Pathway Upward (Badscape episode)

## Pathway Upward (S1;E8)

**Pathway Upward** is the eighth episode of season one in the show, Badscape.

*Damo attempts to stop a Red Band assault. Marcell accompanies Deutz on a trek to the Capitol. Ashe recruits Taylor to assist her with an important project.*

## Plot

Marcell continues his blind dash through the brush away from Couya Cove, where he had just witnessed the tyrannical Aero execute his informant and developing ally, Ulysses, for getting "*too close for comfort*". He finds himself onto a main road, and recognizes his surroundings. He takes off onto the path towards Chepstow, preparing to gather essentials and begin a trip to meet *The Arch*.

Damo leaps off his horse and through the burning front gate of Bromstead, slicing down any Red Band soldiers he comes near. He notices the residents finally fighting back, armed with bows and longswords, keeping the raiders at bay. Damo frantically sends out a distress signal to the Badministration, and is quickly notified that the signal was received. Wasting no time, Damo continues fighting against the Red Band, seeing more hostiles over the horizon of the moonlight.

Ashe walks into her home on the lake of Chepstow, and contemplates the encounter she had with the robber in Marcell's house. She sees no good outcome by telling Marcell, as the culprit would most likely never be found, and their friendship would be strained by her intrusion. She gets a message from her Wristtrack, directly from the Capitol. The contents describe a special structure they wish her to design for the Capitol border: an impenetrable wall that towers over even the buildings it surrounds. With her common architect partner, Taylor, no longer under house arrest, she heads over to Taylor's house, in hopes of going to the drawing board with her help.

Marcell arrives back at his house and hastily gathers a travel bag with foodstuffs, clothes, and travel essentials. He deposts 400 gold into the Chepstow Community account via Wristtrack in order to cover his vacation days needed to make the journey. Marcell walks outside to the stables, and notices that all of Chepstow's horses are gone, most likely in personal stables. Frustrated, he sits on the roadside and begins plotting coordinates Ulysses gave him for the Capitol. While waiting, a carriage begins approaching him. Marcell looks up and sees Deutz, his brother's guide. Deutz asks him if he has seen Damo, telling him that the two were supposed to head to the Capitol for the Badscape Conference. Marcell responds and comments that he hasn't seen him since the arson incident, but tells him that he needs a ride to the same place. Deutz motions for him to jump into the wagon, and the two are off.

Damo fights his way into the town chapel, where he finds the women and children of the village hiding. He notices the merchant back from when he first arrived, Mark, and greets him swiftly. Damo devises a plan to collapse the front gates and the back openings, in order to block Red Band reinforcements from entering. Mark tells him the location of the armory, where blocks of dynamite will do the job and take down the doors. The two head back outside and into the fray, hoping the tactic will work until the Badministration sends help.

Ashe tells Taylor of the random request to build a surrounding wall around the Capitol, and states that her brain alone won't accomplish the task. Attached to the message also included an invitation to the Capitol for reconnaissance work in order to accurately draw up schematics for the structures. Taylor agrees to help, but wishes to be kept hidden during the dangerous trip to the city, as to avoid encounters with any Red Band associates that might recognize her. The two come to an agreement, and head to the stables behind Ashe's house to prep transportation.

Damo and Mark fight past groups of Red Band swordsman and assist in the battle before reaching the armory near the end of Bromstead's border, entering the underground shelter in search of the explosives. They sift through piles of old weaponry and broken armor and find the boxes of dynamite, and each carry as much as possible and head back outside. Looking at the duels still progressing, the villagers are beginning to thin in numbers. As more Red Band soldiers arrive, the plan must be completed before any more lives are lost and Bromstead falls. The two split up and each plant explosives at the five entrances to the area, lighting the fuses as they go along. Explosions fill the ears of all nearby, and the doors and connecting walls collapse, blocking any reinforcements. They make a dash past Red Band archers for the main entrance, hoping to prevent the next wave from arriving. Before they can plan the dynamite, unexpected blasts erupt from behind them, and the Red Band soldiers flee on horseback. The Badministration calvary enter through the rubble from the back wall, and slash at any remaining enemies, sending the raiders back into their territory. The villagers exit the chapel and begin cheering for their protectors. Damo and Mark walk over to the leader of the charge as he dismounts, and introduce themselves. Their timely ally reveals himself as Aero, an administrator sent by Suzy herself to protect the border towns from the offensive.

## Cast

### Primary Characters

* Richard Harmon as Damoclesus
* Bob Morley as Marcellus
* AnnaSophia Robb as Ashe

### Supporting Characters

* Alex Pettyfer as Deutz
* Emma Stone as Taylor
* Mark Fischbach as Mark

## Notable Event(s)

* Damo and Mark successfully defend Bromstead from the Red Band raiders.
	+ Aero assists the village with reinforcements.
* Deutz and Marcell meet up and travel together to the Capitol.
* Ashe receives an architecture assignment directly from the Capitol.
	+ Ashe and Taylor take the assignment and begin travelling to the Capitol.