Morning...when the shadows disappear, and dreams are chased away byt the sun...two unlikely partners confer at the police station...
Ricardo: Ohhh...this is the worst hangover of my entire life! How much did I have at the Deep last night, anyway? I don't remember a thing!
Annie: Um...I don't know! After a while, I lost track...(of how much Absolut Vodka I slipped in you glass!)
Ricardo: Well, according to Spence, I was too busy seranading the bar patrons with horribly out-of-tune Billy Joel, so we never got to check out your Grotto hideout theory, huh?
Annie: Oh, don't worry, I did. And...there was nothing there.
Ricardo: Oh, that figures! I've made absolutely no progress in this case ,thanks to you! Look, Annie, from here on out, we're doing things my way. And now I'VE got a plan.
Annie: (God help us all.) Well, what do you have in mind?
Ricardo: We'll set a trap, and you'll be the bait!
Annie: Bait?! What am I, a nightcrawler?
Spence: Ricardo, you might want to take a look at this.
Ricardo: A statement...from Gabi?? This says she was attacked in her car, and Exodus saved her?? No way! We got a 9-1-1 call last night saying ol'Captain Insane-O was chasing after a car like a derranged lunatic!
Spence: That's what she told me! She said that guy Garrett Creed we picked up last night was one of the embezzlers from the resort explosion.
Ricardo: That's crazy! I put Gerard Staley away. His operation's finished! Look, Spence...I can't exactly trust Gabi's word anymore. We broke up because she said she was in love with someone else. With who, she never did say, but....Antonio!!
Spence & Annie: Antonio??
Ricardo: I was supposed to meet him this morning! Gotta go, guys!
Annie: Ricardo, wait! Your brilliant plan??
Ricardo: I'll fill you in later. Exodus's little gig is over tonight!
The man shivered as he clutched the cold reciever of the prison phone.
Creed: Yeah, Gerard? It's me...
Gerard: Oh...so it's done. You iced Martinez?
Creed: No, man! I tried, but this, this nutcase superhero guy--he was on the car, right? And then he punched me, and then--
Gerard: Nutcase superhero guy??! Gee, did he tie you up with his magic lasso, Blunderboy?? You idiot!!
Creed: It's true!! I swear to God!! So, I'm kinda in jail right now...will you bail me out?
Gerard: No, Garrett old pal...I think I'll let you ROT there until you get your head straight! I'll kill Gabi Martinez myself! Dammit...if you want something done right...
Antonio looked in the mirror back at the Mission. His eyes stared back at him like two sepia stones...searching deep into the soul of the man he felt farther and farther away from every time he put on the mask...
Exodus was his reprieve from pain. The part of him that was most alive...the symbol of his restrained spirit that could float out of Antonio's body and throw Milk Duds at him. But then again, he was afraid of the power that his alter-ego had. Last night...what he would'v e done if that man had so much as messed up Gabi's hair...such intense rage that a priest could never show. But Exodus could.
Could it be? Am I losing control? God...eventually I'll have to choose which one I'm going to be!
He had to be ready. What if there were others after Gabi? They might strike again that night! But he'd protect her...he had to. And maybe, just maybe...Gabi would fall in love with Exodus in the process.
He went to the rectory closet. The Madonna wasn't the only secret that Antonio had hidden about his time in Mexico...
This was one of them, too.
The Sword of Rosario. The parishoners had given it to him as a symbol of his strength. Well, before their beloved statue was stolen by the Vargases, of course. The handle was silver, studded with amethysts...and the blade gleamed if the tiniest bit of light shined on it...
Cool. Ricardo: T? You here?
He threw it back in the closet and jumped back in his desk chair.
Ricardo: Hey, bro! What's going on?
Antonio: Not much. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Milk Duds? A huge lead in the investigation? How's all that going, anyway?
Ricardo: Oh, it's going. But I've got a plan. It's all over tonight...I'm gonna set a trap for Exodus.
Antonio: Really?
Ricardo: Yeah, it's foolproof! I'm going to set up a phony robbery using Annie as a decoy. He'll walk right into it!
Antonio: Yeah, I'm sure he will, Ricardo...
Ricardo: Oh, I'm gettin' paged. Catch you later, man!
Antonio:....thanks for the warning, bro...
He dumped the last of a box of Milk Duds into his mouth and leaned back so far in his chair, he fell over! A sound escaped his lips that he almost didn't recognize...his own laughter.
As the sun started to go down that day, Antonio donned his costume and a sheath for the sword. When dusk came, he was ready to face the enemy...and the woman he loved. What he was about to do didn't scare him as much as the inevitable path of his fate he would have to choose. But one thought was the beacon in his darkness...
The lonely, tortured priest...the empty shell of a man, never got the girl. The hero always did.
Gabi walked out of Surf Central and looked around...it was so quiet...like a funeral parlor...
Her thoughts drifted to Antonio. She had done the right thing, cutting herself off from him. But there was a part of her that couldn't wait to close her eyes at night and go to the place where he could be hers.
There was one haunting dream that she couldn't get out of her mind. Spinning lights...a banner that read, "El Paso High, Class of '91."
Her senior prom, that she didn't go to.
She stood in a lonely corner where the crepe paper flopped from the ceiling, in a pink ruffly dress...watching all the happy couples in each others' arms. All by herself.
