Arakko, at the Drador Gate, which suddenly opens to a group of wary travelers – Mr Sinister and his Hellions. They trudge across the dry land, with Orphan Maker leading the horse, Princess Silkmane, that carries Nanny. Kwannon – also called Psylocke – rubs her brow, while Kyle Gibney a.k.a. Wild Child scampers about at Kwannon's feet. Alex Summers a.k.a. Havok has a bandage wrapped over part of his face, covering his right eye, while Manuel de la Rocha a.k.a. Empath walks at the back of the group with John Greycrow, who is currently under Empath's manipulation. 'BREATHE IN IT! ARAKKO!' Sinister calls out, reminding his Hellions that he told them they would make it. He adds that he is sure the naysayers would like the chance to apologize, but rather he can, and will, punish them later. 'For now, our bounty awaits!' Sinister exclaims.
Havok tells Sinister that he did it, that he can't believe it. 'You know who I wish was here to see this? My EYE, you piece of $#%&!' Havok shouts, pointing at his face. 'Yes, those hippogriffs took their bridge toll seriously, didn't they?' Sinister smirks, promising to get the next one. Kwannon gives Wild Child something to eat as she looks over at Sinister and tells him that she hopes he knows where they are going. 'The Feculent Unwed escaped withh our supplies. This is the last of our food' she reminds him. Greycrow smiles and whispers to Empath, telling him not to worry, as he still has his rations hidden away, and hasn't touched a bit, just like he said. 'I heard you the first ten to twelve times, John. Thank you' Empath snaps with any icy tone. Nanny tells Empath that hr has had his fun, and suggests he leaves Greycrow's mind alone. 'If I stop now, he'll cut my head off. But thanks for the advice, giant egg' Empath retorts.
Sinister starts to carry on and tells his team that they should go ahead and fire up their inside voices, as they will need their stealth to claim their prize. 'Ah, a prize...what “prize” brought this soft mutant stock for me to mangle?' a voice calls out. The Hellions look over to see a humanoid with gray skin reclining on a rock nearby. 'We're discovered!' Kwannon calls out, readying a psi-blade, she steps forward and asks 'The Ten Swords of Arakko. Where are they gathered?' and explains that they need to gather them before the great contest begins. 'For this reason, I will ask only once' she adds. 'The Ten Swords of Arakko?' the strange being asks. 'Children, they are in Otherworld. Through the gate you just came from' the being announces, before grinning slightly as he asks 'Poor fools, who sent you on this dullard's errand?'
'Sinister, you mother -' Havok begins as all of the Hellions turn to Sinister. Wild Child leaps on Sinister's shoulders, while Havok shouts 'YOU SAID YOU KNEW WHERE YOU WERE GOING!' Nervously, Sinister tells the Hellions to remember what the gnomes said in their book: “Just because you're wandering around, it doesn't mean you're lost, necessarily” Sinister quotes. 'THAT'S NOT THE QUOTE, DUMB-ASS!' Havok shouts, while Wild Child starts to growl. Nanny suggests to Empath that he might like to let Greycrow go now, as she would love to see him deal with Sinister. 'No! Final answer!' Empath snaps. 'Smart move, Manuel! Really, great idea as usual!' Greycrow gushes. 'Please shut up' Empath mutters.
Havok reminds Sinister that he said they had to cross the bridge, and that no price was too high to pay. 'What the hell were you thinking?' he asks. 'Yesss... what were you thinking?' the strange gray-skinned being asks, before telepathically connecting with Sinister. 'Get out of my mind!' Sinister exclaims, clutching his head. 'Ah, Mister Sinister came all this way to collect the true treasure of Arakko. The genes of its mutants' the gray-skinned creature remarks, standing up. 'This is about your stupid collection? You played us – the Council, everyone!' Havok snarls, grabbing Sinister by his makeshift cloak, and raising a fist ready to punch him. 'So bizarre. You allow your children to look you in the eye? My mutants know better' the creature remarks. Sinister pulls away from Havok: 'Get off me!' he exclaims. 'Someone actually said something interesting! You have mutants? Where are they? Can I see?' Sinister grins.
