Choosing Sides

• Writer - Jeph Loeb
• Penciler - Steve Skroce
• Inker - Scott Hanna
• Inker - Mike Sellers
• Inker - Kevin Conrad
• Inker - Bud LaRosa
• Colorist - Mike Thomas
• Colorist - Digital Chameleon
• Editor - Lisa Patrick
• Lettering - Richard Starkings
• Lettering - Comicraft
• Editor - Bob Harras

Summary

  Domino demands Rossovich tell her about X-Man, but he refuses, so she gets Grizzly to help knock him out. She also has Caliban, as her tracker.

  Forge trains Nate, trying to teach him not to rely solely on his TK, but he's too cocky. The team's new member, Essex, has quickly gained Nate's confidence. He suggests Nate try to fly, and he does, but gets a headache and nosebleed in the process. He then con-vinces Forge to have them reconnoiter Beast's lab: he wants Nate to use his power on bigger targets than Infinite patrols.

  They find it patrolled by Madri as well as In-finites, but they are detected before they can retreat. Nate lets loose with his power, de-stroying the factory, but he is easily knocked down by a Madri, to Essex's surprise. He telepathically turns off the minds of his at-tackers, then collapses.

  The team retreats to an abandoned farm-house. That night, Nate sneaks out in his as-tral form: he is determined to do more than Forge will let him. Theresa comes along, and they go back to the X-mansion. Little Charles detects them, and Magneto confronts them, so Theresa breaks the psi-link to force them back into their bodies.

  Brute finally realizes that Essex is Sinister, who destroyed his mind, so Sinister kills him. Forge has meanwhile decided to kick him out, but then Domino, Grizzly, and Caliban arrive.