03. The Lost Cause Comedy Vault Vol. I Episode 3 - {"The Killing Bees"}

EXT. PRIMEVAL FOREST - DAY SHIEKWhat has you up against a wall? FINIMy brother. SHIEKWhat’s wrong? FINIHe’s going to kill me; I can feel it. CHAOS and INFINITY are immortal souls of creation, trapped in a centuries-long game of seek-and-find—or, more accurately, seek-and-destroy, as the strategic and tactical INFINITY is usually bested by her younger brother CHAOS by his tactile use of brute force, weaponry, and merciless destruction. INFINITY, though equipped with an adapting presence, plays this game set in principles of fact, respecting the art of war and playing it rather fairly— Perhaps this is why she keeps losing to her much younger, but physically adaptive younger brother—as these ranges within time upon which they age almost certainly always place him as technically appearing, for humanoid purposes, older, bigger, and stronger—however, not more powerful. CHAOS has learned the karmic output of his own destruction, usually looming over him in a cosmic outward effect which summits more like a rippling throughout time served as consequences, as he awaits his sister’s imminent recycle and age against his own reincarnation and death epochs. SHIEKThere’s a sense that he might be creeping along, I gather, but I don’t think “today” is nearly accurate enough to assume your holding position against that poor creature as a requisite defense. By this "poor creature," she means the tree which FINI is leaning on to her wits' end; in this world and time, planetary biologics such as trees, plants, and animals are acknowledged also as wholly formed consciousness in physical manifestations as an artistic creative concept for the mastery of planets throughout time in the cosmic realm, and manipulation of energy throughout such as creatures, animals, people, and the very planets upon which they exist. In fact, it was in the beginning of these realms and primordial worlds within the voids that INFINITY—or FINI—had adapted this concept of creation by merging these alchemic thoughts with outer forces, creating complex multi-structures and full galaxy concepts, rather than just concentrating one’s entire own energy into a singular planet, or as humans would call it, monotheistic concepts. That is, at once, INFINITY had configured with respect to her outwardly expanding consciousness, rapid creation of planetary constructs as powerful multidimensional galactic art projects. This, in our own world and time, explains our own belief systems, spanning many worlds and many gods. SHIEK (CONT'D)How do you expect to keep all of them up there like that? FINIEventually, they’ll stay in place on their own. SHIEKHow do you figure that?! FINIJust wait for it. Gravity and its placement within the void remains at large an experimental and theoretical concept of compression in pure consciousness. [The Festival Project ™] FINI (CONT'D)No, I know the feeling when it’s coming. SHIEKYour brother? FININo. The feeling of death and impending doom, but with him as the agent of this, most likely. SHIEKYou are funny. FINII’m not joking. SHIEKBut it’s funny. FINII’m making you aware, there’s no mistaking it... SHIEKSpare me the theatrics. FINII’m not exaggerating—here, take this. SHIEKOkay, but why am I taking this? FINIHe has a harpoon. SHIEKWhat's a harpoon? FINIA weapon. SHIEKWhere did he get it? FINII gave it to him for his birthday. Then, he threw me from a cliff. SHIEKWell, then, why are you so sure he’s coming for you with it in this reincarnation, and on this day precisely? FINIBecause. I’ve been calculating it—and—since he was young, and we made up this game—we’ve always been playing it. At first, I let him win because I’m ancient, I didn’t realize he’d be disfiguring me for the next— Suddenly, there’s a rustling in the distance; a flock of birds bursts into the wind. FINI (CONT'D)—did you hear that? SHIEKI didn’t hear anything over your paranoid over-dramatics... but I can tell you’re really serious. He threw you off a cliff? FINIYeah, he did. SHIEKWhy would he do that? FINIBecause, I’d once contemplated knowing what it feels like to free fall that exact height without any aviary instruments. SHIEKOh, that’s—harsh. FINIArt in the name of the pursuit of knowledge. SHIEKAll is. FINI—and since it was his birthday, I was anticipating it. SHIEKI don’t get it. You think he actually likes doing this? FINIMy brother is increasingly destructive—menial, even. This is just the nature of his— SWUUFPPT! INFINITY is hit from an unseen angle