Chapter 67 - Day Of Reckoning

UNIVERSE 11052

From time to time, Rogue, Kitty, Ororo, and Jean take care of him; however, since Sharky has been in coma, all the teaching has been left up to the older mutants.

So, Jean is training Amara, "Remember, focus on your concentration, don't let your power control you. I know it is difficult, but try it. Ok ready." Amara nodded.

Jean then brings the rock in line together,and makes a bridge of it, "Now melt them together," She said to Amara.

"If this doesn't work, I am not taking a blame. I told you I was not ready for this," Amara said, while she transformed into full fire, and she attacked on the rock with her fire.

Cyclops shows up to tell them that the Professor doesn't want Amara to be late for her first day of high school. Jean says that she's got it covered.

But Cyclops continued interrupting them during their a boulder breaks free from the training ground and Jean tells Amara to melt it back into place.

She tries, but misses. Jean catches it with her telekinesis right above the girls' heads, but Scott decides to play hero and blasts it into pieces, showering the girls with debris.

Upset with Scott, Jean confronts him and said, she is teaching Amara how to control the power, but his interference disturbed their training, she also warned him to not follow her.

Jean and Amara both stalk off, leaving Scott standing in the hallway.

Meanwhile, at the Brotherhood house, Tabitha blasts down the bathroom door. She uses Todd mouthwash and then throws a bomb in the shower with him, blasting out water and all. Then she proceeds to steal Lance's jeep and head off to school.

At school, Kitty is showing Amara to her first class, which she happens to have with Tabitha. Tabitha then invited her to malls with her after school, which Amara agreed to.

Jean spots them leaving with Scott's help, which leads to an argument. Frustrated, Jean storms off with Scott's keys.

At the mall, they witnessed a car-jacking, pursued the criminals, and managed to prevent any harm to bystanders. They successfully immobilized the criminals but fled when they heard the police were approaching.

The incident makes the news, but Jean and Amara choose to keep it secret. Kurt and Scott attempt to spy on the girls, who catch them in the act. The girls manage to evade them, only to be mistaken for the Bayville Sirens by a car theft victim, which leads the police to suspect their involvement.

Their thrilling escapades lead to trouble, culminating in a trap set by a ring of car thieves seeking to catch the Sirens. In a showdown at a warehouse, a fight breaks out, and fires start from Tabitha's blasts. Scott chooses not to intervene initially, watching from a catwalk with Kurt.

Amidst the chaos, Jean and Amara trap the ringleader, but Scott saves him from the flames, hiding him from Kurt. The girls subdue the crooks, extinguish the fires, and face a policewoman, who reveals herself to be Mystique. She warns them to stop, offering freedom in exchange. They agree and escape before more police arrive.

Later at the Institute, Jean discusses the Siren's actions with Sharky. She expresses satisfaction in helping people and hopes for a time when they can do so openly.

"It's okay, there will be a day to come," Sharky replied, giving hope to Jean, before falling asleep again. Although he had recovered from the previous situation, he still needed to sleep 4 to 6 hours more to fully recuperate.

In a high-stakes chase through the dense woods, Wolverine maneuvered his motorcycle skillfully, evading a relentless military-like group hot on his trail. The tension escalated when Nick Fury swooped in on a helicopter, addressing Logan by his ominous code name, "Weapon X."

"I don't work for S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore," Wolverine retorted, defiance etched in his tone.

Fury, undeterred, dropped a bombshell, revealing the theft of "Rebirth." Wolverine dismissed it as impossible, asserting, "Rebirth was destroyed."

Fury clarified, "There was a second one, a backup. S.H.I.E.L.D. is unsure who took it, but there were magnetic pulses that bent metal." With a concise explanation, Fury left Wolverine to grapple with the revelation.

Instinctively, Wolverine's keen awareness kicked in, and he immediately recognized the hands of Magneto in the magnetic disturbances. As Fury departed, leaving Wolverine to confront the resurgence of a dark chapter from his past.

In the hallowed halls of the Institute, Wolverine divulged the troubling information about Rebirth to Xavier. "It was a machine created to 'enhance' humans and create super soldiers during World War II. It was only used on one man, Steve Rogers."

