~ two

~ Chapter one ~ part two ~

 

The AF Thunderbirds circle the Nimitz, a puff of hello smoke, while the hornets begin prepping for launch.
____

The Admiral hangs up the comm.

Admiral - "We're go.  Prepare crew for tis ...'armor' receipt.  Tell the engineers I want full detail back concerning these 'enhanced effects' on these ships."

Captain - "Aye aye, Sir,"
____

The ship sounds alarm, the fleet responds, their decks struck by pulse.

Admiral - "They say they can make us stronger, our weapons sharper, and they say for not a thing ..."

Captain - "Suspicion shared sir.  All ships will detail.  All have pre-checks to match, from today."

Admiral - "Thank you Captain.  We begin."
________________

('Jam Master Jammin' by RunDMC)

Nocturne and Doe stare at the field of clones bouncing around shooting each other, several looking like her ~

Nocturne - "Whoa ... I'm everywhere ..."  She looks at Doe.  "And you're a girl !  And you're covered in grenades !"

Doe - Looking herself over, then to her smiling, "I like grenades."

Nocturne - "I like girls."

Lucretia - (on squealing comm) "Not a Fucking Valentine !"

Nocturne - "Fine !  Fuck !  Can you see us ?!"

Lucretia cycles through network layers in a three dimensional display, tuning between versions and layers to their virtual location. 

Cycling through around them, a new location is generated with shared features.

Lucretia - "Got you.  Gonna blow these mothe ..."

Nocturne - "! Waaaait !"

...

She looks at Doe - "Can I please keep all the Nocturnes ?"

Doe - "What the fuck !?  Okay first.  I can't fucking stop you from doing anythi ..."

Nocturne - Tackling her with a hug off-screen, "Thank you !"
____

Dealer Mike plays on his Game-Brick, Nocturne jumping on the heads to Mario sounds, 8-bit side-scroll, Doe following, shooting back and forth ...

Mike - "This game fucking rules."
________________

Radar room ~

Watch - "Sir .. ?"

Lieutenant - "Yes crewman."

Watch - Uncomfortably, "Sir ... we've got ..."

Lieutenant - Sighs, "Just say it."

Watch - Exhales, "We've got radar ghosts, Sir."  Turns to station.  "Tracking for consistencies."
____

Admiral - Into the comm, "Okay.  Keep an eye on it."  Hangs it annoyed and looks at the captain.  "Am I wrong to wish for total failure ?"

Captain - "Yes sir, but not alone."

Admiral - "Crew ?"

Captain - A laugh.  "Loving it.  They all ... 'feel great.'  Med checks are pretty good.  Your ... 'command armor' sir ?"

Admiral - "After you.  Hell with age before beauty.  And what the hell am I supposed to even do."

Captain - "Sir your kidney really needs looking at.  I can almost see it."

Admiral - "Yeah ... it really does.  And I seem to have a solid instinct for that arena now.  Almost tactical.  And ... did you notice this ship is running quieter ?"

A pause ...

Captain - "So it is."
________________

 ('Regulate' by Warren G with Nate Dogg)

The patrons of the club start to rise, heading for the door.  The staff line the way holding trays filled with collections of pistols, other holding out larger upright.

Erzulie - "Compliments of the house."

Legba laughs ...

They take their last shots and drinks and file out.
____

The F/A-18 Hornet fuel on the flight deck of a Nimitz class carrier, across the way a landing craft from the 62nd Marine (this is the Sixth Fleet of the Navy plus Nimitz class carrier support, 62nd has the landing craft).

Aboard the lander's open decks, the Marines check their gear, load, check partner's backs.
____

The patrons load into their cars, as the doors close the view through their windows show the insides of garages.

The doors start opening, showing suburban streets, each others cars peeking out.
____

A Hornet launches with the departure of the fuel car, another being guided out to the deck, side launch preparing.
____

The cars roll out of the cul-de-sac, joined by others, a row line forming at the crossroads, looking ahead to the arena city.
____

Legba smiles over the view in the stump at the club, Erzulie circling behind.

~ three

~ Chapter One ~ part three ~

('Sentimental Journey' by Doris Day)
 

Deep in the ocean a mist of bubbles and flotsam, swimming through is a plesiosaur. 

~ High in the sky a pterosaur flies, circling an island in the Pacific.

Plesiosaur approaches the wrecked destroyer, cracked at the bottom as it's hull shifts in the bubbles.

~ More pterosaurs join, pterodactyl circling the greater fliers in their descent, some plunging at the shores.

A carrier hull is lifted by a massive squid past the plesiosaur in it's descent.

~ A B-17 flies over as a pterodactyl slams itself to the net hidden Warhawk fighter, jolting it in dust and debris.

The destroyer shakes as it's pieces snap together, deck crew awakening from the covering silt as it begins to rise over a rolling tank on the seafloor.

~ The air-wing flies over as the ships start breaking surface, converging in a path to the arena in the gathering winds behind, fighter planes' shadows rising underwater.

 (directly out of the previous as the planes leave the water)

('Fists of Love' by Big Black)

The ghost planes form up over the ships below, more converging from behind.  Their speed carries with the wind and pulls at it as they approach the Naval fleet.

Unseen but felt in gusts the sweep past the fleet, and toward the arena.  The launched Hornet note the radar ghosts, a gust shakes the wing, pilot spots the B-17 between clouds then gone.
____

General - Cycling through views on the data pad, "What am I seeing here ?"

Aedera - "What you would not otherwise."

General - "This is Sanctuary's army ?"

Aedera - Smiles, "No.  Ancestor soldiers having formed the Honor Guard, to continue to serve humanity.  They do not show up for all of our battles, or even many.  This time, they do."

General - "And the dinosaurs ?"

Aedera - "Dragons."

General - "These are ... dragons ?"

Aedera - "Yes.  What you would call dinosaurs ghosts.  An honor guard of a different time.  Hunters as well, come together as they choose.  They give their will to your ghost ships."

General - "And the point ?"

Aedera - "Which ?"

General - "They're ghosts.  What can they actually do ?  In field.  No offense."

Aedera - "Indeed the demonstration.  But to clarify, they effect chaos.  Where the odds may go either way, they will go yours in all the tiniest ways multiplied to exponent.  They as well bring a natural chaos to any target system, as noted in the ripples of their wake."

General - "For what ?"

Aedera - "To defeat the enemy's spirit before the bullet.  And for their machinery, what can go wrong, it will.  Everything.  And for allies, it will not."

General - "Allies."

Aedera - "As the Honor Guards are to us, we would be to you.  We hunt.  And we often find that our quarry is found among the evils in your world, where you as well, hunt.  These ways we show you now, they have used against you for a very long time now."

General - "That ... is disconcerting, but I have to say we are not universally comfortable with the armor concept."

Aedera - "Who would be ?  It is for trust, a day.  These armors will protect you from what you cannot see, and even help to see, where there's talent.  And to fight them.  Deployed per mission, then retracted."
____

~ Profane wars take over an amusement park, dragons charging on the ground, airships above, Aedera narrates ~

"You see when we go to battle, these beasts swarm in droves, covering your regions and forming their biospheres atop your own.  Battles are fierce and unseen."

~ A beast falls heavily, bringing a crashing wind carried into a normal world view of a swirling wind, a sign flickers out just past.

"But felt."

~ Street walkers get a brief chill as the fading army charges through, a few glance to see where something was, seeing nothing.

"There are storms and chaos, and even a confusion as it passes, but it do must pass."

General - "Why ?"

Aedera - "All of your evils general.  And if your tales are true ?  If indeed your hearts may be pure yet beset ?  We do not know.  But we do when the slavers in your hollywood were found, the first act was to hunt the demons, and that's how your world began to change."

Around the city arena, the beasts begin to appear, attracted to the nazi clowns.

General - "That's what caused all this ... across the world ?  A 'demon hunt' ?"

Aedera - "Yes.  But you should know they aren't intrinsically bad, or evil.  Like you.  Only the ones who are.  Evil attracts evil, forming a biosphere, as you see here now.  We've trapped them."

The gathering beasts begin to roar at the surrounding crowds, the crowds roaring back in view passing the stadium in full around the gathering Profane Beasts.

