T A O E

Episode 24: "Too Close, Too Fast (4)"

Writer:  C. A. E. Jones

1:08 PM 6/1/2010


[ Fade in to EXT. SPACE - ABOVE PLANET - DAY. : The battered jet hovers over a graying planet (reference episode 23). ]

[ A blast of white-blue-violet light bissects space above the jet, and the top of it is clipped as it is sent flying, at such an angle as to spiral into the atmosphere moving more laterally than downward. ]


[ INT. JET - DAY. : Black Eagle and Wind fall into seats as the entire scene shakes. ]

GRAVITOR:
Good news is my powers aren't freaking out so much.

BLACK EAGLE:
Well use them to keep us in one piece!

SPECTRO:
I don't see that working out so well.


[ EXT. GRAY SKY - DAY. : The jet spirals through the air, flames starting to form on its exterior. ]

[ Fade to black. ]


[ Fade in to INT. ISDA OBSERVATION ROOM - DAY. : The I. R. O. (see episode 12) and several blue and gray-suited men and women fill the room. Captain Fist stands beside the I. R. O. while many of the others in the room are running around and looking at various computer terminals. ]

I.R.O.:
There are some serious gravitational anamalies, from the looks of it. If this keeps up, the Earth could be torn apart.

CAPTAIN FIST:
This is just great! My whole team runs off while the whole world starts falling apart! And now they're saying they think Eoce is merging another universe with this one... Gah!

ISDACHAIRMAN (over loudspeaker):
Attention. Captain Fist, report to conferenceroom A. We have received reports that the Earthquakes have enabled a high-profile prison-breech.

[ Captain Fist turns and runs out of the room. ]


[ INT. PRISON HALLWAY - DAY. : The whole scene shakes violently. Several guards run through the hallway. ]

[ Hoita Nono runs through the hallway. ]

GUARD:
Stop!

[ Hoita keeps running. Theracy and Zevrai run into view. ]

GUARD:
Everyone stop moving!

ZEVRAI:
We can't catch her with these in our way.

[ Zevrai holds out a hand, and a beam of white light flows from it, striking one of the guards and causing him to fall into another. ]

THERACY:
What are you doing?!

ZEVRAI:
Clearing a path; now let's go!

[ Zevrai takes hold of Theracy's arm and starts flying a couple inches off of the ground, pulling Theracy with her. ]


[ EXT. PRISONYARD - DAY. : Hoita stands near the ten-foot-high barbed-wire fence, which wobbles back and forth as the ground shakes. ]

HOITA:
A strike to the right place should cause this fence to collapse.

[ Zevrai flies into view and lands behind Hoita, Theracy staggering as she is let down. Hoita turns to face Zevrai and Theracy. ]

HOITA:
What do you intend to do?

ZEVRAI:
We came here to talk.

HOITA:
Ok, let's talk. But first, get me away from this place.

THERACY:
No way!

HOITA:
Now, do you want this barbed wire fence collapsing on us while we sit here and argue?

ZEVRAI:
Very well.

THERACY:
What? No!

[ Zevrai clasps her hands together. ]

ZEVRAI:
Tahea Spirit Lift!

[ Her hands glow white, and a sphere of white light expands from them and engulfs her, Theracy and Hoita before rising into the air and flying away, leaving behind a glowing trail. Two guards stumble into the prisonyard and look on in bewilderment. ]


[ EXT. WASTELAND - NEAR SHIP - DAY. : Aluben, Hydron and Glacier stand near the purple ship. ]

[ Several hovering bots and rovers (reference episode 2) riding on tank-like treads advance toward the ship. The robots maneuver aggressively, and flames begin to fire from the raised arms of the rovers as they draw near to the humans. ]

[ Aluben dives to the ground as some of the smaller bots fly at where his head was, thin beams of sparks coming from their fronts. Aluben rolls toward a pair of rovers, and a yellow-brown cloud grows around him as he goes. Aluben stops in a crouch and holds out his arms, the cloud flying into the flames from the rovers. The cloud explodes, and the flames die, one of the rovers falling over with its entire front half blown off. There is visible damage to the other, and its arm is bent and belches smoke. ]

[ Water slams into the rover from behind, and it stops in its tracks, sparks flying from its joints. ]

ALUBEN:
Over here, drones!

[ The flying bots move around in an awkward circle before Aluben jumps between them and the sparking rover, a trail of yellowish gas following him. As the bots approach, water and Aluben's trail connect all of them, and the lot of them spark, and a few explode, sending all of them to the ground inactive. Water-Hydron rises from the wreckage and takes human form. ]

HYDRON:
Not as many bots as last time.

ALUBEN:
Maybe he's running out?

HYDRON:
He had machines to build them when we were there first. He's probably put most of his resources into the merger.

ALUBEN:
Hmm.

[ Aluben looks toward the ship. ]

ALUBEN:
Hey, where did Vekin and the kids go?


[ EXT. HOLE - DAY. : Kejek looks down into the hole from above. ]

KEJEK:
Need some help?

[ From above, Kairin can be seen standing in the hole, with Kejek, Vekin, Elanmak and Lichenque-in-Liquaro-form standing around it. ]

KAIRIN:
Well, wouldn't hurt.

ELANMAK:
He jumped in.

[ Lichenque jumps into the hole. ]

KEJEK:
Is there anything there? I mean, the tower's right here...

[ In the hole, Kairin and Lichenque face a heavy-looking gate in the wall, which is composed of stone and dirt. ]

KAIRIN:
There's some kind of gate here, but it's shut.

[ Lichenque turns around. ]

LICHENQUE:
Something flies this way.

