PART 6
INT. CEREBRO - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT
They come into a room with a high sphered ceiling - entirely black.
In the center of the room is a huge - for lack of a better term
- device. Part computer, part super- structure, it is the sort of
precision tangle of metal and wire that would make Da Vinci weep.
It has a space in the bottom that seems to fit Xavier and his chair
perfectly. Suspended above its center -- a web of wires, tubes,
and cables all connecting to the heart of the device -- a CHROME
SKULLCAP.
Logan slowly circles the device.
Logan looks at Xavier, perhaps even a little impressed.
LOGAN
You designed this yourself?
XAVIER
Actually, Magneto helped me put it together.
LOGAN
He helped you?
XAVIER
We were friends once... But that was a long time ago.
Jean, Logan, Cyclops and Storm watch as Xavier fits his
wheelchair into the huge machine, and the chrome skull cap lowers
onto the Professor¨ªs head, fitting like a second skin.
It comes to life. What was dark and menacing is now a brilliant
explosion of colored lights.
CLOSE UP ON:
XAVIER - into and through his eyes and:
EXT. SPACE - NIGHT
Closing in rapidly on the planet Earth.
Passing into its atmosphere, making a few orbits, all the while
hearing the deafening voices of billions.
Every country, every city, every town, berg, hamlet and village.
Every language.
Every thought.
The voices descend to a sizeable crowd of millions, then
thousands, gradually working their way to one.
EXT. SKY - OVER WESTCHESTER - NIGHT
Down a tree-lined road and around a corner into a parking
lot.
Single out a figure that - by the clothes - can only be Rogue.
Close in faster and faster, lower and lower until we go right through
the back of her head to:
BLACK
SILENCE
ROGUE (O.S.)
I don¨ªt belong... I don¨ªt belong...
I¨ªm sorry... so sorry... there¨ªs
nowhere...
INT. CEREBRO - NIGHT
Xavier¨ªs eyes open.
XAVIER
I¨ªve found her, Westchester Mall.
LOGAN
I¨ªll go.
CYCLOPS
No... I¨ªll go.
Logan looks over to Jean.
LOGAN
O.K. sport... you go.
INT. WESTCHESTER MALL - NIGHT
A mother and child wander in a typical shopping daze.
PULL OUT TO REVEAL
Crowds of shoppers mill about, a typical crowded evening
at the mall. Rogue comes up the escalator, wandering through them
all.
She walks under a high-sphered glass ceiling, revealing the night
sky outside.
She walks over to a Victoria¨ªs Secret store and looks
up
at the mannequins in the windows who wear almost nothing
at all. Quite a contrast from her own, stifling garb. She touches
the glass as though trying to reach them, then she moves on.
ROGUE¨ªS P.O.V.
She looks all around the mall at the many oblivious people here.
Children playing tag on one side. A young couple holding hands.
Human contact all around.
She walks past a small child, her hand nearly brushing the girl¨ªs
hair.
Rogue takes a seat on a bench, alone.
A figure comes into frame.
STORM
Rogue.
Rogue looks up and sees Storm standing right in front of
her. Her eyes dart around, looking for a way out.
STORM (cont¨ªd)
You don¨ªt have to run.
Finally, Rogue surrenders.
ROGUE
I¨ªm sorry. I¨ªm not like the rest of
you -- I¨ªm tired of hurting people.
She starts to cry now.
STORM
It¨ªs okay.
ROGUE
Why did I have to be like this? What
purpose does it serve?
And when Rogue looks up, she sees another figure - this one filling
the frame behind Storm.
A huge clawed hand grabs Storm around the throat and lifts her
up as she struggles in vain.
INT. MALL - LOWER LEVEL - NIGHT
Cyclops looks up and sees Storm is being CHOKED BY
SABRETOOTH, her feet not touching the ground.
Rogue is frozen with fear.
He tries to get a shot with his visor, but too many people are
in the way.
