OMEGA RED: "The sicker you get, the better I feel."
ALEX: "Then feel THIS!"
Alex's hands shine with red energy and he punches them onto Omega Red's chest, firing a large energy beam onto him. The blast makes Omega Red release his coil from Alex as it blasts him backwards a few dozen feet. OMEGA RED GRUNTS as Lorna crouches beside Alex, as he falls to all fours.
LORNA: "Alex, are you all right?"
ALEX: "I feel kind of strange... weak."
Omega Red gets to his feet and walks to Alex.
OMEGA RED: "I'm simply here to pick you up. I would advice your wench to step aside."
Lorna looks at Omega Red with a sneer and she holds her left hand up, palm out. Lorna makes Omega Red stiffen, stopping him in his tracks, and his coils stop writhing. Lorna lifts her hand up and she makes the coils wrap around Omega Red himself.
LORNA: "And I advise you to keep your tendrils to yourself, Ivan."
ESSEX: "A metal manipulator?"
Lorna turns around and Essex fires an energy blast at her chest, knocking her to the floor. Lorna lies unconscious and Omega Red grins, her magnetic hold over him gone.
ESSEX: "How fascinating."
ALEX: "Lorna!"
Omega Red unwraps his coils from his body and extends them forward to Lorna.
OMEGA RED: "Your lady will make a nice snack."
Essex picks up his tranquilizer and aims it at Alex, when Logan leaps at him from behind and ROARS with rage. Logan tackles Essex to the ground and they wrestle around on the floor for a moment. Essex kicks Logan off and he lands on the floor before Omega Red. Logan looks up and the two men look at one another, stunned.
OMEGA RED: "Logan? This was the last place I expected to find you here."
LOGAN: "Yeah, I get that a lot, bub."
Logan kicks Omega Red in the crotch and he staggers back. With a SNIKT sound ringing in the hall, Logan unsheathes his nine inch long metal claws from his knuckles and jabs them into Omega Red's gut. Omega Red hunches over, but grins through the pain.
OMEGA RED: "You should know by now that doesn't work on me."
Omega Red's coil wraps around Logan's neck from behind and it pulls him back. Omega Red turns and extends his coil ahead, shoving Logan through the wall to the guest room. Carol hurries down the hall from behind Essex and looks shocked as she notices Omega Red.
CAROL: "Omega Red?"
Essex turns and stands before Carol, his hands glowing with red energy.
ESSEX: "And you are?"
CAROL: "Oh, how rude of me. Here's my card."
Carol decks Essex across the jaw with a right hook and the punch shoves Essex backwards. Essex collides onto Omega Red and both fall to the floor, with Omega Red's coil dropping Logan and retreating back to him. Essex gets off of Omega Red and turns around, rubbing his jaw.
OMEGA RED: "Caroline Danvers."
ESSEX: "A friend of yours?"
OMEGA RED: "Not so much."
Logan steps out from the hole in the wall, glaring at Essex.
LOGAN: "So you're the one who took Scott. Where is he?"
Alex weakly sits up and looks at Essex in shock.
ALEX: "What? He has Scott?"
ESSEX: "I'll take you to him, Alex, if you'll let me. But only you. I don't want any of you. I'm just here to pick up a select few."
CAROL: "What are you talking about? Who else are you after?"
Meanwhile, Angel and Storm carry Danny into the living room and they sit him down on the couch next to Jubilee. Bobby is already seated on the chair, still unconscious.
ANGEL: "Who got past the school's security systems?"
STORM: "I don't know, but I intend to find out."
Storm turns around and Autumn walks into the room.
STORM: "Autumn! Are you all right?"
AUTUMN: "I saw some weird guys in the school and slipped away. Is everyone all right?"
ANGEL: "They've been drugged. We need to get the others."
AUTUMN: "Well, Dr. McCoy is still in the lab with Kitty and Peter."
STORM: "All right. Angel, take Autumn down to the lab."
Warren nods and walks with Autumn, following Storm out of the room.
In the main hall, Storm walks off and up the stairs. Angel and Autumn walk down the other end of the hall to the elevator.
ANGEL: "Come on."
Autumn looks at Storm, as she gets to the upper level and out of sight.
ANGEL: "Don't worry about Storm. She'll be fine."
Autumn follows behind Angel and holds up a tranquilizer pistol.
AUTUMN: "She will be. You won't."
