Template:TV-14
| Ben 10: Heroes of Evolution | |
| Season 1, Episode 5 | |
| Air date | August 20, 2014 |
| Episode Guide | |
| Previous "The Legacy Artifact" |
Next "A Monster's Redemption" |
"Authorities" is the fifth episode of Ben 10: Heroes of Evolution.
Episode[]
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(Two men drag a masked prisoner down a rusty, spacious corridor.)
(The prisoner makes sniffing noises, and leans slightly to the right to hear the faint sound of liquid pouring elsewhere. His captors shake him to keep him straight.)
(The captors kick open a door at the end of the corridor. The prisoner is dragged inside an interrogation room and the door is locked. The prisoner is sat down on a chair behind a flimsy table. His hands are cuffed behind the chair.)
(One of the men stands on the other side of the table while the other goes over to the prisoner and unmasks him)
(Captor 1 rests his hands on the tabletop while Captor 2 punches the prisoner three times.)
[Prisoner]: *(Spits blood)* Come on, you're actually starting with the punch?
[Captor 1]: You are our prisoner. You do not question our methods.
[Prisoner]: I sure as hell do! You're keeping me alive because you want answers - starting off with a punch isn't a good way to help my mouth move. And it's not that good a first impression.
[Captor 1]: Shall we try different methods of torture?
[Prisoner]: You're never gonna intimidate me, buddy. Now if you're here to ask me something, go ahead and ask me. I cooperate with the good questions.
[Captor 1]: You cooperate with all the questions.
[Prisoner]: Or?
(Captor 1 gives a slightly squinting glare at the prisoner and crosses his arms.)
[Prisoner]: That's what I thought. You're all just bland. Beating me up just reinforces that. It bores me.
[Captor 1]: You make it sound like you don't feel the pain.
[Prisoner]: Look at me, I'm just an ordinary guy. I just don't feel all that affected because you still haven't proven any form of superiority.
(The interrogator sits down.)
[Prisoner]: Now you're going for looking shady, are you? Only problem with that is you've got nothing to show.
[Captor 1]: Neither do you. Talk. Why are you here?
[Prisoner]: You tell me.
[Captor 1]: Rival gang? Police?
[Prisoner]: Look at you, always on the antagonistic side. The starter questions about your prisoner are the easiest to find, my friend, you look for clues.
[Captor 2]: We searched you.
[Prisoner]: It takes more brains than brawn to find anything. You guys don't even know what questions to ask. You're not at all experienced interrogators.
[Captor 2]: But I am experienced in squashing inferiors. I can show you pain.
[Prisoner]: Didn't I just say that it doesn't help you? You don't impose any threat! Not to me! And you: (looks at Captor 1) Your friend here's the only one who's even bragged so far! Right now I'm convinced you're utterly useless.
[Captor 1]: Fine, we have more important questions to ask. From now on we'll be more... observant, if that is what you wish.
[Prisoner]: Oh, too late for that. (Holds up his unlocked handcuffs) Better luck next time.
[Captor 1]: GET HIM!
(Captor 2 comes in for a left jab, but the Prisoner grabs his arm and hits his face with it. He stomps his right foot and right-jabs his abdomen. He grabs him and throws him into Captor 1, who is getting out his gun.)
(Captor 2 hits the wall, but charges the prisoner into the opposite wall. He punches him twice in the face, but the prisoner grabs his arm and twists it around - he then jumps and flips in the air, dragging Captor 2 to the ground.)
(He runs after Captor 1, who gets himself cornered into a wall - he ducks as the prisoner jabs. Captor 1 kicks the prisoner's shin, and kicks again, but the prisoner blocks it, grabs Captor 1's leg, and throws his own arms up, knocking Captor 1 over.)
(Captor 2 rushes him again, but the prisoner grabs him while he runs and shoves him into the door. He hits his face twice into the door's window and smashes it open with Captor 2's head. Captor 2 falls to the ground, but Captor 1 grabs the prisoner around the neck with a garrote wire.)
(The prisoner struggles, but elbows Captor 1 twice and kicks back, hitting his abdomen - the prisoner rolls forward and slams Captor 1 into the door. He runs to the back wall and yanks a crowbar out, its nail still protruding from one end.)
(Captor 1 starts getting up, but the prisoner kicks his face and gets him back on the ground. The prisoner sticks the crowbar through the broken windowsill and points it downwards - he tilts it forward and backwards to make it bang against the other side of the door, and the protruding nail finally gets stuck in the keyhole. He rotates the crowbar while yanking at it and breaks the lock.)
(Captor 1 grabs the prisoner's right leg but the prisoner kicks back, and then stomps Captor 1's face. He grabs his badge and gun from the captor's belt, kicks the door down, and sprints down the corridor. The alarm begins to ring.)
(Doors open on either side of the hall and three men from each run out. The six men surround the prisoner.)
[Thug 1]: On the ground, prisoner!
(The prisoner looks around, sniffing.)
[Thug 1]: What the hell are you doing? Get down!
[Prisoner]: You all reek, but your lab's that way. (Looks at the right doorway)
[Thug 2]: You're not going anywhere.
[Prisoner]: Right, not until you're all gone.
(The prisoner does a backflip and lands on one of the thugs' shoulders - he grabs another thug and uses him as a shield from the incoming gunfire. He shoves the dead body into another, knocking his gun out, and then punches that guard in the jaw.)
(A few of the guards switch to knifes. One of them takes a swing, but the prisoner dodges it, grabs the thug's arm, and jabs his abdomen. He takes out his gun and shoots another knife thug in the chest. He tackles a thug blocking the doorway, shoots the last thug behind him, and then sprints into the corridor.)
(The prisoner exits the corridor, grabbing the two guards flanking the exit and throwing them forward. They go flying over a railing. The prisoner looks around and finds himself on a rectangular catwalk covering the perimeter of a large drug lab.)
(Guards lining parts of the catwalk spot the prisoner and fire at him - the prisoner crouches behind the railing to evade the bullets, reloading his gun as he gets down. He counts to three with his fingers and stands up, shooting two guards on the far catwalk with pinpoint precision. Three more come running towards him but he shoots them all as their make their way around a corner.)
(The prisoner runs around another side of the catwalk as several chemists below come up the ladders on the catwalks. He kicks a few off as they climb up and then swings over the railing, landing near the exit. Several chemists land in front of him.)
(The prisoner fans his hand in front of his nose to avoid the chemical smell and then tackles one chemist. He does a choke hold on him while ripping a large piece off his lab coat to serve as a makeshift cover for his mouth. After knocking out the man he's holding, the prisoner kicks one chemist into another and elbows a chemist behind him, giving himself time to tie the mask behind his head as a scarf. The last chemist rushes him but the prisoner shoves him into a lab table, knocking a few chemicals on him and corroding his face.)
[Prisoner]: Oh, Jesus, what just-
(The door behind him opens. He grabs a can of the chemical from the table and turns around.)
(Ssserpent stands in front of the door.)
[Ssserpent]: Ah, yes, the intruder. Yet again I make the mistake of sending in mediocre interrogators.
[Prisoner]: I'm glad you know that, snakey.
[Ssserpent]: Did you know that I swallow my prey whole? (Slithers towards him)
[Prisoner]: Good! Eat this!
(He hurls the can into Ssserpent's mouth and grabs another can from another table. He does a flying kick at Ssserpent's abdomen and runs for the door.)
(His own abdomen is grabbed by one of Ssserpent's snake arms.)
(Ssserpent exhales a green-blue puff of the corrosive chemical.)
[Ssserpent]: *(Hiss)* I just love how that backfired.
(He opens his mouth wide, but the prisoner jams his pistol into Ssserpent's mouth and bolts for the doorway.)
(Ssserpent panics and yanks the gun out, hissing loudly.)
[Ssserpent]: Someone go after him!
(The prisoner slams a button and shuts the doorway. He sprints down the corridor, opens a door, and runs into an open factory-like area.)
(A few men come running in from the sides, and the prisoner sprays them with the chemical. Their faces blister and burn.)
[Thug]: AAH!!!!
(The prisoner runs over to an electrical box and yanks it open. He slams the can into the box and the chemical spills everywhere, corroding and dissolving wires and switches. Several generators and boxes short-circuit and collapse.)
(The prisoner bolts through the exit and runs out into a parking lot. He spots a truck filled with a shipment full of the chemical and closes the backdoor. He commandeers the vehicle and drives off, giving one last glare at the factory before riding into the distance.)
THEME SONG
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(A basketball is seen flying into the hoop.)
[Kevin]: And that's another three for me! Go get the ball, Tennyson!
[Ben]: Come on, first you drag me here and then you make me your servant?
[Gwen]: We wanted to try something new, Ben. Be flexible.
[Ben]: Yeah, humans can't always do that. But I hope you know I have an alternative right here. (Looks at his left arm)
[Kevin]: You promised you wouldn't cheat, Tennyson.
[Ben]: And I'm doing my best to keep that up. We just came back a few days ago from an airport prank, and the guy's body is found two days later?
[Kevin]: We wanna ease off before going on another bug hunt.
[Ben]: Well, I wanna ease off too! I've already endured enough-
[Kevin]: Haha, "endured"? Go get the ball!
[Ben]: Last time I'm doing this. (Runs over to the ball)
[Gwen]: Come on, Ben, basketball is good for you!
[Ben]: Because it makes me taller? (Picks up the ball) Again, Humungousaur can show you-
[Kevin]: Pass!
(Ben does a hard pass to Kevin's chest.)
[Kevin]: That's more like it! (He shoots and misses; Ben rebounds.)
[Ben]: Gwen, you wanna shoot?
[Gwen]: Sure, pass.
[Kevin]: After that, Tennyson, you have to make at least one shot. One.
(Gwen shoots a three-pointer but the ball only rolls around the rim before falling off. Ben catches it and walks back.)
[Kevin]: Alright, we've both missed! Your turn to not be the third!
[Ben]: (Dribbles) Since when were you one for encouragement?
[Kevin]: When I want to spare myself the pain of watching you play a sport!
[Ben]: Then what are we all doing here? I'm not like you, I'm fine seeing you learn soccer!
[Kevin]: Well, I'm not fine making myself look like a loser. Now shoot!
[Ben]: (Positions himself while dribbling) Soccer isn't for losers. (Shoots)
(The ball rolls around the rim continuously.)
(An 8-bit version of the original Ben 10 theme begins ringing. Ben answers his phone and turns around.)
[Ben]: Hello?
[Capt. Rozum]: Hey, good evening, Ben, it's Captain Rozum. I need to talk to you about something.
(The ball, meanwhile, makes it into the hoop.)
[Kevin]: OH MY GOD! Tennyson, are you-
[Ben]: Ssh! (Over the phone) Sorry, about that, Captain. What is it?
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, it's more like me needing your help.
[Ben]: I'm fine with that.
[Capt. Rozum]: I mean here. In person.
[Ben]: A case?
[Capt. Rozum]: A scene. Something important's popped up, I feel I could get some insight from you. I'm sending you the address.
[Ben]: Not a problem. I'll be there in 15. (He hangs up)
(Gwen, meanwhile, makes a shot.)
[Ben]: Nice! Guys, we have to go.
[Kevin]: Did your parents call you for dinner this early?
[Ben]: Police. Rozum wants me on a case.
[Kevin]: He wants you.
[Ben]: I can only accomplish certain things with you guys.
[Gwen]: That's sweet.
[Kevin]: Of course it is. Get back here.
(Ben is walking to his car)
[Gwen]: How is it that I was able to make a shot only after you did?
[Ben]: I have no idea.
[Kevin]: Let's put that to a test.
(Ben is opening his car door, while Kevin makes a three-pointer. Ben starts the engine.)
[Kevin]: WHOA!! Did you see that? Tennyson, did you-
(He looks at Ben in his car. Ben lowers the window.)
[Kevin]: You're always missing the good stuff!
[Ben]: Hey, you always gotta walk away from an explosion if you don't want to look like a loser.
[Kevin]: I see what you mean. Very funny.
(Gwen takes the ball over to the car. Kevin joins and they all enter; the car drives off.)
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(Capt. Rozum is standing with two detectives at the factory parking lot.)
[Ben]: You called?
(Rozum gets startled and turns around.)
[Kevin]: You actually scared a cop, Tennyson?
[Ben]: I'll tell Jimmy to put that on his blog or whatever.
[Gwen]: He has a blog on your behalf?
[Ben]: He does a lot of things on my behalf.
[Capt. Rozum]: EVENING, you three!
[Ben]: Oh, right. Hello, Captain.
[Kevin]: What did you call for?
[Capt. Rozum]: Case. I needed Ben's help.
[Kevin]: See, Tennyson? I told you we should have stayed at the park!
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, this case: it's something I've treated as a side-project following these other cases having come to light - and meeting you, of course.
[Gwen]: What happened here?
[Capt. Rozum]: We're still trying to find out, but in the spectrum of the immediate, it seemed like a toxic instability problem.
[Ben]: Is that why you're still out here?
[Capt. Rozum]: (Begins walking with them towards the entrance) Couple o' guys went in with suits to look around, but...
[Ben]: You want me to go in there?
[Capt. Rozum]: Further investigation, yes. I'm quite certain that watch also lets you slip into corners you wouldn't normally be able to get to.
[Ben]: Gotta get some variety from giant monsters, I guess.
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll take that as a yes.
[Ben]: Well, before I, uh, dehumanize, anything else you guys found here?
[Capt. Rozum]: I would've told you if there was anything important, but so far, the place stinks. That's it.
[Ben]: I can handle this. Gwen, you wanna come along for mana traces?
[Gwen]: If glowing pink bubble shields don't bother anyone.
[Capt. Rozum]: Then you two can go on in! As for Mr. Tough Guy over here, feel free to exercise outside the crime scene perimeter, but just don't pass that barrier over there. (Points to a reinforced "caution" fence) That's where you'll start to inhale the stuff.
[Kevin]: What stuff?
[Ben]: What is this place anyways? A drug lab? Nuclear plant?
[Capt. Rozum]: Could be both, but the amount of chemical traces I've been getting reports of points more to the former.
[Ben]: Then I guess I know which of my friends I'm giving a call.
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(Three men in hazmat suits are carefully roaming an unlit factory area with flashlights.)
[Searcher 1]: Anything yet?
[Searcher 2]: Hard to find an entrance anywhere, but most of the chemical material is coming from up there. There is also a bit of radiation present further up north. (He is holding a Geiger Counter.)
[Searcher 3]: Hey, wait... hear that?
(They hear a liquid-like noise in the distance.)
[Searcher 2]: It's coming from behind us!
(It gets closer and then becomes louder and makes a more "slushy" sound.)
[Searcher 1]: What the hell is...
(Something rises behind him. He turns around.)
[Searcher 1]: AAH!!!
[Searcher 2]: Get away from that! Where the hell did it come from?
(The searchers turn around to run...)
[Goop]: Oh, hey there! Don't mind me, I'm just looking.
[Searcher 3]: (Stops) Y-You can talk?
[Goop]: Ben Tennyson, nice to meet you. (Holds out his slimy hand)
[Searcher 1]: Oh, Jesus, would you mind if I said no?
[Goop]: I was joking.
[Searcher 2]: You're Ben Tennyson?
[Goop]: Yeah, let me see, it's somewhere here... (He twists and turns and flails his slimy body here and there)
[Goop]: Ah, here we are! (He pulls up his chest towards the searchers to show the Ultimatrix symbol)
[Searcher 1]: Uh, right. So, uh, did you find anything?
[Goop]: Still searching, but I bet I'll get something faster than you guys. (He liquefies and crawls up the wall.)
[Searcher 2]: Oh, really? (The searchers watch him with their flashlights.)
[Goop]: Yes, I already have. There's this switch here, but the button's gone.
[Searcher 1]: The button is gone?
[Goop]: And this wiring. It looks all... chewed up.
(The searchers watch confusedly as they follow him with their flashlights. Goop slides along the ceiling and all of them find a spot where the wires collapse.)
[Goop]: Something happened here.
(He drops down. The flashlights focus on him next to a smashed, rotting electrical generator.)
[Searcher 1]: What the hell happened to that?
[Goop]: AAH!!!
(Goop's hands start flailing in front of his face and he backs away from the generator. He looks at his hand and some of the slime is more liquid - his hand is wet and dripping.)
[Searcher 2]: Hey, you alright? What's going on?
[Goop]: That's... not supposed to happen to me.
[Searcher 3]: Isn't that how you sweat?
(They see a pink light from behind. Gwen comes hovering towards them in a pink shield.)
