"Overrun" by Rygar Additions by Kooshmeister and WatsonSword First draft - 12/2/10 Second draft - 12/23/10 Final draft - 12/26/10 SCENE 1 - LABORATORY, TOAD HOMEWORLD A massive rectangular room, twenty meters long, houses a grid of mainframe computers, large sensor devices, and shelves full of scientific equipment. Sarradel's pure black gem sits in its glass case in the center of the room. TOADBORG and a TOAD SCIENTIST in tinted goggles and a stained lab coat stand on either side of the case. A monitor descends from the ceiling. KOMPLEX appears on it. KOMPLEX You claim to have made a breakthrough with the black gem of Aldebaran? TOADBORG Indeed, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. Toadborg holds a mechanical hand open toward the scientist. TOADBORG Dr. Squat, report your findings. Dr. Squat adjusts his goggles and steps forward. DR. SQUAT I have found a way to communicate with the stone. Though I doubt it possesses more than quasi-consciousness, it responds to mammalian brainwaves. Dr. Squat turns around and clears his throat. DR. SQUAT (shouting) Bring the subject! Two stormtoads drag a mildly sedated female collie in a slave jumpsuit into the room and drop her in front of the glass case. The pure black gem crackles with black energy at her proximity, almost as if anticipating what is to come. Dr. Squat approaches and works a terminal some distance from the glass case. The monitor showing KOMPLEX tracks his movement. DR. SQUAT Everyone move away from the stone. Keep a good distance between yourselves and the mammal. (pressing a button) This is what happens when I send the stone the mammalian brainwave corresponding to hunger. Toadborg and the stormtoads back away. Dr. Squat presses a final key and looks up. All stare as the pure black gem emits darkness until its entire glass case is opaquely black. A low humming emits from the case. The collie looks up, dazed, just in time to see a rippling stream of black energy fire from the glass case and striker her gut. The collie falls onto her back, seizing, weeping, and crying in pain. Her fur bleaches, stiffens, and finally starts to fall out. Her spine curves forward, and her muscles shrink. Her skin wrinkles around her thinning body, and her nose and paws dry and crack. The collie loses her voice as her gums bleach and pull away from her teeth. The black energy stream dissipates, and she dies. The darkness recedes back into the pure black gem. The monitor showing KOMPLEX turns to Dr. Squat. KOMPLEX What just happened? DR. SQUAT (adjusting his goggles) I don't know for sure, but all tests will show she died of old age despite being only seventeen. But the important part is, whatever the stone took from her, it used to increase its own energy threshold by a tiny fraction of a percent. KOMPLEX This means you have a way of charging the gem beyond its current threshold? DR. SQUAT Yes, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. And the more vigorous the subject, the more energy the stone acquires from it. With this discovery, I believe we can steadily increase the size of our magic-wielding forces, while simultaneously increasing the potency of their firepower ... given enough subjects for the stone to feed on, of course. The monitor retracts partly toward the ceiling. KOMPLEX smiles on it. KOMPLEX You will be afforded a luxurious retirement for your discovery, Dr. Squat. (to Toadborg) I want this laboratory converted into a death camp. All of our liveliest slaves are to be fed to this gem. See to it personally. TOADBORG With pleasure, Oh Mighty KOMPLEX. Might I suggest a race in particular? KOMPLEX You consider the baboons of Betelgeusia, no doubt. They should prove an extraordinary power source for this gem. (grinning) There is nothing that can stop us now! SCENE 2 - GHIRARDELLI SQUARE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Tourists and locals alike stream into and out of chocolate shops, buying candy for themselves and for others. ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT gets in line just outside one of the doorways. WILLY Man, I haven't been here since I was a kid. The line shuffles forward, and Willy enters the ice cream shop. After the customer in front of him finishes, he approaches the counter. He orders a fudge sundae, then takes his number and walks around toward the tables. Glancing around, he spots SUSIE waving at him. SUSIE Hey, dweeb! Over here! WILLY (cross) You can stop calling me that now. SUSIE It's just a term of endearment. So, hey! How are you! What did you order? WILLY Just the regular sundae. SUSIE Oh man, you're gonna regret it! I got the warm brownie sundae. That thing melts in your mouth like nobody's business. WILLY Well, live and learn. So how are you? How come you wanted to meet up here? SUSIE How could you not want to meet up here? This place is amazing! WILLY No, I just mean ... your call was a pleasant surprise. SUSIE Well, I haven't seen you since that party at Bill's a few months ago. School can't be keeping you *that* busy. WILLY Heh. Well, not really. Work's been kind of crazy, though. SUSIE On the pleasure cruiser? The most dangerous thing out there is Alcatraz. And bird poop. WILLY It's a long story. You don't wanna be bored with it, trust me. SUSIE All right, if you say so. I understand. You gotta keep up your awkward streak and all. WILLY (shrugs) Go with what works, right? SUSIE Oh, absolutely. (beat) So, I actually did have something I wanted to talk to you about. WILLY Oh, what's that? SUSIE Two things, really. First one is, I got to thinking after that night at Bill's. I thought about what you said, and I thought about ... (thinks) This is gonna sound funny, but I admire you. You're a smart kid, but you use it. It's a good thing. And I know I'll never be half as smart as you, but that's no reason to just sit back and do nothing with my life. So I'm gonna apply to college. WILLY (perks up) Really? That's awesome, Susie! Where do you want to go? SUSIE Ha. Well, I think I'm just gonna apply to two places. UCSF, of course, and the University of Wyoming. WILLY (confused) Wyoming? How did you pick that one? SUSIE Well, I still dunno if I want to stay close to home or go far away. WILLY Wyoming's practically next door, Susie. You wanna go far away, head to Maine or something. SUSIE Maine's freezing. I think I'd like Wyoming. Lots of hiking. Open air. Things to do outdoors. WILLY Hey, far be it from me to tell you what to do. I'm just really happy for you. SUSIE Oh, good. 'cuz in a minute, you're gonna be thanking me. WILLY Oh, really? SUSIE (grinning) I set you up on a date, dweeb. WILLY (blinks, confused) A ... a date? Just then, a waiter brings two sundaes by and sets them on the table. Susie hungrily grabs for hers, while Willy is still stunned. SUSIE Yep! Your first one, from the sounds of it. (take a bite) Oh my god, this is going to kill me. It's amazing! WILLY (not eating) Why'd you do that? SUSIE (taking another bite) I love that you can convince me to go to freakin' college, but I can't convince you that girls aren't icky. WILLY I never said girls were icky. I just ... don't really think about it much. And you haven't even told me who this girl is. SUSIE Her name's Tina. Friend of mine. She's really talented; she's into art and stuff. I think you'll like her. WILLY Um ... all right. And when is this date? SUSIE Next Friday. So you up for it? WILLY I guess there's really no good reason to say no. SUSIE That's the spirit. Now how about that sundae? WILLY Oh ... right. Willy shakes it off and finally grabs his spoon, taking a bite of the sundae. WILLY Wow. This is really good. SUSIE And yours doesn't even have a brownie! Willy half-grins. He continues eating, trying to think about the new developments Susie has brought about. In the back of his mind, he worries about what might be going on in the aniverse. SCENE 3 - DEEP SPACE The Righteous Indignation, making its return trip from Aldebaran, drops out of hyperspace not far from Genus's