"X-Men 2" Act Three"

ACT THREE
Scene One; Professor Xavier’s Study
(XAVIER’S holding class for three of the youngest kids in the school. DANI is his teacher’s aid. It looks like kindergarten. ILLYANA is one of the three. Suddenly ILLYANA cries out in pain and falls to the ground, moaning. DANI runs to her, cradles her.)

DANI
Illyana what’s the matter?

(DANI inspects and find a scaly, rotted patch on ILLYANA’S arm.)

DANI
Professor, look at this! What is it?

XAVIER
I don’t know but it’s hurting her terribly.

JEAN’S TELEPATHIC VOICE
Professor, we’ve arrived safely back with Logan. He’s alive but . . . something’s wrong.

XAVIER’S TELEPATHIC VOICE
Meet us in the laboratory Jean.

Scene Two; The Medilab
(PETER, DANI, XAVIER, CYCLOPS and STORM are with ILLYANA, who is on an examination table. JEAN and a now-conscious LOGAN are off to one side. LOGAN still seems skittish, unsettled.)

JEAN
(Tenderly) Logan, what happened over the last few months?

(Logan remains withdrawn.)

You can talk to me, Logan. You’re among friends again.

LOGAN
Am I? I don’t know what to believe anymore Jeannie. Something’s wrong. It . . .it’s as if a part of me’s missing. As if I’ve gone blind or deaf. Something in me has shut down.

(They are joined by CYCLOPS and XAVIER.)

XAVIER
Logan, what did you find?

LOGAN
(Giving XAVIER a look.) Nothin’.

CYCLOPS
Something up there had you pretty spooked.

XAVIER
(Impatient.) Logan, here, let me . . . (reaches out with his telepathy)

LOGAN
No!! (LOGAN slaps his hand away.) Stay the hell outta my head!! (He pops his claws and prepares to impale XAVIER.)

(A small tornado whips LOGAN around and bashes him into a wall. He falls in a heap.)

DANI
Ms. Munroe, you could never . . !

STORM
“. . .do that before.” Yes I know.

CYCLOPS
Logan, what the hell’s the matter with you? You know the Professor’s trying to help you.

LOGAN
(More frightened than angry.) No I don’t . . . I don’t know anythin’ right now, I told you! I . . I’m worse off than I've ever been . . .

XAVIER
Whatever happened to you Logan, Rogue seems to have picked it up through the link she has with you. You found something-someone in that base, and somehow, she absorbed a brief sample of it’s power without even being in the same country as it was. Now I’m afraid that what she absorbed may have caused young Illyana’s illness.

PETER
Do you mean, like a contagion?

JEAN
I’m afraid so, Piotr. What’s happening to your sister is very like a virus, triggering her mutant chromosomes, causing a cancerform corruption. If we can’t isolate it . . . it could take her life.

STORM
If you cannot isolate it, could it not also spread?

XAVIER
Yes, it could.
You must tell me everything you’ve learned, Logan. And it would help if I could have Rogue down here with us-(brief moment of telepathy, then actual amusement) she’s gone again.

DANI
Now you know why she calls herself “Rogue”.

Scene Three; Fifth Avenue, New York City
(ROGUE climbs the steps of a colonial facade townhouse. It is on Central Park East, we can see the Park across the street. Aside each door is a brass plaque bearing the image of a pitchfork and flames.)

Scene Four; Hellfire Club Interior, Foyer
(ROGUE is admitted into the foyer where she’s greeted by a HOSTESS. All the decor is Early English as are the costumes on the hired help.)

ROGUE
Hi, I’ve an appointment? I was told to use the phrase, “Inner Circle.”

HOSTESS
Just a moment.

(HOSTESS departs. Moments later, a woman dressed in a black parlor maid’s uniform comes out and extends a hand in greeting.)

TESSA
Hello, Rogue. I am Tessa and I screen our third-level applicants.

(ROGUE, who is wearing her customary long gloves, returns the handshake.)

