The Librarians: The Next Chapter (2025) s01e11 Episode Script
And the Graffiti of the Gods
[music playing]
[music continues]
[music continues
on headphones]
[speaking Serbian]
[whistles]
- What?
- [continues in Serbian]
No, I didn't steal anything
from you or your stupid shop.
You're mixing me up
with someone else.
I don't want any
of your dumb stuff.
Leave me alone!
[speaking Serbian]
Leave me alone!
[paint gurgling]
Leave me alone!
What news do you bring me,
soldier?
I found her, Master,
and just in time
for Melpomene's moon.
Then the hour is soon mine,
and even the Librarian
will be unable to prevent
the return of Gregor.
[chanting]
[music playing]
Uh, sir, I'm gonna
need you to sign here,
here, here, fingerprint here,
and drop of blood there.
- And this is?
- A sworn and binding contract
stating that you will not attempt
to travel through time again
without the Library's
express permission.
Now, here's your pen,
your ink pad,
piercing needle
for the drop of blood.
Now, get bleeding, sir.
Mrs. A wants those
in triplicate.
Ooh!
Okay, where does
the Reliquary Of Urd go?
Over there next to Arca of Skuld
and the Feretory of Vahoosh.
- What?
- Green box and the red box.
Okay. It's amazing that this pile of time
travel-tat could cause so many problems.
Indeed, but it was still no match
for my extraordinary team.
- Extraordinary?
- Do you mean us?
Well, of course, I do.
You are magnificent.
You are superb.
You are the best of the best
of the best of the best
of the best of the best.
Maybe when he traveled
back through time,
he hit his head on the 1920s?
I am clear in my own mind.
Avowedly so.
- This-- this is a new me.
- I like Cheerleader Vikram.
He's going to make
missions more fun.
Ah, yes, missions.
I'm afraid, Connor, there will be
no more of those.
- What?
- What?
Missions, no more of.
And there won't be a problem.
Ow! Ow!
This is alarmingly sharp.
Can I do the bleeding
bit later on?
Vikram, you literally just said
that we were the greatest team.
And you are. Not only great,
but greatly precious to me.
Which is why I have decided that from now on
I'll be performing all missions alone,
thus removing any risk
of danger to your persons.
Sir, we have more than proven that
we can look after ourselves.
And I have more than proven
that I am a danger to be around.
Have you forgotten our first meeting when
you were nearly devoured by a Drekavac?
Have you forgotten her? Or the ballet witch
into whose cruel clutches
I entwined you
the very next week?
Or the ghost train
which nearly killed Connor?
Or have you forgotten Paris,
where under the influence
of one of Cupid's arrows,
I betrayed my entire team?
And then finally,
worst of all,
stranding you centuries away
from your own time.
So I've come to realize
that standing by my side
is an extremely perilous
place to be.
- Incoming.
- Buh-buh-buh-buh!
Pay no attention
to the pendulum.
I shall attend the call alone.
Hands up.
Who's going with Vik?
Hmm. That's one thing that's changed
since your day, Vikram.
Democracy.
VIKRAM: It appears that magic
is afoot in the arts district.
CONNOR: Also known as
the other side of the tracks.
- Gran? Gran?
- Hermione? Are you hungry?
Hermione? What has happened?
- Oh, nothing, Gran. I'm okay.
- No, you are not okay.
Your hands are trembling.
Tell me, please.
You won't believe me.
I know you are a good girl.
I know you won't lie.
I saw some graffiti move.
KATHERINE:
Hermione, when did this start?
Have you seen art move
before today?
No. I don't think so. Why?
- [gasps]
- [pounding on door]
[doorknob rattling]
[pounding on door]
[paint crackling]
Stay down.
Hermione, stay down.
Hermione, get down.
[swords and armor clanking]
- [whooshing]
- [grunting]
[grunting, blows landing]
VIKRAM: That's right.
Run, you scoundrels.
Hello. Has anyone been having
any trouble with their art?
I think, maybe, the graffiti
around town is coming to life.
- I know how crazy that sounds, but
- Here you go.
That actually doesn't
sound crazy at all.
For us, that just sounds
like a Tuesday.
And then the art attacked
you inside your home?
The art clambered out and they massed
together in the hall over there.
But before they could come back
and find us, you all
But how did you get here
and who are you?
Well, I am the Librarian.
That's not an answer
to the question I asked.
Oh, well, uh, we have
a sort of a danger detector
and, uh, it led us here.
We arrived through a, uh
space-bending,
distance-compressing portal.
- She means a magic door.
- Yeah, magic door. That's what I mean.
Wow. She finally said it.
And when we arrived through it,
we saw this small army of hoodies.
All this insane art stuff
that was about to attack.
And so we finished the fight.
Librarians, one. Art, zero.
Wait.
You came through a magic door?
Impossible, I know.
But such things
are quite commonplace
when you are in the company
of the Librarian.
Why does he keep
saying it like that?
Okay, so I see the armor.
The storm cloud.
- So where are the hoodies?
- I saw them running down the alley.
You must have scared them off.
I could show you where they're painted
if you'd like.
Something my gran doesn't know,
I painted the hoodies.
Ah, you were
the graffiti artist.
I was just angry.
Living around here,
everything's falling apart.
I wanted to make a point,
I guess.
But it never moved before.
I was running
from this horrible man
when I saw the graffiti
look at me.
The man, can you describe
what he looks like?
Um, yeah, he looked like--
like-- like that!
Mrs. A, I need a door.
Wait, we're going back
to the Library?
No, you are.
Stakes are now too high.
I will handle
the situation on my own.
- But, Vik--
- But nothing.
You could get stuck
in the art,
just like that poor,
paint-stricken shopkeeper did.
And if you stay,
you could get stuck in the--
That will not happen to me,
for I am the Librarian.
Yeah. No, that doesn't work
on us either, Vik.
- Mrs. A, stand down the magic door.
- That's a point.
Why didn't that work on
Hermione's grandmother either?
Maybe you're losing
your edge, sir.
This glitch
has blighted me before,
but only when facing
powerful adversaries.
She's not an adversary.
She's just Hermione's grandma.
- Well, did you find anything?
- Many hooded people.
Hoodies.
Ah, more hooded hoodies.
They were all static.
Hermione's grandmother,
tell me, have you ever seen--
- I have a name. Katherine.
- Forgive me.
Katherine, have you ever seen
the art move before?
- No, never.
- Maybe Hermione used magic paint
- for the hoodies?
- Hermione, you painted them?
It's just--
I wanted to say something
about what it's like
living here.
I want to have a voice.
You vandalized public property.
What have I told you
about taking risks?
If you were caught, you could have
gone to prison. Or worse.
A gift like yours,
people would notice.
