TEASER
INT. OFFICE- evening
Sean “BANSHEE” Cassidy sits at his desk. He’s listening to a CHRIS Hannity from Ireland’s National Central Bureau.
TITLES:
DUBLIN
Sean, I just got off the phone with the US National Central Bureau. I thought I’d check up on Tom. You used to go with a bird named Maeve Roarke?
You know I did.
But did you know she had a daughter, born just after she arrived in the states? Or that she has your eyes, and your hair? And Sean, the lass has that singing voice of yours, too. She was arrested with Tom that last time, but she was plucked out of the system by a Professor Charles Xavier, and enrolled in his Institute. And I just found out, Tom’s being released tomorrow.
END TEASER
EXT. BAR- NIGHT
A black SUV pulls to a stop outside of a watering hole in the desert with a handful of vehicles parked outside.
TITLES:
Arizona
ECU on the ground as a woman’s heel, more business than style, presses into the dirt.
INT. Bar- night
WARPATH, DOMINO, SUNSPOT, MELTDOWN, and RICTOR are talking over beers with Sherriff John “THUNDERBIRD” Proudstar.
It’s a lot of me standing before the council with a fistful of statistics and no chance in hell of convincing them that uranium contamination of our wells has increased the incidence of reproductive cancer.
That comes with being sheriff?
That comes with being in a position of leadership in the community. My words carry more weight than those of a professor from Arizona State.
Thunderbird takes a pull.
It’s good you came. Honestly, Jimmy, I didn’t expect to see you this soon.
We were passing through.
Yeah. It’s nice to see you’ve found good people. It’s what I had in the marines. I just hope that when you’re finished doing what you have to, you’ll remember your family here, too.
I remember.
Thunderbird’s DEPUTY enters, with Captain Carol DANVERS on his heels.
John, they came with government plates and-
I’m not interested in your sheriff; I’m here for his guests.
The lady can have my seat. You want her gone, I’ll escort her to the border myself.
Danvers sits.
What are you doing here?
Relax. This is something you’ll want to hear.
She opens a folder on the table.
This man is Thomas “Black Tom” Cassidy, former demolitionist for the IRA. Emigrated twenty years ago, and produced quite a rap sheet. Kidnap, murder, arson, racketeering, and those are just the words in bold on page one. Five years ago he was arrested for the attempted assassination of the American ambassador to Ireland, along with a young woman he claimed was his daughter. She was a classmate of yours at the Xavier Institute named Theresa.
Warpath reacts.
And in case that isn’t enough motivation, an old friend of yours has been bankrolling his appeals team.
She turns to another photo.
Cortez.
Was he that bad, or did he call out someone else’s name?
I didn’t-
Then why are all my analysts saying you did.
Because analysts are intelligence officers too bad at their jobs to gather their own data, so they make up sordid details to justify their existence.
Touché. But these same analysts, working off Cassidy’s rather well-documented history, believe he will seek to regain custody of his daughter. Since he has been unable to prove paternity in the past, he’ll probably resort to form and use guile and force.
My two favorite Street Fighters.
I’ve got you all on the next plane, so everybody hug and we’ll go.
Is she, like, serious?
No, we don’t have time for hugging. Now move.
Domino stops Rictor.
I can defend myself.
Of course you can, chica. But I can defend my friends if I want to.
He walks away, and she has no response for him.
Int. Prison- morning
Black TOM Cassidy is about to be released. His personal effects are waiting on the counter, and he’s already changed into the clothes he was arrested in.
Turn around, and put your hands through the door.
The GUARD unchains him.
Now how does that feel?
Like it’s been too long.
That I imagine it has.
Cortez gives Tom a polished wooden staff.
My shillelagh.
I couldn’t have someone in my employ hobbling around like a gimp.
I cannot thank you enough. For everything.
I don’t want platitudes, Tom; we’re both the kinds of men who pay our debts in trade.
I told you before, I’m done with that life. It’s cost me five good years with my daughter, and I couldn’t forgive myself if I lost a second more.
We had a deal, Tom. An understanding.
I’m sorry if you feel I misled you, but I’ve no more of the old hate left in me, and a conscience as clean as I can hope to have.
So you plan to abscond with your daughter and retire? Then I’ve a bit of bad news. It seems someone at Interpol found out about her, and word worked its way back to your brother. You’ve taken her from the Institute before, but your brother’s a horse of a different color. To deal with him, you’re going to need some help. Which is a bit ironic, because so do I.
