El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua
The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema
The Mask Of Miracle City
Chapter 16: The Coco Bongo Club
[Casa Del Mariachi, a Few Day Later]
Maria Rivera Was In a Fancy Dress And Was Combing Chris`s Hair.
"HOLD STILL, CHRIS!"
"YOW!, HEY!"
"There!...Now, You Look Handsome!"
Chris Sighed As He Looked At Himself In The Mirror...
He Was Wearing a Tuxedo And His Hair Was All Shiney And Combed Over.
"I Look Ridiculous..."
"Well, It Should Impress That Aves Girl."
"MOM!" Shouted Chris
"Well, You DO Like Her, Don`t you?
Chris Sighed.
"i`m...i`m not sure.
Maria Looked At her Watch.
"Well, We`d Better Get Going...
The Club is Expecting Me There SOON."
"Yeah...Sure." Said Chris, Deep In Thought
Maria Walked Out Of Chris`s Room.
Chris Quickly Walked Over To his Closet And Opened The Door.
He Grabbed The Green, Wooden Mask And Hid It In His Coat.
Max The Dog Looked At Chris And Tilted His Head.
"Look, I Know What your Thinking...
But, I`m Not Planning On Using The Mask!
I`m Just Keeping It Close So No One Else Can Mess With It."
The Dog Eyed Him, As If Not Believing a Word He Said.
"oh, don`t give me any lip..."
Chris Walked Out The Door.
Soon, He Was In Maria`s Car And They Were Headed For The Coco Bongo.
Once There...They Saw The Parking Lot PACKED WIth Cars.
"Boy...That Must be Some Party." Said Chris
"Come One, Let`s Go..."
Maria Got Out, Chris Followed.
As They Walked Towards The Enterance...They Saw Some Familair Faces There.
Rudolfo Was At The Door With Grandpapi Rivera, As Well As Manny And Frida.
"oh, dear lord..." Muttered Maria
"I SWEAR, I AM ON THAT LIST!" Said Rudolfo To the Bouncer
"Look, Pal...If Your Name Ain`t On The List, YOU DON`T GET IN!
I See "Manny Rivera", "Mr. Jorge Rivera" And Even "Ms. Frida Suarez"...BUT, NOT YOU!
"pleeeeeeeeeeease?" Said Rudolfo, Making Puppy Dog Eyes
The Bouncer Glared At him.
"don`t make me hurt you...because I WILL."
Maria Walked Up, With An Annoyed Look On Her face.
"rudolfo..." Said Maria With a "Matter-Of-Fact" Look On Her Face
Rudolfa Turned Around And Looked At His "EX-Wife"
"MARIA!
The Bouncer Faced Maria.
"Evening, Ms. Rivera...This Joker With You?"
Maria Glanced At Rudolfa, Then Sighed Deeply.
"Oh, I Guess..."
"YAAAAAAAAY!"
Chris Rolled His Eyes, Then Glanced At His "Mom".
"just what did you see in that guy?" Whispered Chris
Maria Stiffled a Chuckle.
"he made me laugh...and, i felt sorry for him."
Maria Walked Inside The Club.
Chris Just Stood There Awhile.
"Huh...Well, That Makes Sense."
Rudolfa Followed Maria, Constantly Staring At Her Like An Idiot.
Grandpapi Rivera Sighed As He Followed, Muttering Something To Himself.
Manny And Frida Walked Over To Chris.
Manny Was Also In a Tuxedo And Frida Was Wearing a Red Dress With Some Make-Up And Ear Rings That Looked Like Stylized Skulls...Though, She Still Had On her Goggles.
"Hey, Chris!" Said Manny
"Hi...
You guys On a Date Or Something?
Manny And Frida Blushed a Bit.
"Oh, I`m Sorry...I Forgot You Guys Were BEST FRIENDS."
"Speaking Of Which...Where Is YOUR FRIEND? Asked Manny
At That Moment, Someone Walked Up.
"Right Here..."
Chris Gazed At Zoe Aves...Who Was In a Pretty, Dark Purple Dress She Had Dark Lipstick And Eyeliner (Even On her Eyelids.)
"wow...you look-
Zoe Approached Chris.
"Yes?
