FADE IN:
EXT. OUTER SPACE - DAY - ESTABLISHING
We see planet Earth from space.
The sun peeks from behind it. A WOMAN'S VOICE with an ENGLISH ACCENT speaks.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.)
They think there's no one left to save the world.
EXT. EARTH ORBIT - DAY
SKYWATCH, a huge space
platform, orbits the Earth.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.)
It was once Stormwatch, the U.N.'s Crisis Intervention Team, who held this task.
INT. SKYWATCH - THE WATCH HALL - CONTINUOUS
A large circular hall with
enormous windows looking out into space. Stormwatch operatives work in front of
computer screens, and pace about busily.
There's a bridge of sorts above
their heads, on top of which stands Henry Bendix, a bald man with a mechanical
headset built into his head, out of which many cables come out and plug into a
large computer in the ceiling.
He watches over all.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Located within Skywatch orbital platform, and under the command of Henry Bendix, the Weatherman, this team, made up of both humans and superhumans, was Earth's main line of defense.
EXT. A CITY RAVAGED BY WAR - AFTERNOON
An invading army, with
high-tech machinery and weapons, faces off against Stormwatch Prime members:
WINTER, who absorbs and rechannels energy; HELLSTRIKE, who flies and fires
plasma blasts; and FUJI, who wears an enormous mecha battle suit.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
But it wasn't long before Bendix, realizing the power he had been given, decided it was his right to run the world...his way.
INT. HENRY BENDIX'S PRIVATE QUARTERS - NIGHT
Henry Bendix stands in darkness
and gazes at a large screen, showing the scenes of battle. He smiles.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
In hindsight, it was bloody stupid of us not to notice something was wrong. And those of us who suspected it didn't act soon enough.
EXT. THE WOLFSHEAD PUB - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING
A run-down pub in a hidden
alley with a very small, wooden sign.
INT. THE INSIDE OF THE WOLFSHEAD PUB - CONTINUOUS
The bar is populated by
superhumans. Some look like regular people, while others look particularly
bizarre. All seem to be having a very good time.
A blond woman smokes alone at a
table, this is JENNY SPARKS. Several empty bottles of beer and an ashtray
packed with cigarette butts sit on the table. She looks BORED, TIRED, and
DRUNK.
A hand pulls a chair out. Jenny
looks up at the visitor.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
It was in ninety-six, before all this mess, that Bendix approached me with promises of changing the world. I had repeatedly told him to sod off; but when he talked about being proactive...about going after the causes, not the effects...he convinced me...which doesn't mean I trusted the git, mind you.
Henry Bendix is revealed to be
the man who sat at the table. He hands Jenny a lighting-shaped communicator.
He puts his hand out to shake
Jenny's. She looks at him mistrustingly, puts out her cigarette on his gloved
hand, stands up and leaves.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
"The moment you lose your spine over a problem, Henry, I will kill you"...those were my words to him when I agreed to join.
INT. SKYWATCH - THE TELEPORT BAY - NIGHT
Fleeing, Henry Bendix reaches
the teleporter: a circular platform with a control panel to one side. He is
carrying a gun.
He DESPERATELY dials the
buttons on the teleporter's control panel.
Jenny shows up. She is FURIOUS.
Henry raises his gun, ready to
shoot her.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
And on that day, when Bendix killed a group of well-meaning idealists; who proposed change through anarchy, only because they threatened his grand scheme, I made good on that promise.
A BIG burst of electricity
flows from Jenny's body and into the teleport bay's machinery, ELECTROCUTING
Henry Bendix.
The machinery EXPLODES,
apparently killing him.
INT. THE WATCH HALL - DAY
As before, Stormwatch
operatives are busy. New Weatherman, JACKSON KING, an African-American man
wearing the same mechanical headset as Bendix, watches over everything.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
The title of Weatherman was then passed to Jackson King, a considerably powerful telekinetic, and for a while, things seemed to go well.
INT. SKYWATCH - A HALLWAY - NIGHT
CHAOS! EXPLOSIONS! Skywatch
personnel run in terror from unseen invaders.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
But that ended when Skywatch was invaded by an unidentified alien race...Those poor bastards. They never stood a chance.
The chest of a man is PIERCED
from behind by a strange black appendage resembling a spear, and drops dead.
Another man is SNATCHED into a
vent quickly by a concealed creature.
INT. U.N.'S SECRET MEDICAL FACILITY - NIGHT
Jackson King sits with his
hands over his face, being comforted by CHRISTINE TRELANE, his girlfriend and
second-in-command.
In front of them, sits Flint, a
tall, muscular Nigerian woman, exhausted and mournful.
Medical personnel hurriedly
take care of the wounded.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Only ninety-seven Stormwatch operatives were teleported out when it was over. Not even half the crew. Of the superhuman operatives on board, only Jackson King, his second-in- command: Christine Trelane, and field operative Flint, were rescued.
EXT. OUTER SPACE - DAY
Skywatch flies through space at
an unbelievable speed, heading towards the sun.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
To ensure the alien infestation did not reach Earth by any possible means. Stormwatch Team Leader Nikolas Kamarov, Codename: WINTER, piloted Skywatch into the sun.
INT. THE WATCH HALL - DAY
The Watch Hall is deserted,
save for one person: Winter.
The FIERY GLOW of the sun
illuminates his face, through the large windows.
He closes his eyes.
The glow CONSUMES everything.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
There, he met a hero's end...
INT. JACKSON KING'S QUARTERS - NIGHT
Jackson King sits on his bed
reading a MEMO. His hands tremble with rage.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Counting their losses, the U.N. decided to cut funding off Stormwatch. No new orbital platform. No new field team. No new Stormwatch. King and Trelane were given desk jobs at U.N. Superhuman Intelligence...and that was the end of it all.
EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT
Hundreds of tombstones under
the moonlight. Three silhouettes stand under a nearby tree. They are Jenny
Sparks, SHEN LI-MIN, and JACK HAWKSMOOR.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
As for myself...being part of Stormwatch Black Ops meant I had to keep a low profile, along with my teammates: Jack Hawksmoor and Shen Li-Min. It also meant we were not in Skywatch during the invasion. We wanted to think we got lucky...
We see Jenny's face, looking
both mournful and angry. A tear rolls from her eye. She inhales from her
cigarette, holds the smoke in for a few seconds, then exhales it.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
But what it actually meant was that the torch had been passed on to us...There has to be someone left to save the world. If I'm sending you this message it's because I know you believe this too, and I know you can help.
INT. JENNY SPARKS' QUARTERS - NIGHT
Jenny Sparks sits at her desk,
smoking, writing a letter. A desk lamp provides the only light. There's a bottle
of scotch, a glass, and an ashtray on the desk.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Your predecessor was one of the group of anarchists Henry Bendix killed. It is you moral responsibility to use what he taught you for the greater good.
EXT. OUTER SPACE - DAY
Again we see Earth from outer
space. The sun is peeking further from behind it than earlier.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
This is Colonel Jennifer Sparks, on her last packet of ciggies, pissed as all hell, and desperate for a shag...and yet, I deem you worthy enough to spend my time writing this message to you, so...
A silhouette of something that
seems to be orbiting the Earth briefly passes in front of the sun.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.) (CONT'D)
What do you say?
FADE TO BLACK
FADE IN:
EXT. MOSCOW - SUNSET - ESTABLISHING
SUPER: Moscow, 1999
The city is covered in snow.
The sun sets in the horizon.
In the distance, what look like
missiles SILENTLY shoot upward, across the sky. When they reach a certain
height, their trajectories curve downward, toward the city.
EXT. MOSCOW CITY STREETS - CONTINUOUS
People in the streets look up
at the approaching menace. Some point up, some scream, and some run, terrified.
The projectiles CRASH into
buildings, DEMOLISHING them completely.
Pieces of RUBBLE fall from the
struck buildings, CRUSHING the fleeing people beneath them.
A projectile makes impact on
the street, and creates an EXPLOSION that sends asphalt, cars and people,
flying everywhere.
Ongoing destruction all around.
DUST, SMOKE AND FIRE! Buildings COLLAPSE left and right.
Innocent people are crushed,
burned, dismembered and thrown around lifelessly by HUNDREDS of explosions.
The LAST projectile hits. One
last devastating explosion.
Dust and smoke block the view.
Silence.
EXT. DEVASTATED MOSCOW STREET - MOMENTS LATER
The dust begins to settle, and
allows a view of the destruction. Rubble, destroyed cars and corpses surround a
crater formed by one of the projectiles' impacts.
A dirty, hurt boy slowly crawls
out from underneath the rubble. He approaches the edge of the crater and looks
into it.
Inside, at the center of the
crater is a crouching man, dressed in black.
The man stands up slowly. He's
Asian. The black uniform has a symbol on its chest: a silver circle with three
circular knots in its perimeter; two closer to each other and one separated.
He looks up at the boy, who
stares back in terror.
The man's eyes light up as if
CHARGING UP ENERGY; then, energy beams SHOOT out of them in the direction of
the boy.
EXT. NEW YORK - THE U.N. BUILDING - DAY - ESTABLISHING
SUPER: The United Nations
INT. JACKSON KING AND CHRISTINE TRELANE'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
A cramped, messy office.
Jackson King sits behind a cluttered desk. In front of him there are screens
displaying newscasts of the disaster in Moscow.
JACKSON
(indifferently)
Hey, Christine? Moscow's been hit. Half the city's burning.
CHRISTINE (O.S.)
I haven't been under a rock, Jackson. I know.
JACKSON
Superhuman terrorists dropped down like bombs, then started killing survivors.
Christine comes up from behind
Jackson holding two mugs of coffee, hands him one and sits down at her own
desk, next to his, to watch the screens.
