Sunday 1 September 2013

Scribblers: Bow Down Before Your Lord

Scribblers
"Bow Down Before Your Lord"

by Steffan Alun

1. EXT. RIVERSIDE - Day 1. 1300

A beautiful summer's day, lush green grass everywhere, a large river, blue and lovely. A MAN and a WOMAN, in plain and simple clothes, are washing their own clothes in the river.

MAN (in Egyptian; with subtitles)
And you won't believe what he said next. He said I have a rubbish house!

WOMAN (in Egyptian; with subtitles)
He can talk. His hasn't got any windows.

MAN
I'm going to get him back, though. I'm going to spread a rumour.

WOMAN
Oh, look, please not this again -

MAN
I'm going to tell everyone he's died, so when they see him, they'll think he's been sent by, um, Osiris or something, and they'll be scared, and he won't have any friends.

WOMAN
I don't think that's very likely to work ...

MAN
And then everyone will chase him with sticks and tell him to get back to the afterlife where he belongs.

WOMAN
Look, I love you dearly, but whenever you come up with these plans, I -
(beat)
Is it getting warmer?
(beat)
Look!

She stands.

The river's water level falls -

And falls -

Until there's no water left. Just a bone-dry river bed.

The man stands.


MAN
What's happening?

Around them, the grass dies -

Becoming yellow -

Becoming dust in the breeze -

Leaving only sand.


WOMAN
This is the work of the gods.

There's an almight CRASH -

The air is heavy with sand -

And as it clears, we see a 12-foot tall FIGURE -

LORD PEGASUS.


LORD PEGASUS (in English)
I am your god now. You will bow before your Lord Pegasus.

WOMAN
Look, my love. One last battle.

MAN
And I'd been so enjoying retirement.

The man transforms into a HUMANOID VULTURE CREATURE and the woman's eyes glow orange.

WOMAN
Alright, creature. Let's see what you've got.

CUT TO:

2. EXT. GAOLHOUSE ROCK - Day 2. 2000

As seen in The Crater et al. Dark, pouring with rain.

Caption: 5,000 YEARS LATER


CUT TO:

3. INT. PRISON CELL - Day 2. 2000

A small cell with symmetrical furniture. An identical set of bed, chair and desk on opposite sides, two televisions mounted on the walls. On the bed on the right side of the room sits FERMIA (19, female, petite, jittery) reading a book.

The door opens. A guard, LITHGOW (40s, male, handsome, threatening) escorts FACELESS (20s, male, a dark grey cloak and a featureless gold mask) into the cell.


LITHGOW
Alright, Fermia. You've got a new roommate.

FERMIA
Oh, erm, okay. I thought I wasn't meant to -

LITHGOW
Things change, alright? Best not moan, now, or I'll deactivate the partition.

As he says this, Lithgow knocks an imaginary wall dividing the room in half -

Reavealing that it's
not imaginary - it's a force wall, which flashes blue when touched.

LITHGOW
This is Faceless. Say hello.

FERMIA
He-

LITHGOW
He tried to steal the Mayor's car. Wanted to give me some work to do, didn't you? Mate?

Lithgow pushes Faceless onto the bed on the left side of the room -

Faceless trips and lands awkwardly -

And clutches his leg as though in pain (but without making a sound).


LITHGOW
Let me know if there's any trouble. I'll try and find the time to come down. Night, darlings.

He leaves -

Slamming the door.

Fermia watches Faceless apprehensively.

Goes to speak -

Stops.

But then, seeing that his leg's still in pain, gives him a smile.


FERMIA
Sorry about him. Some of these Gaolhouse guards are worse than the inmates.

Faceless looks over.

FERMIA
Not much of a talker? That's okay. Are you alright?

Faceless nods.

FERMIA
Good. Don't worry, I'll look after you. There's a group of us - there's me, the Jade Pawn, the Cluster Girls, Elderkite. They're nice. We've got Loan Shark on our side, so the big guys leave us alone, mostly. Are you hungry?

Faceless shakes his head.

FERMIA
Good. Best not call a guard until Lithgow's shift is over. That's the guard who was just here, Lithgow. Don't let him know you need anything. He likes the power.

Faceless raises a palm -

Places it on the force wall, which glows blue.


FERMIA
It doesn't switch off. Keeps us safe from each other, that's the idea. Chronal of the Scribblers campaigned for them. Stopped the violence. But now, if you get the wrong guards, they don't care who gets put together. Old enemies. Sweet guys put with awful bullies. And, well - there's no privacy. You can't force people to look away, so a lot of us have to get changed under the covers. Don't worry! I'll look away when you get changed.

Faceless nods.

Raises his hands to his mask -

Pauses.

Removes it -

Revealing that his face is severely deformed, not recognisable as a face.


FERMIA
Oh, I'm so sorry. I mean - sorry, I don't want to patronise you ...

Faceless shakes his head.

FERMIA
It must be hard. But don't worry. I'll stand by you.
(beat)
Thing is, I'm not meant to have a roommate. The medics said that I - Well, we might get separated. But whatever happens, I'll come and find you. You won't be alone.
(beat)
Oh, before you hear it from anyone else, I didn't -

The door slams open.

Faceless turns his head.

Lithgow is back. As he talks, Faceless gets his mask back on.


LITHGOW
It's good news, newbie. Police can't get any information on you. Looks like you're going to be here for a long time. Unless ... Hey! Here's a thought. I don't suppose you want to tell me who you're working for?
(beat)
Come on, son. You got past all those guards? You look like an idiot, but you've got resources.

Lithgow throws a notebook at Faceless (whose mask is on now) -

And a pen.


LITHGOW
Tell me who you're working for. I get a feather in my cap, and you - you'll get to drink tonight. Must be thirsty by now. Tit for tat.

Faceless looks at him -

Takes the notepad and pen -

Writes on it.

Hands it to Lithgow.


LITHGOW
Good man.

Lithgow reads the notebook.

LITHGOW
You little worm.

He throws the book at Faceless's face, hard.

LITHGOW
You kiss your mother with that mouth?

He walks to the bed -

Punches Faceless in the stomach.


FERMIA
No!

Faceless curls up.

Lithgow grabs Faceless's shoulder.


FERMIA
Leave him alone!

LITHGOW
Alright, newbie. Let's get ourselves a bit more privacy.

CUT TO:

4. INT. MAXIMUM SECURITY CORRIDOR - Day 2. 2020

As seen in Escapes!. LITHGOW leads FACELESS to a large, heavy door.

LITHGOW
Five minutes ought to do it. Then we'll see if you need -

Faceless slaps Lithgow.

Lithgow kicks him in the knee -

Faceless buckles.


LITHGOW
That's it, mate. Keep that coming. You've earned yourself ten minutes.

He opens the door -

CUT TO:

5. INT. MAXIMUM SECURITY CELL - Day 2. 2020

FACELESS is thrown into a pitch black room, the only light coming from the door.

It slams shut, and all is darkness -

But ten feet in the air, enormous eyes glow red.


VOICE (OOV)
You have entered the blasphemous prison. You will know pain, and you will return to the world of men with my message.

The room glows golden, revealing LORD PEGASUS, sitting on an enormous throne. His left leg is chained to the throne. He holds his sceptre in his right hand.

Faceless opens his robe -

Revealing his bare chest.

He tears at the skin -

Which comes off like rubber -

Revealing robotic innards, including a large television screen.

He slides open a panel in the tech -

Revealing a very old, expensive-looking bottle of wine.

The screen activates -

Revealing NIOBE.


NIOBE
My Lord Pegasus. I present to you my servant - one of my own children.

LORD PEGASUS
You care for your Niobids. You are foolish to send one into my domain. You will pay for your insolence.

NIOBE
Oh, hang on, hang on. Um, that is, hang on my lord. This bottle of wine - it is one of four remaining bottles of this vintage in the world. Three hundred years old, it is estimated to be worth four million Euros. Of course, I had to pay a lot more than that for it - you know what collectors are like.

Faceless opens the bottle - gripping the cork tightly and pulling it out.

NIOBE
I present this libation to my Lord Pegasus, lightning-bearer to Zeus himself.

Faceless pours the wine directly onto the floor.

Lord Pegasus snorts.


LORD PEGASUS
You have earned my ear.

NIOBE
Right, yes, good-oh. My lord. Thing is, I'm here to ask a favour.

LORD PEGASUS
You push your luck as ever, Niobe of Lydia.

NIOBE
Of Lydia? Who told you that? No, never mind - here's what I ask. I have need of your sceptre.

Lord Pegasus stands -

And walks towards Faceless -

Standing intimidatingly over him.


LORD PEGASUS
You are foolish indeed. You knew I would kill your spawn.

He lifts the sceptre -

Pointing it at Faceless.


NIOBE
No! Do listen, my lord. Just let me finish.

LORD PEGASUS
Your wine buys my attention. Nothing in this world will buy my sceptre.

NIOBE
I will defeat Finity of the Scribblers.

LORD PEGASUS
Your speech grows tedious.

NIOBE
Hang on, not Finity - Finesse.

Lord Pegasus straightens.

Lowers the sceptre.


LORD PEGASUS
Niobe, old friend. Kill her. Present her to me as a sacrifice.

Lord Pegasus aims his sceptre at the ground in front of Faceless -

And a lump of shiny MINERAL appears, the size of a cricket ball.


LORD PEGASUS
Take this. It will go far. It is the metal from which my armour is formed. It will shield you from the woman who dared lay hands on her god.

Faceless lifts the mineral -

Places it inside his mechanism, where the bottle of wine had been.


LORD PEGASUS
Take the sceptre. If you turn on me, you will die.

NIOBE
I am loyal to you, my lord. You have chosen wisely.

Faceless lifts the robe from his left arm -

Tears the skin, revealing a hollow space underneath -

Lifts the sceptre -

Places it inside. It is so long that Faceless's left arm can no longer bend.


NIOBE
Now, do be gentle with him.

LORD PEGASUS
I will leave your kin unharmed.

NIOBE
Ah, no, that's the thing. We need to keep this arrangement secret. The guard will need to believe my darling's a common thief. So ...

LORD PEGASUS I will damage the child.

NIOBE
Thank you, precious.

The screen fades to black.

CUT TO:

6. INT. PRISON CELL - Day 2. 2045

FERMIA sitting on the bed.

The door opens -

FACELESS is thrown onto his bed by LITHGOW. Faceless's outfit is soaked with blood.


FERMIA
What have you done to him?

LITHGOW
I'd keep quiet, if I were you. Unless you want to test what happens when someone with your reputation tells tales.

Lithgow grins.

Closes the door.


FERMIA
Right, don't worry, we'll get you fixed up tomorrow. Uber Cleric owes Elderkite a favour from Christmas, we can -

A six-foot wormhole appears next to Faceless's desk -

And SUPERNOVA walks out -

And the wormhole closes (the same effect as seen in Supernova).


SUPERNOVA
Good job.

FERMIA
You can't do that! You can't teleport in here.

SUPERNOVA
You'd be surprised what I can do. You were kind to my brother. Thank you.

