Biff types at the keyboard as he watches the monitors in the security center. Max has a headset on in the suite, listening to conversations from the control room. Ivan works at his desk while Scarlet sleeps on his couch. Chris and Alice serve a group of people at the bar. Max hops up from the bed.
Max: I wonder if Biff’s got any video games on his laptop?
Max sits down at the laptop and opens up programs.
Max: Digi-Reality? What’s this?
Max double clicks the icon and a shock goes through his body. He falls back onto the floor. He wakes up in the control room.
Max: Hm?
No one is in the room, Max whines.
Max: Where is everybody?
A screeching noise is heard and then a scream. Max’s tail flares out.
Max: I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE!
Max wakes up in the floor of the room, Biff holds the headset that was on Max’s head.
Biff: Welcome back to reality.
Max: What happened?
Biff: You entered a program that digitized you. Since we’re tapped into the control room I imagine that’s where your digital body went.
Max: There was this horrible screeching noise… and a scream…
Biff: Screeching?
The radio on the desk turns on.
Radio: Green, Green! Are you in? A passenger has been reported as missing. We need you on deck.
Biff: And a scream… we may have something here... Can I borrow your nose?
Max: Hm?
Outside the control room, Biff hands Max a high-heeled shoe.
Biff: They found this, do you think you can pick up her scent?
Max: Umm… I suppose.
Max sniffs the shoe and his face turns green.
Max: Smelly feet this one had… but I think I can pick her up…
Biff: Lead the way.
Max sniffs around and starts walking toward the stairs. Biff follows and they end up on the second deck at a woman’s restroom.
Max: Here, this is where it’s the strongest.
Biff: Eh… let me check in with the crew.
Biff picks up his radio.
Biff: Smith, this is Green. Have you checked the woman’s restrooms on deck two? A passenger claimed to see Miss Smith go in 2-D.
David: Negatory, we’ve checked.
Biff: Roger. Over and out.
Biff turns off the radio, Max’s ears go down.
Max: But I know she’s in there…
Biff: You said you heard a scream in the DR program, right?
Max: The Digi-Reality? Yeah.
Back in the room, Biff sets up two headsets to the laptop.
Biff: I’m going to be set on a timer so once thirty minutes pass I’ll be executed from the program. That’s when I’ll take you out of DR too.
Max: Kay.
Biff and Max put on the headset and Biff double clicks the Digi-Reality icon. Biff and Max enter the program and appeared in the control room.
Max: Why is no one here?
Biff: We’ve been turned to data, only those who have been digitalized can be seen in DR. We are oblivious to the real world.
Max: Oh…
Biff: Hearing the scream while you were in this program makes me think someone is using the same program.
Max: Are we going to go to deck two?
Biff: We have too.
Biff and Max leave the control room, on the deck is a trail of blood.
Max: Biff…
Biff: I see it, come here.
Biff takes Max’s hand and quickly walks past the blood to the stairs. Max’s ears twitch.
Max: I’m… nervous…
Biff: Just keep close.
On deck two at the woman’s restroom, Biff stops with Max shaking.
Max: I smell blood…
Biff: Max, close your eyes and stay right behind me.
Max shuts his eyes and trembles behind Biff. Biff opens the door. The restroom is covered in blood. In the middle is a woman impaled on a metal rod. She’s torn to shreds and her intestines are hanging out. Her eyes have been gouged out. Biff sees one high heel on the woman. He quickly leaves and shuts the door, holding Max.
Biff: It’s her…
Max: Huh?
Biff: We need to get back to the control room. Right now.
Max: Biff?
Back in reality, Biff takes two pills in the bathroom. Max puts his head on the doorframe.
Max: Are you okay?
Biff: Forgot about all of this.
Max: Hm?
Biff: As soon as we get to port, I’m sending you home.
Max: Biff –
Biff: But for now, don’t leave this room and don’t even go near the laptop. I’m calling in.
Biff leaves the bathroom, Max’s ears lower. Biff picks up his cell phone and dials a number.
Biff (On phone): This is Agent Foxer, we’ve got a Malicious on board. Requesting for total take over of the cruise, Princess Camille is deceased and we have over thousands of passengers endangered.
Max: Malicious?
Biff unhooks the laptop while smoking a cigarette.
Max: What is it?
