Act 10: The Supernatural Hunters
-Callisto Mall-
It took all for Tara to withdraw this hidden rage she was experiencing at the moment. This young man, Justin, was treating her as if she was a dog meant to be leashed, expected to leap at his command as if she was a trained warhound. She had no doubt that was how he saw her through his eyes and the very thought of that lecherous ideal infuriated her. However, when she found herself risking exposure of her powers, she had to settle her rage so her powers wouldn't be exposed, but this brute that was man-handling her proved to be the source of her difficulty in doing so. She had to pray to the Creators that a miracle was performed so she would not have to retort the idea. The last thing she wanted to do was to hurt him, despite what he had plans to do to her.
Eventually, it seemed that her prayers were answered. Just before Justin could pull her into the corner, which was narrow and dark so that no one could see anything, a voice called out to him.
MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Hey!
Suddenly, Justin stopped and turned to his left with Tara following suit. Before her approached another young man, one with a darker expression than Justin. He had blonde hair like Justin, but his was longer than the latter, reaching to the nape of the neck and swept, and green eyes. He wore a black beanie on his head and wore a Riverside High uniform, but with the shirt buttoned open to reveal the red t-shirt he was wearing and sport punk black boots. When he reached the two, Tara found herself being overshadowed by the looming figure. His expression remained unchanged; menacing and intimidating. Tara did not know what to make of him until she felt Justin's grip on her wrist trembling slightly. She turned back to him to see the color devoid from his face, eyes averting straight to the boy in front of them, who had to be similar in height. Something that caught Tara's attention was the young man's accent. It was similar to Julie's, but rougher and deeper. Still, the young priestess couldn't help but to feel the trembling of Justin's grip as the young man approached the two. She took time to notice the anxious eye-contact the foul jock had with this stranger.
Was Justin afraid of him?
JUSTIN: B-Brenton? What are you doing here?
BRENTON: Minding my own business when I saw that you can't mind someone else's. Who is she?
Brenton turned his glance towards Tara, his menacing gaze almost frightening her until she saw something else in his eyes. The glare that usually symbolizes intimidation was met also with compassion and earnesty, one in which Tara found to be refreshing since she came into this realm. The urge to smile remained as an urge alone, for she did not know what Brenton was going to do with Justin... especially considering that he hasn't given him her name.
JUSTIN: Um... T-T-T-Tara.
He turned back to Justin.
BRENTON: Really?
JUSTIN: Really! What do I have to lie for?! And besides, just look at her! I'm not in the wrong!
BRENTON: From what I was looking at, she was resisting while you insisted, so you are in the wrong. Better yet, let me ask her.
Brenton gazed back to Tara with more sincerity in his eyes, though intimidation masqueraded the emotion.
BRENTON: Were you willing about to have sex with this idiot? If so, then I will leave you two alone, but I recommend going to a clinic afterwards.
For a moment, she was speechless, but regained her voice almost an instant. If this young man would be her timely hero to rescue her from the monster known as "Justin", she was not going to waste any time in seizing the opportunity. When she answered, she tried to hide the relief from her voice.
TARA: No. He mistook me for a courtesan because of the makeup on my face and tried to have his way with me. When I resisted, he proceeded to insult and grapple me with force.
An eyebrow was raised as Brenton turned back to Justin, whose fear was so extensive that he was forced to release Tara.
BRENTON: Is that right? You know, Justin, you're pathetic. No matter what they look like, you seem to try your way with a woman, no matter what. Haven't you ever heard of the phrase, "No means 'no'"?
JUSTIN: ... A-And? Come on, Brenton, you know that when a girl says "no"-.
BRENTON: She means "yes".
Justin gulped when Brenton interrupted him.
BRENTON: I've heard that same claim before. I don't understand why assholes such as yourself try to justify that shit. A woman is to be respected, honored, loved, not treated as some animal with worms. So if I see you harrassing another female, better believe that your ass is grass.
Eventually, Julie and the rest of the group arrived in time to see the confrontation and found Tara moving back from the two. When the party recognized that Justin was present near Tara, the following reactions were defensive. Julie turns towards Tara, who turned back to her.
TARA: Grandmaster!
JULIE: Tara-san! Are you okay?
TARA: I-I'm fine. B-But...
BRENTON: Justin was about to rape her until I stopped him.
