PARASITES
Scene: Strikers Island, Metropolis. The Parasite is watching his big screen cable TV when suddenly there is a massive earthquake. Fire Alarms begin to sound and every cell in the prison opens.
Parasite: Well, what do we have here?
Strikers Inmate 1: A stroke of luck that’s what!
Parasite: Any idea who’s behind this?
Strikers Inmate 2: Who cares lets tear this place apart!
Strikers Inmate 1: You crazy, Bill! We gotta bail before Superman shows!
Parasite: Wouldn’t that be convenient.
Strikers Guard 1: Hold it everybody! Back in your cells!
6 armed guards have the inmates blocked off. A seismic shockwave from behind blasts them out of the way. Avalanche and Mystique (Disguised) stand behind him.
Mystique: We’ve arranged for an early parole, Rudy. But first you have to do me a small favor. Toad.
Toad Bounds in and drops an unconscious Volcanna in front of Parasite.
Have a snack, then we’ll talk.
Cuts to outside. Pyro is fighting guards and burning down walls. Superman and Rogue fly up.
Superman: You’ve got some explaining to do, hotshot.
Pyro: Well if it isn’t the famous man of steel. And you! You’ve got a lot of nerve, girl.
Superman: You know this clown, Rogue?
Rogue: Ancient history. He’s a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants; goes by the name of Pyro. Now you don’t really intend to take on me and Blue Boy here do ya, sugah?
Pyro: Why not, even steel has a melting point!
Fires flame blast at them, which they easily avoid.
Superman: We don’t want to hurt you if we don’t have to.
Rogue: Speak for yourself.
Pops Claws.
I ain’t all about massive prison breakouts, Pyro. And if it takes these to stop y’all then so be it.
Stone Wave hits rogue and superman and buries them. Superman drills out followed by Rogue.
Pyro: Forgot the meaning of the word “Brotherhood” did we? Well I’d like you to meet my colleagues in crime, Toad and Avalanche. Afternoon, mates.
Rogue: Oh, that’s it the gloves are off--
Rogue notices Mystique taking off from the far end of the island in a hovercar. To superman:
These lackeys are just the distraction, you think you can clean up here while I get to the bottom of this?
Superman: Not a problem.
Rogue flies off after hovercar.
Superman: It’s just you and me now, gentlemen.
Avalanche: Fine by us. Let’s see how tough you really are.
Creates two stone fists that erupt from the ground and begin to fight superman. Superman blocks their blows and when the timing is right smashes them into pebbles.
Superman: Is that your best?
Pyro creates a massive flame creature who pounds Superman into the ground. Superman flies through it and snuffs it out with super breath from above.
Toad snags his arm with his tongue.
Superman: You’ve got to be kidding.
Tugs Toad and super fast ties his tongue into knots entangling all of his limbs within it and tosses Toad over his shoulder.
Toad: What the?! Help me!
Pyro and Avalanche give looks of shame.
Cuts to Rogue chasing after hover car.
Parasite: Hey, we got company!
Mystique looks over her shoulder and gasps.
Mystique: Stop her.
Parasite begins to fire heat blasts at Rogue who easily dodges every shot and ends up underneath the car. Rogue punches the underside of the car with a clawed hand and punctures the fuel tank.
Mystique: We’re losing fuel!
Rogue slices through the front of the car and they go crashing into a nearby building. Rogue goes up to Mystique and turns her over.
Rogue: Alright, sugah, it’s ov--
Mystique goes back into her regular form.
Rogue: You.
Mystique: Ungh… You of all people, have the audacity to try and stop me today!
Rogue: Talk, Mystique. What exactly do you think you’re doin’ here in Metropolis?
Mystique: Well look at you. Little miss Justice League. Where did I go wrong?
Rogue: Cram it, Raven. I’m not here to talk about the past.
Mystique: Neither am I.
Parasite sneaks up from behind Rogue and tries to absorb her but the two cancel each other out and both are knocked unconscious.