Biff: Malicious was a society of digital slashers. They bend reality and digital reality together, able to pick up victims from here and drag them into digital reality. They always kill their victims in the most horrifying manner, making them suffer the entire time. Then they steal vital organs and sometimes limbs and other features and sell them back into reality but leaving the remaining body and soul in digital reality. It’s a clean kill as far as we look at it, it took years before someone found out of these insane people and hunted them down. I didn’t really think anymore Malicious were alive after the annihilation of their society. I was wrong…
Max: And it couldn’t be a copycat?
Biff: Either you are a Malicious or you’ve killed a Malicious, most don’t live to tell about it.
Max: You need to get this out of your mind tonight…
Biff: I can’t, I never thought –
Max puts his finger to Biff’s lips.
Max: Let me just take care of you tonight.
In the shower, Max scrubs body wash on to Biff and later dries off Biff’s hair. Lying in the bed, Biff embraces Max.
Biff: Thank-you…
Max: Someone has to comfort Biff, you can’t be alone all the time.
Biff: Can’t be alone all the time?
Biff remembers the day he left the Goddess, she was in tears and clinching her fists.
Ace: JUST GO!
Biff: Ace –
Ace: I’m sorry… I can’t do it… just leave me alone. Please go home. Please…
Biff hugs Ace, she continues to cry. Biff then remembers sitting at a café with Ace.
Biff: You know; people would like you more if you didn’t hate them all the time.
Ace: I know, but that’s how I show I care.
Biff breaks out of the flash back and chuckles.
Biff: My dear Goddess Ace, have you ever been told you can’t be alone all the time?
In the morning, Biff flashes his government badge to the security staff.
Biff: My name’s Biff Foxer and I work with the government. Liam Green is my undercover name, recently we helped cover up the case of Princess Camille disappearing and the other passengers. I have come to confirm that they are all dead.
David: How –
Biff: We have a Malicious on board. No one is safe.
Frayne lies back on the crate, listening on a headset.
Frayne: Right you are Foxer, right you are.
Frayne twirls his scalpel.
Frayne: This tiny blade is going right to your pretty little face. I’ll show you, I’ll show you all.
Biff lies out a map on a desk.
Biff: We’re going to be stopping at this port where we’re going to let the passengers get off the cruise.
David: They’ll object, do you realize how much money they spent?
Biff: If money is more important over their life then so be it. I’m having my team also come on board when we port.
David: But we haven’t even talked to the captain!
Biff: Then we better hurry to the control room.
Max hides in the covers of the bed, shaking.
Max: I’m scared… something bad is going to happen…
Biff ears flicker, while the captain and Dave argue with each other.
Biff: I have to get Max out of here…
Biff teleports from the room, the captain and Dave’s mouths drop. Biff puts his head on Max’s head, Max pokes his face out from under the covers.
Max: Biff…
Biff: You have to go. Now.
Max: Huh?
Biff: Saikoro, I wish Max to be brought on shore.
Max: Saikoro?
Darks clouds swarm above the cruise, lightning strikes down and waves hits the sides and splash on board. Frayne levitates above the cruise and smirks. He pulls out a staff and thrusts in into the ocean. The staff hits the sea floor and ice crystals shoot up from the ground. The ocean starts to freeze around the cruise ship and then the staff emits an enormous light, engulfing the cruise. The cruise is then turned into binary code. At port, Saikoro and Max stare at the black barrier way out in the ocean.
Max: Oh, Biff…
Saikoro: Whatever are we going to do…
At the beginning of the peer stands Mike Zea and his mother Minna Zea looking off into the ocean.
Mike: What is that Mom?
Minna: Someone’s disrupted the Arcane Current, and looks like they’ve put a large vessel into digital reality.
Saikoro: What’s the Wind Elf doing here?
Max: Minna?
Minna: Hm?
Mike: Hey, I know that guy! He gave me violin lessons!
Saikoro: Ah, there’s my violinist. Ahem, well as much as I’d love to chitchat there is a Malicious onboard a cruise liner and my dear friend Biff Foxer is on that ship.
Minna: Malicious – I thought they were dead.
Max: I’m worried about Biff…
Minna: Time to do a little hacking I suppose. It’s Saikoro, right?
Saikoro: Yes.
Minna: Watch my baby for me, Mike we’ll get some spicy dumplings when I get back.
Mike: Okay Mom.
Minna takes out GWL from her pocket; she then takes Max’s hand.
Minna: Can I use your nose?
Max: Sure.
Minna: All right, digital reality unlock! Engage mode Tom.
