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The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis Recap

Jennifer records a video log for Anissa in her room, talking about how she keeps waking up at 3:30 in the morning. She figures that her equilibrium is off given what the occupation is doing to Freeland and her family. She wishes that she could go back in time, and wonders how to believe any more. Jennifer also figures that she's killed Markovians and has been working with Odell, and says that she's confused because Odell and Jeff are opposed to each other and Anissa is with Jeff. Jennifer figures that her family is right but her head is telling her that Odell is doing what is necessary with Lynn. The girl figures that Lynn believes in what the ASA is doing, and wonders who she follows when both sides are right and wrong. Jennifer then decides to go over and talk to Anissa in person.

Rebecca Larson reports on how there is no SARS epidemic in Freeland. She has video of the ASA activities, and encourages anyone who may be exposed to Green Light to call. Bill is watching with the other Resistance members, and Black Lightning figures the ASA intercepted Jamilah's video upload and altered the footage. Blackbird insists that they need a plan, and Bill warns the ASA will come for them after Franklin Terrace.

Jennifer comes down to the kitchen, and Odell comes on the TV screen and addresses her. He's at the hospital and assures Jennifer that he's not going anywhere until his mission is completed. Odell warns that the Resistance is going from an annoyance to a nuisance, making it harder for the ASA to control Freeland. He tells Jennifer that he expects her to do what is right for the city and the people, and says that Jeff's strategy for Freeland hasn't worked for years. Odell says that Jennifer destroying the data farm has saved more lives than Black Lightning has throughout his career, and notes that Freeland would be Hell if the Markovians had gotten through the perimeter to enter Freeland. The ASA wants Jennifer to do air patrols and keep an eye out for the approaching Markovians and kill them. Before he signs off, Odell tells Jennifer that the time is soon approaching for her to choose sides.

Blackbird escorts refugees out of the church basement, then tells Black Lightning that she figures that it's time to strike back. She wonders if they have no choice except to kill, and tells Black Lightning that Khalil attacked her and Tavon. Blackbird explains that she tried to reason with Khalil but things have changed, and Black Lightning is going to die if he won't kill.

In her apartment, Jennifer is waiting for Anissa and wearing her Lightning costume. The skies overhead turn red, and Shona is unable to raise Jennifer. Odell calls in and tells Anissa not to go out there, and static breaks up the comm. Lightning glows with power and then collapses.

Jennifer finds herself standing in a black void with two other versions of herself: Gen and Jinn. A white-clad Gen says that Odell threw her into the Pit after she changed the water to remove the metagene from anyone who drank it. They figure that they're from parallel Earths.

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On Earth-1, Jeff prepares for Christmas dinner. Up in their room, Gen looks outside at the red skies. Anissa complains that Jennifer almost outed her, and says that she hasn't found the right time to tell their parents that she's a lesbian. They talk about how Jeff is the Secretary of Education, and Anissa insists that Jeff only took the job to make it look like he didn't agree with what Jennifer did. Gen complains that Jeff didn't defend her publicly, and Anissa describes a girl she's dating. Gen says that she told her parents that the ASA let her out for Christmas, and she's proud of Khalil for going to UCLA. She doesn't see the point in having a long-distance relationship, and notes that their parents can't stand to be together or apart.

Glass shatters downstairs, and Jennifer and Anissa go down to find ASA soldiers beating up Jeff. As the solders grab Anissa and Gen, Odell comes in and says that Jeff forced him to come there. Jeff insists that he's done everything the High Council told him to, and Odell has an agent play a video of Holt confessing that he and Jeff have been working together running an underground railroad. An off-camera soldier shoots Holt dead, and Lightning watches from the stairs as Odell tells Anissa and Gen that Jeff did too much and disobedience runs in the family. Lightning tries to stop Odell from shooting Jeff, but she's an invisible ghost. Odell shoots Jeff dead, and the soldiers drag Gen out as Anissa weeps over her father's body.

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Gambi arrives at Anissa's place, and Anissa explains that Jennifer called to meet her. The Jennifer unconscious and glowing isn't wearing the suit that Gambi made her, and Lightning jerks awake and says that Jeff is died before passing out again.

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Gen lies in a cell and cries. Anissa comes in and says that Lynn is coming back from the funeral, and says that Lynn and Jeff loved each other but couldn't find a way to make it work. Ghost Lightning watches as Gen says that Anissa and Jeff are her only visitors, and it's all her fault for not listening to Jeff's instructions. Anissa assures her sister that Jeff lived and died like he wanted to, fighting for Freeland, and hugs Jennifer.

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Gambi discovers that Lightning's vitals are disappearing, and Anissa figures that it started when the skies turned red. Jeff is on his way and Anissa hasn't been able to reach Lynn. Gambi explains that he got Lynn out of the Pit just in time.

At home, Lynn mixes Green Light. Anissa calls her and says that she needs her at her place, and Lynn stares off into space, shocked.