Those words enough ignited a flame into the group. They knew enough of Justin's actions that he was to be considered a pig beyond means, but never have they thought that he made it a habit into forcing females into submission. Julie ran towards Tara in attempt to comfort her, while Ashley, Clayton, and Ian marched towards Justin with heatful glares beaming straight at him, though Clayton's hardly affected him.
CLAYTON: You what?! What kind of person tries to rape someone they don't know?!
JUSTIN: We have met! She gave me her name and everything!
ASHLEY: And that warrants for you to try and have your way with her? I oughta smack that silly look off your face right now!
IAN: Leave. Now.
With that said, Justin departed, but not before turning back to Tara and winking at her, much to her disgust. Julie noticed the wink and glared at him, which further enticed his intriguement.
JUSTIN: By the way, Jill, or whatever, you know who to call.
Did he just call her "Jill"? This bastard didn't even give Julie the courtesy to ask for her name. Before she could say anything, he tossed her his wallet, causing her to gaze at the wallet and back at him.
JUSTIN: My address is on there. Maybe you and your friend there can have some fun with me.
Never has Julie been this livid before. Not only did he continue to flirt with her after their encounter and pronounced her name incorrectly, but he had nerve enough to suggest that the two "have some fun" at his place with Tara, and possibly Ashley, included, even tossing his wallet that held his home address and everything. Once he turned away, Julie picked up the wallet and approached a far but relatively close distance to him as he continued walking.
JULIE: As if I am that desperate to lower my standards by engaging in a night of passion with you! Also, my name is Julie, not "Jill", you pompous, presumptuous ass!
With great fury, she hurled the wallet directly at the back of his head.
-Hudson Diner-
CLAYTON: I didn't know how good your arm was until you socked Justin with his own wallet! You should consider joining the baseball team!
The group were sitting inside Hudson Diner, a family diner located inside the mall and made homecooked meals and was the city's favorite family diner. The group sat a table and waited for their orders to come. Ashley and Clayton sat at one side of the table while Ian, Julie, and Tara at the other, with Tara being placed in the middle. Julie found herself giggling by Clayton's recommendation and played along with his joke.
JULIE: You think? I never considered myself a great baseball player until you said something.
CLAYTON: Well, you could be the pitcher. The way you threw Justin's wallet at him, I could've sworn you threw a curveball!
JULIE: What can I say? I have a talent for curveballs!
The group shared into a cloister of laughter, except for Tara, which caused them to stop laughing and turn to her in confusion. The priestess quickly caught grasp of their confusion.
TARA: Oh! 'Twas a jest? Was I supposed to laugh?
She asked the question in a clear awkward tone of voice. The rest of the group laughed even more, much to her confusion. The makeup that Tara wore was washed off her face in the restroom by Julie and Ashley, who took time to comfort the priestess for what happened.
Julie couldn't help but to feel pity for the priestess. This was Tara's first experience into their realm and it had already started out rough; she had been insulted by a materialistic woman, violated by crazed makeup people, and almost been raped by the same jock who tried to have his way with Julie. Of course, she knew the last thing the young priestess needed was someone having pity on her. So in that respect, Julie decided to focus onto the main objective to their meeting: to discuss the events of last night.
Once everybody was settled and their meals were given, Julie proceeded with the discussion.
JULIE: Okay. We need to talk about what happened last night.
Just like that, the conversation took a serious turn.
ASHLEY: Right. Something was off last night. Normally, we could call on our Personas to summon us into Hofu, but we weren't able to last night, which was odd.
CLAYTON: Not to mention we had to fight off several Fiends without the use of our Personas and we had to rescue Ian before his Shadow killed him.
Ashley glanced towards Tara.
ASHLEY: Tara, have you found out what caused the events of last night? Will this happen more often?
Tara nods.
TARA: 'Tis likely. I've been reading a book that my grandmother had used before and found out that the events we were experiencing is known as "Black Tetris".
The name held much unfamiliarity, but the party was willing to know the meaning behind the event and what caused it.
IAN: What is this "Black Tetris"?
Before she answered, Tara removed her hood to show off her long black hair that was decorated the same way it was last night, minus the bead that tied the lower section of her hair as it fell straight without restriction.
