02x10 - Bats

[bunniefuu]

[expl*si*n, rumbling]

[Fire crackling,
people screaming]

You're leaking.

[Sighs] Okay. New game.

It's called find the Triumph.

If we find it before
anyone else,

we get to go for a ride.

A fast ride?

The fastest in your life.

You're still warm.

C'mon.

[Children shouting]

Maggie, hey.

I can't find my Tiles.

Just leave them.
Come on, we have to go.

The Triumph can
barely fit two people.

- [Growls]
- VIC: Wayne.

Head for the Bridge.
I'll be back for you.

Maggie, go to the Bridge.

I found it! I win!

I get to go for a ride!

Hold on tight.

[Engine revs]

Look at all the bats.

[Bats chittering]

You're Bruce Wayne
McQueen, remember?

All the bats in here
are your friends.

Wayne!

Wayne. Hey.

Where's Maggie?!

She's alive. I gotta go get her.

Who's she?

- [Grunts]
- Whoa, hey! No, Wayne!

Keep them safe.

Bring her back!

[Engine revs]

["Carol of the
Bells" playing eerily]

♪ It came upon
the midnight clear ♪

[Screaming]

♪ From angels
bending near the earth ♪

♪ To touch their harps of gold ♪

♪ Peace on the earth,
goodwill to men ♪

♪ From heav'n's
all gracious king ♪

[Wheezing]

♪ The world in
solemn stillness lay ♪

♪ To hear the angels sing ♪

[Wheezing]

♪ For Io, the days
are hastening on ♪

♪ By prophet seen of old ♪

♪ When with the
ever-circling years ♪

♪ Shall come the time foretold ♪

♪ When the new heaven
and earth shall own ♪

♪ The prince of
peace their King ♪

♪ And the whole world
send back the song ♪

♪ Which now the angels sing ♪

[Static]

[Screaming in distance]

[Breathing heavily]

[expl*si*n in distance]

She's losing blood.

She needs a doctor.

BOTH: [Chanting]
Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!

Don't worry. Help is on the way.

ALL: Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!

Oh, it looks very bad.

We have to amputate.

[Motorcycle engine roaring]

Leave her alone!

[Indistinct shouting]

Maggie, come on.

Come on.

I still haven't found my Tiles.

They'll come back to you.
They have before. Let's go.

No, they'll be lost
forever in here.

Stay here and so will you.

[Engine revs]

sh*t.

[Groans]

[Engine revs]

[Groaning]

- [Indistinct voices]
- Do you hear that?

[Voices continue]

- It's Christmasland!
- Ugh!

- Wayne!
- TABITHA: Wayne!

[Humming "Silent Night"]

Wait, wait.

What's he... What's he doing?

I think that's his ornament.

Some people believe spirits
can get trapped inside an object.

[Humming continues]

When souls fall.

What?

Maggie's Tiles.

They're horcruxes.

Like Harry Potter?

[Humming continues]

The kids' souls
are trapped inside.

Hey, hey!

Hey, that's mine!

Aah, aah, ow!

LOU: Wayne, are you okay?

- Wayne, Wayne.
- Ow.

VIC: We just have to make it
to the Shorter Way, Maggie.

No one gets on it without me.

That's what Charlie Manx
said about Christmasland.

Miserable harpies.

Hold on!

[Tires screech]

MAGGIE: What are you doing?

VIC: We leave this Bridge,

he follows us straight
to the people we love.

This is my Inscape, Maggie.

He's nothing in here. Just
an old bitch like you said.

[Wheezing]

MAGGIE: Listen to me, Brat.

My Tiles chose you
because you are brave

and strong and good, okay?

My Tiles are never wrong.

[Engine revs]

CHARLIE: [Echoing] Our
Inscapes are manifestations

of our minds.

The Shorter Way was
impressive as advertised.

[Bats chittering]

WAYNE: Look at all the bats!

CHARLIE: You'll want to
be careful of those bats.

You tattooed whore.

CHRIS: Forgive yourself, Brat.

MAGGIE: No more
ornaments on his creepy tree.

Aaaah!

- [Groaning]
- It's okay, buddy.

Alright, you need to
stop. You're hurting him.

No, it's the only
way to save him.

LOU: Oh, God.

Oh.

[Groaning]

[Bats chittering]

[Engine revs]

[Floorboards cracking]

Get away, you disgusting things!

Vic! Look!

[Charlie groaning]

We gotta get out of here.

Vic, we gotta
haul ass right now!

Mom?

Mom.

Are you okay?

TABITHA: Special
Agent Tabitha Hutter

requesting an ambulance
at Pleasant Street.

I have one dead,
two critically wounded.

This is an emergency.

MAN: Copy that, Agent Hutter.

He's... He's dead, Lou.

Charlie Manx is finally...

He's finally dead.

[Crying]

When souls fall.

Mom, look.

Someone's here.

Whoa.

Where's Father Christmas?

Dad?

I-I want my dad.

This is Agent Hutter
at Pleasant Street.

We're gonna need social services
in addition to the ambulance.

[Children crying]

Are you hurt?

You okay? Hmm?

