Épisode La course contre la montre S01E21 - Mutant X Saison 1

                                               Dancing On The Razor


 [Opening Scene: Mid-day, Brennan and Jesse walk into opposite ends of an abandoned warehouse at Hillside Properties, looking around for a new mutant they’re scheduled to meet.]

Jesse (joining Brennan): Why’d Adam pick this dump to meet this new mutant, huh?
Brennan: He didn’t. We received an anonymous email from that website that Adam set up for new mutants looking for protection.
Jesse: A little paranoid, huh?
Brennan: Late too. We were supposed to meet this guy 15 minutes ago.
Jesse: Maybe he’s blowing us off. [Brennan hears a metallic clang behind Jesse.] What?
Brennan: Just thought I heard something. [He hears it again, then smiles when he sees a cat running along the wall.] Well, unless that’s the new mutant we’re supposed to meet, I’m out of here.
Jesse: I’m gonna stay around another five minutes.
Brennan: Well, if you wanna stay... [He trails off when an armed GS agent enters the warehouse and starts shooting. Cartwheeling across the room, Jesse masses to protect Brennan, who shoots an electrical arc at the man before three agents more come running in. A video camcorder hidden in the roof records the action as Jesse and Brennan fight, knocking out all of the agents. Brennan smiles and comes over to Jesse.]
Jesse: Where’d they come from?
Brennan: I don’t know. Must have been a set-up. [Shaking his head, Jesse leaves, and Brennan follows him.]

Opening Credits. “Dancing on the Razor”

[Back at Sanctuary, Jesse’s at the computer in the lab when Adam and Brennan come in.]
Jesse: Well, this is really strange.
Adam: What?
Jesse: The new mutant that sent us the email suddenly doesn’t exist.
Brennan: Huh. Told you it was a set-up.
Adam: Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. But we weren’t the only ones. Eckhart was duped as well.
Brennan: How do you know?
Adam: Because Proxy Blue has been reporting all morning about your fight last night.
Jesse: But there was no one else there.
Adam (turning on Proxy Blue’s feed): Apparently, that’s not the case.
Proxy Blue: From what my insiders tell me, the confrontation at Hillside Properties involves a certain covert government agency and band of renegades, both of whom have so far managed to maintain their anonymity. Until now. It seems the clash was secretly recorded in crystal digital quality. My informant promises to deliver the DVD to the studio shortly. So soon, loyal viewers, you’ll finally be able to separate fact from fiction with your very own eyes. [Mason is also watching the broadcast from his office at Genomex.]
Adam: Off.
Jesse: So last night was staged just so we could lock horns.
Adam: They must have had cameras hidden all over the warehouse.
Brennan: Yeah. Well, if that’s true, Proxy Blue is about to expose Mutant X.
Adam: Not if we can stop it, right? Now, any chance that you can trace the identity of this emailer?
Jesse: Even if I could trace the server, there’s no knowing whether or not he boomeranged the message, or even sent it from his own computer.
Adam: All right, so all we know for sure right now is that it looks like we’ve finally got something in common with Genomex. Both fighting the same enemy.

[Sitting at his desk in front of GS agent Harvey Lanchester, Mason gets up to look out his window.]
Mason: Mr. Lanchester, I don't like it when other people know my business. Particularly when it comes via the broadband spectrum of the likes of Proxy Blue.
Harvey (holding a small camera): My men found six of these cameras hidden in the warehouse.
Mason: I see. Then we can assume the disk indeed exists. And the question is, who is behind this?
Harvey: Genomex is a large facility. Have you considered you might have a leak in your organization?
Mason: With the stringent internal security I have in place, none of my people can so much as think an impure thought without my knowing about it. No, the tipoff had to come from an outside party.
Harvey: We’re trying to locate a suspect by tracing the serial numbers off their cameras.
Mason: We must move quickly. We can't let anyone see what's on that disk. If the world caught a glimpse of the reality of new mutants, we'd soon have a full-fledged panic on our hands, after which, I can all but guarantee that every new mutant, including yourself, will quickly become a public pariah.
Harvey: Not to mention shut down Genomex and relegate you to the status of a traitor, I'm sure.
Mason (sitting at his desk): I want this cancer cut out before it spreads.
Harvey: You do understand I’ll need the latitude to use extreme measure to restore anonymity.
Mason: Certainly. As long as you understand that anything shy of complete success will meet with consequences just as deadly.

