|
PART 7
EXT. MANSION - LATER - NIGHT
The fence that surrounds the property has been bent and
buckled violently.
INT. MANSION HALLWAY - NIGHT
Xavier wheels down the hallway, pajama clad students are
milling about the halls. Their faces showing that they are afraid
to go back to their rooms. One GIRL, younger and smaller than the
others, seems particularly upset.
Xavier wheels over to her and gently touches the side of her face.
XAVIER
It¨ªs going to be alright.
She manages a faint smile. Then Xavier looks to the other students
-- their frightened faces.
INT. LABORATORY - LATER - NIGHT
Beast reclines in his lab chair, a splint on his leg.
Jean stands with Cyclops who watches through a new visor.
Rogue sits off to the side, bearing the guilt. While Storm, her
neck badly bruised, stands near her.
For the first time we have seen -- Charles Xavier is angry.
STORM
When Rogue left the mansion, they must have followed her.
Xavier shuts his eyes furious.
XAVIER
Yes... they wanted me out of the way. If I had been here... I...
Xavier opens his eyes and sees Rogue sitting on a chair in the
corner. She is visibly upset. Xavier wheels over to Rogue. Xavier
reaches out and softly touches her clothing covered shoulder.
XAVIER (cont¨ªd)
This was not your fault. I knew there was a danger, I should have
never left the school.
And with that he turns his wheelchair to the door.
XAVIER (cont¨ªd)
I am going to find Logan.
Xavier leaves.
INT. CEREBRO - NIGHT
Xavier enters and wheels himself into the giant machine. It immediately
comes to life - lighting the room. The chrome skull cap descends
onto Xavier¨ªs head.
Xavier closes his eyes as the machine powers up.
E.C.U. ON XAVIER¨ªS EYES
They fly open. And then a terrible noise. The sound of a well
tuned machine suddenly going horribly wrong. Xavier is in terrible
pain.
His back arches and he falls from his chair onto the floor. He
struggles to reach for a fire alarm on the wall. His fingers stretch
until finally -- he pulls it.
Warning bells wail. Xavier falls unconscious, convulsing.
ANGLE ON: Cyclops and Jean as they burst into the room.
INT. LABORATORY - LATER - NIGHT
Xavier lies asleep in a hospital bed. Several electrodes are taped
to his head. A screen next to the bed monitors his erratic brain
waves.
Jean and the splinted Beast stare at the monitor following its
rhythm. Storm and Rogue stand at the foot of the bed. They are each
trying to hide their fear, and not doing a very good job of it.
Cyclops looks on, the stress shows on his face.
CYCLOPS
What¨ªs wrong with him?
JEAN
His vital signs are weak and getting weaker.
BEAST
I¨ªm in the process of running more tests. But it seems
that every minute that goes by he gets weaker.
All are silent. Rogue looks to Beast with desperate
eyes.
ROGUE
Can you help him?
BEAST
I don¨ªt know.
Xavier lies in bed, motionless.
INT. FRONT HALL - DAY
Two huge wooden front doors -- morning light shines through the
jagged holes in the wood where the knobs had been pulled off. The
antique steel knobs lay twisted and mangled on the floor.
The small girl from last night kneels in front of the door with
a dustpan, sweeping up the mess.
Something catches her eye. She sits up and leans in closer to
the jagged hole in the door.
ANGLE ON: The little girl -- light from the hole washes over her
face. Then suddenly the light is cut off, as if something is blocking
the hole.
DOLLY IN: as the small girl steps back, a look of fascination
comes across her face. As if she sees something coming through the
hole.
INT. CEREBRO - DAY
Cyclops, Jean and Storm stand before the device. Beast rises awkwardly
on his splinted leg, his back to the open control panel.
BEAST
It¨ªs gone. The neuro-filter, someone removed it.
Jean stands.
STORM
What does that mean?
BEAST
The neuro-filter acts like a surge protector, regulating the infinite
flow of information from Cerebro to the Professor¨ªs mind.
It¨ªs what keeps him from being crushed by the consciousness
of millions.
Cyclops steps away, pondering Beast¨ªs words. He understands
the ramifications -- the damage that has been done to Xavier.