Chris Gulped.
"p-p-pretty..."
Zoe Put Up her Arm.
Chris Linked His Own With Hers.
"Let`s Go..."
Chris And Zoe Walked Inside The Building.
Manny And Frida Just Stared At This, Dumbfounded.
"dude...no matter how many times i see that, i will NEVER get use to it." Said Frida
"Ditto." Added Manny
The Two Then Blushed At They Looked At Each Other.
"ssssssssso...Should We Go In?" Asked Frida
"Uh, Y-YEAH!
The Two Friends Walked Inside.
[Inside The Coco Bongo]
Various People Were Dancing To The Upbeat Music Of The Club`s Band.
Some Were Seated AT their Tables And Enjoyed Their Food.
Maria Was At The Stage, Singing a Song In Spanish.
Chris Was Sitting At a Table With Zoe, Who Was Staring At Him a Bit.
"She Sure Sings Good, Don`t She?" Said Chris
Zoe Broke Out Of Her Trance.
"HUH, WHAT!"
"My Mom...She`s a Good Singer."
Zoe Nodded, Blushing a Little.
"Y-Yeah...She Is."
Chris Then Looked Over At The Dance Floor...
He Saw Manny And Frida Dancing Together.
"Wow, Look At That..." Said Chris
Zoe Looked.
"Yeah?...So?"
"They Sure Look Cute Together.
Zoe Scoffed.
"yeah...i guess."
Chris Eyed Zoe.
"Z...I realise You Don`t Like Them That Much.
But, Manny IS Trying To Make AN Effort In Being a Brother To Me.
Zoe Sighed.
"yeah...i know.
It`s Just So Hard To Like Those Two."
"Could You Do It For Me, Zoey?
Zoe Looked At Chris.
She Then Sighed Deeply, Then Smiled.
"Okay, Chris.
I`ll Try To Put The Past behind me...FOR YOU."
Chris Smiled.
"Thanks, Z."
Chris And Zoe Started To Blush As They Looked At Each Other.
"Y-You Want Me To Get You Some P-Punch?" Asked Chris
"sure..." Said Zoe
Chris Got Up And Walked Off, Zoe Watched Him Leave With a Forlorn Sigh.
Meanwhile, Manny And Frida Were Dancing Really Close To Each Other...
"f-frida..." Said Manny
"yes, manny?"
Manny Sighed.
"frida...there is something i need to say.
something i should of said a long time ago.
"what, manny?
Manny Sweated a bit.
"frida...when siniestro and "cheetah"-
"chipotle.
"whatever...
when those two captured you...i was-
Manny Struggled To Find The Words.
"i was...s-scared.
Frida Looked At Him.
"you were?
Manny Nodded.
"yeah...i did.
Frida Sighed.
"manny...i think i know what your going to say.
Manny Sweated a Bit.
"You...DO?
Frida Nodded.
"When I Was Their Captive...It Gave Me Some Time To Think Of Some Things.
and...when i thought they k-k-killed you, i..."
Frida Stifled a Sob.
Manny Touched Her Face.
"Frida!, Frida!...Calm Down."
Frida Exhaled, Then Looked Into manny`s Eyes.
"manny..."
"Yes, Frida?"
"i...i think i love you."
Manny Eyed Her.
"You What?
"i love you.
and...i don`t care if it changes our friendship, anymore.
Manny Looked Into Frida`s Eyes.
"Mann-
Manny Kissed Frida, Who Was Shocked At this.
But, She Soon Relaxed And Kissed Him Also.
Once They Parted Their Kiss, They Stared Into Each Others Eyes.
"i love you, too."
Frida Smiled.
She LEaned Over To Kiss Manny...But.
CRASH!
Manny And Frida Looked Over To See Chris At The Lunch Table...Drenched In Punch.
SPike And His Gang Were Laughing At Him While Holding And Empty Bowl Of Punch.
"CHRIS JOHNSON, YOU ARE SUCH A LOSER!" Snickered Spike
Chris Eyes Him.
"Yeah, Well...At Least My Hair Doesn`t Look Like a Porkepine."
Chris Marched Away, While Spike And His Boys Kept Laughing.
Manny Glared At Them, While Frida Looked Concerned.
