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wqintraining · 1 year ago

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NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 3, EPISODE 9

We open three years ago in Caracas, Venezuela. Outside a humble house, a young boy flies a kite. Inside the house, overly loud Spanish music plays.

In her room, a 14 year-old Sofia Mantega dances all around it without a care in the world. Her face is bright and youthful, there isn’t a phone in sight, her hair is plain, her clothes are simple, and she doesn’t wear any makeup.

As Sofia continues to dance, a woman can be heard calling out to her. Sofia doesn’t hear. She keeps calling out until, to get Sofia’s attention, she barges into her room.

MIRANDA, in Spanish: “Sofia Elizabeth Mantega, would you please turn that down?”

Sofia giggles and she casually floats over to her out-of-date computer and turns off the music.

SOFIA, hovering above and dropping herself on her back into bed, in Spanish: “Yes, Mother?”

Miranda sighs and tells her she’s going out. Uncle Paolo needs her to watch her cousin.

MIRANDA: “If you aren’t too busy.”

Sofia blows herself out of bed and onto her feet.

SOFIA: “Of course!”

MIRANDA, smirking: “You still have legs, you know.”

SOFIA: “Yes. I use them to dance.”

Miranda laughs and musses Sofia’s hair.

We cut back and forth between Sofia playing with her younger cousin, using the winds to manipulate a kite, and Miranda doing some shopping. As Paolo gets in a car with a friend, the friend asks him if he’s really okay leaving his kid with a mutant; Paolo assures him Sofia is family.

In a trinket store, Miranda asks the shopkeep how much for a bracelet; she thinks her daughter would love it.

As the kid Sofia is babysitting cheers for the kite to go higher, Miranda steps outside the shop, where an anti-government protest has popped up, due to human rights violations. Miranda gets nervous and moves with haste to get away from the area, but before she knows it, the cops have arrived. The kid continues to cheer on Sofia as Miranda moves with haste.

Gunshots ring.

In the present, the sound of gunshots is cut off by a wine bottle being smashed against a wall.

Lady Akkaba, panic in her eyes, stares down at the bracelet her mother got her on her wrist. She opens up a different bottle in her bedroom (what was clearly formerly Apocalypse’s) and begins chugging it.

Akihiro, still celebrating the Horseman’s victory, comes to check on Sofia and make sure she’s alright. What he sees instantly alerts him to the fact she isn’t. He shuts the door.

AKIHIRO: “What’s wrong?”

Sofia keeps drinking. With her not listening, he throws the Muramasa blade to cut it in half, so it all spills out.

Sofia glares at him.

AKIHIRO: “We have plenty more. Talk to me.”

Sofia tosses aside the half of the bottle left in her hand as Death retrieves his sword.

Sofia pants and sniffles.

SOFIA: “Casualties among the Jean Grey School students were expected. Tag wasn’t supposed to be one of them.”

Akihiro cringes, before sneering.

AKIHIRO: “So Selene was right. You are soft.”

SOFIA: “He was my friend!”

AKIHIRO: “He was weak! Unfit! And you are Lady Akkaba. His death should mean nothing to you.”

Sofia hangs her head in despair. Akihiro sighs. He’s pissed, but he doesn’t want to make her even more upset.

Akihiro approaches Sofia from behind and puts his arms around her.

AKIHIRO: “Famine is not loyal. And together, he and Pestillence are more powerful than us. The only reason they don’t act is because you command the respect and loyalty of Clan Akkaba. But if they catch a whiff of this weakness, they will jump on that, and take us out.”

SOFIA, barely audible: “I know.”

Akihiro turns her around.

AKIHIRO: “If you cannot pull yourself together, tell me now. Either command me to fix your emotions, or allow me to take command myself. We won’t live to see our conquest completed if you don’t.”

Sofia looks down, glassy-eyed. She closes her eyes. When she opens them, the cold, fierce eyes of Lady Akkaba have returned.

SOFIA: “I apologize for that display. To my credit, I was trying to keep it private.”

Akihiro smiles, welcoming his lady back. He understands if she still wishes to get some rest. He can make up an excuse to the others. Sofia agrees that would be for the best.

SOFIA: “Thank you.”

AKIHIRO, half-jokingly: “I live to serve.”

On his way out, Sofia orders him to bring her back some of the octopus and ceviche to eat in here.

AKIHIRO, amused and playfully bowing: “As you wish.”

Akihiro departs. Once he’s gone, Sofia returns to a melancholy state, as she flops into bed and starts crying.

We cut from Sofia’s shut eyes to Sofia’s eyes opening wide.

Sofia groans and stretches out her arms as she turns off her alarm clock. She has large bags under her eyes, her bones creak, and she’s living in an apartment the size of a closet.

As Sofia drags herself out of bed, a caption tells the audience it’s last year.

The exhausted Sofia grabs her phone. Her lock screen is of her and Julian after getting crowned at the last dance they went to. She sees that her notifications are filled with both anti-Mutant bigots cheering on her recent comments, and Mutants and their allies cursing her out and calling her a race traitor and a sell-out. Sofia, looking dead inside, nods along at this common occurrence. She unenthusiastically makes another post.

Sofia gets up, gets washed and ready for the day, and opens her tiny closet to retrieve her waitress uniform. She forces herself to don a wide grin.

Outside, Sofia walks through the streets of Caracas. A gentle breeze of wind passes by, running her hair through the wind, and sending a shiver down her spine that makes her freeze in place.

“Sofia!”

Sofia shakes herself out of it and approaches an old man sitting on the street with his dog.

SOFIA, cheerfully, in Spanish: “Hey Sammy Sam!”

Sofia asks if the old man’s had anything to eat today. He tries to dodge the question, but Sofia doesn’t accept that as an answer, and tells him to come by the diner later - her treat.

SAMMY, in Spanish: “Would you look at that? I’ve got my own guardian angel.”

SOFIA: “I do what I can.”

Sofia arrives at the diner she’s working at, where she’s cheerfully greeted by her heavyset friend Valentina, another waitress, and is screamed at by her boss for being late - again! Sofia sasses him that when he starts cooking real food, she’ll start treating this like a real job.

Valentina laughs at that, heading into the back with Sofia. As Sofia gets ready, Valentina tells Sofia she’s great, but still isn’t sure why she’s here.

VALENTINA: “Is the grift going that badly?”

SOFIA: “The grift?”

VALENTINA: “You know, all your anti-Mutant stuff. Saw your post this morning about how that lizard kid you went to school with sheds poisonous skin. Nasty. Looked like it was doing well though.”

Sofia shakes her head and explains she’s no longer making money off social media. She did that when she was creating art and spreading joy, but she doesn’t want to profit off the harm she’s causing.

SOFIA, her happy mask slipping: “I just want them to hurt a little.”

VALENTINA: “Okaaaay. Whatever. I’d be making bank of those Muties.” She raises her hands. “Nothing personal! I just need money.”

Sofia giggles as the two head back into the front. Valentina tells Sofia to look; her foreign admirer is here. Sofia is confused by what she’s talking about. Valentina gestures to a man sipping coffee and reading a book, who’s very clearly Akihiro in disguise. His hair is slicked back and he’s dressed like a tourist, big camera around his neck and all.

SOFIA: “You think he…likes me?”

VALENTINA: “I think he’s only ever here on your days and gives you better tips than any of us get.”

Valentina notes that he may have terrible fashion sense, but he’s pretty easy on the eyes. Sofia tells her she isn’t looking for someone right now, but Valentina tells her to not be stupid. He’s hot, always polite, and he’s got enough money he’s been here for weeks; she even looked up the camera he has, and seeing its price made her want to vomit.

VALENTINA: “That is marriage material. What’s holding you back? Were you dating someone in America? Was there a bad breakup?”

Sofia hangs her head, flashing back to happy memories with Julian.

SOFIA: “Let’s just get to work.”

VALENTINA: “Girl, I’ve BEEN working.”

That night, Sofia comes home from work, exhausted. She just wants to shower, have a small bite, and try to fall asleep early. Even if that last part has been hard lately.

“Hello, Sofia.”

Sofia is stunned as she gets to her door, where an old friend is standing with a smile.

SOFIA: “Derek?”

