The Crossroads of Fate is the fifth episode and epilogue of the Wars of the Worlds special event and the sixtieth episode chronologically in Earth-19.
| Wars of the Worlds | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Season 0, Episode 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Info - Discussion - Questions - Timeline | ||||||||||||||||||||
Plot[]
The title of this part will be "The Crossroads of Fate"
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[Sci is working alone in the Magister's office. Ivada, Kruto, Slick, Relgo, Nick, Toon, Will, and Brian are also in the office, but they are all working separately. Sci is the only one working alone. He types some things into the computer and sighs, resenting what he has just typed. He looks at the screen as reads the words back to himself, specifically the ones that anger him the most: "Only the three of us may know." He closes the text file he is working on and then stands up, away from the computer.]
[Sci]: Has anyone seen Hornbok?
[Ivada]: He went to his quarters, why?
[Sci]: No reason...
[He exits as Ivada watches him. He goes back to fixing helping Relgo fix broken blasters.]
[Relgo]: He's been acting very strange lately...
[Ivada]: You'd think he'd be happy to be acting leader of the team... Maybe it's too much pressure
[The camera to Sci arriving at Hornbok's quarters. The door opens and Hornbok and Sci stand face to face.]
[Sci]: It's done... Once Paper returns, the riskiest mission we've ever conducted can begin...
[The camera cuts to Paper. He is sleeping on the floor in a house in Japan, specifically near the Kogen Falls. Bink is sleeping next to him. He slowly wakes up and looks at Bink sleeping next to him. He leaves her alone as he walks onto a balcony connected to the house, overlooking the falls. He sees some people walking up near the falls.]
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[Paper, to himself]: They shouldn't be up there...
[Paper looks around him and sees another man sitting in a chair, reading a Japanese newspaper and sipping a beverage, probably tea or coffee. Paper doesn't seem alarmed that the man is sitting there.]
[Man]: Are we leaving soon?
[Paper]: I think so...
[Man]: We've got a lot of places to go if today is really your last day.
[Paper]: We probably should get going...
[He walks back into the house.]
[Man]: Are you regretting something, Paper?
[Paper]: No Makoru, I'm just torn. Half of me wants to continue our journey and travel the world, and the other half wants to return to my job and see my friends.
[Makoru]: I'm sure you'll make the right choice...
[Paper leaves Makoru on the balcony to read his newspaper and sip his tea as he walks through the house. Bink has gotten up, and is in the small kitchen of the house, preparing the last meal before the two pack their things, leave their temporary house in Japan, do some last minute sight seeing, and return to the Plumbers. He stands in the doorway to the kitchen and waits as she walks over to him and hands him a mug of tea.]
[Paper]: You want to go back, right?
[She takes a sip from her tea.]
[Bink]: It's been nice, traveling... but yes, I want to go back...
[Suddenly, there is a loud explosion. Paper and Bink run out onto the balcony and look over at the falls. The group of tourists who was exploring them seems to have been attacked, and a fire is now raging near the waterfall.]
[Paper]: Ha, I knew something would happen on this vacation!
[He runs back into the house and goes to the closet. He goes through both of his bags. Bink walks over to him. He looks through the bags and then looks at Bink.]
[Paper, forgetful]: I didn't... I shouldn't need it...
[Bink]: You're going over there?
[Paper]: Yeah, I'll meet your there...
[Now at superspeed, he runs out of the house as Makoru approaches Bink.]
[Makoru]: So, what did you say your jobs were again?
[The camera cuts to Paper running through the trees and vegetation as he approaches the falls and the raging fire. He makes it to a clearing in the forest, allowing him to see the burning trees and the smoke as it rises into the air. He runs forward as the camera cuts to him arriving at the fire. The three tourists are unconscious on the floor. Paper runs in a few circles around the fire and quickly puts it out, but then notices that more fires have erupted all around the area near the falls.]
[Paper]: What is going on?
[Three more flame columns erupt near the falls as Paper continues forward. He runs through the forests and then eventually trips over a metal wire randomly in the forest. He slides on the ground and then looks back it with a confused look.]
[Paper]: Okay?
[He slowly stands up and then looks around him. Several mysteriously dresses men surround him, pointing unknown weapons at him. Paper raises his hands above his head as he continuously turns around to look at all of the men.]
