02x03 - The Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry

[bunniefuu]

[Jefferson] Previously on Black Lightning...

[Gambi] Thirty years ago, I came to Freeland as an agent for the ASA.

Their vaccine inadvertently created metahumans.

[Agent Odell] We need to know what we're dealing with.

Agent Odell... You wanted the job. This is it.

We're going to have to sue the government for the return of your loved ones.

We need to raise well over $500,000.

[all grunting]

Praise the Lord.

The school board found your replacement.

I am honored to remain at Garfield as a teacher.

What could possibly keep Jefferson Pierce away from Garfield High after it was att*cked?

Jefferson Pierce was already there.

Discovering you have powers must be mind-blowing on so many levels.

Which part do you want me to deal with first, Mom?

Watch your tone, young lady!

[Jennifer grunts]

[crying in pain] Mom, are you okay?

Now, the purpose of Black Lightning was to k*ll Tobias for literally shoving my father's articles down his throat until he d*ed.

Detective Summers, what do you got for me?

[groans]

And why would I help you? I know who has the briefcase.

[beeping] I need the briefcase.

Time to die.

[gasps and screams]

[screaming]

[grunting angrily]

Ahhh! Let me go!

Let me go!

Roommate thinks it's Green Light.

I had to knock her out with my nightstick just to cuff her.

What happened? Start with five milligrams lorazepam, followed by three milligrams... [yelling hysterically]

[straining]

[all grunting]

[gasps] Get back! Get back!

[grunting] [officer groans]

[groans]

[nurse screams]

[siren wailing in distance] Stop!

[siren wailing] Stop!

[officer] Police. Stop! We're not gonna hurt you.

Come on.

Don't make us.

[woman] I gotta get home.

I got to get home.

[straining]

Okay, okay.

Okay, hell, I get it.

I gotta get home. I gotta get home. Look, I wanna go home, too.

Why don't you just come with us?

I gotta get home.

[grunting]

I can't... I... [grunts]

[crackles]

[thuds]

Tell us why you need to get home.

Is there something you need to get to?

Is there someone who's waiting for you?

Tell me, what do you need?

Let me help you.

[electricity crackles]

♪♪ Last night, I saw a superhero He was black ♪♪

♪♪ He said, "This is for the street, Black Lightning's back" ♪♪

And this is the last one. It's a camera from inside the school.

[computer beeps] [static crackling]

[sighing] There isn't a single camera inside or outside of Garfield that captured Tobias or Syonide on school premises.

[frustrated sigh]

All right.

Look, I know that the footage from my goggles isn't admissible, but maybe if we just show it to the police...

I mean, it'll motivate them to put more energy behind finding him.

They've been trying to find Tobias for 30 years.

[popping on record] Energy might not be the problem.

So it's still all on us.

Nothing's changed.

Well, not nothing.

Tobias has got Painkiller and he's got that ASA briefcase of Proctor's, which, according to your Ms. Fowdy, contains hell.

[jazz music playing]

You know, your pep talks need work.

Okay, so Khalil, he's still the best path to finding Tobias.

I just hope the kid I knew is still in there somewhere.

I don't think the kids that he darted would feel the same way.

Oh, speaking of which, I could use one of those darts.

I've been trying to develop an antidote based on your blood sample, but you have screwed-up chemistry.

I would prefer a dart that hasn't been activated.

Okay. Anything else?

Don't let him k*ll you again.

[R&B music playing on headphones]

[Tobias] Khalil.

Khalil.

Khalil!

Man, I didn't hear you.

You were focused, that's good.

[sighs] Incredible focus was one of Syonide's best qualities.

Run me through the pick-up schedule for protection money.

Uh, money is paid on Monday.

Whoa! Hey.

Man, what the hell? I didn't tell you to let it go.

Take it.

Go on. Money's paid on Monday.

Delivered to consolidators on Tue... Ah!

