Épisode Corps et âmes S02E09 - Mutant X Saison 2

                                 Body and soul


[Opening Scene: After a prominent genetics technology conference, geneticists are milling about the sunny convention center grounds. Adam, sporting a blue suit and wraparound sunglasses, spots a former young Genomex colleague, Dr. Mark Kearney. Adam goes over to greet him.]
Adam (taking off his sunshades): Hello, Mark.
Mark Kearney: Adam. Been a long time.
Adam: Well, you're the last person I thought I'd find here.
Mark (shaking Adam's hand): I heard Malone was speaking. I wanted to hear him. I hoped he might have learned some things from what happened back at Genomex.
Adam: Hah. If there's a profit to be made in an ethical vaccuum, then Malone's gonna be all over it.
Mark: I sometimes wonder how things might been different for me if I'd chosen to work on your project instead of Malone's.
Adam: It wasn't just Malone that doomed Genomex. We all made mistakes. [WXTY's investigative reporter, Carla Reed, and her cameraman Vic are waiting by the doors of the convention center. Spotting her quarry, Carla beelines toward Dr. Dennis Malone and his security guard as they exit the building. Adam and Mark stop their conversation to watch.]
Carla Reed (to Vic): There he is. Dr. Malone! Carla Reed, WXTY. You're advocating funding for a plethora of new gene manipulation technologies. Is is true that many of these genetic technologies have been assessed as potential threats by experts at the World Health Organization?
Dr. Dennis Malone (into her microphone): Experts arrested Galileo when he said that the earth traveled around the sun.
Carla (chasing him down the sidewalk): Is it also true you're recommending these grants be given mainly to your friends and former associates at the Genomex corporation?
Dr. Malone: Funding goes to people who are on the cutting edge. People who aren't afraid to take chances.
Carla: Even if those chances threaten public safety?
Dr. Malone: I only advocate research which is conducted in a secure facility. Human comfort and human life are not at risk.
Carla: What assurances do the public have of this? [Dr. Malone glances at his security guard, who blocks Carla's way as Dr. Malone continues toward the street.]
Bodyguard: I'm afraid we're done here.
Carla (yelling after him): Dr. Malone!
Bodyguard: Carla, there's no story here. Leave it alone.
Carla: Come on, I just have a few more questions.
Bodyguard: Carla, I told you.
Carla: Come on! [She sighs in frustration. Dr. Malone's driver Nolan, holding a bag of Cheetos, opens the limosine door for him.]
Dr. Malone: Come on, let's get out of here. I'm tired, and I've had enough. [He peers into the limosine, which is littered with Cheetos and candy wrappers.] What do you call this mess anyway?! This is unacceptable!
Nolan (licking his fingers): And what you did wasn't? [Dr. Malone gapes at him.] What's the matter, Doc? You look like you've just seen a ghost. [Reaching out, he grabs Dr. Malone's chest. Malone moans in pain as an orange light jumps into his body from Nolan's hand.]
Carla (seeing what's going on): Vic! Come on! You've gotta get this! [Carla, Vic, Adam, and Mark race towards the car as Dr. Malone collapses on the street. Nolan takes off in the limosine.] Keep rolling! [Adam bends over Dr. Malone's body, checking for a pulse. Carla turns to Vic.] Tell me you got that?
Vic: It happened so fast, I don't know what I got. [Carla rolls her eyes.]
Adam (looking up at Mark): He's dead.

***Opening Credits****

[Back at Sanctuary, Adam's in the main room informing the team about his history with Dr. Malone.]
Adam: Dennis Malone was one of the powers of Genomex when I arrived, you know, and these were the glory days. These were the days when we had the freedom to take the research wherever we wanted it to go.
Brennan: You'll excuse me when I don't get all warm and fuzzy about your, you know, good old days at Genomex, but I've seen where those glory days ended up.
Adam: Right, and Dennis Malone was one of the reasons why. But when I found out where his research was headed, I quit the team.
Shalimar: And where was it headed?
Adam: Human modification. I mean, it was his research that formed the basis for all the adjustments that Genomex perpetrated on all of you.
Emma: Could you please not use the word 'adjustment'? It makes me feel like a skirt that got hemmed.
Adam (grinning): I'm sorry. That was a poor choice of words, okay? So we became rivals, I mean, I hated him. I mean, not that I could put up much of a fight, because my research didn't have the same kind of financial upside that his did. So he was able to attract all of the greatest minds in the company.
Jesse: So what, after the collapse of Genomex, he just took the whole show elsewhere?
Adam: No, actually, he left before the collapse. You know, one day his lab was just emptied out, and everybody on his team just resigned.
Shalimar: So, do you think what happened today had something to do with that?
Adam: Well, I don't know. I got to the body, there were no marks. There were no signs of how he died.
Brennan: Well, you think maybe the limo driver was a mutant?
Adam: Well, that's the question that I'm hoping that the autopsy will answer.
Brennan: Yeah.
Adam: And as a physician who was at the scene, I'm required to file a report anyway. [The team gathers around the television screen as Carla Reed reports her story.]
Carla: No motive has been uncovered in the shocking unexplained death of genetic researcher Dennis Malone today at the convention center. I'll have more on this breaking story as information becomes available.

