Rip checks on Mick in his cell, and Mick insists that he doesn't take
orders from Rip. The Time Hunter says that he came to ask for Mick's
help, and then apologizes for failing him. He admits that brought Mick
along under false pretenses. When Mick's true nature revealed itself,
Rip asked Len to deal with him. He says that Mick's quarrel should be
with him, and Mick assures him that he wants to kill both of them.
Gideon interrupts to announce that they've arrived in 2147, and Rip has
the AI set course for the Kasnian Conglomerate.
Jax and Sara
put on uniforms to match the local setting, and Rip explains that in two
years, Vandal will attend a meeting of the Conglomerate's shareholders.
In 20 years, Vandal uses Kasnia as a foothold to take over the world.
Rip plans to find out how Vandal did it and stop him. They leave with
Martin, ray, and Len, and Rip explains that in five years a ruthless
dictator, Peg Degaton, releases the Armageddon Virus and kills most of
the population. Autonomous Atom suits fly up and gun down a civilian.
Rip explains that Per's father Tor uses the security troops to maintain
order, and Ray wants to check the suits to see how they're programmed.
Rip, Sara, and Len go to the building where the shareholder meeting is.
Rip uses a pair of contact lenses to get past the scanner, and the
guard says that only he's allowed. Inside, the board discusses the world
outside of Conglomerate walls, and Tor says that they can't cause
chaos. Vandal warns that the world's population is unsustainable and
they must thin the herd. Tor insists that his decision will stand and
leaves, and Rip follows Vandal out. Per approaches Vandal and asks how
the meeting is, and Vandal tells his student that Tor doesn't have what
it takes to run a country. As Vandal leaves the boy off, Rip overhears
them discussing Per's studies.
Back at Waverider, Rip
tells the others that Vandal is Per's tutor. In five years, Tor dies and
Per unleashes the Armageddon Virus. It decimates the world's population
and leaves it ripe for conquest. Vandal then kills Per and takes his
power for himself. Rip wants to stop Vandal's rise to power by depriving
him of Per, and Len says that they kill Per themselves. Martin points
out that they're discussing murdering a child, and Rip explains that in
the future, Per is considered a tyrant on the level of Hitler. Len
points out that if they don't kill Per then Vandal will, and Martin
points out that they will kill Per in cold blood just like Vandal killed
Rip's son. Ray sides with Martin, and Rip suggests that they remove Per
from the timeline as an alternative. While Len kidnaps Per, Ray and
Martin will sabotage the robot army. Sara doesn't see the point, but Rip
points out that the same technology leads to Vandal's rise to power.
She gives in and joins the kidnapping team.
As the others go,
Ray notices Kendra looking concerned. He figures that she can sense
Vandal, and Kendra tells Ray not to worry about her.
Once
he leaves, Kendra remembers living with Carter in the 1950s. Carter
realizes that something is wrong, and Kendra finally says that she
senses Vandal and they should go. She warns that Vandal won't stop until
Vandal catches them, just as their son Aldus comes out. Kendra assures
Carter and Aldus that she loves them both.
Len sets up in
on a street and Sara sets up a sniper's post on a rooftop. Gideon has
given them Per's route to his next class. Len dons a pair of targeting
glasses and spots Per coming, surrounded by a squad of bodyguards. Sara
aims and fires, taking out a bodyguard. Rip joins the formation, wearing
a similar uniform. Len then shoots the lead bodyguards. When Per takes
cover, Rip knocks out the bodyguard protecting the boy.
Ray,
Jax, and Martin go to the factory that is manufacturing the robot
enforcement officers. Dr. Brice shows them around and explains how crime
rates have dropped since the program began, and Ray points out that
their tech utilizes dwarf-star material. Brice says that her distant
relative founded the company and points out a bust of the founder... who
looks just like Ray.
Back on Waverider, Ray worries
about how his robots will be used to conquer the world. Ray wonders how
he can be someone's ancestor when he wasn't involved with anyone before
he left 2016. Jax suggests that Felicity may have ghosted him because
she knew she was pregnant, and Ray figures that when he left 2016, he
set off the chain of events that led to the robots' creation. As Ray
walks off, Kendra finds him and points out that he doesn't look fine. He
says that he needs an energy bar and quickly walks off.
Kendra
makes up fake ID papers for her and Carter, and wonders how they'll
tell Aldus that they change their identities and move on every few
years. She wonders if they're selfish for trying to raise a child when
Vandal will come after them. Carter insists that their love is immortal
and they kiss.
Sara and Rip watch the sleeping Per, and
Gideon monitors his dreams. Rip has the AI check the timeline, and it
says that they did nothing. The Time Hunter tells the rest of the team,
and warns that they can't easily alter history. Len wants to kill Per
and Rip agrees, pointing out that the boy will kill billions when he
becomes an adult. Jax suggests that they talk to Per, and Sara agrees
based on her own experience.
Later, Sara visits Mick and tells
them about their decision concerning Per. She says that no one thinks
Mick can change, and Mick reminds her that Len marooned her. Sara points
out that she and Len almost died, and Len was thinking about his
friendship with Mick. She says that Mick should know that Len is Mick's
loyal friend, but Mick isn't impressed. As she goes, Mick points out
that killing a kid isn't very heroic.
