"Little Green Toads" by DJ Clawson First draft - 5/17/98 Final draft - 3/21/99 Edited by Rygar 1/4/04 SCENE 1 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE CHAIRMAN FRITZ WARNER sits behind his desk. He is busy doing paperwork when he hears a knock on the door. FRITZ Come in. VICE CHAIRMAN GRIFF enters, looking hurried and alarmed. GRIFF Sir, I'm afraid I have some bad news. FRITZ What? GRIFF One of the toad creators of KOMPLEX has been assassinated, sir. FRITZ (stands, slamming his fist on the desk) How did they get past all of the security!? GRIFF I don't know, sir. FRITZ (recovers, calming down) Well, where are the other two? GRIFF We moved them to a different safe house, sir. FRITZ And posted extra guards? Griff nods. FRITZ (sighs) It's not going to protect them for much longer. We've got to find a better place to hide them. (rubs his beard) And I think I have an idea of where. SCENE 2 - THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Fritz and CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE are in the main bay, discussing the situation. BUCKY Why is it so important to protect the toad scientists? They can't offer us anything to stop KOMPLEX. FRITZ Maybe not, but the old Chairman promised them complete protection if they shared what they did know with the scientists on Genus. And I have to keep his end of the bargain -- which I've already failed to do on one account. BUCKY So, you need my help to protect the two remaining scientists? FRITZ No, actually, I need Willy's help. Bucky looks at him, confused. SCENE 3 - WASHINGTON HIGH, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Several months later. PRINCIPAL DORKENS, a balding man in his fifties, sits in his office. He sits behind his desk nervously. Two people walk in, a MAN and a WOMAN, both wearing expensive business suits. Dorkens notices their entrance and rises. DORKENS You're ... MAN (flashes a badge) FBI, Agent Jameson, and this ... (gestures to his partner) ... is Agent Savoy. DORKEN FBI? For a murder? JAMESON This is a very serious situation, sir. DORKENS You don't have to tell me how serious this situation is. Dorkens moves over to his window and opens the blinds. Outside, students and teachers are gathered in confusion. Some are protesting the policemen who are keeping them from entering the school. Dorkens plucks a hair from his balding head. DORKENS All I needed was a teacher found dead in the science labs. (looks at his hair) There goes the rest of 'em. JAMESON Can you tell us a little about this teacher, sir? DORKEN Yeah, Dr. Wort was hired a few months ago. He taught chemistry and robotics. JAMESON When you hired him, did you run a background check or anything on his past? Do you have any information about his personal life? DORKEN Well, to be honest with you, we were rushing to find teachers who were willing to work for so little pay after the last two retired. He came with a good recommendation from one of our students. Wort had been in a whole mess of trouble or something and wanted to settle down quietly. JAMESON Did he mention what kind of trouble? DORKEN No, he didn't. JAMESON Did Dr. Wort have any enemies? Someone who threatened him? DORKEN Not that I know of. He was just a quiet, funny-looking old man. JAMESON What about the man he lives with? DORKEN Dr. Green? He's being questioned by the police right now. (rubs head) Same deal with him. Hired him a few months ago. He teaches physics and chemistry. I imagine whoever hit Wort is gonna hit him, too. JAMESON Anything else? DORKEN Not that I can think of. (sighs) The kids are really gonna be hurt by this. They really liked Wort. A little odd, but a nice guy. JAMESON And what about the student who introduced him to you? DORKENS Let me get him, OK? Dorkens puts his head out the door to talk with his secretary. DORKENS (back to them) I'll just be a minute. The student body is a mob. Makes it hard to find one kid, you know? Dorkens leaves. Agent Diana Savoy, a white, red-haired petite woman in her late thirties, turns to her partner. SAVOY What are we doing here, Jameson? Agent Roger Jameson is a white, brown-haired man in his forties. JAMESON Trying to solve a murder. SAVOY Of a high school teacher? This is urban San Francisco, Jameson. One of his students probably was upset with a grade and decided to get back at him. JAMESON A high school teacher with no proper identification, a fake social security number, no relatives, and no past history on file? SAVOY Did you check with the bureau? Maybe he's in the