El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua
The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema
The American Rivera
Chapter 02: Day One
[Later That Day]
Rudolfo Was Franticly Running Around, Cleaning Up The House.
Grandpapi Just Stared At His Idiot Son As He Went Crazy...Again.
"What Are You Doing?" Asked The Old Man
"CLEANING THE HOUSE!" Shouted Rudolfo
"Yes, I Can See That...But, WHY?"
"Because The ANGEL That Is Maria Is Coming Over Soon!
She Says She Has a Surprise For The Whole Family."
"Ooooooh...So, That is Why You Acting Nuts."
"Yes, That Is Why I`m-"
Rudolfo Glared At His Father.
"If You Need Me, I Be Watching a Football Game On The TV."
Grandpapi Rivera Walked Away.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Rudolfo Suddenly Froze.
Grandpapi Sighed Deeply.
"I Guess I`ll Be Getting The Door, Then."
Grandpapi Walked Over And Opened The Door.
He Saw Maria Rivera...And a Kid He`d NEVER Seen Before.
"Oh...You Here."
Maria Smiled.
"Hello, Grandpapi...Is Manny Around?"
"Naw...
That Boy Goofing Off With That Frida Girl."
Maria Walked Inside The House, Chris Walked In And Looked Around.
"Nice Place..."
Grandpapi Eyed Chris.
"Who That?" Asked Grandpapi
"My NEW Son." Said Maria
Grandpapi Eyed Her.
"I Fail To See Any Resemblance Here."
"He`s Adopted."
"Oh."
Chris Walked Over To The Frozen Rudolfo Rivera.
"What An Impressive Statue."
Chris tapped At It.
"Looks So Real-"
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Shrieked Rudolfo
"GAH!, IT`S ALIVE!" Exclaimed Chris
Maria Walked Over.
"Hello, Rudolfo..."
Rudolfo Suddenly Started Acting Charming.
"Mariaaaaaa...
You Look Great!...Didja Lose Some Weight?"
Maria Eyed Him.
Rudolfo Slapped His Face.
"Wait, That Came Out Wrong..."
Maria Sighed.
"Rudolfo...I`d Like You To Meet Someone."
Maria Grabbed Chris By His SHoulders And Brought Him To Rudolfo.
"My New Son: Chris."
Rudolfo Started To Panic.
"NEW SON!
Then That Means...(GASP!), YOU`VE FOUND ANOTHER MAN!"
Rudolfo Began To Cry.
Then, he Stopped When He Looked At Him.
"Say...Your Pretty Big For a Baby, Aren`t You?"
Chris Eyed The Man.
"I`m Fourteen Years Old, You Dipstick."
Rudolfo Stared At Him.
"Rudolfo...He`s Adopted."
Rudolfo Stared Blankly.
"oh...I See."
Chris Looked At Maria.
"Mom...Who IS This Joker?"
Maria Sighed.
"my ex-husband..."
Chris Looked At Rudolfo
"Your EX?
Maria Nodded.
Chris Just Cracked a Smile, Then Chuckled.
"No, Seriously...Who Is He?"
Grandpapi Smiled.
"Oh, I Like The Boy Already..."
Just Then, The Door Opened And Manny And Frida Walked In.
"WE TOTALLY RULED AT THAT GAME, DUDE!" Exclaimed Frida
"Yes, We-"
Manny Sees His Mother.
"MOM!
What Are You Doing Here?
Manny Then Notices Chris.
"And, Who Is That?"
Maria Faced Manny.
"Manny...This Is Your NEW BROTHER."
Manny Froze.
"B-B-B-B-BROTHER!"
"Yes...I Just Adopted Him Today."
Chris Walked Up To Manny And Frida.
"What`s With The Scar?" Said Chris
Manny Slapped His Face.
While Frida Just Laughed.
"Dude...Your Bro Is a Brit!"
"American."
"Oh...Well, I Was Close."
Manny Fainted.
