New York.
The Manhattan offices of X-Corp, formerly Angel Inc.

All seven members of what once made up X-Men Omega, Archangel, Psylocke, Maggott, Diode, Joseph, and Xorn, are seated along a table onstage with a black cloth that covered it, and was draped over the front edge. A large curtain with the X-Corp logo was in back of them. They were all wearing formal business attire. Microphones were in front of each of them. Various flashes from cameras flickered against their faces. Television camera crews were on the scene, too. It was a press conference.

"...sorry, could you repeat that?" Archangel asked as he cleared his throat. He took a sip of water from the glass in front of him.

A female Asian reporter stood up with a pen and pad in her grasp, "I said could you disperse the rumors of your wing transplant?"

"They grew back, I don't know where those transplant rumors started. FOX News, I'm looking in your direction," Archangel said with a smile. The crowd of reporters laughed.

"This is a question for Pyro!" another reporter shouted. Pyro leaned in and awaited the question. Archangel gave him a look that said 'don't embarrass me.'

"Okay, mate. Fire away," Pyro joked as he took a drag of his cigarette and created a miniature explosion in front of his face. "Oops!"

The reporters laughed out loud while Archangel just grumbled in his chair.

"Heh," Pyro interjected. "Cos I control fire. Get it?"

"Okay, onto the question. Didn't you once participate with the Brotherhood of Mutants in an attempt to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly?"

"Firstly," Pyro began, "I was granted a presidential pardon. I served on a government team called Freedom Force, where I did stuff to atone for my criminal charges."

"But, didn't you rejoin the Brotherhood?"

"Briefly, yes. I didn't participate in much, mainly because of my Legacy infection," Pyro explained as he flicked his cigarette over the ash tray in front of him. "But I've since recovered. It made me look at what I wanted to do with my life. I still resent humans, but I'm not dumb enough to start some kind of inter-species war."

"What he means is that he resents some humans," Archangel explained. "Some."

"Huh? Oh, right. Some of them piss me off," Pyro confirmed with a nod.

"Psylocke? I was wondering...maybe it's not my place, but aren't you...Asian? Or are you a new Psylocke? I know sometimes you heroes take on the name of fallen heroes or something...?" a nervous reporter asked.

Psylocke smiled, "My name is Elisabeth Braddock, born and raised in England, luv. I went back to blonde. I know the purple may have confused some people."

"Are you still a fashion designer?"

"No, I haven't the time. I've been an active member of the X-Men for quite awhile."

A elderly reporter raised her hand, "I'm Barbara Waters. I have a question for Xorn."

The man with the iron mask leaned towards his microphone, "Yes?"

"Were you illegally removed from China?"

"No, Ms. Waters. I was illegally imprisoned against my will," Xorn responded. His voice echoed slightly. "The Church of Humanity broke me out...only to imprison me once more. The X-Men liberated me. Joseph actually saved hundreds of mutants' lives from the Church."

"Ah. And Joseph, is that your real name?" Barbara asked.

Joseph sighed, "Actually, my real name is Charles Lehnsherr."

"So, are you related to Eric Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto, the president of Genosha?"

"...yes," Joseph replied as he swallowed. "I actually don't remember much of my early life. I have amnesia."

"Leave him alone, Missy," Diode shouted. Sparks flew out of her eyes.

Archangel leaned his forearms onto the table, "Excuse me, but these questions are wasting our time! Yes, we're all mutants with strange abilties, but that's not what this conference is about. Are there any relevant or intelligent questions on how we run our operations?"

"Ben Urich, Daily Bugle," the reporter spoke. "So, you're saying you are turning the X-Men into a business? How is that going to work, exactly?"

"I'll field this one, if you all don't mind," Archangel addressed his team. "X-Corp is an organization formerly known as Angel Incorporated, formerly known as Worthington Enterprises. We're still a multimillion dollar corporation. My associates and I act as the board of directors for the entire company. However, the board and I are also dedicated to dealing with hostile mutant threats anywhere in the world. Most of these threats are from young and confused mutants who don't understand what's happening to them. We have the experience necessary to deal with these threats accordingly and end them as peacefully as possible."

