Elio, Shinji and Talia have officially became part of the Nova circus! Where they met friends and mentors and made themselves a home, for the price of a broken nose and an allegedly sprained ankle. But after 3 months amongst family, the circus had to move again, and they, of course, followed. To London.
You can find more information, including our full cast list and transcripts, at DesperadoRadio.com.
Credits:
Written and produced by Samy Souissi.
- Elio – Samy Souissi
- Shinji – Tibet Boyer
- Talia – Tami Ige
- Marcus – Owen Gardiner
- Samar – Kawtar Morchadi
Soundtrack:
- Reggaeton x Club Type Beat 2020 – Baila _ Free Reggaeton Type Beat _ Club Instrumental
- Emotional Mystic Flute Type Pop R&B Hip Hop Beat Instrumental – JUST BE
- Ethereal dream – Dox (free music, royalty free)
- Legacy – Angry Violin Free Beat
- (Free) Horror Ambiance – Ominous Background Music
Transcript
Please be advised the content of this podcast contains violence, murder, blood, smoking, alcohol, mentions of suicide and driving sound effects. Please avoid listening to this in a car. We also swear… a whole lot. So… there’s that.
Previously on Desperado…
We officially became part of the Nova Circus where we met friends and mentors and made ourselves at home for the price of a broken nose and an allegedly sprained ankle. After three months among family, the circus had to move again and we, of course, followed.
Eerie intro music
TALIA
Marcus announced the circus would have to move just after one of my rehearsals. I was perfecting my routine with two other knife throwers from the circus, and had asked a few people to be our test audience.
SHINJI
And! Elio was actually included in this number!
ELIO
Yeah. As the fucking target. They cuffed my wrist and ankles to a spinning target and just threw their blades at me.
TALIA
Yeah- because even if something went wrong- Bloodshield.
ELIO
And for some reason I had to be shirtless, wearing a bow-tie like… They were one step away from asking me to put on bunny ears, at this point.
SHINJI
I did suggest it.
ELIO
Sure, yeah.
SHINJI
I mean, who’s idea do you think it was to have you shirtless?
ELIO
… Are you kidding?!
SHINJI
Nope.
(Talia laughs.)
ELIO
No- Goddess- Okay are you kidding? I had to strip in front of an audience, every other night for almost-
SHINJI
(talking over)
Are you kidding? Who gets a chest tattoo and doesn’t want to be shirtless?
ELIO
I didn’t get a chest tattoo! I killed a priest at the top of a pyramid and it happened!
TALIA
Do you not like it?
ELIO
Of course I do, have you seen the details? It’s fucking sick.
TALIA
Well, that’s that about that then.
SHINJI
If you really didn’t want to do it, nobody could have forced you to.
ELIO
I-
TALIA
What? You know he’s right.
ELIO
I just thought… I’d be cooperative, because I wanted to be included.
TALIA
See, I don’t think Elio’s prude but I bet he has a dozen past lives who are. So there must be some subconscious conflict there.
SHINJI
Yeah because nobody asked you to throw your jacket at the audience that one night. You were having fun.
TALIA
Was one of your past-selves a stripper by any chance? Because I know Samar did not teach you that.
ELIO
No, I just felt like doing it.
TALIA
Would you like to be a stripper?
ELIO
Nope.
SHINJI AND TALIA
Aaawwwww.
TALIA
I’d love to be a stripper.
SHINJI
Why’s that?
TALIA
Because I have to kill a God Ji-ji. I would rather do anything else.
SHINJI
That’s not- That’s not a nickname, no-nobody calls me that. I want the record to show that this is not a nickname!
TALIA
What’s wrong with Ji-Ji?
ELIO
What I liked about being on stage… What I really liked… was that… I got to be that person the audience saw in me. Just a performer with… no burden. And- and being… liked… that was something new.
SHINJI
Oh yeah, big times.
TALIA
The applause! It’s just… it’s a drug.
ELIO
Yeah.
SHINJI
I have… a controversial opinion.
ELIO
Wouldn’t be the first.
TALIA
Surprise me.
