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Skull Flowers

Page 7

by Jazon Dion Fletcher


  808 pulls up on the X-orcist.

  He walks up to the cadaver and pee's all over General Grindcore.

  Officer Whistle Britches sees whats going on.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Had to add insult to injury did we?

  808 zips up his robotic zipper and begins to write something down on his Grimoire.

  He hands the Grimoire to Officer Whistle Britches.

  Officer Whistle Britches reads what is written slowly.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Fool, I'm a beast!

  Officer Whistle Britches looks at 808 like he's crazy as 808 throws up the Sign ov tha' Horns.

  Verse XXIV

  Our adventurers have made it deep into the Bayou Beignet to a place known as the Magnolia Grove.

  The Infinity uncloaks and everyone begins to drive into its loading dock.

  Minx parks the Myst Walker inside the Infinity.

  Alexis dismounts the X-orcist along with 808.

  The X-orcist transforms into a laser canon that 808 begins to lock and load.

  Junebug exits the Myst Walker and heads for the cockpit.

  JUNEBUG

  I'll get everything ready and as soon as she's warmed up we'll re-cloak and get outtah' here.

  Alexis sees several crates of old books in the corner of the loading dock behind some crates of moonshine.

  Scarzensky's Roach runs behind them and hides.

  Alexis begins to rummage through the books.

  ALEXIS

  I see you're still collecting dead trees.

  JUNEBUG

  Yeah, you know how it is.

  Momma Nymms didn't raise no fools.

  Junebug grabs his Grimoire off the top of a crate.

  JUNEBUG

  Whatta' bout' you.

  ALEXIS

  You know me.

  Ain't no woman can really call herself a lady if she spends more on clothes than she does on books.

  Junebug smiles.

  JUNEBUG

  If I didn't know no better I'd think Momma was standing here right now.

  Officer Whistle Britches walks over to the crate and begins to look through its selection along with Alexis.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Anything in here as crazy as that stuff Professor Proxy was talking about back at the lab?

  Alexis picks up a copy of Tribulations by Emeritus Strange.

  ALEXIS

  This one was a favorite at the tent revivals.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  What's it about?

  ALEXIS

  The Priestess ov Mars.

  Alexis opens the book to one of its illustrations.

  ALEXIS

  It is said that the Priestess ov Mars was a slave girl amongst the Toubabo Koomi.

  Alexis turns the page to another illustration.

  ALEXIS

  Oblivion was said to have lifted her up to be groomed by the Covens ov tha Grid to become a goddess that would be worshiped in place of the Great Architect ov tha Universe.

  Alexis turns to a picture of the Priestess ov Mars.

  ALEXIS

  She was said to have been the most beautiful woman that the Alchemists ov tha Forgotten Realms ever created and that once she became an object of worship in place of the Great Architect ov tha Universe she desired to become even greater than Oblivion.

  Alexis turns the page to an illustration of Oblivion.

  ALEXIS

  The story goes that the Priestess ov Mars betrayed Oblivion and stole the Codex Magicka from him.

  With it she was supposed to have had him imprisoned in the Void.

  One of the many forgotten realms.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Sounds like a real bitch.

  ALEXIS

  Oblivion cursed her for it and turned her into a black widow spider with the last few pages of the Codex Magicka that he had torn from the book.

  The pages were torn from it so that no Alchemist would ever truly know all ov its secrets without the aid of Oblivion.

  These pages became known as the Scrolls ov Skeleton Bones and were locked inside the Void along with him.

  Alexis flips the page.

  ALEXIS

  Her followers say she crawled into the Hollow Earth to hide her ugliness and that she lives in the caverns underneath the pyramid.

  Alexis looks at the city lights in the distance.

  ALEXIS

  That's why they call the town Hollow Point because its the point where she crawled into the Hollow Earth.

  Alexis motions to the Pyramid ov tha Priestess ov Mars.

  ALEXIS

  The pyramid is supposed to be built right over the top of the hole she crawled into.

  Officer Whistle Britches is mortified.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  You people are into some seriously creepy shit.

  The conversation is broken by the sound of 808 shooting at something.

  Junebug closes his eyes and shakes his head with a smirk on his face.

  It is a robotic bat shooting a pair of laser beams out of its eyes.

  The laser beams hit 808 right in the butt.

