Episode 1.06 – “The Wedding”
The day has finally arrived.
After madness, betrayal, hypnosis, monsters, missing family, old wounds, and more than one penguin-related emergency, Jack Mason and Dr. Edie Hartwell are getting married.
The North Pole Chapel glows beneath falling snow. Friends, family, Misfits, hunters, monsters, former enemies, and people who probably should not be sitting this close together gather under one roof to witness something rare.
Peace.
For one perfect afternoon, darkness waits outside.
But darkness is patient.
And Jack Mason is about to learn that some enemies do not attack the man.
They attack the life he built.
SCENE 1 – PRE-WEDDING SCENE
The side parlor of the North Pole Chapel is warm, quiet, and almost painfully normal.
A small fire crackles in the hearth. White roses sit in silver vases along the windowsills. Beyond the glass, snow falls softly over the chapel grounds, muting the world in a gentle hush.
Inside, Molly Mason stands near a polished wooden table, adjusting the cuff of Jax Brenner’s jacket with patient determination.
Jax Brenner, the Alaskan Wildman, looks deeply uncomfortable in formal clothing. His broad shoulders strain the dark suit. His beard has been trimmed, but only barely. His posture remains that of a man who would rather be standing guard in a snow-covered treeline than attending a wedding.
Molly Mason gives his lapel one final tug.
MOLLY MASON
There. You almost look civilized.
JAX BRENNER
Don’t insult me on a wedding day.
Molly Mason smiles faintly.
MOLLY MASON
That was me being kind.
Jax grunts, but there is warmth behind it. His eyes keep drifting toward the door, restless. He has tried to relax. He has failed completely.
MOLLY MASON
You’re looking for exits again.
JAX BRENNER
Habit.
MOLLY MASON
No one is attacking a wedding.
A beat.
Jax looks at her.
MOLLY MASON
Fine. Poor choice of words. But today is supposed to be happy.
Before Jax can answer, the door opens.
Polly Mason steps inside wearing her maid of honor dress, elegant but unmistakably Polly. Her hair is styled beautifully, though one loose curl has already escaped, giving her the look of someone trying very hard to behave but not entirely designed for the concept.
Beside her stands Leiton Snake, dressed sharply in a dark formal suit with subtle green accents. He carries himself with quiet confidence, standing just behind Polly like a shadow that has chosen to be useful.
Molly Mason turns, immediately noticing the two of them together.
Her eyebrows rise.
MOLLY MASON
Well, well.
Polly freezes.
POLLY MASON
Don’t.
MOLLY MASON
I didn’t say anything.
POLLY MASON
You said it with your face.
LEITON SNAKE
She did.
Molly Mason smiles wider.
MOLLY MASON
I’m just saying, Polly, it’s nice that you brought a friend.
POLLY MASON
He escorted me. That’s different.
MOLLY MASON
Of course. Very official. Very formal. Very “escorted.”
Leiton Snake looks at Polly, deadpan.
LEITON SNAKE
Should I stand farther away?
POLLY MASON
Do not help her.
For a brief moment, the room feels light. Even Jax almost smiles.
Then Polly’s expression softens. Her usual gleam fades into something nervous and sincere.
POLLY MASON
Actually… I didn’t come in just to be teased.
Molly Mason immediately studies her.
MOLLY MASON
Polly?
Polly turns toward Jax.
POLLY MASON
There’s someone here to see you.
The room stills.
Jax straightens.
JAX BRENNER
Who?
Polly looks back toward the doorway and nods.
A second later, Susie Brenner steps into the room.
She is not Feral now.
Not completely.
Her hair is brushed back. Her clothes are simple and soft, chosen for comfort rather than display. There is still something wary in her posture, still something animal in the way her eyes scan corners and movement, but her face is clearer than it has been in years.
Behind her, two discreet medical escorts remain in the hall, giving her space but staying close.
Jax Brenner does not move.
His face goes blank.
For a man built out of scars, rage, and survival, the sight hits him harder than any opponent ever could.
JAX BRENNER
Susie?
Susie looks at him. Her lips tremble. Then, in a small voice, she says the name no monster, hunter, doctor, or nightmare could have invented.
SUSIE BRENNER
Bubba Jaxie?
The words break him.
Jax crosses the room in two strides and stops short, as if afraid touching her might make her vanish.
Susie reaches first.
He pulls her into his arms.
