A Hawk is flying free, soaring high above the swamp.
Down on the ground, though, things aren’t looking promising as two figures, armed with guns, are making their way through the foliage. “Look, if
you’re going to carry that thing, carry it the right way!” the first, older man turns back and addresses the younger one behind him. He’s talking about
the rifle, which the younger man is just dragging with him, not holding it ready at all. In fact, the young man is looking downwards, sullenly, with no
enthusiasm whatsoever. “I don’t want to carry it *any* way,” he retorts in frustration, tracing patterns on the ground with the thing. “You’re gonna
blow your arm off!” the first man warns him, seeing how he’s playing with the gun. “ ’s not loaded,” the young man says with a casual grin as the first
man turns away to continue walking. This makes him stop and turn back. “Well it should be!” he lectures the youth, turning away again and walking
on, his own gun held at the ready, “round here, you can’t be too prepared.” he has a grim, determined look on his face. “I guess, yeah... like those
rabbits we’re after?” the young man quips sardonically, “... are they gonna jump us?” The first man stops in his tracks, looks back for a brief
moment, shaking his head in utter despair, before moving on.
As they continue, carefully, the first man is looking around warily. Just then, the Hawk from earlier flies down to land on a tree branch. “Beautiful!”
the younger man gasps in awe, seeing it. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” the older man comments. “It’s a Hawk!” the young man explains, thrilled,
as he takes out a camera to photograph it, gasping at the beauty of it’s markings, that he hasn’t seen before. Having taken his picture, he turns to the
other man, and a look of shock and horror crosses his face as he sees him aiming his rifle at it. “DAD! They’re protected!!” he calls out a protest.
“Yeah, I learned a long time ago... you see something you want, you reach right out and you.. take it!” he says, unperterbed, as he lines it up in his
sights and, ignoring the other man’s protests, shoots.
"Damned $%#*~@& low flying Hawks... wish I had a gun!!"
With a cry, the Hawk takes to the air as the rifle recoils from the shot. At the same time, elsewhere, Will is out on the swamp in a boat, and immediately clutches his head from the anguished cry of the Hawk, which seems to echo and reverberate in a loud, shrill tone in his mind. He barely manages to get the boat under control again. Back at the other scene, the hunter gives the younger man a furious look, perhaps blaming his cry for the bird getting away, and sets off to find it, the other man looking on helplessly, then following. Elsewhere, Alec hears the magnified cry of the Hawk and raises his hands to his head, closing his eyes.
"Ok, Alec. Advil commercial, take one... and .. cue action!"
Back at the boat, Will is getting the same sensations as Alec, but not taking them a fraction as well. He looks around, confused, and for the first
time, sees the Hawk circling above. He’s still unnerved, and trying his level best to steer the boat straight, while still looking between it and the
Hawk. Meanwhile, Alec removes his hand, and now understands what’s going on.
Will’s now reached the shore, and is pulling the boat onto land. He begins to walk away, when he’s forced to stop. Everything seems to be closing
in on him, and his vision is becoming almost surreal. The swamp gains and loses focus, turning green and hazy, then normal; and eerie noises are
around him, as though alive. It looks like he’s on a bad trip of some kind. He looks afraid; “Alec.. Alec!! WHAT’S GOING ON!?!?” He calls out
in panic. His eyes dart manically, trying to focus, as he tries to make sense of what’s happening to him.
In the swamp, the Hawk is resting in the bough of a tree. Blood can be seen on it’s feathers, and it’s taken a small wound to it’s breast. Elsewhere,
the hunter is excited, as he wipes the branch where it was originally perched, and finds blood. “All right, he’s got to be around here somewhere; he
couldn’t have flown very far.” He turns to the other man, looking frustrated. “I can’t believe I missed!” he chides himself. “Oh yeah! We all have
bad days!” the other says disgustedly to him, “Can.. Can we go now! It’ll be dark soon!” he snarls. “Jason. Until you learn about the patience of the
hunt, you’re never going to be anything!” the father tells him with exasperation. “There is a lot more in life than just a... just an easy kill!!” he lectures
emphatically, before becoming distracted by something and moving off. He’s seen something. With reluctance, Jason follows.