[In Sanctuary, Emma and Shalimar walk up the stairs to meet Adam, who is on the second floor drinking coffee and watching Proxy Blue.]
Proxy Blue: You’re probably as anxious as I am to get a first hand look at the face-off at Hillside Property. I promise. The moment I see it, so will you.
Adam: Off. [He walks to the dining table.] Tell me you know who set us up.
Emma: Not exactly, but we might be close to finding out.
Shalimar: We’ve been tapping Proxy Blue’s hotline, and the only unusual contact in the past couple of days has come from inside a company called Macklin Exporters.
Emma: They’re an international retail shipping facility.
Adam (eating some fruit): Yeah, well, let’s hope we’re in time to stop them from shipping this particular package.

[Having arrived at the Macklin Exporters warehouse, Harvey Lanchester’s interrogating and murdering the employees while his GS agents trash the place, rifling through files for incriminating evidence.]
Harvey (holding the last employee by the collar): I wanna know who ordered the surveillance equipment, and I wanna know now. [When the man doesn’t answer, Harvey lets him go. The man runs towards the door, but Harvey shoots a microwave beam from his mind at the man’s head, and he collapses, face-down.] Where'd he think he was going? [As Harvey turns back to his agents, a new employee, Jay Minhaus, enters the warehouse. Rushing to the man on the ground, he’s checking for a pulse when Harvey spots him.] Hold on. [Jay runs, only to be stopped and brought back to Harvey by a GS agent.] You work here? [Jay nods.] What’s your name?
Jay: I’m Jay Minhaus.
Harvey: Well, Jay. How’s about you tell me everything you know about what happened at the Hillside Properties last night.
Jay: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Harvey: You sure? [He nods to the bodies strewn all over the office.] ‘Cause your co-workers here didn’t seem to have any clue either, and I’m about out of patience.
Jay (shaking his head): I swear, I don’t know.
Harvey: Wrong answer. We checked the office phone log. Somebody’s been making personal phone calls to Proxy Blue on company time. Last chance.
Jay: Please, I’m telling you the truth.
Harvey (nodding): Well. Looks like it’s about time you joined your pals here.
Jay: No! No, please! [Shalimar and Brennan enter the warehouse.]
Shalimar (to Harvey): Why don't you pick on somebody your own...[She stops, realizing that Harvey’s bigger than she is.]...my size? [Harvey tosses Jay aside. Shalimar takes him down, along with four other agents while Brennan takes out two more. When Harvey stands up to send a microwave beam at Shalimar’s head, Brennan shocks him unconscious with an electrical arc.]
Shalimar (taking Jay’s arm): Come on.
Jay: Who the hell are you people?
Shalimar: We ‘ll get to that, but we’ve gotta get you out of here.
Brennan: Well, unless you wanna stay and get better acquainted. [They hurry out of the warehouse. Behind them, the GS agents slowly pick themselves up.]
Harvey: I want them caught and contained. I’ll finish cleaning up here. [The agents run out, and Harvey shoots microwave beams around the office, leaving a burning inferno behind him.]

[Shalimar and Brennan escort Jay down the stairs into a new mutant safehouse.]
Jay: Please tell me what the hell is going on here?
Shalimar: Well, at this point, we don’t know a whole lot more than you.
Jay: Yeah, right. Who are you people? Or if you don’t mind my asking, what are you? I saw you throw electricity from your hands.
Brennan: We’re new mutants. We....have genetic abilities. They....uh...they make us...
Shalimar: Make us a little special.
Jay: Well, that’s putting it lightly.
Brennan: We have reason to believe that somebody at your company has video footage of us and they plan on turning it over to the media.
Shalimar: Got any idea who that is?
Jay: No, not at all.
Brennan: Jay, if you’re at all involved somehow, you better tell us.
Jay: You have to believe me. I’m not a spy! I swear, I’m telling the truth! All I know is that the only reason I'm alive is because I was late for work.
Brennan (scoffing): Excuse me. [He goes across the room.]
Shalimar (nodding at Jay): Have a seat. [She follows Brennan, who’s getting a bottle of water from the refrigerator.] Looks a little freaked out.
Brennan: You know what? I don’t care. We don’t have time for grief counseling. Somebody at his company is tipping off Proxy Blue. Now, if he has information that can lead us to that disk, he needs to tell us, now.