The hug is awkward at first because Jax is trying so hard not to crush her. Then Susie clings to him, and the Wildman’s face twists with grief and joy so deep he has no language for either.
JAX BRENNER
I thought I lost you.
SUSIE BRENNER
I was lost.
She pulls back just enough to look at him.
SUSIE BRENNER
But I heard you sometimes. In the dark places.
Jax swallows hard.
JAX BRENNER
I looked everywhere.
SUSIE BRENNER
I know.
Molly Mason covers her mouth, eyes wet. Leiton lowers his gaze respectfully.
Polly fidgets with her hands, suddenly less theatrical than usual.
POLLY MASON
The Dr. Caseys have done wonders for her.
Jax turns his head slowly.
JAX BRENNER
The Caseys?
POLLY MASON
Yes. Both of them. Sanctuary has been… careful. Slow. They’ve been helping her separate what Moreau did from who she actually is.
Susie looks down.
SUSIE BRENNER
I still get confused.
Jax immediately softens.
JAX BRENNER
That’s all right.
SUSIE BRENNER
Sometimes I hear his voice. Sometimes I hear the cages. Sometimes I want to run.
JAX BRENNER
Then you run to me.
Susie smiles faintly.
SUSIE BRENNER
Dr. Casey says I’m not ready to come home for good.
The words hurt Jax, but he takes them without flinching.
JAX BRENNER
Then we wait.
SUSIE BRENNER
You’re not mad?
JAX BRENNER
At you? Never.
He glances at Polly.
JAX BRENNER
How long?
POLLY MASON
They don’t know yet. There’s still work to do before she comes home for good. Conditioning doesn’t vanish because we want it to. But she wanted to be here today. She asked for you.
Susie nods.
SUSIE BRENNER
Weddings are promises. Dr. Casey said promises can be anchors.
Molly Mason steps beside Jax, placing a gentle hand on Susie’s shoulder.
MOLLY MASON
Then we’ll make today a good anchor.
Susie studies her, then smiles a little.
SUSIE BRENNER
You’re Molly.
MOLLY MASON
I am.
SUSIE BRENNER
I remember you from HCW.
MOLLY MASON
You do?
SUSIE BRENNER
A little. Mostly I remember how he looked at you.
Jax immediately looks uncomfortable.
SUSIE BRENNER
And how you looked at him.
Molly’s expression softens.
SUSIE BRENNER
Even when I was confused... I could tell you both cared about each other a lot.
Jax clears his throat, suddenly uncomfortable.
JAX BRENNER
Susie.
Molly Mason turns to him with delight.
MOLLY MASON
Oh?
JAX BRENNER
Don’t start.
MOLLY MASON
I didn’t say anything.
POLLY MASON
You are saying so much with your face today.
Leiton Snake nods once.
LEITON SNAKE
It’s a very expressive face.
Molly Mason laughs softly, and even Susie gives a tiny laugh.
The sound fills the room like sunlight.
Jax looks down at his sister, still holding her hand. His voice drops into that gruff, protective growl that belongs only to him.
JAX BRENNER
You stay close today. Too many people. Too many doors. Too much noise.
SUSIE BRENNER
I know.
POLLY MASON
She’ll sit with you and Molly. Leiton and I will be nearby. The escorts will remain outside unless needed. No one is making a spectacle of her.
MOLLY MASON
Look at you, Polly. Responsible.
POLLY MASON
Don’t ruin my growth.
MOLLY MASON
And escorted.
POLLY MASON
Molly.
Leiton Snake adjusts his cufflinks.
LEITON SNAKE
For the record, I am honored to provide responsible escort services.
Polly shoots him a look, but she is smiling despite herself.
A knock sounds at the door.
Ace MacDougal pokes his head inside, dressed in a kilted formal outfit that no one is sure is appropriate but everyone knows he will defend aggressively.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Wee update! Reverend Knox says the ceremony starts in ten minutes, Flippers has eaten one decorative fish, and Negropolis is threatening to leave if anyone says he looks handsome without the mask.
He stops when he sees Susie.
His face softens.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt a family moment.
Jax looks back at Susie, then at the room around him.
A room with Molly. Polly. Leiton. Ace. A wedding about to begin. His sister alive.
For once, the Wildman does not look hunted.
He looks grateful.
JAX BRENNER
You didn’t.
Ace nods, then gestures toward the chapel.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Right then. Let’s go watch a madman marry a doctor. Which, in fairness, sounds like the setup to a joke I’m not brave enough to finish.
