Synopsis by Jeff Harris: Magneto, heartbroken over the news delivered to him by Bishop in X-Men: Alpha, gathers together a group of his X-Men to discuss their next move. While Banshee instincively trusts his leaders judgment and Morph jokes around, the others (Quicksilver, Iceman, Sabretooth, Storm and Nightcrawler) distrust Bishop's authenticity, thinking it madness to believe his bizarre claims. They have little time to discuss those matters though, when a portal opens up in the X-Mansion, and Blink arrives, followed by a wounded Sunfire. They had evidently been in a losing battle with an Infinite and had to get out of there quickly, even if there was the chance it might compromise their position. Sunfire's atomic flame wages out of control, but luckily Magneto is able to contain the source while Storm deals with the flames and Iceman cools Shiro down. Suddenly, Prelate Delgado follows through the portal, assaulting Kurt with his burning touch, but Blink manages to close the portal on him, pretty much tearing him to rubble. Then Sunfire delivers the horrible news that, in spite of the Kelly Pact, Apocalypse has agreed to let his son Holocaust continue the human cullings in the Midwest. Meanwhile in Manhattan, Rex approaches the throne of Apocalypse, which is surrounded by a pit of human skeletons. En Sabah Nur is pleased at the recent turn of the events, even the killing of Delgado, if it means they are one step closer to determining the X-Men's location. Back at the mansion, Sunfire is recovering and being tended to by Rogue and Blink, when Gambit arrives to say goodbye before his group of X-Ternals leave for their mission to the Shi'ar galaxy. Rogue and Gambit adjourn to the balcony, and are about to kiss when Blink returns with Charles. Evidently Clarice is none too pleased by Gambit's appearance, and the Cajun jumps off the balcony to meet with his group. Up in Xavier's attic, Magneto ponders over the life of his long deceased friend Charles Xavier, when he is interrupted by Nightcrawler, who questions the wisdom of dividing the team so much, fearing that they may be playing right into the hands of the enemy. However, Magneto has vague memories of Bishop's presence when Charles died and says he's willing to sacrifice himself and the whole world if it means saving what could have been. In the hangar bay, Blink loads up a magnetically powered shuttle (using Rogue's absorbed from Polaris--see Factor X) and she Rogue and Sunfire prepare for departure to attempt to stop the cullings, when they are stopped by Quicksilver, who thinks it's pointless and would more than likely fail. Sabretooth and Wildchild have agreed to come along as well, closely followed by Morph, disguised as Magneto temporarily as a source of comic relief. The mood lightens as Rogue and her team leaves, but Quicksilver is still a bit disturbed, and lashes out some at Bishop when he enters, saying that they will fight for their world. And Bishop knows that "the Professor wouldn't have it any other way."