[At Genomex, Mason stands behind his desk watching Proxy Blue. Harvey waits by the door.]
Proxy Blue: So far, no word on what caused that sudden explosion at Macklin Exporters, which left five dead.
Mason (turning her off): Is this how you contain the problem? Seems to me you’ve only succeeded in exacerbating our predicament.
Harvey: The situation called for desperate measures.
Mason: Oh, and by desperate measures, you mean blowing Macklin Exporters sky high? What’s next? Public executions?
Harvey: I am telling you sir, at the moment, it was the only prudent move to make. I’d stake my reputation on it. [Mason turns Proxy Blue back on.]
Proxy Blue: There appears to be no connection between last night’s altercation at Hillside and the explosion at Macklin. However, it is a rather strange coincidence, don’t you think?
Mason (turning her off): Let’s hope you’re right, Mr. Lanchester. At this point, what’s at stake is far more precious than your reputation.

[At Sanctuary, Emma and Jesse are searching the main computer for Harvey Lanchester’s profile.]
Jesse: Damn. I wouldn’t want to bump into this guy in a dark alley.
Emma: Lanchester is a new mutant with the psionic ability to generate combustion. He can literally cook you from the inside out.
Jesse: Yeah. By the look of his rap sheet, it doesn’t take much to get him to use it, either.
Adam: Well, ‘cause the guy’s a cold-blooded killing machine and Eckhart’s using him because he can’t afford to let the word get out about the existence of new mutants any more than we can. [They head up the stairs.]
Jesse: Yeah, I mean, we want the same thing, but we’re not the ones hiring this microwave warrior to keep the rest of the world in line either, Adam.
Adam: True. All right, so have you been monitoring Proxy Blue?
Emma: So far, nothing new. But it’s what she’s not reporting that’s got me a little nervous.
Jesse: What do you mean?
Emma: Well, Proxy doesn’t have any new information, but it’s as if she’s taunting her informants to come forward.
Adam: All right, well if that’s the case, then I’m betting she doesn’t have the disk yet.
Jesse: How does Mackin Exporters fit in?
Adam: Huh. I have no idea. Why don’t you dig into the database, see what you can find out.

[In the safehouse, Shalimar’s sitting next to Jay on the couch as Brennan watches from the table across the room.]
Shalimar: Jay, I need you to concentrate. Can you think of anything that might be helpful. Did you overhear any conversations. [He doesn’t answer. She sighs, frustrated.] How about when you left for work this morning. There has to be something!
Jay: Those people were my friends, now they’re dead. That’s all I know.
Shalimar (hitting his arm): Jay, would you just focus?! [Trying to contain her temper, she gets up.]
Adam: All right, Brennan, what’ve you got for me?
Brennan: Nothing, so far.
Adam: What, do you think he’s holding back?
Brennan: I don’t know. It’s hard to say.
Adam: All right. Well, I’ve got Jesse and Emma digging under the skin of Macklin Exporters, but it’s not easy, considering Lanchester torched the place.
Brennan (getting up): All right. I’ll see if I can find out anything. [He joins Shalimar, who shrugs, shaking her head.] All right, Jay, this is what I need from you. A list of the names of all of your co-workers.
Jay: I only started to work there a couple of weeks ago.
Shalimar: You just told me they were your friends.
Jay: Yeah, they were my friends. So, just ‘cause I don’t...remember their last names... I'm not lying.
Shalimar: No, of course not. In order to lie, you'd actually have to tell us something. So far, you’ve given us nothing.
Jay (emptying his pockets): There’s my ID. If you want, check out my apartment. [He tosses his key to Brennan.] You’ll see I’m telling the truth. And there’s a list of all the other employees on my refrigerator.
Brennan: All right. I’ll be back. [He leaves.]
Jay (to Shalimar): Am I gonna die?
Shalimar (rubbing his shoulder): No. You’re gonna be okay here.