orbit. CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE and FIRST MATE JENNY sit anxiously at the controls. BUCKY Anything? JENNY (trying the comm) I'm getting a weaker local signal. It should be enough. BUCKY That's all we need. (into comm) Fritz, this is Bucky. What's going on? We couldn't signal anyone from Aldebaran. FRITZ (over comm) Bucky, is that you? Oh, thank goodness. Get to my office immediately! We've got a full-blown crisis here. BUCKY A crisis? What's happening? FRITZ (somber) The end of the Toad Wars. SCENE 4 - SECTOR FOURTEEN Two toad motherships sit parked in between Sector Fourteen and Sector Fifteen. In one of them, CAPTAIN STRACKWITTS recites a list to TOADBORG, who is present only through the image on a video comm. STRACKWITTS (into comm) ... Syrakis, and Altair. TOADBORG (over comm) Excellent. That is every planet in your sector except for two. The pink world ... STRACKWITTS We can't get past that barrier. And that planet's never done anything in the recorded history of the aniverse. I vote we leave that one alone. TOADBORG For now. And that still leaves the quaint planet of Narnox. STRACKWITTS Yes. We've been saving that one for a bit of a victory lap. We've had no trouble conquering it in the past. TOADBORG As I recall, the squirrel population there is not particularly feisty. Is that correct? STRACKWITTS That is correct. TOADBORG Then they are of no use to us. (cruelly) Kill them all. STRACKWITTS Gladly, sir. The communication ends. Strackwitts turns and nods to his crew, who send out signals to the double bubbles encircling the motherships. As if belonging to one mind, the aircraft all streak toward Narnox. As they fly, they pass three other planets, all of which demonstrate erratic weather. The toad doubles bubbles -- nearly five dozen of them -- swoop toward the surface of Narnox. As they approach the main city, they begin their assault. The toad pilots wear helmets wired into their control panels. The double bubbles' weapons fire inky black plasma bolts that dig huge craters into the ground and level tall buildings in just a few bursts. The squirrel population screams and tries to flee, but there is no escaping the toad onslaught. The double bubbles continue to fly overhead, laying waste to the city. In less than half an hour, nothing is left but charred desolation. The toads pause a moment to celebrate, then fan out and target the smaller cities in the area. No climate converter is necessary, not for this task. Barely two hours after their initial approach, the vast majority of Narnox is dead or destroyed to the point of being uninhabitable. Not needing slaves or resources from this planet has allowed the toad forces to give into their bloodlust and demonstrate the sheer power of their new weaponry. After attending to other duties, Strackwitts checks in with the squadron. Smiling, he turns back to the monitor showing Toadborg. STRACKWITTS (into comm) The entire sector is ours. TOADBORG (over comm) Three sectors taken over in the span of one day. Finally, everything we have striven for is coming to fruition. SCENE 5 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE CHAIRMAN FRITZ WARNER stands behind his desk. He addresses the seven remaining S.P.A.C.E. captains -- Bucky, CAPTAIN ARTEMIS WOLF, CAPTAIN MIMI LAFLEUR, CAPTAIN JONAH CRANZAR of The Manifest Destiny, CAPTAIN COBALT WYNN of The Battle Hymn, CAPTAIN GARRETT GERKE of The Wailing Siren, and CAPTAIN JANE SANSON of The Pegasus -- who crowd the remainder of the office. FRITZ Most of you have heard some of the details on the news, so I'll cut right to it. The toads have some powerful new weaponry, and we can't stand up to it. We lost communication with the base on Betelgeusia last week, which must have been their opening move. It was quiet after that, until the reports started coming out about thirty hours ago. Since then, they've conquered twenty-two plants in seven different sectors. The captains murmur among themselves, concerned. FRITZ It's like nothing we've ever seen, and it's not something we can hope to fight completely. You're all welcome to try to help out with some of these planets, but the weaponry the toads possess is just unfathomable. (beat) I hate to be alarmist, but either we take out KOMPLEX now, and we take him out for good, or I think it's pretty much the end for all of us. BUCKY What about the defense systems the UAC has been installing? FRITZ So far, those have only gone on Security Council planets. None of those have been attacked yet. WOLF Bucky, you've tried to take down KOMPLEX before. You think we can pull it off? BUCKY If we all go ... maybe. I've never had this much backup before, and if the toads are all out taking over planets, their defenses at home might be diminished. But there's just no way to know. MIMI Well, if there's no better option, then I'm in. Who else is with me? The remaining captains hesitate. WOLF I'd prefer to remain on the defensive, but if it's the best option, you guys can count on me. CRANZAR What the hell. I'm in. MIMI That's four of us. How about you guys? SANSON A direct assault on the toads' home planet? Are you all crazy? BUCKY (shouting) Yes, I am! Everyone stops and turns to Bucky, surprised by this sudden outburst and admission. BUCKY I am crazy. Not voices-in-my-head crazy, or Kadaf crazy, but I'm crazy. I have been dragged through hell and back, several times, because of the toads. I lost my friends and my family. I can't trust people. I can't even trust myself. And it is all because of this damn war. (beat) I've been to the Toad Homeworld plenty of times. Some of my crew has been there, too. We have files. We have information. And if this is our last chance, then it will have to be the time we get it right. (beat) I need to talk to my engineer. If there's any one person who can shut down KOMPLEX, it's him. The rest of you can figure out how we're going to get there in one piece. Once we're there, all we have to do is make sure he doesn't die. Bucky turns around and strides purposefully out of the room. Everyone else just watches him go. Silence hangs fragilely in the air for a moment. GERKE That was supposed to be his big motivational speech? FRITZ Take it or leave it. He was never good at speeches anyway. GERKE I'm leavin' it. I got my own planet to worry about. Gerke separates from the group and leaves the room. Sanson trails closely behind him. FRITZ (raising an eyebrow) Captain Wynn? Captain Wynn pauses, a bead of sweat on his brow. WYNN I ... I just can't. It's a suicide mission. Wynn leaves the room, his shoulders slumped slightly. WOLF At least he feels bad about it, I guess. MIMI Good riddance. OK, guys, let's figure this out. SCENE 6 - SECTOR THREE Toadborg commands the toad mothership hovering on the edge of this sector. He taps his fingers on the console anxiously, awaiting news from the planet below. Finally, the screen in front of him activates, and the SQUADRON LEADER appears. SQUADRON LEADER (over comm) Toadborg, sir! Report ready for you, sir! TOADBORG (into comm) How has the mission proceeded? SQUADRON LEADER Taking out the intelligence base may have been easy, but these crazy baboons have lots of tricks up their sleeves! All their major cities are heavily fortified with traps, and that doesn't take into account that half of the UAC's space marines are from this planet. We've got the upper hand, but just barely. We sure could use reinforcements! TOADBORG I will send the squadron from Narnox in your direction once they have completed their task. In the meantime, continue to wear their forces down. I want Betelgeusia conquered within the next three hours. SQUADRON LEADER Sir, yes, sir! Toadborg grumbles to himself as the comm deactivates. In Betelgeusia's capital city, the STORMTOADS and the BERSERKER BABOONS wage war. Hundreds of soldiers on each side give it their all. The toads fire huge plasma bursts and use their magical weaponry to try to grab their opponents. The baboons keep the pressure up, manhandling