Sanctuary (2008–2011): Season 2, Episode 4 - Hero - full transcript
The Sanctuary team hunts down a man who seems to have superpowers, calling himself "The Adjuster." But they discover that his suit is the source of his power, and it is slowly killing him. But he can't get it off.
Get down!
Down on the ground now!
I'm not joking, mate!
Get down!
That's far enough, citizen.
Who the hell are you?
The Adjuster,
and you're about to be adjusted!
Let that be a lesson
to you fiends.
The streets of old city are
no longer safe for your kind.
Where crime's around...
Oh, I'll be found!
- Let's go.
- No, no!
What in the hell was that?
Mate, I have no idea.
This is my favorite part.
You know, I'm so pleased
that my pain amuses you all.
God, look at the whiplash
on that baby!
Ow! Ah...
I'm checking for broken bones.
Well, if you press any harder,
you'll find some.
How does he manage to fly
like that without wings?
I've never seen an abnormal
with that ability before.
Yeah, you know,
I thought the same thing
when my head bounced
off the ground.
How's the shoulder?
Nothing I can't handle.
Not exactly the welcome
I had in mind
when you volunteered
to come aboard.
I'm just sorry the guy
we were chasing got away.
He's an Empath trying
to break free from the mob.
If he's smart, he'll come to us.
As for your flying man,
I'm having Henry look into it.
Keep me posted.
I'm dying for a rematch.
Well, if anyone needs me,
I'll be coughing up blood.
Actually, I need you.
Get dressed.
Happened around 8:00.
Guys were digging out a corner
when the wall gave way.
They found this.
I called the city inspector
right away.
He took one look at it,
called you.
So... you guys archaeologists
or something?
Would you mind rounding up
the rest of the crew
that were here at the time?
I'd like to speak with them.
Okay, sure,
I'll be right back.
Thank you.
Have you seen something
like this before?
No, but whatever it is,
it hatched recently.
These look like claw marks.
You think something
dug this hole, laid the egg,
and then just left it?
It would've had to
have occurred years ago,
before the city was built.
It's difficult to imagine
something surviving that long.
Not impossible.
The real question is
why did it hatch now?
This room was probably a vacuum
before the workers
broke through.
Maybe the introduction of
air kick-started the process?
Uh...
The men are all outside,
except Joe.
Joe?
The backhoe operator,
first guy on the scene.
He left, said he wasn't
feeling well or something.
Joseph Koster, 38, divorced.
No sign
of any abnormal behavior.
I take it you've tried
to get in contact with him?
He's not answering his phone.
He's not at his place, either.
Try putting out word
to our contacts.
I already did.
Squid just gave us a tip.
There's some guy
matching this description
acting very weird
on the top floor
of Saint Canare place.
Saint Canare?
That's a condemned building.
Yeah.
I know it's a long shot,
but Declan and I figure
we ought to check it out.
Absolutely, but be careful.
We have no idea what effect
this creature could have had
on Mr. Koster.
Any idea what it is, or was?
The shell membrane
would seem to indicate
something reptilian, but...
The amniotic fluid
is definitely consistent
with that of an insect.
I'll, uh...
just read the report.
River Banshee, Fire Shrimp.
Word of advice?
Wear gloves.
Shouldn't you be writing
this down or something?
What for?
In case you need
to fill in for me one day.
Yeah, right...
Hey. What's in here?
I wouldn't do that
if I were you.
Why not?
Whoa!
Told you.
Uh, that sound generally means
you should answer it.
Yeah?
Hey, it's me.
I need to see you.
I'll call you back.
Everything okay?
Yeah. I got to go.
What's a guy like Joe doing
in a place like this?
No idea.
He was definitely here, though.
Hey, Zimmerman...
You hungry?
Not anymore.
You've got to be kidding me.
The bloke's
chowing down on cats?
Have you found anything, Henry?
It looks like your mystery
superhero has been busy.
Doing what exactly?
Everything, it seems...
foiling robberies,
beating up bad guys,
but the best is this.
Look.
What am I looking at?
It's video of a jumper,
taken yesterday.
Here, check it out.
- He's jumping!
- Oh, my God!
Unbelievable.
Yeah, except the guy ended up
with four crushed vertebrae
from the force of the catch.
Ouch.
Any information on how we can
find this flying man?
Well, so far he's done
a really good job
of keeping his secret
identity secret.
Well, we need
to track him down.
For one thing, he's getting
in the way of our work,
and for another,
he keeps this up,
and a lot of people are
going to get seriously hurt.
I don't know if it helps,
but eyewitness reports say
he arrives on the scene
right away,
sometimes before the police.
You think he's got
some kind of ESP?
Oh, Henry...
W-where, uh...
Where-where crime is found,
I'll be around.
Uh, no.
Wh-where crime is seen,
I'll be on the scene.
Where crime is plotted,
I'll be... s-spotted?
Damn!
All available units,
we have a 10-36 in progress
at 820 Orchid.
Three suspects. Shots fired.
All units, 820 Orchid....
Right.
Whoa.
Hello.
Who are you?
My name is Helen Magnus,
and we need to talk.
You tricked me.
This is a trap.
Yes, but if you'll just listen...
I knew sooner or later
my activities would attract
the wrong kind of people,
but you're going to have to do
a lot better than that
to bring me down!
Nice shot.
Well... he's kind of
hard to miss.
You'll never get away with this.
You think these puny restraints
can hold me?
How's he doing?
He's still convinced
we're super-villains
who have kidnapped him
to conduct experiments.
What'd you find out?
Well, his suit looks homemade,
but it seems to be
some sort of high-grade
kevlar-type material.
I had to draw blood
from between his fingers.
- And?
- See for yourself.
Huh? He's not abnormal?
Not according to his DNA.
But how's that possible?
I mean, the guy was flying.
I can't explain it,
but it does mean
that we're going to have to do
a far more detailed exam.
