Warning: May contain mature themes and some language. Parental discretion is advised. If any parents are reading this, now is the time for them to get to bed. Or stay. We don't care.

Disclaimer: I do not Revolutionary Girl Utena or any other characters besides Ebony Dent
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Virtual Star Embryology Part One

The Warrior of a Fallen Kingdom

Dedicated to My Grandma, May She Rest In Peace


Planet Krypton, Metropolis, New York, Earth-22

Man:
I ordered this over an hour and a half ago! And now it’s ice cold.

Ebony:
I’m sorry sir. Most of the staff has been out sick and we’re shorthanded today. If you’d like something else-

Man:
Forget it. I’m leaving, but I won’t pay for it.

<The short-tempered man gets up in a huff, takes his jacket from the girl at the coat-rack>

Ebony:
Thank you, come again…

<The man slams the glass doors behind him, shaking some of the items in the display cases>

Ebony:
Asshole.

(That’s me, Ebony Dent. I’m seventeen and this is the world I live in. I work as a waitress at a theme restaurant called Planet Krypton. The outfit I am currently wearing is part of the theme here. Besides being stockpiled with pieces of superhero history, the staff has to dress up like superheroes. As luck would have it I got stuck wearing a Rac Shade costume. Almost no one knows who that is and it gets really frustrating having to tell them who he is. It’s like explaining nuclear physics to a dead parrot)

<Flashback>

Ebony:
Hello, welcome to Planet Krypton, may I take your order?

Man:
What superhero are you supposed to be?

Ebony:
I’m Shade.

Man:
I thought that was Shade.

The man points to a waiter dressed like the Shade.

Ebony:
No, that’s the Shade. I’m Shade the Changing Man, there’s a difference.

Man:
What’s the difference?

Ebony:
The Shade controls darkness. I control madness and for some reason go through different hairstyles every five minutes. And I even used to own a hotel.

Man:
How can you control madness?

Ebony:
It’s the jacket.

Man:
Why can it control madness?

Ebony:
Because it was made in a place called Meta.

Man:
What’s Meta?

Ebony:
I have no idea. So, what would you-

Man:
Are you from Meta?

Ebony:
Yes.

Man:
So how could you not know?

Ebony:
Because the last person who had this costume lost the description and for some reason involving a microwave and a poodle, no one likes to talk about him. All the information I got came from the boss, and he nearly threw up when he saw me wearing this.

Man:
What happened to your hotel?

Ebony:
I burnt it down for the insurance money, then squandered it on internet stock. That’s how I got this wonderful job. Anything else, or are you ready to order?

Man:
Yeah, why are you wearing a man’s costume?

Ebony:
Because I can’t afford the surgery.

Man:
Really? Me too!

<End Flashback>

(At least the parrot doesn’t respond)

<Ebony takes the plate of cold food back to the kitchen. The chef, Tony, is dressed up like Robotman, and is looking exhausted>

Tony:
What? Another one?

Ebony:
Sorry, Tony, the guy walked out without bothering to pay. Didn’t even taste it.

Tony:
Guess that’s more for Russell to take to the homeless shelter.

Ebony:
I guess. Whose next?

Tony:
The high school girl at table ten, and the family of five at table twelve.

Ebony:
I though that was Joe’s table.

Tony:
It was…

<The sounds of puking can be heard in the back alley>

Tony:
Until about three minutes ago.

(I sighed)

Ebony:
You have to ask yourself why people keep coming to a restaurant where half the staff is losing their lunch.

Tony:
If you can answer that then you can answer why McDonalds managed to stay open for so long.

Ebony:
It’s because of all the mind-altering drugs they slip in those chemically processed burgers.

<Tony laughs. At that moment Shana, another waitress dressed like Catwoman, runs into the kitchen. She is looking quite flustered>

Shana:
You guys, it’s a madhouse out there. Where are Joe and Jackson?

Tony:
Jackson just took the order for tables two, three, and eight.

Shana:
Well where’s Joe?!

(I stick my finger in my mouth and make a gag noise)

Shana:
Not another one! Why didn’t Mike just close for the day?

Ebony:
Calm down. Here, I’ll take the next order. What’s next, Tony?

Tony:
Besides ten and twelve? Four, thirteen, six, seven, and twenty.

Ebony:
Looks like I picked the wrong day to quit steroids.

(I begin to load up the trays and start to rush out into the dining area. I run past to twelve, seven, six, and twenty, somewhat dripping some of the food of the tray. It feels like running a marathon. I accidentally bump into a woman and make her spill her drink on what has to be the ugliest dog I‘d ever seen)

Woman:
Hey!

Ebony:
Sorry!

(The dog begins to bark at me)

Woman:
You got Jingle Bell’s fur all messed up.

(Jingle Bell? Why didn’t she just name it Rosie O’Donnell instead? It‘s a dead ringer)

Ebony:
Terribly sorry. Shorthanded, out with flu, you get the gist. Oh, and we don’t let pets in here.

Woman:
Jingle Bell isn’t just a dog.

Ebony:
That’s a dog?!

Woman:
What did you think he is?

Ebony:
I can’t say in polite company.

(The woman begins scolding me while I run back to the kitchen. Shana must’ve taken the other food. Tony hands me the food for table ten, a cup of tea)

Ebony:
This is it? There is a God.

(That’s when the ground began to rumble and shake. Dishes, cups, and silverware fall to the floor. I spill the cup of tea all over myself but I don’t have time to notice how hot it is. People start screaming in the dining area. Parents holding on to their kids, people trying to squeeze out of the doorway, it‘s like Titanic.)

Shana:
What the hell is going on?!

(I already know the answer)

<A huge hole is blasted through the dining room wall. Someone cry out “It’s the End of the World!” Seven figures in bright costumes charge through and begin fighting one another, completely unaware of the people inside>

Tony:
Aw crap! Metahumans!

<Four of the figures that just entered Planet Krypton are known as the Creature Commandos, people mutated into horrible freaks by radiation. The other three are Nightstar, Manotaur, and Trix. The leader of the Commandos, Major Frankenstein, fires an electrical charge, from two battery packs sticking out of his shoulders, at Manotaur which sends him through the bathroom. Trix deals with two who resemble the Wolf Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, while Nightstar dukes out with Eyesore, who is completely covered in additional eyes which can fire energy blasts>

(I lose sight of Tony and Shana and raise my hands to shield myself from the blasts and make a run for the door. Then I notice a little girl amidst the rubble. Her parents must’ve left her in the confusion. She is about to be crushed by Major Frankenstein. I run out and grab her out of the way. Frankenstein does a nose dive into the Justice League display case along with Trix. The little girl is crying and bleeding from a wound on her forehead)

Little Girl:
I wan’ my mommy!

Ebony:
I know, honey! Just keep your head down!

(I hold the girl in my arms and shield her from any damage, then run out with her. I’m careful to dodge any energy blasts or oncoming projectiles. I hear my Shade costume get ripped when it snags on a broken table. By the time I get out of there and across the street one call already hear the police sirens when the place explodes. Someone  must’ve hit the gas mains!)

Ebony:
Shana! Tony!

