User:Kibblekip/Sandbox/The Days Have Worn Away/Transcript

The Days Have Worn Away

[The first page is a cover image, depicting a young girl on her knees with her hands to her face. Behind her is shards of broken glass, and a set of stairs leading up to an orange glow. Surrounding the girl is debris and broken furniture, as well as a woman and man laying on the ground — the latter wearing a stack of top hats — with their arms linked, both deceased] DEDICATED TO RICK MAY ONE HELL OF A SOLDIER [The following page depicts another comic image of the young girl in the same position, now on the edge of a small dock over a frozen body of water. A different woman and man — the latter still depicted wearing multiple hats — lay in the same position as the previous pair, buried under the ice] BADLANDS, NEW MEXICO [A third cover image shows the young girl in the same position again, now kneeling on and surrounded by various blueprints. Another woman and man — the latter once more depicted wearing a stack of hats — lay next to her, both with visible deep green veins, each with a spilled cup beside them. The liquid from these cups is also a deep green] SEVEN YEARS LATER [The comic opens to vultures in a desert, scavenging for food. They stand around several skeletons, some slightly buried in the sand. Suddenly, one of the vultures is shot with a 'BLAM' sound, causing the others to fly away] [The angle shifts to show a prison in the background, with a worn sign reading 'BADLANDS CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE' 'ESCAPEES WILL BE SHOT ON SIGHT' and many more skeletons around the desert] Voice A: I get him? Voice B: You got him. I wish the inmates still tried to escape. [The voices are revealed to be security guards in a watch tower, one brandishing a rifle, the other using binoculars] Unnamed Guard A: Used to get a runner out in the bone ocean three, four times a week. Unnamed Guard B: Hey, Frank— you...? [In the distance, a white cloud of dust can be seen] Unnamed Guard: Do you see that? Out there on the horizon? Frank: Nobody's even tried since he took over. When they moved him here, I gave him a week. [The scene changes to the courtyard, showing several men — most covered in tattoos — wearing prison attire; orange sweatpants, some also wearing white tanktops] Frank: ["That was seven years ago."] ["Now all the gangs...] ["The Skulls, The Tongs, The Diablos...] ["Nobody lights a cigarette without his say-so."] [The scene changes again to a prison cell, with a nervous, skinny man sitting on a bed. Two men are opposite him, one doing weightlifting on a bench with bandages wrapped around their hands, the other — a larger bodied man — spotting for the weightlifter] Unnamed Guard: ["Frank?"] Frank: ["They think he's immortal. I think they might be right."] Unnamed Guard: ["Frank, I think something's coming."] Inmate A: I am so... ...so... ...so sorry. Inmate B: Two more. Come on. Inmate C: ...PFFH Inmate A: And not just sorry 'cause I know you're gonna kill me. I am genuinely sorry. I didn't even know you ran a card hustle. But now I know. No more cards. Cards are your thing. Inmate C: ...PFFH Inmate B: Last one. Get after it. Inmate A: And I also know you do... terrible things to guys who cross you. And I don't wanna be one of those guys. Which is why I'm here. Apologizin'. Inmate C: ...PFFH [Inmate C hands the bar up to the larger bodied man] Inmate C: Rack it, T-Bone. You know, Diego... ...they say pain is weakness leaving the body... [Inmate C begins to unwrap the bandages around his hands, revealing them to have the letters 'WZRD LIFE' tattoed across each finger from right to left hand. Inmate A — Diego — stiffens up and begins to sweat] Inmate C: ...but it's really more like agony entering it. Here. Let me show you. [Inmate C is revealed to be Merasmus, with various tattoos covering his body. The word 'ABRA KADABRA' is tattoo'd across the upper portion of his chest, and Tom Jones' face on his lower left arm] PART SEVEN: THE DAYS HAVE WORN AWAY [Merasmus gets up and begins to approach Diego, of whom is physically recoiling] Diego: Please. Merasmus. Don't do any... magic on me. Merasmus: Oh, don't worry, Diego... [He grabs Diego by the neck and lifts him into the air, strangling him] Merasmus: ...I wouldn't