Months earlier:
Twenty stories below New York City, the confrontation between the X-Men and Mikhail and the Morlocks draws to its conclusion. Mikhail opens the floodgates intent on sending himself and the Morlocks to their death. Storm proclaims that she cannot stop the water with her wind power. Colossus yells out to Mikhail to stop the madness. He reminds Mikhail of their past in Russia and how destroying the world they currently live in cannot create a better one. Bishop asks Mikhail to allow them to take the Morlocks out of the tunnels to safety. Mikhail denies all of their requests and tells them that the Morlocks want this “gift”, a reprieve from the misery they have endured all their lives.
At these last words the water rushes in, flooding the tunnels. Thornn jumps and grabs for a pipe high on the wall. She crawls inside to safety and thinks to herself that things have gone very bad. Meanwhile, her fellow Morlocks below are swept up in the rushing waters.
Thornn makes her way through the tunnels and runs into the Morlock child, Sarah. Sarah, huddled against the wall, calls out to whoever’s there. Sarah recognizes Thornn and explains how she was playing in the tunnels when she heard a rumbling sound and became scared. Thornn starts to explain, but the waters find them. Thornn grabs Sarah’s hand and tells her not to let go. The water breaks their grip and Sarah and Thornn are separated.
As Thornn is swept away by the black waters she finds irony in the fact that Sarah was the last Morlock she saw. As far as any of the Morlocks were aware, Sarah had no powers, but what she did have was love and they were all drawn to her because of it. Before death can find Thornn, she notices a light in the distance and swims towards it.
As Thornn makes her was to freedom, she reasons that Mikhail was wrong about the Morlocks, that they weren’t all monsters. If Sarah could grow and blossom amongst the Morlocks, Thornn reasons, there was hope others could have someday rejoined the outside world, a hope that was now dead.
The present
Cable and Domino prepare for their date together… separately. They both wonder to themselves whose idea it was (Cable’s) and both blame themselves for the position they’ve put themselves in (obviously nervous about their date). As Cable dons his tie, Cannonball reminds him of some advice he once gave, “Never underestimate the enemy—or women.” Cable brings up his dealings with the Upstarts, Apocalypse and Stryfe and how none of them compare to what he will be facing on his date.
Cannonball reminds Cable that he’s been on plenty of dates with Domino before. Cable corrects him, reminding him it was Vanessa, aka Copycat, with whom he went out on those dates. Cannonball apologizes and Cable tells him not to worry. He wonders out loud how Domino must feel about the whole situation. Cable makes a mental note not to bring up Copycat’s name during their date. Cannonball assures Cable he’ll have a great time and jokingly mentions setting a curfew for him.
Meanwhile, Domino is finishing getting ready. Siryn is with her and Domino confides in her how she thinks it’s a mistake taking her longstanding friendship with Cable and trying to turn it into something else. Siryn tries to interject, but Domino cuts her off explaining that getting involved with someone you work with, especially with what they do, is never a good idea. Siryn attempts to give advice again, but Domino continues expressing her thoughts about not wanting to give Cable the wrong idea. She recalls how so many people have hurt him in his life and she doesn’t want to be one of them. Finally Domino comes to the conclusion that they are both adults and he’ll only get the wrong impression if she gives it to him.
She thanks Siryn for helping her figure things out, despite the fact that Siryn couldn’t get a word in. There’s a knock at the door and Domino becomes a bit nervous. She opens the door and finds Cable standing there. Cables starts yammering about being late, but is speechless after looking at Domino in her purple dress. Cable tries to spit out some words, but Domino takes his hand and reminds him they’re running late. Cable agrees and bodyslides by two.
At the restaurant the maitre d’ is on the phone with a customer about a cancellation they’ve had by the name of Dayspring. Suddenly Cable and Domino arrive and the two mutants are shown to their table outside where a few patrons remark on the pair’s odd looks.
Domino compliments Cable on his choice of Central Park for their destination. Cable makes a joke about their other option being Big Macs in Paris, Oklahoma. They sit in silence for a while when finally Domino suggests they play a game, a “get to know you” kind of game. Domino asks Cable if he were stranded on a desert island, what one book, what one piece of music and what one person would he want to bring. Cable’s responses are “The Art of War”, “Sinatra at the Sands, 1966”, and his dad, Cyclops. Domino tells Cable that his answers are a surprise to her. He then states his reason for choosing his father was because if anyone could find a way off the island it would be him. Cable starts laughing, though Domino doesn’t look amused.