(The only figures that come out of the burning heap are the metahumans. It’s like they’re just playing through. No. They are playing through. Every fight they have is just a game to them. They act like the entire world is just a big playground, regardless of the other people in it. Who would question them? When they have so much power at their disposal. Despite the sounds of the fire engines and people yelling, all I can hear is the little girl in my arms crying her eyes out and asking for her parents, along with the sound of my own thoughts. To most people, it would seem like the end of civilization. To me, this is Tuesday)

A Few Hours Later

<Inside a darkened studio. The lights suddenly flash on to reveal an elaborately decorated news room. We hear equipment being turned on, people running around and getting ready. All of them are teenage girls with obscured faces. Behind the news desk are five girls. One has two short pigtails that stick up. The second has her hair tied back. The third wears her hair in a ponytail. The fourth has her hair done up in what appears to be a TV antennae, and the fifth has lightning bolts sticking out of her hair. The camera-girl begins to signal them as they are about to go on air. Three, two, one…>

A-Ko:
Hi all of you out there in TV Land! It’s your five favorite girls, A-Ko!

B-Ko:
B-Ko!

C-Ko:
C-Ko!

E-Ko:
E-Ko!

F-Ko:
And F-Ko!

E-Ko:
Here at Channel Seven!

F-Ko:
Bringing you…

Together:
The Eight O’clock News!

A-Ko:
We thought we were out of work when the Big Bosses canceled us. Luckily…

B-Ko:
We were picked up at another station, here at SKU News, telling you, that’s right, you, about everything going on in the world.

C-Ko:
And not just news. We’ve got…

F-Ko (holding an umbrella in a rainstorm):
Weather…

E-Ko (in a director’s chair):
Movies…

A-Ko (To B-Ko‘s ear):
Gossip…

B-Ko (In a fine dress):
Culture…

C-Ko (In a monkey cage):
And monkeys!

<The other four stare at C-Ko, whose just jumped up on the news desk with her arms spread out wide>

Pause

A-Ko:
You’ve got problems.

<C-Ko falls off the desk and on her butt>

B-Ko:
Way to state the obvious.

E-Ko:
Anyway, for our first story, a local eating establishment in downtown Metropolis, Planet Krypton, burned to the ground when a metahuman fight that started up near the Daily Planet progressed further down the city. The seven metahumans in question, Nightstar, Trix, Manotaur, and the Creature Commandos continued their battle down to the Metropolis Harbor, where the Creature Commandos were then apprehended by a S.W.A.T. team, but the other three had already left the scene. Unfortunately, the number of casualties for today’s fight was a startling 34.

<The number 34 pops up on a screen behind E-Ko, BIG and bold>

F-Ko:
Earlier in the day, we sent one of our reporters live on the scene of the burning wreckage, to interview those who actually managed to get out in time.

<Picks up a videotape and pops it into a VCR, then turns it on>

F-Ko:
Here, we, go!

<The screen turns to static, then displays the still smoking wreckage of what was once Planet Krypton. There are paramedics tending to the wounded, firefighters spraying whatever burning wreckage is left, then chopping it up with axes. The police are getting statements from passersby, and C-Ko is standing in the center of the screen with a microphone, her face covered with a swirling rose symbol>

C-Ko (Footage):
I’m here live at what was once Planet Krypton, the second in a just-starting chain of dining establishments in Metropolis, run by former Justice Leaguer Michael Carter, a.k.a. Booster Gold.

(Writer’s Note: Yes, there were two Planet Kryptons. That’s for all those out there who like to nitpick. You know who you are. Especially that Guy in the Third Row!)

A-Ko:
You know, I once heard a rumor that he used to be married to this rich old lady who’d make him dress up like Wonder Woman! *tee hee*!

E-Ko:
Shh!

C-Ko (Footage):
As you can see behind me, this burning heap is all that is left from a vicious and unforeseen rampage brought on by the seven metahumans.

Police Officer (Footage):
Hey, whose that girl?

Paramedic (Footage):
And what the hell happened to her face?

<C-Ko turns to the paramedic and the officer, who look as if they’re about to throw up after looking at her face, still obscured by the rose symbol>

C-Ko (Footage):
Excuse me, Mr. Police Man, but can you tell our audience out there how bad the damage is?

Police Officer (Face a ghastly green) (Footage):
It’s, uh, well, it’s hard to say. We’ve discovered the bodies of most of the people who were in the diner at the time. From what we’ve been told, most of the staff was out sick today with the, the flu, so we could only find the bodies of some of the staff, including one Shana Cavanaugh, age 23, and Tony Rodriquez, age 28. So far we’re still checking for the bodies of anyone <forces back his gag reflex> else.

C-Ko (Footage):
Are you okay?

Police Officer (Footage):
Yeah, I’m fine.

C-Ko (Footage):
So how many managed to get out in time before the gas lines ignited?

Police Officer (Footage):
A couple of families, a high school girl, a young child, and an employee. We’re currently trying to find the child’s parents, but judging from how quickly the place ignited chances are slim.

<The paramedic in the footage bends over a what used to be a model Batplane and throws up>

A-Ko:
How awful!

F-Ko:
How could something like this happen?

E-Ko:
That’s what happens when you let people with too much power run wild like that.

B-Ko:
We now show you footage of our interviews with the survivors of the incident.

<The screen shows a man holding his wife, who is obviously in shock, and their two children hiding behind his legs and crying loudly>

C-Ko (Footage):
Sir, can you give us your opinion about what just happened here?

Man (Footage):
I’ve lived in Metropolis all my life, and when I was a kid we had real heroes who stopped stuff like this from happening. And now we’ve got these super powered maniacs running around, and no one does anything to stop them. Look at my family. For ten years we’ve been afraid to leave our homes during the day because something like this could happen. My kids have been home schooled all their lives and my wife spends all her time at home. This was the first time we ever went to eat together and look what happens!

<Next, C-Ko interviews a mother, who is with her teenaged son, dressed in punk clothing, and a baby in a harness on her chest>

Mother (Footage):
Think of the children!

C-Ko (Footage):
Yes. What about the children?

<C-Ko points her microphone into the teenager’s face>

C-Ko (Footage):
Young man, what would YOU like to tell the world about this awful tragedy?

Punk Teenager (Footage):
…eh.

C-Ko (Footage):
Obviously the trauma of what has just happened as left this boy unable to feel anything!

<The mother starts to sob loudly and the teenager rolls his eyes. Next up is Ebony, who has some cuts on her face and is still wearing the ripped Shade jacket, and is looking very pissed>

C-Ko (Footage):
What is your opinion on this awful acci-

Ebony (Footage):
Get that *BLEEP* camera out of my face!

A-Ko:
Huh? What’d she say?

C-Ko:
I don’t know, I couldn’t hear her over the bleep.

<C-Ko then turns her microphone over to the high school girl, who is completely unharmed>

C-Ko (Footage):
And finally, what is your opinion on what has occurred, miss?

High School Girl (Footage):
Oh I’m just glad that some people were able to get out of there at all.

C-Ko (Footage):
Hey, don’t I-

<The screen becomes static>

E-Ko:
Was that all you were able to record?

C-Ko:
Yes, unfortunately I couldn’t find any blank tapes, so I borrowed B-Ko’s! You know, the one she keeps in her room by her computer. But there wasn’t that much film.

B-Ko:
You used that tape?! I was making that video for my acting resume!

A-Ko:
Well you can’t blame her, you never label your things.

B-Ko:
So? Just because a video tape looks blank, that doesn’t mean it is.

