Balancing Act - Part 2 Return Of An Old Foe by Big T. (f/f, cement) Chapter 3 Once outside, as Travis, Thomas and Alex look over the engine modifications made to the Mustang, the blue Camaro from earlier pulls up at the end of the hotel parking lot. Travis and company see them and react accordingly. Kara: Travis, they're back! Travis looks to where she's pointing. Travis: Boys ... that's them! Girls ... inside, now! We'll be back in a little bit! Alex: C'mon Travis! Let's get these guys! Thomas: You said it, Bro! Monica: Get'em, guys! Travis smiles at Monica, then nods at Thomas and Alex. Travis hops in his Charger, as Alex and Thomas jump in their Mustang. The Camaro burns off a 180 to head the other way. Travis's Charger and the Mustang come roaring to life and squeal tires after them, both cars creating a dense cloud of white smoke. The two older "muscle cars" race off after the newer model "sports/muscle car", close behind, as the girls watch three cars speed off into the night. As the three cars turn a corner and head out of sight they hear a voice behind them. Unknown: Hello, ladies! The girls turn around, startled to see a man in his late forties, surrounded by some younger thuggish men. The man in his late forties smiles wickedly. They realize instantly who he must be... Meanwhile ... Travis,Alex and Thomas chase the Camaro relentlessly through the same hairpin turns from earlier. Only this time the Camaro doesn't make it to the straightaway, leading to the cove. The Charger and Mustang box in the Camaro, forcing it to the roadside and into a ditch. The front end of the Camaro lands nose first into a dirt embankment, as the Charger and Mustang screech to a halt on the road. Before the Camaro's passengers can recover from the crash and bail they are pulled from the car by Travis and Alex. As the two men regain their senses, they attempt to fight off Alex and Travis, only to be put face first into the dirt. The driver of the Camaro starts laughing gloatingly. Alex: What's so funny scumbag? Driver: You three are such idiots! You fell for "The Boss's" plan perfectly! Travis twists the guy's arm hard up behind his back. His laughter changes quickly to cries of pain. Travis: Figures! I should've realized you two were a decoy! Driver: But you didn't ... it's kinda funny. Travis: Yeah ... well laugh this off! Travis twists his arm more, taking it beyond it's natural reach, snapping the bones in two. The driver screams in pain as he feels the bones in his forearm crack. Thomas: What's up man? Travis: What do you think? Let's go! (Throws the driver down and heads for the Charger.) Alex: Go where? Thomas: Just get in the damn car, Alex! Alex: Tom ... what's the deal? Thomas: These two morons were just decoys ... the girls are in trouble! Geez, Alex, for someone with your IQ., I don't know about you sometimes ... Alex: Then let's find them... They then hear the Camaro's passenger start laughing. Passenger: You'll never find them in time! Travis: Really? (Opens the hood on the Charger, then goes over to the man and snatches him up, dragging him to the front of the Charger.) Passenger: Hey! What're you...? (Travis grabs him by the hair with both hands, pressing the guy's face down close to the hot car radiator.) Hey man! Cut it out! (Trying to push up with both arms, his hands grasping the top of the Charger's grill.) Travis: Where are they? (Pressing the guys mouth against the hot radiator for a couple seconds.) Passenger: (After he screams from the searing pain.) Screw you man! Travis: Thomas ... start the Charger. (A brief moment later the car starts, it's radiator fan blade spinning just a couple of inches from the guy's face.) What was that now ... "Screw who"? (Pressing him closer to the fan.) Last chance ... WHERE ARE THEY? Passenger: (His face no more than a half inch from the fan ...) Okay, okay! They're at the "Argon Gravel and Paving Company", on the north side of the island! Travis then pulls him away from the car, throwing him to the ground. Travis: Don't ever let me see you two again! (Looks at his friends.) Let's roll boys. (Closes the Charger's hood.) He, Thomas and Alex leave to go find the girls, making a brief stop at the hotel to grab their gear. They also quickly change into their black, military styled combat attire while there. And soon ... at the gravel/paving company, out in the main yard ... Arcane had put the girls in a deep, but small square, earthen pit. They look up at him as he stands at the pit's edge. Arcane: Comfortable in there ladies? Mandy: Come down here and we'll show you! (Being sarcastic.) Arcane: As inviting as that sounds,I think I'll stay up here. Shawna: I can't wait to see Travis clean your clock, once and for all! Arcane: You won't get to have that chance my dear! (Nods to a nearby henchman, who pulls down a lever, causing a flume to pour fresh, wet cement into the pit. The girls look down, watching the pit floor become covered with the thick, yet soupy gray mortar.) Monica: Oh great! (Watching as it slowly rises past her ankles and towards her knees.) Arcane: Once he arrives he will find you five dead and encased neatly in that pit of cement. (Smiles.) Fitting, don't you think? Then, from above and behind him, Arcane hears a voice from the factory rooftop boom across the yard ... Travis: WRONG AGAIN, ARCANE! Arcane turns to see Travis,aim and fire his grapnel launcher at a large crane arm that hovers over the yard. He swings down from the roof, and as Travis nears Arcane and the pit he releases and then retracts the grapnel line, dropping several feet to the ground. He returns the launcher to a large pocket in his black combat pants. Arcane's eyes glow with hatred as Travis steps near. Travis: Hang on girls ... have you out in a