She Wasn`t The ONLY ONE.
"Chris!, Are You Okay?" Asked Zoe
"I`m Fine...I Just Need a Minute To Get Dried Off."
Chris Left The Main Room.
Zoe Glared At Spike And His Friends.
[Meanwhile]
Chris Ducked Inside a Bathroom And Walked Inside a Stall.
He Sat Down And Grumbled To Himself.
"blast that spike...
that no good punk has been nothing but TROUBLE for me!
Chris Then Reached Into His Coat And Pulled Out His Mask.
He Looked At It...Then, a Smile Crept On His Face.
Meanwhile, a Man Walked Towards The Bathroom Door.
Suddenly, The Door Was Blew Open And a Green Tornado Spun Out.
Mask Stood Out The Door WIth a Grin On His Face.
"OOOOOOOOOOO!
Their Playing My SONG!
Mask Ran At Super Speed Towards The Main Room Of The Club.
"JUMPING JIMINEY CHRISTMAS!
The Coco Bongo!...MY KIND OF PLACE!
Mask Grinned.
"Time For The Party To REALLY Begin!"
Mask Quickly Took a Seat And Pounded On the Table.
"WAITER!, WAITER!
GEE!, What`s a Guy Gotta Do To Get Some Service Around Here!"
Soon, a Waiter Walked Up To Mask.
"What Do You Require, Sir?"
Mask Snatched a Menue And Looked At It.
"Got Any ESCARGO!"
"No...That Is a FRENCH Dish.
"FISH-N-CHIPS?"
"That Is From England, Sir."
"a Cheeseburger?
The Waiter Eyed Him.
"Sir...This Is Mexico.
All We Have Is Here Is HISPANIC Foods.
Mask Sighed.
"Oh, Very Well.
Give Me a Taco With EXTRA HOT SAUCE...And Anything Else Here That`s Spicy,"
"Si, Senior..."
The Waiter Left.
"AND DON`T FORGET THE CHURRORS!"
Manny And Frida Looked Over AT Mask As They Took Their Seats.
"Hey...Isn`t That Mask?" Said Frida
Manny Looked over To See a Familair Green Faced Teen Dressed In a Yellow Zoot Suit.
"Yeah...SO It Is." Said Manny
"He Must Be Here For The Party."
Manny Sighed.
"Hope Nothing Loco Happens While He`s Here...
Mask Relaxed As a Man Walked Up On Stage.
"Let`s Have a BIG APPLAUSE For Ms. Maria Rivera And her Mariachi Band!"
The Audience Clapped Their Hands.
"And, Now...We Have a Surprise Act For You All.
The Winner Of Our Talent Contest...May I Present: MISS ZOE AVES!"
The Spotlight Shined On Zoe, Who Was On Stage.
The Club`s Band Played Soft Jazz As She Walked Down The Stage.
Mask Took One Look At her...
His Jaw Dropped To The Table, Unrolling His Tounge And His Eyes Bulged Out Of His Sockets.
Zoe Had a Seductive Look On Her Face, Then Started To Sing.
~Love Make You Feel The Way That I Do...
Gee, Baby...Ain`t I Good To You.~
Mask`s Head Shifts Into a Green Faced, Cartoon Wolf And Howled Loudly While He Pounding On The Table Rapidly, Rattling The Silverware.
~There`s Nothing Too Good For Someone So True...
Gee, Baby...Ain`t I Good To You?~
Mask`s Eyed Popped Out Of His head.
His Eyeballs Sprouted Arms And Legs, Then Danced Around The Table Before Jumping Back Into his Head.
~OH, BABY!
Ain`t I Good For...Yooooooooou.~
Everyone Clapped As Zoe Finished Her Song.
Mask Was Clapping And Whistling...Then, Hit His Head With a Mallet Rapidly.
He Then Got Up.
He Ran Pass The People And Onto The Stage At Super Speed.
Everyone Looked At The Spotlight Shined On Him.
"LET`S ROCK THIS JOINT!"
Mask Grabbed a Band Member And Twirled Him Around.
He Was Now Dressed In a Zoot Suit And Smiled...Mask Did The Same With The Others.
Manny And Frida Stared At This.