Tom (on GWL): Accessing. Confirmed.
Minna and Max vanish; GWL levitates over to Mike. Mike takes it and puts it in his pocket.
Mike: So what now?
Saikoro: We wait.
Biff walks down the deck, bodies hang with limbs torn off and faces missing. Blood is splattered across the floor and scalps lie over the place.
Biff: To think one person could do all this…
Biff’s ears flicker as he hears typing at a laptop. On the laptop shows a bank balance; it shows three million, then three hundred million. Frayne laughs and marbles at two freshly taken eyeballs.
Frayne: You’ll go for a fancy price…
Biff: Frayne!
Frayne turns around seeing Biff standing at the entrance of the cargo hold. Frayne smiles and sits up.
Frayne: Good evening Foxer; can you believe I’m still alive after all you government pigs killed my dear Malicious family?
Biff: We just missed one it seems.
Frayne: Right you are! And look at the price! I’ve killed everyone up here. Except you.
Frayne teleports to Biff and puts the scalpel to Biff’s face.
Frayne: You know I can’t kill you, but I’ll have to at least cut that pretty face of yours because of those dreadful claw marks you left on me.
Biff: You still love me, don’t you?
Frayne drops the scalpel, he lowers his head.
Frayne: If you never found out the heinous crimes I committed, we would still be together – right?
Biff: All you had to do was leave the society.
Frayne: I couldn’t… killing is all I know… slicing and removing those valuable body parts… already made three hundred million today with this cruise…
Biff: Why are you so obsessed with the money?
Frayne: I was going to buy a new life… and get you back.
Biff: To bad there’s already someone I love.
Frayne: Love?
Minna and Max land on board of the ship, Max covers his nose.
Max: I’m being overwhelmed by the smell of blood…
Minna: Close your eyes and focus only on Biff’s scent.
Max: Okay…
Frayne tosses Biff to side with tears in his eyes; he quickly wraps Biff up in chains.
Biff: You were always so quick with everything…
Frayne: Shut-up!
Biff: Like when I told you the truth you ran away in an instant.
Frayne: Stop it!
The laptop makes a ringing noise; Frayne grins and checks the laptop.
Frayne: You know what that means… I just finished buying the microchip that’ll bring you back to me.
Biff: Microchip?
Frayne: I’m going to implant it into your brain and it’s going to be just like old times. This won’t hurt a bit.
Biff: Frayne –
Saikoro and Mike sit on a bench that’s on the peer; Mike swings his legs back and forth.
Mike: Yeah, me and Mom came here for the world class spicy dumplings.
Saikoro: So where else is your family?
Mike: Dad took Lucky and Redgie to a theme park and I think Clair went off with Aunt Ninna.
Saikoro: You enjoy the time with your mom?
Mike: Yeah, it’s hard to spend much time when she’s working or saving the world. But you know, that’s just Mom. Heh-heh.
Saikoro: Heh, yeah.
Biff lies knocked out on the ground, his ears flicker. Biff remembers sitting at a bar smoking a cigarette and drinking scotch.
Biff: Ace…
Bartender: You look rough, man.
Biff: You spend a few years on Earth with the Goddess then watch her go through a breakdown. Goddess, I am so stupid!
Frayne: Shout like that and she’ll really beat herself up.
Biff: Huh?
Frayne stands next to Biff’s barstool wearing glasses and a cute grin on his face.
Frayne: Hi, I’m Frayne.
Biff: Biff, Biff Foxer.
Biff slowly wakes up from the flashback, his eyes focus on the dark ground.
Biff (Thinking): You were an intern, a good intern… We always met up at the bar after your work and we talked for hours… then the day when everyone found out you were a Malicious… was the day it was all over.
Max: Biff?
Biff: Huh?
Max walks into the cargo room looking around; he sees Biff on the ground.
Max: Biff!
Biff: Max!
Max runs over to Biff, Frayne stops Max by throwing the scalpel down in front of him.
Frayne: You…
Max: Huh?
Frayne: You’re the one… that he loves?
Max: Who –
Frayne: Why… what is it about you…
Biff: Frayne –
Frayne leans into Max and kisses him on the lips. Max’s ears and tail flare up; Biff grinds his teeth. Minna appears in front of the entrance with an arrow of light in her hand.
Minna: Silver-eon arrow!
The arrow light fires and hits Frayne, Minna then dashes towards Frayne.
Minna: Freeze Blast!