[At the WXTY station headquarters, Vic and Carla sit in her office, studying the footage Vic shot of Dr. Malone's death.]
Carla: Run it again. [Rubbing his eyes in exhaustion, Vic sighs and rewinds the tape.] You sure you don't have another angle?
Vic: Carla, I got one camera. What you see is what I got.
Carla (sighing): Well, it didn't get what I saw. That driver did something. It was like...glowing energy. It went right into Malone's chest.
Vic (pointing): Well, I don't see any marks on the guy.
Carla: I know what I saw.
Vic: Hey, Carla, it's your career. But let me give you a little advice. Keep it to yourself, or your next assignment might be chasing Batchild for the weekly world news.
Carla: Grab your camera and let's go.
Vic: Okay, where are we going?
Carla: I wanna hear what the coroner has to say.
Vic (grabbing the camera): Great. [He follows her out.]

[Downtown at the morgue, Shalimar, Emma, and Brennan follow Adam into the coroner's office, where two policemen are questioning eyewitnesses.]
Shalimar: Where do we start?
Adam: Well, I don't think they're gonna be too forthcoming with the coroner's reports. [He turns to Brennan and Emma.] Why don't you two see if you can help that along?
Emma: Okay.
Brennan: All right. [They head down the hallway.]
Adam (to Shalimar): Why don't you come with me? [Seeing Mark among the witnesses, he leads Shalimar towards him.]
Shalimar (sotto voice): Who's this guy?
Adam: Well, that's Mark Kearney. He's a brilliant student who joined Malone's team just before the whole thing fell apart.
Shalimar (smiling appreciatively): When did they start packaging researchers like that?
Adam (to Mark): So, what are they saying?
Mark: Oh, they're not letting much out, but I get the feeling they think there was something strange about the death.
Adam: I get the feeling that you think the same thing.
Mark: Well, you were there. You know as much as I do. [Clearly uncomfortable, he looks pointedly at Shalimar.]
Adam: I'm sorry, this is Shalimar Fox. [Mark nods at Shalimar.] We...uh...work together. So do you know why somebody would want to kill him?
Mark: That's why you're here? You're investigating?
Adam: Yeah. I wanna know if there's a connection between what happened to Malone and what was going on at Genomex.
Mark (taking Adam aside): Uh...how much does she know?
Adam: Everything. She's part of it all. [Shalimar follows them.]
Mark (surprised): A mutant? [Adam nods.] So half gift of your gene research after all.
Adam: Well, I saw what was going on at Genomex too. And we're part of a team that's trying to clean up some of that mess.
Shalimar: And speaking of that mess, you gonna answer his question?
Mark (shrugging): Look, what we did at Genomex was simple research. Nobody outside the room knew anything about it, and I don't think anyone would care.
Adam: Maybe somebody cared enough to kill Malone.
Mark: Look, I don't know who'd want him dead. It's been three years since we worked together. I haven't kept in touch. Sorry. I can't help you. [He starts to walk away.]
Shalimar: I'm sure we'll meet again. [He smiles at her and keeps going. Shalimar shakes her head at Adam.] He's lying.
Adam: I don't know. Maybe it's just protocol, you know? Genomex may be gone, but what's classified is still classified.
Shalimar: I don't know. He doesn't strike me as the type to follow protocol.

[Carla and Vic tiptoe into the building through a side door, Vic toting his camera.]
Carla: You rolling?
Vic: I gotta tell you, Carla, crashing the morgue is not cool.
Carla: You wanna know what's not cool? Not breaking a murder case that's sitting right in the palm of your hand.

[Meanwhile, Brennan and Emma find the records room. Emma sits at the computer and Brennan waits by the door.]
Brennan: Make it fast. I'll keep watching.

[As Mark walks away from Shalimar and Adam, he's spotted by the limo driver Nolan, who's been wandering the hallway, still eating his Cheetos.]
Nolan: Hey, Dr. Kearney! [Recognizing him, Mark flees through the door. Nolan drops his bag of Cheetos and chases him.]
Adam (to Shalimar): That's the guy that killed Malone. [Shalimar's feral eyes flash, and she takes off after them. Crashing into the morgue's holding room, she grabs Nolan before he can catch Mark. They fight, but he's stronger than he looks, and she's thrown backwards onto a table. Brennan and Emma burst in.]
Shalimar: That's the guy who killed Malone! [Brennan punches him, but Nolan knocks him down. Emma directs a psionic blast at his head, which stuns Nolan temporarily. As he lies on the floor, an orange being emerges from his body for a moment, then disappears.]
Nolan (to Emma): I know what you are. Why are you protecting them? [While Nolan's distracted, Shalimar grabs Mark's arm and pushes him out the back door.]
Emma: We don't want to hurt you. Just give up.
Nolan (outraged): Give up?!

