[Locked] Black Orchids

[It's about 12:30 pm in the neighborhood of Wesley, which is within Metropolitan Toronto, Ontario. The whole day was overcast and grayish, but the people planed on making the most out of it. Anyway, A youthful couple, both about eighteen, are on a date, trying to figure out what to do. The girl, a Wesley native, has short dark black hair with red highlights that only reaches her ears, tan skin and blue-green eyes. She wears a pastel blue colored sweater and dark blue jeans. The boy, who was born in New York City, is tall, skinny, and pale and has a large tuft of messy brown hair covering up a portion of his forehead. He wears a black hoodless windbreaker that covers up his white t-shirt and black jeans.]

Girl: So, Mike…what are you going to do now that we're graduating together? Are we going to go the same university, like you promised me?

Mike: Uhh… Nope!

Girl: (slightly surprised) Whaaaaaaat?!?

Mike: I'm going to dump your sorry ass and find an even hotter girl to be with when I go to college…one that you’re not going to!

{The girl glances fiercely at him and pouts.}

Mike: (Laughs) I'm just kidding, Laurie! Please don’t get mad!

Laurie: Is she cuter than me?

Mike: Okay, you’re blowing this way out of-

Laurie: Does she have breasts like these?

{She goes to lift up her top, and, ironically, a delivery truck hastily rumbles past the exact moment that she does, blocking the view. By the time it leaves, she has already pulled her shirt back down and there are a couple guys standing in complete awe.}

Laurie: What are you perverts looking at?

(Without warning, a dark blue coupe comes unheedingly towards the couple. Laurie becomes dumbfounded, staring without expression at the inbound vehicle.)

Mike: Look out!!

(He pushes her out of the way, just as the speeding car was about to hit her. Immediately afterwards, it smashes into a wall.)

Laurie: Oh my God! I think I know whose car that was!

Mike: I do, too.

Laurie: You think she's okay?

Mike: Let's go find out.

(The camera changes to the other girl's perspective (in other words, 1st person.) Her consciousness fades in and out as she hears Mike and Laurie coming up to her car.)

Laurie's voice: Hurry…get her out of there!

Mike's voice: I'm trying…you're not helping when you yell.

Laurie's voice: I hope she's alright…

Mike's voice: Well, seeing that she just hit a semi…I would...doubt that.

Laurie's voice: Well…she awake?

Mike's voice: The hell if I know? Hold up…I think…coming around…

{The girl finally regains consciousness and realizes that she is on the ground. She quickly sits up.}

Laurie: A-are you okay?

Girl (with a confused look on her face): W-what am I doing here? I gotta go!

{The girl tries to get up, but Mike quickly grabs her arm and keeps her down.}

Mike: Whoa! Hold on there! Wait for the paramedics to arrive.

Girl: I said let go of m-me. (She pulls away from him.)

Laurie: Listen to what he's saying! Your car just plowed into a wall at, like, 100 miles per hour! I'm surprised you're still breathing!

(The girl manages to get on her feet. She tries to stumble away, but she falls again. Laurie tries to hold her down.)

Laurie: Please, save your energy! The paramedics on their way!

Girl: Y-you…(coughs)…called those bastards? I d-don't need them…I’m fine!

(She pulls her self away from Laurie and tries to get up and walk, only to fall down yet again.)

Mike: Stop! Your wounds are too severe for you to be trying to walk!

(Using the last of her strength, she gets up one final time and tries to walk again.)

Girl: No…I-I…have…to…

{She finally collapses and hits the ground hard. Mike goes to pick her up. Her breathing starts to get slower and slower. The girl's vision starts to dim.}

Mike: (Starting to cry) Don't you die on me! Don't die on me, damn it!!

{Laurie turns around, desperately fighting back her own tears.}

Girl:No…I…I...gotta...

{Everything goes dark…}

Prologue END

{Inside of an apartment complex, a girl (more specifically, the dying one from the prologue) is knocked out cold, lying on a couch. She has long, dusty brown hair that reaches to her waist and dark brown eyes. She is also average in size (about 5 ft. even). She suddenly wakes up, shocked and surprised. She starts getting a good view of the apartment she is in.}

Girl: Where am I? (She rubs her head in worry.) Oww!I feel like I ran into a wall! (Mentally)…Oh, wait…I did. That's the last thing I can remember before I ended up here.

{She gets up and happens to look down at what she was wearing. She shrieks in terror.}

Girl: What the hell?!? I’m wearing a hospital gown!!! Wait a minute…why am I in a gown?

{She gets up and sees a man staring at the street from a window. He is fair-skinned and also has short black hair and is wearing a black tracksuit. In his right hand, he held a red flash drive.}

Girl: Who are you?

Man Sorry, Toots. I can't answer that.

Girl: Why did you bring me here?

Man: (Turns around to face the girl.) …I can’t answer that either.

Girl: Fine. I’ll just leave.

