AVX: Consequences #5

On a screen, Magneto, Danger and Magik watch a certain prison. Last chance to back out, Magneto announces. With this, they’ll transform from anxious survivors of a fallen regime to active revolutionaries. And they all know how much they hate anyone who questions the raised jackboot.

No more prisoners! Danger announces. Summers goes free! They all go free! Bar those with sticky bloody fingers, Magik smirks. If the crime warrants it, death is the better option, Danger decides. Magik teleports them away. Three against a whole prison, Magneto muses. Let’s see how that goes.

In Chicago, Hope Summers is sleeping in a back alley when the Avengers find her. Strictly, Captain Marvel tells her that she can’t keep running around like this. Busted, Hope announces unimpressed. How did they find her? Did her signal disruptor malfunction? A divination spell, the Scarlet Witch explains. It narrowed her down to being in Chicago in the next two weeks. And his nose did the rest, Wolverine adds.

Captain America asks where she has been. Hope quickly thinks back to all the things she has done. Around, she replies evasively. Wanda asks her if she doesn’t realize how many people have been worried sick. They know she is trying to find her father. So are they. And they have resources she doesn’t. Like his nose, Wolverine remarks.

Spider-Woman interrupts they are needed. There’s a… prison break. He damn well told them, Wolverine snarls. The Avengers leave. Captain America tells Hope to go home. He is trusting her. Yes sir, she replies. Good luck.

Twenty minutes earlier, Magneto, Magik and Danger attack a certain prison. Magneto and Magik are protected by a forcefield created by Danger and Illyana has opened several teleportation portals through which demonic tentacles are wreaking havoc.

Scott Summers sits calmly in his cell, the pile of iron filings at his feet. Suddenly the filings form the word now.

Magneto points at the outside wall of Cyclops’ cell. Magik creates three more gates and giant demonic hands tear at the wall.

Calmly, Cyclops gets up. What kept them? He asks as he steps outside. “Good to see you too boy,” Magneto replies. What window do they have? Scott asks as Danger frees him of the power suppression device and tells him they still have minutes. Transmissions have been sealed. She hands him his ruby quartz glasses.

Good, Scott decides and admits he wasn’t expecting Danger. She explains she feels she owes him. And she has taken a dislike to prisons. She walks her own path from now on. Scott wishes her good luck, telling her she proved a good friend to mutants over the years. At least after she got over killing them, Magneto snarks.

Shall they make their exit? Magik asks. Not yet, Cyclops decides he needs to have a couple of conversations.

They teleport into the cell of Jake’s mutant hating killer. They gather him and his cronies together. Even jail is too good for him, Cyclops decides. But he knows a better place. Magik creates a teleportation circle and has her demons drag the men to Limbo.

Cyclops turns to their last prisoner, the prison warden. Scott tells him he ran a system that was going to profit from mutant misery. This death is his responsibility. They are flattening the prison. Everyone escapes and his losses will be enormous. He can’t talk ethics with them. So he’ll talk to the bottom line. This is what happens when anyone tries to profit from mutant prejudice! He’s not going to kill him? the warden asks. No, but he’ll be damned if he lets him forget. He asks Danger to do the honors…

Now:
The Avengers enter the leveled prison to find they are too late. Logan ascertains they are gone. They’ve left something behind. He finds the warden, an X carved across his face. The frightened man hands Wolverine a message which he reads.

Logan, you’re angry now, but I hope in time you’ll understand. The school has my best wishes and complete support. I have every faith you will teach the children in the spirit of Xavier and prepare them for the better world to come. I will keep them alive.

Wolverine crumbles the paper.

You urged me to be the better man. I’d like to be that. I honestly would. But when you’re being the better man, I don’t need to be. Instead, I can be the man who does what’s necessary.

Is Scott--? Cap begins to asks. Scott’s gone, Logan informs him.

Hope returns to her foster family’s home and enters her room. She finds a note taped to the wall. It reads: behind you. She turns around and looks behind her through the window… and finds Cable standing on the wall opposite her.

He told her it’s not her job to watch out for him. He watches out for her. And he is. Nothing will ever change that. He leaves. Hope smiles. “Thanks, dad,” she whispers.

In their hideout, Cyclops, Magik and Magneto watch the news covering the break out. This proves talk of integration has failed, the anchor man announces and begins talk of concentration camps.

Does killing Neanderthal news anchors fall within their purview? Magneto asks. He’s afraid not, Scott replies as he changes into his uniform. It’s time, he tells Magik.

Magneto warns Scott about what they are embarking on. His escape has thrown a hand grenade into their midst. This isn’t like it was before. He’s wrong, Scott corrects him. Hated. Feared. And saving the world. Tell him what’s changed? And Illyana teleports them away…