But then, from out of the etheral smoke and floating crowds came Antonio....with his hair gelled a little to the side, wearing a white tuxedo with an electric blue vest. Looking like something out of an early 90's music video...and whispering to her...
Dance with me, Gabi...
No. She would never dance with Antonio again....she had to stay away from him. Look at the mess she was in now! At least she could keep him safe in her dreams, and he'd never get dragged into danger again!
Or so she thought...
Someone was out there...
Gabi shuddered as she jerked around to see who was behind her...Exodus.
Gabi:: Oh, thank God it's you...I know the embezzlers are coming for me tonight, I just know it!
Antonio: It's alright. They're going to have to face me first.
Gabi: I don't understand. Why are you so determined to protect me? I thought you wanted to protect this whole town.
Antonio: I think I'm doing my service to them by safeguarding the most beautiful woman in Sunset Beach...
Gabi: You know...you remind me of someone.
Antonio: Really?? Uh...who?
Gabi: It's nobody you would know.
Antonio: Oh no? Try me.
Gabi: An...an old friend. He meant everything to me...
Antonio: Sounds like you haven't seen this friend in a long time.
Gabi: To me, it seems like an eternity...
Antonio: I know what eternity feels like...
He took her hand and pulled her towards him. She stood, motionless as he seized her lips with his. A torrent of emotions poured out of him with a sensuous urgency...she trembled! He tenderly put his hands on her face and lead her into his soul...and when he broke from the heated embrace, he just looked at her with the deepest gaze, breathing on her as gently as the fanning of an angel's wing.
Gabi: Why...why did you do that?
Antonio: What...kiss you? I'm sorry...I...
Gabi: No...I meant, pull away so quickly?
They stood on the moonlit veranda, kissing like new lovers, she and this masked man...but the feeling of deja vu rushed over her. She wanted to unmask those fiery eyes, to know who he was...but here now, she felt like she knew everything there was to know....she had touched the core of him in one kiss...well, technically two...and couldn't let him go.
Gerard: Good God...he was telling the truth!
The escaped con watched them from the nearby bushes.
Gerard: No wonder Creed couldn't waste her. She's got Zorro for a boyfriend! Dammit...I have to put him out of commission...both of them!!
He cocked the pistol and aimed...and accidentally shot the windchimes on the porch! They snapped out of each others' arms at the sound of the blast and clang...
Gabi: Exodus, run!! Get out of here!!
Antonio: Never...
He unsheathed the Sword of Rosario.
Antonio: Show yourself...now!!
Gabi: Exodus, help me!!
Gerard had her...and the gun.
Gerard: Should have looked behind you. I'm pretty fast.
Antonio: Let her go...
Ricardo: Alright, Annie. It's simple. Spence is the carjacker, you're the helpless driver, and I'll be hiding in the backseat. Now when Exodus shows up, I pop out and arrest him. You got it?
Annie: Yeah, yeah. Hey, Ricardo, why didn't you bring Antonio along on this stakeout? We could use a few prayers right now, cause this is never gonna work!
Ricardo: Nah! Sometimes Antonio has trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time. And yes, this IS going to work. OK, here comes Spence in his ski-mask get-up...
Carjacker: Out of the car, now!!
Annie: Please, don't hurt me!! I'm young and fragile!! Oh, why God, WHY??!!
Ricardo: [Pssst! Annie! Tone down the melodrama a little!]
Annie: [What can I say, I learn from Olivia!] Ahem..help!!! Help me!!
Carjacker: Shut up, lady!! Out of the car!!
Annie: Ow!! Spence, don't grab my arm so hard!
Carjacker: Spence?? What the hell are you talking about, lady??
Annie: Oh God! Abort mission, Ricardo! Real criminal!! Hang on!!
Ricardo: Annie, nooooo!!
She tore down the road with Ricardo flying across the backseat.
Ricardo: Annn-iiee! Stop! This is MY car, not the General Lee!!
(scene freezes)
**Now, the folks in Hazard County had never seen a police mission like this. But then again, these two Dukes were plum crazy partners!**
The car weaved and hit a fire hydrant. As the water rushed in and drenched them both, there was only one thing to say...
Annie: You know, Ricardo? We make a pretty good team.
Ricardo: Yeah, right--
She planted a kiss right on his lips.
Ricardo: What was THAT for?
Annie: Well, you still haven't told me to get lost yet...now why is that?
Ricardo: Well, I...you...we...
Annie: We're hot together, that's why! Say it after me, Ricardo. "We're hot."
Ricardo: What am I getting myself into?
Antonio: I said, let go of her!!!
Gerard: Shut up!! This is between me, and my little size-zero friend who should've died in that explosion...
Gabi: Please, don't do this!!
Gerard: I went to jail because of you!!! I lost everything...and now you're gonna die...
Antonio hit the gun out of Gerard's hand with the sword and lunged at him. Gabi fell out of the way, as the two struggled on the ground.
Gabi: Exodus!! Don't!!
Gerard: Go...to hell...Wonder Boy!!
Gerard reached for his gun..pushed Antonio off him, and aimed at Gabi...
Antonio: No!!! Gabi, look out!!
Everything seemed to go in slow motion as Antonio jumped in front of her...the feeling of being hit by a train...and Exodus fell into darkness.....
to be continued....
Next...the final chapter...a shot rings out...a sacrifice is made...destiny is met...but what will the final judgement of Antonio be? :-) The end awaits!!