NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 2, EPISODE 2
“I am pure blazing fire!”
We open in a high-tech paramilitary base where dozens of men and women stand lined-up, all donned in green and gray armor, and all giving the same fist-raised salute. They chant in unison.
“I deserve to be powerful!”
“I am the superior man!”
Standing above all these soldiers on a levitating platform is a good looking Caucasian man in his 30s, donned in a loose fitting suit, and sporting slick brown hair. The man’s name is John Sublime.
SUBLIME: “That’s right, ladies and gentlemen! And don’t you ever forget one word of our mantras! Evolution is the greatest scam in all of history! We are human beings! The greatest form of life to ever walk the Earth! Be proud! The Mutants think they’re better than us, but what are they?!”
“WRONG!”
SUBLIME: “That’s right! Dead wrong! Homo Superior? Please! What’s so “superior” about being born lucky? You, my friends, are the true greats. You are the dedicated and hard-working. You are the ones who deserve their gifts. And if you want something?”
“VISUALIZE IT AND OBTAIN IT!”
SUBLIME: “Exactly! You, the first class of U-Men, have already mastered visualization. You, the true next stage in humanity’s progress, have learned the skills you need for success. And now, all that’s left to do…”
“IS TAKE THESE MUTIES’ POWERS FOR OURSELVES!”
SUBLIME: “Yes! Yes, perfect! The only things in this world which are fair are the things which you make happen! Once you’ve completed your missions, Mutants will never be able to look down on any of you again! Just the thought of one looking at me with disgust makes my skin itch. Before you go, close your eyes and take a moment. Take a moment to imagine how they’re laughing at you right now.”
We cut to an island of metal in the middle of the ocean. It’s a rainy morning, and hundreds of Mutants, including many notable X-Men, though equally notably none of the current X-Men team, are gathered here, all with somber looks on their faces. In the middle of the island is a massive pillar. One with the names of every single Genoshan carved into it.
Floating above the crowd are Polaris, Quicksilver, and the newly introduced third Maximoff child, Wanda, the Scarlet Witch.
Polaris is forcing herself through a speech to all Mutants present. About how Mutantkind has never seen a greater tragedy than this genocide. About how it's the duty of all those who remain to live for those who cannot. About the greatness of President Magneto, who will be found, and who will lead Mutants into the future. And about how while they should never harm those who have not directly harmed them, they cannot forget that humans, all humans, are the enemy of Mutantkind.
LORNA: "It is not their fault for how they were born, but there is simply no good in them."
Throughout Lorna's speech, we focus on a single Mutant in the crowd, who looks like a completely average woman, standing in between Jubilee, dressed in all black like most attendees, and sporting oddly pale skin, and Chamber, who's always dressed in black.
Following Lorna's above line…
JUBILEE: "I thought this was supposed to be, like, a funeral for the Genoshans. Not a supervillain speech."
CHAMBER, telepathically: "Don't be too harsh on her. She's mourning more than any of us."
Focusing on the Mutant in between them, she receives a telepathic message…from Cyclops.
CYCLOPS, telepathically: "I should be there."
As she responds, the Mutant is revealed to be Emma in telepathic disguise.
EMMA, telepathically: "And I'd love to have you here with me, but now is not the time to be starting a ruckus."
CYCLOPS: "Yeah. I know. Is the service almost over?"
EMMA: "I believe so. And I have eyes on our target."
Narrowing her eyes, Emma stares further into the crowd at Bobby Drake AKA Iceman.
We cut to a new location, a New York City coffee shop called, “The Grindhouse”. It’s a small, cozy store, with a “Help Wanted” sign in the window.
Inside, Noriko and Sofia are seated at a table. Noriko is guzzling a disgustingly sweet frappuccino, while Sofia is drinking tea. However, the latter isn’t doing much actual drinking, as Sofia cannot stop crying hysterically.
Noriko tries her best to comfort her, attempting to be sweet and supportive. Of course, this is Noriko, so attempting this mostly means tossing out stock lines.
NORIKO: “You didn’t do anything wrong, Sofia. It’s gonna be okay. It’s not your fault he acted this way. Everything is gonna be okay.”
When this inevitably fails, Surge elects to take a more “Nori” approach.
NORIKO: “God! Enough crying, Princess! Keller is a piece of shit, and not worth crying over. You can have literally any guy you want! And all of them will be better than him.”
Sofia sniffles, managing to slightly calm down and sip her tea.
SOFIA, eyes on her tea: “Do you know why I became an influencer? It wasn’t intentional. I just wanted people to like me. No one at my old school did, so I turned to the internet. I am loved by thousands of people, but I do not know the first thing about any of them.” She takes another sip. “The video of Julian and I being crowned and getting together at the dance has gotten over one million views. But I did not have someone else record it. They did it on their own. I was too caught up in the moment. I was too happy, finally having someone who knew and loved the real me.”
Noriko groans. First off, Keller never loved her. Laura might, and she does as a friend, but that’s it. Sofia disagrees. She doesn’t know what’s wrong with Julian exactly, but she knows he never would have said anything like what he did to her before his injury.