Well, that doesn't bode well
for our whole
"we're not super-villains" case.
Try to avoid the topic
of total global domination.
Thanks.
Kate!
- Oof! God...
- You have got a lot of nerve
calling me out of the blue
like that.
I haven't heard from you
for months!
Mom didn't even know
where you were.
It's good to see you, too.
When'd you get here?
Couple days ago.
- A couple days?
- Whoa, easy! All right, okay.
I-I meant to call.
I just, uh... I got tied up.
With what?
I need a favor.
Oh no...
No, Tad, I thought
you were going to give that up!
I did! I-I've been straight
for six months.
- Right...
- I swear!
So, what happened?
I-I slipped.
I mean, these guys
pulled me into a game.
How much?
It's, uh, it's not
the "how much,"
it's the "who to."
A guy named Constantin?
You know him.
Yeah. Yeah.
Kate, you've got to believe me.
I never meant
for any of this to happen.
I met this girl.
We were going to California...
Oh, save it.
Kate, l... I just need
to get clear of this.
Please.
Now's my chance.
So...
Come to face me at last, huh?
Who are you people, anyway?
Hydra?
League of Assassins?
Circus of Crime?
I just want to
talk to you, Walter.
Huh?
How did you know my name?
Your DNA matched
some hospital records
we had in our database.
Says here you worked
as a claims adjuster?
Yeah, well, that was before.
Now I'm just...
"The Adjuster."
Right...
Right. Yesterday afternoon
you had a run-in
with some guys
on some motorbikes...
Who told you that?
I was one of those guys.
We were trying to catch
the guy that you... saved.
Yeah. That's pretty much
why I saved him.
Right, but what
you don't realize is
that we were actually
trying to help him.
See, we're not
the bad guys here, Walter,
but there are some bad people
who are after him.
Why?
He's an Empath.
Like Psylocke.
From X-Men?
She was killed by Vargas,
and then later resurrected
without her tattoo.
Yes, just like Psylocke.
Seriously...
Who are you guys?
We'll get to that, but first,
why don't you tell me
how you got these powers?
Never.
What are you working on?
DNA tests on the eggshell
didn't yield
anything substantive,
but when Will told me about
the cat remains that he found,
it reminded me of
an encounter my father had
with another abnormal.
Coleanthropus.
It was discovered
by U.S. federal troops in 1 892
when they were trying to quell
a miners' uprising in ldaho.
What makes you think
it is the same abnormal?
According to reports,
the soldiers found an egg
inside the mine.
It hatched,
and the creature went inside
the body of one of the soldiers.
The victim ran away,
but shortly thereafter,
the others found the carcasses
of several small animals.
It says here the creature
attacked again
the following evening,
but its appearance had changed.
It was no longer inside
the body of the soldier.
My father suspected
that it had evolved
to a further stage
of its life cycle.
Unfortunately,
by the time he got there,
the creature was long gone,
and most of the survivors
had fled.
Not much to go on.
No. However,
all the eyewitnesses
spoke of the creature's
high-pitched shriek,
said it was unlike anything
they'd ever heard before.
Perhaps we can use that
to our advantage.
You sure this is going to work?
Absolutely.
We've tapped into the city's
terrorism suppression grid.
Your monster makes any noise
over 90 decibels,
we'll know about it.
- Excellent work, Henry.
- Thank you.
Now, I've calibrated it
to detect high-frequency sounds,
so don't go getting too close
to any ambulances...
or Christina Aguilera.
No worries about that, mate.
Hey, how's it going
with super-dude?
Oh, pretty good.
I've managed to convince him
we're not evil,
so that's something.
Big guy's checking him out now.
Did he say
how he was able to fly?
Yeah, three weeks ago,
he was hanging
on a friend's yacht
off the coast of Africa
when they got attacked
by pirates
called the "Singh Brotherhood."
In the middle of it all,
he got pushed over the side,
and he swam to shore,
and he found a cave,
and in the cave
there was this temple,
and in the temple
there was this ruby called...
Crimson Gem of Cyttorak.
Yeah.
How'd you know that?
This guy's good.
What are you talking about?
For real?
You never read comic books
as a kid?
Yeah, I mean... I was more of
a Sherlock Holmes guy. Why?
Okay, the Crimson Gem
of Cyttorak?
That's the stone
Cain Marko found in "X-Men #12,
turned him into Juggernaut.
The Singh Brotherhood
is from "The Phantom,"
and the yacht,
well, if you don't know
the story of the Green Arrow,
then there's no hope
for you, pal.
Dude, you got played.
Crap...
What happened?
Oh, super-guy
was in the scanner.
I turned my back for a second...
- Which way did he go?
- Away?
- Come on.
- Okay.
You go to the residences,
I'll check the foyer.
Like...
He couldn't use a door?
Ugh, you call that tea?
Declan, it's Will.
Anything?
No, nothing yet,
although there was a faint...
Stand by. We got something.
Is that Joe?
Bloody hell.
All right, fella, out you come.
Take it down!
Get him!
Where's the bloody flying man
when you need him?
Well, he's a lot bigger
than a man now.
Yeah, the file was right,
the creature evolved.
Yeah, if you can call it that.
Good news is
Henry's sonic scan worked.
We should be able to track it.
- You know...
- What?
Magnus said that the amniotic
residue inside the egg
was similar
to that of an insect.
Okay...
Well, we've already
seen three stages,
the egg, Joe,
and that creature
that attacked you.
You think there might
be a fourth stage.
Well, it makes sense,
doesn't it?
I mean, maybe it's looking
for a place to cocoon.
Also means it might
go quiet on us.
We'll have to work fast.
All right, let's split up
and sweep the area.
Signal if you find anything.
Team Two with Will!
Were you able to
transfer the data
from Walter's medical scan?
Yeah, but it's no use.
Walter corrupted it.
Walter?
