X-Factor (5th series) #2

Malibu, California, where Alex Summers a.k.a. Havok sits up in the bed he is sharing with Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris. Alex switches an alarm off, while Polaris asks him if he has to go. 'Got a meeting with the General' Havok responds. 'Getting measured for a body bag?' Polaris asks, lifting her eye-mask up. Putting on a new costume, Alex exclaims 'It's not like that, Lorna' and explains that all missions are grounded until they figure out why they lost so many team members on the last one. 'My theory is that it had something to do with all the explosions. And I told you... it's Polaris now. Just Polaris' the Mistress of Magnetism declares, hanging her head. She turns and looks back up at Havok and informs him that there is a discussion group tonight, for the mutant underground. 'Totally informal. Just mutants talking about their experiences. I think you should come' Polaris announces.

'Is this where you try to get me to join your cult?' Alex responds. Polaris gets out of bed and tells Alex that she is serious. 'Mutants need heroes now more than ever. And you could be one' she points out, adding that now Krakoa is gone, they need to look after each other. 'Why do you think I joined X-Factor? I'm doing my best to keep these kids on the right side of a coffin!' Alex exclaims. 'By working for humans? By attacking other mutants?' Polaris snaps. 'That was one mission' Havok responds, hanging his head. 'I'm just saying... the deeper we get in with them... the easier it becomes for them to turn us against each other' Polaris explains.

'Great pep talk, coach. Steer clear of explosions. Noted' Havok remarks as he embraces Polaris and kisses her forehead. 'Just come with me tonight' Polaris asks him. 'I'd follow you anywhere. You know that' Alex smiles as he leaves the bedroom. 'Goodbye, Alex' Lorna frowns as she watches Havok leave, while thinking to herself that what she was trying to tell Havok was that ever since he came back, is that you can't live your life as two people... without betraying one of them.

Meanwhile, at the Factor House, somewhere in or near the Hollywood Hills, where Xyber stands poolside and looks down into the sparkling pool water, while Joanna Cargill a.k.a. Frenzy and Dr. Cecilia Reyes lies in loungers near the pool. Inside, Havok and X-Factor's manager, Rodger Broderick, are in a lounge area, and Rodger announces that it looks like Angel is going to be in the hospital for a long time, assuming he survives at all. 'Could you not eat a corn dog when you say that, Rodger?' Havok asks. Rodger puts the corn dog in his jacket pocket and apologizes, explaining that it is this new powerdog diet that he is on – he is supposed to eat ten corn dogs a day. Rodger looks at his phone which has an image of Angel in prison, and several unkind comments from users of the social media app. 'We're all hoping for the best' Rodger claims.

Rodger shakes Havok's hand and tells him that Angel may be dying as they speak, which is why he called Havok here to let him know that he was elevated to team leader. 'Wow. Thanks' Havok replies, while a grinning Rodger jokes that he hopes this is the last time he will have to say that. 'Also, Pyro's your second-in-command' Rodger reveals as he motions to St. John Allerdyce a.k.a. Pyro, who enters the lounge area wearing only his shorts as he heads towards the pool while carrying a cocktail. 'Why? Because he just walked in here with a drink?' Havok asks, annoyed. 'He was in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! Why is he even on the team?' Havok demands. 'Uh... because fire is useful?' Rodger asks. 'That's what I'm always saying!' Pyro grins as he carries on his way.

'Oh, B.T.W., check this out!' Rodger exclaims as he motions to a button on his purple shirt. 'What am I looking at?' Havok asks, unimpressed. 'Button-cam! 4K resolution. High-fidelity sound. Perfect for capturing team moments for ClikClok!' Rodger declares as he holds the button-cam up. 'I don't know -' Havok begins, to which Rodger reports that Angel had one. 'You should see all the attention he's getting!' Rodger grins. 'I am beginning to think our safety is not your top concern' Havok remarks, to which Rodger confirms that it isn't – but claims that it is a respectable second.

As Havok enters the command room, he wonders if Polaris was right about these people. He sits opposite Rodger, while General Mills sits at the head of the table and asks Havok if Rodger told him about his promotion. 'Yes, General. And as my first act as team leader -' Havok begins, while wondering if he was deluding himself in thinking that he could help this way, before reporting that he wants to review the tactics on the raid on X-Term to learn why the attack failed. 'I can tell you that right now. It failed because they knew we were coming' General Mills frowns as she looks at Havok, who asks how that is even possible. 'The mutant underground. They have spies everywhere' General Mills announces as an image of Polaris appears on a large monitor, and Havok wonders if he has been wrong about everything.