FERMIA
That's alright.

Supernova approaches Faceless -

Opens his robe.


FERMIA
Wait, you'll get us in trouble.

SUPERNOVA
Us? You don't need to worry about us.

She tears the skin from Faceless's chest -

Retrieves the mineral.


SUPERNOVA
I won't be here, for starters.

She tears the skin from Faceless's arm -

Retrieves the sceptre.

She opens a small wormhole -

Drops the mineral and sceptre inside.

Faceless's skin starts to grow back.


SUPERNOVA
And my brother here - well, he'll be just like new. A few bruises from his adventures with Lord Pegasus, but no sign of naughtiness. No, you don't need to worry about us. You need to worry about yourself.

Supernova walks towards Fermia -

Hitting the force wall, which glows blue.


SUPERNOVA
What?

FERMIA
It's the -

Supernova opens two wormholes, on either side of the wall -

Walks through one -

And out of the other.


SUPERNOVA
See, you're the only loose end here. The only one who knows what we've been doing.

FERMIA
I won't tell anyone, I swear. Ask your brother, we're friends, we -

SUPERNOVA
I'm really sorry. I really am.

Supernova reveals a knife.

SUPERNOVA
But it has to look like suicide.

THE END

Friday 2 August 2013

Cymru - the Apothecarists' Tale



So I wrote this because Iceduck gave me a challenge yesterday to write a 2000 word short story set in the Cymruverse about a misunderstanding between a shopkeeper and a customer, and told me I had until 3pm today. That translated into about five hours of time, in the end, because of Stuff. So it's shit. But I'm pleased at my speed, so I thought I'd put it here. Heads up: it's completely unedited.

******



"Ooh, Eira! We've had that new conditioner in! Truth be told you could do with some, girl; your hair looks fucking terrible at the minute."
"Mine looks terrible?" Eira straightened, and stared in disbelief at her eighty-year-old mother's thin, grey hair. "Good gods woman, you barely even have any. And I shan't even start on your skin."
"Eira, bach, of course I look like porridge," Mari said, shaking her head. "I'm old, that's the privilege I earned. You're only sixty."
"You're an idiot," Eira said irritably, straightening the baskets of hair soaps with unnecessary vigour. "And you never had good hair anyway."
"Aye, that's true," Mari nodded reminiscently. She lined up the medicine bags on the shelves swiftly, gnarled fingers dancing. "Ooh, I looked a tit when I was younger. You got that from me. Shame. I got asked out last night, mind."
"I am, of course, fascinated by your love life," Eira said brusquely, scanning the shelves. "However, I must stress that my fascination for why you haven't finished making the cough medicines is stronger."
"Because I got asked out last night," Mari repeated patiently. "Bloody addled you are, do keep up you little twat. I was in the pub up on fifth -"
"The Goat's Horn?" Eira asked, raising an eyebrow. "The one with that foolish eighteen-year-old who short-changed you and tried to steal your purse? You truly are an idiot. Give me that broom."
"Having a drink, I was," Mari nodded happily, passing over the broom. "And in comes Bedwyr Gefail, you know, the blacksmith with the angry grandson with the stupid beard -"
"Yes I know," Eira interrupted, exasperated. "There's only oneBedwyr Gefail! And he's been here seventy five years! I think I've just about spotted it by now."
"- and he comes up to me and he says 'Mari, I've been wanting to ask for months. We must go dancing. Will you dance with me?'"
There was a pause. The soft, busy noise of the street outside the shop filtered in. Eira sighed.
"And you said?" she asked resignedly. Mari grinned a triumphant grin.
"I said no!" she cackled. "'I'm eighty!' I said! 'I couldn't even dance when I was young, I was a fucking menace dancing!' I tried a bloody hornpipe one night and your father went home wearing my shoe in his bloody ear! He looked proper sad, though, so I feel a bit of a bitch now, truth be told."
"Good," said Eira primly. "Though he's actually dodged an arrow. Now get behind the counter; I'm opening up."
"Aye, and I told your father that a few times and all," Mari sniggered, ignoring Eira's vicious glare as she scurried back to her seat. "I was always good at other types of dancing!"
"Great," Eira said evenly, moving to the door.
"Fucking, I mean -"
"I got it, Mam!"
The doors opened to reveal a queue. That wasn't unusual - the apothecary tended to be engulfed in an immediate rush first thing, since people needed speedy cosmetics so as not to die socially in the event of unexpected guests and speedy medicines so as not to die permanently in the event of unexpected illness. Also, this queue was headed by Elidir Gwyn, who was generally the first customer through the door to beg advice about at least three different ailments he was certain he'd developed overnight and also which hair soaps to use. It was all reassuringly normal.
Oddly, though, the bulk of that morning's queue seemed to be a throng of people from the Etruscan district, holding delivery boxes and looking politely wretched. Eira swore internally. That, she reflected, suggested a Problem. They had a Thing. And she knew at least three of them, and they barely spoke a word of Cymric, which was going to make sorting the Thing difficult.
"Eira!" Elidir said nervously. "Um. Sorry to be a bother, but, um, I think I might have the plague."
"Really?" Eira asked sternly. "And you decided the best option was to leave home and spread it about? For goodness' sake man, use some sense. Get in."
He squeaked something that might have been 'meep', and scuttled in. Eira sniffed, glanced once more at the worried Etruscans, and followed him in.
"Elidir!" Mari was saying brightly inside. "Morning, bach. What fake illness do you have today, then?"
"Plague," Elidir said mournfully.
"Plague," Mari said admiringly as Eira rounded the counter. "Bugger me, boy, but you've had that a lot this Half, it seems. You should be bloody immune by now. What symptoms?"
"Nose and eyes like a tap!" Elidir moaned. The Etruscans lined up patiently behind him, clutching their delivery boxes, worried smiles in place. " And I've got this rash. It itches, it does, Mari -"
"Aye, well, that's fleas, you daft bastard," Mari said sagaciously. "Your Ffion has been bringing home cats again, and you're allergic, man."
"Really?" Elidir asked, in the voice of a man almost relieved but afraid to take the branch offered just in case. "But -"
"Good gods, man!" Eira snapped. "It's bloody fleas! Take some fleabane, wash your sheets and get out!"
"Meep!" Elidir may have squeaked, and got out.
"Well," Mari said conversationally. "You bollocksed up that bit of customer relations. Yes, bechod, can we help you all?"
"Er," said an Etruscan, eyeing Eira warily. "Is no soap?"
He held out his delivery box. Eira and Mari peered in.
It contained a fairly unremarkable selection of items; deodorant, tooth powder, two blocks of hair soap, a stoppered clay phial of conditioner and three bags of selfheal.
"Buggered if I know what he's on about," Mari muttered. "What about you?"
"Soap?" Eira asked, frowning. She pointed at the hair soap. "That?"
"No," the man shook his head. Others had stepped forward now, showing their own boxes. "Not... Should be soap?"
"Another kind of soap, maybe?" Eira asked perplexed. "Check the orders, Mam, see if we forgot to include some."
"Er..." The Etruscans huddled for a moment, whispering swiftly; then the man stepped back.
"No missing from order," he said confidently. "With order. Free soap."
Eira gasped.
Mari dropped the order forms.
There was a short, shocked silence.
The Etruscans looked terrified.
"Free?" Mari demanded, reeling. "What's he saying? What the pigging fuck is he saying, Eira? He wants free things?!"
"Young man," Eira said, with all the stern gravity she could muster. "We do not use the word 'free' in this shop."
"Er..."
"You have placed your order and it has been fulfilled!" Eira continued, forbidding. "We do not add free things! This is a shop! We only add free things if my mother here is attempting to take you to bed!"
The Etruscans all looked at Mari in fascination.
"And even then, I do not approve!" Eira thundered.
"Oh my fucking days, she does not," Mari muttered. "Still won't let me hear the end of that one."
"But," the Etruscan said nervously, sweat obviously beading on his forehead, "offer is free soap with order for us, no? We are told - we were told we get free soap because we... are being Etruscans?"
"You're being Etruscans?" Mari asked, one eyebrow raised. "What, aren't you really? No offense, bach, but that's fucking cultural appropriation right there. No soap for you."
"You are dim-witted," Eira told her irritably. "He's saying they were told they'd get free soap because they are Etruscan."
"Really?" Mari asked skeptically. "I like Etruscans as much as the next lot, but fuck me that does not make them unique and special snowflakes entitled to my bloody soap."
"Special offer?" the sweating Etruscan tried.
"Do you know how long I spent on that pissing soap?" Mari demanded. "Look at my hands! I'm making it with fucking claws! I am not pissing it away just because you have a pretty accent!"
"Right, hang on," Eira said, folding her arms and glaring down the Etruscans. They wilted slightly more. "Did you say you were told you'd get free soap for being Etruscan?"
"Er..." said the man. Today was clearly not a good day for him. "Yes?"
"Who told you? When?"
"Um..."
There was a pause as they all went back into their huddle. Mari glowered. Eira tapped her foot. The man emerged from the huddle, looking miserable.
"Is - was boy. Eight-een? With leather on him, like Rider but not. Um. Hercna has seen him by forge. Was with us this morning."
Eira leaned forward. They leaned back.
"Was he... angry?"
The man gave her a look that fairly succinctly suggested that, however angry the boy might have seemed, current comparisons were rendering that a difficult assertion to stand by. A young woman, no more than thirty, stepped forward.
"Please?" she suggested. "He had stupid beard."
They all sniggered. Eira drew herself up. They all stopped.
"I see," she seethed. "So you turned down his grandfather for dancing and now he's trying to give us a bad name."
"Bedwyr's boy?!" Mari asked, indignant. "Well, fuck me pink! Bedwyr already suffers with his toes, I was doing the silly bastard a favour!"
"Give them some soap," Eira declared, grabbing a shawl. Mari nearly spluttered.
"What?!" she yowled. "I spent fucking ages on that batch! I even put some of that bloody lavendar in!"
"Give them a small sample each," Eira repeated. "As a show of good faith. Tell them it won't happen again, and if that boy comes to them again they can tan his hide if I haven't already, which is now a distinct possibility. I'll be back in a bit."
"What has the fucking world come to?" Mari asked darkly, turning to haul up a block of soap as Eira headed for the door. "Well? Don't just stand there you twats! Help me get this on the counter!"
The sound of the whole throng of Etruscans running to help echoed in Eira's ears as she left.
The forge was a street above theirs, with the speediest route to it being a flight of alley steps populated by pick-pockets and the odd beggar. By the time she reached the street she was out of breath from the steps and from smacking three teenagers upside the head with her shoe after they aimed at her pockets, which although holding a certain catharsis, nonetheless didn't help Eira's mood. So when she arrived at the forge and saw Bedwyr sitting at a table to one side, carefully polishing a row of horse brasses and unbothered by soap-seeking Etruscans, her temper rose.
"Right!" she snarled, marching in and slamming her shoe down on the table in front of him for effect. He almost jumped higher than the brasses. "Asking my mother to dance! Sending us Etruscans to ask for free soap! Trying to give us a bad name! Explain yourself, Bedwyr Gefail!"
"I... what?" He looked up at her, wide-eyed and lost, a brass clutched in his hand. "Eira? What are you - ?"
"If I wanted to spend a further five minutes repeating myself rest assured I'd have started already," she thundered. "Why have you done this! Because she turned you down? It was a mercy! Her dancing is so bad she can clear entire taverns! It's probably law in Tregwylan that she doesn't!"
"Hang on," Bedwyr said slowly. "She turned me down because she can't dance?"
"Of course she did!" Eira snarled. "And I don't care! Your grandson has spent the morning telling Etruscans we're going to give them free soap! Focus on that bit!"
"Oh gods." Bedwyr looked horrified. "Right. Well, how does three free sacks of oxides sound in compensation, for starters? High quality, you know it will be."
It sounded amazing. Her temper didn't quite agree yet, though.
"Excellent!" she yelled. "What about your grandson?"
"Oh, I will kill him, Eira bach, don't you worry."
"Will you? Will you? I want him dead!"
"Oh, it'll be no trouble, he'll make the forge burn hotter."
"Oh, um, I realise that probably feels like a satisfactory solution to you both," said a concerned voice behind Eira, "but do you mind using less illegal fuels and I'll just arrest your grandson?"
They turned, and Eira's stomach lurched. A Rider was standing by the door, probably attracted by the shouting, and weirdly, trying to politely insert itself into the procedings. It was female, and exotically dark, with honey-dark skin and black eyes. It was also deceptively small, but Eira knew well that meant it would be fast and agile. And it wore a Tutor's sash over an informal uniform.
And it was offering to sort out Bedwyr's bloody grandson.
"That sounds marvellous, Rider," Eira nodded. "I'd consider it a particular favour if you could feed him to your young Riders."
"I wish people didn't keep saying that," the Rider sighed morosely. "I just make dens with them and teach them what rowan berries look like, you know. It's not remotely creepy."
"You're wearing daggers imbued with the blood of your enemies," Bedwyr said, fascinated. The Rider rolled its eyes.
"Whom I didn't then eat," it said. "And they were trying to kill me. Anyway. Where is your grandson?"
"Ruining my business," Eira snapped.
"In the back," Bedwyr said. The Rider beamed at them both, disconcertingly bright and cheerful, before moving to the back of the shop. Eira sniffed.
"Creepy things," she muttered, ignoring Bedwyr's disapproving glance. "Goodbye, Bedwyr. I shall remember you to our Mam."
"Will you?" He brightened. "Thank you. Um. What activity should I ask her to, do you think?"
"Good gods man, isn't it obvious?" Eira said. "Drinking. Always drinking."
He wasn't so bad, Eira reflected as she made her way back down. And three sacks of oxides meant they could make some excellent cosmetics this month. All in all it had actually been a profitable morning, therefore.
Although Mari would never forgive her for that soap.

