02x02 - Abomination

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Motherland

We don't know how,

but this force protects us

- when we're threatened.

- Just let me in.

I want to know how

someone gets to be you.

The Spree gave me a

place to put my pain.

I guess we're more alike than I thought.

- What are you doing?



- I have no idea.

I warned all witches that

the Camarilla is back.

That's a fetch! She's been trapped!

- I really missed you.

- I thought you were dead.

He's changing. This is not his place.

The bond we shared will endure forever.

We're surrounded.

I have a little surprise.

How can I help?

Hello?

!

It's been like this for days.

They haven't been able to recreate

the phenomenon at all?



I've thrown everything

I could think of at them.

Sonics, weather work,

physical and environmental stressors.

- Nothing.

- Disappointing.

I've got a delegation

coming from The Hague

and I had hoped to tell them

we had a new w*apon in the coming fight

against the Camarilla.

Soldiers,

I want to thank you for your

patience and cooperation,

but we're suspending these tests.

We can keep going, ma'am.

For now, it's more important

that you join Cadet Craven

for the start of w*r College.

But ma'am, in the desert, this w*apon

Ah!

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you, ma'am.

We need to find a different way forward.

Any ideas?



A closer look at the effects of

the event might shed some light.

May I show you something

that just arrived

from the Tarim region?



I always feel so humbled

in her presence.

General.

Direct from the epicenter of the event.

Extraordinary.

I've never seen anything like it.

Nothing human remains.

I'm confident that my examination

will tell us more

about what it was that happened.

And whether we can make it happen again.

Keep me informed.

Are they going to keep testing you?



Who knows?

They don't tell us anything.

I hope so. There's no way

they're just gonna let it go.

What, so you wanna keep being a lab rat?



If it keeps us in the fight, yes.

Don't you want to understand

what happened?



Yes, of course, I do.

But I'd rather we

figure it out ourselves

than have Izadora

poking and prodding us.

How about you?



Any more weird Alder

dreams or snakebites?



It was centipedes.

And no, but I almost

wish I would have one.

It was terrifying, but

also kind of amazing.

All right, Bells.

I know you've been waiting

for this day your whole life.

So what are we in for?



Yeah, when do we meet our Company?



This morning. But nobody says Company.

Just call it our Coven.

Sekhmet.

Egyptian?



Every Coven is named

after a w*r goddess.

Guys, apparently there are

a lot of rumors going around

about the three of us.

What?

!

I guess some people are

saying we only got in

because your mom pulled strings.

Let people talk.

We'll show them what

we're made of soon enough.

Is that the VP's daughter?



Yeah.

And they're having her stay

on this side of the base

until basic starts.

Oh, she looks so lonely.

I feel bad for her.

I was still biddied when

her father met with Alder.

He seems freaked out by

the whole witch thing.

It's been a week. What have you learned?



You were right.

While I haven't heard anyone

use the word Camarilla,

it's clear that there's someone

powerful pulling the strings.

These rallies and vigils

are too well funded.

Too well organized.

We'll need more than that.

Thank you.

And, I, uh made friends.

A couple, Bonnie and Shane.

And they seem pretty well connected.

How so?



Well, they always know when and where

the next event is gonna be,

like, before anyone else.

Today they'll be at the mall.

Can you get close to them?



I think so.

The wife she seems lonely.

I think she could use a friend.

Be careful.

Don't lose sight of the mission.

You know what can happen

when you get too close.

Why didn't you reach out to her?



Did you know that when Raelle was ten,

I spent a total of eighteen

days with my family?



Yeah, she said it was like that a lot.

Because they didn't approve

of who I married,

they decided to keep me in

the field and keep us apart.

Every time I walked in the door

and saw that my girl was

growing up without me,

I got angrier.

And that anger grew until

I lost sight of everything

but the Spree's mission.

In the end, she still

grew up without me.

I live with that every day.

Then once we knew that the

Camarilla had returned,

I started thinking she

might be better off

safer in the army.

What about now?



What would I even say?



Welcome to w*r College, Sekhmet.

I'm your Coven Leader.

Call me M.

Feel free to come to me with

any questions you might have.

You'll have some of your general

classes together as a Coven,

but on most days you'll be following

your individual specializations.

Once you've finished dealing

with your super-cool hair, of course.

Fear not. You're still bunking

together as units.

You'll find your rooms down the hall

if you want to go ahead

and stow your gear.

Dismissed.

All right.

Been a while, Bellweather.

Good to see you.

Hi, Gregorio.

Later.

Collar, can I borrow you for a sec?



I'm sorry about earlier.

No need to apologize.

I was staring at you.

Why?



Your reputation precedes you.

I just wanted to see what

all the fuss was about.

Gossip's a little high

school, don't you think?