('Eat the Rat' by DJ Lord & Chuck D)

(camera styles inspired by DJ Lord's turntables)

Gijo sits in her chair over the world, peers into the scope as it sights a storm beginning to twist far south of the arena. 

The entire globe turns around the Earth as she gears it north, appearing as though she scrolls the world. 

Zooming while it turns, sight past a E-3 Sentry (AWACS), a flock of pterosaurs and crusty warplanes over ghost ships, toward the arena.

Target zooming to the Marine 62nd lading craft, Army Ospreys following from decks further out.

Further north, the gathering nazi clowns ...
____

More nazi clowns load into their candy colored cars, vehicular weaknesses marked by target, start forming for attack.
____

Gijo cycles southward, watching as the nazi clowns form line in prone on a hill at the waterfront, landers sighted.  A clip accident falls out in the line, the nazi clowns struggle to load with their big dumb gloves.
____

The view pans 60 degrees with a distant skyscraper in pivot, from our sight to the unseen beasts crawling up to watch the Marines near beach head.

60 degrees back and to an Osprey as the back hatch opens, soldiers readying.

60 up from that point the military fades to the ghost fliers, guns loading in triangulation around each osprey they protect in threes.

180 over to behind the nazi clown as it nervously shakes the clip back in, slapping with a honk.  Out to the clowns lean in, over-swaying SUVs moving behind for the beachfront road.

Pivot 60 on lead vehicle, fading our reality to profane, the nearby sky scrapers lined with beasts.

60 back to the nazi clowns pouring to the road.

180 over to the bay view of Marines preparing, Ospreys slowed overhead, ghost planes and raptors gathering behind.

Back up to Gijo moving the view to the beach and firing.

The Marine bay doors drop while the blast hits.

Massive turtle like walker machines loom over the deploying line, protecting the soldiers from air assault as the beasts swarm over, ghost tanks emerging from the water.

Gunners filing the backs of the walkers open up while warriors leap over the soldiers to swarm the nazi clowns, heavy mortar firing from the centers.

A wing of ghosts fires through the cloud of swarming beasts, clearing for the osprey seen with another pivot. 

A tank fires, taking down a building's corner ahead, pivot to the beast losing it's footing, Osprey approaching.

The warriors reach the desperately firing nazi clown line, a beast shot from over by a turtle cannon. 

The ghost soldiers pierce with their blade arms, dragging souls from bodies while aim is lost before falling to the Marine advance, turtle walking covering over.
____

In 8 bit screen, the many Nocturnes bounce on their heads.  Doe following, shooting what's left.
____

Pivot to the soldiers view clearing a panicked line, Osprey overhead dragging their fast ropes through, Army descending in a circumferential grenade barrage.

To a turtle gunner laughing at the cartwheeling nazi clowns from the blast, ghost planes sweeping over to attack a beats leaping from a building top to the Osprey. 

The plane jolts a bit from the beast landing, then cleared panel when shot off.  Above, a B-17 drops it's bombs down the lane ahead of the Osprey troops deploying in lines down the blocks. 
____

Dealer Mike kicks his feet cheering while playing the Game-Brick ...
____

View past the deployments from Osprey in long row for blocks into the city, their shoulder cannons firing, hunters seeking.  Far past following the B-17 bombing the road between to Alpha and Delta teams firing, E3 flying high over, the general's drone lowers in behind them.

The turtle walkers at the beach continue in row, the soldiers with Abrams clearing a wide path, the turtle walkers clearing the heavy surrounding beasts.

Battle rages into the credits, end chapter one at the clearing of the beach head, walkers stilled in row, the setting sun.

Shameless Teaser the Second

Daphne and Cassandra sit at garden tables in the courtyard of Versailles.  Two naked men barely covered by platters approach, guns on the platters.

Daphne - "Cassie .. ?"

Cassandra - "Ya ?"

Daphne - Looks over fast, "Wait why have you been talking !?"

Cassandra - "I've been talking forever now !  It was in an Exo Tale !  Only.  Available.  In.  Japan !"

Daphne - "... whatever ... "  She takes the gun from the platter and plays with it.  "... so have I ever even shot a gun before ?"

Cassandra - "Ya !  Remember that one time ?"

Daphne - Thinks a moment and smiles ... a giggle.  "Oh yeah."  Loads and flicks safety.  She looks up at the man and lifts the platter with the barrel ...

It's Ken Doll Smooth.  And the underside of the platter says ~

The Special Not a Valentine

~ chapter two ~

Cassandra - (background) "Damn it !"  A load and a shot.

 

Chapter II

 

~ chapter two ~ part one ~

Narrator - "Previously, on 'Middleton Hospital'."

Mab lies in the motel bed smoking a cigarette next to a wide eyed young soldier staring at the ceiling, the sounds of battle and honks raging outside, shaking debris from the already shot up (x-day) walls.

Mab - "Do you know what I really like ?"  She flicks the cigarette before turning to cuddle and whispers in his ear, "... mmmm ... punching dolphins ..."  She draws a finger claw over his freshly shaved scalp, "Don't you agree ?"

His eyes go sideways to her ...
____

A medic slams his fist on the map table, surrounded by generals, "Damn it I'm a doctor !  Not a valentine !"

They all snap up a stare at him.

The Special Not a Valentine

Chapter Two

In a night time alley the Nautilus moves over in bombardment of the streets against the beasts crawling.  On the ground a man in the lead of a line of marketplace cars works a flame thrower, nazi clowns burning on the run.

Marketplace warriors follow shooting the last and checking the houses for civilians, coming out clear.

A flare in the near distance pops through the smoke, the priest stops burning and flips his welder's mask up, pulls a blunt and lights it with the ignition flame.

Priest - "Hold up !"

The man next to him pulls a comm, cars entering the alley.  A soldier runs to from the smoke.

Soldier - "National Guard.  We're here to assist with the evac.  Coast Guard coming to the shore, beach head clear.  Civilians ?"

Priest inhales and offers, the camera turns away inconspicuously around to the arriving vehicles, marketplace soldiers exiting armed. 

Past and over the city (sea to the south, they're on the west side, urban residential).

Priest - Blunt back in his mouth, "Haven't seen any of those yet, just a lot of these."  He pulls a pistol and shoots a nazi clown running to from the smoke.

As it flops back with a honk, the view turns to the Nautilus overhead clearing the last of the beasts around.
________________

The general taps and pockets his phone, sitting on the edge of the bed.  With a sigh he looks at the desk console, drone controller before it.

Remembered ~

He and Aedera walking down the hotel hallway to the room, occasional groups and passers-by, occasionally drunk celebrants.

Aedera - "We do not use the internet in the same way as you, you will see.  A world.  Gijo will be available to assist you in navigation."
__

He sits on the edge of the bed staring at the small glowing dome on the table ...

General - "Gijo ?"

Gijo - Voice statics on with battle in background, "... Yeah ?"

General - "... Aedera said ..."

Gijo - "Ah.  You.  Hang on."

The sounds of screaming beasts followed by Gijo's cackle.

Gijo - "Okay.  First.  Is the computer plugged in ?"

General - "What ?"

Gijo - "Joke.  Whatchu need ?"

General - "How ... do I use the internet ?"

Gijo - "It puts the controller in it's hand."

General - "What ?"
________

Nocturne and Doe (normal view, Doe still female) smoke cigarettes on the hill under a blanket, surrounded by a circle of Nocturnes watching taking notes.

Doe - "That was weird."

Nocturne smiles.
________________

In a cleared out kitchen, a center counter, soldiers and warriors standing around, pulling maps.

Priest - Pulls out a phone and taps, "House clear."

The sound of deck commands from outside, descending lights through the window.

Priest watches while the soldiers look to see, nothing.

Priest - Looks at the sergeant, "I'm the interpreter."

Behind through the unopened door and walls, Naamah enters in a market cloak and pulls the hood with her crew doing the same, a white eye with a scar down the face, mechanical arm on the same side, the right, greyed hair.

The soldiers shiver a bit, see nothing.

Naamah - "Priest."  She looks at the sergeant, then soldiers, "Nothing ?"

Priest - Exhales looking at the sergeant still, "They don't see a thing."

Naamah - Circling the table, examining them, "Are they good for it ?"

Priest - Still staring, then smiles, "They're good."