[imitates Khalil] Psst. Ah!

You're a bit of a slow learner, aren't you?

Hmm.

Paid Monday, consolidated Tuesday, brought to me on Wednesday.

I count it and bring it to you. Ow.

[Tobias] Hmm.

It's important to have a schedule and stick to it.

With Syonide gone, you're gonna have to man up.

Do more.

Burn what's left.

[reporter] According to Reverend Jeremiah Holt, after almost three decades, his church's Rebecca Lee Crumpler Free Clinic is in danger of shutting down.

A redevelopment project led by Vladislav Zlovac has bought all the other buildings on the block, and by acquiring the Clinic facility, hopes to create a multi-use complex that will be, according to zoning applications, "The Crown Jewel of Freeland."

The Clinic has less than two weeks to find a way to remain open.

Our calls to Zlovac's office for comment went unanswered.

Man, these real estate guys are no better than drug dealers.

[Jennifer] Mm-hmm.

These people are gonna die without that Clinic.

They won't get preventative care.

They won't get prenatal care. They won't get diagnostic Whoa! You're dating Zoe B?

[chuckling] Yo, that's crazy.

You're gonna get crushed though.

She gonna love you one minute, forget you the next.

I can't believe you're following my dating life on social media.

Okay, first of all, ain't nobody following your dating life, okay, it just popped up.

And second, what else do you expect me to do when the only freedom I have is to walk around the block for exercise?

[sighs] By the way, do you know what Mom and Dad plan on doing about my situation?

No, but...

I do hear your name a lot in whispered conversations.

Okay, so you hear my name, but not what they're saying?

Nothing about me going back to school? Come on.

I'm not about to hide behind the couch and listen to our parents.

I would do the same thing for you, Harriet.

Just like I'm telling you the truth about you needing to stop focusing on this shiny object.

You're wasting your time, for real.

I'm not wasting anything.

Zoe was fine.

And, besides, aren't you the one who told me I need to get back out there?

[crackling]

Ouch! [laughs]

Jen, did you just have an energy spike?

No.

I've been trying to control my powers so Mom and Dad will set me free.

[sighs] There's one digit that I almost feel good about.

Anyway, I'm just saying you need to get into a relationship that actually means something.

Not some social media booty call, 'cause in two or three years, when you're old and wrinkly, ain't nobody gonna be looking at you anyway. Mm-hmm.

Gonna be saving clinics with only your super-suit to keep you company.

Is that what you want? [laughs] Oh!

[laughing] So, really, so you just zapped me outta love?

Yeah, and to wake your ass up. Zoe B is a bad look for you.

She's cotton candy, and you need soul food.

How about Coleman at Trinity or Harrison at Stanford?

You already asked them and they said no.

Yeah, but maybe you could bring the weight of the government to bear and convince them to come on board.

We prefer Dr. Jace.

Why? She's insane, Agent Odell.

She's a leading computational chemist in the US and no one has her experience in protein synthesis simulations.

If I'm gonna save these children, I need great minds that I don't need to hide the knives from.

You told me that you needed more help.

This is what I have to offer.

It's hard not to see this as you trying to sabotage my efforts.

If I was trying to do that, you'd have failed by now.

Agent Odell, when these kids die, it's on your head.

No, it's not, Dr. Stewart.

Need I remind you that you stole this job, so everything after that is on you.

You know, I'm gonna set up a meeting... so that you can convince Dr. Jace to, uh, come on board.

[drill whirring]

[metal detector beeping]

[Principal Lowry] No, no, we absolutely can do that.

Okay.

Okay, no, that's perfect.

Right. Okay, great. Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

I'm Jeffer... Mr. Pierce. Yes.

Principal Lowry.

Mr. Lowry... welcome to Garfield.

[exhales] Yeah.

Would you like me to show you around the school? No.

But I did hear about your meeting with the students.

Classy.

Yeah, uh, I just wanna make sure the transition is easier for them.

