X-Force Third Episode
“The Dead Pool”
TEASER
EXT. FOREST- Pre-dawn
There’s fast movement through the brush. Something is running, and can barely be made out behind the trees. It’s a boy, but running like a beast, hunched and using his hands. His name is Kyle.
He’s being chased by military men in black uniforms. The MAJOR pauses to point out the direction, pushing his six-man team through the brush.
Go, go, go.
Close on the Canadian flag patch sewn onto the arm of the soldier at POINT.
Kyle leaps across his path, scraping long fingerclaws across the patch, tearing a bloody gash across the flag.
The Point drops his M249 Para and grabs his wound.
Don’t stop.
Kyle leaps onto the Point, knocking him into the brush. There’s a quick struggle, then silence. The other soldiers point their rifles.
Hold fire. You’ll hit our man.
They hear animal sounds behind them, and turn around.
He can’t be moving that fast.
Observation--
POV through a sniper’s scope, Kyle’s head pokes above the brush.
--do you have a twenty on our tango?
I have a shot.
Nonlethal immobilization only. We want the tango alive.
Observation sighs.
Copy. He’s at 1:15.
The medic shakes visibly.
Ready the TASER. Grenadier, give me tear gas. Masks!
Thick smoke covers the area. The medic can’t quite manage his gas mask. The Major sighs, and straps it in place for him.
There you are, Dr. Langkowski.
Through the smoke, Kyle leaps onto the Rifleman, knocking away his C8A2. The Major points his H & K MP5 at the spot on the ground, obscured by the smoke, where Kyle and the Rifleman are still struggling.
The TASER, doctor.
The Medic fumbles with the TASER. He takes too long to aim, and the Major takes the TASER and fires.
He kicks through the smoke, knocking Kyle off the Rifleman, and shocks him again.
That’s not really necessary, Major Sadler.
He’s all yours, doc.
Major gives the TASER back to the Medic.
Epsilon team, stand down. We have the target in custody.
Kyle is breathing heavily, nearly unconscious, on the ground. The Medic stares at him in disbelief.
END TEASER
Int. Barracks- pre-dawn
Captain Carol DANVERS enters.
Rise and shine, children.
Danvers is very, inhumanly awake. No one else moves from their beds. Throughout the following conversation, Rictor starts to get out of bed, while Warpath lies motionless, face down in his pillow.
Is it morning?
I don’t care.
But is the sun up?
I don’t care.
But she wants us to get up.
I don’t care.
Danvers walks briskly through the barracks; Rictor watches her in disbelief.
How is she so awake? Did she freebase caffeine? Does she have a special mutant wakefulness power?
A moment of silence passes.
I don’t care.
Int. Briefing room- pre-dawn
Domino enters, with a sleepy, feline expression of hate on her face.
I will kill you when I’ve had coffee.
That’s why I didn’t make any.
I hate you.
Meltdown stumbles in, with her eyes barely open.
What time is it?
Four thirty. AM.
There’s a mechanical ding in the next room.
Coffee’s ready.
I thought you said—
I lied.
INT. kitchen- pre-dawn
Warpath stumbles in. Siryn is toasting a bagel, and pours herself a glass of milk.
Terry!
Warpath lifts her up in a big bear hug, while she tries not to spill her glass.
You’re going to make me spill.
Sorry.
He puts her down, trying to stifle a wide smile.
So, you’re here.
My dad wanted me to go with him, back to Ireland, but it’s... not where I need to be right now. Seeing you guys... I really missed you.
Warpath beams, which makes Siryn uncomfortable, and he tries to hide it as Danvers enters.
Her father put in a call, and I brought her here. She’s going to be tagging along as an observer until Domino and myself clear her for combat.
I can take care of myself.
Siryn’s bagel pops out of the toaster, and Danvers steals the top half.
You can’t even protect your bagel, Roarke. You stay out of the fray, or I’ll have you on the next boat back to Ireland.
I was born here.
