In Washington D.C., the PRESIDENT - late-50s with gray hair - sits at a large round table at a board room in a building. He is seated with seven SENATORS and BOLIVAR TRASK - mid-40s, African-American and bald. Each man is wearing a business suit with tie. A vacant chair is at the table. The President turns to a SECRETARY standing at the side of the room.

PRESIDENT: "Where's Hank? Have you seen him around?"

SECRETARY: "He said he was on his way, Mr. President."

The back door of the room opens and HANK MCCOY, a.k.a. BEAST, walks into the room. Hank is mid-40s with blue fur over his skin and he looks more like an animal than a man.

BEAST: "Forgive me for being so later, Mr. President. I was busy talking to one of our contacts in Genosha."

PRESIDENT: "That's all right, Hank. Please, sit down."

Beast sits down on a vacant chair and looks at the President, puzzled.

BEAST: "You sounded so serious in your voice message. What's so urgent?"

PRESIDENT: "We have just received word of a mutant attack in Canada. Ten staff members were killed in the new Alkali Lake hospital and a mutant patient was abducted from his room."

BEAST: "Good lord. Do you know who was responsible for the attacks?"

PRESIDENT: "No. The video footage to the hospital was destroyed. We did, however, manage to get the name of the mutant they took with them. But this may be a bit of a shock for you, Hank."

BEAST: "For me? Do I know him?"

PRESIDENT: "Yes, I'm afraid you do."

The President hands a file to Beast and he opens it. Beast looks at the papers inside and pauses. Beast looks at one of the papers, stunned. Beast looks up at the President.

BEAST: "Oh, my stars and garters."

Back in the X-Mansion, Bobby stands in a large guest bedroom, with two beds set in the room. Alex sits on one bed and Lorna sits beside him.

BOBBY: "I hope this room is comfortable enough for you both."

LORNA: "It's fine, thank you. We appreciate you all letting us stay here for a while, Bobby."

ALEX: "How long have you been a student here?"

BOBBY: "A few years now."

ALEX: "If I may ask... how well did you know my brother?"

BOBBY: "I knew him pretty well. He was a good teacher, very serious. He was in love with one of the teachers here, Dr. Jean Grey. She died a few days after he did."

ALEX: "I'm sorry to hear that." (beat) "Look, I know this is probably still pretty painful for you guys to talk about Scott. But I've been looking for him for about eighteen years now. We've were separated after that accident when our plane crashed. I lost my parents from the accident. I want to know why I lost track of my brother and why he never went looking for me."

BOBBY: "No offense, Mr. Summers, but if you hadn't shown me your ID at the door, I wouldn't have even believed you were his brother."

ALEX: "What do you mean by that?"

BOBBY: "Sir, Scott never went looking for you because he said you were dead."

Alex and Lorna look at Bobby in shock.

LORNA: "What? That's what he told you?"

BOBBY: "He had a picture of you with him and your parents in his wallet. He was told you were dead by the doctor at the hospital and by Mr. Essex, the man who ran the orphanage he stayed in."

ALEX: "I don't get it. The doctor told me Scott was never found at the accident, that he must have gotten lost in the crash."

LORNA: "I don't understand. Why would the doctor tell you something like that?"

Alex sneers and makes his hands into fists.

ALEX: "Why, indeed."

Meanwhile, Carol sits at her desk at the side wall of her own room. Carol looks down at one of the papers on her desk and looks over at the answer book next to it. There is a knock on her door.

CAROL: "It's open."

The door opens and Warren steps into the room. Carol turns around and looks over at him.

CAROL: "Hello, Warren. Please, come in."

Warren nods and walks to Carol, standing next to her.

WARREN: "Hello. How was your first day here?"

CAROL: "Class was fine, thanks. I heard we had a new recruit join the school."

WARREN: "Yes, we did. I just got Remy set up in his new room and got him some new clothes, since he didn't arrive with any belongings. He starts class tomorrow."

CAROL: "Is he a runaway?"

WARREN: "Remy's been on his own for the past few months. He said he dropped out of college when the students found out about his power. Now he has a school to go to where he can be accepted."

CAROL: "We all know how hard it can be. I remember how hard it was when I first learned I was a mutant."

Carol slowly rises up and levitates a few feet off of the ground and looks down at herself.

