The Peregrine and the Web of Youth
This was the first Strange Worlds story about The Peregrine. It was improvised on March 23rd, 2013.
Episode Summary
The Carmichaels, a wealthy couple of indulgent luxury, entertain the similarly wealthy Guinevere McCall and grouse about how much their charities demand when their manservant Reginald arrives with a note. It reads "Behind you." Suddenly, the Peregrine appears, slingshot drawn! She confronts the Carmichaels about the money they've been stealing from their orphanage... and declares she's taking it back! She launches a gas pellet, knocking the trio unconscious, and robs their safe, amateurly hidden behind a painting.
The Peregrine visits Edward, an accountant in her service, to see about liquidating the Carmichaels' gold and funneling it back into the orphanage. She inquires about the nefarious banking of the McCalls. Edward uses his expert filing system to link the McCalls to Walter and Mary Jebsen (formerly Jebzanovich). He warns the Peregrine against fighting them as they are both powerful and crazy, but the Peregrine declares she has justice on her side.
Walter Jebsen meets with his associate Sebastian, who explains that their accountant has gotten sloppy and left too many loose ends. Jebsen explains he has come too far to be stopped now, on the verge of eternal youth. Sebastian vows to dispatch the accountant in Jebsen's preferred fashion: drained of all blood, and left with the mark of a spider!
The Peregrine arrives at the accountant's apartment too late, recognizing the mark of the spider and telltale lack of blood. She discovers a message on his hand, 715J, but the last symbol is smudged. She leaves, vowing to bring the Jebsens to justice.
Walter Jebsen greets McCall and thanks her for her money transfers, asking if she's ready for the secret. She says she is, no matter how gruesome it is. Jebsen's agent Stefan enters, flirting with McCall who explains she is recently widowed after her husband fell off their yacht. Jebsen tells Stefan to fetch the serum, explaining that the eternal youth he promises comes at the expense of children. Stefan returns to administer the serum and extract the youth from a pair of orphans, restoring McCall from a woman of 40 to a woman in her 20s!
The Peregrine captures Mary Jebsen and her daughter, interrogating them about the missing orphans. The Jebsens explain that they extract the youth from the orphans' blood. Infuriated, the Peregrine throws them to the ground and kills both with well placed slingshot pellets.
Jebsen and Sebastian consult with their Russian scientist, known simply as "Mama", about avenging the death of Jebsen's wife and daughter. Her brutish son Ivan enters, with fierce strength and enormous hands. Mama has been keeping a map of Peregrine's appearances and centers them around a specific area. She produces a tracking fluid and gives them to Ivan while Jebsen and Sebastian conspire to kidnap more orphans to draw her out.
The Peregrine visits Edward again who has discovered more accounts connected to the Jebsens. The Peregrine knows their crimes are somehow connected to a group she calls "the Spiders." Meanwhile, Ivan readies a rocket launcher across the street. As he fires, Hawkimedes alerts a warning cry, causing the pair to dive for cover as the rocket explodes!
Sebastian encounters a young woman and her little sister. Jebsen emerges from the shadows, executing the woman as she is too old to be of use and abducting her little sister.
Recovering from the rocket's wreckage, the Peregrine receives a blood stained letter, informing her the orphans are being held at Jebsen Manor and only have an hour and a half to live. Enraged, the Peregrine storms off for the nefarious mansion.
As Ivan patrols the grounds, Sebastian asks if he found a body in the wreckage. Ivan admits he did not. Suddenly, the Peregrine appears behind them, her pellets knocking Sebastian out but barely even wounding Ivan. She attempts to disarm him and fails, but he discards his gun and faces her hand to hand. He trounces her easily, but is attacked by Hawkimedes, allowing the Peregrine to recover her slingshot and gas him into unconsciousness!
McCall looks for Sebastian in the mansion, complaining of a wrinkle. Jebsen emerges and tells her there are no refunds. She demands more orphans be sacrificed for her youth and beauty as Stefan inspects the deteriorating work. Dissatisfied, he slits her throat and she bleeds out as Jebsen cautions that the Peregrine will soon arrive.
The Peregrine finds the young orphan who is frightened of her mask. She reveals her true face and assures the girl that she's going to be okay. Jebsen enters, gun drawn, followed by Stefan and a recovering Sebastian. He offers the Peregrine the chance to continue her crusade forever, eternally young, if she only turns a blind eye to this operation. Stefan begins to taunt her, prompting Jebsen to shoot him. Jebsen again offers her a lifetime supply of the youth serum and the chance to save the orphans they currently hold if she'll leave them be in the future. The Peregrine reveals it was men like him who robbed her of her parents, leaving her an orphan. She fires pellets at Sebastian and Jebsen, choking them with gas, as Jebsen shoots her in the leg. With Jebsen's last breath, he presses a red button and releases his own poison gas and a mutated creature. She easily dispatches the creature with acid pellets that melt it, then calls for Hawkimedes to knock over a pair of oxygen tanks, allowing her and the orphan to breathe. Suddenly, Ivan bursts in, allowing the orphan to escape and revealing that Jebsen had killed his Mama. She tries to save him, but he insists she leave as he dies.
The Peregrine finds Ivan's sister in the lab, trying to save the youth serum. The Peregrine takes her out with a multi shot pellet, ensuring that the risk of the serum is forever vanquished.
The Peregrine returns the young girl to the orphanage and overhears how much she inspired her. Renewed, she vows to continue her crusade for justice as she fires a pellet, leaving the mark of the Peregrine upon the wall of the orphanage!