Sergeant - "So she's here."  A wisp of cold breath exhales.
________________

Gijo - "We don't have a server, so we start in one of theirs.  Yours.  Starting location ?"

The view on the general's console shows the maps triangulating location between real world, the wires throughout, and server locations.

World view, a theme park, booth computers, central server, hotels and vendors, parking lot cars with GPS active, coalescing to a map.

Gijo - From the console. "This is un-generated territory.  Nice choice.  Theme park's the theme ?"

General - "Sure !  I want to see your interactive of our world.  Like if it was you."

Gijo - "Same as everyone else.  Move through the wires to jump zones, walk like an idiot to stroll.  And ... back to their RL map meaning yours ... and ... compiling !  Just remember, it's not a cup holder."

General - "What ?"

The CD drive opens from the floor tower.

Gijo - "Or is it ... ?  Have fun !"

The view turns real world, then faded in with profane wars covering it while the people walk through blindly.

Gijo - "Looks like a hotzone."

The view pulls out in wire frame to Lucretia watching the battle in her tree, zooming in to the general's avatar lit red flashing.

Lucretia - "Figures."

Doe - Voice on comm, "Lucretia ... ?"

Lucretia - Stares annoyed at nothing, "What."

Nocturne - Comm, "Can we keep it ?  Please ?"
____

The many Nocturnes charge down the hill roaring toward the other gamers.

Lucretia - On comm "Why ... ?"

Doe looks at Nocturne, she smiles wide back.

Doe - "I promise we will put it to good use."

Lucretia - A moment ... a sigh ... "I'm trying really hard to think of a reason to care and cannot.  Have fun !"

The world jerks into a solidity, dust passes in a breeze like pixelated glitter.

Lucretia - "Annexed.  Your problem.  Don't ask."

Nocturne - "Heee ..."  She looks at Doe.  "Hey you're a boy again !"
____

Lucretia winces ...

Doe - On comm, "My grenades !"
________________

Sergeant - "We're assuming since this is considered a second invasion scenario, nazi clowns already having done so, they have the civilians held in one or many central locations."

Naamah circles behind peeing over at the maps, looks at priest and nods.

Priest - "Sounds right.  I don't think they're going to threaten execution since they can't actually talk, so I'd say they're holding them for a shield."

Sergeant - "That would mean many in one place."

Priest - "And that place is the base."

Naamah turns away and speaks into the wrist mechanisms, "One."

One - Squelching on comm, "What !?"

Naamah - "Sleeping."

One - "So !?"

Naamah - Glances back at the planning crews and smiles, "See you soon."
________

The house is packed with soldiers in sleeping bags, a few awake doing this and that, outside the cars with sleeping warriors, lights on in a few. 

Above the view goes to the Nautilus hovering over, profane battles in the distance.
____

The General peers into his monitor, room dark.  He leans in examining deeply while walking through the battles there, himself unseen, among civilians walking obliviously through the park.
________________

(Evil horn music - ! Bum, Bum, Bummmm ... )

Nocturne - Twitching eyes, "Yes ... Doe.  Soon we shall have all the Nocturnes we need.  To make the gamers.  Very.  Very.  Happy."

The digital sky crackles over with mad laughter, the Nocturnes marching in the distance.

Doe - Still under the blanket, "You're so fucking sexy when you're evil.  I have issues."

Nocturne smiles ...
________________

In the dawn the soldiers wake to revving engines, the distant roar of the crowd.
_____

Amid the roar the general sits next to Aedera in their observation booth.

Aedera - Looks at him and smiles, "Coffee ?"

General - "Yeah.  Please."  A laugh, "I was up all night playing your video games."

Aedera - Pouring from the carafe, "So I heard.  It must be much."

General - Adding sugar, "Yes ... but it still fills in more blanks than it leaves.  Makes it easier.  Disconcerting, a little powerless, but with footing."

Aedera - Pouring hers, "I understand.  This is to give you more than that, but understood the steps to trust are many."

General - After a sip, enjoyment ... "So what's your endgame here ?  Not in the arena, in the world.  What do you want when it's done ?  It was a clean victory I saw.  You're gonna win this but ... then what ?"

Aedera - "I do understand your reason for asking.  Our resource is infinite.  We don't want, or need, anything.  We're mostly from your world.  We would survive it's destruction, but still want to avoid it."

General - "Religious ?"

Aedera - "Of a faith."

General - "Is this Heaven ?"

Aedera - "No.  In such ideology, it's the second heaven once set under Razil.  As a seed of Eden, it now acts as a sanctuary to all." 

General - "So you've always been here."
Aedera - "Yes.  Different now is the conquests of the nameless.  It expanded this place through the lost channels, connecting worlds which seemed designed to be connected, cut off for unknown reasons."

General - "In 2006.  That's when it started."

Aedera - "Yes.  The beginning of our war, when nameless took back his land, these pieces began connecting again.  The beasts were always there, but we didn't have the means to fight them in any lasting way."

General - "Nameless."

Aedera - "He brought together many minds as the world grew, we fought many battles, and learned.  All you see today is new for this day, testing.  It all started with a sword."

~ The forge, Lazarus pounds ~

"Now it evolves as any army with many minds, method here, advantage there, but the key is in our steel, a way of folding it."

General - "Why did this war have the effect on our world it did ?  How does it ?"

Aedera - "They control many through impulsive influence, cut off many lands while creating false channels.  Their networks among you were ancient and extensive, and not always so wild as these you see here.  Minds behind them, as often theirs are behind you."

~ Middleton streets, the roaring crowds around ~

"These beings disrupt electromagnetism in their bridge here, among other things.  They clog the sink.  Stagnate gravitational flow as well.  Removing them in mass caused a rapid flux."

~ Theme park cleared, Sanctuary soldiers and airships departing while the people wander, a sudden rain but pleasant, a raising gust and thunder ~

"They enjoy your world, your sensations.  The worst are addicted to them.  Some cannot feel your sensations easily through the host and so it can lead quickly to extremism, and then horror."

General - "And this steel.  Can it be shared ?"

Aedera - "Unknown, we test.  We make it here.  As it stands it would simply mean a soldier shoots wildly at what he assumes is there."

General - "Hm."

Aedera - "Yes.  We test.  It began with a sword."

~ two

 

~ chapter two ~ part two ~

Priest looks through the sniper scope along the rooftops, the Guardsman eyeing the rifle.  Demons move rooftop to rooftop, street unseen.

Guardsman - "They moving ?" 

Priest - "Yes they are ... and we've got a slow one." 

Priest - Slaps the rifle to the Guardsman's chest.  "Enjoy."  He pulls out a phone and taps, "Naamah.  Hunting."

Naamah - On comm, "Understood.  Watching."

Priest - Pulls a sword, "The guns will hurt them, drive them away.  But then they just go somewhere else.  It's the _sword_ that kills."

Guardsman - "Why ?  How ?"

Priest - Sharpening, "Contact.  You absorb them.  But you don't become them.  It's all just information.  We find the base."

He pops smoke, the Guardsman barely catches him disappearing into, past and to the alley.
________

Dealer Mike plays Game-Brick on the couch ~

On-screen - "Update 1.0 Required."

Mike - "Bullshit."  He pushes the button, sighs, looks around the room ...
________

The guardsman follows on the scope after looking the rifle over.  Priest stops in the distance, motioning up.  The Guardsman looks, seeing nothing.  Then a wisp of dust curled on the corner ...

He fires silently, the wisp passes ... a flash ?  A few more shots. 

Priest gives thumbs up, disappears into an alley.
________

Game-Brick screen at 25%
________

Priest - From the smoke, "They're moving to the center.  Attacking our Alpha and Delta.  Sounds like some Army too with a supply line from the beach head.  They don't see a map like we do but it sounds like the civilians are east side."

He sits as a breeze passes, carrying the smoke.

Guardsman - Stares a moment, "What happened ?"

Priest stares at him.
____

The beast on the rooftop corner takes the sniper shot as a hard blast against it's side, Priest watching from below.

It turns to the Guardsman in the distance before the repeated shots drive it to disappear.

Priest thumbs up and turns for the alley underneath, crouched, looking at the prey as two smaller drop from the roofs to follow, Priest charges before they get footing.

