03x08 - Betrayal

[bunniefuu]

MEI-LI: [GASPS]

No! Xiao! Uh!

- No!
- [CRASH]

XIAO: Huh uh! Huh uh!

- MEI-LI: Uhh!
- XIAO: Uh!

- Agh... oh...
- ALTHEA: Mama...

- Mama, put some pressure...
- Ohh!

- I called Ryan. He's on his way.
- Mama?

- Your papa. Your papa.
- I'll get some ice. Hold on.

Yeah. I'm ok. I'm standing.

See? I'm ok.

Yah! Hah! Uh! Huh! Uh!

- RYAN: Oh, my god. Mom. Mama.
- MEI-LI: Ryan...

Not too deep, but you'll need stitches.

One moment, she was Pei-Ling,

- and then all of a sudden...
- How'd Xiao get out?

We trapped her in the Harvester's blade.

I'll hide it, protect it.

Nicky, what happened?

- I think he did this.
- Bo?

Watch them.

Keep them safe in case Xiao comes back.

[ZIP]

Shifu.

Heh. My son.

It's your true face.

- How? I thought you'd be in Pei-Ling.
- I am. I'm not really here.

My spirit is free from the cell

trapped in Pei-Ling's mind.

Now we can communicate
like we used to...

Traveler to traveler.

We'll meet in person soon enough,

but I have one final task for you.

What? I freed you from the blade.

I betrayed everyone.
I can't stick around.

You said once you took
Pei-Ling, we'd be done,

we'd release the souls that I reaped.

I cannot release them until I am free,

free to travel.

Your hu shen fu...

Hmm.

I've not had it since my death,

but I can feel its pull.
I know it's close.

Until I can travel again,

I'm vulnerable to those

- who wish to trap my spirit.
- You mean Nicky.

Betraying her was hard for you,

but I told you,

Nicky destroyed the source realm.

She is the reason why all those souls

were lost, banished to the wasteland.

When Nicky realizes what I did,

she's going to come for me.

Then move quickly, hmm?

Tsk tsk. Tsk tsk.

When you were lost, scared, alone,

I found you.

I saved you.

Do not forget... what you owe me.

I will not fail you.

MEI-LI: Ok. One second now.

ALTHEA: Mama, just put
some pressure on it.

MEI-LI: Ah! Ah! Ah!

JIN: All right. See? I'm ok.
See? I'm standing up straight.

You think Nicky will
be able to find her?

How?

Xiao could just travel away, right?

She's probably long gone.

Where's my sister?

I'm sorry.

JIN: I still don't understand
why she went after you.

- Just because... Xiao's evil.
- It was something else.

When she cut me, she tasted my blood.

- She what?
- Yeah.

She said there was
something special about me.

ALTHEA: Do you really think Bo

was helping Xiao this whole time?

I had my doubts, but he fooled me.

He fooled all of us.

Hey, where's Zhilan?

[HOLLOW KNOCK]

[KNOCK KNOCK]

[KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK]

[GROWLING]

Ugh!

Uh!

Hey.

- Henry. My parents...
- They're fine.

No. Xiao. She's still out there.

Evan had Nadia reactivate
the BOLO on Pei-Ling.

Cops caught Xiao on camera

leaving the city on a freight train.

She's in the wind, but at
least she's out of town.

You ok?

Nicky, what happened last night,

- it's not your fault.
- No. I let Bo in. I gave him the blade.

I was there, too. We both did.

Found that.

Bo's a Harvester.

Can you use your Compass power,

track him somehow?

I already tried. I got nothing on him.

Ok. Then we find him
the old-fashioned way.

This is everything Bo
used to build his cover.

And when we find him?

We use him to get Pei-Ling back.

Mei-Li, nice to have you back.

Your arm. What happened?

Oh. It's nothing. It's just a cut.

Did you need something?

My plate's been pretty full
now that I'm down a chef.

Hmm. Well, we are running out of time

on those packaging agreements.

No. They're signed.
They're on your desk,

but I still need to
approve the dumplings.

They came in days
ago. You weren't here.

No. I haven't tasted them yet.

The deal with the grocery chains

was supposed to be signed

and processed already.

