Strong Willed

Strong Willed is the fifth episode of Fantendo - Side Stories. It was written by RTA fan ^(t∣b∣c) and first aired in April 2017.

Synopsis

With Naomi's injury, Isabel takes control of F.A.N.T.'s field operations while Naomi recovers. The episode also covers how Isabel gained her laser vision and coped with her superhuman strength in more depth.

Transcript

Naomi is seen in her office with a glass with an unusual liquid in it.

Naomi: This is gonna be disgusting.

Naomi drinks the liquid as Isabel comes in.

Isabel: What the hell's that?

Naomi stops drinking.

Naomi: Blended sausages.

Isabel grimaces.

Isabel: I feel sorry for you. Not being able to eat stuff for the time being.

Naomi: It happens. Speaking of not being able to do things, it's been recommended I don't go into the field until my stomach heals up. Could you take the reigns for leading field operations?

Isabel: Sure. It'll be nice to completely lead the team.

Naomi nods.

Naomi: You're capable, I know that. You saved us when we were kidnapped by that bastard Hendricks.

Isabel nods.

Naomi: Anyway. There's been sightings of people in unusual clothing in D.C.. Most going toward Georgetown. I need you and the guys to go and check out what they're doing.

Isabel: Right.

Isabel walks out of the office and goes over to Terry.

Isabel: Tell Wilson, Grzeskiewicz and Ghaly we're heading out.

Terry nods as he walks over to Howard's desk to see he's not there, but sees his shoes.

Terry: Weird.

The camera then shows underneath Howard's desk where he is shown with Benedykta, with the heels of her boots digging into her thighs. They both freeze.

Benedykta: (whispering) I can't hold this much longer. These boots weren't made for this kind of position.

One of Benedykta's heels dig in too deep, causing her to yelp and extend her leg, which Terry notices.

Terry: Benedykta?

He leans over to see Howard and Benedykta. Benedykta squeaks and covers her mouth.

Benedykta: It's not what you think.

Terry notices lipstick all over Howard's face.

Terry: Are you sure?

Benedykta doesn't respond and just stares blankly at Terry. Terry seems a bit infatuated as Howard slaps him.

Howard: What do you want us for?

Terry: We're going out.

Howard: Right.

Howard and Benedykta come out from beneath the table as Isabel notices the lipstick on Howard's face and smirks.

Howard: It's not-

Terry: It is.

Terry walks past Kareem and takes his headphones off which gets Kareem moving. As they head out to the car, Terry notices Naomi isn't there.

Terry: Is Naomi not coming?

Isabel: She's been told not to go into the field for now. Her stomach's in too bad of a condition to do field work for the time being, so I'm head of field operations for now.

Terry: Oh.

The agents then get in the car and set off.

---

A young Isabel, about 11 years of age, is seen in a zoo in Budapest with her mother.

Isabel's mother: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Do you want to see the monkeys, Isabel?

Isabel: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Yes! I love monkeys!

The two walk to the monkey exhibit as Isabel notices a boulder rolling in their direction.'

Isabel: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Uh, mother?

Isabel's mother stops and spots the boulder. Isabel prepares for the worst as Isabel puts her hands out. Once the boulder reaches Isabel, it stops dead and Isabel lifts it with one hand. Her mother looks at her, seemingly shocked.

Isabel's mother: (in Hungarian, subtitled) H-how...?

Isabel: (in Hungarian, subtitled) I don't know, mother. In all honesty.

Isabel's mother: (in Hungarian, subtitled) How long have you known about this?

Isabel: (in Hungarian, subtitled) About... a year? This isn't the first time I've saved someone with this.

Isabel's mother thinks about this.

Isabel's mother: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Can't believe my daughter's a superhuman. Hmm... I think most parents would say hide them but Isabel, use them to the best you can.

Isabel nods as she is seen in the present day sleeping in the passenger seat of the team car with Kareem driving.

Emerson: So let me get this right. Wilson and Grzeskiewicz, the two who should probably be the most mature, were making out like teenagers?

Terry: Yeah.

Howard is shown having his beanie down over his face in shame.

Emerson: That sounds like something Kareem'd do.

Kareem: I'm a year older than you, Emerson!

Emerson: You're 24?

Kareem nods.

Emerson: ...Nah, bullshit.

Terry: I've seen his birth certificate. It does say he was born in 1993.

Emerson: ...Fuck.

Kareem smirks as Benedykta is shown sleeping. She suddenly wakes up and the heel of her boot digs into Howard's toe, causing him to scream.

Benedykta: Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Benedykta rubs her eyes and lets her hair down.

Benedykta: Who's in the car behind?

Emerson opens her window to look.

