'We did it' Emma Frost remarks. 'Get out of my head, Emma' Scott Summers responds. Emma tells Scott that it is over, that this is what they have always been working for. That this is their future – this is forever. 'You really think we won, don't you?' Scott replies.
Central Park, Manhattan, where Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops sits on a park bench, wearing his X-Men costume, he feeds some pigeons and squirrels that scuttle about around his feet. 'Mind if I join you?' Dani Moonstar asks as she approaches Scott. 'Sure' Scott responds, adding that he came out here to clear his head a bit. 'Is it clear?' Dani asks. 'Not exactly, no' Scott admits. Dani sits down next to Scott, who asks her if she knew that the squirrels in the city are physically different from other squirrels – they have shorter teeth and less body fat. Scott explains that it is because they don't rely on finding food in the wild, that they eat what humans throw away, they survive on garbage, so their bodies have adapted to help them do that – and although it sounds awful, adaptation like that is one of the tenets of evolution. Dani doesn't respond to Scott's comments about the squirrels, she just tells him on that they need to talk.
As people in the park go about their business, Scott tells Dani that on a micro level, evolution seems random, that traits are changing and evolving, but on the macro level there is nothing random about it – it's a war fought over generations – species fighting and struggling to survive. Scott adds that he used to wonder why they all had different powers, why they weren't allv icy like Bobby or agile like Hank, and that surely it would be better if they could all fly like Warren or read minds like Jean. 'Anything is better than shooting beams out of your eyes, right?' Scott asks. He removes his ruby quartz glasses and tells Dani that his powers are destructive by nature, that the others were given gifts, while he was given a weapon, and it took him a long time to realize that it wasn't about being cool or graceful – they were, on a genetic level, fighting to survive, and he is the one who did it. He beat the odds.
'What odds?' Dani asks as she listens to Scott sympathetically. 'Seven billion to one. Humanity. Every single mutant is given a single tool to help them survive humanity' Scott replies, putting his ruby quartz glasses back on, he then adds 'Or we were. Maybe it doesn't matter now? Whatever the hell Emma did...they can't tell we're mutants' Scott points out. 'They can't see our gifts. Apparently, they don't even remember mutants existed anymore' Scott adds. Dani informs him that is what she wanted to talk to him about, and asks Scott what they are going to do now. Scott tells Dani that he doesn't know – and he didn't have a plan for this. He reminds her that he spent his whole life learning how to fight, that he never learned what he is supposed to do when that war ends.
'That's it? That's your answer?' Dani responds. Scott continues to feed the creatures at his feet and asks Dani what she wants to do. 'What I've always done. Help people' Dani announces. She then puts a hand on Scott's and asks him to stop for a second, before telling him that she needs to know if it is true what Logan said – that Blindfold told him not to put the X-Men back together before she died. 'It's more complicated than that. You knew her' Scott replies. 'I did' Dani acknowledges, before reminding Scott that she was a Valkyrie once, and carried the souls of the dead. She asks Scott if he feels their weight on him – Blindfold? Rahne? Illyana? 'Every day' Scott replies, hanging his head. 'But here you still are, right? And now you get to move on. You can still make your happy life with Emma' Dani points out. Scott tells Dani that that is not fair. 'Isn't it?' Dani asks. She tells Scott to look at them, look at who is left – everyone who didn't quite fit it in, everyone who stood out is gone, and the rest of them are still here.
Scott gets to his feet and asks Dani if that's what she thinks this is about – who could pass for human? 'You think I planned this? You think I wouldn't trade my life to bring any one of them back right now?' Scott snaps. 'No. I know you would' Dani replies, before standing up next to Scott and telling him that is not an option. She declares that it has always been the Scott Summers story or the Scott and Jean Story. Or Scott and Logan – and they all thought he was leading them to safety, fighting to help them all survive. 'But we were really just the supporting cast to get you here, weren't we?' Dani asks.