Xavier, with a hint of humor, interrupted, "I didn't realize that you were so old."

Wolverine continued, sharing the grim aftermath, "Rebirth ended up destroying Rogers, and now I believe that Magneto has it."

Determined to locate Magneto, Xavier engaged Cerebro in a fruitless attempt to pinpoint his whereabouts. Despite the failure, the powerful telepathic tool revealed an unexpected surge in mutant signatures. Xavier and Wolverine exchanged a glance, acknowledging the implications of a massive mutant population boom—a revelation that added another layer of complexity to their ongoing challenges.

Overhearing the discussion, Kurt and Rogue found themselves entangled in the unfolding mystery. Rogue hesitantly spoke up, revealing, "I remember some information when I drained from Magneto in New York. I think he's hiding out at a base in the Sahara Desert." With newfound insight, Rogue's revelation propelled Wolverine, Kurt, and herself into action as they prepared to embark on a journey to the desert.

As the trio ventured into the vast expanse of the Sahara, Kurt sought clarification from Wolverine, asking, "Why was only one super soldier created using Rebirth?"

"In that process, it actually caused a cellular breakdown that was killing Captain America. So, we had to destroy Rebirth to keep anyone else from suffering," Logan explained, shedding light on the grim consequences of the Rebirth experiment. The revelation underscored the ethical dilemmas surrounding the creation of super soldiers and the sacrifices made to prevent further harm. As they closed in on the Magneto base in the unforgiving desert.

Within the confines of the second Rebirth Machine, the team encountered an unexpected presence. Tensions escalated as Sabertooth launched a ferocious attack on Wolverine and Kurt, creating chaos within the confined space. Meanwhile, Rogue, undeterred, aimed to reach the machine with the intention of dismantling it and putting an end to the threat it posed.

As Kurt materialized in the Rebirth chamber, ready to set the bomb and fulfill their mission, a compelling voice disrupted his resolve. Magneto's voice reverberated in the chamber, revealing a shocking truth—he was using Rebirth to rejuvenate himself, staving off impending death. The ultimatum hung heavy in the air: if Kurt proceeded with detonating the bomb, he would be responsible for Magneto's demise.

Struggling with the weight of this revelation, Kurt found himself unable to carry out the plan. In an unexpected twist, Magneto's cells began to regenerate, and he underwent a transformation, reverting to a youthful state. The startling truth emerged—Rebirth didn't inflict harm on mutants as it did on humans.

Wolverine finally manages to knock out Sabretooth and destroy the Rebirth machine before pulling Magneto away from the imminent explosion. As he armed the detonator, the device erupted in a powerful explosion, signaling the end of the Rebirth Machine and the potential threats it held.

In a fit of rage, Magneto retaliated by conjuring a massive metal creature to assail the X-Men. However, a surprising turn of events unfolded as Magneto, torn between fury and gratitude, ultimately decided to spare the X-Men's lives. The earlier act of mercy by Kurt, sparing Magneto's life, left an indelible impact on the master of magnetism.

In the aftermath, Wolverine embarked on a solitary visit to Captain America. Encased in a cryogenic chamber, Cap patiently awaited a cure for the damage inflicted by Rebirth, a symbol frozen in time. Nick Fury entered, signaling Wolverine's departure, emphasizing the need for discretion—Wolverine must remember that he was never there.

Meanwhile, Sharky has finally recovered from the consequences of his using Time Pause overlimit. Rogue, having embraced him with a hug, provided him with the mission details before falling asleep next to him.

Xavier is wheeled into a cell; the security asked to bring the patient. The security chief also told her to secure her binding. The guards are all really nervous and jumpy, and one of them yells out not to let her move her hands, even a little.

And it shows the patient is a girl, although security is tight, but she is able to wiggle one hand free enough to wave toward the binding on her straitjacket. The bindings disintegrate, and the girl is able to get free. The security guards collided with the ground, and the bulb started breaking. Massive destruction and chaos ensued.

The girl runs for the door, and it seems to melt in front of her. She makes her way to the cell where Xavier is waiting and rushes him as if she were about to attack.

"Wanda, stop," Xavier called her to stop it, but when she still continued forward, he used his powers to overcome her and calm her down, she sat in a corner.

