Episode 1: The Dome
(The Dominion council meet up in a dimly lit, giant hall, sitting on their desks and waiting on any news from Enigma. Soon, the latter arrives, finding the Dominion leaders unamused.)
Paramount: (unamused) Took you long enough.
Enigma: (rolling his eyes) Sorry, but what you struggle to understand is that such matters naturally take time.
Scrooge: It’s taken us two weeks already! Is it ready now?
Enigma: (smirking) Come with me.
(Enigma heads off to a dark control room, and the Dominion leaders follow. He activates the control panel and opens the computer, displaying six pillars scattered across different areas around the Haven.)
Enigma: The Obitus have already acquired so much of the Haven. As soon as the cloud starts spreading again, they’ll be unstoppable.
Vici: (nonchalantly shrugging) We can take them. Just a protective helmet is all we need.
Enigma: It’s not that simple. Why do you think the cloud came to a halt for so long? You think Strage would spare this world a second of preparation if he was sure he can defeat us? He’s up to something… something that we won’t be ready for. But with the Dome intact, we’ll shield ourselves.
Peril: So we can now block the cloud off?
Enigma: Exactly. With the Obitus out of the way, we’ll have our hands full with the outsiders.
Vines: And they’ll have their hands full with us.
Abomi: We’ve made the mistake of underestimating them last time. Now we’re ready for them. They won’t be prepared for what’s coming.
Paramount: (faintly smirking) The scale of our army… the firepower in our disposal… our combined strength… the remnants of the Haven will fall to us in one fell swoop, and so will they.
Enigma: (letting out a chuckle) I take it that you’re ready to set the Dome.
Abomi: (smirking as well) Do it.
(Enigma activates the six pillars across the Haven, which start charging up with energy as several soldiers oversee each of them. The Dominion leaders smirk in anticipation as they watch the process unfold from their screen.)
Enigma: (smirking) It’s beginning.
(Meanwhile, Abdo and his friends resume training outside Haruki’s monastery. Dread and Classified surprisingly find themselves able to fly with no external help, albeit sloppily, and Omar and his team fly behind them to help out.)
Omar: (to Dread and Classified) Just control the Shockwave energy inside of you. That’s how you fly. Focus and don’t panic.
Dread: (exasperated) I think I’m havin’ trouble wit’ that!
Nawaf: (teasingly) Why? You afraid of heights?
Dread: Oh, shut it! I did manage to fly when I had the Shockwave Boost, no problem.
Classified: We’re just trying to adapt, that’s all.
Huraib: “Trying to adapt”? We’ve been training on that for three days now. Even I managed to get the hang of it.
Classified: Just shut up!
(Meanwhile, Haruki lies on top of a crawling Hangry, who growls in annoyance. He sips on a glass of lemonade as he puts on his sunglasses and watches Dread and Classified’s antics, a disappointed look on his face.)
Haruki: (to Omar and his friends, yelling) You think constructive dialogue’s the way forward? Really?
Omar: (yelling back) We’re just giving them instructions!
Haruki: That’s not how you do it, you morons! (smirking) Lemme show you.
(Haruki promptly fires several blasts at Dread and Classified, who manage to regain their balance in the sky and panically fly past the blasts. Haruki chuckles as he keeps it coming with the energy blasts, only for Hangry to shake him off his back, causing the old Xenos to fall on the ground. He then dashes off, leaving Haruki scowling in annoyance as he gets back up. Meanwhile, Abdo and Lara head off for some target practice, the former charging his bare hands with energy and firing an energy blast at a steel shooting target and blowing it up.)
Abdo: (smirking) Guess I’m getting the hang of it. Yo, Lara. Think we should ditch the tech?
Lara: We can fire energy blasts from our bare hands now, right? Plus, we can now fly on our own. I don’t see why not.
Abdo: I can also be sure that my body won’t go off when I need it the most… unlike some stuff. (exasperated, holding his air shoes) Talking about you, air shoes!
Lara: (trying to hold her giggles) You’re not gonna miss ’em, huh?
Abdo: Like hell I will! (holding his air shoes and tech gloves and addressing them) I can do cool stuff on my own now, losers!
Lara: (frowning) Hey, I can’t help but notice that you’re a bit more pumped up about the whole “Ultra Shockwave” thing, is that what you call it?
Abdo: (nonchalantly) Nah, that was just a prototype name. I’m calling it Super Shockwave now… for the sake of alliteration. What about it?
Lara: (concerned) You… you feeling okay?