INT. MALL - UPPER LEVEL - NIGHT
Sabretooth smiles as Storm struggles to turn. He whispers in her
ear.
SABRETOOTH
Scream for me.
CLOSE UP ON:
STORM¨ªS EYES as the life is being squeezed out of her.
INT. XAVIER¨ªS OFFICE - NIGHT
MIRROR SHOT OF XAVIER¨ªS EYES
Suddenly, Xavier touches his throat, then raises a shaking hand
to his head.
XAVIER
Dear God.
Xavier wheels himself from the room.
INT. MALL - LOWER LEVEL - NIGHT
Cyclops has a clear shot now. His eyes start to glow brightly.
Suddenly, a familiar movement on the pedestal behind him.
Toad has been camouflaged the entire time. He comes down
and FLICKS HIS LIZARD-LIKE TONGUE, snatching the visor
from Cyclops¨ª face.
Deep red light far greater than anything we have ever seen before
comes blasting out of cyclops¨ª eyes without any sort of
control, as if a fire hydrant had been ripped from the ground.
His head comes back and the light blows the whole of the glass
ceiling to smithereens, bringing it down on panicking shoppers who
scatter.
Toad leaps to the second level and then again out of sight.
INT. MALL - UPPER LEVEL - NIGHT
Sabretooth reacts, surprised by the sudden shift. This gives Storm
one last chance to breath.
We notice now that something is happening to her body.
INT. MALL - LOWER LEVEL - NIGHT
Cyclops stumbles helpless, his eyes are shut to prevent further
destruction.
CYCLOPS
GET OUT OF THE WAY. GET OUT OF THE
WAY.
INT. MALL - UPPER LEVEL - NIGHT
Storm, nearly lifeless now, struggles with what little strength
she has to get free of Sabretooth. He relishes the slow kill.
But suddenly ALL THE HAIR ON HIS BODY STANDS ON END.
Sabretooth is momentarily confused.
Storm¨ªs eyes open wide as her body convulses.
BOOM
A huge bolt of lightning shoot from her body into Sabretooth¨ªs
chest, knocking him back in shock. Storm falls to the ground, not
breathing.
Sabretooth, stunned and scorched, gets to his feet and smiles
at his handiwork. He is about to move in and finish them both when
the rumble of a helicopter can be heard above.
He looks up and sees SENATOR KELLY¨ªS HELICOPTER passing
over the hold in the roof. Sabretooth leaps up and pulls
himself out of the opening.
Toad is a leap behind.
Rogue rushes to Storm, struggling with how to give her mouth to
mouth, CPR, anything to resuscitate her without touching. She is
starting to panic now. She looks around, but anyone still left in
the mall is running for the doors.
ROGUE
SOMEONE HELP ME. SHE¨ªS NOT BREATHING.
INT. MALL - LOWER LEVEL - NIGHT
Cyclops stumbles blind and helpless, covering his eyes.
He hears Rogue screaming.
CYCLOPS
ROGUE?
ROGUE (O.S.)
HELP ME. STORM ISN¨ªT BREATHING.
Cyclops tries to find a way up, but he trips over all the debris,
helpless.
CYCLOPS
YOU HAVE TO COME AND GET ME. I CAN¨ªT SEE.
EXT. STREETS - NIGHT
Xavier is in a specially designed car that enables him to drive
solely with his hands. He races towards the mall.
INT. MALL - UPPER LEVEL - NIGHT
Rogue is talking, walking backwards towards Storm, trying
her best not to lay a hand on Cyclops.
ROGUE
Here, here, here... a little left.
Careful.
ANGLE ON:
Cyclops drops to his knees, the sprinklers still gushing. His
eyes are tightly shut.
He feels for Storm¨ªs face and touches her lips.
CYCLOPS
Oh God.
He immediately begins mouth to mouth, though it may have
been too long.
