01x08 - Zero Day (part 1)

[bunniefuu]

[gate buzzes]

Huh?

[gates buzzing]

What's going on?

Why...

[electricity crackling]
Ahhh!

[all screaming, grunting]

[button clicks]

You stole from us.

You committed a litany of crimes.
with our technology.

You destroyed property
and endangered citizens.

But today, you will repay
your debt to society.

- Ivo?
- All right, ladies and gentlemen...

it's moving day.

[opening music playing]

[distressed voices whispering]

- [girl] Come on!
- [man ] Help!

[gasps] Hello?

- [whispers continue]
- [man ] Come away from the window.

Hello?

- [man ] Help!
- Huh?

[suspenseful music playing]

[whooshes]

[man gasping] Help, help!

Help me. [coughing]

[man ] Oh, no!
The brakes aren't working!

[clicking]

[tires screech]

[woman] Help me!

[man ] Oh, my gosh!

[man grunts]

[distressed whispers]

[The General] Negative.

After this operation,
Superman will cease to be a problem.

Permanently.

The General.

[man ] Help. Help, please.

[birds chirping]

Hey, Clark.
I'm back from my parents.

Sorry if you tried to call.
I forgot my charger.

Oh. Hmm.

new followers?

"Superman put out
the house fire!"

"Superman flew us to school."

"Flamebro!
Superman saved my uncle!"

Wow!

Clark's been busy.

Oh! You have no idea, Jimmy.

I heard you all the way
from the warehouse district.

There was almost
a bulldozer accident.

I stopped it.
I have super-hearing.

This is so going on Flamebird.

[gasps]
What's super-hearing like?

It's nuts! I can...
I can hear a... A...

A cat in tree.

[grunts]
[cat yowls]

[grunts] I can hear everyone.

And Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy!

They have problems.

Hmm.

Uh, you've been
sleeping much, buddy?

Not for a few days,

but [sighs]
that's not important,

because I heard him.
The General.

The guy who att*cked you?

And destroyed Cadmus
and kidnapped Heat Wave,

Intergang and every other
person who touched his crazy tech weapons.

He's in the city
and he's planning something.

I can't stop until I find him.

Okay.

This is a lot for a Monday.

Um, maybe we just
go to work and...

Oh, Lois, I almost forgot.
[exclaims]

Wait!
[cell phone dinging]

One million new followers?

Uh...

Never mind.

Keep doing what
you're doing, buddy.

[elevator dings]

[sighs wearily]

[gasps] What?

Clark...

[people screaming]

That can't be you.

Can it?

[knock on door]
[Perry] Lane.

[gasps]

Lane! Good, you're here.

Come with me. Quickly.

Why?

Uh, what's going on?

[elevator dings]

Today, I need you to assist
our guest editorial writer,

but I also need you
to not freak out.

Uh, why would I freak out?
[elevator dings]

- [gasps] It's Vicki Vale!
- I know.

The reporter who broke
the Queen Industries inheritance scandal.

Who took down the Falcones.

Perry, do you even know
how many awards she's won?

Yes,
it's very impressive, but...

I have a poster of her
in my bedroom.

Neat. I've got a poster
of me in my office

and I've lost track
on the awards side.

But who's really counting?

Other than the
prize committees.

Okay, Vicki, meet...

[exclaims]
Lois Lane, it's an honor!

Nice to meet you too.

You know, when Per-Bear here
gave me a call,

begging me to write
an editorial for the Planet.

- Not begging, offering.
- I said, why not?

We knew each other in college.

I ran the number one student
newspaper in the country.

Hmm, don't know
who was number two.

Me. That was me.

Hey, I still have
pictures from then.

This is amazing!

And there's Olsen.
He'll be your photographer.

Fantastic.

Look, Vicki's a lot, but she's thinking
of leaving the Gotham Gazette.

And if she does,

I want her here
winning us awards.

So today, I need you to do

whatever you can
to keep her happy.

Got it?

That will not be
a problem, Chief.

Don't call me that.

I will crush this assignment.

g*ng's all here. Great.

- Let's go.
- Of course.

What story are we
chasing, Miss Vale?

Please, Lois, call me Vicki.

And we're writing about the number
one greatest danger to Metropolis...

Superman.

- [gasps]
- [Jimmy] What?

Okay, General,
where are you?

[overlapping voices whispering]

[man] Has anybody heard
from anybody?

[woman] Sorry.

[The General] What do you mean,
you lost him?

We need to know
his whereabouts.

Lost?

Lost who?

