Blink

## Clarice Fong

**Blink** (birth name **Clarice Fong**) is a main character on FOX's *The Gifted*. She is a mutant with the ability to teleport via portals.

She has spent a vast majority of her life on the run or in detention centers, simply for being born different. Unlike a majority of mutants whose abilities can be kept hidden, Clarice has facial markings that are fairly visible and make her mutant status clearly known, which led to constant persecution.

## Character Description

*"Sarcastic, lively and a bit of a tomboy. Her naturally strong exuberance has taken a hit after a sudden and traumatic upheaval of her life. As she adjusts to the new people and places that are suddenly “home,” she is slowly becoming herself again."*

## Early Life

Clarice spent her early teenage years in a foster home for mutant kids who couldn't pass as humans. The couple who ran the home, Carl and Denise, kept the kids safe by hiding them. She was there for a couple years until she was 15, when she finally grew tired of hiding and decided to leave.

Despite spending her teenage years in a foster home, Clarice did know her biological family as a child - a shady past that she doesn't like to talk about. What she has said is that there were other mutants in her family who were bad people - which may possibly have something to do with why she later went in to foster care. She eventually accepted that her genetic lineage had no bearing on whether she was a good or bad person, but would be judged on her own merits.

Two years prior to the beginning of the series, Clarice was living in Athens, Georgia, working as a dishwasher. One day, while she was on a date, she and her partner were approached by a group of Purifiers bearing giant white crosses on their clothes. The Purifiers vandalized her car with the word "mutie" and harassed her. Her date did nothing to help and told her to run as the Purifiers burned the car. Clarice ran and escaped through a portal she opened. After that the Purifiers continued to harass her until she left town.

At one point while she was on the run, Blink fell in with a criminal gang of mutants, who seemed to be just looking out for other mutant runaways and taking things they needed. She helped them with a few petty robberies and similar tasks, but she never officially "joined" them. However, she later found out that they were actually affiliated with the Brotherhood and wanted to carry out overtly violent actions in the name of mutant liberation. When she found out who they really were, she stopped associating with them and moved on.

Some time after leaving the Brotherhood, Clarice used a portal to steal food from the back of a supermarket. Unfortunately, she was caught and sent to a mutant detention center. When she finally managed to escape, she almost portaled herself into the middle of a ten-lane freeway but ultimately, she managed to get away unharmed.

## Throughout the Series

* Season 1
* Season 2

### Season 1

In *"eXposed"*, Blink, a fugitive, is on the run from the Atlanta police after successfully escaping prison. After being cornered in an alley, she uses her mutant ability to create a portal and transport herself to safety. Thunderbird, Eclipse, and Polaris have heard about her escape and are tracking her through Thunderbird's ability of foresight. He has mild difficulty due to her "moving strangely", but soon finds her taking refuge in an abandoned workshop. Polaris and Eclipse come up to her and attempt to introduce themselves. Panicked, she throws whatever is in front of her - a coffee maker followed by a cup - but Eclipse managed to dodge them. They try to gain her trust by explaining that they are mutants just like her with Polaris demonstrating her control over magnetism by yanking the steel stapler out of Blink's hand. Eclipse and Polaris introduce themselves as Marcos and Lorna. Marcos assures her that they have been in the same place as her and if she goes with them, they will get her a place to stay. However, their introductory meeting is disrupted as the police surround the abandoned workshop. Blink, Polaris and Eclipse join Thunderbird at the main room.

After killing the lights, Polaris and Thunderbird take cover on the wall, observing the police as they pulled up. Polaris steps out in front of the window and takes out the police cruisers. That's when the police open fire. Blink hides behind a wall and Polaris takes cover as she instructs Thunderbird to find them a way out while she holds off law enforcement. After stunning the police, Blink, Polaris, Thunderbird and Eclipse exit through the back, making a run for their getaway vehicle. Despite their efforts, Eclipse is shot in the alley. Polaris, in a fit of blind rage, attacks the officer with great force. Distracted by her rage, more officers arrive and taser her. Blink hops in the getaway vehicle while Thunderbird holds Eclipse back, knowing they can't do anything to save Polaris as she is apprehended, forcing them to leave her behind.

Clarice is then taken to the Mutant Underground Headquarters, where she sits down with Sage, who welcomes her to the mutant facility, and then asks her if she should contact anyone, perhaps family, to which Clarice say it was complicated. Sage then informs her that she will stay with them at the Headquarters until they figure out where they will relocate her. After getting settled in, Clarice goes to thank Marcos for saving her the following day. Marcos is trying to find a way to rescue Lorna, and though he thinks Clarice's ability to create portals can help, she explains that in order to teleport herself, she would've had to have been in the place before or else anything or anyone that goes through will be cut. Clarice demonstrates this by using a toy to teleport it through the roof, a place she hasn't seen before. When it comes out of the roof, it is cut in half.
Their conversation is interrupted when Marcos receives a call from Reed Strucker. Clarice overhears Marcos' plan to meet with someone to discuss helping a family. Clarice starts to worry after a few hours go by and Marcos has yet to return. So she informs John, who wonders why she didn't tell him this before, to which she reasons that Marcos told her not to, but trusting her judgment to do right by Lorna, she decided to tell him. With that, Clarice and John set out to find Marcos.

Blink and Thunderbird successfully track Eclipse and the Struckers down to an abandoned warehouse, where they are surrounded by Sentinel Services. The seven of them sprint through the warehouse as Sentinel Services unleashed their mutant-hunting robots, the Sentinels. Eclipse and Lauren are able to keep them at bay using their mutant abilities while Blink creates a portal for them all to retreat through. Everyone, except Andy and Reed make it through the portal. With Andy hyper-focused on destroying the sentinels, he telepathically rips them apart before joining the others through the portal. Blink can't hold the portal open for much longer. Just as Reed is about to go through, he gets shot before he gets the chance. Having strained her abilities, Blink collapses, causing the portal to close and for Reed to be left for capture on the other side.

In *"rX"*, as Clarice regains consciousness, Marcos holds up her head as he tries to get her to respond. She appears to be suffering from some kind of reaction to holding her portal open for such an extensive amount of time and traveling as far as they did. He puts her arm around him and leads her out of the room, but they don't make it far as Clarice is barely able to stand. So Marcos places her on a bench by the stairs. The Struckers panicking about going back for Reed don't seem to be helping, as Marcos tells Andy that his father was planning to help him get his girlfriend, Lorna, out of jail, but as much as he wants Reed there, they can't think of that right now as Clarice is top priority.

Clarice's condition doesn't improve, in fact, it's only growing increasingly unstable. Lauren calls Marcos and John back down. Caitlin, being a nurse, diagnoses Clarice as being in respiratory distress and with her temperature spiking, which means she needs medical attention that only a hospital can provide. The Long-distance leap took a lot of energy out of her. Upon further examination, Clarice notes that Clarice's heart rate is faster than normal. Clarice then begins convulsing causing her powers to become unstable. Without the right medication, she could die, Caitlin explains. As Clarice goes into shock, her powers start to uncontrollably manifest, causing her to involuntarily open a portal to stretch of road where a truck is headed straight for them. As the truck tries to avoid them, it skids out of control, resulting in the truck being sliced in half. The back half unfortunately makes it through the portal, prompting everyone to take cover.

After helping the others, John carries Clarice to a table in the back of the room by the vault. Marcos asks Caitlin that if she said that Clarice is over-exceeding her powers, how is she able to create a portals. Caitlin admits that she isn't an expert in the field. As Clarice starts convulsing again, a new portal emerges to the same road as before. Civilians with loaded rifles stand on the other side of the portal looking in. Seeing this, Marcos prepares for a fight. However, John grabs his wrist and urges him to show restraint as they aren't to hurt innocent bystanders. Lauren walks in front of them and manages to close the portal using her shields, thus preventing any possible altercation. This shuts down Clarice's powers as she falls unconscious. Marcos and Caitlin then set forth a plan to raid the hospital for the medication to treat Clarice while Lauren agrees to stay behind and close any potential portals.