Mystique: You idiot!
The brotherhood arrives in a second hovercar.
Avalanche: C’mon, Mystique. Superman’s busy rounding up the other inmates.
Superman arrives.
Superman: I work fast. Who are you people and what have you done to Rogue and the Parasite?
Mystique: We don’t have time for this.
Pyro blasts Rogue off the rooftop and propels her downward.
Mystique: Stay out of our way.
Avalanche opens a fissure in the ground that Rogue falls into and begins to drop rubble down after her. Superman dives down to save her. The Brotherhood loads Parasite into the car and takes off. Superman catches Rogue and plows his way back up before the fissure collapses on itself.
Scene: The Watchtower. The League is gathered minus Rogue.
Superman: Parasite is the only one who escaped. But even more curious is that every other dangerous criminal in the prison was found severely drained.
Brings up a computer screen of various Strikers inmates.
Mystique needs Rudy for something, and I’m certain she’s not through with him yet. We don’t have a whole lot of information on the Brotherhood in our files. Iceman--
Iceman: Say no more, fearless leader.
Goes into flashback sequence. Iceman voiceover.
The Brotherhood is a group of mutant terrorists that the X-Men have been fighting since I was thirteen. She doesn’t like to talk about it much nowadays but, Rogue used to be a part of it. Mystique and her partner Destiny found her when she was young and trained her in the use of her powers. When Destiny, Irene Adler, and Mystique, Raven Darkholme, took over the group they began trying to prevent a bunch of predictions that Destiny wrote down in a diary. Their attempts to follow the diary led them to several standoffs with the X-Men. They were usually out to assassinate anti-mutant political figures. Rogue was one of their biggest heavy hitters until the day she met up with a mutant vigilante named Ms. Marvel.
Rogue, Mystique, and Destiny are stealing a military jet. They take off but Ms. Marvel breaks through the emergency hatch.
Ms. Marvel: Sorry ladies this flight’s cancelled.
Mystique and Destiny fire laser guns at her but she deflects the blasts and rocks the jet. Rogue falls out of the pilots seat. Ms. Marvel hurries to the pilot’s seat and takes control of the jet.
Mystique: Rogue.
Rogue gets back up and Grabs Ms. Marvel’s face with her bare hands, draining her power.
Mystique: That’s it, child. Keep going!
Rogue: Mama, she’s dyin’… I have to stop!
Mystique: No Rogue, hold on!
Rogue: Mama!
Continues to drain her power, Ms. Marvel begins to lose signs of life. Cuts to the outside of the jet which crashes into the ground.
Iceman: After that, Rogue came to us. She had retained all of Ms. Marvel’s powers permanently and needed help dealing with what she had done.
End Flashback.
She’s been with the X-Men ever since.
Batman: Where is Destiny now?
Iceman: She died some time ago.
Batman: What about her diary?
Iceman: Mystique still has it I guess. Why?
Rogue enters.
Rogue: Cuz y’all are to afraid to ask me what I know.
Superman: You should be resting.
Rogue: I’m fine. As fine as the Parasite probably is by now.
Batman: What do they want with him?
Rogue: Take a wild guess.
Superman: You think he’s a substitute for you?
Rogue: Must be. He’s the only one who even comes close to havin’ my powers, and they know I’d never in a million years rejoin their lil’ group.
Marvel Girl: But, since when does the brotherhood let non-mutants join?
Spider-man: That just proves how big of a deal this must be to them, Valeria.
Rogue: Exactly, for a buncha bigots to let someone outside the gene pool into their circle it must be darn important.
Batman: Jones already has the combined abilities of the most deadly inmates from Strikers. Chances are they’re building up his power level.
Green Lantern: No sweat. We just stake out the top super-powered criminal prisons.
Batman: Correct.
Brings up schematics for The Vault and The Slab on Computer.
These are schematics for the Vault and the Slab in New York. Everybody’s going to have to study them, because where all taking shifts.
