KITTY: "Hey."
Bobby stops changing the channel and looks up at Kitty.
BOBBY: "Hey."
KITTY: "Are you all right?"
BOBBY: "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just..."
Bobby stops himself and looks away. Kitty eyes him in confusion.
KITTY: "What is it?"
BOBBY: (sighs) "I keep going over the last few weeks in my head. Missing out on my plans with Rogue after class, at lunch..."
KITTY: "You've been busy."
BOBBY: "I think I've been stalling."
Kitty looks at Bobby, puzzled.
KITTY: "What do you mean?"
Bobby pauses and then he turns to Kitty.
BOBBY: "Ever since Rogue got the cure, I've never seen her happier. She's been wanting to spend so much time together, to finally get close to me. But the closer we got, it also got us further apart."
KITTY: "You mean you're upset Rogue cured herself too? She's still the same person, Bobby."
BOBBY: "I know she is. But the thing is, I didn't want her to change. I know she says it's what she wanted..."
Bobby stops himself and shakes his head.
BOBBY: "But I can't help wondering if I'm the reason she made herself change. She went from coping with her powers and becoming an X-Man to pulling a complete one-eighty and deciding that the cure was what was best for her and for our relationship."
KITTY: "Well, if you think you changed Rogue's mind about it, I'm as much to blame."
Bobby raises an eyebrow, puzzled.
BOBBY: "You? You didn't do anything."
KITTY: "No. I was just the one paired with you in the Danger Room simulations and the one you took ice skating, remember? You said Rogue admitted she saw us together."
BOBBY: "But we're just friends, Kitty. Rogue knows there's nothing going on between us."
KITTY: "If that's true, then why are so worried about this now than when Rogue was here?"
PIOTR: "Katya?"
Kitty and Bobby look over at the doorway, as Piotr steps into the room.
PIOTR: "I did not mean to interrupt, but Miss Munroe wants us in the lower level for a training session."
KITTY: "Okay. We're on our way, Pete."
Piotr nods and turns, walking out of the room.
In Xavier's office, Xavier sits at his desk, writing on a blank notebook page. There is a knock on the door and Xavier stops, looking up as Beast walks in.
XAVIER: "Hank. What is it?"
BEAST: "I've just received word from the President. He wants me to attend a meeting in Washington about a new proposition regarding recent mutant attacks."
XAVIER: "What? What proposition?"
BEAST: "I don't know yet. No one is disclosing any details until a Senate hearing tomorrow night. I'm going to be there to express my opinion on whatever this new proposition is about. But judging from the President's tone, I have a feeling this can't be good. But I don't feel right about leaving you now."
XAVIER: "You have a job to do, Hank. I know you want to help us find the others, but your presence is needed at that hearing."
Xavier pauses a moment and looks at the doorway.
XAVIER: "Moira's coming."
The door opens and Moira walks into the room, walking towards Xavier's desk.
BEAST: "Hmm. To quote one of our school's star pupils, Kitty Pryde, 'you're starting to seriously weird me out here, Professor.'"
Xavier smiles, as Moira stands next to Beast.
MOIRA: "What's going on?"
BEAST: "It seems the Professor is having another of his random telepathic incidents, Moira. He knew you were coming in here. But how do we find a way to make sure it permanently stays with you this time, sir?"
XAVIER: "I don't know. We'll find a way." (beat) "Excuse me, Moira. What did you want to talk about?"
MOIRA: "It's almost five o'clock, Charles. I came here to help you resume your physical therapy."
XAVIER: "Oh, yes. Right. Excuse me, Hank. I'll be back later."
Xavier pushes the control stick on the arm of his wheelchair and he wheels away from his desk, following Moira ahead to the doorway.
Down in the Danger Room, Bobby, Piotr and Kitty stand in the room, each wearing their own black leather X-Men uniforms. Storm and Logan stand with them, wearing their own X-Men uniforms.
KITTY: "Hey, how come we're just waiting around? I thought we were supposed to be doing a group training simulation."
LOGAN: "You are. We're just waiting for our last recruit to get here."
Gambit walks into the room, wearing his brown trench coat over his own black leather X-Men uniform.
BOBBY: "You have got to be kidding me."
STORM: "Remy has the fighting skills and experience necessary to join us for this training simulation, Bobby. Besides, it will also give you two a chance to act as teammates."
GAMBIT: "There's nothing in the rulebook that says we have to like it though, eh?"
LOGAN: "Let's cut the small talk. It's time to start the training exercise."
BOBBY: "Yeah. Who designed it?"
Logan grins.
LOGAN: "I did."
The four students exchange nervous looks and Piotr's skin reverts to metal, turning into Colossus.
COLOSSUS: "Any chance of us actually surviving this exercise, Mr. Logan?"
Logan grins and pops his claws out of his gloved knuckles, as the room changes its appearance into that of a giant, rocky grounds of a WAR ZONE.