'I suppose. If you promise not to touch' the gray-skinned creature replies, before he calls out 'Hamannas ecleptum!' and the rock he was standing on breaks away, revealing another five beings hidden beneath it. 'To me, my Locus Vile!' he utters. His name is Tarm the Uncaring, and begind him stands aa tall male called the Hex Butcher. Next to him is a female called Sick Bird, and behind her stands the deformed Mudgear the Recanter, whose body is covered in tumors. Mother Rapture floats nearby, while the large Amino Fetus lumbers behind them all. 'We should go' Havok suggests. 'Now' Kwannon adds – but Sinister looks at the Locus Vile longingly. 'They're beautiful!' Sinister calls out. 'Yes. Beautiful and mine' Tarn the Uncaring states. He remarks that their mutations exalted and then defiled by him, the great Genomic Mage. Tarn remarks that he has seen the desire of Sinister's heart, and that he knows it well, as he also came to Arakko to plunder while Genesis feuds. Tarn suggests to Sinister that he rid himself of the notion that he will pluck the Vile for his garden. 'This is my work. I have signed their souls'.
'Sinister – he's talking to you. Hey! Are you listening!?' Havok calls out, as Sinister reaches for something in his pouch. 'Yes, yes. I am listening... to my heart!' Sinister replies as he pulls out a small box containing GCD's – Genetic Collection Drones – which he releases into the air. The insect-like drones buzz around the Locus Viles, which does not impress Tarn. 'Vandals. Make murder my Vile' he utters, and the Vile begin to defend themselves against the drones, blasting and swatting them. 'Praise Tarn' Mudgear the Recanter declares as he fires a blast of energy from his tumor-covered arm – a blast that strikes Nanny, vaporizing the top half of her egg-shaped armor – and whatever was inside of it. 'Nanny?' Orphan Maker gasps. 'Nanny!' he shouts. 'Oh no... no way!' Empath utters, looking up at what's left of Nanny's armor. 'You can have your brain back, $#%&head! I'm out of here!' Empath shouts as he frees Greycrow from his control and runs towards the gateway. '... the hell? The hell did that bastard do to me?' Greycrow asks, rubbing his head.
The horse, Princess Silkmane, bucks Nanny's lower half of its back, and Orphan Maker turns to Mudgear the Recanter and opens fire, striking the creature. Kwannon and Greycrow partner up, back-to-back as Kwannon tells the Hellions to take defensive fire and move back. 'We're getting out of here!' she exclaims. 'Sounds like a -' Havok begins, as energy begins to pulse from his body – but he doesn't finish his sentence as Hex Butcher cut booth of Havok's hands off with a sharp blade. Havok goes wide-eyed, before he drops to the ground. 'You're okay, brother' Greycrow tells Havok as he goes over to protect him and opens fire at Hex Butcher, who turns and runs. 'Bleeding...' a wary Havok utters, when suddenly, Mother Rapture appears in front of Greycrow. 'Oh man' Greycrow utters, while Mother Rapture puts a finger to her mask-covered mouth as if telling Greycrow to hush, before several spear-head like blades dart about and plunge into Greycrow, who keels backwards.
Sick Bird holds up two large needle-like weapons that are connected by a cord to an exposed spine on her back. 'Come. Be known before you die' she calls out as she faces Kwannon and Wild Child. Kwannon instructs Wild Child to go low, and Wild Child roars as he leaps towards Sick Bird, who flips over him and shoves the needles into Wild Child's back. 'I gift you the forever shhhh' Sick Bird utters as she puts the needles towards Kwannon. 'Eat poop, mean lady!' Orphan Maker shouts as he opens fire, causing Sick Bird to leap backwards away from Kwannon.
The behemoth, Aminus Fetus, lumbers towards Orphan Maker, who shouts 'Stay away from my friends!' as he continues to open fire – until Aminus Fetus picks him up by his arms. 'Ow ow ow ow ow' Orphan Maker calls out as Aminus Fetus begins to pull on his arms – until he tears Orphan Maker's arms apart. 'Amino Fetus...put it down!' Sick Bird calls out as she, Mother Rapture and Hex Butcher look over at their companion. 'He's going to feed' Sick Bird realizes, as Aminus Fetus' mask lifts up and he raises Orphan Maker's body to his mouth. 'No! Down!' Sick Bird protests as she tries to hold Aminus Fetus' arm down. 'Don't let him eat!' Hex Butcher calls out as he tries to hold the other arm down.
While Greycrow and Wild Child go over to Havok, Kwannon turns to Sinister and tells him 'They're tearing us apart!' But Sinister just smiles as he holds the box open and the drones bring genetic material towards him. 'Not to worry – I'm almost done' he calls back to Kwannon. He then closes the box and hands it to Kwannon, telling her to take the box back to Krakoa. 'Go! Now!' he urges her. 'You've lost your mind!' Kwannon tells him. Sinister points at Kwannon and tells her that she takes care of this package, and he will continue to take care of hers. 'That's the deal... isn't it?' he asks. Kwannon glances sideways and falls silent. Kwannon goes over to Wild Child and tells him that Greycrow and Havok are injured, and they need time. 'I'll do good. Watch me?' Wild Child responds as the Locus Vile march towards him.
