REPORTER
This just in, the leader of the Vindicators, Providence, has appeared uptown and is burning the local bus station! She has injured several civilians so far, though her main target does seem to be the bus station, and-

NEVAEH
Get the fuck out of my way!

REPORTER
Oh, shit! Ahhhh I’m just a little on fire, don’t worry. It was my coat. I didn’t need that anyway.

(rocket boots as Solis lands next to the reporter)

JUDE
It’s very cold out, Citizen. Here, take mine.

REPORTER
Oh my god. Solis just gave me their coat.

APOLLO
How heroic of you.

JUDE
Mosaic! Excuse me, Citizen.

(walking and rocket-booting away)

JUDE
Are you sure you want to fight Providence? I thought you two were close.

APOLLO
(heroically) Nothing can get in the way of The Greater Good! 🦸‍

JUDE
(laughs) Okay, maybe don’t ham it up that much in front of the other Paragons.

APOLLO
(embarrassed) Sorry.

NEVAEH
Mosaic! You fucking traitor!

JUDE
Seriously, are you good to fight her? It’s okay if you want to sit this one out.

APOLLO
I can fight her. I’m in this, Solis.

JUDE
(warmly) I’m happy to hear it.

NEVAEH
Get over here and face me like a man!

JUDE
That’s an extremely outdated sentiment!

NEVAEH
Goddammit, Solis, I’m going to kick your ass!

APOLLO
Good luck.

(glass noises, holy light burning environment and skin)

APOLLO
Jesus, Providence!

NEVAEH
This is what you wanted, isn’t it?

APOLLO
I… Yes. Think fast!

(dodge)

NEVAEH
You almost fucking killed me!

JUDE
Uh, we don’t kill people, Mosaic!

APOLLO
Oh, right.

NEVAEH
(outraged) The hell do you mean, ‘right!?’

APOLLO
It wouldn’t have hit you.

NEVAEH
It would have if I hadn’t moved!

APOLLO
Then it’s a good thing you moved. 🙄

REPORTER
Yes, Mike, I am at the scene of the attack—and it seems that Solis and Mosaic are slowly getting the upper hand on Providence! Impressive stuff, she’s not as much of a household bogeyman as Mosaic was but she’s definitely a threat, and technically ranked higher than Mosaic.

NEVAEH
I will burn your fucking camera!

REPORTER
Providence’s power, of course, is holy light; it’s a beam of light which burns anything she deems impure, which seems to be everything except for animals.

NEVAEH
The whole damn world is impure! This city is corrupt, and I intend to change it!

JUDE
(whispered) Say something heroic, Mosaic!

APOLLO
Oh, uh- This is not the change this city needs, villain! Stand down!

NEVAEH
Kiss my ass!

APOLLO
Gross!

(more fighting, building begins to collapse)

APOLLO
Oh no, now they’ll have to build a better bus station! 😉

REPORTER
The old bus station has completely collapsed and is fully on fire, now, and Providence has-

JUDE
She’s getting away!

APOLLO
Aw, goddammit. I’m on it!

(running)

APOLLO
Providence! Surrender to the law!

NEVAEH
“Surrender to the law”? Really? Ha!

APOLLO
I’m trying my best out here!

NEVAEH
Good, then cuff me.

APOLLO
What do you mean? They’re way behind us; just run and I’ll say I lost you.

NEVAEH
No, dumbass, you have to succeed. Cuff me and then I’ll escape.

APOLLO
If you say so…

(running, rocket boots)

JUDE
Mosaic! You caught her! 😁

APOLLO
Sure did.

REPORTER
You heard it here first, folks, the former villain Mosaic has cemented his transition into herodom by capturing his old boss, Providence.

APOLLO
I wouldn’t have called her my boss, exactly.

NEVAEH
I would’ve.

JUDE
Come on, we’ll let the authorities take her to the prison while we answer questions.

APOLLO
What? Can’t we just go home?

JUDE
No, we have to say hi to the press. Come on, it’s not so bad.

APOLLO
(grumpily) Fine, fine…

REPORTER
How does it feel to have caught your first supervillain, Mosaic?

APOLLO
Uh. Good. Feels good.

REPORTER
I’m sure it does. And are there any lingering feelings between you and Providence? There were rumors that you and she were a thing at one point, and-

APOLLO
Ew, gross! Oh, god, no, why would anyone think that.

REPORTER
(confused) Well, because you seemed so close, and-

APOLLO
No! No, we were never a thing. Jesus. Can we go back to the tower, Solis?

JUDE
Sorry, but it’s your first victory, Val would want you to stick around a little longer.

APOLLO
(groans)

REPORTER
What about your relationship with Solis? Would you say you’re in love?

APOLLO
In love? God, why is that any of your business?

JUDE
Uh, haha, what he means is: Yes!

APOLLO
After only three weeks!?

REPORTER
Uh oh, trouble in paradise!

JUDE
No no, it’s just- I’m not shy about my love for Mosaic, but Mosaic is a much more private person, you see.

APOLLO
Much more private.

REPORTER
Right, and, do you have any comment on Providence’s escape?

JUDE
Well, we- Wait, what?

REPORTER
Yep, sir can you please confirm that the authorities have let Providence escape?

RANDO COP
She burned her cuffs off when we weren’t looking!

JUDE
And why the hell weren’t you looking!?

RANDO COP
We were watching your interview!

APOLLO
Told you we should’ve gone right home.

