Krakoa:
Two kids are enjoying a game of tag in the air when they notice an energy trace coming from the ground. They follow the trail and find an unconscious Storm, lying in a pool of blood.
Outside a chamber in the Healing Garden:
Jean Grey and Cyclops join the waiting Wolverine and Emma Frost. Jean gives Logan a goodbye kiss, then joins Emma as the two of them step into the chamber where the unconscious Storm lies.
Jean touches Storm’s forehead and focuses. Emma takes a gulp from a hip flask and Jean gives her the side eye. Then she also focuses on Storm and both of them enter her mindscape.
Storm’s mindscape:
Emma and jean are on a veldt. In front of them is a giant tree, above it in the sky is the symbol of Storm’s tiara. Emma scans. A storm comes up from the tree. They realize that’s where they need to go.
They find a pair of lions, one of them with a white mane, barring their way. Wordlessly, they indicate their desire to know who the women are. Jean telekinetically creates letters from dust, replying they are friends. She forms a memory of her and Storm embracing. One of the lions smiles in recognition. The others lion critically glares at Emma, who in true form shows a memory of her and Storm in deadly battle.
The lions change into a giant serpent that grabs Emma and smashes her to the ground. Jean tries to help but the snake’s tail casts her away. When the snake again lunges at Emma, who is trapped in its coils, Emma turns to her diamond form and hits the snake’s snout. Jean has had enough and psychically tears the snake apart. It reforms into a flying elephant with butterfly wings, which they ride to the majestic tree in the center.
They walk toward an opening in the tree. Vines coming from the tree attack and Storm’s face appears in the sky. Jean seems to communicate with her and finally they are allowed to enter.
They walk up a winding stairway, watched by blue eyes in the walls. Suddenly, energy seems to come from the eyes. The stairs crumble and the two women fall. Darkness tries to swallow them but they use their psychic power in tandem to keep it at bay.
The darkness shatters and they follow a pathway upwards toward the light. They reach a huge chamber full of flowers. In its center lies a golden cocoon. They sense Storm’s presence. The cocoon seems to be attacked by techno-organic web. As they step closer it breaks open. Metal? Emma wonders. Machine, Jean replies.
There is only a golden puddle left, a flower growing within. They look at each other. Emma finally shrugs and begins pulling the flower out, helped by Jean.
Out of the fluid emerges Storm. Jean looks at her closely. Part of Storm’s face comes away in her hands, to reveal a machine-like look and a countdown on her forehead with the numbers 29:23:55:46.
Storm throws lightning into the air, forming the letters SAVE ME. Jean reaches out and hugs Storm and, after some hesitation, so does Emma.
In the real world, Cyclops and Wolverine sit outside the lab on the ground waiting. Finally, Jean and Emma emerge from the room. Jean announces that the Children of the Vault gave Storm a machine virus that’s going to kill her in the next 3 days. They ought to talk…