Sofia dons a completely genuine grin of excitement as she rushes over to Derek and hugs him. He hugs her back, and the two perform their silly handshake.

Sofia asks what he’s doing here and how he found her. Derek explains that Ms. Moonstar informed him of what happened to her, and he couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d have gone but home. He didn’t know where exactly she’d gone, but they received an anonymous tip where she was living.

DEREK: “Likely from a concerned fan.”

Sofia is pleased by his words, but picks up on one in particular. “They”.

SOFIA: “Is…is my father here?”

Derek confirms that he is. And he’d like to see her. If she’d like to get washed and changed, they have a reservation for two hours from now.

Sofia is stunned. She asks Derek nervously if she should trust him. He tells her he can’t decide that for her, but he does believe he’s here with good intentions.

Sofia remains nervous.

Nonetheless, we cut to a fancy restaurant as a more put together Sofia and Derek arrive. Sofia tenses up as she sees her father at a table, so Derek holds her hand to walk to the rest of the way.

SOFIA, after taking a breath: “Hello, Father.”

Walter’s lips curl into a slimy smile as he greets his daughter and tells them both to sit down; they have a lot to discuss. They do so, and Walter goes on to say that he’d say Sofia looks well, but she knows for all his faults, he speaks the truth.

Sofia clenches her fists. Her hand shakes and she has to hold it as she imagines winds around it that aren’t there.

SOFIA: “Tell me why you’re here, or I won’t stay for appetizers.”

Walter can appreciate her wanting to get straight to the point, but is surprised she’d be willing to turn down a good meal given her current circumstances. He’s obviously aware of where she’s living, Derek found out for him where she’s working, and apparently for some reason she’s chosen not to monetize her once profitable content.

All of that is embarrassing to him. But what’s more important to any of than any of that is that she’s been cured.

WALTER: “I’d fear offense at the proper terminology for your past condition, but from what I’ve seen, we seem to now be in agreement concerning Mutants.”

Sofia, on ther verge of a panic attack, repeats a demand that he tell her what he wants. Walter complies.

WALTER: “I’d like you to come home.”

Sofia is shocked. Walter explains that he knows she doesn’t love him, nor would he expect her to after he had her arrested. He will not pretend to care deeply for her either. But this is irrelevant to what they can offer each other.

He offers Sofia the chance to leave her rathole apartment and return with him back to Denver, where she may stay with him until she’s 18. At that stage, he will pay for her to attend the university of her choice. In exchange, she will work for him. Regardless of her skill with social media and comunications, he didn’t want a mutant associated with his business, but his beautiful human daughter with millions of followers who’s positioned herself to become the face of the mutant cure campaign if she so chooses? That is someone Barrett Supermarkets could use.

WALTER: “Or, if you so choose, you may continue to waste away here.”

Sofia cringes. This isn’t fair. Why is her life like this? Why does she have to choose between barely surviving and submitting to a man who doesn’t deserve to call himself her father? Why did she have to lose everyone who loved her? What did she do in life that was so awful that she deserved this?

Walter, not caring about her questions, asks if she’s done. He’d like an answer. Sofia breathes and requests two days to think about it. Walter gives her a day. Noticing the waiter coming over, since there’d be no point in discussing details yet, Walter departs, wishing the other two a good meal.

As the waiter comes over to take their orders, Sofia cries, held by Derek.

The next day at work, an even more exhausted Sofia has just finished telling Valentina what happened the previous night. Valentina knows what she’d do in her position, but she also hasn’t had to live with the jerk before. Their boss shouts at them both that he pays them to work, not chitchat.

SOFIA AND VALENTINA: “You barely pay us at all!”

As they do get back to work, Akihiro, still in disguise, enters the diner.

VALENTINA: “Well, if you’re looking for a third option…”

Sofia bites her lip, thinking about it.

SOFIA: “He is very hot…”

Sofia makes her decision, quickly applying some sexier lipstick, before walking flirtatiously up to Akihiro to hand him his menu.

SOFIA: “I’m usually meant to tell customers my name, but I would be shocked if you didn’t know by now.”

AKIHIRO, smirking: “I tend to remember the names of pretty girls who serve me the best empanadas in town.”

SOFIA, smirking back: “Do not let my boss hear you. He will actually believe that.”

AKIHIRO: “A middle-aged man with delusions of grandeur? I know the type.” He flashes his perfect teeth. “My name’s Akeno, by the way. Since I already know yours.”

SOFIA: “Well, it is nice to properly meet you, Akeno.”

As Sofia pours him some coffee, she asks where he’s from. “Akeno” tells her he was born in Japan, but has been going to school in America, changing his speech from Spanish to English to momentarily show he speaks both fluently.

SOFIA, as Akeno scans the menu: “Business or pleasure?”

AKENO: “Ideally a bit of both. Taking my classes online so I get to do my internship down here and see the sites.”

Sofia asks what he’s studying, with Akeno telling her Civil Engineering. His boss is the best in his field, but he can be a real taskmaster.

AKENO: “Not that you’d know what that’s like.” Akeno puts his menu down. “Okay, I’ll take two beef empanadas, a cup of coffee, black…and a date to come with me to the contemporary art museum.”

The two grin flirtatiously at each other, Sofia telling him she’ll get those first few things right away, but he’ll have to throw in some dancing to get something so touristy from her. Akeno tells her he was thinking dinner, but dancing works too.

Sofia clicks her tongue as she walks back to the kitchen, pleased with how that went. She high-fives Valentina.

That night, Sofia and Akeno go out dancing in a nightclub. They dance together, before Akeno goes to get them some drinks.

SOFIA: “Buying a minor drinks? Such a bad boy.”

AKENO: “Don’t tell my mother.”

Akihiro heads to the bar, where he watches Sofia, leering at her as she has the time of her life letting loose. He comes back to her and hands her her drink. She thanks him. Not for the drink, but for this. She hasn’t had this much fun in a long time.

AKENO: “You don’t strike me as the kind of girl who needs someone to take her out dancing.”

SOFIA: “I’m not. But no one likes being alone.”

Akihiro’s mouth opens, genuine empathy appearing on his face for a moment, before his grin returns.

AKENO: “Well, so long as I’m around, you don’t have to worry about that.”

The two clink their drinks. As Sofia goes to drink her’s, Akihiro fills it with pheremones. From a single sip, Sofia starts laughing, tripping over herself, and falling over Akeno.

AKENO: “Wow. You’re that much of a lightweight?”

Sofia giggles.

AKENO: “Okay, mistake noted. One more dance and I’ll take you home.”

Sofia passively nods.

The two have one more dance, with Akihiro now leading Sofia.

Akihiro takes Sofia to his car and gets her into the passenger seat. However…

SOFIA: “What? Not going to buckle me?”

AKIHIRO, smirking maliciously: “Sorry. We’re going somewhere we can’t drive to.”

From the darkness of the backseat, Lila Cheyney appears, grabbing hold of Akihiro and Sofia and teleporting them away.

In a flash, the three appear in Apocalypse’s original throne room.

Sofia gasps and stumbles back as she takes in her surroundings. The lines are walled with cultists, Exodus and Malice stand beside the throne, and on the throne itself sits Apocalypse.

SOFIA, terrified: “Polaris?” Malice snickers at her. Sofia struggles to breathe. “You’re…Apocalypse.”

Sofia dashes away from Akihiro and Lila. Akihiro waves Lila off, sending her on her way.

SOFIA: “Who are you?! What do you want with me?!”

Akihiro’s posture changes completely as he reveals his true name to be Akihiro, but here, he is known as Death. And he has gifted Sofia the opportunity to be in the presence of Lord Apocalypse.

The cultists praise their master’s name.

Sofia is freaked out, but a chill runs down her spine as Apocalypse speaks.

APOCALYPSE: “Child. Approach.”

Sofia hesitantly steps forward, trying to brace herself to fight, but disoriented by the pheremones. When she doesn’t kneel, Exodus telekinetically brings her to her knees.

APOCALYPSE: “You know who I am? What I am?”

Sofia glares at him, and tells him she learned about him in school. He is Apocalypse. The second-oldest Mutant, and the X-Men’s most dangerous and evil villain.

