X-Ray and Vav: Origin Story

by kateemac

The completed script for a comic I wrote about the Roosterteeth and Achievement Hunter crew, using their powers to defend Achievement City from the bad guys

X-Ray and Vav – Origin Story

In New York City, a skinny bespectacled boy sits in a HomeSlice alone. Despite the ridiculous glasses, he is unnoticed by everyone but a tall man with a mean 'stache, surreptitiously drinking from a flask.

The boy (Ray) is sitting calmly, eating his pizza, and then suddenly looks up, jumps from his seat and starts sprinting towards the far wall, startling the other patrons.

Ray: "Hey! Lady – watch out! Get out –"

He's cut short by a sudden BOOM from the wall he'd been rushing towards, and is knocked flat on his back, his glasses flying off his face. The wall separating the HomeSlice from the art gallery next door has exploded! In the swirling dust and rubble, people are only able to make out a shadowy figure stepping through the hole she's made, a bag stuffed full of riches slung over her shoulder. A man in a suit stumbles towards her.

Man:"Hey…what's going on here, what d'you think you're –"

The mysterious figure cuts him off by flicking her middle finger, sending a poisoned dart from the ring she's wearing there into the man's shoulder. He collapses to the floor. The other patrons scream and the mystery woman runs past them, out the door, and in one leap jumps over the skyscraper in front of her and out of sight.

This whole time, Ray has been on the floor, scrabbling for his glasses. The other patrons crowd around the fallen man, screaming, crying, dialing 911. Ray finally locates his odd spectacles, the ones with the faintly visible swirling patterns on the lenses, puts them on, and looks up to see the mustached man from before glaring down at him. Geoff takes a swig of his flask, grabs Ray's upper arm, and hauls him to his feet.

Geoff: "You're coming with me, kid."

Geoff drags Ray down the street.

Ray: "Hey! What's the idea here? Who the hell are you? Where are we going?"

Geoff: "Hey, kid, shut up. D'you have any idea what almost just happened there? Jumping up like that…you almost revealed yourself!

Ray: "Revealed…whaa?"

Geoff: "Don't play dumb! I had to get you out of there before that mob realized some kid starting screaming right before the explosion. Like you KNEW."

Ray: "I…how could I have known?"

Geoff: "You saw her through the wall, didn't you?"

Ray stops dead, looking up at Geoff in shock and fear.

Geoff: "Yeah, I know all about those dumb glasses. I also know about those skills you picked up while you were living in Puerto Rico. You'd think a kid with that kind of agility would be able to avoid getting his damn superpower knocked off his face, but that's what I get for dealing with amateurs."

Ray is still struck dumb. Geoff pushes his shoulder.

Geoff: "Come on. We're almost there."

They stumble down the street to Central Park. It's empty.

Ray: "I've never been to Central Park before."

Geoff: "How can you have lived in New York for this long and not have been to Central park?"

Ray: "Where is everybody?"

Geoff smirks at him, Geoff: "Not here."

Geoff reaches for his belt, where he's got a bunch of Future Cubes attached like Pokeballs. He throws one into an open space and a helicopter appears!

Geoff: "Get in."

Ray obediently climbs inside, Geoff gets in and sits across from him. Pubert Addams(?) is piloting the helicopter.

Geoff: "So here's the deal, little Mr. x-ray. I've got something in the works, and I need you in on it."

Ray: "What kind of something? And why me?"

Geoff: "Don't worry, kid. It's in your best interest to trust me here. I'll tell you what's going on, but first…Pubert? We've got one more stop to make." He turns to Ray. "Get comfortable, this is gonna be a long flight."

A backyard in the English countryside. Two boys sitting lazily in the wind is blowing violently, ruffling their hair and the grass and the leaves on the trees.

Gavin: "I know what would look really cool! Let me punch you in the stomach."

Dan: "What! No! Why?"

Gavin: "In slow mo! We'd get to see just how hard that skin really is."

Dan: "What are you on about! We wouldn't see anything about my skin. You'd just be punching me reeeeally slowly."

Gavin: "Wot? Oh, haven't I shown you?"

He gets up and strides to a tree getting beaten by the wind.

Gavin: "Check this out. It's new."

He puts his hand on the tree. The tree is still bending and the leaves are still rattling in the wind, but in slow motion.

Dan: "You can do it to other things now?"

Gavin: "Yeah! It's top, right?"

Dan: "Yeah! It was getting a bit boring, just watching you run around. Slowly. But this is wicked!"

Gavin: "Go on then, let me punch you. We'd see your stomach move in slow mo!"

Dan sighs. Dan: " All right, then."

They stand facing each other in the field. Dan is shirtless. Gavin rears back his fist and slowwwwwly punches Dan in the stomach, when his fist reaches Dan, however, Dan's stomach doesn't move. His skin remains rock-solid, and instead Dan is blasted backwards.

Gavin and Dan look at each other in shock.

Gavin: "….So I reckon explosions would be cool in slow mo."

[From out of frame] Geoff: "I think so too."

The boys turn, and Geoff is standing there. They can see a helicopter in the distance.

Geoff: "I think you two had better come with me."

NOTE: he's bringing Dan along, but I figured Geoff would put him in the army. Cat's character synopsis said Geoff was a veteran, and he's got the authority. Geoff only came for Gavin, but clearly there's something about Dan as well. Geoff wants to keep an eye on him. Also, by keeping Dan close but not actually in Achievement Hunter, we could bring him back later as #dantheman.

