Previously on "Killjoys"...
You're a hackmod, right?
What happened to you, Clara?
Black market modding...
they alter people way past legal limits.
You running away from home?
As fast as I can.
I love road trips.
- Hullen. - This shit is sentient?
When bonded with a human host? Yes.
So those darts of yours can destroy the plasma
- and save the Quad? - Pure plasma retains
a strong bond with its parent source.
Poison the parent, the spawn dies.
John, the toxin isn't working here.
You have to poison a six first
and then use the black goo to kill the pool.
I'm sorry, Yala.
This is my penance.
He's gone.
I didn't want to win just one battle.
I want a whole bloody war.
Who's in?
That's close enough, bitch.
Kneel.
Any last words?
What did you say?
She said, "You first." Bitch.
Headbutt?
Be a man, guy.
Move!
This better be worth the chaffing!
Can't keep the door open. Relocks in five. Move!
Hurry, Pree! You're not gonna make it.
Bury me in one piece!
Well, that was a bit anticlimactic.
Got one!
One?
Turin said this was a Hullen hive.
Where are the rest of them?
- You're too late. - Talk.
Don't make me get all pokey.
He really will. It's like a hobby for him.
Well, you're definitely Hullen.
Why did your people leave you here alone?
So I could give a message to whoever came.
We know that someone killed the plasma on Arkyn.
But not all the Hullen in the Quad were Arkyn born,
and the rest of us?
We're hiding. We're preparing.
And then we're coming for you.
Ooh, aren't you just full
of shit'n sunshine.
- Now can I poke him? - First he's gonna come with us
for a little chat.
We have friends who know how to make your kind talk.
Yeah. We know that, too.
Bomb!
Ew.
Hey, remember when we used to just catch bad guys?
Yeah, that was fun.
So much for taking one alive.
You guys do a sweep in case we missed anything.
C'mon, D'Av. Let's go tell Turin.
_
Glenberg Glendon, level 2, missing.
RAC number 54235.
John Jaqobis, level 3, missing...
Never stops being weird, huh?
- Emergency meeting? - Who the hells is Banyon Grey?
Over the past six weeks,
437 local agents have stopped reporting for duty.
AWOL. Congratulations.
You are now a black mark on every other RAC unit
in the J colonies.
Shut it.
Look, I realize none of you sentient gonads
want help from my Oversight team.
Well, here we are, and now things are gonna change.
437 agents.
Mass defection with no signs of foul play.
So until we know why,
my investigators and I are assuming full control
of this "Rack," effective immediately.
Come on. Screw this.
Sit down, agents. I'm not done.
I am.
Don't act like you're above this.
I've read your file.
Your own partner disappeared on your watch, didn't he?
Ooh.
Do you have a point?
I have a question.
Where the hells is John Jaqobis?
Where you running, Hack?
Oopsy.
Way past the legal modding limit in this zone.
- You got papers? - You know I don't.
Aw. Then you got problems.
I don't want any, okay? I'm just looking for a friend.
Hey.
I could be friendly.
Tell you what.
Give you the same choice I give every runaway.
I could take you back to the Factory,
I could just rip out your mod, which... eesh...
will probably kill you a whole lot,
or, for enough money, I can look the other way.
Hmm. Tempting.
You know that friend I was looking for?
Found her.
You're not Clara.
Nope.
Synced and corrected by Chitorafa www.addic7ed.com
Seriously?
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hands.
You're not even a bit of a hackmod, you poseur.
- I'm a Killjoy. - Great.
Then I just wasted the last ten minutes
feeling guilty for shooting you.
Whatever sting you got going on here,
I don't want any part of it.
Hey! We're not done yet.
You sure?
Because the next shot's on kill.
That arm belongs to a missing friend of mine.
It's been sending me these coordinates
on an SOS loop, so you are not going anywhere
- until I find her. - Okeydokey.
Warned you.
I, um...
I'm still trying to figure out how this thing...
Start talking.
Look, I don't know what the shit is going on, okay?
I blacked out.
Came to wearing this arm,
giving me the same coordinates that you got.
I don't know who Clara is or how she got this sweet mod,
but finders keepers, and in conclusion, please...
Do not shoot me.
Thank you.
You know, being able to tell if people lie...
It's a big part of my job.
Boy, I really wish that I didn't believe you.
