In the hearing room of the Senate building, Beast sits on a chair among several Senators, including the elderly SENATOR MICHAEL KAMEN and the bald, mid-50s SENATOR DAVE HAYTER. Trask, the President and six other Senators are seated at the main table at the far end of the room. Several REPORTERS, CAMERAMEN and PHOTOGRAPHERS are at one end of the room, keeping watch over the hearing. One of the seated Senators, the elderly and bald THOMAS DESANTO, looks over at the mid-50s, gray-haired Senator seated to his right, LAUREN DONNER.
PRESIDENT: "As you know, the main topic at hand tonight is a last-minute addition. This is a proposition that has been presented to this hearing before, in many different incarnations in the past six years, but it has always been rejected due to one reason or another. Whether it was a matter of being too expensive or too risky of a plan to consider, we now have a way to finally make it happen at a reasonable cost and with the necessary resources... if it is passed this time. The main topic tonight... is Project Wide-awake."
The other Senators turn to one another, stunned and talking to each other. Beast sits back in his chair, upset.
PRESIDENT: "The new plan would allow us to legalize the Mutant Registration Act, publicly identifying every mutant and keeping records of what they're capable of. It would also allow us to build special prisons designed to contain any mutants that break the law and rehabilitate them so they can be deemed fit to re-enter society." (beat) "In the worst case scenario, it would also allow us to come up with a new series of soldiers designed by the military to properly deal with any dangerous mutant attacks. Special androids, designed by the best robotic experts in the world, each fifty feet tall and designed with special force blasts to stun and capture any mutant that posed a hostile threat to our citizens. These robots have been dubbed by their creators Sentinels."
The Senators murmur to one another, all talking at once. Beast looks around the room and at the Senators' faces. Beast turns to the President and raises his hand.
PRESIDENT: "What is it, Dr. McCoy?"
The Senators turn to Beast, as he stands up.
BEAST: "If I may be allowed to speak on the matter, Mr. President."
PRESIDENT: "You may proceed."
BEAST: "Mr. President, we have all seen the errors caused by the Mutant Registration Act. Even the late Senator Kelly himself went from its strongest supporter to what ultimately defeated it."
TRASK: "Well, Senator Kelly got cold feet on one version of the Registration Act. This one is different."
BEAST: "Yes, and much more dangerous. Designing special mutant containment systems is a truly frightening concept, Mr. President. Records of mutant prisoner beatings from officers are as long as this very building. I was allowed access to read this file, along with a few other senators. There is no guarantee on the safety of the prisoners in any of those files and the very concept of starting in Genosha, the very place with some of the deadliest and dangerous attacks by humans against mutants, is appalling on so many levels."
PRESIDENT: "I understand your feelings on the issue, Dr. McCoy, being a mutant yourself. But with this plan, we will ensure that every mutant in detainment will be treated with the proper care."
BEAST: "With all due respect intended, Mr. President, you can't guarantee that promise to the mutant community. You don't understand. You will not have a fifty foot tall robotic soldier loose on the street hunting after mutants, assaulting them and abducting them."
PRESIDENT: "Hank, that's not what this plan is about."
TRASK: "If I may, Mr. President. Don't worry, Dr. McCoy. It is said they are only after mutant criminals."
BEAST: "Dr. Trask, humans are so scared of mutants, who is to ensure that only identified mutant criminals are targeted? Anyone afraid of mutants could easily call the authorities and give them a false report just to see mutants locked away. And the other methods of containment the Sentinels could legally use to apprehend mutants, it is entirely unethical and disturbing."
SENATOR KAMEN: "What methods?"
BEAST: "According to the files, the Sentinels will also use beams of energy focused through blasters built into their pupils, electro-magnetic technology in their feet to allow flight and increase their speeds to be as fast as a race car, and metal lassos built into their palms that emit an electric shock to their captors to stun them."
SENATOR HAYTER: "Good lord."
SENATOR DESANTO: "Sounds to me like they're under-prepared with their weapon supply. Most mutants have been known to stop armor-piercing rounds when it hits their skin and they can run as fast as a jet. You really think they could catch any mutant with powers like those?"
SENATOR KAMEN: "Senator DeSanto, please. We're not here to cause an uproar."
SENATOR DONNER: "Given the attacks in the last few months, Senator Kamen, I'd say it's already at an uproar."
SENATOR DESANTO: "No kidding. Look at what happened to Warren's laboratory on Alcatraz all those weeks ago. You want something as big and deadly as that to be allowed on the streets?"
PRESIDENT: "That's enough! Everyone calm down!"
The Senators look at one another and Beast looks at the President.
BEAST: "Mr. President, what's happening now in this room is the very example of why Project Wide-awake should not be passed. We are as divided in this hearing room on our opinion towards mutants as we are in this world. If we approve this plan, then all of the work we've done towards co-existence between humans and mutants will be lost."