Friday 8 March 2013

Scribblers: Supernova

Scribblers
"Supernova"
by Steffan Alun

1. INT. THE PIT - LIVING AREA - Day 1. 0900

LYRIC is having fun with A ROBOT!

LYRIC
Robot robot robot!

CHRONAL enters, gorgeous beast.

CHRONAL
You finally managed to make a robot!

ROBOT
Yes he did!

CHRONAL
Why did you give it Cloudburst's voice?

ROBOT
I am a robot.

LYRIC
I am going to the shops to show off my new robot.

CUT TO:

2. INT. THE SHOPS - Day 1. 0930

LYRIC and ROBOT are having a lovely day. They both have ice creams.

LYRIC
This is the best robot day ever.

ROBOT
I am a robot. Mm, this ice cream's lush.

LYRIC
I tried making ice cream once. Tripped over my words and made a big splodge.

ROBOT
What's a splodge?

LYRIC
Oh, robot. You have so much to learn about humans.

A PERSON appears! She is dressed in a coooool crimson costume! Maybe it's a superhero?

PERSON
Freeze.

She holds out her hands!

And Lyric is pulled to the ground! Almost as though gravity itself had increased lots! OMG!

ROBOT
Oh no! A supervillain! Activating super robot powers.

Dark clouds gather above -

A lightning bolt strikes -

But the person absorbs the energy, instead of being comically electrocuted!

ROBOT
Robot is sad.

The person holds out her hands again -

And robot is sucked towards her -

And she punches poor robot in the face!

PERSON
I win round one. I'll be back later.

And the person is gone! Wow! What a supervillain!

CUT TO:

3. EXT. THE PARK - Day 2. 1000

AMITY and OVERLOAD are on the swings.

CAPTION: "The following day ..."

AMITY
What if she wins next time?

OVERLOAD
Has Fountain Girl ever won?

AMITY
Yes, once! It was 1994.

OVERLOAD
I think you're probably safe, then.

AMITY
Okay. Your turn.

OVERLOAD
I've forgotten the rules.

AMITY
Oh, is this a game? I thought we were just talking!

Suddenly, a PERSON appears! She is a supervillain! We met her before, remember?

AMITY
Oh, hey, you were mean to my friend! And his robot!

OVERLOAD
Yeah! Robots have feelings too!

SUPERVILLAIN
Do they?

AMITY
Uh, this one does.

The supervillain holds up her hands, pointing towards Overload -

OVERLOAD
No no no! Don't make me fight. Ms Glass says I mustn't.

Overload is sucked towards the supervillain -

And then thrust away with incredible force!

Crash! The see-saw will never be the same again.

AMITY
Mate, I get that you're a villain and everything, but do you need to be such a bully about it?

Amity frowns -

And the supervillain HOLLERS!

And escapes!

AMITY
Oh, cool, I won Round Two. I can't wait to tell Animalgaman.

OVERLOAD
Maybe he'd like to meet at some sort of medical facility that specialises in Overload's bones.

CUT TO:

4. INT. THE PIT - LIVING AREA - Day 3. 1200

The furniture in the pit is arranged as an obstacle course - row of chairs, balanced pyrmids of tins, big tinsel webs.

SHIFT on one end, WRAITH holding the stopwatch.

SHIFT
Ready, steady ...

A SUPERVILLAIN appears! Shift's face falls.

SUPERVILLAIN
Time for the semi-final.

Wraith becomes invisible -

But his light is drawn towards the supervillain -

And the room goes dark!

There's lots of grunts and shouts and punchy sounds.

The light returns, and Wraith has been taken out, and Shift is missing.

SUPERVILLAIN
Round three to me.

A BAT flutters down from the ceiling and becomes SHIFT.

SHIFT
No, hang on, that doesn't count. I didn't get a chance to do anything.

SUPERVILLAIN
The finale is at midday tomorrow. I call on Chronal to face me at Battle Field. The terms of combat - his wife is to stay away.

She disappears!

SHIFT
Oh, lame, she broke the tinsel web.

CUT TO:

5. EXT. BATTLE FIELD - Day 4. 1200

CHRONAL is ready & extremely talented. AMITY, SHIFT, WRAITH, LYRIC and ROBOT are gathered to watch.

CHRONAL
She's late.

The SUPERVILLAIN appears!

SUPERVILLAIN
I am not late.

CHRONAL
I have perfect timing!

SUPERVILLAIN
We'll see about that.

The villain holds a hand towards a distant tree -

Which uproots -

And shoots towards Chronal.

CHRONAL
I can see why you didn't want Finesse here.

Chronal freezes the tree in time.

CHRONAL
She'd be livid at that sort of behaviour. Replant it.

The villain holds another hand towards Chronal!

CHRONAL
Argh!

The tree shoots towards him -

Connects!

Knocking Chronal to the ground!

CHRONAL
What have you done to me?

He runs towards the villain -

Speeding up as he does so -

(Ooh, superspeed!)

The villain holds up both hands -

And Chronal suddenly stops.

VILLAIN
I am SUPERNOVA.

Chronal fights the freeze, struggling to get closer.

SUPERNOVA
You think time matters to me? I eat time for breakfast.

Chronal is released -

But he's exhausted -

And falls to the ground.

Amity steps forwards.

AMITY
I defeated her before.

Supernova holds a hand towards Wraith -

Appears to suck darkness out of him -

And the darkness engulfs Amity.

SUPERNOVA
It's me against Chronal. Time versus space. Alright. I will give you one free hit.

She stands still, arms outstretched behind her.

Chronal stands -

Slowly -

And blasts her with, um, time blasts. Yeah.

But they have no effect.

CHRONAL
You're completely immune.

SUPERNOVA (suddenly cheerful)
Excellent. Well, that's all I needed you to check. I'll be heading off now.

LYRIC
What?! You were using him for a check-up?

SUPERNOVA
Oh, no. Certainly not. There's a lot more to come from me.

She grabs Chronal's wrist.

Chronal is too weakened to struggle.

SUPERNOVA
It's been a real pleasure meeting you, Chronal. I look forward to the rest of our lives together.
(beat)
As nemeses.

Behind Supernova, a six-foot wormhole opens.

She steps inside -

And it closes.

THE END

Saturday 23 February 2013

Scribblers: Escapes!

Scribblers: Escapes!

1.  EXT.  Gaolhouse Rock Exercise Yard.  Day 1 - 1708

An exercise yard, full of SUPERVILLAINS exercising in orange jumpsuits with a colour-coded waist stripe. Most are wearing power inhibitor collars, each with a glowing blue light. To one side the seven RAINBOW WARRIORS are playing handball against the FROZEN EMPERORS, LONDON FOG and GRANITE, a game that occasionally devolves into mindless fisticuffs until the GUARDS separate them with pokey sticks. AWKWARD DISTANCE MAN is watching/getkting in the way. DARK SUPER SKELETON, the HUMAN APPLE and ALIEN DAVE are muttering dreams of revenge in a corner; in another, GUTTER PRESS is huddled, weeping and ignored. Exercise equipment is being used by PRONOUN, PEGGINGTON, DARK HAND and some RAINBOW SOLDIERS.

At the end of the yard, COOL BOX is sitting at a chess board, glaring in an imperial-but-loser fashion at the pieces. MEDIUM approaches and sits opposite him, watching him with a small, sharp smile.

                                COOL BOX (disdainfully)
                What - ? Oh. It's you. Still looking, then.

As he speaks, a small caption appears in the panel beside him.

CAP:
Name: Cool Box
Power: Production and manipulation of an ice-like substance
Threat Level: Yellow

                                MEDIUM
                Seeing. A small but important distinction. Are you playing against yourself?

CAP:
Name: Medium
Power: To see what is hidden.
Threat Level: Red

                                COOLBOX
                Of course. No one in this hole could keep up with a privately-educated mind.

                                MEDIUM
                The white side will lose in twelve moves, or the black in either six or eight depending on the white bishop. State school, before you ask.

Coolbox glares. Medium shrugs dismissively.

                                COOL BOX
                Do you just make it your goal to spoiler things for everyone?

                                MEDIUM
                Sometimes. If I'm bored.

                                COOL BOX
                That's so - !