CYCLOPS
Can the Professor repair his own mind?
BEAST
I¨ªm afraid without Cerebro¨ªs help, he won¨ªt
have the strength to heal himself -- And without the neuro- filter...
there¨ªs no Cerebro.
Jean is noticeably upset.
JEAN
He¨ªs already losing control of his vitals. Respiratory.
Cardiovascular. Unless we manage to replace the filter
by tomorrow morning, I¨ªm afraid.
CYCLOPS
We have to find Magneto.
He exits. Jean follows him.
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
Cyclops is standing, motionless.
JEAN
Are you all right?
CYCLOPS
No. I¨ªm... I don¨ªt know if we can do this without
Charles.
Jean puts her hand lovingly to his face. Cyclops takes her hand.
JEAN
He put you in charge for a reason, Scott.
She goes to kiss him.
SMALL GIRL
Dr. Grey?...
The small girl stands alone in the hallway.
SMALL GIRL (cont¨ªd)
Someone is here to see you.
Jean¨ªs eyes widen -- and around the corner steps Senator
Kelly, wearing the clothing he had taken from the beach. He trembles
as though from a high fever. His body is covered with a layer of
sweat.
KELLY
Dr. Grey.
JEAN
Senator?
CYCLOPS
How did you get in here?
KELLY
Your front door was damaged... there
was a hole...
Kelly makes a hole with his hands that is not much larger then
that of a coffee can.
KELLY (cont¨ªd)
... I squeezed through.
Kelly buckles in pain, but then catches himself.
Jean and Cyclops rush to help him. Beast crutches himself out
to see what¨ªs happening.
Kelly notices Beast.
KELLY (cont¨ªd)
What in God¨ªs name are you?
BEAST
I¨ªm Beast.
KELLY
Of course you are.
INT. LABORATORY - LATER - DAY
Xavier is in bed, eyes closed.
Rogue holds vigil at his side.
Kelly is in the bed next to him, trembling, burning up from what
seems to be a bad fever that keeps getting worse.
Jean has a syringe in her hand and is swabbing some alcohol on
Kelly¨ªs skin.
KELLY
I¨ªm sorry to come here, Ms. Grey. I was afraid if I went
to a hospital, they would...
JEAN
(interrupting)
Treat you like a mutant? We are not what you think. Not all of us.
KELLY
Tell it to the ones that did this to me.
Jean looks closer at his hands.
JEAN
I don¨ªt see these spikes you¨ªre talking about.
I¨ªm going to give you an antibiotic for the - Oh my God.
Jean and Kelly both look as the cotton swab ignites like flash
paper in her hand. Everyone is shocked. Jean pauses and takes the
bottle of alcohol from the shelf. She pours a small amount on Kelly¨ªs
arm and it instantly catches fire.
INT. LABORATORY - LATER - DAY
Rogue is still sitting in a chair, next to Xavier¨ªs
bed -- Xavier¨ªs opens his eyes. He looks at Rogue and
smiles softly.
XAVIER
Hello, Rogue?
Rogue almost jumps out of her chair with excitement.
ROGUE
Hold on, I¨ªll get the others.
Rogue exits. Xavier slowly looks over to Kelly lying in the bed
next to him. Both men are weak and getting weaker.
XAVIER
Senator... Kelly?
KELLY
Yes... Who are you?
XAVIER
I am Charles Xavier. This is my school.
Kelly tries to speak, but his strength is waning.
The two men are a pitiful sight, both slowly coming apart.
XAVIER (cont¨ªd)
Can you tell me what happened to you?
Kelly is in pain. It¨ªs a struggle to speak.
KELLY
(weak, delirious)
I was kidnapped... They killed GUYRICH... mutants... There was a
light... a bright... light.
Xavier turns to Kelly, looking deep into his eyes.
He begins to PROBE KELLY¨ªS MIND.
INT. EXT. VARIOUS FLASHBACK - DAY/NIGHT
FLASH
The following is an audio-visual collage of Kelly¨ªs
perspective from throughout the film, coming back to us in a new
order.
THE CAGE OF SENATOR KELLY in Magneto¨ªs lair. NOW HIS
P.O.V. as seen by Xavier.