Right, well, let's hope it worked.

Listen, Mr. Lowry... It's Principal Lowry.

Yes, of course.

The metal detectors, is that really necessary? Obviously.

Or you'd still have this job.

Now, since I don't seem to have an office just yet, why don't we meet in the conference room to go over a few things in about an hour?

Sounds good. Good.

[classic R&B music playing on earphones]

Are you all right?

Can I help you?

Aren't you sweet.

I'm in the neighborhood to meet with you, Jennifer.

You just said my name.

Did I?

My name is Perenna.

[gasps] Hey, easy. Calm down.

What the hell? Where are we?

Sit down and... No!

You're safe here. I just wanna talk to you...

No, I don't wanna talk! Take me back to where we just came from!

I'm serious! Get me out of here, now!

Wow, it's not by the bottle. [laughing] The carafe. Was that correct?

[Jefferson] The carafe... How could you two do that?

Hmm? No warning, no choice, just sending some random woman to track me down on the street?

It's not bad enough that I'm trapped in this house, that I can't live my life, but now I don't even deserve to know what's happening to me?

Of course you do, Perenna just wanted...

[shouts] Does it look like I care what she wanted?

Whoa! Young lady.

Now watch how you talk to your mother.

[scoffs]

What about what I want?

How about how I feel? Do you guys ever think about that?

[Jefferson] Je... Jen.

Every moment.

Perenna felt it was important to meet you without there being expectations on your part.

Look, we're sorry if you felt sandbagged...

You don't understand, I'm way past sandbagged!

Sweetheart... we don't have any other ideas on how to help you control your powers, and we...

We don't want you to hurt yourself or other people.

Gambi just suggested Perenna because of her special skills.

You think I'm a monster.

No! No! No, we don't.

Baby girl, no.

Look, I'm so sorry.

It's my fault.

Okay? All of it is my fault.

If I could take it away, I would.

I'm sorry.

This is not the life I wanted for you.

[siren whoops]

[indistinct radio chatter]

Deputy Chief Henderson? Yes.

What's your name, son? Hicks. Roman Hicks, sir.

This is my tenth day on the job.

[Inspector Henderson] All right, what you got here?

Well, there's a scorched service w*apon under the front seat and a... A crispy critter on it.

Well, I wouldn't have said that, but yes.

Now, this...

This looks like one of our unmarked cars.

Does it belong to Detective Summers?

Well, the fire was hot enough to melt most of the serial numbers off the dash, but the five numbers we can read match.

Well... now we know why he was missing.

Medical examiner said he'd have the dental ID in a couple of hours.

You see anything like this at the academy?

Mm-mmm. Well, that's a professional torch job to hide evidence. What does that tell you?

That the k*ller didn't wanna be tied to the scene.

Which means this is a next-level kind of criminal... and Detective Summers was probably doing bad things.

[machine humming]

[door whirring]

[chain rattling]

[Lynn] Dr. Jace?

I'm Dr. Lynn Stewart.

Did they tell you why you were coming here?

No.

I'd like to include you in a team working to save the children who were the victims of the vaccinations and Green Light experiments.

The pod kids.

[Lynn] Yes.

Do you know what I did?

You had a theory about infrared spectroscopy and its use in the treatment of neuropathy.

You conducted an unauthorized experiment on 11 patients, causing them to lose their feet.

Despite that terrible lapse in judgment, I'm confident you can contribute.

So, what's in it for me?

[scoffs]

Wouldn't you rather be doing science than sitting in a cell?

I do science all the time, Dr. Stewart.

They took away my lab, they didn't take away my mind.

I understand officials have denied you visits to your son.

If you help me, I will try to facilitate a visit.

Ten.

Excuse me? Ten patients lost their feet. One d*ed.

[Reverend Holt] Melinda, is that you?

I thought you were going to choir rehearsal.

[muffled voice] Don't turn around.