Abdo: (baffled) Since when does feeling excited about something exciting raise a red flag? I get excited all the time.
Lara: No, I mean… I feel like the whole thing’s getting to your head, and… I’m worried. Just wanna make sure you’re not overwhelming yourself.
Abdo: (chuckling sheepishly) Hey, I’m not getting stressed out anytime soon. It’s just that a super cool transformation’s always a good idea and lots of fun, and I’m all in for it. Besides, I’ve already done it twice. Wanna go for the full experience next time.
Lara: (teasingly) Doing it for fun, huh? That’s a shame. I was expecting something more heroic. (with mock drama, leaning her elbow on Abdo’s shoulder) Maybe saving your dear friends? Saving the world you love and care for? Bringing forth justice?
Abdo: (smirking, passing her a side eye) Do you see a big “S” on my chest or something?
Lara: (giggling, passing Abdo a wink) You’re a real good buddy, you know that?
Abdo: (crossing his arms, grinning) And you sounded a whole lot like my mom on school days all of a sudden.
(They get interrupted when Lily hurriedly barges out of the monastery looking excited. Abdo and the others drop what they were doing and meet up with the Xenos girl.)
Lily: (excitedly) Guys! Come quick!
Abdo: (raising an eyebrow) What is it?
Lily: 2.0 is done with his portal generator thingy! He asks that you meet him at once!
Lara: (teasingly) What’re you now? His secretary?
Lily: (flustered) I don’t know about that! Really!
Lara: (placing a hand on her shoulder, grinning) Just messin’ with ya! I’m glad you’re being as helpful as you can. Now lead the way.
Lily: (chuckling sheepishly) Thanks, Lara.
(Lily leads Abdo and the others into the monastery and then goes down the stairs, taking them to the basement, where ABDO 2.0 is just placing the final touches on his new creation, a sky blue, circular, metallic machine.)
Abdo: (grinning) How’s it going with the portal generator, 2.0?
ABDO 2.0: (rolling his eyes) I believe Lily has already told you back outside. And it’s called the DimenDrive.
Abdo: (annoyed) Stop being a pain in the neck, dude!
ABDO 2.0: (with a sharp expression) You stop being so effortlessly annoying, “dude”.
Abdo: (pointing at him, smirking) The only thing effortless about me is my swagger.
ABDO 2.0: (pointing to his pointing) Effortless swagger? Is that your attempt at a joke?
Lara: (exasperated) PUT A SOCK IN IT, YOU TWO!!! WE’VE GOT MATTERS TO DISCUSS!!! (cheerfully grinning as she clasps her hands) Now what was that about your portal generator, 2.0?
ABDO 2.0: (gulping nervously) Oh, the DimenDrive! Of course!
Abdo: (mumbling, unamused) Menstrual cycle strikes again.
Lara: I heard that!
ABDO 2.0: (clearing his throat and regaining his composure) Like I said, I’m done with it. With the power of our Shockwave Core, we can now use this machine to open a portal to anywhere in the Haven.
Omar: And how does that happen?
ABDO 2.0: The DimenDrive has an entire map of the Haven uploaded into it. All that needs to be done is to select very specific coordinates, and the portal will take you exactly there. Allow me to demonstrate.
(ABDO 2.0 gets into a control panel and displays a holographic map of the entire Haven, including the areas occupied by the Obitus cloud. He selects a certain coordinate and starts up the DimenDrive, then the machine forms a portal, to the others’ awe.)
Haruki: Woah. It’s really working, isn’t it?
ABDO 2.0: Would anyone care to step up?
Abdo: (cracking his knuckles, smirking) I’ll do it! I just love stepping into portals!
ABDO 2.0: Very well. If the coordinates are accurate, then you must end up in the outskirts of the Xenos village nearby. (throws him a watch) Now take this.
Abdo: What is it?
ABDO 2.0: Activate this watch, and it’ll open a portal back here. You’ll get to that after you verify the success of this trial.
Abdo: Got it!
ABDO 2.0: Oh, and try not to do anything stupid.
Abdo: (rolling his eyes) Yeah, whatever.
(Abdo approaches the portal and takes a deep breath, stepping into it. He ends up in a yellow plain, and as he examines his surrounding, he finds the Xenos village ahead, just as expected. He smirks then activates the watch, opening a portal back to ABDO 2.0 and the others. He passes through the portal then returns to the monastery and to his friends.)
Abdo: (grinning, giving a thumbs up) Worked like a charm! Good going, 2.0.
