'Did you think that would work? That you could contain me inside Legion's mind? That you could send me to the Age of Apocalypse and leave me... not just me... but children... your own students... to die in that place?' Nate Grey a.k.a. X-Man asks, his mind and body merged with Legion's. Energy darts around him as he angrily tells the X-Men that he tried, he tried so hard to give them what they wanted – he tried to shape the world into something that could be better – but for that, they tried to destroy him.
'I tried to work with you, X-Men' he adds, while Multiple Man asks what is going on, and why Legion sounds like that – and when did he get a tattoo, referring to X-Man's tattoo on his chest. 'That is Nathan, you idiot. We tried to trap him in Legion's mind, but he's too powerful. He took over Legion's mind instead' Northstar explains. 'An omega-level mutant in the driver's seat of another omega-level mutant... sounds great' Iceman mutters as he, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde and Apocalypse gather nearby.
'What the hell?' Multiple Man calls out as X-Man suddenly telekinetically pulls him over towards him, 'But the truth is... I don't need you' X-Man declares, while Polaris, Cannonball and X-23 gather behind him. 'Don't do this, Nate' Kitty calls out as X-Man holds Madrox in a headlock. Storm stands nearby, poised, while Madrox asks for some help. Kitty tells Nate to let Jamie go, that they can talk about this without anyone getting hurt. 'You. Tried. To. Kill. Me' Nate snaps, while Madrox grits his teeth and utters' Guys, for real. He's got a crazy-tight grip' he mutters, before Nate raises a fist, 'Like I said, I do not need you anymore. I'm inside Legion's head and know what he did to Madrox' Nate reveals. 'Come on! No! This is why I didn't want to stay here!' Madrox tells everyone, while X-Man explains that all he needs are soldiers. 'All I need are Jamie and his duplicates' he adds as he slams a fist into Madrox's face – but nothing happens.
'What?' X-Man asks, confused. 'Why isn't he duplicating?' X-Man asks as he repeatedly punches Madrox in the face, harder and harder with each thrust. 'STOP IT, YOU MORON! It won't work because I'm not Jamie Prime!' Madrox suddenly reveals. Madrox reveals that Jamie Prime took one look at what was happening here and jumped in a rowboat to get off this damn island. 'If I had to guess, I'd say his cowardly ass is already back on the mainland getting smashed in the first bar he could find' Madrox adds. 'Surprise?' he asks, looking up at X-Man, who scowls and fires a blast of energy at Madrox, knocking him backwards. 'I don't think I've ever been more grateful for Jamie Madrox's incompetence' Storm remarks. 'Who knew that being a coward would pay off?' Kitty asks, before X-Man unleashes a surge of energy at his Horsemen of Salvation – Magneto, Blob and Omega Red. 'What's he doing to them?' Kitty wonders, as X-Man orders his Horsemen to attack, and to her surprise, Kitty turns around and sees that Storm has been transformed into one of the Horsemen of Life as well. 'Oh my God, X-Man has Storm!' Kitty calls out
Magneto, the Horseman of Peace, knocks Bishop backwards, while Omega Red, the Horseman of Wellness, wraps his carbonadium coils around Northstar, Polaris and X-23. 'Get your tentacles off me, you pale, slimy bastard!' X-23 exclaims, slicing his coils with her claws. Apocalypse and Senator Ashton Allen look on as Blob, the Horsemen of Bounty, leaps towards Nightcrawler, Rockslide and Glob Herman. 'Enough!' Betsy shouts as she rushes towards X-Man, her psi-blade at the ready, 'Psylocke! No!' Jean Grey calls out, before X-Man easily knocks Betsy aside. 'Please...you have not seen what I'm capable of' X-Man declares as he flies up above the battle, announcing that he has been patient and benevolent, that he only sought to create a world where mutantkind could finally be at peace – but he sees now that is not possible – that the X-Men have always been, and will always be, all too eager to cut off their own noses just to spite their faces. 'That you can only find peace in chaos' he remarks.
Glob finds himself at the mercy of Blob, who tries to squash him, while Polaris flies towards both Storm and Magneto, as X-23 cuts herself free from Omega Red's coil, Nightcrawler punches Omega Red in the face as Pixie hovers nearby. 'So die knowing that you brought this upon yourselves' X-Man declares angrily. As Magneto knocks Polaris to the ground, Iceman blasts him with some ice-spears. Cannonball flies straight into Blob, while Jean helps Betsy up and asks her if she is okay. 'Been better' Betsy responds, watching as Kitty Pryde runs from Storm, she points out that they can't keep this up. 'We have them outnumbered...but they have us outpowered' Betsy adds as the students Armor, Pixie, Rockslide and Glob rush to Kitty's aid, turning to face Storm, while X-Man continues to glow with energy – which he suddenly releases, knocking Polaris, Iceman, Nightcrawler, Bishop, Jubilee and X-23 away.