"oh, boy..." Sighed Manny
The Band Started To Play Some Jazzy, BIG BAND/SWING Music.
Everyone Smiled As They Liked The Upbeat Music, Getting The Urge To Dance.
"That`s Pretty Good Music!" Said Frida, Snapping Her Fingers
Mask Approached Zoe Aves...Who Was Blankly Staring At Him.
He Tossed His Hat And Grabbed Zoe...The Two Began To Dance.
~HEY!, PACHUCO!~
~HEY!~
~Summer Of `43~
~HEY!~
~Someone Gunnin` For Me.~
~HEY!~
~Red And White Mean War TONIGHT!~
Mask And Zoe Danced Around To The Upbeat Music.
After Awhile, Zoe Started To Like It And People Clapped At Them.
~HEY!~
~I Say: "Darn, My Pride"
Slipping Down To The East Side...~
~HEY!~
~There Is Now Place To Hide.~
Mask Did a Mock Tango With Zoe Then, He Took Her Hand And Moved Her Around Himself...
He Soon Twirled Her Around Into a High Speed Tornado, Then Tossed Her In The Air.
As Zoe Spun Around In Mid-Air, MAsk Bided His Time.
He Yawned, Filed His Nails, Read a Newspaper And Looked At His Watch.
He Then Stretched Out His Arms...And, Zoe Landed In Them.
~HEY!, PACHUCO!~
Mask Grinned, Then Kissed Zoe...Causing Her Shoes To Fly Off Her Feet.
One The Kiss Was Parted, Zoe Stared Blankly At Mask For Awhile.
She Then Blast Him WIth a High Powered Taser...Sending Him Flying Into a Wall.
Everyone Looked At The Hole He Was Sitting In.
He Then Quickly Got Up With a Big Grin On His face.
"WOOOO!, BAY-BAH!
WHAT A WOMAN!...And Just the Way I Like Em`: "FIREY".
Zoe Marched Off.
"Fresh..."
As Mask Got Up And Put His Hat Back On...
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Everyone Looked To See a Smoking hole Blown In The Wall.
From Out Of The Smoke, Gangsters With Mustaches Appeared.
"THE MUSTACHE MAFIA!" Exclaimed a Bystander
"The Who?" Said Mask
Mask Saw Two Guys With Mustaches Approach.
One Was Large And Muscular, Another Was a Short Guy...
An Old Man In a Wheel Chair Rolled Up In Front Of Them.
Manny Sighed At this.
"Oh, Not Now!
"We`re Taking De` Money...Got a Problem With That!" Said Don Baffi
Mask Zipped Up To Them.
"Yeah...I Have a Problem With That."
The Don Eyed Him.
"Who is This Idiot?"
"Call Me...THE MASK!" Said Mask, Lighting Up a Neon Sign
"Dead Meat IS What I Call Yuz`..."
The Old Man Snapped His Fingers.
His Men Stepped Up, Gritting Their Teeth.
"KNUCKLES, TINY...Murderlize This Freak."
Frida Looked Concerned.
"Manny...Shouldn`t We Do Something!"
Knuckles And Tiny Drew Out Their Guns And Aimed Them At Mask.
"NOW, HAND OVER THE LOOT!
Mask Looks At The "Camera" And Smiled, Shifting His Eye Brows a Little.
He Then Reaches Into His Pocket And Drew Out Some REALLY LARGE GUNS...
They Were The Size Of Small Cannons And Looked Like Something Out Of Wacky Version Of STAR TREK
Manny Smiled.
"I Don`t Think We`ll Have To..."
Knuckles And Tiny Drop Their Guns.
"On Second Thought...We Don`t Need The Money That Badly."
Mask Pulls The Triggers...And Blast The two Men With Streams Of Water.
"HA-HA!
Look`s Like Your "All Wet"!"
Mask Stuffs The Guns Back Into His Pocket.
He Then Twirls Around And Appears As a Green Faced Michael Jackson In a White Zoot Suit.
"You`ve Been Hit By...
Mask Kicks The Two Men In The Rear, Knocking Them Into a Wall.
They Soon Pass Out And Mask Then Does a Backwards "Moonwalk"
"a SMOOTH CRIMINAL!"
