14. HUNTERS AND HUNTED.
{Magneto's Acolytes, under Pietro's command now that Sabretooth is gone, are returning to Magneto's castle with Bobby and Evan as their prisoners. Both mutants are slung over their backs, barely conscious, tied hand and foot.}
EVAN (whispering): Bobby. Bobby.
PIETRO: Come on, you slowpokes! Let's get going! I've seen turtles that could overtake you guys!
{One of the Acolytes sniffs the air, a thoughtful expression on his face.}
PIETRO: What is it? What do you smell?
ACOLYTE: We're being followed. Three mutants.
EVAN (in a hopeful tone of voice): Scott.
ACOLYTE: They've picked up our trail.
PIETRO: Then let's go!
{Evan pulls loose the brooch from his cloak that he'd been given by Storm in the Silver Wood with his teeth, and drops it on the ground. The Acolytes rush past it, giving no sign of having seen his act.
Some distance away, Scott has his ear close to the ground, listening. Warren and Logan are waiting behind him.}
SCOTT: Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent. Hurry!
WARREN: Come on, Logan.
WOLVERINE: Three days and nights' pursuit. No food, no rest, and no sign of our quarry, but what barren rock can tell.
{They run on. After a while, they come to the spot where Evan dropped his brooch. Scott sees it lying on the grass, bends over, and picks it up.}
SCOTT: Not idly do the leaves of the Silver Wood fall.
WARREN: They may yet be alive.
SCOTT: They're less than a day ahead of us. Come on!
{They reach a hilltop, and gaze out over the grassy plains beyond.}
SCOTT: Caldecott, home of the Horse-lords. There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. It sets its will against us.
{Warren takes to the air for a moment, hovering above Scott and Logan.}
SCOTT: What do you see, Warren?
WARREN (gazing into the distance): They're turning north-east. They're taking Bobby and Evan to Magneto's castle.
SCOTT: Magneto.
{In Magneto's study, Magneto is standing over his Seeing-Stone, speaking aloud. Inside the globe, Apocalypse's eyes can be seen glowing.}
MAGNETO: The world is changing. The age of humans is ending, and the age of mutants has begun. The future is ours, not theirs. How can those pitiful creatures stand against the might of those such as myself and Apocalypse?
{The scene changes briefly to Apocalypse's gargantuan castle, with a great army of Morlocks walking across the bridge leading from its gates. Magneto continues to speak.}
MAGNETO: We shall rule this Marvel-earth at last.
{Magneto's followers are pulling down more trees as fuel for his furnaces. Since there are no trees left around his castle, they have begun to ransack the edge of Rasputin Forest not far away, dragging the trees away and leaving numerous empty stumps behind. In the caverns below, more mutants are being upgraded into Acolytes.}
MAGNETO (v.o.): The old world will burn in the fires of industry. The forests will fall. A new order will arise. We will drive the machine of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the Acolyte. We have only to remove those who would oppose us. It will begin with Caldecott.
{Magneto's forces have already begun attacking the villages on the border between Magneto's lands and Caldecott. The villagers are forced to flee as their homes are put to the torch.}
MAGNETO (v.o.): Caldecott is ready to fall.
{Two horsemen ride through the gates of Castle Caldecott in the courtyard. Prince Samuel Guthrie, nephew to King Sean Cassidy of Caldecott, helps his cousin, Prince Cody, dismount. Cody has been shot with an arrow and looks badly wounded.
Shortly afterwards, Cody is lying in his bed, looking ill. Sam stands over him, looking concerned. Rogue enters the room.}
ROGUE: Cody.
{Sam looks up at Rogue, a grim expression on his face. Rogue walks over to join him, and sees that the arrow-wound is most likely a mortal one. Her own face becomes grim.
Shortly afterwards, Sam and Rogue are standing in the great hall, before the throne of their uncle King Sean. Sean, once a noteworthy mutant, slouches in his throne, prematurely aged, barely aware of what is going on about him.}
ROGUE: Your son is badly wounded, my lord.
{Sam strides forward, an angry look on his face.}
SAM: He was ambushed by the Acolytes. If we don't defend our country, Magneto will take it by force!
{Mastermind steps out from the shadows by the king's throne.}
MASTERMIND: That is a lie! Magneto has ever been our friend and ally.
SEAN (in a mumbling voice): Wyngarde... Wyngarde....
SAM: The Acolytes are roaming freely through our lands. Unchecked, unchallenged, killing at will. Acolytes bearing the badge of Magneto.
{He throws an Acolyte's helmet to the floor before the dais. It bears Magneto's insignia upon its front, over the nose-guard.}
MASTERMIND: Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see? Your uncle is wearied by your malcontent, your warmongering.
SAM: Warmongering?
{He lunges at Mastermind, and pushes him against the nearest pillar, an angry look in his eyes.}
SAM: How long was it since Magneto bought you? What was the promised prize, Wyngarde? When all the men are dead, you would take your share of the treasure.
{Rogue turns and leaves the hall. Mastermind watches her leave, and Sam sees the look in his eyes.}
SAM: Too long have you watched my sister, too long have you haunted her steps.
MASTERMIND: You see much, Samuel Guthrie. Too much.
{He signals. A couple of guards come up and pull Sam off Mastermind, holding him tightly.}
MASTERMIND: You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Caldecott, under pain of death.
