ALL THIS HAPPENED IN ISSUES 1-4!!---GUTE SAYS!!

A temple of Apocalypse, under the surface of the moon. The Uncanny X-Men are battling Apocalypse and several of his robot creations.

Storm: Sunspot get down! He’s circling around you.

BANG! CRASH!

Sunspot: Gracias, Storm! I didn’t see him.

Wolverine: If you’re going to hang with the X-Men, bub, you need to start seeing!

Cyclops: Jean, how is Tyro holding out?

Phoenix: As well as can be expected considering he’s only 16, on the moon, and has a broken leg.

Tyro: I’ll be OK. I was just wish I could be more help.

Iceman: Don’t worry about it kid. You help lead us to the cure for that nasty Legacy Virus…it wasn’t your fault it also lead us to Apocalypse.

Havok: Iceman, enough with the talking, and more with the fighting! These robots may not be of the high quality as others we’ve faced but they out number us 10 to 1 and we still have to face the big man.

Iceman: Speaking of big men…where’s Colossus?

Across the massive inner chamber of Apocalypse, the Russian Colossus has engaged the mutant one on one.

Colossus (punching Apocalypse): You will fall!

Apocalypse (standing defiant against the punch): Ha, I don’t think so. You and your fellow X-Men are ill prepared for this battle with me. You will all succumb to my power. For only the strongest survive…and Apocalypse is the strongest!

Wolverine (jumping and slicing at Apocalypse head): That’s funny, I fought a certain green skinned creature that claimed he was the strongest!

Apocalypse: Those puny bone claws of yours do little but scratch an itch. You were much more formidable with the adamantum. Join me, and I can find a way to return it to you. It is what you really want…isn’t it?

For a long moment Wolverine stands, looks down at the back of his hands, sees his bone claws and wonders how much of what Apocalypse said is true. Is he really less of a threat with only his bone claws?

The silence is broken by a blast from Cyclops’ eyes that staggers Apocalypse.

Cyclops: Logan, snap out of it! We’ve finally taken care of the robots, but we need you to help bring down Apocalypse!

With that, Wolverine snaps out of his thoughts…

Wolverine (leaping at Apocalypse): I’ll show you…I’ll show everyone…I’m still as tough and dangerous as ever!

Apocalypse: (swatting Wolverine away like a gnat) Away!

The force of the blow sends Wolverine flying across the inner chamber and strikes the far wall with enough force to travel clean through it.

Phoenix: Wolverine!

For long moments there is no movement from the gapping hole…

Meanwhile on Earth, in the off campus apartment of the former X-Man, Excalibur, and SHIELD agent Kitty Pryde enjoys the something she hasn’t in a long time…sleep. But something awakens her…

Kitty (waking up, to self): Logan. I feel like something has happened to him. Weird. (getting up from the bed and walking to the bathroom) Maybe it’s my subconscious reacting to Nick Fury’s visit last night and telling me about Magneto and the others in San Francisco*. Or that he’s tried to contact the others and they are missing. I don’t know. Tomorrow I’m going to take a drive to the mansion and check it out for myself, and then…

* Checkout Issue 4 for more details, or go read X-Men Brotherhood!!---GUTE SAYS!!

Mark (from the bedroom, waking up) Kitty…are you…OK?

Kitty: Oh man I almost forgot that Mark was here. It’s OK I just needed a drink, would you like anything?

Mark: Yeah! For you to come back to bed…RRRARRGGHH!

Kitty: Flirt! (to self) I can’t believe this. I just meet this guy a couple of days ago and here I am sharing my bed with him. What would the guys say? Probably tell me to be careful and make sure he’s not a sentential or evil mutant…I’d rather enjoy myself. (out loud) Well here I am.

Mark: Yes…there you are and you know what…I’m not tired anymore.

Kitty: Me either.

The young mutant named Kitty Pryde slowly climbs into bed with the handsome Mark, a fellow student, and the two young lovers melt into each other like they where destined to be together.

Phoenix: Scott, Logan’s not moving!

