Épisode Présumé coupable S01E17 - Mutant X Saison 1

                                       Presumed guilty       


[On the second floor of a run-down warehouse at night, new mutant Marc Griffin and his girlfriend Megan Alexander are arguing about the new mutant underground as they make their way towards the site of their meeting with Adam Kane.]
Megan: The guy's name is Adam. And you're gonna listen to what he has to say.
Marc (sighing, starting to turn around): This is a waste of time.
Megan (grabbing his arm): No it's not! My mother told me all about him. He can help you; Mutant X is for real.
Marc: So you expect me to just go run and hide?
Megan: Adam protects new mutants like you by putting them in the underground where those government goons can't find you.
Marc: I can take care of myself.
Megan: Okay.
Marc: And I'm not about to trust some guy I don't know!
Megan (holding his jacket): Marc, please! Just listen to what he has to say.
Marc (pulling away): Sorry, babe. You know, I'm outta here.
Megan (trying to hold him back): No, no! Please, please, please!
Marc: Megan, let go of me!
Megan: You can't leave!
Marc: I said let go! [When he jerks his arm out of her grasp, Megan falls backwards from the railing onto the exposed floor below.] Megan!
Megan: Marc!
Marc (screaming down into the hole): Megan! [He hurries down the step ladder to kneel by her side, but she's not moving. Marc looks up when Adam enters the room and rushes to them.]
Adam: What happened? What's wrong with her? [He checks for a pulse as Marc backs away in shock.] She's dead.
Marc (rushing at Adam): This is all your fault! [Adam blocks his assault, pinning his arms. Unable to strike out at Adam with his hands, Marc's eyes turn black, drawing Adam's memories from his mind in a white stream. Adam collapses to the ground, unconscious.]

Opening Credits. "Presumed Guilty"

[Early the next morning in Sanctuary, Shalimar and Brennan are practicing their moves in the dojo. Shalimar circles Brennan, watching him carefully.]
Brennan: What are you doing?
Shalimar: Sizing you up for the kill.
Brennan (laughing): What's that?
Shalimar (hitting him playfully): Looking for your weak point.
Brennan: What weak point? [He blocks her high kick, and they begin sparring. A very sleepy Jesse walks into the room and sits at the foot of the stairs, watching.]
Jesse: It is far too early to be exerting that kind of energy, Shal, it's not normal.
Shalimar (laughing down at him): Looks like someone could use a cup coffee.
Brennan: Yeah, you'd better make it a pot. Look at him!
Emma (coming in to join Jesse): Hey, has anyone seen Adam?
Jesse: No, he must have come home pretty late last night. Didn't hear him come in. Maybe he's still asleep.
Brennan: Or maybe he just didn't make it home at all. Come on, even geniuses need to get their groove on once in a while. [He dances mockingly until Shalimar hits him.]
Shalimar: You're sick.
Emma: Well, I was supposed to meet him in the lab half an hour ago for an EDD check.
Shalimar (frowning): He missed a check-up? That doesn't sound like Adam.

[In the warehouse, Adam wakes up to see Megan dead on the floor across from him. He starts to walk towards her, but stops when he hears Marc's voice.]
Marc (holding a gun on Adam): Get away from her! Murderer.
Adam (confused): What?
Marc: You killed her.
Adam (looking down at Megan): That's not possible.
Marc: I loved her, and you took her away from me.
Adam: Who are you? Why can't I remember what happened?
Marc: Because you hit your head when I pulled you off her.
Adam: No, my head doesn't hurt. It's just...empty.
Marc: You tell that to the cops.
Adam: I didn't kill her.
Marc: Well, that's gonna be a hard sell with me as an eye witness. [Adam lunges at Marc and smashes his hand against the overhead glass overhead until he releases the gun into Adam's grasp. On his knees, Marc looks up at Adam, pointing the gun at him.] Yeah, right. You're no killer. [Terrified, Adam flees from the building. Marc gazes sadly into Megan's frozen face.]

