In the Med Bay, Cyclops, upper body unclothed, lies unconscious as Beast tests the flow of an IV by occluding his vein. "His change in body composition and degree of nutrient depletion is astonishing given how incongruent it is with the amount of time you've been away."
Satisfied it's working properly, Beast has turned to Jean. "You say another mutant is responsible?"
Jean is laying on another exam bed, wounds treated, a cloth over her head. "Scott said they would use their powers following each time he was injected with something. I reason the injections were concentrated nutrient blends. Their mutation must allow them to manipulate the body's processing rate, and from what else Scott said, I think they may be able to erase nutrients altogether. They would be instructed to 'deplete him' in between each session, essentially starving him in an accelerated manner."
At the sound of the door, Jean sits up. Lowering the cloth to accept a cup of tea offered to her by Xavier. Beast: "It sounds as though they were testing for correlation between nutrients and power output...I wonder what their findings were?" Xavier: "Equally remarkable is the ability you demonstrated, Jean. If nothing else, to be able to establish a connection with Scott through at least two psychic barriers across distance."
Jean lowers the mug from her lips: "I don't know that I can take full credit for that. Ever since the reset procedure*, Scott and I have had a psychic link like we hadn't before."
*That would be the procedure that occurred at the end of "Issue #0"; Envisiongs' intro-storyline. ~Tra
"Well all the same," he wears a small smile of pride. Fading into a serious expression as he looks towards Scott.
Later, we see that expression turned to his other X-Men as Xavier conducts a meeting in the Ready Room.
"While Jean found the technical source of what was blocking my psychic reads, it is still unknown whom was behind their application. Scott's condition took priority. Given we're now without the Blackbird, a return expedition will have to wait. I do suspect, however, that whomever held Scott in that facility is our subject. A potential insight is this recording Jean found some ways from it. Without deciphering it we cannot be sure."
He places the recording device* on the table.
*If you detail-sticklers out there are wondering how he has this, given Jean's abrupt plunge into the water after finding it in Part 7, it's a small, thumb- sized one which she tucked away in her jacket just before staging the fall. ~Neglected-to-Mention-Tra
"Jean didn't sense any mental signatures in the facility, mutant or otherwise, that would've belonged to other captives. It's possible there were some too long ago for a trace to remain. In any case, with what was accomplished, I am now able to observe those areas for unusual activity. If the barriers go up again, I will take that as a red flag." "Our immediate concern is far closer to our home soil." He turns his attention to one of his older and younger X-Men in turn: "Ororo. Kitty. Are you ready?"
And so we join Storm and Shadowcat as they undergo a mission that night
at Trask Industries.
Storm utilizes her lightning to cause a break in the power grid that serves the building.
The security guards react as you'd expect, except for one. She seems to have an idea about something.
Shadowcat phases into the building.
Making her way through with stealth and purpose, we see as she phases through yet another wall that that same security guard might've just caught sight of her, as though she'd been expecting her to go through this hallway. Instead of following around to where Shadowcat could be going, however, the guard mysteriously backs off; no alert to the other guards or anything. . .
Cut-to Magneto's Lair. His new acolytes are restless; The Brotherhood life not quite what they bargained for.
Conversation is interrupted by the appearance of Mystique.
Magneto: "I thought you were on guard duty tonight."
"The X-Men are at Trask."
Magneto reverts attention to his acolytes: "You want something to do? How about capitalizing on an opportunity."
The acolytes start to go, including Pyro, but Magneto halts him: "Let's see what the new blood can do on their own. You can train your protégé here."
"Branden's asleep."
Magneto shrugs, attention returning to Mystique: "Do your part well."
She gives a confident look like 'when haven't I?'
Magneto smiles.
So the new acolytes take advantage of the X-Men's power outage to set to showing Trask Industries what they think of their latest product.
That night at the Mansion, Scott's nutrient transfusion is replenished as he sleeps on. At one point stirring, disturbed by something--
F-l-a-s-h-e-s of the room he was held in, intermixed with another; bright lights overhead.
A different medical room. We see it clearly, not tinted by ruby quartz.
This fades into the ceiling of the Med Bay, which we do see through Cyclops' usual perspective.
He now looks around, his mind returning to reality. Or his present reality, anyway.
Attention shifts to the door after it can be heard opening. .
Jean is there.
"Scott," she's heartened to see he's awake.
"How much have I lost this time?" Scott asks in a breath.
Right by him now, Jean is puzzled; by something in his tone as much as by his question. "How much of what?"
"Time."
"Only a few hours, considering you would've slept anyway. It's just the morning following our return."
At least that's something, Scott's disposition seems to say. He draws a breath before asking: "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, so long as there's not much to think about, today." She briefly rubs her temple, something in her expression conveying there's already too much on her mind.
She checks the measures of his nutrient levels on a screen, asking with care: "And you?"
"Improved. Still weak."
"Unfortunately restoring what was done to your body outside of nutrition will take more time," Her attention shifting to his IV, Jean says this more in thinking out loud, summarily, than like he needs to be informed of this.
Afterwards, "I'll get us some breakfast."
A loving hand laid on his chest, then Scott is left with his thoughts.
After breakfast. . . Jean is returning the tray to the cafeteria, as well as fixing herself another mug of Headache Halo. The majority of the students just having their breakfast are too preoccupied with the starts of their day, but one can't help her interest in the returned X-Man. "Dr. Grey!"
Jean turns, giving the owner of the voice a small, but not unwelcoming smile. "Holo. Remember you can call me Jean."
