Here you go, boss. One hot run delivered to Fifth and Maple, in a timely and courteous fashion,
by yours truly. - That's my rock star.
Are you kidding me? One package? That's it? All day?
Quality, not quantity, Max.
That's what all men tell themselves. Helps them sleep better at night.
Greetings, all y'all! Big news, my brothas.
You are looking at the newest reporter for America's fastest-growing magazine.
New World Weekly?
You're not reportin' anything on Jam Pony time, mister.
No worries, it's strictly freelance.
I dropped my resume off last month, and they finally called.
Said they're willing to give a hungry young newshound a chance.
And what exactly are you gonna be doing for 'em, Sketch?
I'm gonna hunt down mutants in my spare time and immortalize their horrible,
deformed faces for tabloid posterity.
- That's just great. - Yeah.
Except there are no mutants, and that rag is full of lies.
Wait 'til I get my first exclusive. In the meantime, everybody, drinks on me at Crash!
- This is not good. - No, no, I'm as worried about exposure as you are.
I'd believe that if you covered your barcode better, Monty Cora.
Look, I seriously doubt White and his, uh, merry band of transgenic hunters get their tips
from the New World Weekly. I mean, besides, this is Sketchy we're talking about.
What are the chances he stumbles across an actual Manticore alum that's stupid enough
to let him snap a shot? - Hey, guys.
You were saying?
- Yeah. - Logan? It's Wendy White.
Wendy? Where are you? I've been trying to reach you, but your sister said that you were...
I know. I - I talked to her. She said you were tracking down some leads on Ray?
- Yeah, I have nothing solid yet, but... - I found him.
- What? - I found Ray.
Is he with you?
No, but I know where my husband took him.
You've gotta help me get him back.
I will.
But, Wendy, you have to promise me that you're not going to do anything until I get there, okay?
I don't have to tell you how dangerous these people who took your son are, right?
- Hurry, Logan. I think they're onto me. - Okay, Wendy. Tell me where you are.
- Even the policeman that I talked to... - Wendy, where are you?
A little town...
- Oh, my God. - Wendy?
Wendy?
Ouch.
- You shouldn't have come here. - I want my son.
He's not your son anymore. He's one of us.
Who are you people? What are you doing to him?
That is not your concern.
We've protected ourselves for thousands of years.
- Ames... - You should've left well enough alone.
- Please... - I loved you, Wendy. You were chosen for me.
But you should've forgotten about him...
and you should've forgotten about me.
They designed her to be the perfect soldier - a human weapon.
Then she escaped.
In a future not far from now,
in a broken world, she is haunted by her past.
She cannot run; she must fight
to discover her destiny.
Hey. Only managed to score about five gallons.
- That should be enough to get us there. - So you traced the call?
She called from a town called Willoughby, which is located three hours south of here.
Trying to pinpoint the address. - Why is Wendy trying to track down Ray by herself?
I mean, she knows how psycho White and his cult pals are.
I can't even tell you how many times I've tried to tell her that.
She's called me more than once with what turned out to be bogus leads.
Think this might be another dead end?
It occurred to me, until I heard someone bust in and the line went dead.
Bingo. - The address.
Yup. Here we go.
- Max is sick again? - Up all night.
I couldn't get her out of that bathroom. I think it's cholera.
Or diphtheria.
- Or maybe bubonic plague. - I hear that's been going around.
Look, you want to cover her shift as well as your own, makes no never-mind to me. Happy riding.
- Hey, is that going to sector three? Trade ya. - Whatever.
I got a tip from the paper about a grotesque mutant living in the sewers over there.
Maybe I'll get lucky and snap a shot.
What do you think?
I think he'll slog around in the sewers for about an hour, come back empty-handed, tired,
and smelling like garbage.
- Phone number's listed to this hotel. - Which room did she call from, though?
- Records didn't break it down that far. - Well, let's go check it out.
Wendy said she had the feeling someone was onto her.
We don't want to tip the wrong person we're looking for her.
