For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. -Romans 6:5
Tony Stark, Billionaire, Philanthropist, Former Avenger, slowly strolls down the steps of his gaudy mansion. The hallway leading to his kitchen has various mementos from his past. His masters degrees in biology and engineering. Various Congressional medals of honor. Special medals for his contributions towards the protection of humanity. Pictures of Tony shaking hands with various Presidents. Pictures of lost friends. Androids and gods that redefined his reality. Amazing women that shattered his bigoted notions. The bravest man he ever knew..
In his kitchen, Tony pours himself a short glass of Brandy and takes it down in one strong gulp. He peers out of his window at his Metropolitan. Unsatisfied. Suddenly, Tony feels a presence in a section of the room perfectly secluded from the moonlight. After a few seconds, Tony's suspicion grows too large to ignore.
"Brighten kitchen lights." The lights stay dim and the inaction accelerates Tony's heart rate. "Jarvis?" Tony nervously questions.
"Don't be startled," a voice says from the darkness. The man slowly takes a few steps revealing himself to be Scott Summers. Cyclops. Clad in all black tactical gear with ruby quartz glasses covering his eyes. The blood runs from Tony's face and his heart rate elevates. "I still have a few friends in high places. They gave me a little time for us to chat. Why don't you take a seat, Tony?"
Those last few words didn't sound like the friendliest of urges, so Tony sits on a barstool on his kitchen island. "For what its worth, I know how you feel right now. To know for an absolute fact that someone is dead. And then to see them alive again. Close enough to touch." Scott takes a few steps towards Tony, who is paralyzed with fear and shock. "How have things been for you though, Tony? I can't lie, i remember you being a lot better looking," tony cracks the tiniest smirk at that one, "Whats got you looking so…..worn down? Just stress?" Scott takes a few more steps to Tony, who can't bring himself to look Scott in the face. "Stress makes sense. You are the CZAR of the Iron Metropolitan," Scott scoffs, "They really gave you a city for what you did."
Nightcrawler is planting flowers with a group of younger mutants on the shores of Utopia. They're listening to Kurt explain the nourishment process when one of them suddenly turns around and looks toward the sky of the mainland. He squints his eyes and suddenly an EXPLOSION!
"I guess killing mutants has always been a lucrative business though. From the ashes of 1000 dead mutants, the world's greatest Avenger gets more power and more fame, when all we wanted was…survival.
Cyclops drags Toad down a damaged hallway of Utopia's main hub, as the sounds of repulsor beams, explosions, and screams echo throughout the compound. Toad coughs up blood while being pulled and the stomp where his left leg used to be leaves a blood trail down the hallway. Jean Grey rounds a corner and helps him carry Toad.
Cyclops - Jean! The kids have-
Jean - Bobby is gathering the kids and taking them to the basement, so Magik can send them away! I don't know how long - EXPLOSION!
Cyclops unearths himself from debris and sees Toad's contorted corpse with his head smashed in by debris. He hears metallic footsteps behind him and turns around to see a silver Iron Man behind him with his chest repulsor glowing in the smoky hallway. Iron Man raises his hand to Cyclops, but two enormous metallic hands punch through Iron Man and rip him in half. Colossus steps over the Iron Man drone and lifts Cyclops and Jean to their feet.
Colossus - Not time to die yet.
Cyclops - Why the hell would Start do this?!
He stumbles into a room and eye-blasts a massive hole through the wall revealing the chaos outside the compound. Two SHIELD helicarriers hover over the sea while dozens of Iron Man drones fly around the Utopia firing repulsor beams.
"Or maybe it's not stress," Scott says, "Maybe it's guilt. When you are able to sleep at night, who do you see in your nightmares?"
Tony takes off his helmet and sees SHIELD agents hoarding young mutants wearing inhibitor collars into modified shipping containers.
"How's Pepper doing, Tony?" the mention of her name forces Tony to finally raise his head and stare Scott dead in his eyes. "Is it going well? Or is she another person that realized what you are and wants nothing to do with you?"
Tony fights back a tear and clears his throat. "I always figured that I'd be tortured before I died." Scott smirks.
"I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to tell you three things," Scott takes three more steps and leans down towards Tony leaving no space between them, "One, my people will rise again and get everything they deserve. And what they deserve isn't just peace or equality or justice. It's vengeance. Two, you're gonna help me do it. And three, when we've taken everything we're owed, and I do mean TAKE, THEN… I'm gonna kill you." Tony finally breaks gazes with Scott and Scott starts to back away. "I'll be in touch, Tony," he says before walking towards the hallway.
"One more thing, Tony. I know you're a perfectionist. I know that when…when it was done, you scoured every inch of that island,"
Tony opens an underground vault door.
"I know you found what was underneath the island,
Tony looks in wonder as his face is illuminated by a bright amber light.
"We'll need that back." Scott walks down the hallway and Tony does the most logical thing he can think of….pour another glass of Brandy.