#anyway i was really happy to see that moment of Sigma getting mad even if it didn't last long (and for a beautiful reason)

[zhonglishrine]

Can i have a oneshot for gogol comforting his crying s/o?

Pairing: Nikolai Gogol x Reader Word Counts: 2.3k Note: Hello anon! Please forgive me for taking a long time to do your request! Since it was the first request on my blog, I thought I wanted to make it special. But I was stuck with writer’s block. So I used my old work before and re-edit it instead so it will be slightly different to match with the request! I’m sorry and I hope you will enjoy it and special big thanks to @soukokuwu​ for helping me proofread this one! Really, thank you so muchhhh <3!!!

It was empty.

In this dark cold continent, there was nothing but void and darkness inside. You either existed or your mind was playing a trick on you. It felt like a grand illusion - that nothing was real. What you were searching for was not there. Nothing you did would ever make you feel complete in any sense. There was always this feeling that haunted you, always reminding you of how miserable and disgusting you were. Gnawed and woven to your very soul like wild ivy tendrils wrapping around your empty heart and kept whispering down to the deepest recesses of your mind.

You were a monster.

You were a demon.

You were a human with no heart.

You were no different than a dead soul.

Then, why were you still alive?

For what purpose were you even here?

You shut your eyes tightly. You wanted to scream and block every deafening sound that suffocated you in this insufferable world. It exacerbated and tightened in your chest the more you struggled. Had it not been your sanity that kept you sane, you would already be consumed by madness. But would it be better if you just let yourself loose? Let it take over and become nothing but a shell of a living monster? Would it be better just to let what remains of you and burn it into a fire of anguish and let it turn to ash? Let it destroy you with the spite and hatred you harbor towards everything?

You were desperate to reach for something.

Anything.

And that was when he came along, when you were at a loss, as though he knew.

"Would you like to join the Decay of Angels?" He had said, with eyes as vacant as yours, but his hypnotizing violet eyes beneath that moonlight was much deeper and darker. It feels like you would lose yourself and drown in it if you were to stare any longer. Yet without exchanging any further words, he seemed to understand the unspoken pain that has festered through your being at that very moment. You looked exactly like a lost child that desperately needed guidance, that needed to cling onto something.

"...What will I get if I join you?"

"You will be free. From your sins."

That was what he had offered. His soothing, saintly voice was like a remedy that could mend your broken soul that needed salvation, which had been beyond redemption at that point. You had nothing to lose and thus accepted his invitation back then, with a little hope thinking something might change. But after so many years, it still remained the same. You were still the same old you. No matter how much you wanted to pretend, you could never fake a smile and pretend to be happy. It felt like it would be hypocritical- like it would only make you lose sight of yourself even more.

Then, what is it that you were searching for, actually?

Why were you still here?

A soft sigh escaped your chapped lips as you stared long at the night sky above. The stars twinkled, a million light-years away from the orbit. Yet you still reached out your hand, as if attempting to pick one and keep it in your pocket in a futile endeavor.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?" a familiar voice chirped, interrupting your time alone. You were never one that liked the companionship of others, but even so, no matter how hard you tried to ignore him, he'd just pester you even more and pop out randomly, much to your distaste. He was the last member of the Decay of Angels that you would want to interact with.

"Why are you here?"

"Aww, don't be so cold with me~! I merely passed by and just wanted to say hello to you~" Gogol winked and gave you a finger gun, as though his intentions weren't obvious.

"Bother someone else."

"Ah, are you upset that I'm not Dos?" He smirked as he guessed that.

You felt that he could easily read right through you and you didn’t like it - the feeling of being exposed. Fyodor was a man of mystery, a puzzle that you couldn't solve. You thought of him as someone who understood you and despite the terror associated with his name, he was still someone that you respected profoundly. Not out of fear, but maybe, admiration. But you hated that Gogol was right. You wished you were talking to Fyodor instead of the clown, and Gogol had gotten it right on the nose. And yet here you two were, with different circumstances that bring you two to join the association, even with different goals.

"Shut up. Just leave me alone, will you?"

"Aw... but no one wants to play with me. Even Sigma is busy. But you have been doing nothing but stargazing~ Don't you get tired doing that every night? If it were me, I'd die of boredom!" He flailed his arms in an attempt to get your attention. You cursed under your breath. This clown was too energetic for you to handle.

"None of your business what I do." You replied back to him crudely. But he took a seat beside you anyway, sitting by the edge of the building and swinging his legs back and forth with those comical pointy shoes of his. For someone his age, he acted rather childishly. Though, maybe that's just one of his antics as a clown. But he was the epitome of someone you could never understand. Since you can ever be two-faced like he is.

Gogol hummed. "You always come here, why is that?"

"I told you; it's none of your business."

"Aw. Here I thought that we were friends~" Gogol made it sound like he was hurt by your words.

You ruefully snorted at that, "Funny hearing that coming from you." Did he think you were that naive? Naive enough to think that you two were friends in this organization that was solely established with terrorists that can backstab you at any given moment?

"Is it not right? You've been with us for years, yet you seem so distant. Just like the stars." He remarked while spreading out his left arm to the sky.

"Is that so?" You looked up at it again, attempting to count the innumerable stars, albeit knowing how futile it was.

"Say... why did you join the Decay of Angels?" You posed the question to him, though you weren’t really curious. You just needed something to fill the awkward silence.

"Why, indeed. If I must answer that, why don't you tell me your reason first?"

Reason. You were still unsure about it yet. Why? You had killed so many just for that answer alone but the book that was your mind still drew a blank. Nothing was written on it yet. Was it because you were drawn to Fyodor's words at that time? Had he lured you in with nothing but empty promises?

"Perhaps… I was searching for the meaning of my existence." You curtly answered, but your mind still pondered on it.

"Then, have you found it?" Gogol asked, evincing interest to know as he turned to look at you sideways. There was something between you, something that somehow made you feel connected to him. Both of you were pawns that would soon be disposed of once you have served your purpose. It didn’t scare you, though. You would do what you had to, even if that meant dying in the end. The only thing you were scared of is regret - of not finding what you were searching for in the first place.

"...I don't know. Maybe not yet. Maybe I never will." You said, feigning nonchalance. "Then, what about you?" Now it was your turn to look into his molten gold eye, the one scarred with a vertical cut. Was there a story behind it? You wonder inwardly, but you couldn’t bring yourself to ask Gogol about it. In the Decay of Angels, every member came from a different background and it was unknown what they did before. If you asked him he might tell, either in a jesting manner or make it overly complicated, like another riddle you had to solve.

"I search for my freedom. Just like a bird that soars the skies without being bound by anything," he replied with a wistful tone and his expression softened, "I am seeking for a perfect freedom, like that."

"Freedom, huh..." You repeated, "you're one strange guy." Indeed, he was. Nikolai Gogol was an enigma himself, just as Fyodor was. As though he was standing between the bridge of psychosis and rationality that he wants to get rid of. You failed at understanding his essence, but you could empathize with his pursuit.

"Funny hearing that coming from you~" He retorted with your earlier words. "But birds and stars, are they not so different?"

"How so? They are two different entities, to start with."

"Because both are up far in the sky, seemingly unreachable for a mortal like us. Even so, we still gaze at them longingly, wishing upon the star, wishing to fly, wishing to escape from this warm, wet hell."

You couldn’t refute that. Technically, he wasn’t wrong.

"Then, have you found it?"

Gogol looked at you again, his eye reflecting every little light in the world that you see. He softened his countenance as if he actually understood what lay within your heart that you tried to conceal.

"Maybe I do. Now that I met you."

Within the span of a second that felt like an eternity, your heart thumped loudly in your ribcage, like he took your breath away at that moment with his gaze alone.

No...

Don't fall for it.

Don't fall for it again.

It would be the same. He would just be like the others. He too, would leave once he saw what was inside - that which was hiding and cloaking you in the darkness, that which enshrouded and imprisoned you inside.

And just like he said, you were exactly like the stars.

You were in front of him, and yet you felt so distant and too far away to reach.

"...It's nice talking to you. But I must take my leave now..." You wanted to withdraw yourself before you started to harbor hope and belief in someone again. Before you fell for it again, only to be tripped afterward. Only to be deceived, left broken, and uncared for years.

But he held you back by your wrist.

"Won't you stay a little while longer, my dove? A star will one day perish, and I would feel so lonely if you are truly gone." His voice somehow pulls the strings of your heart. But you know better than to fall for him.

"Wouldn't it be better? You don't know who I am..." You tried to break free, yet he was stubborn, he didn’t want to let you go. "I am not what you think I am... I'm just another monster who has no heart. You shouldn't get close to me..." Your eyes were already starting to well up with hot tears. The stinging pain in your chest throbbed, each passing second with him made you feel suffocated, as though causing you to drown in your own misery. Inevitable it was that you would bring him down with you as well.

"...Or else, you would destroy yourself too," you warned him,

"You’re either human or you are not, either you are a monster with no heart or not, what difference does it make?" He questioned you back, "Be whatever you want to be. It's your freedom, it’s your life, it’s your call."

"It's easy for you to say that... I'm not like you."

"Then tell me, what do you wish for every time you look at the stars? Have you no will for yourself? Have you not wished to break free from your cage as well?"

"I..." Stumped with his questions, you gazed into his eye once again, tears blurring your vision. Everything that was pent up inside you until this moment felt like it was crumbling, disintegrating into dust. Like waves crashing against the sand, such brittle was your resolution now when faced with his raw, naked, and pure emotions when he took off his clown mask.

"I want to... I just want to escape from this place... from my demons..." You said with a trembling, shaky voice, all the remaining strength in you threatening to leave the more you looked into his eyes. What kind of pain does he hide behind them? Why did it hurt you as much as well? As ironic as it sounded, in this moment, he looked more human than you were.

"Then, I will be the one that frees you from it now, my dove. Go, fly to the stars as you wish." He said and held you near, and contrary to his words that coached you to be free, he actually looked like he never wanted to let you go, yet you felt strangely safe and found warmth in his arms. You felt like you were finally being liberated from that which imprisoned you in that bottomless darkness. Even if what you see is just a glimpse of light. Then, that should be enough rather than nothing at all.

"You are beautiful when you soar free that way."

Two humans. Two monsters. Two beating broken hearts.

Under that starry night that illuminated the sky with constellations, it's like your fate entwined and mirrored each other on how almost tragically similar it was, with the demons that were trapped inside the both of you, seeking solace in each other's existence to remind you that you two were still human beings that just wished to be free.

[doctorporkchop02]

Some Pigster's Underswap Updates.

Okay, so I know I have been leaving you guys in the dark for a while again. So I'm going go ahead update you guys on stuff that's happening behind the scenes and answer some questions that literally nobody is asking. Now time for the big question...

Is this AU Cancelled???

Nope, not yet. Quite the opposite really, behind the scenes I've been rebooting this AU a little bit to flesh out the story a bit, I also have been getting a team together... kinda... it's mostly my friend Xboxlee doing most of the work in asking some very talented people in the community if they want to help me in this project. I don't blame them for not wanting to help since it's some random loser's Underswap take, where Underswap takes are very VERY common in the community. But I've actually decided to turn this Project into A SPRITE COMIC!!! HOORAY!!!

I've met some amazing people from this project and even met some people that I've been fans of for a long time, like the Legandary Sprite Artist @vuristwo or Snowy who might know as the composer of Sensational Studios' Underswap project to name a few. They are amazing people and I'm very thankful that they even CONSIDERED helping me. (Seriously, I almost had a panic attack when I found out that Vuristwo and Snowy joined the Pigster's Underswap Discord thanks the mad man, Xboxlee.)

Anyway progress on the comic has been kinda slow since I realized that I'm... a terrible leader when it comes to a project like this. Plus we are making all the sprites from scratch and coming up with unique ideas to make this AU more interesting. If it weren't for people like Green Papyrus AKA Allen, @reth-vil15 , @lordnindroid of @reallyanotherunderswaptake (Underswap Super Sigma) and many of the other very talented people that have been in the Pigster's Underswap Discord pitching awesome ideas... I probably would've cancelled this a LOOOONG time ago.

But again, Progress has been slow due to me being a terrible leader, and everyone having lives outside of the community. But when everything is done, the wait should be worth it. :)

Now I already see another question you are more than likely asking.

Why are you updating us on this???

Because I'm a lazy jerk. Roll Credits!!!

But seriously though, that's not far from the truth, you guys should be very VERY aware by now that I'm a lazy jerk who forgets to update everyone on this project... usually... but this time I've intentionally been quiet about this since it's kinda been helping with the stress this project has been giving me... even though almost no one knows about this project, but I don't know, It's just helping with it a lot and I don't know why. I know that's a very crap explanation, trust me I know. But that's kinda what's been happening here, but I swear, once chapter 1 or the Ruins is done, then this blog this should be more active, so progress again is going to be super slow, sorry bout that, I hope you can understand... oh yeah and I've been moving recently and my Computer is in... god knows where and I don't know when I'll be getting it back so progress on the sprites is on a hiatus at the moment, which I REALLY should've been working on it before the move because just my luck, recently the Pigster's Underswap wiki page has been removed for no reason other than the AU "Didn't have a proper story" which is dumb but, oh well, I really could just post stuff here instead.

But yeah, that's what has been happening recently, I'm very sorry for wasting everyone's time here but I swear, this AU isn't going to be cancelled anytime soon, just on yet another hiatus and I'll be working on the AU as much as I possibly can be. But I hope you guys have a great rest of your day/night and Happy Holidays!!

[jawnjendes]

don’t want your hand this time | shawn mendes

chapter 1/?, university au, shawn x goth oc

AN: i know i know i posted a thing yesterday but UUUHHHHH im just tryna get to the saucy parts of this bc SOMEBODY decided to be all hot n sexy in a certain music video ANYWAY this is just an intro chapter of sorts and we are introducing some new characters!! lmk your thoughts thots!

***let me know if u wanna be added/removed from the taglist

masterlist | playlist coming soon

When Annalise Flores has shit to do within a time limit, she forgets about everything else. Her phone goes on silent, she ignores her other obligations, and she makes sure to get whatever is in her focus done. This has proven to be disastrous in the past, like when Annalise just needed to clean the entire dorm before starting any homework assignment was due the next day. Or when she reorganized the filing closet at the dealership before adding up the gas receipts she was ordered to do. You get the idea.

Annalise was very determined to get all of her unopened boxes, and her clothes to fit in her tiny, beat up car so she didn't have to make multiple trips, given how far campus is from Shawn's apartment. He promised he would help her move when he got home, he had that huge Jeep after all, but Annalise was way too antsy. Besides, they already fought about this, and she didn't want to start anything all over again. She didn't want him to feel obligated to help if only one of them was into the idea of her moving out.

After pushing on the car door three times, it finally clicked shut. Annalise successfully managed to stuff all of her clothes and half her boxes into the backseat. The rest of the boxes were in the trunk. The windows were all covered, so maybe she wouldn't be able to see her blind spots, but at least Annalise wouldn't have to make a second trip. She silently thanked the Tetris gods for blessing her with the appropriate skills as she went back up to the apartment.

Shawn's living space didn't look that different with all of Annalise's belongings out. Most of it was all stashed into the "recording" room over the summer, and neither of them spent any time in there. There was more space in the closet now, too. It was no longer just a black abyss, and all of Shawn's belongings were now undisturbed. Annalise debated smuggling out his black Nike hoodie, but given the circumstances it was best to leave everything as it was. The apartment didn't look any different really, but Annalise still felt an ache from her throat down to the bottom of her feet as she removed the spare key from her chain and left it on the glass dining table. This was easier than saying goodbye to him in person.

~

Campus was nowhere near as quiet and lonely as the apartment. Students were running around like headless chickens, trying to locate buildings, schedules, and friends. She already had a key to her dorm, so she parked near her building and carried her backpack and two boxes up the walkway. Annalise's resting bitch face and the clunk of her boots on the ground gave her less of a struggle to push past other students. Weak and fragile as she was these last couple of months, she's still got it.

The dorm building wasn't too far from the last one she lived in, but it was going to be a bitch getting to her classes. Maybe she should invest in a bike… or she should get her shit together and take the bus.

Annalise's new dorm was on the third floor, and it was furnished. Weird, yes, but she was not going to complain. It was a bit smaller, but not cramped. There was a tiny hallway between the two bedrooms, and one cramped bathroom. She noticed one room already had boxes sitting on the floor, and she couldn't help but get just a little excited. Stella hadn't completely abandoned her. Annalise wasn't even mad about their three month long silence, she was just happy that she would be seeing a familiar face.

She didn't run into Stella at all during the multiple trips she took bringing all her stuff in. Annalise knew she was here, though. Her perfume scent was always left behind in any room she had been in, and Annalise definitely caught the scent in the dorm. The same amount of boxes were still in her room by the time Annalise finished bringing all of her's in. She figured she could have texted Stella, but she kind of wanted to surprise her… even though they both knew about the other.

She checked her phone anyway. The only text she had was from Shawn.

"How come you didn't wait for me?"

Pursing her lips and smudging the signature black lipstick, Annalise cleared the notification and went to sit in the armchair in the living room. She was way too tired to try to reason with him. She certainly couldn’t jump into the "I miss you" crap so quickly either. She didn't want to, but Shawn obviously did when he sent another text. Out of sheer habit, Annalise opened the notification instead of clearing it, and she cursed under her breath.

"You've been gone only a few hours and this place already feels so sad and empty. Why did you leave your key?"

Yeah, she left him on read. She didn't know what else to say to him.

Thankfully, the lock on the door jiggled and in came Stella carrying a large cardboard box. She gasped and her hazel eyes lit up when she saw her dark natured roommate. She quickly squatted down and set the box on the floor before coming at Annalise with open arms.

"Mi esposa hermosa!"

Annalise will never say this out loud, but Stella gives wonderful hugs. They two girls haven't seen each other in over three months, so getting a nice tight hug was something that was really needed. They rocked from side to side, giggling at the motions. It was like nothing had really changed.

"When did I become your wife?" Annalise asked, amused as she leaned back to look at her.

"When we decided to live together for the third year in a row!" Stella replied. “Oh you got a little…” Her thumb rubbed under Annalise’s lip, showing her the black.

“The struggles of being goth,” she joked.

Stella giggled, and then the rambling began. "How are you? I'm so sorry we didn't talk much over the summer. Did you stay with Shawn the whole summer? Oh, is he here?" She bounced on her feet, looking around the dorm.

"Uh yeah, I did stay with him the entire time," she told her. "And no, he's not here. He's working."

Annalise knew he wasn't. He had found her abandoned key, which meant he was home. And he was probably sulking. And he was going to sleep alone...

"But he'll be here later, right?" Stella asked, nudging her arm. "Y'all are gonna christen your room, eh?"

She really had to ask, didn't she? She really had to jokingly ask a question that would change the expression on Annalise's face, thus warning her of the things that had happened. She wasn't sure why she kept an obviously fake smile on her face as she silently stared at her roommate. The silence alone wasn't enough, apparently.

Normally, Stella would dramatically gasp, sit her down, and ask Annalise to spill every detail. Instead, she sighed.

"Fill me in while you help me bring my stuff up."

~

Classes and club meetings resumed within the next couple of days, so it gave Annalise plenty of excuses to keep her texts to Shawn dismissive and short. She knew he was coming and going from campus for class too, but due to their different majors, he was going to be very far away from her. Not to mention, he didn't know where her new dorm was located, so it wasn't like he could track her down.

Except… Annalise had to retake biology. She knew Shawn was at the science building quite often, and she had hoped her bio lab fell on a day that he was at the fine arts building. But you know, life just happens, and sometimes you see your mans between classes. Sometimes you just see him leaving classroom, towering over the other students because he’s a giant. Maybe you’ll see him with a very short girl at his side, and they’re both laughing at something. Maybe he won’t see you either because he’s balls deep in banter with this random girl.

There was a lump in Annalise’s stomach following that minor event, and it made her anxious and uneasy for the first day of that class. Still, she was determined to stay on board with the separation they both agreed on. It was better that way for now. She didn't know about Shawn, but Annalise fully intended on keeping the distance, suspicious-looking friends be damned.

Anyway, she could find friends of her own too. Gaming club meetings started up again that Friday, and it was something to look forward to. After god knows how long, Annalise attended said meeting after receiving an email from the head of the club, Josh. He and his friend, Paul, ran the club most of the time. They managed to get plenty of people to sign up during the rush earlier in the week but only seven of them actually attended the first meeting. Just like every year.

Both Josh and Paul were scrawny blond boys with "nice guy" complexes. They were polite for the most part, given that they inducted Annalise into the club the moment she signed up. But they also quizzed her on just about every popular, mainstream video game there was once they realized she would actually be showing up to the meetings. It took time, and a bit of Annalise telling them off, but they were civil towards each other now.

"Annalise!" called Chad as the lady herself entered the classroom in the communications building. He was another member, and he had his two frat bros with him, Kyle and Jared, and they both chanted her name in their deep, manly voices.

All different heights, but same amount of insane muscle. For lack of better words, these guys were meatheads with good intentions. Chad was a student with one of the highest GPA on campus, practically competing with Josh. Kyle was the star student in his major, sports medicine. Jared was that guy who beat up bigots as a hobby. All three of them were fully dedicated to their fraternity, Sigma Chi.

Then there was Patrick, who nodded to Annalise as a greeting. She nodded back and took the empty seat next to him in the circle.

The people who think Annalise Flores is a complete hardcore goth have not met Patrick Markowski. This was a guy who was always decked out in leather, ripped jeans, and black eyeliner. He had a proper faux hawk, which is what made people notice him the most. He typically surrounded himself with other goths, unlike Annalise. He was truly dedicated to the lifestyle, while she deviated from even that sometimes. This was the only guy in the club Annalise was actually friends with.

Anyway, all seven of these nerds shared the same appreciation for video games, which brought them all together in a circle, in an empty classroom, in the communications building this evening. However, Annalise's entrance caused the guys to deviate from the main topic.

Josh and Paul had been staring at her with their mouths open the second she entered the room. The Frats were visibly excited and each gave her a high five. Patrick merely stayed quiet and smiled.

"Heard you almost fucking died!" Chad told her. "And you didn't tell a single one of us!"

"I thought you had actually died," Josh spoke up. "Since you never miss a meeting and all."

So that got around. Cool.

“I wasn’t dying,” Annalise said, rolling her eyes. “I just had part of my colon surgically removed.”

“No way…” Jared said in wonder.

“Oh, that’s disgusting,” said Paul with a gag. He brought the collar of his red Pizza Planet shirt over his mouth.

The Frats stared at Annalise in awe, almost impressed by her vague explanation. She really didn’t understand the fascination, given everything that happened during and after the hospital. Of course, they knew nothing about any of that. At the same time, Annalise was annoyed at Paul’s dramatic reaction, so she kept talking.

“It might happen to you too if you don’t take care of yourself and listen to your body,” she told him. “Or worse, you could end up with a bag of your poop attached to your belly.”

Paul gagged again, much louder this time. Then Annalise decided that that was enough and directed the conversation to the club’s main topic: video games.

“So who’s played Team Sonic Racing?”

It was only the first meeting, so the group made a plan to bring their Switches and play next time. The Nice Guys prompted to play a round of Fortnite online later, but Annalise was not up for that game in the slightest. Too mainstream. Too chaotic. She never could get into it.

“Well, we can play without you,” Paul suggested, “not everyone has to join in.”

“Isn’t that a rule, though?” Patrick asked pointedly. “If we’re gonna play something together, we all have to agree on one game. Besides, I don’t play Fortnite either.”

Paul's eyes darted around, trying to look for a counterargument, but he sighed. “Fine. Anyone else got any suggestions?”

“What about a D&D campaign?” Annalise said. “Or some type of board game?”

Josh scoffed. “It’s video game club. Besides, me and Paul already have a campaign with our other friends.”

“‘Course you do,” she mumbled, folding her arms.

“Ooo! I got an idea!” Kyle spoke up, raising his massive hand. “We should hit up Bart. That bar with the art and retro games?”

Annalise perked up. Finally, someone with a brain cell. “I participated in a Smash Bros tournament there. It’s really fun, we should all go one weekend.”

“A bar?” Josh said in distaste.

“Yeah! It’ll be a class field trip or something!” Chad agreed. “It’s awesome, bro! They got a Gamecube and an N64! Sometimes they do karaoke night, but only with songs from different games!”

Then, Kyle looked at Annalise with a smirk. “Bet your boyfriend would perform there, eh?”

Even when she was far away from him, Shawn still had a presence wherever she went. “Heh, maybe…”

Luckily, none of these guys were the type to hover. The subject went back to going to Bart one weekend, and then the group chat was revived to discuss further adventures. Once the meeting was adjourned, Patrick followed me out the door.

“So, Annie. No offense or anything,” he said, walking in step beside her as they walked down the corridor, “but what the fuck is wrong with you?”

“My summer was great, thanks,” Annalise said, too busy glancing at her phone to cringe at that awful nickname. No new messages for once.

“Nah, seriously. You were in the fucking hospital, and I find out through Snapchat?” he asked seriously. “Did you even tell anybody? What the hell happened?”

She didn’t remember posting anything about her hospital stay anywhere on social media. However, the only two people who were there with her were social media freaks. Stella was the type to tweet every single one of her brain farts, and frequently Snap where she was every second. Shawn was less active on his platforms, but he was still quite popular in the Toronto area, so he had a sizeable following. Annalise knew he took a picture of his hand holding hers while she was in the hospital at least once. Maybe it made it to his Instagram story a couple of times.

Sighing, Annalise gave Patrick the gist of her exciting adventure with her large intestine. Some underlying guilt wanted to be felt as she recalled staying and Shawn’s for so long, but she decided to spare those details.

“Looked death in the face, eh?” he said, nodding in what looked like approval. “Badass.”

She chuckled. “Guess I wasn’t ready to be yeeted off this mortal coil.”

“Ugh, you use the word yeet? How much has that guy changed you?” Patrick stuck his tongue out at her, flashing the piercing he had on the muscle.

“Hey, I’m more down with the kids than he is.”

The pair were quiet as they made it out to the courtyard. The night was chilly and cloudy, the only light coming from the lampposts on either side of the walkway. It felt different knowing Annalise was with only a friend rather than her mans, and she tried to ignore the ache in her chest and the urge to talk about him.

“Do you remember what it was like?” Patrick asked after a minute. “Being so close to death?”

“Nope,” she replied simply. “Although, when I was under, I had a really vivid dream that my… uh, Shawn cheated on me.” Way to not talk about him.

“You sure it was a dream?”

They were passing by one of the picnic tables, where Patrick pointed to. There was a group of people standing around the table, and two people sitting on top of it. One of those people was Shawn with his acoustic guitar. He was singing with the girl who was sitting next to him, the same one he was walking with at the science building. It wouldn’t have seemed weird if Patrick hadn’t said what he said. It would have been left alone if Annalise hadn’t thought about that stupid fever dream.

“Come on,” she said to Patrick as she stalked off towards the group.

“I was joking!” he said with a laugh.

Still, Annalise walked with a purpose and he followed her. She clutched the strap of her shoulder bag and kept her chin up as she made herself apart of the tiny audience. It was quite the sight, two nerds decked out in all black and heavy eyeliner amongst a group of normals watching two other normals sing a pop song. No lie, Annalise just wanted to get a look at this girl she had never seen before.

Olive skin. Black, curly hair. Very short next to her guy. Very pretty voice coming out of very pretty lips. She looked at Shawn and he looked back at her as they sang an eerily familiar song. Musically speaking, they seemed good together.

“I’ll leave you with the memory, and the aftertaste…”

The tiny audience clapped. Patrick was nodding in pleasant surprise, probably having never heard Shawn’s songs before. Annalise applauded as well, but she couldn’t help the narrowing of her eyes as she watched Shawn and this girl high five each other.

They were both comfortable with all the attention, it was easy to see. Shawn was beaming in a way that hadn’t been seen in a long time, and then he laid eyes on Annalise. He still had that smile on his face, even though it faltered a little bit. She kept her face neutral and quirked her eyebrows at him as a silent greeting.

“Should I leave you guys alone?” asked Patrick as he and Annalise watched Shawn get down from the table top.

“No,” she replied simply.

She almost regretted having him stay. He had to witness Shawn and Annalise attempt to figure out how to greet each other. A side hug would have been awkward for reasons not only having to do with the guitar strapped to his shoulder. She definitely couldn’t kiss him, because that would have started something she had been trying to distance herself from. They finally settled for a mildly uncomfortable handshake, and Shawn kept holding her hand as he spoke.

It had been almost a week since Ann moved out, and she only sent him one text in that time span. It was the black heart emoji. Better than nothing, but not better than seeing her in person.

“You haven’t answered my texts,” Shawn told her. If she was going to decide when she'll give him attention, then he wasn't going to beat around the bush when he saw her.

“I’ve been busy,” Ann replied, feebly attempting to shake her hand away.

Shawn nodded, but he wasn't thoroughly convinced. Between work and school, Ann was a hermit. Or so he thought, given that she now had this new goth dude at her side. “So, who’s your friend?”

“Who’s yours?” she quickly said back.

“I’m Patrick!” said Patrick, holding out his hand. “Annie and I go way back!”

Shawn let go of her hand to shake his. “Nice to meet you, brother. Wait… Annie?” He chuckled.

Her cheeks heated up, and she decided to move her eyes somewhere else, specifically on Shawn’s unnamed singing partner. She was chatting with some of the other people still around the table. Annalise noticed she talked with her hands a lot.

“She lets me call her that even though she hates it,” Patrick said, snapping her back into the moment. “Right, Annie?”

“Do not,” she warned. Then she looked at Shawn. “So who’s the chick you’re singing with?”

Shawn took in an almost reluctant deep breath as he turned and called the girl over. If there was anything he had yet to discover, it had to be if his girl was the jealous type.

Annalise's dark brown eyes narrowed once again while he wasn’t looking. Call it anxiety or paranoia, but she was oddly suspicious. Patrick caught the glare though, and he nudged her arm to snap her out of it.

“Ann, Patrick, this is Alessia,” Shawn said when the very short girl joined them. “She’s a first year. Alessia, this is my…” He elongated the vowel. “Annalise. And her friend Patrick.”

Okay, so… a sinking feeling in the tummy. That’s what that felt like. Couldn’t be mad, though. Annalise wasn’t so quick to use the boyfriend word these days.

“You’re Annalise!” Alessia said in pleasant surprise. She did not hesitate to hug her, arms going around her shoulders and practically pulling her down to her level. “It’s so nice to meet you! I’ve heard so much about you!”

Honestly, Annalise was just glad she didn’t call her the goth girlfriend. Or the goth anything, for that matter. She didn’t hug Patrick, though, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“So, how did you two meet?” Annalise prompted. So maybe she was a little more than curious to know how and when Shawn found the time to get another girl at his side.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Shawn replied a little too quickly.

His eyes bored into hers, throwing them into a staredown. He broke through the fake, polite smile Ann had on. Of course he broke it. He was the only one who could. However, Shawn couldn't read the expression she had on. He couldn't tell if she was upset or not, happy or not… He couldn't tell if she wanted to change her mind about this separation or not… Ten months together and Ann was still a mystery.

“Uh, Shawn and I have like, every class together,” Alessia said slowly, looking between the couple, noticing the sudden change in atmosphere. She scratched the back of her head.

“Annie and I have been in the same club for two years,” Patrick added in the same tone. He too noticed the tension.

“Oh, which club? There’s some I’ve been checking out…”

Those two kept up the conversation. Shawn’s gaze on Annalise made her throat close up. He wasn’t smiling or feigning politeness anymore. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were hard and glossed over. Inexplicable guilt began to form in her chest yet again. She knew he didn’t understand.

_______

taglist: @normalcyisoverrated-beyou @ilsolee @mendesromano @1-800-khalid-mendussy @kitykatnumber @strangerliaa @iloveshawnieboi @poppyshawn @shawnsunflower @shawnvvmendes @yourdelightfullyleft @shawmndes @havethetimeeofyourlifee @calyumthomas

[eldritchsurveys]

781.

Your ten favorite movies

Movie number one: The Fountain 1) Who’s the main actor? >> Hugh Jackman. 2) When did it come out? >> I want to say... 2007. 3) What’s the genre? >> Er... hmm. Fantasy? Maybe? I’m going to ask google. ...Oh, apparently Wikipedia classifies it as an “epic romantic drama film that blends elements of fantasy, history, spirituality, and science fiction”. Like, okay, sure, whatever dude. 4) Do you know where it was filmed at? >> I don’t, but I’m about to find out because that’s an interesting question. ...Ah! Montreal. 5) How old were you when you saw it? >> The first time I saw it was... probably not too long after it came out, so early 20s. I rented it from Netflix back when that was new and was a DVD-only service. I didn’t pay it a whole lot of attention at the time and was mostly confused by its storyline (I wasn’t as practiced at following nonlinear timelines and heavily allegorical plots back then). The next time I saw it was a whole different story and tbh that’s a frequent occurrence with me, which is why I always go back to rewatch/reread certain things later on in life.

Movie number two: Sunshine 1) Who’s an actress in this movie? >> Rose Byrne.

2) Out of 10 stars you’d give it? >> I mean, 10, I guess? It’s a top favourite of mine, so... 3) Did it have a surprise ending? >> No. I mean, it had a kind of weird twist for the climax? But the actual ending was kind of what you’d expect. 4) How long was it? >> 1hr 47min. 5) Did you first see it in theatres? >> Nope, but god, if only I could... Movie number three: Interstellar 1) What’s this movie rated? >> PG-13. 2) Did critics approve of it? >> If I recall correctly, yeah, it was pretty widely praised. Mostly for the, you know... Nolan-ness. 3) Who were you with when you saw it? >> Sigma and I went to see it, and then we went to see it again, and then we went to see it yet again, lmao. 4) Did this movie make you cry? >> Sure the fuck did, sure the fuck does. 5) Who are five actors/actresses in this movie? >> Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Ellen Burstyn, Jessica Chastain. Movie number four: District 9 1) Is the main actor your favorite actor? >> No, but I generally enjoy watching Sharlto Copley in stuff. 2) Do you know how old he is? >> No, and that’s not a detail I care to look up. 3) Did this movie make you laugh? >> I mean, yeah, there were a few funny bits, mostly because Wikus is a fuckin dork sometimes. But mostly it was not a laughing matter. 4) Last time you watched it? >> Uhhh... hmm. Maybe a year or two ago? I tend to avoid it because it gives me way too many feels. This is a common thread with me and things I really have emotional attachment to -- you’ll notice I’ll find excuses not to rewatch or reread them because I’m afraid of my own feelings, lmao. 5) Are you the appropiate age to see it by yourself? >> Well, yeah? Movie number five: Requiem For a Dream 1) What made you mad about this movie? >> Nothing made me mad, exactly. That’s definitely not the emotion I feel when watching it. 2) Was it based on a true story? >> It might have been based on real things that happen to real people, but not in any concrete “this is historical fiction” sort of way. 3) Do you wish it was real in any way? >> I’m sure a lot of it is real for a lot of people... I definitely do not want my life to go in that direction, though. It’s very much a “pay attention to that hole in yourself before it consumes you” story for me. 4) So what’s it about, anyways? >> The intertwined stories of four addicts. 5) Did they make a video game out of this movie? >> That... would be disturbing as fuck and I would not play that, lol. Movie number six: mother! 1) Did this movie bore you at any time? >> Oh, absolutely not. I was on tenterhooks the entire time. I even had to pause it at one point so I could have an anxiety attack. (That was also the moment when I realised I was definitely going to rate it 5 stars on Letterboxd. Listen, it makes sense, I promise.) 2) Was there a kiss scene? >> Er, well, the main characters were romantically involved, so there was kissing. 3) Who was the protagonist (main character)? >> The Mother, I guess. I don’t remember what she was called in the credits or in director interviews or wherever (she doesn’t have a name in the movie, no one does). 4) Have you seen this movie more than once? >> Nope. I sometimes consider watching it again because I do feel the need to, but that’s an experience I have to really be prepared for and I feel like I’m never prepared, lol. 5) Last time you saw it? >> Uh... I want to say... a year ago? Movie number seven: The Prince of Egypt 1) What is this movie’s genre? >> Er... I guess, like, animation. Which isn’t a genre to me either, but hey. (Maybe “family” or “adventure”...?) 2) Are there any kid actors in this movie? >> Probably, since there’s a fair number of kids in this movie and I don’t think they were all voiced by adults... but hey, maybe they were. 3) Where did it all take place? >> It’s animated so it technically just takes place in a studio. But the movie’s setting is Egypt and thereabouts. 4) Who was the biggest star in the movie? >> Like, as in... most famous actor in it? I really couldn’t say, it’s an incredibly star-studded cast all around. 5) What year did it come out? >> 1998. It was the first-ever movie I saw in a theater! Movie number eight: Quills 1) Main actor and/or actress? >> Joaquin Phoenix and Kate Winslet. 2) Is this a one-time only movie? >> Like, it didn’t have any sequels or anything, if that’s what you mean. 3) Is it a sequel to anything? >> No. 4) How much money did it make? >> I don’t feel like looking that up. Probably not a whole lot. 5) Favorite part? >> Oh god, uh. I couldn’t even pick one. Any of the dialogue scenes between the Marquis and the Abbé, also any of the scenes where the Abbé is overcome with horniness lmfao. Movie number nine: Event Horizon 1) When did you first see this movie? >> 2005, when I was in a psych hospital. It was one of the only films they had on tape.