- Bad people.
- It's just paint, Gran.
Like all the walls in here,
it's all just paint.
You did all the art
in this flat?
Yeah, to cheer it up a bit.
It's quite a talent you got.
Wait, so it's only Hermione's art
coming alive, no one else's?
Suggesting something in the paint,
like I said, or the brush.
- Or the walls.
- But why would the art attack its artist?
Hermione, can we see
your art supplies?
Sure.
I've got a studio upstairs.
- Come on.
- It's a bit of a squeeze.
I've been in tighter spots,
believe me.
This is my studio. It used to be
a storage unit for the building.
But then a few years ago,
everyone started to move out.
No one was using it
anymore, so
These paintings are exquisite.
Such color, such life.
They really seem as if they could
step out of their frame at any moment.
- Which they might at any moment.
- Indeed.
Which is why I suggest we create
a safe space in this painted house.
Connor, Lysa, Charlie,
take a room and clear it of art.
- Mm, good idea.
- And then lock yourselves inside it.
Ooh, bad idea.
You're giving us a fake job
to keep us away from the real mission.
Not at all. If anything,
yours is the more dangerous task.
Despite the fact that
it is painfully transparent
what Vikram is up to,
he does make a good point.
Creating a safe room could be useful
if we're spending some time here.
If you two want to get on with that,
I'll stay up here with him.
- Charlie, no.
- As is a Guardian's duty to our Librarian.
- Isn't that right, sir?
- Fine.
We will get on with
the art-free safe space.
You guys have got
the weirdest work dynamic.
- What is that?
- This is a magic-sensitive liquid derived
from the saliva of a minotaur.
In the presence of magical artifacts,
it glistens.
Did you take that
from the Library?
I borrowed it
from the Library.
You're supposed to borrow things
from a library.
- Did you get permission?
- Yes.
I distinctly remember telling myself
that it's all right.
Oh, come now, Charlie.
Let's uncover which artistic apparatus
is our magical art artifact, hmm?
- Ugh.
- Ouch!
This flat used to be three flats.
Originally, I just lived in one.
But as people started to move out,
we knocked through.
Once Hermione came to live with me,
we needed extra space.
It's a bit of a maze.
Please don't blink.
So, uh, Hermione's mom and dad?
They moved to America
when Hermione was a baby.
Hence her accent.
She grew up in Portland, Oregon.
Then her parents
There was a car accident
two years ago,
and so Hermione came
to live with me.
I'm sorry. My parents,
I lost them the same way,
so I can appreciate how hard
that must have been.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
So you understand that's why
I'm so protective over her.
I know I drive her mad
half of the time.
It must be frustrating having someone
on your shoulder worrying about you always.
- Well.
- Yeah.
- It certainly can be.
- Will this do?
It's a storeroom.
I tried to use it as a pantry,
but Hermione's art gets everywhere.
- She is certainly prolific.
- She's unique.
- No glistening whatsoever.
- Meaning?
That none of these items
are the magical artifact.
Ugh. If any painting was ever haunted,
it has to be this one.
'Tis neither haunted nor magical.
You sure?
Test it again.
- You don't like clowns?
- No one likes clowns.
I like clowns.
- Yeah, but you're PSK.
- I'm sorry.
Pre-Stephen King.
Hmm. Still no glistening.
[paint gurgling]
It's a shame.
It's rather pretty when it gleams.
Whatever the artifact is,
it is not up here.
Hmm.
Man, I just know any moment now
this thing is gonna blink at me.
You have watched
too many "Scooby-Doo's."
Hey, uh,
what do you make of her?
Do you think
she's a bit suspicious?
Oh, I feel you.
The way Vik's hypno thing didn't work
and the way she behaves like
she's holding something back?
- Maybe guarding a secret?
- Yeah, that's it.
Okay. We just have to keep an eye out
and watch our backs.
- [gasps]
- [yelps]
- Jeez.
- Hey, sorry.
Vikram said you needed help.
Are you okay?
Yeah, she's fine. She's just seen
too many "Scooby-Doo's."
Come, so I think if we clear out
a few more things in the back here
- [whispered chanting]
- What is that?
The lock seems pretty sturdy.
We should be safe enough if we
Where's Lysa?
Stay here.
Lock the door.
Lysa!
[footsteps]
Lysa?
Lysa!
Oh, thank God.
Lysa?
- Lysa, there you are. What are you do--
- [chanting]
[chanting continues]
[chanting continues]
Connor, Lysa, do you hear me?
Do you obey me?
- We obey.
- Good.
The girl, Hermione,
does she trust you?
She does.
Then bring her to me now.
Where have you brought me,
my servant?
We're outside
the girl's home, Master.
Soon she will be ours,
and then--
And then I will be free.
[laughing maniacally]
- No, Connor said stay in here.
- What if he's in trouble?
- What if something happens to you?
- Something is happening to me.
And I can't just hide from it, Gran.
I can't. I have to go.
Hmm. No glistening here, either. Hmm.
What? So nothing in here
is the magic artifact?
No. Basically, the case is closed.
I suggest you gather the others
and go back to the annex.
I'll stick around
and see what else I can find.
No. Seriously, Vikram, no.
What is this?
- Why are you being so--
- What?
Ever since we got back
from the past,
you've been all motherly.
Very well.
You have seen past my carefully
constructed veneer.
I can see it is time
to tell you the truth.
Ever since I arrived in this time,
I never viewed it as my time.
Never my present,
only ever as the future.
A temporary stop on my way
back home to my own time,
to the people that I loved.
This year never felt
real to me at all.
And the people within it,
as much as I cared for you,
you never seemed fully real either.
I'm sorry,
but that is the truth.
Until we returned from the past.
And in choosing to come back
to the present day,
I made this time my time.
No longer merely a future,
but my present. My home.
A place that I was no longer
simply just passing through.
And you, my friends,
my teammates,
you have made it real.
And that is what is so terrifying
for me right now.
- You're worried you'll lose us.
- Just as I finally found you.
I have lost so much, Charlie.
So, so much.
And I could not bear the thought
of losing any one of you now.
Connor, Lysa, can you hear me?
- Hermione.
- Lysa, wait. I'm coming.
Thank God you're all right.
We've got to go.
Where's Connor?
He's fine, come on.
We've got to go.
[yelps]
It's okay. Come with me.
You'll be safe, I promise.
Quick.
- Come on, quick.
- Gran?
[screaming]
Hermione, what happened?
My Gran, she was made of paint.
And the sad clown--
they took Connor and Lysa upstairs.
VIKRAM:
The extra clown, it's Lysa.
CHARLIE: And with Katherine,
that's Connor.
But that smear, Connor did that.
The Gran I saw downstairs,
that wasn't really her.