APOCALYPSE: “An “evil villain”? I understand why, in their naivety, they would see me that way.”

Apocalypse explains that Death, as well as Famine and Pestillence at his side, are his Horsemen. His most powerful servants, aiding him in his quest to rid the world of weakness.

Sofia glares back at Akihiro as he joins the others beside Apocalypse.

SOFIA: “You mean to rid the world of humanity and weaker Mutants.”

APOCALYPSE: “Two groups you need not concern yourself with. Or, rather, that was once the case.”

Apocalypse is aware of her situation. Once, she was Wind Dancer, commanding all that surrounded her. Naturally among the strong, and a prodigy even beyond that. Worthy of a place among the X-Men.

APOCALYPSE: “But powerful as they are, the X-Men are weak. They do not care for their people, only humanity. And for putting your trust in them, you paid the price. As so many have.”

Apocalypse’s eyes glow black, filling Sofia’s head with the images of screaming dead X-Men. Mimic, Morph, Thunderbird, Kwannon, Cypher, Warlock, Skids, Synch, and Skin.

Sofia pants heavily, having just psychically experienced their dying moments.

APOCALYPSE; “Now, you stand among the human masses. Weak. Helpless. Alone. Empty. Only able to experience relief by attacking what you once were. ”

Sofia clutches her hands against her heart.

Apocalypse tells her he cannot comprehend how painful, how agonizing it must be to wake up every day and live as something lesser than who she is. Nor does he blame her for her crisis. She is a naive child, who’s only mistake was to trust the wrong people.

APOCALYPSE, leaning forward: “Sofia Mantega…what would you give to fly again?”

Sofia shakes, wanting to insult him or shout at him. But…

SOFIA, hanging her head: “Anything.”

Apocalypse smiles.

APOCALYPSE: “I am an External Mutant, but I also possess millenia of knowledge, a mastery of sorcery, and the technology of gods. If you truly mean that, I can make you whole again.”

SOFIA, whimpering: “You can?”

Akihiro smirks, pleased with how this is going.

Apocalypse tells her that it will not be easy. The machine he has constructed for this purpose will kill anyone who attempts to use it who is not strong enough in mind, body, and spirit. Before she may use it, he must break her. He must rebuild her. And they must repeat this process until she is ready.

Sofia is terrified, but a glimmer of hope appears on her face. Still…

SOFIA, glaring: “And in exchange? What? I become one of your horsemen? I become War?”

Sofia screches, rolling over, as flames are fired at her sides.

“HA HA HA!”

MARTINIQUE WYNGARD, approaching from behind: “Lord Apocalypse has already chosen his generals, honey.”

EXODUS: “All Omega or with powerful Mutant blood coursing through our veins.”

MALiCE: “Being a Horseman isn’t for nobodies.”

APOCALYPSE: “You will train. When you aren’t not training, you will serve. And when your training is complete, you will fight in my army with Mutants of your own caliber.”

SOFIA, actually a little insulted, but also skeptical: “You would go through all of this trouble for a soldier?”

APOCALYPSE: “I would go through this trouble for any of my children who have had their weapons stolen.”

Sofia is tempted, once again hallucinating the winds around her blowing. But she also knows what he’s really asking from her. He would have her fight her friends and the X-Men. He would have her kill countless innocent people. It would be a deal with the devil.

Sofia hardens herself, standing up. Exodus is ready to push her back down, but Apocalypse gestures to stop him.

SOFIA: “And if I say no?”

APOCALYPSE: “No harm will come to you. Outside the harm you’d bring to yourself, and the wave of death that will soon come for all your kind. I would have my teleporter bring you home, and you would be free to live what remains of your empty life.”

It’s a struggle for Sofia to say it, but in that case, Apocalypse can take his offer and try it on someone else. This is not who she is. And he will regret not killing her. He is right that she’s been freeing herself by attacking her friends. No more. She will do whatever she can to help them stop him.

AKIHIRO: “Oh, come on, Sofia. Try to be reasonable here. This is where you belong.”

Sofia shakes her head, telling him specifically to stay away, or else.

AKIHIRO, annoyed: “Famine?”

EXODUS: “With pleasure.”

Exodus’ eyes glow pink, making Sofia scream again, as this time, she is shown what has been occurring in her absence Julian and Noriko spending all their time together, with past instances of the two having sex during their intial affair tossed in, and Danger having been welcomed in by the X-Men.

As the vision ends, Exodus, Malice, and Martinique laugh at her. Sofia clenches her fits, her eyes tearing up as they fill with rage. Even so…

SOFIA: “Send me home.”

Akihiro sighs regretfully, while the other Horsemen mock her weakness.

EXODUS: “A pity. You would have made a pretty servant girl.”

Apocalypse keeps his word and tells her she may go. Lila is waiting just outside the throneroom. She may meet her there. But, if she does this, this offer will not be available again. She will have already proven that being strong and whole isn’t what matters most to her.

Without another word, but with one more glare at Akihiro, Sofia turns around and walks away. She eventually reaches the door and puts her hand on the handle. As she does so, her hand shakes. Her eyes flicker. She trembles. And she removes her hand from the door.

She turns back around, approaching the throne, eyed by Apocalypse and his Horsemen with amused curiosity.

Sofia drops to one knee and bows her head.

SOFIA: “Please…make me whole again…Lord Apocalypse.”

Sometime later, Sofia stands in an arena, dressed in a tanktop and shorts, and having been given a short sword. Apocalypse stands across from her with his own, lightning-bolt shaped swords.

APOCALYPSE: “Among my arsenal is my original mutation. Molecular manipulation. It can heal as easily as it can destroy.” Apocalypse takes a stance, with Sofia nervously following suit. “So long as you remain willing to continue, I will raise you each time I strike you down. Each time I break you, just like the muscles in your fragile body, you will return stronger. But if I ever sense that you arre done, I will leave you to bleed. Understand?”

Sofia nervously tells him yes, bracing herself as she stares down the behemoth before her.

APOCALYPSE: “This is your first time. You may scream.”

Apocalypse rushes Sofia and runs through with his swords. Sofia screams as blood gushes out of her, the camera panning away as Apocalypse repeatedly guts her.

When we cut back over, Sofia is a barely breathing mess laying in her own blood. Apocalypse kneels down and places his hand on her. In a matter of moments, her body is fully healed.

Sofia gasps as she sits up, a look of horror in her eyes.

APOCALYPSE: “That will do for your introduction. You will be expected to endure more soon. And then to survive on your own.”

For now, he has more important matters to attend to. And Sofia has other training and work. Apocalypse hands her his swords and tells her she may start with those.

As Apocalypse walks away, Sofia cries and hugs herself.

SOFA, under her breath: “Monster.”

We montage the rest of Sofia’s daily tasks and training. Dressed in a Clan Akabba cultist robe, she cleans her own blood off of Apocalypse’s sword and scrubs her blood off the arena floor. She helps clean the rest of the castle, and joins the other cultists in prayer at an altar to Apocalypse.

The Horsemen then make use of her. Exodus uses her as an easel as he paints Jesus with the Phoenix Force, whipping her with telekinesis whenever she moves. Malice makes her feed her popcorn as she watches a crappy teen drama, threatening Sofia if she reveals to anyone else what she’s into. And Martinique makes Sofia scrub her feet and clip her toenails in the bath, while Martinique insults her and rants about how much she hates her sister Regan.

When they’re done tormenting her casually, we cut to outside in the desert, where Sofia is forced to run barefoot on the hot sand as the three Horsemen blast away at her from above, intentionally missing to make her dance and squirm, before hitting her all at once, knocking her out.

By the time she’s back in the arena with Akihiro, healed again, she’s exhausted. But she has a lot of anger to get out.

AKIHIRO, taping his hands: “Having fun so far?”

SOFIA, head cast down as she takes her hands, meekly: “Yes, sir.”

AKIHIRO, not buying it: “Come on. You don’t have to treat me like a god like you do the others. I have real humans for that.”

SOFIA, hands trembling as she tapes her hands: “You are all sadistic animals.”

AKIHIRO: “Ouch. And I thought you were into me.”

SOFIA: “You deceived me!”