CHRISTINE
You don't sound too concerned.
JACKSON
Probably because of the same reason as you: there's nothing we can do about it...ever since they basically neutered us.
CHRISTINE
(sighs)
There's the old resentment, right on cue
JACKSON
Well, forgive me if I hate to accept that's how we live now: sitting back, watching some lunatic wipe out half a city, hoping it's not ours next.
CHRISTINE
Jackson, face it, we can't even trace the people who hit Moscow without Skywatch.
JACKSON
(frustrated)
But where are all the superpeople? Are you telling me there isn't ONE goddamn clown in a cape in all of Russia, who can shoot lasers out of his ass, that could've prevented this?
Jackson stands up and tosses a
bunch of papers off his desk to vent the anger.
JACKSON (CONT'D)
Where's Jenny Sparks, and the rest of Stormwatch Black? They could've stopped this without breaking a sweat. We haven't heard a word from them in months!
A bright, yellow LIGHT shines
from behind Jackson. Christine, who is facing him, gasps.
JENNY SPARKS (O.S.)
We were elsewhere when they hit Moscow...
Jackson turns to look back and
sees Jenny Sparks stepping out of a BRIGHT YELLOW PORTAL, which disappears once
she is out of it.
CHRISTINE
Jenny?!
JENNY SPARKS
I'll have my people working on it soon. Trust me, this will not happen again.
CHRISTINE
Jenny, how did you get in here?
JENNY SPARKS
Through a Carrier Door, but that's irrelevant...
JACKSON
A what?!
CHRISTINE
What have you been up to?
JENNY SPARKS
I've been talking to people, making preparations, but again, that's...
JACKSON
(cutting in)
Preparations for what?
JENNY SPARKS
(finishing her sentence)
...irrelevant...I'll explain everything later, sunbeam. I need all the intel you have on Moscow. We must figure out who did this so they can be stopped.
Christine pulls a disc out of
her computer and hands it to Jenny.
CHRISTINE
This is the backup disc of all we have.
JENNY SPARKS
Thanks. We'll be in touch.
Jenny turns around, ready to
head out.
JACKSON
Jenny, wait! You are talking about "your people" and stopping the terrorists...who's going to stop them? Who are your people?
JENNY SPARKS
A higher authority...Door.
The Door opens up again. Jenny
steps through it. The Door disappears, leaving Jackson and Christine alone.
CHRISTINE
That woman scares me most of the time.
JACKSON
What's she up to?
CHRISTINE
Guess well just have to wait and see. Right...
(mockingly)
Sunbeam?
EXT. AMSTERDAM - DAY - ESTABLISHING
SUPER: Amsterdam, a few months
earlier.
A spark of electricity travels
across a power line.
It travels through a cable into
a café.
A radio is on the counter at a
café. The spark shoots out of the radio and into a light bulb. It goes from one
bulb to the other, making each explode, startling everyone in the place.
Outside, the spark shoots from
an electric sign outside the café and into one of the tail lights of a passing
car; from there to the next tail light, and from there to the pantograph atop a
passing trolley, and into the power lines connected to it.
EXT. AMSTERDAM - PARK - CONTINUOUS
A man walks a dog near a lamp
post. The dog sniffs the lamp post and raises its leg.
Suddenly, the lamp explodes and
a bolt of electricity comes out of it, startling both the man and the dog.
The electricity hits the street
and immediately materializes into a woman wearing a shirt with a Union Jack on
it. It's Jenny Sparks.
Jenny takes out a cigarette and
lights it with a jolt of electricity from her finger, removes it from her lips
and exhales the smoke.
JENNY SPARKS
Took you long enough.
A winged Asian woman descends
in front of Jenny. She is Shen Li-Min, also known as Swift.
The man with the dog gawks at
her, while the dog pees on his leg.
SHEN
Man, we're pushy today! Is this potential recruit really THAT important?
JENNY SPARKS
Indispensable.
Swift lands gracefully.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
Shen, how about we try inconspicuous for a change today?
Shen sighs. Her wings quickly
blacken and melt into liquid off her back.
Both women begin to walk toward
the street at the edge of the park.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
How'd it go with the computer geek in Brooklyn.
SHEN
Her name is DOCTOR Angela Spica, PhD, Jenny...and, are you kidding me? She'd PAY to join a super-team.
JENNY SPARKS
(sarcastically)
Now why would anyone want to do that?
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. BLUE-COLLAR APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY
A Hispanic family spend an
evening watching TV. Mom, dad, and six girls. An atmosphere of love and
happiness makes up for the poor-looking surroundings.
SHEN (V.O.)
Well, Angie was born the youngest of six girls in a blue- collar family in Queens.
INT. BLUE COLLAR APARTMENT - ANGELA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
A humble room. The walls are
covered in superhero posters. A ten-year-old ANGELA SPICA is lying face down on
her bed reading a Green Lantern comic book. She wears thick glasses and has
braces that look like a bear trap.
SHEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
She was kind of a girl-genius. OBSESSED with comic books. All she wanted to be in life was a superhero. She'd settle for nothing else.
BACK TO PRESENT
Jenny interrupts Shen's story.
JENNY SPARKS
See? Geek...told you.
SHEN
(laughing)
Quiet, you horrible woman... ANYWAY...
INT. COMIC BOOK STORE - DAY
A fifteen-year-old Angela is
sitting behind the counter at a comic book store. She looks painfully bored.
Close to her, a tall fat man in a Star Trek shirt browses through the magazines
on a rack unselfconsciously picking his nose.
SHEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Needless to say, the closest she got to being a comic book hero wasn't close enough.
Teenage Angela looks at her
customer and sighs, resting her forehead on the counter.
SHEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
So, she realized, if she wanted to be a superhero, she would have to MAKE herself into one.
INT. COLLEGE DORMITORY - NIGHT
Angela is sitting at her desk,
studying. All sorts of science books surround her. Her roomate in the
background is happily having sex, not minding her at all.
EXT. COLLEGE AUDITORIUM - DAY
A graduation ceremony. Angela
receives her diploma in high honors. Her family in the crowd APPLAUD
enthusiastically.
INT. LABORATORY - NIGHT
Angela sits behind a computer
studying a computer simulation of a fusion between human tissue and machine
components.
INT. CONFERENCE HALL - NIGHT
Angela is giving a speech on
her research. A projection screen behind her shows the earlier simulation. A
title on it reads "HUMAN-MACHINE FUSION".
She finishes her speech and is
rewarded with applause.
SHEN (V.O.)
Her research on human-machine fusion got tons of recognition, but that was when she realized...
INT. ANGELA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Angela comes in from the
conference. She puts her bag down, as well as some books she's carrying. Then,
on a table, she places an honorary plaque in recognition of her research.
She looks up at a wall and
notices a poster of the Green Lantern hanging in a frame. She looks
disappointed.
SHEN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
...nothing she had done had gotten her any closer to becoming a superhero. She wasn't leaping any tall buildings in a single bound, you know?
BACK TO PRESENT
SHEN (CONT'D)
That's when fate happened.
JENNY SPARKS
No, Shen...that's when Bendix happened.
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND BASE - DAY
The Engineer, a man covered in
glowing armor of green, liquid nanomachinery, is struck by a missile that
crashes through the ceiling, making him explode into a million pieces.
SHEN (V.O.)
Right. Just a second before Bendix wiped out his anarchist team with an acid bomb, the Engineer mailed her all his notes on nanotechnology.
A tiny green drop of
nanomachinery breaks out of his armor during the explosion. Transforms, and
flies away.
INT. ANGELA'S APARTMENT - DAY
Angela sits on her desk,
checking some notes and having coffee. We see her computer's screen close by.
The green drop that flew out of
the underground base flies into her USB port. It transforms to fit the socket.
Immediately, a message is
displayed on the screen and an alert tone is heard.
Angela reacts to it and walks
over to her computer. She clicks on the displayed message and all sorts of
notes, graphics, numbers and calculations begin to fill her screen.
SHEN (V.O.)(CONT'D)
She combined it with her own research, and improved the nano- armor technology into what she calls the nanoblood.
BACK TO PRESENT
JENNY SPARKS
So, basically: big enormous nerd girl wants to be a superhero so bad, she trades her blood for liquid machines. No wonder she gave the first reply.
SHEN
What about Apollo and The Midnighter? Have they responded already?
JENNY SPARKS
Jack is in Chicago talking to them over breakfast right now.
SHEN
Is it true what I heard about those two?
JENNY SPARKS
(scoffs)
What? Those big, manly, strapping blokes? Don't be bloody stupid, Shen.
INT. A HOUSE'S KITCHEN - MORNING
A man wearing boxers and a
t-shirt cooks breakfast, his eyes are focused on the spatula and the frying pan
he's holding. He's THE MIDNIGHTER, out of uniform.
Jack Hawksmoor, a somewhat balding
man wearing no shoes, enters the kitchen.
MIDNIGHTER
(eyes on the frying pan)
No...
Jack stops cold.
JACK
At least let me get a word in!
MIDNIGHTER
Answer's no, Hawksmoor.
JACK
Apollo said if I just talked to you, maybe...
MIDNIGHTER
(interrupting)
Then Apollo's a bigger optimist than I'd like to think. Answer's still no...we're retired.
Midnighter transfers the eggs
from the pan to a plate.
JACK
Oh c'mon...retired? You can't be serious. Everybody knows what you and Apollo do at night!
Midnighter looks up from the
plate, raising an eyebrow, not sure of what he just heard.
JACK (CONT'D)
Those drug dealers and weapons pushers the police keep finding aren't dismembering themselves, if you know what I mean.