{She tries to walk out the front door, but the man instantly blocks her. The man continues to stand in front of the girl, quiet.}

Girl: …Let me go.

Man: …I can’t.

Girl: Why not, damn it?!

Man: …that’s classified.

Girl: Bullshit!

{The girl tries to punch the man in the face, but he catches her fist at the last moment and smirks at her. She tries to catch him with a leg sweep only to get tripped by the guys other foot.}

Man: You’ve got some nice moves, girlie…but…

{The man grips her neck with one hand as she struggles to breathe. He pulls out a gun and puts it against her forehead.}

Man: Touch me again…and I will not hesitate to kill you…got that?

{The man lets go of her neck. He sternly hands the girl the ID and flash drive as she tries to get her breath back. He begins to walk away.}

Man: My job here is done. Come find me when you are ready to grow up…then we'll continue with this little game of ours. Goodbye…Ms. Taylor.

Girl: Wait!

{The man instantaneously disappears in a cloud of smoke.}

Girl: …"Ms. Taylor"…who was that guy talking about? And how the hell did he do that?

{She surveys the flash card and ID in her hand in surprise.}

Girl: Maybe this will give me some clues about who I am…but how am I supposed to find out what’s on this flash drive?

{Just then, she turns and sees a old computer. She goes over to it and tries to boot it up…}

Girl: Come on…come on…

{The desktop screen appears.}

Girl: Yes! Now to see if this thing has a USB port…here it is!

{She inserts the flash drive into the slot and the following note appears on the monitor in front of her face. It reads…}

“Meet me at the Royal Ontario Museum in 2 days.”
A.McMillan

Girl: (in a sarcastic tone) Well…that was pretty helpful…

{She looks down at the ID that the man gave her.}

Girl: Wait a sec…the girl on this thing looks like me…in fact, I think it is me! So…my name's Julie, huh. Where does it say I’m from, anyway? (Gasps in shock.) East Hill?!?! I can’t even run that far! Maybe...if I can focus hard enough…

{She closed her eyes and focused as hard as she could. Unexpectedly, she disappeared in an instant, just like the man did. She re-appears in the middle of a busy highway intersection.}

Julie: I can’t believe that actually worked! (She starts to look around.) Now, which way is East Hill?

{Right after she finished her sentence, an SUV charges straight for her.}

Julie: Just great.

{Julie runs as cars speed through the intersection and crash into each other and swerve out of Julie’s (and each other’s) way. A car almost hits her when she slides over it. Once she was out of the way, she watches as some of the cars crash. Suddenly, she almost faints again.]

Julie: Damn, my anemia’s acting up! I better get outta here while I still can.

{Julie runs into some nearby bushes and disappears. From the roof of a nearby building, the man in the tracksuit re-appears.}

Man: …She’s progressing at a much faster rate than I had expected. I’ll have to keep my eye on her.

{Julie re-appears in the untroubled backyard of an abandoned split-level house.}

Julie: Is this…East Hill?

{She climbs up a nearby tree in order to find a city sign. She eventually finds a sign that says, “Welcome to East Hill”}

Julie: Well, at least I’m in the neighborhood…

{She goes over to a branch and sits down.}

Julie: Damn it…why can't I remember anything from the day before? All I can remember is rushing home from school the other day, getting a very sharp headache, and, finally running into that wall. Everything else is just… a blank. I can't even remember where I live! For all I know, this could be some random person's place, and, come tomorrow morning, I could wake up a gun pointed at me! (Shrugs) Oh, well... I can worry about that later. Right now, I'm going to keep looking for…uunh…

{She suddenly faints and falls out of the tree.}

Chapter 1 END

{As the sun rises, providing the sky and the lawn a warm reddish-orange glow, Julie wakes up to the sound of birds chirping in a nest in a tree above your head.}

Julie: (groaning) What…the hell? Man, I gotta stop over-exerting myself…

{Out of nowhere, a sparrow flew onto Julie's shoulder. She looks as it hopped merrily on her wrist.}

Julie: The Universe just loves to screw me, doesn't it? (She tries to shake the bird off.) Piss off, you little weirdo.

Voice: Hey! At least I’m not the one with a face full of dirt!

Julie: (Looking around) Wha-?!? W-who said that?!?

Voice: Ahem! Look up, retard.

{She slowly looks up and sees a sparrow standing on her head, which, oddly enough, was glaring at her.}

Julie: …So…you're a talking bird?

Sparrow: Of course I'm not! I’m a human, just like you and mostly everyone else in the world!

Julie: I really find that hard to believe.

{In a puff of smoke, the sparrow transforms into a woman. She has glossy blue eyes and moderately lengthy black hair, stylized with bangs in the front. She also wears a black sweat suit.}

Woman: Do you believe me NOW!?

Julie: …Who are you, anyway?

Stephanie: The name’s Stephanie McMillan, Head of the Recruitment Department of the Black Orchids.

