Backyard, Kregman Residence, Hidden Hills
The backyard is a wide open field with only the back of the mansion behind it. There are dozens of men and dogs all surrounding the house. The men’s eyes all glow blue, and the angry dogs bark with ferocity.
“For Mad Dawg,” one man says.
“For Mad Dawg!” the rest of the men respond.
POOF!
The Wraith floats above them. She uses her celestial tendrils technique to snatch all of their assault rifles away one by one. They are startled, and look around cluelessly. Then, The Wraith lands on the ground at the base of the hill. The dogs charge at them barking and growling. The Wraith places her fists in front of her face and closes her eyes.
SVOOM!
Celestial blades emerge from her fists. The dogs lunge at her
SVOOM-SVOOM-SVOOM!
She cuts them into the dogs one by one, swinging her arms with discipline and precision. Blood and guts spatter everywhere. The dogs cry and yelp as they take their last breaths.
The Wraith tastes a sour tang in her mouth as she observes the canines’ corpses. “It’s messed up, but there was no other way. Mad Dawg did this to them.”
The brainwashed men watch silently before they charge at The Wraith with nothing more than fists.
“For Mad Dawg!” they say in unison.
The Wraith says nothing as they all charge toward her. One man squares up with her, he throws a punch—she blocks the punch and throws a jab, knocking the man to the ground.
“Why is Mad Dawg putting these men in harm’s way?” The Wraith thinks to herself as she kicks another man in the face.
The Wraith flies up and stretches her fingers forward. Celestial tendrils emerge from her fingertips, wrapping around all of the remaining men and tying them together. The men, completely brainwashed, barely struggle.
“For Mad Dawg,” they all chant. “For Mad Dawg.”
The Wraith watches with her eyes widened.
“They’re gone,” Naomi communes. “Under the influence of Mad Dawg, and by extension, Hatros now.”
“Is there any way to free them?”
“Their hatred of women makes them susceptible to Hatros’s influence,” Naomi says. “The only way to free them is by killing Hatros.”
The Wraith nods her head.
“Use the exorcism technique to pull the demon out of Kregman,” Naomi communes.
Just then, Starling runs down the hill to The Wraith past the corpses of dogs. She sees The Wraith.
“Poor doggies,” Starling says. “Even more of a reason to beat Mad Dawg’s behind.”
The Wraith nods her head. “You know the plan, right?”
“Right.”
“Jenny look out!” Naomi communes.
The Wraith grabs Starling with both arms and flies backwards a few feet away from the house. Just then, the glass back door shatters open. It’s Mad Dawg—clad in the same black jeans, black tank-top, and black boots he was wearing before. His eyes are blue. The Wraith and Starling get back to their feet.
“What the Hell are you two ugly b**tches doin’ at my house?!” he asks.
Neither of them say anything. Orbs begin to form around The Wraith’s fists. Mad Dawg immediately charges at Starling, but The Wraith drives her fist hard into his face, sending him flying to the left.
The Wraith looks at Starling. “Go! Now!”
Starling runs into the house past broken glass, drywall, and wood. Mad Dawg rises back to his feet. The Wraith slowly walks back toward him.
“Let me guess,” The Wraith asks. “Mai got you pardoned?”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass about that b**ch,” Mad Dawg says, laughing and slowly rising to his feet. “And no, she didn’t. I broke myself out.”
“I don’t care to hear how,” The Wraith says. “The police are on their way. Let every man and woman you have trapped in this house go, now!”
“Their my hoes! They don’t wanna leave!”
The Wraith seethes.
“They’re human beings!” The Wraith says. “And you won’t let them leave! Look around you, you’re putting these men in danger.”
Mad Dawg looks to his right and sees all the men tied up. Still chanting. “For Mad Dawg, for Mad Dawg.”
Mad Dawg turns back to The Wraith and says nothing. The Wraith takes a deep breath and folds her arms.
“I’ve beat your ass before, Arnie,” The Wraith says, her smirk hidden behind her mask. “In front of the world!”
Mad Dawg grumbles There is a visible flush in his face and neck. His chest caves slightly. As if he wants to say something, but he can’t because he knows she’s right.
The Wraith continues: “So you should know how this ends. This is your last warning.”
“Quit your yappin’ then, witch!” Mad Dawg gets into a wrestling stance. His eyes begin to turn black, as a red aura surrounds him. “Let’s go!”
