Chatterbox: Inkwell

Story

So Shadowslayer and I wrote a story a while ago. It is completely ridiculous and not very impressive. Well, I'm rewriting it! (With help from Shadowslayer of course.)

I posted this story before in the November Story Contest thread, but I'm reposting it so you can compare it to the new one.

 

The first version

Part 1: No Turns for You

 

Introduction 

Once upon a time, the bad guys were truly evil. Now they have turned mostly good. We will tell you why they were evil and why they changed.

Chapter 1: New Enemies

Irasei Luna and Jasper Ward were best friends. They went to the movies together, they signed up for the same summer camps, and they lived next door. Irasei liked to watch horror movies, but Jasper loved to watch superhero movies. They would take turns watching which genre the other liked best. 

But one day, Irasei realized why she did not like superhero movies. Every time she watched one, she always wanted the villain to win, but the villain never did. When she went to college with Jasper, Irasei secretly made a villain costume and dyed her hair with stolen money. The suit was indigo blue with silver gloves and covered her whole body except her head. She added a silver hood and an indigo domino mask to hide her identity. 

Once Jasper realized what Irasei was doing, he got a job and created a brown superhero costume with red spikes and metal tipped boots. Jasper was to become Thorn, and Irasei was to become Curse.

Chapter 2: Prisoners

Curse set her last trap before she left the city for her hideout. Her hideout was in an abandoned police station. She knew that when she returned, she would hear terrified crying from all the people she had captured. Curse thought, I don’t like making people scared, but I need Thorn to believe I am evil so I can battle him and win.

Curse’s hideout was on the outskirts of town. Nobody bothered to take the old police station down because it would cost too much money. So instead the town had put up caution tape around it and left the building to rot. This suited Curse perfectly because she was left alone. Inside, the metal bars of the cells were rusty, but still strong. Her storage room for all her weapons was the front desk area.  She dropped off her glider and then walked among the cells that held prisoners and gave them dinner. 

Chapter 3: Close Call

Thorn was perched on the roof of a bank. He had seen a black clothed figure sneaking into the bank. The figure had an empty sack and seemed to be a kid. Earlier Thorn had observed a young girl get out of a car, looking anxious. He had heard yelling coming from the car. “DON’T COME BACK UNTIL YOU’VE GOT THE MONEY!” Then the car door was slammed and the girl had run off. Probably the same person, thought Thorn.

The door to the bank opened and alarms could be heard inside. Thorn tried to grab Curse as she sprinted out the door while dragging the girl behind her. But then Curse took flight and forced Thorn to let go. He watched her getting smaller and smaller in the distance. I can’t believe she was once my best friend. Thorn faced north where he knew Curse’s base must be.

Chapter 4: Plot Twist

Curse heard a pounding on the door. She grabbed a dagger and warily stepped forward. The door slammed open with a bang. Thorn marched inside. Then he started shouting. “How could you take that poor girl?!” “Her name is Elena!” “I can’t believe you were ever my friend!” Thorn’s words cut deeper than Curse would admit. She ran at Thorn. She held her dagger above her head and slashed at Thorn’s neck, but he pulled out his own blade. They were so engaged in battle that neither Thorn nor Curse was aware of the construction vehicles closing in. They were here to knock down the old police station at last.

Chapter 5: Wrecking Ball

Elena gazed out the window. A demolition truck rumbled over the pavement. She ran to warn Curse. “We have to get away from here! This place will be knocked down!” Curse and Thorn stopped fighting and looked at Elena. Curse said, “I have to unlock the cages!” and ran over to the jail cells. Thorn grabbed Elena and dashed for an open window. She shrieked, “Let go!” Thorn clambered out and fell on top of a thorny bush. “OOOOWWWW!!!!” yelled Elena. “Oh, hi Dad, I am sorry, but we’ll have to resume our conversation later. I’m in the middle of a battle,” Thorn reminded the bush. “Thorn! Move!” Elena told him.

Chapter 6: No Help for You

Curse ran over to the jail cells. She tried to unlock them, but falling chunks of stone made it impossible to get to the cages. She hurried back over to the window. She looked down and saw Thorn and Elena. Good. They were out of the building. Curse glided out the window and onto the grass. “RUN!” Curse screamed at Thorn and Elena. They did. They all sprinted away as the building crashed down onto its foundations.

