The city of Manhattan was in ruins. Fires light the night sky: buildings, cars, houses, nearly everything has been lit aflame. An explosion goes off and a huge fireball goes upwards towards the night sky. Iceman and Rogue suddenly charge into frame, pursued by an unseen assailant. They made their way through a path of flames that Iceman began to put out as Rogue looked up into the sky to see Storm flying over them.

"Storm!" She yelled. "Down here!"

Storm flu down to them as lasers began to go off around her.

"Stay together." Storm instructed before looking around and quickly noticed that two others were missing. "Where's Kurt and Pitor?"

"I don't know," Rogue responded. "We got split up."

Lasers went off again, causing yet another explosion which sent heavy debris right at the three of them.

"Watch it!" Storm yelled.

Storm used her powers to quickly spin like a tornado out of the way. Iceman formed a large ice shield and grabbed onto Rogue as debris came towards them but bounced harmlessly off the thick ice. Iceman then took Rogue's hand.

"This way!"

The two ran out from behind the shield.

Elsewhere, civilians were running in between burning houses trying to get away before starting to disappear into blue puffs of smoke. Nightcrawler was teleporting them to the safety of a steel bunker. As he did, Colossus ripped the door off a car, freeing two people trapped inside. However, as he watched the two run off, he was now oblivious to a missile headed straight for him.

BAMF!

Nightcrawler teleported Colossus out of the way of the incoming missile which struck the ground, causing a large explosion. Colossus gasped when he realized what just happened.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Nightcrawler smiled.

Nightcrawler then teleported again, going after the two civilians Colossus had freed. As he did, Iceman was freezing incoming missiles headed for him and Rogue. He was able to get one, but the second was coming way too fast for him to freeze in time. Both Iceman and Rogue ran as the second missile struck the ground, causing an explosion that launched Rogue off her feet and she came crashing back down to the ground. Rogue groaned as she slowly rolled over and saw a pair of boots in front of her. She looked up to see Logan standing over her.

Logan looked both concerned and angry as he reached down and gently helped her up.

"Logan?" Rogue questioned. He wasn't supposed to be here.

"How much time you got left?" Logan asked.

"Two minutes, tops."

"What the hell is Storm thinking? Logan shook his head as he casually walked over to where Storm was crouched, watching a approaching searchlight. Storm then realized that Logan was there and seemed surprised to see him.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

Logan lit his cigar with a piece of burning debris.

"Enjoying the scenery. You?"

Iceman and Rogue trailed Logan while Nightcrawler and Colossus ran to where Storm was, and they all meet up.

"Kurt, did you get everyone to safety?" Storm asked.

"Yes." Nightcrawler answered.

"Alright, everyone in position."

Before they can form up, a mortar explodes mere feet away. Everyone took cover for a moment before Storm addressed them all.

"We stay in formation, no matter what. Let's go!"

They run out into the open and a massive Robot towered over them.

"Well, this shouldn't take long," Logan said to himself while looking up at the robot. He then threw his cigar away and looked at Colossus. "Hey tin-man, how good's your throwing arm?

"It's decent." Colossus responded.

"Logan, we work as a team!" Storm yelled, now angry about his interference but Logan ignored her.

"Throw me," Logan ordered. "Now!"

Colossus grabbed Logan, spinning himself around once before throwing him as hard as he could up to the robot.

SNIKT!

The rest of the team could hear the sound of metal and wires being torn apart before the robot's head plops to the ground, Logan riding it the whole way. When it comes to a stop, Logan leaps off and dusted his shoulders off.

"Class dismissed."

The X-Men regroup and Manhattan fades away, becoming…

The Danger Room.

…a massive hologram chamber.

"Simulation complete." said a computer voice.

Storm then addressed the whole team.

"Alright everyone, much better this time around. But we still have some work to do. Your next session will be tomorrow, same time." Nightcrawler, Iceman, Rogue, and Colossus all turned to exit the room. Logan went to leave as well but Storm rounded on him. "What the hell was that?"

"Danger Room session." He sarcastically replied.

"You know what I mean. I'm trying to teach these kids something here!"

"I think I taught 'em something."

"It was a defensive exercise."

"Well, you know what they say—"

"No, I don't know what they say." Ororo interrupted. "Logan, this is a school. You can't just come and go as you please."

Logan then gave Storm a look.

"Hey, Ororo—I'm just the sub. You gotta problem, talk to Scott." With that, Logan walked around her and left the Danger Room. He took the elevator up to the third floor, where his bedroom was and just as he did, a door opened, and Scott left his room with two bags in his hands. "Well speak of the devil," Logan said to himself once he saw the other man. He then began to follow him down the hall. "Hey, Scott!"

Scott ignored him but Logan continued to go after him.

"What happened to you? There was a Danger Room session for the kids, you didn't show."

Scott turned to him.

"What's it to you?" He asked.

"For starters, I had to cover your ass."

