Mutant X Transcripts: Ep 219 "One Step Closer"
Mutant X Episode Transcripts
Mutant X Episode #219 Transcript: “ One Step Closer”
[Opening Scene: Shalimar and Brennan wander around a science museum's show room, monitoring the teenaged Megan Morrison, as she explores the exhibits. Drinking a soda, Shalimar steals a french fry from Brennan's carton.]
Shalimar: So, are you swallowing those things whole, or are you actually managing to get a few bites in along the way?
Brennan (stuffing a french fry into his mouth): Whole.
Megan (joining them): I'm going over to the cyclotron, if that's okay with my bodyguards.
Shalimar: Sure.
Brennan: Yeah, that's cool. We're right behind you.
Megan: Thanks, Bren. [Brennan gives her a thumbs up, and Megan goes across the room. Shalimar begins to laugh.]
Brennan (swatting a french fry in her face): What's so funny?
Shalimar (batting her eyes, imitating Megan): ‘Thanks Bren.’ Someone has a crush on you!
Brennan: Oh, come on. She’s a sweetie.
Shalimar: Can’t be easy being the senator’s daughter either, right?
Brennan: Yeah, especially with her mom having all those death threats. Can’t make life any easier. Well, I think she’s dealing with it okay. She’s a good kid.
Megan (peddling the cyclotron): Bren! You’ve gotta see this one. [Glancing back at the giggling Shalimar, Brennan starts towards Megan.]
Shalimar (looking at her watch): Maybe next time, kids. Time to go.
Megan: Come on, we’re having fun!
Brennan (stomping his feet in a pretend tantrum): Yeah, come on!
Shalimar (pointing a warning finger at him): Not from you. [She grabs his arm.] Come on.
Megan (getting up): Fine. [They leave the museum and head into the parking garage.]
Brennan: Your mom would be very worried about you if we brought you home late. We have our orders.
Megan: Fine. [She runs towards his motorcycle.] Then, can I ride on your bike with you?
Brennan (stopping her): No-no-no-no, hey! No. You only ride on four wheels. Which means you and Shal get to ride in the car, but I’ll be right behind you. [He goes to the bike; Megan accompanies Shalimar to the car.]
Shalimar: Why don’t you pick a CD for the way back? [As she reaches her car door, a man pretending to fix the tire of the car parked next to hers stands up, facing her. A second man appears behind Megan on the other side of the car, and a third comes up behind the car.]
Brennan (seeing what’s going on): Can I help you guys?
Thug #3 (turning to him): Girlfriend’s got a nice car.
Brennan: Yeah, I noticed.
Thug #3: I’m gonna look nice driving it. [He nods at Megan.] Girl comes with us.
Shalimar (feral eyes flashing): I don’t think so. [When the thug in front of her grabs her arm, she punches him in the face and kicks him across the next car. Brennan shoots an electrical arc at the second thug, sending him flying.]
Thug #3 (in wonder): What the hell are you?
Brennan: The wrong people to mess with.
Shalimar: You didn’t think you were gonna just get the girl, didja?
Brennan: I wanna know who you’re working for. I’m not gonna ask you twice. [He holds up a tesla coil, which suddenly starts to flicker. Brennan begins to shake.]
Shalimar (watching as the electricity spreads to his other hand): Brennan? [She starts towards him.] Brennan?
Brennan (groaning as the tesla coils magnify in size): Stay away!
Shalimar (coming closer): Brennan, what’s happening?
Megan: Brennan?
Brennan (staring at his hands in shock): Get away! Get away! [A stray electrical bolt shoots from his hands and hits Shalimar, spinning her across the room. Megan watches in horror as an electric aura forms around Brennan’s body, lifting him screaming into the air.]
Megan: Brennan!
Thug #3 (shielding his face from the electrical sparks raining down around him): Get the girl before this whole place goes up!
Megan (yelling as the thugs drag her into a black SUV): Brennan, help me! Please! Brennan! Help, Brennan! [The SUV speeds out of the garage. Shalimar slowly picks herself up off the ground, staring up at Brennan, who’s suspended in the air, convulsing and emitting a bright circle of electricity from his hands, feet, and mouth.]
Shalimar: Brennan! Brennan, fight it! [Finally losing consciousness, Brennan tumbles to the ground. Shalimar rushes over to him and listens for a heartbeat. She shouts into her comlink.] Jesse! We lost the senator’s daughter! And prep the lab. Brennan’s down. [She cradles Brennan’s head, trying to revive him.]
Opening Credits. “One Step Closer.”
[Scene: In the lab at Sanctuary, Brennan’s lying on the biobed, sleeping it off. Adam, a stethoscope hanging around his neck, stands at the computer talking with Senator Morrison via video link.]
Senator Morrison: Adam, you were supposed to keep her safe. You were supposed to take care of her!
Adam: Senator, you have my personal assurance that all of my efforts are focused on getting your daughter back quickly and safely! We’ll be in your office in less than an hour.
Senator Morrison: No, I have already turned this over to a team of investigators hired to handle this kind of investigation.
Adam (shaking his head): Getting anybody else involved at this stage is the worst thing you can do! [Roused by the shouting, Brennan wakes up.]
Senator Morrison: Open your eyes, Adam! Things couldn’t be any worse than they are right now.
Adam: I will find her, I promise! I- [She cuts off the connection. Adam sighs.]
Brennan (sitting up): I’m sorry, Adam.
Adam (going over to him): It’s all right. There’s nothing you could have done about it.
Brennan (holding his head): What the hell happened to me?
Adam: I won’t know until I finish running some tests. You know, could have been a random occurrence.
Brennan: What? Random occurrence? You can’t write off Shalimar and me almost being killed as a random occurrence, Adam. [He gets up, cringing.] Even if you knew, you wouldn’t tell me, would you?
Adam (holding up his DNA sampler): Brennan, when I know something definite, you’ll be the next to know. [Brennan walks out, finding Shalimar waiting for him outside the door.]
Shalimar (trotting to keep up with him): Hey. What’d Adam say?Brennan: Nothing, as usual. He likes keeping us all in the dark.
Shalimar: Look, that’s not his style, Brennan. If he knew something, he would tell you.
Brennan: No, Adam’s world is based on having all the facts. He doesn’t have them with me, and that scares him.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, something like that scares all of us.
Brennan: No, you know what scares me? Megan is in danger! I was the one who lost it; it’s my fault she got kidnapped.
Shalimar: Our fault.
Brennan: You know, you seemed to be doing just fine. I was the one who almost killed both of us.
Shalimar: Yeah, well lucky for us, Adam’s all over it.
Brennan (going into his room): Yeah, we’ll see.
Shalimar (standing in the doorway): You know what? You and Adam are a lot more alike than either one of you would care to admit.
Brennan: Shal, Adam’s not the one whose body is falling apart, here!
Shalimar: He’s on it. Okay, don’t lose faith.
Brennan (starting to close the door in her face): That’s easy for you to say, standing in your shoes.
Shalimar (holding the door open): Hey, you know what? I know you’re hurting right now, so I’m gonna let that one go. But just so there’s no confusion, let me make one thing perfectly clear. If this is about your mutation taking another step, then it is about me; it’s about all of us! And you know what? I still have faith. [She stalks off. Brennan slams the door.]
[Scene: The second story loft of an darkened abandoned warehouse. Megan is tied to a chair in the center of the room, surrounded by dozens of candles. Her kidnapper, Christian, strolls around the room lighting the candles with a blowtorch.]
Christian: Think of this as Halloween, all dark and spooky and scary. We’re all involved. I’m gonna go to your mama’s house and say, “Trick or treat!” And if she gives me my treat, I’ll go next door and scare the neighbors. But if she doesn’t give me my treat, I have to do a trick. A really bad trick. [He kneels beside her chair.] The one where you end up dead. So you better hope your mama’s in a generous mood, huh? [He gets up and leaves.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma and Jesse are talking in the main room.]
Emma: Maybe I should talk to him.
Jesse: I think maybe we should all have a talk.
Emma: What do you mean?
Jesse: Maybe what’s happening to Brennan was supposed to happen. Maybe his accident wasn’t an accident at all, but was just a natural progression of his mutation.
Emma: No, that’s not true.
Jesse: Come on. None of us want anything bad to happen to Brennan. God, he’s closer than my own family. But we are all continuing to mutate, and sooner or later that mutation’s gonna go out of control.
Emma: You don’t know that.
Jesse: You’re right, I don’t know that. But maybe I’m right. Maybe we’re like a comet or lightbulb that burns brightest right before we die. [Behind them, Brennan emerges from his room, listening.]
Emma: Brennan is not dying.
Jesse: I hope to God you’re right. But right now, Adam doesn’t have the answers, which means that nobody does, and that’s scaring me. [Emma stiffens as she sees Brennan.] Wha--what? [Turning, he watches Brennan walk out of the room.] Did he...um.
Emma (nodding sadly): Yeah. Yeah, he did.
Jesse (mad at himself): Of course he did.
Adam (coming up to them): Jess, Emma. Let’s go pay the senator a little office visit.
Jesse: I thought she kicked us off the case.
Adam: She did. I don’t get fired that easily. [They follow him out.]
[Scene: Senator Morrison’s office. The senator sits on a couch listening to the private investigator she hired to find Megan, Simon Fletcher.]
Simon: We’ll find her. We’re connecting your system to a high speed tracer. [Adam barges into the room, followed by Jesse and Emma.]
Senator Morrison (standing up): Adam!
Simon: What the hell is this?
Senator Morrison: I thought I made myself clear in our last conversation.
Adam: You did, Senator, I’m very sorry. I was just hoping that you would reconsider. Let us work in tandem with your security team. [He turns to Simon.] I’m sorry, I’m Adam Kane.
Senator Morrison: Simon Fletcher.
Simon (shaking his hand): Mr. Kane, my agency is trained to deal with these kinds of recoveries, and we work alone.
