20 Sided Stories

MARVEL: Survivors of The Snap

Episode 7 - Scry Me A River

Air Date: May 6, 2020

[Podcast Intro music plays throughout.]

Sage G.C.: 20 Sided Stories has absolutely no affiliation with Marvel Studios, Marvel Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, or any other associates or official canon.

Travis Reaves: This is a fan-made parody piece created in fair use, and all mentioned names, products, trademarks, and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

Jessica Dahlgren: The bulk of what you're about to hear was recorded live by improvisers who love the MCU, and we're so excited for you to join us on this superpowered adventure.

[Intro crescendos.]

Travis: Thank you.

Jessica: And welcome.

Sage: To 20 Sided Stories.

[Intro fades out.]

Prologue

[Radio switches on.]

Woman: You're listening to…

[Rock music introduction.]

Man: 616 Power!

Bart: It’s getting worse out there, people. There’s unexplained murders, there’s monsters, there’s open acts of violence in the streets. It’s goin’ non-stop. I been sayin’ it for a lot o’ years now. I’m sayin’ it again. I feel like I’m turnin’ myself blue, sayin’ it. Where are the people who’re supposed to be protecting us?

[Beat.]

In my days as a cop— I, uh, actually had some contacts, and between them, and our people at Castle, I’ve heard some stories, but I never said them on air before because they’re too out o’ this world.

The hypothesis is that a giant gorilla-man came out of space and used some kind of weapon—I don’t know what weapon. Maybe it was experimental government technology. Maybe it was this or that—and this gorilla guy, unidentified, out o’ nowhere, because of all the super activity, is the one who blighted half of the world out of existence, if not the universe. And when I asked my contact “Who taught this gorilla monster where the weapons were? Who showed them where the weapons were?” You know what he said? “The Avengers did.” The Avengers showed ’im.

So there’s this recurring theme I’m seeing where the people who’re supposed to be keeping us safe are actually… Who’s supposed to protect us from the people who are supposed to be protecting us? That’s my only point.

So hopin’- hopin’ that everything is goin’ well with everybody else. You stay classy Los Angeles, and God bless.

And now we’re gonna go over to a live coverage of a ballet recital over at Pendleton Middle School. Alright. Thanks.

[A warbling whoosh is heard continuously. Voices echo and overlap.]

Elle: You seem really distracted lately.

Eric: It’s just been busy with work.

Dan: If they’re gonna fire my best friend, I'm done!

Elle: Sounds so, like, textbook corporate…

Eric: I know. I get fed the same stuff.

Masha: Do you have a girlfriend?

Elle: Have you been going to the Fort?

Lily: Has he touched you?

Dan: Who? Eric?

Elle: Wow, just just off the stench alone, so many questions. Where were you?

Eric: Catalina Island.

Dan: We’ve been friends for years. Since high school.

Elle: You have a crazy job in life.

Eric: You got a lot on your plate, like…

Dan: We’re workin’ on it. We’ll be fine.

Elle: Eric!

Eric: Elle!

Elle: Heeey.

Eric: Hey. Hey!

Elle: You’re in here?

[A plink is heard and the warbling fades into static. A rumble steadily grows. Sound cuts out.]

[A gun cocks and five gunshots are heard. Wet splats hit the wall and bodies thud to the floor.]

Sage: Using every bullet in the gun—

Lily: Ffffuck…

Sage: —every single lizard person running this shop just got shot in the head.

Lily: Oh god, he killed them all.

Masha: What?

David: The lizard women and the lizard children?

Lily: He killed them all.

Sage: Including the lizard women and the lizard children.

Lily: He- he shot them all.

Spencer: I’m going in.

Lily: He shot them… N-no!

Masha: You’re going in?

Sage: Spencer uses the keycard in the heat of the moment. He doesn’t want lives to be lost! The door is opened and they’re gone.

[Beat. Suspenseful music.]

Spencer: Where did they go?

Eric: I’m trying to figure that out.

Lily: Oh god… Masha. It smells like Rose in there.

Masha: What?

Lily: It smells like Rose.

Masha: Like our sister Rose or like the flower rose?

Spencer: Who’s Rose?

Masha: That’s our sister.

Spencer: Oh.

Lily: Our sister, Rose.

Sage: Eric is watching as he has tapped into Clone Eric and it seems that they jumped through some sort of shortcut using the sewer system under L.A. [amused] and they’re just flyin’ real fast. Just truckin’ on through.

[The dull hum of a motor.]

Travis: It’s a fan-boat!

[Laughter.]

Watch out for them gators in the sewer!

Sage: They’re plowin’ through the sewers, turning left and right, and they’re getting farther and farther away in this fan boat, and they splash out of the spillway into the L.A. river, but then…Clone Eric looks over, and the Trench Coat cultist hits him in the head.

[A metallic echo and a whoosh are heard as Eric is forced to untap.]

Real Eric has lost contact.

Lily: What are you seeing? Where’d they go?

Eric: I don’t know.

Masha: What?

Lily: What d’you mean you don’t know?

Eric: I don’t know. They got in a…

[Sage stifles laughter.]

They got in a fan boat…

Masha: What?

Eric: And they took off through the sewers. And… What did they say? I had—

Lily: They— Something about the Tie Breaker. That’s where they’re taking you.

[Suspenseful music intensifies.]

That’s- that’s apparently it. That’s the end.

Eric: The—

Lily: Is the Tie Breaker. That’s what they’ve been trying to do.

Eric: Maybe we can go— Can- can we go down there and heal them or something—

[Light-anticipation music.]

Masha: Wait. Just wanna check in. Spencer, are you okay? Can you- do you know who we are? Like, you just did a lot of work.

Lily: Yeah you did.

Sage: To conjure Clone Eric, that was the most taxing, difficult power Spencer has ever done. But I’m gonna let it be up to him how much it made him forget, ’cause he did roll really high [stifles laughter].

