#program: chaplin

[chaplinfortheages]

"The Great Dictator" 1940

For obvious reasons the film was not shown in Germany till after the war.

[theatrepup]

1926 New Yorker magazine illustration and advertisement for the silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, to be featured at the Fifth Avenue Playhouse on 66 Fifth Avenue in NYC. The illustration reads, "The very rotund and kindly-looking old gentleman can be seen at the Fifth Avenue Playhouse. He is about to waken his friend, who will stretch a bit and go out and commit a murder or two." ;D The advertisement reads, "The U.F.A. Masterpiece, with a delightful program including a Chaplin revival." https://archive.org/details/sim_the-new-yorker_1926-11-13_2_39/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/sim_the-new-yorker_1926-11-20_2_40/mode/2up

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Double-Mutated Mikey

Chapter 28: Touch and Go

Continued from the short story written by @boots-with-the-fur-club

Prev || Next

Dr. Chaplin walks into the Operation Room, accompanied by two men.

Dr. Timothy and Dr. Finn are speaking quietly, mumbling over a poor test subject that didn't survive their most recent mutation experiments.

"...I thought that the addition of his blood would have worked..." Timothy bemoans to his coworker.

"Perhaps the miracle we're looking for is not in the blood as it is now, but how it was before we changed it... There must be some secret we're missing--"

"Ahem," Chaplin says as he arrives. "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Ah, Dr. Chaplin!" Abigail Finn exclaims, turning around and pasting an anxious smile across her face. "N-no, no, of course not..."

Abigail notices the two men standing behind him. One is almost seven feet tall by the looks of it, the other is bordering five feet. The taller man is the size of a bull, thick and heavy and absolutely rippling with muscles. The shorter man is thin as a rail, slicked-back greasy hair and a thin wiry mustache that almost makes him look like a mouse or a rat. The two men look like night and day, but both wear very expensive suits and ties which do not match either man's personalities.

"...Who're the guests?" Abigail asks curiously.

"These are Mr. Touch and Mr. Go. They are some... shall we say, 'men for hire' that I've employed to assist in the recapture of our lost experiment from Project Venus."

"Mikey," Dr. Timothy nods. "Good. What are their qualifications?"

"Stunning accuracy," Chaplin lists off. "Mr. Touch has enhanced strength and Mr. Go has enhanced speed. They were members of a special program designed to create super soldiers several years ago. Before then they were mercenaries for hire."

"Mercenaries, eh?" Timothy says with a soft grimace. "I'm not sure..."

"A merc doesn't know how to handle with care," Abigail interjects. "The TCRI want Mikey back in pristine condition."

"As I mentioned, stunning accuracy for these two. They've never once failed a mission, as far as the records go."

Mr. Touch cracks his knuckles loudly.

"Now now, gentlemen. These two are some of our most esteemed scientists here at the TCRI and EPF Labs. Whatever they say is law. Just ask Jeff," Dr. Chaplin jokes, gesturing to an empty cage in the distance. "Oh. Hm. Where's Jeff?"

"In a jar," Dr. Timothy grumbles. "I'm studying his brain."

"Ah! Well, there you go, gentlemen. I'm sure you all will have a wonderful time procuring the lost experiment again. And boys, play nicely with the mutant target or you'll be helping Dr. Timothy here with his brain studies. And Timothy, Finn, be polite and patient with these fine men or else we might not be getting anyone else to help us recover Mikey..."

Dr. Chaplin leaves the room in silence. Abigail grunts with irritation before plastering another smile on her face and directing the two men to a computer.

"This won't be easy for you. Mikey was designed to be the perfect genetic weapon. He also has enhanced strength, speed, agility, plus some other quirks. I'll print you out a list..."

"M'sure we can handle him," Mr. Touch chuckles. "I've yet to wrastle with a critter that can outmatch my muscle."

"Don't get cocky," Abigail snaps. "And don't hurt him. We want him perfectly intact and alive."

"Don't worry, we'll retrieve your little pet," Mr. Go snickers. "Where is it, anyway?"

"Last we saw, he was hiding out in the sewers --"

"With extra mutants," Timothy interrupts. "which we will pay extra for the capture of."

"Timothy--?"

"How much we talkin'?" Mr. Go asks, a smile creeping onto his thin face.

"How much were you promised for the capture of Mikey?" Timothy questions.

"75 grand," Mr. Touch states.

"I'll personally pay you $50,000 for each mutant you can capture," Timothy promises. "Though, the price will be reduced for any major injuries I find."

"Only 50?" Mr. Touch grumbles.

"They aren't nearly as genetically advanced as Mikey is, so they should be simpler to capture. But an extra 50,000 for any extra mutants you can find isn't that bad, now is it? We have confirmation of at least two mutants that are with him, so that would be $100,000 guaranteed. We could all use a little extra spending money here and there, couldn't we?"

"Done deal," they reply.

"Wonderful. Now, what will you be requiring for your endeavours? Any weapons, traps, something to carry the subjects in I'd assume?"

"Might as well show us whatchya got," Mr. Go says.

Abigail groans in irritation as Timothy leads the two men away, muttering to herself as he shows them all their experimental gadgets.

"I can't believe him... He has no authorization to make that call. Though, it would be helpful to have extra mutants for our tests... In the end, I guess it doesn't really matter; the goal is still the same. So long as they can find Mikey and we can continue the work..."

Abigail walks away to catch up with the men.

From the far back of the room, John Bishop walks out.

Hmm. This isn't good...

Maybe he should follow along for now, see what happens...

Doctors Timothy and Finn show the two mercenaries the tranquilizer darts they have, the frost guns, nets, communication devices, trackers, etc. They show them Mikey's last known location and give the images of the human teen and the mutant brother. Mr. Touch and Mr. Go roam the room, choosing the items they'll need like children choosing which sweets they want the most from a candy store.

Bishop doesn't have much time. He slinks around to the exit and rushes to Honeycutt's labs, calling him as he runs into the elevators.

"Professor Zayton Honey--"

"Hey doc it's me how are ya that's great I was wondering if I could borrow any gear you might have?"

The line is silent.

"Oh, this is Bishop by the way."

"Um... yes, well I figured... How's your mother--"

"Forget that for now, do you have any gear I can use?!"

"W-why do you need my gear?"

"Chaplin brought in two thugs to detain Mikey and the others that are protecting him," Bishop whispers. "Timothy and Finn are showing them the weapons they have. I'm going to tail them to keep them from getting him. Now, do you or don't you have anything I can use?"

"U-uh, m-m-maybe. How close are you?"

The elevator doors open and Bishop runs out to Honeycutt's office.

"Just about to open your door."

"Oh! Well, yes, um, I think I have something you might be able to use --"

Bishop swings the door open and runs in, causing Prof. Honeycutt to jump in fright.

"Agh! John! You're here! You weren't kidding --"

"I need whatever you can give me now," Bishop states frantically. "They could leave the lab at any point and I need to stay close."

"But John -- well, you know me, I'd prefer to stay out of it --"

"You are staying out of it, I just need something to defend myself and keep Mikey safe."

"Oh well... Yes, yes, of course! Um, there are a f-few prototypes on the table over, over there!" Honeycutt stutters. "A-are you looking for lethal, or semi-lethal?"

"Anything," Bishop says quickly. "I'd rather not hurt anyone, but they're enhanced so I might have to go fully lethal."

"Enhanced?" Honeycutt says with a nervous swallow.

"No time to explain," Bishop says as he looks over the table and grabs a futuristic-looking pistol. "What does this do?"

"Oh! That's my jelly-gun!" Honeycutt says with a soft and nervous chuckle. "It's one of the non-lethals, but it hasn't been tested yet--"

"Jelly-gun?"

"It l-liquifies your bones."

"...And this is a non-lethal weapon?"

"T-the effect isn't permanent," Honeycutt stammers. "I-it's meant to be a stunner, t-to incapacitate!"

"How do you know the effects aren't permanent if you haven't tested it yet?" Bishop asks warily.

"..."

"...I'll handle it with caution, then."

Bishop gently places the 'jelly-gun' in a holster.

"What else do you have?" he asks, picking up a series of miniature grenades.

"Those are my noise-makers, you pull the pin and have five seconds before it will emit a high-pitched ringing that causes disorientation and bleeding from the ears if you stand within a ten yard radius."

"Mm. Handle with caution?"

"Handle with caution."

Bishop pushes the noise grenades into a pocket of a satchel Honeycutt hands him as he continues to go through the tech, grabbing what looks good and intact. A net launcher, a harpoon launcher/grappling gun, and a gun that actually does shoot a jelly-like substance which hardens instantly.

"Anything else you can offer me?"

"This," Honeycutt says, handing Bishop a small device that resembles a portable dvd player. "It works like a sonar detector, scanning your surroundings and comparing them to satellite images to create a map of the area around you within a 50 mile radius. It will detect any creatures, bodies of water, or large obstacles within that radius as well."

"Thanks, this should really come in handy," Bishop says quickly. "I have to get going. Do you need all this stuff back, or...?"

"If you can," Honeycutt sighs. "But honestly I'm more worried about you coming back. You're going to go fight two enhanced mercenaries? Even if you can beat them --"

"Your faith in me is astounding, by the way..." Bishop grumbles.

"-- Even if you can beat them, Chaplin or Timothy will discover your involvement, won't they? What do you think they'll do to you then?"

"Well, I guess I'll just have to do my best to not get caught and not get dead."

Honeycutt stutters nervously after hearing the word 'dead'. He tries to respond and air his concerns, but Bishop runs out quickly to catch up with Mr. Touch and Mr. Go.

.

.

.

Bishop watches the two men from a distance, catching up to them just as they leave the building. They follow the tracker's last coordinates to an alley out of sight. Mr. Go checks to make sure it's all clear before Mr. Touch reaches down and pulls the manhole cover off the sewer entrance.

Okay, so he's a little stronger than most people, nothing to be worried about --

Mr. Touch throws the heavy cast iron covering like it's a cheap plastic frisby, sending it flying off into the wall where it gets lodged in between the bricks.

...Okay, so he's exceptionally strong. No biggie. Just... don't get too close.

Mr. Go descends first, Mr. Touch following after. Bishop waits a few moments before running after them into the alley. He peers down into the sewer. Mr. Go has already made it to the bottom, but Mr. Touch is only a third of the way down. Bishop backs away before they can see him, and goes to the next alley over, entering the sewers from there.