His eyes return back to normal. The Wraith gets into her stance as well. Mad Dawg charges at her at full speed. The Wraith flies backwards attempts the exorcism technique: She first stretches her fingers forward and unleashes celestial tendrils. They attach to Mad Dawg but he shakes them off and continues to charge at The Wraith.
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“What the—” The Wraith begins.
Then, Mad Dawg grabs her face and slams her into the ground, leaving a crater. Mad Dawg, now standing over top of her, begins punching her in the face repeatedly. The bones in her face shatter and heal repeatedly.
Then, Mad Dawg grabs her by the hair. He shoves her head between his thighs, picks her up and powerbombs her seven times. When he tries to pick her up for the eighth time, The Wraith starts gouging his eyes.
“Iyaaa!” Mad Dawg screams. “My eyes!”
With her fingers still his eyes, she pushes his head up and rises to her feet. She grabs arm and performs an arm drag—slamming him hard to the ground, in the same crater he left her in.
The Wraith flies backwards a few feet toward the base of the hill. She stretches her hand forward and folds her fingers upward. “Get your ass up, Kregman!”
As Mad Dawg rises out of the crater, Starling comes back around from the front of the house. Behind her, are all of Mad Dawg’s “girlfriends”—including Erica. The men under Mad Dawg’s control are still mumbling to themselves.
“Hey Mad Dawg!” she says. “Why don’t you fight me?! Huh!”
“Starling what the Hell are you doing?!” The Wraith says.
Starling turns to The Wraith. “I got this!” She turns back to Mad Dawg.
The Wraith gives a concerned look. She takes a deep breath.
“All of you!” Mad Dawg says. “Get back in the house!”
The women don’t move.
“Looks like you don’t own ‘em after all, Kregman,” Starling says.
“Get him Gin—” Erica begins before Starling turns around and mean-mugs her. “I mean… Starling… yeah Starling!”
Starling steps forward and gets in her fighting stance. She stands just feet away from Mad Dawg.
“ERRRRGH!” Mad Dawg growls.
Mad Dawg charges at Starling, but Starling runs away to the other side of the yard where The Wraith is. The women all shriek and run toward the side of the house.
Mad Dawg charges at her again, she does a backflip to the right away from Mad Dawg. With her back toward the hill, she stares down Mad Dawg again.
“Starling,” The Wraith mumbles.
“I told you I got this,” Starling says. Starling’s eyes float toward Mad Dawg’s groin, before quickly floating back to The Wraith’s eyes. She winks. “Now get out the way.”
The Wraith smiles under her mask and…
POOF!
She turns invisible. “She’s crazy, but she’s smart. This is a perfect plan.”
Starling pulls out her staff, presses the red button, and the staff extends.
“HAAAA!” Starling screams as she charges at Mad Dawg, Mad Dawg charges at her again—huffing and puffing. As she runs, she shifts to the left, winds her staff back as far as she can and…
WHACK!
“Yeet!” Mad Dawg yelps, as he places his hands over his private area. His face turns red.
He falls to his knees and begins screaming and crying in pain.
“Now!” Starling yells.
The Wraith flies upward, stretches her fingers forward, and celestial tendrils attach to Mad Dawg. A purple and black aura surrounds The Wraith.
“By the Celestial Order,” The Wraith begins, “I command you to come out!”
Mad Dawg screams as Hatros is pulled out of him. The demon—a blue-colored specter—emerges from Mad Dawg. It materializes as Mad Dawg falls unconscious on his face—still blue colored, an ugly and scaly monstrosity. It has horns on its head and massive canine teeth; its eyes are bulged out, but it is scrawny.
“It’s judgment day Hatros,” The Wraith says. “Prepare to die.”
The women all scream. Both The Wraith and Starling are stone-faced. The Wraith places her fists in front of her face.
SVOOM!
Hatros flies into the air and charges at The Wraith.
“No you die, cursed witch!” Hatros says, flying toward the Wraith at full-speed.
The Wraith stabs the demon in its chest mid-charge.
“GAHHHH!” Hatros yells.
The Wraith then removes the blade from Hatros’s chest. Hatros glows white and his body begins to crack. The Wraith floats back down. She grabs Mad Dawg’s body and holds it in a fireman’s carry position. Then, turns to Starling.
“Starling!” she says. “Move all the women to the front yard. Hatros is about to blow.”
Starling nods. “Y’all heard her. Erica, everybody, we gotta go to the front.”
The women all follow Starling. The Wraith drops Mad Dawg in the front yard. Then, she picks the tied-up men up and carries them to the yard as well. Right then, Hatros explodes into shards of black obsidian in a flash—both the shards and the shockwaves from the explosion break all of the windows in the mansion.
