SCENE: XAVIER INSTITUTE - NIGHT

[In Rogue and Kitty's bedroom, Rogue stands by the window, flipping through a book and talking on the phone. She has neon orange and green pajamas.]

Rogue: Yeah, I know. Thanks for lending it to me.

[Kitty walks up behind her, fixing her ponytail. Kitty's wearing a pink T-shirt and biker shorts. She sits on her bed.]

Rogue: I thought it was great, especially at the end where he turned into a werewolf-

[Kitty snuggles with a stuffed dragon, presumably named Lockheed.]

Rogue: -and nobody knew it. Well, I gotta go. *sits on her bed* I've got three finals tomorrow. Talk to you later, bye.

[Rogue turns off the phone. She leans over to the other side of the bed to turn off her lamp. She sighs, pulls the covers over her, and goes to sleep. Later, both girls are sleeping. There's a giant full moon outside. Rogue shifts and mutters in her sleep.]

DREAM SEQUENCE

[A wolf stands on a tree branch and howls.]

[Flash of the full moon, a dark castle, the wolf's fangs.]

[Close up on one of the towers of the castle. Bats are flying around it. A strange green light, like electricity, shoots out of the windows. Inside the tower, there are various instruments for experimentation. Large tubes and beakers and things. The green lightning crackles.]

Mystique: Monster! What have you done to him!?

[Mystique running in the castle, wearing a cloak. A baby cries. She exits the castle.]

Magneto: Come back at once!

[Mystique runs through the woods. It's winter. A pack of wolves emerge from behind some fallen trees. They chase her. Magneto, also wearing a cloak, floats farther back. Mystique stops to catch her breath. The wolves are right behind her. She takes off running again. Mystique reaches a narrow wooden bridge over a gorge with a waterfall. Magneto catches up with her. The wolves attack and Mystique attempts to fight them off.]

Rogue: No! No!

Mystique: Ah! Ah! Oh!

[The wolves knock the baby out of Mystique's hands. It falls over the side into the water. The baby cries.]

Mystique: *reaching over the side* No!

END DREAM SEQUENCE

[Rogue wakes up screaming. She bolts up and clutches her head.]

CREDITS

SCENE: ROGUE/KITTY'S ROOM

[Scott opens their door. He wears a beige T-shirt dorkishly tucked into black sweatpants.]

Scott: Rogue? Are you alright? What happened?

[Jean comes up behind him. She's wearing a blue nightshirt. Across the room, Kitty is standing by Rogue's bed, patting her on the shoulder. Rogue still has her head in her hands.]

Rogue: I-I don't know. I was dreamin'. Some kinda awful nightmare-

[She sounds close to crying.]

Rogue: -with these, these images. *whispering* It was horrible.

Kitty: Yeah. Her shrieking totally freaked me out. I just about phased through the bed.

Scott: Whoa. Finals must be really getting to you.

Rogue: No! It's not the first time. I've had this dream before. They started when I moved to the Institute.

[Evan and Kurt enter. Evan's sleepwear looks pretty much like what he wears every day. Kurt's resembles Scott's, only it's V-neck shirt and it's yellow.]

Evan: *yawning* What's goin' on, man? Are you guys okay?

Kitty: R-Rogue's having creepy nightmares.

Kurt: W-what about?

Rogue: *looking at the sheets* I-I'm not sure. There's uh, *holding her head* a castle and wolves, uh, and a poor baby. I-I didn't really see his face, but I seemed to know, to know him somehow.

[She looks at Kurt.]

Kurt: What? *pointing to himself* Why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong?

[Rogue points at him, eyes wide.]

Rogue: It was you!

Kurt: What was me?

Rogue: *holding her head* Somehow, I just.. know. It was you, Kurt!

Kurt: What are you talking about?

Rogue: In the dream there was a baby cryin', cryin'. S-someone, a woman, I think- I didn't really see her face- was running and she, *covering her eyes* the baby was dropped into the river.

Kurt: And you think that baby was me?

[Rogue clenches her fists.]

Rogue: Why am I havin' this dream?

Jean: Maybe the professor can help us sort this out.

[She puts her hands on Rogue's shoulders.]

Jean: *sighs* But let's do it in the morning. I-It's pretty late.

Xavier: *telepathically* (That's alright, Jean. This is important. Rogue and Kurt, please come to the library with Jean and the rest of you, try to get some sleep. In case you've forgotten, you all have finals tomorrow.)