"Well, it's about time you did something around here. I didn't ask you to help." Scott responded.

"No, you didn't—the Professor did. I was just passing through, and lucky for you I was."

"So, pass through, Logan. It's what you do best."

Scott turned to begin walking again but Logan grabbed his arm.

"Hey!"

The other man turned to face him again.

"Look." Logan began slowly. "I know how you feel."

"Don't."

"When Jean died-"

Scott roughly pulled his arm out of Logan's grip.

"I said don't," he growled.

They stared at each other in a tense silence for a moment. Finally, Logan said;

"Maybe it's time to move on."

Scott scoffed and then turned to leave again. Midway down the hall, he called over his shoulder;

"Not everyone heals as fast as you, Logan."

XXXXXXXXXX

Downstairs in one of the classrooms sat Professor Charles Xavier in front of his class of twelve students, Kitty Pryde and Jubilation Lee among them as he taught the subject of ethics to them all. "Orwell wrote that power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is a lesson that everyone of us must learn and live. Why?"

Several hands then go up. Xavier decided to call on Jubilee.

"Jubilee, how about you?"

"Because we're mutants," the Asian-American beauty responded.

"I'm surprised, Jubilee. I'd thought you'd see the flaw in Orwell's generalization."

Jubilee's brows furrowed.

"How'd you mean?"

"Well, unfortunately students, there are no absolutes when it comes to the issue of ethics," Xavier answered. "For psychics like myself, it presents a particular dilemma. Our power is, by its very nature, an invasive one. When is it okay to use it, and when do we cross that invisible line that turns into tyrants over our fellow man?"

Kitty then spoke up;

"Well, if the line is invisible Professor, then how do we know if we've crossed it?"

The students all laugh and a smile came to the Professor's face.

"Despite her cheek, Katherine does have a point. How are we to decide what is in the range of ethical behavior, and what is best left…"

Xavier trails off as he sudden sensed something.

"…to god?"

Jubilee then noticed the look on the Professor's face and became concerned.

"Professor? Is something wrong?"

Xavier looked to her and smiled.

"No, nothing's wrong. We'll continue our discussion on ethics tomorrow. Class dismissed."

The class was confused as there was another half an hour left, but they slowly got up from their chairs to exit the classroom. Back in the hallway, Ororo was waiting outside the office as all the students began to leave the room. When the last one, Kitty exited by phasing through the wall like she usually did, Ororo walked in.

"Professor?"

Xavier turned his wheelchair to face her.

"Yes, Ororo. What is it?"

"That's the question I wanted to ask you. It's been three days in a row you've been letting the kids out early, and not giving them homework. Is everything alright?"

Xavier smiled a little, touched by her concern.

"I'm just a little worried about Scott."

"He really is leaving?" Ororo sighed.

"I'm afraid so."

In the foyer of the mansion, the leader of the X-Men was standing by the front door putting his leather jacket on, looking like he was heading out as Xavier and Ororo were making their way towards him.

"Scott?" Ororo began. "You weren't thinking about leaving without saying goodbye to us, were you?

Scott turned to look at them and smiled, but only slightly.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Scott approached her and they hugged each other tightly. After a few moments they let go and Scott took a deep breath. "I know I'm leaving you with a heavy burden."

"It's no burden-" Ororo began.

"Yes, it is." Scott responded. "I'm sorry you have to train the new recruits on your own, but I know you're capable of leading the team. I wouldn't be leaving if I didn't think you could do it."

"I appreciate that, Scott."

Xavier then spoke up.

"Scott, you know that if you ever need anything, we're here for you."

"Of course."

"This will always be your home."

Scott smiled and leaned down to hug the Professor, which the older mutant happily returned.

"Thank you, Professor. Thank you for everything."

"Thank you, Scott," Xavier smiled.

Scott then gave one last look at them before finally turning to open the door and head out. A few moments later, Xavier and Ororo could hear the sound of a car speeding away from the institute. Ororo then sighed heavily.

"I know it sounds selfish, but I really wish he was staying."

"As do I." Xavier responded.

"It's just a big responsibility. Leading the team, getting the others ready."

"But Scott is right, you are capable. I just hope that time away from here is what he needs. He's taken Jean's death so hard."

Ororo slightly frowned.

"With all due respect Professor, Jean's death has affected us all."

"But some more than others. Scott is a changed man, and Logan…I'm afraid he's getting ready to leave us again as well."

"You're surprised? I didn't think he'd stick around for this long."

Xavier now looked disappointed.

"Because we're now so short staffed, I had hoped that he might stay this time around."

"Some things are out of your control. Logan is a loner. No matter how much we may want him to stick around he never will." Ororo then gave the Professor a warm smile as they headed from the foyer. Unbeknownst to them, Logan was standing on top of the staircase and had heard every word that had been said.