Look, I came here looking for whoever's messed with me.
If you don't have answers, I don't have time.
You know that I can't let you leave with that arm, right?
Clara needs it, and I need it to find her.
So either the arm comes with me,
or you both do.
Help me find her...
and I will get you some answers, okay?
So when are we gonna kill Banyon?
I can take her out solo, but we may need to axe
her whole team to be safe.
Whoa, Assassin Barbie.
This is your response to our new overlords? Murder?
It's not like murder-murder.
They're obviously Hullen.
Oh, you're sure of that? Thank Gods you're here.
Guess I can go.
Don't take your haircut out on me.
Even if she is human,
the last thing we need is Interstellar RAC
breathing down our necks while we're prepping to go to war.
Which is why we can't afford any move that risks outing you.
Most of those Killjoys,
they're not "missing"; they're running.
When you and Khlyen pissed in Arkyn's pool,
you cut whatever hold the Hullen had on them, and bam,
a whole whack of sleeper agents woke up,
realized they'd been an alien parasite's bitch,
and got the hells outta the Quad.
When you say it like that,
it does sound crazy.
I will handle Oversight.
You stick to warmongering.
Monger how, exactly?
We can't win this war on skirmishes.
We need bigger targets. We need an army.
You gonna keep feeding my ulcer, or you got a solution?
John's been sending chem-probes
whenever he passes other RAC stations in the J.
So far,
all of them are positioned near plasma pools,
just like ours was.
We need to enlist other RACs if we wanna take on Aneela.
We need to poison their pools like we did ours...
With what? Your amazing cheekbones?
We don't have any of Khlyen's plasma-killing shit left.
And we can't make any more without a Hullen body.
Then get me more Hullen, get me more toxin,
or get the hells outta my way.
I am starting a war here,
not a bloody book club for people who don't read.
- Why are you smiling? - 'Cause while you were yapping,
I thought of a cunning plan.
How are you two with intense heat
and unnecessary nudity?
Pretty good, actually.
Did I tell you what he said?
He said, "Well, what is it worth to you?"
And I said, "Well, it's worth about half as much now
as your wife was to me last night".
Boom, right?
You get it? It...
I don't pay you meatloaves...
Are you Pippin Foster?
Yeah. Yes.
- Come with me. Now. - Uh, yeah. Okay.
Please and thank you.
Ew! Where were you hiding that?
Hi. How are ya?
New treatment.
Very aggressive.
Deep muscle... fracking.
Would you excuse me a moment?
What are you doing?
Detoxing my pores.
A little help here!
What do you people even want?
Ever heard of a kidnapping?
- Yeah. - Congratulations.
You're having one.
- Headbutt? - What?
They're really in right now.
Um, so that's it.
Beer is still weak, Old Town is still shit,
and you're still missed.
I hope you and Clara are having fun
lighting up the J together.
Stay safe.
Is that Clara?
- She's "purrty." - No. Uh, look.
I just have to send off this plasma tracker
to some friends back home,
then we we'll head straight for Rat City.
- So why Rat City? - Please don't touch anything.
Okay?
Clara went there to see her friend, Yoki.
We've been tracking slavers and repos
for the past few weeks, but Clara wants to go all in...
destroy the hackmod source.
You mean take on the Hackmod Factory?
If Yoki can help us recruit enough hackmods, yeah.
Wow, that's pretty badass.
So why didn't you just go with her?
Because hackmods like you hate basics like me.
She thought I'd screw the deal if I tagged along.
Ah, okay. That's why you need me.
I'm like your hackmod-whisperer.
Just get me inside your world,
and I'll do the rest.
Okay, well, this arm has
a dickload of memory.
I can do a system search for "Yoki."
Try and figure out where they met?
Good. Just keep it pointed that way for now.
- Okay? - Copy that.
Hey.
Once we do find Clara,
and if you two do really storm the Factory,
I'm in.
That's if you'll have me.
Consider yourself recruited.
Rat City, here we come.
You're gonna be fine, you're gonna be fine.
Just... just think about puppies. Think about puppies.
Puppies are cute. Puppies bite. Screw puppies.
- What's he saying? - I don't know,
but if he pees on the floor, Lucy's gonna be so mad.
It's gonna be okay.
Ah, shit.