He stops, as a silence suddenly envelops the yard. A TALL, BROAD MAN, long face, long white hair and fevered, glassy eyes has entered, trailed by two ALERT GUARDS. He looks around at the silent, watching villains and smiles, his eyes blazing, before nodding to the guards. He leaves again.

There is a collective exhale, as people resume their activities.

                                COOL BOX (fascinated)
                Who on earth was that?!

                                MEDIUM
                Want some advice on surviving in here?

                                COOL BOX
                What?

                                MEDIUM
                Whatever allegiances, whatever enemies you make while you're here, remember this, Ice Boy -

                                COOL BOX
                My name -

                                MEDIUM
                Stay the hell away from Frenzy. As far as you can.

He shifts uncomfortably at her intensity. She watches him.

                                COOL BOX
                Right. Fine. Thanks.

                                MEDIUM
                Information is power. And you can pay me back right now. I hear you spent time with the Scribblers recently?

                                COOLBOX
                Oh, that. Yes. I'd have beaten them, too, if it hadn't been for me being, um, two people at the time.

                                MEDIUM
                With two pairs of eyes.

She looks at him hard.

                                MEDIUM
                What did you see?

CUT TO:

2.  INT.  City Hall, Main Conference Room.  Day 1 - 1708

A large conference room, with plush velvet curtains and long windows, a bit Victorian-era. In the middle is a long table and lined with chairs. FINESSE, COMMISSIONER MORGAN, the new FIRST MINISTER (late 50s, thoughtful, learned), MR OSWALD and various other MPs and people of importance are sitting around the table. There is a holo-display in the middle, floating just high enough that they can see each other; currently, information files on Sintaro and Niobe are displayed.

                                FIRST MINISTER
                And this is all the concrete evidence so far?

                                FINESSE
                Yes, sir. Although we have a fair amount of educated conjecture, based on prior experience and the odd villainous monologue.

                                FIRST MINISTER
                My word, do they really do that?

                                FINESSE (with feeling)
                Yes.

                                MR OSWALD (archly)
                Really? That seems somewhat unlikely.

                                FINESSE (calmly)
                So many things do if you have no experience of them whatsoever.

                                COMMISSIONER MORGAN
                Silence all. I have no patience for snark. Are any other Scribblers available today for their input?

                                FINESSE
                Well...

CUT TO:

3.  INT.  The Pit Living Room.  Day 1 - 1130 (Flashback)

FINESSE, CHRONAL, AMITY, DOG, SHIFT and WRAITH are chillin'. LYRIC enters, carrying GEORGE (a baby). Wraith looks up, and vanishes.

                                LYRIC
                Hey kids. So, Axiom has given me George to look after today -

Finesse screams and runs out.

CUT TO:

4.  INT.  City Hall, Main Conference Room.  Day 1 - 1708

Continued from Scene 2.

                                FINESSE
                Maybe Wraith?

                                COMMISSIONER MORGAN
                No.

                                FINESSE
                Fair enough.

CUT TO:

5.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock Security Centre.  Day 1 - 1714

A room containing three SECURITY GUARDS and several long banks of monitor screens showing every single room in the prison; other screens show the power outputs of the prison, the status of the inhibitor collars, the status of the communication link with the mainland, and so on.

                                GUARD #1
                Nearly quarter past. Better do the checks.

She moves to the nearest screen, and activates the sound. On it, we see a plain room with ARMED GUARDS around the edges, a BESPECTACLED PSYCHIATRIST sitting in a chair and a HUGE, BESTIAL MAN shackled onto a psychiatrist's couch.

                                BESPECTACLED PSYCHIATRIST
                And what made you want to eat him, Cannibal? What were you thinking at the time?

                                CANNIBAL (harsh grunts)
                Swings, w'un it?

                                BESPECTACLED PSYCHIATRIST
                He'd been on the swings?

                                CANNIBAL
                Yeah.
                (grins)
                Never been on swings. Wanted to know what it felt like.

The next screen shows FRENZY being escorted back to his cell; another shows a library, with TOXIC sitting at a desk idly reading, ignoring various other VILLAINS behind her; another shows a secure vault-like room, its bound occupant a huge, hulking shadow within, with the words LORD PEGASUS - CONTAINMENT SECURE across the screen; and others. The Guard nods, and glances at her colleagues.

                                GUARD #1
                All accounted for here, Lord Pegasus is still down, and Cannibal is disgusting. You guys?

                                GUARD #2
                Yeah, we're good. Hey, anyone see the rugby on the weekend?

They chat on, and don't notice the screens in the corner. Three suddenly cut out for a few seconds and then flicker back on, showing looped footage from ten minutes ago; and at the end of the row a progress bar appears below the words UPLOADING - PLEASE WAIT. It speedily reaches 100%, and information starts flickering across the screen.

CUT TO:

6.  EXT.  Gaolhouse Rock Exercise Yard.  Day 1 - 1714

Continued from Scene 1. Medium suddenly looks up, staring at the cameras intently, and then smiles slightly and returns to the conversation.

                                MEDIUM
                Called the Monastery?

                                COOL BOX
                Yes. No idea what or where it is, though, bloody Finesse went and threw me back together in my cell before they went there.

                                MEDIUM
                Doesn't matter. All I'd need is a map. But she was scared?

                                COOL BOX
                Not - she sort of... froze for a second. Lyric and the weak Shift didn't.
                                (beat)
                Look, are we done? I have a chess game here that you've gone and spoilered for me -

                                MEDIUM
                We're done. I lied, by the way.

She stands, and moves the black queen into check.

                                MEDIUM
                Mate.

                                COOL BOX
                What?! But how did - ?!

                                MEDIUM
                I really have no more time to spare.

She leaves, her stride confident. Cool Box looks sadly at his little game.

CUT TO:

7.  THE PIT - LIVING ROOM.  Day 1 - 1715

CHRONAL, AMITY, DOG, SHIFT and LYRIC are gathered on the floor with GEORGE, surrounded by a small landscape of baby toys, blankets and books. Currently George is in Shift's arms, looking as bemused as a baby can while Chronal tries to take him from her. Lyric is muttering a new toy into being. Amity is reading one of the books.

                                AMITY
                I just don't see why a younger audience means you have to forgo proper stucture.

                                LYRIC
                Because he can't read or speak yet.

                                AMITY
                That's no excuse. It's just the word 'Look' on every page.

                                LYRIC
                Except the last one -

                                AMITY
                I refuse to accept the phrase 'Look in here!' as a plot resolution, Lyric.

                                LYRIC
                You just don't like it because you can't ship any characters.

                                CHRONAL
                My turn now?

                                SHIFT
                No! We agreed! Five-minute turns each with the adorable baby! And I know you know it hasn't been five minutes, Time Boy.

                                CHRONAL
                But he's so adorable! I want him now! Hey, can we keep him?

                                SHIFT
                Yes! Let's keep him!

                                LYRIC
                I think Finesse and Wraith would leave the team.

CUT TO:

8.  INT.  The Pit - The Pit - Communications Room.  Day 1 - 1715

A lived-in looking room full of computers and communications devices and the like. It also contains tidy amounts of clutter, a small forest of used mugs on the side and some squashy beanbags on the floor. WRAITH is sitting on a spinny chair, idly trolling 4chan while drawing character designs in a sketchpad. Occasionally, he mutters to himself.

                                WRAITH
                Because it's transphobic and sexist, snowflake. Have him boiled.

A screen to his left lights up suddenly, and he blinks and looks across. Gaolhouse Rock is depicted on it with the message "WARNING - SIGNAL BLOCKED" flashing up -

- which then vanishes. Wraith looks at it steadily for a moment, then sighs as though hard done by and pushes his chair over to it.

                                WRAITH
                Yes, yes. I'll check it. It's like everyone else is looking after a baby or something.

He types at a keyboard, and a screen displays all of the data for the prison. Wraith scans it, and then types again; lines of code appear. He stares for a few seconds.

                                WRAITH
                Hmm. Most irregular.

CUT TO:

9.  EXT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Library.  Day 1 - 1715

A long, open room filled with low bookshelves and intermittent GUARDS patrolling the edges. VILLAINS are sitting at the tables in the middle, reading or talking quietly about their greatest superhero defeats; TOXIC (34, ruthless, coarse) is reading Perfume alone but near to ALIEN DAVE (short, alien-looking, tool), GREGORY THOUGHT (wannabe mad professor) and PRONOUN (Scottish, sly). At the far end of the room lurks POINT 34 (60s, cruel, sadistic), aloofly looking over a bookshelf.

MEDIUM enters. She doesn't look around but moves straight to Point 34, her movements calm but swift.

                                MEDIUM
                Good evening. Point 34, I presume?

CAP:
Name: Point 34
Power: None; use of a suit of robotised armour that allows super strength, flight and energy blasts.
Threat Level: Red

                                POINT 34 (sneering)
                That's right. And you are?

Medium smiles.

                                MEDIUM
                A job offer. And you decide right now.

CUT TO:

10.  EXT.  Gaolhouse Rock Exercise Yard.  Day 1 - 1708

Continued from Scene 1.

Suddenly, the lights die. Prisoners look up as the back-up lights kick in -

And die too -

Followed by the small lights on the power inhibitor collars. Coolbox yelps as he ices the board suddenly -

London Fog stumbles into her gaseous form for a second before resolidifying, looking surprised -

And they all turn, and look at the guards.

CUT TO:

11.  INT.  City Hall, Main Conference Room.  Day 1 - 1716

The holo-screens are displaying information on T.O.R.Y. - currently, COMMISSIONER MORGAN is glaring at a copy of the Goon Contract and berating it, the FIRST MINISTER listening attentively. MR OSWALD occasionally shoots a sneer at FINESSE, who ignores him.

                                COMMISSIONER MORGAN
                But it means that he's legally covered. These contracts protect him against both the brain-washing and the addictive side-effects. I loathe them.

                                FIRST MINISTER
                Yes. Odd how many of them are turning to this as a career, though, isn't it? Body modification, mental programming... and I mean, as goons they are expected to kill, surely?

                                MR OSWALD
                Nothing wrong with that. So are soldiers, and they're heroes!

                                FINESSE
                That spectacular non-sequitur aside - yes, sir. Unfortunately, we have a structure in which villainy pays and heroism doesn't. My husband has graphs.

                                FIRST MINISTER
                Ooh, really? I love graphs! Can - ?

Finesse's communicator sounds and she sighs.

                                FINESSE
                Excuse me. Yes?

                                WRAITH('s voice)
                Er, you know Gaolhouse Rock? And how it needs electricity to live? So all the villains stay?

                                FINESSE
                Please tell me -

                                WRAITH('s voice)
                The signal was disrupted and then it was fine, so I checked the code, and it's been changed but I don't have the original to compare to see how, but then I hacked their feed and the security footage is being looped but there's something weird about the power outputs. Does that mean it's dead?

                                FINESSE
                Oh, lordy. I'm on my way. You're needed, Commissioner.

                                COMMISSIONER MORGAN
                Excellent. Is there time for explanations?

