1
"Aight, Timmy..." Tempest says within their speeding blur, zooming in on the cemetary gates. "This is where ya need ta get in dat Hummer n scoot."
Tempest swats Timmy's pocket and out pops the Amulet Of Legends. Timmy looks down to see Tempest is putting the Amulet of Legends away, as they fly through the cemetary gates and out in to the street. Tempest reaches out and grabs the edge of the gate and releases Timmy, who goes sprawling to the hood of the Hummer with a thunderous crash.
Timmy looks up into a startled Rob's eyes.
"GO, MAN!" Timmy pounds the hood of the Hummer. "GO!"
Rob stomps the accelerator and the Hummer is in motion.
Tempest is trying to slow himself, with the yanked off cemetary gate in his hand. He turns to see the zombies are pouring out of the cemetary gates. He hurls the gate like a frisbee, knocking some zombies to the ground, aggravating others. Some, even in their deadness, were able to avoid the incoming gate, as it crashes inside the cemetary behind them.
Tempest runs down the curve of the street to in front of the club, where he finds the motorcycle left for him. He hears the muffled clank of a metal latch. He looks up and to his astonishment, Miss Music is closing her yard gate and she looks up and smiles when she sees Tempest.
"Good morning, Tempest." Miss Music smiles.
"Would ya like a ride ta work, this mornin?" Tempest tries to smile, best he can, trying not to seem anxious or give away the fact that the street behind them was filled with attacking zombies.
"Why, thank you, Tempest." Miss Music agrees, as she walks over to the motorcycle and hops over the back of the seat.
Tempest cranks the motorcycle to life and revs the engine.
"Hold on, sweetness."Tempest warns and guns the engine.
A little startled yelp escapes Miss Music, as the motorcycle is blazing down the street with extreme speed.
"You're going to pass..." Miss Music began. "You passed it! Is there any in particular reason why you're going so fast?"
A leather gloved thumb points directly behind them both.
"Them." Tempest said, maintaining the motorcycle handlebars.
Miss Music turns around to see an armada of rotten bodies running after them with alarming speed.
"I totally understand now!!!" Miss Music says, tightening her grip around Tempest's waist with her arms.
"Yer gonna hafta come up here , sweetness." Tempest says. "They're gonna try ta take ya."
"Why do they want me?" Miss Music asked.
"Explain it when we safe."Tempest assured Music. "Right now, ease yer legs around me n' get up here where I can protect ya."
Miss Music slowly and steadily makes the transition from behind Tempest on the motorcycle, to in front of him and facing him. Her arms lock onto his waist tightly and her eyes scan the tinted shades.
"Atta diva." Tempest winks. "Now hold on, this gonna get ugly."
Tempest whips out a pistol with his right hand and fires it, as a zombie roars and clutches fer Miss Music. It's head explodes and it's body begins to skid along the street, as others trip over it, trample over it and keep the pursuit. He wills his scythe to life with his left hand and does a complete circular motion around his head, sweeping the feet of two jumping zombies, causing them to flop to the tromping feet of the hordes of zombies that chased them.
The scythe is willed away and his left hand returns to the handlebar. Tempest fires two more shots at attacking zombies and has to holster the pistol to manuever the speeding motorcycle down the upcoming curves.
Miss Music gently lowers the tinted shades of Tempest's down to where she could see his light brown eyes had a hint of prismatic smoke dancing within them.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Music asked.
"I'm here ta protect ya." Tempest assured her.
A series of harsh turns ensue and with each harsh turn, Tempest manned the handlebars with the opposite hand and held onto Music's waist with the other. Tempest's light brown and smoky eyes look forward with a bit of unpleasantness.
"What?" Music asks.
"Don't look, just hold onto me." Tempest says, unsheathing a pistol in each hand for a moment, unleashing an array of shots, as nearing zombies are droppin in their steps.
Tempest sheathes the pistols as the blaring air horn of the eighteen wheeler begins to deafen everything around them. He leans to his left hard, tipping the bike with him. His left arm completely under Miss Music as she is horizontal with the ground and mere inches above it as it speeds under her. His right arm mans the handlebars. His left boot is their anchor, it's scuff mark leaving a trail behind.
Music's eyes grasp the fact that they are passing the underneath side of an eighteen wheeler's trailer. Huge metallic thuds can be heard, as the pursuing zombies are all crashing into the trailer. Music's eyes can see the bright morning sky again and Tempest stomps the ground and whips the motorcycle upright. Music bounces up and plops down in Tempest's lap with an astonished little gasp.
"I'm guessing that wasn't the gas cap." Music blushes.
Tempest sneers, pushing his tinted shades back over his eyes, as he speeds along the street, Music watching the wreck between the eighteen wheeler and the zombies from over Tempest's shoulder.
"We need somewhere safe to go for a while."Tempest says, hoping for a suggestion.
"To the lagoon." Music says. "I have friends there."
2
Helly and Ice King have regrouped after the escapeof the Amulet Of Legends from the Holy Grounds. Ice King is furious, as he keys his radio and finally the jammed frequency is clear for transmission.
"All units, be advised. It has begun." Ice King says, gritting his furious teeth. "I repeat. It has begun."
Ice King releases the key to his radio and Helly comes up to her lover and gives him a warm and submissive hug.
"Ya gonna be fine, lover." Helly promised her Ice King. "Da full moon's a comin."
Ice King looks down at his loving significant other with a smile. She was indeed correct. The full moon was coming...and all would be fine. He kisses her lips ever so gently with an evil sneer.
"You're absolutely right, my love."Ice King smiles. "Only a matter of time."
Suddenly, the radio cackles in...