waste good magic on you. Diego: KKGH GHFFH [Suddenly, a loud 'CHKK' sound is made as a shovel raises out of the ground behind Merasmus. The RED Soldier emerges from the hole created, much to the shock of Merasmus] Soldier: Hello, convicts. Is there a shrivelled up old mummy in this prison? Merasmus: Soldier!? Soldier: Oh, hi, Merasmus. Merasmus: But— but what are you doing here? [Soldier climbs out of the hole, followed by Zhanna, of whom now wears a prosthetic hand] Zhanna: We are breaking you out. Merasmus: You— I— and who are you? Soldier: Merasmus, meet my new roommate! Zhanna: I am his wife. Soldier: But we are also roommates. You've been replaced, Merasmus! Hurts, doesn't it? I bet you'd like to kill her. [Zhanna points at Merasmus aggressively] Zhanna: Kill me? I would like to see you try. Soldier: I think we'd all like to see that, honey. Zhanna: Listen to Zhanna, magical man. I will pull rabbit out of your ass with my foot. My foot will also be up rabbit's ass. [T-Bone grabs Zhanna's neck, strangling her as her face turns red] T-Bone: Hey. No one touches the big guy. Let's all just— [Suddenly, a small blond-haired child wearing a helmet akin to the Soldier's climbs up T-Bone's back, and attempts to — but fails — to snap his neck with a cut off 'NECK SN-' as Zhanna's face begins turning from red to blue"] Blond child: NFF Zhanna: You can do it, honey. [The child successfully breaks T-Bone's neck, finishing the neck snap with a '-AP' sound. The angle changes to show a horrified Merasmus with Soldier standing behind him, and the helmet-wearing child riding the shoulders of an eyepatch-wearing child in celebration] Merasmus: T-BONE! Soldier: We're busting you out Merasmus. Big things are happening! I'm in. My wife is in. But son... ...we can't do it without you. [Merasmus looks at Soldier with bright, hopeful eyes] Merasmus: Soldier, I... I don't know what to say... you want me to join Team Fortress? Soldier: What? No, that's stupid. Zhanna: We need babysitter. [Zhanna holds the eyepatch-wearing child and helmet-wearing child's shoulders] Zhanna: General Patton Doe... Georgia Washington Doe... I want you both to meet your Uncle Merasmus. Merasmus: Those are... ...the filthiest children I have ever seen. [The angle shifts over to the Soldier, of whom is now fully nude and sitting on a toilet while holding one of Merasmus' books] Soldier: Well, don't start handing out awards yet. Because I am about to use your toilet. All of us are. Once I go the kids get jealous. Zhanna, look at the size of this thing around my ass. Prison's been good to you, Merasmus. It's a shame you're leaving. Merasmus: I'm not leaving, Soldier! I have a home here! People respect me! Soldier: Really? Why? Merasmus: You and your family finish... ...toileting, and get out of my prison! Soldier: We're not going anywhere, Merasmus. Not without you. [Merasmus walks over to the prison bars and listens, with many 'SMASH' and so forth sounds coming from the hallway] Merasmus: That's where you're wrong, Soldier! Listen! The guards are coming for you! Soldier: Those aren't guards. That's the Korean Mafia. They were right behind us. [Soldier gets off of the toilet and begins putting his clothes back on, as a now naked Zhanna uses the toilet and attempts to read one of Merasmus' scrolls] Merasmus: What? Why are the Korean Mafia after you? Soldier: They're not, they're after you, Merasmus. Merasmus: What on earth for? Soldier: Well... it started when I borrowed a lot of money from the Korean Mafia and told them it was you. [Soldier puts his hand on Merasmus' shoulder] Soldier: Now I know what you're thinking: why would I need a lot of money? To answer that question I will need to ask you a question: Merasmus: Okay... Soldier: Have I told you... ...that you owe a lot of money to the Korean Mafia? Merasmus: Yes! And they're getting closer! [Soldier approaches the hole, as Zhanna and their children stand to the side; Georgia is using the toilet, while Patton is removing honey from a jar] Soldier: Crap. We should really be escaping right now. Everyone! Back into the hole! [He puts a hand around the now disheartened Merasmus' shoulder] Soldier: ...as soon as I'm finished telling Merasmus this story. I'd better double time it. We're not even at the start