03x07 - Fitzgerald Rising

[bunniefuu]

[ALCOTT] To my father and my mother...

...back at home...

Right now, I'm in a slum in a faraway country.

It's so dangerous, I won't even look strangers in the eye.

The reason I'm here is because... well...

--[bang] --[gasps]

[THUGS yelling]

[whimpering]

[ALCOTT screams]

[MAN] Change...?

Can you spare some change?

[MAN] Just cents. Please.

If I give you some change,

will you listen to what my wish is?

Yes.

Okay, all I want is for you

to give me orders again... Lord Francis!

[ALCOTT] I knew you were still alive.

[ALCOTT] The analysts at headquarters all told me

the same thing:

There was no way you could've survived

plunging into the sea like that, especially without your ability.

But I didn't wanna give up hope.

Please come back. The Guild needs a boss.

I need a boss as well.

[FITZGERALD] You're speaking to man that exists

only in your memories.

This man here is a dead man.

Just the burnt crumbs of a desperate soul.

Who lost all his fortune and status...

Who failed to save his wife...

They burn the remains of the deceased

in this nation, Louisa.

But wait--

All you've lost is money. And status. That's all.

But those things gave me value,

though you may think them paltry.

And this is my foolish end.

You better laugh at that.

[ATSUSHI] Yeah, I think it's good.

It's delicious.

Really?

[KYOUKA] Meh.

What?!

If you sell this for the same price as the manager's coffee,

customers'll get upset.

[LUCY grunts]

[sighs]

All right, I see what you're saying.

I wonder what I'm doing wrong though.

Wasn't there anybody in the Guild

who made really good coffee?

Lemme see...

Miss Louisa usually drank coffee before work.

Louisa. She was a strategist for the Guild, wasn't she?

She was sweet.

She was the scout who originally discovered me

when I was at the orphanage.

She must've been a really good friend.

[LUCY] Wipe that look off your face!

You don't care!

[ATSUSHI] Huh?

B-Besides she was never my friend.

I mean...

Miss Louisa was basically as shy as clam.

I never saw her have a normal conversation with anyone.

Oh. Except with the Boss, Lord Francis.

That man had no interest in what anybody else thought,

which probably made it easier for her.

Oh, I see.

And she honestly admired him.

I don't think it ever occurred to Louisa

to use her ability for something she wanted.

She only used it when she was ordered to?

I wonder why.

[LUCY] I wondered as well.

It might be because...

...she didn't really care all that much about herself.

[ALCOTT] Your value isn't in your money

or your status, Lord Francis.

It's in your qualities as a leader.

The only way I became so powerful

was through your direction,

devising strategies under your command.

I need to hear your strong words.

Please give me some orders!

I can't.

[gasps]

[ALCOTT] But you said you'd grant my wish.

[FITZGERALD] I said I'd listen to your wish,

but not that I would grant it.

[ALCOTT] I'll be waiting for you.

And so will your wife.

My wife...

She was the one who saved me.

[FITZGERALD] My $, wedding ring hadn't been consumed,

even though I thought I'd spent

my entire fortune during the fight.

Then for some reason, it was used up

when I fell from the Moby d*ck.

It fortified my body, and I managed to survive.

[gasps]

[FITZGERALD] You said you wanted orders?

I'll give you one then.

Never show yourself to me again.

Please, don't make me any more miserable.

[ALCOTT gasps]

[THUGS chuckling]

[ZAPALLIC g*ng LEADER] I got sh*t down

by the Detective Agency and fled to the slums,

only to hear that the Guild strategist

was wandering around here all by herself.

Funny, isn't it?

Now then, missy,

let's have a talk about the Guild's properties.

The Guild doesn't have any properties left.

Oh, yeah?

You might not know about 'em, but maybe your Boss does.

[ALCOTT gasps]

So start talkin'. And tell me exactly where he is.

I don't know.

And even if I did, I'd never tell you.

[ZAPALLIC g*ng LEADER] Are you sure?

You might wanna rethink that.

I take great pleasure in slowly tearing people's nails off.

I don't care.

The core of all my hopes and dreams

just vanquished into nothing a moment ago.

Hey! Hand me that g*n.

[ZAPALLIC g*ng LEADER] This kid's useless.

She's not talkin'.

Let's get rid of her and move on.

[FITZGERALD] Fifty cents.

[THUGS gasping]

Lord Francis!

[THUGS yelling]

[ZAPALLIC g*ng LEADER] Bastard...

Get after him, boys!

Miss Louisa, I need you to give me

the most valuable thing you have in your possession right now.

It looks like I'm gonna need a good sum of money

to deal with these people.

If I give you something, can you give me your word

you'll grant my wish this time around?

[FITZGERALD] Yes.

I promise that I'll grant your wish.

All right.

Then I'll give you everything I have.

[THUGS grunting]

This power... What the heck is it?

[FITZGERALD] It's the power of money.

[THUGS yell]

[screaming]

[FITZGERALD] I didn't get much of a boost out of that.

It appears that your value is rather limited.

[ALCOTT] Of course, it is.

What did you expect when I was giving it to you for free?

