01x02 - Like a Power

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Powers...

Outer Banks Patrol Division.

What was that like?

Some Power gets out of hand, policy was leave 'em the f*ck alone.

We don't leave them the f*ck alone here.

Iron Impact, ladies and gentlemen.

sh*t!

Yeah. What...

Krispin?

k*ll any more Powers?

I was a Power, Krispin.

You were a hero, Walker.

That's different from just being a Power.

He hooked Olympia up with a girl. Got her to pass him some Sway.

Whatever was in this envelope, was also in his bloodstream.

You hooked up with Retro Girl?

I know everything about her.

What was that?

Johnny Royalle.

Everyone says Royalle is dead.

Okay, Wolfe ate Royalle.

What happened to Royalle?

He was right there, and then he went away.

Christian. You can have everything back.

Just get me out of here.

"You can have them all back?"

My powers! He has my f*cking powers!

You don't belong here. Little Wannabe.

Let's get out of here.

sh*t.

Christian. You stupid son of a bitch.

Hey!

Diamond? Walker?

You okay?

Albert?

I thought that was you, Diamond.

Hey, don't call me that, okay?

Oh, sure. Sure.

You okay?

Uh...

Yeah. Yeah. I, uh...

Was she here? You guys see each other?

Are you getting back together?

No, nothing like that.

Boy, it was exciting back then.

You and her flying through the night sky together, keeping us safe.

She doesn't come up here much anymore. Not since...

Appreciate all you did for us, Albert.

You were a good friend.

It was a pleasure.

Need me to call you a cab?

No, I have my car down there somewhere.

Yeah.

You take care. Sure.

You come up here anytime you want, Diamond.

I got your back.

These things are gonna k*ll me.

Something's gonna k*ll you.

Six months to retirement, like you're wearing crosshairs.

You too old for this sh*t, Adlard?

Oh, shut up.

What's goin' on with Olympia?

Still dead.

Some red sh*t mixed in with his DNA has Dr. Death all spazzed out.

He was poisoned?

Or maybe some new Powers drug.

sh*t.

Superstar gonna show up or what?

You don't want to wait for him, don't wait for him.

SOP is we wait for Walker.

By the popsicles.

Zerotron loves those popsicles.

You ever serve a Powers warrant?

Nope.

When we go, move fast, hit hard, keep hitting.

sh*t. He's moving.

f*cking Walker.

We can't take him on the street. Too much metal.

Let's fly the colors.

Keep your spacing!

He's getting too close!

Hold the f*cking line!

I didn't do nothing!

Just leave me the f*ck alone or I'll zap you to sh*t!

Easy, Zerotron, easy.

You can't ride the lightning!

Go!

He's gonna arc!

No, no, no! Don't do that!

Let's tape this assh*le's eyes shut before he wakes up.

If you can't get your leading man here, at least don't f*ck up the show.

Damn it.

f*ck.

The caller you have dialed is unavailable.

Hey, it's me. Um...

I...

We need to talk.

Um... call me.

It's Christian.

sh*t.

The caller you have dialed is unavailable.

Me again. We need to talk about the girl.

Um, she's a witness. So, it's official sh*t.

Call me.

sh*t.

I'll see the supplier. We'll make more tonight.

Thank you.

Does the girl know where it comes from?

No.

You sure?

Calista is not a thr*at.

We should talk to...

However dangerous or benign she is, she is my concern.

Thank you.

I am not your personal assistant.

What's in your ass this morning?

Zerotron-X.

Oh, sh*t.

Where is he now?

Are the guys tailing him?

He's in custody.

What the f*ck?

What happened? How'd it go down?

I drew a little current.

You charged in didn't you?

You're gonna get somebody k*lled. I'm tellin' you.

I'm gonna... Jesus.

Where were you, Mr. Essential Personnel?

I was working the f*cking case.

You were working the f*cking case?

I was working the f*cking case, and I saw Calista last night.