You’re not a smart man, blackmailing a bomb expert.
I don’t have to be smart, so long as I remain dangerous.
Do you know what I learned in Ireland, watching me lads fight and die for nothing? Men giving orders are always full of shite, willing to sacrifice the lot of us to get what they want. Cross me and I’ll kill ya with me own hands.
BLACK.
INT. Room- morning
Warpath is in his old room in the mansion. On his bed is a small build-up of mail.
ECU on a torn-open envelope, from Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004, sitting at the top of the stack.
ECU on the letter Warpath is reading. It is a registration letter, and the phrase, “we are pleased to accept your application to attend our university” is in bold.
Warpath slips the letter into his coat, and throws his other mail in the trash.
EXT. ROAD- Morning
Banshee drives his rental truck along a woody road in Westchester.
INT. TRUCK- MORNING
Siryn is riding shotgun, and watching the leafy foliage pass by.
So. What do you do... for fun and such?
Stuff. Hang out, mostly.
Right. So what would you like to do? Is there a movie you’d like to see? Somewhere you’d like to go? Are you hungry?
She turns to him for the first time.
Dad. Just drive for a while, okay?
INT. car- morning
Meltdown is in the passenger seat, Rictor is on the bench behind them, and Sunspot is in the very back.
Warpath opens the side door and slides into the van.
Move.
Sunspot makes room.
Not over.
He points to the seat beside Rictor. Sunspot sighs, then hops over the seat.
Warpath sits down to the far side, saving a seat.
Domino gets into the driver’s side of the rented van.
She’s gone.
Warpath shrinks visibly.
Alex didn’t see you?
No. I talked to Jubilee.
Jubes? How’s she- wait, is she going to tell them we were here?
I don’t think so. She was cool. But she said Theresa already left with her dad.
So, like, where do we go now? Where do we even start looking?
I think I know. We went there once. She was upset, after what happened to Dr. Grey, and we just went there to talk.
Way to go, James.
It wasn’t like that. I’m her friend.
Where is it?
Let me drive. I don’t want to be stuck back here with Rictor the whole way.
Warpath starts for the front.
INT. LAB- DAY
Tom walks through a room that is half weaponeering and half botany lab. On the table is a perfectly squared organic box, grown in the shape of a briefcase.
I must say, you’ve done better than I’d have thought.
I can only take so much credit. The design is entirely yours.
Aye, but you followed to a T.
Will it do the job?
The job and then some. I’ll just need to make a few adjustments.
Good. But it needs to be in place this afternoon. The Congress is voting on the mutant rights amendment. It hasn’t a chance in hell of passing the Senate, let alone the House.
Tom runs his hands over the exterior of the case, and a soft glow trickles from his fingertips into the wood, before the glow recedes.
You should be thrilled. How is this any different from your days in the IRA?
I was born with the mutant gene. Perhaps some day they’ll cure us all permanently, perhaps they won’t. But I was raised Irish, and I’ll die Irish, and even I’ll be buried in Irish soil. I’ll always be Irish. Your mutant rights scam isn’t going to sway me, and if you keep trying to prod me with it, you’ll find me very unpliable.
To BLACK.
EXT. Grotto- day
Banshee and Siryn are walking through a forest grotto, complete with small statues and beautiful gardens. He stops, staring at her.
I can’t stop noticing how much of your mother there is in you. I wish you’d had a chance to know her, and that I’d had the chance to know you--
Siryn’s eyes get wider.
Top of the morning to you, Sean.
Dad?
Tom is at the head of a group, including Cortez, FRENZY and AVELANCHE. Avalanche wears a blue suit, and a pair of wire spectacles.
Terry, my love, I’m sorry.
Cortez shoots Banshee in the chest.
Banshee falls, and Siryn goes to him.
What have you done?
Her anger surprises him, but he regains stride.
What I had to do.
The bomb, Cassidy. Prime it, and we can go our separate ways.
Tom hesitates. Siryn’s eyes are filled with tears.
Cortez points the gun at Siryn.
Don’t flake on me, Tom. I’ll kill the girl without a second thought.
I’ll kill you just for pointing that at her sweet little head.
Tom takes the briefcase from Frenzy. Tom begins to glow, and the glow enters the briefcase. The expenditure of energy causes him great pain, and he doubles over.
It’ll reach critical mass in an hour. There’s no stopping it.