Vision fades in and out in a sedated haze.
He is laid out of a gurney.
KELLY (V.O.)
Whatever you do to me... no matter what -- you¨ªll make
me right. Every word I have spoken will be confirmed.
He looks up and sees Mystique wheeling the gurney, smiling down
at the Senator.
MYSTIQUE (V.O.)
And people like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school
as a child.
FLASH
Kelly is looking around a large, sphered room. In the center is
the MACHINE.
JEAN (V.O.)
The mutant gene tells the body when it needs to change.
KELLY (V.O.)
I can assure you, there is no such creature in my genes.
FLASH
The DOG TAG as it is elevated into the machine.
JEAN (V.O.)
In every organism on Earth there exits a mutator gene -- The X-factor.
The beginnings of another stage of evolution.
SLOWLY BUILDING LIGHT, growing brighter and brighter.
MAGNETO (V.O.)
God works too slowly.
Pull back as if the camera is pulling back through his eye, into
his head -- A MICROSCOPE¨ªS VIEW OF HIS CELLS,
suddenly and violently disturbed.
KELLY (V.O.)
What have you bastards done to me?
CHILD¨ªS VOICE (V.O.)
Mom, is that a mutant?
Kelly¨ªs reflection in the metal of the sink in his prison.
MAGNETO (V.O.)
You¨ªre a leader Senator Kelly, you set an example...
Blob¨ªs face, burned by Kelly¨ªs hands.
Over the cliff.
GUYRICH (V.O.)
... A Demonstration of some kind?
The venomous spike emerging from Kelly¨ªs hands.
MAGNETO (V.O.)
Because if more of you... were like more of us... like more of us...
GUYRICH (V.O.)
... the UN summit... the whole world will be watching.
KELLY (V.O.)
What is it you intend to do to me?
The woman staring up at him on the beach.
KELLY (V.O.)
Oh... Oh God... what have you done to me?
The boy on the beach.
JARRING FLASH
KELLY (V.O.)
Dear God.... dear... God.
NEWSCASTER (V.O.)
... the largest single summit in the history of the planet.
JEAN (V.O.)
... the mutator gene will activate.
MAGNETO (V.O.)
Welcome to the future... brother... The brotherhood of mutants.
A VIOLENT COLLISION OF NOISE, IMAGE AND LIGHT AND THEN:
Xavier¨ªs eyes burst open.
INT. LABORATORY - NIGHT
Rogue leads Storm, Jean, Beast and Cyclops quickly into the lab.
Xavier is lying in his bed. Jean looks up at the screen above
him and sees Xavier¨ªs brain waves have dropped severely.
Kelly lies unconscious in his bed, his heart monitor weakening.
Beast limps over to Xavier. Xavier struggles to speak. Beast bends
down so that Xavier can whisper into his ear.
E.C.U. Xavier¨ªs lips move as he tells Beast what he
knows.
INT. LAB - LATER - NIGHT
Jean, Storm, Beast and Cyclops talk while the news plays silently
on the TV in the background.
BEAST
It appears as though Magneto has built a machine which somehow triggers
the mutator gene in normal human beings.
And he is using Adamantium as its core.
CYCLOPS
Its core?
Beast grabs a wax pen and draws a lightbulb on a glass drawing
board.
BEAST
Thomas Edison knew how to make the light bulb. He had the energy
source. He had the vacuum. But he didn¨ªt have the filament.
He tried metal after metal but nothing would hold to power.
STORM
(nods -- now understanding)
... until he found tungsten.
Beast finishes his lightbulb by drawing the filament.
BEAST
Correct... Apparently, Adamantium is the only metal strong enough
to hold the energy this machine produces. He used the Adamantium
in Logan¨ªs dog tag to test it on the Senator. And I
assume now he plans to use the rest of Logan¨ªs skeleton
for a larger demonstration.
CYCLOPS
For what purpose?
BEAST
Yes -- Only there¨ªs a problem. The mutator gene is not
responding to the radiation the way it would in mother nature. It¨ªs
forcing the body¨ªs cells to replicate thousands of times
faster than they¨ªre accustomed to. The Senator¨ªs
body is literally burning itself out. Scott -- this machine kills
people and I don¨ªt think Magneto realizes it.