What the... where is she?

Retro Girl has her.

How did that happen?

Calista jumped off the Tower, and Retro Girl caught her.

What the f*ck?

I know. The girl jumped off the Tower because she thought it might give her powers.

It did not.

So how do we go about finding Retro Girl?

I left a message on her personal line.

Her personal line?

Yeah, hopefully she'll call me back.

Okay.

Does she usually call back right away, or...

I haven't called in a very long time, and you can stop with the questions, please.

I kind of have to ask a question.

Do we have to wait for her to call you back or do you know where she lives?

I know where she lives.

Can you please stop that?

This is the wrong tie.

I had these lucky ties.

They were exactly the right length.

I had a dozen of them made when I took off the mask, but only have one left and I can't find it.

It's fine. You look great.

Is there something I should know before meeting Retro Girl?

We're not going to Retro Girl's.

What?

You're gonna take a left on Franklin.

Olympia's widow?

You think she had something to do with his death?

f*ck no.

Yeah, whenever I heard "f*ck no" back in Sheriff's, I always looked closer.

Deena, please...

Yeah, he turns up dead cheating on his wife.

She's not that kind of wife.

He was always such a little boy at heart.

He was charming. I was a studious girl.

Real high school sweethearts, huh?

And when he changed, I thought it would change him.

Grow him up, you know, having all that power.

But instead he stopped growing altogether.

Why change when everyone loves you exactly the way you are?

Even if what you are is a 16-year-old boy in a man's body.

So what he was doing the night he d*ed, that was nothing new.

Well, I made a point of not knowing the details, but if he d*ed licking coke off the tits of a groupie while her friend gave him a rim job, then, yes, that was nothing new for my husband.

No, marriage is hard.

Forty years of it, nearly impossible.

Boy we banged some good times, though.

Back in the '70s, we pretty much f*cked anything that moved.

We smoked it, we drank it and we snorted it.

Hell, yeah, times were different then.

But they couldn't last.

Are you sure I can't offer either one of you a little eye opener?

No, thanks.

No, no.

Uh...

It wasn't groupies last night, Lenore.

He was with a girl.

Young.

Jesus sh*t, how young?

Do you think she had anything...

No. Maybe.

He say anything lately? A special girl he was into? A place?

He's been hitting a new underground place.

One of those pop-ups.

Lots of young ass.

No place for an old lady.

Um...

Here and Gone.

To my husband, Olympia.

The best lay in the world.

Here and Gone.

Uh-huh.

You got that hottie's number?

Yeah, Zora. I saw her last night.

Jesus, Walker.

Nothing happened. And I know where to find her.

Just drive the car.

I'm really sorry, Krispin.

I hate that word, grief.

It even sounds depressing.

Like some great big weight you can't wait to put down.

But what you're really feeling is just...

Why were you on that roof with Walker?

I remember when you did that.

You weren't born when I did that.

I used to watch your Powers That Be top hits with my mom.

That was October 28th, 1982.

Capricious Scream att*cked you when you were on patrol.

Revenge, 'cause you put Bloody Marky in the Shaft.

Well, Capricious Scream att*cked me during a press event, so that she could get her face in front of the cameras before she launched her naughty little lingerie line.

Oh.

Did Walker take you up there?

I like the original costume best.

The miniskirt and the go-go boots.

Hmm.

Well, I only wore it in action once.

I punched Helix Rize and my boob popped out.

Every time I fought him after that, he called me super tits.

This is awesome.

Hanging out with you, it's awesome.

We are not hanging out.

I caught you as you were falling at terminal velocity.

And I did so without breaking your neck, which was hard.

Now normally, I would have taken you to the hospital, but you were falling in the arms of a man with whom I share an incredibly complicated history.

And you were dressed like me, which made me wonder if something very f*cked up was happening between the two of you.

No, nothing like that.

I was with Olympia when he d*ed.