It’s now dark in the swamp, and Alec is walking towards something. “Alec!” Will’s voice calls out to him. “Alec, where are you?” he calls out
again, now sounding more scared. “Here, Will,” Alec looks around to see where he is, then goes to him. “Alec...” Will’s standing there, looking
afraid and confused; “... Uh.. I gotta get this problem... It’s driving me nuts!” he tells Alec, explaining. “I heard shots... and then sounds like I’ve
never heard before,” he shakes his head, “Screams... and then my.. my sight...” “The sounds,” Alec interjects, “... like nature crying out?” Will nods
his head eagerly, seeming vastly relieved that Alec appears to understand what’s going on, “Yeah... Yeah, that’s it! Exactly! How do I make it
stop?” he asks. “Will, listen to me carefully. This’ll be hard to understand. The Swamp has taken you in. It’s allowed you to hear and see what I live
with every day,” Alec explains. Will looks downwards, astounded, “But why!?” he exclaims. “What is The Swamp giving you?” Alec asks him,
“What do you feel?” “Awful!” is Will’s instinctive answer, looking back at Alec, “I *hate* this!” Alec tries to calm him down; “It won’t be very
pleasant at first... but tell me what’s in your heart.” Will looks confused, and thinks for a moment. He turns round, moaning a little, and
remembering. “Something’s injured...” he tells Alec, as we see the wounded Hawk sitting in the bough of the tree, “... an animal...” he turns back to
Alec, “... a.. a bird, of sorts,” he decides. “Yes. A Hawk... a very rare one,” Alec, who obviously already knows, tells him; “Hunters have attacked
it, and it’s dying. The Swamp is opening up so that you can help me find it.” Will doesn’t look thrilled; “I gotta be honest with ya. I’m.. I’m not crazy
about this!” he tells Alec, shaking his head. “That’s of no concern to nature, Will,” Alec replies. “So how do I make it work?” He asks Alec
nervously. “You must let go of *everything*, Will. All of your normal human instincts,” he tells the youth, who’s walking closer to him, looking
unsure, but ready, “... The Swamp will guide you as it needs... but you must trust it to show you the way.” Will’s prepared now.
"Right then, lads, what's it to be?
Group sex... or a game of charades?"
At Arcane’s complex, in his dining room, a well endowed young lady is picking up two glasses of Brandy from a silver tray, and conveying them to a table, where Arcane, Graham, and the two men from earlier are seated, having dinner. As she hands the first glass to Graham, Arcane is looking at a photograph (presumably the one taken by Jason earlier). “The Skyline Delta Hawk, and you’re right...” he addresses the hunter, “... it is a very rare species...” he continues, as the woman continues to hand out the brandy. Behind Arcane, another, equally attractive woman is carrying the remaining brandy glasses from the tray, “... in fact this female --” he pauses as the second woman stands at his side, handing him his brandy, and looks at her appreciatively, “ -- it is a female, by the way --” his voice softens, seductively, and he takes the woman’s hand, kissing it, “ -- could be the last --” he lets her hand go, and turns his attention back to the hunter again, leaning forward, clasping his hands; “ -- and as you already probably know, it does reside on what is mostly my land.” The hunter’s watching him with a smile. Jason’s looking disinterested, playing with his cutlery. “But unfortunately for you, you’re here as a guest to discuss a very important business deal, not traipsing off into the forest...” Arcane reminds him as he exchanges a glance with Graham, who’s watching with rapt interest, smiling at the Doctor, “... to, er, shoot wildlife,” he says casually. “Doctor Arcane,” the man replies, “I also came down here to spend a little time with my son... teach him a few things,” he smiles, looking at the youth, who gives a small snort of derision, “... right now seems as good a time as any to start,” he states with a grin. As Arcane takes a sip of brandy, Graham gives the hunter a confident smile; “There’s no better teacher than Anton Arcane, Mr. Crown... I can assure you,” he says proudly (in the kind of tone a car salesman might use.) “Son... in business, it always pays to have a strategy,” Crown says, turning to Jason, ‘But you also have to be able to change that strategy at a moment’s notice...” Jason’s ignoring him, and Arcane’s watching silently, swirling the brandy round in his glass, as Crown continues his spiel; “... Now Doctor Arcane here has just made the opening bid to fund his new project,” he indicates the Doctor, who continues to listen introspectively as he looks down at the table, before putting the glass down and looking back up at Crown, a smug grin on his face, “Oh, you overestimate my subtlety, Crown,” he says softly, calmly straightening his cutlery and continuing his game.
"They all said I was mad to build a complex in a swamp.
'Course it sank, so I built a second one. That sank into the
swamp... so I built a third one. That got attacked by Colombian
mercenaries, taken over by psychotic female rivals,
*then* sank into the swamp... but the fourth one stayed up!"
