SAGE: "I see you were successful."
ESSEX: "It was easier than we expected. Of course, the element of surprise was on our side."
SCOTT: "Who do you have with you? What have you done?"
ESSEX: "I have taken two mutants from Xavier's little school and enlisted them to our cause, albeit not by choice. I don't think you met Mr. Worthington, but I do believe you know the other one. What's her codename again? Rogue, was it?"
Scott sneers, trying futilely to lift his arms.
SCOTT: "Why you psychotic..."
ESSEX: (interrupts) "Now, now. You needn't worry about them. They're just getting settled in and will soon be properly altered for our little cause."
SCOTT: "What're you talking about? Is that Worthington with you?"
ESSEX: "Who, him? No, no. Warren Worthington is in another room and he has angelic wings grown out from his back. However, I have obtained someone you knew quite well. Someone you haven't seen in over seventeen years."
Essex hooks Alex's shackles to a hook in the wall and fastens it closed, keeping Alex pinned to the wall. Essex removes the bag from Alex's head, as he awakens. Alex lifts his head and opens his eyes.
ESSEX: "Welcome to my little hideout. I trust you're comfortable."
Alex sneers and head-butts Essex on the face, just as he reaches his limit his restraints will allow. Essex staggers back a few steps, but regains his balance and smiles.
ESSEX: "Don't be so hostile. And after all the trouble I went through to reunite you two. I do believe you were looking for my guest, weren't you?"
Scott lifts up his head and looks at Alex. Alex looks at Scott, stunned.
ALEX: "Scott?"
Scott pauses a minute and looks over at Alex, stunned. Essex smiles at Scott.
ESSEX: "What's wrong, Scott? You look like you've seen a ghost." (beat) "Don't you recognize your own baby brother, all grown up?"
Scott stares at Alex, stunned.
SCOTT: (whispers) "Alex?"
ESSEX: "I told you I'd give you everything you deserve, Scott. You deserve to be happy. That's why I'm letting you catch up with the brother you thought was long dead. It's one of my gifts to you. I'll show you my other surprise for you as soon as she's ready."
SCOTT: "She? She who? Who else have you taken, Essex?"
Essex smiles and turns to Sage.
ESSEX: "Come on, Sage. Let's leave these two alone. They have a lot of catching up to do."
Sage nods and follows Essex out of the room.
SCOTT: "Who have you taken, Essex?" (snaps) "Who is she?!?"
A short time later, in Essex's laboratory, Apocalypse stands before a large metal tank filled with green fluid. Apocalypse watches the fluid bubble and fizz, as Essex walks into the room.
APOCALYPSE: "I take it our chemicals have been thoroughly mixed and are ready for use."
ESSEX: "Indeed. After all, resurrections are always delicate procedures and do take time."
APOCALYPSE: "I have waited for this moment for a long time, Essex. I can afford to be patient a while longer. Are our Horsemen being properly prepared for their treatments?"
ESSEX: "Sage and Omega Red are getting them set up now. All we have to do now is get ready to bring her back. But we won't make the same mistake Xavier did."
Essex turns and walks over to a cart across the room. A woman lies on her back on the cart, lifeless. The woman is JEAN GREY, dressed in a red trench coat over a black uniform. Essex smiles and wipes the hair away from Jean's face.
ESSEX: "She's quite beautiful. I can see why Scott would be so taken with her. I promised him I'd give him everything he deserved. And now I can."
Back in the clinic of the X-Mansion, Gambit sits up on his bed, eating a bowl of salad with a fork. Three empty bowls are stacked on the bedside table near Gambit's bed, as well as an empty plate with six pieces of fried chicken on it, eaten down to the bone. Gambit looks at the other X-Men gathered around the room.
KITTY: "I don't understand. Why would Autumn be helping Omega Red and the man who was with him?"
BOBBY: "What I want to know is, what does he want with Cyclops and the others?"
LORNA: "I don't know, but we're going to find out. We just need to find out where they went."
The doors slide open and Storm, Beast and Moira walk into the room.
STORM: "Is everyone all right?"
XAVIER: "They're fine now, Ororo. How are Hank and the students?"
STORM: "Better, thank you. Do you know who that man was that Autumn went with?"