AKHIRO: “And from the fact you’re standing here, you should be grateful I did.” He holds his hands out and smugly grins. “You’re welcome.”

Sofia attacks her hand-to-hand combat instructor, but is of course completely outmatched. As Akihiro blocks all her moves and kicks her around, he tells her he recognizes her style.

AKIHIRO: “You were learning from her, haven’t you?”

SOFIA, picking herself up: “From who?”

“AKIHIRO: “Wolverine. Your style is like hers, but more graceful. More elegant. I like it.”

Sofia doesn’t care about what he thinks. He knows Laura? Akihiro answers her question by popping out his claws.

AKIHIRO: “You could say that.”

Akihiro grins manically as he rushes at Sofia with his claws, Sofia screeching as we cut away.

We montage as this first day’s events repeat themselves over and over again. Waking up in a bedroom even smaller than the one she’d been living in previously, being gutted by Apocalypse, cleaning up her own blood and other parts of the castle, attending prayer sessions, being used as a slave by Exodus, Malice and Martinique before being trained in speed and evasion as they chase her through the desert, and then getting the crap kicked out of her by Akihiro. Her days end with her serving Apocalypse and the Horsemen dinner and waiting on them as they indulge themselves, before being permitted to return to her room to pass out.

As the days go by, she slowly has an easier time getting back up after Apocalypse stabs her, she gets more comfortable reciting her prayers, she lasts a little longer in the desert before getting shot down (a fact that clearly annoys Martinique), and she starts being able to at least react a little to Akihiro.

But at the same time, with weeks having passed, it’s clear the training is taking a toll on her, as with each day, she looks more and more tired, and night after night, she cries herself to sleep.

One night, Martinique listens in on her crying, the sound bringing her joy and laughter.

In Exodus’ luxurious chambers, he’s getting undressed for the evening.

MARTINIQUE, entering: “Famine, I have a proposition for you.”

EXODUS, looking her up and down: “Enter without knocking again and I put you through a wall.” He laughs. “And not in your wildest dreams.”

MARTINIQUE, giggling and seated herself on a chair: “Cute, but ridiculously chizzled as those abs of yours are, I’m not interested in that.”

Martinique says it’s about Apocalypse’s pet. She’s loving torturing her of course, with Exodus chiming in to agree, but she has a bad feeling about her.

EXODUS, amused: “Is this because she’s friends with your sister?”

MARTINQUE: “No! Definitely not! Don’t even remind me I’m related to that pink-haired little bitch.”

Martinique just doesn’t like her. The way she originally assumed she was going to be trained to be a Horseman. As if she’s anywhere close to being on their level?! And despite her reservations for her joining them at all, now that’s learning to worship Apocalypse, that may still be the arrogant little slut’s goal.

EXODUS, yawning: “Your point?”

MARTINIQUE: “I was just thinking, tomorrow during her training…she has a little accident.”

Exodus grins with her, equally fond of the idea.

Sofia tosses and turns in her bed. In her dreams, we see her flying around a golden sky using makeshift wings, happy as can be, only for the sky to turn black, a giant Danger to emerge from the ground, who proceeds to blast her, destroying her wings and sending her plumbetting to the ground.

As she falls, Hellion and Surge fly down after her. She calls out to them, thinking they’ll save her, but they instead grin mockingly at her and start making out.

Sofia doesn’t hit the ground, but only because she lands on Apocalypse’s swords instead, being skewered. Hellion and Surge land next to Apocalypse, continuing to make out.

As Sofia gasps for her life and blood dribbles down her chin, Walter stands over her.

WALTER: “Ready to make a deal?”

Sofia jolts away, gasping and sitting up. She hugs herself. She starts crying, but stops herself, wiping her tears before they leave her eyes. She takes a breath and recites a line from the prayers she’s been saying for weeks.

SOFIA: “I cannot be weak. I will not be weak.I must not be weak.”

“You’re learning!”

Sofia hops out of bed at the sound of Death’s voice.

AKIHIRO, from outside the room: “Get dressed and come downstairs. Now.”

Sofia fights to hold herself together.

In the arena, Sofia asks what’s going on.

SOFIA: “Am I not even allowed to rest now?”

Akihiro leers at her, as he starts coughing. Sofia is confused, before becoming grossed out as he pulls the Muramasa blade out of his mouth.

SOFIA: “Why would you keep a sword inside you?”

AKIHIRO: “When something is precious to you, you don’t risk anyone stealing in.”

Akihiro explains to her exactly what the Muramasa blade is. Forged by his previous master, Romulus, and the legendary ninja Ogun, utilized dark magics originated by the ancient warrior Muramasa to create a blade that could cut through anyone, kill anyone, regardless of their Mutation or magics. One that would deny their enemies even peace in the afterlife by trapping their souls inside it.

AKIHIRO, admiring the blade to Sofia’s disgust: “It did require sacricifing their souls, but I’d say the results speak for themselves.” He swings the sword around. “The only real downside is that so long as I hold it, there’s a little voice in my head telling me to kill everyone. Don’t worry, I don’t listen to it. Not when, by serving Apocalypse, I’ll get to spill more blood than I ever could on my own.”

Sofia asks what Apocalypse is planning exactly, but Akihiro wags his finger at her, telling her she hasn’t earned the right to that knowledge yet.

AKIHIRO: “Mutant ears only, sweetie.”

SOFIA, glaring: “Why are you teling me all of this?”

AKIHIRO: “Sadistic animals. That’s what you called us during our first session. And you were right. I’m a monster. A beast. Only good for killing. I am Death. And then, there’s the crusader, the body snatcher, and the biggest bitch I have ever met. Between you and me, I’m killing War one of these days.” He smiles. “I realized, trying to teach you to fight like an animal isn’t going to work. You’re not like us.” Akihiro scraped his sword against the ground, before pointing it at Sofia.

AKIHIRO: “Show me how you dance.”

Akihiro lunges at Sofia, as classical music begins to play (It’s left ambiguous if this is just for the audience or if Akihiro set this up). Moving at the tempo of the song, and picking up speed as the song goes on, Akihiro guides Sofia’s movements with specific of his sword and repeats them. While Sofia does get cut several times, the repetition of her graceful movements against his strikes quickly helps her learn to dodge them, even as he picks up the pace. The music ends as, eventually, Akihiro gets Sofia’s neck at swordpoint.

He lowers his blade and claps, thanking her for that performance.

SOFIA, when they’re done: “What…was that?”

AKIHIRO: “That…” He sheathes his sword for the time being. “...is how I’m going to make you your own breed of monster.”

Sofia is afraid, before striking a determined look and nodding.

SOFIA: “Again.”

The next day Exodus and Martinique stand atop the castle. As they snicker, they’re joined by Malice.

MALICE: “What’s so funny, loves?”

MARTINIQUE: “Oh, nothing. Pest.”

Malice glares at her.

EXODUS: “Just don’t hold back as much as usual today. Lord Apocalypse has requested we push harder.”

MALICE: “Fine by me.”

Sofia races out of the castle at ground level and into the desert. She runs serpentine, moving noticeably faster than she did previously. The Horsemen raise themselves into the sky, with Exodus telekinetically carrying Martinique, chasing after and blasting at her.

It starts out normally, but Sofia starts being taken back and stumbling and the blasts and explosions and sand clouds and bigger and bigger.

Exodus and Martinique exchange smirks before firing off their biggest attacks yet. Sofia is hit and overwhelmed. She screams as she collapses to the ground, horribly burnt.

MALICE: “Shit!” She flies down. “You dullards overdid it!”

Malice checks Sofia’s pulse, revealing even more severe burns as she turns her over. There’s nothing.

There’s silence.

EXODUS, casually: “Oh well.”

MARTINIQUE: “So sad.”

Exodus buries Sofia in sand, telling the others he’ll shield their minds from Lord Apocalypse. They’ll just tell him the slave ran away and got herself killed. Martinique quickly seconds the idea, with Malice sighing and going along with it.

In the throneroom, Exodus, Martinique, and Malice kneel before their master, having given their explanation for what happened.

APOCALYPSE: “Mmm. I see.”

Apocalypse’s eyes glow black and makes the three scream as he digs around their minds.

EXODUS, in agony: “Lord Apocalypse…I am your most faithful servant. I swear that I would never deceive you.”

