Arcane (2021) s01e02 Episode Script

You really went to the undercity to get these? Weren't you afraid? A little danger is worth the risk, don't you think? -Oh.
Uh, careful.
That's your parents' money you're dropping.
Powder, we've gotta go! -Hello? Is someone in there? Hey, open up! Jayce? Jayce! Mom! Mom.
Mom, wake up.
Mom.
Help! Please, someone, help us! Help! Please! No.
Wait.
Wait.
How? Let's go over it again.
You have to believe me.
I didn't do this.
Relax, kid.
We know it was a break-in but that doesn't explain this.
There's a lot of restricted items here and I don't see any permits.
You wanna tell me how you got them? Hey, hey! Be careful with that, please.
I believe someone should have said that earlier.
What happened here? Science, I guess? Last time I checked, science didn't require illegal equipment.
Nor was this approved by the Academy.
Who authorized your research? It was an independent study.
Who are you anyway? I'm assistant to the Dean of the Academy, who it may serve you to remember is also head of the Council.
He sent me here to ensure that anything dangerous is removed safely.
Which, according to my list, includes you.
What? How am I dangerous? Uh, that's for the council to decide.
Imprisonment.
What a curious principle.
We confine the physical body, yet the mind is still free.
I do love a good conundrum.
I remember the first time I saw you at the Academy.
You reminded me of myself.
A scientist ready to forge a new vector of experimentation.
But sometimes we venture too far.
No great science should ever put lives in danger.
Be honest, now.
What manner of inquiry was this? Professor Heimerdinger, I… I believe I've discovered something truly incredible.
A way to harness magic through science.
Magic? Yes.
No.
No? The Arcane is dangerous, Jayce.
A force of nature.
Science cannot control it.
But maybe it can.
I'm close to a breakthrough, I know it.
How old are you, my boy? - I'm… I'm 24.
- Ah.
Well, I am now 307 years old.
All my life, I've pursued the mysteries of science, only to discover some are better left unsolved.
This, I'm afraid, is one of them.
Own your mistakes before the Council, admit your work was dangerous, but speak nothing of magic.
Do that and I theorize you'll get away with, um, how do you say, a slap on the wrist.
Remind me why we bother with this dump.
Vander said to lay low.
Enforcers never come down here, so this is as good a place as any.
Oh, what's the matter, Mylo? You worried Powder's gonna beat you again? Hey, if she didn't keep fixing these things, I wouldn't keep missing.
You guys know I wouldn't take you on a job you couldn't handle, right? Are you kidding? That was the best job we've ever done.
Maybe just don't take Powder next time.
Um… -Get back.
- Tell me where I can find them.
- Topsider business ain't my concern.
It's every one of you trencher's concern now.
Give me a name.
-Hey, guys? You should see this Search them.
Go ahead, idiots.
We've got nothing.
Go! Go! -Come on! Get them! Over here! - You need to hide those crystals.
- Yeah, no shit.
The House Ferros received your letter.
They insist business is steady.
Steady is stagnant, Elora.
They wished me to remind you that it's thanks to their innovations that you are the richest person in Piltover.
Yet I remain the poorest Medarda.
Excellent choice, Councilor Medarda.
Supreme challenge.
- If I may… - We need something revolutionary, Elora.
Something to put Piltover on the map.
- What of today's trial? - His name is Jayce of House Talis.
A House? Remind me.
They're toolmakers.
I believe they came to renown for their design of the… -collapsible pocket wrench.
- But Heimerdinger favors him? - As far as I can tell.
Hmm.
This one.
But that's… Well, that's a child's toy.
Good.
The boy's got ambition.
It's why we supported him in the first place.
Ambition? Darling, he nearly blew up our daughter.
Jayce had nothing to do with that.
He was robbed.
- We need to help him.
- Caitlyn's right.
We've known Jayce for years.
Besides, we're his patrons.
If anyone is meant to speak up for him, it's us.
We should hit them back.
We've got the numbers to beat them.
Yeah.
Let's teach them what it means to mess with us.
Yeah! - You sure that's what you want? - Let's do it.
We crossed that bridge once before, and we all know how that ended.
You're just protecting your kids.
I'm protecting our people.
I'd do the same for any one of you.
We look out for each other.
It's the way it's always been.