With Marcos and Caitlin out to recover the medicine from a nearby hospital, John stays behind to watch over Clarice, as well as Andy and Lauren. When Andy asks who Clarice is, John informs him that Clarice is a refugee who escaped from jail when the Underground found her. She was arrested after using a portal to steal food from a supermarket. This is a common occurrence among those in the mutant community who can't hide their mutations. They can't get jobs and one thing leads to another. As John continues, Clarice becomes uneasy, as sweat coats her face. Her powers being to manifest yet again to the same road. John orders Sonya to get everyone to safety as he runs to the portal. This time, numerous civilians and officers stand on the other side. Lauren struggles to get the portal to close, and Clarice is getting restless on the table. When she finally manages to close the portal, Clarice becomes stabilized for the moment.

John, Sonya, Lauren and Andy gather around Clarice as her condition worsens. John wants to begin evacuation as Clarice continues to open portals, but Sonya objects to the notion of abandoning the Underground as she would rather move Clarice. John calls out to Clarice as another portal opens but on a larger scale. With S.W.A.T closing in, the Underground is left with no other choice but to fend them off. As one of the officers enter the portal with his weapon drawn, John disarms him of his firearm and then tosses him back onto the other side of the portal. Just as the rest of the S.W.A.T team prepares to open fire, Andy runs out in front and in a great display of power, sends the officers flying backward into the air, as well as Clarice, who is knocked to the floor and falls unconscious, causing the portal to close. However, after the closing of that single portal, many more portals emerge in its wake, that scatter throughout Headquarters, prompting all the mutants to evacuate while John remains at her side.

Caitlin finally returns with the medicine and races inside Headquarters to treat Clarice. Caitlin enters to find the building in complete chaos. She jumps through one of the portals, transporting her to John and Clarice's exact location. Caitlin then injects Clarice with the medication they had stolen from the hospital to stabilize her potassium levels. Fortunately, it seems all of their efforts have paid off as the portals desist and the Underground is left intact. Clarice wakes up later that night to find the Underground in disarray. She asks if everyone is okay. John informs her that she destroyed some of the furniture, but everyone was safe. And so she jokes about HQ needing a remodeling anyways. John then asks about the road that Clarice kept portaling to. He questions if it holds any significance to her, but Clarice claims that she doesn't remember. Skeptical of her response, he only replies that they'll talk about it later.

In *"eXodus"*, Clarice is approached by John, who hopes that she'll agree to help break Lorna out of jail. While Clarice is willing to help in any way she can as she owes Lorna for saving her, transporting them all into the prison isn't one of ways she can be of assistance. Since her episode, where she nearly tore down the station, she's been unable to create portals. Something changed after she got sick, such as the strange, purple dagger-shaped mark that appeared under her right eye. Not mention her powers which as she puts it, are broken. John informs her that abilities don't break. Most mutants first access their abilities from strong emotions like fear, anger and pain. But those are all unreliable. The challenge is to tap into something positive.

The next day, they begin training. Clarice and John take a walk around the compound as they discuss her lack of control over her powers. Clarice had given John's advice some thought, but her ability, when it comes down to it, is the power to bail out of dangerous situations. So being scared is just a big part of it. However, John refuses to believes that fear is all of it. In the marines, when you want to give up, they train you to focus on what you care about most, to hold on to it as if your life depended on it, because at some point it will. Back then, John had a lot to prove in regards to him being Apache and a mutant. Clarice claims that she doesn't have anything personal to hold onto as he did. So, John wants her to think about something she loves, however, the best Clarice can come up with at the time is a warm jelly doughnut. John instructs her to relax, breathe, and picture the thing she wants most, and go to it. Clarice follows John's instructions precisely, causing a portal to emerge though she fails to maintain it. As he is telling her not to focus on the fear, John's foresight and tracking abilities kick in. As he inspects the bushes, he notices footprints and other signs of the Struckers leaving the station.

Back inside HQ, Clarice tries to create portals, but to no avail. Seeing Clarice frustrated, Sonya approaches her, informing her that Lorna is counting on them to help her, to which Clarice remarks that's what everyone's telling her. Clarice briefs Sonya on John's advice during their training, to which Sonya tries to coax out any important people she may have in her life, like a boyfriend or even a girlfriend, but Clarice claims to have none, and tells Sonya to inform her "boyfriend" that his advice isn't working. Taken by surprise by Clarice's assumption of John being her boyfriend, Sonya asks Clarice what made her come to such conclusion. It was the way Sonya looked at John and how she is the only one who calls him "Johnny". Sonya reveals that she came to the Underground as a refugee. When she decided to stay on and help, they agreed that if they were going to work together, they shouldn't be together. As for Clarice's powers, Sonya urges her to follow John's instructions.

John calls Sonya for help while he, Marcos, and the Struckers are being pursued by civilians seeking to collect the bounty for the fugitive mutants. Knowing Clarice is the only one who can save everyone with a portal, Sonya approaches her and ask for help. Clarice insists that she can't as she is still unable to create a portal. With Thunderbird running out of time, Sonya exhales a pink cloud of smoke into Clarice's face which implants an intense romantic memory of her and John. They kiss in a tender embrace in the rain, thus providing Clarice with someone to care about and the means to create a portal.

Blink follows Dreamer onto the open road, where Dreamer instructs her to remember who she is doing it for and to get them all back to Headquarters. Blink stands in the middle of the road, opening a large portal as their friends approach in the vehicle. After Thunderbird, Eclipse, and the Struckers pass through the portal, Dreamer and Blink follow closely behind. Thunderbird hops out the SUV while Eclipse takes the Struckers inside. Blink immediately embraces him as he walks towards her. Her sudden show of affection strikes Thunderbird as odd. So He tells her that everyone is fine and that she should go inside, where he would meet up with her.

In *"eXit strategy"*, Clarice and Zingo join the Underground as they discuss saving Lorna and Reed. According to John and Marcos, they're being held in a cell at the Sentinel Services Regional Headquarters and will soon be relocated to an ultra secure facility, which the Underground doesn't have much insight on beyond the fact that the people who go there, don't come back, thus forcing their hand in attacking the Sentinel Services head on. Many are reluctant in volunteering to help, Sage included. They lost 6 people the last time they went up against the Sentinel Services directly. This time around it is a prison they are attempting to infiltrate, whose systems have improved. Extrapolating from other attacks, the Underground has an 86.5% chance of failure, Sage determines. But as Marcos explains, if they do nothing, then there's was a 100% chance of never seeing Reed or Lorna again. Marcos reminds them how Lorna has risked her life for everyone in the room. With that, he asks for a show of hands from those willing to save Lorna. Unfortunately, Clarice, Sonya, and Harry are the only ones willing to help.

In the monitoring cell, Clarice, John, Marcos, Sonya, Caitlin and Harry discuss the method in which they are to attack the prison. If there is a window, Clarice can portal everyone in, but they will also have to take into account the guards and cameras. Unfortunately, Harry's cloaking abilities will only work on the guards, leaving them visible to the cameras. Going in like that will mean never coming out. So Caitlin suggests that they don't go in at all, rather they make their move when Lorna and Reed are being transported. While in theory, the idea is plausible, they don't know the transit route. However, Marcos suggests using his connection to the Cartel to gain access on the route. John advises him against it but they are out of better ideas.
In the middle of the night, Clarice wake up in a sweat after dreaming about her and John having a passionate moment outside the station. She checks the clock to see that it is 3:30 AM. Oddly enough, she is sleeping in her shoes.

That morning, the team gathers in the monitoring cell to discuss what Marcos has learned from the Cartel; a convoy of military vehicles is taking Lorna and Reed to a military airport. Based on the route, the best place to hit the convoy is at an old warehouse district off Peach tree. John asks Clarice if she can open a portal to get the two of them on the transport bus. If the driver can see out, then I can see in, Clarice replies. But if the bus is moving, it could get messy, meaning they will have to stop it first, without arousing suspicion, which won't be an easy task. Brainstorming on ways to stop the transport bus, Clarice suggests that maybe Marcos can melt the ties, though this is far from the subtle approach they are hoping for, considering that a battle will surely ensue. John and Caitlin reminds them that the task at hand is to get Reed and Lorna without killing anyone, so they need a better plan on stopping the bus.

