03x12 - Loss

[bunniefuu]

[THUNDERCLAP]

[DOWNPOUR OUTSIDE]

Xiao scratches Mia with her
scepter, then this symbol appears?

What do you think it is?

If she harnessed all
that power from the forge,

the mark could be anything.

- I'm worried about her.
- MIA: Don't be.

We'll figure it out, but right now,

the monastery isn't a target.
My sisters are safe. I'm fine.

DENNIS: Looking sharp,
Mr. and Mrs. Shen, huh?

- Heh!
- Thank you. Thank you.

Wow. This party is not slowing down.

I'm gonna need to make
a champagne run soon.

[POP MUSIC PLAYING, INDISTINCT CHATTER]

So...

decided to spend this week's
paycheck on another NFT...

Baby seal playing
guitar. Good idea, right?

- Wait. What?
- Thinking about the job offer?

A little bit.

- OK, a lot a bit.
- [SIGHS]

After the year we've had,

a well-paying government
job with the NSA...

This could change everything.

[EVAN LAUGHS]

But I love working with
Evan, helping the community.

I don't know what I'm gonna do.

- [LAUGHTER]
- EVAN: Anytime.

- EVAN: Wow. To a wild week.
- ALTHEA: Hey. Huh?

- ALTHEA: I know.
- RYAN: Baba wins a long-sh*t election,

Mama selling the
restaurant, Seb's kicking off

his exciting new food-truck business...

- ALTHEA: Whoo!
- SEBASTIAN: Thank you.

RYAN: And I survived
back-to-back double shifts in the E.R.

- What? No applause?
- SEBASTIAN: Heh heh!

- RYAN: Oh, look who's here.
- EVAN: Hey, bug. You made it.

- ALTHEA: Hi.
- EVAN: Here.

- Rough day at the D.A.'s?
- NADIA: Oof.

- MEI-LI: Hey, guys.
- EVAN: Hey.

- SEBASTIAN: To the man of the hour.
- ALTHEA: Congratulations, Baba.

JIN: Thank you, thank
you. There's so much to do,

- it feels strange to celebrate.
- MEI-LI: No, Lao Gong.

[SPEAKS MANDARIN]
You absolutely deserve it.

- RYAN: Jin it to win it.
- JIN: Oh, Ganbei!

ALL: Ganbei!

[CELL PHONE BUZZING]

RYAN: Mmm. [SIGHS]

- Hello?
- NICKY ON PHONE: Hey, Ryan.

Um, I need your help.
I sent you a picture.

We had a run-in with Xiao. She cut Mia

with her supercharged ruyi,
and then that mark appeared.

- Any idea what it could be?
- RYAN: Medically, no,

but I think I've seen that mark before.

- NICKY: Where?
- RYAN: Uh, my Xiao research,

the ritual that created the bloodlines.

Get me everything you can on the mark.

Got it. Henry's around.
I'll loop him in.

- NICKY: Great. Thanks.
- MIA: Ohh.

- ZHILAN: Mia.
- NICKY: What... what happened?

- MIA: Oh.
- ZHILAN: She just fell.

MIA, PANTING: I'm weak.

It's like... Something's
being pulled out of me.

What is that? What are you doing?

Something I've wanted to do for ages.

- I'm finally fixing it.
- Fixing what?

The bloodline's power lives on,

passed down through the generations,

just waiting to be reclaimed.

- You're taking it back.
- I'm coming for all of it,

the power of the whole bloodline,

and that Compass of yours

is going to help me take it.

- NICKY: Still no word from Henry?
- RYAN: No.

He must have ducked out of the
party early. I'm sure he's fine.

I knew it. It's the same mark.

Xiao put it on the mothers of
the bloodline before the ritual.

RYAN: Um, the mark
"bound" the bloodline magic

to the original warriors and guardians.

The symbol gave us our powers?

OK, Mia said it feels like
something's being pulled

from her, taken.

What if Xiao is using the symbol
to take her power back?

How do you treat a snake bite?

You use anti-venom.

OK, in theory, if we
had the same ingredient

Xiao is using to take Mia's power,
we could create a counter-spell.

- ZHILAN: Uh, like an antidote?
- RYAN: Yeah.

Her scepter is powered by Jyu Sa.

She came here to charge
it up with Biange energy.

I still have some Jyu Sa. If you
can get me a sample of Biange...

We can't. The flowers are
dead. Xiao drained them all.

- MIA: Maybe up the mountain?
- NICKY: Hang on, Ryan.

A few of them could have
survived Xiao's reach.

Worth a sh*t.