Midnighter sighs, relieved,
breaks two more eggs and drops them in the frying pan.
MIDNIGHTER
Drug dealers and weapons pushers are small game. Worldwide policing is out of our league.
JACK
When Henry Bendix gave both of you your powers, that's what he meant for you to do.
Midnighter looks up at Jack quickly
irritated.
MIDNIGHTER
You know? Just this second I thought of a million ways in which I could filet you with this spatula, just for saying that name here.
JACK
I'd really love to see you try. But, of course...you're just a rusty retiree, aren't you?
We see Jack's smug smirk and
notice the irises of his eyes are ruby red.
Suddenly, he's distracted by
the spatula hitting his chest and bouncing off. He looks down at it. When he
looks up he notices Midnighter's already in the middle of a flying kick coming
right at him.
Reacting, Jack quickly sinks
into the floor, as if it were water to him, but before half his body has sunk,
Midnighter catches him in a neck hold in mid-air and pulls him down with him as
he lands.
Once on the floor, he spins his
body around 360 degrees, pulling Jack along in his hold. As he spins he sweeps
the spatula off the floor with his free hand, slams Jack down on the floor and
holds the spatula tight against Jack's throat.
MIDNIGHTER
How's this, city boy? I can predict every move you're going to make. Better do your homework before coming into MY house.
JACK
If you could really predict anything about me, you'd know one more thing...
MIDNIGHTER
What's that?
JACK
Every house in this city is MY house...
All of a sudden, the roof above
Midnighter's head collapses. He rolls out of the way just in time, and Jack
sinks into the floor just as the roof hits.
Midnighter stands up, with his
back to a wall, staring at the rubble on the floor; the spatula is still in his
hand. Jack comes out of the wall behind him and easily puts him in a neckhold.
JACK
(mockingly)
See?...rusty...
Midnighter scoffs. He grabs the
arm Jack has around his neck then does a backflip over Jack's head until he's
upside down, with his feet on the wall behind Jack.
He pushes with his legs in one
hard thrust, causing Jack to fall forward.
Just as Jack's chest hits the
floor, Midnighter pulls his head back, and wedges the spatula in so its handle
is against the floor and its edge is pressed just under Jack's adam's apple.
Jack grunts in pain. Midnighter
is sitting on his back, firmly pressing his head down against the spatula.
MIDNIGHTER
Try going into the floor now, smartass.
APOLLO (O.S.)
What the hell?!
Midnighter looks up toward the
kitchen's entrance and sees APOLLO, a tall, blond, long-haired man, standing at
the doorway.
APOLLO
What are you doing?
MIDNIGHTER
(smugly)
Nothing. Just explaining to Mr. Jack Hawksmoor here that we politely decline his offer. Go ahead, you tell him.
Apollo doesn't say a word, he
looks like he's keeping something to himself. Midnighter inspects his face,
closes his eyes and sighs in frustration.
MIDNIGHTER
You already said yes, didn't you?
Apollo smiles awkwardly.
Midnighter gets off Jack's
back, stands up and helps Jack to his feet. He brushes off the dust from Jack's
shirt, looks at him and fakes a smile.
MIDNIGHTER
So...how do you like your eggs?
EXT. AMSTERDAM - RED LIGHT DISTRICT - DAY
Jenny and Shen walk down the
street toward the entrance of an apartment building.
SHEN
So what's this guy's story?
JENNY SPARKS
Multimedia millionaire by twelve. Dot-com billionaire by twenty, and staring into space in a psychiatric home by his twenty-first birthday.
SHEN
Ain't that a bitch.
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING STAIRCASE - CONTINUOUS
Jenny and Shen go up the stairs
of the old and unkempt apartment building.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
Anyway, he regained his marbles eighteen months later, gave away all the dosh to live a simple, quiet life, then BAM! he gets superpowers.
SHEN
You're a really crappy storyteller.
INT. APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Jenny and Shen walk through a
hallway, everything's dirty and a drunk man is passed out against a wall.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
So, he's been holed up in here for weeks, shooting up heroin and playing Sonic the Hedgehog fifteen hours a day.
SHEN
Heroin? Our star recruit is a junkie?
JENNY SPARKS
This wanker's got the kind of power that can level continents; I don't care if he eats babies for breakfast, I want him on the team.
They reach an apartment door,
just as dirty and disgusting as the rest of the building.
SHEN
And just how do you plan to convince him? As far as you told me he refuses to admit he even has powers.
JENNY SPARKS
Let's just say I'm nearly a hundred years old, and I've yet to meet a bloke who didn't fit snugly around my little finger.
INT. JEROEN'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS
The inside of JEROEN
THORNEDIKE's apartment is even more disgusting than the hallway outside. All
sorts of garbage litters the floor: soda cans, empty pizza boxes, dirty
clothes, a bong, and junk food packages.
The living room has a TV with a
videogame console plugged into it, a couch covered by a blanket, and a sink.
On the couch is Jeroen, dressed
shabbily, laying back and smoking a joint.
We HEAR the sound of the
apartment door CREAKING open.
JEROEN
No, Colonel Sparks, I do not want to save the world. Shove off.
Jenny is standing at the
doorway, holding the door open. Shen is behind hery.
JENNY SPARKS
Bloody charming, aren't you? At least the previous Doctor was good for coffee and biscuits, when you paid him a visit.
Jenny walks all the way in,
trying to avoid the garbage on the floor. Jeroen takes a hit off his joint and
exhales slowly.
JEROEN
Well, the previous Doctor's dead. Stormwatch killed him. Sorry if I don't wanna end up that way too.
Shen walks in and busies
herself exploring the derelict surroundings.
JENNY SPARKS
So...a terrible host and a pissing coward to boot. Do you realize how many people would kill to luck into the kind of power you were given?
Jeroen springs up to a sitting
position, angry at Jenny's remark.
JEROEN
Luck?! I was getting my life back on track when that celestial weirdo made me responsible for the welfare of the entire planet!
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. - JEROEN'S APARTMENT'S BATHROOM - DAY
Jeroen is sitting on the toilet
reading an adult magazine. Just as he reaches for the roll of toilet paper, the
walls of the bathroom disappear into...
EXT. - THE GARDEN OF ANCESTRAL MEMORY - CONTINUOUS
The toilet is now in the middle
of an enormous garden that defies reality, scale and color. Everything looks
unreal, as if it were a drug-induced hallucination.
In front of him there's a man
whose ethnicity can only be told by the features of his face, which look African,
but his color is purple in one blink of an eye, green the next, and continues
to change from time to time. He is the PREVIOUS DOCTOR.
Jeroen stands up from the
toilet, still clutching the adult magazine and the roll of toilet paper, he's
gaping in shock.
JEROEN
Who...are...?
Suddenly, Jeroen SCREAMS!, he
drops the magazine and the toilet paper and falls to his knees, clutching his
chest, GASPING for air.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR
Do not be afraid Little Doctor.
Jeroen rolls on the floor,
screaming in pain as if something were crushing his chest.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR
The time has come for you to learn why you were put upon the Earth.
JEROEN
W-WHAT...? WHAT IS...?
He screams again. Even LOUDER
than before.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR
The world now turns where your heart used to sit... A certain amount of pain is to be expected.
BACK TO PRESENT
Jeroen sits on his couch.
Staring into space. Jenny and Shen are standing next to him.
SHEN
If you didn't want the job why didn't you just tell them to shove it?
Jeroen glares at Shen.
JEROEN
I did. It was exactly what they wanted to hear: that I didn't crave the power. The more I protested, the more they were convinced they had the right guy.
He picks up the remote and
turns the TV on, trying to ignore his visitors.
SHEN
Don't you think they might be right?
JEROEN
Please!...put me in a combat situation and my best defense would be to soil myself...Now, get out. I want to be alone.
JENNY SPARKS
We're not going anywhere until you hear what we have to say, you miserable toe-rag!
We see Jeroen's face, he looks
straight ahead at the TV and looks upset.
JEROEN
I don't think you understand...I said I want to be alone.
The next second, Jeroen sits
alone in the apartment, there's no sign of Jenny or Shen anywhere. They've
vanished into thin air.
EXT. AIRPORT RUNWAY - DAY - CONTINUOUS
A plane takes off the ground,
its engines ROAR as it flies over Jenny and Shen, who are standing in its path.
They cover their ears as the
plane flies over, then look up in shock.
JENNY SPARKS
Bloody hell!!!
Jenny looks at Shen in utter
puzzlement, then reaches inside her jacket pocket for her cigarettes but cannot
find them.
SHEN
What?
JENNY SPARKS
He nicked me fags, that sneaky, hippie git...! He teleported the hankies and the loose change, but he held on to the smokes I carried!
Shen laughs.
SHEN
So...what was that about never meeting a man who didn't fit snuggly around your little finger?
JENNY SPARKS
(smirking embarrasedly)
Shut up, you ugly, buddhist cow.
INT. HOUSE'S KITCHEN - MORNING
Midnighter, Apollo and Jack are
sitting at the kitchen counter, having breakfast.
Jack has some scrambled eggs
and swallows them delightedly.
JACK
Mmm...These are damn good! What did you put in them?
MIDNIGHTER
(not looking at Jack)
A-1
JACK
It's always the little things, huh?
MIDNIGHTER
Yeah...
Jack turns to look at Apollo,
as if he sensed more meaning behind Midnighter's one word.
JACK
(at Apollo)
I have a feeling I'm missing something here...
APOLLO
We're giving up something very important to us by accepting your offer, Jack.
JACK
What's that?
Apollo looks at Midnighter,
then back at Jack.
APOLLO
You see, failing Henry Bendix had a high price...
