X-Factor stands in shock. One moment, Cypher was pulling on Georgia’s arm, trying to get her to come with them… and the next, he’s lying on the floor, his body apparently desiccated by the young girl, who followed her act by innocently asking if they wanted pie. As the rest of the team searches for how to respond, it is Danger who first speaks. “What sort of pie?”
Georgia Dakei begins to answer, but Polaris interjects, demanding that they forget the pie. What did she do to Cypher? Seemingly having already forgotten about their fallen teammate, Georgia says that she took moisture out of his body. A lot of it. A moment later, Georgia finds herself in the grips of an angered Warlock, who lifts her off of the ground, demanding that she fix Doug! Fix! Fix or self will end her! Georgia begins to protest, but Warlock is adamant. Fix or die! Her choice!
Before she can respond, a man enters the room, a large handgun raised and with a team of men in SWAT gear behind him. Get away from his daughter! Now!! Scott Dakei orders. Police are on their way! They have five seconds to… Interrupting Georgia’s father, Polaris incredulously demands that he dares threaten them? He dares… threaten THEM?! Growing ever more enraged, Polaris reaches out with her magnetic powers, literally disarming the men by removing their firearms from their hands. As her teammates look on dumbfounded, Polaris orders Dakei into the room and grabs him magnetically, slamming the door behind him.
Seeing her father dumped onto the floor, Georgia calls his name. Oh, she’s concerned about him? Polaris asks. How nice for him, she then adds, now hurling him up and holing him against the ceiling. Because this guy has been wanting to see the end of their species for ages now. He wants to see them rounded up. Put into camps. Maybe even executed. Although he’s never gone so far as to say that. And now it turns out that he’s forgotten to mention something to all his followers: his own daughter’s a mutant. Isn’t she? Isn’t she?
Still in Warlock’s clutches, Georgia replies that she doesn’t know. Is she? To this, Gambit points out that he drained the moisture out of Cypher’s body. What does she think? Considering this, Georgia asks if he means not everyone can do that? Shocked at the reply, Gambit and Polaris look at each other in speechless silence. She really doesn’t get out much, does she? Warlock asks. No, not really, Georgia replies.
Calling out to her dad, Georgia asks what he told her before, but Dakei interrupts, explaining that he lied. No everyone has powers. Most don’t. Interjecting, Gambit asks Georgia why she was so excited to meet them. Because they were mutants? Now released by Warlock back on her feet, Georgia replies that she’d never met anyone like him. Everyone in the house doesn’t have powers. She was told… her dad told her… they were among the few who didn’t. That this was a safe house for them. When Gambit then notes that she had computer access, Dakei replies that it was very limited access. She couldn’t surf the Net. He made sure of it. He didn’t want her to… Scott Dakei’s words trail as Polaris magnetically releases him, causing him to fall to the floor.
He wasn’t kidding about the police, Quicksilver announces, glancing outside and seeing about a dozen emergency vehicles of various types assembled. They’ll worry about that later, Polaris replies. First thing’s first. Can she fix Doug? When Georgia sheepishly replies that she doesn’t know, Polaris remarks that now’s as good a time as any to find out. He is alive, Danger announces, but exceedingly weak. As Georgia leads over Cypher, Gambit offers reassurance, informing her that he knows she can go this. Just… just reverse it. Concentrate on undoing what she did. When she replies that she’ll try, he instructs her not to try. Do it. A thought occurring to her, Georgia turns and asks for water. To drink. A lot of it.
Warlock and Danger immediately offer to assist. However, as soon as the door opens, they find the security team in their way, and once again armed. Self has no time for this, Warlock announces. With that, he morphs his body into a nearly spherical form, with a single wheel running through its center. One side!! A moment later, those of the security team who would or could not get out of the way literally find themselves bowled over by the speeding and self-propelled Warlock. Following in the wake and through the path he cleared is the rest of the team. While Cypher is carried by Quicksilver, who in turn is guarded by Danger, Georgia follows up, flanked by Polaris and Gambit.
Georgia calls direction instructions but pauses when her father calls her to come back. She has to, she tells her father. She did this, and he… He did this too! He lied to her! Her whole life! What kind of father is he? He was just trying to protect her, he explains. Continuing on their way, Georgia yells back that he failed.