Polly takes a breath, smoothing her dress.
POLLY MASON
Come on. Edie’s waiting.
As they begin to leave, Susie squeezes Jax’s hand.
SUSIE BRENNER
Bubba Jaxie?
JAX BRENNER
Yeah?
SUSIE BRENNER
You look silly in a suit.
Jax lets out a rough laugh.
JAX BRENNER
Yeah. I know.
They exit together.
For one brief moment, everything feels like healing.
SCENE 2 – THE WEDDING
The North Pole Chapel is beautiful.
Not grand in the way Count Vlad’s estate is grand. Not cold. Not monstrous. Not built to impress or intimidate.
It is warm.
White candles line the aisle. Evergreen garlands wrap around wooden beams. Snowflake lanterns hang overhead, glowing blue-white. The windows are stained glass, showing winter scenes, reindeer, stars, and one very suspicious penguin that Jack Mason insisted be added to the decorations.
The pews are filled with family, friends, allies, and assorted people who probably should have been separated by security.
Ace MacDougal sits near the front, dabbing his eyes before anything has even happened.
Molly Mason sits beside Jax Brenner, with Susie Brenner between them. Jax keeps one arm behind his sister’s shoulders, protective but gentle. Susie watches everything with wide, cautious wonder.
Leiton Snake sits one row behind them, close enough to keep an eye on Polly, though he pretends not to be.
At the altar stands Reverend Knox, solemn and warm, his hands folded over a worn book.
Beside him stands Jack Mason.
He wears a black tuxedo with a burgundy vest. His hair is neatly combed. His expression is calm.
Too calm, perhaps.
The manic grin is gone. The wildness is gone. Even the nervous fidgeting is gone. He stands perfectly still, hands folded in front of him, breathing slow and controlled.
Beside him stands Negropolis.
Maskless.
For many in the chapel, it is the first time they have ever seen his face without the skull mask. He looks uncomfortable, exposed, and dangerously close to regretting every life decision that led to this moment.
Jack glances at him.
JACK MASON
You okay?
NEGROPOLIS
No.
JACK MASON
You look good.
NEGROPOLIS
Say that again and I’m putting the mask back on.
Jack smiles faintly.
JACK MASON
Thanks for doing this.
Negropolis looks straight ahead.
NEGROPOLIS
You asked me to stand with you. I’m standing.
A beat.
NEGROPOLIS
But if anyone takes a picture, I’m haunting them.
Jack almost laughs.
Almost.
Then the music begins.
Everyone rises.
The back doors open.
First comes Flippers.
The baby penguin waddles proudly down the aisle wearing a tiny formal collar and a small ring pillow harness strapped securely to his back. He pauses twice to accept adoration from children in the pews and once to stare down a candle as if it has offended him personally.
Ace whispers loudly through tears.
ACE MACDOUGAL
That wee lad was born for pageantry.
Flippers reaches the altar and chirps up at Jack.
For the first time all day, Jack’s calm cracks into real warmth.
He kneels and scratches the penguin gently under the chin.
JACK MASON
Good job, buddy.
Flippers chirps proudly and waddles to a small cushion near the altar.
Then Polly Mason walks down the aisle.
She is radiant in her maid of honor dress, but her eyes are fixed on Jack. For all their history, all the damage, all the old songs and shadows, there is something genuine in her expression.
Pride.
Fear.
Love.
She reaches the front and takes her place on the bride’s side. As she passes Jack, she whispers just low enough for him to hear.
POLLY MASON
Don’t faint, Jackie.
JACK MASON
Wasn’t planning to.
POLLY MASON
That’s what people say before they faint.
Then the music shifts.
The chapel falls silent.
Dr. Edie Hartwell appears at the doors.
She is breathtaking.
Her gown is elegant without being excessive, winter-white with subtle silver detailing that catches the candlelight. Her expression is soft, emotional, and brave. She carries herself like a woman who has seen the chaos, the monster, the wounded boy, the performer, the fighter, and the man underneath—and chosen him anyway.
As she walks down the aisle, Jack Mason forgets how to breathe.
Whatever strange calm has been holding him in place breaks for a heartbeat. His eyes shine. His hands tremble.
Negropolis notices.
Quietly, without making a show of it, he places one steady hand on Jack’s shoulder.
NEGROPOLIS
Breathe.
