01x05 - Viper

[bunniefuu]

There's a w*r coming, a terrible w*r.

There will be chaos.

Rivers of blood in the streets.

I know it.

I-I can see it coming.

Mooney: It's time.

Somebody has to take over. It might as well be me.

(screams)

I'm looking for a connection between the Arkham plan and the murders of my parents.

If Maroni gets even a piece of Arkham, it will prove Falcone is weak.

Gordon: Don't ever come back to Gotham.

Hello, James, old friend.

I told you never to come back here!

Nobody looks for a dead man.

So, you want the job or what?

Yes.

I ain't looking for no girl.

I'm looking for a w*apon.

Maroni: Falcone thinks he can hit me, in my place of business, and get away with it?

I want to hit him back.

Fancy a stroll?

It's a lovely day.

Stretch the legs, breath of fresh air.

Busy.

I've got a question for you, Master Bruce.

What if all this was a complete and utter bloody waste of time?

What if you never discovered who k*lled your mom and dad?

Hmm?

What if you never get to wreak revenge?

I don't want revenge.

I want to understand how it all works.

How Gotham works.

Well, you'd have more chance digging to China with a teaspoon.

Take the Arkham project for instance.

How did the Falcone and Maroni crime families get such big shares in the deal?

I mean, I know City Hall is corrupt, but why didn't Wayne Enterprises do something?

Can you pass me that blue folder over there?

Well, I suppose as hobbies go, this is damn sight better than grilling yourself like a bloody pork chop.

Still, not particularly healthy, is it?

Thank you.

Are you listening to me?

Y-Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

I'll take a walk later. Thank you, Alfred.

I won a piece of Arkham.

I strong-armed the mayor.

I made Falcone back down.

And you're telling me that I can't rob a lousy casino?

Sal, the casino is Falcone's pride and joy.

I mean, what's the point?

For a few thousand bucks, why mess with Falcone?

That's the point.

Messing with Falcone.

I want him and his people to know we're not backing off.

Arkham was only the beginning.

We're taking over, Frankie.

Inch by inch.

Okay, but...

But, but, but!

Make it happen.

Okay, boss.

What are you looking at? You got something to say?

No, sir. Nothing at all.

(guitar playing)

Here you go, buddy.

(car horn honks)

Hey!

Hey, man!

(panting, heart b*ating)

(skin crackling)

(gasping)

(doorbells jingle, electronic bell chimes)

Hey!

Hey! You got to pay for that!

(burps)

Do not vex me, mortal.

Yeah?

Suit yourself, Zeus.

Hey, might look like the heel of a hobo's shoe... best burgers in Midtown. Huh, Ephraim?

If you say so.

All right, I want two cheeseburgers, uh, hold the sauce, extra pickles, two malted shakes.

No pickles on mine, please.

Oh, you got to trust me on this one, Jim.

Yeah? All right. Pickles, bring 'em.

Bullock: All right, now, you want to look good in a swimsuit like me come summertime, you're gonna want a lot of this and a lot of this, huh?

Is that right?

You!

Hey!

(tires screech)

(car horn honks)

Bullock: Jim!

Come on, it's lunchtime. Relax!

(alarm bell ringing in distance)

It's lunchtime!

No, Jim. We're on our... It-it's lunch!

Oh, brother.

Jim, can't just pop up and jump every time you hear a bell.

(alarm bell stops)

GCPD! Anybody here?

Man (grunting): Over... over here.

(panting)

You all right, sir?

You okay?

Thank God you're here.

Anybody dead?

I don't think so.

Some guy, he was stealing milk.

I try to stop him, he hauls away my ATM machine.

Bullock: All right, nobody dead.

We're homicide, and it's lunch.

So have a good day, sir.

Call 911, and someone will take good care of you.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. One guy did this?

Stole your ATM over milk?

Little skinny-ass dude. Guitar case.

Drinking milk like there's no more cows.

"Don't vex me, mortal," he says.

Sorry, what?

Man: Listen, if I had a dollar for every hobo skeez that walks through that door, thinks they're God, I wouldn't be here.

But this son of a bitch, he wasn't fooling around.

All right, you get a description of the vehicle, license plate, something?

He didn't have a vehicle.