Apocalypse lets up his psychic attack, allowing them to breathe.

APOCALYPSE: “Your minds do not betray your words.” Exodus and Martinique grin with their heads cast down, having gotten away with it, “But my eyes do.”

We hear panting as the Horsemen turn around. Leaning against the wall for support, covered in sand and burns, they see Sofia.

SOFIA, spitting her words out: “Is that…the best you have got?”

Sofia collapses onto the floor. Apocalypse gestures for his cultists to help her, as Exodus and Martinique feign relief for Sofia’s survival, unsure of what exactly happened. Malice rolls her eyes.

Apocalypse knows something is up, but dismisses the Horsemen for now, while also commanding his servants to bring Sofia to him.

SOFIA: “I…I can still fight, Lord Apocalypse. I will go straight to training with Death.”

Apocalypse grabs her by the crown of head, hurting her. She thinks he’s going to crush it, but instead, he heals all of her injuries.

SOFIA: “Huh?”

APOCALYPSE, removing his hand: “I told you that so long as you get back after I strike you down, I will always restore you. Did you think that didn’t apply to them as well?”

SOFIA: “I…I refuse to die. Not like this.”

APOCALYPSE: “And what do you think right now of my Horsemen? Do not lie. Do not restrain yourself. Bare your soul.”

Sofia hesitates, with quick flashes to her anger-management training with Warpath.

SOFIA: ”That I want to burn them like they burned me.”

Apocalypse cracks the smallest hint of a smile as he rises from his throne. Training with Death is cancelled for the day. She may rest.

SOFIA, weakly smiling: “Thank you, my lord.”

More weeks pass. Weeks of Sofia being brutalized by Apocalypse, of being abused by his Horsemen, but now with a hint of spite in her meek obedience, of saying her prayers, with more and more confidence, and of “dancing” with Akihiro.

One month into her training, Apocalypse has elected to evaluate her progress with Death. Today, he will not be breaking her. He will restrain himself, and give her a chance to fight back. Sofia, armed now with a katana, nods and confirms she’s ready.

Apocalypse attacks, and, even with him using the bare minimum of his power, Sofia still has to move as fast as she can and do her best fancy footwork to not get cut in half. She primarily dodges, but does achieve a couple deflections.

APOCALYPSE, still attacking: “How have you enjoyed your time here?”

SOFIA, talking as quickly as she moves: “I have never known such intense pain, my lord.”

APOCOLYPSE: “Yet you persist.”

SOFIA: “And that is my strength.”

Sofia tries to attack Apocalypse, but he grabs her face and smashes it into the ground. Bleeding from the head and concussed, Sofia gets right back to try again, only for Apocalypse to grab her by the shirt and throw her into a wall. She buckles, but stays up.

Apocalypse notices that something fell off of Sofia: her bracelet. He examines it curiously. Sofia, forgetting for a moment who she’s talking to, screams at Apocalypse to give it back. Apocalypse is amused and asks what’s so important about it. Sofia keeps it brief and says it was the last thing her mother gave her before she died.

There’s a pause.

APOCALYPSE: “Your human mother?”

SOFIA: “What does that matter?”

Apocalypse is disappointed. He thought she had been absorbing his teachings. Sofia insists she has been, but Apocalypse says if that were true, she would no longer care for her genetic predecessor.

SOFIA: “Whatever you think of humans, there are good ones! Strong ones!”

APOCALYPSE: “I never claimed otherwise. I knew the previous Captain Britain, Brian Braddock. We fought. He was a proud warrior and a worthy opponent.” Apocalypse towers over Sofia as he tosses her bracelet to her. “But the survival of a weak species cannot be justified by its exceptions.”

Apocalypse walks away. For now, he will take her word for it that Sofia’s mother had some degree of worth. These words infuriate Sofia, prompting her to say words she cannot take back.

SOFIA: “More than you.”

Apocalypse stops walking as Sofia realizes in horror what she just said.

SOFIA: “My lord, I–”

Sofia is cut off as Apocalypse spins around and blasts her. As she takes the blast, she screams until her body seizes and her eyes glaze over.

We fade to black.

We return to Sofia’s dreams, where she flies around a golden sky with her wings. All is well, until she hears humming. She flies toward the sound, until she realizes it’s her mother’s voice, as the sky turns into a starry night, and the humming transitions into her singing Cancion de Cuna de Brahms, a Spanish lullaby about how a good night’s sleep will make the baby feel like they’re in the clouds, with the moon shining down on them.

Sofia finds her mother, looking like an angel, and cries out to her.

SOFIA: “Mama! Mama!”

Miranda warmly greets her angel. Sofia cries and tells her she’s missed her so much, that she’s been through so much. And she’s so tired.

SOFIA: “You are the only one who ever really loved me. Please let me stay with you here. Please!”

Miranda is sorry, but she can’t do that. Her beautiful daughter is still so young; she has her whole life ahead of her. Sofia becomes more hysterical and tells her that she doesn’t want to live her whole life! She doesn’t have any what she’s been through, or what she’s putting herself through now. Everything is awful!

SOFIA: “I just want to rest.”

Miranda wipes her daughter’s tears and her expression becomes more firm. She’s sorry she’s in pain, but she’s not accepting this.

MIRANDA: “What do you want out of life right now?”

SOFIA, after a moment to think: “I want….to be whole. To be a Mutant. A strong one. I want to be loved. And I want to keep anyone from ever hurting me again.”

MIRANDA, holding her daughter: “You are resourceful and brilliant, my baby. Do whatever you must to achieve those goals. So long as you believe in what you do, I will always be proud of you.”

Sofia hugs her mom back, still shouting how she doesn’t want to go, but her wings starts falling apart, and Miranda says goodbye.

MIRANDA: “I love you.” SOFIA: “I love you too.”

The last feather falls and Sofia falls into the clouds.

In reality, Sofia’s eyes jolt open as she pushes herself off the ground.

APOCALYPSE: “Good. You survived. Remember this. Watch your tongue. And know you–”

Sofia screams over him, confusing him. She dashes forward, Apocalypse readying himself to continue sparring, but she instead begins dancing around him - really dancing.

APOCALYPE: “What are you doing?” Sofia doesn’t answer, continuing to dance. “You will answer when I speak to you, or you will perish.”

Sofia grins.

SOFIA, continuing to dance: “I used to be a mutant named Wind Dancer. An X-Men. A hero. Those days are over. But it's taken me until now to realize even though I can no longer fly nor control the wind…”

Sofia cuts off her routine as she finally charges at Apocalypse.

SOFIA: “I will always be able to dance!”

Sofia swings and swings at Apocalypse, as we get a brief flashback to her training with Akihiro.

AKIHIRO: “Even when you were a Mutant, you weren’t like us. Your strength wasn’t from raw power. It was versatility. Now more than ever, you need to know how to keep your enemies on their toes.”

In the present, Sofia does not impress Apocalypse with her attack; her “dancing” is best left for defense.

Sofia isn’t bothered. She swings her sword in a horizontal arc, with Apocalypse moving his sword to block, before counterattacking. Only Sofia knew he would, so she bends her back at a 90 degree angle while swinging her blade over his, and with the split second advantage she now has, stands herself up straight and crashes the edge of her blade against Apocalypse’s neck, shattering the sword.

BEAT

Apocalypse drops his blade as Sofia pants with the most excited grin, and the messiest hair.

APOCALYPSE: “Were I most any opponent, you would have just taken my head.” He grins widely. “Well done.”

Sofia’s face lights up even further at that praise. Apocalypse mentions that he shouldn’t be surprised she’d progressed quickly, given all her prior training. He’s sure Emma Frost has also been training her mind.

APOCALYPSE: “Breaking you builds your body. My teachings build your soul. Now, we can begin to reconstruct your mind.”

SOFIA, actually sounding excited: “Yes, my lord!”

Apocalypse’s smile shifts. He’s not sure what just happened, but he likes it.

In Akihiro’s bedroom, as luxurious as the rest of the castle, but also decorated with animal skins and mounted animal heads - and human heads, he sits back in a chair with his shirt off as Sofia massages his shoulders.