TARA: Black Tetris is a phemonenon created by a group of cultists known as the "Legion of Five". In Marabard legend, the Legion of Five was a cult group of sorcerers who practiced the dark arts as a means of gaining more power. In daily life, they acted as normal people, but in the shadows, they held rituals where they coerced with demons, specifically on intimate levels, to gain power and wore black robes to conceal their identity. You see, the Legion of Five believed that with enough power granted, they could become more powerful than the Creator and become gods themselves. They had wished to overthrow the Creator and make the Heavens their kingdom to rule. The leader of the cult was a heretical sorcerer who believed that he was granted with the powers of the Creator to reshape the world, but his views were highly unusual. Instead of making good use for his powers, he instead turned on the Creator, believing he could reach the same level of godhood as Him. Many refused to associate with him, but there were four fools who were willing to test the limits of a god, unaware of the consequences later. One night, the cult had managed to summon a Greater Fiend and used their blood to fuel its power. In return, the Fiend granted them access to power beyond their own and they became powerful. However, with power as great as theirs, they turned on the Fiend who gave them their power, under the order of their leader. The Fiend was astonished. He had given them power beyond their wishes and they had turned on him just as quickly as they did the Creator. Of course, the Legion of Five could easily take on the Fiend, but they had forgotten that their powers came from him, so in return, he used his powers to set the power in their bloods to flames. The flames soon poured out from their veins, to their flesh, and to their skin, burning them alive. They all died, but the Fiend spared one of the cultists; a woman who had learned that she was carrying a child and asked the Fiend for mercy. In return, he spared her and allowed her to carry her child. When the Fiend left, the woman was so frightened by the events that she rushed home, grabbed one of her spellbooks and performed a time spell that not only stopped time, but made it so that anyone with special abilities could not use them. She was worried that with just enough special power, someone would probably be corrupted.
ASHLEY: But why did the woman stop time?
Tara shrugged.
TARA: I can't say. This is the Marabard legend that I am speaking from. In the Truenian legend, the woman tried to conceal the remaining power from her brethen out of fear that it may spread, but the spell backfired and shot to the sky, creating a loop in time that dispelled summoning magic, hence explaining how you all could not summon your Personas.
CLAYTON: What were their names? Or did these legends not say their names?
TARA: Of course they had names. They were people, just like you and me. However, under the Legion of Five, they used appellations, titles instead of names. Also, you must understand that there was only one woman in the cult and she was the one the Fiend spared. She was titled the "Witch of Mayhem".
ASHLEY: And what you're saying is that she created Black Tetris by concealing the powers of her deceased members as a means to disspell summoning magic?
She nods.
TARA: 'Twas a spell that was meant to eradicate the use of summoning completely. However, spells as great as the one she performed required a deal with the demon. You see, the spell she used did not work as she promised and it only caused her to stop time completely. Out of desperation, she attempted to call upon the Fiend, but remembered that calling upon him was what started the issue. Instead, she concentrated her magic onto a spell that would disspell summoning magic. It worked, but it caused an event that would not only stop time temporarily but disrupt summoning magic. Still, the use of such a power came a great cost: her humanity.
IAN: Her humanity? Do you mean physically or psychologically?
TARA: 'Twas psychological and emotional. After the birth of her child, she used her powers to create mayhem upon the world, thus relishing in her name "The Witch of Mayhem". Legend even says that she summoned Fiends as a means of invasion upon the world.
CLAYTON: But I thought she had stopped use summoning magic.
TARA: 'Tis before she lost her sanity. Once her sanity and humanity outlived their potential, she went against her previous prinicples to make claim on the world. The world of Rhayaba suffered at the hands of the Witch of Mayhem. Her reign lasted for a decade until the emperor of Truenia and empress of Jeravi sent their armies against her. In retaliation, she called upon her Fiends to attack the army; 'twas a bloody battle, but the empress and emperor fought alongside their charges. The emperor died in battle, but the empress dealt the final blow against the witch, killing her permanently, thus ending her reign. The Fiends retreated, but their existence did not cease.
Once the priestess finished, everybody looked at each other with anxious expressions. The story that was told to them was... disturbing. They never thought that the story behind Black Tetris held such gruesome and haunting details behind it.
ASHLEY: So it was the witch who created the Fiends?
Tara shook her head.
