03x21 - Unknown Factors

[bunniefuu]

This is Cat Grant, reporting live for G.B.S. from the Babylonian Theater in Hollywood, where Goode World Studios is holding the world premiere of its latest blockbuster, The Great Khan. [cameras clicking]

With me now is the name behind the studio, Gretchen Goode herself!

[chuckles] Oh, do call me Granny, dear.

Everybody does.

[Nightwing] Playtime after the mission.

[Black Lightning] Say what, now?

[Nightwing] Uh, after the mission we should catch a play.

Or a movie. You know, we're in Hollywood.

Seems like the thing to do.

[Black Lightning] Uh, let's focus on this thing to do.

Although I'm not sure what a simple recon of Granny's house will tell us.

[Nightwing] I said recon.

I never said simple. [loud clang]

[Black Lightning] Conner gave you Dreamer's Motherbox?

[Nightwing] Dreamer hasn't come back for her yet.

I asked Motherbox to ping if she sensed any Apokoliptan tech inside.

And ping, she did.

[Black Lightning] Hey, you are not suggesting an illegal search here.

[Nightwing] That ping was probable cause.

Besides, we can't leave old Granny alone with Apokoliptan tech.

She might hurt herself.

[Black Lightning grunts]

[dogs barking]

[machine beeps]

[Oracle] Your Darkwear's picking up Granny's wireless security network.

Activating counter frequency pulse from your Darkwear transmitter.

[white noise] Cameras down.

This is too easy.

[Black Lightning] This is too easy.

[Nightwing] I know, I know.

But we've got Motherbox.

If things turn Apokoliptan, we'll Boomtube out.

Nightwing, I lost your signal. Nightwing?

[Black Lightning] I don't see anything. [loud clang]

[Black Lightning grunts] [Nightwing] Whoa!

[dogs barking]

[theme music playing]

[all laughing]

[Wyynde chuckles]

[both conversing in Atlantean]

[laughing continues]

[machine beeps]

[beeping]

[beeps]

[Oracle] I'm sorry.

Wonder Woman's in space, Batman and Robin are in Africa, and Miss Martian's leading a team mission.

I know the risks, but right now you are our only option for rescuing Nightwing and Lightning.

I'll provide backup.

[speaking in Atlantean]

[beeps] [both speaking in Atlantean]

[chuckles]

[Malcolm] So, I did it.

I got tested for the meta-gene.

Mal, we talked about this.

Well, you got tested.

That was for my dissertation.

I had to test my blood sample as a control, before, you know, I shrunk down to study and alter the genome.

You wanna hear my results or not?

[sighs]

No. But, yes.

No. No, no. Oh, just tell me.

No meta-gene. I'm just a regular guy.

So we both tested negative.

That's fine.

Yeah, but wouldn't it have been cool if Karen Junior was meta?

Malcolm Junior doesn't have to be meta to be cool.

[scoffs] Of course not!

Most parents would freak.

You and I, now, [chuckles]

We could've totally handled it.

[chuckles] We have put in a lot of time babysitting metas.

Look, I'll love her no matter what.

I just hope our daughter has your big, beautiful brain.

Your brain's beautiful, too.

And our son would be blessed to get it.

Anyway, it's all luck of the draw.

Does it have to be?

I mean, in a world that's genetically evolving so rapidly, uh...

You said genomes can be altered.

Maybe a little of your science can give our girl an edge.

Or at least to make sure she can keep up.

Let's just leave all that to mother nature.

Mal? [Malcolm] Yeah?

[Karen] I think my water just broke.

[Silas] You sure you don't want to come home, Victor?

Thanks, Dad.

This is really where I need to be right now.

But I'm sorry I pushed you away.

No, no, no. None of that.

It's a fresh start for both of us.

I love you, Dad. [elevator bell dings]

I love you too, Son.

I'll call soon.

Whoa! Dude, is that blood?

[Beast Boy] Not blood. Ketchup.

And barbecue sauce. And hoisin sauce.

Which I slipped on.

Landed on my wrist wrong, too. [groans]

[Geo-Force] One could say the restaurant's hostage crisis became a sticky situation.

And Beast Boy couldn't cut the mustard against a new villain calling himself the Condiment King. [laughing]

Mother of Goat! [chuckles]

Hey, we saved the busboy who texted the Outsiders for help.

Got some good press out of it, too.

Tara. Fred.

Please be careful on your mission with Megan.

And make good choices!

[Forager clicks tongue] [cell phone beeps]

Hashtag "We-Are-All-Outsiders" is trending again.

Uh, congratulations, Garfield.

Congratulations, Brion.

Thank you.

I need to hit the shower.

