Year Three, Chapter One

"Harmonic Convergence"

WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT...
The USCG helicopter, carrying Anita, Craig and Darkfin heads towards the massive sea cliff where two dozen hooded figures await their arrival.
Craig: Do... do you see them?
Anita: My eyes are wide open
Craig: (Trying to look at them through his Nightvision scope) Who... WHAT ARE THEY?
Anita: (Starting to perspire) I'm not sure I want to find out
Craig: (Trying to keep calm) MAYBE... maybe it's some kind of fraternity prank... or, or Sig7 is shooting a scene...
Anita: OR MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST BACK THE HELL OFF
Craig: GREAT IDEA, LET'S GO
Anita: (Struggling with her controls) SHIT, WE'RE LOSING POWER
Lieutenant Fiore tries to bank hard but can't. Warning lights and alarms blare throughout the cockpit.
Anita: CAN'T MOVE... DAMN, FISH BITCH, GET OFF OF MY TAIL
Craig: (Peering down at Darkfin) IS SHE CAUSING THIS?
Anita: (Smacking her dead radio in frustration) I DON'T KNOW BE SHE SURE CAN'T BE HELPING, GET HER OFF
Craig takes out his handgun and tries to aim it out the door.
Craig: TRY TO HOLD IT STEADY, ANITA
Anita: SAVE SOME AMMO FOR THOSE FREAK AHEAD OF US
Suddenly, the helicopter jerks violently and zooms forward towards the cliff.
Craig: AAAAHHHHH
Anita: HOLD ON, HOLD ON
Underneath the helicopter, Aleta Oscura realizes her ride is in serious trouble.
Darkfin: (Still staring at the hoods ahead of her) Not playing fair now, are we?
With trident in hand, Darkfin flips off and lands right into a ring of hoods.
Darkfin: That is alright, I have no intention of playing fair tonight, either
They instantly surround her.
Lead Hood: (Noticing her color change) Vibrant... but you are still no match for us
Darkfin: (Bearing her teeth) We shall see!
Anita regains control of the helicopter at the last possible second and veers up.
Anita: SANTA MARIA, THANK GOD
Craig: GET US OUT OF HERE, FIORE
Anita: (Trying to guide the helicopter forward) I CAN'T SHAKE LOOSE
Craig: WHY ARE WE JUST HOVERING? - IS DARKFIN STILL HANGING ON?
Anita: (Scanning out her window) SHE'S DOWN THERE WITH THE OTHERS... OOOWWWW, WHAT THE?
The lieutenant's left hand is now mysteriously slammed and pinned up against the window, causing both glass and bone to crack. Her bracelet is all aglow.
Craig: (Bewildered) WHY IS IT DOING THAT?
Anita: (Her wrist now bleeding) AAAHHHH, I CAN'T MOVE IT - DAMMIT - THEY HAVE US IN SOME KIND OF HOLDING PATTERN
Craig: (Startled at the sight of the hoods) JESUS, THEY'RE GLOWING, TOO
Anita: (Smelling smoke) THE TORQUE IS GOING TO BLOW THE ENGINE, WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE
Craig: IF WE JUMP FROM THIS HEIGHT, WE'LL DAMAGE SOMETHING FOR SURE
Anita: IF WE DON'T JUMP, WE'RE TOAST - GET READY, CAPTAIN
On the ground, Darkfin is successfully battling her opponents
Darkfin: (Shifting) ONE
She breaks the neck of a hood with a quick snap.
Darkfin: (Shoving) TWO
She rams her trident through two others.