"Right. Did you and Professor Summers just get back?" Her eyes shift, but of course they don't land on him.
"Last evening, actually. Scott's just downstairs."
"Ohhh.." Holo grows uncertain, knowing what room is among the ones down there, and given the last* time "Professor Summers" was....
*Events of Vol.#1.
Jean understands. "You don't need to worry. Scott encountered a mutant who could make it like his body hasn't taken in nutrition for some time. He'll be recouping for a little while again, but he's already doing better."
Holo notes the tray in front of Jean with its empty dishes. She seems reassured. "So was your mission a success?"
Jean: "We did what we needed to."
Holo sports a look like she's not surprised; doing what needs to get done summing up the X-Men for her.
Just then, Jean receives a telepathic message from Xavier: 'Jean. You'll want to see the news. Come to my office.'
"Excuse me, Holo."
"Okay. Have a good day."
Having exited the cafeteria, Jean joins Xavier and some of the other X-Men in his office, watching the morning news on a TV kept in a cabinet. Images from night-vision motion-capture cameras show Magneto's acolytes in Trask Industries, as well as a couple which depict body parts half-phased through walls.
We hear Trask speaking live over these, before the broadcast cuts to his face: " ... spoken for by the X-Men as not being criminals, have shown us here that is precisely what they are. Expensive technology destroyed, having to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. And the X-Men themselves, staging this misdirection so I wouldn't even think about the documents -documents I had given my word to Warren Worthington III I would arrange a time to show to his Department."
Newscaster: "You're saying that the X-Men stole documents while members of The Brotherhood destroyed your property?"
"They didn't succeed in stealing them, no. But based on the images there is evidence of such intent."
"And you believe the X-Men and The Brotherhood were working together last night?"
"I believe last night was evidence of a longer-standing alliance. I think this was planned from the day the mutant detainees were given over to the Department of Mutant Affairs -that the X-Men had an agenda they couldn't carry out without losing face, and that The Brotherhood wouldn't think twice about doing, nor would we of them doing it. They are ALL working together. Which is why I am filing a formal complaint to have Mr. Worthington, Dr. Hank McCoy, and any of the rest of their cohorts removed from the Department, which I am also holding accountable for the damages. The mutants have shown they have their own interpretation of what they may do under the banner of Mutant Affairs, and it's become clear we can not trust those individuals any more than they've shown to trust us."
At this point, Storm mutes the TV: "The Brotherhood must've come after Kitty and I left, or we would've heard them."
Kitty: "And stopped them! Not that I'm not glad Trask's collars got destroyed."
While Kitty is upset, Jean is troubled: "How could things have gone so wrong?"
Xavier is perceiving something: "This is hardly your fault, Jean."
"If I hadn't suggested the halfway house, Magneto would've attacked where ever the arrested mutants were being held instead, and the X-Men and Department of Mutant Affairs couldn't have been associated the way Trask has interpreted."
"Even so, we can't dispute having taken matters into our own hands, last night."
Kitty: "I believe Angel- If we didn't, who knows what Trask would've shown us whenever he decided to."
"We all believe Angel, that is why we took the chance. An advantage we may still have is that Trask thinks we intended to steal the documents and aborted, rather than taking photographs of them. If we can supply an alternate story as to why you were there, correcting course, we may be able to show just who has their own interpretation of Mutant Affairs."
Storm has been listening, but looks back at the muted TV where the headline question of the day seems to be who the X-Men really fight for. And there's something resolute in Storm's expression.
It's later in the day, and we return to Magneto's Lair.
Shortly, and quite suddenly, loud thunder can be heard outside.
Magneto makes noncommittal note of this, then: "Pyro, I believe one of your former teachers is paying us a call. Go and meet her, will you?"
Pyro does so.
Storm announces: "Tell Magneto, I've come to parley."
And so we join them, mid-conversation.
Magneto: "So the X-Men find themselves in troubled waters? What makes you think that is of any interest to me? Beyond the obvious."
"We will all be in troubled waters if things continue as they are. You have been making good points, Erik,"
Magneto gives a nod like 'good of you to have noticed'.
"but your way of showing what makes us homo superior invites more fear and hatred. The other truth is the X-Men could be doing more to drive change."
Magneto mocks: "Your summer camps* and halfway-houses not enough?"
*Another reference to Vol.#1. But of course you were in attendance, weren't you, X-Fans? ~Tra
Storm ignores this: "I believe if both our groups used our individual powers where we can, where they're needed, around the world, regular humans would come around to us, as some have already by words alone."
"You suggest we use our powers to clean up the messes they've made to what they deem their home?"
"Do you really want to tread the path of a dictator, deciding who is fit to walk this Earth?"
She's holding his attention.
"I suggest we show them what mutant power can truly mean."
It's some nights later, Scott is back in his and Jean's bed, but once more his sleep turns restless.
Panel 1
We see Scott from a top down view, a grimace visible on the side of his face not on the pillow, which
Panel 2
his hand grips.
Panels 3-4
Jean wakes, noticing him. "Scott?"
Panel Five
Her hand comes to his arm.
Panel 6/Seven
We see them in a wide shot from the perspective of the foot of the bed.
She can tell his brainwaves are coming to waking point.
Panel 8
We see Scott from the perspective of P1 again, this time with Jean's hand on is arm in frame.
"No. ."
Panel Nine
"Scott, what is it?"
Panel 10
Closer on Scott's challenged face
"It's Sinister."