XXXXXXXXXX

A straight razor lies gleaming on a white sink inside of an expensive penthouse bathroom. Also up on the sink was a rope, rubbing alcohol, a pair of scissors, and other strange instruments. Ten-year-old Warren Worthington III was standing in front of mirror, sweating, and concentrating hard on cutting something. He then gasped in pain when he accidentally cut his back. Biting his lip, Warren stopped and placed the kitchen knife he had in his hand on the sink with the other things and picked up a towel that already had spots on the blood on it and placed it on the cut. Tears then slowly began to run down the young boy's face which he quickly wiped away.

This whole thing wasn't going like he'd hoped. It was taking too long because he couldn't really see what he was doing. Elsewhere in the penthouse, his father Warren Worthington Senior, a patrician in an expensive suit walked down the hall and saw his housekeeper, Sandra approaching.

"Sandra, have you seen my son?" Worthington asked.

"He's in the bathroom, Mr. Worthington." Sandra responded as she walked past him and continued down the hall.

"Still?"

He was now concerned as he walked down the hallway and approached the bathroom door. Worthington lightly knocked on it, and inside, Warren's head whipped around in a panic as he quickly stopped what he was doing.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Warren, what are you doing in there?"

"Nothing." Warren then hurried to put the things away.

"Come on. You've been in there for over an hour," Worthington responded, really becoming worried now as he heard commotion from inside. "Open the door."

The young boy quickly scurried to hide bloodied kitchen knives. Blood and feathers also adorned on the white, tiled floor.

"One second!"

Worthington then began to bang on the door.

"Warren!" He yelled, now becoming angry. "Open this door!"

Tears streamed down Warren's face.

"Just a second!"

But it was too late. Worthington forced the door open and rushed into the bathroom only to stop, frozen in his tracks when he saw the blood and feathers on the floor. The two continued to stare at each other as Warren's bottom lip trembled before he began to sob.

"Dad...I'm sorry. I...I tried to make it go away."

"Oh my god," Worthington said to himself in horror. "Not you."

In the mirror, bloodied stumps on Warren's back mark where a pair of wings began to grow in…

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ahh!"

Warren Worthington III, now eighteen years old launched upwards in bed as he woke up from a nightmare. He was sweating as he widely looked around the room while breathing heavily before realizing it was the same nightmare he had rather frequently, it was about the day his father found out that he was a mutant. Warren swung his legs over the side of the bed, resting his bare feet on the floor as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

His father, Warren Senior was the CEO of Worthington Industries. It was a metal processing company, focused on value-added steel processing and manufactured metal products, such as metal framing, automotive past-model service stampings, and metal ceiling grind systems. They had forty-four manufacturing companies worldwide, so throughout his life, Warren never had to worry about money. He lived in some of the fanciest mansions, rode in the back of limousines, and got to travel around the world with his father.

His mother died when he was only five, so his father was the only family he had. But despite the fact that the two of them spent a lot of time together, Warren never really felt close to him. It was like there was something that kept the two of them from really being close, and Warren knew deep down what it was.

It was because he was a mutant.

And although his father didn't really have anything against mutants, the fact that a lot of other people did was enough. He couldn't imagine how the public or the press would react if they found out that such an important man like Warren Worthington Senior had a mutant for a son. The two of them talked to each other a few years ago about Warren's mutation, and they agreed to keep it a secret, not to tell anyone else. And so far, they had done a good job of keeping it under wraps as they were the only two who knew about it.

Suddenly, a knocking on the door got his attention. He quickly pulled the blanket off his bed and wrapped it around himself to hide his fully grown wings as he walked over and opened the door. It turned out to be one of his father's many assistances.

"Warren, your father needs to talk to you. He says it's important."

He nodded.

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

After closing the door, Warren flexed his shoulders, and his wings began to sink further into his back as he bunched them up as best he could before throwing on an extra-large shirt and overcoat. When he was fully dressed, Warren entered his father's office and saw him talking with a woman he recognized as Dr. Kavita Rao. Worthington then looked over at his son and smiled.

"How are you son? Did you sleep alright?"

"What did you need to see me about, dad?" Warren asked, ignoring the question.

"You remember Dr. Rao, don't you?"

He looked to the doctor and nodded.

"Yeah, your company deals in pharmaceutical advancement, right?"

"Yes." Kavita smiled. "We try to help people. We've created new and more advanced vaccines for sick people, and-"

"Warren, over the past year she's been developing a sore of cure…for mutants." Worthington interrupted. "And I've been the one who has been funding it."

Warren's brows furrowed as he looked from his father to Kavita.

"What kind of a cure?"

"A cure that will be able to suppress the mutant X-Gene…permanently."

Warren looked back at his father.

"But why would I-"

"It's okay Warren, she knows."

Kavita approached him and placed a hand on his arm.

"We can help you become normal again."

"But...it's not possible," Warren responded while shaking his head.

"It is, Warren." Kavita smiled. "We've found the solution to fixing this mutant problem."