Adam: Mr. Fletcher, this isn’t the time for a power play. These people are about to make their demands, and we have to be ready. [As he talks, Jesse goes behind the senator’s desk and phases two fingers into the tape recorder by the phone.]
Simon: As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to be anything. Because you’re out of here. [He nods to his security team.] Do you need to be forcibly removed?
Senator Morrison (coming up to them): Adam, please don’t make this any harder than it already is.
Adam: No, it’s all right, Senator. My prayers are with you. [He kisses her hand and leaves with Jesse and Emma, waving at Simon.] Sorry.
Jesse (walking down the hallway): I really should send those guys a thank-you note. They’ve already done all the hard work.
Adam: You managed to piggy-back their tracing system?
Jesse (grinning at him): Yeah.
Adam (hanging back to talk to Emma): You okay?
Emma (frowning): Yeah. I don’t know, maybe it was just there were a lot of really intense emotions in there.
Adam: Well, let’s see if we can get her daughter back and turn that around. [Emma nods, and they leave the building.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Jesse, Emma and Shalimar sit in a semi-circle of couches off the main room, as Adam paces around in the center.]
Adam: All right, Jesse, so as far as we know, we still haven’t had any communication from the kidnappers, right?
Jesse: No. But when we do, we should know where the call’s coming from. We should have the kidnapper’s coordinates within a few seconds.
Adam: Good. And as soon as we have those, Shalimar, I want you to lead the team on the rescue effort.
Shalimar: ‘kay. [Hearing voices, Brennan emerges from his room to join them. Everyone guiltily finds somewhere else to look.]
Adam (sighing): Brennan, I want you to stay here at Sanctuary. I want you to monitor the situation.
Brennan: No, I’m going.Adam: I’m afraid that’s just not possible. Not in your current unstable state.
Brennan: My state? What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Adam: All right, Bren, look, I know you just want to help, but until we get your situation under control, it’s safer if you just stay here.
Brennan: Adam, this is not a hospital, okay, and I’m not a patient or a prisoner! I can help the team!
Emma: Adam just doesn’t want you getting hurt.
Brennan: Oh, is that it? Or do you just think I’m gonna hurt somebody else?
Adam: All right, now listen to me. I’m working on a way to stabilize your powers. At the same time, we’ve got to find a way to find the girl.
Brennan (angrily): And so what, meanwhile, I’m just supposed to sit here waiting to die? [As he waves his hands around, a small electric charge flickers in them.]
Jesse (playing with a bandage on his finger): Brennan! Take it easy.
Brennan (becoming more agitated): No! I just want to be allowed to do my job, Jess! [He gestures with his hands, which buzz with electricity.]
Shalimar (sitting up): Your hands, Bren.
Brennan (as a tesla coil ignites in his right hand): I’m fine! [He grabs his wrist, but the tesla coil keeps growing. One by one, Emma, Shalimar and Jesse stand up in alarm.]
Adam (holding Emma back with one hand): All right, Brennan. Brennan. No, no, listen to me.
Brennan (bending over as electricity races over his body): I’m fine!
Adam (trying to get his attention): I want you to concentrate. [Long streaks of electricity begin to shoot from Brennan’s body.] Brennan! Brennan, concentrate! [Shouting, Jesse runs towards Brennan. A large lightning bolt shoots out from Brennan and electrocutes him; Jesse flies backwards onto the floor. Shalimar rushes to his side.]
Adam: Brennan! [Brennan collapses, convulsing in a sea of electricity until he loses consciousness again.]
*********Commercial Break*********
[Brennan’s sleeping it off on the biobed in the lab once more. Emma walks over to check on him, then joins Shalimar and Adam, who are standing over Jesse in the biochair.]
Emma: Doesn’t look good.
Adam (examining Jesse): Well, that last episode took a lot out of him.
Jesse (wearily raising his finger): He’s not the only one.
Shalimar: What in the hell happened, Adam?
Adam: I don’t know. I only know that right now, he’s highly unstable.
Jesse: What does it mean for the rest of us, Adam?
Adam (looking around at them): All right, look, I know that you’re all worried that your powers are mutating. But right now there is no reason to think that any of you are in any danger.
Emma: Yet.
Adam: I am not gonna give up here. I am gonna find a way to stabilize Brennan and I am gonna make sure that nothing bad happens to any of you. You just have to trust me.
Brennan (waking up): I could have killed Jess. I could have killed any of us. [Emma helps him sit up.]
Adam: Believe me, I am gonna do everything in my power to make sure that that doesn’t happen. See, I know you’re all thinking about Gabriel Ashlocke. You’re all wondering whether you’re gonna self-destruct like he did, right?
Brennan: Why don’t you look me in the eye and tell me that’s not gonna happen? [Emma walks over to Jesse.]Adam (walking over to him): Ashlocke’s genes were at the point of ripping themselves apart. Your genes are highly unstable, but I believe that that is a result of a re-amping of your power. And I have to find a way to allow you to control it.
Brennan (angrily): So what if you don’t? Do we all just go up like a big bang?
Adam: All right, Brennan? Right now you have to learn how to control your emotions, because I believe that that is triggering the problem. [He starts back towards Jesse.]
Brennan: Adam, do you have any idea how it feels like to walk around like a living time bomb? To know that at any second I could explode and kill Shalimar, Jesse, you, anyone? I walk around with these thoughts in my head every single day and you want me to control my emotions? Are you out of your mind?
Adam: All right, look. But I know that I don’t know how you feel, but I do know that every time you lose your temper, your power overloads. So until I can allow you to restore conscious control, you have to stay calm.
Brennan (standing up): Stay calm? Adam, there’s a little girl that’s in danger because of me! [An electrical streak runs down his right arm. Standing behind Jesse, Shalimar’s eyes widen.] Okay, and one minute I go from owning this to feeling my body tear itself apart! [He winces as the electricity from his arm spreads.]
Jesse (watching from his chair): Adam!
Adam: Brennan. Brennan! I want you to take a deep breath. Breathe in, out. [Brennan slowly calms down, and the electricity fades away. Adam approaches him.] All right. Okay? That was good.
Brennan (looking up at him, exhausted): No. No, Adam. None of this is good. [He limps out of the room. Adam glances back at the rest of the team for support, but they avoid his eyes.]
[At Senator Morrison’s office, the telephone rings. Simon hovers over the desk as the senator answers it.]
Senator Morrison: Hello?
Christian (on his cell phone): Senator Morrison. You know why I’m calling.
Senator Morrison: I want to speak to my daughter!
Christian: It’s good to have goals. You remember saying that, Senator? Hm? You remember that?
Senator Morrison: Yes.
Christian: Well, I’ve set my goal. Are you ready? [At Sanctuary, Jesse’s at the computer, listening in as he traces the call. Emma and Shalimar wait behind him.]
Senator Morrison: Just tell me what you want.
Christian: Your campaign fund has over 5 million dollars. You have access to the account.
Senator Morrison: You can’t expect me to embezzle campaign money.
Christian: What? An honest politician? [He walks up behind Megan, pulling her hair.]
Megan (crying out): Mom!
Christian: Honest enough to let her daughter die for her principles?
Senator Morrison (seeing Simon nod): I-I’ll do what you ask.
Christian: 5 million dollars. 24 hours. You’ll get another call as to where and when. Move, Senator. [She hangs up.]
Shalimar: Did you get a fix on the kidnappers?
Jesse: Got ‘em.
Emma: Where are they?
Jesse: An old factory downtown.
Shalimar: Well, the Helix should get us there before the cops. Let’s just hope the show’s not over. [They head out. Landing the Helix outside the factory, Jesse, Shalimar, and Emma walk up to the building.]
Shalimar: Are you sure about this, Jess?
Jesse (checking his readout): Yep. The call came from here. [Shalimar tries the window, but it’s locked. Jesse peers in through the garage door.]
Shalimar: What do you say, open sesame? [Jesse phases the garage door, allowing them to walk inside.]
[Meanwhile, at Sanctuary, Brennan’s running off his frustrations on the treadmill as Adam works on developing a cure for him in the lab. Adam directs a red laser beam on a sample of his cells, but they fizzle and lyse. Adam shakes his head.]
[Entering the factory, Emma and Jesse return to Shalimar, having checked out their respective ends of the factory.]
Emma: This end’s clear. I’ve got nothing.
Jesse: Nothing over here either. Let’s try upstairs. [Shalimar leads them up the stairs, when they find a large empty room with two computers sitting on a table, hooked up to a telephone and a modem.
Shalimar: What is all that stuff?
Jesse: It’s a redialer. It relays the call to a clean line.
Emma (coming over): Can you find the location of the kidnappers?
Jesse (sitting at the computer): Shouldn’t be a problem. [He starts to type, then stops when Christian’s recorded voice echoes through the room.]
Christian’s voice: Trying to track me was stupid, Senator. You broke the rules. [The screen in front of Jesse flashes a countdown starting at 15.]
Jesse: Uh-oh.
Shalimar (grabbing his arm): Jesse, that’s a bomb. Come on!
Jesse (typing furiously): I’ve almost got it.
Shalimar (turning back to grab his wrist): And we’re almost dead, now come on!
Jesse (shrugging her off): I’ve gotta get them!
Emma: Jesse, come on! Jess! [As the countdown goes to 5, Jesse groans and races after them towards the stairs.]
Jesse: Go! Go! Go! [A huge fireball blossoms behind them as the entire factory explodes.]
***********Commercial Break**********
[Jesse flies the Double Helix away from the factory.]
Jesse: This is all bad.
Emma: How did they know we would be there?
Shalimar: Well, they didn’t know it’d be us. They’re smart, figured the Senator’d have her lines tapped.
Emma (shaking her head): I don’t know.
Jesse: Well, we had to take the shot. The question is, what do we do now?
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma’s in her darkened room, typing on her computer. She looks up when Brennan sticks his head in.]
Brennan: Hey. Whatcha working on?