2) Did it take a second time for you to like it? >> Nope, I loved it immediately. And proceeded to watch it every day for like a month. I don’t know how anyone in there put up with me. (Everyone being overmedicated probably helped.)

3) Does it have a happy ending? >> It doesn’t. Most horror movies don’t, right? 4) Who would you recommend it to? >> People who love gory space horror, and especially space movies of that particular nineties variety, you know what I’m talking about. 5) What’s its theme song? >> It doesn’t have one. Movie number ten: Repo! the Genetic Opera 1) Do you still have the movie ticket? >> I didn’t see it in a theater. I had planned on seeing it at a Vampirefreaks sponsored theater event in SoHo, but the line was so long I gave up and went home. Ended up hating it when I finally did get around to watching it, and then watched it again like a year or so later and loooooved it. Funny how that happens sometimes. 2) Favorite part? >> Oh man, how could I even choose? Maybe the Thankless Job scene. Or Night Surgeon! Obviously I’m going to pick anything Nathan-centric, lol. 3) Were there any songs you knew in this movie? >> No, the songs were written for the movie. 4) A quote from this movie: >> I’ma get lazy and say “Zydrate comes in a little glass vial”, sue me. 5) Were the main actors/actresses a perfect match or not so much? >> Like... romantically? Wasn’t that kind of movie. But as far as how they interacted in general, it was a really fun cast. Random Questions 1) Which one have you seen most on DVD? >> Actually, the only one I recall ever watching on a DVD is The Fountain, because I rented it from Netflix. 2) Which one have you seen most in theatres? >> Interstellar (3 times). 3) Did your parents like any of them? >> The only one my father saw was The Prince of Egypt because he took me to see it, and he complained about the skin colour of characters (not dark enough for his liking) in the car on the way home. While I was just basking in the divine afterglow of having just seen something beautiful that had changed my tiny life. 4) Which one did you see with your best friend? >> Well, Sigma was my best friend at the time we saw Interstellar. 5) Would you see #1 again? >> I do rewatch it sometimes, but not very often. It’s a real emotional trip. 6) Is #4 a movie you can only watch every once in a while? >> Yeah, and I mentioned that in one of the answers. 7) Was #5 hard to understand? >> Only if you have a hard time keeping up with multiple character arcs. Or if you’re just completely clueless about the mental mechanics of addiction, maybe. 8) Did you see #2 the day it came out? >> I didn’t. 9) Do you have #3’s movie ticket still? >> I think I kept at least one of the tickets for a while, but I never keep that kind of thing for long. What I really miss is the posters we’d gotten at the Franklin Institute showing. Those were nice, and I’d looked forward to putting one up in a room of my own one day. :( 10) Are there any sequels to these movies coming out? >> Not that I’m aware of. 11) Does your best friend like #9? >> --- 12) Did #10 have horrible special effects? >> I wouldn’t say that. 13) Who directed #6? >> Darren Aronofsky. He directed three of these movies, actually. 14) Did #8 scare you? >> Nah, it wasn’t that kind of movie. 15) Does #7 have a better effect at night? >> No, lol.

[megamanxfanfics]

S.V - Ep 4: The Doomsday Clock

----------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. ABEL CITY – Teleport Tour Station – DAY

----------------------------------------------------------------

Caption: 4:30 PM.

Dynamo beams down to the Teleport Tour Station for the first time in three years with a mischievous grin on his face.  As the sun sets on Abel City, he takes a deep breath of foul air with a crooked smirk.

DYNAMO: Ahhhh! Home at last!!! Hehehehe!  Just look at all of this.  Little old me, caused all of this??

SIGMA: (o.s, filtered) Good job, Assassin.  Destroying Eurasia’s Anti-Gravity machine did just the trick.  Now it’ll come crashing down to Earth in about 15 hours!!

DYNAMO: Oooh.

SIGMA: (o.s, filtered) Go ahead and admire your work. You’ve earned it.

He puts his hands at his hips as he walks through the panicked city, proud.

DYNAMO: Heheh. Thank you, Lord Sigma. Repliforce’s days are numbered. Do I get to play with the Hunters, now?

SIGMA: (o.s, filtered) Not yet. I’ll tell you when the time is right. For now, revel in your victory.  

DYNAMO: Where are they, anyway?

SIGMA: (o.s, filtered) Nevermind that.  I’ll send you to them when the time is right.

Dynamo twitches for a second, but then shakes it off.

DYNAMO: (amused) Hmhmhmhm. Sounds /promising!

He /clenches a fist as he makes a psychotic grin.

SIGMA: (o.s, filtered) Hee hee hee hee, yeeeees.  The Doomsday Clock has begun.

[Insert Title Card – The Doomsday Clock]

-cut to-

----------------------------------------------------------------

INT. SECRET WAREHOUSE – Entrance - DAY

----------------------------------------------------------------

Zero looks above him to what seems like an inviting horizontal hallway and climbs the rocks using his advanced kick-jumping skills. With tricky corners, he tries a dashing kick-jump upward, which propels him to the higher level of terrain.

Before long, he finds a very interesting Armor Capsule, which catches his eye.

ZERO: Hey X, I found something that you might be interested in.

-cut to-

----------------------------------------------------------------

INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – Surface Caverns - DAY

----------------------------------------------------------------

X contends with the back of the U-555 as it unleashes unrelenting homing missiles upon X.  He keeps dashing and dodging away, but they keep coming.  

X: Agh..  I’m kinda.. busy, here.

He charges up and blasts the bottom fin. Then the top fin.  For a moment, he has a reprieve, before the barrels can regenerate again.

ZERO: (o.s, filtered) Suit yourself. It’s an Armor Capsule…

X: (gasping) Wow, really?? Grizzly Slash found one and kept it from me???

ZERO:

(o.s, filtered) Hmph. It must’ve been after he left the Team.

X: Figures.

The missiles fire upon X once again, as he dashes ahead, drops down to a yellow rope, and grabs hold of it with his wire hook.

X: (sighing) Well, it’s just gonna have to wait. I’ve got my hands full with this Giant Submarine that came to life.

He charges up as he watches the U-555 come down to his level.

-cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. SECRET WAREHOUSE – Hidden Capsule Area – NIGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero smirks as he admires the glow of the capsule.

ZERO: Roger. It’ll still be here when I’m done with Grizzly…

X: (o.s, filtered) Thanks, Zero. I can always count on you.

Zero lets out a short laugh, when suddenly the Light Capsule opens up before Zero to reveal Dr. Light, himself.

Zero gasps at the sight.

DR. LIGHT: You are... Zero, aren't you?

ZERO: Who... are you...?

DR. LIGHT: Thank you for supporting X... Please continue to take care of him...

ZERO: ........

DR. LIGHT: I'll give you a program for X's armor. Analyze and upload the data to X's main memory in a secure area. Then complete the Armor. For security reasons, the program is divided into 4 segments. Once you gather and upload all 4 parts, the armor will be complete. Nothing will happen, otherwise...

ZERO: (nodding) Alright.

DR. LIGHT: Ummm... Her name is Alia, isn't it...?

ZERO: Yeah.

DR. LIGHT: She can analyze the data and let you upload it...  Anyway, here is the program for the legs. With the leg part equipped, X can fly through the air, and become invincible while flying!

Zero’s eyes widen.

ZERO: Jeez!

DR. LIGHT: (animated, excited) Collide against the enemy to destroy them! I'm afraid that I know nothing about your body structure, therefore I can't enhance your power... I'm really sorry.

ZERO: I don't need any power-ups............... But, I have one thing I want to ask you...

DR. LIGHT: Very well.

ZERO: Sometimes unknown data emerges in my mind, and I can see a figure of an old professor... Do you know him by any chance?

Dr. Light gives Zero a strange look.

DR. LIGHT: I don't know... Perhaps, if I saw him... But the data must be a fragment created by some error... I wouldn't worry about it. Why don't you just forget about it?

ZERO: I don't worry about it, but when I saw you, I felt an urge to ask...

DR. LIGHT: I'm sorry I couldn't give you an answer to your question...

ZERO: Never mind. I didn't expect one. Anyway, I'll give X the Armor program.