[FITZGERALD] Now that we have a deal,

it seems I won't have to live here anymore.

[ALCOTT] Yeah!

[FITZGERALD] My goal has always been to obtain a book

that's sealed away somewhere in this city,

so I can save my wife from herself.

[ALCOTT] Then let's do it! Again...

[FITZGERALD] But to find the book and break the seal,

I'm going to need a large-scale special ability investigation.

The Gifted Special Operations Division will be key.

[ALCOTT] Right.

So we should buy off their operatives.

[FITZGERALD] That would be a weak solution.

[gasps]

The way I see it, we might as well buy the whole thing.

You made an estimate a while back, didn't you?

As I recall, the amount needed to buy

the Special Operations Division

and the Ministry of the Interior, which controls it,

was approximately billion dollars.

We have no capital.

All we have are two gifted whose names are on the wanted list.

And doesn't that make it more exciting?

Yes!

[FITZGERALD] This is the birth of the new Guild.

Beasts of sin that are clamoring for a miracle.

Crimes that have been repeated for thousands of years.

[FYODOR D.] Do not worry. It is almost complete.

This building will serve as headquarters for the new Guild.

[ALCOTT] I'm going to use my ability

to come up with a brand-new strategy.

[FITZGERALD] You mean your ability to predict and handle

the prospects of all developments

during an operation?

You're one of the top gifted in the Guild, Miss Louisa,

yet billion dollars would be wasted on you.

It's worth no more than loose change found on the street.

I need a private room.

I have to be by myself to activate my ability.

Give me about three minutes please.

[FITZGERALD] All right.

[TV HOST] This year we have...

[FITZGERALD] Uhh...

Oh, no. This must be our neighbors'!

I thought our headquarters was this whole building.

All we have is one room?

I guess.

[FITZGERALD] Fine.

[ALCOTT gasps]

[FITZGERALD] Excuse me.

[gasps]

[FITZGERALD laughing]

Now then, three minutes will be worth about two weeks.

[ALCOTT] My ability doesn't really allow me

to predict the future

based on existing information that I already have.

It slows the flow of time to one eight-thousandth,

but only when I'm spending time thinking in a locked room alone.

[ECKLEBERG] Well, this'll be the second to last drink of my life.

My friend, I'll be with you very soon.

[FITZGERALD] That's it?

The last drink of your life is going to be that degreaser?

[ECKLEBERG] Who're you?!

Don't mind me. I'm just here to watch.

Seeing people k*ll themselves with g*ns is boring,

but watching you off yourself with metal degreaser

will be a spectacle.

Professor T.J. Eckleberg. An engineer for a security firm.

A genius that almost single-handedly developed

a facial recognition system for security cameras.

And a m*rder*r who k*lled his own colleague.

[ECKLEBERG] I didn't do it!

At least, I don't think I did.

Nine days ago,

one of your fellow engineers was k*lled while he was at work.

Ironically, what led to your arrest

was the image from the facial recognition system

that you had created.

[ECKLEBERG] That day, I had gotten into a fight

with my co-worker, my best friend,

and then drank so much I blacked out.

When I came to, I was in front of the company offices.

My clothes were soaked with my friend's blood.

But I swear I didn't do it.

Please believe me!

[chuckles]

I don't really care if you were the one who k*lled him or not.

I can make you appear innocent.

Wh-What is it you want with me?

I want the source code to your facial recognition system.

I'm interested in buying Eyes of God.

[gasps]

[FITZGERALD] I'll give you , for the patent.

That's worth as much as a pebble to me

when compared to what I'm looking for.

But it's a good first step anyway.

So the choice is yours, genius engineer.

Is it me? Or the degreaser?

Which poison will you choose?

[gasps]

[ALCOTT] Lord Francis!

[chuckles]

As requested, I've arranged an appointment

with the security firm that the professor worked for.

Um... what's with the bags? What is all that?

I just bought this. It's amazing, Miss Louisa!

[ALCOTT] Why did you get three of the same pot?

[FITZGERALD] Because it was on sale today only!

"Buy one, get two free!"

Uh?

It's eye-opening.

Shopping only for afford able goods

and living on an extremely limited budget...

...can be highly entertaining!

Up until today, I always bought the entire store. And it's...

[ALCOTT] Oh, dear. He's been so rich for so long.

Of course he has absolutely no idea how to shop.

He doesn't even know the first thing about cooking!

I'll have to return everything later.

Lukewarm tea? Your company has no dignity.

[BUCHANAN] What is it that brings you here today?

[FITZGERALD] I can clear the name

of your former employee, Professor Eckleberg.

Pay me , dollars upon my success.

You can clear his name?

It can't be good for your company's PR.

Your former employee is a m*rder*r.

[BUCHANAN] No thank you.

If the facial recognition system, Eyes of God,

came to that conclusion,

then there can be no doubt that the professor is guilty.

Why would a corporation want to save

someone like him anyway?

You treat a down-and-out employee like he's biohazard.

[chuckles]

[FITZGERALD] Disgusting. I'm leaving.

[FITZGERALD] Dig through the dirt on that m*rder.

It's obvious the chairman knows something.