Emma (quickly): Nothing! Uh...it’s nothing.
Brennan: Come on, it’s all right. [She stares at him; he frowns.] Or is it not all right?
Emma: Look, it’s just with everything going on right now, and Adam...
Brennan: Look, I just wanna be in the loop, here. Okay, I hate this whole situation. I feel totally useless. I just wanna be a part of the team. Please?
Emma: Fine. Just don’t...zap out or anything.
Brennan (smiling): No. No...zapping. Promise.
Emma: Okay, you know Senator Morrison’s head of security, Simon Fletcher?
Brennan: Yeah, I met him with Shalimar when we first picked up Megan.
Emma: Right. Well, I thought I got a funny vibe from him this afternoon when I met him at the Senator’s office. And then when his people didn’t show up, I got a little suspicious.
Brennan: So, let’s check him out.
Emma: I already did. At first glance, his record seemed perfect. Until I found this. [She pulls up an article with the headline: Politician’s Son Kidnapped.] It came from Seattle. A governor’s son was kidnapped and held for ransom. And the head of security that worked the release was Simon Fletcher.
Brennan (sitting next to her): What happened?
Emma: Well, Simon was the one they sent to pay the ransom, and the kidnappers were never found.
Brennan: What about the kid? [She doesn’t answer.]
Emma: Look, I think Simon was in on it. And I think he had something to do with Megan’s kidnapping as well.
Brennan: Yeah, well, I think I might have a little chat with him.
Emma: I don’t think Adam’s gonna go for that right now, Brennan. [As he gets up, Adam’s voice sounds over his comlink.]
Adam: Brennan, can you come into the lab, please?
Brennan (sighing): Well, don’t want to keep the boss waiting.
Emma: It’s gonna be okay. [She goes back to work as he leaves her room and heads into the lab, finding Adam standing at the computer.]
Brennan: ‘Sup?
Adam: Hey. I have developed a theory.
Brennan: I don’t want to hear theories, I want to hear cures.
Adam: All right, now look. Unfortunately what works on the microscopic sample will not work on you as a whole. [He pauses as Brennan grabs his wrist, electricity shooting down his arm.]
Brennan (finally getting it under control): Damn. Why don’t you just admit that I’m dying?
Adam: ‘Cause I’m not gonna admit that and you shouldn’t even think it.
Brennan (coming over to him): I don’t believe you, Adam. You know, you don’t even believe it yourself. I fought for you and what you stood for. But what you did to us? Adam, I accepted my fate; I made it my own. But you lied to us! I’m not doing it your way anymore. [He turns away.]
Adam (grabbing his arm): Listen, I can help you! I just don’t want to put you in any more danger. Now why can’t you understand that? I am not gonna let you die!
Brennan: It’s too late! Okay, I’m sorry, I’ve got something I’ve got to do.
Adam: All right, anything you do you put yourself in danger, do you understand that?
Brennan: The reality is, Adam, I got nothing to lose. [He walks out.]
[Emma looks up from her work when Shalimar comes into the room.]
Shalimar: Hey, Emma. I just saw Brennan tear outta here. You know what that’s all about?
Emma (sighing): I screwed up. I told him my suspicions about Simon Fletcher. [She gets up.] I’m pretty sure I know where he went. [They leave together.]
[Inside the Montclair Security building, Simon Fletcher enters the parking garage and goes to his car. He finds Brennan waiting for him on his motorcycle parked in the next space.]
Brennan: You’re a hard man to find.
Simon: I know you. You’re one of the people who lost the senator’s daughter.
Brennan (walking up to him): Well, then we have something in common, seeing as you’re the one that kidnapped her.
Simon: Oh, yeah. You got me. I kidnapped my boss’s daughter. Nice try, freak. Get lost. [He starts to open the car door; Brennan slams it shut.] Hey!
Brennan: Governor Nelson’s son four years ago. Ring any bells?
Simon: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Brennan (grabbing him by the throat): Now, see, that’s a lie. I hate it when people lie to me. [Electricity races up and down his arm.]
Simon (staring at it): What is that?
Brennan: This is how I figure it. You’re too stupid to have set this up on your own, but you’re just greedy enough for you to set up that little girl for a piece of the ransom. Now you’re gonna tell me who your partner is, and where I can find him. And you’re gonna tell me now. Who’s your partner?
Simon: I can’t, man! He’ll kill me!
Brennan (electric rings coursing up and down his body): Don’t worry about your partner, worry about me.
Simon: What the hell is that?
Brennan: Something I can’t control. You’ve got about ten seconds before I light up like Old Sparky. Is that how you’re looking to go out?
Simon: Okay, okay, the guy’s name is Christian!
Brennan (shaking, manages to get out two words): Where and when?
Simon: God! Tonight, 8 o’clock. I’ve gotta deliver the money by 8 o’clock, a warehouse by the docks. The little girl is there. Don’t kill me! [Brennan loses control, electrocuting Simon before he can let him go. Brennan doubles over in pain, then faints. A short while later, Shalimar runs into the garage, finding them both lying on the ground.]
Shalimar (patting his cheek): Hey, Brennan. Hey. Hey. [He startles awake.] Still with us?
Brennan: I think so.
Shalimar: That is by far the dumbest move you have ever made.
Brennan: Is he dead?
Shalimar: No. We’ll bring him with us.
Brennan (sitting up slowly): Bring him where?
Shalimar: Back to Sanctuary, Brennan. Back to Adam. And I’m not asking you to come with me, I’m telling you. Look, I know you’re scared. We all are. I don’t care about that anymore. What I do care about is you.
Brennan: I’m sorry.
Shalimar (smiling): At least you’re consistent. Did he tell you where Megan is?
Brennan (nodding): Yeah. He told me everything.
Shalimar: Fill me in on the way. Let Adam take care of you, Brennan. Look, he says he has a fix and you have to try it. Okay, whatever he works out for you just might end up saving all of us.
Shalimar (holding out her hand to help to his feet): Can you walk?
Brennan: Absolutely.
Shalimar: Good. You get to carry the bad guy. [She walks away. Brennan sighs.]
[Adam and Jesse have returned to Senator Morrison’s office.]
Senator Morrison: I can’t believe that Simon actually knew what was going on.
Jesse: Well, he’s done it before.
Senator Morrison: So he knows where Megan is?
Adam: That’s right. He does, and now we do. And we’re ready to move. Okay? Now Simon said that he’d be calling any minute, so I want you to pretend that you know nothing and I want you to go along with whatever they say. [She nods, then jumps as the phone rings.]
Jesse (turning on the tracer): Answer it.
Senator Morrison (sitting behind her desk to answer it): Hello?
Christian: Ah. I take it all the necessary lessons have been learned.
Senator Morrison: Is my daughter okay?
Christian: I’ve managed to vent my frustrations in a more productive way. But I assure you, Senator, one more mistake, ONE MORE MISTAKE! And I will do much more than hurt her. Okay, listen. You bring your head of security to warehouse 16 by the docks at 8 in the morning. With my money. If he is one minute late, your daughter dies! [Listening, Megan starts to cry.] You understand?
Senator Morrison (surprised): I thought you only wanted to deal with me.
Christian: Yeah, well, you’ve, uh, you disobeyed me once already. Perhaps your employee will follow directions better.
Senator Morrison (hanging up): He wants Simon to make the drop-off. What are we gonna do know?
Adam: He doesn’t know we have Simon. So we follow that plan. And Simon opens the door for us. [He walks to the door, opening it. He and Jesse leave.] Senator, don’t worry. We’ll have your daughter back by tomorrow. [The senator picks up a photo of Megan and begins to sob.]
[Inside the warehouse, Megan watches fearfully as Simon walks up to her holding a metal ring.]
Megan: What is going on?
Christian: There’s a strange smell in the air, kiddo. I have a feeling I’m not the only one playing tricks out there. [He brushes back her hair and places the collar around her neck.]
Megan (trying to pull away): What are you doing?
Christian: Buying myself a little insurance. Your new necklace is packed with a half pound of C4 explosive. Because if anything goes wrong with the switch, Mama’s little girl is going home without a head.
**********Commercial Break***********
[Back at Sanctuary, Adam strides into the garage, followed by Emma and Brennan.]
Adam: All right, so we don’t have a lot of time, so do you understand exactly what it is we’re about to do?
Brennan: Yeah, I do my thing, Emma does her thing, something like that.
Adam (stopping): Well...not exactly.
Brennan: Okay. I light up and lose it, Emma links up with me telempathically to help me reboot, right?
Emma (staring at him): So, is that the technical explanation?
Brennan: Well, why don’t you tell me, ‘cause I don’t see how this is gonna work.
Emma: Look, I’m just gonna help you to help yourself.
Adam: Exactly. I want you to think of this as a telempathic booster shot.
Brennan: Wha-wait. What are you saying, that this is just mind over matter?
Adam: Mm-hmm. Yeah, something like that. Your body is mutating faster than your mind has the capacity to keep up with the change.
Brennan (taking off his coat): Hm. Then let’s get the two to catch up.
Adam: Exactly. That is the idea. [He rubs Emma’s shoulder.] Are you ready for this? [She nods.] Here we go. [He leaves the room.]
Brennan: You sure you’re ready for this?
Emma (smiling): Ask me once it’s over.
Adam (joining Jesse and Shalimar outside, looking through the glass): Okay, let’s get started. [Brennan ignites a tesla coil, which quickly spreads over his body.]
Emma (standing in front of him): Good. Keep going.
Shalimar (outside, shaking her head): This doesn’t look safe. I think we should stop them.
Jesse: Couldn’t if we wanted to. Emma insisted on doing it. [Electric arcs begin to shoot from Brennan’s body.]
Emma (fearfully looking at Adam): Now?
