The Search Begins

[ECKS]

(Once in his office he takes his seat. The elevator conceals itself behind him. He turns the computer on and puts in his password to start it up. Once running he starts going through files.)

ECKS: "This is the place where the Professor tracked Nightcrawler to the first time. So that's the best place to start lookin'."

(He jots down the map points to help plan the trip. Then continues with the computer, going through file after file trying to find a way to track down the ever elusive Mystique. Finding of course that when the "cure" wore off she escaped her cell in Washington and is considered still at large.)

ECKS: "Guess havin' her in a cell woulda been just a little to easy."

(He continues to work on through the night. Hoping to find anything to work with.)

[ECKS]

(After hours of endless searching ECKS finally find something that may be of some use. After giving up trying to find Mystique he starts searching for each of the mutants who survived the Alcatraz Island attack. Most of them were put into holding cells at different facilities across the states. Magneto's been considered missing since that day, but one person that never turned up was Callisto. The mutant with the ability to sense other mutants. She was thought to have been killed at the hands of Storm but her body never turned up.)

ECKS: "If there's even a chance that she's still alive she'd most likely go back to New York. If we can find her we can use her power to help us track down Mystique. That might be our only shot, and it's a long one, but it's about all we have to go on."

(He continues on, reading Mystique's report to the authorities in Washington, about the plan to get rid of the cure. But more importantly about when and where Magneto met with and collected mutants for his army, hoping to find where he may have recruited Callisto. Several of the places were in New York. He writes each place and it's location down.)

ECKS: "Someone still at one of these places will know where to find her if she came back. Just a matter of gettin' one of'em to talk. And I'm pretty good at makin' people talk."

(He reaches over and presses the button for the mansion's intercom system and makes another announcement.)

ECKS: "I'd like to see Nightcat and Rogue in my office as soon as possible."

(Then he sits back and reads a little more as he waits.)

[Nightcat]

(Liz appears with her costomary BAMFing sound moments later, perched on the back of one of the seats in front of the desk. Her tail is swinging rhymically behind her for balance. She tilts her head to one side as she speaks.)

Liz: I do not have be a telepath to know that you have gute news on Nightcrawler and/or Mystique. Was have you found out?

[ECKS]

. . .

ECKS: "As far as Nightcrawler goes, I've found the location of the church he was found in three years ago. With any luck, after the Alkali Lake thing, he went back there. Makin' him easy to find. Long as he's still there."

(After taking a quick glance back to the computer screen to check something, the writing it down.)

ECKS: "Findin' Mystique is gonna be a bit of a stretch and we're gonna need some serious luck, but we're gonna try. I found one way to possibly find her, but it's gonna take some real diggin'. I'll wait for Rogue before gettin' to far into this. She needs to be briefed, too."

(Getting a slightly more serious look on his face he sighs deeply and speaks with a bit of a grunt.)

ECKS: "What about the new kid, think he's ready for something like this?"

. . .

[Nightcat]

(Liz does a somersault and lands in the seat of her chair with her long indigo legs crossed. She thinks for a moment before replying.)

Liz: Personally, I think he is. Once you get him talking, he is very easy to get along with. He is just a little scared that you might do something to him. I think that it is because the two of you got off on the wrong foot. The only thing we have to work on is the anger problem and we could have a very faithful person on our side. He has probably seen as much violence in his life as you have seen in yours and he is at least half your age.

[Rogue]

(Rogue knocks on the door and walks in. She catches the tail end of the conversation)

Rogue: Ah guess ya talkin bout ya best buddy ECKS huh? Ah think he is ready, but he still seems ta think ya have it out for him. Like Liz said, he is faithful and ah think it would do him some good to get the field experience. The other two aren't ready for this yet though. So when are we leavin. Ah want ta get this over already.

[ECKS]

. . .

ECKS: "I'll give it some thought. And Rogue, thanks for joining us. I was just tellin' Nightcat what I've been able to find so far. Nightcrawler is gonna be easy, long as he went back to the church where they found him before. I got it's location right here. So that's our first stop, once we find him we need to try to get him to come with us, with what we have to say it shouldn't be too hard."

(ECKS clears his throat before continuing on with the briefing.)

ECKS: "As we all figured, when her powers came back, Mystique escaped from the prison in D.C. So findin' just on that will be near impossible. But, after readin' every report written about the Alcatraz fight, I can't find any evidence of what happened to Callisto. The mutant Magneto used, 'cause of her gift, to find other mutants, namely Jean and Mystique. Her body never turned up, even though Storm left her for dead. We find her, we find Mystique. And I know what you're thinkin', what's gonna make her help us, right?"

. . .

[Nightcat]

(Liz got a very questioning look in her pupiless eyes.)

Liz: All of this talk of this Alcatraz Island attack. I have never heard of it before today. All of this is very new to me. At home, we had no electricty so we had no way to know about what was happening out side of our village and the few neighboring villages.

[ECKS]

. . .

ECKS: "Basically, it's an island off the coast of San Francisco that used to be used as a prison. They had the cure held up there 'cause of how hard it is to get to that island. That's why it was targeted by Magneto, he tried to put an end to the mutant cure."

(He turns his computer slighty and punches up a map to show just where the island is. After glancing at both Rogue and Nightcat he answers his own question.)

ECKS: "And far as Callisto helpin' us, she'll do it 'cause I'm very persuasive."

(ECKS turns the computer back to himself. With a hint of confidence in his voice, he simply asks...)

ECKS: "Any questions?"

. . .

[Nightcat]

(Liz rearranged her demonic feature into a determined face.)

Liz: Nien Mien Freund. Let us roll.

(She looks over at Rogue, who gives a short nod of her head.)

Rogue: Ah'm with Liz. Let's get this done. Ah can't wait to get rolling. But what about the kid?

[ECKS]

(ECKS reaches over and presses the intercom button once again.)

ECKS: "8-Ball, come to the front office as soon as possible."

(He lets off the button and turns back to Nightcat and Rogue.)

ECKS: "I'll see what he has to say and we'll go from there. But I'm gonna need help watchin' this kid. He gets out of hand, he stays on the jet, I can't have him blowin' anythin' up. We gotta do this quick and quiet, he blows our cover, people are gonna think we're the bad guys, and we're caught."

(ECKS sits and waits for 8-Ball to enter.)

[8-ball]

(8-ball walks in and closes the door and looks at ECKS)
8-ball:"yea? whats wrong"

[ECKS]

. . .

ECKS: "I'll skip the whole briefin' thing, I'm pretty sure you heard most of it from the other side of my door. Instead, I'm gonna give you an option. As you know we're leavin' to find some people for Rogue. I've noticed you've gotten better at the whole 'play well with others' thing and personally I'm beginnin' to trust you."

ECKS: "So here's your option, if you think you're ready you can come with us. But I want you to understand, this is serious. You're gonna have to follow everythin' the three of us tells you. 'Cause if you don't you risk getting one of us or even yourself hurt. You think you can handle that?"

. . .

[8-ball]

8-ball:"yea im ready. and thanks ECKS for trusting me."

[Nightcat]

(Suddenly Liz sits up straight as a board, her tail stiff with just the very tip swinging back and forth)

Liz: I hate to interrupt but we have a guest. He says name is Mindcontrol, but you call call him Jack. He is a very powerful telepath and telekinetic. He is standing in the hall outside the office.