Cable tells her it’s her turn and her answers are “Alice in Wonderland”, “Harrison Ford” and before she can list the music Cable guesses “Streisand’s Broadway Album”. Domino states that she hates Streisand. Cable responds that she listens to that album all the time. Domino coolly explains that it’s Vanessa he’s thinking of, and then calls him an idiot. They look away from each other and delve into the whole awkward silence thing.
Cable spots a pair of eyes peering at him from a nearby bush. Cable excuses himself to find who it is. He thinks it’s Feral, his former X-Force teammate. No such luck as Cable comes upon her and sees that it’s her sister, Thornn. He dives at her in attack mode assuming it’s another assault by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Thornn tries to explain that she’s there alone and not there to fight as she elbows him in the nose and tears away at his midsection.
Cable grabs a hold of her arms and suddenly Domino appears with a kick to her face. With Thornn out of the fight, Cable demands to know what she’s up to. Thornn explains that she left the Brotherhood after Masque was killed and rejoined the Morlocks. She explains to Cable that she wants to save her people. Cable tells her the Morlocks are dead. Thornn tells him if that’s the case then she’s going insane. She says she has a reason to believe they are still alive, and with tears in her eyes she asks Cable for his help.
Moments later, Cable, Domino and Thornn are making their way to the Morlock tunnels. Domino makes a comment about wearing her dress down there and Cable tells her she didn’t have to go with them. She tells him she didn’t want him to have all the fun. Thornn interrupts them to explain why they’re there. She tells them how she was wandering the tunnels and saw Sarah who told her that at the last minute Mikhail took them to another place.
Cable and Domino discuss Thornn’s story. Cable senses she’s telling the truth, but worst-case scenario, they’re walking into a trap. Thornn spots Sarah in the distance and yells for the both of them to look. Neither of them sees anyone, but Cable hears something like a child’s whisper. Thornn makes out what Sarah is saying and tells them that the other Morlocks are afraid to come out unless they perform the Ceremony of Light.
Domino’s heard enough and is ready to leave the sewers. Thornn snaps back that she’s fine with that. Cable tries to make peace between the two so they can get to the bottom of the situation. He tells Thornn to be more cooperative if she wants their help. Cable asks her to show them how to perform the “Ceremony of Light” so they can see if any Morlocks are truly alive.
The trio spends the rest of the night setting things up. Cable moves objects about with his telekinesis while Thornn and Domino do it manually. Said objects include mirrors, garbage can lids and other metallic and reflective items. As they work, Thornn explains to them the purpose of the ceremony, how one hour out of every year the Morlocks allow the light from the outside world into their tunnels. Thornn says it was symbolic of the fact that one day they may be able to one day return to the surface and be accepted and loved.
The sun finally rises and so Cable completes the last task, opening the manhole cover to let in the light. The light does come in and reflects off of the various objects they placed through the night. The area where Cable, Domino and Thornn are standing lights up. Revealed are the images created over time by the Morlocks. After the hour ends, the light fades out and Thornn is left crying over the tragedy that occurred not so long ago.
Then Domino spots something. Cable does too. Out from the shadows emerges Sarah. Sarah tells them the ceremony was beautiful, but that the rest of the Morlocks are still too afraid to come out from the other side. Cable and Domino offer Sarah their help and want to speak with the others. Thornn asks Sarah to stay with her. Sarah tells her it’s not possible and that she must leave. She promises she’ll be back again someday. Thornn is deeply saddened as she watches Sarah disappear into the darkness once more; she realizes she is alone once more.
Cable offers Thornn a chance to join them and not be alone. Thornn declines his request and tells him her place is down in the tunnels waiting for her friends to return. Thornn, too, disappears into the darkness.
Cable and Domino stare into each other’s eyes. Domino tells him the night was special and that he scored some points. Cable is incredulous as they weren’t even able to eat dinner. She tells him she’s still hungry. Cable tells her of a mean chilidog stand he knows of on 53rd Ave. Domino tells him it sounds perfect. She reaches for Cable’s hand and tells him one last thing; the music she’d take on a desert island, “Never Mind the Bollocks” by the Sex Pistols.