[Goop]: Hey, Gwen. D-Did you, uh, find anything?
[Gwen]: Not much. You don't look okay.
[Goop]: Something's in this debris. Oh, guys? This is my cousin Gwen, she's human.
[Gwen]: Never seen an alien?
[Searcher 1]: Not in person.
[Gwen]: Well, Ben, there was a bit of stuff I found up near that scaffolding.
[Goop]: Let me guess, melted wiring?
[Gwen]: That and a bit of leakage.
(Goop stretches his legs and jumps and slides along scaffolds and walls over to a corner of the garage.)
[Gwen]: Up there.
[Goop]: That looks pretty nasty.
(The corner of the wall near the ceiling is cracked and rotten.)
(Goop jumps up over to it. He liquefies and slips through the cracks.)
[Gwen]: (Hovers over) What are you doing?
[Goop]: (From inside) Whatever broke that wall has been seeping through here, and... up over...
[Gwen]: Where?
(She hears a slight burning noise and faint high-frequency sounds.)
(AAH!!!)
[Gwen]: Ben! Are you okay?
(She uses a harness made of energy to yank the wall open. A bunch of green-blue fluid and oil drips down. Gwen cautiously makes her way through the hole and looks down.)
(Inside a rotting, collapsed and scorched section of a corridor blocked off on one side by debris, a puddle of slightly glowing slime rests.)
[Gwen]: BEN!
(She hovers down - Goop is steaming and slightly groans. Parts of the puddle slightly rise but then just collapse.)
[Gwen]: Ben, come on! Wake up!
(Suddenly, little bits of the puddle start to separate and light starts coming out of the gaps. The light intensifies as the slime starts to solidify and little chunks start to form inside.)
[Gwen]: Oh my god.
(She sees a rotting door on her right and uses a blast of energy to knock it over. A bunch of oil and chemicals drips along the wall.)
(Gwen puts a shield around a slowly reverting Ben and levitates him through the doorway. She runs out of the corridor and exits the factory. By now, Ben has reverted back to a slumped and near-unconscious human.)
(Outside, Gwen makes the shield vanish and picks Ben up.)
(Rozum is sitting off to the side and turns.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Oh my good lord. Gwen!
[Gwen]: Captain!
[Capt. Rozum]: (Runs over) Let me help you.
[Kevin]: Whoa, whoa, Tennyson! (Runs over) Do I call an ambulance?
[Ben]: *(Groan)*
[Capt. Rozum]: Wait, he's conscious!
(Ben slightly opens his eyes, squinting intently and blinking a lot - tears almost pour out. Ben gestures to Rozum and Gwen.)
[Gwen]: You can walk?
(Ben covers his eyes while leaning forward slightly - he walks over to a crate and sits down.)
[Capt. Rozum]: You alright?
[Ben]: *(Cough)* *(Cough)* I found... *(Gasp)* ...something.
[Gwen]: What happened to you?
(Ben rubs the tears out of his eyes and stops coughing.)
[Gwen]: Here, I have a napkin.
[Ben]: Thanks... *(Cough)* (Takes the napkin and wipes his eyes) Okay. I'm fine. (Deep breath)
[Gwen]: How did that happen?
[Ben]: There's something down there. (Places the napkin down) I was able to get through that gap in the wall, but in the next room, I saw something on the side - it looked like a tray, or something. A few empty tubes were on there.
[Capt. Rozum]: Just as I thought. This place is a lab.
[Ben]: Or was. And then, something just smelled really weird, and this... this gas, or whatever just seemed like it was everywhere. And the walls were all leaking with this greenish liquid...
[Capt. Rozum]: Probably chemicals.
[Ben]: Definitely chemicals. The electric boxes were all broken and burned up, and the wiring was also all rusted, and it was dripping with the same stuff.
[Capt. Rozum]: Are you saying this chemical got into the electrical system?
[Gwen]: I saw similar things, and I think it just got in the generators, and most of the other damage being collateral.
[Ben]: But these trays - whatever was being kept in them was only partially there.
[Capt. Rozum]: You're implying it was stolen?
(The hazmat suit searchers walk out.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Oh, almost forgot about you! Anything?
[Searcher 1]: Here, captain.
(Searcher 2 holds up a three empty glass containers, while Searcher 3 brings a burnt box with broken syringes.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Syringes?
[Searcher 3]: These indentations over here on the box are shaped to fit the syringes. This box was holding a full supply.
[Capt. Rozum]: How do you know that?
[Searcher 3]: We found this bashed up door and behind it was a big stack of boxes all filled with unused syringes. And this room had another door. Behind it was another one of these boxes, but it was all burnt because it was in an exposed area.
[Gwen]: Someone would've moved it out of the room, of course.
[Ben]: And stolen the syringes?
[Kevin]: Quite the hardcore druggie.
[Capt. Rozum]: You would have the possibility of being right if I wasn't first.
[Kevin]: What?
[Capt. Rozum]: I was right all along about this.
[Ben]: Yeah, what was that side project you mentioned? I met you long before this happened, so...
[Capt. Rozum]: Right. These were cases with a pattern of similar M.Os.
[Ben]: Destroyed drug labs with missing drugs?
[Capt. Rozum]: No, just cases of vigilantism.
[Kevin]: I don't remember Batman turning into Walter White.
[Capt. Rozum]: It was a different place each time, but they all had some extreme measures taken to get them shut down. Recently I stumbled upon various sabotaged drug deals and deliveries with most evidence stolen.
[Ben]: Could be rival gangs.
[Capt. Rozum]: But the place was mostly wrecked and the caches just all smashed up. A lot of the actual contraband was still present, but just portions of it were missing.
[Gwen]: As if someone stole them for investigation?
[Capt. Rozum]: Exactly. Now, besides a couple of teenagers in cheap costumes, I haven't really seen anyone besides Ben being a "hero" around here, so...
[Kevin]: And whoever this is has been on your radar?
[Capt. Rozum]: For the past month, yes. He's even been spotted online around a bunch of digital hangouts for drug dealers.
[Ben]: He seems interested in the business.
[Capt. Rozum]: In taking it down. He's identified himself as a male once or twice, but most of the brief glimpses I've seen are of blackmail.
[Gwen]: Does he have a name?
[Capt. Rozum]: He finally did give himself one recently to threaten some bigshot dealer - the name's finally come to light with enough scenes and evidence gathered. I can at last put out a Finest message for "Arrowhead".
[Ben]: His online alias?
[Capt. Rozum]: That's right. Except I also found a new lead a few days back that turned the tide.
[Kevin]: Turned the tide?
[Capt. Rozum]: The blackmail always seemed a bit foggy - the threats weren't all that direct and we only got small chunks of conversations that we'd randomly piece together for conclusions. We found a larger chunk of a conversation recently and it didn't even have a single sign of conflict.
[Ben]: You think Arrowhead's joined the other side?
[Capt. Rozum]: Now I know that's a bit unlikely for someone like him, but people like that can always slip up when someone finds a weak spot. He may be caught in a gang war, especially judging from the kind of criminals he's taken a liking to.
[Gwen]: Well, we'll see what we can do.
[Capt. Rozum]: Right now, Ben needs to go take a shower and then take some rest - it's extremely unsafe being exposed to that much chemical material. Thank god it's not radiation poisoning or something like that.
[Kevin]: Anything Gwen and I can help with?
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, this case needs to get taken back to the precinct, and you guys have already been an immense help for this stage - right now you can just get Ben home safely, but I of course will notify you if we need any help. You're not cops, remember?
[Gwen]: Right. Come on, Ben.
[Ben]: Good night, Captain.
[Capt. Rozum]: You too.
(They all walk off.)
[Kevin]: Who's driving?
[Gwen]: Glad you asked. I am. (She rushes into the driver's seat.)
[Kevin]: Ben, you need to go to the back.
[Ben]: I'm fine now, it's just that my eyes burn a little.
[Kevin]: Doesn't matter.
(Kevin gets into shotgun while Ben goes to the back. The car drives off.)
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(Ssserpent slithers behind a truck and makes a call on a burner phone.)
[Man at the other end]: Hello?
[Ssserpent]: It's me.
[Man]: Right. I'm guessing you're calling about a problem?
[Ssserpent]: Unfortunately yes. I was too busy making new arrangements to tell you, but our factory was destroyed and the shipment was stolen.
[Man]: By whom?
[Ssserpent]: An intruder. That's all I know. Right now, we're manufacturing new stock, first batch gets sent straight to you.
[Man]: Tomorrow evening is the latest I'm accepting.
[Ssserpent]: Completely acceptable on my end as well. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience.
[Man]: Apology accepted.
(The man is seen in the office of a tall building, hanging up his phone. He puts it in his pocket.)
(A red dot suddenly moves around his head.)
(PEW!)
(The man falls to the ground, dead. A hole in the large glass office window is seen.)
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(A detective and a few police officers walk in on the body of the man the next morning.)
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(Ben is sitting on his computer, checking his email.)
(He goes over to the "Fan Mail" inbox and has an alarming three pages of unread mail.)
[Ben]: *(Sigh)* This is what I get for not checking in a month.
(He starts from today's list - the letters begin as early as 2:00 AM, most reading "HELLO" and "How are you".)
(He sees one that says "URGENT: POLICE SITUATION PLS READ.")
[Ben]: Haha, clever.
(He then looks at the sender info - it actually is from Rozum.)
[Ben]: Oh.
(He opens it up.)
"Good afternoon, Ben. Here's a list of compiled evidence from a casefile opened up just this morning:
VICTIM NAME: Jorge Antonio KNOWN ALIASES: George Anthony BORN: April 19, 1967 HEIGHT: 5'9 WEIGHT: 153 lbs. AFFILIATIONS: Huntington Foods
SUSPECT: Unidentified CAUSE OF DEATH: Gunshot to head CRIME SCENE: 98122 Fullerton St, Bellwood, USA - 35th Floor
There's more I need to tell you, but for now, I feel we could use your help on this case.
- James Rozum"
[Ben]: Uh...
(He keeps the mail in his "Saved" folder and continues reading through other mails.)
(The original Ben 10 8-bit melody plays again. Ben goes over to his bed - the call is from Rozum. He answers.)
[Ben]: So, you found a dead guy?
[Capt. Rozum]: I see you got the email. I just sent it about 10 minutes back.
[Ben]: And I just finished reading it about 10 seconds back.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, just like you, I thought it to be just another ordinary case, but-
[Ben]: You suspect Arrowhead?
[Capt. Rozum]: Let me finish. See how I only included "Huntington Foods" among the affiliations?
[Ben]: Yeah?
[Capt. Rozum]: It's a shell corporation.
[Ben]: Not surprised, "George Anthony" is also an alias.
[Capt. Rozum]: And a damn lazy one at that. But as I was saying, Huntington Foods is a cover for a cocaine smuggling operation.
[Ben]: Is that why you think Arrowhead could have something to do with it?
[Capt. Rozum]: Yes, I thought I could clear you up on background info before jumping to conclusions. And if you're wondering why I didn't tell you all this in the email, it's because I just learned about the drug stuff before I called.
[Ben]: I see.
[Capt. Rozum]: Wait, hang on a sec... (He puts him on hold, then returns after around 30 seconds) Oh my god.
[Ben]: What?
[Capt. Rozum]: My detectives were going through a list of Huntington shipments and operations - it turns out that rather than hiding coke in the food, they make the operations clear. It was a hidden digital chart from one of their more secure offices.
[Ben]: You hacked it?
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, that's not even remotely important now that we know when their next deal is taking place: TONIGHT. 7:55 PM. It's an abandoned railroad somewhere in the northeast end, we think it could be close to the destination.
[Ben]: Awesome, we'll meet you at quarter to 8.
[Capt. Rozum]: Sounds good.
|
(Capt. Rozum's car pulls up at a parking lot about 30 yards from the station, still in plain sight. Rozum and two officers get out.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Here we are.
[Officer 1]: You think we should shift strategies, sir?
[Capt. Rozum]: Sneak attacks always seem to get 'em. If they're hiding, so should we. They'll be relaxed, and step out right where we can see 'em.
(Ben's car pulls up at the parking lot. He, Gwen and Kevin step out.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Good to see you guys! We're about to go in.
[Ben]: That the place? I'm surprised it's not underground.
[Kevin]: Be glad you have space to fight people, Tennyson.
[Gwen]: Are you sure Arrowhead will come here?
[Capt. Rozum]: Quite sure, yes. Either way, this won't be for nothing, we'll catch a bunch of drug dealer scum and still be able to call it a day.
[Ben]: I don't see anyone here.
[Capt. Rozum]: I was just telling my officers here that they could be hiding, and we should, too.
[Kevin]: They won't know they're being watched, they'll step out, and right into the cage. Nice.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, we can't be too reckless here. We have plenty of people to be ready in case Arrowhead decides to arrive, but we still need
to be patient.
Map of the station.
[Ben]: Then what are we waiting for? What's our spot?
[Gwen]: Behind those trees works.
[Capt. Rozum]: My men and I will go there, you three head behind the opposite section.
[Ben]: Guys, go now. I see a truck coming in.
(They run over to their respective positions. Rozum, having a clearer view of the road, crouches further behind the trees and logs he's near. Ben and his friends dip down further into the trees.)
(The truck pulls up and three men get out, each holding a box of chemicals. They walk over to the station platform.)
(After about half a minute of watching them just stand there, Rozum signals to Ben and the others that they can go after them.)
(Ben and the others begin sneaking through the trees...)
(POW!)
(One of the dealers gets shot in the head, the shot appearing to have come from his right. The other two dealers pull their guns and point them in that direction.)
[Dealer 2]: What the hell was that?
(BANG!)
(Dealer 2 is shot in the knee. Dealer 3 crouches down to tend to him, but in that split second, a masked, black-clad figure comes out from behind the edge of the platform and does a flying kick to Dealer 3's face.)
(Ben and the others watch in shock as the figure takes a can of the chemical out of one of the boxes and then places firecrackers inside the other boxes. He stands back as the other boxes go up in smoke before melting and burning up.)
[Ben]: What the hell just...
(Rozum, meanwhile, watches intently. The train suddenly makes its way towards the platform.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Alright, go! We have to get him now!
(The train, however, doesn't stop. Arrowhead jumps on just as it passes and climbs to the top of the train. It continues to move.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Get back in the car! There's a road following this place!
(Ben sprints out from his hiding spot and runs in the direction the train was going.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Ben, what the hell are you-
(Ben slams the Ultimatrix just as he runs behind the trees.)
(MEANWHILE, UP ON THE TRAIN)
(Arrowhead starts walking along the top of the train, but then stops.)
(A blurry blue flash shoots upwards from behind the train.)
(Arrowhead stands ready, but Spidermonkey lands on top of his head and rolls forward - Arrowhead rolls with him and throws him forward - he is grabbed by a web but does a cartwheel and yanks Spidermonkey with him. They both clash and roll backwards, standing in fighting position.)
[Spidermonkey]: I take it you go by Arrowhead?
(Arrowhead begins to approach him. Spidermonkey jumps in the air and Arrowhead grabs one of his legs. He pulls him down but Spidermonkey grabs him by a web and hurls him in the air. He comes down, ready for a punch, but Spidermonkey rolls to the left and kicks Arrowhead backwards as he comes down. Arrowhead rolls backwards but grabs the edge of the train car. He pulls himself back up and dodges a kick from Spidermonkey.)
(Spidermonkey lunges at him and does several kicks in rapid succession, which Arrowhead dodges. He grabs one of Spidermonkey's arms, kicks his abdomen, then uses his right hand to block another punch. Spidermonkey jabs with his third arm, which Arrowhead stomps, then headbutts him. Arrowhead does a flying kick at Spidermonkey's face and flips over his shoulders, throwing him forward. Spidermonkey does multiple backflips and lands on the next train car. He yanks Arrowhead forward with a web, but Arrowhead kicks him as he comes flying in. Spidermonkey ducks and jabs Arrowhead's stomach while under him - Arrowhead rolls forward while kicking back at Spidermonkey.)
(Spidermonkey jumps in the air and pulls Arrowhead up with another web sling, and then punches him to knock him back down. Arrowhead tries rolling forward but Spidermonkey lands on him, and hits him in the face multiple times in rapid succession. He pounces on his torso and rolls backwards, firing a web net around Arrowhead's torso.)
[Spidermonkey]: Man, you're quite the vigilante! Jumping around trains, wearing the mask...
(Arrowhead grabs for something in his shirt.)
[Spidermonkey]: Haha, yeah, good luck getting yourself outta that.
(Arrowhead pulls out a can. He sprays the web and it melts off his torso.)
