Raining cats, dogs and mutants

By Todd Fan

Disclaimer: "Sharks don't attack at night, they're playing with us"

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ACT 13 - Stakes get higher

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We shift to the dark and gloomy Acolyte mansion, where Jason is standing outside

"I'm cold and wet", mutters Jason, "outside my own home!"

"Just shut up and act", says Forge, "...fuzz monkey"

"I am not a fuzz monkey!", shouts Jason, "why does everyone think I'm a monkey"

"I don't", smiles Rahne.

"Thank you, Rahne", says Jason.

"Ye welcome", says Rahne, "here, have a banana"

"Thank you", says Jason, taking it then blinks, "….hey"

He mutters under his breath and clears his throat

"This is an airtight plan, Summers", he says, "Sweet and simple. I ransom the kitty, and you get paid in full tomorrow. I'll even toss in a little extra, for your patience. Whaddya say? It's my final offer. Take it or leave it"

He holds out his hand and shakes...Todd's paw. He saunters proudly to the door and presses the buzzer

"Yeah, who is it!", comes Alex's voice.

..And thus Jason loses all sense of bravado as the camera by the door swivels to look at him, as Jason desperately tries to stay out of it's focus

"Jason, it's you", he smirks, "Why didn't you say so?"

"Oh, good question", says Jason, "But listen...if you're busy, we can drop by some other time"

Alex chuckles evilly from his desk inside pressing a big red button to...

"You NEVER press the big red button!", screams Forge suddenly.

"Forge...it's just 't door lock", says Rahne

"Oh", Forge coughs, "...I knew that"

"Don't be silly, just push the door", smiles Alex.

Outside, Jason starts to pull on the door, it not budging an inch

"I said, push!", shouts Alex.

Jason gives a nervous laugh and leans on the door, it opening and dropping him and Todd inside. They go down a lift before entering Alex's office, where he is talking on the phone

"What do you mean? You start with the knuckles", he notices Jason step in and smiles, "Ahh, Jason. Do come in. I'll be right with you"

He goes back to his phone call

"Yeah. No, you don't kill 'im yet. Huh? Yeah. And then, what's the last thing you do? You put on the cement shoes"

"…Ladies and gentlemen, my baby brother", says Scott.

While Alex is talking, Jason glances at a model of Alex's car, giving it a tap. He breaks off the side mirror, the same on that he did on the real car. He squeaks and frantically tries to put it back

"Yeah, yeah, that's right. Come on, hey, don't worry about it. Aloha"

He puts the phone down and Jason jumps, taking his hand off the model, the little side mirror dropping to the ground with a clink

"So, Jason", he smiles, "Did we bring something green and wrinkly to make me happy?"

"...I have Toad", offers Jason.

"Hey!", says Todd.

"Summers, I have an airtight kitty", Jason blinks, "...plan, plan! It's sweet and simple..the plan"

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy", mutters Alex.

"Lets just take this from the top...", says Jason

With a growl, Remy and Lance suddenly appear, circling Jason and Todd

"What am I gonna do with you, Jason?", sighs Alex.

"I've go this kitty, see..", says Jason

"Jason", Alex shakes his head, "...you don't got the money"

He snaps his fingers and Remy and Lance lunge forward, Todd jumping in between then and snarling, before being dragged into a dog fight

"I bruise easily!", cries Todd

"Summers, I'm getting you money tonight!", says Jason desperately, "It's coming tonight! Please, it's from a rich cat...I mean a cat from a rich family's paying..They're coming tonight with the money I owe you, to get the cat back!"

He flings himself over Alex's desk, Jamie held out in his arms. Alex clicks his fingers and Remy and Lance drop Todd to the ground, stalking back into the shadows. Alex takes Jamie in his hands while Jason goes to check on Todd

"Release me from your grimy rough surfer hands!", snaps Jamie

"Call the vet...call the vet", gasps Todd.

"Hey, I think there's hope for you yet. I'm proud of you, Jason", smirks Alex, "Yeah, you're starting to think big. You've got 12 hours"

Jamie hops from Alex's hands to stand by Jason and Todd

"And Jason?", says Alex, "This is your last chance"

We go to later that night, where Kitty is walking along the dark docks, Amara being dragged along on a lead in a doggie water-proof, not looking happy

"Princesses don't do docks", Amara sniffs haughtily.

"Turn left...right when you get to the big propeller...", Kitty looks at Jason's map...which a five year old could have drawn better.

"OK, so I'm not a Picasso, so sue me!", snaps Jason.

"Oh Amara, I can't read this", she says, "I think we're lost. Stick close, Amara, it's creepy down here"

"If you think I'm protecting you, you have another think to think about", mutters Amara.