[As Harvey and two GS agents walk down the stairs of Jay’s apartment, Harvey calls Mason on his cell phone.]
Harvey: The place is clean. No sign of the disk anywhere. Maybe this Minhaus character was telling the truth after all.
Mason (walking down the hall towards his office): Either way, he doesn't get a free ride. He's a witness, which means he's a loose thread which desperately needs to be pulled.
Harvey: Ah, he’s bound to screw up, try get in touch with a girlfriend, his mother, somebody who means something to him. I found his address book. We’re searching for his next of kin.
Mason: Good. It’s time to send him a message.
Harvey: Yes. It’ll be the last message he’ll ever receive.
Mason: Otherwise, Mr. Lanchester, it will be your neck on the line. [Hiding in the doorway, Brennan waits until the GS agents have passed before heading up the stairs.]

[In the safehouse, Shalimar brings two trays of food to the table where Jay’s sitting.]
Shalimar: I managed to scrounge up a few things. I don’t know if you’re hungry.
Jay: You really didn't have to go to the trouble.
Shalimar (sitting down): Yeah, I did. I'm, uh, sorry I came down on you like that before.
Jay (smiling): That's okay. I kinda liked it. So this disk. Can really make your lives miserable, huh?
Shalimar: You have no idea. I mean, it could completely force us underground, and we're pretty much cut off from the rest of the world as it is.
Jay: That's gotta be rough. Having to live a life of seclusion like this.
Shalimar: I don't know. I've been doing it so long, I guess I kinda haven’t thought about it.
Jay: Well, why can't you just come out on your own? Show the world who you are and kinda take it from there? You can't hide forever.
Shalimar: Well, I don't know that the rest of the world is ready to accept us yet.
Jay: Hm. Well, I don't know about the rest of the world, but I bet I could.

[Brennan comes back down the stairs of Jay’s apartment to find Harvey waiting for him.]
Harvey: Where are you hiding Minhaus?
Brennan: What difference does it make? You checked his place. It’s clean.
Harvey: Hand him over now, I might not hurt you.
Brennan: Okay, let me think about that. Uh....no. [Harvey sends a couple of microwaves blasts at Brennan’s head; Brennan forms a tesla coil.] Are you sure you wanna do that? [He hides the coil behind his jacket when the elevator door opens and a man walks out, carrying a dog.] Don’t you think we’ve had enough spectacle in the public’s eye?
Harvey: Another time.
Brennan: I’ll be waiting. [Harvey leaves, and Brennan puts out the electricity.]


[In the safehouse, Jay and Shalimar have finished eating. She puts the dishes away, and notices that he’s staring off into the air.]
Shalimar (leaning over the table): Ready to come back to the land of the living?
Jay: Oh, sorry. You know, I’ve just been replaying this whole day in my head over and over again.
Shalimar: Wondering when you’re gonna wake up and realize it was just a dream?
Jay: yeah, something like that.
Shalimar: Well, you’re gonna get through it. We’re gonna make sure nothing happens to you.
Jay: Oh, I just realized I never thanked you.
Shalimar: It was just a sandwich.
Jay: I meant for saving my life.
Shalimar: Oh.
Jay: You really are amazing, you know that? Now I'm talking about the sandwich. [She laughs.] Really, how am I ever gonna make it up to you?
Shalimar: Well, I'll tell you what. When this is all over, you can buy me a drink. We'll call it even.
Jay: A drink for a life, yeah, that sounds pretty fair.
Shalimar: Fine. We'll make it dinner.
Jay: Why don't we cut right to the part where I get to walk you home? [He leans in for a kiss, but she pulls away.] Okay, look. I understand, I....I'm--
Shalimar: No, I--it's just um...you know, you've been through a lot today, and I don't know, maybe it feels like you haven't, but I think maybe what you're feeling for me comes a little less out of the moment than it does out of circumstance.
Jay: Yeah, I took high school psychology too. I guess I got a little bit of a glorified hero complex working for me, is that it?
Shalimar: Well, maybe a little.
Jay (laughing): Maybe a lot.