TARA: No. The Fiends existed before the witch, but resided in the underworld. You see, Fiends are the manifestations of man's worst fears. The witch used the fear of those she had terrorized as a means to summon them... and I believe the demon we're after is using the same process.
In an instant, the quiet atmosphere was replaced with astonishment.
TARA: 'Tis obvious, is it not? This demon is using Fiends to attack people and instill fear upon others. Also, he knows that we're aware of his intentions and used the spell to disrupt your abilities to summon your Personas in this realm during Black Tetris. However, I managed to counter it by summoning a vortex as a means to get from here to Hofu. Unfortunately, I know nothing of summoning, so the spell is slightly unstable and the vortex will appear in various areas from here, but I made certain it is somewhere that we are able to reach. After all, Black Tetris is but a momentary event. It will likely end each time we return back to this realm, but Fiends are now active during this time. But I will stay here to avoid being late. Last night, I had a hard time finding you all and reaching the vortex.
IAN: We were going to ask you that. Are you comfortable staying here? Where will you live?
TARA: You do not need to worry. My grandmother is from this world and has allowed me to stay with her. I told her of our situation and she says she would like to meet you all.
JULIE: Your grandmother knows about us? But does that mean she's a...?
TARA: A mage? Of course, but she has lived in this realm for most of her life. She keeps her spells a secret and owns a little shop here in the city. If you like, I will take you to her.
Before the group had managed to get up from their seats, the door far from them had opened and they all turned to see who it was. There, they spotted an unfamiliar young man carrying a bow in his hands, dressed in workout gear with a green windbreaker and a blue snapback on his head. He was an African-American young man with brown skin that was darker than Ashley's, short black hair styled in a buzzcut, and dark brown eyes that made his irises appear black altogether. Sweat fell from the corners of his face as he adjusted the strap of his gym bag to his needs.
He walked over to an empty seat by the bar and placed the bag on the seat. The woman who had taken their order stepped through the door from the kitchen to notice the young man. She smiled and walked up to him. He noticed her approaching presence and smiled as well.
WAITRESS: Hey, Devon! How was archery practice?
DEVON: Good. Coach said that he'll probably put me on the list for top recommended archers during the next time we go to a meet. How's grandpa?
The waitress gave him a sarcastic look.
WAITRESS: Boy, you know how that man is! He kept on asking 'bout you and when you was coming to work?! Lord, that Earl is somethin' else, I'll tell you! I told him, "He's at practice! How many times do I have to tell you that?!"
Devon chuckled a little.
DEVON: I told Grandpa that practice wasn't going to be long! Marvin didn't come to work today?
WAITRESS: No, baby, he didn't. Said somethin' 'bout having a cold or somethin'. Y'know, that man can lie more than a sinner in church, I tell ya! Anyway, baby, go get dressed and help your grandfather with the food before he starts cussing again!
DEVON: Oh Lord. Alright.
Devon walked around the bar to the end, pushed the door to pass through and left behind the door to the bathroom to change. The waitress, whom the party assumed to be his grandmother, was called by her Earl.
EARL: Wanda! Come here, woman! I need some help!
An irritated sigh escaped the old woman's lips as she brushed back her thick black hair and walked into the kitchen. Out of the rest of the party, Julie was probably more unfamiliar with Devon than the others, though they could only say little about him. Failing to keep her curiosity restrained, she sought to the others for the means of it being sated.
JULIE: Who was he?
CLAYTON: Devon Williams. He's a sophomore, like us, but none of us have the same class with him.
ASHLEY: He's also a member of the Archery Team at school and I hear he's pretty good in archery as well. He has won a total of five meets this year and won seven last year.
An impressed look surfaced on Julie's face.
JULIE: Wow! He's pretty skilled. But what about his parents? Where are they?
ASHLEY: His mother died when he was seven. I was told by some of my friends that it was because of a drive-by and she got caught in the crossfire of the bullets. As for his father, I can't say. From what I know, he hardly talks about his father.
IAN: Still, everyone says that he takes archery seriously and always comes to practice with a smile on his face.
CLAYTON: Well, if you're that skilled in something, why not show off a little cockiness?
The conversation ceased once Devon exited from the bathroom and walked to the kitchen, closing the door behind him. As he walked away, Julie observed him closer and couldn't help but to feel that underneath his joyful exterior lied something that he was keeping to himself. The part that he never talked about his father struck something inside of her.
