Skull Flowers Read online

  Floppy barks at everything he can see in a playful manner.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Floppy, sit down!

  Floppy cops a squat and goes to licking Officer Whistle Britches in the face.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  That's a good, boy!

  Yes, he is.

  That's ah' my buddy.

  Officer Whistle Britches rounds the corner to the loading dock.

  He is blocked by several Transports of the Occult Bureau.

  Exiting out of the back of the Transports are Drones, robotic foot soldiers of the Occult Bureau.

  The Drones empty out in to formation in front of Special Agent Scarzensky.

  Everyone is suddenly startled and looks in the direction of Officer Whistle Britches when they hear the tires of the Podcaster come to a screeching halt.

  SPECIAL AGENT SCARZENSKY

  Get him!

  Officer Whistle Britches slams the Podcaster into reverse.

  Assault and Battery, Special Agent Scarzensky's right hand men, open fire on the Podcaster.

  They blow the Podcaster's back windshield out.

  Battery throws a small Defragmentation Grenade at the Podcaster.

  The Defragmentation Grenade sends a distortion field rippling through the loading dock.

  The distortion field ends just behind the Podcaster.

  The electrical system inside the Podcaster begins to flicker like it is about to shut off.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  No! No! No! Come On!

  Officer Whistle Britches struggles to keep the Podcaster from breaking down.

  The Podcaster almost turns off when Officer Whistle Britches slams the power pedal to the floor.

  The electrical system recovers.

  Officer Whistle Britches can see Battery stomping in disgust in the Podcaster's rear view mirror.

  Assault and Battery mount their ATV's known as Grave Digger's and begin their pursuit.

  They are accompanied by several Drones on their own ATV's known as Crossbones.

  Assault and Battery are gaining on him fast.

  Officer Whistle Britches pulls out of the parking lot and on to the Super Highway.

  The Podcaster is too slow to get away and is soon boxed in by the Drones on Crossbones.

  Several blades extend from the tires of the Grave Digger Assault is riding on.

  They began to slash the tires on the Podcaster.

  Floppy barks furiously to scare Battery away.

  FLOPPY

  Woof! Woof! Woof!

  Battery laughs hysterically as the tires on the Podcaster blow.

  The Podcaster is sent flying end over end in to a deep ditch beside the Super Highway.

  A huge explosion comes rushing out of the ditch.

  The Podcaster begins to smolder.

  It looks like no one is left alive.

  Assault and Battery head back towards the Crystal Ball laughing like madmen.

  ASSAULT AND BATTERY

  …ahahahahahahahahaha!

  Verse V

  Back in the Skybox the Grimoire-Mini in the Marquis Van Gogh's pocket begins to vibrate.

  He slowly slides it out of his pocket and looks at the text message on the screen.

  It reads, *322*

  MARQUIS VAN GOGH

  If you'll excuse me.

  The Marquis Van Gogh begins to eek by like he is about to squeeze the cheese.

  MARQUIS VAN GOGH

  Nature calls.

  Governor Champagne waves the Marquis Van Gogh off.

  DUCHESS WARBURG

  Perhaps you should here him out.

  He seemed to be sincere.

  GOVERNOR CHAMPAGNE

  That my dear duchess is caca.

  Governor Champagne rolls his eyes into the back of his head.

  GOVERNOR CHAMPAGNE

  If Xavier were anymore full of crap his tongue would surely turn into a cow pasture.

  The Duchess is dismayed.

  DUCHESS WARBURG

  All I'm saying is that you should be nicer to the boy, that's all.

  He did date that daughter of yours at one point you know.

  GOVERNOR CHAMPAGNE

  And, he beat her like a dog.

  The Duchess Warburg sits straight up.

  DUCHESS WARBURG

  Oh!

  The Duchess Warburg begins to slouch back down.

  DUCHESS WARBURG

  I had no idea.

  Verse VI

  Inside Abracadabra’s Arcade Alexis dies while playing a game of Girls vs. Robots

  ALEXIS

  Dead-gummit!

  Alexis kicks the coin-op.

  She holds up her fingers like she is measuring something teeny-tiny.

  ALEXIS

  I was this close to beating the game.

  She glances back at the screen with GAME OVER written all over it and sighs.

  ALEXIS

  Oh, well. Let's go get something to drink.

  808 nods in agreement.

  He walks over to a 1-Up Energy Drink machine, and swipes a black card engraved with the word S.C.R.I.L.L.A.

  Two, 1-Up Energy Drink's come out of the vending machine.

  808 takes a sip of his and passes the other to Alexis.

  ALEXIS

  Thank you.

  They toast.

  Alexis looks down at her XOXO to see what time it is.

  ALEXIS

  Come on 808.

  We need to get back to the Skybox.

  The fashion show will be starting soon.

  Alexis and 808 exit the arcade onto the mezzanine underneath a large neon sign to Abracadabra's Arcade.

  Everyone is scurrying along to their seats in anticipation of the fashion show.

  Alexis and 808 bob and weave through the crowd.

  Alexis looks down at 808 and panics.

  She can hear the applause and cheers of everyone in the Pelican Ballroom as Destiny takes her seat and the fashion show begins.

  ALEXIS

  We're going to miss it!

  Right before they get to the elevator a explosion blows the elevator doors right off their hinges.

  Alexis and 808 are blown flat on their backs.

  The explosion is so fierce that it shakes loose the sign to Abracadabra's Arcade causing it to swing violently.

  Alexis and 808 struggle to their feet and are nearly trampled.

  They stagger towards the staircase that leads to the Skybox.

  Through the smoke and the fire Alexis can make out the faces of the Orphans ov Doom that have begun to swarm into the Crystal Ball and open fire on the crowd.

  Lead by Special Agent Scarzensky the Occult Bureau's Drones, armed with machine guns called Baphomet's also begin to flood the Crystal Ball.

  One by one they pick off the Orphans ov Doom.

  The stairwell is filled with smoke and people shoving each other to escape the massacre.

  Alexis enters the Skybox.

  She sees Viirus the leader of the Orphans ov Doom blow Governor Champagne's brains out.

  ALEXIS

  Noooo!

  Governor Champagne's dead body slumps to the floor.

  One of the Orphans ov Doom tries to butt-stroke her with his machine gun.

  Alexis dodges it and punches him in the face and then spin kicks him knocking him out cold.

  Alexis pick up his gun and begins shooting the Orphans ov Doom standing in her way.

  As she approaches Viirus he raises his gun, points it at his own head, and then commits suicide.

  A Drone armed with a stun baton known as a Circuit Breaker knocks Alexis out.

  A second Drone try's to grab 808.

  808 manages to break free from his grip by shooting him in the face with a black galaxy marble from his slingshot.

  A third Drone try's to trap him in a electronic net called a Trip Wire.

  808 dodges the Trip Wire and runs away into a nearby plume of smoke.

 
People pour out of the Crystal Ball and into the valet with smoke pouring out behind them.

  The Marquis Van Gogh emerges along with them, unharmed.

  MARQUIS VAN GOGH

  They've killed the Governor!

  The Governor is dead!

  Verse VII

  Inside the studios of WXTZ Channel 13 a Special Emergency Bulletin appears on screen.

  STATION ANNOUNCER

  WXTZ Channel 13 interrupts your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special bulletin.

  Johnny Lyes sits behind his desk being powdered.

  The special emergency bulletin comes off the screen.

  JOHNNY LYES

  We've just received word that Governor Champagne has been assassinated.

  Lolita Sanchez is LIVE on the scene with more.

  LIVE video begins to stream from outside the Crystal Ball.

  JOHNNY LYES

  Lolita, what can you tell us?

  LOLITA SANCHEZ

  Johnny, I'm here with the acting Chairman of the House Narcotics Investigative Committee the Marquis Van Gogh who was inside the Crystal Ball when the assassination took place.

  The Marquis Van Gogh appears on screen.

  LOLITA SANCHEZ

  Chairman, what did you see?

  Who killed Governor Champagne?

  A streaming video of Viirus killing Governor Champagne execution style begins to stream on screen.

  MARQUIS VAN GOGH

  It was the Orphans of Doom in a brazen terrorist attack against the House ov Cards.

  LOLITA SANCHEZ

  Will you be taking over as the head of the Checkmate Club?

  MARQUIS VAN GOGH

  Yes, until other arrangements can be made I will be the acting head of the Checkmate Club.

  JOHNNY LYES

  And, what of the Armada's presence in the area?

  What are we to make of that?

  A bio-hazard logo appears on screen.

  LOLITA SANCHEZ

  General Grindcore has issued a statement that there is a parish wide quarantine under effect and a mandatory vaccination has been ordered by Judge Thorn as we speak.

  JOHNNY LYES

  Does the chairman have any final words?

  LOLITA SANCHEZ

  Yes, he does.

  Lolita Sanchez places the microphone back in front of the Marquis Van Gogh.

  MARQUIS VAN GOGH

  It is important that every citizen in Hollow Point cooperate fully with the Armada during the quarantine.

  The vaccinations can and will save your life if you come in contact with any chemical or biological weapons that the Orphans ov Doom might have unleashed.

  Verse VIII

  In the ditch of the Super Highway Officer Whistle Britches is covered in soot.

  He try's to crawl out from the wreckage of the Podcaster.

  Inside the Podcaster, Floppy lays nearly lifeless.

  Sparks shoot from Floppy's body.

  Floppy's tongue hangs out of the side of his mouth.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  It's gonna be alright boy.

  Just lay still.

  Floppy licks him on the cheek and his eyes begin to close.

  Officer Whistle Britches wipes a single tear from his eye.

  He gets up and begins his long crawl out of the ditch.

  Verse IX

  Outside the Crystal Ball 808 jukes and jives through a vaccination line full of people in the hope that no one will notice.

  The ringtone on 808's Grimoire begins to go off.

  808 clicks the screen.

  Officer Whistle Britches appears on screen.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Scarzensky and his goons killed my dog man!

  They were planning some kind of terrorist attack!

  I saw the whole thing!

  They tried to kill me!

  808 motions for Officer Whistle Britches to be quiet and calm down.

  808 clicks the camera button of his Grimoire and starts streaming a video so that Whistle Britches can see what is going on.

  A protester is resisting his vaccination.

  CITIZEN BYSTANDER

  I've got rights!

  You're violating my civil rights!

  I ain't taking that shot!

  Three Mercenaries ov tha Armada begin to beat him down for not complying.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  I'm sending you my location.

  A map appears in the corner of the screen of 808's Grimoire.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  I need you to come and pick me up.

  Verse X

  808 peaks around the corner of the Crystal Ball’s parking garage.

  A robotic bomb sniffing dog with a collar that reads Killer is being lead around on a leash by a Drone.

  Killer spots 808 and goes bonkers.

  808 begins to run.

  The Drone unleashes Killer.

  808 starts slipping and falling like something out of a nightmare.

  Killer is almost there.

  808 gets to the Shadow Runner and puts his hand on the window.

  The window of the Shadow Runner scans 808's hand and recognizes him.

  The Shadow Runner unlocks.

  808 jumps inside just as Killer gets to him.

  Killer try's to claw the paint off the exterior of the Shadow Runner.

  808 gives him the middle finger and then throws the Shadow Runner into drive.

  Verse XI

  808 peels out of the parking garage and onto the entrance ramp of the Super Highway.

  Before long 808 spots Officer Whistle Britches sitting on the side of the road.

  He slows down to pick him up.

  Officer Whistle Britches opens the door to the Shadow Runner.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  I saw it all 808!

  He jumps into the passenger seat.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Look, I've got video!

  Whistle Britches starts streaming the video of Scarzensky in the loading dock.

  808 squints his eyes.

  Officer Whistle Britches clicks the ESP button on his Grimoire-mini.

  The video instantly sync's and begins streaming on the Grimoire Mobile in the dash of the Shadow Runner.

  808's eyes light up when he sees what Officer Whistle Britches has recorded.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  See, I told you.

  808 pulls out a stylus that looks like a black crayon and begins to write something on his Grimoire.

  He hands the Grimoire to Officer Whistle Britches.

  Officer Whistle Britches reads back slowly what 808 has written.

  OFFICER WHISTLE BRITCHES

  Put your seat belt on.

  808 mashes the power pedal of the Shadow Runner to the floor and they race off as Officer Whistle Britches scrambles to put his seat belt on.

  Verse XII

  Inside the Occult Bureau’s Drone Transport Alexis sits alone handcuffed with Charm Bracelet's.

  Scarzensky's Roach runs along the ceiling of the Transport and under the bench in corner across from Alexis.

  A heart shaped necklace hangs down between her legs as she slumps over.

  It opens slightly to reveal a picture of her with Xavier.

  The Shadow Runner races up slowly behind the Transport.

  808 reaches underneath the driver's seat of the Shadow Runner.

  He pulls out two Uzi's, the MK Ultra Mark I and the MK Ultra Mark II.

  808 motions to Officer Whistle Britches to take the wheel.

  808 starts to crawl out the window of the Shadow Runner.

  Whistle Britches scrambles to take the wheel.

  The Shadow Runner pulls up beside the Transport.