EPISODE 6:

Hank McCoy is in Court, on the stand, being questioned by a lawyer.

Lawyer: "So you chased down the perpetrator?"

Hank: "Yes."

Lawyer: "And sadly the policeman got shot and we're here because he died on the operating table. Is it fair to say the gunman could have been shooting at you?"

Hank: "I don't know. I was actually behind the police when he sh-"

Lawyer: "So it's possible that my client was running for his life? He was scared, that you, a giant blue mutant with the alias Beast, were hunting him down in order to kill him."

Defence lawyer: "Objection! Your honour Mr. McCoy is not on trial here."

Judge: "Sustained. Stick to asking questions."

Lawyer: "Your honour I'm just saying. With an animal like that running after you, I know I would shoot blindly in order to protect myself."

Defence lawyer: "Your Honour!"

Lawyer: "Withdrawn."

Hank shakes his head.

/

The screen splits to a pair of well-postured women walking into Black Panther's Palace. T'Challa is stood by a table awaiting his fiancé, but Shuri approaches Ororo and Kitty first.

Shuri: "Guards, their bags from the ship. Thank you." She then quietly addresses Ororo; "He's most unpleased. Good luck."

Ororo: "Can you take Kitty?"

Shuri: "Of course. Come." Shuri partially links her arm to Kitty's and the two of them walk out of the room.

We hear T'Challa bark: "Guards. Give us the room." The guards exit the room and the door closes on the scene.

/

Shuri leads Kitty to another part of the palace.

Shuri: "It's nice to meet you in person Kitty. I have to ask, can you show me your talent?"

Kitty smiles: "You too, of course. It's not a talent, but a mutation."

Shuri: "Mutation, yes, sorry."

Kitty and Shuri walk along and Shuri panics as Kitty, arms still linked, walks her through a wall and into the next room.

Shuri is shocked and excited; "Wow. That's amazing! That means you can get anywhere. Oh my goodness, you could be a crime lord. It'd be so easy. Walk into a bank, take their money."

Kitty laughs: "I'm no crime lord. I'm just a teacher."

Shuri: "Yes, but you are also an X-Man."

Kitty: "I was."

Shuri: "Was. Sorry."

Kitty: "Hey is er, Storm going to be alright in there? Your King seemed pretty pissed."

Shuri: "He's paranoid. All the stern looks and macho dressing, it's all for show. He's probably in there cuddling her and thanking the Kings that she's alright."

Kitty: "Storm says that she feels happy here. I dunno, your brother seems pretty intimidating."

Shuri: "Good. Then the illusion works. Even to me and especially to all the guards, the Black Panther is King. He rules Wakanda. Storm will too."

Kitty: "But he still doesn't like her leaving the kingdom?"

Shuri: "No. But it's about protection. He is a target, so by marrying him Ororo becomes a target too. Look at me, I am his sister and I have only been out of Wakanda when I have been by his side. He would never let me go alone or just with guards."

Kitty: "So Storm had to lie to him to get out? Seems unhealthy."

Shuri laughs: "She didn't lie. She left him a video message. And it's good to get all that out the way now. Eventually my brother will realise that he alone does not have to defend Wakanda. Ororo will be by his side and they will remain strong. Better than Jay Z and Beyonce!"

Kitty laughs: "Ok, if you're sure she's alright?"

Shuri: "She's fine. Definitely suited to be Queen around here. You've known her for longer than I. Would she stay if she was unhappy?"

Kitty: "No."

Shuri: "Well there you go. Let me show you to your room."

As their conversation ends the camera zooms out of the building and around it. Through curtains we see a silhouette of one body atop another. The King and future Queen are making love.

/

Pietro throws something across their hotel room. "This is ridiculous! We've been here for days. That Gateway guy tricked us, putting us in the middle of nowhere just for kicks."

Raven: "An old man like that doesn't do things for kicks. He wanted his people's safety and I think he genuinely feared us, so have a little patience and think." Raven is at a table with a map. "These are the neighbourhoods we've tried and here is where Gateway brought us. So for the rest of the day we can do these few streets and tomorrow we'll do this whole chunk."

Pietro: "Why can't I just run in and out of every household? I could find him so much faster that way."