Ebony:
It’s true what they say. The camera really does add on ten pounds.

<We are now inside Ebony’s apartment. She is watching SKU News from her living room on a black leather couch. She’s changed out of her work clothes, and is now wearing black tights and a long t-shirt which reads “Polly Polly Tinker Boy”. Her small cuts have anti-infection balm smoothed over them, and her hair has been brushed. The apartment is small, with only a living room/kitchen, a bedroom, and a bathroom. On her coffee table in front of the couch there is a vase of black orchids, which seem to be wilting, along with a phone and answering machine. There is a bookcase lined with the works of William Shakespeare and some movies. Spread on the coffee table is an open copy of Hamlet, a DVD of Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and some job-ads cut out of newspapers. The kitchen contains an oven, a refrigerator, a white sink, some cupboards, and a dishwasher. The bedroom merely has a bed with red covers and two pillows, and a wooden drawer which contains her cloths, and a locked closet. The bathroom only has a toilet, a bathtub, and a medicine cabinet with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a first-aid kit, and bandages>

(The world really is an awful place. How did mankind get to this point, I keep asking myself? You’d probably want to know, anyway, so I’ll tell you. This happened before I was born, but the world used to have real superheroes. Not just ones with power. People with amazing skills who wanted to help mankind from bizarre men and women who wanted to destroy it. And the greatest out of all of them was Superman. He used to live here in Metropolis. He could run faster then a speeding bullet, or jump over a building in a single bound. He was amazing. Everyone looked up to him. And then it happened. One day, a few years ago, when I was a little girl, a mass murdering clown who called himself the Joker killed ninety three people in the Daily Planet. Ninety two men and only one woman. Take a guess who. Go on. The police apprehended him, but that was when a new “hero” who called himself Magog did what Superman, or any other sane person, would never do. He blew a hole right through the Joker’s heart. People used to say they were surprised the Joker even had a heart. At his trial, Superman gave a passionate, and might I say well executed speech on how it is wrong to take a life. But Magog was acquitted, and in a public survey, he was voted the new Man of Tomorrow. Superman, in shame, retreated from the public, and Magog took his place as personal savior to the public. Smart move. Since then, every superhe-no, I can’t use that term to describe what these people are, if they can be called people. They followed Magog’s example of ultra brutality and have dedicated themselves to that cause. They don’t care about the public’s safety. Every day they cause more and more damage in their battles. Wives become widows. Children become orphans. Just like that little girl today. They never did find her parents. At least I could get her out, but I should‘ve done more. And now Shana and Tony and countless others are dead. What an awful, awful world)

<The clock on her wall begins to chime. Nine O’clock. Nine O’clock. Nine O’clock>

(Is it Nine already?)

Ebony:
Well, time to go to work.

(It really is an awful world. But I do my part to try and help it)

<Ebony gets up off her couch and stretches for a minute. She then turns the TV off and heads into her bedroom. She stands in front of the locked closet door, then slams her fist onto a part of the wall that comes loose and falls onto the floor. A secret compartment. She takes out a little silver key and slips it into the lock. She opens the door, then turns on a light. Inside there is a black suit and gloves on a rack and a mouth-less black mask with two eyeholes cut out. Below them are a pair of lace-up boots that are worn and old. On the wall in front of them is a mirror that covers the entire wall. The only other thing in the room is a picture frame, hanging on the bare, wooden wall. The picture contains Ebony, fifteen, and beside her is a beautiful woman with lavender skin, lavender hair, and lavender eyes. The two are smiling and holding one another in a sunlit embrace>

(Everyone has their secrets. This is mine)

<She walks up to the mirror, her eyes staring straight ahead at her own reflection, her eyes piercing back at her. She then slowly undresses herself. She removes the shirt and the tights, until only her bra and her underwear remain. Her body is perfect for that of a seventeen year-old. All except for one thing. The jagged, X-shaped scar that runs across her stomach. She places her right hand on her stomach, on the scar, and she remembers>

Ebony:
Suzy.

(I hope you don’t hate me, wherever you are, for what I do Suzy. But even if you do hate me, fine. I still love you. I always will love you. I love you for giving me a second chance. And I won’t stop until I know that this world is fixed)

<She begins to suit up>

(This is all I keep here. My suit. My mirror. And my picture)

<She fits her legs into the pants>

(I ask myself if what I do makes me a hypocrite)

<Next she fits into the sleeves>

(I can act just as bad as they can)

<Buttons the collar>

(But I don’t fight for the sake of it)

<Laces up the boots>

(I fight because there are people who do bad things)

<Puts on the gloves>

(Horrible things)

<Puts on the mask>

(And I want them to pay)

<She stares back at her reflection now. Clad in a black suit, she’s ready to head out into the night and act as a personal tool for justice in a world where the word “hero“ disappeared from the dictionary. Her reflection is like that of a black-clad queen. Maybe what she does can stop the pain of what she’s gone through. Maybe it will cause more. Maybe it’ll help her get rid of her masks. But she’ll do what she has to>

(This world needs justice. And I will make sure that it gets the right kind. Or so help me I’ll die trying)

The Kitty-Kat Club, Suicide Slum

(The Kitty-Kat Club, a disreputable club run by “respectable businessman” Bruno Mannheim. But my focus isn’t on him. The focus is on the nervous man watching Miss Sugar Bell doing her pole dance. Devon Whittney, who also goes by “Dust”. Devon has no job. He makes his income selling drugs to teenage girls. Dust is the nickname he decided to give himself when he hooked up with his new crew, thinking it sounded cool. It’s not. Devon has a secret. And he thinks no one knows it. For the last week people have noticed how scared Devon looks, how tense)

Miss Sugar Bell:
You okay, hon?

(Even Miss Sugar Bell has noticed)

Miss Sugar Bell:
You don’t look so good.

Devon:
I-I’m fine.

Miss Sugar Bell:
You sure?

Devon:
I said I’m fine!

<Miss Sugar Bell acts reproachful>

Miss Sugar Bell:
Well, excuse me.

<Devon, now looking angry, gets up out of his seat and storms out the door>

(There’s my cue)

<Devon begins walking down the darkened street. He’s amazed at himself, since no one ever has the guts to walk down Suicide Slum by themselves, and without a gun. Or that could just make him stupid>

(He makes this too easy. Time to get him a little riled)

<Ebony, in the shadows, up on a ledge overlooking Devon’s movements, tosses a can into a dark alley. The sound of the can clattering against the ground startles Devon enough for him to jump out of his skin>

(Good, he’s scared. Well, he was already scared, but still. Now to get him really scared)

<Devon continues to head down towards his apartment, a very shoddy looking building in need of repairs. Ebony follows after him on the rooftops, looking down on him like he was vermin. She then starts to slowly whistle a tune from the film Kill Bill, Twisted Nerve, the tune Elle Diver whistled as she was about to kill the Bride while she was in a coma. Devon stops in his tracks as her whistling reaches his ears from atop the roof>

Devon:
Who’s there?

<Whistling becomes louder>

Devon:
Where are you?

<Whistling becomes even louder>

Devon:
Don’t play games with me, who’s there?!

Ebony:
I am.

<Ebony jumps down from the rooftops and lands behind Devon. He tries to run, only to receive a blow to head with her fist. Devon hits the ground like a sack of potatoes. Ebony begins to crack her knuckles>

Ebony:
Now for his lesson.