Emerson: Looks like San Nicolas and Leifsson.

Emerson tries getting a better look.

Terry: Street sign!

Emerson ducks her head in to avoid collision then pokes it out again. She gets a better look.

Emerson: Yeah it is.

Terry looks to see Isabel sleeping as he taps her on the shoulder. She then wakes up violently.

Isabel: What? What did I miss?

Terry: Nothing. We're almost there.

Isabel: Oh. Okay then. Just had a flashback about my strength.

Terry: Huh.

The team keeps on driving as they attempt to find their destination.

---

Naomi is seen still sat in her office, now with a blender alongside some potatoes, bacon and peas. Øydis pokes her head in.

Øydis: What's with the blender?

Naomi: Can't eat solids for a while.

Øydis: Why?

Naomi: Went to raid some base last week. I got really pissed off and attacked someone. Set my body on fire, exhaled fire then I attacked them.

Øydis: Why would you do that?

Naomi: If your mother suffered PTSD and someone mentally tortured them how would you react?

Øydis: ...Fair point.

Naomi: Anyway, I burned my stomach really badly and now I have to stay here until it heals up. Which could be a couple of months off.

Øydis: Unlucky. How bad we talking?

Naomi pulls up a picture on her computer and passes it to Øydis, which shows Naomi's stomach blackened on the inside.

Øydis: Oh Jesus. That's making me feel ill just from looking at it.

Naomi: That's how everyone else felt when they saw it. There's also the possibility I burned part of my intestines.

Øydis: This is seriously grossing me out.

Naomi: Right. Sorry.

Naomi turns the computer back around as she tosses the food into the blender.

Øydis: So you have to blend everything now?

Naomi: Yeah.

Naomi blends the food as it comes out in an unappetising smoothie. Øydis grimaces at the smoothie.

Øydis: I don't know if that looks better or worse than the instant ramen Natsumi buys.

Naomi: Better probably. I've never seen the ramen.

Naomi puts the blended meal in the microwave.

Øydis: So... you're gonna be around here for some time?

Naomi: Yeah.

Øydis: Who's in charge of field stuff then?

Naomi: Baráth.

Øydis: Huh. Why her though?

Naomi: She's a squad leader, she's capable.

Øydis: That's fair, I guess.

Øydis then walks out of Naomi's office as Naomi's dinner smoothie is ready.

Naomi: This won't be fun...

Naomi drinks the smoothie as she thinks about what to do.

---

Isabel is seen in high school at age 16, in a Science class. She has chemicals in front of her.

Teacher: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Baráth, be careful. We know what you can do.

Isabel: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Okay.

The teacher walks away as Isabel grabs a pair of tongs. She then grabs the glass with the chemicals in it.

Isabel: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Easy, easy...

Isabel's arm starts shaking as the tongs get tighter. Isabel then shatters the glass as most of it misses Isabel and lands on the table, but some of it manages to get into her eyes.

Isabel: (in her head) Shit!

Isabel steps back, grimacing and screaming. Everyone looks at Isabel, who's seen rubbing her eyes.

Student: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Isabel, that won't help!

The situation appears to get worse for Isabel. Eventually, the screaming stops and Isabel sits down. The chemicals are shown to have been absorbed into Isabel's eyes.

Student #2: (in Hungarian, subtitled) What the hell was that?

Isabel shrugs as she rubs her eyes again. However, when she opens them again, she fires lasers from her eyes that go across the room. The students look at Isabel.

Student #3: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Holy crap.

Teacher: Tartakovsky!

Tartakovsky: (in Hungarian, subtitled) Sorry, sir.

Isabel seems surprised by this and sighs, as she is seen in the present day looking out the team car window and watching the D.C. lights.

Terry: Isabel, are you alright?

Isabel looks at Terry. Isabel: Yeah. Why?

Terry: You just look bored, that's all.

Isabel: Oh. I was just having a flashback to how I got my laser vision.

Terry: Weren't you born with them?

Isabel: Nah. I got laser vision from an incident including some chemicals.

Terry: Oh jeez.

Isabel: My eyes were blue before the incident. The chemicals turned them brown. I don't know how.

Terry: It's probably because like blue eyes can go brown with surgery.

Benedykta: Other way around, Mr. Cunningham.

Terry: How would you know?

Benedykta puts her head in her hand.

Terry: Oh yeah. Scientist and shit.

Benedykta shakes her head as they carry arrive at the building.

Isabel: Right. Let's go.

---

Naomi is seen searching through a file as Natsumi comes through.

Natsumi: Whatcha doin'?

Naomi: Looking for people to form a second squad. Last week pretty much taught me that we need a full-time second squad in case something like that happens again.