LOGAN: "Only one way to find out now, isn't there?"
Back in the laboratory in Essex's hideout, Dr. Essex sits at his table, his skin chalk white. The door opens and Apocalypse enters the room. Essex turns around and looks at Apocalypse.
ESSEX: "Are they ready, sir?"
APOCALYPSE: "Yes, Essex. Allow me to introduce you to my four Horsemen."
Omega Red walks into the room, dressed in a sleeveless red armored top, red armored pants, a red headband, a white belt and white boots. Autumn follows him in, wearing a black leather uniform with a black belt and black knee-high boots.
APOCALYPSE: "You already know of Pestilence and our young Famine here. Here is my Horseman of Death."
Rogue walks into the room, her expression cold and blank. Rogue is dressed in a long-sleeved black leather top with a black hood, long black pants, a white belt, white gloves and white boots. Rogue lifts her hood back, away from her face.
ESSEX: "Such a lovely choice. But what of your final member?"
APOCALYPSE: "So glad you asked. Meet my greatest creation... my Horseman of War."
Warren walks into the room, wearing a black leather uniform with purple piping down the sleeves of the top and pant legs. Warren's skin is now blue and his folded wings are covered in a coating of silver metal. Warren's wings unfurl and Essex smiles.
ESSEX: "Impressive. Your own little Archangel on your little team. So when do we make our move?"
The door opens and Sage walks into the room.
SAGE: "Excuse me, sir, but our contact has just arrived."
APOCALYPSE: "Good. Send her in."
Sage nods and walks out into the hall. Essex stands up and walks over to Apocalypse. Sage walks back into the room with the President's Secretary following her in. The Secretary looks over at the four Horseman and looks stunned as she notices Rogue.
SECRETARY: "What is she doing in here?"
ESSEX: "Don't worry about her. We've persuaded her into joining our side."
APOCALYPSE: "What did you want to speak to us about?"
SECRETARY: "The President's having a secret meeting at the Senate tomorrow night. It has something to do with a new kind of mutant registration plan. But this one is much worse than the original."
ESSEX: "The fools. Don't they know not to try and bring back plans that don't work?"
SECRETARY: "Apparently not."
APOCALYPSE: "When does this take place?"
SECRETARY: "Tomorrow at seven, in a special hearing room downtown."
APOCALYPSE: "This may be just the appropriate event to debut my new quartet. It will show them the price they pay for trying to dominate the superior mutant race. You have done well in my employ."
SECRETARY: "I still owe you a debt, Apocalypse. For getting me out of incarceration and for what Sage did for me..." (beat) "I'll do whatever I can to repay you."
APOCALYPSE: "Your servitude as been a great help to our cause. You have one part left to play before you will be relieved of your services. I will need you to assist us in order to show these fools the error of their ways. I need you to join our strike against these meddlesome humans... Mystique."
The Secretary smiles and her eyes go yellow. Her hair changes color to red and her skin changes color to blue, with blue scales raised on her body. The Secretary changes her form into her true self - MYSTIQUE. Mystique smiles and folds her arms over her chest.
MYSTIQUE: "I'm in."
APOCALYPSE: "Excellent. Then allow me to fill you in on my plan."
Late at night, in Logan's bedroom, Logan turns on his side on his bed, asleep. Logan tenses, his shut eyes fluttering.
LOGAN: (in dream) "Come on! Move it! We've still got to get this guy away from this overgrown tin squid!"
Logan's dream flashes back to the security compound. Logan stands in the hall, with various tears on the back, front and pant legs of his outfit. His left sleeve has been torn off, with blood stained on the cuts of his outfit. Logan stands next to a young Carol Danvers and an AGENT in a lab coat over his clothes.LOGAN: "Come on. I'll get you out of here."
AGENT: "What about Omega Red?"
The trio turn around, as a door is knocked open and off its hinges. Omega Red approaches into the hallway and Logan shakes his head.
LOGAN: "I thought I took you down."
OMEGA RED: "No one can stop me!!"
LOGAN: "Yeah? I noticed you like picking on people smaller than yourself. Well, I'm smaller! Try pushin' ME!!!"
Omega Red lashes his left coil at Logan. Logan rolls under the coil and springs at Omega Red, tackling him to the ground. Logan and Omega Red wrestle around on the floor, with Omega Red's coil wrapping around Logan's waist.
OMEGA RED: "A foolish maneuver, no? You cannot hurt me!!"
Logan pokes Omega Red's eyes with his fingers and he covers his eyes. Logan quickly knees Omega Red in the groin and he flinches in pain.
LOGAN: "What was that you were saying?"
Omega Red sneers and opens his eyes, as his coil extends up and slams Logan through the ceiling. Omega Red's coil pulls down and pulls Logan down with it.
YOUNG CAROL: "Logan!"