Then my threat should carry that much more weight. And hurry up, briefing starts at five hundred hours.
int. Briefing room- dawn
Danvers is putting up satellite photos on a large screen. The others are sitting in the audience, cleaned up and showered.
This is the Canadian border. That glow is a mutant signature. This is five minutes later. These appear to be a small military fire group. Intel is beyond sketchy. We don’t know if the mutant is male or female, or if they are an American or Canadian national. What we can tell you is they put up one hell of a fight. And lost. Oh yeah, and there’s a down side. As little juice as SHIELD has with the American government, we have less with Canada. Ironically enough they see us as a tool of US Foreign policy. So don’t let the Canadians know you’re there, because I won’t be able to ride in on my white horse.
Does this, like, feel wrong to anyone else? Like a trap or something?
This is the intel I’ve got. It’s spotty, but intelligence usually is.
Wait. SHIELD has a satellite capable of tracking mutants?
Kind of. It’s not as powerful as Cerebro, but it usually gets the job done. Except when it doesn’t.
And voicing our disapproval won’t get these capabilities disabled, would it?
Not on your life.
Not even if we leaked its existence to the media.
I’ll humor you, da Costa. SHIELD and the UN would viciously deny a mutant-tracking satellite’s existence. Mutant protests would escalate into riots nationwide. Mutant equality would be set back fifteen years, and there would be that much more fuel added to the hysteria raging through the country. It may have died before it reached a formal vote, but do you even want to tempt the bigots in Congress to pass a mutant-human marriage ban? And the bottom line is, this is a good tool for us to have. An innocent mutant’s life could very well be saved today because we have this tool. Now if no one else feels like protesting, we need to move on before the trail goes cold. James, I need to speak with you a moment.
The others leave. Danvers takes Warpath to the side.
Ms., um, Captain. What do I call you?
Carol’s fine when we’re talking like this- James. You should sit down. There was an attack on your reservation. There were no survivors.
My brother? My mom?
I’m... sorry.
He buries himself in her shoulder.
Do you know who did this?
We’re looking into it. But they were definitely superhuman. We— I will keep you in the loop on this. And, I’m so sorry James, but they need you today. Your enhanced senses, and your experience as a tracker- they need you to find the mutant. I hated to tell you this, like this. The boss told me to wait until the mission was complete. But I couldn’t. You needed to know. Are you up for this? I can scrounge up a canine unit, see if any local manhunters—
No. I can’t just sit around today. I need to move.
All right. Just be careful. If for a moment you feel you can’t handle it- just don’t put it off until it’s too late. If they’re depending on you, you won’t have the luxury of falling apart in the field.
INT. Kitchen- dawn
Domino is drinking another cup of coffee. Danvers enters stealthily.
Domino.
I have coffee now. I may kill you.
Keep an eye on Proudstar today.
What?
He’s going through some things. Just watch him.
What kinds of things?
Personal things. Just watch him.
Danvers leaves as quietly as she entered.
I hate spooks.
Domino gulps down her coffee like a shot.
Ext. Forest- morning
Rictor kneels beside spent casings.
Danvers wasn’t kidding.
Warpath has a far-off look on his face.
There were six of them. The mutant is small, light, male. He injured two of them. They appear to have been using nonlethal rounds.
Can you track where they took him.
I don’t know. They used a vehicle. Once we find the road it could be difficult to—
A little GIRL screams.
Help me!
Rictor and Sunspot run towards the sound. Domino looks to Warpath, whose eyes are closed.
This is wrong.
Rictor and Sunspot find a small girl. She’s sitting on the ground, and her cheeks and eyes are red. When she speaks, a man’s voice comes out of her.
You’re all right.
You’re safe with us.
My heroes.
The illusion of the little girl fades away, and is replaced by DEADPOOL. Deadpool unsheathes his kitana from behind his back. He slices Rictor across the belly, though not too deep.