Tor summons Vandal to the
conference room and says that everyone in the Conglomerate has
submitted biosamples can be tracked. They have no samples of Rip, Len,
and Sara. Vandal recognizes them from the surveillance footage and says
that he can get Per back. He's sure that they didn't kill Per because
they're weak.
In the Wavrider medbay, Rip prepares to kill the sleeping Per. He takes a knife... and cuts the tranquilizer feed.
The Waverider
jump ship taking off, and Gideon confirms that Rip is piloting it. They
discover that Rip turned off his transponder, and Sara figures that Rip
doesn't want them stopping him from killing Per. Ray insists that Rip
isn't a murderer, but Martin figures that Rip is saving his son by
killing Per.
Rip tells Per that he'll soon be home.
Kendra sits in her quarters and remembers her past.
Carter
and Kendra prepare to leave, and Kendra tells Aldus that they're going
on a trip. Aldus realizes that Vandal has found them and asks why he's
chasing them. The couple tells their son the full story about how they
became reincarnated lovers thousands of years ago.
Ray
comes in and Kendra tells him that she's been having memory and feeling
flashes of Carter. She says that it feels like she's cheating on Carter
with Ray, and asks Ray what's wrong. Ray explains that he has a child in
2016, and his descendant has created the robots that Vandal will use to
conquer the world. He didn't tell Kendra because he didn't want her to
think less of him, and they wonder what it means for them.
Sara
checks with Len in the cargo bay and says that he should talk with
Mick. He insists that he doesn't have any feelings about Mick, and Sara
points out that it didn't seem that way when they were dying during the
pirate attack. She figures that Len marooning Mick is still weighing on
his conscience and tells him to deal with it.
Rip lands the
jump ship at a neutral site by a lake. He explains that Jonas always
wanted to swim, but never learned because he was killed. Rip draws his
gun and prepares to shoot Per, and Per says that he's not going to kill
him. He says that Rip is like Tor, weak, and Vandal has taught him what a
killer looks like... and Rip is no killer. After a moment, Rip lowers
his gun and warns that Vandal will eventually betray Per. He tells Per
to be the man that Tor wants him to be, not the man Vandal is shaping
him to be. Rip then turns and goes back to the jump ship.
Kendra senses Vandal approaching, just as Gideon announces that Tor's
forces have surrounded the ship. They fire on the cloaked ship,
revealing it, and Gideon says that the robots have already disabled its
weapon systems. The team flies out and attacks the assault force, while
Tor and Vandal watch. Atom tries to draw off the robots, but one of them
shoots him and brings him down. Hawkgirl goes to him, and Atom warns
that the robots are too fast. Firestorm holds off the robots while Atom
and Hawkgirl take out their command center. They fly to the nearby
building and Atom knocks out the technician in charge. Brice comes in
and demands to know where Atom got his suit. She insists that the robots
are designed to bring peace, and Ray unmasks and says that he designed
them. He explains that he's Brice's ancestor, and Brice says that the
bust is of Sidney Palmer, Ray's brother. Ray realizes that Sidney went
to work for Felicity after he left in 2016, and let the defense industry
pervert the technology. Kendra asks Brice for her help disabling the
robot, figuring that she'll do what's right if she's a Palmer.
The robots shut down but Vandal takes Sara hostage. He offers to
exchange her for Rip. Rip arrives with Per and offers to trade the boy
for Sara. Per tells Tor not to do it, and Vandal agrees. Tor takes the
knife from Vandal and orders his men to lower their weapons. After a
moment, Rip shoves Vandal forward and Sara rejoins her teammates.
Later, Len visits Mick and points out that they both have reasons to
want each other dead. He offers to open the cell door and they fight. If
Mick kills him, he takes the jump ship and leaves the team alone. If
Mick dies, he figures that it's better than being locked up. When Mick
agrees, Len opens the cell door.
Kendra visits Ray and asks him
not to give up on the two of them. He points out that she and Carter
and spent lifetimes together falling in love, and wonders why they will
be any different. Kendra assures Ray that Carter is her past and Ray is
his future, and kisses him.
Per approaches Vandal and says that
he wants to resume his study. Vandal starts telling him about Oedipus
Rex, and how his father tried to kill him. Eventually Oedipus became the
king, and Vandal hands Per a dagger.
Gideon informs Rip that
they guaranteed Per's rise to power. The Armageddon virus was unleashed
in several days rather than five years.
Per kills his father
and then elects Vandal as his proxy. Vandal meets with the board and
reopens the discussion concerning the use of the Armageddon Virus.
Rip wonders if he did the right thing.
Mick and Len slug it out, and Mick finally drops him. Len reminds him
of their deal, and Mick says that he doesn't know what he wants. Whether
he stays or leaves, he's dead. They meet with the others and Mick
explains that since he failed, the Time Masters will send mechanized
Hunters to erase the team from the face of history. His only advice to
the team is run.
Written by Gadfly on Jun 23, 2019