Whoever you are, this week's donation has already been taken to the bank.

I'm not here to take your money.

I brought you money.

[chuckling] Ah.

Robin Hood. Listen, um...

I never got a chance to say thank you.

You should use some of that money to help save the Crumpler Clinic.

Your donation has already been distributed to the lawyers for the children in the pods.

And though I'm very grateful, it still isn't enough.

How much do you need?

If you could write a check, you wouldn't be wearing that mask.

That wasn't my question.

Well, we have the right of first refusal on the building.

Fair market value is a little more than $300,000.

Okay.

Young lady...

can I pray for you?

Lord, we know that you move in mysterious ways.

So we just come to you today asking you to keep everyone safe, and asking you to let your goodness flow into the dark places for the benefit of all of your children.

[Anissa] Amen.

Amen.

[jazz music playing]

Any issues?

Rion didn't show.

I found him at his house with some chicken-head.

He had it, he just got distracted.

That's what happens when these Negros grow up without their daddies.

All they wanna do is lay up between a woman's legs and have another baby they're not gonna take care of.

Your father ain't live at home either, did he?

No.

But my mom was... You need to check Rion so he understands the importance of structure.

Last week, he was late.

This time, you had to go find him.

Next, he'll come up short on the count.

Nip it in the bud now.

[R&B music playing]

Hi, Grace.

What do you want?

I just wanna talk.

I meant to drink.

[sighs]

Look, I'm sorry you saw me at Zoe's.

You mean caught you at Zoe's?

No, that's not what I meant.

I am sorry that I dropped off without a conversation, but you and I weren't in a relationship.

Doesn't mean I couldn't have had better manners, but it also doesn't mean I couldn't see other people.

And I sure hope you were seeing other people because you are too damn fine to be lonely.

Yeah, I was seeing plenty of people.

Not that it's any of your business.

No. No, none of my business at all.

Grace, I...

I take my work really, really seriously, but my sister pointed out that it doesn't mean I can't take other things seriously, too.

I'd like to try.

Hey.

You wanna come in?

This ain't a social call.

[inhales deeply] I got a m*rder*d cop.

Evidence destruction by fire.

The torch job is professional.

It takes tools and skills, and only three people in Freeland could do it.

Two of them are currently in jail.

And the third? He won't talk to a cop.

His livelihood depends on it.

So, in my, uh, role as former principal of Garfield, you want me to convince him to come clean?

I think Black Lightnin' might be more persuasive.

I texted you his info and his mug sh*t.

[stammers] Wait... So you're cool with the whole vigilante thing?

Former principal? [chuckles]

I lost my job.

Black Lightning saved the school.

Jefferson Pierce abandoned the school and the students, so...

Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Good night.

Bill... at some point, we need to talk this thing out, man.

Yeah, at some point.

Yo, Rion.

Hey, has anybody seen Rion?

I said, has anyone seen Rion?

[Romel] Really, bro?

You walking up in here like you're Allah, asking for people with bass in your voice.

This ain't even about you, Romel.

Look, Kadil, Katnip, Karen, whatever the hell your name is...

[laughter]

...not too long ago, your black ass was in a wheelchair.

Before that...

[scoffs] you were runnin' track in hot pants.

[all laughing]

Now all of a sudden, you a gangster barking orders?

Man, you ain't nothin' but Tobias' bitch.

[Khalil] Fine. [Romel groans]

[men exclaiming]

[choking]

First of all, I ain't nobody's bitch.

And second, the name's Painkiller.

[clangs]

Rion.

[Romel groans]

Tobias don't like me having to track you down for his money.

No, I paid you your money.

Why are you running? Ain't nobody running.

Don't make me chase you. [gasps]

[body thuds]

What made you change your mind?

Something my dad said. [sighs]

Look, can we please just do this so that we can both get on with our day?

Where the hell are we?

A place inside you that will eventually allow you to control your powers.