Then how'd he pull your ATM from the wall?

How'd he take it away?

That's what I'm telling you, man.

He pulled it out of here with his bare hands.

(panting wildly)

(woman singing opera music over stereo)

(both singing to music)

(music stops)

I'm bored.

Poor little baby girl.

Cooped up in here all the time.

You want some excitement.

Yes, I do. Can we just go somewhere and...?

(groans)

How's that? Excited now?

What'd you do that for?

Why are you here with me?

I'm your secret w*apon.

Exactly.

But are you helping me help you?

No, you're not.

You won't even learn the damn tune.

I told you this is important.

I'm sorry, mama.

I'm not your mama.

Now, you might be my baby girl, but I'm not your mama.

Not yet.

You have to earn that.

(woman singing opera music over stereo)

(singing to music)

Essen: How is that even possible?

Who is this guy?

No positive I.D.

As of yet, he's a street guy.

We think that this thing has something to do with his...

excessive joi de vivre.

Yeah, we found it in the suspect's guitar case.

It's some kind of drug.

A drug did that?

Wow.

Gordon: ygma found traces of the drug.

He'll have a read on what the hell this thing is by tomorrow morning.

Meantime, we'll try and I.D. the strong man.

Yeah.

I know your families are upset.

But tell them everybody got a piece of the Arkham project.

It was a business decision.

We didn't lose, Maroni didn't win.

Maroni thinks he won.

He thinks he won a great battle.

We need to hurt him.

No.

If we don't push back hard, he's going to think...

Nikolai, that fool will think what I want him to think.

No push back, not yet.

Nikolai: In my country, we say,

"Even a fool may bite the king, if he has teeth."

Mooney: Can the folklore, Niko.

We're not in your godforsaken country.

We are here in Gotham, where we have plumbing, electricity, and Don Falcone is the boss.

He's playing that cluck Maroni on a long line. Done!

Why so angry, Fish?

I speak my mind. Is no crime.

And I assure you, in my country, we have all modern conveniences.

Only difference: ladies.

Ladies are in kitchen or in bed, depending on their talents.

I bet your mother was a lousy cook.

Nikolai: Don't speak of my mother.

Or what?

You gonna hit a lady?

That's enough.

There'll be no bad blood here.

My apologies, Don Falcone.

We need each other.

We're family.

Hey.

Excuse me. You seen this guy by chance?

Woman: ah.

Mm-mm.

You seen this guy?

Excuse me.

Familiar to you, hmm?

Any chance you've seen this guy?

Yeah, I know him. That's, uh, Benny.

He's a guitar player. Strung out like string.

What'd he do?

Uh, nothing bad.

Uh, he came into an inheritance actually no one knew about.

That's right.

Million dollars. Farm, horses, real nice.

You know where can we find him?

$20.

Ten.

Same as the bodega.

Yeah, what's with all the dairy products?

Sir?

GCPD. Let me see those hands.

Oh... help me.

I need... more...

More what? What'd you take?

What is it?

It's... it felt so good.

And now I-I don't feel so good. Something's wrong.

I need more!

Please, you have to find him.

Gordon: Find who?

The guy that gave you the stuff? Yeah!

The man with a m*nled ear.

The m*nled ear. I got him.

Stay calm. We got it. Help me.

We're gonna help. Just put your...

No, no, no, no!

Hey, hey! Sir!

Sir, we need you to calm down.

Calm down. Please...

Put your hands behind your back!

(grunts)

(metal creaking)

I said no!

Put it down!

(groans)

(bones crackling)

(gasping)

What the hell?

God help us if that drug gets out.

Alfred: Will you look at this shambles?

What would your mother say?

You know, I have a half a mind to stick all this lot straight into the bloody fire.

No fire.

We'll see about that.

Come on, up you get.

Wayne Enterprises is hosting a charitable luncheon tomorrow.

And I took the liberty of accepting their kind invitation on your behalf, Master Bruce.

Good.

Is there breakfast?

Yeah, I'll make you an egg.

Does that mean you'll go?

Yes.

I have some questions I need to ask the members of the board.

What kind of questions?

About Arkham.

It seems very likely those gangsters were actually given their shares in Arkham by Wayne Enterprises.