“Why don’t we cut the soft shoe, and just talk?” Crown says, getting down to business, as Arcane sits up straighter, leaning back to regard the man. “You need money for your cold fusion experiment. What we haven’t addressed is what you have that I want!” Crown tells Arcane in no uncertain terms. “A fantastic return on your dollar should I succeed,” Arcane replies confidently. “The Hawk!” Crown replies, pointing to the photo and stating emphatically, “You’ve already offered it, and I accept,” is Crown’s price. Jason looks at him in surprise, and Arcane considers, as he and Graham exchange glances again; Graham raising his eyebrows in expectation. Crown continues; “As you said, it is on your land,” he smiles at the simplicity to Arcane. Jason turns to Crown; “What are you talking about!?” he asks incredulously, “it’s the last one of it’s kind!” he turns to Arcane, then back to his father again. Crown uses this argument against him, rather that for; “and therefore it’s worth a lot more than just *money*!” he states, as Arcane continues to listen patiently, in silence. “You’d be killing off an entire species!” Jason gasps, before turning to Arcane to be the voice of reason; “... Tell him!” he asks the Doctor, who looks up at them with a decidedly disinterested look on his face. “Hmmm? Oh, yes, you would,” Arcane replies absently, and Graham gives an evil little smile, rubbing his hands together, “Quite a trophy though,” he adds to Arcane’s remark, making it sound so very tempting to Crown. One would almost think they’d planned it to this way to get the funding *really* cheap. “It’s not just a bird... it’s a phenomenon!” Jason argues, although it looks like he’s fighting a losing battle. Arcane seizes on this; “And who better to possess it... than Adam Crown?” he slyly boosts Crown’s ego. “Now your talking!” Crown smiles, “... do we have a deal?” he asks Arcane, who reaches out to shake hands on it.
"It's *alive!* Yessss!! Hee hee... it's alive!!"
Alec sighed... and this was *before* he'd taken Will to see
that little nest of mushrooms on the far side of the swamp!
Back in the swamp, Will is kneeling down and reaching into the waters, picking out a leaf. As he holds it up to look at it, his eyes register shock and
surprise, as though seeing it properly for the first time. “Amazing, isn’t it?” Alec’s comments from a few metres behind him. “It’s incredible!” Will
gasps, shaking his head in wonder as he examines the thing, “it’s like I’m seeing things for the first time, I...” he shakes his head again, “... I just wish
I knew what to do with it.” “Take a handful of water!” Alec tells him, and Will puts down the leaf and complies, cupping his hands and dipping them
into the swamp. When he brings them back up, his face registers joyous incredulity at what he’s holding; “Its... I can’t believe it...” he laughs, “... it’s
*alive*!” “If people only knew how much life exists in every square inch,” Alec says wistfully. Will’s finally understanding; “All those times you were
trying to teach me about the swamp, and its power...” he clasps his hands together once more, before separating them again, a look of insight on his
face; “... it’s all so clear now,” he gives a sigh, looking upwards, “How come it took me so long to understand?” “Because your mind was being
restrained by the prejudice of being human. This is a gift given to only a few,” Alec tells him, but Will seems lost in his new world. “Will, we must
find the Hawk!” Alec reminds him. Will staggers to his feet. “You think I’m up to it?” he asks hesitantly as Alec approaches him. Will turns and they
face one another. “Only you know that,” Alec replies. Will’s expression denotes that he wanted a more reassuring answer than that, but he goes
with it; “Right, okay... okay, trust the swamp,” he mutters to himself, almost like a prayer. “Relax...” Alec advises, “... picture the wind.” Will gives
him a strange look. “Picture the wind?” he repeats back to Alec. “Do it!” Alec tells him, and Will nods his head, preparing himself, and repeating
Alec’s command to himself, over, like a mantra; at first audibly, until finally it’s just mouthed in silence as he closes his eyes and concentrates. “I can
see it,” he announces after a moment, his face almost breaking in surprise and happiness; “uh... I.. I can feel it... whatever...” he seems to go stiller,
and we hear the cry of a Hawk. “Wait a minute!” Will mutters, “there’s something else.” he looks concerned, and Alec concentrates too. “The
hunters,” he intones gravely, “... they’re back!” Will opens his eyes and turns to look at Alec. “I’ll go on ahead,” he says, setting off past Alec, who
makes no move. “Go easy, Will,” he says to himself, once the young man has gone.
