Alex paced from one wall to the other, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists ignoring the steady hum of whispers that the other mutants in the room were exchanging.
"Why don't you sit down?" Steve asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't want to sit down," the younger Summers brother barked, shaking him off just as Kitty Pryde stepped outside from the makeshift infirmary.
Her curly fringe was drenched in sweat and she was barely keeping her eyes open, but a relieved smile played on her lips.
Suddenly Bobby appeared walking down the corridor, water drops falling from his blond hair as he clumsily tried to dry it with a pink towel. The man whom Scott had been kissing when the Avengers arrived, was trailing a few feet behind him as if unsure whether he should join the commotion or just remind standing aside.
"Where the hell have you been, Iceman?" Kitty hissed.
"Trust me, that's another piece of information you really don't want to know," Rachel said as she cocked her head to the side looking at the ice-manipulating mutant.
"Uh-huh," Bobby mumbled appreciating the telepath's rescue attempt. "Did I miss something?"
"Oh you know, just the birth of another Summers' child. Nothing unusual, that's the kind of thing that seems to happen often in this family without any of us knowing," Havok growled sarcastically.
"Ruby was born?" Bobby laughed, beaming.
"Yes, as I was about to say it's a girl, so yay for that," the woman answered dryly looking at Alex and Steve who obviously didn't seem to consider the occasion particularly joyous. Tony Stark on the other hand looked almost suspiciously gleeful. She dared to chance a look at Rachel whose expression became stuck somewhere between beaming at the birth of her sister and melancholia for the family she had lost.
Before anyone else had a chance to join the conversation, Steve's phone started ringing. He stepped back a little to pick it up and listened to the voice on the other end of the line, a deep frown creasing his forehead.
"We've got to go," he told Tony and Alex.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. But I've been summoned by Hill and need to get back."
"I'm not leaving before I get to punch my brother," Alex pushed out through his teeth.
"I think it's better if I stay with him in that case," Tony added innocently.
"In that case you'll find yourselves stranded here with no way to get back," Steve argued, his face contorted in an expression which made it clear that he wasn't happy with them.
Bobby cleared his throat.
"I think I might have a solution. I…uh, need to drop someone off in New York," he said pointing to a direction behind him with his finger, trying not to blush under Kitty's amused gaze. "So how about I drop you off at the Avengers Tower and you leave your jet behind for these two for when Alex figures out his stuff?"
"Are you sure?" Steve asked Alex, not even acknowledging Tony.
Havok nodded.
Steve turned on his heels and started walking away, expecting Bobby to rush after him.
"How rude," Bobby murmured, tugging his companion along and rushing off after him.
The door of the infirmary opened again showing Scott Summers' red-rimmed glasses. Alex stood in front of him expectantly, but it was Tony on whom the perceived mutant revolutionary's eyes landed as he motioned to him to come into the room.
"Hello, ladies," Tony addressed Emma who was sitting down on the bed with her arms crossed in front of her chest shooting both him and Scott deathly stares and Dr. Rao who was furiously typing up some measurements she had taken from the newborn earlier into a laptop.
"You promised him what?" Emma snarled at Scott, seething as she read the thought that the playboy entrepreneur flaunted her way.
The other mutant sighed and prepared to start his explanation, but it was Tony Stark who spoke first.
"I'm sure that by now you've also plucked the terms and conditions from my head and you know for a fact that my only motivation here is scientific curiosity and the only one who could gain anything from it Is you as you might just find an answer to a question you have probably been asking yourself for a while."
"What question?" it was now Cyclops turn to appear confused and somewhat angry.
The blonde pursed her lips and looked towards their young daughter who was lying in a cot next to her, glassy blue eyes not appearing to see anything just yet. As if on cue to baby's eyes shined with the Phoenix's fire.
All four of them found themselves surrounded in a haze of mist in the Towers of Utopia at its full Phoenix Five glory, though Dr. Rao was no longer with them. They saw two figures who appeared as if Emma were talking to a reflection of herself. Except only one of the women showed the aristocrat mannerisms, the other seemed at best to be attempting to copy them as if she were a chameleon in a human's clothing.
