New Masters of the Universe
fOUR - THE bEAST WITHIN
Written By: Cyke
Based on:
Daria Created by: Glenn
Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn and
He-Man and the Masters of
the Universe
Open on a black screen, Jodie in her Sorceress
fades onto the screen; she is falling and her wings badly injured. She begins
to glow yellow and Skeletor appears wearing some kind of armor that emits an
intense flame. Behind the Sorceress He-Man appears, his right arm hangs down
and he tries the best he can to fend off an unseen attacker but it's obvious
that he is losing. From the darkness his attacker appears but all we can make
out is the silver metallic blade it holds and the smaller blades of his armor.
The unseen attacker swings one last time as He-Man disappears into the darkness,
followed by a painful scream. Skeletor begins to approach the Sorceress as
another shadow figure to her right appears; this one is holding an intricately
carved gold and black box. The figure opens the box and a dark purple smoke
rises from it and encircles the figure which drops the box and screams. The
smoke and figure return to the darkness as Skeletor reaches the Sorceress, he
reaches up and caresses her cheek as Mack enters from the left of the screen
wearing his armor, he produces his axe and runs toward them but a large
beast-like creature grabs him from behind in a bear hug. The creature's
strength is so great that the armor begins to crack. Mack has a look of pure
fear on his face as he and the creature fade back into the Darkness... from above
them a winged figure descends toward them, but another figure appears in front
of them and begins to fire a laser, apparently from his forehead, at it. The
winged figure avoids the attacks while a third figure jumps out of the shadows
and dropkicks the second, then follows up with a series of roundhouse kicks. It
appears to be winning but Evil-Lyn appears and blasts it back into the shadows,
then Evil-Lyn teams with the laser figure and together they blast the winged
figure who disappears. Skeletor brings the Sorceress close to his face and
looks her in the eye...
Skeletor: Your friends
are gone, and I have you to thank... my dear Sorceress...
Evil-Lyn and the other shadow figures on Skeletor's
side reappear and crown around her as she struggles to escape Skeletor's hold.
Skeletor begins to laugh as he draws his sword and swipes at her-
Smash cut to: Jodie wakes in her bed screaming in
absolute terror...
Cut to: Skeletor's throne room Evil-Lyn walks
around his throne, she runs her hand along the back then down to the arm.
Voice:
(OS) Magnificent. Is it not?
Evil-Lyn looks up startled...
Voice: (chuckles) A
little jumpy aren't we... maybe that's why you failed to destroy He-Man... not cut
out to do the job...
Evil-Lyn: Come into the
open and we'll see who's not cut out for this...
Voice: Oh don't worry...
I'll be out in the open soon enough, and then I'll show you what I can do.
Until then... I'd stay away from the master's throne...
Evil-Lyn: Do as you like...
and I'll do as I like.
Across the room we get a light being reflected from
two silver blades from some kind of head armor, but the figure is still in
shadow. He raises his sword and bows in a salute then steps back into the
shadows.
Evil-Lyn: I don't trust
these new "recruits" as Skeletor calls them.
Skeletor: (OS) They're
not for you to trust, but for you to stay away from.
Skeletor steps into view from the right side of the
screen and ascends to his throne where he sits.
Skeletor: I don't want
your habit of failure to transfer to them. I don't even want you talking to
them, I'll have to punish Blade for defying me, but he did have a valid point.
Never touch my throne again or I'll have your head mounted above it. Keep in
mind that you are expendable now. Now go... if I require your help I'll send for
you.
She looks at him furiously but turns and leaves the
throne room. Skeletor steeples his hands and leans back in his throne as his
eyes begin to glow red.
Skeletor:
Blade!
Blade:
(from the shadows) Yes master.
Skeletor:
I believe I ordered you to stay away from that witch...
Blade: (from the shadows)
I apologize, master... it will not happen again.
Skeletor: No, I'm
changing your orders, I want you to get close to Evil-Lyn, find out her schemes
then report back to me.
Blade: (from the shadows)
as you command...
Skeletor: Now, I believe
it is time you introduced yourself to the masters... particularly that boy who
stole my armor. I want you to find him and kill him. Nothing fancy, just quick
and painful.
Cut to a close-up of the lower half of Blade's face
as he smiles baring his teeth.
Blade: Yes master... it
shall be done.