Well, that kinda makes things tough.
Watch and learn.
- Morning. - Morning.
Uh, we're here with the Connor party.
- Connor party? - Hunting weekend. Booked two rooms.
No, I'm sorry. Is it under another name?
You know, maybe Bill's girlfriend used her name to check in. Uh... try...
... I can't remember her name. I only met her that once.
Oh, God, this is embarrassing. Um, maybe if I just take a look, it might jog my memory.
It's okay. We've got a couple extra vacancies, so...
- Oh, great! Well, then, we'll take a room. - Okay. Well, just fill that out.
Hate it when that happens. Right on the tip of your tongue, and...
Yeah, yeah. I know the feeling. Why don't you go ahead and take a look?
Ah, thanks, I appreciate it.
I don't see anything. Do you?
Pretty quiet week.
Yeah, it's mostly a weekend sort of place. Folks hunting, like yourselves.
So nobody? All week?
That's, uh, that's what it says.
- Here you go. - Yeah. You're in, uh, 203. Back stairs.
Thanks.
Have a nice stay.
I said "Watch and learn", not "Watch and tip the guy off".
I was just trying to make sure.
Think he's one of White's fellow travelers? What did he call them - Familiars?
Maybe.
Reception in this town is terrible, but there we go, it's ringing.
You hear anything? - Not yet.
New strikeplate. Fresh coat of paint.
Looks like a new phone jack.
Somebody went out of their way to make it look like nothing happened here.
Ten bucks for a soda?!
Honor bar prices. They'll gouge you any way they can.
No honor in a broken world.
Oh, look what I found.
Best place to keep film until you're ready to develop it.
- Think it's Wendy's? - Let's find out. Nice work.
I watch, I learn, I steal sodas.
Freeze! What the hell are you doing here?
There he is!
Subject is headed for daylight. Repeat - subject is headed for daylight.
Damn it. All units form a perimeter above ground.
Go! Go!
Freeze!
Get these people out of here.
- All right, let's move it back. - All right, let's go. Move back.
- There's nothing to see here. - Put a sheet over its ugly head.
Get it to HQ, ASAP.
Just takes a few minutes. And, uh, the photos, they come out right here.
Great. Thanks.
Afternoon.
Uh, you folks staying at the hotel? - Yeah.
- Yeah, I heard we had visitors. Welcome. - Just passing through.
Well, you enjoy your stay.
- What's that? - Don't know.
School uniforms.
Could be a prep school nearby.
Place looks pretty posh... must be exclusive.
That's Ray.
White must have stashed him here so Wendy couldn't find him.
You folks have a kid up at Brookridge?
- Yeah. - No.
Uh, we're, uh, we just happened to drive by, and we happened to see it, and we just thought that
it looked like the kind of place that we might send our kids someday.
- If we could afford it. - Right.
Just happened to see it, huh? 'Cause it's nowhere near the roads.
I mean, you've gotta, you know, pull right up to the gate.
- Right. Well, I took a wrong turn. - I gave him bad directions.
She had the map. Anyway, thanks.
- Yeah, take care. - Bye.
Hey!
Forgot one.
Thank you.
Keep walking, act natural, we're just passing through.
I'm starting to get the funny feeling this isn't your average boarding school
for rich kids with disciplinary problems.
Think maybe it's the breeding cult's version of Manticore?
If so, then Willoughby's Cult Central and we don't know who's involved.
Sheriff... hotel clerk...
- Let's get Wendy and Ray and get out of here. - Works for me.
We're thinking he was probably designed to be some kind of worker drone.
Good for hauling equipment, digging fossils, that kind of thing.
- It talk? - Talk...
I can talk. - Good.
Then you'll understand what I'm about to say.
Give it a last meal; we don't want to be accused of being inhospitable.
Ship it out in tomorrow's transport. The boys in Forensics can take it apart at their leisure.
Yes, sir.
On another matter, sir, we may have a situation.
The team came across a kid down in the sewers right before the damn thing broke for the street.