NORIKO, slurping up the last of her frap: “Enough! I cannot stand one more second of you crying over this loser. When we’re done here, you go to your room, do a little dance, and get reminded how awesome you are by your thousands of followers.”
SOFIA, under her breath: “I decided to call them Wind Babies.”
NORIKO: “So not calling them that. And while you’re doing your thing, I’m gonna prove he never really cared out about you.”
SOFIA: “Please do not.”
NORIKO: “No! He doesn’t get to sleep with you and then dump you like you’re trash! No way!”
Noriko speeds back and forth to and from the trashcan to toss out her cup.
NORIKO: “You’ll see.”
Sofia chokes up and sniffles.
The post-funeral reception for the Genoshans is taking place at Wanda’s sizable house, one with mystical artifacts on display all around it. Inside, she and her siblings are toasting among themselves, while dozens of other Mutants mingle. Some still look miserable, while others are distracting themselves and finding joy and comfort in their community.
We’re properly introduced to Bobby as, when Lorna walks away from her siblings, he approaches her, appearing equally dower. They make pleasantries, Bobby offering his condolences and Lorna appreciating them. But then…
BOBBY: “Hey, listen, I know this won’t change anything, but we were always able to distract each other from our pain when we were together, weren’t we?” Bobby dons a cocky, shithead smirk. “Maybe we re-use an old strategy?”
Lorna proceeds to throw her drink into his face, calling him a pig as she walks off.
BOBBY, to himself: “Re-use an old strategy? Come on, Bobby, you have better pickup lines than that.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
Bobby turns around and, unlike everyone else, his mind isn’t being tricked by an illusion.
BOBBY, smirking: “Well, well, well. Emma Frost. I don’t think I’ve seen you since our date.”
EMMA: “Robert, it was a school dance, and I didn’t want my students badgering me about finding an actual date. Nothing more.”
BOBBY: “Whatever you say.”
Emma sighs and explains why she’s spending time on him. With Jean off in space and one with the Phoenix now, the X-Men are now their most powerful member. And while they still have herself and Storm as big guns, that’s not enough.
EMMA: “And as far as I’m aware, apart from the two of us and Charles, you’re the only other Omega to wear an X.”
Bobby laughs and shakes his head. He doesn’t like the whole “Omega Level Mutant” thing. Yeah, he’s powerful and awesome, but he’s still just another Mutant. As for what she’s getting at, sorry, but he isn’t interested in rejoining the X-Men.
EMMA: “Whatever could you be doing that’s more important?”
BOBBY: “Living my life. Right now, that’s all I want to do. You know who you should talk to instead? Rogue. She’s a big gun, and she’s been taking care of Destiny ever since you got Mystique locked up. Probably best to get her out of there.”
EMMA: “Cyclops and I do not want Rogue, Robert. We want you.”
BOBBY: “Yeah?” Iceman chugs back the rest of his drink. “Well, obviously you and Scott getting what you want doesn’t end well, right?”
Bobby turns around and makes an ice bridge to slide downstairs on, leaving behind an indignant Emma.
In the institute’s common area, Sooraya, Brian, Cessily, and Roxy are hanging out. Specifically, Sooraya is kicking Brian’s ass at chess as he questions why he thought this was a good idea, while Cessily and Roxy are making out on the couch.
Noriko barges in, shouting at her friends as she asks them if any of them have talked to Julian today.
ROXY, whispering: “Is she always so loud?”
CESSILY, whispering: “Pretty much.”
Brian tells Nori he managed to get a few words out of him, but nothing much. Sooraya, however, comments that she knows what happened between him and Sofia.
SOORAYA: “I assume that’s why you’re so full of rage. Apart from all your usual reasons.”
NORIKO: “Ding! Ding! Give it up for the girl in the abaya! Wanna tell me why you sound like you think I’m out of line for being pissed at that d-bag for breaking my girl’s heart?”
Sooraya is about to start answering, but Brian gets up and gets right in Nori’s face.
BRIAN: “Listen, we all obviously care about Sofia, but none of us can even imagine what Julian is feeling right now. Hopefully in a few days, he’ll calm down, apologize and say he didn’t mean any of what he said, and things will be back to normal. Try to have some empathy, okay?”
Nori just laughs for a moment before turning around to walk off.
CESSILY, irritated: “Nori, where are you going?”
NORIKO: “Just gonna go chat with Keller! Nothing wrong with having a nice little chat.”
Noriko exits.
There’s a brief silence.
ROXY: “So she’s not gonna kill him, right?”
CESSILY: “What? No. Of course not. Probably.”
…
CESSILY: “Can we go back to making out now?”
Emma rides in the back of her car, drink in hand, as she telepathically communicates with Scott. Scott, over at the institute, is working out in the gym, wearing nothing except his sunglasses, gym shorts, and socks and sneakers, his rock hard abs on full display. Emma informs Scott that Bobby was a bust. Perhaps they should take his recommendation and look into recruiting Rogue? Or maybe Bishop? He’s yummy.