Raven: "No. It'll cause a stir between the locals. You leave a silver streak Pietro. It's only there for a split second, but if enough people spot it then Erik would know you're here, meaning he'd find a way out and leave this place before we can get to him."

Pietro: "That's a good thing. It'd be like smoking him out."

Raven: "No. Your father is smart, we can't take the chance of losing him. Gateway brought us here so he must be in this town. Like I said, be patient."

/

Hank walks down the hall of the Courthouse and catches up with Moira MacTaggart.

"Hey Hank."

Hank: "Moira, so lovely to see you again."

Moira: "Hank I'm so sorry. They're treating you so awfully in there. You're here as a witness and they turn it into some sort of mutant witch-hunt."

Hank: "It's not the best. May I accompany you for the lunch recess? I wanted to raise a few queries."

Moira: "About the serum? Alright, sure. But don't try change my mind on anything Hank, we've worked too hard."

Hank: "I won't. I will ask based on my own scientific curiosity."

Moira: "Ok, good." They walk out of the building.

/

Ororo falls off from straddling T'Challa. They're naked, but we can only see their faces, shoulders, silhouettes.

Ororo: "Perhaps my penalty would be better in bed next time?"

T'Challa, holding her to his chest: "There shouldn't be a next time. You can't be reckless."

Ororo: "People were in trouble. I couldn't sit and wait until the robbers decided to leave."

T'Challa: "You could have phoned the police?"

Ororo: "There wasn't time. Besides, these gangs come in more than trios in Kenya. They're anything from five to thirty people. They may have had gang members watching from windows and rooftops nearby."

T'Challa: "See? Exactly. So how did you know you were safe?"

Ororo: "Once they saw a mutant they got scared and the gang members on the outside wouldn't get involved. The issue is that if I didn't do anything, those gang members would have attacked another car. Then another, then another. Then they would have been long gone by the time the police arrived."

T'Challa: "But there is a problem now. You had the guards bring them here and we have no right to do that. They must be handed over to the police back in Kenya."

Ororo: "T'Challa no. They will only be released to rush the streets again and there's no telling which of the police are corrupt."

T'Challa: "In that case we will tag them and monitor them from here. If they are within one hundred feet of each other they get destabilized. If they carry a weapon of any kind, they get destabilized. But we cannot imprison them here, it's not right."

Ororo: "If that's a way to keep them from committing the crime again then that's fine. As long as you're sure your tags cannot be tampered with."

T'Challa: "Shuri is in charge of all that. She will enjoy making sure the tags are fully operating on such barbarians."

Ororo: "And if they then go to the police, to try get the corrupt ones to take the tags off?"

T'Challa: "A camera is activated as soon as the box on the tag is opened. From that we can see who is tampering and we can locate the person because of the tag's GPS. Anyway, I don't think they will go to the police or any fellow gang members. They won't want to admit they had their rears handed to them by the mighty Storm."

Ororo kisses T'Challa: "I had help."

T'Challa: "She's a good friend."

Ororo: "Very. She didn't know we were getting married though. You haven't sent the invitations?"

T'Challa: "Me? I thought that was on your to-do list?"

Ororo sits up in a minor panic: "T'Challa be serious?"

T'Challa: "I'm serious, I haven't sent anything."

Ororo slides herself off the table and again we don't see anything too revealing as she marches naked toward her clothes.

T'Challa: "I'll see you in bed?"

Ororo: "Designs. Cards. A guestlist. Do we even have a guestlist? T'Challa our wedding is very soon. We can fuck later, I have work to do."

T'Challa: "So I'll see you in bed?"

Storm throws the King's clothes at him and marches out the room having gotten dressed.

He lays back, looking at the ceiling; "Very well my Queen."

/

Hank and Moira are in a coffee shop.

Hank: "I understand what you're intending to do, but how can you be sure it's going to work? There hasn't been any news of mutants being born since Decimation Day."

Moira: "But the mutant gene exists. So if two hosts have a baby it means that there would be a mutant gene in there. It's scientifically improbable that there wouldn't be a mutant gene in there because of the mutant DNA from both parents. What our serum does is guarantee that the child is or becomes a mutant. Much like with two human hosts, the serum ensures that the child is born with only the human DNA, therefore no sign of that child becoming a mutant. It's something that can change the world for the better Hank."