any toads they can reach and throwing logs and rocks from a distance. The sides appear almost evenly matched, though the baboons are being killed or taken prisoner at a slightly faster rate than the toads are being killed. A group of toads advances on a small fortification behind which several baboons take cover. STORMTOAD #1 We've got 'em cornered! STORMTOAD #2 Come on out, you sleazy banana-suckin' hair-piles! BABOON #1 Better look out below! STORMTOAD #2 (looking up) Huh? BABOON #1 Banzai! A baboon leaps from the top of the fortification and lands on the toad, croaking and crushing him instantly. Pulling out his maser rifle, the baboon starts shooting at the other toads nearby, tagging a few of them. BABOON #1 You think them fancy guns c'n stop us? STORMTOAD #3 Actually, yes. One of the stormtoads ducks the baboon's fire and retaliates. One of the forceful blasts strikes the baboon in the stomach, reducing his torso to ash. The stormtoad grins. The baboons situated in the fortification wince, fearful of meeting the same fate as their obliterated comrade. STORMTOAD #4 You dummy! We're supposed ta take 'em prisoner! STORMTOAD #3 He pissed me off. The three remaining stormtoads suddenly realize that they're standing in the shade. Before they realize it, they're crushed by a huge boulder. The baboons come out from behind the fortification and cheer. They look to where the boulder came from and see a baboon on the edge of the woods, standing next to a catapult. BABOON #2 We gotta keep our distance, guys! Dese toads don't want our cities or our ships or nothin'. Dey want us! The baboons nod in agreement and dart into the woods. Just then, two double bubbles zoom by overhead, being chased by three banana runners firing masers. Similar scenes play out all over the face of the planet. The toads take poundings from the angry baboons, but they manage to subdue, capture, or maim enough of their opponents that the tide slowly but surely turns. Just outside of Betelgeusia's orbit, a sleek black frigate drops out of hyperspace. BRUCE and BRUISER take in the view through the windshield with concern. BRUISER Dem toads is tryin' ta take our planet over again! BRUCE It ain't just Betelgeusia, brudder. The toads are takin' over everything! BRUISER Well, we'll help everybody else in a minute. But first, we gotta protect our home! Nodding in agreement, Bruce pilots the ship -- a gift from Doctor Wallace -- toward the surface of the planet. SCENE 7 - BUCKY'S APARTMENT, GENUS Bucky barges through the door and sees Jenny sitting on the couch, watching television. She appears to be either in shock or in a trance. BUCKY (concerned) Jenny? Why didn't you answer when I called you? Jenny doesn't budge. Bucky notices her comm sitting next to her on the couch, untouched. BUCKY Jenny? Bucky steps into the living room and approaches the couch. BUCKY Jen, what's wrong? Jenny remains fixated on the television. Bucky turns and looks at what Jenny is watching. A news channel shows footage of the toads taking over a planet. Though a little grainy, the footage clearly depicts the stormtoads with their new helmets, using their new Aldebaran weaponry. BUCKY What in the world? ... JENNY It's Aldebaran. Bucky blinks and turns to Jenny. BUCKY What do you mean? JENNY It's Aldebaran. The toads are using Aldebaran magic. Look at how dark it is. It reeks of Sarradel. The toads stole the pure black gem, and now they're using it to take over the aniverse. Bucky's heart sinks. BUCKY You've got to be kidding me. JENNY I would never kid about this. BUCKY But he's dead now, right? How could his gem still be producing energy? JENNY Gems don't need masters to produce energy. That's why the strongest are always passed down from generation to generation. (beat) But ... look at those toads. They're sloppy, unfocused. They're not using their magic with any finesse. They don't understand it. They just ... *have* it. (beat) And that gives me an idea. We might be able to protect ourselves from this ... this abomination. BUCKY I'm all ears. Jenny closes her eyes and reaches out telepathically. SCENE 8 - SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Willy sits on a railway car, headed home, when Jenny's voice wafts into his head. JENNY (telepathically) Willy looks around nervously. The car is sparsely populated, but a few people face him. He slumps down in his seat and tries to look inconspicuous as he closes his eyes and focuses his mind in order to respond. His lips mouth the words he sends mentally to Jenny. WILLY (telepathically) JENNY WILLY JENNY Jenny's voice flickers away. Willy opens his eyes and straightens up. He notices one or two of the other passengers giving him a funny look. Willy looks around nervously, focusing his gaze out the window even though the railway car is in a narrow tunnel. The other passengers quickly resume ignoring him. SCENE 9 - BETELGEUSIA Bruce lands the ship on the edge of a battle scene and surveys the landscape. The baboons use hit-and-run tactics with whatever they can find, since the occasional rampaging baboon inevitably gets captured in the toads' magical grasp. Bruce and Bruiser both wince as they see one baboon get taken down by multiple toads. BRUISER Dis ... dis is bad, brudder. What kinda weapons're dose? BRUCE I dunno. I ain't never seen anything like 'em. BRUISER Whadda we do? BRUCE I don't favor th' direct approach. But look over there. Bruce points toward something off in the distance. Brusier squints and can make out a group of several dozen baboon prisoners kept at bay by a dome-shaped black force field created by the toads' weapons. BRUCE I bet freein' dose marines would change th' tide a bit! BRUISER (cracks his knuckles) Let's do it. Bruce checks his sensors to make sure no double bubbles are around, then takes off and zooms toward the prisoners. Bruiser, manning the guns, steels himself. BRUCE Here we go! Bruce swoops in low. Bruiser fires, trying his best not to hit the baboons. Of the two dozen toads guarding the prisoners, five get hit and fall over, wounded or dead. The remaining toads, startled, struggle to keep the magical prison formed. Two of the toads, angry at what just happened, turn and focus on the frigate. STORMTOAD #5 It's comin' back! Bruce and Bruiser return for a second pass. The toads are ready for them this time, and the two stormtoads take shots at the ship. While Bruiser takes out four more stormtoads, one of the blasts knocks off the tail of the ship. The ship shudders violently and quickly spins out of control. BRUCE Aw, crap! We got hit! BRUISER Can ya save it? BRUCE No! Get out! Reluctantly, Bruce and Bruiser hop onto a small escape craft and disembark before their new ship careens off into the woods, where it takes down a few trees before exploding. BRUCE Man, we only had that guy a few days. BRUISER Come on, let's finish them toads off! Bruce steers the small escape craft toward the fifteen remaining toads, who barely keep their dome up while waiting for reinforcements. He zooms low, and Bruiser takes out three more toads with his maser rifle as they approach. Bruce notices the dome beginning to fade. BRUCE We got it! As Bruce and Bruiser fly overhead, the toads try to grab them with their magical weapons. One of the toads manages to get a tendril around Bruiser's foot. BRUISER Huh? As Bruce zooms off beyond the collection of stormtoads, the magical hold keeps Bruiser in place and yanks him down into the middle of the toads. BRUISER Woah! Bruce, alarmed, looks back as he begins to turn the escape craft around. BRUCE (yelling) Brudder! Bruiser falls into the middle of the group of toads, who by now have a dozen reinforcements and keep the baboon prisoners captive. Three of the toads train their magical weapons on Bruiser and keep him pinned down, his right arm on his chest. STORMTOAD #6 Hey, I know this baboon! STORMTOAD #7 Ya do? They all look the same t' me! BRUISER (growling) Get off my planet, ya lousy, stinkin' toads! STORMTOAD #6 Yeah, this is