NICKY: We'll go at sunrise.

[WIND HOWLING]

MIA: Zhilan, are you OK?

Like, if you're worried
about me, I told you...

No, it... it's not that.

I...

I'm sorry...

for leading you down
the path of vengeance.

I came to you.

It was my choice.

Yeah, you might not have
been the best role model.

[CHUCKLES]

I know you cared.

I'm just glad I got to see you again.

We should split up, cover more ground.

Everything's frozen...

[CHUCKLES] What if there
are no flowers left?

Then we find another way.

There may not be time.

Aren't you worried?

Whatever's coming next...

[SIGHS] I'm ready.

[CHUCKLES]

This place.

Do you remember... how it feels,

training, studying,
working with your sisters?

There's a peace so deep
that nothing can shake it.

I remember.

- But, Mia, I can't...
- MIA: I know.

You'll stop at nothing
to save me, but...

this time might be different.

ZHILAN: Nicky! Mia!

- [THUD]
- NICKY: Mia?

[GRUNTS]

[GROANS]

[CHUCKLES]

The hybrid will be extinguished soon.

Then it's your turn.

[PANTING] You can
t*rture me all you want,

but I won't let you
hurt Nicky or her family.

You will let me in.

Everyone has a breaking point.

Physical pain is just
one form of t*rture.

I lived inside Pei-Ling's
mind for months.

I learned a few things about you.

Your father... Danny.

Remember how it felt to reconnect,

to make peace?

Remember how it felt

to lose him?

[HENRY GASPING]

Rrr! Aah!

_

_

- NICKY: But we have the flower.
- RYAN: Nicky, this is complex magic.

Even if I can work it out,
we're thousands of miles away.

- I'm going as fast as I can.
- NICKY: I know.

[VOICE SHAKING] Just keep trying, OK?

We can't give up.

- You should be with her.
- I'm trying to save her.

- ZHILAN: Nicky, it's time.
- NICKY: No.

We're not losing Mia.

- Xiao taking her power doesn't mean...
- I believe it does.

I have been around a lot of death.
I have caused a lot of it.

And death... it isn't just an event.

It's a presence.

I can feel it.

Mia feels it...

And I think you can, too.

I'm sorry.

I'm not afraid.

I found a home here.

I'll find a home again...

on the other side.

I get to see her again.

Mama.

Finally get to tell her...

I understand.

[SOBBING]

[BIRDS CHIRP]

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

- Oh.
- Baba.

Oh. I know. I know.

We did everything we could.

- I know, Nicky.
- She was brave... till the end.

And I hope she is at peace.

What?

Xiao's magic was taking
Mia's bloodline power,

but it shouldn't have
taken her life, unless...

Unless it took her soul, too.

I think Xiao has Mia

and all the other Warrior
and Guardian spirits.

She's trapped them.

She's... she's using the power

of their souls and
she won't give them up.

Not without a fight.

When Xiao att*cked me,

I had this horrible feeling

she was coming after me
and everybody I loved,

and she has.

Losing Mia has broken my heart,

but this is no time to grieve.

Nicky... you must stop Xiao.

- How's Mama?
- She wants us to stay focused.

Any news on Henry?

Nothing yet. Althea walked
me through a back door

into Henry's phone; We're waiting
to see if it pings a location.

We checked the security cameras

- at the community center.
- NADIA: They cover every exit.

Caught him entering on election
night, but there's no sign

of him leaving. It's
like he just vanished.

- What?
- EVAN: Xiao's a traveler.

She can blink anywhere she wants.

- Travelers can take passengers?
- NICKY: It's the only explanation.

Xiao has Henry.

ALTHEA: But what does she want with him?

[COMPUTER BEEPS]

That's Henry's phone. I
got a hit on a location.

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]

- Oh, my god. Henry? Are you OK?
- [SIGHS] I am now.

- You found me.
- Where's Xiao?

I don't know.

She's trying to use
me, the... the Compass.

She wants to take the bloodline's
power, but I didn't let her.

- I... I'd never let her.
- NICKY: I know, I know.

Xiao is coming after my family.

I have to find her, but
she could be anywhere.

Can you help me? The... the Compass...

you used it before to find her.

I... I... I don't know.
I... I'm too weak.

I believe in you, Henry.

I know things have been so crazy.

I know we've hurt each other.

But I love you.

I never stopped loving you.

- What?
- You're not Nicky.

What? What are you talking about?

Henry, it's me.

Well, I tried.

Nicky can't save you.

No one can,

so either you let me in...

- [CHAINS CLANK]
- Or you die.