It was this painting
come to life.
And then it took them
and trapped them in here.
I failed them.
I failed them both.
Sir.
I should have sent them far away from here.
We'll get them back.
Right? There's a way.
I should be a better Librarian!
Then be better.
- Figure it out like you always do.
- How?
Notice the thing no one else has noticed.
Oh, yes. Think.
Think things.
Things I have observed.
Things out of place.
Things
- Hermione, how old are you?
- 17.
17, and you can paint like this?
You must have started
at a young age.
No, not really.
Well, not at all actually.
I was never that interested
in art until
Until what?
You got new paint?
You wished upon a star?
You gave cotton to a pixie?
Nothing like that. No.
Just like six months ago,
I got, like, really good
at art overnight.
Six months ago we released
magic back into the world.
Could it be?
Hermione, what is your family name
on your mother's side?
- Pavlis.
- Pavlis!
Oh, Pavlis! Now that does not
sound Serbian at all.
No. No, in fact,
that sounds Greek.
Greece. Of course.
Oh, that explains it.
Oh, your grandmother's
resistance to my charm.
The presence of magic
with no magical artifact.
And your Greek heritage!
Oh, Hermione,
it all comes down to you.
Only you can release our friends
from the paintings.
But how?
I didn't put them in there.
Yes, my darling,
I'm afraid you did.
Enough with the subterfuge!
Find the girl
and bring her to me now.
Hurry! Cover the front
and the back of the building.
This door is exceedingly solid.
I know.
I've been careful in case
In case what?
In case people like these
ever came for Hermione tonight.
- Tonight? What's tonight?
- Melpomene's moon.
Melpomene's moon!
Of course!
Can you stop knowing so much
about things I don't know about?
Melpomene's moon
is the moon of the Muses.
Finally, something I've heard of.
The Muses were great goddesses
of the arts
who were supposed to inspire
great artists and writers.
But wait. Were they real?
Perhaps that is a question
you should ask of their descendants.
- They've gone quiet.
- I think they're regrouping.
- Gran, are we
- Through the female blood, yes.
We are the descendants of the Muses.
Their power died long ago
in our family line,
and it never came alive for me.
But I knew that there was
a chance that, for you
When magic was released back into the world,
it activated your gift.
Not only can you create great art,
but you can bring it to life.
CHARLIE: That's why there was
no magic artifact.
- Hermione is the magic.
- All that power.
And of course,
she could not control it.
So it turned against her.
Wait.
What's Melpomene's moon?
A celestial event.
It happens once every 17 years.
If someone wanted to steal
the power of the Muse,
then they would need
to sacrifice the Muse
in the light
of Melpomene's moon tonight.
- Sacrifice me?
- KATHERINE: Yes, my darling.
This is what I have tried
to protect you from.
All this time, I thought
you were just strict.
But why would anyone want the power
to bring pictures to life?
To raise an army.
An invincible army
of heroes and gods
taken from the paintings
of classical mythology.
And unlimited riches
from paintings of treasure.
A duplicate of anyone who has
ever had their portrait painted
under the control
of one malignant mind.
But who?
Who's doing all this?
LYNCH: Vikram Chamberlain,
I know you're in there.
Ah, Winslow Lynch.
So, Gregor's Hammer,
they are the force behind this.
Gregor's Hammer?
Aren't they, like, a joke?
It appears they amuse no longer.
They're our elite strike force,
utterly loyal to Gregor
and totally fearless.
They're not the art
brought to life hoodies.
They're just nerds gone emo.
Katherine, Hermione,
step back, please.
Did you notice?
We've been recruiting.
Oh, let me guess.
A magic chant hypnotizing your fanbase
layered into the music
you play at one of your jigs.
Uh, it's-- it's "gig," sir.
Yes.
At one of your jig gigs. Hmph!
And you yourselves,
the musicians,
I see Gregor has reincarnated
his brigade of sorcerers into you.
That is how you know
the ancient chants.
Never underestimate
the power of a catchy tune.
- It's a bit of an earworm.
- Oh, it all makes sense!
As descendants of the Muses,
music magic would have no effect
on Katherine and Hermione,
forcing you to recruit others
to kidnap them.
- What do you want, Lynch?
- It's very simple, Librarian.
You give me the girl,
and we leave.
Well, that doesn't seem
very likely now, does it?
You may have grown in confidence
in numbers, but not in intelligence.
She's under our protection, Lynch.
- Turn around and walk away.
- Please, just hear us out.
A-one, a-two,
a-one, two, three, four!
- Cover your ears.
- [chanting]
[chanting continues]
LYNCH:
Do you hear me, Librarian?
[stilted]
I hear. I obey.
I also obey.
You will succeed where
your colleagues failed.
Connor and Lysa were taken
by the art trapped in the paintings.
As I thought. This art will do anything
to protect its Muse.
Bring me the girl.
The paintings were protecting her?
But we thought
they were attacking her.
Thank you, guys.
This intel is a game-changer.
Oh, you're welcome.
Wait. No, stop!
- I enchanted you.
- Yeah, uh, you didn't.
A little anti-music magic trick
I like to call sticking fingers
in one's ears.
Brothers, regroup.
We are such idiots.
Constantly missing
the most obvious explanation.
What's going on?
There are two types of hoodies,
the ones you animated
and the new acolytes
of Gregor's Hammer.
Only the acolyte hoodies
wish you harm.
Hermione, when the graffiti hoodies
grabbed the shopkeeper,
- he was chasing you, right?
- Yes.
And when the clown and other grandma
abducted Connor and Lysa,
- it's because they wanted to kidnap you.
- Did they?
CHARLIE: Yes, Lynch had them
under his control.
And when we first got here,
those Gregor Hammer hoodies
were trying to abduct you, too,
until the art stopped them.
Because that's what it does, right?
The art always protects you.
It was never trying to attack you.
It was attacking the people
who were trying to hurt you.
Hermione, all this time you've been
controlling it with your subconscious mind.
So if I've always been in control,
then that means I can fight back.
No, Hermione,
it's too dangerous.
- You can get hurt.
- Katherine, I know how you feel.
The things we love, we want
to wrap them in cotton wool.
But when we do, we stop them becoming
the best version of themselves.
If I had just trusted my team,
then maybe they would be here
right now saving the day.
And perhaps,
if we trust Hermione now,
she could be the one
to save us all.
Gran, I can't let people
get hurt because of me.
Before your mother died,
I made a promise to her
and to myself that
I would always protect you.
And you did. You have.
My whole life
you've protected me.
Now please, Gran,
let me protect you.
When you frown like that,
you remind me
of your mother so much.
Give them hell.
Shall we?
Forward!
[snarling]
[thunder]
[shrieking]
[shrieking continues]
I can't believe I did that, Gran.
