Vilgax Goes Screech

Story
John: Let me get this straight. You guys actually have Vilgax in custody?

John is in the Plumbers temple on Coruscant, in the Magister’s meeting room. With him are Grand Magister Labrid and Magister Windu.

Windu: Yes. We recently obtained him after he tried to conquer a planet. It was a hard fought battle.

John: But he’s in custody. And he hasn’t broken free?

Labrid: His powers have diminished, even if it is so slightly. However, we now have the problem of storing him.

John: Why? Wouldn’t you just throw him into the Null Void?

Windu: You’ve been gone from central command too long, John. Inside the Null Void is the prison system known as Incarcecon, which houses the most dangerous criminals when thrown in there. However, in recent months, these prisons have become, unreliable. Inmates are disappearing, bribes are taken. It would be an easy manner for Vilgax to escape a prison run by living organisms.

John: Living.

Labrid: Despite the massive security threat it could bring, we plan on emptying one of Incarcecon’s prisons in space to house only Vilgax. Everything will be automated, and the rest of the inmates transferred to the Null Void.

John: Which will only make the problem worse. Why do it?

Windu: Vilgax is a threat that needs to be removed. With the Incurseans becoming more active, and your reports of Sludgepuppies on Earth, we can’t waste any resources. Our forces are still recovering from the Clone Wars last year.

Labrid: Therefore, we want you to take Vilgax to Incarcecon, and ensure he’s imprisoned. You’ll get a team to assist.

John: Fine. How hard can it be to lock away the universe’s most dangerous criminal? End Scene

Manny: Shotgun!

A Plumber transport ship is approaching an Incarcecon base, Helen at the controls. Pierce and Manny are in chairs behind her, while Elektra and John are sitting on benches to the side. Vilgax is behind a force field wall, an energy cuff binding him to a slab. Helen groans with frustration.

Helen: Manny, for the hundredth time, stop calling shotgun! You’re already technically there!

Manny: (Slyly) Shotgun.

Pierce: Shut up already! This is one of the biggest missions of our lives, and you’re messing around.

Manny: Oh, you want to go a round, porcupine?! Cause I can lay the hurt on you and still get this mission done.

Pierce: Bring it.

Elektra appears behind them, grabbing both of them by the ears, pulling them up. The two groan in pain, as she slams their heads together, the two dazed from the blow.

Elektra: Bickering boys. Always needing to get in a fight. Did not miss that.

Vilgax: Oh, thank you! I couldn’t take anymore of that! (The others turn to him.) I would throw myself into Incarcecon willingly if it meant I didn’t have to listen to them.

Elektra: You’re in no position to talk, squid face. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the one who killed Lady Artemis. Be thankful you’re expected to stay alive, or else I’d kill you myself.

Vilgax: If I recall correctly, you destroyed the Promethium which was the cause of the death of the gods. So it is your fault, godslayer.

Elektra: And you’re not a god, which will make you easier to slay! (She reaches for the Proto-Tool.)

John: Elektra! (Elektra turns to look at him.) Calm down. He’s trying to rally you up. Make you attack and weaken the systems holding him in.

Elektra: Ugh! (She lowers her hand.) It worked. I’m ready to kill him.

Another, smaller ship follows the Plumber transport. Inside, Ragnarok is sitting in a throne like chair, while Khyber and Liam are flying the ship. Khyber’s pet is chewing on a bone, as Ragnarok is talking to Emperor Milleous on a monitor.

Ragnarok: We have tracked Vilgax. We will be engaging shortly. I trust you will have our pay ready by the time I report next.

Milleous: Oh, and you will. With Vilgax dead, discontent will flood across Vilgaxia, allowing us to conquer it with no resistance. I would’ve sent my daughter to do it, but after her blunder of missing John Smith, I decided to allow you professionals to handle it.

Ragnarok: And we shall. (The image fades.) Remove the cloaking device. And open fire.

Pierce, Helen and Manny are arguing again, Elektra yelling at them as well. Vilgax groans in discontent, as John sits back. His eyes glow green, as he stands up, a mana wave spreading through the room, silencing it.

John: Incoming!

The ship is hit by a bombardment of laser blasts, the engines failing as they fall towards Incarcecon. Helen and Manny attempt to keep their course steady, as Pierce types into the computer, opening a landing dock.

John: Get us in that base! Elektra, with me.

Elektra goes over, and deactivates the force field and chains, freeing Vilgax. John presses a button on a remote, activating energy handcuffs.

Vilgax: Is this really necessary?

John: Yep. Otherwise you’d just tear your way free.

Vilgax: And what makes you think I can’t do that now?

John presses a button on the remote, the handcuffs shocking Vilgax.

Vilgax: Ugh!

John: That.

The ship crashes into the landing dock, as John motions everyone to the door. He forms a mana sphere over them, as the door opens, the sphere floating through the landing dock, the door still open. They make it inside the base, where John lowers the barrier, dropping everyone.