After a night of struggling to sleep due to the memory of her and John that she can't seem to shake, Blink and Thunderbird get into position at the warehouse district, in preparation for the convoy's arrival, which will be showing up soon enough. From where they are positioned, it should be a straight shot into the bus once Andy and Lauren blow out the tire. When he asks Blink if she is alright, she says that she hasn't been sleeping well. Thunderbird reasons that this is due to the adjustments at the station, with people constantly coming and going. Anything's better than jail, she remarks. For Thunderbird, it was almost impossible for him in the beginning. He explains that originally, it was just him and Polaris with an impossible task. Blink wonders if he ever thought about walking away. All the time, Thunderbird replies. The only thing stopping him is his mission to save those in need. Blink then asks about the night that they first met, wondering if they went outside together. Thunderbird tells her that they didn't.

With Lauren and Andy in position on the rooftop to use their combined abilities to blow the tire of the transport bus, Blink and Thunderbird get in place as the convoy enters the warehouse district. They wait for Andy and Lauren to disengage the bus' tire at the designated location, though they fail to do so. While Lauren and Andy do eventually manage to stop the bus, it isn't at the location in which they had planned, forcing Blink and Thunderbird to go searching for the bus' position. They find it a little further down the road. Blink attempts to portal herself and Thunderbird into the bus, but something is interfering with her portals, though it isn't just her powers, Thunderbird can't track either. It's impossible, Thunderbird remarks, though Clarice has not the slightest clue to what he was referring to. He then reveals that there is only one person he had ever known who could disrupt mutant abilities. His named was Pulse. They thought he had died two years ago while attacking a relocation center, but apparently not, as he is working for Sentinel Services.
After Thunderbird takes care of Pulse, Blink regains access to her powers, allowing her to rip a portal open for Dreamer and a wounded Trader to escape through.
In *"boXed in"*, Clarice applies pressure to Harry's gunshot wound until Caitlin arrives to take over, during which time, Clarice is instructed to get clean gauze, towels, and painkillers.

While gathering medical supplies in the supply room with Sonya, Shatter enters to speak with Sonya about Reed Strucker, and how they might need her to "do her thing". If the Underground decides that he's no longer welcome after nearly leading Sentinel Services right to them, they will need Sonya to make him forget about the station and everyone in it. Sonya agrees. But only if John permits it. However, Shatter states that they might have to do it even if he doesn't. Clarice is intrigued by their conversation given her current predicament, so as Shatter exits the room, she inquires about Sonya's ability, concluding that she can erase memories. Sonya corrects Clarice, explaining that she can manipulate memories and sometimes they use it for security purposes. Hearing this peaks Clarice's interest even further, though Sonya cuts her off before she can follow up with any further questioning.
After Sonya receives a call for help from Marcos, who along with Lorna, has kidnapped a Sentinel Services agent, she approaches Clarice to ask if she can teleport them to the warehouse in which their fellow Underground members are located. Shortly after their arrival, follows the arrival of Sentinel Services and Atlanta PD, who had tracked Marcos, Lorna, and Agent Turner down to the warehouse.

With Sentinel Services and Atlanta PD getting in position to infiltrate, Eclipse asks Blink if she could get them back to Headquarters if the situation escalated. Maybe, Blink replies. While this doesn't exude confidence, she explains that "it's a bit more taxing tearing holes into space than it is turning your hands into flashlights". With Agent Turner having knowledge on what happened to Pulse, they look to Dreamer to enter his mind and gather what she can from his memories. Blink silently observes, seemingly growing increasingly angry as she suspects Dreamer of having something to do with the recurring dream she's been having of herself with John, where they are involved in a passionate embrace. Looking to hold the agents off while Dreamer looks through Agent Turner's memories, Polaris uses her powers to launch rebar out the window, at the agents, forcing them to momentarily retreat. However, this doesn't hold them off for long, as they retaliate by sending in tear gas, forcing them to evacuate via Blink's portal.

Later that night, Clarice works up the courage to confront Sonya over her suspicions, directly asking if her memories had been manipulated. Clarice remembers a conversation that they began to have last week. However, she can no longer remember the conversation, and now she can't go ten minutes without a memory of her and John surfacing. Sonya confesses to placing the memory in Clarice's head. She explains that her actions were to save John and the others, who were in danger because Clarice was unable to use her powers as they needed her to. So, Sonya forged a connection between her and John in order to anchor her abilities. Clarice is furious at Sonya as she had no right to violate her. What Sonya did was wrong, and now Clarice has to live with the memory of loving someone she barely knows, someone who doesn't love her back. Sonya offers to remove the memory, but oddly enough, Clarice chooses to keep it, simply telling Sonya to stay away from her.

In *"got your siX"*, while in the vault with Zingo, Clarice is asked by John if she can portal them into the Baton Rouge Federal Building, where they believe there is information to be found on Sentinel Services and what they did to Pulse. So is that all we need to talk about, Clarice asks John. She is tired of being their "portable door maker". larice doesn't agree to help, rather she reveals to John that she knows all about the memory that Sonya had put in her head without asking her permission. John apologizes for the unwanted memory. He asked Sonya not to do it, but when she did, he didn't say anything because they had an emergency to deal with, and afterward, they still needed Clarice's help. Hearing this only further angers Clarice, as it becomes apparent that they only want to use her for her powers. She has her own issues to sort out and her own people to find. John offers to assist in whatever she is looking for though Clarice denies his help. She just wants to know if the way he looked at her when they were in the warehouse was genuine. John can't give her the answer she wants, claiming it is complicated. As a mean to uncomplicate the situation, decides to leave the Underground via portal.
A couple days have past since Clarice's abrupt exit of the station, and she has since found herself entering a vacant building of some sort.

In *"eXtreme measures"*, Clarice has taken up temporary residency in an abandoned building. Upon hearing the door open, she jumps to her feet and prepares to teleport elsewhere until realizing that it is only John. He notes that she is tough to track as she didn't leave much of a trail, which Clarice points out was intentional.He apologizes once more for the memory that Sonya put in her head without permission, which Clarice can still see. She describes it as being a bad soap opera that she can't escape. John came to convince Clarice to return to the station because she isn't safe. He admits however, that Clarice's safety isn't the only reason he came looking for her. The Underground needs her, though though Clarice has greater concerns, stating that it is John's battle, not hers. John inquires about her concerns, to which Clarice tells him that she is trying to find that countryside road that she kept portalling to when she got sick. She learned from them that nothing is random. There's always a reason to why they use their powers. So, Clarice believes that the road holds some form of significance to her. John volunteers to help her find it because she has no idea where she is headed. He owes her, if nothing else. While she is initially resistant, she eventually agrees to allow him to help her.

While Clarice and John tracked down the road that she kept trying to portal to when she fell ill, John asks if she remembered anything about it, but she didn't as she was unconscious during the repeated portalling. She figured that she would be able to find something about it in the news. However, Sentinel Services is good about covering up mutant incidents. While Clarice appreciates his quest for redemption, he has failed in finding the road, so he is of no use to her. John desperately wants to help Clarice, though she doesn't believe it is possible without a trail to follow. John isn't so sure that this is true, explaining that she could have a trail inside her. When an animal is hurt or scared, their instinct is to take themselves to a place of safety, such as a nest or burrow. Clarice had her very own version of a burrow, where she felt loved and safe. John just needs to know where that was.

Headed down a semi-familiar road, John asks Clarice what did the house she grew up in look like. She tells him it wasn't too big, a one story home for mutant foster kids, the ones that couldn't pass as human that is. She was only there for a couple years, back when she was supposed to be in high school. While the couple who ran it were caring, their idea of keeping the mutants safe was to hide them away forever. As they head further down the dirt road, Clarice recognizes the front gate. Just past the gate is the farmhouse that she lived in. Clarice runs over towards her former home. However, as she does so, John's foresight activates. He sees Sentinel Services storm the house. Under the impression that something bad has happened, he advises Clarice to stay back, but that only makes her want to enter the home more. John punches through the locked door and once inside, they discover two distinct pools of blood and the back door riddled with bullet holes. As Clarice begins to cry, he holds her close.