Well, that's how business is done, isn't it?

Is it?

M-My parents didn't do business that way.

Did they?

No.

No, they didn't, Master Bruce.

The board might not know, of course.

There's quite a bit of clever camouflage used.

Shell companies, offshore accounts and so forth.

Right. So, you-you've... learned all that from all this, did you?

Fantastic detective work.

I still, however, want to get the whole lot and chuck it straight in the fire.

Don't put anything in the fire, Alfred.

That's an order.

Right, Master Bruce.

Nothing in the fire.

Woman (over TV): We are live in downtown Gotham where a deadly new drug has hit the streets.

Nicknamed "Viper," users of this mystery drug acquire great strength and a euphoric sense of power, but only for a few brief hours.

Then, without exception, they die a horrible death.

(crashing, crowd clamoring)

Let me out!

Woman: Get off me!

Let go of me!

(grunts)

Woman: Get your crummy hands off me!

(clamoring continues)

Nygma: It's really quite remarkable.

Viper somehow activates unused DNA.

The body starts to burn calcium from the skeletal system as fuel.

Hence the victims' cravings for milk and cheese.

They're desperately trying to replace the missing calcium.

But they can't consume enough.

Essentially, their bones crumble.

Then they suffocate and die.

Have you ever seen anything like this before?

No. Nobody has. Totally new.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be...

No new reports for a few hours now.

Maybe they're done. Maybe they ran out of the stuff.

I doubt it.

Who would put this on the street?

Why?

Th-They're not even selling it. They're giving it away.

That's how you create demand.

For a drug that kills you that fast?

Well, first it makes you king of the world.

There'll be takers.

There'll be mayhem, that's for sure.

But it's skell-on-skell mayhem.

If we keep the decent citizens indoors for a couple of weeks, let the scumbags have at it, voilà... the end of crime.

Yeah, that's a nice thought. But no.

This stuff seems hard to make, no?

Oh, it takes a high level of technical sophistication.

A state-of-the-art lab made this stuff.

Okay, so who has the biggest and best lab in the city?

The best is WellZyn.

But this is not them.

They're a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises.

Multibillion-dollar corporation.

Why would they be doing this?

I don't know, but we might as well start at the top.

(woman screams)

Officer: Grab her! Grab her!

Come on, here! Let go of me!

Get off me! Get off me!

(grunting)

(gasping)

(bones crackling)

Fascinating.

Fascinating!

Woman: Breaking news. Continued mayhem...

Maybe I should hire that guy to take the casino.

Maybe you should snort some Viper, grow a pair.

Either way, I want that casino taken.

Sure, we'll take it.

I mean, it's tight as a nut... ten armed guards blast-proof doors, cameras.

We're gonna lose a few guys, but we'll take it.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

I couldn't help but overhear your conversation regarding the casino.

Go mind your business.

I'm sorry. Of course. So sorry.

No. Tell me, what about the casino?

I know a janitor who runs the boiler room of the casino.

He could get you inside quite easily, I believe.

There are access tunnels that nobody knows about.

Access tunnels?

Sit down. Come here.

Thank you, sir. A great honor indeed.

What's your name again?

Everyone here calls me Penguin, sir.

You don't like that name, huh?

Yeah, well, you're wrong. It's a good name.

Works for you.

So how do you know this man?

The janitor?

I have connections.

Reliable, is he?

I think I can persuade him to be.

Boss, this guy is a dishwasher in a suit.

Relax.

Is that right, Penguin?

Are you just a dishwasher?

'Cause I don't get that vibe.

You come off as all humble, but... you got a little player in you, huh?

That's very perceptive of you, sir. (chuckles)

I guess that's why you're the don.

Well...

(both chuckle)

I'm not a dishwasher.

And this isn't my first rodeo, so to speak.

(both laugh)

So, you've rode some bulls, huh?

Well...

I knew it.

Well, tell all, cowboy.

Well, my real name is Oswald Cobblepot.

Mm-hmm.

And I think that once you hear my story, you'll agree that I could be a great asset for you, sir.

Hmm.

It's a long, funny story really.

But the headline, just so you're not surprised...

I used to work for Fish Mooney.

Fish Mooney?

Hey.

Yes, sir.