above; a harpoon has been plunged diagonally and directly into her chest. FINI (CONT'D)See. I told you. She’s now pinned to the tree by the harpoon. CHAOS descends from a nearby tree. INFINITY looks down at her fatal wound at the harpoon and admires it for its quality. FINI (CONT'D)That is nice. I like that. SHIEKWhere did you even get something like that? FININow I’m being funny, I’m also dying—you should at the very least be laughing for me. SHIEKIt's not worth it if I’m laughing out of pity, is it? CHAOSStraight through the heart. FINIIt isn’t, you’re right. FINI begins to fade. CHAOSYou are absolutely right; that is a good gift. FINIYou can take my heart out, but there’s no sense in eating it. SHIEKYou would do something like that? CHAOSWell, I won’t go wasting it, but how else am I supposed to know what’s all in there? SHIEKOkay. So I don’t understand your family dynamic. FINIWhatever, just don’t let him take my— CHAOSIs that my canteen? SHIEKUh—I’m—holding it. CHAOSLet me see it. FINIDon’t— However, death is overtaking INFINITY now, and the sky begins to glow and darken. CHAOSYes, it is. Perfect. INFINITY groans and weakens as the life begins to leave her; CHAOS takes a drink from the canteen. He then lifts it to his sister's lips and tilts her head back so that she’s drinking from it, but also struggling to swallow it as death consumes her. CHAOS (CONT'D)It is a good gift. Thanks, sis. INFINITYHappy birthday, you idiot. SHIEKLast wishes, or have you made peace with it? CHAOS...Will you be needing any assistance? INFINITY shakes her head; he gently allows the grip of his two fingers, middle and index, to gently move lower and away to allow her head to fall downward to her chest. FINII have peace. CHAOSI Am. SHIEKSo it’s settled, I’ll be awaiting your next incarnation in the precipice. FINIAmen. At once, she is lifeless; a green storm appears on the horizon and lightning shakes the ground into thunderous tremors; a fire from the lightning erupts on the mountain; CHAOS looks up at the sky and shrugs, before emptying the canteen and placing its straps around his bodice; a true warrior, he is outfitted with the tribal markers of a compounded warlord—for what exact purpose, we remain in the unknown. SHIEKWhy you do this, I don’t know. This is awful. CHAOSWe love this game. This is awesome. SHIEKYou didn’t have to take the canteen. CHAOSActually, I did—it’s bulletproof. SHIEKI don’t know what you mean by that. CHAOS begins looting his sister’s dead body, starting with the pockets, of course, in an attempt at salvaging any money while explaining himself. CHAOS (CONT'D)Bulletproof. SHIEKI don’t know what you’re saying. CHAOS—it ricochets bullets. SHIEKI don’t know what that means. CHAOSOh, right. There are no guns yet here on this planet. CHAOS (CONT'D)...no use in explaining it. SHIEKHow are you desecrating the body? CHAOS pours a circle of mysterious liquid around the base of the tree, before lighting it. CHAOSImmediate. SHIEKShould I worry? CHAOSWhy bother? SHIEKShe’s right, you are an idiot. CHAOS(sarcastically)A profound revelation. He snaps his fingers, presenting a small flame—and just then, with the snap of his fingers, also— Lightning strikes the tree from above, sending him and SHIEK flying backwards as the trunk, elongated and magnificent, erupts into an explosive inferno. SHIEK looks on, still floored in astonishment. SHIEKPoor creature. Didn’t have a chance, did it? CHAOS recovers his harpoon from the burning wreckage; of course, as expected, his late sister’s heart comes out with it, and is, remarkably, also on fire. He has impressed himself, even. CHAOSYou should probably keep watch of that mountain... SHIEKYou’re so destructive. CHAOSShe’ll probably be awaiting you at any minute once you reach the summit. SHIEKAs what? CHAOSHow am I supposed to know? SHIEKYou morph and evolve worlds and spin times and galaxies just between your two thumbs, but you don’t know as which creature your sister is going to be instantaneously reincarnated? CHAOSEven if I did, it would take all the fun out of it. SHIEK swings at him and then sighs. SHIEKAt least give me the canteen. Another explosion; simultaneous from both the mountain top and the tree trunk. CHAOSNo way—I’m gonna need it. SHIEKWhy? It’s empty anyway! Another explosion; fiery branches rain down over him. He ducks and covers, in the full and impartial awareness that this is his sister’s spirit. A beat. CHAOS'Cause my sister knows what a gun is. SHIEKA what? Another explosion; CHAOS takes flight by launching