Adam (shaking his head): Not yet, Emma. [Brennan screams as a halo of electricity surrounds him, lifting him into the air.] Okay, Emma, now! [Closing her eyes, Emma aims a psionic blast at Brennan’s head. Electricity courses from Brennan down the link into her head, carrying her up into the air facing Brennan.] Emma! Help him focus! [Opening her eyes, Emma concentrates on Brennan.] FOCUS!
Shalimar (watching in dread): What’s happening?
Adam: I think it’s working. [Electricity crackles around Brennan as he finally starts to return Emma’s gaze. The reaction lessens until both fall to the floor, breaking the connection. Shalimar, Adam, and Jesse run in.]
Adam (going with Jesse to pick Emma up): Hey! You all right? You okay?
Shalimar (going to pick Brennan up): Hey! You all right? Hey, you okay?
Emma (standing up painfully): Yeah. Let’s not do that again.
Adam: Well, maybe you won’t have to. [He goes to Brennan.] Okay, come on. How do you feel?
Brennan (raising his hand): Let’s find out.
Jesse: Wait. You sure you’re ready for a test run, there?
Brennan (looking at Emma): What do you think, Emma? [She nods. Shalimar stands back a little as he creates a tesla coil and maintains it successfully. He closes his fist.] What do you say we go find the senator’s daughter? [Adam smiles.]
[In the lab, Shalimar and Emma watch as Jesse tapes a wire and a metal disc to Simon Fletcher’s chest.]
Shalimar: You better not screw up. We’re serious.
Jesse: As serious as a heart attack. You let those kidnappers know what’s going on, there’re gonna be about a half million volts running through your chest. You understand?
Simon (gaping at him): I understand.
Jesse (handing him a metal suitcase filled with money): Okay. Here’s your ransom money. You know what to do.
Emma: Let’s go. [Glancing back at them, Simon gets up and walks out the door, passing Brennan on the way in.]
Shalimar (smiling at Jesse): What was that you strapped to his chest?
Jesse (grinning): Oh, hell if I know. Some adhesive tape and old computer parts.
Brennan (slapping his hand): Yeah, but he doesn’t know that, right? Good work.
[Mutant X lands the cloaked Double Helix on the rooftop of the warehouse and walk along the roof.]
Brennan: All right, Shal. Cover the floor from up here. And give us any updates on what’s going on? We’ll find our own ways in. [Shalimar goes over to the skylight and looks in. Inside, Simon Fletcher enters the room, followed by one of Christian’s men. Christian’s sitting at his computer, eating peanuts off the desk.]
Christian: Right on time. Can I assume we had no unexpected problems?
Simon (touching his chest): Everything is running exactly as planned.
Christian: Put the money on the table. [Simon hesitates, looking up at Megan in the loft.] I said, put the money on the table. Now! [Swallowing, Simon puts the suitcase on the table.] Open it. [Simon unlatches the case and shows him the money.] Nice to see Senator Morrison still knows all the right strings to pull when her back’s against the wall.
Simon: I’m gonna go get the girl.
Christian (slamming the suitcase shut): I’m afraid there’s been a slight change of plans. [One of Christian’s men levels a gun at Simon’s back.]
Simon (frowning): Change of plans?
Shalimar (watching from the roof): I’m going in.
Brennan (kicking open the back door): We’re on our way!
Simon: We had a deal!
Christian: The deal is off.
Brennan (running into the room with Emma): Time to renegotiate. [Christian grabs the suitcase as Brennan electrocutes the gunman behind Simon. Leaping down from the ceiling, Shalimar takes out two more.]
Megan (yelling from her chair): Brennan, help! [Thug #3 opens fire at Simon’s back as he flees towards the exit; Brennan kicks him to the ground. Mutant X races towards Megan, but Christian blocks their path, holding up the detonator.]
Christian: Take one more step. Go on. Take one step closer. And the senator’s precious daughter loses everything. From the neck up.
Megan (struggling in her chair behind him): Brennan! Help! Please, help me!
******Commercial Break********
[Mutant X faces off in front of Christian, who holds the detonator up over his head with one hand and the suitcase in the other.]
Brennan: You got what you want, let her go.
Christian: Little late for that now, don’t you think?
Brennan: Come on, man, she’s just a kid!
Megan: Help!
Christian: Oooh. Better she finds out sooner rather than later. Life doesn’t come with many breaks.
Brennan: Tell me about it. [He zaps Christian, who flies backwards through the air into the loft. Money floats down around Mutant X as they dash up the stairs to Megan. Reaching her first, Brennan grabs for the flashing ring around her neck.]
Jesse (racing up to him): No! No-no-no, don’t touch, don’t touch! [Kneeling, he gently pulls her hair back to examine the device.] Sure enough. The device has a hair-trigger mechanism. If I try to take it off, it might detonate.
Megan: Please, get this off me! I don’t want to die.
Brennan (touching her shoulder): Megan, we’re not gonna let that happen.
Emma: Jesse, why can’t you phase it off her?
Jesse (standing up): The mechanism acts with electrostatic impulses given off by our own bodies. If I try to take it off, it’ll blow.
Shalimar: Yeah, but there’s gotta be a back door on that thing, right?
Jesse: If there is, I couldn’t find it.
Brennan: Wait. What if I create a safe zone? Fill the area with the same low-grade electrostatic impulses? [Everyone looks at Jesse, who thinks it over.]
Jesse: It could give me the second I need to take it off.
Brennan: A second is all we need!
Megan (listening): No! You don’t know what you’re doing! There has to be another way.
Brennan (kneeling beside her): Shhh, it’s okay. Listen to me. Listen to me. Now trust me, I am not gonna let anything happen to you, okay?
Megan (nodding, calming down): Yeah.
Brennan: Okay. [Standing, he creates an electrostatic force-field around Megan.]
Shalimar (uncertain): Is this the safe zone you’re talking about?
Emma: Guess we’re gonna find out.
Brennan (nodding at Jesse): Now, Jess. [Phasing Megan’s head with one hand, Jesse slowly pulls the device from her neck with the other. He tosses it away behind his back, and Brennan destroys it with an electrical arc. They all duck away from the explosion.]
Brennan: He shoots, he scores! [He and Jesse rub Megan’s shoulders in relief. He squats down beside Megan.] Okay? [Behind her back, he shakes Jesse’s hand, nodding his thanks. Then he strokes Megan’s hair and starts to untie her.]
[In Sanctuary’s lab, Adam stands in front of the computer, talking to the senator via video link.]
Senator Morrison (sitting at her desk): Adam, thank you. Words are a poor substitute to describe what I feel inside.
Adam: Well, believe me, I understand.
Senator Morrison: Simon Fletcher plead guilty to all charges. I guess that should make me feel happy, right?
Adam: I guess. [He glances at the door as Brennan walks in.] How’s Megan?
Senator Morrison: Oh, she’s amazing, given the circumstances. I think she worries about me as much as I worry about her.
Megan (joining her mother): Tell Brennan I said thanks, will you, Mr. Kane?
Adam (looking over at Brennan): Yeah, I think you just told him yourself.
Brennan (walking up to the screen): Hey, kiddo. Glad to hear you’re all right.
Megan (sitting on her mother’s lap): So...you’ll...take me to the science center again?
Brennan (chuckling): It’s a date.
Senator Morrison: Thanks again, Adam.
Adam: Yeah, you bet. [He cuts off the connection.]
Brennan: She’s a sweet kid.
Adam: Yeah. Terrific mother. Kid’s got a lot to be grateful for, huh?
Brennan: Seems to be a lot of that going around. I’m grateful just to be standing here.
Adam (grinning): Got a new lease on life?
Brennan: You tell me. Is that what I’ve got? C’mon Adam, you can level with me.
Adam: You want me to level with you?
Brennan: Yeah.
Adam (sighing): All right. Emma helped you dodge one hell of a bullet last night.
Brennan: Man, you don’t have to tell me.Adam: No, I do have to tell you. Because the truth is, I can’t even predict which one of you is gonna be the next to mutate out of control, much less how I’m gonna treat it.
Brennan: That’s gotta make you feel pretty helpless.
Adam: Yeah, it does. Okay? Because I’m supposed to be the guy with all the answers, and I don’t have ‘em. And until I do, I can’t rest until I know exactly what makes you all tick.
Brennan: Yeah, and hopefully what keeps us ticking.
Adam: Yeah, that too.
Brennan (shaking his hand): Listen, thank you, Adam.
Adam: Listen, I’m not the one who deserves the thanks. [Nodding, Brennan walks out.]
[Emma’s meditating in her room when Brennan knocks and pops his head in the door.]
Brennan: Oh. Hope I’m not shocking your Chakra.
Emma (turning around): Come in.
Brennan (sitting on the bed next to her): So I just wanted to come by and tell you that I thought you were pretty terrific last night.
Emma (smiling): Are you sure you don’t have that the other way around?
Brennan: Emma, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now.
Emma (nodding): I doubt that very much.
Brennan: Please. You saved my life, and I will never forget it. Why did you do it? I mean, you had no idea what could have happened. You could have died.
Emma: Look, it’s not like I have a choice, Brennan. I mean, we’re all in the same boat. What do you think you would have done if it was my powers spinning out of control? Run and hide? [He smiles at her.]
Jesse (coming in with Shalimar, looking at Emma): Well, if that was an option. [He grins at Brennan.] It’s not our style.
Shalimar: No, we stick together till the bitter end.
Brennan: All right, so let me ask you all a question. Which one of you actually thought that I was buying my last ticket out of here? [The three look at each other.]
Jesse: You kidding? That never crossed our mind, man.
Emma: Yeah, we knew you’d bounce back.
Shalimar: Never doubted if for a minute.
Brennan: Hm, really? [He laughs.] Man, you guys are lousy liars. Well, thanks. [Emma and Shalimar leave the room.]
Jesse: So. You really all right, man?
Brennan: Yeah. Yeah. I’m gonna be all right.
Jesse (shaking his hand): Good. [He walks out of the room. Brennan gets up and looks into the mirror. Widening his eyes, he makes an electric glow pass over them. He smiles.]