It felt so-- so natural,
like it's who I was born to be.
Your life now is going
to be very different.
Hermione, I need you
to do something for me.
I need you to release our friends
from the paintings. Can you do that?
Bring them back to me, please.
But what if I do it wrong?
What if I hurt them?
Do you remember the stories your mother
used to tell you at bedtime?
Tales of ancient Greece, Gods and
monsters, heroes and villains?
Yes.
Well, I used to tell her
those same stories,
just like my mother told me
and her mother told her,
passed down through
a thousand generations
before they were told to you.
Because they weren't just stories,
my darling. They were training.
Training in the power
of your bloodline
and your history
and your heart.
Imagine your mother telling you
the story of the great Muse
who freed her friends
from the paintings
in which they had become imprisoned.
Let her muse inspire you.
[whispered echoes]
I see her.
She's telling me-- she's
You can do it.
"You can do it."
I can do it.
- Hermione, you did it!
- Uh
Oh, my friends!
My dear friends, I am so sorry.
I did not believe in you.
Will you ever forgive me?
Vik, of course.
You promise?
You are not upset?
- Why? Do I look upset?
- No.
No, you don't.
Your mother would be
so proud of you.
- Well, I'd say this calls for
- [warbling]
- Wait. What is that?
- [warbling]
- Hermione, what are you doing?
- I'm not doing anything.
When Hermione used her power
to release Connor and Lysa,
it released something
from this painting.
I am
I am I am
a work of art.
- Right out of the painting.
- Get back, sir.
Oh, this was his plan all along.
To trap you in the art.
To plant this painting
in this room.
To use the Muse's power.
Siphoning off just enough
to free himself from a time bubble.
Yes, old friend. I have been ahead
of you every step of the way.
If had not I been so distracted
worrying about my team's safety
I did enjoy watching how your
love for them had blinded you.
Now, with the Muse's power,
I will build a battalion
of fallen soldiers
and great generals,
anyone who ever had their image
locked in a painting.
My recruiting ground shall be
the galleries of the world.
I will be unstoppable.
And I will take the girl.
You and whose army?
[Gregor chuckles]
Ah-ah-ah! Stop right there.
Don't hurt her!
Hermione, do as he says.
Great work, Lynch.
Take her.
Yes, master.
If you even touch one hair
on her head.
I'd love to stay
and discuss this, Vikram,
but I have a moon to catch.
It's locked.
Is there any other way out?
The window. But be careful.
Don't fall!
Master, here the moon
is at the perfect angle.
This shall be
our sacrificial site.
The Dagger of Urania, master.
No. Please, please!
CONNOR: There's no graffiti
for Hermione to use.
Looks like the city
did a clean-up job.
Great timing on the civic pride.
Well, if there's no art,
we'll make our own.
I brought supplies
from the studio.
Now, master.
The time is now.
[chanting]
Do it, master. Do it!
[chanting continues]
[chanting continues]
GREGOR:
With this sacred blade,
I claim the power of the Muse
in this full silver light
of Melpomene's moon.
Clouds.
[thunder]
[roars]
Get her!
[circus music playing]
Librarians.
Hermione, a little help?
- Bring me their skulls!
- Hermione, over here!
[cartoon sound effects]
Hermione.
[screaming]
[chuckles]
Melpomene's moon
has passed, Gregor.
You're too late.
So the sacrifice becomes a hostage.
Come no closer, I warn you.
[Connor whistles]
Oh, mother.
[birds tweeting]
[cartoon fanfare playing]
Hmm.
Hey, let's to the Library.
And it is way overdue.
LYSA:
All right, wakey-wakey.
You're free to leave.
Time to go.
Maybe get some better taste in music.
What are you looking at? Go.
Perhaps you may give me a moment alone
with my old friend.
So, to the victor goes the spoils.
You have earned the right
to end my life.
Oh, not today, Gregor.
You'll be taken
into custody by the Library
where you'll be held accountable
for your crimes in a fair trial.
[chuckles]
Trial?
You think you can make me a plaything
of your imagined laws?
This modern age has
made you soft, Librarian.
Where is your courage,
your valor, your manliness?
You are weak,
Vikram Chamberlain.
We can all change, Gregor.
Even you.
If only you knew the difference
between kindness and weakness.
I know your weakness.
I know its specific
shape and flavor.
I witnessed it firsthand.
A weakness that never would have
troubled you back in the old times.
And what weakness is that?
Pray tell.
For the first time
in your life,
you love your friends.
And it will be
the death of you.
Or them.
Connor?
Vik! Help me!
Help!
So I present you with a choice.
Capture me, and my servant severs
your friend's lifeline.
Or release me
and I shall call my servant off.
- Me or him. Choose.
- And if I let you go?
Then he shall live. For now.
So, do you sacrifice
your friend to beat me?
Or save your friend
and release me?
I know which path
the old Vikram would choose.
[screams]
[grunting]
[gasps]
Vik, you got me!
Easiest choice I ever made.
I'm sorry.
[speaking Serbian]
You're welcome?
I got something I'd like you
to look after for me.
It's a picture of me
losing my power.
- If I bring it to life, then
- Then you won't have your power anymore.
I don't think
I'm ready for it yet.
Well, Gran's right.
My life would be very different
and very dangerous.
Well, we'll keep it safe for you.
- Promise.
- Yeah, and if you change your mind,
it'll be there for you
at the library.
In fact,
I know just the place for it.
Right next to the lost
Da Vinci blueprints.
- What do you reckon, Vik?
- Yes. By the blueprints.
Couldn't we have used
Hermione's power
to bring Anya out
of her painting too, sir?
Hmph. I'm afraid not.
That Muse's power is not
that of time travel.
Gregor was trapped
outside of time already.
Hermione merely released him
through his painting.
Whereas Anya
is in her correct time.
If Hermione animated
this portrait,
it would only produce
a lifelike but lifeless copy.
So, what are we
gonna do about Gregor?
Hey, we beat him this time.
We'll beat him next time.
But will we?
Will we, I wonder?
- Sir?
- I'm sorry, forgive me.
Hmm. We did well today.
But Gregor was smart.
I mean, crazy smart.
The way he got out
of the painting was
- But he did get one thing wrong.
- What was that?
Vikram's not a loner anymore.
He's part of a team.
And his feelings for us, for the team,
are not his greatest weakness.
- They're his strength.
- Finally, she's starting to see it.
I'd call that pro-- uh, sir?
Welcome to Belgrade,
the capital and largest city
of Serbia,
with a population of over 1.4 million
people within the city limits
and a metropolitan area of nearly
1.7 million inhabitants.
We can go over here.
[bell ringing]
TV NARRATOR: And with the advent of
the nuclear bomb,
modern warfare changed forever.