[Spidermonkey]: Whoa there, what the hell did you just-
(Arrowhead does a hard kick to Spidermonkey's face, jabs his abdomen, and sprays him with the chemical.)
[Spidermonkey]: AAH!!
(He begins rolling backwards. Arrowhead sprays more of the chemical at him and Spidermonkey begins leaving tracks of fur as he rolls.)
(He sits up and looks at his hand - patches of fur on his hand, wrist and shoulder are all falling off.)
(Arrowhead jumps over to him and sprays a large cloud of the chemical. Spidermonkey's fur begins to burn up and a few burn marks are seen in his flesh underneath. He crouches down in pain, but Arrowhead kicks him forward. Spidermonkey goes flying off the train.)
(Arrowhead begins walking back down the train cars, but stops again, hearing something.)
(He walks over to the edge of the car he's on, and sees hands grabbing onto the edge. He stomps, but Gwen gets him first, flipping upwards, swinging and kicking Arrowhead's face. Arrowhead staggers back, straight into a metal-clad Kevin's choke-hold.)
(Arrowhead elbows Kevin repeatedly, denting his armor, and yanks at his head, nearly bending it. He kicks at Gwen, who approaches him, and then rolls forward, throwing Kevin over his head and into Gwen. They both go stumbling backwards, and Arrowhead uppercuts Kevin, knocking him off. Gwen hangs on to the ledge again, and swings upwards, but Arrowhead kicks her legs back down, making her swing her feet hard into the edge of the train.)
[Gwen]: AAH!
(Arrowhead kicks her off and turns back around. He looks to the left as the trees on that side clear out, and sees police following him along the adjacent road.)
[Officer 1]: I see him!
[Capt. Rozum]: If you have a clear line of sight then fire, dammit!
(Arrowhead dodges bullets and pulls out his own pistol. He starts firing at the car and makes dents in the side, even breaking the passenger seat window. The car swerves to the right but rotates and resumes its course.)
(Arrowhead turns back and crouches down to climb into the train.)
(BOOM!)
(Something comes swinging in and knocks Arrowhead into the train car directly behind the coach train. Arrowhead gets up and sees Ultimate Spidermonkey approaching him.)
[Arrowhead]: You never really do give up, do you?
[Ult. Spidermonkey]: You never really talk much, do you?
[Arrowhead]: I spare that time for fighting!
[Ult. Spidermonkey]: Nice way to reword a cliche.
(Arrowhead comes in for another kick at Ultimate Spidermonkey, but he is blocked by one of his large spider legs. Arrowhead grabs onto one, but Ultimate Spidermonkey drives that leg into the ground, nearly crushing Arrowhead if he hadn't made his way up to Ultimate Spidermonkey's back.)
(Ultimate Spidermonkey lashes his spider legs out at Arrowhead, but is punched repeatedly on the back of his head. He jumps up and grabs Arrowhead, throwing him back down on the train. Still in midair, Ultimate Spidermonkey launches a large web net that tangles with the nearby trees and stops the train.)
(Ultimate Spidermonkey lands back down and backhands Arrowhead off the train. Rozum's beat-up car pulls up.)
(Arrowhead takes out a smaller can of the corrosive chemical and hurls it at Ultimate Spidermonkey, who uses one of his spider legs to slash it open. The chemical rains down in front of Arrowhead before he can advance towards Ben, and he backs up right into the arms of the two officers.)
(Rozum approaches from behind with a gun aimed at Arrowhead. The officers turn.)
[Capt. Rozum]: My friend, it's been quite a ride, but you're game's up.
(Arrowhead suddenly looks up and stares for a few seconds at Rozum.)
[Arrowhead]: J...J-James?
[Capt. Rozum]: How the hell do you know who I am?
[Arrowhead]: No, no, just calm down! Get your people-
[Capt. Rozum]: I'm not calming down, you're a wanted fugitive and-
[Arrowhead]: Get your people off of me and call off your goddamned ape, for a second!
[Capt. Rozum]: Ben Tennyson doesn't take kindly to criminals acting like vigilantes.
[Arrowhead]: Criminal? Jesus Christ, James, if your men won't get their arms off of me, then take off my damn mask yourself, will you?
(Ben reverts to human form. Gwen and Kevin limp over to the road from the distance.)
(Rozum takes off Arrowhead's mask. The prisoner from the prologue smiles at him, and Rozum staggers back.)
[Ben]: Hey, what's going on here? (Runs over) So... this is Arrowhead?
[Capt. Rozum]: H-his name's not Arrowhead, I... I, oh my god. Not you.
[Arrowhead]: Yes, me! You remember me, don't you, James?
[Ben]: What is he, an escaped criminal from a long time ago?
[Arrowhead]: Like hell I'm a criminal, James knows my name, say it!
[Capt. Rozum]: *(Deep breath)* D...D-Dennis?
[Arrowhead]: (Grins) That's right.
[Capt. Rozum]: Dennis Blake. (Arrowhead nods) As I leave and breathe.
[Blake]: Now I don't have to shoot myself, do I?
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll be damned.
[Blake]: You love to say that, buddy.
(Rozum just stares in shock at a grinning Blake, who is still being restrained by the cops.)
[Ben]: Captain, you still haven't told me your relationship with this guy.
(Blake is suddenly punched in the face.)
[Ben]: Kevin!
(Kevin then backs off with Gwen.)
(Blake licks his lips then spits blood at Kevin and Gwen, who back off in disgust.)
[Blake]: Good to see you've made aggressive friends.
[Capt. Rozum]: So this is what's become of you? After, how long was it? 26 years?
[Blake]: Twenty-seven. And counting. Well, until this happened.
[Capt. Rozum]: (Starts walking towards him) You son of a- (Stops) *(Sigh)* Ben, Dennis and I were best friends in both high school and college.
[Ben]: I see.
[Blake]: Yeah, James over here was the bigshot. I'm surprised there wasn't any fallout, but old Jimmy was always the one who knew where his life was going.
[Ben]: Longtime cop passion, huh?
[Blake]: I, on the other hand, grades were solid, never faltered, but it was just the, the contrast between us two.
[Ben]: So he became a cop and you?
[Blake]: See, James finally found the courage, to, uh, one day... something in there told him he had the balls to tell me that I was the one who was gonna end up in the gutter. Despite all the A's and diploma crap, I was so focused on those last years that I never really transitioned into the "moving on" phase.
[Ben]: I'll keep that in mind. Tenth next year, if you're wondering.
[Blake]: Haha, yeah, I bet you have a solid set o' fans that follow you around like killers, am I right?
[Ben]: Spot on.
[Kevin]: Can we finish up the chatter? What's going on here?
[Blake]: Yeah, James over here still doesn't know that, does he?
[Capt. Rozum]: Vigilantism proves pretty useless in this city, kiddo.
[Blake]: See that? He thinks I actually became a criminal like he so "accurately predicted". He thinks I just dwell in there, in the, the "deepest depth of society", as most of you poets would call it.
[Capt. Rozum]: How could you not be?
[Blake]: Exactly! This time, you're the one to not consider moving on. In this case moving on is how I make use of the world's gutters.
[Capt. Rozum]: "Making use" of them is a great metaphor for junkies.
[Blake]: Haha, what? You're going about calling me Arrowhead, then you know I try screwing these guys over! I'm not a junkie, you moron, I hide with the criminals because I'm undercover!
(Rozum looks at him in shock and confusion.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Undercover. You, a cop. In this precinct, subject of hidden records still in my possession. Dennis, don't give me bullcrap after 27 years. What have you been doing all this while?
[Blake]: I do jobs undercover.
[Capt. Rozum]: Is... that a police badge with you? (Pulls it out of his belt) A police badge? You're faking records now?
[Blake]: Sending me to jail right now is actually the definition of useless, and of counterproductive.
[Capt. Rozum]: Why, because we'll be "wasting time" when we could be catching a bunch of drug dealers? I'm willing to put the rest of my career aside just to break you, to, to find out who you really are.
[Blake]: James, don't you get it? I'm trying to make you get it!
[Capt. Rozum]: Get what? Dennis, I'm a real cop, just like I said I would be. I'm a captain for god's sake, and you don't give cryptic answers to me! What jobs are you doing undercover?
[Blake]: Yeah, I feel it's fair to tell you after nearly three damn decades.
[Capt. Rozum]: THEN TELL ME! What is your job? Are you freelance? Different precinct? Actual criminal? What is it?
[Blake]: You left out the most important one.
[Capt. Rozum]: Which is?
[Blake]: Government.
[Capt. Rozum]: You're a part of the freaking FBI?
[Blake]: Was. I also was a part of the CIA before that during the first ten years. Work like that tends to get boring after a while.
(They all look at him in shock.)
[Blake]: Alright, look, I understand why that would bother you, but I was an assassin only for brief periods of time. Mostly analytic stuff, but I'd occasionally switch up to fieldwork if I didn't like watching cameras all day.
[Capt. Rozum]: And then?
[Blake]: And then I didn't exactly hit rock-bottom, it was just that my interests started to shift - rather than get involved in a ton of politics and hide in the shadows, all secret and locked off from the rest of the world, I thought I could just go out into the open, be free with myself, protect the country closer to home, where it... it actually felt like I was doing something meaningful. I get that it's a selfish way to think, but there was also-
[Capt. Rozum]: Also the concept of following in my footsteps. I get that. Hit by shame, hit by nostalgia...
[Blake]: Bingo right there. Honesty, too. I decided I'd just let myself face the fact that I always had ambition for being a cop, and you even saw right now how I was a bit hesitant to make that come out. Either way, can't deny that it's fun. I don't feel the least bit ashamed.
[Capt. Rozum]: You shouldn't.
[Blake]: But I should feel ashamed that I've "left you in the dark" and all that crap, huh?
[Capt. Rozum]: Did you think of that as moving on?
[Blake]: Hell, no! Look at me, about to be cuffed up by my best friend! I'm hiding, James, I was a detective, I was a cop, and then I, I...
[Capt. Rozum]: And then you what?
[Blake]: I... uh, I lost my job.
[Capt. Rozum]: I won't ask how, but you decided you'd continue serving the same purpose?
[Ben]: That means you were kicked out, weren't you?
[Blake]: And now you won't be surprised, huh? Shut the hell up, you little punk.
[Ben]: About that topic? Fair enough. But I still wanna know what you were doing all this while.
[Blake]: I'm pretty much freelance now, but I thought it seemed quite freaking obvious that I was taking down that cartel, or whatever.
[Capt. Rozum]: Pretty reckless.
[Gwen]: Still for a good cause.
[Blake]: *(Sigh)* If you honestly think that, then, uh, I apologize for sorta wrecking you guys.
[Ben]: Touche. (Smirks)
(Blake glares at him for a moment before cracking a smirk and looking around.)
[Blake]: You know, I like this guy.
[Ben]: We don't trust you enough for you to help us.
[Blake]: So be it, though I'm totally willing to tell you anything you need.
[Capt. Rozum]: Then let's take you back to the precinct. Boy, Dennis, you have some serious catching up to do.
[Blake]: Yeah, just one thing that you need to know quite immediately - this whole ring is run by some damn snake.
(Ben stops and his eyes go wide. Gwen and Kevin look at him.)
[Kevin]: With snakes as hands, too?
[Blake]: And quite the hammy way of speaking.
[Ben]: Well, crap. He's become a threat now.
[Blake]: What do you mean?
[Ben]: Every other time I've seen him, I beat him in two minutes flat. Now he's going for the coward route, I see. He'll be harder to get to.
[Blake]: You know his name?
[Ben]: He goes by Serpent. Huge emphasis on the S, like a snake, but we need to take this more seriously.
[Blake]: Ssserp- *(Bursts out with a high-pitched laugh)*
(He is escorted into the backseat while still smiling and taking small breaths.)
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll drop you off at your car. You two! Investigate the train, see if you find anything, I'll come pick you up.
[Officer 1]: Understood, captain!
(Rozum's car drives off.)
|
[Blake]: These people, I never exchanged in any fake criminal contact, and if you found conversations in that nature, it was all just a large fragment of what would later become more, uh, strongly worded.
[Capt. Rozum]: Go on.
[Blake]: When I spent my time spying on these drug cartels, I noticed many connections between them - the biggest web is the one I decided I'd take down first. This particular group would often mention some "Fume X" or something, I don't exactly know.
[Capt. Rozum]: "Fume X"?
[Blake]: They'd mention this thing when these guys were all secretive and private.
[Capt. Rozum]: Could be important. Stay here.
(Rozum walks out and goes to a few detectives on their computers.)
[Detective 1]: Yes, Captain?
[Capt. Rozum]: Search up "Fume X". F-U-M-E, X.
(The Detectives all search it up. Articles and sites for "FumeX" show up.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Let's see here... wow, it's an open corporation, no shells.
[Detective 2]: For heroin trafficking.
[Detective 3]: Run by one Santiago Menendez.
[Capt. Rozum]: Keep searching, I'll be right back.
(Rozum goes back into the interrogation room.)
[Capt. Rozum]: FumeX is a heroin smuggler's corporation.
[Blake]: Either where they work or where the stuff's being shipped.
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin are also watching the detectives' screens in the background.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Hey, uh, look.
[Blake]: You need my help, now?
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, it's-
[Blake]: That you don't trust me. (He looks around the place attentively and nods.)
[Capt. Rozum]: What are you looking at?
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin go back to the glass window overlooking the interrogation room. They see Blake observing the ceiling.)
[Ben]: What's... going on?
[Kevin]: We can hear fine, let's see.
[Blake]: ...That security camera up here has the wire slightly exposed, condition of the glass tells me it's been tampered with numerous times. If it's easy to do that, it should be easy to break out.
[Capt. Rozum]: That fast?
[Blake]: The transformer vault on the northeastern corner of the building that I noticed on my way in here, has wires running through exposed sections of your main office's ceiling. They're visible indoors, obviously, but it so happens that sections on those wires with clearly identifiable traits are all the most exposed of the group. I can use that to say that the wires up on our camera here are the same kind, perhaps the same judging from the direction they run. It just takes a simple breakage of the wires on this camera to render parts of this place dysfunctional, specifically the electronic locks.
[Capt. Rozum]: And... you're placed in an electronically locked room every time?
[Blake]: Oftentimes, yes. Don't mean to brag, but you consider me a target of high value; you keep me in a room of high value. That includes high-tech security systems, but technology, regardless of performance, is a flaw of its own, practically designed to be bypassed. I can reach that camera now because I can fight, meaning I have a damn good chance of breaking outta here. Easy.
(Rozum stares in shock along with Ben, Gwen and Kevin, who watch from outside.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Why are you trying to be Sherlock Holmes, here, Dennis?
[Blake]: *(Deep breath)* That was simply out of impulse.
[Capt. Rozum]: Excuse me?
[Blake]: If I slip up and get caught off-guard, then most people take me in for interrogation, I'm always undercover. I've learned to, uh, find ways to break out.
[Capt. Rozum]: You're a great detective and a great escape artist, plus a great show-off, but with this level of practice in escape, it tells me you're not good at hiding.
[Blake]: I investigate the lowest lows of cities, meaning I don't consider criminals "brilliant"; everything is just further practice. And further fun. No risks to be taken when caught.
[Capt. Rozum]: You do know that when we ask for your activities, we don't mean your hobbies, right?
[Blake]: Right, I just thought I could tell you I'm useful outside this case as well. My point is if you're mad at me, get over it.
[Capt. Rozum]: Why?
[Blake]: Because if you want my help, I'm gonna have to come with you.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, for a start, come out here. You can tell us about your investigation while you work.
[Blake]: While I work?
(Rozum opens the door and gestures for Blake to walk out. He then takes Blake by the arm as he exits.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Dennis?
[Blake]: Yes?
[Capt. Rozum]: Show me your hands.
(Blake hesitantly does so)
(Rozum unlocks the cuffs, and Blake shakes the pressure off his hands.)
[Blake]: Thanks, man.
[Capt. Rozum]: Alright, now look, I'm being immensely trusting and cautious here because everything you say checks out. But it doesn't matter how good you are at escaping places - if you slip up here, I have no choice but to arrest you, you understand?
[Blake]: So wait, my already impending arrest is being postponed if I cooperate?
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, you've been awfully useful, and I think you can continue to-
[Blake]: HEY! One of you guys over there!
[Detective 2]: (Turns around) Did the captain let you out?
[Blake]: Both the room and the cuffs. Move aside!
[Detective 2]: Excuse me?
(Blake grabs an adjacent spinning chair and rolls the detective's chair out of the desk space, almost hitting incoming officers. Blake gets on the detective's computer.)
