Poor Maya gets no respect.

mental image: Lord Alberto and Ivan arrive in the aftermath of what can only be described as a gala evening to find wrecked mecha, extensive collateral damage, and defunct Black Hoods strewn everywhere. They find that the crew's Q-Boss, half-pinned under the wreckage of a collapsed portico, is still alive, if only barely.

ALBERTO
What happened here, 748?

Q-BOSS doesn't seem to hear him. With one trembling hand, he's still trying to reach his weapon, which lies just out of reach.

Q-BOSS
(barely audible)
C... c...

IVAN hunkers down and waves a hand before the man's terror-filled, unseeing eyes.

IVAN
Q-Boss 748, report! What happened? Who did this?

Q-BOSS ignores him and keeps reaching for the gun.

Q-BOSS
(still barely audible)
C... c... carnival... da... yo.

He dies. IVAN looks up at ALBERTO, utterly mystified. ALBERTO gets out a cigar and lights it, looking off toward the docks.

IVAN
What does it mean?

ALBERTO
(after a contemplative puff on his cigar)
It means Komei needs to re-think our strategy for this city.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.