In short order, the group has reached the kitchen and Danger has tapped directly into the water pipes, filling a basin constructed by Warlock from his own hands. As they fill the basin, Polaris inquires as to how Georgia’s power works. She just drains moisture out of things? Pretty much, Georgia confirms. She first found out she could do it a few years ago. Poor Mitzy. Asked who’s Mitzy, Georgia replies her cat. Less said, the better, she then adds. Asked by Danger is her father knew of her ability, Georgia confirms. That’s when he took her out of school and started homeschooling. And he told her that almost everyone started getting powers when they were older. Asked why he lied to her, Georgia admits that she doesn’t know.
Having filled his hand-basin, Warlock offers it to Georgia and asks how this will help. She’s got to re-moisturize him, Georgia tells him, so she has to get watered-up herself to have something to put in him. At that moment, Georgia’s father appears in the doorway, pleading with his daughter to stop. She doesn’t know what will happen. To this, Polaris counters that if she does nothing, Doug will die. They know that’ll happen. And she doesn’t think he gets to give her instructions right now. Before he can reply, Gambit grabs Scott Dakei by his coat’s lapels and asks how could he? how could he rail on against mutants, knowing what his daughter is? Resolute, Dakei asks if Gambit thinks he knew beforehand? He thinks he despised his kind, knowing what his late wife had given birth to? She’s God’s punishment upon him! He did this to him! When Gambit suggests that maybe He was trying to tell him something, Dakei rejoins that maybe He was challenging him to hate Him as well. If so: mission accomplished!
A short distance away, having finished hydrating herself, Georgia yells for her dad to be quiet. She’s trying to do this. Kicking Gambit aside, Dakei begins to plead again for his daughter to stop, but Georgia interrupts, asking if he doesn’t hate her for being something God did to him? Shocked, Dakei asks how could he hate her? She’s his little girl. Wow, Georgia replies, he’s really confused; does he know that? As soft, white energy begins to swirl in the air above her hands, Georgia tells her father that, if this backfires and she dies, she’ll be sure to have a long talk with God and try to get this whole mutant thing sorted out.
In the moments that pass, Scott Dakei watches in silence as energy flows from Georgia’s hands into Cypher’s prone form. When her body suddenly seems to convulse from the process, Dakei breaks his silence, forcing Polaris to order Quicksilver to get him out of there. A moment later, Dakei finds himself in a room across the hallway, where Quicksilver orders him to remain. The two begin to argue, but are interrupted by the arrival of Orville and his reconstituted and rearmed security team. Tracer bullets, Orville informs Quicksilver. Doesn’t matter how far or fast he runs, once they are locked on him they’ll never stop. Ever.
Before Quicksilver can reply, however, the group is joined by Harrison Snow, who nonchalantly walks into the room, informing Orville that he doesn’t think that will be necessary. Hello, Scott, Harrison greets Dakei. It’s been awhile. Shocked by the arrival, Dakei greets Harrison by name and asks how the hell did he get there. Shaking his hand, Snow tells Dakei that he knows him. Anywhere he wants to go, he goes. He sees he’s met his team. Incredulous, Dakei asks if this bunch of mutant terrorists works for him? They do indeed, Snow replies. Although sometimes they tend to go off on their own. Can they speak somewhere privately? Of course, Dakei replies, walking away. His private office is over this way. How’s his wife? Lovely, Snow replies, thanking Dakei for asking.
Left behind and befuddled, Quicksilver asks Orville what just happened. He has no idea, Orville admits.
Back in the kitchen, Georgia Dakei continues to convulse and demands water. More water! Immediately, Warlock obliges, morphing his basin into a sphere with a lip, from which he can pour water into Georgia’s mouth. Below them both, Cypher’s body convulses and boils appear on his face. He screams in pain. A moment later, he sits up with a start, his body and skin completely restored. Exhausted, Georgia Dakei falls backward into Gambit’s waiting arms. Asked by him if she’s okay, Georgia weakly admits that she’s had better days.
