Season One Episode 13: To Hunt a Butterfly

## Synopsis for "To Hunt a Butterfly"

### Vella's Fugitive

In Vella's mothership, the guards are searching for White Shadow as he searches for an exit. While searching for a way out, he gains knowledge about the ship and discovers more abducted people in cells, some of whom are willing to assist. He frees and leads them all.

### Mortals and Black Ivy's Crew's Plan

As the Mortals head back to the city for a safe extraction, they have to manage to sneak past the aliens and their martial law.

In a recently abandoned building due to the invasion and evacuation, the Mortals and Crew 17 take refuge. There, they discuss their plan to save White Shadow and stop the invasion. Black Ivy and Butterfly assume command of their respective teams, as Butterfly replaces White Shadow in his absence. Butterfly and Black Ivy reached an agreement: Fang and Tenebris would go in search of White Shadow, while Black Ivy's team of White Sage, Ruse and Gladiator would watch Kaliyah's back as she would attempt to disable the ship using hacked and downloaded information about NASA's ships, in case Vella's ship is anything similar despite the build of it.

### Vella on the ship

On Vella's ship, Vella looks through a mirror and talks to herself, and claims that during her battle with Tenebris, she recognizes her mother in Tenebris due to their resemblance and Tenebris' similarity to the Ancestors in terms of strength and energy.

### Prison Break

During this time, White Shadow and several of the other prisoners recall certain areas from when they were first brought aboard the ship. Observing the familiar rooms they pass on their way off the ship, they continue their journey by retracing their previous steps.

### Extraction

Fang, Butterfly, Tenebris and Black Ivy's team are later extracted atop the abandoned building they were in by a helicopter, sent by L.U.C.I.. In the helicopter, Fang is shown to be in fear with a hate for flying in planes or heights. They later arrive back to L.U.C.I. to resupply and get ready to raid the mothership, as Tenebris equips a low-quality Heckler & Koch G36KV, along with a shoulder strap of ammo clips, noting how hard it is to fight Vella and hoping that someone will show her how to use what she refers to as a machine gun. Unfortunately, they cannot fly due to enemy defenses, so ground vehicles are a must, and someone will teach Tenebris how a "machine gun" works.

They depart in separate vehicles, with Black Ivy driving one and White Sage driving the other, as none of the Mortals other than White Shadow, who is absent, can drive. There are also many others coming along.

### White Shadow and the Escapees

As White Shadow and the escapees traverse the ship, they continue to use their memories of the ship to guide each other. They are able to evade the pursuing guards and make it to the ship's entrance, where they are escorted out by human military and taken to a nearby camp from which the military have been watching the ship.

### Mortals on Vella's ship

Almost an hour after their departure, the Mortals and L.U.C.I.'s teams arrive at the mothership, having driven around the city to avoid conflict with Vella's forces, they are gathered to face Vella and her army. They see White Shadow and many others who were held prisoner on the ship. Black Ivy informs the military that they have a plan and must cross the battlefield alive and enter the mothership as quickly as possible. With the assistance of marines and snipers, the military then pushes through to aid them in crossing.

Inside, everyone makes their own way in after the airlock doors close behind them. They then travel through the ship, exploring it. With both teams exploring, they discover a strange armory and come across a chamber.

Meanwhile, Vella senses the presence of Kaliyah or the Butterfly Effect closeby, but is unaware that she is aboard.

The Mortals and Crew 17 find an area where they see many soldiers of Vella's army and have two choices: sneak pass or eliminate the threat so they don't have to deal with them later. They choose to eliminate, and clear it to gain access to the areas further into the ship. The team then open fire on the enemy, not giving them a chance to set off any alarms, though they are able to call for reinforcements, angering Vella. As the Mortals and Crew 17 fight off Vella's soldiers on the way and find the control room, Butterfly spots the entrance to the control room, but the team is pinned down. Ruse, the demolitions expert of Crew 17, disorients the opponent with explosives. Then the remaining foes are eliminated before the team continues to find the control room.

Vella, with no response to what is going on, intends to finish this. Ma'Lora opts to go instead, but Vella tells her that she will handle the situation herself.

Finding the control room, next to the security center with a Zenith observation room, it has the controls for shutting down the whole ship as well as the ship's defenses, which is powered directly by the ship through physical conduits connecting it to other parts of the ship. Unfortunately the controls are too foreign for the Mortals and Crew 17 to operate them, so they plant bombs to sabotage critical subsystems and a security terminal, tampering with a robust setup and three generators. They are then ambushed, with Ruse and Gladiator defending Butterfly while she continues to disrupt the ship.

As a result of the team's interference with the ship's vital subsystems, the alarm trips. A number of Vella's soldiers, including Reyx and Ma'Lora, are ordered to evacuate before the enemy gains control of the mothership, escape and imprison everyone aboard after escaping. With an upcoming defeat, Vella's army retreats without putting up a fight against those on the outside. Ma'Lora aids Reyx as he limps off the ship, still wounded from the previous battle they had.