I was privy to many aspects of the Falcone family business.

Until they tried to k*ll me.

Yeah, well...

(laughs)

Hello.

(both laugh)

Suffice it to say...

(grunts)

That is a funny story.

Mm.

I'm Taylor Reece, general counsel, public relations for WellZyn.

Good morning, gentlemen.

Thank you for saving us a trip.

We were en route as soon as we were apprised of your inquiries.

WellZyn is committed to good community relations.

What do you know about Viper?

Only what we see on the news.

WellZyn has no connection to this tragedy.

We will vigorously pursue legal action against any individuals making assertions to the contrary.

Do you think we push a button or does she just rewind automatically?

Gordon: We're looking for an employee of WellZyn's. Male with a severely damaged ear.

Y-Yes.

Full disclosure... that does raise a flag.

That's Stan Potolsky. He worked for us for several years as a biochemist. Uh, primarily personal care products. Shampoos, toothpastes.

So what happened?

Well, Stan was frustrated that he wasn't doing more important work. He grew disgruntled and unstable. We tried to get him help, but he resisted. Last April, there was an incident. He tried to cut off his own ear during a disagreement with his supervisor. Guess it was harder than he thought. We had to let him go.

Last known address?

Well, after he was terminated, he didn't even clear off his desk. Just disappeared, off the grid.

You knew, didn't you? You knew all along it was him. That's why you came to see us so fast.

That's incorrect. Viper can only be produced in a state-of-the-art lab, like yours.

Stan Potolsky is a brilliant man, perfectly capable of building his own lab.

But you are more than welcome to examine our facilities. With full and proper clearances, of course.

Of course. We'll get the paperwork started.

Bullock: Lawyers. Scumbags, the lot of them.

Yeah, some of them.

Let's go find Stan Potolsky.

What, drive around looking for him?

No. I'll call dispatch, have them put out an APB.

All right, I'll check with the desk, see if his name's come up.

Gordon, right?

Yeah. Who the hell are you?

You got to come with me now, ice and quiet like.

What are you talking about?

Relax. We got a mutual friend.

Oh, yeah, who's that?

Oswald Cobblepot.

Yeah, him.

And if you don't come with me now, we're gonna put his head in a bag and send it to Falcone, which would be embarrassing for you, o?

Or maybe we've been misinformed.

I mean, if I'm not ringing any bells here, you can go on your merry way.

No, I'll come.

Come on, shove over.

Hey! Hey!

(crackling)

(gasps)

(sighs)

Welcome.

I'm Salvatore Maroni.

I know who you are.

What do you want?

Here's the thing...

Jim, just tell the truth.

You want a drink, Jim?

I'm having a Negroni.

So good with seafood.

Water.

(snaps)

So, our friend here told me a fascinating story.

Never heard a story so good.

It's hard to believe it's true.

It is, it's true.

Shut up! Shut up!

One more word, and I'll jam this down your throat.

I try to be civil, Jim.

But I'm not the kind of man that likes to ask twice.

So here's how it's gonna go.

Slow down, Mr. Maroni. I don't know...

No! No. No.

You let me finish. You'll have your turn to speak.

Okay, then.

I want you to tell me the same exact story that Penguin told me.

What story is that?

Oh, you better know what story, my friend.

Because if you tell me the same story he told me, then I could believe it's true.

Then I'm happy.

But if you tell me another story, oh, mama.

Then someone's lying to me.

And I don't know which one, and the both of youse will die.

Understand?

Yes, I do.

Good.

So...

Tell me a story, Jim.

Somebody m*rder*d Thomas and Martha Wayne.

My partner and I caught the case.

We didn't even know each other then...

What did I say?!

Go put him on the slicer.

No, no, no.

If I don't like what I hear, slice his face prejute.

Oh, I'm sorry. Go on.

(blade whirring)

I was a pawn... in a conspiracy between Falcone, the mayor and the GCPD to frame Mario Pepper for the Wayne murders, with the help of Fish Mooney, Mr. Cobblepot's employer at the time.

Mr. Cobblepot then told the whole story to the MCU.

To prove that I wouldn't betray the conspiracy, Falcone ordered me to k*ll Cobblepot.

I didn't do it.

I let him live.

And here we are.