                                FINESSE
                On the way, yeah. Sorry sir.

They stand and leave; as they pass the door, the phones of everyone in the room begin to ring.

CUT TO:

12.  INT.  The Pit - Living Room.  Day 1 - 1716

Continued from Scene 7. Chronal is playing with George, while Shift transforms her face into various animals to amuse him. Lyric is sitting nearby, watching him in bemusement.

                                LYRIC
                I just didn't realise you love babies so much.
                                (beat)
                Or that Finesse hates them so much.

                                CHRONAL
                Yes, parenting is going to become a complicated endevor for us. We're hopeful she'll like any kids of ours by the time they're about seven.

WRAITH enters.

                                WRAITH
                Hey guys. I think Gaolhouse Rock has stopped.

                                SHIFT
                What?! It's stopped?
                                (beat)
                Like the song?

                                WRAITH
                Yeah. I had to use my pro hacking skillz. Finesse says you have to come too.

                                LYRIC
                I can't. I have to look after George.

                                CHRONAL
                So do -

                                WRAITH
                It's changed our records. Like, ours. Here in Da Pit.

                                CHRONAL
                What?!?

                                SHIFT (blankly)
                Put the baby down and get up, you saddo.

Chronal blurs, and George is suddenly in Lyric's arms, Chronal on his feet.

                                CHRONAL
                Trans-Jet in 30 seconds. I'm getting the current inmate lists; let's hope those haven't been changed.

He vanishes. Shift looks longingly at George.

                                SHIFT
                Can't he come - ?

                                LYRIC
                No.

CUT TO:

13.  EXT (sort of).  TV Screen .  Day 1 - 1724

A shot of Gaolhouse Rock from above and to one side, beamed live from a news helicopter. It looks mostly calm if unlit, but a closer look shows a lot of people running through the few open courtyards, and the occasional window suddenly lit up by a flash of light within.

                                REPORTER (v/o)
                Live from Gaolhouse Rock! I'm Hyperbole Rees! It's only been a few minutes since this terrifying scene on your screen, but already some minute but probably consequencial things have happened! The Trans-Jet arrived thirty seconds ago and parked on the mainland away from the prison! Some Scribblers have gone in - it looked to this reporter like Finesse, Amity, Wraith and Capten Cymru! But this is unconfirmed!

                                NEWSCASTER IN STUDIO (v/o)
                Hyperbole, can you tell us if anyone is dead yet?

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                No I can't, Dai, but if you'll allow me a moment of professional conjecture, I'd say loads.

                                DAI (v/o)
                There you have it, viewers. Loads may be dead. And so far, the police have not been forthcoming about the current inmate roster - IS THIS A CONSPIRACY? Brought to you live, from Gaolhouse Rock.

CUT TO:

14.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Entrance Hall.  Day 1 - 1725

A starkly-decorated room, about thirty feet square, including the reception desk (now broken and destroyed), multiple security scanners and gates (now broken and destroyed) and various doors (now sans hinges). VILLAINS are fighting each other pettily on their way to the massive front doors, settling old grievances as they escape. DAGGER MAN enters through a side door, weedy and harrassed and wearing a blue waist stripe.

CAP:
Name: Dagger Man
Power: None; occasional use of a set of robotic arms which end in kitchen implements
Threat Level: Blue

He dodges the fighting villains and scuttles to the door -

Which slams open to reveal CHRONAL, with FINESSE, SHIFT, AMITY and WRAITH behind him, knocking Dagger Man squealing into the OCTOGENARIANS, who promptly beat him about the head.

CAP:
Name: The Octogenarians
Power: All four members have super speed and strength
Threat Level: Yellow

                                OCTOGENARIAN #1
                A disaffected youth!!

                                OCTOGENARIAN #2
                Of today!!!!

                                CHRONAL
                Oh, dash.

                                SHIFT
                Okay, I've checked and - hang on, do you say 'dash' now?

                                CHRONAL
                Proudly.

He zips away to punch LASER FACE on the other side of the room.

                                SHIFT
                Saddo. Guys, this isn't the full inmate list - there are definitely fewer names than there should be. And unless there have been a lot of surprising bails that we haven't been told about, all of the white ranked names are gone.

                                AMITY
                But that means -

                                FINESSE
                Maximum Security. Dammit. Right, I'll go there -

                                WRAITH
                Hur hur. "Go."

                                SHIFT
                Deviant. Solar is en route to help get the inhibitor collars powered up again, we just need to hold everyone down until she does. Also this is the exit they'll all come to, Chronal should stay here.

                                CHRONAL
                Aw, what? Okay, but you'd better not have fun without me.

                                FINESSE
                Fine. Shift, Wraith, pick a direction and move in; Amity, you're on containment.

                                AMITY
                Really? Yay! What?

                                FINESSE
                I want these people down and out, understand? And if that means a prison full of hysterically and debilitatingly weeping villains, so be it. Fix them later.

                                AMITY(sadly)
                Yes, I suppose.

She looks at ALLERGY LAD, running forwards -

He looks at her, screams and runs away. Amity sighs sadly, and moves into the building.

CUT TO:

15.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Side Corridor.  Day 1 - 1725
A long, narrow corridor with various doors. The FROZEN EMPERORS are having a slappy hands fight as they keep getting stuck along it, since it isn't wide enough for five abreast; GUTTER PRESS and AWKWARD DISTANCE MAN are racing along in front, heading for the exit -

                                WRAITH('s voice)
                Everyone stop being rebasses.

Enter WRAITH at the end of the corridor, looking menacing. Gutter Press bursts into tears.

CAP:
Name: Gutter Press
Power: Lying
Threat Level: Blue

                                GUTTER PRESS
                Not you! Not you!

He runs away.

                                WRAITH
                Cool. Hey, the rest of you should do that too.

                                AWKWARD DISTANCE MAN
                Not a chance, Scribbler!

CAP:
Name: Awkward Distance Man
Power: To make himself and objects be at awkward distances
Threat Level: Green

And suddenly, he's right in Wraith's face! Swings a punch -

Wraith ducks back -

Into the optimum punching range, unfortunately. He staggers back -

Awkward Distance Man is too close again, swinging another punch -

Wraith moves forward instead to headbutt him -

Awkward Distance Man is suddenly slightly too far back, Wraith's skull only grazing him. Wraith glares.

                                WRAITH
                Right, Awkward Dick Stance Man -

                                AWKWARD DISTANCE MAN
                Hey, it's - !

Wraith throws up a hand -

And Awkward Distance Man's eyes become invisible!

                                AWKWARD DISTANCE MAN
                Argh! I'm blind! What have you done?!?

Wraith punches him in the face -

Kicks him in the stomach -

And drops him to the floor, out cold, and lying uncomfortably close to Wraith. He looks up. The Frozen Emperors finally unstick themselves and watch him, warily.

CAP:
Name: The Frozen Emperors
Power: Cryokinesis
Threat Level: Orange

                                WRAITH
                Well, this is awkward.

He blinks, and five Wraiths appear in the corridor.

                                WRAITH
                Lol. Get it?

CUT TO:

16.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Library.  Day 1 - 1726

The library is in mild chaos; the GUARDS are now either unconscious, severely injured or dead, lying about, while around six villains have crowded in; ALIEN DAVE, GREGORY THOUGHT, PRONOUN, RINGTONE (middle-aged, bad toupee, too camp to function), THE PIPE CLEANER (rangy, sad) and WALL BOY (an anthropomorphic wall). They are attempting to tear the bars from the windows to escape. At the table in the centre of the room sits TOXIC still; the book is open in front of her, but she's watching the others' attempts interestedly as she removes the now-inactive inhibitor collar.

CAP:
Name: Alien Dave
Power: "alien"- looking physiology.
Threat Level: Green

Name: Gregory Thought
Power: Mind control triggered through eye contact.
Threat Level: Yellow

Name: Pronoun
Power: A shapeshifter able to utterly fool both organisms and technology into believing whatever shape she is in.
Threat Level: Red

Name: Wall Boy
Power: Physiology of a wall with hands and feet. Can colour the surface of his wall at will.
Threat Level: Blue

SHIFT enters.

                                SHIFT
                Villains! Cease your villainy! This is a library!

                                RINGTONE
                Oh fuck me no! A Scribbler!

                                WALL BOY
                Let's fight her!

                                TOXIC
                Probably the stupidest thing I ever heard. Interesting.

                                SHIFT
                You know, I really hope to never say this again -

She shifts into a Shire horse and kicks out -

Wall Boy is suddenly on his flat wall-back, kicking uselessly like a turtle -

And Shift morphs human again.

                                SHIFT
                But I agree with Toxic.

Pronoun transforms into Wraith -

And Toxic puts down her book and stands, sauntering casually forward, dropping the removed collar to the floor as she goes.

                                WRAITH
                Dude, why are you attacking me?

                                SHIFT (brightly)
                Because I hate you the most! Aren't you supposed to be downstairs?

                                WRAITH
                Oh yeah. Laterz.

He leaves. Toxic reaches the group, and moves confidently to stand between Shift and the other five, who have helped Wall Boy up and are now tensing up, ready to fight.

CAP:
Name: Toxic
Power: Biological production of liquid and gaseous toxins and venoms via pores and glands, and barbed stingers in the wrists; products range in strength, but capable of killing at full strength. Can also produce antidotes to her own venoms. Immune to all known poisons.
Threat Level: Orange

                                GREGORY THOUGHT
                But we can defeat you together, Scribbler! Just look into my eyes!

                                SHIFT (sagely)
                No, because that is a ridiculous attempt to fight someone.

                                GREGORY THOUGHT
                Look into - !

                                SHIFT
                No.

                                TOXIC
                Shut up everyone or I'll kill you all.

There is a pause, as they become aware of the green haze hanging around the villains.

                                ALIEN DAVE
                What are you killing us for?!

                                TOXIC
                What are you on about? You're a bargaining chip.

                                THE PIPE CLEANER
                But... we're villains too!

                                TOXIC
                Huh. I reckon you've mistaken heroism and villainy for teams, there.

                                SHIFT
                Ah. She's got you there. Um.

                                TOXIC
                What? Clearly Scribblers were going to arrive. I'm not stupid. But also, love, your best mate's a psycho if you lot get injured too bad, we all know it. So I'm threatening them, and that's why you'll let me leave.

                                SHIFT
                Well actually -

She shifts! Becoming a swallow and darting to her -

Morphs human -

Punches Toxic -

Who staggers -

And Gregory Thought cries out, staggering, the haze solidifying around his head. Shift pauses, and Toxic laughs.

                                TOXIC
                I'm also making the antidote! Distract me too much -

Shift moves to attack again -

A spray of acid jets from Toxic's wrist -

Shift dodges, snakey -

It heads for Wall Boy!

Shift speeds to him as a bee -

And the spray hits a rhino, hissing but sliding off the plated skin. It becomes a tiger and leaps -

And a barb slides out of Toxic's other wrist, lashes at Shift's ribs -

Who moves -

And it sweeps through her fur.