witness protection program. JAMESON I checked. He's not registered. Neither is Dr. Green. SAVOY Well, maybe the autopsy will pull up some better identification ... She stops as Dorkens enters, pulling in ENGINEER WILLY DUWITT. DORKENS This is William DuWitt. (proudly) He's part of our accelerated honors program. (to Willy) Willy, this is Agent Jameson and Agent Savoy. They're with the FBI. They're hear to ask you some questions about ... WILLY (confused) Is Doc Wort really dead? DORKENS Yes, Willy, he is. That's why they're here. WILLY The *FBI*? (defensively) I wanna speak with a lawyer. JAMESON We're not accusing you of anything, Mr. DuWitt. We just want to know a little bit about Dr. Wort. WILLY (an "uh-oh" look on his face) What do you want to know? JAMESON How did you come to meet Dr. Wort? WILLY He was, um ... I met him where I work. JAMESON Where do you work? WILLY I'm an engineer on a ship. JAMESON (expectantly) And the name of the ship? WILLY The .. uh, Righteous Indignation. JAMESON Privately owned? WILLY Yeah. JAMESON Where is its registry? WILLY Genus. Jameson gives him a weird look, then continues. JAMESON So how exactly did you meet Dr. Wort and Dr. Green? Did they work on this ship? WILLY No, I kinda ... met them at one of the ports ... I think maybe it was Genus. Anyway, they were out-of-work scientists, and they needed jobs, so I said they might as well apply at my school, because we're so short of teachers. JAMESON Mr. Dorkens said they were in some kind of trouble. Do you know what kind of trouble it was? WILLY Oh ... it was nothing illegal or life-threatening or anything. It was more like financial trouble. SAVOY Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to hurt Dr. Wort? Threatened him perhaps? WILLY (lies) Um ... no. Jameson nods and hands him a card. JAMESON If you think of anything that might be important to the case, please give us a call. WILLY Sure. (eagerly) Can I go now? Dorkens gives a look to the agents, who nod. He gives Willy a nudge that he can leave, and Willy does so. DORKEN Is there anyone else you want to speak to? Aside from Dr. Green? JAMESON If you can think of anyone who might know a little more, please tell us. (goes to leave) Thank you for your time. Jameson and Savoy leave. SCENE 4 - WASHINGTON HIGH Willy is in a phone booth. He's trying to make it look like he's talking on the phone, but he's not. The cap he wears under his hair to keep his Aldebaran powers under control is removed, and he's telepathically talking with FIRST MATE JENNY. WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY WILLY JENNY Jenny severs the connection. Willy puts the cap back on his head and leaves. SCENE 5 - DR. GREEN'S APARTMENT, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Jameson knocks on the door. A POLICEMAN answers it, and he flashes his badge and enters. It's a shabby apartment, and when he feels something squish between his shoes, he looks down to find a green, moist carpet. The place is filled with plants. There are jars on the windowsills filled with bugs. DR. GREEN is a short man, only about four feet tall. He has large eyes, large lips, and an oddly shaped face. He is bald, aside from some gray hair on the sides. His feet are irregularly large. He is sitting on the couch, looking nervous and forlorn. JAMESON (approaches him) Dr. Green? (flashes badge) Agent Jameson, FBI. GREEN F-B-what? JAMESON Federal Bureau of Investigation. GREEN Are you like the police? JAMESON Yes. (sits next to him) I'd like to ask you some questions about your colleague. GREEN What about him? JAMESON Do you know of anyone who would want to kill him or has threatened to do him harm in the past? GREEN (defensively) No one. JAMESON Do you have any idea as to why anyone would want to kill him? GREEN Not a clue, sorry. (nervously) These policemen -- they're going to stay here with me, right? They're not going to leave me alone tonight? JAMESON Do you feel your life is in danger, Dr. Green? GREEN If your best friend and partner just got knocked off, wouldn't you be a little nervous, too? JAMESON Partner? GREEN Yeah ... we worked together ... I mean, as scientists. JAMESON (curiously) What kind of work did you do? GREEN Computer-type stuff. Did some work with artificial intelligence. Nothing too fancy. JAMESON Which is why you didn't make enough money? Dr. Green looks at him blankly. JAMESON Mr. DuWitt said you had some financial trouble. GREEN (recovering quickly) Oh, yes ... um, we did. We were broke. Why do you think we went into