[Shalimar and Mark run into the garage, towards the medical examiner's hearse.]
Shalimar: Get in! [They drive off.]

[Inside, Nolan tears up a marble block from the autopsy table and hurls it at Brennan, who shatters it with an electrical blast. Drawn by the commotion, Carla and Vic rush into the room just as Brennan's forming another tesla coil. Emma notices Vic filming the fight with his video camera, and shouts a warning.]
Emma: Brennan! [Brennan hastily douses the coil, shoving Vic and Carla back out. Nolan uses the diversion to escape. Carla and Vic follow him as he stumbles down the hallway to the main lobby and grabs the first person he sees, one of the female eyewitnesses -- Kelly Trask. An orange glow passes between their bodies before he collapses to the ground, motionless. Kelly backs away slowly, and Vic continues to film as Adam kneels to check Nolan's pulse.]
Vic: Uh, Carla, I'm starting to lose battery.
Carla: Keep shooting. [Brennan and Emma rush in to join Adam.]
Adam (to Brennan): He's gone.
Brennan: So what, that's it?
Adam: I don't think it's that simple.
Carla: I've just broken the story of my career.
Adam (seeing Emma staring intently at Kelly): What is it? Emma? [Kelly's attention is on Nolan's body. Smiling, she pops a Cheeto in her mouth before walking away.] Emma, what?

***Commercial Break***

[Shalimar drives Mark a few miles away from the building before stopping.]
Shalimar: We should be safe here.
Mark: Thanks for what you did back there.
Shalimar: That's what we do.
Mark: I should've known Adam would have turned Genomex's mistakes into something good.
Shalimar: Well, as one of Genomex's mistakes, I don't know whether I should be insulted or complimented.
Mark: I'm sorry. I just never imagined that the dream of creating the perfect being could ever come true.
Shalimar (smiling): I guess we should get you someplace safe.
Mark: Ah, no, no. I've got to get back to the clinic. I've got patients I've got to take care of. I can't give up that responsibility.
Shalimar: Come on, you saw what this guy can do; he threw us around like rag dolls.
Mark (shaking his head): I gotta go. [He gets out. Shalimar looks terribly disappointed until Mark leans back into the window.] Thanks again, Shalimar. I'd like to see you again. [She smiles happily.]

[Back at Sanctuary, Adam, Jesse, Emma, and Shalimar are in the main room processing information.]
Adam: I just finished studying the coroner's report for Dennis Malone.
Shalimar: And?
Adam: Well, it's weird. Malone was fifty, but it says his insides were all burned out, like that of an 80 year old.
Shalimar: So did the report say how the limo driver killed him?
Emma: I don't think it was the limo driver. When I hit him with the psionic blast, something happened. It's like he split into two people for a minute.
Jesse: Schizophrenic.
Emma: No. It was like there was another consciousness living inside of his body. Whoever it was, his feelings were powerful. He was lost and angry, and tortured. And then afterwards, after the body died, I think that I still felt him.
Jesse: What, he...he switched bodies?
Adam: Well. It's possible. Now did you have any sense about where he might have shifted?
Emma: The emotions in the crowd were too strong to pinpoint anything. I mean, I wasn't even sure that it had happened at the time.
Jesse: All right. So whoever or whatever it is is still out there, and seems to be looking for your friend, Mark Kearney.
Shalimar: Adam, is there something you're not telling us about Mark and Malone?
Adam: What I can tell you is this. That Malone was working on a project called The Walker Project. He and another scientist named Leo McAllister were supposedly studying the genetic factors that allowed certain people the power of astral projection.
Shalimar: You mean like a spirit that can travel from body to body killing people?
Adam: I'm afraid so.

[Carla and Vic are back in her office, going over the footage of Brennan and Emma fighting Nolan.]
Carla: There! There. Blow up that frame. What do you call that?
Vic: I don't know. Maybe he's got a taser in his hands.
Carla: His hands are empty.
Vic: Okay, look, it's distorted. Maybe there's an electrical glitch in the camera.
Carla: And how do you explain the other guy picking up a marble autopsy table with his bare hands?
Vic: Now, that's a good question. If he were still around, I wouldn't mind asking him myself. [Carla picks up a paper from the printer; it's an article about young Adam at Genomex.]
Carla: One of the people in the morgue tape came up in the visual database. "Adam Kane and Genomex: Transforming the World a Gene at a Time." What the hell were you people up to? [She dials her cellphone.] Yeah, this is Carla. Can you get me the names of anyone in the records with a connection to Dennis Malone and Genomex? Thanks.

[In the Web Fusi@n cybercafe downtown, Kelly sits at one of the computers, searching the internet. ]
Kelly: Come on, Leo. Where are you? [The Clerk is watching Carla on WXTY news when he notices she's gotten Cheetos everywhere.]
Clerk (coming over): Hey! What are you doing? You're making a mess!
Kelly (licking her fingers): Don't worry about it.
Clerk: What do you mean, don't worry about it? I've gotta clean all this up tomorrow.
Kelly: There is no tomorrow. [Without looking back, she reaches behind her with a glowing ball of orange energy, grabs his chest and sends him flying across the room.