Cut to:
Mack:
Whoa, you okay Jodie?
Jodie:
Y-yeah, I just had a rough night...
Mack:
The nightmare again?
Jodie:
Not exactly.
She kneels to pick up her books as does Mack.
Mack:
What was it this time?
Jodie: I saw the man with
the blade fighting He-Man, the beast man that attacks you, and a guy with a
laser coming out of his forehead and Evil-Lyn fighting a two others... but this
time there was a person opening a box then being surrounded by a purple smoke...
a-and Skeletor, he had me captured but he thanked me and said it was all
because of me...
Mack: (puts his hand on
her shoulder) Hey, it's only a dream...
Jodie: Really? What about
the vision I had of you fighting Skeletor and Man-At-Arms' armor?
Mack looks down and finishes picking up her papers
and hands them to her.
Mack: So, maybe it is
real... but we know about it, so we can stop it. Maybe that's why you're receiving
them, maybe they're warnings so that we can prepare.
Jodie: Maybe... I hope.
A shadow comes over them and they look up to see
Ms. Li standing over them.
Ms. Li: Shouldn't
you two be in class right now?!
Mack: Uh, yeah Jodie just
dropped her books and I was helping her pick them up.
Ms. Li: Well I'd hurry up
if I were you, after all these incidents lately I've been force to increase the
security to protect the school- I mean the students from harm. The K-9 units
should be by any minute...
She turns and quickly moves down the hall.
Jodie:
K-9 units... she didn't.
Mack: I think she did,
and if she's in a hurry to get out of the halls...
They share a look then grab their stuff and run to
their next class.
Cut to: the football field - Kevin and Mack are
among some of the other players on the sidelines watching the practice.
Mack:
She's really upset about these dreams...
Kevin:
Awe come on Mack daddy, she'll be okay.
Mack:
Why do you still call me that/
Kevin:
(whispering to Mack) To fool the other guys...
Mack: Kevin, these guys
wouldn't notice if you grew a third eye much less if you stopped calling me
Mack Daddy.
Kevin: Okay, why does it
bother you so much anyway?
Mack: How much do you
like Britney calling you "Kevvie?"
Kevin: Yikes... I
understand, sorry bro...
Mack: And don't start
that again either...
Kevin: Okay, hey what
about... Mack-At-Arms? Huh?
Mack's stare burns a hole into Kevin.
Kevin:
No huh... then what do I call you?
Mack:
How about, Mack?
Kevin:
But that's what everyone calls you.
Mack:
And I like it...
Kevin: Okay fine, Mack.
Mack: Thank you... (smirks)
Kevvie.
Kevin: Hey!
Cut to: The top of the school - a cloaked figure is
watching the football team. It looks down and studies the surrounding area and
moves to a spot where he can hide.
Cut back to the football field where practice is
ending. Kevin and Mack are the last to leave the field and have to wait for all
the others to enter the school, when the doorway clears Kevin enters but before
Mack can follow a noose drops down around his neck and he is lifted up out of
view. Kevin turns but doesn't see Mack and starts to go look for him but there
is a bright flash at the doors, Kevin tries to open them but the metal of the
door has fused with the metal frame. Kevin starts to reach for his sword but
the coach steps into the hall.
Coach:
Kevin! What are you doing out here? Hit the showers!
Kevin:
B-but coach-
Coach:
No excuses! Movie it!
Kevin looks back at the doors and enters the locker-room.
Cut to the rooftop - The cloaked figure pulls the
rope up and Mack is able to grab the edge of the roof and pull himself up. He
collapses and pulls the noose off and gasps for air.
Cloaked Figure: I thought
one of the masters would have been harder to catch... it appears that Skeletor
lead me on.
Mack turns toward him while holding his neck.
Mack:
Who... are you?
The Figure undoes the belt holding his robe closed
then tosses the robe aside - it's Max, the drummer from Mystik Spiral. Harness
on his head that is made of a metal chinstrap, an eyepiece that covers his left
eye, and a circular communication device that has two blades extending from it.
His upper body is protected by chain mail, metal plates, and both shoulders
protected by spiked shoulder pads. He appears to be wearing leather pants with
metal plates attached to them and his boots have more spikes around the edges.
Blade:
The name is Blade, can you guess why?
He withdraws two swords and holds the out in front
of himself in an X shape. He begins to circle Mack who looks on helplessly.
