1

A silent scream burst out of the mouth of Jean Grey when she suddenly opened her eyes wide. She could only heard her own voice in the mind, because nothing but a painful hoarse sigh could be heard in reality.

– Nightmares? – asked someone from a nearby chair. He was bent down, lacing up his shoe.

Instead of answering, Jean raised herself up on her elbows and tried to stabilize her breath. It seemed that what she just took for a dream was really recent past. For she could remember different scenes, all of them fragmentary and presumably scattered out of time order — just like when one futilely tries to remind pieces of a dream in the morning. The more she tried to recall something and match together scenes, which in the dream appeared realistic and logical, the greater panic seized her, when they turned out to be absurd and metaphysical after waking up.

She remembered that yesterday – though, who knows? – she was drinking wine in a fancy restaurant with this man. They were the only customers on the terrace; she remembered how illuminated fountains hummed down below, she recalled beautifully covered, but empty tables around, a long–stemmed glass and multitude of stars across the sky. Such sky is not to be seen near the cities... yes, and the breeze! It was close to a sea shore. And back then, like now, she knew him as her partner. But her heart was pierced with a terrifying fear that she cannot remember at all how she had met him and how long have they known each other. She missed so many other things too, as if her last few days have been written on a piece of paper that someone tore apart. Properly arranged memories started from about a few months ago: the memory of living in the X–mansion, as always... and her partner was obviously Scott, Cyclops. Even more, he was her husband. She has always loved him and she could not remember anything going wrong with their relationship. Yes – 'she could not remember'. What if she forgot everything she has done for a few months? What if she has done something horrible? She got scared about the fate of Scott.

She jumped out of bed and staggered, as it made her head a spin. A feeling of inner disharmony overcame her, like when one is about to faint or has not eaten for very long. She slipped her shoes on awkwardly, focused on overcoming that feeling in herself and regain balance. The floor was cold, made of smooth black stone. White streaks of its marbled pattern were hardly visible, however, it was not split into tiles nor there was anything else that could interfere with the smoothness of the surface. The entire interior was indeed decorated with equally exquisite minimalism combined with impeccable clarity. The only objects which were not furniture nor decoration, stood aligned or in symmetry with respect to something. It had to be a hotel suite, belonging to a lawyer, a military or a businessman. Or someone who were it all at once. It did not matter for Jean now. She sighed with relief when she finally found her strange feelings leaving her.

– What was I doing yesterday? – she asked calmly, although she needed a response a million other questions besides this one.

At least she was able to recall his name. It would be decent to know whose bed you have just got out of. Nils.

He laughed shortly.

– No one can be sure of that, birdy – he answered freely, endeared by Jean's confusion, while buttoning up his black well-ironed jacket. – One day after dinner you just stated all of a sudden that you wanted to drop by your home. So then you flew away with no further ado or mere packaging and only came back yesterday night, straight to bed. You must serve strong drinks there, in America, if you can't remember that.

– Everything in my head really mixes together into a wild mixture of images – replied Jean seriously and sought out the mirror with her eyes.

She took a look at herself as if she wanted to make sure whose reflection she is going to see there. She was dressed in a cream underwear: shorts and a blouse, because she disliked any more provocative cuts. Still, she felt somehow indecent and she instinctively set her chestnut red curls on her shoulders, so they could cover her cleavage at least a bit.

– I have a feeling that something bad has happened – she spoke finally, turning around to face Nils. – I need to urgently contact... somebody.

2

Charles Xavier tried to focus at least a part of his attention on the trees in the garden outside the window, at which he looked. Another days spent on research and searching through Cerebro, as well as the formulation of hypotheses and interpreting of the results with Beast until late at night began to affect his health. How annoying was the fact of having physical limitations of the body, while so many major events requiring immediate analysis and equally fast, accurate response built up at once.

This had him take into consideration that Apocalypse could really have returned. Incidents of armed attacks of various kinds seemed to have leaked from the regions of central Russia into more and more distant areas of Eurasia, in expanding circles. Assaults of forces heavily concentrated over small areas, carefully planned and under the best concealment affected as the population of mutants as of humans. Using their contacts and Cerebro, they had to formulate information about the majority of the events like detectives, out of single loose clues.

Concerning those of the events that the media were also aware of, statements varied greatly. One time the blame was laid on local feud, the other on terrorism, yet another time on growing aggression of the mutant race. However, the last week's events were clearly marking the beginning of a conflict. Now everything was to be explained.