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Lynn arrives to see Gen and asks her daughter to let her in. Gen finally opens the door and tells Lynn that she doesn't know her. Lynn admits that she should have visited more, and figures it's something that only time will heal. She says that Jeff was proud of Gen, and Gen asks Lynn how she would know. Lynn insists that she and Jeff loved each other very much, and he always talked about how he was proud of all the lives she saved. Jeff was proud of how Gen brought peace to Freeland, and Gen wonders what kind of peace it is when Odell can kill who he wants. Lynn says that Gen stopped ASA from weaponizing the metahumans, and Gen wonders if it was worth Jeff's life. Her mother says that it was, and hugs Gen as she breaks into tears.

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Jeff arrives at the apartment and finds Lynn there, and sees Lightning fading in and out. Gambi explains that Jennifer is susceptible to anti-matter in the sky, and figures that they're dealing with parallel universes. Bill calls and says he needs either Blackbird or Black Lightning or there will be no Resistance. Jeff refuses to go, but Lynn tells him to deal with the situation he created. They argue until Gambi interrupts and says that they have work to do if Jennifer is going to survive the night. Jeff finally agrees to back up Bill, and Gambi tells them that he's found a target that could swing things in their direction.

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On Earth-2, the black-clad Jinn walks down the halls of Garfield. Jeff finishes his class and Jinn comes in and sarcastically applauds. He thanks Jinn for coming, and Jinn says that she is going to continue working with Odell and the ASA no matter what Jeff says. Jeff tells Jinn that Odell is using her, and she's addicted to using her powers. Jinn insists that the people of Freeland need her, and Jeff's philosophy stopped him from helping them. She's going to clean up his mess so people can have a life of peace, and leaves. In her ghost form, Lightning watches the two of them.

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At the Pit, Odell tells Grey that Black Lightning destroyed the ASA headquarters. The perimeter is still intact, and Odell figures Jeff will go after the camp and release the detainees. Odell tells Grey to send a shipment of Green Light and brain implants to the camp and weaponized the detainees. Grey warns that the detainees haven't been trained yet, but Odell figures that they'll soon be combat-ready and dismisses Grey.

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Jinn meets Odell and says that she killed the metas now that they've defeated the Markovians. Odell points out that Jinn is the only meta left, and assures her that her loyalty will be rewarded. Jinn warns that people's loyalties change when they don't need Odell, and Odell says that her family will come for her. They both laugh at the thought.

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Gambi piggybacks on the ASA satellites and discovers that when the antimatter in the atmosphere increases, Jen fades out. Anissa wants to go stop the ASA, but Gambi figures that the ASA isn't creating the antimatter. Lynn doesn't believe the ASA can do the impossible, and Anissa tells her that they brought Khalil back. Her mother says that she saw Khalil in the Pit, and Anissa tells her that they have to put Khalil down. Lynn disagree, saying that they can't kill him, and Anissa insists that Khalil is dangerous and inhuman.

Gambi intercepts an ASA transmission that Odell is sending Green Light to the detainees. He figures the ASA is desperate enough to release unstable metas on Freeland. Anissa contacts Black Lightning and tells him what Odell is doing, and she says that she has a plan to stop it.

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Jinn enters the Pierce house and Jeff confronts her. She tells him that no one is innocent, and says that she ended a war that Jeff couldn't because of his personal morality. Jeff says that she became a cold-blooded murderer who listens to Odell, and Jinn insists that she doesn't let anyone control her. Lynn and Anissa come in, and Lynn says that Jinn has to turn herself into the authorities. Jinn tells her that she is the authority, and tells Jeff to make her.

Anissa says that they're a family and can talk it out, but Jinn tells them that she's weak. Jinn takes Anissa out, and Jeff fires electricity at his daughter. The girl kills Lynn with an energy blast, and father and daughter match energy against each other. Jinn overwhelms Jeff, forcing him to his knees, while Lightning can only watch. Jeff dies and Jinn says that she'll live her future by any means necessary. She looks at the corpses of her family and then walks away.

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Lynn begs Gambi to do something, and red energy emerges from Lightning's body before she disappears.

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Furious, Lightning hits Jinn and wonders how she could kill her family. Their powers don't work so they brawl, and Gen begs them to stop. The two Jennifers stop, and Lightning talks about the red storm that changed her. Jinn figures that it's a Markovian trick, but Lightning figures that the storm is collapsing the three versions of them together until only one survives.

Lightning says that Jinn has too much power and Odell turned her into a weapon. She figures that Jeff's code is flawed but at least it kept his spirit clean. Lightning figures she can avoid become Jinn, and she realized that there is no such thing as normal and none of them can be part of it. Jinn tells them that she brought peace to Freeland, and Lightning says that she has no one in her world that doesn't love her and it's a far cry from peace. Lightning tells Gen that her powers are a gift from God and she should never give them up.

Jinn isn't impressed, and Gen says that she sees a white wave. A wave of energy sweeps over her and Jinn, dissolving them both.

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Black Lighting returns to the apartment, and Lynn begs the floating cloud of energy that was Lightning to come back to them. The antimatter cloud sweeps down from the sky, and Black Lightning is teleported away as the others disintegrate.

Written by Gadfly on Dec 10, 2019

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