DAN:
I’ll do you one better.
DAVE:
Really? How?
SOUND:
Dan’s footsteps, under.
NARRATOR:
As if in a trance, Dan suddenly stands up, moves to the center of the store, and raises his arms dramatically.
DAN:
(loudly) Defender of the persecuted, I summon thee! Arise from the underworld!
SOUND:
A low rumbling begins and gradually gets louder, under.
DAVE:
What are you doing?
DAN:
(coldly) I’ve never told you my full name have I?
DAVE:
No. . .now that I think of it, I guess not. But what does that matter right now?
DAN:
Because I think you’ll find it rings a bell. My name is Monaghan. Daniel Monaghan.
DAVE:
Monaghan. . .oh my god. . .
DAN:
(his anger building) My father was Detective Nick Monaghan of the Chicago Police Department.
DAVE:
Dan, I had no idea!
SOUND:
The rumbling, now deafening, is followed by the sound of flames roaring. The rumbling and flames then stop abruptly and we hear the wet, slobbery breathing.
DAN:
Welcome, demon, to the upper world.
ENFORCER:
I have heeded thy call.
DAVE:
Wait a minute—you’re supposed to answer to me!
DAN:
To whom do you pledge your allegiance?
ENFORCER:
Art thou the maltreated, the subjugated, the oppressed. . .the underdog?
DAN:
I am.
ENFORCER:
Then I pledge my allegiance to thee. . .master.
DAVE:
But. . .but I’m your master!
DAN:
Not any more. You said it yourself; everyone who has ever bullied you or pushed you around has been killed. And if there’s no one left who thinks they’re better than you, you can’t be the underdog anymore, now can you?
ENFORCER:
Show me thine enemies and I shall defend thee.
DAN:
Him. That guy right there. Dave Chersky.
DAVE:
Wait. . .let’s think about this logically! I didn’t kill your father—The Dark Enforcer did!
DAN:
Come on, Dave. . .we both know how it works in the comic. The Dark Enforcer can only follow the orders of his master!
DAVE:
But I didn’t order him to kill your dad! He invoked the bidding of Balthazar!
DAN:
It doesn’t matter. You still wanted my dad dead, didn’t you? Otherwise, The
DAN (cont’d):
Dark Enforcer wouldn’t have killed him!
Am I right? Am I?
DAVE:
(defeated) Yes.
DAN:
Then we’re done talking.
ENFORCER:
Shall I eliminate your enemy?
DAN:
Do it.
DAVE:
(sobbing) Please. . .no! If I’d known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have summoned him in the first place! I just wanted to get back at Keller. . .at everyone who ever bullied me. I just wanted revenge!
DAN:
Yeah. (a beat) Payback’s a bitch.
SOUND:
The Dark Enforcer snarls, Dave screams, and we hear the sound of flesh tearing and bones snapping.
MUSIC:
Sting. Then into Fangoria Theme.
ANNOUNCER:
“The Dark Enforcer” was written by Barry Richert. Heard in the cast were:
