Intruders Here

Mags opened the door slightly and peered out, and saw no one. She noticed that the door across from her door was opened and an old woman was peering out.

"What is it?" the woman asked. "Burglars?"

"I don't know," Maggie said. "But I intend to find out."

Maggie stepped outside into the hallway, her katana ready to strike like a cobra's attack. 

The old woman's eyes widened a little and then she nodded at Maggie. "You be careful now."

"Always am," Maggie replied with a wink. "Call 911, I think there is going to be trouble."

The old woman closed the door and Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want anything to happen to her neighbour. Maggie made her way down the corridor to the stairway. She could hear the door to the rooftop clank shut, and Maggie made a hike up the stairs.

Two Girls Means a Pack of Trouble

"What you doing?" Aqua asked. She took the seat across from Max. He pulled the earphones out of their sockets.

"Listening to some Seventies music," he replied.

"You're so retro," she said with a smile as she brought the drink to her lips and sipped the sweet allure of alcohol as if for the first time.

"That I am," he said. "I'm a machine reborn."

"Too cool," Aqua replied, placing the drink down.

"You didn't get carded here, did you?" he asked her.

Aqua smiled that smile.

"Yo, Max!" called Angst as she strolled into the bar; she was an angel without wings, a bullet babe. She made heads turns as she strolled through the crowd.

Max nodded to her and continued to sip his pint. He was thirsty. He knew any moment now that trouble would be brewing, as he eyed the college frat boys chugging their drinks and giving him the glances. 

He was sitting with two young women. And this was stirring the patriarchal-possess-the-object-programming of the throng of groin-headed misogynauts.

Morning Delivery

INT. MAGS' APARTMENT - DAY

MAGGIE is dancing with the skill of a professional ballerina, though she is using her katana as well. She is sweaty, looks like she's been dancing for a little while now.

A KNOCK. Maggie stops and grabs a towel, heading to the door. On the way there she puts her katana back in the sheath on the stand.

AT DOOR
Maggie peers thru peephole. Sees a messenger with a parcel. Opens door.

IN CORRIDOR

A MESSENGER has a package wrapped in pink paper tucked under his arms. He holds out a electronic clipboard for her to sign. Maggie takes it and signs.

MESSENGER:
Dora Flora?

MAGGIE
In the flesh.

Maggie hands Messenger a crisp bill then shuts the door. Walking away from door she unwraps package. She finds a business card with a number 555-555 and a slogan on it:

MAGGIE:
(reads)
'Prepare for the future'

Maggie walks to the phone. Reaching out for it. She dials the number. A recorded message, a male voice:

MAN (V.O.):
Let the dice roll.

The phone goes dead. Maggie opens up the pink wrapper. It is a book. She takes it in her hands and looks at it.

MAGGIE:
Feng Shui?

A Pint or Two

They were sitting at a pub called "Rob Roy's", enjoying the evening along with several pints of beer. Max was there, Maggie by his side, leaning up against his shoulder like a school girl deeply in love. Frank, Goner, Angst and Memphis sat around the table, as well.

"Here's to us," said Frank as he raised his glass to the center of the table. "We are the knights true, fighting the fight, living the cool."

"Hear hear," Max said.

The others clunked their glasses to the toast and all took a long pull from the ale they were drinking. And at that moment the ale tasted sweeter than ever. Max thought of how the Greek gods must have felt sitting with their brethren and toasting the world.

"This is great," Angst said. "This has been a long time coming."

"Too long," Maggie added. She squeezed Max's hand and looked him in the eyes. The signals had been sent a long time ago, and the intent of the look was truer today than when they were first sent.

Frank pounded back the pint and signaled the server for another round. Goner nodded at Frank in approval, because who knew when they would have a night like this ever again.

> Natasha in Plureality

Natasha shouldered her way through the line blocking the store entrance.   

“That’s bullshit,” she said to Abhay. “I don’t want to have them staring in at me all fucking shift.”  

Abhay folded the sleeves of the sweater slowly and precisely, eyes focused on the creases. He nodded at Natasha in sympathy. She hopped up the steps behind the counter.  

“What’s worse is that when it’s over they’re all gonna file past the window and some dumb fuck is gonna shout something loud enough and spoil what happens.”  

Abhay gently laid the sweater in the pile with the others. “So basically you’re mad because you want to be in that line tonight?”  

The crystal imbedded in Natasha’s forehead rotated along the Guidance axis and channeled the following: Note how your trajectory crosses then achieves a threatened stasis alongside // Posture #83.  

The Avenger

His eyes closed but the guns were up and singing a chorus of death. Bullets hitting their marks, spreading the word of pain and agony to those unfortunate enough to receive them.

Max walked through the room like he was taking a Sunday stroll. His arms swinging around and firing off a round here and there. He was in no mood to play around; this was business. This was payback. He was an avenging angel.

Cries were heard as men fell to the floor like discarded candy wrappers.

Angus Mode heard the cries from the men in the other room; he glanced out to see what was going on. To see Max glide through the room in a ritualistic dance, bringing nothing but death to those who were in his way.

"Damn," Angus muttered as he grabbed the case off the table. He told the other occupants in the room that the deal was off. "Got to book."

"What's going on?" asked one of the shadowy men.

"Someone who doesn't like our company, I gather," Angus said with a snide smile as he headed for the back door.

The MK Collectors Incident

Brain's on fire, he thought. That's a good thing.

Max sat on the edge of the building, naked, with a cellphone in his hands and a cup of coffee close by. The November air was cold but he was used to it; he just needed time to think. He hadn't gotten any sleep throughout the night; he had been on the computer surfing. Digging around the cybergrounds, trying to uncover hidden bones.

I need something to shake me up, he thought. You going to do that for me, city?

The morning was upon him, the sun peaking above the horizon as if peering up from under the bed sheets. He brought the coffee up to his lips and took a taste. The sound of the city was beating, like blood going through the heart, a steady rhythmic sound. 

Max didn't care if he was seen or not; he just needed this time to think.

"Well now," said one man as he landed on the roof. "Mr. Cube I presume."

Max didn't even budge, didn't even turn to face the man. He placed the coffee down beside him and picked up his cigarette that was sitting on the edge. Ashes falling like dirty snowflakes.

There was a chuckle from a second voice as well. "Talk about catching someone with their pants down."

Max was like The Thinker on the ledge; he didn't even acknowledge the would-be assassins. Right now they could blow him away and there wouldn't be a care in the world. He was beyond them.

"Mr. Cube," the first man said, stepping forward. "MK has been searching for you for a long time now. We've been assigned to bring you in. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"I want it to be the hard way," the second fellow said as he cocked a weapon. Trying to get Max to turn and face him, but like a gargoyle sentry Max just kept his eyes ahead. "Last three round-ups have been cakewalks."

A smile cracked Max's lips and he turned his head to one side. "Catch me if you can," he said and like the ashes from the cigarette he dropped from the ledge.

In the Nile

FADE IN:

EXT. NILE RIVER - DAY

Somewhere floating along the Nile in a luxury boat.

WRITTEN: EGYPT 1886

A SERVANT walking along the deck carrying a tray of drinks. Sitting underneath a canopy are PROFESSOR ALLAN TURBUCK and a young woman, MAGGIE. She has a large sketchpad in her hands. Off to one side we see WILLIAM BONNEY.

PROFESSOR:
... and then the tomb was discovered only a few days ago.

His fingers are working on a pipe as he refills it. The SERVANT hands him a drink; he takes it and places it down.

PROFESSOR:
What do you two expect to find there?

WILLIAM:
I reckon I don't know, but she does.

The PROFESSOR looks at MAGGIE who is sketching in the book.

PROFESSOR:
Well Milady? What is so important for you and this gentlemen to risk your life to seek?

He waits. WILLIAM sits there twiddling his thumbs. The SERVANT hands WILLIAM a drink; he accepts it and takes a sip.

PROFESSOR: (To William)
Is she always like this?

WILLIAM:
Let me tell you one thing. I wouldn't press the issue with her.

WILLIAM taps the pad. MAGGIE looks up and then smiles.

ANGLE ON: Over MAGGIE's shoulder. We see that she has been drawing three artifacts on the body of a woman that looks strikingly like her.

MAGGIE:
Sorry Professor. My mind was drifting there.

ANGELE ON: The PROFESSOR lights up his pipe.

PROFESSOR:
You must know some influential people to get you this far from the safety of your home?

The PROFESSOR takes a long puff from his pipe.

PROFESSOR:
A pretty waif such as yourself is very uncommon in these parts.

ANGLE ON: WILLIAM throws a glance at MAGGIE but she doesn't stir at all. She just cracks a huge smile and tussles her hair. WILLIAM lets out a huge sigh of relief.

ANGLE ON: PROFESSOR studies MAGGIE.

PROFESSOR:
So why are you here?

> Penelope in Plureality

“Some of our superpowers are like the kind in comic books. Some of them are stranger.” Trope smiled softly and turned away from me, looking out over the city below. The towers and lights along the dark horizon were parallaxing as the ship slowly drifted in the arc of its patrol. The stars and streetlamps and bending distances made me think of fairyland.   