[ From another angle, it can be seen that the hole is the end of a long and narrow tunnel whose end cannot be seen in the darkness beyond the light of the hole. A somewhat ovular object floats toward the light. ]

KAIRIN:
Huh? Is that a balloon?

[ From above, Kejek and Elanmak looking down into the hole. ]

KEJEK:
No rovers in an underground tunnel?

KAIRIN:
It smells like... a really bad car...

KEJEK:
Get out of there!

KAIRIN:
Huh?

[ From the direction of the balloon comes a stream of fire! ]

[ Elanmak jumps down into the hole with his sickle gripped in both hands. ]

[ Lichenque tries to pick up Kairin, but fails, getting hit in the back as the fire continues to push toward the gate. ]

[ Elanmak's sickle comes down toward both of them, but stops, the fire seeming to bend around the boys in the hole. ]

KEJEK:
Umm, now?

[ Above, Kejek has the thorn-staff over the hole, and Vekin kneels with his hands extended over the hole. ]

[ Elanmak hesitates, shoves the sickle into his belt, then grabs Kairin and slowly starts to rise. ]

KEJEK:
Try to go up the gate.

[ Lichenque jumps onto the gate and suddenly scales the wall with surprising ease. ]

[ Kairin grabs for the gate, and Elanmak kicks it as they both go up a little faster. The tunnel is consumed in fire as they reach the ground above. ]


[ EXT. WASTELAND - NEAR TOWER - DAY. : The sky is still gray, and the land still bare. A few feet from the hole, around which Vekin, Kejek, Lichenque, Kairin and Elanmak are gathered, stands a slender metal tower. ]

[ Elanmak releases his grip on Kairin. ]

ELANMAK:
Idiot.

KAIRIN:
Well, now they can't send more backup.

KEJEK:
That was probably the easiest way to turn off the tower.

KAIRIN:
Well, we could tear it down.

KEJEK:
Ok, tear it down.

[ Kairin steps to the tower and looks at it uncertainly, then slashes at it with the fanblade. ]

[ Elanmak walks up and punches the tower. ]

ELANMAK:
No good.

VEKIN:
Use the fire against it.

KEJEK:
If the fire hit the gate, it's probably fireproof.

VEKIN:
Using fire doesn't require burning.

KAIRIN:
Hmm.

[ Kairin moves over to the still flaming hole and holds his hands over it as they darken. ]

[ Kejek holds the staff over the hole as though stirring thoughtfully. ]

ELANMAK:
What are you doing, then?

[ Vekin steps forward and hovers over the fire. ]

VEKIN:
Together.

[ Kairin and Lichenque step back. Lichenque holds up his hands. Vekin slowly raises his arms over his head, and Kejek lifts the thorn-staff and turns it toward the tower. The flames rise from the hole, and begin to move toward and spiral around the tower. The trail of flames grows thinner as it approaches the top of the tower, which ends in an antenna. ]

[ Kairin turns toward the tower and holds out his arms. ]

KAIRIN:
Dragonfly Attack!

[ A great blast of light comes from Kairin and strikes where the tower begins to thin toward its top. It flexes a bit, then Elanmak jumps up and slashes the same spot with his sickle. the fire converges on this point, and the top of the tower splits off. The fire pours into the top and the tower starts to bulge as steam breaks free from its sides. ]

VEKIN:
Get back!

[ Everyone backs away from the tower. ]

[ The tower is struck by a beam of white-violet light that originates from nowhere detectable (though it touches the top of the screen and reaches the ground), and it explodes in a shower of glowing matter. The smoking hole in the ground appears to mark the tower's destruction, but dark, bug-like machines, each only slightly bigger than the flying bots, crawl out of the hole and fly toward the boys, who have pretty much all been thrown to the ground. ]

[ Lichenque flies into one of the bots and breaks it into pieces with a single well-placed strike, but lines of electricity extend from the needle-like noses of the nearest two bug-bots and he is stunned when struck. ]

KAIRIN:
The last ones were rigged so you'd be shocked if you touch them.

[ Vekin walks toward the bots afflicting Lichenque and moves his hand toward both of them; their noses snap off, and Lichenque staggers, then uppercuts another aside. Vekin grabs the base of the legs of one, then flips it over so its "feet" leave it clinging to the next. He then holds out his hand, which forces both to fly into the hole in the ground, where they collide with the wall and shatter. ]

KEJEK:
Since the tower's gone, let's just leave.

ELANMAK:
Kejek had a good idea.

[ Elanmak turns and runs away from the remains of the tower. ]


[ EXT. WASTELAND - DAY. : Another tower nigh identical to the previous one stands alone in the barenness. ]

[ The tower flashes blue, then explodes, but the beam of light that signals it seems to fade to orange, then red, then a cloud of bots falls to the ground lifeless. ]

[ Close on Retanretla, who stands nearby. ]

RETANRETLA:
Ah, both easy and fun. Now...

[ Fieron lands, and a streak of gold flies in to stop near him before fading to Fierox. ]

FIERON:
And now we move.

RETANRETLA:
Are they done?

FIERON:
They'll land. Eoce has the only means out now.

RETANRETLA:
Then let's take it.


[ EXT. GRAY SKY - DAY. : The jet, smoke trailing it, spirals downward. ]

[ From above, the ground can be seen. The jet strikes the ground and skips, flips, then lies motionless, several pieces of it flying off as flames ignite in several places around it. ]

[ Close on the wreckage. ]

[ Gravitor pulls himself out of the smoke, snarling at the ground. Spectro coughs as he climbs out of the wreckage. ]

SPECTRO:
That... could have gone better.

