Circles Of Life (6/6)

"Well, it's been a pleasure, Jody".

"And to you, your highness. He's secured?"

"He's secured. And he won't be free for a VERY long time. Interfering with the Veil is serious offence in my country. So he will be punished accordingly".

"I'm glad to hear it!"

They smile. After a few moments, Kasim's face turns serious.

"I truly am sorry for your loss. I lost my mother a few years ago. Gone before her time. Murdered by traitors so, I can kind of understand how you feel".

"How come no one visited you? Dad came to me, Mel's mum came to her and Roberta and Warren's partner came to him...why did no one visit you?"

"I think Mum visited Dad. They loved each other very much so it makes more sense for that to have happened. I'm sure I will hear about it upon my return..."

They nod. Kasim puts his hand on Jody's shoulder once more.

"If you ever need anything, help. someone to talk to, you can come to Babylonia anytime. My door is always open..."

"Thank you, Kasim. Same for you. Thank you for helping me stop Lifeforce".

"Thank you for bringing a killer to justice. And thank you for stopping me when I went too far. I have a tendency to do that..."

"We all do. It's ok".

Kasim nods. He walks away towards the carpet and the Genie who are waiting for him.

"See ya, Genie!"

"Soon, I hope, Mr Kent".

Kasim steps onto the carpet and prepares for take off.

"Oh, Jody, I meant to tell you. I had a dream a few weeks ago. And I realised while being here that it involved you..."

"Oh?"

"Yes. The dream was you against an enemy that was older than the universe itself. And you fought them alone. If this happens in real life, don't fight alone. In the dream, it didn't end well for you..."

Jody nods.

"Noted. Thank you, Kasim. Safe journey and send my love to Babylonia. Went there on holiday once. Beautiful country".

"Meh. It's ok I suppose".

They chuckle. Soon after, Kasim flies away. Jody looks after him and thinks for a moment. He smiles to himself. He liked Kasim. He was fun.

******

Jody sat alone in the Archive. He sat on the edge of the Fountain and just listened to the water running. He was contemplating what to do now. He'd lost two people in two weeks and, for him, it was too much.

"How did your Mum take it?"

Jody turns around and sees Mel leaning against the doorframe.

"She lost her daughter. But she's taking it as well as can be expected. She was comforted knowing that Dad saw her across. Even if she is pissed at him for not visiting her. She wanted to have a go at him for not finishing the shed".

They chuckle for a moment. Mel goes over and sits next to Jody.

"I don't think I've ever felt this empty..."

"I know that feeling. That's how I felt when Mum died".

"What do we do now?"

"We carry on. We look for Tragedy and we make him pay for what he did to Roberta. Kasim will see that Lifeforce gets the punishment he deserves, it's up to us to avenge Roberta".

"What if we can't?"

"What do you mean?"

Jody sighs.

"Before Kasim left, he told me he had a dream about me. Fighting an enemy 'older' than anything. I think that might be Tragedy. He then said it didn't end well for me. Tragedy is always one step ahead of us...it wouldn't surprise me if I did die at his hand".

"You can't think like that"

"I have to, Mel. It's only a matter of time. We all die sometime!"

"I know but Laura would want you to continue"

"She'd want me to hide my powers"

"She'd want you to be happy. Especially now she knows the truth about what happened with your dad..."

Jody shrugs.

"I just don't think I can lose anyone else..."

Mel hugs him.

"Well, you're not getting rid of me anytime soon!"

Jody smiles.

"Thank you..."

"It's what friends are for..."

As they hug, Jody's phone rings. Jody looks at the screen.

"Huh...that's odd..."

"Who is it?"

"It's my oldest friend. I haven't seen him for ages. Can I take this?"

"Sure!"

Jody answers.

"Joe. Long time no speak. What can I do for you?"

"Hey, Jody. How's things?"

"Well, I'm as good as I'll ever be...you ok?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm alright..."

Pause.

"So...any particular reason you called?"

"Yeah...ummm...I need advice..."

"Ok?"

"...how quickly can you get to my school?"

"About 30 seconds...why?"

"Can you come here? There's something you need to see. And I hear you're an expert on the weird nowadays..."

******

"You weren't wrong were you..."

"No..."

Jody and Joe look at a wall at Joe's school. Where a massive hole now resides.

"And you just found this?"

"I always come to school early to use the labs. But, yeah, I found this".

Jody looks stunned.

"And where is it now?"

"Where's what?"

"What made this...shape?"

"Well....ummmm...we don't know..."

"You don't know!?"

"No".

"JOE, THIS WAS MADE BY A FREAKING RHINOCEROS! HOW DO YOU LOSE A RHINO!?"

"I'M PRETTY SURE THE BETTER QUESTION IS HOW THE HELL DID A RHINOCEROS END UP IN A SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE!?"

"...Fair".

They stare once more before Jody comments once more.

"Well, you can't say my new job isn't interesting..."

Joe looks confused.

"New job?"

Jody looks at Joe and smiles.

"Yes...new job...and, funnily enough, a new vacancy has appeared...interested?"

Joe looks confused.

"What kind of vacancy?"

"Something someone with you abilities might find challenging..."

Joe lifts his hand and produces a chemical reaction with magnesium and water. From himself.

"I'm listening..."

Circles Of Life (5/6)

"You know the plan then?"

Kasim nodded. He was well aware.

"Genie is with me. I've dealt with far worse than this, young one..."

"Liar..."

Kasim and Jody smile at each other. Kasim jumps on the magic carpet and flies into the sky. Jody looks in awe.

"That is never not going to be cool..."

Mel starts talking over Jody's earpiece.

"Boys and their toys!"

"How we doing, Mel?"

"We're still looking for Lifeforce. Maybe just circle about a bit and I'll keep you updated".

Jody nods and speeds off around the city.

Laura and Mel sit in the Archive.

"Ok, I'm going to make my way down there too",

"You? Why?"

"I'm a conduit for the Veil. I need to be there!"

"There must be another way!

"I need to be there, Mel!"

"What if Lifeforce is there again?"

"That's the plan!"

"No, I mean, what if he's there and tries to trick you again?"

Laura scowls at Mel, then leaves. Mel goes on the comms.

"Jody, Laura's on her way to the scene".

"That's ok. She's needed",

Mel looks confused.