the one on O'Hare's ship! STORMTOAD #8 (alarmed) You mean Bucky O'Hare is here? STORMTOAD #9 Who cares? We'll kill him, just like we're gonna kill this mangy baboon here. STORMTOAD #7 But we're supposed to take prisoners. STORMTOAD #9 Aw, we got enough prisoners. Kill him. Not wanting to fire their weapons in such close range, the three toads mystically keeping Bruiser prisoner instead decide to squeeze. Bruiser winces in pain as black tendrils slowly crush him. Bruce swings by to make another pass, but it's no use. He can't fly and shoot a handheld rifle at the same time, and there are too many toads for him to take out alone. He zooms a hundred feet away, then turns around one more time, points the escape craft toward the mess of stormtoads, and jumps off as it zooms toward its target. Bruiser is turning red, and his bones are beginning to creak. STORMTOAD #9 (gleefully) Any last words? Just then, the escape craft slams into the toad group, crushing three of them, including one of the ones holding Bruiser hostage. The diversion gives Bruiser a moment of breathing and wiggle room, though the other toads quickly resume their death grip on him. BRUISER (straining) Yeah, I do. STORMTOAD #9 An' what's that? Bruiser manages to open his fist, revealing three pulled grenade pins. BRUISER Boom. The stormtoad goading Bruiser looks at the baboon's chest and notices for the first time the bandolier of grenades, including three without pins. His eyes widen just before they explode. The explosion ripples through the group of stormtoads, instantly killing all of them. The magical prison keeping the group of baboons trapped dissipates. They angrily charge off, ready to defend their planet from invasion. Only a few of them stop and look into the charred remains of three dozen stormtoads and one baboon. In the distance, they hear a pained cry. BRUCE (screaming) Brudderrrr!! SCENE 10 - CAMELEOUS'S OFFICE, KROKKAROK CAMELEOUS sits in his chair, fidgeting nervously. There is no television or comm in this office, but information filters in through a small band of scrolling text mounted at one end of the desk. Cameleous hisses, clearly agitated about something. There is a knock at the door. Irritated, Cameleous calls in response. CAMELEOUS Come! Two REGENS enter swiftly. REGEN #1 Apologies. REGEN #2 We wanted to confirm that you know about ... CAMELEOUS (angrily) Of course I know! The toads are spreading Aldebaran filth all over my aniverse! (hisses) Our plan was about to come to fruition. The Aldebarans were weak, decimated, helpless. Sarradel had shaken them to the core, and they were only beginning to rebuild. Another week, two at the most, and they would have become complacent again. Vulnerable. Ripe for our vengeance. (shakes head) And now this. The entire aniverse now reeks of Aldebaran filth. Those putrid cats have permeated every corner, or will shortly. REGEN #1 What do you want to do, sir? CAMELEOUS You know we have no other choice. Cameleous sits in silence for a moment, his tail swinging to and fro. CAMELEOUS Order the evacuation. Every horned lizard regen is to depart from the aniverse. REGEN #2 But where shall we go? CAMELEOUS Home, for starters. We can plan farther from there. (beat) I only hope that the toads will be able to beat Aldebaran at its own game. That will give me a small measure of satisfaction, at least. (beat) May Frith forgive us for this necessary transgression. SCENE 11 - ROYAL PALACE, ALDEBARAN KING TOMMY and QUEEN ARTEMISIA sit on their new thrones in the main hall of this great palace. They cannot focus on the many tasks ahead of them in rebuilding Aldebaran, however, as a female TABBY advisor informs them of a new threat. TABBY These reports are coming in increasing number and urgency, Your Majesties. TOMMY And there's no question about it? TABBY Every report we've heard. Every scrap of video we've seen. Somehow, the toads are using a weaker, bastardized version of Sarradel's magic to strangle the aniverse. ARTEMISIA (shaking her head) It must be the stolen gem. There is no other way they could be doing anything like this. TOMMY The bastard's mocking us even from the grave. We've got to do something about this! ARTEMISIA (stoic) But our own populace is in dire need of repair. TOMMY Oh, I noticed, trust me. But we can't sit by and let a corrupt version of our magic take over the aniverse. If we let the toads get powerful enough, they'll eventually run us over, too. ARTEMISIA (raising an eyebrow) You think participating in these battles would help us become a member of the UAC Security Council, don't you? TOMMY I think it will prevent a whole lot of people, mine included, from getting killed. ARTEMISIA You are right, of course. I simply wish we had more time to prepare. TOMMY No rest for the wicked. ARTEMISIA That could be taken any number of ways, Thomas. TOMMY (to the advisor) Inform the Armed Forces that they and we are to remain on Aldebaran in case disaster should strike. (to Artemisia) As for everyone else ... Tommy steels himself as he prepares his first global mind conference. Even with his power and with the King's Gems, the experience is difficult and unsettling. TOMMY (telepathically) Across Aldebaran, various citizens gasp when they hear the news. Teachers cease focusing on their fledgling classes. Construction workers stop what they are doing. Members of families torn apart by Sarradel's evil feel tears welling up in their eyes. TOMMY (beat) (beat) Tommy gasps as the mind conference ends. Artemisia regards Tommy with a look of approval. ARTEMISIA Well done. TOMMY I hope so. I had to give little speeches from time to time in the Male Resistance, but nothing like that. ARTEMISIA Now, it just remains to be seen how many of our people will respond to your call. TOMMY (to the advisor) Please keep us updated on all spacefaring travel departing Aldebaran today. TABBY (nodding) Of course, Your Highness. Artemisia watches carefully as the tabby exits the hall. Once alone, she turns back toward Tommy. ARTEMISIA Are you sure it's a good idea to keep *all* of the Armed Forces on planet? Tommy shakes his head. TOMMY Oh, don't worry. A lack of volunteers is the last thing we need to worry about. SCENE 12 - KITCHEN, ROYAL MANSION, ALDEBARAN CHIEF TYJET, in casual clothes, stirs a sauce on a stove in the mountain mansion once held captive by the Temple of Arkool. Cooks periodically pass him by, nodding at his work and moving on. KATRINA, the former queen, enters the kitchen, also in casual clothes, and approaches Chief Tyjet. KATRINA You needn't busy yourself in the kitchen. We have plenty of chefs. TYJET I was a quite an accomplished cook for what little we had in the Inatura Desert. I'd like to be one here as well. Besides, I think best when I cook. KATRINA And you're thinking of what Thomas just said, aren't you? Chief Tyjet shakes his head. TYJET There's nothing that will stop them from going. And they'll look to me for leadership in this endeavor. KATRINA Then go with them. I trust you'll return safely. Chief Tyjet turns and looks at Katrina awkwardly. Katrina smiles weakly and kisses him on the cheek. SCENE 13 - MAIN BAY, THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Willy's door appears, and Willy steps through it urgently. Jenny is there to greet him. WILLY I came as fast as I could. JENNY I know. Thank you. WILLY What's going on? JENNY Remember when the toads stole the pure black gem from the Aldebaran embassy? WILLY Yeah. Don't tell me they've ... The look on Jenny's face tells Willy all he needs to know. WILLY (softly) Oh, no. They're using it? JENNY Somehow. They've already conquered two dozen planets in one day. WILLY (stunned) But how could they even ... (gulps) My notes. I bet there was something in my notes from when I was brainwashed. JENNY (realizing) You could be right. But don't ... WILLY (sternly) Blame myself? No, not anymore. But it's on my shoulders. So let's fix it. How good are they with the magic? JENNY Not very, but it's enough. WILLY