Your company is not allowed to market

any product from the
Harmony Dumplings brand

without my sign-off.

Samples are in the freezer.

[SLICING]

NICKY: Fake I.D.S, forged
employment histories,

new bank accounts...

His first name was the only thing

he wasn't lying about.

We have to find Xiao, and right now,

- finding Bo is our best sh*t.
- Apartment buildings?

From when he first got to Oakland.

These photos were taken with a Zphone .

Uh, see these tiny, white dots?

Dead pixels.

Zindle rushed the
release of the Zphone ,

resulting in this glitch.

Yeah. I remember. They
recalled those fast.

Which made them rare.

Only a few people still have these.

But Bo doesn't have a Zphone

unless he used a burner.

Mm-hmm, and if he's still using it,

I can see if any Zphone s

pinged off local towers,
use that to I.D. his phone.

Oh, if I can do that,
I probably can find

- Bo's current location.
- Uh, Althea...

Right. Sorry. Got excited.

I'll walk you through it.

Well?

You cannot sell these,

not with my name on them.

Eric Miller said our test kitchen

spent weeks on those.

He's the head of our retail division.
He's overseeing the launch.

With all due respect to Mr. Miller,

this is not my cooking.

Well, they did the best they could.

Keep in mind that we have

a -cent-apiece manufacturing target.

I can do better.

- At cost?
- At cost.

Fine, but we're already behind schedule,

and I'm not gonna jeopardize our deal

with the grocery stores,

so you have till end of day

to come up with this better dumpling,

or we have to move on
with what we've got.

- Hey, great to see you.
- And you.

Hey, everyone, thank
you so much for coming.

Hi, hi. Hey, Harper.

Man, great turnout, right?

Ooh, yep.

I know how you feel about mudslinging,

but I've got some dirt on Anthony.

It's big.

An eyewitness saw him making an exchange

with a local drug dealer.

Word is, his brother's an addict.
Anthony was bailing him out,

but dirt is dirt.

I don't know, man.

It sounds like he's just
trying to help his family.

Jin, Anthony's whole platform

is being tough on crime.

This proves he's a hypocrite.

We leak this, it'll t*nk his campaign.

You're already a longshot, Jin.

We need to use every
advantage we've got.

I'm sorry, Harper. I can't go there.

- Ok.
- Yeah.

Ok. Great.

Now input the location request protocol.

[TYPING]

Hit "enter."

[BEEPING]

Did you find him?

[BEEP]

Uh, he's at the library...

Our library.

What the hell is he doing there?

Doesn't matter. I know where he is.

Wait. Don't you want...

- Backup?
- [DOOR CLOSES]

[SLAM]

Pshyoo!

Boom! Pshyoo pshyoo pshyoo!

[WHOOSH]

[WHOOSH]

Mom? Uh...

[VOICES ECHOING]

Uh... oh...

Aah! Aah! Aah!

Mom? Mom?

Mom? Mom?

[VOICE SHRIEKING]

Oh...

[INDISTINCT]

[VOICE SHRIEKING]

Ah! Ow! Uh...

[PANTING]

[SHRIEKING CONTINUES]

Oh...

[WHOOSH]

You have nothing to fear.

- My name is Xiao.
- I'm Bo.

Do you know who brought you here?

You did.

You imagined a place
similar to this realm,

so your traveler gift sent you here.

So this place is in my imagination?

This realm is very real.

You're a traveler born
with unique ability.

It can send you anywhere.

Why are you here?

I'm not. I'm a traveler, too.

My powers are limited now,

but this gift connects us.

I could hear you calling out for help.

We communicate now from a distance.

I want to go home.

Mm, I know, child,

but getting back will take time.

So I'm stuck here?

Yes, until you learn
how to master your gift.

I will teach you.

[WHOOSH]

Russell Tan?

Uh, what am I looking at?

You know more about
Russell Tan than anyone.

We thought maybe you know
what Bo's looking for.

I want to find Pei-Ling.

I'm sorry your new
boyfriend flipped on you,

- but finding him is not...
- He didn't flip.

He's been working with
Xiao this entire time.

Bo is the Harvester.

Huh...

And you led him right to our door.
You gave them everything.