Wait, a salon?

Or is there any safer space than this?

Although some would argue that this is a place that actually strips black women of who they naturally are.

Uses hot combs, lye, and all sorts of other alchemy to hide our blackness.

We turned it into something completely different.

For generations, black women have come here to talk, to share, to laugh, to cry, to be safe from the world.

[indistinct conversations]

Black beauticians have influenced politics and been foot soldiers in the fight for freedom.

Did you know that profits from shops like this paid for buses to get people to the march on Washington?

Great. Now you sound like my sister. [laughs]

Did you seriously bring me here for a this-week-in-black-history moment?

[smacks lips] I've always liked the beauty salon.

I manifested this reality since you're new to the work.

But if you're not going to use it, I can always take us someplace else.

I just want you to be comfortable.

I'm not comfortable.

Okay? I really just wanna go back to the real world.

I know it's hard to believe, but you're doing better than most.

And here, anything is possible.

You know what we're do gonna first? We're gonna practice.

We are going to build a box to put your feelings in.

What do you want it to be?

Wood?

Rock?

Gold.

[Perenna] Mmm.

All right, let's begin. [chuckles]

How'd it go?

Went to a beauty salon. [sighs] Built a box.

Uh, oh, okay.

Good?

Yeah.

Most of the pods are in this room, but we have several other rooms where we've isolated the children with vulnerabilities.

Is the anesthetizing agent the same for all of them?

Yes.

And like the labs we were just in, make sure you don't cross the line. [sensor beeps]

[electricity crackles] [Dr. Jace groans]

[alarm beeping] [Lynn sighs]

[groans softly]

It really works.

[Lynn] Yes.

If you go outside the prescribed areas, that implant in your ankle will disable you.

If you try to remove the implant, it will disable you.

And if you somehow manage to get it out and remain alert, the implant will sound an alarm and the guards will sh**t you.

[Dr. Jace sighs]

I'm pretty sure allowing guards to sh**t me isn't part of the Hippocratic Oath.

Or don't you care about that anymore?

Let me be clear.

You stay out of prison as long as I say you stay out of prison.

The minute I think you're a danger to me, or anyone who works here, or these children, I will have you thrown into such a dark place, you'll wonder if the sun still shines. Do you understand?

Yes. I understand.

We're not gonna be friends.

[Anissa] I couldn't find a single thing Zlovac had been involved in until this Freeland project.

Who even lets a real estate novice spend a billion dollars?

It's money laundering. Plain and simple.

There's no other reasonable explanation.

The redevelopment project's probably never gonna happen. [sighs]

Where is the dirty money coming from, though?

Who knows? dr*gs, g*ns, it could be foreign dictators stealing from widows and orphans.

The clinic is set to be sold this week.

Does Zlovac have that much cash in his bank accounts?

[Gambi] Nope.

So the money's not there yet.

What are you doing? I'm not telling you.

You'll run off, you'll tell my dad.

Next thing I know, he's trying to stop me...

I am not gonna tell your father.

At least not before you do what it is you're gonna do.

Excellent.

It doesn't mean I'm gonna keep my mouth shut, though.

If I see you doing somethin' stupid, I'm gonna tell you.

I wouldn't expect anything less, Uncle Gambi.

I'll talk to you.

Turn it off.

What the hell is wrong with you?

Stop electrifying that.

You first.

[clangs]

[groans]

[groaning in pain]

Car in the parking lot.

Guy in the front seat. Who hired you?

Nope.

[groaning] [electricity crackling]

That electric rope is about 1,500 volts.

I can generate a hundred times that.

You got a lot of flammable things up in here.

I can protect myself, but, uh, what you gonna do?

Probably just die, right? [panting]

Who hired you? I... I don't know!

This guy just snuck up behind me in the alley.

Threw some money down.

He told me he was gonna k*ll me if I didn't do the job in the next hour.