yet. Our story begins— ...no, wait. That's the middle. Merasmus, I feel like I'm confusing you by trying to race through this, so I'm going to slow down. Our story— are you getting this Merasmus: SOLDIER! [The bricks on the wall behind them trail off into calendar pages for effect as Soldier begins to tell the story] Merasmus: ["Just tell me the end of the story."] [The scene changes to near the end of the previous comic with Miss Pauling giving her speech to the TFC Heavy, as Saxton Hale, Maggie, Zhanna, and all of the mercs besides the Engineer stand behind her. Medic is holding a baby chimpanzee] Miss Pauling: You want to know how we beat you? [The angle shifts to only show Soldier, Zhanna and Heavy standing together] Soldier: Look at us all standing around here, chumming it up like a bunch of schoolkids. Heavy: We are watching a man die. Soldier: Like a bunch of silly schoolkids. I am going to get Zhanna pregnant. Heavy: Yes, you have mentioned it. Soldier: Yes, but not recently. Heavy: Yes, recently. Multiple times in last several hours. Miss Pauling: Maybe it was just luck. Maybe it was something else. I don't know what to tell you. But either way... we're Team Fortress Soldier: Anyway, I am going to get her pregnant. Zhanna: Yes. [Heavy's face scrunches in disapproval, as Soldier kneels down in front of him, holding up a grenade] Soldier: I am on my knee, asking you for your sister's hand in marriage. Heavy: No. [Soldier turns around to face Zhanna, taking his helmet off] Soldier: Alright. Well, I tried. Zhanna, you want to get married? Zhanna: Yes. [Zhanna removes the pin from the grenade and kisses Soldier, wearing the pin like a ring. As they kiss, the grenade explodes behind them. Soldier begins to undress, but is interrupted by Heavy] Heavy: Zhanna. This man cannot support you. We do not even pay this man. He lives in a cave. Soldier: Hold on, honey, we might need to table this impregnation. Zhanna: Ugh. Fine. Soldier: Why does everyone think I have no money? Heavy: Because you live in cave. [Suddenly, Soldier pulls out a subtly, yellow tinted rock and holds it up infront of him] Soldier: Lined with gold! I only live in the cave so no one steals it. And now I don't have to defend my vast cave fortune alone. She has married into defending the cave! It's our cave now! We can sleep in shifts! It will be heaven! Heavy: This is... not gold. [Miss Pauling abruptly snatches the Australium rock away and looks at it in awe] Miss Pauling: Soldier, where did you get this? Soldier: In my cave! There's tons of it! Raccoons won't touch the stuff. Miss Pauling: You guys: we did it. Not the way we planned, but we did it. Soldier's cave has enough Australium for centuries! [As Miss Pauling stares at the rock, the yellow glow lighting up her face, Spy stands off to the side] Spy: We could sell it and- Miss Pauling: Exactly. We could bring it back to the Administrator. [Her reflection beams back off of the rock] Miss Pauling: I'll get a promotion! I could be her second in command! [She then points to a plane, as Saxton Hale and Maggie approach] Miss Pauling: Come on, everybody in the plane! Saxton Hale: Where are we going? Soldier: I was just telling Miss Pauling about the Australium— [Miss Pauling suddenly covers Soldier's mouth, interrupting him] Miss Pauling: And how it's gone! It's alllllll gone! There is no more! So we're all... ...we're all going home! [She gives an unconvincing smile, as Saxton Hale and Maggie exchange unimpressed glances, before smiling at eachother] Saxton Hale: Well, there's only one thing left to do, Mags.... Maggie: You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', Sax? Saxton Hale: You know it! Let's go get Mann Co back. I've got a plan, Mags. I couldn't beat up a little girl to get my company back. But that's because I didn't have a secret weapon. [He grabs Scout by the shoulder and pulls him over] Saxton Hale: This little girl we met at Ayers Rock! Scout: Hey! Saxton Hale: She might not be a match for Olivia Mann yet! But you're gonna train her, Mags! Even if it kills her! Even if— [He stops and looks around, realizing Maggie is nowhere to be seen] Saxton Hale: Mags? Scout: She left, Mister Hale. Saxton Hale: What? When? Scout: Like five seconds ago. While you were yellin' at me. [Saxton