Here we go. You're gonna take my finger now.
- Right? - What?
My finger.
Proof of life... to ransom me?
My parents are going to be so humiliated.
I mean, they're dead, but that hasn't stopped them
- from judging me. - Look, Pippin...
I'm gonna be sick.
This is too much stress.
I can't feel my chakras.
His balls.
Well, keep your chakras in your pants.
We're not gonna hurt you unless we have to.
We're Killjoys, Pipster. We know what you really do,
so cut the shit. Lucy?
Retrieving profile now.
Pippin Foster, aka "the Mouth".
On the surface, spoiled youngest son
of a mid-rank family on Qresh.
Underneath?
A black market dealer,
specializing in finding
anything smuggled in and out of the Quad space.
Okay, look. If you're planning on arresting me, good luck.
My family's lawyers will have me out in a day.
Your family's lawyers will never find your body.
Okay. That's good.
I like a good negotiator.
Very strong approach.
What do you want from me?
We want you to help us save the world.
No.
And what is it?
A chemical beacon.
Our allies outside the Quad invented it.
Once you activate it, it should draw out the people we're after.
Draw them chemically? Who are you after, fruit flies?
They're called the Hullen. They're a...
Organized crime group moving into the Quad.
This beacon would be priceless to them.
So we need to find it before they do.
Well, you're Killjoys. Use your own contacts.
We can't use RAC contacts.
We need an outsider. We're... down a member.
The ship carrying the Beacon was shot down here and raided.
We'll send you the coordinates.
Okay.
Here's the deal. Uh, I need off this ship.
Also, a secure uplink,
500,000 joy, and a little bit of privacy.
You can have Lucy, a monitored line,
and your teeth.
I accept your terms.
Lucy, if he tries anything,
just gas him.
You have five hours.
I keep waiting for someone to jump us.
You sure my mod's okay here?
Why aren't you hiding Alice?
Who?
She named her arm?
Wow. Someone needs a puppy.
So Rat City is a neutral zone.
They don't exactly like us here, but they don't arrest us
for existing, either.
Bar's right here. Hackmods only.
Beers are very on you.
- Beers. - Wait your turn, Spec.
- Friend of yours? - No, bullshit hackmod slang.
- Forget it. - Well, that's not happening.
Fine.
Lesson one: the Factory creates different classes of hackmods.
This arm here is "Special Order,"
so "Spec."
Our buyers pay extra for unique hackmods,
so the Factory treats Specs a bit better.
No escaping class systems, I guess.
So the rest of the hackmods, what,
they're... they're, like, off the shelf?
More or less.
Cheap, superhuman indentured labor.
See that lady there?
That kind of modding's called "Jumpers."
It's a lot of courier, smuggling work.
- And that guy's a "Grip." - I'm guessing
enforcers and muscle?
And you are an "Owl." Surveillance.
Collect the whole set and have a bunch
of badass superheroes.
Superheroes usually have capes.
Also, basic human rights.
So my turn.
What's your deal with Clara?
A wifey? Boss? Nonsexual life partner?
Actually, that would be Dutch.
You reading his comics now?
It's okay to talk about him, you know?
Will talking about him make us miss him any less?
You know you're his weakness.
He'd come back if you asked.
Which is exactly why I can't.
Pippin asked me to give you a message.
- Go ahead. - "Holy crap, I'm the best.
"I did it. Tell those shitbirds I did it.
"Wait, don't call them shitbirds.
"Hey, what's the story with the hot one?
The girl hot one... is she seeing anybody?"
We get it, Lucy.
How'd you find it so fast?
Well, they don't call me the Mouth
'cause I'm good with my hands.
Although, I am still good with my hands.
I'm a, uh, talented lover.
I respect women's needs and all that
if you're maybe into that. Maybe you aren't.
I don't... okay!
I-I have a lot of connections.
I talk to everybody. It's kinda my thing.
So who has the beacon now?
Ah. Sweet Janet.
Black market dealer. I've bought from her before,
so she's legit,
and she's willing to sell to you guys.
Yay! However,
it's gotta be cash, and it's gotta be tonight.
Good. Whatever it costs.
Well, that's generous.
This beacon must be pretty important.
To the Hullen, it's priceless.
So we better move before they find out about it.
And you're coming.