You called me because of that anti-magic alloy I devised, right? JENNY (nodding) Is it something you can do to existing metal? Do you think you could make the UAC's frigates resistant to magic? WILLY Probably. It'd take a lot of effort, though. JENNY There's nothing more important on our plate, Willy. Either we defeat the toads now, or none of us will live to regret it. WILLY OK. Let's go get my notes from my lab. Once we have those ... JENNY Is that the only place you have your notes? WILLY Yeah, why? JENNY Communications are down. We're pretty sure the toads hit the BIA as one of their first targets. Word is they're clamping down on the rest of Betelgeusia as we speak. WILLY (alarmed) No! If they get those notes, they might figure out how to counteract it! JENNY We have to hope that doesn't happen. Can you recreate any of the process from memory? WILLY I think I remember most of it, but I am going to have to play with the formula a little. Can you fly us north of the city? They've got some research labs out there that will have what I need. JENNY Absolutely. WILLY Where's everyone else? JENNY Bucky is with the other captains, devising our plan of attack on the Toad Homeworld. Willy pauses for a moment. WILLY This again? (beat) Guess I'd better reread those notes on KOMPLEX. They want me to take him out, right? JENNY I would imagine so. WILLY (shakes his head) Man, S.P.A.C.E. better offer one hell of a retirement package. SCENE 14 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE Only Bucky and Fritz still occupy the room. They look at diagrams and figures that the group scribbled while coming up with a plan of attack. Bucky's comm goes off. He answers it. BUCKY (into comm) Hey, Jen. Good news, I hope? JENNY (over comm) Maybe. Willy's notes were in his lab on Betelgeusia, but he thinks he can recreate his formula. We're heading to a lab on the outskirts of town so he can work on it. BUCKY I'll certainly cross my fingers for him. Keep us updated. JENNY Sure thing, Bucky. Bucky turns his attention back toward Fritz. BUCKY So, what do you think? FRITZ Honestly? I think it's as good a plan as we're going to be able to come up with. BUCKY If we can shield our frigates from the toads' attacks, that would make me feel a hell of a lot better. FRITZ No kidding. If nothing else, it might give us a way to fortify ourselves and fight back if this plan to take down KOMPLEX fails. BUCKY Do you think that would be better? Instead of one final suicide mission, stay on the defensive and deal with the toad attacks as they come? FRITZ That's up to you. You're leading this mission. Bucky lets the words come to him. BUCKY I've tried to take down KOMPLEX before and failed. And I thought the stakes were high before, but this time ... (beat) I've trained my whole life for this. If Willy backs out, or Jenny, or the other captains, then that's one thing. But if they're all on board ... well, we have to take down KOMPLEX eventually. Might as well be tomorrow. (shakes his head) I'm done with this, Fritz. I am going to the Toad Homeworld, and I'm not coming back until either I'm dead, or KOMPLEX is. Fritz nods slowly. FRITZ You know, that dig you took at Kadaf aside ... sometimes it's good to work with people with your kind of crazy. SCENE 15 - SENATOR NURAS'S OFFICE, TERRA EMBASSY, GENUS SENATOR NURAS sits in his office, twirling a pen in between his fingers. A shiny crown sits on one corner of his desk, standing out amid all the paperwork and manila folders. He leans forward and activates his comm. NURAS (into comm) Any news, Callie? CALLIE (over comm) No, Senator. Still no sign of toad activity near Terra. In fact, all of Sector Eleven is quiet. NURAS Excellent. I'll check in again later. Nuras out. Nuras leans back in his chair, musing to himself. NURAS It seems I can keep my planet safe, at least. Good to know. (beat) Of course, the question now is how to proceed. I could use this opportunity to strike again, since this silly escalation will no doubt keep Fritz preoccupied. (beat) On the other paw, watching him deal with this situation should prove highly amusing -- even more so if the toads continue pressing their advantage. (beat) And it is so much fun to share this crown. Oh, watching the Nharnians trying to follow the bidding of two very different rulers. And I don't even care about them! Nuras grins. He leans forward and places his pen down on the desk. NURAS I think I'll sit this one out. There will always be another opportunity to destroy Frith. And besides, cheap entertainment this catastrophic isn't easy to come by. Nuras activates the comm on his desk and takes in the latest news footage on the toads' rampage. SCENE 16 - UAC RESEARCH LAB, GENUS Willy sits at a bench, scribbling various equations onto a sheet of paper. In the background, Jenny gathers bits of metal to use in testing. WILLY I remember there being these four chemicals. I just can't remember the relative concentrations required to produce the desired effect. JENNY (walking up to the bench) How essential is it that they're mixed perfectly? WILLY If I'm off by more than about half a percent, the effects will severely weaken the metal more than anything else. If I'm covering The Righteous Indignation in this solution, I'm going to try to avoid that. (thinking) This may just require brute force. Jenny sets a pawful of bits of scrap metal next to Willy. WILLY Thanks. Willy makes a grid on his paper and starts writing out various concentrations for the four compounds. With a sigh, he rolls up his sleeves. WILLY Let's get to work. Grabbing some test tubes and beakers, Willy sets up the equipment he needs. He then raids the supply cabinet, grabbing four jars containing various warning labels. Returning to his desk, he sets out the four jars and opens one. Taking a measuring spoon, he pours out a small amount of white powder and mixes it into one of the test tubes full of water. He then does the same for the other three jars. The test tubes now contain a white, a blue, a green, and a red liquid. Keeping his hands steady, Willy mixes small amounts of the four solutions into a larger beaker. Holding his breath, he stirs the resultant liquid with a glass stirrer. The liquid turns an odd color. WILLY (furrowing his brow) I don't think that's right. Oh, well. Willy then takes a piece of scrap metal. WILLY Experiment one ... Willy dips the metal into the liquid and lets it soak for a few seconds. He then removes the metal and taps it hard against the bench. It easily breaks from the force. WILLY Nope. OK, next one. Willy repeats these tedious steps again and again while Jenny meditates in the background. SCENE 17 - BETELGEUSIA As the freed berserker baboons help their brethren turn the tide against the toads, Bruce runs toward the source of the explosion. BRUCE (sobbing) Bruiser ... my brudder ... Reaching the crater, Bruce looks over the blackened remnants strewn about. He can discern bits of the toads' equipment, but little else. He couldn't identify Bruiser's remains if he tried. Bruce falls to his knees, and his entire body shakes as his mind swarms with rage. BRUCE Dem toads ... dem lousy damn toads ... (shouting) You killed my brudder! Barely keeping his wits about him, Bruce stands up and looks around. He spots a toad a few dozen yards from him, not facing him. Overcome by adrenaline, Bruce sprints toward the toad, catching him unaware. With a mighty leap, Bruce comes down on top of the toad, crushing his spine. BRUCE Dat's what you get! His fingers still shaking, Bruce picks up the toad's gun and tries to fire it. It doesn't shoot. Frustrated, Bruce grabs the toad's helmet and tries to put it on his own head. It doesn't really fit, but it's on. Bruce tries the weapon again, but it still doesn't respond. BRUCE (aggravated) Must only work for pea-brained toads. Calming down just a bit, Bruce looks around and surveys the landscape. Bolstered by the several dozen prisoners that Bruiser freed, the baboons are gaining the upper hand