"It is an honour Professor." Joseph replied.

"I am sending the X-Men out to ‘collect' some more mutants. I would like you to stay here with me."

"As you wish."

"There are three more mutants that would be of great help to our cause. A teleporter named Gateway, the former-Acolyte Scanner, and the Alpha Flight member Madison Jefferies. Gateway can get us there easily, we need Scanner for reconnaissance and for her ability to disrupt electro-magnetic fields, and Madison Jefferies ability to transmute metal is instrumental. You see to defeat the Phalanx we must destroy the core. After our last ordeal with the Phalanx, Forge created a virus that, when injected into the core, will cause a power surge, destroying all the Phalanx linked to the core. We know the central core is in Spain. Last time Cameron Hodge was tricked by Steven Lang (circa Cable #16 - Steve) into doing the same thing. However the Phalanx will not fall for the same trick twice. Before they were defeated last time they managed to send off a signal from their Babel Spire. Presumably that is what drew the current Phalanx here. The plan is to attack en-masse, to distract them. Then Gateway will teleport a small force into the citadel. Once inside Scanner will find the core, Madison Jefferies will transmute the core open and you will insert the virus."

"Okay."

"Please brief the other X-Men."

"Yes sir. What about.....arrgghhh." Joseph convulsed, holding his stomach in great pain. Bishop ran in on hearing the scream. Suddenly the roof parted and floating above them was none other than..... Magneto!

"What!" Charles stuttered.

"How!" Bishop added.

"Do not fear. Magneto is here to help you." Magneto assured as he descended majestically.

"But, if you are Magneto then who is....." Xavier looked over to Joseph, only it wasn't Joseph any more. His body changed shape, his face shifted until what was left was a young man, lying where Joseph was. The boy looked up.

"Daddy?" he queried to Magneto.

"Who is this boy? He is no son of mine." Magneto replied.

"No." Bishop disagreed, "He is not your son, but he is the son of Magneto."

"You speak in riddles man. Explain yourself." Magneto demanded.

"I don't know exactly how I know, but I know that this boy is a product of a relationship between you and Rogue (Prof X opened Bishop's mind in X-Men: Prime so he could remember some of what happened in the Age of Apocalypse - Alter-Steve). That's all.....all I remember." Bishop revealed.

"But I never had a rel...." Magneto started.

"Lets let the child speak." Xavier hovered over the boy and helped him up, "Who are you son? What are you doing here."

"I..I don't...don't know sir. I rem'ber falling and weird lights. Next thing I see Daddy lying on the floor, its so cold, and....and....snow. I crawled over to him and hugged him, and that's all I rem'ber."

"If what you say is true Bishop then perhaps young....er?"

"Ch-Ch-Charles."

"Hmm. Young Charles might have inherited his mothers powers. When he hugged Magnus it is possible that he may have absorbed his powers and some of his memories."

"That explains his seizures." Bishop added, "It was Magneto's memories trying to escape when he came in close proximity to him."

"Possibly. However we must concentrate on the task at hand. Thank you for your help Magnus my friend. I will brief you later. Bishop, get me Wolverine, Colossus and Iceman."

"We're approaching the mansion sir." Archer reported.

"Excellent." he replied before turning to Cable, "Once we're landed we can get your mercenary friend some proper medical attention. I'm sure Professor Xavier has a plan worked out.

"You mean he isn't captured?" Cable asked, astonished.

"No. He and a few others made it back from your ‘operation' in Spain."

"How do you know so much about this?" Cable queried, suspicious.

"We watch CNN." came the calm reply.

"We're landing sir. Seat belts on."

"I'd rather stand thanks." Cable replied.

"I understand. Macho image to uphold eh?" Archer joked. Fusion slipped out to the back of the ship again. Again he produced a communicator, only this one was subtly different from the one he had previously used.

"Fusion reporting in."

"Report."

"We're landing at Xavier's."

"And your passengers?"

"They have no idea what's really happening."

"Excellent. Let no-one say that Emma Frost is not the master manipulator. We have both Xavier and Sinister right where we want them. Well done my new Hellions, continue the charade. Sinister must continue to believe you are working for him and Xavier must believe you are a new band of heroes. Ha ha ha. Go. Spread chaos in the name of the Hellfire Club!"

"Aye Mistress." Fusion grinned evilly as he made his way back to the cockpit.

Charles Xavier and the Beast sat in the control room (where else - Its A Small Mansion After All Steve). "We have over a hundred mutants ready to fight Professor." Beast revealed.

"What about when Wolverine returns with Gateway, Colossus with Scanner and Iceman with Alpha Flight?"

"That depends on how many active Alpha Flight members remain, if any."

"And what of the Army?"

"The human government are not prepared to send there men along with ‘a bunch of muties'."

"Ah the ignorance of the human spirit."

"Indeed." Beast replied. A familiar light flashed on a control panel. "They have returned."

"All of them?"

"Yes. All of them."

"Excellent. Schedule a meeting in half an hour. We attack tonight!"

All was quiet around the Phalanx citadel in Los Alamos, Spain as the Phalanx drones went about their business, fixing this, building that. The Phalanx expected no further resistance, so their perimeter defences were lax. Most of their efforts were directed at learning how to assimilate each individual captured mutant, of which they had amassed hundreds. All of the mutants lay unconscious in huge vats, each being subjected to various tests, both chemical and physical. The Phalanx would soon learn never to underestimate humans again. Without warning the Phalanx suddenly found themselves under attack by over a hundred mutants, each with fantastic powers. The Phalanx on guard duty were overwhelmed almost immediately. It seemed that however many times they adapted to a mutant power, they would be hit by a brand new one. However it soon became evident that the tide of the battle was turning as more and more Phalanx appeared. Phalanx who were a wall a minute ago, suddenly became fully mobile, a satellite dish grew tentacles, downing seven Morlocks at once. However, unknown to the Phalanx, Professor X's plan was going exactly to plan. Within minutes Scanner had located the core and the small assault team, comprising of Box, Colossus, Iceman, Bishop, Magneto, Wolverine and Cyclops teleported in. The Phalanx seemed too arrogant to put defences around the core, but everyone knew that it would only be a matter of time before the very core itself would reform into a dozen Phalanx to attack them. They fanned out quickly, Box and Magneto preparing the virus while Wolverine and Cyclops moved to check there was no hidden defences. "C'mon kid," Wolverine reassured Cyclops, "I know you're scared but those eye blasts of yours'll come in real handy. Remember what I taught you, take off your glasses and look at the bad guys."

"I re'mber Mr. Logan sir." Cyclops said back, nervously. The two of them rounded a corner and came face to face with the surprise of their lives.

"Jeannie!" Wolverine cried out in astonishment.

"Jean Grey is no longer. Now there is only Phalanx!"

Next Issue.....
Its the last chapter of the Phalanx saga and the final battle!
Need I say more?
See you all in 30!