teaching? JAMESON What is your past history with Mr. DuWitt? GREEN We meet on Genus -- I mean, in Genus. At Genus. (smiles sheepishly) You know what I mean, of course. JAMESON Genus, Arizona? GREEN Uh ... yes. Yes, of course. JAMESON Do you know anyone else who might know who did this to Dr. Wort? Any former associates? Relatives? Green shakes his head. Jameson is about to say something else when he hears a ringing sound and pulls out his cell phone. JAMESON Excuse me, Dr. Green. (opens cell phone, speaking into it) Jameson. SAVOY (over phone) Jameson, I think you're going to want to see this. JAMESON What is it, Savoy? Where are you? SAVOY I'm at the morgue, trying to do an autopsy. JAMESON Trying? SAVOY The body was burned almost beyond recognition. JAMESON Than what do you want me to see? SAVOY I ... just get down here, Jameson. JAMESON I'll be right there. (hangs up, putting phone away) I'm sorry, but I have to leave. (stands) Thank you for your time. Jameson offers a hand, and Green accepts. Jameson then nods to the uniformed police offer and leaves. As he does, he notices a green slime on his hand. SCENE 6 - MORGUE Savoy is in hospital scrubs, her arms crossed. The body is on the table, covered by a sheet. Jameson enters quickly. JAMESON What is it, Savoy? SAVOY Well, after Dr. Wort's skull was crushed by a blow to the back of the head, his body was set on fire, destroying all of the skin and flesh. JAMESON So what is it that you want me to see? SAVOY What's left over. Whoever set him on fire was trying to obscure something, and I think I know what it was. Savoy removes the sheet, revealing a skeleton with a strange bone structure. JAMESON Oh my G-d -- Savoy -- SAVOY Don't jump to conclusions, Jameson. (rolls eyes) I doubt Dr. Wort was an alien. JAMESON Then what was he? SAVOY I don't know. He's deformed beyond any kind of natural mutations I've ever seen. (looks at head) The skull shape almost looks like one of an amphibious creature. JAMESON Like what? A toad? SAVOY I don't know, Jameson. All I know is this thing isn't human. SCENE 7 - THE RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION Willy's door appears in engineering, and he bursts through. Running through the ship, he climbs up and pokes his head up into the upper bay. WILLY I ... JENNY We know, Willy. BUCKY We've been trying to reach Fritz all day. He's in a meeting or something. WILLY What about Dr. Green? A look passes between Bucky and Jenny. BUCKY What about him? WILLY Well, he's still as unprotected as Dr. Wort was. And if a regen is the killer, I don't think San Francisco's finest are going to be able to deal with a lizard with a maser blaster. BUCKY You have a point. (to Jenny) Someone from the aniverse should be guarding him. JENNY Yes, but who? BUCKY (assertively) *I'm* the one who brought the scientists to Genus and convinced them to share their secrets with the Security Council. I should be responsible for Green's safety. WILLY How are *you* gonna protect *him*? (reads Bucky's look) Oh, come *on* -- I already have two FBI agents chasing me ... BUCKY No choice, Willy. Willy swallows at Bucky's determination. SCENE 8 - POLICE HEADQUARTERS Jameson sits behind a desk, on the phone. Savoy enters. SAVOY Who are you calling? JAMESON I'm trying to find the registration for the Righteous Indignation. I haven't had any luck with private registries, so I'm trying the Navy. (explains) I'm on hold. (hears something, into phone) Yes, hello? The man on the other end is sitting behind a desk in a naval base. He is a Caucasian MAN in his thirties with a dark tan. MAN Naval registry, Ensign Nathan Bridger speaking. JAMESON This is Agent Roger Jameson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I'm looking for a ship called The Righteous Indignation. BRIDGER Do you know where it's registered out of, sir? JAMESON Genus. BRIDGER (wheels chair over to computer and begins typing) Genus, Arizona? JAMESON Check all the Genuses. BRIDGER We have no naval registry listing for Genus, sir. JAMESON Then just try the ship name. BRIDGER You said The Righteous Indignation? (types) I'm sorry, we don't have a listing for it. JAMESON Thank you. Jameson hands up and looks at Savoy. SAVOY No listing? JAMESON Anywhere. SAVOY Why would ... what's his name ... JAMESON Willy DuWitt. SAVOY Why would he be lying? JAMESON To protect Dr. Green. And Dr. Wort. SAVOY Why? I just don't understand what relation he has to them. JAMESON I don't understand how they're related to anybody or anything. There's no paper trail, and