"So, you're basically heroes for hire?"

"I wouldn't say that," Archangel said as his wings rose and fell. "Other city businesses like law enforcement, paramedics, or the fire department all have jobs to do. We'd be glad to help them whenever necessary, but X-Corp shouldn't be considered their replacements."

"Do you still consider yourselves X-Men?" Urich asked.

"Yes, very much so. I've been there since the other four original students and I stopped Magneto's attempt on Cape Citadel, I'd hate to turn my back on what Xavier wanted us to accomplish."

"And what of hostile human threats?" Urich asked.

"Pardon?" Archangel asked.

"You said you deal with mutant threats, but what of hostile human threats, like terrorism against your fellow mutants?"

"That's definitely something to address, thanks, Ben," Archangel commended. "If you're a mutant and you're a victim of prejudice, call your local law enforcement or talk to your teachers. If that still doesn't work, then give us a call at 1-888-616-XCORP and we'll deal with it. There are some countries out there that don't have the civil rights that Americans do, so our intervention may be a possibility."

"And what about the Church of Humanity...?"

Three months earlier.
Warren Worthington's SoHo loft.

"Can't believe this," Rogue observed as she wore her black leather X-Men uniform. She arched her head back as she read a newspaper article in the New York Times about how the mutant mortality rate in Australia was the highest in the world. "How could we have been so...blind?"

"The city of Sydney was complaining about the vandalism caused by our little tussle with the Church of Humanity," Archangel said, who wore a white business suit with matching slacks. His coat was custom made with openings to accommodate his large feathered wings. "I had to pay for the damages."

"Why you?" Rogue asked.

"Well, who else was going to pay for it? They looked at Forbes and saw I was the richest person in Australia."

Quicksilver rubbed his chin and looked downward, "Still, I can't believe they blamed mutants for all of that."

"Can't SHIELD vouch for us?" Rogue asked. "They're the ones who arrested Stryker and his toad-boys."

Quicksilver's hands went down his face, gripped his neck, and then his arms dropped to his sides, "The Church of Humanity, being based in America, had diplomatic immunity in Australia."

"That's complete bullshit," Warren said. He walked over to the oversized balcony and looked out above Manhattan. He muttered, "We're getting killed out there, you know. Mutants. People are getting the impression that we're just some kind of outbreak that needs to be quarantined."

Rogue and Quicksilver exchanged a glance.

"I think it's time we out ourselves," Archangel said as he turned back towards a shocked Rogue and Quicksilver. "The X-Men, I mean."

"What do we tell the others?" Rogue asked.

"I've been a known mutant for years," Archangel said as he spread his wings. "I've done alright thus far."

Quicksilver crossed his arms, "So have I, but I'm not too sure about this, Worthington. What do you hope to accomplish by making the X-Men's ordeals public?"

Warren cracked a small smile, "The same reason why the Avengers and Fantastic Four do it. People are suckers for celebrities."

The hotel...what's left of it.

"You're sure this here's a bunch of junk, eh?" Maggott asked Joseph, who has created an array of magnetically charged objects throughout the makeshift bunker as he tried to repair it after the attack by the Church of Humanity. Lorna Dane, Polaris, has also been a help with the salvaging of anything important.

"Yeah, go ahead," Joseph said.

"Ag, wicked! Soup's on, gels!" Maggott shouted as Eany and Meany, two slug-like creatures, slithered into the room. They made a sound similar to a shrill as their mouths opened to reveal several sets of teeth. The pile of metallic trash was consumed in under ten seconds.

The two slugs slinkily traveled up the legs of their master and eventually found a spot to rest atop his two shoulders. Maggott smiled and pointed his finger like a gun and acted like he just fired a shot. Joseph, who was still a little disturbed by the slugs' rapid mastication, turned back to his work.

