At 2 P.M., at a Russian security compound, Sage walks to the front doors of the main security building. She is wearing a delivery worker uniform and holding a briefcase in her hands. Two SECURITY GUARDS and two doctors - the tall, mid-30s DR. KRAMER and the bald, late-40s DR. DRAGO - stand before the front doors, waiting for her.

DR. KRAMER: "So, you're the new delivery woman the department sent over."

SAGE: "Yes, I am. I've brought over the equipment that you requested."

DR. DRAGO: "Oh, good. Dr. Kramer and I have been waiting for this shipment to arrive for some time."

SAGE: "Well, then, shall we go inside? I have orders to install the canister."

DR. KRAMER: "I'm afraid you cannot enter. It is not permitted. This needs to go into a restricted level..."

SAGE: (interrupts) "One level below. I'm well aware of your need to install it into the cryogenic chamber, Doctor."

Drago and Kramer look at Sage, stunned.

DR. DRAGO: "What? Who spoke to you about that?"

SAGE: "Spoke to me about what, Dr. Drago? I was never even here at this compound. At least, that's what you'll remember when you wake up."

The two Guards behind them look groggy and they fall to the floor, unconscious. Drago and Kramer step back in shock and Sage smiles. Drago and Kramer pause for a moment and then their eyes roll back in their heads, as they fall to the floor. Kramer and Drago land unconscious. Sage smiles, sets the briefcase down on the ground, opens the front doors and walks into the compound.

In one of the cell's of the prison building, six security guards stand at the walls around a large cell and watch over the four doctors that are hard at work. One of the doctors looks at a monitor hooked up to a large, round cryogenic chamber propped up against the back wall. One elderly doctor sits behind a nearby desk and types on its computer. The elderly doctor suddenly stops typing and passes out, falling forward and landing on the computer keyboard on the desk. The other doctors stop working and turn to the elderly doctor. One moves forward to him, but stops and suddenly passes out. One by one, the doctors and guards freeze in place and pass out, falling to the floor. Within seconds, after everyone in the room has been rendered unconscious, the door to the room opens and Sage walks in. Sage walks down the stairs into the room and walks down to the cryogenic chamber. Inside the chamber stands a man frozen in a block of ice, dressed in a black military uniform. The athletically fit man has chalk-white skin, red pupils and a six-foot-long metal coil growing out of an opening in the top of each wrist. This man is ARKADY ROSSOVICH, a.k.a. OMEGA RED.

SAGE: "To think, they wanted to keep you on ice like this. Not anymore."

Sage walks to the control keyboard on the side of the cryogenic chamber and she types on the keys.

SAGE: "We've finally found you. Now, we're going to bring you back where you belong."

Sage continues to type on the controls and then she enters the return button. The chamber lets out a low beep and the ice begins to thaw. The chamber begins to shine with red light inside the chamber, heating the ice. Inside the chamber, the coils start to writhe against the ice. Sage smiles and pushes down on a green button on the controls. The doors slide open and Omega Red's eyes blink. Omega Red's coils writhe faster against the ice, cracking it. Finally, Omega Red himself struggles and the coils break through the ice, lunging forward. The ice breaks off of Omega Red and falls to the floor, as he steps out into the room. Omega Red turns to Sage and narrows his eyes, shivering.

SAGE: "Hello, Mr. Rossovich. You were a difficult man to find. Your employer sent me to break you out."

Omega Red smiles and his coils writhe around.

OMEGA RED: "So, it is finally time."

SAGE: "How do you feel?"

Omega Red lets out an evil smile.

OMEGA RED: "Hungry."

Sage smiles and looks down at the ground. The elderly doctor stirs and awakens, while the others remain unconscious.

SAGE: "That's why I'm waking them up for you, one by one. Bon appetit."

The elderly doctor sits up and look over at Sage in confusion. Sage points ahead and the doctor turns to Omega Red. The doctor looks on in shock and the doctor SCREAMS in horror as one of Omega Red's coils wraps around the elderly doctor's waist.

OMEGA RED: "Hello, comrade. Did you miss me?"

The elderly man struggles against the coil and a white energy shines around the coil. The energy shines over the elderly doctor and he quickly weakens, slumping down in Omega Red's grip. Omega Red smiles at the doctor.

OMEGA RED: "Ahh... delicious."

At 8 A.M. in Essex's hideout, Scott lies on his back on a table, unconscious, in a large, mostly vacant storage room. Scott is dressed in an open jacket over a T-shirt and jeans, with his wrists and ankles are tightly shackled down to the table. Scott stirs and awakens, but keeps his eyes shut. Scott turns his head down and tries to lift up his arms, but notices the restraints. Scott blindly struggles to lift his arms and legs. Essex walks down the room and stands by his table, his eyes normal again.

ESSEX: "Please don't struggle, Scott. You'll hurt yourself."

Scott turns his head to Essex's direction.

SCOTT: "Why are you doing this to me? What do you want?"

ESSEX: "To take care of you. I've been looking for you for years, but you've been so hard to locate. I did some research on you, found some of your files and your records of enrolling in the Xavier school."

SCOTT: "What?"