Emma, in Scott’s head, looks at him working out on the pull-up bar and sweating from his perspective.
EMMA, grinning: “Speaking of yummy…”
SCOTT: “Keep it professional, Emma. And no, we’re not giving up on Iceman. I know where he’s staying. I’ll talk to him myself.”
Scott asks Emma if she’s on her way back to the school, but she tells him she’s making a stop first.
EMMA: “Just imagine I’m doing whatever you think I do in my spare time. Eat babies, kick puppies, get creative with it.”
There’s a brief pause.
SCOTT: “You shouldn’t make those jokes about yourself.”
EMMA: “And you should follow your own orders and keep things professional.”
Emma “hangs up” on Scott as her car is parked, her driver informing her they’ve arrived.
Emma is helped out of her car as she thanks her driver, Bumpkin, a green man in a white suit with a large chin. We see that she’s entering a mental hospital.
Elsewhere, Bobby enters a penthouse apartment with a strong old-money aesthetic. He calls out to Warren, sarcastically calling out, “Honey, I’m home!”
BOBBY: “You should have come to the reception. Got to see a lot of old faces. And get a lot of updates on things I missed. Did you know Legion’s dead?”
Warren Worthington III AKA Archangel emerges from around a corner, having just come out of the shower. He’s drying himself off and is only wearing his wing binder and a towel around his waist.
WARREN: “Bobby…you were there when he was killed. We both were.”
BOBBY, on his phone: “Were we? Huh.”
Bobby starts to change the subject but as his eyes turn to Warren’s almost nude form, they widen for just a moment as he hiccups.
Plopping himself down on Warren’s couch and stretching himself out across it, he brings up that Emma Frost was there and tried recruiting him to rejoin the X-Men.
Warren begins dressed himself with clothes he had laid out, asking if she asked about him.
BOBBY, loudly noshing on a bag of chips: “Why would she ask about you?”
WARREN: “Because I…” SIGH “…never mind.”
Warren then questions why Bobby didn’t say yes. With everything that’s happened, they could use one of their best heroes right now. And it’s not like he has anything else going on.
WARREN: “No job, no hobbies, no girlfriend…” Warren steals the bag of chips away from Bobby before he can make any more crumbs. “And it would get you off my couch.”
Warren shivers as he’s overcome with a coldwave, dropping the chip bag back into Bobby’s hands.
BOBBY: “Yeah, well…I like it here.”
Bobby resumes eating and turns on the TV as Warren walks off in frustration.
In their armory, the U-Men are getting loaded up with weapons and gear, so excited for their first op. One guy though thinks astral projection is a pretty lame power.
U-MAN #1: “I want claws like Wolverine’s! Or fire powers!”
U-MAN #2: “Please, everyone knows telepathy is the genetic goldmine. Those are the luckiest Muties of all. You know I used to run a scam where I pretended to be able to read minds. If anyone should be a telepath, it’s me. I’ll fight you guys for that too!”
U-MAN #3, who’s a woman: “Relax, dude. Even with all the resources the Purifers wasted bombing Genosha, there’s still more than enough X-genes to go around for all of us.”
U-MAN #1: “And it shouldn’t be long before we’re taking them either. Once we prove to Mr. Sublime that we’re skilled enough to kill them on our own, we won’t have to wait with the rest of the team.”
On their way out of the armory, U-Man #2 is freaked out by a floating brain outside in the hallway. His friends laugh at him. It’s nothing to be afraid of. That’s just Martha.
U-MAN #1: “Lol dude, you were just talking about how cool telepaths are. Martha’s the best. She may not have her body anymore, but she can still use her powers to keep other Muties pacified while Mr. Sublime extracts their X-genes.”
U-MAN #2: “Huh! Guess that makes you one of us. I’d give you a high-five if you had, you know, hands.”
The three say goodbye to Martha as Sublime summons his U-Men over the speaker, with it being time to go, U-Man #3 patting her glass dome tank like a pet. Martha is just left floating there.
In his private medical room, Julian is still recovering in bed mindlessly changing the channel on the TV with his telekinesis, nothing seems good. His eyes are empty, and he’s still in immense pain.
NORIKO, kicking in Julian’s door: “Hey, Keller! We need to talk!”
Julian shuts his eyes and lets out the deepest sigh.
JULIAN: “What do you want, Ashida?”
Noriko shouts at him about how he broke up with Sofia, with her quickly winding up speaking super fast, and devolving into throwing a ton of insults his way. Julian asks if she’s REALLY doing this right now, and when she flatly says “Yes”, he asks why she isn’t happy. She never even liked them together!
NORIKO: “Imaynotlikeyou…” Noriko calms herself down so she can speak normally. “I may not like you, but you made her happy. I hoped you weren’t just using her, but you proved yourself to be as much of a jerk as I’ve always known you were. You chased her for an entire semester just do you could get some sex and break her heart. And I can see that! But she can’t. She thinks you’re just hurting and lashing out, but I know you better than that. So I’m gonna call her in here, and you’re gonna calmly own up to everything. Got it?”