The professor was looking at yet so familiar trees, their peaceful boughs and yellowing leaves, with anxiety; he tried to watch them once again, remember them as if they were soon to disappear. Everyday reality liked to spoil with the idea that his school, and most of all the students, the X-men, may always stay the way they have always been. Of course, there were easier and tougher moments, but the local scale problems they have encountered so far were every time possible to overcome. It remained unknown whether what is coming now will not jeopardize their 'family' more than anything so far, if they were to stand up against mutant and human armies from around the world. For now, it was never bad as long as the risks concerned just them and not the stability of global politics. Besides, in case of any army the principles of X-men on avoidance of killing would be out of the question. The only thing left they could do is to prepare themselves well.

Fortunately, a sound of the door handle just pushed turned the professor's attention away from thinking about the future for w while. Usually, when Xavier convened a tactical meeting, Wolverine were to appear last, all ragged after freshly suspended session in the Danger Room, or calmly smoking his cigar, with which he liked to make his entrance with an opportunity for a cynical joke. This time, however, it was he who came first, without the cigar and without uttering a word. He did not not even try, as he would fail anyway, to conceal his worry with the sudden disappearance of Jean Grey without a trace and on every meeting he hoped for the professor to throw a little bit of light on this matter, so he could act. For a similar reason, Cyclops were not here now. Him, who in turn invariably used to show up at the meetings first, as if he grew out in the right room already at the same time, at which the professor established a date and place.

Storm had not seen him since this morning, which is why she was late for the meeting as well, taking a peek into different rooms in search of him. She expected that he needs particular support now that his beloved was missing. Especially due to the fact that the meeting was to be directed only to the nearest group of Professor X-Men, it had to address the matters of highest level. Scott probably did not want to hear of something disturbing about the disappearance of Jean in there, so he could keep hoping that his fears were just a product of his own imagination. Ororo had already passed by Rogue and Gambit in the hallway, heading in the opposite direction, to Professor Xavier's office. With a gaze from above the book cover, Nightcrawler followed her walking by, refraining from the questions well up in his mouth about what is it that the professor thinks and how to interpret the latest TV news.

– What's wrong? – Storm heard the distinctive voice behind when she passed the door to the dining room.

– Morph? – she guessed, even before she turned in his direction – Nothing really terrible – she said with a faint smile, feeling as if she have lied. – I am just looking for Scott, the meeting is about to start in a moment...

Morph, like Nightcrawler and other younger – as to age or experience – X-men were not to participate in the meeting. He was, you can honestly say, an unlucky boy. Unsure of himself, he felt best in the forms of others, which he could take due to his mutant ability. Morph was no good during field operations of the X-Men and still something new of the most unfortunate kept happening to him. Storm have noticed before that he liked her, but she knew for sure it could not be; that it is rather the natural peace and stability she had was what he was looking for.

– Is there a way I could help you? – a spark lit in his eyes, but at the same time she could hear him saying this, Storm remembered what sometimes resulted from saying yes to a similar offer (installation of a new window and service of Wolwerine's bike included) and replied sweetly:

– Thank you, that's very nice of you. But I'm sure that I find Scott at any moment, he must be somewhere nearby, since I have already checked most of the rooms. Do not worry, once I tell you what we talked about. I am curious myself to see what is behind this monstrous attack – she took a loud breath to highlight more clearly the change of subject – but I've heard that Jubilee plans today to prepare dinner for everyone. She said it will be something special. I AM SURE THAT SHE COULD USE A HAND – articulated Storm casually while stretching slightly her neck up so that Jubilee could hear it through the open kitchen door nearby. Once Morph instinctively glanced into the kitchen and Jubilee also drew attention to them, Storm winked at the girl behind him. A moments later she departed calling them a 'see you soon'.

– What's inside?

Even before Jubilee had the time to put down what she was holding, she heard a clink. She looked to the side – Morph were clinging to a jar of pickled peppers. Finally, he pushed it away, far from the edge of the counter top and cleared his throat.

– So, what is it that we're going to cook?

– Sweet and sour chicken. But! – Jubilee swung a still dry ladle in the air, ready for action. – No jars and ready-mades. I'll show you all what a real sauce is. Besides – she put her hands on her hips – buying ready-made sauce for all mouths present today would dry my pocket money out.

In view of the above, Morph approached a bag of rice instead portioned foil packets.

– It's been a while since there were so many of us together, right? – he added.

– Professor's probably brewing something – said Jubilee recklessly, replacing smaller pots sideways to get to the biggest of them, in which all the others were usually kept.

– He may rather have a reason to worry – corrected her Morph, who would never dare to use a colloquial phrase even in a conversation about Professor Xavier. – Him and Beast are investigating something all the time. So far they didn't mention what is really going on.

– But he would never drag all of the available teams into the X-Mansion, if it had nothing to do with this explosion from a couple of days ago – interjected the girl. – You will boil the rice, okay? It's easy. Count as much as you would take times the number of people. You will need to divide into a few pots. There are those with a double bottom. About a teaspoon of salt per kilo.