ABDO 2.0: That’s one more valuable asset for us. With the DimenDrive, no area in the Haven remains inaccessible to us.
Classified: That thing worked a treat, alright, but can’t we just form a portal using Shockwave energy like we always do?
ABDO 2.0: Indeed, and it remains a good option in times of emergency, but it only works if the user has a fair amount of knowledge about the area in question. Additionally… (unamused) I worked hard to get this done. It would be rude and inconsiderate to let my efforts go to waste.
Classified: (chuckling nervously) Yeah, I guess.
Dread: But can this thin’ take us back home by any chance?
ABDO 2.0: I did attempt that, but no. It’s not that simple.
Bader: Whaddaya mean “it’s not that simple”?
(ABDO 2.0 promptly gets into the control panel once again and displays a map of the Anjalverse and its dimensions. He selects a coordinate and starts up the DimenDrive, but although it does charge up with Shockwave energy, it doesn’t create a portal at all, to the others’ bafflement.)
Lara: Wasn’t this thing supposed to… you know… open a portal or something?
ABDO 2.0: That’s the idea. The coordinates are available, the Shockwave energy is available, yet it appears that we’re missing something.
Nawaf: Maybe some more Shockwave energy’s all we need?
ABDO 2.0: An unlikely hypothesis, but it can be considered. After all, this is cross-dimensional travel on a scale much higher than ever. This is traveling across existential planes we’re talking about.
Huraib: Okay, so we’re probably gonna have to test that thing again once we get our hands on the rest of the Shockwave Cores.
ABDO 2.0: Perhaps. We’ll discuss this later.
Abdo: (frowning) So… now that that’s out of the way, anybody else here worried about the Dominion? I mean… they’ve gone silent for quite a while. And let’s not forget about the Obitus. It’s been two weeks now, and Strage hasn’t shown up. Knowing him, he wouldn’t usually pass up the opportunity to kick our butts.
Omar: It’s been too long, now that I think of it. It’s uncanny… and kinda worrying. What could it possibly be?
ABDO 2.0: (sighing deeply) Guess we’ll see it for ourselves when the time comes.
(Suddenly, the DimenDrive’s radar releases a loud alarm that startles the heroes. ABDO 2.0 opens the holographic map of the Haven, finding six distinct signatures increasing in intensity. Their energy signature soon spreads all over the remnants of the Haven.)
ABDO 2.0: (grimacing) What’s going on?
Abdo: (sarcastically mimicking ABDO 2.0) “Guess we’ll see it for ourselves when the time comes”. Yeah, right. Now don’t come back at me saying that I jinxed it!
Omar: You did jinx it!
Dread: (urgently) We gotta check outside!
(Abdo and the others go up the stairs and out of the monastery then fly up to the roof to see what’s going on. They see several beams launched from afar to the sky. A dome-shaped barrier then starts forming, to the heroes’ shock. Xenos and Dominion from all across the Haven witness the dome form around them, enclosing what’s left of this world and separating it from the stagnant Obitus cloud. A giant holograph is transmitted across the entire Haven, displaying the Dominion leaders, smirking in amusement.)
Paramount: (chuckling) People of the Haven, lend us your attention! We are the Supreme Syndicate, the combined might of the fearsome Dominion leaders. We’re back at last, and we’ll reclaim what is rightfully ours: the Haven!
Abomi: The Shockwave Dome you see around you will shield us all from the Obitus Cloud. We’ll assert our dominance over this world in the meantime, and no one shall stop us.
Vici: (nonchalantly grinning) Our demands are simple: yield to us. Whoever attempts to resist our will and/or refuse to admit that I’m the Haven’s sexiest man alive shall be exiled from the Dome and left to rot in the Obitus Cloud.
Vines: (unamused, to Vici) What was that about being the Haven’s sexiest man alive?
Vici: (smirking) Nothing. Just facts.
Peril: (exasperated) Forget about this idiot and listen to what I’ve got to say, my despicable denizens! Our armies will raid each and every square inch that you inhabit, and you will submit to our rule!
Scrooge: As for the Xenos, screw you anyway.
Enigma: That’s all we’ve got to say, everyone. Consider this your first and final warning. Resist, and it’ll only double down on you. As for the outsiders, I’m looking forward to seeing your response to this.
(The transmission ends, replaced by a holographic message that says “Keep Calm and Be Conquered”. The heroes react with tense expressions as they watch this transmission, and Abdo remains unamused.)
