It is later that night, downtown. An old bar stands in the middle of a seedy looking part of town, near an old gas station.

Within in the bar, DEREK - mid-40s, African-American and muscular - stands behind the bar, serving as bartender. Derek cleans out an empty mug with a towel and turns to the customers seated before the bar. A mid-30s MAN walks to the bar.

DEREK: "What would you like to order, mister?"

MAN: "I'll have a beer."

Derek nods and walks off to fill up the cleaned-out mug with the beer. The man sits at the bar, while a distant clinking noise occurs down the room.

VINNIE: "Well, you're the last one, Carl. How many cards do you want?"

CARL: "Two cards."

At the far end of the room, five men are seated at a round table playing poker. The dealer is VINNIE - early-30s with blond hair and muscular, while the thin yet tall CARL sits next to him. Seated to Vinnie's left is JOE, mid-30s and out of shape. Seated to Carl's right is HARRY, late-20s with a goatee. The fifth man seated is not seen yet, a bit covered in the shadows. Vinnie deals two new cards to Carl, while Harry looks at his own five cards, rolls his eyes, and then he sets them down on the table.

HARRY: "I'm out."

Carl looks at his own hand a moment and then does the same.

CARL: "Me, too."

Vinnie grins and turns to Joe. Joe sneers and sets down his cards on the table.

JOE: (sighs) "Damn it."

Vinnie grins and looks up at the unseen fifth player.

VINNIE: "You out, too?"

The fifth man at the table is a scruffy Cajun with a mop of messy brown hair - REMY LEBEAU, now 19. Remy, now called GAMBIT, is dressed in a T-shirt and black pants under his open brown trench coat. Gambit looks up at Vinnie and grins.

GAMBIT: "I in."

Gambit sets down a roll of twenty dollar bills on the table, matching Vinnie's own bet of money on the table.

VINNIE: (in mock Cajun accent) "A'ight, Cajun boy. It's yo' funeral."

Vinnie smiles and sets down his hand of cards - four jacks and an eight.

VINNIE: "Four jacks."

Gambit looks on in mocked fear.

GAMBIT: "Oh, no. How am I ever supposed to beat a hand such as that? All I got is two pair."

Vinnie smiles and reaches for the money on the table. Gambit sets down his cards, faced up, on the table and Vinnie stops. Vinnie's smile fades, as he looks at Gambit's hand: four queens and an ace.

GAMBIT: "Two pairs of lovely ladies." (smiles) "Isn't that a daisy?"

Gambit grins and reaches for the money. Vinnie grabs Gambit's wrist, stopping him.

VINNIE: "You son of a bitch! You cheated me out of my money!"

JOE: "Take it easy, Vinnie!"

VINNIE: "Shut up, Joe! This guy has won five hands in a row without losing. I want to know why he beat us!"

Gambit looks at Vinnie innocently and shrugs.

GAMBIT: "Luck."

VINNIE: "Oh, yeah? Well, your luck just went sour, dip-stick."

Vinnie makes his free hand into fist and pulls it back to strike. Gambit quickly delivers a right cross to Vinnie's chin before he can strike and the hit knocks Vinnie to the floor. The three other men rise from their chairs and turn to Remy.

JOE: "Bad move, twerp!"

As Vinnie sits up, Gambit steps back and Vinnie grins.

VINNIE: "You're outnumbered, boy."

Gambit reaches into the pocket in his trench coat and pulls out a deck of poker cards. Gambit lets out a sly grin.

GAMBIT: "You wanna see a card trick, gents?"

CARL: "Why? That your last request before we snap your scrawny little neck?"

Gambit grins and his fingers shine with red energy. The poker cards are also bathed over in red energy and the three men step back in shock. Gambit tosses an energized card ahead at each man, one at a time, and the cards explode as they collide onto each man's chest. The impact knocks Carl, Joe and Harry down to the ground, the chests of their shirts singed by the mild explosion. Vinnie looks at his friends and then at Gambit.

GAMBIT: "And that was me holding back."

Derek looks at Gambit, noticing the men knocked down. Gambit scoops up the chips and money from the table and puts it in the pockets of his trench coat. Derek reaches for his gun hidden behind the bar.