The girl in a cloak as yellow as pineapple slices she was cutting into little triangles, with her sleeves rolled up, moved almost as she were dancing. One could speculate whether Jubilee leads a culinary program, or records a video clip. Vegetables flew one by one across the kitchen, while she instructed Morph and supervised bubbling dishes. For what kind of action, she wondered, may the Professor be getting ready, so that he has invited the entire X-army over? For now, the question remains how to feed it today.

3

Although it has been a while since the bomb explosions ceased, crackling of fire-consumed piers supporting beams and island homes, as well as distant minor explosions, where fire encountered tanks with flammable substances did not allow Blink to stop running. From the north-east the sky was obscured by a giant, metal-gray object. From here, is looked as if the moon had settled down on the banks of Genosha. This huge, slowly drifting air monster showed up shortly after the v-formations of the enemy aircraft have disappeared from the sky. The young girl with pink skin and elf-like features now ran along a beach covered with amber rays of the sun, browning before one's eyes, gradually giving way to twilight. In the sea just outside the shallows she could see seaplane units of the Apocalypse rocking on the waves, as well as fragments of what was left of Genoshan cruisers. The island was not a small one, but its cities were so overgrown on the entire surface, that the land could nearly sink under them and there was no chance of landing larger machines; perhaps after the successful attack they rebounded to Madakaskar.

Right in front of herself Blink opened a gate of pink light spinning in the air with a whistling sound and jumped inside vehemently, disappearing from the beach as soon as possible. On the other side it was now the center of the capital, empty stores. As soon as she caught her breath, she jumped through another door she created before her. She jumped out the other side in panic, being already on the streets of the suburbs. Until now, she rarely used her portals, as mutant power has awakened in her only two years ago, but now there was something ghostly about it.

She knew that if she properly focused her power, she could move up to a few hundred kilometers from here, but not only she was unable to calm down enough, but she could barely catch her breath after the previous jumps. In those few seconds during which she traveled between the ends of the teleport gate something seemed to pull her back, which tightened the pressure in her lungs. She stopped, leaning on her knees and soothed her breath again.

The city around her was not damaged, in contrast to the coast and other defensive points. Deserted streets confirmed the fact that everyone were moved to the air-raid shelters, or rather to the residential units, which in the case of Genosha were rough cell cabins back from the times of mutant labor camps. Another thing was, of what Blink was aware, that this part has been captured by the forces of Apocalypse and filled up, so that all citizens of the island were withheld. The trick succeeded primarily because of the desertion of a part of Genosha's own army, the Acolytes. The girl was heavy-hearted with the pain that this group, considered the most faithful to Magneto, the country's leader, have turned against him. This day, she could hear the leader's defense instructions by the radio, but it all somehow got lost in between explosions, and before she even realized, the Acolytes took over instead of him, just to hand the power over to the invaders a while later. The presence of Magneto dissolved and the young Genoshan did not know what to think of him – whether he had been murdered, has fled cowardly, or is preparing a counter-attack? She knew him as a ruler who has built this nation and would not give them for the world aggressors. Or maybe she was wrong all this time?

Certainly not. She raised her head with verve, gaining new strength. She decided to go on a long journey to the interior of the residential sector. From there she will be able to help the captives and create resistance. They will do what Magneto would expect them to. She set her teeth and jumped into a new pink portal. She felt again, but very strongly this time, a change in pressure throughout her body. She managed to note is that instead of the known bright rays a complete darkness flashed around, just a tiny moment before she fell on the other side of the dimensional tunnel. With much force, she hit firm sand with her jaw and scratched her elbows on the stones of a path. She coughed from the dust, rising unsteadily on her hands and rubbed her eyes. She was now on the extra-urban road, surrounded by cliffs high above the sea level. It had to be one of the headlands of Genosha or rocky islets surrounding it.

– There she is. She was finally tempted to teleport further – heard Blink from behind her.

She turned on her knees and twitched. She had a military squad in front of her, some of them armed to the teeth, in the familiar purple and red Acolytes uniforms. And behind them, on the following plans a slender silhouette of small personal aircraft, airplanes, aircraft carriers and cruisers and finally the colossal gray fortress of the enemy. At that moment, she was in no mood for counting stripes on the uniforms, but it did not take a genius to notice senior officers among them. Among them, there were those known to her from television and public appearances – red villain, Fabian Cortez, leader of the Acolytes, then Delgado, this blonde, the other Cortez... and in before of them a black monster, something like a bright yellow skeleton surrounded by a body spectrum of ink-black coating. This thing spoke to them.

– Take her and be done with it. Who did we have next on the list?