Spencer: I mean, I’m still kind of tryin’ to piece together you guys’ names, but I don’t think much else is gone. But…

Lily: Alright.

Spencer: Aside from most of today. Like, I don’t really know where I’m at. And…

Masha: Oh.

Lily: We’re on a hero mission. You’re saving the day.

Spencer: [nervous chuckle] Am I?

Lily: Yeah.

Eric: A lot more than [sighs] I did. Twice.

Lily: Yeah. Yeah, you did a lot for us Spencer. I’m sorry we made you do that.

Spencer: No, it’s fine. If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t have done it.

Masha: We really appreciate it. I think this is a huge breakthrough. We- we know there’s a Tie Breaker person, entity, somewhere out there. And now, cool, we can report back to Roach and Siggy. I— Thank you, Spencer, for helping us. Um, my name is Masha.

Spencer: Okay. Masha.

Masha: Aka Roulette. Yeah.

Spencer: Cool.

Lily: I-I’m Lily. And this is Eric.

[Gentle music.]

Sage: Our heroes come back to the Fort with Spencer, who’s having a hard time remembering why he did this. But Theo greets them ’cause he’s got good news.

[Footsteps tap as the group enters the Fort. Rapid footsteps approach as Theo hurries up.]

Theo: Hey, I’ve got something.

Eric: What?

Spencer: Who’re you?

Theo: Oh god. Um, hi! Theo. We met before.

Lily: We, um… He used his powers and it took a lot out of him.

Theo: I-I imagine. Do you- would you like some cookies?

[Jessica stifles laughter.]

Would you like some coffee?

Spencer: Yes. The answer will always be yes.

[Laughter.]

Theo: Okay, come in. Um, come in!

[Footsteps tap as everyone hurries downstairs.]

Sage: They rush down to the lab and everybody notices that Theo is particularly excited and energized.

[Lab theme music. Door creaks shut.]

Theo: Spencer, there’s something… I-I mean I’ve had a theory for a good year now, but it— Something about the nature of your abilities and a commonality I’ve identified here. I’ve taken blood samples of a lot of the supers here and a lot of them have a common element, but I couldn’t lock it in. It- it’s not the gamma, i-it’s coming from a source, and… Here, let me show you.

[Chair creaks as Theo sits and turns to his computer. Computer beeps as it boots up.]

There’s a gene here that you have in common with Siggy, Short Circuit, Matter O’ Fact, and with a number of the other people that we can have you talk to. This is the source. I don’t know exactly what it is, but this is the thing. This is what gives you your abilities.

[Beat.]

Spencer: So I’m not alone.

Theo: You are not alone.

[Music intensifies.]

You’re unique, but that- that was the thing that was so hard to pin down. With everybody it was manifesting in different ways, but maybe there was a common ground. Maybe they were pulling from another dimension, but with you…

I mean reality manipulation, that is not common. This is something new.

[Spencer takes a deep breath.]

And this is going to help us help other people. Not only in the Fort, but…everywhere at least understand that you’re working from common ground.

[Beat.]

Spencer: Holy shit. Thank you, person I just met.

Theo: [chuckles] Th-thank you for… Yeah. This was amazing. Thank you so much.

Spencer: I’m really processing. This is huge. I just… Sorry.

Theo: I know it’s a- I know it’s a lot. You can sit down. Do you- do you wanna meet my cat? Do you like cats? This is Toffee.

Spencer: Do you have those cookies?

Sage: Toffee comes in.

[Chair squeaks as Theo turns. Toffee meows.]

Theo: Yeah! Here’s toffee cookies, and- and Toffee the cat. I find she has a calming effect.

Spencer: Is there, like, actual toffee?

Theo: Yes, yes. Here you go.

Spencer: Oh, great. Alright.

[Jars and lids clatter as Theo opens them and sets them on the table.]

Theo: No, I got that. And coffee.

Spencer: Okay.

Theo: I mean, I have a whole snack, uh, pantry. Go- go for it.

Spencer: You know, just lay it on me, dude. Thanks.

Theo: Yeah.

[Toffee meows. Suspenseful music.]

Masha: Theo, uh, not to drop a bomb or anything but, um…

Theo: Mm-hmm?

Masha: Yeah he made a- an entire clone of Eric and that clone is, uh, being taken to some entity called Tie Breaker. There’s a lot going on right now. Um…

Theo: What?

Spencer: I created life today.

Lily: Yeah. He created life.

Masha: He created a whole Eric.

Spencer: Suck it, God.

[Sage chuckles.]

Theo: Like, like simulacrum or are we talking, like, an identical…

Spencer: Uh—

Lily: It’s- it’s Eric.

Spencer: Yeah.

Lily: It’s Eric.

Theo: Wait, it’s an identical Eric. Does it ha- did it have your clothing?

Eric: Yeah.

Theo: So it has your phone?

Eric: Yeah.

Theo: And it has access to your accounts?

Eric: Yeah.

Lily: So we can track ’im.

Masha: Maybe.

Spencer: I do know how to make a phone.

Episode 7 – Scry Me A River

[Gentle warbling. Suspenseful music plays. Subtle background static throughout.]

Eric: Okay, so…I think I need to tell you this. Like, I’d tell you this anyways, ’cause I tell you everything, but, like, I need to tell you this.

Elle: Wh-what? What?

Eric: I-it’s- it’s with work. Things are goin’— [sighs]

Elle: Are you okay?

Eric: Y-yeah. No, no. I’m- I’m fine. I’m—

Elle: You seem a little flustered.

Eric: [sighs] Babe, listen. It’s just that…

Elle: Should I get my notebook out?

Eric: Yeah. Please. Might as well.

Elle: Okay.

[Clothes rustle as Elle stands up. Footsteps tap as she walks across the room. Paper rustles as she grabs her notebook and flips it open.]