AKIHIRO, moaning in pleasure: “Oh yeah, just like that.”

Sofia rolls her eyes. Akihiro tells her he heard about her session this morning with Apocalypse. Their master is very pleased.

SOFIA, excited: “He is?!”

Akihiro laughs.

AKIHIRO, amused: “Try less to sound like a schoolgirl with a crush.”

SOFIA: “Jealous I don’t have one on you?”

AKIHIRO: “It’s cute you think you wouldn’t if that’s what I wanted.” Akihiro waves her off as he stands up. “You know I’m the reason you were able to fight him like that. Maybe I do deserve more than a massage.”

SOFIA: “Do not even joke.”

AKIHIRO, teasing: “Oh, come on. Only guy you’ve ever been with is that Hellion jerk who cheated on you, right? I could show you what a real man is like.”

BEAT.

SOFIA: “Do not speak of Julian”

AKIHIRO: “Trying to tell me what to do? Last I checked you’re still a slave.” SOFIA: “I assure you I won’t be much longer.”

Akihiro questions what she means by that, with Sofia simply saying that she’s been thinking of a plan over the past few hours. Death seems like a man who’d enjoy waiting for the surprise.

AKIHIRO, grinning: “I knew I was right about you.”

Sofia tenses up and questions what he’s talking about. Akihiro asks how she thinks she got on Lord Apocalypse’s radar. No x-gene, so it’s not like he found her while looking for Mutants to join him. No, Akihiro randomly stumbled across one of her skincare tip videos, which led him to finding her more recent content, and discovering what had happened to her.

As Akihiro explains, Sofia’s eyes widen in horror.

He goes on to say that he figured Apocalypse could help her, and convinced his master to give her a chance. After that, it was a matter of getting her to lower her guard, just in case she still had Storm’s number on her phone, but just to be sure she said yes, he sent to her daddy about where she was. He wanted to remind her of how evil the only human in her life truly is.

SOFIA, pissed: “You…”

Sofia’s head hurts and her hands shake. Images flash in her head until they become clear. In a quick flashback, we see her in the throneroom with her hand on the door handle, ready to leave Apocalypse immediately…only for her emotions to change. The viewer is shown Akihiro smirking in that moment.

In the present, Sofia explodes in rage. He did this to her! He’s the reason she agreed to put herself through this!

Akihiro isn’t the least bit phased by her revelation, shrugging. But she’s wrong. He did use his pheremones on her back then, but he didn’t control her.

AKIHIRO: “I knew you were smart enough to know this was the right decision. You sure seem to agree with that now. You just needed a little bravery to make the jump.”

Sofia cools enough, softly asking why he did all of this for her. Why he brought her here, and put so much additional time into training her.

SOFIA: “Why are you nice to me?”

Akihiro laughs as he walks away to pour drinks. He tells her that, for one, he really did enjoy the videos he watched. Until he got to the anti-Mutant ones. Those were just…depressing. He looked more into her after that, and what he found was that they’re the same.

AKIHIRO: “Mutant half-bloods who’ve lost the only parents who mattered, with no home in any of the worlds they should rightfully be ruling over. Betrayed, rejected, used, and discarded by all. Warriors and monsters who’ve found their proper place with Lord Apocalypse.”

AKIHIRO, handing wide-eyed Sofia a drink: “You, Sofia Mantega…are Daken.” He raises his glass. “To Dakens looking out for one another?”

Sofia hesitates, before asking…

SOFIA: “Who are you?”

He smirks. He’ll tell her all about that. Sofia clinks glasses.

Another two weeks pass through another montage. Sofia now spars daily with Apocalypse, taking more than one hit from him before going down. Sofia happily says her prayers with gusto, even slapping another cultist for mumbling her words. Akihiro hogs more of her services so she doesn’t have to put up with the other Horsemen as much, the two sharing stories, drinking, and smoking together. Out in the desert, the Horsemen get frustrated as they have to use an embarassing amount of their power to take Sofia down, and in the arena, Akihiro continues to train Sofia in swordplay.

One night, Sofia is serving Apocalypse and the Horsemen dinner as they talk. Exodus is pleased to report to Lord Apocalypse that he obtained several powerful x-genes today. Fantomex, Forearm, and Unus the Untouchable fell easily.

AKIHIRO, mockingly “You call those impressive kills?”

MARTINIQUE: “Um, why are we even talking about this in front of the slave?”

Akihiro tells her to quit being such a cow. Sofia may still quit or die, certainly, but do any of them really think at this point she isn’t committed? As Sofia refills Akihiro wine, he tightly grips her chin.

AKIHIRO: “You wouldn’t betray our secrets to the X-Men. Would you?”

SOFIA, grunting: “No, sir.”

AKIHIRO, tossing her back against the wall: “See? No problem!”

Malice questions what their master thinks. Apocalypse swallows and dabs his face with a napkin. He explains their plan to release a plague that will kill the majority of the human population, and convert the worthy few into Mutants. They will conquer what remains of the world, establish a proper strength based hierarchy in the world, and rule as their new utopia’s kings and queens.

Exodus raises a toast to their brilliant lord and their future to come. The other horsemen join him in the toast and cheer…while Sofia giggles.

Exodus and Martinique are aghast at this response, while Malice is intrigued, and Akihiro is clearly already aware of what’s going on, resuming stuffing his face with a knowing smile.

MARTINIQUE: “How dare you laugh at us, you insolent bitch! My lord, let me burn her.”

Apocalypse doesn’t give her the order to do so. He calmly tells Sofia to tell him what she finds so amusing about his plan.

SOFIA: “I apologize. I meant no disrespect, my lord. I am just a little confused how you expect this to work. You say it will be a Mutant utopia, but not for all Mutants.”

APOCALYPSE: “The place of the weak is beneath the boot heels of their betters.”

SOFIA: “Maybe so. But do you not expect rebellion?”

APOCALYPSE: “They will fear the consequences. Examples will be made.”

SOFIA: “Which will only prompt more troubles. You abuse them, they rebel, you crush them, the status quo of abuse remains, and they rebel again. The cycle will continue. And the way you are thinning the population…that is not sustainable.”

Exodus slams his hands down on the table. This powerless child thinks she knows better than a king and conqueror who has lived for millenia?!

SOFIA: “Of course not. But I may have a better understanding of the modern day. If I may proceed?” Apocalypse nods. “In the days where you ruled, your plan would make sense. Things now are different. The world you wish to make will be different. Today, people…young people especially who make up the majority of the Mutant population…have no hope. Mutants and humans alike are miserable and believe that things will never improve. You are no doubt familiar with the concept that a movement cannot be crushed so long as there is hope, but it is equally true that with no hope, there is no fear.” She shrugs. “YOLO. Assuming that Mutants, weak and strong, will fall in line after you have just slaughtered all their friends and family? It won’t work.”

Martinique is going to scream again, flames around her hands, but Apocalypse shuts her down with his telepathy.

APOCALYPSE, leaning forward: “And what exactly would you propose instead?”

Sofia grins. She is no queen or conqueror. But she was successful as an influencer. Millions of people loved her. But some also hated her. Were naturally envious of her. Spread rumors about her and attempt to belittle her. She still always tried to be nice to them, that’s just who she is…was…but she saw how others on her level would handle people like them.

SOFIA: “Punching down is no longer a form of strength the masses respect. But nothing rallies soldiers to war like their gilded idols shedding crocodile tears. “Treat your people well. Even if the weak get less. When their envy makes them turn on you, show sadness that they are not grateful for all that you have generously delivered them. All those above the rebels will not hesitate to crush them for you, without you uttering a command. They will not only be okay with you punishing them from that point on; they will want you to.” Sofia removes the hood of her robe and shakes out her hair. “People do not have hope or fear. All they have are their idols.”

BEAT.

AKIHIRO, swallowing: “Well, my lord? What do you think of that?”

Apocalypse glares at Sofia, and then at each of his Horsemen.

APOCALYPSE: “Sofia Mantega…kill War in the next 60 seconds and you may have her chair.”

There’s a moment of hesitation across the room as they all process what was just said.