Elsewhere in the swamp, an airboat comes to a stop in a narrow channel of water, and the lights are switched off. Inside are Adam and Jason
Crown. They both clamber out of the boat, and Crown grits his teeth, taking in the surroundings. “See, college never prepared you for this, did it,
Jason... huh?” he says to the youth. Jason doesn’t answer him, and proceeds to put a pair of binoculars around his neck, looking at his father with
distaste, as the man continues his speech; “You do know what this is all about, don’t you?” he asks Jason. “Hunting down a defenceless creature...
yeah,” Jason replies, looking at him and putting his camera strap round his neck also, “... I see it fine,” he says sardonically. “No. It’s about
becoming a *man*!” Crown tells him emphatically. “Time for you to square those shoulders...” he continues, dealing with the contents of a bag he’s
brought. His gun is slung over his shoulder; “... kick some of that college crap out of you,” he says with a smug grin, taking a second rifle from the
bag. “Keep talking, Dad. You’re really winning me over,” Jason quips. “Don’t get smart with me, Jason!” Crown is starting to sound frustrated
now; “Can’t you see, I’m trying to *reach* you!?” he insists. Jason just looks at him defiantly. “We got a lot of lost time to try and *Make* *up*!”
he says, tossing the rifle in his hands to his son, then sets off. After a pause, Jason begins trudging after him, with very little enthusiasm.
“Well I didn’t need college,” Crown’s voice is heard telling Jason, as they walk through the misty swamp, “and I don’t think you did either,” he
continues to talk to the rather quiet Jason about how he expected him to join him in the office, straight out of high school; “learn the business from
the ground up.” He stops in a clearing and takes Jason’s binoculars from him to look at something, “Well mom sure didn’t think so,” Jason replies.
“Yeah. Well your mother forgets...” he gives the binoculars back and sets off again, “... At sixteen, I was working on the docks loading trucks!
Damn foreman gave me a lot of crap, but by God, I hung in there...” they continue to press on together, “When I was twenty four, I bought that
place and fired his butt!” he gives a cruel little laugh at the happy memories. “Then you turned it into a parking lot, putting everyone out of a job,”
Jason finishes the story, sounding considerably less impressed. Crown stops and turns to look at Jason, the smile forgotten, and his face registering
shock and anger. He starts to say something in protest, but Jason interjects; “Yeah, I know... that’s life!” He says a phrase that Crown’s clearly
used on numerous occasions to him. “It’s survival of the *fittest*!!” Crown argues vociferously, “Jason, your mother was a great little woman, but
there are some things that you can only be taught by your father!” his tone is calmer again, trying to instil bonding. “Yeah... like this?” Jason sneers.
“Yeah, Jason... like this!” he goes for a rousing speech approach again; “It’s not just the hunt... it’s what it represents. It goes all the way back to
the *pioneers*: Putting food on their table, it’s a matter of *survival*!” “It’s about power, Dad...” Jason’s not buying into it for a second, “... I wish
you’d stop pretending it’s about anything else!” he tells him, in no uncertain terms. “Well let’s just wait and see,” Crown gives a toothy grin, “... until
that first kill... It always brings out the predator in a man!” he says with sadistic relish and a little laugh; “... hah, I know... believe me!” At this,
Jason’s heard enough and tries to walk past him, but Crown grabs him angrily; “JASON! IT’S JUST ONE DAMNED *BIRD!*” He snarls; “Who
the hell is gonna know?” he asks, callously, patting the youth’s jacket, “who’s going to care?” he adds, softly. “The *tragedy* is that YOU
DON’T!” Jason snarls, walking away. With a grim look on his face, Crown follows him.
It’s daylight again, and Will’s just pushed his way through some foliage by the waters of the swamp. As he looks into the air, he sees a Hawk
circling. “Wait a minute! You’re not...” he gasps, then remembers, and closes his eyes, muttering ‘picture the wind’ silently, communing with the
swamp as the Hawk circles. “You’re looking for it too!” he realises, looking up at it; “You’re her mate!” Elsewhere, the wounded Hawk is still
sitting in the bough of the tree.
“Don’t knock power, Jason,” Crown continues his lecture as they continue the search through the swamp; “... it not only paid your tuition, it made
you a big shot on campus,” he seems wary as he speaks, and seems to be on the lookout ahead. “I’m not a big shot,” Jason retorts. “You’re my
son...” Crown turns to look at him, a determined, eager look to his eyes; “... that’s what sets you apart.” “Dad, I really don’t want to be here!”
