Rated TV-14 (DLSV)

Pamela: Welcome to the show. It's only minutes away from starting. Just keep your eyes as far from the TV as possible, and watch with the lights on, just in case. Let's go!



Narrator: In New York City's fight against crime, the dedicated detectives who pursue the most vicious criminals are members of an elite unit known as ACME Crime Net.

[ACME Crime Net HQ, Saturday, May 27th, 9:42am]

[Pamela unlocks a holding cell and claps cuffs on suspect Gene Olmutz]

Gene: Well?

Pamela: [escorts Gene out] Sorry, Gene. She won't budge. Your arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow. If you can post bail, you'll only be locked up for tonight. But they'll probably ask for more than you got.

Gene: And if I don't?

Pamela: Then you stay there or go to Rikers 'til your trial.

Gene: Could you just let me talk to Mrs. Tolliver? I'll try to make her understand.

Pamela: Won't help. She's on fire. She wants you to answer for what you did to her daughter last night.

Gene: Cara wanted it. We love each other. She's pregnant, I wanna marry her in a few years.

Pamela: You're 19, she's 16. There's laws against that here in New York, in case you haven't heard.

Gene: So that's it? I'm as good as jailed.

Pamela: Only if they convict you. Lucky for you, Gene, they're only charging you with an E felony. If you behave well, you could be out within a year. Take him to the Tombs, boys.

[Other officers take Gene away]

[Cut to the Tombs; a warden reports to a group of new prisoners, including Gene]

Warden: Boys, your stay here is brief, but will feel like an eternity if you make trouble. Save your pleas of innocence, police brutality, entrapment, evidence tampering, and the like for your attorneys. You'll be fingerprinted, photographed, cavity-searched, and assigned a cell. Chow is at 7:00, noon, and 6:00, and lights out at 9:30. Enjoy your stay.

[After Gene is processed, he is sent to a cell with two other inmates at cell block H]

Gene: Damn, that smell.

Inmate A: We call it jailhouse perfume, bum. Deal with it. Not that you'll be here long, anyway.

[He notices that the other inmate is unconscious in bed]

​Inmate A: What's that punk doin' in my bed? Yo, Nandez! On your feet.

[He rolls said inmate off his bed; Gene notices blood on the sheets]

Gene: Oh, my God! Guard! Help!

[Later, Sora, Pamela, and Dr. Cassandra Cornell inspect the scene of the crime]

Pamela: What's his story, Doc?

Dr. Cornell: Victim was sodomized. Bled out internally. Probably perforated the colon.

Sora: Good God.

Pamela: Victim's name: Ramon Fernandez, nicknamed Nandez. Tomb intake records show that he's only been here for nine hours, one infirmary visit.

Dr. Cornell: Liver temperature: 96 degrees, so at most, he's been dead for about four hours.

[Cut to Gene's cell; Sora confronts the first inmate]

Sora: Just you and Nandez in the cell, and you didn't speak to him?

Inmate A: All I said was hi. And I won't say what he told me.

Sora: What, he break your heart?

Inmate A: [scoffs] He was Dominican. I heard they're animals.

Sora: You don't sound any different. Three domestic disturbance calls in the last three weeks, and on the third, you stabbed your lover.

Inmate A: He landed the first blow, the bastard.

[Sora and Pamela walk down the cell block]

Pamela: How's he look?

Sora: Thinks Nandez didn't want anything to do with him 'cause he was... Well,... gay.

Pamela: Considering the jailhouse routine, few people had access.

Sora: I heard there are ways around the system if you feel like racking up Dominican bodies.

Pamela: Think maybe it's a Mexican-Dominican prison war?

Sora: Who knows?

[Cut to the warden's office]

Pamela: Back in the 2000s, Mexicans would transport drugs, Dominicans would distribute. Everyone just wants a bigger piece of the pie.

Warden: That's why we upgraded our tracking system to keep them separated. But no system is foolproof.

Sora: Are there any Mexicans awaiting court transfer, sir?

Warden: Four, but they're all in different cell blocks.

Sora: Any chance they had access to Nandez?

Warden: Don't see how. Inmate movements are limited. He didn't move from his cell at all.

Sora: He went to the infirmary before he died.

Warden: After processing, then he was locked down. [looks through the records on his computer] Wait a sec. Spoke too soon. Samuel Guerrero was complaining about a toothache, so he went to the infirmary.

Pamela: Was he escorted to the nurse while Nandez was there?

Warden: Sorry, Miss Mosley. Their visits overlapped.

Pamela: What's Guerrero in for?

Warden: One murder. What else? I'll have a guard bring him to a cell.

[Cut to a holding cell; Sora and Pamela confront Sam Guerrero (played by Noel Gugliemi)]

Sam: 'Sup, beef?

Pamela: Ramon Fernandez.

Sam: Nandez? Oh, yeah. Heard be bought the farm today. Should be stiff at this point, si?

Pamela: What, you think it's funny?

Sam: Yeah, vaca. Laugh a mo'!

Pamela: Well, how's this for a punch line? You don't cooperate, I'll make it my business to have the guards transfer you to cell block C.

Sam: Big deal, chica. One cell's as good as another.

Pamela: C block's Dominican deep, Sam. They wouldn't like what you did to their brother.

Sam: If it was me, but it wasn't.

Pamela: I think you forced your way into the infirmary. I think your tooth's okay.

Sam: [points at his teeth] These your teeth or mine? The pain was excruciatin'.

Sora: What's the nurse gonna tell us when we get in touch with her?

Sam: You chicas gimme too much credit. I didn't even know Nandez was gonna be in the infirmary.

Sora: Opportunity knocked at your door, Sam. You're Mexican-American, Nandez was Dominican. Too easy a close.

Sam: If you make it up.

Pamela: No need. We checked your prison records. Where do you get off forcing your fellow inmates to bend over?

Sora: You rape him with a mop or broom?

Sam: I only went to the infirmary to make nice with the nurse. I won't be seein' women for the next 25 years least if they hook me. Might as well be prepped.

Pamela: What makes you think that the nurse would even talk to you?

Sam: Had she been alone, I'd have made her do more than that.

[Cut to the infirmary]

Nurse: I knew Guerrero was lying from the top. No abscesses, no redness, no swelling.

Sora: Was he ever alone with the vic?

Nurse: No. He'd been harassing me all the time.

Pamela: Well, what was wrong with Nandez?

Nurse: I had no idea he had a serious injury. And when he came in to throw up, I checked his vital signs. Slight fever. I figured he had the flu, so I gave him Pepto, and said he was okay.

Pamela: And who escorted him?

Nurse: An intake guard. Noah Schreiber. Seemed pretty steamed, not that I blame him or anything.

Pamela: What set him off?

Nurse: Nandez called him ugly names.

Sora: Guard's gotta be thick-skinned.

Nurse: Not Noah. Another guard just exposed him not long ago.

Pamela: How long as Nandez here?

Nurse: Noah took him to the showers after I gave him the meds, and I could hear Nandez screaming down the hall. He didn't want Noah to touch him.

