Notes: Things in [square brackets] are the sort of running commentary you get in boxes in the corner of the frame. Things in *star things are thoughts and things in "speech quotes" are speech. Things in nothing at all are descriptions of the panel the speech below them occurs in.
EXCALIBUR #91 (November issue)
"Who Is That Masked Man?"
Written by Lady Amethyst (amethyst@marysia.com)
Cover: Captain Britain and Britanic facing half away from each other both in typical strong man poses with a large red question mark between their heads.
Full Page: Kitty in jeans and a t-shirt sitting on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chin staring into space. Lockheed is perched on the backboard of the bed.
[Kitty Pryde has a lot on her mind today. She just got back from a trip to London with Peter Wisdom, a man she distrusted and disliked. While there they discovered and hopefully destroyed a secret Black Air base called Dream Nails and a bunch of aliens who called themselves the Uncreated. All in a days work for a girl like her, for a mutant who's been fighting for good for so long she's almost forgotten what it's like just to be a teenager. But that wasn't all that happened on that trip. She also took a step from being a child to being a woman. A step that should have been a very special moment in her life... right now it seems more like a nightmare.]
Kitty: *Well you've really done it now. So much for romance and love and thinking things through. The deed is done... with practically a complete stranger. Oh God Kitty, what would Ororo say? What were you thinking? Well I can answer that one. I wasn't thinking. Why him? Of all the complete strangers you ever met why that one? I suppose in a way he reminds me of Logan, that tough exterior with a truly good man underneath. Logan was always a father figure to me but perhaps if we'd first met when I was older... I would have completely ruined my relationship with him just like I have with Wisdom. What am I going to say to him?*
She rolls over onto her stomach and props her chin on her hands.
Kitty: *What would Rachael have done? Rachael wouldn't have got herself into such a God awful situation. Where are you Ray? I could really do with your help about now cause I don't know what to do...*
A living room. In the background we can see an open coal fire and a decorated Christmas tree. Douglock is sitting right next to the tree. In the foreground are Moira McTaggert and Rahne Sinclair (in full human form! with short red hair!) in armchairs talking.
Moira: "How long wull ye stay luv?"
Rahne: "Ah'm no sure. Till after Hogmany enaways. Sa much has changed in X-Factor recently. Wi' Jamie's death an' Guido bein' ill an' Forge takin' over an' Mystique an' Wildchild... ah'm just no sure ah belong there enamore."
Rahne rests her chin in her hands and Moira touches her shoulder. In the background there are now two near identical Christmas trees and no Douglock. One of the Christmas trees is suspiciously yellow.
Moira: "Ye ken ye're alus welcome here. Ah'd be glad o' yuir company as long as ye want tae stay. Ah've missed ye summit awful dear."
Rahne looks up at Moira. In the background the other tree has gone green but so have all its ornaments and lights.
Rahne: "An' you ought tae ken ye dinna have tae lie tae me Lady Moira. Ah know there ain't no cure f'r the Legacy... Ah know y'r gon' tae die. Though the good Lord kens ah'll be prayin fur a miracle. An' if ye like, if ye want me tae, ah'll be stayin' till the end. Ah'm no lettin' ye go alone."
Moira and Rahne hug, there are tears in both their eyes. In the back ground Douglock finally gets the tree right.
Moira: "Oh Rahne luv. Ah'm sorry."
Meggan appears in the room loking distraught. Rahne and Moira are looking round at her. The other tree grows Douglocks face.
Meggan: "Moira!"
Moira and Rahne stand up to calm Meggan. Douglock changes back to his normal form.
Moira: "Calm doon Meggan, whit's wrang?"
Meggan: "B-Brian's gone! He was in the labs and he's gone and there's such a mess... Oh Moira what can have happened?"
Moira: "Dinna worry lass, it'll be all right. Rahne go get the rest of the team and bring them over."
In the communications room. The array is completely destroyed and the team is gathered around it; Rahne, Moira, Meggan, Kurt, Kitty, Douglock. Peter Wisdom is further back as if unsure whether he should be there.
Kitty: "This is going to take forever to fix."
Moira: "It's certainly a fair mess."
Kurt: "Can't say I'm surprised. Some stranger turns up claiming to be Brian and we all just believe him..."
Close up of Meggan looking angry and Kurt.
Meggan: "How can you say that? Don't you think I can tell the difference between my Brian and a stranger! He's been attacked... kidnapped and all you can do is accuse him!"
Moira pulls Meggan back. Rahne changes to half-wolf form.
Moira: "Meggan lass, hush. Kurt is right. We canna be sure tha Brian hisself didna do this. He's no the man we used ta ken. But we canna go accusin' anyone the noo. Let's get yon mess cleared awa an see whit we can see first."
Rahne: "Ah can smell Captain Britain but there's another scent an all. Kinna the same but no the same."
Kitty heads out the door walking past Wisdom on the way.
Wisdom: "Kitty..."
Kitty: "Not now Pete, I have to get my laptop and stuff."
She heads out the door leaving Wisdom staring after her.
Wisdom: *?*
Cut to Rory's lab where he and Amanda are sitting facing one another. Rory is bandaged up around the left hip where the laser struck him. He looks desperate and is sweating too much. Amanda is calm but worried.
Rory: "It was just... one of those things Amanda. I guess the mood stabilisers weren't strong enough, that's all. I should have noticed he was getting to me... quit before it got too much. But I wanted to prove I could do it... that I wasn't Ahab."
