BY KAL-EL
I'LL TAKE MANHATTEN
ACT 2
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Everything up until the end of 'Chant Down Babylon'.
Cut to Max and Liz standing together�somber. A large barred door slams shut on them.
Outside the prison cell, Detective Roland is arguing with Sheriff Hanson.
HANSON: There has to be some mistake, Roland. I know these kids. They�d never hurt anyone.
ROLAND: Explain the incident at the convenience store in Iowa then, Sheriff.
Hanson sighs.
HANSON: That was an error in judgment. But no one was hurt. Nothing was even stolen. They wouldn�t kill anyone, Roland, it�s just not in them.
Detective Roland gives Hanson a cold stare. He walks up to him, angrily.
ROLAND: Sheriff Hanson, we have a dead body in our morgue. This body�s neck was snapped, and Max Evans� fingerprints are on said neck. The body was found in Vermont, inside a library not to far from where Liz Parker, who happens to be Max�s girlfriend, was staying at the time. I�m not a very firm believer in coincidences.
Behind them in the cell, Liz looks over at Max. Her face shows confusion.
MAX: (whispering)Clayton.
She nods, as the two of them sit down on the bed. They have absolutely no idea what to do.
*****
Cut to the outside of the Crashdown. The doors swing open, as a small group of people with a mission march outside. They are Michael Guirn, Isabel Evans-Ramirez, Jessie Ramirez, Maria DeLuca, Kyle Valenti, and the former sheriff Jim Valenti.
VALENTI: Anybody know how this happened?
KYLE: Not a clue, dad. Some detective just showed up and arrested them for killing some Wheeler woman.
Valenti turns to Michael and Isabel.
VALENTI: Did he?
MICHAEL: Clayton killed his wife while he was in control of Max�s body. Means he had his fingerprints.
ISABEL: And, since they were so close to Liz�
VALENTI: �she is considered an alibi because she ran. Damn.
Jessie sighs in frustration.
JESSIE: I can�t actually use mind control in my case without opening a large can of worms. Any ideas?
The group is silent.
ISABEL: We�ve got to get them out of there.
Michael�s fist begins to glow.
MICHAEL: I�ll get them out of there.
MARIA: (sarcastically)Oh, that�s smart.
Michael turns to her angrily.
MICHAEL: Did I ask your opinion?!
Maria stays silent.
VALENTI: No jailbreak, Michael. Not until we don�t have another choice.
Finally, they arrive at their destination. Valenti�s old office�where both the Evans and the Parkers are waiting for them.
MRS. EVANS: Isabel!
Isabel hugs her mother, while Jeff and Phillip go up to Valenti.
VALENTI: Now, both of you are going to have to trust me�
*****
Cut to inside the police station. Max and Liz jump up as they see their friends and family arrive.
LIZ: Mom! Dad!
MAX: Mr. Parker, I promise I didn�t do anything.
Jeff looks him over for a minute, then joins Max�s father behind Valenti, who is talking to Hanson.
HANSON: Jim, you�re not supposed to be here. If the mayor finds out�
VALENTI: Already taken care of, Sheriff�
Valenti shows Hanson a card that he pulls out of his jacket pocket.
HANSON: Private Investigator?
VALENTI: Yeah, Jeff just hired me. I�m here to help his boy.
Hanson continues to stare at the card.
HANSON: Specializing in the paranormal?
VALENTI: This is Roswell, I need a hook. Besides, a pair of straight-A students being charged for a murder that they don�t even remember is pretty out there, isn�t it?
Hanson stares at him a moment, not sure what to think. However, he knows that he couldn�t stop Valenti. He backs away as Roland walks up to him.
ROLAND: Jim Valenti, correct? Detective Roland. I�ve heard stories about you and your father. It was a shame when I heard you had resigned. I had hoped to meet you in person.
They shake hands.
VALENTI: I wish it was under better circumstances, detective. These kids are my boy�s friends. They wouldn�t kill unless they had no choice. Is it possible Mrs. Wheeler attacked them? Threatened them with violence?