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. UNDERGROUND BASE - NIGHT
A dark hallway in an
underground base. Illumination is minimal.
A large entrance at the end of
the hallway becomes gradually lit up with orange light that intensifies
quickly. Something beyond that entrance is BURNING, and approaching FAST!
Suddenly, out of this entrancie
flies a tiny light. Up close we see this is Apollo; there's an energy aura that
glows around his head as he flies. He is carrying the Midnighter holding him by
his wrists. They look terrified and are fleeing desperately.
Just seconds after they pass
the entrance, out of it bursts the source of the fiery light: it looks like
liquid fire, like lava, but not quite. It clings to the walls as if it were
alive.
APOLLO (V.O.)
On our very first mission we failed to obtain a device Bendix wanted, so he abandoned us to die.
Midnighter looks back at the
approaching tide of burning death that keeps gaining on them.
MIDNIGHTER
FASTER!! GO FASTER!! IT'S GETTING CLOSER!!
APOLLO
I can't go faster! Something's depleting my solar charge!
MIDNIGHTER
THERE'S THE EXIT!!
A certain distance away there
is moonlight coming in through a hole in the ceiling.
The liquid fire is already
biting at Midnighter's feet.
MIDNIGHTER
GO HIGHER! HIGHER!
Apollo goes higher and
Midnighter raises his legs trying to avoid the liquid fire. The hem of his
leather coat, which is hanging down, catches fire.
The hole in the ceiling is
closer and closer every second but feels miles away.
APOLLO
(weakening)
I'm not gonna make it! Midnighter, I'm decharging quickly!
MIDNIGHTER
QUIT WHINING, APOLLO! JUST GET US THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!
The liquid fire has almost got
them. The exit is closer.
APOLLO
I can't!
MIDNIGHTER
DON'T SAY THAT!
APOLLO
(straining visibly)
I CAN'T!!
MIDNIGHTER
DO IT, GODDAMN IT!!
APOLLO
(almost giving up)
I CAN'T!!!
Just a second before tragedy
strikes, Apollo flies up into the exit. The liquid fire hits a wall just beyond
the hole, then begins to go into it.
EXT. DESERT - NIGHT
A vast desert with no sign of
life at all.
In the distance we see Apollo
shoot out of a hole in the ground, up into the night sky, shining like a
firefly.
The liquid fire suddenly bursts
out of the hole like a geyser.
Finally, Apollo and the
Midnighter crashland on the sand at a safe distance. In the background we can
still see the geyser of liquid fire bursting out of the hole in the ground.
Midnighter is the first to
stand up. He quickly removes his coat and starts to slap it against the ground
to put out the flames, as Apollo lies on the ground, panting in exhaustion.
Once he has put of the fire,
Midnighter turns and helps Apollo to his feet. He's broken, defeated, and
sobbing.
APOLLO
They're dead! They're all dead!
MIDNIGHTER
Calm down...
APOLLO
I failed them! I was in charge, and I let them die!
Apollo buries his head in Midnighter's
chest and continues sobbing. Midnighter puts his arms around him, very
awkwardly, as if he weren't used to provide consolation to Apollo, or anybody
for that matter, and yet with an odd sense of comfort in holding him close.
MIDNIGHTER
There's...there's nothing you could've done.
He raises his eyes to look at
the liquid fire that continues to flow from the hole in the distance, as Apollo
continues to cry.
APOLLO (V.O.)
We gave up our lives, our memories, and our very names for Bendix. And all we got in return...
EXT. A CITY'S DARK ALLEY - NIGHT - YEARS LATER
Apollo and the Midnighter are
huddled together, shivering, hiding behind a bunch of garbage cans, and under
torrential rain.
APOLLO (V.O) (CONT'D)
...were five years in hiding, eating out of the garbage. Bendix had us declared hostile, and gave orders to kill us on sight.
BACK TO PRESENT
Apollo's face looks grim,
Midnighter keeps his head down, playing with his uneaten scrambled eggs.
APOLLO (CONT'D)
When Jackson King found us and told us Bendix was dead, he asked us what we wanted as compensation.
JACK
Yeah...I do know that part of the tale.
APOLLO
Then you know what we're giving up to join you: the life we longed for while we were homeless. The little things, like reading the newspaper in the morning, or going for a moccha at the café in the corner. And we're more than willing to do it if you just answer one question.
JACK
Which is...?
APOLLO
How do we know Jenny Sparks means it, when she says she wants to make the world a better place?
Jack smiles, amused by the
question.
JACK
Trust me, man, if Jenny Sparks says she can sing in Swahili while juggling knives, she will either do it, or hit you until you say she did.
Apollo grins widely and puts
out his hand towards Jack.
APOLLO
Then it's official...
INT. AMSTERDAM - ADULT STORE - AFTERNOON
An adult shop with all sorts of
sex toys, sex implements and videos.
Jeroen is standing in front of
a shelf full of porno movies. He grabs one of the DVD cases and looks at the
cover. He is startled by a voice coming from behind him.
JENNY SPARKS (O.S.)
"Chicks Who Dig Chicks"...
Jenny is standing behind
Jeroen, reading the DVD cover over his shoulder. Jeroen gasps, startled.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
(mockingly)
Why, Doctor, I would haver never thought you were into that!
EXT. OUTSIDE THE ADULT STORE - CONTINUOUS
Jeroen storms out of the store,
fuming, and being followed by Jenny.
JEROEN
I have nothing else to say to you, Sparks.
JENNY SPARKS
Oh yes, you have, you selfish wanker! Do you have any idea who I am?
Jeroen stops, and rolls his
eyes annoyed. He turns around to face Jenny.
JEROEN
What, the whole "Spirit of the 20th Century" thing? Yeah, I know. You can't be who I am, without knowing who you are.
JENNY SPARKS
Good, then...
Jenny reaches for the back of her
pants and produces a gun. Jeroen scoffs sardonically.
JEROEN
I was wondering when you'd resort to waving a gun in my face. You militaristic types are all the same.
He turns around and begins to
walk away.
JENNY SPARKS
(to herself)
I could've put money on this ending up the hard way.
(to Jeroen)
Gee, I wonder what will happen if the Spirit of the 20th Century were to die before the 20th century is over!
Jeroen stops cold.
JEROEN
What...?
He turns around to see Jenny
pressing the gun against her temple. Before he's able to react, she pulls the
trigger, and a loud BANG is followed by blood bursting out of the side of her
head.
She collapses on the floor.
There's blood all over the place.
People all around scream and
act shocked and horrified. Jeroen can't help but gape.
WOMAN
(in Dutch)
Somebody call the police!
MAN 1
(in Dutch)
To hell with the police! Get a doctor!
MAN 2
(in Dutch)
Will somebody please get a damn doctor down here!
Jeroen hesitates for a couple
more seconds, then, almost as if driven by a will not his own, he reacts, and
starts shoving people aside, trying to reach Jenny.
JEROEN
(in Dutch)
Let me through! I'm a doctor! Step aside! I'm a doctor!
When he finally reaches Jenny
and kneels beside her, he gasps in horror noticing the enormous hole in the
side of her head.
MAN 1
(in Dutch)
She has a hole the size of a watermelon in her head! You'd better be Jesus Christ himself!
JEROEN
(examining Jenny)
No...but he was one of my predecessors.
MAN 1
(in Dutch)
What?
JEROEN
(in Dutch)
Nevermind...
(to Jenny)
Damn you for this, Sparks.
Jeroen places his hand on
Jenny's head.
MONTAGE
1) A sunny day in Miami turns
into a cloudy day with hard rain.
2) Windmills cease spinning in
Holland when the wind suddenly stops.
3) People in Israel seek
shelter from a snowstorm.
4) Snow quickly melts off the
houses in a Canadian town as the sun shines brightly. Plants and flowers begin
to bloom at an unnatural speed.
END MONTAGE
We see Jenny's face as she
still lays on the floor. The hole in her head is gone, as well as the blood.
Her eyes open. She looks up at Jeroen and smiles.
JENNY SPARKS
Well, stone me...now there's something you don't see everyday.
People all around gasp in awe
as Jenny sits up.
JEROEN
You realize, of course, that crazy stunt just took an entire year of the ecosystem's life- span?
JENNY SPARKS
Got rid of your superhero impotence, though, didn't it?
Jeroen doesn't answer, he looks
confused and indecisive, but at least more open to listen.
JENNY SPARKS
C'mon, sunshine, you've just single-handledly stopped the end of days I so irresponsibly brought about...think of all the good you could do.
Jeroen thinks about it for a
second, then looks into Jenny's eyes. He sighs.
JEROEN
(hesitantly)
Alright, Sparks...I'll see what I can do.
Jeroen stands up and turns
around, and immediately finds himself in...
EXT. THE GARDEN OF ANCESTRAL MEMORY - CONTINUOUS
There's no sign of Jenny or the
crowd around him. Instead, before him stands the Previous Doctor, as well as
all the other Doctors before him, including many famous prophets, scientists
and leaders of world history.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR
Congratulations, little doctor. You have just graduated.
INT. THE CARRIER'S JUNCTION ROOM - DAY.
SUPER: The Carrier, 1999.
A circular room with only one
exit. The walls that surround the room are all glowing with yellow energy,
exactly like the Door that Jenny used to teleport into Jackson's office.
Jenny is just stepping through
one of the Doors from her meeting with Jackson and Christine. Jack and Shen are
waiting for her.
JACK
How'd it go?
JENNY SPARKS
Bloody fantastic. They think we actually need them, and in return we now have our connection to the powers-that-be.
She hands Shen the disk
Christine gave her, and continues to talk as she walks past both of them.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
Here...stash this somewhere. Where's the Engineer?