SENATOR DESANTO: "Why should we listen to you? You were actually at the attack on Alcatraz, fighting off Magneto's forces!"
PRESIDENT: "Senator..."
BEAST: "I was doing my best to help."
SENATOR DONNER: "What you helped do was get Mr. Worthington to permanently rid the world of the very cure for mutancy he himself spent years and a small fortune creating."
BEAST: "Mr. Worthington made his own choice on making things safe for the mutant community. Now, we have our own choice to make."
A Secret Service AGENT walks to the back entrance of the Senate building, wearing a business suit and a headset. A large grassy field looms behind the back of the building. Agent #1 stops, as he notices the doorway is shut and he is alone.
AGENT #1: "What the hell? There were supposed to be two agents at the back door!"
AGENT #2: (on headset) "What? They're not there?"
AGENT #1: "No, sir. I'm checking it out."
The Agent goes to the doorway and opens it. Rogue stands in the doorway, her head lowered and her hands in her pants pockets.
AGENT #1: "What? What're you doing here?"
AGENT #2: (on headset) "What is it?"
Rogue looks up at the Agent, eyeing him blankly. She takes her bare hands out of her pockets and quickly grabs the Agent's face, knocking his headset off. The Agent stiffens and lets out incessant GASPS, as veins appear on his face and Rogue's hands. Rogue stays still, keeping hold of the Agent's face. The Agent falls to his knees, passing out. Rogue keeps her hold on the Agent, as Mystique walks to the back entrance from behind. She picks up the headset and puts it on.
MYSTIQUE: (in Agent #1's voice): "False alarm, gentlemen. I've found them inside. Seems our boys need to let us know when they decide to leave for a bathroom break."
AGENT #2 (O. S.): (on headset) "Copy that. You scared us there for a second."
Mystique smiles, as Rogue drops Agent #1 to the ground and he lands dead.
MYSTIQUE: (in Agent #1's voice) "Wouldn't want to do that, now would we?"
Rogue puts her gloves on and Mystique grabs Agent #1 by his arms. Mystique drags him inside and to an open closet inside. She sets him in the closet, with two more dead agents already occupying it. Rogue shuts the back entrance door behind her.
Three Secret Service AGENTS stand watch in the Senate building's far hall, including AGENT #2. Agent #2 turns around, as a female Agent approaches, wearing a hat and a business suit.
AGENT #2: "You the other Agent assigned to join us?"
The Agent smiles and lifts up her hat, showing her face - it's Sage.
SAGE: "Yes. I'm here to take care of things with you."
AGENT #2: "Good. We need to be ready to keep watch. We don't want things to go wrong."
SAGE: "Don't worry. We'll make sure it won't."
Agent #2 suddenly pauses and stiffens. The Agent falls to the floor, unconscious, with the other two agents rendered unconscious and falling to the ground beside him.
Back in the Senate hearing room, Beast looks at the President, as he looks at the Senators talking all at once.
PRESIDENT: "Gentlemen, please. Now nothing has been finalized yet. We have not even decided if this plan will be approved yet."
The doors to the room are blasted off their hinges and they hit the ground, near the startled reporters. The cameramen, photographers and reporters step aside, as Apocalypse walks into the room with Essex and Omega Red following him in.
APOCALYPSE: "That is because it will never come to pass, Mr. President. I am Apocalypse. I have come here with my Horsemen to deliver this message to your race. The time of Homo sapiens has ended. We are your future, humans. Resist us at your peril."
Apocalypse steps aside, as Warren steps into the room. Beast looks at him, stunned, as Warren's metal wings unfurl before the startled press members.
BEAST: "Warren?"
Warren's wings fire two metal blades out of them, one of which hits a reporter in her gut and another hits a photographer in his chest. The photographer and reporter both fall to the ground, as Essex holds up his hands and fires a red energy beam at a cameraman. The beam hits the cameraman's chest, shoving him against the wall, as Warren fires two more feather-shaped blades at the fleeing news people. Beast stands up and turns to Warren.
BEAST: "Warren! What are you doing? Cease this fighting immediately before someone gets hurt!"
SENATOR DESANTO: "You know that winged freak?"
BEAST: "He happens to be a good friend and trusted colleague. But he seems to not hear me. I have to see what's wrong with him."
SENATOR DESANTO: "He's murdering the press, you idiot! You want to chat with him?"
BEAST: "Indubitably."
Beast stands up and leaps over the reporters, right at Warren. Beast tackles Warren to the ground and he pins him down, holding his arms.
ESSEX: "Archangel!"
Warren struggles in Beast's hold, as he eyes Warren in confusion, as several Senators and press members flee.
BEAST: "Warren, what is wrong with you? Why are you doing this?"