[Everyone leaves Rogue and Kitty's room.]

Evan: Man, there's no keeping anything from that dude, is there?

[Evan and Scott head off down the right hallway.]

SCENE: LIBRARY

[Rogue and Jean sit on the couch. Kurt sits in a chair. Xavier sits in his chair, hands folded in his usual way.]

Kurt: I've always known that my parents adopted me, but they never said anything about me being fished out of a river.

Xavier: Don't worry, Kurt. We'll try to sort this out. Rogue, since this was your dream, I think I should start with you. *gesturing to a chair* Would you mind sitting here, please?

[Rogue sits down in the chair. Xavier wheels over to her.]

Xavier: Now, just relax. Try to think of the dream.

[Xavier lifts his hands near her head.]

Rogue: You sure this isn't gonna hurt?

Xavier: Yes. Now, please, just concentrate.

[Rogue closes her eyes.]

DREAM SEQUENCE

[Same dream as before. Starting where Mystique asked Magneto what he did to Kurt. Mystique's face is now clearly shown when Kurt goes over the bridge. Magneto watches as Mystique lays on the bridge. The wolves walk away.]

Mystique: Why? Why?

[Magneto just turns around and floats off to the castle.]

[Kurt floats downstream, crying. Mr. Wagner is fishing with a spear. He sees the baby and rushing into the water to pull him out. Mr. Wagner looks quite happy to see a blue furry hand. He hands the baby to his wife. She apparently loves blue too. Mystique watches them from behind a rock. She pulls her hood back over her head and walks away.]

END DREAM SEQUENCE

Kurt: Well? Did you see anything else?

Xavier: Apparently, Rogue, your dream isn't a dream. It's a repressed memory, not just your imagination.

Kurt: But, if I'm in it, then why is she having the dream? Shouldn't it have been mine?

Rogue: Yeah, Professor, what's goin' on?

Xavier: *hands folded* Well, I'm not quite certain. You must have absorbed the memories of someone who indeed knows about Kurt's past.

Kurt: She touched me! Back when we first met, remember, Rogue? Maybe you got those memories from me.

Xavier: You were just an infant in the dream. It is possible that you could have memories that far back.

Kurt: Probe my mind now, Professor! Eh, to find out more! Maybe I've got more memories about what happened later.

Xavier: Yes, that might help, but, but not tonight. We've had quite enough excitement, I think, for now.

[Xavier wheels away. Kurt reaches for him.]

Kurt: But, Professor!

Xavier: Tomorrow, Kurt. After school. I promise.

[Kurt sighs.]

SCENE: BAYVILLE HIGH

Xavier: You've been carrying a terrible burden for many years, Mystique.

[Xavier and Raven sit on opposite sides of her desk. It resembles a parent-teacher conference.]

Xavier: Rogue's recent contact with you seems to have given her some of your darker memories, nightmares *raises eyebrow* about a very unfortunate incident involving an infant.

Raven: *pointing at Xavier* You're fishing. You know nothing.

Xavier: I know about your relationship with the boy, Mystique. What I don't know is what Magneto did to him. Why did you run that night?

Raven: *getting up* Dear, dear, Charles, how incredibly frustrating for you, to realize that amazing mind of yours knows so very little, really.

Xavier: What were you two up to in that dreary castle? Was it worth the loss of your son?

[Raven looks shocked that he knows. She sees flashes from the dream as well. Raven drops the book she was holding and turns around.]

Raven: *angry* Get out! *points* Get out, now!

[Xavier wheels to the door.]

Xavier: Er, just in case you're curious, he turned out to be a very fine lad.

[Xavier leaves. Raven walks to her desk and sighs. She stares at the desktop sadly. Xavier leaves the school.]

Xavier: (Logan, I've got the coordinates.)

[Cut to Wolverine in the X-Jet.]

Wolverine: Fire away.

[He starts up the jet and takes off. A waterfall parts and the X-Jet flies out of the cave behind it.]

SCENE: BAYVILLE HIGH

[In a classroom, Holo-Kurt looks out the window, chin in his hand. The bell rings. Kurt hands in his test and walks out of the classroom.]

Rogue: Hey, Kurt! Wait up.

[She runs up to him.]

Rogue: What's the rush?

[They walk down the hall together.]

Kurt: You know. Prof said we'd look for more answers after school.

Rogue: Right. You sure you wanna know?

[They stop at Kurt's locker. He opens it.]

Kurt: What? Of course! Hey, wouldn't you?