SHINJI
I actually enjoyed London.
TALIA
Really?
ELIO
(Bitter)
Well that must be nice.
TALIA
Just…Why?
ELIO
I mean sure, from his perspective I bet it was great. He got to-
TALIA
Tututut- let him talk.
SHINJI
First of all, the city is beautiful. We wanted witch architecture?
ELIO
We got floating sky-scrapers, flying vehicles. We got trees with shining sap. Shining from the inside! Artificial waterfalls, micro-climates through different neighborhoods — The streets are filled with moving art and short- lived illusions, it’s-
TALIA
Which are mostly tourist traps, for people to stop and stare, while they get pick-pocketed.
ELIO
Cameras everywhere. Witches everywhere. A pretty cell is still jail.
SHINJI
Beauty is beauty, Elio. Enjoying it doesn’t make me naïve.
TALIA
I never understood why Marcus insisted on bringing the circus to the center of the Witches’ power but-
ELIO
Oh, I brought it up!
TALIA
Really?
ELIO
Yeah. London is massive, and London attracts a lot of people. That means travelers, refugees, and also allies- so the Path is very active in this city. Right under the Queen’s nose.
SHINJI
Yeah. Marcus got us at least five new “cast members” during our stay. And about a dozen people left the circus.
ELIO
Yeah, they move a lot of people through London. And as for our trip to the city, it was delightfully uneventful.
We packed our stuff, got on the road and drove there without a single trouble. And I have to admit, I was also very curious to discover London.
SHINJI
We had a hotel! We had an entire hotel at our disposal…
SFX: elevator dings
…owned by a friend of Marcus! And in between shows we got to visit the city! We got to buy our own clothes, grab street food and cocktails it was- It was so more than I could have wished for.
TALIA
We got a taste of being young… in a city. It was special.
ELIO
Yeah… The night of our first show in London, when we saw the crowd waiting at the door of the theatre, their tickets in hands. I realized how much of a madman Marcus really was. Hiding us in plain sight like, making the public love and admire us just… Wh-Who does that?
TALIA
But, about a week after our first show, things got… complicated.
SHINJI
It started like every other night. We were backstage, in that quiet silence full of anticipation, stretching or applying the last make up touch-up. Marcus warmed up the crowd then dancers and acrobats took the stage.
SFX: drumrolls and laughter
We had a clown come up between every act, and the order went: Dance, aerial silk, uhh-
TALIA
Me.
SHINJI
Right, then the knife throw, strongmen, trapeze- then closure.
ELIO
But we never got to the closure that night.
TALIA
No, and it’s my fault.
SHINJI
I wouldn’t say that.
TALIA
Well I would. I trained with Malik for 3 months. I developed my own skills, I didn’t even need Samedi’s power to throw my daggers anymore. I could do it by hand. I learned discipline, I practiced fasting, I meditated, I stopped drinking- I cut out all the things that Samedi reveled in… Even dancing! But nothing, absolutely nothing, could have prepared me for the applause.
And as my knives kept hitting every bullseye, as the public gasped and their eyes widened… I came to an understanding. I was the child of a fever dream. My very essence came from the drunken revelries of my ancestors. My gods spoke a language that has no word for excess and even to me it started to lose meaning…
TALIA (CONT’D)
Something snapped. I started… laughing, and laughing and I couldn’t stop. What was I doing?
What kind of fool spits on a divine gift? And why was I being dragged down to this bland, colorless existence that all those hairless monkeys were just powering through? Who were you all to tell me to stop?!
No! No-no- no-no, if the crowd wanted more, they deserved more.
SFX: fast, contemporary violin music with an underlying beat, akin to the kind that would play at a magic show where someone is levitating from building to building. The circus act begins…
I looked around the stage as Elio was making his entrance, ready to be shackled. I had about a dozen throwing knives, carved out of bone, and already planted in their targets. I raised my arms to the side, and called them all back to me. I didn’t hide. At Nova… we did the impossible!
SHINJI
Backstage, I saw Marcus freeze. He looked at me and said that we might have to pull you out.