Julie: The what?

Stephanie: Here… just take this.

{Stephanie pulls a black notebook out of her pocket and gives to Julie.}

Julie: What am I supposed to with this?

Stephanie: Hold on to it.

Julie: For what?

Stephanie: You'll understand…in time. Right now, think of it as an “appointment book”.

{Julie quietly gets up and starts walking towards the house.}

Stephanie (mentally): Is she really supposed to be the girl we’re looking for? She doesn’t seem that-(verbally) Hey, wait up! (Runs after Julie) At least tell me when you’re going to up and walk away!

Julie: Something about this place…is so familiar…

(The two approach the broken sliding door right in front of them.)

Stephanie: Wow, this place has really gone to hell. Why are you even here, anyway?

Julie: I don’t know…I think something in the house was calling out to me…and still is.

Stephanie: Well…you want to take a peek inside?

{They walk through the doorway and starts looking around the ruined den for anything useful. Suddenly, Julie’s eye catches a glint of light coming from a nearby corner. She goes over to investigate it.}

Stephanie: Why did you find?

Julie: (Picks up the shiny object) A key. But, what does it open?

Stephanie: Now that you mention it…I think that I saw a door that this could open.

Julie: I think it’s too small to open a door.

Stephanie: Maybe it opens this giant case over here? (Points to a large metal crate that is sitting in a closet in front of her.) Let me see that key for a sec.

{Julie throws her the key to her and she uses it to unlock the case, which opens with a large burst of steam. Inside of the case was...a messenger bag. The two women stare at it with looks of disappointment.}

Julie: You’ve gotta be kidding me.

Stephanie: Aww, man! I thought it would be something cool, like a mystical spear, or a super-powerful space gun! This is-

Julie: Wait a minute…I remember this thing now…this is my dad’s old training bag! But…I don’t even know if there’s anything in here.

{She reaches her hand inside the bag and pulls out a large, polished bokken made out of cocobolo wood.}

Julie: No way...

Stephanie: What’s that?

Julie: It looks like a wooden sword to-

{She zones out as a vision of her past pops into her head. In this vision, Julie is a young girl (about 11), practicing her kenjutsu by sparring in an open field with a tall, gruff older man. They were both wearing kimonos, in order to “practice like they did in the old days”. The two were furiously swinging at each other and blocking each other’s hits with their swords.}

Julie: You’re getting sloppy, old man!

Older Man: Oh, yeah? Then, how come you haven been able to land a hit on me, ya little runt?

{They continue to swing at each other, until…}

Julie: (quietly): Gotcha.

Older Man: Huh?

{She hits the man as hard as she could in his side and he falls over in pain. He tries to get up, only to have Julie’s bokken pointed directly towards his face.}

Julie: Face it, Dad. You. Lost.

Julie’s Father: Okay, okay. Ya got me…now come on, help your old man up.

{She grabs his hand and pulls him up onto his feet.}

Julie’s Father: So, tomorrow’s the big day, huh?

Julie: Hmm? Yeah, I guess so.

Julie’s Father: Come on! Why aren’t you excited? In a couple more hours, you’ll be the youngest person to ever be promoted to menkyo.

Julie: I am. Its just…I feel like I’ve wasted so much of my life with this kenjutsu stuff…

Julie’s Father: You haven’t wasted your life…you found something you wanted to do and stuck with it. I, on the other hand…I wasted almost 30 years of my life doing mindless bullshit. But, I can thank one mindless decision for turning that all around.

Julie: What’s that?

Julie’s Father: …Adopting you. So, kiddo…you wanna go get something to eat?

Julie: Only if you’re ready lay some golden eggs to pay for the bill!

{The two start laughing. Then, in an instant, Julie feels a sharp pain in her chest and starts gasping for air. Afterwards, she collapses.}

Julie’s Father: Julie, what’s wrong? (Fading out) Julie…Julie…

{Back in the current time, Stephanie is waving her hand in front of Julie. She snaps out of her trance.}

Stephanie: Julie! Are you with me, now?

Julie: I-I’m fine. I just got light-headed, that’s all.

Stephanie: So, do you know what that thing is, or don’t you?

Julie: It’s my dad’s training sword…

Stephanie: I don’t think anything else is in that bag.

Julie: I guess I’ll just take it with me, just in case I need to put something inside of it.

Stephanie: So…are you ready to leave now?

Julie: I’m not going anywhere until I find some clothes.

Stephanie: I think I might be able to help you with that…

Julie: How?

Stephanie: Wait here a second. I’ll fly back home and see if I can find something that will fit you.

{Stephanie turns back into a sparrow and flies off.}

Julie: Oh, great. And what am I supposed to do until she gets back?

{Suddenly, she starts to hear scribbling from inside the book that Stephanie gave her. She opens it to find this written on the 1st page…)

Assignment No.1

Target’s name: Alex Granado

Not much is know about this guy, other than the fact that he was involved with a $2,000,000 cocaine deal. You have been hired to assassinate him at an upscale party happening downtown in a week. Also, since this is your first mission, you will be working with a partner that has more experience in this field than you.

