Treachery

Heroes and Villains

Summary

  Emma takes Alex to Xorn, whose his brain is a black hole. She's detected the intellect in there, but very hard to reach. She's determined he's a telepath, has nothing to do with Magneto, and is Shen Xorn, twin brother of Kuan-Yin Xorn, whose body was used by Magneto (cf. iss 146).

  They enter Xorn's basement chamber, and he greets them pleasantly. Alex apologizes for locking him up, but they had to clear him of complicity with Magneto. He tells them it wasn't Magneto, anyway, but someone still "within your midst." Alex is shocked and asks for details, but Xorn only knows there's a malevolent presence among them. He offers to help in any way he can.

  Tom explains: at his last confrontation with the X-Men (UXM 410), he told Cain to change sides if things went badly, and become a mole. He can get them through the tunnels and into the mansion. Nocturne tries to sneak off, but Cain sees her and denounces her as a "hero-lady" (they met in Exiles 28). When she runs, he catches her, slams her into the ground, and pummels her while mumbling. She doesn't get up; Tom remarks on Cain's brutality. Creed asks what he was mumbling; he claims he was wishing he had more time, to abuse her.

  Just then Sammy finds them, angry to see Cain among the villains. Cain is dismayed.

  Bobby tells Alex that Cain is gone; Alex tries to get him to relax, but he's angry and puts his finger on Alex's forehead while he yells at him that Cain will betray them. Icarus says Sammy went looking for him in the woods, where they thought they had seen Black Tom (158). Alex rushes to take action.

  Sammy can't believe he was fooled by Cain; Cain tells him to leave; Sammy spits on him and says he believes in Xavier's dream, an X-Man, and they're not getting past him. Tom uses his roots to wrap him up and starts to pull him apart; Cain, distraught, yells for him to stop, but the boy's bones snap. Cain breaks through the roots to rescue him, but Sammy says he hates him, and he passes out. Cain beats ineffectually on the plant-like Tom and roars at the sky; the X-Men hear.

  Alex orders Icarus to retreat and warn the school; Xorn senses death, and says nobody can heal that. Cain, meanwhile, is fighting the Brotherhood single-handedly (with both fists, actually). Exodus realizes the element of surprise is lost, and they maybe never had it. Bobby berates Alex for being fooled by Cain; Alex says Scott trusted him, too. Exodus blasts them, leaving a crater, and Alex blasts back. Avalanche shatters Bobby and then opens the earth to swallow Xorn and Alex, closing it on them with one clap of his hands. Exodus, realizing they haven't failed yet, orders the team to go kill the rest of the X-Men.