in the fight. They're also making sure to free whatever captives they can, which snowballs the fight in their favor. The toads, realizing that they can't win this fight anymore, begin inching toward their double bubbles and transport vessels. One jittery stormtoad finally belts out the word they've all been thinking. STORMTOAD #10 Retreat! With this rallying call, most of the stormtoads drop what they're focusing on and bolt for their ships. They are able to bring a few hundred Betelgeusian berserker baboons with them as captives, which is about how many dead stormtoads litter the battlefield. The baboons chase the retreating toads, killing or maiming some of them. As the last double bubble flies off into the atmosphere, the baboons shake their fists in anger. Soon, a cheer wells up among them, and they all call their war cry into the heavens. BABOONS Ayooooga!! Bruce, still in pain and shock over his brother's loss, nonetheless feels his spirits bolstered by his planet's victory over the toads. BRUCE (whispering) We did it, brudder. Mostly you. You saved our planet from the toads. As the double bubbles return to the area where Toadborg's mothership is parked, the squadron leader musters up the courage to report. SQUADRON LEADER (into comm) Uh, reporting back to you, Toadborg. TOADBORG (over comm, angrily) Dare I ask why you made such a hasty retreat? SQUADRON LEADER There were too many of them! We captured as many as we could, and we tried our best, but those damn baboons are too smart and too wily! We can't take them out without massive reinforcements. TOADBORG (cross) Your failure will cost you dearly. (beat) But what's done is done. When we have more troops available, we will return to Betelgeusia. We will enslave its population and feed it to the black gem. We will strip its natural resources, and then we will suck the magma from its very core. We will leave this place a cold, dead husk. It shall serve as a reminder to anyone foolish enough to challenge the Toad Empire's total domination of the aniverse. SCENE 18 - RENFIELD'S APARTMENT, GENUS The air is much calmer in here than it has been previously. RENFIELD BILLINGS and DAWSON MACKENZIE sit at opposite ends of the kitchen table, enjoying a quiet dinner. Dawson is having a fruit and vegetable salad and some carrot juice, while Renfield is eating something that resembles a meat pie but is made with mealworms and beetles. DAWSON (smiling) You know, I thought I'd never get used to watching you eat. Renfield looks up at him. Dawson's smile falters a bit. DAWSON (apologetically) Um, but, now it doesn't bother me. I'm just glad you're open about being a toad. As much as I enjoyed your cricket casserole at the time, in hindsight, it, well ... (chuckles) Ah, never mind. Renfield simply smiles, and he and Dawson resume their meal. The skunk DETECTIVE assigned to guard Renfield sits on the couch out in the living room, his jacket off and his shoulder holster visible. He reads a magazine of some sort, looking bored. DETECTIVE (over his shoulder) I dunno 'bout you, Mackenzie, but I'll never get used to it. (glancing over) Uh, no offense, I guess. RENFIELD None taken, Detective Algren. That's why I didn't ask you to join us. Detective Zack Algren half smiles and half shudders as he returns to his reading. In the kitchen, Renfield and Dawson finish their meal, and Renfield begins tidying up. Meanwhile, out in the hall, a second detective, MCGRUDER, stands watch at the door. He is a young guinea pig obviously new to the assignment. He has a crew cut and looks very serious despite his youth. A dinging sound attracts his attention, and he turns to see someone getting off the elevator. His eyes widen a bit. MCGRUDER (to himself) Oh, no. (into his comm) Algren, it's Watkins. Inside, Algren flinches and suddenly looks concerned. He looks inside Renfield's kitchen. His charge is oblivious, and so is Dawson, who idly sips his juice. ALGREN (into comm) Frell. (under his breath) McGruder, don't let him in here! That's an order! MCGRUDER Yes, sir. Outside, McGruder watches as DETECTIVE FRANKLIN WATKINS approaches. The squirrel has clearly been on a very recent bender. His hair is a mess, his bowtie askew, his shirt tail untucked. He is clearly very drunk as he staggers down the hall. He walks up to McGruder, who moves to bar his way. Watkins makes the guinea pig nervous. WATKINS (slurred and drunken) Out of my way, kid. I got business to take care of. MCGRUDER It isn't your shift, Watkins. Besides, you're drunk. WATKINS I said lemme in! Or I'll do to you what I'm gonna do to that slimeball toad. Upon hearing that, and realizing the danger, McGruder reaches inside his jacket for his sidearm. However, Watkins grabs his arm and slams him against the door. Inside, Renfield peeks out of the kitchen at the sound of a dull, muffled thud against the door. Dawson remains seated at the table and doesn't seem to have heard. Algren, frowning, approaches the front door as he hears the sounds of a violent struggle. Suddenly, a maser bolt pierces the lock and door handle. Dawson jumps in his seat, finally noticing that something is happening. Algren reflexively leaps back and goes for his weapon, but it's barely out of its holster before the door flies in and hits him in the snout. His nose gushing blood, the skunk stumbles, dropping his maser, as Watkins storms in, eyes bulging in drunken rage. In the hall behind him, McGruder is half-sitting on the floor, holding his bleeding head in a daze. Renfield comes out of the kitchen and gasps as Watkins unflinchingly pistol-whips the already dazed Algren, knocking the skunk detective to the floor. The squirrel levels his maser pistol at Renfield, who backs up. In the kitchen, Dawson watches in horror. WATKINS (slurring his words) There you are, you little piece of shit toad. RENFIELD Detective Watkins? What's going on? WATKINS (yelling) Shut up! Watkins raises his maser, holding it with both paws, aiming it at Renfield. Dawson rises and moves to attack him, but Renfield waves him back and shakes his head. Dawson, wide-eyed, slowly sits back down. WATKINS Gonna kill ya just like they killed your frellin' pal. Like I always said they should've killed you. Watkins's aim wobbles a bit. He squints, having difficulty keeping steady. Tears soak his cheeks. Renfield looks terrified beyond belief but holds his ground. WATKINS Hold still, damn it! RENFIELD Please, Detective. This ... this is about Narnox, isn't it? I know that's a squirrel planet ... WATKINS Shut up! RENFIELD I... I heard about what happened. But I had nothing to do with that. I was here. (trying to be sympathetic) And so were you. And ... and thousands of other squirrels. You're alive. It ... it isn't ... WATKINS (interrupting him) My wife and daughter aren't alive! My wife's parents! She took our daughter to Narnox to visit grandma and grandpa, and then boom! (shaking) My wife, my daughter ... (begins to sob) I'm gonna kill you, Renfield, or whatever the frell your name is! You're gonna die for this! RENFIELD (swallowing nervously) All right. WATKINS (surprised) Huh? Watkins blinks. Renfield walks up to him. Watkins keeps his maser pointed up. As Dawson looks on from his seat in the kitchen, covering his mouth, Renfield stops a few inches in front of the squirrel. Surprisingly, in addition to his fear, he looks upon the squirrel with pity and remorse. RENFIELD If it means that much to you, go ahead. I'm sorry about your family. If you need me to, I'll answer for what my fellow toads did and let you kill me. DAWSON (shocked) Ren! No! RENFIELD (to Dawson) Just stay there, Dawson. It's going to be all right. (to Watkins) Well, Detective? Do you ... do you really want to take my life for something I had nothing to do with and would've stopped if I could? Then go ahead. But you'll have to kill him, too. And them. They'll have seen everything. Renfield indicates the petrified Dawson, and then the unconscious Algren. McGruder is just starting to get to his feet