[music playing]
[music continues]
[music continues
on headphones]
[speaking Serbian]
[whistles]
- What?
- [continues in Serbian]
No, I didn't steal anything
from you or your stupid shop.
You're mixing me up
with someone else.
I don't want any
of your dumb stuff.
Leave me alone!
[speaking Serbian]
Leave me alone!
[paint gurgling]
Leave me alone!
What news do you bring me,
soldier?
I found her, Master,
and just in time
for Melpomene's moon.
Then the hour is soon mine,
and even the Librarian
will be unable to prevent
the return of Gregor.
[chanting]
[music playing]
Uh, sir, I'm gonna
need you to sign here,
here, here, fingerprint here,
and drop of blood there.
- And this is?
- A sworn and binding contract
stating that you will not attempt
to travel through time again
without the Library's
express permission.
Now, here's your pen,
your ink pad,
piercing needle
for the drop of blood.
Now, get bleeding, sir.
Mrs. A wants those
in triplicate.
Ooh!
Okay, where does
the Reliquary Of Urd go?
Over there next to Arca of Skuld
and the Feretory of Vahoosh.
- What?
- Green box and the red box.
Okay. It's amazing that this pile of time
travel-tat could cause so many problems.
Indeed, but it was still no match
for my extraordinary team.
- Extraordinary?
- Do you mean us?
Well, of course, I do.
You are magnificent.
You are superb.
You are the best of the best
of the best of the best
of the best of the best.
Maybe when he traveled
back through time,
he hit his head on the 1920s?
I am clear in my own mind.
Avowedly so.
- This-- this is a new me.
- I like Cheerleader Vikram.
He's going to make
missions more fun.
Ah, yes, missions.
I'm afraid, Connor, there will be
no more of those.
- What?
- What?
Missions, no more of.
And there won't be a problem.
Ow! Ow!
This is alarmingly sharp.
Can I do the bleeding
bit later on?
Vikram, you literally just said
that we were the greatest team.
And you are. Not only great,
but greatly precious to me.
Which is why I have decided that from now on
I'll be performing all missions alone,
thus removing any risk
of danger to your persons.
Sir, we have more than proven that
we can look after ourselves.
And I have more than proven
that I am a danger to be around.
Have you forgotten our first meeting when
you were nearly devoured by a Drekavac?
Have you forgotten her? Or the ballet witch
into whose cruel clutches
I entwined you
the very next week?
Or the ghost train
which nearly killed Connor?
Or have you forgotten Paris,
where under the influence
of one of Cupid's arrows,
I betrayed my entire team?
And then finally,
worst of all,
stranding you centuries away
from your own time.
So I've come to realize
that standing by my side
is an extremely perilous
place to be.
- Incoming.
- Buh-buh-buh-buh!
Pay no attention
to the pendulum.
I shall attend the call alone.
Hands up.
Who's going with Vik?
Hmm. That's one thing that's changed
since your day, Vikram.
Democracy.
VIKRAM: It appears that magic
is afoot in the arts district.
CONNOR: Also known as
the other side of the tracks.
- Gran? Gran?
- Hermione? Are you hungry?
Hermione? What has happened?
- Oh, nothing, Gran. I'm okay.
- No, you are not okay.
Your hands are trembling.
Tell me, please.
You won't believe me.
I know you are a good girl.
I know you won't lie.
I saw some graffiti move.
KATHERINE:
Hermione, when did this start?
Have you seen art move
before today?
No. I don't think so. Why?
- [gasps]
- [pounding on door]
[doorknob rattling]
[pounding on door]
[paint crackling]
Stay down.
Hermione, stay down.
Hermione, get down.
[swords and armor clanking]
- [whooshing]
- [grunting]
[grunting, blows landing]
VIKRAM: That's right.
Run, you scoundrels.
Hello. Has anyone been having
any trouble with their art?
I think, maybe, the graffiti
around town is coming to life.
- I know how crazy that sounds, but
- Here you go.
That actually doesn't
sound crazy at all.
For us, that just sounds
like a Tuesday.
And then the art attacked
you inside your home?
The art clambered out and they massed
together in the hall over there.
But before they could come back
and find us, you all
But how did you get here
and who are you?
Well, I am the Librarian.
That's not an answer
to the question I asked.
Oh, well, uh, we have
a sort of a danger detector
and, uh, it led us here.
We arrived through a, uh
space-bending,
distance-compressing portal.
- She means a magic door.
- Yeah, magic door. That's what I mean.
Wow. She finally said it.
And when we arrived through it,
we saw this small army of hoodies.
All this insane art stuff
that was about to attack.
And so we finished the fight.
Librarians, one. Art, zero.
Wait.
You came through a magic door?
Impossible, I know.
But such things
are quite commonplace
when you are in the company
of the Librarian.
Why does he keep
saying it like that?
Okay, so I see the armor.
The storm cloud.
- So where are the hoodies?
- I saw them running down the alley.
You must have scared them off.
I could show you where they're painted
if you'd like.
Something my gran doesn't know,
I painted the hoodies.
Ah, you were
the graffiti artist.
I was just angry.
Living around here,
everything's falling apart.
I wanted to make a point,
I guess.
But it never moved before.
I was running
from this horrible man
when I saw the graffiti
look at me.
The man, can you describe
what he looks like?
Um, yeah, he looked like--
like-- like that!
Mrs. A, I need a door.
Wait, we're going back
to the Library?
No, you are.
Stakes are now too high.
I will handle
the situation on my own.
- But, Vik--
- But nothing.
You could get stuck
in the art,
just like that poor,
paint-stricken shopkeeper did.
And if you stay,
you could get stuck in the--
That will not happen to me,
for I am the Librarian.
Yeah. No, that doesn't work
on us either, Vik.
- Mrs. A, stand down the magic door.
- That's a point.
Why didn't that work on
Hermione's grandmother either?
Maybe you're losing
your edge, sir.
This glitch
has blighted me before,
but only when facing
powerful adversaries.
She's not an adversary.
She's just Hermione's grandma.
- Well, did you find anything?
- Many hooded people.
Hoodies.
Ah, more hooded hoodies.
They were all static.
Hermione's grandmother,
tell me, have you ever seen--
- I have a name. Katherine.
- Forgive me.
Katherine, have you ever seen
the art move before?
- No, never.
- Maybe Hermione used magic paint
- for the hoodies?
- Hermione, you painted them?
It's just--
I wanted to say something
about what it's like
living here.
I want to have a voice.
You vandalized public property.
What have I told you
about taking risks?
If you were caught, you could have
gone to prison. Or worse.
A gift like yours,
people would notice.
- Bad people.
- It's just paint, Gran.