[ALCOTT] But I'm only a strategist.

I don't have the ability to solve a mystery.

My employees are all highly capable.

You may not be able to solve the crime,

but you certainly know someone who can.

[gasps]

Right?

Hey, Rampo, are you in there?

[BOTH] Huh?

Oh. It's one of the guys from the Guild.

[RAMPO] Hey, Poe! It's so nice to see you!

How's your new mystery novel comin' along, huh?!

Actually, I've only come here today

to challenge you with a riddle.

So those aren't pages from your new story?

[POE] These are other documents.

A former security firm engineer

was recently suspected of murdering his coworker.

The guy from Manhasset Security?

[RAMPO] Mm...

This is an interesting case indeed.

But the professor isn't the m*rder*r.

The chairman did it.

[PROSECUTOR] Given the evidence presented,

we believe that the defendant, although heavily intoxicated,

is responsible for this very violent m*rder.

Thus there are no grounds for clemency.

[JUDGE] We will now recess for minutes

while the jury makes their decision.

[FITZGERALD] So far so good, m*rder*r.

You k*lled your own employee,

and successfully blamed it on someone else.

I commend you for having sullied your own hands.

The first secret to success is this:

If you want something done right,

then you have to do it yourself.

Wouldn't you agree?

[BUCHANAN] What're you talking about?

Your little scheme was quite obvious to our detective.

Unbeknowst to the professor,

you had a backdoor secret code planted in the system.

It was automatically set to replace your face

with the footage of someone else's.

I'm sure that both government and criminal organizations

would spend a lot of money for that code.

After you covertly had the professor's colleague

write the backdoor code,

you k*lled him to secure his silence.

Then you replaced your image with that of the professor,

and pinned the crime on him.

Are you threatening me?

[FITZGERALD] Give me , dollars.

I'll forget we ever spoke

and make sure the professor is found guilty.

The truth isn't even worth a penny, for goodness sake.

But your own profit... now that's priceless.

[chuckles] You're absolutely right.

Look at those eyes. I know what you're like.

You think people's lives are about as worthless as trash.

Your eyes are similar to mine.

[BUCHANAN chuckles]

Very well then.

Here's the check for ,.

This should help you forget I committed that m*rder,

and forget all about that backdoor code.

[FITZGERALD] Contact me if you ever need anything.

I'll help you cover up whatever you want.

This is why it's so hard to stop being a villain.

Exactly.

Please believe me. I'm not the one who did it.

So have you come to a verdict?

[JUROR] Yes, Your Honor.

It was a unanimous decision. We find the defendant guilty.

Objection!

[gasps]

[JUDGE] Who do you think are you?

We're in the middle of a trial.

When I'm in the room, I'm the one who makes the rules!

Listen up, amateur hour!

[BUCHANAN] Very well then.

Here's the check for ,.

This should help you forget I committed that m*rder,

and forget all about that backdoor code.

I know that voice!

[FITZGERALD] This recorder was on sale.

Special offer: Three for the price of one.

Now that's what you call smart shopping.

That recording's illegal! It's a bogus device!

That's true. It doesn't have any value in court.

You know what else has no value? This $, check you signed.

[JURORS gasping]

[JUDGE grunts]

[FITZGERALD] That's all I have to say, everyone.

Please, carry on with your charade.

[BUCHANAN] You assh*le!

You're throwing away good money

for your petty sense of justice?!

You cannot use those things as evidence,

and you will not make me the guilty one.

I never intended to make you the guilty one,

not in the slightest.

You think money is everything.

You've even said that, haven't you?

Indeed. Money is everything.

Take a look at your company's stock prices.

What?

[FITZGERALD] I'm sure the jurors in court

will start spreading all kinds of rumors soon enough.

The head of a big corporation

turns out to be the one behind a m*rder.

Your stocks are plummeting right about now.

It's such a shame.

And since I knew this was coming,

I already shorted your stocks...

... million dollars.

The stocks you own will be worth no more than scrap paper.

Almost all of your value will end up in my pocket.

[chuckles]

It won't be easy living on the streets at your age.

Son of a bitch! I'm chairman of a m*llitary corporation!

[gasps]

Wh-What is this strength you have?

It's the power of the Great Fitzgerald.

[BUCHANAN screaming]

Good morning, Miss Louisa. Where's the president?

[ECKLEBERG] Hm?

[FITZGERALD] Over here, Professor.

[ECKLEBERG] Hm.

[FITZGERALD] How've you been since you got your job back?

[ECKLEBERG] Well, I'm getting twice the pay,

but it's also twice the work.

I'm not sure it's worth it.

It would be a sin

to give excellent employees nothing to do.

[chuckles]

[FITZGERALD] I bought back most of the stocks

at rock-bottom prices.

This company belongs to me now.

And most importantly, I've acquired the Eyes of God.

It'll be a great asset in the future,

when we fight to recover the book.

What?!

[ECKLEBERG] Mm?

[FITZGERALD] A near blunder! I must hurry.

[ECKLEBERG] Mr. President?

[ECKLEBERG] Mr. President!

[ALCOTT] Where're you going, Lord Francis?

These pots are on sale!