Closing Credits.
Mutant X Episode #219 Transcript: “ One Step Closer”
[Opening Scene: Shalimar and Brennan wander around a science museum's show room, monitoring the teenaged Megan Morrison, as she explores the exhibits. Drinking a soda, Shalimar steals a french fry from Brennan's carton.]
Shalimar: So, are you swallowing those things whole, or are you actually managing to get a few bites in along the way?
Brennan (stuffing a french fry into his mouth): Whole.
Megan (joining them): I'm going over to the cyclotron, if that's okay with my bodyguards.
Shalimar: Sure.
Brennan: Yeah, that's cool. We're right behind you.
Megan: Thanks, Bren. [Brennan gives her a thumbs up, and Megan goes across the room. Shalimar begins to laugh.]
Brennan (swatting a french fry in her face): What's so funny?
Shalimar (batting her eyes, imitating Megan): ‘Thanks Bren.’ Someone has a crush on you!
Brennan: Oh, come on. She’s a sweetie.
Shalimar: Can’t be easy being the senator’s daughter either, right?
Brennan: Yeah, especially with her mom having all those death threats. Can’t make life any easier. Well, I think she’s dealing with it okay. She’s a good kid.
Megan (peddling the cyclotron): Bren! You’ve gotta see this one. [Glancing back at the giggling Shalimar, Brennan starts towards Megan.]
Shalimar (looking at her watch): Maybe next time, kids. Time to go.
Megan: Come on, we’re having fun!
Brennan (stomping his feet in a pretend tantrum): Yeah, come on!
Shalimar (pointing a warning finger at him): Not from you. [She grabs his arm.] Come on.
Megan (getting up): Fine. [They leave the museum and head into the parking garage.]
Brennan: Your mom would be very worried about you if we brought you home late. We have our orders.
Megan: Fine. [She runs towards his motorcycle.] Then, can I ride on your bike with you?
Brennan (stopping her): No-no-no-no, hey! No. You only ride on four wheels. Which means you and Shal get to ride in the car, but I’ll be right behind you. [He goes to the bike; Megan accompanies Shalimar to the car.]
Shalimar: Why don’t you pick a CD for the way back? [As she reaches her car door, a man pretending to fix the tire of the car parked next to hers stands up, facing her. A second man appears behind Megan on the other side of the car, and a third comes up behind the car.]
Brennan (seeing what’s going on): Can I help you guys?
Thug #3 (turning to him): Girlfriend’s got a nice car.
Brennan: Yeah, I noticed.
Thug #3: I’m gonna look nice driving it. [He nods at Megan.] Girl comes with us.
Shalimar (feral eyes flashing): I don’t think so. [When the thug in front of her grabs her arm, she punches him in the face and kicks him across the next car. Brennan shoots an electrical arc at the second thug, sending him flying.]
Thug #3 (in wonder): What the hell are you?
Brennan: The wrong people to mess with.
Shalimar: You didn’t think you were gonna just get the girl, didja?
Brennan: I wanna know who you’re working for. I’m not gonna ask you twice. [He holds up a tesla coil, which suddenly starts to flicker. Brennan begins to shake.]
Shalimar (watching as the electricity spreads to his other hand): Brennan? [She starts towards him.] Brennan?
Brennan (groaning as the tesla coils magnify in size): Stay away!
Shalimar (coming closer): Brennan, what’s happening?
Megan: Brennan?
Brennan (staring at his hands in shock): Get away! Get away! [A stray electrical bolt shoots from his hands and hits Shalimar, spinning her across the room. Megan watches in horror as an electric aura forms around Brennan’s body, lifting him screaming into the air.]
Megan: Brennan!
Thug #3 (shielding his face from the electrical sparks raining down around him): Get the girl before this whole place goes up!
Megan (yelling as the thugs drag her into a black SUV): Brennan, help me! Please! Brennan! Help, Brennan! [The SUV speeds out of the garage. Shalimar slowly picks herself up off the ground, staring up at Brennan, who’s suspended in the air, convulsing and emitting a bright circle of electricity from his hands, feet, and mouth.]
Shalimar: Brennan! Brennan, fight it! [Finally losing consciousness, Brennan tumbles to the ground. Shalimar rushes over to him and listens for a heartbeat. She shouts into her comlink.] Jesse! We lost the senator’s daughter! And prep the lab. Brennan’s down. [She cradles Brennan’s head, trying to revive him.]
Opening Credits. “One Step Closer.”
[Scene: In the lab at Sanctuary, Brennan’s lying on the biobed, sleeping it off. Adam, a stethoscope hanging around his neck, stands at the computer talking with Senator Morrison via video link.]
Senator Morrison: Adam, you were supposed to keep her safe. You were supposed to take care of her!
Adam: Senator, you have my personal assurance that all of my efforts are focused on getting your daughter back quickly and safely! We’ll be in your office in less than an hour.
Senator Morrison: No, I have already turned this over to a team of investigators hired to handle this kind of investigation.
Adam (shaking his head): Getting anybody else involved at this stage is the worst thing you can do! [Roused by the shouting, Brennan wakes up.]
Senator Morrison: Open your eyes, Adam! Things couldn’t be any worse than they are right now.
Adam: I will find her, I promise! I- [She cuts off the connection. Adam sighs.]
Brennan (sitting up): I’m sorry, Adam.
Adam (going over to him): It’s all right. There’s nothing you could have done about it.
Brennan (holding his head): What the hell happened to me?
Adam: I won’t know until I finish running some tests. You know, could have been a random occurrence.
Brennan: What? Random occurrence? You can’t write off Shalimar and me almost being killed as a random occurrence, Adam. [He gets up, cringing.] Even if you knew, you wouldn’t tell me, would you?
Adam (holding up his DNA sampler): Brennan, when I know something definite, you’ll be the next to know. [Brennan walks out, finding Shalimar waiting for him outside the door.]
Shalimar (trotting to keep up with him): Hey. What’d Adam say?Brennan: Nothing, as usual. He likes keeping us all in the dark.
Shalimar: Look, that’s not his style, Brennan. If he knew something, he would tell you.
Brennan: No, Adam’s world is based on having all the facts. He doesn’t have them with me, and that scares him.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, something like that scares all of us.
Brennan: No, you know what scares me? Megan is in danger! I was the one who lost it; it’s my fault she got kidnapped.
Shalimar: Our fault.
Brennan: You know, you seemed to be doing just fine. I was the one who almost killed both of us.
Shalimar: Yeah, well lucky for us, Adam’s all over it.
Brennan (going into his room): Yeah, we’ll see.
Shalimar (standing in the doorway): You know what? You and Adam are a lot more alike than either one of you would care to admit.
Brennan: Shal, Adam’s not the one whose body is falling apart, here!
Shalimar: He’s on it. Okay, don’t lose faith.
Brennan (starting to close the door in her face): That’s easy for you to say, standing in your shoes.
Shalimar (holding the door open): Hey, you know what? I know you’re hurting right now, so I’m gonna let that one go. But just so there’s no confusion, let me make one thing perfectly clear. If this is about your mutation taking another step, then it is about me; it’s about all of us! And you know what? I still have faith. [She stalks off. Brennan slams the door.]
[Scene: The second story loft of an darkened abandoned warehouse. Megan is tied to a chair in the center of the room, surrounded by dozens of candles. Her kidnapper, Christian, strolls around the room lighting the candles with a blowtorch.]
Christian: Think of this as Halloween, all dark and spooky and scary. We’re all involved. I’m gonna go to your mama’s house and say, “Trick or treat!” And if she gives me my treat, I’ll go next door and scare the neighbors. But if she doesn’t give me my treat, I have to do a trick. A really bad trick. [He kneels beside her chair.] The one where you end up dead. So you better hope your mama’s in a generous mood, huh? [He gets up and leaves.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma and Jesse are talking in the main room.]
Emma: Maybe I should talk to him.
Jesse: I think maybe we should all have a talk.
Emma: What do you mean?
Jesse: Maybe what’s happening to Brennan was supposed to happen. Maybe his accident wasn’t an accident at all, but was just a natural progression of his mutation.
Emma: No, that’s not true.
Jesse: Come on. None of us want anything bad to happen to Brennan. God, he’s closer than my own family. But we are all continuing to mutate, and sooner or later that mutation’s gonna go out of control.
Emma: You don’t know that.
Jesse: You’re right, I don’t know that. But maybe I’m right. Maybe we’re like a comet or lightbulb that burns brightest right before we die. [Behind them, Brennan emerges from his room, listening.]
Emma: Brennan is not dying.
Jesse: I hope to God you’re right. But right now, Adam doesn’t have the answers, which means that nobody does, and that’s scaring me. [Emma stiffens as she sees Brennan.] Wha--what? [Turning, he watches Brennan walk out of the room.] Did he...um.
Emma (nodding sadly): Yeah. Yeah, he did.
Jesse (mad at himself): Of course he did.
Adam (coming up to them): Jess, Emma. Let’s go pay the senator a little office visit.
Jesse: I thought she kicked us off the case.
Adam: She did. I don’t get fired that easily. [They follow him out.]
[Scene: Senator Morrison’s office. The senator sits on a couch listening to the private investigator she hired to find Megan, Simon Fletcher.]
Simon: We’ll find her. We’re connecting your system to a high speed tracer. [Adam barges into the room, followed by Jesse and Emma.]
Senator Morrison (standing up): Adam!
Simon: What the hell is this?
Senator Morrison: I thought I made myself clear in our last conversation.
Adam: You did, Senator, I’m very sorry. I was just hoping that you would reconsider. Let us work in tandem with your security team. [He turns to Simon.] I’m sorry, I’m Adam Kane.
Senator Morrison: Simon Fletcher.
Simon (shaking his hand): Mr. Kane, my agency is trained to deal with these kinds of recoveries, and we work alone.