WIND(coughing):
Black Eagle's... Hurt...

[ Wide shot. Glacier walks up and stops a few feet from the wreckage. A pillar of ice forms around him, and he steps out of it and walks a few more feet around the wreckage, repeating the process. ]

SPECTRO:
Nice try, anyway.

GLACIER:
The kids took one of the stations. Eoce sent robots to attack the ship again.

[ Glacier keeps moving and makes a third ice-pillar. ]

WIND:
Black Eagle's unconscious.

GRAVITOR:
Well, let's try to get him out of here.

[ Spectro looks around, then holds up a hand. A glowing green arrow appears in the air, pointing off toward screen right. ]

SPECTRO:
Eoce's stronghold is that way. That's where we need to be, but we shouldn't take Black Eagle there.

[ Vekin descends and lands between the first two ice-pillars. ]

VEKIN:
I'll take him back to the spaceship.

[ Wind stands up amid the wreckage. ]

WIND:
This might be tough without him.

[ Vekin negotiates the debris and reaches a spot near Wind. As Gravitor and Spectro talk, Vekin bends down and pulls Black Eagle--limp and motionless--from the wreckage, though he is partly obscured by Vekin. ]

GRAVITOR:
We've handled Eoce without him once.

SPECTRO:
She's right, though. Well, I guess it's time to move.


[ EXT. ROAD - DAY. : The ground shakes, and Captain Fist stands next to a dark van. BB15 and BB18 walk around the van, stopping at the back, which is opened. ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
This mess is beyond insane...

BB15:
There's no telling that this will be able to tell where it is with all this crazy stuff happening.

BB18:
There's no telling if it hasn't already been shaken apart.

[ A comit-shaped mass of light descends from above and strikes the road near Captain Fist, who jumps aside and yells in shock as he stares at it. The light fades, revealing Zevrai, Theracy, and Hoita. ]

THERACY:
I can't believe you just--

ZEVRAI:
Calm down, Theracy.

CAPTAIN FIST:
Who are you?! How did you do that? Why did you bring... Yellow, where have...

THERACY:
I'll explain later!

HOITA:
As will I.

[ BB18 steps into Hoita's path. ]

BB18:
No you don't.

HOITA:
Our deal was freedom, girls.

ZEVRAI:
And you're free, but I wasn't going to just let you walk away, either.

CAPTAIN FIST:
WHAT'S GOING ON! Start explaining, now!

HOITA:
An Earthquake, from the looks of it.

CAPTAIN FIST:
Don't you know about this universe-merging junk?

[ Hoita spins around to look at Captain Fist, wide-eyed. ]

HOITA:
Merging?

CAPTAIN FIST:
Look up!

[ Hoita looks up. ]

[ The sky is still distorted (see episode 21), though there are far more gray splotches than before, and there is a second, paler source of light behind the distorted image of the sun. ]

[ Close on Hoita. ]

HOITA:
No... He isn't...

BB18:
We think it's Eoce. How about you?

[ Two more BB agents walk around the van and stand behind Captain Fist. ]

HOITA:
Merging...

[ Hoita shakes her head. ]

HOITA (cont'd):
It might be possible, but... it seems so ... impossible for one man.

CAPTAIN FIST:
Do you have any idea on how we can stop it?

HOITA:
If we could find Eoce's laboratory, I might be able to find some answers.

CAPTAIN FIST:
And do you have any hints on where that might be?

HOITA:
I'd be surprised if he didn't have one in the United Kingdom, but there's no telling if it still exists.

CAPTAIN FIST:
I think there is.

ZEVRAI:
This isn't what I wanted to ask about.

HOITA:
Take us to the UK, and perhaps I will let you ask more.

[ Zevrai scowls. ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
You mean you can transport us across the world?

ZEVRAI:
Something like that. But I warn you, I've been using the spirit-lift a lot lately. I can't guarantee that I can get us back without a rest.

CAPTAIN FIST:
That's fine; just do it!

ZEVRAI:
Very well.

[ Zevrai clasps her hands and holds them over her head as they glow white. ]

ZEVRAI (cont'd):
Tahea... Spirit... Lift!

[ A white sphere of light expands from Zevrai's hands and engulfs everyone on screen, including the van. ]


[ EXT. OCEAN - NIGHT. : Below, the waves are violent, and walls of mist and water dance about, some sailing over whole islands. ]

[ A comit of white light flies across the screen. As it passes the center of the screen, a collumn of black fog rises from the water below. ]

[ Zoom in on the top of the collumn of fog. The Nornish rises to sit on it, and several cracks begin to appear in it. ]


[ EXT. OVER HILLS - NIGHT. : The land shakes, and an entire hill appears to have split open. Chunks of rock and dirt, along with bones and blades of varying sizes rain from the sky; some disappear upon reaching the ground. A group of Kro stands amid the storm, swinging swords and axes and maces at the falling earth and weapons. ]

KRO1:
Shadow shield us! The lost has returned vanquished!

[ The comit of white light descends and lands in the foreground with respect to the Kro and the broken hill. As the light fades to reveal the van, Captain Fist, Zevrai, Theracy, Hoita, and four BB agents, a nearby hill breaks apart and a pile of bones pours from it. ]

CAPTAIN FIST (shouting):
What the devil is going on?!

[ Zevrai falls to her knees. Theracy grabs her arm. ]

THERACY (shouting):
We're at the Kro base!

HOITA (shouting):
The effects here are far more intense than in America! I can see why Eoce called this place one of the tightest!

[ A chunk of debris falls toward Zevrai, and Captain Fist punches it out of the way. ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
I don't care how tight it is! Can we find Eoce's lab?!