[Cut to the locker room; Sora and Pamela speak with Noah Schreiber]

Noah: I'm already late, so what gives?

Sora: I heard you had a problem with Ramon Fernandez. He was tough to deal with.

Noah: Nandez? [scoffs] No more than any other hump comin' through.

Sora: Little birdie told me it got personal between you guys.

Noah: Not at all, Miss Naegino. Been insulted a lot worse by some of my co-workers.

Pamela: I'm sure it probably still bugged you.

Noah: This isn't exactly a healthy environment. I learned long ago not to take things personally.

Pamela: You escorted Nandez straight from the infirmary to the showers?

Noah: Uh-huh. He barfed all over himself after he left the nurse.

Sora: Anyone else in the shower when you got there, Noah?

Noah: No, why?

Sora: Anyone come in while you were there?

Noah: [stashes his lunch bag in his locker] Damn. I'm a suspect because I'm gay, aren't I?

Sora: No. It's because you were the last person who had access to the victim.

Noah: And since I'm a sodomy specialist, I did this to teach the homophobe a lesson. That your theory? Look, ladies, I didn't touch him. He showered, got dressed, and I took him to his cell. No more.

Sora: What time did you sign out?

Noah: Quarter past midnight and rushed straight home.

Sora: Can anyone prove you didn't come back here?

Noah: Legal Aid, Shane Portland.

[Apartment of Shane Portland, FDR Drive, 12:57pm]

[Sora and Pamela approach the apartment; Sora knocks on the door]

Pamela: Shane Portland, police!

[Shane Portland himself (played by Will McCormack) opens the door]

Portland: How can I help you?

Sora: Could we speak to you privately, Mr. Portland?

Portland: Can we be brief? My wife's got lunch on the stove.

Pamela: It won't be long. Hallway.

[Portland follows Sora and Pamela to the hallway]

Portland: What's this about?

Pamela: Noah Schreiber.

Portland: He in any trouble?

Pamela: No, we just need to verify his whereabouts last night.

Portland: Please understand, this doesn't happen all the time. When my wife's away, we get together. It's not what you think.

Pamela: We're just looking for a time frame.

Portland: I was with him 1:00-6:00 in the morning.

Pamela: Okay. Thanks, Mr. Portland. Go back to your wife.

[Office of Medical Examiner Cassandra Cornell, 1:34pm]

[Sora and Pamela watch as Cornell examines Nandez's body]

Dr. Cornell: The foreign object was introduced with such force that it punctured his colon.

Pamela: God. How much time would it have taken to bleed out?

Dr. Cornell: Hours. 12 at least. Blood clot held for a while 'til it ruptured.

Pamela: So he probably wasn't attacked at the Tombs?

Dr. Cornell: Doesn't seem likely.

Sora: The nurse and guard said he was sick at the intake desk.

Dr. Cornell: I found evidence of peritonitis. Such an infection would cause nausea, vomiting, and a temp spike. Liver temp was 96, TOD was three hours earlier, so he had a 101-degree fever.

Sora: So he arrived at the Tombs before midnight, and between 4:00 and 5:00am, he was dead.

Pamela: He bled internally before he got transferred. A cop must've sodomized him from inside the precinct.

[ACME Crime Net HQ, 2:16pm]

Greg: Are we sure the perp's a cop? Maybe he was injured before he was arrested.

Sora: Well, the 2-3 says that Ramon Fernandez was caught at around 8:00pm. He didn't show up at the Tombs until about midnight. He was sick by the time he got there. He went to the infirmary, the showers, then to bed, and never woke up.

Greg: And where was he processed?

Pamela: 3-9. Arresting officers: Henry Tripp and Mike Marsh.

Greg: I'll have their jackets pulled. Joyce McKinnon is the CO. See her first. I'll call her.

[39th Precinct, 2:39pm]

Sergeant: Logbook for the day shows the collar was routine. Nandez was cuffed at 8:00, transported 11:15 at the latest.

Sora: Over three hours of your average booking time?

Sergeant: Depends on the arrest. Though it was pretty straightforward, even though he resisted and attacked one of my guys.

Pamela: Who?

Sergeant: Bruce Hodges. After the brawl, he was put out on medical. He'll be out 'til next week.

Sora: Was it serious?

Sergeant: Blow to the head.

Pamela: What can you tell us about the arresting officers?

Sergeant: They're pretty straight-up. Can't tell with Marsh, though. He's a rookie. Now, Tripp-- He gets the job done.

Sora: Not always how you like it.

Sergeant: Tripp's a little free with his hands.

Sora: I heard this precinct is right in the center of drug territory. Sometimes a cop has to flex on the dealers to get attention.

Sergeant: Not this precinct.

Sora: Where are they now?

[Later, outside a nearby hotel, Sora and Pamela walk up to Officers Henry Tripp (played by Dean Winters) and Mike Marsh (played by Brian Stepanek) at a sector car parked out front]

Marsh: Hey, Naegino, long time, no see.

Sora: Officer Marsh. [to Tripp] Officer Tripp, is it?

Tripp: Mm-hmm. Who's your friend here?

Pamela: Detective Pamela Mosley. This is my first homicide case. Can we talk to you guys a minute?

Tripp: Sure. What about?

Pamela: Ramon Fernandez.

Tripp: [chuckles] Kinda surprising when a drug dealer buys the farm, eh?

Sora: Ever had a run-in with him before?

Marsh: Yep. We popped him three or four times in the past few weeks. Teflon dude. One time, a judge threw out the crack with which we pinched him, 'cause we found it in his mouth. Said it was an illegal search.

Tripp: We were pissed, but not enough to take him out. Just to make things clear, we played by the book on that arrest.

Sora: What happened that night?

Tripp: Street brawl outside the Club Forte. Spot for trouble. Four sector cars arrived to disperse the crowd. Nandez got caught in the confusion.

Marsh: But once he took a whack at poor Hodges, that was it. We put him in bracelets and headed to the house.

Pamela: Make any stops?

Tripp: We didn't have the time to tune him up, if that's what you're thinkin'. No, the call came at 7:00, and booking started at 8:00. Took that long to keep the scene in check. That place-- Quite the conundrum.

[Club Forte, 494 9th Avenue, 4:06pm]

[Pamela chats with a bartender]

Pamela: Do Dominicans and Mexicans ever mix it up in this club?

Bartender: Not inside. This club's a safe haven. Everyone's welcome.

Pamela: I heard there's no such thing between Dominicans and Mexicans.

Bartender: That's where you're wrong, newbie. Even gangsters need a safe place like this to take his babe.

Pamela: [shows him a photo of Nandez] Know this guy?

Bartender: Nandez. He was here last night with his bae. They was celebratin' her pregnancy. I remember 'cause she asked for milk, but I don't serve it here.

Pamela: You see him go outside?

Bartender: Not 'til them coppers showed up and popped him, right before the street brawl.

[Back at HQ, Pamela and Sora look through photos of the arresting officers]

Pamela: Tripp and Marsh had reason to hurt him. They'd arrested him four times, yet he kept dodging each charge.

Sora: So they chose to beat him up instead.