'How dare you. They were soldiers fighting for a cause. I wish we hadn't lost any of them, but they knew what this was' Scott exclaims. The pigeons on the ground fly away as Dani runs from Scott and tells him that she never understood the difference between the two of them – he lost soldiers, while she lost sisters and brothers.
Scott watches Dani run off into the distance, before calling out 'I know you're watching. You can come out. You come to yell at me too, Alex?' Scott asks. The handsome Alex Summers a.k.a. Havok emerges from behind a tree and tells his brother that he thinks Dani pretty much covered the bases on that – and he just wanted to watch him feed the rats or whatever. 'It's not depressing at all' Alex remarks. Scott looks over to Alex, then turns away, admitting that Dani is right – people are dead because of him and nothing he does or says will fix that. 'That's what being a leader is though, isn't it?' Alex asks as he approaches his brother, and standing next to him suggests that they don't need to compare resumes. 'Yes I was an Avenger' Alex reminds Scott. 'And a villain' Scott adds. 'And an Avenger. But I can tell you this, everything I learned about being a leader, being a teammate, hell, being a good person... I learned from you' Alex reveals.
He tells Scott that he gets that the whole “self-doubt, self-pity” thing is sort of his trademark, but that it sucks. 'This is you helping?' Scott asks, frowning. Alex tells Scott that the expectations on them, the hatred, the people they've lost – they can't ever forget that, can't ever turn their backs on it. 'But you can't let it drag you down either. We press on. For those who can't' Alex adds. Scott asks his brother if he ever wondered “why me” - why the Professor chose him to lead the team over everyone else. 'Literally every single day' Alex replies. Scott explains that he used to think it was because he was the one who never doubted what they were doing – the Professor saw that hr had what it took to see their mission through – but he is afraid that is not him anymore. Alex smiles and tells Scott that it is a new day, maybe a whole new world – so maybe for once he doesn't need to be that guy. Alex reaches upwards and releases a powerful surge of energy. No one around them flinches, as Alex tells Scott that no one notices, that they can live normal lives now – no one even knows they exist anymore. 'So that's how it is? We're back to hiding again?' Scott asks. Alex stops releasing his energy and suggests that it beats dying.
Meanwhile, at the Hellfire Club on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, 'Stop eavesdropping, Emma' Doctor Nemesis remarks as he watches Emma Frost using the Cerebro device. Fabian Cortez sits next to Emma, who glances sideways and assures Doctor Nemesis that she wasn't eavesdropping. She reminds him that she has manipulated the memories and perceptions of the entire planet, and that takes some fine-tuning. 'Just admit you were trying to read Summers' mind. I don't care. I just wanted to give you an update' Doctor Nemesis declares. Emma removes the Cerebro unit, revealing the scar along the side of her head where some of her hair has been shaved. 'Yes?' she asks Doctor Nemesis, who reveals that Dark Beast's vaccine has been dealt with, and that he delivered it to the Avengers a few minutes ago, so if all goes well, the children in comas should be on the road to recovery within the hour. He adds that it was quite a clever bit of work on McCoy's part.
'If he was so clever he wouldn't have ended up as part of a wall' Emma mutters, while Doctor Nemesis tells Emma that the vaccine is unusable now, that the eulogy of the mutant race was given a bit premature, so McCoy's plan worked – which is more than he can say for Emma's. 'My Cerebro worked perfectly' Emma snaps. 'I meant your play to win back your ex-boyfriend. Or are we -' Doctor Nemesis explains, interrupted by someone screaming. 'Oh good. More problems' Emma points out as she glances sideways. Emma and Nemesis rush towards a nearby door, as Nemesis asks Emma if she is keeping Sinister down here. 'What the hell is he doing?' Nemesis enquires. 'I'm more worried about what is being done to him' Emma replies, before opening the door where she sees Logan a.k.a. Wolverine, growling and forcing Mister Sinister to the floor, claws through his neck and blood pooling under him, while Warlox looks on. 'Foul beast' Sinister mutters, before Doctor Nemesis steps between Emma and Wolverine, as Wolverine raises his claws towards Emma. 'Out of the way, Nemesis. She's next' Wolverine snarls.