Geoff ushers Gavin and Dan into the helicopter. He gets in, shuts the door, and it takes off. Ray is sitting on one side, facing him are Gavin and Dan. Geoff is sitting on the same side as Ray but with a few seats between them, separating himself from the other three.

Geoff: "X-Ray, meet…the Slow Mo Guys."

Gavin: "Your name is X-Ray?"

Ray: "Just Ray."

Gavin: "What's X?"

Off frame Geoff: "You're X!"

Gavin: "Wot?"

Ray: mumbles, "Fuckin got em..." louder, "My glasses kind of...see through stuff. That's x-ray."

Gavin: "Top."

Dan: "By the way, we're not really the slow mo GUYS."

Gavin: "Just me. I can make things move in slow motion."

Ray: "How'd you get that power?"

[Flashback] Gavin and Dan as little kids, in an underground car tunnel, creeping along the edge of a walkway. Night.

Dan: "Are you sure we should be down here? It's freezing! It's dripping everywhere and it smells awful."

Gavin: "Don't be such a little pleb. We're exploring, Dan! We're pioneers of the underground."

They creep along until they find an offshoot, a connected hallway gated off. There's a hole worn in the gate, just small enough for the boys to squeeze through. A sign next to the gate, unnoticed by either, reads "Do not enter — phantom-flexium waste deposit." It's chipped, and the whole place has obviously been abandoned for a while. Gavin goes through first.

Dan, glancing around: "Gavin..."

Gavin: "Come ON, Daniel!"

Dan clambers through. They walk a little further. It's completely dark.

Dan: "Gavin, there's nothing down here!"

Gavin: "Wait, yes there is...look, down there!"

There's a yellowish light in the distance. Gavin and Dan start running towards it. They come to a vast, shallow pool, with lumps of faintly glowing-gold rock. They stand at the edge of the pool.

Dan "What's in here?"

Gavin: "It's like a giant, liquidy night-light."

Gavin kneels down to scoop a chunk of glowing rock out of the pool. He picks one off the bottom, but as soon as it reaches the surface, the boys hear a high-pitched, whining alarm. The rocks glow brighter, Gavin drops the one he's holding, but when he pulls his hand out of the pool it's glowing like the rocks and water. The two boys stumble backwards. The whine gets louder and the light gets brighter, and Gav and Dan turn and start sprinting back towards the main tunnel. Suddenly the pool explodes! Chunks of glowing rock fly everywhere. A big piece hits Dan in the shoulder, knocking him onto his face. Gavin stops and turns around to help him. The pool is silent now and nearly empty, chunks of rock and splashes of water are everywhere, their light growing steadily fainter.

Gavin holds out a hand and helps Dan to his feet.

Gavin: "Are you okay?"

Dan: "Yeah, mate…I got hit in the shoulder, but…"

He reaches behind him, probing at his shoulder.

Dan: "It…it doesn't hurt. I barely feel anything."

Gavin: "Let me try…do you feel this?"

He pokes Dan's shoulder, hard.

Dan: "A bit…"

Gavin: "How about this?"

He moves to Dan's arm, and pokes him hard.

Dan: "Ouch! Yes!"

Gavin: "But it doesn't hurt when I hit that shoulder? Well how about THIS!"

He rears back his still faintly glowing fist to punch Dan's shoulder, but as he takes the swing, they realize Gavin's arm is moving impossibly slowly. They look at each other in shock, the fist still descending. Dan steps out of the way. As Gavin's hand moves through the spot where he meant to lay the hit, he snaps back into real time.

The boys stare at each other.

Gavin: "Wot is going on?"

[Back to the helicopter]

Dan: "At first it was just the bits where we were…infected, but later it spread. My whole body is hard like that now, and Gavin can make anything he touches move as slowly as he does."

Gavin: "It's kind of mingin' sometimes, to be honest."

Geoff: "All right, all right, you all got to know each other. Now get the fuck out of my helicopter, we're here."

The four of them pile out of the helicopter. They're in a parking lot in front of a building. Jack, wearing a lab coat, is standing there waiting for them.

Jack nods to Geoff, then looks at Dan. Jack: "Who's that?"

Geoff: "That's, uh, that's an unexpected…" to Dan, "I don't want to say 'problem' because I don't want to hurt your feelings. I, mean, dude, I just met you." to Jack, "Take him to the Station for now."

Geoff, Gavin, Ray, Jack, and Dan enter the building. The door swings shut behind them while we remain outside.

Geoff, Jack, Ray, Gavin, and Dan are in a cold, completely empty lobby. Geoff leads everyone to a door at the back that opens to reveal a stairwell. They all go up a few flights, then Jack and Dan exit onto a floor. Geoff, Gavin and Ray continue upwards.

Gavin: "Has he told YOU what's going on?"

Ray: "I don't have a damn clue."

Finally, Geoff leads them through a door and out of the stairwell. Geoff keeps walking, but Ray and Gavin stop and take in the floor. It's a vast space, a sort of lounge/office/target practice area. There's a desk, which Geoff has strode to, pushed up against a wall. The entire wall opposite the duo is covered in practice weapons, with targets along another wall, practice dummies, and hanging sandbags suspended from the ceiling. There's food and drink containers scattered around a small area containing a table, some chairs, and a man dressed in what appears to be a hoodie made of bearskin, and yellow knee-length shorts.

Michael: "What the fuck?"

He jumps up, grabs the diamond sword lying on the table in front of him, and strides towards Gavin and Ray. He gets right up in their faces, Gavin and Ray cowering.