{Sam struggles in fury as the guards drag him away.}
{Magneto's Acolytes, under Pietro's command now that Sabretooth is gone, are returning to Magneto's castle with Bobby and Evan as their prisoners. Both mutants are slung over their backs, barely conscious, tied hand and foot.}
EVAN (whispering): Bobby. Bobby.
PIETRO: Come on, you slowpokes! Let's get going! I've seen turtles that could overtake you guys!
{One of the Acolytes sniffs the air, a thoughtful expression on his face.}
PIETRO: What is it? What do you smell?
ACOLYTE: We're being followed. Three mutants.
EVAN (in a hopeful tone of voice): Scott.
ACOLYTE: They've picked up our trail.
PIETRO: Then let's go!
{Evan pulls loose the brooch from his cloak that he'd been given by Storm in the Silver Wood with his teeth, and drops it on the ground. The Acolytes rush past it, giving no sign of having seen his act.
Some distance away, Scott has his ear close to the ground, listening. Warren and Logan are waiting behind him.}
SCOTT: Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent. Hurry!
WARREN: Come on, Logan.
WOLVERINE: Three days and nights' pursuit. No food, no rest, and no sign of our quarry, but what barren rock can tell.
{They run on. After a while, they come to the spot where Evan dropped his brooch. Scott sees it lying on the grass, bends over, and picks it up.}
SCOTT: Not idly do the leaves of the Silver Wood fall.
WARREN: They may yet be alive.
SCOTT: They're less than a day ahead of us. Come on!
{They reach a hilltop, and gaze out over the grassy plains beyond.}
SCOTT: Caldecott, home of the Horse-lords. There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. It sets its will against us.
{Warren takes to the air for a moment, hovering above Scott and Logan.}
SCOTT: What do you see, Warren?
WARREN (gazing into the distance): They're turning north-east. They're taking Bobby and Evan to Magneto's castle.
SCOTT: Magneto.
{In Magneto's study, Magneto is standing over his Seeing-Stone, speaking aloud. Inside the globe, Apocalypse's eyes can be seen glowing.}
MAGNETO: The world is changing. The age of humans is ending, and the age of mutants has begun. The future is ours, not theirs. How can those pitiful creatures stand against the might of those such as myself and Apocalypse?
{The scene changes briefly to Apocalypse's gargantuan castle, with a great army of Morlocks walking across the bridge leading from its gates. Magneto continues to speak.}
MAGNETO: We shall rule this Marvel-earth at last.
{Magneto's followers are pulling down more trees as fuel for his furnaces. Since there are no trees left around his castle, they have begun to ransack the edge of Rasputin Forest not far away, dragging the trees away and leaving numerous empty stumps behind. In the caverns below, more mutants are being upgraded into Acolytes.}
MAGNETO (v.o.): The old world will burn in the fires of industry. The forests will fall. A new order will arise. We will drive the machine of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the Acolyte. We have only to remove those who would oppose us. It will begin with Caldecott.
{Magneto's forces have already begun attacking the villages on the border between Magneto's lands and Caldecott. The villagers are forced to flee as their homes are put to the torch.}
MAGNETO (v.o.): Caldecott is ready to fall.
{Two horsemen ride through the gates of Castle Caldecott in the courtyard. Prince Samuel Guthrie, nephew to King Sean Cassidy of Caldecott, helps his cousin, Prince Cody, dismount. Cody has been shot with an arrow and looks badly wounded.
Shortly afterwards, Cody is lying in his bed, looking ill. Sam stands over him, looking concerned. Rogue enters the room.}
ROGUE: Cody.
{Sam looks up at Rogue, a grim expression on his face. Rogue walks over to join him, and sees that the arrow-wound is most likely a mortal one. Her own face becomes grim.
Shortly afterwards, Sam and Rogue are standing in the great hall, before the throne of their uncle King Sean. Sean, once a noteworthy mutant, slouches in his throne, prematurely aged, barely aware of what is going on about him.}
ROGUE: Your son is badly wounded, my lord.
{Sam strides forward, an angry look on his face.}
SAM: He was ambushed by the Acolytes. If we don't defend our country, Magneto will take it by force!
{Mastermind steps out from the shadows by the king's throne.}
MASTERMIND: That is a lie! Magneto has ever been our friend and ally.
SEAN (in a mumbling voice): Wyngarde... Wyngarde....
SAM: The Acolytes are roaming freely through our lands. Unchecked, unchallenged, killing at will. Acolytes bearing the badge of Magneto.
{He throws an Acolyte's helmet to the floor before the dais. It bears Magneto's insignia upon its front, over the nose-guard.}
MASTERMIND: Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see? Your uncle is wearied by your malcontent, your warmongering.
SAM: Warmongering?
{He lunges at Mastermind, and pushes him against the nearest pillar, an angry look in his eyes.}
SAM: How long was it since Magneto bought you? What was the promised prize, Wyngarde? When all the men are dead, you would take your share of the treasure.
{Rogue turns and leaves the hall. Mastermind watches her leave, and Sam sees the look in his eyes.}
SAM: Too long have you watched my sister, too long have you haunted her steps.
MASTERMIND: You see much, Samuel Guthrie. Too much.
{He signals. A couple of guards come up and pull Sam off Mastermind, holding him tightly.}
MASTERMIND: You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Caldecott, under pain of death.
{Sam struggles in fury as the guards drag him away.}