-Downtown Minneapolis-
-Herbs and Grains-
The four followed Tara into a small store that held various plants, flowers, and herbs inside of it. On some shelves, there was bread, rice, and other nutritional food products that were meant for healthy eating or drinking. Everything in the store was designed with small stars flying across the walls and hanging from the ceiling. The floor was made from marble and the atmosphere of the store was... mystical. There was a cash register and a shelf of cakes that were perfectly designed and baked.
Tara turned back to the party, causing them to avert their glances to her.
TARA: Please wait while I get grandmother. Do not worry, she's really nice and would like to meet you.
She paced ahead and went through the purple curtains on the door. Meanwhile, Clayton leaned over to Ashley's ear.
CLAYTON: How do you think her grandmother will look? She'll probably be wrinkled with nothing but gray hair.
She jabbed him in the shoulder with her elbow.
ASHLEY: Be nice! Besides, we do not know how she'll look.
CLAYTON: Yeah. But I've seen movies like this. The older, wise woman is usually an elderly woman with a scratchy old voice, wrinkles, and gray hair.
However, Tara returned and behind her was a beautiful and healthy woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties. She had long black hair that was worn the same way as Tara and wore a red robe with a lavender short dress and brown gladiator boots. She wore a beaded necklace around her neck and beads around her wrist that were worn the same as Tara's. She had a smile on her face as she approached the party, which immediately astonished the group. Though they would never admit it, they were actually starting to believe Clayton on the woman's appearance, but never expected for her to appear so... young. This woman was her grandmother?
TARA: Everyone, this is my grandmother, Nadina. She's a mage like myself and wishes to help us in our search for the demon. Grandmother, this is our my... friends.
Nadina turned to her granddaughter and back to the party, acknowledging their presence. The woman was taller than her grandmother and was above Ashley's height, but was no taller than Ian. She moved to them and introduced herself.
NADINA: 'Tis a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Nadina and I am indeed Tara's grandmother.
CLAYTON: Umm... If I may ask, how old are you? You look a little young to be a grandmother.
The woman giggled by his comment.
NADINA: *giggles* How very flattering! Thank you, but I do not look as young as you think. I am only 300 years old.
CLAYTON: Oh. Really- WHAT?!
ASHLEY: 300 years old?! But you hardly looked aged!
NADINA: 'Tis a commonality in our realm. You see, people can live up to a thousand years and more if fate precedes it so. However, to you, I guess I would be in my mid-thirties.
JULIE: But if you're 300 years old, then Tara-san, how old are you?
Everyone looked at Tara, who held a nervous grin on her face as she stepped beside her grandmother.
TARA: *nervous laughter* Well, in this realm, I am 14 years old, but in my realm... I'm 70 years old.
And after what seemed like an eternity of astonishment and shock, Tara was finally able to reset the group on their initial focus.
TARA: Anyway, Grandmother, I thought it would be nice if I were to introduce you to my friends. Since I will be staying in this realm, I wanted you to meet them.
She introduced the party to her and Nadina looked back at her granddaughter with an elated smile on her face, turning back to the party.
NADINA: I was told by my granddaughter that you all have the ability to summon Personas. 'Tis it true?
They all nodded.
NADINA: Then you must know of the danger that awaits you.
And like that, the entire atmosphere shifted as Nadina took on a serious note.
NADINA: The monster you are searching for is fueling his power by instilling fear onto others. Your Personas grants you all the strength necessary to fight the monster, but you will not win unless your true potential is shown.
IAN: Our true potential? What do you mean? Just how powerful is the demon?
Nadina fell silent before answering, causing the anxiety of the group to rise ever-so slightly, but noticeably.
NADINA: Powerful beyond the means of godhood.
The party fell in shock. Was the demon they were after that powerful? What power did it hold to make it so frightening that Nadina's speech was dire? They knew that the demon would be of great power, but never of power that they felt they were unable to handle.
CLAYTON: But we have Personas.
NADINA: But your Personas are still in a weak state.
CLAYTON: What?!
NADINA: You see, the Personas you all carry are but babes in comparison. They may be strong, but their true power and form have yet to awaken. You were able to fight against the Shadows born from you all, but you and Personas must grow stronger if you want any chance of defeating the demon. As long as your Personas are in the state they are in, you won't defeat the demon and all life as we know it will be doomed forever.