"Okay...That Could Of Gone Better." Said Chris
[Later, At Dinner]
The Rivera Family (Plus Frida) Were Eating At The Dinner Table.
"So, Chris...Your From NEW YORK CITY?" Asked Rudolfo
"Yep.
"What`s It Like, There?"
Chris Thought a Bit.
"Kinda Like This Place...Only Without The Volcano And The Heatwaves."
Grandpapi Smiled.
"Sound Like My Kinda City..."
Manny Was Silent During The Whole Dinner.
"Well, It Certainly Is An Honor To Have You With Us As a RIVERA." Said Rudolfo
"RIVERA!
HE`S NOT A REAL RIVERA!, HE`S JUST SOME KID WHOSE LIVING WITH MY MOM!" Shouted Manny
"MANNY!" Said Maria Sternly
Chris Was Silent.
"Uhhhhh...I Think I Should Go.
I Need To Call My Dog On The Phone, He Gets Mighty Lonely If I Don`t Check Up On Him."
Chris Got Up And Walked Away.
"That`s So Sweet...Thinking Of His Dog Like That." Said Frida WIth a Smile
Maria Just Glared At Manny Sternly She Then Got Up And Walked Outside To The Balcony Where Chris Was.
Rudolfo EYed Manny.
"What!
What I Do?" Exclaimed Manny
[Outside]
Chris Stood At The Balcony Of The Apartment Building`s Penthouse, Overlooking The Sunset.
The Door Opened And Maria Walked Over To Him.
"Chris...You Okay?"
Chris Sighed.
"Your Ex And The Old Guy Seem Nice...
But, Manny Doesn`t Really Like Me That Well."
"Give Him Time...This Whole Thing Is NEW For Him.
"I Don`t Know."
"Don`t Worry, Chris...
I`m Sure Manny Will Accept You As His Brother Eventually."
Chris Looked At Her.
"You Really Think So?"
Maria Smiled.
"Trust Me...He Will."
Chris Smiled.
"okay...i trust you.
Maria Hugs Him.
[Later]
Maria Was At The Door.
"Well, Rudolfo...We Have To Be Going."
"MUST YOU!
Maria Narrowed Her Eyes.
"yes, rudolfo...I Must.
Chris Needs To get To Bed On Time If he Is Going To be Ready For His First Day Of School."
Maria Looked At Manny.
"And, Manny...I Want You to TRY And Be Nice To Chris.
He`s Your Brother Now, SO You Had Better Start Getting Used To It."
Manny Sighed.
"fine..."
Maria Kissed His head.
"Night, Mijo..."
Maria Left With Chris Manny Marched Off To His Room...Followed By Frida.
Many Slammed His Door Open.
"!"
"Dude...What`s With You?" Asked Frida
"IT`S...THAT...KID!
HE`S LIVING IN MY MOTHER`S HOUSE!"
"So?"
"SO!
SO, IT WON`T BE LONG BEFORE MOM IS SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HIM THAN WITH ME!"
"Oh, Manny...I Think Your Overreacting To This Whole Thing."
"I AM NOT OVERREACTING!" Shouted Manny
Frida Stared At Him.
"O...Kay, Then."
[Casa Del Mariachi, The Next Morning]
Chris Walked Down The Stairs And Into The Kitchen.
He Was Wearing a New Backpack And Was Ready For His First Day Of School.
"Chris...Don`t Forget You Lunch!"
Maria Handed Chris a Bag.
"Thanks...See Ya."
Maria Kissed His Head.
"Have a GOOD DAY AT SCHOOL."
Chris Smiled, Then Walked Away.
He Walked Out The Door...And Saw The School Bus Leaving Without Him.
"oh, you have got to be kidding me..."
Chris Ran After The Bus As Fast As He Could.
"HEEEEEEEEEY!
WAIT UP!, STOP THE BUS!" Shouted Chris
The Other Teenagers Laughed As Chris Tried To Catch Up.
Manny And Frida Were Riding In The Bus (For ONCE) And Ducked Their Head In Embarassment.