Darkfin: (Flinging) THREE
She throws three more off of the cliff.
Darkfin: (Checking around) Does anyone really want me to count to ten?
Off to the side, the Lead Hood is trying desperately to summon Aleta Oscura's trident away from her.
Lead Hood: (Frustrated) I... I don't understand...
Darkfin: (Twirling her trident around in a flourish) Try understanding this... I modulated my frequency, now it is time to modulate yours!
She pitches herself at the Lead Hood and slashes at it with her arm fin.
Lead Hood: (Clutching his shoulder) AARRRGGH... nice move, but it is not enough, it will never be enough
Before she can deliver a final blow to her enemy, it seemingly disappears into the fog.
Darkfin: I have got to figure out how they do that
As the fighting takes place, Joenne Mirabello is camouflaged in the hilly fields behind the cliff. She is observing the entire scene in front of her.
Joenne: (Amazed by Darkfin's presence) UNREAL... this thing keeps getting more and more unreal
She hastily unpacks several gear bags while speaking into a communication device.
Joenne: ALL UNITS, ALL UNITS, GRID TANGO FIVE - CODE BLACK, REPEAT CODE BLACK... I'm going to be hurting here, boys, you better come on through for me!
Joenne suddenly notices the glowing eyes of a pair of hoods trained directly on her. They alert the others and all of them now switch their sole focus to her.
Joenne: (Gasping) Uh-oh
They begin to float in her direction.
Joenne: (Quickly assembling a rocket launcher) UH-OH
Meanwhile, still hovering directly above the chaos, Anita and Craig prepare to jump from the helicopter.
Anita: READY...
Craig: SET...
Joenne takes aim at the group of hoods.
Joenne: FIRE
Anita: (Jumping) GOOOO
The rocket blasts off of Joenne's shoulder but instead of hitting her target, the hoods somehow manage to deflect it into the helicopter.
Joenne: NOOOO
It explodes into a fireball as Craig and Anita tumble to the ground. The captain is knocked unconscious while Anita lands in a bush. The explosion, giving Joenne an opportunity to retreat, momentarily stuns the remaining hoods.
Anita: (Wracked with pain) CRAIG, CRAIG, COME ON, GET UP
As she crawls over to her captain, a hooded figure stands before her with a large, ornate dagger.
Anita: (Holding up her arm in defense) AAAYYYY
The hooded figure freezes at the sight of her bracelet. As it starts to back away, it backs right into the prongs of Darkfin's trident.
Darkfin: (Pushing the skewered hood off of it with her foot) Always look behind you
For a brief moment, Darkfin and Anita stare at each other. The lieutenant notices that her bracelet is now glowing a same eerie green color as Aleta Oscura's weapon.
Anita: (Grabbing the hood's dagger) YOU
Darkfin: (Glancing at the motionless Craig) Help will be here shortly
Anita: WAIT A MINUTE
Disobeying the request, Darkfin runs and twirls in the air, sending herself over the cliff and back into the ocean.
Anita: NOW WHAT?
The ground abruptly begins to shake.

