02x01 - The Lantern

[bunniefuu]

- Another A-plus, same old Russ.

- Hey.

Good to see you're starting high school

the same way you ended middle school.

Not gonna lie, feels good. Feels almost

- Normal?

- Exactly.

I feel ya.

I've never been a big fan of normal,

but after everything we went through

this past summer,

a bit of normal kind of feels amazing.

Yeah, but let's be honest,

we still have a lot of work to do.

We may have freed Dad,

but we still sleep

above a ton of cursed artifacts.

So? We always have, right?

- But we didn't know it, and now we do.

- Yeah, true.

But after taking on that black widow,

I feel invincible.

Just remember not to get too confident.

Be careful. You never know

where the next danger may lie.

I'm starting to understand

why you two were down here for so long

and never managed to organize anything.

It's my fault.

After Pandora taught us parkour,

I've become obsessed.

And this is the only room we can do it in

if we don't want to risk

touching cursed stuff.

No, I'm to blame.

I need to act more responsibly.

But I must say, your last jump

from the journal stack to the desk

was both inventive and athletic,

even if it did cause this mess.

Compliment accepted.

We still need to use these journals,

so maybe take your games elsewhere.

Sorry, Sky.

I'll have Alex grab a bunch of crates

for you to use instead.

Alex?

Where'd he go?

It wasn't funny the first two times.

What makes you think

it'll be funny this time?

Rule of threes?

Hilarious.

Thank you, Larry.

I just wanna make sure everything

is in order down here for you all

before I start my new job.

Sky, you are gonna rock your new gig.

Georgia and the Paxton Museum

are beyond lucky

to have you curating their exhibit.

Whatever you need, I'm here to help.

I know.

It just feels weird

to try and go back to regular life,

especially with your nightmares.

You did so much while I was preoccupied.

Let me follow your lead

and keep returning all these artifacts.

It gives our family an opportunity

to create a new Vanderhouven legacy.

And look, Sky, again,

I'm sorry for keeping everything from you.

- I

- The past is the past.

Let's focus on the future.

Which reminds me,

I told Stanley and Larry

you'd get them a crate for their parkour.

Okay, acrobats. Here you go.

Alex, are you okay?

My dream. I know what it all means now.

I finally figured it all out.

It must have been

all the time I spent inside that void,

but I think I'm connected to the briar.

Dad, you're not making any sense.

Trust me, Russ, I wish

there was a more scientific explanation,

but everything down here is connected,

the artifacts, the briar, and now me.

Here, I'll show you.

When I touched the briar just now,

it showed me this artifact.

The Lucerna Sale.

Also known as the Salt Lantern.

What? You don't think I know things?

Fine,

I saw it in the journal I was sitting on

while I was planning

my parkour desk launch.

This is clearly

tied into my skeleton dreams somehow.

Before, the briar was using the red thorns

to show us which artifacts to deal with.

Which it stopped doing

after we crushed that black widow.

Now it must be telling you directly.

This is our next mission.

Are you sure you're recovered enough?

I don't think these nightmares

are going to stop until we do this.

Then let's get to work.

Why am I carrying it like this again?

Well, we learned that you definitely

don't want to touch a cursed artifact

if you don't have to,

which is why I've been designing

a robotic artifact handler.

But until then,

these tongs will have to do.

Cornelius wrote here that

this salt lantern was originally created

to "capture a mine worker's full

and undivided attention."

There's just a piece of salt in there.

I mean, it's sparkly,

but that captured their attention?

Miners must have been desperate

for entertainment back then.

You three are like a well-oiled machine.

No wonder you rescued me.

Found out where it's from.

Pandora, you are going to love this.

Seems this lantern was stolen

from a little area in Romania

known as Transylvania.

Transylvania. Yes!

Please let it be a vampire castle.

I've gotta pack.

Are you thinking about

the same thing I am?

Underwater volcanoes?

Again, no.

With the family all together now,

what is our role in all of this?

The Restricted Wing is still our domain.

We are still the captains down here.

I'm not so sure lately.

I need some time to think.

I'll be in the celestium

with my new harmonica if you need me.

As I live and breathe,

Alexander the Great has returned.

Margie the Conqueror,

you are a sight for sore eyes.

How the blast are ya?

What is that delicious smell?

Garlic necklace.

Of course. Transylvania.

I can only imagine what

the cursed artifact is this time.

You know about that?

I assure you,

she's the only one that knows.

I can't wait to hand the artifact

to the rightful owner and say,

"We are friends

who have come to return a family heirloom

that was taken from you long ago."

It doesn't always work like that.

It doesn't?

Well, it might. Or it might not,

depends on the situation.

It's different every time.

Don't worry. We'll watch out for you.

Next stop, Transylvania.

I can't believe

I'm finally going to meet a vampire.

Just because we're in Transylvania

doesn't mean everyone's a vampire.

I wouldn't rule it out either.

Go away! I paid that bill.

Sorry?

You not from electric department?

No. We're from America.

I thought you were here

to shut down my power for unpaid bills.

Taking care of a castle this size

must be expensive.

Yes, bleeds me dry.

Like a vampire?

Yes, it is like. So very much money.

More than my rotten family left me.

Once my family very rich,

but last hundred years we lose.

Now barely holding on.

But why am I telling this?

Who are you people?

We are friends who have come to return

a family heirloom

that was taken from you long ago.

The Lucerna Sale.

You're welcome.

Well, that wasn't very satisfying,

but the important thing is

the artifact is back where it belongs.