“Can I go to fairyland?” I asked her. She brushed her shoulder-length hair back from her face. It was the same colour as the starlight. Turned back to me, began to reply, a long groaning sound rising from behind me, from inside the ship, its strange and ghostly engines. Trope paused until the noise faded.  

“There’s other places you have to go first.” I must have looked sad because she reached over and took my hand, and Trope didn’t really like to touch people that often, because of her training she said. “You will go there, though. You’ll have to, I suppose. I will take you, or maybe BurningBright. Or maybe even one of the Normals.”

Her eyes and voice had that deep feeling about them that made me a little scared and excited. A chime sounded from inside and her features became very still. I knew I would have to go. I imagined the inside of the gem and rotated it. It didn’t move.  

“Trope, I think the lock is-“  

Girls Just Want to Kick Some

EXT. BROWNSTONE ROOFTOP - DUSK

A strand of SUKI's hair falls forward into her face, slick with rain. The camera pulls back as she brushes the strand. We now see SUKI and AQUA standing on ledge looking across the city. The rain is just a drizzle.

AQUA:
You think he'll return?

SUKI:
Yeah, he will find a way to us. He has to do this. He has to find her.

AQUA:
Who is she?

SUKI chuckles.

SUKI:
Someone very dear to him.

AQUA shrugs.

AQUA:
I think Love is a dangerous thing.

SUKI:
Maybe.

AQUA:
It changes things, it-

SUKI's cellphone RINGS. SUKI answers it.

SUKI (into phone):
Kyi.

SUKI nods her head. AQUA stands there waiting.

SUKI (into phone):
Okay, we'll check it out.

SUKI taps the screen on her phone.

SUKI:
There's a disturbance not to far from here.

AQUA:
Time to make the donuts.

SUKI draws her Godhammer, while AQUA pulls on the gauntlets. Both girls look at each other and nod and leap to the other roof.

Faux Blog

excerpt from Luck_Dodgers' journal at Searching The Voids

Holy Shit! I really don't know what the fuck happened... somethig nasty and several creatures that apparently crawled out of some city sewers. I came running home and had to change my shorts, because I had dropped a fucking load in 'em.

I was coming home from the library. Had been doing this research paper and it needed to be done yesterday. So anyways, I was standing at Beacon Station waiting for the train to pull in. Then something like a dog from the movie Hellboy came running up the tracks. It jumped up on the platform sniffed the air and roared at me. I was like shocked to see this mutated bugger smacking its lips and trying to turn me into its neck meal ticket. When suddenly this subway car...ONE car... showed up out of nowhere and several costumed freaks jump out and start shooting at the beast.

There was a fellow there, I think he's Max Cube. I remembered that name since I read an article on him about a year or so ago and there was this fuzzy photo of his face... I remembered him because of his eyes... they seemed so hollow and lifeless.. but showing wisdom beyond his years. They fought hard... and long and I fled... though I really don't know what happened but I got out of there. I have been scanning the news and other media to see if there is anything being reported... and there is nothing. NOTHING at all.

Wiped Memories, Rebooting...

Max awoke to find Frank, Goner & Angst standing over him. As soon as he opened his eyes the fluorescent light above him seemed to stab at his brain, like searing meat on a barbeque. His clothes were tattered and bloody but he had no wounds on him.

"Welcome back," Angst said as she crouched down beside him. She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "How you feeling?"

"I feel fine," Max said. "What happened?"

"You crashed," Goner said. He was leaning up against a pillar eating some Dorito's. "Overloaded. Virused."

"Huh?" Max asked as he propped himself up. He glanced around at the others; it looked like they had been part of a huge battle. "Where's Mags?"

"You don't remember?" Frank said. He offered his hand to help Max up.

Max took Frank's arm and stood. His head was woozing, a feeling of several houseflies walking around in his brain. "What am I missing?"

My Gift To You

The Pit Fiend let out a victory shout after it slammed Max into the wall. Max collapsed to the stone tile floor, blood pouring out of the long claw marks across his back and onto the ground like someone had knocked over a rain barrel.

The demonic beast's victory dance was short lived as Maggie barrelled through him. Like a pin from a bowling ball, the beast was knocked through a wall. Her main concern was getting to Max; she would let the others fight the beast.

"Not today," she screamed at Max. She tore open his shirt to see how serious the wounds were and they looked like canyons across his back. "You won't be punching that ticket today!"

His eyes opened a crack and he was coughing up blood. "Happy birthday, Mags. You said you wanted to do something special today."

"Jebus," Dexter whispered as he stood on guard beside them. His eyes scanning the shadows to see if any more surprises would be springing out.