"Professor, are you okay," The security guards asked after coming inside of the room.

"I'm alright, everything is under control," Professor replied, then the guards return back.

"You seem very angry today, I was hoping you made progress in learning how to control your anger," Professor asked her.

Wanda glared at the Professor, "Just get me out of here," she demanded.

"Wanda, I have a place for you at my institute, but right now I can't risk it," Xavier explained, while he was still calming her down.

A doctor interrupts, "Sorry Professor, but we still need to give her some treatment, can we take her back."

Professor nodded, and the doctor took Wanda through security, but Wanda started to get upset. As the doctor brings her from the step down, things start flying around, walls start cracking. The doctor takes her outside, where they meet up with an old lady.

The lady begins chanting in what sounds like Gaelic, and Wanda is calmed. The doctor morphs into Mystique. She tells the woman to keep Wanda under control. Then Mystique goes inside back to the cell for some other work.

At Bayville High, Kurt's locker was stuck and he was going to be late for the class, but Kitty helped her take her book out, in return she forced some horrible muffins on Kurt. Jean fed lunch to Sharky inside the canteen, since he was completely recovered, he came to the school; Jean was happy about this.

At the Brotherhood house, Mystique arrives to bust some heads. She roughs up Todd and jumps all over Lance for trying to join the X-Men. She also scolded them for always losing to X-Men.

"Well, well, who comes, I think you are Mystique," Tabitha shows up and interrupts the tirade.

"Tabitha, this is my house, here goes everything in my rule, and my first rule is for you to get out of my room," Mystique also shouted on the Tabitha.

Tabitha looked hurt for a moment when the rest of the Brotherhood did not stand for her, she then turned around to pack, saying, "Well, I'm tired of living there anyway."

"Forget about her," Mystique says to the boys. "We have a new secret weapon." She then brings in Wanda. Wanda sees Pietro and freaks out. The boys run as she starts to bring the house down on their heads.

Todd says to Pietro, "You are one of her oldest friends."

"It's even worse; she is my sister," Pietro replied. Lance and Todd tried to stop Wanda, but she turned their powers back on them. Agatha finally arrived and took control of Wanda, calming her down again and leaving the room with her.

Pietro said to Mystique, "Wanda is too dangerous to have around."

"Don't worry, I have brought along Agatha to help Wanda learn to channel her anger into power," Mystique reassured him.

Pietro again tried to warn her. "Wanda will cooperate because I can give her what she really wants, revenge," Mystique smiled as she gave the answer.

Tabitha interrupts again, "I am out of here. Your room, it is now all yours." She walks away from the Brotherhood house, but she booms the room of Mystique.

At the Institute, Xavier tells all of the X-kids about Wanda. He tells them that her anger stems from her father abandoning her in the hospital as a child.

Meanwhile, Agatha is working with Wanda to combat her rage. She has flashbacks of Pietro and Magneto standing by as men drag her into the hospital. She kicks and screams for her father not to leave her. But they still leave her.

After training with Agatha she calmed down, and now able to use her power, her anger is also now controlled and she is able to control herself.

In the bathroom when she was cutting her hair, Pietro entered inside it. "Sis, Father had no choice; you are out of control. You need to at least try to see things from Father's point of view," Pietro tried to reason with her about the childhood incident.

"Monsters have no point of view, and you are just like him," she says, getting really angry and then storming off.

Mystique overhears the conversation, "Pietro, what side are you really on?"

"I'm on your side, Magneto was never really a father to me either," Pietro replied to her.

"Then become ready, I have already located the Magneto location, after a test, we will go for him," Mystique said to him.

At the Institute, "Everyone I need your attention," Xavier said to all of the X-Men.

"What's up Professor?" Cyclops asked he looked Professor was in little bit tension.

"Cerebro has located the Wanda location, she has joined the Brotherhood and right now they're all in the mall," Xavier answered.

The X-Men go inside the mall to confront them, Kitty face off Todd and knock out him. Evan faces off with Fred. Kurt faced Pietro. Jean uses her telekinesis and Cyclops with Optic blast able to beat Lance. And they easily kicked out the Brotherhood butt.