He slices one to the left then the right along the way, they fall then depart the world alive.  He pins the third as it turns roaring into it's face, then reaching into it's chest as it roars back the agony.

He tears a black worm-like thing squiggling out and grins at the beast, crushes it and watches it die.

A rush passes over him while he dissects the knowledge and separates it from the soul.
____

Priest - "I made that kill."

('Reunited' by Wu-Tang Clan)

They wander the streets an alleys, cars chasing down, creating barricades against charges, hydraulic crushes, etcetera while the Nautilus crew move through.

Guardsmen and warriors check houses, apartment buildings, no civilians, all cleared out, occasional nazi clowns jumping out, flame throwers.
________

The Game-Brick screen says 50%, the phone rings.  He sighs, looks at the screen, looks at the phone, answers.

Mike - "Whatchu need ?"

Mapkeeper - "I need my god damn game to play !  And also whatchu got ?"
________

Priest - "I'm not too worried about the Sanctuary squads ahead, they've got the high end gear on them.  Prototype.  You don't want it."

Guardsman - "I think I might.  What's it do ?"

Priest - "Neural interface.  Boosts everything, treats you a bio-electric machine ... situational response ... adrenal control ... predictive targeting overlays ... the works."

Guardsman - "So ... why don't I want that ?"

Priest - "It maps your brain.  Creates an ideal process and overlays it on the existent neural framework."

The guards man stares ... then smiles.

Priest - "Think of it this way.  You don't know me.  And I will have access to your brain and can put whatever I want in there.  If you wear ... this hat."

Hands him his hat.

Guardsman - "Okay ... fine ... I don't wanna wear the hat ..."

Priest - "Until ... ?"

Guardsman - "... until I know the hatter ..."

Priest - "That's right.  Wisdom."

Priest's view shows a map overlay, leading to a rough layout of the demon's intended path, motion arcs and fog mapping as a gust passes through.

Guardsman - "What about the gun ?"

Priest - "No bullets.  You did that with your own brain."  He loads it.  "This is for nazi clowns."
____

The scene goes back to the alley shoot, the Gurdsman's eye focuses through the scope, the shoulder cannon follows and fires, hitting the demon hard and following it's flight until gone.

Priest - "Like a flight helmet."

('Mind Over Matter' by Ice-T)

____

75% ...
____

Guard and warriors, more clearing ...
____

Nocturne's eyeball stares at a Game-Brick cartridge, the distant sound of a thousand Nocturne giggles within.  She blows on it and shoves it into the Game-Brick on her hip, lowers her goggles.

Nocturne - Looking over the game battles below, "Nocturnes ... Nocturnes will make them sleep ..."
____

In the gamer's basement, all on couches, Dealer Mike handing over, their Game-bricks all make a toaster ding.  "Hell yes."
________

In a final area clear, Priest throws up a hook to pull down a fire escape and holds it down for the Guard.  As the climb to the roof, the view ~

In the town center, a circular park, distant fire, marines returning from an accomplished.  Army sets up a field command, Alpha and Delta watch, Alpha inside at the entrances, Delta patrolling, some standing staring at the sky or into the streets.

An alpha patrol looks from the far and waves when they reach top.

Priest - Fist up.  "Okay.  Teacher time."  He pulls out a scope and displays it.  "Made for the sim.  This will show you what you don't see.  Battle looks won ?" 

He lights a blunt and offers, the view up as the Nautilus looms over in open fire moving for the field still clearing of beasts. 

Alpha patrols each sending virtual hunters into the field, using their blades on the beasts, while Delta guns fliers overhead.

Guardsman - "Fuck I saw the program ... but fuck ... this ... shit ..."

The guns flush one from over, bladed down by a hunter, on to the next.  The controller armor takes the shocks of the kill.

Priest - "You see that kill ?  So that guy now has a map interpreted from that thing's memory, telling him a closer location on those civilians.  Uploads everything it learns to the grid, including all its connections around the world.  Our map."

He moves the scope over.

Priest - "Now check that guy."

Another Alpha spinning his own blades through a final nazi clown push from hiding, then sheathing with a static roar.

Priest - "No training.  Prototype gear.  Intuitive.   Artificial muscle memory.  Adrenal control.  Auto-bypass on wounded systems.  System access.  Electrical."

Guardsman - "Super soldier shit."

Priest - "Yep.  But it's all run by our systems.  And that's where we're at.  No other way to generate it.  And it absolutely requires neural integration.  Otherwise it's pretty much a backpack.  Non integrated can't make the kill.  Just flush."

Guardsman - "Damn."

Priest - "Yep."

Guardsman - (all seen) Zooming on an out patrolling Soldier, auto cannons locking and firing from the shoulders.  "Still cool though."

Priest - "Looks good on you.  Here."  He hands him his phone, the guardsman looks, it's dead.  "I was just using that to make you feel better."

He looks up, "Gijo, I need the map off that last kill to my armor please."

He looks at the Guardsman, waiting.

Priest - "I didn't need to say that out loud by the way." 
____

Before the alley run, Priest pops the smoke, leans back and lights another while the Guardsman tracks the motion ahead, cannons fire.

The distant roar of the kill, Priest inhales and holds it with gritted teeth, exhales.
____

Waiting in present for the data ...

Priest - "East side, twenty north, sixteen from center.  Head your main over there, hold back at ten south.  Be ready to run.  Storm's coming."
____

Nocturne - Giggles maniacally while pushing the button on the Game-Brick, "Yessss ..."

Doe - Still in the bedroll, eating an apple, "How's it goin' ?"

Nocturne - Smiles, "How's you goin' ?" 

She lowers her goggles and pushes a button on her wrist piece.

Lightning crackles out, Nocturnes appearing and disappearing in chain lightning through the field below.

Doe - "I'm good."  He tosses the core.
____

A heavy wind gusts over, view over the city to the beach head, violent waves growing, to the Admiral and Captain over the map with bridge crew, to Gijo's view from her chair watching the nearly formed hurricane approach.

~ three

~ chapter two ~ part three ~

Priest and the Guardsman turn back behind at the sound of distant bombers.

Guardsman - A laugh, "Cleared of civilians.  Looks like we might have missed some nazis though."

Priest - "Boom."

('Mass Appeal' by Gang Starr)

~ The bombs fall from the row of heavies, targeting from inside down the drop, infrared and distance spotting views through the mix.

The Nocturnes fan out with the lighting across the field, assassin strikes, one after the next, absorbing the kills and moving on, never one hitting the same twice.

~ The bombs start hitting.
____

The gamers all curse in frustration ...

A selection screen, Nocturne 8 bit dancing.
____

~ falling down the street, the explosions crumbling the buildings inward ...
________________

Aedera - Checking zoom on her pad, a soldier's gear red-lit, "One of your soldiers seems ... distressed.  He appears responsive to the beasts.  He can see them.  He is ... not well."

General - Taking the pad, checking, "Dear God I know that kid ... what the hell is he doing in a simulation like this ?"  Pulling the view out, nearby enemy.

He leans over his monitor with the drone control

General - Peering over the edge, "He cannot handle it."

He looks up and back from the monitor.

General - Jumping over the rail, "Armor me !"

A blast hits from the sky, Aedera peers over the edge as the general speeds off riding the drone with the control, a specialized field armor, full cannon firing into a turning swarm.
________

Nocturnes striking across the field, until none other left, then in a flash, all gone.
____

The gamers look up angrily in the smokey basement.

Vincent - "Every fucking time we play together."

Mike - "Is awesome."  Passes the blunt.

The all look around ... and agree.  A strange sound comes with a bang and hums from their Game-Bricks, they look down to a plasma blue glow ...
________

The general flies over field on the drone working the controls desperately.  His vision blurs patches followed by a faint flash, he squints his eyes to see clearly. 

His phone rings, he looks annoyed, works the control one hand while putting in an ear-piece, returning to control.

General - "Yah !"

Aedera - "Earbud ?"

General - "Yah !"

Aedera - "Your armor.  It requires your permission for neural integration."

General - "Kay !  Gimme !"

He grits his teeth, a static covers him momentarily.

Aedera - "And we're sending  Er'elim.  They will be comfort to him against what he sees."

General - "Who !?"

Aedera - "Angels."

General - "Good !"