Cyclops: I’m sure his fine. We need you to help…aarrgghh!

Apocalypse blast Cyclops knocking the mutant down.

Havok: Shot my brother…I’ll have to return the favor.

Havok uses his ability to channel the cosmic energy of the universe and blast Apocalypse with it. An invisible force shield engulfs him and the bulk of the blast ricochets off and smashes a huge support column…shattering it!

Sunspot: Madre de dios!

Colossus: It looks like the whole structure is going to come down on us.

Apocalypse: You will not escape your doom!

Has the massive structure begins to crack and come apart, the mutant Apocalypse doubles his attack on the mutants.

Colossus (getting hit with a blast): Aaargghh!

Sunspot (trying to dodge falling debris): We’ve got to get out of here! The cure we found won’t mean anything if it’s lost up here!

Iceman (freezing Apocalypse’s leg): I agree. Try and gather up the others so we can split!

Storm: No! We need to insure that Apocalypse doesn’t return!

Cyclops: I disagree. That cure will save countless mutants. We need to find away to return to Earth!

The two stand and look in each others eyes. The others can almost feel the tension between the two members that have lead the X-Men the longest, thrust into a difference of strategy and opinion.

Wolverine (limping from the shadows): I tell you what…you go find a way back to Earth and I’ll keep the big guy busy.

Cyclops: Wolverine you’re to hurt to last…

Wolverine: It wasn’t a question, Slim. Now go before we’re all buried!

The three mutants look at each other and know there is no other way.

Storm: Good luck my friend.

With that, Wolverine turns his attention toward Apocalypse and attacks him with the fury of his animal name. The other X-Men quickly leave the falling chamber and as the Jean Grey leaves she shoots a look back at the feisty Wolverine just as he and Apocalypse are buried under tons of rumble!

Cyclops: Jean come on! The rest of this temple is going to fall too! We have to find our way out!

Jean joins the others but can’t help but send a telepathic message…

Jean (telepathically to Wolverine): You are the bravest soul I have ever seen. Your memory will burn forever.

Jean receives to answer back as the X-Men continue to run, dodging boulders and chunks of debris.

Iceman: Does anyone know where we are going? All these tunnels look the same?

Tyro: I remember seeing an exit around this corner from the writing on the walls.

As the group round said corner, they find themselves in a laboratory.

Iceman: This doesn’t look like an exit. Are you sure you read it right?

Tyro: I don’t know. The first time I read it, everything was so clear, this second time…it was kinda fuzzy.

Cyclops: That’s alight, son. You might have lead us, to not only an exit but, a way back to Earth.

Jean: What are you looking at, Scott?

Cyclops: These controls seem to operate a teleportation device that allows Apocalypse to go from Earth to the moon and back.

Havok: If only we knew how to use it.

Tyro: Let me try.

The gathered mutants stop and look at the slim young boy as he slowly limp over to the massive console.

Jean: (in Tyro’s head) Just relax, I’m sure you can do this.

The young 16 year old begins to look at the console and begins to press buttons. As each button is pressed the next one becomes more easily known.

Iceman: Any day now.

Storm: Bobby if you would spend as much time reinforcing your ice shield over us and less on talking, Colossus may not have to pulverize them as they slip through.

Tyro: OK everyone stand over here. I’m pressing the final button.

Iceman: Hey where are we going?

Tyro: I just had it send us to it’s last point of origin.

The team gathers around Tyro as the final button is pressed.

With that the X-Men are gone. When next they are aware, they are all standing on an airport tarmac. All except Tyro who begins to throw-up.

Tyro: RAERGHARGH!!

Sunspot: Storm any idea where we are?

Voice: (from behind them) I’ll…I said…I’ll tell you…where. You be…

As the X-Men turn around they see an old comrade in arms, drunker than any living man should be…the former X-Man…Kurt Wagner…Nightcrawler.

Nightcrawler: You be…in my…house…and you be…in a…a…lot…I said a lot…of trouble! Now get out!

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