It slowly came to Blinkt that it means her. She stared at jaws full of long sharp teeth, from behind which a voice was coming out, despite the lack of lips or even correlated movements of the lower jaw. A blue tongue was also sticking out of nowhere, as if there was no body at all to which it would be attached, same with the narrow blue eyes.

– You won't take me without a fight! – she cried hoarsely, springing on her feet. Perhaps only today's panic could provide her with such courage. – You sure you're one of Apocalypse's monsters. And you, you...! How dare you betray Genosha when you were to defend it!

– Uh-oh, a rebellious youngster. Whatever shall we do? – the black individual who was called Abyss, spread his hands and looked knowingly at Cortez.

As a Horseman of the Apocalypse he could only think of this as a funny situation, because was it not funny to have to personally assist in a field action?

Cortez turned out to actually be as unapproachable as he seemed on television screen.

– You do not understand – he growled, giving Blink a withering glance – we do what is best for Genosha, releasing it from the yoke of Magneto and opening it to the world. He tried to force everyone to believe in his own rules and kept impeded the development of the island by cutting off human contact. There is no point to struggle, you are going with us, just like the others before you.

– It is you who does not understand! Apocalypse had BOMBARDED the island! He destroyed what we have been building for...

Although since he pulled Blink out of the middle of her teleport journey he did not wish to be looking at her, Abyss had enough of this scene. He held out towards the girl his hand, which extended like a spring.

– Hush, baby. You introduce a tense atmosphere for no reason.

He grabbed her head from behind, but his fingers had to go somehow through it, because they bent towards her face from the bottom. Those were not human hands, Blink did not feel the presence of joints or nails; they were only human-like long claws. He pulled her towards himself and looked her up and down.

– Do not think you are even a tiny bit important. We check everyone. Cortez, take her hair, or a liver swab, whatever you want, just so that I am not seeing her any more. She works on my nerves.

A cold shiver penetrated Blink when the hand was letting her go by passing through her neck. In the meantime, Cortez gave a command gesture and a member of the guard, a swarthy martinet with a permanent expression of determination on her face, knelt near to the pink-skinned mutant. She pulled out a tuft out of her hair, then expertly put the sample in the appropriate compartment of some kind of briefcase and returned to her place in the line without a single word.

– Have all the problematic ones dealt with by three o'clock, general – said Abyss, though his mind was already on subsequent tasks. – I will be seeing you in the adapted government complex after the landing.

4

– Cough – cough! Magneto said WHAT? He would really say something like that? – burst out surprised Shadowcat, not noticing that she involuntarily phased her fork through the table surface and that it rang on contact with the floor.

– And I thought you're chokin' for the same reason I am – Gambit replied with a sneer.

Truly, the first thing you did when you raised up your bowl with the dish Jubilee and Morph made, was an involuntary snort. Someone was generous when adding vinegar to the sauce.

– Indeed, this came as a surprise to us as well – said Storm gently as always. – But yes, Magneto made us an offer of cooperation. We can name it a call for help if it sounds better to you.

– I realize that what I am asking you do may seem strange or inconsistent with respect to our past relationship with Magneto's Brotherhood – added Professor Xavier. – However, I rely on you in the fulfillment of this request, even if it might feel uneasy at the beginning. The situation is unique and there is nothing else to do than to put aside superficial likes and dislikes. Certainly you too feel that Magneto would not address us if he was not forced to.

Xavier paused and looked at the faces of those of the X -Men, who were not on the detailed meeting an hour ago. Among them, Colossus and Iceman nodded, but Angel sat rigidly in place, knowing already what his task will be.

– You need to know that the tragic energy explosion in Albany, which had completely devastated the town, had marked the beginning of a war – continued the professor. – It turned out that Apocalypse has awakened and created an army, which now threatens people and mutants alike. Lorna, the youngest daughter of Magneto, who is best known to you under the name of Polaris, was kidnapped, and it was then when our former rival first turned to me for help. Now Apocalypse had also claimed Genosha. We do not believe, to add to it, that all of this would not have anything to do with the recent disappearance of Jean. That is why we are going to join Magneto in the Savage Land, and agree on a common plan. At the same time Angel will go to Genosha as our scout, coordinated remotely by Forge. Some of us must remain here at the Institute, in order to take care of our younger recruits and Cerebro. Beast will lead the search for Jean from here and collect any useful information. For the leader of the staying group I have chosen Gambit.

The latter did not fail to make an important face from behind his bowl of rice.

– Psylocke is on the way, she will be helping you with the use of Cerebro for the time of my absence – finished Xavier.

The next morning, all of the selected X-men were ready to depart to Antarctica, but not all of them could be sure what are the professor's plans for them and whether he had really told them everything...