in the hallway. RENFIELD They have even less to do with this than me. If it's worth killing four innocent animals, then do it. Watkins hesitates a moment, then lowers the gun and slowly sinks to his knees. The maser slowly slides from his paws, and he lowers his head and sobs uncontrollably. In this instant, a dizzy but still able McGruder rushes in and overtakes him, restraining him. Once the hysterical squirrel is handcuffed, McGruder goes and checks on the bloodied Algren as Renfield walks back into the kitchen and sits down at the table. RENFIELD Damn them. DAWSON The toads, you mean? RENFIELD Yes. Damn them all. From this point on, I don't even want to consider myself one of them. Renfield knocks the empty carrot juice glass aside, and it smashes against a cabinet door. Then, his rage vented, he sighs and slumps in his seat. Dawson simply holds his paw and strokes it tenderly as they sit and recover together. SCENE 19 - UAC RESEARCH LAB, GENUS WILLY Experiment seventy-three ... Weary after hours of labor, Willy mixes up another attempt at recreating his findings. His stomach rumbling, he pours the four solutions together in yet another configuration. Fighting to keep his eyes open, he stirs the mixture, then inserts a piece of metal and lets it soak. WILLY I'm running out of metal here. Willy removes the metal and taps it against the desk. It neither bends nor breaks. WILLY Well, that's encouraging ... Willy closes his eyes and focuses on the piece of metal, trying to levitate it out from his grip. It doesn't budge. WILLY Oh, thank goodness. Finally. Willy tries again to magically manipulate the metal, without any luck. Excited, he spins around. WILLY Hey, Jenny! Can you ... Willy's voice trails off as he sees that Jenny is nowhere to be found. WILLY Oh, right. She left to get dinner about an hour ago. (pats his stomach) I hope she's OK. Just then, Jenny steps through the door, carrying a bag of takeout food. JENNY Sorry this took so long. People are in a panic, and it wasn't easy even finding an open restaurant. WILLY No problem. (grabbing his meal) I think we're good to go. JENNY (eyes brightening) Really? Willy holds up the piece of metal in front of him. WILLY Give it a try. Jenny focuses on the piece of metal, trying to pluck it from Willy's grasp magically. She fails. JENNY That felt just like last time. Willy, you're a genius! WILLY (blushing) Nah, I'm just lucky. But we better report these results immediately. It'll take a while for them to mix up enough of this compound to coat four frigates. As Willy puts his bag of food down on the table and pulls out his comm, Jenny begins to eat the salad she brought herself. WILLY (into comm) Hello, Fritz? I've got the concentrations. Here's what they need to do ... Jenny, practically starving, wolfs down her food while Willy gives the details to Fritz. WILLY ... and that should do it. FRITZ (over comm) Perfect. You're going to save us all, kid. WILLY Don't speak too soon. I still have to look over KOMPLEX's schematics again. FRITZ The meeting is at noon tomorrow, so you have all night. WILLY (sighs) I'm getting pretty tired of all-nighters. FRITZ Either way, this is probably the last one you'll ever have to pull. Good luck, and do get some sleep. Willy fakes a smile as he hangs up. He looks at Jenny, who has finished eating. JENNY (pointing to Willy's food) And some dinner. WILLY You don't have to tell me again. Willy opens the bag and pulls out a garden burger, which he plows into. WILLY I never thought I'd be so glad to eat fake meat. Maybe all those organic meals with mom and dad were good for something -- I've built up a tolerance. As Willy finishes his burger, he looks over at Jenny. He doesn't say anything, but Jenny does notice him. JENNY Yes, Willy? WILLY Ah ... did you and Bucky ever talk about what happened when we were on the Toad Homeworld together? JENNY (looks away slightly) We did, while we were recovering in Tyjet's tent. WILLY And? JENNY There's no forgiving or condoning what he did. And he admits that. I'm not pleased with him, but ... (beat) This war has done a lot to Bucky, like it's done to all of us. I suppose that if I were in that exact same situation, with the exact same stresses Bucky was under ... I can't say how I would react. WILLY Do you trust him? JENNY I do. You know I do. WILLY Do you think he'll try anything like it again? JENNY Since we're going back, you mean? I will be keeping a very close eye on him. And I imagine you will, too. WILLY And if he tries anything? Jenny pauses. JENNY This mission is about you dismantling KOMPLEX. Nothing more, nothing less. And we will have to deal with anything that gets in the way of that. SCENE 20 - CONFERENCE ROOM, UAC HEADQUARTERS, GENUS The next day, Bucky stands in the front of the room, a chalkboard behind him with various structures and arrows doodled on it. Before him sit Fritz, Jenny, Willy, Blinky, Wolf, Mimi, FIRST MATE JONATHAN WEISSMAN, and Cranzar, listening closely. BUCKY The first step, obviously, is getting past the toads' outer defenses. Most of us are familiar with them, but I'll recap anyway. (gestures toward the chalkboard) The Toad Homeworld has a number of turrets dotting the landscape in most areas. They have powerful plasma cannons on them, and they're motion-sensitive. Anything not actively broadcasting a toad frequency gets shot at. (smiles) Fortunately, we happen to have a toad on our side who was willing to give us a useable frequency. If it works, we're golden. If not, then we'll just have to move really frelling quickly. (beat) Incidentally, we don't know whether the defense perimeter uses the stolen Aldebaran technology or not. If it does, then our ships will be impervious to it, though I'm willing to bet the physical recoil from taking the hit, whether it dissipates or not, isn't something we want to put our ships through a lot of. (beat) Anyway, best-case scenario: All four of our ships make it onto the toad planet. As far as I'm concerned, we have only one objective: Take down KOMPLEX. Willy can lead us to KOMPLEX's central machinery. Right, Willy? WILLY Yeah. BUCKY Last time, we tried getting there by crawling through the air ducts, which left us vulnerable to threats we couldn't see. Out in the open, we hopefully will be better off. CRANZAR And once we're there, Willy, you can take KOMPLEX down for good? WILLY I've fed his schematics into Blinky. Between the two of us, I know we can dismantle him for good. CRANZAR Couldn't we just give him a computer virus or something? WILLY It's too risky. Assuming I could even write something that would take down a program as massive and, well ... complex as KOMPLEX, there's no guarantee it would be a permanent solution. He might be able to work around it. Nothing short of physically destroying KOMPLEX's mainframe is going to assure any sort of victory for us. BUCKY What Willy said. Now, no mammal force this large has ever landed on the Toad Homeworld. This should give us an advantage. Especially with Jenny with us, I'm not afraid of too many things we might bump into. MIMI Except for Toadborg. Bucky collects his thoughts silently for a second. BUCKY Except for him. Unless the toads have something else really crazy up their sleeves, Toadborg is the only line of defense they have that I'm truly concerned about. WOLF So what do we do if we run into him? BUCKY We make sure Willy has enough backup to do what has to be done, and then we focus on taking Toadborg down. I'm willing to bet that even if we do defeat KOMPLEX and free all the toads from their brainwashing, Toadborg will still be gunning for us. So he's basically a separate threat from the rest of them. CRANZAR And if we don't run into him? BUCKY Not a bet I'm willing to take, but if we're that lucky, then ... hmm. Willy, is there any way Toadborg might be able to reassemble KOMPLEX? WILLY Hopefully not after I'm done with him. BUCKY Then we worry about Toadborg later. As much as I'd like to see him taken down permanently, it's not