Autumn fires a tranquilizer dart and it hits the back of Angel's neck. Angel stumbles and falls to all fours. Angel pulls the dart out of his neck and looks at Autumn.
ANGEL: "Autumn? Why... why did you..."
Angel pauses and then collapses, passing out.
Back on the mansion's upper level, Essex and Omega Red stand up, as Logan steps forward, sneering at them.
LOGAN: "Well, you going to answer the lady's question or what? Who are you slime balls after?"
ESSEX: "Just some pawns for our cause."
LOGAN: "You ain't taking anyone from here."
ESSEX: "We already have two. We just need two more."
Storm hurries down the hall and looks at Essex and Omega Red.
STORM: "Who are they?"
CAROL: "Just some garbage we need to take out."
LOGAN: "Ugh. There's that cornball dialogue again."
ESSEX: "We've wasted enough time talking. Arkady, take Mr. Summers along."
Omega Red's coils lunge forward and wrap around Alex's arms and waist. Alex struggles, but Omega Red's coils slowly drag him forward and white energy shines from the coils and over Alex, sapping his strength.
LORNA: "Alex!"
Alex passes out and Logan glares in anger. Logan charges forward and dives at Omega Red, tackling him. Omega Red's coils unwrap from Alex, as both men hit the ground. LOGAN ROARS in rage as he wrestles around on the ground with Omega Red, and Essex holds up his tranquilizer pistol.
ESSEX: "If you try to stop me, I'll shoot you with this tranquilizer pistol!"
Storm's eyes turn white, losing their pupils, and her fingertips spark with lightning. Essex aims the gun at her, but Storm fires a lightning blast at his chest. The blast knocks Essex to the floor and he drops his pistol. Carol walks over and picks up the fallen gun. Essex gets to all fours and looks up. Carol smiles at Essex and crushes the gun in her hand, breaking it in half.
CAROL: "How can you shoot us now?"
Essex smiles and his eyes turn red, with his fists glowing with red energy.
ESSEX: "So glad you asked."
Essex fires two energy blasts forward and each blast hits Storm and Carol. The two women are knocked down by the energy blasts and hit the ground.
Meanwhile, Omega Red continues struggling with Logan. After a few seconds, his coils wrap around Logan's wrists. Omega Red's coils stretch Logan's arms out to the sides and Omega Red kicks him back. Logan staggers back, but the coils pull him back to Omega Red. As he gets close, Logan head-butts Omega Red right on the face. The impact makes Omega Red release Logan and he rolls aside, holding his face in pain. Logan and Omega Red get to their feet and turn to one another. Omega Red lashes his coil at Logan, but he ducks under it. Logan slashes his claws at Omega Red twice, striking him across the chest. The bloody scratches quickly fade from Omega Red, as he blocks Logan's next claw slash and whips his coil across Logan's own chest, raising a bloody scratch. The scratch quickly heals and Logan ducks under Omega Red's next lash of his coil. Omega Red's other coil whips low at Logan's ankles, but he backflips out of reach. As he lands, Logan rolls forward and springs at Omega Red, delivering a jump-kick to his chest. Omega Red staggers back and Logan slashes his claws at Omega Red again. Omega Red wraps his left wrist's coil around Logan's wrist and stops his arm. Omega Red kicks Logan on his ribs, knocking him back, and then he pulls Logan back to him with his coil. Logan strikes first and Omega Red square on the chest, pushing him back and making his coil release Logan's arm.
Meanwhile, Essex is continuing his own fight with Carol and Storm. Essex fires a red energy beam from his left fist and it hits Carol on the gut, knocking her back. Storm fires a lightning blast at Essex, but he dodges it and fires another blast at Storm. Storm ducks, barely missing the energy blast, and Essex fires at her again. Storm rolls away from the blast, while Carol flies right at Essex. Carol delivers a punch to Essex's chest that shoves him down the hall and towards the staircase. Essex lands on his back before the stairs, nearly falling down them. Essex shakes his head to clear it and he gets up to his feet, as Carol flies down the hall to Essex. Essex fires at Carol with his energy blasts, but she dodges each one and continues for him. Carol punches at Essex, but he leans back under Carol and he holds his hands up, palms out. Essex fires an energy blast at Carol's gut and it pushes her up, making her collide against the ceiling. Essex moves away, as Carol falls to the floor. Essex kicks Carol aside and watches her fall down the stairs. Essex turns and sees Storm stand up, her eyes still white.