Mack:
What do you want with me?
Blade: You are one of the
masters... my enemies... I'm here to kill you before you can interfere with our
plans again.
Blade rushes toward Mack who rolls out of the way
and reaches into the waistband of his uniform and pulls out a small cylinder.
He points it at Blade and fires a small laser beam at him. Blade is struck on
his arm and burned but it doesn't appear to faze him.
Blade:
Oh, you'll have to do better... much, much better.
Blade advances toward Mack.
Cut to: Jodie in class listening to Mr. O'Neil when
she suddenly gasps and closes her eyes as she has a vision of Mack and Blade
fighting. She opens her eyes and sees O'Neil looking at her concerned...
O'Neil:
Jodie, are you all right?
She gets up from her desk and starts toward the
door.
Jodie:
I- I have to-
She quickly leaves the room.
O'Neil:
Oh my...
In her seat Daria looks suspicious.
Daria: (VO) Okay... this is
the second time that Mack is missing and Jodie is freaking out, coincidence - I
think not. What is going on between those two?
Cut to: Jodie running down the hall; she heads for
the exit door that Kevin was at before and tries to open it, but it's still
fused shut, she clenches her fist and it begins to glow red then she hits the
door and it flies open. She leaves the school and hears Mack up on the roof; immediately
she changes into the Sorceress and flies up to the roof where she recognizes
Blade from her nightmares.
Sorceress:
You!
Blade looks up and sees her.
Blade: Awe, now the
surprise is ruined... I was hoping to have him in pieces before another one of
you showed up... Oh well, more fun for all I guess.
Jodie lands next to Mack and sees that he is badly
cut and his breathing is very shallow. Blade slowly advances toward her but she
jumps up and her staff appears in her hand. She strikes at him catching him off
guard and knocks his swords out of his hands, then brings the staff back and
slices him across the face. Blade falls to the ground and looks back up at her.
She begins to stalk toward him and he pushes himself back away from her,
completely oblivious to the edge of the building. Before he can act he falls
off the building and lands on top of a car smashing in on itself. Blade rolls
off the car and runs away. Jodie returns to Mack and lays her staff on the
ground next to him and begins whispering with her hand held out over him; her
hand glows a faint blue and Mack's injuries heal. He looks up at her and
smiles.
Mack:
Now who's the knight in shining armor?
Jodie: This isn't a time
to be joking, the man- he was one from my nightmare - he's the one that kills
He-Man.
Mack: Are you sure?
Jodie: Positive...
Cut to: Skeletor's throne room.
Skeletor: Idiot!
Skeletor blasts Blade with his chaos staff sending
him flying across the room where he slams into a large creature half hidden by
shadows who grabs him and hold him up.
Skeletor: One simple
task, kill the human quickly, and what happens? You play around with him and
let the Sorceress intervene! Why didn't she kill you and spare me the trouble?
Beastman: (growls) I...
kill...
Skeletor: No, not yet... he
may prove more useful, as a distraction. For now they only know about you
Blade, so your new task is to draw the other masters away and leave the human
to Beastman.
Blade: No, master... let me
prove my worth by killing the human.
Skeletor: You failed
once, now you're just bait... Evil-Lyn!
Evil-Lyn steps out of the shadows and approaches
Skeletor.
Evil-Lyn:
Yes...
Skeletor: Your
uselessness is well documented so you get to join Blade. Now get out of my
sight!
Evil-Lyn furiously turns and storms out the door
pushing Blade and Beastman out of her way. They look at each other and blade
obviously doesn't like Beastman, he follows Evil-Lyn out of the throne room as
does Beastman.
Cut to: across from the high school - Evil-Lyn,
dressed as Ms. Barch, stands next to a building and scans the students for
Mack. She spots him and Jodie leaving the school and walking off together. She
crosses the street and starts to follow them but stops and hides beside a tree
when she sees that Daria and Jane are following Mack and Jodie.
Barch:
Well... this might be interesting...
She steps away from the tree and starts after the
four teens.
Cut to: the pizza palace. Mack and Jodie sit at a
booth together while Daria and Jane sit across from them.
Jane: Okay Agent Morgendorffer, why have we
been following Mack and Jodie all over
Daria: There's something going on between them,
something wrong.
