Killjoys

"When the nights were long and the days were deep,

there lived a girl."

Why does it always start like that,

with the nights and the days?

All stories start like that.

That's how we know they're stories.

Now, do you need me to continue?

Both: "When the nights were long

and the days were deep..."

"There lived a girl and her father

in a beautiful castle."

Was he a king?

I like when they're kings.

He wanted to be.

Sometimes he thought he was.

He was on a quest to feed his people.

But he had disturbed something old,

deep, deep under the land.

All gifts come with a price.

The girl's father had awoken an ancient darkness,

something in search of a name, a voice,

and without knowing it,

he gave it one.

And that's when he saw that his kingdom was small.

Microscopic.

What happened next?

Yale, you must remember the stories

I tell you, especially this one.

It's important.

Why?

Because, Little Bird,

this is how it all began.

- Let him sleep. - I wish we could,

but that's just not gonna fix things.

Hey.

Pawter.

What are you doing?

We have to go back for Pawter, now!

- Lucy, ramp! - Johnny, stop.

She found me when you put a knife in my gut

and left me for dead.

Now I made it through that,

and she is gonna make it through this!

Delle Seyah is not gonna let that happen,

and you know that.

Lucy was tracking her vital signs.

If I thought she was alive, I wouldn't have left her.

Johnny, she's gone.

Oh, good. Nap time's over.

Khlyen will be here soon.

What'd I miss?

Doctor Illenore Seyah Simms.

The Quad will never see another like her.

She will be missed by her family,

but she will be missed most of all

by the people of Old Town,

whom she healed and whom she championed.

We, the Company, are committed to the roadmap to peace

that she laid out for Westerley,

and we are humbled to declare a holiday in her honor.

Off.

You got to hand it to Delle Seyah.

She doesn't stop.

Using Pawter's death as propaganda?

Here.

Take your medicine.

You know, I started to think that maybe

my world was

big enough to include Pawter.

That I could be that kind of happy, you know?

Regular-people happy.

So what do I do now?

Hey, if you want to bring Delle Seyah to justice,

I got your back.

You want to quit all this and run?

I call shotgun.

I mean it.

We don't have to stay here.

We can just fly away.

Never come back.

Well, that sounds amazing, but we really can't do that.

Grieving is for winners, and we haven't won yet.

Johnny, I don't even know exactly who we're fighting.

You're right.

We used to be a lot better at this.

Based on your vocal patterns, I calculate

this would be a good time to interrupt.

- What's up, Luce? - D'Avin's heart rate.

Dramatically.

Both: Fancy.

Keep fighting, buddy.

Give me a reason to make your eyes explode.

Boys?

Khlyen will tell you his plans

when he gets here. Be patient!

- Be explode-y! - Boys, we have guests!

Hey, Lucy, you could have warned us.

Apologies.

I was taken by surprise.

Their technology is... exotic.

We've come for Khlyen. Where is he?

Did you lead them here, you green shit stain?

I highly suggest you give us what we want.

How about a dreadnought in your eye?

I happen to have one.

Where'd you get it?

From me.

Sir, really?

Well, this is embarrassing.

May have miscalculated.

Feel free to run.

Ah.

Never mind.

Holy leaking shit.

Sorry about the mess.

Ooh.

You brought us here as bait.

- Tiny bit. - What'd you use on them?

A toxin I made after studying you.

I had to field test my little weapon.

Well, I'm gonna say it works.

Indeed, and what if I told you

we could use this to save the Quad?

All of us. Together.

One glorious suicide mission.

Who's in?

He's getting it everywhere, John.

I'll hose you down girl, I promise,

but for now, let's just do a full work-up on this shit.

It's harmless now.

No offense, not really gonna take your word for it.

Suit yourself, genius.

Full-spectrum analysis initiated, John.

Appreciated.

Isn't Fancy still out there?

Yup.

Talk.

You weren't meant to have that yet.

She's your daughter.

Yes.

Why do you want me to kill your daughter?

Because one day,

it might be necessary.

If Aneela ever finds out about you, she'll kill you first.

Why?

You've met quite a few Sixes by now.

Ever wondered why there are no young ones?

I'll spare you the suspense.

Their prefrontal cortexes are still growing.

They can't take the mental transition

when the plasma invades.

Aneela,

I am sorry to say,

is quite a bit insane.

Yeah, no shit.

I saw her lab on Arkyn.

My, you have been busy.

And you're putting off the real question.

Why do I look like your daughter?

I don't know.

That's the truth, Yale.

It's not good enough.

The truth often isn't,

but that does not make it a lie.

The Quad has one narrow chance of being saved,

and right now, we are it.

That is the only truth that matters.

Saved from what?

Hullen.

Specifically, the invasive neuroparasite

the plasma contains.

Come on.

You're telling me this shit is sentient?

When bonded with a human host, yes, we're sentient.

- "Host." So you're... - Hullen.

No longer entirely human.

Centuries ago my people offered

the ancestors of the Nine a deal,

eventual assimilation or immediate annihilation.

Their descendants have had ten generations

to suck the wealth out of the Quad and honor the deal.

What you're seeing in Old Town right now

is the beginning of that handover.

A silent invasion has begun.

This is crazy.

No, this is bullshit.

This is... this is crazy bullshit!

How can you be so calm about all this?

Well, to be fair, I've had a lot longer to process.

Centuries.

You do not have that luxury.

The sole reason the Quad is of interest

to my people is its plasma.

Destroy that, we will have no reason to come,

no ability to make new soldiers,

and the invasion will be aborted.

So those darts of yours can destroy the plasma

and save the Quad?

Done.

I don't care what you call that shit, I want it dead,