"BOOOM-BADDA-HADDA-GODDA!" Maggott shouted as he startled Joseph. Joe turned around and saw Maggott just as he walked out the exit door.

"...what the hell?" Joseph muttered as he cocked his eyebrow. He stared at Polaris, who just snickered.

While Joseph and Polaris magnetically manipulated various metallic objects to reassemble the hotel's lower levels, Blink and Pyro watched an Australian news station on a fuzzy old handheld television screen.

{{"Reports are coming all around Australia and New Zealand that at least 250 mutant citizens have been killed by the Church of Humanity. Another fifty mutants among the dead were rounded up from various areas in America, Canada, and Mexico. While not as deadly as the Sentinel Massacre, this is another low blow for the mutant community,"}} the reporter said with a slight tongue in cheek tone.

"It's a bloody holocaust," Pyro said.

"We stopped it before it got too out of hand," Blink said.

"I'm worried about what Magneto will think," Joseph said as he approached the two and sat down beside their little TV pow wow on the floor. "I mean, after that revolt in Genosha and more and more mutants dying..."

"He'll no doubt make some kind of reference to it in his weekly radio address," Polaris responded.

"Did you fix the computer?" Blink asked.

Joseph sighed with a hint of irritated frustration as he mentally caused the console to crush itself like an aluminum can, "Does that answer your question? We'll have to get a new one."

"And a new base while we're at it," Pyro said as he flicked his lighter and caused the flame to shoot out in a stream into the pile of brush and newspaper shreds he gathered into a pile. "We don't have any power. Roni might give us a little jolt every once in awhile, but she's not a portable generator. She can't generate the electricity we need for this sodding place."

The news report suddenly grabbed everyone's attention and they quieted down, {{"...related news, no word on X-Men Omega and their presence here in Australia. Statistics show that anti-mutant sentiment increased ever since their arrival in our country. Mutant deaths, including that of the Gene Nation, a peaceful organization led by the late William Takken, have also resulted from the X-Men's presence..."}}

"What a crock," Pyro grumbled as he rolled his eyes. "They're sayin' that trouble follows us."

"It does," Psylocke said as she leaned through the broken door frame to the bunker. She brushed a strand of blonde hair out of her eye. "Being with the X-Men long enough, I can say that with sincerity."

Diode approached Psylocke from behind, who wore a similar black spandex exercise get up. She also had a towel around her neck. She put her hand on Betsy's shoulder and panted, "You never told me X-Men had to work out."

"It helps while out on the field," Psylocke said as she arrogantly grabbed Diode's hand with her thumb and forefinger and removed it from her shoulder as if she were using tongs to discard trash.

Proudstar, Xorn, and Havok then entered the underground bunker behind Diode and Psylocke. "Tell me again," Xorn inquired, "this is sweat over my body, correct? And the inherent properties of water will cool my skin as it evaporates?"

Havok ran a hand through his hair as he stared at Xorn's "smiling" metal mask, "Yeah, that's kind of the idea. Our bodies need to maintain that healthy 98.6."

"Intriguing," Xorn said, truly fascinated. He wrapped a towel around his neck and checked to see if the array of chains and locks that kept his mask secure around his head were in place.

Blink shut off the hand held TV and rose to her feet, "Are you ready for more training, Bets?"

Psylocke shook her head, "No, that's alright, Clarice. I'm going to stick with my telepathy as my primary offense. I was trying too hard to be Kwannon when I really needed to be myself. I hope you understand, darling."

"Oh," Blink said as she sat back down. She felt a bit cold.

"Come on, why don't we all sit down and talk?" Joseph asked as he motioned for Psylocke, Diode, Proudstar, Xorn, and Havok to sit down.

Blink put her hand to Joseph's forehead, "Are you feeling alright?"

Joe smiled, "What? I think we should just talk. It's been awhile since any of us have."

"Uh...I think I'll pass on this little Kum-Ba-Ya thing," Havok said as he turned around and looked for something to scrounge up in the kitchen.

"I second that," Proudstar said as he left for the kitchen, as well.