Eric: Um, so, like, things are goin’…were goin’ well at work and…

Elle: Yeah?

Eric: [sighs] I’m just hearin’ word that, like, you know. We’re- we’re still puttin’ stuff back- we’re still puttin’ stuff back together.

[Muffled screaming from children and dogs in the next-door apartment.]

There’s a lot o’ crime in the streets and there’s gettin’ to be too much, an’ the organization’s gettin’ a little… They get nervous. So they thought, you know, well what can we do? Let’s maybe consolidate, uh, consolidate our organization with another, like, upcoming power. And [sighs] Sorry, I’m— I can’t think straight. I’m sorry.

Elle: Wait. If I asked questions would that help?

Eric: Yeah. Interview me. Be, uh, do- do the- the job [nervous chuckle].

Elle: Your work wants- is struggling with all the new crime that’s happening and they wanna outsource?

Eric: Yes. They’re… Yes. Outsource. Like, contract. They’re…they’ve been in—

Elle: Who?

Eric: The—

Elle: And to what?

Eric: You know the Castle? Stark’s old place?

Elle: Yeah.

Eric: It’s just, it makes me nervous because…I’ve been hearin’ all these whispers about, you know, a new approach to law enforcement in this new world. This new normal. And [sighs] actually S.H.I.E.L.D.’s lookin’ to integrate the Castle into their organization.

Elle: What?

Eric: And take this new auth— It just feels super authoritarian, and, like…

You know the last time this happened, someone tried to- to- to police the world they- a city fell outta the sky! And I just, I [sighs] I’m really uncomfort- and I think- I-I gotta quit. Like, for real this time.

Elle: Wait. So S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to hire the Castle to become the new police force.

Eric: Yes. To use in—

Elle: In L.A.

Eric: Maybe they’re working with Stark. I don’t know. Nobody’s got tabs on them except for the highest- the highest brass.

Elle: You know- an— There’s no— Avengers are not to be seen still.

Eric: I know.

Elle: This is just…

Eric: And it’s— The secrets have started again. And that’s the thing that- that made everything go to shit in the first place. And it’s like, maybe it’s just ’cause I’ve been at the Fort too much, but there’s just, like, I just got this vibe that just, like, it’s not…

I-I can’t do it anymore.

Elle: Y-you can’t do it anymore?

Eric: I don’t wanna be a part of another…

Elle: You’re gonna- you’re gonna quit?

Eric: I think so.

Elle: I think- I think you should talk to Eric about this.

[A low rumble builds.]

Dan, Eric: [together] I mean, it’s just… Last time I talked to him about it, he told me not to quit. So I didn’t quit and I’m feeling…

Dan: …like maybe I should’ve, ’cause then I work in the Fort and I like what they’re doing. But then [takes a breath] Yeah. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll, uh…[sighs] I don’t know. You guys haven’t talked in a while. I mean, do you…

Elle: We have. I saw him last—

Dan: Oh. When you stopped by the—

Elle: Mm-hmm.

Dan: Yeah. That was a great article, by the way.

Elle: Thank you.

Dan: I just wanna put that out there.

Elle: Still got it.

Dan: Uh, why don’t we [sighs] go talk to him?

Elle: You should, you should really talk to him.

Dan: I— Can you come with me, though?

[Beat.]

Elle: Yeah. Yeah.

Dan: I-I told Eric I was gonna tell him about this, I just- he was busy with a job, so…

Elle: Okay, yeah. Wait. I wouldn’t… Yeah this is kinda crazy. This is our new world order. That’s…

Dan: Yeah, I don’t know how extreme they’re tryin’a go. There’s some guy that they said is trying to instigate it. Uh, he’s one o’ the Castletons, and I don’t know if this is related to the- the trench coat people that have been tryin’a kill Eric, but- ’cause S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t really have a lot o’ intel on them, and they just don’t think they’re a threat for [frustrated] some reason. I’ve been tryin’ to tell them, [normal] but they don’t listen to me. So…

Elle: Yeah, why S.H.I.E.L.D.- why would S.H.I.E.L.D. choose the Castle? What… This makes no sense. I think, yeah. I think we need to go talk to Eric.

Dan: Alright. He’s prob’ly at the Fort right now. I don’t know if they got that job done, but why don’t we go over there.

Elle: Okay.

Dan: [sighs] Okay. Thanks, babe. I really appreciate it.

Elle: Of course.

[Suspenseful music.]

Eric: [sad] ’Cause I don’t- [sighs] I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to face him like this [sighs].I feel so responsible for what happened.

Lily: I mean, if anything it was my fault. It was my stupid fucking idea, and nobody lived.

Masha: No.

Lily: We didn’t save anybody!

Masha: [soothing] It’s not any of ours fault, okay? We did everything that we could do. [sighs] I-I think we did a great job and it’s just a misfortunate outcome that was out of our control.

Lily: We messed with reality in a way that we can’t take back.

Eric: [nervous scoff] No kidding. I thought that I was gonna be able to use the actual power for something that was gonna help save lives without some sort of structure that I had to fit into. Some sort of organization. And it didn’t work and people died.

Sage: Siggy is standing at the other side of the room.

Lily: Siggy…

Siggy: [distant] Guys?

[Footsteps tap slowly closer.]

Masha: [quiet] Hi, Siggy.

Siggy: [hesitant] Hi. What’s up? You look a little…down. How did it go?

[Beat.]

Lily: [gentle] We got intel.

Masha: Um.

Siggy: Yeah?

[Beat.]

Masha: [gentle] I’m gonna be honest here.

Siggy: That would be great.

Masha: Um… The lizard people in the shop were murdered.

[Beat.]

Siggy: [quiet] Murdered?

Masha: And we did everything we could to stop it, because...it was— A lot happened. Um…

Eric: What d’you- do you know anything about [sighs] T-Tie Breaker? Does that mean anything to you?

Siggy: [shock] N-no. Sorry. Hold on. They’re…they’re dead?