If you complete this assignment, we will put $250,000 into your bank account. Fail, and you will be killed.
That is all.

Julie: So…this is it…my first assignment.

Stephanie: By the way I happened to get a look at your partner. He was adorable! I might just have to take him from you!

[Julie turns around and, much to her surprise, Stephanie was right behind her.]

Julie: Did you get me some clothes?

Stephanie: Of course! Hope you like Toliver…

{She throws Julie a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, and a zip-up sweater. After changing her clothes…}

Julie: These fit pretty well. How did you know what size I wore?

Stephanie: Call it “a woman’s intuition”. Now, come on! We have to go meet your partner. Do you have a car?

Julie: Of course not! That wall that I hit the other day made sure of that!

Stephanie: Well, isn’t that just great…

Julie: Hold on! I think I there’s something we can use in my bag.

{She pulls a remote out of her bag.}

Stephanie: What does that thing do?

Julie: I don’t know. Only one way to find out…

{She presses a button on the remote andpart of the wall that surrounds the house opens up, revealing a motorcycle. Julie hops onto it.}

Stephanie: Do you even remember how to ride a motorcycle?

Julie: Nope! But that doesn’t mean I can’t try! (She starts the motorcycle up and starts revving it.) Now, catch me if you can!

(Julie flies out of the back yard and onto the street.)

Stephanie: UGGGHHH!

{She turns back into a sparrow and flies after Julie and eventually catches up to her. She transforms back into her human form and hops on the motorcycle.}

Stephanie: You dimwit!! How could you leave me behind! You don’t even know were we’re supposed to be going!!

Julie: Is this it?

Stephanie: Of course n-(She checks the address.) Wow, got it right on the first try. I thought we would’ve wound up drowning in the Humber River with your crappy sense of direction.

Julie: Oh, ha-ha. Very funny.

{As Julie looked around in awe, she noticed that the area looked high-end and upscale, just like the house.}

Stephanie: Are you done sightseeing?

Julie: Oh…uh…yeah. Let’s go.

Stephanie: Sorry, I can’t go with you. I just remembered that I’ve got some important business to attend to back at HQ. I’ll catch up with you later. Bye!

{She teleports away, leaving Julie in a pissed off mood.}

Julie: That BITCH! How could she up and leave me again, especially when we were supposed to be doing something important?!?

(She gets of the bike and walks up to the porch.)

Julie: Okay, Julie…calm down…don’t wanna let this guy get the wrong impression of me…(Inhales deeply, then exhales.)…Okay, I’m ready.

{Then, she takes a deep breath and slowly opens the door. As soon as she does, she feels a sharp item poke her in the stomach.}

Julie: What the?

{The last thing she sees before blacking out is a guy with a syringe in his hand, smirking at her.}

Chapter 2 END

{Julie instantly wakes up lying on the ground. As she gets up, she notices that everything is pitch black.}

Julie: Unnh…he could’ve at least invited me into the house before drugging me…

{She tries to get up and walk, only to fall back down.}

Julie: Huh? Why can’t I move around?

{Looking down, she notices that there is a large iron belt wrapped around her waist, attached to a chain. All of a sudden, she begins to shudder in pain.}

Julie: (mentally) Why is my body acting like this? I can’t stop shaking…and I’m sweating like crazy! I can’t even more anymore!

Voice: Seems like the drugs I injected you with are starting to take effect.

Julie: W-what?

{In an instant, all the lights in the room come on, revealing it to be completely empty. In front of Julie is a guy with shaggy blonde hair with thin glasses on wearing a grey suit.}

Julie: Who are you?! Why a-are you d-doing this to me?!?

Guy: I know all about you and your friend’s plan to kill Mr. Granado…

{He kicks Julie in the stomach, making her cough up blood.}

Guy: I’m just making sure you don’t get the chance to!

{He kicks her again, this time in the ribs.}

Julie: (crying) Stop it! Just leave me alone!!

Guy: I’ll stop when I get good and ready to!

{He gets ready to punch Julie when, all of a sudden, her eyes start to glow with a purplish haze.}

Julie: I…said…STOP IT!

{She instantly grabs the guy’s fist and punches him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.}

Guy: What the-? T-that drug should’ve rendered you immobile!

Julie: Next time, make a drug that works better.

{She grabs the belt attached to her waist and instantly breaks it.}

…Of course, there won’t be a next time for you.

{The guy tries to back away from her as she walks towards him. Eventually, he is backed into a corner.}

Guy: I-I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do all that! I was just following orders, I swear!

Julie: And look where it got you. Now, where is the guy that I’m supposed to be looking for?

Guy: I’ll never tell you!