An hour later

<Devon is in a dark room. He begins to slowly stir out of his sleep. He shakes his head, then gasps in pain when he remembers that he suffered a blow to the head. He tries to raise his hand, but he can’t. He looks down, he sees that his hands, chest, and legs have been strapped down to a chair>

Devon:
What the hell is this?!

Ebony:
You’re awake. Good.

<Ebony steps out of the shadows, the only part of her not concealed is her eyes and hair>

Devon:
Who the hell are you?

Ebony:
That’s on a need to know basis, and you don’t need to know. But you can just call me X if you want, it doesn’t matter.

Devon:
What the hell kind of a name is X?

Ebony:
It’s not a name. It’s a… title.

Devon:
What the hell am I doing here?

Ebony:
Devon Whittney. Twenty-seven. Caucasian. Goes by the name “Dust”. Lives in Suicide Slum. Likes drugs and women with big breasts.

Devon:
What, you some kind of crazy stalker chick?

(He likes to talk. Good. I like to talk as well)

Ebony:
In a way. My job is dealing with crap like you. Tell me, Devon, do you remember Cynthia Ackerman?

Devon:
Who?

Ebony:
Cynthia Ackerman. She used to be a normal teenaged girl. She had friends, a boyfriend, loving parents, did well in school. She had her whole life set in front of her. Until two years ago when she met you, Devon. Coming back yet?

Devon:
Doesn’t ring a bell.

Ebony:
They say memory’s the first thing to go. That’s what happens when you spend twelve years of your life sniffing crack with a razor.

Devon:
Bitch!

Ebony:
Where was I? Oh, yes. You see, Devon, Cynthia and her friends had taken a trip up to Metropolis one day during Spring Break, and while wandering around she met you, peddling all kinds of “goods“ in an alley. She said no the first time, but you just kept pestering her until she finally tried it. That was all it took. Soon she couldn’t last five minutes without your merchandise. When she ran out of money she started pawning her stuff. When that didn’t work she stole from her friends and parents. Her grades dropped, her boyfriend left her, and then her parents kicked her out. She made her way back to Metropolis where she started living on the streets for the next two years of her life. In order to pay for her addiction, she turned to prostitution. Then about a few months ago, someone found Cynthia, who was just beaten up by one of her “clients” in a back alley. The person who found her, as well as some other concerned citizens, brought Cynthia to a homeless shelter at Mary Help of Christians Church. The people who ran the shelter helped make sure Cynthia kicked her habit. That’s when you come back into the story, Devon. Two weeks ago, business was slow, your boss was breathing down your neck. You needed to push your merchandise. Fast. And you remembered Cynthia, who would by anything you offered. You talked to one of the prostitutes who she used to hang out with, and you tracked her down to Mary Help of Christians. Now this is when the story really gets interesting, Devon. I don’t know what happened, personally, but from what I hear, Cynthia wouldn’t buy anything from you. She kept saying no, and she meant it, and you got mad. And pushed her out of a third story window.

Devon:
I-I had nothin’ to do with that. You can’t prove anything!

Ebony:
Sister Natalie can.

<Devon’s face turns pale. Then he starts to laugh a little>

Devon:
She can’t say anything. She’s dead!

(Got him)

Ebony:
No, but you tried your hardest to make sure she was.

Devon <weakly>:
What?

Ebony:
She heard you that night, Devon. Oh why do I have to remind you? That’s why you shot her. She saw the whole thing. She saw you push Cynthia out that window, and when she said she was getting the police, you shot her in the arm, you shoved her to the floor, and you beat her down like a dog, you piece of shit! You thought she was dead, and that’s what everyone else thought, until the paramedics managed to get her heart beating again on the way to the hospital. She just woke up two days ago. She didn’t know your name, but she gave me enough info to go by. That’s how I found you. You were acting tense because you thought someone knew. You were right to be.

Devon:
What, are you gonna kill me now?

Ebony:
I don’t kill people, Devon. It isn’t what I want. What I want is for you to admit the whole thing to the police, along with the names of everyone you and your “co-workers“ have ever sold drugs to.

Devon:
You’re crazy, you know that? You are fuckin' crazy!

Ebony:
I’m not crazy, Devon. I’m mad. And if I were you, I’d analyze your situation. You’re strapped to a chair in an abandoned building, at the mercy of someone who isn’t your biggest fan. No one knows you’re here, and this building is scheduled for demolition in two days.

Devon:
So? You just said you weren’t gonna kill me.

Ebony:
Yes…

(It’s obvious I might have to use unconventional means right now)

<Ebony proceeds to pick up a lead pipe>

Ebony:
But I never said I wasn’t going to try. Tell me something, do you know how many tiny, breakable bones are in the human body, Devon?

Devon <nervous>:
No.

Ebony:
Let’s find out, shall we?

(I slam the pipe down on his right hand. His screams echo out through the building and he starts to curse me out)

Ebony:
That’s twenty-seven.

Devon:
Fuck you!

(I slam the pipe on his left hand)

Ebony:
And that's fifty-two. I have to warn you, Devon, once I’m done with the arms, I use my other learning aid.

<Ebony drops the pipe and picks an aluminum baseball bat>

(I hear a voice in my head telling me that what I’m doing is wrong. I almost give in, but then I remember when we found Cynthia near that dumpster. I remember going to see Sister Natalie at the hospital once I heard the news. And then I imagine everyone else whose lives were destroyed because of Devon’s drugs. Granted, he isn’t evil, he’s an idiot. A weak idiot. I hate him, but at the same time I pity him, and begin to wonder what it was that got him addicted to drugs as well. At the sight of the bat he begins to tell me everything he knows. I take out a tape recorder and have him recite a list of every person he ever sold drugs to, along with a list of his co-workers, and a confession. That’s not all I ask)

Ebony:
Devon, who got you addicted?

Devon:
A-A friend of mine, when I was in high school.

(I take out a roll of bandages and gauze and start to wrap up his hands)

Ebony:
Where is this “friend” of yours now?

Devon:
Dead. Overdose three years ago.

Ebony:
Devon, I’m taking you to the police. You won’t mention me, and you’ll tell them that you were in a bar fight and tried to bandage your hands yourself.

(Not the best excuse, but all I could think of at the moment)

Ebony:
You’ll give them this tape and you will accept whatever punishment the courts give you. You do what I tell you and you never have to worry about me again. But…

<Ebony gets right into his face, her eyes narrowed>

Ebony:
If I find out that you’ve tried anything funny after this night, I’m going to make sure you will never have peace of mind for the rest of your life.

<She lets him out of the chair, then put a blindfold around his eyes. She leads him out into her car, and drives him down a block away from the 42nd Street Police Station>

Ebony:
I’m taking off the blindfold.

<She takes off the blindfold and then opens the passenger door>

Ebony:
Get out.

<Devon gets out>

Ebony:
And Devon, I just want you to know I didn’t enjoy what I did.

Devon:
Sounded like it.

Ebony:
Just remember. Anything funny, and I’ll be on you faster then flies on Britney Spears!