- "Savage Seven," issue 319.
- What?
Dustin Blake is captured by
a group called The Sentinels.
They perform experiments on him.
He wipes their computer clean
while he escapes
so they can't...
...track him.
I've been trying to recompile
the image using raw data,
but I don't think
we're going to find anything.
Walter wasn't in there
for very long.
Well, let's see.
It's right there.
You see?
That's what I was afraid of.
There's a shadow.
- Do you mind?
- Be my guest.
I'm just going to
magnify the image.
Well, you can magnify away, Doc,
but I don't think
you're going to find...
What the hell is that?
That is Walter's suit.
Walter's suit is made of bugs?
Billions of them.
It makes perfect sense.
Walter isn't an abnormal,
he's wearing one,
and I'll wager
it's what's giving him
his special abilities.
The bugs?
Think of them
more as a collective
rather than individual beings,
and yes, I believe they're
what's allowing him to fly.
How?
I'm not sure. He must be
controlling them somehow.
I need to take another look
at his bloodwork.
Hey, boys, I've got something
for Constantin.
Who wants a sentient fungus?
This is not what we agreed.
I have to tell you
I don't like surprises.
Katie Freelander.
As I live and breathe.
You know why I'm here.
Of course.
Your brother's debt.
What terrible luck he has.
What's this?
Payment, in full with interest.
A Steno tusk.
I thought they were extinct.
Well, you just got to know
where to look, I guess.
That more than covers his debt,
so don't try to pretend
that it doesn't.
You know, this selfless act
of yours is touching,
but I don't want your money.
Rumor has it that you have found
a comfy place to sleep
at the Sanctuary!
Now, where'd you hear that?
Around. Hey, I don't judge.
In fact, it makes you
uniquely valuable to me.
What are you talking about?
I don't mind telling you
that the Cabal's demise
has opened up quite a few
opportunities for me.
There is a huge demand
for abnormals out there,
a demand I find myself
unable to fill.
However, with an ally
inside the Sanctuary...
Whoa, whoa, wait a second,
an ally?
Why not?
You're just staying there.
You're not with them.
You used my brother
to get to me.
We used to be such
an incredible team together,
you and l.
Don't you remember?
I am not 21 anymore.
And I'm not a two-bit banger
fencing counterfeit junk
anymore.
This is real.
I urge you to take it seriously.
Those days are gone, Constantin.
You know, it's a really,
really nice offer,
but I'm not interested.
Don't contact me again.
No, we've searched
the entire area. Not a trace.
Dammit. That thing
could be anywhere now.
Are you sure this is
the right sample?
Absolutely. Why?
What's the problem?
His CPK-3 and creatinine levels
are through the roof.
So, what does that mean?
It means we need to talk
to Walter right away.
All available units,
we have a 4-1 1 in progress
at 1310 Marine,
suspect is fleeing.
All available units,
please advise.
Right.
What the...
How did I end up back here?
You'd be amazed at
how much buzz it creates
when a guy in a super-suit
falls off his balcony.
Before you go knocking
another hole in my wall,
know this...
You are free to leave
whenever you like.
But you might want to hear
what we have to say first.
Your suit's not really a suit,
but you knew that already.
What you may not know is
that it's actually a parasite,
and it appears to be
feeding on you.
Your latest test results show
the signs
of early organ failure.
Your body's shutting down.
No. You're lying.
This is just
another one of your...
Super-villain tricks.
Really?
How are you feeling?
You have any dizziness
or shortness of breath?
Walter, we need to get
this suit off you immediately.
But... I can't.
Walter, this isn't...
No! You don't understand.
I can't take it off.
I'm telling you,
l-I've tried a dozen times.
Nothing works.
It's stuck.
Which means I'm a dead man.
What do you mean "stuck"?
Stuck. Glued.
I-lmpossible to remove.
Hold on, so you've been
wearing this suit since...
Since about eight days ago, yes.
Well, how have you managed
to, you know...
Oh, uh, I have no idea.
All I know is
I feel lighter after meals.
How did you come by the suit
in the first place?
We need the real story, Walter.
Right, uh...
Well, as I mentioned before,
I used to work for
an insurance company.
By the way, if you guys need
any kind of coverage...
We're good.
Right, uh...
Well, every year,
the company took us
on a team-building retreat
to this dude ranch
in the mountains.
Um, I was leading this team
through the forest
on a pretty cutthroat game
of "Capture The Flag..."
Hello? Hello? Hello?
Guys?
Guys...
Oof!
I must've slipped down
into a sinkhole or something,
because the next thing I knew,
I woke up in a cave,
covered in slime.
The, uh...
The shorts and gloves
I added myself.
Um...
The chest plate
I had from before.
Don't-don't judge.
Uh, when did you get your...
superpowers?
That's the beauty.
I already had them.
All I had to do was think "fly,"
and I popped out of the hole
just like that.
Telepathic communication,
of course.
The suit's living off you
in exchange for giving you
these powers.
I soon realized that l-I had
speed, super-strength, uh...
x-x-ray vision.
It was like
my greatest wish come true!
Well... be careful
what you wish for.
We'll help you
get it off, Walter.
Yeah...
We're all ready in here.
All right, here we go.
Walter!
Hey, did you manage to...
It's taken care of.
Oh, thank God.
Thank you, thank you...
This is the last time,
do you hear me?
Totally. This was
a one-time slip, I promise.
You should get out of town.
Take a cab to the bus station.
- I don't need money...
- Just take it.
Good luck in Cali.
Kate...
Thank you, for...
for everything. Thanks.
Yeah.
Hey...
Don't tell Mom, okay?
Hey...
How's Walter doing?
Uh, he's stable.
How's things going with you?
Take a look.
They're dead.
I believe so.
I was able to create a toxin
that attacks the suit
creatures' specific DNA.
Well, that's... good.
Is it?
I have no idea what kind of
impact this will have on Walter.