Cortez picks up the briefcase.
Excellent. Dominic. Capital building. Within the hour.
He hands it to Avalanche. Avalanche takes it and runs off.
Cortez smiles, but his expression changes. He grabs Tom by the arm and pulls him up.
We have to leave; and I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.
That wasn’t our agreement.
We have unexpected guests, and if they take you, they’ll find out about the bomb, so for the next hour I have a vested interest in keeping you away from them. Now collect your daughter before I decide it’s more expedient to simply shoot you both.
Tom kneels beside Siryn.
I’m sorry you had to see that, girl, but it had to be done, and now, we have to—
Sunspot blasts Tom onto his back.
Domino enters, followed by Rictor, Warpath and Meltdown. Meltdown and Rictor lay down suppressing fire with shockwaves and time bombs. Warpath steps between Cortez and Domino, while Domino kneels beside Siryn.
Terry, are you okay?
Tom sits up, smoking a bit from Sunspot’s blast.
Just one little scream for daddy, cailín, and we’re gone.
Siryn hesitates, then blasts all of them with a sonic scream.
PULL BACK to reveal X-Force lying on the ground as Cortez leads the rest of them away.
I really hate that man. I feel like a scrambled egg.
Banshee rises slowly. He wipes the blood from his mouth.
She definitely has her mother’s soprano.
Meltdown sits up.
Wait, so you aren’t all dead and stuff?
No. It’s not the first time Tom’s had me shot.
Banshee unbuttons his shirt enough to show her he was wearing a vest.
We should go after them.
Aye. But they have an explosive device, made to look like a briefcase, that they’re taking to the Capitol Building. A call to Interpol would take six hours to get the information to the right people. And my daughter comes first for me.
I’m with you.
No. If there’s a bomb, we may need someone invulnerable to deal with it.
But I—
No, James. We’ll keep her safe. Julio, Tabby, take the car and go with him.
They run back the way they came.
Are they dating?
Not exactly. But don’t tell him that. Or her. We didn’t have this conversation. Bobby, get in the air, and follow them. We’ll be right behind in his-
Truck.
Sunspot nods, and takes off.
Int. SUV- day
Tom is riding shotgun, with Cortez driving.
Why are we running?
Because, despite your daughter’s little show, it was about to become five on three, and those little mutant brats are better trained that they might appear. Mutants are only destined to inherit the earth if we survive long enough to pass on our genes. At times, discretion is the better part of valor.
You’re a coward.
No. I’m a man who can see past this one moment far enough to realize that beyond this there is a larger goal. Battles won in altruistic sacrifice sometimes cost the war.
INT. Capitol Building- day
Avalanche approaches a security checkpoint. A guard named LANCE sits on his stool, and stops talking to a page when he notices his approach. Lance is an older gentleman in his fifties, with white hair and a white moustache.
Morning, ‘Nic.
Morning, Lance. Ah ah. Put down the donut.
I’ve had my insulin.
Unless you had a doubleshot it doesn’t cover powdered donuts. I’ll trade you.
Avalanche takes a banana out of his pocket.
It’s got raspberry filling, so it counts as a fruit.
Is that what your wife would say? I’ll throw in a carrot to sweeten the deal.
Avalanche removes a carrot in a plastic bag from his pocket.
You’re a wicked man, depriving me of my donut.
I’m saving your life, old timer.
I hope it gives you gas.
INT. SUV- DAY
Siryn stares out the window. She’s obviously conflicted.
I remember when you were just a little sprite, running around the mansion. You know Jimmy’s a good guy, right? Sometimes I used to get so jeal—
Siryn’s eyes get wide.
EXT. ROADSIDE- DAY
Sunspot shoves a tree over into the road.
CUT TO the SUV, as Cortez barely has time to stop before he barrels into the felled tree.
INT. SUV- DAY
Cortez looks over his shoulder to Frenzy.
Kill him quickly. We’re at a disadvantage as it is.
EXT. ROADSIDE- DAY
Frenzy gets out of the car. Sunspot shoots out a wall of fire. She walks right through it, and she is pissed off.
That was a new sweater.
To BLACK.
INT. Car- DAY
Rictor points at a pay phone a few blocks from the Capitol Building.
Stop.
CUT TO Rictor talking on the phone.
There’s a bomb in the Capitol Building. Mutie’s don’t deserve to get married, and the government has no right telling me I got to hire one, or pay them the same I pay my natural human workers.
