As a solar flare heads for Earth, people across the world discuss the coming HELE. Luke is at a gas station getting gas and drives off with Malina, Quentin, and Phoebe.
At Renautus, Hachiro is working on the computer. Erica listens as the newscasters discuss how Herotruther are the ones who revealed Renautus supposed plan.
Matt drives to Odessa with a mind-controlled Taylor.
Carlos, Farah, Micah, and Jose drive to Odessa.
At Midian, Emily finds Tommy and wonders how he can still trust Erica. He points out that the HELE is coming regardless of what they say about Erica, and Emily insists that they need to find Malina. Tommy realizes that she isn't wearing her Gateway watch, and Emily says that she hasn't received one yet. He tells her to get one just in case and says that he'll see her soon. When he walks off into a restricted area, two guards stop Emily from following him.
Tommy goes to the teleport center and asks Erica if the broadcast is true. She asks if it matters, and Tommy says to just get it over with. He sits in the amplifier chair and they prepare to send an advance group through. The technicians engage and the advance team disappears through the portal. Erica tells Richard that they just need to keep Tommy under control for 14 more hours, and a security guard calls her away. She wants Michael to get Hachiro to fix Evernow and leaves.
Ren arrives at Odessa by bus and finds a line of people having their wristbands scanned by guards. The guards take Ren name and tell him that he's cleared to go in, and inject him with an ID chip after telling him to get a Gateway watch.
Luke pulls up to a roadblock outside of Odessa and they figure the National Guard soldiers are looking for Malina. Phoebe laughs and says that they'll never get into Gateway. Luke suggests that they get Tommy's attention by making a little news once they get rid of their prisoners.
Erica is in her office on the phone to the governor, telling him to get out of her way and let her save the world. Once she hangs up, Erica puts on a watch and takes a business card out of a case on her desk. Matt barges in with Taylor and trains a gun on her, and demands that Erica keep her promises concerning taking his family to the future. He mind-controls Taylor into taking his gun and putting it to her head, and demands three tickets to the future. Matt insists that he lived up to his end of the bargain, and Taylor begs his mother to give Matt what he wants. He tells Erica that Taylor is pregnant and realizes that Erica didn't know, and Taylor hands out three watches. Once Matt takes them, frees Taylor, and leaves, Erica hugs her sobbing daughter.
Luke drives to the former Primatech site and orders Phoebe and Quentin out of the car. When Malina says that Luke isn't that man any more, he tells her to wait in the car.
Tommy makes another transfer and hears Richard arguing with a technician about how they have to get at least 2,000 people to the future to guarantee genetic diversity. The teenager asks what will happen to everyone else and realizes that they lied to him, and teleports away.
Erica gets Taylor some water and figures that Francis is the father. When Taylor wonders how it feels to know her grandchild's father is an Evo, Erica says it's not as unfamiliar as Taylor would think.
The Past
A doctor examines Erica's father and talks to her privately. He says that he gave the man something for his father but there's nothing else he can do. The doctor kills a fly and then brings it back to life, explaining that he's an Evo. However, he makes Erica to keep it a secret. Erica agrees and the doctor kisses her, whispering that it's okay.
Now
A guard comes in and tells Erica that Tommy has teleported away. She figures that Tommy will go to his mother and tells the guard to watch her, and then tells Taylor that they'll have to discuss her pregnancy later. Taylor insists that Erica can't walk away from her, and a vase on the desk explodes. Erica insists that she had Taylor tested and she's not an Evo, and they realize that the power came from the unborn child. Taylor demands to see Francis. When Erica says that it's not a good time, Taylor grabs the gun and says that she's not going to be on her mother's backburner anymore.
Luke takes Phoebe and Quentin into the forest, and Phoebe doesn't believe Luke will shoot them. Quentin tells her not to provoke Luke, and Phoebe runs off. When Luke prepares to shoot her, Quentin knocks him down. Luke drops the gun, gets up, and chases after Phoebe, and Quentin manages to free himself.
Phoebe works herself free and removes the shunt. She puts out Luke's flashlight and runs away, and Quentin runs up and aims the gun at Luke. After a moment, he hands the gun to Luke. Luke warns that if Quentin that if he joins their side then there's no going back to his sister, and Quentin says that Phoebe isn't his sister anymore.
Ren enters one of the Renautus registration center and a worker scans his ID chip. He sits down next to Emily and realizes that she's upset. She finally says that someone she cares about is going to make a terrible mistake. The worker gives Emily her watch, and Emily tells Ren that Tommy trusts Erica. Ren says that he is looking for the master of time and space to find his friend in the future, and Emily says that she's finding him. They go off to find Tommy.
Tommy finds Anne as two guards take her down the street. He freezes time and then releases Anne, and she warns that Tommy can' trust Erica. Tommy says that Erica has lied to him about a great deal but not everything, and teleports her into the future. He figures that they don't stop the HELE, but Anne warns that there are many futures. Tommy figures that if helps Erica then humanity will save, and Anne explains that Tommy's father said that he was capable of much more. She tells her son to have faith in himself, and Tommy teleports them back to Odessa in the present. Tommy prepares to go to find Malina in the last place he saw her, says that he loves his mother, and teleports away.