Michael: "Geoff, who the hell are these guys?"

Geoff: "Calm down, Michael. I've…invited them."

Ray: "INVITED?"

Michael rounds on Geoff,

Michael:"Come on, Geoff! Use my warrior name, will you?"

Gavin: "W-what's your warrior name?"

Michael turns back to Gavin and Ray,

Michael:"It's Mogar, bitches. What's yours?"

Gavin: "I...uh...well, my name's Vav – er, I mean Gav! Gavin!"

Ray: "HAHAHAHA VAV?"

Gavin: "And this is X-Ray!"

Ray: "Just Ray! My name is not X-Ray!"

Gavin: "Well I'm calling you X-Ray!"

Ray: "Then I'm calling you Vav!"

Geoff: "There you go, done. Everybody's introduced. X-Ray, Mogar, and Vav."

Michael turns his back to Gavin and Ray, slings his diamond sword over his shoulder, and starts stalking towards the practice area.

Michael: "But don't say it like that. Mogar doesn't work on a team."

Gavin: whispers to Ray, "Team X-Ray and Vav it is, then."

Geoff, still behind his desk, takes a swig of whiskey and calls out to Ray and Gavin.

Geoff: "All right, lads. Here's the deal. You two are in a bit of trouble."

Ray: "Yeah, no kidding! We've been kidnapped and stuck in a building God knows where with a maniac wearing a BEAR and toting a sword made of DIAMOND."

Michael: off frame, "It's an ENCHANTED sword made out of diamond, you shithead."

Geoff: "I don't mean in trouble with ME, but watch your tone mister. And in fact, it's not just you. There are a lot of people in trouble. Constant trouble. You two just happened to be very easy to locate and, more importantly, there's something you can do."

Gavin: "Do about what?"

Geoff: "You've heard of villains? Criminals? Evil deeds? You've heard of monsters, Gav?

Gavin: "Sure…"

Geoff: "What about the people who fight them?"

They all turn to look at Mogar, who throws his diamond sword from across the floor and impales a dummy through the heart.

Geoff: "My name is Geoff Ramsey. I've spent my entire life fighting for this goddamn country, but another nation isn't the only threat around. There are those who live to terrify and destroy, to break the people around them. The people need protecting. There's always someone who'll step up, but guess what boys? He's getting too old for this shit. I am building something to do what I can no longer do alone. I got brains from Jack, I got power from Michael. But this clock needs a couple more cogs. That's what this is about, lads. I'm trying to help. This is Achievement Hunter, and guess what? You're hired."

Geoff at his desk, staring at Gavin and Ray. There's silence for a moment. Gavin and Ray look at each other, nod and shrug.

Ray: "All right, we're in."

Geoff: smiles. "Perfect, then let's get started."

Geoff, Ray, and Gavin go back to the stairwell, leaving Mogar behind. They start climbing

Gavin: "Where are we going?"

Geoff: "I'm showing you bitches what you just agreed to."

They climb the stairwell all the way to the top. They exit through the door where the stairs end, and find themselves on the roof. Geoff leads Gavin and Ray right to the edge.

Geoff: "Look around boys. This is Achievement City."

We see Achievement City from the roof of AH headquarters. The center of the city, the houses, are clearly distinguishable. We get to see that it's more urban city, and something that we're creating, not a copy of the Minecraft Achievement City.

Gavin and Ray look around in wonder.

Ray: "Wow."

Gavin "Top. It looks so…peaceful."

Geoff: "At the moment, sure. But don't get complacent. There's a reason I dragged your asses out here."

Gavin: "Why? What's happening here?"

Geoff: "I'll show you."

Geoff takes Gavin and Ray back downstairs, out of the building and towards the City. They walk around the outskirts, until they come to the edge of a forest behind some buildings on the edge of the City.

Geoff:"Do you see what's in there?"

Gavin: "All I see are trees…"

Ray: "I see it. It's here, Gavin." He leads Gavin around a particularly large tree, and suddenly a Tower of Pimps comes into view. To Geoff, "There's another one inside that library over there, I can see it. What are they?"

Gavin: "It looks like…gold?"

Geoff: "It's called a Tower. They're all over the place here. At every sight of victory, at every place a battle was won, there's a Tower."

Gavin: "Whose victory? Who put them up?"

Geoff: "I did. I told you, I've been protecting this place for a long, long time."

Gavin: "But why gold? You've got a damn tower of pimps here!"

Ray: "Yeah, what's it symbolize?"

Geoff: "It's not a symbol, it's a replica."

Ray: "A replica of what?"

Geoff: "Of the original Tower, ya donut!"

Gavin: "What makes one Tower of Pimps more important than another?"

Geoff: "All in good time, lad. All in good time. What you need to know is that the Tower – the original Tower – is a pretty special artifact. There are a lot of people who'd like to lay their hands on it. X-Ray here met one of those people."

Ray: "I did?"

Geoff: "Shadowy figure blowing a hole in a HomeSlice ring any bells?"

Ray: "Oh, right. But that was New York!"

Geoff: "Maybe she just likes to break into banks, Ray!"

Ray: "Well, actually, it was an art gallery."

Gavin: "So it's us versus this girl?"

Geoff: "It's gonna be Ray versus the unemployment line if he keeps correcting me."

Ray: "Sorry, boss."

Geoff sighs.