At minimum,
he'll be sick for weeks
as he undergoes treatment,
and there's no guarantee
he'll ever fully recover.
Not to mention
we are killing an abnormal
who exhibits untold abilities,
the likes of which
I've never seen before.
Well, we knew that going in.
Yes, but our job
is to be smarter,
to come up with
a brilliant, clever way
to save both human and abnormal.
Right, but we don't
have time for that.
I mean, this thing
is killing Walter.
At least we're saving him.
I wanted it off, not kill it!
Walter...
Come on! It's my suit!
You can't do this to me.
You're going to die, Walter!
Do you realize that?
I don't care.
Do you realize what this suit
has done for me?
My whole life,
I've been scared to do anything,
not even hobbies.
Do you realize how many
people die each year
in renaissance fair
re-enactments?
The statistics
would blow you away,
but now... thanks to this suit,
I don't even worry about it.
I fly around saving people.
It's pretty incredible.
I realize
how exciting it must be,
but is it really worth
risking your life for?
You risk your life every day
doing what you do.
Look, I may not have
a lot of time...
So l-I want to use it
for what I was meant to do,
not sit around
on the sidelines anymore.
Magnus, it's Henry.
I heard from Declan.
He tracked the Coleanthropus
to Kennington Row.
All right.
Think about it. Please.
Tell me you're at
the bus station, Tad.
You should have
accepted my offer, Katie.
You son of a bitch.
Where's my brother?
He's fine... for now.
This is between you and me,
Constantin, okay?
Let him go.
No, it was, until you forced me
to bring him back into it.
Seems to be the only way
to get your attention.
Now, I'm a fair man, Katie.
You don't want to work with me,
that's fine,
but there's something
that I need from you.
Now, inside that Sanctuary
is a very rare species
of lizard.
I believe he's called "Steve."
Now, my client is prepared
to pay handsomely for it.
Now, you get me that lizard,
and I'll release your brother,
debt-free.
I think you'll find that
I'm being more than generous.
Katie...
Fine,
but this is going to
burn me with them,
so I'm going to need
a piece of the action.
Plus, I don't transport.
You supply the truck.
Bring Tad
and the Steno tusk with you.
I'll call you when it's safe.
- Where is it?
- Far end.
I've got a man on each exit,
two more keeping watch.
Henry was able to modify these
for subsonic action.
Hopefully they'll disorient
the creature long enough
and we can get the upper hand.
Declan, where are your men?
I left them here.
Blood.
Uh, guys?
Bring it down!
Watch your ears, everyone!
Spread out!
Uh, to be honest with you,
I'm still just kind of
playing with it.
Okay, you want to try it on me?
Uh, s-sure, uh...
"Where evil lurks,
that's where I work."
What, i-it's no good?
No, it's not bad, it's not bad.
Just...
A little sing-songy.
Right.
Try something along the lines
of, like, "Time to... "
You know? Um...
"Time to take out the trash."
Right, right.
You know? Or like, uh...
"Time to put the kids to bed..."
Henry, come in!
One sec?
Yeah, go ahead.
The stunners aren't working!
We need large containment!
Okay, I'll get there
as soon as I can.
Hey, listen, Walter, man,
we're going to have to put you...
Oh, crap...
Did we kill it?
I'm thinking
we just pissed it off.
I got it!
It's coming at you!
Okay. Easy, boy...
Easy, now...
Take it easy.
What, this thing?
It doesn't work anyway.
Walter?
Come on, you fiend!
Like that?
Come on!
Okay, everyone's out,
but we don't have much time.
This is more impressive
than I imagined.
This isn't a tour. Keep up.
Oh, my God...
Will you quit gawking?
We don't have a lot of time.
You're lucky they all
got called out
to fight some insecto freak.
Your lizard is over here.
I can't see anything.
Just tap on the glass.
What the...
Drop it.
Please...
Unless you want to see
your autopsy before you die,
I suggest you get the hell
out of here...
and spread the word...
Kate Freelander is not for sale.
Wait, what is this place?
I got to get you
to the bus station.
But h-how did...
Would you have really done it?
Would you have killed that guy?
- Absolutely.
- Wow.
No one messes with my family.
Tired?
How 'bout one of these!
Think he's got a shot?
Not without help.
Will...
Yeah.
Hey, what did I miss?
Oh...
These things don't work?
Uh, ish.
Fire!
Keep firing!
Magnus... now!
Go, I've got it!
Hey, buddy.
We need to get him back to
the Sanctuary right away.
I'll take him.
- Ooh, boy...
- There we go...
He's breathing.
Henry's getting the toxin.
We need to get this suit
off him right away.
- No...
- Walter, we have no choice.
Thank you.
No! Wait, please.
Whoa!
It's leaving.
What the hell just happened?
I guess I just...
wished it off.
I didn't want it to die.
For the first time
since I got it,
I truly wanted it off.
I guess it was just
granting my wish.
May l?
Thank you.
I'll miss you, little buddy.
Live long and prosper.
Get him to the infirmary.
Yeah...
It just did that 'cause of
the heat of his hand, right?
Right? Come on...
Oh, hey.
You asked to see me?
Yes.
Henry said that when he went
to feed the Sorkel tonight,
it wasn't hungry.
I wondered if you knew
anything about that.
No.
Then I guess
you would also have no idea
why all the security cameras
in the main lab
suddenly malfunctioned
at exactly 9:14 this evening.
No idea.
I see.
Yeah...
I've asked Henry
to move your things
into more permanent quarters.
You what?
I trust that meets
with your agenda?
Uh... that would be great.
Um, Dr. Magnus?
Thanks.
Is there a meeting?
What are you guys doing?
Walter wrote a comic book.
What?
Check it out.
"Time to put the kids to bed"?
No....
Oh, no.
Oh, no, no, no!
He totally stole my idea!
I was going to publish this
when things calmed down
around here. I was!