Kitty walks off again, dragging Amara behind her. Not too far off, Jason is waiting with the dogs, Jamie in his pocket

"He's late", says Jason, "I drew a perfectly good map"

He looks at his arm, where there are 4 different watches, all a few minutes ahead or behind each other

"These things are really weighing down my arm you know...", says Jason

"Oh boo hoo, woe is me, I have TWO arms", snaps Forge.

"Oooooh somebody boarded the bitter train", grins Rahne

"Shut up, wolf lady", growls Forge

"Well, there were a few smudges on it, okay", says Jason, "I went outside the line with the green crayon..but not that much"

"Loser", comments Jamie.

Todd limps up to the other dogs. Rahne pokes Wanda who sighs and puts on a look of fake concern

"Oh, Todd"

"Hey, Wanda", he grins, "they never laid a paw on me"

"...Yeah, that's why you're limping", smirks Wanda

"Ooooooh concern", Todd grins, "I knew you loved me!"

"Todd, I do not, I repeat, do not love you", snaps Wanda

"Ooooh, wait", whimpers Jason, "What if he comes and he's huge..and mean?"

Jason backs into Kitty

"Excuse me, sir", she says.

"It's the F.B.I! I didn't do it! I didn't do it!", he screams, "I was framed!"

He freaks and falls backwards into a bunch of ropes, getting tangled in them. He coughs when he sees it's Kitty and untangles himself, a bucket remaining stuck on his foot

"Listen, little girl.."

"I prefer young woman", sniffs Kitty.

"Shut up, you're a girl!", says Forge

"...Yeah. Listen, this is a tough neighbourhood", says Jason, "You'd better go home"

Roberto peeks around Jason's legs to blow kisses at Amara, who rolls her eyes

"I can't", says Kitty sadly, "I'm lost"

"Aww, gee", says Jason, "Lost, well..."

Jamie tries to struggle out of Jason's pocket to get to Kitty

"My love returned to me!", shouts Jamie happily.

"I'd help you, but I'm kinda busy right now", says Jason, "What're you doing down here anyway?"

"I came to find my kitty", says Kitty.

"Your kitty?", Jason winces.

"Somebody stole him", says Kitty sadly.

"But..but, are you sure?", tries Jason, "Maybe you made a mistake..."

In the darkness, we can see Alex's Mercedes parked up, Alex, Remy and Lance waiting inside

"I even brought this to get him back", says Kitty, pulling out a little piggy bank

"Oh, you brought a piggy bank", groans Jason.

"That's all I have. What kind of person would steal a poor, little kitty!", asks Kitty

"But I...I mean, maybe he..maybe he was up against the wall", tries Jason, "at the end of his rope"

Kitty starts to cry

"...And now I feel guilty", he says, "He must have been a poor, desperate man"

"It's still wrong!", snaps Kitty, "I'm so scared, I don't know what to do"

"Neither do I!", says Jason.

He walks off a little way (the bucket still on his foot) and takes Jamie out of his pocket, who does another award-winning 'aren't I a cute helpless kitten that makes you wanna cry?' look. Jason sighs and moves to give Jamie to her, before thinking twice and dropping Jamie into a box, a kittenple falling out

"Oww, hey, after that REALLY cute look too!", shouts Jamie.

"Hey! Guess what!", says Jason, "I found a little lost kitten. I don't know, take a look, maybe he's yours"

Jason picks up Jamie and hands him to Kitty, who laughs happily and cuddles him

"Jamie! My Jamie", she says.

Oh yeah! I'm in", smirks Jamie, "I'm in, I'm iiiii-nnnnnn"

"...I'm reading from my script, Jamie", says Kitty pointedly.

Jason blinks as Alex's Mercedes starts up, driving past them all. The door opens and he yanks Kitty in, throwing Jamie out of the open window

"No, wait, you can't do this!", shouts Jason

The car stops next to Jason and Alex's hand comes out, dumping the bucket on Jason's head

"Keep your mouth shut", growls Alex, "Consider our account closed"

With that, he drives off.Jamie tries to stagger to his feet, Todd helping him up

"Wh...what happened?", says Jamie.

"You okay, kid?", asks Todd.

"Kitty?", Jamie gasps, "He took Kitty!"

"Don't worry, we'll get her back", says Todd

"Y..you will?", says Jamie.

"Hey, absitively, kid", Todd groans, "ugh, lingo"

"Come on, man, let's go!", says Roberto.

With that, the dogs, and Jamie, run off

"Wait, come back! Stay, sit!" shouts Jason, "...Damn disobedient dogs.."

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Onwards!