JACK
Fiddling around with the Carrier's innards.
JENNY SPARKS
Peachy...oh, Jack?
She stops and turns to look at
him.
JACK
Yeah?
JENNY SPARKS
Moscow. Talk to the city. See what you can pick up. And, Shen...
SHEN
What's up?
JENNY SPARKS
Scotch on the rocks, please...
SHEN
Um...Jenny, I'm not you maid...
By the time Shen says this
Jenny's already walking away. She puts her hand up, raises two fingers, and
without turning her head says...
JENNY SPARKS
Two blocks of ice, thank you.
Jack snickers mockingly and
turns toward one of the walls of the Junction Room.
JACK
Moscow. Incident Location. Door.
He steps through the Door and
disappears, leaving Shen behind. Jenny is already out of the room. Shen sighs
and walks off.
EXT. - MOSCOW - LONELY STREET - CONTINUOUS
An isolated area among the
ruins of the city. A Door opens. A bare foot comes through it, the sole of the foot
is covered in a strange metallic groove that comes out of the skin.
We see that this foot belongs
to Jack Hawksmoor, who steps into the disaster zone. The Door closes behind
him.
Jack notices that one of his
bare feet has landed on the hand of a corpse that is sticking out from
underneath the rubble. He takes his foot off it, with a slight expression of
disgust.
The second thing Jack notices
is PAIN. He clutches at his head and grunts intensely.
Blood flows out of his nose. He
wipes it off with the back of his hand and struggles to overcome the pain.
JACK
Ok, I get it, Moscow...you're hurt. Let's see what you can tell me about these assholes.
Jack runs his hands softly
across the rubble. His eyes show horror and begin to water slightly. To Jack
this is as if he were touching the charred skin of a burn victim.
JACK
(whispering to himself)
Hundreds of them. Explosions on impact. C'mon, girl, tell me something I don't know...
He runs his fingers over a
large shard of glass in what used to be a window.
JACK (CONT'D)
There...on the glass.
Jack sees something reflected
on the glass. An image that was there, but which isn't there anymore: one of
the men that attacked Moscow.
JACK (CONT'D)
Asian. Black uniform. Symbol on the chest. Can't make it out clearly.
He looks to the right, as if
guided there. His red eyes notice something burned into a wall.
JACK (CONT'D)
There?...thank you.
He walks over towards the
cracked wall that sticks out of the rubble. The circle with the three knots has
been burned into it.
Jack places his hand on the
wall.
JACK
This is their mark, isn't it? What else do you have?
By running his hands over the
wall he reaches a small pile of rubble. He crouches beside it and touches the
floor. There's a strange hint of energy emanating from the ground he's
touching.
JACK
Residual radiation. Reminds me of...Stormwatch's teleport bays...similar technology.
INT. THE CARRIER'S MISSION CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
A circular room with a cicular
platform at the center of it. Over this circular platform floats a holographic
image of planet Earth.
Angela Spica, The Engineer,
examines the holographic projection, as well as graphics that appear over it.
The Engineer is a very
attractive woman whose body would be naked were it not completely covered by a
thin coat of silvery liquid machinery that forms a sort of helmet over her head
and cables that hang down from it, simulating hair.
Jenny Sparks walks into the
room. Cigarette in hand.
JENNY SPARKS
Engineer. How's the worldwide scanner coming along?
ANGELA
Working like a charm, Jenny. And call me Angie, don't be so formal.
Jenny stands next to Angela and
examines the holographic projection.
JENNY SPARKS
I have to get used to calling you by your codename when we are out on the field.
ANGELA
Suit yourself. The Carrier is being very cooperative, like it actually WANTS to help us.
JENNY SPARKS
"Wants"?
ANGELA
Well, the Doctor and I have this theory...
Angela walks toward a long
curved seat to one side of the room. As she does, the liquid machinery around
her head recedes, revealing a beautiful face with Hispanic features and a long,
brown head of hair.
Jenny and Angela sit down.
ANGELA
When he and I found it, we thought it was a fluke, but lately we're entertaining the thought that maybe the Carrier found US. Which, coupled with the way it's making everything so accessible, makes us believe...
JENNY SPARKS
(cutting in)
That it's alive.
ANGELA
Or at the very least sentient.
JENNY SPARKS
Speaking of the Doctor...where is he?
ANGELA
In his room. Having a chat with the previous Doctor.
EXT. THE GARDEN OF ANCESTRAL MEMORY - CONTINUOUS
Jeroen stands in the garden,
donning his uniform; wearing a pair of glasses that seem to be glued to his eye
sockets and a jacket with moving shades of purple.
The previous Doctor stands
before him, almost twice his own height. The heads of all the earlier Doctors
float in the background listening in on the conversation.
JEROEN
I have less experience than any of them.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR
"Experience" is not important in the terms in which you frame it.
The previous Doctor reaches out
to touch Jeroen's hand. Jeroen stretches his hand toward his. The previous
Doctor's hand, which is far larger, phases through Jeroen's. The background
starts to change colors and revolve like liquid.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR (CONT'D)
You are The Doctor. Earth's Shaman. Upon my death, you were chosen, and then you knew everything that all of us knew.
Jeroen begins to turn into some
sort of liquid contained within his own shape. He gasps, surprised.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR (CONT'D)
So you see, you have the experience of all the Doctors before you. It is your job, as it was ours, to change the world!
Jeroen then begins to separate
into many drops of purple liquid that begin to float away into the air.
PREVIOUS DOCTOR (CONT'D)
Because Magic is nothing BUT change...
INT. THE CARRIER'S MISSION CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Jenny and Angela are still
sitting down talking. Jenny puts out her cigarette butt and lights up a new
one.
JENNY SPARKS
We never wanted the earlier Doctor to die, nor the first Engineer. Stormwatch was being run by a lunatic, and he did it.
ANGELA
I know. I wouldn't have answered your letter otherwise. Besides, this is a dream come true. I wouldn't miss this for the world.
JENNY SPARKS
Anyway...where's the Dynamic Duo?
Angela laughs suddenly, as if
she weren't expecting such a question.
ANGELA
They went for a walk. And if they heard you call them that...
Jenny also laughs until the
smoke she just took in from her cigarette comes shooting out of her mouth and
nose.
JENNY SPARKS
In this job, I have to steal my laughs where I can, no matter how sad, pathetic or snide.
INT. THE CARRIER'S PIT - CONTINUOUS
An enormous pit within the
gargantuan ship that is the Carrier. Huge machines and devices of all sorts can
be seen everywhere. Several tubular bridges made of clear crystal cross the pit
from one side to the other.
Inside one of those bridges,
two tiny figures can be seen walking.
MIDNIGHTER
Jenny Sparks is laughing at us again. And she's still smoking those cheap English cigarettes that smell like the bottom of a gas can...look at this, we must be crazy!
INT. THE CARRIER'S TUBULAR BRIDGE - CONTINUOUS
Apollo and The Midnighter walk
across the crystal bridge, dressed in full uniform. The Midnighter looks brooding
and angry, while Apollo has a big white smile on his face, still fascinated by
the surroundings.
MIDNIGHTER (CONT'D)
We can't deal with things on this scale. For God's sake, we spent five years working alleyways. We go from that to this?
He huffs angrily.
MIDNIGHTER
To hell with this AND Sparks, we should've never come out of retirement.
APOLLO
Retirement my ass. This is what we were made for. So if this seems big...well, then we just have to grow up.
INT. THE CARRIER'S MISSION CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Jenny is smoking, as usual,
standing in front of a large window beside the seat where she was earlier.
Angela is still sitting there, having a drink.
Outside the window there is a
strange universe of lights that solidify to form abstract shapes of many
colors.
JENNY SPARKS
(emotionally)
I'm never going to get used to this view, you know?
Angie stands up and walks to
stand at Jenny's side.
ANGELA
I'm still trying to catch my breath.
Angela sighs.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
I never imagined I'd see a place like this.
We move away slowly from the
window where Jenny and Angie stand, to see it as part of a larger structure.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
Fifty miles long. Thirty-five miles high.
As we continue to move away,
the window becomes nothing more than a spec in an enormous mechanical
structure.
ANGELA (O.S) (CONT'D)
Abandoned. Powered by a caged baby universe.
We continue moving away, and
the enormous mechanical structure becomes but a wrinkle on the skin of a far
larger mechanical structure.
ANGELA (O.S.) (CONT'D)
And sailing the higher dimensions.
We continue moving away, until
the full structure is revealed to be...
EXT. THE DEVACHANIC REALM - CONTINUOUS
The Carrier. It soars through
the dimension full of light and strange shapes that Jenny had seen outside the
window.
EXT. GAMORRA ISLAND - DAY - ESTABLISHING
SUPER: Gamorra Island
A large island in the middle of
the ocean.
EXT. GAMORRA TOWER'S COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS
A crowd of hundreds, dressed in
black, is gathered in an large courtyard before an entrance with stairs and a
large balcony on the second floor above it.
The symbol of the Circle, made
of gold, is on the wall above the balcony.
On the balcony stands an Asian
man, old and gray, but nonetheless regal and commanding; wearing red, black and
golden robes like an emperor, and a tall brimless hat in the same colors. He is
KAIZEN GAMORRA.
He speaks in a commanding
voice, which BOOMS all over the hall.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
Seventy years ago, in the island of Parousia, the brothers Gamorra were born : Sum, Wai and Kaizen!
The crowd CHEERS at the sound
of their names.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
By the age of ten, the brothers ran their village! By sixteen, they ran the country! By eighteen, they had remade Parousia into the glorious island of Gamorra! A great factory for terror!