Gambit begins to suggest their next course of action, but something out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. Acting on instinct, he lunges forward, narrowly evading the sniper’s bullet, which pierces his coat. However, the sniper quickly compensates and fires a bullet aimed directly for his head. Gambit mutters a “holy” to himself as he spies the bullet a short distance from face, brought to a halt and suspended in mid-air by the magnetic powers of Polaris. Her eyes green with energy, she suggests to them all that they hit the floor. She’ll attend to this.
A moment later, the law enforcement responders outside watch helplessly as the top of the bunker erupts and the totality of their firearms rise from their hands and turn to be aimed at them. Emerging from the hole in the bunker’s ceiling, Polaris announces to them all that they have thirty seconds… and then she’s going to open fire. This whole area is going to be a field of police officer bodies, and it’s all going to be the fault of the man who could have given him the order to run and didn’t. Twenty-five seconds now. Twenty-four. Twenty-thr… Polaris’ countdown halts as the commanding officer orders a pullback of all forces. Do it! he yells. Do it! Watching as the responders comply, Polaris mutters “very wise.”
Back in the kitchen, Cypher smiles at Georgia, asking how she fixed him. When the sheepish Georgia replies that it doesn’t matter, he counters that it kind of does. Suddenly, Cypher finds himself picked up and hugged from behind by Warlock, who announces that Georgia is correct. The how does not matter. Only the fact of it. Asking a different question, Cypher asks what now? Is she going to come with them? Turning to Georgia, he says that he knows this is her home but… she doesn’t belong there! Asked by her where she belongs, Cypher tells her that there’s a school for people like her. A school where she can learn to use her power. When she asks use it for what, Danger interjects. To fight evil mutants. And risk her life and possibly die. Sometimes repeatedly. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Cypher thanks her. Doug died, for instance, Danger then adds, shocking Georgia and earning a that’s enough from Cypher.
Growing ever more uneasy, Georgia pleads that she doesn’t want to die. She won’t die, Cypher replies, trying to console her. She might, Warlock finds himself forced to admit. Cypher orders both Danger and Warlock to be quiet, but the danger is done. Georgia flees down the hallway, telling them all just to go away. Go away and leave her alone! Immediately, the team chases after Georgia, who yells to her father that they want her to die! Cypher yells back that they don’t want her to die, only for Warlock to admit that it just happens sometimes. Oh my God, shut up! Cypher yells.
In moments, Georgia reaches the other room only to be informed by Quicksilver and Orville that her father is in a meeting. Ignoring them both, Georgia runs to the door of her father’s private office and begins banging it, yelling repeatedly for her daddy. Desperate to get through it, Georgia’s power begins to activate and within a moment the door shatters before her. Daddy!!
Calmly, though still bloodied, Scott Dakei informs his daughter that he was coming out. Why did she do that? She didn’t mean to, she replies. She just wanted to see him. She… Interrupting, Dakei introduces his daughter to Harrison Snow, who shakes the girl’s hand and tells her it’s a pleasure. Avoiding her gaze, Dakei tells Georgia that the two of them have been talking. Harrison would like her to go with him. And, uh… he wants her to go to. Shocked into tears, Georgia begins to ask why, but her father presses. She doesn’t belong there, he tells her, moving to his knees and placing his hands on her shoulders. Harrison can provide her somewhere that she can… When Georgia interrupts that this is her home, Dakei replies that it’s not. It stopped being her home once she became one of them. He tried to ignore it, but he can’t anymore. She has to go. Still reeling, Georgia asks her father if he doesn’t love her. He loved his daughter, he replies, looking away again. She’s not her anymore. She’s some… thing that’s replaced her. He needs her to get out of there. Now. Now! Incensed, Georgia slaps her father across the cheek and then runs out of the office in tears.
Glancing up at X-Factor, Dakei orders them to go help her pack. With only an “okay” from Cypher, the group turns and departs. He’s doing the right thing, Snow informs Dakei once they are alone. Like he’s giving him a choice, Dakei replies, still on his knees. She may come back once she grows up, Snow says. He never knows. But at least he’ll still be there. The alternative would be… Get out, Dakei interrupts. As he walks away, Snow informs the defeated and dejected Dakei that it was good seeing him again. Once alone, still on his knees, Scott Dakei buries his face in his hands.