[He picks up a red book and puts it in his bag.]

Kurt: I mean, haven't you ever wondered who your real parents were?

Rogue: *shrugs* I guess so. Yeah, sometimes, but Irene was always a good mom to me. I mean, *crosses her arms* sometimes she could be real strict an' all, but-

[Kurt shuts his locker.]

Kurt: My adoptive parents were great, too, but I always felt that they were keeping something from me. Whenever the subject of where I came from came up, they were always vague and never mentioned anything like the stuff in your dream.

[Kurt and Rogue continue down the hall.]

Rogue: Maybe they didn't know, or maybe they were just tryin' to protect you.

Kurt: How? By hiding *pointing to himself* my own past from me?

Rogue: Kurt-

[Jean and Scott are down the hall talking with a boy with orange spiked hair. Scott and Jean look over at Rogue and Kurt. Scott waves to the kid and he and Jean leave.]

Kurt: Listen, maybe you can live without knowing, but I've gotta know the truth about my life.

[He turns his holo-watch off. He does indeed always wear his X-Man suit.]

Nightcrawler: I'm outta here.

[He teleports. Rogue looks around to see if anyone saw him. Spikey has his head in his locker. Scott and Jean walk up to Rogue.]

Scott: Man, what was that about?

Rogue: He's still really worked up about last night.

Scott: Ah, well we'd better go find him.

[The trio walk down the hall past Spikey. He closes his locker and wanders down the hall. He steps behind a row of lockers and shifts into Principal Darkholme. She still looks sad.]

SCENE: FOOTBALL FIELD

[Under the bleachers, Raven hands Pietro a manila envelope.]

Pietro: Are you sure about this? *looks at the envelope* I mean, I've seen the defenses the've got around that place.

[He tucks the envelope under his arm.]

Raven: Don't worry. You're fast enough. You should be able to get in and out of there undetected.

Pietro: *pointing at the envelope* Why is this so important? I mean, what are you tellin' that blue-furred freak?

Raven: *glaring* Nevermind. That's none of your business. Just deliver it!

[Pietro speeds away.]

SCENE: XAVIER INSTITUTE

[Xavier is sitting at Cerebro. A map of the area from the dream is shown on the view screen.]

Logan (on phone): Looks like this is the place, Charles.

[A red dot is blinking over a small island, or the water.]

Logan (on phone): I'll set her down in the woods nearby and go in on foot.

Xavier: Good. Keep me informed.

Logan (on phone): Right. Logan out.

[Outside, Pietro jumps over the front gate and runs across the yard. Xavier senses something and touches his temples. Pietro runs into the Institute.]

Xavier: *raises eyebrow* Quicksilver.

[In the foyer, Kitty is reading a book. Pietro runs by her and up the stairs.]

Kitty: Hey, who opened a window?

[In Kurt's room, he is hanging upsidedown from the chandelier, looking at a picture of himself as a child with the Wagners. Pietro knocks on the door. Kurt lets go of the chandelier and teleports outside his door. He looks around, but sees no one. Kurt teleports back into his room. The envelope is in front of his door. Kurt opens the envelope and pulls out a letter.]

Kurt: "If you want to know the truth, come to the new mall construction site at sundown. Come alone."

[Kurt considers for a moment. He puts the envelope and letter in his bureau drawer. He looks out the window. It's almost sundown.]

Kurt: Why not?

[Kurt teleports. Scott knocks on the door, then opens it.]

Scott: Yo, Kurt! Professor X says he may have some info- Kurt?

[Scott looks around Kurt's empty room.]

Scott: Kurt?

SCENE: 20 MILES OUTSIDE BAYVILLE

[Pietro is leaning against a tree, talking on a cell phone.]

Pietro: That's what the note said, I'm tellin' ya. She's gonna meet that little blue creep tonight. And that Wolverine guy and the Blackbird were gone, just like you said.

Magneto (on phone): Hmm, as I feared. Good work, Pietro.

[Pietro smiles stupidly. Cut to Magneto at the lab from Rogue's dream.]

Magneto: Now, I need you to do something further for me. Get the others and intercept Nightcrawler before he gets to Mystique. She must not tell him what he wants to know.

[On a monitor, Wolverine is approaching the castle.]

Magneto: I have to take care of a visitor.