Masha: Not all- not everybody. There was just a-a-a- some—

Lily: [gentle] Everybody in the print shop was shot by a man in a trench coat and glasses…because we were tricked.

[Beat.]

[Shoes scuff as Siggy turns away.]

Siggy: Dammit!

[Beat.]

Masha: I’m really sorry, Siggy. But, uh, also, other news is Theo found a breakthrough within a gene that apparently you share with Spencer.

[Shoes scuff as Siggy turns back to the group.]

Siggy: [stammers, sighs] I gotta go. I… Who- who are these people? The Tie Breaker? A guy in a trench coat?

Eric: Uh [sighs] You- you know as much as we do. There’s—

Siggy: Well I can start with that, then.

Eric: They took off in a fuckin’ fan boat down the sewers.

Lily: It’s the guys in trench coats who’ve been coming after Eric. It- it was them, and they’re taking- [sighs] well, they’re taking Eric to meet the Tie Breaker.

Eric: Right now.

Siggy: Are you- you’re what? You’re doin’ your power thing?

Lily: No. S-Spencer helped.

Eric: Yeah. Long story but we might have- we might have a way to- to track them. And as soon as we can crack that we’ll get with Theo and we’ll—

Siggy: I- [sighs] I can’t wait. I can’t wait! I have to go.

Lily: They didn’t hurt the people in the sewers.

Siggy: I’m gone. I gotta go let people know, and I gotta find out who the fuck did this, and I need to take care of it.

Lily: Siggy, we’re so sorry.

Eric: Dude, you can’t go alone, that’s—

Siggy: [growls] It’s gonna be fine.

[Footsteps fade.]

Sage: Siggy heads toward the door—

Masha: Siggy!

Sage: —and pushes Door Guy outta the way.

[A thud is heard and Door Man grunts.]

Eric: [quiet] God dammit.

Lily: We should, I don’t know, let Roach know he’s going out on his own.

Eric: I gotta… I-I gotta go be alone for a while, guys. I’m sorry. I need—

Door Man: [tearful] He went through the door without letting me go Chchch.

Masha: It’s okay. He’s- Siggy’s going through a moment right now, Door Man.

[Door Man grunts tearfully.]

Sage: But before the door can be shut back down…

[Gentle music.]

Elle and Daniel Daniels show up.

[Lily takes a deep breath.]

Dan: Hey, wait, wait, uh, Door Guy, wait! Hold on.

Door Man: [mumbles] Okay.

Dan: It’s- it’s me. Agent Fragrant.

Door Man: [mumbles] Yeah, yeah.

Elle: And me. Hey.

Dan: D’you remember her? Reporter.

Elle: Hey, chug chug chug.

Door Man: [mumbles] Yeah, whatever. Nobody takes me seriously around here!

Dan: Hey, you got a brief mention in that article that Elle wrote!

Elle: Yeah!

Door Man: [irked] Bye!

Dan: Alright.

Elle: I quoted you.

[Door clanks shut.]

Dan: Eric! Hey.

Elle: Hey! Hey.

Eric: [quiet] Oh, hi. Hey!

Dan: Hey, uh…

Lily: Oh, it’s you.

Elle: Hey. Yeah, I’m- I’m back. We kinda have to talk to you.

Eric: What’s goin’ on? You guys remember—

Dan: Yeah, Elle, uh, Lily, Masha.

Lily: Yeah. She wrote that article.

Elle: Yeah. That was me.

Dan: Yeah [sighs].

Elle: It was good, right?

Dan: Everything okay?

Masha: Yeah, it was really well written.

Dan: I thought that I was all tensed up, but then even you guys seem- feel tensed up. I…

Masha: [sighs] We had a really hard mission and, um… It’s kind of a lot to unpack right now, so what- what’s goin’ on?

Lily: Yeah, what’re you guys here for?

Dan: Oh. Um…

Elle: Um…

Eric: You said you wanted to- [deep breath] you said you wanted to talk about somethin’?

Dan: Yeah. Uh, I don’t- [quiet] Is now an okay time?

Eric: Not- at this point every- I- this all might be- anything could help. This all might be connected.

Dan: It’s- it’s about work. It’s about S.H.I.E.L.D. So I don’t know if you wanted me to…

Eric: With the police thing?

[Beat. Suspenseful music.]

Dan: I…

Elle: [quiet] What?

Dan: I didn’t…I didn’t tell you about that…yet.

Elle: Wait. How d’you know that already?

[Beat.]

Eric: Y…y-you…told me that. Right?

Elle: What?

Dan: About S.H.I.E.L.D. and—

Elle: When?

Eric: Yeah, when…we talked.

Dan: —the Castle? We passed earlier? Before you went and did the job?

Eric: Yeah, you said there was…

Elle: Whaaat?

Dan: [hesitant] I’m pretty sure I… [firm] No. Elle, I didn’t- I didn’t tell anybody. Tha-that’s why we came here, ’cause it’s—

Elle: Yeah. We needed to talk to you about that, ’cause we just talking about it and—

Dan: It was Elle’s idea. She said, you know, like, um…

Elle: I’m gonna go talk to you about it.

Dan: Dude, you look like you’re in a rush. Like you’re about to leave or something.

Elle: Are you okay?

Eric: Oh, it’s—

Elle: Is it something you wanna tell us? Or is it- is it that you don’t know?

Eric: Oh, no, it’s right. That’s- I totally- yeah, no, you didn’t tell me that. I don’t know what I was talking about.

Dan: Whoa, hold on, hold on. Wait, Eric, Eric.

Eric: No, don’t listen to me, don’t listen to me, don’t listen to me.

Dan: I wouldn’t have told you that. I found out about this yesterday.

[Eric and Dan talk over each other.]