"this is so uncool..." Said Manny
"just ignore him, and everything will be fine." Said Frida
The Bus Soon Pulled Up To The High School.
As The Kids Walked Out, Chris Caught Up...But, Tripped And Fell Into a Puddle Of Water.
All The Kids Laughed At Him.
"Who Is This Loser!" Said One Kid
Manny And Frida Blushed.
"We Honestly Don`t Know..." Said Frida
Chris Got Up, Then Walked Over To Manny.
"HEY, MANNY!"
Manny Gritted His Teeth In Stress.
"You Know Rivera?" Said a Kid
"Sure...He`s My Brother."
Manny Froze.
The Entire Yard Errupted In Laughter.
"RIVERA`S BROTHER IS A GRINGO!"
Manny Growled As He Stomped Away.
Chis Was Left Confused And Dumfounded.
"Was It Something I Said?"
a Kid With Spikey Green Hair Shoved Chris Into The Ground.
"HA! HA!"
Chris Sighed As He Sat On The Ground.
"just like home..."
Just Then, a Shadow Was Cast Of Him.
Chris Looked Up To See a Goth Girl With Black Hair That Had Lavender Hightlights And Ruby Red Eyes That Was Partly Covered By Her Hair With Spikey Eyeliner.
"Hello, There...What`s Your Name?" Asked The Girl
Chris Stared At The Girl...Who Was PRETTY To Him.
"Uhhhhhhhh...
C-Chris, Chris J-Johnson."
"CHRIS...What I Nice Name.
My Name Is ZOE...Zoe Aves."
"Really?
That Name Sure Is Pretty..."
Zoe Smiled.
"Why, Thank You..."
Zoe Helped Chris Up.
"So...Your Manny`s Brother?"
"Y-Yes...But, Only By Adoption."
"Oh, I Kinda Figured That Out Myself."
"Was It Really That OBVIOUS?"
"Oh, Trust Me...a Guy Like You Sticks Out Like a Sore Thumb.
So...You Might Need Some Help Getting Around This School."
Chris Eyed Her.
"Why Would You help Me?"
Zoe Smiled.
"Oh...No Reason.
I Just Know What It feels Like To Be a NEW KID Who Doesn`t Fit In."
"Oh...Well, Thanks!"
Chris Walked Off To School.
Zoe Stay Behind And Smiled Sinisterly.
"heh-heh-heh, Yeeeeessss...
And, Besides...You Just Might Be The Key To My PERFECT REVENGE On Manny Rivera."
Zoe Chuckled Evily To Herself.
She Then Followed Chris Into The School.
The First Day Of School Was Less Than Appealing For Chris...
He Kept Getting Funny Looks By All The Hispanic Kids (And Bullied By Spike And His Gang)
Manny And Frida Seemed To be Avoiding Him Alot, But The Zoe Aves Girl Seemed To Like Him.
[Later]
Chris Walked Out Of Gym Class, His Face All Brused Up.
"SEE YA NEXT TIME, KID!" Shouted Someone
Chris Sighed.
"i can hardly wait..."
Chris Suddenly Saw Manny And Frida.
"HEY, GUYS!"
Chris After Them.
Manny And Frida Cringed As They Eyed Him.
"oh, no...not him" Said Manny
Chris Walked Up To Them.
"So...Whatcha Guys Doing After School?"
"Ooooooh...Some STUFF." Said Frida
"Like What?"
"Oh, Like...Uhhhhhhh."
Frida Thinks, Then Gets An Idea."
"COMMUNITY SERVICE!"
Manny Eyed Her.
"We Ar-"
Frida Hits Manny WIth a Smile.
"OH-OH!
YEEEEEES...Community Service." Said Manny, Getting The Hint
"And, We Wouldn`t Want To Drag You Along With Us...It's Such BORING WORK."
Chris Looked At Them.
"Oh...Okay."
Manny And Frida Left, While Chris Walked Off Alone.
"Whoo!
We Sure Got Outta That One!" Said Frida
"Now, If Only We Can Avoid Him Like This Every Day.