Scene: The Slab, later that night. Rogue, Batman, and Superman are watching the island from a distance.
Rogue: See anything, boys?
Superman: Nothing yet. But it has to be tonight. The Parasite doesn’t retain other personas for long, if they want to build him up they’ll have to do it within the next twelve hours or so.
Batman: If he gets his hands on half of the punks in there it wont matter how long he keeps their powers. He’ll be far too strong for any of us to handle. We can’t let that happen.
Rogue: …Thanks for comin’.
Batman: This is important.
Superman: You know we’re here to support you, Rogue. That’s part of what the league is for.
Rogue: Well ain’t you two just the sweetest boys in spandex I ever laid my eyes on.
Batman and Superman look embarrassed.
Spider-man: <Vault Team. We think we’ve spotted them.>
Rogue: Red hover car?
Cut to the Vault.
Spider-man: Did you have to specify color? I figure any hovercar is suspicious enough.
Superman: <We’ll be right there.>
Spider-man: Kyle.
Green Lantern makes a giant robot that catches their hovercar and captures the brotherhood in its hands. Avalanche makes a series of seismic waves that knock Kyle over and lapse his concentration.
Mystique: Scatter.
The Brotherhood scatters in several directions. Pyro makes a heat blast that softens his landing. Mystique grows wings and flies Parasite to the ground. Toad grapples his tongue and swings himself and Avalanche safely to the ground.
Spider-man: Should we even give them the chance to surrender gang?
Marvel Girl: What?! And miss all the fun?!
Avalanche: If your idea of fun measures 7.8, then by all means enjoy!
A large sum of Vault guards move out on the brotherhood, but avalanche knocks them off their feet and also takes down several walls. GL manages to lift the league far enough off the ground to not be affected by the quake. Pyro cuts loose. During the chaos Mystique takes Parasite aside.
Mystique: This way.
Parasite smiles.
Spider-Man notices them slipping away.
Spider-man: Marvel Girl follow me. Lantern, Iceman, take care of Pyro and Avalanche.
Toad: You seem to be forgetting someone, Wall Crawler!
As Spidey leaves with Marvel Girl he webs Toad and swings him into an Ice pillar that Iceman specially creates instantly knocking him unconscious.
Green Lantern: Alright guys, who wants to take on “Rusty” here?
Brings back giant robot construct.
Pyro: So you want to get creative, huh?
Makes a gigantic Flame Griffin that is about twice the size of GL’s construct.
Iceman: Let me handle the heat, Kyle. You worry about Ricky the Richtor Rascal over there.
Avalanche knocks Iceman across the landscape with a shockwave.
Avalanche: I’m sure you’d love that wouldn’t you, X-Man? Eat four thousand pounds of conglomerate!
Shakes up the ground severely under Iceman.
Meanwhile Pyro’s flame creature is causing major damage.
Pyro: You look a bit green around the gills there, Lantern? HA HA! It’s tough to deal with a beast that’s made all outta heat and fire, eh?!
Green Lantern: You did NOT Just call me “green around the gills”! That’s just sad. But all in all you have a point about the flame thing. Robots are all well and good but it’s time to get practical.
Dissipates robot construct and makes a giant fire extinguisher that snuffs out the flame griffin.
Pyro: Oh bloody hell!
Back to Iceman and Avalanche. Iceman slips out through cracks in the rock pile that was dumped on him and reforms.
Iceman: Puh-Leeze!
Avalanche: Since when can you--
Iceman: Molecular rearrangement you mean? Oh I’ve been practicing a lot. Take this maneuver for example.
Makes a big tall narrow glacier erupt from beneath Avalanche.
Let’s see how you like having the ground play tricks on you.
Cut to inside the prison.
Marvel Girl: This way!
Leads Spiderman down a corridor her telepathy indicating their destination.
Spider-man: This isn’t good.
Down the hall they pass various Marvel Rogues (Electro, Sandman, Chameleon, Scorpion, etc.) with their cells wide open, all drained by Parasite.