Green won't tell me anything. It's like they popped out of the sky when they applied for their jobs at the school. Willy's the only one who seems to know anything about them. SAVOY Don't the other teachers know anything? JAMESON I tried. Wort and Green were just two guys who kept mainly to themselves. No one has anything on their backgrounds. SAVOY Have you tried Willy's parents? JAMESON I was thinking that would be our next angle. SAVOY Then let's go. SCENE 9 - THE DUWITT RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO Jameson and Savoy approach the house and ring the doorbell. The front porch is decorated with wind chimes and potted flowers. A blond woman, MRS. SUSAN DUWITT, answers the door. She is wearing a linen, a soft purple dress, and a beaded necklace, beaded bracelets, and seashell earrings. MRS. DUWITT Yes? May I help you? Jameson and Savoy flash their badges. JAMESON Agents Jameson and Savoy, FBI. MRS. DUWITT Oh, is this about that teacher who was killed? Because I heard about that ... SAVOY Actually, it is. MRS. DUWITT Oh, then I'm so sorry, but Willy's not home right now. He's at work. SAVOY Where does he work? MRS. DUWITT He's an engineer on this ship -- I forget the name. JAMESON The Righteous Indignation? MRS. DUWITT Yes. That was it. He works under a Captain O'Hare, I think. JAMESON Where is this ship, exactly? MRS. DUWITT Oh, I'm sorry, I really couldn't tell you. One of the marinas around here. He never tells me these things. SAVOY If Willy isn't here, we'd like to ask you some questions, Mrs. DuWitt. MRS. DUWITT Oh, then where are my manners? Come on in. Mrs. DuWitt leads them into the living room. It is decorated with potted plants, flower patterned slipcovers on the sofa, and a shaggy rug that resembles grass. MRS. DUWITT I was just making tofu squares -- would you like some? JAMESON (trying to be polite) Um... sure. Mrs. DuWitt smiles, then runs off to the kitchen. Jameson and Savoy look around. Jameson picks up and is inspecting a group of triangular crystals on the wall unit when she reenters with a tray of well-decorated squares on crackers. They each take one before sitting down on the sofa. SAVOY So, about Dr. Wort ... Jameson takes a bite. His face swells as he looks for a way to get it out of his mouth without Mrs. DuWitt noticing. MRS. DUWITT I know, isn't it so sad? Willy must be really shattered by it. I hope it doesn't hurt his karma. SAVOY They were close? MRS. DUWITT He mentioned him a lot. Dr. Wort was always helping Willy with one of his little projects. Jameson finally managed to slip the tofu out of his mouth and stuff it under the sofa cushions. Savoy gives him a look. JAMESON (recovering) Projects? MRS. DUWITT Oh, yes. He's quite an inventor. He probably spends too much time around computers and little gadgets for his own good. He should get out more. JAMESON And Dr. Wort helped him? MRS. DUWITT Him and Dr. Green. Sometimes they would come to the house for something. Very nice men. They had nice auras. JAMESON Do you know anything else about them? MRS. DUWITT Only that Willy met them on the job. He doesn't tell me much about his work. JAMESON Can we see some of these ... projects? MRS. DUWITT (sweetly) I don't think Willy would mind. Mrs. DuWitt leads them upstairs, opening the door to Willy's room. It stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the house, filled with electronic gadgets and computers. Jameson pokes around while Savoy waits, popping the tofu in her mouth. Unfortunately for her, Mrs. DuWitt is staring right at her, and she has trouble keeping a straight face, much less getting it out of her mouth. JAMESON (looking at photon accelerator) What's this? MRS. DUWITT Oh, isn't that cute? It's a little model photon accelerator. Willy built it a few years ago. JAMESON Model? MRS. DUWITT Yes, after the one David -- my husband -- was trying to develop. When the project failed, Willy asked to see the plans, and David didn't see any harm in it. JAMESON But it doesn't work? MRS. DUWITT I don't think so. All it seems to do is occasionally blow the power to the house. JAMESON I see. Well, we won't take any more of your time, right, Savoy? Savoy has turned around for a moment to empty her mouth of the tofu. She spins around, smiling at Mrs. DuWitt. SAVOY I'm fine. Thank you for your time, Mrs. DuWitt. MRS. DUWITT (leading them out) Tell me if there's any other way I can help you ... JAMESON (stops at door) We'll give you a call. Jameson and Savoy leave, waving to Mrs. DuWitt as they walk down the