Walker was kind of chasing me, I guess.

You wanna get the girl now, or...

You get her. I need to speak to my publicist.

Did you find that reporter?

Yes. She's psyched.

Well, then I'm about to become very exposed indeed.

We open tonight. Put the word out to the Powerz Kidz.

I want them to know they have a place here.

No more foundlings, my friend.

Everything okay?

You feel like you know me?

Yeah, better than most.

What's wrong?

I don't know.

Hmm, "Zora." You're popular.

Okay, I showed you the pop-up club, can I go now?

Got some heavy duty hanging out to do?

You don't even know.

I could drop you in the sh*t so f*cking fast.

Was that a thr*at?

Huh?

Are you high?

Oh, you on that new red sh*t?

I don't get high.

I'm a Power.

You can't imagine what that feels like.

And you've forgotten.

No, I haven't.

Being young and powerful, it feels like you could save the whole world if everybody would just stay out of your way.

Oh, sh*t.

Walker?

Hey, Zora, the guy who runs the pop-ups...

Pale? Skinny?

Yeah.

Get out of here. What the f*ck?

She's got nothing to do with this.

How do you know she's got nothing... I...

Get out of here.

Go.

Is it...

Jesus!

It's naked.

We got that part.

Not naked of clothing Detective Pilgrim, naked of physical evidence.

There is roughly 24 hours' worth of dust on this body.

Other than that, there are no dead skin cells on this body.

The millions of infinitesimal particles and microbes that occupy the surface of the human skin are all but absent.

As if a great wind has blown it clean.

What did this?

Nothing.

Nothing?

Until you can prove the existence of a blade of infinite thinness, one that can cleave perfectly between molecules, I will maintain that nothing created that wound.

Lasers.

Lasers generate heat.

You will observe an absence of burns.

Okay, so...

Forced to guess, I'd have to assume that a portal from an alternate dimension briefly occupied the physical space that once contained this man's head.

Can you get an ID off his prints?

It has no prints.

The impossible implement that removed its head, has achieved a similar feat with its finger prints.

Dental records will also be problematic.

You know what I like?

Talking?

g*ns.

I like how g*ns k*ll people by shoving a b*llet through their flesh leaving a trail of evidence a mile long.

So, did you notice how we found a dead body in the club where Olympia was partying?

Before he turned up dead himself, I mean.

Look, that's another dead body connected to Calista.

I told you, Retro Girl didn't return my call.

Life is complicated, but you gotta get over that.

What Calista knows or saw could turn this whole thing on its head.

f*ck it, let's go. Take the Mint Street on-ramp.

Okay.

So how did you meet Olympia?

At a club.

There's an app, Power Seekers, where people tag the spots that Powers hang out.

And you were just...

I went up to him, and he liked me, and he took me home.

And you were wearing that?

Yeah.

How come you don't fight villains anymore?

It's like you talk about things that need to be fixed.

Come here for a moment.

Hurricane Pulp.

It's going to make landfall within the next 48 hours.

Thousands will die, and there's nothing I can do to stop that.

But when the storm hits, I'll be there saving as many lives as I can.

One at a time.

Because as powerful I am, I still have only two hands.

Now you tell me, why were you on that roof?

Walker took me.

He said that you hang out there.

I guess he was trying to impress me or something.

Get me to talk about Olympia.

But he got all worked up when I didn't say anything and he pushed me.

And I fell and he tried to grab me, and we both fell.

That's the truth.

Excuse me.

There are detectives at the gate.

Please just have them wait in my office. Thank you, Eva.

Come with me. You'll be safe outside until they're gone.

Yeah.

You are one Powers pwning m*therf*cker.

Uh, thanks.

Except now everyone on the server is out to k*ll me.

Or not.

What? Did you do that?

Eh, I got skills.

Are you going on missions or just messing around?

I'm looking for Iron Impact.

Oh, he's not in this update.

They took him out after he k*lled that cop.

