The Wardens
Episode Seven
"Starborn - 1st Act"
Mayfair Games' DC Heroes
Hadrian is staring at Fangirl's dog, her retriever named Armageddon. The dog whines occasionally. Hadrian recalls Apollo's story of Fangirl doing what she can to save the dog outside the burning building. He receives a message from Diego asking for help. Triggering their communicator, Hadrian can hear Diego having a conversation with Tara's mother. She seems to be desperate to find her daughter given she has been missing for almost four days. Eleanor had baited muggers to attack her until one of the Wardens showed up to save her - just to ask them about her daughter. Eleanor is just terrified if her daughter is okay. She asks if Tara is in danger, and Diego suspects she might be.
The dog whines and stares at the telephone. Hadrian hands it to the dog, but it doesn't do anything. Conrad shares that his son, Dermont, had been asking him about Tara. Hadrian learns Dermont is Tara's schoolmate, and that she had been missing for the last few days. As they talk, Fangirl's dog runs past him and leave the room. They run after the dog and find it in front of the door. Hadrian asks Conrad to deal with the dog while he "sees to business." Conrad pulls out a leash from his pocket. They head off to Diego's location. Conrad and Hadrian talk about immortality and growing up. Hadrian tries to "read" Armageddon but animal body language just seems to different.
Apollo had recalculated the initial data that supposedly suggests Trace had been abducted into outer space. But his bigger concern is the fact the information he had received seemed to have come from ArmsCorp. Pouring through all the data he had stolen from ArmsCorp, he is finding a lot of data gathered that are marked, "Takenoko." They turn out to be plans and schematics for various vehicles including stuff that have yet to be developed for this era, as well as experimental battle dresses, subdermal communicators and the like. He even finds something for Obscuring Face Putty or Pseudoderm, which acts as both an armor for the face, and a survival mechanism. Though still mostly untested, they are still frighteningly advanced for someone of this era. "Theoretical Concepts for the ArmsTeam." Apollo is fascinated to discover Armstrong is hoping to create his own superhero team, it seems. There is mention of seven candidates for the group. As he continues digging, he finds video diary recordings of a young man named Mason, addressing his thoughts and confessions to a "Ben." They confirm that Mason had been around twenty years in the past before Ben actually arrives. Mason is fascinated that there are heroes in the world, though none of them live on in their own timeline. He even mentions being interested in meeting the daughter of the "female knight" hero. More interesting, a lot of the bluepints he has written were penned with the help of Armstrong himself with one being a space vessel using Hard Light sails to propel the ship foardi
Lucita and Buzz have a date. Lucita is complaining that Buzz is not paying attention. He keeps imagining stuff related to the fight. Buzz wonders aloud how one would rescue someone stuck in space. Lucita is frusted he's still focused on that, but eventually they do talk about her brother and his super hero antics, Buzz' grandparents having legacy powers, and their trip to some dimension..."But I can't have you not be here when I finally have you here." Lucita does however mention that if she as lost in space, the bigger question is how much time would have passed since she left. "Everything is constantly moving and given the vast movements, you might hope to try to rescue me but it has been years since you found me." She also talks about the distortion of time and gravity and how hours may become years in some systems. Buzz starts to imagine Trace as an old woman, and so he explains Trace is in space and needs to be rescued. Lucita realized Buzz is "listening in" the whole time, with his communicator on. He stresses he only does it during emergencies. She complains he was the one who asked for this date, and yet he's the one who isn't "present" in it.
The dog whines and stares at the telephone. Hadrian hands it to the dog, but it doesn't do anything. Conrad shares that his son, Dermont, had been asking him about Tara. Hadrian learns Dermont is Tara's schoolmate, and that she had been missing for the last few days. As they talk, Fangirl's dog runs past him and leave the room. They run after the dog and find it in front of the door. Hadrian asks Conrad to deal with the dog while he "sees to business." Conrad pulls out a leash from his pocket. They head off to Diego's location. Conrad and Hadrian talk about immortality and growing up. Hadrian tries to "read" Armageddon but animal body language just seems to different.