Do you know where
you are? It's okay.

We're gonna call your parents.

[Silverware clinking]

What do you call a boomerang
that doesn't come back?

Oh, a stick.

A stick!

- LOU: A stick.
- VIC: A stick.

What did one mushroom
say to the other mushroom?

"You're a real 'fun-gi.'"

I got one, I got one, I got one.

VIC: Alright.

LOU: Why did the
three-legged dog limp into town?

[Southern accent] To find
the man that sh*t his Paw.

[Laughter]

[Normal voice] Oh, come on.

It's my favorite one.

- I even... I had the accent.
- VIC: It was okay.

LOU: Went to work.

- Hey!
- VIC: Open your hand.

- You're hurting me.
- Vic.

- Open it.
- Stop it!

You gotta eat something.

- No, it's gross.
- Wayne, this is...

LOU: It's alright.

You'll eat when you're ready.

Go and clear your plate.

It's just a couple tater tots.

He hasn't eaten a
normal meal in weeks.

How long did it take you
to get over Charlie Manx?

[Scoffs]

LOU: Look.

Wayne's safe now.

You're both safe.

[Sighs]

[Dishes clatter]

[Mouse clicking]

One of the Christmasland
kids had it at processing.

[Scoffs] Wow.

Thank you.

I thought about
tossing it in the trash.

It might've found me anyway.

So...

how's it going
with all those kids?

Making progress.

Some of the kids
still have families.

Trying to get the others
connected to foster homes.

That's been a challenge.

Some of the parents
bring them back.

They can't trust them
around their other kids.

It takes time.

- How's it going with you?
- Good.

Just keeping... busy.

TABITHA: Mm-hmm.

Good.

Well.

MAGGIE: Tabs.

If you ever have
a question or...

Take care of yourself, Maggie.

Can't sleep?

No whiskey.

[Blows]

A million years ago,
before I had whiskey,

I had my sketch pad.

LOU: Who's that little dude?

Looks like an
IG-/Triumph hybrid.

[Chuckles]

Well, hero robot
to protect Wayne.

Help find him when he's lost.

He's not lost, Vic.

You found him.

[Blows]

Don't stay up too late.

I won't.

Love you.

LOU: Love you too.

[Pencil scratching]

[Creak]

[Creak]

[Thump]

[Door creaks]

[Door creaks]

Wayne.

Sugar for dinner is fun.

Put that down and
come back to bed.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry, Mom.

VIC: It's okay.

It's okay.

You're alright.

[Sniffles]

- Hey.
- Hey.

LOU: Come to bed
when you're done.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

You heard Dad. Bed.

Am I gonna be okay?

Of course you are.
You're gonna be fine.

Mom.

VIC: Yeah, baby?

When Charlie Manx hurt you,

did you get better?

Like, all the way better?

Yes.

WAYNE: Promise?

I promise.

Good night. Sleep tight.

I'll see you in the morning.

Love you.

[Door closes]

[Gasps]

[Door creaks]

[Rabbit shrieks]

Millie.

Wayne McQueen.

I want to go back
to Christmasland.

Is there a way?

I haven't found one.

You're living here.

So?

WAYNE: You look sad.

It's not fair.

I hardly got to have
any Christmas at all.

What was it like, living there?

It was wonderful.

I was boss of all the kids.

I had all the candy
I could ever eat.

I had anything I ever wanted.

Here I have to sleep outside

and hunt for food.

Plus I'll never see
my father again.

Your mother k*lled him.

I'm sorry.

[Sighs]

This world is lonesome.

If you break your ornament,

you could turn
into a kid like me.

Then someone might adopt you.

But I'd be weak and ordinary.

Do you want to grow up?

No.

But you could see the
Great Wall of China.

People say that, but
all the grownups I know

just work all the time
and worry about bills.

They pretend they're happy,
but they're really just tired.

I'm keeping my ornament.

And I'm gonna
rebuild Christmasland.

I'm gonna bring back
all the kids, one by one.

Will you help me?

[Vehicle approaches]

[Door slams]

[Gasps] Is that your mother?

VIC: Wayne!

She's gonna try to k*ll me.

VIC: Wayne!

I don't think so,
but if she sees you,

she'll definitely try to
break your ornament.

VIC: Wayne!

Wayne!

Remember me, Wayne McQueen.

- VIC: Wayne.
- Mom!

Wayne! Wayne!

You cannot just
run off like that.

What are you thinking? What?

Why did you come out here?

I don't know.

How'd you know I'd be here?

I don't know. I just...

Come on.

[Birds cawing]

Dude.

Oh, Jesus, look at this, Vicki.

You're telling me

we needed to pack this
thing up and bring it here?

VIC: Yeah.

That's from the old shovelhead.

Harley ever ran.

LINDA: I hated that bike.

[Chuckles] I know.

I have been cleaning up after
Chris McQueen my whole life

and I am still doing it now.

[Strums note on guitar]

You know I met him
when I was years old?

I miss him.

He told me to forgive myself.

- LINDA: Yeah.
- [Scoffs]

Your dad was always good at
giving advice he couldn't take.