Hale throws Scout down on the ground, while in the background his pilot — Jerry — enters the plane] Saxton Hale: Fine! I'll get my company back without her! Jerry! Whose plane is that? Jerry: No idea, sir. Looks empty. Saxton Hale: Well, we killed a lot of people here today, Jerry. Probably one of theirs. Fire it up! We're heading to Mann Co! Come on, fists, we've got a plane to catch and then crash. [Meanwhile, Miss Pauling continues to stare longingly at the Australium rock] Spy: Miss Pauling... Miss Pauling: Yes, Spy? Spy: Saxton Hale is stealing our plane. Miss Pauling: Good. That's good. [She snaps back to reality and looks up] Miss Pauling: Wait, what? [As the plane is preparing to take off, Miss Pauling dashes to the runway, waving her arms] Miss Pauling: Hey! Hey! You stupid half-naked idiot! That's ours! Jerry: There's a hysterical woman screaming at us from the tarmac, sir. Saxton Hale: Ha! That's a good one. Alright, my turn. I see... there. That cloud looks like a tiger! Miss Pauling: Hey! HEY! That's our— [As the plane takes off with a rumbling 'VRRROOOOOM' sound, Spy runs in and tackles Miss Pauling to the ground, saving her. She looks up in dismay at the plane] Miss Pauling: That— that— that Australian took our plane! Spy: Anything that's not nailed down, yes. It's in their DNA, I believe. Miss Pauling: Now what the hell are we gonna do? We're stuck here. Spy: Well, not necessarily... [He glances over to the bushes, where Sniper is inspecting an abandoned, rusty plane with moss and dirt covering it. Next to the plane is a sign reading 'DO NOT USE' and some gasoline canisters] Spy: What do you think, Sniper? Can you fly it? Sniper: Only one way to find out: let's steal it. [The scene cuts to Miss Pauling and the mercs mid-flight, approaching the entrance of a hidden bunker from the walls of a canyon, with the plane visibly burning up and creating a loud 'VRRRRRRR' sound. The BLU Engineer watches from a balcony, sipping from a cup as everyone parachutes out and the plane crashes nearby. The scene cuts further ahead to Miss Pauling and the mercs inside the lobby of the bunker, the former attempting to talk with a receptionist] Receptionist: I don't see you on the list. Could you spell that? Miss Pauling: F...O...R...T... look, it doesn't matter. We need to see the Administrator. About this. [She slams the Australium rock infront of the receptionist, and crosses her arms smugly] Receptionist: OK, this isn't a pawn shop. I can't let you past this desk. In fact, you shouldn't even be in the lobby. You need to— [Suddenly, Engineer appears from a balcony above the lobby, as Miss Pauling and the mercs look up at him. To the side, Sniper and Demoman are looking at a statue in the middle of the lobby, depicting figures from the various other mercenary teams and plates with the letters 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' and 'E' surrounding a Team Fortress 2 logo. At the bottom are broken prongs where a sixth letter was once placed] Engineer: Miss Krauthammer! It's alright! They're with me! Fellahs! It's been a dog's age! Get up here! [The scene shifts to the hallway outside of a break room, with Spy smoking a cigarette, while Pyro and Demoman look at hung-up pictures. The latter is looking at an image of the Demoman from another mercenary team, of whom is clad with armour and shoulder-mounted rockets] Engineer: ["I gotta tell ya, you have created a real...] ["...a real problem here, Flo."] Miss Pauling: ["I followed my orders, Engie."] Engineer: ["I know, I know..."] ["I just never thought...] ["You'd actually find more."] Miss Pauling: ["Nobody did though, did they?] ["Not any of the 'good' teams, not the Administrator...] ["Not even you."] ["Everybody just thought we'd screw it all up, didn't they?] ["Create a distraction. Let the real mercs save the day.] ["Well, we did it."] [Inside the break room, Miss Pauling and Engineer are sitting at a table, the Australium rock between them] Miss Pauling: I've devoted my whole life to this. To whatever grand plan she had. Or whatever evil plan, who cares. But she'd get there. And I'd be right there with her. I want to see her, Engie. [He gets up from the table and picks up a lantern with key tied to it and passes it to her] Engineer: Alright. Down