Apollo had recalculated the initial data that supposedly suggests Trace had been abducted into outer space. But his bigger concern is the fact the information he had received seemed to have come from ArmsCorp. Pouring through all the data he had stolen from ArmsCorp, he is finding a lot of data gathered that are marked, "Takenoko." They turn out to be plans and schematics for various vehicles including stuff that have yet to be developed for this era, as well as experimental battle dresses, subdermal communicators and the like. He even finds something for Obscuring Face Putty or Pseudoderm, which acts as both an armor for the face, and a survival mechanism. Though still mostly untested, they are still frighteningly advanced for someone of this era. "Theoretical Concepts for the ArmsTeam." Apollo is fascinated to discover Armstrong is hoping to create his own superhero team, it seems. There is mention of seven candidates for the group. As he continues digging, he finds video diary recordings of a young man named Mason, addressing his thoughts and confessions to a "Ben." They confirm that Mason had been around twenty years in the past before Ben actually arrives. Mason is fascinated that there are heroes in the world, though none of them live on in their own timeline. He even mentions being interested in meeting the daughter of the "female knight" hero. More interesting, a lot of the bluepints he has written were penned with the help of Armstrong himself with one being a space vessel using Hard Light sails to propel the ship foardi
Lucita and Buzz have a date. Lucita is complaining that Buzz is not paying attention. He keeps imagining stuff related to the fight. Buzz wonders aloud how one would rescue someone stuck in space. Lucita is frusted he's still focused on that, but eventually they do talk about her brother and his super hero antics, Buzz' grandparents having legacy powers, and their trip to some dimension..."But I can't have you not be here when I finally have you here." Lucita does however mention that if she as lost in space, the bigger question is how much time would have passed since she left. "Everything is constantly moving and given the vast movements, you might hope to try to rescue me but it has been years since you found me." She also talks about the distortion of time and gravity and how hours may become years in some systems. Buzz starts to imagine Trace as an old woman, and so he explains Trace is in space and needs to be rescued. Lucita realized Buzz is "listening in" the whole time, with his communicator on. He stresses he only does it during emergencies. She complains he was the one who asked for this date, and yet he's the one who isn't "present" in it.
Hadrian arrives and is told that there's a young girl in the hospital who claims to be part of the team. The group is a bit confused - which is not surprising given it was Trace who rushed her here to save her. Hadrian opts to try to heal the child's internal injuries and shattered bones with his powers.
Armstrong and Apollo finally meet and have a long discussion. There are six chairs in a circle in the room, with each chair having a brown envelope. Apollo notes there are only six envelopes instead of seven, to which Mason muses he figured Apollo had been prying into his files. Mason asks if Apollo is Ben Wilder, but Apollo still dodges the question. Mason reveals a broken artifact from the museum the day he and Ben traveled into the past. He talks about the woman who was trying to warn them of something that very moment, but he never understood what was happening until it was too late. Mason only wanted to see what the past was. When Apollo asks what he really wants, Armstrong admits he is looking for a man named Benjamin Wilder - someone he hoped to finally find. Armstrong invites Apollo to become part of a team he wishes to fund. He is even offering them access to technology such as uniforms and rings that have been enabled to have telepathic radio communication, flight, and an emergency cocoon of hard light if user is injured. Apollo has concerns with both his intentions and the technology he is creating. Mason shares he's met with Oni and Tsunami, foreign heroes mistaken as villains often due to the government not trusting them. He wants to create a team that is more welcomed and more recognized as heroes, is funded by a known group and stands with the government. He talks of children across the coast calling themselves Wardens. Clubs have formed online inducting members. Will the Wardens work within the law, or leave these children to start their own vigilante groups? Apollo does remind Mason he was the one who named them, and Mason admits he only said that cause it reminded him of a prisoner outfit worn back in his time. Apollo proposes to study working together for a time being, perhaps using the project Odysseus, which has a space vessel. Mason agrees to introduce him to the project manager. Mason does muse how Apollo reminds him of an old friend who never trusted him before, "But its probably because he never believed in me."