Warren sneers and two feather-shaped blades appear in his wings, ready to fire. Beast flips back as Warren fires the blades, which barely miss him. Beast lands crouched and turns to the President. Beast leaps over the crowd and lands crouched by the President.
BEAST: "My friend seems to be in some sort of trance! I have to reach him!"
PRESIDENT: "Are you crazy? It's not safe here!"
BEAST: "I agree. I'd advise you to get out of here at once, sir."
TRASK: "What?!? They'll kill us!"
BEAST: "I'll hold them off until help arrives. Go!!"
Beast looks at Warren, stunned, and then he pushes the President and Trask aside.
BEAST: "DOWN!"
Warren fires two feathered blades forward and one hits the wall. The other stabs Beast in his right shoulder and he GRUNTS as he falls to the floor.
PRESIDENT: "Hank!"
BEAST: "I'll be fine! GO!!"
The remaining Senators run off out of the open back doors of the room, following what reporters and photographers that had yet to run out. Trask takes the President by the arm and runs out of the room with him. Beast gets up and pulls the feather out of his arm, flinching.
ESSEX: "A futile gesture, Dr. McCoy, since we've sealed the entrances and exits. They won't get out."
Beast looks at the chalk white-skinned Essex in realization.
BEAST: "You're the man who abducted Scott. What is this all about?"
ESSEX: "Weren't you listening? We're here to take what is rightfully ours: our place as the dominant species on the planet."
BEAST: "What have you done to Warren?"
APOCALYPSE: "He is my Horseman of War now, mutant... a living weapon to bring about the end of the human race. Your friend Rogue has also joined my ranks as a Horseman of Death."
Beast looks on, as Rogue walks in, dragging a dead security agent in her hand. Rogue drops the agent and stares at Beast blankly, as Autumn follows Rogue into the room.
BEAST: (whispers) "Oh, Rogue."
APOCALYPSE: "It is only logical that the humans' time end now, Doctor McCoy. The weak must be eradicated so that only the strong can strive and survive."
BEAST: "We've just begun to chat and already you have spoken like a true homicidal maniac."
APOCALYPSE: "Do not challenge us, Doctor. You can be spared of our wrath if you align with us."
BEAST: "I already have an allegiance, the same as Warren and Rogue. I am an X-Man."
APOCALYPSE: "And so it shall read on the tombstone of your grave, you insolent fool."
Apocalypse aims his hands forward and a beam of red energy quickly fires from his palms, hitting Beast's chest before he can move. The blast knocks Beast back and against the wall, cracking it. BEAST GRUNTS as he falls and hits the floor, stunned. Mystique and Sage walk into the room and they stand next to Apocalypse.
MYSTIQUE: "The last of the secret service guards are down."
APOCALYPSE: "Excellent. Death, go and bestow Dr. McCoy with your fatal touch while we deal with our guests."
Rogue nods and walks over to Beast, as she removes her gloves.
BEAST: "Rogue... it's me, Henry. You don't want to do this."
A breeze of icy mist fires low on the ground from behind Rogue and it freezes over her feet, pinning them to the floor. Rogue suddenly stops and turns her head, looking over her shoulder to the side exit doors. The eight X-Men stand in the doorway. Apocalypse, Essex and his henchmen turn to see the X-Men in the doorway, as Beast stands up.
LOGAN: 'Sorry, darlin'. Nothing personal, but we don't want you doing something you'll regret."
ESSEX: "Impossible! How did you get here?"
LOGAN: "Easy. We turned the engines to full power to get us here. By the way, I had to use these to unlock your doors so we could get in."
Logan pops his claws out of his knuckles.
BEAST: "And I appreciate the help. However, Warren and Rogue seem to be under some kind of mind control courtesy of our new friend Apocalypse there."
APOCALYPSE: "You fools. You dare to oppose me?"
LOGAN: "We dare, ugly."
APOCALYPSE: "Very well. Horsemen, destroy them all!!"
Beast leaps over Rogue, high over her head, and he lands next to the X-Men.
BEAST: "What now?"
LOGAN: "It's too cramped to fight in here. We need to take it out back for more room."
STORM: "Let's move!"
The X-Men turn and run out of the doorway, down the hall, with the Horsemen following after them. As the other villains leave, Essex stands next to Rogue and fires an energy blast from his hands at the ice sheathed over her feet. The blast breaks the ice, allowing Rogue to move again. Essex hurries out of the room, with Rogue following after.
The President, Trask, the Senators, Reporters, etc., are all gathered around the front of the Senate building. The President steps towards a dead secret service agent on the floor and he notices three more lying dead on the front lawn.
PRESIDENT: "My God."
TRASK: "The other secret service agents are on their way, sir! I suggest we get you into the limousine and out of here!"
PRESIDENT: "We can't just leave Hank here."
TRASK: "We have to. He can handle himself against these attackers. We can't. Come on."
The President nods and follows Trask towards a parked limousine.