Yes.

It's my fault Xiao has Pei-Ling.

Bo could be looking for anything...

Tan's business holding,
his underworld connections,

- mystical artifacts.
- Well, we need to know what,

figure out Bo's next move.

Finding him, shaking him down,

it's our best sh*t at finding Xiao
and saving your sister.

I've seen your idea of a shakedown.

This is no time for kid gloves.

When we get our hands on Bo,

- I won't hold back.
- Good. We're gonna make him pay.

Ok. That one is pretty close.

That's the one I cheated with,

more expensive ingredients.

Producing those at scale would cost

cents each at minimum,

and, of course, it's the only one

that passes our taste test.

Thanks, Lewis.

Hmm.

Ryan, what are you doing here?

Trying to figure out
where Xiao could be,

not having much luck.

Why aren't you at the
house with the others?

I don't know. It's
getting kind of crowded.

And your apartment?

What's with the third degree?

Can't your son get in some work

at the family restaurant?

Ryan?

All right. Fine. It's been kind of hard.

Sebastian left.

He's been struggling since
he left the restaurant,

and some stuff went down with Xiao.

Getting possessed by a violent witch

dredged up some stuff for him.

He said he needed time to process.

I don't know what
Sebastian is going through,

but I do know this.

He loves you deeply.

Uh, how have you been without him?

I could do with some
of his fight right now.

He were here,

- he'd work all sorts of trouble.
- Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. Ha ha ha!

Ha!

Oh.

Where are you going?

I am going to make some trouble.

I am no expert,

but I too have encountered

this ancient alchemist traveler,

and it was terrifying,

but that is not going to stop me.

Sebastian will work this through,

and he'll come back.

[SIGHS]

Ancient alchemist...

Traveler.

Xiao's some kind of
mystical traveler, right,

able to go anywhere in
the blink of an eye...

- Uh-huh?
- So I started thinking.

Why would she sneak onto a freight train

to get out of town?

Why not just blink away unless...

- She can't travel.
- Exactly.

- What's stopping her?
- Ah, that's what I wondered,

so I started going
through my old research

and found this.

According to Xiao, every traveler

must possess a hu shen fu
to truly control their ability.

- Uh, what's a hu shen fu?
- Like a talisman or a totem,

a tool to anchor themselves
to their original realm.

A traveler's totem keeps them

from getting trapped in the ether

as they travel between realms.

Now...

What if Xiao lost hers?

She d*ed thousands of years ago,

could be anywhere.

Not just anywhere.

I can think of one recently deceased

Xiao-obsessed collector
of ancient artifacts

who might have gotten
his hands on this totem.

- Russell.
- That must be why Bo

was looking into him.

He's trying to find Xiao's lost totem.

So we just need to
find it before Bo does.

How? It's not like we
know what it looks like.

[CLEARS THROAT]

To create a hu shen fu,

a traveler must imbue a personal
object with their traveler magic.

Each one is unique to its owner,

and, according to Xiao's journals,

this one's hers.

An imperial seal.

Emperors would give them out

to most trusted advisors.

Xiao's father was an imperial advisor.

Maybe that's how she
got her hands on one.

All right, so we know what it looks like

and who probably had it last,

but Russell's dead.

Police seized his property.
It could be sold off by now.

NADIA: No. Last I heard from my boss,

the police are still
unwinding his assets.

Everything that was seized
is still in evidence.

Althea, can we hack into SFPD

and find out where they're
storing Russell's stuff?

Oh, they redid their entire system.

Even if I broke my
deal and did it myself,

it would take me days.

NADIA: The city keep hard-copy backups

of everything, including records

of all major SFPD property seizures.

They'd list which evidence facility

Tan's assets ended up in.

There should be copies in
a few government buildings,

including the courthouse

across the street from my office.

Nadia, no.

My D.A. badge can get me in.

I'll be careful.

Ok. We have a plan.

ALTHEA: Assuming we
can move faster than Bo.

NICKY: We have to.

If we don't get to Xiao's
totem before Bo does,

she'll be free to go anywhere,

disappear completely.

Pei-Ling will be gone.

[WHOOSH]

[WHOOSH]

Uh! Uh!