[Paper]: Can you explain what's causing the fires?
[The men look at him and stand still. Another man, who seems to be their leader, walks forward. He has strange flame like tattoos on his arms.]
[Man]: I apologize, but my men cannot speak English...
[Paper]: Are you the one who has caused these fires?
[Man]: Before I answer any of your questions, you need to answer one of mine; what are you doing on our land?
[Paper]: I was investigating these fires... I am staying at a house near the falls when I heard an explosion...
[The man smiles.]
[Man]: Well, yes, we're the ones who caused these fires?
[Paper]: Why?
[Man]: My name is Suzko, my men and I are part of an organization called the Servants of the Dragon...
[He raises his arms and shows Paper his tattoos.]
[Suzko]: When young men finish their training with the Servants, they receive these tattoos...
[He drops his smile.]
[Suzko]: Have you ever heard of us before?
[Paper]: I haven't...
[Suzko]: Not many people outside of Japan have... Where are you from... the States, correct?
[Paper]: Yes, but I don't live there?
[Suzko]: You're a wanderer, no?
[Paper]: I'm on vacation with a friend of mine... We're staying in one of the houses near the falls with a tour guide...
[Suzko]: What is his name?
[Paper]: Why do you need to know?
[Suzko]: I am looking for a deserter of the Servants who is masquerading himself as a tour guide... His name is--
[Paper]: Before I tell you...
[The men surrounding Paper shake their guns to remind him that they are ready.]
[Suzko]: It's okay... He may speak...
[Paper]: What does your organization do? Are you terrorists?
[Suzko]: I wouldn't call what we do terrorism, but others might call it that... Anyway, this tour guide--
[Paper]: Even if it is my tour guide, I won't let you take him...
[Suzko]: You're special, with your powers of super speed, but you are no match for the Servants. We will fight you, and we will kill you... Now, your guide, his name is Makoru, correct?
[Paper keeps a straight face.]
[Paper]: I said... I won't tell you...
[Makoru, approaching]: Paper, get out of there...
[Paper turns and sees Makoru approaching. One of the soldiers turns and fires a shot from his gun at Makoru.]
[Bink, approaching]: Tellub taht Tcelfed
[Makoru braces for impact, but the bullet doesn't hit him. It flies off into the jungle as Paper sees Bink running up behind Makoru. Paper speeds around and quickly makes work of all of the Servants except for Suzko. All of the men can be seen laying unconscious around the area. Suzko grunts.]
[Suzko]: Who do you think you are?
[Paper]: I'm Paper...
[He turns to Suzko.]
[Paper]: ...and I'm a Plumber...
[He dashes at him, but Suzko jumps back into a tree. Paper looks up just in time to dive out of the way of a stream of fire shot by Suzko. As Paper and Suzko continue their fight, Bink and Makoru stand watching.]
[Bink]: Do you know this man?
[Makoru]: I don't, but I recognize his tattoos and his men's weapons... He is part of the Servants of the Dragon, a well known secret organization in Japan that has existed for centuries since the end of the Heian Period... The organization is very spiritual, and was long thought to have disappeared, until it was revived within the last 50 years as an organization dedicated to terrorism... It was re-founded by my father, and he made me join. I deserted years ago and started a new life, which is why these men must be looking for me... They must have known I was in the house and caused the explosion to startle me... You two have powers... How?
[Bink]: It's hard to explain...
[Makoru]: And your friend fixes plumbing?
[Bink]: Also hard to explain...
[In front of them, Suzko blasts a stream of fire at Paper, who jumps away to avoid it.]
[Paper, yelling]: It's kind of hard to do anything without my bow...
[He dodges more fire and then runs behind a tree. He starts to climb it, but Suzko burns the base of it. Paper jumps from the tree and starts to approach Suzko. He dodges a punch and then runs up to Suzko and roundhouses him in the face. He gets knocked back. Paper rushes at him again and continues to dominate him in battle.]
[Makoru]: The Servants gain their mastery over fire when the graduate from their training... The ones with tattoos symbolize the masters...
[Paper kicks Suzko in the face as he falls back into the mud, barely conscious.]
[Makoru]: I never asked... Is he your husband?
[Bink]: No, we're just friends... Very good friends...