Julie: …That’s a real pity…

{She grabs the pistol that the guy had in his pants and puts it up under his chin.}

You just made your life a minute shorter.

Guy: Wait, don’t-

{Before he could finish his sentence, she pulls the trigger, splattering his brains across the wall. A couple of moments later, Julie’s eyes return to their normal brown color.}

Julie: Huh? What just happened?

{She looks down and sees the dead body.}

Julie: AHH-

Voice: Shh, be quiet. If you scream, the other thugs might hear you.

{Julie turns around and gasps in shock.}

To be continued...

{From a window above her, the guy in the tracksuit hops inside.}

Julie: You’re that guy from the other day!

Man: Oh great...of all the people to be partnered up with, I get stuck with you.

Julie: Why are you here?

Man: I was gonna say “saving your ass”, but…it seems like you saved your own. By the way, how did you do that thing with-

Julie: Wait…someone’s coming in! Hide!

{The two of them hide behind the nearby door as a couple of guys run into the room.}

Guy 1: What the hell’s going on here?

Guy 2: Oh my God! RICK!

Man: (whispering) We need to get out of here!

Julie: (whispering) I know!

{She peeks though the crack in the door, looking for a way out. Instead she finds herself looking right into the face of one on the guys that came in.}

Guy 1: …Peekaboo.

{Julie kicks the door, smashing it right into the guy’s head and knocking him out. Seeing this, the other guy goes to pull his gun out, but Julie and the man have disappeared from his sight.}

Guy 1: What the-?

{Julie pops up right behind him.}

Julie: Too slow. Now…(grabs him by the neck.) tell me where we are!

Guy: I’m not telling you anything!

{Julie puts her gun up to his head.}

Julie: You sure about that?

Guy: Okay! Okay! We were hired to kidnap you and bring you to our hideout in Parkwood! Look, I-I told you all the stuff I know! Please, let go of my neck!

Julie: Hmm…that’s fair.

{She lets go of his neck and starts to walk away from him.}

Oh…there’s one more thing…

{She kicks him in the balls. Hard. Before he even gets a chance to stand, she steps on them.}

Julie: How do I get out of here? Tell me now, and I’ll consider not turning your balls into sterile pancakes.

Guy 1: Ha! You wish!

Julie: Oh, yeah?

{She begins to smirk at him (…in an evil kind of way), and her eyes turn purple again. She starts to rub his “thing” with her shoe.}

Julie: How about now?

Guy 1: Mmmmmm...

Julie: Come on…tell me what I want to hear…

Guy: Its down the hallway and to the ri-HNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!!

{She stops rubbing him with her shoe. She looks down and sees a “wet spot” on his pants.}

Julie: Oh, God…don’t tell me you just…came?

Guy 1: Well, it was your fault anyway! Teasing me like that…

Julie: This just made me remember something.

Guy 1: What?

Julie: I…(kicks him)…hate…(kicks him again)…QUICKSHOTS!!!

{She kicks him one more time, but this time, the sound of something cracking is heard.}

Man: Oh, that’s not good.

Guy 1: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Julie: Let’s just go.

{They run out of the room and down a long, sparsely decorated hallway.}

To be continued...

{...Back in the empty room, the second guy is coming to while the first one is still screaming in pain.}

Guy 2: Unnh…that hurt…

Guy 1: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

Guy 2: What’s your problem?

Guy 1: That crazy bitch smashed my nuts!

Guy 2: Oh, come on... it couldn’t have hurt that bad.

{The other guy stops screaming all of a sudden.}

Guy 1: Hey, wait a minute. She didn’t step on my balls…she just ended up crushing my cell phone.

Guy 2: Luck “break” for you, huh?

{He pulls the other guy up off of the floor.}

Guy 1: Yeah, I guess so.

Guy 2: Okay, now what do we do?

Guy 1: …Nothing.

Guy 2: What? Why?

Guy 1: I lied to her. That girl is walking right into the boss’s room.

Guy 2: Heh. She’s in for it now…

{Meanwhile, Julie and the tracksuit man continue running down the hallway. Eventually, they make it to the end.}

Man: Okay, which way did that guy say to go?

Julie: Right!

{They make a right turn and end up running into a storeroom full of thugs, all pointing rifles at them. At the other end of the room, there is a fifteen-year-old girl at the other end, sitting on the table. She has blonde hair and hazel eyes. She is also wearing a mint green dress with matching stripped socks and dress shoes.}

Tracksuit Man: Damn, a trap!

Girl: Hmm, seems that the two little flies that I caught for Alex wriggled out of their webs.

Julie: And just who are you calling flies?

Girl: Just give up now…and make it easier for all of us.

Julie: Like hell I will!

Girl: Seems we have to do this the hard way…get †˜em, boys!

{The thugs close in on Julie and Tracksuit man}

Thug: We got ya right where we want ya! Now, are you two gonna give up, or do we havta turn ya guys into Swiss cheese?