BB15:
Just give us a minute!

[ A skeleton wielding a sword falls from above. Zevrai weakly raises a hand, and a semi-transparent beam of white light rises from it and strikes the skeleton, causing it to explode. Everyone shields themselves from the now scattered bones, and the sword flies off screen. ]


[ EXT. WASTELAND - NEAR SHIP - DAY. : Hydron and Aluben stand near the ship; debris from the destroyed bots litters the ground nearby. ]

SPECTRO(over radio):
Guys? We took out the satellite, but the jet didn't survive. Black Eagle's out cold. Vekin's bringing him to the ship.

HYDRON:
There are lights and flares at Eoce's base. Fieron and Retanretla are missing.

SPECTRO(over radio):
See if you can get closer. We're on our way.


[ EXT. PLANES - DAY. : Across the vast, gray-skied emptiness travels an ice-sled, at such an angle so as to make it clear that it is less heavy than its size would dictate. Glacier, Gravitor, Spectro and Wind stand atop the sled, Wind's arms held out, and Gravitor hunched over slightly. Spectro has a hand raised, and it glows yellow. ]


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - DAY. ]

[ Metal snakes slither around the former signal antennae while a cloud of bots circle them as though on a mary-go-round. ]

[ Hydron and Aluben cautiously approach the antennae on foot. ]

HYDRON:
I'm going in.

ALUBEN:
But...

HYDRON:
We have to make sure there's a way back; whatever's happening in there could destroy it.

[ Hydron becomes water that flows under the line of bots, though a snake peals off to chase her, and its head glows blue as bits of black and white something start to appear in the water. The snake suddenly appears to turn bronze before its head's glow fades to orange and stops. ]

[ Retanretla stands beside one of the antennae. ]

RETANRETLA:
Ah, a massacre where I get to slow things down? This place is interesting after all.

[ Several bots converge on Retanretla, but the light around them reddens, and they slow, spin irradically, then fall to the ground. ]


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - ROOF - DAY. : There is a large skylight in the roof, through which Eoce can be seen, standing at a bank of equipment. ]

[ Water-Hydron flows onto the roof and stops near the edge of the skylight before returning to human form. ]

[ Below, Eoce presses a button, and sparks begin to skate across the skylight in large numbers. ]

[ Hydron steps back. ]

[ Through the spark-covered skylight, an explosion of sparks can be seen in the room behind Eoce. ]

[ The skylight shatters, glass flying into the air. Hydron shields her face, then becomes water that flows to and through the newly-made hole in the roof. ]


[ INT. CONTROLROOM - DAY. ]

[ Water-Hydron descends from above and returns to human form behind Eoce. ]

EOCE:
Why won't you leave me alone?

HYDRON:
Because you keep hurting people. This time you've threatened the whole planet, and cost too many lives. It would be cowardly of us to leave you alone.

[ Eoce turns, and claws extend from one of his arms. A burst of fire comes from the side as Hydron steps back, pushing Eoce's arm back enough for Hydron to slip out of reach of his claws. ]

[ Fieron glides toward Eoce, an arm extended. ]

HYDRON:
Watch out!

[ Eoce raises an arm toward Fieron, and a beam of sparks zaps from Eoce to Fieron. Fieron stops advancing. ]

[ Eoce positions himself so that he is facing Fieron directly. A stream of fire pours from Eoce's arm, and Fieron falls back and is consumed in flames. ]

[ Hydron becomes water that flies into Eoce, swirling around the arm from which the flames pour. The flames sputter and die. ]

[ Smoke rises from Fieron as he falls back. Upon hitting the ground, "Fieron" explodes in a shower of metal that reveals several familiar robotic parts (see episodes 2 and 4). ]

[ With water still swirling around his arm, Eoce stands. ]

EOCE:
My rover?

[ A burst of fire and sparks strikes Eoce from behind, and he falls forward. ]

[ Fieron stands near the now-opened wall of the controlroom adjacent to the wall covered in equipment. Fieron's hand is outstretched. ]

[ Eoce flies upward, still tilted in his fall. He turns and takes a stable, upright position, and a beam of golden sparks zaps from his non-water-covered arm toward Fieron. ]

[ As Fieron casually catches Eoce's beam in his hand, Captain Fist, Theracy, Hoita, and BB15 and 18 appear in the "doorway". ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
Fieron. I should have known...

FIERON:
Shut up.

[ Fire forms around Fieron's free hand, and he tosses the fire at Eoce. ]

[ The fiery projectile strikes Eoce's zapping arm, and the beam from it stops. ]

[ Fieron takes flight. Eoce hovers toward him. ]

[ Water-Hydron descends from the confrontation and lands near Captain Fist and Theracy before returning to human form. ]

HYDRON:
Theracy! Am I glad to see you...

THERACY:
Hi, Shanan.

CAPTAIN FIST:
We followed the robot Fieron to one of Eoce's machines. Dr. Nono here got it working enough to drop us here... but the portal closed as soon as we arrived.

HOITA:
For it not to have destroyed this entire area, the merging must have already been stopped.

HYDRON:
Most of it has been. Eoce had a satellite and some towers spread out across this place, but they've all been destroyed.

HOITA:
Satellite? How can he build and power all of this by himself?!

CAPTAIN FIST:
I think we have more urgent matters to worry about.