[Inside Mason's office at Genomex headquarters, Mason stands at his desk, displaying a computer image of Marc to the GS agent Lena Blake.]
Mason: This is our quarry.
Lena (reading the screen): "Marc Griffin. He has the ability to absorb a person's memory with his powerful gaze."
Mason: Precisely. Four of my best agents have failed to capture him. By the time they apprehend him, they quite literally forget why they were ever there in the first place.
Lena: That's about to change.
Mason: Well, I'm glad to hear you say that. His power is in his eyes. However, your second eyelid should serve as your protection.
Lena: He won't know which end is up by the time I'm through with him. [She looks at Mason, blinking her pink second eyelids over her eyes.]
Mason (fascinated): Could you do that again?

[Meanwhile, Adam's walking along a downtown street when he hears a voice calling him. He stops short, looking around until he realizes the voice is coming from the ring on his finger.]
Jesse: Adam. Adam, can you hear me? [In Sanctuary, Shalimar, Emma, and Brennan are gathered around Jesse as he calls Adam from the main computer.] Adam, I know you're there, please answer me.
Shalimar: Okay, that's it. I'm officially worried. Why wouldn't he answer his comlink?
Brennan: Who was the last one to see him?
Emma: I was. He got a call from someone named Megan Alexander. She's not a new mutant, but her boyfriend is.
Shalimar (nodding): Adam went to meet with them to try to convince her boyfriend to go into the underground.
Brennan: Any idea where they were meeting?
Shalimar: The loading dock on the pier.
Emma: Well, I'm gonna head over there. Maybe I can pick up a telempathic hit there.
Jesse: So, have you tried hooking into Adam from here?
Emma: Yeah, but it was weird. All I got was a blank.
Brennan: What does that mean?
Emma: I don't know, it could mean nothing. He could be unconscious.
Shalimar: For 14 hours? [Emma doesn't answer.] Well, his comlink's active. At least we know he's still alive.
Jesse: Right. He's out there somewhere, he's just not responding. Well, I'm gonna try tracking his signal. See where he is.
Brennan: Yeah, and if he's not gonna come to us, we'll go to him. [He, Emma, and Shalimar head out together.]

[Emma arrives at the warehouse only to find several police cars parked in front.]
Emma: Jesse, I think something's happened to Adam. The entire warehouse is swarming with police. You don't think that he could still be in there, do you?
Jesse (at his computer): Adam? No, no, no, he's miles away from the warehouse. I was able to get a fix off the signal from his comlink. Brennan and Shalimar are on their way to pick him up now.
Emma (sighing in relief): Well, then who-- [She breaks off when she sees two policemen rolling out Megan's body on a stretcher.]

[Downtown, Brennan and Shalimar are going down the street, searching for Adam.]
Brennan: All right, Jess, we're here at 16th and Market, and Adam's nowhere to be found.
Jesse: No, come on, he's gotta be there. I've been staring at the signal for 15 minutes; it hasn't moved.
Brennan: Yeah, you sure you're looking at the right map, Jess?
Shalimar: He's not here.
Jesse: No, come on, he should be right in front of you. [Looking down, Brennan finds Adam's ring on the sidewalk.]
Brennan: He's not, but his ring is.
Shalimar (shaking her head): You can't get a signal from his ring. His comlink won't work unless it's activated by his DNA.
Brennan (noticing blood on the ring): It's covered in his DNA.
Shalimar: Blood.

[Down the street, Marc is walking through the parking garage of the local police station when he's confronted by Lena Blake.]
Lena: Marc Griffin. My name is Lena. We need to talk.
Marc (sidestepping her): Get out of my way! [She grabs his wrist, roughly bending it backwards.] Ow!
Lena: I don't handle rejection very well. [Marc's eyes turn black.] Guess you think a girl could just get lost in those eyes, huh? [She covers her eyes with her second eyelid, deflecting Marc's amnesia beams.] Guess again. [As Marc looks at her, confused, she blows green acidic gas into his eyes, blinding him.]
Marc (holding his face): I can't see!
Lena (dragging him along unsympathetically): Relax, honey, it'll wear off. [Suddenly, Adam appears in front of Lena, blocking her way. He knocks her out with one punch.]
Marc: Who's there?
Adam (taking Marc's arm): Come on.
Marc (pulling away): No!
Adam (grabbing him again): Come on! I need your help.
Marc: Let me guess. You don't know where to hide.
Adam (tugging him along): Yeah, something like that.
Marc: I know a place.
Adam: Good. So we've got the blind leading the stupid.