DR. LIGHT: Thank you.

Dr. Light politely smiles and disappears.  For the first time ever, Zero jumps into one of X's capsules. He had always wondered what it would be like.

The capsule powers up and covers Zero’s body in rays of warm light. He feels a shower of power cover him, as a wave of peace and relief washes over him.  The light rays climactically swell up into a ball of power, which simply shines in his gem. The program has been downloaded into Zero’s mainframe and he is at once, hopeful for the future.

Zero shakes his head, in shock and joy.

ZERO: Wow! Does it always feel that way, when X gets an upgrade?  No wonder he loves these things.

He steps out of the capsule and clenches a fist.

ZERO: I feel so calm and resolute… I don’t even care about Sigma any more.  This isn’t even my armor and…

He jumps down to the bottom of the cave.

ZERO: I feel like we can take on ANYONE!!!!!

He dashes ahead, jumping over a short wall to take on a Mad Taxi mechaniloid.  Zero confidently hacks and slashes the mechaniloid to pieces, knocking out two missiles that it fired at him in the process.

Then he looks up with a determined glare. The same one that X always has.

-cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – SURFACE CAVERNS - DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

With an irate face, X powers up his Charge Shot and aims his X-Buster at the bottom fin of the U-555.  The top fin has been destroyed.

X: Let’s FINISH THIS!!!!

He unleashes the Plasma shot, which overtakes the two homing missiles in his path and completely corrodes the bottom fin, at last.

With the back of the U-555 finally destroyed, it retreats once again, allowing X to explore new mysterious sights from the deep Pacific.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) What is this place...? Are you in an old sunken ship??

X: I guess so...

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) The U-555 is trying to escape. It went deep in this direction. Follow it!

-pan to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – Sunken Ship - DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

He climbs up a large wall, above the yellow rope and jumps out of the water, as part of the ship has remained dry.

X: Huh! Well this is fun.

He spots a bunch of small dejira mechaniloids, which he can effortlessly handle.

Blasting them away with small level two shots, X navigates the scope of the sunken ship, passing by a few spike traps along his path.

X: Hm.. whoever this ship belonged to, he must not have liked in intruders.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) I think that’s the Sigma virus, at work. A lot of places have been corrupted all around the world.

X grits his teeth.

X: Ahhh!!!!

He destroys another dejira and walks over to a full wall of spikes.  He can see that it leads up and below.  For now, it is safer to traverse below.

X: I can’t explore up there… At least not yet… It’s probably all spikes anyway.

ALIA: I can see a heart fragment above, but it’s too risky.  Better to recover it later.

X nods in agreement and drops down below, where it is safer.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Whoa, X. Can you see the capsule behind you???

He stirs with excitement and turns around to see an old cracked wall that does not quite reach the ground.  Small steps barely allow the visibility of the Capsule’s base, but he can definitely see that it is blocked off by some sort of device.

X: (disappointed) No!  It’s blocked by this wall.  Maybe I can break it.

He punches the wall and only hurts his hand.

X: Ah!

He charges up and blasts it with a full plasma shot.  Instead of affecting the petrified wood, his Charge Shot is mysteriously absorbed inside it.

X: What the-

ALIA: This wall has been fortified by the Sigma Virus.  If only you had a weapon that could crawl under those steps along the ground.

X: Damn it… I had a Ground Hunter that used to do the trick.

ALIA: …We could download the data, if you want.

X: (shocked) Really?

ALIA: Yeah, but it might take a while.

X: Hmm…  Well, see what you can do. In the meantime, I’ve gotta move on.

He turns around and ventures outside of the ship again, towards the water.  He swims up and out of the sunken ship, only to find that the U-555 is back.

-pan to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – U-555 Top - DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Amidst the ocean caverns, the huge ship raises itself towards X’s position with four large turrets aimed at him.

X: What the Hell????

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) You have no choice, but to destroy the top of the ship. Quickly, before it crushes you!!

X nods, determined as he charges up and points his buster.

-cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. SECRET WAREHOUSE – Grizzly Slash’s Hideout - NIGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a fiery glare in his eyes, Zero dashes through the top gateway of the cave-like warehouse.

ZERO: (v.o, thinking) There he is. Right down there.. I can feel it!

He dashes and drops down into a hidden lair as a Warning Siren blares.

Once alerted to the trouble, Grizzly Slash drops down from within the ceiling. Before Zero, his large frame towers above Zero, even from a distance.  He slashes the air twice with a frightening paw, upon his gaze, not happy to see him.  Zero does not flinch.

GRIZZLY SLASH: Zero!  Seeing you re-opens old wounds…

-FLASH-

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXT. X-HUNTER BASE – Runway Battle - NIGHT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

An evil looking Zero draped in black armor menacingly takes out his saber, challenging Grizzly Slash to a duel.

GRIZZLY SLASH: Damn you, Zeroooo!!

Grizzly Slash runs after Zero with his drill buster out.

GRIZZLY SLASH: Hunh!!

He lunges towards Zero and misses.

ZERO: Yaaah!!

Zero jumps up and gashes Grizzly Slash in the right eye, making him bleed out and lose an ocular piece.

GRIZZLY SLASH: Huwaaaaaah!!

He holds onto his face and collapses in pain.

-FLASH-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. SECRET WAREHOUSE – Grizzly Slash’s Hideout - NIGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The red Zero closes his eyes with a smirk. Then he looks back at Grizzly Slash’s blind eye. It has a scar over it in the shape of his saber.

ZERO: You should have that looked after. I don’t have time for small talk.  Give me the Crystal Ball…

GRIZZLY SLASH: Why don’t you do what you usually do, and force me to? You used to be a Maverick, right? That’s what I remember.  And, you destroyed Sigma, didn’t you?

ZERO: What, that old story? If you dare to try and fight me, then I accept your challenge anytime, anywhere.

GRIZZLY SLASH: Hunters and Sigma are very similar.  Very aggressive and overconfident.

ZERO: What!? We’re nothing like that scum!

GRIZZLY SLASH: Oh yes you are… I’m just an arms dealer now, but you!! …You destroy anyone who stands against you.  Now I’m going to make you pay for what you did to me, Maverick Hunter!

ZERO: (grinning, hostile) Go ahead.

The two jump after each other.  Zero slashes a heavy saber at him, which clashes right against Grizzly Slash’s heavy arm claw.

BOTH: AGH!!

The two stubbornly slash and claw at one another.  Grizzly Slash’s crescent shots peer out from his claw slashes, which catch Zero at the chest and cause him to back away.

ZERO: Agghhh.

GRIZZLY SLASH: (hurt) You’re good, Zero. But not good enough…

He jumps over him and creates a large threatening drill with his buster.

GRIZZLY SLASH: You ready for the pain???

ZERO: Bring it onnnn…

- cut to -

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – U-555 Top – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

X dodges many rocks as the U-555 slowly ascends and barrels through them.  The landscape of the caverns threaten to crush, X as he charges up again to destroy the returning holographic turrets.

X: /Yah! Man… Something’s got to give with this thing.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) I think that blue gem underneath the top fin is a power core.  See if you can destroy it. That might be your target.

X: (nodding) Right!

He continues to hover, and swerve around the many turret shots as they regenerate and fire upon him.  Then he fires at the blue core.

His blast causes the top of the ship to open its orange forcefield and unveil its true top core.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) That’s it, X! Go ahead and blast it!!

X: (smiling) Gotcha!

-cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. SECRET WAREHOUSE – Grizzly Slash’s Hideout - DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grizzly Slash dives out from the top of the ceiling to surprise Zero with a drill to the back.

GRIZZLY SLASH: GOTCHA!!

ZERO: No way!!!

He dash-jumps away to narrowly evade the attack.

GRIZZLY SLASH: Hmhmhm.

He burrows through the ground again. Then he breaks through the wall near Zero and grabs him.

ZERO: (surprised) Whughh-gghhh

GRIZZLY SLASH: Ahahah. I've got you now, Zero... ZERO: No!

He takes his saber and bats him in the face with it. Grizzly Slash retreats inside the wall and Zero dash-jumps away. Before long, Grizzly Slash peers out from the ground in front of Zero and punches him with his drill arm. ZERO: Akk!

He barely dodges Grizzly Slash's attack and slashes him in the shoulder and the head. Grizzly Slash retreats underground again and this time, bursts out from the far most wall.He steps out of the hole looking damaged and exasperated.

- cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – U-555 Top – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

X turns his buster towards the ruptured core of the U-555. The turrets have all been blown off and his opening is clear.  With a large blast, he overloads the U-555’s core circuitry and it ultimately explodes, sinking once and for all, defeated.

X: Finally!  Now I can meet with Tidal Whale, undisturbed.

ALIA: Good job, X. Remember, he doesn’t go by that name any more since he quit the Repliforce.

X enters a nearby gate with a nod.

X: Mm, I know. It’s the only thing that gives me hope for this mission.

X runs through the gate and drops down into Duff McWhalen’s dwelling.

- pan to –

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – Duff’s Dwelling – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cavernous room hosts a wall full of threatening spikes, which does not encourage X, at all.

Duff McWhalen swims over to him from a back-pile of wreckage, surprised to see him.

DUFF McWHALEN: (surprised) Oh…  Welcome, Captain X.