Ow! Oh, sorry, Garfield.

Fortunately, it seems to be a minor sprain.

I'll meet you in the Med Bay shortly.

Thanks, Doc.

Is it always like this?

Yeah. Pretty much.

Violet? He's still so mad.

And time's running out for us to say goodbye.

Maybe I should tell him I'm sick.

I'm texting my mentor tonight, and I'm hoping he'll have good news about your condition.

Wouldn't you rather tell Brion after we know we can cure you?

Uh, I... I suppose so.

Okay.

[Wyynde breathes deeply]

I will never get used to sucking and blowing like this.

[comms beeps] Oracle?

[Oracle] Receiving Beetle Mini-Drone feed.

Which is good, because I'm not losing track of another squad.

Transferring B.M.D. controls to my station.

Hang tight.

I'll distract Granny to get her out of the house.

[Aquaman] That will not be necessary.

[doorbell rings]

Good evening.

Aquaman. What a pleasant surprise.

Please, call me Kaldur'ahm.

This is my partner, Wyynde.

Kaldur'ahm, Wyynde, please, come in.

Cards on the table, boys.

Why are you here?

Two of my friends paid you a visit.

And disappeared.

You mean, two of your friends broke into my home illegally.

Are you here to bring them to justice?

Take us to them, and we will discuss it.

Oh, this is bad.

As you wish. Overlord.

Kaldur, I hope you know what you're doing.

And just in case you don't...

[Karen breathing heavily] [Evelyn] Okay, here we are. You're doing great.

Here we go, okay. Again, Karen. Push.

[Karen grunting]

You're doing great!

And, hey, if you hurry, our baby can still be born on Martin Luther King's birthday.

Well, on his holiday, anyway.

[grunts] You did not just ask me to hurry!

No, no. Definitely not.

Focus, Karen. One last push!

[grunting]

[screaming]

[breathing heavily]

[baby crying]

Well, hello there!

Welcome to the world, baby girl!

[breathes heavily] A baby girl!

Mal, we have a baby girl! [chuckling]

You did it, beautiful. You did it!

The color in her fingers and lips, cyanosis.

Let's get her to X-Ray.

What... What is it?

Karen, Mal, stay calm.

There's a problem with your little girl.

I'm telling you, Gar, it's like a fog's cleared.

I'm finally getting how to live with this tech.

Megan says it's part of my five-stages-of-grief healing process.

She's says I'm at the final stage, acceptance.

[whirring]

Whoa.

Yeah. Beetle taught me that one.

No way. Indulge me.

[grunting] [arm powering up]

[thudding]

[gasps] Crash! Crash!

[elevator bell dings]

Oh, it's you.

I... I mean, sorry. I...

I thought you might be Violet.

She's been trying to talk to me, and I've been quite difficult.

Uh, maybe I should go talk to her now?

It is wonderful that you can forgive Violet for Gabrielle's actions.

But, with all that's happened, she feels out of control, when what she needs to feel is in control.

Just be open the next time she approaches.

That makes sense.

And sorry again, but did you need something?

Oh, it's nothing really.

[cell phone beeping] Garfield was showing me the Outsiders' social media feed.

The response to your heroics has been amazing.

You have fans!

You should respond.

Especially to the ones from Markovia.

They really see you as a hero.

Their hero.

This could be your ticket back.

[Malcolm] Karen, you just gave birth!

[breathing heavily] When I let Ryan bring your gear from Doctor Palmer's lab, I thought I was humoring you.

I didn't think you'd seriously try to use it.

[Bumblebee] I wasn't playing, Mal.

You know me better than to think that.

[Malcolm] Doc, back me up.

Any news on that heart surgeon?

He opens hearts, Mal, not snow-covered roads.

He'll never get here in time to save her.

Repairing a hole in the heart is a common procedure.

I've assisted in many surgeries.

Which is why you're the perfect candidate to assist me now, Doctor.

[Malcolm] You just gave birth!

This is crazy. I take the baby out of the mom.

I never put the mom into the baby!

Be careful. I don't want to lose you, too.

You're not losing either of us.

Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy.

[Bumblebee on comms] All right, Doctor. I'm in the needle.

Ready for injection.

Brace yourself.

[heart b*ating]

[Evelyn] Video feed is clear.

I see the hole in her heart.

The patch will work.

I'll guide you through the correction.

[Gretchen] Those that require correction and discipline are brought here, to my X-Pit.

And these naughty boys required much of both.

Obey your Granny. [both screaming]

My command is Darkseid's will.

Obey your Granny.

My command is Darkseid's will.

Still, I believe they've learned their lesson.

You're welcome to take your two friends now.