NICKY: Any luck?

EVAN: We narrowed it down
to a -block radius in Bayview.

- ZHILAN: So a needle in a haystack.
- NADIA: We'll find another way.

EVAN: Maybe we can check
in with some of our contacts...

HENRY'S VOICE: Nicky.

Nicky.

[HENRY GROANS]

ALTHEA: Are you OK?

Henry. I felt him.
He's reaching out to me.

- EVAN: How?
- NICKY: I don't know,

but I think I know where he is.

I told you, I'm not letting you in.

You already did.

That involuntary cry for help...

- You opened the door.
- No.

I can feel it now.

- Your power.
- [SQUISHING SOUNDS]

- There it is.
- [GROANING]

You're too late.

Mia was just the beginning.

Henry?

Come on, Henry. Please?

MOONWATER: ♪ Look around, do
you know who's beside you? ♪

- ALTHEA: Ow!
- EVAN: What happened?

MOONWATER: ♪ can't hide from
the truth, it will find you ♪

- ♪ Oh ♪
- RYAN: Ow.

MOONWATER: ♪ oh, it will find you ♪

- MOONWATER: ♪ it will find you ♪
- JIN: Lo Por!

[SPEAKS FOREIGN LANGUAGE, GASPS]

Nicky!

She marked us.

All of us.

MOONWATER: ♪ can't
hide from the truth ♪

♪ it will find you ♪

HENRY: Xiao said she wanted all
of it, every drop of the bloodline.

So she came for every
descendant of the bloodline's,

not just the warriors and the
guardians. What about the others?

Counting all blood relations?

Could be thousands of people.

It's already happening?

I can feel it.

- JIN: How much time do we have?
- NICKY: With Mia, it...

only took a few hours.

ZHILAN: But she possessed both
bloodlines. We only have one.

Xiao could drain our power
faster. We're trace descendants.

Your family could have less time.

Well, Ryan is working on an antidote.

He has got the Biange flower, Jyu
Sa. He'll be able to stop this.

And how will he
administer this antidote?

All the other warriors and guardians,

their kin, scattered across the globe?

Xiao used your power
to find us all, to mark us.

Maybe you can use the Compass
to reach out with the cure.

JIN: Hey, Lo Por.
[SPEAKS FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

- [DOOR CLOSES]
- DENNIS: Babe? Oh, babe. Oh, my god.

- ALTHEA: Hi.
- DENNIS: Oh, you poor thing.

- Don't worry. I'm here.
- [ALTHEA SIGHS]

- DENNIS: How are you feeling?
- ALTHEA: I'm good.

- DENNIS: You should sit down.
- ALTHEA: Dennis.

- DENNIS: No, no, no. No.
- ALTHEA: I'm fine.

You need to sit down. There
has to be something we can do.

- There's gotta be something.
- JIN: Ryan's working on it.

- He'll come through.
- DENNIS: Just... Pebbles.

- ALTHEA: Dennis.
- DENNIS: Oh, my god.

- Your arm.
- ALTHEA: Dennis, it's OK.

You need to lay down. I'm
gonna take you upstairs.

- Come on.
- MEI-LI: Lao Gong?

Oh, oh, uh, I'll get the heated blanket.

Dennis? Dennis? Give me a hand.

- Come on.
- DENNIS: I'll be right back.

Just wait here.

- Dennis.
- I... I can't lose her.

There's gotta be something I could do.

Son... fear's contagious.

The best thing you can
do for Althea... remain calm.

- You understand?
- DENNIS: Yeah.

You got it. OK.

Lo Por! Found it!

You sure they're up for Harmony
Dumplings? No hard feelings?

It's still Mei-Li's chefs,
her lanzhou lamian recipe.

She may be selling the restaurant,
but her food will live on.

- I... I didn't mean it like that.
- I know. [SIGHS]

Are we really helping,
bringing them food?

- EVAN: I think it's all we can do.
- [NADIA SIGHS]

I know what the Shens mean to you.

You've known them your whole life
and I basically just met them,

but they've already changed my life;

what they do for this
city, for each other.

I just don't understand how something

like this could be happening to them.

I wish I could do more than... soup.

Let's not get carried away,
worrying about the future.

[SIGHS] The future is all
I can think about lately.

- Nothing. It's nothing.
- What's nothing?

I'm pregnant.

Oh.

Wow.

[CHUCKLES]

Wow.

[SIGHS]

[KISS]

_

Marcy Liu has it, too.

That makes .

[GRUNTS]

That's pretty good confirmation that

Xiao's marked all the descendants.

Any update from Ryan?