Carol flies over to Logan, as Omega Red's coil holds him tight and he dangles above the floor. Omega Red turns and lashes the other coil at young Carol, but she catches it and pulls on it. Omega Red is pulled to her and Carol punches Omega Red across the jaw. Omega Red is knocked back and through the open doorway, making his coil pull Logan into the next room.
The two smash into a laboratory in the compound. Omega Red hits the floor and his coil drops Logan. Logan gets to his feet and turns to Omega Red, as he stands up. Omega Red lashes his right coil at Logan, but he dodges it. Omega Red flicks his left coil forward at Logan, but he ducks and it stabs through a nearby chair instead. Logan charges at Omega Red, but he pulls his coil forward and the coil pulls the chair with him. The chair collides onto Logan and it knocks him forward. Logan hits the ground and Omega Red lashes his coil, knocking the chair off of it. Omega Red wraps his right coil around Logan's waist and pulls him closer to him. Omega Red's coil shines with white energy, as Carol steps into the room.
YOUNG CAROL: "Logan!"
LOGAN: (grunts) "I've got him! Get the Agent out of here!"
OMEGA RED: "It doesn't matter, James! None of you will leave this compound alive! None of you are a match for my raw power!!"
LOGAN: "Don't you ever shut up?"
When Logan gets close to Omega Red, he kicks his feet onto Omega Red's chest and the double hit pushes him backwards. The kick makes Omega Red release Logan and he pops his claws out of his knuckles - but the claws are made out of jagged BONE, not metal. Logan leaps at Omega Red as he ROARS with an outburst of berserker rage, claws aimed forward at him.
That morning in Logan's bedroom, Logan awakens and sits up on his bed. Logan looks around, panting, and realizes where he is. Logan pauses a moment, calming down. Logan looks down at his hands and pops his claws out with a SNIKT. Logan stares at his claws a moment, puzzled.
Later that day, in the board room, the seven Senators, Trask and the President are sitting at the table. The Secretary stands at the side of the room, keeping watch. The door opens and Beast walks into the room, approaching the table.
BEAST: "Good morning, Mr. President. Please excuse me for being late."
PRESIDENT: "That's quite all right. How have you been, Hank?"
BEAST: "I'm all right. We still haven't had any luck finding the missing occupants of the Xavier School, though."
PRESIDENT: "I'm sorry to hear that, Hank. I know the students and teachers there are your friends."
BEAST: "True, though I hear you've been busy yourselves while I've been away."
TRASK: "Troubles don't go away just because you do, Hank. We're actually here to review our proposition we'll be addressing at the hearing tonight."
BEAST: "Yes, I heard you had a last-minute addition to our list of topics to discuss. What kind of proposition is this?"
The President picks up a folder from the table and passes it to Beast.
PRESIDENT: "This isn't an easy issue to address, Hank. You might want to prepare yourself. This will come as quite a shock."
Beast takes the folder from the President and opens it. Beast silently reads the first page in the folder to himself and then he pauses. Beast's curious expression fades and he looks up at the President, stunned.
BEAST: "With all due respect intended, sir, you can't possibly be serious."
The President nods and Beast turns, noticing Trask's grim look. Beast sets the folder down on the table.
BEAST: "You do realize what this would mean to the mutant community. This so-called 'proposition' is just going to make things worse between the relationship between mutants and humans."
TRASK: "Well, with all due respect, Dr. McCoy, it's already gotten worse."
PRESIDENT: "This is the main topic of the hearing tonight, Hank. This isn't an approved plan yet. Tonight, we decide whether or not this gets passed."
BEAST: "Well, for all our sakes, Mr. President, I pray this plan never gets passed. You have no idea what problems this could cause."
TRASK: "That remains to be seen, Doctor."
Beast turns and looks over at Trask grimly.
That day, back in the X-Mansion, Xavier sits behind his desk in his office. He is looking at a stack of papers. The door opens and Logan looks into the room, wearing a leather jacket over a tank top, jeans and boots.
LOGAN: "You busy, Charlie?"
Xavier looks up and at Logan, as he walks to his desk.
XAVIER: "Come in. Is there something I can help you with, Logan?"
Logan sits at a chair before Xavier's desk.
LOGAN: "Those x-rays that Jean did when she first found me. You still have any of those copies?"
XAVIER: "Why do you ask?"
LOGAN: "I want to know if they really are made out of bone."
XAVIER: "What are?"
Logan taps his knuckles.
LOGAN: "These. I had another memory of my time at the Russian compound. Before I woke up, I remember leaping right at Omega Red and popping my claws out. But they weren't metal. They were jagged bone."
Xavier looks at Logan, puzzled.
XAVIER: "If what you're saying is true, I don't think it'd be possible to know for sure by the x-rays. The adamantium covers over objects so completely, it'd be impossible to know if your claws were once made of bone."
Logan SIGHS and sits back in his chair.
LOGAN: "Great. So much for answers."