Geoff: "My confidantes haven't been as careful with the Tower's location as I would have liked. You may have met here in New York, but she knows the Tower's here. This is what you guys signed up for. We've got bad guys on our dicks all the time, trying to get the Tower. I've got to protect it, and this city. It's my whole life. And I need your help to do that."

Gavin: "We'll do it. I will protect the Tower of Pimps to my last breath!"

Ray: "But where is it?"

Gavin: "Right. We can't protect it if we don't know where to stand guard."

Geoff: "You just heard me say my most trusted confidantes couldn't keep the Tower's location a secret, you really think I'm going to tell a couple of kids who haven't even been properly trained?"

Gavin and Ray strike a superhero pose.

Gavin: "So train us."

Back inside AH HQ, Gavin, Ray, Geoff, Michael, and Jack stand on a new floor, the training room. It's a huge space, segregated into cubes. In each cube is a new skill for you to practice, i.e. camouflage, archery, knife-throwing, swordplay, hand-to hand combat, etc.

Gavin: "I thought the training room was upstairs?"

Michael: "You really think I learned to fight monsters using cheap weapons and sandbags? Upstairs is the lounge. We use it to train CHILDREN."

Gavin: "You fight monsters?"

Geoff: "So well he's practically a monster himself."

Michael shoots Geoff an angry look.

Geoff: "All right. X-Ray and Vav, I'm leaving you with Jack. Mogar, go stab something."

Michael storms away, into one of the training cubes.

Jack: "X-Ray and Vav, huh? All right…"

Gavin: "Where's Geoff going?"

Jack: "Oh, you know. To take a walk, have a look around. Don't worry about it, let's just get you two oriented. I'm Jack. I built this place."

Ray: "YOU made all this?"

Jack: "That's right. I designed the floor, and some of the tech AH uses."

Gavin: "What tech?"

Jack: "I'm sure Geoff's showed off a bit by now?"

Gavin: "He made a damn helicopter appear in Central Park this morning."

Jack: "Yeah, using an interdimensional repository device that I invented."

Ray: "A...what?"

Jack: "Basically, you throw the cube at something, it disappears. Throw it again, it reappears."

Ray: "Ah. So you're the reason he pulled that sweet trick with the helicopter?"

Gavin: "Do WE get magic devices?"

Jack: "That depends. There's something here you can use, or I'll make you something. But first, I have to determine what your skills are, so I can cater to them. So go nuts, boys. Go play for a bit."

Gavin and Ray separate, wandering over to the training cubes. Jack moves into a control room, which allows him to see the inside of every cube.

Ray opens the door to a cube labeled SURVIVAL. At first, it appears empty, then it zaps to life. He now appears to be looking at a forest, much, much larger than the interior of the cube. A knife is attached to the inside of the door. Ray looks around.

Ray: "Nope."

He moves to a new cube, labeled PARKOUR. He opens it up and a course springs to life.

Ray: "Here we go."

Ray goes inside, and we get a demonstration of his parkour skills.

Meanwhile, Gavin is in the ARCHERY cube. He's holding a training bow by his side and staring at a row of targets. A hologram of a man in a fishing hat and a polo shirt bearing the union jack flickers to life.

Hologram: "Hello, my name is Mark Nutt. I will be your instructor today."

Gavin: laughs, "Pleased to meet you Mr. Nutt!"

Hologram: "Please take your stance 40 meters from the target. The wind is blowing at 2 miles per hour in the southwest direction. Take your shot when you are ready."

Gavin moves to the glowing red line on the floor indicating 40 meters. He lines up his shot, draws back his bow, takes a breath and shoots.

Gavin: "Nine points! WOOOO!"

Hologram: "Please take your stance 40 meters from the target. The wind is blowing at 5 miles per hour to the west. Take your shot when you are ready."

Gavin moves to the second target, shoots, and makes it very close to the bulls-eye. After ten targets, the light inside the cube gets brighter, and the targets are no longer lined up in front of him. They've disappeared altogether, and now there appears to be figures running around inside the cube [carrying various weapons ie. wooden swords, GTA melee weapons].

Gavin: "Hey! Wha-"

Hologram: "Please take your shot when you are ready."

Gavin: "Oh yes, Mark Nutt!"

Gavin starts to run and duck and weave and slide around, firing off arrows. One of the figures runs up to him and hits him in the head with a wooden sword.

Gavin: mutters, "Sausages and beans and bacon."

Gavin continues to roll and run around, shooting the running figures. Finally, there's only one adversary left. It's one of the targets from before, hovering above him, so far away it looks the size of a thumb. Gavin stands tall, draws back his bow…

Gavin: "MARK NUUUUUUTTTTTT!"

He lets the arrow fly, and it's his first perfect ten.

Gavin: "SUCK MY NUTT!"

Meanwhile, Ray is exiting the PARKOUR cube, He walks between the rows and we see, through his x-ray specs, that Michael is inside the cube next to him. He's fighting in the HAND-TO-HAND combat cube, but Ray can only see Michael through the wall, not the opponent. Michael finishes his battle with a kick, appearing to have won, then exits the cube and sees Ray standing there.

Michael: "What? What are you looking at? You want to try?"

Ray: "I-I-I'm sorry...I don't…I mean I-"

Michael: "Well come on! Let's go, X-Ray."

He turns and walks back into the cube. Ray follows him apprehensively.

The cube flickers to life.

Voice of the cube: "Two players."

Michael and Ray are standing in the Thunderdome.

Voice of the cube: "Fight!"