EXT. MALL - NIGHT
Xavier fights the rush of traffic - people fleeing madly from
the mall.
As he pulls up to the front doors, he sees Cyclops emerging, carrying
Storm. She is conscious, but her breathing is shallow. His eyes
are shut tightly and he must follow Rogue¨ªs direction.
Sirens wail in the distance.
Xavier looks at the lot of them: waifish Rogue, blind Cyclops,
unconscious Storm and his wheelchair-bound self as their guardian.
XAVIER
But why would they do this?
Then a look of realization...
EXT. MANSION - MEANWHILE - NIGHT
Rogue hurries past several students.
She runs up to the large front doors of the school, but they are
locked. She looks around and then runs toward the side of the building.
INT. LABORATORY - NIGHT
Beast, continuing his research into Magneto¨ªs plan,
is analyzing the x-rays of Logan¨ªs skeleton. Several books
about metallurgy are scattered across the table.
INT. LOGAN¨ªS ROOM - NIGHT
Logan is sketching quietly. He chews a cigar, keeping it politely
unlit.
He hears something. He stands, goes to the door and opens it.
He cocks his head... listening... smiling...
We hear it too, sharing his ears.
It is a woman breathing, groaning. He smiles and follows the noise.
EXT. MANSION - NIGHT
Rogue climbs through a student¨ªs open window.
INT. MANSION - NIGHT
She darts down a hallway and around a corner, looking around,
staying low.
INT. GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
Jean is working out on an average-sized set of free- weights,
sweating, pushing hard. Obviously the sound Logan heard. She is
on her back doing presses.
Suddenly, she looks up and sees Logan standing over. She
is startled and starts to drop the bar. He catches it.
LOGAN
You should always work with a spotter.
JEAN
He¨ªs busy right now.
Logan cannot help but glance at her left hand, still clinging
to the bar. The shimmering diamond on the third finger.
LOGAN
I was thinking maybe you and me could go into town.
JEAN
Were you now?
LOGAN
What do you say?
JEAN
Not interested.
Logan shrugs, starts to take his hands away. Jean is not ready
to take the weight of the bar. It almost comes down on her when
he catches it again.
JEAN
Let go.
LOGAN
Suit yourself.
And he does. And so does Jean at the same time. She gets up and
faces Logan - the bar simply hovers in mid- air.
Logan smiles.
INT. LABORATORY - NIGHT
Beast looks at his watch. It¨ªs stopped. He puts it to
his ear -- shakes it. Then his ears perk up. He hears something.
He glances at the wall. All things METAL -- picture frames, chairs,
objects on tables, etc. start to move one after the other.
It is as if some magnetic force is moving past the wall, just outside
the lab, heading for the open door.
Beast, sensing the danger, makes a run for the metal door. Just
as he reaches it, it SLAMS closed -- knocking him back across the
room.
Beast CRASHES into the wall on the opposite side of the lab. His
leg badly hurt, Beast tries to crawl toward the door.
But as he does this, METAL OBJECTS from around the lab
fly in front of it sealing him in.
INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Rogue moves quietly down the corridor that leads to Cerebro.
She comes to the retinal scanner - she brings her eye to the screen.
It lights up and scans her eye. A PICTURE OF XAVIER¨ªS
RETINA appears on the screen.
A SINGLE WORD APPEARS ON THE SCREEN beneath it:
ACCESS DENIED
The scanner scans again.
E.C.U. ON ROGUE¨ªS EYE
Something is wrong. The eye not being scanned is a familiar yellow.
It is Mystique.
Her other eye changes in the light of the scanner. The retina
reshaping itself in minute ways.
ANGLE ON: The screen -- ACCESS GRANTED -- CHARLES XAVIER
The door to Cerebro opens.
Rogue or rather Mystique, rushes in. She goes to a small
panel on the side of Cerebro.
She opens it. She reaches in. SHE REMOVES A COMPUTER
CHIP -- No more than three inches wide.
INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
ANGLE ON: The black boots of a man, walk down a hallway,
as students peer from their sleeping quarters, terrified.
INT. GYMNASIUM - NIGHT
Jean is casually wiping sweat from her brow. Logan¨ªs
eyes possess a certain focus intent.
LOGAN
He¨ªs uptight.
JEAN
He takes his work seriously.
LOGAN
He takes himself seriously.
JEAN
What is it you¨ªre failing to get at?
Are you interested in me?
JEAN
I¨ªm just interested.
Holding out her left hand.
JEAN
Logan, do you see this ring?
LOGAN
I¨ªve seen a lot of rings.
JEAN
Yeah, I¨ªll bet you have.
Before he can reply, Rogue is standing in the doorway looking
at them.
JEAN
Rogue, where have you been?
ROGUE
Logan. The Professor wants you to come with me right away.
E.C.U. on Logan¨ªs nose. His nostrils flare... sensing...
Logan squints the tiniest bit. We know he knows something is wrong,
but he is hiding it.
LOGAN
(to Rogue)
Hey Rogue, tell Jean what you were telling me last night.
Rogue pauses. Confused.
ROGUE
The Professor--
Logan walks towards her.
LOGAN
You remember. About women.
He moves closer.
ROGUE
Logan--
LOGAN
Whatever you say about them being the same...
SHOOK. The claws are out. HE LUNGES.
LOGAN (cont¨ªd)
No two women smell alike.
He grabs Rogue by the throat.
JEAN
Logan, what are you doing?
Jean, seeing Logan threaten Rogue with his claws for the second
time, RAISES A VAULTING HORSE INTO THE AIR.
LOGAN
This ain¨ªt Rogue!
He keeps his claws pointed at her face.
ANGLE TIGHT: Logan¨ªs left hand is wrapped around Rogue¨ªs
throat but part of it is TOUCHING THE EXPOSED SKIN OF HER
FACE WITH NO ILL EFFECTS.
Jean realizes that Logan is right. ROGUE MORPHS INTO
MYSTIQUE.
MAGNETO (O.S.)
Telekinesis.
Jean spins around and sees MAGNETO. Without hesitation,
the vaulting horse FLIES AT MAGNETO.
Simultaneously, one of the thousand-pound weights flies from the
weight set and smashes the vaulting horse aside.
MAGNETO (cont¨ªd)
Fascinating. What I wouldn¨ªt give for that. Alas, metal
is all I¨ªm good for. But it seems to serve me well enough.
Jean is completely unaware of the huge set of lockers rising behind
her.
LOGAN
Jean!
WHAM.
The lockers hit her in the back, sending her flying.
Jean lies motionless on the floor, unconscious. The heavy lockers
are floating above her, wavering between a few feet and a few inches.
MAGNETO
I do love a good check mate.
LOGAN
What do you want?
MAGNETO
Come with me and I¨ªll let her live.
LOGAN
You think I care about her? I¨ªm the only one who¨ªs
sure to walk out of here.
Pause.
MAGNETO
Then why don¨ªt you kill her.
This catches Logan a little off guard.
MAGNETO (cont¨ªd)
Go on. Kill her. You can do it quicker than I will. Maybe I¨ªll
just cripple her.
The lockers now stand upright, hovering over Jean¨ªs
knees.
MAGNETO (cont¨ªd)
So do her the favor. Show her mercy.
Logan thinks for a moment -- looks at Jean still unconscious on
the floor. Then:
Logan retracts his claws.
Mystique has morphed back into her natural state with the
exception of ONE OF ROGUE¨ªS POCKETS, which still clings
to her hip. Mystique produces a large syringe from the
pocket and sticks it in Logan¨ªs neck. Logan¨ªs
legs weaken instantly.
MAGNETO (cont¨ªd)
(to Mystique)
Call the others and tell them we have what we came for.
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