the hall. Last door on the left. [He then sits back down and picks up a mug as Miss Pauling begins to exit] Miss Pauling: You're not coming? Engineer: My grandfather never went down there. My father never went down there. [The scene shifts to the hallway, with Miss Pauling and the mercs approaching a stone-cut door surrounded by a rocky frame at the end, contrasting the office-like environment of the rest of the hall] Engineer: ["I figure they had a reason.] ["Y'all go ahead."] [Miss Pauling and the mercs enter and descend a spiral staircase. The surrounding environment now appears cave-like] Scout: Hey, Miss Pauling? There's a good chance we're all going to die down here. So I... I... I need to say somethin'. Miss Pauling: Okay. Shoot. Scout: When I was talkin' to you back in Siberia— well, not you, a miniature fairy version of you— you told me never to give up. To just keep perseverin' and wearin' you down like drops of water borin' through stone... until I got to wherever your heart is and made you realize you love me. And I been thinkin'— maybe you were wrong. No offense. When we were on the plane just now— I was lookin' down at that tiny world out there, and it hit me... there's like eighty million women in the world, probably, and... ...and there's gotta be one of em I don't gotta wear down. No convincin', no gun show— just, boom. "I get it dummy. You're the best." So yeah, I just wanted to... I just wanted you to know that. That I'm movin' on. [She stops and turns slowly to face him] Miss Pauling: You know what, Scout? Those eighty million other women in the world, statistically speaking... a lot of them are probably way hotter than me. Scout: Whoa, really? Miss Pauling: It's math, dummy. Scout: Yeah, it is. [They fistbump eachother with a 'DAP' as they approach the end of the cave; a bulky metallic door] Miss Pauling: Alright, we're here. [Miss Pauling places down the lantern and goes to open the door — but hesitates, her face engulfed in darkness] Demoman: We goin' in? Miss Pauling: Yeah, just... after all this... maybe Engie's right. Maybe I don't want to see this. [She looks at the key, but after a brief pause inserts it into the lock with a 'KLIK' sound and begins to open the door as the mercs look on eagerly] Miss Pauling: No. Let's find out once and for all what's back here. Voice: ["Sorry to keep you waiting."] [The scene flashes back to the past, the voice revealed to be a ginger-haired maid answering the door to a woman with purple hair and a long smoking pipe — Elizabeth] Maid: How can I help you? Elizabeth: I'm here about the job. Maid: That can't— how did— I was just heading to the newspaper to purchase an ad for the position. [Elizabeth walks in uninvited, passing the now bewildered maid] Elizabeth: Well. A stroke of luck for both of us, then. Now you don't have to. Please go get the master of the house. Maid: The lady of the house died recently, you see. We're in need of— Elizabeth: A governess, yes, thank you, I'm all caught up. Please go get the master of the house. [The scene shifts to a study filled with books, and a lit fireplace. In the center of the room a middle-aged man — Zepheniah Mann, on a stepping stool with a hammer and chisel, carving away at a statue of w:The Thinker with a head shaped similarly to his own head. Sitting to the side of him is an butler holding a feather pen, writing a letter] Zepheniah: "Dear The Mayor of Paris." My name is Zepheniah Mann. You will remember I purchased Rodin's The Thinker from you." "I have been chiseling its face to match my face, but now the head is too small and misshapen." "It doesn't look anything like I'm thinking anymore. It just looks like I'm on the toilet and scared." [He lowers the chisel to his side, the maid appearing behind him and standing in the hallway] Zepheniah: Meadowes, I do look scared to be on the toilet, don't I? Meadowes: Terrified, sir. Maid: Mister Mann? Sir? Zepheniah: "I have enclosed another check. Send another statue with a normal sized body but a very large head, ASAP." Maid: Sir? [He turns angrily to face the maid] Zepheniah: "Yours in etc etc, Zepheniah Mann—" WHAT IS IT? Maid: There— there's someone at the door for you, sir. Zepheniah: I see. Is it that woman standing directly behind you? [Elizabeth enters the