Just outside the farm house, after John had found whatever traces he could, he informs Clarice it looks as if her foster parents died trying to protect some of the foster kids. Clarice blames herself for the attack, as it was her portals that led them to the house. However, as John explains, Sentinel Services pulled the trigger. She isn't to be held accountable for their actions. He then gives her another hug. Clarice seeks to revisit her previous statement about the war with Sentinel Services not being her fight. She doesn't know if it was before, but it certainly is now.
That night, Clarice returns to the Underground with John, ready to wage war with Sentinel Services for attacking her foster home.

In *"threat of eXtinction"*, as Clarice prepares to head out with John and Marcos to pick up the remaining survivors from a fallen station in Perry, she is approached by Sonya, who had noticed the awkward tension between the two of them, and wanted to face it head on, hoping that there aren't any hard feelings. Understandably, Clarice is still upset for the memory that Sonya had place in her head without her permission. She only returned to the Underground because her foster parents were slaughtered by Sentinel Services, and she seeks to avenge them. They are at war, which she and Sonya happen to be on the same side of. It's the only relationship they need, and it should not be mistaken for a friendship.

Upon Blink, Thunderbird, and Eclipse's arrival at the Eternal Grace Church, where they had been sent to collect the survivors of the fallen Perry station, the pastor tells them that a dozen refugees fled when their station got hit, plus a few mutant strays that came along the way. Upon opening the shed where the survivors are hidden, Blink befriends a young, blue skinned mutant girl, hiding in the darkened cornered. She tells the little girl that everything is alright, before extending her hand to guide her. Thunderbird is then attacked by one of Sentinel Services' mutant agents/Hounds, later to be identified as Chloe Tan. With the combined abilities of enhanced strength and speed, she takes out several mutants relatively easily, including Esme, the mutant telepath who alerted Thunderbird of the Hound. Fortunately, with his laser beams, Eclipse manages to keep her confined to one space long enough for Blink to open a portal and for Thunderbird to jump through it, thus teleporting himself right above Chloe, who he then tackles to the ground and renders unconscious.

After returning to Headquarters, they lock Chloe in a cell, where they believe her to be a cross between a spy and a suicide bomber. She had a beacon in her back that she could've activated when she got into the station, which would've compromised everything by leading Sentinel Services directly to them. She had weapons as well, leaving Lorna to conclude that the station in Perry must've been hit by another mutant like Chloe, who is slamming herself up against the cell in an attempt to escape. With Sentinel Services sending out mutant agents, Sage suggests that they stop taking in refugees for the time being. However, the Underground has no intentions on turning its back on desperate people just because one of them might be dangerous. As for Chloe, they needed to get what they can out of her, which John leaves Lorna and Marcos in charge of.
On her way up the steps, Clarice noticed the young mutant girl from before, sitting by herself, on the bench. She approaches the girl who introduces herself as Norah. Clarice asks if Norah wants to talk about the fight back at the Church, but she doesn't. In case she changes her mind, Clarice gives Norah an open invitation to come see her by her bunk. She then gives Norah a blanket in case she got cold.

Clarice finds Norah petting Zingo downstairs. Clarice claims that the dog is pretty particular about the people she likes, Clarice and Norah are lucky enough to be two of them, which Clarice states is due to the fact that they were special. Most of the mutants walking around the station are unidentifiable from humans, unlike them. Clarice has pointed ears and green eyes while Norah has blue skin. And even Zingo has fur. On a more serious note, Clarice asks how Norah ended up at the Church. Norah explains that she and Mama D were making dinner when Sentinel Services arrived. It is then that Clarice realized that Norah is from the same foster home as her. Norah wanted to fight, but she was of no use against Sentinel Services. Now, every time she goes to bed, she sees them at night. Hearing this from Norah strikes anger in Clarice given that she not only used to live there, but that she feels responsible for the attack.

Clarice approaches Sonya outside Headquarters to apologize for her earlier behavior. She then explains that she had discovered the reason behind her out of control portals when she became sick. They had been trying to take her to the foster home that she was raised at. Norah, a new refugee, had come from that home as well, but it had been discovered by Sentinel Services due to Clarice's portals attracting their attention. The foster parents were killed and Norah had witnessed it. Since then, she can't stop dreaming about the incident. While Clarice can't take the memories away, Sonya could, and so Clarice asks if she can, to which Sonya agrees. She goes to Norah and removes the awful memories of the foster parents' death from her mind.

In *"outfoX"*, Clarice is present as Esme tries to convince her, John, Lorna, Marcos, Sonya, and Sage to infiltrate and attack Trask Industries in order to recuse the apprehended mutants, which includes Esme's family. From what Esme was able to gather from Chloe Tan's mind, the mutants in Trask's lab are desperate. Esme describes being able to hear the screams, see the bodies, and feel the agony when they turned Chloe into a Hound. With Sage assembling a site map, Sonya wonders if Esme was able to gain any information on the lab's security while in Chloe's mind. Unfortunately, she wasn't. However, this matters little to Esme who is determined to break in and save her family. Marcos and Lorna are just as determined as Esme to infiltrate the lab, but going into the facility without a full understanding of the building would only result in their deaths, so they choose to hold off.

However, Lorna would later have a change in heart, and so the Underground would move in on Trask regardless of the risk. Although, they first need access. Sage has been doing surveillance of the Trask lab. It is located in the middle of nowhere. And while there is no information to be gathered on the location, there is a nearby bar that Sage determines is popular with Trask employees. Sonya and Lorna volunteers to go into the bar and pull information from a guard or operations person. After successfully doing so, they share with the rest of the group what they learned from the guard. The lab is hardened against mutant attack. They have motion and infrared sensors connected to heavy-caliber guns that are mounted all over the building. Neither Lorna nor Clarice can get them past Trask's defenses given that the distance they need to travel was far too great. Not to mention that Clarice is unfamiliar with the building, meaning she could blink them into the middle of a concrete wall..Luckily, Sage managed to find one vulnerability. A power substation a few miles away. If they take it out, they can gain access to the lab before Trask's systems get back online. However, they don't have enough combat ready mutants to hit the station and the lab at the same time.

Clarice, John, Marcos, Sonya, Lorna, Esme, and Sage call down the Struckers to ask if Reed and Caitlin are willing to allow Andy and Lauren to disengage the substation transformers, similar to how they stopped the prison convoy. While it is admittedly a lot to ask, they have no other choice as everyone else with combat powers will be assaulting the lab. Sage hacked the security cameras and the station only has a handful of guards. Clarice will portal everyone in, and from there, Sonya will guide them. They'd been through every option. Unfortunately, the plan with Andy and Lauren is the only one that can work. Both Andy and Lauren are willing to help in whatever way they can. Reed and Caitlin agree to allow the kids to take out the transformers, but only if they can monitor security. With a plan set in motion, they'll be moving out within the hour.

Arriving at the power plant, Blink rips open a portal to get herself, Dreamer, Lauren and Andy inside while Caitlin and Reed stay in the surveillance van. With Reed and Caitlin in her ear, Dreamer takes the lead as the four of them progress forward into the power station in order for Andy and Lauren to destroy the transformer. After waiting for a couple employees to pass, they continue moving forward. When Andy wonders why Blink didn't just portal them to the middle of the building where the transformer are, she replies by asking if he can make a portal through a hundred walls into a room they've never seen before and land safely next to a high-voltage transformer. After the team passes the conference room, Reed warns them of an incoming guard, who Dreamer quickly takes care of.

As Blink, Dreamer, Lauren and Andy proceed throughout the building, Caitlin and Reed alert them of a quickly approaching Sentinel robot and armed team. As the alarm begins to sound, the team begins looking for an exit. Dreamer has decided that it is time to abort the mission, looking to Blink for a way out. Unfortunately, Blink is unfamiliar with the building's structure. So she has no idea which direction to portal them in. As the Sentinel turns the corner, Andy attempts to rip it apart as he did before at the warehouse, but to no avail. With Blink unable to portal them out and Andy unable to stop the Sentinel, the four of them start to run in the opposite direction. However, they don't make it far. Blink is the first to be apprehended, as the Sentinel jumps onto her back and pins her to the ground.

