Issue+16+-+'A+Long+December'


 * Issue 16 - 'A Long December' **



**Plot**

It is a chaotic time at Academy X following the death of Gunther. The students and teachers mourn the sophomore's death, including holding a memorial service for the boy. Jessica feels useful counseling several students, though she feels out of place as a human at a mutant school. Meghan also gets used to being back at Academy X. Cameron likewise is going through difficulties coping with the knowledge that he was a test subject for Weapon X and that most of his memories were fabricated. In addition, he has the capability of losing control and possibly killing those closest to him. Lastly, Dr. Doom contacts David and informs him that S.H.I.E.L.D. has stolen the Doombots from his research facility. Doom has discovered a tracking device that he believes was planted by David, and he's furious. He says he will be activating the nanites to kill Meghan. Fortunately, the nanites have already been removed. As December arrives, it brings good news at last. A ghostly presence appears at the school - it is Gunther! He was able to use his mutant ability of spirit control to turn himself into a spirit at the moment of Jubilee Nova's explosion. Everyone is happy that Gunther has returned to Academy X, but it takes some adjustment to have a ghost in the school - especially in the girl's showers! Then, on a normal Monday at the school, Dagan falls ill in the middle of David’s second period English class. She is rushed to the medical lab. Jessica performs some tests and discovers that Dagan is infected by nanites that are killing her. The nanites have bonded with her internal organs and are slowly dissolving them. There is still time to help her, but the nanites cannot be removed or she'd die. Lucius needs the source of the nanites to cure her – the eXalts must face The Monitor again. With few other ideas, the eXalts contact Magneto. He offers his help to track the source of the nanites in order to save the young mutant girl. Magneto is able to locate the Monitor through his electro-magnetic senses: he is at a nearby military base! The group rushes there with Magneto. There is no time to spare - Dagan is dying! At the base, The Monitor has control of the base's defenses. There is a huge battle. In addition to the base's other defenses, The Monitor has infected the soldiers with nanites to turn them into Prime Sentinels. Each soldier is now a living cybernetic weapon! Matt reveals that he is actually a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent when he calls in a S.H.I.E.L.D. squad to assist. Things seem grim when Magneto is knocked out by a Prime Sentinel, but the group manages to dispatch The Monitor's defenses and take on the robot one on one. Several eXalts are badly wounded, but The Monitor is finally badly damaged and collapses. Magneto recovers and slips away. The group quickly brings The Monitor's deactivated body back to Lucius. He is able to study the original nanites and develop a cure for Dagan. He is also able to locate The Monitor's time travel technology. He believes he can use it one last time to send Dagan back to her time. Lucius and Samantha come up with a plan - Dagan will be sent back to her time with her memories wiped. Lucius will infect her with benign nanites that won't harm her but will be lethal to Victorious. This will explain how Dagan is able to defeat Victorious. It will also close the time loop - Dagan will defeat Victorious and Billy will have no reason to send her back in time. While everyone at Academy X will remember Dagan, she will have no memory of her trip to the past. More importantly, with the time loop closed, Dagan's future will no longer be their future, meaning the eXalts control their own destiny! Dagan says some tearful goodbyes to everyone and is sent into the future. Meanwhile, Magneto and Mystique move on, leaving Academy M in the hands of Cordelia Frost, Michael (Discord) and others, who have plans for Academy X...

**Next:** Issue 17 - 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' **Previous:** Issue 15 - 'All I Wanna Do (Is Have Some Fun)'