It's too bad.
It's really good.
Nominated for several awards.
Yeah, and he already sold
the movie rights.
That's you.
Aw, man...
Down on the ground now!
I'm not joking, mate!
Get down!
That's far enough, citizen.
Who the hell are you?
The Adjuster,
and you're about to be adjusted!
Let that be a lesson
to you fiends.
The streets of old city are
no longer safe for your kind.
Where crime's around...
Oh, I'll be found!
- Let's go.
- No, no!
What in the hell was that?
Mate, I have no idea.
This is my favorite part.
You know, I'm so pleased
that my pain amuses you all.
God, look at the whiplash
on that baby!
Ow! Ah...
I'm checking for broken bones.
Well, if you press any harder,
you'll find some.
How does he manage to fly
like that without wings?
I've never seen an abnormal
with that ability before.
Yeah, you know,
I thought the same thing
when my head bounced
off the ground.
How's the shoulder?
Nothing I can't handle.
Not exactly the welcome
I had in mind
when you volunteered
to come aboard.
I'm just sorry the guy
we were chasing got away.
He's an Empath trying
to break free from the mob.
If he's smart, he'll come to us.
As for your flying man,
I'm having Henry look into it.
Keep me posted.
I'm dying for a rematch.
Well, if anyone needs me,
I'll be coughing up blood.
Actually, I need you.
Get dressed.
Happened around 8:00.
Guys were digging out a corner
when the wall gave way.
They found this.
I called the city inspector
right away.
He took one look at it,
called you.
So... you guys archaeologists
or something?
Would you mind rounding up
the rest of the crew
that were here at the time?
I'd like to speak with them.
Okay, sure,
I'll be right back.
Thank you.
Have you seen something
like this before?
No, but whatever it is,
it hatched recently.
These look like claw marks.
You think something
dug this hole, laid the egg,
and then just left it?
It would've had to
have occurred years ago,
before the city was built.
It's difficult to imagine
something surviving that long.
Not impossible.
The real question is
why did it hatch now?
This room was probably a vacuum
before the workers
broke through.
Maybe the introduction of
air kick-started the process?
Uh...
The men are all outside,
except Joe.
Joe?
The backhoe operator,
first guy on the scene.
He left, said he wasn't
feeling well or something.
Joseph Koster, 38, divorced.
No sign
of any abnormal behavior.
I take it you've tried
to get in contact with him?
He's not answering his phone.
He's not at his place, either.
Try putting out word
to our contacts.
I already did.
Squid just gave us a tip.
There's some guy
matching this description
acting very weird
on the top floor
of Saint Canare place.
Saint Canare?
That's a condemned building.
Yeah.
I know it's a long shot,
but Declan and I figure
we ought to check it out.
Absolutely, but be careful.
We have no idea what effect
this creature could have had
on Mr. Koster.
Any idea what it is, or was?
The shell membrane
would seem to indicate
something reptilian, but...
The amniotic fluid
is definitely consistent
with that of an insect.
I'll, uh...
just read the report.
River Banshee, Fire Shrimp.
Word of advice?
Wear gloves.
Shouldn't you be writing
this down or something?
What for?
In case you need
to fill in for me one day.
Yeah, right...
Hey. What's in here?
I wouldn't do that
if I were you.
Why not?
Whoa!
Told you.
Uh, that sound generally means
you should answer it.
Yeah?
Hey, it's me.
I need to see you.
I'll call you back.
Everything okay?
Yeah. I got to go.
What's a guy like Joe doing
in a place like this?
No idea.
He was definitely here, though.
Hey, Zimmerman...
You hungry?
Not anymore.
You've got to be kidding me.
The bloke's
chowing down on cats?
Have you found anything, Henry?
It looks like your mystery
superhero has been busy.
Doing what exactly?
Everything, it seems...
foiling robberies,
beating up bad guys,
but the best is this.
Look.
What am I looking at?
It's video of a jumper,
taken yesterday.
Here, check it out.
- He's jumping!
- Oh, my God!
Unbelievable.
Yeah, except the guy ended up
with four crushed vertebrae
from the force of the catch.
Ouch.
Any information on how we can
find this flying man?
Well, so far he's done
a really good job
of keeping his secret
identity secret.
Well, we need
to track him down.
For one thing, he's getting
in the way of our work,
and for another,
he keeps this up,
and a lot of people are
going to get seriously hurt.
I don't know if it helps,
but eyewitness reports say
he arrives on the scene
right away,
sometimes before the police.
You think he's got
some kind of ESP?
Oh, Henry...
W-where, uh...
Where-where crime is found,
I'll be around.
Uh, no.
Wh-where crime is seen,
I'll be on the scene.
Where crime is plotted,
I'll be... s-spotted?
Damn!
All available units,
we have a 10-36 in progress
at 820 Orchid.
Three suspects. Shots fired.
All units, 820 Orchid....
Right.
Whoa.
Hello.
Who are you?
My name is Helen Magnus,
and we need to talk.
You tricked me.
This is a trap.
Yes, but if you'll just listen...
I knew sooner or later
my activities would attract
the wrong kind of people,
but you're going to have to do
a lot better than that
to bring me down!
Nice shot.
Well... he's kind of
hard to miss.
You'll never get away with this.
You think these puny restraints
can hold me?
How's he doing?
He's still convinced
we're super-villains
who have kidnapped him
to conduct experiments.
What'd you find out?
Well, his suit looks homemade,
but it seems to be
some sort of high-grade
kevlar-type material.
I had to draw blood
from between his fingers.
- And?
- See for yourself.
Huh? He's not abnormal?
Not according to his DNA.
But how's that possible?
I mean, the guy was flying.
I can't explain it,
but it does mean
that we're going to have to do
a far more detailed exam.
Well, that doesn't bode well
for our whole
"we're not super-villains" case.
Try to avoid the topic
of total global domination.
Thanks.