Me? Hey, hey, hey! Okay, Sweet Janet...
she deals out of the Parallax tunnels, all right?
You don't just go down there without serious backup.
We got backup.
- Come on. - So handsy!
What do you mean, Clara was here?
- When? - Last I heard from her,
she was heading here to find you.
Me? Why?
To talk you into helping us take down the Factory.
No. Bullshit.
Why would Clara go after the Factory?
- That's crazy. - Well, somebody should.
So let somebody else.
You couldn't pay me to go back there.
You couldn't pay me to be that big a coward,
so I guess no one's making any money today.
Oh. I'm sorry.
I couldn't hear your moral superiority
over my friend's stolen arm.
Look, hackmods come to Rat City
to get away from the Factory, not to go back.
So whatever Clara came for, she didn't find it.
What is that supposed to mean?
This town isn't as safe for our people as it used to be.
You should leave.
Look, if you know where Clara is or if you need help...
You'd be the last person I'd ask.
If you find her,
tell her I'm sorry.
Whoa, nelly! That bitch knows something.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
You and your several personality disorders
just take a seat.
I got this.
Sorry. Excuse me.
Hey!
You dropped your mod, Owl.
- Hoot? - We got a basic in the house!
- Basic? - Oh-ho.
Take him out!
I'm pretty sure that was the lowest setting!
- Who wants to find out? - Nice try.
PS: Your people are very hateful.
Let me handle it.
The basic's with me.
- Kind of. - Then you should know better
than to bring him here.
For all we know, your meat-boy there is repo,
come to take one of us.
- Meat-boy? - You smell like the law.
That's fear sweat...
and very hurtful.
Okay. Yes.
I am a Killjoy, but I have no jurisdiction here.
Nobody do anything stupid, we're leaving...
"No basics in, no basics out."
You already broke my first rule.
Not letting you break the second.
Then don't break it.
Mod him. For real this time.
Yes! Wait, what?
Deal.
You're a shitty negotiator.
_
Approaching Parallax.
You sure no trains are running over us down here?
Sweet Janet pays them to reroute during meets.
- It's total privacy. - If you're playing us,
I'll buy a pet dog just to feed it your face.
Is she okay?
Keep moving.
Watch our exit. No train-enemas.
So why'd your other partner quit?
He didn't quit, so you shut your stupid mouth.
He lost someone. He needs time to process.
And I need you sober.
This is for my ulcer. God.
Can we talk about your lady-rage issue?
Shh!
We're here.
If your cash is as pretty as your backup,
we're gonna get on just fine.
Ah!
Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!
Buddy, it's not my fault you're a Yeti.
Remind me why the hells I'm doing this?
Oh, come on. It's symbolic.
It's called tagging.
After this, you're an honorary hackmod.
You could pick something less ouchy.
Hey, it's my body, it's my choice, right?
Besides, it's not every day a young man gets to live out
his cyborg dreams.
Is that a digital laser?
Good pick.
One finger banger, coming up.
When's the last time someone took a good look
at your mods, girl?
When they bought me a beer and made me feel pretty?
Thought so. In the chair.
This won't hurt... much.
Mm.
Sit.
You vouch for these people?
Super vouch. Yeah.
100% with the, uh...
the vouching.
All right. Let's do this.
- Show me the joy. - You first.
Is this what you're looking for?
I sure as shit hope so. There's a lot riding on it.
Dutch, D'Av, you hear me? You've got incoming.
- How many? - Too many.
They're dropping through the maintenance hatch.
Fancy's doubling back to cut them off.
Okay, here's our payment.
I guess we'll...
Shit!
Private meeting! Exit your asses.
Nobody move.
Your shower-goons. Call them off.
How? They saw you kidnap me.
Maybe if you weren't such an asshole,
you wouldn't have to worry about getting kidnapped.
Ooh, that's a good note.
We had a deal! I did my part.
If this is some kind of a setup...
Fancy, we could use that exit now.
Eagle's up. Do not move, do not breathe.
Stun boomerang. Motion sensitive.
Patent pending.
I like you, guy. Whatever they're paying you,
I'll triple it.
Let's get back to Lucy before these fools wake back up.
There you go.
One neural-linked laser finger.
So how does it work?
Just picture it extending.
Think hard.
I am the greatest man who ever lived.
- Whoo! - Okay. Listen.
