King Kong 2005 Part 4
Time to sail to Skull Island.
Disclaimers: I own nothing
At the Vale docks during the night, a crowed docks, a clutter of ships and shanty towns. A taxi cab drives onto the docks. Bart Oobleck hops out and holds the door open for Willow, who emerges carrying a battered suitcases. Willow stares at a large ocean going liner that rises above her.
"Is this the moving picture ship?" Willow ask awestruck.
"Not exactly ... it's actually this one over here." Oobleck answered while striding towards a rusty battered tramp steamer on the other side of the wharf which is "The Venture".
"Really!?" Qrow said after seeing the ship.
"Well cannot always expected a good ship", Tai said to him.
"Very true, in the depression era, we don't always get good ships", Winter said to him.
"Don't let appearances deceive you. It's much more spacious on board." Oobleck said to Willow
"Haul away ...", rough looking sailors are working hard to get the boat under way. Hurried activity everywhere, crates being loaded; smoke begins pouring from the stacks ... Oobleck crosses and talks to Mike and Herb who stand next to some film gear.
"Is this all of the equipment? This is all of it? We're taking the Bell and Howell? Good. You got all the lenses, you got the two and the six?" Oobleck asked his crew.
"Bart!"
"Yes."
"Oobleck"
"Get it on board, fellas. Come on." Preston said to Mike and Herb, Preston hurrying down the gangway. He rushes up to Oobleck, his eyes flick to Willow, but he pulls Bart to one side.
"They're on their way. I've just had word." Preston said a urgent whisper to Bart
"Who?" Oobleck ask who's coming.
"Men in uniform. The studio called the Vale Police!" What Preston said and whispered made a flash of fear crosses Bart's face ... Bart calls across to a tall figure who is supervising the loading of the ship.
"Oh no, looks like those bad investors wants to have Bart arrested for defiance against shutting down production", Peter said knowing why.
"Well those investors are just thugs", James commented.
"Well they better get going soon before they get there", Winter said that they need leave now before they arrive.
"Ironwood! Cast off! Hoist up the mainsail, raise the anchor, whatever the hell it is you do, we gotta leave." Bart tells Ironwood who's the captain of the Venture they must leave now.
"I cannot do that ... we're waiting on the manifest." James said that they cannot leave just yet until the manifest arrives
"What? Who? English please!" Bart not understanding what James means by that.
"Paperwork, Mr. Oobleck." Ironwood answers dryly and Bart leans in conspiratorially.
"I highly believes there is any time for that", James said after what his screen self said.
"I'll give you another thousand to leave right now." Bart said in a low voice.
"You haven't given me the first thousand yet." Ironwood muttered and Bart glances at Willow, flustered and embarrassed.
"I don't think bribing me is going to work anyway", James commented knowing he's probably not going work at all.
"Well he can at least try it", Glynda said to him.
"Can we talk about this later. Can't you see we're in the company of a VIP guest?" Bart said and James's gaze falls upon Willow.
"Ma'am..."
"Willow Schnee." Willow introduce herself to Captain James Ironwood.
"So you are ready for this voyage, Miss Schnee?" Captain Ironwood ask if Willow is ready for this voyage.
"Sure..." Willow answered.
"Nervous?" Ironwood ask if Willow is nervous about this voyage.
"Nervous no. Why? Should I be?" Willow looks taken aback.
"It isn't every woman who would take such a risk." James answered for the question in the first place.
"Really James?"
"Sorry about that Willow, but I would ask any civilian women if they can get nervous is such a voyage."
"Hey Willow is the actress here because Bart choose her", Glynda commented as a reminder.
"We all know that Glynda", Ozpin said to her
Bart throws Preston a look!
"Why don't I show Miss Schnee to her cabin?" Preston asked Bart while hurriedly along.
"Wonderful idea, thank you, Preston." Bart said.
"Miss Schnee, if you'd just Hi, my name is Preston, Bart's assistant." Preston introduce himself to Willow while Bart pulls his cheque book from his jacket pocket.
"Two thousand, it's a deal ... Will you take a cheque?" Bart said while convincing James to take the deal.
"Do I have a choice?" James ask but he might as well take it anyway.
"Something tells me I might as well go for it", James commented knowing the look in screen self.
"It does look like it", Qrow commented.
