Eight Years Ago
The Frost triplets are brought out of confinement to a room and their restraint collars removed. Dr. John tells that it's time for another exercise. He tells them to read another prisoner's mind and tell him what the prisoner's secret is. The Triplets report that the mutant prisoner is hiding the location of his family, and the doctor tells them to work together and pierce his barriers. The triplets link hands and scan the mutants mind, and Esme begs the doctor not to make them. Dr. John asks if she cares about her family or the prisoner's, and the triplets continue scanning as the prisoner screams.
Now
Esme is in her room treating her scar caused by Eclipse attacking her months ago.
In the mess room, Andy and Rebecca are decorating pancakes together.
Lorna is holding Dawn when Andy comes in and says that they need them for training. Lorna is unhappy about how they've been running them through simulations all week, and Lorna wonders where Reeva is. Lorna figures that Reeva had better return and tell them what's going on, and Andy says that Rebecca is already in the training room.
The Triplets dress and Esme glances at the scar on her sleeve. Her sisters complain about having to keep their arms covered.
In the training room, Andy, Lorna, and Rebecca fight against hologrammatic SWAT troopers. Using their mutant powers, they defeat the simulations. Reeva and the Frosts come in, and Lorna asks what's what they're training for. She demands to know what mission they're going on, and says that Dawn is important to her and she's barely seen Dawn because of all of the training. Esme says that they're still on the same side, but Lorna tells Reeva to tell her what's going on or she's out. When Reeva doesn't answer, Lorna walks out.
Caitlin examines Lauren and confirms that she's over her concussion. She has also found Dr. Taylor, the psychiatrist who worked with Rebecca at the mental hospital, and has made an appointment to meet with her the next day. Caitlin goes to pack her things for the trip, and she tells Reed that he can't come because he'll need to train with John to gain control of his power. Reed says that when his powers manifest, it feels like when he was sick as a child. Caitlin assures him that he's good at learning things, and Reed says that she's always made him feel that they can accomplish anything.
The Purifiers meet at a church and Ted has Jace talk. Jace says that he's been checking the files and learned that the mutants with arrest records haven't made it to a hospital at Baltimore. He tells the Purifiers that the mutants have used the system against them. When the Purifiers complain about doing the feds' jobs for them, Jace says that if they do it right, people will come running to their cause. When Kyle objects, Ted says that he talked to the leadership and they want results, and they'll follow Jace's plans on his orders. Jace says that it's time that they solved the mutant problems, and they'll do it.
Lauren sleeps and has a dream of being in training with Andy's. She points out that he could have killed her, and Andy apologizes but tells her not to get in his way. Andy says that the Inner Circle can make her powerful like him, and insists that the Circle is helping people. Lauren sees the safe that Rebecca twisted inside out, and goes over and examines it. She touches it and cuts her finger... and wakes up with a bleeding finger
Reeva talks to the Frosts about training the team, and they say that they'll bring Lorna into the fold. The Frosts say that they either trust Lorna or lose her. Reeva agrees and tells the Frosts to handle it. As the triplets go, Reeva tells them not to make her regret it. Once she's alone, Reeva calls and warns the person on the other end that nothing had better go wrong.
Esme goes to Lorna's quarters and finds her trying to comfort her baby. Esme mentally links with the baby and quiets it. Lorna puts the baby in her crib, and Esme comes in and tells her that they have plans of the place they're attacking. Despite that, Lorna says that she needs to go there herself and know what she's risking her life for. After a moment, Esme agrees.
John talks Reed into controlling his powers by having him remember a time when his powers manifested. Nothing happens, and John tells him that he has to face his fears. Reed snaps at him, saying that he isn't afraid, and he disintegrates the radiator. Marcos and Clarice come in and show them a video of Purifiers bombing a sanctuary church in Baltimore. Shatter needs their help, but the cops are in full force. John says that they have to stand together with the Mutant Underground.
The team drives to Baltimore and meet with Shatter and his team. He explains that they have twenty refugees from the bombed church and they're already at capacity. The human groups that used to help them won't take their calls, and Reed goes to make some fake IDs. Shatter listens as John warns Reed that he needs to own his feelings or he'll never control his powers. Reed insists that he'll work through it in his own way.
Marcos and Clarice collect personal information from the refugees. Shatter gives it to Reed, and tells him that he found out he was a mutant when he woke up one day and discovered his power. He tried to use his power on himself, and warns that the more they try to reject the things they can't face, the worse they make it.
Esme and Lorna go to an outside café and Esme points out a nearby bank, Creed Financial. It has a mutant detection system and they can't get close without setting off alarms. Creed Financial has been helping undermine mutants for decades. She insists that their attack will inspire an army. Lorna still isn't convinced, and Esme says that Creed Financial funded the lab that created her and her sister. She explains that the three of them are clones, and they made the triplets do horrible things. The Frosts took control of the guard and had them kill Dr. John and then each other. The triplets got out but they didn't escape the things that they made them do. Esme admits that it's a risk but says that some risks are worth taking.