You know what they didn't get right in this game?

No regular people die.

You know, like a Power demolishes a school.

All the kids get out.

A Power crashes a plane, no dead bodies in the wreckage.

It's bullshit.

Yeah.

I mean, I know people who have, you know, lost people.

I mean, my cousin was, you know...

So, you want to go stomp the crap out of Iron Impact?

I thought you said they took him out.

I got a work around for it.

I've been waiting for you to call.

I left a message.

Oh, really? Hmm.

No, no one told me.

On the number that I used to...

The old number.

I don't use that number anymore.

Well, I left a message on it.

Well, not for me.

I'm Detective Pilgrim.

Yeah, uh...

I assume you work with him. How do you do?

Yes, right, I do. Good to meet you, Ma'am.

Oh, Ma'am.

Not that you look like one I just...

You grew up with me.

Yeah.

Well, the entire world grew up with me, Detective.

We need the girl.

Well, she says that you pushed her off that tower.

No, she's lying.

She jumped.

Well, no, no, I know she's lying.

I've spent all day listening to her lies and waiting for you to either call or come by.

Here we are.

Yes, indeed. So, she jumped?

Yeah, look, we need to talk to her. It's important.

Hang on, hang on, hang on.

She jumped.

And you did what?

Because when I caught her, she was hanging onto you.

You jumped too, Christian.

The kid went over. I wanted to save her.

I felt like, I felt like maybe I could.

So, is the girl here or not?

Because if she's here, we'd like to get on with our job.

sh*t.

Where is she?

There's nowhere for her to go.

It's Royalle!

Royalle is alive. I think.

I think he had something to do with Olympia.

And the girl knows.

That's why we need her.

♪ You live in a place long, long ago ♪

Krispin.

Hey, Krispin.

Hey.

Hey, Mom.

How was going back to school?

It's okay.

The usual school.

How was work?

Good.

I could use a new client or two, but...

It's good to see you drawing.

Can I peek?

It's not done yet.

Okay.

I'm gonna get started on dinner.

♪ In the parking lot stoned ♪

♪ The stars shone out of phase ♪

♪ And the rain came down ♪

♪ Cassettes were out, oh no ♪

sh*t.

Hey, it's Walker.

Hey, it's me.

Call me when you get a chance.

sh*t.

Hey, it's Walker.

Hey, it's me again. Um...

I'm calling about the girl and Royalle.

And that's why I called, all right?

Ha!

I need you to be really professional.

What?

He has no wants or warrants.

He has not been charged with anything.

He is simply filling out a Use Of Powers Certificate.

"Describe the parameters of your power in terms of range, tensile strength, watts, volts, pounds per square inch."

We cannot touch him.

"Max speed, max altitude or any other similar or dissimilar units of measure that may apply."

You remember when we didn't have to do any of this?

Nobody cared how far or how fast you could fly.

It was enough that you were up there.

Ten years changes everything.

Johnny Royalle.

Christian, you look...

Well...

Your tie, it's askew.

I'm here to register my powers as law demands not to defend myself or flee.

Here and Gone, m*therf*cker.

Stop.

Walker, you can let him go. He's alive, uh?

You were right. You were right.

You're happy to see me then, huh?

Where's Calista?

Is that really what you want to know after all these years?

I'm just asking because I find it odd that you're so concerned about another person.

She's a kid, John.

Where is she? Please.

Wonders never cease.

May we go now?

Or should I start the lawsuits immediately?

Calista is fine, Christian.

All she needs is a home and a family.

You remember what that was like, don't you?

Who k*lled Johnny Royalle?

I suppose the truth is I k*lled Johnny Royalle.

Why?

Because I couldn't live with him any longer.

Let's not be coy now. You are Johnny Royalle.

So, what? You couldn't live with the fact that you broke Wolfe out of the Shaft, and he k*lled hundreds of people?

I did not break Wolfe out of the Shaft.