room unprompted, as Zepheniah heads back to his desk for a cigar] Elizabeth: It is. I'm here for the governess position. Zepheniah: Capital. Let's go for a walk of the grounds. It's too stuffy in here. Cigar? [They make their way out to a snowy courtyard filled with gravestones, almost all with the last name 'Mann' inscribed] Zepheniah: Let me ask you one question... do you know who I am. [Elizabeth exchanges a steely-eyed expression, as they continue up towards a stone mausoleum] Elizabeth: No. Should I? Zepheniah: I suppose not. If you are to take this post, you must harden your heart. I expect unflinching, round-the-clock brutality. If that means they hate you, so be it. Elizabeth: I will make them despise me. Zepheniah: Good. A Mann scion does not need coddling. He needs molding. You will raise my son to be a titan of industry. A self-made man. A stubborn, bloody-minded scoundrel. You must make him into me. Elizabeth: You mean sons. Zepheniah: I do not. This way. [They enter the building, passing by graves with statues representing members of the Mann family lining the sides] Zepheniah: The Mann Family Mausoleum. Not the riff-raff out there. These are the corpses that paid for everything. My grandfather, Ebenezer Mann. Shipping magnate. Youngest of five sons. Every brother in the ground by the time he bought his first fleet. My father, Ezekiel Mann. Railroad tycoon. Middle child. A house fire claimed his three sisters. He weathered the tragedy and was a millionaire before he turned seventeen. Zepheniah Mann. Me. Munitions magnate. Only son, sadly. [They stop infront of an unmarked, empty grave] Zepheniah: And my son. Heir to the Mann family fortune. Name to be determined. That's where you come in. Elizabeth: You want me to kill one of your sons? Zepheniah: Quite the opposite. I want you to teach them. Train them. Mold them both into champions. [Both exit the mausoleum, and stop infront of another unmarked grave with a small, blank headstone] Zepheniah: Until their hereditary instincts kick in and the stronger one kills the other. I'll know you succeeded when we've filled this in. Elizabeth: Yes. I can do this for you. [They both shake hands. Behind them, Meadowes approaches wearing a desk-harness] Zepheniah: Capital. You're hired. And I don't even know your name. Elizabeth: My name is— Zepheniah: That was not a question. I would prefer to keep this professional. You start immediately. I will provide you a letter of introduction. Meadowes. A letter. Meadowes: Yes sir. Zepheniah: "Dear baby Blutarch and baby Redmond. I hope this letter finds you well. The woman standing before you—" [The scene cuts to Elizabeth approaching a small manor] Elizabeth: ["That will not be necessary.] ["I can make my own introductions."] [The scene cuts back to a room filled with monitors, each depicting images of locations within Team Fortress 2. The Administrator stands in the center of the room infront of a chair, and a small desk littered with files, monologuing to a figure suspended infront of her] Administrator: I'd come to kill the boys, obviously. Smother them in their sleep. [Miss Pauling — now holding the Australium rock — enters the room with the mercs, putting a finger to her mouth as a gesture for them to stay quiet. Their expressions change to shock as they approach] Administator: But that wouldn't have worked, would it? You weren't their father then. [The angle changes to reveal the suspended figure as Zepheniah Mann, restrained by a metal box with multiple Australium-stained pipes attached to it and him from all directions. His eyelids are held open by a hook each] Administrator: They were nothing to you. Slabs of stone in need of a sculptor's chisel. You were waiting for your champion. [The scene cuts back in time again to Elizabeth sitting in a room, with two toddlers — Redmond and Blutarch — playing with toys. She watches on as the two begin to fight] Administrator: ["Someone worthy of your time and attention."] ["Your legacy."] ["Your love."] ["If I wanted to destroy you..."] ["...to watch you die cursing my name..."] ["I needed to ensure your champion never emerged."] ["The two little nitwits needed to fight."] [The scene cuts again to Zepheniah Mann in a bed, writing on a parchment paper. He is visibly much older, now wearing his signature top-hat, while Elizabeth stands at a balcony smoking a cigarette] Administrator: ["Forever."] Zepheniah: "...damn you all to hell..." No, that's not right. "...damn you all to hell!" Better. Signed... "Zepheniah Mann..." There. I signed the confounded thing! Elizabeth! Elizabeth: I'm coming, Zepheniah. Zepheniah: Elizabeth! I signed it! [Outside, it is revealed they are at a building simply named 'Saloon and Inn'. A wooden sign boarded infront of the saloon's entrance reads 'Mercenaries Welcome'] Teufort, New Mexico. 