Pressure

"Pressure" is the fifth episode of the Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime.

Plot[]

"Elle plots her revenge with help from J, but Police Chief Grant has mobilized a massive LAPD manhunt to find and eliminate her."
―Official synopsis

Blade Runner Marlowe stops a bus, where a replicant sits inside. Sitting down, he asks the replicant where he's going, to which, the replicant responds he's leaving the city. Marlowe then commented on the replicant's fight the previous night, causing the replicant to run, crashing through the bus windshield. Marlowe pulls out a shotgun and fires at the replicant before getting out of the bus and shooting him again. He then lights a cigar and reports in.

Elle wakes up and finds a gun in Joseph's apartment. She uses it to shoot bottles until Joseph returns home and reprimands her for rummaging through his things.

Meanwhile, Chief Earl Grant reports to Niander Wallace, Sr. that Elle had survived the hunt and promises to eliminate her. Wallace calls his son, who ignores it as he moves pieces on a Go board.

While eating, Elle again asks Joseph for his help in tracking down the hunters and he agrees, but advises that she drop the pursuit. Later, as Elle sharpens the katana from Doc's shop, Joseph uses an Esper to help identify members of the hunting party. On Grant's wrist, he finds an LAPD-issue watch, telling Elle that her first target is a cop. He then receives a phone call and tells Elle he is too busy to print out the photos for her, saying she should have Doc help her with them.

Grant commands any available officers to hunt down and eliminate Elle, referred to by the department as Black Lotus. Officer Davis suggests he warn them that Black Lotus is potentially a replicant, but he again firmly insists that she is a human and demands Davis turn over any evidence she has on the case.

Grant contacts Marlowe, asking him to join the hunt for Black Lotus, letting him know that nobody else is aware that the target is indeed a replicant.

As police officers flood the streets searching for Elle, Grant learns from Davis' evidence that Elle may have connections to Doc Badger, he orders a SWAT team on his shop. Once informed of this, Marlowe goes elsewhere, feeling he is not needed in the situation. The team then breaks into the shop, but finds only Joseph inside, while Doc Badger prints off the photos for Elle in Joseph's apartment.

Grant receives a call from his wife, who is concerned about the rogue replicant and requests more protection for their home. Elle makes her way toward the Grants' apartment complex.