Falcone, Mooney, the MCU cops... none of them know he's alive?

If they did, I'd be dead already.

(laughing)

It's delicious.

(laughs)

Frankie! Bring the Penguin back out here.

The little punk is telling the truth.

Thank you, Jim.

Good story. Told well.

Lot of guys in your situation, they freak out.

There you are, you rat, you snitch, you gorgeous turncoat son of a bitch.

Come here, I love you. Mwah!

Be happy, Frankie.

We just got a brand-new w*apon against the Falcones.

It's Christmas!

Happy holidays. Can I go now?

Oh, yeah, Jim, you can go.

You know, just so that we, uh, understand each other, you know, keep all this hush-hush.

Between us pals.

And if I need you again, I'll call you.

(mouthing)

You do that.

Maroni: Look at you, come on.

Let's get you cleaned up.

Look at you. Come on.

I love you, baby.

I love you, baby.

I love you, baby. Okay, now, you're still putting too much sex on it.

Keep it clean.

Like a mother.

I love you, baby.

I love you, baby.

Good.

Better.

Now, act as if you've caught me in a lie.

(sighs)

Not angry.

No. Disappointment.

Oh, honey.

Oh, honey.

There you go.

Now, about your hair.

There you are.

(sighs)

Where the hell have you been?

Personal business.

You disappear in the middle of a case, you can't even tell me why?

That's what "personal" means.

You in some kind of trouble?

Look, forget it. I don't want to know your problems.

WellZyn sent by Potolsky's stuff.

Grab a box.

Anything useful yet?

No. Classic geeky loner.

Lived for his work.

No wife, no family, no real friends.

Is it Barbara?

She get into something?

Uh, yeah.

Kind of.

Figures. No offense.

Need any help?

No, I'm all right, thanks.

Hey.

What do you think about this?

Looks like a friend, no?

Judging by the books and the mascot, philosophy professor, Gotham U.

Worth a sh*t.

Amen.

I was just on my way to an appointment, but yes, I know Stan Potolsky.

He was a student of mine.

A very brilliant student.

Gordon: And you've stayed in touch over the years.

We have. He may be a biochemist, but philosophy is a passion of his.

What can you tell us about WellZyn f*ring him?

Research for WellZyn led him into some dark moral corners.

WellZyn said he made shampoo.

Where are the dark moral corners in that?

Shampoo? (chuckles) They say that, do they?

No, no, Stan designed pharmaceutical weapons to be used by combat troops.

dr*gs that worked on an epigenetic level.

Imagine an army made up of soldiers so strong that they can tear a man apart with their bare hands.

Of course, at the beginning, there were side effects.

Yeah, death.

But Viper was the first batch.

They worked out the kinks in the second version.

Called it Venom.

(coughing)

By then, Stan had acquired some clarity.

He appealed to his bosses to end the program.

They refused, so he went over their heads to Thomas and Martha Wayne.

He convinced them to shut it down.

And when they d*ed, WellZyn immediately revived the program with the blessings of Wayne Enterprises.

In the end, there was nothing for Stan to do but to resort to more radical measures.

Gordon: k*lling people.

I'm not hearing a sense of moral outrage, Professor.

If you don't mind, I'll reserve my moral outrage for the true villains of this piece.

You mean WellZyn.

You planned this with Potolsky.

Yes.

Where is he?

Talk fast, bub!

Oh, what are you gonna do to me? I'm an old man! I'm dying.

I'll help you die quicker, you t*rror1st.

Soon, Stan will issue a statement the world won't be able to ignore.

Soon?

Today?

You're already too late.

Now, you tell us where he is right now.

Wait a minute!

Wait a minute! You said you had an appointment, right?

Where were you going?

Bravo! You've asked the right question.

The first step to enlightenment.

(glass breaks)

(screams)

No!

(choking)

(groaning)

Where is he?!

Where's Potolsky?!

Those hypocrites.

Empty altruism will not erase what they've done.

They must pay.

Who? Who must pay?

WellZyn.

Wayne Enterprises.

Everyone will finally see them for what they are.

How?

Where's Potolsky headed?

What's altruism?!

Charity.

I know where he's going.

Name, please?

He's, uh, Bruce Wayne.