up an unharmed tree, looking back over his shoulder and gripping the canteen. CHAOS...for the bullets. More lightning and explosions; the branch CHAOS hangs from wavers but still remains strong enough that he continues hanging off of it, like a lemur in a Rambo jacket. SHIEK looks up at CHAOS, and then back around at the damage, over her shoulder to the mountain summit, and then back at him—obviously she doesn’t understand this. She gives up, and turns to head away on her journey, still speaking at CHAOS, but really under her breath. SHIEKYou’re destructive. CHAOS has resisted climbing further up the tree and has been gazing at the mountain, but for whatever reason, her mumbled words distract him. CHAOSHey, I heard that. SHIEK doesn't turn around or address him, but instead just throws her arms up, flames burning trails of leaves behind her in her wake. He gazes on at her, somewhat bothered by her own nonchalance. She doesn’t get it. Suddenly, a bullet rings out in the small moment of time he’s taken his attention off the mountain—it ricochets off the canteen hanging from his hip. Then, eyes widened, he mumbles to himself. CHAOS (CONT'D)See. Damn, that is the fastest— Another bullet rings out, but this one doesn’t ricochet—though not fatally, he has, albeit playfully, been wounded; we see he’s been shot in the thigh, directly below the hip. He is surprised, but not exactly astounded or shocked. He calls out to SHIEK, now further down the path, just out of spite. CHAOS (CONT'D)You’d better get going faster! Your friend is already ahead of you! Again, SHIEK doesn’t look back— CLOSE UP ON SHIEK walking away, the inferno of burning forest behind her and the mountain of flames ahead in the distance casting a flickering warm orange-red light in her shadowy silhouette. SHIEKBastard. EXT. CAVE / CANYON OVERLOOK - DAY Meanwhile, in the remote distance, from an unknown cave much further below the summit, looking over the valley and canyons where the forest lies beneath the meadow, FINI, having taken the form of an older, mystic woman, looks down the range of her very favorite automatic sniper rifle; she hit him exactly where she meant—not fatally, but cleverly just so through his graceful aging, he’ll be dealing with it—in the thigh, but also probably shattering his hip in the process. Nice. This is perfect. She lowers her weapon and mumbles to herself. FINI/CC(sarcastically, with a hint of facetiousness)That should make it easier to climb. She opts for a pair of binoculars to continue to monitor him; he valiantly climbs as his leg, hanging below him listlessly, impedes but doesn’t prevent him from wrapping himself around the branches as he continues to climb—then, he turns his head and glances directly in her direction. In fact, he seems to be squinting directly at her. FINI/CC (CONT'D)Bastard. EXT. BURNING FOREST / TREE - CONTINUOUS Back at the tree, CHAOS is just a bit upended. He still moves with a stealth that is somewhat magical. CHAOSThat fucking bitch. EXT. CAVE / CANYON OVERLOOK - CONTINUOUS FINI seems to read his lips, and coyly mumbles to herself out loud, having taken the temporary form of an alien mystic known as CHAK CHEL, also a warrior goddess, and worshipped amongst outer planets as a creator, nurturer, and bringer of truth and fertility to its inhabitants. FINI/CCYes, I am. She laughs to herself and agrees; it is unanimous as far as she’s concerned upon the agreement, that she is, in fact, a total fucking bitch. EXT. BURNING FOREST / TREE - CONTINUOUS CHAOS mumbles to himself, now feeling the wound in his climbing as the adrenaline fades, and his leg begins aching. CHAOSUgfgh! I’m gonna kill you. EXT. CAVE / CANYON OVERLOOK - CONTINUOUS CHAK CHEL can't hear this, but rather can feel it—in an instant, she grabs the weapon again and, without even aiming, shoots—she, with precision and eloquent marksmanship, hits the branch her brother hangs from, sending him plummeting to the ground, wounded and prone to catch fire from the small piles of burning twigs and leaves around him—wound and all. EXT. BURNING FOREST - CONTINUOUS CHAOSGoddammit! EXT. CAVE / CANYON OVERLOOK - CONTINUOUS FINI/CC(to herself)Hmm... Yes, I did. There’s been revealed in this moment something of a telepathy between them. INFINITY giggles, amused with herself. She loves her brother so. {Enter The Multiverse} The mystic CC, however, which she’s used as a catalyst to transform her infinite spirit as a transient space, is a whole other monster. [The Festival Project ™] © The Complex Collective