Sunspot turns black, and throws fire at Deadpool. Deadpool leaps over the fireball, then ducks a punch, and stabs Sunspot through the stomach. Then he hits a button on his belt, and teleports away.
Meltdown finds them.
Oh my God, Ric!
She runs to Rictor and Sunspot, and kneels down beside them. Deadpool teleports behind her.
You’re really bad at this.
He clocks her with the butt of his sword, then sheathes it, and teleports in front of Warpath, who leaps at him.
Bastard!
Deadpool fires a small MP5K across Warpath, but it doesn’t even slow him down, and Warpath grabs him by the throat. Deadpool kicks him in the groin, but nothing happens.
You are absolutely no fun.
Deadpool drops a grenade at Warpath’s feet, then teleports away. The grenade explodes, kicking Warpath into the air.
Deadpool teleports behind Domino, and puts her in a head lock with the MP5K by her head.
Flexible, chalky skin, affinity for tight clothing, where have you been all my—
Siryn tackles him, and as they fall, they both teleport away.
INT. motel room- morning
Deadpool and Siryn teleport in. He’s fine, but she’s about to vomit.
Yeah. It does that to most people. I figured that Domino chick, with her luck powers, might fare better, or I would have ported us into the bathroom.
Siryn vomits.
Don’t worry, it’s the kind of motel where they’re offended if you don’t hurl on the floor. You’re just saving me the trouble of eating Taco Bell later. But my intel said there were only five merry mutants, so just who the hell are you?
Siryn glares at him, then screams. The bulb in the wall lamp behind him explodes under the bombardment. Deadpool covers her mouth, and reinforces it by pointing his gun at her.
Ow. Inside voice, please. And I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I shot, stabbed and blew up your coworkers, and you tried to explode my head with mutant bitching power. I don’t really have any interest in hurting you, and, honest injun, I tried not to seriously wound your friends. You can call me Deadpool. I just want to know where Cable is, so I can kill him.
Siryn’s eyes get wide.
To BLACK.
INT. motel room- morning
Siryn is thoroughly duct taped to a motel chair. Deadpool is peering at her intently. She’s glaring back.
If I take the duct tape off your mouth, can we discuss this like adults, or are you going to make my ears bleed again? I only ask because ear blood is strangely difficult to get out of my mask. I know it’s red, but it gets all crusty. I guess you can’t really respond unless I remove the tape.
Deadpool removes the tape from her mouth.
Aaah!
They stare at each other for a moment. Deadpool’s watch beeps. He leaps onto the couch, and turns on the Golden Girls. He looks over at Siryn, who is confused and maybe even a little hurt at suddenly being abandoned.
You’re easy enough on the eyes, red, but there’s something about a man’s first love. You needn’t be jealous. I have love enough for two.
CUT TO the end credits of Golden Girls.
Is this meant to be the world’s lamest torture?
Deadpool raises his hand to silence her, until the credits finish, and then he switches off the TV, and returns to her.
So where’s Cable?
I don’t know.
Come on. Like I’m going to believe you don’t know where your fearless leader with the strong jaw and deep blue eyes and chiseled features-
Siryn has to stifle a laugh.
What? I’m comfortable enough to admit when another man’s attractive.
Oh my god.
What?
You know, I was actually scared by you at first, but... you’re an idiot.
There’s a second’s pause.
Am not.
You are.
Am not... Damnit. Where’s Cable?
I don’t know. I wasn’t with them when he was around.
Seriously?
Yeah.
Crap. Are you sure?
Yeah.
Crap. I was trying to take Domino. She probably knew. I heard she used to salute the old soldier.
What?
You know.
Ew. No.
That’s what I heard.
I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know where he is, now.
Really?
Yeah.
Crap. Cause my contract’s for him. Only no one’s seen him.
Yeah, so, um... I have to pee.
Do you really have to pee, or is this an ‘I’ll make a break for it when he untapes me to pee’ kind of thing?
I have to pee.
Oh.
Like soon.