A clear wave of fear washed over the party like a wave. Nadina's words stuck to their minds as they processed all that she had said. Their Personas were still new, so their true power has not yet shown. Unless the party could strengthen the power of their Persona, the world would face possible armageddon. The thought of all life vanquishing by the power of a demon with godlike abilities was indeed a frightening one. How could four teenagers and a teenage priestess with magical powers face off against a powerful demon and rise as victors for their tales to be told? Right now, they were powerless.
However...
JULIE: Then that's what will we do.
Her voice broke everyone away from their train of thought as they thought about the likeliness of dying under a demon. Nadina's serious expression changed to one of shock as she turned to the young girl. They noticed that a smile surfaced on her face, much to their surprise. They were told about the dangers of their journey, but... she held a faithful look on her face.
TARA: Huh?
Julie closed her eyes and reopened them, a gleam so bright that the party stood in observation and wonder. There was hope in her eyes.
JULIE: We will grow stronger, search for the demon, fight against the Fiends, and save mankind from the brink of destruction. After all, we know who we are going to face and we know it won't be easy. Even if we reach the extent of our power, we may struggle, but I guarantee that we won't fall.
TARA: Grandmaster?
ASHLEY: Julie...
JULIE: I know, but we can't afford the luxury of doubt. We don't know when the demon will arrive, but we'll be prepared. Nadina, do you know?
As her name was called, Nadina snapped back to reality and answered the young woman.
NADINA: I can't say, but I have an item that allows me to keep track of the coming day. However, it will be long before the demon appears.
JULIE: Then through that time, we must work together. We're not doing for recognition or self-glory. We're doing this because the fate of mankind now lies in our hands. We must assure that the fate of mankind is saved by the likes of this demon by leaping in action whereas those unlike us cannot. The events may have changed and now we hold no possible way of knowing who will be the next victim to enter into Hofu, but we cannot afford to not act. I refuse to allow my realm and everyone I know and love to perish.
As she finished her speech, the party looked at each other and turned back to her, now bearing looks of hope and resolve. Ashley approached Julie and extended her hand out, shaking hands with the other girl.
ASHLEY: You're right and I'm in. I may not think highly of myself sometimes, but I refuse to let death claim me when I can still fight!
CLAYTON: Same here! I know how it feels to lose something important, but mankind is important as well! I may not be the strongest and sometimes most courageous, but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit by and watch the world perish!
IAN: We're all standing as a team in this effort! It will be long, but we're the only ones who can enter into Hofu and fight the Fiends! We must be prepared!
JULIE: Right! Tara?
The party turned to the priestess, who turned to her grandmother. Nadina gave a gracious nod to her granddaughter, which helped to inspire hope into the priestess. Nodding at her, Tara walked over to the group and bowed before them.
TARA: 'Twould be my honor to continue my assistance in finding the demon. I'm sure my powers will be of great support on our journey!
Once everyone was set on their common goal, they huddled into a circle and placed their hands into one, although they had to explain to Tara on what they were doing.
CLAYTON: That reminds me! What do we call ourselves now that we're a team?! I've been thinking about the "Supernatural Hunters"!
ASHLEY: Bad name, but mines is no better.
Everyone else agreed with Clayton's suggestion, the acclaim the name gathered bringing a warm smile to his face. Then Ashley turned to Julie.
ASHLEY: Also, no team can operate without a leader, so I recommend that you be our leader?
Julie looked back at Ashley with a surprised expression and glanced over to Ian, Clayton, and Tara, noticing the approval on their faces.
JULIE: You want me as leader?
ASHLEY: Well, you have given us hope and have been pulling the strings ever since all of this happened. We feel it be only right that you're the leader of the group.
JULIE: Then... I accept.
The group dipped their hands down and lifted them high into the air, shouting with courage as they become a team: the Supernatural Hunters.
A/N: That is the end of Act 10. Now the Supernatural Hunters have risen, but there will be more allies to come. If you're wondering about Brenton and Devon, they will be added to the group as well along with a female student. Tara has joined and her Persona will be received later in the chapter. Apart from the main story, I will be adding trivia pages to keep you guys informed about certain elements of the story, characters, setting, and history. Plus, there will be extra scenes! Review!