[Emma, Shalimar, and Brennan return to Sanctuary.]
Shalimar: Why would Adam take off his ring? It doesn't make sense.
Brennan: It's gotta somehow be connected to Megan's murder.
Emma: Maybe Adam was a witness.
Jesse (calling down from the second floor): Hey, guys, you're not gonna believe this. The police have released an artist's rendering of the suspect in the murder of Megan Alexander. Check it out. [He sends the image down to the main computer's holographic screen. They are shocked to see Adam's face above a flashing "Wanted" symbol.]

***Commercial Break***

[Following Marc's directions, Adam pulls Marc down a back street towards a building, but ducks quickly behind a wall when he sees police cars gathered by the entrance.]
Adam (grabbing Marc's collar): Is this your idea of a joke, huh? You trying to set me up?
Marc (smiling smugly): It's Megan's place. I thought we'd be safe.
Adam (pulling him into the abandoned warehouse behind them): Come on. [Adam slams the door behind them and guides Marc further into the building.] How are your eyes?
Marc (pulling out of Adam's grasp): Still blurry. Why'd you save me back there?
Adam: Because I need some help in finding out who I am, and you're the only person I know.
Marc: Why would I help you? You killed my girlfriend.
Adam: I don't believe that for a second, and I don't think you do either.
Marc: You don't know what I think!
Adam: Look, last night I broke into a doctor's office and did a little research on my condition.
Marc: Amnesia.
Adam: Yeah. It's either retrograde, post-hypnotic, or emotional hysterical, usually caused by trauma. And I ruled out injury because I know that you lied to me about hitting my head. I also found out that memory loss is usually treated by sodium amobarbital or thiopental, which, fortunately for you, did nothing to alleviate my condition. So now I want you to tell me what's going on.
Marc: You sure don't sound like a guy with amnesia to me.
Adam: No, because my ability to store short-term memory hasn't been affected, and I seem to have a natural affinity for learning things.
Marc: So you're an intelligent murderer.
Adam: So if I killed Megan, what were you doing holding the gun?
Marc: I had to fight to get it away from you!
Adam: No, because I remember that the fight happened after I woke up and you were holding the gun. [Marc doesn't answer.] So you're a liar, and not a very good one.
Marc (trying to get away): Go to hell!
Adam (drawing the gun): I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you, until I get some answers.

[At Genomex, Mason's staring out the window of his office, pondering the new turn of events while Lena listens.]
Mason: Adam, a fugitive from justice. Of course, that's what I've been calling him all along. Why would Adam protect the man accusing him of murder?
Lena: Maybe Adam thinks he's innocent.
Mason: Or maybe...Adam doesn't know what to think. What if this Griffin character stole Adam's memories and has them sitting in his brain, just waiting to be discovered? [He turns to look at Lena.] Capture Griffin, and we've got Adam as well.

[Jesse and Shalimar return to the warehouse scene of the crime to look for clues about what happened to Megan.]
Jesse: Shalimar, none of us even want to consider this, but has it crossed your mind that we might be wrong? I mean, what if Adam is responsible for Megan's murder?
Shalimar: What?! Listen, we both know Adam's not capable of murder.
Jesse: Yeah, right. I wish I knew what I was looking for, let alone how to find it.
Shalimar (smiling): That's why you're with me. [Her feral eyes glowing, Shalimar carefully looks over the floor.]
Jesse: What?
Shalimar: Well, Adam was definitely here. [She picks up a piece of the shattered glass from the ground and smells it.]
Jesse (throwing up his hands): What?
Shalimar (standing): This is Adam's blood. [Seeing the window the glass came from, she picks up another piece and sniffs that one too.] But this isn't. I bet if we run this DNA sample through the database, we'll find a piece to the puzzle.