Pamela: I think the tune-up went too far. Maybe Tripp and Marsh took a turn for the worse. Now they have to cover each other's back.

Greg: What's the evidence support?

Pamela: Well, before the arrest, Tripp and Marsh didn't have the time to do the deed. Hodges came in to back them up. After Nandez slugged him, the other two cuffed him and put him in the car.

Sora: It was corroborated by the other cops on the scene. Central was notified that Nandez was in custody, 10 minutes back to the house, and the logbook confirms it. That's why the murder had to happen within the precinct.

Pamela: And how'd they pull it off without any witnesses?

Greg: A lot of us at NYPD have had our share of doing time in uniform. Perp hurts a cop, cop gets a free shot.

Sora: [shows the duty log] Duty log has Officer Bruce Hodges reported to the clinic 8:00pm, blow to the head.

Greg: Question being: Did Hodges go home or back to the precinct to give Nandez his comeuppance?

Pamela: I'll set him down.

Greg: Hope you know what you're doing, Pamela. You may be a few years older than Sora, but you're still new to ACME. Be careful around Hodges, just in case.

Pamela: Yes, Captain Lee.

Greg: Sora, I want you and Layla to comb the 3-9 with CSU. Whatever you find, walk through the lab.

Sora: You wanna narrow it down, Captain?

Greg: To do such damage takes privacy. Start with the sector car, interrogation rooms, and lavatories.

[39th Precinct, 5:30pm]

[Pamela interviews Bruce Hodges (played by Matthew Perry)]

Pamela: This guy Nandez-- He's dead.

Hodges: If you're trying to pop me for it, don't I need my rep?

Pamela: No, I just need your account of what happened last night.

Hodges: 2-3, Pamela.

Pamela: Did Nandez deserve it on account of him always evading the charges, or just because he beat you?

Hodges: In a game this high-stakes, your number comes up sooner or later. Makes no difference if it's us or the streets. End of the line.

Pamela: So what do you think happened?

Hodges: Some cellmate in the Tombs punctured his colon.

Pamela: How do you know that's how he died? That information wasn't released to the public

Hodges: Cops gossip.

Pamela: Well, then they didn't give you all the details. The autopsy shows that he was attacked here, not in jail. How do you explain that?

Hodges: I can't. I got injured and went to the clinic.

Pamela: [looks at Hodges' hospital records] They released you at 8:30. Where'd you go afterwards?

Hodges: Straight home.

Pamela: Oh, really? 'Cause your desk sergeant claimed you came here to get something from your locker.

Hodges: Yeah, just for a few minutes. Then I went home.

[There is a knock at the door]

Hodges: Come in.

[Sora enters and signals for Pamela to follow her out]

Pamela: Excuse me.

[She gets out of her seat and heads for the door]

Hodges: So, can I go?

Pamela: You're probably gonna need your rep now. [exits with Sora]

[Cut to the bathroom; the duo inspects it with a blacklight]

Sora: The blood trail leads out of the stall.

Pamela: So they sodomized Nandez with whatever was handy here.

Sora: [notices a toilet plunger] And look!

[They walk up to the plunger and finds that there's traces of blood on top]

Pamela: Here's our murder weapon.

Sora: Until we type it, this blood could've come from anyone, including the perp.

[Office of Captain Greg Lee, 6:11pm]

[Entering the office is Lt. Joyce McKinnon (played by Frances McDormand)]

Greg: Lt. McKinnon.

Lt. McKinnon: Captain Lee. Detectives Naegino, Mosley. [takes a seat] Came straight from 1PP. Officer Hodges gave his confession and wants to make a deal.

Sora: The public won't agree to that. They want him off the streets for good.

Lt. McKinnon: That's why the brass wants it kept quick and quiet.

Pamela: But what about his associates? Nandez and Hodges weren't alone in that bathroom. He had help.

Lt. McKinnon: Not quite Hodges' story, newbie. He understands that if he cooperates, he gets leniency.

Pamela: Captain?

Greg: We make deals with perps all the time.

Pamela: Well, cops should be held to a higher standard.

Lt. McKinnon: The Chief of D's called it, the DA's been notified. Done deal. 'Nuff said.

[Cut to the interview room with Hodges, his attorney Lennie Woodrow, and Alex]

Alex: We got your client cold for depraved-indifference murder, Mr. Woodrow. 25 to life, and dirty cops don't do very well in prison.

Woodrow: Murder, for a dead drug dealer? Laughable.

Alex: The victim's not laughing. Matter of fact, he's dead.

Woodrow: Don't be naive, Alex. Nandez's miserable life would be jury fodder. But I'm sure no one wants that. So let's be reasonable, okay? Man-two, he does 8-10 years.

Alex: Murder-two, 15-25. This is a one-time offer. Your client sodomized a man so violently that he bled to death. No way in Hell am I offering anything less than double digits.

[Woodrow whispers in Hodges' ear, then turns to Alex]

Woodrow: Man-one, 10-20.

Alex: You got a deal.

[He exits the room; Greg awaits outside with Sora and Pamela]

Greg: Bad idea, Alex.

Alex: Do I look like I'm having fun? Your bosses and my bosses just want this off our hands.

Pamela: But there's no way Hodges acted alone.

Greg: No proof he didn't.

Pamela: The victim was a drug dealer and a homophobe, Captain. What Hodges did to him is tantamount to his worst nightmare!

Sora: He would've had to kick like a mule to make it stop.

Greg: You act as if Nandez was held down.

Sora: He had to be!

Pamela: And whosoever helped Hodges do it is gonna get off without so much as a slap on the wrist!

Alex: Unless you find me evidence. Then the deal's off. Call me. [exits]

Greg: I got my orders. Unofficially, the case is closed. Work quickly and stay under the radar.

[Office of the Medical Examiner, Sunday, May 28th, 9:44am]

[Pamela enters just as Cornell has finished examining Nandez's corpse]

Dr. Cornell: Good timing, Pam. I just finished the autopsy.

Pamela: Please tell me you have evidence supporting at least two perps, Doc.

Dr. Cornell: There had to be. Vic's got deep tissue bruising on his hands and knees consistent with the title in the precinct lavatory.

Pamela: On all fours. Figures he had to be so Hodges could have access.

Dr. Cornell: He's also got a long, cylindrycal bruise across the back of his shoulders, which indicates that he was forcibly held down. Now, a knife stick to the neck would get the job done.

Pamela: But Hodges still could've acted on his own. Nandez was cuffed. Then again, he wasn't shackled, so why didn't he fight back?

Dr. Cornell: His bruise is deep, so someone else had to apply pressure with all their weight.

Pamela: Then all we gotta do is dump his phones, and we'll find out for whom he's covering.

[Back at HQ, the entire cast of KS goes through Hodges' LUDs]

Pamela: Look, here's another one. 63 calls between Hodges and Tripp in the last 60 hours.

Layla: Phone calls don't put Tripp in the bathroom with Hodges.

Sora: Forensics won't help, either.

Mia: Any trace evidence found on Nandez can be explained by physical contact during the arrest.

Anna: If Hodges and Tripp were together, other cops had to have seen them.

