Everything had fallen apart. Bastion’s forces had overwhelmed the X-Men, and the team that had gone into space to stop magneto had been forced back to Earth and captured. Now they were locked inside reinforced prison cells beneath Bastion’s facility, their powers suppressed by mutation blockers that left Jean unable to reach their minds, Rogue unable to use her strength, Kurt unable to teleport, and Logan unable to do much more than glare through the bars. Storm remained composed despite the obvious frustration.

Magneto had been captured with them, he wasn’t truly their enemy anymore; Erik had been fighting Bastion alongside them, but they had still been forced to oppose him because he was willing to kill humans in his attempt to stop Bastion. Now they were all trapped together. Erik sat quietly in his cell, weakened by the blockers but watching Bastion’s forces with the same sharp awareness as everyone else.

Scott was focused on Nathan. Nathan remembered everything he had done and genuinely believed every decision had been his own, completely unaware that Sinister could take control of him whenever he wanted. That was how Sinister had used Cable against Jean; Nathan had been himself one moment, then Sinister had seized control, and afterward Nathan hadn’t even known it had happened.

Sinister decided to demonstrate exactly what he meant. Nathan’s expression suddenly went blank as Sinister took control, leaving Jean immediately recognizing what had happened while Scott stared at his son in horror. Rogue tightened her grip on the bars, Kurt looked between Nathan and Sinister in disbelief, and Logan stopped struggling against his restraints long enough to watch. Then Sinister released him, and Nathan blinked in confusion, completely unaware anything had happened.

Scott’s anger vanished as he realized Nathan hadn’t betrayed them. His son had been used without ever knowing it, and there hadn’t even been time for Scott to process the revelation before the guards entered the room. Everyone tensed, expecting them to take Nathan, but instead they unlocked Scott’s cell and brought him into the open area where every prisoner could see him.

Jean immediately moved against the barrier, Nathan stared after his father in growing fear, and the others reacted with barely contained anger despite knowing their mutation blockers made them powerless. Logan fought against the restraints, Rogue and Kurt moved toward the front of their cell, and even Erik stood to watch as Bastion entered.

Bastion wasn’t taking Scott away because he wanted them to understand what was coming. Magneto was too dangerous to use as a public example, and Xavier was an uncertainty he didn’t want to risk. Scott was different. Cyclops was the leader of the X-Men, a symbol of mutant resistance, but he was also Jean’s husband and Nathan’s father. Using him would hurt Jean and Nathan personally while showing every mutant watching that even one of their greatest leaders could be brought down.

The X-Men could only watch as Scott stood powerless in the center of the room, surrounded by enemies and unable to protect himself or his family. For once, there was no plan, no powers, and no way for Scott to shield the people he loved from what Bastion had planned.