"Since when do you take something like that as if it was a bribery?" Roman ask but James as nothing to say.
Onboard the Venture Preston goes to lead Willow up the gang way past some rough looking sailors, onto the ship.
"Please, follow me. If there's anything that you need ... 'excuse me fellas, if there's anything that you need please don't hesitate to ... ask ..." Preston turns back to see Willow hesitating at the bottom of the gang way, an unnerved expression on her face, Willow steps forward ... Deep breath, she follows Preston.
In the engine room, beefy sailors shovel coal into the ship's furnace ... another cranks a valve on the pistons. In Oobleck's cabin, Bart enters his Cabin looking flustered. He is startled to find Jaune Arc waiting for him. Jaune is a writer , well dressed in a shabby sort of way.
"Jaune is here now", Saphron said.
"Writer too", Pyrrha commented.
"I guess Jaune was inform to be on the Venture", Velvet said knowing how did Jaune know.
"Monty, Jaune, you scared me!" Bart crosses to a cabinet and breaks into a crate of Johnny Walker.
"Listen, if anyone comes to the door, don't open it. You haven't seen me ... say I got depressed and committed suicide. Say I stuck my head down a toilet!" Bart tells him holding up a bottle.
"You want one?"
"No! I can't stay, Bart. I have a rehearsal for which I am now ..." Jaune checks his watch.
"3 hours late." Jaune said after seeing the time and he throws a few script pages across the table.
"What's this?" Bart ask about all those papers
"It's the script." Jaune answered.
"This is a script? Jaune ... this is fifteen pages." Bart said after seeing how many are there.
"That feels like if it's going to be short", Weiss commented on seeing many pages.
"Yeah it should be more then that", Blake said knowing it should more pages for the script.
"I know, but they're good! You've got fifteen good pages there, Bart!" Jaune answered.
"I'm supposed to be making a feature length picture." Bart said what it's supposed to be.
"You told me I had more time. I'm sorry. Look I gotta go." Jaune said and he has to leave now.
"Jaune no, you can't do this to me! I have a beginning but I need a middle and an end! I gotta have something to shoot." Bart protest as the ship's engine roar into life and Jaune stands to leave.
"You got my notes, I gotta go. See you." Jaune said as Bart looking dismayed. He stares blankly at the rush of activity through the porthole window behind Jaune.
"So, what now?" Jaune wonders what Bart is going to next.
"To be honest, I believe Bart would just bribed Jaune too, just like James", Ozpin took a guess what Bart is going to do to keep Jaune in the Venture.
"How typical", Glynda commented.
The Venture's crew hurriedly release ropes in preparation for the ship's imminent departure. Bart's expression slowly changes.
"Alright, fine. We might as well settle up." Bart said and Jaune looks astonished as Bart pulls out his cheque book.
"You're going to pay me?" Jaune ask if that's Bart is going to do.
"I'm not going to stiff a friend." Bart answered.
"I've never known you to volunteer cash before ..." Jaune said that he never seen Bart do that before.
"How does two grand sound?" Bart ask because he's offering him 2 grand.
"Sounds great!" Jaune accepts it.
"Jaune I can't believe you accept that", Pyrrha said to him.
"Well here my counterpart and Professor Oobleck are friends", Jaune said to her.
"Yes", Hakaze said to them.
"Thought it might." Bart's eyes flick to the window ... sees sailors are hauling up the gangplank.
A sailor cranks a series of valves as the ship's pistons crank in to life. Bart signs the cheque, and hands it over with a flourish.
"Voila!" Bart said signing with a flourish and Jaune snatches the cheque and turns to leave.
"Thanks..." Jaune said and glances at it that something wasn't right.
"Bart ... you've written "Two Grand"." Jaune said Bart takes the cheque back.
"Oh you screwed it up", Glynda commented.
"Sorry."
"So I did ... Sorry about that. Let's start from the beginning. Two Thousand Dollars." Bart corrects it while the ship's pistons pump faster. Bart looks up at Jaune, a confused look on his face.
"It is the 29th, isn't it?" Bart asked about the date.
"Come on, it's the 25th, Bart, the 25th!" Jaune corrects Bart in anxious way.
Next Jaune suddenly realizes the ship is about to leave.
"Oh your stalling him", Saphron said knowing Jaune will leave anyway after he gets paid.