Chapter 7: Final Battle

Thorn gasped when he looked at the 9 am news on TV. All the people Curse had “run to help” were confirmed dead. So, Curse only pretended to unlock the cages. I can’t believe it. He jumped up off the chair, put on his thorny suit and ran out the door. 

Thorn found Curse outside a two story brick house. He snuck up behind her and tried to grab her, but she dodged his hand. Curse spun around and punched Thorn in the nose. He kicked her back and they started fighting. Curse and Thorn battled until nightfall. Finally Curse wrestled Thorn to the ground. “I win. I won’t kill you, but don’t look for me again. Run, before I change my mind,” Curse told him. So Thorn ran away and did not look back.

Chapter 8: Aftermath 

News Report 

There have been reports coming in from all over the world. Apparently, villains are giving up being evil. We have two videos to show you. The police have Loki imprisoned, so they questioned him as well.

The 1st video:

Thanos is sitting at his table, reading something out of view. Suddenly, he stands up and shouts, “Finally! I will be good and kind now.” He runs out of the room.

The 2nd video:

The police are chasing Catwoman. “She’s over there!” “Almost got her!” “Cut her off!” Out of the blue, Catwoman stops running and looks at the police car. “I am sorry. I was not nice. I’ll come quietly.”

Loki’s Questioning: [LIVE]

Police: So, Loki, do you know why the villains suddenly don’t seem to be evil anymore?

Loki: Of course I do.

Police: Are you going to tell us why?

Loki: The evil won.

Police: Are you going to explain?

Loki: Maybe.

Police: When are you going to? Do I have to take away your bed? Do I have to only give you one meal a day?

Loki: No, instead give me..... ice cream. Or a TV or computer.

Police: TELL US OR I’LL TAKE AWAY ALL THE FURNITURE!!!!! NO ICE CREAM OR COMPUTER OR EVEN BLANKETS!!!!!! YOU’LL ONLY EAT BREAD AND WATER!!!!

Loki: Stop yelling. 

Police: I CAN YELL IF I WANT TO! YOU ARE A PRISONER AND CANNOT MAKE DEMANDS.

Loki: (yawns) I am going to take a nap first.

Police: NO!

Loki: Okay, I’ll tell you. I am tired of your yelling. The bad guys originally were not bad. They were simply the opposing side. But they never got their turn to win. So they became evil. They waged war on the good. Well, now they got their turn, so they are good. Of course, you still should not release me. I am the god of lies after all.

Police: Where’d he go?! Quick, find him!

Part 2: No Food for You

Chapter 9: Dinner

Loki cast an illusion to make himself invisible and walked into the grocery store. He headed for the frozen pizza. I like cold pizza. The colder, the better, Loki thought. He grabbed a pizza, ran for the door, opened the box, took a bite, and left the store. After he left, a toddler saw a three-inch copper key on the floor. I want that! It’s cool, thought the little boy. His mother said, “Quit grabbing pennies!” He picked it up and brought it home anyway.

Chapter 10: Clues

Thorn’s phone rang. Thorn picked it up.

“Hello?” he asked.

“This is the police. Loki escaped. If you need backup, call Thor.” They hung up.

What’s Loki going to do this time? I will probably need Thor, thought Thorn. He pulled up a map of the city on his computer. He then added dots for all reported unsolved crimes. He also made a list of the crime descriptions to find ones that looked like Loki’s work. The most likely leads were a frozen pizza theft at a grocery store and a jewelry store break in where all the emeralds had been taken. In both cases, no witnesses or recordings from cameras could be found. I will check the grocery store first, decided Thorn.

Chapter 11: A New Home

Curse was trying to find a new hideout, but none of the options were great. The top floor of this house shows promise, but then I’d have to buy the house, plus Thorn might see me coming and going, she thought.

 Elena suggested, “What about an old well? You could dig out more rooms and maybe drink the water.”

“That would take a while, but the plan is plausible. If we have to build or get money, I’ll need a temporary safe house,” Curse conceded.

Police sirens sounded in the distance. “Let’s go. I’m pretty sure they’re getting closer,” Curse warned. The two hid in a nearby basement.

Chapter 12: No Baths 

At the grocery store, Thorn checked for fingerprints near the pizza. None could be found. He thoroughly combed the aisle, but his comb broke and he had to stop.

