Two Months Ago
Senator Matthew Montez is giving a re-election speech about human choices for a human future. He says that there are mutants who use their abilities to abuse humans, and warns that there fight is just beginning. Afterward, he complains to his campaign manager that they need a stronger strategy. Another woman, Stacey Frost, says that she's supposed to take him to a meeting with Trask and asks to come along. Montez agrees as Stacey clutches at her head. She hears a telepathic voice sayng that Sentinel Services knows who she is, and quickly leaves. Meanwhile, Montez tells his manager that Sentinel Services called to say that mutants are infiltrating his campaign and they made some arrests.
Stacey runs through the crowd as Sentinel Services arrives and enters the building. She hears the telepathic voice telling her to find them.
Now
At the underground HQ, Lorna says that they should hit Sentinel Services. When Reed objects, Lorna points out that they have their kids as well. John finally yells at everyone to stop, saying that they're all together. Lorna warns that once Roderick turns Lauren and Andy into Hounds, they're finished. Marcos says that they should set some scouts up at SS to see what is going on there. John agrees, saying that they'll send Sage and Shatter to check it out and then they'll get everyone home.
In their cells, Andy complains that his dampener collar itches. He yells for a guard and when he loses control, his collar shocks him. Once he recovers, he wonders what will happen to them. Lauren figures that they'll charge them as terrorists. Her brother wonders if they could have used their joint power to escape, and Lauren tells him that he was right and they couldn't have endangered innocent people.
Jace interviews Dreamer, who claims that she and the others wandered into the station and got lost. He reminds her that she scrambled his memories the last time they met, and explains that she took her memories of his daughter dying and he lost her again. Dreamer says that it was an accident and apologizes, and Jace pounds the table and says that he wants her to pay for what she did. He says that it's extremely personal for her and tells her to take care. As he goes, Jace says that they're going to turn her into a Hound.
After he leaves, Jace goes to where Weeks is interviewing Clarice and watches through a one-way mirror as Clarice says that she made SS look like idiots. She refuses to make a deal, and Jace calls Roderick and confirms that Roderick has been released from the hospital. Jace says that it's time to send their captives over to Roderick. When he says that Andy and Lauren haven't been convicted yet, Roderick reminds him that they had a deal. Jace agrees and Roderick hangs up.
Caitlin suggests to Reed that they check with his sources, while Esme listens in. She secretly reads Reed's minds and learns about Jace, and then comes in and says that another attack will get people killed. Esme says that it's a human problem and needs a human solution, and suggests that they approach Jace and have him send the mutants to prison rather than the Hound program. She asks them to think about what will happen if Andy and Lauren are turned into Hounds.
Marcos approaches Lorna, who figures that no one is doing anything to rescue her friend from SS. He tells her not to be so hard on the Struckers because they still believe that humans will do something. Lorna says that she's thinking of the world that they're bringing their baby up in.
Clarice and Dreamer wonder what happened to Lauren and Andy. Dreamer says that she used to volunteer at a shelter for battered women. She secretly used her power on them to pull the worst memories from their minds, and wishes that they could forget what happened. Clarice tells her not to think that way, reminding her that she got out the last time she was captured. She insists that escape is only impossible if they get out, and tells Dreamer that John loves her and will figure something out.
At the HQ, Reed warns Caitlin that they're taking a risk. She figures that they should leave without talking to someone, and Reed points out that they have Jace's address from the files they stole. They go to get supplies and walk out, while Esme watches them.
Guards bring Andy and Lauren into Roderick's office. He says that his concern is them rather than the others, and explains that they're wearing devices to measure their biometrics and determine how powerful they are. Roderick explains that they apparently inherited the powers of Andreas and Andrea Strucker. He tells the guards to take them to testing.
The guards put Andy and Lauren in a metal room with sensors extending out of one wall. Roderick appears on a monitor and says that the walls are lined with indestructible adamantium. He tells them to face the sensors and demonstrate their abilities, and turn off the collars. When they refuse to cooperate, Roderick tortures Lauren through the collar. She tells Andy that they can't give Roderick what he wants, and Andy tells Roderick that he won't. Disappointed, Roderick turns off the monitor.
Reed and Caitlin drive to Jace's house in a suburban neighborhood, and figure that the neighbors would be fine if they knew that mutants were being held prisoner nearby. Reed figures that Jace is a good man at some level and they can get through to him. They arrive at his house and Caitlin checks her revolver.
As Marcos and Lorna go over the security, Esme approaches them and tell them that the Struckers went to see Jace. She doesn't mention that she suggested it to them.