CYCLOPS
So where do you think he¨ªs planning
this larger demonstration?
Jean looks down and sees Xavier pointing with a trembling
hand, trying to speak.
Xavier is pointing to the television.
XAVIER
There...
He is looking at yet another report on Ellis Island.
Cyclops and Jean walk over. All they see on the TV is an
aerial shot of Manhattan, slowly coming around toward the
harbor.
The television image is from the P.O.V. of a helicopter circling
Ellis Island, taking in all the security and construction. The grand
main hall to Ellis Island and finally, what the helicopter sees
as it comes around for one more pass.
SUDDENLY - The sound of Kelly¨ªs heart monitor begins
to
PICK UP SPEED. Jean rushes to Kelly and touches his pale
neck. She draws her hand back quickly as if burned. The heart monitor
keeps speeding up until it is racing faster than a human heart could
possibly produce.
Jean backs away helplessly.
The sheet that covers Kelly¨ªs body begins to flatten
out. The sweat covering the hapless Senator¨ªs body thickens
into a viscous, clear liquid and begins to run off the table. Kelly
is literally melting away. Cyclops holds Jean as she turns away.
ANGLE ON: THE TV -- the gathering leaders of the world, the water
clogged with boats, and the thousands of onlookers on Manhattan
Island. All well within range.INT. READY ROOM - NIGHT
Storm finishes preparing to leave in another section of the ready
room. Beast stands by on his Beast-size crutches feeling useless.
BEAST
I wish I could go.
STORM
We all do.
BEAST
Storm. Try to look for the highest vantage point.
From what I can figure, he¨ªll need to gain as much altitude
as possible to blanket the island. It is my feeling that Magneto
has to--
STORM
Beast.
Beast looks at her.
STORM (cont¨ªd)
We¨ªll be fine.
INT. LAB - NIGHT
Cyclops stands looking down at Professor Xavier. He starts to
walk away but he is stopped. He looks down and sees that the Professor
has weakly grabbed his sleeve. Cyclops looks at Xavier but he is
still unconscious. His hand falls back to the bed.
CYCLOPS
You can still hear me... can¨ªt you.
Xavier lies still.
CYCLOPS (cont¨ªd)
I want to thank you for taking me in. Taking us in... You have taught
me everything in my life that is worth knowing.
Cyclops grimly regards Xavier.
CYCLOPS (cont¨ªd)
And I want you to know that I¨ªll take care of them.
INT. READY ROOM - NIGHT
Cyclops and Jean get into their uniforms.
Jean is about to go to the hanger when Cyclops stops her.
CYCLOPS
Hey. I¨ªm sorry. About Logan. I was jealous.
JEAN
(putting her arms around him)
Well, I think that¨ªs perfectly understandable.
CYCLOPS
I¨ªll tell you one thing though.
JEAN
What¨ªs that?
CYCLOPS
He calls me sport one more time, and I¨ªll blow a watermelon-sized
hole through him.
She smiles and kisses him.
CYCLOPS (cont¨ªd)
Now let¨ªs go get him.
INT. X-JET - NIGHT
Cyclops, Storm, and Jean board the X-Jet. They find -- ROGUE,
strapped into a seat, ready to go.
INT. HANGER - NIGHT
ROGUE stands outside the jet, obviously having been kicked off.
INT. X-JET - NIGHT
Jean reaches out a hand. Cyclops takes it. They squeeze tight.
The X-Jet¨ªs engines begin to fire up.
INT. HANGER - NIGHT
The hatch slowly starts to swing closed. From where she stands
Rogue debates, and then runs, dashing inside as the hatch to the
X-Jet closes behind her.
EXT. BASKETBALL COURT - NIGHT
A basketball sits on the ground near the middle of the court.
Suddenly the asphalt starts to vibrate and the basketball rolls
a few inches.
THEN: There is a grinding noise and the surface begins to separate
at the half court line. The basketball falls through the widening
hole and bounces off the wing of the rising X-Jet.
LIFT-OFF. The jet turns and clears the hanger before blasting
off into the night sky.
|