Eric: Don’t listen to me. It’s fine. Don’t listen to me. Don’t listen to me! Don’t listen to—

Dan: The only time I’ve seen you was earlier today when I walked in and I said I wanted to talk—

Eric: [yells] Because I looked!

[Music thrums.]

Dan: What?

[Masha groans nervously.]

Masha: Should we be here?

Lily: Masha.

Masha: [quiet] I’m sorry.

Dan: Wha-wha-what d’you- what d’you mean? You been tapping?

[Beat.]

On us?

[Beat.]

Elle: Wait. Who? You have been tapping.

[Beat.]

Dan: W-wait, wait [nervous scoff]. E-E—

Eric: [nervous] I’m so sorry.

Elle: Me?

[Beat.]

Eric: [tearful] I’m so sorry.

[Beat.]

Elle: Uh, for how long?

[Beat.]

Eric: [quiet] I-I don’t know. Like, three or…three or four years.

Dan: You mean, like, when the Snap happened?

[Beat.]

Elle: Why?

Dan: You guys broke up in high school.

Elle: High s…yeah.

Dan: What the fuck are you doing?

Eric: I…

Masha: Wait, are you guys together?

Dan: Yes!

Masha: Oh my…

Elle: Yeah, that’s- we—

Dan: Me and Elle have been together for six years now. Like, we live in an apartment. Together. And sometimes Eric comes over and we watch a movie. And sometimes we go to Eric’s house and we watch a movie [takes a breath] but I didn’t realize that that meant that when I wasn’t with Eric that I was also still with Eric! Who knows?

Was it my touch? Was it my ears? Was it my sight? I mean- I-I-I mean you and Elle obviously go way back. So who know- e-e- left and right, maybe…

Dude. I thought you said you would never do this! You said you don’t do this and you would never do this and- and so you tell me now that—

Eric: [yells] I lied!

Dan: So you’re a liar.

Eric: Yeah, man. I- that’s- that’s- that’s what I’ve been. That’s who I am.

Elle: Alright, alright.

Eric: Look, I can—

Elle: Wait, is there…there’s gotta be a good reason. There’s gotta be—

Eric: When…

Masha: [quiet] Oh my god.

Eric: When my- when our- when [nervous chuckle] half— [sighs]

When the Snap happened, I had to see…who was safe. I-I wanted to see who was safe. And when I checked on- [sighs] checked on you, I saw Daniel…

Dan: And then we all met up at Lost Property?

Eric: Yeah [sighs].

Dan: So you’ve been spying on us…

Elle: Since you got back.

Dan: Like, vicariously putting yourself in the—

Eric: That’s—

[Masha groans.]

We don’t need to—

Dan: I just don’t understand why else you would do that. We- like—

Elle: How often do you do this?

Eric: There’s just not a lot to look forward to these days. And it’s just that being- [mumbles] Oh god. [normal] Being there with you—

Elle: Why? Why?

Eric: Because…it feels…[quiet] good.

[Beat.]

Elle: That’s it?

[Beat.]

Lily: You guys never did anything to cope with the Snap that you’re not proud of?

Eric: Don’t…please don’t defend me.

Lily: No.

Eric: No, please don’t—

Lily: No, no, no, no, no. Eric, you’ve been the only family Masha and I have had for years now. And is this, you know, weird or inappropriate? Maybe. But I know you’ve been trying to be better. I know you’ve been trying to be the best for us. You help me look for my sister. Every day. You’re flawed. We’re all fucking flawed!

Masha: Have you been looking for our sister every day?

Dan: Yeah, except if you’re talking about trying to be better, maybe starting today.

Masha: Bu—

Dan: ’Cause if you know about—

Masha: Wait, bu—

Dan: —what I was talkin’ to Elle about, that was literally a couple hours ago.

Eric: We’ve been busy, man!

[Masha sighs.]

We were in the— [sighs] There’s another me—

Masha: Can I just s-s—

Eric: There’s an entire clone. There’s- there’s a lot goin’ on th-th-that I’d love to catch you up on, but right now I’m not only guilty, blood on my hands again. Again. But now this. And I’m sorry. This is not- I’m not- I’m not the one that’s supposed to be…on the attack.

Dan: No, trust me, I didn’t come here planning on any—

Masha: Okay—

Eric: It’s just— [sighs] Look. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. When you—

Elle: You swore you would never do that.

Eric: I know. And—

Dan: Yeah. We joke about it.

Eric: Yup. And I—

Elle: And what- what- what have you seen?

Dan: [quiet] Okay I mean, Elle. Do we really wanna ask that question? I mean—

Masha: Can we please just stop for a second? I- Lily, I- are- are you looking for Rose every single day?

[Beat.]

Eric: [nervous scoff] Yes.

Lily: He’s been helping me.

Masha: Wha… I thought we talked about this. I th… You don’t un- do you not understand how unsafe it is for you to go out? Why didn’t you tell me?

Lily: ’Cause you gave up.

Masha: I didn’t give up! Okay? I already told you. There’s not much we can do! And- and I know you don’t agree with me—

Lily: [loud] Do you wanna say what you came here to say, Daniel? So we can get that information then we can go?

Elle: Why don’t you tell them?

Dan: [seething] Yeah. Yeah, Eric. Why don’t you be the one? Go for it.

Eric: [hesitant] From what I understand, and correct me if I’m wrong, you came to tell me about the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. is looking to…employ or work with or in some way integrate the Castletons, which may or may not still be linked to Tony Stark wherever he is, to assume some sort of authoritarian police control over at least the city if not more than that.

This has something to do with this Tie Breaker bullshit, which is what I wanna tell you about. [deep breath] But really, all I’d like to do right now is kinda go away if everybody- if I could just, like, there’s a lot—

Dan: No! Eric. You don’t get to run from this one. Alright?

[Beat.]