Bishop slides down the ladder quickly, and peeks around the corner. The two men are walking down the halls by the water's edge. Bishop continues to tail them, staying at a safe distance as they look around for evidence of Mikey or his family. Bishop spends the time following them wondering what kinds of experiments they would perform on Mikey's brothers if they could get their hands on them. What kinds on horrors they would put Mikey through again. What they'll do to Bishop if they discover his treachery...

After several minutes, they come to the last tracked location of Mikey -- the lair.

Bishop watches as the men leave their tools and tech outside the electric barrier and step through the invisible fence. Mr. Go takes a deep breath before zooming away.

Yeah, so he's quick. Saw that one coming.

Mr. Touch waits for his partner, tapping his foot against the stone floor impatiently. Mr. Go comes back out a second later, readjusting his suit and tie which had gotten windblown.

"It's all clear. The place is totally empty."

The two men walk inside, forced to leave their weapons behind the EMP barrier so they don't get fried.

Bishop gets an idea...

He quietly creeps up -- leaving his own bag of gadgets behind -- and places the weapons on the inside of the EMP barrier. One by one, each device flickers with sparks before going kaput. Once his task is complete, he quickly rushes back to his hiding spot and waits for the mercs' return.

After about twenty minutes, the two walk out.

"...they packed what they could and ran. The muties could be anywhere by now!"

"You think they knew we were coming?" Mr. Go wonders aloud.

"Probably. That computer room looked pretty high tech."

"But that doesn't explain how they managed to get out so quickly. Chaplin only just had us come in today, and there's been no chatter on the EPF net about our arrival."

"So, whaddya thinkin'?" Mr. Touch asks.

"I suspect that the Earth Protection Force might not be as 'protected' as they think. There must be a mole."

Bishop's breath gets caught in his throat. He can't let them find him out!

Yet another reason he has to stop them.

"I bet they'll pay us extra if we can find the traitor," Mr. Touch chuckles.

"But in the meantime, let's find that mutie. Remember what we're actually being paid for," Mr. Go reminds him.

"Well, can you track him from here?"

"What do you take me for, an amateur? Of course I can. Grab the gear and we'll head out."

Mr. Touch gathers up all the supplies, and the two walk away. Bishop gives chase.

Mr. Go leads them down the tunnels until they reach a wrecked cave-in. Mr. Touch is kind enough to clear the way for them, revealing what Bishop can only assume was Mikey's previous home before something terrible happened. Claw marks and long gashes across the painted walls prove his theory.

A large, gaping hole resides in the floor, tunneling down to a secret hidden world. Bishop's mouth drops in shock.

"...What'chya wanna bet he's down there?" Mr. Go asks with a snicker.

"What even is it, one of them secret societies?"

"Who cares, as long as we find what we're looking for!"

The two men jump down into the hole. Bishop watches them descend.

....Maybe he'll look for stairs.

.

.

.

It takes a few hours, but Bishop finally makes his way down safely. He finds the two mercenaries wandering the streets of this underground city, checking everyone and everywhere for Mikey.

Bishop is in awe of how many mutants there are down here! It's crazy! And Timothy offered to pay extra for any they brought back...

This whole community could be in danger!

Fortunately, the two men are focused on looking for Mikey. That's what they're really being paid for. Dissatisfied by the masses in the street square, the two leave towards a series of larger buildings in the distance.

He stays just out of sight of the Mr. Touch and Mr. Go as he goes after them. As he tails them, Bishop tries to stay focused on the two villains rather than get distracted by this otherworldly society. He feels so out of place surrounded by these monsters, mythical beasts, and magical creatures. People that resemble animals or aliens or dragons or some mix between the three walk around and watch him like he's the freak.

Maybe he is, down here... Huh.

Well, that's some existential identity crisis he'll have to go through later.

Mr. Touch and Mr. Go arrive at a building with a strange rainbow aurora borealis surrounding the area behind it. Mr. Go surveys the area with super speed before coming back and nodding to Mr. Touch.

"He's here."

"Positive?" Mr. Touch asks.

"Gotta be. That other mutie turtle Dr. Timothy showed us is here, so he must be, too."

Other turtle mutant... What did that kid call him... Leo? Leo! Wait, so they are here? Then where's Mikey?

"Do we get the extra mutants first or what?"

"No, he's busy with a bigger freak right now."

"I can take 'em both," Mr. Touch chuckles. "It'd be like bending a couple o' twigs..."

"Fine, but be discreet about it. Here, use one of the gadgets that lab nerd gave us -- Wait, what the --?!"

The two men try to activate what looks like a gas bomb, but nothing happens.

"This thing's defective! All this junk is defective!" Mr. Go growls.

"I can still take 'em both, you know that," Mr. Touch says, cracking his knuckles.

"It's almost like this guy wants to fight," Bishop thinks aloud. "What a charmer..."

"And where are we supposed to keep them once we capture them? You gotta think!" Mr. Go scolds. "Besides, they are also superpowered! One of them can do portals, and that second one I saw was almost as big as you! My guess is he has enhanced strength, too... And even if we did overpower them, they're out in the middle of everything, everyone can see us! And we have no real sighting of that Mikey mutant. Let's play it cool for now and get them later. AFTER we find Mikey."

Mr. Touch groans loudly.

"Fine. But I want that extra pay."

"And we'll get it, don't worry. By the end of the day, our biggest worry is going to be finding fatter wallets!" Mr. Go snickers. "Now let's find that freak show..."

Bishop swallows nervously. He hasn't met Mikey's brothers yet, not officially. But if they're anything like that human kid, then they would assume that he's a villain because he works for the EPF.

Just more people he has to avoid...

John Bishop runs after the two mercenaries before stopping in his tracks and awing at the strange area around him. A large opening surrounded by rainbow mist reveals a tropical paradise and a beach.

Huh. Okay. Not what he was expecting, but... yeah. Beach. Why not?

Bishop wishes he'd brought some shorts or something to help with the heat of the tropics, but sighs in resignation as he runs after the two men...

.

.

.

Casey is tanning on the beach chair just outside of the portal. He takes in a deep breath and heaves a relaxed sigh...

He's never been on vacation before.

Heck, he's pretty sure he's never relaxed before!

It's a new experience, and he's not totally convinced he's got the knack of it yet, but he's learning. Splinter has been giving him pointers.

Casey smiles at the warmth of the sun on his skin. It's so hot, he's abandoned his cloak and armour and jumpsuit in favour of a pair of Donnie's board shorts and a t-shirt. He feels a little exposed, but he's getting used to it.

He wonders if Sensei would have been sunning with him if he had made it. And Donatello would have loved the sun on his soft shell. Master Michelangelo would probably be building sandcastles or drawing images in the sand. He's not sure what Raphael would be doing, but he assumes that he'd be enjoy the safety and wonder and happiness with his brothers...

Casey sighs. He wishes Sensei could have at least enjoyed one day in the sun again... He hates that he can enjoy this while his whole family was left to die in the apocalypse. It isn't fair, it doesn't seem right.

Aaaaaaaand Casey just ruined the relaxation. Dang it. As mentioned before, he's not the best at this.

CJ sits up and sighs angrily. Why can't he just move on? Let go? It's what Leo wants. He can't talk about his life with anyone here, so he might as well just leave it behind and start fresh! Why can't... he...

Huh?

CJ notices two strangely disproportionate men sneaking around the hotel. They're pretty well hidden, but after a lifetime in a warzone where one wrong step could literally kill you, Casey Jones Jr. has become something of an expert at spotting hidden danger or people sneaking around.

He wonders what these two creeps are up to...

Three. Three creeps. There's a third guy following them... Wait, isn't that Agent Bishop?!

What is going on?? Are they looking for Mikey?

That has to be the reason. But who are those two guys? And why didn't Bishop come with them? Is he spying on them?

Well, he's not letting him do this alone! Casey may not be an expert on vacations, but he knows a secret mission when he sees one. He's coming along!

Casey grabs his grappling hook gloves and follows after them.

.

.

.

Bishop watches as the two men slither about, staying behind shrubbery and beach umbrellas that decorate the lot. They double check to make sure they don't draw any attention to themselves, then slink around the corner of the portal and vanish behind it's barrier. He tiptoes up to it and peers around the corner. Mr. Go is zooming across the beachside as Mr. Touch tries to use the fried tech again.

"What are you doing here?" a voice whispers behind him.

Bishop swings around and almost suckerpunches the kid behind him.

Fortunately, the teenager has good reflexes and ducks ahead of his punch, grabbing Bishop's arm and stopping him mid-punch.

"Kid?!" Bishop whisper-shouts. "What are -- where did -- Nevermind. Go away, before they see you --"

"But what are you doing here?" he whispers back. "My family's on vacation!"

"Is that really wise?" Bishop questions. "I did tell you what the EPF and TCRI were up to."

"Well, we're laying low. Like you said."

"At a resort?"

"Hey, it's not like the EPF knew about this place before!"

Bishop sighs.

"Look kid, I'd love to catch up and debate on whether a tropical getaway counts as 'laying low' and stuff, but I'm tailing these two bounty hunters --"

"Bounty hunters? Are they after Mikey?" the teenager asks.

"What do you think?" Bishop growls in response.

He turns back to watch the two men. Mr. Go skids to a halt after searching the area and pours sand out of his shoes as he complains to Mr. Touch about the conditions. Mr. Touch complains about the faulty tech they were given. They both end up arguing.

"Where is Mikey, anyways?" Bishop asks.

"Dunno," the teen replies. "He went out into the jungle to explore."

"You really think letting a kid go alone in the jungle is a good idea?"

The teen stares at him deadpan before raising an eyebrow.

"You have seen Mikey, right?"

"Fair enough," Bishop groans. "Look, I'm gonna go after them, you --"

"I'm coming with you!" he interrupts.

"Look kid --"

"My name is Casey."

"Look, Casey, I'm sure you're a cool kid with a good head on your shoulders, but this is a stealth mission. And this mission is already tough enough without having to worry about keeping you safe as well. It will go better if I'm alone --"

"Have you ever practiced guerilla warfare in a jungle before?" Casey challenges. "Or fought against superpowered individuals? Have you ever had to build a water purification device from scratch so you can drink your own bodily fluids while trekking across dangerous, monster-infested terrains??"

"Have you?" Bishop challenges back.

"You have no idea what I grew up in," Casey responds low. "Now let's go. Mikey should be deep in the jungle by this point, so we better hurry if we want some extra time to lay a few traps..."

Bishop tries to fight back, but the kid has already zip-lined into the brushes several meters away. Casey turns back and calls out to him.

"You coming or what?"

Bishop groans. He really shouldn't have yelled like that... Oh well. This'll be interesting.

.

.

.

Casey makes his way through the bushes and fauna, Bishop following close behind.

"Kid! Hey, kid, wait up!"

"Do you want me to slow down, or shouldn't you hurry up?" Casey shouts back.

Bishop grumbles under his breath as he runs up to the teenager.

"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but --"

"And I appreciate what you're doing too, Commander Bishop -- uh, Agent Bishop. But this is my family we're talking about! And I'm not going to just sit back and act like I don't know what I'm doing when I do. I know you think I'm just a kid, but I've literally been training my entire life for situations like this. To be honest, this is a lot more mild than what I'm used to dealing with."

"...Where exactly did you say you grew up, again?" Bishop asks.

"Actually, not far from here," Casey chuckles. "But that's another story... So, looking at these tracks, Mikey made it to the center of the island somewhere around two hours ago."

Bishop's eyes widen behind his thick glasses.

"How can you tell?"

"Math, mostly," he says with a shrug. "You measure the size of his feet and the distance between each footprint and calculate the speed from there."

"But two hours ago?"

"I made an estimate based on when I saw him last and compounded with the fact that these plants he crushed underfoot show clear signs of recent decay --"

"Geez kid, you're like a walking science study!" Bishop sighs as he walks ahead and follows the trail as he reaches into his satchel.

"You can thank my Uncle 'Tello for that," Casey smiles. "What are you doing?"

"Honeycutt gave me this sonar tracker," Bishop explains. "I wanted to wait on using it until we were in a more secluded area."

Casey looks around at the jungle they're traipsing through.

"...I'd say this works!"

"I'd say so too," Bishop chuckles as he activates the device and scans the area around them. "Where did this jungle even come from, anyways?"

"It's a portal. It leads from the back lot of the hotel to a random undiscovered island."

"So, we're not actually in the United States anymore?" Bishop asks, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting. How does it work?"

"There's a device by the portal that can change the location if needed, for storms and stuff. But mostly it runs on magic energy, if I understand it right."

Bishop nods, pretending that it makes perfect sense. Magic, portals, underground monster hotels. Sure. Why not.

He taps a few buttons on the sonar, and several dots appear on the screen. Two in the center, two to the far left, and one straight ahead.

"Hey, would ya look at that! It really works!"

"So, those two are the bounty hunters," Casey says, peering over Bishop's arm to look at the device. "And up ahead is Mikey!"

"I guess your tracking skills really are on point," Bishop compliments. "Nice work, kid."

Casey smiles as he leads the way to Mikey.

"So, what do we do about those two guys searching for Mikey?"

"I have some other toys the Doc leant me," Bisop states, reaching into his pouch. "These should work well enough against them... though, they haven't been tested yet."

"Well, as my Sensei used to say, 'No time like the present!'"

"Aaaaaalright then, we'll find where they are and set up a few traps to drive them away."

The duo travel in the direction of the two mercenaries, following the sonar tracker. After half an hour of hiking, they finally find them. Mr. Touch is demolishing the trees as he looks around angrily for their mark. Mr. Go is watching from behind him.

"Are you done with your little tantrum yet?" he hisses.

"I'm doing all the work here, in case you haven't noticed!" Touch roars back. "It's a deserted island! He could be anywhere! And also in case you haven't noticed, all our tech is busted up!"

"Well, it shouldn't be as big of a problem as you're making it," Mr. Go groans. "After all, this is us we're talking about. It can't be that difficult!"

"Well, we've never worked in the fricken jungle before!"

"Pssh, as if that should stop us..."

The two men argue a bit about where to go and what to do. Bishop takes Casey back a step to discuss their own plans.

"So, kid... didn't you say something about guerilla warfare?"

Casey Jr. smiles deviously.

Bishop and Casey quickly set up a series of traps, digging large holes and cover them with debris and plants. Casey creates a snare trap and Bishop makes a tripwire. Soon enough, their plan is complete.

"Okay Casey," Bishop says as he takes his jacket off, the heat starting to get to him. "Here's the plan: your tracking skills are better than mine, so you find Mikey and get him out of here while I take care of the meathead and the beanpole."

"Wait, are you sure?" Casey asks.

"Not really. But I don't want you or Mikey to get hurt --"

CJ groans loudly.

"Dude, I already told you --"

Bishop quickly shushes him.

"I don't want you near the fight, you could get hurt."

"I know, I know; you think I'm just a kid and I can't defend myself, but I'm pretty sure I already proved how I can --"

"You did prove yourself," Bishop interrupts him. "But that doesn't change the fact that I don't want you getting hurt or getting involved in this anymore than you already are."

The agent sighs. He takes his glasses off to show Casey how serious he is as he tries to explain.

"...Look..... Mikey was designed to be a living weapon for the EPF. He was given the DNA of several predators, violent species, and compliant genes from species that worked in groups or families so he would be sure to follow orders. He was trained day in and day out to kill, fight, and problem solve. Do you think that's the life he wanted?"

Casey freezes, eyes wide.

"Or do you think he deserves a chance to just be a kid?"

CJ looks away sadly. He can tell where this is going. Bishop takes a breath before he continues.

"Listen kid, I have no doubt that you could keep him safe all on your own, but both you and Mikey are just kids. That doesn't mean you can't do incredible things and save the world, but it means that you shouldn't have to. For now, that's my responsibility as the adult. I think you kids have been through more than enough, and it's time you get back to being kids. Or am I wrong?"

Casey sighs again.

"...Okay, point taken. Fine. I'll get Mikey to safety and warn the others... You take care of the two bounty hunters."

Bishop nods with a smile. He watches as Casey darts off into the forest to get Mikey. He turns back and treks towards the two villains.

.

.

.

Casey runs into the jungle, backtracking until he finds sight of Mikey's trail again. He follows, using his grappling hook like a rope swing, going from tree to tree to tree...

An old recollection of his Sensei calling him 'Tarzan' comes to mind. He smiles at the memory.

After ten to fifteen minutes, Casey finally catches up to Mikey, sitting in a tree as he munches on some wild mangoes he happened to find.

"Mikey! Mikey, hey!" CJ calls out.

Mikey looks down and smiles at him, mouth full to the brim of delicious ripe fruit. He waves.

"Hiiiiiii!" he calls out, though it's a barely intelligible, muffled slur of sounds.

"Hi," CJ calls back, climbing up quickly. "Hey, so not to alarm you or anything, but we gotta get outta here. Like now."

Mikey swallows loudly and tilts his head in curiosity.

"Why?"

"Just, um..."

Casey looks at Mikey.

He's not the warrior he would be in the future. He's not a stone-cold master of magic who occasionally liked to goof off when he wasn't being all mystical and mysterious. He's not the last brother left standing for Casey's Sensei, the last reminder of hope and love. He's not forced to stay positive and optimistic, even when the entire resistance has been laid to waste and he has to sacrifice his own life in order to save them. To save him.

He isn't 'Master Michelangelo'.

He's Mikey.

And Bishop is right. Mikey's just a kid.

A kid who shouldn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder constantly, wondering if someone is coming after him or if he's safe, or his family is safe. He's a kid who should be running across the water and having splash wars with his brothers, should be sunbathing on the beach with his father, should be sitting in a tree eating fruit and enjoying life like it was meant to be enjoyed.

"...Uuuuummm, y-your brothers wanted you to come back to the resort! They, uh... didn't know where you'd gotten to! They got kinda worried."

"Brothers worried for me?" Mikey asks with concern.

"Yeah! So, we gotta go let them know you're okay!"

"Oh, okay!" Mikey says with a nod. "Mikey understand. Let's go!"

Casey follows Mikey down the tree --just a tad bit slower than him, though.

"Race you back?" Mikey asks with a smile, already crouched and ready to run.

CJ smiles.

"You're on!"

The two run, Casey using his grappling hooks to his advantage as Mikey books it through the jungle. He hopes they don't attract the wrong kind of attention, but their speed should be helpful... He wonders if Bishop is finished with his job yet.

.

.

.

Bishop watches from behind a tree, waiting a few minutes to give Casey time to find Mikey. Just a little longer...

The two men start walking. Bishop checks the sonar and sees they're walking towards Mikey's direction. He has to act now.

He grabs a noisemaker and pulls the pin before throwing it at the two. It lands in front of Mr. Touch, who leans down and blinks at it.

"...What the hey?"

"What is it?" Mr. Go asks, stepping around him.

"Looks like a toy or --"

A loud, ear-piercing screeeeeeeeeeeeech sounds off, shattering the air around them and causing a soundwave to blast around them, knocking them all to the ground. Bishop grips his own ears and yells in pain, though the cries are lost in the deafening blast. He gets up and starts running, looking back to see Mr. Touch drop the device and clutch his bleeding ears. Mr. Go stumbles backwards before running away as fast as he can. Bishop watches as Mr. Touch slams his foot down onto the orb, crushing it instantly and silencing it. Bishop's ears are ringing as he runs. Mr. Touch shakes his head around before he sees Bishop running and gives chase.

"HEY, GET BACK HERE!!"

"WHAT??" Bishop yells back, ears still ringing.

Mr. Touch bellows as he runs after him, following the agent to his set traps. The meathead gets closer... closer..... he reaches out to grab his shirt collar...

Mr. Touch's feet drag over a tripwire, activating the net-launcher. The wiry snare wraps around him and causes him to faceplant. Bishop nearly pauses to cheer at the trap's success before Mr. Touch shreds the net to pieces, simply by flexing his arm muscles. Bishop keeps running.

He jumps over one of the traps he set and watches as Mr. Touch yipes and falls down into the freshly-dug ditch. Bishop carefully pulls out the 'jelly-gun' and aims.

"Sorry in advance, I really hope that this isn't permanent..."

Bishop is thrown off his feet when something slams into him. He groans as he picks himself back up.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Mr. Go asks snidely as he leans down.

"...My job, nothing personal," Bishop responds quickly, swinging his foot around to trip up Mr. Go.

But he's gone before Bishop can even get his foot up.

He does a quick spin before looking around in shock, trying to find where Mr. Go went --

Bishop is kicked in the gut as the speedster rams into his chest and dashes away unseen. Bishop gasps for air and clutches his stomach as he slowly gets to his knees. He's dropped the jelly-gun! He scrambles as he searches for it. He drags his fingers across the ground, looking for the futuristic weapon on the tall grass and weeds... he notices a vibrating sensation from the ground, slowly getting stronger.

Bishop jumps out of the way before Mr. Go can knock into him again.