Michael immediately pounces, punching and kicking Ray. At first, it's all Ray can do to avoid being dealt a serious blow, but as he grows more comfortable, his dodges and deflects turn aggressive. He starts to get the upper hand. Michael's angry face turns surprised and scared. He didn't anticipate that this skinny boy would be so skilled. They fight for little bit longer. Finally, Michael goes for a punch at Ray's head, Ray deflects it with his arm, bends a little and punches Michael at the base of his ribs. Michael is lifted in the air, falling on his back at Ray's feet. He looks up at Ray in shock.

Voice of the cube: "Victor."

The cube powers down. It appears empty now. Ray offers Michael his hand. Michael ignores it and gets to his feet on his own. He glares at Ray, then relents and says,

Michael: "You're tough shit, man."

Jump forward a few days. Gavin and Ray are at the table in the lounge area of AH HQ. Geoff's there too, working at his desk. Gavin's got a red bull, Ray's got vitamin water. They're just hanging out when Michael walks in, a huge grin on his face, and sits at the table with them,

Michael: "Heya, lads!"

Ray: "…Hey Michael…everything okay?"

Michael: "Why would you ask that?

Gavin: "You look…so happy!"

Michael: "Hmm? Oh yeah. Don't worry. You guys are in for a little surprise. Oh, you're gonna love this!"

Jack enters the room, holding two black cases. He walks to the table and sets them down in front of Gavin and Ray. Michael sits off to the side, excited.

Gavin: "Whatcha got there, Jack?"

Jack: "Just a little present for our rookies."

Ray: "It's not even our week-iversary, Jack! Let's not rush the relationship."

Jack: "Trust me, you want what I've got here. I made 'em myself."

Ray: "Aww, what a sweetie!"

Jack: "Remember when you asked me if you'd get magic devices, Gavin?"

Jack hands the first case to Gavin. Gavin opens it up. Inside is a bow, a quiver, a set of 12 arrows, and a black bag. The bow is dark blue, big and heavy-duty. The quiver is dark red and the arrows black and white. Dark union jack colours. Gavin lifts the bow out of the case and stares at it in amazement.

Jack: "You spend so much time with that simple practice bow. I thought you might be ready to graduate."

Gavin: "Jack…you made me a bow! I've got my own bow!"

He jumps up from the table in excitement.

Gavin: "This is absolutely ball-banging and mashing! A BOW!"

Michael: "Come on, Gavin. It's not JUST a bow, is it Jack?"

Jack: "It's a battle bow –"

Gavin: "I'VE GOT A BATTLE BOW!"

Jack: "YOU WILL IF YOU LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT DOES!"

Gavin settles down a little bit and hands Jack the bow. He's still bouncing around though, clearly excited out his mind. Jack manipulates the bow, showing off its features.

Jack: "The grip here moulds to your hand. Once you've held it long enough, the bow will start to recognize you. You'll pick it up and it will fit your hand exactly, you'll never drop it and it'll never slip. It's got a scope on the side here, for long-distance aiming. It's laid with craftore, a metal I created. You could run this thing over with a train and it wouldn't break, and it's super light. The quiver's made out of the same stuff. Now the arrows – the white ones, they've got explosives in the tip. When they detect impact, they'll detonate. The black ones are poison-tipped. You can hit a guy anywhere with one of these and if he doesn't get it out fast enough, he's a goner."

Michael: "They're glorified poison darts, basically."

Jack: "But you've only got six of each. They're tricky to make, because they have to be deadly, but still stable and light enough for you to bang 'em around in the quiver. So don't go using them unnecessarily, okay?"

He hands the bow back to Gavin.

Gavin: "Jack I feel like a white arrow cause this news is going to make me explode. DO YOU SEE THIS, X-RAY? A BATTLE BOW!"

Jack: "Oh, X-Ray. I made you something too."

Jack slides the other case over to Ray, who opens it excitedly. It contains heavy-looking, tough black gloves, and a black bag like the one that was in Gavin's case.

Ray: "Jack, no offense but maybe you should have started with me. This is a bit underwhelming."

Jack: "Oh, come on Ray. Put them on."

Ray pulls on the gloves. He makes two fists.

Ray: "So I take it no long-range scopes on these babies?"

Jack: "Just try 'em out. Throw a punch. I promise, they're cool."

Ray gets up and walks to one of the hanging sandbags.

Ray: "Well, here goes. Be prepared, this is going to look like stick figure punching rock."

He pulls back his fist. But before he can hit the bag -

Jack: "Wait. Let it charge."

Ray" "Seriously?"

He stands with his fist frozen in the air.

Jack: "You just have to keep a fist for a few seconds. Safety is important, Ray. Otherwise everytime you flicked something - there. You feel that?"

Ray: "Yeah…"

Jack: "Throw a punch."

Ray punches the sandbag. To everyone's immense surprise except Jack, the sandbag is knocked out of its hold on the ceiling, flies across the room, hits the wall and slumps to the floor, sand trickling from a split seam.

Jack: "I've been watching you in the training room, Ray. You're quick and agile and smart with your hits. Hell, you dusted Michael!"

Michael shoots Jack an angry glare.

Jack: "The only problem with your fighting is your power. You're not very strong. But trust me, with those gloves, your punches will be damn knockouts."

Ray is looking at the gloves in amazement.

Gavin: "We're like superheroes, Ray!"

Jack: "Oh, speaking of that. Check the bags."

Ray walks back to the table and he and Gavin each pick up the black bag that had been in their cases. They unzip them and pull out, of course, their X-Ray and Vav suits.