Xorn looked around and eventually walked over to sit down around the campfire. Psylocke and Diode grabbed a seat, as well. "Should we go get Japheth?" Diode asked.

"Talking isn't Maggott's strong point," Joseph revealed.

"Why, is he shy?" Diode asked.

"No, you just won't be able to understand a damn thing he says," Joe laughed, as did the others.

"Then there's his little slugs," Psylocke said with a look on her face that cringed up as if she just waded through a massive pile of vermin. "They're always following him around...like they're his little...food whores or something."

"I found a bunch of Playboys in his room. I bet he masturbates a lot," Pyro joked.

"He's got a lot of weird posters in his room, too," Blink said. "Especially the one of Magneto making out with Dr. Doom...that one's just...weird."

"The one where he's showin' off his digitally enhanced bulge?" Polaris asked.

"Purple panties and all," Blink revealed. Everyone but Diode let out an exaggerated shudder.

"I can't believe you people," Diode said as she shook her head. "You're judging him just because he's different."

"Roni. It's Magneto. And Dr. Doom. Kissing," Pyro said. "That's feckin' weird, pet. Maggott gives freaks like us a bad name."

"No, I was talking about Magneto wearing purple panties," Diode declared. She smirked as everyone laughed hysterically.

"Are you serious?" Pietro asked.

"Is there any other alternative?" Warren asked. He turned to face Rogue, who stood beside him with her arms crossed.

"I don't know...," she said with a hint of skepticism in her voice. "Makin' what we do into a business? How will that work?"

"It might cost a lot," Warren said, "mostly for the name changes and copyrights, but it will be well worth it."

"Where are we going to get the money?" Quicksilver asked.

"Well, you can flip millions of burgers eight hours a day, right?" Warren asked with a smile. His face returned to normal as he scratched his head, "I was joking."

"Angel Inc. ain't doin' to well as it is," Rogue said. "What makes you think a X-Men franchise is the best idea?"

"And are you doing this to save your own hide?" Pietro asked. "I won't allow my team to--"

"Your team?" Warren asked. "I don't seem to recall you being on the original roster. I have seniority over you."

"Since when?!" Pietro shouted as he was inches from Warren's face in a split second. Archangel's eyes have evolved to the point where high pressure winds, in this case caused by Quicksilver, don't affect them.

"Don't start with this game, Pietro," Archangel sighed as he flapped his wings and lifted himself away from Quicksilver and onto a balcony on the second level of the loft. "Bishop gave you the position of leader, but all you've done is bark out orders when all I've been doing is supporting this team financially. I've got a lesson for you, Pietro. I know Tony Stark liked to pamper you Avengers with your fancy dinners and backstage passes, but times are tough, especially with this shitty economy. I've invested more time than you have into making this team a functioning unit...so, just face the facts. X-Men Omega is mine whether you like it or not."

"You can't just take it away!" Pietro shouted as he clenched his fists. Rogue grabbed him and tried to calm him down. She touched him on the side of the face, which drained off a bit of his energy.

"Easy, fellah," Rogue said as Pietro began to ease out of agitation.

"I'm not taking anything away," Archangel said. "Look, we have to do this. There's no other way to explain our actions. Bishop's way of handling the mutant situation only works when Bishop is around. We got sloppy...and we screwed up pretty bad. We have to look at the big picture. Public opinion is everything. We need to show them, ACTUALLY show them that we're trying to help!"

Quicksilver breathed easy while still in Rogue's arms.

Archangel leaned on the railing of the balcony and looked down at his teammates, "Now, are you in?"

Pietro looked away. Since she absorbed him, Rogue was able to answer for the both of them. After awhile, Rogue looked up at Archangel, "No."

"No...?" Warren asked, almost insulted.

Rogue lifted Pietro onto his feet, "We're tired, Warren. We need a break. I don't think I have the emotional strength to deal with the public like you want us to."

Warren tapped the railing of the balcony and looked downward, "Fine."