Outside at the pool, Frenzy sits on the side of the pool with Xyber and tells him that this is the screwiest job she ever had. 'And I've been a dog breeder' she claims. 'But, I mean, at least it comes with a pool' she adds. Hanging his head, Xyber asks Frenzy if she thinks they gave them a pool because they know they're all going to die. Cecilia Reyes lies on a lilo in the pool, while Pyro paddles over to her in a plastic ring. 'Cecilia? Cecilia Reyes? What's a sweet thing like you doing on X-Factor, love?' Pyro enquires. Cecilia grits her teeth and informs Pyro that she is the team medic, so hopefully she will be keeping them alive. She adds that she was getting out of a relationship, so it seemed like a good time to take a new job. 'You're not saying that to let me know you're single, are you?' Pyro asks. Cecilia looks unimpressed and responds 'No, it's just an unfortunate side effect of the truth'.

The elderly member of the team, known as Granny Smite, approaches the poolside and steps down into the water. 'Uh... Granny?' Cecilia calls out before the elderly woman puts her head under the water. 'Oh my god!' Xyber gasps, concerned. '... should I go in after her?' the wide-eyed Xyber asks, confused. 'Yeah, probably' Frenzy replies casually as she sips her drink. Xyber stands up and dives into the water, shortly resurfacing with Granny Smite in his arms, the elderly woman gasps for breath as she is brought back up to the surface. Granny is dragged up to the side of the pool and laid down on her back. Xyber, Frenzy, Cecilia and Pyro gather around Grannt, as Xyber tells the others that she just walked in – as if she wanted to drown. 'Granny, are you okay?' Cecilia asks as she kneels beside the old woman.

Granny suddenly coughs, and Pyro stands over the group, telling them that if anyone needs fire, he is right here. Grannt assures Cecilia that she is fine, and reveals that she is an immortality mutant. 'Which, at my age...becomes an issue' Granny smiles as she stands up, explaining that she likes to try new ways of dying. 'God, I hope I'm that crazy when I get old' Xyber grins. 'Not now' Cecilia tells the young mutant, while Frenzy brings Granny a large cocktail and tells her that if she is going to be alive, she might as well have a pina colada. 'Frenzy, I'm playing with the house's money!' Granny grins. 'Yes. Definitely the weirdest job I've ever had' Frenzy decides as she sips her cocktail.

Back inside the common room, a frustrated Havok has got to his feet and declares that Polaris is not a spy. 'Nobody's accusing your girlfriend of anything. Yet. If someone close to the team is working with the mutant underground, we have to know before we send you on another mission' General Mills responds calmly, while also standing up and putting her hands behind her back. 'Mind if I powerdog?' Rodger asks, holding up a corn dog. General Mills presses a button on a small remote and the image on the monitor switches from a candid photo of Polaris, to one of Rusty Collins, steel poles skewered through his body and bloody seeping from his wounds. 'We need to find out who is feeding them our secrets...or this is the result' General Mills remarks sternly. She informs Havok that he was not put inside because he has plasma blasts, but was made team leader because he is someone they thought the team would look up to. 'You know... a hero'. Havok just goes wide-eyed.

That night, Havok accompanies Polaris as they approach a large mansion behind elaborate gates. 'Thanks for coming. This means a lot to me' Polaris tells Havok, who replies 'Is it just me, or does this place look suspiciously like the Hotel California?' to which Polaris asks  him to give it a chance. She looks at Alex and asks him 'What is it?' as he stares at her. 'You have no idea how much I love you' Alex utters as he runs a hand through Polaris' hair. Polaris smiles and kisses Alex as she whispers 'Well, whose fault is that?' The door suddenly opens and a mutant with a large hand in place of his face greets them. He has a large smile in the middle of his hand-face and Polaris calls him Manuel, before introducing Alex as her boyfriend. 'Well, get in here, boyfriend. Bruin's about to start the meeting!' Manuel exclaims.

Shortly, Polaris and Alex sit on a red sofa, while several other mutants sit in other chairs and sofas, all placed in a circle. A mutant with a lion-like appearance stands up in front of a gold statue and announces that he would like to begin this meeting as he normally does, with a moment of silence and gratitude for the founder of their movement, the late Jovius. Polaris looks up at Bruin as the lion-like mutant remarks that with the fall of Krakoa, they have little choice but to live in the human world. 'And they will try to make it easy for us to do so... at first. But their promise that you will be accepted is built upon the pernicious lie...that you are subject to their acceptance'. Polaris looks at Alex and smiles as Bruin continues: 'They who bullied us when we were helpless children, who kicked us out of their homes, who fired us from our jobs. Who sent us to die in their wars. They expect us to now view our lives as proof of their generosity'.