ELIO
One thing you have to remember is that London, being the Witches’ capitol, it’s built accordingly. Most buildings had doors and balconies only accessible from ceiling entrances, because Witches fly everywhere. And that theatre was no exception. Witches didn’t even have to pay for a ticket. They could just show up, sit up there.
And there was a group of them every night.
So the fucking spiritual containment unit was watching and Talia pulled a magic trick.
SHINJI
But a magic trick basic enough that they barely frowned at it. It’s not rare for civilians to know some basic witchcraft, so I assume they thought it was… just that.
ELIO
I tried to make eye contact with Talia, but you just started… juggling your knives, while I was being shackled to the target.
And oh, the crowd loved it.
SHINJI
We decided to wait. I mean, in your state, we had no idea how you would react to being pulled backstage and we certainly couldn’t risk a confrontation in front of the S.C.U.
TALIA
Elio was barely shackled before I threw my first dagger.
ELIO
An assistant was charged to attach me every night, and she barely had time to step back. You almost pinned her hand to the target.
TALIA
I know. And I threw every other knife on beat with the stage music. Closer and closer to you.
SFX: several blades land, rapidfire, in their wooden target
When I ran out I called the blades back to me. And I did it again, and again… until there was a constant chain of knives being thrown and pulled… And I twirled in delight.
I started dancing and the crowd’s applauds started rising, and rising and…
SFX: thunk of industrial lights being shut down, as the music stops suddenly. There are gasps from the crowd.
ELIO
The lights went out.
SHINJI
Technical difficulty, we called it. But as soon as the current was out, Marcus threw every ounce of his power at you.
SHINJI
Malik and another wrestler ran to the stage and pulled you back before you could recover…
ELIO
I was freed and met you backstage and saw our favorite necromancer try to wrestle her way out of Malik’s chokehold.
SHINJI
Talia, Talia! Listen to me! What’s going on with her?!
ELIO
Before Marcus could answer… a flicker ignited in Talia’s eyes. A brief… purple light… and with a strength she shouldn’t have had, she threw Malik on the ground.
SFX: body lands with a dull thud
ELIO (CONT’D)
The world seemed to stop for a second. None of us moved, save for Malik who slowly got up. Talia’s lips curled into an arc of contempt so vile… You know the way you look at a cockroach after you just stepped on it? The- the absolute scorn toward this crawling thing, now forcing you to clean your own shoe?
Yeah. That- that was the look.
TALIA
I didn’t give you that look.
ELIO
No- No that… that wasn’t you.
SHINJI
And then you just… I mean, he, Samedi – He laughed. He laughed at Malik’s face.
TALIA/SAMEDI
(deep, resonant laughter) Meditation…? You told her she could keep me away… With meditation?! (he chuckles) Tiny, tiny, little men… Frowning in their little costumes… You!… are funny!
ELIO
I took a step forward, but Marcus put a hand on my shoulder.
TALIA/SAMEDI
Oooh- Sister is that you? Are you going to let your little toy look at me like that, Catrina?
ELIO
Let her go.
TALIA/SAMEDI
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk… I know there’s nothing like a good fight on a Friday night, but I’ve been told Witches have a fine ear. For once, I think the Lucky Man doesn’t want to make a scene. Am I right?
ELIO
No one replied. We just didn’t know what to do. Even Marcus seemed… hesitant. I think he was used to dealing with spirits, ghosts, and demons, but… a god? As grand as the circus seemed to be, I don’t think he’d ever had to deal with a situation like that.
TALIA/SAMEDI
Do you hear their whispers, ring master? Don’t make them wait, they might start to ask questions… (The Baron lets out a sinister laugh) The show must go on people!
SHINJI
And you just… made your exit, before anyone could stop you.
TALIA
Not a lot of people had realized what happened. To the rest of the circus, it had been just a technical difficulty.
So on his way out, Samedi made me touch the shoulder of a technician to say hi, blow a kiss to another, then wave at a couple of dancers and I said
“Good job girls!”
… Nobody knew a thing. He made me take my jacket off and left it on the ground without slowing down.
(The Baron’s voice seeps back into Talia’s) “How about we go out?” he said. “Just you and me, Talia… Get some real… bonding time.”
I reached for an exit door, and stepped into the night.
ELIO
It would have been Samar’s job to go after you in normal circumstances, but since she was already on a hunt, we volunteered. And by then Marcus had seen what we were capable of, so…
MARCUS
Boys, take your makeup off and gear up. Bring that girl back by the end of the night or the circus will have to move. If you fail, what happens?
ELIO
We don’t come back. We find a hideout and wait for instructions. If nothing comes, we meet back at the rendez-vous point in 2 weeks.
MARCUS
Good. Burner phone?
SHINJI
Got it.
MARCUS
No weapons, no blood, no. wings.
ELIO & SHINJI
Yes sir.
ELIO
Marcus gazed upon us. He was in a position that none of us could understand, but ultimately his allegiance was to the circus. And if something threatened his sanctuary then… I suddenly worried he might change his mind and send someone else for the job. Someone who would handle the Talia situation more… permanently. But no, he nodded, and said:
MARCUS
…Go then.
SHINJI
How are we supposed to find her if I can’t fly?
ELIO
And with an inimitable raise of the eyebrow, Marcus said she was at the Belltower. Obviously. It was the nearest nightclub. And judging from the contempt in his voice, he’d made his fair share of mistakes in that place. He then dismissed us, and we ran back to our quarters to change out of our costumes. Nova’s training outfits were in between casual clothing and tactical gear. I then opened the mini- fridge under my bed and took out two pouches of blood.
SFX: fridge door opens with a slight click
About a pint each.
SHINJI
You… sure about that…?
ELIO
Is that Jun’s gun under your jacket?
SHINJI
…Yeah.
ELIO
Then yeah, I’m sure. Marcus is clever but I bet he never had to outrun a bunch of bloodthirsty fanatics. He never was powerless.
SHINJI
I nodded, and made sure to better conceal my weapon.
ELIO
Now, what is the Belltower you ask?
ELIO (CONT’D)
Well, it’s a four story high nightclub- built around, or on the ruins of an old belltower- I don’t know the details. But I know that they kept the bell. They put it in their biggest room and people love taking pictures with it. And it does look great, you know, with all the lights and neons and shit, but why am I saying this? Because- this was a Saturday night, and you have to understand that there was no way we would have gotten inside that club. The queue was… ridiculous.
SFX: someone running
Goddess… This can’t be real.
SHINJI
(out of breath)
Ok– Just a second… Gimme just…
ELIO
You okay?
SHINJI
Running sucks Elio… Running sucks so fucking much… I just… I can’t believe this is how you get to places– I’m so sorry!
ELIO
Thanks.
SHINJI
Ok- do you see her?
ELIO
We’re talking about a literal god of the party- Trust me, they jumped the queue.
SHINJI
Shit.
ELIO
Yeah, so how do we get in?
SHINJI
I don’t even have my I.D, man- I always get ID’d.
ELIO
I rolled my eyes and thank goddess I did, because a light high above caught my attention. A neon sign in the shape of a bell that said… “Rooftop Bar”.
SHINJI
This place is huge… Wait, if there’s a… a staff entrance we can try and-
ELIO
Hey, uhhh… Shinji?
SHINJI
What?
ELIO
And I pointed up, as a witch casually descended from the clouds, directly onto the rooftop.
SHINJI
Terrible idea. Terrible.
ELIO
What was yours again? Force the staff entrance, trigger every fucking alarm and create a panic?
SHINJI
This is a nightclub, not a federal prison. What alarms are you talking about?
ELIO
I see floating stairs to the entrance and minor illusions around the bouncers. This place has a Sorcery permit. Which means it’s owned, or at least managed by Witches. So I’m not forcing any fucking door.
SHINJI
So… descending from the sky on shining wings- How… how do you think that’s gonna go?
ELIO
Yeah. How high can you jump?
SHINJI
Oh. (beat) That’s… That’s not much higher than the trapeze… I think it could work?
ELIO
Yeah. Let’s go.