[Paper picks up Suzko and holds his arms behind his back.]
[Paper]: I don't know where to take you...
[Makoru]: I can take care of him...
[Paper turns to Bink.]
[Paper]: I'll go get our stuff ready... We'll head out in a couple minutes...
[He runs off back to the house as Bink, Makoru, and the captured Suzko start to walk to follow him.]
[Bink]: You said the masters have the tattoos? Do you have yours?
[Makoru]: I left the day before my ceremony... It was harder than you imagine...
[They walk for a moment.]
[Makoru]: Let's just head back and pack up your things...
[The camera cuts to Paper, Bink, and Makoru in an airport in Tokyo a few hours later. Makoru can be seen waving to Paper and Bink as they check in with security. They make it past security and begin to head down the hallway to find their plane.]
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[Bink]: I still can't believe that we've been riding in actual airplanes and not spaceships...
[Paper]: This will be the last time, for now...
[Out of nowhere, a gunshot is heard. Paper and Bink stop in their tracks as they hear people start to scream.]
[Paper]: Makoru...
[He turns around and runs back into the lobby of the airport. He fights his way through the screaming horde of people as he sees Makoru down on the ground with a puddle of blood at his side. A limousine can be seen pulling up to the airport. A man in a suit walks into the airport, surrounded by security guards. The man stops in front of Paper and Bink, who are kneeling down next to the dying Makoru. The man's face can now be seen; he is Damian Walker]
[Damian]: I don't believe we've met... My name is Damian Walker...
[Paper]: And you're a murderer?
[Damian]: This man is a traitor to his organization; he deserved to die...
[Paper]: Very few people deserve to die...
[He has trouble holding back his anger.]
[Paper]: Why do you care? Are you with the Servants?
[Damian]: I'm part of something larger, but I won't go into too many details right now... I do have one request of you, though. I want you to pass along a message to your leader, Hornbok... Tell him that my offer is still open for the taking...
[He walks away as Makoru, still grasping onto life, grabs Paper's hand.]
[Makoru]: Thank you for saving me earlier...
[Paper]: I shouldn't have left you alone...
[Makoru]: You didn't know...
[He closes his eyes and his hold on Paper's hand weakens as he dies. Paper, now alone in the lobby with Bink, lets out a scream and then starts to cry as Bink consoles him. The camera cuts to later, actually on the night of the previous day due to time zones, at the Plumbers' Academy. Paper and Bink arrive via the transport platform. Sci and Hornbok are standing in the lobby of the Academy, waiting for them.]
[Hornbok, happy]: Welcome back, you two... We thought you would be here hours ago...
[Bink]: Our flight was delayed...
[Paper]: I guess even on vacation...
[He shows Hornbok and Sci his arm, which is covered in blood.]
[Paper, trying to laugh it off]: Anything can happen...
[Sci]: And what did? What happened?
[Paper]: Damian Walker happened...
[Hornbok, surprised]: Damian... That man is always up to something... Did he mention his offer to me?
[Paper]: Yes...
[Hornbok, angry]: I've told him no countless times, and he always continues to ask...
[Sci]: So... Where's the blood from?
[Paper]: I'd rather not talk about it...
[Hornbok]: And Bink... If you don't mind leaving, we need to talk to Paper... alone...
[Bink]: Sure...
[She looks at him and then smiles as she turns and walks away. Hornbok and Sci wait until she is far enough away before talking to him.]
[Hornbok]: You know what happens next?
[Paper]: The ruse, I know...
[Sci]: And we made a decision... Only the three of us can know about it...
[Paper]: I can't tell--
[Hornbok]: You can't tell anyone... No one except for the three of us may know about this ruse...
[Paper]: Fine... How exactly is this going to work?
[Hornbok]: Sci came up with the idea to put you in disguise as a guard at a Plumber prison, and then transfer Lotin there...
[Paper]: And what will you tell the others? That I'm on leave, after I just took a month long vacation?
[Sci]: Paper, it's the only thing that I could come up with.
[Paper]: Well think of something better, it's too suspicious for me to just randomly disappear. There needs to be a better reason, so if we can't think of one, the ruse if off...