<She drives off, leaving him in the dust. From her rearview mirror she sees him walking into the police station. She then parks the car in front of a vacant lot and proceeds to change out of her outfit and mask. She puts on a long-sleeved white shirt and a pair of blue jeans, then she replaces the boots with a pair of sneakers. She then puts her outfit in a duffel bag and heads out. She walks back to her apartment, past the 42nd Street Police Headquarters. Through one of the windows she sees Devon and a police officer, who has the tape in his hand. Devon then has handcuffs placed on his wrist and is led out of view>

(At least now Cynthia Ackerman can rest in peace)

<She walks over to a payphone and calls St. Luccia’s General Hospital. She reaches through to Sister Natalie‘s room>

Sister Natalie <with a weak voice>:
Hello?

Ebony:
Sister Natalie? Do you remember me? My voice I mean. This is the girl who came to see you a few days ago. I called to tell you that Devon Whittney confessed to killing Cynthia Ackerman and to your assault.

Sister Natalie:
He did? Why?

Ebony:
He had a change of heart. Good-bye.

<She hangs up the payphone>

Ebony:
He confessed. And I still feel like garbage for what I did.

<She proceeds to head back to her apartment. By the time she’s at the front door, she notices what time it is. One O’clock)

Ebony:
I need a shower and some sleep.

<That’s when she notices there is a girl standing at the corner of the hall>

(Who’s that? And at this hour?)

<That’s when she recognizes her>

(The high school girl from the restaurant! She got out before the place blew up. But what is she doing here?)

High School Girl:
Excuse me?

Ebony:
Yes? Can I help you?

High School Girl:
You’re that waitress from Planet Krypton, aren’t you? The one who saved that little girl?

Ebony:
Um, yes, I’m her, I mean, I am.

High School Girl:
Oh good. I was hoping I could find you.

Ebony:
What are you doing out at this hour? Do your parents know you’re here?

High School Girl:
My parents aren’t really around that much to notice.

Ebony:
I’m sorry.

High School Girl:
Don’t be.
Ebony:
…so what is it I can help you with.

High School Girl:
I just wanted to tell you that I think you are a really brave person.

(What?)

Ebony:
You wanted to tell me that?

High School Girl:
Yes. The way you saved that little girl from being hurt. Not everyone would’ve done something like that. You must be a really good person.

Ebony:
I’m not that great a person. I just did what anyone else would’ve.

High School Girl:
Oh not true. I was already out before I saw you coming out with her. I didn’t even notice her. You were the only one who did. You could’ve been killed yourself. Instead, you risked your life to save someone else from being killed. That makes you a good person.

Ebony:
Your… you are very kind to say that. But you give me too much-huh?

(I notice that she has a large cut on her right arm)

Ebony:
You’re hurt!

(I quickly take out a handkerchief and begin to wrap it around her arm)

High School Girl:
Oh it doesn’t hurt that much.

Ebony:
Have you been walking around with that cut all day? It could get infected, you need to see a doctor. Did you get it in the blast?

High School Girl:
Yes.

Ebony:
Well why didn’t you say anything to one of the paramedics?

High School Girl:
Because I wasn’t in school today, and I didn’t want to get in trouble if they found out. They could‘ve told my parents. I’m sorry.

Ebony:
You’ll be a lot more sorry if you don’t have someone take a look at that thing. You might need stitches.

High School Girl:
Okay.

<She turns around and starts to walk down the hall>

Ebony:
Oh, I didn’t even ask how did you find out where I live?

High School Girl:
I called your manager. He was out with the flu and he was able to tell me where you live.

Ebony:
Well, what’s your name?

High School Girl:
Oh, it’s *BLEEEEEP*.

Ebony:
Well, it was nice to meet you, *BLEEEEEP*. Do you need a ride to the hospital?

High School Girl:
No, I have a car. Good night.

Ebony:
Good night.

<Ebony walks back into her apartment. She shuts the door behind her and just leans on it for a minute>

(I can’t believe she called me a good person. If only she knew)

<Ebony puts away her outfit, then takes a shower. All the while, she has her right hand on her scar, and she’s thinking about what she accomplished today. She puts back in the clothes she wore before she left, and gets into bed. The lights are out, and she rests her head>

Ebony:
Goodnight, Suzy.

<The day has ended and now, she sleeps>

Meanwhile…

<The High School Girl is talking to someone on a payphone outside of Ebony’s apartment building>

Voice on the Phone:
Will she do it?

High School Girl:
I think so. She’s vulnerable.

Voice on the Phone:
Then we’ll just wait until tomorrow. Until then, come home.

High School Girl:
Okay then.

Voice on the Phone:
I love you.

High School Girl:
I love you too.

Voice on the Phone:
Of course you do.

<The High School Girl hangs up the phone and gets into her car, a red convertible. She starts the engine, and drives off into a tunnel>

The Next Day

<Ebony stirs in her bed as sunlight streams through her window. The clock on the bed reads 12:36 pm. She slowly opens her eyes, then raises her hands to wipe away the sand. She stretches her arms and yawns, then gets out of bed and heads into the kitchen>

(I better get going, I slept through lunch time)

<Ebony puts on a pair of black pants and a T-Shirt that reads “Dark as Morning”. She microwaves some coffee and then takes out an apple from her refrigerator. When the coffee is ready, she plops down on her couch and turns on her TV, to another broadcast of SKU News>

Ebony:
I’ve got to start looking for another job before I go broke. Oh!

<She notices the orchids on the coffee table have wilted>

Ebony:
I’ll have to change those.

F-Ko:
…now we bring to the part of the afternoon where we talk about the next great film to appear on the silver screen. E-Ko?

E-Ko:
Thank you, F-Ko. Today, I’m here to talk to you about the upcoming epic The Invisible Kingdom, based on the novel Together at Last by Charlotte Setsam, or C.S. as her fans call her. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the film last week at a secret screening in Hollywood, California.

F-Ko:
Ah, Hollywood! If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

E-Ko:
Don’t we know it.

<The two laugh>

F-Ko:
So, what was the film about?

E-Ko:
It tells the story of a kingdom made up of thieves, murderers, and rogues. One day, a wizard came and turned it invisible. Not only that, but he cast a spell so no one may ever leave it. A few years later, the princess Rapunzel is saved from the-

F-Ko:
Hold on. What is Rapunzel doing in this story?

E-Ko:
Oh, I forgot to mention. Ms. Setsam’s works are famous for using already existing fairy tale characters, such as Cinderella, Snow White, or in this case, Rapunzel.

F-Ko:
I see.

E-Ko:
One day, the princess Rapunzel is saved by a queen from the witch who held her in captivity since she was a baby. But the queen died, and Rapunzel was trapped in the Invisible Kingdom.

F-Ko:
How awful, to be kept prisoner in a place like that.

E-Ko:
Rapunzel then decided that she would-

C-Ko:
Extra! Extra!

E-Ko:
Huh?

<E-Ko is handed a memo from C-Ko>

E-Ko:
What’s this?

<E-Ko begins to read the memo. When she is done, she gasps loudly. Her hair stand on end and her antennae spins>

E-Ko:
This is awful!

F-Ko:
What does it say?

E-Ko:
We now bring you live, via helicopter, to what was once known as Kansas, U.S.A.!

F-Ko:
What did you say?

Ebony:
What’s going on?

<The screen cuts to the inside of a helicopter being piloted by A-Ko, while B-Ko looks down on a nuclear wasteland>

B-Ko:
I’m reporting live up in Kansas airspace in a lead-line helicopter. This isn’t a joke people! What you see below me…

<The camera zooms down onto the ground below, littered with dead people, plants, animals, and destroyed building>

B-Ko:
Is Kansas!