Jack inhales.
JACK MASON
Right.
Edie reaches the altar.
Polly takes her bouquet.
Reverend Knox smiles at the couple.
REVEREND KNOX
Dearly beloved, friends, family, and those who arrived through official and unofficial portals alike… we are gathered here today to witness the union of Jack Mason and Dr. Edie Hartwell.
A soft ripple of laughter moves through the chapel.
REVEREND KNOX
Marriage is not the joining of perfect people. If that were the requirement, this chapel would be empty.
More laughter, warmer this time.
REVEREND KNOX
Marriage is a promise. A daily act of courage. A choosing. Not once, but over and over. Through joy and grief. Through peace and storm. Through ordinary mornings and extraordinary battles.
He looks gently at Jack.
REVEREND KNOX
And occasionally through penguin-related emergencies.
Flippers chirps.
Ace points proudly.
ACE MACDOUGAL
He knows.
Reverend Knox continues.
REVEREND KNOX
Jack. Edie. You have chosen to speak your own vows.
Edie turns to Jack first.
She takes his hands.
EDIE HARTWELL
Jack… when I first met you, I was warned about a lot of things.
Jack lowers his head slightly.
EDIE HARTWELL
I was warned you were unpredictable. Loud. Chaotic. That your life came with danger, trouble, and one very demanding penguin.
Flippers chirps again.
EDIE HARTWELL
And all of that was true.
Gentle laughter moves through the room.
EDIE HARTWELL
But it wasn’t the whole truth. Because underneath all of that, I found someone kind. Someone who tries. Someone who gets scared and still shows up. Someone who loves with his whole heart, even when that heart has been hurt more than he admits.
Jack’s eyes lower. His jaw tightens.
EDIE HARTWELL
I don’t love you because you’re simple, Jack. You’re not. I don’t love you because you’re easy. You are definitely not.
Negropolis murmurs under his breath.
NEGROPOLIS
Confirmed.
Edie smiles through tears.
EDIE HARTWELL
I love you because every time the world tries to make you cruel, some part of you fights to be gentle. I love the man who protects his friends. The man who talks to Flippers like he understands every word. The man who gets back up. The man who chose to be better.
She squeezes his hands.
EDIE HARTWELL
So I choose you. All of you. The parts that make me laugh, the parts that scare you, the parts still healing, and the parts still finding their way home.
Jack swallows hard.
EDIE HARTWELL
I love you, Jack Mason. And I promise I will keep choosing you.
The chapel is silent.
Then Jack takes a slow breath.
JACK MASON
Edie… I had a whole speech.
He glances at Negropolis.
JACK MASON
He told me not to improvise.
NEGROPOLIS
I begged you not to improvise.
A few people laugh.
Jack looks back at Edie, and the humor fades into something vulnerable.
JACK MASON
But then you walked through those doors, and I forgot every word.
He pauses.
JACK MASON
I spent a lot of my life being what other people needed me to be. Mean. Mad. Dangerous. Funny. Useful. A problem. A weapon. A joke. Sometimes I didn’t know where the performance ended and where I began.
His voice softens.
JACK MASON
Then you looked at me like I was a person.
Edie’s eyes fill.
JACK MASON
Not a gimmick. Not a mistake. Not some old wound waiting to reopen. Just Jack.
He gives a small, broken smile.
JACK MASON
I don’t know if I deserve that. But I know I want to spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of it.
He squeezes her hands.
JACK MASON
You make the noise quiet. You make home feel real. You make me want to walk softer, speak kinder, and think before I throw someone through furniture.
Ace whispers.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Progress.
Jack continues.
JACK MASON
I promise to protect you. To listen to you. To laugh with you. To annoy you only a reasonable amount.
EDIE HARTWELL
Define reasonable.
JACK MASON
We’ll negotiate.
Another soft laugh.
JACK MASON
I promise that when the dark parts of me get loud, I’ll remember your voice. And I promise, no matter what this world throws at us, I will always come back to you.
He looks at her with all the love he has.
JACK MASON
I love you, Edie Hartwell. Today. Tomorrow. Always.
Reverend Knox wipes at one eye discreetly.
REVEREND KNOX
The rings, please.
Flippers waddles forward with ceremony. Negropolis kneels and carefully removes the rings from the pillow. He hands one to Jack and one to Edie.
NEGROPOLIS
Do not drop them.
JACK MASON
Wasn’t planning to.
