A pyramid in Egypt, where Victor “Sabretooth” Creed exclaims 'The Dark Riders sealed the tomb! We're trapped in here!' as he, Betsy “Psylocke” Braddock and Monet St Croix examine the rubble that has sealed them in the pyramid. 'Not for long, we're not' Monet declares as she readies her fists, and an instant later bursts through the side of the pyramid, Monet flies across the desert, as Betsy telepathically contacts her, instructing her to wait for them. 'You can't outrun their teleporter! The Blackbird's faster than -' Betsy begins, but Monet tells her to stop talking and to start flying. 'I'll meet you in 'Genosha!' Monet adds.
There, Max Eisenhardt a.k.a. Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto and Christopher “Triage” Muse find them under assault from the Dark Riders. 'We haven't shaken them yet! But you know the island better than anyone!' Triage calls out as Magneto leads the younger mutant amongst the rubble and ruins of Genosha. 'Isn't there someplace we can -' Triage begins, but Magneto tells him that is unlikely.
Deadbolt, Tusk and Hurricane move towards their quarry, as Deadbolt informs Magneto that they only want the healer. 'Hand him over and we'll be on our way' he adds.
'You're not considering handing me over are you?' Triage asks. 'That depends, Mr Muse...are you going to keep snivelling... or are you going to remember that you're an X-Man?' Magneto asks as he uses his power to smash a car towards Deadbolt. 'Look out! I'll cover you!' Tusk calls out as he leaps between the car and Deadbolt, while Magneto notices Gauntlet and Psynapse teleport up to the remains of a building nearby. 'Triage – on your right. They're flanking us!' Magneto calls out. Gauntlet opens fire, telling Magneto that he gave them aa good chase, but that it is time to stop running. 'My friend Psynapse can't read your mind, but the kid was easy to track. And now – bang – you're dead!'
But Magneto uses his power to shield himself with some metal-heavy rubble, and the weapons ire slams against it and causes an explosion. Triage was shielded, and he asks 'Magneto, are you -', as Magneto looks weary, 'I'm fine... just need... a moment' he replies. Triage points out that they don't have time, and that they have to move. Suddenly, Spyne creeps up behind Triage and shoves his tail through Triage's chest. Triage collapses to the ground, gasping for breath, as Spyne retreats. Gauntlet tells Psynapse that the kid can heal himself, and instructs his teammate to lock Triage's brain down. 'Make sure he's worm food' Gauntlet declares. 'It's already done, Gauntlet...but I'll make sure he doesn't suffer' Psynapse replies. Triage concentrates hard, blood trickling from his mouth, while Magneto notes Psynapse's comment and replies 'A glimmer of compassion...even from monsters. That is a kindness... I'll return with a quick death!' Shards of jagged metal start to fly around the area, and they shred through Psynapse. Spyne then leaps towards Magneto, who defends himself by levitating several sharp beams, impaling the lizard-like Dark Rider.
Magneto hangs his head, 'For those who rant about being strong...you seem to have forgotten what defined your strength. If the Dark Riders had remained in shadows... using guerilla tactics... you might have continued to prove a challenge. But out here...in the open...that is where I am supreme' Magneto announces.
Gauntlet has Magneto in his targets. 'Big talk from someone who looks like he's about to keel over. I want you to know... I respect you' Gauntlet declares, before tellling Magneto that he is too damn dangerous to live. But before Gauntlet can fire at Mangeto, Psylocke, Monet, Sabretooth and Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Archangel arrive on scene. 'Funny. I was thinking the same thing about you and your friends' Monet remarks as she knocks back one of Tusk's Underlings. Sabretooth lunges for Deadbolt, while Psylocke kicks Harddrive back and Magneto uses his power to levitate Gauntlet, while Archangel hovers above them all. 'Well, not the respect part...but you get the idea'
'...tricked us... wasting time... waiting or your team to show up...' Gauntlet utters. 'You didn't really think you'd take me by surprise, did you? You didn't think I'd be caught unaware... by your little metal spy?' Magneto asks as he uses his power to move a small camera through the air towards them. Nearby, Triage gasps as he completes the healing process. 'Whatever they were doing... blocking my ability to heal... I'm clear of it'. Triage gets to his feet, and asks Magneto why he feels like he was being used as bait, like he was just blood in the water. Up above, Archangel descends, and shoots some razor-sharp blades through Hurricane, who gasps, 'Apocalypse... why... my lord... why have you forsaken -' he asks, before Archangel swoops down and slices Hurricane in half.