"Stop it, Emma," Scott barked.
The woman shook her head.
"It's not me," she whispered. "I think this is Ruby's work."
Cyclops' face remained as stoic as ever, but nonetheless the onslaught of confusion and puzzlement inside his head hit Emma as a wrecking ball.
"But how?
"Just watch," Emma said, the tiredness squeaking into her voice for the first time since she gave birth to their daughter.
"What do you want? Why do you keep fighting me? And what's up with all the memories of children dying?"
"You're the cosmic telepathic entity, you figure it out, darling."
"If it's to do with that new life growing in you, you don't need to worry, accepting me won't hurt her."
"Ha. I don't need to worry? Why do you think I keep replaying the list of my failures on a loop for you? Do you think it's for amusement?"
"You want me to grant her protection?" the faux-Emma asked, voice uncertain. "If that's all, consider it granted."
"You'll have to do better than that. I need you to swear that no matter what happens to me, to her father or to you, you will make sure that the little one is protected for the rest of her life. I need you to swear on something that matters to you, I need you to swear on your love or whatever it is you hold for Scott Summers."
If she were human, the expression on the Phoenix Emma's face would almost show surprise.
"Oh, don't be so surprised, darling," the real Emma said, taking a sip from her champagne glass - what would god-like powers be for if they didn't help her enjoy the pleasures of life despite being pregnant with no consequences. "I keep a close eye on all of his stalkers. Sometimes it's like there's more of you than fish in the sea."
The faux-Emma tilted her head to the right.
"If I do this, you will let me be the one in charge of your body for the rest of this?"
"If you swear."
"Then I swear."
Emma nodded to give the Phoenix the go-ahead. The last thing she felt before the Phoenix overwhelmed her completely was the small presence under her belly growing in force.
The image of Utopia around them dissipated and they found themselves back in the improvised infirmary of the old Weapon-X base. Scott's face grew pale, his lips pursed into a thin line as he turned to Emma.
"Emma, what did you do?" he whispered, his voice seeped with anger. "And why didn't you tell me?"
"You're one to talk, Mr. who promised a vial of our daughter's blood to the bloke who bloody dropped the Phoenix on us in the first place. All I did was ensure that she would live and be safe in the only way that presented itself to me."
"Nice try, but you're deflecting," Cyclops retorted, throwing his arms up in frustration.
"Well, we've both been keeping secrets from each other regarding Ruby."
Tony cleared his throat.
"As much as I hate breaking up this lovers' squabble, how about Dr. Rao and I take that sample of blood and we answer the most pressing questions and you guys figure the rest from there?"
"Alright," Scott agreed reluctantly. "You think you can figure out the extent of what the Phoenix did to Ruby and her powers? Like this memory projection thing, is that her mutant power or...?"
who had not dared to enter the conversation before this point, said: "Between me and Mr. Stark I believe we can learn a lot about Ruby."
"Stark, I hope it's clear to you that should any of the things you've learned so far or will learn moving forward escape the premises of this room, you will find yourself a vegetable."
"Noted," Tony mumbled.
"Where are you going?" Emma asked Scott as she noticed him walking towards the door.
"I need to clear my head," he said roughly.
"Wait," Tony said as he took out an aged bottle of whiskey and offered it to Scott with a grin.
"I was going to give it to you and Emma to congratulate you on the growing family, but thinking a little more about it, it doesn't seem like such a suitable gift. But you could use it if you don't want your brother to murder you."
"Thanks, I guess."
"Are you even listening to me?" Alex shouted.
Scott showed no indication of having heard him as he kept on looking through the cabinets until he finally found what he was looking for. He took out the two shot glasses and poured them full from the bottle that Tony had given him earlier.
As expected, the younger brother didn't accept the offer, instead he used an energy blast to pulverize both of the glasses.
"Was that really necessary?" Scott asked, frowning.
"Yes!" Alex barked. "You don't get to play older brother with me anymore. You're a criminal, a murderer and the only reason I'm talking to you right now is because I want to give you one last chance to give yourself up and fix this."