Rogue spoke to Warren with a soothing voice, "But that's just our answer. You still have ten other X-Men to choose from."

"Well, you two are sort of the model X-Men," Archangel said as he exhaled deeply. "There's no way Havok is going to stay, a Summers will never take orders from me. So that means Polaris probably isn't going to stay, either."

"The others still look up to you, I think," Pietro said regretfully as he swallowed his pride. "You're right about having seniority over all of them...all of us."

"Well, I'm not forcing them to do anything they don't want to," Warren said. "But if they do decide to work for me, I'm not going to pay them to sit around talking all day."

"...so I blew up the headmaster's car," Pyro said as he took a toke of his cigarette and blew smoke to his right, where no one was next to him, out of courtesy.

"A Jaguar?" Blink asked with a chuckle.

"Here's the kicker," Pyro said. Everyone leaned in. Pyro looked around and whispered, "When he got a new one, I blew up that one, too...and never got caught!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"Havok?" Proudstar asked while he leaned against the counter opposite the refrigerator. Havok sat on a stool at the snack bar and rested his chin on both of his fists with his elbows glued to the white formica table top.

Havok's eyes seemed reluctant to gaze at the hulking Apache, "What?"

"Are you...alright? You look like you're about to win Best Depressed Performance by a Mutant," Proudstar responded as he took a bite of an apple.

"I'm just thinking...," Havok said. "My whole life I've been told what to do, what to believe in. I've spent months in another dimension where a life I didn't live was just shoved in my face. I come back here, and it's the same thing. Boom, I'm one of The Twelve, destined to stop Apocalypse. And I think Lorna expects us to get back together, but I'm not so sure."

"Well...women aren't all that they turn out to be," Proudstar declared. "At least, Risque wasn't."

"She helped conspire to kill you," Havok said with a chuckle, "Lorna isn't on that side of the fence. I just..."

"Don't want her?"

"I love her," Havok said, "but I fell in love with someone I'll probably never see again."

"Another woman?"

"Well...yes, but," Havok began. He sighed, "My counterpart had a son. I was a father, and a damn good one. I loved that kid like he was my own." Alex closes his eyes, rubbing his forehead, "Now I know how Scott felt."

"Well, with the business we're into, there's a chance you could see him again," Proudstar said.

"If he comes back as a gun-toting adult, I'm gonna be pissed," Alex said with a smile that quickly faded. "I wanted to see him grow up. I don't even know if he's alive. That world was hell."

"So you don't want to be with Lorna...why?" Proudstar asked as he took another bite of his apple.

Alex looked at the floor for a few moments then back at Jim, "You ever feel like...old friends are just out of sight, out of mind?"

Jim sighed, "I guess, sometimes."

Alex exhaled through his nose, "Hate to say it, but...I realized I don't need Lorna in my life to be happy."

"Damn, you've got issues."

"Tell me about it."

"Alright, everybody, quit talkin' about me," Maggott said as he walked in and carried Eany and Meany in his hands. He walked over to the pow wow and grabbed a seat next to Blink. He wedged himself in-between she and Joseph.

"We weren't talking about you, you big idiot," Pyro quipped. "So, you have a story to tell, Hugh?"

"Japheth or Maggott, please," he responded. "Hugh sounds too...1940-ish." Eany and Meany squirk as they begin consuming the brush pile.

"Hey!" Psylocke shouted as she generated a psi-blade in her hand.

"GELS!" Maggott shouted with a commanding tone. The two slugs seemed to whimper as they looked at their master. "Now, I told you two. No eating unless I say."

"I see you've got control of them," Diode observed as she generated a stream of electricity to re-ignite the small campfire.

"Mostly," Maggott said with a chuckle. "They're goin' through a lil' growth spurt. Tummies 're gettin' bottomless."

"What happened, exactly, after the original Fantastic Four returned?" Polaris asked.

"Heh, still can't believe you were part of the Fantastic Four. What if Galactus came around again? 'Quick, Maggott! Eat him!' Heh, sorry," Pyro giggled.