Layla: And if 1PP finds out we're digging, we'll be shut down. Captain Lee wants us all to stay out of the 3-9. Right now, focus on Hodges. Dig in his life, and you might find a connecting thread to Tripp.

Pamela: Numerous calls went to a residence registered to a Tabitha Randall.

Sora: Girlfriend?

Pamela: She'd better be.

Layla: Well, let's see how close they are. They're not married, so any pillow talk is admissible.

[Apartment of Tabitha Randall, 320 West 36th Street, 11:11am]

[Sora and Pamela meet with Tabitha Randall (Courtney Cox)]

Tabitha: I know Bruce has been arrested, but no one told me what for.

Pamela: How long have you known him?

Tabitha: I met him at the hospital when his brother OD'd. I'm a nurse. Poor Bruce took it really hard. Parents were dead. Sid practically raised Bruce himself.

Sora: How often did you two see each other?

Tabitha: Whenever he was taking off or on his breaks.

Sora: Did you meet any of his friends?

Tabitha: A few. Why do you ask?

Pamela: We think he might be taking the heat for some of them. That possible? Tell you what, maybe we should take this down to the precinct and get a more formal statement from you, Tabitha.

Tabitha: It's about that drug dealer, huh?

Pamela: Hodges came up against quite a handful, so you might wanna be more specific with me if you wanna help him.

Tabitha: All I know is his name was Jimenez. Bruce was hot for him, said he moved too much weight, and was slipping through the system.

Sora: And he hated drug dealers?

Tabitha: With a passion. Said Jimenez was too slick to get caught. So he tailed him to catch him in the act. Then he busted him with a gram. Then Jimenez whipped out his knife. All Bruce could do was shoot him. He was totally messed up about it for a while, until I gave him a new perspective.

Sora: Your take?

Tabitha: He was a creep, Sora. A drug dealer, for God's sake. Bruce was saving someone else's big brother.

[Outside the apartment, Sora is on her iPhone and taking notes]

Sora: Got it. Thanks. [hangs up] Good news, Pamela. Tabitha wasn't lying. Two months ago, a drug dealer named Mario Jimenez expired. Except he wasn't shot. His throat was cut.

Pamela: So much for self-defense. Where'd they find the body?

Sora: Dead in the center of the 3-9. Homicide mentioned a cylindrical bruise across his throat, but not across his back. Could be a chokehold. But two dead drug dealers still doesn't put anyone else with Hodges in that bathroom when he killed Nandez.

Pamela: Maybe a pattern will. Let's see if we can connect any other dealers to Hodges and Tripp. I'm sure a jury will buy the fact that they worked together.

Sora: I'll check with Cornell and have her pull any matching files from the morgue.

Pamela: Tell you what, I'll meet you back at the office.

[She exits]

[Cut to the squad room at the 39th Precinct; Pamela walks up to the desk]

Sergeant: Detective Mosley, how can I help you?

Pamela: That duty roster-- Could I have another look?

Sergeant: What for? Investigation's closed, Hodges is in custody, he made a deal.

Pamela: Actually, I'm working on a separate case. But I'm not at liberty to discuss it. Just like to see the logbook from two months ago.

Sergeant: Get authorization from your CO, come back. I'm here 24/7.

Pamela: Get it straight, Sarge. I'm not one of your officers. I got a lead on a homicide, and before passing my facts along, I'd like to check them first.

Sergeant: What're you lookin' for?

Pamela: Tell me, when a drug dealer named Jimenez was killed two months ago, whose sector car responded?

Sergeant: Two months ago, you say?

Pamela: Yeah. The 3-1.

[The sergeant looks through the logbook]

Sergeant: Hmm... Ah. Hodges and Tripp were partnered that day. They rode together all the time 'til Tripp made Field Training Officer a few weeks ago.

Pamela: Thanks, Sarge. [exits]

[Outside Officer Tripp's house, Pamela approaches just as Tripp has parked his Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 S; Tripp comes out]

Pamela: Sweet ride, Officer Tripp.

Tripp: Out with it, Pamela. Whattaya want?

Pamela: [looks in the garage] A Stingray in your garage? Must've been working overtime for months to buy these cars.

Tripp: Cool it. If IAB wants to dig, let 'em.

Pamela: I wanted to talk to you about Bruce Hodges.

Tripp: [closes his garage] Nothin' to say. Heard he took a deal.

Pamela: I just wanna make sure it sticks.

Tripp: Any reason why it shouldn't?

Pamela: 10-20 years in prison. Pretty tough for a cop. He could change his mind, make trouble. So I dug in his background and talked to his girlfriend. She told a very interesting story about this drug dealer Mario Jimenez. Claims that Hodges shot him in self-defense. Back then, you were his partner, right?

Tripp: What's it to you?

Pamela: He wasn't shot. His throat was slashed. How do you explain that?

Tripp: Vengeful street punk. We get to the scene, and Jimenez is carved like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Pamela: So this is just your ex-partner playing the hero to get a girl?

Tripp: I met that badge bunny. Stories like this get her all juiced up. Get my drift?

Pamela: I find out you kill for a living, I'm gonna nail your ass. Get my drift?

[Back to HQ; Sora awaits as Pamela returns]

Sora: You went to the 3-9?

Pamela: And who says cops don't communicate?

Sora: What the hell were you trying to prove?

Pamela: Look, I didn't want you to get a rip for insubordination on my account.

Sora: I'd rather get a rip. I would've backed your play. I don't want you to get in trouble on your first homicide case.

Pamela: All the more reason I went alone.

Sora: Anyway, there's a detective from fraud waiting. Care to fill me in?

Pamela: I requested a look at Tripp's financials, and from the looks of things, he's livin' large.

Sora: Think Hodges had a hand in this?

Pamela: If so, protecting a bankroll is one hell of a good reason to confess and stop digging.

[Cut to the KS office w/a detective from fraud]

Detective: Hodges is clean, ladies. Lives frugally, low savings, no assets.

Pamela: You sure about that?

Detective: More than positive. But Tripp's a different story. Reasonable mortgage, within his paycheck limit, homemaking wife, two kids in public school, no red flag.

Pamela: But you don't buy it?

Detective: Uh-uh. His assets are all in his wife's name. Two cars, a condo in Miami, some other scattered real estate.

Sora: How did that slip past Internal Affairs?

Detective: I examined his tax return. Trick is, claim winnings from Yonkers, he covers the taxes, no one's the wiser.

Pamela: Can we prove that the money didn't come from gambling?

Detective: We can check with the casino. Anything above $2,500 is IRS-reportable.

Sora: It'll probably take more time than we've got.

Pamela: Day after tomorrow, Hodges is gonna allocute. Tripp's on the take, but not Hodges. Why's he holding out?

Sora: Maybe Hodges doesn't know what his ex-partner's been up to.

Detective: I'm sure it's statistical improbability that Mrs. Tripp won so much so often. Know where all that money's really coming from?

Pamela: My guess: Payment for corpses.

[Later that night, only Pamela is left in her group's office; Alex enters]

Alex: What couldn't wait until morning, Pamela?