When you called me in Bolivia, I understood. ’Kay? Several years going by, couldn’t talk to my best friend, then we come back. Y-yeah, I get it. But this is not a cowering situation, okay? It’s gonna take a long time to rebuild any sort of fucking trust between the two of us, by the way. But—

Elle: How ’m I supposed to trust that you’re not gonna keep doing this?

Eric: You can’t! Nobody can trust me! That’s- no— [sighs] That’s just part o’ the deal. That’s what it is. Because even if I do or if I don’t, there’s always the idea that I might, and I s— [sighs]

You don’t get it! I spent so much of my life looking into the fucking bowels of human potential. Seeing just the worst- the worst in what people were capable of. And when I found out that it was for the wrong cause, it shattered every notion of good-will I had towards any living being until I saw the two of you interact. And then for fucking once, I felt like people were good. And okay. And I felt happy and [sighs] trusted. And...loved.

[Sad, gentle music.]

Dan: [sighs] Look, dude. I, uh… We’ll talk about it some other time. I… I’m not saying I don’t understand…it’s just…

Elle: No matter what, we need to figure out what’s happening with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Castletons and forcing new law enforcement that no one else is picking. That’s…pretty messed up.

Dan: Yeah. And I don’t exactly have high-level access or anything. So everything I’ve heard is just kinda been through the grapevine. But, um, yeah. It sounds eerily similar to before, but for whatever reason they don’t see the Castle as, you know, as bad as Hydra.

Which, I mean- I mean how could you know? You know? How can you trust an outsider? After all of that it sounds so much like the Project Insight bullshit all over again. Hydra literally used to have a base called the Hydra Castle, you know that?

But of course, it’s all connected because a lot o’ the Castletons are former Stark employees. And, as you know, Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. have been pretty buddy-buddy since, like, mmm, forever. Thanks, Howard.

With the organization being as small as it is and technically in its second iteration going from Fury to Colson to Gonzales to Mace to McKenzie to whoever the fuck it is now.

Steve Rogers is our life blood! Oop, just kidding. Don’t trust Rogers at all! Also if you’re hiding anything about where he is, we’ll kill you.

We’re at war with the inhumans! The who? Classified.

Earth’s being invaded again! Why? Classified.

I can’t keep track of a single goddamn thing they do, and they don’t tell low-level agents like me anything [sighs].

All I know is there’s…some sort of deal. And I don’t wanna be a part of it. So…

Eric: The question is, do we go after S.H.I.E.L.D. or do we go after this Tie Breaker? But—

Dan: I mean, we don’t even know where to go for that. I don’t even know what happened on your guys’ last mission. I don’t even know anything about the Tie Breaker. I…I mean. Your ears are everywhere, so you would be the one to know.

Eric: Well, my literal ears are also somewhere… Look, the last- the last person we worked with… Uh, there’s another…there’s a- there’s another me out there. There’s a-a perfect, like, life-model decoy, but it’s real life, of me with whoever is at the core of this right now, and I can’t- I can’t track me right now. But I know- I’ve got—

Elle: You have a clone?

Eric: I have a- yeah. Not to- this doesn’t help my argument, but yeah. I have a clone. There—

Masha: It wasn’t his choice.

Lily: It- it was me. It was my idea.

Eric: That’s—

Elle: That’s crazy, but also, good idea.

Eric: Y-yeah. So I’m thinkin’ I can’t- I don’t— [sighs] I-I lost- I-I don’t know where I am, but I’ve got a phone on- same phone. I can- I can take it to- take it to Gift Bag. Take it to Theo. He can see if he can find- and we can fix this, and we can- we can make it right. We can figure this out.

Roach: [distant; shouts] I say you break into S.H.I.E.L.D.!

[Anticipation music]

Dan, Masha: [together] Roach.

Eric: What?

Lily: How long’ve you been here?

Roach: [approaching] Last couple minutes. I missed the whole beginning thing. Uh.

[Footsteps tap closer.]

Lily: [mumbles] Oh my god.

Roach: No big deal, uh, clearly some personal matters goin’ on. This is always part o’ the process. Where’s Siggy, by the way?

Masha: [quiet] Oh.

Lily: He, um…he left. We’re- we’re worried about him.

Eric: If you know where he might be or where he goes or any way to contact him, I think he’s- he might try to do somethin’ really dumb right now.

Lily: He went to his people.

Roach: Lizardmen [sighs]. He’s goin’ down to the sewers. Whoever’s left. They get, you know [clicks tongue] on that last mission?

Masha: Yeah.

Roach: [quiet] Shit.

Lily: [quiet] Yeah.

Roach: Oh, he’s real loyal to them, right. They- they gave ’im a home back in the day when bein’ a freak wasn’t so popular. Really took solace in, uh, in that community. Me an’ him ended up meeting up and tryin’ to do the same thing with the Fort one way or another. Still keeps in contact. I guess they run a printing shop or something like that. And they haven’t stopped.

Lily: Well, now they have.

Roach: Look, I, uh— [clears throat] I say all this mopin’ is a waste of time. Healthy! But you gotta move before things get movin’ if you catch my drift. Sick o’ trench coats creepin’ around the Fort, and you know what? I see it as an opportunity. Yo Dan!

[Sage stifles laughter.]

Agent Fragrant. You got access, right?

Elle: Mm-hmm.

Dan: Yeah.

Elle: He does.

Roach: Well, then bust your ass in there. Take the ScAvenger- Scavengers and bust into the nearest outpost. I don’t know where it is, but I know you know somethin’. There’s gotta be somethin’ nearby, right? Somewhere we can get intel.

If Siggy’s goin’ after whatever they’re doin’, I hope for the love o’ god I can catch up to ’im, ’cause if I lose that guy, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with myself. But, we can maybe find- what, you said you have some sort of spy out there?

Eric: Uh, yeah. It’s- it’s a literal clone. There’s a clone out there of me.

Roach: Yeah, okay. I just wanted to make sure I was following, ’cause that’s some fuckin’ Inception shit.

Eric: Yeah.