Seems Just My Luck That I get a LOSER For a Brother..." Said Manny
Chris Sighed As He Walked Away.
He Then Saw Zoe Aves, Who Was Trying To Get Her Notebook Away From Spike And His Gang.
"HEY!
GIVE IT BACK!" Shouted Zoe
"KEEP IT AWAY FROM ZOE!" Said Spike
Chris Narrowed His Eyes.
He Marched Over To Them, Feeling a Little Brave.
"HEY!, YOU JERKS!"
Spike And His gang Turned To Face Chris.
"Why Don`t You Pick On Someone Your Own Size!"
Spike Grinned.
"You Mean...Like YOU?"
Chris Froze.
"W-Well...
That Wasn`t My Original Plan, But-"
[Later]
Chris Was Locked Inside a Small Locker...Courtesy Of Spike And His Gang.
"sometimes being the hero isn`t always what it`s cracked up to be..." Muttered Chris
Just Then, He Heard Some Clicking From Outside.
The Door Soon Swung Open And Chris Fell Out...Where He Saw Zoe Looking At Him.
"Hey..." Said Zoe
Chris Smiled.
"Hi-Ya..."
Zoe Sighed.
"Thanks For...Saving Me Back There." Said Zoe
Chris Chuckled Nervously As He Got Up.
"No Prob...It`s The Least I Could Do."
"Why Did You Do It?
You Must Of Known Spike Would Clobber You."
"Well...You`ve Been So Nice To Me.
I Couldn`t Just Let Those Guys Pick On You."
Zoe Looked At Him.
"Oh...
Well...Thanks."
Chris Smiled.
"Oh!, And...Thanks For Getting My Out Of That Locker."
"Your Welcome...Cracking Locks Is a "Speciality" Of Mine."
"Must Come In Handy."
Zoe Smiled.
"It DOES Have It`s Advantages."
Chris Grinned, Then Sighed Sharply.
"Well...I Guess I`ll Be Seeing You.
I Guess I`ll Be Going Home After School."
"How Come?"
"Manny And Frida Are Busy."
Zoe Growled a Bit.
"oh...i see."
Zoe Then Realised Something.
"Your Going Home?
Could Uhhh...I Come?"
"I Don`t See Why Not.
Maria Rivera Would Be Happy To Have Visitors"
"Maria!" Exclaimed Zoe
"Yeah...My Mom."
Zoe Smiled.
"Oh...even better." Whispered Zoe
"You Say Something?" Asked Chris
"NO."
Chris Smiled.
"Well...I`ll See You After School."
Chris Left.
Once He Was Gone, Zoe Smiled To Herself As He Left.
"Maria Rivera, Huh?
I Bet She Might Have Something I Could Use Against The Rivera`s..."
[After School]
Chris Was Waiting Outside The School...
Pretty Soon, Zoe Showed Up And Walked Towards Him.
"Hey, Chris..."
Chris Smiled.
"Hi, Zoe.
You ready To Go?"
Zoe Grinned.
"Oh, Of Course I Am...
So, Where Is Our Ride?"
As If On Cue...a Car Pulled Up.
Maria Was In The Driver`s Seat.
"Hey, Chris...Ready To Go?"
Chris Looked AT Her With a Smile.
"YEP!
And, I Brought a Friend: Zoe Aves."
Maria Smiled.
"AVES?
Why Isn`t That The Little Girl Of My Friend: Carmelita?"
Zoe Nodded.
"Yep.
That`s My Mom...The School`s Art Teacher."
"I Was Wondering Why She Gave You Such a GOOD GRADE." Said Chris
"Well, Come On In..." Said Maria
Chris And Zoe Got Into The Car And Drove Off.
Meanwhile, Manny And Frida Walked Out Of The School.
They Looked Around.
"No Sign Of Chris Anywhere..." Said Frida
"Fine By Me."
Manny Span his Belt Buckle And Became EL TIGRE.
He Grabbed Frida And Launched His Grappel Chain, Swinging Away.