Cuts back to outside. Superman arrives. Iceman and GL have Pyro and Avalanche captured.
Superman: Where’s Parasite?
Iceman: Inside.
Suddenly Avalanche and Pyro disappear.
Green Lantern: What the--?!
Superman zips into prison and is almost immediately behind Spider-Man and Marvel Girl. Who are examining one of the open cells.
Superman: Who was it?
Spider-man: “The Spot” one of my less dangerous teleporting adversaries.
Superman: Oh no…
Speeds out and past Rogue and Batman in the Batmobile who are still en route to the Vault. Presses his com link--
Superman: Parasite got a teleporter! He’s heading back to the Slab!
The others turn around and head back to the Slab.
Cuts to the Slab where Parasite is teleporting from cell to cell taking each villain by surprise and draining their abilities.
Superman arrives zipping from cell to cell (Dr. Polaris, Reverse Flash, Grodd, Star Sapphire, Solomon Grundy, etc.) only to discover he’s too late. He find’s Parasite and Mystique just finishing up.
Parasite: Oh, hi Superman! Have you met my new friend?
Superman: Would one of you like to tell me what this is all about?
Mystique: It’s most certainly not about you.
Superman: You can’t just go around Absorbing the psyches of the most dangerous criminals on the planet.
Parasite: Well it seems to me that that’s exactly what I’m doing, but if you want proof.
Blasts an onslaught of projectiles and attacks at Superman representing a nice chunk of the new powers he’s obtained. Superman is knocked back, his costume severely torn up.
Superman: You know you can’t hold all this power for long.
Parasite: HA! And who’s going to stop me from recharging? You?!
Rogue: Well not by himself no!
Comes up from behind with claws extended, but Parasite easily blasts her with Fire Lightning and Ice.
Mystique: Well now you see what kind of power you missed out on, Rogue. Such a shame. Let’s go Rudy.
They teleport out.
Scene: The Watchtower. Rogue, Superman, and Batman are in front of the main computer room.
Rogue: I’m sorry guys. I blew it.
Superman: None of us saw their strategy until it was too late.
Rogue: But I should’ve known. I mean, after all, another time and place… that might’ve been me.
Superman: That was a lifetime ago.
Rogue: I wish… but all this Brotherhood business is stirrin’ up bad memories. Feels like every time I think I’ve redeemed myself she shows up and rubs my past in my face.
Batman: You’ve proven yourself, Rogue. And the information you’ve given me on the Brotherhood is invaluable.
Superman: Right, what matters now is that we concentrate on finding them, Parasite is getting more dangerous by the minute, and we have no idea what Mystique is using him for.
Rogue: Whatever it is it’s goin’ down soon.
Batman: Most likely. They’ve been rushing this whole operation, taking what they can get and moving on as quickly as possible. I did some digging on Adler and Darkholme. It seems that Destiny owned a beach house in Cazumel five years ago. It’s a long shot, but it’s our only lead.
Superman: You two check it out. Meanwhile Marvel Girl is working on pinpointing Rudy’s energy signal. With all those powers floating around inside him he should be emitting a unique set of vibrations.
We’ll let you know as soon as we find them.
Rogue and Batman proceed to the Hangar. They board the Javelin 7. And Take off.
Rogue: So…
Batman just sits there, staring forward with the traditional Batman straight face.
Rogue: Look. I know you’re usually pretty busy and all… I just wanted to thank you… for helpin’ me out with this… I mean I know this isn’t just my problem, but still. It means a lot to me.
Batman gets nervous.
Rogue: You’re cute when you don’t know what to say, Bats. You know that?
Scene: Cazumel Beach House. Batman and Rogue enter the house to find it in very neat condition but also very dusty. Clearly no one had been there for a very long time. Rogue runs her finger across a piece of furniture to reveal the dust content.
Rogue: Looks like we’re not gunna find anything recent here. This could be a total dead end.
Batman: Don’t be too sure.