Mask Changes Back To Normal.
Don Baffi Then Extends His Mustache And Wraps It Around Mask, Constricting On Him.
"Gotcha, Ya Freak..."
"NOT SO FAST, "Dirty Hairy"..."
Mask Takes Out Some Scissors And Snips At His Mustache.
Don Baffi Is Forced To Release Him And Mask Quickly SProuts a Ginger Mustache On His Face.
"EN GUARDE!"
Mask`s Mustache Form In The Shape Of Arms And Hands.
One Grabs The Don`s Mustache And The Other Forms a LARGE FIST And-
POW!
RIIIIIIIIIIP!
The Don In Knocked Backwards...Ripping Off His Mustache.
Mask (Whose Mustache Was Now Gone) Zipped Over And Raised a Mallet Over The Old Man.
He Then Stops.
"Awww...I Can`t Do It.
It Would`s Feel Right To Wail On An Old Guy In a Wheelchair...
Mask Tossed The Mallet Away.
He Then Looks At His Watch.
"Whoops!...Time To Go."
Mask Sped Off In a Green Blurr And Disappeared.
But, He Then Came Right Back Seconds Later.
"But, FIRST!
Mask Sped Over To Spike And His Friends.
He Held a Bowl Of Fruit Punch And Faced Them.
"Greeting, Boys...Have Some PUNCH!"
a Boxing Glove Attached To a Spring Suddenly Popped Out Of The Bowl And Socked Spike In The Jaw, Sending Him Flying In The Air.
Mask Then Gave His Buddies Some Wedgies.
"Oh, COME ON!
You All Knew I Was Gonna Do THAT! Said Mask To The "Screen"
"HA!-HA!, SOMBODY STOP ME!"
Mask Then Took Off.
Meanwhile, a Guy Tried To Go Inside The Bathroom.
But, Mask Ran Over Him And Ran Inside...Shutting The Door Behind Him.
a few Minutes Later, Chris Walked Out The Door.
"Hey, Pal!
Where`d That Green Faced Idiot Go?"
"Uhhhh...Down The Drain?
The Man Shrugged His Shoulders And Left.
Chris Sighed With Relief As He Walked Back Into The Main Room...Which Was Trashed.
"whoa...What a Wreck!"
"CHRIS!"
Chris Turned To See Zoe Run Up To Him.
She Hugged Him, While Manny And Frida Ran Up To Them.
"What Happened? Asked Chris
"The Mustache Mafia Tried To Rob The Place...But, Mask Showed Up And Stopped Them". Said Manny
Chris Wiped Some Sweat Away From his Head.
"Thank Goodness..."
"Where Were You, Chris? Asked Frida
Chris Got Nervous.
"I, Uhhhh...Was Locked In The Bathroom.
Took Me Hours To Get Out Of There, Heh-Heh..."
Frida Eyed Him.
"oh...OKAY!.
Chris Mentally Sighed With Relief.
Zoe Took Chris By teh Arm.
"Chris...You Wanna Walk Me Home?"
Chris Looked At Her.
"Uh...S-Sure."
Chris And Zoe Walked Away, Leaving Manny And Frida Alone.
"So, Manny...Where Exactly WAS Your Dad And Grandpapi?"
Manny Sighed.
"Dad Was Backstage With Mom...Trying To Impress Her With Poetry He Wrote."
Frida Watched Maria Storm By With An Aggravated Look On Her Face.
"I Guess It Didn`t Go Too Well, Huh?"
"Nope..." Said Manny
Frida Looked Back To Manny.
"So, What About Your Grandpapi?"
"He Left Early...Said He Had Another "Appointment"
Something About Making An Emergency "Withdraw" From The Bank.
"Oh.
The Two Watched At Some Policia Troopers Hauled The Mustache Mafia Away Into a Truck.
Aside From The Chaos...This Was The Best Night Of The "Young Couples" Lives.
[Meanwhile, Somewhere Else]
Chris And Zoe Walked Down Teh Streets Of Miracle City...Towards Zoe`s House.
"I`m Sorry You Had To Leave So Suddenly, Chris...
I Was Hoping You`d Be There When I Was Singing On Stage."
Chris Looked At Zoe.
