Episode 1: Danger
April 5th, 2028
4 Months Ago
Void’s Base
The wall cracks and shakes, and a hole breaks in it. Inside the hole is Felix. He’s still dead. Or is he? His eyes burst open.
Nexus Halls
Andrew is sitting at the desk with the rest of the team, but then suddenly an alert blares.“Shit,” Andrew says, looking at his computer screen.
“What?” Emma asks.
“The Void,” Andrew says.
“The Void?” Frank asks. “Didn’t James kill him last year?”
“He did,” Andrew says.
(Cut)“Whatcha thinking?” Frank asks, noticing Andrew’s thinking face expression.
“Light,” Andrew says. “And darkness.”
“What about it?” Emma asks.
“The Void’s power is focused on darkness, right?” Andrew asks rhetorically.
“Yeah,” Emma says.
“Why?” Frank asks, smirking, knowing Andrew has an idea.
“What’s the one thing that cancels out darkness?” Andrew asks, glancing at Ray. Ray smiles, knowing exactly where this is going. “And what’s your power focused on?” Andrew asks, rhetorically once again, smirking.
“Light,” Ray answers.
“You think Ray can defeat The Void,” Frank says, considering it.
(Cut)
The Photon Flare shoots a light beam at The Void, but The Void shoots a Void-Beam at the light beam, and the two beams clash and cause an explosion, vaporizing everything within a 250-feet radius, but The Prism’s rainbow aura protects the base. However, it launches a shockwave inside the base that knocks everyone except for The Photon Flare and The Void against the walls and knocks them out.
(Cut)
Techno groans as he regains consciousness. He looks up at The Void, nodding slowly, with a slight smirk on his face. He stands up, and walks over. He then reaches his hand out for a handshake. “Wanna join Team Nexus?”
(Cut)“Yeah,” The Void says. His Void-Energy retracts fully into his body. “I’d like that.” He shakes Techno’s hand.
“Welcome to the team,” The Photon Flare says. “Felix.”
(End of previously shown, but flashback continuation)
Lightning Striker speeds in, and looks at Felix shaking Techno’s hand.
“What the hell?” Lightning Striker asks.
“Hey, James,” Felix says, calmly. Not his usual, intimidating and dark calm… A normal calm.
“What the hell?” Lightning Striker asks.
“He’s on our side now,” Techno says.“What the fu-” Lightning Striker starts, but gets interrupted.
“It’s okay,” The Photon Flare says.
“Woah,” Lightning Striker says. “Nice Light-Energy.”
“Thanks,” The Photon Flare says.
“But when the fu-” Lightning Striker says, but Techno interrupts him again.
“PG-13,” Techno says.
“I can drop an F-Bomb once,” Lightning Striker says.
“Yeah,” Techno says. “Once. Don’t waste it. Besides…” He glances at the viewer. “The Prism’s gonna be the one to drop the F-Bomb.”
“Hey!” Lightning Striker says.
“What?” Techno asks.
“No foreshadowing,” Lightning Striker says.
“You’re right,” Techno says.
“Okay,” Lightning Striker says. “Anyway… The Void is back to life, joined our team, which I never thought would happen, and there’s a 250-foot-wide crater in the ground around us. Anyone wanna share why?”
“Our beams collided,” Felix and The Photon Flare say at the same time.
“Right,” Lightning Striker says. “Light and darkness. Explosion. Duh. But, uh… Listen, the city’s been fine with us powered people in the city for the last 2 and a half years. Even when buildings collapse and explode. But I don’t think they’re gonna like it when they find out about… This. Which will be in less than 5 minutes. Do you know how many people and buildings you just vaporized?”
“No,” The Photon Flare says.
“32 buildings,” Lightning Striker says. “1520 people. You vaporized 1520 people and 32 buildings. Mayor Lettel might not let us use our powers. Or be heroes in general. Matter of fact, he might kick us out of the city. And if he thinks we’re a big enough danger, he might take it to the state Senator. And if he thinks we’re a big enough danger… He might bring it to the goddamn president. We could potentially get kicked out of the country.”
“It’s my fault,” Techno says. “I told Ray that he was ready.”
“It’s not your fault,” Lightning Striker says. He glances at Felix and back at The Photon Flare. “It’s nobody’s. It was just science.”
“Wait, what did you say?” The Prism asks, regaining consciousness.
“We can be kicked out of the country?” Lightning Striker asks.
“Really?” The Prism asks. “We can?” Lightning Striker nods. “Motherfu-”
Today
The base is gone. Just… Gone. No trace. As if it never existed in the first place. Construction workers are trying to bring back the ground, the road, the buildings. A 2-block perimeter is closed off so nobody drives through.
Meanwhile, at James’ apartment, he’s just sitting there. Staring blankly at the news on the TV. But then they start talking about someone that spikes his interest.
“Hello, USA,” The president says(not Trump, it’s a different person, as most superhero movies and shows do). “4 months ago in Parkland City, a fight panned out inside Team Nexus’ base, vaporizing everything - and everyone - in a 250-foot radius. 32 buildings were immediately vaporized, along with 1520 innocent people.” He pauses for a moment.
The president looks around, as if finding the right words to say. He takes a deep breath.“And today, I gladly announce a new law that will take place in every single part of the country,” He continues. “No superheroes allowed! Or villains! Having powers is fine. Nobody chose to have powers. But you choose what to do with them. Small deeds, fine. A cat stuck in a tree? Go ahead. A mugger in an alley? Leave that to the police. Thank you.”