ESSEX: "Oh, yes. I've done my research on you since I've found you. I even found out about your medical prescription for your ruby-quartz glasses. I'm going to pick up some pairs just for you this afternoon. It's amazing what you can learn on the internet these days, isn't it?"

SCOTT: "Why do you want me?"

ESSEX: "You honestly don't know, do you? You're the future, son. You're everything." (beat) "I'll be back to bring you some breakfast, then I have to go. I have work to do. You have a new start ahead of you, Mr. Summers. I intend to see you through it."

Essex turns and walks off down the room.

Essex walks down the stairs and down the main hallway of his hideout. Essex stops walking and smiles, folding his arms over his chest.

ESSEX: "I've waited fifteen years to find him."

A shadowy figure, twice the size of Essex, stands behind him.

VOICE: "And now you have."

ESSEX: "I tried to find time to locate him over the years, but our cause comes first."

VOICE: "And now he will be in our cause. If not willingly, he will be our pawn. Have you sent your contact into the school?"

ESSEX: "Yes, I have. She enrolled in the Xavier School a few days ago. What an ironic coincidence."

VOICE: "No matter. Soon, we will have the information we need... and the mutants we're looking for."

At 11 A.M., over in the main hallway of the X-Mansion, Rogue walks out of a classroom and down the main front hall. Rogue watches other students pass by, some giving her grim stares. Rogue looks away and down the hall. Bobby walks down the stairs, holding textbooks under his arm.

ROGUE: "Bobby!"

Bobby doesn't seem to hear. Instead, he turns and walks down the hall. Rogue hurries down the hall after him and catches up with Bobby.

ROGUE: "Bobby? Didn't you hear me call you?"

BOBBY: "Huh? Oh, sorry. I've been busy."

ROGUE: "I wanted to see if you were still available for lunch today."

BOBBY: "I can't. I have plans with Sam and Jones."

ROGUE: "What about our plans?"

Bobby stops walking and turns to Rogue.

BOBBY: "What's that supposed to mean?"

ROGUE: "You tell me. You're the one who has been canceling our plans."

BOBBY: "Like I said, I've been busy."

ROGUE: "You sure can make time for your friends. We haven't had lunch together in a week. You've been forgetting our plans we made."

Rogue reaches out to Bobby, but he pulls back. Rogue pauses and looks at Bobby, hurt.

ROGUE: "Why did you do that? You know my touch can't hurt you."

BOBBY: "I don't know."

Bobby looks at the students at lockers at the side of the hall, as they give Rogue and Bobby stern looks.

ROGUE: "Bobby, we need to talk."

BOBBY: "Later. We have class in five minutes, remember?"

The doorbell rings. Rogue and Bobby turn around to the doorway. Rogue walks over to the doorway and opens it. Gambit stands outside, his hands in his pants pockets. Gambit widens his eyes as he looks at Rogue, stunned. He smiles at Rogue, clearly smitten with her at first sight.

GAMBIT: "Mon dieu."

ROGUE: "Can I help you?"

GAMBIT: "I sure hope so."

Bobby walks to the doorway, standing with Rogue.

BOBBY: "Can we help you?"

GAMBIT: "I heard this school was a safe place for mutants. You guys got room for one more?"

ROGUE: "The school's open to all mutants. What's your name?"

GAMBIT: "Remy LeBeau, cherie."

Gambit takes Rogue gently by her hand and smiles.

GAMBIT: "You can call me Gambit."

Gambit kisses Rogue's hand and Rogue steps back. Bobby quickly puts his arm around Rogue and he gives Gambit a grim look.

BOBBY: "Our headmasters are away on business. You can speak to one of the teachers about enrolling."

GAMBIT: "Lemme guess. You must be..."

BOBBY: (interrupts) "Her boyfriend."

GAMBIT: "Then why ain't you smiling? Anyone that has a girl lovely as that on his arm wouldn't have that smile leave his face for a second, mon ami."

WARREN: "I see we have a guest."

Bobby, Rogue and Gambit turn around to look at Warren. Gambit raises his eyebrows.

GAMBIT: "My name's Remy. I came to enroll here, if you'll welcome me in."

WARREN: "Of course. Let me show you around and get you settled in. Bobby, let the other students know I'll be a little late for class."

BOBBY: "Yes, sir."

WARREN: "This way, please, Remy."

Gambit nods and follows Warren down the hall. Rogue takes Bobby's hand off her shoulder and looks at him sternly.

ROGUE: "What the hell was that?"

BOBBY: "What?"

ROGUE: "That macho 'I'm her boyfriend' routine."

BOBBY: "Oh, come on! You saw the way he was looking at you!"

ROGUE: "Yeah, he was! Why weren't you?"

Rogue turns and walks off down the other end of the hall.

BOBBY: "Rogue..."

Rogue ignores him and continues down the hall. Bobby watches Rogue walk off and then he turns away, frustrated. The doorbell rings and Bobby looks at the doorway. Bobby walks to the door and opens it. Alex and Lorna stand outside and they glance at Bobby.

BOBBY: "Can I help you?"

ALEX: "My name is Alex and this is my fiancee, Lorna Dane. I was wondering if we could talk to someone around here that knew my brother when he was here."

BOBBY: "Who is your brother?"

ALEX: "Scott Summers."

Bobby raises his eyebrows at Alex, stunned.