Elsewhere, Tara White finds herself looking out the balcony of The Beginning Of Everything. The place is supposedly Starborn's planet, and what she sees appears to be an urbanized world of order and celebration. A variety of alien races are present, cheering her on. Tara tries to ask people questions, but no one seems to properly give any answers. After a brief moment talking to an alien who can speak terran, Tara realizes everyone around her are now suddenly speaking in terran as well! When she tries to ask another alien where Starborn is, a bald man with perfect teeth, a huge chiseled form and a cape addresses her by name and reveals he is the very man. He calls the planet a "grand design to his liking." When Tara asks if everyone were welcome, he counters the place would not be as peaceful. He asks Tara to stay for a limited amount of time, and determine if she would like to stay. If not, he promises to return her home. Tara goes about hearing about the aliens who have all taken refuge in this place, and finds not a single one who leaves or comes and goes. She even finds one who met another terran before, a woman dressed in a carapace of silver. The terran, "Consy" inspired their term for Protector. She learns the M'thrysn are seen as bogeymen of the universe!
Back at Earth, Apollo sees Ren who tries to pretend they just met for the first time. Mason tells Ren Apollo is interested in Project Odysseus and the Blitz Ship. When Ren asks what for, Apollo realizes neither Ren nor Mason were the ones who sent him the coordinates of where Tara's abductors had gone. He discovers it may have come from someone else... perhaps... Fangirl?
"How's my dog?" a message comes onto his communication system from somewhere in the room. Fangirl asks about Leona wondering if she made it. Apollo admits he assumed Fangirl was Leona, but learns she was just representing her. When he asks where she is transmitting from, she tells her to look to the left. Apollo's eyes scan the left and finds an old suit that students from the moon during his time would wear. He stares and realizes the flickering light on it means Fangirl is actually the artificial intelligence in the space suit that Ben wore when he slipped into the past. "I kept trying to find you," Fangirl admits and that she could only find Mason. "But I remembered how much you didn't trust him, so I kept waiting and kept watching." Mason notices Apollo seeing the old suit and explains its an old relic from the past. He even jokes it looks like Apollo's costume. The AI was searching for Ben for years, and Leona was the person who helped her contact Apollo as Fangirl.
While Hadrian tries to help Cassie Wilder recover from her intense injuries further, Buzz arrives to check on the rest. Both El Teniente and Reliquary however feel he is lying when Buzz tells them he is late because he was saving lives. El Teniente confronts him about his promise to stop having a serious relationship with his sister. "But it was still a date, just a bad date," Diego snarls when Buzz tries to explain it wasn't a date since he was focused on them the whole time. Medea arrives, with a more modern look, and apologizes for also being late. She learns about the need for code names to hide their identities. Hadrian asks Medea about Gervain, and learns the name is of one of the great ones during their day. He was known as "The Alchemist" who discovers the Philosopher's stone. They were a group were warriors, each representing the Spheres and the Patterns of the Great Tree. The Shining Knights represent the areas of the tree. They are reunited when so great a threat appears that none else may face it. In the last battle against a Fallen Star, the Alchemist sacrificed himself to save the others, transmuting himself into an element which destroyed the fallen star. Legend has it the Alchemist will return when its essences are reunited across the stars. Hadrian and Medea combine their efforts to try to heal the child faster. Buzz hurries back to ArmsCorp.
Elsewhere, Tara White finds herself looking out the balcony of The Beginning Of Everything. The place is supposedly Starborn's planet, and what she sees appears to be an urbanized world of order and celebration. A variety of alien races are present, cheering her on. Tara tries to ask people questions, but no one seems to properly give any answers. After a brief moment talking to an alien who can speak terran, Tara realizes everyone around her are now suddenly speaking in terran as well! When she tries to ask another alien where Starborn is, a bald man with perfect teeth, a huge chiseled form and a cape addresses her by name and reveals he is the very man. He calls the planet a "grand design to his liking." When Tara asks if everyone were welcome, he counters the place would not be as peaceful. He asks Tara to stay for a limited amount of time, and determine if she would like to stay. If not, he promises to return her home. Tara goes about hearing about the aliens who have all taken refuge in this place, and finds not a single one who leaves or comes and goes. She even finds one who met another terran before, a woman dressed in a carapace of silver. The terran, "Consy" inspired their term for Protector. She learns the M'thrysn are seen as bogeymen of the universe!
Back at Earth, Apollo sees Ren who tries to pretend they just met for the first time. Mason tells Ren Apollo is interested in Project Odysseus and the Blitz Ship. When Ren asks what for, Apollo realizes neither Ren nor Mason were the ones who sent him the coordinates of where Tara's abductors had gone. He discovers it may have come from someone else... perhaps... Fangirl?
