Arthur, Julian, and Garrett are heading to a celebration party .Garrett gets a call from some of Arthur's biggest fans, and Arthur tells him to hang up. The exec lays out the schedule, concluding with the Primo Tribute ceremony. Arthur is happy to hear that there will be three times the chicks.
When they arrive at the ceremony, Arthur goes in past the cameras. Grace approaches him and says that they need to talk, and he reminds her that she shoved Karma into a Blood Engine. He says that he's fabulous and walks off, while Garrett tells Julian that Arthur seems disconnected. Julian insists that Arthur is focused on being the greatest Primo of all times and nothing will distract him from his destiny.
Inside, Primo signs merchandise. Meanwhile Chris arrives through a blood gate and wonders where Arthur is.
Arthur poses for pictures and then takes to the center of the ring. He addresses the crowd and challenges anyone to fight him. Arthur defeats all comers and Julian tells Garrett that Arthur is Primo to the core. Garrett tries to give him some suggestions, but Julian insists that he's the MC and god of the stage. The exec wants to take it global, and asks how Julian can say no. Julian cuts his head off and puts it on a pole.
Arthur continues beating opponents, and Chris comes up and calls to his partner. After a moment, Arthur hugs Chris and leads him offstage to his private tent. Chris explains that he came to get Arthur out, but Arthur says that they've made him their king. He asks what they did to him, and Chris explains that heart used him as a lab rat. The only thing that kept him going was Arthur fighting the good fight, and Arthur tells him to keep it light and that was the past. He says that he stopped pretending to be the Good Cop, and insists that he's okay with being bad.
Chris looks out where the Primo Memorial Tribute is running. Armed men enter the auditorium and Chris calls Arthur over and says that they're going to kill him.
Grace is in the crowd and remembers killing Karma. Videos run of her and Arthur, and then the other Primos dying.
The Ballad of Karma d'Argento
Grad students film a documentary of Karma, and Aki tells Karma that she has a future at Heart Enterprises. The android says that Grace is a star, and Karma promises to run her off the road if they put her in the race. Aki tells her Karma that they have already finalized the drivers, but they have an opening for Karma at Heart Entertainment. She says that Karma can mindfuck Grace and they'll make sure she doesn't even know karma is involved. Karma agrees as long as she gets to kill the cameraman.
Arthur rants to Chris that he's the star, but Chris warns that they designed the entire night to killing the Primo. He warns that the crowd is just worshipping Arthur to make him comfortable until they can finish him off. Arthur picks up sword and says that once he kills Julian, the party is his. Chris says that they should leave the state, but Arthur goes out to find Julian.
Grace finds Arthur and tells him that they're trying to kill him. Arthur says that he already knows, and Chris tells her that he's Arthur's real partner. Grace explains that Julian is indestructible, and tells Arthur that the jacket doesn't mean anything. He shoves her aside and yells for Julian, and Grace warns that whatever Arthur has planned won't work.
Julian is standing center stage, and addresses the crowd. Arthur comes up and cuts his head off, and then hacks Julian's body apart. Once he does, Arthur yells to the chanting crowd that he is the Primo.
Chapter Two
Three months later, Karma prepares for her meeting with the board to get the junior executive position. Garrett comes in and says that he was offered the open spot on the board. He tells Karma that he didn't have a chance and walks off. Karma goes into a nearby lab and finds prosthetics and a human flesh generator. She activates the generator and it places a new skin suit over hers.
Chris says that it's their chance to escape, but Grace says that they need to take the fight to Heart. She tells Arthur that she needs the guy who fell on her Camaro and changed everything. Arthur walks away, and Grace tells him to come with him to get revenge on the psychos who tried to kill the Primo. Chris insists that Grace's plan is insane and they don’t want to be anywhere near Heart. Grace tells Chris that that he doesn't even know him.
In a garage, a van filled with Julian bodies opens. One of them comes to life.
Arthur tells Chris and Grace to both shut up. He admits that he owes Grace, and tells her to be his queen and rule the kingdom as royalty. Grace asks if he's crazy, and Arthur tells them both to fuck off. An electrified net drops on Arthur and armed guards run up. Julian steps out and says that every Primo thinks that he'll be the first to break the mold and live on. The guards escort Grace and Chris away, and Julian tells Arthur that the Tribute is a sacrifice. He says that no one is special in the depraved world and no one leaves a legacy. Julian then says for the sacrifice to begin. A curtain rises to reveal the Soul Reclamator.