<The screen splits in two, showing the live footage on the left, and E-Ko, F-Ko, and C-Ko back at the studio>

E-Ko:
How could this have happened?!

F-Ko:
Is there anyone who survived?!

B-Ko:
No! According to my reports, every living thing in this state has been killed by radiation poisoning!

E-Ko:
That’s almost a million people!

F-Ko:
Do we have any footage of what caused this?

<Both screens disappear to show footage borrowed from another station. The screen shows Magog and his Justice Battalion, consisting of Judomaster, Peacemaker, Nightshade, Thunderbolt, Captain Atom, and Alloy ganging up on the considerably older Parasite>

B-Ko:
It started earlier today in a Kansas wheat field, when the aged villain known as the Parasite was cornered by Magog and his Justice Battalion. Despite the Parasite’s pleas for mercy, Magog and the others attacked him and engaged in a battle, which ended when the Parasite split open Captain Atom!

<The footage shows Parasite digging both hands into Captain Atom’s metallic shell and ripping it open. As Captain Atom screams an inaudible scream, a great flash of yellow light fills the screen, which then goes to static. It then cuts back to the two screens>

E-Ko:
B-Ko, can you described to us what it’s like for those of you out there who are listening on the radio?

B-Ko:
It’s, it’s horrible! It’s like Hiroshima on the day they dropped the bomb! Closer inspection of those who were closer to the detonation point can see their outlines burned into the ground! I think I might be sick.

A-Ko:
Hey, if you’re going to throw up, don’t do it here!

B-Ko:
Don’t you feel horrible about what just happened?

A-Ko:
Of course I do, I’m trying my best not to be sick as well, because I’m the one flying this helicopter.

B-Ko:
Hey, when did you get a license to pilot a helicopter?

A-Ko:
Huh? You need a license?

E-Ko:
Uh, guys? You’re, uh, getting off-track here.

B-Ko:
Of course you need a license to pilot a helicopter! You’re breaking the law.

A-Ko:
Fine! Why don’t you pilot it then?

B-Ko:
I don’t know how to fly a helicopter!

<The two start to argue and the screen of the right fills the entire screen once again>

E-Ko:
Okay… while those two settle their differences, we urge all of you out there to lend your support in this time of crisis as we ask ourselves, “where have our heroes gone?”

Ebony:
What’s the point?

<Ebony begins to tighten her grip on the mug. She then gets off the couch. The look on her face is one of rage and fury>

Ebony:
What’s the goddamn point?!

<She tosses the mug at the TV. Both break>

Ebony:
What is the point in even thinking you could change anything about this world?! You try to do good. You try to get justice for those who need it, and for those who deserve it. And what happens? Some asshole decides to raise the bar on how far they get to go when it comes to ruining this world! Whose going to avenge all those people who died? And what did they die for? Because someone didn’t understand the meaning of the words “I give up”. No matter what, you can’t change anything. You can’t change the world.

<She falls back on the couch, her eyes darting at the ceiling, her rage replaced with sadness>

Ebony:
I’m sorry, Suzy. I don’t know what to do anymore. I tried to act like them to put away criminals, but now… I just don’t know.

<The doorbell rings. Ebony is still on the couch. There is now a knock on the door>

High School Girl:
Hello? Is anyone there? It’s me, *BLEEEEEP*.

<Ebony rises up off the couch and unlocks her door. The High School Girl is standing in the doorway. She has a white bandage wrapped around her arm>

Ebony:
Hello, *BLEEEEEP*. What do you want?

High School Girl:
I’m sorry, have I come at a bad time?

Ebony:
It doesn’t matter anymore.

High School Girl:
Well, I came to give you back your handkerchief.

<The High School Girl shows Ebony the handkerchief that she had given her the night before. It is clean and devoid of any blood>

Ebony:
You didn’t have to do that.

High School Girl:
Oh, but I wanted to. May I come in?

Ebony:
I guess.

<The High School Girl steps into Ebony’s apartment and takes a seat on her couch>

High School Girl:
You have such a cute apartment. Oh! What happened to your TV?

Ebony:
I threw a mug at it.

High School Girl:
Why did you do that?

Ebony:
I couldn’t find the remote. Would you like something to drink?

High School Girl:
Tea would be fine.

<Ebony prepares a mug of tea for the High School Girl, then sits next to her on the couch. The High School Girl takes the tea and gives Ebony a smile>

Ebony:
Is it too hot?

High School Girl:
No, it’s just fine. What’s wrong?

Ebony:
You honestly don’t know?

High School Girl:
What?

Ebony:
They just said on the news, Kansas is gone.

High School Girl:
That’s terrible! All those poor people. What happened?

Ebony:
Magog happened.

High School Girl:
Who’s Magog?

Ebony:
What do you mean “who’s Magog?”?

High School Girl:
Who’s Magog?

(Where has this girl been?)

Ebony:
You know, he’s that guy who dresses up in armor. The public loves him. They call him the New Man of Tomorrow.

High School Girl:
The Golden Calf.

Ebony:
What?

High School Girl:
Nothing.

<Ebony sighs and puts her face in her hands>

High School Girl:
You must not like living here very much, then.

Ebony:
I hate it here.

High School Girl:
And you must feel like you’re the only one who cares about how awful this world is.

Ebony:
Exactly. I feel like no matter what I do, or what anyone does, it won’t matter. You can’t change the facts of life. And the fact is that the powerful are Gods. They do whatever they want. The had a purpose, but they can’t remember it.

High School Girl:
Or they won’t.

Ebony:
Yes. I broke a man’s hands last night to get him to confess to murdering someone. But what does that even compare to when over a million people are killed in a nuclear blast? Or when someone loses their family. And what does that make me? Just as bad as they are.

High School Girl:
At least you’re able to admit it.

Ebony:
Maybe…

High School Girl:
Then I guess you have no choice then.

Ebony:
What do you mean?

High School Girl:
How would you feel if you were given the chance to revolutionize the world?

Ebony:
That’s crazy.

High School Girl:
What if it wasn’t? What if you were given the chance to fight for the power to change the entire world you live in? To bring back the idea of justice to the ones who were supposed to enforce it?

Ebony:
I think you should leave now.

High School Girl:
You didn’t answer my question.

Ebony:
If I could?…I’d go for it.

High School Girl:
I’m glad you admit it.

<The High School girl gets up off the couch and faces Ebony, who still looks confused. She reaches into her back pocket and takes a small ring, bearing a pink rose crest. She puts the ring on Ebony‘s left hand>

Ebony:
This ring…

High School Girl:
Qualifies you as a duelist to fight for the power to revolutionize the world. The power to bring justice to the world.

Ebony:
A duelist?

High School Girl:
You will fight against others who would want it for themselves. It is your duty to defeat them, lest they bring ruin.

Ebony:
Who ARE you?

High School Girl:
I’m just a normal high school girl who looks going to class and chasing boys. Goodbye…

<Walks out the door, but turns her head to Ebony>

High School Girl:
Ebony Dent, age Seventeen. The path you must take has been prepared.

<The High School Girl closes the door behind her. Ebony just stares at the ring for an unknown amount of time>

Later in the Day

<At a nearby supermarket. Ebony is at a check-out aisle with a basket filled with fruits and vegetables, and a new mug. But all she is doing is staring at her new ring>

(The power to revolutionize the world. It sounds like something from a stupid anime)

Checkout Guy:
Miss, your basket?