LOGAN: "Nope. Never knew the guy. But he seemed to know about the school if he was able to sneak in here. My guess is Autumn told him."
KITTY: "Mr. Logan, you said you got a scent of their van outside. Did you know which way they went?"
XAVIER: "West, but he lost the scent at the exit road."
Logan looks at Xavier, stunned.
LOGAN: "Yeah. How the hell did you know I was going to say that?"
XAVIER: (beat) "I'm not sure. I... I just knew."
BEAST: "Interesting. Is it possible your telepathy is somehow trying to manifest itself in your new body, Professor?"
STORM: "If that's true, how is that even possible? The patient Moira was watching over wasn't a mutant."
BEAST: "True, but every person contains the X-gene inside of them. In the case of humans, it's just dormant and an unnatural change. But the mental powers Professor Xavier possesses are the most powerful on record."
Logan pauses a moment and then sniffs the air.
XAVIER: "We need to discuss this later. Right now, we need to find where Autumn helped those mutants take Alex, Warren and Rogue."
LOGAN: "Hold it."
Logan turns and looks at Gambit's bed. Gambit has already left the room.
Gambit is in the X-Mansion's garage. He puts on black gloves and holds a black helmet in his hands. Gambit walks over to a parked motorcycle and sits down on it. Logan and Bobby approach Gambit from behind and Logan sets his hand down on his shoulder.
LOGAN: "Where in the hell do you think you're going?"
GAMBIT: "I'm gonna find Rogue."
BOBBY: "We need to come up with a plan."
GAMBIT: "Got one. I found their location, blow up the bad guys, get the others free and bring them back."
BOBBY: "And how do you intend to bring back four other people back with you on just a motorcycle, Mr. Master Strategist?"
GAMBIT: "Simple. Worthington can fly. He takes the Summers brothers with him, I got Rogue seated behind me."
LOGAN: "Sounds like you got it all thought out, lousy as your plan maybe. But you forgot one crippling flaw."
GAMBIT: "And what's that?"
Logan's claws pop out of his hand on Gambit's shoulder, barely missing him.
LOGAN: "This is my motorcycle."
STORM: "That's enough, Logan."
Gambit sneers and gets off of the motorcycle, as Logan's claws retreat back in his hands.
GAMBIT: "Okay, so it's a lousy plan. But I don't intend to sit on my hands waiting for everyone to regroup while we lose time looking for them."
BOBBY: "We can't just storm out after them without thinking things through! If we go out too early, we could ruin our chances of getting them back!"
GAMBIT: "And if we take too long, something bad could happen to them! You want to sit around while one of those creeps decides to gang up on Rogue for the fun of it?"
LOGAN: (snaps) "That's enough! Both of you!"
Bobby and Gambit sneer at one another and then turn to Logan.
STORM: "I know you both care about Rogue, but charging out alone won't work. When we get them back, we will do it as a team. You're going to have to put this friction between you two aside if you want to help bring the others back safely."
Gambit looks at Bobby sternly and he nods.
GAMBIT: "Fine. We do it your way."
STORM: "Let's go back and meet with the others to come up with a strategy."
GAMBIT: "I be right there."
LOGAN: "I'll wait with him. Go on."
Storm nods and walks off with Bobby, as Gambit walks off and sets the helmet down on a shelf. As Bobby and Storm walk out into the hall, Gambit walks to the doorway. Logan walks to Gambit and grabs his arm.
LOGAN: "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
Gambit stops and turns to Logan.
LOGAN: "You barely been here a month and I can see you're smitten with Rogue. I know the feeling of love at first sight here in this school. But take it from a guy with experience, kid... she has a boyfriend."
GAMBIT: "Thanks for the tip. But who're you trying to convince that she has a boyfriend? Me or you?"
LOGAN: "Rogue loves Bobby, kid. You've gotta seen that for yourself by now."
GAMBIT: "I have, but I wasn't referring to Rogue."
Gambit takes Logan's hand off of him and he walks out of the room.
Later that night, in the construction room in Essex's hideout, we find Rogue lying on the propped-up table. Her table is set before the large machine at the back wall, with her wrists and ankles shackled down tightly to the table. Metal cuffs are fastened around her biceps and below her knees, with the tubes hooked to the cuffs. Flat electrode pads are hooked up to Rogue's forehead and heart. Rogue nervously struggles and then glances up, as Sage stands before her.