A hearty laugh filled the room as Emma entered the room with a small bundle in a blanket pressed into her chest.
"That's rich coming from you, Alex. Always the screw up to Scott's boy scout. Why don't you tell him how much you truly enjoy the fact that you get to play the hero now?"
"Emma!" Scott admonished.
"What?" she shrugged. "It's not like you're not masochistic enough to enjoy playing the pariah for a little bit either. Otherwise I don't get why you wouldn't want to expose the whole truth to the whole world so that we don't have to hide and raise our daughter in nowhere, middle of."
She could see the vein in Scott's forehead pulsing as if he were about to explode. Then she heard a psychic warning bell which she seemed to get any time Cyclops was about to have a seizure. But his features weren't taken over by the usual convulsions, instead he took in a few calming breaths and turned around to leave the room.
"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done yet!" Alex shouted.
"Scott, you can't go out there! You almost just had a seizure right here, do you fancy getting one outside in the snow?" Emma added.
"Wait, what? Seizure?" the younger brother wondered, but both of their calls were only addressed to Scott's retreating back.
Once outside, Scott closed his eyes, trying to recall some of the breathing exercises he had learned with Dr. Miles. They had been intended for halting panic attacks, but he found that what brought those on didn't differ that much to what brought on his seizures.
"Hello, dad," Cable greeted.
Cyclops turned to discover a sturdy lone figure leaning against a tree, his boots burrowed deep in the snow.
"I've been waiting for you to show up, Nathan," Scott answered, his face not betraying in the least that his son's ability to sneak up on him still spooked him a little.
"I told you before the war, didn't I? I will be there for you when you'll need me. Soon," the time traveler explained.
"That you did," the younger man sighed as he enveloped his older offspring in an awkward hug.
As he felt Nathan stiffen, he stepped back quickly and apologized.
"No, it's okay," Cable answered, flustered. "It's just we've never really been the ones for the hugging thing? That was always more mom's thing."
"Maybe," Scott sighed. "Sadly she's no longer around, so it's up to me now."
"Alright, then."
"I'm sorry, Nathan. I'm really trying to be better at this stuff. To be an improved version of myself, a better friend and most importantly a better father. Unfortunately I don't exactly have the best reference frame for the last one."
"I had wished that my life had turned out differently, but the one thing I wouldn't want to change is the time I spent with Slym and Redd. You were a good father to me as Slym, Scott. Just do what feels natural for you. It just might not be the same thing for me as for Rachel or as for Ruby."
"Ruby, right," Cyclops started. "How do you feel about having another sister?"
Cable looked up at the stars thoughtfully before looking back at his father's anxious face.
"Her existence is a new piece of knowledge to me just as it is to Rachel. In a way it's hard for me not to resent her. For all I know, she will get to grow with her father and mother present in her own time. I'd be lying if I said that it doesn't bring up some bitter feelings. At the same time, I'd give my life to make sure she never gets that taken away."
"Thank you for being honest about it, Nathan," Scott said a sad smile playing around on his face. "I understand how you feel. When I found about what happened to Alex after he left the orphanage, I felt incredibly relieved and happy for him, to learn that he had not suffered as I had. But there was that tiny voice back in my mind – why didn't I get to live that life too?"
An awkward silence passed between the two men who had not been used to having heart to heart conversations, even less so one that they would exchange among each other.
"Wolverine has agreed to disband his X-Force team," Scott told his son. "He had conditions of course."
"Such as?"
"He made me swear that I'd never sanction a kill squad ever again."
"Uh, oh."
"Yeah. And he made me agree in writing, even had Murdoch and Walters confirm the document legally."
"So your hands are tied?"
"Not exactly," Scott smirked. "There are loopholes of course. The document forbids me from sanctioning a kill squad, but it doesn't say anything about a team concentrating on reconnaissance and espionage."
"Logan's not going to like you playing with words like that."
"No, he's not. But then again it's not like I sanctioned anything. We took a vote. I voted against it, Rachel abstained, but Emma, Illyana, Kitty and Bobby outvoted me."
"And you want me on this squad?"
"Not just on it, we want you to lead it, Nathan."