NEGROPOLIS
That’s what people say before they drop them.
Polly grins.
POLLY MASON
See? He gets it.
Jack slides the ring onto Edie’s finger.
JACK MASON
With this ring, I marry my best friend.
Edie slides the ring onto Jack’s finger.
EDIE HARTWELL
With this ring, I marry the man I choose.
Reverend Knox closes his book.
REVEREND KNOX
By the authority given to me, and with joy in my heart, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
He smiles.
REVEREND KNOX
Jack, you may kiss the bride.
Jack looks at Edie.
For one perfect second, there is no war. No Vlad. No Moreau. No monsters. No past. No fracture.
Just Jack and Edie.
He kisses her.
The chapel erupts.
People cheer. Ace sobs openly. Flippers chirps wildly. Polly claps with one hand over her heart. Molly Mason leans into Jax, smiling through tears. Susie watches with quiet wonder.
And then—
The chapel doors explode inward.
SCENE 3 – THE KIDNAPPING
The sound is violent enough to shake snow from the rafters.
The cheers die instantly.
The rear doors slam against the chapel walls as armed members of the Crimson Hand pour inside in black-and-crimson tactical gear. Their masks gleam beneath the candlelight. Their movements are precise, disciplined, and merciless.
Behind them stride two towering hybrid monsters.
Brakk Bloodmaw, the powerhouse of the Crimson Maulers, massive and broad, wolf-bat features twisted into a brutal snarl.
Veyrik Nightclaw, leaner and faster, long-limbed, predatory, eyes bright with hunting intelligence.
Between them walks Dr. Moreau.
Elegant. Calm. Untouched by the panic around him.
He wears his long dark coat, gloved hands folded over a polished medical case. His smile is thin and clinical.
DR. MOREAU
Congratulations to the bride and groom.
Before anyone can move, metal canisters roll across the chapel floor.
They hiss.
Green mist erupts.
It spreads fast, low at first, then climbing in thick clouds through the pews. Guests cough. Candles flicker and die. People stumble, disoriented.
From somewhere beyond the broken doors comes a witch’s cackle.
High.
Ancient.
Cruel.
WICKED WITCH’S VOICE
Hee-hee-hee-hee… sleep sweetly, little wedding guests…
The mist rolls over the front pews.
Ace MacDougal lurches to his feet.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Everybody down! Cover your mouths!
He grabs Flippers protectively as the penguin chirps in alarm.
Negropolis tries to move toward Jack, but the mist hits him hard. His body stiffens. He drops to one knee, teeth clenched, fighting the chemicals with sheer will.
NEGROPOLIS
Jack… don’t breathe…
Jack is already moving.
He grabs Edie’s arm and pulls her behind him. His eyes blaze with instant fury.
JACK MASON
Edie, stay behind me!
Polly steps in front of Edie on instinct, maid of honor dress sweeping across the floor.
POLLY MASON
Moreau.
Dr. Moreau inclines his head.
DR. MOREAU
Ms. Mason. How delightful to see you wearing white-adjacent morality.
POLLY MASON
Come closer and I’ll show you red.
The Crimson Hand soldiers split into teams.
One group moves directly toward Susie Brenner.
Jax Brenner sees it immediately.
Something primal wakes in him.
He shoves Molly and Susie behind him and charges the aisle with a roar that shakes the chapel harder than the doors did.
JAX BRENNER
NO!
The first guard raises a weapon.
Jax hits him like a landslide.
The guard crashes through a pew. Another tries to flank him. Leiton Snake slides into the aisle and intercepts, striking clean and fast, dropping the guard with surgical precision.
LEITON SNAKE
Wrong family.
Two more guards rush Susie.
She freezes, trembling. Her breath catches. Her fingers curl like claws.
Molly Mason grabs her face gently, forcing eye contact.
MOLLY MASON
Susie. Look at me. Not them. Me.
SUSIE BRENNER
Cages—
MOLLY MASON
No cages. No lab. No Moreau. You’re here. You’re with Jax.
Jax throws another guard into the chapel wall.
JAX BRENNER
Touch her and I bury you under this church!
The guards trying for Susie hesitate.
That hesitation costs them.
Jax and Leiton meet them head-on, holding the aisle like a barricade.
But the attack was never only about Susie.
At the altar, Brakk Bloodmaw and Veyrik Nightclaw move.
The Crimson Maulers do not waste motion.