TESSA
(Smiles.) That’s all it took actually. You’ve qualified for the Inner Circle interview. Follow me please?

(TESSA leads ROGUE into the back corridors and through a secret wall panel, up a flight of stairs into the Inner Circle.)

Scene Five; Hellfire Club Interior, Inner Circle
(It looks very much like an eighteenth century courtroom, with a ceiling skylight. In the judge’s spot is Sebastion SHAW, the Black King. To his left and right are Jason WYNGARDE, The Black Bishop, and Donald PIERCE, the White Bishop. Next to Pierce is Emma FROST, the White Queen, and next to WYNGARDE is Carol DANVERS, the Black Queen. Their colonial dress implies their rank with all except crowns. FROST and DANVERS are wearing revealing laced bodices, fur lined capes, and thigh boots with stiletto heels.
(DANVERS is someone we’ve met before. She is the blond woman who was with LOGAN in the Opening’s Flashback scenes. She is different, however, age and experience taking it’s toll.)

SHAW
Greetings to the Hellfire Club. I am the Black King, flanking me are my Black and White Bishops, and my Black and White Queens.

ROGUE
(A bit timidly), What position are y’looking to fill-not a Pawn ah hope?

SHAW
(Laughs) No, my dear. We leave those slots open for humanity. As you’ve no doubt read in our literature, we espouse the ‘mutant politic’. This is something you are interested in?

ROGUE
Well I’ve tried the pro-active version of dealing with humanity. Cain’t say I liked it a whole lot.

SHAW
How so?

ROGUE
If y’all are about politics, then you should know about the near flash-frying of Ellis Island a few months back. A madman was using me as the fuse.

SHAW
Only Magneto was found when that was all over. You don’t mean him?

ROGUE
The one an’ the same.

SHAW
How ever did you survive?

ROGUE
Some friends helped me. Saved mah life really.

SHAW
Emma, who were these friends?

FROST
(Reads ROGUE’S mind, causing some pain to ROGUE.) Xavier’s people. This girl’s a student up at his school.

ROGUE
Rude! I’d have told you.

FROST
Sebastian, she has quite the agenda for coming here today.

SHAW
For us or against?

FROST
(Smiles slyly.) Come girl, confess. There are no secrets from the White Queen.

ROGUE
I . . . I have a friend that you all might know. His name is Wolverine. You gave him this (Produces LOGAN’s dogtags from a pocket.) . . . among other things.

DANVERS
Logan!

FROST
(Almost spitefully.) Yes, Logan. Seems he’s been out winning hearts again, Black Queen.

(DANVERS launches from her seat, literally flying, and hovers before ROGUE. She makes to snatch the dogtags but ROGUE steps back.)

DANVERS
Where’d you get those?

ROGUE
Why don’t we trade information? A piece from me for a piece from you. Logan only wants to know who he was before you . . . experimented on him.

DANVERS
Oh there will be a piece taken from you, alright!

PIERCE
(To WYNGARDE) Are you going to let your Queen maul our new applicant?

WYNGARDE
Well, there is the matter of an entrance fee.

ROGUE
(Stripping off her gloves easily, which are velcroed on.)
(To DANVERS,) Ah wouldn’t if ah were you.

Scene Six; Hellfire Club Exterior, Fifth Avenue
(The Xavier Bentley arrives and parks across the street from the club, on the Park side.
(Inside are SCOTT, ORORO, JEAN and LOGAN.)

SCOTT
Ororo, we’ll need you to stay here. We may need a powerhouse to bail us out.
Logan, can we be sure Rogue picked up the name “Hellfire Club” from your subconscious memories?

LOGAN
(Subdued, as if dreading) I dunno, bub, that’s why they call it a subconscious. I can only go by what Charley said when I finally let him into my head. But I do know this . . . they’re mutants. Just like us. Knowing that, I don’t even care why they did this to me as much as how. How could they run experiments . . . (voice begins to reflect his hurt) . . . torture . . . their own kind?

ORORO
You sound as though you've forgotten something, Logan. We're all human, but humans have been doing this to one another since ever they crawled out of the primordial ooze.

