"Welcome home, Jubilation."

"Whatever," Jubilation Lee, said as she looked at Cyclops. "I'm not here because you asked. I'm not here because Sean asked me. I'm here because of her."

"Her?" said Cyclops. "You mean Magma." Jubilee glared at him, using a look Scott knew she'd learnt from Wolverine.

"I mean Emma Frost," she said. "She's a murdering bitch."

"She's also a damn fine teacher," said Cyclops, unmoved, "and I want the next generation of mutants to survive. We've taken Onslaught, Apocalypse and everyone else who's come to get us, and the dream of Charles Xavier's been battered out of shape. He wanted us to live in peace with humanity and protect against 'evil mutants'. So we're fighting amongst ourselves and that isn't good enough."

"How is Jean?" Jubilee asked, looking the leader of the X-Men in the eye. "Heard from her lately?" Scott bit back a sharp reply, thinking that Jubilee was colder, harder than he remembered. That was good. That was what he needed from her if she was going to be someone who enabled mutants to survive the next century.

"She's fine, as far as I know," he said to her. "Now let me introduce the rest of the X-Men, your colleagues." He led her to the hallway where several people stood.

"This is Magma," he started. "Another of Emma's old students, Alison's powers are to surround herself with intense heat and light and command the geothermal energies of the earth."

"And how do you feel that Emma's here?"

"I get by," Alison said.

"Feel the love," said the man standing next to her.

"Jared Corbo, Radius. Formerly of Alpha Flight," Cyclops said. "Constantly generates a force field of fluctuating energy around his body, that can be reshaped into a variety of different forms."

"You're cute," he said looking at her. "Got any cool powers to match?"

"I generate multi-coloured pyrotechnics that release light and have concussive effect," she said.

"You make fireworks," said Corbo.

"Miss Lee has always had more potential than she shows," said Emma Frost descending the staircase. "Such a shame she never got around to utilising it properly."

"Like you did?" said Jubilee. "How many of your students died, how many did you kill?"

"What's done is done," said Emma. "You'll get over it."

"Actually what I'll get over is this," said Jubilation and Emma's hand exploded, sending shards of diamond.

"Impressive," said Emma looking at her damaged limb, not feeling any pain at what had just happened. "You've been practicing."

"I've been waiting for you," Jubilation said. "I learnt a long time ago how powerful my pafs really were, but I've held back. Now I know I can generate them wherever I choose in a certain area, and my emotions aren't holding me back anymore. You're dead, Frost. When I choose, how I choose"

"So you finally broke through the shell," Frost said. "I always wondered what would push you over the edge. You hled yourself in check after your encounter with the Mandarin, and you were on the verge of a breakthrough before the death of Illyana, but when Wolverine left, you held yourself in again. Maybe I should have killed someone earlier, and broken the cycle..."

"ENOUGH!" said Cyclops, an optic blast separating the two women. "We don't have time for this. Jubilation, if all you want to do is kill Emma then I chose the wrong person, and Emma, don't forget who's in charge here."

"As if you'll let me," said Emma, looking at the glowing eyes of Cyclops. Her freedom and the speed with which it had occurred had come at a price and it was not something Scott Summers would let her forget any time soon. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hand to regrow..." She walked out of the room.

"She can regrow her hand?" said Magma. "I though she was just made of diamond."

"It seems the crystalline properties of her body aren't too dissimilar to the crystalline properties of ice, and she has a control of her body similar to that of Iceman, which she learnt of when she was inside his body." Cyclops looked at them. "And that's why I need her on the team, because she dares to think outside the box."

"Five of us," said Magma. "Interesting number."

"More will come," Cyclops said. "There's a lot of work to be done. The X-Men I gather will be the ones I know will survive, the ones who will be able to take what's coming."

"You've a lot of faith in us," said Radius.

"If I'm wrong, you die," said Cyclops. "Simple enough to me, and then I find someone else."

Tom was dead, and he wasn't happy about it. He'd been wiped out when the sentinels struck, and the sentinels came from somewhere, and that meant the government. Someone was going to pay for what had happened, and in paying they'd learn that you did not mess with his friends. The buck had to stop somewhere, and it was time it those in authority were called in to account.

And God help anyone who got in his way.

"They're ready," Cerebro said. "I've prepared them and they're waiting for instructions."

"Good," said Cyclops. Xavier had worked hard, worked well. He had identified and catalogued so many mutants over the years, and worked hard at protecting them that he had placed secrets within secrets. Factor X had been one of them, and he had kept an eye on Ruckus, Cargil and Fixx. One day he would recall people and ensure things happened properly this time.

However what surprised him was the appearance of Crux. She had not been known by that name for long, but Cristal Lemiuex had recently appeared as part of the New Warriors. If she was here and real, then Cyclops considered the possibility that the other 'X-Men' were real, those that had been created by Cerebro. As it turned out they had not been created, merely selected because that was what Xavier had done, as he had done with the second generation. He had prepared for a new team of X-Men, and they had all been real, but created by Cerebro.

