The Fort (episode)

**"The Fort"** is the first episode of the first season of *Into the Badlands*. It aired on November 15, 2015.

## Plot

Sunny, a Clipper, rides on his motorbike on a path between two large plains. Slowing down, Sunny comes to a full stop after noticing slain corpses of human cargo laying on the side of the road. Examining the bodies, he comes across a pair of broken chains. Spotting smoke coming from deep within the forest, Sunny travels to the area and encounters a couple of camping nomads. Sunny interrogates them by telling the nomads that the cargo belonged to his baron, Quinn. The head of the nomads tells Sunny they know nothing. However, Sunny points out a notable crate. After Sunny is shunned, the nomad orders his men to attack but every last one of them are killed with ease. After killing the leader, Sunny notices gold coins with butterfly emblems on them and proceeds to the crate. Opening the create, a teenager jumps out and tries to escape. Sunny captures him, knocking him unconscious in the process.

Meanwhile Sunny buries the bodies he first encountered, the teenager wakes up and introduces himself as M.K. and learns Sunny's name. M.K. tells Sunny that he learned of The Widow and that she was the one who sent the nomads to apprehend him. Eventually, Sunny rides M.K. to The Fort and M.K. is given a brief tour of the place, being shown other young boys who are training to be Clippers, known as Colts. Moments later, M.K. is brought to a conference, surrounded by other young boys, with Quinn as the spokesman. Quinn states that religion is false and that there is no other god, making it clear that he is the one who clothes and feeds them. Using Sunny as an example, he explains that Sunny once use to be an orphan who he picked off the streets and raised as his own. He orders Sunny to remove his shirt, revealing numerous tattoos on Sunny's back, symbolizing a life Sunny has taken for the baron. Afterward, Quinn is enlightened on M.K.'s abduction and questions M.K. on his importance to The Widow. After denying any knowledge, M.K. is dismissed. Ryder, Quinn's son, confronts his father and tells him that he didn't agree with sending Sunny to attack the nomads. Ryder is then informed that The Widow was the one who paid them. Although he thinks it would be best to strike back, Sunny declines his proposal with Quinn's support.

M.K. enters the pit and is immediately bullied by a kid name Ajax who snatches M.K.s pendant from around his neck. The two get into a scuffle and Sunny breaks them apart. Taking the pendant for himself, Sunny is intrigued by what appears to be a symbol of a metropolis on the pendant. From above the pit, Ryder notices his reaction. Meanwhile, M.K. is approached by another kid named Bale, the two form an alliance to watch each other's backs.

At Quinn's estate, his first wife Lydia is opening letters in regards to his next wedding. The two have a heated discussion, which Quinn ends by leaving the room. In his office, he has a grave headache. Lydia walks in, and proposes that Quinn let their son, Ryder take his place causing Quinn to disagree. Back at Sunny's cabin, he reaches for a compass with the exact same symbol on M.K.'s pendant, having a vivid flashback from when he was a child. Ryder approaches from behind, and is given the pendant after asking for it. Ryder returns to the estate, and notices his mother being bothered by Jade and Quinn having an intimate moment. Although Lydia denies it, Ryder can tell it bothers her.

During the night, Sunny cautiously sneaks into another village and enters a cottage where he meets his lover, Veil. While in bed together, Veil teaches Sunny how to read but also reveals that she is pregnant. Instantly, Sunny tells her to "get rid of it" and elaborates that bringing a baby into the Badlands wouldn't be wise nor safe. As Veil tries to change his mind on the abortion by telling him she's heard stories of safe places, Sunny ignores her and leaves.

Back at the fort, M.K. is violently attacked once again by Ajax in the barracks, causing his mouth to bleed. From the sight of his own blood, M.K. is possessed by a strange force and his eyes go black. Sunny walks in and witnesses Ajax being tossed into a mirror by M.K. Shards of glass fall around and M.K. manages to toss a shard in Ajax's eye, blinding it. M.K. falls unconscious and Sunny, astonished, takes M.K. to his cabin and tends to him. Once M.K. wakes up, Sunny questions him on what occurred and the city on his pendant. M.K. admits that it has happened to him before and that he and his mother both came from the city of Azra, hoping to look for a doctor who could treat him, but were separated. M.K. requests Sunny return his pendant, but is told that Ryder has it. Planning to get it back, Sunny demands M.K. head back to the barracks. With new information on the city of Azra, Sunny runs to tell Veil, but changes his mind right outside her door. Planning to leave, Sunny spots an automobile and is ambushed by a group of men in heavy rain. Flawlessly defeating them, The Widow climbs out of the automobile and tells Sunny that she is looking for a Colt, who Sunny knows is M.K. Refusing to help her, The Widow leaves.

Back at the barracks, M.K. disobeys Sunny and continues to go through with his plan to retrieve his pendant. Sneaking out of the barracks and into Quinn's estate, he finds Ryder's room and searches through his belongings. He finds the pendant, but gets caught by Ryder. Lydia walks in and prevents Ryder from further hurting M.K. and takes the intriguing pendant for herself. Once M.K. is imprisoned and sentenced for execution. Sunny enters the cell, questioning M.K.'s actions although he told him to stay put. M.K. becomes emotional and confesses that it was the only thing that reminded him of his mother. Believing that he would be killed, M.K. asks Sunny to give his mother his farewells if he ever finds her. Sympathizing with him, Sunny frees M.K. and leads him to an underground tunnel that will lead him out of The Fort, unaware of Lydia watching him from the estate above.

Immediately, Sunny is summoned to Quinn's office. Nervous, Quinn reveals that all he wants is for Sunny to move into a cottage closer to the house. In the meantime, Jade sleeps with Ryder and M.K. manages to escape.