"And you're cool with this?"

"I have to be..."

Suddenly, the screen in the Archive beeps.

"Got him! He's on the intersection between Mandela Street and Henry Avenue!"

*****

Lifeforce walks around with his hood up. No one notices him. That is, until Speedfreak appears in front of him.

"You and I need to talk..."

Lifeforce smiles.

"I'm done talking..."

Lifeforce backhands Speedfreak who, to his surprise, goes flying. He goes through a department stores window and knocks over a number of mannequins. Lifeforce removes his hood as people start to scream and run away.

"WHILE YOU LOT HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND ME, I'VE ADAPTED. I'VE KILLED 12 MORE PEOPLE SINCE THE SHOPKEEPER. BUT NO ONE NOTICED!"

Lifeforce steps into the shattered window and grabs Speedfreak by the chest and rips off his mask, revealing Jody's face.

"And I'm hearing all kind of whispers..."

He throws Speedfreak back out into the street.

"...whispers like 'Oh, Speedfreak will save us! Speedfreak will defend us!' But you're nothing more than a child..."

Speedfreak tries to recover but Lifeforce runs to him and puts his foot on Jody's throat.

"...And I have no qualms ending your life, Jody Kent...maybe Roberta will be glad to see you..."

Jody struggles to free himself but can't. Moments before the end, Lifeforce is knocked to the floor by something flying past. Jody splutters as Lifeforce quickly recovers to find Kasim hovering above the ground on the carpet.

"Ah...your highness..."

"You're coming with me..."

Kasim flies towards him but Lifeforce turns purple and causes a mini explosion of some kind. Kasim and the carpet go flying. They land next to Jody. Kasim looks confused.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?"

"He's killed 12 more people. I think he's reaching capacity..."

"Unlucky 13? Isn't that what you Westerners say?"

"I'm not a Westerner, remember?"

Kasim looks confused.

"I'm from the East of my world..."

Lifeforce staggers towards them.

"Ah...an all-star team up?"

Jody defiantly stands up.

"This isn't a comic book..."

"Oh but the ending will be..."

Lifeforce turns purple again and raises his hands to the sky. A storm starts to brew. Lifeforce is struck by lightning and another mini kind of explosion occurs. After it does, a portal starts to open. Kasim looks panicked.

"THE PORTAL TO THE VEIL!"

"Where are you, Laura!?"

Lifeforce turns around to Jody and Kasim once more.

"YOU'VE FAILED! I WILL CONSUME EVERY SOUL FROM THE VEIL AND THIS WORLD WILL QUAKE IN MY WAKE!"

Kasim stands up.

"AND THEN WHAT!?"

"I WILL BE THE MOST POWERFUL BEING THIS WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN".

Jody chuckles.

"Is that what you think? If you think you're the most powerful being the world has ever known then you're sorely mistaken..."

Jody moves closer.

"I've only been doing this a couple of weeks but I've already faced someone more powerful than you. A man who's invincible. A man who can't be reasoned with, a man who isn't of this world I'm sure. And he doesn't really like competition. Hell, he even brought a plague of Leptils down on the world just to cause pain to one person...you really think you can beat someone like that?"

"I do..."

Jody chuckles.

"Then your arrogance will be your downfall..."

Lifeforce smiles evily.

"I will not fall. I WILL BE RULER OF THIS WORLD AND COMMAND ALL OF THE SOULS WITHIN IT!"

Lifeforce opens his arms like Jesus on the cross.

"MR INVINCIBLE IS GONE, SOON SO SHALL PRINCE KASIM AND THE SPEEDFREAK...MY CHILDREN, COME TO DADDY..."

Suddenly, Laura appears in front of the portal. They all look over. Lifeforce smiles.

"The Daddy's girl..."

"The only one of these clowns that can outsmart you!"

Lifeforce laughs.

"I somewhat doubt that..."

Laura outstretches her arms too.

"Let's see shall we? Jody, Kasim, get people away!"

Jody nods. They do so. Suddenly, a beam of light comes from the portal and streaks through Laura. She gasps in shock as it does. It then goes into Lifeforce. He smiles as the power streaks into him. Laura, still in shock, tries to concentrate but the pain is unbearable.

"Concentrate, Laura..."

She says to herself as the shock subsides and she remembers the job at hand. She closes her eyes.

"NOW!"

She starts to fade out of existence but ends up only have fading. Just enough so the Veil can stream through her. Another beam comes from Laura and streaks into Lifeforce. Only, he wasn't expecting this one. Lifeforce looks at Laura confused.

"What are you doing?"

Laura smiles weakly.

"Even the most ravenous of beats has a breaking point..."

Lifeforce looks around as a number of spirits gather around him. He looks terrified because they look very angry.

"Vengeful ghosts exist, Lifeforce, and...wow...they're pissed at you..."

Lifeforce crouches down. The beams stop. Laura falls to the floor. The spirits edge closer to Lifeforce who gets angry.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

Laura weakly looks.

"What's the matter? Don't like it when your food fights back?"

Jody and Kasim return and see what's going on. Kasim goes to join the spirits while Jody notices Laura. 

"NO"

He speeds over to her. Kasim joins the spirits. Lifeforce looks at Kasim.

"SEND THEM AWAY! SEND THEM AWAY, PLEASE!"

Kasim smiles.

"I wanted to take you back to Babylonia and face Babylonian justice. But, given these guys are here, what the hell. I think they have their own plans for you...fellas,,,all yours. And may the Gods have mercy on your souls..."

The spirits lay into Lifeforce. Piercing through his skin and grabbing him. Lifeforce screams out in agony as he's lifted into the air by the collection of spirits. Jody stands up.

"KASIM...STOP THIS!"

"IT'S OUT OF MY CONTROL NOW..."

"THIS IS NOT WHAT WE AGREED"

"WE AGREED HE'D GET JUSTICE...HE IS...BY THE VEIL'S STANDARDS..."

"THIS IS NOT HOW WE DO THINGS. IT'S NOT HOW WE SHOULD DO THINGS. KASIM, PLEASE!"

Kasim struggles with his conscience for a moment. Eventually, he sees sense.

"STOP!"

The spirits stop and turn to Kasim.

"He will face justice on this plain. I promise you. Your brothers and sister will be avenged. But properly".