Rictor hangs up the phone.
INT. CAPITOL BUILDING- DAY
Avalanche approaches the security checkpoint from within. He no longer has the briefcase.
There’s a bomb in the building. You can sneak out with me, or you can die trying to disarm it.
I was never just standing here for my health.
Lance runs down the hall, and Avalanche shears off the base of a column, and it collapses on Lance as he runs past.
Avelanche straightens his glasses as an alarm goes off, and security start to evacuate people out of the exits.
CUT TO Meltdown, Rictor and Warpath sneaking into the building.
CLOSE on Warpath, as he smells the air. He catches a scent, and follows it.
That is so weird.
You didn’t know he could do that?
So weird. Also, it totally makes me reconsider my hygiene.
Warpath continues to follow a scent, but he talks while he does it.
You’re not so bad, especially after you switched deodorants; it’s much more subtle. Julio, on the other hand, should stop rewearing pants. Leaving them on your floor for a week doesn’t make them clean. He violates the three foot rule constantly.
The what?
Rictor puts one hand in front of his nose, the other at crotch level, to illustrate.
Most people have about three feet from their nose to their cro--
It’s here.
CUT TO Warpath standing over the briefcase in the middle of the hall where they’ve moved it.
What now?
I don’t know, but... is it starting to glow?
Tabby, can you put a long delay on one of your time bombs. Say, three minutes?
I... think so.
Do it and go. You too. Keep away. The bomb might have some chemicals in it, or something biological, or radioactive.
EXT. Capitol Building- day
Rictor and Meltdown leave the building in a hurry. Meltdown stops and looks back at the building.
We shouldn’t have left him.
She tries to go back, but Rictor stops her.
No, chica. Jim might survive. We won’t.
I wouldn’t worry too much, Tabby...
Avalanche followed them out of the building.
I’ll make sure you meet him in the happy hunting ground.
Avalanche fires a shockwave at the both of them. Rictor steps into it to protect Meltdown.
CLOSE ON the ground as Rictor falls, gasping, with blood in his mouth.
Meltdown creates a time bomb.
Three, two, one!
Meltdown wings the bomb at Avalanche.
Avalanche blasts the bomb, and it disintegrates in midair.
Oh crap.
Meltdown tries to dodge his next blast, but falls hard as the ground beneath her collapses.
EXT. Road- day
Banshee and Domino get out of the truck, using the car doors as shielding. Cortez immediately starts firing at them; Tom levels his cane at Domino, and fires a blast of energy through it.
Sunspot is thrown into the car behind Domino.
Careful, Bobby. You’re strong, not invulnerable.
Easy for you to say.
Cover me!
Domino jumps over her car door and runs across the hood of the truck, firing at Tom twice, then three times at Cortez.
Banshee runs at Tom. Tom levels his shillelagh at Banshee and blasts him, but the blast has no effect. Banshee punches him in the mouth.
Domino leans around the driver’s side door, and fires several shots before she’s empty again.
Are you out, too? Good, we can settle this with our fists.
Cortez throws his gun away and steps out from behind his car door. Domino runs at him. Cortez reaches for his Walther, and Domino throws a dagger into his hand. He drops the gun. She kicks him across the face.
Sunspot struggles to his feet, using the truck to balance himself. Suddenly, he drops back to the ground, as Frenzy punches where he had been, and smashes her fist through one of the truck windows. From the ground, Sunspot grabs her ankle and flings her over the truck.
Siryn watches helplessly as her two fathers punch each other. Tom fights using the Irish cane-based martial art, bata. He cracks Banshee across the wrist, and he drops his gun, and Tom kicks it under the car. Tom smacks Banshee across the face, and then goes down, landing hard.
To BLACK.
EXT. Capitol Building- day
CLOSE ON the ground. Meltdown is still lying where she landed, stunned. Avalanche’s boot steps down beside her.
A shockwave knocks Avalanche on his ass. Rictor is still on the ground, with blood on his teeth, up on one elbow, with one hand extended.
Avalanche picks himself up, taking his time, more amused than upset. As he talks he walks to Rictor.
I’ll give you one thing, Julio, you’ve got arhithia. Unfortunately, that just isn’t enough.
Avalanche kicks him in the stomach, and Rictor doubles over.
Avalanche kicks him repeatedly.
Stop it!
Meltdown has shaken off her fall and she’s up and pissed off. She’s got a time bomb in each hand, and flings them at him.