Get up.

It didn't work.

It is only through practice

that you will develop your gift

and become a true traveler.

I just end up in the same place.

- Shifu, I'm trying...
- Try harder.

In time, your bond with your hu shen fu

will strengthen.

You want to get home, don't you?

If you reject my guidance,

I can always stop coming here.

Is that what you want,
to be alone in this world?

I accept your guidance.

Good. Then try again.

[WHOOSH]

WOMAN: The potholes on our street

have been there so long,
our kids named them.

Ooh, Grace, oh, my. Listen.

When I take office, I will make sure

they're taken care of.

We can definitely get rid of them.

Hey, Anthony. Nice to see you.

What a great event.

Mm-hmm.

Don't be suspicious, Jin.

I just stopped by to wish you luck, ok?

Thank you.

Oh, also wanted to pick your brain.

I just got off the phone with my staff.

We're trying to put an end
to all the illegal evictions.

I got some ideas, but... I'm curious...

What would you do about that?

Ah, you want to hear my thoughts, huh?

Well, I think this should be

a private conversation, don't you?

Why? These are my constituents,

- the people you seek to represent.
- JIN: Ah.

Shouldn't they hear this?

Well, I have my office
reach out to the landlords

and attempt to negotiate...

But that would be illegal,
using your position

to put pressure on the landlord.

These things need to go
through the rent board.

- I got another one for you.
- Ok.

I'm sure you've read
the SFMTA's proposal

to revamp muni routes in our district.

It's pretty controversial,

and, well, I'm dying
to hear your position.

Nadia, you in?

NADIA, ON PHONE: Not
yet, bit crowded here,

just waiting for my moment.

So, uh, how you doing?

I'll feel better once Nadia
gets the file and gets out.

Yeah. You know that's
not what I meant. Bo?

That's on me,

should've seen through him.

How could you?

If it's anyone's fault, it's mine.

I'm the one who shoved him on you.

I just keep thinking
there's more to the story,

like maybe Xiao manipulated him.

- I can't imagine how you must feel.
- Because I slept with him?

Bo slaughtered dozens of Warrior
and Guardian spirits, ok?

He helped Xiao steal Pei-Ling's body,

so what he did to me personally

hardly even ranks.

NADIA, ON PHONE: Ok. I'm in.

I don't see it in the case files.

EVAN, ON PHONE: Maybe someone filed it

with the search warrants.

Heh. Got it.

Xiao's totem is locked up

in the Harrison street facility.

It's police evidence
storage. It's in the mission.

Thanks, Nadia. Got to
get there before Bo does.

- [WHOOSH]
- Uh!

[TYPING]

[BEEP BEEP BEEP]

[DOOR OPENS]

ZHILAN: Althea gave
me her lock pick code.

- What is taking so long?
- Give me a second.

There's got to be another way in.

Evan and Nadia said this
is the safest entrance.

I don't care. Bo could
already be inside.

[BEEP]

Let's just stick with
the plan just for fun.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

[WHOOSH]

[WHOOSH]

- Wait.
- What's wrong?

- I felt something.
- Something magicky? The compass?

- Yeah.
- Your power works like that?

I guess so.

It's got to be Bo.

If it is, he's close.

There are other ways to reduce crime

besides locking more people up.

You know, we incarcerate to punish,

but we don't rehabilitate,

and that makes the problem even worse.

Then we hand our money and our safety

to a private security firm,

- and that's an answer?
- Yesterday's news, Jin.

Ordinance has already passed.
It goes into effect tomorrow.

I admire your idealism,

- but criminals must face consequences.
- I didn't say they didn't.

They need to know that
there are consequences

- for crossing the line.
- Like paying off a drug dealer?

Look. I may not have all the answers,

but... I can make a difference.

Nice words, Jin, but this district

needs more than words.

We need someone who knows
how the system works...

Real change, not talk.

That was it. That was your chance.

Can't do it.

Family is off limits.

Maybe, but in politics,

you pull punches, you get hit.

- I'll admit, those are much better...
- Heh.

Good flavor, great chew.

How'd you get them down to cost?

I didn't.

By my estimates, these would cost

cents to produce.

