In Atlanta, the police get a report of fugitives and move in. They get a visual on one of the fugitives, Clarice Ferguson. The police continue pursuit and trap her in an alleyway. Clarice concentrates on her hands and summons an energy portal, and steps through it. The police car drives through it as it disappears and they realize that their target has disappeared.
At a railyard, three youths check the area and one of them, John Proudstar, tells the other two that Clarice is close. John says that she's moving strangely, and one of the others, Marcos Diaz, summons a ball of light. He spots pieces of a police car and they go over to investigate. As they go over, Marcos flirts with his girlfriend, Lorna Dane. Meanwhile, John tells them that Clarice is inside a nearby building. They break in and split up to search for Clarice. Marcos and Lorna find Clarice in an office and says that they're just there to talk. Clarice insists that she can't go back, and Marcos tells her that they heard that she broke out of the mutant detention center and wanted to see her. When Clarice throws a hole puncher, Lorna magnetically catches it. Marcos tells Clarice that they've all been where she is, and they can help her. John comes in and warns that there's trouble.
There are cops moving in, and Lorna cuts the lights. The police surround the building and say that they'll surrender if Clarice doesn't surrender. Lorna blows out the lights on their cars, and the police open fire. John looks for a way out, and Lorna magnetically tosses the policemen around and moves the cars. Marcos runs over to her, generating a blinding light, and John gets a rear door open. The four mutants head out and a police officer shoots Marcos in the shoulder. Furious, Lorna slams him repeatedly against a nearby dumpster, and more police arrive and taser her. she takes out one of them but the others subdue her. Meanwhile, John gets Marcos into their van with Clarice.
Belleview Acres High School: 14 Hours later
Reed and Caitlin Strucker meet with the principal, Ted Baird, to discuss their son Andy. The principal insists that they have a zero tolerance for bullying, and Reed says that recently Andy has stopped talking to him. Caitlin worries that it's affecting Andy's sleeping and grades. Ted principal says that want to put Andy with the bullies and get them to communicate, reconcile, and empathize. Reed insists that Andy needs help and threatens to sue the school if he doesn't. Ted quickly goes to get someone, and Reed gets a text for a pleas conference. Clarice assures him that the kids understands and leaves.
At the Strucker home, Lauren is Skyping with her boyfriend Jack asking his opinion on her outfit choices. Caitlin arrives home while Jack tells Caitlin that he'll see her that night. Lauren comes down to where Caitlin and Andy are having supper, and they talk about the dance that night. Caitlin asks Andy how his day was, and he's well aware that she and Reed met with Ted. She talks about the law they're making to test people for the x-gene, and one kid freaked out because his cousin is a mutant. Lauren takes offense when Andy uses the word "mutie".
At the mutant wing of the Garland Detention Center, Reed and his associate Carla Jackson meet with an imprisoned Lorna. He points out that she's under arrest for assaulting two police officers and being a mutant, and Lorna claims that she was just out walking. Reed knows that she's part of the mutant underground and have helped dozens of fugitives. He opens the door and goes into her cell, and insists that he's trying to help her. Lorna senses metal screws in his knee and says that she could pull them out, and says that if she wanted the cops dead then they'd be dead. Reed shows her a file and says that he's going to have the court assign her a lawyer. Lorna curses at him and then screams, the lights shorting out as her power runs wild. Reed tells her to give it some thought and leaves.
That night, Lauren heads out to meet Jack. Andy is in the car with her, and says that he snuck out and was going to go with her. He points out that he hasn't been out on a weekend for years, and Lauren wonders if he really wants to go to a dance after the bullying. Andy says that he's used to it, and Lauren tells him to buckle up.
At the school dance, Jack meets Lauren and they kiss. Andy interrupts them to say that he's going to the dance, and Jack tells him to have fun. The band goes to a slow dance and Andy approaches a girl. She walks away before he can talk to her, and the bullies come in and see Andy. Meanwhile, Lauren tells Jack that she can't stay out later. She sees the bullies confront Andy, and Andy asks if they're going to do it in front of everyone. They shove him into a locker room and drag him to the showers. They turn on the shower in his face, cranking up the heat, and the entire building starts to shake. The shower poles bend away from Andy, who screams. The bullies get blasted back and the walls shatter. In the gym, everyone panics and runs, but Lauren tries to go find Andy.
A pole falls toward two students, but it stops momentarily as Lauren runs by. The bullies run out of the locker room, and the debris falls on Lauren. She generates a force field with a gesture and the bullies see what she does. Continuing on, Lauren finds Andy and manages to calm him down. She leads her brother out, and Andy sees the lead bully on the floor as they go.
At the mutant underground headquarters, a car pulls up and a guard lets it inside. Inside, one of the mutants Sage questions Clarice. She says that there's no one to contact about her, and Safe says that she can stay there for a few days until they can move her out. Meanwhile, John tends Marcos' wound, and Marcos wants to rescue Lorna. John advises caution, but Marcos points out that they don't know if groups like the X-Men and the Brotherhood even exist anymore. John warns that they'd be risking everything that they've built.
Sage tells them that they have a situation. They watch a news report about how two mutant terrorists attacked a high school dance. John figures that it's more dangerous than ever.
At home, Andy tells Caitlin what happened. Lauren tells her mother to accept that Andy is a mutant, and finally admits that she's a mutant as well. She explains that she got her powers when three years ago a car almost hit them when they were coming back from church. Caitlin wonders why Lauren didn't say anything, and Lauren points out that Reed puts mutants in jail. Her mother insist that he's against criminals, not mutants, and Andy asks if she means people like him.