He had a camera. May have gotten off a couple of shots.
Terrific.
White.
Yes, sir.
Of course, but can it wait 'til tomorrow? I've got a family situa...
Very good, sir. I'll be there.
That was the Director.
He wants to meet to talk about today's little snafu.
I do not want to have to tell him that on top of everything else,
we have a kid running around with photographs of the takedown.
We do have a lead.
One of the men remembers that he was wearing a backpack with some kind of company logo on it.
Find him, find out what he knows, get rid of the film.
- Yes, sir. - And if he knows too much, get rid of him.
Damn it. I'm supposed to have seen my kid today.
'll be lucky if I get out of town before rush hour.
What's up? Looks like you ran all the way from sector three.
And you smell like it, too. - You guys will not believe what I just saw.
A mutant. A real, live miscreation of science, and I've got the photographic proof.
Well, why don't you, uh, take a load off and tell us all about it?
Okay. So I'm trolling the area, looking for the mutant.
I come across this military action in progress. They had the fiend trapped in an alley.
You should have seen him, dude.
Wait, what am I saying? You're gonna see it as soon as I get the film developed.
That's right. I can't wait.
Here. Wouldn't want that falling into the wrong hands.
Thanks, O.C. I'm gonna take this to the paper right after lunch.
Poor little white boy. He was excited about that story, too.
- Had to be done. Thanks. - I did it for Max.
But you're welcome.
What were you thinking, chasing a Manticore escapee into broad daylight?
It posed a clear and present danger to the public, sir.
If your men couldn't make the capture under wraps, they should've let it go,
not flush the damn thing into the street where everybody could see it.
Perhaps I should've waited until it ate somebody's child, sir.
You are out of line, Agent White.
With respect, what's out of line is the way this entire operation is being handled.
We're understaffed and underfunded. - Your funding is off the books.
We can't risk diverting any more without raising some eyebrows.
Well, I thought that my job was to capture transgenics, not to cover somebody's ass.
If it got out that billions of tax dollars were diverted to a secret government program
to build transgenic soldiers, well, that would be bad enough.
But if it got out that millions more were being diverted to catch the damn things
because they got away, it would be a disaster.
Damn it, Ames. It could bring down the Committee itself.
Bottom line: I don't care what you do with these transgenics.
Catch them, kill them, let them skulk around in the sewer 'till their hearts' content.
You just keep them off the nightly news.
Yeah.
Hi, Ray. How's my big man?
Well, I can't, you know?
You know the parents aren't allowed to be there until it's finished.
But don't worry. It's gonna be just fine. You just do like you practiced, right?
And I'll see you soon.
I love you too.
Okay. Bye.
- Ready? - Watch and learn.
If you're not out of there in an hour, I'm coming in after you.
Damn right you are.
Can I help you?
Hey. Yeah, I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. I'm looking for, uh,...
... county road four? - Sure thing. Go back the way you came.
Make a left at the drive. About six or seven miles you'll hit a light.
Make another left... - Left?
- It's your first right. - Maybe I should write this down.
You got a pen?
Not on me. Let me get one.
Uh... that's all right. I think I can remember. Thanks.
Damn it.
Just passing through, huh?
Yeah, I'll be there soon. How's Ray?
It's too soon to tell. But the symptoms have come fast.
I see.
We had an incident involving one of the transgenics.
- What? - She tried to stop the ceremony and take Ray.
- 452. - We have her.
She was cut with the kariff. It should take effect on her soon.
- I'll be there in an hour. Fe'nos tol. - Fe'nos tol.
- Does it hurt? - Yeah,...
except I want my money back. I asked for the heart with the dagger through it.
Why did you come here? Did she send you, the Mother?
If you're trying to protect her, don't bother. It's too late for that.
- What are you doing with Ray? - What is necessary.
Could you be a little more specific?
'Cause I left my copy of Wacky Cult Rituals for Dummies at home.
- Ray is proving himself. - Oh, really?
Well, I'd like to see you prove yourself. - I have.
We all have.