Jack: "The design was Mogar's idea. I think it suits y'all. They're light and they don't feel like much, but that fabric's tough. It's battle armour. The Vav suit has a built-in arm guard for Gavin's bow. So…what do you think?"

Gavin and Ray are amazed. They look at each other and grin.

Ray: "Dude, we are SUPERHEROES!"

Gavin: "X-RAAAAAAY, AND VAAAAV!"

From his desk, Geoff finally finishes reading his documents. He calls out,

Geoff: "Well you'd better break those suits fast, boys, cause I've got a use for them. Someone's coming to pay Achievement City a little visit."

Same scene we left off with, but Michael has jumped up, sword out.

Michael: "Someone's coming? Who needs buncing, Geoff?"

Geoff: "Based on the intelligence I've gathered –"

Gavin: "Gathered from where?"

Geoff: "I have a life outside the office, Gavin. Like I was saying, I've been doing some investigative work. Looks like your bomber girlfriend from New York just couldn't get enough of you, Ray"

Michael: "Who?"

Ray: "SHE'S coming? The chick I watched through a wall?"

Michael: "What chick?"

Gavin: "Can't have been the first time you've done that. Ray."

Ray: "First time she was so offended the wall blew up."

Michael: "Who blew up a wall?"

Gavin: "Occupational hazard, innit."

Michael: "What?"

Geoff: "Well, that hazard's on her way."

During this exchange, Michael has been growing steadily angrier as no one acknowledges him. His face goes bright red and he starts to scream,

Michael: "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE FUCKING TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WHO THE FUCK IS COMING WILL YOU ASSHOLES ANSWER MY SIMPLE GODDAMN QUESTION –"

Geoff stands up quickly, Jack makes a concerned move towards Michael.

Jack: "Michael, you've got to calm down here –"

Michael: "SHUT UP, JACK! MY NAME IS MOGAR!"

Geoff: "Mogar. Stop. Not in here again. Save it for Taylor Jones."

Michael closes his eyes and visibly calms himself down. Gavin and Ray are looking at the scene in bewilderment.

Gavin: "…Taylor Jones?"

Geoff: "Taylor Jones. She prides herself a liberator, but she's really just a crook. Rarity is what she's attracted to. She's made galleries her specialty, and she's absolutely notorious as an art thief. My sources tell me that recently, however, she's got a new target."

Jack: "She's coming for the Tower."

Geoff: "Right. She's been scoping out for a while, but there's a one-woman attack on the way."

Michael: "Please, one thieving little crim?"

Geoff: "This girl's got some tricks up her sleeve, Michael."

Michael: "Yeah? Well she'd better be able to sneak around more than just security cameras, cause diamond moves fast. How soon will she be here?"

Geoff: "You up for a battle this evening, Mogar?"

Michael grins and flashes his sword.

Michael: "You don't even need to ask, Geoff."

Ray: "Wait! She's coming today?"

Geoff starts walking out the door. As he leaves, he calls back over his shoulder,

Geoff: "Suit up, boys. She's coming now."

Gavin and Ray look at each other in astonishment, Gavin runs out the door, following Geoff into the stairwell.

Gavin: "Wait, Geoff! This girl is coming NOW?"

Geoff: "Now."

They're climbing the stairs to the roof.

Gavin: "What do you want us to do? Fight her?"

Geoff: "I want you to do your job."

Gavin: "But what's our job?"

They exit the stairwell through the door in the top. They're on the roof now. Geoff walks straight to the edge, then turns around and faces Gavin.

Geoff: "You remember the first day you got here? When I took you and Ray on a little field trip, and showed you what this city is about?"

Gavin: "The fake Tower of Pimps in the forest?"

Geoff: "Yeah, Gav. The Tower of Pimps. It's this city's icon. It's a beacon of hope, a symbol of ultimate achievement. It's what makes this place thrive. And when I showed it to you, you told me you'd protect it. To your last breath. That's your job."

Gavin: "But that Tower was fake!"

Geoff: "So protect the real one!"

Gavin: "All the information I've gotten out of you is that the Tower's in the center of a major city. How can I protect it if you haven't told me where it is!"

Geoff: "I haven't told Taylor Jones where it is either. She's an art thief, for Christ's sake! But she's coming for it anyways."

Geoff turns his back to Gavin so he's looking out over the roof.

Geoff: "Get ready for work, Vav. I'll be right back."

Geoff steps off the building.

Gavin: "GEOFF!"

Gavin runs to the roofs edge, and sees Geoff flying away. Geoff calls back to Gavin as he leaves,

Geoff: "I told you I have a life outside of the office!"

Downtown Achievement City. The sun is low over the buildings, about to start setting. The roads are empty. Taylor Jones slips around a corner and starts creeping down the street.

Off frame, Gavin: "Getting a bit late, isn't it love?"

Taylor whips around. Vav (in his suit, with the bow slung over his back) is standing in the street, a few meters behind her.

Off frame, Ray: "Yeah, you'll want to get inside before dark. It could get dangerous out here."

Taylor turns around again to see X-Ray (in his suit inc. gloves) on the road in front of her, equal distance away. They've got her from either side.

Taylor: "Now who are you boys? A bit old for dress-up, aren't we?"

Gavin: "Not if that's what you're into, sweetheart."

Taylor: "Oh? You'd be willing to play with me?"

Geoff: "I'll stop you there, Vav. I don't know that this is an appropriate topic for work."

Geoff, previously invisible, shimmers into view to Taylor's left. Now they've got her from three sides. Upon seeing Geoff, Taylor's expression darkens.