They proceed to go through drawers etc. Rogue wanders into another room and a stunned look crosses her face.
Rogue: Oh my God!
In the room there are drawings and papers strewn everywhere. The drawings should show various important events in DC and Marvel history. Batman comes up behind her.
Batman: An art studio?
Rogue: It’s how her power worked. Half the time, Destiny didn’t even understand her own predictions. She would draw and write and whatever came out we took seriously. The stuff that kept resurfacing she later put into the diary.
They look around some more.
Batman: Look at this.
A drawing of Rogue with various silhouettes surrounding her. Arrows and lightning bolts are going from the silhouettes to Rogue.
It seems your hunch was right.
Rogue: There’s gotta be more to this.
She shifts through a stack of papers. Batman helps.
Batman: Look at this.
Hands a sheet to Rogue. She reads aloud.
Rogue: “A cataclysm that can only be stopped by the intervention of the one through whom all power flows. An end to the ultimate human threat.”
Batman: The ultimate human threat… what could that mean?
Rogue: No offense but mankind has thrown enough killer robots and slave camps in the direction of mutant kind that chances are it means exactly what it sounds like.
Batman: Is that so?
Hands her another drawing that we don’t see.
Rogue: Oh no…
Batman’s intercom beeps.
Batman: Batman here.
Marvel Girl: <I’ve found Parasite. He’s heading for West Gate Military Research Facility just west of Keystone City.>
Batman: We’re on our way. Keep them busy until we arrive.
Scene: West Gate Military Research Facility. The Brotherhood and Parasite are arriving.
Mystique: Nice work Rudy. Their defenses didn’t stand a chance.
Toad: So somebody want to tell me why we couldn’t just teleport here?
Parasite: I didn’t hold on to that pathetic “Spot” long enough. Don’t worry though, I’ve still got lot’s of juice left from the others.
Mystique: Not that it matters all that much. My sources tell me that what we’re looking for should be right here.
Parasite: So what is it that you’ve got me running around for anyway, lady?
Mystique: I gave you freedom and I helped you get power. Now it’s time for you to do me a favor. Working covertly as a government agent in past months I’ve learned of a top secret anti-mutant weapon in development. I was unable to determine much except that it was here and it was the deadliest thing man could throw at us. Years ago… a friend of mine made a prediction of a powerful human threat that could decimate the mutant population. The only thing that could potentially stop it was the summation of many superhuman abilities into one single being. I need you to fight and win this one battle, then you can consider our business terminated.
Parasite: So where is this all powerful threat?
Toad brings an unconscious guard to him.
Toad: You tell us.
Parasite touches the guard absorbs his memories and then starts to laugh.
Mystique: What’s so funny?
Parasite keeps laughing.
Mystique: Stop laughing, Rudy!
Parasite: Pathetic! You’re all as pathetic as me!!!
Mystique: What?!
Marvel Girl, Superman, Spider-Man, Iceman, and Green Lantern enter.
Superman: Hold it!
A fight breaks out. Parasite grabs Mystique and runs. Superman and GL chase. The others stay behind and fight Toad, Avalanche, and Pyro. Pyro tries to flash fry them but Iceman counters his heat blast with an ice beam. The two are at a stand off for a few seconds but soon Iceman’s will prevails and the ice backlash takes Pyro out. Avalanche sends a seismic wave at Marvel Girl but she lifts herself off the ground with a Forcefeild and blocks the brunt of the attack.
Marvel Girl: Normally I like to humor the bad guys but I’m just not in the mood.
She KO’s Avalanche with a single cosmic blast.
Spider-Man is fighting with Toad. Toad snags Spidey’s leg with his tongue.
Spider-Man: This is just disgusting.
Spidey webs up Toads tongue and sticks him to the floor.
Spider-Man: I’ve been told that stuff doesn’t taste very good. But hey, you eat flies right?
Batman and Rogue enter.
Batman: Where are Parasite and Mystique?
Marvel-Girl: Superman and GL chased them down that way. Let’s go.
