"This is two-baker-ten, we're on the scene, request a backup, over." "This kind of thing ain't supposed to happen here." "Stinking muties." "Two-baker-ten, we need that backup, now !" "Not again !" "Why doesn't Sabretooth get a life ?" "I fear Sabretooth's rages are at times, beyond his control." "Like Wolverine would be, if he knew we were after Sabretooth." "Which is precisely why" "Professor Xavier did not want him accompanying us." "Dealing with one crazed combatant is challenge enough." "Put me down !" "Put me down !" "I find tranquilizing gas eminently preferable to physical aggression." "And it tends to be much gentler on the citizenry." "Though somehow I doubt Sabretooth will thank us for his timely abduction." "Our detention facilities are adequate to hold Sabretooth for the short term." "But we cannot keep him here indefinitely." "Agreed." "If I cannot get through to him this time, we shall turn him over to the authorities, but I must first try to help." "Don't you think we ought to tell Wolverine ?" "I know of no way to explain Sabretooth's presence to him that won't start a war." "I would not be concerned, Jubilee." "The sedative will keep Sabretooth asleep for another eight hours." "We can discuss it in the morning." "Beast says with what he gave him, Sabretooth won't be up for hours." "Where is he ?" "Don't worry, Wolverine, it's okay !" "We got him locked up in the basement." " The Professor's gonna..." " No !" "The Professor's in the gym !" "Oh, no." "Professor, we gotta talk." " It seems that you have heard." " You know how I feel." "You want him breathing, get him out of here." "As long as Sabretooth is in our custody, he is under my protection." "If you want to attack him, you will have to deal with me." "I'm sorry." "I'm really sorry !" "All right." "But I warned you before, and nobody listened." "If he stays, he gets me as a babysitter." " I'd prefer it if you'd get some rest." " I'd prefer that, too, but it ain't gonna happen." "Look who finally got up off his lazy hind end, and decided to pay me a visit." "You got it all wrong." "I was busy, dreaming about taking you apart." "Gee, I was dreaming about that sweet little frail of yours," " what's her name, Silver Fox ?" " You low-life piece of..." "Hold it !" "I don't know who you are, bub, or how you know what you know, but you ain't Sabretooth !" "I don't care whose skin you're wearing, bub, but I'm dying to find out what's inside." "Whenever you're ready, little man !" "Xavier, can you read me ?" "They're everywhere !" "They're inside the walls !" "Who are you ?" "I'm not reading you." "Your transmission is breaking up." "Xavier, are you hearing me ?" "You're in great danger !" "I'm realigning the antenna array, boosting power." " Professor, can you hear me ?" " Sinister, what ?" "Xavier, you must help me !" "This thing..." "What's happening ?" "A being of immense power has attacked my base of operations." "My men are all captured, destroyed." "This being causes infection, it's spreading." "You must stop it !" "We'll do everything we can once we analyze the nature of this thing !" "There is no time for analysis !" "The creature consumes matter !" "It can take on any form !" "You cannot wait." " Professor, behind you !" " What the..." "Professor !" "Professor !" "Professor !" "Target identified." "McCoy, Henry." "Not our usual evening visitor." "Fascinating." "It moves through solid matter like I move through air." "Oh, my stars !" " Logan !" " Hank !" "I am coming, Logan !" "No !" "Hank !" "Don't !" "Get out of here, Hank !" "You gotta..." "Get help !" "Get..." "Logan !" "Do not resist, mutant." "You will be assimilated." "Perhaps." "But not this night." "A sample may prove useful." "There must be some sort of neuro-chemical signal" " linking the individual units !" " Dr. McCoy, move away from the house." "Leave the situation to us." " We need to debrief you." " Very well, but I..." "No vehicles ?" "Then how did they arrive ?" "Under the circumstances, I am sure Logan will understand." "Relatively slow-moving." "I should easily outdistance it." "Negative." "Accelerate !" "Accelerate !" "Do not be alarmed." "Self is friend." "Ally." "On your side." "Who, what are you ?" "No time for introductions !" "Drive !" "Self hopes Self-friend Beast had light supper." "My word !" "Acquisition of McCoy delayed." "Remaining mutants ready for transport." "I believe some introduction is in order." "Affirmative." "Self is..." "I am called Warlock." "It is not a name, but a title." "I am heir apparent of the Phalanx, a cluster some 37. 5 light years distant." "What it cannot assimilate, it destroys." "As I neared maturity, the time when I would forever merge with the Phalanx," "I realized I had no heart for conquest." "My Lifemate felt as I did." "Together, we broke free and fled the Phalanx." "As we searched for a new home, our ship became damaged." "I struggled to regain control, but I could not." "Our ship crashed on your Earth." "When I awoke here, I could not find my Lifemate." "I feared the worst." "Men came." "Many men, with vehicles and machines." "They took our ship." "And Self was too afraid to help her." "Now Phalanx has followed us here, and your world will be lost." " Self is ashamed." " There is no need to be." "Our world is not lost yet." "Land on that roof over there." "Self followed men's trucks to a laboratory, but there was no sign of Lifemate." "Until Self followed her energy pattern to your home." "You mean that creature is your Lifemate ?" "No !" "Yes." "In part." "The Phalanx has her now." "Has done something to her." "Something horrible." "Query:" "will you help us, McCoy ?" "Please ?" "Perhaps we can help each other." "I have a lab in this