*
Frontyard, Kregman Residence, Hidden Hills
In the frontyard, LAPD Detective Arielle Mendoza has finally arrived with a police squad. The home sits alone in a small cul-de-sac. Police cars and paddy wagons circle around the street. Mad Dawg is led away in handcuffs.
“The government and the sisterhood don’t like what I’ve gotta say!” Mad Dawg says. “I’m being persecuted! I want justice!”
The Wraith, Starling, and Mendoza all watch him be led away.
“What a loser,” Mendoza says.
“I know,” The Wraith says. “Pain in the ass. But he’s off the streets.”
“Thanks to us!” Starling says.
“Yeah,” Mendoza says. “Thanks to you two. I know the mayor and the police don’t say it often, but you’re the best things to ever happen to this city. Good work.”
The women—including Erica—and men are also being led into paddy wagons.
“Wait,” Starling says. “You’re arresting them too? That’s my friend Erica!”
“No,” Mendoza says. “We’re taking them in to give statements and for processing.”
“Okay,” Starling says. “Well alright. I guess our job is done. Hey Wraith, can we do that thing again?”
The Wraith hesitates for a bit, before smiling under her mask. “Sure, Starling.”
Starling wraps her arms around The Wraith’s neck. The Wraith stretches her hands downwards and soars into the air.
*
Jenny’s Penthouse, DTLA
The sun is beginning to go down a little bit, giving the Los Angeles sky a purple hue. Jenny and Gina sit in silence in the living room. Gina is texting her friend Erica back and forth—she’s grateful to both her and The Wraith for freeing her. Jenny lays down on the couch, decompressing. Suddenly, Jenny hears a still and small voice.
“Say it Jenny,” Naomi communes.
Jenny feels pain in the back of her throat that she tries to swallow away. She sighs and slowly sits back up. Her eyes quickly dart toward Gina.
“Hey sis,” Jenny says.
“What’s up Jen?”
“I wanted to apologize to you for being mean earlier. For using my powers to make you take your medicine. I crossed a line.”
Gina’s eyes narrow, she shakes her head and waves her away.
“Oh, girl, it’s okay,” Gina says, laughing. “You’ve been bossin’ me around all our lives. I’m used to it at this point.”
“Gina it’s not okay,” Jenny says, shaking her head. “Part of the deal I made was that I’d be a better sister to you.”
There is a beat.
“I know you’re bipolar,” Jenny says. “I should have more grace and patience for you.”
“Jen, you do care,” Gina says. “A lot more than you used to. You just have a very… Jen way of showin’ it, and I be drivin’ you crazy… my bad again for what I said in the car.”
“It’s all good,” Jenny says. “You did good today, Gina. You saved those women’s lives. I don’t know how it would have played out without you.”
“Thanks Jen, that means a lot coming from a chick who can shoot purple stuff out her fingers.”
They both laugh, and then they get up and hug each other for a few heartbeats. Then, they release. Jenny places her hands on her shoulders.
“Wanna get some food?” Jenny asks. “It’s on me.”
“Where at? Ooooh, let’s go to that Jamaican spot!”
Jenny smiles. “Sure.”
They both walk out of the penthouse and Jenny locks the door.
*
Later that Night
Bathroom, Mai’s Penthouse, Kimura Tower, Chinatown
Mai Kimura lies in a bathtub filled to the brim with a rich, white foam—covering her naked body. Her hair is tied in a high ponytail. Her eyes are closed. The smell of lavender and scented candles fill the air. She takes deep breaths as tension in her body releases. Then, there’s a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” Mai asks.
“Ane-san, it’s me.”
“Come in.”
Minoru Tanaka opens the door. He is wearing a gray snake-skin shirt jacket with matching pants, and no shirt underneath—exposing his bare, tattooed chest. He walks in and stands before Mai. Mai turns to look at him. He balls his right hand into a fist and punches his left palm, before bowing his head.
“Hai!” he says.
“What is it Minoru?” Mai asks.
His head rises back up.
“Our redpiller friend has been arrested again,” he says with a smirk.
Mai chortles briefly, before closing her eyes again and turning away from him. “Good.”
“Perhaps now he’ll accept your offer,” Minoru says. “I can reach out to Mr. Greenblatt and—”
“Let him rot,” Mai says, waving him away. “F**king worthless piece of s**t. He didn’t want our help before, so he’s on his own now. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
“Understood, Ane-san.”
Minoru walks out of the room.
How do you feel about Gina as a character?