[Eric scoffs in half amusement, half nervousness.]

You’re tellin’ me.

Roach: Not to mention the whole…[tsks] There’s a lot o’ layers here. This is like a big stupid super onion.

Eric: Some would say it’s overly complicated.

Sage: [unamused] Yes. Okay.

[Anticipation music builds.]

Roach: I wanna run a tight ship here, you know what I’m sayin’? If the Castletons are up to no good, then we gotta go after them. My bias has been confirmed, yo.

Dan: Yeah, but then I’m gonna have to, like, break in, right? I mean, that’s my job, and I’m gonna, like, have to [scoffs nervously].

Eric: I… You can—

Dan: You’re in the database too, Eric. And if they know that we did this, they’re gonna come after us and then we’re gonna—

Eric: Dude, they’re al- they’re already after me. I’ve got nothin’, at this point, to lose.

Elle: And you said you wanted to quit anyway, right?

Dan: Go out in style?

[Dan takes a deep breath and blows it out nervously.]

Okay. Well, there’s the Stark HQ in downtown, by the industrial district, but they’re gonna have way, way too much heat. So I guess there’s this outpost out in Death Valley. Kinda like an intermediary storage unit, basically.

Eric: Let’s go.

Dan: [deep breath] Well, that’s just the problem, isn’t it? You said it yourself. You…can’t be trusted.

[Music fades.]

Lily: [sighs] You know what? Eric?

Eric: [quiet] …Yeah?

[Beat.]

Lily: I trust you.

[Gentle guitar music.]

Come here.

Masha: Lily.

Eric: Oh, you really… Look that’s not…

[Footsteps tap as Lily approaches Eric.]

Masha: Lily, what are you…

[Footsteps scuff to a stop and a gentle thud is heard as Lily hugs Eric. He grunts nervously.]

Oh my god. Lily! What’re you doing?

[Clothes rustle as Lily backs away.]

He literally just lied to his best friend!

Lily: If he can help us, and he has helped us, and I trust the son of a bitch despite everything, I don’t care. Plus, when’s the last time someone hugged you?

Dan: I mean, that would prob’ly explain why you did it in the first place, if that hasn’t been happening in a while.

Eric: [nervous chuckle] Okay, everybody.

[Masha sighs.]

Elle: Has no one hugged you?

Eric: We get it! Eric’s sad! We all get it! Eric’s sad!

Dan: Elle, why don’t you help out Roach.

Eric: Eric’s- Eric’s okay. [tearful] Eric’s gonna be fine.

Dan: You got contacts, right? You know some people?

Eric: Thank you, Masha.

Elle: Mm. Mm-hmm. Yes.

Dan: You stay here. I don’t know…

Eric: Thank you, Lily.

Dan: The S.H.I.E.L.D. thing might go south pretty quick.

Sage: [amused] Theo hears the word “S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost” and he runs upstairs.

[Rapid footsteps tap as Theo approaches the group.]

Theo: H-hey. Ro- are- are we doing this? I mean, we’ve talked about this for a couple years, but are- are w—

Roach: Now’s the time! We got an operative! Ain’t that right, Dan? If you’re ready to do it, ready to quit. I heard that conversation. I was lookin’ for a good window, and the window’s open. There’s a nice cool breeze of break in. Let’s fuckin’ surf the wind while we have it.

Theo: Cool! Yeah. Uh, I have some tech in prep for this, but also, like, a massive favor. We need our system updated, like, somethin’ fierce. I’m workin’ on 2013 info here. Like, I’ve got, like, um, the front of a manilla folder on you. I’ve got— It- it’s trash. So, like, it’s—

Roach: It’s pretty bad! It’s, uh, yeah. Um…

Theo: Um. I mean this is extra circular, but if you could get us- especially with what I just found and what I’m looking at with- with you, and, like—

Roach: Which, by the way, just in case it wasn’t clear, Eric, we’ve known about your powers the whole time.

Eric: Oh, fuckin’ really?

Roach: Yes.

Theo: Yeah.

Eric: God dammit.

Theo: Well, yeah.

Roach: You should stop lying bro, it’s kinda dumb [stifles laughter].

Theo: I mean, I figured you’d come and talk to me about it if you- if it was- I- you know, you got your own thing.

That being said, I need you to take a box into their database and please copy it for me.

Roach: If ya see any tech? Take that shit. Take it. Swoop it. Grab it. Pym stuff, Wakandan stuff, Stark stuff, I don’t give a shit what it- Chitauri stuff. What else is there? Grab it. Grab it! Theo’s got all sorts o’ gadgets he’s been workin’ on. I don’t wanna talk about it. I don’t wanna spoil it for ’im, but just grab whatever you can.

Theo: Yeah. Castletons… That can’t happen.

Roach: They’re up to no good. I’ve known it since the very beginning.

Theo: Th-that can’t hap- like, no more suits. No more o’ this superheroes trying to rule the world with some robotic iron fist. I’m- I’m not okay with that.

Roach: Meanwhile, [sighs] Elle, you stayin’ here? Reporter?

Elle: Yes.

Roach: Me, you, and Theo will hold up the Fort and we’ll, uh, we’ll, uh, try to track down Siggy or somethin’—

Masha: I don’t know if I can do it.

Eric: I mean should… What?

[Music halts.]

Lily: What d’you mean?

Masha: I don’t know if I can do it. I don’t know if I can do it.

Eric: In…

Lily: Are you worried about your powers?

Masha: Um…

Eric: Do you have a scheduling conflict?

Masha: [tearful] Just feeling really overwhelmed right now.

Lily: We can’t make you go. But we do need you there.

[Beat.]

Masha: I just don’t…

Sage: Masha, which power did you just lose?

[Masha’s Piano Motif plays sadly.]

[Beat.]

Jessica: Healing.

[Beat.]

Lily: Did you lose one?

[Beat.]