In *"eXploited"*, Clarice, Sonya, Andy and Lauren are taken to the Sentinel Services Regional Headquarters, where Clarice is interrogated by Agent Weeks. Clarice claims that she got lost in the power station while looking for the restroom. Agent Weeks tells her that she isn't going to escape like she did last time, as she got lucky. Clarice retorts that luck had nothing to do with it. She made them look foolish, a pretty good skill, she notes. Agent Weeks offers Clarice the opportunity to make a deal because she won't like what follows. Despite his offer, Clarice refuses to talk. Agent Weeks explains that while he knows why they were in the power station, he can't quite figure out what they were looking for.

Clarice, Sonya, Lauren and Andy have now been transferred to Trask labs. As Clarice and Sonya sit in their connected cells, Sonya begins to wonder what is being done to Lauren and Andy. She reveals to Clarice that many years ago, before anyone knew that she was a mutant, she used to volunteer at a shelter for battered women, who had suffered great tragedies. Occasionally, she would secretly use her powers to pull their worst memories from their minds. Sonya wishes that she can make all of them forget that they have been apprehended. Clarice instructs her to think positively. She thinks back to her days in the mutant detention center, where she was terrified. She was shaking so hard that when she got the chance to escape, she almost portaled herself into the middle of a 10-lane freeway. However, Sonya can't help but feel that their current predicament is impossible to escape. It's only impossible if you give up, Clarice explains. Not to mention that John will eventually come to their rescue. They merely need to figure out a way to hold on until then.

After Lauren and Andy refuse to combine their powers as part of Trask's experiments, Dr. Campbell brings Clarice and Sonya into the lab to incentivize them. Dr. Campbell holds Clarice and Sonya at gunpoint and threatens to kill them should Lauren and Andy refuse to comply with his demands. Despite knowing the dangers she faces, Sonya tells Andy and Lauren not to combine their powers, which angers Dr. Campbell. When she repeats this sentiment to the Strucker kids once more, Dr. Campbell grows tired of both her interference and Andy and Lauren's refusal to obey. So as a show of force, he shoots Sonya in the chest without hesitation. Clarice screams out to her. Sonya dies instantly as her lifeless body hit the ground and pink smoke exits her mouth. Dr. Campbell points the gun at Clarice's head and demands that Andy and Lauren face the sensors or else Clarice will suffer the same fate as Sonya. With no other choice, Andy and Lauren do what is asked of them so that Clarice can live.

That night, Clarice bangs on her cell window, frustrated over Sonya's death. She cries and slowly falls into a corner as she has seemingly lost hope. So have Andy and Lauren it would seem, who also sit in their cells, upset over Sonya's death. They blame themselves for Campbell killing her. She told them not to do it, but they did it anyone, essentially making her death meaningless. Lauren can't believe that Campbell just blew her away so effortlessly. Andy looks to Lauren for reassurance that everything is going to be okay, but not even she is sure anymore because Campbell now has whatever it is that he wanted from them.

Some time later, Clarice, Lauren and Andy are boarded onto a transport bus by Sentinel Services, along with Esme's identical sisters Sophie and Phoebe. They are being taken back to Sentinel Services Regional Headquarters. However, before they even make it past the front gate, one of the agents on the transport bus kills two of his fellow agents before killing himself while under telepathic mind control. Clarice, Lauren, Andy and the other mutant prisoners then exit the transport vehicle after removing their collars.

In *"3 X 1"*, two years ago, Athens, Georgia, Clarice is on a date at a local movie theater with a young man named Nate. He apparently convinced Clarice to come into town against her better judgement. As they head back towards her car, an anti-mutant hate group known as the Purifiers confront Clarice after seeing her walk into the movies a couple hours before. They tag her car with spray-paint and ask if her friend Nate is a mutant as well. He isn't. And he doesn't do much in Clarice's defense. As a crowd forms, Clarice looks to them all and wonders how they can be okay with the treatment mutants face. No one responds or steps forwards. Not even when the Purifiers torch her car. Left to fend for herself, Clarice runs away.

A couple days have past since the incident at Trask labs, and so now the Underground holds a funeral for Sonya. The entire station is in attendance. After Marcos and Lorna say a few kind words on her behalf, everyone places flowers on her grave. Afterwards, Clarice approaches John to check on him. She knows that Sonya meant a lot to him and he meant a lot to her. If there's anything John needs, Clarice volunteers her assistance. John's voice cracks as she explains that everything is so confusing. Regarding Esme and her sisters, no one can agree on whether what they did was a disaster or miracle. However, their goal remains the same, to stay focused and take down the Hound program. As far as game plans are concerned, they don't have any. But John refuses to lose anymore friends.

Esme and her sisters, Sophie and Phoebe pay the Underground an unexpected visit. They've come peacefully as they only desire to talk about the Hound program, which is expanding, and they want the Underground's help in taking it down. However, some are still upset that Esme used and lied to them. Admittedly, Esme mislead them, but she also saved Lauren, Andy and Clarice, as well as her own family. The ends justify the means as far as she is concerned. As for why they need the Underground's help despite their own powers being so great, Sentinel Services knows what they look like. So they can't take them on by themselves. They have information about Dr. Campbell's plans and resources to share. Meanwhile, the Underground has the muscle. While Caitlin and Marcos refuse to even consider an alliance of any kind, John seems more willing though he does kick them out after hearing what they have to offer.

Sage informs John and Clarice of what she found regarding the Frost Sisters. There are three of them. At least that they know of. Esme, Sophie and Phoebe Frost. But they often use new alias. When Sophie and Phoebe were arrested, they gave their last name as Cuckoo. John asks if Clarice got anything from Phoebe and Sophie while on the transport. Unfortunately, she didn't. Their police file says that they have a HIVE mind. Capable of limited psychic control if they can get close and the target doesn't see it coming. They're politically connected and wealthy. Sage discovers via a campaign photo that one of them (Esme), infiltrated Senator Montez's campaign last year. Clarice recognizes Montez and accuses him of being a Purifier. John worries that an alliance with them will tear the station apart. However, as Clarice points out, that's already happening due to the Underground being at odds in regards to the Frost's actions at Trask. Sage decides to separate the arguing Underground members while Clarice and John further discuss their game plan.

The next day, Clarice finds Lauren as she's on her way out the station as her family is leaving the Underground. She tells Lauren that leaving isn't going to solve anything because the Underground is going to have a real problem on their hands with or without the Frost Sisters. Lauren explains that it was neither her idea nor choice. So Clarice offers her a word of advice. Running isn't going to solve anything. At some point they're going to have to take a stand. Lauren recalls doing just that, but it got Sonya killed. However, Clarice insists that Sonya's death isn't Lauren's fault. She learned the hard way that hate feeds on fear. So, if they run, hate wins.

The following day, Clarice, John, Lorna and Marcos discuss whether or not they should forge an alliance with the Frost. As far as Marcos is concerned, Esme and her sisters are not an option as he doesn't agree with their tactics, but Clarice interjects that they saved her, which is apparently enough for her to agree to the alliance. Marcos is worried as they've now been pulled into an all-out war with Sentinel Services. Congress could declare Martial law, not that Clarice seems to care since they didn't need Martial law when they killed her foster parents. Lorna agrees. Adding that there's no reason for them to continue fighting with one hand tied behind their backs while Sentinel Services is coming at them with full force. But Marcos doesn't want to disregard their principals just because it's convenient. the X-Men chose them for a reason. They will take down the Hound program, but they'll do it their way. Sage interrupts to inform them that she had learned from the police scanners that something big is about to go down.
After learning from Sage that the Fairburn station is under attack, Blink, Thunderbird, Eclipse, and Polaris head down to save the Struckers. Thunderbird calls Reed to inform him that they are on their way. Reed tells him that they're hiding out on the south end of the building, but they can't get to an exit. It was just them and Wes as most of the refugees have already surrendered. Blink, Thunderbird, Eclipse, and Polaris arrive at the station soon thereafter. Thunderbird hears them prepping to surround the building, and so Blink portals them in.