[Detective]: Get outta there, you son of a-
[Blake]: What do you guys have on FumeX so far?
[Detective 1]: Um, it's... uh, run by...
[Blake]: Speak up, big fella! Run by...
[Detective 3]: Santiago Menendez.
[Blake]: Now a real detective would take note of that, right?
[Detective 2]: I have.
[Blake]: Then come on in! Narrate to me, don't get caught up in the traffic over there!
(Detective rolls his chair over.)
[Detective 2]: Now you give me one reason not to jab your eyes out of their sockets.
[Blake]: Because I already know more than you do! You're too busy arguing with me, you don't see my screen! Haven't you seen I've been typing all this while?
(Blake's monitor comes up with a bunch of encrypted messages and tracking signals.)
[Detective 2]: Did you just-
[Blake]: Hack it, yes. Hey, you know what? All of you are useless, I need someone with actual context on the case. Hey kids! Come on over here!
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin walk over to him.)
[Blake]: Get up, big fella.
[Detective 2]: You call me "Detective", and you also don't get to order me. You hear?
[Blake]: Like hell you're anything of a detective. I've found more than you in a sheer minute, buddy!
[Gwen]: Just get on with it.
[Ben]: What did you find?
[Blake]: Did you hear anything about FumeX?
[Ben]: Everything, actually.
[Blake]: Good. Now, did you learn anything when searching for Arrowhead?
[Ben]: We went to the drug lab you broke into, and uh, broke. Did you steal that chemical supply?
[Blake]: You saw me, I did. Oh, and sorry for burning you up.
[Ben]: What do you know about that chemical?
[Blake]: Well, obviously Mr. Snake seems to be playing the players in this game - he would only hire lab scientists to do the actual chemistry, and then the punks come in out on the field. Everything is really a front.
[Ben]: Any real drugs being smuggled?
[Blake]: A few, but I now doubt it had anything to do with Snakey. These drugs weren't opiates, they were weapons.
[Kevin]: Which you know how to use.
[Ben]: That chemical. I know it.
[Blake]: Of course you do!
[Ben]: No, no. The brothers.
[Blake]: The brothers?
[Ben]: Krill and Wyatt.
[Blake]: Krill?
[Gwen]: They used these drugs?
[Kevin]: To melt Crystalface's face off, I remember!
[Ben]: Man, you really mangled that name, didn't you?
[Blake]: Who are these people?
(Ben looks around.)
[Ben]: I doubt I should, uh...
[Capt. Rozum]: Ben, tell him. If you have a lead, we need it.
[Ben]: Blake, when you spied on these guys...
[Blake]: Yes?
[Ben]: Well... did you ever hear conversations with a modified voice?
[Blake]: A modified voice?
[Ben]: Deep, full of static...
[Blake]: I don't get any Darth Vaders in the phone calls, but I think this will tell us.
(Blake plays back a few of the recordings he found. They are all normal voices.)
[Ben]: Nope.
[Blake]: Hey, big fellas? You actually are useful now. Go use a computer to start tracking the FumeX calls, I'm onto something here in the meantime.
[Capt. Rozum]: Do as he says, guys. Oh, and Dennis? Please try minding your manners if you ever want help over here.
[Blake]: Not happening with the burger boys.
[Detective 2]: Hey, I exercise, you know?
[Blake]: How's that working out for ya? Now, FumeX. I found a tidbit of code here, an encrypted message... (He tries to hack it but fails)
[Gwen]: Here, let me try... (She enters a few more numbers in and tries a different algorithm, leading to a bypass window.)
[Blake]: Hey, excellent work! Now, here, let me crack this safe... (He hacks the password and gets a bunch of documents)
[Gwen]: Encrypted data.
[Blake]: Off of one of the dealers' computers.
[Kevin]: What's that chart?
[Blake]: This looks like a delivery schedule... it's a digital document, not just a scanned photograph.
(He hacks into the update tracker to see the previous versions)
[Blake]: The one we're looking at just got updated. The most recent shipment was removed, see for yourself. (He opens up two editions of the document side-by-side)
[Gwen]: Is that live feed?
[Blake]: You could call it that, yes. We're actually in the computer of the cartel member who does this work. Now if we just keep this tracked, we can see if we get anything new.
[Detective 1]: Hey, Captain?
[Capt. Rozum]: Yes?
(Blake comes on over)
[Detective 1]: (Takes off headphones) We listened to all these calls, but they're all dated. Any context clues just map out to dates and times of old shipments, some followed by the, uh, whining, in case the shipment was sabotaged.
[Blake]: Good to see I have a fan club.
[Capt. Rozum]: But your point is that these calls are all useless?
[Detective 1]: We found a few encrypted files, but I guess that's from the head of the group. He makes more calls than the members.
[Blake]: How many did you get?
[Detective 3]: Let me see here... four. The dates are still visible and they were all days, even weeks before now.
[Blake]: Interesting.
|
(Ssserpent makes a phone call.)
|
(A new encrypted message pops up, only partially received.)
[Detective 1]: Oh, sir! New encrypted message!
[Blake]: The feed is being received on the spot. We can track the call! Move aside!
(Blake rushes over to the keyboard and types in a simple decryption algorithm. After a few seconds, a low-quality but reasonably audible call tracker pops up.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Alright, be quiet, everyone. Listen.
[Dealer]: Hello?
[Ssserpent]: It's- *(Static)* m- *(Static)* deal- *(Static)*
[Blake]: Dammit, we're losing 'em!
|
[Ssserpent]: Yes, did you receive it?
[Dealer]: No. What went wrong?
[Ssserpent]: Oh, it's nothing, I'm not surprised.
[Dealer]: You better get serious, though, we need these shipments.
[Ssserpent]: Oh, of course! I'm sending one in now, the chart should be updated.
[Dealer]: You hurry up, you hear me?
[Ssserpent]: Loud and clear. (Hangs up)
|
*(Static)* ("Up-") *(Static)*
(The call ends)
[Blake]: Well, damn.
(The document update tracker suddenly shows up with something new.)
[Ben]: We got something!
(Blake opens it up.)
[Blake]: These copies are secret, they update it to personally keep track of it. It's why we now so easily know... (Looks at the chart) Right now. It's happening right now! The shipment could be sent out any second!
[Detective 3]: While you were chattering, I took the liberty of trying to triangulate that last call.
[Blake]: Audio was bad, but did you get anything?
[Detective 3]: One end of the line was obviously encrypted, but I got lucky in trying the other. Its location is live.
(Blake looks at the detective's screen.)
[Blake]: And moving!
(Rozum puts on his jacket and Ben, Gwen and Kevin start moving.)
[Blake]: Mobile target leaves us with no address, but the ones they have passed map out to a pattern that gives us the alternative route... it's not a railroad, but just a road. Coming in from the west side... Jesus, it's going for city central!
[Ben]: Let's get going, then!
(A paper comes out of a nearby printer.)
[Blake]: Tracking info, right here. Go, go! I'll come with James! (While walking, he folds up the paper and puts it in his pocket.)
(Rozum and Blake walk out of the precinct while Ben runs over to his car. Rozum and Blake get into another squad car and both cars drive off into the night with sirens on.)
|
(Two trucks drive on Bellwood's west area and are around six blocks from a bridge, leading to the right and into the commercial district.)
[Dealer 1]: Approximately seven minutes from destination.
[Dealer 2]: Hopefully this one goes smooth-
(WEEOOOW!!!)
[Dealer 1]: Goddammit, the cops! Behind us!
(Rozum's car pulls up next to them.)
(This truck tries to ram it, but the car backs up.)
(Suddenly, Blake climbs out onto the top of the car, jumping up at the truck's backside with a crowbar. He uses it to hang onto the truck's backdoor lock at the bottom. He pulls more and the lock breaks - Blake goes flying backwards into the hood of Rozum's car.)
(Rozum's car begins to swerve.)
[Capt. Rozum]: CHRIST, DENNIS!
[Blake]: Hang on!
(He jumps off the hood and lands hanging onto the back of the truck, keeping his feet up to avoid getting scraped on the road. He uses one of his hands to pull up the truck's backdoor. He climbs inside.)
(The dealers hear this.)
[Dealer 1]: What the hell is going on back there?
(BANG! POW! BANG!)
(The front of the truck's trailer gets dented until it rips open - Blake drops his crowbar and climbs out of the hole, and then jumps on top of the truck's driver vehicle.)
[Dealer 2]: Get him!
(Blake swings down and kicks open the window on the driver's end - he swings and kicks again, hitting the driver's face. Dealer 2 pulls out his gun, but Blake aims his at the dealer and shoots first without hesitating.)
(Blake uses his left hand to slightly steer the truck, and then kicks the driver-side door open. He throws Dealer 1 out of the truck and then commandeers it, driving it to the left, off-road and into a patch of dirt and grass. Rozum's car drives ahead.)
(Ben's car races ahead of the second truck and goes way ahead. Ben stops at the bridge and Gwen and Kevin get out, gesturing for the other cars to go straight. Ben pulls back his sleeve and slams the Ultimatrix.)
(The dealers in Truck #2 look around nervously.)
(BOOM!)
(They feel violent shaking on the back end before hearing something tear. The driver in the passenger seat looks out and behind him.)
[Dealer 3]: (Goes wide-eyed) What in the name of...
(Armodrillo rips out another section of the truck's side, and then leans back while yanking at the truck. The truck hits a pillar at the bridge entrance and stops.)
(Armodrillo powers up his elbows and tears open the side of the truck's front. The dealers run out, but Rozum's car pulls up on the other side. Rozum comes out with a gun aimed at them.)
(Armodrillo smashes open the side of the truck's trailer to fully expose the crates inside.)
[Capt. Rozum]: (Cuffs dealers) Find anything?
[Armodrillo]: Quite the stash.
(A taxi pulls up near them. Blake gets out.)
[Blake]: Hey, guys! Quite the job well done, don't you think?
(Rozum stares at him in confusion.)
[Capt. Rozum]: You actually took a damn taxi in the middle of a car chase?
[Blake]: In the aftermath. Surprisingly I didn't wreck anything on my end.
[Capt. Rozum]: Except my new car, dammit! You could've killed me! Enough with your stunts! And where's your driver?
[Blake]: Paid 'em 20. To get the hell out of his seat.
[Capt. Rozum]: We catch you and then you're just as reckless?
[Blake]: Hey, you need me!
[Capt. Rozum]: That doesn't give you the right to break ten laws to stop people who are breaking two!
[Blake]: Why isn't that the case with Mr. Mecha Jackhammer up here? Hey, by the way, nice work, buddy. I could use some arm-drills about now.
[Armodrillo]: Not happening.
(Gwen and Kevin walk back after clearing out the remaining cars.)
[Gwen]: You know, we need to move this truck for the cars to get going.
[Blake]: Eh, put a bunch of cones around it.
(Armodrillo simply picks up the front end of the truck and hurls it over the edge of the road.)
[Blake]: Jesus, do you call this one Pollution Man?
[Armodrillo]: Haha, my blood's made of oil, too. But that landed on the beach.
[Blake]: You got lucky.
[Armodrillo]: You act like both Tarzan and Indiana Jones all in a few stunts that nearly get innocents killed, and you call me out for pollution?
[Kevin]: Ha, I like this guy.
[Blake]: I guess you allowed yourself to after at least one punch, huh?
[Kevin]: Consider us even.
(Ben reverts to human.)
[Blake]: Do I consider us friends?
[Kevin]: Not yet.
[Blake]: Huh. Saying that means you know it's possible, meaning I should just take that as a yes.
[Gwen]: Well, we're not.
[Blake]: Self-defense, I'm sorry, you're boyfriend's quite protective, I can give you that.
[Ben]: It's redemption for his criminal life.
[Kevin]: Can you stop telling everyone about that for once, Tennyson?
[Blake]: Eh, can't say I'm surprised.
[Kevin]: Look at that!
[Ben]: Try making a better first impression next time.
[Kevin]: When Gwen gets beat up?
[Gwen]: I know magic, you know?
[Blake]: I find that quite obvious - tough guy can turn himself into a tin can, hotshot teen icon can turn himself into ANYTHING, for all I care, why not join the club?
[Ben]: I am not a teen icon!
[Blake]: Actually, I agree. Too much of a wisecrack.
[Ben]: That makes two of us.
[Kevin]: Uh, three?
[Blake]: And that makes us friends. Gwen?
[Gwen]: That's one club I can't join.
[Ben]: Like hell you can't! You always forget when we were ten!
[Gwen]: Because I cringe anytime I think of myself calling you a "doofus".
[Ben]: Oh, yikes. You're right.
[Capt. Rozum]: Anyways, people, I'll be off with the idiots in my backseat. Dennis, I'm not waiting.
[Blake]: Neither am I. I'll see you guys at the precinct.
[Ben]: You too.
(Blake gets into Rozum's car.)
|
(One of the conscious dealers is being interrogated - he is a relatively skinny man with a buzz cut, oral piercings, a black tank-top, and his arms covered in tattoos. Ben, Gwen and Kevin watch through the glass window while Blake and Rozum interrogate the man.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Edgar Castillo, age 31. You like to make an impression. (Rozum has a folder with Castillo's police report - his mugshot shows him in an outlandishly angry expression.)
[Castillo]: You know what? I'll be honest with you.
[Blake]: You'd have to be. You don't look like you can afford a lawyer, anyways.
[Castillo]: *(Sigh)* It's just that I'm confused. He's... it seems he's been lying to us all this while.
[Blake]: The snake?
[Castillo]: Yes. We're basically like tools.
[Blake]: Drug deliverymen are tools at their finest, buddy.
[Castillo]: No, it's just that... all these fake companies, these, these secrets, I'm sick of it.
[Blake]: That's good. So talk.
[Castillo]: See, that's the problem. I've always been out on the field, being the secondary one, I only barely answer to the snake.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, that means you do still answer to him, Mr. Castillo. Anything important to tell us?
[Castillo]: You guys have the boy with the watch with you, don't you?
[Capt. Rozum]: Were you targeting him?
[Castillo]: It's likely, but the snake keeps most of his plans to himself.
[Blake]: And uses intimidation to get you around?
[Castillo]: He's vulnerable, sure, but still quite sensitive - people don't stand up to him since he loves to apparently, uh, "swallow his prey whole".
[Capt. Rozum]: Do you know how long the operation has been going on?
[Castillo]: I've only been doing this job for two weeks, but about the drug - I've heard of your stuntman over here. You'd probably know that it's not just cocaine we're smuggling around.
[Ben]: (While watching through window) Yes, now ask him about what the hell it really is.
[Gwen]: Be patient, Ben.
[Blake]: Right, the operation involves something more weaponized, more acid-based. Not any form of opium.
[Castillo]: Well, lucky for you, I know it's name.
[Ben]: Now we're getting somewhere.
[Blake]: Right, I've been wanting to know, so has Ben back there.
[Castillo]: The snake told us once. CRO-117. He likes to call it "Demon's Blood".
[Ben]: Demon's Blood...
[Capt. Rozum]: And how much do you usually smuggle?
(Ben opens the door.)
[Ben]: Do you know who Serpent talks to?
[Castillo]: As far as I know, he makes it all in the labs.
[Capt. Rozum]: Ben, what are you doing here?
[Ben]: You being out in the field probably prevents you from knowing how the chemical is designed, right?
[Castillo]: Well, the snake tells us it's powerful, versatile.
[Ben]: He's implying that it's designed for more than just humans.
[Blake]: Wait, you think they made the Demon's Blood for you?
[Ben]: Serpent knows me, it's very likely. And Mr. Piercings over here probably knows nothing more.
[Castillo]: I'm sorry, but no. I've told you everything I know.
[Ben]: Well, it's a shame that the most cooperative criminals are the least useful among their own ranks. Either way, thank you for your cooperation, buddy, we're done here.
(Ben leaves and Gwen and Kevin look at him strangely.)
[Blake]: Wait, so that's it?
[Castillo]: I actually wish I could tell you more, but that's stuff I don't know.
[Capt. Rozum]: *(Exhale)* I guess we're done here.
(Rozum and Blake come over to Ben as Castillo is escorted out of the interrogation room by two officers.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Alright. Ben, can you tell us anything about whoever spooks you?
[Kevin]: It was just a disturbing experience a few weeks back.
[Ben]: *(Exhale)* Fine. These two brothers, who were aliens, they were sent to hunt me down, but they were blackmailed into being assassins.
[Capt. Rozum]: And then?
[Ben]: Their employer, he texted them pictures of their parents being held hostage, and they... they committed suicide.