[He leaves Sci and Hornbok in the lobby as he walks down the hallway. The camera cuts to the next night. The entire team is in the Magister's office, but they are not assembled as a team. Some are helping the Magisters continue the repair work while others, including Paper, Sci, and Hornbok are watching a feed of Earth news.]
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[Reporter]: ...At this time we're also tracking another story that has been developing overseas in Tokyo. Police say that yesterday afternoon, at least one gunman fired shots into the lobby of the Tokyo Haneda airport, killing one man and causing the airport to go into lockdown for several hours. The police have not identified the victim's name, and there are currently no suspects in the case. We now to go--
[Hornbok pauses the news feed.]
[Sci, angry]: So... Where's the blood from?
[Paper]: That man was our tour guide...
[Bink overhears Paper talking about the incident, and she walks over to add to the conversation.]
[Hornbok]: So was he shot before or after Damian was there?
[Paper, confused]: After... What, you think Damian killed him?
[Hornbok]: Or hired someone to...
[Bink]: A couple hours before this happened, Paper and I saved that man from some terrorists who set a fire to part of a forest to lure him out of the house they knew he was staying at with us. He used to be part of an organization called the Servants of the Dragon... Ever heard of it?
[Hornbok]: The name doesn't ring a bell... I suppose you want to investigate...
[Bink]: It's not our jurisdiction, this is a domestic terrorism problem...
[Paper]: But what about Damian? What is his "offer" anyway?
[Hornbok]: Damian is strongly against all Plumber activity on Earth...
[Paper]: So we should investigate?
[Hornbok]: I think so... The three of you can investigate...
[He turns to Ivada, who is eavesdropping on the conversation. He nods his head.]
[Hornbok]: Okay, I guess the four of us are heading to Tokyo...
[The camera cuts to a Plumbers' ship arriving near the Tokyo Haneda airport. It is early in the morning of the next day in Tokyo. There are reporters, civilians, and airport officials surrounding the airport.]
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[Hornbok]: If we wait long enough, Damian will show up.
[Sure enough, a few minutes later, the same limousine from the day before arrives in front of the airport and Damian Walker gets out along with several apparent co-workers.]
[Damian]: Before you start bombarding me with questions, you should know that I am not going to answer any. Now, as for the attack at this airport yesterday... I am aware that the man who was killed was a former member of a terrorist organization known as the Servants of the Dragon, with the operative word being "former." I can assure you that he was a changed man, and he we were meeting up at the airport when he was ruthlessly gunned down by an armed assassin sent by the Servants. The police are currently conducting a vigorous investigate to search for suspects, but no one has been found as of this time. Police due believe, however, that the gunman was likely standing on one of the rooftops near here.
[As he points to the buildings across the street, he sees the Plumbers ship a short distance from him.]
[Damian]: Or it could have been because of the Plumbers...
[Damian starts to walk over to the ship as the crowd starts to make a path for him. As he arrives at the ship, the four Plumbers on board exit.]
[Damian]: It makes perfect sense. In fact, two of these Plumbers were seen in security footage from the airport's cameras... They might have been distracting him when he entered the airport so that he couldn't notice the gunman. Once they heard the shots they ran back into the lobby as an alibi...
[Paper]: Of course, that makes perfect sense; so if you knew this man than what was his name?
[Damian]: I won't say because the police haven't said yet...
[Paper]: And why were you in negotiations with a former terrorist?
[Damian]: Well why do you work for aliens?
[Paper scoffs at that remark as Hornbok steps forward and gets right in Damian's face.]
[Hornbok]: May I remind the people that Mr. Walker has repeatedly stated that he is against any and all alien presence on Earth and would do anything in his power to end the Plumbers' stay here.
[Damian]: And may I remind you that I am not alone in my beliefs and almost half of the people in the world are against the Plumbers' operations and Earth...
[Hornbok]: Last time I checked we had a 57 percent approval rating, which is enough to keep us here, and the numbers are only so low because of last month's Independence Day invasion...
[Damian]: Which decimated 80 percent of a major city. St. Louis will never recover from that invasion... Neither will the three national monuments that the Plumbers defaced in the battle...
[Hornbok]: And if we weren't here who would have stopped the aliens?
[Damian]: If you left then the aliens wouldn't come!
[Hornbok]: But most of the aliens in this galaxy are benevolent; very few wish to harm the Earth...