More ROARING CHEERS come from
the crowd.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
By twenty, I had killed my brothers, Sum and Wai, but I remember to honor them by retaining our symbol from the old days!
CHEERING from the crowd.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
I am cutting a Circle upon the Earth! Moscow was only the first knot! Two more knots! Two more cities! Then the Earth shall bear the mark of the Clan Gamorra!
The crowd's cheers become
THUNDEROUS.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
The second knot of the circle must be cut, immediately! Before the blood dries in Moscow! Go now! Bring terror to the Earth!
The crowd raises long knives
which they hold in their hands and CHEER as they begin to take off the ground
in flight. These are all the same terrorists that attacked Moscow.
Kaizen raises his hands in the
air victoriously.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
Go! Remind them what Gamorra means, because they have forgotten!
The terrorists in black shoot
up into the sky.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
Go with my love...AND MY HATE!
EXT. LONDON - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING
Everything is normal in London.
Cars cross the London bridge back and forth.
There's a preternatural
foreboding silence all around.
INT. THE CARRIER'S MISSION CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The Engineer is looking at the
holographic projection of Earth. There is a red light glowing over London.
Jack Hawksmoor is standing
right behind her.
ANGELA
We're in business!
Jenny comes into the room.
JENNY SPARKS
What?!
ANGELA
Jack saw teleportation residue in Moscow, so I had the Carrier's sensors watch out for it. It just picked up multiple teleportations, same signal.
Swift, Apollo, Midnighter and
the Doctor come in.
JENNY SPARKS
Where?
ANGELA
From Gamorra Island.
JENNY SPARKS
(urgently)
Where TO, Angie?
ANGELA
London.
JENNY SPARKS
BUGGER!
Jenny turns around and pushes
angrily past everybody, in a hurry.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
We're most definitely in business! Everybody to the Junction Room, now!
She stops and looks back at the
others. She looks PISSED OFF.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
I was born in London.
EXT. LONDON - CONTINUOUS
The human projectiles are
already raining upon london. EXPLOSIONS rage throughout the city as the
terrorists crash into the ground.
People are running around
SCREAMING in terror.
Two of the terrorists fly
through Big Ben like bullets and half tower comes CRASHING DOWN on the victims
below.
Not wasting time, the
terrorists rise to their feet and begin shooting people with their eye beams,
as the destruction continues everywhere.
A crowd of people is packed
tightly in the streets, trying to run away, followed by a group of about fifty
terrorists, who just walk after them, shooting them with their eyebeams. Struck
people drop dead in flames.
One of the terrorists stops,
and looks up. He notices what looks like one of their own: a human projectile,
coming down on the city, but from a different direction than the rest.
He points up.
TERRORIST 1
(in Gamorran dialect)
What is that?
His colleagues look up. The
projectile is heading in their direction. They gasp.
What's coming at them, at
incaculable speed, is Apollo, his light aura glows around his head.
Apollo CRASHES into the pack of
terrorists. The impact causes large chunks of street and cars to go flying up,
as well several of the terrorists, who get crushed by the flying debris when
they fall.
Amidst the commotion, The
Midnighter silently drops in the middle of the terrorists that are left
standing, and breaks the neck of two of them by twisting their heads.
The others notice him and a
fight begins. The Midnighter fights effortlessly with a combination of punches
and kicks, stopping his enemies' every move before they're able to make it.
A terrorist fires his eye beams
at him. The Midnighter dodges, grabs his head and points it at another terrorist
whose head bursts into flames when the beams hit it.
While still fighting he brings
out a telescoping staff which he extends and uses to beat down on his enemies
without breaking a sweat.
He spins around and drives the
staff through the torso of one of the terrorists until it comes out of his
back. Then leaps over his head and continues fighting the terrorists behind
him.
Before the skewered terrorist
falls, Midnighter kicks the end of the staff that sticks out of his back,
pushing him forward and driving the other end of the staff into another
terrorist standing right in front of him. Then, he grabs one end of the staff
and extracts it by pushing both terrorists off with his foot, and swings it
back, taking out another terrorist about to attack him from behind.
Midnighter stands looking at
the other terrorists, who are frozen in fear. He wipes the blood of his staff
with one gloved hand and grins at them.
MIDNIGHTER
Who's next?
Afraid, the terrorists turn
around and run. But, after a distance, stop cold as they see the Engineer
standing right in front of them.
ANGELA
Going somewhere, boys?
They don't know what to make of
the seemingly unarmed, silvery, nude woman in front of them. One of the
terrorists finally laughs.
TERRORIST 2
(in Gamorran dialect)
It's just a woman...kill her!
Before they're able to attack,
the liquid nanomachinery around Angela's arms begins to take shape forming two
huge machine guns, which she then uses to fire upon the terrorists, who get
riddled by bullets and drop dead.
Shen flies overhead, followed
by a group of five flying terrorists. She is chased at very high speeds through
the air, moving between the buildings.
Suddenly, she stops, turns
around, grabs the terrorist closest to her, and using his own momentum against
him, slams him into the wall of a building, crushing his head into pieces.
The other four terrorists
quickly surround her.
TERRORIST 3
You got lucky. We'll teach you not to disrespect men.
Shen laughs.
SHEN
Why? Did I disrespect any before you girls showed up?
The terrorists attack. A flying
high-speed battle ensues. Shen uses martial arts to defend and attack, as they
dip, rise and soar through the air.
At one point she once again
becomes surrounded by her four enemies. She is breathing hard.
TERRORIST 3
You tire quickly. Typical of a woman. You lack the BALLS to be a true warrior.
Shen's foot morphs into an
bird's claw with a long, sharp talon at the heel. She performs a sudden
roundhouse kick that easily decapitates three of her foes. The one that was
taunting her dodges in time and is only scratched in the cheek.
Before he reacts, Shen morphs
her hand into a claw, flies straight at him, grabs at his crotch, and
mercilessly rips off his testicles.
The terrorist screams, then
agonizingly looks up at Shen, who's holding the bloody lumps in her hand,
smiling, smugly.
SHEN
Now, who's lacking the balls?
Shen punches the terrorist, and
he drops from the air like a fly.
He crashlands near the place
where the Doctor is currently surrounded by a large group of terrorists, with
his back against a wall. He looks scared and is sweating from tension and fear.
JEROEN
(nervously)
D-don't come any closer!...I'm warning you!
The terrorists come closer,
confident in their enemy being a complete coward.
JEROEN (CONT'D)
(muttering to himself)
Calm down, Jeroen...you control magic...magic is change...magic is change...all magic is...
He gestures toward the
surrounding enemies. Strange, luminous glyphs circle his hands.
JEROEN (CONT'D)
...is CHANGE!
He again gestures as he speaks
the word "CHANGE" and all the terrorists around him suddenly burst
into flocks of black crows that fly away in all directions.
Jeroen smiles and sighs in
relief.
Nearby, a group of terrorists
looks around for any signs of danger. Unexpectedly, the street beneath them
becomes like quicksand and they SCREAM as they begin to sink into it all the
way up to their necks.
They look up to see Jack
Hawksmoor perched atop a curved streetlamp as if he weighed nothing. He grins
at them, his red eyes gleaming, and says...
JACK
You sure look scared now. Wonder how you'll look when I ask London to solidify the street around you.
The terrorists GASP in unison.
The street solidifies around them and the last sound out of their mouths is a
wet CHOKING sound, followed by blood spilling out of their mouths, noses and
bulging eyes.
Jack looks up to see one lone
terrorist standing at the other side of the street. Terrified, he turns and
runs into an alley.
Jack winks with one eye and the
two buildings at either side of the alley close down and smash into each other,
crushing the unfortunate terrorist.
Just around the corner, a
terrorist SCREAMS, as his body smokes and burns as he is electrocuted by a
large bolt of electricity coursing through his body.
The electricity comes out of
his body and into the next terrorist, electrocuting and killing him even before
the body of the last one drops; then goes the next, and the next, and the next,
until at least ten terrorists have been electrocuted to death.
The electricity then goes into
a power line and runs through it down
the street and comes out of traffic light, where it materializes into Jenny
Sparks, on top of a mound of rubble, where Apollo, the Midnighter, the Doctor
and the Engineer stand.
Jack comes out of the rubble to
stand beside them and Swift flies in to join them.
JENNY SPARKS
Game over.
Swift gasps, looks behind Jenny
and points.
SHEN
Jenny, look!
Jenny turns around to see, just
beyond the mound of rubble, a remaining army of nearly a hundred flying
terrorists, who have gathered to put an end to their meddling.
JENNY SPARKS
Bugger me gently...
Breaking the moment of shock,
the Engineer raises her hands, and out fly tiny, almost microscopic mechanical
bugs that attach to the temple of each of her teammates.
JENNY SPARKS
What did you just...?
The Enginner speaks using
radiotelepathy, without the need to move her lips.
ANGELA (V.O.)
We're all now in silent communication. Radiotelepathy.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.)
Right, then! As we planned, people! Apollo!
Apollo fires his eye beams in a
wide arc spread before them, towards the street. On impact the beams explode
into a firey wall between the terrorists and The Authority.
Jenny looks at Apollo and
smiles, as the tall fire wall burns on.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.)
Smooth.
APOLLO (V.O.)
Thank you.
JENNY SPARKS
Alright! Take charge!
With that, Jenny turns back
into electricity and shoots up into the gray clouds above.
Jack sinks into the ground, and
the Doctor flies up into the sky.
Apollo, the Midnighter, the
Engineer and Swift quickly pass through the wall of fire to surprise the
terrorists behind it.
Battle ensues!
