Season One Episode 3: Beginnings

## Synopsis for "Beginnings"

### Birth of a Nephila

Later, during the week, now living in Dallas, Damien goes on a college tour near Dallas. While walking through the science areas, inside of a room with high level equipment, Damien touches a gold liquid, leading to the tour guide yelling "DON'T TOUCH", shocking and alarming Damien.

Unbeknownst to the lady, she warned him too late, as he had only touched it with the tip of his finger, yet no one knows or thinks he ever touched it, being as close as he was to not touching it.

Meanwhile, although unknown, Dr. Erick Sims, intrigued by the incident involving Damien, has his suspicions, wondering if Damien actually touched the gold, rekindling interest in Damien's existence.

### School Life

Joey, Scarlette and Ayo all attend high school as Juniors, but also attend a community college as Dual Credit Early College Students.

Joey, Ayo, and their friend Jordan are walking to lunch together outside the school. While they're conversing near the pond, Joey comes dangerously close to stepping on a baby turtle, but manages to avoid doing so without warning. To get the turtle away from the walkway, which is dangerous for the turtle, Joey takes an irrelevant folded paper from his backpack and rips it in half, using one half to push the turtle onto the other half, before carrying the turtle to the pond and setting it near the pond rather than in the pond. Joey quickly forgets turtles can swim and exaggerates as the turtle begins to walk to the pond and dive in, prompting Ayo to casually remind him that turtles can swim.

### Kaliyah Getting More Abilities

Meanwhile, Kaliyah is dealing with her life at school, as she is currently in biology class. During a class experiment, a high-tech organic compound liquid with radioactive chemicals splashes into her eye. For safety, she, with help from the teacher, uses the eye wash and later Kaliyah visits the nurse, where she is eventually cleared of having no problems, so to speak.

### School Lunch

While Joey is getting lunch, it is rumored that Joey has done something to enrage a few students, but Joey has no idea what they're talking about. After getting his food, he goes to join his friends, but not all, for lunch.

While enjoying lunch, a group of guys approach and begin speaking to Joey. Joey ignores them and continues to have no idea what they're talking about. Scarlette, enraged by Joey's ignorance to defend himself verbally, defends him herself. Joey stops her, while one of the guys puts a finger in front of her face, causing Joey to finally retaliate by first only holding him back. The bully wants to fight, but then most of Joey's friends, Ayo, Shane, and the twins, stand up, having the bullies outnumbered, prompting them to leave.

### Kaliyah's Doctor Visit

Leaving school early, Kaliyah's mother takes her to the doctor for a more thorough examination than the school nurse can provide. During the visit, Kaliyah is sitting in the room alone when she begins rubbing her eye, causing her power manifest, flickering lights and computers.

### After School Lunch

Best friends Joey and Scarlette are in class with a substitute teacher and free time, and Scarlette has drawn tattoos on Joey's arm with a pen. One of them even appears realistic.

When Joey couldn't pick out another tattoo, Scarlette improvised. On Joey's other forearm, the second tattoo depicts a phrase frequently uttered by Joey, namely "Ice in my Veins". However, Scarlette wrote it in French using Google Translate, which Joey found cool. When Joey asks as to why she wrote it in French, she responds that she enjoys the French language, so she decided to enroll in a French course.

During the rest of their free time, he and Scarlette act out the script from a scene of Electro and Dr. Kafka from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with Joey playing Electro and Scarlette playing Kafka. However, Scarlette adds her own twist to her line, leaving Joey confused until he realizes she was following the script.

### Joey, Ayo and Scarlette ending school for the day

As school ends for Joey, Scarlette and Ayo, Joey and Scarlette part ways walking out of class, walking towards Ayo, who had a different class than the both of them. Ayo catches Scarlette walking home alone, offering her a ride home, while Joey is on the bus home.

After a conversation during their drive, Ayo drops Scarlette off at her home. Scarlette comes upon a female Blue Nose Pitbull dog in her neighborhood, taking her in while the dog had no collar.

### Kaliyah's Mother in Search for Help

Kaliyah's mother is on the phone with a friend, while also unsure of what to do or who to contact for assistance. While on the phone, she conducts an online search for assistance with powers. There is a website that allows you to input the Altered's abilities and other features. When she is finished, she receives an email with a location to visit on a specific date. Unknown to her, it's a scam, and Nick picks up a signal to it.

At Kaliyah's front door, she is approached by Nick, who is welcomed in, and informs Kaliyah and her mother that the people they signed up to meet are a scam. That they want to experiment on Kaliyah or use her as a weapon, he informs her mother. Despite her surprise, the mother doesn't trust Nick. Inexperienced with her powers, Kaliyah claims Nick may not be lying, also asking her mother "But you trust the people from the website?". Confusion abounds as the mother asks Kaliyah what she should do. Nick assures her he can help, but she is skeptical. Nick claims that she is not the only one to sign up for this, and that others end up in this same situation. He states that if it were easy, he could just use anyone as bait  to save everyone from the base, but they're heavily armed and covered by law, so she shouldn't go through with the scam. Then he tells them he will host them on the day of the appointment. He leaves his number without waiting for a response.