Ext. forest- morning
Sunspot stumbles over to Domino
I’m okay.
Domino helps Warpath to his feet.
But he stabbed you.
Now I’m all better— ow. Mostly. I cauterized the wound.
I hate bleeding from my stomach.
Quit whining. It’s just a scratch.
Both of you shut up. We have to move. We’ve got two missing mutants now, and I’m betting if we follow the trail of the first, it will lead us to Terry.
Int. Motel room- morning
Deadpool balances his sword point-first on his finger.
This doesn’t impress you?
My father can fly on soundwaves.
But can he do... this!
Deadpool flicks the blade end over end into the air.
Uh oh.
He tries to catch it and- SHUNK. He lets out a little cry. Then he dives to the floor, scrambling for his severed finger. He balances it back on his hand, and shows the hand to Siryn.
Ta-da! It’s back on, like magic.
The finger falls to the floor.
Damnit.
Ext. forest- morning
Warpath smells the air.
I hate cigars. They feel like vomit in my nostrils.
How much further?
Rictor points to the curve in the road far ahead.
Do you see where the road turns away from where we can see? Further than that.
Stop.
What?
Listen.
INT. Motel room- morning
Deadpool retapes Siryn to the chair.
What’s your name?
Deadpool steps back.
Oh no. Once you’ve got a name you’ll ask your sexually repressed albino boss if you can keep me, and she’ll say only if he’s paper trained, and, oh yeah, by the way, we’ll have to get him fixed. And no threesome is worth that.
Deadpool pauses, almost reflective.
Unless perhaps someone cloned my precious Bea.
Fine. Then can I at least leave?
But you’ve seen my lair. And I’m making chimichangas.
No. You’re not. You just keep saying chimichangas.
Chimichangas.
Look, if you’re not going to kill me, or feed me, or tell me your name, can I go?
Siryn collapses into the chair in a huff, too mad to look at him.
Wade. My name is Wade.
She’s disarmed. There’s a long pause before she quietly responds.
Theresa.
Ext. Forest- day
There’s a whimpering in the bushes, like a wounded dog. Warpath pushes the bushes aside. It’s Kyle. He’s got a broken needle in his skin. Meltdown reaches out to him.
Aw... poor thing.
Kyle growls at her, gnashing his teeth and slashing. Warpath lets the branches go, and punches at him, and he gives a sharp cry.
Is that... was that the mutant?
Yeah, before Jim squished him.
Warpath shrinks visibly.
Sorry.
Meltdown pushes through the bushes.
Tabby!
They all freeze. There’s no noise.
Warpath parts the bushes again. Meltdown has her hand out to Kyle, who stares at it like a wild cat.
It’s okay. We don’t want to hurt you.
Kyle smells her hand, and rubs himself under it, and curls against her. She hugs him back.
CUT TO Deadpool and Siryn teleporting back to the place he kidnapped her.
As promised.
Thanks, Wade.
Um... where’d everybody go?
We were looking for a mutant kidnapped by a strike team.
Deadpool stares out, remembering.
INT. hospital room- night
Deadpool is in a dark room. His skin is covered in tumors and various burns, from aggressive radiation and chemical treatments. Deadpool is screaming.
EXT. Jungle- night
Deadpool is leading a squad outside a South American village. He’s wearing the same costume.
One last mission for the True North.
CUT TO Deadpool, executing a mutant boy. The boy screams as he fires into his chest, and the screams meld with Deadpool’s own from the previous scene.
Ext. Forest- day
BACK TO Deadpool, still staring quietly away.
I know where he is. I’ll... I’ll take you there.
CUT TO Warpath leading the way to a disguised military outpost. Two SOLDIERs guard the entrance.
Halt.
PUCK is a very short man, with a moustache. He is dressed very Bond. He strolls in.
Soldier-boys, blow. I got this. I see you brought the dog-boy back.
Meltdown steps defensively in front of Kyle.
He’s not a dog boy.
