Emma Frost and Mystique ran ahead across the courtyard towards what looked like a jet-copter as Wolverine carried my chair over the rubble surrounding what should have been my school. Rather than the the stately bucolic mansion that I was use to though, the school was instead an imposing metal fortress, lined with barbed wire and static concrete barriers. Somehow the Enterprise transporter had sent Cyclops and I to an alternate reality where the people that we knew so well all had all changed. It was like some kind of evil mirror universe where Kitty Pryde claimed to have killed me and taken over the X-Men.

Energy beams erupted from the school at as we fled. Cyclops, who was running behind us, turned and fired his optic blasts back into the school causing booming explosions. The shooting died down long enough for all of us to climb into the awaitng vehicle. To my surprise, Toad was at the controls. He quickly got us airborne.

I couldn't believe the sight outside my window. The ruined landscape looked nothing like the Westchester where I live. Buildings were smashed, smoldering fires were burning everywhere - the whole city seemed to be in chaos.


"What the hell is going on here?" I asked.


"Oh Professor, it's just horrible!" whined Wolverine. "I'm so glad your back! It's just been a constant struggle since you've been gone! I don't think my poor nerves could take anymore!" And then he broke down sobbing. It was really kind of embarrassing.

Fortunately, Emma provided a distraction from the awkward moment. "Professor, I'm really not sure what is going on. Logan was outside your office a few mintues ago and saw you and Scotty fading in and out of exsistence. I happened to be nearby talking to Mystique who had returned to the school looking for Magneto. We responded to Wolverine's girlish cries and rushed to investigate. Somehow we got sucked along with you to this nightmarish world." Then she glanced at Wolverine with an almost apologetic look on her face. "If I had known what we would face, I would have brought more . . stable assistance."

"Yes, I understand," I replied, casting a sideways glance at Cyclops, who also seemed like he was about to lose it, too. "So Toad, where are you taking us?"

His only answer was to take the ship into a sharp dive. I was rather alarmed to see that we were headed straight for a giant steel wall with huge spikes jutting out in all directions. As we rapidly approached our apparent doom, my hands tightly gripped the arms of my wheelchair. The ship dove straight through the wall without any impact. Apparently it was an illusion.

The jet-copter landed underground and we disembarked. Loud footsteps echoed throught the concrete hanger. Emma had a very nervous look on her face and was about to say something to me. Before she could though, Apocalypse strode up to us.