[Wolverine makes his way to the castle. He climbs up a large cliff onto the drawbridge. He grunts and sniffs about. Wolverine runs into the castle. He hides behind a pillar and peers around it. Wolverine continues on his way up the stairs. After reaching the top of the stairs, Wolverine races down a corridor. Blue lightning things shock him. He pops his claws and slashes the lasers. Wolverine walks now. Two guns come out of the wall. Wolverine growls and dodges the red laser bolts. He flips and rolls down the corridor, jumping off the wall and smashing one of the lasers. It flies across the hall, smashing the other one. Wolverine growls again and runs down the hall and through the door at the end. He growls, seeing the destroyed lab equipment. He walks down the stairs and retracts his claws.]

Xavier (through communicator): Wolverine, report.

Wolverine: Looks like I was expected. I think this place was some sorta *sniff sniff sniff* DNA lab or somethin', but whoever was runnin' it pulled out recently.

[He looks at a broken wire still crackling electricity.]

Wolverine: Real recently. Huh?

[He notices an explosive attached to the wall with 9 seconds to go.]

Wolverine: Sorry, Doc. I've gotta sign off, now.

[Wolverine runs off and jumps through a window as the castle explodes. He lands on the drawbridge and runs away, dodging debris.]

SCENE: XAVIER INSTITUTE

[Jean is walking down the hall. Scott spots her.]

Scott: Jean! Kurt's taken off. The Professor wants us to check out his room.

[He grabs Jean and drags her off to Kurt's room.]

Jean: So what are we looking for?

Scott: Uh, I'm not sure. Professor X seems to think Kurt might've had a visit from Pietro this afternoon.

[Scott ponders, looking out the window. Jean is by Kurt's desk.]

Jean: Quicksilver? Here? But how?

[Scott examines some drawers.]

Scott: Hey, you know how fast that dude moves and I guess he'd get past the mansion security with no problem.

[Jean opens the drawer with the letter. She reads it.]

Jean: Oh, no. Scott, look at this.

[Scott walks over and reads it.]

Scott: Get the others. We gotta move.

[They run out of Kurt's room.]

SCENE: CONSTRUCTION SITE

[Nightcrawler wanders around.]

Nightcrawler: Okay, eh, so I'm here.

[He points to himself.]

Mystique: Hello, Kurt.

[Nightcrawler turns around. Mystique is wearing a cloak, hiding her face.]

Nightcrawler: You! You're the one in Rogue's dream! *pointing* Who are you? Why don't you show yourself?

Mystique: *removing her hood* You already know me, son.

Nightcrawler: No! No, it's impossible!

[Mystique reaches for Nightcrawler as he backs away in horror. He stops and glares at her.]

Nightcrawler: What happened to me!? Why didn't you-

[Blob grunts and jumps off some staging, landing in front of Nightcrawler. Mystique grabs his shoulder.]

Mystique: Get out!

[Blob grunts and elbows her. Toad leaps down behind Nightcrawler. Avalanche appears beside him. Quicksilver runs in and leans against Blob.]

Quicksilver: Whoa. Far as you go, furboy. This conversation's over.

Mystique: Get out of here, all of you!

Quicksilver: No can do, boss lady. *pointing up* We got higher orders.

[Quicksilver snaps his fingers and Toad launches his tongue at Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler teleports out of the way. He appears on a hook at the end of a crane.]

Toad: I got 'im.

[Toad leaps onto the hook. Nightcrawler teleports before he gets there. Toad clings to the hook as it sways back and forth.]

Toad: *queasy* Whoa.

[Nightcrawler appears on part of the staging.]

Nightcrawler: What kind of game is this, Mystique?

[Mystique looks on, frightened for her son. Toad swings back on the hook and knocks Nightcrawler to the ground. The Brotherhood gather around him.]

Quicksilver: Huh. That was easy.

Cyclops: Wrong! It just got hard.

[The X-Men stand around at the other end of the site. Cyclops points at the Brotherhood. Toad leaps down in front of his team mates.]

Toad: Get 'em!

Blob: Argh!

[The Brotherhood race to the X-Men. Toad attacks Spyke with his tongue. He misses. Spyke makes a large sliver of bone come out of his hand. Toad tries another tongue attack. His tongue wraps around Spyke's bone.]

Spyke: Hey, wart man-

Toad: Uh, oh.

Spyke: -lick this!

[Spyke flings Toad into a pile of debris.]

Toad: Arh! Uh!

[Blob runs at Shadowcat.]

Blob: Errgh!

[Shadowcat phases through him. Blob tackles a cement mixer instead. He lands head first into it. Cyclops flicks it on, striking an 'I'm a superhero' pose.]