[Back at Sanctuary, Adam walks up to Emma at the main computer and looks up at Jesse on the second floor.]
Adam: What have you got?
Jesse: Adam, I finally figured out what Macklin Exporters is involved in. Exporting.
Emma: They’re completely legit.
Jesse: If they’re a front for a covert organization, then they’ve spent the last ten years covering their trail.
Adam: Huh. All right, well, if that’s the case, then we’re dealing with a single operative. Someone within the company working alone. What have you found out about Jay Minhaus?
Jesse: Uh...nothing, yet.
Adam: All right, pull up the personnel records. I want background checks on every employee. [Jesse goes back to his computer.] What about Proxy Blue?
Emma: She’s actually been conspicuously silent the last few hours. Maybe this is a story that will just go away.
Adam: Don’t bet on it. No, I want you to keep monitoring her. Eckhart isn’t about to pull off his human pit bull until he’s got evidence that the disk has been destroyed. Jesse! [Jesse leans over the balcony again.] Call Brennan and Shalimar, tell them to stay put; I don’t want them becoming target practice for this Lanchester. [He walks off.]
Jesse (sitting back down): Wouldn’t want that. [Jesse calls Shalimar, who’s playing cards with Jay.] Shalimar?
Shalimar (to Jay): Just a second.
Jay: Sure. It’ll give me a chance to stack the deck.
Shalimar: Yeah, Jesse, whatcha got?
Jesse: You guys getting restless over there?
Shalimar (smiling at Jay): Nah, we’re doing all right.
Jesse: Well, good, because Adam wants you and Brennan to stay put until he’s got the situation under control.
Shalimar (looking up as Brennan returns to the safehouse): No problem. I’ll let him know. [She calls up to Brennan.] Adam doesn’t want us taking any more day trips.
Jay: Did you find anything at my apartment?
Brennan (coming down the stairs): Well, somebody got there before I did. [He tosses the keys back to Jay.]
Shalimar: Lanchester?
Brennan: Bingo. My guess is, he’s not going anywhere until he gets his hands on that disk.
Jay (pulling out his cell phone): This is insane. I’m calling the police.
Shalimar (taking it from him): No. We can’t do that.
Jay: Well, maybe we can’t, but I can.
Shalimar: It’s not that simple.
Jay: You said it yourself. These people will stop at nothing. [He stands up.] Oh, my God, Rebecca. My sister.
Brennan: We’ll protect her. Don’t worry.
Jay: Don’t worry? What, like, an hour ago, neither of you trusted me, now I’m supposed to trust you? I don’t think so. I’m gonna find her myself. [Brennan blocks his way.] So what are you gonna do? You gonna hold me hostage? [Brennan smiles. Jay turns to Shalimar.] Shalimar, I have to go.
Shalimar: Jay...I’m going with you.
Brennan: What? No.
Shalimar: Can’t just let him walk out and be slaughtered. I mean, you know what’s going to happen if Lanchester gets his hands on him.
Brennan: And what about if Lanchester gets ahold of you?
Shalimar: I can take care of myself.
Brennan: Lanchester is a psycho. He kills people just for fun!
Shalimar: You know, Brennan, I would appreciate it if you would back me up on this one, please. Please. [Sighing, Brennan steps out of Jay’s way. As Jay runs up the stairs, Brennan takes Shalimar’s arm.]
Brennan: Be careful. [She follows Jay out.]

[At Genomex, Mason’s sitting at his desk watching Proxy Blue when Harvey enters.]
Proxy Blue: Sadly, no word from my informant on the altercation at Hillside, causing me to wonder whether the whole thing was a hoax or foul play is involved.
Harvey: We can safely assume our situation is under control. The worst is over.
Mason (getting up): Really? What if the disk is still out there? What if Proxy Blue gets a hold of it? I don't like to live in a world full of what-ifs.
Harvey: I took out the entire building, Mr. Eckhart. Dead men tell no tales.
Mason (walking over to him): But live ones do.
Harvey: We searched Minhaus's apartment up and down. He's clean.
Mason: Yes. And from what I gather, breathing as well.
Harvey: I’ve got my men scouring the city for any sign of him or his relatives.
Mason: I want every available agent out there. Use our informants to sniff out possible safehouses, anywhere Mutant X might frequent.
Harvey: We’re already on it. I’m confident that both Minhaus and Mutant X are within our reach. And my job isn’t over until each one of them is silenced. [Mason nods, dismissing him.]