Jane: Daria! Don't tell me that you're actually
showing concern for your fellow students?
Daria: I know, I'm scared too. Let's just drop it
for now, any word from
Jane: Not since their last second mad dash for Freemont...
Daria: You don't think that they arrested again do
you?
Jane: No, they would've called by now if they were,
you remember how Max was last time.
Cut
to: Jodie and Mack talking.
Mack: We can't stay here all night, you fly to your
house and I'll walk home.
Jodie: But Mack-
Mack: I'll be okay, I picked up some of the weapons
from my armor, it'll be enough to handle that Blade guy, and if anything else
happens you have the communicator I gave you. Come on lets go.
Mack
gets up as does a reluctant Jodie and the leave.
Outside
it is getting dark, Jodie and Mack give each other a quick kiss and go their
separate ways. Jodie ducks between two buildings and a second later we see her
fly off. Across the street on the rooftops Blade and Evil-Lyn watch as Jodie
flies off.
Blade: Come on, lets take him now.
Evil-Lyn: No, we were told to distract the
Sorceress.
Blade: But the boy is defenseless-
Evil-Lyn: You want Skeletor to forget
about your failure right?
Blade: Yes.
Evil-Lyn: Then the best thing you can do is follow
his orders and let that mindless beast screw up. Then he will be the focus of
Skeletor's rage and we'll be off the hook.
Blade
smiles and starts to laugh.
Blade: You know, I'm starting to like you.
Lets get the girl.
They
start jumping from rooftop to rooftop following the Sorceress. Down below the
building they were hiding on is Beastman.
Beastman: (growling low) They think I
fail... I show them...
He
starts to move but stops when he sees Daria and Jane leave the pizza palace.
Close-up of his eyes as they widen in shock...
Beastman: J-Janey.
Cut
to: Later, Daria and Jane are nearing
Jane: Hey Daria, you ever get the feeling that
you're being followed?
Daria: Everyday...
Jane: What about right now?
Jane
spins around and yells, but what she sees causes her to scream in terror, Daria
turns and screams also. Standing behind them is Beastman; he's at least eight
feet high and covered in a dirty brown fur, both of his ears have multiple hoop
piercing and below his mouth he has a small triangular patch of black hair.
Jane
and Daria turn to run but Beastman easily jumps over them and blocks their
escape. He focuses on Jane and steps toward her, she backs away from and
accidentally falls. Beastman continues to step toward her and his shadow covers
her.
Beast Man: (growling) J-Janey... help, me...
Jane's
jaw drops as she realizes who this creature really is.
Jane: No, y-you can't be...
Beast Man: Janey-
She
looks at him and notices his earrings, the goatee, and then she looks at his
eyes.
Jane: (her eyes begin to tear up) Oh god...
Skeletor: (os) I cast a spell over him, He-Man had
begun to rebuild his masters, and I couldn't let his forces outnumber me so I
grabbed the first fools to cross my path... him and his friends. As quickly as
the spell worked on his body it obviously hasn't have time to completely erase
his mind, his humanity. But that can easily be resolved... kill her.
Jane's
eyes widen and we hear Daria gasp in the background. Beastman steps back away
from Jane.
Beastman: (low) N-no.
Skeletor: What?! You dare to defy me!
Skeletor
holds up his staff and it glows red as does Beastman's eyes... he grabs his head
and roars in pain.
Skeletor: Now, kill her!
Beastman: (roars) No!
Skeletor
approaches Beastman and knocks him aside with his staff.
Skeletor: I gave you an order, now kill her... unless
you want me to have fun ripping her mind apart and twisting her body into
another one of my troops... Yes, I think that will be a fitting punishment for
you- knowing that you could have saved your sister but failed!
Skeletor
aims his staff at Jane but Beastman rears up to his full height and roars!
Skeletor shows fear for a moment but then quickly points his staff at Beastman
but has it knocked from his hand before he could act.
Beastman: (roars) No, not Janey!
Beastman
grabs Skeletor in a bear hug and begins squeezing him, Skeletor cries out in
pain. Beastman is hit from behind by two energy blasts and he drops Skeletor
and falls forward. Jane and daria turn to see Evil-Lyn, Tri-Klops, and Blade.
Jane: No, Max?! (looks at Tri-Klops) Nick? T-this
can't be... it has to be a dream...