Kate!
- Oof! God...
- You have got a lot of nerve
calling me out of the blue
like that.
I haven't heard from you
for months!
Mom didn't even know
where you were.
It's good to see you, too.
When'd you get here?
Couple days ago.
- A couple days?
- Whoa, easy! All right, okay.
I-I meant to call.
I just, uh... I got tied up.
With what?
I need a favor.
Oh no...
No, Tad, I thought
you were going to give that up!
I did! I-I've been straight
for six months.
- Right...
- I swear!
So, what happened?
I-I slipped.
I mean, these guys
pulled me into a game.
How much?
It's, uh, it's not
the "how much,"
it's the "who to."
A guy named Constantin?
You know him.
Yeah. Yeah.
Kate, you've got to believe me.
I never meant
for any of this to happen.
I met this girl.
We were going to California...
Oh, save it.
Kate, l... I just need
to get clear of this.
Please.
Now's my chance.
So...
Come to face me at last, huh?
Who are you people, anyway?
Hydra?
League of Assassins?
Circus of Crime?
I just want to
talk to you, Walter.
Huh?
How did you know my name?
Your DNA matched
some hospital records
we had in our database.
Says here you worked
as a claims adjuster?
Yeah, well, that was before.
Now I'm just...
"The Adjuster."
Right...
Right. Yesterday afternoon
you had a run-in
with some guys
on some motorbikes...
Who told you that?
I was one of those guys.
We were trying to catch
the guy that you... saved.
Yeah. That's pretty much
why I saved him.
Right, but what
you don't realize is
that we were actually
trying to help him.
See, we're not
the bad guys here, Walter,
but there are some bad people
who are after him.
Why?
He's an Empath.
Like Psylocke.
From X-Men?
She was killed by Vargas,
and then later resurrected
without her tattoo.
Yes, just like Psylocke.
Seriously...
Who are you guys?
We'll get to that, but first,
why don't you tell me
how you got these powers?
Never.
What are you working on?
DNA tests on the eggshell
didn't yield
anything substantive,
but when Will told me about
the cat remains that he found,
it reminded me of
an encounter my father had
with another abnormal.
Coleanthropus.
It was discovered
by U.S. federal troops in 1 892
when they were trying to quell
a miners' uprising in ldaho.
What makes you think
it is the same abnormal?
According to reports,
the soldiers found an egg
inside the mine.
It hatched,
and the creature went inside
the body of one of the soldiers.
The victim ran away,
but shortly thereafter,
the others found the carcasses
of several small animals.
It says here the creature
attacked again
the following evening,
but its appearance had changed.
It was no longer inside
the body of the soldier.
My father suspected
that it had evolved
to a further stage
of its life cycle.
Unfortunately,
by the time he got there,
the creature was long gone,
and most of the survivors
had fled.
Not much to go on.
No. However,
all the eyewitnesses
spoke of the creature's
high-pitched shriek,
said it was unlike anything
they'd ever heard before.
Perhaps we can use that
to our advantage.
You sure this is going to work?
Absolutely.
We've tapped into the city's
terrorism suppression grid.
Your monster makes any noise
over 90 decibels,
we'll know about it.
- Excellent work, Henry.
- Thank you.
Now, I've calibrated it
to detect high-frequency sounds,
so don't go getting too close
to any ambulances...
or Christina Aguilera.
No worries about that, mate.
Hey, how's it going
with super-dude?
Oh, pretty good.
I've managed to convince him
we're not evil,
so that's something.
Big guy's checking him out now.
Did he say
how he was able to fly?
Yeah, three weeks ago,
he was hanging
on a friend's yacht
off the coast of Africa
when they got attacked
by pirates
called the "Singh Brotherhood."
In the middle of it all,
he got pushed over the side,
and he swam to shore,
and he found a cave,
and in the cave
there was this temple,
and in the temple
there was this ruby called...
Crimson Gem of Cyttorak.
Yeah.
How'd you know that?
This guy's good.
What are you talking about?
For real?
You never read comic books
as a kid?
Yeah, I mean... I was more of
a Sherlock Holmes guy. Why?
Okay, the Crimson Gem
of Cyttorak?
That's the stone
Cain Marko found in "X-Men #12,
turned him into Juggernaut.
The Singh Brotherhood
is from "The Phantom,"
and the yacht,
well, if you don't know
the story of the Green Arrow,
then there's no hope
for you, pal.
Dude, you got played.
Crap...
What happened?
Oh, super-guy
was in the scanner.
I turned my back for a second...
- Which way did he go?
- Away?
- Come on.
- Okay.
You go to the residences,
I'll check the foyer.
Like...
He couldn't use a door?
Ugh, you call that tea?
Declan, it's Will.
Anything?
No, nothing yet,
although there was a faint...
Stand by. We got something.
Is that Joe?
Bloody hell.
All right, fella, out you come.
Take it down!
Get him!
Where's the bloody flying man
when you need him?
Well, he's a lot bigger
than a man now.
Yeah, the file was right,
the creature evolved.
Yeah, if you can call it that.
Good news is
Henry's sonic scan worked.
We should be able to track it.
- You know...
- What?
Magnus said that the amniotic
residue inside the egg
was similar
to that of an insect.
Okay...
Well, we've already
seen three stages,
the egg, Joe,
and that creature
that attacked you.
You think there might
be a fourth stage.
Well, it makes sense,
doesn't it?
I mean, maybe it's looking
for a place to cocoon.
Also means it might
go quiet on us.
We'll have to work fast.
All right, let's split up
and sweep the area.
Signal if you find anything.
Team Two with Will!
Were you able to
transfer the data
from Walter's medical scan?
Yeah, but it's no use.
Walter corrupted it.
Walter?
- "Savage Seven," issue 319.
- What?
Dustin Blake is captured by
a group called The Sentinels.
They perform experiments on him.
