96 Months Ago
Andre prepares to record a record on vinyl, then goes out on the stage and performs with a band, trying to hit the "blue note". His drummer member warns that if he messes it up then they might not ask them back. However, Andre insists that if he hits the note then he'll be one with the gods. He hits the note but then clutches at his head in pain and collapses.
Now
In the record shop, Andre looks at the veve and then picks up a record belonging to Mikayla and puts it on the player.
Tyrone draws the veve on the motel floor and concentrates. He then admits to Tandy that he can't track Andre using the veve, and figures they'll have to track Andre themselves. Tyrone suggests that Andre is still around since he was going to talk to Chantelle, and says that he'll have to go alone but doesn't want to leave her alone. Tandy tells him to go, saying that she can run down some leads on her own. He wonders what they'll do if they find Andre, and Tandy says that they'll deal with it when the time comes.
Tyrone agrees and teleports away, and Tandy calls Melissa and leaves a message apologizing for how she treated her earlier in group. She asks her mother to call to let her know that she's good, and Mayhem comes over and complains that Tandy didn't stay out of it. Tandy insists that they have to find Andre and stop her, and Mayhem reluctantly tells her to get into her call. She says that a call came in and they have a lead. As they drive, Mayhem says that most of the girls at the Viking were released and they're all gone. Mayhem figures that there's something up about the case, and all the women still in custody have gone crazy and started humming the same few notes. The women won't talk about Andre.
Mayhem and Tandy arrive at where Lia is lying at the side of the road. Tandy insists that they can't transport Lia to a hospital by ambulance, and Mayhem gives in. They drive her off and she lies in the backseat humming the same notes as the women in the jail. Tandy says that they'll get answers from Lia about Andre one way or another.
92 Months Ago
Andre staggers through the streets, abandoning his trumpet case.
Now
Tyrone calls Adina on a burner phone, and teleports after Solomon walking down the street. He asks about Connors, and Adina claims that he's fine. Tyrone isn't convinced but doesn't challenge4 her.
At the church, Tandy touches Lia's hand and enters her hopes. She finds herself in a black void with Lia lying unconscious on the ground. Tandy returns to the real world and says that there's nothing left of Lia in there, and manifests a light dagger. Mayhem says that Tyrone has dug out people's hearts in the past and maybe they should wait for him. After a moment Tandy lets the dagger fade and figures that they need Tyrone, and calls him.
Tyrone confronts Solomon at a diner and says that he's just there to talk. They chat about Luke Cage, and Tyrone reads Solomon an article since Solomon can't read. He points out that Solomon saved Adina's life, and says that Luke would still be trying to make things right even if he wasn't bulletproof. Solomon agrees, and Tyrone says that he needs his help. He wants Solomon to tell the gangs that he needs to talk to them, figuring that they'll ambush him. Solomon warns him that some things can't be fixed. Tyrone gets Tandy's call, and tells Solomon that he'll take care of the rest once he gets the gangs together.
92 Months Ago
Andre stands on a sign at the docks and contemplates jumping in and killing himself. The rig explodes and Andre catches himself as he slips in surprise. When he wakes up the next day, he's in the hospital. Lia, his nurse, is tending to him. Lia says that he fell and had an accident, and he's lucky to be alive. Andre tells her that he gets migraines. She says that there were people who saw him jump, and Andre tells her that he lost his music and it was his whole world. When Lia takes his hand, Andre finds himself in the record shop for the first time. The bins are empty and the door with the vege is locked. He finally locates one record with Lia's name on it, and plays it. Andre sighs in relief as his migraines fade as the music plays. In the real world, Lia stares at Andre.
Now
As Mayhem loads her gun, Tyrone teleports in and says that he has a lead on Andre. Tandy explains that Brigid and Mayhem are working together, and that Andre dumped Lia off and she won't wake up. She asks him to dig for Lia's hope. Tyrone warns against it, but Tandy figures that it's the best way to locate Andre. After a moment, Tyrone and Tandy enter Lia's mind together. She figures that the black void is all that is left when Andre drains his victims' hope.