Simply step through the wall of the Cube.

How gracious of you.

[both screaming] Obey your Granny.

My command is Darkseid's will.

Obey your Granny. [grunting]

My command is Darkseid's will. Kaldur.

Your skin-icons. The magic.

Obey your Granny. It helps.

My command is Darkseid's will. [grunts] Yes. Better.

Obey your Granny.

My command is Darkseid's will.

Obey your Granny.

[all grunting] My command is Darkseid's will.

Obey your Granny.

[all panting]

Overlord.

[panting continues]

Thank you for your hospitality.

We will show ourselves out.

I said you could take your two friends.

I did not say he could take the Motherbox.

Motherbox is a living being.

We will not leave her behind.

That wasn't the agreement.

He broke the rules.

He must be disciplined, back in the Pit.

No.

[chuckling]

Atrocious manners, Kaldur'ahm.

Such behavior requires correction.

Correction already made to Jefferson and Richard.

Now, Obey your Granny.

My command is Darkseid's will.

Teach your naughty friends a lesson.

[heart b*ating]

[Evelyn on comms] Hole patched.

Blood flow and pulse normalizing.

Textbook finish, Karen.

Mother nature may not always be perfect, but your little girl's lucky to have a mother who can fix that.

Thanks, Doc.

Just need a minute to rest before I come out.

Shutting down the feed.

What? Why-- [turns off comms]

[Bumblebee] Let's just leave all that to mother nature.

[Evelyn] Mother nature may not always be perfect.

[Malcolm] Maybe a little of your science can give our girl an edge?

Or at least to make sure she can keep up.

[Evelyn] There's a problem with your little girl.

[echoing] There's a problem with your little girl.

There's a problem with your little girl.

There's a problem with your little girl.

[heart continues b*ating]

[Karen] For this dissertation, I isolated samples of my own blood and tissue to introduce the new genetic material into a genome.

I successfully integrated new genes into my sample's DNA that would have enhanced everything from muscular strength to mental acuity.

Thus proving that from cures for disease to enhancement of nature, the power of evolution is now in our hands.

I submit my experiments not as an argument for or against such procedures, but to help spark an important ethical debate about how to utilize this science to do the right thing...

[echoing] Right thing...

A debate we must settle now, before nature or other forces in our fast-changing world settle it for us and for our children.

att*ck, my thralls!

[all grunting]

Stop! Fight her control!

[Gretchen] Fight harder!

You cannot be so easily defeated!

[grunting]

You have brainwashed them.

But they cannot match Atlantean strength and magic.

Then they will die trying.

And so will Motherbox.

Strike, Overlord!

k*ll the Motherbox.

[all grunting]

[Motherbox crackling]

Has anyone heard of this "Infinity Incorporated"?

[air crackling] [Violet gasps]

You, you feel that? Yes.

[arm whirring]

[Gar and Geo-Force] Vic can Boomtube? [Geo-Force] Hurry!

Brion, wait!

[all grunting] [Motherbox clanging]

[yelps]

Kaldur? Motherbox!

[Victor grunting] [crackling stops]

Ha! Crushed that magic.

Do not fear, Sister. I will heal you now.

[clangs]

[Violet speaking other language]

The tongue of the Old Gods.

[Nightwing sighs] What... What happened?

[Aquaman] You were-- I was being mind-controlled!

Who did this to you? She did.

Garfield.

You are long overdue for discipline.

I'm dropping all of you in-- [grunts]

[Oracle on comms] Told you I had your back.

[portal opens]

Everyone into the Boomtube!

But Gretchen-- There will be another time.

Yes, run away, children!

Run for your insignificant little lives!

I had my fun!

And I hope, for your sakes, that you all learned a lesson!

[buzzing] [Gretchen shushes]

Hush, now.

It's all right.

Everything will be all right.

[softly] Everything will be all right, little girl.

[Malcolm] Yes, it will.

Rhea Malia Beecher-Duncan is off to a fine start.

I'll give you a little alone time.

Weirdest. Birth. Ever.

Karen, you were in there a long time after the procedure, baby.

What were you doing?

The right thing for our daughter.

I did the right thing.

[Nightwing groaning]

You're all right, d*ck.

Take it easy. Everything'll be all right.

[Nightwing continues groaning]

[Wyynde] Your friend is well cared for.

I am sure he will make a full recovery.

[Aquaman] Yes. I hope so.

I must admit, I do not see the appeal of this surface world.

Except that you are here.

[Aquaman sighing]

I... I'm sorry.

[theme music playing] [sucking pacifier]

[Gretchen] Good news, Sire.

Tonight, I found the Anti-Life Equation.