Going Through the Motions

• Writer - Scott Lobdell
• Penciler - Richard Bennett
• Inker - Richard Bennett
• Inker - Dan Green
• Lettering - Chris Eliopoulos
• Colorist - Joe Rosas
• Editor - Bob Harras
• Editor in Chief - Tom Defalco

Summary

  Jean checks on Jubilee, who is sulking in Xavier's Ready Room. She refuses to cry or to talk.

  Six hours ago: most of the X-Men were in Texas or Japan, and Illyana was sick. Xavier was waiting for Forge to help with the medical equipment, and Illyana was happy to see Kitty.

  Jean explains that Illyana had been older, as Magik, and friends with Kitty (see various issues of the New Mutants), even after she was reverted to childhood and returned to Russia.

  Jubilee realized Xavier had no cure. She sat with Kitty, who translated, to talk with Illyana, and made friends with both of them. Ororo reported in that Fitzroy was in custody, and Forge kept Piotr from being arrested for assault. Then Illyana had a downturn, and everyone scrambled. Xavier put a Shi'ar helmet on her that would only keep her DNA in its current state; Moira refused to doom Illyana to a life in a coma, and Kitty passionately agreed with her. Jubilee can't think of anything to do, so she gets Kitty's Bamf doll and puts it under Illyana's arm; later, when things were calm, she read Hans Christian Andersen to her in English. Then it happened.

  The Blackbird returned, and Bobby was about to make jokes, when he realized. Xavier broke the news to Piotr, who showed no reaction.Jubilee tells Jean that the X-Men could handle everything, but couldn't save one little girl. Now she just wants to be left alone. Jean hugs her instead, saying between birth and death we only have each other.