[In Sanctuary's main room, Mutant X are also watching Carla's report on the events at the morgue.]
Carla: Still unknown are the identities of the man who appeared to be Nolan's target at the morgue, and the four people who attempted to capture Nolan.
Adam (muting the tv in disgust): Great. Maybe we should just wear Mutant X tee-shirts.
Brennan: Oh, come on, Adam. What were we supposed to do, just let him take out your friend Mark, or walk away and take someone else out?
Adam: I know. But we've got to shut this thing down without anybody else getting hurt, and preferably do it without getting ourselves exposure on national television. [Jesse's picked up the remote and rewinding the tape.]
Shalimar: Whatcha doing?
Jesse: Well, if whatever or whoever was in that limo driver jumped to another person in the crowd, maybe this newscast will give us a clue.
Adam (looking closer): Run it from there. All right, there. [They watch as Nolan grabs Kelly, and the orange glow passes from him to her.] That's it. That's the touch-off.
Brennan: Any idea who she is?
Adam: No. I don't know if she's a friend of Malone's, maybe a co-worker. [Shalimar prints the image of Kelly from the screen and passes it to Adam.]
Shalimar: Might be worth running it past Mark Kearney.
Adam: Yeah, I don't know how cooperative he's gonna be.
Shalimar (grinning, rubbing Jesse's back): Well, unless I misread that look he gave me earlier, I think he'll be plenty cooperative.
Adam: All right, I know where his clinic is. I'll drop you off. [He smiles.] Maybe you might be more successful if you went in alone. [He hands the photo to Brennan and walks off.]
Brennan: So is this picture all you're planning on running past him?
Shalimar (snatching the picture): Stop it. [She walks out, shaking her head. Jesse smirks at Brennan.]

[Arriving at Mark's clinic, Shalimar sees him giving a lollypop to a little girl.]
Shalimar: You really do have a way with the ladies, don't you?
Mark: As a lady, you're better qualified to tell me.
Shalimar: You have a way.
Mark: Tell me you're not here as a patient.
Shalimar: You wouldn't want to treat me?
Mark: If you were a patient, the code of ethics might get in the way of dinner.
Shalimar: Well, I'm not a patient.
Mark (smile falling): You're here about Dennis Malone.
Shalimar (holding out the picture): Actually, I was wondering if you recognize this woman.
Mark: No, I've never seen her before. Why?
Shalimar (following him to the file cabinet): Well, we think whoever killed Malone was only using the body of the limo driver. And we think that he might have jumped into the body of someone else in the crowd at the morgue. Maybe this one.
Mark (chuckling, avoiding her eyes): I don't know what you're talking about. That's all science fiction.
Shalimar: You worked on The Walker Project. You know it's possible.
Mark: I told you; I don't know anything about body transfers or murders.
Shalimar: Look, Mark, if you do have something to do with this, and that person's still out there in another body, you're in real danger.
Mark: I've got to get back to my patients. I hope I see you again. [He walks away.]

[Shalimar rejoins Adam outside the building.]
Adam: Any luck?
Shalimar: Well, in dinner invitations, yes. In information on The Walker Project, no. [They're both startled to see Carla and Vic rushing towards them from across the parking lot.]
Carla: Dr. Kane, Carla Reed, WXTY news.
Adam (hastening towards his car): I'm sorry, we just don't have time.
Carla: Were you here visiting Mark Kearney?
Adam: I don't know a Mark Kearney.
Carla: That's not what my sources say. He worked directly under you for six months before switching over to work with Dennis Malone.
Adam: Well, your sources have a better memory than I do. [Reaching around her, he tries to open the car door.] Excuse me.
Carla: Do you have a comment on the rumors that the research done at Genomex might somehow be responsible for Dr. Malone's death? [He smirks at her, and starts to get in.] What about the rumors that this research might have created people with superhuman abilities and powers?
Adam: Rumors? Look, in science we don't work from rumors. I hope the news works the same way. [He gets in, and Shalimar starts the car.]
Carla (yelling through the window): Dr. Kane, this is not going away!
Adam (donning his sunglasses): Thank you! [Shalimar drives off.]
Vic: Got it.
Carla (sighing in frustration): Oh, damn.
Vic: I got the plate.