Jason protests again, “... I think we’re wasting our time.” Crown gives him a disappointed look, but their conversation is interrupted by the sound of
a Hawk’s cry, and both turn to look.
It’s flying overhead, and Crown picks up the binoculars to take a look. “I don’t believe it!... It’s not wounded!” Jason gasps, but as they continue to
look, another bird cry echoes to the side of them, causing them to turn. Crown then takes another look at the bird in flight. He realises! “No!... It’s
*not* the same *one*!” he says eagerly, readying his rifle and setting off to where the second cry came from. With a helpless look, Jason follows.
Meanwhile, Will is walking quietly through the undergrowth when he hears the Hawk cry out. Slowly, he turns in its direction, and reaches out,
facing the Hawk in the bough of the tree, mere feet away from it. They seem to stare at each other. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to help,” he reassures
it. At that moment, another cry is heard, and the male Hawk comes flying past. Will takes another look at the female.
"Okay guys, cue action!... and don't forget, take
it slow so he understands you... and don't scare him.."
"Sure guys... no problem!"
"No, Will... we were talking to the bird !"
At that point, the sound of running feet are heard, and the Crowns come rushing out of the undergrowth towards them. Will straightens up and turns
to look. “Stay away from the Hawk!” he orders Crown, who’s got his gun ready, a grim look on his face; “... it’s an endangered species!” he
continues. Jason looks to Crown, hoping this will end all this. He can think again. “Oh really,” Crown says derisively, “I didn’t know that,” his tone
is snide, implying that he did; “... but I’ve got five hundred dollars in my pocket says that Hawk is fair game,” he tries to bribe Will, who’s walking
towards him. “Mister, you don’t belong in the swamp!” Will tells him bluntly. They just exchange looks with one another, in a stand-off, each
appraising the other and tension building. Jason’s looking between them, concerned. “Dad, *please*!” he tries to reason, and Crown looks at him,
unrepentant; “Look, I always get what I go after,” he says coldly, before turning back to Will; “... I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but if
you know what’s good for you, you’re gonna get out of my way,” he threatens. Will remains adamant, merely continuing to stand his ground in
defiant silence, glaring at the man. This seems to make Crown worse. “Now!” Crown adds, with menace. Will continues to stand firm, silently.
Jason’s panicking, looking at both of them, seeing what it’s building up to.
Suddenly, without warning, Crown rushes Will, trying to get past, but Will’s ready, and grabs the man, throwing him back roughly. This infuriates
Crown to the point that he lifts the rifle and without a second thought, shoots.
Will always hated it when his bra
strap came undone during filming.
Will reels back from the shot, that’s caught him between his shoulder and his chest. The sound of the gunshot scares the Hawk into flight.
Elsewhere, Alec hears, and turns suddenly in that direction. Back at the scene, Will’s clutching the wound in shock and amazement. Even Crown
looks a little disoriented, as Will sees the blood on his hands, and stares at Crown accusingly, then more dazed. “RUN!!” Jason yells, grabbing his
father and herding him away from here. “RUN!” he yells again, and it’s now apparent that he’s not talking to his father, but Will. He’s really holding
Crown back against a tree, and giving Will time to get away... which he does. Furiously, Crown manages to push Jason off him, snarling that he
never wants him to stand up to him again, before setting off in pursuit, Jason hot on his heels.
Will’s managed to stagger to an embankment, but he’s losing strength, and collapses, falling to the bottom where he lies weakly in the grass. “Alec...
help me...” he whispers, looking up at the trees.
“Jason! Where do you think you’re going!” Crown demands to know as the youth is striding ahead of his father. “I’m going to help him!” he replies,
turning to his father. “No, you’re coming with me!!” he snarls furiously. “You can’t be serious! You just shot someone!” Jason argues. “It’s his own
damned fault,” Crown shifts the blame, “Look! I’m not leaving this swamp without that Hawk!!” he rants. “Anything for the nobility of the hunt...
huh, Dad?” Jason quips derisively, “... what a joke!... Comparing yourself to pioneers who hunted to feed their families. A beautiful animal is
something to mount on the wall,” he continues his verbal assault as Crown watches on, angry, but not arguing yet; “... and you’re willing to shoot
another human being to get it!” Crown can’t say anything, but Jason continues; “It’s not about the hunt, is it, Dad? It’s about the pleasure of killing!