{The tracksuit man puts his hand on her shoulder, which made her return to normal.}

Julie: Wha-?

Tracksuit Man: Don’t worry. I got this.

{He pulls out an athame as his eyes begin to give off an orange glow. A split second later, he disappears. Everyone else starts to look around, shocked…even Julie.}

Julie: (mentally) He’s moving faster than when he fought me!

Thug 1: Where did he go?

Thug 2: Find him!

Thug 3: To hell with this, I’m getting out of here!!!

{He dashes past Julie and heads for the door, only to freeze in place when he reaches the doorway.}

Tracksuit Guy: (voice only) I don’t think so.

{The thug’s body starts to convulse and squirm as his skin begins to shrivel up.}

Thug 3: Wh-what the? It feels as if my skins on-AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!

{He bursts into flames, eventually turning into a pile of dust. Everybody stares at the sight in horror…except for the girl, who for some reason was grinning with a wicked smile.}

Girl: (mentally) Well, well. Seems like he’s learned a lot since we’ve last met. (Out loud) Hey, you morons!

{The remaining thugs look at the girl with confused faces.}

Keep your guard up! He could strike again at any time!

{The thugs start to look around with more intent.}

Thug 1: Hmm?

{He turns his head, thinking that he heard something. The other thug goes over to him, trying to see what the he saw.}

Thug 2: Hey…you hear something?

Girl: Behind you, retards!

Thug 1 & 2: (turning their heads) Wut?

{In an unexpected twist, both of the guys’ head’s fall off.}

Girl: What the fuck?

{The tracksuit man pops back up behind the girl.}

Girl: You know…I always hated it when you broke my things, Marco.

Marco: Well…what, can I say? Guess I’m still an immature brat…

{He grabs her by the neck, pointing his athane at her throat.}

Of course, that’s what you’ve always seen me as, right…Little Sis?

{Julie looks at the two of them with a surprised look. The girl then suddenly elbows the Marco in his chin, knocking him off-balance. She then pulls a dagger out from under her dress and prepares to stab him.}

Julie: Crap! I gotta save him!

{She pulls out her pistol and runs over to them. Seeing this, the girl turns and holds her hand out, as if she’s about to grab something. Suddenly, her hand is enveloped in a blue flame.}

Girl: This is a family matter, so but out!

{A wave of blue flames heads for Julie. She teleports out of the way, but the flames hit the wall, which causes the room to start burning up. Julie reappears in front of her, bokken in hand. She swings for the girl’s head, but she blocks it with her arm and kicks Julie in the stomach with both of her feet, making her fly backwards and land on the ground. Julie gets up, only to get the girl’s fist in her chest. She gets back at her by punching her in the face, making her slide across the floor. As the two quickly pick themselves up off of the floor and charge at each other again, Marco instantly appears between the two and puts his hands out, blocking them.}

Marco: Stop it! Don’t you morons see that this whole place is going to fall apart?

{They look around and see that everything is on fire. The two guys from the room down the hall rush in.}

Guy 1: Boss! We have to get out of here!

Guy 2: Yeah! (Dodges a burning wooden plank) This whole place is burning down!

Girl: Well, seems like you two get to fight another day.

{She begins to walk away, acting as if there wasn’t fire in the room. She turns around and glares at Marco.}

But, the next time we meet…you won’t be so lucky.

{She leaves out right as the doorway collapses. Julie and Marco are now trapped inside the burning room, with the place caving in on itself.}

Julie: We have to get out of here now!

{She and Marco teleport out. They end up back in front of Marco’s house. He breathes a sigh of relief upon seeing his house again.}

Marco: Finally! now, I can-

{Before he can finish his sentence, he hears a “click” behind him. He turns around to see, of all things, Julie pointing her gun at him.}

Julie: I want some answers from you.

Chapter 3 END

{Stephanie is sitting in living room, typing furiously on her computer keyboard. A moment later, the cell phone on the computer table next to her starts to ring and she picks it up.}

Stephanie: Hello?

Voice: It’s been a while.

Stephanie: Who gave you my number?

Voice: That’s not important. Now, I’m going to ask you a question…and in return, I want you to give me an honest answer.

Stephanie: Define “honest”.

{A box-cutter is put up to her neck in an instant by an unknown hand.}

Voice: I’m sure that my accomplice has arrived at your house by now. Now, here’s how this is going to work: I’m going to ask you to do something for me...and if the answer isn’t what I want to hear or if you try to move…

Stephanie: …Your friend here will cut my neck, right? Something tells me you’re not being honest yourself.

Voice: Glad we’re finally on the same page. So, I can expect your full cooperation then?

Stephanie: Okay, I’ll play along.

Voice: Which leads to my question…if I were to ask you to hand over that girl you just met, what would you say?

Stephanie: That depends. What is she worth to you?

{The box-cutter gets closer to her neck and begins to gently graze it}

Voice: A lot more than you think. Now, can I expect you to bring her to me?