Jace is at home drinking, and Paula asks if the day was bad. She doesn't believe him when he denies it, and he says that he's just tired. Paula says that she's proud of him and asks if he wants to end up dead at 40 like his father. The doorbell rings and Paula goes to answer it. A moment later, she calls Jace to the front door where Reed and Caitlin are there. Reed tells Jace that they need to talk.
Marcos, Lorna, and Esme tell John that the Struckers went to see Jace. John figures that if Jace moves the prisoners then they might be able to intercept and rescue them. Marcos says that Shatter is still scouting Trask and needs to be warned.
Reed and Caitlin tell Jace that they're there to talk about the mutants being tortured. Paula suggests that they hear them out, and Reed tells Jace that he's seen his record and believes that he's a good man. He appeals to Jace as a father, and tells the Turners that the program Roderick is running isn't right. Reed asks that Jace uphold the Constitution, but Jace says that everything going on is authorized by congress.
Marcos warns Lorna that it could be a bloodbath, but she asks if Marcos would accept it if she was imprisoned. He says that he wouldn't but warns that he's seen killing and knows where it goes. Marcos doesn't want it for them, and Lorna asks if they accept living in fear. She refuses to ever accept that.
Lauren tells Andy that they can't make them do anything. She figures that whatever reason Roderick wants for them to use their powers, it isn't good. Roderick comes on the monitor again and has his guard brings Clarice and Dreamer into his lab. He takes a gun and threatens to shoot them if the siblings don't cooperate. Dreamer tells them not to do anything for Roderick, and he turns and shoots her dead. He puts the gun to Clarice's head, and Andy asks Lauren what they should do. After a moment she steps forward and takes Andy's hand. The sensors register the energy surge, and the siblings face the sensors.
The energy exceeds the sensor capabilities, and Roderick figures that the room is indestructible. The Struckers finally stop and Roderick tells his technicians to turn the collars back on.
Jace insists that what he's doing is legal, and points out that their children are terrorists. He says that their child is gone and their children are alive, and Reed asks if that's his justification for torturing them. Caitlin stops her husband and says that when Jace came into her house with a gun, she was terrified. She tells Jace that she describes how the mutants are pumped full of drugs and given mental conditioning, and then sent to kill everyone they love. Finished, she leaves with Reed. Jace tells Paula that he'll have a team on them in less than five minutes, and Paula asks if what they said is true. Jace insists that they're terrorists, but Paula asks what he's doing in their daughter's name.
Clarice pounds on the wall of her cell, crying.
Lauren tells Andy that it's their fault that Dreamer is dead, and she died for nothing. Andy says that it will be okay, but Lauren insists that it doesn't matter anymore. They gave Roderick what he wanted.
Roderick checks with his technician, who says that they isolated the bonding agent with the same amino acids as the other technicians. Satisfied, Roderick says that they have a way to permanently negate the X-Gene. He receives word that SS has arrived, and goes to meet Jace and his people. Jace tells him that he's not satisfied that what is happening there is legal. He says that he's taking the mutants and notices on the monitors that Dreamer isn't there. Roderick says that she died in one of their experiments, and Jace says that they'll talk about it after he takes the other detainees to SS.
John tells the others that Shatter sent word that SS is at Trask with a transport vehicle. They realize that the Struckers did it, and work out their plan to intercept the truck. Esme tells them to send her in so she can use her powers to find out what the guards are doing. John agrees and they head out.
The mutants get to the road the truck is taking and Shatter reports on how many there are. John hears their footsteps and confirms that they're leaving, and Marcos takes Esme to the guard booth.
Reed and Caitlin return to the HQ, and Trader tells them that Esme told them what they were doing. When the Struckers point out that it was Esme's idea, they realized that Esme lied to them. Trader says that the others went to Trask and Esme said that she had a plan.
Marcos and Esme approach the booth as Jace pulls up and tells the guard that they're transferring the prisoner. Esme tells Marcos that it will be all right and tasers him unconscious. The guard goes to call in that Jace is transferring the prisoners. Meanwhile, Esme mentally commands Weeks to turn off the collars. He does so and in the transport vehicle, the driver kills the guards and then shoots himself under Esme's telepathic command. She then has weeks shoot Jace and then kill himself. Esme commands another SS agent take out a grenade, get into a car, and pull the pin. It explodes, knocking Jace back.
Esme walks to the transport vehicle and joins up with two mutants that look just like her. The guards approach them, and the three triplets mentally command one guard to shoot down the other two.
Marcos wakes up and sees the carnage, and runs to the others. He says that "they" are killing everyone.
The remaining guards shoot each other. The Frost triplets then tell the other mutants that it's time to go.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 12, 2017