Abdo: (unamused) I swear those guys don’t wanna be taken seriously.
ABDO 2.0: (gritting his teeth) This isn’t good.
Abdo: (nonchalantly) I know, right? Vici thinks he’s good-looking, and the circus has one more joker now. They’re even calling themselves the “Supreme Syndicate”. Sounds like something outta Chat GPT.
(ABDO 2.0 rolls his eyes in annoyance at Abdo’s comment then glances up at the dome, clenching his fist and wearing a tense expression on his face. Meanwhile, as the Dominion leaders finish their transmission, they head outside their base of operations to address their troops, who take disciplined stances.)
Abomi: (addressing the soldiers, powerfully) It’s time, Dominion! You’ve moving out now! Ensure a swift takeover of your assigned territories, just like you practiced! Let the world remember our ferocity! Let us rule supreme as we deserve!
(The base’s gates are opened, and the soldiers get into their armored vehicles then head off, beginning the Supreme Syndicate’s takeover. The Dominion leaders glance at their forces as they vanish into the horizon, satisfied smirks on their faces.)
Enigma: (smirking) Our plan goes into action at last.
(Meanwhile, ABDO 2.0 goes down the stairs and leads the others into the monastery’s basement. He gets into the control panel and inserts some sort of USB port from his finger into the DimenDrive’s databank.)
Haruki: What is that?
ABDO 2.0: While the Dominion were making their announcement, I was able to replicate the transmission’s signal, which may lead us to wherever they sent this message from. Here’s hoping that’s the case.
(The DimenDrive uploads the data and starts displaying multiple, distinct Shockwave signatures marked in blue, as opposed to the purple signatures all around the map. Those signatures ricochet chaotically around the map, eventually meeting around a specific area. ABDO 2.0 selects the coordinates of one of these signatures.)
ABDO 2.0: All the energy signatures lead to this specific area. Make no mistake about it. This I where the Supreme Syndicate have set up their base.
Dread: How can we be so sure? There are tons o’ other signatures around. Speaking o’ that, why are some o’ them marked in blue?
ABDO 2.0: Those marked in blue were transmitted specifically through a medium of radio waves, as opposed to the general, purple signatures, which are rather transferred as something akin to gamma radiation. In other words, words that you can actually comprehend, just trust me on this.
Abdo: (jogging in his place, smirking) So we’ve got somewhere to strike, yeah? So let’s get moving already! I’ve been waiting for some action!
Classified: But hold up. What if it’s a trap?
ABDO 2.0: Hmm… that might have some truth in it. The Dominion should be smart enough to know how easy it would be for us to track them down if they made such a move.
Abdo: (rolling his eyes, sulking) So you’re afraid of traps now? Unbelievable. We’ve been walking into those since forever!
ABDO 2.0: Abdo — whilst being as insufferable as ever — has a point. We can’t be worrying about the prospect of a trap. Not in this situation. Their armies must be on their way to assert dominance over the Haven, and that means they’ll be undermanned in their base. That’s a chance that we must make the most of.
Lara: Yeah, guess we’re really doing this, but are we taking the Shockwave Core? I mean… we don’t wanna risk the Dominion getting their hands on it.
Bader: We also can’t leave the thing behind… not without protection, at least, and I’m not sure if we can hide it somewhere in here.
ABDO 2.0: Then we must take it along with us. It’s an important asset as well.
Abdo: (annoyed) So are we gonna spend some more time packing our bags or what?! Can’t we just go already?!
ABDO 2.0: (rolling his eyes) We’re going, alright? Just quit your whining.
(ABDO 2.0 selects the possible coordinates of the Supreme Syndicate’s base of operations and activates the DimenDrive, which creates a portal. ABDO 2.0 takes out the Shockwave Core from the DimenDrive’s center and places it on his back. The heroes nod at each other and calmly step into the portal. They find themselves in an overgrown jungle, a giant base on the horizon. However, as they traverse the jungle, they’re unknowingly watched by a large group of soldiers, who reload their blasters in anticipation.)
Soldier 1A: (via communicator, to the Dominion leaders) They’re here. What’re your orders?
Abomi: (via communicator) Soldier… you’re free to engage.
(The soldier nods and signals the rest of the group to prepare for battle. He tightens his grip on his blaster as he aims it at Abdo, who unknowingly goes through the jungle with his friends. It was a trap indeed, but will it actually be enough to overwhelm the heroes? Is the Supreme Syndicate finally ready to reign over the Haven? Find out next episode.)