[Brennan calls Emma from the safehouse, asking for any information on Jay’s sister.]
Emma (entering the lab): Give me the name again. I’ll see what I can come up with.
Brennan: Rebecca Minhaus. We think that Lanchester’s targeting Jay’s sister as a way to get him to come out of hiding.
Emma: Well, I can't find a Rebecca Minhaus anywhere in the area.
Brennan: Yeah, well, you probably didn't look hard enough, so check again.
Emma: I know how to work the database, Brennan. Trust me, she’s not there. Maybe she’s married. Ask Jay if she goes by any other name. [He doesn’t answer.] Brennan?
Brennan: Can’t do that.
Emma: Why not?
Brennan: Well, because Jay decided he wanted to go look for her himself.
Emma: Is he crazy? He can’t be out there alone!
Brennan (sighing): He’s not.

[Shalimar and Jay rush into Jay’s apartment.]
Jay: I just hope we’re not too late.
Shalimar: I’m sure she’s okay.
Jay (unlocking the door): If anything happened to her, Shalimar...
Shalimar (stopping him): Hey. Let me. [She enters the room, and Jay locks her in, then runs off.] Jay? Jay, let me out! [She kicks the door down, and rushes downstairs to search for Jay, who is long gone.]


[On her way towards Jay’s apartment in the Double Helix, Emma call Shalimar over her comlink.]
Emma: What were you thinking, Shal? If Lanchester finds you, you're dead.
Shalimar: So did Brennan call Adam and tell the minute I left?
Emma: It's not even like that. He was just trying to watch your back.
Shalimar: Yeah, well I can watch my own back, thank you very much.
Emma: Yeah. Obviously.
Shalimar: Look, I don’t know why Jay left, but I’m gonna find out.
Adam (listening in from Sanctuary): No, Shalimar, it’s not safe out there.
Shalimar: Look, Adam, I had to do something, I couldn’t just let him leave.
Adam: I understand, but we’re past that now.
Shalimar: I mean, I can find him, he can’t have gone far.
Adam: No, Shalimar, it’s too dangerous. I want you to wait for Emma. All right? Shalimar, I want you to stay where you are! [As Shalimar stands in the lobby, Harvey walks into the apartment with two GS agents. He sends a head wave at her head, and she falls to her knees in pain.]
Harvey: That’s your temporal vein you feel heating up, Miss Fox.
Shalimar (weakly, holding her head): Stop it.
Harvey: It won’t take me much more of an effort to make it boil. [He stops.] Now, we’re looking for Jay Minhaus.
Shalimar (glaring up at him): Get in line.
Harvey: He's been seen with you and your band of renegades.
Shalimar: Do you see him with me now?
Harvey: I bet you know where we can find him.
Shalimar: What makes you think I’d tell you? [He aims more microwave beams at her head.]
Jay: You’ve just given me a reason to turn up the heat. Now tell us where Minhaus is. [Emma, peeking in through the doorway, sends an illusion into Jay’s mind, pretending to be Mason Eckhart. ]
Emma!Mason (coming in behind Jay): That’s enough! Why trifle with the likes of her when our real quarry is still out there running around free?
Harvey: Sir? What are you doing here?
Emma!Mason (standing by Shalimar): Well, I was in the area and just had to drop by. I decided to check up on you.
Harvey: I believe she can lead us to Minhaus, Mr. Eckhart.
Emma!Mason: I see. I other words, you've failed to locate him. I'm tired of your excuses. I told you this Minhaus character is our top priority. Or do I have to have that printed across my forehead for you to understand? I'll handle Miss Fox from here on.
Harvey: I'm not sure that's prudent, sir.
Emma!Mason: That's why you work for me. Now complete your mission, and don’t come back until you’ve finished.
Harvey: Yes, sir. [The two GS agents stare at Harvey in confusion.] What are you two idiots waiting for? [They follow him out of the apartment.]
Shalimar: Nice.
Emma: Thanks.
Shalimar (taking her arm): Thank you.