"Teamed up with Cap'n America, of all people. SHIELD made me a semi-agent. I was slated to be part of X-Force, but...I pulled out at the last minute," Maggott revealed. He pulled his knees up to his chest. His eyes became glossy.

"Why, may I ask?" Xorn asked as he somehow felt the hurt in Maggott's eyes.

"I, uh...," Maggott paused. "The gels..."

"Oh my God...," Psylocke gasped as her hands rushed to her mouth. She stood up and ran out of the room.

Maggott darted to his feet and shook his fist, "I didn't tell you to sneak around in my head, damn it!" Eany and Meany darted onto their master's back, stuck there, and shook out of fear. "It wasn't their fault!" Tears ran down his cheeks.

Suddenly, the X-Men found they may have made a mistake about making fun of Maggott. The fun and games is replaced by cheapness and guilt. Behind all the weird slang and too-cool-for-his-own-good attitude, he was still just a big kid...an emotional train wreck. His mutation was something that had a profound effect on the poor young man's psyche. A part of him became two separate lifeforms...Eany and Meany, two giant slugs with a hunger, an urge to devour everything in sight.

"I ate...my family," Maggott said as he fell to his knees, sobbing. "That's when I started looking for you...because you would understand what it's like to lose control of yourself. Sometimes the power has a mind of its own, and...they're the ones drivin'."

Joseph sighed as Blink nudged him. He walked up to Maggott and leaned down beside him. He whispered, "You know, there was a time when Rogue had trouble dealing with her powers. It took years, but she finally got it. Same with Blink, same with all of us..."

Maggott wiped his eyes, which glowed red, "But the bad thing is...I liked it. I almost enjoyed watching my parents and my brother die...Their screams...they'll haunt me forever." He got to his feet, with his slugs still clung to his back. He was about to walk out the door, when he was stopped by Psylocke.

Both Betsy and Japheth just stared at each other. Psylocke always sensed darkness within Maggott, but she never knew it was caused by psychological pain as a result of his powers. Seeing the young man's eyes puffed up made him look pathetic, but even Psylocke's bitchy manner caused her heart to ache for him.

"Warren...he wants us to meet," Psylocke said finally. Proudstar and Havok returned with beer bottles in hand. Joseph, who was still stood behind Maggott, looked back towards Pyro, Blink, Xorn, Polaris, and Diode, still around the campfire.

"Where? What about?" Joseph asked.

"Blink, could you 'port us to Warren's apartment in New York?" Psylocke asked. Her voice was still a little shaky. When she probed Maggott's mind, she experienced the death of his family in gruesome detail. Maybe that horrible accident made her feel sorry for him...or made her afraid of him.

Blink closed her eyes as a circular black form appears in front of her. She concentrated and used her pocket dimension to view the world. She focused in on New York City, and finally, the SoHo neighborhood, in a wide open area to create the exit portal. She saw Quicksilver, Rogue, and Archangel on the other side. The sun was still shining. It was afternoon there, and late night in Australia.

"Okay, walk through, guys," Blink said as the X-Men walked through the portal, one by one. They were walking into a new destiny...

"The Church of Humanity...?" Archangel asked as he leaned back in his chair. Cameras flashed all around the room.

"Well, off the record," Pyro began, "The Church of Humanity can suck my *expletive deleted*!"

The crowd of reporters gasped.

"What? Can't say *expletive deleted*?" Pyro asked, confused.

Archangel's eyes bulged. "Okay, thank you. No more questions," he says, as if he tried not to move his lips. He delivered a fake smile. As the X-Men got out of their seats to leave, the press congregated around the stage like it was some kind of rock concert.

Archangel grabbed Pyro by the arm and made sure the microphone was off, "That's coming out of your pay."

Pyro remained on stage as the rest of the X-Men walked off. Diode, the last one to go, is stopped by Mr. Allerdyce.

"You mean, you can't say that in America?" Pyro asked.

Diode smiled, "Nope."