Pamela: I need a wiretap.

Alex: On who?

Pamela: Bruce Hodges' former partner, Henry Tripp.

[She hands Alex a photograph of Tripp]

Alex: Is he involved in this?

Pamela: We think that he got paid to kill Ramon Fernandez and another drug dealer. He's got an awful lot of money on a cop's salary.

Alex: And Hodges?

Pamela: Drug dealers killed his older brother. Hodges out for revenge, while Tripp is doing it for profit. But we don't know who the latter's working for. That's why I need a wiretap warrant.

Alex: This is gonna take waking up a judge, but I need something more compelling.

Pamela: What, Tripp's financial records aren't compelling enough?

Alex: Not without solid proof of where the money came from. Why are you still working on this? As a newbie detective to homicide cases, you gotta know when to get some rest.

Pamela: Who else told me to come to you if I had any new leads?

Alex: That was before IAB got involved in this.

Pamela: As long as you get your evidence legally, how you get it makes no difference.

Alex: You're clearly on a crusade. You want Tripp behind bars.

Pamela: Damn right, I'm on a crusade. He's a murderer. How many bodies do you think he racked up for that Mercedes and that Corvette?

Alex: Good question.

[Cut to Cornell's office early the next morning with Sora, Pamela, and Cornell]

Dr. Cornell: Turns out there's five open homicides with corresponding signatures to your vic. One knife wound, one beaten and kicked, and three were gunshots to the chest. Common denominator's the bruising at the throat.

Sora: And they all shared the same career: Drug slinging.

Pamela: Were the bodies found at the 3-9?

Sora: Where else?

Pamela: Doc, I'm thinking that Hodges was out for blood, but Tripp was getting paid.

Sora: Any inquiries from anyone other than us, Dr. Cornell?

Dr. Cornell: Deputy Chief Franklin called, notifying me that homicide detectives from Manhattan North would come and collect the files.

Sora: [to Pamela] Looks like the rumors of your visit to the 3-9 made it to the COs.

Pamela: Well, let's see what they have to say about a cop killing off drug dealers for money.

[Office of Assistant District Attorney Alejandro Garcia, 9:43am]

Pamela: Alex, you gotta void Hodges' deal. He's guilty of multiple homicides, but his ex-partner's been committing felony murder for profit.

Alex: Where's your evidence?

Pamela: Hodges and Tripp went to Club Forte to roust Nandez, but when they got there, there was a street brawl outside that they weren't expecting.

Sora: When the sector cars arrived, they couldn't kill him, so they had to take him in.

Pamela: So they drive him to the precinct, they take him to the bathroom, they pull his pants down, and the rest is history.

Alex: Okay, that makes sense. But if this was about business, why sodomize him with a toilet plunger?

Pamela: We believe that those two cops were trying to plant evidence. Nandez was headed toward the Tombs. Guards find drugs during a strip search, that's an extra charge of possession.

Alex: At least another 10 years.

Sora: But the plan blew up in their faces. Hodges took a few lickings in the scuffle with Nandez. He went crazy, and then he gave Nandez the Abner Louima treatment.

Alex: Except he used a plunger, not a broom handle. But you still didn't answer my question. Where is your evidence?

Pamela: Five dead dealers, all unsolved homicides, all with the same deep-bruising pattern, and all in the 3-9. Same as Ramon Fernandez.

Alex: Let's see if Hodges is up for a new deal.

[Rikers Island Interrogation Room, 3:56pm]

[Alex, Sora, and Pamela converse with Woodrow and Hodges]

Alex: Your present deal's off the table, Lennie.

Woodrow: Look at you, counselor, digging a political grave.

Alex: I'm willing to make you another offer, but if I leave before you give me an answer, you're not gonna see again.

Woodrow: What's this about?

[Pamela hands Hodges photographs of the murdered drug dealers]

Pamela: Recognize these guys?

[Hodges looks through the photos]

Sora: Bumping off drug dealers wasn't gonna fill that hole in your head, let alone get your big brother back.

Hodges: Not that I expected it to, anyway. [points at one photo] I just thought if I found the one who shot Sid, it'd be enough. The dude gave him his first hit of crack. He thought it was funny supplying a cop's big brother day in and day out.

Pamela: Okay, so you got what you wanted when you killed him. Why not stop there?

Hodges: The others would use their blood money to hire the best lawyers to shaft us with our own rules. You think I was gonna live with that? You call that justice?

Sora: Wiping out the competition for profit isn't justice, either.

Hodges: The hell? What profit?

Sora: Somebody paid your partner to kill those guys.

Pamela: See, Hodges, you were on a mission, but Tripp had a side business.

Hodges: This is a load of bullcrap. Tripp wouldn't do that. He hates dealers as much as I do!

Alex: Six counts, murder-one.

Hodges: I didn't do that! I was clearing up the streets, not profiting!

Sora: By murdering dealers.

Hodges: It was supposed to be a reckoning! And we didn't kill them all. I just wanted them out of business for good.

Pamela: Then tell us exactly what went down.

Hodges: I can't.

Pamela: Your ex-pard's a dirty cop. You're nothing like him.

Alex: We need corroborating evidence to put Tripp behind bars for life.

Woodrow: And you'll give my client 25 to life?

Alex: 20 to life.

[Hodges looks on at the gang one by one, then at his attorney, who nods]

Hodges: [sighs] What do you want?

Alex: For starters, a live victim to back your play.

Hodges: All right. There's one dealer doing 20 in Sing Sing. His name's Angel Gutierrez. Tripp shot him, but the bastard survived, so we had to plant a drop gun. We testified that Gutierrez opened fire on us. Not even so much as a blink from the jury.

[Outside the interview room, Sora, Pamela, and Alex sign out]

Alex: If Angel Gutierrez corroborates his statement, text me immediately.

Sora: What's the rush?

Pamela: How 'bout an innocent man in jail for the attempted murder of two cops?

Sora: What's so innocent about a drug dealer? He's probably got a few bodies to his credit. I say we leave him in prison for the next 20 years.

Alex: I can't do that, Sora. If his statement works out, I gotta file an immediate writ for his release.

Sora: I don't know a single convict who wouldn't say that the police framed him.

Pamela: Hodges just confessed to it. Our job is to uphold the law. Remember? What, you condone his behavior?

Sora: I get it, Pamela. It gets old watching these guys get back on the street on technicalities. Dealers know loopholes, you know.

Alex: But you wouldn't dare take the law into your own hands.

Sora: It's not like I haven't thought about it. Every other cop on the job is like that.

Pamela: Sora, you taught me on my very first case that there's a big difference between thinking about what to do and actually doing it.

[Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Ossining, NY, 5:01pm]

[Sora and Pamela interview prisoner Angel Gutierrez (Diego Boneta), who is in a wheelchair]

Angel: What do you want, chicas?

Pamela: Your version of how you ended up here in Sing Sing, Angel.

Angel: Coppers did this. But nobody believed me before, so why should you?

Pamela: We need details.

Angel: I dunno. Maybe I need a lawyer. I don't do well with guys like you without one.