Natsumi: Fair enough.

Natsumi gets a peek at the file Naomi's looking at.

Natsumi: Nadia Brodeur?

Naomi: I heard she gained superpowers from a bizarre thunderstorm. She's from France. She and a friend are practically joined at the hip.

Natsumi: Huh.

Naomi: I'm looking for other agents to help them. My main problem is reaching them.

Natsumi: I could find their number.

Naomi: Do you know how much it costs to call someone in another country?

Natsumi: Good point. Maybe try telepathy? You can use your powers still, right?

Naomi: I've been told not to use my pyrokinesis but my psychic powers should be fine so...

Naomi sighs.

Naomi: I'll try it.

Naomi puts her hand on her head. The camera cuts to a city in central France to show Nadia with her friend Yvette Shaw.

Yvette: Hey, Nadia!

Nadia looks at Yvette, with a pack of marshmallows.

Yvette: How many of these do you think I can stick in my mouth.

Nadia shrugs as she gets a ringing in her ears.

Naomi: (telepathically) Ms. Brodeur?

Nadia freezes.

Nadia: (telepathically) Who is this?

Naomi: (telepathically) Naomi Richards. Director of F.A.N.T. I don't know if we've appeared on French news at all.

Nadia looks confused as Yvette is shown stuffing her face with marshmallows.

Yvette: (muffled) 6, 7, 8...

Nadia: (telepathically) What have you reached out to me for, exactly?

Naomi: (telepathically) Do you want to help us save the world?

Nadia: (telepathically) ...Sure. I guess.

Nadia cuts off as Yvette is seen, with a mouth full of marshmallows.

Yvette: (muffled) I got them all in!

Nadia: You've got knowledge of everything in the world and you spend time doing this.

Yvette nods as she smiles and all the marshmallows fall out except for one which goes down her throat. Yvette then coughs it up as Naomi is seen.

Naomi: She's on her way.

Natsumi: Sweet!

Naomi sits back as she knocks her computer mouse as Natsumi sees the screenshot of Naomi's stomach and screams.

---

The team is seen entering the unusual building. Emerson is loading her rifle as Terry cracks his knuckles.

Isabel: Right. Let's find out what's going on here.

Isabel walks down a corridor with everyone following her. Terry then hears ominous chanting.

Terry: Is there a sacrifice going on?

The others then hear the chanting.

Isabel: It's down here.

Isabel walks down a hallway as the others follow. They reach a door where it is loudest. Isabel shoves the door with enough force to knock it down.

Isabel: Let's go.

Isabel moves a curtain as she instantly spots a star up on the wall.

Isabel: Welp. That's a pentagram.

The others enter as they notice everyone is in a cloak.

Emerson: I think... we've walked into a satanist thing.

Terry: Just... just maybe.

The head of the group walks to the team. They seem uneasy.

Leader: What is your purpose for being here?

Isabel: We were told to come here. We were told about suspicious activities.

The leader smirks as they raise one hand and clench it into a fist.

Howard: This is creepy.

The leader then shows dangerous fangs. Isabel then steps back as the leader shows their face as they are a demonic creature. It roars as the agents look nonchalant.

Terry: This is new.

Leader: We'd prefer you to leave.

Isabel, seemingly unphased, fires lasers at the leader. They dodge the lasers as they analyse Isabel.

Leader: I can't smell fear on you.

Isabel: I've dealt with threats like you since I was back home in Hungary. I'm not scared of your kind.

The leader smirks. They call for their colleagues who go at Isabel. Emerson draws her rifle and kills some of them but realise they won't kill all of them, so the team runs off into another room.

Benedykta: That was... an experience.

Emerson: I just had a flashback to when I was on drugs. It reminded me of a time I was tripping!

Isabel: Where'd they all come from? That's what I want to know.

Howard: Probably some far-out planet.

Terry looks into a room with an ominous glow.

Terry: Or...

He opens the door further as the team looks to see a large portal, presumably leading to Hell.

Isabel: Holy-

Kareem: This is some Supernatural-level bullshit here.

Benedykta, Howard and Emerson look at the portal, shocked.

Isabel: This operation just got a whole lot more interesting.

---

Naomi is seen on the phone, talking to Samantha, her mother.

Naomi: Hey, mom. You recovered from last week.

Samantha: Yeah, thank god. I'm so sorry I melted down like that.

Naomi: It's fine. If it were me I would've probably done the same.

Samantha: Nah. You're much stronger than me. I guess being a vigilante just mentally exhausted me.

Naomi smirks as Natsumi bursts in.

Natsumi: Naomi!

Naomi jumps up, frightened. She then looks at Natsumi.