***Commercial Break****

[Brennan's jumping rope in Sanctuary's garage when Shalimar returns.]
Brennan: Oh, hey. So, did you get any more info from Mark about The Walker Project?
Shalimar: No. I don't know if he's in denial, or if he's just scared or what, but he's not talking.
Brennan: Yeah, well, I wouldn't have given him a choice.
Shalimar (raising an eyebrow): You're a real tough guy, aren't ya?
Brennan: Yeah. You know, just cause his hands look clean, doesn't mean he's innocent. Remember that. [Rolling her eyes at him, Shalimar keeps on walking out of the room.]
Jesse (running in): Hey! I think we got a break. The police have identified the woman who the killer shifted into, Kelly Travis. They said she disappeared from the group she was with and hasn't been seen since.
Brennan: Well, we need more than a name, Jess.
Jesse: Well, give me a little credit. She checked into a cheap motel using her credit card a couple of hours ago. I'll go get Shalimar, we'll check it out.
Brennan (stopping him): No. No, no. We'll go without her.

[Adam's on the computer in his darkened office. A prompt appears on his screen: "Who?" He types: "Adam." A second prompt appears: "What?" Adam types: "A meeting." Third prompt: "4:00. You know where." He sighs, thinking.]

[In room 124 at the Vacation Motor Lodge, Kelly lies on a small Cheeto-littered bed with a telephone book, watching the news. She dials a number on the telephone, waiting until a woman answers.]
Kelly: Is this the McAllister residence?
Woman: Yes, it is.
Kelly: I wanna talk to Leo.
Woman: He's not here. He doesn't live here anymore. [Kelly hangs up the phone, and turns up the volume on the television.]
Carla: In the recent development in the investigation of the death of Dennis Malone, WXTY news has learned of a possible link between a secret research projects at the now defunct Genomex corporation and a string of suspicious deaths. We've learned of more potential victims. Stay tuned to WXTY-- [Kelly turns off the tv. Hearing footsteps outside, she gets up and looks out the window to see Jesse, Brennan and Emma approaching her door. Brennan's just reaching for the doorknob when the entire door explodes outwards, sending him flying into the parking lot. Kelly easily knocks Jesse down with an energy ball from her arm, but Emma's psionic blast pushes Kelly onto her back. This time, the orange form completely separates from Kelly's body, floating in mid-air. The voice of a young boy comes from the orange form.]
The Boy: You can see me!
Emma (unimpressed): Yeah.
The Boy: Then stop following me!
Emma: You're killing people.
The Boy: They have to pay for what they did.
Emma: Why? What did they do? Tell me. [Instead of answering, The Boy returns to Kelly's body. Brennan attacks her, but she somersaults backwards over a motercycle, then effortlessly lifts it over her head and hurls it at him. He leaps out of the way in time, but Kelly super-speeds away too fast for them to pursue.]

[Adam stands in a roller park, waiting for his contact to appear. He's checking his watch when a man on roller blades bumps into him on purpose, shoving a tape recorder into his hands before skating off. Adam turns it on to hear his contact's voice.]
Beverly: Hello, Adam. I hope you didn't expect me to show up in that dreadful place with my allergies. The Walker Project was commissioned by the military to modify a human subject to be able take over the body of another. In essence, giving them the ability to infiltrate virtually any force, government or otherwise. Consider the possibilities. The right person could take over the wife of the Prime Minister, the child of a political rival, or the President's right hand man.
Adam: They have created the perfect assassin. [He shakes his head in astonishment.]

[Shalimar turns up at Mark Kearney's palatial house. When he opens the door, she grins flirtatiously.]
Shalimar: You invited me to dinner sometime. I decided to take you up on it.
Mark (letting her in): Can I take your jacket?
Shalimar (handing him the jacket): Thanks.
Mark: Would you like some wine?
Shalimar: Yes.
Mark (getting some wineglasses): Shalimar, if you're here to talk about Genomex, I can't help you.
Shalimar (shrugging): I don't know why I'm here. Maybe it's about the murder, or...maybe I just think you need protection.
Mark: Well, when you look at me like that, I feel like I might need protection.
Shalimar (raising an eyebrow): Well, you don't look too scared.
Mark (handing her some wine): I'm more frightened by the minute. [Their hands touch around the glass.]
Shalimar: Me too. [She backs away.] Nice digs. I guess I should have expected one of the Princes of Genomex to live like this.
Mark: I have the house, but that was somebody else. Another life.
Shalimar: Does that account for your job at the free clinic too? Kinda seems like you're trying to make amends for something.
Mark: Are you planning to psychoanalyze me all night?
Shalimar: I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. I just want to help.
Mark: There are some things that when they're done, you can never go back to. You can only move ahead.