Taylor takes Erica out and asks how she feels that her grandchild is an Evo. Erica says that Taylor has no idea what she's sacrificed to raise her, and insists that she did it all for her daughter. Taylor doesn't believe it, and Erica sarcastically says that she's just a monster who never thinks about anyone but herself.
The Past
A pregnant Erica is throwing up from morning sickness when her father checks on her. He realizes that she's pregnant and asks if the father knows, and Erica says that she hasn't and he' snot a good guy. Her father tells her that he'll supporter her no matter what she decides, and they hug.
Now
Taylor demands that Erica take her to Francis and they go down in an elevator. When they arrive in the sub-level, armed guards surround them. Taylor realizes that Francis is dead and asks Erica why she hates her so much. She demands the truth and aims the gun at her mother's head.
The Past
Erica calls the Doctor to her house and shows him her young daughter. She's coughing up blood from the coal dust in the air, and asks him to help her. He uses his power to heal Taylor, and warns that her abilities could manifest when she's older. The doctor says that it's best if Taylor lives with him, and warns Erica that she doesn't have a choice. Furious, Erica grabs a knife and stabs the doctor in the neck.
Now
Erica tells the guards to go and then steps forward. She insists that Taylor is the greatest thing that ever happened to her, and Taylor lowers the gun. Taylor wonders what happens now, and Erica says that they start again. She's made her choice and is prepared to live with it, and says that it's time for Taylor to make her choice. Erica asks the three of them to start again, and Taylor says that she'd rather die than live in an empty world with her. Taylor gets in the elevator and the doors close. Shocked, Erica breaks into tears for a moment and then gets control of herself.
With seven hours until the HELE begins, Luke, Quentin, and Malina go to a nearby high school. Malina stops to look at the trophies, and points out a photo of Claire. Luke says that they have to find Tommy and continues on, and after a moment Malina follows him. They go into the gym and Luke tells Malina to take off her hood so the nearby news crew will get her on live TV. Malina points out that Erica will see it as well, and Luke figures that Tommy will get there faster. She steps in front of the school logo and removes her hood, and then summons blows up a wind spout of papers and sets it on fire.
Micah and Farah go into a convenience and discover that it's abandoned. The TV is on and running a broadcast of Malina talking to her brother and saying where she is. Farah recognizes her and Micah uses his power to stabilize the signal and put it on a loop to anything that can receive the signal.
Tommy teleports back to Anne and says that there's no sign of Malina in Missouri. He wants to go back in time to when she was there, but Anne warns him about the dangers of altering the past. Anne's iPhone shows Malina's transmission and Tommy teleports to Odessa.
Erica goes to the lab and Richard shows her Malina's broadcast. He reports that he sent Joanne and a security team to capture Malina, and sent Hachiro as well.
Joanne arrives at the school and goes to the gym. Tommy teleports in a few seconds later and goes to the gym. Joanne heads through the crowd and Luke spots her. He starts moving Malina and Quentin away, while Tommy searches a different part of the crowd. Hachiro finds him and digitalizes him into his iPhone, and Joanne spots them and opens fire. Quentin pulls Malina down, and Luke shoots at Joanne. As sunlight shines in the window, his powers activate and he tells Joanne to stop.
Carlos and the others arrive at the school and see the crowd running out. Farah turns invisible and goes inside, and Carlos goes after her.
Luke tells Joanne that Malina isn't responsible, and Joanne says that it's all she has. Malina gets up to blast her and Joanne shoots her, and Luke incinerates his wife with a fire blast. Carlos and the others come in, and Quentin goes to Malina. Farah appears, bleeding, and they realize that she shielded Malina with her body. Luke tells them to get Farah to a hospital, and Carlos carries her out with Micah and Jose.
Emily and Ren enter the Renautus sub-levels and he realizes that it has the same layout as a level in Evernow. Using his knowledge of the game, he leads Emily to the elevator that leads to the core. The buttons don't work, and Ren realizes that the key matches the necklace that Hachiro gave him in Midian. He activates the elevator and they descend.
As Matt drives out of Odessa, he calls his wife Janice and tells her that he needs to see her because there are things happening. A pole comes down in front of him and Matt loses control.. His car goes off the road and crashes. Matt realizes that his watch is smashed and he's trapped in the car. The other watches float away in a nearby stream Matt yells for help.
Hachiro reports to Erica, and she says that she'll honor her end of their arrangement as soon as the portal is back on-line. When Hachiro laments the things he's done to keep his daughter alive, Erica tells him to never be ashamed of what they do for their children.
The Past
As Erica and Taylor stare at the doctor's body. There's a knock at the door. It's a young Caspar, who says that his company has learned that she has a problem with a doctor. He sees the blood on her sleeve and tells Erica that he can make sure she forgets the entire incident. Caspar offers Erica his card, and she says that she doesn't want to forget what happened. However, she asks Caspar to make Taylor forget. After a moment, Caspar goes inside.
Now
Ren and Emily duck into a room to evade the guards, and spot Hachiro and Erica working in the lab. Hachiro says that they are ready to put Tommy online, and Richard stabs Hachiro with a hypodermic. Once the guards take Hachiro away, Erica says that it's time and Richard brings up the Evernow program. Inside the rebuilt fortress, Tommy is trapped.
Written by Gadfly on Jan 15, 2016