front lawn path. SAVOY Nice lady. JAMESON Bad tofu. SAVOY *Jameson*! JAMESON What? Jameson and Savoy get into their car. JAMESON Well, that accomplished nothing. Except that Willy's parents are totally in the dark about whatever he's not telling us. SAVOY You really think Willy is hiding something? JAMESON They both are. Green and DuWitt. Why else would they lie left and right and trip over their answers? SAVOY But what would they be hiding? JAMESON Something worth killing for. (drives) So what have we got? Two scientists and one brainiac. Maybe they were working on something -- some kind of new technology ... SAVOY Like a photon accelerator? JAMESON What the hell is that, anyway? SAVOY I read an article on it a few years ago, after it failed development. JAMESON So what is it supposed to do, I mean hypothetically? And don't say it accelerates photons. SAVOY That's it, essentially. The article didn't go into it in detail, but what it was supposed to do -- in theory -- was to carry particles on a stream of accelerated photons at near-light and maybe even light speeds. JAMESON So what is it? A warp drive? SAVOY That was one of the uses in the article. There were two teams of scientists developing it, a group in Chicago and a group in San Francisco. I guess Willy's father was in the group here. They were both building identical accelerators, then trying to get them to send things between the two. (looks out the window) The project failed, even with government funding. JAMESON Maybe Willy decided to beat out his father and build his own. SAVOY It doesn't work that way, Jameson. You can't just have one, sitting in a house. It has to send those photons somewhere, or it has to be on a moving object. JAMESON So there's a second somewhere. SAVOY It was just a model, Jameson. JAMESON A model that uses enough power to blow the circuits of the house? SAVOY (tired) Where's the second accelerator, Jameson? JAMESON I don't know. On The Righteous Indignation. Hidden in Dr. Wort's apartment. I don't know. All I'm saying is that Dr. Wort was working on *something* with Willy that got him killed. SAVOY You really think that's our motive? JAMESON I think it's quite a possible one. And I don't see another. SAVOY You know what that means, Jameson? JAMESON What? SAVOY That means Willy could be in as much danger as Dr. Green is. SCENE 10 - DR. GREEN'S APARTMENT COMPLEX Willy peddles up to the apartment complex on his bike. Holding onto him tightly is Bucky, disguised in an overly long trench coat and a large hat. WILLY I swear to G-d, if we get caught ... BUCKY We're not going to get caught. WILLY I am gonna be in such deep ... BUCKY (climbs off bike) Quiet. Willy locks up the bike, and the two of them go up into the complex. They knock on a door, and a voice calls from behind the door. GREEN Who is it? WILLY It's me. Dr. Green opens the door. His facemask is askew, and part of his green toad face can be seen under the human one. He was obviously hurrying to get it on for the door. GREEN Finally! Some security! The police left an hour ago. (to Bucky) Who're ... BUCKY (takes off hat) Captain Bucky O'Hare, at your service. GREEN Then get in here; I've got nosy neighbors. Dr. Green nudges them in and shuts the door to the apartment. GREEN This should make the papers. The famous Captain O'Hare spending his evening protecting a toad scientist. BUCKY I promised you security. GREEN You promised Wort and Hopkins security, too. (sighs, rubbing his head and readjusting the mask) Well, I'd probably already be dead if it wasn't for you. So, relax and make yourself at home. Willy and Bucky sit on the couch. GREEN You want some bug juice or something? BUCKY We'll pass, thanks. Any idea who did took out Wort? GREEN Not any more than who took out Hopkins. Though I guess being in this dimension does limit it to a regen. A lizard, probably. BUCKY I'm very sorry about all this. We all thought you were safe in this dimension. GREEN Yeah, well, I guess I was, for a while. But those regens can get here, and some of them will do anything for a price. Dr. Green is interrupted by a loud crashing sound outside. Bucky's paw immediately falls to his maser blaster as he raises an ear in that direction. GREEN (nervously) What was that? BUCKY I don't know ... (standing) I'm going to check it out. WILLY (immediately) Um, I don't think that's a good idea, Captain. BUCKY Why not? WILLY Well ... you're a three-foot green hare, sir. And I have enough problems explaining things to those FBI guys as it is. BUCKY Good