He jumps off the drone, crashing it into the patrol, turns and throws the controller behind and another one's lead.  In the turn spins the view to the demons swarming above, the huddled soldier seeing it all.

Back cannons ward off the main flier coming in, he pulls his radio, "Beach Head Guard !  I need one soldier evac asap, my location !"  He turns to the soldier. "Don't worry son.  We got you."

He pulls his pistol and fires into the charging patrol.

('My Disco' by Big Black)

General - "! What the hell is that noise !?"

Gijo - (earbud) "Hi !  This is customer service and that is our mood music."

General - Firing into a charge, low spin under shots and into the lead, tackled into the next.  "Why !?"

Gijo - "That's command armor man.  It's in your head."

General - "Noticed !  Why !"

Gijo - "Think of it like a trope.  I'm a nagging female voice judging your every move !  It's very common in your digital simulations, which I find fascinating.  Just trying to make you happy man ... so I can't help notice you you didn't fucking eat food today."
____

In the gunner chair, her feet on the cannon, filing her nails.

General - On comm, "I had coffee !"

Gijo - "Mm hm, mm hm.  That's because you didn't sleep.  You're on mission you know.  Your adrenals are all fucked up now.  Had to up the testosterone and the endorphins to balance  that and give a nice flow ... to ya."

She waits thinking during the sound of gunshots ...

Gijo - "Won't feel much pain either ... until later ... but that's also why you're freaking the fuck out and yelling at me.  Practically tripping balls."

General - Cracking bone and honk sounds, "I'm !  Not !  ! Yelling !"  Exhales with the drop of a body 'thump'.   Breathing hard, "That was a joke by the way."

Gijo - "I know.  You have another wave coming.  It's horrible.  So you need me to monitor you while you take care of that.  Walk walk walkin' ya through your new styles.  Angels en route, pickup en route, and I don't think I've ever seen a demon quite that big before, given the gate I'm seeing ... and I've seen ... some ..."

Aedera - Cutting in, "Ooo ... I think his name is Abaddon."

Gijo - "So how's that feel down there ?  For the record."
____

General - A giant beast rising over near covered in smaller, "Skin crawling ... every part of my brain electrically activated all the way down my spine and into every muscle and also very aware of a certain direction I don't want to look, but have to.  It's much too up."

He puts a blindfold on the soldier, a natural cringe to a deeply intoned roar, behind him the smaller beasts fly from the body.

General - "Just hang on.  We've got you.  Evac's on it's way."

He starts gathering weapons and ammo, nazi clowns moving in the distance, he pulls out the radio.

Gijo - "Your heart rate's up.  You seem stressed."

General - Into the radio, "Beach head !  How long !?"

('A Love Bizarre' by Sheila E and Prince)

Gijo - "Do you need to pee ?"

Beach Head Comm - "Departing 20 seconds !"

Gijo - "You're totally fucked you know."

Lightning strike Abaddon as the angels enter in sonic booms, the majority turning for the swarm surrounding him.  Ten drop to the ground before the blindfolded soldier, three putting up their four wings and crouching to make a dome circling the soldier and a fourth.  The rest protect.

Surrounding Abaddon, the attacking angels open their mouths with a plasma like fire.

~ The helicopter turns to take off, dragons charge beneath, a fleet of wrecked hulls lift from the water dropping their excess.

Inside the the dome, the angel lifts the blindfold, pulls up the soldiers hands, "Pray with me."

The Ezekiel machine pulls itself from the ground, heads turning on axis, stopping at man to breath a heavy blast.

The general spins with two rifles firing angled sideways, their pull guiding the maneuvers.
____

Gijo - Eating movie popcorn, "Welcome to gun-blade 101.  Just remember the straight-shot's like a fencer's thrust.  Thrust then shoot.  Let it guide a finishing sweep for the confirmed kill, other weapon."

The general thrusts a shot to the distance, shoots dropping the forward, following with a sweep across the line, throws down the empty in his left and pulls a pistol.

Gijo - Slurping soda, "Spanish Ren. sword and dagger style.  Do.  Work that alphabet, girl."  (there are possibly less than a hundred people in the world who will understand that)

~ The helicopter flies through the warzone, dragons beneath, tackling what beasts are found, warplane wreck cross fire flying over to clear the sky.  Behind, the destroyers loom, focus on the heavies.

General - Kicks back a nazi clown, then a pistol shot pulling a sweeping spin from the other rifle.  "How do we kill it ?!"

Gijo - Mouth full, "If by we you mean they, then _you_ watch _them_ destroy the heart.  It's the only part that's technically real."  Slurp.

The last charge down, the general runs and jumps off the hood of a nearby car, catching an observing drone.
____

A random monster in the crowd (Dealer Mike) with his friends (the gamers in make-up) jumps back from his monitor, controller in it's hand.

General - Upside down close into the monitor as he leans over the drone came, "Through it's God Damned Heart, Soldier !"

The monster looks around at his friends, the surrounding crowd, they all smile nodding, he leans in.
____

Gijo - Choking, "Well if you want to crash and burn, that's a good way to do it.  Your advantage being he barely notices you because of how pathetic you are.  Don't let him touch you or the drone's probably gonna fry."

General - "Can he down that chopper ?"

Gijo - "Yah !  And he can down you too !"

~ The helicopter continues, the dragons climbing the buildings in their charge, their vertical become horizontal, knocking the crawlers off their fire at the chopper's pass.

~ (clockwise turn ... with the helicopter in the middle it makes a monogram which contains all the letters of my full name ... eating demons ... doop-de-dooo ...)

The drone tries to sweep in for the heart, general's armor firing from the back to clear swarm, Abaddon notices and tries to sweep with a hand, diverting their course.

Angels continue their same attempts, blocked by swarm.
____

The controller monster is wide eyed at the screen, surrounding monsters cheering and groaning along.

~ The beast is seen (unseen) through the helicopter's windshield in the distance blocking, dragons charge, destroyers and planes pull ahead.

The drone makes another pass, the circling battleships spotting and move to distract, blasting an eye to a roar.
____

The monsters chant and cheer all around the drone controller, lost in focus.

~ The rescue team near.

The general pulls the armor's sword, thrust forward as the drone passes through the heart.  (Song ends at first break, 'On the one' at 5:40)

The drone fizzles spinning off, the general another way, Abaddon falls back and fades to a gusting mist across the streets on impact.

~ A wild crowd.

Blackscreen.

~ The helicopter lands in normal view.

Blackscreen.

~ Loading the soldier.

Blackscreen.

~ Takes off.
________________

Shameless Teaser the Third

~ Two days ago ~

Voiced over while a ghost plays Game-Brick on a lounge couch, pulls out the cartridge, blows on in then shoves it back in.

"We've trained what seems a lifetime for this.  Waiting."

The ghost (cheap Halloween costume style, but still translucent and glowy) bangs the side of the Game-Brick, keeps playing.

"But ever since I got here, I knew."

~ Laughs a small victory in the game.

"This was the job for me.  Two million other ghosts.  Just like me.  We all know."

A crowded rec room, ghosts (similar cheap costumes) lounging and floating through walls with coffee and snacks.

"But then after a lifetime waiting, you start to wonder ... will that day ever come ?  And ... should it ?"

The red alarm goes off on the wall, ghosts freeze and drop coffee ...

"! Yes !"

They all flash out through the walls.

In a long corridor, in the dark, a soft hue from the seemingly endless row of ghosts lined up, yawning and stretching.
____

Gijo - Cannon chair, plasma overflowing, "! WHOOOOOOO !"
____

A flood of plasma pours down the tunnel, charging them all with a bright glow to their cheers.  "! WHOOOOOOO !"

"It's just like they said it would beeeee ..."

"! Everybodyyyyyyyy ... ! NOW !"

They all flash down the corridor, the cannon fires a wisp.
____

All brighter, they lounge.  The ghost picks back up the Game-Brick.

"Yep.  Life of a cannon ghost."

Panic Ghost - Running through in circles screaming, "Oh ... my ... God ... we're ... Organized !"

Game Ghost - "Shaddup."  Bangs the Game-Brick and keeps playing.

The Special Not a Valentine

chapter three

coming soon

Brought to you by the Game-Brick 3000 Ghost-Gear Edition

It doesn't exist.

