
A young woman in shoddy clothing, hood drawn over her face, walks the streets. She notices someone following and begins to run, only to run right into the men giving chase. The armed men – Purifiers – tell her it’s not her fault. Homo sapiens are the only true work of God. Mutant is the abomination of the devil. She is not a mutant! the girls screams. God doesn’t want mutant, the speaker continues. He gave the Garden of Eden to humans! This is judgment day!
Before they can fire, their weapons’ energy crackles and Magik teleports in Kitty Pryde and the original X-Men. Kitty orders the Purifiers away from the girl. Jean and Scott wonder what’s going on and who these guys are. The armed men recognize them as Scott Summers and the X-Men. God delivered them unto them! His will be done!
Kitty jumps in front of the kids and phases them as the weapons are fired. Who’s Will? Iceman asks. What is he missing? God, Kitty tells him annoyed. They think they speak for God. Let’s see what she thinks about this then, Jean suggests and telekinetically takes one gun apart. Oh, they are wackos! Iceman realize.
Back to back, both Cyclops orders. Angel, take to the sky! What else is he going to do, Angel points out wryly!
Abomination! one of the men shouts and fires at Magik. The other X-Men tell Kitty they can handle this. She should go after the girl. Jean will look after Magik.
Beast criticizes their interpretation of Scripture until being hit himself. When Jean sees that she becomes angry. “How dare you?” she shouts and lashes out with her telekinesis. God did not create mutants! One of them shouts and aims his gun at Cyclops. Sure he did, Scott quips and blasts him. See?
One of the Purifiers chases the girl who started it all. Why do they think she is a mutant? she pleads.
Kitty phases through the man from behind, making his armor malfunction. She is welcome, she tells the girl, then recognizes her as Laura Kinney aka X-23. Laura runs again despite Kitty’s reassurances. What’s the matter with her? Kitty wonders.
Somewhat recovered, Illyana promises the men to show them the devil as she attacks with her Soulsword.
Angel grabs one of the men, flies upward with him and remarks here that is what he doesn’t understand. They think that mutants are some abomination of nature, of God. He kind of sees where they could come to that conclusion. But when someone like him shows up who looks so very much like an actual angel here on Earth… With the wings, and flying and the heavenly good looks…That doesn’t do anything to rattle their convictions?
He is an abomination! the man sputters. Now he’s just hurting his feelings! Angel announces and drops him from up high. Iceman catches him on an iceslide.
Cyclops asks one man who they are. Who is their leader? The man rattles down religious convictions. Marvel Girl announces she’s got this. She reads his mind and sees the atrocities they have committed.
The police arrive. Time to go, Magik orders. They don’t run, Cyclops replies. They are the good guys. The police will need a statement. He thinks they want a statement? Illyana mocks. From him?
On the ground! the cops orders. Don’t even think about it, mutants! Hands on your head and faces to the ground!
Not far away, Kitty still chases a panicked Laura and wrestles her to the ground. She asks if she is okay. Does she not recognize her? Laura jumps up and Kitty phases, then grabs her by the hood to throw her down again. A drunk man asks if he can help them with anything. Kitty glares. A police car stops, the cop believing they are drunk.
Some distance away, Cyclops tries to calmly reason with the cops, explaining the situation. Angrily, the cops order them on the ground, Cyclops continues his explanation. Beast points out this isn't going the way he thinks it’s going to go. They are not thinking happy thoughts, Jean agrees. On the ground! the cop shouts. They have a 519! But they saved--Scott protests. Believing them to be hostile, the cop fires.
That moment, they are teleported back to the school. They are welcome, Magik tells them coolly. When she tells them it’s time to go, it’s time to go. Not because she likes the sound of her voice but because she knew all too well what was going to happen. She knows Scott’s heart is in the right place but to them they are masked men engaged in violence on their streets. They will arrest them. They will gun them down if they think for a second they are in danger. They are gun-happy in this world of superpowers and mutants and they are scared of them, she points at Cyclops. She knows that things might have been different where they came from.
No, that was about what it was like, Iceman muses. Somebody threw a rock at his head, Hank recalls. But they didn’t religiously persecute them, Angel admits. That’s a first. Jean tells them not to joke about this. They don’t know how deep it goes with them. They don’t know how many they murdered in the name of God. They have never faced anything like this before. What about Kitty and that poor girl? Scott asks.
In Florida, Kitty tries to explain the situation and introduces herself. She explains she is an associate of Captain America. Laura struggles to get away. Kitty tackles her and phases them through the ground into the sewers.
Kitty offers help and reaches out, inadvertently pulling down Laura’s hoodie. She doesn’t touch her! a bald Laura screams, extending her claws. “You don’t touch me!"
