A meeting in Xavier's office ensues once the rumors make their way around the mansion. Ororo, Scott, Jean, Logan, Bobby, Remy, and Rogue are all present.

Xavier: The best course of action would be to send a team to investigate the severity of the situation in downtown. We to leave a few of you behind to see that our new guests will get a proper feel of what we have to offer and also to not alarm the other students of a potential threat just yet. If this is the work of magneto this may be just a ploy to distract us for some ulterior motive.

Jean: Professor have you tried to read his mind?

Xavier: The person behind this is nothing but a raging ball of fury and thus his thoughts are clouded to a point, which renders my telepathy useless.

Scott: We need a plan of attack so that we can end this without further conflict.

This meeting would last another hour of analysis it was finally decided with the decision that Storm and Iceman would make the first contact. As Ororo and Bobby Drake hopped in their silver Chevy Tahoe and sped off to make first contact with their fire wielding adversary.

In one life this person walking down the street was known as Alex Wretch but now he goes by one word and one word alone can only describe what he has become since realizing the destructive force, which is Firebrand.

He walks down the street in specially made clothing that makes him blend in even after igniting neighborhood after neighborhood ablaze. Walking away as if he nothing happens. Looking in his eyes as his victims are incinerated there is nothing there but a look that could not be replaced by an evil no short of the lord of darkness himself. He walks down the street of a small suburb of upstate New York tossing up a small ball of fire, which he is able to conjure up on his own whim, then as if he can't resist he tosses the ball through the window of a fire-station and is overcome with the laughter of the irony of a fire house being ignited and continuing onward on his path of destruction.

As Storm and Iceman drive thru the small town almost in awe of the damage caused by one rash individual. Then they see him and Bobby not knowing what he was dealing with jumps out of the car and turns into a human icicle, which is now his forte. Firebrand tosses his small fireball at him.

Iceman (as he almost effortlessly disposes of the fireball): Looks like we've got ourselves super Mario wannabe

Firebrand: TIME TO TURN UP THE HEAT!

Firebrand: That fat plumber is nothing compared to me. Prepare to fry you walking talking icecube Iceman: I resent that comin' from a flamer like you.

On that Iceman releases an enormous beam of ice but it is met with a intense wave of fire of equal intensity. When the battle has reached a furious stalemate and one willing to succumb to intense pain pulsating through their bodies. Bobby is blindsided by and enormous force and passes out from the extreme pain. Firebrand then lets out one the most sinister laughs heard by human ears.

Who was it that hit Bobby from behind and where was Storm during all of this? Is there a potentially deadly alliance being formed or is this just another one of magneto's henchmen devastating the public?