"How's my dog?" a message comes onto his communication system from somewhere in the room. Fangirl asks about Leona wondering if she made it. Apollo admits he assumed Fangirl was Leona, but learns she was just representing her. When he asks where she is transmitting from, she tells her to look to the left. Apollo's eyes scan the left and finds an old suit that students from the moon during his time would wear. He stares and realizes the flickering light on it means Fangirl is actually the artificial intelligence in the space suit that Ben wore when he slipped into the past. "I kept trying to find you," Fangirl admits and that she could only find Mason. "But I remembered how much you didn't trust him, so I kept waiting and kept watching." Mason notices Apollo seeing the old suit and explains its an old relic from the past. He even jokes it looks like Apollo's costume. The AI was searching for Ben for years, and Leona was the person who helped her contact Apollo as Fangirl.
While Hadrian tries to help Cassie Wilder recover from her intense injuries further, Buzz arrives to check on the rest. Both El Teniente and Reliquary however feel he is lying when Buzz tells them he is late because he was saving lives. El Teniente confronts him about his promise to stop having a serious relationship with his sister. "But it was still a date, just a bad date," Diego snarls when Buzz tries to explain it wasn't a date since he was focused on them the whole time. Medea arrives, with a more modern look, and apologizes for also being late. She learns about the need for code names to hide their identities. Hadrian asks Medea about Gervain, and learns the name is of one of the great ones during their day. He was known as "The Alchemist" who discovers the Philosopher's stone. They were a group were warriors, each representing the Spheres and the Patterns of the Great Tree. The Shining Knights represent the areas of the tree. They are reunited when so great a threat appears that none else may face it. In the last battle against a Fallen Star, the Alchemist sacrificed himself to save the others, transmuting himself into an element which destroyed the fallen star. Legend has it the Alchemist will return when its essences are reunited across the stars. Hadrian and Medea combine their efforts to try to heal the child faster. Buzz hurries back to ArmsCorp.
Back at the ArmsCorp, Buzz overhears Apollo talking to his brother talking about how he feels that Buzz never had to do anything to get the powers he has. He didn't earn it. Apollo opts not to get involved in the argument between the two brothers. When Buzz throws something while annoyed, it launches a plasma blast that nearly harms Apollo had he not used his nanites to create a Hard Light barrier around himself. Buzz however insists that Ren should realize that despite not having powers, he's accomplished so many things and build so many awesome devices. Ren however stresses that its not Mason he wants to be with in these misadventures. The group starts discussing possible plans if they do head to space to try to find where Trace had been abducted to.
El Teniente stops away, and he ends up at his abuela's room. There, the two finally talk more about the myth and stories behind the armor they share. They talk also a lot about Lucita, about her being strong-willed and about her still seeing the boy, Buzz. Abuela admits she just wanted Lucita to end up with someone normal. They also discuss the challenges between Magic and Steel and how Buzz succeeded in a challenge. Abuela gets distresses when she realizes Lucita was seeing "the swarm" and not the boy of gold whom she investigated on and learned is rich. She even shares knowing him back when Savior was still young and Diva was still a man. She asks Diego to promise to her one thing: Never to reach for the stars. Not knowing what she means, he admits the Lady claims he was fated to fight Starborn. Abuela admits it was against Starborn that she lost his grandfather, and the boots of the armor. But the artifacts seek each other out. When the time comes and he finds himself before the Starborn, he is to always remember that Starborn is everything, and everything is a lie. He should never give up the artifacts and let him take them back. This Starborn was the first chosen of the Lady.