Ebony:
Oh, yeah.

<She pushes the basket down the conveyor belt and the checkout guy starts to ring them up. There is a TV near the checkout counter that is still talking about the Kansas Disaster>

F-Ko:
…oh, if you’re just tuning in, we’re still discussing the ramifications of the Kansas Disaster. Vigils have been set up all across America for the deceased, and relief is being sent to the states that have been hit by nuclear backlash from the blast.

Checkout Guy:
God, could you believe that?

Ebony:
No. I honestly can’t. But that’s what you get when you put someone like Magog on a pedestal.

Checkout Guy:
Not arguing with you there.

F-Ko:
But the blast isn’t the only big news today. Today at the Metropolis Bridge, another metahuman battle broke out today between Mr. Terrific, Joker’s Daughter, and N-I-L-8 against Swastika, Thunder, Trix, and Manotaur.

<The footage on screen shows the first three metahumans fighting on top of a cable car, when the cable suddenly snaps from a renegade shot. But suddenly, a red and blue blur goes by the screen, and in almost a second, the cable car is on the bridge, and the six metahumans have been apprehended>

Ebony:
No, it couldn’t be…

F-Ko:
It is, Superman!

<The screen shows Superman, older, and in a new outfit. His hair has started to turn white at the temples, and the yellow in his “S” has been replaced with black>

F-Ko:
The Man of Steel has finally returned to the public after ten long years! Will he stick around to help clean up Magog’s mess? And who will join him. More after this.

<The screen cuts to a commercial for Wundabuds, flavored Q-Tips>

Ebony:
Who does that bastard think he is?!

Checkout Guy:
Hey! Don’t be calling the Man of Steel a bastard! He’s saved this city more times then you can count.

Ebony:
Oh, yeah? Does that give him the right to just disappear for ten goddamn years and allow a maniac like Magog to pick up the slack?!

<She storms off without taking her stuff, or paying for it. She heads back to her apartment and slams the door behind her>

Ebony:
How could he… does he think that after the Kansas Disaster people are going to accept him again? Like he’s the Messiah? It figures. Magog couldn’t do the job, so he’s taking it back.

(Why am I saying this. I hated Magog for the example he set, yet I’m cussing out Superman as well. And this stuff with the ring. I can‘t think straight)

Ebony:
I need to lay down.

<Ebony stops dead in her tracks when a strange scent suddenly hits her>

(Roses?)

<She looks down and sees that the orchids in the vase have been replaced with roses. Red roses. In front of it is a white envelope with a rose seal>

Ebony:
How did these get here? Was someone in here while I was gone?

<She picks up the letter and opens it. She takes out the letter and begins to read it>

Ebony:
What is this?

Letter:
Dear Ebony Dent,
What you have before you are the Rules of Conduct of the Rose Seal. Heed them well.

1. A duel may only be conducted between those who bear the Rose Crest. No exceptions will be made.
2. Each duelist must use a sword in battle.
3. Each duelist is given a rose before the start of the duel. The object of the duel is to knock the rose from your opponent’s chest.
4. Each duelist may or may not use a Rose Bride in battle. The choice is up to you.
5. At the end of each duel, the loser’s Rose Crest shall be destroyed, thus stripping them of their title as a duelist.
6. If both duelists lose their rose at the same time, the duel shall be forfeited.
7. If a duelist dies, their Rose Crest shall turn black.

If any of the rules mentioned above are broken, or if my demands are not met, the consequences will be dire.

Your first duel shall begin a few minutes after you have found your letter.

This is no joke.

Signed,
End of the World

Ebony:
…End of the World.

<Ebony picks up two of the roses from the vase and studies them for a minute>

Ebony:
What have I gotten myself into?

<Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears the sound of people running out into the street>

Ebony:
What’s that?

<She walks out of her apartment and down into the street, to see people are running down to the Metropolis Bridge. Ebony, still confused, grabs one of the people>

Ebony:
What’s happening?

Man:
Didn’t you hear? There’s some lunatic down at the Bridge screaming for “the girl with the rose ring”. Superman and his new Justice League are down there now, but he’s got a girl hostage! It’s all over the news.

Ebony:
“Girl with the…”

(I’ve gotta get to the bridge)

<A few minutes later, Ebony has made her down to the bridge. She can’t see through the crowd, but she can hear yelling. Just then, a person is thrown into the water below, but she flies out of it and back to the top of the bridge. Ebony begins to make her through the crowd, one of whom is Norman McCay and, invisible to everyone else, the Spectre, until she gets stopped by a policeman>

Policeman:
Sorry, miss. Can’t let you pass. It’s too dangerous.

Ebony:
I’m the one he wants.

<She shows him the ring. The Justice League, comprised of Superman, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Power Woman, the Ray, Hawkman, and Red Robin. The lunatic in question is Uncle Sam, once the personification of patriotism at it‘s finest, now an insane old man in  filthy clothes and a stained hat. He has in his hands a teenage girl with brown pigtails, and has a sword aimed at her throat>

Uncle Sam:
Where is she? Where is she?! I told her to be here!

Superman:
Just calm down, Sam-

Uncle Sam:
Shut the hell up, you glorified watchdog!

Teenage Girl:
Do what he says! He’s crazy!

Uncle Sam:
Shut up, you!

<She whimpers. Power Woman begins to crack her knuckles>

Superman:
Not yet, Kara. Sam, you don’t need to do this. Let the girl go.

Uncle Sam:
No, you don’t understand! I have the chance to be bigger then all of you ever were! And unless the one I want shows up this girl is dead, you hear me?! Dead!

<A policeman walks up to Superman>

Policeman:
Sir, there’s a girl over here who claims to be the one this guy wants.

Superman:
Could she prove it?

Ebony:
I can.

<Ebony holds up her hand to Superman’s face to show him the ring. She then walks past of all them, despite Superman telling her not too, and stands in front of Uncle Sam. He then lets the girl go, who runs into Ebony‘s arms>

Teenage Girl <crying>:
He s-said he was going to k-kill me.

Ebony:
What’s your name?

Teenage Girl:
Keiko Sonoda.

Ebony:
Listen, Keiko, go with those policemen over there and I’ll take care of this guy. Okay?

Keiko <still crying>:
Thank you! Oh God, I though I was gonna die!

<Keiko runs off to the policemen>

Uncle Sam:
You’re her, aren’t you? The one the letter spoke about.

Ebony:
You got one too?

Uncle Sam:
Heh. Did I get one too, that‘s rich.

<He holds up his hand to show an identical Rose Crest>

Ebony:
Where did you get that?

Uncle Sam:
Doesn’t matter.

Power Woman:
Do you have any idea what the hell they’re talking about.

Superman:
No, but for now let’s go along with it and see where it ends.

Red Robin:
And if she dies…?

Superman:
…It won’t come to that.

Power Woman:
We better hope not.

Ebony:
So what do we do now?

Uncle Sam:
We fight!

Ebony:
But I don’t have a sword, and we don‘t have roses!

Uncle Sam:
What’re those in your hands?

<That’s when she looks down, and she sees that she still has the two roses in her hand>

Ebony:
Well I still don’t have a sword!