Masha: Yeah I lost he-healing.

Lily: [gentle] I’m so sorry. Did it let you choose?

Masha: [tearful] Yeah.

Lily: Okay.

Masha: I didn’t wanna lose that one.

Lily: [gentle] I know.

Theo: I’m sorry. I’ve been trying so hard to figure out what- what’s been going on with you. If you get that database, they’ve got way more than I do. Maybe we can find something that’ll help.

Dan: Also, Masha, for, I mean, what it’s worth, like, literally my power is smelling good. But not, like, smelling well, like your sister. Like, just- I just smell good. I don’t have anything extraordinary.

Elle: Yeah.

Dan: To get into this situation.

Masha: I don’t care! I don’t care about my powers!

[Beat.]

[emotional] I don’t know. I’m just finding, like, I just don’t understand why I’m even here. I don’t mean to…insult anybody, I just. Right now, I just don’t really feel like, um, like I just feel like everybody- I’ve been trying to be really honest with everybody and I don’t feel like anyone’s being honest with me.

[Masha takes a shallow, tearful breath and swallows.]

I just don’t know if I’m that helpful anymore. And the only power I wanted to keep was healing, but now I just… Fine. I’m accepting that I’m getting rid of them. I don’t need to have them anyway.

[Beat.]

But I’ll come if it means that I can find out who I am and what’s going on. I didn’t- I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Dan: [gentle] They’ve gotta have intel.

[Gentle music.]

Masha: [quiet] Okay.

Lily: I’m glad you’re saying these things. And we’re being honest with each other now. Because we are a family. For better or for worse. You and I are not related by blood, but you are my family. And that now extends to some of these other weirdos and misfits too. We all have each other’s backs, but we all need to all have each other’s backs.

Elle: S.H.I.E.L.D. is a powerhouse of answers. If you were gonna find anything about yourself, it’s gonna be there.

Masha: [quiet] Okay.

Eric: And I understand what you mean by not feeling useful. Or feeling confused as to why you’re here. And while…not exactly the paragon of, uh, you know, uh, good sense or anyone who should be giving advice at the moment, um, sometimes taking a selfish action could, uh, bring you closer to, uh, what it is you’re supposed to be doing for people you care about.

[Beat.]

Masha: Okay.

Lily: We’re together, so we’re in the right place, yeah?

Masha: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[Soup lid clanks open gently.]

Soup Guy: Low-carb soup?

Masha: That would be…good.

[Anticipation music.]

Soup Guy: You know, I always looked up to y’all. But I never had any powers. But I made up my mind. I’m a souper hero.

Masha: Soup…

Soup Guy: Er hero.

Lily: Yeah, you are.

Soup Guy: Yeah, you are.

Roach: [amused] Damn right, Soup Guy.

Soup Guy: Big-ass soup.

Roach: Big-ass soup.

[Beat.]

Eric: [quiet] Everybody get their speech in?

[Beat.]

Dan: Alright. Let’s go…q-quit my job [nervous scoff]. Well, that’s what I’m telling myself. You can have your own…

Elle: And you stay the fuck outta my head. We’ll talk about that later.

Eric: [nervous] Yup.

Dan: Yeah.

[Episode End music.]

Credits

[Episode End music throughout.]

Mayanna Berrin: 20 Sided Stories is produced by Sage G.C., Jessica Dahlgren, and Travis Reaves

Masha Mirova was played by Jessica Dahlgren

Eric Stanton was played by Travis Reaves

Lily Kline was played by Emily Ervolina

Additional Voices by David Michmerhuizen, Chad Ellis, Kaitlyn Cornell, and M. Colton Brodeur.

After-Credits Scene

[Metal clanks and echoes as someone climbs down a ladder. Voice echoes off the walls.]

Siggy: Ugh. The sewers. I thought it smelled bad in the Fortress.

[Footsteps tap and scuff to a halt.]

Oop. Forgot to close the manhole, shit.

[Metal scrapes, creaks, and clanks shut. Water drips.]

There we go. Uh… Hey guys? Hello? Anyone? Hmm. Oh! Right, the password. Ah, shit. What was it this week? Uh, I need to stay on top of the newsletters. Uh, oh!

I was sent by the man from the knickerbocker with the African Grey.

[Metal doors creak open.]

Hey.

Lizard People: [together] Siggy! Hey! Whoo!

Siggy: It’s good to see you guys. Listen. Nonstop Print Shop…it stopped. For good.

[Indistinct whispering.]

Lizardman: What d’we do?

Siggy: We’re not gonna take this sittin’ down. We’re not gonna hide down here in the sewers and pretend that everything’s alright. That we’re better off.

I think it’s about time we take a stand.

Credits

[Music resumes; dark and steady.]

Mayanna Berrin: Music, Editing and Sound Design by SageG.C.

Character Artwork by Rhea Lonsdale

Episode Artwork by Josh Wolf

Special thanks to Greg Reasoner, Matt Johnston and all our Patreon Supporters

Podcast Directed by Sage G.C.

You can get the soundtrack to this series for free at

sagegc.com/music

Follow 20 Sided Stories on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook @20SidedStories

Or visit our website at 20sidedstories.com

[Episode End music crescendos and fades out.]

Extras

[Crickets chirp. Footsteps tap.]

Eric: Shotgun! Let’s go!

Lily: Whoa, h-hold on. Did Henry ever fix your car after he broke it?

Masha: Oh, yeah, yeah. It was actually pretty fine. I-I ended up calling a tow truck and they just brought it to the Fort and everybody just helped and fixed it. So yay!

Eric: Isn’t there- there’s like a mechanic hero, right? There’s a guy who’s superhero is… He’s just—

Masha: Yeah. Yeah, his name is Otto, so…

[Sage stifles laughter.]

It’s Otto Repair.

Lily: Like it—

Eric: I hate this place. Let’s go fast from this place.

[Laughter.]