Logan is running around the sewers. He's being followed by some heavily-armored guys who know he's a mutant.

Shadow Team Guy: He knows we're following him, but he's intent on pursuing his own quarry - another mutant.

Three guesses who, and the first two don't count.

Logan finds Sabertooth and attacks him. A big metal grate comes down and forms a cage around Logan.

Shadow Team Guy: Did you see that? It just bent around him!
Other Shadow Team Guy: Might be the work of that other mutant.

A floating robot thing comes into the tunnel and blinds Logan with its headlamps. Then it pelts him with green goo. He becomes frozen inside the stuff.

Sabertooth escapes up a ladder. Dr. Trask comes out of the robot and says to take Logan back to the facility.

Scene: Xavier Institute.

Jean is using Cerebro, under Xavier's guidance. She loses track of Logan and Sabertooth.

Jean: I told you I'm not ready for this! After four sessions I shouldn't even be -
Xavier: Jean, it's not your fault. Something unforeseen must have happened. We must simply determine what that was.

Scene: The sewers.

Hank: What did you find?
Ororo: Nothing. Not a single clue.
Hank: It's not like Logan to be taken without dicing something up.
Ororo: I agree. There must be something.

She uses her wind powers to beat the water into a column. Hank finds the metal grate on the floor.

Hank: Slice marks. Very clean. Very recent. That's our boy.
Ororo: But notice how unnaturally the metal is twisted.
Hank: Magneto.

Notes: What? This is a detective show now?

Above the sewer, an owl is sitting on a street lamp. It flies to the boardinghouse, goes into Mystique's destroyed room, and turns into - well, you know.

In the living room, a piece of pizza is stuck to the ceiling. It falls onto Fred's head. While he's distracted, Pietro zips around the table to look at his hand of cards.

Todd (watching TV): Seen it. Hate it. Hate it more.

Mystique: Building a better tomorrow, boys?
Todd: We're getting rigor mortis. There's nothing happening.
Mystique: On the contrary. Magneto has abducted Wolverine.
Lance: Wolverine? That's crazy. Why would he do that?
Mystique: I don't know. Pietro, he's your father.
Pietro: I don't know where he is or what he's doing.
Mystique: He actually snatched one of the X-Men. There's a bigger plan at work here. Now I have to make my move.

Scene: The Institute.

Rogue and Roberto come out of the Danger Room, plastered with orange paint.

Rogue: That is so lame. How does he expect anyone to survive in there?
Bobby: At least you lasted longer than we did. I was just getting my frost up.

Inside, Kurt and Amara are working together. Amara throws fireballs at the floating droid that shoots the paint, but only destroys one gun. Kurt takes the hit for her, and she jumps off the plateau to join her other team members. She tells Scott that Kurt is out.

Scott: And our objective?
Amara: It's 36 kilometers that way.
Scott: That's 22 miles!
Amara: Meters, meters! I hate the metric system.

Another droid comes, fires off a round with spectacular bad aim, and gets destroyed by Scott.

Xavier (from the control room): Quit stalling, Cyclops! Either make a move or relinquish control to Jean.
Scott: Okay. Let's rush him.

The team advances and gets ready to attack the fake Magneto. Evan, standing on a cliff, kicks down a rock, which knocks off the robot's head and causes it to explode. Everyone dives for cover.

Xavier: Everyone in the planning room NOW!

Quick scene change!

Xavier: Rush him? As if you're going to take him by surprise?
Scott: Professor, I -
Xavier: Magneto is always two steps ahead. You will never take him by surprise.
Scott: Professor, what's going on? You've never pushed us this hard.
Xavier: I needed to confirm my fears. You're not ready to take on Magneto.
Scott: I disagree.
Xavier: You couldn't even take care of the Brotherhood. Newer students - your inexperience could jeopardize the mission. I can't risk using you. *to the older students* I feel the need to bolster your ranks. I'd like you to welcome your new teammates.

The elevator opens to reveal the Brotherhood.

Kurt: Work with them? Are you serious?
Kitty: No way!
Rogue: This is a joke, right?
Xavier: You will be a stronger team with their help.
Evan: Why would you guys help us anyway? You don't like us any more than we like you.
Todd: Maybe it's be kind to losers week.
Lance: From what I've heard, this team could use a new leader.
Scott: You want the job, Shakedown? Fine. I'm done with this.
Jean: Scott!
Xavier: Let him go.
Jean: But Professor -
Xavier: We don't have time. We must train while you resume your efforts on Cerebro. If we find Logan, we find Magneto.

Scene: Somewhere.

