“Fool for Love” is episode four of season one of Mutant X.
Shalimar is in a bar, being hit on by many men, and a woman. She’s actually waiting for a rendezvous; Adam says that the New Mutant she is waiting for is reluctant. Even though Shalimar thinks this is more of a Brennan kind of assignment, Adam says that they are both ferals, so the other will be more comfortable. The New Mutant, Donna, arrives. She has changed her mind; she doesn’t want to go into the underground. After Donna leaves, Shalimar asks the bouncer where she went, and he tells her she left in a black BMW. Donna is currently with the BMW’s drive and they kiss. Then she grabs her head, in pain, and attacks him before fleeing.
Shalimar tells Adam that Donna seemed to think she didn’t need to worry about the GSA. Jesse arrives, and says that Donna’s name has been flagged again. Adam wants Shalimar to go and speak to Donna again.
A Ms. Bell is entering Eckhart’s office. She works in the audit department, and had gone over her superiors to contact him directly. Bell had found anomalies on an internal audit; equipment usage, mainframe time, supply requisitions. All of which suggest unauthorised research. Bell is following several leads and says she will find the culprit.
Brennan and Jesse are sparring when Emma approaches. She wants to work out with them. They say this is physical, not mental, and don’t want her to get hurt. So, Emma makes Jesse think Brennan just slapped the back of his head.
Shalimar is at Donna’s apartment, but there’s no answer. Adam asks if she can get in anyway. Brennan and Jesse are at the bar; Brennan talking to the bartender, Jesse to the bouncer. Neither can help. Emma arrives to see if they needed help. They say they are doing fine. Although the only thing they’ve found out is that the bartender is free tomorrow night. Emma uses her own powers on the bouncer to get the BMW’s license plate.
Shalimar gets into Donna’s apartment, and is attacked by a man. Another feral as it happens. The fight is more like aggressive flirting. After it, Shalimar finds out the man is treating Donna, and has a standing appointment and a key. They have to leave, though, as a neighbour has called the police.
Shalimar is helping Adam model the man she thought using a hologram. And comments such as ‘cute dimples.’ Adam suggests it’s instant feral attraction. Shalimar says it’s more than that. Love at first sight. Adam gives a rather clinical and technical description as to what happened.
Bell is scanning someone’s hard drive at Genomex when the owner arrives – the feral Shalimar fought. She tells him there was a report that his hard drive was frozen. There’s nothing wrong with it, and Bell apologises and leaves. Adam has identified him as Richard Saunders, a PhD and a research associate at Genomex. Which is why Donna’s name kept coming up in their scans. Adam reassures Shalimar that most of the people who work at Genomex don’t know what the company really does. Shalimar wants to head in and warn Richard.
Bell briefs Eckhart; she has found the source of the unauthorised research, but hasn’t got irrefutable evidence. Eckhart reassures her that the standards of determining guilt are less stringent. Once the individual opens an unauthorised file, Bell will have proof. Eckhart suggests she initiate seizure herself. He’s arranged for her to have a couple of GS agents.
Emma, Jesse and Brennan are heading out; the owner of the BMW has been traced. Shalimar arrives at Richard’s work, just as Bell detects Richard’s unauthorised access. Richard was working on a serum that would reverse genetic mutation; that was Donna’s treatment. It takes a few weeks, after which the New Mutant would be normal. Richard also detects the security breach and he and Shalimar leave with his research just as Bell is arriving.
Richard is far less comfortable with being a New Mutant than Shalimar is. That could cause problems, especially as she does have instant feelings for him, and vice versa. A serum that reverses mutancy is also something that Eckhart would likely be very interested in. Assuming it works; something was happening to Donna after all. Emma is turning up and helping Brennan and Jesse; they think she’s sending them a message. Along the lines of they need her help.