"Well, geez. There should be a bloody list or something!" Pyro shouted before he stormed off the stage beside Diode.

"Don't worry too much about it. Ever since the Osbournes hosted the AMA's, all live TV feeds have a slight delay," Diode explained.

"God, I hate this publicity! Warren can stick his 'oh, I think we should out ourselves' celeb-status thing and shove it!" Pyro shouted. He checked his watch, "Shit."

"What?"

"I've got to promote my new book with the ladies of The View," Pyro said as he slicked his hair back.

"..."

Behind the curtain, there were tributaries of wires for the various news crews, it's also the hiding place for five unaccounted X-Men.

Archangel sighed as he scratched the back of his neck, "So you really don't want to be a part of this?"

"Thanks, but...no thanks," Polaris said, who wore a purple business suit sculpted for her feminine figure.

"We'd rather stay out of the public eye," Proudstar said as he wore a traditional black Italian suit with tie.

"There's no way I'd take orders from a dickhead like you, Worthington," Havok said bluntly.

Archangel stuffed his hands in his pockets and laughed, "Okay, no objections there." Warren turned to Rogue and Quicksilver. "And what about you? Are you going to be alright?"

"While I can't really help in the way I used to," Rogue responded, "I think we're just gonna take it easy for awhile."

"I think this is a good way to work for the dream, Warren," Pietro said as he shook Archangel's hand.

Archangel smiled as he bobbed his head with a swift nod, "Well said. We're going to work hard for it from now on..."

With that, the friends walked out of the conference room, having said their good- byes. Part of Archangel was sad, but the other was an uncertainty that excited him. He pulled a small velvet case from his pants pocket and opened it. Inside was the specially-made engagement ring for Betsy. It was a 24 karat gold band with an intricate diamond pattern that formed a stylized butterfly.

"This is where it all changes...," Warren muttered as he put the velvet case back in his pocket.

"You're not staying?" Joseph asked between kisses as he and Blink made out outside on the roof of X-Corp.

Blink paused as she backed her head away from her lover's lips. She smiled, "We can still see each other. You can come with me on my road trip across America. It'll be nice to stop teleporting everywhere for once and have an old fashioned adventure."

Joseph's countenance slumped into a look of sadness, "I don't know if that's going to work, Clarice."

Blink's eyes began to sting with salt water as she asked with a shaky mouth, "What...?"

"I can't."

Blink turned her back to Joseph and looked at the Manhattan cityscape, "Why?"

"I lost control a few months ago," Joseph revealed. "I almost killed Stryker. I've always been unstable with my powers. Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing when I do it. I don't want you to be hurt in the crossfire if I really lose control."

Blink whipped around, "As opposed to the other X-Men?"

Joseph touched Blink lightly on her shoulders, "You know what I mean. I have a temper. I might...do something I'll regret. I'm closer to you than Rogue, my own mother."

"I can take care of myself, Joe," Blink said. "Why should you be so worried--"

"You can't against me. I won't put you in that situation. You're a young woman full of life...I'm...I don't even know who I am anymore. If you love me, you'll stay away from me."

Joseph lightly stroked the side of Blink's face. She turned her head in response and kissed his palm as she gripped his wrist gently with both of her hands. Tears drenched Joseph's fingers. They embraced and kissed each other.

Blink took Joseph's hand and pressed it against her left breast. She looked longingly into his electric blue eyes. Joseph leaned in and began to kiss Blink as the two started to make love for what may be the last time.

SoHo.

"Warren?" Betsy asked, who wore a pink silk robe, as she brushed her hair in front of a mirror in the bedroom.

Warren opened the door to the bedroom and opened the small velvet case. "Marry me," he whispered.

Taken aback, Psylocke is shocked into silence.

X-CORP MEMO

Welcome to a new era in the X-Men mythos. From the wake of the award-winning, record-breaking X-Men Omega, X-Corp has risen. An all-new, all-different dream for mutant-human coexistence starts now...hope you survive the experience!

-Brad Horton
June 4, 2003