Inside a holding cell sat a woman named Vanessa Carlysle. Her mutant ability to shape-shift earned her the codename of Copycat. She could become an identical clone of anyone. And, if she was really concentrating, she could even become a believable enough copy that even a telepath wouldn't notice without deep scanning.

But Vanessa happened to be a criminal. A mutant who would use her powers to do harm. She was caught, tried, and sent to Muir for rehabilitation under the guidance of doctor Roderick Campbell, a distinguished criminal psychologist working at the leading research center of genetic mutation.

Unfortunately, rehabilitation seemed completely out of the question.

"I can't tell if she's insane or if she's faking," Rory sighed.

Doctor Moira MacTaggert, chief scientist, doctor, and head of the Research Center, stood beside him, watching Vanessa through a one-way mirror. "I dinnae ken what t'tell ye, Rory. Ye're the expert in this field."

"Times like this I wish we had a bloody telepath," Rory said. "I can't believe I just said that . . . "

"We could always have Rogue touch her," Moira said.

"Not a chance. If Copycat is insane, it would drive Rogue insane. And even if Copycat's healthy and faking, I don't want to expose the girl to that kind of risk. She hasn't even begun learning how to control her powers. It's bad enough that she can absorb people's powers and psyches with touch, but she's also having to cope with the fact that she's apparently permanently absorbed the powers of Magneto, giving her flight, invulnerability and super strength, at least apparently."

"No would have sufficed."

Rory shook his head, but couldn't help his grin. "You may be a workaholic, and you also make some damn terrible coffee . . . and, well, you snore pretty loudly . . . and . . . wait . . . where was I going with this?"

"Into the next room where only the walls need t'here your voice," Moira sighed.

"Any word from the team?" Rory changed the subject.

"Kurt landed in London near the Parliament building and picked up the other two. Wisdom says these Neo are hiding out in a church somewhere. They're going to try and find out which one."

"That could take awhile . . . "

Brian Braddock sat at a computer nervously. He was doing his best to investigate a piece of information he had received just hours ago . . . startling information about his father.

I'm still not ready to believe this. That my father not only was a member of the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle, but was also a member of Black Air . . . and that he created a bullet which was invulnerable to any mutant power, meaning that not only would it be able to pierce through Colossus' armor, but it would also attack the very X-Factor gene in his DNA which gives him his powers. One shot would be all it would take. But did my father actually create this? And had the technology sent to Genosha? But why Genosha . . . ?

That's something Excalibur should look into . . . Genosha. It's supposed to be this Utopian Society, highly advanced, a leading nation in the world, where mutants and humans live in peace. But then why would they need a weapon like that?

"What're you up to?"

"Eh?" Brian turned around to see Terra Markov, the latest member of the Inner Circle to hold the rank of Knight. "You startled me."

"Apologies," she said, approaching. "Just curious as to what you're investigating."

"Ah," Brian replied. He had to tread carefully at all times. He was undercover, his mission to gather information and, if necessary, bring the club down from the inside. He was a mutant, code-named Captain Britain, and a founding member of the mutant super-team Excalibur. A team which stood for everything which the Hellfire Club stood against. "Just . . . things."

"Things?" she asked. "Like . . . Genosha, I see?"

"Genosha," he nodded. Brian could fly, he was super strong, and the suit he wore as a hero gave him a manipulatable force field, allowing him a simulacrum of invulnerability. Terra was secretive and mysterious, but her powers did relate to the earth.

"What's in Genosha?"

"I don't know . . . that's why I was looking."

"I . . . see," she said.

"Did you come find me to tell me about some new plan of Cassidy's?"

"No . . . he's been keeping to himself lately."

"So, then . . . ?"

"Curiosity was my only motivation," she shrugged, stepping closer. "Let's just say . . . you intrigue me. You're not like the other members of the Circle. They're all overly power-hungry, and obviously scheming. You, on the other hand . . . "

"Let's just say I have no desire to rule the world."

"No desire?"

"Who wants to do that much work?" he asked.

"But if that's the circle's ultimate goal, why be a part of it?"

"The resources and luxuries available," he shrugged. "The information. There's plenty power to be had without ruling the world."

"I see," she said. "Then I suppose I should leave you alone and to your work, then."

"I suppose."

Terra turned and began walking away, but stopped at the last second. "Oh, and Mister Braddock?"

"Yes?"

"I just thought to inform you that I think you're a terrible liar."

On board was the remainder of the team: Kurt Wagner, a.k.a. Nightcrawler, who could teleport and disappear into shadows; Piotr Rasputin, a.k.a. Colossus, whose flesh would turn into nigh-invulnerable inorganic steel, also giving him super strength; Meggan, a mysterious woman who could fly and control the elements; Tinya Wazzo, a.k.a. Apparition, able to become intangible at will; Pete Wisdom, whose fingertips could become hot knives, small blades burning with the intensity of the heart of the sun.

"This is the one-hundred and twenty-third church we've investigated," Kurt frowned. "We've found nothing."

"Are you sure he said Church?" Piotr asked. "What about Temples?"

"My contact said church," Wisdom said. "And he made it seem like it wasn't some secret, cultist church, but a real, in-use church."

"Someone would have noticed," Kurt replied.

"Do people still even use churches anymore?" Wisdom asked back.

"Way to score points with the Christian team-leader, Mister Smooth," Tinya said to Wisdom.

"You just don't want to get off me case, do you?"