SCOTT
And now they’ve got Rogue. Let’s move out.

(SCOTT, JEAN, and LOGAN move across the street to the Club. ORORO gets out of the car and stands on the sidewalk. She doesn’t notice a flash of pink light and a puff of dark smoke behind Central Park’s wall. In that cloud of smoke, we see two glowing yellow eyes gazing at her.)
(She does, however sniff something pungent in the air.)


Scene Seven; Hellfire Club Interior, Foyer
(SCOTT is stopped in the foyer by the HOSTESS. LOGAN seems almost timid in the background.)

HOSTESS
May I help you sir?

SCOTT
Yes, we’re here looking for a female friend of ours. A little shorter than me, medium-length brown hair with a thick white streak in the middle.

HOSTESS
Ah, I’m sorry sir, the Club has a strict policy of confidentiality. I couldn’t confirm or deny anyone who may have entered today.

JEAN
(Reading HOSTESS’ mind.) She’s seen her, Scott.

HOSTESS
(Surprised, then blows the whistle which hangs around her neck.)

SCOTT
Hey lady, we’re not looking for any trouble, we just want . . .
(Several modern-looking, sleek-suited soldiers enter the foyer coming through sliding wall panels, holding technological rifle-weapons.
(They make the first move, shooting LOGAN. The shot throws him into the wall but he is not knocked out. However, he only remains crouching, almost cowering.)
(JEAN uses her TK to throw off the aim of the remaining soldiers’ guns and SCOTT blasts them back into the walls with his optic blasts.)
(An immensely fat man enters the foyer, dressed in colonial wear, and raises his hand.)
(JEAN, SCOTT, and LOGAN are suddenly flattened to the ground. SCOTT cannot even lift his head or his arm to use his visor.)

FAT MAN
I’m Harry Leland. If you continue to struggle, I’ll make you so heavy your bones will crush.

JEAN
(Telepathically into LOGAN's mind) Logan-your bones are unbreakable-can you-fight against-him-?

LOGAN
(We here his rambling, panicked thoughts reflecting the look on his strained face) I’ve got to get out of here . . . they’re going to . . . I can’t let them do this to me again . . !

Scene Eight; Hellfire Club Interior, Inner Circle
(ROGUE is doing her best to escape The Black Queen, DANVERS, who can not only fly but is super strong, as shown by DANVERS’ ability to crush and throw slabs of courtroom furniture at ROGUE. Finally ROGUE rolls forward under the thrown objects, closing in on DANVERS, and plants her bare palms against DANVERS’ exposed skin. DANVERS hasn’t even a chance to scream as she falls.)

Scene Nine; Hellfire Club Interior, Foyer
(The guards are trained on SCOTT, JEAN, and LOGAN again as they remain flattened to the floor. LELAND stands over them, using his power. TESSA rushes in.)

TESSA
Harry, bring them, quickly.

Scene Ten; Hellfire Club Interior, Inner Circle
(At techno-rifle point, SCOTT, JEAN, and LOGAN are brought into the Inner Circle courtroom. SHAW, WYNGARDE, and FROST are standing in the midst of the fight debris, PIERCE remains seated in the judges’ chairs.)

SCOTT
(Whispering.) Jean, call Storm.

JEAN
(Whispering.) Something is blocking my telepathy.

FROST
That would be me, Ms. Grey. No need to whisper. To me, your thoughts are like shouts.

LOGAN
(Sees past the Hellfire members and into the rubble of ROGUE’S fight behind them.)
No!
(LOGAN tries to rush past the Members but LELAND drives him to his knees. LOGAN fights and is able to crawl to where ROGUE stands petrified, and DANVERS is laying still with her eyes open.)
(LOGAN crawls past ROGUE to cradle DANVERS body as ROGUE looks on.)
She isn’t breathing. She’s not breathing! What have you bastards done to her?!!

SHAW
Wasn’t us, Logan. It was your young friend there.