'Can't do that, “bub”. For better or worse the lady is on our side here' Doctor Nemesis tells Wolverine, who declares that it isn't about sides, and that Frost has played in his head one time too many. 'She saved our lives, Logan' Hope Summers points out from the hospital bed nearby where she sits. 'What happened to me?' Logan asks. Hope explains to him that in the explosion he inhaled a chemical that put him in a coma and slowed down his healing factor. It hit her powers too, but they are coming back. Emma informs Logan that she, Sinister and Nemesis figured out a way to counteract the poison in his body – a fact she is sure Sinister now regrets. Emma looks at Sinister's body as it dissolves on her shoes, and she supposes that this was simply a clone and they weren't dealing with the actual Sinister. 'What a vile man he is' she adds. Doctor Nemesis informs Wolverine that everything has changed now, that Emma's plan worked. 'What the hell are you talking about?' Logan asks. Emma explains to Logan that all the mutants he brought her helped her build her Cerebro, and that Cortez and Sinister helped amplify her powers. 'Humans won't hurt us anymore. They don't know we exist' Emma adds. 'Frost, if you think it's all over... you're an even bigger moron than I thought' Logan responds.
Back in Central Park, the Summers Brothers walk down a path, and Alex begins to say 'If this really works, the first thing I'm gonna do... is...' as a shadow falls over them. 'Known target detected' one of the Techno-Organic Sentinels looming above the park announces. 'Known target detected' another Sentinel adds. Scott and Alex look up, and Alex releases a surge of energy up at one of the Sentinels while telling Scott that he thought Emma worked all of this out. 'Apparently not' Scott replies as he fires an optic blast. Alex realizes that his powers are barely making a dent, and one of the Sentinels fires a blast back, knocking Scott aside. Alex calls out to his brother and rushes over to him as Scott falls on the ground. Scott tells Alex to run, 'Shut up' Alex replies as he fires another surge of energy at the approaching Sentinels. Alex and Scott take cover behind some shrubs, and Alex assures Scott that he is going to be okay.
Scott points out that they are not far from the Hellfire Club mansion. 'Maybe if we -' Scott begins, while Alex's body appears translucent and he looks down at Scott and tells him that when they were younger, he used to think it was weird that their powers couldn't hurt each other. 'Why would that be, ya know?' he asks. Scott tells his brother to power down, otherwise he will tear himself apart. 'The device Callahan implanted is still making your powers hard to regulate' Scott points out. 'Yeah, that's where he screwed up' Alex replies, before admitting that he always thought Scott was the best of them 'Don't let me be wrong, okay?' he asks, before he releases his power, exploding like a blue nuclear weapon, which tears through the Sentinels. 'ALEX!' Scott screams, before covering his face with his hands as the energy clears around him, he was untouched by the incredible power surge.
The surge is seen at the Hellfire Club, as Logan, Emma, Hope, Warlox and Doctor Nemesis shield their eyes from the blinding glare. 'What is it?' Nemesis asks. 'Nothing good' Emma replies. As they move deeper into the Hellfire Club mansion, Logan tells Emma that he is getting the feeling her machine didn't do what it promised. Suddenly, a door opens and General Callahan, wearing a Cerebro helmet of his own, appears. He tells Emma that it seems she underestimated him again. 'Did you really think you could make me forget you?' he asks her, before admitting that he is quite impressed with what she managed to build under his nose though – making every single person on Earth only see and think what she wants to. 'I hope you understand now why nobody cared that I was hunting your kind' he adds, before announcing that this will be the last time he underestimates her.