Tara has learned more and more at how happy and satisfied and content everyone seems to be in Starborn's world. No one works, no one struggles or pays for things, everything is freely provided. Even with her remote sight stretched as far as she could, everyone seems happy in this paradise which is a single city the size of a planet. 24 hours later, Tara finally meets with Starborn again and discusses how much of her people are missing out on, and how she desires to go back to Earth. She feels there are many things she still needs to do there. Starborn warns her it will take generations of reeducating them all to make those planets better, especially her own world - while her brother still stands on the throne. When she wonders if her father can make a difference back at her planet, Starborn peers at the distance and seems to see and claims there's no way for him to make any difference. Starborn touches her head and makes her "SEE" across the distance between galaxies, nearly causing her to vomit from motion sickness as she "flies" through interstellar space and her gaze halts at a hospital room where a blonde girl is crying while hugging her father. At the side, Tara can see her mother, exhausted and still in her hospital gear. Metal bloody rods are on the table nearby. And Reliquary lies on a nearby chair, tremendously tired. Starborn warns her that if Tara returns to Mthrsyn, they will never allow her to leave again. But she counters that if she goes to Earth, those from Mthrsyn will come for her to Earth to take her back by force. He offers to help, and when she asks how, he tells her it is up to her. He can make her mother forget, so she moves on in life and does not remember having a daughter. But despite Starborn's suggestions, Tara feel they would not help solve things. She is returned to Mthrsyn and her brother, the Grand V'ktor, is incensed, wondering who would have taken her without his permission. She asks about Starborn and the mere mention of his name brings fear to V'ktor's visage. He calls for the city for time to commence and for all to revel and make noise. He presses against Tara and asks in fear if Starborn watches. He claims the last system that caught his attention did not survive his curiosity. When Tara admits he is curious of her, V'ktor's response is fear of her having lead the Starborn to them. He begins to call her the Herald, and agrees to make the changes that the Starborn desires. She insists she came of her own free will. She finds it disturbing that Mythrsyn is known as the "monsters under the bed in the galaxy", and she wants this to change. When Trace mentions she wishes she can go home, Starborn suddenly simply sends her back without effort. Trace finds herself back at the hospital, overwhelmed by the immense power this Starborn holds.
The former commissioner, Cassie's father, thanks Reliquary for helping his daughter. The man asks Reliquary to take a video message to ask his daughter to stop trying to act like a hero. Reliquary insists that the websites and forums of fans calling for kids to join the Wardens have been shut down. Tara's mother suggests they let the child have a chance to talk to Reliquary instead and discuss things.
El Teniente feels there was a presence in one of the hospital rooms. He peers in but finds it empty. He uses his communicator to check on the others and tells them there's a familiar feeling he's sensing... and that's when Tara teleports into the room to say hello. When she hears about Apollo with the others, she teleports to check on them as well and ask for a communicator. The others are briefly shocked by her alien appearance, however, which freaks them out. Buzz reaches forward with his omni-arm to snag the thing, but Tara easily teleports out of the way. Buzz mutters its a teleporter and the others wonder if it is actually Trace! She starts speaking out telling them who she is which thankfully calms everyone down. Reliquary tells El Teniente to head for the broom closet at the fourth floor and have Trace pick her up. Medea however asks why not just tell her mother she's back. Trace's mother grabs El Teniente's head and speaks to it, asking what is going on. Buzz informs El Teniente to let her know her daughter is back. Tara finally meets Medea, and the others have a wonderful reunion. As they start sharing stories and throwing snippets at each other of what they have gone through, Buzz asks if he heard correctly that Tara muttered something about a whole planet coming for the Earth in the future? Tara shares how the Question was the one who kidnapped her in the past, and how there were warships up in the sky that wanted to bring her home. She even talks about meeting her brother, and their desire to crown her and take over the Earth. And that's when she finally mentions Starborn. Apollo shares he read a similar name somewhere. El Teniente knows of a Starborn as the first of the Knights. Buzz mutters if he's a Fallen Star. Even the term confuses Reliquary as it seems to remind him of his past. Tara shares the utopia Starborn offers, and the arguments she had with her brother about going to war with other planets. Tara's mother thinks they should not be the only ones to handle this. Hadrian grabs the phone and tries calling Doctor Keller, Saviour's other-half. Buzz nudges Apollo to try calling his "boss," Mason. Hadrian's call connects but to his horror, in response to the supposed threat, he tells Hadrian, "Starborn is all."
Apollo's call to Mason also has him reply, "Starborn is all." Even Ren's call to check on his grandparents has her reply, "Starborn is all." And El Teniente's petition to the Lady for guidance has her warning him that he has heard his challenge, and now El Teniente must defeat Starborn or else, Starborn shall be all.
Starborn is all.