In w*r College, gossip is intel.

There's only one thing I've

heard that concerns me.

Scylla.

That had to suck.

Yeah. It did.

- It still does.

- I just want to make sure

that is all in the past.

No more secrets

that are going to come to

light and reflect poorly

on this Company?



Well, believe me

I'm all done with secrets.

So

Who is he?



That's Gregorio.

You've heard about him before.

My Cavalier.

- Oh, yeah. At your debut?



- Mm-hmm.

Wait, the one that Libba stole from you?



No one stole me.

I'm not a possession.

You should see your faces.

Look, the whole thing

was a misunderstanding.

Libba and I were actually

together back then.

- I'm sorry. I never knew that.

- No one did.

We were keeping it secret.

And then High Atlantic Tradition,

and the stars, dictated

that I be your Cavalier.

Libba was never big on tradition.

Well, unless it was the

tradition of giving you sh*t.

- She was fond of that one.

- Yeah.

You know, she would've

liked your eulogy, though.

You were there?



I thought it was beautiful.

And it was fun watching

your mother squirm.

And now you're a male

witch at w*r College.

- That must be exciting.

- Yeah, you could just say witch.

- Oh, I didn't mean to

- Hey. Kidding.

Is she always this serious?



Yeah.

Sekhmet! C.O. on deck!

I just wanted to wish you all well

on your first day of w*r College

and impress upon you the

importance of the journey

that you're on.

It's not just about the Spree anymore.

We are now, all of us,

facing the return of an enemy

that I thought was gone

from this world forever.

An enemy that wants nothing less

but the eradication of our kind.

I want the thought of that enemy,

the Camarilla,

to be in your mind always

as you continue your training,

driving you to excel,

and develop the skills that

we will need to destroy them.

I also want to encourage you to embrace

the foundational principles

of w*r College.

To know

you must be constantly

seeking the truth,

no matter where it leads you.

To dare

to be utterly fearless.

Not just in facing the enemy,

but also what lies inside you.

To will

to effect change in the world around you

with total control and

conscious intention.

And to keep silent.

You spoke the words in your oath:

All Secrets Keep.

It is this veil of silence

that allows us

to do what needs to be done

to keep this Nation safe.

These are the pillars on which

your curriculum is built,

and the precepts by

which I live my own life.

Take them to heart,

and they will serve you well.

And with that,

I'll leave you to get on with your day.

If you're gonna bring intrigue to class,

you're gonna have to make sure

that there's enough to share.

I think this is the part

where we keep silent.

Carefully now.

It looks like the Mycelium.

It doesn't just look like it.

This is part of our Mycelium.

Somehow, she colonized a body

that was half way around

the world at the time.

How is that possible?



Through Raelle.

That must have been

her voice it was using.

Raelle is the only person

who has touched the Mycelium

and walked away more-or-less unscathed.

They're still connected somehow.

I'm pleased you've all turned

out to pay your respects.

But we must also raise our voices

and let the powers that be

know that we demand justice.

We demand that the monsters

responsible for this

be held accountable!

For too many years, the Spree

have been waging a w*r.

The victims of this w*r are not witches

but decent God-fearing Americans.

Let's not let their

sacrifice be in vain.

Thank you.

Justine. I was wondering

if I'd see you here.

Hi.

Yeah, no, I wanted to come

and pay my respects.

Shane is very inspiring.

- He's good, right?



- He certainly is.

I lost both my parents in this att*ck,

and, uh

I think about them all the time.

And there's this

hollow ache inside me

where they used to be.

It's okay.

I know it's hard to hear these stories.

I think about all of the

ups and downs of life

that I'll never get to share

with them and for what?



All because they were

in the wrong place at

So, yeah.

I think about them, but

But I also think about

that person, that witch,

and I wonder: does she feel remorse?



Does it keep her up at night,

thinking about what she did?



Is there anything human left in her?



What the hell are you doing?



I can ask you the same thing.

Revisiting some of your old haunts?



Feeling nostalgic?



You've been following me.

That fetch that was you.

Why haven't you arrested me?



'Cause that's not what this is about.

Mm. This is part of

your quest to save me.

To capitalize on the remorse

that you think you felt

when you linked with me.

I'm sorry to disappoint,

but you were wrong.

You mean the remorse that's

been written all over your face

from the moment you walked in here?



Look, you're right.

That's how it started.

But I've been watching you for weeks.

It's got me curious.

You're trying to infiltrate

this movement.

Figure out who's behind it.

It's more complicated than that.

You think it's the Camarilla?



Our ancient enemy has returned.

Has the Spree changed his focus?



Some of us have.

Why reveal yourself now?



I saw an opportunity and I took it.

Look, I want in on what you're doing.

That's bullshit.