Apollo, the Engineer and Swift
fight the enemies in the air, trying to keep them in the area, while the
Midnighter fights the ones below or the ones his comrades drop down to the
street.
As the fight goes on, the
buildings begin to move and rearrange, closing off the streets, creating a
single wall of buildings, a box of sorts, with an open end facing the river
Thames.
JACK (V.O.)
The box is ready! We're closed in with them! Doctor!
The Doctor is high above
ground, looking at the battle below.
He concentrates hard and
gestures.
JEROEN
(muttering to himself)
Let's see...take one thing, make another...remix reality...too heavy to fly, no feet to walk!
The terrorists that Swift,
Apollo and the Engineer are fighting drop to the ground like anvils, unable to
fly.
The ones the Midnighter is
fighting suddenly SCREAM, and their ankles twist as if they had no bones in
them, and drop to their knees.
MIDNIGHTER
Your move, Apollo!
Apollo descends right in front
of the Midnighter.
APOLLO
What, I'm so rusty after six months off the street that I need reminding?
MIDNIGHTER
Shut up, you whine like an old woman.
Apollo raises his hands
together on top of his head, then smashes them down on the street. Two large
cracks break from the point of impact around the terrorists on the ground, all
the way to the river.
Then, Apollo, using his
strength, lifts one side of the entire area that broke off, tilting it, then
tossing the entire chunk of street into the river.
APOLLO (V.O.)
They're in the river, Jenny!
A huge bolt of electricity
drops down from the clouds and into the river, electrocuting all the terrorists
in it. As they shake and scream, Jenny's voice is heard echoing all around.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.)
My name's Jenny Sparks. I am electricity. I am a hundred years old, and I've never hated anyone as much as you! This is MY bloody town you tried to kill. And you're getting exactly what you deserve!
After the terrorists are dead,
the electricity materializes into Jenny Sparks at the edge of the river.
Apollo, the Midnighter and Jack stare in shock at her.
JENNY SPARKS
Quit looking at me and start looking for strays.
EXT. LONDON - DARK CITY STREET - MOMENTS LATER
A blacked out area of London,
everything is destroyed. Rain pours copiously.
We follow one of the surviving
terrorists as he tries to slink his way through the rubble, unseen.
There's a car stuck between
large chunks of concrete. A MAN WITH GLASSES and his SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY are
trapped inside. They try to open the doors but they're blocked by the rubble.
The lone terrorist is walking
past the car, ignoring the man and his son's cries for help.
He walks in front of the car's
headlights, which are on, then stops. His eyes go wide open. He gasps and
begins to walk backwards slowly.
The Midnighter is standing
before him, still, eyes fixed on him. Rain streaming down his leather outfit.
The terrorist runs towards the
car's passenger seat, pushes a piece of rubble aside, breaks the passenger's
window and pulls the young boy out.
The child SCREAMS as the
terrorist puts him in a neck hold, threatening to break his neck.
MAN WITH GLASSES
No! Let my son go! Please!
MIDNIGHTER
Put the child down.
TERRORIST 4
No! I leave alone or he dies!
MIDNIGHTER
Let me make this situation clear to you...
The Midnighter takes a step
towards the terrorist.
MIDNIGHTER (CONT'D)
I know what abilities you have. I can see your enhancements.
He takes another step. The
terrorist looks increasingly agitated. Fear grows inside him.
MIDNIGHTER (CONT'D)
I can read your brain activity. I know what moves you're going to make. I've played this fight in my head a million times, from each and every angle.
He continues to walk towards
the terrorist, who begins to walk backwards slowly, scared, holding the child.
MIDNIGHTER (CONT'D)
I have seen you die already in more ways than you ever thought possible; all I have to do is pick one. 'Cause, you see...I am the Midnighter. I am Death. And I am going to enjoy dismembering you limb by limb. Now...
The Midnighter smiles wickedly
at the terrorist.
MIDNIGHTER (CONT'D)
...put the child down.
The terrorist hesitates. He
stammers. He's nervous. His muscles flex, he is going to break the child's
neck! Then, suddenly...
The Midnighter rushes forward
in a quick burst. Faster than the human eye. The terrorist flies through the
air as if struck by a bus. The arm he was holding the child with is dettached
from his body, blood and teeth fly out of his mouth.
He hits the floor, dead with a
broken neck, as the Midnighter holds the child in his arms.
MIDNIGHTER
Told you so.
He releases the child, goes
down on one knee and looks into his eyes, the boy is gaping in shock.
MIDNIGHTER
Are you alright?
The boy nods.
MIDNIGHTER
Good...
SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY
(star-struck)
Are you Batman?
The Midnighter looks at him in
confusion. The boy stretches the front of his shirt and holds it up for him to
see. He's wearing a Batman t-shirt.
The Midnighter sighs and puts
his hand over his eyes in frustration.
MIDNIGHTER (V.O.)
Apollo, how're you doing?
EXT. ABOVE LONDON - CONTINUOUS
Apollo is in pursuit of a
terrorist survivor flying at high speeds over the city.
APOLLO (V.O.)
I'm chasing a soon-to-be-dead terrorist...you?
MIDNIGHTER (V.O.)
Doing fine...just wondering, does anything about me say "manic-depressive millionaire playboy" to you?
APOLLO (V.O.)
Not even remotely. Why? Got the Batman question again?
MIDNIGHTER (V.O.)
(hesitates)
...nevermind...
Apollo closes in on the
terrorist.
APOLLO
Got you now!
He crashes into the terrorist,
grabbing him by the waist. They fall to the ground like meteorites.
On the ground, the terrorist
breaks free from Apollo's grip and attempts to fly away. Apollo turns around
and catches him by the chest area of his uniform, where the circle symbol is,
ripping off a large piece of it.
TERRORIST 5
No! You tore my teleport gear!
The terrorist fires his eye
beams right on Apollo's face, not hurting him but disorienting him, and flies
up into the air.
Apollo recovers and looks up at
the escaping terrorist.
APOLLO
That's not all I'm going to tear off!
Apollo flies up right after
him.
EXT. LONDON - NEAR THE THAMES RIVER - CONTINUOUS
All the dead and wounded
terrorists that are scattered around, lying all over the place, begin to fade
away before the eyes of Jenny, Jack, Shen, Angela and Jeroen.
JENNY SPARKS
Oh hell!
The Midnighter joins the group.
MIDNIGHTER
What's going on?!
JENNY SPARKS
They're being teleported out!
In the background behind Jenny,
we see the fleeing terrorist shoot up into the sky.
APOLLO (V.O.)
Jenny, this is Apollo! I wrecked the teleport gear on a live one. I think he's returning to base by air. I'm in pursuit!
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.)
Not a good idea, Apollo!
We see Apollo fly up after the
terrorist.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
DAMN!...DOOR!
INT. GAMORRA TOWER - TELEPORT HANGAR - CONTINUOUS
A huge hangar with an open gate
in the ceiling, through which the teleported terrorists drop like flies.
Medical personnel rush to the
scene with hovering stretchers, picking up the dead, and tending to the
wounded.
A VOICE is HEARD through a
speaker, ECHOING all around the hangar.
SPEAKER VOICE (V.O.)
(looping over and over)
All medical teams to teleport hangar. We have wounded teleporting in. No one is to panic. No one is to be afraid. Gamorra is strong. Kaizen Gamorra loves us all.
INT. GAMORRA TOWER - SURVEILLANCE ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Kaizen Gamorra oversees the
failure of his plan through an enormous screen, as his workers in the lower
level perform several tasks before smaller computer screens.
He looks bitter and angry.
KAIZEN GAMORRA
(to himself)
I love no one...Stormwatch is dead. There should've been no one operating on my scale. I must protect my people while I consider...
He points at one of the
computer operators beneath him, and speaks in a commanding tone.
KAIZEN GAMORRA (CONT'D)
Draw the curtains over Gamorra Island!
EXT. SKY ABOVE GAMORRA ISLAND - CONTINUOUS
We see Gamorra Island from
above. A large spherical energy field rises from the water and surrounds the
entire island.
A Door opens out of nowhere and
out of it fly The Authority. Swift holds Jack hanging from her arms, the
Engineer holds Jenny, and the Doctor holds Midnighter.
ANGELA
There's a forcefield around the island, Jenny. Nothing's getting in or out.
JENNY SPARKS
Oh God! If Apollo hits that he'll turn into a two-mile wide stain!
MIDNIGHTER
Incoming!!!
Midnighter urgently points at
the two human missiles coming at impossible speeds toward the island.
MIDNIGHTER (CONT'D)
It's Apollo! Way too fast to be stopped! Somebody do something!
JEROEN
Engineer, catch!
The Doctor tosses Midnighter
towards the Engineer, she catches him with one hand.
Apollo is flying after the
terrorist, determined to keep up with him, no matter what.
Suddenly, he begins to
disintegrate from the feet up. He acts bewildered.
APOLLO
Oh my God!!!
Apollo disappears.
The terrorist looks up at the
raised force field, and realizes he will not be able to stop in time. He sighs
in frustration.
TERRORIST 5
Shit...
A tiny red stain pops in the
enormous force field as the terrorist hits.
EXT. BROKEN UNIVERSE - CONTINUOUS
A world with an olive-green sky
and the ocean below is made of mercury in turbulence at very low gravity, so
silvery drops break off it and float briefly in the air before slowly falling
down.
All around there's are all
sorts of SOUNDS resembling music without a tempo or harmony. Just odd,
overlapped musical sounds.
Apollo is flying very slowly
over this alien scenery. He looks confused beyond description.
JEROEN (O.S.)
We're in a broken universe, an alternate Earth.
Apollo looks to one side to see
the Doctor floating next to him.