CUT TO:

17.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Main Corridor. Day 1 - 1726

A long corridor with multiple passages and doors leading off it. Inside is chaos - MONICA DEATH, CAPTAIN FAST and the DISSECTOR are all fighting each other to get through a doorway, while the GRAVEDIGGER runs past straight through a wall and away through another. Guards are lying unconscious or dead about the place; the body of one is drying and shrivelling in the hands of BLOOD GIRL, who is powering up with it. UGLY UGLY MAN knocks over a RAINBOW WARRIOR, and gets promptly blasted away by another -

Enter AMITY.                    

                                AMITY
                Goodness. No, Blood Girl. Just no.

                                BLOOD GIRL
                Oh, shush. Do you know how much I've just absorbed, Scribbler?

CAP:
Name: Blood Girl
Power: Enhanced speed, strength, durability and agility from blood absorption
Threat Level: Orange

She turns and rushes at Amity, all super-speedy and ultra strong -

Amity sighs and holds up a hand -

And Blood Girl stops dead in the hallway and just screams.

And screams.

The Rainbow Warriors stare in horror.

CAP:
Name: The Rainbow Warriors
Power: An ability each loosely based on their colour; pyrokinesis, telekinesis, bioelectrogenesis, geokinesis, cryokinesis, hydrokinesis and teleportation.
Threat Level: Red

                                VIOLET WARRIOR
                The hell did you do to her?!

                                AMITY
                You know, it brings me absolutely no joy to do this sort of thing, so I'm going to ask all of you very nicely right now. Please go back to your cells.

                                ORANGE WARRIOR
                No! Oh, no. There are seven of us, and others! We can take you!

He holds up a hand -

Violet Warrior teleports behind her -

And Amity rolls her eyes and flicks a hand irritably.

As one, Orange, Yellow and Blue all burst into tears, inconsolable, and the others sprint to their sides frantically.

                                AMITY
                Right, fine then. Throw your chance of happiness back in my face. It's only several hours of overtime fixing you all later...

                                GREEN WARRIOR (almost as hysterical as them)
                Oh god! It's okay guys, I swear! We'll get through this!

                                INDIGO WARRIOR (desperate)
                It'll be okay! It will!

Amity glares at them in their huddle for a moment and then marches past them and a still-screaming Blood Girl. Monica Death and Captain Fast flee at her approach. The Dissector moves meekly back into his cell, and closes the door.

                                AMITY (dark mutter)
                Damn villains.

She brightens, and activates the comm.

                                AMITY
                Game time! Nine down, am I in the lead?

CUT TO:

18.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Entrance Hall.  Day 1 - 1729

VILLAINS are lying about, bruised and unconscious and the like. CHRONAL is in the middle of fighting the OCTOGENARIANS, one of whom has somehow managed to get hold of a handbag from somewhere and is attempting to beat him with it, although his super speed is better than theirs.

                                OCTOGENARIAN #1
                No respect! No respect for your elders!

                                OCTOGENARIAN #2
                And that hair! Long like a girl!

                                OCTOGENARIAN #3
                In my day he'd have been flensed!

Chronal punches the handbag one -

Who falls back, dropping it -

Grabs the bag and fells Octogenarian #4 with it.

                                CHRONAL
                Well, you say all this; I really should point out, though, that in your day racism, sexism and homophobia were actively encouraged moral viewpoints, which is far more rubbish -

                                OCTOGENARIAN #3
                Arrrgh!! Back chat!!! I hate these disaffected youths!

                                OCTOGENARIAN #2
                Of today!!

                                CHRONAL
                And I don't think you even knew about transphobia -

Two of them rush him, approaching from either side -

But he blurs and weaves through them, letting them collide with each other and stagger back, stunned.

                                CHRONAL
                Also, asthma was considered to be a mental condition.

                                OCTOGENARIAN #1
                This is why this country is going to the dogs!!!!

                                CHRONAL
                No!

Suddenly he stands tall, eyes burning.

                                CHRONAL
                That is because Boris Johnson remains alive.

They attack anew.

CUT TO:

19.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Psychiatric Wing Corridor #1.  Day 1 - 1729

An L-shaped corridor. The FROZEN EMPERORS are now a mere two in number, covered in various injuries and sprinting at top speed along the corridor, terrified; occasionally one throws a bolt of ice back behind him which bounces harmlessly against the walls or floor. Heavy duty doors line the corridor, most open, padded cells visible within. Laughter is audible behind the Emperors, and as they get to the bend of the corridor, one looks around the corner -

- and screams. The corridor ends in blackness. He stops, grabbing his friend.

                                EMPEROR #1 (hysterically)
                It's gone!! All dark!! What do we do now?!

                                EMPEROR #2
                He must have... he must have made it invisible? Surely? It must... just be...

                                EMPEROR #1
                I can't take this! I can't take any more of - !

                                WRAITH('s voice, singing mockingly)
                Poor little buttercup...

Emperor #1 faints. Emperor #2 looks around wildly.

                                EMPEROR #2
                Where are you?!?!?

WRAITH materialises over his shoulder, mouth by his ear.

                                WRAITH
                Here. Lol.

Emperor #2 faints, and Wraith grins, dropping the invisibility wall over the other half of the corridor -

And freezes, horrified. Guards and the odd prisoner are dead in it, strewn about and mutilated, blood everywhere. Most have had limbs torn off. 'Tis mingin'. At the end of it is a CROUCHING FIGURE in a prisoner jumpsuit, a white waist stripe and deactivated power collar, shoulders shaking slightly as though doing something with his arms, head bowed; as everything becomes visible again he pauses, turning his head enough for us to see the side of his face. His mouth is smeared with blood.

CAP:
Name: Cannibal
Power: Bestial/enhanced physiology; aquirement of knowledge and memories from consumption of flesh.
Threat Level: White

Wraith slams a hand to the comm in his ear, and activates yellow alert.

                                WRAITH
                Oh, fuck a Jesus.

                                CANNIBAL
                Ha, Wraith, my boy. It's been a while, hasn't it?

                                WRAITH
                "My boy"? What, have you eaten a professor lately or something?

                                CANNIBAL
                Mmm. My psychiatrist, as it goes. We were in session when the collar deactivated.

He moves, rising to his feet and turning -

He's massive, at least seven feet tall and slightly stooped, a bestial look to him; long hair, visible skin on his chest covered in bristles, yellow eyes with large pupils, thin lips pulled back from sharp, large teeth, all covered in blood, and he drops the half-eaten arm of a guard to the floor as he grins at Wraith.

The comm activates.

                                CHRONAL (on comm)
                Hello. How are yours? Mine are telling me I need an ASBO -

                                WRAITH
                Get here right now. No messing.

                                CHRONAL (on comm)
                Situation?

                                WRAITH
                Cannibal's out.
                                (beat)
                And he's clever now.

CUT TO:

20.  EXT(ish).  TV Screen.  Day 1 - 1731

Continued from Scene 13. The prison now has a haze over one side that may be smoke; the police have arrived in force on the mainland, some boats being launched. The masonry of one tower has cracks running through it.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                And they're telling me the DSA is now en route, although who can say if it's not already too late? Meanwhile the inmate roster is still slow to be reported, with Commissioner Morgan saying, and I quote, "Silence, there's no time for questions. Get that god damned microphone out of my face and let me do my job or you'll be sitting on it for the next year."

                                DAI (v/o)
                That sounds like a CONSPIRACY.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                In this humble reporter's opinion, yes it does, Dai. Meanwhile it seems there's an energy field around the prison there - no word yet on whether or not it's causing cancer, by the way - that's killing all electronics that get near, meaning no police boats can approach to take out the terror...fying villains. But would the police be able to handle them anyway, Dai?

                                DAI (v/o)
                And how deadly might these escaping inmates be, Hyperbole?

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                I've not been told, but to answer your question, Dai, we don't know if they're strong enough to destroy all of Wales and some bits of Devon or not.

                                DAI (v/o)
                Well... ah, I've just been told that Solar, sister of Scribbler leader Finesse has been called in to try to help with the energy field, and to reactivate the inhibitor collars. The big question, Hyperbole - is this a genuine prison break?

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                It's definitely probably a prison break, Dai. The really big question is - who will escape?

CUT TO:

21.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Underground Passage.  Day 1 - 1732

Long and dark passage, the only light shining dimly in at either end from the levels above. Mostly it's quiet, but the distant noise of the fighting is audible. PEOPLE are cowering or stumbling through the near-pitch darkness, trying to feel their way out and attacking each other if they find each other -

Except MEDIUM, walking confidently along, moving nimbly between them all, pulling POINT 34 after her, clutching a large sealed box.

CUT TO:

22.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - High Security Level.  Day 1 - 1738

A wide corridor, lined with solid two-foot-thick metal doors, most of which are still impregnably closed. Two have been torn open, hanging off their hinges and twisted, the cells within ominously empty; several more are dented outwards, as though the inmates are steadily breaking them down from within, the sound of metal being struck ringing through the corridor. The lights are out, so only the entrance end is lit, the far end receeding into darkness.

FINESSE enters, walking slowly.

                                FINESSE (into her comm)
                So, fortunately, Blueprint designed the doors down here to auto lock when the power cuts out, so most of them are still here right now. Only two open doors so far, no sign of either.

                                SHIFT('s voice)
                Good news! Hey, will Toxic die if I bite her with any venom?

                                FINESSE
                No.

                                SHIFT('s voice)
                Good news!

                                FINESSE
                It won't affect her. She's universally immune, pretty much.

                                SHIFT('s voice)
                Bad news!

                                CHRONAL('s voice)
                Finesse, Finesse! Cannibal has grown 52 IQ points and a psychiatry qualification. It's the worst news ever, Finesse!

She reaches the first broken, open door and freezes, horrified, staring at the name plate.

                                FINESSE
                Oh god.

                                CHRONAL('s voice)
                I know! I'm on my way to help him, but -

                                FINESSE
                No. Not that. Lord Pegasus is out -

The shadows move! A MAN suddenly streaks forward, unnaturally fast -

She turns, too slow -

And is slammed back into the wall by FRENZY with a hand about her throat, the other pinning her wrist to the wall. His eyes look glassy, as though he has a fever. Finesse clocks who it is -

And powers down, going utterly still.

                                FRENZY
                Oh, Finesse. Of everyone it could have been, I was so hoping it would be you. Don't you want to fight me?

                                FINESSE
                No.

He squeezes his hand, cutting off her breathing; but she stays still, frozen.

                                FRENZY
                Heh. Your willpower does you proud, of course. But I am literally killing you right now. I won't be stopping. And then I'll go and kill everyone else. You won't fight me off?

When she answers, the words are barely audible.

                                FINESSE
                I... would be... worse...

                                FRENZY
                Ha! Very noble! Really? You don't think you could at least aim at the right targets? Because will kill them all. Everyone. I like it, you know.

His hand tightens again, and he laughs.

                                FRENZY (sing-song)
                Do you know, I could stop any time I wanted. But I like it so much...