Alex hangs his head, as Bruin tells the mutant underground, Refusenix, that to avail themselves of mutants' powers, they will let mutants imagine that this time will be different, and that  they can change things. 'But at the heart of this lie is the tragic belief... that we can make someone love us by being useful to them'. Bruin remarks that most of them here know his story, but that there are some who don't. Bruin reveals that he grew up in an orphanage, and when his mutation manifested itself, the orphanage decided that they could have him around the other children, so they found an “uncle” of his who was willing to take him in, which he did – along with anyone who had five dollars, and interest in attending a freak show, as young Bruin was taken from the orphanage to a tent, where he was chained and caged, and learned very early on that humans could only accept mutants, as one does a performer, recalling his “uncle” telling him “You did good today” as he placed a blanket over him at night.

Tears form in Bruin's eyes and streak down his face, several scars can be seen across his right side. 'I, for one... am done performing' Bruin announces. Polaris leans into Alex, who puts an arm around her, while Bruin announces that if mutants are to live among humans, then they must accept humans as they are, not as they wish them to be. 'We must accept that they will not change for the simple reason that...they cannot change' Bruin adds, before going over to Alex and putting a hand on his shoulder. 'And, in accepting them as they are, we must recognize that we can never willingly join their circus'. 'Wait, is this an intervention?' Alex suddenly asks, leaping to his feet, he asks whether this whole meeting is for his benefit, to convert him? 'Alex, please! We're just trying to help!' Polaris explains.

'General Mills was right about you! You're spying on us!' Alex declares as he pokes a finger at Bruin, who looks surprised, and steps backwards. 'Spying on X-Factor?' he asks, shocked. 'We don't want anything to do with X-Factor' Bruin claims. 'Why try to turn me if not to get a double agent inside X-Factor?' Alex asks. But Bruin just tells Alex that they don't want him to spy for them – they want him to quit. Several mutants in green military-style clothing enter the room, as Bruin tells Alex that they would never put a fellow mutant in danger like that. 'We don't want your secrets. We want you' Bruin explains, before a purple-skinned mutant in the military-style clothing looks at Alex's clothes and asks 'Wait, does his shirt say “button-cam”?' to which Bruin asks Alex if he has been filming this meeting. 'Oh, Alex. What did you do?' Polaris gasps.

At another location, General Mills and Rodger Broderick are lookinat the footage the button-cam has been recording, and see Bruin and the purple-skinned mutant looking back at them. 'Holy – he's been compromised! You gotta extract him!' Rodger exclaims, to which General Mills tells him that it is already done.

Back at the mutant underground, two of the mutants in green pull Alex away from Bruin, and one of them declares 'He's betrayed us to the humans! We can't let him leave here alive, Bruin!' But Bruin tells the others that this is how the humans divide them. 'This is what listening to you has gotten us!' one of the military-like mutants snaps as they shove the end of their rifle into the back of Bruin's neck. 'NOOOO' Polaris calls out, before the mutants to their attention to her. 'Kill her too. She brought him here!' one of the mutants exclaims, which causes a furious Havok to snap 'Don't touch her' as energy glows around him – and he discharges his plasma blasts against the mutants, knocking one of them backwards. 'Death to traitors!' the purple-skinned mutant cries out as he aims his rifle at Havok's head. 'Maybe I can win you over... with my magnetic personality!' Polaris calls out as she uses her power to hurl the statue at the purple-skinned mutant, knocking him over Havok as Havok ducks for cover.

Outside, a jet arrives on scene. 'Hostiles sighted!' someone reports from within the jet, as another military-style member of Refusenix can be seen on the grounds outside the mansion. A moment later, a set of doors is knocked down and one of the militant mutants is thrown inside. 'Havok, your ride's here!' Frenzy grins as she cracks her knuckles, while Pyro smiles and tells Havok that he has been kicked out of a party or two himself. 'Alex, how could -' Polaris begins, to which Havok tells her that there is no time, and grabs her hand as he leads her from the room. 'Kill them all! Now!' the purple-skinned mutant orders other militia as they enter the room. 'Fire. Is. Useful!' Pyro shouts as he uses his control over flame, blasting fire from his flamethrower towards the mutants, keeping them at bay. Frenzy has dragged Havok outside and into the jet, while Polaris remains on the mansion grounds. 'We're leaving!' Pyro calls out as he begins the take-off. Havok reaches out for Polaris, but she tells him that she can't, and that these are her people, that this is where she belongs. 'I'm sorry' Polaris utters as one of the militia grabs her. 'LORNA!' Alex screams while Xyber helps Frenzy hold Havok back.

Polaris remembers asking Alex once if he ever heard the “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and how he replied “The Beastie Boys song?” Polaris told him that it was a poem, about a sailor aboard a ship that is lost at sea, who sees this albatross and thinking it was responsible for all their bad luck, he kills it – and because of that, his entire crew dies of thirst. They didn't die because of karma, or fate. Because if you see a bird at sea, it's only because that bird knows where the land is. They died, because he killed the only thing capable of showing them the way home....