Wonder Woman:
Here…

<Ebony turns around to see that Wonder Woman is willing to hand her sword to her>

Ebony:
Thank you, I think.

Wonder Woman:
You know how to use one, don’t you?

Ebony:
Yes.

Wonder Woman:
Then Hera be with you, my sister.

<Ebony then turns back to Sam, who is looking rather impatient. She then slowly walks up to him and hands him his rose>

(Ugh. He smells like bad liquor and… sewage? No, it’s more like the inside of a cheap casino, or maybe…a Japanese internment camp? How did I think of that?)

Ebony:
Your supposed to be the personification of patriotism, right?

Uncle Sam:
Yes.

Ebony:
Then what I’m smelling, it’s the scent of everything wrong with America.

Uncle Sam:
Call it what you want.

<She turns around, but then he grabs her up close>

Uncle Sam <in her ear>:
Don’t think I’m gonna lose to a lesbo.

Ebony:
How did-?!

(How does he know I’m a lesbian?!)

Uncle Sam:
I know everything about everyone in this country. Especially you.

Ebony:
Do me a favor and go piss on a flag, why don’t you?

Uncle Sam:
Let’s just get this started. Go back over there and put it on.

<Ebony walks back to her corner near the Justice League, disgusted and shocked, and then proceeds to slowly put the rose in her breast pocket. She, and Sam, then ready themselves in a stance when, all of a sudden, every alarm in the city proceeds to go off. Every car alarm, every clock, every phone, every bell. People try to cover their eyes to try and block it out. Ebony winces in pain>

Ebony:
What is that?!

Uncle Sam:
The sound of the bells start the duel!

<He lunges at Ebony with his sword thrust out, aimed at her rose. She does dodge quick enough and he almost cuts her arm>

Ebony:
What is wrong with you?! I wasn’t ready!

Uncle Sam:
“When the bells ring, that is when you engage”. That’s what the letter said!

Ebony:
Well I didn’t get that part!

<He doesn’t listen and keeps trying to cut off her rose. The two begin the mad dance known as a duel, trying the cut the other’s rose off. The bystanders look on in confusion and awe. Helicopters circle the bridge, their dueling field. One of them is SKU News>

B-Ko:
I’m here at the Metropolis Bridge where a sword fight has just evolved from a hostage situation.

A-Ko:
Huh? Did you say a sword fight? Don’t tell me we have to deal with THAT again.

B-Ko:
It figures. We try to get out…

A-Ko and B-Ko:
But they pull us right back in!

<Uncle Sam’s sword play is mad and frenzied. He has the look of a rabid dog on his face. Ebony is more scared that he might kill her then about her rose, but she still protects it>

Uncle Sam:
I was the personification of the country! The soul of America! I did what was right for America, and for that it meant standing down when he left as Magog took his place!

(He likes to talk. Good. I like to talk too)

Ebony:
Is that why you-<dodges a cut>-took that ring?! Because it meant taking your place among the heroes again?!

Uncle Sam:
Don’t analyze me!

<The two are now stuck in a stance, their swords entwined. Uncle Sam is proving to be the stronger one as his sword grows closer towards Ebony’s breast, and she is doing her best to force him off>

Uncle Sam:
When I defeat you, I’ll be the only hero left! I’ll do what is right for America and get rid of all them! They’ll pay for turning this country into what it is now! For what they turned ME into! I will be this country’s savior once again!

<He kicks Ebony down and goes in for the killing blow>

Uncle Sam:
I WILL BE GREAT AGAIN!!!

(He’s insane)

<His sword stops when Ebony does a defensive blow against him and knocks him down to the ground>

Ebony:
Are you done preaching a false gospel yet?

Uncle Sam:
What?!

Ebony:
You aren’t what’s best for this country. For this world.

Uncle Sam:
What do you know?!

Ebony:
A lot. Granted, what Superman did was a real shitty move. And the Kansas Disaster was probably his fault.

<Uncle Sam tries to get up, but he can’t stand>

Ebony:
But what about you? You say they ruined this country, but where were you for the last ten years? You disappeared just like most of them did, and you let those lunatics run around during free play.

Uncle Sam:
Yeah, but you’re just like the rest of them.

Ebony:
Granted, I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of. I’ve tortured drug addicts to get them confess to stealing and killing. I’ve broken bones. I’ve caused psychological trauma…

<Sam starts to get up>

Ebony:
But at least I don’t do it for the sake of it!

<He falls back down>

Ebony:
I don’t fight because I get off on it. I do it because of all the people out there that have been hurt. The people who’ve died because no one protected or spoke for them.

<Places her free hand on her stomach>

(I know because I was one of them)

Uncle Sam:
I, I’ll-

Ebony:
You’ll what? You’re just mad because he came back after the Disaster. Magog didn’t prove to be what everyone wanted him to be, so your just whining.

<She walks up to him and looks rights in his eyes>

Ebony:
You are nothing but a spoiled brat.

<She swipes the rose from his jacket lapel. The petals scatter in a breeze. He lets a weak cry, he looks up at her, tears in his eyes>

B-Ko:
She’s won! The black-haired girl has won!

Uncle Sam:
I was big, y’know.

Ebony:
Not anymore.

<He starts to fade away into dust, until all that is left is his filthy jacket. A wino jacket. His rose crest has turned to dust. Ebony walks up to Wonder Woman and gives her back her sword>

Ebony:
It’s over.

(Is it really. Is it-)

<Ebony begins to raise a hand to her head>

(Why is the world spinning?)

<She begins to stumble around, an odd dizziness overtaking her, until finally, she collapses. That’s when the rumbling starts>

Wonder Woman:
An earthquake?!

<Then the hole forms. In the middle of the bridge, a giant swirling hole has just formed>

Wonder Woman:
Kal, is that a Boom Tube?!

Superman:
No it’s, I don’t know what it is!

<The hole starts to suck air in until it forms a vacuum. Still on the bridge’s floor, Ebony’s unconscious body is sucked right into the hole. No one, not even the Flash, is quick enough to catch her. And then the hole closes as quickly as it came. Meanwhile, the girl Keiko has made her way to a payphone>

Keiko:
She took the bait.

Voice on Phone:
Excellent. I knew she would.

Keiko:
What’s the next step?

Voice on Phone:
Now it is Shiori’s turn. Come back home. When it’s time you’ll give out the next one.

Keiko:
He really was a foolish old man.

Voice on Phone:
He was. But he was useful for sparking the light.

<The red convertible pulls up next to Keiko>

Keiko:
I’ve got to go. My ride is here.

Voice on Phone:
We’ll talk later.

Keiko:
I love you.

Voice on Phone:
And I, you.

<Keiko hangs up the phone, then heads to the car. The High School Girl is driving it>

Keiko:
Where to now?

High School Girl:
The End of the World.

End of Virtual Star Embryology Part One

Warrior of a Fallen Kingdom
---------------------------
Next Time

“Hi, my name is Ginger Anderson. I just moved here to Bayville”

“Did you see that? She just pointed and that apple tree just grew! She’s a goddamn mutie!

“Odd, Cerebro hasn’t detected any new mutants in the area”

“No, it couldn’t be…not her”

“You broke my heart, and I never forgave you”

Ginger:
Next time on Virtual Star Embryology

“The May Queen and the Runaway Prince”

Ray:
The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse

Last edited by XHelios6 (12-26-2007 07:09:13 PM)