Blink, Thunderbird, Eclipse, and Polaris make their way through the station while it is under constant fire. They find the Struckers and Wes on the south end and see them to safety though it is no easy task as the Hounds continuously strike the building with great power. Lorna and Marcos are hit, but it is Lorna who goes flying several feet into the air. Luckily, Thunderbird is there to catch her. Blink, Thunderbird, Eclipse, Polaris, Lauren, Wes, Andy, Reed and Caitlin quietly move throughout the woods, hoping not to alert any nearby agents. To make matters worse, Thunderbird's foresight reveals that their car has been discovered. Andy then jumps to his feet and leads the group out of the woods, claiming that "they" said it was safe. "They" turn out to be the Frost Sisters, who are waiting by the road with escape vehicles.
Back at HQ, Clarice approaches Lauren and comments that both Wes and Lauren are tough kids for holding out and lasting as long as they did against the Hounds. Lauren replies that she had to because like Clarice said, hatred feeds on fear. Clarice is glad that Lauren is back as they can use all the help they can get.

In *"eXtraction"*, the Mutant Underground and the Frost Sisters discuss how they plan to stop the Hound program. However, before starting, Marcos makes one thing clear, that their being there, doesn't make them friends. Esme, Sophie and Phoebe explain that they're dealing with a secret program that must be stopped as soon as possible as their sources have informed them that Dr. Campbell is working his political connection to take the program International. Their best chance to stop him will be at the Humanity Today Summit in Charlotte tomorrow, where major anti mutant politicians, business heads and Purifiers will be present. The Frost Sisters want to kidnap Campbell to stop the program. When Clarice opposes the idea, the Sisters claim that they know all about her criminal past and "old friends", something she had not shared with the Underground.

While John is packing for the mission, Clarice approaches him and tells him that two years ago, she was troubled by some purifiers in Clarke County and they basically ran her out of town. She was upset, and started looking for people who felt the same way as her. She found some mutants who were pushing back. It turned out that they were apart of the Brotherhood. John takes this to mean that Clarice joined the Brotherhood, but she insists that was never the case. She helped them with a few things, but when they asked her to do certain other things that she wasn't comfortable with, she left. When John asks why she didn't tell them that from the beginning, Clarice explains that Sage asked what she was arrested for, and nothing Clarice did with the Brotherhood led to her arrest. John grows angry at the fact that she hid this from them. Clarice didn't tell them because in the first time in a long time, she felt safe. She didn't want to lose that. John tells her that when he went to look for her after she left, he did that because he thought she was one of them, but now he's starting to rethink that.

Clarice, John, Lorna, Marcos, Esme, Sophie and Phoebe arrive at a very large and expensive looking safe house in Charlotte. Clarice notes that it looks "boujee", so the Sisters sarcastically offer to accommodate by bringing in mold and smashing holes in the floor. Esme then sees them inside, during which time she informs them that the safe house comes with a full security system, and they're set up for a variety of interrogation methods. Although, Esme should be able to extract any information they need. The X-Men started the Underground before they vanished, but didn't leave them with much. While the Hellfire Club's founders, the Brotherhood, left them with a lot more. In half an hour, their ticket to the summit will be driving down a road near the safe house, so they need to get ready.

Blink, Esme, Thunderbird, Eclipse, and Polaris are in position. Blink and Esme sits inside the SUV as they wait for a silver sedan that should be coming through shortly. They intend to gain access to the summit by kidnapping Franklin Bennett, a big fundraiser for anti-mutant causes. If they're with him, they get past the gate. He made a ton of money in pharmaceuticals. When he retired, he decided he wanted to contribute to society. His way of giving back was going after mutants. Esme wonders if Blink is still angry about her bringing up her past with the Brotherhood, which she is. As for how she knew, the Hellfire Club has quite the Network and everyone talks. As the silver sedan approaches, Blink and Esme pull out into the road to block its path, thus forcing Bennett to a stop. Polaris, Thunderbird and Eclipse then retrieve him.

The team brings Bennett back to the safe house. The Frost Sisters handcuff him and force him to make a phone call to the summit. Meanwhile, Clarice and Lorna get dressed in uniform. Clarice notices the damaged bed frame and presumes it was the work of the Frost Sisters working over Lorna as they tried to do her. Esme claimed that they weren't so different. While Clarice disagrees, Lorna thinks she may have a point. Lorna reveals to Clarice that her birth father was apart of the Hellfire Club. So what if he is, Clarice asks. Clarice explains that you don't get born looking like her without having extra X-genes in your family tree. For a while Clarice thought that mattered. She thought that all the bad guys in her family's past made her one too. It took her too long to realize that a tiny spec of DNA doesn't take charge of who you are.
After getting dressed, Clarice, Lorna, John and Marcos enter the den to find the Frost Sisters torturing Bennett, though Clarice brings an end to it.

Not long after, the team makes it past the front gate of the summit with Bennett as planned. Blink and Thunderbird discuss their end of the plan. Blink can get them past the guards, onto the balcony and Thunderbird will have to take them to the elevator from there. Thunderbird then address Blink's actions in stopping the Frost Sisters from torturing Bennett. He's beginning to think that he's was too hard on her earlier about her past with the Brotherhood as all that matters at that moment is who she is now. That she's one of them. Blink and Thunderbird then kiss. Right after that, Blink portals Eclipse, Thunderbird and herself into the Summit.

Blink, Thunderbird and Eclipse proceed further into the building. Thunderbird's foresight allows him to track Campbell throughout the building. He's coming up with a few guards in the elevator. And there are 3 more armed guards in the suit down the hall. Thunderbird and Eclipse wait on the opposite side of the elevator for Dr. Campbell to exit while Blink stays in the hallway. When Campbell gets off the elevator, Eclipse and Thunderbird attack. However, before they can get to Campbell, a group of children exit the elevator. So, Campbell pick up a gun and uses the children as leverage/human shields for his escape. To make matters worse, the aforementioned 3 armed guards exit the suit and begin firing. Eclipse makes it to cover while Thunderbird is hit several time while protecting Blink from the gunfire.

In *"X-roads"*, Blink, Thunderbird and Eclipse portal back to the drop off location after escaping the armed guards. Esme is irate that they didn't return with Dr. Campbell, but as Eclipse explains, it wasn't their fault as Campbell shielded himself with a bunch of kids. Not that Esme cares as a lot of people will die if the Hound program continues. So she refuses to leave without him. But with security moving in, they have no choice but to flee the scene. Which leads to a car chase as law enforcement is right behind them, though not for long. Polaris yanks down a utility pole to obstruct law enforcement's path, allowing the team to get away.
Upon returning to the safe house, Esme questions how they could let Campbell escape. Marcos asks what more could they have done other than attack a bunch of kids, which he, John and Clarice are against. Because they let Campbell getaway, he is now on his way to D.C. with the Senator, and after the attack at the Summit, they just gave them even more reason to expand the Hound program. What they need to figure out now is where Campbell is so they can finish what they started.

Clarice later learns from John that no one is picking up at HQ. Marcos then comes downstairs to inform them that he can't find Lorna. John tries to track her, but she's left the safe house with Sophie and Phoebe. Clarice, John and Marcos confront Esme, who reveals that Lorna and her sisters are doing what the rest of them couldn't. Campbell and Montez filed a flight plan. They fly out of Morrison Air Center in 20 minutes. The most important thing is to make sure he doesn't get to D.C. They realize that this has now gone from a kidnapping to an assassination. While John has as much of a reason to hate Campbell as anyone, assassinating him goes against everything they stand for. If they start killing, it's going to make life worse for mutants everywhere. Esme argues that life is already worse for mutants everywhere. Marcos loses his patients and demands that Esme shut up. They're going to get Lorna, and if he even sees Esme's eyes turn blue, he'll blind her permanently.
While in route to stop the assassination, Clarice, John and Marcos hope to reach the airport before Lorna does something she regrets. Marcos blames himself for not knowing and stopping her. Ever since they broke her out of that convoy she's been different. John knows that she's had issues in the past, but Clarice and Marcos assure him that it's not a bipolar episode. Lorna knows exactly what she's doing.