Stephanie: …And what do I get out of this?

Voice: …Your father’s life, of course.

{Stephanie starts to become angry, her eyes beginning to narrow.}

Stephanie: What did you say?

Voice: Oh, did I forget to mention that I have your father at gunpoint? How rude of me. Here, old man…why don't you talk some sense into your little girl?

Stephanie: Father, are you there?! Father!

Older man’s voice: (coughs) I-I’m okay!

Stephanie: What have they done to you?

Stephanie’s father: Nothing serious yet…but what ever this man says to you, don’t listen to him. He’s nothing more than a madman, you hear me? Whatever you do, don’t let him get his hands on Julie! He’s trying to use her in order to-

{Before he could finish his sentence, a gunshot is heard.}

Stephanie: Father? FATHEEEEEEERRRR!!

Voice: That man didn’t know when to keep his trap shut. Guess I had to do it for him. So…what’s your answer?

Stephanie: Go. Fuck. Yourself.

Voice: So, you’re saying “no”, then? That’s fine by me, because I have other ways of getting you to do what I want. 42, knock her out.

{A second hand chops Stephanie in the back of her head, making her lose consciousness. Afterwards, a figure of medium height comes out of the shadows and stands over her.}

Voice: Good. Now give her “the drug”.

{The person takes out a syringe filled with a blue liquid, sticks it into Stephanie’s neck and injects the contents.}

Voice: Very good. Now leave the phone on her ear and exit quietly. I don’t want my ace getting caught for something as simple as trespassing.

{The figure disappears out of sight.}

Voice: Now, listen to me…and listen to me well…

(to be continued...)

[Meanwhile at Marco’s house, Marco is laying on the ground with a plain face, while Julie is standing above him, straddling his body with her gun still pointed at him.]

Julie: So, are you going to tell me what you know?

Marco: Hmm, seeing that I have a crazy girl standing over me attempting to blow my head off, I don’t seem to have much of a choice here. All right…I’ll tell you everything that I know.

Julie: You better.

Marco: Uh…could you let me get up first?

{She moves her leg and sits Indian-style in in front of him. Marco sits up.}

Marco: So, what do you want to know first?

Julie: The Black Orchids…I want to know what this organization of yours is truly about.

Marco: Well, as you can obviously tell by now, were not your average hitmen. In fact, it’s just a rouse that we put on for the general populous. Our actual work is a little more…dutiful in nature.

Julie: So it has something to do with religion? What does religion have to do with what’s going on now?

Marco: Not much, when you first think about it…but on a much grander scale…it's the basis of our existence, so to speak. May I see your notebook for a second?

{Julie pulls out the notebook Stephanie gave her and gives it to Marco.}

Julie: Do you have one, too?

Marco: Of course. It’s where I draw my power.

Julie: You mean that’s how you were able to do all that stuff at the warehouse…and not the knife-

Marco: ATHAME!

{This outburst leaves Julie in a short state of shock.}

I would prefer you call it an “athame”.

Julie: You seem to be real passionate about that kni-…er…athame.

Marco: Well, of course I am. I’m passionate about anything and everything I do! Or…at least I used to be.

{He pulls out a red notebook and places it on the floor in front of him, next to Julie’s. The second he does this, however, some words begin to appear on the covers of his notebook.}

Marco: Well, this is new…(glances over at his notebook.) “I hold the fires of the spirit that drives humanity forward.” What the hell?

Julie: Sounds like some kind of cheesy line you’d find in a manga if you ask me.

Marco: (enraged) What was that, you little pipsqueak?

Julie: You heard me.

{Julie gets up and snatches her book up.}

Julie: …I got nothing on mine.

Marco: Hm...maybe we need to do something else before anything happens to it. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something?

Julie: You were? Then, by all means…go ahead.

Marco: Why is there a black page in your book?

Julie: Hmm? (Looks closer at her book) That’s weird…

{She opens the book to the black page. A look of terror flashes over her face as she sees what is written on it: various “dirty phrases” that I don’t feel like typing at the moment, all written in glowing purple ink. Then, in an instant, a sharp, spear-like object comes out of the paper, stabbing Julie in the neck. Well, it would have, if she hadn’t tilted her head a couple of seconds before. The page falls onto the floor and begins to form into a shadowy figure that looks exactly like her, but with purple eyes. The two stand motionless in front of each other.}

Marco: ...I’m confused.

{The shadow Julie begins to smile a devious smile. For practical purposes, let’s just call her “Black Julie” for now.}

Black Julie: Oh, come now…is scowling any way to greet your better half?

Julie: You aren’t better. (Pulls out her bokken and points it at Black Julie’s face) Tell me what you are, now!

Black Julie: Or what…you’ll hit me with your shiny wooden stick? Oh please. What’s a little toy like that going to do to me?

{Julie tries to swing at her head, but she disappears right before impact.}

Julie: Where?