'You're an Inhuman, right? Your people use the Terrigen Mists. And the T-Mists killed someone... someone I cared about!' Monet announces as she shoves her elbow into Tusk's face. Psylocke enters Harddrive's mind, and the Dark Rider goes wide-eyed and utters some numerical numbers. 'This bloke's a living computer. Might be something useful in his skull. I'm taking it...and wiping the rest clean!' Psylocke announces. 'You can't stop us! Only the strong survive! Only the strong deserve -' Deadbolt cries out, before Sabretooth snaps the Dark Rider's arm off. Magneto starts to trap Gauntlet in scraps of metal, wrapping them around him, and he announces that the Dark Riders are finished. 'The thing's you’ve fought for... the master's you've served... are gone. You have been abandoned'. Magneto tells Gauntlet that without guidance, they flail about, trying feebly to serve a cause that evades them. 'You think you're holy men... but you're more wild dogs... snapping at anyone who sticks their hand too close to your cage'.
'You think you can just... leave us here... to rot? We'll break free. We'll never stop coming for you' Gauntlet utters. Magneto narrows his eyes and asks Gauntlet who he thinks he is dealing with. 'I've found a use for you... a message you can deliver to anyone who might still be keeping an eye on your activities' Magneto announces as he and his team walk towards the Blackbird, Magneto activates the timer on a bomb that is connected to the scrap metal wrapped around Gauntlet. 'We'll come for you! We'll come for you... and we'll pass judgement! You mark my -' Gauntlet cries out, before Genosha – the entire island – goes up in a spectacular display of blazing flames, the Blackbird safely soaring away from the island, with Archangel flying alongside it.
Inside the Blackbird: 'You blew it up. You destroyed Genosha... sank the entire island... like it was nothing to you' Triage exclaims. But Magneto tells Triage that Genosha was destroyed a long time ago. 'Funny how you never mentioned that you'd wired the entire place to blow' Creed remarks. Magneto tells Creed that his complete understanding of his every plan is a variable that he cannot afford. 'Did you know? Did you know they'd come for me? Were you hoping for them to show up?' Triage asks. 'So many questions... from one who seems to understand the situation so clearly' Magneto replies. Triage asks Magneto where he is going to hide now, where he will lay low. 'Genosha was your home' Triage points out. 'The destruction of Genosha was a warning to the world. I have no intention of “laying low”' Magneto announces, assuring Triage that he need not worry about where they will be residing. 'There will be no place for you there'.
Limbo, where Illyana “Magik” Rasputin teleports Psylocke, M and Triage into her realm. 'It's happened, hasn't it? I've... I've died and gone to hell' Triage exclaims as he examines his surroundings. 'Not quite. Neighboring zip code' Magik smiles, putting her large sword behind her head. She then smiles: 'Welcome to X-Haven. Hope you survive -' she begins, but Monet interrupts, 'Just don't, all right? Spare us the fatalist catchphrase'. Magik narrows her eyes and tells Monet to have it her way. 'Like I really care what happens to you anyway' she mutters.
Suddenly, Ororo “Storm” Munroe approaches the group, asking them to forgive Illyana's snarkiness. 'You are, of course, welcome here. All of you' Storm smiles. She and Betsy embrace, and Ororo tells her that it is good to see her. 'You too, Ororo' Betsy smiles, adding 'Being the savior of our people suits you'. Magik leads Triage to the mansion which had been teleported to Limbo, and tells him that they will get him settled in. 'Safe haven or not, we can use a good healer'.
Monet folds her arms and stands away from Storm and Betsy as Storm thanks them for bringing Triage here. Betsy tells Storm that Erik needed convincing, as he doesn't buy into what Storm is doing here. 'Why doesn't that surprise me? Even during the good times... and there have been so few of those... Magneto and I rarely saw eye to eye... at least not for long' Storm recalls, adding that it is almost a precondition for knowing the man – sooner or later, you are going to butt heads. 'I think you could take “later” out of that equation' Betsy remarks. Storm tells Betsy and Monet that they don't have to go back to him. 'We could use your help here'. Storm adds that she worries what happens to them the longer they take part in Magneto's mad crusade. Betsy tells her friend that Magneto is not mad, he is infuriating and prideful and egomanical and secretive... but that he is also right. 'We can't bury our heads in the sand and wait for this to blow over' Betsy declares. Storm points out that they have all lost so much, and they have so much to be angry about. 'But if you let that anger drive you -' Storm begins, reaching out to Monet, who brushes Storm's hand away and tells her to save it. 'You deal with your grief in whatever way you like. I've got my own thing going on' Monet snaps. Storm announces that the world is cruel and vicious and opportunistic, and knows that she would be a fool to argue otherwise. 'Just take care that you don't become more like our enemies... and less like the X-Men'.