This will blow over.
We just need to stand together.
The Vander I knew, the one who built the underground, wouldn't be afraid to fight.
- Do I look afraid? - No.
You look weak.
Why isn't he doing anything? We kicked the Enforcers' butts with just the four of us.
Imagine what the whole of the Lanes could do.
- Jeez, even Powder wants to fight.
- So, why aren't we? Spill it, Ekko.
Um… Oh, okay.
Well, um, Vander's got a deal with the Enforcers.
What deal? For your birthday, Councilor.
Ah, Mel, this is too kind.
I'm told it was built only for the sharpest of minds.
And I bought you some Ginko nuts.
Don't you know I'm allergic? What are you trying to do? -Kill an old man? Jayce Talis.
You are accused of illegal experimentation and endangering the citizens of Piltover.
What do you have to say for yourself? The materials were far more dangerous than I was aware of, and I… I now know my actions were against Academy regulations.
What I did endangered people.
It was reckless, and for that, I'm sorry.
I ask the Council's forgiveness, and I hope that I can continue my studies.
As Jayce's patron of many years, I can speak for his character.
I believe that one day, he will be a great contributor to our society.
He destroyed a building.
Is this the sort of contribution we can expect? If you were a scientist, you'd know you can't make a prototype without breaking a few wrenches.
Do you have anything to show for your work besides an explosion? Uh, no.
It came to nothing.
So, you're saying your study was meaningless? - It was revolutionary! - Revolutionary how? All I see is a boy meddling with things he doesn't understand.
The Academy seems to have loosened its standards.
This is a fine line.
If we condone this, what's next? Ridiculous, really.
The Council has more important matters to deal with.
Perhaps we should just finish this… I was trying to create magic.
Magic? Arcane talents are something you're born with.
They can't be fabricated.
Actually, I believe it is possible.
Has anyone even tried it before? The Arcane is the curse of our world.
My race was nearly destroyed by it.
Surely, we, the pioneers of science, can use it for good.
We're the champions of discovery.
Why fear it when we can master it? Jayce, enough.
This is the city of progress, think of the wonders we could create.
- Let me prove - Enough! You don't understand what's at stake.
But how can you? That's a burden that only I here carry.
Time.
I've seen this power in the wrong hands.
It corrupts, consumes, lays waste to civilizations.
That cannot happen here, my boy.
It must not.
Heimerdinger is right.
Piltover was founded to escape the warmongering of mages, -not cultivate it.
The Ethos is clear.
He must be banished from Piltover.
Please, let me speak! As a lower house, my voice doesn't carry much weight here.
But as a mother, I have a voice that matters deeply.
My son isn't in his right mind.
His entire life, he's chased an impossible dream.
What he did was, uh, foolish and unwise.
But he has a good heart.
Please, let him come home.
A crime like this can't be overlooked.
The boy must be punished.
A violation of the Ethos calls for banishment, but I can sympathize with a young man's dream to change the world.
Perhaps in this matter, a lesser sentence may suffice.
I move that Jayce be summarily expelled from the Academy and remanded to the care of his parents.
All those in favor? You may take your son home, Mrs.
Talis, but he is to never set foot on Academy grounds again.
First time I've been invited to the Lanes.
It better be worth my time.
Ah, you see, that's your weakness, Marcus.
You carry your chin so high, you fail to see the opportunity below.
Who are you? You're looking for four children, the ones running circles around Piltover's finest.
What about it? Don't look so concerned.
I'm about to make your day.
-Can I come in? Hmm.
I still remember the look on your face when you found these.
Jayce, please.
If I hadn't spoken, you'd be lost to me.
I had to say something.
Magic saved your life.
Yes, but it won't save yours now.
You need to let it go.
I could've convinced the Council.
If my own family won't help me, I'll find someone who will.
Oh.
That foolish boy.
Yeah, I must admit, his theory intrigues.
If dangerous ideas didn't excite the imagination, we would never wander astray.
Could it work? Could these stones really invoke magic? Nonsense.
It's far too unstable.
Could you stabilize it? Me? Why would I? That only leads to more problems, and that poor boy has enough of them already.
There.
Come tomorrow morning, his research will be safely disposed of.
Lock up.
No, no, no.
Magic is far too dangerous in the wrong hands.