On the other side of town, Brad Martel and Penny Renselier hold on for dear life as the building tumbles down around them.
Penny: WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE
Brad: (Covering his head and hers) NO, STAY IN THE DOORWAY, STAY IN THE DOORWAY
Penny screams as it turns pitch dark in the store. Boxes and bricks continue to fly in every direction. Moments later, the ruckus dies down and Brad lights the dusty air with a glow stick from one of his product lines.
Brad: (Grabbing her face) Pen, are you OK?
Penny: (Trying not to cry but unable to do so) Yeah... I think
Brad: LOOK AT THIS PLACE... or what's left of it
Penny: Brad...
Brad: (Kicking a brick) What's the sense of restocking when WE DON'T HAVE A BUILDING ANYMORE - WE'VE CLOSED BEFORE WE EVEN OPENED
Penny: BRAD - WHERE ARE AMY AND THAT NEWS CHICK?
Brad: Huh?
Penny: (Shrieking) WHERE DID THEY GO?
The two now turn their attention to a giant pile of rubble before them.
Brad: Oh, man!
Penny: (Holding herself) You don't think?
Brad: (Running over to it) START DIGGING

Drifting in an out of some kind of stupor, Morrigan McBride realizes that she is stumbling along a dirt path with Amethyst Hill, still naked and still leading the way.
Morrigan: (Distorted vision) Look at all the pretty beads hanging... just hanging
Amethyst: Those are grapes, Honey, we're in a vineyard
Morrigan: (Opening her mouth) I want some
Amethyst: Maybe we'll get you some of the liquid kind later, keep moving
Morrigan: (Wide eyed) Why are we here?
Amethyst: (Pointing to the city lights in the distance) Because you don't want to be over there
Morrigan: Why?
Amethyst: You're worse than the three year-old down the street, keep moving!
Morrigan: (Holding her head) I can't... I can't get my balance
Amethyst: Neither can anyone else in the entire valley right now... including the cops, keep moving
Morrigan: (Fixating on her glowing crystal) Ooh, pretty
Amethyst: (Pushing away Morri's hand) Don't touch
Morrigan: Why are you doing this?
Amethyst: (Pausing and looking directly at her friend and tenant) Because it's necessary... YOU are necessary
With that, she once again pulls a dazed Morrigan along and they head into a labyrinth of tunnels under the Quartz Lake Inn.
Morrigan: (Anguished) Ouch, my leg, I can't walk on it much longer
Amy stares down at Morrigan's glowing and profusely bleeding foot.
Amethyst: Lean more on me, we're just around the corner...
Doing so, Morrigan is barely able to make out her surroundings. She does recognize a wine cellar and a small cot in the corner.
Amethyst: (Setting her down and lighting some candles) Rest here, I'll be right back
Morrigan: (Panicked) Where... where are you going to?

Amethyst: I'm getting something for your foot
Minutes pass by as Morrigan tries to focus her eyes on the bottles of wine before her. As promised, Amy returns with a first aid kit.
Morrigan: (Disappointed) No magical mudpack and leaf treatment?
Amethyst: (Wrapping the foot) Not this time, I'm afraid... this, however, should stop the bleeding
Morrigan: It no longer burns... thank you
The light to Amy's crystal begins to lose intensity.
Amethyst: You'll be safe for awhile, Morri - rest, recuperate...
Morrigan: Are you leaving again?
Amethyst: (With a somber smile) I need to find Roshumba
Amy brings over a flask of water and covers Morrigan with a blanket.
Amethyst: She will come for you here
Morrigan: Roshumba?
Amethyst: Not quite
Morrigan: Who?
Amethyst: You'll know
Morrigan: Why?
Amethyst: Try to stay quiet
Covering herself with the other blanket, Amy heads out the way they came in.
Morrigan: 'Bye bye, Fairy Godmother

Under a desk in the KCON newsroom, Zachary Isaacson and Justine Mirabello are busy looking for Gracie when the earthquake hits. They ride it out under a desk. After a few moments, they peek out at the even more disheveled newsroom.
Zach: THAT was big
Justine: I've had bigger
Zach: We better stay here in case of an aftershock
Justine: What if that was the FORESHOCK?
Zach: (Rubbing his head) ALWAYS THE OPTIMIST, JUSTI
Zach slowly gets to his feet and calls across the floor.
Zach: GRACIE... DAMMIT, FINGERS, WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU?
Justine: You STILL haven't told me how my sister is mixed up in this mess with McBride and Father Freaky - and I'm not leaving UNTIL you do
Zach: (Getting up) I promise, I'll tell you everything I know - but, right now, we need to find Takanachi - she said she was here at Morri's cube, let's go!
As they get to the empty cubicle, the entire floor erupts into a stampede of KCON workers, including Kylee Shepperton.
Kylee: (Rolling her eyes and sighing) ISAACSON, YOU SPEND MORE TIME HERE THAN YOU DO AT YOUR REAL JOB
Zach: (Serious) Kylee, have you seen Gracie?
Kylee: Do I look like her social calendar?
Justine: You look like someone's little black book
Kylee: And your business here is what, Justine?
Zach: I'm serious, Shepperton, HAVE YOU SEEN GRACIE?
Kylee: (Tilting her head) NO, I HAVE NOT - and she better get her fat ass in here, with everything that's going on, we're understaffed, no thanks to your fugitive pal McBride
Zach: FUGITIVE, what are you talking about?
Kylee: Maybe if your did your JOB, you'd know what's going on

Justine: IS MY SISTER WITH HER?
Kylee: (Raising an eyebrow) WHAT?
Zach: WHAT ELSE HAPPENED BESIDES THE EARTHQUAKE?
Kylee: Oh, not all that much... just lawmen unleashing the hounds on KCON's former fuzzy bunny girl, an explosion of some kind by the bay involving the Coast Guard, ooh, and it's coming over the wire now that Karl von Meer suffered a massive heart attack - is that enough?
Zach: DEAR GOD
Kylee: Now, if you both will excuse me, I have a job to do - you might want to call your paper and see if you still have one, Zachary
Justine: (Taking off like a shot) I HAVE GOT TO FIND MY SISTER
Zach: (Also taking off) I NEED TO FIND GRACIE
Kylee: (Shaking her head) GOOD LORD Y'ALL, GO FIND SOMETHING... LIKE A STICK OF DEODORANT AND SOME EYEBROW TWEEZERS AT LEAST