Pamela: We're not trying to jam you up, Angel.

Sora: Speak for yourself.

Angel: What I do to you?

Sora: You're nothing but a drug dealer, so in my eyes, everything you say is suspect.

Angel: Well, thanks to dem coppers, I ain't in the game no more. Not since they shot me, which cost me the use of my legs. Or is that not enough for you?

Pamela: Sora, let me handle this. [to Angel] As for you, can you identify the cops who hurt you?

[She shows Angel a photo array of 39th Precinct cops; Angel points at one of Tripp and one of Hodges]

Angel: Yeah. They wanted me outta business. When I said no, next thing I know, a bullet's lodged in my spine, and I'm convicted of attempted murder. So what happens now?

Pamela: We have a corroborating witness who supports your story, Angel.

Angel: You mean I can finally get outta here?

Sora: Lucky day.

Angel: You don't know the half of it, Sora. Soon as I get home, I'ma file a multi-million dollar suit against the city, the department, and those two cops individually. And your testimony on my behalf is the icing on the cake. So long. [exits]

[On the road, Pamela drives her squad car with Sora riding shotgun]

Pamela: Sora, what is it you have against drug dealers?

Sora: In a way, I'm quite like Hodges. He hates drug dealers after one killed his brother. I hate drug dealers after one almost killed Layla just before we joined ACME about four years ago.

Pamela: I heard about that shooting. And I heard you and Layla helped subdue him.

Sora: Only because we had to.

Pamela: I just hope you don't end up completely like Hodges. I can't bear to see a friend turned into a vengeful monster.

Sora: I know. Sorry I didn't tell you before.

Pamela: Don't worry about it. But right now, I gotta give Hodges the news.

[Rikers Island Interrogation Room, 6:33pm]

Hodges: You're gonna let that crappy wad of trash back on the street?!

Pamela: Yeah. In a wheelchair.

Hodges: Angel Gutierrez is a scumbag!

Pamela: But he still doesn't deserve what you and Tripp did to him.

Hodges: Way I see it, one less dealer to deal with.

Pamela: Whose idea was it to shoot Angel in the first place?

Hodges: Tripp's, but I went along with it.

Pamela: And I suppose it was his idea to kill those guys? You do the dirty work, but only he gets paid for it.

Hodges: Oh, he paid me, all right.

Pamela: How?

Hodges: Three years ago, Tripp and I are answering a domestic. Spouses are going at it. I walk in, never saw the gun. Tripp jumps in between me and the husband, takes the gun clean out of his hand.

Pamela: So you're repaying him by killing people for him? Well, Tripp only did it for two high-performance cars and a condo way down south.

[She walks up to him closer]

Pamela: Testify against him.

Hodges: I couldn't.

Pamela: He betrayed you.

Hodges: I doubt you'd testify against your teammates.

Pamela: Don't gimme that crap, Hodges. If any of them did what Tripp did, you bet your ass I'd rat on them.

Hodges: It's not so easy, Pamela. My partner's like blood.

Pamela: You think he feels the same way about you? He used you! You and your dead brother! He doesn't give two craps about you! When are you ever gonna have the b*lls to accept that?

[Hodges frowns and facepalms]

[In a cave on the outskirts of town, Prescott has seen it all on his iPad]

Prescott: Uh-huh. So, Officer Tripp, you don't want your killing-for-money scheme to go up in smoke?

Tripp: No, Prescott. I'll do anything you ask of me to get ACME out of the way.

Prescott: [hands Tripp a dog tag] Here. You'll need this to equip to your Cyber Demon Gear unit. And for added backup, Savage will sell you a robot. $25,000.

Tripp: I already used up what's left on those cars and the condo. I don't have that kind of money.

Prescott: Okay, then he'll give you one.

Savage: Excuse me?

Prescott: You heard me. Give him the remote to control the robot.

Savage: I don't give anything away for free.

Prescott: My orders are absolute, Savage. I've given you enough money for your faulty old machinery!

[Savage growls]

Savage: As you wish, sir. [hands Tripp the remote] Here. Sharkbot should be enough to take down ACME. Please handle it with care.

Tripp: You got it. [whispers in Savage's ear] Don't worry. As soon as I get paid for killing another drug dealer, I'll pay you for the robot.

Savage: How noble of you. Now, go.

[Tripp exits]

[Back at HQ, Sora and Pamela report to Greg's office]

Greg: Pamela, you deliberately disobeyed a direct order to stay out of the 3-9. Sora, you did nothing to stop her. That's a rip for both of you. One week of docked pay.

Sora: I'll take that over suspension any day.

Pamela: We understand, sir, if it's all you can do.

Greg: I don't think you do. Even as we speak, Flynn is fielding writs from every criminal ever busted by those two cops. Even some from the families of the deceased ones. Guilty or not, they get a free pass.

Pamela: Hodges and Tripp are dirty cops, Captain. How can you expect us to ignore that?

Greg: And because you didn't keep me up to date, we got blindsided. The whole department's facing press scrutiny, millions in civil suits, and not to mention perps back on the streets.

Sora: She was trying to do what's right, Captain. We both were.

[Greg thinks for a moment, then sighs]

Greg: Pick up Tripp. Get that bastard off the streets for good.

[39th Precinct, 7:44pm]

[Sora and Pamela's squad car approaches the precinct building just as Tripp exits the building]

Sora: [comes out of the car] Henry Tripp!

Tripp: What, you stalkin' me?

Pamela: [comes out of the car] You're under arrest for murder!

Tripp: Well, since you're persistent,...

[He whips out his dog tag]

Tripp: Deploy!

[He gets equipped with a brown CDG unit]

Pamela: Whoa! That's one of Prescott's CDG units!

Sora: Tripp, take that thing off now! It's too dangerous!

Tripp: Not until I get rid of you.

[He fires magma missiles at the two girls; they dodge narrowly]

Sora: [to her wristband] 10-13! Requesting backup at the 3-9! We have a dirty cop in a Cyber Demon Gear unit running rampant!

Layla: We're on our way, Sora!

Sora: In the meantime, let's keep him busy!

Pamela: I'm with you.

Sora and Pamela: Kaleido Power!

[They get suited up]

Tripp: Demonitron, get them!

[An army of Demonitron appears and charges at Sora and Pamela, who fight them back]

Sora: Pamela, use your Kaleido Booster! Try the Digimon code!

Pamela: [inputs code 8-1-9] Got it! [fires a volcanic blast at the Demonitron] Volcanic Strike!

[Seven of the Demonitron get hit and melt]

Sora: [inputs code 8-1-9] Here! Let me give you a Hand of Fate!

[She punches five of the Demonitron w/Angemon's attack]

Sora and Pamela: [input code] 1-2-0! Weapons, prana boost!

[Their weapons appear, empowered by prana]

Sora: Arrow of Hope!

[She fires multiple arrows at the Demonitron]

Pamela: Ivory Crossbow, fire!

[She fires multiple steel arrows from her crossbow at the Demonitron; the Demonitron all get stuck and vanish into dust]

Sora: That's the last of them.

Pamela: You're next, Tripp!