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - DAY. : Several bots fly about in the air. ]

[ Retanretla casually walks through the swarm of bots, a ring of red tinting the sky above and around him. As the redness passes over bots, they drop to the ground and remain motionless. Retanretla hums to himself as he goes. ]

[ With two antenna-towers behind him, Aluben is surrounded by several bots. Off to his right, two BB agents can be seen shooting at bots with large handguns. Small clouds of yellowish gas continually form around Aluben's hands, which he thrusts toward bots, sending chunks of the gas at them, though most continue to come at him. ]

[ Several of the mechanical snakes move along the towers behind Aluben, and tiny lightning bolts arch between the towers; some appear in the clouds that Aluben sends at the bots. ]

ALUBEN:
It's just like before; those snakes must be using strange matter to attack my hydrogen!

SPECTRO(OS):
Aluben! Gamma charge!

ALUBEN:
Huh?

[ Close on Spectro, who is surrounded by bots. Spectro's hand glows bright blue as he moves it around him, blue light shining on the bots as Spectro's hand passes; the illuminated bots fall to the ground, some exploding. Spectro holds up his glowing hand once the bots have fallen. ]

SPECTRO:
Get ready!

[ A faint blue-violet glow appears around Aluben, and the cloud of gas around him expands rapidly. ]

ALUBEN:
They can't destroy this before it breaks them!

[ Aluben raises his arms, and the cloud rises. The cloud touches the lightning arching between the towers, and it ignites in a massive explosion that blows the tops from both towers, throwing the mechanical snakes off screen. ]

[ The explosion throws Aluben off of his feet. One of the mechanical snakes slithers across the ground toward him. ]

[ Close on the snake. An ice-hammer slams into it, and sparks fly from it as its back half shatters. ]

[ Wide shot: Glacier slides near Aluben, and the two BB agents approach him. Spectro approaches from the foreground. ]

[ Elsewhere, Wind and Gravitor fly just above the bot-swarm. Wind sweeps her hands out in front of her, and a great gust throws many of the bots off course. Gravitor glares down at the bots, and one of them starts spinning, those around it falling toward it. The bots collide, sparks and fragments of metal flying before all of them drop to the ground. ]

[ Wide shot: Wind and Gravitor land beside Spectro. ]

BB8:
Captain Fist is inside.

SPECTRO:
Ah, wonderful.

GRAVITOR:
I think you and I will be useful there.

[ Several bots fly in from the left, right, and foreground. Wind, Gravitor and Spectro turn to face them, and Aluben gets to his feet. ]

SPECTRO:
Once we get past these bots.

[ Retanretla walks casually into frame. ]

RETANRETLA:
Bots?

[ A red-orange haze appears over most of the bots, and the majority of them fall to the ground. ]

SPECTRO:
You know, you could try taking them all out at once...

RETANRETLA:
Well, if you insist.

[ The sky begins to redden. ]

SPECTRO:
Without hitting us.

[ The sky returns to normal and Retanretla shrugs. ]

[ From another angle, several bots can be seen approaching from the direction of another antenna, along which a pair of mechanical snakes climbs. One of the snakes slithers to the ground and follows the path of the flying bots. ]

[ Wind holds out her arms, and a gust of air pushes the bots back. ]

GRAVITOR:
More of those weird snakes...

[ Glacier raises an ice-mallet over his head as he approaches the antenna. Glacier swings the mallet, smashing the snake on the antenna; the blow causes the antenna to fall over as well, smoke rising from where it once stood. ]


[ INT. CONTROLROOM - DAY. : Fieron and Eoce hover in the middle of the room, facing one another. ]

FIERON:
It's time to end this.

CAPTAIN FIST:
Get them out of here so they don't damage the portals.

[ An aura of fire flares up around Fieron, and he flies at Eoce. Fieron strikes Eoce with a fiery fist, knocking Eoce upward and through the skylight. ]

HYDRON:
Get him to hit the roof!

EOCE:
It's off.

HYDRON:
... Never mind.


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - ROOFTOP - DAY. : Fieron flies up from the open skylight toward Eoce. Eoce floats out of Fieron's path and turns, aiming his flamethrower arm at Fieron. Fire blasts toward Fieron, who blocks the attack with his hands. Sparks appear around Fieron as Eoce's flames wash over him. ]

[ Fieron's fiery aura grows large, and a massive torrent of sparks and fire blasts out from him. ]

[ Fieron's blast forces Eoce to the edge of the roof before it fades; Eoce continues to hover at the same altitude, until he suddenly accelerates upward, then flips to hang upside down several meters above the building. ]

[ Looking down from the edge of the roof, Aluben, Retanretla, Gravitor, Spectro and Wind can be seen, looking upward. ]

GRAVITOR:
Now!

[ Fieron aims a hand at Eoce, and a burst of sparks blasts from it. ]

[ Fieron's blast strikes Eoce in the chest, and Eoce drops head-first toward the ground. ]


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - DAY. : As Eoce falls toward the ground, he flips himself and hovers a few inches above the ground. ]

[ Fieron descends from above, looking down toward Eoce. ]

RETANRETLA:
So, can I kill him now?

FIERON:
No; he has a portal generator in his suit. Your attacks could damage it.

RETANRETLA:
Oh, fine.

SPECTRO:
All right, Charles. Let's get in there while we have a chance!

[ Wind extends a hand toward screen left, and a powerful gust of wind picks up. Gravitor and Spectro hurry off to screen left. ]

[ Several hovering bots are thrown into Eoce's back. ]

[ Eoce turns and aims his arm at Wind, golden sparks zapping from it and hitting her. Wind yells and staggers back. ]

[ Fieron is bathed in blue sparks as he rushes Eoce, sending a fiery stream into the bottom of his suit. There is an enormous explosion, and both Fieron and Eoce are thrown to the ground. ]

RETANRETLA:
I could damage it?