[Kelly's wandering around a parking lot when a balding man drives into the lot in a powder blue sports car. Kelly walks up to him, bending over to show her cleavage.]
Kelly: Nice ride. I'll bet it goes real fast.
The Man: It goes as fast as you want it to.
Kelly (caressing his arm): Maybe I should check it out.
The Man: There's always room for a passenger like you. [Grabbing his shirt, she lifts him out of the driver's seat.]
Kelly: Sorry. I drive alone. [She tosses him over the fence, gets into the car, lays her Cheetos bag on the seat next to her and picks up his cellphone to call WXTY.] I need to speak to Carla Reed.
Carla (picking up the phone): And you are?
Kelly: It's not important.
Carla: It is if I'm supposed to believe you.
Kelly: You don't know me. But I have information for you about the murder of Dennis Malone. Malone was in charge of a Genomex Project called The Walker Project. His death was payback for the crimes he committed against one of his test subjects.
Carla: What crimes?
Kelly: You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But what you should believe is that the other scientists involved are also going to die.
Carla: Mark Kearney?
Kelly: He's one. Leo McAllister as well.
Carla (making notes): McAllister. I haven't heard of him.
Kelly: He was the smart one. He knew it was only a matter of time before the test subject went after him. He's hidden himself pretty well. But I know you can find him, Carla. I know you can.
Carla: Why are you telling me this?
Kelly: Because if you don't find him, I will. And when I do, he's gonna die.
Carla: Whoever you are, you're not the killer. The person who killed Dennis Malone was a man.
Kelly: Carla, baby. I guarantee you have no idea what I am. [She drives off, tossing the cellphone out the window.]

[Back at Sanctuary, Emma's filling Adam in on what happened at Carla's room.]
Emma: Well, Brennan hit her with a solid blast, but she just shook it off.
Adam: Right, because whoever's running this body doesn't care about preserving it. I mean, he'll just take whatever we dish out, and then just jump into another body. How the hell do you stop a ghost?
Emma: Well, that's what he is. I mean, that's what it feels like to me. When I hit him with the psionic blast, whoever it was almost left the body again. And then all I felt was this overpowering sadness. You know, like a ghost who envied all of us who were still living.
Adam: Well, before we start feeling too sorry for it, just remember that this guys is on a killing spree.
Emma (nodding): I know.
Adam: I still think that this...ghost...has its roots in Genomex research, right? I think that's where we're gonna find a way to stop it.

[Carla's still in her office, on the phone trying to uncover Dr. McAllister's whereabouts.]
Carla: World class scientists don't just vanish into thin air. Somebody's got to know something about McAllister. [She listens.] Classified information? Since when does that actually mean anything? I mean, you're the same guy who slipped me the governor's network password. Look, we're all scared. I was there, I saw what the guy did to Malone. Billy, I promise you, nobody will know where it came from. Just get me whatever you can on McAllister. [She smiles.] Love ya. [She hangs up, turning to Vic as he walks in.] Listen to this. The dead guy, Malone, and the other Genomex guy, Mark Kearney, had a third partner on some top-secret project they were doing. It blew up in their faces, and they all left Genomex.
Vic: Yeah, well, I don't see much of a story in the guy's unemployment record.
Carla: It's a story when two of the world's top researchers leave the business altogether. And now this McAllister's just dropped off the face of the earth.
Vic: But don't tell me. You're gonna find him.
Carla (patting his shoulder): Well, actually, we're going to find him.
Vic: Ah.
Carla: Even if we have to be here all night.
Vic: Great. [He hands her the tape she's looking for, and she heads down the hallway. He calls after her.] Okay, well, don't worry about me. I'll call Donna, tell her to put my dinner in the fridge. [Just as he picks up the phone, Kelly enters the room behind him, stuffing Cheetos into her mouth. She knocks on the wall to get his attention.] Can I help you?
Kelly (shutting the door): I hope so.
Vic (stuttering): Gah...I was just gonna call my wife and tell her...I'm home...late. [Licking her fingers, Kelly drops the Cheetos bag on his desk. She reaches out towards his chest, and the orange form leaps from her into him. Kelly collapses on the ground, and Vic picks up the Cheetos bag.]

***Commercial Break***

[In Sanctuary's main room, Mutant X has gathered to put the pieces together.]
Adam: Okay, so the force that killed Malone has got to be the astral assassin that the Walker Project created.
Emma: Well, we stopped him from getting to Mark, hopefully we can stop him before he tries again.
Jesse: Yeah, but we can't keep him covered forever. I mean, how long can you stop someone with his power from getting to him?
Adam: Right. And the other issue is Leo McAllister. Now, yeah, he's dropped out of sight, but you can bet that the killer's trying to find him too.
Brennan (eating an apple with a pocket knife): Do we have any leads?
Adam: Well, unfortunately, our best sources are Mark Kearney and Carla Reed.
Emma: That reporter? [Adam nods.] You're not saying we should talk to her; she's already all over us.
Adam: No, what I'm saying is that if she finds out where McAllister is, we've gotta know about it. So I want you to split up, I want you to cover both angles.
Jesse: I'll cover the reporter.
Emma (rolling her eyes): I'll make sure he doesn't wind up giving her an exclusive. [She pushes him out of the room.]
Brennan: Well, I guess that leaves Shal and me to cover Dr. Mark. Guess I get to see how the other half lives, huh?