He gets an idea.

Bishop places himself into position and waits. He can feel the ground vibrate under Mr. Go's stampeding feet. Wait for it... wait for it...

He can see a blur coming at him. Bishop gets ready...

Mr. Go runs at him. Bishop reaches into the satchel and pulls out the other jelly gun, blasting a great mess of red goop at the ground. Mr. Go runs through it with great speed, his shoes getting caught in the ooze. He trips through it, falling onto his hands as the jelly hardens quickly.

"Hey! What's going on here?! What is this gunk??"

Bishop heaves a sigh of relief. It's short lived.

"Oh, you think you're clever, huh?" Mr. Go laughs haughtily. "Well, we'll just see about that!"

Mr. Go's body vibrates so quickly that he almost becomes invisible. The quick-hardening goop starts to crack, and he's free. The speedster suddenly blurs past Bishop, unable to stop. He gets another interesting idea...

Bishop whistles at him.

"Hey, knockoff of the Flash! You missed me!" he taunts.

Mr. Go runs back at him, a blur as he comes back for round 2. Bishop pulls a special gun out and points it at the mercenary. Mr. Go immediately runs in a different direction, which Bishop expected. He aims again. Mr. Go runs in another direction. Bishop aims one more time, and of course, Mr. Go goes in a new direction. Bishop smiles. He's too close to change course, and he was worried about the wrong kind of redirection. He's right where Bishop wants him.

Just as Mr. Go is about to run into him, Bishop aims the gun above his head and fires. A long cable cord shoots out from the weapon and snags onto a branch high above him. Bishop is pulled away, and Mr. Go runs straight underneath him and over the hidden tripwire. Mr. Go sees the trap too late and is snagged, a rope wraps around his ankles and pulls him up into the air.

Mr. Go's flails upside down, sputtering and yelling protests. The jelly-gun drops from his jacket pocket. He stole it when he ran past him! Bishop jumps down from his place amongst the branches and grabs at the weapon, trying not to pull the trigger until he can actually hold it steady.

"Y-you meddling inferior!" Mr. Go screams. "You ridiculous turncoat! You--"

"Please, please, save all your compliments until the show is over," Bishop says with a laugh, holding his ribs. "You had a pretty good run, not gonna lie."

Bishop shudders.

"Ugh, that pun was terrible. Is this what I've become? A guy with pad jokes and witty one-liners? I thought I was better than that..."

"Hurry up and get me down from here!" Mr. Go snaps.

"What makes you think I'd actually let you down?" Bishop questions.

"He wasn't talking to you, punk," Mr. Touch growls from behind him.

Bishop manages to duck just before Mr. Touch can break his skull open with his fists.

He yipes as he rolls to the side, dodging another blow and careful to avoid the traps he's set up. Mr. Touch is not so careful. His feet crack against the tripwires and set off the snares and springtraps, though none of them have any effect on the giant muscle man.

"Now would probably be a good time for you to run, little man," Mr. Touch chuckles with a low voice.

"I might just take you your advice on that," Bishop heaves. "But first --"

He points the jelly-gun at the giant man, who raises a fist to pound Bishop flat. The gun fires, a green light beams on Mr. Touch's fist and forearm. They go numb and limp, falling flat and flabby against his side. Mr. Touch roars angrily.

"What did ya do to me?!" he screams, flinging his other fist at Bishop.

The agent dodges it, the ground beside him cracking and splitting from the brute force used. Mr. Touch roars again and swings his floppy arm at Bishop. Despite the lack of bones, the strength is still there and Bishop is flung several meters back before rolling across the ground and hitting a tree.

Bishop gasps for air as the wind is knocked out of him. He struggles to lift himself up, coughing and hacking as his back cracks with each movement.

He looks up in time to see Mr. Touch yank the rope holding Mr. Go, setting him free. Bishop has to act fast... Casey is counting on him. Honeycutt is relying on him. That whole society under New York is in danger if these mercs get out. Mikey deserves better.

Bishop grabs one of the noisemakers and pulls the pin. Mr. Go lunges forwards. Bishop throws the device at him. He realizes in time what it is and runs in the opposite direction. The noisemaker grenade goes off, and another shockwave of sound takes out everything above four feet. Bishop ducks for cover as he covers his ears. Mr. Go is blown away by the shockwave, soaring straight into Mr. Touch.

Bishop takes the jelly-gun and aims once again. He shoots at Mr. Go's legs. Mr. Go falls. He shoots again at Mr. Touch's other arm. It becomes wobbly and liquified. But Bishop can't stay here for much longer. He limps away, regaining a little speed with every excruciating step.

He's not sure exactly how long the jelly-gun effects will last. But he'd rather not find out.

After running several meters away, he can hear the device deactivate. Touch probably destroyed it.

Bishop pulls out the sonar device and checks it. It was damaged in the fight. The screen is cracked, and it glitches every few seconds, but from what he can tell Mikey and Casey made it back to the resort. Bishop just has to find his way out of the jungle...

He keeps running, though there's a pain in his side and his head is still buzzing. He hears something crashing behind him.

Mr. Touch and Mr. Go are following close behind.

Already?!

He looks back and sees Mr. Touch carrying Mr. Go over his shoulders. They aren't as fast as he is, but with his injuries he'll never outrun them...

But he has to try. Bishop pulls out the jelly-gun and fires, hoping to temporarily liquify more of the two mercenaries.

The gun squirts out a train of goop behind him. Wrong gun! But at least it serves its purpose; Mr. Touch trips and falls face-first into the slime, which hardens overtop of him. He shouts and screams, flapping his jelly arms around as he tries to get himself free.

Bishop keeps running.

.

.

.

Leo is laying out on the beach chair by the hotel. He loves the ingenuity of this place. If you get the right angle, you can have all the warmth and brightness of the sun shining on you without the actual sun getting in your eyes. At first, he was a bit hesitant to trust this place (after the events of that other resort he has sworn never to speak of again). But this place is a certified heaven!

Leonardo exhales with utter satisfaction. It's been a pretty rough couple of days... he needs this.

Unfortunately, Leo is pulled out of his relaxation mode when a weight is suddenly and mercilessly slammed onto him. He gasps, eyes nearly popping out of his head as Mikey jumps up into his lap at top speed.

"I win!" Mikey cheers.

Casey jogs up behind with and laughs, somewhat out of breath.

"You certainly did," he gasps, panting and sweating. "Phew! That was fast, Mikey..."

"What the -- *wheeze* -- what the heck is -- *wheeze* -- happening?!" Leo hacks, coughing loudly as Mikey sits proudly on his chest.

"Mikey won race!"

"Great. I'm so very proud of you. My ribs will never be the same again."

"Is Leo not worried anymore?" Mikey asks, leaning close to inspect his face and sniff him.

"Worried? Like, about my lungs collapsing, maybe?"

"Oh, sorry," Mikey chuckles nervously as he gently climbs off of him.

"It's fine, I'm getting used to it by now," Leo groans, his body re-inflating with air. "I mean, this is like the third or fourth time this has happened..."

"But Mikey is here! So no more worries," his little brother says with a smile.

"Uh, yeah," Leo answers with a nod. "No one is worried anymore. Whatever that means."

"Oh, uhhhhh Leo, you and I need to have a quick talk about.... something," Casey says.

Leo gets the hint immediately, despite the lack of mind meld.

"Hey Mikey, why don't you go find Donnie and help him build his sandcastles? He indubitably said something about probably needing your help and creative expertise. He said he was going to be getting supplies at the Hotel front desk..."

Mikey nods with a smile and a chirping laugh as he runs off to find Dee. Leon waits until he's out of sight before turning to CJ.

"Okay, so what's up?"

"So... no need to panic or freak out or anything, buuuuuuut there may or may not be a few bounty hunters searching for Mikey right now..."

"WHAT?!" Leo shouts, grabbing Casey by the shoulders and shaking him. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, BOUNTY HUNTERS?!"

"I-I said no n-n-need to pa-a-a-nic!" Casey yells back, his voice wobbling as he's rocked back and forth. "Co-ou-uld you ple-e-e-ea-se st-o-o-p sha-a-k-i-i-ing me-e-e-e??"

"What bounty hunters are looking for Mikey? Where are they?" Leo demands.

"Oh don't worry, they're probably nowhere near here!"

"CLOSE THE PORTAL!"

Leo and CJ both look back at the beach's serene and peaceful shores to see Agent John Bishop, running out of the jungle as fast as he can. Soon enough, a man the size of a baby elephant carrying another man resembling an overcooked noodle with a ratstache barrel out of the bushes and run after him.

"CASEY, CLOSE THE PORTAL!" Bishop yells at the top of his lungs as he rushes for the hotel. "CLOSE THE PORTAL, NOW! CLOSE IT!"

Casey yells in fright and drags Leo to the box by the rainbow's edge.

"How do we close it?!" Casey demands, examining the device.

"How should I kow?!" Leo yells back.

"Uh, you deal in portals all the time?!"

"That's my ninpo, I don't actually know how they work! I don't understand magic or mystics or --"

"WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!" Bishop shouts. "HURRY!!"

"Do you know what to do or not?!" Casey shouts.

"NO! How would I know what to do?! Draxum would probably, but I have no idea where he is --"

"Well, try something! Anything! Maybe you can do something with your ninpo?"

"Fine! Get the device open!"

Casey jimmies the box's lid open and starts messing with the wires and other pieces inside before uncovering the mystic power source, an aurora flooding the air around him.

Leo runs to his beach chair and grabs his swords, throwing one at the machine and vanishing for a second before reappearing besides CJ. Leo stabs one of the katanas into the device and starts swinging it around in the rainbow light that spills.

Leon's markings start glowing, and the aurora turns blue.

"Don't change it yet, Bishop is still out there!" Casey pleads, running to watch the portal.

"ERRGH, MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!" Leo yells angrily, straining to keep the portal from glitching as the overwhelming power starts to spark across his arms. "Ow! Hurry up!"

Casey stops just outside of the portal and calls out to Bishop.

"Run!"

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

"They're catching up!"

Bishop grabs the last noisemaker grenade, pulls the pin, and throws it back at the two mercenaries. It smacks right into Mr. Touch's face, getting lodged in his mouth before he screams and spits it out, jumping out of the way before a loud screeching shockwave sends them all flying.

Bishop goes tumbling through the portal before faceplanting onto the ground beside Casey. The shockwave knocks Leo down, the sword crashing against the device and closing the portal just as the two mercenaries try to reach out for it.

The beach scene swipes away, a new view of a new island taking it's place.