Sofia dashes forward as Martinique sets the entire dining room on fire, swearing to Lord Apocalypse that she will pass this test and punish this human appropriately for her disrespect! Apocalypse, Malice, and Exodus are all unbothered by the flames, easily shielding themselves, while Akihiro laughs as he’s set ablaze.

AKIHIRO: “That’s what being born with a silver spoon in your mouth does. Makes you think everything is about you.”

Martinique cackles as she burns everything around her. This human has had her fun! Being so uppity with her superiors. But now her time has come to face the power of a true elite!

Martinique nearly gets her throat slit as Sofia, having survived the flames, comes at her from behind with a steak knife picked up off the table. War reacts just in time though, and blows a burst of flames in Sofia’s face.

Sofia struggles to get back up after being so intensely burned. Apocalypse casually checks a pocket watch as he sips his wine.

MARTINIQUE: “You are nothing! Less than nothing! Even as a Mutant, you were nothing compared to us!”

Sofia glares up at Martinique. Without any audio from the scene changing, she recalls a lecture from Cyclops. She drops her knife.

SOFIA: “For someone with such a high opinion of herself…I have only ever seen you fight with power gifted to you.” He mockingly smirks. “Gifted to you…like everything else in your unearned life.”

Martinique is pissed but laughs. She wants to see her own Mutation? Okay. But it’ll be so, so much more painful than the flames.

MANIQUE: “Prepare for the next level of Hell!”

Martinique’s eyes glow orange, as the clock shows Sofia only has 10 seconds left. But that’s all the time she needs.

Sofia screams as her eyes glow orange, before she giggles.

SOFIA: “Just kidding.”

Energy crackles inside her mind as Sofia utilizes the red triangle, as it transforms into the Blue A.

Sofia and Martinique’s eyes both glow blue, with Martinique now the only screaming as she falls to the ground. Exodus and Malice are shocked, while Akihiro has never looked more excited.

SOFIA, picking her knife back up: “When I see her again, I will tell Megan you love her.”

MARTINIQUE, enraged and in agony: “Don’t you–!”

Sofia cuts Martinique’s throat, killing her. The flames in the room fade away.

Sofia pants and drops her knife again. Her eyes widen and her bloodied, burnt hands shake as she realizes she’s just killed someone.

While she’s still in shock, Akihiro gives an enthusiastic applause, congratulating their new potential War. Exodus and Malice begrudginly give small claps as well.

Apocalypse gets up and walks over to Sofia, looking down at her.

APOCALYPSE: “You took over 60 seconds. You shouldn’t have wasted time taunting her at the end.” Sofia panics momentarily that this was for nothing. Until Apocalypse reaches out his hand to her. “Come. Take your seat.”

Sofia looks up at Apocalypse with awe as she takes his hand, for a split second flashing back to a time Julian helped her stand when she was still learning to fly.

SOFIA: “Thank you.”

Sofia takes Apocalypse’s hand. When she sits down, she’s not only healed, but in new clothes, her Akabba robe changed into an evening gown. And in this moment of triumph and power, all her anxieties over her first kill fade away.

The next day, Apocalypse and Sofia spar once again. Sofia swiftly dances around Apocalypse and lasts a long time. He does manage to gut her, but that just makes her grin as she pushes on his chest to push herself off his sword, continuing to fight with the hole inside her. There is no fear of death or worry about the pain; she knows he will heal her. And once again, Sofia shatters her sword, this time by successfully lunging against Apocalypse’s chest.

With a smug look on her face, she licks some blood off of it.

SOFIA: “You need to go harder on me.”

APOCALYPSE: “I would break you.”

Sofia isn’t dissuaded. Apocalypse heals her and tells her to sit and rest for a minute. As she walks away, he attacks her psychically, but she deflects it easily.

SOFIA: “Come on, my lord. Ms. Frost hit me harder.” She sits down and drinks some water. “If I am to be your Horseman, not just your soldier, I must be prepared.”

Apocalypse doesn’t react initially, before laughing as he sits down.

APOCALYPSE: “Tell me. Are all Mutant infants as strange as you are?”

SOFIA: “No. I am one of a kind.”

Apocalypse is inclined to agree. And he’s pleased that despite the humiliations he has forced her to endure, her confidence has soared since they met. Knowing you are fit is a key part of spirit. He commends her improved physical and mental prowess as well, along with her enthusiasm and keen strategic ability. He did not expect this much from her when Death informed him an Xavier student had been depowered.

Sofia thanks him for his part in that, but she knows she’s achieved this herself. She was lost and without hope. She only needed a chance.

Apocalypse looks up. Sofia will soon be ready to reclaim her weapon, and be gifted the flames of War.

APOCALYPSE: “However…”

For all the other ways in which she has proven herself, Sofia continues to oppose the very core of his philosophy.

SOFIA: “I do not!”

APOCALYPSE: “Then you will not question me once when the time comes to play your part in eradicating humanity, and all others who are beneath you?” BEAT. “You will kill the X-Men for me?”

The proud look on Sofia’s face is wiped away. All the answer Apocalypse needs. Rather than punish her, however, he elects to tell a story. Thousands of years ago, there was an island known as Okkara. A nation home to only Mutants. It was a paradise without fear or strife. Without famine, pestilence, war, or death. The island was ruled over by a queen: Genesis. She was the most beautiful mutant to ever live, and in strength, second only to her younger sister, Isca the Unbeaten.

Apocalypse had spent many years adrift and alone after losing all that mattered to him. Until he found Okkara. There, he and Genesis fell in love, he became its king, and they had four children. All was well. From his perspective. Okkara had faced war torn days in the past, and Genesis believed they needed to stay ready for battle and not become soft.He disagreed, wanting to let go of his own violent beginnings. That is, until the Daemons came.

He does not wish to discuss the details of what came next, but his point is this: Had they kept their people strong, fit, and ruthless, Okkara may still exist today.

APOCALYPSE: “My family may still be here.”

Sofia is already overwhelmed by all this new information, as Apocalypse continues to say that he will not allow her to repeat his mistakes. He understands that in an ideal world, the extreme measures he has in mind would not be necessary. But idealism is the one luxury they cannot permit themselves. They must prepare.

SOFIA: “Prepare for what?”

Apocalypse doesn’t answer. Instead, he shifts the conversation to terms she can better understand.

APOCALYPSE: “Your mother. You claim that she was strong. And yet, she perished.”

Sofia, keeping her cool this time, tells him it had nothing to do with being strong or not. The men who shot her didn’t even mean to. Apocalypse asks why they were shooting at all.

SOFIA: “Because…my home is ruled by an awful man. People try to fight back against him, and get shot by his soldiers for doing so.”

APOCALYPSE: “But he does not fight himself?”

SOFIA: “No. He is weak. And foolish. And petty and a coward. Alone in a room together, I could have killed him before I even had my weapon.”

Apocalypse points out that this is how all human civilizations are. It is all that humans know. Those born to privilege, but without strength, lying and cheating their ways to unearned positions of power. It is as she said herself: humanity is miserable and without hope. Across the globe, those in power have proven unfit to wield it, and those without it are no longer capable of imagining something better. If included in their new world, they will only drag them down.

APOCALYPSE: “Had someone like us ruled your homeland, your mother would still be alive. Had the X-Men not been weak, you would not have lost your weapon.” He puts a hand on her shoulder. “Only by conquering and dominating can you protect the people and things that matter to you.”

SOFIA, eyes on the floor and shaken: “I understand. Humans will never respect our ways. And if I want to help my friends…”

APOCALYPSE: “...then you cannot show them mercy.”

Sofia nods. She gets it.

SOFIA: “But I am standin my ground on weak Mutants. They are not the problem. They may not be fit now, but they can become fit.”

APOCALYPSE: “And how do you know this?”

Sofia’s confidence returns as she leans back, smirks, and pulls a knife from her a sheath on her left, throwing it to take out a flying bug.

SOFIA: “All they need is a chance.”

Apocalypse is amused, but he sees her point. Perhaps this can be discussed.

APOCALYPSE, standing up: “You remind me of my daughter. The original War.”

SOFIA, heart racing as she stands: “I do?”

APOCALYPSE: “Yes. Hopefully you can meet her one day.”

Sofia is confused by that statement since it sounded like War was dead, but that isn’t what’s on her mind, as she briefly flashes back to her meeting with her father months earlier.