The doorbell rings and Caitlin goes to answer it. There are men in suits, and the leader, Jace Turner, says that they're with the government agency Sentinel Services. Jace asks Caitlin to bring Lauren and Andy out, and that under the amended Patriot Act, they have to secure the security of the community first. When Caitlin objects, Jace says that he's a father and he understands, but it's for their protection. They shoves past her, and Andy yells at them to get away from her mother. Jace tells the teenagers to calm down, and the house starts to shake.
Andy yells at them to get out and Lauren generates a force field to block them. The family runs to the garage and they start the car. Jace opens fire through the door, and Andy is unable to summon his powers. They start the car and drive through the garage door, and Lauren knocks a car away so that they can make good their escape.
The Struckers stop at a gas station and Caitlin calls Reed. She tells him that the kids are safe and explains that they weren't attacked by mutants: their children are mutants. Shocked, Reed gets their location and they meet at a diner. Andy doesn't know if anyone was hurt, and Lauren says that the bullies came after Andy. Caitlin tells him that it doesn't matter if they have a legal defense, and explains that Sentinel Services was going to take their children. She asks if he can talk to the DA Cal Jones, and Reed warns her that it's beyond the local jurisdiction. He figures that they only got away because they didn't have time to put a full team together, and says that they have to go somewhere that the mutant laws are looser, like Mexico. He warns that the last time Sentinel Services got involved in one of his cases, the suspect disappeared. Reed insists that he'll figure something out and there's nothing more important to him than his family.
At the Central Courthouse Building, Jace demands access to Reed's office and computer. He assures Cal that they'll have a warrant. Carl hears them talking, and as she goes outside Reed calls her. She tells him that Sentinel Services is in their offices, and he says that he needs the case file for the mutant network investigation. He hopes that they can help them get way. Carla warns that even with all he's done for her and her career, she could get arrested. Reed reminds her that it's his children.
Lauren and Andy leave the motel where the family has taken refuge. Andy blames himself for ruining their lives, and he couldn't help her when they were escaping. Lauren says that eventually he'll get his powers under control, and describes how she pushes air together and can do it with other substances as well. She assures him that she'll teach him how to use his powers, and demonstrates her own ability on food inside a vending machine. Andy tries and starts to knock the food loose, but then loses control and the vending machine explodes. A piece of glass hits Lauren's arm, and she says that they have to go.
At the headquarters, Clarice finds Marcos working in an old vault. The mutants' dog is sitting nearby, and Clarice thanks Marcos for saving her. he explains that the mutant network is nationwide and they were formed just before the X-Men disappeared. The old bank they're hiding in is abandoned and they figured that it's the last place the authorities would look. John and Lorna brought Marcos into the organization, Marcos uses his powers to cut through a cement block, and admits that he's practicing to get Lorna out of jail. Clarice apologizes for Lorna's capture while they were trying to rescue her, and Marcos asks if she can get someone into prison using her portals. She says that it's bad if she goes somewhere that she hasn't seen, and creates a portal from her hand to the ceiling. She tosses a dog toy through, and its head is lost in transit.
Reed calls Marcos and explains that his family needs help getting across the border. He tells Marcos that the mutants at the high school were his kids, and he was a prosecutor of mutants with the city. Marcos wonders why he should help him, and Reed says that he can help them with Lorna. Reed asks if they know that Lorna is pregnant. Marcos didn't and agrees to a meeting to talk.
The next morning, Caitlin asks Reed if he thinks meeting with Marcos might work. They figure that it's the only option that they have, and Reed reminds Caitlin of how the mutants were fighting and humans wanted something done. A drone flies over and Reed realizes that it's a Sentinel Services drone and the organization knows their license plate.
Reed and Caitlin wake up their kids and head for the car. Lauren spots a laundry truck and generates a force field between it and the driver. The Struckers get in and drive off.
Marcos goes to Tex's Lounge for the meeting. Reed comes in and Marcos generates a brief light burst to get his attention. Reed assures him that it's not a setup, and tells Marcos that Lorna is at a detainment center in Garland. Marcos explains that the baby is his kid, and all Reed knows is that she was healthy when they brought her in. he demands answers, and Marcos tells him to bring everyone to a designated location that night. Reed stays behind with Marcos until he gets Lorna back.
That night at the headquarters, Clarice repairs the dog toy and then goes to where John is coordinating mutant efforts. She tells him that Marcos got a call and ran off an hour ago alone, and Marcos told her not to tell anyone. However, Clarice figured that she owed Lorna and she'd be pissed if Marcos died. John says that he can find Marcos and leaves, and Clarice goes with him.
The Struckers drive to the rendezvous, and Lauren and Andy start arguing until Caitlin asks them to stop. Marcos is waiting and the Struckers approach him. He tells them to get supplies and then they'll head for the border. Clarice demands to know more, and Marcos tells her that they know people there with skills.
The police pull up and Jace calls on them to surrender. Reed wants to talk to them, but Marcos says that they're way past that. Despite the mutant's warning, Reed demands an attorney and insists that they have rights. Jace tells him that he can discuss that with a judge but for now, he and his family have to surrender. John breaks open a nearby door and tells them to come with him. The group goes with him, and Jace has his men deploy the weapons that they brought.
John hears something moving toward them and realizes that they're coming. Metal land drones run after them, and Andy trips. One of them grabs John's leg, and Marcos blasts it free. More drones come after them, cutting off their escape, and the group switches directions. They come to a steel door that John can't break through. Marcos tries to hold the drones back, and the SS men follow them.
A Lauren generates a force field to hold the drones back, Marcos tells Clarice to open a portal. She does through and John goes through first. The others go through except for Andy and Reed. Andy shakes the drones apart, and Reed pushes him through the portal. However, it closes before Reed can join the others.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 3, 2017