James pauses the TV. He slowly stands up, the remote still gripped in his hand. He takes a deep breath. But then lightning crackles from his fingertips all the way up to his elbow.
“Damnnit!” James yells, before Lightning-Throwing the remote at the TV, shattering the screen, sending the TV smashing through the wall, and launching the remote - which is split into two - out through the window, also smashing the window. He sighs.
Texas
Frontier Fields
Jonathan arrives home from school, dropping his backpack next to the door as he sees his parents watching exactly what James was just watching. They turn back and look at him.
“Fu-” Jonathan says, but I will interrupt by switching to the next scene.
Andrew’s Apartment
Andrew is watching the news as well, and he just grabs his goggles off the coffee table and shoots a laser at the TV, blowing it up.
Emma’s Cave
Yes, Emma lives in a cave. And she’s watching the news too. She picks up a dagger and throws it at the TV. And then another. And finally a third one. Each dagger hit dead center, of course.
Frank’s Campsite
And yes, Frank lives in the woods. How does he have internet, or WiFi? Only God knows. But he’s watching the news. He unleashes a Rainbow-Energy-Blast, vaporizing the surrounding trees in a 5 foot radius, blasting the surrounding trees away in a 10 foot radius after that, and just blowing wind on the surrounding trees in a 100 foot radius after that.
He looks at the shattered TV, and then speaks as if talking to the president. “You stupid motherfu-”
Void’s Base
Ray and Felix are watching the news, and they see and hear exactly what the others heard. Then, they just look at the door to the base and they shoot Energy-Beams at the door, blasting it straight into the mountain across.
“Shit,” Felix says.
“You wanna get that?” Ray asks.
“We both blasted it.”
“Okay, fine. I can teleport, so I’ll bring the door over here. Then you can use your Void-Laser-Vision to attach it back to the wall.”
“Sounds good.”
Washington D.C.
The White House
The Prism flies in, stopping instantly in front of the president - so fast it was as if he teleported.
“Prism?” The president asks.
“Yes,” The Prism replies.
“Were you just in Parkland City?”
“Yeah.”
“How long did it take you to-”
“Just under 6 seconds. I flew at 150,000 miles per hour. Maybe 200.”
“How?”
“You made me angry. I don’t like when people make me angry.”
Just then, Lightning Striker speeds in, faster than The Prism flew in. He grabs The Prism’s shoulder.
“Don’t,” Lightning Striker says. “Don’t, Prism.”
“Why?” The Prism yells, turning around to face Lightning Striker. “He wants to get rid of us!”
“For perfectly good reasons,” Lightning Striker says. “I told you, he might wanna kick us out of the USA. You’re lucky he didn’t. I’m sure he wants to, but he chose the lowest he could do. And that was to ban superheroes.”
“You think it was the right decision?” The Prism asks, a hint of betrayal quivering in his voice.
“Yes,” Lightning Striker says. “I think it was the right decision.”
“What’s wrong with you?” The Prism asks.
“Go home,” Lightning Striker says.
“I don’t have a home,” The Prism says. “I live in the woods.”
“Why?” Lightning Striker asks.
“Where the hell am I supposed to go?” The Prism asks.
“Your own apartment,” Lightning Striker says. “Or with me, or with Techno, or with The Nightfall or The Photon Flare and…” He glances at the president then back at The Prism. “The other one.”
“I’m better alone,” The Prism says. He then starts to walk away.
“That’s not what you told me in the cell,” Lightning Striker says. The Prism stops. “You told me I changed your life, remember? Made you a better man. Are you gonna quit on all of that just for-”
“Yes!” The Prism yells. “You wanna sit back and enjoy being free because you don’t have to fight crime anymore, so be it!”
“That’s not true, and you know it,” Lightning Striker says.
“Oh, you quit on being Lightning Striker the second you made that company,” The Prism says.
“What company?” The president asks.“Don’t,” Lightning Striker says.
“Nova AI,” The Prism says, revealing Lightning Striker’s identity to the president. “Good ol’ Lightning Striker is James Mathis… The CEO of Nova AI. Former LR Labs employee.”
“Damn it, Frank,” Lightning Striker says. He turns to the president. “I’m really sorry, sir. I’ll make sure The Prism doesn’t come back again, I promise.”
“You’re James Mathis?” The president asks.
“Yeah,” Lightning Striker says, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
“I’m a big fan of Nova AI,” the president says. “It’s helped me with a lot of my problems.”
“If you’re suggesting to let me be a hero solely because of Nova AI, I can’t accept that,” Lightning Striker says.
“Yeah, because you just hate being a hero,” The Prism says. Lightning Striker turns back to him.
“Maybe I do!” Lightning Striker yells. “Maybe I do hate being a hero! Maybe I’m sick of everyone around me dying all the time! Maybe, for once in my goddamn life, I wanna stop being the cause for everyone’s death! Is that okay with you, Frank?! Is it okay with you that I wanna stop people from dying?! Is that so wrong?!” He starts panting. “For the past 2 and a half years I have been running around our city stopping bad guys with you and Techno and the others! And throughout all of that, you all have died! Techno, twice! And he’s destined to die within the next 2 and a half months and I don’t know if I can live with that!” His voice starts to crack with emotion, tears streaming down his face. “I broke the first time Techno died! He was my only friend, and he was a hell of a hero. If you wanna go ahead and blame me for not wanting to protect the city anymore, go ahead. But don’t ignore the reasons.” He speeds away.
The Prism stands still for a few seconds, his eyes starting to water. He slowly levitates in the air before he ultimately flies back to Parkland City.