The spirits delegate for a moment before letting go of Lifeforce. Defeated, he slumps to the ground. Jody and Kasim run back over to Laura to comfort her. Kasim looks at the spirits.

"You don't have a lot of time...go..."

They do so. Jody comforts Laura.

"Hey, come on sis, you'll be fine!"

Laura smiles weakly.

"I wasn't expecting this..."

"You'll be FINE. Trust me..."

Laura looks at Jody.

"...I haven't trusted you for years..."

Jody looks shocked and upset.

"I'm tired of getting the blame for Dad..."

Laura looks at him with venom in her eyes and words.

"Then you should've tried harder!"

"He did..."

The pair look over and see their Earth Dad overlooking them. Jody looks shocked and terrified.

"He did everything he could, sweetie..."

"He let you die..."

"He ran as fast as he could".

"He wasn't fast enough"

"I pushed him away!"

Laura looks confused as Jody hangs his head in shame.

"Wh...why?"

"Because if Jody succeeded in his efforts, he'd be dead. Not me. And he was needed".

"I needed you..."

"You need your brother more. You're both from another world. I'm just the guy who adopted you..."

"You're my daddy..."

Laura coughs. She's getting weaker. Jody looks at the ghost.

"Do something, Dad!"

"I can't..."

"PLEASE! YOUR LAST WORDS TO ME WERE THAT YOU OWED ME! WELL I'M CALLING IN THAT FAVOUR!"

He stands there for a moment. Laura deteriorates quickly.

"Dad...please...I need her..."

He looks sad.

"She's from another world. Anything I do won't work..."

Jody stares at him.

"No..."

"Say goodbye to her, Jody...I'll take care of her..."

Jody looks back at Laura and kneels down once more.

"I don't care you don't trust me. I don't care you've hated me all this time. I don't care that you blame me for something I didn't do. I love you all the same. You've always been there with me. From the moment we left Eden to now. And I swear, on my life, that I will do my best to try and make you proud of me. If there's any capacity for that left..."

Laura puts her hand on his cheek.

"I love you too, Jody..."

******

Mel sits in the Archive waiting for news. As she does, she hears someone behind her.

"You're as beautiful as I imagined..."

She turns around to see the figure standing there. She bursts into tears.

"Mum..."

******

Warren sits at his desk at the police station waiting to co-ordinate the response to the events downtown. As he stands up he looks to the door and sees two figures, two women, smiling.

"Roberta...Magdalena..."

******

"I'm going to need a name..."

Laura chuckles as she gets weaker still.

"Well, we'll give you a fitting one...What was that name Mum used to call you when you phased out and pranked her?"

"She called me Ghost..."

"Seems appropriate..."

Laura chuckles.

"Ghost it is..."

They smile at each other for a moments. Before Laura's smile suddenly looks blank. Her face turns blank with eyes still open. Jody realises what's happened and just stares. Kasim puts his hand on Jody's shoulder.

"Don't cry because it ended, brother..."

They look back towards Jody's Earth Dad who's still standing there. Only, Laura's next to him.

"...be glad it happened..."

Earth Dad and Laura hold hands as the portal starts to close and they fade away.

"Goodbye, Jody..."

She smiles as they fade away. Jody continues to kneel next to her physical form. He struggles to process everything that's going on. First Roberta, now her. He stands up and just continues staring.

"Jody...I'm so sorry..."

Jody doesn't reply. He just continues staring...

Circles Of Life (4/6)

Jody and Laura walk back into the central area of the Archive. Mel, Kasim and Warren also run in and see the pair. Kasim runs up to Jody but Jody keeps walking, grabbing him as he walks past him. They speak in private.

"Laura just went batshit at me".

Kasim looks confused.

"Can we deal with family issues later?"

"No, I mean she went batshit because I think Lifeforce summoned up the ghost of our dead dad!"

Kasim looks shocked.

"He can access the Veil!?"

"Maybe he's getting stronger?"

Kasim looks concerned.

"If he can access the Veil and pull spirits from it, then it shows he's getting stronger. Are you sure it was your dad that appeared?"

"She had a go at me about a very personal thing regarding our Dad. So, yeah, pretty sure".

Kasim thinks.

"So what do we do, Speedfreak?"

"I have no idea. I could speak to the Akara?"

Kasim looks confused.

"The who?"

"The Goddess of Time".

"...Sure. If you think it'd help!"

Jody nods and walks off. Laura and Mel hug as Laura finishes telling Mel what happened. Warren and Kasim look at each other concerned.

******

Jody walks into an empty room and locks it. He does a quick search of the room to make sure no-one else is watching. When he's satisfied, he closes his eyes.

*Oh, Akara, creator and keeper of space and time, I require your audience...*

"You only ever need ask, my child..."

Jody turns to see her. It's the first time he's seen her. She's beautiful. Dressed in pure white, her blonde hair overlapping it like waves on a shore. She smiles at him.

"I've waited a long time for your call, Jody Kent..."

Jody looks confused.

"You...you have?"

"Yes. I'm glad to see you've become Caretaker. I like seeing my plans come to fruition!"

Jody looks shocked.

"You...planned this?"

"I planned for you to become Caretaker. Nothing else. I must admit, it's fun watching you on your first major case. The adversary changes every time!"

"What do you mean, every time?"

"That is not of importance. What do you need to ask me?"

Jody forcibly puts aside his former question.

"We're up against someone called Lifeforce. Someone who is consuming souls before they can enter the Veil. He'll have enough soul energy to enter the Veil and consume it all if we don't stop him. But we think he has the ability to project souls from the Veil to this realm. He projected my Earth Dad..."

"I know of Lifeforce. You've faced him many times before. But he does not have the power to project souls from the Veil onto the realm of the living..."

Jody thinks.

"So Laura didn't see Dad?"

"No. She did not".

"Damn..."

"But Lifeforce does have one ability that you don't know about..."

"What?"

"Once he has enough souls, he can combine all the soul energy into one malleable form. And, from that, he can create any form he wants for a short period. He has had psychic abilities in some adventures. He must have seen into Laura's mind, saw your Earth Dad, and tried to win her over by using his form to persuade her. In that respect, the only person who can keep him at bay would be Visionarie..."

"Visionarie?"