He's Bruce Wayne.

Just this way.

Thank you. Thank you.

(piano playing gentle music)

Enterprises is a helping hand...

Oh, that's Miss Mathis.

She worked closely with your father.

Wayne Enterprises is a shelter for all.

And clean water...

Woman (over TV): The smile of a child...

Please, sit, Bruce.

It is so good to see you out and about.

Glad to be here.

All of us at Wayne Enterprises are so sorry for your loss.

So, are all you here on the board?

Oh, heavens no. We're middle management.

The board members don't do this sort of thing.

No?

Why not?

Well, they're very busy people, Bruce.

Your family created a company worth billions and billions of dollars.

How awesome is that?

Awesome.

I wanted to speak to them because I've found what looks like serious irregularities in the Arkham project.

Irregularities?

(gas hissing)

I can assure you, Bruce, that Wayne Enterprises would never countenance doing business with criminals.

Just wouldn't happen.

I hope so, but I'd like to speak directly with the board myself.

Can you make that happen?

I can certainly try.

They prefer to communicate with minors via the usual legal mediation, but...

Good evening, ladies and gentleman.

This is a public service announcement on behalf of all living creatures.

You've heard of a drug called Viper?

(crowd gasping, murmuring)

That's me.

I made it for WellZyn, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises.

Is this true?

Of course not, Bruce.

I mean, this man is clearly insane.

(gas hissing)

The AC plant... where is it? On the roof?

Straight ahead, staircase across the ballroom.

Clear the ballroom!

I hoped that a demonstration using street people would suffice, but seems bad things only truly happen when they happen to important people.

Like you!

(gas hissing)

(crowd gasping, screaming)

GCPD! Everybody out!

Now!

(crowd clamoring)

Turn it off!

Can't do that.

Turn it off or I'll sh**t!

Go ahead.

My work is done.

(skin crackling)

(grunts)

Turn around! Put your hands behind your head!

Interlock your fingers!

That's all right.

You're angry and confused.

I understand.

There's no more need for v*olence.

Don't sh**t!

That's considerate of you.

I'm leaving now.

Go look in warehouse 39.

You're not going anywhere!

I can go anywhere I want!

Don't do it!

(crash)

(car alarms blaring, people screaming)

You really can have too much of a good thing.

(ship horn blowing)

(door opens)

Nothing.

What'd you expect? It's Gotham.

Mathis: It's Mathis.

I'm outside the site. They're here.

No. I think we should leave them be.

There's nothing here for them.

We'll review that if they get close.

(chuckles softly)

It's been ten minutes.

I-I assure you, my friend is reliable.

You scared, Penguin?

Your voice is doing that shaky thing.

(laughs): No, sir.

I'm fine.

You don't have to act tough.

Nerves are a good thing.

Perhaps I am a bit jittery, sir.

Good.

You should be.

'Cause if my boys don't make it, either do you.

(glass shatters in distance)

(people screaming in distance)

Got 'em!

Keep going!

Ha!

Take that, Falcone, you son of a bitch!

Huh? I told you, Frankie, the kid's a player.

He's got a future.

What are you waiting here like an old lady? Go!

(tires screeching)

Untie me.

Say "pretty please."

Please.

Ah!

(sighs)

Sometimes I think you really don't like me.

Now, would I be backing your takeover if I didn't like you?

And that stuff with Falcone... well, we have to look good for the old man.

If he figures we're working together, we'd be cooked.

Patience.

I have no more patience.

(chuckles)

The old man has to go.

We must strike soon.

Yes. Mm. But softly.

(pigeons cooing)

(woman humming music)

(continues humming)

Excuse me.

I couldn't help but overhear that aria you were humming.

Oh, yes. It's my favorite.

(chuckles): Mine, too.

Ah, well, there you go.

I'm sorry, I-I just...

I-I didn't mean to bother you.

My mother sang that to me when I was young.

Her whole life, she sang that to me.

I hadn't heard it in a while, and I...

I had to smile because you look...

(sighs)

Anyhow, sorry, I'm rambling on.

No, that's okay.

Do you want to listen?

Well, yeah.

S-Sure, thank you.

Let's sit down.

(woman singing opera music over earbuds)

Hmm.