Julian’s legs tremble as he continues to seethe. He turns the TV off. He then, with great strain, sits up.
JULIAN: “Or what?”
Nori lights her gauntlets up, surrounding them with a small, electric aura.
NORI: “You know what.”
JULIAN: “Seriously? You’re challenging the handless guy to a fight?” Julian laughs as he grins manically and telekinetically disconnects all the wires hooked up to him. Life returns to his eyes as he surrounds himself in his green aura. “Good thing I never needed hands to kick your ass.”
The two stare each other down.
We then cut to an exterior shot of the school, which is silent for a moment. Noriko and Julian proceed to blast through the ceiling, ready to throw down.
Back inside the school, Beast comes running into Julian’s room to see what happened, only to find him gone, and the hole the two of them blasted through multiple floors.
BEAST: “Oh, my stars and garters.”
Emma struts down the hall of the mental hospital, politely greeting various doctors and nurses she passes by, many of whom she’s on a first name basis with.
She soon arrives at her destination, the hospital room of her brother, Christian Frost.
Christian is slightly older than Emma, extremely good looking, and possesses a shaved, blonde head. He’s also restrained and strapped down to his bed, but that doesn’t stop his face from lighting up upon seeing his little sister.
CHRISTIAN: “Emi! How’s my favorite baby sister doing?”
EMMA, pleasantly annoyed: “Do you have to say those words verbatim every time I come to visit?”
CHRISTIAN: “I know it annoys you, so yes. You’re never gonna get too old or powerful for me to pick on.”
Dodging her brother’s question and not wanting to talk about recent events, Emma asks Christian how HE’S doing. Christian proceeds to mock the usual crappy food and praise the recent influx of hunky male nurses.
Through their conversation, we learn exactly what the situation here is: Christian has been trapped here by Winston for around 20 years, ever since he attempted suicide. While Emma became richer and more powerful than her father years ago, the difference isn’t SO great that she can override what he did, especially not with Adrienne and Cordelia also out there. Christian has mostly gotten used to life here, but he’s only still sane because, ever since Emma first became the White Queen, she’s been visiting him at least once a month.
Christian returns to what he asked originally and questions how his little sister is.
CHRISTIAN: “I see you dodging. You aren’t hitting the cocaine again, right? Cause everyone here has really enjoyed you not laughing maniacally these last few years.”
EMMA, embarrassed: “I…wouldn’t call the laughter maniacal.”
CHRISTIAN: “Very maniacal. At the top of your lungs. Often about the time you burned a horse to death.”
EMMA, completely flustered: “Let’s PLEASE refrain from discussing Butter Rum!”
Christian laughs, while Emma momentarily turns back into her mousy teenage self.
CHRISTIAN: “Seriously though. What’s going on?”
Emma composes herself and, with a heavy heart, is about to answer, when machine gun fire rings through the halls.
Christian’s face fills with fear.
CHRISTIAN: “Don’t suppose you brought henchmen?”
Emma’s face hardens as she stands.
EMMA: “Stay calm.I shall handle this.”
Emma marches out of the room to see what’s going on.
Above the school, Julian and Noriko prepare to fight. Julian mocks Nori for thinking she can take him even in his current state, considering he’s been stronger and better with his powers than her since day 1.
JULIAN: “And if you aren’t careful, you may blow up the damn school.”
Noriko counters back that she’s never one to run away from a fight.
NORIKO: “That’s more your thing, right? Well, that and getting crippled. I, on the other hand, managed to NOT get my hands blown off in that fight like a complete dumbass.”
Julian roars in rage, launching a telekinetic wave at Surge. Surge, with far more limited airtime than Hellion, only able to propel herself into the air through continued blasts, gets down to the ground as quickly as possible.
Hellion follows after her, launching attack after attack, destroying the front yard once again, while Noriko runs all around it, dodging.
SURGE: “What exactly do you think happens after this, Keller? Your crew’s got your back for now, but how long do you think they’re gonna put up with this?”
HELLION, unrelentingly attacking: “I don’t care! I don’t need any of you!”
SURGE: “Okay, that, that I know is BS.”
Surge takes carefully controlled pot shots at Hellion, but they can’t even get through his forcefield. This gives Julian an idea, as he expands his forcefield, focuses all that energy around his legs, and flies down to crush Noriko.
Noriko’s unsure if this is gonna work, or if it’ll work too well, but she expands her own electrical aura around herself, before focusing it all around her gauntlets, supercharging them.
Julian swoops down to stomp Surge into the dirt, but Nori blocks with her gauntlets. TK energy clashes with electricity as both teens sweat and grit their teeth nervously. The clash ends in an explosion, as a cloud of smoke surrounds the two.
In the mental hospital’s main entrance, dozens of U-Men, all armed with machine guns, march through, while doctors, nurses, and other staff are terrified, on their knees and bent over with their hands on the floor.