27 years later. Elizabeth: Let me see it. [Back inside, Elizabeth is reading through the parchment paper — Zepheniah's will] Zepheniah: I still don't fully understand all this BLU and RED gravel nonsense. But I have complete faith that making my two stumble-bum sons fight over it will finally result in one of them emerging vic— Elizabeth: It won't. [Zepheniah squints in confusion, while Elizabeth returns as smug grin] Zepheniah: ... What? Elizabeth: I lied. Zepheniah: About what? Elizabeth: About everything. All of this— the land, the Americas, all of it. Your sons are going to fight forever, Zepheniah. There will be no end to this. You will never have a worthy heir. [She leans in close, Zepheniah wearing an expression of horrified shock] Elizabeth: I guarantee it I will be right here. Watching them fight until they die. Zepheniah: ... But why? Elizabeth: Let me tell you. [She leans in closer, whispering into Zepheniah's ear. He turns pale as his eyes widen, before they slowly fade to white. Elizabeth lights a cigarette as she takes the will, packs her belongings and exits, leaving the now-deceased Zepheniah Mann on the bed] Mann Manor. One year later. [Elizabeth awakens with a smile to sunlight coming through the window, a painting of a dramatic interpretation of her final moments with Zepheniah hung above the bed. She is depicted in a blue and white frilly dress with a red cloak while wielding a sword, one of her shoes planted firmly against Zephaniah's face. She exits to a garden shed for gloves and shears, trimming roses from the various graves in the courtyard, then plucking their petals one-by-one. While holding the newly-beheaded roses, she approaches a small grave covered in even more headless roses with the initials 'Z. M.' inscribed, and smiles gleefully] [Elizabeth awakens to a cloudy day, and exits with a veiled hat and gloves to attend to a beehive. She removes a glove to feel one of the bees, of which promptly stings her. Unphased, she grabs the bee and crushes it, then pulls it away from her now-swollen finger. She removes the gloves and hat as she stands infront of Zepheniah's grave again, now wearing a tired expression] [Elizabeth sits in bed with messy hair, surrounded by ashtrays as a storm creates a downpour outside. She stares ahead of her at Zepheniah's gravestone, now moved to a desk stationed directly infront of the bed. Outside, a carriage drops off a young man in a gray suit, who walks through the courtyard of Mann family graves, coming across a broken set of beehives and a puddle where Zepheniah's grave once stood. He enters the building, and follows a set of muddy footprints up to an attic] Young Man: Hello. [Infront of him is Elizabeth, standing atop a stepping stool holding the end of a noose while smoking a cigarette. He exchanges a smug grin] Young Man: Have I come at a bad time? [Without responding, she puts the noose around her neck and removes the cigarette from her mouth, then kicks the stepping stool from underneath her. The scene turns black, before she slowly awakens to the young man standing infront of her, holding a pair of shears. She reaches for her cigarette] Elizabeth: You should have let me die. Young Man: Oh, I did. [A yellow tube coming from the young man's sleeve is shown to be inserted into Elizabeth's arm, her veins glowing a light yellow. He removes the needle with a 'POIK' sound, the hole left behind in her wrist now a dim orange] Young Man: Yes. Empty now. But I gave you just enough to get back. Madam, do you know who I am? Elizabeth: You're... Gray. Aren't you? Blutarch and Redmond's brother. They told me you were eaten by eagles shortly after birth. Gray: Ha ha! My idiot brothers and their fairy tales. No, I was kidnapped