Manny: Why are we running?! Let’s take these attackers on!

John: That mana. It’s

An explosion occurs, as Ragnarok, Khyber, Khyber’s pet and Liam come through the door.

John: Ragnarok?! You’re alive?! But, Kevin

Ragnarok: Had only thought he had finished me off. Since the Clone Wars, I developed a new group. Meet, the Black Hawks.

Elektra: We threw skull face and chicken boy in jail!

John: To Incarcecon. (Realization sets upon his face.) In the Null Void.

Ragnarok: Good, you aren’t as dumb as you look. Now, give us Vilgax. We have orders to kill him.

John: You wish.

Ragnarok dashes forward, swinging a fist at John. John raises a mana shield, the impact pushing him back.

John: Helen, turn off the black out and radio for help! Everyone else, move back!

Helen dashes off, Elektra leads the others away, and John turns into Cloudnine. Liam charges forward, kicking Cloudnine, foot bouncing off his elastic body.

Cloudnine: What are you doing, Liam? I thought Khyber wanted to kill you.

Liam: Nah, he just needed my assistance. And he spared me afterwards, making him my master. Bagawk!

Khyber: You can’t beat all of us, John Smith.

Cloudnine: I sorta can, but that’s not the point.

Cloudnine’s body expands, turning into a gaseous form. The gas envelops the hallway, as the group of villains fall over, asleep. Cloudnine reforms, reverting. He goes to join the others.

Manny: What was that for? Now we can’t beat them up!

John: Our primary objective now is protecting Vilgax until help arrives.

Vilgax: Why not just let them kill me? That’d save you a lot of time.

Elektra: I agree with him. We should just hand him over.

John: No. If he falls, then someone else will rise to take his place. We keep him alive. We’ll split into two groups. I’ll take Vilgax with me. You three head off as a diversion, and find Helen.

Manny: So we will get to punch them!

Pierce: (Sighs) Can you think of anything else?

Manny: Sure. Shotgun!

John: Alright, let’s move. End Scene

Elektra, Manny and Pierce head down a corridor, when Helen dashes in, rejoining them.

Helen: Communications are back online. A Plumber ship is on the way to assist.

Manny: I still don’t see why we can’t just beat them up.

Pierce: The back up is so we can take them off the base. We’re supposed to lock Vilgax away.

Elektra: I say we take their ship and let them kill each other. It’ll rid us of a lot of problems.

Helen: John would never allow that.

Elektra: Yeah, but I can always dream, can’t I?

Ragnarok: Dreaming leads to the idea of illusions. (The group turns, seeing Ragnarok and Liam.) And I will crush them for you.

Manny: Finally! A fight!

Manny charges in, swinging a fist at Ragnarok. Liam moves in, deflecting the punch with his leg, sweeping Manny aside.

Liam: I’ve got this one. Bagawk!

Liam charges at Manny with his arm blades, when Pierce jumps in the way, blocking a blade with a thorn. Manny jumps over Liam, going to grab behind him. Liam dodges, rolling out of the way.

Ragnarok charges Elektra and Helen, Elektra firing energy shots. Helen zooms in, but is caught with ease, Ragnarok throwing her at Elektra. Elektra flips over Helen, going to jump kick Ragnarok. Ragnarok jumps and spin kicks her out of the air, slamming into the wall. Ragnarok appears and punches Elektra in the stomach, denting the wall behind her.

John is guiding Vilgax down a hall, which turns out to be a dead end.

John: Huh. Trickier to navigate when there’s no life forms to sense.

Vilgax: I’m surprised that you’ve even allowed me to survive this long. And after everything we’ve been through, your first thought should be to destroy me.

John: You’re a threat, one I’ll take down as much as I need to. But killing you won’t benefit me, or the galaxy in anyway that locking you up won’t.

Vilgax: We’ll see how truthful you stay to that ideal of yours.

John’s eyes glow green, as he spins, thrusting his fist forward. Metal plates rise off the ground, firing at Khyber. Khyber knocks them away, as he stabs at John, who deflects with a mana shield. He kicks at Khyber, a blast of wind pushing him back.

Khyber: Quick. Though, let’s see how you handle a predator.

Khyber whistles, as his Pet comes running down the hall, transforming into Buglizard. John releases bursts of flames, as Buglizard dodges by climbing up the wall, jumping to pounce. John spins, a sphere of wind forming, deflecting Buglizard. Khyber appears as John lowers the wind, punching him into the wall.

Vilgax: Free me! Together we can take them on!

John pulls out the remote, pressing a button, deactivating the shackles. Vilgax smiles, as he swats at John. John’s body explodes into slime, as it reforms around Vilgax, as Goop.

Vilgax: What are you?

Goop: You say that as if you didn’t expect this result.

Goop forces Vilgax to charge forward, catching a pouncing Buglizard. Vilgax knees Buglizard, as Khyber jumps onto Vilgax’s shoulder, thrusting his knife at the Anti-Gravity Projector. It dodges, as Vilgax flips, forcing Khyber off. Goop then moves Vilgax onto a vent, his body fading down. He melts through the vent, as he and Vilgax fall through it. Khyber stands atop, looking down.