'I see you upgraded your little headset, General' Emma points out, to which Callahan asks Emma if she is sorry she couldn't erase herself from his mind so easily. 'No, I'm just surprised you came here so we could deal with you in person' Emma replies. 'No, I came to watch you die, Emma' Callahan announces as he presses the button on a small device. Emma tells Callahan that he is forever one step behind, and pushes her hair back, revealing the scar along her scalp, she informs him that she had his little bomb removed from her skull. 'Then we'll do this the old-fashioned way' Callahan snarls as several Techno-Organic Sentinels drop down onto the land outside the Hellfire Club. Callahan asks Emma if she really thought he wouldn't have backup plans for dealing with her when the time came. 'You're the most duplicitous creature I've ever encountered. Is there even a term for someone like you?' Callahan remarks. 'Survivor' Emma declares. 'We'll see' Callahan tells her, before boasting that after his Sentinels destroy her, he will destroy whatever this device is that she built. 'Just know that you sold out your people for nothing' Callahan adds.
Warlox walks over to the Sentinels and tells gthem to halt. 'Self recognizes Self. You are pieces of Self' he tells the Sentinels, one of whom reaches down to Warlox as he asks them not to hurt Selfriends. Warlox extends some tendrils and latches onto the Sentinels, announcing that he will relcaim pieces of Self. One of the Sentinels states that this is an attempted system override. 'Destroy known target' the Sentinel adds, before firing a close-range blast at Warlox – which tears through the strange creature, who collapses to the ground, seemingly still moving, while the blast also vaporizes Cortez. 'X-Men attack!' Emma shouts as she switches to her diamond hard form. Mystique lunges forward while Madrox creatures several duplicates and Hope and Dr Nemesis raise their guns. 'So much for your plan, Frost' Wolverine points out as he rushes forward, claws t the ready. Emma informs everyone that the Sentinels are mostly machine, so she can't control them.
'I was gone for half an hour!' Dani Moonstar exclaims as she arrives on scene as Logan leaps at one of the Sentinels. 'Shoulda stayed gone, kid' Logan replies. 'That's not how it works and you know it' Dani calls back as she readies a psychic arrow. Hope rushes in front of Warlox and tells him to hang on. She aims her weapon towards the Sentinels, but Warlox tells her that it is okay, that he did it – the Sentinels are linked to his memory. He asks her to take Frenemyfrost's powers, and use them to erase Self's mind. 'They will forget...' Warlox utters. 'I can't...' Hope calls back. 'Save other mutants' Warlox tells her. Hope leans over the strange body that is Warlox and tells him that his thoughts are so chaotic, that she isn't sure what she is supposed to be looking for – until she finds it, and an instant later, the Sentinels stop moving. 'They've stopped... it worked! Warlox, it worked!' Hope exclaims. 'What is happening? Where is Self?' Warlox asks, confused. Hope tells him that it is okay, that they did it, it worked. 'Who are you?' Warlox asks. 'A friend' Hope tells him, before Warlox dies in her arms.
'What's wrong with you? Attack the targets!' Callahan shouts at the Sentinels, one of which responds 'Indicated targets do not match known criteria for use of force'. Annoyed, Callahan exclaims 'They're mutants! You kill mutants!' but the Sentinel states that the term “mutant' is not known to self. 'Override priority x-ray alpha victory india echo romeo' Callahan snarls, and the Sentinel accepts the override. 'Kill all targets I indicate' Callahan instructs the Sentinels, one of whom opens fire at the mutants gathered below. Mystique and Doctor Nemesis leap for cover, while Wolverine shoves his claws into one of the Sentinels, who responds by grabbing Logan in its hand and begins to squash him – until the Sentinel's hand is blown off by an optic blast that is fired at it. 'Sorry I'm late' Cyclops calls out.
While Callahan motions at Cyclops, Emma telepathically tells Scott that he shouldn't habe come back, that there are too many of them. She adds that Callahan won't stop until he has destroyed them and Cerebro. But Scott tells Emma to shut up, and instructs her to patch him through to Logan. Emma does so, and Scott asks Logan what the situation is. 'It's #%&$' Logan replies, informing Scott that Warlox and Cortez are gone and everyone else is hurt. 'You see a way out of this?' Scott asks, while Emma, Mystique, Doctor Nemesis and Hope seek shelter behind some rocks. 'GET HER!' Callahan screeches as the Sentinels fire blasts towards Dani Moonstar who has fallen to the ground – thankfully the blasts miss her. 'Not unless you got a teleporter hidden up your $%#&, Slim' Logan responds, narrowing his eyes.