U-MEN COMMANDER: “We apologize for this interruption to your daily lives, fellow sapiens, but I assure you we mean no harm. We are only here to take the Mutant in your custody off your hands so that genetic reparations toward the human race can begin to be paid.”
“Oh, that’s a new one.”
The U-Men all turn and aim their guns as Emma enters the scene.
EMMA: “I’ve seen religious bigotry, I’ve heard replacement theory, and I’ve encountered those who see us as a threat to humanity’s continued survival time and time again, but I cannot say I’ve ever seen your kind openly admit to being motivated by your envy of our superiority. It’s refreshingly honest.” Emma sneers and sways her hips. “Not that that will save you here.”
The U-Men commander shouts at her not to compare them to the likes of the Purifers or the Friends of Humanity. They’re nothing like those racist monsters. They just want what’s fair.
U-Man #1 then puts his hand on his commander’s shoulder and, quivering, questions if he doesn’t know who this is. That’s Emma Frost of the X-Men! According to Mr. Sublime’s Omega List, with Jean Grey, Charles Xavier, and Magneto’s present statuses unclear, she’s one of only 6 confirmed Omega Level Mutants on the planet.
U-MAN #3, excited: “And one of only three Omega Level women!” She steps forward. “I am SUCH a big fan, Ms. Frost! I promise you, after I blow your brains out, your genes will be in good hands!”
U-MAN #1, sounding like he’s about to soil himself: “Guys, seriously, we should not be messing with her!”
U-MAN #2: “No can do, man. Like I said. Telepaths are the best.”
The commander steps forward and tells her that they weren’t expecting her to be here today. This was supposed to be a nice, quick and peaceful operation where no one got hurt. If she and her brother will surrender peacefully, they don’t need to put these good people in the crossfire.
Emma smirks.
EMMA: “Oh, don’t worry, darling. No good people shall be harmed today.”
Emma blasts every single U-Man’s mind with psychic lightning…only to be shocked when it has no effect.
U-MAN COMMANDER: “Surprised, Mutie? We came prepared.”
With everyone on the floor still terrified, Emma sneers.
Outside the school, Noriko and Julian are still fighting. Ducking and dodging around each other, Noriko is firing larger electric blasts at him, while Julian is tearing up the ground to launch chunks of it at her.
SURGE: “What’s your problem anyway, tough guy?! You already told Sofia how you feel once! Why not just do it again?!”
HELLION: “I dunno! Maybe because you asked me to? Better question: Do you think I can’t see what’s really going on here?”
SURGE: “As per usual, no idea what you’re talking about.”
As the battle continues, students pour out of the school, entranced by the flashiness of the fight taking place. Kids begin cheering them on and calling other students to come see that Hellion and Surge are having a rematch.
In her office…
DANI: “They’re what?!”
In Warren’s penthouse, Bobby is still on the couch, eating popcorn, and watching what sounds like an Avengers animated series.
Bobby laughs at the scene.
BOBBY: “HA HA! Oh…those douchebags.”
Bobby is startled, dropping his popcorn on the floor, when “ICEMAN!” is shouted in his head.
BOBBY, telepath: “Huh?! Who’s calling?”
In the hospital, we see Emma ducked behind a wall for cover as the U-Men unload their machine guns in her direction.
EMMA, telepathically: “Who else would be? I’m having a little situation at the Cockrum Mental Institute. I require immediate assistance, and you and Archangel are the only ones presently in the vicinity.”
BOBBY, telepathically: “Oh, sure, you ask me to rejoin the team, I say no, and then you conveniently need my help. Sorry, Emma. Not THAT stupid.”
EMMA: “I KNOW you aren’t stupid at all, Robert, no matter how you present yourself.” Emma shows Bobby exactly what’s happening right now. “Now, are you going to help me, and everyone else here, or have you given up on helping others entirely?”
Bobby bites his lip before relenting. He gets up, transforms into his ice form, and tells Emma he’s on his way before exiting via an ice bridge out the window.
As Hellion and Surge continue to fight, and more and more students continue to come out to watch, Mercury, Bling!, Dust, and Tag arrive on the scene.
MERCURY: “Oh my GOD, you guys! Really?!”
BLING!: “She actually is gonna kill him.”
TAG: “Soo, you’re the only one here on their level! You gotta get in there and stop them!”
Sooraya just glares at Brian.
TAG: “SOMEONE has to get in there and stop them!”
“KIDS!”
TAG: “Oh thank god.”
Dani, Nightcrawler, and Northstar race out of the school. Dani shouts off how these two are in big trouble and have some serious explaining to do, but all three teachers’ jaws quickly drop.
Completely engulfed in their respective bright green and electric blue auras, Surge and Hellion are dashing around the front yard at such great velocity that no one can even see them, only their power signatures and attacks.
No one except the super speedster Northstar that is.
KURT: “Teach your kids some new tricks, eh, Danielle?”
Dani has no idea how they’re doing this. She of course knew they’d made a lot of progress, she was even the one to teach them some of the tricks they’ve been using lately, but they’re only getting stronger and stronger at an even faster rate.
