SAGE: "Dinner time."
SCOTT: (in normal voice) "I'm not hungry."
SAGE: "Oh, come now. Don't look so glum, Mr. Summers. Your voice has gotten better, so I suggest you do the same for your appetite."
SCOTT: "Where's Essex? I thought he'd be the one in here instead of you."
Sage grins and sets the tray down on a nearby table.
SAGE: "Ordinarily, he would be. But since his two week wait has ended, he's gone away on business."
SCOTT: "What are you talking about? What's going on?"
SAGE: "Cheer up, Mr. Summers. You're about to have company."
In the living room at the X-Mansion, Rogue sits at a table for two, with the other seat currently vacant. Rogue holds a History textbook in her hands, reading Section Five of Chapter Nine. Carol walks into the room and to Rogue. Rogue stops and turns to face her.
ROGUE: "Hi, Miss Danvers."
CAROL: "Hello, Rogue. I was looking for Mr. Worthington. Have you seen him?"
ROGUE: "I think he's in the Danger Room with Storm. They're doing some kind of flight training exercise." (beat) "Why? Is something wrong?"
CAROL: "I just wanted to know if he had seen Autumn around."
Rogue closes her textbook and looks at Carol, puzzled.
ROGUE: "I thought she was grounded and in her room what happened last week."
CAROL: "She's supposed to be, but she's not. I can't find her."
Autumn stands outside in the X-Mansion's back yard, wearing a tank top and baggy sweat pants. Autumn folds her arms over her chest and looks around. Autumn pauses and smiles.
AUTUMN: "I was wondering when you were going to show up."
Autumn turns around and Essex and Omega Red walk to her.
ESSEX: "Where is the Summers brother?"
AUTUMN: "In his bedroom, on the upper level with his fiancee. The other ones you want are right inside. One of them is in the training room. I'm not sure where the other one is."
ESSEX: "I was quite intrigued when you informed me he was here. To think he's been looking for Scott all this time. That makes two long lost Summers siblings that I've successfully found."
AUTUMN: "Why do you want him? He's not one of us."
ESSEX: "True. Alex may not be part of our little group, but he is going to keep Scott company. He's been so sad ever since he had learned Jean was dead again. I can only imagine his reaction to the news that his baby brother is alive and well. Also, help Omega Red with our little chore here on the grounds. I intend to give Scott all the love and rewards he rightfully deserves... no matter what."
Autumn nods and walks off with Omega Red.
In the Danger Room, Warren soars in the air, dressed in his own black leather X-Men uniform and nicknamed ANGEL. Warren/Angel flaps his wings as he turns and flies through a wide, tall green hoop hovering in the air. Storm stands on the ground and keeps watch at Warren.
STORM: "Good work, Warren. There's just three left. But it's going to get harder from here."
Warren flies away from the ring and looks across the room. Another metal hoop hovers in the air and it shines with red light. Warren turns to his left and looks at another hoop, which shines with green light. Warren grins and flies over to the hoop. A compartment in the ceiling opens up and a blaster device the size of a shotgun sticks down, aiming at Warren. As Warren heads to the hoop ahead, the blaster opens fire and shoots a beam of green energy at Warren. Warren turns and barely dodges the blast. Warren resumes his flight to the shining green hoop and dodges three more laser blasts along the way. Warren passes through the hoop and flies away, turning to his right. Warren notices a green hoop hovering in the distance and he flies to it. The doors slide open and Carol walks into the room. Carol looks up, as another laser blaster device emerges from a tile in the wall behind Warren. The blaster fires a beam of energy and it hits Warren's back. WARREN GRUNTS as the hit knocks him out of the air and he falls fast.
CAROL: (yells) "WARREN!"
Storm turns around to Carol, as she flies up into the air. Carol flies to the falling Warren and catches him in her arms. Storm shakes her head and holds up a remote control. Storm pushes a red button on the controls and the blasters retreat back into their compartments. Carol flies down and lands on the ground, setting Warren down on his feet.
CAROL: "Are you all right?"
STORM: "He's all right, Carol. It's just a stun beam."
CAROL: "I'd rather Warren spoke for himself, Ororo."
Storm sneers and Warren shakes his head.
WARREN: "Honestly, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me."
CAROL: "Says the man who fell out of the sky."
STORM: "Not to be rude, but what are you doing in here?"
CAROL: "I was hoping either of you had seen Autumn. I can't find her anywhere."
Storm and Warren exchange confused looks and then they turn back to Carol.