He wipes their computer clean
while he escapes
so they can't...
...track him.
I've been trying to recompile
the image using raw data,
but I don't think
we're going to find anything.
Walter wasn't in there
for very long.
Well, let's see.
It's right there.
You see?
That's what I was afraid of.
There's a shadow.
- Do you mind?
- Be my guest.
I'm just going to
magnify the image.
Well, you can magnify away, Doc,
but I don't think
you're going to find...
What the hell is that?
That is Walter's suit.
Walter's suit is made of bugs?
Billions of them.
It makes perfect sense.
Walter isn't an abnormal,
he's wearing one,
and I'll wager
it's what's giving him
his special abilities.
The bugs?
Think of them
more as a collective
rather than individual beings,
and yes, I believe they're
what's allowing him to fly.
How?
I'm not sure. He must be
controlling them somehow.
I need to take another look
at his bloodwork.
Hey, boys, I've got something
for Constantin.
Who wants a sentient fungus?
This is not what we agreed.
I have to tell you
I don't like surprises.
Katie Freelander.
As I live and breathe.
You know why I'm here.
Of course.
Your brother's debt.
What terrible luck he has.
What's this?
Payment, in full with interest.
A Steno tusk.
I thought they were extinct.
Well, you just got to know
where to look, I guess.
That more than covers his debt,
so don't try to pretend
that it doesn't.
You know, this selfless act
of yours is touching,
but I don't want your money.
Rumor has it that you have found
a comfy place to sleep
at the Sanctuary!
Now, where'd you hear that?
Around. Hey, I don't judge.
In fact, it makes you
uniquely valuable to me.
What are you talking about?
I don't mind telling you
that the Cabal's demise
has opened up quite a few
opportunities for me.
There is a huge demand
for abnormals out there,
a demand I find myself
unable to fill.
However, with an ally
inside the Sanctuary...
Whoa, whoa, wait a second,
an ally?
Why not?
You're just staying there.
You're not with them.
You used my brother
to get to me.
We used to be such
an incredible team together,
you and l.
Don't you remember?
I am not 21 anymore.
And I'm not a two-bit banger
fencing counterfeit junk
anymore.
This is real.
I urge you to take it seriously.
Those days are gone, Constantin.
You know, it's a really,
really nice offer,
but I'm not interested.
Don't contact me again.
No, we've searched
the entire area. Not a trace.
Dammit. That thing
could be anywhere now.
Are you sure this is
the right sample?
Absolutely. Why?
What's the problem?
His CPK-3 and creatinine levels
are through the roof.
So, what does that mean?
It means we need to talk
to Walter right away.
All available units,
we have a 4-1 1 in progress
at 1310 Marine,
suspect is fleeing.
All available units,
please advise.
Right.
What the...
How did I end up back here?
You'd be amazed at
how much buzz it creates
when a guy in a super-suit
falls off his balcony.
Before you go knocking
another hole in my wall,
know this...
You are free to leave
whenever you like.
But you might want to hear
what we have to say first.
Your suit's not really a suit,
but you knew that already.
What you may not know is
that it's actually a parasite,
and it appears to be
feeding on you.
Your latest test results show
the signs
of early organ failure.
Your body's shutting down.
No. You're lying.
This is just
another one of your...
Super-villain tricks.
Really?
How are you feeling?
You have any dizziness
or shortness of breath?
Walter, we need to get
this suit off you immediately.
But... I can't.
Walter, this isn't...
No! You don't understand.
I can't take it off.
I'm telling you,
l-I've tried a dozen times.
Nothing works.
It's stuck.
Which means I'm a dead man.
What do you mean "stuck"?
Stuck. Glued.
I-lmpossible to remove.
Hold on, so you've been
wearing this suit since...
Since about eight days ago, yes.
Well, how have you managed
to, you know...
Oh, uh, I have no idea.
All I know is
I feel lighter after meals.
How did you come by the suit
in the first place?
We need the real story, Walter.
Right, uh...
Well, as I mentioned before,
I used to work for
an insurance company.
By the way, if you guys need
any kind of coverage...
We're good.
Right, uh...
Well, every year,
the company took us
on a team-building retreat
to this dude ranch
in the mountains.
Um, I was leading this team
through the forest
on a pretty cutthroat game
of "Capture The Flag..."
Hello? Hello? Hello?
Guys?
Guys...
Oof!
I must've slipped down
into a sinkhole or something,
because the next thing I knew,
I woke up in a cave,
covered in slime.
The, uh...
The shorts and gloves
I added myself.
Um...
The chest plate
I had from before.
Don't-don't judge.
Uh, when did you get your...
superpowers?
That's the beauty.
I already had them.
All I had to do was think "fly,"
and I popped out of the hole
just like that.
Telepathic communication,
of course.
The suit's living off you
in exchange for giving you
these powers.
I soon realized that l-I had
speed, super-strength, uh...
x-x-ray vision.
It was like
my greatest wish come true!
Well... be careful
what you wish for.
We'll help you
get it off, Walter.
Yeah...
We're all ready in here.
All right, here we go.
Walter!
Hey, did you manage to...
It's taken care of.
Oh, thank God.
Thank you, thank you...
This is the last time,
do you hear me?
Totally. This was
a one-time slip, I promise.
You should get out of town.
Take a cab to the bus station.
- I don't need money...
- Just take it.
Good luck in Cali.
Kate...
Thank you, for...
for everything. Thanks.
Yeah.
Hey...
Don't tell Mom, okay?
Hey...
How's Walter doing?
Uh, he's stable.
How's things going with you?
Take a look.
They're dead.
I believe so.
I was able to create a toxin
that attacks the suit
creatures' specific DNA.
Well, that's... good.
Is it?
I have no idea what kind of
impact this will have on Walter.
At minimum,
he'll be sick for weeks
as he undergoes treatment,
and there's no guarantee
he'll ever fully recover.