SHINJI
We went around the corner – and stepped into a quiet back alley. I intended to stopped walking and get a second look at the building, but Elio grabbed my arm and kept me moving.
ELIO
CCTV, top left. Keep walking
SHINJI
Got it.
ELIO
We walked past the device and I gave Shinji a nod. One of his wings sprung backward, cutting the camera in half from one of its blindspot.
SFX: shing! Sharp, quick, slice through metal. The camera falls to the floor, debris scattering
Sharp.
SHINJI
Yeah, so stop stealing my leftovers.
ELIO
Dude, how many times- I didn’t eat your fucking teriyaki, okay?!
SHINJI
How do you know it was teriyaki?
ELIO
Okay, do you wanna save Talia or not?
SHINJI
Yeah, but you’re cooking tomorrow.
ELIO
In a moment like that? This is what you’re thinking about?
SHINJI
We’re always in a moment like that! Seriously.
ELIO
Okay, just… jump!
SHINJI
I’m waiting for you.
ELIO
I took a quick glance around, made sure nobody was watching, then joined Shinji.
SHINJI
I turned him around, made him face the wall, then wrapped my arm underneath his shoulders and around his chest.
ELIO
Oof.
SHINJI
What?
ELIO
Nothing, just… never been held like that.
SHINJI
Aww, I’m sure Samar won’t mind.
ELIO
I’m sorry wha-?
SFX: Whoosh as Shinji takes flight.
SHINJI
My wings had grown since our arrival at Nova. A lot. And for a jump like that I needed their full span– I’m sure someone in the streets nearby must have seen a flash of light, as we took to the sky. One impulse, and I made them disappear in mid-air, letting the momentum carry us through. We got juuust over the banister, and simply dropped on the rooftop. We had a couple eyes on us, but nothing unusual, no suspicion. If you could fly, people just assumed you were… a sorcerer.
ELIO
Okay- is it gonna be that easy?
SHINJI
I – I’ve been meaning to come here.
ELIO
Why?
SHINJI
It’s a gay club, Elio. Do the math. The bouncers were wearing mesh. How dense can you be?
ELIO
I work in a circus. My gaydar is all over the place. And what was that about Samar?
SHINJI
Mate, just ask her out. You never shut up about her.
ELIO
I’m her student!
SHINJI
You know that is bullshit. You’re friends. And you both got like – what- hundreds of years of baggage? So, there’s no weird power dynamic there.
ELIO
No. I-
SHINJI
I-I-I… What? I’ve seen you throw a fucking axe at her during training. If you can do that, you can ask her for a drink.
ELIO
I liked you better when your english was shit.
SHINJI
And I liked you better when you had a spine. Now, there’s hundreds of people in this place, how are we gonna find her?
ELIO
I’ll cover the ground floor, you do the top ,if we don’t find her, we meet back in the middle. Fifteen minutes.
SHINJI
Got it.
ELIO
Be careful!
SHINJI
Don’t jinx it!
ELIO
I ran down the stairs and only had to shove like… two or three people out of my way before they started clearing up the path. The ground floor was the largest room of this venue. It’s where throned the old bell tower and the central stage. And on that stage, of course, I found Talia…
SFX: club music, lil techno vibe
TALIA
I don’t remember any of that.
ELIO
Well, let me tell you a bit more about you when you dance- And I mean you, not the Baron. You’re quick, you’re sharp. You can bend forward, backward, sideways, we get it – but even when you don’t- when you barely swing your hips to the tempo or flick your wrist before a pose- All eyes are on you. Because there’s something right about what you do, and I don’t know what it is but it’s just… right.
And I think it’s in the details. It’s a strange alchemy between your body your smile your eyes your hair… every inch of you is in that dance. Most people just bounce around to a rhythm, but you… You remind us why we write songs. And that night, you made that club your church. T, you had a whole congregation cheering you on. And I can tell you… I’ve seen your god. And all my determination vanished for a second because you see that and you think “…I can’t do it.”
I can’t stop this. It’s an act of the divine… and it’s beautiful.
And she looks so happy with strands of hair shining purple under the spotlights. And tears… tears rolled down her face as she laughed a laugh that wasn’t hers.