Behind him the shadows move again -

And out steps a figure at least twelve feet tall, covered in armour with a stylised horse's head for a helmet, legs ending in hooves and enormous wings on its back. It carries a sceptre. When it speaks its voice is loud, but a whisper.

CAP:
Name: Lord Pegasus
Power: Human/equine physiology; organic armour that shields him from manipulation; super strength, flight; ability to grant Abrahamic 'miracles' through his sceptre
Threat Level: White

                                LORD PEGASUS
                I will burn this world that dared hold me in a prison of men.

Frenzy laughs -

Finesse's free hand clenches -

And is suddenly encased in blue energy, crackling and glowing -

And she punches him hard across the face, hurling him away from her and against the wall opposite as she falls, panting -

And he laughs, watching her, in sadistic enjoyment, as she spins around to Lord Pegasus -

Who has raised his sceptre, the end glowing -

And knocks him off his feet in a surge of blue light. He roars, enraged, the sound almost masking the howl of pain from within one of the cells, while Frenzy turns and walks away to the exit, whistling to himself. Finesse ignores him, her eyes trained on Lord Pegasus; but her eyes have become fevered, a very faint hint of a glimmer to them, like an echo of the way cats' eyes glimmer under light at night.

                                AMITY (on comm)
                Finesse? What the hell has happened? Your brain chemistry's all over the place -

                                FINESSE (urgent; strained)
                Activate Protocol 86. Frenzy is loose. I just engaged him.

CAP: Name: Frenzy
Power: Enhanced speed, strength, durability and agility; production of a primer pheromone that induces an addiction to fighting in the victim if they engage him.
Threat Level: White

In front of her, Lord Pegasus surges to his feet.

CUT TO:

23.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - the Library.  Day 1 - 1739

SHIFT and TOXIC still battling; Shift dodges an attack, morphing back to mostly-human, her expression horrified and calculating -

CUT TO:

24.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - The Canteen.  Day 1 - 1739

AMITY freezes in the middle of a throng of VILLAINS, all of them suddenly screaming and fleeing her in terror as she instinctively acts -

CUT TO:

25.  INT. The Pit - Living Room.  Day 1 - 1739

LYRIC and GEORGE are sitting on a play mat on the floor; Lyric stops and slams a hand to the communicator to one side, jamming it into his ear -

CUT TO:

26.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Side Corridor.  Day 1 - 1739

CHRONAL on his way to Wraith drops into real time, completely still; he blurs for a split second, then activates his comm, forcibly calm.

                                WRAITH (on comm)
                Holy Christ on wheels she's going to kill us all! And Cannibal is trying to eat me! This is the worst of times!

                                CHRONAL (swiftly, steadily)
                Silence. Finesse, get out. I'm sending you home.

                                LYRIC('s voice)
                Frap a donkey's inner -

                                SHIFT('s voice)
                You silence too. This is bad enough, you freak. Get off the comm.

                                LYRIC('s voice)
                Guys, Finesse is compromised?! The god damned army have protocols for this! That is Protocol 86!

                                AMITY('s voice)
                Do we activate it?

                                CHRONAL
                Don't. Anyone. Dare. Finesse, get out and go home. You're done for now -

                                FINESSE('s voice)
                I'm fighting Lord Pegasus! I can't go right now! And by the time I'm done the addiction will be full-blown, so stop thinking like my husband and start thinking like a superhero and call the damned army!

                                WRAITH('s voice)
                Not wanting to hijack the pity party but Cannibal is really trying to eat me now! Need back-up!

                                CHRONAL (decisively)
                Right. First person to call the army is fired. Wraith, I'm coming; everyone else, finish what you're doing and get the hell down to Finesse. Lyric - ?

                                LYRIC ('s voice)
                On my way. Natch.

CUT TO:

27.  EXT(ish).  TV Screen.  Day 1 - 1736

Continued from Scene 18. Gaolhouse Rock now has several floors being sporadically lit up from within in flashes of colour as people fight inside.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                This just in! Two more Scribblers have arrived - it looked to me like Wraith, Chronal and Shift, but this is unconfirmed! Also, it may be that Finesse is dead!

                                DAI (v/o)
                This may be a NATIONAL TRAGEDY. Who's to blame?

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                There'll be a long list the Government will want to examine, I'm sure, but the police, the company that runs Gaolhouse Rock, and of course, media pressure. No word yet on whether or not the Scribblers will now disband in grief if this event has indeed happened, but I for one imagine there'll be some happy single ladies to learn that Chronal is back on the market!

Below, a figure suddenly breaks out of a window and streaks away through the air, flying fast.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                MY GOODNESS! MY GOODNESS, WE HAVE ANOTHER ESCAPEE! I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT IS! HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT ANYONE TRULY TERRIFYING, DAI, BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE VILLAINS IN GAOLHOUSE ROCK COULD KILL US ALL!

                                DAI (v/o)
                That is SOBERINGLY TRUE, Hyperbole.

CUT TO:

28.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Psychiatric Wing Observation Room.  Day 1 - 1736

The room is large, rectangular and open, and also is full of rubble from broken walls and bits of ceiling, burn marks all along it where the inmates fled. Upturned, broken furniture - sofas, mostly - are dotted about. WRAITH enters and sprints to one; CANNIBAL enters just as he reaches it and dives behind it, and grins bestially, stepping slowly into the room.

                                CANNIBAL
                Oh, Wraith, my boy. Hiding? This isn't Scribbler behaviour, is it? Though I suppose you aren't the strong one of the group.

He takes a long step forward, eyes fixed on the sofa where Wraith's hair is still visible over the top.

                                CANNIBAL
                Not that I'm calling you weak, you understand. I daresay you're a very accomplished fighter against other adversaries. Fighting with tricks of the light is very effective. Trouble is -

Suddenly, he shoots a hand out to the side and grips something unseen -

Which fades into the form of Wraith, held by the throat, as the fake projection of him vanishes from behind the sofa. Cannibal grins, eyes fixed on him hungrily.

                                CANNIBAL
                I don't rely on sight to hunt.

                                WRAITH (choking)
                Eeeehhhh... baps...

                                CANNIBAL
                Mmm. I certainly hope so -

And something suddenly slams into Cannibal, sending him sprawling across the room. Wraith drops to the floor, coughing, and looks up -

CHRONAL is standing over Cannibal. How heroic.

                                CHRONAL
                The free market isn't self-regulating!

There is a pause.

                                WRAITH
                Dude... there was... literally no set-up... to that.

                                CANNIBAL (puzzled)
                Yes, I must admit, as correct as you are it was something of a non-sequitur.

                                CHRONAL
                It can never be stated enough - wait, what did you just say? Are you really clever now?

                                WRAITH
                Dude I told you, he ate his psychiatrist.

                                CANNIBAL (dreamily)
                He tasted like veal.

And he kicks out suddenly, knocking Chronal down -

Launches himself on all fours at Wraith -

Who throws a hand up -

And light flares around Cannibal's face, blindingly, dazzlingly bright. Cannibal yelps and snarls, jumping away, and staggers to the door.

                                CANNIBAL
                But that was a good trick, boy. Well done! Sadly for you...

He turns to them again, grinning, his eyes unfocused but facing them accurately.

                                CANNIBAL
                I really don't need my eyes to hunt.

CUT TO:

29.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - the Library.  Day 1 - 1740

SHIFT dodges another acid spray from TOXIC -

Morphs into a red kite and swoops to her face -

Toxic throws up a hand and a green haze is emitted -

And Shift swerves sideways, landing neatly out of range. She morphs human.

                                SHIFT
                Oh, you know what? Screw this.

And she morphs into an elephant, huge and stampy -

                                SPINDLY, SINISTER VOICE (oov)
                Well, what have we here? Pretty, pretty...

Everyone turns, to see the old, spindly, creeping form of DREADFUL GRETA.

CAP:
Name: Dreadful Greta
Power: Hypnotic suggestion; intrinsic knowledge of alchemy to create 'potions'; can age and de-age as she hypnotises
Threat Level: Orange

                                DREADFUL GRETA
                Pretty one, yes, we like the changing... won't you be a puppy dog, dearie?

Shift suddenly stiffens for a moment, and then shudders, becoming an Alsatian, docile. Dreadful Greta laughs, becoming younger as she crosses the room to Shift. Toxic grins, and sidles carefully to the door.

                                TOXIC
                Greta, love, she's all yours. Don't need me, do you?

                                DREADFUL GRETA
                No, no, the poisonous one can go... we like animals. Maybe we can keep it?

Toxic leaves. The other VILLAINS remain in an ill huddle on the floor.

                                DREADFUL GRETA
                We always wanted a tiger. It would have been so nice. Be a tiger for Greta, dearie?

Obligingly, Shift becomes a tiger. Greta coos, stroking her head.

CUT TO:

30.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Maximum Security Level.  Day 1 - 1741

Frenzy is gone. As are many of the walls; on either side of the corridor chunks of wall have been torn through, leaving the cells technically open, but the VILLAINS remain inside, terrified and cowering. One is lit up in blue energy and is curled up on the floor of his cell, moaning in pain. LORD PEGASUS and FINESSE are fighting, Finesse using any power at all that comes her way, different energies crackling over her body; her fists are surrounded permanently with a blue aura, and the very slight shine in her eyes has become more obvious. She is also flying.

She throws a blue energy blast at him, which he blocks with his sceptre before charging at her, driving her into a surviving wall -

Which crumbles under the impact, but green energy envelops her, softening the blow; her skin becomes ink black suddenly (to an accompanying scream from another cell) and she kicks him away, sending him spinning down the corridor -

She dives after him, the blue glow increasing around her -

And flies at speed into his chest, actually denting his chest plate where her fists struck -

He grabs her about the waist with one hand -

Smashes her into the floor.

CUT TO:

31.  EXT(ish).  TV Screen.  Day 1 - 1741

Continued from Scene 22.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                - and sources are telling me, Dai, that the flying escapee we saw on our screens some   moments ago was Mach 2000, an orange-coded villain whose powers could, under the right circumstances, kill, although no word yet on whether or not he has plans to poison the nearby town of Aberystwyth which he feasibly could -

An upper-storey window is suddenly punched out, and GRANITE can just about be seen on the screen jumping from it, followed by a dirty yellow haze of LONDON FOG. Granite lands unharmed, turns to the sea metres away and jumps in. She does not resurface. The fog speeds away.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                OH MY GOODNESS! THERE GOES ANOTHER ONE! I believe that may have been the Living Statue to Zeus and Aether, but this is unconfirmed! The police are attempting to chase, but they just can't move as fast as Aether!

                                DAI (v/o)
                The real question, Hyperbole, is how many people are now likely to die?

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                We don't know for sure, Dai, but in my professional opinion, I'd say loads.

The front door suddenly slams open and TOXIC marches out confidently; as some police step forward along the causeway she raises a hand -

And green vapour billows towards them, making them all turn and run.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o)
                AND ANOTHER! GOSH! I THINK THAT'S TOXIC! YES, AND SHE'S ATTACKING THE POLICE - oh, with, uh, her vapour attack which... yes, which is airborne, so, um, we'll be moving the helicopter now.