Like all the walls in here,
it's all just paint.
You did all the art
in this flat?
Yeah, to cheer it up a bit.
It's quite a talent you got.
Wait, so it's only Hermione's art
coming alive, no one else's?
Suggesting something in the paint,
like I said, or the brush.
- Or the walls.
- But why would the art attack its artist?
Hermione, can we see
your art supplies?
Sure.
I've got a studio upstairs.
- Come on.
- It's a bit of a squeeze.
I've been in tighter spots,
believe me.
This is my studio. It used to be
a storage unit for the building.
But then a few years ago,
everyone started to move out.
No one was using it
anymore, so
These paintings are exquisite.
Such color, such life.
They really seem as if they could
step out of their frame at any moment.
- Which they might at any moment.
- Indeed.
Which is why I suggest we create
a safe space in this painted house.
Connor, Lysa, Charlie,
take a room and clear it of art.
- Mm, good idea.
- And then lock yourselves inside it.
Ooh, bad idea.
You're giving us a fake job
to keep us away from the real mission.
Not at all. If anything,
yours is the more dangerous task.
Despite the fact that
it is painfully transparent
what Vikram is up to,
he does make a good point.
Creating a safe room could be useful
if we're spending some time here.
If you two want to get on with that,
I'll stay up here with him.
- Charlie, no.
- As is a Guardian's duty to our Librarian.
- Isn't that right, sir?
- Fine.
We will get on with
the art-free safe space.
You guys have got
the weirdest work dynamic.
- What is that?
- This is a magic-sensitive liquid derived
from the saliva of a minotaur.
In the presence of magical artifacts,
it glistens.
Did you take that
from the Library?
I borrowed it
from the Library.
You're supposed to borrow things
from a library.
- Did you get permission?
- Yes.
I distinctly remember telling myself
that it's all right.
Oh, come now, Charlie.
Let's uncover which artistic apparatus
is our magical art artifact, hmm?
- Ugh.
- Ouch!
This flat used to be three flats.
Originally, I just lived in one.
But as people started to move out,
we knocked through.
Once Hermione came to live with me,
we needed extra space.
It's a bit of a maze.
Please don't blink.
So, uh, Hermione's mom and dad?
They moved to America
when Hermione was a baby.
Hence her accent.
She grew up in Portland, Oregon.
Then her parents
There was a car accident
two years ago,
and so Hermione came
to live with me.
I'm sorry. My parents,
I lost them the same way,
so I can appreciate how hard
that must have been.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
So you understand that's why
I'm so protective over her.
I know I drive her mad
half of the time.
It must be frustrating having someone
on your shoulder worrying about you always.
- Well.
- Yeah.
- It certainly can be.
- Will this do?
It's a storeroom.
I tried to use it as a pantry,
but Hermione's art gets everywhere.
- She is certainly prolific.
- She's unique.
- No glistening whatsoever.
- Meaning?
That none of these items
are the magical artifact.
Ugh. If any painting was ever haunted,
it has to be this one.
'Tis neither haunted nor magical.
You sure?
Test it again.
- You don't like clowns?
- No one likes clowns.
I like clowns.
- Yeah, but you're PSK.
- I'm sorry.
Pre-Stephen King.
Hmm. Still no glistening.
[paint gurgling]
It's a shame.
It's rather pretty when it gleams.
Whatever the artifact is,
it is not up here.
Hmm.
Man, I just know any moment now
this thing is gonna blink at me.
You have watched
too many "Scooby-Doo's."
Hey, uh,
what do you make of her?
Do you think
she's a bit suspicious?
Oh, I feel you.
The way Vik's hypno thing didn't work
and the way she behaves like
she's holding something back?
- Maybe guarding a secret?
- Yeah, that's it.
Okay. We just have to keep an eye out
and watch our backs.
- [gasps]
- [yelps]
- Jeez.
- Hey, sorry.
Vikram said you needed help.
Are you okay?
Yeah, she's fine. She's just seen
too many "Scooby-Doo's."
Come, so I think if we clear out
a few more things in the back here
- [whispered chanting]
- What is that?
The lock seems pretty sturdy.
We should be safe enough if we
Where's Lysa?
Stay here.
Lock the door.
Lysa!
[footsteps]
Lysa?
Lysa!
Oh, thank God.
Lysa?
- Lysa, there you are. What are you do--
- [chanting]
[chanting continues]
[chanting continues]
Connor, Lysa, do you hear me?
Do you obey me?
- We obey.
- Good.
The girl, Hermione,
does she trust you?
She does.
Then bring her to me now.
Where have you brought me,
my servant?
We're outside
the girl's home, Master.
Soon she will be ours,
and then--
And then I will be free.
[laughing maniacally]
- No, Connor said stay in here.
- What if he's in trouble?
- What if something happens to you?
- Something is happening to me.
And I can't just hide from it, Gran.
I can't. I have to go.
Hmm. No glistening here, either. Hmm.
What? So nothing in here
is the magic artifact?
No. Basically, the case is closed.
I suggest you gather the others
and go back to the annex.
I'll stick around
and see what else I can find.
No. Seriously, Vikram, no.
What is this?
- Why are you being so--
- What?
Ever since we got back
from the past,
you've been all motherly.
Very well.
You have seen past my carefully
constructed veneer.
I can see it is time
to tell you the truth.
Ever since I arrived in this time,
I never viewed it as my time.
Never my present,
only ever as the future.
A temporary stop on my way
back home to my own time,
to the people that I loved.
This year never felt
real to me at all.
And the people within it,
as much as I cared for you,
you never seemed fully real either.
I'm sorry,
but that is the truth.
Until we returned from the past.
And in choosing to come back
to the present day,
I made this time my time.
No longer merely a future,
but my present. My home.
A place that I was no longer
simply just passing through.
And you, my friends,
my teammates,
you have made it real.
And that is what is so terrifying
for me right now.
- You're worried you'll lose us.
- Just as I finally found you.
I have lost so much, Charlie.
So, so much.
And I could not bear the thought
of losing any one of you now.
Connor, Lysa, can you hear me?
- Hermione.
- Lysa, wait. I'm coming.
Thank God you're all right.
We've got to go.
Where's Connor?
He's fine, come on.
We've got to go.
[yelps]
It's okay. Come with me.
You'll be safe, I promise.
Quick.
- Come on, quick.
- Gran?
[screaming]
Hermione, what happened?
My Gran, she was made of paint.
And the sad clown--
they took Connor and Lysa upstairs.
VIKRAM:
The extra clown, it's Lysa.
CHARLIE: And with Katherine,
that's Connor.
But that smear, Connor did that.
The Gran I saw downstairs,
that wasn't really her.
It was this painting
come to life.
And then it took them
and trapped them in here.