Tripp: Not quite. [pushes a button on his remote] Let's see what my Sharkbot can really do.

[A giant robot with a shark head and fins on its back and wrists emerges from the ground]

Tripp: [jumps into the cockpit] Now you're mine!

Pamela: [sighs] If I only had my own machine.

Sora: I have the MechaSwan and my KaleidoBorg, but they might not be enough.

Rosetta: Sora! Pamela!

[Sora and Pamela turn around and notice Layla, Rosetta, Marion, and May (all in Gladiator uniform) flying into the scene]

Pamela: It's the others!

Sora: Perfect timing, guys!

Layla: Sorry we couldn't all make it, but Brittany's still in LA, and the other three are taking the rest of the night off. But they're on standby just in case.

Rosetta: Where's Tripp?

Pamela: [points at Sharkbot] He's piloting that robot up there.

Marion: With only the six of us, we'll have to make do with the Star Borg.

May: She's right. When Mr. Steele upgraded our machines, he also put restrictions on the individual cockpits so that only their respective owners can pilot them. That includes the MechaDove. Now only Brittany can pilot it.

Sora: Then the Star Borg, it is.

All six Gladiators: KaleidoBorgs, deploy now!

[The KaleidoBorgs enter the scene; the core five Gladiators jump into the cockpits, insert their Kaleido Crystals, and the KaleidoBorgs combine to form the Star Borg]

Sora: Jump in, Pamela!

Pamela: Right!

[She jumps into the Star Borg cockpit and joins the other Gladiators]

May: The restrictions only apply to the individual cockpits, but not the group ones, as long as any Gladiators are piloting.

Pamela: This should be fun.

[Cut back outside; the Star Borg faces Sharkbot]

Tripp: Go ahead and use your best bots against me. It won't help you against me and Sharkbot. Surge of the Shark!

[Sharkbot charges at the Star Borg, who tries to hold it back]

Layla: Time to switch helmets! Sora!

Sora: Right! [switches seats with Layla] Helmet KB2, energize!

[Outside, the Star Borg's standard helmet is replaced with Helmet KB2]

Sora: This move's gonna blow you away! Angel Wind!

[Helmet KB2's wings expand and flap fast, blowing Sharkbot off of the Star Borg]

Rosetta: Guys, you keep Sharkbot busy. I'll sneak into its cockpit and try and lure Tripp outside. [jumps out of the cockpit]

Sora: Rosetta!

Layla: I hope this plan works.

[Outside, while the Star Borg keeps Sharkbot at bay by using different Kaleido Helmets, Rosetta flies toward the back of the Sharkbot's neck and finds a secret compartment; she busts the doors open w/her daggers, then flies inside]

Rosetta: [in her mind] I know we have a new Gladiator now, but I haven't done any subduing on my own in a while.

[She flies up to the doors to the cockpit]

Rosetta: [aloud] It's time! [inputs code] 1-5-3! Salatiga, now, come to me!

[Salatiga appears in her right hand; Rosetta slices the doors with it and bursts into the cockpit]

Rosetta: You're through, Tripp!

Tripp: [switches to auto-pilot and gets out of his seat] You're a foolish girl, Diabolo Fairy. You should've left well enough alone. [as his rapier appears in his hand] Try to get by me and my Red Rapier!

[He and Rosetta fight w/their swords]

Rosetta: There's not enough fighting space here. Why don't we take this outside?

Tripp: Fine, then.

[He and Rosetta fly out of the cockpit]

Tripp: Too bad you didn't know that my robot has an auto-pilot mode. Now your chances of destroying it are low.

[He strikes Rosetta w/his rapier]

Rosetta: Auto-pilot can't be trusted, you know!

[She strikes Tripp w/Salatiga, just before it disappears]

Tripp: Lose something?

Rosetta: [inputs code] 1-2-0! Fairy Daggers, prana boost!

[Her daggers become empowered by prana]

Rosetta: Guys, take care of Sharkbot!

[Cut back to the Star Borg's cockpit]

Layla: Got it, Rosetta.

Sora: Layla, Mr. Steele said our Kaleido Boosters could be used to power our machines.

Layla: Let's try it, then. [inserts her Kaleido Booster into the controls] Let's see if these boosters can pack a punch. [inputs code] 0-4-3! Powering fists to level 2!

[Outside, the Star Borg's fists glow bright red (right) and pitch black (left); Sharkbot strikes the Starborg hard w/its finned fists]

Layla: That's not gonna keep us down! Dual Knuckle Strike!

[The Star Borg strikes Sharkbot w/its glowing fists w/the cry of a phoenix and the roar of a dragon; the Sharkbot gets thrown back, falls to the ground, and an explosion is shown]

Tripp: [notices] Hmph. Crappy robot.

[Rosetta conks him on the head with the base of her right dagger]

Rosetta: You're next! [fires a star-shaped barrage of diabolos at Tripp] Star Cradle Barrage!

[Tripp knocks each one back w/his rapier; Rosetta gets struck by each one]

Tripp: You may be strong, but I'm smarter than you.

Rosetta: [inputs code] 4-1-0! Summoning Haniel!

[Natsumi's broomstick (her angel Haniel) appears]

Rosetta: Kaleidoscope! Form of Tripp's rapier!

[Haniel transforms into a replica of Tripp's Red Rapier]

Rosetta: Ready for a dose of your own medicine, Tripp?

[She and Tripp fight rigorously w/their rapiers over the next half minute, until Rosetta's disappears]

Rosetta: Damn! I forgot these borrowed powers can't be used indefinitely.

Tripp: Serves you right for using what's not really yours. [whips out his own gun] So long, Rosetta.

[But just as he is about to pull the trigger, a steel arrow strikes him in the rear end, causing Tripp to drop the gun accidentally; Tripp turns and sees the other five Gladiators approaching (the arrow came from Pamela's crossbow)]

Tripp: You!

Pamela: I did say I'd nail your ass, didn't I?

Tripp: [turns around and pulls the arrow off his rear end] Lucky shot. [grabs his gun and charges at Pamela] You're mine, Mosley!

[He knocks the crossbow out of Pamela's hands and grabs her in a headlock, holding her at gunpoint]

Tripp: Nobody move, or I let the Ivory Eagle have it!

Pamela: Do what you want, Tripp. It's over for you.

Tripp: Shut up!

[He covers Pamela's mouth and puts the gun to her head]

Sora: Pamela!

[She is about to fire an arrow at Tripp]

Layla: Sora, don't! He might use Pamela as a shield.

Tripp: After I'm through with her, you're next. And the same goes for the other four Gladiators, wherever the hell they are.

[He is about to pull the trigger, when suddenly, Rosetta tosses her right dagger at him like a boomerang; the tagger gives him a scratch on the face; Tripp screams in pain and lets go of Pamela as he covers the scratch on his face]

Pamela: [rejoins the others] Good shot, Rose! Thanks!

Rosetta: [as her right dagger returns to her] Don't mention it.

Tripp: [turns to Rosetta] You little bitch! That really hurt!