Blink, Thunderbird and Eclipse arrive on scene at the airport to find Polaris waiting to make her move against Campbell and Montez. She tells them this is something she has to do before begging them to stay out her way. She blocks their path with barbed wire. Eclipse tries to reason with her, reminding her of 7/15 and all the innocent lives that were lost. Not everyone on the plane is trying to hurt them. If she takes the plane down, they die. But if Polaris doesn't take it down the innocent people on their side will die. Thunderbird tells her that she's not a killer and this isn't why the X-Men chose them. Polaris claims they made a mistake in picking her. She's tired of hiding and they have to take a stand. As the plane carrying Senator Montez and Dr. Campbell takes flight, Polaris tears it apart in the sky, causing the plane to crash and presumably killing everyone on board. The blast from the impact knocks Blink, Thunderbird and Eclipse to the ground. By the time they get up, Polaris is gone.

Nashville, Tennessee, the Underground has regrouped at the Mutant Way Station. Clarice, John and Marcos arrive some time later. When they do, Sage informs them that while it was close, everyone got out. If not for Andy and Lauren, they would all be dead. Sage goes onto tell them that the station is completely gone, as are the Hounds, who Andy and Lauren killed when destroying the station. John and Marcos have an especially hard time taking this in as they've put everything into the station. Marcos asks if there's been any word from Lorna, Sage tells him that there hasn't been.

John announces that they need to start thinking about next steps. With Headquarters gone, a lot of people have nowhere to go. It's time to rebuild. But Clarice reminds them that there's nothing to rebuild as the station disintegrated. It's not just about the building, but more so the network and the people in it, Marcos explains. Although, Sage, Shatter and Fade doubt that it's even possible to start from nothing. Marcos states that the X-Men did this knowing it would take struggle and sacrifice. Lorna interrupts with Esme, telling them that there's nothing noble about struggle and that the Mutant Underground is dying. But that world that they've always talked about where they don't have to hide and live in fear, she wants to build that for them. Lorna and Esme intend to rebuild the Hellfire Club, but they need people. The people they've come for know who they are, which includes Fade, Bulk, Sage and Andy.

### Season 2

In *eMergence*, Clarice and Lauren are alerted by Reed that Sentinel Services is raiding Liberty Park Apartments. Thunderbird tracked two groups of mutants from Liberty Park Apartments. He and Eclipse take one trail while Blink and Lauren take another. They track the group into the storm drains on the north side, hoping that they've reached them in time, though Lauren isn't so sure they have, leaving Blink to question her doubtful attitude. Lauren apologizes, as she's merely stressed at the fact they they're dealing with the third raid of the month. Blink and Lauren find the mutants trapped on the other side of the wall. Blink opens a portal, allowing Lauren to guide the mutants out while simultaneously holding the steel door shut with her shields, prevent Sentinel Services from breaking through.

The next day, Clarice, John, Marcos, Lauren, Reed and Caitlin are held up at the Potomac Salvage junkyard. Reed speaks to the group, as he's very much aware that losing Liberty Park Apartments is difficult to stomach. But it is because of what they did that ten mutants and their families get to start new lives today. So he would like to try and focus on that instead. Furthermore, Reed has organized transportation for the people they took in and got them documents. Shatter's crew in Baltimore are going to get most of them someplace safe. However, Lauren is concerned for Cristina, a rescued mutant from the raid, who doesn't wish to leave without her sister Jazmine. While the trail is a day old, John and Clarice will continue their efforts to find Jazmine, and until then, Cristina will stay with them. Lastly, Marcos had been asking around, and in doing so, got in contact with a group of mutant hackers who can get into computer systems. Marcos spoke to the man in charge, Wire, personally but everyone isn't happy about it because of the risk they face reaching out.

While John feeds Zingo dinner scraps, Clarice checks with Cristina, asking if she's sure that she doesn't want anything to eat. Cristina's sure. She can't think about anything other than her sister. Clarice assures Cristina that she shouldn't worry as John's an excellent tracker who can find anyone. She then tells Cristina to get some rest before joining John in the kitchen. He inquires abut Cristina's state in mind, to which Clarice replies that she's fine and that Marcos is the one they should be worried about. The closer they get to the baby's due date, the more irrational he seems to become. John agrees, offering to talk to Marcos. He and Clarice then proceed to kiss, though she abruptly stops, asking if he really wants to get her in the mood, before telling him to finish the dishes. John acknowledges this as being both manipulative and highly effective.

The next day, before Blink and Thunderbird continue on the trail for Cristina's sister, Blink puts in eye contacts and puts on make up to hide her green eyes and cover her purple mark. With Sentinel Services potentially still around, they need to take precautions. Nonetheless, Blink isn't happy about it, claiming that she feels exposed and basic. To make matters worse, she can't portal while wearing the contacts because she can't see the portal energy. When Thunderbird suggests that she practice portalling with eye contacts, Blink retorts that it's like asking someone to practice darts blindfolded while in a hurricane. She then asks if he has talked to Marcos yet, which he hasn't. Blink suspects that he's afraid to.

Clarice and John are unsuccessful in finding Jazmine. They relay this information to Cristina. They tracked Jazmine across the city. Seems she was trying to get out of town. She got to the bus station, but it looked like she got picked up, but there was no sign of a struggle. So they're still hoping that one of their people took her in, and so they're reaching out now. Lauren explains to Cristina that this is good news because if Sentinel Services found her, there definitely would have been a struggle. Clarice promises to find Jazmine, but it's going to take a little while. They're going to follow up with their contacts and Christina is going to stay with them. Then, Marcos and a hurt Caitlin enter the room. They reveal that they arranged a meeting with Wire, which went south. While they still don't know where Andy and Lorna are, it is a step in the right direction.

That night, Clarice, John, Marcos, Caitlin, Reed and Lauren attempt to track the power waves to Lorna as she has gone into labor and thus her contractions are causing power surges for miles. John uses his tracking abilities, telling Marcos to follow the power lines. However, Marcos is angered with how slow they're going, looking to Clarice to portal them, but as Clarice explains, they don't know where they're going and they're miles from it. Unfortunately, before they can track the surge to its source, the entire grid shuts down, preventing John from tracking it any further. Marcos questions what this means, if Lorna or the baby are dead. Unfortunately, no one has the answers for him. In an emotional state, Marcos drops down to his knees in agony as his hands glow.

In *unMoored*, Clarice and Lauren have good news for Cristina. A source said that a girl matching Jazmine's description turned up in a church shelter in Alexandria. Clarice and Lauren plan to pick her up in the morning. Cristina asks to join them, but Clarice and Lauren advise against it as she is a fugitive. Cristina becomes aggravated, which causes her to unintentionally shatter the light fixture on the wall. Cristina apologizes, but she can't risk losing her sister again as she's the only person Cristina has left. Lauren is familiar with the feeling. She hasn't seen Andy in six months. All her life, he's been there, and now he's just gone.

The following morning, Clarice wakes up and asks John about his plan to visit Evangeline Whedon, a mutant attorney who may have a lead on the Inner Circle. John believes that she might be able to help track down the Inner Circle, but Clarice can tell that she's missing something as John looks concerned. John reveals that he and Evangeline have a complicated relationship though they were never romantically involved, as Clarice begins to momentarily suspect. When John was discharged from the Marines, he became addicted to pills to deal with the pain. Evangeline helped him through it. She chained him to the bed during his withdrawals, telling him to focus on the cause. This was the worst time of John's life. He states. But she got him through it. However, after what happened in Atlanta, John isn't sure that she will even talk to him.
Clarice and Lauren later return with Jazmine. The sisters reunites since being separated during the Liberty Parks Apartments raid. Clarice agrees to help them get loaded up as they're headed off for Memphis.

Clarice then returns to the apartment and begins removing her eye contacts and make up. Passing as non mutant has become quite tiresome for her. John then informs her that he made some progress with Evangeline. From her, he got the name of a mutant who might be able to help them find the Inner Circle as he has eyes everywhere. Clarice senses that something is wrong with John, so she asks if something happened with Evangeline. John claims that everything's fine, much to Clarice's satisfaction. They then proceed to kiss.