DANI: “Four months ago, Surge wasn’t even capable of going half this fast with her gauntlets on, and she could only maintain the top speed she could manage for ten seconds. Hellion’s telekinesis didn’t allow for much super speed at all.”
NORTHSTAR: “Anole’s a good kid, but I am jealous no one on my squad is even close to this.”
In the hospital, Emma is still trying to figure out what to do about the U-Men. As the soldiers cease firing for a moment, the commander laughs and mocks her. She may be one of the most naturally powerful people on Earth, but no Mutant can stand against human ingenuity. Their suits and weaponry are all based on the same scientific principles as the ones behind SHIELD's power-nullifying handcuffs. Mutant powers won’t work on them.
Emma, buying time, questions how sad and pathetic the lives of these men and women must be for their, albeit wholly justified, envy to have driven them to militarization and murder. Just how entitled ARE they?
The commander spits back that that’s rich coming from her. Emma and all of her siblings won the genetic lottery more than maybe anyone else, being born billionaire Mutants. She had everything handed to her. They’re just trying to claim the privileges of what the circumstances of their birth denied them.
Emma quickly flashes back through a montage of her horribly abusive childhood. Her father smacking her for bringing home a “B” on a test, Adrienne setting fire to her dolls, and walking into Christian’s room and finding him attempting suicide. This is then followed by an equal montage of how hard she worked prior to becoming White Queen.
In the present, Emma snickers. Is she privileged? Undoubtedly so. But nothing in her life was handed to her. Least of all the body they’re all so jealous of. She understands doing whatever it takes to become the person you want to be, and, apart from her X-gene, there isn’t one circumstance of her birth she’s happy about. She gets why they’re doing this. Unfortunately…
Emma floats out of cover and is immediately barraged by a hailstorm of bullets. Having assumed her new diamond form, these bullets meant to completely bypass Mutant strengths only mildly wound her.
EMMA: “You’re all just a bunch of nerds.”
Emma flies toward the platoon and uppercuts the commander through the ceiling. She swats away at the others until U-Men #2, grunting that he’s no nerd, he’s a future telepath, releases a gas which temporarily neutralizes her powers entirely.
Powerless, Emma is kicked around by the U-Men and eventually restrained.
U-MAN #1: “Look at us! We beat an Omega! Someone go grab her brother and let’s get out of here!”
Suddenly, the front doors blow open and a freezing chill spreads through the hospital.
Iceman appears on the scene, ice-bridging into the hospital before hopping off.
ICEMAN: “Never fear! Iceman’s here!”
All of the U-Men point their guns at him .
ICEMAN: “I know, I know, cliche entrance line. But I don’t think it’s worth killing me over.”
Still restrained, Emma laughs with honest amusement at his antics.
Outside the school, the fight has escalated even further. Julian and Noriko, who barely seem to be in control of their own bodies at this point, are wrapped in wide fields of their respective auras, in mid-air, and simply clashing over and over again, with the excess energy from both of them flying off in different directions.
Cessily questions why the teachers are just standing around doing nothing, with Dani explaining that with how fast they’re moving and how much energy they’re charged up with, Nightcrawler and Northstar can’t even get near them, and with how sensitive their minds feel right now, Dani doesn’t feel comfortable throwing their worst nightmares at them right now. Northstar says they need to do SOMETHING. Those kids are gonna kill someone, either themselves or someone else, and he does not want to be the one to explain dead children to Cyclops and Storm when they get back.
As the fight intensifies, Julian and Noriko’s clothes are torn and blood runs down their sides…
NORIKO: “YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A SCARED LITTLE BOY THROWING A TANTRUM BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU AREN’T PERFECT ANYMORE - AS IF YOU EVER WERE!”
JULIAN: “AND YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A LOUD-MOUTHED PUNK WHO NO ONE LIKES LOOKING FOR A BEATDOWN TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER BECAUSE YOU FEEL GUILTY YOU WALKED AWAY FROM THE SENTINELS UNSCATHED! BOO HOO!”
NORIKO: “YOU’RE ONLY ALIVE BECAUSE OF ME YOU ABSOLUTE…”
There’s a deafening explosion, all of the students having now stopped cheering, and instead become as concerned as the teachers.
Kurt snaps his fingers. He has an idea. Dani tries to get him to explain, but he’s already BAMFED away.
The U-Men, specifically U-Man #1, freak out that a second Omega has shown up unexpectedly, with some of their younger members eagerly questioning if everyone else on the list (Scarlet Witch, Storm, Exodus, and Proteus) are going to show up.
U-MAN #1: “Exodus is SO hot.”
ICEMAN: “Gross. Anyway you’re all going to jail now.”
U-MAN #2 laughs as he puts a gun Emma’s head. They aren’t afraid of him! Their suits will protect them from his ice, and if he so much as moves, he’ll kill Emma.
EMMA: “Basing your strategy on someone caring if I live or die. A risky move.”