minute! Arcane: You! You've interfered in my plans for the last time! Travis: Sing me a new one! Arcane: GET HIM! Travis: Maybe not. (As several henchmen attack.) Travis uses his martial arts skills to engage Arcane's men, as Arcane himself flees up a staircase into the factory. As Travis continues the fight, the girls were now chest deep in cement. Jody: Hurry Travis! Travis: Right now I kinda got my hands full (Punching one guy.) at the moment, Jo! (Throwing another with a classic "hip toss".) Thomas and Alex come running into the main yard, over to Travis, joining the fray ... Travis: Alex ... get the girls outta that pit! Tom and I will finish this. (Nailing another thug with an airborne, spinning roundhouse kick. Sending the thug reeling to the ground.) Alex runs over to the lever, pushing it up, shutting off the cement flow. When he looks in the pit, the girls are up to their chins, heads tilted back. Only their heads are visible on the surface, framed by a gray pool of liquid mortar. Kara: Alex ... thank God! Get us out of here! Alex: Hang on! (Lays on his stomach at the pits edge, reaching down.) Grab on! Soon as Jody and Shawna are pulled from the pit Travis and Thomas finish off Arcane's goons, then go to help Alex. Shortly, all five girls are out of danger. Monica: Arcane got away? Travis: Not yet ... Tom, you and Alex get them out of here. I'm going in after Arcane. Alex: Right. Mandy: You sure you can handle him alone? Thomas: Believe me ... Arcane can't take him one on one, I've seen it. Shawna: Just be careful, Travis. Travis: I'll be back soon, I promise. At that, Travis bolts up the same stairs Arcane did and into the factory. Once inside the cavernous building Travis looks around carefully, listening through the silence around him as he crosses a catwalk. He hopes for any sound that will pinpoint his enemies location. Reaching a stairway leading down from the catwalk, Travis stops and looks around. Then the entire factory comes alive as it's machines start up, surprising him. He proceeds down the steps to the floor. Travis: I'll never find him with all this noise. (To himself.) Then in ironic fashion, Travis is sacked from behind as they tumble to the floor. Arcane is first back on his feet as Travis soon follows. Arcane: Looking for me, old foe? Travis: So what sick, twisted scheme have you conceived this time? Arcane: No scheme ... this time just good old fashioned revenge! Although I do have one thing planned ... Travis: What's that? Arcane: Your funeral! Arcane throws a fast punch at Travis and connects with his jaw. But Travis returns as Arcane throws the other fist, catching Arcane's arm in an arm bar. Travis uses his free arm to punch Arcane in the gut, then in the face. As Travis releases the arm bar, he sends Arcane to the floor with a fierce side kick to the ribs. Arcane soon recovers as he manages to reinflate his lungs. He gets up and runs for it up another set of stairs to another catwalk. Travis chases him out onto the catwalk, and as they resume their fight, Thomas, Alex and the girls enter from a side door below. As they enter, Mandy spots the action. Mandy: (Points.) Up there guys! Shawna: Come on. They move under the catwalk, watching the fight, as Travis connects with another sidekick to Arcane's ribs. Travis grabs Arcane by the hair and slams his face several times into the wooden safety rail of the catwalk, cracking it. Alex: Oww. Kara: That's GOT to hurt. (Laughs.) Arcane then retaliates by grabbing Travis, slamming his back against the rail a few times. On the last time Travis breaks through the rail, instinctively grabbing Arcane as the rail gives. They both fall several feet onto a moving conveyer, leading to a machine that crushes rock. Travis looks briefly, seeing two huge rows of gears inside the machine ahead, crush a large boulder. Returning his attention to Arcane, he sees him just in time, about to bring another large stone down on his head. Travis rolls aside, dodging the deadly blow, then sweeps Arcane's legs. Arcane falls to his back and Travis is atop him quickly, punching Arcane repeatedly in the face. The conveyer has carried them to within several feet of the crusher as they roll back and forth on it, as they grapple together. Arcane hovers over Travis and gloats as he punches him several times. Arcane: In a few more seconds,you will be no more, my young enemy! I will never again need worry about your endless medalsome ways! Now ... Say hello to oblivion! Travis manages to put his right foot in Arcane's stomach and he flips Arcane overhead and forward into the opening of the crusher ... Travis: You first! Travis quickly removes himself from danger, as Arcane screams in agony for a second or so, then nothing. Travis turns to watch another boulder get crushed,and thinks ... 'Is he really gone this time?' Alex: That ... was not ... pretty. Travis looks up to the catwalk he and Arcane fell from,and sees his friends. He smiles slightly as the girls wave to him. Shortly, a bruised and battered Travis joins them near an exit. Kara: So ... it's finally over? Travis: Yeah ... finally. Shawna: (Smiling.) Thanks for the rescue ... AGAIN. Monica: Yeah. Jody: Seem to be a lot of those lately. (Smiling.) Alex: You're welcome girls. Mandy: We knew you guys would come after us. Travis: Always. Thomas, Alex,I couldn't have done this without you two, I owe you big time. Alex: Don't mention it. Shawna: Let's do this "thank you stuff" later, I want to just get outta here right now. I so need a hot shower. Thomas: Of course. Monica: Let's go please. Mandy: You said it! Kara: After this vacation, we're going to need another vacation. Jody: No doubt! Travis: Where do I sign up? And as they all laugh, they exit the factory, the camera fading to black.