SAGE: "I see Autumn got you secured."
ROGUE: "What're you going to do to me?"
Apocalypse walks down the room and stands before Rogue's table.
ROGUE: "Who are you?"
APOCALYPSE: "I am your new lord and master. You will make an excellent slave."
ROGUE: "I'm nobody's slave."
Apocalypse puts his hand under Rogue's face and she turns her head aside.
APOCALYPSE: "You have much spirit for one so small. You'll be of excellent use to me. Sage, restore her for me."
ROGUE: "What do you mean?"
Sage puts her bare hand over Rogue's and her hand shines with white light. The light flows into Rogue and she tenses, stunned. Rogue looks down at herself and looks on in fearful realization.
ROGUE: "Oh, no! No!!!"
Sage smiles at Rogue and then she tenses. A small spark emits between Sage's hand and Rogue's and their veins appear on their hands. Veins appear on Rogue's face and Sage's, as Sage staggers back, stunned. Rogue turns her head aside, crying.
ROGUE: (sobbing) "Let go! LET GO!!!"
Sage's body shakes a moment, stunned, and Sage finally lets go of Rogue. Sage collapses to the floor before Apocalypse's feet, dazed and out of breath. Rogue shudders against her restraints, shutting her eyes as she silently sobs. Apocalypse smiles at Rogue.
APOCALYPSE: "Don't despair yet, my dear. Sage has simply restored what was taken from you. The effects of the cure have been eliminated from your body and your power has been restored to you... permanently."
Rogue looks at Apocalypse as tears roll down her cheeks.
ROGUE: (sobbing) "It's not what I wanted."
APOCALYPSE: "It's not about what you want. It's about what I want. And I have big plans for you."
Apocalypse walks off and to the machine behind Rogue. Apocalypse turns it on and it powers up. Rogue struggles as best she can and Apocalypse smiles. Sage gets up to her feet, still shaking a bit.
APOCALYPSE: "I will leave you in Sage's care. I have another mutant to prepare. But I assure you, you'll be well taken care of."
Apocalypse walks off and out of the room, as Sage walks to the machine. Sage looks at Rogue with a grin and flips the main switch. The machine begins to buzz louder and Rogue shuts her eyes tight, as electric shocks hit her body and she SCREAMS in agony as her body violently struggles against her bonds.
Meanwhile, in the storage room, Scott pauses and turns his head to the doorway. He can hear ROGUE'S DISTANT SCREAMS echoing from in the hallway. Scott looks on in concern, as Alex turns to look at the doorway as best he can.
SCOTT: "Rogue!"
In an large office in Essex's hideout, the large room is mostly empty, with only a large machine before the back wall. The machine is identical to the one in the construction room and Warren is shackled to his own propped-up table, with the same cuffs and electrodes as Rogue. Warren's wings are unfurled on the table and shackled down to it. Two large injection devices are clipped into Warren's wings. Warren's shirt is already removed, hanging on a nearby chair. He hears ROGUE continue her tortured SCREAMS from in the hallway and he looks on in concern.
WARREN: "Rogue?"
The main door opens and Apocalypse and Autumn walk into the room. Autumn walks over to the controls of the machine, while Apocalypse stands before Warren's table.
WARREN: "What are you doing to Rogue?"
APOCALYPSE: "Precisely what I am going to do to you. I am going to transform you into my slave. However, I have a far more unique, and more fascinating, change planned for you."
WARREN: "I will never serve as your slave and neither will Rogue!"
APOCALYPSE: "How amusing. You speak as if you have a choice in the matter." (beat) "Famine, activate the machine. I want Mr. Worthington to see what I have planned for him."
AUTUMN: "Yes, sir."
Autumn turns to the controls and turns the machine on. The machine begins to buzz loudly and the current hits Warren, making him struggle against his bonds. WARREN SCREAMS as he convulses against his restraints and the current slams through his body. Apocalypse smiles and looks over at Autumn.
APOCALYPSE: "Increase the power. I want to hear the cries of the future being born."
Autumn grins and turns to the controls. Autumn turns the main power dial up slowly and Angel convulses against his restraints. WARREN SCREAMS, louder than before, more intense.