JEROEN (CONT'D)
The kinetic energy of anything going over a hundred miles an hour here gets turned into music. Cool, huh?
APOLLO
(smiling confusedly)
More like really weird.
JEROEN
Well, it saved you from going splat.
The Doctor brings out a water
bottle from his belt and takes a long sip.
JEROEN (CONT'D)
You know? You all think of me as nothing but a cowardly hippie, just because I'm not good at hitting people. But you forget, half my mind is as old as life on this planet. You need ME, I don't need YOU. You should all be thankful.
Apollo smiles bashfully.
APOLLO
Ok, thank you! So...do you know how to take us back?
JEROEN
Um...not really...
Apollo's smile fades. He looks
worried.
JEROEN (CONT'D)
Ugh...I'm kidding, alright?
EXT. SKY ABOVE GAMORRA ISLAND - CONTINUOUS
Apollo and the Doctor
materialize out of thin air, and join the others.
JENNY SPARKS
Welcome back. Next time wait for the order, Apollo!
The Engineer hands Midnighter
over to Apollo, who catches him with ease.
MIDNIGHTER
(at Apollo, sternly)
Halfway around the world in thirty seconds. You never cease to amaze me...or irritate me.
Apollo smiles embarrasedly.
JENNY SPARKS
That forcefield is the same type Skywatch used. I once saw a superhuman of your class hit one and vaporize...Door!
INT. THE CARRIER'S JUNCTION ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The Authority walks in through
the Door. They talk as they head for the room's exit.
APOLLO
So what? We just wave at them from behind the force field? They're safe?
JENNY SPARKS
They're nowhere NEAR safe. But we have other concerns right now. We did bloody awful, many people died before we even showed up!
She turns to Jeroen and Shen.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
Doctor, Shen, go help the rescue efforts in London. I'll extend the offer to Moscow, so, Apollo and Midnighter, I'll need you handy.
Apollo and Midnighter nod.
Jenny turns to Jack and Angie.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
Jack, Angie: intel, find me a pattern for the attacked cities. And the moral of the day for all...especially Blondie, here...
She glares straight at Apollo.
JENNY SPARKS (CONT'D)
We think before we act!
INT. THE CARRIER - HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER
Jack and Angie walk through a
hallway. Jack is holding his jacket folded over one arm.
ANGELA
Did Jenny always yell at everybody like that?
JACK
Pretty much. It's like the more responsibility she gets, the louder and more horrible she becomes. She's had a tough life, so I forgive her most of it.
Angela retracts the liquid
machinery covering her face, acting refreshed by doing so. Then her neck and
shoulders follow. Before her torso is bare, Jack puts his jacket over her
shoulders. Angela acts surprised.
ANGELA
Thank you.
JACK
Don't mention it.
The liquid machinery around her
arms and legs retracts as well. She is now naked, save for the jacket covering
the important parts.
JACK (CONT'D)
Was it a tough decision?
ANGELA
Which one?
JACK
Replacing your blood with nine pints of liquid machinery.
ANGELA
You'd think so, huh?
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. LABORATORY - NIGHT
A laboratory room with a
metallic table, and two machines at either side. One of them has a container in
which the liquid machinery is held. Angela is in her underwear, making some
final adjustments to the machines.
ANGELA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
After I designed the nanoblood, and tested it for functionality, I had it ready for human testing.
Angela lies down on the table.
Inserts a tube with a needle from one machine into her right arm, the another
tube with a needle from the machine with the nanomachinery into her left arm.
Without hesitation she enters some commands into a keyboard to her side.
ANGELA (V.O.) (CONT'D)
And of course there was only one person I ever considered to test it on.
The machines start. The one to
her right begins to draw blood from her body, the other one begins to pump the
liquid machinery into her.
After a few seconds, Angela's
breathing becomes fast. She looks like she is in pain. She strains. She looks
scared. She gasps for air. She is choking. She convulses. Her eyes roll back into
her eyelids and she faints.
FADE TO BLACK
FADE IN:
Angela's eyes open suddenly and
she takes in a deep gasp of air. She's pale and still lying on the metal table.
She sits up. Looks at the
machine to her left. The nanoblood is no longer in the container. She looks at
the machine to her right. The container in that one is full of the blood it
drew from her.
She's nervous and doesn't know
what to do next. She puts a hand in front of her face. Examines it and
concentrates.
The liquid machinery begins to
come out of her pores and coats her entire hand then retracts.
Angela smiles in disbelief. She
concentrates again, and the nanoblood one again coats her hand. She keeps
concentrating and it begins to come out of every pore, until her entire body is
coated in it.
She laughs. She can't believe
it. She gets off the table and stands up. She concentrates more and the
machinery takes shape, forming the helmet and cables as well as the other small
details of what is her "uniform" in the present.
BACK TO THE PRESENT
Angela is smiling, covered in
Jack's jacket.
ANGELA
So...to answer your question, Jack. It wasn't a difficult decision. It was dangerous, it could've KILLED me, but it was my only chance to fulfill my dream, so I didn't hesitate.
Jack nods.
JACK
What's your fondest memory of the days after the procedure?
Angie smiles introspectively.
FLASHBACK TO:
EXT. THE SKY - AFTERNOON
Angela, covered in the liquid
machinery is flying under the clouds. It rains upon her face, but she is laughing
like a little girl playing. She dips, rises and spins in the air. Then she
flies up through the clouds and comes out on top, where it isn't raining. An
orange, afternoon sun shines just over the clouds.
As she flies, the rain dries
from her body, but her face is still wet from tears of absolute joy.
BACK TO PRESENT
ANGELA
I'll tell you some other time. It's sort of childish.
JACK
Fair enough.
Angela pushes a button next to
the door they're standing in front of and it opens.
ANGELA
Again, thanks for the jacket. I'll give it back to you later.
JACK
Take your time. I'm never washing it again, anyway.
EXT. MOSCOW - MORNING
Rescue efforts by firemen and
emergency services everywhere.
A large stone statue is lifted
in the air. Apollo is revealed as the one lifting it. Underneath is a car. A
man is dead in the front seat. A boy and a girl are still alive in the back.
Midnighter tears the door off
and helps the frightened children out and hands them to the firemen nearby.
Nearby, Jenny oversees things.
She looks somewhat satisfied and lights up a cigarrete to warm up.
EXT. LONDON - MORNING
A similar view as in Moscow.
Firemen put out fires all over the place, while rescue services tend to the
wounded and gather the dead.
Swift and the Doctor walk among
the busy crowd.
SHEN
I'm so tired.
JEROEN
Well, if it's any consolation, so is everybody else around here. And they can't fly from one place to the next.
SHEN
Good point.
Shen stops. She is hearing
something.
SHEN (CONT'D)
Hold on...
She walks toward the remains of
a building. Tuning her hearing. A sort of entrance with stairs going down is
see. She walks to steps down. The rest of the way down is blocked.
SHEN (CONT'D)
I can hear one...no...two...two together.
A nearby FIREMAN hears her and
decides to interject.
FIREMAN
Sorry, Miss, we've run the thermal imagers there a dozen times. There's no one there.
The Doctor, looks at the
fireman, ignores him and turns to Shen.
JEROEN
How far down, Swift?
SHEN
Thirty feet. Metal in the way...and water. COLD water. Doctor.
The Doctor walks up to the
entrance, raises his hands, and tons of rubble and dirt come flying out of it,
as if carried by a swift wind.
When he's done there's a clean
look of a couple, huddled together in a basement far below. A broken pipe has
filled the place partially with water, up to their chest.
The fireman looks puzzled.
FIREMAN
Well, bugger me.
SHEN
(mockingly)
No, thank you.
INT. THE CARRIER - JUNCTION ROOM - LATER
Jenny, Midnighter and Apollo
come in through one door. Swift and the Doctor come in through another.
Apollo is walking behind Jenny
protesting, Midnighter is trying to keep his distance.
APOLLO
Which brings me back to Gamorra Island, what are we going to do about that force field?
JENNY SPARKS
Oh will you shut up about Gamorra Island, you moaning ponce?
Swift catches up to Jenny just
then.
SHEN
Hasn't he stopped about that yet?
JENNY SPARKS
It's like working with me bleedin' mum or something.
JACK (V.O.)
Jenny, could you meet me and Angie at the Surveillance Room? We think we might have something.
JENNY SPARKS (V.O.)
Be right over.
INT. THE CARRIER - ADJOINING HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
Jenny walks in front of the
others as they head for the Surveillance Room.
JENNY SPARKS
Alright, Apollo. Just to shut you up briefly. The Carrier exists outside of space and time and currently it occupies the same space as Earth...ALL of Earth.
APOLLO
Which means?
JENNY SPARKS
It means it's everywhere on Earth at the same time. That's how we can open a Door to anywhere we want...
Apollo grins wide.
APOLLO
Including behind the Gamorran force field. Now that opens up a lot of possibilities.
JENNY SPARKS
Don't it just?
INT. THE CARRIER - SURVEILLANCE ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
Jack and Angie stand beside the
holographic projection of planet Earth. The Circle symbol is superimposed over
the Earth. The rest of the team observe.
JACK
We were sort of messing around with the symbol we found in Moscow and London, when Angie had this crazy idea.
ANGELA
I put the first knot here over Moscow.
The first of the two knots that
are close together is placed on Moscow on the holographic image of the Earth.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
Then I arranged the curve so the second knot fell on London.
The second knot is placed on
London on the map.
ANGELA (CONT'D)
The third knot falls dead on Los Angeles.
Everybody gapes at the
revelation. The third knot, the one separated from the other two, is clearly on
Los Angeles.
JACK
The bastard's cutting the mark of their clan on the face of the planet.