SOFIA, without thinking: “What will you do if after I become a mutant again, I can’t go through with being a horseman? I would never turn on you, but just…if I wanted out.”

APOCALYPSE, curious, but unbothered: “I would be angry. And I would strip away your flames.”

SOFIA: “This is all?”

APOCALYPSE: “You say you would never betray me. I believe that. If you cannot see yourself as the conqueror I believe you could be, then I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor, and are prepared to fight when your people need you.”

Apocalypse tells her to take another sword. They have time for one more round. Sofia moves quickly, but not to take a sword. She hugs Apocalypse. The ancient king has never been more confused, which is clear as day on his face. But still, he hugs her back.

Elsewhere, Malice enters Exodus’ chambers.

MALICE: “You called?”

EXODUS, brushing his hair: “Yes. We have a problem.”

MALICE: “We?”

Exodus is concerned about the position they’ve both been put in. Death and So…War are close, and it is apparently that despite all the forgiveness and loyalty he has shown their lord, this little girl has become his favorite.

EXODUS: “I looked through her mind, Pestilence. Lord Apocalypse HUGGED her!”

MALICE, yawning: “Still waiting to hear why I should care about your jealousy problems.”

Exodus telekinetically grabs Malice, pulls her over to him, and grabs her throat to choke her.

EXODUS: “Did you not see how easily Lord Apocalypse dismissed Martinique once he found someone he liked better? Now that you and I are the outcasts, we are equally vulnerable.”

Exodus tosses her aside and lets her breathe. She sees the problem. What does he have in mind for a solution?

EXODUS, most sinister: “I am glad you asked.”

In the throneroom, Sofia kneels before Apocalypse. Two months have passed since her arrival. He has watched her grow and evolve, and shed her weakness. She has become strong in body, mind, and spirit. And she understands what must be done.

APOCALYPSE: “Are you ready to live again?”

Sofia looks up at him with eager eyes.

In another area, a large machine made from celestial tech, designed for someone to step into it, awaits. Exodus and Malice await the others, and as Apocalypse’s voice can be faintly heard confirming with Death that the final check on the machine was successful, two Horsemen use their powers to shake up the insides of it.

Apocalypse, Akihiro, and Sofia arrive, Sofia taking a deep breath as she sees her cradle.

APOCALYPSE: “Famine, Pestilence, prepare to welcome back your lost sister.”

EXODUS, fake: “We are oh so pleased you have survived your training.”

MALICE, equally fake: “Greatness awaits you.”

Sofia rolls her eyes at them both.

AKIHIRO: “First thing after you get your weapon back, how about we go kill your father?”

SOFIA: “Is that your way of asking me to help you kill yours?”

AKIHIRO: “Is that a no?”

The two exchange smiles before Apocalypse puts her in the machine. She shakes from both fear and excitement as Apocalypse powers it on and the machine rumbles.

SOFIA, quietly: “I cannot be weak. I will not be weak.I must not be weak.”

The volume disappears as the machine fully powers on and begins its work. The volume returns as Sofia screams bloody murder at the top of her lungs, blood coming out of her eyes, nose, and mouth.

AKIHIRO, panicked: ”SOFIA!”

Akihiro turns to an equally worried Apocalypse and asks if this should be happening.

Skin starts peeling off Sofia’s face as her bones can be heard shattering.

APOCALYPSE, quietly: “no.”

EXODUS, barely containing his pleasure: “What is the matter, my lord? It is as you told her. If she was not strong enough, the machine would kill her. If she wasn’t ready after all you generously did for her, then she was clearly never—”

Apocalypse casually backhands Exodus, sending him flying through multiple walls and knocking him out. Apocalypse steps toward the machine. Malice tries to call out to him to stop, but after seeing what he just did to Exodus, she’s stuttering.

Sofia vomits up even more blood, and can’t even properly scream anymore, only able to weakly gasp as the machine destroys her body.

AKIHIRO: “You’re turning that damn thing off, right?!”

Apocalypse reaches the machine and looks into Sofia’s agonized eyes.

APOCALYPSE, sneering: “No.”

Apocalypse grabs Sofia’s face, attempting to use his molecular manipulation to counterattack the machine However, in his efforts to keep her alive, the machine punishes him as well, causing some of the same brutal effects.

Malice cries out for Lord Apocalypse to not be so reckless. She isn’t worth it! He has to remember what really matters!

AKIHIRO, putting his sword to her throat: “One more word. Please.”

Apocalypse continues to struggle, but his powers just aren’t enough against the work of gods.

APOCALYPSE: “What really matters, you say…”

Apocalypse flashes back to the scene of himself with the original War from the start of the season, and the time he has spent with Sofia.

The External screams as he draws his sword and slices his left arm off. As his blood gushes out of him, he uses his powers to transplant it into Sofia. If he cannot heal her through this, he will make her unkillable.

Akihiro and Malice watch on in awe as their all-powerful master struggles to complete this process, he himself now the one screaming.

But soon enough, the machine powers down. An exhausted and drained Apocalypse collapses to his knees The machine opens up, and Sofia, now with blue skin and no injuries, falls into his single arm.

SOFIA: “I…feel different. It worked. It worked, my lord!” Sofia notices what happened to him, as the other Horsemen come to aid him, and Sofia notices her own skin. “What did you do? Did you help me? If I wasn’t strong enough, it wasn’t supposed to kill me!”

APOCALYPSE, helped to stand by the other Horsemen: “Fly.”

Sofia still isn’t what happened or what she feels. But she knows that’s an order she wants to follow. Sofia flies up into the air, doing completely over the top twirls, instinctively using her new flames to blast her way through each level of the castle, until she finds herself outside, once again able to see, hear, and feel the winds.

Sofia comes back down and kneels. Apocalypse has regrown his arm, but he’s still clearly severely weakened.

SOFIA, now with tears of joy: “Thank you, my lord. For everything. I swear, whatever you did for me, I will repay it 1000 times. If necessary, I will slaughter every last one of your enemies myself.”

APOCALYPSE: “As you said, you are more responsible for what you have achieved than anyone. Now rise…War the External.” Sofia stands and Apocalypse turns his head. “And the two of you…kneel.” He looks back to Sofia. “Before the daughter of Apocalypse.”

Sofia and Malice are equally shocked by these words, while Akihiro just gets a kick out of it, dropping to one knee and yanking Malice down with him. Sofia smiles lovingly at her new father.

Back in the present, Sofia is woken up from her sleep as Akihiro returns with the food she requested. She looks far better than she did when she fell asleep.

Sofia greets Akihiro, rubbing her eyes, and thanks him, telling him to leave the food on the table. She has something else she has to do first.

SOFIA: “Oh, and Akihiro. Thank you for bringing me here.”

Akihiro’s not sure why she’s saying that now, but his lady is most welcome.

Sofia flies through the castle until she enters the room where Apocalypse’s sleeping body lies. She shuts the door behind her, before approaching him. She rests her hand on his.

SOFIA: “In fulfilling our dream, I killed one of my friends. But like you taught me, this is how I will protect the rest of them.” BEAT. “You broke your own philosophy for me. But it was worth it. I was, I am, special. Tag was not. Survival of the fittest took its course.”

Sofia smiles as she lays her head down on Apocalypse’s chest.

SOFIA: “I am so close, Father. The Witch is in my possession, and I have the X-Men in shambles. I can taste victory. And then, the world will be everything we want it to be. And you and I will be together again.”

Sofia closes her eyes one more time, as we get one last flashback.

Out in the desert, Apocalypse and War clash. With Sofia now armed with her winds, flames, and External strength, and Apocalypse drained of much of his power, the two can now fight for real. Only, as the two use more and more moves, it becomes clear that this isn’t a fight. Surrounded by a ring of stunning fire, and with the sand beneath them transformed into crystal, Apocalypse dances with Sofia. As the dance concludes, so too does the episode.

#new x-men #academy x #new x-men: the animated series #scott summers #emma frost #magneto #kitty pryde #roberto da costa #illyana rasputin #laura kinney #sofia mantega #julian keller #noriko ashida #sooraya qadir #cessily kincaid #roxanne washington #the stepford cuckoos

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