Wild Child roars as he leaps at the Locus Vile, while Greycrow and Kwannon help Havok into the gateway. 'What a good boy you have there. Very loyal. Heartbreaking scene -' Sinister remarks, before insisting that Kwannon move and get the prize to Krakoa. 'Ah, what a sweet boy' Sick Bird utters as she shoves her needles into Wild Child's chest. Wild Child screams, as Hex Butcher flays his back with his swords. 'Yum yum! Prime cuts!' Hex Butcher adds. As Wild Child continues to scream, Kwannon looks back over her shoulder, before she vanishes through the portal.
'What an odd creature you are...' Tarn the Uncaring remarks as Sinister rushes towards the portal. 'Hey! I'm already insecure about the cape! I don't need you throwing it in my -' Sinister begins as he looks back at Tarn, who suddenly attacks him with a psychic blast, lifting Sinister into the air. 'Touched by brilliance, mutilated by madness. This, I would admire' Tarn tells Sinister. 'But you stole from me, so the flaw becomes tragic. Tragic indeed' Tarn declares as he separates Sinister's body, splitting his head, arms, torso and legs into many pieces.
Later, in the court of King Jamie, Havok, Kwannon and Greycrow nurse their wounds near the Avalon gate. 'We made it, Alex' Kwannon tells Havok, but Greycrow points out that Havok has lost too much blood, and informs Kwannon that Havok is done if they don't get him to the healing gardens. 'The dungeon doesn't have a garden, I'm afraid' one of the White Priestesses reports. 'And you three are very much headed for the dungeon' she adds. Several White Priestesses surround Kwannon and Greycrow as Kwannon declares that they have come a long way and faced many horrors to reach the gateway home. 'Standing between it and us is a mistake' she warns the priestesses. 'You're about to get $#%&^*#$^ up, is what she's saying' Greycrow adds. 'Your words...they fill me with terror!' one of the male priestesses utters. 'Run!' another shouts, before the White Priestesses all bow their heads and beg for forgiveness. 'Hope you don't mind my stepping in!' Empath smiles as he approaches his teammates.
'Manuel! You did it! You're a genius!' Greycrow calls out as he approaches Empath, while Kwannon helps Havok to the nearby portal. 'Oh, yeah, buddy. Good to see you too' Empath tells Greycrow. Empath, who has now grown a beard off of his chin, claims that he had to do some terrible, terrible things to get here. 'Not terrible for me, of course' he adds. Greycrow smiles as he remarks 'You're weak, must be starving, holding the guards is taking it all out of you'. 'Oh, how can you -' Empath starts to ask, before there is a slicing sound, and Empath looks down, to see blood pooling at his feet. Greycrow looks pleased with himself, 'Attaboy' he utters as he pulls a blood-covered blade from Empath's stomach. Empath drops to his knees, clutching his wounds as Greycrow tells him that he knows that hurts, but that he had better stay awake, because if he dies here, then his brain will get scrambled up for good. 'You hear me? Pick up your guts and get going. Crawl, $#%&!' Greycrow declares.
Krakoa, 'Stay with me, Alex. We're home' Kwannon tells Havok as she helps him walk across the lush grass-covered ground. 'Aaaah. That don't smell bad at all' Greycrow smiles. 'You never let me fail. Not once, Kwannon. Thank you' Havok utters. Kwannon suddenly glances sideways when she hears a hissing noise, and she, Havok and Greycrow find themselves surrounded by thick black smoke. 'The hell...' Greycrow calls out. 'What's this?' the confused Havok asks. 'I don't know. Something's blocking my -' Kwannon starts to say, before she realizes that this is Sinister's work – too late, though, as Sinister appears behind Kwannon and skewers her with a blade. Sinister turns quickly to Havok and shoots him in the head – Havok falls backwards, while Greycrow attempts to ready his own gun, but he's too slow – 'You crazy mother -' Greycrow begins, before Sinister presses a button, and Greycrow's body begins to decay.
Sinister sings as he holds Kwannon's unmoving body in his arms, before he lets her drop to the ground and tells her that she did such a great job. He apologizes for the smoke, but points out that everyone has a camera. 'What're you doing?' Empath asks as he starts to crawl through the portal. 'Say, you didn't happen to see my cape back there, did you' Sinister asks as he glances to the young mutant – but Empath collapses to the ground, dead. 'Oh well' Sinister smirks, before he starts to rip at his own costume, singing, and drawing blood, he then screams as he runs through the smoke 'My sweet holy god, help! There's been a terrible attack! My precious Hellions... they're dead!'