by eagles. I escaped. Speaking of fairy tales... [He looks over at Elizabeth, now wearing an annoyed expression, as she faces away] Gray: ...I also know who you are. Or rather, I know who you aren't. Which is Emily or Elizabeth or Helen or whatever bogus identity you're using at the moment. More importantly, I know what you did to my father. "Elizabeth": So... what? You're here to avenge him? [She holds the frayed end of the noose out infront of her] "Elizabeth": If so, help me back up this ladder and let's get to it. Gray: Hardly. In truth, I'm not that interested in either one of you. [Gray reaches into his coat and pulls out a small yellow rock, holding it between his fingers] Gray: No, I'm here about the "Miracle Gravel" my father left you. Do you have it? "Elizabeth": I do. It's fool's gold. Worthless. Gray: As gold, certainly. Because it's not gold. It is a new element entirely. A transformative element capable of extending the human lifespan up to... ...and as we've just discovered, past the point of death. Obviously not of interest to someone... well. But to those of us with the will to continue living... ...it's priceless. I came here to see if you'd sell it to me. But given present circumstances, could I possibly trouble you to just give it to me? ["Elizabeth" — now facing away — stares through a glass window, processing the revelation she's been presented with] Gray: Madam? [She turns back to face him] "Elizabeth": Of course. I'll need a few days to secure it. Meet me back here in a week's time. Gray: Tremendous. And once I've taken it off your hands, I'll leave you to hang yourself in peace. "Elizabeth": I look forward to it. [As Gray leaves to his carriage, "Elizabeth" stares down through the attic window with a grin. The scene cuts to her pulling various tarps, revealing several bars of Australium piled upon eachother. The scene shifts again to a shed outside, where "Elizabeth" — still wearing the cut noose, but now holding a lantern — acquires a shovel, then makes her way to the burial grounds of Zepheniah. She buries the shovel's head into the ground with a 'SCHLK' as she begins to dig] Administrator: ["That was the start of everything."] [The scene changes back to the monitor room, with the Administrator sitting in her chair, reading a file. The monitor screens reflect off of Zepheniah's eyes] Administrator: And we've been at this ever since, haven't we? [She gets up and puts her hand on the side of his face, looking at him with glowing yellow eyes as Miss Pauling and the mercs stare in disgust and horror] Administrator: Just you and me. Miss Pauling: What... what did he do to you? Administrator: Aheh. You know... after all this time... I don't remember. [The Administrator glances back] Administrator: Wait. Why are you here? Did you find some? Did you find more? [She grabs Miss Pauling's shoulders, a manic expression on her face] Administrator: Miss Pauling, listen to me. This could change everything. Did you find us more? [Miss Pauling holds the Australium rock firmly behind her, frozen staring for a moment at the Administrator with a horrified expression] Miss Pauling: No. I didn't. [The Administrator looks at her in dismay, but begins to smile as she turns away, her face and hair beginning to show age. She faces towards Zepheniah once more] Administrator: It's been a hundred years, hasn't it? Making you watch your sons fail. Again and again. All that... ...wasted time. [As she talks, she begins to age more and more, the yellow glow in her eyes fading away. Both her and Zepheniah tear up, as she collapses to the floor. She wipes away her tears with a smile] Administrator: It was worth it. [She leans over on the floor, now holding Zepheniah's body as Miss Pauling and the mercs watch them. One by one, the mercs leave as the Administrator and Zepheniah slowly turn to dust infront of Miss Pauling. The scene cuts back upstairs to the break room as Miss Pauling walks in — dust staining her dress and trailing behind her, as she places the Australium rock and her bag upon the table and sits down, the yellow glow of the Australium lighting up her weary eyes. Engineer places a glass of water on the table infront of her] Engineer: It's yours now. What are you gonna do with it? Miss Pauling: I don't know.