ROLAND: At that woman�s age? Highly unlikely.
VALENTI: Then it couldn�t have been them.
For some reason, Detective Roland pauses. Almost as if he�s considering the suggestion.
ROLAND: We have fingerprints on the body.
Suddenly, Roland�s cell phone begins to ring. He answers it.
ROLAND: Hello?
He listens to the other line for a moment, his eyes narrowing.
ROLAND: Ok, just keep me updates. I�ll be back as soon as I can.
He hangs up and turns to Hanson.
ROLAND: The kids are free to go.
Everyone, including Hanson, looks at him dumbfounded.
*****
Cut to later on, inside the Evans� house. Detective Roland walks into the living room, followed by Phillip, Jessie, Jeff, Valenti, Max, and Liz.
ROLAND: Please, Mr. Evans. I have work to do.
Phillip gives him a cold stare.
PHILLIP: Not until I get some answers.
MAX: Come on, dad, just let it go. I�m not in any trouble.
He doesn�t listen.
PHILLIP: You come to my town, arrest MY son, and then just say it was a misunderstanding. Bull! What�s really going on?
ROLAND: That�s privileged information�
PHILLIP: (angry)Don�t give me that crud. I�m a lawyer�I know the tricks you feds pull.
Liz�s eyes looks worried.
LIZ: (to Max)FBI?
Max takes her hand.
Sighing, Detective Roland looks towards Mr. Evans.
ROLAND: I�m not with the FBI, Phillip. NYPD.
VALENTI: New York? Isn�t this a bit out of your jurisdiction?
ROLAND: I was following a lead. A violent gang has recently sprung up in Manhattan. They�ve killed dozens of people in under a month, and so far only the leader has been photographed. Then his fingerprints showed up on a deceased woman in Vermont.
JEFF: Wait�I thought you said you found Max�s fingerprints?
He nods. Then he pulls a photograph out of his pocket and puts it on the table.
ROLAND: Take a look at this�
On the photograph is a New York subway. Standing on it is someone with spiked hair, and earring, and a cold look across his face.
Other than that, he looks exactly like Max.
ROLAND: This is the gang leader, my friends. He calls himself �Zan�.
MAX: (whispering)Zan?
JESSIE: He looks like Max. In a punk-rocker sort of way.
ROLAND: I thought it was Max. But Zan was sighted back in the city while I had him and Miss Parker here locked up. Whoever Zan is, he looks exactly like your son. He killed Mrs. Wheeler�he even has the same fingerprints.
PHILLIP: That�s impossible. How could�
Suddenly, Liz spoke up.
LIZ: Max was adopted. Mr. And Mrs. Evans found him and Isabel in the desert. Maybe Zan�s, like, a relative or something. Their real family?
PHILLIP: Like a twin?
Liz nods.
Everyone else in the room looks astonished. Everyone except Max, that is. He has a look of dread on his face.
ROLAND: I�m dreadfully sorry for this misunderstanding. Now, I�ve got to get back to New York, and�
But before he can finish.
MAX: I�m coming with you!
His father stares at him.
PHILLIP: Max?!
MAX: Dad, you heard everything. I�I might have a brother out there. My real family. I just have to know.
ROLAND: He�s a killer, kid. Are you sure you want to do this?
Max nods.
MAX: Positive.
Mr. Evans thinks for a minute.
PHILLIP: I don�t like the idea of you going alone.
VALENTI: He won�t be alone, Phil. You hired me to find out the truth, so I�ll see it all the way. You already paid me, after all.
PHILLIP: I�all right. But if things start to get dangerous, I want you back here immediately. And bring Isabel with you�Jessie, go with them.
Jessie nods.
Phillip turns to Valenti.
PHILLIP: Just bring them home safe, ok Jim?
VALENTI: I promise.
*****
Cut to the Valenti house. Kyle is packing a suitcase when Maria walks into his room.
MARIA: Hey Kyle.
He looks up, surprised.