Adam: Mr. Fletcher, this isn’t the time for a power play. These people are about to make their demands, and we have to be ready. [As he talks, Jesse goes behind the senator’s desk and phases two fingers into the tape recorder by the phone.]
Simon: As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to be anything. Because you’re out of here. [He nods to his security team.] Do you need to be forcibly removed?
Senator Morrison (coming up to them): Adam, please don’t make this any harder than it already is.
Adam: No, it’s all right, Senator. My prayers are with you. [He kisses her hand and leaves with Jesse and Emma, waving at Simon.] Sorry.
Jesse (walking down the hallway): I really should send those guys a thank-you note. They’ve already done all the hard work.
Adam: You managed to piggy-back their tracing system?
Jesse (grinning at him): Yeah.
Adam (hanging back to talk to Emma): You okay?
Emma (frowning): Yeah. I don’t know, maybe it was just there were a lot of really intense emotions in there.
Adam: Well, let’s see if we can get her daughter back and turn that around. [Emma nods, and they leave the building.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Jesse, Emma and Shalimar sit in a semi-circle of couches off the main room, as Adam paces around in the center.]
Adam: All right, Jesse, so as far as we know, we still haven’t had any communication from the kidnappers, right?
Jesse: No. But when we do, we should know where the call’s coming from. We should have the kidnapper’s coordinates within a few seconds.
Adam: Good. And as soon as we have those, Shalimar, I want you to lead the team on the rescue effort.
Shalimar: ‘kay. [Hearing voices, Brennan emerges from his room to join them. Everyone guiltily finds somewhere else to look.]
Adam (sighing): Brennan, I want you to stay here at Sanctuary. I want you to monitor the situation.
Brennan: No, I’m going.Adam: I’m afraid that’s just not possible. Not in your current unstable state.
Brennan: My state? What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Adam: All right, Bren, look, I know you just want to help, but until we get your situation under control, it’s safer if you just stay here.
Brennan: Adam, this is not a hospital, okay, and I’m not a patient or a prisoner! I can help the team!
Emma: Adam just doesn’t want you getting hurt.
Brennan: Oh, is that it? Or do you just think I’m gonna hurt somebody else?
Adam: All right, now listen to me. I’m working on a way to stabilize your powers. At the same time, we’ve got to find a way to find the girl.
Brennan (angrily): And so what, meanwhile, I’m just supposed to sit here waiting to die? [As he waves his hands around, a small electric charge flickers in them.]
Jesse (playing with a bandage on his finger): Brennan! Take it easy.
Brennan (becoming more agitated): No! I just want to be allowed to do my job, Jess! [He gestures with his hands, which buzz with electricity.]
Shalimar (sitting up): Your hands, Bren.
Brennan (as a tesla coil ignites in his right hand): I’m fine! [He grabs his wrist, but the tesla coil keeps growing. One by one, Emma, Shalimar and Jesse stand up in alarm.]
Adam (holding Emma back with one hand): All right, Brennan. Brennan. No, no, listen to me.
Brennan (bending over as electricity races over his body): I’m fine!
Adam (trying to get his attention): I want you to concentrate. [Long streaks of electricity begin to shoot from Brennan’s body.] Brennan! Brennan, concentrate! [Shouting, Jesse runs towards Brennan. A large lightning bolt shoots out from Brennan and electrocutes him; Jesse flies backwards onto the floor. Shalimar rushes to his side.]
Adam: Brennan! [Brennan collapses, convulsing in a sea of electricity until he loses consciousness again.]
*********Commercial Break*********
[Brennan’s sleeping it off on the biobed in the lab once more. Emma walks over to check on him, then joins Shalimar and Adam, who are standing over Jesse in the biochair.]
Emma: Doesn’t look good.
Adam (examining Jesse): Well, that last episode took a lot out of him.
Jesse (wearily raising his finger): He’s not the only one.
Shalimar: What in the hell happened, Adam?
Adam: I don’t know. I only know that right now, he’s highly unstable.
Jesse: What does it mean for the rest of us, Adam?
Adam (looking around at them): All right, look, I know that you’re all worried that your powers are mutating. But right now there is no reason to think that any of you are in any danger.
Emma: Yet.
Adam: I am not gonna give up here. I am gonna find a way to stabilize Brennan and I am gonna make sure that nothing bad happens to any of you. You just have to trust me.
Brennan (waking up): I could have killed Jess. I could have killed any of us. [Emma helps him sit up.]
Adam: Believe me, I am gonna do everything in my power to make sure that that doesn’t happen. See, I know you’re all thinking about Gabriel Ashlocke. You’re all wondering whether you’re gonna self-destruct like he did, right?
Brennan: Why don’t you look me in the eye and tell me that’s not gonna happen? [Emma walks over to Jesse.]Adam (walking over to him): Ashlocke’s genes were at the point of ripping themselves apart. Your genes are highly unstable, but I believe that that is a result of a re-amping of your power. And I have to find a way to allow you to control it.
Brennan (angrily): So what if you don’t? Do we all just go up like a big bang?
Adam: All right, Brennan? Right now you have to learn how to control your emotions, because I believe that that is triggering the problem. [He starts back towards Jesse.]
Brennan: Adam, do you have any idea how it feels like to walk around like a living time bomb? To know that at any second I could explode and kill Shalimar, Jesse, you, anyone? I walk around with these thoughts in my head every single day and you want me to control my emotions? Are you out of your mind?
Adam: All right, look. But I know that I don’t know how you feel, but I do know that every time you lose your temper, your power overloads. So until I can allow you to restore conscious control, you have to stay calm.
Brennan (standing up): Stay calm? Adam, there’s a little girl that’s in danger because of me! [An electrical streak runs down his right arm. Standing behind Jesse, Shalimar’s eyes widen.] Okay, and one minute I go from owning this to feeling my body tear itself apart! [He winces as the electricity from his arm spreads.]
Jesse (watching from his chair): Adam!
Adam: Brennan. Brennan! I want you to take a deep breath. Breathe in, out. [Brennan slowly calms down, and the electricity fades away. Adam approaches him.] All right. Okay? That was good.
Brennan (looking up at him, exhausted): No. No, Adam. None of this is good. [He limps out of the room. Adam glances back at the rest of the team for support, but they avoid his eyes.]
[At Senator Morrison’s office, the telephone rings. Simon hovers over the desk as the senator answers it.]
Senator Morrison: Hello?
Christian (on his cell phone): Senator Morrison. You know why I’m calling.
Senator Morrison: I want to speak to my daughter!
Christian: It’s good to have goals. You remember saying that, Senator? Hm? You remember that?
Senator Morrison: Yes.
Christian: Well, I’ve set my goal. Are you ready? [At Sanctuary, Jesse’s at the computer, listening in as he traces the call. Emma and Shalimar wait behind him.]
Senator Morrison: Just tell me what you want.
Christian: Your campaign fund has over 5 million dollars. You have access to the account.
Senator Morrison: You can’t expect me to embezzle campaign money.
Christian: What? An honest politician? [He walks up behind Megan, pulling her hair.]
Megan (crying out): Mom!
Christian: Honest enough to let her daughter die for her principles?
Senator Morrison (seeing Simon nod): I-I’ll do what you ask.
Christian: 5 million dollars. 24 hours. You’ll get another call as to where and when. Move, Senator. [She hangs up.]
Shalimar: Did you get a fix on the kidnappers?
Jesse: Got ‘em.
Emma: Where are they?
Jesse: An old factory downtown.
Shalimar: Well, the Helix should get us there before the cops. Let’s just hope the show’s not over. [They head out. Landing the Helix outside the factory, Jesse, Shalimar, and Emma walk up to the building.]
Shalimar: Are you sure about this, Jess?
Jesse (checking his readout): Yep. The call came from here. [Shalimar tries the window, but it’s locked. Jesse peers in through the garage door.]
Shalimar: What do you say, open sesame? [Jesse phases the garage door, allowing them to walk inside.]
[Meanwhile, at Sanctuary, Brennan’s running off his frustrations on the treadmill as Adam works on developing a cure for him in the lab. Adam directs a red laser beam on a sample of his cells, but they fizzle and lyse. Adam shakes his head.]
[Entering the factory, Emma and Jesse return to Shalimar, having checked out their respective ends of the factory.]
Emma: This end’s clear. I’ve got nothing.
Jesse: Nothing over here either. Let’s try upstairs. [Shalimar leads them up the stairs, when they find a large empty room with two computers sitting on a table, hooked up to a telephone and a modem.
Shalimar: What is all that stuff?
Jesse: It’s a redialer. It relays the call to a clean line.
Emma (coming over): Can you find the location of the kidnappers?
Jesse (sitting at the computer): Shouldn’t be a problem. [He starts to type, then stops when Christian’s recorded voice echoes through the room.]
Christian’s voice: Trying to track me was stupid, Senator. You broke the rules. [The screen in front of Jesse flashes a countdown starting at 15.]
Jesse: Uh-oh.
Shalimar (grabbing his arm): Jesse, that’s a bomb. Come on!
Jesse (typing furiously): I’ve almost got it.
Shalimar (turning back to grab his wrist): And we’re almost dead, now come on!
Jesse (shrugging her off): I’ve gotta get them!
Emma: Jesse, come on! Jess! [As the countdown goes to 5, Jesse groans and races after them towards the stairs.]
Jesse: Go! Go! Go! [A huge fireball blossoms behind them as the entire factory explodes.]
***********Commercial Break**********
[Jesse flies the Double Helix away from the factory.]
Jesse: This is all bad.
Emma: How did they know we would be there?
Shalimar: Well, they didn’t know it’d be us. They’re smart, figured the Senator’d have her lines tapped.
Emma (shaking her head): I don’t know.
Jesse: Well, we had to take the shot. The question is, what do we do now?
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma’s in her darkened room, typing on her computer. She looks up when Brennan sticks his head in.]
Brennan: Hey. Whatcha working on?
Emma (quickly): Nothing! Uh...it’s nothing.