So, uh, after you pass the sacred snake blood test, what do you get? A lollipop?
You shouldn't have interfered.
Sorry I spoiled the party.
You will be sorry... soon enough.
We're closed. Come back tomorrow.
Special Agent Otto Gottlieb, NSA. I'd like to ask you a few questions.
Hey, sorry. Didn't realize that, uh...
I mean, you know, I never expected, uh...
... Whatever. Reagan Ronald, proud American, at your service, sir.
- You run this place? - Yes, as best I can, sir.
We're looking for one of your messengers. Male, early twenties, long hair, ratty clothes.
Uh, tragically, sir, you've just described every young man in my employ.
- He had a camera. - Calvin Simon Theodore, a.k.a. Sketchy.
Six foot, roughly 180 pounds, smells vaguely of rotten fruit. What'd he do?
- That's classified. - Got it.
- Just tell us where we can find him. - Uh, Crash. 1313 Euclid. It's a bar.
He and his fellow reprobates go there after work to drink themselves into stupors.
Glad I could help.
Dude, I just don't... I don't get it.
- Well, maybe you left the lens cap on. - Or loaded the film in backwards.
Yeah, maybe I'm just a loser who can't do anything right. That's what my editor thinks.
These things happen, Sketch. Don't be so hard on yourself.
- It just wasn't meant to be, that's all. - I mean, come on.
You really think you saw an honest-to-God mutant? You know how these tabloid things work.
Slap a photo of a weather balloon on the cover and call it an alien invasion.
Or a shot of a guy in a Halloween mask and say that there's monsters on the loose.
Sketch, they make this stuff up.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
It's just... I really wanted to believe it, man. You know?
My life's not that interesting, Alec. I'm a bike messenger.
We're all bike messengers.
Yeah, but with you and Max and O.C., it's like it's not all you are.
If the mutant stories were true, then life would be more interesting,
and as a reporter bringing that story to the world, then I would be more interesting.
But I am what I am... a bike messenger.
- It's not true, Sketchy. - Well, it feels true.
All right, thanks, you guys. I'll go home now and puke.
Tell me again how that had to be done.
Had to be done.
Calvin Theodore, you're coming with us.
I've got a permit for the gun. It's in my car.
Look, I don't care about the permit.
I'm interested in what you were doing up at the school.
This is about the boy, isn't it? The boy in the picture?
What do you think you're going to do - take him?
- You got it all wrong. - Do I?
Look, I make it my business to take care of that school and everybody in it.
I'm going to ask you one more time: What were you doing up there?
- What are you lookin' at, you little freak? - You.
How do you feel? - What do you care?
It should've started by now. It's started with Ray.
- What's started? Is he okay? - If he's one of us, he'll live.
If he's sick, you should get a doctor.
If he's not meant to survive, no one can help him.
It's getting hot in here. Can you turn down the heat?
- It's begun. - What's begun?
- That's why I'm here. To watch. - Watch what?
Watch you die.
Whoa, man, I said I'm sorry about the shoes.
- What were you doing down in that sewer? - I was on assignment. I work for a newspaper.
- You had a camera. I want that film. - Yeah, man, the pictures didn't come out.
- You expect me to believe that? - What can I say, man? I screwed up.
I'm bummed about it too. Woulda made great copy. - What would've? What did you see?
Some loser in a Halloween mask. I don't know.
- What paper is it exactly that you work for? - New World Weekly.
- It's a tabloid. - Yeah, you know,...
you get a picture of a weather balloon, the aliens are coming.
Some kid pulls a holdup wearing a Halloween mask...
... mutants are on the loose. Man, I would've had a cover if I hadn't messed up the film.
Look, dude, I'll totally score you a new pair of shoes, all right?
What do you think?
He doesn't know anything. Let him go.
There's something going on at that school. Something dangerous.
What are you talking about?
Haven't you ever noticed anything strange about those people up there?
What is this? Are you involved in some kind of custody dispute over that kid in the picture?
Come on, you're a cop! It's your job to notice things!