X respectfully salutes him, recalling the high rank he once held.

X: Captain McWhalen, I’d like you to let us use this ocean since it’s nearest to the Hunter Base.  We need to produce large amounts of Hydrogen.

DUFF McWHALEN: Do you intend it for Nuclear Fusion?

X nods with regret.

DUFF McWHALEN: So, then you are going to use the good-old Enigma.  I remember it well.

X: (admitting, guilty) Y…yes…  If you know that, then please cooperate with us.

Duff McWhalen takes a breath and lets out a deep sigh.

DUFF McWHALEN: X, I’m a man of the sea… …And I will not allow you to use my sea freely…  You might think it stupid, but if ye wish to use the sea, then you’ll have to fight with me.

X: (frowning) I understand.

He makes a resigned sigh and shakes his head.

X: I accept your challenge!!

-cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. SECRET WAREHOUSE – Grizzly Slash’s Hideout - NIGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grizzly Slash looks at Zero, infuriated.

GRIZZLY SLASH: You are nothing but a thorn in my side, Hunter... That is why I left the team years ago. ZERO: Hah! I remember that... Do you remember what you said last time we met?

-FLASH-

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

INT. OLD MAVERICK HUNTER BASE – Main Entrance - DAY

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero had returned to base with X, the morning after severely injuring most of their ranks, while under the influence of Serges’ programming.  Despite X’s forgiveness, Zero’s presence met with much apprehension amongst the other Hunters.

Web Spider points to Zero.

WEB SPIDER: If he’s staying, then I’m leaving…

Grizzly Slash holds on to his new eyepatch; his fresh sore still throbbing.

GRIZZLY SLASH: Me too… I’ll be much better off in life without the Maverick Hunters! And Zero… if I ever see you again… you’d better watch your back.

Grizzly Slash clenches his huge fist.

-FLASH-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. SECRET WAREHOUSE – Grizzly Slash’s Hideout - NIGHT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grizzly Slash scratches his head with wide eyes.

GRIZZLY SLASH: That’s right, I do remember…  I told you to watch your back..  ‘cause otherwise I'd KILL YOU!!!!

ZERO: THEN LET’S GO!!!!!

GRIZZLY SLASH: (powering up) HrrRRRRRRAAAAGHHHH!!!!!

He takes a large swing at Zero with his arm claw.  The crescent slash is so large, it becomes an energy wave of it's own, as it spins toward Zero. ZERO: /Whoooaa!!!! He gets /knocked back by it, hard as blood spurts out from a gash in his armored plate. ZERO: (hurt, wounded) …Damn it!! I'm not done yet!!!

Zero powers through with a hop back up to his feet. He dash-jumps head on into Grizzly Slash without a care and thrusts his saber through his chest. ZERO: TAKE THIS!!!! GRIZZLY SLASH: Au-u-ughh. You... won...

Grizzly Slash huddles over in pain as his ruptured core explodes. Zero's saber glows yellow momentarily, as if absorbing some of Grizzly Slash's power.  He leans back on the ground, favoring his own wounds as he quizzically looks at his Z-saber.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered, shocked) You got DNA data from Grizzly Slash! From this DNA data, his Crescent Sword technique has become yours! Use it wisely on your enemies.

ZERO: (hurt, victorious) Heheh.. I did it!

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Every enemy has a weak point. Find the most effective weapon for each of them. You’d better grab his weapon chip too, for X, just in case.

ZERO: (nodding) Hm.

He gets up, in pain and walks over to the destroyed Grizzly Slash.  While he searches for the weapon chip, Alia debriefs him.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Grizzly Slash had the Crystal Ball! This should greatly increase the striking ability of the Enigma. I'll ask another Hunter to do the recovery operations so you can return to base.

He finds a weapon chip entitled C-Shot from within Grizzly Slash’s broken paw. Zero grabs it and makes a thumbs up.

ZERO: Good...! I could use a breather.

-cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. NEW MHHQ – Control Room – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caption: 5:00 PM

ALIA: (smiling) Come home. You’ve earned it./

Suddenly Alia /gasps as the feed on the Main Monitor has been interrupted.  

ALIA: (gasping) Incoming message from… sources unknown.

A large image of a mysterious Bounty Hunter appears.

SIGNAS: (wondering) Who’s this? I’ve never seen him…

DYNAMO: (filtered) Nice to meet you, Maverick Hunters.   I have no hard feelings toward you, but this is my mission… Before long, I will attack the Hunter Base.

His cocky, matter-of-fact tone irks everyone in the room.

HECTOR: What the-

KIRK: How did he find us?

DYNAMO: (filtered, impish, mocking) Aw, are Mr. X and Mr. Zero there? Please play with me! I’m really bored…  

They look at each other confused.

LUCAS & DAVID: Uhhhh

DYNAMO: (filtered) Don’t worry! We’ll fight like true sportsmen, hee hee hee!! Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself!  I am Dynamo.  See you soon!!

SIGNAS: How dare he!? At a time like this?! Should we even attempt to fight against one so arrogant?

ZERO: (o.s) We might not have a choice… I’ll get him though…

Everyone turns to see that Zero has returned in pretty bad shape. They all gasp at the sight of him.

DOUGLAS: Whoa, Zero!  We need to get you patched up, buddy. Come on.

ZERO: (weak) O-okay…

SIGNAS: Alia, send Rho out for the Recovery Op. He’s in good shape.

ALIA: Yes, sir.

ZERO: Oh, hey… Give this to X next chance you see him.  He might need it…

Zero pulls out the C-shot chip and tosses it at Alia.

She /barely /manages to /catch it.

ALIA: /Ooh! /Uh /, thank you!  

She admires the chip with a hopeful smile.

ALIA: Great! We can upload this into his mainframe. That’ll certainly help him out.

- cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT, PACIFIC OCEAN – Duff’s Dwelling – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duff McWhalen proceeds to create ice chunks from his mouth that he spits out at X in organized columns and steps. They are so structured, that it seems to be an obstacle course of it’s own that X must contend with, just to reach Duff McWhalen, as he charges up.

X: (jumping, struggling) Ah.. Duff…  I know, we agreed.. to battle..  But we’re wasting time!

DUFF McWHALEN: Ye can’t have my sea, X!! Not without a fight.

X sighs.

X: Oh, come on!

He blasts Duff McWhalen with another charge shot directly in the head.

He simply turns with the blast, taking it head on as he lets his ice-obstacle subsist in the sea, and slowly come back towards him.

X: (sighing) Not this, again.

DUFF McWHALEN: (amused) Yarharharhar!!! Have fun, X.  I’ll get ye yet.

X carefully jumps through the columns and avoids the icy spikes from the small obstacle McWhalen has created.

X: (v.o, thinking) This is too much! He’s toying with me…

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Hey, X. Good news.

X: (distracted) Hm??

Duff McWhalen fires a torpedo at X, which /catches him off-guard.

X: (hurt, then annoyed) /Ah!! What!?

ALIA: I was gonna tell you that Zero defeated Grizzly Slash and give you a new weapon, but not with that attitude…

X continues to dodge Duff McWhalen’s icy obstacle course as he holds on to his ear-piece.

X: Wha-… Wow! That’s great!  But.. how?

ALIA: I can download the chip directly into your mainframe.  You should be getting it in a few moments.

X: (surprised) Really!?

ALIA: Oh yeah.  This is called the C-Shot.  It might give you an edge against him.

X: Hm??

He looks at his body, confused as he suddenly senses a new aura of power swelling through him.  Instantly, the outline of his Force Armor turns from blue to brown, as he brings up his buster.

X:

(curious) Alright, Duff. Let’s try this.

X shoots out the C-shot from his buster as small crescent slashes emit from the barrel of his cannon.

DUFF McWHALEN: (hurt) Oooooh.

Cuts and scrapes appear from his thick coat of armor.

Duff McWhalen spits out little waves that crawl down the steps.

X hovers with his thrusters and shoots some more C-shots at Duff McWhalen.

DUFF McWHALEN: (affected) /Ooh, /ah.. /ughh, /Gah!!

More gashes tear at his armor upon every hit. He even draws blood on the last /strike.

DUFF McWHALEN: That’s it!!  No more Mr. Nice Whale.  

He swiftly circles around X and spits out ice chunks that threaten to push him back into the spiked wall, behind him.

X: (fearful) What the-?  No!!

X carefully jumps from platform to platform as he fires his C-shots at him again, but they all miss.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Don’t forget, you can still charge up special weapons with the Force Armor.

X nods.

X: Good call!!

He charges up and sets off a powerful forcefield of slashes around his body.

X: (focused, resolute) Come on, McWhalen…

X guards himself as he fearlessly swims directly into Duff McWhalen

Duff McWhalen looks at him with wide eyes as the forcefield chips away at his armor, piece by piece.

DUFF McWHALEN: This is it! This be my ill-fated, destiny.  But I’m glad it’s you, X!!!  My Sea is yours. Use it well. Destroy the Sigma Virus! FOREEVEEERRRR!!!!!!!!!!

X gets so close to Duff McWhalen with his attack, that he embraces him in a hug, as the forcefield destroys his body.

X takes on the brunt of the explosion; his Force Armor only getting slightly scuffed, as his tears wash in the water.