In the climactic moments of the battle between the X-Men and the Brotherhood, the air crackled with tension. Wanda, with an air of ominous energy, made a dramatic entrance just as victory seemed within the X-Men's grasp. The settling dust revealed the dire consequences of her arrival.

Spyke, momentarily disoriented, found himself impaled by the very spikes he controlled. Scott, usually in command of his optic blasts, struggled as they spiraled out of control, wreaking havoc on the battlefield. Meanwhile, Kitty, who could effortlessly phase through objects, was inexplicably ensnared halfway through the floor. The unexpected betrayal of her own powers left her vulnerable and trapped.

In a desperate attempt to salvage the situation, Kurt, with agility characteristic of his teleportation ability, swiftly intervened. With a BAMF, he transported Kitty to freedom. However, the unexpected teleportation left the duo disoriented, and they found themselves tumbling through the air, landing ungracefully amidst the dense foliage of the surrounding trees.

Jean, sensing the overwhelming power of Wanda, convinced Scott to retreat. "We can't beat her, Scott. We need to retreat," she urged. And X-Men left right away.

With the X-Men in retreat, the Brotherhood erupted in jubilation. "We beat them, we finally bested them!" Fred's triumphant shout echoed through the aftermath.

"Thanks to our new partners," Todd commented with a sly grin, he was also happy, they have first time won from the X-Men.

Pietro, impressed, draped his arm around Wanda's shoulder. "You're great, Wanda. We owe you," he acknowledged before attempting to broach a delicate topic. "If our father has known..."

Wanda swiftly interrupted, her demeanor turning fierce. Without completing his sentence, Pietro found himself beaten senseless by Wanda's formidable powers. "Your father, not mine, he will pay for what he did," she declared resolutely, leaving Pietro sprawled on the ground as she made a swift exit. The Brotherhood, caught between celebration and shock, watched her departure in stunned silence.

Xavier tells them that it's his fault for not teaching them how to deal with someone like Wanda. The others act like a bunch of sore losers and start to mope away.

"Don't cry like a sissy baby; next time, I will also come with you," said Sharky. Sharky came with Rogue. Seeing Sharky fully recovered, everyone was happy. They would all take back their victory next time. Everyone cheered. Professor Xavier was happy to see everyone's sad expressions change into good spirits.

In the dimly lit sewers, Wolverine and Sabretooth clashed violently. The stench of dampness and echoes of clashing metal filled the air. Wolverine found himself ensnared in an inexplicable green substance, struggling against its slimy grasp, while Sabretooth, seizing the opportunity, made a swift escape through the labyrinthine tunnels.

As the two mutants grappled below the city's surface, Trask and his soldiers descended into the sewers, responding to the commotion. A soldier quickly reported to Trask that one of the mutants had eluded capture. Trask, a stern figure in the dim light, ordered an abrupt halt to their pursuit, his eyes narrowing with a hint of frustration.

Meanwhile, back at the Institute, Jean focused intently on Cerebro, attempting to trace Wolverine's signal. She turned to Xavier, concern etched across her face, and confessed that she had lost Wolverine's signal. Xavier's usually calm demeanor cracked, and he lashed out in frustration, expressing the increasing difficulty of locating Magneto.

In the labyrinthine sewers, Beast and Storm navigated the dark passages, their senses heightened. Traces of Wolverine and hints of Magneto's presence lingered in the air, leading them through the twisting tunnels in pursuit of their missing comrade.

Simultaneously, at the Brotherhood house, Mystique, a shapeshifter with her own motives, materialized. With an air of urgency, she informed the Brotherhood that Wolverine had been abducted by Magneto.

"Pietro, do you know anything about this?" Mystique's voice cut through the tension in the Brotherhood house.

Pietro, looking genuinely bewildered, responded, "No, I have no idea. I can't believe that Magneto has actually snatched Wolverine," he admitted, a flicker of concern in his eyes.

Mystique, her expression a mix of frustration and determination, declared, "I don't know what he's up to, but he's forced me to make my move." Her words hung in the air, signaling an impending shift in the delicate balance of power among mutants.

The following day at the Institute, Xavier, with a furrowed brow, assigned the responsibility of training both the X-Men and New Mutants to Sharky. As they entered the immersive Danger Room, the tension was palpable.