Bishop pants and heaves on the ground by CJ, looking over his shoulder shakily before his arms give out and he rolls onto his back.

"...That was the worst. I think my back is now in the shape of the letter 'S'. Thanks, kid..."

"Did... did we just banish two dudes to live alone on a lost tropical island in the middle of nowhere?" Casey whispers.

"Looks that way. But I'm sure they'll be fine..."

"So, you must be Agent Bishop, huh?" Leo asks skeptically, leaning over the young man.

"What's left of him," Bishop chuckles. "Ow, my body... and you're Leo, correct?"

"That is classified information," the slider growls, crossing his arms.

"Nice to meet you," Bishop groans as he slowly sits up and gets to his feet.

"Wish I could say the same."

Casey smacks Leo's arm.

"What??" Leo asks incredulously. "Look dude, I know you trust him, but I don't know him, and he works for the people that tortured Mikey. I'm sorry, but he hasn't exactly earned my trust just yet."

"I get it," Bishop responds, cracking his back in pain. "I really do. And for the record, I don't work for the EPF anymore. What they're doing is wrong, in every sense, and it needs to end. I'm working to make things right. And hopefully, this --" he gestures to the new portal "-- helps to prove it?"

Leo sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Maybe. We'll see."

"Fair enough, I guess. Casey," Bishop turns to the human teen and claps him on the shoulder. "Nice work. Don't be a stranger. You still have my number, as well as Honeycutt's. If you ever need anything, let me know."

Casey smiles proudly and nods.

"Well, I think that might be everything, so I should get going..."

"Here, let me help you with that!" Leo says with a snarky smile, his sword slashing the air and creating a portal beneath Agent Bishop, causing him to fall through.

He lands in a pile of trash bags on the city streets of NYC with a soft yelp followed by disorientation. The confusion quickly dissipates once he gets his bearings, and he cleans himself off before heading to the EPF building.

He makes his way into the compound somehow without drawing attention, and quietly goes back up to Honeycutt's office. He knocks this time rather than bust in like earlier this morning.

"Coming!" the professor calls out before answering the door. "Oh! John! You're back... are you alright?"

Bishop hands the jelly-gun and cracked sonar device to the old man.

"...Tech works great, doc..... But, uh... I broke the tracker. A-and the noisemakers, those are gone too."

Honeycutt looks Bishop over before giving an exasperated sigh.

"I don't care about the tracker or the tech. Get in here, you look like crap."

Bishop heaves a heavy sigh himself and relaxes. He tumbles onto the old man, who leads him into the lab to help take care of his injuries.

"Have you been to the hospital?" Honeycutt asks.

"No.... too risky."

"Your entire back is bruised."

"But nothing's broken, right?"

Honeycutt looks him over and nods.

"But I'm no doctor on the human condition," he reminds him. "I just know tech. John, you should really go to a hospital or ER or --"

"If I go to a doctor, then the EPF will hear about it. They'll ask questions. That's bad. So... just some painkillers and ointment for now will do, thanks."

Honeycutt rolls his eyes.

"...You need to be more careful, you know."

"Yeah, I know. But someone needs to do this job..."

Honeycutt grumbles angrily.

"Are you mad at me, doc?" Bishop asks, as the old man starts to bandage his ribs.

"No, no... I just... why can't you stay out of this whole business for a bit? Take a break?"

Bishop turns around and stares at him.

"...Are you worried? About me?"

"Well... yes. I'm a frail old man and a worrywart at heart, so of course I get anxious about secret missions and dangerous weapons and evil mercenaries! And, at the risk of sounding even more pathetic than I realize I already am, I don't exactly have... a lot of friends here..."

Bishop blinks.

"Oh."

"So yes, worry about you, John. I don't want to lose the only person I can trust in this place. I'm... I'm honestly scared. I'm a grown man and I'm scared. I should be considering retirement plans, but instead I wake up and wonder if this'll be the day I get drawn and quartered by my coworkers. Or worse, what will happen if you get drawn and quartered."

Bishop sighs.

"Okay. I'm sorry for worrying you. But this is important, and if I don't do it..."

"Then maybe someone else will," Honeycutt offers. "You aren't the only hero around, John!"

"No, maybe not. But I know who will have to step up for Mikey and his family, and it isn't fair to ask them to fight like that. They're just kids, Doc. And I need to make things right. For all of my mistakes."

Prof. Honeycutt sighs.

"...You're right. But... what if something happens to you?"

Bishop shrugs.

"I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"Let's hope that never happens..." Honeycutt mutters to himself as he helps to treat the injuries.

Prev || Next

[chaplinlegend]

John Leslie Coogan Jr. known as Jackie Coogan was born on October 26, 1914 in Los Angeles.

His film career began with his collaboration with Charlie Chaplin in the famous 1921 film "The Kid".

He was the first Hollywood child star to gain fame during the silent film era.

He starred in films such as: Peck’s Bad Boy (1921), My Boy (1921), Trouble (1922), Oliver Twist (1922), Daddy (1923), Circus Days (1923), Long Live the King (1923), A Boy of Flanders (1924), Little Robinson Crusoe (1924), Old Clothes (1925), The Bugle Call (1927), Tom Sawyer (1930), and Huckleberry Finn (1931).

In later years he played character roles in various films and television programs, most notably as Uncle Fester in the television series The Addams Family (1964–66).

He would have turned 110 on October 26.

Most of the photos come from the movie "The Kid" (1921)

[b-skarsgard]

–How involved were you with casting, and what led to Bill Skarsgård getting the lead?

FITZJOHN: We were completely hands-on on all things, including casting. The usual suspects were thrown around by the sales agent saying, “We need to look at…” I won’t mention any names, but we did talk to some of the big A-league boys. I think it was Roy Lee who suggested, “What about Bill Skarsgård?” and when we first heard that, to be honest, that didn’t really strike us. You know, he’s not exactly a boy, he’s 6-foot-4–a pretty significant man. And then the irony of that was it got us talking about, “This kind of reminds me of that story about the baby elephant that’s tied to the stake and pulls and pulls and pulls and can’t get away. And then by the time it’s a big bull elephant, it doesn’t even try to pull the stake, which it could probably do in no time.” And that’s essentially Boy’s story, the way he’s been so programmed by Shaman. He should be the champion, but he cedes the king role to Shaman, who’s about half his size by the time he’s grown up. So it just felt right.

SWART: When we spoke to Bill, he was so excited about playing a true action role. He’s a massive martial arts fan, and so capable. He was like, “Yeah, I want to do the training, and as many of my own stunts as you guys will let me.” We said, “Well, that’s great, Bill, but remember, your character has no lines, you have no dialogue.” And he said, “Yeah, that’s what really gets me about this role.” He studied the old Charlie Chaplin silent movies; he not only prepared his body and learned the martial arts part, but if you look at the range of emotion on his face, there are some little homages to classic Chaplin as well.

The rest of the ensemble was very much the same, finding the right people to bring these wacky characters to life. When we interviewed the actors, as well as our heads of department, we told them, “Wave your crazy flag! However you bring these characters to life, just lean into your creative inspiration.”

FITZJOHN: Getting back to Bill, if you see what he does under all the prosthetics in IT, you still know what he’s thinking and feeling. He’s one of a kind, and if Hollywood hasn’t recognized that he’s a big star yet, I believe they’re going to after this movie.

What went into getting Skarsgård in shape and choreographing his fight scenes?

FITZJOHN: That was a pretty significant task. Our stunt coordinator, Dawid Szatarski, is incredible in terms of how he thinks. He thinks in movement. Dawid basically invented a fighting style for Bill, given his lankiness; he wanted him to move with big sweeping motions, and they spent quite a bit of time in Berlin doing the training. We also hired a really good fitness/strength coach, a nutritionist, who basically lived with Bill for about nine months getting him ready. I didn’t stay too far from Bill during production, and I would watch him do a 12-hour shoot and then go and do a two-hour calisthenics workout on the roof. I mean, the guy would work out during lunch breaks. He never stopped; I’d never seen anything like that commitment. He became Boy.

SWART: Dawid was also our 2nd unit director. I think he has three or four credits on the movie; he actually has a great cameo as VDK Dawe, the one soldier who just won’t go down. Bill’s relationship with Dawid was very special, and there were times when Dawid would go to Bill saying, “So, do you think you can do this stunt?” and Bill would go, “Of course I can do this stunt,” and we were like, “No, you can’t do this stunt!” There were many moments when I would have to tell Bill, “No, no, you’ve got to use a double for this, because if you twist your ankle or something at this stage of the shoot…” But Bill was up for anything; he was like, “Well, then don’t challenge me,” you know? “Don’t dare me.” And we were like, “We’re not daring you!”

FITZJOHN: If we’re honest, Bill did the bulk of it; it’s not a battle we won in the end. Outside of the stupid, crazy stuff, like when we were throwing Boy down from a double-story balcony, he pretty much did everything.

I’ve heard that Skarsgård originally did Boy’s voiceovers himself, before H. Jon Benjamin came in and took over. Can you talk about the reasons and that process?

FITZJOHN: It was always going to be H. Jon Benjamin. I mean, Moritz called it at the same time, when we were casting. The short had this Marlboro Man voiceover that just doesn’t match with Boy. And even with Bill’s versatility, we needed to explore something like that. He did an amazing job, but the audiences wanted the almost bipolar nature of it.

SWART: It’s the absurdity of his inner voice, right? So in the short it’s the Marlboro Man, and Boy gets his voice from an old cigarette commercial. For the feature, we recorded Bill, which did give us a great connection to his character, but we found that we lost the absurdity of where his inner voice comes from. It took something away from the physical performance and the storytelling.

FITZJOHN: And also, given the nature of the story, the humor of H. Jon Benjamin gives us a reprieve, in a good way, from a pretty dark, dramatic and violent story.

[oldshowbiz]

My next door neighbor appeared in nearly nine thousand old time radio shows in the late 1930s, the 1940s, and the 1950s.

According to a 1946 issue of Time Magazine, she had already appeared in almost three thousand different radio shows by 1946.

She was a regular on programs like The Whistler, Escape, Sam Spade, the Phil Harris - Alice Fay Show, the Alan Young Show, Phillip Marlowe, and Suspense. She starred with Peter Lorre in a radio series called Mystery in the Air. She was in most episodes of the Harold Lloyd Comedy Theater. And she was in the original radio pilot of Dragnet. She did well over one hundred shows just for Jack Webb alone.