Taylor: "That's never the King?"

Geoff: "Pleased to meet you."

Ray: "The King?"

Geoff: "Old nickname."

Taylor: "From when you were in…active duty. The King is a legend. There are those who could talk about your feats for hours."

Geoff: "The praise is appreciated."

Taylor: "I didn't say they said positive things, big boy. My, my, you've grown a bit old. Have you gotten into the habit of hiring children in costumes to help you out?"

Geoff: "Among other things."

Taylor: "Well I'd love to stay and listen, but they're calling me upstairs. See you, boys!"

Taylor takes two steps towards Geoff and in one jump goes over his head and lands on top of the building behind him. She starts roof-hopping towards the center of town.

Geoff: "All right, lads. Let's get this going."

Geoff starts flying at top speed after Taylor. Gavin and Ray start sprinting to follow him.

Gavin: "Damn, you were right! She's a jumper!"

Ray: "What happened to Mogar?"

Gavin: "Geoff sent him to central! How'd she know to head straight there?"

Ray: "No idea, but at least somebody's there waiting for her! Damn, I'm out of shape."

They turn down a side street and arrive in the city center, between the buildings which, in Minecraft, are Jack and Michael's houses. Here, they're City Hall and…whatever we want Michael's place to be. Geoff and Taylor are having a hand-to hand fight in front of them. As X-Ray and Vav arrive, Taylor spins and delivers a high kick to Geoff's temple, and Geoff collapses. Michael emerges from under Jack's house, diamond sword in hand. Taylor turns to the lads.

Taylor: "Right on time! MY boys are here!"

They turn and see a swarm of Endermen are in the near distance, coming towards them.

Michael: "Oh, shit! You've got Endermen?"

Ray: "What's an Enderman?"

Michael: "They're mobs! They're tricky little bastards, the teleporting dickholes."

Ray: "Are you kidding me? There's like a hundred of them!" sighs, "Ah, well. I mean, YOLO, right?"

He turns and sees Taylor running for City Hall.

Ray: "Hey!"

He's quick to cut her off and they start to fight. The first Enderman teleports close to Michael. He slashes at it with his sword.

Michael (to Gavin): "Get Geoff! I've got this!

Gavin rushes to the fallen leader. He's knocked out. Gavin grabs Geoff under his arms and drags him backwards, depositing him a little ways behind Jack's house.

Gavin: "Sausages, what do I do!"

He looks up, and idea lighting his face, then runs away, disappearing around the edge of the Jack's house.

Ray and Taylor are still fighting. Taylor's good, but Ray's pushing her further and further back, towards the Gavino Gallery. Suddenly, Gavin appears on top of it, having climbed onto the roof from behind.

Gavin: "Here I come, Taylor Jones!"

He jumps from the roof, tackling Taylor.

Taylor, with Gavin on her back. She stumbles but stays upright. Gavin's managing to holding on to her shoulders and back, and now her punches are in slow motion. Taylor is trying to shake Gavin off. She's moving very slowly, but starting to have some success.

Ray: "Take that, Vav attack!"

He turns and we see Michael, fighting six or seven Endermen at once. Ray starts to run to help him.

Taylor pulls a short knife from her sleeve, Gavin still on her back.

Gavin: "Ah!"

Ray turns around at the sound. He sees Taylor manage to turn and jab the knife into Gavin's leg. He yells and lets go of her, falling to the ground just as Ray returns to her. Ray kicks the knife out of Taylor's hand, sending it flying. He punches at her but she jumps over his head. He turns around and they start to fight. They both land hits on each other but whenever Ray goes for a serious blow Taylor manages to jump out of the way or dodge it.

We see Michael, fighting the three Endermen left.

Michael: "THESE ENDERMEN ARE THE WORST! AUUUGHHH! WILL! YOU! STAY! STILL!"

He's swinging his sword brutally, but then Enderman are too quick. He's getting very, very frustrated and angry, yelling louder and louder and swinging his sword faster and faster. Taylor, still fighting Ray, calls over her shoulder,

Taylor: "Ha! You call yourself a warrior? You can't even handle a few little monsters!"

That's the last straw for Michael. He goes red, so angry he's boiling, throws his head back and screams. Suddenly he seems to explode, and in his place is a massive, angry bear! It starts roaring and swiping at the Endermen taunting it.

Ray: "Dude! You're a BEAR?"

Gavin: "Wait, wot?"

Suddenly, Taylor turns and jumps across the city center. She lands in front of City Hall, runs up the stairs and goes inside. Ray follows. Gavin finally staggers to his feet, his leg bleeding. Before Ray gets to the house, Gavin calls,

Gavin: "X-Ray, wait!"

He pulls out an explosive-tipped arrow, and shoots it at City Hall. The arrow goes through the attic window and explodes. The house is on fire.

Ray: "Nice shot, Vav!"

Gavin: "Cheers, X-Ray! Can you see her in there?"

Ray: "She's in the blueprint files, she's just looking through them! Oh, I think she sees the smoke."

Gavin: "What's she looking for?"

Ray: "Gotta be the Tower!"

Gavin: "BUT WHERE IS THE TOWER?"

Ray: "It's in the city center, it's right around here somewhere!"

Gavin: "There's half a dozen buildings right around here! Why couldn't Geoff just trust us?"

Gavin stands with a black arrow loaded and pointed at City Hall, waiting for Taylor to emerge. Bear-Michael's fighting Enderman next to the burning City Hall. Ray's looking frantically around for anything that can help them. His eyes light upon the Gavino Gallery. He starts towards it.