"...speeding southbound towards the lagoon!" the radio voice crackled.
Helly and Ice King exchange a smile, as they enter their beat up squad car, fire it to life and screech away from the gates of the Holy Grounds. As they slowly make their way out of the cemetary gates, they see Darkus, with his summoned zombie queens amongst the mayhem.
Ice King pulls up next to Darkus.
"I should have known, Darkus." Ice King smiles.
Sinz and Dakota both hiss at Ice King.
"You don't know the half of it, Ice King." Darkus assures Ice King.
"Well, I know the amulet got away." Ice King sighs.
Darkus rolls his eyes in disgust.
"But, we know where it's going."Helly grins.
Darkus turns with interest.
"I'm listening." Darkus says.
3
A brilliant day at the lagoon. The sun is warm in the morning sky, without a cloud to disturb it. The water is calm and cool, as Niagra slips out of her sandals and tests the water with her bare foot. She had been swimming mornings here for years. She drops her towel and slowly steps into the water for her morning swim. She walks out waist deep and drops to her knees and tilts her head back, wetting her hair and then standing once again. She clears water from her face and that's when the brilliant flash overcame her and then the low rumbling became impactious.
She felt herself thrust back into the water, as a thunderous wave overcame her...
4
"...all units, be advised. Meteorite has struck lagoon." the radio crackled. "Repeat. Meteorite has struck lagoon."
Ice King looks over at Helly.
Helly grins.
"I think this is going to be too easy."Ice King grins wickedly.
"Indeed, baby."Helly agrees. "Indeed."
5
Tempest pulls up to the Miami Diastillery and pauses, as the flaming streak across the sky crashes into the edge of the lagoon.
"What on Earth?" Music asks.
"Go inside." Tempest says softly. "We need to stay outta sight fer now."
Music enters the club and the cool blast of air conditioning hits her. Tempest slowly follows her in and secures the door behind them.
"Hello?" Music calls out to the empty club.
"Not open yet." a young voice calls out, as Strawbeery returns to view from the cooler.
"Think I know that, girlie." Music winks and Strawberry smiles.
"Hey, Auntie!" Strawberry smiles and her eyes catch Tempest behind her "And...who...is that?"
Music glances back at Tempest with a smile.
"That's Tempest." Music smiles. "Where's Dia?"
"She's in the office, with Stills." Strawberry says, double checking Tempest uneasily.
"Go let them know I'm here." Music says softly.
Stills and Dia were already on their way out from the office area.
"My God, and it hit the lagoon!" Dia is talking into the cordless phone, as she walks out to the open club window, where you could see everything from there, including the lagoon shoreline.
Stills stands next to her with binoculars, scouting the shoreline.
"I've never seen anything like it!" Stills says softly. "We're going to be packed tonight! People are going to want to see what's going on from up here."
Strawberry and Music join Stills and Dia in the huge bay window of the club, looking down at the lagoon shoreline.
"Unbelievable!" Stills exclaims out loud.
"What?" Dia asked, muffling the cordless phone.
"There's...a...woman...down there!" Stills points.
Tempest slowly approaches the window and lets his eyes focus down on the shoreline, where Stills was pointing.
"What?" Dia's eyes crinkle, looking down at the shoreline. "Wow! There is! Oh, but look, there's a cop car coming, she'll be just fine."
Tempest notices that the cop car is missing a driver's door.
6
Ice King and Helly get out of the driver's doorless squad car and slowly approach the kneeling woman. Their eyes crinkle as little illuminances of orange scatter and disappear. She slowly stands.
"I...think...it took the breath out of me." Niagra coughed, her hands feel the back of her neck to make sure her hair covered the back of her neck.
"I'm sure it did." Ice King says softly. "Are you allright?"
"Why...yes..." Niagra says, with a slight smile, her eyes turn upwards towards them as she rises to her feet. Her eyes flash a bright orange for a moment. "I think everything is going to be just fine."
Ice King and Helly look at each other a little confused and then back at Niagra.
"Are ya sure, honey?" Helly asks Niagra. "Ya about got run overed by a meteorite."
"I've never been more positive about anything in my life." Niagra smiles. "I feel like I could swim the entire lagoon!"
Ice King strolls over towards the edge of the smoldering crater and peeks in. It appears that whatever orange slime-like substance that was in the meteor burned up uopn impact.
Ice King does notice there was some form of flow from the impact. His wolf like eyes follow those trails to where Niagra stands.
"Are you sure, you're okay, Miss..."Ice King asks.
"Sure." Niagra said. "Odd as it seems, I can't think of a time when I ever felt better."
"Maybe you should come with us and we get you checked out." Ice King suggests.
"Just to be on the safe side." Helly agrees.
"If you insist, officer."Niagra agrees.
Ice King's eyes resurvey the tracks from the meteor to where Niagra stands.
"I think it would be wise." Ice King nods, leaning into his shoulder mic. "Lagoon shoreline. Send paramedics. Repeat. Lagoon shoreline. Send paramedics."
Niagra's eyes briefly glow orange and she whispers in some ancient dialect that Ice King clearly understands after years of studying it.
"It is near." Niagra whispers in this ancient dialect. "I can feel it. It is near."
Niagra's glowing orange eyes fade, as she looks up towards the strip mall above them, unaware she was even whispering.
Ice King's eyes shift up towards the strip mall and grins wickedly.
7
"Whoa." Stills said, with a chill in his voice. "I think she looked up here at me."
"She did." Tempest said coldly. "And that ain't good."
He slowly pulls da Amulet Of Legends from his pocket to feel it's warmth even in his leather gloved hand...and how it was slowly pulsing in an orange glow....