In the movies she appeared with Orson Welles in Macbeth (1948), acted alongside Henry Fonda in Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956), and she starred in two campy monster movies: The Space Children (1958) and the Screaming Skull (1958).

She knew and worked with Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, Vincent Price, Charlie Chaplin, Lionel Barrymore, Lew Ayres, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Arch Oboler, Carlton E. Morse, Norman Corwin, Rod Serling, and Jim Backus to name a few.

She started in television before it even existed - way back in 1939 - acting regularly on the experimental station located above the Hollywood sign: Station W6XAO.

She is still alive and doing well. By random coincidence, I happen to live right beside her in Hollywood. We hang out all the time.

[sunskate]

Lauriault/Le Gac: looked like the veterans and did what they needed to do. though they had 2 extended lift deductions

whoa Neset/Markelov were strong in the free - it’s AG & Claire Wyndham - My Love Will Never Die and Tommee Profitt feat Fleurie - Gloria Regalie. spooky with fervor and a flair for the dramatic. they feel so single-minded and focused

the Browns - The Who - Baba O’Riley - they had more energy this morning, but in practice nobody ever skates the entire program- and it’s only July. this program has the potential to be SO exciting - it was really exciting this morning. still really good tonight. when they’re on, you do not notice that they’re small - the skating is powerful and deep and big, and so are they

Pate/Bye: Chaplin - they are polished in many ways. idk why this choice now - it feels cutesy and has the vocabulary you’d expect of a Chaplin program. it doesn’t feel like it gives them anything new to say, doesn’t stretch them, nor does it have pathos like Chaplin can have

Fabbri/Ayer: Jurnee Smolett-Bell - It’s a Man’s Man’s World, Brenna Whittaker - You Don’t Own Me. this program has the vibe of an old school show program to a torch song. but more difficult. there’s a beautiful move on the music change - can it be a Choreo Spin if it travels? he was having a convo with Shawn Rettstatt after the event

Flores/Desyatov: Poor Things soundtrack- the Portuguese Dance and O Quarto - omg- i didn’t get it til i saw the whole thing, but this is so perfectly quirky for them. free and seemingly spontaneous is a sweet spot for them i want to see this again

Bashynska/Beaumont: this program is better live but still an odd odd music choice. the choreo slide was much bigger this morning- that’s another interesting thing about seeing practice- how different it can be. i realized some of this program is meant to be funny - Nadiia has a lot of personality, but I don’t think it’s their fault if it’s not coming across- it feels like some of the ideas have been put on them, rather than created with them in mind. i always enjoy them, just wish the programs weren’t so hit and miss

Tkachenko/Kiliakov: Khachaturian- Adagio from Spartacus. first, they’re so young but so solid. they can hang with the seniors but are only 18/19. this piece is one of the most gorgeous big melodies ever- you want to see creamy gliding, deep edges and flow for days, and that’s not really the style at their school maybe? but this music doesn’t feel too big for them, which is a feat for such a young team

Larson/Kapran: Love Story. i find them confusing lol one moment they’re curving and flowing really nicely, then there’s a lot of two foot skating, and hitches in the flow. the judges liked them at this comp

Nosovitskys: Exogenesis - they can flow! why don’t they always skate like this??

that’s the top 10 in the FD - will be back

[nicoledoesstuff]

HEYAAA!! Sorrry Ya'll it's been a long time i haven't posted since these College things( A lot of assignment as always > ), So anyways just like as i was saying yesterday, or maybe very long day.

In a future world filled with numerous global challenges like inequality, corruption, environmental crises, social unrestan and all of the aspect **Mr. Peabody**, a genius dog with a time machine called WABAC, forms a bold plan to bring historical figures from the past to the present. Along with his friends—Sherman, his adopted human son, Toby the genius cat or partner bestfriend, kathrina, toby adopted human daughter and Kayleen, a bright young girl who has been appointed a "Junior President" by the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. She really active in many activities , she's make her own cartoon film business with her bestfriend. Mr. Peabody intends to address modern-day issues not only in indonesia but all around of world with help from the greatest minds and leaders from history.

Kayleen proposes an idea to Mr. Peabody: “What if we give historical figures a chance to return to life in the modern world? They could help us fix the world’s problems, and in return, they can learn from our era and perhaps even change their own historical paths for the better.” Like who knows if they all can help with this ways ?" Peabody agrees with the idea and mobilizes his company to perfect the WABAC machine. This allows historical figures to visit the modern world, help solve its crises, and return to their own times once their work is done.

From there, Kayleen is promoted to be the Director of Historical Integration of Mr. Peabody's project, heading up **TeamForthcoming**, a group created to make this vision a reality. The team's mission is to address pressing global issues such as poverty, gender inequality, lack of education, political instability, climate change, and human rights violations. This title reflects her crucial role in creating and designing the program that allows historical figures to travel back to modern times using the WABAC time machine. It also emphasizes her focus on the larger goals of world peace and the integration of all of team historical figures not only teamfourthcoming into the mission.

Kayleen, Sherman, and their friends Penny and Toby (Sherman’s best friend, a genius cat) form the foundation of TeamForthcoming. They enlist the help of historical figures such as **George Washington** (the team leader), **Ir. Soekarno** (the vice leader), **Abraham Lincoln**, **Albert Einstein**, **Marie Curie**, and many others to combat various global problems.

Among the **Notable Members of TeamForthcoming**:

- *George Washington (leader team)

- Ir Soekarno (vice leader team)

- Mohammad Hatta

- Sutan Syahrir

- Sudirman

- Alexander Hamilton

- Marques de Lafayatte

- Theodore Roosevelt

- Abraham Linclon

- Winston Churchill

- King George III

- Napoleon Bonaparte

- Maximillien de Robespierre

- Agamemnon

- Marie Antoinette

- King Tuthankhamun

- Grand Ay Vizier

- Monalisa

- Marie Curie

- Tapputi

- Susan B. Anthony(later)

- R.a Kartini(later)

- Amelia Earheart(later)

- Hellen Keller (later)

- Sigmund Freud

- Carl Gustav Jung

- Walt Disney

- Charlie Chaplin

- Harry Houdini

- Isaac Newton

- Antoine de lavoisiser

- Isaac Newton

- Albert Einstein

- Alan Turing

- Ada Lovelace(later)

- Nikola Tesla

- Thomas Alva Edison

- Henry Ford

-Charles Darwin

- Wright brothers

- Ludwig Van Beethoven

- Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart

- Hans Cristian Andersen

- Confucius

-Leonardo Davinci

- Albert Schwietzer

With **Robot Z3**, an advanced AI robot, added to the team, they are able to analyze data and offer technological support, making the team even more effective. Robot Z3 helps ensure that TeamForthcoming is equipped to handle the technical aspects of their missions.

**TeamForthcoming** not only focuses on solving global issues but also on educating the world through empathy, teamwork, cultural exchange, etc . Their first task is to revamp the global education system, starting with supporting orphaned children, both from the past and present. They believe that by involving these historical figures in modern-day issues, they can reshape the course of history for the better and guide humanity toward a more peaceful, prosperous future.

Not only teamfourthcoming i draw but i wanted plan to draw a lot of historical figures with the various of team. SEE U SOOn...

[noctomania]

I just realized that Bette Davis is my longest standing fascination. I was perhaps about 8 years old when I first read about her. We were all part of a program, I believe it was called "accelerated readers" intended to increase literacy rates. I guess it is still in practice, but I'm unsure. In any case, I was among the earlier cohorts to be partaking in it. And I was terrible.

I never liked reading, and worse, my sister loved reading, which only made me hate it more. I tried to make it easier on myself when I had to read a book by picking something short. So one time I found this nice thin book that happened to be a small biography on Bette Davis. It also happened to be a grade above mine, whereas my reading skills were closer to the grade below. I failed the computer quiz terribly, but Bette has stuck with me ever since.

I remember the book talked about how she had been rejected in Hollywood due to her supposed lack of beauty. More specifically, I recall it talking about someone saying she looked like her face had been melted by acid. Well, as a child who was also enamored by and sympathized with the character of Grizabella in the musical Cats because of how she was rejected by the other cats as a hasbeen beauty, I immediately was on Bette's side. Even at that age, I understood that such a subjective matter shouldn't be the metric for what makes an artist profound or worthy of a role, or the basis on which you determine your respect for someone. I may not have fully understood the complexities of misogyny at the time, but being raised by a single mother of two children, I'm sure I had some foundational understanding of how to respect women properly.

Bette is responsible for drawing my interest into old hollywood films and stars. I started watching TCM at my dad's house when I was in my preteens, seeking out old black and white movies. This introduced me to Ginger Rogers and Katherine Hepburn. I learned about Mary Pickford this way as well in the wee hours of the morning when they would put on less popular silent films. Entirely fascinated me, and I could never understand people who felt they were boring to watch. While Bette was in the world of talkies, her style was from theater, which was what informed silent film actors to begin with. With a lack of thorough dialogue, they had to impress upon the audience through physicality alone. Some of the most well renowned silent actors were absolute professionals at physical comedy - like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

I credit Bette Davis entirely for being a guide to helping me understand and respect the artists in front of the camera. She didn't act dramatically for the sake of being dramatic. She understood the undulations of a moment, taking the scene and ramping it because what else are you doing if not entertaining as an actor?

Though the rejection of Bette drew me to her, it was her no-nonsense attitude and her assertiveness that kept me around. To be so bold as to push back against the system she was trying to break into. Not without sense, though, always moderating herself but never leaving her spine behind. She made herself a queen by doing what those who were too timid to do refused. Even if she lost battles here or there, she won the war in my eyes. She wasn't one to back down because she picked her fights deliberately. She didn't assimilate. She overcame.

There will never be another of her caliber. No, not Streep nor Surrandon. Everything about her is individually iconic on its own, from her style to her acting, her voice, mannerisms. All of it. I could never imagine my life without Bette Davis in the background. I thank her for being the woman she was so I could be the woman I was and the man I am now. What is even funnier is that I'm not sure I even saw any of her movies until I was well into my teen years! I didn't even need to. Her legacy is that powerful.

God, i love Bette Davis. Thank you for existing. I wish you had been given the respect you deserved.

[princess-viola]

MacCharlie advertisement, 1985, scan sourced from vintagecomputing.com

Manufactured and released by Dayna Communications in 1985, the MacCharlie was a hardware add-on for the original Macintosh 128K and the Macintosh 512K that enabled users to run DOS software designed for the IBM PC on their Macintosh.

