Thursday 26 July 2012

First Mission

Scribblers
"First Mission"
by Steffan Alun

1. EXT. 46 BARBER ROAD - Day 1. 1200

Establishing shot - a semi-detached house on a boring, Dursleyish street. The blinds are shut.

2. INT. NUMBER 46 LIVING ROOM - Day 1. 1200

The living room is barely furnished - just an old sofa, a couple of wooden chairs, and a large wardrobe. Two costumed people in a tense discussion - sitting on the sofa is MOON ZEBRA (50s, male, chubby and tiresome), and pacing the floor is SPOOKY (30s, female, harsh, Venezuelan).

MOON ZEBRA
Look, she can't find out.

SPOOKY
There are not enough words for how much I want to kill you.

MOON ZEBRA
But you have to help me! Come on, Spooky -

SPOOKY
Do not use my name!
(beat)
Wait. You didn't use my name in your diary?

MOON ZEBRA
It was my diary ...

SPOOKY
How many of our secrets are in this diary exactly?

MOON ZEBRA
I was the only one who read it ...

SPOOKY
Yes, I'm sure that'll be a great comfort when you're arrested by the Scribblers and then killed in your cell by Latent. Did you name Latent in the book?

MOON ZEBRA
No!

SPOOKY
Good.

MOON ZEBRA
No, wait, I only said that because I didn't want you to shout at me again.

Spooky slaps him.

SPOOKY
Now I slap you whenever you lie to me, do you understand?

MOON ZEBRA
I understand.

Spooky slaps him again.

SPOOKY
You understand nothing.

MOON ZEBRA
The Scribblers can't have it.

SPOOKY
You sound very certain of that.

MOON ZEBRA
They'd be here by now. They wouldn't play a long game.

SPOOKY
Then you'd better hope your girlfriend has it.

MOON ZEBRA
Oh, okay. She might do.

Spooky slaps him.

SPOOKY
You have no girlfriend, Moon Zebra. Do not lie by omission.

MOON ZEBRA
There's a girl I know on the internet ...

CUT TO:

3. INT. MONASTERY - STOREROOM - Day 1. 0900

MIRAGE (Rupert), BACK-UP (Aadita), DEATH QUOTE (Mike), ZHOU, BETH and RHIAN in a meeting - Rhian has her TEDDY BEAR.

Caption: THREE HOURS EARLIER


MIRAGE
Alright, thanks to Zhou, we have the diary of one of Latent's hired help.

BACK-UP
Well done, Zhou. Beyond the call of duty.

ZHOU (happily)
I was a paper clip!

BETH
And you didn't even need my help!

ZHOU
I was a good paper clip.

DEATH QUOTE
Yeah, but you were rubbish at banter.

ZHOU
True, paper clips are not renowned for their wit.

MIRAGE
Today, we use what we've learned. We've got a location, we've got details of probable security, and we know what they're doing there.

BACK-UP
Oh, just one thing. This is a proper mission. Our first! So we all need nicknames.

BETH
Oh, I'm rubbish at coming up with them, Aadita! Can't you just call me "oi, you"?

BACK-UP
I can come up with one for you, if you like ...

BETH
Um, yes, that'd be lovely.

BACK-UP
How about Apex?

BETH
I think I like Apex. Thank you!

ZHOU
I think I would like to be Haunter.

DEATH QUOTE
... is that after the Pokémon?

ZHOU
No! It is because I can become objects, but really, I am within those objects. Haunting them!

DEATH QUOTE
... is it after the Pokémon, though?

ZHOU
... yes.

MIRAGE
Okay, we'll need to come up with a name for Rhian too.

DEATH QUOTE
She wants to be Koala.

MIRAGE
Really?

DEATH QUOTE
Yes - she, um, knew you'd be having this discussion and told me earlier.

BACK-UP
But a koala has nothing to do with her powers.

MIRAGE
To be fair, for all we know ...

BETH
Batman has nothing to do with bats!

DEATH QUOTE
That's not true! He saw a bat when his parents died and ... and ...

Beth is giving him a look.

DEATH QUOTE
Okay, I'm shutting up.

MIRAGE
Alright, so we've got three new superhero names - step up Apex, Haunter and Koala. From the moment we leave at lunchtime, we mustn't use any other names for each other. Mike - don't you use names at all, of course.

DEATH QUOTE
Stop making fun of my disability!

CUT TO:

4. INT. WARDROBE - Day 1. 1205

MIRAGE and APEX (Beth) are hiding in a wardrobe. Talking in whispers.

APEX
Alright, ready?

MIRAGE
Yes. Now's the time.