"She's someone who's yet to appear in your future".

Jody looks annoyed.

"What can we do to stop him!?"

"The only person who could help you is still very young and is not connected to the Veil yet. She is of no help to you".

"Yes, but what can I do NOW!? You said I've faced him many times before. Surely there's something you can tell me about those times that can help me!?"

"I can't tell you..."

"WHY!?"

"Because I do not have access to those events".

"...yet you know they happened?"

"It's very complicated to explain".

"Tragedy made the same allusion..."

Akara looks sad.

"There is...ONE thing...that might help..."

"Tell me!"

"It's risky..."

"Just TELL me..."

"It puts your sister at risk..."

Jody freezes.

"You sister also has access to the Veil. Not in the same way as the young woman I had in mind, but she still can. Your sister might be able to open a portal to the Veil that causes all the souls from the Earth Veil to walk the realm of the living..."

"What good will that do?"

"The soul energy from transfer will be too overwhelming for Lifeforce. Soul energy is like a magnet. Lifeforce is one magnet, but the rest of the Veil is a much more powerful magnet. The energy consumed by Lifeforce will be returned to the Veil. The spirits that occupied the energy will remain lost but at least the final part of their essences will be at rest..."

Jody thinks.

"So...the spirits of the dead will walk the Earth once more?"

"Yes".

Jody looks sickened.

"All the dead will return...people's loved ones will return for a brief moment...only to be taken away cruelly once everything is back to normal?"

"Yes..."

Jody thinks.

"I can't do that to the entire world..."

"If you want to stop Lifeforce, you have to. You can't kill him..."

"I can try..."

"You're the Caretaker. You cannot kill. Besides, what are you so afraid of?"

Jody gives her evils.

"I'm not scared of anything..."

"Liar..."

Jody leaves the room with Akara watching him. Jody closes the door and leans against it for a moment. He knows Akara's right about what they have to do, but how can he sell it to everyone else?

******

"You're insane..."

"Laura..."

"No! I'm not going to do it!"

Jody leans across the table.

"We don't have a CHOICE! If it stops Lifeforce, then we have to do it!"

"You want to break the world's heart? No one knows the Veil exists bar us! Do we really want to reveal that to the world?"

"DO YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA!? BECAUSE, IF YOU DO, I'M ALL FUCKING EARS!"

"DON'T SHOUT AT ME!"

Jody takes a deep breath and sighs.

"Look, Laura, I know it will hurt like a bitch but I can't see another way around it! Akara suggested it, so we ought to do it!"

"And you'll blindly follow Akara, will you?"

"She gave us our powers, why shouldn't we listen to her?"

"BECAUSE SHE'S PUT US THROUGH HELL!"

"If Lifeforce wins, there will be hell. All souls will be consumed and Lifeforce will be the most powerful being on Earth!"

Mel steps away from the table.

"When I was 6, I was in town with my Mum..."

Everyone looks around. She continues.

"We were just off the High Street. I'd just got a book I really wanted. 'Scrapman'. I was so excited, I was running and jumping on the pavement..."

Mel's face looks sad.

"Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind. It'd been windy all day but there was a particularly strong gush. I was in mid air when it struck and, being very thin and very small, not weighing much, it carried me into the middle of the road. A car came speeding round the corner and, I knew. I knew that was it. Moments before the car hit me, I felt myself fly again. I closed my eyes thinking another gust of wind had got me. That's when I heard a bang and a screech. I opened my eyes a few moments later to be confronted with the bloody face of my mum. Her eyes open but unresponsive. She managed to run into the road and push me out of the way...but she was hit in the process. She died the moment her head hit the road..."

Everyone looks sad.

"If we do this, Mum will appear...won't she..."

Jody nods. Mel smiles.

"At least then I'll get a chance to say thank you and a proper goodbye..."

There's a moment's pause before Warren speaks up.

"I became a cop because my partner, my high-school sweetheart, was murdered. She'll probably come back to me. As will Roberta..."

Jody looks uneasy. Kasim speaks up.

"My mum died during a diplomatic mission to Syria. IED".

Laura speaks up once more.

"My dad died during the Leptil invasion".

"OUR dad".

"He was more my Dad than yours..."

Jody looks insulted. They all look at each other and nod. Laura reluctantly agrees.

"Ok. Fine. How do we do this?"

"You need to go to the Veil and alert them to our plan. Lifeforce stops. TONIGHT".

Circles Of Life (3/6)

Kasim wakes up. He hears 'A Whole New World' playing in the background as he notices he's in a cell of some description. He can see the Fountain of the Archive as he gets up with a start and notices his face is bare, his carpet is gone and everything else he was carrying gone.

"How does the carpet work?"

Kasim turns around to see Jody with his headpiece off sitting on a chair looking at the carpet, which is in a cell of its own.

"Like, seriously? Because it's almost like it's alive. That must have some SERIOUS tech in it!"

"It is alive..."

Jody nods. He then gets up and walks up to the cell. Kasmin joins him from inside.

"So, your highness, you're evidently here to make good on your threat".

"You saw that?"

"It was widely reported".

"Well, let me go then so I can make sure my brother is dealt with correctly".

Jody looks confused.

"Nurul Khan was your brother!?"

"It's a term we use to refer to our fellow countrymen. We are all one in the eyes of God".

Jody nods.

"That's fair. I can guarantee you that we're doing all we can".

"Babylonia and the United Kingdom have been in a state of war for over 100 years. We do not trust the methods of your law enforcement. Especially due to the way they've treated our brothers and sisters through the years".

"Then accept my word as Caretaker",

Kasim chuckles.

"YOU are the Caretaker?"

"Yes".

"A child?"

"A child that royally kicked your ass. Pun intended!"

Kasim concedes to that.

"Ok. I accept you are not responsible for the actions of your countrymen, but I will still ask you to step aside from this situation and allow me to capture the culprit".

"I can't let you do that".

"Why?"

"Because your life would be at risk".

"And yours wouldn't?!"

"You have no idea what you're dealing with..."

"I do not try to understand the actions of nefarious men!"

"He's not a man. Not how you'd know him".

Kasim looks confused.

"How do you mean?"

"He's called Lifeforce. He kills people and consumes their souls before they can reach something called the Veil. The more he consumes, the more powerful he becomes..."