Not to mention
we are killing an abnormal
who exhibits untold abilities,
the likes of which
I've never seen before.
Well, we knew that going in.
Yes, but our job
is to be smarter,
to come up with
a brilliant, clever way
to save both human and abnormal.
Right, but we don't
have time for that.
I mean, this thing
is killing Walter.
At least we're saving him.
I wanted it off, not kill it!
Walter...
Come on! It's my suit!
You can't do this to me.
You're going to die, Walter!
Do you realize that?
I don't care.
Do you realize what this suit
has done for me?
My whole life,
I've been scared to do anything,
not even hobbies.
Do you realize how many
people die each year
in renaissance fair
re-enactments?
The statistics
would blow you away,
but now... thanks to this suit,
I don't even worry about it.
I fly around saving people.
It's pretty incredible.
I realize
how exciting it must be,
but is it really worth
risking your life for?
You risk your life every day
doing what you do.
Look, I may not have
a lot of time...
So l-I want to use it
for what I was meant to do,
not sit around
on the sidelines anymore.
Magnus, it's Henry.
I heard from Declan.
He tracked the Coleanthropus
to Kennington Row.
All right.
Think about it. Please.
Tell me you're at
the bus station, Tad.
You should have
accepted my offer, Katie.
You son of a bitch.
Where's my brother?
He's fine... for now.
This is between you and me,
Constantin, okay?
Let him go.
No, it was, until you forced me
to bring him back into it.
Seems to be the only way
to get your attention.
Now, I'm a fair man, Katie.
You don't want to work with me,
that's fine,
but there's something
that I need from you.
Now, inside that Sanctuary
is a very rare species
of lizard.
I believe he's called "Steve."
Now, my client is prepared
to pay handsomely for it.
Now, you get me that lizard,
and I'll release your brother,
debt-free.
I think you'll find that
I'm being more than generous.
Katie...
Fine,
but this is going to
burn me with them,
so I'm going to need
a piece of the action.
Plus, I don't transport.
You supply the truck.
Bring Tad
and the Steno tusk with you.
I'll call you when it's safe.
- Where is it?
- Far end.
I've got a man on each exit,
two more keeping watch.
Henry was able to modify these
for subsonic action.
Hopefully they'll disorient
the creature long enough
and we can get the upper hand.
Declan, where are your men?
I left them here.
Blood.
Uh, guys?
Bring it down!
Watch your ears, everyone!
Spread out!
Uh, to be honest with you,
I'm still just kind of
playing with it.
Okay, you want to try it on me?
Uh, s-sure, uh...
"Where evil lurks,
that's where I work."
What, i-it's no good?
No, it's not bad, it's not bad.
Just...
A little sing-songy.
Right.
Try something along the lines
of, like, "Time to... "
You know? Um...
"Time to take out the trash."
Right, right.
You know? Or like, uh...
"Time to put the kids to bed..."
Henry, come in!
One sec?
Yeah, go ahead.
The stunners aren't working!
We need large containment!
Okay, I'll get there
as soon as I can.
Hey, listen, Walter, man,
we're going to have to put you...
Oh, crap...
Did we kill it?
I'm thinking
we just pissed it off.
I got it!
It's coming at you!
Okay. Easy, boy...
Easy, now...
Take it easy.
What, this thing?
It doesn't work anyway.
Walter?
Come on, you fiend!
Like that?
Come on!
Okay, everyone's out,
but we don't have much time.
This is more impressive
than I imagined.
This isn't a tour. Keep up.
Oh, my God...
Will you quit gawking?
We don't have a lot of time.
You're lucky they all
got called out
to fight some insecto freak.
Your lizard is over here.
I can't see anything.
Just tap on the glass.
What the...
Drop it.
Please...
Unless you want to see
your autopsy before you die,
I suggest you get the hell
out of here...
and spread the word...
Kate Freelander is not for sale.
Wait, what is this place?
I got to get you
to the bus station.
But h-how did...
Would you have really done it?
Would you have killed that guy?
- Absolutely.
- Wow.
No one messes with my family.
Tired?
How 'bout one of these!
Think he's got a shot?
Not without help.
Will...
Yeah.
Hey, what did I miss?
Oh...
These things don't work?
Uh, ish.
Fire!
Keep firing!
Magnus... now!
Go, I've got it!
Hey, buddy.
We need to get him back to
the Sanctuary right away.
I'll take him.
- Ooh, boy...
- There we go...
He's breathing.
Henry's getting the toxin.
We need to get this suit
off him right away.
- No...
- Walter, we have no choice.
Thank you.
No! Wait, please.
Whoa!
It's leaving.
What the hell just happened?
I guess I just...
wished it off.
I didn't want it to die.
For the first time
since I got it,
I truly wanted it off.
I guess it was just
granting my wish.
May l?
Thank you.
I'll miss you, little buddy.
Live long and prosper.
Get him to the infirmary.
Yeah...
It just did that 'cause of
the heat of his hand, right?
Right? Come on...
Oh, hey.
You asked to see me?
Yes.
Henry said that when he went
to feed the Sorkel tonight,
it wasn't hungry.
I wondered if you knew
anything about that.
No.
Then I guess
you would also have no idea
why all the security cameras
in the main lab
suddenly malfunctioned
at exactly 9:14 this evening.
No idea.
I see.
Yeah...
I've asked Henry
to move your things
into more permanent quarters.
You what?
I trust that meets
with your agenda?
Uh... that would be great.
Um, Dr. Magnus?
Thanks.
Is there a meeting?
What are you guys doing?
Walter wrote a comic book.
What?
Check it out.
"Time to put the kids to bed"?
No....
Oh, no.
Oh, no, no, no!
He totally stole my idea!
I was going to publish this
when things calmed down
around here. I was!
It's too bad.
It's really good.
Nominated for several awards.
Yeah, and he already sold
the movie rights.
That's you.
Aw, man...