Brennan: Come on, it’s all right. [She stares at him; he frowns.] Or is it not all right?
Emma: Look, it’s just with everything going on right now, and Adam...
Brennan: Look, I just wanna be in the loop, here. Okay, I hate this whole situation. I feel totally useless. I just wanna be a part of the team. Please?
Emma: Fine. Just don’t...zap out or anything.
Brennan (smiling): No. No...zapping. Promise.
Emma: Okay, you know Senator Morrison’s head of security, Simon Fletcher?
Brennan: Yeah, I met him with Shalimar when we first picked up Megan.
Emma: Right. Well, I thought I got a funny vibe from him this afternoon when I met him at the Senator’s office. And then when his people didn’t show up, I got a little suspicious.
Brennan: So, let’s check him out.
Emma: I already did. At first glance, his record seemed perfect. Until I found this. [She pulls up an article with the headline: Politician’s Son Kidnapped.] It came from Seattle. A governor’s son was kidnapped and held for ransom. And the head of security that worked the release was Simon Fletcher.
Brennan (sitting next to her): What happened?
Emma: Well, Simon was the one they sent to pay the ransom, and the kidnappers were never found.
Brennan: What about the kid? [She doesn’t answer.]
Emma: Look, I think Simon was in on it. And I think he had something to do with Megan’s kidnapping as well.
Brennan: Yeah, well, I think I might have a little chat with him.
Emma: I don’t think Adam’s gonna go for that right now, Brennan. [As he gets up, Adam’s voice sounds over his comlink.]
Adam: Brennan, can you come into the lab, please?
Brennan (sighing): Well, don’t want to keep the boss waiting.
Emma: It’s gonna be okay. [She goes back to work as he leaves her room and heads into the lab, finding Adam standing at the computer.]
Brennan: ‘Sup?
Adam: Hey. I have developed a theory.
Brennan: I don’t want to hear theories, I want to hear cures.
Adam: All right, now look. Unfortunately what works on the microscopic sample will not work on you as a whole. [He pauses as Brennan grabs his wrist, electricity shooting down his arm.]
Brennan (finally getting it under control): Damn. Why don’t you just admit that I’m dying?
Adam: ‘Cause I’m not gonna admit that and you shouldn’t even think it.
Brennan (coming over to him): I don’t believe you, Adam. You know, you don’t even believe it yourself. I fought for you and what you stood for. But what you did to us? Adam, I accepted my fate; I made it my own. But you lied to us! I’m not doing it your way anymore. [He turns away.]
Adam (grabbing his arm): Listen, I can help you! I just don’t want to put you in any more danger. Now why can’t you understand that? I am not gonna let you die!
Brennan: It’s too late! Okay, I’m sorry, I’ve got something I’ve got to do.
Adam: All right, anything you do you put yourself in danger, do you understand that?
Brennan: The reality is, Adam, I got nothing to lose. [He walks out.]
[Emma looks up from her work when Shalimar comes into the room.]
Shalimar: Hey, Emma. I just saw Brennan tear outta here. You know what that’s all about?
Emma (sighing): I screwed up. I told him my suspicions about Simon Fletcher. [She gets up.] I’m pretty sure I know where he went. [They leave together.]
[Inside the Montclair Security building, Simon Fletcher enters the parking garage and goes to his car. He finds Brennan waiting for him on his motorcycle parked in the next space.]
Brennan: You’re a hard man to find.
Simon: I know you. You’re one of the people who lost the senator’s daughter.
Brennan (walking up to him): Well, then we have something in common, seeing as you’re the one that kidnapped her.
Simon: Oh, yeah. You got me. I kidnapped my boss’s daughter. Nice try, freak. Get lost. [He starts to open the car door; Brennan slams it shut.] Hey!
Brennan: Governor Nelson’s son four years ago. Ring any bells?
Simon: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Brennan (grabbing him by the throat): Now, see, that’s a lie. I hate it when people lie to me. [Electricity races up and down his arm.]
Simon (staring at it): What is that?
Brennan: This is how I figure it. You’re too stupid to have set this up on your own, but you’re just greedy enough for you to set up that little girl for a piece of the ransom. Now you’re gonna tell me who your partner is, and where I can find him. And you’re gonna tell me now. Who’s your partner?
Simon: I can’t, man! He’ll kill me!
Brennan (electric rings coursing up and down his body): Don’t worry about your partner, worry about me.
Simon: What the hell is that?
Brennan: Something I can’t control. You’ve got about ten seconds before I light up like Old Sparky. Is that how you’re looking to go out?
Simon: Okay, okay, the guy’s name is Christian!
Brennan (shaking, manages to get out two words): Where and when?
Simon: God! Tonight, 8 o’clock. I’ve gotta deliver the money by 8 o’clock, a warehouse by the docks. The little girl is there. Don’t kill me! [Brennan loses control, electrocuting Simon before he can let him go. Brennan doubles over in pain, then faints. A short while later, Shalimar runs into the garage, finding them both lying on the ground.]
Shalimar (patting his cheek): Hey, Brennan. Hey. Hey. [He startles awake.] Still with us?
Brennan: I think so.
Shalimar: That is by far the dumbest move you have ever made.
Brennan: Is he dead?
Shalimar: No. We’ll bring him with us.
Brennan (sitting up slowly): Bring him where?
Shalimar: Back to Sanctuary, Brennan. Back to Adam. And I’m not asking you to come with me, I’m telling you. Look, I know you’re scared. We all are. I don’t care about that anymore. What I do care about is you.
Brennan: I’m sorry.
Shalimar (smiling): At least you’re consistent. Did he tell you where Megan is?
Brennan (nodding): Yeah. He told me everything.
Shalimar: Fill me in on the way. Let Adam take care of you, Brennan. Look, he says he has a fix and you have to try it. Okay, whatever he works out for you just might end up saving all of us.
Shalimar (holding out her hand to help to his feet): Can you walk?
Brennan: Absolutely.
Shalimar: Good. You get to carry the bad guy. [She walks away. Brennan sighs.]
[Adam and Jesse have returned to Senator Morrison’s office.]
Senator Morrison: I can’t believe that Simon actually knew what was going on.
Jesse: Well, he’s done it before.
Senator Morrison: So he knows where Megan is?
Adam: That’s right. He does, and now we do. And we’re ready to move. Okay? Now Simon said that he’d be calling any minute, so I want you to pretend that you know nothing and I want you to go along with whatever they say. [She nods, then jumps as the phone rings.]
Jesse (turning on the tracer): Answer it.
Senator Morrison (sitting behind her desk to answer it): Hello?
Christian: Ah. I take it all the necessary lessons have been learned.
Senator Morrison: Is my daughter okay?
Christian: I’ve managed to vent my frustrations in a more productive way. But I assure you, Senator, one more mistake, ONE MORE MISTAKE! And I will do much more than hurt her. Okay, listen. You bring your head of security to warehouse 16 by the docks at 8 in the morning. With my money. If he is one minute late, your daughter dies! [Listening, Megan starts to cry.] You understand?
Senator Morrison (surprised): I thought you only wanted to deal with me.
Christian: Yeah, well, you’ve, uh, you disobeyed me once already. Perhaps your employee will follow directions better.
Senator Morrison (hanging up): He wants Simon to make the drop-off. What are we gonna do know?
Adam: He doesn’t know we have Simon. So we follow that plan. And Simon opens the door for us. [He walks to the door, opening it. He and Jesse leave.] Senator, don’t worry. We’ll have your daughter back by tomorrow. [The senator picks up a photo of Megan and begins to sob.]
[Inside the warehouse, Megan watches fearfully as Simon walks up to her holding a metal ring.]
Megan: What is going on?
Christian: There’s a strange smell in the air, kiddo. I have a feeling I’m not the only one playing tricks out there. [He brushes back her hair and places the collar around her neck.]
Megan (trying to pull away): What are you doing?
Christian: Buying myself a little insurance. Your new necklace is packed with a half pound of C4 explosive. Because if anything goes wrong with the switch, Mama’s little girl is going home without a head.
**********Commercial Break***********
[Back at Sanctuary, Adam strides into the garage, followed by Emma and Brennan.]
Adam: All right, so we don’t have a lot of time, so do you understand exactly what it is we’re about to do?
Brennan: Yeah, I do my thing, Emma does her thing, something like that.
Adam (stopping): Well...not exactly.
Brennan: Okay. I light up and lose it, Emma links up with me telempathically to help me reboot, right?
Emma (staring at him): So, is that the technical explanation?
Brennan: Well, why don’t you tell me, ‘cause I don’t see how this is gonna work.
Emma: Look, I’m just gonna help you to help yourself.
Adam: Exactly. I want you to think of this as a telempathic booster shot.
Brennan: Wha-wait. What are you saying, that this is just mind over matter?
Adam: Mm-hmm. Yeah, something like that. Your body is mutating faster than your mind has the capacity to keep up with the change.
Brennan (taking off his coat): Hm. Then let’s get the two to catch up.
Adam: Exactly. That is the idea. [He rubs Emma’s shoulder.] Are you ready for this? [She nods.] Here we go. [He leaves the room.]
Brennan: You sure you’re ready for this?
Emma (smiling): Ask me once it’s over.
Adam (joining Jesse and Shalimar outside, looking through the glass): Okay, let’s get started. [Brennan ignites a tesla coil, which quickly spreads over his body.]
Emma (standing in front of him): Good. Keep going.
Shalimar (outside, shaking her head): This doesn’t look safe. I think we should stop them.
Jesse: Couldn’t if we wanted to. Emma insisted on doing it. [Electric arcs begin to shoot from Brennan’s body.]
Emma (fearfully looking at Adam): Now?
Adam (shaking his head): Not yet, Emma. [Brennan screams as a halo of electricity surrounds him, lifting him into the air.] Okay, Emma, now! [Closing her eyes, Emma aims a psionic blast at Brennan’s head. Electricity courses from Brennan down the link into her head, carrying her up into the air facing Brennan.] Emma! Help him focus! [Opening her eyes, Emma concentrates on Brennan.] FOCUS!