Kasim steps back.

"You know of the Veil?"

Jody looks confused once more.

"YOU know it?"

"It is central to my culture. In my country's culture, the Veil is the first step of death to meeting God. If something is attacking the Veil, then something is attacking my culture too".

"It's attacking the Earth Veil. Not just Babylonia's Veil!"

They pause for a moment.

"Look, I know we've fought and you're probably annoyed at me for that. But if you're really here to bring Khan's killer to justice then help me. You obviously know more about the Veil than we do. I've been to it but you have an entire culture's worth of information behind it. Help me and my friends bring Lifeforce down and, I give you my word as an alien, that you can have him face trial in Babylonia!"

Kasim smiles.

"You're not of this world?"

Jody smiles and shakes his head. Kasim looks impressed.

"Ok. Fine. We'll work together. But Lifeforce is mine at the end".

"Absolutely".

Kasim nods and smiles. Jody looks at the carpet, and then back at Kasim.

"Quick question...you have the magic carpet...does the Genie exist too?"

******

"In Western culture, the stories of Aladdin suggest that the Genie came out of a magic lamp. But the reality is very different..."

Kasim shows the group an amulet.

"The Genie is kept in this amulet. You rub it...and..."

He rubs the amulet and a puff of blue smoke comes out. An blue obese being comes out of it and stands in front of them.

"Ah. Your highness! Nice to see you again!"

"Genie. I'd like to introduce you to my new friends. This is Jody Kent, his sister Laura, his friend Mel and this is Detective Warren..."

Warren looks astounded. The Genie smiles.

"Pleasure to meet you, everyone. How can I be of assistance, Prince Kasim?"

"I need you to try and find the individual that goes by the name of 'Lifeforce'. Someone is attacking the Veil so it of the utmost importance".

The Genie looks attentive.

"Yes, sir. Would you require me to go incognito? Inconspicuous?"

He appears next to Jody dressed as Sherlock Holmes.

"Elementary, my dear Jody!"

He appears again next to Warren, this time as a pretty woman.

"Or would you require me to go...DEEP...cover..."

Kasim chuckles.

"Just go as the usual. Nothing particularly outrageous like last time".

"So I bedded the Sultan. So what!?"

"As Marilyn Monroe?"

Genie thinks.

"...Touche".

Jody steps forward.

"Genie, may I call you Genie?"

"ABSOLUTELY. It makes a change from 'Blue Man Group' or 'Robin Williams'".

"Ok, Genie, why don't you do the searching and then let me know when you find him. I'll go and stop him?"

Kasim steps forward.

"I'll survey the city too. That way we can take him down better. Laura, Mel, Warren, you stay here and hold the fort down here!"

They nod. Jody and Kasim nod to each other.

"Ready, Speedfreak?"

"Ready, your highness?"

They chuckle.

******

Jody speeds around for a bit and then stops outside a supermarket. He looks around. Nothing.

"Kasim? Genie? You guys found anything?"

Kasim answers first.

"Apart from nearly colliding with Boeing 747, nope".

"Yeah, Trillingham Airport is a little tricky at night".

The Genie responds too.

"I can sense some soul energy but I can't quite place where it is..."

Jody looks around.

"Where are you, you bastard..."

"LANGUAGE, JODY!"

Laura shouts down the comms. Jody adjusts his earpiece.

"Don't tell Mum..."

Laura chuckles. Laura, Mel and Warren sit in front of the screen. Warren becomes restless.

"Can they seriously not find any trace?"

"Goodness only knows what else this guy is capable of. He might be able to mask himself, who knows!"

Mel continues to look.

"If he can consume souls...does he HAVE to kill or can he just, you know, take them?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, if Jody or Kasim run into him, he might just be able to take them. Like breaking a twig!"

"Jody's a speedster and Kasim is a badass. They'll be fine!"

Mel doesn't look convinced.

"Let's hope so".

They all look again. They continue to concentrate looking before something bangs behind them. Laura shakes it off.

"Warren, mind your leg".

"That wasn't me..."

"Ok, Mel, mind your leg".

"It wasn't me either".

They all look at each other confused and then they slowly turn around to the Fountain. They see Lifeforce standing there, his black hood up. Laura, Mel and Warren look terrified. Lifeforce just stands there and points to Warren.

"I hear you've been searching for me, Detective..."

Warren stands up, pulls out a gun and fires 4 times. Lifeforce raises his hand, which starts to light up purple, and stops the bullets in mid-air. They drop to the floor. Warren looks amazed.

"Oh...shit..."

Laura gets up and backs away with Mel. But she's unimpressed.

"Seriously, what is it with everyone's language today!?"

Lifeforce slowly moves towards them. They move back slowly. Mel looks back and and sees a corridor.

"FOLLOW ME!"

They all run down the corridor. Lifeforce follows them slowly.

******

The team run down the corridor and onto other corridors.

"Mel, WHERE ARE WE!?"

"I don't know! I just found a corridor and carried on! I think we've lost him!"

They turn around and see Lifeforce at the end of the corridor just staring. Laura goes in front of Warren and Mel.

"Guys, go. I've got this..."

Warren grabs her arm.

"He'll kill you!"

"JUST TRUST ME, GO! GET JODY AND KASIM HERE!"

Warren, begrudgingly, goes with Mel. Laura looks back at the corridor and sees Lifeforce has gone. She's not sure where...but he's disappeared. She looks around frantically.

"I know who you are! I know what you're trying to do! Just give yourself up and we won't hurt you..."

Nothing. She can feel the fear rising within herself. She looks around at every angle she can frantically before she hears a familiar voice...

"Hello, sweetheart..."

She freezes. She knows that voice. She slowly turns around to see a man standing there. She looks sad at his appearance.

"What are you doing down this corridor by yourself?"

A tear falls down her cheek.

"Daddy..."

The man smiles.

"What are you doing down this corridor on your own? Where's your brother? He should be looking after you..."

Laura looks confused. She shakes her head.

"You...you can't be..."

"When I see him again I'll tell him off for leaving you on your own!"

The man notices Laura's expression.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"You can't be here..."

"Why can't I? Am I not allowed to find my daughter and say hi to her?"

"But..."

"Am I not allowed to come and tell her I miss her?"

"...You..."