JUDE
Oh man, DCA is gonna be so mad.

REPORTER
Speaking of making DCA mad, let’s talk a little more about this groundbreaking relationship of yours.

APOLLO
Actually, let’s not.

REPORTER
Oh come on, just one little kiss for the cameras?

APOLLO
(furiously) Um? Who are you to stick your nose into our personal lives? Who the fuck do you think you are?

JUDE
Uh, (laughs nervously) sorry, he’s not a huge fan of PDA! Mosaic, don’t you think you should apologize to the nice reporter?

APOLLO
What? No!

JUDE
(whispered) Apologize, Mosaic!

APOLLO
😒I’m sooo sorry.

JUDE
Close enough. Thank you so much for your support, citizens! We’ll get ‘er next time!

(rocket boots up and away)

APOLLO
Oh holy shit we’re in the air-

JUDE
Don’t worry, I won’t drop you! 😁

APOLLO
We are higher than most of the buildings around us, oh god-

JUDE
Oh no, are you afraid of heights? I’m so sorry!

APOLLO
Are these rocket boots safe!?

JUDE
(playfully) As long as you don’t mess them up with your scheming.

APOLLO
Right. Look, I’ve seen these things explode before-

JUDE
That was years ago!

APOLLO
So let’s just do it my way, okay?

JUDE
Oh, alright. How does ‘your way’ work?

APOLLO
Like this.

(sound of stepping on glass)

JUDE
Gah, I almost fell!

APOLLO
Oh yeah, you have to go kind of fast, my platforms can’t support a human’s weight for more than a second or two.

JUDE
So just… keep moving. Always.

APOLLO
Yeah, pretty much.

JUDE
…I guess this is pretty cool. Don’t have to worry as much as I do when aiming the rocket boots.

APOLLO
Much more relaxing.

JUDE
…Yeah. I guess so.

-SCENE CUT-

VAL
Congratulations on a job almost well done.

JUDE
It wasn’t our fault she got away!

VAL
Yes, yes, I heard, it was the cops. Why we pay them so much to do fuck-all, I’ll never understand.

APOLLO
Speaking of payment…?

VAL
You are on probation. You don’t get paid until you’re sworn in at the Paragon Initiation Gala in a month. You’ll be expected to attend together, by the way.

APOLLO
That seems less than legal.

VAL
It was the governor’s only condition for letting you join us.

JUDE
He’s a real frugal guy.

APOLLO
What a kind way to put it. Does Solis get paid, at least?

JUDE
Oh, I just trade in my payment to put towards paying for the house the government gave me!

APOLLO
Wha- How do you live?

JUDE
By having a job?

APOLLO
Jesus Christ. You have a job already. You’re the state’s best superhero.

JUDE
You- You really think that? 🥺

APOLLO
Oh my god. The Vindicators treat their members so much better than this.

VAL
Careful, you’re starting to sound treasonous.

JUDE
He didn’t mean it like that!

VAL
I know, I know. Look, I disagree with how the government does things, too, but I’m already doing everything I can to change things. It just… takes time. And a lot of convincing.

APOLLO
Sure.

VAL
Anyway. I wondered if you could be the bridge between the Paragons and the Vindicators, Mosaic.

APOLLO
Huh?

VAL
If we could put together a treaty, we could stop a lot of the fights in this town. And with you crossing over to our side, you might be the perfect person to initiate that treaty.

APOLLO
That… might be pushing it, but… Solis and I will try.

VAL
That’s all I’m asking for. Solis, let’s talk about your latest grant for your tech…

(they walk away)

PATRICK
Hi.

APOLLO
Gah, Jesus! Where did you come from?

PATRICK
I’ve been here for a while, actually? I live here.

APOLLO
(sarcastically) Great. Cool. What a healthy work-life balance you have.

PATRICK
(genuinely) Thanks, but you recognizing my top-tier mental health isn’t going to distract me from my problem with you!

APOLLO
And what is your problem with me, exactly?

PATRICK
I don’t trust you. You’ve been a pain in Solis’ side for years.

APOLLO
(proudly) Ha. Yeah.

PATRICK
And I just don’t trust that you won’t hurt them again.

APOLLO
I’ll try not to hurt them. Wouldn’t want to make them angry.

PATRICK
Okay. I don’t think we’re really understanding each other. Let me make myself clear.

(barricades go up around them)

PATRICK
If you hurt them, I will make you regret it. Solis will be the least of your problems.

APOLLO
Uh, okay, buddy, gettin’ kinda close there-

PATRICK
I will barricade you underground where no one will ever find you.

APOLLO
(slightly afraid) Oh! Okay, taking the ‘shovel talk’ thing literally.

(barricades are dispelled)

PATRICK
(brightly) Don’t hurt them, and we won’t have a problem!

APOLLO
…Right. Um. I’ll keep that in mind, Sentinel.

PATRICK
Cool. Bye!

(Patrick leaves)

JUDE
Hey, what was that about?

APOLLO
Oh, just- You know. Congratulating me on becoming a hero.

JUDE
(disbelieving) Riiiight.

APOLLO
Unrelated, but. Would you want to… go on a date? Our official first date in the public eye.

JUDE
Oh! That… sounds really nice, Mosaic.

VAL
And the press will eat it up. Have fun, you two.

APOLLO
Can you get us a reservation at the Tip Top?

VAL
I’ll see what I can do.