Chapter III

~ chapter three ~ part one ~

The general wakes in an empty room, no windows or doors.  He starts to stand, helped by Pragmatism.

General - "You.  I saw you die."

Pragmatism - "Right back at ya."

General - "So that's it then."

Pragmatism - "Hm ?  Oh no.  People who die in the arena just wake up.  But you're going back in to see more, so ... this is like a waiting room until your wandering mind returns to the dream."

General - "What are you waiting for ?"

Pragmatism - "For you !"

General - "Why ?"

Pragmatism - "To answer everyone's big question." 

The general wakes in his Middleton hotel bed, the empty room furnished, windows and doors set, alone.

The general walks out to the observation, Aedera waiting, all in silence except the music, the arena circles around the cheering audience.

Lilith walks to the edge of the airship announcing, the cameras turn to him, his face on the screen, he doesn't notice, groggy.

His seat is surrounded with varied bouquets from audience, sitting he sees a sandwich with a bow on it and a card, 'Eat Me' on the outside.

He sits and nods to Aedera, and reads ~

"You just stage dived Hell and died.  Eat your sammich."

(heart)

"Gijo."

____________

The Special Not a Valentine

~ chapter three ~

As the camera circles the massive arena surrounding city and burbs, the bombers in the distance doing work.

('U.N.I.T.Y.' by Queen Latifah)

The view loops the other way around, to where the bombers demolish the last of the buildings, lobs from the beach head, Howitzers worked.  Tanks advance the rubble. 

The view turns under Lilith's airship (a bit of screen shows the general taking a bite of the sandwich) to show Sanctuary airships clearing the demons from the rubble, flushed from hiding.
____________

From the cam in the center, the distant skyline where Priest and the Guardsman were watching falls.  Alpha and Delta teams staring ...

Under the ops tarp.

Priest - "Nothing but clowns to the west, I take it you've patrolled the other sectors."

Ops - "We have.  Lite search, enemy distributed, no patrol to make us think they've got civilians there either.  Checked north and kicked a lot of asses, nothing else.  Beach head up from the south east and holding back."

A hard gust of wind hits, detritus blown, gear toppled and dealt with.

Ops - "And right where you said, two drones lost, patrol calls hot.  Arial shows protection pattern around this block."

Pointing the map.

Ops - "Can't get a good shot in the storm but it could be a warehouse, a mansion ... hard to tell around here ... but we don't think they could have as many hostages as we expected.  They're all there.  Rest of the clowns are all spread out."

Priest - "Better gear up these kids then, we got this."

Ops - "You know they'll all be on you when you're gone, right ?"

Priest - "We've got air support."

Ops - "In this storm ?"

Priest - "From this storm."
____

Admiral - Looking out to the approaching storm, "One route captain.  And get any slow asses in this fleet on their way, depot out.  We're packing."

Captain - "Aye sir ... and call in the air ?"

Admiral - Staring out ... a sigh.  "Agreed.  There's no safe flying in this.  Rack em up, carriers off the board."

The captain turns to the beach head view on the bridge, looks across, picks up the comm.
____

At the beach head the landing craft load gear, the raising wind and waves, last choppers lifting.  Airlift from center returning. 

A soldier looks up tho the hurried row of bulk vessels, supply, and carriers making way to the west, distance hugging the arena shores, toward the north west, ice in the distance.
________________

The general sips his coffee, takes in the surrounding flowers ...

General - "So ..."

Aedera - "Everyone knows you didn't understand.  That you believed you would die.  But only Abaddon, and these demons have, and your soldier will not remember this dream."

General - "Thank God."

Aedera - "And you.  A hero, honored by Er'elim.  Your armor recorded much in that kill.  If it had been Er'elim, we would have learned nothing, and the finisher would not have survived it.  But what you've recorded involves our next mission, and not one in which you will wish to partake."

General - "Sounds personal."

Aedera - "It is.  And final.  It's name has just come up on a map we know.  Our next quarry."  She looks at him and smiles, "But not here.  And not today."
________________

A nazi clown walks through the alley scared, turns to run from a puff of smoke ...

"! Whoop ! .... Woop woop woop woop ..."

Looking beck is turns into the alley and stops.

A car with high crooked hydraulics and eyes painted on it's lights stares back ...

The clown stares ...

The car stares ...

A crunching metal sound behind, the nazi clown turns ...

Crushed by another car's hydraulic bounce.  The patrol rolls through slowly creeping, HumVs mixed in, top guns targeting over the other low roofs.

~ two

~ chapter three ~ part two ~

Lucretia stares over the last clearing from the amusement park map on her display. 

She flips it to the general's armor display, extracting maps, removing memory details as they pass.

Overlays with a series of other map grids, locking over a globe surface turning beneath.

Nocturne - On comm, "Lucretia ... ?"

Lucretia - "Already said no, Nocturne ..."

Nocturne - "No !  Look !"

Lucretia moves the map load aside, backs up to the last time she fired ... streaming assassins fading in and out across a field of lightning ...

Nocturne - (still display) "I ... Have ... the Fisticuffs !"  Lightning crackles from the gridworks and polygons and strikes her fist.
________________

Lightning in the distance as Priest and the Guardsman crouch another rooftop with their scopes, high wind.  Below a nazi clown squad flees a bouncing front end, caught in Guard crossfire.

Priest - "Damn.  They gave them a bunker."

Guardsman - "Yeah ... guess that's fair given all the ass kicking they got set up for.  So this is like a nightmare for them ?"

Priest - "Cold sweat.  Remember when everyone had all those zombie dreams a few years back ?"

Guardsman - "No shit."

Priest - "Welcome to Middleton."
________________

Lucretia checks the data-stream from the game cartridge, sub-file 'Cartridge in a Care Tree' ~

A readout of all the players absorbed, game names, sub-sequenced to individuated specialty moves spiking a from a stream of consistencies between.

Nocturne - On comm, "Yah !  Activate that !  ! Activate !"

Lucretia furrows a brown and turns it live ... the readout wave shows the players online, some in, some out, the waves and spikes adapting ...

Lucretia - "Are you near a hot-zone ?"
____

Nocturne and Doe stand over the field, distant gamers hopping around shooting at each other. 

Nocturne - "Yes I am ..."

She adjusts her goggles overlaying all the existent players in the same map from all servers, becoming densely populated.

Nocturne - "Five hundred thousand in the world ... seventy thousand mine, fifty thousand strikes in a six second event."

Lucretia - Overlays the server locations on a globe.  "So strike."

('Hazy Shade of Winter' by the Bangles)

She turns on the Game-Brick, through the goggles the texture wraps remove from the game world, black and white, noir shadow, pale plasma traces along the polygons, strike arcs, time slows to bullet speed.

(a six second event, spread over time)

She walks to the edge of the field, watching the motion, then points her left hand across.  A blast of lightning stretches across the world, Nocturnes flashing in and out in their strikes in real time against the slow.

The distance between polygons begins to spread ...

~ Lucretia watches the connecting pattern across servers creating a network while the data compiles the event.

Across locations while the lightning spreads, player time speeds individually align, death strokes becoming simultaneous.  Normal speed, she walks to the center.

~ Lucretia watches the servers distribute signal traffic ...

The lightning assassins populate in and out across the map, through locations, times between the other avatars shifting and compressing to a singularity. 

Polygons begin overlapping their like types.

~ Lucretia watches the network globe spread ...

The time displacements shift across regions as the locations begin overlapping, a map averaging their structures, polygons collecting and reforming simpler shapes.

~ It continues collapsing into a simpler and simpler forms, Nocturnes still striking through in their own time, network stretching around the world.

The collapsing game-world becomes more densely populated, time displacing all until all align into a moment, a one on one fight compiling all, three dimensional shapes fall to a line, then a point, her fist. 

Pumped high to discharge, polygons collecting around her, the last, an armor.  She jacks her fist to a wave of destruction / creation into a rebuilt world, as before untouched. 

A second wave returns to her, texture returns.  One by one gamers log back in.

(end of song)

~ Network Mapped ~

Lucretia - "Fine.  Next mission."

Nocturne and Doe - (comm) "! Yes !"

Lucretia - "Still not a valentine."