Hank: "But after Decimation Day, no more mutants, how do you know it'll even work?"

Moira: "It works Hank. In fact we plan to have it available in a worldwide push after my company's meeting with the UN. It will enable the world to accept mutants."

Hank: "You really think so?"

Moira: "Think of races, religions, cultures. They all started somewhere. Women's Rights, the Lesbian/Gay community, everyone has a presence and they are people that have all made a choice. The serum gives people that choice. No more mutants have been born since Decimation Day. But how do we know that? We don't. Just like we didn't know until much later that there aren't 198 mutants left, there are actually 300. You're an endangered species my dear friend. I wouldn't want to see your kind die with your generation. I doubt Charles would have wanted that."

Hank sits solemn.

/

Shuri and Kitty are comfortable watching a movie in the theatre room.

Ororo opens the door: "Shuri, can you watch this another day?"

Shuri and Kitty sit up with their popcorn and other snacks in arms.

"Yes Ororo, a problem?"

Ororo: "Did you know your brother hadn't done the invitations?!"

Shuri tuts: "My goodness. Men!" She gets up immediately: "Come Kitty. Let's help Ororo."

/

We split screen to Poland where Raven and Pietro literally go door by door and ask anyone if they had seen Erik Lehnsherr. They're having very little luck.

Pietro: "You know what, my dad used a few names, aliases. What if we said those too?"

Raven, angry: "What? Now you come up with such a bright idea?!"

Pietro: "Well I thought the photo would be enough, I mean everyone should recognise him."

Raven: "But he could have a full beard and be known by another name! Arrgh!"

Pietro: "Jeez."

Raven: "We're going to have to start again!"

Pietro: "Let's not start again. Keep as we are, but if we have to go again you can morph into someone else, an important figure. And then make out that the first two people looking for my dad were goons, looking to hurt him, but your new persona is here to help him and keep him safe, so it's imperative he's found."

Raven: "More walking for me then."

Pietro: "Hey, it may turn out that we find him before then. Good to have a backup plan right?"

Raven shakes her head: "Full of bright ideas."

Pietro: "You almost sound proud of me."

Raven: "Shut up."

/

Out in the basketball court beside the X-Mansion, Remy and Scott are having a one-on-one. Hank walks by having returned from his Court date. Scott and Remy keep playing while Hank watches and talks.

Scott: "Everything alright?"

Hank: "The jury are thinking it over. I think it will proceed as a Manslaughter charge. They're not convinced the shooter wasn't aiming for me."

Remy: "Sorry Hank, that sucks."

James Logan walks along with a holdall.

Hank cheers up: "Logan. So good to see you."

Logan: "Yeah alright. No hugs, I just need a beer and to get into some fresh clothes."

The one-on-one continues for the moment.

Hank: "What about a little two on two? I can be out of this suit fast enough."

Remy dunks over Scott and the game halts. Scott: "No. We've been waiting for you James. And Hank you're home in good time. We have to get on with our mission. Come on, congrats Gambit. Game's over." Scott walks off, picking up his water bottle and towel: "Meet in the kitchen, forthwith."

Hank: "Spoil-sport."

Logan: "Pussy."

James and Hank loiter while Remy picks up his juice bottle.

Logan: "Forthwith?"

Remy: "I think he been watchin' Blue Bloods or somethin'."

/

In the kitchen we see Scott exiting having spoken to Emma and Sooraya. Sooraya goes to the cupboards to collect glasses.

Emma: "What are you doing?"

Sooraya: "They've been under the sun. They'll need hydrating once they come inside."

Emma: "Honey, you do that once, they'll expect it all the time."

Sooraya: "It's not a problem. We must look after our men."

Emma: "My God, you and Gambit aren't even married."

Sooraya: "I am not married to Beast or Wolverine either. But out of respect to my spouse, I get the drinks for him and I don't embarrass him around company so I get the drinks for his friends too."

Emma watches as Sooraya gets enough glasses for everyone including Emma. She begins pouring juice and Emma says: "Don't pour me a glass. I can do it myself, Sooraya, don't" but it's too late, all the glasses are poured, right in time as Remy, Hank and Logan enter the kitchen. Logan dumps his bag on the floor as Sooraya walks with the tray of drinks toward Remy. Remy thanks her and Hank takes a glass too.