Will he live? Long enough.
Beautiful, aren't they? Yet, up there on the surface, no one even knows they exist.
They're monsters.
There's a monster inside all of us.
What? No.
No, no! It'll kill me! I'd like to let you in on a very important secret I learned when I was about your age, boy.
You see, power, real power doesn't come to those who were born strongest, or fastest, or smartest.
No.
It comes to those who will do anything to achieve it.
-It's time to let the monster out.
They won't see you.
Your name's no good now.
My dad says you're a misfit, and that we can't be friends anymore.
So, why are you out here? I'm a misfit too, I suppose.
What will you do? Join the Talis hammer business, I guess.
You can't do that.
No, I can't.
Come inside, Caitlyn.
Now.
I'm sorry.
I just wanted to explain… I think you've done enough.
You said this was a robbery.
- Did they take anything dangerous? - Hard to say.
We don't exactly know what we did find, let alone what we didn't.
This mention of magic has the people afraid.
The culprits must be apprehended.
We're doing our best, Councilor.
I assure you.
Your attitude makes me question if your best is up to the task.
Oh, we'll find them.
Don't worry.
We've conducted exhaustive interrogations, frozen commerce for half the district.
With all due respect, Councilor, don't you think we've pushed them hard enough? Do whatever it takes.
Turn the undercity upside down if you have to.
Just find them! Welcome to The Last Drop.
- What can I get you? - Four sump-rats will do.
Search the place.
While you're wasting your time, how about a proper drink? I'll take the strongest shit you got.
Mm.
You be careful with that.
Nearly forgot.
I ran into an old friend of yours.
He had some stories.
You weren't always the peacekeeper, were you? Yeah, well, you can't escape the past.
Right? Be a shame if I had to put them on again.
Cast iron's, well, it's hard to clean.
You people down here are all the same, mistaking arrogance for bravery.
You think you're standing up for something, but we all know there is a crime behind every coin that passes through this place.
You're just a small man in a little hole the world forgot to bury.
And I'm gonna bury the lot of you.
-Are you all okay? No, we're not okay.
They almost saw Powder.
- What if they took her? - No one is taking any of you.
- Never let that happen.
- It's already happening.
You heard him, they won't stop.
We need to fight back.
And if you won't, I will.
I've heard this kind of talk before.
Why are we here? You still don't understand.
What I don't understand is how you can work with them.
We were here.
We saw what they did.
I grew up knowing I'm less than them, that my place is down there.
I want Powder to have more than that, and I'm willing to fight for it.
So was I.
I was angry, just like you.
I led us across this bridge, thinking things could change.
If I hadn't… your parents would still be alive.
I know you wanna hurt the topsiders for what they've done to us.
But who are you willing to lose? Mylo? Claggor? Powder? Nobody wins in war, Vi.
What are we gonna do? The Enforcers will come back.
I… I don't know.
I'll, uh, I'll figure it out.
Am I interrupting? The hell's your problem? What's that? Another list with my name on it? Actually, yes, but only because you signed your notes.
Every page, I might add.
Eh, a little egotistical, don't you think? Is that why you came? To insult me? No, no, I was… I was intrigued by what you said at the trial.
That makes you the only one.
Yes, well, I wanted to talk about your work.
This Hextech theory of yours.
It's not a theory.
I saw with my own eyes what magic can do, the lives it could save.
You've no idea how beautiful it is.
And now it's gone.
No one believed me.
Nobody's ever believed in me.
A poor cripple from the undercity.
I was an outsider the moment I stepped foot in Piltover.
I didn't have the benefits of a patron or a name.
I simply believed in myself.
Which is why I'm here because I think you're on to something.
I want to help you complete your research.
No one thinks it can be done.
When you're going to change the world, don't ask for permission.
I don't even know your name.
It's Viktor.
- Vi, where you been? - Rumor is the Lanes are gonna fight.
Look, I made them for the Enforcers.
These are smoke bombs, and those two are full of nails.
They're gonna work this time, I know it.
Me too.
You know, Powder, what makes you different makes you strong.
Always remember that, okay? What the hell were you thinking, going into The Last Drop? - Do you have any idea what you've done? - I was getting results! - You heard the Council.
- You're a fool.
There is no stopping what happens now.
Maybe it's not too late.