[ INT. CONTROLROOM - DAY. : Spectro runs into the room, with Gravitor flying millimeters from the ground behind him. Gravitor slows as Spectro turns to face the bank of equipment on the wall. ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
What's your plan?

[ Spectro walks toward a console and waves his hand over it. ]

SPECTRO:
For starters, figuring out how to get us out of here.

GRAVITOR:
But his tricks with the merging messed with our powers. So we thought we'd return the favor.

[ Spectro starts pressing buttons, and a screen over the monitor suddenly displays a scrolling block of text in a pixelated font. (If readable, the text should appear as generic file and folder / hardware output characteristic of dos programming; a lot of "global/dir/external" and "local/home/keys/", Etc.). ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
How? Do we even know what this lunatic is up to?

SPECTRO:
Well, a look at his files should tell us that.

GRAVITOR:
Can we get the portal open?

SPECTRO:
I'm pretty sure we can. I want to make sure it will be the last time, though.

[ The text on the screen abruptly switches to read "GLOBAL/PowerManagement \ Unit11Axis/orientationMatrix \ Destination_Default = latlong/-1,-45 \ Duration_preferred = _MASS.LIM : 10000 \ Destination.Radius = null \ 11PRESSURE.forward = 1250.000000095 \ 11PRESSURE.LR = 1250.000000095 \ 11PRESSURE.Z = 1500.49999999997 \ 11PRESSURE.photic = 4000.249999987 \ 11PRESSURE.mult = 1250.000000095 ]

HYDRON:
We've broken it every time.

SPECTRO:
Not exactly. I'm going to bend this thing so all of the equipment here pulls on the power. As soon as the portal closes, all that electricity will blow this entire place.

[ As Spectro types, each successive "pressure" value on the display changes to "9001". ]

HOITA:
Are you crazy? Think of the uses for this facility!

SPECTRO:
I have.

CAPTAIN FIST:
What about Fieron and Eoce?

SPECTRO:
Eoce has two things that make him dangerous. His suit's portal generator, and his knowing how to make another. But I'm guessing his suit is only made to travel between here and Earth. If we can get it going the wrong way, we can put him somewhere he won't have such an easy time getting out of.

[ The value of the 11pressure.grav lines and 11pressure.photic lines both become "1024L". ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
What?

GRAVITOR:
We're going to pretend to let him escape. Into some other universe.


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - DAY. : Close on a mechanical snake on the ground near a tower. ]

[ The last snake shatters as an ice-mallet comes through its body. ]

[ Zoom out; the nearby tower explodes, and Glacier falls to the ground, a smoking stump where his left leg was before. ]

[ Pan to the right to reveal the rest of the group. ]

BB8:
Towers are self-destructing.

RETANRETLA:
Big loss.

[ Close on Eoce as he aims his flamethrower-arm downward and fire blasts from it. ]

[ Retanretla jumps aside as a stream of fire strikes the ground where he was standing. ]

RETANRETLA:
That's how you're playing? Forget the suit. It's time to fry!

[ Wide shot. The air surrounding Eoce becomes blue. Aluben jumps into the blue zone, and there is a large explosion that throws Eoce out of the blueness; Aluben falls to the ground, and the color returns to normal. ]

BB8:
Eoce. You are under arrest by order of the United States Inten--

[ Eoce recovers and turns, a beam of sparks zapping from his arm to hit BB8, who yells in pain when hit. ]

[ Fieron flies behind Eoce, and a blast of sparks flies from his hands and knocks Eoce forward. ]


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - MAIN ENTRANCE. : Three rovers line a corridor that opens into the outside. ]

[ Fierox, auraless, jumps in front of the rovers. all of them aim their arms at Fierox, and Fierox leaps out of the path of the ensuing streams of flame, just as a pair of mechanical snakes slither after the fox. The flames strike the snakes, and they explode. Fierox turns, golden aura growing, and leaps over the farthest stream of fire. The rover's arm raises to follow Fierox. ]

[ Zoom in as a wave of golden light expands from Fierox's head. Follow the wave as it strikes the bot in the shoulder-joint. The bot's shoulder sparks intensely, and its arm flies off. ]

[ Zoom in on the fallen arm. A burned hand reaches down and picks it up. ]

[ Theracy stands behind the rovers, holding up the fallen arm. ]

THERACY:
This is heavier than I expected.

[ Fierox collides with the disarmed rover, and it falls back. Golden light flows from Fierox's head and paws and into the rover, and sparks pour from its exposed shoulder-joint before smoke begins to leak from it. Fierox jumps off of the rover as it explodes. Theracy holds up the robotic arm to shield herself from shrapnel. ]

THERACY:
Nice, Fierox.

[ Fierox lands beside Theracy and turns to face the rovers, which begin to back up toward Theracy and the fox. ]

THERACY:
So without Zevrat, I don't know how to use this as a staff or how to get any electricity from any of this.

[ Theracy shrugs and aims the arm at the farthest bot, then slides her burned hand into the joint-end of it while supporting it with her unburned hand. There is a small burst of white steam, and sparks crackle around Theracy's hand and the severed shoulder of the robotic arm. Flames shoot from the other end of the arm, and both rovers begin to move away from Theracy. ]

THERACY:
Do these things ever run out of fuel?

[ The flames sputter and die. ]

THERACY:
Ah, guess they do.

[ Theracy raises the robotic arm and brings it down hard on top of the nearest rover. Sparks fly from the point of impact. Fierox walks behind Theracy, then runs and leaps at the farthest rover. Fierox lands atop the rover, then jumps off of it. Fierox's tail leaves a trail of flame behind, and the farthest rover sparks. Theracy runs forward and kicks the nearest rover, then draws her foot back and shakes it. ]

THERACY:
Ow! Oh, just break already!