I'm trying to pitch in,

looking through these Xiao notebooks,

but... science, magic...
Not my best subjects.

I'm so sorry.

If I hadn't let Xiao in,

- none of this would be happening.
- Henry... no.

She tortured you for
days, and you resisted,

protecting me and my family.

If you hadn't, we'd already be gone.

Besides, if it's
anyone's fault, it's mine.

I should have... found you sooner.

So we're both just blaming ourselves?

Heh heh.

How are you?

Not great.

Pretty weak...

but all I can think about is my family.

[CELL PHONE BUZZING]

- Hey. Any luck?
- I ran a test on my blood to see

if there was anything I missed,
and I found something strange.

There's something in our blood,

a new element, an organic substance

with a unique molecular structure.

I've never seen it before. It's
unlike anything that exists on earth.

O... OK. We know Xiao stole
magic from the source realm.

What if she stole this element,
too, to create a new spell?

Problem is, we only have microscopic
traces of it in our blood.

To create an antidote,
I need a larger sample.

And there's no way we
can get our hands on one.

There might be a way.

- Thanks for coming.
- BO: Got here as fast as I could.

ZHILAN: I'll save my gratitude for when

- he actually does something for us.
- Zhilan, we don't have time.

We know Xiao used
some mystery ingredient

from another world.

Ring any bells?

Never brought a microscope
on any of my travels.

But you know Xiao.

Do you have any idea where she
could have pulled that from?

- Sorry. I, uh...
- ZHILAN: So you can't help us.

RYAN: Um, I got to go. Seb's
probably waiting for me.

Wait. I don't know what that element is,

but there may be another way.

There's something else that could work,

a kind of anti-magic.

- How do you know about this?
- I've used it before.

When I was trapped in
that realm, I was hunted,

these shadow creatures.

One day, they got me.

It was a nasty bite. I was infected,

poisoned by the creatures' magic.

I got sick.

The infection was spreading fast.

I didn't know what to do...

- But someone helped me.
- Xiao.

Yeah. She told me to find a substance

with anti-magic properties,

a strange fruit growing in a tree.

It was a nightmare. I was terrified,

but I didn't have a choice...

So I found the tree,
I grabbed the fruit,

and I ran.

XIAO: You must pull out the seeds,

but be careful.

The heart is the enemy of magic.

If the insides touch your skin,

it will wipe away your traveling powers.

You'd be stuck here... forever.

I followed her instructions.

I mashed the seeds, drank the juice,

and within minutes,
the infection was gone.

ZHILAN: An anti-magic cure.

It sounds too good to be true.

You have any other ideas?

I'll make the trip.

I'll grab the fruit.

- I'm coming.
- So am I.

I can only take one person.

Well, this might not work.

We could run out of time there.

Ryan should keep
working on a backup here,

and if he finds one, we'll need you.

HENRY: You should arm up.

We took these from your place after.

So how does this work?

[WHOOSH]

[WHOOSH]

OK. Got to keep moving.
They strike when you slow down.

You sure you don't want to lay down?

I feel like if I lay
down I'll never get up.

[SHUDDERS]

You need anything?

More soup, some tea?

Insta.

Oh, it's been so long. Ohh.

- I steer, you scroll?
- Heh. Whatever you need.

[SIGHS]

Double-tap.

Lao Gong.

- Hey.
- Hmm? Yeah.

Let's talk.

We've been together so long.

I know it's hard to imagine,

but if I don't make it,

I want to know...

I need to know you're going to be OK,

that you are not going
to lose your light.

I'm not gonna lose you.

You're not going anywhere. Uh-uh.

[DOOR OPENS]

RYAN: Mama, Baba.

Hey, hey. Huh? You OK? Huh?

Get warm.

Come here.

OK. OK.

Yeah. Nicky's getting what we need.

OK.

[VOICES WHISPERING]

You're cold. Here.

I don't see any fruit.

It grows in a hollow
in the back of the tree.

MAN: Stop!

Who are you?

I protect this place.

It must not be disturbed.

I've been here before, years ago.

No one ever stopped me then.

I saw you.

You were just a sick, scared child.

I stayed my hand.

- I won't repeat that mistake.
- I'm... dying.

My family is dying.

This might be the only
thing that can save us.

Your problems are not my concern.

Where do you think the
blight that infected

this world came from?

Your world! Your magic!

As your people cultivated magic,

the opposite spread here,

corrupting it, infecting it.

Anti-magic.

In time, the darkness overtook us,

and this tree grew at its center.

It holds the darkness in check.

We'll only take a piece.