worth jeopardizing our mission just for that. (beat) Any other questions? Everyone in the group looks around nervously, eyeing the others at the table. FRITZ They'll probably be done prepping your frigates in another hour or two. You guys are cleared to leave any time after that. BUCKY Willy? What do you say? WILLY I ... my parents were gonna make lunch. Let's go after that. CRANZAR Lunch? Seriously? We're going to put this off for lunch? BUCKY Shove it, Cranzar! Willy, you take all the time you need. If you're not ready, then the mission isn't ready. Cranzar leans back in his seat, a little annoyed. WILLY Thanks, Bucky. It won't take long. Odds are, I'm not gonna like what they cook anyway. FRITZ How are your parents, by the way? Have you talked with them more about the aniverse? WILLY A little. We're sort of in "don't ask, don't tell" limbo right now. JENNY And you're OK with that? WILLY They're never gonna be OK with me coming here. But if all of this goes well, then maybe they won't have to worry about it much longer. (beat) You want me to tell them you say hi? BUCKY Something tells me that wouldn't do a bit of good. FRITZ (smirks) Something else tells me Willy was joking. WILLY Mostly. (beat) So we'll meet at the hangar in two hours? BUCKY I think that's the plan. SCENE 21 - WILLY'S ROOM, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Willy sits on his bed, halfway staring at the ceiling. He's on a cell phone, talking with SCOTT OSBOURNE. WILLY So things are getting better with your aunt? SCOTT (over the phone) Yeah, a little. I guess I've kept clean long enough now for her to trust me more. WILLY Well, that's good. SCOTT And how are things with your folks? WILLY Good. Better than they've been, I guess. I'm about to drop a bomb on them, though. SCOTT What's that? WILLY Well ... things got ugly in the aniverse. SCOTT Again? You say that like every week. WILLY Ha, you're right. But it's really bad this time. We're, ah ... gearing up for one last mission. SCOTT Last mission? You make it sound like that time you went to their planet. WILLY We're going there again. Scott is silent for a moment. SCOTT (irritated) Correct me if I'm wrong here, but didn't they, well, rip your eyes out last time you did that? WILLY (flinches) Yeah. SCOTT And you're going back?! WILLY I know. Maybe I shouldn't. But this ... one way or another, I think this is really going to end it. SCOTT Willy, I used to think I was going crazy. But some of the stuff you do ... man, it redefines crazy. WILLY Do you have to make this harder for me, Scott? SCOTT I have to make sure you're thinking it through, is all. Sometimes I swear I can't tell what your reason is for doing this. WILLY The aniverse is my home just as much as Earth is. And they're my friends just as much as you are. And ... just because the toads are committing evil over there doesn't make it any less real. Standing up to them is something that has to be done. SCOTT OK, you've clearly got your reasons. Whether they're good ones is up to you. WILLY Look. I didn't call to get in an argument with you. I just wanted to see how your trip is going. SCOTT It's been good. And ... good luck on your trip. We'll hang out when I get back? WILLY Definitely. Thanks, Scott. SCOTT See ya around, Willy. Willy puts his phone down. WILLY Somehow, I doubt my folks are going to be more supportive than that. Willy gets up and walks downstairs. In the kitchen, his parents, DR. DAVID DUWITT and MRS. SUSAN DUWITT are almost done preparing lunch. DR. DUWITT Hey, Willy! MRS. DUWITT Lunch is almost ready. How are you, son? WILLY (smiling) Hey. I'm good. What's on the menu? DR. DUWITT Well, we found some great bread and some cheese from a local farmer, so we thought we'd go the simple route and make grilled cheese sandwiches. WILLY Really? Wow, I haven't had those since I was a kid! MRS. DUWITT (at the table) Just let me finish the place settings ... With the table prepared, Willy and his parents sit down for a quick meal. Willy gives himself a minute, preparing himself to bring up the topic on his mind. MRS. DUWITT So how's school, Willy? Are you almost done with your college applications? WILLY Getting there, mom. I need to work on my personal statement a bit more, but it's mostly ready to go. DR. DUWITT Have you decided what your top choice is? WILLY MIT is still my favorite, but I think I should visit each campus first, before I make a final decision. MRS. DUWITT Definitely a good idea. I went through two colleges before I found the right one for me. WILLY So ... you guys have been good about not hounding me about the aniverse, and I appreciate it. But I wanted to let you know that I might be spending a lot less time there soon. MRS. DUWITT (secretly relieved) Really? Well, that's news! How come? DR. DUWITT Are you going to focus on your studies before college starts? WILLY Well, that too. But also ... we're going to try to take the big computer down. MRS. DUWITT The one that ... wait, let me remember it ... the one that brainwashes the frogs into being evil? WILLY The toads, yeah. DR. DUWITT And you haven't tried to do this before? WILLY We have. We've just needed the right opportunity, and one, uh, finally presented itself. So if we take him down, they won't really be needing me as much anymore. MRS. DUWITT And if you don't? WILLY Then, well ... I might not be able to help much anymore. DR. DUWITT (catching Willy's drift) Something bad happened, didn't it? WILLY (a little uncomfortable) Kind of. Let's just say we really need to end this war. MRS. DUWITT Oh, Willy ... DR. DUWITT Now, Susan, we promised him. (to Willy) Son, you're almost a grown man. Your mom and I can't make decisions for you. But please, son ... be careful? WILLY Dad, I promise. Being careful is the first thing on my mind. MRS. DUWITT Is there anything we can do? WILLY Just keep your fingers crossed for me. The DuWitts nod. As everyone finishes their sandwiches, Willy stands up, a bit awkwardly. WILLY I told them I'd be there after lunch. I'm glad I got to eat with you guys. Thanks for fixing this. DR. DUWITT You're always welcome at the table, son. MRS. DUWITT Good luck, Willy. We'll be thinking of you. WILLY (smiles) You don't have to be so dramatic, mom. MRS. DUWITT I just want you to be safe. Willy gives his parents a hug, then heads back upstairs. After he leaves, Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt exchange worried glances. MRS. DUWITT David, should we ... DR. DUWITT (shakes his head) We gave him our word, Susan. This is just something Willy has to do for himself. SCENE 22 - HANGAR, GENUS Four frigates sit parked in this military hangar on the outskirts of Capital City. The Righteous Indignation, The Indefatigable, The Screaming Mimi, and The Manifest Destiny, their hulls shiny in a slightly off-putting way, stand ready for their mission. Bucky and Jenny nod to each other as they board, followed by Willy, GUNNER DEADEYE DUCK, and AFC BLINKY. The ship rumbles to life, then takes off. Wolf walks toward The Indefatigable along with PITSTOP PETE and ENGINEER DIGGER MCSQUINT. The frigate launches, trailing shortly behind the Righteous. Mimi steels herself as she and Jonathan climb aboard The Screaming Mimi. GUNNER HARRY CALLAN and ENGINEER DILE O'CROCK exchange slightly nervous looks before they board, shutting the hatch behind them. The frigate blasts off. Cranzar, flanked by his remaining crew -- GUNNER CELINE OXLEY and ENGINEER KARI BADABA -- steps gingerly toward The Manifest Destiny. All three clearly have butterflies in their stomach; in fact, Kari looks as though she is about to throw up. Still, they all climb aboard, and the fourth frigate blasts off after the other three. In Genus's orbit, Bucky activates the Righteous's comm. BUCKY (into comm) OK, everyone. Get your accelerators ready. Hyperspace in three ... two ... one ... The four frigates blast off into hyperspace together, beginning what may be their final journey as they aim for the Toad Homeworld. TO BE CONTINUED