 I definitely need help. Loki is too tricky, he thought. He called Thor. “I AM BUSY! I AM TAKING A SHOWER! IF YOU NEED HELP, CALL EDGE, MY SON!” Thor shouted over the sound of falling water. Thorn found where Edge lived. When he arrived, he knocked on the door. Edge’s mother answered. Thorn asked if Edge was here. He was. She called for him. Edge stepped into the doorway.

Thorn said, “Want a job as a superhero?”

“Of course!” Edge lit up at the idea.

“I need your help capturing Loki. Thor was too busy,” Thorn explained. “Can you help right now?”

“Let me grab some stuff, then I’ll come,” Edge resolved.

Chapter 13: The Key

The toddler pulled out his collection of shiny objects. He looked at the key he had found at the store. 

He showed his mother the key. She told him that he should stop collecting pennies. She stopped mid-sentence. It was not a penny. It was a key. She immediately called the police. “I think I have a key of Thor’s. Could you give it back to him?” The police asked her to bring the key to them. At the station, the toddler said, “I find it at the ice cream.” His mother explained that he meant the frozen foods aisle at the grocery store. The police took the key, thanked them for their help, and sent them home.

Chapter 14:  Yum

Loki was taking a nap at the Strangeneighbors house. The Strangeneighbors had upside down noses. Loki woke up and ate the rest of his pizza for breakfast. I need dessert. I will get donuts. He looked out the window and saw a family across the street eating donuts. Loki became invisible. He walked into the house and took a donut from the dad’s hand. He started eating the donut, but forgot to turn it invisible, so the family watched the donut slowly disappear in bites. 

Chapter 15: Alliance

Thorn knew he would need more help. He contacted Curse. She agreed that Loki needed to be captured again. Curse, Thorn, Edge and Elena investigated the jewelry store. Fingerprints were found, but not Loki’s. They reported to the police that they found no leads. The police told them about the key. “Let’s set a trap!” Edge exclaimed.

Flyers were put up around the city. It said, “Key found, if yours call 215 150 0135.”

Chapter 16: Loki Dies Again

 Loki walked down the road. A flyer for a missing key fluttered in the wind. Hey, that’s my key! He took a cell phone from a passerby and called the number on the flyer.

The person on the phone said that they were at the Custard Spot. When Loki arrived, it was an hour later, and he was hungry, so he walked inside the building and started to make an ice cream sundae.

Footsteps sounded outside. The police were here. Edge and Curse landed on the roof. “Come out! You’re under arrest!” the police told Loki.

“This is really delicious ice cream. This is the best ice cream place ever! Too bad you don’t get any.”

“Last chance! Come out or we will shoot!”

Loki just sat there and ate ice cream. Edge dropped down and shot a lightning bolt. Loki turned invisible. Suddenly, he became visible again and fell to the floor. The police reported, “He’s dead.” 

Part 3: No Fun for You

Chapter 17: Get Help

Edge and Elena sparred until they were worn out. Edge’s mother pulled up next to them. Edge got in the car and it drove off. Curse and Elena started work on their well hideout. Thorn brought building materials. 

Finally the work was completed near nightfall. Curse climbed down first, then Elena. They got into bed.

Sometime during the night, Curse heard a thud outside the door. She opened it. There was Loki, not dead.

“I have been falling for thirty minutes!” Loki said.

“You couldn’t have fallen down our well in the morning instead?” Curse asked, annoyed. 

“My leg is broken.”

Curse helped him inside.

Chapter 18: Apparently Not

The next morning, the door opened to show Thorn. He saw Loki. “Why is he here? Isn’t he dead?” questioned Thorn.

“He fell down my well,” Curse replied. At this point Loki awoke. Loki shifted into a bird and flew out of the well. He shifted back and waved. Thorn and Curse climbed up just in time to see Loki running away. He didn’t have a broken leg after all.

Chapter 19: Epilogue

3 years later

News Report

 Loki was finally captured by Thorn, Curse, and Elena near a lake on June 10. He will be taken back to Asgard by Thor.

On a more exciting note, Thorn and Curse are married! They already have a daughter named Diana. How they managed to keep this a secret is a mystery.

The Strangeneighbors are all over the world, even the ocean. A few have even left Earth. There are rumors that Loki is one of them.

The end