[voices chattering]
[screams, groans]

[overlapping voices]

[girl] Mommy!
[chattering voices stop]

[gasps]

Where are you?

I can't find you.

Hey there.

- [gasps]
- Hey, it's okay.

My name is Superman.

I'll find your parents.

What's your name?

- Libby.
- Give me one second, Libby.

[man] What?
No, no, please don't.

[girl] What's going on?

[woman] Libby? Libby!

I've got 'em. You ready?

[giggles]

Honey, where are you?

- [Libby giggling]
- [gasps] Libby!

- Oh!
- Mommy!

[reporter]
On a crime spree downtown,

citizens are urged
to stay indoors

as he may be armed
and dangerous.

[Superman] Intergang.
The Invisible Man.

He's the one
The General's looking for.

Superman's an overpowered vigilante
who doesn't answer to anyone.

Trust me, kids, no one puts on that
big a show of being good

unless they're
hiding something.

That's not true.

I mean, he has secrets,
but he wouldn't, um...

He just... He wants to help.

A superpowered being shows up,
and all he wants is to pull cats out of trees?

[scoffs] Yeah,
I'm not buying it.

I've got that award
feeling about this.

We'll interview people,
get the dirt.

Show everyone,
Superman isn't to be trusted.

No, you can't.

Excuse me?

What I mean is, you should let us
set up interviews for you.

That's why you
wanted our help, right?

We know Metropolis
and the people in it better than anyone.

Well, that, and it
annoyed Perry. [chuckles]

We call him Chief
and he hates it.

[laughs] I love it.

All right, kids,
what do you got?

Captain Immonen,
fifth unit pilot.

Superman saved my life
when my engine stalled out.

Without him,
I wouldn't be here today.

Oh.

Such a nice boy.

And he carries my groceries.

[kid] Flip Johnson.

Woman of business.
[slurping]

Mm-hmm.

A literal child. Okay.

And what is your
relationship to Superman?

He saved Flip's life. Twice!

And he let Patti interview him
from the Newskid Newspaper.

- The what?
- I'm glad you asked.

The Newskid Newspaper
is the latest...

- It's Clark.
- [Flip] The people...

[whooshes]

Sorry, I don't have much time.

An Invisible Man
is running around,

and I think he's
connected to The General.

I need to find him.

Ooh. I bet one of my one million
followers will know where he is.

[gasps] Now two million!

[voices chattering]

Are you okay?

Birdwatchers say
an invisible force broke the window

at Morrison's Pawn Shop
less than a minute ago.

Thanks, Jimmy!
Lois, I'll be fine.

Be careful.

- [sighs, gasps]
- Hey, what are you two doing?

Oh. [chuckles nervously]

Uh, just, uh, talking about
who your next interview should be.

Oh, I've got that covered.

Let's go meet
my final interview subject.

Superman's no hero.

He's the end of the world.

Is he now?

Tell me everything.

[overlapping voices chattering]

[grunts]

[overlapping voices]
[groaning]

[groans]

[panting]

Wait!

[Vicki] You say
Superman is dangerous?

[Alex] Are you kidding?

Look around.
Superman is a criminal.

He destroyed this tower,
bankrupted Amazo Tech

and put thousands out of work,
including me.

Wow. I see this
and I see a level of destruction

no human could ever achieve.

Exactly.

He shows up out of the blue,
same time as that crazy tech...

And what a coincidence that is.

Superman wiped out
good American jobs.

He turned your city
into a w*r zone.

At what point will he destroy
the rest of Metropolis?

He's not normal,
like you or me.

Anything's possible.

I can't believe this!
He's Superman.

He uses his powers
to save people!

Oh, he does? And what happens when
he decides that having powers

means he doesn't have
to follow our laws anymore?

If he really wanted to hurt us,
what could we do about it?

[people screaming]

[sinister music playing]

With how powerful Superman is,

just him having a bad day
could spell the end for us.

Can you really say
we're safer with him overhead?

I...

[Alex chuckles]

I think I've made my point.

No, that's not...

I know Superman
and he wouldn't do that.

I know he wouldn't.

Well, not all of us
share your faith.

[clicks, beeps]

Beautiful. [chuckles]

I got what I needed.
Thanks, Alex. I'll be in touch.

Wait! He's a biased source.

Hmm? Unlike your contacts?

That... That's different.

Vicki, you can't publish this.

You want to be number one?

You don't get there
by writing fluff.

You go for blood.
[elevator dings]

That's something
Perry never understood.

Do you?

[panting]

[gasps]

[panting]

- [overlapping voices]
- Ahhh!

