1st story:
A cell somewhere in India. The prisoner is a young woman with a bag over her head. She protests, asking why can’t she feel anything? Calling her Trinary, her captor sarcastically welcomes her to her new home and takes off the bag. Trinary is a slim young Indian woman with her hair gathered in a waist-long braid. Her captor describes the cell to her. The TV is analog, the windowless walls are made of thick metal. No signal will get in or out.
Trinary asks why she isn’t in prison. If he knew what she did… It is because of what she did she is not in prison, he explains. She is far too powerful to let her rot. They are going to find a way to use her. But she will be punished, he adds. She made a lot of powerful men looks small. She remarks there is no way they could have traced it back to her. He agrees, but her father contacted them. He is a good man who loves his country and clearly hates her. Still, she is not the most hated mutant in the world today. He switches on the TV which has terrible reception.
The news shows what seems to be Jean Grey using her powers to murder the British UN ambassador. Dignified, Trinary addresses him as Laksay Singh. She knows who he is and has made arrangements to get out of here. And when she does, the first thing she will do is email his internet search history to his mother…
The news report shows how the assassination of the British ambassador has sparked a wave of anti-mutant protests across the world. Pro-mutant groups have sprung up in response. Violence has erupted as the two groups clash across the USA.
The anchorman and his colleague arearguing. She doesn’t buy that what they see is all there is to the story. She wonders what was said between Jean Grey and ambassador Marbury. After that speech, why would Jean Grey murder someone so publicly? Her co-anchor Mason believes he has all the answers. Mutants believe they are above the law, he announces. He berates his colleague for trying to give Jean the benefit of the doubt, claiming that anyone who defends those actions is as dangerous as those committing them. And the political situation has gotten worse with Grey and her damn mutant associates offered asylum in Wakanda!
Wakanda:
Said refugees, Jean, Laura Kinney and Kurt Wagner, are standing on a roof looking at the city. Laura remarks T’Challa has offered them to stay as long as they like. Kurt adds, Namor of Atlantis has offered them asylum too, but he told him they enjoy breathing oxygen. Jean apologizes. Laura pragmatically points out that unless Jean actually killed the British ambassador she doesn’t see how she is to blame. She thought she could change the world, Jean explains. Her hubris… Kurt interrupts, he saw her vision for the future. Wanting a better world isn’t hubris and this isn’t over. “Your wings aren’t melted, Icarus, they are just a little singed.”
Jean asks Laura how her younger sister Gabby is taking being displaced from her county. Laura suggests she see for herself. In fact, Gabby is having the time of her life. Nearby she jumps down a waterfall, while shouting that political asylum is awesome! She accidentally splashes the mutant Nezhno Abidemi meditating nearby and apologizes. Nezhno doesn’t reply when she addresses him. She wonders if he is in a trance. Jean suggests he is just ignoring her. Nezhno smiles slightly, but doesn’t react otherwise.
As they walk away, Gabby wants to know more about him and Jean explains that Nezhno Abidemi is one of the strongest mutants the world has ever seen. Laura wants numbers. Jean adds that, according to Hank McCoy’s tests, at his peak Nezhno could go toe to toe with the Hulk. Laura senses a “but” coming. Gabby mutters that sensing approaching butts would be a super weird mutant power. Jean explains that when Gentle uses his powers it hurts. The stronger he gets, the more pain it causes him. Using his power could literally kill him, so he doesn’t use it. He meditates. He stays in control.
A Wakandan tech informs Jean there is a message for her… they think. He leads her to a computer center and explains the message came through every public communication platform Wakanda has. There’s is a link. The message offers Jean help and asks for help in return, It’s password-protected, he explains, but they think it is asking for— her bank password? Jean asks surprised. She types it in.
A video message showing Trinary begins. The young woman explains that if Jean is reading this they got her. Her name is Trinary and she is a technopath. She explains she is responsible for a cyberattack in India last week. India has one of the highest gender pay gaps in the world. On average, men are paid 25 percent more than women. Last week, every working woman in India was paid 25 percent more. Trinary topped up their accounts from the accounts of the 25 highest-earning CEOs in the country.
And just like that, she has a new hero, Gabby remarks.
Trinary continues that there is no way they could trace it back to her, but she still thinks they are coming for her. She saw Jean’s speech. She saw what happened next. Trinary believes she can help her, but first she will need Jean to help her. She asks Jean to please find her, and the message ends.
Laura suggests they go get her. Jean points out if the others are found in India, they could be extradited. So she’s not going? Laura asks. Of course, she is going! Jean retorts.
Sometime later, Jean, Laura, Gabby and Kurt, trying to seem inconspicuous using shawls and hoods, find themselves in the streets of New Delhi following Lakshay Singh, the head if India’s mutant defense force. They figure he knows where Trinary is being held. Jean tells the others he is going to step into that alley in 30 seconds, since she has planted a suggestion he do so. Surreptitiously, they follow him.
Out of sight from others, Jean orders Singh to think back about yesterday. Singh, in the meantime, is convinced he is ordering a coffee and goes through the motions. Jean remarks he has some half-decent telepathic blocks in place but nothing that poses a problem at her level. That’s awesome, Gabby enthuses. Can she poke him? Jean is taken aback, then allows it.
Transaction completed, Singh hands Gabby the money and Jean announces she knows where Trinary is and Lakshay is going to take them there.
He takes them into the HQ in his van. Jean orders the others to stay quiet. They can do quiet, Laura points out. Kurt adds the three of them will handle the extradition. Jean will stay and use Lakshay’s knowledge of the building. She’ll be in their minds. Gabby nervously apologizes for anything weird Jean will see in there. Also, she hasn’t fully explored her feelings for the girl on the bus, so if Jean could just leave those alone, it would be appreciated.
Jean telepathically guides them through the rooms, warns them of guards and helps them disable cameras. When they have reached Trinary’s cell, she warns them that the door has an alarm. Kurt teleports inside and wishes Trinary a good evening, then teleports out with her. Gabby says hello and announces she is a big fan. Trinary asks if she isn’t a little young for an X-Man.
Jean hears shots being fires outside and announces they have a problem. Outside, anti-mutant protesters are overwhelming the military.
Jean sends a telepathic order for everyone to fall asleep. To her surprise, several armed protesters are still standing and walk towards her. Repeated telepathic orders have no effect on them either. She realizes there is something else in their minds, even as a woman fires her rifle at Jean.
Kurt realizes they have lost telepathic contact with Jean and teleports to her side. He finds she has disabled the attackers telekinetically. However, when she focused on them, she forgot about Singh, who is calling a Code Sentinel. Laura hits him but it’s too late. The ground below them rumbles and a Sentinel rises.
2nd story:
The streets of Delhi:
There is a panic as a Sentinel walks through the streets. A young man falls about to be trampled by the mob. Another man lifts him up and tells him he doesn’t to get trampled by a Sentinel. The young man thanks him and complains this chaos is the fault of the mutants. They are going to be the death of humanity! He too should run! These streets are no longer safe.
With a smile, Logan agrees. He’s got better things to do anyway…