"Am I not allowed to tell her I love her?"

Laura starts to cry more. Her dad puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey...what did we say about tears?"

Laura sniffs trying to hide the tears.

"They're not welcome..."

"Because you're stronger than that, Laura. You survived a trip in Space, you can survive anything..."

"But, Daddy, you can't be here..."

Her dad chuckles.

"And why's that? Have I found your secret hideout or something?"

"No...you can't be here because..."

"Do you want me to go?"

Laura shakes her head violently.

"No...No I really don't...please stay..."

"Because I can, you know. I can stay you know! All you've got to do is say yes! And I can stay here for as long as you'd like..."

Laura laughs and puts her hand on her Dad's face.

"I want you to stay forever..."

"Good..."

"...I didn't get a chance to say goodbye before and I don't want to say goodbye again..."

"You won't have to..."

Laura smiles.

"So, I'm staying? All you have to do is say 'yes'..."

Laura smiles.

"How can you be here though? How did you come back?"

"Come back? What do you mean?"

"Well, you died...during the Leptil invasion. Remember?"

Her dad smiles.

"I didn't die. I just went away for a while. But I'm back now...so...would you like me to stay?"

Laura smiles again and is about to say yes before Jody appears.

"LAURA!"

Laura looks at him and smiles.

"Jody! Look! Look who found me!"

Jody looks confused.

"What do you mean?"

Laura smiles.

"I stayed to take on Lifeforce, but look who found me! It's Dad! He didn't die! He survived and now he's staying with us!"

Jody looks around her.

"Laura..."

"Why aren't you happier? Dad's fine! We never have to say goodbye ever again!"

"...Laura..."

"Come and hug! I'm sure he'd love to hug you again!"

"LAURA..."

"What!?"

Jody looks sad.

"There's no-one there..."

Laura chuckles nervously.

"What do you mean? He's..."

She looks at her Dad again to find he's gone. Laura looks back between Jody and the now empty space. She's confused.

"No but he was...he was here! Jody, he was here! Dad!"

"There wasn't anyone there..."

"HE WAS! HE WAS HERE! AND HE WAS FINE! HE WAS ALIVE AND FINE! LIKE HE WAS BEFORE..."

She stops for a moment, looks sad, then angrily towards Jody.

"Why didn't you save him?"

Jody looks defensive.

"Laura, please..."

"Why didn't you save him!?"

"It's not as clear cut as that..."

Laura runs over and pushes him over. She jumps on him and slaps him.

"YOU COULD'VE DONE MORE TO SAVE HIM! YOU COULD'VE USED YOUR SPEED BUT YOU DIDN'T! YOU LET HIM DIE! YOU LET MY DAD DIE AND I BLAME YOU!"

"ENOUGH!"

Jody pushes her off and stands up. Laura looks at him angrily.

"I blame you, Jody. I'll always blame you for the loss of my father. And I'll NEVER forgive you for it..."

There's a slight pause before Jody walks away. Laura stands up and walks in the same direction.

From a close vantage point, Lifeforce watches on. He smiles. His plan is working...

Circles Of Life (2/6)

"And in other news, the death of a Babylonian shopkeeper in Trillingham has sparked fury from the Babylonian Royal Family. Prince Kasim has said that the investigation of the death by British Police should be done in conjunction with the Babylonian embassy, or else political consequences may ensue..."

The radio continues playing as Jody, Warren and Mel continue to talk in the Archive. Warren looks like he's struggling to keep up. Laura is looking through the books.

"So...what is this 'Veil' exactly?"

"I don't know. I know of it but I don't know exactly what it consists of".

"Couldn't we ask the Archive? There must be something on it somewhere?"

Laura calls down from the books.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING!?"

Laura looks more and finds something.

"Here!"

Laura runs down the staircase and rejoins the group. She opens the book and reads.

"The Veil is a realm between life and the 'other-realm' of the afterlife. It is filled with the souls of people who were killed as a result of accident, murder or other non-natural methods. The soul gets caught before it can reach the other-realm and spends eternity in a limbo state. Every planet has its own Veil that can only be accessed by that world but all worlds veils are connected by a shared pathway. Although every world has its own Veil, creatures who die on that world can only access the planet's one rather than their own. So, for instance, if a human was to die on Earth, it would go to the Earth Veil. But if the same human died on Auria instead, it would be caught in the Aurian Veil".

They all look confused. Jody more than most.

"So...there is an afterlife on Earth? I thought Eden was the only world to have one of those..."

Warren sighs in shock.

"I need to start going to church again..."

Laura continues.

"The only way of accessing the Veil is to become close to death so that the collector of souls comes to observe you".

They all look at each other.

"So...who wants to die?"

******

Marakosh, Babylonia.

The Palace halls are empty but for one man. He paces up and down in a straight line. Almost like he's angry, but thinking. He mumbles to himself as he does so.

"Your highness..."

The man looks at the servant that interrupts him.

"Yes, Abu?"

"...I have done what you asked. She is ready for you now..."

The figure nods and turns back to his melancholy.

"Prince Kasim...if I may ask...where will you take her this time?"

Kasim looks at Abu once more.

"I'm going to England. I need to make sure that our brother's death is treated right..."

******

Jody lies on a bed in his Speedfreak uniform. The headpiece is off but he looks at Warren, Mel and Laura who look determined yet worried.

"So why am I here? It's hard to kill me..."

"Because you're the Caretaker. Makes sense for you to do it!"

Jody sighs.

"This wasn't in the job description..."

Laura prepares something on the chest of the suit.

"So, Edenics can only tolerate a certain amount of volts before both our hearts stop. I'm going to go slightly over the threshold so that one of your hearts stop. That should be enough to get you a small foothold into the Veil".

"And if it fails? And I die?"

"Then you'll be the shortest serving Caretaker in history".

"...Fantastic".

Laura turns on the battery. She looks at Jody one last time.

"Ready?"

"Nope".

"Good..."

Laura switches on the battery and Jody jolts. He starts top seize up. After a few moments, Laura turns the battery off and Jody falls back, lifeless. Laura checks him.

"One heart beating...Oh, Jody, be quick...please..."