[Suddenly, the red button on Rosetta's Kaleido Booster flashes]

Rosetta: [notices and gasps] No way! Did I just unlock... my Mega Mode?!

Layla: Push the button!

Rosetta: Right! [pushes the button] Mega Armor, activate!

[Her body glows yellow; she gains butterfly-esque armor; her wings expand and glow brightly; her daggers combine into one powerful weapon: The Fairy Partisan]

Rosetta: Mega-Armored Gladiator!

Tripp: [fires his gun at Rosetta] DAMN YOU!!

[Rosetta slices the bullet w/her partisan, then slices the gun to pieces; Tripp screams]

Rosetta: That was a weak gun. It could never stand up against my Fairy Partisan.

Tripp: [fires magma missiles at Rosetta] But my missiles can!

[Rosetta knocks each missile to bits w/her partisan and strikes him with it]

Tripp: NO!

Rosetta: It's all over, Tripp! [takes to the sky] Fairy Partisan, FINAL STRIKE!

[She bisects Tripp's unit, causing him to electrify; Tripp screams, falls to the ground, and an explosion is shown; after the smoke clears, Tripp, his unit and dog tag destroyed, lies on the ground unconscious]

Rosetta: [reverts to normal] Game over, Tripp.

[The other Gladiators revert to normal; Pamela helps Tripp back on his feet and cuffs him]

Pamela: Henry Tripp, you're under arrest for six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Tripp: [comes to] You got nothin' on me, Mosley.

Pamela: You wish.

[Marsh comes out of the precinct building]

Marsh: Hey, what's goin' on here? What the hell happened to Tripp?

Sora: Step back, rookie.

[Other cops enter and grab Marsh]

Marsh: Hey, I didn't do anything!

Sora: I believe you, but get a lawyer, anyway, just in case.

[She walks up to Rosetta as Pamela escorts Tripp to her squad car]

Sora: Rosetta, that was some stunt you pulled there.

Rosetta: Sorry, Sora, but I haven't battled an enemy singlehandedly in such a long time.

Sora: Well, next time, tell us when you're gonna do something that crazy.

[Pamela walks up to the two]

Pamela: Rosetta, thanks again. You saved my life.

Rosetta: It's a pleasure. I couldn't afford to lose our newest Gladiator so soon.

[She and Pamela shake hands; the gang sets to leave]

Sora: Now, tell us about that new Mega Mode of yours.

Pamela: Yeah. That was awesome!

[Cut back to Prescott's cave]

Temper: So, Tripp has failed.

Prescott: As usual. And yet again, another Kaleido Gladiator gains a Mega Mode. Now, Temper, where's your brother?

Temper: Oh, he's in his room. I'll go check on him.

[He approaches Savage's room; inside, Savage is furious]

Savage: Those Gladiators decimated my Sharkbot! A robot I gave away for free!  [growls] Prescott Vorstein, I curse your name. How dare you cross me. One day, you will get what's coming to you!

[Temper has overheard everything; he lowers his head]

Temper: Savage...

[Office of Assistant District Attorney Alejandro Garcia, Monday, May 29th, 10:14am]

[Tripp, with a scar on his face, stands before Pamela and Alex alongside his defense attorney Ned Logan]

Logan: Is there an offer on the table?

Alex: Concurrent sentences on all counts, 35 to life, no early parole, in exchange for the man who's paying you to kill off those dealers.

Tripp: I can't do it. If it gets out that I give him away, I might as well kill myself, save him a little trouble.

Pamela: You won't do very well in gen-pop, being a dirty cop and all.

Tripp: Oh, I appreciate the comfort.

Alex: You don't cooperate, you'll be stuck in gen-pop for the rest of your life, no parole.

Tripp: I'll take chances with the jury.

Pamela: We've got corroborating witnesses and the bodies you dumped for all that money. You expect the jury to ignore that?

Logan: You better have other testimony than my client's ex-associate.

Alex: We do, counselor. One of their surviving victims corroborates his statement.

Logan: What, that wanted drug dealer who just got released? Come on, Alex.

Alex: Thanks to your client and his ex-partner, that dealer will never deal or walk again. Officer Tripp, this is a one-time offer. Hodges gets 25 to life, you get 35. As far as I'm concerned, you're both getting off easy.

Tripp: Hodges-- How gullible.

Pamela: But at least his motives were pure, compared to you exploiting his grief to get rich.

Tripp: He thought he was on a quest. As if we're gonna rid the streets of drug dealers? [scoffs] Only a dummy would believe all that crap.

Alex: What's it gonna be?

[Tripp thinks for a moment, then grabs a pen and writes down his confession and signs his name]

[Cut back to the Tombs; Pamela interviews Sam again]

Pamela: Smart move, Sam. Getting rid of the competition and paying off a cop to do your dirty work to avoid a war?

Sam: No one said this business wasn't without mercy.

Pamela: This is one sentencing I'm sure to attend. Six consecutive life sentences in Attica, no parole to tack onto the 20 to life you were already facing before, no visitors, no mail, no phone calls, no nothing. If only this state still had the death penalty.

Sam: [snickers] Look at you, Pam, all yeasted up like some kinda heroine. Even if New York did have the death penalty, it'd take a long time's worth of appeals before the execution. A lot could've happened in between. Witnesses probably could've gotten amnesia or died. Never can tell. [sighs] I got a chess game to attend to, esta bien?

Pamela: Good luck with that. It'll be your last game ever.

[She gets a text on her iPhone from Cornell: "Meet at Rikers, pronto."]

Pamela: Adios, Sam. [exits] Guard!

[Cut back to Rikers; Pamela approaches a cell where Dr. Cornell has just finished inspecting Hodges' dead corpse (which has been hanged with towels)]

Dr. Cornell: Suicide. Guards didn't find a note. At most, he's been dead two hours.

Pamela: He just couldn't handle it.

Dr. Cornell: His sentence?

Pamela: Worse. Facing what he did.

[She and Cornell walk out of the cell]

[FINAL NOTE:
Samuel Guerrero was convicted of all charges against him. He was stabbed to death while serving his sentence in Attica Correctional Facility.
Henry Tripp was expelled from the force and, on a plea bargain, is now serving 35 years to life imprisonment in Sing Sing Correctional Facility with no possibility of early parole. All he purchased with the profits from his crimes was seized.
Gene Olmutz, having led the police to one of Guerrero's victims, pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct, registered as a level-1 sex offender for one year, and is serving a one-year suspended sentence.
Cara Tolliver's mother, who reported Olmutz to the police, passed away from a heart attack before Olmutz's sentencing hearing.]


[Clips from the next side-fic are shown]

Temper: Say goodbye to the ordinary demons, because Demonoids are the future!

Prescott: Impressive.

Mechike: ACME will be at your mercy, and soon, so will the world.

Owen: There's something about that robot's voice I don't like.

Shrinkada: I believe you spider brats have a "small" problem on your hands! [laughs]

Alvin: Next time on ACME Crime Net: The Incredible Shrinking Chipmunks.

Simon and Theodore: Vigilance, dedication, courage!

Last edited by TVLubber (2/03/2024 10:30 am)