Cyclops dodges some Sentinel blasts as Logan continues to talk to him telepathically thanks to Emma, and reports that Warlox made the Sentinels forget mutants somehow, but Callahan is still controlling them. 'So if we stop him, we stop them' Cyclops points out. But Wolverine explains that the Sentinels will still be locked on them even if they could get to him. 'I don't see a way out of here' Logan admits. Cyclops remarks that the knowledge of mutants will die with Callahan. 'And with us' Logan add as he slices a Sentinel's arm off, while Madrox looks up at him. 'Not for the ones still out there' Scott adds, as Logan and Madrox find cover behind some large rocks nearby. Cyclops announces that he doesn't have a clear shot, while Wolverine reports that he can't get to Callahan either, there are too many Sentinels, and he would be mowed down before he covered half the distance.
'I can get you there' Madrox reports. 'You sure about this, Jamie?' Logan asks. 'Not really. But this is the moment, right? Where you fibnd out what you're made of?' Madrox suggests. Logan tells him that it is, before Scott asks him what is going on. As Scott jumps out of the way of two more Sentinel blasts, Logan tells him that he can get there, but it ain't going to be free. 'But I can do it. You sure you want to do it my way?' he asks. 'If he walks away from this and we don't, it's the end of all mutants' Scott declares. Logan instructs Frost to tell everyone to cover them, as Madrox creates several dozen dupes, who rush out in front of the Sentinels, several of them scream as they are stuck by blasts or stood on. 'STOP HIM!' Callahan shouts at the Sentinels as Hope, Cyclops and Doctor Nemesis shoot one Sentinel that Wolverine begins to climb up. Callahan then instructs the Sentinels to forget Madrox and to focus their fire on Wolverine. 'Stop him. Don't let him -' Callahan begins as Logan lunges at him. Callahan raises a gun to shoot Logan, but he's too late – as Wolverine slices Callahan down the middle.
Cyclops appears to smile, while Wolverine leaps between some Sentinel blasts and joins up with Cyclops, asking him if Madrox Prime is still out there. 'None of them made it' Cyclops reveals. 'Sunova -' Logan begins, but Scott tells him that they can mourn later. 'What now?' Cyclops asks. 'Cutting off that bastard's head was my plan. It's your turn now' Logan replies. Cyclops reports that the rest of the team is hurt and have fallen back into the Hellfire mansion. 'When these things blow up that building, they'll die along with Emma's device' Scott warns Logan. 'We can't beat them...' Wolverine replies, and Cyclops tells him that he knows. Cyclops turns to Wolverine and tells him that it was an honor to fight by his side. 'The honor was mine, Scott' Logan responds. 'X-Men attack!' Cyclops shouts as he readies an optic blast, while Wolverine pops his claws and growls. They rush forward to fight the Sentinels, when suddenly, there is a blinding light, and a voice calls out 'You boys look like you could use some assistance'.
Shocked, Wolverine and Cyclops look up to see Storm hovering over them. 'To me, my X-Men!' Storm calls out, while behind her Colossus, Beast, Glob Herman, X-23, Iceman, Magneto, Archangel, Nightcrawler, Armor and Jean Grey can be seen, taking apart the Techno-Organic Sentinels. 'It can't be...' Cyclops utters. Storm turns as Armor battles one of the Sentinels, while Colossus smashes a rock into another Sentinel as Iceman sleds by. Archangel and Rockslide leap from a Sentinel that explodes, while Bishop fires his weapon at another Sentinel, blowing it up as the Beast jumps to safety. Cyclops turns to another Sentinel which Northstar flies into, and out the other side, creating a laerge explosion, while Psylocke leaps at the Sentinel's head. 'But...they're all gone...' Cyclops utters. 'We have to get out there and help them' Logan tells Cyclops. Nightcrawler telepors to Cyclops and Wolverine, with Kitty Pryde, and tells them that judging by their battle-scarred appearance, he would offer that they have done enough already. 'Elf? That really you?' Logan asks, before Kitty suggests they get them out of the line of fire.