Doe - "We've been fucking between the maniacal outbursts for like two days now.  We're spent !"

Lucretia - Annoyed at the display, "You're fucking right now."

Nocturne - "So !?"

She moves the display back to the general's armor, maps overlaying ... she taps her finger then overlays Nocturne's grid, disconnected.
________________

Guardsman - Setting his silencer, "So are you ghosting on me again or are you going in ?"

Priest - "We're going in for nazis now, gear's set to automatic.  You'll feel the pull.  Nautilus for the beast, guns for the clowns."

They return to their scopes ...

Priest - "These guys are idiots so I'm guessing their command's on the top floor feeling proud, while the hostages are in the basement."
____

Angry nazi clown - Into a comm, _"Whoop !_ whoop whooo. - honk -".  Slams down the comm, looks across the cityscape.
____

In the basement nazi clowns honk and whoop gathered near a heavy door, two guarding.
____

Guardsman - "Morons.  Like a fucking movie."

Priest - "You get low floors."

Guardsman - "You get high."

 ('Dr Greenthumb' by Cypress Hill)

~ bunker assault goes ... ! here ! ~

...

Door to door ops is brutal by the way. 

~ Downstairs Guardsmen ~

Hallways covered, kick it in, another pops the smoke and or flash bang, go in shooting on the edge of the smoke, full back up taking out the panickers down the hall.  A crawl and clear to the hostages.

~ Upstairs Warriors ~

Door to door rush, one to the next, a pile at a time.  Execution to execution style, panic created, drawing all out to fire, to the control room.  Fast moving, greater likelihood of something behind, back covered.

The scene will blend these as such.

Hear the song and use your imagination.

...

In the command center, a knock on the door (shave and a haircut)

Two latches, the heavy door opens.  Priest smiles and pushes the doorman back by the face, a wad of C4 lands in the middle of the floor. 

The door slams shut.
____

The Guardsmen kick the wine cellar door open, dead nazi clowns strewn around the room, wine bottles everywhere.

"We're ... ! Rescued !"

(the uselessly drunken cast of the blacklist tales laying around)

The bunker shakes from the upstairs explosion.

~ three

~ chapter three ~ part three ~

In the gathering wind, the Guardsmen push the blacklist tales out from the bunker on gurneys to the HumVs.

Morgan bursts out laughing for no reason and rolls over dropping her bottle.

Andromeda - "Oh yeah.  I am definitely wounded."

Gearworkers give each other demolition gurney rides, crash and start beating each other up.

Kurukulla's back cannons crawl, carrying her passed out, dragging Wilhelm sleeping by the wrist like a teddy bear.

Daphne and Cassandra ride soldiers piggy back with their guns over the shoulders making gun sounds.

Amelia - Smoking on her back on the gurney, "So what the hell is this even supposed to be !?  Is it a goddamn video game or is it a movie or what the hell is it ?"

Lieu Hanh - Carrying Virginia, "It's total propaganda."

Xquic - Follows walking normally, then stares at a guardsman strangely walking by ... "But for whom ... ?"

Lieu Hanh - "Did you just say 'whom' ?

Priest - To the Guardsman, "This is where we part."

Guardsman - "Ghosting ?"

Priest - Puts his hand on his shoulder and smiles, "Scary demons are gone now.  You'll be alright.  Make that run."

He (with a blunt over his ear now, unnoticed) watches a car pull up stopping, door opening.  Priest gets in, door closes, they file out.
____

The map pulls back, the Warriors making a row to the west, out residential.  The Guardsmen load, the excess already heading south.

Enemy cars gather and pour from all around.

~ The warriors back their cars into garages in a cul-de-sac. 

To the south ahead of the departing Guard, a wall of Abrams tanks awaits.

~ Garage doors close to darkness.

To the north a hard line of speed graded military buggies pushes from behind.

~ Headlights turn on, in the swamp outside Erzulie's club.

Far south offshore, the storm twists closer.

~ They drive, Legba walking out watching, taking a shot.

('Sweet Dreams' by The Eurythmics)

 

Nocturne hovers over the active game world, unseen, drop-ships circling.

~ Lucretia looks over the maps gathered from the armor, compiling and overlaying, attempting to focus a view to a particular place within a place dimensionally, cycling through.

Nocturne holds out her hands, the polygons collecting around her forming clothes and armor, the gamers below fading in and out as wisp-like ghosts.

~ Lucretia continues to cycle dimensional views over the same region, triangulating on a globe.

The world beneath Nocturne begins reconstructing, polygons rearranging shapes.  A drop-ship moves past, players diving in, taking new forms in the collecting shapes, drop ships reforming.

~ Lucretia focuses through a swarmed layer ...

As the fields overlay the different server populations, the wisps of players becomes thick like a smog around a gathering castle. 

Landing in front, she enters the high arched doors, furnishing unfolding in the mist.  Past a throne and through the back, a bedroom, Doe sleeping.  She smiles.

~ Lucretia - "Got you."
________________

The engines start, starting to depart, the Nautilus looms over and past.  Naamah walks to the bow, watching the high wall of storm ahead.

She draws her arm along the sight, the other circling in and under.  She whips out a finger with her right hand, then a second and third, draws the hand along the storm cloud wall, then drawing them back to her core like a claw.

Her method through the storms is half like a Tai-Chi / Kung Fu, half like a passionate tango with tornadoes (which do dance, I know, I grew up in Minnesota).

Three tornadoes emerge from the cloud.

('Fantastic Voyage' by Lakeside)

The random and brightly colored nazi clown cars fan through the streets, a residential neighborhood, market area leading several miles south to the beach head.

To the south, the tanks stand pointed for the beach, spread across two blocks, guns in reverse, sighting the approaching Guard HumVs. 

Naamah uses her arms to guide the tornadoes past the the tank line, splitting two off from the three, leaving on churning at the beach head. 

The tornadoes pour into the low buildings on either side of the Guard's path, grinding at the buildings and concrete in passing, tail winds from the storm wall hitting hard.
____

The Guardsmen accelerate through the destruction, lead gunner spots the tank line ahead, checks back at the gathering clowns beginning to fire.

"Hard Right !"

Morgan, Andromeda, Amelia - Packed in a back seat in the sway turn, laughing "! Whooo !"
____

Lead tank captain sights the line turning a block, away from view, the gathering nazi clowns behind.

A-Captain - "Hold ..."

The last Humvee passes.

A-Captain - Smiles, "All fire."
____

The cars are blown, tossed and thrown with the concrete, crushed beneath the surrounding buildings.

Captain - Into the comm, "B-Line, all yours."

B-Captain - Comm, "Copy that, having fun."
____

The second line fires the already gathered nazi clowns, holds fire as the HumVs sway into view.

Guardsman - (lead driver, blunt still over ear) "Fuck." 

He sees the tornado approaching a couple of blocks over, the other further to the let, one straight ahead sitting there.  The blunt falls into his lap.
____

The nazi clowns caught in the streets over swerve in the high winds, SUVs lifting slowly and dropping to escape until caught up, whooping and honking.

As the retreat gathers in their lane ~

"! Hard Left !"

Soldiers, Daphne, Cassandra - Packed in the backseat with the sway, Gearworkers driving and gunning, "! Whooo !"

They swerve into sight of the other tornado as it passes, nazi clown cars twirling and throw, they swerve to dodge into the next turn.  Cannon fire past behind, few clowns make the turn, the other tornado passing behind them. 

Naamah watches from between, guiding the tornadoes through the pursuers, closing their gap.  She draws them together when the ground is cleared, dissipating in their fusion.

She turns to the last on the beach with a smile and returns below decks.
____

The HumVs pass the tank line, the tanks start to roll, still firing at the approach.
________

At the beach head the last of the landers wait, others departing in the chop, the last tornado off distant on the shore.

Beach ops - "So there were ... thirteen ... civilians.  In total.  In this entire city."

Patrol - Stiffing a giggle, "Sir yes sir."

Ops - "And ... clowns ... ?"

Patrol - "About a million sir.  The entire city."

They try to stifle laughs and fail.

...

Ops - "We got any mortar left ?"