Bobby walks down the main hallway, holding a textbook under each of his arms. He walks to the shut doorway to the living room and reaches for the doorknob.
AUTUMN: "Bobby."
Bobby stops walking and looks down the hall at Autumn.
AUTUMN: "Could you come over here for a second?"
BOBBY: "Autumn? You're supposed to be in your room."
AUTUMN: "Would you just come here for a second? There's some hurt students over here."
Bobby looks puzzled and hurries over to Autumn. Autumn points at the ground and at Jubilee and a boy, both lying unconscious. Bobby crouches beside them.
BOBBY: "Danny? Jubilee? What happened to them?"
ESSEX: "Me."
A tranquilizer is fired from behind and hits the back of Bobby's neck. Bobby tenses and pulls the dart out, but quickly grows groggy. Bobby looks up at Autumn, as the dart freezes solid in his fingertips.
BOBBY: "What... what did..."
Bobby turns to look behind him and sees Essex's foot kick him. Bobby falls to the floor, unconscious, and Essex looks up at Autumn.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Rogue still sits at her table and is reading her textbook. Rogue pauses a minute and she looks at her watch, which reads 7:02 P.M. There is a knock on the door and Rogue turns around.
ROGUE: "Bobby? Is that you?"
Rogue closes her textbook, rises from her seat and walks down the room. Rogue opens the door and a red energy beam fires from the hall, hitting her on the chest. ROGUE GRUNTS as the blast knocks her down to the ground. Rogue rolls onto her side, wincing from the pain. Rogue tries to get up, but stumbles and passes out from the pain. Essex smiles and walks with Autumn into the room. The two stand next to Rogue and look down at her.
ESSEX: "So, this is young Rogue."
AUTUMN: "Do we have to take her along? She doesn't even have her powers anymore."
ESSEX: "Don't question our choice, Autumn. Leave her to me. Let's take her outside. We have the first of our Horsemen."
In the guest bedroom of the X-Mansion, Alex sits on his bed and is holding a stack of papers in his hands. Lorna walks down the room and stands beside Alex.
LORNA: "What're you reading?"
ALEX: "The files of Scott's history here at the school. What he excelled at in classes, what he taught..." (beat) "Eighteen years worth of lost times."
Lorna puts her hand on Alex's shoulder and sits beside him.
LORNA: "We'll find him, sweetie. The Professor is doing a thorough search of the Alkali Lake area to see if he can find any leads on what may have happened to Scott."
OMEGA RED: "The Professor? Do you mean him?"
Alex and Lorna turn to the doorway and see Omega Red standing in the hall. Moira and Xavier are tied in his coils and dangle just above the ground, unconscious.
OMEGA RED: "I'm afraid he's rather drained at the moment, Tovarisch."
Alex and Lorna stand up in anger, as Omega Red's coils unwrap from Moira and Xavier. The unconscious duo fall and land on the ground.
ALEX: "What did you do to them? Who are you?"
OMEGA RED: "Allow me to introduce myself."
Omega Red lashes one coil forward and it wraps around Alex's neck. Alex struggles, but Omega Red's pulls back and quickly jerks Alex towards him.
LORNA: (yells) "ALEX!"
In the mansion's garage, Logan sits next to his motorcycle, dressed in a tank top and jeans. Upon finishing the work on his cycle, he wipes the grease away from his hands with a towel. Logan stops a minute and sniffs the air. Logan narrows his eyes.
LOGAN: "That scent."
Logan stands up and runs down the large garage.
Logan steps out of the doorway and down the main hall. He stops, as he notices Jones lying unconscious before his feet. Logan crouches beside him and sniffs the air. Logan looks ahead and sees two more students lying in the hall, curled up into balls and shaking. Logan sneers and turns to his left, looking down at the next hallway. The elevator slides open and Storm walks out with Warren and Carol.
LOGAN: "Hey! Over here!"
Storm, Warren and Carol turn around and towards Logan.
WARREN: "Oh, my God."
The trio run down the hall and towards Logan.
CAROL: "What happened?"
LOGAN: "I'm not sure. I got some kind of stench on Jones. It's familiar to me, but I'm not sure who it is. There's someone else with him. It's the same guy I smelled from the hospital."
STORM: "The one who took Scott?"
Sounds of a fight occur from up the stairs and Logan turns around. The others turn to the staircase, noticing the sounds above.
LOGAN: "I'll check it out."
CAROL: "I'm going with you."
Carol and Logan run down the hall and to the stairs.