I failed them.
I failed them both.
Sir.
I should have sent them far away from here.
We'll get them back.
Right? There's a way.
I should be a better Librarian!
Then be better.
- Figure it out like you always do.
- How?
Notice the thing no one else has noticed.
Oh, yes. Think.
Think things.
Things I have observed.
Things out of place.
Things
- Hermione, how old are you?
- 17.
17, and you can paint like this?
You must have started
at a young age.
No, not really.
Well, not at all actually.
I was never that interested
in art until
Until what?
You got new paint?
You wished upon a star?
You gave cotton to a pixie?
Nothing like that. No.
Just like six months ago,
I got, like, really good
at art overnight.
Six months ago we released
magic back into the world.
Could it be?
Hermione, what is your family name
on your mother's side?
- Pavlis.
- Pavlis!
Oh, Pavlis! Now that does not
sound Serbian at all.
No. No, in fact,
that sounds Greek.
Greece. Of course.
Oh, that explains it.
Oh, your grandmother's
resistance to my charm.
The presence of magic
with no magical artifact.
And your Greek heritage!
Oh, Hermione,
it all comes down to you.
Only you can release our friends
from the paintings.
But how?
I didn't put them in there.
Yes, my darling,
I'm afraid you did.
Enough with the subterfuge!
Find the girl
and bring her to me now.
Hurry! Cover the front
and the back of the building.
This door is exceedingly solid.
I know.
I've been careful in case
In case what?
In case people like these
ever came for Hermione tonight.
- Tonight? What's tonight?
- Melpomene's moon.
Melpomene's moon!
Of course!
Can you stop knowing so much
about things I don't know about?
Melpomene's moon
is the moon of the Muses.
Finally, something I've heard of.
The Muses were great goddesses
of the arts
who were supposed to inspire
great artists and writers.
But wait. Were they real?
Perhaps that is a question
you should ask of their descendants.
- They've gone quiet.
- I think they're regrouping.
- Gran, are we
- Through the female blood, yes.
We are the descendants of the Muses.
Their power died long ago
in our family line,
and it never came alive for me.
But I knew that there was
a chance that, for you
When magic was released back into the world,
it activated your gift.
Not only can you create great art,
but you can bring it to life.
CHARLIE: That's why there was
no magic artifact.
- Hermione is the magic.
- All that power.
And of course,
she could not control it.
So it turned against her.
Wait.
What's Melpomene's moon?
A celestial event.
It happens once every 17 years.
If someone wanted to steal
the power of the Muse,
then they would need
to sacrifice the Muse
in the light
of Melpomene's moon tonight.
- Sacrifice me?
- KATHERINE: Yes, my darling.
This is what I have tried
to protect you from.
All this time, I thought
you were just strict.
But why would anyone want the power
to bring pictures to life?
To raise an army.
An invincible army
of heroes and gods
taken from the paintings
of classical mythology.
And unlimited riches
from paintings of treasure.
A duplicate of anyone who has
ever had their portrait painted
under the control
of one malignant mind.
But who?
Who's doing all this?
LYNCH: Vikram Chamberlain,
I know you're in there.
Ah, Winslow Lynch.
So, Gregor's Hammer,
they are the force behind this.
Gregor's Hammer?
Aren't they, like, a joke?
It appears they amuse no longer.
They're our elite strike force,
utterly loyal to Gregor
and totally fearless.
They're not the art
brought to life hoodies.
They're just nerds gone emo.
Katherine, Hermione,
step back, please.
Did you notice?
We've been recruiting.
Oh, let me guess.
A magic chant hypnotizing your fanbase
layered into the music
you play at one of your jigs.
Uh, it's-- it's "gig," sir.
Yes.
At one of your jig gigs. Hmph!
And you yourselves,
the musicians,
I see Gregor has reincarnated
his brigade of sorcerers into you.
That is how you know
the ancient chants.
Never underestimate
the power of a catchy tune.
- It's a bit of an earworm.
- Oh, it all makes sense!
As descendants of the Muses,
music magic would have no effect
on Katherine and Hermione,
forcing you to recruit others
to kidnap them.
- What do you want, Lynch?
- It's very simple, Librarian.
You give me the girl,
and we leave.
Well, that doesn't seem
very likely now, does it?
You may have grown in confidence
in numbers, but not in intelligence.
She's under our protection, Lynch.
- Turn around and walk away.
- Please, just hear us out.
A-one, a-two,
a-one, two, three, four!
- Cover your ears.
- [chanting]
[chanting continues]
LYNCH:
Do you hear me, Librarian?
[stilted]
I hear. I obey.
I also obey.
You will succeed where
your colleagues failed.
Connor and Lysa were taken
by the art trapped in the paintings.
As I thought. This art will do anything
to protect its Muse.
Bring me the girl.
The paintings were protecting her?
But we thought
they were attacking her.
Thank you, guys.
This intel is a game-changer.
Oh, you're welcome.
Wait. No, stop!
- I enchanted you.
- Yeah, uh, you didn't.
A little anti-music magic trick
I like to call sticking fingers
in one's ears.
Brothers, regroup.
We are such idiots.
Constantly missing
the most obvious explanation.
What's going on?
There are two types of hoodies,
the ones you animated
and the new acolytes
of Gregor's Hammer.
Only the acolyte hoodies
wish you harm.
Hermione, when the graffiti hoodies
grabbed the shopkeeper,
- he was chasing you, right?
- Yes.
And when the clown and other grandma
abducted Connor and Lysa,
- it's because they wanted to kidnap you.
- Did they?
CHARLIE: Yes, Lynch had them
under his control.
And when we first got here,
those Gregor Hammer hoodies
were trying to abduct you, too,
until the art stopped them.
Because that's what it does, right?
The art always protects you.
It was never trying to attack you.
It was attacking the people
who were trying to hurt you.
Hermione, all this time you've been
controlling it with your subconscious mind.
So if I've always been in control,
then that means I can fight back.
No, Hermione,
it's too dangerous.
- You can get hurt.
- Katherine, I know how you feel.
The things we love, we want
to wrap them in cotton wool.
But when we do, we stop them becoming
the best version of themselves.
If I had just trusted my team,
then maybe they would be here
right now saving the day.
And perhaps,
if we trust Hermione now,
she could be the one
to save us all.
Gran, I can't let people
get hurt because of me.
Before your mother died,
I made a promise to her
and to myself that
I would always protect you.
And you did. You have.
My whole life
you've protected me.
Now please, Gran,
let me protect you.
When you frown like that,
you remind me
of your mother so much.
Give them hell.
Shall we?
Forward!
[snarling]
[thunder]
[shrieking]
[shrieking continues]
I can't believe I did that, Gran.