Reed tells the others that none of the refugees were injured. John realizes that it's a trap and hears the Purifiers coming, and warns that it's too late to evacuate.
Jace and the others pull up and Jace announces on a bullhorn that anyone who wishes to surrender will not be harmed. Kyle is ready to storm the building, but Jace says that they're there for justice, not blood. Ted warns that Pacifiers are ready to shoot, and Jace says that the terrorists are inside. He takes out a case filled with gas grenades and insists that they're the good guy.
Lorna and Esme return to the Circle base, and Lorna says that they're in. They agree that they're glad they went out, and Esme hums the lullaby Lorna used with Dawn. Lorna notices and asks if Esme was in Dawn's head earlier. Esme denies it and Lorna uses her powers to choke Esme with her metal necklace. The elevator door opens, revealing Lorna and Esme's sister, and Lorna slams the door shut and tells Esme that if the Frosts look at Dawn again she'll kill them. Reeva blasts the door open, and Lorna tells her to keep her monsters away from Dawn and walks away.
As Caitlin and Lauren drive to Taylor's office, Lauren says that she and Andy had another dream. She tells her mother that Andy has gotten stronger and Caitlin wouldn't recognize her. Caitlin hopes that Andy will come home, and Lauren tells her that Andy doesn't want to be saved... and wonders if he's right about how they need to be saved.
At Taylor's office, Caitlin claims that Rebecca is her cousin and asks what happened to her. Taylor tells them she had issues with the treatment of some of their people, and claims that she's going to get her notes. Lauren warns Caitlin that Taylor is nailed, and goes into the office where Taylor is calling the police. After she destroys the phone with her power, Lauren demands that Taylor tell them about Rebecca.
Crying, Taylor says that she can't talk about her patients. She insists that she treated them as well as she could, and Caitlin says Michael told her that Taylor was kind to her. Taylor says that she should have done more, and Caitlin says that some dangerous people took Rebecca and have her son. The doctor shows them video of Rebecca using her power killing an orderly turning him inside out... and she killed her family the same way.
Phoebe and Sophie complain that Esme let her guard down, and Reeva comes in and says that they can't afford any more mistakes. Esme warns her sisters that they can't control Lorna's mind forever, and that Dr. John wanted them to be controllers. She tells Reeva that if they're going to build something real, then people like Lorna need to believe. Reeva tells her that they can't afford to be sentimental and they're all making sacrifices. Once the Triplets leave, Reeva gets a text that the caller can't wait.
John spots Jace outside and tells Clarice to portal behind the Purifiers. He and shatter will run interference so the Purifiers don't notices the escapees. Jace fires gas grenades in, and Clarice collapses from the fumes. Jace and the others cover the exit. Reed and the others arrive, and Skyler says that there's a tunnel on the other side of the wall and they can't get to the other side without going back through the gas. Reed says that he'll deal with the wall, and Shatter says that his skin can resist small-arms fire and he'll go out and draw the Purifiers' fire.
Shatter runs out and lets the bullets hit him, and Eclipse fires beams of light. He touches one man and crystallizes him, and Skyler knocks out the Purifier preparing to shoot Scatter.
Reed concentrates, trying to burn through the wall.
Jace grabs a rifle and fires an armor-piercing bullet into Shatter's chest, killing him.
Reed remembers what Lauren told him about Andy. He loses control and disintegrates the wall. John and Marcos get the others through the resulting hole.
Esme enters Lorna's room and apologies for entering Dawn's head telepathically. She says that she felt the love of a mother, and admits that she manipulated Lorna because she needed her, and that's why they were made. Esme tells Lorna that they started off as quintuplets. The doctors kept Celeste and Mindee locked up and used their restraining collars to kill them... and the others felt the pain and terror like it was happening to them. Esme would do anything to protect Dawn from that, and tells Lorna that no matter what she's on Lorna and Dawn's side.
Jace holds some of Shatter's crystal blood in his hands. Ted congratulates him on leading the biggest mutant bust in years, and Jace says that he didn't want anyone to hurt. The Purifier leader assumes that Jace is talking about the dead Purifier, and says that Shatter supposedly died in Atlanta and Paula was wrong. Ted tells Jace that he's a purifier now.
Caitlin tells Lauren that it's on her to bring Andy back, not as Lauren. She hugs her daughter and says that she'd never put Lauren at risk to save Andy. Lauren tells her mother that if Andy won't come back on her own then she'll have to bring him back and fight him I she has to.
Andy and Rebecca play video games together.
Lorna and Reeva look out on the city.
Sophie and Phoebe sleep, while Esme stares off into space.
Clarice and Lauren join the others, and they discover that Reed is sitting in a corner, surrounded by disintegrated furniture. He tells Caitlin that he can't make his power stop.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 7, 2018