[At the television station, Carla hurries towards her office with a piece of paper.]
Carla: Vic? Vic! [He comes out of the office, carrying the Cheetos bag. He quickly closes the door behind him.] I found McAllister. He's living in a junkyard on the west side. Ready?
Vic: Oh, yeah! I've been waiting for this.
Carla: Great! Let's go. [He follows her out just as Emma and Jesse arrive in the station's lobby.]
Emma: He's here.
Jesse: The reporter?
Emma: I don't know. [She opens the door to Carla's office, where they see Kelly's body on the floor.] Oh my God.
Jesse: They know where McAllister is. We've gotta stop them. [They run out to the parking lot in time to see Carla and Vic drive off in their black van.]
Emma (to Jesse): Come on.
Carla (seeing Jesse and Emma run towards them): What's that about?
Vic: Some people don't know when to give up. [He floors the van, heading straight towards Emma and Jesse. Jesse pushes Emma out of the way, then phases so that the van goes right through him.]
Carla: NO! [She stares in astonishment when Jesse appears unharmed behind them. Unconcerned, Vic pops another Cheeto into his mouth.] What just happened?!
Vic: Lady, sometimes you just gotta learn to shut up. Now which way is this junkyard?

[Brennan and Shalimar are fighting on their way towards Mark's clinic.]
Brennan: Now, let's see what fresh lies your friend Mark has to tell.
Shalimar: Would you stop it?! He's not like that.
Brennan: You've totally lost perspective here, haven't you?
Shalimar: Oh, I've lost perspective?
Brennan: Yeah.
Shalimar: You're the one who hates him for no reason. Except for maybe the fact that I might like him.
Brennan: In case you're forgetting, Mr. Clean is Genomex. The Enemy. One of the ones responsible for creating the assassin in the first place.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, I'd like to hear that from him. [She stalks off.]
Brennan: Yeah, I'll bet. [Mark looks up when he hears them enter.]
Mark: Nice surprise. You know, I'm supposed to be working.
Brennan: Oh, no, this is about your work. Your real work? The Walker Project? Yeah, you remember. The assassin that you created at Genomex?
Mark: I've spent the last four years trying to forget those times.
Brennan: Oh, there's somebody who hasn't forgotten them. And you know it. And you've known about it all along.
Mark (walking into his office): I have patients.
Shalimar: Look, Mark, you know it's only a matter of time until he comes after you.
Mark (sitting at his desk): In a way, I suppose I've been ready for that since the day I left Genomex.
Shalimar: It's okay.
Mark (getting up): It's not okay! We took a 16 year old kid and we stole his soul. His name was Cyrus Payton. He used to hang around waiting for his treatments reading comics and eating junk food. Except for his astral projection powers, normal kid. And then Malone figured out a way for him to shift into other people's bodies. And then he found he couldn't get back to his own.
Shalimar: What?
Mark: He shifted for too long. And when he tried to get back, the body had died. Poor kid was stuck, shifting from body to body and never able to stay anywhere because he'd burn them out.
Shalimar: You tried to help him, right?
Mark (sighing): At Genomex, there was only one way to deal with mistakes. Instead of trying to find him a stable body, Malone created a containment field. An electrical version of the pods.
Brennan: Ah, so something just happened to the containment field, and he just got free, is that it?
Mark: I guess so.

[Sitting in the WXTY parking lot with Jesse, Emma calls Brennan over her comlink.]
Emma: Brennan?
Brennan: Yeah.
Emma: The killer's taken over Carla Reed's cameraman. They're on their way over to get Leo McAllister. We lost them.
Brennan (to Mark): Okay, you may be ready for whatever happens to you, but Cyrus Payton is on his way over to see your friend McAllister. You need to tell us where he is, or you're gonna have another death on your conscience.
Mark: He lives in a junkyard on the west side, on Maple and Industry.
Brennan (over his comlink): Did you get that?
Emma: We're on our way. [Jesse drives down the street.]

[Vic pulls the van up into the junkyard, and gets out when he sees a rumpled, dirty Leo McAllister peeping out of a ramshackle metal shack.]
Dr. Leo McAllister: Who are you? What are you doing here? [Hoisting his camera onto his shoulder, Vic nods to Carla, who's clearly unnerved by the whole situation.]
Vic: Come on. This is your big story.
Dr. McAllister: What do you want?
Vic (shoving Carla ahead): Ask the questions!
Carla: I'm...Carla Reed from...WXTY news.
Dr. McAllister: I don't speak to reporters.
Vic: Yeah, you'll speak to us. [He pushes Carla forward again.] Go on.
Carla (swallowing hard): We wanna know about your work...with Genomex. The Walker Project?
Dr. McAllister: I don't know what you're talking about.
Vic (lowering the camera): Okay, see, you're doing this all wrong. I'll take over. Professor McAllister, why don't you tell us why a bunch of scientists took an innocent kid, told him you were gonna help him learn how to use his special powers, and then you tricked him into this procedure that would kill him?
Dr. McAllister (shaking his head): Oh, no. It wasn't like that.
Vic: Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was, doc. [He drops the camera on the ground. Behind him, Carla starts to back away, but Vic grabs her wrist.] I was there.
Dr. McAllister: Cyrus?
Vic: Hey. [McAllister reaches into his belt and draws a gun. Before he can aim, Vic reaches out, projecting an orange energy at his chest. McAllister gasps and drops to the ground just as Jesse and Emma drive up.]
Jesse: Cyrus! Hey, we know what happened. We can help you.
Vic: Just a few things I gotta do before I go. [He grabs Carla by the throat, holding an energy ball over her chest.]
Carla: No, please!
Jesse: Emma? [Emma starts to form a psionic blast, but Vic tightens his grip around Carla's throat.]
Vic: Oh, no. Not this time.
Emma: Cyrus, I know how you feel.
Vic: Yeah? Then you know what I gotta do. [He drags Carla to the side of the van.] Open the door! [Jesse starts towards them, but Vic wards them off with a flash from his arm.] Stay back! Yeah, get in. [He pushes Carla into the van, then crawls in himself.] See you later. [He peels off.]