******

Jody opens his eyes and looks around. He sees a number of people running past him. They're not wholly visible though. They're sort of blurred as they race past him. Jody looks stunned as he looks around and sees the Veil as a kind of city centre. Jody looks around some more before one particular soul becomes completely visible to him.

"You're a stranger here, Edenic..."

Jody looks over and sees her. A beautiful looking woman with red hair, wearing nothing but black.

"You know I'm Edenic?"

"You're touching the Veil. I can read everyone that comes through".

Jody nods.

"THIS is the Veil?"

"Yes".

Jody looks around once more.

"This is Woking City Centre!"

The woman walks up to him.

"Why are you here, Edenic?"

"I'm here to help you".

"How?"

"My sister saw someone from the Veil. They said that someone is after you".

She looks him up and down.

"You're the new Caretaker...why are you dressed like that?"

"I'm the Speedfreak".

"You're Jody Patrick Kent. The Speedfreak is yet another fantasy you've adopted".

"What do you mean 'another'?"

She laughs.

"You're an Edenic who's trying to be human. You've completely adopted the name of Jody Kent despite knowing that isn't your name".

"It is. I'm a child of Earth!"

"You're an alien making play he's a man. Isn't that right...Torah al-Nivah..."

That struck a nerve. Jody looks angry.

"Torah al-Nivah is dead..."

"He very nearly is..."

Jody sighs.

"I'm here to help you. Why are you making me the enemy?"

"Because we can't trust anyone anymore".

Jody takes one more step forward.

"Tell me who's after you. You evidently know. So help me to help you!"

The soul looks sour again. She concedes.

"We don't know his real name. We don't know his true identity but we know the name he goes by".

"The Ripper-Snapper?"

"Pfft. A media fairytale. A name constructed by the living so as to maintain control and make up for the horror. The real name he goes by is Lifeforce".

"Lifeforce?"

"He's a being who can kill and consume the souls he kills before they can reach the Veil. The Veil is a place of safety. Lifeforce forbids them by consuming them..."

Jody thinks.

"That's what he was grabbing in the footage...a spirit?"

"Correct".

"Woah...this suddenly got real..."

"If he consumes enough souls in the same way, he could become powerful enough to enter the Veil itself and consume everyone here. And we'd be powerless to stop him. It's up to the living to stop him!"

"How do you stop someone like that!?"

"He can be stopped. You need to extract the soul energy from the souls he's consumed before he gets too powerful".

"And we do that how?"

The woman looks at her watch.

"I need to go...good luck, Torah..."

She vanishes.

"NO, WAIT, HOW DO WE STOP HIM!?"

She's gone. He looks annoyed as he looks around some more.

"Jody..."

Jody looks over and sees a familiar face. His expression turns to one of sadness.

"Roberta..."

"Get him, please. You need to get him!"

"How do I do that!?"

Roberta smiles.

"You're Speedfreak. You'll think of something..."

Suddenly, everything starts to go white. Jody reaches out to Roberta. She just smiles as she fades from view.

"I'LL FIND TRAGEDY FOR YOU! I'LL FIND HIM AND MAKE HIM PAY!"

Everything goes white.

******

Jody wakes up with a start. He sits bolt upright as he takes a large breath. He splutters a little bit before looking around. He's in the Archive. He looks at Laura.

"It worked!"

"Jody, you were gone for hours!"

"Don't care. I know what we're dealing with now..."

Warren smiles.

"You have a name?"

"Lifeforce".

Warren's expression falters again.

"I meant a PROPER name".

"They only know him as Lifeforce!"

Warren closes his eyes in annoyance. Laura grabs Jody.

"The Veil...what's it like?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes!"

"...It's Woking".

Laura looks confused. Mel comes running over.

"Ummm, the computer's going weird! It's saying something's entered Trillingham airspace!"

They all run over and see something on the screen. Warren sighs.

"And who the hell is this!?"

Jody puts his headpiece on.

"Soon find out..."

He speeds away as everyone looks at the screen. Laura sits at the control and taps some buttons.

"Let's see if I can get the cameras on my side..."

******

Jody stops at a quiet crossroads in the city. It's night-time now but it's quiet. He hears a whooshing and looks up. 

"Jody? Can you see what it is?"

"It's flying..."

"We know that. Is it a Natural or an Aug?"

"Can't tell yet..."

He hears another whooshing.

"HEY! YOU! YOU'RE VIOLATING BRITISH AIRSPACE!"

Jody sees a skyscraper and runs towards it. He runs up it until he gets to the roof.

"SHOW YOURSELF NOW!"

Nothing for a moment. It goes quiet. After a few quiet seconds, he hears a whooshing heading towards him from behind. At the correct moment, Jody engages his speed to it goes into slow motion. He moves out of the way as he sees a man with a sword miss him by an inch. The man flies past slowly for Jody. Just long enough to get a good look at him. He's dressed in brown with his mouth, forehead and nose covered. Only his eyes on show. But that's not all...he's standing on a carpet. Jody looks confused as he sees the carpet, seemingly flying, move past him. 

Jody stops his speed and everything returns to normal time. The man on the carpet flies away into the darkness again. Jody looks confused.

"Jody? Can you describe him yet!?"

"I can describe him perfectly..."

"Ok. So, what are we dealing with?"

"...would you believe me if I said Aladdin?"

Circles Of Life (1/6)

Detective Warren looks down at the body and tuts.

"The shopkeeper's name was Nurul Khan. 33 from Trillingham. Originally from Babylonia apparently. And he's another one".

PC Jenna Wilson stands next to him and looks horrified. Warren continues to monologue.

"Broken neck, seemingly a surprise attack and nothing stolen. Money's in the register, no stock taken it seems, it looks like he does this just for fun!"

Wilson looks up and sees a camera.

"Sir, there's a camera! We haven't had a camera before!"

Warren looks up with her and smirks.

"Well, well, well, it's worth a shot!"

******

Warren and Wilson sit in the camera room back at the station and observe the footage. They fast forward until the door opens on its own and the shopkeeper looks up from his paper.

"From here..."

They watch. They see the shopkeeper look around and then go back to the paper. As they do, they notice a figure suddenly appear behind him.

"Woah..."

They then see the struggle and the death of Khan. They then start to see the man grab something invisible and seemingly consume it. However, as he does, the camera starts to spark and ultimately break. Warren and Wilson look stunned as they see it. There's a slight pause before Wilson speaks up.