U-Man #3 steps forward and tells Iceman to power down now and surrender. There’s nothing he can do to stop them that Emma couldn’t.
U-MAN #3: “I’ve seen you on TV since I was a kid. One of the original 5 X-Men. But you never belonged in the same class as them, bro. One’s leading all you Muties now, one’s a god, one’s a billionaire CEO, and one’s among the greatest scientists on Earth! And you? Just the class clown. The run of the litter. According to our files, jobless and homeless. You are EVERYTHING the U-Men stand against! People like you do not deserve the powers you have!”
Bobby…freezes up.
One of the U-Men shouts to open fire, and Iceman is knocked back and sent to the floor by a barrage of their bullets. While still in his ice form, he groans in pain.
EMMA, telepathically: “Iceman, what is the MATTER with you?!”
BOBBY, telepathically: “I…I can’t…they’re right.”
EMMA: “Excuse me?! What do you mean they’re right?!”
Bobby makes a getaway further into the hospital on an ice bridge, just trying to put space between himself and the U-Men are now his persuers.
BOBBY: “Not about their bogus philosophy. Obviously. But about me. I’m supposed to be an Omega! An elemental god! And yet what am I doing with my life? Where am I when people…where was I when Genosha needed me? It doesn’t matter how powerful I am. I’ll always just be the goofball. No point in fighting it.”
Iceman takes more and more hits, eventually falling over as he runs out of the stamina necessary to make more ice. U-Man #3 proceeds to use the same gas used on Emma on him, reverting him to his normal form, as she and her friends kick him while he’s down.
As Bobby is about to accept his fate…
EMMA: “Don’t you ever say that that there’s no point in fighting to be more than you are. Don’t you ever say to me that one should roll over and accept how others perceive them. I did not come to speak with you today simply because you’re an Omega, or because Scott wanted his “little buddy” back. I came to recruit you because there isn’t a damn X-Man I’d rather have at my side. “Omega” just means limitless potential, and you have far from fully achieved yours, but I have an eye for talent, and I see what you can be. When I was teching Generation X, you were one of the only X-Men who didn’t constantly treat me as a monster. I’ve always appreciated that. And if you’d like to feel guilt over Genosha, jolly, join the damn club. But the fact you blame yourself for not doing more when there was nothing you could do? That’s what we need right now. But only if you have the dedication to back it up.”
Bobby has been getting beaten to a bloody pulp this whole time, but as Emma finishes her speech in his mind, his eyes light up, and then…
*SMASH*
Bobby is smashed into a million little pieces by the U-Men’s kicks. The U-Men freak out. U-Man #3 can’t believe she actually just killed someone…but only because she’s pissed she wasted an Omega.
U-MAN #1: “Oh well. At least we don’t have to worry about him, right?”
The U-Men are then startled as they hear the screams of their comrades from back down the hall.
They rush to investigate what’s going on, only to find the remaining U-Men standing completely still, while both Bobby and a now freed Emma stare them down with confidence.
U-Man #3, now nervous, questions how he’s still alive, and why no one else is moving. Bobby explains that he isn’t just a man of ice. He IS ice. What’s other form ice can take? Water vapor. And after they shattered him, his microscopic particles bypassed their suits’ defeneses.
Iceman knocks on one of the U-Men’s helmets.
ICEMAN: “Your fellow nerds are frozen solid inside their cosplays.”
U-MEN #1: “What?! Wait, why aren’t we frozen yet then?”
EMMA: “So we could hear the terror in your voices first, darling. Ta ta, now.”
With the camera inside their helmets, we see ice coat the U-Men’s skin.
Emma and Bobby exchange cocky smirks.
As the sun sets, Surge and Hellion scream at the top of their lungs as the spheres of their energy around each of them as they throw everything they have at the other, resulting in a beam clash. Here, the two are completely evenly matched.
Cessily is terrified, with Roxy holding her in her arm, Sooraya also appears nervous, and Brian is biting his fingernails.
DANI: “Come on, Kurt.”
Speaking of the devil, Kurt arrives, and he’s not alone.
KARMA: “Holy moly!” Xuan coughs. “I go to visit my little siblings for one day, and you all let THIS happen?”
NORTHSTAR: “Do not even try and blame this on us. Now, come on. Do your thing.”
Xuan takes a breath before her eyes glow purple, and purple blocks surround her head.
JULIAN: “DIE, ASHIDA!”
NORIKO: “YOU FIRST, KELLER!”
The beam clash continues, with each fighter claiming the edge for just a moment before it’s taken by the other. The intensity in the air is palpable.
Which is why Noriko is shocked when Julian flies up and away from her, and turns off most of his power.
NORIKO, turning her powers mostly off: “What the Hell do you think you’re doing? We’re not done yet!”
“JULIAN”: “Surge, this is Karma. I’ve taken control of Julian’s body. Stand down. Now.”
Emotions rapidly pass across Surge’s face as she wants to keep fighting, is pissed she can’t, and is also afraid of how she’s about to get punished.
SURGE, her head held down: “Sorry, Cao Thi Manh.”
