“The Villain Saga” – Episode 8, Part 2

(Table of contents) (See previous)

CUT TO JUPITER and BARD, back in the cell.

JUPITER

Are you sure this is real?

BINARY BARD

I searched what I could…nothing. The cause shall remain unknown forever.

JUPITER

…yet here you are, so perhaps this curse wasn’t real…

(He smiles)

Or perhaps you did break it after all?

BINARY BARD

Your praise is a prized treasure these days, although…

(Pause)

Whether I am the same person is…uncertain.

Back to DR. MORRIGAN’S flashback, as the guards apprehend BINARY BARD in the citadel and begin to make the trip back to Poptropica.

DR. MORRIGAN (AUDIO)

He seems to be telling the truth, at least I think. Take everything he says with a grain of salt…or perhaps a whole bucket.

(Con’t)

Dr. Jupiter, I don’t know what you plan on doing with this man, but I will warn you: He will see through your plans quickly. No matter how cunning anyone is, he will match it tenfold. He’s desperate, but he hasn’t lost that dreaming genius yet. Mostly.”

In the flashback MORRIGAN follows BINARY BARD’S gaze outside the shuttle port window. Far away are the distant silhouettes of asteroids. One large one has crystals jutting from it—with the portal to his home, or prison, whichever is more suitable, now shut off.

DR. MORRIGAN (AUDIO)

He has been through some unimaginable things. I won’t get too deep into it here, but let’s just say experiencing such severe injuries with no assistance, and twenty years of social isolation are bound to take a toll.

CUT TO MORRIGAN, back in his office, finishing the recording on the tape. His bags are already packed near the door.

DR. MORRIGAN

Just…reconsider your opinions. I’ll do my best, but…even I have to admit, he may be too far lost.

(Con’t)

This is Dr. Morrigan, head–former head of the psychiatric team at Erewhon Prison.

MORRIGAN presses the stop button, and the scene is transported back to the present.

DIRECTOR D and MOREAU share a concerned stare.

MOREAU
Do you know what happened to him? The previous doctor?

DIRECTOR D.

I’m not sure, I knew nothing about him really until now.

(con’t)

They’ve been sifting through workers here nonstop. At first I thought it was because of the bad conditions, but now…

MOREAU

Jupiter’s doing it to keep anyone from learning what is happening here.

(She glances at the shredded papers in the bin)

Perhaps…she didn’t run away after all.

An alarm plays from DIRECTOR D. ‘s cellphone, which is sitting on his desk.

DIRECTOR D.

Ugh…back to work now.

(con’t)

Let’s see if any of the others have heard anything.

CUT TO outside the interview/counseling office. DR. HARE is sitting near the door, in handcuffs, with a guard next to him. He twitches an ear, trying to listen to the sounds in the building.

HARE

It’s been awfully quiet ever since Widow left.

(con’t)

Any news on finding her?

The GUARD shakes her head.

HARE

Can’t say I’m upset, although it is a little more boring here now.

Pause. HARE turns to the window, where a couple boats are porting with more supplies.

HARE

But, uh, I’ve been counting the helicopters and boats since the day I got here, with how much time I’ve got now.

(con’t)

…I never saw any missing. How did she escape?

GUARD

She swam, I guess. We don’t have much info, other than some camera footage.

(We briefly see a shot from the black-and-white security cameras. A shadowed figure with spiked hair and wearing a jumpsuit with a familiar red hourglass symbol runs past the side of the building.)

GUARD

Guess she swam.

HARE

Oh! In other words, she’s dead.

The door to the office opens. MOREAU peeks her head out, wearing her signature shiny, sweet smile.

MOREAU

Come on in, Mr. Hare.

CUT TO BARD and JUPITER again. BARD seems to be done with his explanation, and is watching JUPITER as he finishes his notes. A storm begins to brew outside the window, lightning striking the rods placed at the top of the prison.

BINARY BARD

What a grievous storm.

(con’t)

It shan’t be easy for any who escape…

JUPITER

(sighing)

I get it. Okay? I get it. You know what’s going on.

BINARY BARD

Many workers here have come and gone, but this is the first prisoner to disappear.

(con’t)

I must say, that was not a good first choice. Someone who’s committed great and horrific crimes, such as myself, would be a better prospect than an art thief.

(con’t)

If anyone suspects you, they might say it is “unfair” for her.

JUPITER

Black Widow also made people “mysteriously disappear” during her time as a thief. She’s not some pickpocket.

BINARY BARD

Ah. I never knew…now, tell me what you actually have planned.

An owl flies past the window, hooting as it looks for prey.

BINARY BARD

Merlin?

JUPITER

Who?

BINARY BARD

It is naught. I was reminded of one of my old creations, before I was exiled from the kingdom. My first complete fusion of nature and machine.

There is a brief flashback, showing young MORDRED looking around an old barn with a net. A few hoots come from inside the building.

Back to the present, as it’s really not appropriate to show what happened to the poor creature after.

BINARY BARD

Even he turned against me.

(con’t)

Now, go on, tell me about what you are truly planning. You’re the one in charge, are you not? The one sending guards away, sending us to higher floors for endless “testing”, requesting all the tools from the land.

DR. JUPITER

What if I told you anyone who knows about this has to take part?

(con’t)

And as a prisoner, that means you’d be the guinea pig.

BINARY BARD scoffs.

BINARY BARD

And you never thought once that I could contribute my own knowledge?

JUPITER

It’s already done and started.

Pause. BINARY BARD laughs as a realization comes to his mind.

BINARY BARD

This is no prison! This was merely a ruse for your plans to play a god!

JUPITER

Be a little more respectful, Mordred. I’m not “playing” as a god.

(con’t)

But I have an offer for you–if you comply and don’t cause trouble, I’ll give you some information on this.

BINARY BARD

I can choose between willingly submitting, or being forced to? How very generous of you.

(con’t)

But, since I have a choice…I shall take the former.

The camera pans out. In the dark, surrounded by thick walls to keep their voices out from any passerby, DR. JUPITER delves deep into what his experiment truly is, his voice fading out as BINARY BARD listens. The villain has made a deal with the devil, he knows it, and he knows there’s no going back now, but he cannot pass this opportunity to gain this information.

Back in a staff-only zone, a guard heads to the elevator, dumping a black, spiked wig into the trash as she leaves.

The episode ends with DR. HARE and CRAWFISH being led back to their high-security cells after their evening exercise time in the courtyard, going up the elevator with their respective assigned guards. As they ascend the building, DR. HARE shifts his ears, listening for something.

DR. HARE

Hey, yo-ho pirate, did you see the jester back in the courtyard?

CRAWFISH

…No. Also what–

DR. HARE shushes him, twitches the ears of his suit some more (which are still unclear as to whether they’re real or mechanically attached), listening to the sounds in the floors they pass.

DR. HARE

…he’s gone too.

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Two down, two to go.

Castori honorem ~ Smart Bubbles