Tandy and Tyrone go to glowing white doorway in the floor. When Tyrone touches it, they appear in a hospital room where Andre is talking to Lia. He offers to let her come with him, and says that if her dad loves her then he wouldn't stop her from following her dreams. Andre says that he can give her back her music, and that he needs her. Tandy tells Tyrone that they have to keep going down. There's another door in the floor, and when Tandy touches it they appear in a recital hall. A young Lia is on stage playing the cello, and her parents are in the audience watching. Tandy realizes that she knows how to get to Lia.
Young Lia finishes her performance, and Tandy comes over and says that she needs to help a friend. She asks to borrow the cello, and Young Lia agrees.
Andre puts on a record in the reissues and hears Lia play.
Tandy returns to the hospital, and Andre asks her what they're doing. She throws a light dagger at him but Andre says that she can't hurt him in Lia's mind. Andre explains that he wants a big enough audience to hear him when he hits the blue notes, and says that he doesn't deserve the migraines. Tandy tells him that he does, and that he's sick and abusive. She says that he knows she's abused his powers, and says that he's done being in pain and it's time to cash in and for others to share his burden.
Tyrone and Tandy return to the real world, and Tandy tells Mayhem that the whole city will end up like Lia if they don't find Andre.
85 Months Ago
As the head of the community center, Andre finds and "collects" more women coming to group.
Now
Tyrone calls Solomon and learns that he's brought the gangs together, and says that he'll have to go with them. Mayhem wants to go with him, but he teleports to the meeting. As they open fire on each other, Tyrone finds Solomon and tells him that it's not his fault.
Mayhem figures that she should kill Lia. She says that Andre turned Lia into a monster.
Tyrone finds the gang leaders and teleports them to a rooftop. When one of them calls him a bitch, Tyrone shoves him over the edge.
Tandy refuses to get out of Mayhem's way, and Mayhem prepares to shoot her.
Tyrone catches the falling man and teleports back to the roof, and asks if they know who he is.
Tandy disarms Mayhem with a thrown light dagger and says that Lia doesn't deserve death. She tackles her.
Tyrone says that they can't stop him.
Mayhem knocks Tandy down and says that she's as weak as Lia.
Tyrone tells the gang leaders that he wants a change, He tells them that people who don't want drugs are off limits. When one of the leaders objects, Tyrone grabs him, teleports him away, and teleports him back. He says that things are going to change, and if they get in his way then he'll be fighting them.
Tandy and Mayhem continue fighting, and Tandy draws a light dagger on Mayhem. Mayhem says that whatever Lia does is on Tandy.
Tandy tells the leaders that he needs the location of one of their buyers.
Tandy takes Lia to the hospital, and Tyrone teleports there and says that he has a lead on Andre: that he's back at his old stomping ground. They teleport there, leaving Lia behind, and Tyrone figures that they'll have to kill him. Tandy says that she'll do it because she has the daggers, but Tyrone says that they'll do it together like everything else. She agrees and they go into the club.
A woman is singing on stage, and they find a memorial. They realize that the original club burned down, and Tyrone teleports them to the original location.
Andre prepares his trumpet and goes onstage.
Tandy and then Tyrone hear Andre playing, and find him on a street corner playing for the pedestrians. He's drawn the veve on the street and it's glowing with energy. Mikayla is in the audience, but she and the others are entranced. Melissa is there, also entranced. Tyrone tells Tandy to throw a knife at him, and he grabs it, teleports up to the stage, and knocks the trumpet out of Andre's hands. The listeners and Andre disappear.
Andre is back in the record shop, and the door unlocks. Smiling, Andre walks through it into the club beyond.
Tyrone and Tandy hear the trumpet music, and realize that it's coming from the ruins of the club.
Written by Gadfly on May 24, 2019