What'd he look like?

All I saw were these weird gladiator things on his arms.

I suggest you find another line of work.

[groans]

[Inspector Henderson] Tobias k*lled Detective Summers?

[Black Lightning] Gladiator arms.

It sounds like Painkiller, but that kid is just a sidekick.

At least we know that he's still in Freeland after the school att*ck.

Well, I already knew that.

A One Hundred member got darted and fell off the balcony, broke his neck.

Okay, were you able to get anything from him that would lead us to Painkiller or Tobias?

Well, surprisingly, between the long fall and the general lack of life, he wasn't very chatty.

Why would Tobias k*ll your detective?

I don't know, but he isn't a guy who really needs a reason, right?

What... No.

No, he's worked really hard to stay out of the spotlight for 30 years.

Why antagonize you now?

Look, I don't know. Maybe he just didn't wanna be different than every other gangster in Freeland.

Good morning, Ms. Payne.

I know why you're here.

I've talked to the police.

I'll tell you, too. I don't know where he is.

Now I know that's not true.

Maybe he didn't come home right away.

Too excited about being back on his feet.

But I saw the news reports when he was injured. You were right there.

That young man loves you.

So I know he came to see you, if only to give you money.

Even so, I've got nothin' to say to you.

I know you wanna save him from the trouble he's in.

It's too late. That boy got himself into something.

There's no way out.

That's what he thinks, and that's what he told you.

But it's not true.

As long as Khalil's alive, there's hope.

But the clock is ticking.

He's not stronger or smarter than the people he's in business with.

He give you a burner phone?

A number so you can reach him, like any good son would?

You want him to live, you need to call him and tell him to meet with me.

How do I look?

Good.

[safe lock clicks, beeps]

Then let's go. [cell phone vibrates]

Look, I only came here to tell you to stay away from my mother.

She just wants to help you.

If you wanna help her, then you don't tell her her son's going to die.

You know you're no match for Tobias.

Just tell me how to find him, and I'll take him out for you.

Right. And when you fail, then I will die.

I won't let that happen.

If that Thunder chick never showed up, he would've b*at your ass at the school.

Yeah, you're not that much of a match for Tobias either.

You're better than this, Khalil.

My name is Painkiller. No.

You had a life before, people who loved you.

Even in that wheelchair, it was better than this.

You stay away.

Or I'll make it my life's mission to track down all the people you love and k*ll them just like I k*lled you.

[Black Lightning grunting] [groaning]

Where's Tobias?

You little bitch!

[groans]

[w*apon whirs] [electricity crackling]

[g*ns cocking]

[Inspector Henderson] Both hands where I can see 'em, Whale.

Turn around now.

You know, I almost didn't believe it, that somebody dropped a dime on you.

But today is my lucky day.

Tobias Whale, you are under arrest for the m*rder of Alvin Pierce.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law.

You have a right to an attorney.

If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you.

[SWAT member] Let's go.

I know I helped you figure out this meeting was taking place.

That doesn't mean I think it's a good idea for you to go down there. I'll be fine.

Why do they all have ponytails?

These aren't your ordinary street thugs.

They're not gonna take this lightly.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, is this the money?

Probably.

Anissa... Uncle Gambi, the clinic is running out of time.

If I don't help, then I'll just be wasting the gifts that God gave me.

That's what your father always used to say.

[Gambi] I got you.

[men groaning]

[groans]

God bless you, sister... whatever the hell your name is.

So, I changed my mind.

I want my containment box to be made of diamonds.

[chuckles] Well, they are a girl's best friend, but, uh, we're not doing that today.

But I thought I was building a box and stuff with my feelings inside, so I could get on with my life.

We are. But before you can stuff your feelings into anything, we need to know what those feelings are.

[screaming]

[knock on door]

[Jefferson] Hey. I wanted you to hear it from me.

We caught him.

We caught Tobias.

[closing theme music playing]