Sharky, with a stern demeanor, pitted the X-Kids against a simulated Magneto, and the young mutants found themselves struggling against the formidable opponent. Each move seemed to be met with a calculated counter, and the X-Kids, uncertain and on edge, struggled to formulate a cohesive strategy.

Amidst the chaos, Sharky's booming voice echoed through the Danger Room. "If you don't know what to do, hand over the command to Jean!" he yelled at Cyclops, urging the X-Kids to find a leader who could guide them through the simulated onslaught.

In the midst of the chaotic simulation, Cyclops, driven by a surge of determination, decided to take the initiative and rushed towards the simulated Magneto. However, the plan backfired miserably, and one by one, each of the young mutants found themselves tagged by the relentless opponent. Sharky, their instructor, fumed with frustration as he witnessed the failure of their attempted strategy.

"Why are you attacking us?" Cyclops questioned, a mix of confusion and frustration evident in his voice.

The professor, observing the scenario, calmly responded, "He wants to see if you're ready to face Magneto." Xavier's gaze bore a weight of expectation, waiting to see how the students would respond to this simulated trial.

"I think that we are ready," Cyclops asserted confidently. However, Xavier, with a scoff, dismissed the notion, citing their recent struggles against the Brotherhood as evidence of their unreadiness.

As the tension lingered, Beast returned from monitoring the simulation. He reported to Xavier, "The New Mutants were not ready." Faced with this stark reality, Xavier, with a heavy sigh, recognized the need to bolster the X-Men's ranks.

"Please welcome your new teammates," Xavier announced, a touch of irony in his tone, as the Brotherhood walked into the room.

Tensions reached a boiling point as the X-Men voiced their discontent, questioning the necessity of teaming up with the Brotherhood. Frustration hung heavy in the air, but Sharky, fueled by a stern resolve, quelled their protests through a series of rigorous exercises, determined to silence their questions with physical exertion.

As the dust settled, Cyclops, seething with anger, abruptly left the training session. Jean, moved by concern, attempted to follow him, but Xavier intervened, a solemn expression on his face. "Let him go, Jean. Sometimes, they need to find their own answers," he advised, acknowledging the complexities of leadership and personal growth.

With an air of authority, Xavier directed both the X-Men and Brotherhood into the Danger Room. "Enough questions. It's time to train," he declared, emphasizing the urgency of their preparedness. Turning to Jean, he added, "We need to get back to Cerebro to continue the search."

Meanwhile, in a military-like compound, Wolverine found himself captive. Trask, a figure shrouded in authority, revealed that he had delved into the world of mutants while working with S.H.I.E.L.D. His proposition to Wolverine hinted at a sinister experiment, promising to "assist" him in a venture designed to level the playing field.

At the institute, Jean is able to locate Wolverine using Cerebro. Xavier tells her to gather the teams. As the teams are loading up into the jets, Mystique is shown in the mansion's control room. She sets the defense systems up to self-destruct and starts it out on Defcon 4.

In the jets, Storm and Xavier argues over whether or not to wait for Scott. They end up leaving without him. As the jets fly off, the mansion goes into lockdown. The New Mutants try to escape, but only Amara is able to get out, the rest are trapped inside.

Outside the mansion's systems turn on Amara. Tabitha shows up and they get away in Lance's jeep. They meet up with Scott and as they head back to the mansion, Boom Boom tells him about Mystique being back in charge of the Brotherhood. Scott figures out that something isn't quite right about Mystique being back, the X-men and Brotherhood teaming up, and the mansion suddenly going crazy.

Meanwhile, Wolverine is put up against Trask's new weapon designed to destroy mutants, the Sentinel. Wolverine has to go on the run as the Sentinel blasts away at him. He tries to slash the Sentinel's wiring, but it flings him away. It blasts him again and knocks him out.

Scott, Tabatha, and Amara make their way back into the mansion by the "back way" while the New Mutants are on the run inside from the mansion's defenses. The self-destruct sequence takes over and the countdown begins.

In the city, Magneto's travel sphere touch down in the center of some large warehouses. Gambit, Colossus, Pyro, Sabretooth and Magneto stop out. Meanwhile, the Sentinel picks up the unconscious Wolverine and prepares to fire.