[ Theracy brings the severed arm down onto the flamethrower arm of the rover, and fire starts pouring from the arm--aimed at the ground away from Theracy. Theracy runs around the rover and out of its range. Both of the surviving rovers stop what they are doing and begin to roll after Fierox and Theracy. ]


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - DAY. : Eoce turns to face Fieron and Retanretla. ]

EOCE:
You don't even know what I've been doing.

WIND:
Robbery? Kidnapping? Attempted murder? Wrecking half the planet? Or are you an "ends justify the means" kind of guy?

[ Eoce turns toward Wind. ]

WIND:
I'm not getting zapped again!

[ Wind holds up her arms, and a gust of wind pushes at Eoce, who only moves back a few inches as he takes aim with an arm. ]

THERACY (OS):
Duck!

[ Wind looks over her shoulder. ]

WIND:
Theracy?!

[ Theracy and Fierox run across the broken bot-strone battlefield. Theracy raises the severed rover-arm over her head with some effort, and throws it with all of her might. ]

[ Wind ducks as a golden beam of sparks passes over her head. The severed rover-arm passes over her head as well, falling short of hitting Eoce, though it is struck by Eoce's beam. Sparks fly out of either end of the arm before it falls to the ground near Wind. ]

[ Fierox crouches behind several fallen bots. ]

[ Eoce lans on the ground. ]

EOCE:
I've had enough!

[ A cloud of yellow-green gas flows out of Eoce's suit. ]

[ Wind gets up and holds out her arms. ]

WIND:
Not this time!

[ A gust of wind blows the gas back behind Eoce. Eoce raises an arm to aim at Wind. In a streak of blue sparks, Fieron flies into Eoce. Eoce staggers, then extends his claws and turns. The claws strike against Fieron's spark-shield, though Fieron moves back, landing and facing Eoce. Eoce walks toward Wind, and she moves aside to avoid Eoce's claw as he slashes at her. ]

[ Fieron takes aim at Eoce's back. ]

FIERON:
Where are you going?

[ Theracy is on her knees, searching the robot-debris. ]

THERACY:
There has to be something down here I can use...

[ Eoce steps toward Theracy and moves his claws toward her. ]

[ Fieron's fiery aura flares up as flames burn around Fieron's hands. ]

[ Eoce turns around, Theracy forced to move with him to avoid being cut by his claws. ]

EOCE:
Why do you value pointless things--normalcy, relationships, useless lives?

WIND:
Why do you destroy them?

EOCE:
I don't, unless they interfere in what I do value.

[ Fierox creeps up behind Eoce. ]

RETANRETLA:
Oh, come on, guys. Answer the man's question!

FIERON:
You of all people, Eoce, should know that nothing is useless. You, who studies the universe in such detail as to have a world all your own, and all these great creations, should know that every part of it accomplishes something. I am glad to remove mosquitoes that pester me, but I know that those mosquitoes serve some purpose.

THERACY:
I'm not a mosquito, Niryc.

[ From behind, two rovers approach Fierox. Fierox turns and runs toward them. As they approach, Fierox slowly backs up toward Eoce. ]

[ Theracy slowly moves her hand toward Eoce's arm. ]

FIERON:
I didn't say that you were.

[ Fierox stops close to Eoce. As the rovers draw close, Fierox jumps aside before fire pours from the arms of the rovers, striking Eoce in the back of his legs. ]

[ Eoce staggers, then spins around, dropping Theracy. ]

EOCE:
How do they use my own creations against me?

[ Theracy picks up a long slender piece of metal from the debris and shoves it up the lower back of Eoce's suit. Sparks flow along the metal and into Eoce's suit, as well as up Theracy's arm. ]

THERACY:
About like this!

[ Fierox leaps over the debris on the ground and runs toward Fieron. ]

FIERON:
There you are, Fierox. So, Eoce and his machines were outfoxed by an accident of his own. Fitting.

[ Wind extends her arms toward Eoce. ]

[ As Theracy holds the metal fragment firmly, the wind picks up, and Eoce falls forward, the flames from the rovers washing over him as he falls. Theracy jumps back, the rovers raising their arms to aim their streams of fire at her. ]

THERACY:
Hey, the first one ran out quicker than that!

[ Theracy throws the metal she holds at one of the rovers, and it hits it and bounces off harmlessly. Eoce rises, zapping the rover on the right with sparks from his arm. The rover's flames die, and Eoce turns to the other, zapping it as well, and it dies as well. Theracy jumps back and crouches, picking up a fallen bot. Eoce turns toward Theracy. Theracy throws the bot at Eoce, and it has no effect as it strikes his suit. Theracy turns and runs away from Eoce. ]

[ Fieron kneels and places one hand on Fierox's head. ]

FIERON:
Are you ready, Fierox?

[ Theracy runs past Wind, who looks after her in concern. ]

[ Theracy stops beside Fieron, out of breath. ]

THERACY (panting):
And... you're just... a year... older... than me.

[ Retanretla looks toward Theracy and smirks. ]

[ Eoce walks forward. ]


[ INT. CONTROLROOM - DAY. : Spectro types hurriedly at the console, as "compile _global" and "compile _local" and similar messages scroll on the monitor. ]

HOITA:
How do you expect to reverse Eoce's portal and still get back to Earth?

SPECTRO:
By messing with a couple dimentions in his settings.

HOITA:
Those were set the way they were for a reason.

SPECTRO:
Oh, I know. Charles and I can handle them, though.

[ The text on the monitor returns to its original state (generic output). ]

SPECTRO:
All right. Brace yourselves.

