"Hello!" "Hey, we've got a problem down here." "Sir, Plexus One is down." "Systems two through seven going down." "Understood." "We can't correct it down here." "You'll have to initiate the override sequence upstairs." "Negative." "I'm shut out." "We've got a major malfunction." "How shall we proceed, sir?" "By making a call." "Students, please gather downstairs immediately." "I apologize for the late hour." "I've just received an urgent summons from Captain Stone." "Stone?" "From the penitentiary?" "We're not talking another Juggernaut breakout, are we?" "No." "At least not yet." "But his containment unit has begun to fail." "We'll be suited up and ready to go in five." "Let's move." "No." "I'll be going alone." "However, with Ororo away in Africa and Logan on the open road I'm faced with a dilemma." "Which means Scott, Jean, I'm placing you both in charge." "Can I count on you?" "Without a doubt, professor." "We'll hold down the fort here." "You just worry about your brother." "Yes." "And thank you." "I'll see you in a few days." "Okay." "Since we're already up, how about starting the day with a little Danger Room calisthenics?" "What do you say?" " Go right ahead." " I'm hitting the sack." "Don't let the power of command go to your head, Professor S." "Okay, you win." "I don't like it." "It's too risky." "Shutting down the security grid is the only solution that makes sense." "But what happens during the reboot sequence?" "His paralysis shouldn't wear off that quickly." "It'll be all right." "Okay." "Alert the base to a code 12." "Come on." "Just, like, one peek?" "Let me see what's behind those shades." "Blue or brown." "Or maybe hazel?" "Try beet red." "It was a long night." "Come on." "Just one little peek, please?" " Taryn, no." "Really, don't." " Well, gotta go." "But one of these days, I want to know all your little secrets." "That'll be a day to remember." "Jean!" "What...?" "How long have you been standing here?" "I just..." "Well..." "I was not spying on you." "Spying?" "Who said anything about...?" "Wait a second." "You were spying on me." "Don't tell me you're jealous." "What?" "Yeah, right." "I'm jealous." "Of all the nerve." "I am so sure, Scott Summers." "Kitty Pride, I am amazed." "Most people can't program such complicated game protocols without crashing their computer." "You, on the other hand, have managed to crash three." "Sorry." "I didn't get much sleep." "Careful." "Careful." "You got it!" "They don't call me Arcade for nothing." "Now to tag the big boss." "You better sign off, Webber." "Wait." "I'm about to put this box into overdrive!" "Hey!" "Why'd you do that?" "I think we've crashed enough computers for one day." "Hey, Kitty, anything fun going on this weekend?" "Nothing." "My ear's been to the ground all week, but the party circuit is dry." "You know, if only we knew someone whose parents were gone for the night." "We could throw our own party." "Hey!" "You know something?" " Yeah!" "While the professor's away..." " The kids can play!" " And play it loud!" " Yeah!" "Reality check, people." "Scott and Jean?" "Oh, yeah." "Yes, a problem." "But what are X-Men if not problem solvers, right?" "All right, on my mark." "And..." "Now." "Charles?" "System re-initialized." "All right, stand down." " Is there another problem?" " I'm afraid there is." "This malfunction, it wasn't accidental." " What are you saying?" " It was sabotage." "See you tomorrow, Duncan." " Hi." " Hi." "So, what's up?" "I don't know." "You tell me." " Kitty said you wanted to meet here." " What?" "That's what Kurt told me." " I see what's going on." " Yeah." "It seems we've been..." " You're being sneaky again, aren't you?" " What?" "!" "You wanted to get me up here but blame it on someone else." "You really are jealous of Taryn, aren't you?" "I..." "That is so not true." " Take me home, you egomaniac." " Fine, but..." "Hey, what's the deal?" "I get it now." "Lure me out here and then conveniently have car trouble." " Boy, that's original." " Hey, this was not my idea." "Welcome to party central." "This place rocks." "I told you it was plush." "Come on." "I'll show you around." "There's munchies on the tables, sodas in the ice chest." "And don't break anything." "Problem solving can sure make a guy hungry." "Makes me want to dance." "I've only been here once, but I think this hallway leads us to the library." "Hey, weird elevator." "Where's that go?" "You know what?" "I bet that leads down to where they keep that big computer Rogue was telling me about." "Did somebody say big computer?" "Now this is one cool basement." "Electronic lock." "It's gotta be behind this door." " You can hack security codes?" " It's a computer." "They're all the same." "I take that back." "This is awesome!" "I don't know what happened to my phone." "Come on, Jean." "I said there's one down the hill." "Wait up!" "Are you coming or what?" "This is beyond cutting-edge." "But by reconfiguring the headgear to accept me as the primary user, I think I can get full access." " It worked!" " Suppose they have any games on there?" "I hope so." " Who are those people?" " I don't know." "Game characters, maybe?" "Cool." "I could sure use those in my computer class assignment." "Can you download that file?" "No problem." "I'll burn you a DVD." "Here you go." "Now leave me alone." "Arcade needs to concentrate." "Okay." "I'll just pop upstairs and make a quick appearance then be back." "Yeah, whatever." "This sounds promising:" ""Danger Room. "" " Hey, can you slow it down a bit?" " I'm sorry." "Got a schedule to keep." "Sorry." "See?" "Somebody started up the Danger Room." "I can't get the door open." "I'll just shut it down from inside." "Come on, Kurt!" "Kurt's been hit!" "Finally!" "More characters." "This game was really getting lame." "Kurt, wake up!" "Heavy-duty!" "Let's move it!" "Let go!" "She's out." "Two down." "Grab on!" "Bummer!" "I let them get away!" "Where are you?" "On the next level?" "System has been compromised." "Initiating Defcon Four." "Defcon Four?" "I like the sound of that!" " They're throwing a party!" " They are so busted." "So it looks to me like certain X-children had plotted to get rid of us." " Yeah." "Sorry for accusing you." " Me too." "I..." "You okay?" "Look out!" "I've never seen anything like this!" "Hello?" "Can somebody help me?" "Hey!" "Let me out!" "Come on!" "You too!" "We'll have to try getting in through the launch bay." "Jump!" "There you are!" "Defcon Four definitely opened this game up." "Let's see you get out of Arcade's corridor of doom!" "This way!" "Who's doing this?" "It's like the place is locked down for some sort of invasion." "I'm shut out." "All security has been rerouted to one room:" "Cerebro." "Who is that?" "No idea." "I think he's one of Kitty's friends." "Yeah." "He likes to call himself Arcade." "He's a computer-game nut." "Obviously a party guest?" "Yeah." "But I don't know how he got into Cerebro." "We'll worry about that later." "Let's just get him out of there." "Come on." "Where are you?" "You're looking at me." "That is so cool." "Here's your little feedback hello wave." "He's seen us!" "Man!" "These players are good." "You don't know how good." "Thanks, guys." "Great party!" "Yeah." "Too bad we missed it." "They ate every last crumb of food while we were fighting for our lives." "Yeah." "And now we get to clean up after them." "Don't be mad, guys." "I'm sorry." "Want to tell us what you were doing in there?" "I couldn't resist." "Such an awesome mainframe." "That game rules!" " Game?" " Yeah." "And the players rocked." " They had these cool powers and... " " Wait." "Are you telling us that...?" "He knows nothing more." "He believes it was all a computer game." "Mr. Tork, your taxi's waiting outside to take you home." "I'm sorry, professor." "I accept the blame." "There's plenty of blame to go around, even extending to a mystery guest." " What, you mean Arcade?" " No." "Someone else." "Someone who orchestrated this, including my trip away just to gain access to the mansion." "So it's up to us to find out who it was." "And what they were after."