Look, kid, he’s a dog-boy, I’m a midget, and we’re all mutants. You can pussyfoot around that, or you can embrace it. Now you coming inside, or ain’t you?
INT. Lab- day
Puck leads them down the stairs and into the underground facilities of Department H. Doctors JAMES and HEATHER Hudson are working on some of Kyle’s labs.
Heather, James, you got company, and they brought back the boy.
Damnit, Gene, how many times do I have to tell you, it’s Dr. Huds—
James notices the newcomers.
This is a restricted area. It’s under the jurisdiction of the Department of National Defence.
Yeah, yeah, Jimmy. Heather, you’ve got to have an angel’s patience as well as gams to put up with this guy.
Heather has successfully ignored both of them, and walks to Meltdown and Kyle.
Kyle.
He growls at her.
His name’s Kyle?
Yes.
He sniffs her hand, then licks her palm.
His parents abandoned him when he was a child. He grew up away from people, and never developed social skills or language. He’s an example of a feral child; we don’t know how much this might be influenced by his mutancy. We brought him here so my husband, Dr. Langkowski and myself might help him.
Doctor WALTER Langkowski, who was the Medic from earlier, enters, wearing spectacles. His hand is bandaged.
Worked for me. I used to have a beastly temper.
Now if they can only figure how to do something about the smell.
It’s not my fault you stand at crotch level.
Anyone ever tell you you’re all class, Walt?
Kyle growls at Walter. Walter puts his hand out, and as Kyle leans forward to smell his palm, Walter rips out the needle broken off in his skin. Kyle leaps back, yelping, then growls.
Sorry about that, Kyle. Could you restrain him a moment.
Meltdown wraps her arms around his shoulders. Walter bandages the needle wound quickly.
Ext. Forest- day
Deadpool stares away, remembering screams as he walks.
Siryn notices.
You’ve been here before.
Yeah.
And you’ve stopped joking.
Some things aren’t funny.
What happened, Wade?
Deadpool sighs.
I had cancer. Not any of the fun cancers like lung cancer, or skin cancer or prostate cancer, but all over, crazy malignant cancer.
Overlay Deadpool in the hospital bed.
I was dying. My only hope was an experimental medical procedure.
But they lied to us. We weren’t there for a cure. They were testing the limits the human body could survive. They killed dozens of people for their sick curiosity. None of us thought we’d make it out. It’s funny how you get used to the screaming; it actually becomes normal. We started a dead pool, you know, for which one of us would live. I won. In exchange for saving my life, I did things for them.
Overlay Deadpool executing the mutant boy.
Things other soldiers wouldn’t; things no one should have to do. Then one day, it stopped. Word was, one of the subjects at Weapon X had escaped, causing all kinds of carnage. The real horrors of the program had always been carried out in Canada, under the auspices of Department K of the DND. They didn’t want a repeat of Weapon X, so they decided to liquidate the entire program. I was the only survivor.
Siryn takes his hand.
Wade.
Shh...
Deadpool raises his gun to fire on the two soldiers guarding the compound entrance.
Wade.
Siryn smacks the gun up as he fires. The soldiers notice them, and turn to fire. Siryn screams at them, and the sound is powerful enough that they collapse.
Int. Lab- day
Domino hears Siryn’s scream. She immediately pulls her gun and trains it on Heather.
Where are you keeping Terry?
Whoa, toots.
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
This facility is DND, but you’re all civilians, so where’s the military commander.
I ain’t a civilian.
Heather steps forward, on the brink of saying something.
Heather, don’t.
We haven’t taken their friend, but maybe General Clarke can help.
Ext. Hall- day
Heather knocks on General CLARKE’s closed office door. After a pause, it opens.
Ms. Hudson, this is most unorthodox. I thought I’d explained to you that access to this facility is to go through me.
It’s Dr. Hudson and—
Domino raises the pistol so he can see it.
Ah, young lady, what can I do for you?