Cerebro had confirmed this, and Scott had ordered Cerebro to find Addison Falk, Daniel Dash, Michael Mercury, Joy Scott and Lee Broder. They would be his other X-Men, a reservist team and if they would not join him, he could always make alternative arrangements. They would have no loyalty to Xavier, just the ideal and that was what Cyclops wanted. Charles Xavier was dead and his methods would not work, and those who revered him would not accept what was going on. He had hoped Jean would understand, but she had left him and it had thrown him off course.

Now he was back and there was work to be done, and Cyclops would ensure that mutants survived. Magneto and Xavier could have achieved so much if they had just worked together, but they had not. Now Cyclops would bring the best ideals of both men, and ensure they came together.

The only wild card in his plan so far was Jubilee, but he was banking on her hatred to blind her. She was powerful and they had always seen she had potential. It was just a shame it had been realised at the cost of Paige Guthrie's life.

"Cyclops," said Cerebro. "You might want to look at this..." The screens flared to life and Cyclops looked at the screens.

"Damn them," he said. "They're going to get themselves killed. Tell Addison I need him, and if that doesn't work, you know what to do." He pressed the communication button. "X-Men, assemble in the hangar, we've work to do..."

"It's not working, is it?" asked Cannonball as he looked at the other two.

They had formed a trio of X-Men and they were working from one of the safehouses that Cable had set up, and Sam knew about, and he was sure that Nate wouldn't mind. They had spent the last few days working hard, rounding up as many of the so-called evil mutants they could. Some had escaped, others had not and those they had taken were being removed by SHIELD.

Forge himself was busy, but he had arranged for Beast to be able to call for aid as and when needed, especially if they had been as busy as they were, and it had been a long few days.

"I think we need more people," said Dazzler. "Three people are not enough to keep up this pace."

"I know," Hank McCoy said, "but nobody's home. X-Corp hasn't done us any favours and nobody believes there is an X-Men as such anymore. As a group of outlaws, they've not been in the public eye."

"Then maybe we need something big," said Sam. "An' I think I've found it." He looked at the screen.

"Oh my stars and garters," muttered Hank. "Now that would be interesting..."

"You think we can stop the Juggernaut?" asked Dazzler.

"Only one way to find out," Beast said. "He's on a direct path for the White House, so someone's going to have to, and if the reports are true, there's not many heroes about."

"So it's up to us," said Cannonball, thinking this was something he needed to do. He'd taken on Cain Marko twice before and twice he had come off second best. Not a third time. "Let's bodyslide."

The Juggernaut wasn't sure whether to be impressed or feel insulted.

"I'm guessin' the X-Men ain't that they used to be," he said as the three of them stood in his path.

"Cain," said Beast as he looked at him. "We can talk about this, work something out."

"Bastards killed Tom, McCoy. Sentinels hunted him down, flash fried him and everyone else they could find. They were killed by the government, an' I aim to see justice."

"Now that's irony," said Dazzler. "Cain Marko wanting justice, especially when he's one of the biggest criminals around."

"Ain't you still makin' straight to video shit?" Marko asked. "Or you finally figure you ain't got the talent."

"That's no way to talk to a lady," said Cannonball.

"An' I ain't even bothering with you, hayseed," Marko sneered. "Now get outta my way..."

"We can't let you do that, Cain," said Beast, but before he could say anything a car was headed towards him, hurled as if it were a pebble, but with much greater speed and force and he leapt out of the way. "I'm getting too old for this," McCoy muttered as he watched Cannonball go in, pushing his way forwards and slamming in to the Juggernaut, who was expecting him to simply bounce off his hide like he'd done in their last encounters, but this time Cannonball struck him, fed the kinetic energy in to his blast field and the Juggernaut was actually moved about half an inch as his own power was reflected back at him.

"Nice one," he said, impressed, "but not very smart." He grabbed Cannonball and slammed the X-Man in to the floor, leaving a large indent in the floor and Sam didn't move.

"SAM!" called Dazzler as she fired her lasers at the Juggernaut but they bounced off his armour, having no effect at all and Marko just started to walk again. Nothing would stop him from getting where he wanted to go, and he would bring them to justice on television, before the world. He hated the idea that he was doing something to help Charles, but on the other hand it suited his purpose to do this and then a jet appeared in the air.

"Damn it, more of 'em," he said, knowing full well it was going to be more X-Men and when the jet landed he waited for them to come out.

"It's over Marko," said Cyclops as he came out of the jet, followed by a whole new set of X-Men and Cain shook his head and laughed.

"First those three, now you lot. We're really scrapin' the bottom of the barrel," he chuckled.

"Maybe," said Cyclops. "But then again how many times have we beaten you?"

"Ain't no telepaths to protect you this time," said Marko and Cyclops unleashed his optic blasts, as Jubilee fired her pyrotechnics and Magma joined in with her lava assault and after the dust settled, Cain still stood there. "Yeah, 'cause that worked..."

"Actually it did," said Cyclops, with a slow smile. "Radius!" Corbo nodded and extended his forcefield, and Cain's helmet was sent flying. Cyclops and Magma had blasted Marko while Jubilee had placed her charges at the locks for the head piece and in the attack he'd not noticed it had happened. Team work.

But where the hell was he?