(Blake stares at the ground, uspet.)
[Capt. Rozum]: I'm sorry to hear that. But, uh, regarding the more human end of business, what does that have to do with this?
[Ben]: The brothers. They used this same chemical to burn up the body of one of my aliens. This all makes up the lead I was a bit hesitant to tell you.
[Kevin]: Just alien business, nothing to do with this.
[Capt. Rozum]: I see.
[Ben]: Well, anyways, I gotta go eat dinner and hit the bed, it's getting late.
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll see what I can find on this.
[Gwen]: What about Blake?
[Blake]: What about me?
[Capt. Rozum]: They're wondering where we'll keep you. Right now, I'm thinking police custody.
[Blake]: As in a safe house? I know a place.
[Capt. Rozum]: And it's not a drug den?
[Blake]: Old apartment I purchased a couple months back - I kept it furnished and just stored a few of my things there, but as far as importance goes, it's pretty much untouched.
[Capt. Rozum]: Give us the address and we'll keep watch. It's still protocol, you're not really a full-fledged cop.
[Ben]: But, uh, speaking of that and regarding interrogations, shouldn't we know how you lost your job?
[Blake]: Eh, accident, that's all. I'll tell you about it later.
[Ben]: Fair enough, I'm feeling sleepy.
[Capt. Rozum]: Good night, then, Ben. Thanks for the help.
[Ben]: You bet.
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin exit the precinct.)
|
(Ssserpent makes a call from another burner phone.)
[Ssserpent]: Hello, is this FumeX?
[Santiago Menendez]: Face of the whole empire.
[Ssserpent]: Mr. Menendez?
[Menendez]: Th-that's right, snake. And no, I did not receive your shipment.
[Ssserpent]: *(Sigh)* Dammit. This is becoming quite a serious problem.
[Menendez]: No, it's not. N-Not for me. Not for us.
[Ssserpent]: I'm sorry?
[Menendez]: You can go to hell with whatever acid you cook up. We didn't want the shipment.
[Ssserpent]: Why didn't you tell me you changed your mind?
[Menendez]: B...b-because I just changed it. I... I would send your shipment back if it didn't get sabotaged.
[Ssserpent]: Why is this? What changed your mind?
[Menendez]: Anything about me is no longer anything of importance to you. Our deal is off; FumeX will venture elsewhere for better deals.
[Ssserpent]: What better deal can anyone offer? Your business boomed triple the income ever since our deal!
[Menendez]: D-doesn't matter. Goodbye, snake.
[Ssserpent]: What?
(AT MENENDEZ'S LOCATION)
(Menendez hangs up. He then hurls his phone forward - the camera looks over his shoulder to see the cityscape. The phone is seen falling down into the streets.)
[Menendez]: *(Sigh)* I b-believe my use is over?
(A pistol is seen aimed behind his head.)
[Masked Assassin]: You are correct.
(BANG!)
(Menendez's corpse plummets off the rooftop.)
(The camera focuses on a street that a garbage man is exiting - he doesn't hear the crash.)
(A TIMELAPSE OF THE TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT DAY IS SHOWN.)
|
(A garbage man comes in.)
(He opens up a dumpster, but feels it jammed in front of something. He moves around to the side, and pulls the bin aside.)
(Menendez's pulverized corpse lies behind. The garbage man stares in horror.)
|
(The police gather around the body while photographers snap pictures and detectives walk around.)
[Detective]: Santiago Menendez, age 46, born in Miami.
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll be damned. Head of FumeX.
[Detective]: That's right, though motives for his death besides gang war casualty are currently unknown.
(Another squad car pulls up.)
(Blake and two officers get out.)
[Capt. Rozum]: What the hell took you so long?
[Blake]: Is that the body of Santiago Menendez?
[Capt. Rozum]: Sure is. Can your escape artistry prove any worth here?
[Blake]: Eh, still pretty basic. Have you got any guys up on the roof?
[Capt. Rozum]: They're still searching.
[Blake]: Burger boys?
[Capt. Rozum]: You need to stop calling 'em that.
[Blake]: Oh, so it is them? Jesus Christ, no wonder your cases take so long to solve! (He walks into the building)
[Capt. Rozum]: I'm not gonna whine that you're not authorized to be in there, but if you push any of 'em over the edge-
[Blake]: If they can even be pushed.
(AT THE ROOFTOP)
[Blake]: Afternoon, big fellas!
[Detective 2]: Well, damn, you're here.
[Blake]: Move aside. Captain doesn't want you falling off.
(He crouches down at the edge of rooftop and starts scraping at the floor. He looks at his fingers.)
[Blake]: Color pattern here. A bit red, though I can't be sure it's blood, until...
(He gestures for something with his sandy-fingered hand, and one of the detectives hands him a box. He scrapes off the sand into the box and hands it back.)
[Blake]: HEY GUYS!
(Rozum looks up)
[Blake]: I'm going to jump! Right now!
[Capt. Rozum]: WHAT?
(Officers come with a net.)
(Blake leans forward and falls, letting his body fly freely. He lands on his back and rolls to the side, then jumps off the net.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Dennis! What the hell was that all about?
(Blake kneels toward the dumpsters and sees the blood pattern.)
[Blake]: Who here has a harness?
[Capt. Rozum]: What the hell do you want a harness for?
[Blake]: Well, I happen to have a harness myself (Holds it up)' - you guys never think outside the box, I was just wondering if you did in fact have a harness for crimes like these.
[Capt. Rozum]: You still never answered my-
(Blake runs into the building again.)
(ON THE ROOFTOP)
[Blake]: One of you oafs, hand me a microscope and a spyglass.
[Detective 2]: What for?
[Blake]: I don't wanna pickpocket a detective.
(Detective 3 decides to give them to Blake.)
[Blake]: Thank you.
(He pulls out his harness and pulls out a large spike from his coat.)
[Detective 3]: Jesus Christ, what on Earth-
(Blake drives the spike into the edge of the rooftop. He wraps one end of the harness to it and then ties the belt around his waist.)
[Blake]: In case of emergencies, keep that rope and spike fastened, will you?
(Detectives 1 and 3 oblige.)
(Blake then falls backwards and climbs his way down the side of the building.)
[Capt. Rozum]: DENNIS!
(Blake climbs up and down, examining the face of the wall. He pulls out the microscope and looks at the windows and walls.)
(Stained on the tiny dust particles against the wall is red. The pattern continues down one side and then becomes visible even without the microscope.)
[Blake]: Blood spatter.
(He makes his way down to the ground.)
[Blake]: YOU GUYS CAN TAKE THE SPIKE OFF!
(The detectives remove the spike and let go of the rope. Blake catches the other end.)
(He then crouches down away from the building and looks at the ground with the microscope.)
[Blake]: More blood. The pattern travels this way.
(He heads over to the dumpsters.)
[Blake]: James, come over here!
[Capt. Rozum]: Yeah, would you mind telling me what the hell you're doing?
[Blake]: These large dotted blood patterns on the edge of the dumpster. They differ in both position and appearance from this giant pool over here. These were droplets, not stains from when he hit the edge of the bin.
[Capt. Rozum]: Droplets? Well, sure, blood splatters.
[Blake]: But there was splatter up on that wall there as well as being sprayed in the direction away from the building. Dotted patterns.
[Capt. Rozum]: Your point?
[Blake]: Well, when I fell, I noticed how when I let my body hang loose I rotated on the ground. Menendez's body was spiraling as it fell, but blood spatter patterns indicate that blood off of him sprayed everywhere in a spiraling pattern as well. He landed on his back, just like I did, but my point is that he was bloodied even before he hit the ground. Where's the point of origin of the blood on his corpse?
(Rozum goes over to the corpse and sees it - blood is all over his head.)
[Blake]: There's a gash near his temple. The blood comes from there. If he was bleeding while falling, and what appears to be his earliest injury was to the head, then I think he was shot before falling. Or, better yet, shot off the roof. There are microscopic blood patterns on the roof edge and not large stains - he was standing on the edge, then was shot.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, wow! We could've just brought Ben's cousin over.
[Blake]: I felt I needed some practice on this. HEY BOYS! YOU CAN COME DOWN NOW!
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, I better be heading back. We need to learn more about FumeX.
[Blake]: Your limo drivers are not bad.
[Capt. Rozum]: Then get in. And don't make any pit stops or late starts.
|
(Ben, Cash, J.T., and Ben's friend Matt are all having Chili Fries for an outdoor lunch.)
[Cash]: Man, we should do this more often!
[Matt]: What is this? Girls' afternoon out?
[Ben]: Hey, don't tell me the fries aren't good.
[J.T.]: If Cash has the same reason as me, then I agree with him. These fries are insane!
[Ben]: Yeah, it's just that I'm a bit busy for doing this regularly.
[Cash]: As usual.
[Ben]: You guys still play baseball?
[J.T.]: Hell yes, we do! Have you actually forgotten this much of your personal life? Hey, Matt, you should know about this one game. Ben came
in and interfered.
[Matt]: So?
[Cash]: As one of his aliens. Some guy who really knows how to sprint.
(Ben just listens to them, smiling.)
[J.T.]: Something funny, Ben?
[Ben]: It's just amusing.
[Matt]: Yeah, on-the-spot fan club, I bet.
(The original Ben 10 8-bit melody rings.)
[Cash]: Damn, that's catchy!
[Ben]: Points for ringtone, I guess. (He pulls out his phone. It's Blake - he answers.) Hello?
[Blake]: Ben? It's Dennis.
[Ben]: How'd you get this number?
[Blake]: James gave it to me.
[Ben]: Sure. Find anything?
[Blake]: Well, about half an hour back I had quite a blast learning some stuff, but we've found quite a load of leads, we need you here.
[Ben]: Sure, I'm just having lunch with my friends somewhere close to the precinct. Tell the captain I'll be there in 10.
[Blake]: Sounds good.
(Ben hangs up and sees his friends looking at him in surprise.)
[Ben]: Something wrong?
[Matt]: Captain, precinct...
[Cash]: You work for the freaking cops?
[Ben]: With. We're just chasing a couple of drug dealers smuggling alien acid.
[J.T.]: WHAT?
[Ben]: Can't keep the cops waiting, guys. Feel free to have my fries, but I get to keep the smoothy.
(He walks off, finishing his Smoothy and throwing it in the garbage. His friends continue to stare at him in shock.)
|
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin walk over to Blake and Rozum.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Ah, good! You made it!
[Ben]: Dennis told me you have a bunch of leads?
[Blake]: We do. We believe FumeX could be a shell corporation.
[Ben]: It decided that after its owner saw the top of the world for the last time?
[Blake]: When I said I had a blast earlier, I was climbing around the building and found a bunch of blood patterns.
[Gwen]: You could've called me.
[Blake]: James said the same thing, but I decided I'd have some fun for once. Santiago Menendez was shot in the head on the rooftop, then fell.
I already spent enough time explaining how that happened.
[Ben]: Did you find out who?
[Blake]: Not yet, but I think I have a pretty good idea. We just confirmed our biggest lead yet, and the rough "gang war" guess seems to be proving true.
[Kevin]: For real?
[Blake]: Huntington. They sent out a shipment to FumeX and literally ten minutes afterwards it got cancelled.
[Ben]: Accidental shipment?
[Blake]: I dunno, but the members of that cartel would've likely disbanded. Either they got a new leader who's just goofing around, or they just all got bored.
[Capt. Rozum]: Hey, look at this!
[Blake]: What?
[Capt. Rozum]: Another live feed! New document!
(Blake opens it up.)
(It's a picture of the chart with the cancelled shipment, but it has skulls and frowning faces all over it.)
[Blake]: What in the hell?
[Ben]: Huntington has to be in trouble. Or whoever's responsible.
[Capt. Rozum]: And we have no way of finding them?
[Blake]: I think someone from FumeX is quite pissed off at whoever sent this shipment.
[Ben]: They could be after them - this just looks like an example death threat.
[Capt. Rozum]: And we can't find out who this is or who the victim is.
[Blake]: So someone is bound to die at a random time now?
(Rozum puts his hand on his chin and looks confusedly.)
|
(A muscular bald man with tattooed forearms and a black T-shirt is walking down the parking lot.)
(He gets a call. It says "FumeX". He answers.)
[Man]: Hello, is this FumeX?
(Pause)
[Deep, Distorted, Modified Voice]: Hello, Rafe.
[Rafe]: Uh, yeah. That, that's me.
[Voice]: You're sloppy, my friend.
[Rafe]: Excuse me?
[Voice]: You don't go freelance with FumeX.
[Rafe]: Hey, what the hell's wrong with your voice?
[Voice]: You mess with FumeX, you mess with me.
[Rafe]: Alright, shut up. What do you want with FumeX?
[Voice]: Why would I threaten to get to my own possessions?
[Rafe]: I, uh...
[Voice]: You don't know. That's right, you don't even know what goes on among your surroundings.
[Rafe]: I don't read the papers or watch the news.
[Voice]: You really should, Rafe. Why don't you check the local news right now?
[Rafe]: Or?
[Voice]: Or, Mr. Mendoza, I send a few kindly worded emails to everyone you loathe, everyone you fear. It'll have a neatly organized list of all of your personal information.
[Rafe]: Haha, you're funny.
[Voice]: You're standing in that parking lot, right? Next to the fast food joints?
[Rafe]: Wait, how-
[Voice]: Yes, I'm serious about what I say. Walk over to the roofed sidewalk and take a right. At the corner is the newspaper stand. Pick up the one off the second row from the top.
[Rafe]: (Walking) The... second row from-
[Voice]: This one is peculiar, it's arranged by week. Do you see the paper, Rafe?
[Rafe]: Y-yes, yes I can see it.
[Voice]: Pick it up, Rafe. See the headline?
[Rafe]: Drug kingpin murdered on... wait, what?
[Voice]: You can read, Rafe. Read the caption. Who's name does it list?
[Rafe]: Santiago Menendez. Wait-
[Voice]: You know who Mr. Menendez was, don't you? What he was known for?
[Rafe]: Y-you! You killed him! You took FumeX for yourself and-
[Voice]: Calm down, now, Rafe. I don't take anything for myself when everything already belongs to me.
[Rafe]: What the hell is this?
[Voice]: Menendez was a pawn. Simply a pawn, not even a martyr.
[Rafe]: What do you want with me?
[Voice]: Your ability to run, Rafe. I want to watch you run.
[Rafe]: Please, what did I ever-
[Voice]: You don't get bored and recklessly send boxes of the poor man's indulgence to the worst people you want to mess with.
[Rafe]: I thought I was doing them a favor! Huntington was never in-
[Voice]: Huntington was like an ant against elephants.
[Rafe]: You killed George Anthony, too, didn't you?
[Voice]: See, you panic. It's of course amusing, but it's also enlightening, relieving, to see that you now realize the magnitude of what I am able to do.
[Rafe]: Fine, fine, the world is nothing to you, I get-
[Voice]: The world is everything to me. It's my ship. You and the scum that dwell among your class are simply surplus. They add to the weight,
they don't let the ship stay afloat. They don't let it move, or... or get anywhere. And what does common sense tell you to do when the ship can't stay afloat?
[Rafe]: I don't even know who the hell you are! How could I be useless to you? Or useful?
[Voice]: See, Rafe? Neither useful nor useless. You're nothing. But I already told you what I want.
[Rafe]: Please, man-
[Voice]: I have a question to ask.
[Rafe]: Yeah, yeah. Anything you want.
[Voice]: Are you afraid of dying?
[Rafe]: W-what? What?
[Voice]: You heard me. I've already taken it as a yes, so I have a promise to make you.
[Rafe]: I can t-take any deal!
[Voice]: I promise you that by the end of today, you will receive a present from me. You'll get a surprise present on an early Christmas.
(Pause) I promise you that at the end of the day you will have a bullet lodged in the core of your skull.
[Rafe]: (Tearing up) WHY? Why are you doing this, you monster?
[Voice]: Better get running, Rafe!
(The voice hangs up. Rafe looks at his phone, mortally terrified, and then breaks it.)
(He looks around desperately and goes over to a car.)
|
[Sandra]: Alright, and that's the last of it! Enjoy, everyone!
(Ben, Gwen, Kevin, Sandra, Carl, Frank and Natalie are all having a large family dinner.)
[Ben]: Man, how long has it been since we did this?
[Carl]: Never, really. And it's great seeing Gwen and Kevin here.
[Gwen]: The food's really good, Uncle Carl.
[Carl]: You should thank your aunt for that, Gwen. Kevin, you enjoying?
[Kevin]: Yeah, uh, yes, Mr. Tennyson.