Clarke opens the door, and they follow him in.
Int. office- day
Our friend, a young, red-haired woman, was taken from us by a man dressed in red and black. He attacked us with a kitana, an MP5 and grenades.
Clarke’s eyes narrow, but his manner remains aloof and genial.
Sounds like a two-bit mercenary. I can assure you, no operative of the Canadian government would be caught dead in one of those fetish bodysuits.
A moment of silence passes between them.
You’re lying.
She raises the gun.
You’re making a mistake.
She pulls the hammer back.
Clarke leans forward and presses the button on an intercom.
Have we taken any prisoners today, female, red-hair?
Negative, sir. Only capture today was the wild child.
Thank you. Satisfied?
Int. Lab- day
Walter leans across the counter, smiling genially.
Just so I know, are we hostages now? Because if we are, we might seriously consider fighting back.
Seriously.
Rictor is suddenly hit in the groin by a ricocheting Puck.
Why?
Sunspot turns black and punches James. His fist stops a centimeter from him, smashing against a force field that hurts his hand.
It’s a force field I developed to protect researchers from biohazards and radiation.
Walter, now part beast, charges at Warpath.
CUT TO Warpath landing hard against the stairs at the entrance.
Meltdown tries to hold a nearly rabid Kyle back from the fray.
Whoa, Kyle. Down, boy.
Siryn and Deadpool come down the stairs.
Hi, Terry.
Walter charges towards them. Deadpool points his gun at him, and he stops.
Hey, glowing lumberjack, I don’t have a hunting license, and neither of us wants me to illegally bag a sasquatch.
Bag a sasquatch.
Hush.
James lowers his fists. Sunspot steadies himself on a counter edge.
Good. On the ground.
Walter has reverted back to fully human.
Wait. Terry, right?
Yeah.
Um, we should get to General Clarke before your friend shoots him.
Clarke?
Deadpool reaches for the control at his belt.
Wade!
Siryn grabs him and they teleport away.
Int. office- day
Clarke smiles coyly at Domino amid sounds of the fight below.
Your associates seem to be getting rowdy.
They wouldn’t have started the fight.
I expect not; I was referring to Ms.-- Doctor Hudson’s colleagues. But if you’ll put that pistol away, we can assemble a search group.
Domino lowers the gun.
Clarke leads them into the hall.
Int. Hall- Day
My chief of staff can organize the party. I assume you would like to accompany--
Deadpool teleports in, and Clarke freezes.
Wade.
Clarke shoves Heather into Domino, and runs back into his office.
Int. Office- day
Clarke hits a red panic button on the wall, and a metal door slides into place in the doorway.
Int. Hall- day
Deadpool hits the teleport button on his belt.
Wade, wait!
Siryn grabs onto him again.
Int. Office- day
Siryn and Deadpool teleport in.
Nice panic room you’ve got here, Jeremy, but I gotta say: you are no Jodie Foster. I wouldn’t even try to shoot Jimmy Carter for you. Also- she had a better army.
Make it quick, Wilson.
Why would I do that? You didn’t.
Wade, don’t. You’re- you’re not like him.
I’m worse. Because of what he did to me- and what I let him make me do.
Wade...
Deadpool takes off his belt and gives it to her.
I want you to get out of here, Terry. You don’t need to see this. I don’t want you to see me like this.
She lays the belt over a chair.
That’s too bad. I don’t believe you’re the kind of man who would do this. And if I’m wrong, I have to know.
Deadpool unsheathes his kitana, and approaches Clarke.
If you’ve got any faith in you, pray. Because I remember every inmate who passed through Department K, and I remember every horrible thing you did to them. I never sleep without hearing them; I never sleep without waking up screaming. I’m going to keep you alive for a very long time, Jeremy; we both have a lot of sins to pay for.
To BLACK.
INt. Office- day
Deadpool looks at Siryn.
I’m not leaving. You’re not going to do it. I know you’re a better man than that.
