“Power Play” is episode two of season two of Mutant X.
Adam is talking to someone via video whose image is fuzzed out. He wants to know what the situation is, because his people are on the scene. The woman, Beverly, says there are at least a dozen underground factions who would die to get their hands on the laser defence shield. She needs to know security is tight. No, she doesn’t trust the government troops; she’s been around long enough to know not to trust anyone. Even each other, Adam asks her. Maybe especially each other.
There’s something on a low loader guarded by soldiers, but armed men are invading the base. Brennan contacts Adam and says they are too late; there’s at least a dozen soldiers crawling all over. Adam says they need to get in; the device could cause massive destruction. Brennan and Jesse head in and the invaders are already inside. They get attacked as the invaders are taking down the guards by the low loader with gas. Jesse phases into the building to get away from his attacker, sees the gas and phases out again and collapses. The low loader ploughs through the building’s door and leaves.
Back at the Sanctuary, Adam tells Jesse he was lucky. He somehow carried molecules of the nerve gas with him as he phased out, and they’ve bonded with his molecular structure. Adam isn’t sure what that means. One thing it does mean, demonstrated shortly, is that Jesse has problems. He phases out and struggles to phase back in. If he remains phased for too long, he won’t be able to reform.
Elsewhere, an SUV pulls up at a gate and a soldier gets out to speak to the guard. Whilst the guard is distracted, another jumps over the fence and takes them down. The SUV and the stolen low loader enter the guarded area.
Adam is telling Shalimar that the nerve gas has affected the part of Jesse’s nervous system that controls his power to phase. He’s not losing his powers; rather, it’s his ability to control them. If Jesse goes intangible again before the nerve gas has worked its way out of the system, he could literally dissipate into thin air.
The low loader is at what looks like a power plant and the device on its back is deployed. Pyramids fly out from it and, when a rock is thrown into the area, it gets zapped by lasers.
Adam’s contact is saying she didn’t know about what happened in advance. The man behind it is a Colonel Aaron Gaumont, at one point the leader of their most covert military intelligence division. He disappeared on a mission five years ago. Then a feed comes through from Gaumont. He says that his men died in a government-sponsored operation, abandoned and betrayed by those they served. He wants $10 million for each fallen soldier. He’s taken control of the nuclear facility at Twin Creeks. Pay in 24 hours, or else.
Adam briefs the others. The facility uses a new fuel that is a million times more lethal than plutonium. Adam has offered their services, even though he doesn’t trust their sources, but he won’t ask them to do anything he wouldn’t. The facility is now protected by the stolen laser weapon. Jesse isn’t going as Adam doesn’t think he’s ready. Jesse objects, but Adam wants him to work from the Sanctuary.
Brennan zaps the guard and attached a device Jesse gave him to the T1 line. Inside, Gaumont is pontificating to one of his men. Shalimar and Emma head in to join Brennan once Jesse has taken control of the CCTV feeds. Brennan is able to create a gap in the laser fence using his powers.
Inside, though, the soldiers know Mutant X is in the compound. Which they planned for. Not a good sign. However, Gaumont is displeased when it’s confirmed Jesse isn’t there. He knew the government would never pay and he wanted Jesse to use his powers to steal the reactor fuel.
Adam is getting concerned about the situation, as something feels off. Inside, Shalimar and Emma are feeling the same way. Because something is off. Jesse is highly likely to head in anyway, which is exactly what Gaumont wants, but his powers are none too stable.