- I'm not sure it is.

- You're not?

Something seems off.

It's usually pretty obvious

when the curse is lifted off an artifact.

I'm sure it's right.

The briar told me

that was the next artifact,

and the records say

Vlad was the rightful owner.

But we have to do right by the artifact,

not the owner.

Maybe we should get it back.

No. We returned it to where it belongs.

That should be enough.

Did anyone else just see that?

You mean Vlad suspiciously running off

with the lantern we just gave him?

What are they doing?

We've already accomplished our mission.

The mission is

to make right by the lantern,

not just pass the buck.

Okay then.

Stanley!

I have asked you

not to disturb me in my thinking spot.

Have you been

in the Egyptian wing while angry?

What on earth happened here?

You did not do this?

You think one skull

could cause this much chaos?

I mean, I could, but I didn't.

What about Hank?

He claims to have been locked up

in the armory during the time in question.

That is a solid alibi.

You think an artifact came to life

and did this?

Maybe. Let us get this cleaned up

and do an inventory.

Perhaps that will provide

the necessary clues.

Hey.

It's okay.

We're used to this sort of thing.

Well, I'm not.

Salt. The walls are pure rock salt.

Vlad said his family

used to be worth a fortune.

This must be the reason.

Because of salt?

Well, for most of history,

salt was worth more than gold.

It's where the word "salary" comes from.

But if they've got all of this underneath

the castle, why isn't he still rich?

Maybe he couldn't find any workers?

Mining is often tough work for little pay.

Wait a second. I recognize this place.

It was in my dreams.

It was?

These must be for the workers

when they got tired.

They look like a good place to nap.

I think they're old catacombs.

Where they kept the dead bodies.

Not surprising.

Salt is a natural preservative.

But why are they empty?

We need to leave. Now.

I thought

we were going after that lantern.

The lantern wasn't the only thing

I saw in my dreams.

They don't notice us.

Wow. Zombie skeletons are way cooler

than vampires.

We gotta find out what's going on.

Attention, peasants. Look to me.

The stories are true. It works.

I have very good news.

An old family heirloom has been returned,

and the Baciu salt mines

will soon be back in business.

Now grab your pickaxes and get to work.

Oh, yeah,

that thing is definitely still cursed.

Last one.

You're 100% sure there are no more?

Don't make me use numbers, mate. I'm sure.

Then an artifact is missing.

A bracelet

from the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh.

So, did it wake up and take off?

Or someone break in and steal it?

Larry,

it appears we have a mystery on our hands.

And if we are still the captains

down here, we need to solve it.

Aye, aye, captain.

Vlad's family must have used that lantern

to control these skeletons.

Now I get what it meant by,

"capturing a miner's full

and undivided attention."

So, when Cornelius took the lantern,

there was no way to control them.

They must have been wandering aimlessly

in these mines for years.

And now that we gave it back to Vlad,

we allowed him

to restart his family's business.

These poor skeletons

must be the old miners.

Even after death, they're prisoners.

Not just prisoners. They're enslaved.

We have to free them

and let them rest in peace.

Let's get that lantern back

and command them to stop.

You think that'll work?

I have no idea.

Then I should be the one

to get the lantern back.

You kids stay here where it's safe.

Do we have to go through this

with you too?

We did that last summer with Mom.

It was a whole thing.

She's right. It was a whole thing.

That's when our family was incomplete.

Now that you've got us both

here to protect you,

you kids can take a back seat for a while.

Just let him do it.

Some people have to learn the hard way.

Stay alert for backup.

Work harder!

The Baciu fortune will be back in no time.

Vlad Baciu, stop what you are doing.

It is man who pretended

to be from electric department.

No, you misunderstood.

Then what are you doing here?

We're here to stop you.

You can't use forced labor

to regain your family fortune.

I control an army of the undead.

I can do whatever I want. Watch.

My workers, capture the intruders.

Honey, this is where we run.

Got it!

Wicked.

I'll take this.

You skeletons there, get them.

Run! Into the mine cart!

Can't this thing go any faster?

Yeah, I'm trying.

Nice one, Pan.

Hurry. In here.

- Thanks.

- I got you.

Here come more skeletons.

I'm trying to get it back on the track.

I'll buy you some time.

Almost there.

Got it!

Too bad you don't know these mines

like I do.

You got to be kidding me.

I do not understand who you are

and why you are even here.

First, you give me the lantern,

and now you try to take it away.

Sorry about that. Everyone makes mistakes.

Garlic eyes!

Get the lantern!

I command you to

Pandora!

Dad!

Sorry.

Hurry, Dad.

Use the lantern

and command the skeletons to stop.

Dad!

Workers, I command you to stop.

And I command you to rest. Forever.

No!

You've ruined me.

Without my workers,

there is no way I keep castle.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

How can going broke not be bad thing?

Maybe trying to maintain all of this

has kept you from forging your own path.

Yeah, looks like

both you and the skeletons were prisoners

of this place.

You are right, strange American family.

First thing tomorrow,

I turn over a new leaf.

Put castle up for sale.

You want to buy castle?

I give you great deal.

Thank you, but no.

We have house problems of our own.

So, what happened back there

with the lantern?

Why did you hesitate?

Hesitate? What do you mean?

When the skeletons were about to get us,

you were holding the lantern

and didn't command them to stop.

What are you talking about?

I never held the lantern.

Hey, Dad, I'll race you to the airstrip.

You're on, kiddo.

What? Are your legs still made of stone?