[Back at Sanctuary, Jesse comes downstairs to join Adam.]
Adam: All right, give me the good news, Jesse.
Jesse: Well, I tapped into Macklin’s personnel records, sifted through all their employees’ backgrounds.
Adam: Yeah, anything suspicious?
Jesse (pulling up Jay’s profile on the main computer): Not much, just for one thing. Why would a guy with a degree in journalism take a job packing computer chips?
Adam: I don’t know. Maybe he’s looking to change careers.
Jesse: Right. Or he may be trying to turn one around. You see, Jay was fired from his first media job after accusations of plagiarism. He’s never really managed to get a job in his own field since then, he’s just kind of bounced from job to job.
Adam: Huh. So you think he’s the one that tipped off Proxy Blue.
Jesse: Well, a story like this could make a career.
Adam (nodding): Any way to find out if he’s got a sister?
Jesse: I already checked. Shalimar put her life on the line for the very guy that set us up in the first place.

[In his office at Genomex, Mason sits at his desk, watching Proxy Blue’s broadcast on his computer.]
Proxy Blue: The final word on that mysterious blast that left five dead at Macklin Exporters. It seems it was an accident. How disappointing.
Mason (calling Harvey via video link): Mr. Lanchester. Nice work deflecting the blame away from the GSA in that unfortunate accident.
Harvey (confused): Uh....thank you, sir?
Mason: What's wrong?
Harvey: Didn't we just speak a minute ago?
Mason: Sorry, am I bothering you? I didn't realize there was a limit to our interaction.
Harvey: I apologize, sir, please continue.
Mason: Intelligence just informed me Minhaus has used his cell phone. They’re tracing the signal as we speak.
Harvey: Excellent. It’s about time I finished the job. [Mason cuts off the connection.]

[As Emma and Shalimar enter the Double Helix, Shalimar calls Adam over her comlink.]
Shalimar: We’re coming in, Adam. We couldn’t find Jay. I just hope he got to his sister before Lanchester did.
Adam (at the main computer with Jesse): Shalimar, he doesn’t have a sister.
Shalimar: What?
Adam: He’s the guy that set us up in the first place, and I’m guessing he’s got the video disk hidden someplace, waiting to deliver it to Proxy Blue.
Jesse: Adam, I’ve got a signal from Jay’s cell phone.
Shalimar: Where is he?
Jesse: I don’t know, I’m trying to narrow it down now.
Emma: Give us the coordinates, we’ll head over.
Adam: No, no. Stay where you are. We don’t know a lot about this guy, he could be dangerous.
Shalimar: well, you know we don’t have a lot of choice here.
Emma: All he needs is a laptop and a modem to send the contents of the disk to the world.
Jesse: She’s right, Adam. [Adam shakes his head.]