Deadpool looks from Clarke to her. His fist shakes with rage around his sword.
He sighs. He can’t do it. Not in front of her. Not like this. He picks up his belt.
Damnit.
Deadpool punches Clarke in the face with his sword hand, and he goes down. Deadpool stabs him quickly on the ground, sheathes his sword and teleports away.
Siryn runs to Clarke. He’s bleeding from a stab-wound in the hip, but he’s obviously not dead or dying.
Aw, god. Damnit. That son of a bitch. Unn.
How do I open the door?
Button, beneath my desk.
She finds it, and pushes it.
Thank you.
I should have let him kill you.
The door slides up, and she leaves.
Int. Hall- day
Siryn enters.
Are you all right?
Yeah.
He didn’t hurt you. He didn’t—
Domino pauses, unable to even say it.
No. No; Wade wouldn’t.
You’re okay?
Yeah. I’m fine. Can we go, now?
Domino and Heather walk down the hall towards the lab, leaving Siryn behind.
I’d like to take a look around, first. Before we leave Kyle here.
After everything that’s happened?
If I’m satisfied you are a mutant outreach operation... yeah. That’s exactly what Kyle needs.
Your blonde friend isn’t going to like that.
I’ll deal with that when I get there.
Int. Lab- day
Meltdown has Kyle behind her, protectively.
No way. No freaking way. We are not leaving Kyle with these Canadian Mengeles.
Tabby- down, girl. What Dr. Hudson told us earlier is true. They work with young mutants here. They’re not much different from Professor Xavier, except that they do it with the blessing of the Canadian government. If the DND ever does try to implement the Alpha Flight program, combat training will be strictly voluntary. I know you like Kyle, Tabby, but he’s a boy, not a pet. You can’t just keep him.
Meltdown looks sadly down at Kyle.
He whimpers at her.
Damnit.
She hugs him.
Be good, Kyle. I’ll... I’ll visit. I promise.
He snuggles against her. He knows what’s going to happen, and his eyes are welling up with tears.
Ext. Forest- day
Siryn and Warpath walk along the road. They’re each immersed in their separate thoughts, both unhappy.
Maybe we should have taken their Jeep.
I needed the air.
Yeah. Air’s good.
She looks at him. She was upset, and thought spending time with him would be good. But he’s doubly upset, because of his family, and because he feels jealous.
She looks at him, and decides not to say anything.
Int. Van- day
Warpath and Siryn get into the van.
Did I do something wrong?
It... it isn’t you.
Warpath starts the car.
Lousy day. Let’s drop it.
Yeah.
Ext. forest- day
Shotgun.
Warpath barely pays attention to him as he walks around to the back.
Int. Van- day
Warpath slides into the far back. Siryn sits next to him, and they both stare away from each other.
Rictor and Meltdown sit in the middle seat.
If it makes the transition any easier, chica, I’ll curl up in your lap.
Meltdown doesn’t even have the energy to be really angry with him. She lays her head against his shoulder.
Just shut up, Julio.
Domino and Sunspot talk quietly.
I’m not used to us being the happy ones.
Yeah.
I mean, we won, right? We got our asses handed to us by a few doctors and a midget in a tuxedo, but, innocent mutants and friends all safe and sound. It’s a good day, right?
Domino adjusts the rear view mirror to look at Warpath. He’s staring out the window, failing to hide how broken he is.
Yeah...
Int. barracks- night
The room is dark. There’s a thunderous boom that shakes the room. Rictor sits up, groggily.
What the hell was that?
Meltdown doesn’t sit up, but mumbles, then covers her head with her pillow.
Better not be you, Proudstar.
Where’s Jimmy?
Ext. Mountain- night
There’s another boom. And another. Warpath is breathing heavily, facing a mountain. There are cracks and impact craters in the side of the rock. He punches it again, letting out a thunderous cry. Tears streak down his face, and for an instant, he’s peaceful. Then he punches the rocks again.
END.