Brakk charges toward Polly like a freight train.
Veyrik darts toward Edie, fast enough that Jack barely sees him through the mist.
Jack lunges.
His fingers brush Veyrik’s shoulder—
Then the green cloud hits his lungs.
His body locks.
His legs buckle.
JACK MASON
No—
He drops to one knee.
Edie reaches for him.
EDIE HARTWELL
Jack!
Veyrik Nightclaw grabs her from behind, one clawed arm pinning her arms carefully but firmly.
Polly spins and drives her elbow into Brakk’s jaw. The beast barely moves.
She tries to sing, one sharp note rising in her throat—something old, something dangerous.
Dr. Moreau snaps his fingers.
A Crimson Hand soldier fires a small dart into the floor at Polly’s feet. Vapor bursts upward. Polly coughs, staggers, and Brakk seizes her.
POLLY MASON
Jackie!
The sound cuts through Jack worse than the mist.
He tries to stand.
His body refuses.
Negropolis is crawling now, one hand dragging across the floor, his face pale from the gas.
NEGROPOLIS
Mason… move…
JACK MASON
I can’t.
Dr. Moreau walks past the fallen guests with calm precision. He stops near Edie, who struggles fiercely in Veyrik’s grip.
EDIE HARTWELL
Let go of me!
DR. MOREAU
Dr. Hartwell Mason now, I believe. A pleasure. I have heard so much about your stabilizing influence.
Jack’s eyes burn.
JACK MASON
Don’t touch her.
Moreau looks down at him.
DR. MOREAU
My dear Mr. Mason… that is precisely why we must.
He opens the medical case.
Inside are syringes filled with a pale green-gold liquid.
Polly thrashes against Brakk.
POLLY MASON
You don’t want me, Doctor. I bite.
DR. MOREAU
Yes. You always did show promise.
He injects Polly first.
Her eyes go wide. Her breath shudders. The fight drains from her body, but not the hate from her face.
POLLY MASON
Jackie…
Brakk lifts her easily.
Then Moreau turns to Edie.
Jack tries again to rise.
His fingers dig into the carpet. His veins stand out in his neck. He is fighting every inch of paralysis, every chemical command in his body.
JACK MASON
EDIE!
Edie looks at him, terrified but steady.
EDIE HARTWELL
Jack… listen to me.
Moreau places the syringe against her neck.
EDIE HARTWELL
Don’t let this break you.
He injects her.
Jack’s world narrows to that single image.
Edie’s eyes flutter. Her body weakens. Veyrik catches her carefully, as if she is valuable cargo.
Dr. Moreau closes the case.
DR. MOREAU
Oh, I rather think breaking is inevitable.
The Crimson Hand begins withdrawing.
Jax roars and tries to pursue, but more gas canisters burst between him and the aisle. Molly pulls Susie back as the mist thickens around them.
Leiton covers them, coughing hard.
Ace collapses against a pew, clutching Flippers under his coat to shield him from the vapor.
Negropolis reaches Jack at last, one hand gripping his shoulder.
Both men are helpless.
Both men are forced to watch.
The last thing Jack Mason sees through the green haze is Dr. Moreau standing between the Crimson Maulers, one carrying his wife, the other carrying his sister.
Moreau looks back once.
He smiles.
Then the chapel doors vanish behind smoke, screams, and snow.
SCENE 4 – MR. MASON
The mist begins to thin.
Slowly.
Cruelly.
It lifts from the chapel floor in curling green ribbons, slipping between overturned chairs, broken flowers, crushed candles, and scattered programs that still read:
The Wedding of Jack Mason and Dr. Edie Hartwell
No one cheers now.
Guests cough and stir. Some cry. Some call for help. Medical staff push through the wreckage. Security rushes in too late, shouting into radios.
Jax Brenner is still standing in the aisle, chest heaving, surrounded by fallen Crimson Hand guards. He looks like he could tear the chapel apart stone by stone.
Susie Brenner sits on the floor with Molly Mason, shaking but present.
MOLLY MASON
Breathe. You’re safe. Breathe with me.
SUSIE BRENNER
They came for me.
JAX BRENNER
They didn’t get you.
His voice cracks on the last word.
Leiton Snake rises slowly, wiping blood from his lip. His eyes track the broken doors, memorizing the escape path.
Ace MacDougal coughs violently, then opens his coat.
Flippers pokes his head out, dazed but alive.