APEX
Alright - I'm going to increase your powers.

CUT TO:

5. INT. NUMBER 46 LIVING ROOM - Day 1. 1205

Continued from Scene 2.

MOON ZEBRA
I suppose my mum might've found it when she was cleaning.

SPOOKY
Sorry, where exactly did you hide this diary?

MOON ZEBRA
Third drawer down in my bedroom, under my pants.

SPOOKY
Why would your mother go through your underwear?

MOON ZEBRA
Sometimes she checks to make sure I haven't found any more magazines.

The door slams open -

- and LATENT enters.


LATENT
Start talking now and don't stop until I've told you to, and I'll be telling you to stop by smacking seven bells out of you, so until then you'd better be telling me everything.

MOON ZEBRA
Latent!

LATENT
Do not waste my time saying anything other than a full explanation of how a grown man can be so incapable of sentience. Go.

MOON ZEBRA
I lost my diary! It was in my room, but it isn't there now, and I keep my room locked, so I don't know how anyone got in, unless they were invisible and got in at the same time as me or something, and now they have the diary, and it's got some secrets in it, but I don't think it's the Scribblers because ...

LATENT
Okay, shut up, your voice displeases me. And Spooky? You came here as soon as you could?

SPOOKY
Flew in this morning. I've left the Broken Girl in charge of operations in Jersey. I got in touch with most of our inside agents on the way, but I'll have to wait until tonight to contact the SPP.

LATENT
You've done well, and you will be rewarded. What's the plan of action, then?

SPOOKY
Like I say, I've got everyone keeping an eye open - the second we have any sign of where the diary's gone, we'll pounce. If it's alright by you, I've started the process of breaking Ernest Taylor out -

LATENT
No. We aren't ready for Taylor.

SPOOKY
Oh. Okay. I just thought it'd be the quickest way to retrieve the diary.

LATENT
We've made ourselves known to the Scribblers - and they know Taylor's one of ours. No, what we need to do is cut off the limbs. Spooky, you'll be given a new identity - Moon Zebra, you'll be doing your time in prison. I'll bring in a telepath to work out exactly what's in that diary. In the meantime, destroy all evidence in this house.

SPOOKY
Standard procedure?

LATENT
No. Preserve nothing. Just destroy it. Leave signs of destruction, but nothing that can be traced back. If the authorities think we've still got something of value, they'll never stop. And we can't afford suspicion right now. Get to it.

Latent marches out.

SPOOKY
Right, you do downstairs, I'll head up.

CUT TO:

6. EXT. 46 BARBER ROAD - Day 1. 1207

LATENT exits the house, leaving the front door open.

Slowly, both Latent and the open door fade out of site -

- replaced by a closed door.


CUT TO:

7. INT. WARDROBE - Day 1. 1207

Continued from Scene 4.

APEX
That was amazing!

MIRAGE
Couldn't have done it without you.

APEX
They were totally fooled. I can't believe you've never created sound before.

MIRAGE
I don't think I can do it without you.

CUT TO:

8. INT. BEDROOM - Day 1. 1208

The "bedroom" is full of filing cabinets, surrounding an old-fashioned double bed.

The sound of a key turning in a lock -

And Spooky enters.

She opens the first drawer -

And starts pulling out files -

Stacking them in a neat pile.

Behind her, DEATH QUOTE's head pokes from behind the door frame, close to the floor.

And then he leaves.


INTERCUT WITH:

9. INT. BATHROOM - Day 1. 1209

The bathroom is bare - no soap, toilet paper, products. DEATH QUOTE is hiding here.

DEATH QUOTE (whispering)
Stripy man.

A SCREAM is heard from downstairs.

Spooky's already running -


CUT TO:

10. INT. KITCHEN - Day 1. 1210

The kitchen, like the bedroom, is full of filing cabinets. MOON ZEBRA is on the floor, clutching his leg and crying.

SPOOKY arrives, ready for combat.


SPOOKY
Who did this?

MOON ZEBRA
I don't know - didn't see -

SPOOKY
Inivisble?

MOON ZEBRA
Yeah, must be.

SPOOKY
We'll see about that.

Spooky fades out of sight, leaving a clear Spooky shape made of light.

The light floats into the next room.


11. INT. BEDROOM - Day 1. 1211

DEATH QUOTE, BACK-UP and KOALA (Rhian) are going through the cabinets, photographing pages with digital cameras. The TEDDY BEAR is sitting on the bed.

CUT TO:

12. INT. NUMBER 46 LIVING ROOM - Day 1. 1211

The SPOOKY LIGHT floats into the living room.