Khyber: This is getting tiresome. We need to draw this quarry out. End Scene

Vilgax: I had planned to fight all along.

Vilgax’s cuffs are reactivated, as John leads him down the hall.

John: Right. And that elbow to knock me out was all part of your plan.

Vilgax: Regardless of what you think, I want to survive this incident as much as you do. So why not work together?

John: Because you can’t be trusted. There’s a reason Phantom tried to kill you after you said no to him, because he knew you’d come after him.

Vilgax: Which I did.

John: Which is why I can’t trust you.

The two walk in silence for a moment, when John looks at Vilgax.

John: Is it true that Ma Vreedle made you cry?

Vilgax: (Not meeting his eye) No.

John: (Playfully) You’re trying to hide something!

Ragnarok: (Over intercom) John Smith. (John looks up, surprised.) We have your friends. If you want them, you shall come to the escape pod room to exchange Vilgax. You have five minutes to give your response.

John: Looks like they’re done playing around.

John and Vilgax arrive at the room, where Elektra, Manny, Pierce and Helen were in cuffs.

John: You guys really got caught?

Ragnarok: Hand over Vilgax.

John: Hand over my friends.

Ragnarok: It doesn’t work like that. Hand him over, or I’ll kill one of them.

John: Kill one of them, and you’ll never get Vilgax.

Khyber whistles, as his Pet turns into Vicetopus, a large octopus like alien. It extends its tentacles, wrapping around John and Vilgax. It begins to squeeze them, crushing them. John turns into Ditto, splitting into a new clone, which was free from its grip. He pulls out the other clone.

Ditto 1: Big mistake.

The Ditto clones run down Vicetopus’ tentacle, flipping and kicking it in the face. Vicetopus doesn’t react too much, as Ditto splits, clones landing on the ground. Liam charges at him, but the Ditto clones slide under his feet, tripping him as two Ditto clones touch hands, firing a mana burst that breaks Elektra's cuffs.

Elektra: Yes!

Elektra kicks Khyber from behind, pushing him back. Elektra uses the Proto-Tool to free the others, while the Ditto clones stampede at Khyber. Ragnarok and Khyber kick their way through the clones, as they start to swarm Vicetopus, which had turned to face him.

Ditto 3: Too bad, ugly.

Ditto 5: Today is not your day.

Ragnarok: You won’t get away that easy.

A fist hits Ragnarok in the face, sending him flying into a distant wall. As Ragnarok tries to stand, Vilgax grabs him by the throat, lifting him up.

Vilgax: Thanks to your interference, I am free. However, (He tightens his grip, choking Ragnarok.) Let your employer know that if he tries to kill me again, there will be dire consequences.

Vilgax slams Ragnarok into the wall, dropping him.

Pierce parries a knife blow from Khyber with a thorn, firing more at him. Khyber deflects them, as Manny swings several punches. Khyber flips over Manny, grabbing his shoulder and tossing him. Elektra uses an energy blade to fight Liam, while Helen zooms in, punching him several times.

Vicetopus is buried under Ditto clones, when it breaks free, the clones going flying. All the clones join together, leaving one.

Ditto: Time to wrap this up.

Ditto turns into Feedback, extending his antenna, plugging into the collar on Vicetopus’ neck. He drains the energy from it, as Vicetopus reverts, Khyber’s Pet running. Feedback turns, seeing the Black Hawks on an escape ship, flying off. Feedback fires an electric blast, though it misses.

Feedback: How’d they sneak away?

Elektra: We lost them after being buried in your clones.

Feedback: Sorry about that. (Feedback gasps) Where’s Vilgax?!

The group turns, looking around.

Elektra: How’d you lose him in a prison?!

Feedback: I was distracted by that octopus dog! (Feedback reverts.)

John: He’s probably long gone by now. With some luck, he’ll be picked up by the reinforcements.

Elektra: The Plumbers were lucky to catch him once. You really think it’ll happen again?

Characters

 * John Smith
 * Elektra
 * Manny Armstrong
 * Helen Wheels
 * Pierce Wheels
 * Magister Windu
 * Grand Magister Labrid

Neutral

 * Vilgax

Villains

 * Black Hawks
 * ​Ragnarok
 * Khyber
 * Khyber's Pet
 * Liam

Aliens

 * Cloudnine
 * Goop (first re-appearance)
 * Ditto
 * Feedback (first re-appearance)

Trivia

 * This episode marks the return of John into the Plumber council, being addressed by Labrid and Windu.
 * Vilgax is revealed to have been caught, but escapes again.
 * Ragnarok reveals he is alive to John.
 * Liam is officially a member of the Black Hawks.
 * The Plumbers Helpers return.
 * Hints of Incarcecon's in-reliability are stated. This will be important later.