"And so he has to stall him so he can get Jaune to stay onboard", Pyrrha said and so that means Jaune will be staying onboard.
"I'm sorry. Let me just ... It'll just take a second." Bart screws up the cheque again! The vibrations of the engines picks up. Jaune heads for the door!
"Never mind, pay me when you get back!" Jaune said to him.
"Alright ... okay ..." Bart said knowing.
"He is so not leaving the ship", Yang commented knowing that Bart as stalled Jaune long enough for him to stay onboard.
In the engine room, the ship's gauges springs into action. In the Venture stern, crane down the stern of the ship as the propeller kicks into action. A the ship's corridor, Mercury Black walking along the corridor, with Preston following behind laden with luggage. Mercury is quick witted, sophisticated and charming, but his career as a screen actor has badly stalled.
"Tough luck for you Mercury", Emerald snickers at him for that.
"Oh shut your face Emerald!" Mercury counters.
"Your cabin's just down here, Mr. Black. May I say how excited we are to have you back with us, Sir." Preston said to him as Jaune is hurrying down the corridor towards the door. He feels the ship moving! He suddenly collides with Mercury, who thrusts a suitcase at him.
"Be a sport and lend us a hand." Mercury said to Jaune.
"Oh, Monty!" Jaune looks desperately out of the porthole, doubles back and bolts away.
"Appreciate the help, fella." Mercury said dryly.
"Let me get the door for you, welcome to your state room sir." Preston said to him.
In Mercury's cabin, Mercury is clearly unimpressed with the tiny cabin. He reacts to the smell.
"You call that a cabin, it's so small and it smells", Mercury complains about it.
"Get use to it Mercury", Emerald told him.
"At least when they get to the island", Cinder said knowing they will be at Skull Island.
"I know, that's not a nice smell is it? I'm sure it'll disperse in a day or two. Did I ever mention how much I love your work, Mr. Black? I've seen every one of your pictures ... even the silent ones." Preston talked about many things Mercury as done with Bart.
"I haven't made any silent ones." Mercury gently closes the door in Preston's face, leaving him silently cursing to himself in the corridor.
In the Venture wheelhouse, the propeller churns through the water. Ironwood watches the Venture pull away from the dock. Satisfied, he enters the wheelhouse.
"Dead slow ahead both, Mr. Coal." James said to Flynt Coal who was one of the crew of the Venture.
"Dead slow ahead both, Captain." Flynt said to him.
"Oh my Flynt your a member of the Venture's crew", Neon said after seeing her teammate Flynt as a member of the crew.
"I can see that Neon."
"Also, Flynt was a former Soldier that aided the Republic Clone Army against the CIS Droid Army. Now he's retired for a normal job as a sailor", Hakaze explains Flynt's background in the film.
Next scene Jaune merges from the labyrinthine ship interior and rushes to the rail of the ship, he freezes in horror!
"Oh Monty!" The ship is pulling away from the dock 6 feet, 7 feet ... Jaune contemplates jumping for a moment.
"Dang!" Well Jaune doe not.
"Almost got out Jaune", Pyrrha compliments him for that.
"Yeah, almost did", Jaune said to her.
"Well you know Professor Oobleck wanted you to be part of the film and he didn't want you to leave", Ruby said knowing that Oobleck really wanted Jaune to be part of the film anyway.
Back at the docks, Vale police cars race along the docks towards the Venture, sirens wailing. In the Venture deck, Jaune slumps on the deck in despair. He's missed his chance to get off the ship. Bart steps up behind Jaune, just as a Vale Police Car, followed by Zelman and the investors pull up on the docks in the distances.
"Oh look who decided to show up", Blake said after see the Vale police along with those bad investors.
"But too late", Nora said laughing along some of the audiences.
"They lose", Ruby commented that the bad investors lose because there is now they can catch up with Oobleck now.
"I keep telling you, Jane, there's no money in theatre." Bart said as the investors leaps out of the car back at the docks.
"No, no, no!" The sleazy shouts in frustration for failing to upper hand Bart Oobleck.
"Nice try, but you won't get to Bart anymore", Qrow said laughing.
"But the journey to Skull Island begins", Hakaze said because the ship will be sailing Skull Island now.
End
Coming up next, the voyage to Skull Island.