[In their hiding place, Adam waits patiently while Marc comes up with a new story to tell him.]
Marc (sighing): Okay. You wanna know the truth? I don't know for sure it was you.
Adam: Then why would you accuse me?
Marc: When I came in, she was dead and you were standing over her.
Adam: But what was I doing there? I mean, obviously you knew me.
Marc: She did. I was in danger. Look, she told me that there's this group out there, they call themselves Mutant X. And then there's this other rogue government organization. Well, my guess is one of them did something to mess with your head and they set you up for murder.
Adam: No, you're lying. [Marc puts his head in his hands.] No, see, you're lying, but you're mixing it enough with the truth to confuse the issue.
Marc: You're pointing a gun at me! What do you want me to say?
Adam: I want you to keep talking!
Marc: Why? Why? Whatever I say, you just--you pick and you choose until you find something that you wanna believe!
Adam: Well, because I weigh what you say against what I know!
Marc (getting up): I'm done with the cross-examination. You wanna shoot me? Go right ahead. I'm walking outta here.
Adam (cocking the gun): Hey, hey! Griffin! [Marc turns; Adam relents and puts down the gun.] No. Please.
Marc: You wanna know who you are? Give yourself in. [He leaves. Adam runs after him.] Griffin! Griffin! Griffin! Griffin! [He reaches the alleyway, but backs away warily when instead of Marc, he sees Brennan and Emma. They run towards him, relieved.]
Emma: Adam! Thank God you're alive!
Brennan: Man, are we glad to see you!
Adam: Are you...you know me?
Brennan (frowning): Yeah, of course we do.
Adam: What'd you call me?
Emma: You don't recognize us? [She connects psionically to his mind, and sees him turning around, lost in a mist of white.] I don't know what's going on in his head. [They all hide behind the wall when a police cruiser passes the alleyway. Meanwhile, Marc is hurrying down another street when he spots two GS agents coming towards him. He turns to find Lena standing next him.]
Lena (smiling): Hello again. [She shoves him up against the wall when he tries to run.] Don't bother running, Griffin. [He covers his eyes protectively, so she fells him with one punch. Three GS agents pick him up and escort him away.] Let's go, guys.

[Emma and Brennan peek out from behind the wall until the police cruiser has passed.]
Brennan: Okay, let's go. [He looks back, but Adam's started running in the opposite direction. Emma and Brennan chase after him.] Adam! Wait! Where are you going? [Taking Marc's advice, Adam runs directly up to the web of police, hands raised.]
Adam: Hey! Easy!
Policeman (holding up his gun): Stay where you are! I think this is our guy. Get on the radio. [Brennan and Emma watch helplessly as the cops handcuff Adam and take him away.]

****Commercial Break*****

[Mason and Lena hold Marc in the chair of Genomex's interrogation room, his eyes covered with black protective goggles.]
Mason: Congratulations, Miss Blake. It seems my confidence in you was not misplaced after all.
Lena: I would have delivered Adam too, sir, but- [Mason holds up a hand, stopping her.]
Mason: I have a feeling that with Mr. Griffin here, it will be almost like talking to Adam himself. Isn't that so, Mr. Griffin? We both know you pilfered Adam's consciousness. How else could you frame him for murder?
Marc: I didn't steal anyone's memories, Mason. I didn't frame anyone for murder either.
Mason: Then how did you know my first name? [Caught in his lie, Marc is silent. Lena steps up behind him and inserts a subdermal governor.]
Marc: Ow [Lena removes the goggles and returns to Mason's side.]
Mason (stepping closer): Now perhaps we can have an honest conversation. Now that we see eye to eye.
Marc: You first.
Mason: You killed your girlfriend during a domestic squabble. Adam walks in. To eliminate him as a witness, you steal his memories, set him up for the murder.
Marc: Well, isn't that a nice story? When do you get to the part about me living happily ever after? [Mason turns to Lena, who presses the controller on Marc's governor, causing him to shake in pain.]
Mason: I simply don't understand, Mr. Griffin, why you are so resistant. There's a bright future for you at Genomex.
Marc (gasping): It's worth a lot to you, huh?
Mason: Money. Position. Power. It's all yours. If you have the information that leads to the destruction of Mutant X.