CAROL: "I awoke from a nightmare one night and found myself like this with my face pressed against the ceiling. After all, not every girl in my neighborhood could fly by controlling their mass and will oneself to become lighter than air."

Warren grins, as Carol lowers back down to the floor.

WARREN: "Yes. Miss Munroe gave me your file before you left. She said you also have enhanced strength and that you're virtually invulnerable."

CAROL: "Yes, I am. I'm strong enough to hoist a tank over my head and as for my invulnerability, my skin is so thick, armor-piercing rounds can't penetrate it."

Carol walks to Warren and stands before him.

CAROL: "Well, now that this little recap is finished, I'd like to get a bite to eat. If you'd like, you can join me."

Warren smiles and nods. Warren's cell phone rings and he pauses, looking down at his pants pocket. Warren takes out his cell phone and opens it, putting it to his ear.

WARREN: "Hello?" (beat) "Hank. It's so good to hear from you. How are you?" (beat) "What?" (beat) "No, they're not here right now."

Warren pauses a moment, listening. Warren nods and turns away.

WARREN: "All right. We'll see you here tomorrow, then." (beat) "Good bye."

Warren hangs up his cell phone, puts it back in his pocket and then he turns back to Carol.

CAROL: "Who was that?"

WARREN: "That was a friend of mine. He's coming by the school tomorrow."

CAROL: "What about?"

WARREN: "I don't know. He sounded so serious on the phone. It must be something pretty important to bring him back here."

In the storage room in Essex's hideout, Scott still lies on the table and his eyes remain shut tight. Scott struggles against his bonds, trying to get loose. Essex walks into the room, holding a McDonald's bag in one hand and a large cup in the other. A box is held under his arm. SCOTT GRUNTS as he futilely struggles to get loose. Essex looks at Scott and shakes his head.

ESSEX: "Still struggling. Don't bother. I made the restraints too thick for you to get out of them."

Essex walks to Scott's table and sets down the bag and cup on a nearby desk.

ESSEX: "You shouldn't be so eager to get away of me. I'm only looking out for your best interests."

Essex takes the box out from under his arm, opens it and pulls out a pair of glasses with red ruby quartz lenses. Essex walks to Scott and puts the glasses on his face.

ESSEX: "There. Open your eyes. Let me know what you think."

Scott turns to Essex and opens his eyes. Scott looks at Essex and he grins at Scott.

ESSEX: "It's good to see you again."

SCOTT: "I can't say the same."

ESSEX: "Don't get upset. You just don't understand my intentions."

SCOTT: "What is this all about?"

ESSEX: "Sorry, Scott. I'm not going to ruin the surprise. Just relax and enjoy the dinner I've gotten for you. I do hope you don't mind the food I selected for you. It's not like I could exactly bake something for you here."

SCOTT: "You can't keep me here forever, Essex. My friends are probably looking for me right now. It's just a matter of time before I get out of here."

Essex looks at Scott, raises an eyebrow and grins. ESSEX CHUCKLES, a bit amused.

SCOTT: "What's so funny?"

ESSEX: "Oh, I'm sorry, Scott. I completely forgot to tell you. Your friends won't be looking for you at all, because people don't look for buried men."

SCOTT: "What do you mean?"

ESSEX: "Your friends think you're dead, Scott. There's a grave for you at the Xavier School, right between Jean Grey and Charles Xavier."

SCOTT: "Now I know you're lying. The Professor is not dead and Jean's certainly not dead. I saw her at Alkali Lake."

ESSEX: "Scott, Jean and the Professor have been dead for nearly two weeks now."

Essex holds up a newspaper and shows it to Scott.

ESSEX: "Here. I can prove it."

Essex holds up the newspaper and shows him the Obituaries section. A circle made of black marker is made around Jean's name. Scott's stern expression fades.

ESSEX: "I am truly sorry you have to see this, Scott. I read how close you were to both of them."

Scott turns his head aside, tensing.

SCOTT: "No."

Scott jerks against his restraints, struggling to get loose.

SCOTT: (snaps) "No! You must be lying! You HAVE to be!! They're not dead!!!"

Essex frowns as he watches Scott struggle to get loose. Scott's trying his best not to cry.

ESSEX: "I think I'll come back later when you've calmed down." (beat) "I am truly sorry for your loss, Scott. Both of them."

Essex turns and walks out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Scott continues to struggle for a few seconds. Scott finally stops and turns his head aside. Scott begins to SOB.