Ray: "She's made galleries her specialty…VAV!"

At that moment, Taylor comes out the door of City Hall. Gavin lets his arrow loose, but she dives out of the way of it, rolls and comes up running. Ray turns to meet her, but as he takes his swing she simply jumps him and goes inside the gallery.

Ray: "Vav, the gallery! SHE'S AN ART THIEF."

Ray and Gavin run inside the gallery, but Taylor Jones is nowhere to be seen. They hear footsteps. They run through the quiet halls, following the sounds of Taylor running. They hear the echoes of her laughter through the massive gallery. Suddenly Ray skids to a stop.

Ray: "I see her! She's on the other side of this wall, she's one room over!"

They turn and run back they way they came. They make a right down another corridor, Gavin overtaking Ray. They turn right again and burst through a door. Gavin enters before Ray and sees Taylor Jones across the long room, directly opposite the door. She sneers at him, then turns and disappears through the painting on the wall behind her. Ray skids into the room.

Ray: "Vav, she's in there! It's in –"

But Gavin has already let a black arrow fly. It's dead on, going straight through the painting, and we hear Taylor cry out in pain.

Ray: "Oh, shit!"

Gavin and Ray sprint across the room, through the painting. They emerge in a small, secret chamber. Three Towers stand against the back wall. Taylor Jones stands before them, a black arrow in her hand, bleeding from the wound in her shoulder where she pulled it from. Breathing heavily, in pain, Taylor looks up at the boys in fury.

Taylor: "Long live the Mad King."

She pulls something from her pocket and throws it at her feet. It's a mini flash-bang. The room erupts in white, and Gavin and Ray are blinded.

Same scene we left off on. Gavin and Ray are coughing and blinking away the blindnesss. When they have their senses returned to them, they're alone in the chamber. Taylor Jones is gone.

Gavin: "Where'd she go!?"

Ray's looking around, using his glasses to see through the gallery.

Ray: "I don't see her…did she get outside?"

They leave the Tower chamber and run back through the gallery. When they get outside, the sun has set. They see nobody but Michael, standing there covered in Enderman blood.

Michael: "She's gone. She grabbed the last Enderman, and they teleported away."

Ray: "Damn."

Gavin: "Nice to see you looking so human, Micoo."

Michael: "I'm still a human that could kill you, Vav."

They turn and look at the still smoking remains of City Hall.

Michael: "But hey…you guys did a fantastic job."

They hear a groan from behind City Hall.

Michael, Gavin and Ray: "GEOFF!"

They all run to where Geoff is sitting up, holding his head.

Geoff: "What happened?"

Michael: "Chick knocked you out, boss."

Geoff: "Yes, thank you, I've got that part. I meant what happened to the chick?"

Michael: "Oh…she got away."

Geoff: "And the Tower?"

Gavin: "Safe."

Geoff looks at Gavin and nods.

Geoff: "What happened to the Hall?"

Ray: "We, uh, may have caused a bit of a blaze."

Geoff: "So you left me passed out behind a burning building?"

Gavin: "Ahh…bugger."

Geoff sighs.

Geoff: "I regret hiring you people."

Ray: "Yet here we are."

Geoff: "Yet here you are."

He smiles at them.

Geoff: "You're Achievement Hunters now, boys."

The next night, back in the lounge in AH HQ. Ray and Michael are at the table, Jack's at Geoff's desk, working on a laptop. Geoff enters the room.

Geoff: "Anyone seen Gavin?"

Ray: "He said he was going for a walk in the city."

Michael: "Actually I believe his exact words were, 'a cheeky little stroll.' "

Ray: "He's a little wound up."

Geoff: "Did he say where he was going?"

Ray shakes his head. Geoff goes to the window and looks out at the sun, low in the sky once again, and at the Gavino Gallery.

Inside the secret Tower room in the Gavino Gallery. Gavin stands looking at the three Towers. He's wearing shorts, and we can see the bandage around his leg peeking out, covering the wound Taylor gave him.

Off frame, Geoff: "Come to revel in your win?"

Gavin turns around and sees Geoff standing there.

Geoff: "I never told you about this place –"

Gavin: "Good job I saved your bloody Tower anyways, then."

Geoff: "Let me finish. I never told you about this place, because it's a place of triumph. It's a room for success, for conquest, for victory, for thanks. Before yesterday, you hadn't won anything. But you helped me, Gavin. You promised before you even knew what you were promising. You fought your way to this room, to the real Tower, that elusive thing."

Gavin: "You know you've got three in here. I'm standing right in front of it and I still don't know where it is."

Geoff: "Well...I guess you've earned the right to that information."

Geoff walks up to Gavin and whispers in his ear. Gavin grins at him.

Gavin: "Tower of Pimps."

Geoff: "Tower of Pimps. I said this was a place of thanks. That's my thank-you. Now let's get out of here."

Jump to Gavin and Geoff walking through the city on their way back to HQ, the sun setting, throwing long shadows over everything.

Geoff: "Tell me again, what did she say to you in there?"

Gavin: "She said, 'Long live the Mad King.' Does that mean something? Who's the Mad King?"

Geoff: "No one, Gavin. At least, no one I've seen in a long, long time."

They walk on, passing an alleyway between two buildings. As they move out of frame, we see a shadow in the alley. A tall, familiar shape is silhouetted against a building. It's wearing a crown.

THE END.