That's as low as I could go

without serving food I'd be ashamed of.

Do you understand the impact

cents would have at scale,

what that would do to our profits?

Yes. I researched that.

It would tighten our margins,

but by corporate sales projections,

these would still turn
in a healthy profit.

Below target.

My bosses'll never agree to it.

Actually, they already have.

I had a lovely conversation

with Mr. Miller, our head of retail,

when I sent some of these
over to his office for lunch.

We came to the agreement
that betting on quality

would pay off for us in the long term,

and he has accepted
the adjustment in cost.

He's just waiting for your agreement
on the assessment of taste,

and I believe your words were

"good flavor, great chew."

Ok, then. Nice work.

[CHUCKLES]

[EXHALES]

[EXHALES]

Ok. You got this, Bo.
You're amazing. Ok.

[WHOOSH]

[WHOOSH]

Uh!

- I did it.
- You still have much to learn,

but a good start.

- We'll resume your training tomorrow.
- Wait. Don't leave me alone.

- Please. Don't go.
- I can't stay.

I am trapped in another world

between life and death,

deprived of my abilities, of a body.

- [VOICES SHRIEKING]
- Please.

You fear the shadow creatures.

I could help,

teach you to fight, make you strong.

Would you like that?

I need to know I can trust you.

Of course. You saved my life.

I must know you will be loyal

and that you will
always do as you're told.

Some things I'll ask may confuse you.

They may even seem bad.

[SHRIEKING CONTINUES]

You want me to do bad things?

My mistake, child. I
thought you were ready.

No, no, no. I'm sorry.
Sorry. Wait. Please.

Please.

Don't leave me alone.

Hey, I'm sorry.

I promise I'm ready.

If you teach me to fight,

I will do what you ask.

Hmm.

Always?

Always.

What are you doing here?

Hey, look, officer.

This is just a huge misunderstanding.

- We can explain.
- We can?

Backup requested at storage room .

We've got a break-in.

Nicky, no.

MAN: ♪ just how far will you go? ♪

♪ This might hurt

♪ yeah

♪ this might hurt, this might hurt ♪

♪ this might hurt

♪ this might hurt ♪

♪ only way out's through me

♪ yeah, what's it gonna be, bruh? ♪

♪ This might hurt, this might hurt ♪

♪ this might hurt

♪ soon you'll see

♪ this might hurt

♪ only way out's through me

♪ yeah, what's it gonna be, bruh? ♪

♪ This might hurt, this might hurt ♪

♪ this might hurt

yeah. This might hurt. This might hurt.

- Nicky, I never meant to hurt you.
- Don't.

Where is it, Xiao's totem?

I know you can't understand.

- You think that Xiao's a monster.
- She is a monster.

No.

She att*cked my parents, Bo.

She tried to k*ll my mother.

What she did to Pei-Ling,

to all the Warrior and Guardian spirits,

- the ones that you hunted for her...
- She was trying to save them.

You really are a fool.

NICKY: Don't.

Don't give it to her.

You have no idea what
she'll do with that power.

She's my Shifu.

No!

He has Xiao's totem.

We have to find him
before he gets it to her.

He could be on the other
side of the world by now,

another world altogether.

This place is crawling with cops.

We have to go now.

I feel something.

His totem, it was in his hand.

When he left, it's like I held on to it.

I know where he is.

BO, VOICE-OVER: I know
you can't understand.

You think that Xiao's a monster.

NICKY, VOICE-OVER: She is a monster.

She att*cked my parents.
She tried to k*ll my mother.

MAN, VOICE-OVER: Aagh!

Aagh! Aagh!

WOMAN: Aah!

XIAO: My son.

Why did you call me back here?

This is where we met,

where your training began.

You were just a scared, little boy

trapped here.

You've grown so much.

Thanks to you.

Years ago, you made a vow

to help me reclaim
what was taken from me,

- to make me flesh again.
- You found a way?

Yes.

Now your work begins.

I need you to retrieve something,

weapons of enormous power...

Twin swords.

There's a world filled

with lost and broken souls.

I need you to go to that world

and bring the souls to me.

How?

Use the swords.