[Damian]: And for the last 12 years, we still no absolutely nothing about that satellite that is just floating in our skies!?
[Hornbok]: We know more about that satellite than we do about the Servants of the Dragon!
[Damian]: Which still isn't a lot! And what about the Midnight City event of 6 years ago? Or the time the entire Earth was trapped within an alien prison device? Or the time that those demon aliens invaded Earth and caused massive environmental chaos?
[Hornbok]: And who was it who stopped both of those events? Oh, that's right, the Plumbers.
[Hornbok takes a step back as he tries to calm himself. He is breathing heavily. Damian closes his eyes for a moment and then reopens them.]
[Damian]: Let me put if this way. There are hundreds, no, thousands of planets, if not more in the galaxy... The Plumbers can use any of those planets, but humans can only ever use one, so if you wouldn't mind, why don't you just leave our planet alone?
[He stares at Hornbok, who looks unwilling to continue the argument.]
[Damian]: I'm done here...
[He turns around to walk back to his limousine, leaving Hornbok and the other Plumbers shocked. The media begins to surround them as Damian's limousine drives off, with him and his co-workers inside it.]
[Hornbok]: I won't be answering any question either, none of us will be.
[He turns to the ship and makes a following signal at the others. They head over to the ship, and once they get on it, they notice that it has been overrun with members of the Servants of the Dragon. There are three recognizable people in the ship that have their backs towards the Plumbers.]
[Hornbok]: Oh no you didn't...
[The three figures turn around, revealing them to be Rex, Rocket, and Ancy, the former Villain's Academy students who became Plumbers but later left.]
[Ancy]: This isn't what it looks like!
[Sci]: I know exactly what I'm seeing, Ancy...
[Rocket]: No, you really don't...
[Rocket blasts pure kinetic energy at all of the Servants in the ship, knocking all of them out.]
[Rocket]: You see, we left the Plumbers because we didn't like your style, but that doesn't mean we went back to our lives of crime.
[Rex]: We've been helping people and stopping crime. This was just the latest crime ring we've been messing with...
[Hornbok]: An undercover operation... Sounds very much like the Plumbers to me...
[Ancy]: We're not coming back...
[Hornbok]: Maybe just for a visit?
[Ancy looks at Rex and Rocket, who are busy handcuffing each of the Servants and carrying them off the ship.]
[Rocket]: Sure, why not?
[The camera cuts to the Academy a couple hours later. Hornbok, Sci, Paper, Rex, Rocket, and Ancy are sitting in classroom in the Academy. The lights are on, but the door is locked.]
[Rex]: Is there any reason we're meeting alone?
[Paper]: Sci, Hornbok, and myself have been planning a ruse, very similar to the one you just pulled off... If you don't mind me asking, how exactly did you pull it off?
[Rex]: We discovered the Servants two weeks ago, and we immediately realized that they were up to no good...
[Ancy]: So we pretended to be our own criminal organization that dealt with stolen weapons trade... We used decommissioned Plumbers' blasters as our source, and we had been planning to betray them at any point, it only made sense to do it when Plumbers arrived on the Plumbers' ship that they were planning to hijack.
[Hornbok]: Very interesting... Paper, explain your idea...
[Paper]: There are three specific individuals I want you three to disguise yourselves as... One of you must become to current Rotolysian Ambassador, and you are going to be killed by me.
[When he says "killed", he makes quotes with his hands.]
[Paper]: Another must become the new Rotolysian Ambassador, and replace the old one once he dies. The last of you must be the true killer of the Ambassador, and I say true, because we're going to frame me...
[Sci]: What?
[Paper]: Yes, I'm going to jail, and only the six of us may know about it...
[The camera cuts to the ArcTech building in New York City. Damian Walker is sitting in his office when the lights in his room suddenly go out. Amon Set appears in the center of the room, in front of Damian's desk.]
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[Damian]: Alien...
[Amon Set]: Allow me to introduce myself... I am Amon Set, king of Salimore...
[He walks up to Damian.]
[Amon Set]: And if you don't like the Plumbers, then I think we're going to get along just fine.
[End of the Epilogue]
[THE END]
| Previous: Prelude to Destruction
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Wars of the Worlds The Crossroads of Fate |
Next: Homecoming, Part 1
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