It did so by literally being an entire IBM PC compatible with an 8088 microprocessor, 256 KB RAM, and a 360 KB floppy disk drive. The RAM was upgradeable to 640 KB and a second disk drive was also available, with the MacCharlie Plus including 640 KB RAM and two floppy drives as standard.

The MacCharlie also included a keyboard extension that added a number pad and function keys, as the Macintosh keyboard lacked a numpad, function keys, or arrow keys (a deliberate choice by Apple who thought that developers would just port their old software to the Macintosh rather than developing software around the GUI paradigm if they had included those keys).

The MacCharlie connected to the Macintosh via a 9-pin serial cable and performed all DOS operations itself (obviously), with the Macintosh serving as a terminal for the MacCharlie. This required you to run the MacCharlie application software that was included on a 3.5 inch floppy disk for your Macintosh along with MS-DOS, which was also (naturally) included on a 5.25 inch floppy disk for the MacCharlie.

While the MacCharlie software included the ability to transfer files from itself to the Macintosh (and vice versa), you could not run a DOS program and a Macintosh program simultaneously (the System Software, later renamed to Mac OS, for the Macintosh did not support the running of multiple programs simultaneously until the release of the MultiFinder extension in 1987, with the feature eventually becoming integrating into the operating system with System 7 in 1991).

The MacCharlie software was also limited to running text-based DOS software only.

(Oh and if you're curious about the name 'MacCharlie', it was in reference to the advertising campaign for the IBM PC featuring Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character)

[chaplinfortheages]

German film program depicts scenes from Charlie Chaplin's Mutual short film's "The Count", "Easy Street", "The Cure", "The Immigrant" and "The Adventurer".

[idrellegames]

did u have to learn how to apply clown makeup

Ah, I probably should explain. 😂

The stereotypical clown 🤡 is not close to what it is in actuality at all. Clown is a genre of physical and movement theatre more akin to mime, mask, improvisation, and physical comedy. Clown characters are over-the-top and dynamic, with a heavy focus on physicality and gestural language to create scene work. They can be melodramatic, humorous, tragic - there's a lot of different ways it can go in different scenarios.

(The classic white makeup and red wig aren't used regularly in theatre clown - you'll have the nose, but that's about it.)

And easy comparison, though it's not quite the same thing, would be the kind of physical comedy you get in Charlie Chaplin films?

In my program, clown was a second year course that served as a foundation for moving into physical theatre and circus. Our approach was informed primarily by Jacques Lecoq's pedagogy as that's where our instructors trained (tl;dr - Lecoq founded a physical theatre school that has changed how movement theatre is taught in western drama schools).

We each created a character, determined their physicality and their costume, and then let them loose in different scenarios. Some were scripted, some were improvised, but it was always some form of a heightened, exaggerated state of being.

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Double-Mutated Mikey

Chapter 36: Atychiphobia

Continued from the short story written by @boots-with-the-fur-club

Prev || Next

Mikey's reality is thick fog when he wakes up. He's dizzy, confused, disoriented... and he feels sick. He isn't sure why until he smells disinfectant, and feels cold linoleum floor beneath his claws.

He sees Leo at his feet.

Mikey shakes. He trembles. He tastes... blood. He has remnants of blood speckling the tips of his fingernails. His muscles are tense, his back aches, his head spins. He hears clapping.

"Well done!" Dr. Chaplin applauds. "Such a good job, Mikey. I've truly missed watching you work."

Mikey turns slowly and sees his biggest fear come to fruition. Raphael and Donatello are crumpled together on the floor. Donnie's limp figure is wheezing and rasping, several scratches and thin gashes cross his plastron. Raph has a lump growing on his forehead, and a trail of red trickles over his closed eye from the wound hidden under his mask... his arm and ankles are also bleeding, but the wounds found there are gushing profusely. I-it looks like teeth marks...

Mikey's knees buckle underneath him. He crumbles to pieces as the room spins around him.

Please be a dream, please be a nightmare, please be a hallucination, please --

Mikey feels a hand pat his head gently, stroke him like a cat or a pet or a thing. He looks up, tears blurring his already swimming vision.

"You did good, Mikey. Very good. I'm truly impressed," Dr. Chaplin says with a twisted, almost kind smile as he lifts up Mikey's face into the light. "Now we can continue. And you have your family with you! How exciting..."

Mikey can't stop crying. He tries, he knows the punishments that will follow if he can't stop. Dr. Chaplin wipes away a tear and clicks his tongue.

"Tsk tsk, Mikey. I wonder why you're so upset by this. I would have thought you'd be used to it, after all... you're my perfect monster."

As I've told you before, Instinct whispers. But you had to see the proof. And now here it is. How does it feel? Why could you not accept it before? Why did you always have to fight me, why couldn't you understand... and now, the pain is worse. You should have listened to me. You should never have tried to fight it.

Mikey's breath freezes in his lungs. His world becomes nothing more than static and numbness as he weeps and weeps and weeps for eternity.

"This is very unprofessional of you," Dr. Chaplin groans, releasing Mikey. "I won't have this..."

He turns on the device again.

Mikey is lost, his tears ceasing immediately as he calms, his mind silenced. He breathes in, straightens, and awaits orders.

Dr. Chaplin wipes his his tear-tainted hands on his lab coat.

"You're almost not worth it. Now, let's get packing... We have much work to catch up on."

.

.

.

April runs through the hall and jumps into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor, where she'll meet Casey. Once inside, she tries contacting the guys again.

"Hello?! Leo? Raph? Donnie? ANYBODY THERE?!"

There's nothing but static.

"No, no, no, this isn't good!" she moans, pacing anxiously in the lift. "Can't this thing go any faster?!"

The doors eventually slide open, and April runs out, speeding down the hall until she finds Casey Jones Jr. pacing in a similarly anxious manner inside Professor Honeycutt's apartment room.

"Case!"

"April!" he shouts as he jumps over the demolished door and rushes to her. "I've checked every square inch of the place -- his drawers are ransacked, his clothes and toothbrush are missing, but all his other stuff is still here! Pictures, books, blankets --"

"I've tried calling the guys over and over again, but there's no response!" April cries. "I knew this must've been a trap!"

"Wait, I have their trackers on my phone!" Casey chimes in, pulling out the handheld device and checking in on the program. "Donnie gave me a link to the program a few days ago..."

A blue and red dot light up on the screen. Casey shifts the perspective from bird's eye to level, a 3D model of the building to show which floor they are on.

"...It looks like they're moving to the basement?" He says, showing her the feed.

"They're all together?"

"I think so. Maybe that means they're okay!" Casey offers, trying to stay optimistic.

"Then why wouldn't they answer their comms?" April contests. "Something's up. We gotta get down there!"

The two rush back to the elevator and slip through the emergency exit in the top. Casey attaches his grappling hook to the bottom of the box and they plummet down the shaft, with April holding onto him for dear life and only slowing to a halt halfway down. Casey's grapple clicks with a hiss -- they've run out of cord.

"What now, future boy?" April chastises.

"Now, we repel!" he replies, swinging to the side wall, disconnecting the line from the elevator and reconnecting it to the pipes and bars lining the walls.

The two slide down the sides until finally reaching the bottom. He disconnects the hook again as April prys the exit vent open. The duo crawl inside, hiding within the vent shafts as they try to find their family.

"This is weird," Casey whispers, looking through a small opening. "Leo said that the basement had Krang stuff inside it, even the Krang Sister was being held down here!"

"So what?" April hisses back.

"There's nothing here, just a bunch of crates and boxes..." Casey remarks.

And it's true -- the entire basement is virtually empty, save for a few dust bunnies and empty shelves.

"Well, they are moving out," April reminds him. "They probably already got to that stuff. Keep moving, we gotta find the guys! Which way do we go?"

Casey pulls out his phone.

"Left!"

The two continue to crawl forwards, following the trackers until they hear voices.

"This one's heavy! Someone gimme a hand!"

April and Casey gasp in horror when they see their friends, chained and cuffed with collars on their necks, being thrown into cages and placed on rolling carts. Each one seems to be unconscious. Raph's arm and ankle are bandaged, blood seeping through the gauze. Donnie has bruises across his neck, and seems to be breathing raspily. Leo has a giant welt on his head.

Two more guards approach and help to lift Raphael's unconscious body into a cage, folding his limbs over his chest so that he can fit.

"It's too small for him..."

"Well, it's not like we have anything bigger."

"Hurry up and finish with the rest!"

A guard starts to remove Donnie's battle-shell, when there comes a whimpering cry.

April turns and sees Mikey -- chained by the neck and several feet away, watching in anguish. He pulls against the collar, scraping the skin around his neck as he does.

"Shut up!" a voice shouts, as a man in a lab coat storms over to him with a taser. "Or do you want me to hurt your brothers more than they already are? Hmm??"

Mikey cowers, whining as he sadly moves away, curling up by the pillar he's chained to.

"Good. Now behave, and maybe we'll let you ride with them for the move."

Mikey sits in his corner, tears streaming down his face as he watches them pull the battle-shell off Donnie and toss his body into another cage. The use just as little grace and tact with Leo.

"I have to say, you did an excellent job detaining them, Mikey," the man says with a wicked grin. "I know Dr. Chaplin was very proud of you. Did he tell you what you did? Do you know how you captured them?"

Mikey buries his face in his hands, turning away. He doesn't want to listen.

"He told me some of the details. I must say, asphyxiating the purple one? Genius move. The blue turtle looks pretty worse for ware, as well. I do hope you didn't break his skull... And I wonder if the big red one will ever walk right again after this! He seems strong enough to persevere. And that's another thing! You were up against three of your own kind, and you still defeated them!" he laughs. "Oh, my dear Mikey, how I have missed your little shows. I am so disappointed that I couldn't witness your latest one. Ah, but I'm sure you'll be showing us plenty more when we mutate--"

"Dr. Timothy?" one of the guards calls out. "We're ready to load the prisoners."

"Oh, well, it looks like it's time to go now," the man sighs. "Now, are you going to be a good little monster and go quietly? Or do I have to tell the big mean guards to use lethal voltage on your family to help convince you?"

April gasps in horror, slapping her hands over her mouth in an attempt to keep silent.

Mikey whimpers and nods, slowly sitting up so Dr. Timothy can unchain him.

"Very good."

Dr. Timothy unlocks the chain and attaches a lead to the collar. Mikey follows behind him with little resistance, despairing as he's brought to a cage. He pauses beside it, watching as Dr. Timothy unlocks the door and swings it open.

"You know what to do," the scientist says, smiling cruelly.

Mikey slowly climbs into the cage, laying down as the door is closed and locked, and the four prisoners are carted away into the loading dock.