A security truck drives into a garage. The drivers pull Logan, handcuffed and shackled, out of the back. He attempts to fight, but Trask sends an electric charge through his bonds.

They ride an elevator waayyy down through the building.

Logan: This isn't Magneto. Looks more like - Shield.
Trask: This isn't Shield. I severed my ties with that short-sighted government organization long ago. But I was there long enough to learn a few things about mutant scum like you.
Logan: Oh great, a fanatic. Okay, bub. What did mutants ever do to you?
Trask: You poison our gene pool and upset the balance of power.
Logan: We're not all the same. Some of us fight the good fight.
Trask: Still, I'm going to level the playing field.
Logan: How are you going to do that?
Trask: Skepticism. Good. We'll see how long that lasts after you take part in my little - experiment.

Scene: Cerebro's room.

Xavier: Any progress?
Jean: Cerebro has picked up on Logan's healing abilities.
Xavier: Good. Assemble the team.

Quick scene change!

Hank is performing pre-flight checks in the X-Jet.

Mystique is messing with some important computer downstairs.

Screen: Defcon4. Active Count Down.

Xavier boards the Velocity.

Ororo: What about Scott?
Xavier: We can't wait for him. You know as well as I do, if he's lost his confidence he'll only be a liability.
Ororo: You're making a mistake.
Xavier: Velocity to X-Jet, we are ready to go.
Hank: Okay. See you skyward.

The X-Jet launches from behind the waterfall, while the Velocity lifts from beneath the tennis court.

Amara: Wait!

Computer: Security has been compromised. Activating Defcon4.

Those metal panels start to cover all the windows.

Bobby: What's going on?

Amara runs to the front door, trying to escape before they're covered by the panels. They're locked, but she wrenches them open just in time. Sam tries to cannonball through the opening, but he's too late.

Tabitha drives up in the jeep and yells to Amara, who dodges the outdoor defense systems. Tabitha blows open the gates and drives in. Amara climbs into the car, and Tabby blows up the angel fountain, which looks like it's getting ready to shoot something nasty at them.

Quick scene change!

Scott is sitting on the hood of his car. Tabitha and Amara drive up.

Amara: We've been looking all over for you!
Tabitha: The mansion's gone nuts! It's locked up tight, and there's weapons firing everywhere.
Scott: Defcon4!

Quick scene change!

They're all driving in Scott's car.

Tabitha: I don't know what happened. I was going to the mansion to talk to the Professor about Mystique.
Scott: Whoa. What about Mystique?
Tabitha: She's back running the show. She's the reason the Brotherhood attacked you at the mall.
Scott: She is? But - that doesn't make sense. Mystique is back, the Brotherhood is helping us, and now the mansion goes into Defcon4. Something is very wrong here.

Scene: The facility.

Logan is released from wherever.

Logan: What's your game, Trask?
Trask: Call it research. I have a prototype to destroy the mutant threat. I call it a Sentinel.

Logan prepares for battle. The giant robot comes out of the shadows behind him and starts shooting stuff.

Sentinel: Mutant Life Signs. Confirmed.

Logan climbs onto the base of a crane and slices the tower, making it fall on the Sentinel. Then he uses the cable as a trolley to reach the robot and starts shredding circuitry.

The Sentinel flings him into a pile of boxes and shoots more stuff. Logan climbs scaffolding like a thing possessed, but gets shot down.

Meanwhile, Scott is driving very fast. He pulls up to the base of the waterfall and, for no apparent reason, trades his shades for the visor in his glove box.

Tabitha: Are you sure?
Scott: Trust me. This is the only way in.

Inside, Sam is still trying to bust down the door. Listen for the sound effects here. There's a whoosh, a sound like a piano falling, and some kind of siren.

Bobby: Smooth move, Cannonball. I told you, we're locked in. We have to wait for the others to find us.

More lasers come out of the walls.

Bobby: Or maybe, they have to wait for us to find them!

Computer: Defcon4 Override. Initiating demolition mode. The Institute will self-destruct in ten minutes.

And there's a nifty on-screen countdown.

Five metal spheres fly over the city and land in a decrepit plaza. Now presenting...

Sabertooth. Snarl.

A hand shuffling cards and charging one with energy - Gambit.

A pillar of fire turning into a scary face - Pyro.

A tall man, covering himself with metal plates - Colossus.

And, with evil glowing eyes and a groovy cape - Magneto.

Scene: The facility.

The Sentinel moves some rubbish to pick up Logan.

Sentinel: Mutant Life Signs. Detected. Terminate.

To be Continued...

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