Spooky's POV: the room itself is almost white, as though the contrast has been turned right up. Human beings show up black - specifically, MIRAGE and APEX in the wardrobe.

Spooky floats towards the wardrobe -

And the doors burst open!


APEX
Surprise!

Apex thrusts her good arm into the Spooky Light -

Which becomes unbearably bright.


CUT TO:

13. INT. KITCHEN - Day 1. 1212

Continued from Scene 10.

The light from the living room attracts Moon Zebra's attention.

He gets up slowly -

Flinching at the pain in his leg -

Limping -

And enters the living room.

One of the cabinets transforms into HAUNTER (Zhou).


14. INT. NUMBER 46 LIVING ROOM - Day 1. 1212

SPOOKY is lying on her side, winded.

MOON ZEBRA limps in.


MOON ZEBRA
Are you okay?

SPOOKY
They overwhelmed me.

MOON ZEBRA
Who was it?

SPOOKY
No idea. Powerful, though. They drove my powers out of control.

She pushes herself up, determined.

SPOOKY
I've never met anyone who could do that. But I've heard of someone who could.

She brings out a communicator.

SPOOKY
Latent? This is Spooky. I think Finesse got hold of that diary.

CUT TO:

15. INT. BEDROOM - Day 1. 1213

Continued from Scene 11.

HAUNTER enters.


HAUNTER
We've got the signal. Time to move.

BACK-UP
Good work, Haunter. I'll see you and Death Quote back at the base. I'll finish up with Koala.

Koala reaches over to the bed -

Grabs the teddy bear -

And hands it to Death Quote.


DEATH QUOTE
Thanks. Come home safely!

Koala smiles.

CUT TO:

16. INT. NUMBER 46 LIVING ROOM - Day 1. 1214

Continued from Scene 14.

Spooky still on the communicator.


SPOOKY
Right, we'll be vigilant. But send help as soon as possible. We've started destroying the files, but -
(beat)
Because you told us to!
(beat)
You were here right ... now. You weren't here right now?
(beat)
Right.

Spooky hangs up.

SPOOKY
Let's assume Shift is here too, then.

CUT TO:

17. INT. BEDROOM - Day 1. 1215

BACK-UP and KOALA still photographing documents.

SPOOKY bursts in -

Followed by a limping MOON ZEBRA.


SPOOKY
Scribblers! Wait, what?

BACK-UP
Stop right there, or I set my friend on you.

SPOOKY
Okay. I've seen what you people can do.

Spooky holds up her hands.

BACK-UP
Brilliant! But don't worry, we've got what we want. I'll be wiping your memories of the last twenty minutes. And I'm very thorough - there won't be a trace left. You'll be off the hook with Latent.

SPOOKY
Well played. I could use someone like you.

BACK-UP
That's very flattering, coming from you. On the other hand ...

Back-Up crosses over to Moon Zebra.

BACK-UP
I've read about the things you've done. What happened to you?

MOON ZEBRA
I ... I didn't want to ...

BACK-UP
No, you didn't. You never wanted to do those things, but that's what happens when you fall in with Latent. On the one hand, that's fine - she won't be keeping you around. On the other hand, these actions leave their marks.

Moon Zebra isn't looking at her. He's crying silently.

Back-Up approaches him, and whispers softly.


BACK-UP
I can take those marks away.

CUT TO:

18. INT. MONASTERY - STOREROOM - Day 1. 1700

The SIX STUDENTS back in their meeting - Koala has the TEDDY BEAR back.

MIRAGE
Great work today, everyone. Really - I'm so proud of you guys.

BACK-UP
You did well too, leader.

MIRAGE
Don't call me leader.

BACK-UP
I meant it sarcastically.

MIRAGE
That's alright, then.

DEATH QUOTE
Do we know how everything turned out?

APEX
Oh, you won't believe this - I got a message from Finesse! When she heard what happened to Spooky, she said she knew immediately it must've been me.

HAUNTER
Is this a good thing? This was meant to be a secret mission.

APEX
Finesse warns us to be careful, but she also said we did a great job. Spooky's escaped, and the cabinets are gone, but Moon Zebra's apparently the rehabilitation success of the decade.

MIRAGE
She wasn't angry that we wiped his mind of the valuable information he could've given?

APEX
Officially, yes. Unofficially ... well, she says at the end of her message that the whole point of being a superhero is to give everyone a chance. Latent ruined Moon Zebra's life. It would've taken years to fix him. Aadita fixed him in four seconds.

MIRAGE
Yes. I think I like that.

BACK-UP
It's been brilliant, everyone. Now, let's get back out there. I've got homework to do.