That hack that we were meeting tonight...
Yoki Pala. You know her?
Seen her around.
She seemed scared. Do you know what that's about?
Rat City is temporary digs for a lot of our people.
They come and go. Some say more are going
- than usual, these days. - Going? You mean, like,
- hackmods are disappearing? - Could be.
My friend...
Clara... now she came to town, and hasn't been seen since.
You got a small community here.
Somebody here's gotta know where she went.
Please.
She's one of us.
I'll put the word out.
Be in touch.
Well, that was about as much fun
as the square circle jerk.
You're insulting jerks and circles.
You're all welcome, by the way.
For?
Making this exchange happen.
You guys got what you came for, and you owe it all to me.
Pippin Foster, this is Border Control.
Initiating search and seizure for illegal goods.
Drop your weapons.
Great. Thank you.
You're amazing. Thanks, Pippin.
- Really... - Fantastic!
- You're my hero. - Nailed it.
Mine's bigger.
Sorry. Couldn't sleep.
I can have Alice sing to you.
Ooh, that's tempting, but pass.
Or we can just talk.
Like, what's a Killjoy doing
running around with a hackmod like Clara?
Fetish?
Hero complex?
Debt.
Clara helped rescue my brother the day I met her.
And she kinda rescued me a bit after...
After what?
That's the thing about strangers...
is that you can tell them anything.
You ever dark talk?
What is that?
In the Factory,
they would put us into these "healing wards"
in between surgeries.
Like a prison hospital.
And every night when the lights went out,
the whispers would start.
And we couldn't shut up.
Some truths just need the dark.
People keep leaving me.
It's kind of a thing.
And I'm scared that if I don't find Clara...
That's never gonna stop.
I'm scared you will find her.
Because I have nowhere else to go.
Good night, Johnny Basic.
Good night, small, complicated lady
whose name I should know.
Ollie.
Oleana.
Good night, Ollie Oleana.
- Seriously? - I'm sorry, I can't help it.
It's so cool.
_
So you're both Killjoys?
We have nothing to say.
Where's the warrant for this item?
- We have nothing to say. - And also, we have no warrant.
Did you see the words coming out of my mouth?
How would I see words?
That makes no sense.
I'd like to request separate cells.
So you're a monk, and you're a bartender.
What are you doing with a bunch of Killjoys
and stolen goods?
Actually, that's a pretty fair question.
Oh, she's got us there.
- That one keeps me up at night. - Mm.
How are you so calm?
I get arrested a lot.
Just don't tell them anything, and keep your mouth shut.
I'm not very good at that.
Yeah, I kinda counted on it.
You remind me of him, a bit, you know?
My other partner.
If you take away all his courage and half his intelligence.
Thanks.
Yeah, you're like a really centered and positive person,
by the way.
Look, I'm gonna tell you something I told him back then.
Whatever I get you into... if you trust me...
I promise I'll get you out safe, okay?
What's it look like out there?
- I count 15. - 15's enough.
15's enough what?
Just the girl now.
Okay, I'm at the coordinates.
So who did Havigan say this guy is?
Just a hackmod who knows where we can find Clara.
And tell me again why I'm the bait.
Hey, hey, hey. Don't go too far.
I'm gonna lose eyes on you.
Okay, I think I see him.
Right around the corner to your right,
there's a Jumper with a red hat.
What the hells? He's taking off.
Why's he running?
What?
Repeat, Johnny. I lost eyes and audio.
This is your only warning, Spec.
Stop asking questions about Clara and get out of town.
But I just got here. I have unused coupons.
Uh-oh.
Where's your arm?
Uh-oh.
Where's your face?
Hey.
- You okay? - No.
I need Alice.
She's okay.
- What happened? - Bullshit is what happened.
It was a setup.
Why is someone trying to kill you?
I don't know.
Ask no-face.
Whoa.
He's not a No-Face.
He's a Two-Face.
Plasma?
What the hells is he?
Ollie?
Ollie! Hey!
Ollie!
Shit.
You have no idea what's really going on here, do you?
I know you're breaking about six dozen Company-RAC accords
by keeping us here.
Says the Killjoy without a warrant.
Let's not pretend either of us care
about bureaucratic procedure.
This thing that we found in the box...
what's it for?
I knew a man once
who gave me pretty boxes.