building." "I would like to examine a sample of your tissue." "We are fortunate that it is after-hours." "Query: why is this fortunate ?" "I fear your appearance might alarm the staff." "Then Self will change appearance." "Of course." "This way." "Astonishing." "Assimilation occurs rapidly in metallic substances, but more slowly in non-metals." "Living tissues are also assimilated quickly, yet mutant tissue seems somehow immune." "Does this assimilation occur independent of conscious thought ?" "Oh, no, Self-friend Hank !" "As with the Phalanx, every part of Self thinks and feels." "Query: if Self-friend Hank is finished," " may Self reintegrate the sample ?" " Well, yes, if you like." "Extraordinary !" "Do that again, please !" "Of course !" "The rate of the assimilation is directly proportional to the substance's electrical conductivity." "Query: what is Self-friend Hank talking about ?" "The assimilation process is an electromagnetic phenomenon." "That would explain how the Phalanx was able to travel so quickly along the fence." "It could transmit its mass along any good conductor, railroad tracks, power lines, phone lines." "Good heavens !" "This thing could be far more dangerous than we realized !" "Query: what is Self-friend..." "I am patching in to President Kelly's emergency line." " He must be alerted to the danger !" " Dr. McCoy." "What's the trouble ?" "Mr. President, I must warn you of a grave threat." "Don't say any more, Doctor." "This may not be a secure line." "What's your location ?" "The Grace Eye Clinic in New York City." "We'll send a chopper to pick both of you up." "Be on the roof in 10 minutes." "Kelly out." "Self-friend Hank." "You did not tell the President about Self." "We can explain the situation when we arrive." " Right now we must..." " Query:" "then what did the President mean by both of us ?" "Self-friend Hank, your President is no longer human." "The patients !" "Self-friend Hank." "We cannot help them by ourselves !" "No, we cannot." "But who can we turn to ?" "My specialty is organic chemistry." "But the Phalanx is as much inorganic as organic." "Of course !" "I only pray we are not too late in reaching him." "Query: will not a transmission reveal our location ?" "Not if I direct it through a few relay satellites." "Dr. McCoy, I wish I could say I'm happy to see you, but for some reason, a visit from the X-Men is usually more trouble than it is worth." "I'm afraid this time will be no different, Forge." "I believe all life on Earth may be at risk." "Can we meet somewhere safe ?" " If this is your idea of a joke, McCoy..." " I only wish it were." "Milford Township." "Sid's Grill on Oakhurst." " One hour." " Agreed." "Trust no one." " Not even your own team." " Understood." "You said you could sense your Lifemate's energy pattern." "Affirmative." "Self could not forget her pattern, even as Phalanx." "Then could you tell if Forge is really Forge ?" "Affirmative." "But only in person." "I guess we need to be thankful for small favors." "Unfortunately, there has been little progress in mutant assimilation." "The X-factor in their genetic structure is resistant to the assimilation process." "Work continues on the Spire." "The Spire is of primary importance." "Mutant assimilation serves only to accelerate completion of the primary Phalanx." "Once that has been accomplished, all Phalanx will rejoin the nexus." "Random genetic reproduction will cease, and at last, all life on this world will attain the perfection of the Phalanx." " Please don't do that." " Sorry." "Both beings are human, though Forge has inorganic components." "Additional being is fully biological." "Additional ?" "Well, as long as he's human." "Quicksilver !" "He seems to think the base personnel are acting strangely." " Is he right ?" " Quite probably." "This young man is Warlock." "We have discovered something disturbing." "It began roughly 12 hours ago." "And we waited until you arrived." "It was the only way to be sure you were unaffected." "You don't expect us to believe this." "Dr. McCoy isn't given to flights of fancy, Pietro." "But couldn't this be some elaborate ruse ?" "We know of any number of mutants capable of..." "I know how it must sound." "But, Warlock, would you assimilate that fork ?" "Interesting." "And I'm afraid corroborating evidence is standing outside." "Miss, is there a rear exit to this establishment ?" "There is no exit, mutant." "Lifemate, no !" "Please !" "Warlock !" "Help Self !" "Control link re-established." " I'll bring the van around." " No, wait !" " Leave me !" "You can travel faster alone !" " Not necessary !" " Great spirit protect us !" " Indeed." "This way." "Get down." "Though Mr. Sinister may seem an odd ally, the pragmatism of "the enemy of your enemy is your friend" seems to apply." "Quickly !" "They're reforming !" "Go !" "Go !" "It destroyed my records, my laboratory, my men." "All gone." "I have run a proiection based on what we have observed so far." "It appears that if this Phalanx organism proceeds unchecked, 760_ of the world's population will be assimilated within four days." "But you're using a viral model." "This thing thinks." "It knew to go for the President and it knew to ambush us at Milford." "It knows just what and when to infect." "True, but the range of its control seems limited." "In the diner, that portion of it seemed to revert briefly." "Perhaps it needs a larger transmitter to extend its range." "Something like that, for instance ?" "It is the Spire !" "The Phalanx will use it to summon the rest of my people !" "To add this planet to the Phalanx empire !" "It is Self's fault." "Self never should have come here." "Now, Self-friends, Beast, Forge, your world is doomed !"