{Shadow Julie pops up right behind her ant taps her shoulder.}

Black Julie: Looking for me?

Julie: Shut up!

{She swings at Black Julie again, but she disappears into Julie’s shadow, making her hit and smash a large vase instead.}

Marco: What the hell!? Do you know what I went through to get that thing?!

Julie: You know, instead of whining like a little girl about everything, you could help me catch her!

Black Julie: Oh…you mean, like how I caught you little friend here?

{Julie turns around only to see a unsettling sight: Black Julie was standing right in front of her, but her shadow had expanded and became a multitude of squirming hands, most of which are holding Marco up in the air behind her.}

Julie: What the-?

{Before Julie could do anything, two more hands come from out of Black Julie’s shadow and grabs her arms, pinning her to the wall.}

Black Julie: Didn’t anybody ever tell you to look before you leap? (While walking up to Julie) In this case, however, the word “leap” should be changed to “swing”.

{She walks away from Julie and picks up her bokken. Afterwards, she sits down in the loveseat and rests her head on one of her hands while crossing her legs, putting the bokken in her lap.}

I think we should all sit down and have a chat…wouldn’t you agree?

{The hands quickly slam Julie and Marco to the ground before tossing them onto the couch in front of Black Julie.}

Julie: Why…are you…doing this…?

Black Julie: Isn’t it obvious. I’m doing this…(smiles a twisted smile)…because I’m your Negative and I hate everything about you!
(...to be continued)

Marco: …If you’re going to lie to our faces like that, you should at least think of a better line.

Julie: What are you saying, Marco?

Marco: I’m saying that this “girl” isn’t laying all her cards out on the table.

Black Julie: What are you talking about? I am who I say, and that’s all there is to it.

Marco: No…you’re not.

{Black Julie lifts her head away from her hand, her gaze becoming more serious.}

Black Julie: Address your next words to me cautiously…

{Her shadow transforms in to a large hand wielding a machete and scurries towards Marco, coming up out of the ground and stopping several inches away from his neck. Despite this, Marco continues to look at her intently.}

…They might be your very last!

Marco: You’re a Negative, right? Tell me, why are you hiding your actual form?

Black Julie: This IS my actual form! How dare you question my existence!

Marco: And yet, you’re not willing to slit my neck with your shadow hand? I wonder why? Is it because I'm telling the truth and you're too scared to say anything back?

Julie: What the hell’s wrong with you? Are you trying to get yourself killed?

Marco: I’m not. I’m trying to get this girl to reveal who she really is.

{Julie’s cell phone rings, but the three of them sit in stillness.}

Black Julie: …Answer it.

{Julie pulls the phone out of her pocket. The caller ID reads “Stephanie”.}

Julie: (picking up the phone) Hello?

Stephanie: Meet me at the Hearn Generating Station exactly one day from now. There’s something I need to discuss with you, so come alone.

Julie: Wait, why are you-?

Stephanie: Goodbye. (Hangs up.)

Julie: Stephanie? Hello…? Hello?!

Black Julie: Well, well…I would love to toy with you two some more, but it seems like a lot has just been thrown on your plates…so I think I’ll take this as my cue to leave. Ta-ta!

{She begins to dissipate into thin air. With the razor-sharp blade no longer below his throat, Marco hastily rises to his feet, trying to prevent the disappearing shape from parting.}

Marco: Come back here, you-

Black Julie: (voice fading) Oh, don’t worry…I’m sure we’ll see each other again…really soon…

{She finally disappears, leaving Julie’s polished weapon behind.}

Marco: Damn! When I see her again…

Julie: Let it go, Marco. (Goes over to her bokken and picks it up.) Right now, we have a bigger issue.

Marco: You mean that call you got from Steph? What did she say?

Julie: She said for me to meet up with her at the Hearn Generating Station downtown tomorrow…and she wants me to come by myself.

Marco: That place has been out of service for several decades. Why would she want to meet you there?

Julie: She said that she needed to discuss something with me there. You think it’s a trap?

Marco: It has to be. But, I have a feeling that she’s in danger as well.

Julie: So, what do we do?

Marco: I hate to say it but…for now, we’ll have to play into our enemy’s hands...until we can come up with something, at least.

{Meanwhile, elsewhere in town, Stephanie is sitting in an over-sized office chair in front of a window, overlooking all of downtown Toronto with a void expression on her face. Upon closer examination of her glassy eyes, one could easily tell that she was put under a form of trance. In the darkness behind her, the lower portion of a man’s slim face appears.}

Man: Did you call her like I asked?

Stephanie: Of course, my master. I have done exactly as you have requested.

Man: And?

Stephanie: She will show up at the appointed time.(Straps a leather glove onto her right hand) I'll make sure of it.

Man: (Putting a cigarette into his mouth)...Perfect. Now, it’s all just a matter of time…(lights the cigarette with a match and inhales deeply.)

(To be continued...)