Jean Grey places her hands to her head as she begins to release a psychic message: 'If you can hear this... we badly need your help. For the fate of the world... to me, my X-Men!' Jean's call reaches across the globe, touching the minds of Dazzler, who is creating a light show somewhere, and Honey Badger who is running with Jonathan the Unstoppable. Nature Girl and Eye-Boy who are together, and Sunfire, who flies through the air. M is punching something when she receives the message, while Transonic is flying across a blue sky. Rictor is with Dr Cecilia Reyes when they both receive the call, while Goldballs and Triage are together, too. Maggott hears the call, as do Mercury, Trance and Match. Meggan and Kylun are together when the call reaches them, while Genesis glances sideways as the call touches him. Forge is in a lab when he receives the call, and Loa and Indra are together when they hear the call. Frenzy is fixing a car somewhere, while Husk and Magma are together, and Tempus is in Sydney, Australia. The Stepford Cuckoos receive the call as does Surge, who is unleashing an energy blast. Shark Girl and Bling are together when they get the call, as are Gentle and Trinary. Finally, the call reaches Firestar.
Jean Grey turns to Pixie and tells her that she needs her for something important if they are to have any hope of turning this tide. Pixie informs Jean that she can't teleport, to which Jean asks her if X-Man is presenting her from doing so. 'Yeah... or at least I think so' Pixie replies. Jean watches as Betsy punches the Blob, and X-23 is once again fighting with Omega Red. Jean informs Pixie that they have to split X-Man's focus and break his concentration – they need a distraction – a big one. 'We volunteer' Armor calls out as she, Rockslide and Glob approach Jean. Jean looks at them, skeptical, but Armor tells her that they have a plan. 'I don't know, Hisako' Jean responds, to which Armor tells her that they can do this. 'Okay. Do it. But be carefull...all of you' Jean announces. 'I think “careful” has left the building, Jean' Armor replies as she extends her force field around Rockslide and Glob, using it in the shape of a large ball, they run inside it, forcing the ball along the ground. 'Tell me this plan again, Armor' Rockslide asks. Armor explains that she needs them to fight with all they have got – once she absorbs them, she needs the two of them to protect her.
'Wait, you're putting them in here? With us?' Glob asks. 'Hell yes, I am!' Armor responds, to which Rockslide tells them that it was nice knowing them both. 'Yes it was' Armor agrees as her force field ball rolls into the Horsemen – trapping Storm, Magneto, Blob and Omega Red inside. Armor tells Glob and Rockslide that they need to keep the Horsemen off her for as long as they can. Omega Red tells the X-Men that they are insane and that they have just doomed themselves. 'Free us or die, children!' Storm warns them.
'Now!' Betsy calls out as she, Bishop, Nightcrawler, Northstar, Cannonball and X-23 rush towards X-Man. 'This is it! Everyone at once, don't stop!' Bishop shouts, while Jean turns to Pixie, who reveals that she feels it – X-Man has left her head. Jean tells Pixie that they have to hurry, that they don't know how long the others can keep this up. Jean places her hands on either side of Pixie's head, explaining that she will guide her, she asks Pixie if she sees. 'Yes' Pixie responds.
Inside the medbay within the remains of the Xavier Institute, the Beast approaches Anole and asks him if he is ready to tell him why he gave away the mutant vaccine. 'You wouldn't understand why' Anole replies. 'Try me' the Beast tells him, asking if someone made him do it. 'I don't know what to tell you, sir -' Anole begins, as the Beast raises his voice, 'DON'T LIE TO ME!' he shouts, gritting his teeth, the Beast asks Anole to tell him somehing that will justify this betrayal. 'Do you even realize what you've done?' the Beast asks, explaining that this is only the beginning, the beginning of something he created being used against them – and they can never unring that bell. Anole stands up and assures the Beast that he knows exactly what he has done – he has given some kid like him out there hope – he has made it possible for other kids like him...to not have to become him. 'Monsters. Outcasts. Hunted. Feared. Alone. I've given them a chance. I've given them a choice' Anole declares. The Beast hangs his head and assures Anole that he understands all too well why he might feel that way, but that he can't afford to be that naive. 'Sir?' Anole asks. The Beast turns his back on Anole as he informs him that he hasn't givern mutants a choice – he has handed the government a weapon. 'I can only being to imagine how they'll use it against us. You wanted freedom but instead you've shackled us, my boy' the Beast remarks, before Pixie teleports in and tells the Beast that he is needed. 'We're ready' the Beast responds.