Cyclops says nothing, instead he turns to another Sentinel as Emma, Mystique and Hope return to the battlefield. 'You were all dead...' Cyclops utters. 'Said the same thing about you, Scott' the Beast remarks as they watch the Sentinel go up in flames – and from the flames Jean Grey appears. Jean walks towards the others, passing Wolverine, who hangs his head, then past Emma, who scowls. Jean says nothing to either of them as she walks right over to Cyclops – they embrace and kiss passionately. Polaris and Moonstar are standing nearby, while Wolverine continues to look away, and Emma glances sideways.
'Let me look at you' Jean asks Scott. 'No, it's -' Scott begins, but Jean interrupts him, 'Trust me. I won't let you hurt me' Jean assures him as she removes Scott's visor, revealing his missing eye, she asks him what happened to him. Scott ignores the question and puts his visor back on, asking Jean how they found them, how they came back. Jean explains that Nate created another world, that he made it for mutants, for them, but it fell apart. 'all of us were there...even Dani, somehow' Jean adds. 'You knew they were alive?' Cyclops asks, turning to Moonstar, who tells him that she did not, but she knew she would see them again – just as she knows they will see all the others again someday. Colossus and Polaris gather around as Colossus asks where the others are – his sister? 'Where's Alex?' Polaris asks after Havok. 'I didn't know' Cyclops utters as he puts a hand on Polaris' arm. Jean asks Cyclops what happened, to which Cyclops remarks that he thought he listened to her, that Blindfold said everyone was dead. 'She didn't mean you...she meant us...this is forever for us' Cyclops utters.
Storm steps in and remarks that now might be a good time to point out that the media and police are here. Jean offers to keep them at bay, before realizing that the reporters and police, who put a barrier around the Hellfire Club, don't really see any of the X-Men. Emma steps forward with her Cerebro helmet and announces that they no longer know mutants exist – to them, they are simply humans the same as everyone else. 'You erased us?' Jean asks. 'I gave us all a chance to start over. All of us. We could just disappear, forever' Emma states, adding that it is their chance to find happiness, as she hands the Cerebro helmet to Cyclops. 'All of this was to get to here? All of the death? All of the fighting?' he asks. 'So we could have a future' Emma tells him. '... a future in hiding' Cyclops points out.
'All this and you didn't make them not hate us. You didn't take away their hatred. You just made us hide who we are. After all this, we still have tyo hide?' Dani asks. 'It gives us a chance to survive' Emma replies. Cyclops remarks that he can't take the idea of them hiding anymore, and that they deserve to let the world know who they really are. 'They deserve to know what we lost here' he adds, before stating that that can't just be his choice, and hands the helmet back to Emma. Beast, Polaris, Kitty, Storm and Jean look at Cyclops as he remarks that they could walk away now and the world will no longer know they ever existed, they will never know what they faced and what they lived through. ' But I say we stop hiding and stand proud. Come what may. Who's with me?' Scott asks.
Jean, Beast, Storm, Polaris, Nightcrawler, Bishop, Magneto, Moonstar, Colossus, Rockslide, Wolverine, Kitty and Emma stand with Cyclops, while Anole, Northstar and Glob start to walk towards them. Cyclops hangs his head and admits that he thought the X-Men were over, that there wasn't going to be anyone left to protect the next generation. 'And if you destroy it now, after all that's happened?' Wolverine asks. 'They'll declare war on us' he points out. Cyclops looks at Jean, before firing an optic blast at the Cerebro helmet in Emma's hands, destroying it. One of the police officers looks over, 'What the...holy hell!' he exclaims, which gets the attention of other officers and the media, 'It's...the X-Men!' the police man shouts. 'Where the hell did they come from?' another officer asks. Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Magneto, Dani Moonstar, Emma Frost, Hope Summers, Magneto, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Doctor Nemesis and Mystique turn to face the cameras that aim towards them as Cyclops tells Wolverine that he knows now – they have always been at war.