GAMBIT: "Pleasure doing business with you guys, but I have t' dash now. But before I go..."

Gambit picks up a poker card from the table and charges it with energy. Gambit turns to the bar, as Derek stands up and holds up the gun. Gambit tosses the card across the room and it hits Derek's chest, exploding. The impact shoves Derek backwards and he drops the gun. As Derek falls and hits the floor, Gambit grins and turns to the exit. Gambit pushes the door open and walks outside.

Elsewhere, in Alex's home, Alex sits at the desk before the side wall, typing on the computer set on it, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Alex types another moment and then hits the return button. The computer screen shows a road map on it, with an area circled and driving directions listed under the map. Lorna walks into the room and to Alex's side.

LORNA: "Did you have any luck?"

ALEX: "I just found it. It's located in the Salem region of upstate New York. He was a teacher there for years and I never even knew it."

Lorna removes her wig, showing her true green hair beneath.

LORNA: "When did you want to go?"

ALEX: "First thing in the morning. Thank you for coming with me."

Lorna smiles and holds Alex's hand.

LORNA: "I'm almost done packing. I just hope you get the answers you're looking for."

ALEX: "I'm sure there has to be someone still there who knew him. If they have the time to talk, they can tell me what my brother was like."

Back in the Alkali Lake Hospital, later that night, Dr. Essex and Sage walk out of the elevator and down the top floor's hall to Dr. Loeb.

ESSEX: "Excuse me, Doctor. Can you tell me where I can find a friend of mine? I heard he was a patient here."

DR. LOEB: "What's your friend's name?"

ESSEX: "Scott Summers."

Loeb's expression fades and he looks at Sage and Essex, puzzled.

DR. LOEB: "You know Mr. Summers?"

SAGE: "Yes, we do. What room is he in?"

DR. LOEB: "Down the hall, the last room on the left. He's getting picked up by the authorities as soon as he recovers."

SAGE: "The authorities?"

Sage steps forward, but Essex puts his hand on her shoulder and stops her.

ESSEX: "May I see him, please?"

DR. LOEB: "You won't have long. Visiting hours are almost over."

ESSEX: "Don't worry, Doctor. I won't take long."

In the patient's room, Scott sits on his bed, his hand over his shut, bandage-covered eyes. Essex stands in the open doorway, staring at Scott with a soft smile.

ESSEX: "It's really you, isn't it, Scott?"

Scott lifts up his head, as Essex walks into the room.

SCOTT: (in raspy voice) "Dr. Essex?"

Scott pauses a moment, as Essex stands before his bed.

ESSEX: "After all these years, you still recognize my voice. You always were a bright young man."

SCOTT: "What are you doing here?"

ESSEX: "I came for you. I've been looking for you since you ran away from my orphanage."

SCOTT: "I had to leave. It wasn't safe for me to stay."

Essex looks up at the hole in the roof, which has already been boarded up.

ESSEX: "So I see. I heard about the power in your eyes. You must have been so afraid." (beat) "My dear Scott. This is my fault, isn't it? You ran away because you thought I wouldn't understand you."

Essex walks to Scott's bed and stands beside him.

ESSEX: "You have a gift you can't control, don't you? I could have helped you before. I can now, if you'll let me."

SCOTT: "What do you mean?"

ESSEX: "I'll explain on the way. You're being discharged into my care."

SCOTT: "But the authorities... Jean..."

ESSEX: (interrupts) "Don't worry. I persuaded the authorities and the hospital staff to let you come with me. There's so much to catch up on, to talk about."

SCOTT: "I can't. If I am getting released, I need to find Jean and get back to the school. I'm needed there." (beat) "I can't go with you. I'm sorry."

Essex frowns.

ESSEX: "So am I."

Sage stands at the other side of Scott's bed, holding a small pistol-like device in her hands. Sage fires the pistol into Scott's neck, hitting him with a tranquilizer, and Scott stiffens. Scott lies back on the bed, getting groggy quick.

SCOTT: "What was that? What did you..."

Essex frowns as Scott passes out. Sage looks up at Essex and motions her head behind her.

SAGE: "What about them? They won't let us take him."

Essex smiles and his eyes lose their pupils, turning completely red.

ESSEX: "Then let's go deal with them."