point. WILLY You want me to go? BUCKY (considers for a second) All right ... holler if there's trouble. WILLY Don't worry about it, Captain. I'll be back in five. Willy stands and cautiously opens the door. After looking outside, he carefully walks out. SCENE 11 - POLICE HEADQUARTERS Jameson and Savoy are discussing something when they see a uniformed POLICEMAN pass by. JAMESON Hey -- aren't you the guy we assigned to watch Dr. Green? POLICEMAN Yeah. He sent me away. Said he needed a break from all the blue suits. JAMESON Are you crazy? His life is in danger! POLICEMAN Try telling *him* that. Jameson shoots Savoy a look. JAMESON (tugging on the policeman's arm) C'mon. I need assistance at Green's place. Now. SAVOY You're going over there? JAMESON We have to protect one of the only people with a real story behind Wort's death. SAVOY Do you need backup? JAMESON I'll call you. Jameson and the policeman leave. SCENE 12 - GREEN'S APARTMENT COMPLEX Willy is still poking around outside when he hears something. Looking around the alley, he sees a figure cloaked in back and carrying a lead pipe by Green's window. WILLY Hey! The LIZARD figure looks at him and hisses. Willy recognizes the lizard hiss, and backs off. LIZARD Stupid human ... The lizard jumps Willy suddenly, knocking him to the ground. Even though Willy is much larger, he's no match for the trained fighter. He is saved by the sounds of a police car's sirens as it approaches. The sound stops the lizard in mid-swing of his pipe. He gets up quickly, dropping the pipe and climbing quickly up the fire escape. Willy gets to his feet, picking up the pipe. He barely has time to watch the lizard climb as a flashlight is shined in his eyes, nearly blinding him in the darkness of night. It's the policeman from before. POLICEMAN Drop your weapon and put your hands up! Willy suddenly realizes his situation. WILLY No, no, you don't understand ... Willy tries to point in the direction of the lizard, but the lizard has climbed up and disappeared on the rooftop. WILLY I was just ... POLICEMAN (smartly) Waiting to take out the other teacher? WILLY No, I was protecting him! POLICEMAN Riiiiiight. (grabs Willy and shoves him up against the wall, frisking him) Protecting him by standing outside his window with a lead pipe. Sure, kid. What'd he do, give you a bad grade? WILLY Seriously, officer, you gotta believe me -- the real guy is getting away! POLICEMAN (putting handcuffs on him) Yeah, right. What'd he do, fly up to the roof? The policeman shoves the protesting Willy into the backseat of his squad car. POLICEMAN Now you stay there while I get that FBI guy. (looks around) Now where the hell did he go? Ah, crud, he probably went inside already. I'll have to get him. (slams door shut, locking Willy inside) Stay put, kid. WILLY (realizes) Oh crud ... Captain! SCENE 13 - GREEN'S APARTMENT Dr. Green and Bucky are still waiting for a response from Willy when they hear a knock on the door. JAMESON Dr. Green? It's Agent Jameson. GREEN (looks at Bucky) Hide. (to door) Coming! Bucky runs into the kitchen, shutting the door behind him. Green puts on his facemask, then slowly walks over to and opens the door. JAMESON (entering) Why did you send home ... GREEN Agent Jameson! Behind you! Jameson spins around to notice a short figure at the door. It's the lizard, holding a maser blaster pointed in their direction. JAMESON (draws gun) What the ... LIZARD (ignores him) It'sss time, Green. JAMESON You're an alien, aren't you? LIZARD (to Jameson) Yesss, if it ssssatisssfiesss your ssssstupid human curiousssity, I am an alien. And ssooo isssss Green. Happy now? What do you want me to do, abduct you or sssomething? (back to Green) Getting on with busssssinesss ... BUCKY Not on my watch, you lousy lizard. Bucky appears to everyone's surprise and fires on the lizard, knocking the blaster out of his paw. Rubbing his claws, the lizard hisses and runs out the door. Without hesitating, Bucky pursues. JAMESON (in state of shock) Did I just see a ... GREEN Green hare, yes. That's Captain O'Hare. JAMESON Of The Righteous Indignation? Green nods and pulls off his mask, revealing himself to be an aged toad. JAMESON Oh sh ... (realizes) Stay *right* there. Jameson runs out the door, following Bucky and the lizard up the stairs of the complex. The lizard, avoiding Bucky's maser shots, runs up onto the roof and runs hopelessly to the edge. Bucky follows him, blaster bared in his direction. BUCKY There's nowhere to go. LIZARD That'ssss what you think. Just as