As before, he blasts them out of the air.
CLOSE ON Rictor, as a third bomb rolls next to his face. His eyes go wide, then he rolls over, onto his feet enough to leap away as it goes off. Avalanche flies off his feet.
Meltdown runs to help Rictor up.
Avalanche rises. His shoes and pants have both been burnt and shredded.
These were very expensive shoes. You do realize that the two of you can’t beat me, don’t you?
Rictor is leaning against Meltdown. He’s smiling.
What’s big, smoking, angry, and standing right behind you?
Hyesse.
Warpath, VERY ANGRY, and still smoking from the explosion, is behind Avalanche.
EXT. ROAD- DAY
Domino punches Cortez, and he accepts the blow, but catches her, and holds her tight from behind.
You can’t beat me up close. I’ve got size and strength on you.
Cortez pulls the dagger out of his hand, and puts it to her throat.
CUT TO a tree beside the road. Sunspot flies into it, taking the brunt of his landing in the small of his back. He slides down into dirt.
He struggles to his feet. He wraps his arms around the tree and digs his fingers in. His skin turns black, and his hands burn as he tries to pull the tree up.
You can’t beat me, Bobby.
Frenzy backhands him. Sunspot’s knees buckle, but he catches himself, and again tries to uproot the tree.
And if you keep fighting, you’re only hurting yourself.
She punches him in the stomach, and he falls away from the tree, leaving a dent in its bark.
Banshee isn’t fairing well unarmed against Tom, and he’s bleeding from a gash in his cheek. Siryn’s on the verge of tears, but she’s also pissed off.
When she screams, it starts as words, and becomes unbearably loud and high-pitched. The scream doesn’t effect Tom or Banshee, but they stop for a moment.
Stop this!
Banshee takes advantage of the pause, and tackles Tom to the street. Tom hits him several times while getting to his feet. Banshee struggles to stand, and Tom hits him again in the face, and he falls.
EXT. FIELD- day
Through a rifle scope Warpath can be seen standing behind Avalanche. Violence is imminent.
PULL BACK to reveal a contingent of soldiers gathered, including a SNIPER and his GENERAL.
Sir, the mutants seem to be fighting amongst themselves.
Suits me just fine. The moment they’re done, we’ll pick off the survivors. No one tries to blow up my Congress, let alone a bunch of muties.
To BLACK.
EXT. FIELD- DAY
The sniper pulls back from his rifle scope. Faintly a helicopter can be heard.
Sir, I think the fighting’s stopped.
Right, men. Officially this is a policing action. We can’t have soldiers mowing down mutants standing in front of the Capitol Building. Unless they fire first. At the first sign of aggression, you may fire at will.
You will do no such thing.
Danvers enters.
Captain Carol Danvers, United States Air Force and United Nations SHIELD Commander. Those mutants are operating under my authority. The terrorist they have subdued can be filed away in a Cuban drawer for all I care, but you will not fire upon SHIELD assets.
Do you expect me to believe that SHIELD is fielding mutant agents on sovereign US soil? If that’s what you’re telling me, you can kiss your mandate goodbye.
General. Those operatives were responding to a threat to National Security at the behest of United Nations personnel.
I’ll see that they’re posthumously decorated, Captain. At the ready, men--
The air kicks up, as the sounds of a helicopter return.
Danvers is back in the helicopter, and flies by the General, saluting.
Sir.
Damnit. Hold, men.
Danvers lands the helicopter by Warpath. He’s holding a limp, unconscious Avalanche.
Drop him. The locals want custody. We’re leaving. Quickly. Before General Ross gets permission to shoot me.
EXT. ROAD- day
Frenzy drops Sunspot like a wet sack in the road.
Domino pulls a second dagger from her belt and stabs Cortez in the thigh.
Domino pulls away from Cortez, and they circle each other with their knives.
Banshee is barely conscious, hanging from his shirt, held by the collar by Tom. Tom has his shillelagh over his head, about to bring it down on Banshee.
Siryn grabs his arm as he swings, and stops him.
No. Don’t do it. He’s my dad.
Her words wound him deeper than the fight had.
But I’m your dad.
So is he. So stop it.
Tom lets go of Banshee, who falls to the concrete and groans.
Thank you.
I’m sorry, cailín, but I can’t suffer your father to live.
Tom reaches under the car and gets out Banshee’s pistol, and points it at his head.
Don’t.