It felt so-- so natural,
like it's who I was born to be.
Your life now is going
to be very different.
Hermione, I need you
to do something for me.
I need you to release our friends
from the paintings. Can you do that?
Bring them back to me, please.
But what if I do it wrong?
What if I hurt them?
Do you remember the stories your mother
used to tell you at bedtime?
Tales of ancient Greece, Gods and
monsters, heroes and villains?
Yes.
Well, I used to tell her
those same stories,
just like my mother told me
and her mother told her,
passed down through
a thousand generations
before they were told to you.
Because they weren't just stories,
my darling. They were training.
Training in the power
of your bloodline
and your history
and your heart.
Imagine your mother telling you
the story of the great Muse
who freed her friends
from the paintings
in which they had become imprisoned.
Let her muse inspire you.
[whispered echoes]
I see her.
She's telling me-- she's
You can do it.
"You can do it."
I can do it.
- Hermione, you did it!
- Uh
Oh, my friends!
My dear friends, I am so sorry.
I did not believe in you.
Will you ever forgive me?
Vik, of course.
You promise?
You are not upset?
- Why? Do I look upset?
- No.
No, you don't.
Your mother would be
so proud of you.
- Well, I'd say this calls for
- [warbling]
- Wait. What is that?
- [warbling]
- Hermione, what are you doing?
- I'm not doing anything.
When Hermione used her power
to release Connor and Lysa,
it released something
from this painting.
I am
I am I am
a work of art.
- Right out of the painting.
- Get back, sir.
Oh, this was his plan all along.
To trap you in the art.
To plant this painting
in this room.
To use the Muse's power.
Siphoning off just enough
to free himself from a time bubble.
Yes, old friend. I have been ahead
of you every step of the way.
If had not I been so distracted
worrying about my team's safety
I did enjoy watching how your
love for them had blinded you.
Now, with the Muse's power,
I will build a battalion
of fallen soldiers
and great generals,
anyone who ever had their image
locked in a painting.
My recruiting ground shall be
the galleries of the world.
I will be unstoppable.
And I will take the girl.
You and whose army?
[Gregor chuckles]
Ah-ah-ah! Stop right there.
Don't hurt her!
Hermione, do as he says.
Great work, Lynch.
Take her.
Yes, master.
If you even touch one hair
on her head.
I'd love to stay
and discuss this, Vikram,
but I have a moon to catch.
It's locked.
Is there any other way out?
The window. But be careful.
Don't fall!
Master, here the moon
is at the perfect angle.
This shall be
our sacrificial site.
The Dagger of Urania, master.
No. Please, please!
CONNOR: There's no graffiti
for Hermione to use.
Looks like the city
did a clean-up job.
Great timing on the civic pride.
Well, if there's no art,
we'll make our own.
I brought supplies
from the studio.
Now, master.
The time is now.
[chanting]
Do it, master. Do it!
[chanting continues]
[chanting continues]
GREGOR:
With this sacred blade,
I claim the power of the Muse
in this full silver light
of Melpomene's moon.
Clouds.
[thunder]
[roars]
Get her!
[circus music playing]
Librarians.
Hermione, a little help?
- Bring me their skulls!
- Hermione, over here!
[cartoon sound effects]
Hermione.
[screaming]
[chuckles]
Melpomene's moon
has passed, Gregor.
You're too late.
So the sacrifice becomes a hostage.
Come no closer, I warn you.
[Connor whistles]
Oh, mother.
[birds tweeting]
[cartoon fanfare playing]
Hmm.
Hey, let's to the Library.
And it is way overdue.
LYSA:
All right, wakey-wakey.
You're free to leave.
Time to go.
Maybe get some better taste in music.
What are you looking at? Go.
Perhaps you may give me a moment alone
with my old friend.
So, to the victor goes the spoils.
You have earned the right
to end my life.
Oh, not today, Gregor.
You'll be taken
into custody by the Library
where you'll be held accountable
for your crimes in a fair trial.
[chuckles]
Trial?
You think you can make me a plaything
of your imagined laws?
This modern age has
made you soft, Librarian.
Where is your courage,
your valor, your manliness?
You are weak,
Vikram Chamberlain.
We can all change, Gregor.
Even you.
If only you knew the difference
between kindness and weakness.
I know your weakness.
I know its specific
shape and flavor.
I witnessed it firsthand.
A weakness that never would have
troubled you back in the old times.
And what weakness is that?
Pray tell.
For the first time
in your life,
you love your friends.
And it will be
the death of you.
Or them.
Connor?
Vik! Help me!
Help!
So I present you with a choice.
Capture me, and my servant severs
your friend's lifeline.
Or release me
and I shall call my servant off.
- Me or him. Choose.
- And if I let you go?
Then he shall live. For now.
So, do you sacrifice
your friend to beat me?
Or save your friend
and release me?
I know which path
the old Vikram would choose.
[screams]
[grunting]
[gasps]
Vik, you got me!
Easiest choice I ever made.
I'm sorry.
[speaking Serbian]
You're welcome?
I got something I'd like you
to look after for me.
It's a picture of me
losing my power.
- If I bring it to life, then
- Then you won't have your power anymore.
I don't think
I'm ready for it yet.
Well, Gran's right.
My life would be very different
and very dangerous.
Well, we'll keep it safe for you.
- Promise.
- Yeah, and if you change your mind,
it'll be there for you
at the library.
In fact,
I know just the place for it.
Right next to the lost
Da Vinci blueprints.
- What do you reckon, Vik?
- Yes. By the blueprints.
Couldn't we have used
Hermione's power
to bring Anya out
of her painting too, sir?
Hmph. I'm afraid not.
That Muse's power is not
that of time travel.
Gregor was trapped
outside of time already.
Hermione merely released him
through his painting.
Whereas Anya
is in her correct time.
If Hermione animated
this portrait,
it would only produce
a lifelike but lifeless copy.
So, what are we
gonna do about Gregor?
Hey, we beat him this time.
We'll beat him next time.
But will we?
Will we, I wonder?
- Sir?
- I'm sorry, forgive me.
Hmm. We did well today.
But Gregor was smart.
I mean, crazy smart.
The way he got out
of the painting was
- But he did get one thing wrong.
- What was that?
Vikram's not a loner anymore.
He's part of a team.
And his feelings for us, for the team,
are not his greatest weakness.
- They're his strength.
- Finally, she's starting to see it.
I'd call that pro-- uh, sir?
Welcome to Belgrade,
the capital and largest city
of Serbia,
with a population of over 1.4 million
people within the city limits
and a metropolitan area of nearly
1.7 million inhabitants.
We can go over here.
[bell ringing]
TV NARRATOR: And with the advent of
the nuclear bomb,
modern warfare changed forever.
[music playing]