Kurt Wagner awakes in his room at Studio X after having spent an illicit night with his costar Meggan Puceanu. Panicked, he wonders how he let this happened and what are they going to do, as Meggan wakes up.
She is surprised and he apologizes. Too much champagne last night, she figures. They have to tell someone! Kurt babbles. Meggan shoots him a glare and announces they do not. Does he know what happens if they tell? she snaps. To her? To the studio? They’d split them up at best. They’d shut them down! What they did… Kurt begins. …shouldn’t hurt anyone! Meggan interrupts. Kurt grabs his pants and apologizes. He needs to think. He teleports away.
He teleports into a tree, where he finishes dressing, still not believing his situation. He chides himself for his weakness. He is an X-Man, he should have been stronger. That moment, he sees a boy running onto the street, chasing his frog and ignoring a car. Nightcrawler teleports down and saves the boy. He admonishes the boy to be more careful and the child gushes at meeting a real X-Man.
The boy happily runs off and Kurt realizes that, even in a perfect world, they matter. He matters.
He teleports away back to his room, where Meggan clearly has been crying. He came back, she states lamely. He points out they are friends. Also, this is his room. He makes Meggan smile weakly. He tells her that he agrees They can hide this and go on as before. People need them. They need stories to show them what matters. Do they have to go back? she asks surprisingly. He replies, they have to.
What if this is a good thing? Meggan wonders. Her powers work better when there is real emotion behind them. If she puts this into her work, they will be better. People think what they do is frivolous but they are wrong. They teach young mutants that they can be happy and fulfilled. They teach them not to need. If that makes them better teachers it can’t be a bad thing. They can try, she suggests. He agrees.
Soon Kurt meets his PA, Celeste Cuckoo, while berating himself an affair would be madness. They are surrounded by psychics. Celeste brusquely asks him if he forgot their meeting. Clearly having forgotten, Kurt swears he hasn’t. Celeste continues that they are here. They were punctual. He isn’t. He apologizes and teleports into Studio X conference room, while Celeste telepathically informs her sister Irma that he is coming.
Irma is waiting in the conference room with their guests, Regan Wyngarde (Head of Mastermind Studios), her actors Julian Keller and Noriko Ashida, as well as the Cuckoos’ estranged sister Phoebe and the telepath Apate. Irma assures them he is on his way.
Kurt enters and makes apologies all around. He asks to what they owe this visit. Regan explain she called in a few favors with his secretaries. She means, she blackmailed them, Kurt translates. She means, she blackmailed them, Regan agrees smiling. Phoebe is technically her employee. If she doesn’t want her visiting her sisters, well…. Can he blame her, really? It’s such a nasty PR problem the way they insist on maintaining contact…
Kurt states coolly they are a hivemind and don’t do well in isolation. Regan scoffs there are other ways. Look at how well Phoebe does with Apate. They do better when they are together, Kurt insists.
Regan smoothly continues that the topic is collaboration. Their studios are amazing individually. Now imagine how well they would work together. This again? Kurt asks unimpressed. They could make something amazing! Regan insists. They already make something amazing, Kurt deadpans. It’s called movies.
Meggan enters and is told she is late. Regan states they need new blood, new ideas. A leading lady who can be on time… Kurt defends her, she was out quite late to a fan event. They all were. Which is why he needs to cut this short.
Kurt refuses. Regan becomes nasty, snapping the X-Men have no business owning a film studio. This is unfair! He is trying to restrict the competition. If they want to compete, make better movies, Kurt suggests. Seething, Regan promises she will inform the press.
So much for lunch, one of the sisters sighs and Phoebe promises she will try to see them next week.
Regan’s actors are not pleased, either. Surge admits she loves Meggan’s work and apologizes before they leave.
Irma tries to make apologies. Kurt is not having it. They need to see their sister. He just wishes Phoebe could work here. Irma points out people are unhappy enough about two of them working here. If Regan really wanted to damage them, she’d let Phoebe go. It would be public relation nightmare. People think it is obscene and they are not wrong. They shouldn’t flaunt family. Breaking the rules is wrong, it doesn’t matter why you do it. There are always consequences. Meggan and Kurt share a meaningful look.
Later, Magma and Kylun plan as scene with Meggan and Kurt. They tell Meggan that then Kurt will grab her and pull her out of the way. Kylun adds they have a foam pad for her to fall onto. It’s an easy stunt. Why do they always forget she can fly? Meggan complains. Magma explains her character is startled. She doesn’t think to fly. It’s dramatic! Meggan retorts that it’s insulting. Kurt’s character never forgets to teleport. Magma remarks she’s seen Kurt teleport in his sleep. And she can fly with a concussion! Meggan insists. Magma suggests she take it up with the writers, not them.
Suddenly, there is a crashing noise from above. Parts of the ceiling come crashing down. Kurt teleports Magma to safety and Meggan flies Kylun out of the way.
They wonder what just happened and Kylun promises to never forget Meggan can fly again. Magma examines the debris and announces this wasn’t a burst pipe. This didn’t just happen. The stone didn’t break naturally. Someone brought the ceiling down.
They figure it’s Regan. Kylun suggests they get the X-Men, but Kurt refuses. Kurt warns them they can’t take that back. They should try to handle this themselves for now. Reluctantly, the others agree.
While Magma and Kylun discuss clean-up, Meggan tells Kurt she trusts him and gives him a crumpled note, instructing him to meet someone at a certain place.
Nighttime:
Kurt enters a street in a bad area, blaming himself for not helping Irma and Celeste, who are looking for proof against Regan. He is disgusted at the night clubs, glad they evolved past this. Nevertheless, he walks toward one club.
At the doorway, Mercury asks him if he is lost. He stammers that he is supposed to meet a friend here. Does he know what place this is? she asks and when he demurs she announces she is looking forward to seeing his face, once he realizes. She closes the door behind him. He realizes he should go.
A masked woman welcomes him and assures him that no one here knows him. He is free. She hands him a mask, tells him to have a wonderful time and opens a curtain.
Inside the room, Kurt sees masked people dancing, holding each other closely. A moment later, a masked Meggan hugs him from behind, announcing she wasn’t sure he would come What is this place? he asks. How is this being careful. She replies, this place is for people like them. No one will say a thing. Everyone here is at risk… so everyone is safe.
He asks her how she even knows about this place. That is not her secret to tell, Meggan replies. Seeing a familiar face, Kurt asks if that is Scope. Maybe, maybe not, Meggan replies and tells him to respect the mask. She takes his hand and kisses him, but he withdraws and apologizes. He can’t - not here! Kurt teleports away.
Outside, he apologizes. Mercury takes the mask, telling him he tried.
He walks back to Studio X to find someone waiting for him in his room. It is Mystique, who announces she can explain everything…
