STRIKE #5

STRIKE #5

*OBSIDIAN wakes up, tied to a chair, in what looks to be a bunker of some kind.*

OBSIDIAN: Hm?

What the-?

Oh shit!

*TOMMY turns the chair OBSIDIAN is tied to face him.*

TOMMY: Good morn’n.

OBSIDIAN: Tommy. Why am I here?

TOMMY: Boss wanted ya.

But you did break the code so the three of us got free rein over ya until the boss gets here.

OBSIDIAN: Who’s your new boss?

TOMMY: No offense but I don’t think yer in the right position ter be ask’n any questions.

*TOMMY gestures to JAY and JACK behind OBSIDIAN with a baseball bat and a crowbar, TOMMY pulls out a pocket knife and cuts the side of OBSIDIANs face.*

TOMMY: Now let's make that lovely costume of yers match yer nice red hair.

*Panel shows “off screen” screams as TOMMY, JAY and JACK torture OBSIDIAN.*

OBSIDIAN: Aaaahhhhh!!!

MEANWHILE

*THE ACTOR, CREAMPUFF, BLURRY FACE and SPECTRE group up back at the HQ. THE ACTOR paces the room in anxious thought, BLURRY FACE and SPECTRE sit at the table CREAMPUFF is sitting on.*

CREAMPUFF: I’m sure they’re fine.

They could have just run away to avoid that whole broken code punishment thing.

Or maybe there wasn’t really one anyway.

THE ACTOR: No, there is a code. Both Obsidian and that goon brought it up.

*THE ACTOR puts a hand to their head.*

THE ACTOR: Oh gods, this was a bad idea.

Blurry Face, do you know anything about this code?

BLURRY FACE: Oh yeah! Not good.

THE ACTOR: *Sarcastically* Very helpful.

BLURRY FACE: Eh, sorry.

The code that they were referring to is probably the Vapira code.

SPECTRE: Vapira?

BLURRY FACE: Yes.

Vapira was a member of nobility in the 1400s before falling into a forbidden love with a knight from another kingdom.

CREAMPUFF: Romantic, but not helpful.

BLURRY FACE: Just listen.

Vapira and the knight were both banished from Vapira’s home kingdom and the village people were sent to hunt the two of them like animals on order of the king and queen as a punishment for treason. 

THE ACTOR: Well that’s brutal.

BLURRY FACE: The villagers caught the knight and, legend says they burnt them alive outside the kingdom walls so Vapira had view of the sight.

SPECTRE: I think I’ve heard this story before…

I’ve read theories that Vapira went to a witch after the knights execution to bring her true love back to the land of the living.

BLURRY FACE: Those theories are just tall tales, lies to tell at a campfire to scare your friends. 

CREAMPUFF: And how does this relate to the code exactly?

*BLURRY FACE looks CREAMPUFF dead in the eyes.*

BLURRY FACE: If someone breaks the Vapira code by either quitting before their contract allows or working with the enemies side…

…Then its considered an act of treason against the cities criminal underground.

They will send out any villains, goons or henchmen to have full rein over what to do the the code breaker.

This can be torture, perminant injury or sometimes even…

…Death.

THE ACTOR: Oh Gods…

We need to get Obsidian out of there now.

BLURRY FACE: Out of where exactly? We still have no clue where they could have gone.

SPECTRE: And, um, I checked all security cameras around The Tipsy Possum…

…Whoever took Obsidian must have avoided the cameras…

CREAMPUFF: So what your saying is we have no lead.

*All of a sudden TELEPORTER comes running through the HQs front door not noticing the heroes inside. TELEPORTER looks like they are trying to hide from someone.*

BLURRY FACE: Woah…

SPECTRE: Um…

Hi there.

*TELEPORTER turns around slowly.*

TELEPORTER: Sorry I didn’t know anyone was in here…

Ah! Heroes! Oh, maybe you can help me!

CREAMPUFF: *Under her breath* Why’d it have to be him…?

*THE ACTOR gives CREAMPUFF a nudge to stop talking.*

THE ACTOR: What is it you need help with?

TELEPORTER: I saw something I shouldn’t have and now a bunch of bad guys are trying to kidnap me!

THE ACTOR: Ok, ok. I’m going to need you to calm down, alright.

What was it that you saw?

TELEPORTER: I think I witnessed a kidnapping.

*The team of heroes a give each other a look.*

THE ACTOR: Can you tell me what the person being kidnapped looked like?

TELEPORTER: Yes! It was Obsidian, the villain. I recognized them from their hair it’s kind of hard to miss.

*BLURRY FACE looks at CREAMPUFF.*

BLURRY FACE: There’s our lead.

CREAMPUFF: Perfect timing.

THE ACTOR: I’m going to need you to tell me everything you know.

LATER:

*OBSIDIAN is left bruised and bloody, very limb, as a knock is heard on the door of the observatory. TOMMY, JAY and JACK answer the door and a figure in a black hooded cloak walks in, the three goons bow. The HOODED FIGURE points to OBSIDIAN and speaks in monotone.*

HOODED FIGURE: Is that them?

TOMMY: Yes, it-it-it-it is er uh sir.

*The HOODED FIGURE walks past the goons and towards OBSIDIAN.*

JACK: Will the be here, or is it just you?

*The HOODED FIGURE turns back to JACK.*

JACK: Sir, sir?

HOODED FIGURE: No. 

The Greater Being will not be joining us this evening. I have been sent alone to retrieve the…

*The HOODED FIGURE pauses and stares at OBSIDIAN silently for a long moment.*

TOMMY: Uh, sir?

Sir? You alright?

*The HOODED FIGURE snaps out of his daze.*

HOODED FIGURE: The captive. 

To retrieve the captive.

TOMMY: Er, yes, uh ok, sir.

I’ll send me boys, Jay and Jack to get the-the ropes…

…You you want us to er, knock em out too, sir?

HOODED FIGURE: No.

I want them to walk themselves to the van.

Untie them.

*All, including OBSIDIAN, look to the HOODED FIGURE in surprise and confusion.*

HOODED FIGURE: That was an order.

TOMMY: Uh, er, right, sir.

*TOMMY gestures to JAY and JACK to untie OBSIDIAN and they do. Once untied, OBSIDIAN throws a weak punch at the HOODED FIGURE who catches their fist and kicks them in the gut.*

OBSIDIAN: Ga- er…

HOODED FIGURE: Start walking.

MEANWHILE

*The team follow TELEPORTER through the back alleys of the old part of town.*

TELEPORTER: I saw them go in there.

*TELEPORTER points to the old observatory.*

THE ACTOR: The observatory…

CREAMPUFF: You look like you know this place.

THE ACTOR: I do, this was Obsidian’s old hideout.

BLURRY FACE: Hey guys, I think its no or never.

*BLURRY FACE points to the van driving away from the observatory.*

THE ACTOR: Let’s move.