X-Men Page #16

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 Professorís 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 donít belong... I donít belong...

Iím sorry... so sorry... thereís

nowhere...

INT. CEREBRO - NIGHT

Xavierís eyes open.

XAVIER:

Iíve found her, Westchester Mall.

LOGAN:

Iíll go.

CYCLOPS:

No... Iíll 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 Victoriaís 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.

ROGUEíS 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 girlís 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 (contíd)

You donít have to run.

Finally, Rogue surrenders.

ROGUE:

Iím sorry. Iím not like the rest of

you -- Iím tired of hurting people.

She starts to cry now.

STORM:

Itís 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:

STORMíS EYES as the life is being squeezed out of her.

INT. XAVIERíS OFFICE - NIGHT

MIRROR SHOT OF XAVIERíS 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 Cyclopsí face.

Deep red light far greater than anything we have ever

seen before comes blasting out of cyclopsí 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.

Stormís eyes open wide as her body convulses.

BOOM:

A huge bolt of lightning shoot from her body into

Sabretoothís 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 KELLYíS HELICOPTER passing

over the hold in the roof. Sabretooth leaps up and pulls

himself out of the opening.

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