Logan looks at her quizzically and then marches toward the fridge. "Juice? Are you shitting me?" He pulls out a beer.

Hank politely says "I'll have his," taking another glass off the tray.

Sooraya places the tray beside Emma, taking a glass off for herself and the tray has two remaining. Scott comes marching back in, turning on the communication system that allows the team to talk via live video.

Logan: "What, I couldn't have taken a piss first?"

Scott: "Storm, are you there?"

Ororo appears on screen with Shuri and Kitty beside her. They are on the floor in the palace' living room. Various notepads, lists and invitation samples in front of them.

Ororo: "Here Scott. Good afternoon everyone."

Logan: "Storm? Hey."

Kitty: "Logan!"

Logan: "Kitty! Fuck, how long has it been?!"

Emma: "Alright alright, save it please. James we've been waiting for you to help us find Magneto. Do you think you can do that?"

Logan: "Yeah I can do that Your Highness."

Shuri: "Actually, Storm is Your Highness." There's some mild bickering.

Scott pipes up. "We need a plan. Kitty said that Quicksilver and Mystique are trying to wake En Sabah Nur. We have to make sure that doesn't happen."

Storm: "But if you find Magneto, you think he'll know of Quicksilver's plan? What if Erik's not part of this at all?"

Scott: "We can't take a chance on that. Even if he isn't a part of it, maybe we can get him on our side."

Remy: "I wouldn't trust him homme. If there's a way for him to get his powers back, we all know Magneto, all-power is all he's ever wanted."

Dust: "But you said his daughter died. Maybe that's changed him."

Logan: "She's not dead, she's just, not present."

Hank: "Unfortunately we don't know where Wanda is, if she is alive. Nor do we have any idea about Charles."

Logan: "My senses can't pick'm up, but it doesn't mean they're dead. So is that what we're doing, finding Magneto? Kitty, you gonna come here?"

Emma: "If it helps."

A voice is heard; "Perhaps there is another way." T'Challa steps into the living room in the palace. "En Sabah Nur is buried beneath pyramids in Giza. Whether Mystique and Quicksilver have Magneto's help or not, their objective is to wake En Sabah Nur. So what if we are to protect that tomb?"

Storm: "My King, how?"

T'Challa: "The wedding. All the festivities and events, we have there. Directly around the pyramid and over the tomb. There will be so much going on, that the villains in this story won't have a way of getting to their Mummy."

Shuri: "T'Challa, the Queen of Wakanda must go through her rituals here."

T'Challa: "She can Shuri. But the X-Men will be on a wild moat chase otherwise."

Logan chuckles: "That's goat chase, bub."

T'Challa continues: "If we take over the pyramid grounds, even if there is an attempt on the tomb, we will all be there ready to protect it. We will still do our rituals here, privately, but Storm's friends need our assistance. We help them as we would help our own. If my Queen permits." T'Challa looks at Ororo who makes eye contact back. They both smile.

Logan: "Well this is all very tender, but are you tellin' me I just quit my job to be told I'm not needed. You couldn't have worked this out before?!"

Kitty: "You're needed Logan. Please, stick around."

Scott: "If it's alright with Black Panther, his people can go to town when they set the wedding up by the pyramid."

T'Challa: "Go to town?"

Ororo places her hand on T'Challa's, who's now stood by her: "I will explain."

Scott continues: "We do still need you James, we'll still try and find Magneto for answers."

Emma: "Storm? You're the bride. I think T'Challa makes sense. Would you want the wedding in Egypt?"

Storm pauses to think for a moment. She stands and holds her fiancé's hand: "I will become Queen to the Black Panther anywhere."

We see Remy put an arm around Sooraya and Scott put his hand over Emma's.

Logan puts a cigar to his mouth and begins to light it. "So much romance. I'm gonna puke!"

Scott/Emma/Storm yell: "Logan!"

Emma: "No smoking in the house!"

Hank chuckles.

We focus on Shuri on the floor, who's looking at the invitations that they had already completed: "In that case, I think we have to start again."

Ororo looks at the pile and shakes her head.