What's really going on here?



There are things that I've seen lately.

Things about the army,

and Alder in particular,

that just don't sit right.

Including the decision

to just throw you away.

It just has me wondering if there

might not be a different way.

Justine.

There you are. We thought

maybe you had left.

Bonnie and Shane, this is, um

Hi. I'm Amelia.

Your speech was so moving.

- So sorry for your loss.

- Thank you.

It's hard being here.

So, uh, you two know each other?



- Yeah.

- Um, we've seen each other

at rallies the past few weeks.

Yeah.

Feels like we're kindred spirits.

I'm so sorry, this is

all a bit overwhelming.

Does anyone else need a drink?



Definitely.

Yeah.

Hey.

Are you okay?



Yeah, it's just my dad.

I get it. With me, it's my mom.

We can't get through a call

without it ending up in tears.

Tal, we're gonna

be late for class.

Don't worry.

It'll get better.

Sorry I'm late, cadets.

My name is Channing Grafton,

and I will be your instructor

for Mothertongue.

I've asked Adil, our

guest from the Tarim,

to sit in since, unlike

most American witches,

he grew up speaking

Mothertongue from birth.

How many of you are wondering

why you need to study this at all?



Isn't it just for The

Hague, at this point?



Or High Atlantics?



No offense.

I lost you at the end.

Will you Will you stand ?



He's challenging you to a duel.

There's no comparable term for it

in English but, uh, right of proxy

is the closest.

It's a tradition that's, uh, fallen

out of favor in the recent times.

So, besides being the root

of all known languages,

which I personally think is pretty cool,

uh, there's certain work

that can only be done

using Mothertongue.

And, uh, ask yourself this:

how is it that Adil is able

to speak perfect English,

a language he's never studied?



I see I finally have your attention.

So

Excuse me, General.

May I have a moment?



Craven. What can I do for you?



I've been thinking a lot

about Penelope Silver.

What about her?



I'd like your permission to tutor her.

To get her up to speed

and ready to start Basic.

Your empathy, as ever, shines through.

You have my blessing,

- Thank you.

- General?



The Hague delegation has

arrived and are waiting for you

in your office.

Carry on, Cadet.

Hello, General Alder.

Khalida.

What are you doing here?



Discussing where Adil

and I might settle.

In the interest of finding a

permanent home for the Tarim,

Khalida will be touring some

of the other Council nations.

General Alder,

I am forever grateful to you,

but you know my feelings

about us remaining here.

If this is what you want,

I'll arrange for a security detail.

That won't be necessary.

General Sharma has

offered her protection.

Khalida,

I wish you would reconsider.

Talk to your brother.

He was there, in the Tarim.

He saw what the Camarilla is capable of.

There have been reports of skirmishes

with the Camarilla from

several Council nations.

And more outbreaks of that

strange disease they created.

We've been calling it the Witch Plague.

Apparently it does not harm civilians.

No. It's clear that the Camarilla

have engineered it

as a w*apon of witch genocide.

The Camarilla have found a

way to replicate our work,

using technology powered by the

stolen vocal cords of witches.

It's an abomination!

Sarah, how can they have risen again

without any of us knowing?



I don't know.

But what is important now

is that we come together

to stamp them out,

and remove the stain of their blood

from this Earth forever.

I will root them out and

destroy them in my country.

Can I count on you to

do the same in yours?



Should I be offended that your mind

is clearly focused on something else?



I'm sorry.

Khalida wants me to come

with her on her world tour.

Are you going to go with her?



I don't know.

I hear you had lunch with Gregorio.

Can I ask you something?



What is a Cavalier?



It sounds intimate.

Frequently, it is.

But not with me and Gregorio.

We just never clicked that way.

I'm glad you're making friends, though.

Maybe that'll give you

another reason to stay.

The work you did, with the bottle.

What was that?



Something of my own.

It's definitely not Canon.

Maybe it could be?



I don't think The Hague would approve.

But you saved our skins,

and for that I am grateful.

I'm happy to serve you, General.

I've been watching you.

What you can do is

rare, but it's too wild.

You need to put that power

in the service of your will.

Maybe you could help me with that?



Yes.

I think I could do that.

Better?



Better.

I am Major Magda Verger,

and this is your introduction

to Off-Canon work.

This sort of work is forbidden to you,

but our enemies will not

hesitate to use it.

And neither will I.

Let me be clear:

you will not be learning

how to use Off-Canon work.

This is about learning to recognize it,

and to resist it.

Ma'am, is there any way we

could turn that radiator down?



What radiator?



There are sounds all

around us, at all times.

Both above and below the

range of our hearing.

And all sorts of nastiness

can be layered into those sounds.

They can make you see,

and do, terrible things.

You must learn to recognize

these sounds, and resist them.