X: (sniffling, upset) I’m so sorry it had to be this way… I promise, I won’t let you down…

He sadly accepts his prize as his body absorbs Duff McWhalen’s DNA Data.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered, sad) You got DNA Data from Duff McWhalen! His Goo Shaver now belongs to you…

X powers down at once, reverting into his normal armor.

X: I didn’t want this… Why didn’t he just cooperate with us???

ALIA: (o.s, filtered)

He was too proud.  I guess he wanted to protect what’s left of the sea, while it was still in his control…

X turns back around and swims out of the gate.

-pan to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. PACIFIC OCEAN – Caverns –DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

X: (bitter) After all we’ve been through with the Repliforce, everyone thinks we’re the enemy, now…

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) But we’re not!  And you know that!!  We can produce Hydrogen from this ocean, now. If only the Hunter Base worked... then we wouldn’t have to take water from the ocean... Now please return to the base... You have another mission to complete.

X: Not yet… There’s something I have to do, first.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) What??

X: You’ll see…

X swims lower and lower until he finds his way back to the wrecked ship.

-pan to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. SUNKEN SHIP – Hidden Capsule – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

X’s armor flashes into dark blue and orange, as he tries out his new Goo Shaver against step-like cracks underneath the impenetrable wall.  Sure enough, the Goo Shaver works, as it destroys the bomb device beyond his reach, which explodes the wall before him.

X: (defeated) Heh…

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Wow! You did it.

X: Sigma did this…  He knows how much I love these Armor Capsules. So he’s done anything in his power to hide them from me. He created these elaborate traps! This time, he made sure that I wouldn’t be able to get it, unless I killed Duff McWhalen.  That.. TYRANT!!!!!

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Oh…  That’s really sad.

X steps into the forbidden room, where he stands before the capsule.

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) Um, X. Can I ask you something?

X: What is it, Alia?

ALIA: (o.s, filtered) What is it about the capsules that you love so much?  Is it the power?? Because you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.

X warms up from inside the sunken ship, not expecting such a compliment. He simply smiles, with a small blush.

X: It’s not the power that I’m addicted to… I just love the capsules, because… They’re the only time I get to see my Father.

Just then, Dr. Light reveals himself before X, with a heartwarming smile on his face. The smile swiftly becomes sullen and grim, however as the gravity of their situation is ever-apparent.

DR. LIGHT: X… We’re having serious trouble again…  It’s like a nightmare for Reploids, with the virus everywhere. It’s too dangerous to equip the parts for enhancement as soon as you find one. Therefore, I’ll give you a data program for each part.

X nods.

DR. LIGHT: Analyze and upload the data to your main memory in a secure area. Then complete the Armor. Alia will be able to help you upload this data. For security reasons, the program is divided into 4 segments. At this moment, I have already given one to Zero…

X: (surprised) Oh!

DR. LIGHT: Anyway, this is the program for the body part of the Falcon Armor. With the body part equipped, the damage you receive will be lessened. It will accumulate energy for a Giga Attack, but don’t overestimate the part, or you’ll regret it…

X: (discouraged) Oh… Alright, I’ll be careful.

DR. LIGHT: Since this armor is designed for flight, the body module is very light-weight, and therefore, it may not protect you as much as you’re accustomed to from previous armors in the past.

X: I understand. Thank you, father.

DR. LIGHT: You’re welcome.  Go get ‘em, son.

With that, Dr. Light disappears and X stands inside the capsule.

Just as he enters it, Signas com-links to everyone in a panic.

SIGNAS: (o.s, filtered) Emergency! Dynamo is attacking the Hunter Base. Fight back immediately!

X: (shocked) Hm!??

The light beams lock X in place as he receives his upgrade.

-cut to-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXT. NEW MHHQ – Enigma Cannon Dock – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caption: 5:20 PM

A slightly patched up, but worn down Zero stands by Douglas, who is scared out of his wits at the sight of Dynamo.  The siren blares as Dynamo laughs.

DYNAMO: Heeheeheehaahaahaa!!!!

ZERO: (muttering) Go on, get outta here…

Douglas nods and runs away to safety.  The other Hunters stand by, ready to step in.

Zero puts his hand out.

ZERO: (prideful) Stay back!  This is my fight…

Dynamo nods at him with an impish grin.

DYNAMO: (amused) Nice to meet you. You are Zero, aren’t you..?  The famous and Persistent Hunter.

ZERO: What’s it to you?

DYNAMO: (carefree) Well, to stretch a point, I want to disturb what you are doing.  Oh, don’t worry.  I just want to disturb you. I don’t intend to kill you…  But you wish to fight to the death, don’t you?

At this moment, X teleports on to the scene.

X: No. We don’t!

DYNAMO: Well, well well… Look who decided to show…

X: Why don’t you just leave us alone!!

Zero puts a hand on X’s chest and steps in front of him.

ZERO: No, X. It’s alright.  This guy came for a fight. I’ll give him one…

DYNAMO: Well, if you fight me and die, then I’m sorry, ‘cause I’ll be fighting at less than my best.  Now… shall we let the battle begin…?

Zero scoffs at Dynamo’s arrogant nature, showing no signs of intimidation.

ZERO: …………………

DYNAMO: (nonchalant) You think you’re so cool…  You don’t care what I say.  In that case, have it your way!  I’ll fight you… until you die.

Dynamo makes the first move with a dashing jump towards him.

Zero reads his movements and jumps after him, ready to strike with his saber.

DYNAMO: Hah hah!

He surprises Zero with a downward blast from his buster.

ZERO: Huh? /Awh.

He gets struck down by the blast.

X: (reacting) Zero!

He gets up and puts a hand out, telling the others to stay back.

ZERO: It’s okay…  I’m fine.

Dynamo puts his hands on his hips, standing tall.

DYNAMO: (grinning) Hehehe. Are you??

ZERO: (smirking) Yeah..

He dashes after Dynamo and jumps with his saber out again.

Dynamo squints and pulls out his double-sided beam blade.  Anticipating every saber strike, he swiftly spins his hand around in circles, making the double-beam seem more like a shield.

ZERO: What the-

DYNAMO: (mocking) YAWN!!!

He /kicks Zero in the side, which causes him to favor his ribs. Then he twirls around into a back-handed lefty /swing against Zero’s cheek.

ZERO: /Ogh, /Agh!!

X and the other Hunters stare at Dynamo in awe.

FRENZY FOX: Look at him!  He’s toying with Zero. I can’t believe it.

FREEZE ALOPEX: I know… It’s like he’s.. dancing instead of fighting.

X’s eyes widen.

X: (v.o, thinking) He doesn’t care…  He’s just here to waste our time.  That’s literally it.

SIGMA: (o.s, v.o) Don’t hesitate to pull the trigger, X…

X: (spooked) What was that?

FROSTBITE: Hm?

The other Hunters look at X, troubled.

X shakes it off as they continue to watch Zero struggle to land a hit on Dynamo.

DYNAMO: Come on, man!  Is this really it???  This is less-than my best, ya know…

ZERO: (frustrated) Hurrrgh!  THAT’S IT!!!

Zero jumps after him and lands a spinning saber swing with his new Crescent Sword slash.

DYNAMO: OUUGH…

He writhes in pain as he checks the side of his stomach to see a large tear in his armor.

ZERO: (dark, tired) I was only holding back, because you were…  But if you want to see me at my best, than you’ve GOT IT!!

X: (calling out) Zero! Don’t kill him!!

Zero jumps and cuts away at the hurt Dynamo with a Crescent spin, then he uses his double-jumping technique to lay another one into him.

DYNAMO: (writhing, hurting) Ouuuugh.  AAAAGHHH!!!!

ZERO: HE ASKED FOR IT!!!!

X: Noooooo!!!!!!

Zero hacks and slashes at Dynamo with a swift three-hit combo, but Dynamo retaliates with a fancy blade cut of his own into Zero’s pelvis.

It brings Zero to his knees, giving Dynamo the chance to get back up, wounded.

He nods in pain and lets out an honest sigh.

DYNAMO:

Just as I thought… You are strong…  You never let up.  I’ll retreat with this result…  But I advise you to relax a little, or you’ll die from all the stress.

Zero gets up and favors his wound. He gives him a look of disapproval, staring him down in disdain.

DYNAMO: Well then.  Adios, amigo!

He offers a pleasant smile before teleporting away to his own safety.

ZERO: Hmph…

He collapses to the ground as the rest of the Hunters all run to his aid.

-Freeze Frame. Grainy effect.-

SIGNAS: (v.o, narrating) Zero has narrowly defeated our intruder, but it was at the cost of much time and energy.  I’m afraid he’s going to be out of commission for a while. Sub-tanks won’t cover it, this time.  It’s up to X and the others, for now.  There are two Reploids left with the parts that we need to build up the Enigma - Volt Kraken, and Dr. Izzy Glow.

-      cut to -

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INT. NEW MHHQ – Control Room – DAY ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

An image of the Reploid mugshots are on Signas’ main monitor.  Grizzly Slash and Duff McWhalen’s mugshots are in black and white, while Volt Kraken and Izzy Glow’s mugshots are highlighted.

SIGNAS: (v.o, narrating) Will X be able to make it in time?  And will they be willing to cooperate with us? I can only hope that they will respond with due diligence, and heed our call for help.   There are only 13 hours left…

-fade to black-