That’s the only lesson you’ve taught me today.” Crown looks at him silently, part angry, part upset, part guilty, as Jason turns his back and leaves
him. He makes a move forward, as though to say something, but he’s distracted by the Hawk’s cry again. As he looks up, it’s circling overhead. He
seems to weigh his options, looking back to where Jason’s gone, and then to the Hawk, wondering which to go for. With a look of disgruntled
determination, his mind is made up, and he sets off... for the Hawk!
At the complex, in the lab, the elevator doors open to reveal Graham, who’s standing there, looking rather downcast, as though not happy to be
there at all. Arcane’s seated at a bench, working on some experiment, and glances across, seeing the assistant. “Ooh, I don’t like that look on your
face, Graham: It’s negative... and right now, I don’t need anything negative in my life! Now buzz off!” he says, turning back to the equipment and
replacing an electrode in a glass tube, as Graham gets out of the elevator and approaches him, a thin blue folder in his hand.
"er, Dr. Arcane... when you're finished with the staff
pregnancy tests, could you read me my bedtime story??"
“I’m afraid this can’t be helped, Doctor,” he says, opening the folder, turning some pages, and proffering it to Arcane -- who takes it -- before assuming a ‘hands in pockets’ stance by the Doctor’s side; “... the background check on Adam Crown was a little late in coming through,” he finishes, as Arcane peruses the document, first as though to placate Graham... and soon with a look of growing horror and concern; “Oh my God! I don’t believe it...” he gasps, turning more pages as though to find something that will tell him this isn’t happening, but looking decidedly pissed off as it becomes more than apparent that it is.
"Graham!! We've got a *lot* to talk about!"
*Uh oh!* Graham realised he'd accidentally handed Arcane
the folder with all the Swamp Thing slash fiction he'd
downloaded from the net, instead of his usual bedtime book.
“It’s true, Sir,” Graham tells him; “he over-extended his grocery warehouse holdings, and it finally caught up with him...” Arcane’s looking weary, giving a small, barely audible sigh; “... he’s broke,” Graham sums it all up neatly, and Arcane closes the folder in frustration, discarding it roughly on the bench. “He’s also a bloody liar!” he snarls in frustration, leaning forward, before turning to his assistant; “Can’t you ever bring me any good news, Graham!?” he mutters to the helpless assistant, who looks a bit surprised; “... I mean, is it too much to ask!?” His tone is both depressed and cynical, rather than genuinely blaming the assistant, as he begins to get up from his seat and strides off towards the elevator, muttering ‘voice of doom’ under his breath as he goes. As the doors open and he gets inside, arms folded in indignation, he gives the assistant a last, angry glance before the doors close again. Back in the lab, Graham just stands there, looking like he wished he’d never have bothered getting out of bed that morning.
Graham was scared. What would Arcane do now?
Kill him? Fire him? Mutate him?... Go get the egg
whisk and the gerbil mentioned on page 239 ??
Back in the swamp, Will’s lying helpless and bleeding as Alec arrives on the scene. He goes over to Will and kneels down beside him, placing a hand on his chest to heal him. Suddenly, he hears something and turns to see what it is. Swiftly, he gets to his feet and hurries out of sight.
"er, Alec, shouldn't you be touching the other side??"
"Um... I know what I'm doing, Will. Trust me. Now lie back and picture the wind!"
"It's cos Ann Fisk's out of town, isn't it, Alec!??"
It’s Jason, and as soon as he sees Will he breaks into a run, crouching down beside him and putting down his equipment. “God, I’m sorry,” he
whispers, putting a hand to Will’s wound. “That guy’s insane,” Will gasps, and Jason looks torn and ashamed; “He’s my father... he won’t let up
until he gets that Hawk,” he tells Will, who’s staring up at him. He gently, but firmly removes Jason’s hand. “Look, I’m fine,” he tells him, “... Just
stop him!” Jason considers, and begins to nod. “Stop him!” Will reiterates, nodding again, as though wanting confirmation. He gets it. With a final,
determined nod of the head, Jason gets up and rushes off to stop his father, and Will slumps back down again. “Alec,” he says, now that Jason is
gone. From behind a tree, Alec reassures him; “The Swamp will take care of you, Will...” Will closes his eyes, then opens them, and lays back; “...
trust The Swamp!” Alec says again. Will tries to relax, “Right,” he goes into a meditative state, repeating softly his ‘picture the wind’ mantra. All
around, the trees and swamp react, and Will becomes covered in leaves and vines, and Alec’s voice is soothing him; “The Swamp will heal you,
Will.” An image of the Hawk flying comes into Will’s mind; “What about the Hawk?” he asks. “The boy, Jason... He’s the key,” Alec replies.
