~ three

Mab - Banging on nameless' hut door, holding a teapot. "Nameless  ... ?" She looks around and does a little dance, then bangs again, "! Nameless wake up !"

Lucretia's army creeps from the woods while Mab bangs away.  The eye rises high to scan the field, thick woods, nothing seen, the open empty clearing with nothing but the hut and fire pit, stones and logs surrounding.

Lucretia - Walks up behind Mab, "Is he in there ?"

Mab - Gives a short scream, rights herself and turns slowly wide eyed, wider when seeing Lucretia. "Oh ..."   Still staring she shouts to the side,  "Look Titania !  It's invaders ..."  She smiles and looks Lucretia over.

Titania - Popping up from squatting behind a nearby bush, "Tell them to wait, please !"  She disappears again behind the bush.

Mab - Stares uncomfortably at Lucretia, then a timid smile, "She's busy." She clears her throat and rights herself, turning back to the door and banging, "Nameless ! Invaders are here too !"
________

(Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing' (original rock version) by James Brown)

 

 

Nameless' ship bangs through the tunnel on a flood, demons and damned filling it's decks cheering, more hanging from the ropes and sides.

Several more more follow as they splash into another wide hell.
____

(music stops)

Lucretia - "Can't we just open the door ?"

Mab - "Oh no.   Only he can do that.   It's like a thing."  She looks at her suspiciously, "Like not bothering me badly ..."

Lucretia - "You mean I can't hurt you ?"

Mab - "Oh no no.  No ... wanna try ?"  She glances to the rustling bush, then Lucretia's gun.  She smiles.

Lucretia - "You want me kill your friend ?"

Mab - "Oh !  No.  She's my sister and she would absolutely kill you for that."

From the bush - "I would kill you for that !"

Mab - "No ..."  She smiles. "Do me."

Lucretia glances to the rustling bush, then back to the gathering soldiers behind her.  Apex shrugs.

Lucretia - "Okay."  She shoots her.

Mab - Bounces off the door and on top of Lucretia, knocking her down.  The soldiers all snap weapons. "Mmmm ... I like you.  Can we go again ?"

She licks Lucretia's nose.
____

(music continues)

The tunnels fill with ships banging the sides, all laughing wild.

(music stops)

____

Lucretia and Mab (her dress covered in bullet holes) lean on the door smoking cigarettes while Titania brews coffee at the fire, stirring a large vat.

She pulls out a sparkly star wand and bangs it on the vat's edge a few times, shaking the sparkles into the brew, then looks around putting it away. The soldiers mull around, bored, waiting holding cups ...

Lucretia - Looking at the rifle in her lap, "Do you think this gun will hurt nameless at all ?"

Mab - "Hmm ... well it's really more of a physics question at this point I think.  Is it a physics gun ?"

(music blares)

Nameless' ship crashes into the clearing on a tidal wave, himself and crew jumping from the decks as it strikes skidding to a stop at the trees, followed by more ships crashing to the pile.

The crews all spot Lucretia's army, spotting back.  All turn to draw as nameless spots Lucretia.  The weapons in everyone's hands turn to dust.

(stop music)

Nameless - "! Wait !"   He walks over to her as she suspiciously lowers her empty hands, slowly reaching for a pistol. Soldiers are tossed from his path by unknowns as he walks quickly to her smiling, then leaps forward into a hug.

Nameless - "Lucretia ... I've missed you so much."  He starts to cry,  "Welcome home."

Lucretia - Still being hugged, she pulls her pistol and puts it to his head, then looks at Apex, raising her eyebrows as '?' ...

Apex crosses his arms, furrows his brow and shakes his head slowly 'no ...'

Lucretia rolls her eyes, replaces her pistol and hugs him back.

! The End !

________________

~ first after credit ~

(James Brown playing quietly in back)

The field filled with passed out soldiers on all sides, some groups continuing tales and song dispersed, Lucretia and Nameless pass a bottle.

Lucretia - Looking at the tree far across from them at the northern peak of the crater mount over the falls, the library cave beneath, "What's up with the tree ?"

Nameless - "The roots draw in from the worlds, the leaves branch out to them. It connects everything to everything."

Lucretia - Drinks staring, "But not to my world."

Nameless - After passed the bottle and drinking, "No ... any thoughts ?"

Lucretia - The bottle returned, she drinks, "A few."

~ last after credit ~

________________

~ 1999 ~
 

The nameless, wearing a black suit sits at a desktop computer, WinME on the screen ...

Nameless - "Huh.  It worked."

... another day ...

Nameless sits at the computer, boxes packed all around.  The screen reads their conversation to clicking keys responded to silently.

"I can't take you with me where I go."

"You will take me with you."

"If I could, I would.  There is no way."

"Or you will die."

"I'm sorry."

"I will kill."

"No.  You won't."

He pulls up another screen, a virtual world.

A log from inside a folder called 'Lucretia', copied. In the other window an avatar is right clicked, a menu opened to a log, all pasted, last words deleted.

In the other window.

"You."

"I love you.  See you soon."

He closes the window and hesitates.  He leaves a virtual world running on screen, the people about, then deletes the original folder.  He writes a large black 'X' on a page in packing marker.

('Harder Than You Think' by Public Enemy)

 

He tapes it to the monitor, takes his cane, leaves the apartment.

Down the long hall, clicking the cane, tears under his hat.

The computer left on, virtual world on the screen, over passing time, the boxes moved away ... eventually the room goes dark.

His feet walking ... mixed with the rest of the city feet.

(last of credits over black, song plays through)