"I know it's against protocol...but might it be worth taking it to...them?"

Warren sighs and looks annoyed.

"It certainly looks like we'll have to..."

Warren gets up to walk out of the room. But Wilson stops him.

"Oh, don't forget, it's someone new now..."

Warren stops and doesn't turn back. He looks sad.

"Thanks for the reminder..."

He leaves the room.

******

"Laura, can we please focus on the task in hand?"

"THERE ARE MULTIPLE COPIES OF SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS UP HERE. GO DO IT YOURSELF!"

Jody sighs and puts his hand to his head. Mel stands next to him.

"You did put her in the biggest library in the universe, Jody..."

Jody walks back towards the fountain and sits on it.

"She does this. I can wait".

"HOLY CRAP IT'S THE FIRST EDITION! JODY! JODY! IT'S THE FIRST EDITION!"

"HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!"

Mel laughs once more. Jody sighs.

"Jody, to be fair, you've pretty much spent the past two weeks solidly looking for Tragedy. Your constant looking won't bring Roberta back!"

"I know. But what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

"Well, Roberta was constantly busy, right? You said you'd read her logs?"

"She had to foil something most days".

"Then think of the past two weeks as the honeymoon period. Every honeymoon period has to end sometime!"

Jody sighs.

"I guess you're right!"

"Besides. You're, like, the fastest guy alive. There must be SOMETHING you can do to foil stuff. Heck, you could probably foil stuff before it happens!"

"That's not entirely possible, Mel".

"I'm new at this. Go easy on me".

They chuckle. As they do, Detective Warren walks into the Archive. He can visibly be seen. Jody, Laura and Mel notice. As they do, they assume defensive positions.

"What the!? Who are you!? How'd you get in here!?"

Warren looks at them and looks confused.

"Kids? Roberta replaced herself with...kids!?"

Mel looks offended.

"Kids!? I'll have you know I'm 12!"

"Good for you, Charlotte's Web".

Jody speeds forward.

"Who are you? And how do you know Roberta?"

Warren and Jody lock eyes.

"My name is Detective Peter Warren. Roberta Neave was my niece. And I worked closely with her. You must be the new one!"

Jody smiles a bit and holds out his hand.

"Jody Kent. Caretaker. The girl on the upper level is my twin sister, Laura, and this is my friend Mel".

Laura and Mel don't say hello. They remain cautious.

"So, Detective, what can we do for you, today?"

Warren looks cautious.

******

"Obviously, things in the world have been getting weirder for a long time. But, now we're in the 21st century, things seem to get even weirder. Sometimes, when I had a case that included something weird, I'd get Roberta involved. Seeing as that was her day job".

Laura interjects.

"And something 'weird' has just happened again?"

"Something like that..."

Jody, listening attentively, nods.

"What is it this time?"

Warren sighs.

"There have been 7 murders in as many weeks. All have the same MO. Snapped neck, no robbery, just a dead body".

"The Ripper-Snapper. I've seen the news reports".

"For ages we had no leads. Just a string of dead bodies. That is until last night. A shopkeeper called Nurul Khan was murdered. Only this time, we had store security footage..."

Warren pulls some stills and shows them. The team peruse them. Mel looks astounded.

"What's he grabbing? In the air there?"

Detective Warren shrugs his shoulders.

"I have absolutely no idea. There was nothing at the scene that suggested anything!"

Jody picks up the still of the man grabbing something and opening his mouth. Warren notices.

"That was the last clear still before the camera shorted out. This is why I came to you. Because a camera shorting out during this guys's behaviour? Suggests weird, right?"

Jody nods.

"In this one, the way his mouth is open, it looks like he's sucking something in. Or releasing something? Like a weird hoover?"

Jody thinks.

"Can we see the scene?"

Warren shakes his head vehemently.

"I can't allow children onto a crime scene! Are you insane!?"

Jody looks annoyed for a moment. But then he realises something.

"You wouldn't have to allow a child onto a crime scene...but you could allow a new...powered hero?"

Warren looks confused.

"...You what?"

******

PC Wilson returns to the crime scene and continues to look around for clues as to what happened. As she does, Warren returns.

"How did it go with...them...sir?"

"It went ok thanks, Wilson. They've sent for help!"

"Help? The Caretaker needs help?"

"They're new".

Suddenly, something whooshes in and stops next to them. They look and sees a figure in a blue suit with purple streaks across it. Wilson looks impressed.

"And, who might you be?"

Jody looks up and sees Wilson holding out her hand.

"You must be PC Wilson. I'm Jo...Speedfreak!"

"Speedfreak. Pleased to meet you. New on the scene?"

"Yes. But I've been sent by the Caretaker to assist you guys in your enquiries. So, this is the scene of the crime?"

"Yes. I don't know what you want to do in order to look around but..."

As Warren continues, Jody speeds around the crime scene and returns to his original position.

"I'm not seeing anything weird".

Warren looks shocked while Wilson looks amazed.

"In the camera footage, it shows the perpetrator holding something in the air or, possibly, consuming something. Did you see anything that could shed light on what that was?"

"No. I saw nothing out of the ordinary, Detective..."

Laura looks on as she remains invisible. She sees Jody and Warren talking to each other as she continues to look around as another pair of eyes. She looks around closely until she does an entire circuit. As she does, she sees something by the counter. A figure stands by the counter looking at her. It's not the same figure that killed the shopkeeper, but it's a figure. Laura freezes in fear as they lock eyes.

"Please...you can see us...you need to help us...the Veil is terrified...You need to stop him taking us...Please..."

Laura looks terrified as the figure goes down onto its knees and begs her.

"You need to find him and stop him before he takes more of us! Please! Don't ignore us!"

Laura closes her eyes and starts to fade back into existence. Jody notices.

"I'll call you later, Detective..."

As Laura reappears, but before anyone can see her, Jody speeds over and grabs her, then leaves. 

The pair end up in an alleyway. Jody holds her while Laura hyperventilates.

"What the hell happened!?"

"I saw something!"

"You saw the person that did this?"

"No! I saw...someone else! Talking about the Veil and someone 'taking' them!" 

Jody looks confused.

"Did you say Veil?"

"Yes!"

They look confused.

"What the hell is the Veil?"