  808 grabs his butt in pain and dances around like his biscuits are burning as smoke pours off his rear end.

  The robotic bat lands on Alexis's shoulder.

  ALEXIS

  My, you're a Sassy lil' thing aren't you?

  Sassy squawks as Alexis scratches her under the chin and then flies back to her corner to lap up a bowl full of nectar.

  MINX

  Looks like you've got a new friend.

  808 mean-mugs Sassy.

  ALEXIS

  Where'd you get her?

  MINX

  Bug' made her from a couple ole' video game systems he had layin' around.

  Minx looks over at Junebug tinkering with his Grimoire while getting the Infinity ready to set sail.

  MINX

  You know him.

  He's always tinkerin' with something.

  ALEXIS

  I like her.

  She's cute.

  Like a itty-bitty tiny babies.

  Minx picks up her Grimoire and shows it to Alexis.

  MINX

  She's gotta homing beckon on her that let me know Bugs location when he's got to go out alone into the Bayou.

  ALEXIS

  Yeah, 808's got a similar implant.

  Alexis looks over at 808 rummaging through the books.

  ALEXIS

  Doesn't matter who you are know ah'days.

  Folks will snatch you up like its nobodies business.

  MINX

  Girl, tell me about it.

  The two of them giggle in unison.

  Officer Whistle Britches follows Junebug into the cockpit of the Infinity.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Lemme' ask you something', bug.

  JUNEBUG

  Shoot.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  How'd you come into a fine piece of hardware like this?

  Junebug smiles.

  JUNEBUG

  Stole it from the Occult Bureau.

  Verse XXV

  The name on the door reads Carlyle Manzini, CEO, Controlled Substances Inc.

  Manzini is looking at a huge Eyegasmatron in his office with Xavier's face streaming on it.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  I made you Thorn and I can unmake you!

  XAVIER

  Everything is fine.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  Everything, is not fine!

  Did you see what she did downtown!?!

  Manzini opens a window on his Eyegasmatron.

  It begins streaming the Status Quo and a video feed of Alexis engaged in battle with General Grindcore.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  She's like a one woman wrecking crew.

  Manzini tosses the remote to his Eyegasmatron into his chair.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  It
's like her PMS gives her super powers or something.

  Xavier is not impressed.

  XAVIER

  Scarzensky is taking care of it.

  Manzini points his finger at the screen.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  He'd better, otherwise our deal is off!

  XAVIER

  There's no turning back now Manzini.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  Our agreement was that in exchange for all the cheap labor I needed, I'd supply you with the chemicals you needed to refine your Star Dust!

  Manzini is foaming at the mouth he's screaming so loud.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  Nowhere in that did I agree to be part of an assassination or take part in a coup!

  Xavier is unphased.

  XAVIER

  Things have changed.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  Things have changed! Things have changed!

  The whole city is on the brink of collapse and all you can tell me is things have changed!

  XAVIER

  I told you once already, everything is fine.

  CARLYLE MANZINI

  It better be! Because if it isn't, I'm not going down alone when someone comes looking for someone to take the fall for all of this!

  Manzini ends the video feed.

  Inside the Capstone ov tha Pyramid ov tha Priestess ov Mars Xavier sees Manzini end the video feed on his Eyegasmatron.

  He looks at Mystre the High Priest ov tha Cults ov tha Priestess ov Mars who is standing by his side.

  XAVIER

  Summon LaReaux.

  Mystre bows his head in acknowledgment and begins to exit the capstone of the Pyramid ov tha Priestess ov Mars.

  Verse XXVI

  The Infinity begins to approach the entrance to the huge tunnel that leads into the sewer system underneath the Death Factory.

  Scanners patrol the bayou alongside Enforcer Drones in patrol boats called Dreadnought's.

  Some are in modified Think Tanks called Night Crawlers.

  Some are on modified ATV's called Bush Hawg's.

  They are looking for any trace of the Infinity and her crew.

  On the main deck of the Infinity Officer Whistle Britches is singing softly to himself.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Row, row, row your boat.

  Gently down the stream.

  Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

  808 is finishing rolling up on a blunt on his Grimoire.

  He wipes the shake off his screen an begins to scribble something on it.

  808 walks up to Officer Whistle Britches and points to a cloud of nauseous gas coming from the Death Factory as he hands the Grimoire to Officer Whistle Britches.

  Officer Whistle Britches slowly reads it aloud.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Smells like goblin fart's.

  Junebug wiggles his nose like a bunny rabbit.

  JUNEBUG

  That ain't no lie.

  808 sits down beside Junebug in the cockpit and lights the blunt up.

  After a big hit he exhales and passes it to Junebug.

  JUNEBUG

  Mess got Hollow Point smellin' like ah' dirty diaper, mane'.

  Along the shoreline the Infinity passes by several old shacks that have been abandoned.

  They resemble sno-cone stands.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Damn shame all this pollution.

  I used to come out here and fish when I was a boy.

  The search light of a Dreadnought passes over the Infinity.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  I remember when they first started cracking down on what people were growing out here and started moving everybody into the city.

  JUNEBUG

  Yeah, I remember it too.

  Junebug clicks the auto-pilot button and leans back in his chair.

  JUNEBUG

  My momma used to say when you tell someone what they can or can't grow on their land it's only a matter of time before you tell em' what they can or can't do in their own home, and before long you'll be being told how you can and can't take care of your family, and pretty soon the law el' get so brazen that they'll tell you what you can and can't do with your own body, and then have the audacity to act like you're not fit to think for yourself.

  Junebug looks over at Officer Whistle Britches.

  JUNEBUG

  She used to tell me when you ain't allowed to think for yourself your a slave, don't matter how much money you have or what you believe.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Sounds like a wise old woman.

  JUNEBUG

  She was.

  Further down the main deck of the Infinity Alexis is by herself standing next to the guardrail.

  Minx can see tha something is on her mind.

  MINX

  What cha' thinkin' bout', baby?

  ALEXIS

  Nuthin'.

  Alexis grabs the locket around her neck.

  MINX

  You still love him, don't chu'?

  ALEXIS

  Like cookie dough.

  Minx smiles.

  MINX

  When they triflin' you can't help but love em' twice as much.

  The Infinity begins to make its way into the tunnels of the sewer that lead underneath the Death Factory.

  An old chain linked fence dangles from around its hole with a dirty No Trespassing sign hanging from one of its links.

  Junebug overhears the conversation between Alexis and Minx.

  JUNEBUG

  Shouldn't matter how triflin' he was.

  After that ass whoopin' he gave ya', you'd figga' you'd never wanna lay eyes on that fool again.

  Officer Whistle Britches walks up to Alexis still holding the locket in her hand.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  So why'd he hit you?

  Officer Whistle Britches begins to crawfish a little.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  That is if you don't mind me asking?

  ALEXIS

  He was addicted to Skull Flowers.

  Alexis lets the locket go and puts her hands on the rail.

  ALEXIS

  So I took all of em' he was growing in the garden and burned em'.

  When he came home and saw that they were missin', I told him I wanted him to quit or I was leavin'.

  Alexis drops her head and closes her eyes.

  ALEXIS

  He just stood there all silent and wouldn't say a word so I started to walk off and when I did he tried to grab me by the arm.

  I pulled away because I was angry and when I did he lost his grip and I went tumblin' down the stairs.

  Alexis raises her head and opens her eyes.

  ALEXIS

  He didn't beat me up.

  I just let everyone think he did because I wanted to get back at him for puttin' something like that before me and the baby.

  Sassy begins to squawk and cry out.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  What is it?

  Junebug looks down at his radar.

  JUNEBUG

  The Raven!

  Officer Whistle Britches panics.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  I thought you said we were cloaked!

  The Raven, a black jet piloted by Special Agents Scarzensky, swoops by and opens fire on the Infinity.

  The Infinity almost blows up.

  JUNEBUG

  We are!

  Assault and Battery come running up fast beside the Infinity on two Shredders, small heavily-armed jet-ski's.

  Several Drones pilot several gunboats called, H.Y.D.R.A.'s

  Hydroponic Yield Destruction Reconnaissance Administration vehicle's

  There is a swarm of Scanners in miniature gun ships called W.A.S.P.'s

  Wetland Aerial Solo Patrol

  The Raven blasts the Infinity.

  The Infinity is blown up against the walls of the sewer system.
>
  Anything in the Infinity's path is crushed to bits.

  The deck of the Infinity opens up.

  Several laser seated canons called Torrents ascend from below deck.

 

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