Banshee kicks Tom’s cane in the center, snapping it in half. Tom lands hard on the pavement, and he and Banshee grapple for the gun.
Cortez lunges at Domino, swiping his knife at the air. She leans out of the way, and tries to stab at him under the arm. He blocks her forearm, and they each try to push their knives closer. Domino isn’t as strong.
She plants her leg between his, and uses his momentum to trip him. He rolls, and is up in an instant, swiping defensively at her.
Frenzy bends over Sunspot, checking on him.
He’d better be all right.
He is. I went easy on him. We don’t have to fight, Jim. You could come with us. We could make each other happy again.
Warpath looks, first at Sunspot, and then, lingeringly, at Siryn, then to Frenzy.
No. We couldn’t.
Warpath runs at her.
CUT TO Warpath flying over the tree across the road. He lands, and skids across the pavement.
That’s new.
Frenzy leaps over the tree, and lands on her knee where Warpath’s head had been. The concrete smashes.
I’ve been taking judo.
Warpath tackles her, landing on top of her on the road.
You’re still too slow.
Warpath punches her in the face, knocking her head back into the concrete, cracking it.
Cortez stabs at Domino and she pivots to avoid it, and slices his stabbing arm.
Danvers runs to Domino and Cortez.
Stay back, Carol. He’s dangerous.
Danvers pulls her sidearm and shoots him in the chest three times.
She holsters her pistol.
So am I.
Cortez is on the ground, moaning. He was wearing a vest, but the bullets kicked like a mule.
Sunspot ambles up behind them, using the SUV to steady himself.
Is it wrong of me to think that was hot?
You couldn’t handle me, Bobby.
Tom and Banshee are still fighting for control of the gun, rolling around on the road, but Tom is on top, and has his finger on the trigger, and the gun is pointed at Banshee’s head.
ECU as Tom pulls the trigger.
Banshee thrusts the webby flesh between his thumb and pointer finger in front of the hammer, and the gun doesn’t fire. With his other thumb, he starts to gouge at Tom’s eye.
Banshee headbutts Tom, and the gun falls away.
Tom punches him several times, and starts to choke him.
Stop it.
Tom continues to choke him, and bashes his head against the road.
Siryn points Banshee’s gun at Tom.
Stop it!
Tom looks up at her, and he pauses.
I can’t do that.
Siryn shoots him.
Cailín?
Tom falls over.
Siryn drops the gun. She’s horrified.
Warpath climbs over the tree, and leaps beside her. He wraps his arms around her, and she folds into him.
Terry.
Domino, Sunspot, Meltdown, Rictor and Danvers gather near them. Danvers kneels by Tom, and examines him.
It probably pierced his lung, but he should be okay. We can chopper him to the hosp-
The helicopter suddenly takes off. Cortez waves from inside.
Cover your ears. I can blast it from the sky.
No.
As the helicopter turns, it is revealed that Cortez has a gun to the pilot’s head. Frenzy is also with him.
Damnit.
Danvers pulls out a cell phone.
This is Danvers. My transport has been hijacked, with its pilot. See if you can get General Ross to scramble an intercept, and monitor its twenty. If you can, train a satellite on it. Yes. Two of them. Pretty beat up. You can also tell Ross we are transporting one Thomas Cassidy to the hospital. He made the Capitol Building bomb. They can have him once a doctor clears him.
INT. HALL- Sunset
Siryn is sitting in a hospital waiting room. She’s waiting to hear about Tom. Banshee puts his hand over hers, and she leans against him.
Banshee kisses the top of her head.
EXT. DESERT- NIGHT
There’s a full moon in the sky. Exodus, Carmella, Katu and Moonstar are standing just outside the town on the Apache reservation from earlier.
TITLES:
Arizona
Thunderbird pulls up in his cruiser. He gets out, and sizes them up. He talks directly to Exodus, who is not fully seen.
This here is a close-knit town. Everybody knows everybody, and asks how their kids are. So when folks from out of town show up unannounced, word spreads quick. We don’t want trouble, but if you’ve got no business here, you might as well just move along.
Pull back. Thunderbird is squared at the four mutants. It’s a standoff, and he doesn’t seem at all concerned that it’s four on one.
The women in your village experience high rates of reproductive cancers. This is a flawed genetic mutation attempting to activate. They, and many of your number, are our brethren.
