After being alerted of their escape, Emma Frost, in
Storm’s body, chases Storm, in Emma’s body, driving quickly from the
Massachusetts Academy, an unconscious Kitty Pryde in the passenger seat. Kitty
awakens and, startled by apparently being captured by Emma Frost, phases right
out of the moving car! When Storm tries to reach for Kitty, she loses control
of the car, driving right off the road and crashing into the valley below. A
huge fire springs forth from the wrecked car, engulfing Emma. She uses Storm’s
powers to create a strong wind to blow her to safety, but her lack of control
has her being sent careening much farther than intended. Kitty picks herself up
and inspects the burning car, finding who she thinks is an unconscious Emma
Frost not far away. Kitty wrestles with what to do, thinking that Emma may try
to control her if Kitty saves her, but knows that as an X-Man, she’s supposed
to be the better person.
Emma flies back to the Xavier Institute, landing in
Storm’s attic garden. Emma is furious over apparently losing her original body,
but Sebastian Shaw convinces her that she will continue to be a queen no matter
what appearance she has. Meanwhile, Kitty has tied up “Emma” and remains
distrustful of Storm’s attempts to convince Kitty that it’s really her. Storm
tells her that the Hellfire Club is planning an attack on the X-Men and easily
slips out of the knot. Kitty is startled, Storm having been the one to teach
her that knot and decides to go along with her for now. Meanwhile, Harry Leland
watches over the captured X-Men until Shaw and “Storm” return, the X-Men in
disbelief at her apparent betrayal. Wolverine speaks out and some of the
guards, the same ones he brutally sliced up last time they fought the Hellfire
Club, drag him away to pay him back. Professor X tries to appeal to “Storm”,
but she and Shaw remain convinced of their victory. Nightcrawler, however,
thinks to himself that they have an ace in the hole that the Club is not aware
of, his girlfriend Amanda Sefton!
Meanwhile, Storm and Kitty have enlisted the help of
Stevie Hunter to drive them to the mansion. Kitty phases her head out of the
car to get a better view and Storm admonishes her for her recklessness, making
Kitty think that maybe she’s telling the truth after all! They park near the
secret entrance to the hangar and Storm and Kitty make their way there, while
Stevie is quickly found by Shaw and Emma! In the Danger Room, the guards are
laying into Wolverine until Wolverine fights back. Leland increases Wolverine’s
mass more and more until Wolverine is apparently killed from the effort! Leland
informs the X-Men of Wolverine’s apparent death, while Amanda secretly
continues to cast a spell. Back with Kitty, she phases into the hangar and
Storm telepathically helps Kitty with picking the lock to open the hanger door.
They are successful, narrowly avoiding being caught by Shaw and Emma.
Inside, Storm remains to hold them off while Kitty
makes her way to the mansion. She’s suddenly found by Wolverine, who reveals
that Amanda had cast a spell only giving him the appearance of death and
letting him sneak around undetected. They go free the others, allowing Colossus
and Cyclops to deal with the guards while Nightcrawler takes out Leland.
Wolverine corners the last guard, who tells Wolverine to just kill him, his
bionic parts from Wolverine’s previous attack leaving him more machine than man.
Wolverine says that he should just be grateful to be alive, that humanity comes
from something else entirely and killing him wouldn’t be worth the effort. The
X-Men are then found by Shaw and Emma and a battle ensues. As the battle rages,
Emma’s control over the savage weather that has erupted from her misuse of
Storm’s powers slips more and more, until an errant lightning bolt takes out
Shaw. Storm and Emma are pulled up into the air, where Storm uses the Persona
Exchange Module to switch their bodies back, calming the storm and catching
Emma. Storm is furious, ready to kill Emma for her transgressions, but
Wolverine stops her, not wanting Storm to destroy herself over this. Emma
promises that the Hellfire Club won’t bother them anymore while Shaw is out of
commission but promises to herself that she won’t rest until the X-Men are
dead!