Big Al's Pre-Owned Blood Emporium
Chapter 3
Disguised as Old Man Heart, Karma kills all of the board members except Garrett. She then tells him to get new board members and bring her up to speed on Blood Drive.
The guards lock Chris and Grace up, and he tries to bend the bars.
Julian talks about how the last good cop descended into darkness.
Chris figures that Grace sent Arthur up so she can be the Primo. She says that she never cared and respects Chris and Arthur's history together. Grace tells Chris that she cares about Chris, too, and Chris says that they need to think of a plan. She takes off her coat and tells him to pee on it, and says that they can use it to bend the bars.
Julian tells the crowd that Arthur will give the ultimate gift: his body, blood, and soul.
Grace wraps her jacket around the bars and twists it to bend the bars, and explains that she'll distract Julian wile Chris rescues Arthur.
Julian asks Arthur if he has any words, and then cuts him off and sends him into the Reclamator. Grace finds Julian and tells him that he doesn't want to kill Arthur because he's worth more to Julian alive. She suggests that Julian dazzle the crowd by subverting their expectations, and Julian listens.
Chris gets to Arthur and turns him loose from the moving rack.
Grace says that Julian can continue the Blood Drive. Julian says that Arthur is going into the Reclamator, but he doesn't have to die. His soul will be turned into green goo and the energy potential is ten times greater. Trying to keep Julian from noting Chris' efforts, Grace asks what Julian means. Julian says that if Arthur has purged his soul and become a true Primo, he'll go through without a scratch because he doesn't have a soul. Either Arthur dies or becomes a soulless monster that will never love Grace.
Chris manages to free Arthur just in time. He tells Arthur that it's over and they have to get out, and says that Grace has been working with Arthur since the beginning. Chris plays back an edited video where Grace says that she'll be the Primo. Arthur insists that he's the Primo, and Chris tells him to make sure it stays that way.
Arthur grabs the sword and goes after Grace. Julian backs away while Chris yells to Arthur to finish Grace off. She grabs a sword and avoids his attacks. Meanwhile, Julian tells the guards to keep everyone off the stage and orders close camera shots. Grace and Arthur continue fighting, and she cuts him across the shoulder. He swings at her and embeds his sword in the post, and Grace puts her sword to his throat.
Arthur says that he won't beg, and Grace tells him that she won't make him. She drops her sword and says that it's over, and Arthur' agrees. He punches Grace and prepares to run her through. Grace tells him that he used to stand for something and they tried to make the world a better place. The race got them off track, and tells Arthur to fight for himself because he's worth fighting for.
Chris runs up and tells Arthur to finish Grace. Arthur refuses, and Chris tells Arthur that he was a shit cop and is a shit Primo. Arthur turns and stabs Chris in the stomach.
Karma watches from the boardroom. She calls Julian and tells him that he's canceled and she's done with him.
Dying, Chris says that he was Arthur's friend. He convulses and sparks fly as Chris' voice runs down. The android collapses, and Arthur admits that he had no idea that it wasn't Chris. He says that he wanted to believe he was Primo, and that terrifies him. Arthur tells Grace that she's the person that he's fall in love with, and Grace kisses him. She then slaps him asks about the Primo. Arthur starts to take off the jacket, but Grace tells him that it's just a symbol and means whatever Arthur wants it to mean. He keeps the jacket on and pins his police badge to it.
Julian drives up in the Camaro and says that he didn't send the Chris android. He wants to put Heart of business and suggests that they partner up. Julian figures that his show is done and it's time for the wrap-party, and shows them a bag full of explosives. They're a day away from Heart's headquarters, and he has enough explosives to bring the building down. Grace warns Arthur that Julian has screwed them every time, but Arthur points out that they've survived every time and it's time to bury Heart. Before they go, Grace wonders who did what they did to Christopher.
Christopher and Aki sit in a cell, and Aki talks about how she feels hopelessness. Karma comes in and shows Chris a video of Arthur stabbing the android Chris in the chest. She explains that the sperm specimens. Aki took came in handy. Karma admits that she built a new Chris to screw with Grace, and asks what Chris is going to do about it. Chris smashes the tablet with the video and tells Aki to load all of the mods into him.
Written by Gadfly on Aug 31, 2017