Baccano! Episode 04

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Next Episode → 05

Synopsis
In 1931, aboard the Flying Pussyfoot, Ladd Ruso hears machine guns. He thinks the night has become interesting. Bruno passes him in the hallway. Ladd skips his way to the dining car, wondering what’s going on there.

In Chicago, ten hours before the train’s departure, a man is reprimanding two of his minions. The minions say a part of robbers wearing a Babe Ruth and a Ty Cobb uniform (Isaac and Miria) stole their goods. They’re also talking about someone named Sidalis who screwed up and was found dead at the factory grounds. He seems to have been killed by Jacuzzi. The minions told their boss that those people should not be underestimated. Their boss says that they will deal with the rubber duo first. He says they will put heat on every couple in the city.

The boss’ nephew comes and tells him not to do it. People will think it’s the inferiority complex of an unpopular old man. The nephew is Ladd Russo. His uncle tells him he does not have time to deal with him. He tells Ladd to get out but Ladd says his uncle is saying harsh things. He says that the only thing is uncle cares for less than his life is money, which has been plundered from him by other people. Ladd picks up a wanted poster with Jacuzzi in it. He then says he brings good news. His uncle tells him he does not want to listen to any “good” news he brings. Ladd says that his uncle will make a thorough search for the criminals. He chokes one of his uncle’s minions, harder and harder and harder, until, as Ladd says, they start to foam and their eyes look like they’re going to pop out. Ladd then takes a knife and slits the throat of the other one.

Ladd’s uncle tells him that he is a crazy murderer but Ladd says his uncle says shameful things to the best assassin the Russo family has. Ladd’s uncle says it’s because he has no other use except being an assassin. Ladd slams the table and asks his uncle if he ever thought of counting on him. Ladd says that a special express train, the Flying Pussyfoot, will depart from Chicago that night. It goes directly into New York without any stops. Ladd says he will go and take and ride and maybe crash the thing right into the middle on Manhattan. He says that it’s just bluff though, to intimidate the people. If they don’t pay up then they’ll turn it into a kidnapping accident involving all the passengers. If they kill half the passengers, Ladd thinks the railway company will pay them a nice amount. He says its a good idea as he gets to kill people and his uncle gets money. His uncle tells him to leave.

Ladd’s subordinates, including Lua, enter. Ladd says they are his friends who have the same hobby as him. Ladd introduces Lua to his uncle as his lover, girlfriend and fiancée. Ladd says she is quiet but it bings down his high tension. Ladd’s uncle gets mad. He tells him that he go kidnap and kill people but he must not mention his name. Ladd points a rifle at his uncle. He tells him that killing is only something he does for his own pleasure. He then says that there’s a special type of people he likes to kill. These are those who feel as if they are completely safe, never thinking that they might die the next moment. Ladd says, in other words, people like his uncle.

Ladd’s uncle thinks he’s dead meat but Ladd tells him that there’s no way he’d kill his uncle. Ladd says that the gun is empty and besides, he has always been in his uncle’s care. Ladd’s uncle is relieved. Weakly, he tells his nephew to disappear. Ladd says he’ll do so but he’ll need to change clothes first. He says he’ll wear white so his uncle can see the blood stains of people he killed.

Back to the train, at the dining car, the men at the other end shoots the guy with two guns in the middle, who seems to be one of Ladd’s men. The guy in the middle dies. A woman climbs up the window and hides outside. Ladd comes in and sees the guy in the middle dead. He smiles and tells the men that he is unarmed. He approaches a man, kicks him and shoots his gun at the one behind him. Anyway, to make things shorter, Ladd punches the man making references of boxers Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey. The guy Ladd punched, a Lemures, says there’s no way Ladd can get in the way of their Sir Huey. Ladd says he has no interest in his name nor of their Sir Huey but what’s certain is that they are his enemies. Ladd continues to pummel the guy to death.

One of Ladd’s men comes and asks him what happened. Ladd only smiles. He approaches the senator’s wife. He tells her that the order has changed. After he has taken care of all the men in black suits, it will be her turn. He tells the men to go and leave the people in the dining car.

Czeslaw, who’s being embraced by the senator’s wife, grins and thinks that he can use Ladd and his men.

Eve and her servants leave the Daily Days without a hint of Dallas’ whereabouts. Her servants comfort her saying that Ladd is surely alright and that he will return.

The guy who talked to Eve earlier tells Nicholas that it doesn’t make him feel good pretending not to know. Nicholas tells him it’s not like they lied as it’s true they don’t know most of it. He says the people from Runorata were fooled. It seems that Gustavo is being blackmailed by Dallas with the news of killing the head of the Genoard family. Nicholas thinks it must be a lie. There must be a deeper lying reason for Baltro Runorata. The other guy says that the Dallas case is top secret. Nicholas asks him about it. He doesn’t seem to know. He asks if the Gandor brothers took care of Dallas. The other guy tells him it was a slip of the tongue. Nicholas asks why he can’t tell it to a colleague like him. The other guy apologizes and says the director forbade him from telling it to others. Nicholas thinks it must have something to do with the people who can’t die.

