Frayed

• Writer - Scott Lobdell
• Penciler - Whilce Portacio
• Inker - Scott Williams
• Lettering - Lois Buhalis
• Colorist - Kevin Tinsley
• Editor - Bob Harras
• Editor in Chief - Tom Defalco

Summary

  Bobby and Hiro defend Opal and the Drakes from cyborg ninjas.

  Piotr goes into town to buys tickets to Russia. Mikhail has been having headaches. He knocks into a pizza delivery guy and, enraged, merges him with a tree.

  Ororo soars high, considering Forge's proposal. Forge in a sub-basement, taking her hesitation as rejection. He finally fixes the Blackbird, and laughs to think he can fix anything but her. Jean slaps him with a towel, saying there's nothing wrong with her. Forge says she is incapable of life away from the X-Men, and that their only time together was in another dimension (iss. 226). He asks Jean if Ororo loves him; she says it's not her place to say, and Forge takes that as a negative.

  Hiro explains to Bobby that Tatsu'o wants vengeance for his interfering with his family (X-Factor 63-64). Opal surrenders herself to save the Drakes, but Hiro frees her. She refuses to let the boys fight her battles again, but Bobby ice-slides away with her. Hiro is in allegiance with her birth mother, Madame Tatsuo, and stays to fight the cyborgs.

  Bishop doesn't want Ororo to leave, since she's his only friend on the team. Mystique needles him; they compare the loss of Destiny to the loss of Randall. Forge interrupts and takes Mystique away, saying she's going insane.

  Hiro, overpowered and out of options, sets his self-destruct and blows up the restaurant. Opal cries out, but nothing can be done. She says it was a matter of honor that Bobby can't understand.

  Forge tells Ororo he's leaving with Mystique (as predicted by Destiny, iss. 255). Ororo says she needs him, but he knows better. "You'll never leave the X-Men -- not for good. You're going to stay trapped beneath the debris that is your life. Forever." He leaves her sobbing, "I was going to say yes," but Bishop is in the wings.