[groans]

[groaning]

[grunts]

Wait, I just want to talk.

[dramatic music playing]

No!
[horn blaring]

[crashing, glass shattering]

[Superman grunts]

[groans]

[pants]

- Huh?
- [man] What the heck!

You could've k*lled someone.

[horns honking]

Get away from him.
He's dangerous.

There's a huge accident
and Superman caused it.

I'm... I'm sorry.
I was trying to save...

[sniffles]

I'm sorry.

We need to...
We need to stop her

or talk to Perry or...
[cell phone chimes]

[gasps]

We need to get to Clark.

- [Lois] Clark!
- [Jimmy] Where are you?

[groaning]

- [sighs]
- Clark. What is going on?

I ran into some trouble.

You ran into a truck.

I didn't mean to,
but Mist ran into traffic...

If I hadn't jumped in,
he'd... He'd be dead.

And this is my one sh*t
to find The General.

And if you find him, what then?

You're going to fight
the US m*llitary?

That man kidnapped
people, Lois.

I have to stop him.

You're burning yourself out.

And I can see what
they're saying about you.

It's not good.
Wait!

"Superman's dangerous."

"He should go back
to where he came from."

I've... scared them.

And I'm going
to have to fix that.

But right now,

I need to find
The General before...

[Lois]
Well, maybe you shouldn't.

At least not right now, uh...

Take a break from being Superman
and just try being normal.

[sighs] Normal.

Clark. No, I... I...

- Come on, Kent.
- [overlapping voices]

Focus.

[water dripping]

Ah!

[Kyle panting]

- [whooshes]
- Ahhh!

Don't be afraid.
I'm here to talk.

[gasps] Leave me alone!

I'm not trying to hurt you.

Then let me go!

I need to save my sister.

Your sister?
What happened to her?

They grabbed us
after you ruined our bank job.

I got away, but they got
Siobhan and Albert.

They took him into an underground facility
with their other prisoners.

[crackling]
[screaming]

I found out that they're
moving everyone out today.

To some new location.

If I don't break them out now,
I might never find them again.

You can do whatever
you want with me after.

Just... Just let me spring my sister
and my best friend first.

I can't let you do that.

Not alone.

If you show me where they're holding her,
I'll help you get them back.

[sighs]

[engine starts, roars]

We're too late!

No, we're not.

Everyone, hold on.
I'm here to help.

[grunts]

[exclaims]

But you're prisoners...

Oh, we're on
a work-release program.

Can you guess what the job is?

It's getting back at you!
[high-pitched scream]

[Superman groans]

[electricity crackling]

[Superman] Ahhh!

[Heat Wave laughing]

[grunts]

[groans]

[Dr. Ivo] Hey, buddy.

Did you really think you could ruin my life
without any consequences?

[evil laughter]

[high-pitched scream]

[grunting]

[electricity crackles]
Ahhh!

[Dr. Ivo laughing maniacally]

I found a new backer
for my Parasite tech.

And they hate you
as much as I do.

[grunting]
[Dr. Ivo laughing]

Oh, no.
I'm not done with you yet.

[laughs maniacally]
[Superman screaming]

[panting]

[elevator dings]

We can't stop Clark,
but we can stop Vicki.

We'll talk to Perry.

Whoa! Did you see
what Vicki Vale just posted?

[Jimmy reading]

"The Gotham Gazette's
new Editor-in-chief!"

She used us to get promoted.

This is going to hurt Clark.

[Superman grunting
on phone speakers]

Lois.

Ahhh!

[groans]

[Superman grunting]

That's the west entrance.
Come on.

[Superman groaning]
[electricity crackling]

[Jimmy and Lois panting]

[groaning]

[electricity crackling]
[screaming]

[laughs maliciously]

[straining]

[screaming]

No!
[high-pitched scream]

[electricity crackling]

[both grunting]

[panting]

[sighs]

[grunting]

Ahhh!
[electricity crackling]

[evil laughter]

I told you, Superman.

This ends when I'm done!

[Superman screaming]

[Dr. Ivo laughing maniacally]

[The General] That's enough.

[laughs maniacally]
[Superman groans]

Stand down, Ivo.

[laughing maniacally]

[electricity crackling]
Ahhh!

You're done when
I say you're done, Ivo.

Why are you doing this?

Because you're no hero.

You are the end of the world.

- No, I only want to...
- Shut him up.

[Superman screaming]

[both panting]

[engine starts]

No.

[engine roaring]

No.

They've taken Clark.