Back on Quadra Island, Apocalypse watches the battle. 'Ridiculous children, playing with their toys, a fruitless pursuit' he remarks, before turning, You think to sneak away, little man?' Apocalypse asks Senator Ashton Allen, who glances up at Apocalypse, nervously remarking that he doesn't belong here, and that he wants to go. 'Truer words, Senator Allen. And I do not just mean X-Man's failed experiment he called a “council”. A laughable endeabor that mattered not at all and ends now with your pointless death' Apocalypse frowns. '...no, please' Senator Allen gasps, while Apocalypse raises a fist and tells the Senator 'You should thank me. From the looks of what is to come at the hands of these spoiled “grandchildren of the atom” this will be quick and painless by comparison' Apocalypse declares, but as he brings his fist down, it passes through the Senator. 'Hold your breath, Senator' Kitty remarks as she phases the Senator, and then they both vanish down into the ground. They emerge, several yards away from the battle, the Senator gasps for breath, and asks Kitty why. 'You saved me after everything I said. Why?' Kitty looks down at him and tells him that it is what X-Men do. 'We're heroes. For everyone' she declares as she walks away from him.
Inside Armor's force field, 'I surrender! I surrender!' Glob shouts as the Blob's hand is wrapped around his neck. 'You already made your choice, fool. Now you pay the price' Blob exclaims, while Rockslide screams as Magneto holds him in a magnetic grip and enquires whether he ever stopped to ask if perhaps his skin contains trace metals. Armor finds herself strangled by Omega Red's carbonadium coil, while Storm hovers in front of her and tells her that they don't want to kill her, so she should drop the shield so they can return to the real battle – and they will spare her life in return. '%&#$ you' Armor exclaims in response. 'Don't be another child willing to die for the X-Men. They never cared about you' Storm utters as she moves in closer, lightning crackling around her hands – before Armor drops the force field and instant later. 'I knew you were a smart little girl' Storm remarks as she takes flight, while Armor clutches her own strangled neck.
'To me, my Horsemen!' X-Man calls out, as Horsemen gather around him. 'Nate! It's over! Time to end this!' Jean Grey exclaims. X-Man frowns and responds 'That's a very profound choice of words, mother. I couldn't agree more'. Therev is a rumbling, as the very ground around the X-Men begins to shake, and suddenly breaks apart as the island begins to sink. X-Man extends a protective dome around himself and his Horsemen, while water rises around the X-Men. 'He's trying to beat us with a flood?' Kitty asks, wide-eyed. 'No...he's moving tectonic plates! I think he's trying to sink the continent!' Nightcrawler remarks. 'I don't think he's trying!' Iceman mutters. 'Stop him now!' Kitty shouts. Polaris and Bishop begin firing energy towards X-Man, but his force field blocks the attack. 'This world rejected my teachings...it made me question what I know to be true. But now I see the problem was not with my wanting to save the world. The problem is the world itself' X-Man remarks decides, announcing that he will end all of the problems at once.
'Nate! Please! Don't do this! I'm your family! The X-Men are your family! Let us help you!' Jean pleads with Nate, who flies towards her and knocks Northstar, Bishop and Polaris backwards. 'The X-Men were my family. And you turned your back on me long ago. Same as you did to Legion' Nate tells Jean. 'You grew scared of us. Scared of the power birthed from your loins'. The energy around Nate grows in intensity as he exclaims 'We were your next step, your next evolution. The grandchildren of the atom. But just as humanity felt about what came from them that they could not control, you hated and feared us. Your sons'. Nate pushes Jean into the water and holds her head under, stating that he never understood his name – why was he singular? But he has been shown now – for him to exist, he must be the last of the X-Men. 'I am the final incarnation of the dream of all mutants. I am the omega. And before I end, I must end the X-Men' Nate remarks. Suddenly, a voice calls out 'It's quite the soliloquy, but I think you missed something. If you want to beat the X-Men...' the Beast begins
Nate glances sideways, he goes wide-eyed as he sees a gathering on a nearby chunk of land – the Beast is there with Dazzler, Colossus, Forge, Maggott, Bling, Genesis, Kylun, Dr Nemesis, Magma, Sprite, Pixie, Beak, honey Badger, Nature Girl, Firestar, Transonic, Meggan, Surge, the Stepford Cuckoos, Sunfire, Oya, Cypher, Thunderbird, Gentle and Trinary. '... you have to beat all the X-Men!'