STORM: "That was a mistake."
A wind starts to form in the hall, blowing against Essex. Essex walks to Storm, but the wind continues to build and gets stronger, pushing Essex back a few steps. Storm stands in place, unaffected, and she sneers at Essex as the wind continues to get stronger. Finally, the gush of wind knocks Essex back and off his feet. Essex stumbles and GRUNTS as he falls down the stairs.
In the hallway of the X-Mansion's lower level, Beast walks down the hall and towards the elevator.
BEAST: "I wonder what is keeping Piotr and Kitty so long with the equipment. I don't think the list of chemicals I wrote for them to retrieve was too difficult for them to find in my room."
Beast watches the elevator doors slide open and steps back in shock.
BEAST: (softly) "Oh, my stars and garters."
Piotr and Kitty lie unconscious in the elevator, with the list lying beside Kitty's hand. A tranquilizer dart sticks out from the back of their necks.
Back on the upper level, Essex gets back up the stairs and sees Storm waiting for him. Essex rubs his left side and flinches.
ESSEX: "My little tumble down the stairs hurt. You'll pay for doing that."
CAROL : "Yes, you will."
Essex turns to see Carol hovering behind him and she delivers a haymaker to Essex's jaw. Essex is knocked back a few steps and he rubs his chin. Essex turns around to Storm and then looks at Carol.
ESSEX: "Two against one. Hardly a fair fight."
CAROL: "Give it up. You can't beat us."
Storm puts her hands together and makes lightning between her fingertips. Essex smiles and turns to Carol.
ESSEX: "So says you."
Carol punches at Essex, while Storm fires an electric blast from behind. Essex ducks under the blast and it hits Carol instead, knocking her to the floor. Essex turns to Storm and fires an energy blast from both hands, hitting her chest. Storm falls to the ground, unconscious. Essex turns to Carol, as she gets to all fours. Essex's hand glows with energy, as Carol looks up.
ESSEX: "Any last words?"
BEAST: "If I may interject..."
Essex turns and sees Beast on all fours on the ceiling. Beast punches Essex across the jaw and he falls to the floor, stunned. Beast turns, as the sounds of a struggle emerge from the next room.
BEAST: "What's going on?"
A metal coil stabs through the wall of the next room and into the hall, barely missing Beast. Beast leans back and the coil just as quickly retreats into the room. The two metal coils stab through the wall again and lunge forward in the hall. Just as quickly, the coils retreat back in the next room. Beast turns to the room with the three holes made in the wall. He hears LOGAN SCREAM with rage.
BEAST: "Wolverine?"
As if in answer, Logan is shoved through the wall and out into the hall, with one of Omega Red's coils tied around his waist. The coil pulls Logan back to the hole in the wall, trying to pull him back in the room, but Logan lunges his arms above his head and his claws pop out. Logan's claws stab into the wall above in the hole in the wall, stopping him from being pulled in. Logan strains, as the coil tries to pull him in. Logan's legs wrap around the coil and pulls Omega Red forward to him. When Omega Red is in range, Logan kicks his feet out forward at him. Both feet hit Omega Red on the chest and the impact pushes him back, making him release Logan. Logan releases his hold on the wall and falls to his feet. He turns to Beast and Carol, noticing them.
LOGAN: "Look out!"
Beast turns around, just as Essex fires a blast at Beast. Beast leaps away and towards the next wall. Beast bounces off the wall by his feet and leaps back at Essex, tackling him to the floor. After a few moments wrestling, Essex knocks Beast off of him with an energy blast. Beast hits the ground, dazed, and Carol flies to Essex. Carol and Essex continue to fight, while Logan continues his own brawl with Omega Red. Logan dodges Omega Red's coils in the background, while Beast sits up and turns to the staircase. Autumn walks from the stairs and to Beast.
BEAST: "Autumn? You need to get out of here! We're under attack!"
AUTUMN: "Yes, I know."
Autumn suddenly grabs Beast's face and uses her powers, bathing white energy into Beast. Beast strains, weakening, and he grabs Autumn's wrists to pull her off. Autumn narrows her eyes and the energy shines brighter into Beast. BEAST GRUNTS in pain. Carol grabs Essex's wrists and then she turns down the hall, looking at Beast weakly collapse.
CAROL: "Hank?"
