{Complete darkness, as Tako rises from the bottom of the ground of the blackness. Red darkness shrouds the far corners of the blackness. Tako starts to look around with an anxiety that seemed to prepare him for whatever was to come. He then turns straight ahead, or what appeared to be straight ahead in this directionless pit. His head tilts, and his eyes glow red again as he braces himself and clutches his fists. An echoing voice clouds him.}
VOICE: Tako, where is Jester?
TAKO: Show yourself!
VOICE: Oh, Tako. Do you really believe I must unveil myself before the likes of you? WHERE IS HE?
TAKO: I'm... going to get him. Don't worry!
VOICE: You wouldn't be trying to stall me, would you?
TAKO: ... No.
(From above, a figure begins to form. Tako starts to make out wings expanding as far as his eyes could see. The figure becomes translucent, as Tako can now make out a human-like figure in between the wings as it gets closer. But no features of specificity show. The Figure descends upon Tako, and floats slightly above his face making face - to - figure contact. Blackness is all Tako could make out from the face.)
THE FIGURE: Bring him to me.
(Tako is now intimidated. Attempting to not look directly into the fearing Figure.)
TAKO: Yes.
{Tako looks back up tentatively as he then makes out a finger being pointed directly at his forehead. Suddenly, Tako feels a thrust through his body pushing his soul back. His vision is spun and streamed into a spectacle of white and grey lights. He finds himself back on his mattress as his eyes swiftly open exposing the fear of what he had just experienced. A nightmare beyond compare.}
*RING, RING, RING*
{His heart skips a beat when he turns to the right of his mattress, and realizes it is his cell phone now ringing. He lifts it, inspects it, and then he answers.}
JESTER: Tako, we've just arrived!
{[Jester and Davidson exit the far too crowded airport way onto the sidewalk where they found site of a cab. They take the cab into the city where they checked in at a lavish and expensive hotel on Pinaii Island. That's when Jester called Tako.}
JESTER: Yes, meet us by the pool of the Pinaii Hotel. We'll be down by the pool.
{Davidson sits in a chair in Jester's beautiful hotel room and shakes his head at the statement Jester had just made. The duvet spread on the King-sized mattress was golden. The sheet spread underneath was pure white. The carpet, ivory. Yellow lights on the walls to be sure the room had light in all corners.}
JESTER: Sounds good. Alright, see you there. Chaó.
{Jester turns around in his vacation shirt; pink with pineapples, and tan short shorts. He instantly becomes stale with Davidson.}
JESTER: You wearing that to the pool?
DAVIDSON: Jester, we do not have time for this.
JESTER: We're just going to have brunch, and a few drinks. Tako is coming so we can discuss our plan. And you are not wearing that to the pool. Get up. We're going down to the gift shop to pick you up some clothes.
{Davidson was wearing a gold watch with a long sleeve sweater that seemed 20 years old. His pants were sweatpants, baggy, and navy blue. Davidson looks down at his fit in complete disagreement, but inside, he knew what he wore was not fitting for a vacation styled setting.}
DAVIDSON: What's wrong with what I'm wearin'?
(They both go down to the gift shop, together, and collectively decide on a navy blue short sleeved shirt that exposed Davidson's clavicles and the gold chain he wore. Black short shorts were the decision below with black sandals. After deciding on Davidson's attire, they head out to the pool area where it seemed as though the entire hotel residency resided. Jester and Davidson find an empty sitting at a table that had just been cleaned by the hotel services.)
DAVIDSON: There, Jester. Fresh, cleaned table.
(They both parch down. The silver finished table had an umbrella. with silver reclining lawn chairs for relaxation. Jester leaned back in his seat with his amber shades looking up at the people around, and then to the sun.)
WAITER: Hello, my name is Tiffany, and I will be your waiter this afternoon. Can I start you gentlemen off with drinks?
*RING, RING, RING*
JESTER: Hello?
(Jester notions for Davidson to order drinks for them both.)
DAVIDSON: Yes, I will have just a water. So will he.
(On the phone...)
TAKO: I'm out front!
JESTER: We're by the pool around the back. Just tell them you're visiting me.
(Tako finds his way in, and back to the pool. He spots Jester and Davidson on the opposite side of the pool. So he makes his way over past all the excited pedestrians around the pool.)
TAKO: This is the most discreet location you could find?
JESTER: No. Just needed a little sun. And we wanted to have brunch.
DAVIDSON: We've discovered some new things about Jester's abilities.
TAKO: That so? What else can you do? We scouted you for some time so how is that possible?
