After Micky Scott’s funeral, his family return to their flat, the condolences still ringing in their ears. There’s a knock on the door and Mrs. Scott asks her daughter, Josie, to get it. The teenager refuses, causing her grandfather to get involved. Josie shouts back he can do it. He’s just sitting around as usual. The family argument is in full swing and Josie finally shouts that they are only picking on her because they think Micky’s death is her fault. The other two hug her. The insistent knock reminds them of their guest.
Joan Scott opens the door to find a disheveled Captain Britain standing there. He is sorry for intruding, but he’s come to apologize. He’s responsible for her son’s death.
Joan takes a long look a him, then announces that it wasn’t his fault. She lost Micky a long time ago. He got in with the wrong crowd when his dad left them. It was only a matter of time. She suggests the Captain had better come in. The few neighbors left living in this slum will be wondering what’s going on. Captain Britain thanks her and Joan introduces her father-in-law Bob.
The older man is quite enthusiastic about the hero’s visit. He read a lot in the paper about his recent endeavors. He’s been on the front page news every day this week, “Britain’s own superhero back in action.” He recalls how Cap saved forty kids when their school burnt down, and then that planeload of hostages from that terrorists. And that big armed robbery he stopped. Makes one proud to be British the way Cap sorted those ruffians out. And he’d only just got back after spending over nine hours clearing that motorway of that pile-up wreckage. The country needs someone like him. Trouble with folks today is there is no patriotism!
Cap looks rather embarrassed by all that praise and Joan gently tells her father-in-law to lay off a bit. She offers Cap a cup of tea and he gratefully accepts.
Bob continues that they hadn’t heard much from Cap in the previous six years. Has he been in America? That’s were all the heroes go, after all. Cap replies that he’s been in Britain, for the last six months at least. Before that… Why wasn’t he in action then? asks Bob, a lot of folk needed him.
They could have done without him, Josie sullenly interrupts. He’s just like all the other establishment stooges. He interferes with everyone because he thinks he knows better. He thinks he can run their lives, because he has some power.
Returning from the kitchen with the tea, Joan angrily berates her daughter for her poor manners, but Cap admits she’s right. For the last three years, he rubbed shoulders with cosmic beings, fighting to save the universe. He’d forgotten his responsibility to ordinary people. He’s afraid it’s taken Micky’s death to make him realize his error.
Joan shushes him that he is being too harsh on himself, but Captain Britain won’t have it. He was careless, he berates himself. He knew her children were nearby, but ignored the obvious danger to them. He was more intent on beating that creature… Meggan.
And she only wanted to kill him, comes another voice. Meggan has joined them. Josie enthusiastically greets her, while Bob seems aghast at seeing the strange creature. Meggan admits that she watched the house ever since the night Micky died. She wanted to explain, but was too scared. They were all so upset. She couldn’t face them. But then she saw the Captain, so she’d been listening outside. Meggan exonerates the Captain. It was her fault, but she never lost control like that before. She just couldn’t help herself. It was the smell of the tramp. She doesn’t know why, but it made her feel threatened. She’s not usually crazy like that, honest.
Joan Scott steps between Meggan and the Captain. She announces that Micky’s dead and the two of them blaming themselves won’t bring him back. Nothing will. The police and the courts were satisfied it was an accident. Why can’t they accept that? She has. She turns to the Captain, telling him he is exhausted and little wonder; he’s been involved in no amount of rescues and scuffles this week.
He accepted the powers, Cap explains. They carry responsibilities he can no longer ignore. Is he sure he hasn’t just been trying to make to for feeling guilty? He is guilty, Cap insists. He failed Micky. He won’t fail anyone ever again.
Mrs. Scott tries to talk sense into him. He can’t shoulder the world’s problems. He is only one man. He has to live his life and help other along the way. That’s all any of them can do.
She turns to Meggan, telling her that, as Josie’s friend, she is welcome in this house. Joan asks Captain Britain to sit down again and have another cup of tea. And maybe he can tell them all about those “cosmic beings” he saved the universe with.
Time passes ad Cap regales them with tales of his adventures. Joan observes that he seems to be very fond of this Saturnyne. Sounds a bit hard-boiled to her, a disgruntled Meggan mutters. Cap makes excuses and Josie laughingly points out that he is blushing.
The subject turns to Meggan, as she tells them how she lost her family. They are travelers. It happened about six months ago, she thinks. She can’t even remember why she left them. Whenever she tries to she recalls this sort of concentration camp and the sky’s funny too… all green and twisted, it’s crazy.
She remembers, Brian exclaims. He decides that perhaps he might help her track her family. He has a fairly large “headquarters” in the country and access to a rather special computer. He invites her to be his guest until then. Secret headquarters? Wowie!! Meggan exclaims childishly.
The good mood is interrupted when, literally out of nowhere, armored men arrive, firing strange energy guns at the Captain. Cap and Meggan fight back, but when Cap tries to question one of the men they dissolve into thin air.
Meggan points out that, while the Scotts are fine, they nearly demolished their house.
Cap apologizes profusely. He came to say he was sorry, instead he made things worse by destroying their home. Joan reminds him he was defending himself. He can’t take all the blame. He should look at the bright side of things. But her house is ruined, he repeats. And that means the council will have to rehouse them. They’ll be out of that slum at last. More tea anybody? Capain Britain just smiles at that remarkable woman.