Jameson arrives, the lizard leaps off the roof. Bucky and Jameson watch from the edge as he lands a few feet from the squad car in front of the building. Before the policeman nearby can react, he climbs into the driver's seat. POLICEMAN Hey! The lizard grins and drives off. BUCKY (hitting ledge with fist) Dammit! JAMESON You're an alien, aren't you? BUCKY (unfazed) No, I'm a hare. (thoughtfully) I wonder where Willy went. JAMESON You -- you realize that you're everything I've ever wanted to ... BUCKY (not paying attention) I can't believe he got away. Dammit! I better check on Green. JAMESON You're ... Bucky walks down back into the building. Before Jameson can follow, a MAN appears at the top of the stairs. He is dressed in an all-black suit and is wearing black sunglasses. JAMESON Who're you? MAN I'm Dr. White. I'm an eye doctor, Department H. You're a very lucky man, Agent Jameson, because today, I'm giving free eye exams. The man produces a small metal rod, which has a small red camera light in the tip. He pushes down on it, and a bright white light flashes in Jameson's face. SCENE 14 - THE SQUAD CAR Willy is still handcuffed in the back of the car, trying desperately to figure a way out as the lizard mumbles and drives. A FIGURE suddenly jumps onto the car, putting his heavy boot into the windshield. The lizard shrieks and swerves off the road and into a ditch. Willy is knocked out as he is thrown against the door of the car. SCENE 15 - THE SQUAD CAR Later, Willy groans as he opens his eyes. He's still lying in the backseat of the car, which is now motionless. His glasses have fallen off, and his vision is blurred badly. He cannot make out the human figure that approaches him, pulling him out of the car. Only when he replaces his glasses does he recognize Lucas MacArthur. Lucas has shaved his white beard down to a goatee and is wearing an entirely black suit instead of his cloak. LUCAS About time you woke up. I wasn't willing to wait *all* night, you know. Willy moans and looks around. The lizard is in the front seat, but the side of his head is burned from the shot of a maser canon, and he is apparently unconscious or dead. LUCAS If you're wondering, that was my work. WILLY (disoriented) Why? LUCAS Turn around. (begins to uncuff him) Because I don't really want our government finding out about the aniverse any more than you do. Here, help me get him out of the car. Willy rubs his free wrists and then helps Lucas drag the lizard out of the car and onto the ground. WILLY What are we going to do with him? LUCAS Well, *I'm* going to dispose of this body. You're going back to the authorities and giving them a nice story about how I'm the killer. WILLY You ... (looks at him) Did you kill Dr. Wort? LUCAS No, but that's what I want you to tell them. WILLY You *want* me to frame you? LUCAS Do you see another explanation we could use for all of the mess this regen created? Besides, they'll never catch me. I'll be in the aniverse. WILLY My captain'll arrest you the moment he sees you. LUCAS Not after I saved your hide. (pulls out gun) Understand? Willy nods resignedly. SCENE 16 - GREEN'S APARTMENT COMPLEX Savoy arrives. Stepping out of her rental car, she notices a very bewildered Jameson walking out. SAVOY Jameson? What happened? JAMESON I ... he got away. The killer. SAVOY Did you get a good look at him? JAMESON (scratching head) Come to think of it, I can't remember what he looked liked at all. Savoy gives Jameson a queer look. SCENE 17 - POLICE HEADQUARTERS Willy is sitting in a wooden chair in front of the desk. Jameson is sitting behind the desk, and Savoy is standing by his side. JAMESON So you would describe the killer how? WILLY Um ... white guy in his twenties. Kinda skinny. Wearing all black. JAMESON And you said he had ... bright white hair? WILLY And a goatee. JAMESON And this is the same man you saw in the alley before you were arrested? WILLY Yes. JAMESON All right, Mr. DuWitt. (sighing) We'd like you to work with a sketch artist, and then your parents should be here to pick you up. Thank you for your help. WILLY No problem. Is Dr. Green all right? JAMESON He's fine. WILLY What a relief. Willy stands and leaves. Jameson gives Savoy a look. SAVOY What is it, Jameson? JAMESON It just seems like ... we're missing something. Something important. SAVOY Like the killer? JAMESON No, something other than that. Something about that chase last night I can't remember. SAVOY I'm sure it was nothing important, Jameson. JAMESON I hope you're right, Savoy. THE END