Learn to identify,

and destroy their source.

Ma'am, has the army ever used

this sort of work in combat?



No.

This is the domain of our enemies.

The Spree, in particular.

What is this?



How the hell did we get here?



It's an exercise.

What, so we have to find a way out?



No, I don't think so.

How many clocks does one room need?



What is going on?



We have to find

the source of the working.

Found it!

That's not it.

No!

Stop!

Why aren't you doing anything?



I am.

This way.

You guys you guys are k*lling me.

I'm so glad we did this.

Me, too!

It's been great to meet you both.

You know, the movement

the movement has been

a bit of a boy's club.

You know what I mean?



You've never complained before.

Oh, I'm I'm not complaining.

I just think It's so nice

having some ladies around.

Speaking of the ladies,

that's where I'm headed.

Excuse me.

- Well, here's to new friends

- Oh!

and to ridding the

world of monsters.

I can definitely drink to that.

Hm.

- Guys

- Oh!

I'm gonna get us some more beer.

Be right back.

This has gone way too far.

Either you leave now, or I will.

I don't think that's a good

idea. You said it yourself.

There's a lot at stake here.

That does not mean I want

to work with the army.

And I don't want to work with the Spree,

but

You sure you want to pull the plug

just when it's getting interesting?



It's in here somewhere.

I hate these things.

Screw this place.

Can this be over now?



Behind you! Behind you!

Very good, Craven.

No one has ever beaten The Dollhouse

on their first try before.

I could see it.

I could see sound.

Really?

Interesting.

Good job.

It was the gas in here,

but, uh, what was the

source in the first room?



Th-there was no first room.

We were here the whole time.

Well done.

Wait.

Where's Abigail and Raelle?



Hello?



- Hello?

!

- Hello?

!

- Hello?

!

- Let me out!

Rae?



- Abigail?



- Rae?



You touched her.

And now you have to pay.

Izadora, please no!

Izadora, please! Please no!

No!

Abigail!

You have no idea what you've done.

The years of research

that you've ruined!

Years of my life that you stole!

Abigail! No!

You are an abomination,

and you will die!

It's conclusive.

The phenomenon comes from

Raelle, and Raelle alone.

What else?



As we suspected, it's protective.

The fear and the danger had to

be real in order to trigger it.

Thank you for approving the test.

It was a risk worth taking.

How did Abigail handle it?



She took a swing at me.

Ha!

Not surprising.

She recovered fine,

but I think she's disappointed

not to be a part of this.

Well, Bellweathers are

nothing if not ambitious.

So you'll continue testing Raelle?



Yes, ma'am.

Good. Be careful with her.

She just became one of

our greatest assets.

These people are all

so damn manipulative.

They couldn't care less

what happens to us.

That's part of being a soldier.

What they did to us today

has nothing to do with being a soldier.

At this point, the only people

I trust are you two.

What does it feel like,

when it goes off?



This time it felt like me

wanting to k*ll Izadora.

It's not like anything I've ever felt.

It's exciting but it's terrifying.

I felt incredibly powerful,

but also like it was completely

out of my control.

Sorry. I I don't I don't even

think I could do it justice, honestly.

What happens next?



More tests, apparently.

Just what I was hoping to avoid.

You okay?



Yeah, I, uh I'm just really tired.

I'm gonna go back to the room.

So it was catch and release?



I'm sorry.

I I should have been more careful.

What about her working alone?



Do you believe it?



I don't know.

It's always very personal

with Anacostia.

Maybe.

Stay the course.

But be careful, she's army.

You can never really trust them.

Khalida, uh, have you seen your brother?



It's my brother that

I want to talk about.

Sure.

I'm going to my room if

you want to talk there.

This will only take a moment.

I've agreed to let Adil stay here

while I search for a

home for our people.

Oh, good.

I think he really likes it here.

I'm grateful to you, Abigail,

and I don't want you to get hurt.

But you have to understand

that this is not a permanent situation.

In the end,

my brother will always

choose his people,

just as you will always choose yours.

Okay, to truly understand the army,

and our place in the world,

you have to know our history.

And knowing is one of the

four principles, right?



Oh, we are going to have you

ready for Basic in no time.

So where do we start?



At the very beginning.

With Sarah Alder herself.

Is she really three hundred years old?



Oh, she is. More than, in fact.

My dad says that's why

he doesn't trust her.

He thinks that someone

who lives that long

couldn't really care

about regular people.

Sorry.

It's okay.

A lot of people feel that way about her.

I didn't always trust her myself.

Tally, what is it?



There's something wrong with this photo.

What do you mean?

Some sort of working

has been used on it.

Do you do you see a person there?

No. There's no one there.

It's her.

She's real.

And someone's trying

to hide her existence.