- One is enough.
- For what?

To upset them.

[CREATURES SHRIEKING]

The tree is their
lifeblood, my lifeblood.

We are all connected, a sacred balance.

I'm not letting my family die.

- Then you'll have to k*ll me.
- [THUD AND CLANG]

You're welcome to try.

- What are you doing?
- Don't worry. I got a plan.

[SHIVERING]

- H-have you heard from the others?
- Seb texted.

They're... Holding on.

Thank you...

for staying.

It didn't feel right dying
in front of the Shens.

- You're not gonna die.
- Heh.

There are worse things.

I've done it before.
At least I thought I had.

The truth is I'm...

- I'm only living for one thing.
- Pei-Ling.

Saving her is the only
thing I care about.

I don't want to lose that chance.

[EXHALES]

Besides... if your face
is the last I see,

just k*ll me now.

- Heh.
- Ha!

Ha ha!

- [VOICES WHISPERING]
- [DOOR BANGS OPEN]

[SWORD SCRAPING ON GROUND]

- Back to try again.
- I made her a promise.

I'm not leaving without
taking what we came for.

- Foolish choice.
- Yeah. Maybe.

Unh!

[LIQUID BUBBLING]

[BOTH GRUNTING]

You missed your chance.

- You got lucky.
- No. You're keeping me busy.

Where's the girl?

All right.

If it has to be one of us,
consider this a mercy.

Unh!

Ugh!

You don't know what you've done.

Unh!

You shattered the balance.

Wherever you go, they will find you.

You belong to them now.

[CREATURES SHRIEKING]

NICKY: Bo!

Bo? Come on. Let's go.

- I'm not coming.
- What? Why?

These things... They'll follow me.

They could endanger our world.

I have to stay.

Nicky...

Go. Save your family.

Wait!

- Unh!
- Nicky!

- Are you all right?
- [PANTING]

How are you back?

Where's Bo?

[CREATURES SHRIEKING]

Agh!

[GRUNTING]

Aah! Aah! Aah!

Jin's upstairs with Mei-Li.

Ryan passed out.

He told me what to do.

[EXHALES]

SEB: OK. I followed Ryan's instructions.

I guess you're up. You know what to do?

Drink this, retrace Xiao's footsteps,

and use the compass to find
everyone in the bloodlines.

Good luck.

[RUMBLING]

Come on.

Agh!

Nicky... finding everyone,

I don't... I don't know if I can do it.

I don't even know where to start.

Start... with me.

Find me.

[RUMBLING, WHITE NOISE]

[CHIH SIOU SINGING IN MANDARIN]

[RUMBLING INTENSIFIES]

[GRUNTING]

Aah!

[NOISES STOP]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

Nicky?

[CHIH SIOU VOCALIZING]

ALTHEA: All right! Who's hungry?

I've got snacks!

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

HENRY: All right.

I made some calls to
the other descendants.

Their marks disappeared, too.

- I guess it really worked.
- Thanks to you.

MEI-LI: Zhilan.

I'm glad you're OK.

- Are you hungry?
- Oh, no. I'm OK.

Come.

Hey. Yeah. Take a load off. Sit down.

NICKY: We survived, but
Xiao is still out there.

She still has Pei-Ling and
Mia's soul, the bloodline spirits.

And we have no idea
what she's planning next,

what she took all that power for.

At least we stopped her
from taking it, right?

Not exactly.

- You feel it, too?
- Yeah.

The antidote stopped
Xiao from k*lling us,

taking our souls, but
it was too late to...

The bloodlines,

our Warrior and Guardian power,

it's gone.

Xiao took all of it.

WOMAN: Matthew, I just got
off the phone with David.

Doesn't he realize it's over?

Well, your brother's
planning next steps.

He believes he can save the company
and proceed with phase two.

I tried to explain, but
he insisted you come.

- Waste of my time.
- [g*nshots]

David?

[DOOR SHUTS]

Who did this?

- Why didn't you do anything?
- XIAO: Hello, Matthew.

Who the hell are you?

I... took a spin inside
a young man's brain.

I learned some very interesting things

about your company's unique capacities,

your algorithm,

your extensive satellite network.

I thought your brother
could be of use to me.

Turns out... he knew very little
about your company's technology.

I have big plans for the world.

I realized to make them a reality...

- you're the one I need.
- You're crazy.

Do something!

Get her the hell out of here!

They can't hear you.

Now the only voice they hear... is mine.

You don't have a choice, Matthew.

It's time to get to work.

MAN: Greg, move your head.

KIDS: Nice sh*t, mom!