KYLE: Maria? I didn�t hear you come in?
She walks up to him.
MARIA: Where you headed?
KYLE: The big apple. Apparently Max was set up, and dad�s going after the real killer. Alien stuff, you know?
She smiles.
MARIA: Can I come?
He looks at her, dumbfounded.
KYLE: What happened to the �aliens ruined my life� riff you were on?
She shrugs.
MARIA: Hey, I�m just curious. Besides, I didn�t get to see the sites too much.
KYLE: I don�t know. Max isn�t too thrilled at even the rest of us coming along. He wants to handle things himself, as usual.
MARIA: Yeah, I know. He�s the king, so he gets to give orders.
KYLE: Technically he�s not the king anymore. When he �died� that star thing in his brain sort of disappeared.
Maria�s eyes go wide.
MARIA: A-are you sure? I mean, can that happen?
KYLE: Why so interested?
She doesn�t answer.
KYLE: Are you really sure you want to come along? I sort of have powers now, so I can defend myself. But if �Bizarro-Max� starts frying people, you might get hurt.
She looks him in the eyes. Then she rests her hand on his chest.
MARIA: You�ll protect me�won�t you?
She traces his muscles with her finger.
KYLE: Uh�Maria?
MARIA: Hmm?
Kyle begins to sweat uncomfortably.
KYLE: Are you�feeling ok?
MARIA: (whispering)Never�better�
At that precise moment, Michael walks towards Kyle�s room. He sees Maria pressed up against him, looking as if she�s about to kiss Kyle.
That�s when Kyle notices him.
KYLE: MICHAEL?!
Maria, still pressed against Kyle, turns to look at him.
MARIA: Oh, hey Michael. We going soon?
She leaves, walking past Michael.
MICHAEL: Yeah�yeah, we�re going.
His eyes narrow as he looks at Kyle.
KYLE: Look..Guirn�
MICHAEL: You know what? I really don�t need to hear anything from you right now!
Michael storms out.
Sighing, Kyle sits down on the bed.
*****
Cut to the front of the Crashdown. Max and Liz are sitting in a truck, talking.
MAX: I don�t know how he�s still alive. Rath and Lonnie said he was dead.
LIZ: So were you, remember? Maybe you save some sort of failsafe to bring you back to life?
MAX: Maybe�
A moment of silence comes over them.
LIZ: This is the part in the conversation when you usually tell me not to come because it�ll put me in danger.
Max smiles at her.
MAX: Would it be any use?
LIZ: Nope.
They kiss.
Neither one notices Maria arrive, standing a few feet away. She stares at the two of them angrily. Her fist clenches.
MARIA: Hey guys.
They break off the kiss, and look at Maria. Both are unsure of what to say.
MARIA: I get we�re not really getting along lately. But I�m still technically in the �I know an alien club�, right?
She hops into the back seat.
The others arrive. Michael, Isabel, Kyle, Jessie, and Valenti all get into the truck.
VALENTI: Detective Rolland went ahead. He said he�ll meet the rest of us in New York.
JESSIE: So you actually know this �Zan� guy? Who is he?
MAX: He�s me. Our home planet made a contingency plan, just in case we were killed or captured. Exact duplicates of me, Michael, Isabel, and Tess. They tried to kill me.
ISABEL: They�re also more vicious, too. They don�t think much about humans.
LIZ: Max, I just thought of something.
Max turns to her.
LIZ: When you �died�, you lost the royal seal.
JESSIE: �Royal seal�?
MICHAEL: A tattoo made out of stars implanted in his brain. It identifies him as king.
JESSIE: And it�s gone?
LIZ: Yeah, but what if it didn�t just disappear? What if it was transferred?
ISABEL: Like it would if Max died?
MAX: Which I did�
All of them become deadly silent.
A smile creeps onto Maria�s face.
ISABEL: Zan has the seal then? Max, if he�s anything like Rath or Lonnie�
MAX: We have to stop him.
The car pulls out, and they drive off.
ACT III