Elsewhere, Crown’s on the hunt, and a cruel, triumphant smile touches his lips, lighting up his eyes, as he sees something. The Hawk is out flying.
“So, you think you’re going to distract me, Hawk?” Crown sneers, giving a little chuckle; “Oh no, not this time... no way,” he moves forward, in
anticipation of the kill. Meanwhile, Jason’s hurrying to find his father.
Elsewhere, Alec’s waiting, and the male Hawk flies to him, landing on his arm. Alec looks at it with love; “My friend will be all right... but your mate
needs you,” he says, although the communication is telepathic, not verbal. “Go to her!” he tells it, and it flies off, watched by Alec.
Crown’s nearing his goal. He creeps forwards, looking down at something. As he looks up, a huge smile crosses his face as he sees the Hawk
directly ahead of him on a branch. It’s mate flies down to join it. He grins and raises the rifle to aim. The male Hawk instantly takes to the air, flying
straight at Crown and knocking him to the ground, before landing in a tree. Crown gives it a last look, then turns back to the wounded female as he
gets up, still as determined as ever. He raises his rifle.
“NO!” Jason cries from behind him, and Crown turns to see the youth aiming his rifle at him. “Put it down, Dad! This time you’re not getting what
you’re after,” he advances on Crown. “Oh no?” Crown faces Jason. “No. I’m gonna stop you!” Crown just gives a derisive laugh and shakes his
head; “I wrote the book on bluffing... you’re just an amateur,” he tells Jason; “you’re not going to shoot me!” By now, they’re up close to one
another, Jason circling with his rifle, and Crown facing him down. “Yeah, you’re right,” Jason puts the gun down, then makes a stand between
Crown and the Hawk; “... the question is... will you kill me?” Crown gives an awkward grimace and a sigh; “Move,” he orders calmly. “I’m not
bluffing this time!” Jason says adamantly. Crown begins to back off, but it’s a feint. He moves forward suddenly, striking Jason with his fist and
knocking him to the ground. He then steps over the fallen youth and advances on the Hawk, still sitting in the tree bough. He raises it to aim...
Jason forces himself to his feet and rushes Crown, forcing him to the ground, and despite the older and bigger man’s struggling, subdues him. As
Jason gets to his feet, picking up the gun, Crown is still lying on his back on the ground, staring up at him. Jason looks at him, throws the gun away
in disgust, and stares down at him again. “Don’t you *ever* touch me again!” he says, in a voice that very few people would want to argue with.
Crown’s silent, for once. As Jason walks off and leaves him, Crown looks up at the male Hawk in the other tree, then back at Jason, apparently
considering his options. He gets up and follows his son.
It’s heading for night again, as their airboat speeds across the waters of the swamp, before pulling to a stop at their destination point. Both Jason
and Crown get down, both in silence. Jason walks ahead, dragging his equipment bag. “Jason, wait a minute!” Crown calls him back. The youth
turns to face him as Crown, hands in pockets, seems to search for the right words. “You didn’t wimp out on me out there.” Jason just looks at him
in silence, as Crown searches for more words... ones that’ll bring his son back to him. For once, he seems to sound uncomfortable; “Look, I, er, I
may have acted a bit irrationally... I’m not making any apologies now...” he’s quick to add, still not bringing himself to see the flaws in himself... or at
least admit them to others; “I’ll just have to admit that... maybe I’d picked the wrong example to try to set.” “No, just the opposite,” Jason tells him,
a new-found confidence in his speech and demeanour; “... you set the right example.” Crown looks proud; “You stood up to me out there. Believe
it or not, that made me proud!” he says, clutching a fist against his chest, thinking he’s got this won in some way. “You don’t get it... you failed,”
Jason’s words hit like a hammer, as Crown’s expression deflates; “... what came out of me back there was always in me; and what came out of you
was always in you too. I was always just another conquest in a long string of victories... No! I was *the* conquest, wasn’t I? The ultimate
affirmation...” All of a sudden, when confronted by the truth, Crown’s looking exactly what he always was, an insignificant, inadequate man. “...
make me someone like you, and feel that everything you’ve done in your life was right.” Crown looks broken as Jason hardens his gaze on him;
“...you know the funny thing, I came out here because I believed you. I thought that maybe there was some common ground we could connect on.