You haven't noticed anything unusual about that school? About those kids?
Maybe.
Then hear me out.
It was something in the blood.
I'm so thirsty. I need water.
- It won't do any good. - I'm going to die anyway. Please?
I didn't know you would be here. I'm honored.
How is he? - He's weak. I'd be surprised if he survives.
I am sorry, Ames. But we all have our destiny.
Ray...
He's my only son.
This is how it's always been for us.
You said you had some business with 452.
I'll call you if there's any change.
Please.
Stop!
I said stop.
You were just pretending to be sick.
Want me to put you down? - Depends.
If you hold me up here long enough, will your head explode?
- You can't win. - Really?
Not even if I do this?
Made you look.
Sweet dreams, bitch.
Not another step!
Put him down.
- You want to shoot me through your own son? - Put him down.
Drop your gun. Keep your hands where I can see 'em.
Max, hurry!
Get in, sheriff. Get in!
Well, I expect the long arm of the law has given you a sound and deserved thrashing.
- You tipped those goons I was at Crash? - That I did.
Whatever they suspected you of, I'm quite certain you were guilty. Hot run, Ninth and Grand.
- Dude, pal, you okay? - Yeah.
The weirdest thing happened to me last night.
Some government suits grabbed me up, took me to their secret headquarters.
Wanted to know what I saw in that sewer. - What'd you tell 'em?
I saw some dude in a Halloween mask. Then they let me go.
- Good man. - But then I started thinking.
- Thinking? - What do you mean, thinking?
Well, if they were that spun about what I might have seen, then maybe I actually saw something.
- Yeah, a guy in a mask. - Yeah, right. Use your head, dude.
Like the government needs to cover up the existence of guys in costumes?
I don't think so. They nabbed me 'cause they got something to hide.
The truth is out there, people. The mutants exist, and I'm gonna prove it.
- Well, that didn't go as well as I'd hoped. - No, it did not.
Of course, the important question is, who gets to tell Max?
She was exposed. She not only survived - she didn't even show symptoms.
How is that possible?
Sandeman.
His work at Manticore must have progressed further than we thought.
We need to find out if the other transgenics are immune as well.
I'll deal with the other transgenics, and I'll deal with 452.
But I have to find out what happened to Ray. - Ames...
- It's possible he survived. - Possible, but doubtful.
I need to know.
I have to be sure. - Do whatever you have to do.
You just find out what the hell is going on.
This could jeopardize everything we've worked towards.
It's a shame we have to leave this place after all this time.
It can't be helped. We'll find somewhere else. Samuel.
Don't worry, this isn't gonna hurt.
But, with any luck, it'll kill you.
That was Sam Carr at the hospital. Ray's bloodwork came back. He's going to be fine.
Doc have any idea what they exposed him to?
Some kind of pathogen or viral agent he's never seen before.
Those snakes must be carriers, hosts for whatever bug it is.
Well, whatever it is, kid's immune system kicked in with the right antibodies.
That nutcase priestess bitch said he had to prove himself,
like this was some kind of test to see if he would survive. If he didn't,
he wasn't one of them. - You were exposed. You didn't get sick.
- Guess that makes me an honorary member. - Congratulations.
Think if I concentrated hard enough, I could make stuff fly around the room?
I wouldn't count on it. My guess would be that the, uh,
kid that went all Poltergeist on you was part of some kind of special breeding line.
Makes you wonder what other tricks they have up their sleeves.
Poor kid. Mom's gone... dad's a freak...
Not exactly the storybook ending we were hoping for.
Well, at least we got him away from those people. That's what Wendy wanted.
I talked to her sister, by the way. She's on her way down.
Made arrangements to get her and Ray on a plane, as far away from White as I can.
- Hey, Ray. How you feeling? - Okay.
Did I pass? Am I strong?
You did fine.
- What do you need to be strong for, Ray? - For the Coming.
The Coming? What's that?
Nobody ever told me yet, 'cept it's bad if you're not one of us.