[At the lab in Sanctuary, Brennan, Shalimar and Emma watch as Jesse runs the bloody glass Shalimar found through the new mutant database.]
Computer: Marc Griffin.
Jesse: So it's Megan's boyfriend.
Shalimar: He's a psionic with the ability to absorb memory.
Emma: Well, that explains why Adam didn't recognize us.
Brennan: Yeah, and why he ran straight into the arms of the police.
Shalimar: Wait'll I get my hands on this guy. I'm gonna leave him with a few memories of my own.
Brennan: Wait a minute. If Griffin can absorb Adam's memory, then he can absorb all of his knowledge. He knows about the safehouses, he knows about the security codes.
Emma: Sanctuary access.
Shalimar: He knows where we live.

[Meanwhile, in a lab at Genomex, Marc has been hooked up to dozens of wires as the scientists attempt to extract Adam's memories from him. Mason and Lena watch from outside the glass.]
Mason: All Mr. Griffin has managed to provide us with are a few safehouses and a few Mutant X contacts. What's the problem?
Lena: He says it's too much information. Half of what he spews out are disjointed scientific equations.
Mason (walking her down the corridor): I see. Sadly, he has the memories, but lacks Adam's superior intellect to process the data.
Lena: Exactly. Griffin only possesses half the equation.
Mason: And Adam possesses the other half. Now, considering Mr. Griffin has wiped his slate clean, Adam must have no idea who to trust.
Lena: Not at all. His world has been quite literally turned upside down.
Mason: Well, then. Perhaps he'd be receptive to a familiar face from the past.

[Sitting in a jail cell, Adam looks up when the door opens, revealing Mason.]
Mason (grinning, sitting next to him): Adam Thank God you're all right.
Adam (backing away): Who are you?
Mason: Well, they said you had a memory lapse. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen with my own eyes. Adam, it's Mason. Mason Eckhart.Adam: Do you know what happened to me?
Mason: A band of outlaws set you up. Deviant liars the lot of them. They call themselves Mutant X.Adam: And Griffin's one of these mutants?Mason: Yes, I'm afraid so. Now our doctors are working feverishly to assess what he did to you so we can reverse the process.
Adam: Restore my memory?
Mason: God willing. We desperately need you back, Adam, as soon as possible.
Adam: Wait, wait, wait. You...you and I work together?
Mason: I keep forgetting you're in the dark here. Those bastards We work at Genomex, a biotech firm which is actually a secret branch of US intelligence. You're our chief biogeneticist.
Adam: And this is why they're trying to set me up?
Mason: Well, to discredit Genomex and myself.
Adam: Right. This makes some sense. But now, wait, wait. These mutants, are their abilities the result of natural evolution?
Mason: Sadly, no. These anomalies are the tragic results of genetic experimentations gone wrong. Our job is to protect the world from their freakish powers.
Adam: Oh, so you and I are trying to cure these anomalies?
Mason: Adam, um, this isn't the place to discuss these sensitive matters. Trust me, it will all be clear we get you home to Genomex.
Adam: How can you convince the cops to let me out? And what makes you so sure that I'm so innocent?
Mason: Adam, please. We both know you'd never be capable of something so barbarous as murder.
Guard (opening the door): Hey, time's up.
Mason: Dig down into your core to find the inner strength you need in this time of struggle. I only ask you remain patient. I'm pulling as many strings as I can to arrange for your release. [He starts toward the door.]
Adam: Wait, Mason? Thank you. [Smiling, Mason leaves with the guard.]

[Running downstairs, Jesse joins Brennan to the main Sanctuary computer.]
Jesse: So, I tapped into the PD database, and you'll never guess who just paid Adam a visit in jail.
Brennan: Who?
Jesse: Mason Eckhart.
Brennan: Hm. Well, that explains it. [He points to the computer screen.] Did a little tapping myself. He's being transferred to a secret federal facility. I'll bet you Eckhart's trying to reprogram him to work for the GSA.
Jesse: Come on, he's crazy if he thinks Adam would ever agree to that.
Brennan (sitting next to him): Well, Jess, come on. Adam doesn't even know who he is at this point. There's no telling who he's gonna trust. How are the girls doing reprogramming the security codes?
Jesse: I think they've got it covered. Why? [Brennan smiles.] What have you got planned?
Brennan: Well, I think that we should take Adam for a little stroll down memory lane. Come on. [They leave together.]