I need the souls to regain my power,

to claim my new form,
but when I am done,

we'll release them from their suffering.

They'll be free.

Do you have it?

- Shifu, is that you?
- My son.

Was it all a lie?

You have your vessel, the souls I took.

You said you would free them,

but you still have them.

- Tell me I'm wrong.
- Have you forgotten who saved you...

Who taught you how to survive?

No.

That's why it kills me to doubt you,

to wonder.

The souls...

You're going to keep them.

Those souls were bound to me

the moment I created the bloodlines.

They belong to me.

I would have done anything for you.

I did horrible things.

This whole time, was I just a pawn?

Yes.

Wait.

- I should go alone.
- What?

We all charge in, we'll spook him.

He'll be gone.

No offense, but you're
zero for two there.

- How will this be any different?
- I need to face him alone.

So Nicky, pushing us together,

forcing me to betray her...

I told you to watch her.

You're the one who got involved,

leaping in to save her.

I merely wanted eyes on the girl,

but once you got involved,

falling for the girl,

I sensed her trust in you

could be useful.

If Nicky stood in my way,

if she tried to protect Pei-Ling,

perhaps you could be there to stop her.

I was right.

Now... My hu shen fu.

- [DOORKNOB RATTLES]
- Come on. Uh! Uh! Bo?

Ooh! Uh! Ooh!

[DOOR BURSTS OPEN]

Xiao.

[WHOOSH]

WOMAN: ♪ brace yourself...

Nicky, I'm sorry. Let me explain.

Huh uh! Uh!

Uh! Where'd she go?
What is she planning?

I don't know, I swear.

Huh uh! Huh! Liar!

Uh!

WOMAN: ♪ run from
the rising tide... ♪

Nicky, I loved you.

WOMAN: ♪ there's no escape

huh uh!

Uh! Huh uh!

Huh uh!

WOMAN: ♪ I can't live
without the fight ♪

♪ there's no escape

Nicky...

Do it, Nicky.

End me.

WOMAN: ♪ I'm on the rise

♪ I can't live without the fight ♪

♪ I can't escape the wild life ♪

HENRY: Nicky?

Oh...

He's alive... barely.

Xiao?

Uh...

I don't think so.

You stole this from the courthouse?

You said you were gonna be careful.

We're trying to figure out

what Delta Security Endeavors is up to,

and I was already there.

Still no word from Nicky?

What does it mean?

Its gonna take a while
to go through all this,

but from what I can gather,

crime zero isn't just a name.

It's a promise... Mass surveillance,

raising arrest rates through the roof,

stomping on civil liberties.

Delta's plan to eliminate
crime in this city

is to turn it into some
kind of a police state.

Guess Ordinance
was just the beginning.

[CELL PHONE RINGS]

Henry, hey, how'd it go?

NICKY: [PANTING]

[CRYING]

[SNIFFLES]

[PANTING]

[SNIFFLING]

Uh...

[DOOR CLOSES]

[CELL PHONE VIBRATES]

Huh?

Ah, ok. Ok.

[BEEP]

Hey, Harper.

HARPER, ON PHONE: I got a
friend inside Anthony's campaign

that gave me a little
courtesy heads-up.

Anthony's coming for
you and your family.

My family? What do you mean?

They're rolling out att*ck ads tomorrow

exposing your daughter,
saying she's violent,

some kind of street-fighting vigilante.

I mean, I said that was crazy,

but after today, he's
not gonna back down.

NICKY: [WHIMPERING]

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

JIN: Nicky, are you in there?

[SNIFFLES]

Now's not a good time, Papa.

Sweetheart, sorry. I
need to talk to you.

[FAUCET CREAKS]

[PANTING]

[SNIFFLES]

Hey, you know what... Nicky, wait.

I have to go. We'll talk later.

Ah!

[SNIFFLES]

- Nicky, please. Listen to me.
- I can't. Please just let me go.

I just... I can't right now.

Ok. What happened?

Oh... hmm?

- [SNIFFLES]
- What? I got you. Come here.

Come here, baby girl.

Hey, no matter what happened,

it'll be ok.

You will be ok.

I promise.

Greg, move your head.

KIDS: Nice sh*t, mom.