As the students all cheer on Karma and how cool possession is as a power, Karma returns to her body, where Kurt and Dani pat her on the back.
At the hospital, SHIELD has arrived to take the frozen U-Men away.
SHIELD AGENT: “You know, a lot of the guys the X-Men hand us end up getting off on a lack of evidence, but you have to be pretty stupid to think you can get away with shooting up a hospital.”
Emma asks Bobby how that felt, with him answering that it felt good doing something like this again. Though, if he’s gonna be doing this regularly, he hopes he can get more challenging opponents.
EMMA: “Does that mean what I think?”
BOBBY: “I guess it does. I’m in.”
EMMA: “Splendid! It’ll be wonderful to finally have an adult on the team other than Scott who doesn’t loathe me.”
BOBBY: “Yeah, about you and Scott…”
EMMA: “Let’s not ruin the moment, shall we?”
BOBBY: “Fine. Let’s talk about something else. You really had nothing to do with organizing this attack?”
Emma cackles.
EMMA: “Robert, I’m Emma Frost. At least one person per week attempts to assassinate me,, unrelated to the X-Men. With my penthouse nearby Warren’s, I was simply planning on waiting for an assailant to come after me, playing helpless, and summoning you then to help you rediscover yourself. The U-Men simply sped things up for me, although them coming here is regrettable. Rest assured, I’ll be covering all of the damages.”
The two walk in awkward silence for a moment.
BOBBY: “Right. By the way, I do care if you live or die. And if your new students are anything like your old ones, I’m sure they do too.”
Emma smiles peacefully at that. She then suggests introducing him to her brother, believing they’ll get along.
Surge and Hellion are back in the medical bay, both heavily injured and bandaged up and, as Beast puts it…
BEAST: “If you’re feeling well enough to try and destroy the school, Mr. Keller, you clearly don’t need the private room anymore.”
Noriko laughs at that, but doing so hurts. As Beast leaves, Dani comes to see the two. Both kids immediately start shouting at her, trying to defend themselves, but Dani tells them to save it. What she saw out there today? She knew her kids were the best, but these two in particular are not normal. The amount of raw power they have at their disposal far exceeds what most X-Men are capable of, and they’re not even done growing.
Julian and Noriko grin.
DANI: “And that’s why your actions today are all the more unacceptable.”
Julian and Noriko’s faces fall.
Dani knows these two have been through so, so much more than they should have, but that’s no excuse to use their powers so recklessly and destrictively. Especially when the two were clearly both fighting over their heads.
If either of them wants to talk about their experiences and what they’re feeling, she’s always here for them. But in the meantime, they both need to learn some responsibility. Julian tries to interrupt and question how it’s fair for him to be punished when Noriko came to his medical room looking for a fight, but she tells him to zip it.
Starting tomorrow, Noriko is going to be spending everyday after class helping Beast, Northstar, and Kitty repair the school and its grounds. And after that, she thinks she saw a “Help Wanted” sign in that new coffee shop in town. She thinks working there will be good for her.
As for Julian, she and Emma will figure something out after he’s recovered. Unfortunately, it seems like today’s little spat will be extending his stay.
Both kids groan at the top of their lungs.
DANI: “Listen, I know you probably hate me right, but, one day, you’ll thank me. I promise.”
Julian and Noriko both roll their eyes at this, as Dani exits the room, with Noriko following behind her, shooting one last dirty glare at Julian.
While Xuan appears to hook her arm around Dani’s…
XUAN, doing her Dani impression: “One day, you’ll thank me.”
DANI: “Be quiet.”
XUAN, laughing: “You sounded just like Magneto!”
Surge meanwhile runs into Sofia and Laura, Sofia seeming to actually be in a better mood.
NORIKO: “The Hell have you two been all day?”
SOFIA: “Well, I did what you said and made a video, but it wasn’t in my heart to practice ballet today, so I asked Laura to do something else with me.”
Sofia pulls out her phone and shows Nori a video of she and Laura doing a TikTok dance. Sofia has her full public persona on display with her plastered smile, while Laura could not look like she wants to be there less.
Laura isn’t as good as Sofia, but she isn’t bad either, which only makes this funnier for Noriko, who belts out laughing, further hurting herself.
Laura snarls.
SOFIA, giggles: “Mending a broken heart will take time. But I think I will be okay.”
Noriko, in between laughing, doesn’t seem happy to hear that.
In the back of a limo, we return to John Sublime. He’s talking to someone on the phone who’s concerned about his operation, but Sublime assures them the chips he implanted in all the U-Men’s brains should have exploded by now. SHIELD won’t be hearing his name from any of their lips.
There’s a pause.
SUBLIME: “Oh, the X-Men? Not to worry. I have a plan for them.”
Sublime hangs up, and we see that Martha is in the limo with him.
SUBLIME: “I’m going to need you to be a very good girl soon, okay Martha? No disappointing your best friend.”
The water in Martha’s tank bubbles.
Sublime smirks as he sips his drink.
SUBLIME: “Good girl.”
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