"YOU Were Singing? Said Chris, Pretending To Be Surprised
"Yeah...I Won a Contest, There."
Chris Sighed.
"i`m sorry...i wish i was there."
"Well, maybe It`s Just As Well...That Idiot MASK Was There, Too.
"Mask?
"Yeah...He Danced With Me."
Chris Grumbled To Himself.
"So...How Was It?"
Zoe Thought a Bit.
"It Was...DIFFERENT.
I Did ENjoy My Self For Awhile...Until He Kissed Me."
Chris Was Wide Eyed.
"He...D-Did?
Zoe Nodded.
"That Guy Has a Serious Screw Loose...If You Know What I mean.
Chris Chuckled.
"yeah...i do."
The Two Soon Made It To The Aves House.
Zoe Walked up To her door, But Turned Back To Chris.
"Well...Thanks For Walking Me Home.
"Your Welcome, Z.
Zoe Moved Over And Kissed Chris On The Cheek.
He Blushed Wildly As She Walked Inside Her House.
"whoa..."
Chris Walked Away And Headed Back.
As He Did...Zoe Watched Him Leave From a Window In her House.
She Smiled To herself, Feeling Quite Happy For Some Reason She Then Walked Away And Headed Towards Her Room.
"Mija..."
Zoe Looked Over To her Mother.
"Did You Enjoy Yourself?"
Zoe Smiled.
"Yeah...It Was Okay."
Carmelita Smiled.
She Coudl Read Her daughter Like An Open Book...And KNEW What She Was Thinking Of.
"You Know...Chris IS a Nice Boy, Zoe.
So, Just In Case Things "Change" Between You Two...I Approve."
Zoe Eyed Her Mother.
"MOM!, We`re Not-
Carmelita Eyed Her.
Zoe Sighed Sharply...Finding Herself Unwilling To Denounce Chris In Such a Way.
"I`m Going To bed..."
Zoe Left.
Carmelita Chuckled To Herself As She Went Back To Housework.
Just Then, Her Mother: Grandmami Aves, Walked Up To Her.
"You Is Right...Chris Is a Nice Boy For Zoey.
Carmelita Smiled.
"Mmm-Hmmm..."
"Much better Than Your EX-Husban-
"MOTHER! Shouted Carmelita
Grandmami Aves Covered Her Mouth.
"sorry..."
Carmelita Sighed.
She Didn`t Like Dwelling On The Subject Of "Zoe`s Father".
"Well...You Do Have a Point, Mother.
Chris IS Different...He`s Not Like The Other Rivera Men.
Carmelita Sighed.
"or, like my ex-husband..."
Grandmami Aves Sighed.
"Well, I Go Take a Nap."
The Elderly Woman Left Her Adult Daughter Alone.
Who Just Sat Down And Starting "Unhappily" Thinking About Her Past.
[Meanwhile, Deep Within The AZTECH PALACE]
Mikla Sat On His Throne, Looking Into Monitors.
His Soldiers Walked Inside And Faced Him.
"Report..." Said Mikla
"My Prince...Word Is That Out Spies Suspect CHRIS JOHNSON, Son Of Maria Rivera Is THE MASK.
Mikla Smiled Evily.
His Skeletal Hands Burned With Dark Energy.
"Are They SURE?
"Not "100%"...But, Their Pretty Sure."
Mikla Stroked His Chin.
"Then, Perhaps We Should MAKE OUR MOVE.
Besides...I Owe MUCH To His Friends: Manny Rivera, Frida Suarez And Zoe Aves."
Mikla Clutched a Skull...Then, Crushed It Into Dust.
"I Owe MUCH To Them..." Snarled Mikla, His Eyes Glowing.
"Just Give The Order, My Master...We Will ATTACK!" Said The Aztec Soldier
Mikla Got Up.
"We Attack TOMMORROW.
But, During The School Hours...When They`ll LEAST EXPECT It.
If Chris IS The Mask, He`ll Have NO CHOICE But To Reveal Himself To Save His Loved Ones...
And, If he Isn`t...Well, At Least I`ll Get My REVENGE On Those Three For Their Past Crimes Against Me!
Mikla Chuckled Evily As Dark Energy Pulsed From his Body.