(Carl smiles and takes a sip of his wine.)
[Sandra]: Oh, right. Can I get you guys anymore drinks?
[Natalie]: I'm good, thanks for asking.
[Ben]: Same here.
[Frank]: So, you three, you wanna tell us where you've been?
[Ben]: Well, away from our personal lives.
[Gwen]: I guess we know who to blame for that.
[Carl]: You're actually right, Gwen. Since we're all finishing up our entrees, Ben can start telling us about his little adventure while desserts roll in.
[Kevin]: Uh, Mr. Tennyson, would I mind asking what's for dessert?
[Carl]: (Chuckles) Ice cream cake, for you youngsters.
[Sandra]: And me!
[Carl]: It's homemade, guys.
[Kevin]: Sweet.
[Ben]: So! About the case.
[Sandra]: Right, I'm surprised it was a full-fledged cop thing and you have time for this.
[Ben]: I'm surprised too. At least I'm glad I could ease off after all that.
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin all look a bit shifty.)
[Natalie]: You guys alright?
[Gwen]: Oh, we're fine! It was just, haha, quite the day, you know?
[Ben]: Yeah, yeah. Everything's alright.
|
(Rafe walks down a moderately crowded street nervously. He dresses in a gray jacket and black pants.)
(He takes a right into an alleyway. There, he pulls out two identical wallets and opens them both.)
(One has credit cards, licenses, money and passports from both the USA and Mexico, belonging to Rafael Mendoza, while the other has a Mexican passport and Canadian ID's for "Julio Sanchez".)
(Rafe takes out a lighter and burns his actual wallet, throwing its flaming form into the trash. He slips the wallet with his fake Canadian info into his pocket and goes back to the street.)
(He is watched walking by a sniper rifle scope. He appears to be attentively looking atop buildings around him.)
|
[Carl]: You know, it's a shame Max couldn't come.
[Ben]: Yeah, Max was just, uh, a bit busy.
[Sandra]: Oh, of course! All that stuff up in space, you know?
[Carl]: Ben, you don't look alright, want some soda?
[Ben]: Yeah, sure, dad.
(Carl pours him soda.)
[Sandra]: Okay, so, Ben, you ready to tell us that big story of yours?
[Ben]: Oh, right. Right. Just gimme a sec, I just have to think where it began...
[Gwen]: Basketball.
[Ben]: Oh, yeah! Right, basketball.
[Carl]: I thought you were a soccer player!
[Ben]: I did too, but Kevin thought differently.
[Kevin]: Okay, Mr. Tennyson? If you don't mind, Ben can be a bit defensive about this, but we all just wanted something different besides smoothies.
(Everyone at the table laughs.)
|
(The sniper continues to watch him.)
(Rafe takes a right into a shop, and ducks under windowsills and tables.)
[Sniper 1]: (Into radio) He's careful, alright, managed to evade me. Be ready, he could be coming up.
(Sniper 2 is atop the building Rafe is entering.)
[Sniper 2]: (Into radio) Right into a trap. This shouldn't be a problem.
(Rafe sneaks up a staircase, pistol in hand. As he nears the top, he removes a metal panel from the wall.)
[Sniper 2]: (Turns around) (Into radio) I hear something.
(The door slowly creaks open; the sniper aims his gun.)
(BANG!)
(PEW!)
(The sniper's shot hits Rafe's metal panel he uses as a shield - Rafe fires back and kills the sniper.)
(Sniper 1 sees Sniper 2's rifle topple over.)
[Sniper 1]: (Into radio) What the hell just happened?
|
[Ben]: So... this lab has these collapsed wires and, uh, boxes everywhere, and it was leaking like crazy!
[Natalie]: *(Gasp)* And then what happened?
[Ben]: Well, uh, being me, I decided it was hero time on these things.
[Carl]: On, um, a couple of boxes?
[Ben]: Well, dad, these boxes and electrical generators were all covered in some burning poison, and-
[Sandra]: Burning poison??
[Frank]: Hey, uh, Ben, can I ask you something?
[Ben]: Yeah, go ahead, uncle Frank.
[Frank]: This applies to Gwen too, and even Kevin, if your little adventures date that far back, but, uh... (smiles) have you, uh, ever told these, um, (Scratches the back of his head) have you ever told these stories around, (Bursts out laughing) the campfire?
(Carl, Sandra, Ben and Gwen all laugh awkwardly.)
[Ben]: As in scary stories?
[Frank]: (Finishes laughing) Right, right.
[Ben]: Let me think, this is a tough one... Gwen, you're gonna have to take this.
[Gwen]: Well, dad, as much as I try not to think of camping, whenever it did happen, it wasn't all that good.
[Frank]: Why?
[Gwen]: Oh, you know, spaceships, and all that...
[Sandra]: Right. So, who's ready for desserts?
|
(Sniper 1 looks around.)
[Sniper 1]: AAH!!!!
(Something lets go of him - the sniper looks at his hip. His coat is torn and bloodied.)
(The sniper turns and a long snake grabs him by the torso - Ssserpent pulls him over.)
[Ssserpent]: Hello...
(A nasty sound is heard and the sniper gags. Ssserpent gives the sniper a murderous look before pulling his hand out of the sniper's abdomen. Blood splatters everywhere and the sniper falls to the ground.)
(Snipers on rooftops further down look about.)
[Sniper 3]: I still don't see him...
(The scope looks about - it suddenly pans to the right.)
(A wavy, thick green line is seen slithering up and down buildings.)
[Sniper 3]: What in the living...
(He backs off from his mounted rifle and runs over to the edge of the rooftop.)
(POW!)
(Ssserpent's tail lashes up from the edge and whips the sniper's face. Ssserpent jumps up and backhand-slashes the sniper to the ground.)
(He slithers over to his sniper rifle and pulls it apart.)
(Rafe, meanwhile, is running along rooftops on the opposite end of the street.)
[Rafe]: *(Grunt)* *(Pant)*
(He desperately looks around, but doesn't see anything.)
|
[Ben]: Man, this cake is good!
[Carl]: You should thank your mom.
[Gwen]: Thank you, Aunt Sandra.
(The 8-bit original series melody rings.)
(The people look around.)
[Natalie]: What's that noise?
[Ben]: Oh, right. Phone. May I be excused?
[Carl]: Go ahead, son. Make it quick, though.
(Ben runs over to a nearby table and picks up the phone.)
[Ben]: Hello?
[Blake]: Hey, uh, Ben?
[Ben]: Dennis, what is it? (His parents look at him confused. Gwen and Kevin look around nervously.)
[Blake]: The Huntington shipment. We've triangulated where it came from.
[Ben]: How?
[Blake]: Shipment routes. It took some time, and hacking, but we found the source. It's not a location, it's a man. He's being targeted like we predicted.
[Ben]: Right, what's his name?
[Blake]: One Rafael Mendoza, dealer on the run. His current location is somewhere in Western City Central.
[Ben]: Good, I'll be on my way.
(His parents stare in a now surprised expression.)
[Blake]: No need, we already are. I'm calling from the car. We'll be there in around five minutes.
[Ben]: Alright then. Good luck.
(Blake hangs up.)
(Everyone looks at him.)
[Ben]: Oh, right. Lucky for everyone, I won't be going anywhere.
[Sandra]: Who's Dennis?
[Ben]: The next part of my story.
[Gwen]: It's a cop thing, aunt Sandra.
[Carl]: Wait - don't you refer to a cop as officer? Ben, you should know this.
[Ben]: Well, ex-cop, actually. Or, maybe not, just some guy, if you want the best way of putting it.
(Kevin slaps his forehead; Frank chuckles)
[Ben]: Alright, long story, which I'm willing to tell and telling right now. It gets interesting.
[Carl]: I see.
[Ben]: So, uh, should I go ahead?
[Sandra]: Sure, I actually wanna hear this.
|
(Rafe aims his pistol around.)
(He finds nothing and lowers his pistol. He looks down.)
(A red dot hovers around before aiming at him.)
[Rafe]: No, no, no!
(He turns around. The dot is shaking randomly around his chest. He shudders.)
(He looks ahead.)
[Rafe]: Wh-what?
(Something is coming behind the sniper aiming at him. Rafe stands and watches.)
(Ssserpent lashes his tail up and knocks the sniper forward - he flips up, grabs the sniper by the shoulders, and wraps his mouth around the sniper's head.)
[Rafe]: AAH!!!!
(Rafe begins backing out - Ssserpent yanks his head back and blood and flesh splatter everywhere. Ssserpent drops the beheaded corpse.)
(Rafe turns and sprints down the rooftop. Ssserpent coils himself around a bridge-like tubing between the two buildings and slithers over to Rafe. He slides out on the ground and coils around Rafe's torso, grabbing his arm with one of his own. Ssserpent pulls back and yanks his arm back - Rafe comes staggering over to him and Ssserpent knocks him on the ground.)
[Rafe]: NO, NO!!! Jesus Christ, no! I had no idea you were a-
[Ssserpent]: Ssh, ssh, everything will be okay. Listen to me. It's alright.
[Rafe]: Y-you just bit a man's freaking head off! W-what the hell do you mean by alright?
[Ssserpent]: I killed a man who tried to kill you. I come to you now and you're still breathing. What does that tell you?
[Rafe]: Th-that you're some freakish animal! I was being targeted by a SNAKE?
[Ssserpent]: You can hold your own fairly well. And no, I did not target you, but I know who did. You stay quiet and come with me.
[Rafe]: W-what? C-come with you? Are you gonna eat me whole, and take me wherever you need me to be?
[Ssserpent]: You're not prey. The only thing I swallow whole is my prey.
[Rafe]: Th-then what am I?
[Ssserpent]: Someone with me as a friend. You follow me, no questions asked and I keep you safe.
[Rafe]: From what? A-and, and how my supposed to explain following some giant snake? What the hell are you?
[Ssserpent]: Fair enough, actually. I'd never have time to tell you on the way.
[Rafe]: W-what does that mean?
(Ssserpent backhands Rafe across the face and knocks him out. He picks him up and slithers off.)
MEANWHILE, FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD
(Rozum's car pulls up. He and Blake get out with two other officers.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Boys, search the streets! Everywhere! Signs of panic, traces, everything! Dennis, come with me, we're going to the rooftops!
(Blake sprints inside a building and runs up the stairs.)
(Rozum runs into a bookstore and looks about. He then runs out.)
(His radio gets static.)
[Blake]: (Through radio) *(Static)* Hey, James! Found something! Rooftop opposite of you.
(ON THE ROOFTOP)
(Rozum comes out the stairs. He sees Blake crouched down next to a body.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Jesus, what happened here?
[Blake]: That rifle is rather clumsily placed on the tripod. It's as though this guy bumped into it. This whole ambush appears sabotaged.
[Officer 1]: (Through Rozum's radio) Captain! We spotted a tripod off the edge of one of the roofs! We're up here.
[Capt. Rozum]: (Into radio) And you found a body?
[Officer 1]: (Through radio) Several, sir.
(Blake puts his hands on his hips, confused.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Copy that. See what else you find, I'll get a few detectives on the scene.
|
(Gwen, her parents, and Kevin are all leaving.)
[Carl]: Thanks for coming, guys!
[Frank]: Oh, anytime. Haha, literally, too. The story was fun, Ben!
[Ben]: Yeah, glad you liked it, Uncle Frank!
[Sandra, Carl]: Bye!
(Kevin gets into his car while the others continue walking over to Gwen's house. Kevin's car drives off as Carl closes the door.)
[Carl]: So then, you made a friend in the police department?
[Ben]: I guess we can trust him now, sorry if I didn't have time to explain it to you.
(The 8-bit Ben 10 melody rings.)
(Ben answers.)
[Ben]: Hello?
[Capt. Rozum]: Ben?
[Ben]: Oh! Captain! What happened?
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, judging from what we just found, I'd say the whole assassination backfired. Pretty sloppy at that, there's bodies everywhere.
[Ben]: Do you know where this guy is now?
[Capt. Rozum]: At the moment, we're still having trouble finding stuff, even with Blake around, but we're getting to the rooftops further down.
[Ben]: I see.
(Pause)
[Ben]: Hello? Captain?
[Capt. Rozum]: WHAT? Get down there right now! *(Static)* Oh, Ben, sorry, I'm gonna have to call you back. Detectives say they found severed limbs and a beheaded corpse further down.
[Ben]: I doubt one drug dealer would be capable of all that.
[Capt. Rozum]: I doubt it too.
[Ben]: Severed limbs? Anything besides blood?
[Capt. Rozum]: Hang on a sec...
(Pause)
[Capt. Rozum]: Indications say something similar.
[Ben]: Go ahead.
[Capt. Rozum]: The marks. Thankfully they're not from human teeth, but the pattern of the cut indicates two blades that cut it in a more stab-like fashion. Almost as if the poor guy's head was chomped off by razor-sharp teeth.
[Ben]: Two razor sharp teeth. Captain, we're not looking for an extremely violent man, we're looking for an extremely violent snake.
[Capt. Rozum]: The cartel leader... I guess FumeX wasn't planning this after all. This guy seems to care a great deal for his operation - there's still stuff that confuses me.
[Ben]: In that case you can take your time, Captain. I'll call back tomorrow.
[Capt. Rozum]: Sounds good.
(Hangs up)
(Ben sees Sandra watching him.)
[Ben]: AAH! You startled me, Mom!
[Sandra]: Sorry, honey, but why is it that all your conversations with the cops creep out people listening in?
[Ben]: You were listening in?
[Sandra]: As soon as I heard "severed limbs", yes.
[Ben]: No, no, Mom, (chuckles) the captain just told me it was a possibility, but they proved it wrong.
[Sandra]: You sure?
[Ben]: I wouldn't lie about police reports.
[Sandra]: *(Sigh)* (Walks over and hugs Ben) Go get some sleep, honey, you look tired.op [Ben]: Eh, don't you think it's a bit early?
[Sandra]: I'm not demanding it, it's just that you've had quite a day.
[Ben]: You're right. I should go relax.
[Sandra]: Yeah...
[Ben]: And the best way to do that is to get off on my favorite video game!
[Sandra]: *(Sigh)* (Laughs)
(Ben runs upstairs)
[Ben]: Oh, right. Pajamas first.
|
(Ssserpent is in a closed-off room. He makes a call.)
[Deep, Distorted, Modified Voice]: Hello?
[Ssserpent]: You can probably tell who this is.
[Voice]: Right, the deserter.
[Ssserpent]: Your words, sir, not mine.
[Voice]: I find it amusing that you think you can sway my motives by calling me "sir".
[Ssserpent]: I don't want to "sway" anyone, I'm only trying to convince you of something.
[Voice]: It's the same thing. Don't call me sir, my friend, you dropped to the deepest depth under the range of my expectations a long time
ago. You're useless to me now.
[Ssserpent]: Fine. I called for a request.
[Voice]: For resources, hm?
[Ssserpent]: No.
[Voice]: I find it difficult to see what use I could be to you now that you are of no use or concern to me.
[Ssserpent]: You have pushed that point far enough and it has put me at ease to use it as the basis to a question: If I am so useless and inferior to you, then WHY... why do you take the pains to eliminate every last one of my associates? You want to see suffering? Fine by me. But if I am of no importance then why does anything having to do with me apply as any importance, hm?
[Voice]: Right... why is it my business anymore?
[Ssserpent]: Never mind, actually. I know it. Paranoia. The vile "filth of the gutters" will hear of your operations. So you bother to not let that happen. (Pause) (Ssserpent begins to slowly nod to himself) And there was me thinking, or remembering, should I say, that you sought out to establish your superiority here. I never should have worked for you.
[Voice]: You had no choice then, but I present you one now despite your uselessness. So far the only thing you have helped me do is finish a sentence and restate my points... but why are either of those necessary if I have no intention of continuing any correspondence with you? Why are they ever necessary in the first place? Your choice is to put an end to your clumsy racket, or go on and eventually watch your little empire crumble... along with yourself.
[Ssserpent]: I never thought you to be all that menacing.
[Voice]: I'm counting on that.
(Hangs up)
(Ssserpent uses one of his snake hands to bite his phone's screen and penetrate its circuit board. He drops it, and opens a door behind him into an interrogation room. A white light shines on an unconscious Rafe.)
[Ssserpent]: (Closes the door) So, my friend, do you have any plans of waking up?
(Rafe groans.)
[Ssserpent]: There there, now... oh, don't tell me you've forgotten getting taken by a snake...
(Rafe blinks a lot and looks up - his eyes widen and he begins to pant.)
[Rafe]: Y-you. You're still keeping me alive?