Vella then discovers the Mortals and attempts to stop them, beginning the conflict with a warning shot. Scarlette quickly turns and retaliates, but Vella takes cover. Everyone pauses as they observe and the opponent's exchange looks. Vella then commands the team to stay down. Uncertain of the next step, no one acts until Fang asks White Shadow, "What's the plan?". Butterfly quickdraws her Walther Q5 Match Steel Frame Expert Pistol. White Shadow does as well with his Desert Eagle, and Joey, reacting more slowly (but not excessively so), does the same with his 5.7 USG Pistol. Vella side jumps and returns fire. As soon as she lands on her side, she immediately takes cover. Tenebris leads the Mortal charge, eventually running out of ammo. Vella mechanically transforms the scythe into a glaive, stands ready, and strikes Tenebris with the glaive, knocking her aside and displacing her. White Shadow attacks with his swords, but  Vella blocks them with the glaive's handle and pushes him back. As their allies are clear from Vella's area, Fang and Butterfly fire their pistols at her. White Shadow fires his pistol at Vella as well, and with him being the closest,  Vella kicks White Shadow to the ground and hurls her glaive at Fang. The glaive misses, but worked more to put him off balance as she leaps at him, landing on him, knocking him to the ground. White Shadow, using his speed, attacks and punches Vella twice.  Vella adapts to his speed and knocks him back before White Shadow can land a third punch. With White Shadow down, Vella attempts to shoot him cold blooded, but  Butterfly fires upon Vella. Vella becomes irritated after being struck one of Butterfly's shots. She grabs the glaive and leaps at Butterfly with it in an attempt to strike her from above, but she narrowly misses, slicing Butterfly's cheek and causing the glaive to collide with a nearby object. However, as a precaution and a last-ditch effort, Butterfly's body breaks down into blue dust, allowing the blade of Vella's scythe to pass through her.  Behind Vella, Butterfly reverts to her human form with a cut on her cheek that heals. While Vella is distracted by what has occurred, Tenebris knocks Vella to the ground as the others attack her. Butterfly is overwhelmed as she begins to panic, struggle with terror, and lose confidence; consequently, she seeks cover.

Tenebris attacks. Vella is knocked off balance by the blows, and Fang and White Shadow fire their pistols at her from opposite sides. Tenebris then grabs Vella and holds her arms and entire body, being unable to put her in a headlock due to their height difference. Leaving an opening for White Shadow, Tenebris releases Vella as White Shadow attacks with his skills of Hapkido, causing Vella to be knocked back. Vella responds with a great deal of rage. The three are able to dodge many attacks, but Tenebris is then knocked back.

While the others continue to battle Vella, Butterfly contemplates her next move and how to harness her power. She sits in cover and takes deep breaths as she contemplates the ongoing conflict. As her nervous system relaxes, she emits blue energy again. With her confidence restored,  Butterfly returns to the battle, picks up a Vector SMG and saves the overpowered teams, but to her surprise, the weapon is imbued with cosmic energy, and it actually harms Vella. Vella attacks, and Butterfly requests a sword from White Shadow, who passes it the her. In the ongoing sequence, Butterfly picks up the sword and continues to run towards Vella.  After touching the sword, it becomes imbued with energy, and it appears that she has no control over this ability. Now, Vella's Negative Effect is challenged against Butterfly's Butterfly Effect. Despite Vella's superior strength and height, Butterfly is able to hold her own using Karate in conjunction with her "Time Sense" and odd unique "Self Reinvigoration" abilities, which make her faster. Butterfly recognizes energy ripples in the air as she lands blows. By focusing on that sensation, she is able to use concussive blasts with her punches in a tactile way; this is the one ability from the Butterfly Effect over which she finally has effective control over. The first blow staggers Vella, but Butterfly continues to strike until Vella loses consciousness. Defeated, the Negative Effect leaves Vella, who is still out.

Butterfly defeats Vella with the Butterfly Effect, leaving Vella in a coma and imprisoned on the ship, while the Negative Effect escapes before being defeated by the Butterfly Effect.

### After the Invasion

The Mortals and Crew 17, having exited the ship, are conversing and celebrating their victory. Before news reporters and other authorities could arrive on the scene, Crew 17 and the military cover the Mortals, telling them to go, letting the Mortals then flee without being discovered and keeping their existence a mystery.

### The Octet

Izo and Peregrine watch the news and see that the ship has been destroyed and the battle has been won.

### The Mortals and their families

Later, Scarlette returns to her home, where she is met with joy. Ayo's situation is the same.

### Several Days Later

Several days later, as the city is being cleaned up from the recent invasion, Nick is signing papers, selling his old house, and preparing to purchase a new one with more rooms and a larger base.

### Reyx and Ma'Lora

In a forest at night, Reyx and Ma'Lora experience shared visions of Vella speaking to them despite her not actually being there, but are not adversely affected by it. It only provides them with hope, encouragement, irritation and ideas.

One of these ideas provides Reyx and Ma'Lora with a plan to conquer Earth slowly: day by day, year by year. They will travel around the planet, eliminating everyone who is currently attempting to take control of Earth, even if it's corrupt businesses controlling the criminal underworld of their respective locations. Even those that are hidden. Ma'Lora's abilities will make it impossible for anyone to hide from Reyx and Ma'Lora.

### The Mortals Superior New Recruit

Meanwhile, at the Mortals Superior location, Liam and the others, all in new armor, watch the news regarding the alien invasion and the Mortals. Suddenly the power goes out and the team encounter Dr. Fred Miller, but they cannot see him. He grants Liam a proposition: aiding Liam's crusade against the Mortals in exchange for assistance in removing his powers and getting his life back. Liam is amused.

### Bulldrifter

At the penitentiary, Ethan Robinson, who is in jail, is visited by Steven Walker, who is his notorious legendary assassin, mercenary spy and the Octet's best investigator known as Bulldrifter.

   Ethan informs him that he has a job. Steven is slightly irritated that he had to abandon a personal mission he was pursuing prior to being summoned here. Providing further details, they begin to talk about The Woman in Black. He then grants Steven access to a company's secret area.

Steven is quick to exploit his new access. He later walks into a level in a company tower, taking a good look around the place while walking in a room where he could get provided weaponry, equipment and upgrades.

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