FLIPPERS
Chirp…
ACE MACDOUGAL
Aye, laddie… I know.
Near the altar, Negropolis forces himself upright. His maskless face is pale. His eyes are sharp with fury and fear.
He turns to Jack Mason.
Jack is still kneeling where he fell.
One hand remains pressed into the carpet.
His wedding ring glints on his finger.
For several seconds, he does not move.
Negropolis takes one careful step toward him.
NEGROPOLIS
Jack.
No answer.
Ace stumbles closer.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Lad…
Still no answer.
Polly’s bouquet lies crushed near the altar steps.
Edie’s veil has torn loose, caught on a broken pew.
Jack sees both.
Something inside him should explode.
It does not.
The chapel waits for the old reaction.
The scream.
The rage.
The violence.
The Madman.
But Jack Mason only inhales.
Slowly.
Then he stands.
His movements are steady. Controlled. Almost graceful.
He adjusts his jacket.
He smooths his vest.
He looks down at the wedding ring on his finger and turns it once with his thumb.
NEGROPOLIS
Jack?
Jack finally looks at him.
There is no wildness in his eyes.
No panic.
No pleading.
No theatrical madness.
There is only calm.
Cold, clear, terrible calm.
JACK MASON
How many?
Negropolis goes still.
NEGROPOLIS
What?
JACK MASON
How many guards?
Leiton Snake answers from the aisle, his voice wary.
LEITON SNAKE
Six through the main doors. Two Maulers. Moreau. External support outside. Witchcraft used from range. Probably the Wicked Witch.
Jack nods once.
JACK MASON
Direction?
LEITON SNAKE
Northwest exit. Snow tracks will be masked by portal residue if they had a gate waiting.
Jax Brenner steps forward.
JAX BRENNER
They came for Susie first.
Jack turns to him.
Jax looks ready for blame. Ready for a fight. Ready for anything except what comes.
JACK MASON
No. They made sure you would stop them.
Jax’s brow furrows.
JACK MASON
They wanted you occupied. They wanted Negropolis and me breathing the mist. They wanted witnesses. They wanted me to see.
Ace shakes his head, horrified.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Jack, don’t do this. Don’t go cold on us. Not today.
Jack looks at him.
JACK MASON
Today is exactly why.
Negropolis steps closer.
NEGROPOLIS
Mason. Listen to me. We’ll find Edie. We’ll find Polly. But you need to stay with us.
A faint smile touches Jack’s mouth.
It is not Madman’s grin.
It is not Mean Jack’s smirk.
It is something sharper.
Older.
Worse.
JACK MASON
I am with you.
NEGROPOLIS
No. You’re not.
The words land heavy.
Jack studies him for a moment.
JACK MASON
You always were the observant one, Anthony.
Negropolis flinches almost invisibly at the use of his real name.
NEGROPOLIS
Don’t.
Jack steps past him.
Flippers waddles forward, chirping softly, trying to reach him.
For a moment, everyone hopes the little penguin will do what he has always done.
Ground him.
Bring him back.
Flippers presses against Jack’s shoe.
Jack looks down.
His expression softens for half a second.
Only half.
Then he crouches and gently places one hand on Flippers’ head.
JACK MASON
Stay with Ace.
Flippers chirps, confused.
ACE MACDOUGAL
Jack—
Jack stands again.
Molly Mason watches him from beside Susie, her face tightening with recognition she does not want to have.
MOLLY MASON
That’s not Mean Jack.
Negropolis looks at her.
NEGROPOLIS
No.
Molly swallows.
MOLLY MASON
Then who is it?
Jack walks toward the chapel’s side table, where the guest book rests beside a polished brass offering counter. The metal surface reflects him in warped gold.
Black tuxedo.
Wedding ring.
Dead candles behind him.
No bride.
No sister.
No mercy in his eyes.
He places both hands on the counter and lowers his head.
For a moment, the room is silent except for distant sirens, soft crying, and Flippers’ worried chirp.
Negropolis says the name carefully, like naming a storm.
NEGROPOLIS
Mr. Mason.
Jack lifts his eyes to the reflection.
Calm.
Precise.
Absolute.
He turns slightly, looking not at the room, but toward the unseen camera beyond it.
His voice is soft.
That makes it worse.
MR. MASON
Someone has made a terrible mistake.
The screen cuts to black.
END EPISODE
Someone owes Moreau a knuckle sandwich.
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