[Ssserpent]: Yes, and I have no plans of ending that.
[Rafe]: Wh-why? I... I don't see the need for someone like you to need a slave.
[Ssserpent]: A slave? What's your name? Julio?
[Rafe]: My name is Rafe.
[Ssserpent]: Oh, so you changed it that fast?
[Rafe]: My name is not Julio, and I am not a Canadian citizen.
[Ssserpent]: I was messing with you on that last one. I'm surprised you think anyone would think these ID's are legitimate.
[Rafe]: You have them?
[Ssserpent]: Don't you want it back?
[Rafe]: I-I... uh...
[Ssserpent]: You do... Rafe. But you don't ask for it. Why? You're scared. See, that's my point. Don't be scared.
[Rafe]: (Looks down) B-because it's so easy calming down in front of a talking snake.
[Ssserpent]: Good... you have an attitude.
(Rafe looks up at him nervously.)
[Ssserpent]: You'll need it. (Places the wallet on the desk)
[Rafe]: M-may I ask who you are? Because I already have a slight idea of what you are, but what you do? No.
[Ssserpent]: Exactly. And no, I don't make a living of devouring human heads.
[Rafe]: Good to hear.
[Ssserpent]: I was a good friend of both FumeX and Huntington... high-ranking friend. Highest ranking, actually.
[Rafe]: No... no, Santiago Menendez is dead and he was not a snake. Mr. Antonio was not a snake either.
[Ssserpent]: But the one that is a snake... I am very angry. Just like you.
[Rafe]: Why?
[Ssserpent]: I am actually livid at the man who killed the kingpins...
[Rafe]: Wh-what? What? Wait, you're not the guy with the, the...
[Ssserpent]: Voice? No.
[Rafe]: And you don't work for him either?
[Ssserpent]: Not anymore.
[Rafe]: Excuse me?
[Ssserpent]: I know your next question, and no, I was not too high among those ranks to know what the hell he was up to - right now I know his plan is to eliminate all my friends, yes, you're quite aware, I'm sure.
[Rafe]: How did he take control of FumeX?
[Ssserpent]: He didn't take any control. If he bragged about... everything being under his ownership, it was a metaphor to say that FumeX was originally his shell corporation. Same with Huntington. Menendez and Antonio were indeed pawns, like he said.
[Rafe]: I'm not gonna ask to what end, you don't know that. But what I am gonna ask is what you want with me.
[Ssserpent]: (Smiles) I thought you were wondering what the man's name was. Again, not within my grasp. But your wish is nonetheless granted... Do you know why you were targeted, Rafe?
[Rafe]: Sure, I sent out the shipment...
[Ssserpent]: On Huntington's behalf. And Huntington was useless to my former employer. But then... you were passionate about the business, were you not? The drug trade? Going through the pains to continue your services?
[Rafe]: Well, I didn't know what else to do at the moment...
[Ssserpent]: Then look no further. Rather, simply turn back. Stay... increase and exercise your value in the trade by making a name for yourself in a more... independent regime.
[Rafe]: W-wait... you want me to work for you?
[Ssserpent]: At times I actually feel thankful that the number of people I have has reduced to a near minimum... less chances to be sloppy, less mix-ups, no more corporate pandemonium... just people. Like you. People who serve greater use.
[Rafe]: But... I don't know that you were honest about all this.
[Ssserpent]: *(Sigh)* I've gotten bored of leading every conversation with "I swallow my prey whole", but need I say it again, it still hasn't applied to you.
[Rafe]: (Thinks) ...And I've seen what you're capable of. You know what? Fair enough. I take your deal.
[Ssserpent]: (Smiles) That's the spirit. (He slides over to another door and opens it.) You can make yourself at home right away.
(Rafe walks over and out the doorway over to a large catwalk overlooking a massive factory.)
[Rafe]: My god...
[Ssserpent]: And to think I'd need more people... you'll be safe here.
(Rafe looks on beyond the railing and begins to grin.)
|
(Ben is sleeping on his couch with his game controller still in his lap. The TV and console are off.)
(His phone rings.)
(He wakes with a start and holds his controller, moving his thumbs around the joysticks.)
[Ben]: W-what? Power Smash charged up?
(He looks at his TV.)
[Ben]: No, dammit! What happened to my score?
(He then finally notices his phone ringing.)
(He answers.)
[Ben]: Uh, hi. And all... *(Yawn)* ...sorry, all due respect, but why are you calling me this early, captain?
[Capt. Rozum]: Right, because 10 AM is early. Crime scene last night - I'm not gonna ask you to come over here, because evidence is sorta lacking.
[Ben]: Wouldn't that make you need my help?
[Capt. Rozum]: Not at the moment. Your snake is still kinda hard to find.
[Ben]: Eh, he's probably quite scared. I've beaten him too much.
[Capt. Rozum]: And he goes out in the open to bite a guy's head off?
[Ben]: I know, it's confusing... anything you found on our guy?
[Capt. Rozum]: Mr. Rafael Mendoza has records we cross-referenced to a recently-made Canadian passport set, banking account, driver's license, et cetera.
[Ben]: He wanted to get out of the country.
[Capt. Rozum]: That's about the only important thing we could find so far. I thought I could brief you on it before we resume work.
[Ben]: I see. Well, I wonder what's for breakfast right now.
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll leave you to that. Call you back later.
|
(A truck drives away from an apartment. A box sits in front of the door.)
(A scraggly-looking man opens the door and picks up the box. He takes it back inside.)
(The room inside is quite a mess. The man opens the box and a few syringes are inside.)
(The man takes a look at them - they're loaded with heroin.)
(He pulls back his left sleeve and keeps his forearm exposed. He shoots up.)
(The man shakily inhales, and then exhales slowly. He then coughs slightly - both times, small bits of smoke come out of his nose and mouth.)
(The man begins to take deeper breaths that get shakier and shakier. He looks at his forearm - clear signs of severe internal bleeding are visible.)
(The man begins to gasp. Small bits of skin on his wrist leak drops of blood.)
[Man]: AAH!!!
(Skin on his back splits open as well and his shirt gets a large, expanding red stain.)
(His clothes begin to smoke and tear and burn. Smoke and small bits of green liquid leak from his arms and legs.)
(The man begins to choke. He clutches his chest, from which bits of steam and smoke come out of wound gaps, and then he coughs.)
(Green gas and smoke come bellowing out of the man's mouth. He collapses on his back and chokes even more as the rest of his body begins to burn up from the inside.)
(MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE)
(Rafe approaches his apartment with a few boxes in hand.)
(He rings the doorbell, waits, then rings it again.)
(He then knocks.)
[Rafe]: Pablo? Pablo, come on, open up!
(He knocks a bit more.)
[Rafe]: Hello? Pablo? (Stops knocking) *(Sigh)*
(He pulls out his house key and opens up the door. He walks in.)
[Rafe]: Pablo, come on, since when have you gone-
(He walks into the living room and drops his boxes. His face shows an expression of pure horror.)
[Rafe]: AAAHHH!!!!!!!!
(He crouches down over to Pablo's body.)
[Rafe]: PABLO! (He looks at his face) Pablo, come on, hermano, please...
(He sees smoke coming out of torn skin.)
[Rafe]: Oh my god, what happened to you?
(Rafe frantically searches his pockets but remembers he has no phone now.)
(He runs over to the payphone and tries to operate it, but it's broken. He doesn't have time to look for wires and plugpoints.)
(He runs out of the apartment and looks around.)
(He sprints over to a payphone booth and dials 911.)
[Rafe]: H-hello? Hello, anyone?
(Pause)
[Deep, distorted, modified voice]: Remember me, Rafe?
[Rafe]: No, no! Not you again! The police can trace this call, you hear me?
[Voice]: I bet they can.
[Rafe]: WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER?
[Voice]: I bet a bunch of people are watching you right now. You're making a racket, Rafe.
[Rafe]: How could you do this?
[Voice]: How could I? Your brother designed his greatest vulnerability through his pathetic addiction.
[Rafe]: Overdoses don't burn people!
[Voice]: But Demon's Blood does.
(Rafe looks terrified.)
[Rafe]: Y...y-you put that in there? (Pause) But why did he have to die?
[Voice]: Because you didn't let yourself do so first.
[Rafe]: Myself? I had no reason to die, and I was saved...
[Voice]: Saved?
[Rafe]: Oh my good lord. I know who you are.
[Voice]: Oh, really?
[Rafe]: The snake. That monster. He's been playing me all this while, I knew I shouldn't have trusted him!
[Voice]: Didn't he tell you that he was deserter to my people?
[Rafe]: You lied to me, of course! You're him! The snake! That's who you are! You're violent enough to bite off a man's head, then you're violent enough kill a man by burning him from the inside. There's no way it's not you.
[Voice]: Oh, I assure you there is.
[Rafe]: You're right. By successor.
[Voice]: Successor?
[Rafe]: After you die. (Pause) I have the same promise to make you that you made me. You'll be ROTTING IN HELL by tonight, you hear me? IN HELL! And you better get running. I have all the time to chase you.
[Voice]: You'd be doing me a favor, actually. Thank you, Rafe.
(Hangs up)
|
(Blake is sitting leaned back on a couch, checking his mail on a tablet while using his other hand to bounce a ball back and forth off the wall.)
(His phone rings. The caller ID is blocked.)
(He answers.)
[Blake]: Hello?
[Castillo]: Hello, is this Mr. Blake?
[Blake]: Have we met?
[Castillo]: Interrogation room. Edgar Castillo, remember?
[Blake]: Oh, right, right.
[Castillo]: Well, the guards allowed me a call during my recent prison transfer - I decided I'd give you a tip.
[Blake]: Man, you have seriously changed sides fast.
[Castillo]: Anyways, I saw a few FumeX trucks on my way here and the path they were taking was clear - it was to their plant.
[Blake]: You know the path?
[Castillo]: And the address. I only have half a minute, but write this down quick: 21196 Marshall Street, NE, Bellwood.
[Blake]: (Writes) 21196 Marshall Street, NE. Okay, thanks.
[Castillo]: Yeah, sure thing.
(Hangs up)
|
(Castillo hands his guard the phone. The guard walks off.)
(Castillo turns to face his three inmates.)
[Castillo]: So what was that all about? I never saw any cars, why'd you make me lie to the cop?
[Inmate 1]: It wasn't a lie. The address is real. To the actual place.
[Castillo]: Fine, but what did you want with it?
(The inmates get up.)
[Inmate 2]: That doesn't have to be your business any longer.
(The inmates rush him and grab him by the neck, and throw him on the ground.)
(First person view from Castillo shows an inmate's foot coming stomping down.)
|
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin are all playing soccer.)
(Kevin purposely misses his kick, stumbles around, and makes overly dramatic noises of pain.)
[Ben]: You know, you look more like a loser now than if you actually played.
[Kevin]: But I don't want to actually play!
[Ben]: You're free to actually go play basketball on your own.
[Kevin]: Because that's so much fun.
[Ben]: You need friends, Kevin.
[Gwen]: Don't you think that was a bit harsh?
[Ben]: I can call Matt and Ryan over with Cash and J.T.
[Kevin]: Who all play soccer. Plus, I'm not all that good at introducing myself.
[Ben]: No, you just think you'll give off a criminal vibe which I'll then confirm.
[Kevin]: If you haven't already. And don't you just see the problem right there?
[Ben]: You fix it! Start by not going about flexing your muscles everywhere!
[Kevin]: I do not-
[Gwen]: Yes you do.
[Ben]: And that just set off a whole chain of suspicions I have about what else he does around you.
[Kevin]: You know, you really just fuel a killer instinct inside everyone.
[Ben]: Don't tell me you don't think that's exciting.
[Kevin]: Not when you publicly classify me as a thug and a total pig everywhere!
[Ben]: And you still haven't used those terms to define me.
[Kevin]: Until now.
(Ben's phone rings.)
[Ben]: Too late. (He answers) Hello?
[Blake]: Ben, I've got the final clue to ending all this.
[Ben]: Whoa, whoa, slow down! What?
[Blake]: Edgar Castillo, from the interrogation room.
[Ben]: Oh, Mr. Piercings?
[Blake]: Well, it turns out he's not all that useless after all. He just told me spotted FumeX trucks heading down a path to the actual facility.
[Ben]: He knew the path of all things?
[Blake]: I didn't have time to ask him why he didn't tell us back then, but the address is 21196 Marshall Street Northeast. I'll text it to you, but it's the headquarters, alright.
[Ben]: Sure thing. Let's get this over with.
(Hangs up)
[Ben]: Blake called. FumeX main facility.
[Kevin]: We're taking down the real palace?
[Gwen]: Sounds fun.
[Ben]: And we have nothing to wait for. Come on!
|
(Ssserpent is checking tracking records on his phone for his new lab.)
(The phone rings. He answers.)
[Ssserpent]: Who is this?
[Voice]: Hello again, Serpent.
[Ssserpent]: What the hell are you calling for? I thought we established that we were done!
[Voice]: Not just yet.
[Ssserpent]: You want to torture me now, is it?
[Voice]: No, I want to reconcile.
[Ssserpent]: Oh, good luck. Start by telling me your damn name, will you?
[Voice]: That and my appearance will all be divulged. I want to meet.
[Ssserpent]: *(Chuckles)* You want to meet.
[Voice]: 21196 Marshall Street.
[Ssserpent]: That address...
[Voice]: The FumeX plant. I would never be all that clumsy to ambush you.
[Ssserpent]: And Mr. Useless over here is supposed to believe that?
[Voice]: Think and see if I've ever broken a promise. I'll leave you to it on your way here.
[Ssserpent]: I'll tread with caution.
[Voice]: Not for resources, you won't. I still believe this operation has a bit of steam left.
[Ssserpent]: You miscalculated?
[Voice]: Attention is everything, my friend. I'm waiting.
(He hangs up.)
|
(Ssserpent makes his way through some trees that clear out into a massive parking lot. A gigantic building stands ahead with a neon "FumeX" sign above.)
[Ssserpent]: Quite the showman, I figure.
(He carefully slithers around plants bordering the parking lot. He finally makes it over to the backdoor entrance.)
(He walks in.)
MUSIC: Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 12'
[Ssserpent]: What in the hell?
(He's in a long, narrow corridor lined by fence walls, with shipping crates and cardboard boxes stacked behind the fences.)
[Ssserpent]: What's with the music?
(He makes his way down the hall and the music gets louder. Ssserpent looks around and takes a right, then a left. The music gets even louder.)
[Ssserpent]: It's coming from behind this wall...
(He then takes a left and stops. And old record player sits playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12.)
(Ssserpent goes over to lash at it, but a note is present; "Be gentle.")
(Ssserpent reluctantly takes the tone-arm off the disc.)
(The music stops. A door next to the record player opens.)
[Ssserpent]: What is this?
(He walks through and into an open hangar - positioned on catwalks slightly overhead are snipers aiming at him.)
[Ssserpent]: (Breathes heavily) (Hisses) That backstabbing worm...
(His phone rings. He answers.)
[Ssserpent]: Why am I not surprised?
[Voice]: Pure perfection, don't you agree?
[Ssserpent]: Because it was so predictable? The music was just there to indicate a trap, hm?
[Voice]: No... there's no need to be surprised when everything goes as planned. All loose ends are tied and I still have alternative ways to take you down.
[Ssserpent]: Keep gloating to the useless ant who bears no concern of yours. I'm still confused at what you wish to gain out of this.
[Voice]: Pure entertainment, that's all. But that still comes with its pleasures, am I right?
[Ssserpent]: You can go to hell.
(Pause)
[Voice]: I'll see you there. (Hangs up)
(Ssserpent drops his phone and looks at the snipers.)
[Ssserpent]: Get on with it then, you idiots. Wasn't that the alert?
(A very faint crash-like sound is heard behind the snipers. They briefly look behind themselves before turning back to Ssserpent.)
[Ssserpent]: Are you trying to decide who's doing the honors?
(All guns get cocked at the same time.)
[Ssserpent]: Well this is quite grand.
(Several red lights all focus on Ssserpent's head.)
[Ssserpent]: Eh, I guess none of this was worth all that much. *(Chuckles)* Those are my last words, people. Something wrong?
(The snipers all take aim.)
(KABOOM!)
(CRASH!)
(The back wall collapses and the catwalk violently shudders - several snipers huddle in and balance themselves, with many misfiring their guns.)
(Ssserpent tries slithering away...)
(BOOM!)
(Debris flies everywhere.)
(Out of a bellowing cloud of dust, Humungousaur charges into the hangar and topples the catwalk over. Several snipers jump off and run over to the sides of the hangar.)