It's hard advice for
a mother to follow.

Did you? [Sniffles]

I tell myself I have.

And how'd you do it?

I don't know.

I used to resent how tightly
you held us, Dad and me.

I used to think
we'd just both...

suffocate.

But I...

I get it now.

How's Wayne?

I don't know.
He's different, Ma.

I just... I don't...

I don't know how to help him.

LINDA: What I regret with you

is covering for your father,

cleaning his messes.

Maybe if...

Maybe if we'd talked
about what was going on

instead of pretending
it wasn't happening...

I wouldn't've been an
alcoholic teenage mom

and Wayne would be okay?

Maybe it would've
been easier for you.

And maybe I could
forgive myself.

[Grunts]

[Chuckles]

I love you.

Mwah.

Stay here, Vicki, okay?

Just for a little while.

How can either of you get better

living out there where
everything happened?

You can even keep that Lou.

[Chuckles]

TABITHA: Some kids found
it in the Merrimack River

close to the Pittman woods.

Strange it turned up
here instead of Colorado.

MAGGIE: Not really.

Christmasland was in
Charlie Manx's Inscape.

The Shorter Way
Bridge was in Vic's.

The Shorter Way
was here in Haverhill.

My father helped demo
it when I was a kid.

[Machinery whirring]

What happened to the body?

Cremated.

[Alarm blaring]

No.

It's over, Bats.

It's all over.

[Machinery grinding]

[Glass shattering]

[Glass shatters]

MAGGIE: We really
did it, Brat, this time.

Like, we stopped the Wraith,

destroyed Christmasland,
saved those kids.

Yeah, what's left of them.

They're better off
with their families.

Including Wayne.

Lou is adopting him officially.

Yeah.

We're gonna stay in
Haverhill for awhile.

Gunbarrel was
Manx's home, not ours,

and it's... it's...
It's bad for Wayne.

He...

It's bad for me, too, I think.

Christmasland was Manx's home.

The real question is,
what else is out there?

How many other Inscapes
in the World of Thought?

The Triumph's in storage.

Well, let's go take
it out of storage.

We're gonna stay here.

In the Real World with
Wayne and... and Lou.

It's our happy ending,
Maggie. Try to see it.

You're a Strong Creative.

I can be creative
in this world, too.

I started drawing again.

You know that's not the same.

I used to think that way.

And, uh, it nearly got me
and my whole family k*lled.

Vic, not every Inscape
is Christmasland.

Think about Jolene's Tunnels.

Your Bridge, yours.

There is so much in this
world for us to explore.

Crooked Alley, the Empty Forest.

My Tiles have told me
about all kinds of places.

Okay, and you know that they
came back to me for a reason.

Yeah, the reason is that
Tabitha brought them to you.

Just don't make her regret it.

[Knock on door]

[Door creaks]

Hey, kiddo.

Supper's almost ready.

Okay.

One of the best things
about staying at Grandma's?

Grandpa Sean's spaghetti sauce.

Make a train
drive up a dirt road.

When are we going home?

Uh...

We're gonna be staying
here for awhile, buddy.

I miss my friends.

I think you miss Christmasland.

No.

You know, it's
okay to talk about it.

I used to miss Charlie Manx.

I thought that, uh,
chasing him was... was fun.

Sometimes things that
feel fun aren't always good.

Like having sugar for dinner.

- LOU: Yeah.
- VIC: Mm.

Are there other things
like that, Wayne?

Look, it's okay if there are.

Just, you know...

- That's mine!
- It's okay, Bats.

Whatever it is, it's okay.

I'm gonna look at it, alright?

I think there's
something wrong with me.

On the inside.

It's okay to feel that way.

You know, I-I feel that way
about myself all the time.

That's why I... I-I chased
after Charlie Manx.

It's why I drank too much.

It's why I ran away
from you and Dad.

Do you think maybe that's
why you ran away, too?

Why you want to go
back to Christmasland?

Hey.

This?

Coloring?

Much better than doing
any of those other things.

Even if the picture is scary?

VIC: Absolutely.

Tell you what.

No more running
away for either of us.

Hmm?

And no more pretending like
we feel okay when we don't.

Dad included.

Team McCarmody. Alright?

Yeah?

We're staying in the
Real World, hmm?

[Winces]

How do I get to the
World of Thought?

[Tiles clatter]

Hotel.

[Elevator music plays]

[Engine shuts off]

- Whoa.
- [Chuckles]

- This is it.
- Yeah.

This is where he used to live.

Pretty creepy, huh?

[Chuckles] Yeah.

You know, Walter
says it's haunted.

- [Chuckles]
- Walter?

You've been out here with him?

What?

No. No.

C'mere.

- Mm.
- [Loud thump]

- What was that?
- I don't know.

- Is that a bear?
- I don't know.

- [Rustling]
- Did you hear that?

[Thump]

What the hell?

Wh...

[Eerie voice] It's the
ghost of Charlie Manx.

Stop, stop.

- And he's coming to k*ll us!
- Baby, stop, stop.

- [Laughs]
- It's not funny.

[Both screaming]