Naomi: I'll call you back, mom.

Naomi hangs up as she looks at Natsumi.

Naomi: What?

Natsumi: Isabel just called me. They've arrived at that building and... There's a...

Naomi looks at Natsumi.

Natsumi: ...Portal. To Hell.

Naomi raises her eyebrows.

Naomi: I'm sorry, what?

Natsumi: A portal to Hell.

Naomi looks surprised, and is speechless.

Natsumi: I don't know how they've made the portal but it's pretty surprising.

Naomi is still speechless.

Natsumi: The people aren't people either. They're demons. Presumably from Hell.

Naomi sits down as Natsumi walks out and makes some food. She comes back five minutes later with some ramen as Naomi finally grasps what she's been told.

Naomi: So I've sent agents to a fucking satanic ritual building?!

Natsumi: Maybe.

Naomi puts her head in her hands.

Naomi: Shit, man.

Natsumi: They'll be fine. You know they'll be fine.

Naomi: I fucking hope so. I don't want to be responsible for their deaths.

Naomi sighs as she takes a sip of a smoothie.

Naomi: If I didn't injure myself, I'd help them.

Naomi looks out of the window as she thinks about how the team will do.

---

Isabel is seen pacing around a room.

Isabel: Right. We've got to take care of those guys.

Howard: How though?

Isabel: The only way we know.

Terry: We tried that way already. That's why we're in here.

Isabel: ...True.

They then hear some grunts as someone bursts down the door. They all look as they see Blaze Zednik.

Blaze: Needing some help?

Isabel: How'd you get out here? I thought you lived in California!

Blaze: I'm a special FBI agent. I'm designated to operations like this.

Howard: How'd you find us anyway?

Blaze: I could hear your breathing. I can hear things from miles away over all noise.

Terry: Weird.

A demon tries and attacks Blaze but she jumps over it, somersaulting and then throwing a shuriken into its head, killing it.

Terry: Damn!

Blaze smirks.

Blaze: Let's go.

The team nods as they follow Blaze. The team then runs in to fight the demons. Isabel fires lasers at a large group of demons and leave them with big holes in their heads, Terry swiftly kicks a lot of demons out of the way, Howard and Benedykta team up to take out a lot of demons while Emerson and Blaze team up and let loose a strong telekinetic force. Emerson then shoots a few in the head and Kareem throws a few into walls. Eventually, they take them all out. Everyone is shown exhausted save for Kareem and Blaze.

Kareem: That was great!

Isabel: It was tiring.

Blaze: You guys are part of an organisation where this is normal and you're tired?

Isabel: We don't take on about 100 demons at one time though!

Blaze: That's fair, I guess.

Emerson: What're we gonna do about that though?

Emerson points at the knocked out demons.

Blaze: We send them back where they came from.

The camera then cuts to Isabel pushing the heap of demons into the portal, as the others cheer weakly.

Isabel: Time to get back, I guess.

---

The team is seen arriving back at the base. Isabel flops in her chair as Naomi notices them.

Naomi: Oh thank god.

Terry: You alright?

Naomi: Yeah, I was just worried about whether you'd survive or not.

Isabel: You know us. We're always gonna be fine.

Naomi: That's true, I guess.

Isabel: We got help from a certain someone anyway.

Naomi looks at Isabel as Blaze drops down as Naomi screams.

Naomi: Where'd you come from?!

Blaze: The ceiling. I've got top class espionage, you know that.

Naomi: What were you doing in D.C. anyway?

Blaze: I'd been informed by my director about the building you were going to. I'm head of the supernatural FBI team because of what I've had to do in Anaheim. The portal, aliens and all that.

Naomi: Oh.

Isabel: So, how you coping with not being able to do field work?

Naomi: Alright actually. I'm assembling a new squad in case we end up in serious danger.

Isabel: Huh.

Naomi gives Isabel a file as Isabel looks through.

Isabel: Nadia Brodeur, Yvette Shaw, Becky King... how do you know all these people?

Naomi: Psychic powers. Telepathy. Shit like that.

Isabel: Fair enough, I guess.

Isabel passes the folder back.

Isabel: So that was it?

Naomi: Yeah. Pretty much.

Isabel shrugs.

Isabel: Better than nothing, I guess.

Naomi nods as the team thinks about what they experienced.

---

Howard is seen under his desk with Benedykta again, the two kissing.

Howard: Hopefully we don't get caught this time.

Benedykta smirks as the two keep kissing.

Naomi: Grzeskiewicz?

Howard and Benedykta freeze.

Benedykta: (under her breath) Not again!

Reception

TBA

Trivia

• The student who is named in the high school scene is named after Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of Samurai Jack.