### Scarlette learning of her Family History

Now, after years and most of Scarlette's life, Scarlette appears to be of an age to understand, so while Scarlette is on her phone at home, scrolling through social media images of art, Evangeline finally informs Scarlette about the scepter she never let Scarlette touch, and her family. Evangeline hands the scepter to Scarlette, gently taking it from Evangeline. It then vanishes, leaving Scarlette and Evangeline confused as to where it went.

### Damien's Discovery of Powers (May 22, 2018)

The following morning, Damien discovers he has powers, having additional strength and speed in his legs as a result of the gold's electric pulse. Except for his uncle and Vincent, no one else is aware of his abilities.

### Scarlette meets Luciana

Later that night, as Scarlette and Plex stand on the porch, they stare into the backyard, when suddenly Scarlette's hand is now holding the scepter. She gets a call from Luciana, where the two engage into conversation. Scarlette learns more about her family's history and powers from Luciana, also learning about how she may have less power than she should as a wish from her mother to live a normal life, but still with enough power to protect herself.

Following that, the scepter infused Scarlette with the same power as it once did with the Ancestors, and the power source area begins to fill with green smoke and glows an emerald green to match Scarlette's choice of color. She raises her eyes to the scepter as the scepter's green color reflects in her eyes.

Scarlette's younger brother then interrupts her, informing her that dinner is ready.

### Kaliyah's Protection

That night, because Kaliyah did not show up for her appointment and her mother never called to reschedule, ignoring their calls as well, she and Kaliyah are out to eat, avoiding whatever may or may not happen, while White Shadow is outside the house. White Shadow does not see any soldiers outside the house. On the other hand, Nick is in a van, keeping an eye on Kaliyah and her mother to ensure they are not being followed. White Shadow and Nick conduct a stakeout when Kaliyah and her mother return home. As soon as Kaliyah and her mother switch off all lights, soldiers begin approaching the house, but are repulsed by White Shadow. Nick contacts Kaliyah's mother and informs her that she and Kaliyah must leave the house immediately. The mother, confused, states that there is no danger. Nick informs her that this is because he took care of that, but that more will follow. Kaliyah advises her mother to listen to Nick and place her trust in him. They leave the house with Nick and meet White Shadow, but his identity remains unknown to them.

### Scarlette's Side Effects of the Tenebris

The next morning, Scarlette wakes up after a good night's rest, having breakfast with her family. Later at school, Scarlette ends up in a situation where she gets into a heated argument. Feeling herself fading, nearly being taken over by her powers, she immediately runs out of the class and into the restroom without saying anything to the teacher. She calls Evangeline about the situation and goes home early.

### Nick's Offer for Kaliyah

Around noon, at Nick's house, Nick, Kaliyah and her mother are having a conversation about what to do next. Nick believes they should go off the grid. Kaliyah brings up the possibility of staying with Nick to learn about her abilities rather than running and hiding with her mother. Nick explains that no one he's met has offered to volunteer for this, but he's willing to take her in and assist her. The mother, on the other hand, does not want Kaliyah to become a superhero, such as White Shadow. Nick states that would not be his intention, and Kaliyah states that she can attend school under a new name while also remaining with Nick, who can provide protection without having to travel to their location to rescue her. She wants to protect herself as well as others, as she aspires to be a doctor one day. With this, she feels as if she is taking the easy way out, by rescuing others before they are forced to fight for their lives in the hospital. She also states that this is her choice, and while she is still in school, she recognizes the need for a guardian, and prefers to work with someone like Nick who can assist her in using her abilities to save people rather than fleeing and hiding with her mother, or being apprehended and tortured by the government as a weapon. The mother recognizes the logic in Kaliyah's strategy and complies.

### Scarlette meets Luciana

That evening, at home, Scarlette tests her powers out of curiosity. Frustrated at being unable to do so within repeated attempts, Scarlette's eyes glow a cyan blue like a spark of electricity, as she slams her fists on her desk, accidentally using super strength, breaking the desk, laptop and lamp.

After the incident, Scarlette wanted to know more about the scepters, Luciana, the Ancestors, and her mother. Scarlette called Luciana again to question her. To prepare for the Ancestors' discovery, Luciana says she will teach her about their history and how they acquired their abilities. Scarlette claims she is unconcerned, only wanting to know what she can do and how to do them.

### Tension for Damien and Vincent

Vincent is hanging out with a friend, a Philadelphia native, while they wait outside for Damien and his dad. While waiting, they are attacked by criminals. Damien and his uncle exit the building and intervene in the fight, rescuing Vincent and their friend. Damien's uncle is poisoned while rescuing him, later being in the hospital.

Later, outside the hospital, Damien is enraged at Vincent and their friend. He asserts that everything is their fault. Damien and their friend get into an altercation, where Damien triumphs as a result of his speed advantage and accidentally turns his friend into a golden statue after punching him, and in this case, during the punch, his index finger touches him as well, being the only finger to turn others into gold.

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