Blob: *muffled* Hey, hey, let me out.

[Jean lifts Nightcrawler out of a pile of sand. Shadowcat walks over. Avalanche appears, rolls his eyes and stomps his foot. Everything shakes.]

Shadowcat: Wah!

Avalanche: It's time to rock n' roll.

Rogue: *running from behind* Rock n' roll this, creep!

[She tackles Avalanche. Cyclops fires hopelessly as Quicksilver runs circles around him.]

Quicksilver: Come on, shades. *taunting* Y'can't hit me. *smirking* I'm too fast. You can't hit me, can ya?

[Quicksilver punches Cyclops on his way by, cackling.]

Cyclops: Jean, I could use a little help here!

[Jean, carrying Nightcrawler, puts her hand to her head. She lifts Quicksilver off the ground.]

Quicksilver: Hey, no fair!

[Cyclops blasts him into a pile of sand.]

Quicksilver: Whoa!

[Cyclops makes a 'yes, finally got him' gesture, even though it was Jean's victory. Rogue, gloveless, descends on the fallen Avalanche.]

Avalanche: Ah!

[Rogue grabs his face and drains him.]

Jean: Rogue! Over there.

[She points to Mystique, who is running away.]

Rogue: *pointing* I see 'er!

[She runs up in front of Mystique.]

Rogue: Going somewhere? Me and Kurt have a few question we need *pointing* you to answer.

Mystique: *removing hood* I'm afraid it's too late for answers. Far too late.

[Mystique walks away. Rogue rolls her eyes back and holds out her hand.]

Rogue: Not so fast.

[She stomps her foot and everything shakes. Mystique covers her head, then turns into a raven and flies away. Rogue looks down at Mystique's cloak, then to the raven. Mystique flies off into the sunset.]

SCENE: XAVIER INSTITUTE

[Logan, Jean, Scott, and Xavier are sitting in front of the fireplace.]

Logan: So the dreams Rogue was having were really Mystique's.

Xavier: I'm afraid so. Rogue must have picked them up when she touched her. Mystique may very well be the boy's mother, but we may never know the truth now. There was nothing left of the lab?

Logan: Nothin'. Whoever was runnin' it didn't want us findin' anything, but before it went kablooey, it looked like the kinda place Dr. Frankenstein might have been comfortable in.

Xavier: Genetic experimentation on mutants. I hadn't realized that he was willing to go that far. And poor Kurt.

[Jean and Scott look at each other. Logan gets up off the arm of the couch, puts his hands in his pockets, and walks to the bookshelf. Scott looks at Jean again. She shrugs, a worried look on her face.]

Scott: So, when are you gonna tell Kurt about all this?

Logan: I'm not so sure the elf needs to know. At least not yet. Some of this stuff could be pretty damaging.

[Jean hugs her knees to her chest. Scott looks at the floor.]

SCENE: KURT'S ROOM

[Kurt sits on his balcony railing, looking at the water and swinging his tail back and forth. Rogue leans against the railing beside him.]

Kurt: I still can't believe it. Mystique is my mother?

[Kurt puts his chin in his hand.]

Rogue: Listen, Kurt, who really knows? I mean, that's one seriously disturbed lady. Maybe she's just messin' with ya.

Kurt: I guess, but there is a certain resemblance.

Rogue: Hey, look, that doesn't mean anything. Let's just wait 'til the prof finds more answers for ya. Then you'll know for sure.

[She puts her hand on Kurt's back.]

Kurt: Somehow, I think he already knows more than he's willing to tell us.

Rogue: Maybe, but if he does, he's probably got good reasons for not tellin' you.

Kurt: *sarcastically* Yeah, sure.

Rogue: And listen, Kurt, I really do know what you're goin' through. We'll both keep looking and we'll find our answers together someday. Okay?

Kurt: Yeah, okay.

Rogue: Hey, it's almost time for school and I've got finals. I gotta finish gettin' ready. *punches Kurt* So do you.

Kurt: Thanks, Rogue.

[Rogue walks away. Kurt gives her a thumbs up, but she can't see it because he's behind her. Rogue wipes a tear away from her eye. Kurt looks sadly out at the water. He sighs. Cut to Raven in her office, looking sadly out the window at the children below. A girl gets out of a car.]

Girl: Thanks for the ride, Mom. I'll see you after school!

[She waves to her mother as she drives away. Raven sighs.]