We have *nothing*!” Crown gulps and looks into Jason’s now cold eyes, as though seeking absolution; “We have each other,” he says desperately,
close to tears; “... son, you’re all I have left,” he pleads, but Jason’s eyes remain unforgiving; “You still have your business empire and your future
conquests,” he says disdainfully.
“I’m afraid you’re wrong about that,” Graham’s voice breaks their conversation, causing Crown to turn round. Both Graham and Arcane saunter
into the clearing, slowly, standing together nonchalantly, and both smiling in an overly relaxed and friendly manner belying anything but. “Hello,
Crown,” Arcane begins the pleasantries; “... snare your pigeon, did you?” he quips, as Jason looks on in surprise. “Let it rest, Arcane, we’ll talk
about it in the morning,” Crown turns to the Doctor, who still continues to regard him with a cold nonchalance; “No, I don’t think we’ll talk
tomorrow morning... or any other morning,” Arcane tells Crown; “...why should I converse with someone who’s totally corrupt?” -- (Ahem, excuse
me while the writer takes a few seconds, rolling on the floor in laughter at that line (presumably deliberate?)... okay, I’m recovered :) ) --
“Corrupt??” Jason says, perplexed. “I checked his entire portfolio and it’s a sham,” Graham sneers at them; “... there is no investment funding for
Doctor Arcane’s cold fusion.” Arcane puts his hand on Graham’s shoulder in a friendly manner, before moving forward, past him, to approach
Jason and Crown, who turns away, guilty and embarrassed. “It seems your father over expanded himself too quickly,” In a predatory tone of voice,
Arcane tells Jason, “... his business failed this week, “... there isn’t enough money to buy a decent stick of gum!” he turns to face the downcast
Crown, the pleasantries dropped; “I should really have you *shot*, for wasting my time.” Jason looks concerned at this. Whether Arcane is serious
or just playing a game with crown is impossible to tell, but Graham clearly believes him to be serious.
GRAHAM: "Well, If you're not gonna shoot
him, Sir, what are we going to do with him...?"
“But Doctor, you can’t kill him!” he says to Arcane, with concern; “... too many people know he’s your guest,” he reasons. Arcane rolls his eyes in exasperation and turns his head from Graham. Whether it’s because he’s been reminded that he can’t, or whether he despairs of Graham’s lack of a sense of humour is again unclear.
ARCANE/GRAHAM: "Heh heh... Yeah..."
“Yes, well thank you so much for that, Graham,” he turns back and quips sarcastically to the assistant, who grins at what he mistakes to be a genuine thank you, not a sardonic riposte. “*You* do it!” Arcane tells him, getting close, which wipes the smile from poor Graham’s face as the hapless assistant still doesn’t know whether Arcane’s serious or not, as the horrified look on his face is testament to.
ARCANE: "Idiot! For once in your bloody life you *don't* have the K.Y. jelly?"
GRAHAM: "But I.. I thought you had it with you, Sir...You usually do!"
CROWN: "Oh for crying out loud!... Jason! Go get our jar!!"
As Arcane strides away in disgust, Graham’s left looking confused. With a final glance back at Crown, he plays it safe and hurries after Arcane.
“So, I guess you’re back to square one?” Jason comments, as Crown watches Arcane and Graham leave; “... Nothing. No business,” he’s almost
gloating. “I don’t care about that,” Crown says, turning to face his son. For the first time, he seems genuine, his bravado and posturing gone... his
emotions genuine; “the question is, are *we* back to square one?” he asks his son; “Can we start again?” he makes a strongly emotional plea,
meeting only unforgiving eyes; “... I mean I know *I* can!” he says, again sounding genuine... but it’s too late, as Jason coldly shakes his head; “I
don’t think so, Dad...” there’s nothing but contempt in his voice as he looks into his father’s broken and defeated eyes; “... you see, like that
Hawk... I’ve just been set free!” Resolute, he turns and walks away, leaving his father totally alone.
"It's man's folly, Will. Who else would stoop so
low as to shoot a defenceless, dumb creature?"
"It's cool, Alec... I got better didn't I?..."
Later, in the swamp, Will approaches the female Hawk, still on her branch. Carefully, he walks round the back of her, but she’s not afraid or
moving away. She gives a small cry as Alec arrives and puts his arm out, which she climbs onto. Watched by Will, Alec puts his other hand to the
Hawk’s breast, and heals her, after which, he raises his arm, and she flies off with a shrill cry. “Go in peace,” he tells her, and from his branch, the
male Hawk flies off to join her, to the delight and approval of Will.
Soaring high in the air, both Hawks are flying free, together.