The Savage Land: a large tower spirals up out of the jungle, and inside, a robot stands alongside the Blackbird and informs Magneto that all has been prepared. 'In accordance with your desires, I have activated all essential systems at facility designate... War Room X' the robot states. Magneto address the robot as Ferris and thanks it.
Carrying a large trunk across his shoulders, Sabretooth tells Magneto that he has a nice place here, very homey. 'After we're done unpacking, I'm gonna search it for demolition ordinance' Creed adds. Magneto tells him to rest easy, and remarks that destroying War Room X would serve no purpose. Creed asks Magneto if he knew that Triage kid could heal himself. 'You know that if he got cut down, he'd be all right?' Creed asks. Betsy and Monet approach him, and Betsy tells Creed not to make that assumption. Betsy stands before Magneto and tells the others that he was gambling that the Dark Riders would show up at all. 'And when you gamble, you have to be willing to lose something' Betsy points out, before asking Erik, if he doesn't mind, whether she can have a word. 'By all means, Elizabeth' Magneto responds.
Betsy and Magneto walk out of the cargo hold, and Monet eyes up Sabretooth, remarking that it looks like the big kids need a moment in private. 'Oh, well. It's not a total loss. Come on, Sabretooth. I'll watch you do some heavy lifting' Monet smiles.
Walking side by side down a corridor, Magneto tells Psylocke that he trusts her meeting with Storm went smoothly. 'As well as can be expected' Betsy replies, adding that she wants them to join her. 'Well... she wants Monet and myself to join her' Betsy corrects herself. Betsy then tells Magneto that she is going to offer him a bit of advice, and that it is his choice whether he takes it or not. Magneto remains silent, his face hidden by his helmet as Betsy reminds him that Monet is as close to a perfect mutant as possible, Creed might be a dim-witted beast, but he is also dead lethal, while she is a psychic ninja with the Angel of Death on a leash. 'You keep surprising us with these secretive plans of yours, it's going to circle back and bite you' Betsy warns him, suggesting that if they are teammates, then he should start treating them as such – that is what X-Men do. “X-Men” Magneto quotes, remarking that if they are going to fight for whatever shred of Xavier's dream remains, he supposes that is what they are. But Magneto tells Betsy to never forget that Xavier had his secrets. 'And so do I' he declares.
Los Angeles:
EVA hovers over several tall buildings, and inside, Raven Darkholme a.k.a. Mystique looks at the city through a monitor in EVA and tells Fantomex that it takes getting used to – thinking that this ship was spawned from his own nervous system. Fantomex informs Mystique that for a time, EVA even walked around on her own two legs, like a real woman. He adds that it is a long story, full of doppelgangers, heartache and betrayal. 'But now as we are – as the song says – back where we belong'. Mystique tells Fantomex that it is no wonder he is so comfortable with her shape-shifting... even after their previous encounters. 'Trans-mogrification must seem positively ordinary to you' Mystique remarks. 'At the very least' Fantomex confirms, explaining that when EVA was returned to her previous form, her personality remained unchanged. 'Try not to be envious of that, Raven, my dear' Fantomex mocks. 'Yes... try to needle away at me' Mystique replies, telling that Fantomex that his cavalier attitude might fool some people, but not her. Mystique leans on the back of Fantomex's chair and tells him that he is nervous about something – that he has been ever since he returned from that Someday Corporation storehouse. 'And now – as we rush off on another bit of corporate espionage – your edginess is palpable'.
Fantomex spins around on his chair to face Raven and tells her that she has seen through his facade. 'But if you understood the full implication of what I saw in that storehouse... if you knew the technology that Someday is using to -' Fantomex begins, interrupted as something jolts EVA. 'We've stopped. More precisely, something has stopped us in midair' Fantomex declares. Wide-eyed, Fantomex adds that they can't even be seen. 'EVA's misdirection engines are as effective as – oh' he mutters as the viewing screen depicts Magneto, who holds EVA in a magnetic field as he informs Fantomex and Mystique that they need to talk.