Shalimar (watching in dread): What’s happening?
Adam: I think it’s working. [Electricity crackles around Brennan as he finally starts to return Emma’s gaze. The reaction lessens until both fall to the floor, breaking the connection. Shalimar, Adam, and Jesse run in.]
Adam (going with Jesse to pick Emma up): Hey! You all right? You okay?
Shalimar (going to pick Brennan up): Hey! You all right? Hey, you okay?
Emma (standing up painfully): Yeah. Let’s not do that again.
Adam: Well, maybe you won’t have to. [He goes to Brennan.] Okay, come on. How do you feel?
Brennan (raising his hand): Let’s find out.
Jesse: Wait. You sure you’re ready for a test run, there?
Brennan (looking at Emma): What do you think, Emma? [She nods. Shalimar stands back a little as he creates a tesla coil and maintains it successfully. He closes his fist.] What do you say we go find the senator’s daughter? [Adam smiles.]
[In the lab, Shalimar and Emma watch as Jesse tapes a wire and a metal disc to Simon Fletcher’s chest.]
Shalimar: You better not screw up. We’re serious.
Jesse: As serious as a heart attack. You let those kidnappers know what’s going on, there’re gonna be about a half million volts running through your chest. You understand?
Simon (gaping at him): I understand.
Jesse (handing him a metal suitcase filled with money): Okay. Here’s your ransom money. You know what to do.
Emma: Let’s go. [Glancing back at them, Simon gets up and walks out the door, passing Brennan on the way in.]
Shalimar (smiling at Jesse): What was that you strapped to his chest?
Jesse (grinning): Oh, hell if I know. Some adhesive tape and old computer parts.
Brennan (slapping his hand): Yeah, but he doesn’t know that, right? Good work.
[Mutant X lands the cloaked Double Helix on the rooftop of the warehouse and walk along the roof.]
Brennan: All right, Shal. Cover the floor from up here. And give us any updates on what’s going on? We’ll find our own ways in. [Shalimar goes over to the skylight and looks in. Inside, Simon Fletcher enters the room, followed by one of Christian’s men. Christian’s sitting at his computer, eating peanuts off the desk.]
Christian: Right on time. Can I assume we had no unexpected problems?
Simon (touching his chest): Everything is running exactly as planned.
Christian: Put the money on the table. [Simon hesitates, looking up at Megan in the loft.] I said, put the money on the table. Now! [Swallowing, Simon puts the suitcase on the table.] Open it. [Simon unlatches the case and shows him the money.] Nice to see Senator Morrison still knows all the right strings to pull when her back’s against the wall.
Simon: I’m gonna go get the girl.
Christian (slamming the suitcase shut): I’m afraid there’s been a slight change of plans. [One of Christian’s men levels a gun at Simon’s back.]
Simon (frowning): Change of plans?
Shalimar (watching from the roof): I’m going in.
Brennan (kicking open the back door): We’re on our way!
Simon: We had a deal!
Christian: The deal is off.
Brennan (running into the room with Emma): Time to renegotiate. [Christian grabs the suitcase as Brennan electrocutes the gunman behind Simon. Leaping down from the ceiling, Shalimar takes out two more.]
Megan (yelling from her chair): Brennan, help! [Thug #3 opens fire at Simon’s back as he flees towards the exit; Brennan kicks him to the ground. Mutant X races towards Megan, but Christian blocks their path, holding up the detonator.]
Christian: Take one more step. Go on. Take one step closer. And the senator’s precious daughter loses everything. From the neck up.
Megan (struggling in her chair behind him): Brennan! Help! Please, help me!
******Commercial Break********
[Mutant X faces off in front of Christian, who holds the detonator up over his head with one hand and the suitcase in the other.]
Brennan: You got what you want, let her go.
Christian: Little late for that now, don’t you think?
Brennan: Come on, man, she’s just a kid!
Megan: Help!
Christian: Oooh. Better she finds out sooner rather than later. Life doesn’t come with many breaks.
Brennan: Tell me about it. [He zaps Christian, who flies backwards through the air into the loft. Money floats down around Mutant X as they dash up the stairs to Megan. Reaching her first, Brennan grabs for the flashing ring around her neck.]
Jesse (racing up to him): No! No-no-no, don’t touch, don’t touch! [Kneeling, he gently pulls her hair back to examine the device.] Sure enough. The device has a hair-trigger mechanism. If I try to take it off, it might detonate.
Megan: Please, get this off me! I don’t want to die.
Brennan (touching her shoulder): Megan, we’re not gonna let that happen.
Emma: Jesse, why can’t you phase it off her?
Jesse (standing up): The mechanism acts with electrostatic impulses given off by our own bodies. If I try to take it off, it’ll blow.
Shalimar: Yeah, but there’s gotta be a back door on that thing, right?
Jesse: If there is, I couldn’t find it.
Brennan: Wait. What if I create a safe zone? Fill the area with the same low-grade electrostatic impulses? [Everyone looks at Jesse, who thinks it over.]
Jesse: It could give me the second I need to take it off.
Brennan: A second is all we need!
Megan (listening): No! You don’t know what you’re doing! There has to be another way.
Brennan (kneeling beside her): Shhh, it’s okay. Listen to me. Listen to me. Now trust me, I am not gonna let anything happen to you, okay?
Megan (nodding, calming down): Yeah.
Brennan: Okay. [Standing, he creates an electrostatic force-field around Megan.]
Shalimar (uncertain): Is this the safe zone you’re talking about?
Emma: Guess we’re gonna find out.
Brennan (nodding at Jesse): Now, Jess. [Phasing Megan’s head with one hand, Jesse slowly pulls the device from her neck with the other. He tosses it away behind his back, and Brennan destroys it with an electrical arc. They all duck away from the explosion.]
Brennan: He shoots, he scores! [He and Jesse rub Megan’s shoulders in relief. He squats down beside Megan.] Okay? [Behind her back, he shakes Jesse’s hand, nodding his thanks. Then he strokes Megan’s hair and starts to untie her.]
[In Sanctuary’s lab, Adam stands in front of the computer, talking to the senator via video link.]
Senator Morrison (sitting at her desk): Adam, thank you. Words are a poor substitute to describe what I feel inside.
Adam: Well, believe me, I understand.
Senator Morrison: Simon Fletcher plead guilty to all charges. I guess that should make me feel happy, right?
Adam: I guess. [He glances at the door as Brennan walks in.] How’s Megan?
Senator Morrison: Oh, she’s amazing, given the circumstances. I think she worries about me as much as I worry about her.
Megan (joining her mother): Tell Brennan I said thanks, will you, Mr. Kane?
Adam (looking over at Brennan): Yeah, I think you just told him yourself.
Brennan (walking up to the screen): Hey, kiddo. Glad to hear you’re all right.
Megan (sitting on her mother’s lap): So...you’ll...take me to the science center again?
Brennan (chuckling): It’s a date.
Senator Morrison: Thanks again, Adam.
Adam: Yeah, you bet. [He cuts off the connection.]
Brennan: She’s a sweet kid.
Adam: Yeah. Terrific mother. Kid’s got a lot to be grateful for, huh?
Brennan: Seems to be a lot of that going around. I’m grateful just to be standing here.
Adam (grinning): Got a new lease on life?
Brennan: You tell me. Is that what I’ve got? C’mon Adam, you can level with me.
Adam: You want me to level with you?
Brennan: Yeah.
Adam (sighing): All right. Emma helped you dodge one hell of a bullet last night.
Brennan: Man, you don’t have to tell me.Adam: No, I do have to tell you. Because the truth is, I can’t even predict which one of you is gonna be the next to mutate out of control, much less how I’m gonna treat it.
Brennan: That’s gotta make you feel pretty helpless.
Adam: Yeah, it does. Okay? Because I’m supposed to be the guy with all the answers, and I don’t have ‘em. And until I do, I can’t rest until I know exactly what makes you all tick.
Brennan: Yeah, and hopefully what keeps us ticking.
Adam: Yeah, that too.
Brennan (shaking his hand): Listen, thank you, Adam.
Adam: Listen, I’m not the one who deserves the thanks. [Nodding, Brennan walks out.]
[Emma’s meditating in her room when Brennan knocks and pops his head in the door.]
Brennan: Oh. Hope I’m not shocking your Chakra.
Emma (turning around): Come in.
Brennan (sitting on the bed next to her): So I just wanted to come by and tell you that I thought you were pretty terrific last night.
Emma (smiling): Are you sure you don’t have that the other way around?
Brennan: Emma, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now.
Emma (nodding): I doubt that very much.
Brennan: Please. You saved my life, and I will never forget it. Why did you do it? I mean, you had no idea what could have happened. You could have died.
Emma: Look, it’s not like I have a choice, Brennan. I mean, we’re all in the same boat. What do you think you would have done if it was my powers spinning out of control? Run and hide? [He smiles at her.]
Jesse (coming in with Shalimar, looking at Emma): Well, if that was an option. [He grins at Brennan.] It’s not our style.
Shalimar: No, we stick together till the bitter end.
Brennan: All right, so let me ask you all a question. Which one of you actually thought that I was buying my last ticket out of here? [The three look at each other.]
Jesse: You kidding? That never crossed our mind, man.
Emma: Yeah, we knew you’d bounce back.
Shalimar: Never doubted if for a minute.
Brennan: Hm, really? [He laughs.] Man, you guys are lousy liars. Well, thanks. [Emma and Shalimar leave the room.]
Jesse: So. You really all right, man?
Brennan: Yeah. Yeah. I’m gonna be all right.
Jesse (shaking his hand): Good. [He walks out of the room. Brennan gets up and looks into the mirror. Widening his eyes, he makes an electric glow pass over them. He smiles.]
Closing Credits.