Minna freezes Frayne to the floor and breaks the chains off Biff. Biff gets a sweat drop.
Biff: You can break these?
Minna: Stats up twenty - better go take care of your boy.
Frayne fidgets in the frozen ice, Biff picks up Max. Minna walks over to Frayne.
Minna: So you’re the last, huh?
Frayne: Ugh! Kill me now! He loves him anyway!
Minna: Were you too shy to tell the truth? Or did it hurt that he couldn’t accept your society?
Frayne: I… just wanted… to be free.
The laptop starts to ring; a microchip appears on the transporter.
Biff: Maybe you can…
Max: Hm?
Biff: Minna, what are the chances of you knowing how to implant a microchip?
Minna: Hmmm, well – working with Mecha and Tom taught me a lot so I’m sure I can do it. That of course means that Frayne would have to agree.
Frayne: Change my life?
Biff: For the better.
Biff and Max sit down on some crates as classical music plays on the laptop. Minna picks up Frayne’s scalpel. Biff pulls out a cigarette.
Biff: So you came here with Minna… I guess she was at the port?
Max: Yeah… she needed me to sniff you out… and then we got separated because I tripped and fell down the stairwell and ended up in here. Heh-heh… so… who is this Frayne?
Biff: When I got back to Mahou… I was in pretty rough shape and often found myself in bars. Well the one bar I went to often happen to be next to a hospital so all the doctors came there. Frayne was an intern at the hospital and took an interest in me… he was a good guy to talk too and I could tell he liked me a whole lot… He was just too shy to ask me out and I didn’t really want a relationship at the time…
Max: So you two were good friends?
Biff: Yeah… then everyone found out he was a Malicious… He was stealing organs and giving them to patients, which had upset the Malicious and hospital staff. That’s when he had a decision to make… And when he came to cry to me about it, I smacked him with my paw and laid down the truth to him. He ran… and now this happened… I always getting dragged into memories from the past.
Max: Biff…
Minna walks up to Biff and Max.
Minna: He’s going to forget everything, the Malicious and you.
Max: What will we do with him?
Minna: We’ll leave him at port. We’ll need to execute DR and then I’ll have to free the souls from this ship.
Minna stands above the ship as Princess of Dreams; she takes out her book and holds it above her head.
Minna: Lost souls too weak to find your home, lost souls in so much pain, lost souls be free, reprise!
At port, people gather around to see the souls like bubbles lift up into the night sky. Minna munches down on a box of spicy dumplings.
Mike: Mom, you’re such a pig!
Minna: You look at hanging mutilated corpses then perform brain surgery!
Saikoro: So you knew the Malicious?
Biff: It was Frayne… and now he’s free.
Max: It’s pretty dark…
Biff: Yeah, let’s stay at a hotel tonight. Thank-you Minna for all your help – again.
Minna: No problem, it just happens. And speaking of it getting dark, come on Mike! Time for us to go.
Mike: Okay Mom, bye Saikoro.
Saikoro: Bye kid.
In the kitchen at Ivan’s, Ivan is holding Scarlet as Chris washes the dishes.
Scarlet: What you think Biff up too?
Ivan: Eh… I don’t know sweet heart.
Chris: Pretty lonely without them, eh?
Ivan: Yeah…
Scarlet: Daddy, I want cookie.
Ivan: You want cookie? Okay.
Chris: Hmm, it would be nice to hear from Biff and Max though…
In a hotel room; Max sits in Biff’s lap and Max takes the glass of Scotch from Biff’s hand and drinks some.
Biff: Are you going to be okay?
Max: Biff…
Biff: Hm?
Max: After what happened today…
Max turns around and puts his nose to Biff’s.
Max: All I want to do is be by your side, please don't ever die.
Max falls back on Biff and runs his fingers down Biff’s chest.
Max: I don’t know what I’d do without you.
Biff puts his arms around Max; Max slides his head down and puts his mouth around Biff’s n****e.
Biff: You deceiving –
Max: Hehe!
Max’s tail wags as Biff’s ears go straight up. Biff sits up and pins Max down to the bed; Max’s eyes are gazing as his face is flushed.
Max: I did mean what I said, and I really don’t know what I’d do without you.
Biff: You’re so cute now…
Biff kisses Max, his tail sways in the air. The time on the clock passes from ten to one; Max lies snuggled up to Biff in bed.
Max: Do you really mean it?
Biff: Yeah, I love you Max. With all my heart.