[Jay walks into an abandoned warehouse and opens a hidden panel in the wall to reveal a video player. Taking out the disk, he closes the panel and calls someone on his cell phone.]
Jay: Tell Proxy to get ready to go live with the feed. I’m about to give her proof of the new mutants’ existence. And be sure that I get the credit for blowing this story wide open, all right? [He looks up when Shalimar appears beside him, snatching the disk from his hand.]
Shalimar: Here’s a news flash for you, jerk. This is one story I’m about to kill.
Jay: Shalimar, please, I can explain. [She punches him in the face. She and Emma smile at each other until Jay stands up, holding a gun to Emma’s neck.] Sorry, babe. I’m not about to let you ruin my career. Admit it, Shalimar. I'm not the pushover you thought I was.
Shalimar: Turns out you're not a lot of things I thought you were.
Jay: Yeah, well you've gotta admit I did a pretty good job of playing the damsel in distress, wouldn't you say?
Shalimar: Oh, I'm gonna show you a few things about distress.
Jay: I wouldn’t test me if I were you. Hand it over.
Shalimar: I guess he doesn’t give us much choice, does he, Emma? [Emma projects an image into Jay’s mind of his gun heating up, and he drops it.]
Jay (massaging his hand): You freaks oughta be destroyed.
Shalimar: After you. [She knocks him to the floor, then turns to Emma.] Let’s go. [Shalimar and Emma start to leave, only to find both doors blocked by approaching GS agents. Jay shoots at Harvey, then holds Emma at gunpoint again, taking the disk from her hand. He runs towards the exit, but Harvey aims several microwave blasts at his head, and he collapses face down on the ground. Emma and Shalimar fight their way through the GS agents.]Harvey: You should’ve just let me have him when I had the chance. [Shalimar cartwheels out of the way as he tries to blast her with microwave beams. Emma runs in front of Shalimar and psionically reflects his last blast back at his own head. Harvey falls to the ground.]
Emma: You okay?
Shalimar: Yeah. Thanks to you. [Across the room, Adam enters the warehouse, followed by Jesse and Brennan. He kicks Jay’s gun out of his hand and picks up the disk.]
Adam: Can get the hell out of here? [Holding hands, Emma and Shalimar run over to meet the guys.] Hey. You okay?
Mason (entering the room with a posse of GS agents): Adam. [Jesse rushes forward, but Adam touches his arm, stopping him.] Not so fast, Mr. Kilmartin. You haven't even heard what I have to say. Well, it appears Mr. Minhaus has missed his deadline. For good.
Adam (holding up the disk): You have any idea how close he came to exposing us all to Proxy Blue?
Mason: Yes. How ironic that you and I should find ourselves battling a mutual foe. Although I have to admit, things could have gone a lot smoother if only we had agreed to work together. Yes, well, it seems we can all breathe a little easier now. The only question left, of course, is where does that leave us?
Adam: That's up to you.
Mason: I want that disk.
Adam (smiling at Brennan and Shalimar): Come and get it. [Behind Mason, the line of GS agents readies their tasers for battle, and behind Adam, Mutant X prepares for the onslaught. Adam and Mason stare into each other’s eyes until Mason finally drops his.]
Mason (to his agents): We're done here. [As the agents file out of the building, Mutant X relaxes. Mason and Adam walk towards each other.] Torch the place?
Adam: Then Proxy Blue gets an anonymous tip about a serial arsonist? [Mason nods. With one last look at the team, he turns and saunters towards the door.]
Emma: Let’s get the hell out of here.
Adam (holding up the disk): Well, wait a minute. Who wants to do the honors?
Brennan: I’ll take a crack at it.
Shalimar: Knock yourself out. [Adam tosses the disk into the air; Brennan shatters it with one jolt of electricity from his finger.]
Jesse: He shoots, he scores. [Shalimar hugs Adam, and they leave.]

[Back at Sanctuary, Jesse and Brennan are walking towards their rooms.]
Jesse: So tell me something, wise guy. As a former con man, how was it that Jay managed to...con you?
Brennan: What, it takes one to know one? C'mon, you know it doesn't work like that. I didn't get a feeling for him either way. Well, actually not until I saw the way that Shalimar acted around him.
Jesse (stopping): How's that?
Brennan: Well, yeah...I don't know. I just didn't like the way that she stuck her neck out for him.
Jesse: Why? Because you were feeling protective? [Brennan chuckles.] Ah. Or jealous?
Brennan: Protective, smartass.
Jesse: Huh.

[In Emma’s room, Shalimar and Emma are going through the clothes in her wardrobe.]

Shalimar: I’m okay.
Emma: Well, you still seem pretty pissed about Jay.
Shalimar: You know what it is? I just feel stupid. I mean, when we found him, he was just like a dog who’d been kicked too hard. My nurturing instincts took over, and I just...I just can't believe I misjudged someone like that.
Emma (appraising herself in the mirror): Well, it's not like I'm hitting the bonus board when it comes to judging guys. When was the last time I had a date?
Shalimar (holding up a pink feathery top): I know, sweetie, but honestly. I mean, if I wore this I wouldn't be getting any action either. [Turning around, Emma glares at her. Shalimar grins.] Well, it's a start.


Merci à FirstMutant