One of Omega Red's coils lunges at Carol and wraps around her arms. Carol struggles, as Omega Red's coil shines with white energy and saps her strength. Omega Red turns to Logan and quickly lashes his other coil around his arms. Logan struggles and Omega Red smiles.
OMEGA RED: "How about that? A two course meal."
Logan struggles, as the energy emitted from Omega Red's coil saps his strength. Logan struggles to get loose, scowling through the pain.
LOGAN: (grunts) "I feel a tickle. This supposed to hurt, comrade?"
OMEGA RED: "You've always had a big mouth, James. Allow me to shut it for you!"
LOGAN: "Who the hell is James?"
Omega Red smiles at Logan, as Carol goes limp in his coil's hold and passes out.
OMEGA RED: "You mean you don't remember? Not me? Not even your real name?" (beat) "How interesting."
Omega Red pulls Logan close to him and when he's close enough, Omega Red punches him across the jaw. Logan slumps down in Omega Red's hold, dangling against his coil. Omega Red's coils unwrap from Logan and Carol and they fall to the floor. Omega Red turns to Essex, as Autumn releases Beast and he falls to the floor, unconscious.
ESSEX: "Leave them. We need to get Alex and get out of here. There's so much work left to do."
Omega Red nods and his coils lunge forward, extending out in length. The coils wrap around Alex and lift him up into the air, pulling him towards Omega Red.
In the X-Mansion's clinic, Lorna sits on a chair between two patient beds, where Piotr and Kitty lie unconscious. Carol walks into the room, carrying an unconscious Gambit in her arms. Lorna watches Carol walk down the room and she lays Gambit down on a bed.
CAROL: "I found him in the hall by the students' bedroom. There're two more students left there I need to bring down."
Carol walks to a bed and lies Gambit down on it.
LORNA: "Where's the Professor?"
Xavier wheels into the room, with Bobby at his side.
XAVIER: "I'm here. Moira is upstairs, getting food for Hank and some of the students. Autumn's famishing touch left them completely weakened and starved."
LORNA: "Where's Logan? Is he still outside?"
Logan stands on the porch and crouches down. Logan sniffs the ground for a moment and pauses. Logan sneers.
LOGAN: "Rogue. And Angel. Those scumbags must have dragged them off with them."
Logan steps down the stairs and onto the front lawn. He sniffs the ground again and pauses. Logan looks up, stunned.
LOGAN: (whispers) "Oh, God, no."
Logan turns around and runs inside.
Back in the clinic, Piotr sits on his bed, rubbing the back of his neck. Xavier and Bobby approach Piotr's bed.
XAVIER: "Are you all right, Piotr?"
PIOTR: "I am fine, Professor. I went up the elevator with Katya to get Dr. McCoy's chemicals and..."
Piotr pauses and looks over at Kitty, as she still lies unconscious on her bed.
PIOTR: "Katya. How is she?"
XAVIER: "She will be fine. We found you both drugged in the elevator, with some kind of tranquilizer darts in your necks."
Piotr rises from his bed and walks to Kitty. Piotr sits beside her and gently brushes the hair away from Kitty's face.
PIOTR: "What happened?"
Xavier pauses a moment and then he looks up at the doorway.
XAVIER: "Logan's coming."
Piotr and Bobby glance at Xavier, puzzled. The doors slide open and the doors slide open. Logan walks into the room, as Kitty stirs and MOANS as she awakens. Piotr turns to Kitty and holds her hand.
PIOTR: "Katya! How are you feeling?"
KITTY: "What happened?"
LOGAN: "Some mutants broke into the mansion and drugged you and Tin Man over there."
BOBBY: "What did you find?"
LOGAN: "Whoever was with Omega Red, they took Alex, Angel and Rogue with them."
GAMBIT: "Rogue?"
Lorna rises from her seat beside Kitty's bed and she sees Gambit sit up. Gambit rubs the back of his head, dazed.
GAMBIT: "Who took her?"
Lorna walks to Gambit and sits beside him, as he rubs his stomach.
GAMBIT: (groans) "Rogue was right. Autumn's touch does tend to wear you out."
BOBBY: "Autumn? She did this to you?"
LOGAN: "She went with the guys who took them. But there's something else. Autumn helped them take someone else along with them."
Xavier looks on in shocked realization.
KITTY: "Who did they take?"
XAVIER: (whispers) "My God...Oh no."