In 1930, Isaac and Miria went to the hat shop where Maiza and Firo bought theirs, the two robbers also bought hats for disguise. They tell the man at the shop to forgot that they came. If he told the police of them, they say they will beat him. Isaac and Miria then leave, almost forgetting their change.

Anyway, Isaac tells Miria that since they started robbing two years ago, from San Francisco to New Jersey, been to 87 places and seen a lot of things, there never was a time he exposed Miria to danger. Miria says it’s amazing. Isaac says they’re gonna do their last big job in New York. After that, they will live leisurely in Miami. They plan on buying a big house, adding a pool with ten stoves so it wouldn’t be cold to swim at night and a train from the gate to the door. A car comes and knocks the two off.

Back to the train, one of the man in a black suit who escaped Ladd and returned to their leader, reporting what happened. Chane goes out without saying anything. A man asks the leader, Mr. Goose, if it will be alright. The leader replies that she pulls through when she has too and besides, she only has until the next day to live.

Back to Isaac and Miria, Ennis was driving the car that almost hit them. The old man with her tells her to watch out. Ennis tells him that the two suddenly danced on the road, the brakes didn’t make it. The old man tells her to go. He says he couldn’t understand youngsters at the present but then again, he couldn’t understand youngsters from 200 years ago. He says that ever since Maiza lost his senses, he lost faith in those younger than him.

Back to the train again, Ladd’s men asks Ladd who the men in black suits are. Ladd says that that they can kill two or three each. He then says that it’s dangerous for them to gather so that must split up. He’ll go and tell Lua about it. He tells his men that it’s up to them to assemble after, when they think they’ve killed enough.

Ennis and the old man arrive at some old building. The old man taps his foot and someone opens a trap door. He says it’s been a long time. The old man with Ennis is Mr. Quates. He says twenty years isn’t that long. Downstairs, other old men greet Quates. Quates asks where Barnes and Stagen are. The men reply that Barnes is in the distillation room but Stagen passed away the previous year. Quates says if only Stagen lived for another year, he could have been with them too. Quates then tell the old men that their fear for sudden death and aging will end that day. He says they finally succeeded in creating a cure-all elixir. The finished product seems to be with Barnes. Quates then orders Ennis to pick Barnes up. Quates then tell her that if he has touched the product, she must kill him without hesitation. If he failed to preserve the medicine and it becomes useless, she must kill him too. Ennis nods then leaves.

Barnes is the old man that was beaten by gangsters and saved by Firo. When Ennis came to look for him, she bumped into Firo.

In the train, Nice and Donny hurry to the luggage room. Someone with bloody hands peeps through the window from outside.

The first half of this episode seems to focus on Ladd. He really is psychotic, talking a lot and killing a lot.

Quates knows Maiza. Could it be that he knows him from 200 years ago. Maiza seems to be in the Advenna Avis. I wonder how the other characters got hold of the stuff that made them immortal. Quates must have succeeded in creating it, even before the one with Barnes was made. But perhaps the one he created before was imperfect.

Adapted From
Adapted from? which chapter of manga and/or novel

Referbacks
refs to previous episodes

Quotes

 * "It's guns! I love guns! ...machine guns? That's even better! This could be fun! Sounds like death, and danger. Daaanger, daaaaanger...What's happening in the dining car? Is there blood? Who's killing who? Where did they get shot? I have to see! Things are really starting to get exciiiting! Yes! Yes yes yes! YES YES YES YES YES!" - Ladd Russo.
 * "C'mon, put up ya dukes! You think you're Pete Hammond? Haha, more like Jack Dempsey! Or more like Jack Johnson! You got no moxie! You got no technique! ...do you even know any of these boxers I'm talkin' about? Any red-blooded American would have to know what I'm talking about, RIGHT!? You don't? Oh, you don't!? I'll make you pay for not knowin' them! Of course, even if you did know 'em, you'd still! Have! To! PAAAAAAY!" - Ladd Russo.
 * "I just know you are all my newest enemies...and you have really nice guns. You people are all the same. You think you're so SPECIAL! "Oh yeah, with all of our wonderful guns on this pathetic train, there's no way anyone can stop us! We are invincible and unbeatable! We are SO STRONG with all of our men and our guns!" Hahaha! You are my absolute favorite people to kill! You are so beautifully amazed when you die! Especially when I squish your brains! BETWEEN MY FINGERS! LIKE A FREAKING SAUSAGE!" - Ladd Russo.