"Of course not," Tinya smiled. "I'm having too much fun."

"Well, one hundred and twenty-three . . . that's a big number, right?" Meggan asked. "There can't be too many more churches, right?"

"There are several hundred churches in London," Kurt sighed. "It could take days to check every single one."

"And by the time we've found the one we're looking for, there's no guarantee they'll still be there," Colossus said. "Or that they won't have struck again."

"Is there a way to, maybe . . . boost the scanners?" Wisdom asked. "Look for anything weird?"

"Describe weird . . . " Tinya said.

Meggan stood. "Maybe . . . I might be able to help."

"How long were you planning to hold out on us?" Kurt asked. "Go ahead . . . "

"I can get myself really attuned to the elements if I concentrate," Meggan said. "Maybe I could expand my awareness of elements throughout the city . . . feel for something out of the ordinary?"

"Worth a try," Tinya said.

Meggan sat down and crossed her legs into her lap, like one would for Yoga. She closed her eyes and rested her arms on her knees, her hands clasped in a half fist. She began breathing deeply.

"Need us to burn some incense?" Wisdom asked.

Tinya elbowed him.

"Jeez, all right," he said. "It's enough to watch her breathing as that chest moves up and d--"

She elbowed him again.

"Would you stop that?"

"Children . . . " Kurt frowned.

"She started it," Wisdom said.

Kurt smacked his head.

"Hmmm . . . " Meggan said, her eyes still closed.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"I'm feeling something . . . awkward," she explained. "Something that doesn't belong . . . like living stone . . . "

"Where?" Kurt asked.

"I'll show you," Meggan said. She opened the side hatch of the airship and flew out, following what she sensed. Piotr took the helm and led the Runner after her.

"I hope this is it," he said.

"Me too," Tinya nodded. "These Neo are obviously out of control. We need to take them down."

Kurt turned to face Tinya and Pete. He paused for a moment. "All right, we need to talk."

"We do?" Tinya asked.

"I've been training to become this team's leader . . . now, I know I'm not an expert, but I am able to notice some things. And right now, you two are a hazard to the rest of the team."

"Hazard?" Wisdom asked.

"Yes, a hazard," Kurt continued. "Your constant bickering and flirting is likely to get one of you, or perhaps one of us, killed in a fight."

"Bickering--"

"--Flirting?"

"Silence," Kurt resumed. "Right now, you need to put your personal lives aside. If we are about to face the Neo, we'll need to be completely focused. Colossus and I only fought three of their kind when they destroyed the Moonlight Flit . . . and we had trouble. Sure, there are five of us now . . . but what if there's ten or twenty Neo now? Or even an army? I don't want you getting us killed. I don't want any of us killed. If we're too unevenly matched, we won't even go in there. But if we do . . . I just needed to tell you to put your personal conflictions aside."

He turned away from them and went back to the controls.

"Flirting?" Tinya asked. "Hardly."

"He's just angry," Pete said. "He loses his girlfriend, so he takes out his anger on any guy and girl interacting with each other."

"Bickering, you mean."

"No, I thought Flir--"

"I have a visual," Piotr said.

"Let's see," Kurt asked.

Colossus did as ordered.

"It's a church all right," Wisdom said. "Why's it look so . . . strange?"

"That's what didn't belong," Meggan's voice came over their communicators. "The entire outside of the church . . . the outer wall, it's been molded . . . changed. Into living stone."

"Regular scans?" Kurt asked.

"They cannot penetrate the outer wall," Piotr said. "Suggesting that the wall is indeed not something that belongs."

"This could be it," Tinya said.

"If it is, we'll have no idea what we're going in to," Pete said. "There very well could be an army waiting for us, and we'd have no idea."

"He's right," Colossus said.

" . . . " Kurt thought. "We can't risk waiting for the Neo to strike again. At the very least, we'll do some surveying. But let's at least get inside and see what we can do."

Colossus nodded as he armored up. "Ready and willing."

"All right," Kurt nodded. "Set the Runner on hover mode . . . and let's get in there."

Doug Ramsey and Rahne Sinclair sat around in the den, watching TV. The news was still mainly covering the attack on the Parliament building.

"'Tis awful," Rahne said.

"Don't worry, Rahne," Doug answered. "Excalibur'll find those Neo and show them what's what in no time."

She nodded. "I'm just glad that nae many people were hurt."

"Do you ever wonder about what we're doing here on Muir?"

"What d'ye mean?"

"I mean . . . we're two young mutants recruited to a place that's training a team of mutant super-heroes. Are we supposed to be Excalibur members in training?"

"Maybe . . . "

"And then maybe Rogue'll join?"

"Anythin' is possible, s'long as the Lord wills it," Rahne replied. He's always talkin' aboot that Rogue . . . I dinnae like that girl.

"I wonder if the news will cover Excalibur fighting the Neo . . . wouldn't it be great to be a part of the team? Out where the action is? Fighting evil, being a hero? That would be awesome . . . "

"I dunno . . . fightin's not somethin' I'd like tae think about . . . "

"Don't worry, Rahne. We're safe on Muir."

A portal opened up above the island. From it emerged a group of air-skimmers.

"This is Galadriel to Domina," one spoke into a communicator. "We've located the Spikes' base of operations."

"Some Spikes have located our base, as well," Domina's voice replied.

"Orders?" Galadriel asked.

"Tell Farahd to stand by. I'll be sending reinforcements. Destroy their island and kill everyone on it."

"Yes, Domina."