Rogue flies ahead of everybody.
Marvel-Girl: Woah! What’s eating her?
Meanwhile toad has corroded most of Spidey’s webs with his acid spit and has broken free.
Batman: There’ll be time for explanations later.
Toad lunges at Batman from behind but Batman back-fists him and sends him flying back into unconsciousness.
Batman: Come on.
Cuts to Parasite and Mystique in front of a sealed chamber. Parasite is still choking back laughter.
Parasite: So Mystique, you wanted me to stop the ultimate human threat huh? And I needed all this power to do it right?
Mystique doesn’t answer.
Parasite: Well here we go.
He punches down the door.
Ta Da!
A large missile is behind the door.
You brought me here to fight a bomb! A gene bomb. You could have stopped this thing with a tool box!
Mystique: This can’t be right.
Parasite: You know what would be even funnier???
Continues to laugh even more maniacally and a strange glow emits from his eyes.
What if I took this thing and set it off in the heart of New York?! We might get rid of a few more radical moronic broads like you!
He grabs her and starts to drain her powers. But Green Lantern stops him and pulls Mystique away.
Superman: You can’t be serious, Rudy. If you set that off you could kill thousands of mutants.
Parasite just laughs and starts blasting GL and Superman with various energy, flame, electricity, ice, pink sapphire energy, and magnetic blasts. The others enter and Parasite Blasts them too then takes off with the missile in a magnetic forcefield.
Superman: This isn’t like him at all.
Batman: That’s because he has the psyches of more than 25 crooks, psychopaths, evil geniuses, and madmen floating around in his head. He can’t handle all of that hate.
Mystique: I don’t understand. I followed the diary exactly.
Rogue: Next time read the fine print.
Shows Mystique the drawing. It has a frightening rendition of Parasite surrounded in mutant corpses.
Mystique: No… forgive me Irene…
Rogue: By tryin’ so hard to stop this you actually became the catalyst. Without your interference chances are the government would never even have approved that bomb. Now it’s in the hands of a psychopathic superhuman. The ultimate superhuman threat.
Superman: I can still catch up with him.
Rogue: No! Destiny was right. I have to stop this.
Iceman: That’s crazy.
Batman: She’s right. If any of us approach him he’ll take us out instantly and then drain us. But Rogue’s powers prevent him from being able to absorb anything from her.
Rogue takes off her glove.
Rogue: I won’t force this on you… but if you trust me enough…
Iceman: Say no more, Rogue.
Goes back into his human form. Rogue touches him and knocks him unconscious. She then ices up her arm to check and see if she has his powers.
Superman: You’re going to need more power than that to stop him.
He steps up and Rogue absorbs his abilities.
Spider-Man: So you’ll know everything about me when you’re done with this right?
Rogue: Well the important things, yes.
Spider-Man: …alright… Just don’t tell anyone about my secret crush on the She-Hulk.
He removes his glove and she touches his hand absorbing his powers. She removes his web shooters and puts them on. Green Lantern steps up.
Green Lantern: Let’s get this over with.
Rogue touches him and he falls over. The ring automatically goes from his finger to hers.
Marvel Girl: Will this hurt?
Rogue: Yeah.
Marvel Girl closes her eyes and winces in anticipation. Rogue takes her powers too.
Batman: Here.
Hands her his utility belt.
Of course you might be able to better use it if you…
Rogue: Nah. You keep your secrets Bats. ‘Sides, someone needs to watch over these guys. Wish me luck.
Rogue takes off after Parasite.
Parasite is flying with the missile carrying it with him via magnetism. Rogue comes up from behind and pulls up directly underneath him.
Rogue: It’s over Parasite, I’ve got the strength and smarts of the entire Justice League flowing through me.
Parasite: Nice to see you cutting loose, Rogue. Feels good to have all that power, huh?
Rogue: Not half as good as it’s gunna feel to use it on you.
Parasite: Ha! Try me. My defenses are--
Rogue delivers a powerful psychic attack.