LOGAN
No! It was you-fifteen years ago-whatever you did to make her stay with you-you as good as killed her back then!

ROGUE
(No trace of her Mississipian accent, she sounds like a different person.) Logan, you knew it was always a matter of finding out how to best survive in a world that hated us. I joined them because The Hellfire Club offered what we were looking for-that best way.

LOGAN
(Pops his claws as he addresses ROGUE, without seeming to realize who he is speaking to.)
You call this (his claws) the best way, Carol? Leaving me . . . to them . . . was the best way?

SCOTT
(Giving a poignant look at LOGAN and what he’s experiencing.)
(JEAN leaves SCOTT’s side and goes to LOGAN.)

JEAN
Logan, we’re here-we won’t leave you behind. Not like this. You aren’t in the past anymore. That’s Rogue, Logan. It isn’t . . . Carol . . . it's Rogue.

FROST
True, but what you hear is the memory-the personality if you will-of the woman she just killed.

ROGUE
(Blinking, ROGUE comes back to herself and realizes what FROST has just said. She sees DANVERS’ lifeless body in LOGAN’S arms.)
(With a shriek of terror, she launches into the air and through the ceiling skylight.)

Scene Eleven; Hellfire Club Exterior, Fifth Avenue
(ORORO sees ROGUE bash through the Hellfire Club’s roof and hears her scream. ORORO lifts her arms and whooshes herself up into the sky after ROGUE on a tight wind. ORORO catches up to a hovering ROGUE.)

ROGUE
I really did it this time, Ms. Munroe . . . I really did it . . . I . . . killed her . . . I killed her!
(Breaks down sobbing.)

(ORORO can only look. She reaches to hold ROGUE and comfort her, but she knows she cannot.)

Scene Twelve; Hellfire Club Interior, Inner Circle

SHAW
You can tell your young murdering friend that her application has been formally denied.

WYNGARDE
Although we do have a sudden new opening for a Black Queen. (Eyes Jean hungrily.)

SCOTT
Look, I’m . . . sorry for what happened here, but Rogue came looking for answers to what you people did to Logan fifteen years ago.

FROST
Now that she’s sucked Carol Danvers’ brain dry, you’ll find she has all the answers Logan will ever need. That is, if you can restore enough of the little skunk's sanity to get a coherent response.

SHAW
Which is nothing compared to the price we have paid for your answers. I want you out of my court, X-Men. Your debt will be settled at a later date, rest assured.

(JEAN coaxes LOGAN away from DANVERS’ body. He enfolds her, full of hurt, needing comfort. JEAN gives it.)

SCOTT
Let’s go Jean. We’re done here.

(SCOTT leads JEAN, who is supporting LOGAN, out of the courtroom.)
(TESSA closes the door behind them.)

SHAW
(To TESSA) Do you still retain their mutant signatures?

TESSA
Like a sweet memory, my Black King.

SHAW
Attend the White Bishop then, Black Knight.

(TESSA approaches the bench, PIERCE stands in his seat and glowers down at her. He raises his arms and cybernetic tendrils extend from his arms, wrapping TESSA’S head. Bioelectric charges snake along the tendrils and PIERCE receives “messages” from TESSA.)
(GAMBIT appears from the side chambers, dressed in white colonial array.)

GAMBIT
Shaw, you don’ really plan to do any spite to the X-Men, do ya?

SHAW
They have drawn first blood, White Knight.

GAMBIT
It was an accident. You know that girl had no control.

SHAW
A long time ago, Remy, when I crushed your pickpocketing hand in New Orleans, I told you that we are all responsible for our own actions.

GAMBIT
She was bein’ used, Shaw, an’ you know that. You as much as fed the Black Queen to her!

WYNGARDE
You sacrifice a piece for a new vantage. Have you learned nothing while being with us?

GAMBIT
(Resentful.) Yeh. Mebbe too much.

PIERCE
(Withdraws his cybernetic tendrils from around TESSA’S head.) I have what I need Shaw.

SHAW
Then let us begin.