He also liked to tell me stories.
Do you want to hear one?
Why? Will I like it?
Depends.
Do you believe in monsters?
Oh, I think I prefer heroes. Don't you?
Well, every story has heroes. That's a given.
But if I'm honest,
it's the monsters that make the story.
Because heroes are nothing
until they know who to fight.
Is that what this is for?
Some kind of weapon?
Could be.
The thing is,
what if you can't see the monsters around you?
What if they infiltrated your friends, your family,
your RAC...
without you even knowing.
What if the monsters look just like you?
Ah, so we can drop the facade, then?
Oh, let's.
You do realize this means
we'll have to kill you and your team.
After we make one of you explain
how to work the device, of course.
I wonder. Who do you think will break first?
I hope it's me.
Well, as long as we're dropping epic truths,
here's one.
Hullen aren't monsters, sweetheart.
We're humanity's replacements.
Oh, you misunderstood.
You are not the monster.
I am.
Ah!
Alvis! Behind!
Now! Go!
What's wrong with them?
So much.
That beacon was bait to flush you out,
and you took it. Thanks for that.
A friend of yours gave me a message.
Well, here's mine.
War is coming.
Humanity may be weaker, more impulsive,
but we sure as shit don't like to lose.
- Hive's clear. - Lucy?
Once we collect the black juice from the dead,
bomb this bitch from orbit.
Consider the bitch bombed.
Hey. We'll be landing soon.
I figured you'd have passed out on the fainting couch
after all of that.
You didn't pick me 'cause I was the best.
Right?
You picked me 'cause I was the greediest
and I have the biggest mouth.
Yes.
We needed someone who had no RAC connections,
who would spread the word without even knowing.
And Sweet Janet? Was she in on it?
She didn't know the full play,
but we had an arrest warrant on her.
We dropped it in exchange for helping make the trade.
And these Hullen assholes,
do they have an endgame?
From what we can tell,
making humans into some sort of parasite puppet race,
until life as we know it no longer exists.
Well, they sound nice.
You know, it's funny.
I've spent my whole life scared of the stupidest shit,
like rejection and crowds
and freakin' clowns.
And now I've seen something that should terrify me,
and... all I feel is numb.
That'll pass.
Confession...
I'm scared.
But I'm gonna fight anyway.
I know. I saw you back there.
That was...
Whatever you and your gang of Killjoy deviants have planned,
I think the Hullen ought to be scared.
Okay, so if this is one of those
"Now that I know the truth, you need to kill me" things,
I'm ready.
Wars are won and lost on good intel, Pip.
Getting it...
is kind of your thing.
Preparing for landing at Turin's coordinates.
We could use your help in the fight.
Think about it.
So are we going camping?
Or did you bring us out here to whack us?
If wishes had wings.
Got what you need.
Plasma-killer, freshly squeezed
from dead Hullen.
Enough to share with other RACs
once we bring them on board.
That's nice.
When you and Khlyen poisoned Arkyn's plasma,
well, a lot of shit went down.
So we didn't notice this at first.
- No? - A dead spot
on our surveillance.
Happened exactly when the plasma died.
Elegantly done.
Lucky for us, I'm paranoid as balls.
We can't open 'em yet, but scans say nobody's home.
Cloaked Hullen ships?
- How many are there? - 36.
- Just hiding. - Not hiding.
Waiting.
What for?
Well, that's a damn fine question, Ms. Yardeen.
I'd say you need to answer it.
I got your messages.
Tell D'Av that his was obscene,
and no, I will not bring him back contraband cheese.
- So you're not coming back yet? - Look, Dutch...
And this is the part where I pretend I'm good with that.
I'm coming back eventually, but right now, it's...
Complicated.
But you have dibs.
If you really need me, I'm there.
- You just say the word. - That's not fair.
You know I won't.
Hey.
Just think about all the stories we'll both have when I'm back.
It's not like either of us is in this shit alone, right?
You got my brother.
- You've got Clara. - I've got Clara.
So we're all gonna be okay.
Right?
We're gonna be okay.
- Dickbird. - Anyway...
Back home soon, tap my heart.
Whatever the Hullen cook up in the meantime?
You got this.
Miss you first.
Miss you most.
End of message.
Again.
Hey, Dutch, it's me.
You might not like what I'm about to say.