Rogue: Y’all can’t defend yourself when I strike you from the inside out.
Parasite loses concentration and drops the missile and his force field. Rogue blasts him with ice beams and heat vision to distract him then catches the missile in a giant green catchers mitt construct which morphs into a slingshot construct that launches it into space.
Parasite: Bravo.
Starts to laugh maniacally.
But I’ll find other ways to kill.
Rogue: Rudy, listen to me. You can’t control all these unstable psyches runnin’ through your head. Help me stop you.
Parasite laughs even harder.
Parasite: I’d trade sanity for power any day “sugah!”
He attacks her with his myriad of abilities (projectiles mostly) and she counterattacks in the same manner. They’re at a stale mate for a brief moment, then Parasite’s attacks overpower her. Rogue falls back but keeps her balance and ices up.
Rogue: A little extra invulnerability could never hurt a gal.
Parasite: I’ve got the cure for that.
Grows gigantic fire balls on his hands.
Rogue: On second thought, let’s change the playing field, shall we?
Using the ring Rogue manifests A gigantic green construct of a city in the sky.
Rogue: Try an’ catch me, ugly.
Rogue flies off darts between buildings, dives down alleyways, and through sewers, maneuvering about in a Spider-Manish way. Parasite chases her keeping close behind the whole time. Finally Rogue rounds a building but as Parasite comes around he finds himself trapped in a giant web. Rogue hovers on the other side of the web smiling and blows him a kiss.
Rogue: Gotchya.
Most of the city disappears but a few green chunks remain to hold the web in place. Parasite struggles.
Rogue: That stuff’s stronger than you think.
Parasite ignores her and then starts to vibrate at super speed and manages to escape the web.
Rogue: Fine. I didn’t want it to come to this.
Goes out of her ice-form but freezes and shatters the gloves off.
Remember what happened the last time we touched?
Parasite: What makes you think I’m going to let you?
Rogue: Because you still have to breathe.
Spins around once really fast and has Batman’s gas mask on, then throws several gas grenades at Parasite. He is caught off guard and begins to gag and cough. Rogue takes advantage of his disorientation and charges him grabbing him with her bare hands and causing the backlash that happened earlier. Both are knocked unconscious and plummet to the ground. They remain on the ground unconscious but showing signs of life. They both have survived the fall.
Scene: Days later. Superman (as Clark Kent) and Rogue (dressed inconspicuously in civilian clothes) are walking through a cemetery.
Superman: I stopped by Striker’s today. The Parasite is back to his old self. As captivated as ever with the wonders of cable TV.
Rogue: Nice to know. I almost feel sorry for him. He didn’t really know what he was gettin’ into. Didn’t know what kinda nightmare Mystique was forcin’ on his mind.
Superman: Somehow I don’t think she had to do much convincing to get him to take all that power… but I guess we’ll never know for sure. I’m sorry for what she made you have to do.
Rogue: I’m still worried that the others might not understand why I had invade their privacy. Personally I never quite understood the need.
Superman: For what?
Rogue: Secret Identities. The X-Men and even the Fantastic Four get along just fine. We have more time for, and less restraints on heroics.
Superman: Not all of us started out this way Rogue. Some of us have civilian lives that involve people we care about. We can’t put them at risk.
Rogue: I know… it would just be easier if we could all trust each other a little more.
Superman: Well now you have that advantage, whether you wanted it or not. So let’s make the best of it.
They arrive at a tombstone.
Rogue: I don’t think we should tell him though.
Superman: Not unless it’s necessary.
Rogue: Who would have thought you worried about him so much… you’re a good friend, Mr. Kent.
Superman: Sometimes I think he pushes himself too far… but quite frankly I don’t know what we’d do without him. It’s such a tragedy.
Rogue: Maybe not…
They each lay a rose at the foot of the grave.
Rogue: Maybe it’s just destiny.
Panning upwards we see that they are at the grave of Thomas and Martha Wayne.
END