TALIA
I was… gone. There was air in my lungs but I wasn’t breathing. I could hear my own voice, but not my words. My own body, but he… He took everything.
And he laughed as I cried, surrounded by strangers cheering us on. And then…
ELIO
I grabbed your arm. The Baron stopped, looked at me, but we didn’t say a word to each other. A purple spark ignited in his eyes… and my tattoo flared in response. And then I glanced to the left, and let him follow my gaze. A bouncer was looking at us, warlock by the looks of it. My warning was clear-
If the baron wanted a fight he’d get one right here, right now, and his little night out would be over, even if it meant being caught by the S.C.U myself. Because you don’t negotiate with a god, you risk it all and brace yourself.
TALIA/SAMEDI
Shall we take it outside then, sister?
ELIO
He broke from my grip and jumped towards the exit. I ran after them and bolted out of the club. As soon as I was out the door, I saw Talia hide behind one of the bouncers.
TALIA
(feigning fright)
Help! Please help me! This man is chasing me!
ELIO
Two bouncers, both warlocks, but if they were any good they’d be S.C.U, so they probably relied on muscle more than witchcraft. Still, after being trained by Samar, I couldn’t risk it.
SAMAR (V.O.)
If they’re Witches, don’t let them talk. They’re nothing without their spells.
ELIO
So I hit first. One of them tried to grab me, his hands the size of plates, coming for my shoulders. I slipped under his arm and hit twice, stomach first. Then as he bent under the pain, all the air sucked out of his lungs, I elbowed his neck.
SAMAR (V.O.)
A fight is… a dance. No movement without meaning. Each step, part of something greater. The goal is not to hit with every punch. It’s to set up the one that counts.
ELIO
And now that I had my back turned to him, I knew the second bouncer would try and tackle me. Already, my hips rotated. And my leg swiped the air. It hammered the second bouncer in the jaw, throwing him on the floor.
TALIA/SAMEDI
(laughing)
It’s all downhill from here, sister!
ELIO
And again they ran. We ventured inside London’s dark alleys, lit only by those strange phosphorescent vines and trees… and in retrospect, I should have known better. Talia had always been faster and stronger, by a mile, so if I was able to follow them like that, it’s because… he let me.
They turned around a corner and stepped into an impasse… And finally they stopped.
TALIA/SAMEDI
You really want me don’t you?
ELIO
Nah we’re not gonna talk. Just come a little closer and let me settle that with you.
TALIA/SAMEDI
Child, trust me, there’s not enough blood in you for this fight.
ELIO
Try. Try and hit me, see if she lets you.
SFX: magic dagger sails through the air
I barely had time to react. I raised my guard up and emptied an entire blood pouch. The red liquid flowed from under my jacket and swallowed my arms in a pair of red gauntlets. Talia’s dagger stuck to this new armor and the Baron raised an eyebrow.
“Dry blood”, I said as the gauntlets darkened. “More sustainable.”
SAMAR (V.O.)
When powers awaken in dangerous situations, it tends to trigger our strongest abilities – What should only be used in a matter of life and death. Your shield is a perfect defense but the cost is extremely high. What we’re gonna do, is… try to find what else you can do with blood.
ELIO
As dense as a stone, the armor also didn’t consume blood once it was set. The dagger had badly dented it, but I was left unharmed. I saw the Baron try to call back his weapon… And then frown because it didn’t budge. Instead, my gauntlet slowly swallowed it, as new blood came for repair.
“Oh, did you want that back?”
TALIA/SAMEDI
You’re little toys are always so arrogant, sister… Don’t come crying after I break this one.
ELIO
I immediately understood I had fucked up. As soon as they moved. Between Malik’s training and Samedi’s abilities, it’s a miracle I didn’t get my skull crushed.
Samedi fought like a storm, neglecting their own safety, their own guards, because they knew I wouldn’t hit back. Not like I would an enemy. My plan was to try and lure them into a hold, incapacitate them, but I had vastly overestimated my abilities. They were faster, stronger, their movements completely unpredictable- Almost, illogical! It was like fighting a drunk and a master at the same time- I would brace for a jab and get hit by a kick instead, from the leg they should have been standing on!