Patrol - Smiles, "Sir yes sir."
_______

The lead tank opens it's hatch at the beach head turn, looking up at the tornado ...
____

A nazi clown stands through the sunroof of an SUV looking up ...
____

Alison Dorothy look down from the farmhouse at the edge of the tornado, watching.  The SUV get swiped up, tank escaping.  Sunroof clown gets pulled from the car, impaled by a Middleton street sign.

The landers slam full, one after the next filling and departing in the high chop, nazi clowns spiraling behind as the tornado covers the back.
____

A nazi clown (the first in the opening) drags it's gun watching the destruction through the city as the tornado passes. 

It turns to the sea, the last of the landers rounding the beach, away.  It peers through the storm front, a growing roar.

('Earth Angel' by The Penguins)

 

The sea rises over the skyline, the nazi clown (from the opening) looks around at the massive audience all around, just above that.  The soldier in the motel with Mab stares out the window while she sleeps.  The wave strikes.

~ begin credits ~

What remains of the city is note by note demolished, nazi clowns drowning with chunks of buildings and turning cars.  Inside the motel, the soldier watches the clowns and buildings swirl past like an aquarium.
____

The fleet rounds the outer edge of the arena, working its way through the ice.
____

The last of the city is buried in the destruction, a splash across the crowd to their roaring cheers.

A deep iron crunching sound echoes across as a massive grate drops beneath the city, dropping it into the water.  The gate slams shut again, the city glitches and statics back in, fresh.
____

The fleet escapes, the island flickering, then disappearing behind.

~ The Baron carves his walking stick, pulling out out the open door to the hanging confederates from the trees, watching the viewer.

Dark, the red heart neon from Erzuli's club flickers in, then out.

____________________

________________

~ mid credit ~

A sleeping man, nose begins sniffing in the dark, "B.  B. Ba.  Batl .. B ... Battle ?"

Nameless walks out of his hut, yawning and stretching, looking around.

An eye looks to the left.  Hundreds of giggling ninjas running in the fields holding their ice cream cones high ...

"What the ..."

An eye looks to the right.  Unicorns are dancing with people in pajamas.

"Who ... ?"

Hundreds of witches on brooms streak over to circle the tree, crowded with students along university walkways.

The door slams.  The sound of a heavy chest dragged across the floor, shaking the door when it hits.  A bed flop sound.

____________________

________________

~ end credits ~

('My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time' by Doris Day)

 ~ credits ~

Clowns and wreckage floating underwater.  Extinct life swims while the ships settle in, bloopers and behind scenes on pop screens.

 

(words on blackscreen)

"The solution to climate change is not this unserious resolution."

"The solution to so many of our problems at all times and in all places is to fall in love, get married, and have some kids."

 

'Senator Mike Lee on climate change'

~ last after credit ~

A man sleeps ...

He dreams wandering through an antiquated chapel, down the spiraling stairs with his candlestick and robes.  A periodic shaking of the building creates dust and a stumble as he makes his way.

Through the library archives, the sound of turning pages and quiet joy.  At the center of the archive, seated at a reader's table.  Smiling as she turns the pages of her book, touching each page.  She looks up at him.

Keeper - "Pontifex."

The Sanctuary Chapel walks through the woods ('The Reformation Epilogue' is leaked online here).

The Reformation Epilogue

~ immediately follows 'The Special Not A Valentine' ~

The general walks the busy sidewalk, civ clothes on, enters the cafe.  He sees the table waiting and sits.

General - "So it was you.  All along.   Just you."

Writer - (Three Days, day three) "No.  Not just me.  But yeah.  Me all along."
____

The chapels shakes with a step, the falling dust.

Keeper - "His name was Razil."

Pontifex - "But not anymore."

Keeper - "For all the power in the naming you know, you learn now the power of namelessness.  Is that why you changed yours ?"

...

Keeper - "Mine is Ashera.  His daughter."
____

General - "How much of this is actual real ?  Truth.  What is happening."

Writer - "I'd say the ... scenarios are right but the details are mixed a bit.  Or maybe the other way around sometimes, but the overall is accurate."

General - "And the tech ?"

Writer - "Oh yeah."
____

The chapel shakes.

Pontifex - Watching her eyes staring back coldly, "Is he the devil ?"

Keeper - Smiles, "The devil to whom ?"

Pontifex - "... is he mine ?"
____

Writer - "Field tested.  But most of what you've seen isn't about technology at all. Just power."

General - A short laugh and a stare.  "You do know the implications of that are terrifying, right ?"

Writer - "Yes I do.  That's why I took my time."
____

Dust falling.

Pontifex - "What do you want ?  What does he want ?"

Keeper - "Shhh ... you're safe here.  We destroys the Hells."

Pontifex looks down holding the cross in his lap.

Keeper - "So why do we find the greatest in your garden ?"
____

Tarts and coffee are brought to the table, thanked for.

General - "You want something.  Or you wouldn't be offering something."

Writer - Sips the coffee and sets it down, a sigh.  "Look.  Imagine if you knew you'd keep coming back.  Every time.  Right back here.   For a while you start thinking about who you were.  Who you might have been."

General - "Yeah.  I've read those books.  There are a lot of Joan of Arcs and Arthurs running around out there."

They laugh ...

Writer - "None of the above or anyone people think of.  But the point is after a while, you start thinking about the future too."

General - Stares a moment considering, "So you're saying you're thinking about your own tomorrow, while we're just pissing on our children's and theirs."

Writer - "As selfish as eating.   But I understand it's difficult for you to imagine that I do also care."

General - "Do you ?  Are you sure ?"
____

Keeper - "A secret."

Pontifex - "Heaven."
____

Writer - "Valid question ... or at least one I'm used to.  But if all the things you're afraid of were true, we wouldn't ask.  I wouldn't ask.  You'd be even more screwed than by what you've done to yourselves."

...

General - "After what I've seen I've come to realize that."
____

Keeper - "Your Heaven, Pontifex.  But that's where you've been wrong for so long.  And that's why your priesthood is corrupted by it's spirit, filled with the greatest of all sin.  The corruption of innocents.  The creation of your Hell."
____

Writer - "I know you do have to ask though.   Assess the potential threat."  Holds up his cup.

General - "Yes I do."  Holds his.

Writer - "Allies."

They clink and drink.
____

As the chapel walks through Sanctuary woods.

~ The Reformation Epilogue ~

An outlet sparks in a dark room, the digital Nocturnes fan out in lighting, an infested basement archive, crackling it to black and white.

Objects on display, the spirit of some taken as they pass, leaving the physical object object behind.  Walking out from the dark room, the most tangible.

Nocturne - "We're in."  She pulls them back to her hand, pages rustling lightly in their pass.
__

Lucretia - Watching a virtual of the scene from her tree, "Have you found the beacon ?"

Nocturne - Looking at her Game-Brick, "Just got here Lucretia ... oh my god do you know the loot !?"

Lucretia - "Too bad you're with us you have to share.  Should'a gone freelance."

Nocturne - "You're an ass."

Lucretia - "Beacon."
____

Lightning over the sea at night.

'The Sisterhood' ships Nautilus, and Arena, in apparently modern states head toward distant port lights.  Lilith looks up at the strike of lightning across the shore, starts to count in a whisper.
____

Nocturne - The sound of thunder outside, she smiles at the screen with wide eyes, puts it away.  Shadow selves fluttering behind her, she walks out to the courtyard filled with beasts.  A hell overgrown, the landscape unrecognizable.

They turn, she smiles.  Her lightning selves erupt around her as she walks naturally, if not more gracefully.
____

Lucretia watches the three maps attempting to fuse in static.  A gathering army in the fields below, preparing, airships loading, walkers marching to line.
____

The Sisterhood ships pass over the beach, realized now in flight before docking while Germain watches from the dock-house, the bells in crackling storm across a misty city.
____

Nocturne roars as the others are drawn back into her.  She pulls back and unleashes again, filling the courtyard and town, flickering lights and popping a few in a gust of wind.

Nocturne - "Beneath the obelisk."

She wakes in the car, Doe parking.

Doe - Passes a blunt, "You ready ?"

Nocturne - In smoke, "Oh yeah."
____

Germain takes a drop of cetus adrenal, eyes go wide ... he starts to giggle.

('Mack the Knife' by Louis Armstrong)

Opening credits while Nocturne and Doe take dumb tourist photos in the Vatican among the crowds.