Amanda: "You don't know how much I want to believe you Rory. But you attacked him! I've looked at the recordings of your sessions. You've been playing power games with him, grinding him under your heel every chance you got. That's not the behaviour of a stable man."
Close-up of Rory, he is looking down at his hands which he is twisting.
Rory: "No, no... of course. But I told you why... I explained... the mood stabilisers. It was just an... an accident..."
He stands up, slamming his hands down on the table. Amanda is back in frame still sitting. She looks sad.
Rory: "I'm not him! I'm not Ahab! I'm not!!"
Amanda: "I think it would be best if you didn't work with Spoor anymore Rory. I'm sorry."
Amanda leaves. Rory slouches down over the table face down arms stretched forward.
Rory: "An accident... just... only... accident... was..."
Cut to the communications array. Kitty has a laptop fixed up to it and Kurt is tinkering about in the remains with a soldering iron.
Kurt: "So are you going to tell Uncle Kurt what happened between you and Wisdom in London? How's that?"
Kitty: "Nothing and nothing."
Kurt: "Don't give me that. What with his puppy dog eyes whenever you're in the room and your sudden inability to even look at him..."
Kitty: "I got something there, do that again."
Kurt: "Don't try and tell me there's nothing going on."
Kitty: "Got it, trace that back. It's none of your business."
Kurt: "Following it. So something has happened?"
Kitty: "Looks like most of the memory is still intact. No, nothing has."
Kurt stops working and turns to Kitty who steadfastly glares at her computer screen.
Kurt: "Katzchen talk to me... Perhaps I should call Ororo and get her to talk to you."
Kitty turns to him in shock.
Kitty: "No!"
Kurt: "Then talk to me, please. I'm worried about you."
Kitty lowers her head, there is a tear in the corner of her eye.
Kitty: "I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake Kurt...
She puts her face in her hands, Kurt lays a hand on her shoulder.
Kitty: "...and I don't know what to do."
Cut to the kitchen. Meggan is making dinner. Wisdom is leaning against the counter waiting for the kettle to boil.
Meggan: "I thought you'd be staying down in London Mr Wisdom. Now that we're done with Genosha."
Pete: "Let's just say I had a little disagreement with my old employers while I was down there. I won't be goin' back to Black Air."
Meggan: "So what will you do now?"
Pete: "Haven't decided yet." *What's going on? I thought Pryde was going to square things with the rest of the team.*
Meggan turns to Wisdom, mashing some potatoes rather violently. Her hair hangs lanker than usual and her face is less attractive.
Meggan: "Well I'm sure no-one will mind you staying here till you decide. If you want. Though Moira doesn't seem to like you very much..."
Pete: "You don't say." *Bloody Scottish witch.*
Meggan: "I expect it's your own fault. You're not very friendly."
Pete: "Thanks."
Meggan has turned back to the potatoes which are already thoroughly mashed and continues to pound them. She resembles her old form when she first met Brian.
Meggan: "And she doesn't really like English people very much. I asked her why once and she said... actually I don't think I should repeat that."
The potato pan goes skiting off the side spraying mashed potatoes.
Meggan: "Damn!"
Meggan sits on the floor and starts to cry.
Pete: "Hey... umm... don't cry. It doesn't matter."
He moves to clear up the mashed potatoes.
Pete: "See, there's plenty left."
Meggan: "I just want to know why this keeps happening! Where is he?"
Pete moves to comfort her.
Pete: "He'll be alright, you'll see. We're the good guys remember? That means he'll be alright." *You hear me whoever's up there? I'd hate to be a liar.*
Cut to the dining room. The table is round. The team are seated Moira, Rahne, Kitty, Kurt, Meggan, Pete, Douglock, Amanda, Rory.
[It's a silent grouping at what ought to be a cheery time of year. That time between Christmas and New Year that's full of joy. But their missing comrade and other... more personal problems... make things less than festive. It used to be that they never let things get them down, there was always a joke to be made no matter what the situation. But recently there just hasn't been much to laugh about. And they can only pray that soon things will get back on track, that the shadow of death will stop clouding their lives.]
Moira: "Will ye say grace for us Rahne?"
Cut to Rahne.
Rahne: "F'r whit we are aboot tae recieve, may the Good Lord mak us truly thankful..."
Cut to Meggan.
[An may he send Captain Britain back tae us safe an soond...]
Curt to Moira.
[...an help Moira and Professor Xavier tae find a cure f'r the Legacy Virus...]
Cut to a split frame with Kitty on one side and Pete on the other both looking surprised/shocked.
[... An help Kitty an Mr Wisdom tae figure oot whit ever's wrang between them.]
Back to Rahne.
Rahne: "Amen."
Cut back to full table.
All: "Amen."
[And who knows, perhaps someone up there is listening to Rahne's heart- felt prayer. And if one part of her prayer can be granted perhaps the rest will not be far behind. Certainly if it's a matter of faith she has enough to move a mountain.]
Cut to outside the facility. The wind is blowing a gale and the rain is so hard you can hardly make out where the land stops and the sea starts.
A lightening bolt strikes the ground.
There is a sudden flash of light.
Captain Britain, in his normal costume, appears silhoetted against the dark sky.
Read more X-Writers including Excalibur #92-99 at The X-Writers Archive