Anonymous

(Auburn, Laurel and Baron reach the end of their path. Danika appears before them)
Auburn: I knew it.
Danika: Since I have not been able to frighten you away, it appears I will have to use force.
Baron: Take a hike, lady! We got vampires to stop!
Danika: I will deal with the vampires. Your interference is unappreciated.
Laurel: She’s going to take them back to the Hand’s headquarters! 
Danika: What? A psychic?!
(pause)
Danika: No wonder you managed to get through my illusions.
Auburn: What’s your plan, Danika? To put away those two vampires until you feel like you can use them for something different? Sorry, not on my watch. 
Danika: Traitor! You would violate the wishes of your employer?
Auburn: Kovak will understand once I explain everything that’s happened. That’s the difference between him and you. He’ll sit and work things out when they go wrong. All you people do is make it worse! I’m tired of it!
(pause)
Auburn: I’m tired of all of this.
Danika: Why you….you dare…
(pause, she’s fuming)
Danika: Arrrgh!!!!
Baron: Wow. I think someone might need a new diaper.
Laurel: *chuckle* Baron, stop it. She’s angry enough.
Danika: You all don’t really know you’re dealing with, do you?! I am one of the Hand’s top three lieutenants! I will teach you the folly of your insolence!
(Battle)
Danika: Arrgh….I should not have….cast so many illusions before….before the fight.
Baron: Excuses, excuses. You got beat, fair and square!
(Danika looks at Auburn)
Danika: You….your power….I understand now.
(Baron and Laurel look at Auburn)
Baron: Huh?
Laurel: ……
Auburn: It’s a trick! Don’t take your eyes off her!
(It’s too late. Danika vanishes)
Auburn: Damn!
Baron: Don’t sweat it. She’s hurt, she won’t be able to do much else. Let’s find the others and get to the two vampires.
Laurel: Indeed. They are not far.

(Danika is now in another room, trudging along.)
Danika: Dican…..Torin….I have failed you.
(Suddenly a man appears. He has two others with him dressed in identical clothing.)
Man: Oh goodness…what happened to you?
Danika: Ugh…Voyd…what are you doing here?
(He walks over to her)
Voyd: Drink this. 
(She does…and after a few seconds, she’s feeling a bit stronger)
Danika: …thank you.
Voyd: When we finally arrived at the island, Master Ketsu asked me to take these two and check on you quickly.
Danika: *sigh*
Voyd: It wasn’t easy for me to find you, that’s for sure. My beacon was back in Artagel, not inside this place. I would have walked through the walls if I didn’t have these guys with me.
Danika: Well, it’s a good thing you’re here.
Voyd: Master Ketsu worries about you. Sometimes you take on too much.
Danika: I guess he’s right to…he left me in charge of things here, and now everything’s falling apart. 
(pause)
Danika: I have let you all down.
Voyd: Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself! You’re still new to the top tier, after all. And these are formidable enemies we’re dealing with. Surprisingly formidable.
Danika: No kidding.
Voyd: In addition to the three you fought, there is another group going after those vampires as well. The masked one’s fighting style is almost identical to that of Rayne Mistral.
(pause)
Danika: Now there’s someone I haven’t seen in a while.
(pause)
Danika: But we can’t let them win. We—
Voyd: Calm down, Danika. It’s going to be fine now. If we work together, we’ll get them out of here.

(Shroud, Stoic and Bubba confront Andau and Gabriella)
Stoic: No more games. Give it up, Andau.
Andau: This is it, Gabriella. We have no other recourse now.
Gabriella: I….I guess not. Why have you forced us to do this? Why couldn’t you have just left?
Andau: It is not their way.
Stoic: For once, he’s right. You have hurt people, and it is our job to strike back on their behalf.
Shroud: But Gabriella…..you aren’t a danger in the same way he is. If you let us, we can help you. We’ve even offered him help in the past, but that never went over well.
Andau: Fools! What can you possibly do?!
Bubba: Do ye really want to be hurtin’ people the way poor Gloria was hurt? Think on it hard, lass.
Shroud: We can help….but you have to want it. You can’t let him influence you.
Andau: We made an arrangement, Gabriella. Do not forget it.
(long pause)
Gabriella: I’m sorry, Cade. I can’t let you take either of us out of here. 
Shroud: Wha?
Andau: Well now…
Shroud: Gabriella…I…
Gabriella: I think I know what you’re about to say. There’s no need to feel guilty. I could have easily gone back to my normal routine after you left. 
(pause)
Gabriella: I got involved because I wanted to.
(pause)
Shroud: I….I just don’t know what I should do…
Stoic: Stay focused. We can’t just let Andau leave. He’s hurt too many people.
Andau: Weak-minded fools. Either prepare yourselves for battle or get out of the way!
Bubba: Yarr! Ye asked for it!
Shroud: Bubba, wait!
(Battle begins)
Andau: You may have bested me when I was alone, but now our combined dark strength shall be your end!
Shroud: No! This is so foolish! We—
Stoic: Coaxing didn’t work! Maybe they’ll be more reasonable after they’ve had the wind taken out of their sails!
Bubba: Sweet music to me ears, matey!
(Battle ends)
Andau: Defeated….again….I can not believe it.
Stoic: Well done, chums. Let’s get them out of here.
Andau: No….it must not end this way.
Gabriella: But….maybe this is for the best.
(The three heroes walk forward, but are suddenly shoved back by some unseen force)
Shroud: Ugh!
Stoic: What in the name of Arcadius was that?!
(Andau and Gabriella abruptly leave the room. Their movement is odd…as if they were being dragged backwards)
Bubba: Ye can not hide yer scent, scoundrel! 
(Bubba abruptly runs off)
Stoic: What?! Bubba, wait!
Shroud: What’s going on?
Stoic: No idea….but we can’t let them get too far away.