There was no trying to adapt, no strategy to put in place, I had no chance in this fight! Any moment now and they would land a hit. I had to do something. I had to find a way, I had to-
SFX: blood shield activates, Talia grunts
The blood shield deployed and Talia was thrown back a couple meters. They landed on their feet, smiling. My second pouch was empty. And they knew. Fuck.
TALIA/SAMEDI
See, I don’t understand why go through so much trouble? You could have a god on your side against the Old Man, but instead you fight for the little girl afraid of her own strength.
ELIO
I stopped listening. The next assault would be the last, so why bother talking to me?
That made me look a little closer… at the way Samedi stood, how his smile had slowly disappeared- How his shoulders jittered slightly. He wasn’t fully in control, he was still fighting Talia for every move. And she was wearing him down! All she needed was a little push…. Just one. So I exhaled… deeply. Caution wasn’t helping my friend. I couldn’t afford thinking, I couldn’t afford… mercy.
TALIA/SAMEDI
Oh? You’ve got someone to impress, little toy?
ELIO
I didn’t reply. I just put my guard up, and I let them come. But this time I didn’t fight the storm. I stepped aside, disengaged slightly, made them chase me. I felt, more than I saw, their next hook. I had a thousand eyes watching him, a thousand lives of experience that made it so much easier to read their body! I spun around in the opposite direction – breaking the first fucking rule in every fight. Never give them your back. Unless of course- You just led them against a wall, and you can just…
SFX: bloodshield deploys again with a slight ring through the air, bricks smash
The blood shield surged from my body and slammed Talia against the building. My friend collapsed on the ground. I slowly got down on one knee, head spinning, trying to control the trembling of my arms, as my body dealt with the blood loss.
ELIO (CONT’D)
(trembling breath)
Goddess— Thank you. T? Can you hear me? Are you okay?
TALIA
(exhausted)
What a…dumbass question. (Pained grunt)
ELIO
Okay. We’re okay… Wait, don’t move. Concussion.
TALIA
I’m fine. Good bones.
ELIO
I fucking bet.
TALIA
I’m… I…
My arms gave up, and I fell back down, struck down by exhaustion. Samedi never tires, but… my body is human.
ELIO
I panicked when I saw you faint and the adrenaline gave me the second wind I needed. I reached to check your pulse and sighed in relief. You were fine. It was all gonna be okay.
SFX: phone rings
Shit, Shinji! (over phone) Hello?
SHINJI
ELIO! Is everything okay?! Where are you?
ELIO
I’m good. I’m good. We’re good! So sorry!
SHINJI
You found her?
ELIO
Yeah!- She’s fine now, I’m gonna find a cab and get her back to Nova.
SHINJI
Thank fuck, okay, great! A head’s up would have been nice!
ELIO
Sorry. She ran out. I- I had to go after her. I didn’t think. Sorry.
SHINJI
Yeah, yeah, just glad you’re okay. Meet you back home?
ELIO
Yeah.
SHINJI
Great, see ya then.`
SFX: phone call ends
ELIO
(Sigh) Okay…
I got up, made sure my balance was stable, then reached to try and lift Talia… But I never got to. From the corner of my eyes I saw a dark silhouette jump into the alley…
SFX: thud of someone landing on the ground from flight
…and the ground suddenly split under my feet.
SFX: concrete breaking open as a chasm opens in the earth
I got swallowed by the pavement up to the neck, as a Warlock in S.C.U gear ran past me, and went to check on Talia.
WARLOCK
She’s breathing!
ELIO
He looked behind his shoulder, at the second officer stood on top of the wall to my left. The one who’s power I could feel rippling through the ground.
WARLOCK
Process that guy, I’m getting her to A and E!
ELIO
And the officer took Talia in his arms, as one of their strange wooden gliders came floating towards him.
No- No, no, no wait! I know her! She’s my frie-!
SFX: Elio gets cut off suddenly. We hear what sounds like a knockout