[Resting in his cell, Adam gets up when he hears the guards outside laughing. His eyes widen as Jesse phases into the cell through the wall behind him.]
Jesse: Adam, it's me. It's Jesse.
Adam: You're one of them, aren't you? You're Mutant X.Jesse: You remember?
Adam: No. My friend Mason Eckhart told me all about you. You and your kind.
Jesse: Look, I don't know what line he's laying down on you, but you are the leader of Mutant X.
Adam: That's a lie.
Jesse: No, it's the truth, okay? And I can prove it. Look. You remember this? [He holds out Adam's comlink ring.] You designed it. It is keyed into your personal DNA. Look, you made one for all of us. [He shows Adam his hand.]
Adam (turning to the door): Guard!
Jesse: Adam! Look at it!
Adam: Guard!
Jesse: Look at it! [Dressed as a prison guard, Brennan appears outside the cell bars.]
Brennan: Listen to him. He's telling the truth.
Jesse: Adam, you've gotta believe us.
Brennan: You didn't kill Megan Alexander.
Adam: Megan Alexander. I knew her mother. That's why I went to meet her.
Brennan: You remember?
Adam: Well, yeah. For some reason, that part I do remember. [Reaching out, he takes the comlink from Jesse, placing it back on his injured hand.] All right. Get me out of here. [Smiling, Jesse pats him on the back.]
Brennan (tossing Jesse a pair of handcuffs): Put these on. [Jesse handcuffs Adam while Brennan forms a tesla coil, frying the cell's lock. The cell bars open and they leave together.]

***Commercial Break***

[Brennan and Jesse bring Adam into Sanctuary's main room.]
Adam: This is my home?
Brennan: Yeah. Yeah, you designed it and built it from the ground up.
Adam: I designed this? Not bad.
Jesse: I'll say. How's it feel to be home?
Adam: I wish I could say it looks familiar, but I don't know. Somehow it feels right. [He turns when Shalimar and Emma come in. Their happy smiles fade when they realize he doesn't recognize them.] Hello.
Brennan: Shalimar, Emma.
Adam (nodding politely): Hello. So, um, is there a place where I store all the data that I've compiled?
Emma: Of course. I can download just about anything in Sanctuary from the lab.
Adam: Good. Maybe if I look over some old notes it might spike, jar some memories. [She leads him to the lab.]
Shalimar (dejected): He didn't recognize me.
Brennan: I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like, not knowing anybody, not knowing any places. Mind is just a blank slate.
Jesse: How long do you think it'll be before he's back to his old self?
Shalimar (sitting next to him): I don't know. [She sighs.] But we'll get him there.

[In the lab, Adam walks back and forth between Shalimar and Emma, reading what's on their computer screens.]
Shalimar: You know, Adam, if it would be easier, we could print it out in a hard copy for you.
Adam: No, thanks, that won't be necessary. [He goes over to Emma.] See if you can pull up any files relating to mutations of the temporal lobe.
Emma: Okay, just give me a sec.
Adam (watching her enter commands): Can I give it a try?
Emma: Sure. [He takes her place in front of the computer, easily calling up the information he wants. Emma and Shalimar exchange knowing grins.]
Shalimar: Looks like you're a pretty fast learner.
Adam: For some reason, I seem to be good at picking things up.
Emma: You think?
Shalimar: You think you're gonna be able to reverse this and get your memory back?
Adam: In theory, yeah. But it's gonna be important to access the source.
Emma: Griffin?
Adam: Yeah. Since he's framing me for murder, I have no illusions about his-- [He suddenly doubles over in pain, holding his head.]
Shalimar (rushing over): Adam? [Shalimar and Emma kneel by his side as he collapses to the ground in agony.]