JESTER: A little more than you scouted.
DAVIDSON: A lot more.
TAKO: You guys done here?
JESTER: No. We just ordered drinks. Grab a chair.
TAKO: So what have you guys been planning?
(Jester and Davidson go silent.)
TAKO: Have you guys thought of anything at all?
DAVIDSON: Just that we're goin' to need all that power Jester's found to beat em'.
TAKO: Okay what actual strategies have you gone over?
TIFFANY: Here are your waters.
JESTER: What the hell? Davidson you ordered waters!?
DAVIDSON: Yes, and you need to focus.
(Davidson looks up at Tiffany.)
DAVIDSON: Thank you.
TIFFANY: You're welcome! Would you guys like to order now?
JESTER: Actually we haven't had time to take a look at the menu. You wouldn't mind coming back, would you?
TIFFANY: Nope. Not a problem at all. I'll just give you gentlemen more time.
JESTER: Thank you, Tiffany. Would you mind getting our friend here a drink as well? What are you havin'?
TAKO: I'll... have a water. Thank you.
TIFFANY: No problem! I'll just leave you to your menus and I'll be back!
JESTER: Thank you, Tiffany.
(Tiffany walks off, and Jester dives into his menu to the right of him on the table.)
JESTER: What are you guys havin'?
DAVIDSON: Jester, let's talk about our strategy.
(Jester with extreme irritation slaps his right hand on the table, and displays a false smile for Davidson and Tako.)
JESTER: Let me have my brunch right now! Thank you.
(Tiffany later delivers brunch to Davidson and Jester. Jester had the raspberry waffles with green grapes. Davidson had the buttermilk pancakes with two maple sausage links. The meals were had in silence until they both finished.)
TAKO: Are you done now? I'd rather not die within the next 24 hours?
JESTER: Alright, I'm done. Let's talk.
(Jester out-pours a breath flips his hands to the sky in preparation for tactical planning.)
JESTER: What do we know for sure? We know he's a lot smarter and powerful than we are.
TAKO: ... Yeah... okay?
JESTER: And what does every powerful person want?
TAKO: The Devil isn't a "person" though.
JESTER: It really doesn't matter. Power is attracted to power. So what does every powerful person want more of?
DAVIDSON: Power.
JESTER: Exactly! So we give it to him.
(Tako and Davidson both have reached their peak of confusion.)
DAVIDSON: ... What?
JESTER: Me. Bring me to him. He wants me, he can have me.
TAKO: I'm still a little lost. What are you planning?
DAVIDSON: What are you talkin' about?
JESTER: At the seam of power, there's fragility. We let him think he's won; that's when we can get the drop on him. That's when we can make our move. What else can you do besides make your eyes glow red?
TAKO: The glowing is a byproduct.
JESTER: To?
TAKO: I get stronger and faster.
JESTER: Hm. I think we're gonna need a lot more than your little strength and speed boost. That's temporary correct?
TAKO: How'd you know that?
JESTER: Well based on the time you allowed your eyes to glow up in my condo let's me know you were trying to preserve. Or should I say, "compensating," ahehe.
(Tako's emotion becomes flat at the "odd" terminology used.)
JESTER: Davidson, you know magic tricks; we're gonna need your best ones.
DAVIDSON: I'm afraid my magic ain't enough, Jester.
(There's a silence and Davidson and TAKO both peer at Jester with sincere curiosity of what Jester would say next. They've now got him cornered with their lack of faith.)
DAVIDSON: You're gonna have to hone all that power ya' holdin'. Or you gonna be dead.
JESTER: We'll all be dead, because we're linked. Remember that?
DAVIDSON: Yes, but there are tings I can do to get myself free from you two.
TAKO: You son of a bitch! Free me, asshole!
DAVIDSON: If I free you, Jester dies.
JESTER: Alright, alright. Let's not do this again! If any of us gets hurt, we all die.
DAVIDSON: No. --
JESTER: For the sake of argument, let's just...
(Jester puts both hands in the air apart just at forehead level to claim complete competency of the current situation. Jester then turns to Davidson.)
JESTER: What do I have to do?
DAVIDSON: You're gonna have to learn the craft. Your powers can give the craft a boost until your powers get stronger. That's the only way to protect ya' right now. I know you don't want to, but it's the only way ya' got right now.
(Davidson turns to Tako.)
DAVIDSON: Any witches here?
TAKO: In Pinaii? There's a few.
DAVIDSON: Let's go find them. We gonna need all the help we can get.
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