(Ssserpent dives behind a metal panel and coils himself around boxes.)
[Humungousaur]: AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
(He backhands the catwalk and sends half of it flying against the right hand wall.)
(Several snipers tear boxes open and pull out cans. They hurl it at Humungousaur.)
(The cans hit his knees and slightly burn them, though most of the liquid only stains Humungousaur.)
(Humungousaur stomps and whips his tail down, sending several snipers flying.)
(Gwen and Kevin run into the hangar and take down a few men. They search around for Ssserpent.)
(Humungousaur uppercuts one of the walls and exposes several rooms full of drug caches - he stomps them.)
[Dealer]: AAH!!!
(Blake and Rozum all run in - Blake periodically looks back and fires his pistol.)
[Blake]: There's more men coming in from that side, they're armed!
[Gwen]: How bad?
[Blake]: I don't know where they got the arsenal, but T-Rex can take care of them, they're coming in this way!
(Humungousaur looks at Blake as he drops a metal bar.)
[Blake]: We'll find the snake. Go!
(Humungousaur turns and starts walking down the destroyed path. Through a mass of smoke and fog, several armed men come in and open fire on Humungousaur.)
(Humungousaur backhands bullets aside.)
[Humungousaur]: AARGH!!!
(Another line of men comes in with cans of Demon's Blood. They hurl it at Humungousaur - it stains his shoulders.)
(Humungousaur wipes it off - a few men pull out flamethrowers.)
(They gush fire at Humungousaur - the Demon's Blood ignites.)
[Humungousaur]: AAAAARRGGHHH!!!!!
(He staggers back in pain and hits the wall.)
(Ssserpent, meanwhile, sneaks out from his hiding spot and runs into the corridor through which he entered.)
[Gwen]: I think I saw something! In that exit!
[Kevin]: It looks like a hall!
[Gwen]: Let's go find out then!
(They run inside. Ssserpent is making his way for the exit.)
[Kevin]: There he is!
(Ssserpent turns as Kevin comes in for a punch.)
(Ssserpent grabs Kevin by the torso and jabs his face back. Gwen comes running in but Ssserpent whips her with his tail. He uses his snake hands to tear off Kevin's metal armor.)
[Ssserpent]: Ah, there's the meat. I just had to take off the silver platter.
(Kevin kicks Ssserpent's face, but Ssserpent grabs his shoe with his teeth. Kevin frantically pulls back and Ssserpent gets a piece of rubber in his mouth.)
(As he spits it out, he is blasted in the face by mana. Gwen comes in for a flying kick in his face.)
(MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE)
(Blake and Rozum flank the broken entrance into the hangar and fire at the gunmen assaulting Humungousaur.)
(Blake gets one of the flamethrower men.)
[Blake]: Got one!
(Humungousaur, however, is still clutching his shoulders with pain. More men fire their machine guns at his face and torso.)
(Humungousaur frantically grabs a metal crowbar off a scaffolding and throws it at the gunmen.)
[Gunner 1]: Get back!
(The crowbar crashes down in front of them. A few men run around it and continue firing at Humungousaur.)
(Humungousaur uses his left arm to block a few shots and then uses his right hand to slam his chest.)
(His veins glow and bulge.)
[Gunner 2]: What the hell's happening?
(Humungousaur's skin toughens and his veins extend as his skin darkens. The veins on his knuckles spray smoke before it turns to fire - the small balls of fire hovering above his fists get capped by metal that fastens itself around his fists. Humungousaur's back extends glowing green veins that split apart and reform into metal plates that join to make a large shield, as well as a spiked ball that covers itself around his tail. Spikes protrude out of the shield and it extends itself into a cap over Humungousaur's head. Jagged spikes on his skin bulge as the glowing green lines join at his chest, extending spikes from the Ultimatrix symbol.)
(Ultimate Humungousaur lets out a roar. The gunmen back out.)
[Ult. Humungousaur]: I see you like guns.
(Blake grins and watches. Ultimate Humungousaur extends his arm as the metal knuckles on his hands elongate into a circular fashion. His fist heats up, and fires a missile.)
[Gunner 1]: Get the living hell out of-
(KABOOM!)
(The gunmen all go flying forward. Blake and Rozum jump out and gun a few of them down.)
(MEANWHILE, IN THE CORRIDOR)
(Ssserpent pins Gwen to the wall and jabs Kevin's abdomen. He grabs Gwen and throws her into Kevin, knocking them both down. He then bolts out the door.)
(Gwen and Kevin get up and run out the door - they look left and right and split up to cover either side.)
[Kevin]: Come on, where are you...
(ON THE ROOFTOP)
(Ssserpent leans against the rooftop entrance, panting for breath.)
(The door suddenly opens. Ssserpent backs out.)
(Rafe comes out with a pistol in hand.)
[Rafe]: There you are.
[Ssserpent]: ...Rafe?
[Rafe]: You remember me, of course.
[Ssserpent]: I do, thank god you're here!
[Rafe]: You want to die that badly?
[Ssserpent]: What?
[Rafe]: (Deep breath) You killed my friends.
[Ssserpent]: Excuse me?
[Rafe]: (Inhale) You killed my brother.
[Ssserpent]: I didn't even know you had a brother! What the hell are you talking about?
[Rafe]: What is your game?
[Ssserpent]: Rafe, something is seriously-
[Rafe]: WHY DID YOU KILL ALL THESE PEOPLE?
[Ssserpent]: Wait... you think I'm him?
[Rafe]: I know you're him.
[Ssserpent]: I don't even have a voice scrambler, it's-
[Rafe]: You know what? Forget it. I don't need to know what you're up to. It'll all end now.
(BOOM!)
(Below, Ultimate Humungousaur blows open the back wall.)
[Rafe]: All this chaos... all thanks to you.
[Ssserpent]: I'm not him! I don't even know his name, for god's sake!
[Rafe]: That's because it's your name.
(He holds the pistol close to Ssserpent's head.)
[Rafe]: This is for Pablo.
[Ssserpent]: You have no reason to do this.
[Rafe]: I have every reason.
(BANG!)
(A first-person shot shows eyes opening. The camera show's Rafe's dead body.)
(Blake lowers his gun and starts walking towards Ssserpent.)
(Ssserpent looks at him.)
[Ssserpent]: Ah, yes, our little intruder. You have seriously been getting on my-
(BANG!)
(While advancing towards Ssserpent, Blake shoots one of his snake hands.)
[Ssserpent]: AAH!!!
(Blake charges and tackles Ssserpent to the ground, right on top of a glass pane.)
(Ssserpent opens his mouth - Blake jabs one of his fangs. Ssserpent hisses in pain.)
(Blake stomps Ssserpent hard in the face - the glass breaks and Ssserpent goes plummeting down the factory.)
(Blake jumps with him - Ssserpent crashes down inside an empty storage room.)
[Ssserpent]: AAH!!!!
(Blake rolls over and gets out of the storage room - he closes the fence gate and locks Ssserpent inside.)
[Blake]: Good riddance.
[Ssserpent]: You.
[Blake]: Me. Dennis Blake, nice to meet you. Well, formally.
[Ssserpent]: You call this formal? Go help your pathetic friends!
[Blake]: You didn't hear a crash after that last one, did you? He took 'em all down.
(Ben, Gwen, Kevin and Rozum walk into the hangar. In an exposed side room is Ssserpent's cell.)
[Blake]: He's all yours!
(They walk over to the cell.)
[Capt. Rozum]: That's some damn fine work, Dennis!
[Ben]: Man, first time I didn't beat you.
[Ssserpent]: I guess that can be encouragement for this.
[Kevin]: We still have questions.
[Ssserpent]: *(Sigh)* I'll talk.
[Ben]: Man, this guy really doesn't have fans, does he?
[Ssserpent]: If you're referring to my "employer", I refuse to call him that anymore.
[Ben]: Garbled voice?
[Ssserpent]: That cowardly, repugnant filth...
[Gwen]: What did he do that made you mad?
[Ssserpent]: I suppose it's fair to tell you. At least this wretched place has seen the last of itself.
[Ben]: There's no one to listen. Talk.
[Ssserpent]: Well, let me start with his name. Question Mark.
[Capt. Rozum]: Wait, Ben, just to be clear, is this the thing about the suicide or whatever?
[Ben]: It is. And I want to avoid that kind of situation now. So, Serpent! How'd he get to you?
[Ssserpent]: An offer.
[Kevin]: Not blackmail?
[Ssserpent]: He uses different methods each time, but he managed to prove that he's a man of his word... until now. Backstabbing foul trash, he is. He told me we could meet and he ends up preparing an assassination.
[Blake]: And who was the guy who tried to kill you?
[Ssserpent]: I suppose he was a lead, but you killed him.
[Capt. Rozum]: A lead?
[Ssserpent]: That was Rafe, or whoever he was. Yes, courtesy of me for the beheading, but our mutual friend arranged that assassination as well.
[Blake]: My god, so much to ask...
[Ssserpent]: Then let me spare you of the pain and tell you my story.
[Ben]: Go ahead.
[Ssserpent]: He came to many of us with proposals on how we should kill you, Tennyson. He wanted your gadget.
[Ben]: Everyone does.
[Ssserpent]: You can go on ahead and continue considering yourself lucky. He's done with that plan... but I wasn't.
[Ben]: Reassuring.
[Ssserpent]: I felt the Demon's Blood would still be a suitable way to take you down, so I made use of his shell corporations. Yes, he owned Huntington and FumeX - he didn't exactly take kindly to my insistence after he moved on to other operations.
[Ben]: So he thought the whole cartel was useless?
[Ssserpent]: And so unnecessary in this world that he needed to pick it apart. Menendez, Antonio, Rafe, all these pawns...
[Blake]: So all this was essentially his fault.
[Capt. Rozum]: And we still can't find him.
[Ssserpent]: He always claims that no one gets to him, and he's been keeping that promise fairly well, I should say.
[Gwen]: Wait - I picked up your phone on my way back here. You dropped it near the hallway.
[Ben]: *(Chuckles)* You use a phone?
[Ssserpent]: Deal contacts, yes.
[Ben]: Tell us about Demon's Blood.
[Ssserpent]: You've seen its effects, it took its toll on you numerous times.
[Ben]: Was it designed for me?
[Ssserpent]: That was never explicitly stated though implications were a bit too obvious. "Designed to penetrate anatomical cells in numerous organism species", it said. Bunch of crap, but it seemed to work.
[Blake]: And Rafe?
[Ssserpent]: Him I don't know. Our mystery friend arranged to have him killed and I made sure that didn't happen, sure, and he accepted a place on my team. And now he comes to me saying I'm the one on the phone, and that I killed his brother, and all this craziness... he was convinced.
[Gwen]: But how did your employer know that Rafe would gain your trust?
[Ssserpent]: He calculates like that. And there was me making fun of him that he was paranoid. Either way I'm done with him.
(BOOP!)
[Gwen]: It's your phone.
[Ssserpent]: Text. He goes as far as harassing me on a burner.
(Gwen gets out Ssserpent's phone. The text is from ???: "You're done with everything." She shows Ssserpent the phone.)
[Ssserpent]: Here we go again.
[???]: [ Though all loose ends are tied you still remain. ]
[Ssserpent]: Yeah, good luck killing me here.
[???]: [ I did say there were alternatives to eliminate you. ]
[???]: [ Everyone met at the same place... chaos is beautiful but it leaves no remainder. ]
[Ssserpent]: He probably means he can't send in an assassin.
[???]: [ You've still made a grave mistake. It's cost you. ]
[???]: [ You should remember to ask me about my resources before borrowing them. ]
[???]: [ Example: FumeX building. I own it, I install precautions everywhere. ]
[Ssserpent]: Tell him the place is destroyed.
(Gwen starts to text back, but then a new text pops up.)
[???]: [ When in doubt, look about. How do you find a trap? ]
(Ssserpent looks around.)
[Ben]: What, is he asking for a clue?
[Blake]: Hey, what's that?
(Among all the boxes and storage, a circular frame sits.)
(Ssserpent goes over and pulls it out. It looks like a short, very thick telescope on wheels.)
[???]: [ Being beaten is just as bad as death for you, I guess. ]
[Capt. Rozum]: What the hell is he talking about?
[???]: [ Welcome to your new home. ]
[Ben]: Huh?
(The phone short-circuits. Ben drops it.)
[Ssserpent]: This thing is wired up.
(Ben's eyes go wide.)
[Ben]: New home... that's a Null Void projector. Everyone get out of here!
[Ssserpent]: WHAT? How the hell did he-
(They all start running; Blake appears hesitant but then runs with them.)
[Blake]: A what projector?
(They all run out of the building.)
(The projector begins to glow red. A wavy red pattern like a water reflection appears inside the projector - it becomes into a thin film-like covering, which has hazy images inside it.)
[Ssserpent]: No...
(The image reflected inside shows an explosion - the film shatters and spirals into a vortex inside.)
[Ssserpent]: NO!!!
(His scales start to fall off and get sucked inside - his tail is slowly vacuumed in and he goes flying inside. A few of the boxes go flying and the small cell gets covered by a blinding light.)
(Ben and the others make it out and watch from a safe distance.)
[Ben]: (Yelling) The Null Void is a dimension in which alien criminals are imprisoned!
[Blake]: Are you talking to me?
[Ben]: Yes! These projectors are portals into the place! They act like vacuums - once the traveler has reached their destination...
(The blinding light shoots out before getting sucked back in. The projector sparks before breaking down.)
[Ben]: That... doesn't happen. Probably was a bit old.
[Blake]: Jesus.
[Capt. Rozum]: Eh, good riddance. Who wants a cannibal snake walking the streets?
[Kevin]: Or slithering, hehe.
(The others slightly chuckle. Kevin sighs.)
[Ben]: Oh, and you need a sense of humor. Add that to the list.
[Kevin]: A checklist on how to make friends? Get lost.
[Ben]: What will you do then?
[Kevin]: I dunno, "I work with the kid on the news"?
[Ben]: I guess "kid on the news" qualifies.
[Capt. Rozum]: Right, on the more serious note, what do we tell the legal offices about all this?
[Ben]: That we have some work to do. Sooner or later we'll find this guy, but he could be in space.
[Capt. Rozum]: Can your plane go there?
[Ben]: You bet.
[Capt. Rozum]: YES! (They all look awkwardly) I'm coming, right?
|
(Ben, Gwen, Kevin, Rozum and Blake are all having smoothies.)
[Capt. Rozum]: This the place you go to all the time?
[Ben]: Sure is.
[Blake]: Not bad, actually. What flavor do you usually get?
[Ben]: Eh, variety.
[Gwen]: You really don't wanna know.
[Ben]: Oh, in that case, it's just random ingredients from random fast food places.
[Blake]: Excuse me?
[Ben]: This one is Strawberry Fishstick, I tried it once and felt like having it again. They even give free refills.
(Blake stares dumbfounded.)
[Capt. Rozum]: (Brings his hands down on the table) People! I say we have a little vote!
(Kevin and Gwen turn back.)
[Kevin]: A vote, Captain?
[Capt. Rozum]: Cop thing.
[Gwen]: We're not cops, you said it yourself.
[Capt. Rozum]: Who thinks Dennis should join our precinct?
[Blake]: What? I'm not a detective anymore, James!
[Capt. Rozum]: Son, I don't know how you lost your job, I don't care either, but your records are restored and you've come out perfectly clean. Whatever the problem is, it's not important.
[Blake]: Restored?
[Capt. Rozum]: I was taking a few notes on, uh, Javascript algorithms.
[Blake]: NO... no...
[Capt. Rozum]: Alright, if you don't wanna be a part of-
[Blake]: I do, but...
[Capt. Rozum]: You're scared that I almost broke the law. That means you care, son. Reinforcing it shouldn't be a problem, and I doubt I need to ask if I can trust you.
[Blake]: Do you know my answer?
(Everyone looks at him excited.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Do you?
[Blake]: If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then... sure.
[Capt. Rozum]: I am, buddy.
(Blake puts on his badge.)
[Blake]: Then so am I. And yes, I kept it.
[Capt. Rozum]: *(Laughs)* Okay! (Pause) Aren't you gonna thank me? Or, uh, do you have a way of saying that too?
[Blake]: I do.
(He stands up)
[Blake]: What's up next?
THE END
Credits music: Maroon 5 - Misery
Characters/Cast[]
Main/Recurring[]
and
Antagonists[]
- Ssserpent
- Devil Watcher
Aliens Used[]
- Goop
- Spidermonkey
- Ultimate Spidermonkey
- Armodrillo
- Humungousaur