[Meanwhile, at Genomex, Mason has placed Marc into an MRI-like machine to try to extract more information.]
Mason: Now I'm going to ask you a question, and I just want you to concentrate on the answer. [He gestures to a technician behind him, who turns on the machine.] The computer will decipher the information by reading the neurotransmitters in your brain.
Marc: I'm ready.
Mason: Mutant X's home base. They call it Sanctuary. Where is it located? [He turns to the screen, which fills with equations and meaningless flow charts. He sighs.] Pointless.
Lena (coming in): We've just received word from the prison. Adam's escaped.
Mason (rolling his eyes): And my day just keeps getting better by the minute. [He crosses to stand over Marc.] And from my perspective, your shelf life is just about up.
Marc: Wai-wai-wait! Let's not make any rash decisions here.
Mason: Rash was ever thinking that you could be of value to me.
Marc (reaching out to stop him): But that's because you're going about this all wrong. Just because I can't process all the information I have, doesn't mean that I can't access it through other methods. You want to go to Sanctuary; I can take you there. Like a bird to its nest.

[In Sanctuary, Emma and Shalimar use the EDD scanner on Adam to determine what happened.]
Shalimar (at the computer): Here comes Adam's brain scan.
Emma: Look at his temporal lobe. For some reason, this red area is indicating a sudden change in brain wave function.
Shalimar: Got any idea why?
Adam (sitting up, holding his head): Yeah. I do. Griffin's power. I think it's triggered a genetic erosion of my brain cells.
Shalimar (helping him up): You are supposed to be resting over here.
Adam: There's no time for that now. [They join Emma at the computer.] From the looks of that scan, it's degenerating exponentially.
Emma: Is that what's causing the blackouts? [He nods. Suddenly, all the lights go out in Sanctuary.]
Adam: Does that happen a lot?
Shalimar (calling Brennan and Jesse over her comlink): Hey, guys? Guys!
Brennan (running to the main computer): What's going on? I thought you changed the security codes!
Shalimar: We did.
Emma: What could be causing this?
Brennan: I don't know, but activate the backup systems and seal everything off now. [Jesse runs up behind him.] Here, take over. I'm going to to a walk-through make sure everything's clear.
Jesse: Right, I've got you covered. [Brennan runs off. Moments later, Jesse hears a thud from the second floor.] Brennan? [He hurries upstairs to find Brennan stretched out on the floor.] Brennan! [He kneels by his side, checks for a pulse, then stands up to look around. He's tased from behind by a GS agent who places him beside Brennan's body. Behind them, Mason enters, followed by Marc and Lena.]
Mason: You've made me a very happy man, Mr. Griffin. [Smiling, he walks past Brennan and Jesse's bodies and continues into Sanctuary.]

***Commercial Break***

[In the lab, Emma's frantically trying to bring the computer back up while Shalimar hails the boys over her comlink.]
Shalimar: Jesse? Brennan? [She exchanges a worried look with Emma.] What's going on here?! I'm gonna go check it out. You stay here with Adam. [She heads out of the lab. Emma stares at the computer, sensing something.]
Adam (approaching Emma): What is it?
Emma: Griffin's here.
Adam: Griffin? I thought you said this place was secure.
Emma: Well, not to someone with your memories, apparently. And he's not alone.
Adam: All right, so we need to find them before they find us. [He starts towards the door, then groans in pain.]
Emma (catching him as he falls): Adam!

[In the main room, four GS agents carry Jesse and Brennan into the dojo as Mason looks on, flanked by Marc and Lena.]
Mason: I've always dreamt that this day would come.
Marc: That's the dojo. Adam created this for a variety of functions, one of which is a virtual prison. [He presses a button on the dojo's computer, activating the force field.] They're not going anywhere unless you want them to.
Lena: What do you plan on doing with this place?
Mason: It will be converted into a hidden division of Genomex. My pied de terre. Collect the others while I explore the rest of my new home. [Lena and Marc head back downstairs. Marc sees Emma crouched over Adam's body in the lab, her back to him. He silently opens the door and reaches out with his taser, but she senses his approach and projects an image of Megan into his mind.]
Marc (dropping his taser in shock): Megan?
Emma (speaking as Megan): Marc, look what you've done.
Marc: Baby, it was an accident.
Emma!Megan: An accident? Then why did you tell the police that it was Adam? He was trying to help you, to help us.
Marc (kneeling beside her): Megan, baby, I was scared. [Sobbing, he holds her close.] I love you. I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that.
Emma!Megan: If you really love me, you'll do the right thing. [Marc looks down at Adam.]