"They're taking them away," April gasps. "They must be moving them to the new site! Staten Island!"

"We have to follow them," Casey decides.

"I'll follow," April decides. "You go get Cass, Splints, and Barry. I have a feeling we'll need reinforcements."

"What about you? Will you be okay?"

"Are you kidding? You're talking to 'Commander' April O'Neil! Master of stealth, queen of espionage! I've infiltrated the Foot Clan so many times, I'm practically more a member than your mom was!" she jokes, before going serious again. "But don't tell her I said that."

"Alright then," Casey says with a nod. "Be careful... I'll see you soon."

CJ shimmies backwards, disappearing through the vents to get out the way he came. April continues through the ducts, finding a small opening she can descend through. Grabbing a lab coat and gloves, she disguises herself and attempts to climb into the van where her reptile bros are held...

"Hey, you there! What do you think you're doing?"

April jumps and turns. A young woman stares her down.

"That truck is for experiments only. You don't have clearance to ride along," she growls.

"O-oh, right! Sorry, I just figured someone should watch over them... y'know, just in case they make trouble?" April stammers.

"The EPF security team will handle them," the woman states. "Scientists and interns ride separately. Come on, let's go."

April sighs and looks back at the van. Mikey peeks up at her, eyes wet with tears and trying to convey some kind of plea. April signs to him quickly.

'B R B'

"Move it or lose it!" the woman shouts.

"Oh, right! Coming!" April yipes, going after the lady. "Sorry, miss... uh..."

"The name's Abigail," the scientist explains grimly. "Dr. Abigail Finn."

.

.

.

April sits uncomfortably by the woman as the doors to the vehicle close behind them with a loud slam.

I hope I know what I'm doing, she thinks to herself.

"So, uh..." April starts, her voice cracking slightly. "Ahem. What got you into the business?"

"The science," Dr. Finn answers plainly. "I love biology and genetics. Ever since I was a little girl. And this is the only place that lets you push science to the limits."

"Oh, really?" April asks. "Tell me more! What kinds of science have you been able to do?"

"Oh, you know. Studies in chemistry, anatomy, the works... we've been focusing on the benefits of rewriting DNA."

"R-r-rewriting?" April gulps. "Doesn't that strike you as... I dunno, a little invasive? Maybe cruel?"

"It doesn't matter what you think, or even what I think," Dr. Finn replies. "It only matters what we can do. And we can do it. Imagine all the wonders that can come from this -- we can edit out displeasing hereditary traits and genetics! We can alter a person's genital code and change the person altogether, to make them healthier, stronger. This will do wonders for the pharmaceutical community, plastic surgeons, you name it!"

"But... couldn't it also be used for nefarious purposes?"

Dr. Finn sighs.

"I suppose... people could use our research to create lethal weaknesses in an entire generation if they wanted. Make everyone deathly allergic to a common substance, or give them weaker immune systems--"

"I was thinking more along the lines of human experimentation," April clarifies.

"Oh, that. I will admit, it's not exactly my cup of tea. But in the end, all I really care about is the science."

"No matter who gets hurt along the way?"

"Oh, you must mean 'Mikey'," Abigail realizes. "Strange creature. Caught him trying to sneak in several weeks ago. Dr. Timothy started the mutations process without my input, but I did have my say afterwards."

"Your say..?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but I am highly responsible for the serums, formulas, and procedures that were used in redesigning 'Mikey's DNA."

April swallows hard.

"Reaaaaaaaaally?" she chuckles. "How interesting..."

"It really is very interesting," Dr. Finn agrees. "But what's even more interesting is that Mikey was the only successful mutation we made. Every other subject was prone to insanity and slow deterioration of skills. Their genetics just simply seemed to fall apart from the strain. But not Mikey!"

She takes out her phone and shows April a scan of Mikey's DNA.

"We never did find out how, but Mikey's genetic structure showed signs of being made specifically to deal with mutation and extreme change. It could adapt in ways I never imagined! You see, his unchanged DNA was the key we were missing!"

Abigail sighs loudly and slouches.

"Unfortunately, that pig-headed idiot Timothy decided to mutate him before I could get a proper sample of his DNA. But now, we have three more subjects with untainted code!" she squeals. "I can finally finish my work!"

"Could it be possible to... undo the mutations?" April asks warily.

"I suppose... it's possible," Dr. Finn speculates. "With the right formulas. And if you had an understanding of what the DNA was like before. Why do you ask?"

April gulps again and shrinks inside her fake lab coat.

"I, uh... love science?"

Dr. Finn glares down at her before smiling.

"Well, you're in the right place. The TCRI have full government funding, and our new location is much more private!"

April looks out the window and sees a tall building, placed far from the towns, resting near the shores.

"You know, they built it here because of some crazy readings they tracked the day of the invasion. And some even say that the mutants landed here, too..."

April knows this place. It's where she helped pick up the guys after they got Leo back...

April takes in a deep breath as the trucks pull up and drive inside the underground parking garage.

I reeaaaaaaalllllly hope I know what I'm doing...

Prev || Next

[father-jude]

— BASICS

Name: Father Jude (Jude Sinjin Freling) Age / D.O.B.: 49 / December 22, 1974 Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: Cisman. He/Him. Homosexual Hometown: Staten Island, New York Affiliation: Civilian Job position: Catholic Priest at The Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan Education: Bachelors in Philosophy, Master of Divinity Relationship status: Single It's complicated Children: None Positive traits: Trustworthy, Calm, Empathetic, Understanding, Patient Negative traits: Repressed, Self-critical, Conflicted, Haunted, Lonely

— BIOGRAPHY

When looking at Jude while he leads mass on Sunday's one does not usually think Marine. But no matter how long it's been since he's worn the uniform that is part of who he will always be. Jude Sinjin Freling was born and grew up in a Catholic home in New York. Living with his parents, brother, and sister on Staten Island.  He’d always felt called to the church and after graduating from college was just starting seminary when the Towers fell. Jude was young and caught up in the wash of patriotism in the aftermath and enlisted. He was accepted into the Navy Chaplin program and spent eight years with the Marine’s feeling called to stay less and less over any sense of patriotism and more to ensure that his fellow soldiers had someone to unburden their souls too. Jude was caught in an IED explosion that left him with a permanent limp in his left leg. The wound got him a purple heart and a ticket home. Jude returned the US and went back to seminary school where he took his holy vows and became a Catholic Priest. Jude took several mission assignments when he was first ordained, wanting to go back overseas in a different uniform than before. He also spent time working in several other Dioceses Volunteering as a Chaplin in Prisons, Juvenile Justice centers and Veteran hospitals. Finally coming back to New York for good to take over as the head Priest of the Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan in 2018.

It’s a smaller church in a rough area. And Jude strives very hard to keep it a safe and secure place for anyone seeking help. No matter who they are or what they have done. Which has put him in direct conflict with the Police once or twice when he refused to allow them to search the Church in 2018 without a warrant. Father Jude is not easily intimidated, and he has never liked bullies. But the lack of funds for the small parish is always a struggle for Father Jude on a professional level. He is always looking for ways to fund raise in order to keep the programs that run out of the Church still open. A small shelter, a soup kitchen, counseling services and the like.

On a personal level most people don’t see much past the collar and the calm demeanor. But one of the things that led him to the church was his own struggles as a young man with his sexual orientation. Being a gay man in the Marines and then the Catholic church has not been easy. And it is not something many know about. Just like his time in the military is not something he speaks on often. But because of his struggles and his experiences Father Jude doesn’t judge. He understands more than many how conflicted most souls are.

— WANTED CONNECTIONS / PLOTS

Parishioners: People that have gone or go to his church and use him either for counselling or just confession.

Angel Donor or Deal with the Devil?: Jude's church is always looking for donations to keep the place maintained and it's services open. And Father Jude feels no qualms in taking money that might be made in less that legal ways and using it for good.

Different life: Someone that he was romantically connected to when he was in college or while he was in the military who he lost when he chose to stay his course and go back to Seminary school.

Childhood friends: Someone that he grew up with on Staten Island.

[agent-bash]

Of the three possible Chicago Fire exits which do you think is most likely?

Oof, this is a tough one. I'm gonna put my answer under the cut, Nonny.

Mouch: I'm 50-50 here. Maybe more 60-40 odd on him staying. I 100% think he'll survive, but he's been injured a bunch over the years, and he's getting near retirement age, so maybe despite surviving he's gonna wanna ride the pine to retirement.

Severide: 70-30 odds he's gone. I don't know why I'm so pessimistic here, but I am. It's just a feeling I can't shake that Taylor is done. I do not necessarily think a Stellaride breakup is going to happen; they can keep up with him being arson lone out to fed operations and keep things off-screen if they want, but yeah, I don't know if we're ever going to see Severide again.

Brett: She's gone, 90-10 odds here, maybe even 95-5 and only because I don't believe in giving 100% odds to much of anything. They just really didn't do much with her last season. And what they did do they almost always tied to her and Casey so yeah...She gone. At least if she leaves (let's be real when she leaves) it's not like it was with Chaplin Dude, where she left for a much quieter town and he was trying to convince her not to work as a paramedic and fill the role of Chaplin's wife. Portland, while not Chicago, is a major city, there are lots of opportunities out there for her as a paramedic, and she could even try and get her paramedicine program running out there too.

So yeah. Not sold on Mouch leaving; sinking feeling about Severide; and pretty damn sure Sylvie's gone is where I'm at for Fire.

How about you?

[sunskate]

Pate and Bye scrapped their Chaplin FD 👀

They have a Hungarian Rhapsody one which looks kind of like another Igor classical program? feels like why this specifically for you as a team. especially just after they did Polovetsian Dances

i guess maybe they were told at Lake Placid or Champs Camp that Chaplin wasn’t working - that program felt like they weren’t bringing anything new to it either. if Igor gave them as much energy and thought as he’s giving Z/K maybe they wouldn’t be in this situation?

Green/Parsons skated - i hope Michael’s well. did we know they’re skating Spiegel im Spiegel and Dance Me to the End of Love? a melancholy program with some of their choreo touches

Reed/Ambrulevicius are kind of doing the story it sounded like T/V talked about for their free - a story about power dynamics and a difficult relationship between a man and a woman - in R/A’s case, she’s a doll or puppet in a black tutu, and he starts out as the puppet master, but by the end the dynamic has switched, and she has the upper hand. i liked it for them - it’s got that quirkiness and slight edge that feels like their vibe. they won but seemed underwhelmed by the score