In *coMplications*, Clarice and John discuss the mutant separatist Erg, who lives in the sewers and can supposedly help them find Andy and Lorna. While Caitlin looks over the information they got from Evangeline Whedon, John and Clarice will head downtown. Marcos wishes to join them, but John tells him to sit this one out, especially after the "light show" he put on for Lorna the night before, which is all over the news. Clarice jokingly remarks that the next time he drunk dials his ex, to leave the eastern seaboard out of it. As they head out, Clarice questions what's been going on with John ever since they got back from Philadelphia with Evangeline. She then notices the bruises on his hands, which John claims is a result of late night training. John explains that if he hits something hard enough, his skin breaks, however, Clarice is still concerned for his well-being. Nevertheless, John insists that nothing is wrong.

As Clarice and John arrive at their destination, Clarice begins to suspect if maybe Evangeline was screwing with John by directing him to Erg. However, John's willing to take whatever chance they have. With that being said, they head into the sewers, where John proceeds to use his tracking abilities. He is able to determine that people came through there recently and that they're on the right track. As they head further in, Clarice grows tired of traveling the sewers, suggesting that Erg purchase a phone or meet them at a more convenient location, such as a Starbucks. John notes that someone's trying to get them lost down there. He looks over to the wall, which turns out not to be a wall at all, but an illusion, which they walk straight through.

Clarice and John continue their search for Erg, which is taking longer than they anticipated. Clarice starts to suspects that they're going in circles. Her suspicions are proven to be correct after passing the same clump of green goop on the wall. Clarice wants to abort the mission once John realizes that there's something interfering with his tracking. However, John explodes at her, telling Clarice that they're not giving up. With that being said, Clarice has an idea. She can see energy fields that she uses to portal. So, she can try and look past what they want are intended to see. Clarice proceeds to open a portal a couple hundred feet ahead. As soon as they travel through the portal, they are met by several individuals armed with guns.

As Clarice and John are being guided throughout the tunnels by this mysterious new group, Clarice wonders why John hasn't stopped them yet, pointing out that he's bulletproof. However, as John reminds her, they're up against five people and Clarice isn't bulletproof. Before long, they are greeted by the one they've been searching for, Erg. He asks why they've come. John explains that Evangeline Whedon, who worked for the X-Men and the Underground sent them. Erg agrees to talk, but only to Clarice. John initially refuses to allow Clarice to leave with Erg, but she conceives him otherwise.

Clarice explains that two of their friends were taken by the Inner Circle and they are hoping that Erg has information that can help figure out what the Inner Circle is planning. Erg explains that normally he would dump John and Clarice on the surface and hide that entrance to the tunnels. But as it happens, he could use someone like Clarice, who can portal. Erg proceeds to push her hair back as it was hiding her pointed ears. Whether she knows it or not, as a visible mutant, Clarice has a link to them, those who stay down in the tunnels and choose not to hide their nature. Clarice isn't interested in joining him. She simply has a job to do in helping mutant.

Erg takes Clarice to his base, which he refers to as the real Underground. He introduces her to his people, the Morlocks. Mutants who live in the open and unafraid. Those of them who can pass in the world above, they brand themselves, leaving a mark on their face. They choose not to look like them and prefer freedom. Clarice explains that the Underground is fighting for freedom too. Just like the X-Men. Erg informs her that the X-Men fought for tolerance. "You know what people tolerate? The things they hate.", Erg says. He goes onto point Mara, a Morlock who lived in Fairfield and went to school. Her family wanted her to grow up normal, but Mara wasn't normal. She used sound to get around, like a bat. But one day, some Purifiers heard her, decided her clicks might be dangerous. So, they beat her, then they cut out her voice box. Erg's mission is solely to protect his people. If Clarice wants his help, then she has to help him. In exchange for the information he's gathered on the Inner Circle, he wants Clarice to act as his eyes on the world above — Essentially a spy, Clarice asserts.
Clarice returns to John after her chat with John. She reminds John of the green goop they saw on the wall. Apparently, there's a mutant down in the tunnels who watches places through it. He said that the Frosts were in a utility tunnel with some city workers. They were tapping into a data cable, under the Health Department, but that's all they know.

## Personality

Clarice is best described as tough, with having a stand-off attitude, which is a direct result of the treatment she received her entire life for being a mutant. Because of this, she grew to be socially awkward and never really had any friends, though she did gain a strong sense of independence, especially having always been on the run.

## Physical Appearance

Blink has natural black hair with magenta highlights. She has green eyes and is of Asian descent. Blink is incapable of walking the streets without being recognized as a mutant due to her eyes, pointed ears, and the faded purple birthmark on the right side of her face. The faded purple mark on her face has increased in size ending just above her eyebrow due to the exertion of her powers.

## Abilities and Skills

* **Portal Creation:** Blink possess the ability to teleport via portals from one location to another. She's also capable of holding the portals open for extended periods of time, thus allowing others to pass through as well. Visually, these portals give off a distinctive, bright blue, purple and pink glow. Notably, Blink does not have full mastery of her abilities. Opening portals and holding them open is psychically exhausting as she's still learning the full extent of her powers. As of now, her abilities are quite limited but she has displayed great potential with them. When motivated, Blink has been able to transport groups of people and a speeding car. Blink can also use her portals offensively to tear things apart or cut them in half. Later, she is able to channel her energy into daggers to create portals.
* **Mutant Physiology:** Due to her mutant gene, Blink's bright green eyes were adapted to see the fields of a dimensional energy that she uses to create her portals. It allowed her to see through the Morlocks' illusion wall, as well as track Rebecca by seeing the dimensional distortion she caused with her abilities.
	+ **Limitations:** Blink can't teleport to places that she can't see or hasn't been to before. Attempting to do so can result in whatever passes through the portal not making it through the other side intact. Her ability to create portals is very reliant on her eye sight. Should her vision be obstructed, through the wearing of eye contacts for instance, she is rendered incapable of opening a portal as it prevents her from seeing the "energy".

## Appearances

* *rX*
* *eXodus*
* *eXit strategy*
* *boXed in*
* *got your siX*
* *eXtreme measures*
* *threat of eXtinction*
* *outfoX*
* *eXploited*
* *3 X 1*
* *eXtraction*
* *X-roads*
* *unMoored*
* *coMplications*
* *outMatched*
* *afterMath*
* *iMprint*
* *no Mercy*
* *the dreaM*
* *gaMe changer*
* *eneMy of My eneMy*
* *meMento*
* *hoMe*
* *teMpted*
* *calaMity*
* *Monsters* (voice and flashback only)
* *oMens*

## Trivia

* She made her first appearance in the 1994 comic series titled *Uncanny X-Men #317*. In the comics, her last name is Ferguson, while in the series it is Fong.
	+ A promotional poster from season 1 shows that "Clarice Ferguson" is an alias of Blink.
	+ The change to her last name was most liked done to complement her Asian ancestry. In the comics, Blink is not Asian, she is Bahamian.
	+ In universe, during the events of *afterMath*, she is officially gifted the alias "Blink".
* Blink, along with the Stepford Cuckoos, are the only characters in the show who have also appeared in the X-Men film franchise, making an appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past, where she was portrayed by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing.
* Blink mentions to Polaris that she has mutant relatives that were bad people. This is an allusion to the comics, where Blink is a descendant of Apocalypse, a prominent villain in most X-Men media.

## Gallery

**Blink's Gallery Can Be Found Here. The Gallery May Consist of Promotional Images, Screencaps, and Video Clips Released By Network Officials**

## References

1. ↑ Jamie Chung to Play Blink in Fox’s Marvel Pilot From Bryan Singer
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Horowitz, Michael (writer) & Peters, Scott (director) (January 15, 2018). "eXtraction". *The Gifted*. Season 1. Episode 12. FOX.
3. ↑ San Diego Comic Con 2017 Interview
4. ↑ San Diego Comic Con 2017 Interview