My Superhero City | Season 03, Episode 03: The Innocent Can Never Last
Lynch Mob: GIVE US THE SAINT! LIER! IMPOSTER! GIVE US HIS FUCKING HEAD!
Nitram: This isn't what you wanted when you signed up, you can't help them... You wanted to make them smile, but Laurie couldn't could she, because she wasn't smiling either. But when people see Jester, they smile! You could make them all laugh again, make the best world possible. You want to be happy, you want them to be happy, so why keep pretending to be Laurie?
Vivian: Mason. Listen to me. I know it doesn't seem like it, but we're actually in a stronger place now, and we need you. He beat you because we went in there with no plan or idea of what to expect. That was dumb. But your injuries will heal. And what's more-you learned a lot. How they think. His technology. How he fights. And he knows next to nothing about you, because from what we know you're not over there, or if you are you're with the rebellion most likely. So use your massive brain and kick his ass. Yes, you lost the fight. But victory is a spirit often found in a defeat.
Nitram: If its any consolation, you are going to lead to the creation of a better world, know that even as you sink into darkness it is for the cause of light.
Martin: Mahvash, I'm worried about whats coming. I keep going over it in my head, trying to figure out how I could get to that point, if there is something I can do or say. But at the same time I know myself too well, I don't think this other version of me will stop until he is dead. But...is that the only way this can end, or am I just seeing things to narrowly?
Light!Mason: Everything. Literally everything that is considered the worst can happen while we walk down this one hallway. We could explode. Open an inter dimensional rift and step into the blender dimension. Dad could die.
Vivian: So, do you wonder why there wasn't a duplicate of you over there? Are you dead? Good? Never existed? or just elsewhere? Me, I can't figure out why everyone's so freaked out about it. I mean, they weren't us. Just folks who looked like us on the outside. They're so different now they might as well be strangers. Really hot strangers, in some cases.
Lily: And I know what you mean, but... I'm glad I didn't see her. You make me envy you, talking about that. You really don't get it.
Vivian: What do you mean, I don't get it? They're not us. That's not just me saying that as a defense mechanism. They're really not us. Hell, in a way they're helpful. Showing us what someone might be if they made bad choices or gave in to despair or bad ideologies. Seeing my "double?" Made me happy. Because she was everything I never wanted to be, and I could see exactly how she'd gotten there. It reassured me that I wasn't even close, that none of us were. Sorry if I was blunt about it. I'll admit that was partly to throw you off your game, but...I'm just not good at talking about this stuff with people. Part of the reason I wanted to fight.
Lily: Sorry. I'm acting a little weird... I guess I just want this whole thing to be over. I'm... I've had my share. Of fighting. Of all... this. I spent what felt like... what felt like forever in a nightmare where my own father killed me over and over again. In seconds. Couldn't do anything, he just... crushed me in moments. Again and again. I have no idea– ...It's... numbing. Nothing feels... significant to me now. Pain doesn't really... do anything to me anymore, I'm not scared of dying, I don't really have anything to do... and god, Sam as well... it just feels like I'm in shutdown. I don't know why. It's like I've given up.
Mahvash: ...you are on the edge of the abyss. Sort of. Nitram probably tells himself that he's following the same ideals as you if 'better'. That kind of thing is inherent to paragons. If you want to know 'how do I know my righteousness is right', you don't. But you can heal. And you have people around you. And you're not speaking entirely in new era speeches and playing Scarface. You're hardly doomed, dearest.
Mahvash: No one that you sit in meetings beside is delicate...Your taking the pain and blood alone will just make them envious. And angry. Your people want to and need to share your burden. Its a weird human thing. Its a weird god thing. Its a perfectly cromulent daeva thing. And I'm pretty sure its in the whole marriage contract thing...Besides it'll be fairer to have a race to get to Nitram. I feel like everyone wanted to punch him... Oh, no offense dearest.
Jester!Laurie: Jesty isn't Laurie! Jesty doesn't want to be Laurie. Laurie doesn't know how to have fun. Keeps talking to everyone about their problems, keep her mind off her own problems. Thinking it'll fix things. But it doesn't. Everyone keeps coming back to Laurie, everyone keeps having problems, and it's never all fixed! Keeps drowning Laurie in more paperwork and worries and bullshit! And Laurie can't take it! Jesty can't take it. But Jesty don't need to! Jesty just needs to make everyone happy! And then everything will be better. Mr.Scarry Martin said so!
Zach: Sam, I swear to whatever god may be looking down at the moment but you better not overexert yourself. I know you. You'll drive yourself into the ground and then we're out a hero, and a friend. I know how your brain works Sam but if you're gonna have someone to fight for, that means you need to come back to them too.