I don’t know what you’re talking about, but we aren’t interested in what you’re selling. If you’re here to preach, do it by daylight, and you’ll find folks more receptive. Tonight all you’re getting is an invitation to see yourselves out of my jurisdiction.
We are engaged in a war. Our kind are poised to become mankind’s betters, but too many of the chosen have been cowed and humbled by humanity’s ignorance. And those that are not warriors for the cause are simply impediments.
Thunderbird pulls his revolver.
I don’t like where your rhetoric is headed. You folks can go peaceful, or I’ll make sure you go whichever way I have to, starting with you.
He points the gun at Exodus.
Exodus backhands him, sending him flying through the air.
Thunderbird lands in the sand. Exodus is already behind him, and picks him up.
Thunderbird pulls back the hammer on his revolver. Exodus doesn’t care. He fires at his forehead, and the bullet doesn’t even slow him down.
Exodus crunches the gun like tin-foil.
EXT. WOOds- night
X-Force is following Danvers through a dark patch of trees.
Is this the part where you take us into the woods and shoot us?
If you weren’t partway serious, that might have been funny. No, this is the part where I take you home.
Home is Mexico. Or maybe Xavier’s. Or a crappy roadside motel.
Not anymore. This is it.
She flicks on the lights. It’s a warehouse in the middle of nowhere, with bright perimeter floodlights.
It was one of Cable’s safe houses. Intel says he hasn’t used it in a while, and that he’s probably abandoned it.
Danvers unlocks the door, and lets them inside. It is a barebones outpost without anything beyond the necessities. The interior is not unlike a barracks.
But it’s fully stocked: a complete cache of weapons, rations, bunks and rooms for a small strike force. It looks like at some point he planned to take you with him.
Or maybe he planned for us to strike out on our own, and need a place to crash.
Maybe.
Is it going to be safe?
We’ve installed a state of the art security system, including infrared and motion-detection systems in a half-mile radius. The rent and electricity are paid-up indefinitely, and in the morning a crew will be coming in to install bio-signature locks and personal key-code systems. This facility is at least as secure as any government building, with the added measure of being completely unknown and having five mutant paramilitaries inside. There’s a rifle range up the mountain, and I would suggest, given your recent performance, that you all reacquaint yourselves with the use of firearms. Anyway, it’s been a long day, and I assume all of you would like to get yourselves settled in. So goodnight.
Danvers leaves. There’s a moment of quiet, before Sunspot and Warpath run towards one bunk. Sunspot gets shoved out, and takes a top bunk.
Domino pauses. One bunk looks like it’s been used, nearest the door. She takes that one. Meltdown starts to climb onto the top bunk opposite Domino’s.
I call top bunk.
I call Tabby’s bunk.
Meltdown throws her pillow at Rictor.
Rictor falls over onto Domino’s bed next to her.
Here’s nice, too.
Domino smiles at him. Then pushes him off onto the floor.
But the floor is cold. And lonely. If only there were someone to keep me warm here.
Domino lays back in her bed, and puts her arms under her pillow.
Proudstar.
Warpath gets out of his bed, and sighs.
The things I do for you guys.
Rictor gets up, puts his hands up.
No. You cuddle like a freight train.
But I have so much love to give.
Fine. I get it. I’ll go sleep in my own bunk. I don’t need to be manhandled.
I have so much love, but I don’t know where to put it.
That is seriously going to give me nightmares.
Warpath goes back to his bed.
Could you get the light.
Rictor walks over and flicks the switch.
In the darkness, he gets into a bed.
Not your bed, Julio.
Honest mistake.
Silence.
Find another one.
My bad.
Jerk.
EXT. Desert- Night
Thunderbird is beat to hell. His clothing is in tatters, and he’s bloody and bruised. He’s breathing heavily, on his knees in the sand. Exodus is completely unmarked.
The Deputy, as well as a few people from the town, armed with guns, have gathered around. They’re in awe of both Thunderbird and the man he’s fighting.
Thunderbird struggles to his feet, and screams as he charges. Thunderbird punches Exodus in the jaw, and the impact creates a deafening crack. A small trickle of blood comes off Exodus’ lip.
Exodus lifts him up by his neck.
Impressive. You hit harder than your brother. Will you reconsider? Our cause can use strong backs.
Thunderbird spits in his face.
Exodus crushes his throat, and drops him.
Exodus turns to Moonstar.
Kill anyone who refuses us, and anyone who resists.
There is a blinding flash, and Exodus is gone.
To BLACK.
END.