[ Spectro pushes a button, then jumps back as a disk of light cuts through the air to the right of the console, with an accompanying noise (see episodes 3 and 12). ]

CAPTAIN FIST:
And we're supposed... to...

[ Captain Fist falls into the disk of light. Hoita gazes at it, then stumbles and falls toward it. ]

GRAVITOR:
That's going to pull us through.


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - DAY. ]

[ There is a loud roar as the purple spaceship flies toward the compound. ]

[ Mid shot, as everyone (including Eoce) looks toward the ship. ]

RETANRETLA:
My cue.

FIERON:
Not yet.

RETANRETLA:
Nah, definitely yet.

[ Retanretla straightens, then runs off to the left. ]


[ EXT. WASTELAND - DAY. : Fieron's "ship" sits in the middle of the wasteland. ]

[ Retanretla runs to the "ship" and disappears behind it. ]


[ EXT. EOCE'S COMPOUND - DAY. ]

[ Eoce aims his arm at the spaceship, but a spider-like arm emerges from the side of it and moves to push Eoce aside. ]

[ The arm retracts into the ship as it flies at the wall of the building, then turns and circles the battlefield. The wall collapses inward, the disk of light consuming it. Gravitor and Spectro rise from behind the light-disk, both of Spectro's hands glowing brightly, oscilating through all the colors of the rainbow, while a faint indigo aura appears around Gravitor's shoulders. ]

GRAVITOR (shouting):
Eoce! Surrender! It's the only way.

[ Wide shot of Eoce hovering with the spaceship behind him. ]

EOCE:
My life has been in pushing past short-sighted fools; those that act against it have no value alive.

[ A ring of light forms around Eoce. ]

[ Wind flies up toward Gravitor and Spectro, hovering just above the light-disk. ]

SPECTRO:
Go time!

[ Wind holds up her arms, and a gust of wind pushes Spectro and Gravitor forward. ]

[ Wide shot. Spectro and Gravitor fly toward Eoce. Fieron hovers near Eoce, blasting at him with a beam of sparks and fire. Aluben stands below, his arms raised toward Eoce as his gas streams at Eoce. ]

[ The ring around Eoce suddenly spins around into a sphere, and flies away like a bullet from the main portal on the ground. ]

[ Mid shot. The sphere collapses, a brief glimpse of blackness visible, with Eoce's image shrinking therein before it vanishes. ]

[ From above, debris can be seen flying across the ground and toward the disk of light. Wind flies toward Spectro and Gravitor, as the spaceship flies toward the light-disk. ]

[ Close on the side of the ship, as the side-hatch irisses open. ]

VEKIN (shouting):
Inside! Quickly!

[ Glacier rises on ice-stilts, and the others in the air converge on the ship. And then it all falls into the portal, which spins, narrows to a line that reaches to the sky, then disappears as a massive explosion consumes the base, leaving only a desolate wasteland behind. ]

[ Fade to black. ]


[ Fade in to EXT. HILLS - DAY. : While three hills are split open, and several armed Kro examine the area, and some Kro lie on the ground motionless, there are no traces of the debris that fell from the sky previously. Zevrai sits atop an undamaged hill, not looking at the Kro below. ]

[ There is a flash of yellowish light, and the purple spaceship appears, casting a shadow over the Kro. Zevrai and the Kro all look up at the ship. ]

KRO1:
And now what should cast its shadow upon us?

[ A smaller object flies off from behind the purple ship and disappears in the distance. ]

[ Close on Zevrai, who smiles weakly. ]

ZEVRAI:
Good.

[ Zevrai suddenly frowns. ]

ZEVRAI:
No, not good.

[ Zevrai gets to her feet and flies toward the ship. ]

[ Mid-shot: Zevrai flies alongside the ship. The side-hatch opens, and Vekin, Wind and Spectro stand beyond. ]

VEKIN:
Sarai?!

ZEVRAI:
Almost. Where are Liquaro and Rani?

VEKIN:
Come inside. There is much to tell.

ZEVRAI:
Are they with you?

VEKIN:
No.

[ Hoita steps into view. ]

HOITA:
They destroyed the portal, my extraversal friend.

ZEVRAI:
Where are the twins?

[ Hoita steps to the edge of the floor of the ship. Wind and Spectro reach out to grab her by either arm. ]

HOITA:
Where, indeed. Unhand me.

SPECTRO:
You may have helped with the portal, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook for everything else.

ZEVRAI:
Vekin, where are my cousins?

VEKIN:
They're gone, Sarai.

[ Close on Zevrai's face as her lips thin. ]

ZEVRAI:
Then so am I.

[ Mid shot. Zevrai holds out her hands and clasps them together. ]

VEKIN:
Don't!

ZEVRAI:
Tahea Spirit Lift!

[ A sphere of white light expands from Zevrai's hands. ]

[ Hoita pulls free of Wind's grasp and pushes Spectro back. ]

HOITA:
You may have taken Eoce's realm from me, but I will have both freedom and access to the multiverse.

[ Hoita jumps into the sphere of light and disappears. The sphere flies up and away, leaving no trace of Zevrai or Hoita behind. ]


[ EXT. JUNKYARD - TWILIGHT. : The sky is as it was before the merger. A taxi is parked on the side of the road, and Zach stands alone beside it. ]

ZACH:
I guess they won.

[ Zach smiles. ]

ZACH:
Way to go, Sara.

[ Zach moves to and pulls open the driver's door, then gets into the taxi and pulls the door shut behind him. The taxi's engine purs to life, and the car drives off down the road. ]

[ Fade to black. ]


5:07 PM 6/1/2010