[Emerging from the lab, Shalimar spots Jesse and Brennan in the dojo. She runs towards them, but Lena steps out in front of her.]
Shalimar: Get out of my house! [The two ferals fight, racing up and down the walls. Meanwhile, Jesse wakes up, and tries to step out of the dojo, only to be repulsed by the force-field. Shalimar calls down to him.] Have you out in a minute, guys!

[Inside the lab, Emma deprograms Marc's subdermal governor so he can restore Adam's memories.]
Marc: I'm so sorry, baby. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right. [He turns to face Megan, but is surprised to see that it's Emma standing there.] Where's Megan?
Emma: She's gone, Griffin. I'm a psionic. I was able to draw Megan from your mind. Look, I know that you didn't mean to kill her. It was an accident. But it's time that you set things right. [Outside the door, three GS agents work to open the sealed lab door.] You owe it to Adam. And to Megan.
Marc: I don't know if this is even going to work. It might be too late.
Emma: You can do it. I know you can. [Marc's eyes turn black, and a silver stream emerges from his eyes into Adam's. Upstairs, Lena is still fighting Shalimar. Failing to beat her physically, Lena spews green acid mist from her mouth to blind Shalimar, but Shalimar pushes her into the mist instead.]
Lena (hissing in pain): Argh! My eyes!
Shalimar: I think it's time for you to crawl back under your rock. [She knocks Lena out with one punch, then runs back downstairs to let the guys out.]
Jesse: Shal, come on. [She turns off the force-field.]
Shalimar: Get to the lab!
Brennan: Come on, let's go. [All three race towards the lab, where Marc has successfully restored Adam's memories. The two GS agents finally manage to open the door, but Jesse phases in through the wall, stopping the first before he can reach Emma. Brennan takes out the second, smashing his head against another wall. Two more GS agents appear at the door, wielding tasers.]
Brennan: Get down! [He zaps them before they get into the room, and everyone crowds over Adam's chair.] Hey, hey, you okay? [Adam looks around at them. Without answering, he pops out of the chair and heads out of the lab. Exchanging worried glances, the team follows him. Mason is exploring the hallways when he runs into Adam, coming from the other direction.]
Adam: What, are you just having a little a look around?
Mason: Adam, thank God you're all right. We've come to rescue you from these monsters and take you back to Genomex.
Adam: No, I like it here.
Mason: You're...
Adam: Back to my old self.
Mason: Ah.
Adam: Yeah. So why don't you do yourself a little favor and get your ass out of my Sanctuary?
Mason (chuckling): I don't think so. Since I've discovered you're little hideout, your cloak of secrecy is all but vanished. Let's face it, Adam. It's over. [Adam punches him. The team laughs.]
Emma: Looks like it worked.
Adam: Yeah.
Shalimar: You all right?
Adam: Yeah. Never better.
Brennan: Well, I guess that explains the fire back in your eyes.
Adam: You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that.
Shalimar: Well, I don't mind telling you we were very worried about you.
Adam: Thanks.
Jesse: It's good to have you back.
Adam (slapping hands with everyone): Good to be back. Thanks.
Emma: Griffin decided to go to the police and tell the truth.
Marc: I know I can never make it up to you, but I want you to know I'm sorry.
Adam: Well, I want you to know that we've been working on a little antidote to counteract the coma-like side effects of your mutant ability. [He squats by Mason's body.] So there may just be a way for you to make it up to me after all.

[Back at Genomex, Mason shoulders his way through the bustling technicians by the door, followed by Lena.]
Mason: Excuse me, excuse me. Excuse me. [He sighs in frustration, turning to Lena.] What did you say your name was? Never mind, it's not important now. Just tell me...what are all these people doing here?
Lena (confused): I'm not exactly sure, sir.
Mason: Well, then. Back to... [He pauses, puzzling out what to say next.] ...where you were. [Nodding, she heads off in the opposite direction. Stopping the nearest technician, Mason questions him in a low voice.] I would appreciate it if you would tell me where my office is. [Giving him an odd look, the technician points up to Mason's office. Left standing alone on the catwalk, Mason looks about, trying to figure out how he got there.]


                                                  FIN