Wolfe literally disappeared from his cell, and it is common knowledge that you were his chief disciple.

I was a student of Wolfe's.

Myself, several other young Powers, were taken by his philosophy of Powers Complete.

This man in whom I placed my trust, whom I loved, he k*lled, literally ate, all of my closest friends.

I did not break him out.

Well, if you're not guilty, then why k*ll Johnny Royalle?

Your DNA was found amongst the remains at the terrace.

Why fake your own death?

In the face of universal loathing, who wouldn't want to be Johnny Royalle?

In the face of universal loathing, why resurrect him?

This city is my home. I wanted to come home.

I wanted to make something here.

A house of sorts. A safe place.

A celebration, if you will.

Your resistance to Powers registration landed you in the Shaft yourself.

A political prisoner.

So, will you register?

Just because you disagree with a law, doesn't mean you get to ignore it.

I'll be registering today.

Johnny Royalle did in fact register his powers shortly after this interview.

And here's a look at the reception he received.

I'm here to register my powers as law demands.

I am not using my powers to defend myself or flee...

Will you stop it?

Okay, okay.

So, when is he gonna make his move for Wolfe?

He should have done it already.

None of this publicity sh*t.

He's planning something. I just... I can't...

f*ck this cop sh*t.

Give me something I can hit.

I'm gonna ask you a question.

Can you for once...

Did you know?

... just not...

No.

When you jumped, did you know Retro Girl was gonna save you?

Yes, I knew.

I did.

I knew because she was gonna be on patrol...

Mmm-hmm.

Because the lords and the outlaws had been on her turf that morning.

I knew because...

f*ck you.

I don't know what I knew, okay.

Calista jumped.

I went after her.

It was a stupid f*cking thing to do, okay.

I don't have powers anymore. I'm not a hero. Thank you, I know.

No! That sh*t... You know what I think?

That sh*t, that jump off a building and save a kid sh*t, that's not because you were a Power, that's because you're you.

You can learn the cop sh*t, Walker.

Oh.

Mmm.

It's Dr. Death. Dead naked guy's name was Gomez Pugh.

If you can believe it.

The Power. Went by the handle...

Yeah. Bug.

That's him.

You know what Dr. Death found in his DNA?

Little red corkscrews?

Just like Olympia.

Yeah.

Royalle.

It's gotta be. Oh, it's gotta be Royalle.

What is he doing?

It's gonna take some cop sh*t to figure it out.

Yeah.

Don't get used to it. I'm not your personal assistant.

Tell me about Zerotron-X.

I charged in.

No, no.

Rookie mistake. Rookie mistake.

What?

That... you made yourself into a lightning rod.

Okay.

See, lightning has multiple targets, splits out...

All right!

Sweet, thanks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the mysterious owner of the Here and Gone club, Johnny Royalle.

So you found me.

You were easy to find.

You're all over the internet. You're Johnny Royalle. You're famous.

And yet, I'm still myself.

So, where did you run to?

I did something stupid, and, um... Retro Girl saved me.

So you met your hero, hmm?

What did you think of her?

I trusted her.

She said she would hide me, but she lied.

She was gonna give me to the cops.

Do you trust me?

Did you k*ll Bug?

This place, no one knows where it is.

Not even Simons.

We are invisible.

I k*lled Bug.

I k*lled him, in part, because he misused you.

This is my signed confession.

If I ever betray your trust, you take this to Walker.

I put my freedom in your hands.

Let's go back to the party.

I'll show you your new home.

Hey, it's me.

Call me when you get a chance.

Hey, it's me again, um.

I'm calling about the girl and Royalle.

And that's why I called.

Hi, it's me again. Call me if you find the girl.

And that's it, okay.

What the f*ck?

Can't an old friend pop by?

The f*ck you playing at, Johnny?

What game is this?

Just wanted to tell you I would never hurt you.

Never.

As long as you stay the f*ck out of my way.