(Once they leave, we got to Auburn’s group entering the next room from the other side. They see Andau and Gabriella in the center of the area)
Baron: Finally! Time for those two troublemakers to learn why everyone fears The Baron and his devoted girl sidekicks!
Auburn: Take it easy there, hotshot. Victory first, bragging second.
(They rush)
Laurel: Wait!!
(We go to the other side of the room and see Shroud and Stoic)
Stoic: Good. I didn’t think they would have gotten too far.
(They rush)
(We now see the center of the room. Auburn and Finley are fighting Shroud and Stoic! 
Pan over to see Danika waiting near a door)
Danika: Dance, puppets….dance.

(Laurel rushes over to the rest of the group. Entering all their minds at once, she dispels the illusion. The fighting stops and everyone is disoriented)
Baron: What the hell just happened?
Laurel: The vampires aren’t in here! Danika tricked you!
Shroud: What? Who is Danika?
Auburn: She’s an illusionist from The Hand. Can’t believe I fell for that after everything she’s put us through.
Stoic: The Hand, eh? That’s another fine mess you Equipment King folks have created. Vampires weren’t enough trouble….now you’ve got your cult fanatic friends mixed up in this.
Auburn: You better watch it, wise guy! I’m not in the mood for—
(Laurel’s had enough. She jumps up and down)
Laurel: Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
(long pause as everyone stares at her)
Baron: *chuckle*
(pause)
Shroud: Where’s Bubba?
Baron: No clue. He was with you.
Laurel: He’s following their scents. 
Stoic: By Arcadius….I never thought I would be relying on him to keep the bad guys from getting away.
 
(Danika and Voyd are in another room)
Danika: Where are the vampires?
Voyd: Gone. I helped my men go through the back wall with them in tow.
Danika: How did you ever manage to subdue them?
Voyd: They were already weak from the battle with our enemies. Paralysis magic was enough. 
Danika: I presume they’re being taken to Harrol?
Voyd: Yes….Master Ketsu may be able to find some use for them in the future.
(pause)
Danika: I really owe you, Voyd.
Voyd: The three lieutenants have always been meant to work together.
Danika: Yes…if Cleon were here, we might have been able to eliminate all of those pests.
(They hear Bubba clamoring towards them. His theme plays. Voyd becomes invisible)
Bubba: Yarr!! Ye may have fooled me friends with yer silly tricks, but me nose never steers me wrong!
Danika: You’re too late, you filthy beast. The vampires are in our custody and already far from this wretched place.
Bubba: Dah! Guess I’ll have to settle for tannin’ yer wily hide!
(pause)
Bubba: Nice try, ye sneaky brigand! 
(Bubba lashes out and hits the invisible Voyd. He comes into view. Danika casts a lightning spell, but Bubba manages to dodge it and continues his charge.)
Danika: What?!
(She narrowly dodges. Voyd vanishes again. Bubba sniffs around looking for him. Danika casts another lightning spell and manages to hit him.)
Bubba: Agh! 
(pause)
Bubba: What be this?! I can’t move!
Danika: One more should be enough.
Bubba: Hit the deck! Flyin’ human!
(We can’t really see it, but Bubba is being held by Voyd. Turning the tables, Bubba grabs him and throws him at Danika. They collide and she is knocked back. Voyd comes into view again)
Voyd: No sense bothering with that anymore. His astute senses are ideal in countering my own skills.
Danika: Well, he can’t take much more. 
Bubba: Gah…I am feelin’ a bit beat….but I won’t let ye get the better of me. Gotta show Gloria….that ole Bubba’s still got some fight left in him.
Danika: What is he blathering about?
Voyd: I couldn’t tell you…..but I can hear the others coming. We’ve done what we came here to do. No sense wasting any more time.
Danika: It’s your lucky day, kobold! But you will all learn what it means to cross The Hand! The future shall not be kind to those who resist the will of Arcadius!
(Voyd teleports both of them away…long pause)
Bubba: That’s right…..run, ye cowards.
(Bubba collapses)