"Nice work, idiots," Juggernaut was saying. "Ain't a telepath among you is there? None of you have brains big enough..."

"That's a little unkind!" said McCoy as the former members of X-Men Alpha assembled at the other side of.

"It's over Marko!" Cyclops said. "You'll not get past us."

"Are you guys dumber than usual? I'm the Juggernaut and nobody stops the Juggernaut."

"Unless you're a telepath, Thor, Spider-Man," said Cannonball. "Hey, is there anyone you ain't been stopped by?"

"Funny kid," said Marko. "Wolverine ain't here to save you now!"

"But I am," said a voice and they all looked up.

"About time," said Cyclops, as the red-headed man hovered in the air. "He's yours, Addison!

"I know," he said. "Why do you think he's not attacking you right now? Cyclops gave a slight shake of his head. The man was cocky, arrogant. He knew his powers and he knew them well. He was perfect for what he had in mind.

"A telepath, right?" said Cain. "Figures."

"More than that, I'm dampening your powers with my mind," said Addison. "Your body's too heavy for you. Which is why you're not moving. You don't have the strength."

"Now that's interesting," said Beast.

"Very," concurred Emma Frost. How powerful was the control Addison had over his powers? He was pitting himself against the might of Cytorrak's Earthly agent, and he was holding his own.

"Okay, Cain," said Cyclops. "It's over. You're done."

"I'll get free," Cain said. "I'll break loose from wherever you put me and I'll come back. I want justice. I want answers. They killed Tom, they provided the means, they provided the resources and the X-Men did nothing. You sat back and did nothing to help the people who needed you."

"I know," said Scott. "I messed that up, and I messed it up badly. But there's a new X-Men in town, and I'm going to make sure that mutants get justice, I'm going to make sure that the things that have happened never happen again."

"You're talk, Summers," said Cain.

"Once maybe," Cyclops said. "But when the mkan you revered as a father is murdered, when you're put in to a coma only to recover to find your wife has the baby of your worst enemy, and to also see that the X-Men have been fragmented beyond anything Charles ever dreamt of, it makes you change your mind. Things need to be done differently. I'm going to do them. You're either with me, or against me."

"I ain't an X-Man," said Marko. "Ain't ever going to be one."

"I don't want you to be one either," said Cyclops, "but we both know that since Onslaught you've not been as powerful as you once were. When he ripped the gem from you, he damaged the connection and all I'd have to do now is strike you with an optic blast..."

"Just above the eighth rib on the right hand side," said Emma. "I can feel it..."

"If I shattered the Ruby, what would happen then?" said Cyclops.

"You can't," said Cain and Cyclops fired a thin blast at him, aiming where Emma told him and Cain winced.

"Now we both know I've not damaged the ruby, but I'm not exactly trying," said Cyclops. "Want me to try again?"

"They killed Tom," said Juggernaut. "Don't you get it? Don't you care? He was my friend!"

"We lost a great many friends," said Beast.

"More over the years than we'd like," Dazzler answered. "Whatever you do now, it won't bring him back."

"Maybe you ought to run for the senate?" suggested Radius. "You never know, it might be fun."

"I like you, kid," Cain said. "Keep him around, Cyclops." Then he turned away.

"Cain," said Cyclops. "If you want to talk, if you need help, there's people who can help you."

"Maybe there's a better way to do things," Juggernaut replied. "It's not like I've got anything left anymore. Charles is gone, Tom's gone. There's a load of Templars out there, with powers like me, and they're better at it than I am."

"If you need us, let me know," said Cyclops and Cain laughed.

"Good one, Summers. Maybe you should quit this and go on tour." Then he turned and went away.

"That man has some serious conflict issues," said Magma.

"Don't we all?" said Emma and looked at Sam Guthrie, who realised who she was and he hurtled towards her.

"Addison." Cyclops said and Cannonball dropped from the sky.

"This bitch killed my sister!" he said.

"I know," said Cyclops. "She's an X-Man now."

"Scott," said Beast, "do you think this..."

"Is a good idea?" He finished. "This is why I got rid of you, because you're not going to be able to deal with what I'm going to do. Hank, we've known each other a long time, but unless you get to my way of thinking, then you're not on my X-Men."

"If your X-Men include her," said Sam, "then I ain't ever gonna be an X-Man again!" He looked at Jubilee. "How can you?"

"Because one day I'm going to kill her," she replied. "Make no mistake about it."

"It will be nice to see you try, child," Emma said.

"Let him go," said Cyclops and Addison released his hold and Cannonball looked at Beast.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I can't be an X-Man knowing she's one." Then he took to the skies and was gone.

"And then there were two," said Radius. "Which way do you swing?"

"Scott, I can't condone you," Beast said. "But I won't support you either. We're done."

"I know," said Cyclops and looked at his one time friend. "Can we drop you somewhere?" Beast looked at Dazzler and she shook her head.

"We'll walk," he said and Cyclops nodded and the last remainder of X-Men Alpha drifted away.

"So what happens now?" asked Magma.

"We go home," Cyclops said. "And I'll tell you what's going on." He looked at Addison. "All of you. It's time you learnt the truth about what was going on here."