I DON'T KNOW.
ALL I KNOW FOR SURE IS
HE'S COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL
OF HIS NEW MUTANT ABILITIES.
BETTER RUN A BATTERY
OF TESTS TO HELP ME FIGURE OUT
WHAT'S CAUSING THIS.
WELL, ONCE YOU'VE
GOT THAT FIGURED OUT
YOU'LL BE ABLE
TO TREAT HIM, RIGHT?
WELL, DIAGNOSIS
IS THE FIRST STEP.
AND WHAT IF WE FIGURE OUT
WHATEVER HE HAS IS CONTAGIOUS?
WELL, RICK MIGHT JUST
BE THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
A NEW MUTANT WAS
BROUGHT IN THIS MORNING.
IT'S THE SECOND CASE IN
TWO DAYS WE'VE DISCOVERED.
AND THAT'S THE OPERATIVE WORD
HERE, ISN'T IT, MR MARLOWE?
SIR?
"DISCOVERED".
THERE'S NO TELLING HOW MANY OF
THESE ABERRANT LOOSE CANNONS
ARE WREAKING HAVOC OUT THERE.
WELL, THIS LOOSE CANNON TURNED
THE ENTIRE CITY AQUARIUM
INTO ONE ICE BLOCK.
KILLED ALL THE FISH INSIDE.
ICHTHYOLOGY HAS NEVER BEEN
A PARTICULAR INTEREST OF MINE.
WELL, ALONG WITH THE
DIVER WHO WAS FEEDING THEM.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ONE?
HER NEW
MUTANT POWER OF SUGGESTION
CAUSED A THIRTY-TWO-CAR
PILE-UP ON THE
TRANS-ISLAND HIGHWAY.
ANY HUMAN FATALITIES THERE?
TWO, SIR.
THAT'S TRAGIC.
BUT A CREDIBLE EXCUSE
TO INITIATE A CLAMPDOWN.
WHAT HAVE YOUR
INTERROGATIONS REVEALED?
SINCE BEING APPREHENDED,
THEY HAVE FALLEN EXTREMELY ILL.
HIGH FEVERS,
DETERIORATING VITAL SIGNS.
AND YOU STILL HAVE
NO IDEA WHAT'S CAUSING THIS?
NO.
BUT OUR MEDICAL STAFF ARE
RUNNING BATTERIES OF TESTS
AND WE JUST NEED MORE TIME.
WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE MORE TIME.
SOLVING THIS PROBLEM
IS PRIORITY ONE.
I WANT ALL SQUADS ON FULL
ALERT TO LOCATE AND INCARCERATE
THESE OUT-OF-CONTROL
NEW MUTANTS.
YES, SIR.
BRENNAN CHECKED IN AND
ASKED ME FOR A PROGRESS REPORT.
ALRIGHT, ANYWAY, TELL HIM
THAT HE AND THE WILEYS SHOULD
AVOID USING THEIR POWERS.
USING THEM ACCELERATES
THE SPREAD OF THE INFECTION.
I THINK HE'S MORE CONCERNED
ABOUT HOW LONG HE'S GOING TO
HAVE TO STAY
COOPED UP WITH THEM.
WELL, YOU TELL THEM THAT
HE'S NOT TO LEAVE THE SAFEHOUSE
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
HOW COME?
BECAUSE ANY NEW MUTANT
WHO'S BEEN EXPOSED TO THIS THING
NEEDS TO REMAIN QUARANTINED.
BUT I THOUGHT YOU SAID THERE
WAS A GOOD CHANCE RICK DIDN'T
ENTER THE INFECTIOUS STAGE UNTIL
AFTER HE LEFT THE SAFEHOUSE.
YEAH, BUT UNTIL WE'RE CERTAIN
OF THAT ISOLATION IS THE ONLY
WAY TO KEEP THIS
THING FROM SPREADING.
GOT ANY IDEA WHAT
WE'RE DEALING WITH?
YEAH.
OFF.
CLADOSPORIUM.
HERE.
THERE IT IS.
IT'S SIMPLE, COMMON,
AIRBORNE SPORE.
COMPLETELY HARMLESS TO MOST
HUMAN BEINGS, BUT IN THE CASE OF
A RARE GENETIC ABERRATION,
WHICH OCCURS IN LESS THAN 1% OF
ALL NEW MUTANTS, EXPOSURE TO
THE SPORE CAUSES UNCONTROLLED
MUTATION AND EVENTUALLY DEATH.
LESS THAN 1%?
WELL, NOT TO SOUND HEARTLESS,
BUT I MEAN IF WE'RE ONLY
TALKING LESS THAN
1% THAN WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
IT'S WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE
EXPOSURE THAT'S THE BIG DEAL.
ONCE THE PERSON SHOWS SYMPTOMS
THEY BECOME HIGHLY INFECTIOUS
AND THE DISEASE IS PASSED ON.
NEW MUTANT TO NEW MUTANT.
SORRY, GUYS, BUT WE'VE
GOT A LITTLE SETBACK HERE.
SETBACK?
WHAT KIND OF SETBACK?
WELL, WE'RE
ALL UNDER QUARANTINE.
QUARANTINE?
HUH, FOR HOW LONG?
UNTIL THEY FIGURE
OUT WHAT INFECTED RICK.
WAIT A MINUTE, YOU MEAN WE'VE
BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMETHING?
WE COULD GET SICK?
DON'T WORRY.
I'M SURE WE'LL ALL BE FINE.
YOU KNOW,
IT'S JUST A PRECAUTION.
IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE
DELAYED A LITTLE WHILE, RIGHT?
I THINK I'VE GOT IT.
IT STARTS IN
THE THROAT, RIGHT?
COME ON, JER,
YOU NEVER GET SICK.
SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING
AT HERE, AN HOUR OR TWO?
HUH?
I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
AND UNTIL WE DO FIGURE
OUT WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH,
ADAM THINKS WE SHOULD STOP
USING OUR MUTANT ABILITIES.
IT COULD TRIGGER AN EPISODE.
FINE.
TODD?
PLEASE.
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
IT'S IN MY THROAT.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
IT'S GOING
TO BE A LONG DAY.
SO WHAT'S THIS FIRE
WE'RE INVESTIGATING?
ALICE ROBBINS.
SHE HAS THE POWER
TO THROW OFF THERMAL ENERGY.
I REMEMBER.
WE SLIPPED HER INTO THE
UNDERGROUND LAST YEAR.
SOUNDS LIKE SHE'S BECOMING THE
LATEST VICTIM OF THIS