Skeletor: (in Pain) I'm afraid not... your brother and
his friends are now mine... (to Beastman) You shall pay dearly for this treachery!
(to his troops) Take them! I'll decide what to do with them later.
Sorceress: (os) Jane!
The
Sorceress flies onscreen and lands between Jane and Skeletor's forces. Soon
after He-Man and Mack (in his armor) arrive from behind Skeletor and his
troops. He-Man charges at Skeletor while Mack charges up his arm cannon and
fires at the others. Evil-Lyn dodges the attack but is met head-on by the
Sorceress. Tri-Klops fires his eye laser at Mack but it is deflected by Mack's
mace back toward Blade. Mack the returns fire and hits Tri-Klops knocking him
out, then he turns to Blade.
Mack: Okay Blade, lets see how good you
are in a fair fight.
They
Charge at each other and slam their weapons into each other's.
Cut
to: Skeletor and He-Man - Skeletor knocks He-Man's sword to the right and
raises his staff to strike him but He-man sees the attack and uppercuts him.
Skeletor falls onto his back and He-Man kicks his staff away and brings his
sword down. Skeletor rolls away from the strike and tries to return the favor
but He-Man moves faster shoulder blocks Skeletor into a tree.
Cut
to: The Sorceress and Evil-Lyn - they are trading magical attacks that the
other blocks or deflects away. Suddenly the Sorceress flies into air and turns
back around and dives straight for Evil-Lyn who jumps clear of the first
attack, but never even saw the second attack from the Sorceress' staff. The
lightning hits her and she drops unconscious.
Cut
to: Jane ignoring the battle slowly approaches Beastman.
Jane: T-Trent?
Beastman
stirs and looks are her...
Beastman: ...h-help... me...
Off
screen there is a bright flash from Mack and Blade's direction that draws
Jane's attention, she turns and sees Blade lying unconscious on the street.
Mack: Oh well, so much for a fair fight.
Mack
looks up and sees Beastman getting up next to Jane and he reacts.
Mack: Look out Jane!
He
raises his arm cannon to fire but Jane steps between him and Beastman.
Jane: Mack stop!
Mack: Jane!? What are you doing?
Jane: Leave him alone!
Jodie: Jane! What-?
Jane: HE'S MY BROTHER!
Cut
to reaction shots from the Sorceress and Mack. Then cut to Daria's Shock.
Cut
back to Jane who falls to her knees.
Jane: He's
Cut
to: He-Man who has heard Jane's confession leaves himself undefended and
Skeletor seizes the opportunity and slashes at him, but unintentionally He-Man
steps back avoiding Skeletor's sword which only glances off his armor. He-Man snaps
out of his daze and focuses back on Skeletor and raises his sword to strike. Beastman
sees his master in trouble rushes to his aid; he slams into He-Man sending him
crashing into
Skeletor: Don't get use to this He-Man!
He
raises his staff and blinds the heroes. When their vision clears they see that
Skeletor and his troops are gone. Daria goes over to Jane and kneels by her
side and Jane grabs her in a tight embrace.
Jane:
Daria,
unsure what to do or say looks to Mack and the sorceress for help.
Sorceress: Don't worry Jane, I'm sure that we can
find a way to return
Daria: Yeah, Skeletor did say that
Jane: Maybe we can save
End.
Notes:
The
strange creepy dream sequence opening with more foreshadowing... I wish I could
write it better than I did, I can see it in my mind but I just can't translate
it... maybe I'll try again later.
For
your information if you didn't know - Blade was a character from the live
action He-Man movie - I liked him as well as the whole movie (could have been
ten times better but... maybe the rumored 2006 will redeem it)
Kevin
and Mack daddy resolution... maybe...
Daria's
concern for Jodie and Mack - maybe out of character and out of place but...
I'm
going to be hated for what I did to the Spiral... and I would like to apologize
to all, but really - how else would I get Jane and even Daria to work with the
masters?
But
also look at the members of the Spiral and compare them to their characters -
Max and blade are both bald and Max is always
claiming that he's a criminale (will just forget that little incident with the
police in speedtrapped)
Nick - not much known about him, but his hair is
similar to that of the original Tri-Klops... okay lame excuse but I say it works.
Any
way... there it is - be back next week sometime with New Masters of the Universe
pt. 5 - Flight of the Cynic (guess what this one's about).