Light!Mason: You punch things. It's hard to fuck up your job. But a lot more is at stake when it's me. MY half is supposed to build things. MY half is meant to figure out complex mathmatical equations and figuring out the best formula for things. MY half has more riding on it than you, when you just go around like a simpering ape and hit things really hard!
Dark!Mason: That's not fair! I have it just as bad! If I'm not strong enough to fight then I'm not strong enough to defend anyone! How do you think I feel, putting in my all and still getting my arms broken, my leg blown apart!? If I'm not strong enough to fight, then I'm not strong enough to defend! YOU'RE not the only one suffering-!
Nitram: People of Super City and the world, my name is Messiah. For to long you have labored under the protection of a broken system, become chattel to be slaughtered in droves by mad men while those who promised you protection sit atop their morality in justification. No longer, not for a minute more. I have put with this message a date and time, and on that day my Saviors will come to finally deliver onto you freedom from this system, a bright and shining future beyond what you could imagine. Await our justice.
Holiday: All conscious present, this is Holiday...Local ACPs will be converging on your positions in the next five-to-ten minutes. Remain calm, and for heaven's sake don't do anything rash.
Lily: 9,223,372,036,854,775,807–
AntiSaint: They did a number on this place, didn't they? Should've guessed he'd try to kill me when he had the chance. But I suppose that's the real legacy I left, wasn't it?
Vivian: Oh noes, poor you! The evil people who attacked us might have been inspired by you? And now you're sad because you've suddenly had an attack of bleah conscience? Play me another sad song, jackass. You've been grooming and training these assholes for years. You had to know perfectly well the kind of people they were and the way they act. Can't take back those mistakes. Sorry, but my well of pity for people like you dried up when I saw how deeply the other you was loved by the people here, and realized the power that gave you to steer them down a bad path. Enter stage left: your shitty dimension and your attempt at playing on that exact idea by hamfistedly trying to make us just as bent and broken as your world. I'll even admit that to a point I agreed with your methods and ideas. If you'd been more subtle, some of us might have been swayed. Guess you blew that idea all to hell too along with the Saint's name and everything he ever stood for here. Ever seen "It's A Wonderful Life"? Well, this whole situation is like that in reverse, because we were better off here with you dead.
- Short Synopsis: Nitram/Messiah has declared war on the world, and heroes have an unknown time to calm the public and themselves and prepare a response.
- First Post: 4 January 2020
- Webcomic Time: 1 September 2021
Tropes - Caution, unmarked spoilers
- Above the Influence: Common decency prevents Nariko from going to far with Laurie wants she realizes that the therapist is Not Herself. And that she's under the influence too.
- Despair Event Horizon: Lily has crossed it. Mason is dangling right outside the horizon.
- Empathic Environment: And how. Cole is sitting in the middle of a drab, empty Cafeteria alone when the episode opens and the outside does not look much better.
- Enemy Mine: Several villainsnote appear to join the fight against the Saviors.
- Genre Savvy: Sam rejects the deal with the villains out of hand.
- Getting Smilies Painted on Your Soul: Laurie's pheromones go berserk when she's in full Jester persona. Then she proceeds to roam the school in search of people to 'make happy'.
- Heroic Safe Mode: What much of the cast, especially Lily is on. She forces herself to train to do something besides sit and waste away.
- Holding Out for a Hero: The public used to Saint do this to fill the void.
- IW Ill Fight No More Forever: Lily clearly says she wants nothing to do with more fighting after the war. She does not sound too different from Zach in university.
- Madness Mantra: Nitram's mental attack sent Lily counting again.
- Mid-Season Upgrade: Thomas+Selby rebuild Holiday in the wake of the reveal of AntiSaint.
- Nitram Set Us Up the Bomb: Nitram sets a bomb to destroy the Foundation HQ as soon as his war declaration ends.
- New Era Speech: Nitram's declaration of war is also a new era speech.
- The Remnant: The Guardian movement has regained strength with a second discrediting of the Saint.
- Sdrawkcab Name: A player convention for referring to the Saviors, the heroes' Psycho Rangers from another world. Excepting Liam, who would be 'Mail' and is instead codenamed: 'Mial'.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Viv gives a withering one to AntiSaint, albeit it is while they have other problems.
- The Squad: The IW show off their Mildly Military cohesion a tad more as they report to each other and coordinate post-explosion.
- Vigilante Execution: The mob, and Marcus advocate this for AntiSaint.
