"So what's the plan?" Ryan asked the others, his voice cutting through the heavy, oppressive silence of the war room.
Beast, looking more exhausted than ever, rubbed his tired eyes. "We have been trying to find their weaknesses, but apart from physically destroying them, no other method has been found. And more of the Sentinels are being produced every single day."
Danny's face was grim. "That doesn't sound promising. At all."
"The Professor has discovered a peculiar group of mutants that always leaves their base one or two days before the place is attacked by the Sentinels," Storm explained, her tone urgent. "We are going to meet them today to see if we can find anything else. You can follow if you want."
After weeks of long, grueling trailing and chasing across the globe, with the mutant population diminishing at an increasing and terrifying speed, we finally met the group in an abandoned monastery high in the mountains of China. We learned that the secret to their survival was a young woman named Kitty Pryde, who had the unique ability to send a person's mind to the past.
The Professor spoke, his voice grave. "Bolivar Trask was a leading scientist, but he started experimenting on mutants. Mystique killed him at the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 and was captured by his sympathizers. Trask Industries planned on using her DNA to develop a robot army to eliminate every mutant. The plan was put down then by people like Howard Stark and Peggy Carter, who argued against the disastrous consequences. My guess is, after the death of Howard Stark and Miss Carter's retirement, some people secretly restarted the project. And after the fiasco at Alcatraz Island 16 years ago, some people in the government decided to support them, and this is the final monster they created."
"So what do you plan to do?" Bishop asked, his voice full of weary resignation.
"I plan for you to send me back to 1973 so that I can stop Mystique and prevent the Sentinels from ever being created," Charles said.
Kitty's voice was laced with concern. "I'm sorry, Professor, but even if I tried, you wouldn't succeed. Even your mind will break if we stretch it that much."
"Let me do it," Logan said, his voice a low growl of pure resolve. "If the problem is the mind breaking down, I might survive. My mind will just heal itself as it gets damaged."
They seemed unconvinced until the Professor connected his mind to all of ours, showing us a horrifying vision of a future decimated by the Sentinels. As we were reeling from the horrific scenes, their leader, Bishop, suddenly almost fell. He regained his balance and, with a newfound terror in his eyes, said, "I agree."
"What happened?" Blink asked.
"I just came back from a future where we rejected them and left," Bishop said, his voice raw with fear. "The situation got a lot worse, and nuclear weapons were launched."
"Shit, looks like we have no choice," Iceman said, his words a cold breath in the tense air.
The plan to change the past was put in motion, and I knew this was the moment I had been preparing for my whole life.
I approached Kitty and asked her about her ability. She explained, "I take a person's mind, locate their past in the timestream, and create a channel for the mind to go through. The longer the passage, the greater the burden on the mind."
"What do you plan to do?" Charles asked, his eyes on me.
"I plan to hitch a ride with him," I said, gesturing to Logan.
"Do you think you will survive?" Charles asked.
"I don't know."
"Then why?"
I looked at him, my expression unyielding. "Read my mind, and you will know."
Charles's eyes glowed for a moment. He looked back at me and then to the others. "I see. Then I won't stop you."
"What is it, Charles?" Magneto asked, his curiosity piqued.
"I don't know how to explain it," Charles replied, "but maybe you can say that it is his destiny, and trying to stop him won't help."
"So he can succeed?" Magneto pressed.
"He might, or he will die trying."
"Can you send two people at a time?" I asked Kitty.
"I can't," she replied. "I can only open one channel at a time."
"Is your channel physical?" I asked, my mind racing.
"No, I think it exists in something different from our physical universe, but I transmit energy through it. What do you want to do?" Kitty asked.
"What if my mental energy latches onto his brain?"
"I feel you would probably damage your mind," Kitty said, looking at me as if I were an idiot.
Despite her warning, I began to prepare. Her words meant it was possible. As she started the transmission, my chi, which I had attached to Logan's mind, was almost immediately destroyed as it entered the channel. I failed. I took a few steps back and used one of the energy packs Stark had made to replenish myself.
I went outside, where a battle had started, and found Danny. "Danny," I said, "can you stop them all? I need Storm's help."
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a familiar fire. "I will do it. But if you do get back to the past, remember the promise you made me."
"Of course, brother," I said, a deep sense of gratitude filling me. I turned and walked toward Storm.
Danny stood before the door as his entire body started shining in a brilliant yellow light.
"What is he doing?" Storm asked.
"He's unleashing all the power inside his body to stop them," I explained, "but as a consequence of not being ready for that much energy, his body is just destroying itself in the process."
"I have to help him!" Storm exclaimed, her hands already crackling with power.
"You can do it after a minute," I said, taking a moment to fully replenish my energy. I looked at Ororo Monroe. "Charge up the strongest lightning you can without hurting others here, and when I clench my fist, let it pump into me."
After that, I took a deep breath, walked near Logan, and whispered, "Har Har Mahadev!" as I clenched my fist.