***Commercial Break***

[In the City Medical Center, Brennan returns to Mark's office with the bad news.]
Brennan: Okay, they lost him, which means you're next on the hit parade.
Mark: I sent the staff home and cancelled the day's appointments. I don't want anyone else getting hurt.
Shalimar: Yeah, but you're not planning on staying around yourself, are you?
Mark: Well, what else am I gonna do? Even if I hide out from him a little longer, how many more bodies will he go through to get to me? [He glances at Brennan.] Your friend here was right. I've got enough bodies on my conscience. I can't afford any more.
Brennan: Well, maybe nobody has to die. You said there was a way to contain him.
Mark: It was a fluke. His astral body has an electrical pattern. If he's between bodies, he's vulnerable to an electrical attack, but when he's in a body, he's impervious to anything. [Brennan and Shalimar exchange smiles.]
Shalimar: What are you thinking?
Brennan: Well, if we can get him out of that body, then I'm all over that electrical attack.
Mark: No, he knows what we did to him before. He'll only swap when he knows it's safe.
Brennan: Well, I didn't say it was gonna be easy.
Mark: You need bait to bring him in. I'm what he's after.
Shalimar (shaking her head): No. You don't have to do that.
Mark: I'll be okay.
Brennan: Good.

[The WXTY van screeches to a halt beside Mark's clinic. Vic drags Carla out.]
Carla: What the hell are you doing?! Have you gone completely insane?
Vic: You don't know the half of it.
Carla: When this is over, you're fired. You will never shoot tape in this town again!
Vic: Yeah. You got that right.
Carla: Let go, you're hurting me!
Vic: Sorry, but I need a recharge. You want this story so much, I'm gonna let you be part of it. [Releasing her wrists, he reaches out, releasing the orange form from his hand into her chest. Vic falls to the ground at Carla's feet just as Emma and Jesse pull up behind them. Mark steps out of the clinic's door, followed by Brennan and Shalimar.]
Mark: Hello, Cyrus. [Carla looks around at Mutant X surrounding Mark.]
Carla: They can't stop me. Nothing can. That's how you made me.
Mark: I know.
Emma: Cyrus, I know how you feel.
Carla: No, you don't.
Emma: Yes, I do, believe me. I feel it. But killing these people isn't gonna do anything.
Carla: Yes, it will. It'll finish it.
Mark: For what it's worth, I'm sorry.
Carla: Doesn't matter. [She starts towards Mark, but Emma shoots her with a psionic blast, knocking Cyrus out of her body. Cyrus's orange form makes a beeline for Mark's body, but Brennan nods to Jesse, who phases and leaps in front of Mark. Unable to capture Jesse's phased body, Cyrus is forced into the air again, where Brennan zaps him with an electrical arc. Cyrus screams and vanishes. Emma runs to Carla's side, but she's dead. Mark stares at Carla and Vic's bodies in shocked sorrow.]
Shalimar (hugging him): It's over.
Mark (pulling away): Is it? [He goes back into the clinic, shutting the door behind him.]

[Back in Sanctuary, the team has gathered in the main room again, watching the latest WXTY news report.]
Female anchor: It is with great sadness that we passing today of two members of our WXTY family: investigative reporter Carla Reed and cameraman Vic Morelli. Killed while pursuing a story, they died as they lived, fearless seekers of the truth.
Adam (turning off the tv): Well, in a way, I feel guilty. [Shalimar rubs his arm.]
Brennan: Oh, come on, Adam. No one forced her to take on this story.
Emma (patting Adam's back): In fact, it would have been impossible to keep her off it.
Adam: No, I know, but still. It's just more lives chalked up to the Genomex scandal. [He leaves.]
Emma (to Shalimar): How's Mark?
Shalimar: Well, I think he's gonna need some time.
Emma: And the two of you?
Shalimar: I think the last thing he needs is to be reminded of mutants and Genomex. That's kind of me all over, isn't it? [She starts to walk away, but Brennan reaches out to caress her shoulder.]
Brennan: Hey. For what it's worth, I'm sorry, huh?
Shalimar (smiling at him): Thanks. [She walks away.]