X-MANSION, WEIGHT TRAINING ROOM - NIGHT
Iceman, human form, lifts weights, straining, covered in sweat, pushing himself. Across the room, Angel is seated studying financial charts and graphs on a laptop while he speaks on the phone.
"I don't care what's hot in the Asian Bond Markets, Jack. S...E...L...L, got it? Now, what's MRV's close? Okay... lock in one millions shares. And, by the way, whatever happened to those ballet tickets?" He asks into the phone.
X-MANSION, BEAST'S LIVING QUARTERS - NIGHT
Books, books, books. One half of the suite is a chemical test lab. Beast mixes things in test-tubes, watches for a reaction. He gets none, disappointed, goes to write down his findings.
X-MANSION, LOGAN'S LIVING QUARTERS - NIGHT
A samurai sword rests on a display rack. Logan sits crosslegged on the floor, sorts through photos from the shoebox. Photos, of different people, different places. Logan studies one, then puts it on the floor and picks up another. He seems frustrated. Many photos are laid out on the floor around him. Many of have one corner sharply bent.
MANHATTAN - NIGHT
If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. It's big, shiny, and beautiful. It's the Manhattan skyline. The CITICORP building, with its distinctive slanted roof, stands tall. All and all, besides the sounds of sirens, it's a quiet night. Then, a loud rumble is heard. The CITICORP Building trembles. It shifts impossibly, just slightly, to one side, shuttering... Thousands of windows shatter, raining glass towards the street. Then, it's quiet again, for a moment. Only a moment. With a scream of tortured metal and a sound like one thousand trains speeding towards death, the CITICORP Building falls towards the east river... Its lights go dark as it topples surrounding structures, and buries streets filled with cars. The destruction echoes throughout the city. It's over. A great cloud of dust rises. The Manhattan skyline is forever altered.
X-MANSION, XAVIER'S LIVING QUARTERS - DAY
The HD TV shows news images and reports of rubble strewn streets and busyemergency rooms. Xavier listens, his head lowered in sorrow. The anchorman's voice tells about the tragedies.
"... alliance of mutant terrorists calling themselves "The Brotherhood" has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Here is a portion of the message we received just moments before the explosion." Magneto's voice fills the room.
"The thunder you hear across a cloudless sky is not the sound of a storm rising. It is the sound of mankind falling."
Xavier looks to the TV. This voice fills him with dread.
"If it is your desire to fear mutants, it will be our pleasure to give you something worth fearing. If you hate us, we gladly hate you back. And, if you attempt to imprison us, we will rise up, and we will build our cities with your bones."
X-MANSION, PARLOR - DAY
Xavier sternly faces the assembled X-Men: Beast, Iceman, in human form of course, Angel, Jean Grey, Cyclops and surprisingly Logan.
"Beast and I leave for Manhattan within the hour. I would like very much to see a marked improvement in this team upon my return. Will I see such an improvement, Scott? Can I depend on that?"
"Where there's room for improvement. Yes."
"There is one other thing. Angel... you are no longer required to participate in Danger Room exercises. I've decided you'll serve as only a pilot and a scout."
This is surprising to everyone, except Logan, who doesn't care.
"What?" He says, surprised and shocked.
"You are talented, son, but your skills are not enough in a combat. You're too vulnerable."
"This isn't fair. You're overreacting to one incident."
"I have to agree with Angel." Jean breaks the silence.
"I'm sorry, it's not open to discussion. The destruction of the CITICORP Building was only a prelude..."
"So, that's it? Suddenly, I'm just some junior-league flunkey?"
"Since when do we run things this way?" Iceman asks.
Xavier, with building anger in his voice, answers. "The darkest days of our lives lie just ahead for all of us and we have little time to make ready. So, in this one instance, this is how it will be, without question. Is that understood?"
UPSTATE NEW YORK ROADWAY - DAY
Xavier's car speeds along through lush, upstate NY forests.
XAVIER'S CAR -DAY
Beast drives, disguised in an overcoat with the collar pulled up, sunglasses and a hat. Xavier stares out the passenger window.
"What exactly was that back there, Charles? Tough love?"
"It had to be done." He pauses, probably regretting it already. "How harsh was I?"
"Perhaps you were right to limit Angel's participation, but a quote by Mark Twain does come to mind regarding your delivery."
"And it is... ?"
" 'Intemperate temperance injures the cause of temperance, while temperate temperance helps it in its fight against intemperate intemperance." Or, in other words, "chill out.' Just a little."
"I'll try to remember that. Thank you."
"Just what do we hope to accomplish on this breezy jaunt into the Big Apple?"
"I'm not certain yet. We may be looking up an old acquaintance of mine."
"Interesting. Care to elaborate?"
"No."
"Alright then. As long as you don't make me sit through "Cats" again." He looks to the rearview mirror. "Uh oh..."
Xavier looks back. A New York Police car follows, red lights revolving.
"Oh my."
ROADWAY - DAY
Beast and Xavier's car stops. The police car stops behind.
XAVIER'S CAR - DAY
Beast looks in the mirror, watches the policeman get out. He takes off his sunglasses, looks expectantly to Xavier.
"No. Not this time. You know how I feel about this."
"I understand your reticence, but what choice do we have? It's harmless..."
"I won't do it. I simply will not."
"Okay, okay. The only other thing I can think of is for you to switch places with me, and I could hunker down and hope he doesn't notice me. But, that might be a problem, if, say, oh... the officer happens to ask you to step out of the car."
"Alright... alright. Take off your hat."
ROADWAY - DAY
The policeman walks to the driver's side, taps the window. The tinted window rolls down... reveals Mel Gibson at the wheel.
"Howdy there, officer. Jeez, was I going too fast or something?"
"Hey... I know you. You're that actor guy... in all those great cop movies where everything explodes."
"Yeah, well, that's me. I, uh, was also in this thing called "Hamlet," but anyway..."
Xavier has his eyes closed, fingers pressed to his temples.
"Don't mind him. That's my agent there. He's got a really bad migraine headache... had a busy day back-stabbing and double-dealing. Listen, I'm on my way into town for a big movie premiere, and I was kind of hoping you might, you know... see your way clear to letting me slide this time. Just this once. He smiles his winningest, movie-star smile."