Pacing the halls of Bay Valley Medical Center, KJ von Meer tries to comfort his mother, Pauline, who is on her cell phone to family and friends.
Pauline: (Sobbing) Why can't we find your sister?
KJ: We will, mom, we will
Pauline: What if she's trapped by the earthquake?
KJ: I don't think it was strong enough for that - we only felt a slight rolling here
Pauline: (Shaking) Maybe I should call Griffin again
KJ: (Taking the phone out of her hand) Mom... Erika will be fine, let's just concentrate on dad
The two hug each other.
Pauline: Why aren't they telling us anything?
KJ: They will as soon as they know something
Pauline: He seemed a little tired and pale yesterday, I should have done something...
KJ: Mom...
Pauline: He shouldn't have had that horrid appetizer tonight...
KJ: Please don't start looking for blame right now
Pauline: I NEED TO DO SOMETHING, KJ, I NEED TO DO SOMETHING
KJ: (Flipping open the phone) OK - let's try calling...
Dr. Stephanie Gates Martel emerges from the emergency room with her head down.
Pauline: STEPH
She slowly approaches the von Meer wife and son.
Pauline: (Instantly recognizing the look on her face) OH GOD, OH GOD, NO...
KJ: (Voice cracking) DAD?
Dr. Stephanie: (Taking a deep breath) Is Erika here?
Pauline: We... we can't find her
Dr. Stephanie: (Reaching out to both of them) Pauline... Karl John... I'm... so sorry
Pauline falls to her knees and covers her mouth.
KJ: (Tears streaming down his face) NO, STEPHANIE, YOU'RE WRONG
Dr. Stephanie: KJ
KJ: (Turning red) GO BACK IN THERE AND DO SOMETHING ELSE - THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE - WE CAN AFFORD SOMETHING ELSE
Dr. Stephanie: (Wiping her eyes) There IS nothing else, Kiddo, we tried everything, I swear it!
Pauline: (Choking on her tears) ERIKA, WE NEED ERIKA HERE
KJ: (Trying to compose himself) What... what exactly happened to dad?
Dr. Stephanie: We're not 100% certain but it appears to have been a massive heart attack
KJ: He had a complete physical a few months ago and he was fine!
Dr. Stephanie: Sometimes... these things just happen
KJ: Yeah, they happen to OTHER PEOPLE
Dr. Stephanie: (Clutching his shoulder) We'll know for sure after the post mortem
Pauline: (Jumping up) NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT, I WILL NOT HAVE HIM CARVED UP LIKE... LIKE A SIDE OF BEEF
Dr. Stephanie: We need to determine...
Pauline: I WANT TO SEE HIM NOW
Dr. Stephanie: When we were working on him... we opened his chest to keep his heart beating - there's a lot of blood
KJ: (Ready to throw up) Oh, dad!
Pauline: (Trembling) I DON'T CARE, I WANT TO SEE HIM
Dr. Stephanie: (Hesitant) I can let you two look behind the glass until he's properly cleaned up
KJ: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING
Dr. Stephanie: (Insistent) THAT IS THE VERY BEST I CAN DO... for now
She leads the two of them to the window and lets them spend a few minutes grieving. She excuses herself and watches their overwhelmed and still confused reactions from around the corner. After they finally step away the viewing area, Dr. Stephanie carefully wheels the body of Karl senior into another room down the hall. He is still breathing.
Dr. Stephanie: (Administering some medication) I'm sorry I had to do that to your family, Karl, but someone tried to poison you... and almost succeeded
She takes his hand in hers and gently rubs it.
Dr. Stephanie: Until I figure out who that person is, it's best that everyone thinks you're dead

Making sure the room is secure, she dials out on the wall phone.
Dr. Stephanie: Hector... I need your help