                                DAI (v/o)
                Hyperbole, you are SO FEARLESS.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (v/o) (gravely)
                Thank you, Dai.

CUT TO:

32.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Maximum Security Level.  Day 1 - 1742

The fight continues, FINESSE now bathed in light and energy.

LORD PEGASUS manages to land a punch, sending her  flying -

She rolls as she lands and looks up -

Taking a split second to wipe the blood from her mouth -

And sees him hurtling towards her, aiming to crush her under hoof -

She flies out at the last second -

Blasting his back with a blaze of fire -

He spins -

Slams her into the wall with the sceptre.

The wall shatters -

But she kicks hard at the dent in his chestplate, her leg enveloped in blue as she does -

He staggers back, snarling, the dent now much deeper.

                                LORD PEGASUS
                Madness, Manipulator! You cannot control me! Do you truly think you can win?

But she doesn't answer, hurling a bolt of lightning at his chest -

Leaving tiny, hairline fractures around the dent -

Before flying in close -

A punch snapping his head to the side, the energies flaring -

Neither hears the whimpering from the cells, as the other VILLAINS look on in terror; but one of them is moaning continually, almost as though they were in agony.

CUT TO:

33.  INT.  The Pit - Living Room.  Day 1 - 1742

LYRIC is muttering rapidly, a contraption coalescing into being on the floor; it looks like a capsule, big enough to fit a baby, containing complicated circuitry and stabilisers and with straps forming from it.

Finally he stops -

Pulls out Ystradebol -

And swings as hard as he can at the capsule.

The sword ricochets off -

Decapitates an indoor plant -

And embeds itself in the ceiling.

                                LYRIC
                On the plus side, that'll be the least of anyone's concerns right now.

Carefully, he picks up GEORGE -

Puts him in the capsule -

And closes it around him.

George goes happily to sleep.

Lyric straps it onto his back -

Retrieves Ystradebol -

And leaves.

CUT TO:

34.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Maximum Security Level.  Day 1 - 1743

Masonry and rubble abound, one cell now containing four cowering VILLAINS together, one of them cloaked in his blue light and now screaming in agony; all remaining walls have holes in, and the floor is pitted and broken. LORD PEGASUS seems unaffected except for the huge dent in his breastplate, cracks running from it; FINESSE is now glowing from head to toe with green and blue light, her hair flowing and wild around her.

She surges forward -

Lord Pegasus swings the sceptre -

An energy beam narrowly missing her -

That transforms the wall behind into salt -

And Finesse slams fists first into the dent again -

This time cracking of a section of it.

Lord Pegasus howls with pain -

Hurls her away back-handed -

Smashing her into the top of a wall.

He raises his arm -

And she sends a jet stream of blue energy into the hole in the breastplate.

It fills him, the seams of his armour glowing blue as he screams -

Dropping to his knees -

The staff falling from his hand -

But she doesn't stop -

He screams on and on, his body spasming, the glow getting brighter, the sound layered over the villain in the cell who is also screaming, his body shrivelling and aging -

Until finally Lord Pegasus falls silent, his body being held up only by the energy Finesse is pouring into him.

She stops -

And he falls to the ground, unmoving.

                                VILLAIN (whispering)
                Scribbler... please... you're killing him.

Finesse turns -

The energies snapping around her -

And one of the villains shrinks back, pointing to the screaming, shrivelly one.

                                VILLAIN (desperate)
                You're using too much of his energy! Please! There are... there are other powers you could use? Please!

Finesse watches him for a moment, seems to come to a decision.

She turns -

And begins walking back up the corridor to the exit.

As she walks the light goes out around her, leaving her dark, her face picked out in shadow -

Except her eyes, which gleam brightly, like a cat in the dark.

Her voice doesn't sound like her anymore.

                                FINESSE
                If even one of you attempts to leave I will kill you all.

She leaves.

CUT TO:

35.  Gaolhouse Rock - Top Corridor.  Day 1 - 1744

AMITY is sprinting along the corridor at top speed, throwing out a hand here and there, every villain she passes either running away to hide or sitting down in a sudden malaise.

                                AMITY
                Guys, okay, so, I don't want to worry anyone but, um, Finesse is now basically terrifying and also on the move, and Shift's gone all weird too. Someone else please tell me they're doing okay?

                                WRAITH('s voice)
                It's a dystopia.

                                AMITY
                Thanks Wraith.

CUT TO:

36.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Psychiatric Observation Room.  Day 1 - 1744

CANNIBAL lunges for WRAITH -

Who leaps into the air to avoid him -

Caught by the hover shoes.

Cannibal crashes into the wall behind him -

Knocking a hole and leaving himself slightly dazed for a moment.

                                CHRONAL
                Finesse? Comm still on?

There is a pause.

                                FINESSE ('s voice)
                I'm here.

                                CHRONAL
                Lord Pegasus?

                                FINESSE ('s voice)
                He's... down.

                                CHRONAL
                Good. Go home.

                                FINESSE ('s voice)
                I'm in control. I can stop all of them -

                                CHRONAL
                There is no way you can convince me that isn't the addiction talking, little one, please -

                                CANNIBAL
                Well, well...

Chronal quickly turns to Cannibal -

Who plunges both hands into the hole in the wall and pulls -

And hurls a huge chunk of masonry at them both.

Chronal blurs -

And then he and Wraith are in the clear side of the room, out of the way -

And Cannibal is launching himself at them; he hits Chronal and knocks him down, crouching over him, as Wraith scrambles back to his feet behind him.

                                CANNIBAL (whispering)
                Well, well. I assume Finesse has run into Frenzy, then? My, we are all in trouble, aren't we?

                                WRAITH
                You don't even know, sugar plum.

And he swings a pipe at Cannibal's head!

Which Chronal speeds up!

And Cannibal is sent sprawling. Yay team.

                                CHRONAL
                Cannibal's down. We're on our way.

                                WRAITH
                She's going to kill us all.

                                CHRONAL
                Shut up.

CUT TO:

37.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - the Library.  Day 1 - 1745

SHIFT is now a docile tiger, while DREADFUL GRETA strokes her head.

                DREADFUL GRETA
                Yes, yes! We like the tiger. Let's see you dearie. Let's see Greta's new pet. Show us your human, yes?

Shift morphs human -

And blinks, her human mind re-asserting -

And punches Greta with a gorilla arm, knocking her clean out.

She shakes her head recovering, and sees the collar left behind by Toxic. Shift picks it up, and looks at it thoughtfully.

                                SHIFT
                Hmm. Distasteful. Hello all, I've lost Toxic and Dreadful Greta's really disgusting, but I have an idea if Lyric can be competent.

                                LYRIC ('s voice)
                Hey! I'm well comp - !

                                SHIFT
                Shush. Finesse killed anyone yet?

CUT TO:

38.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Refectory.  Day 1 - 1745

A large room full of broken dining furniture, an entrance to a kitchen at the far end - a large group of villains (including DARK HAND, the NINTH WIZARD, MONOCHROME MAN, and PATHOS) is gathered and are, in a rare example of villainous co-operation, teaming up to pull the bars off the windows and break through the glass.

There is an explosion from one wall, and bricks burst outwards, leaving a hole two metres above the ground. The villains yell and duck, before turning to see the newcomer -

FINESSE is floating in the air above them, her body rendered entirely into black and white, energies swirling around her fists and her eyes shining a bright, vivid blue, watching them.

                                SHIFT (v/o)
                Because I'm rather afraid she might, you see.

CUT TO:

39.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock  - Minor Corridor.  Day 1 - 1746

A short, unused corridor, ending in a high-security fire door with a dial on it like what you get on safes. MEDIUM arrives, followed by POINT 34 with her crate, and approaches it; Medium takes the dial and turns it confidently, the code clicking neatly into place.

                                POINT 34
                There's something I don't understand, child.

                                MEDIUM
                Much. So much. But I expect you mean how I knew all this was happening.

                                POINT 34
                Yes. This is well-planned! And you aren't allowed visitors.

                                MEDIUM
                Because I can see.

She opens the door -

To reveal SINTARO, impeccably dressed in his suit, holding a cigar and smiling. Behind him a steampunk submarine is visible a few metres away at the end of the short jetty, while in the distance the police boats are floating vainly.

                                SINTARO
                Well done. I had every confidence you'd work it out.

CAP:
Name: Mr Sintaro
Power: Temporal manipulation
Threat Level: Red

                                MEDIUM
                I didn't work it out. I saw.

He grins.

                                SINTARO
                Of course. And your aquaintance?

                                MEDIUM
                You will need her.

                                SINTARO (interestedly)
                Indeed? How do you know?

                                MEDIUM
                Because I can see.

CUT TO:

40.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Open Cell.  Day 1 - 1748

A small cell, spartan but equipped. The door is wide open, but a MAN (40s, balding, introverted) sits calmly on the bed, immobile, staring at nothing. Every now and again he shakes his head slightly, then stills. He ignores the VILLAINS sprinting past outside, even when a small group run past screaming, chased by a TIGER.

There is movement at the door, and he looks up. A SPECTRAL FIGURE, human-shaped but made of light, steps into the room. He stares at it for a moment.

                                MAN
                You. I've seen you before.
                                (beat)
                I never talked. Never said a word. And I won't, no matter how long they'll keep me. There's no need for...
                                (beat)
                I've seen you before. It's Spooky, isn't it?

The spectral figure solidifies and becomes human, revealing Spooky (30s, harsh, Venezuelan).

                                SPOOKY
                Ghostlight, now; but that was a codename I used once. Also, stop rambling at me. I'm not here to kill you.

                                MAN
                You're... not?

                                GHOSTLIGHT
                You are obtuse. But loyal. I am here to reward you. You're going to be taken to our operation in Jersey.

                                MAN (hopefully; happy)
                I am?

                                GHOSTLIGHT
                Of course. Latent always rewards loyalty.

CUT TO:

41.  INT.  Gaolhouse Rock - Upper Corridors.  Day 1 - 1750

AMITY is sprinting at top speed through the corridors; every villain she passes bursts into hysterical tears and sinks to the floor. RAVEN is flying above her.

                                AMITY
                I am really going to be putting in a lot of psychiatric overtime tonight.

Raven croaks.

                                AMITY
                Thanks.
                                (beat)
                And go away. As much as I'm really enjoying having a dæmon, where I'm going you will definitely die -

She rounds the corner and slips suddenly, managing to twist impressively so she lands safely on her side and skidding on a few feet. The floor is covered in two inches of ice, as are the walls, and as she looks up a TOAD-LIKE VILLAIN with mottled white and grey skin drops from the ceiling towards her -

She rolls easily away and flips into a crouch, facing him.

                                AMITY (through gritted teeth)
                I do not have time for this!

                                TOAD-LIKE VILLAIN
                A ha! But now you must fight -

                                LYRIC ('s voice)
                Amity?

Enter LYRIC! Strapped to his back is a papoose of his own invention, forming an egg-shaped capsule containing GEORGE, who is sleeping peacefully. He is holding Ystradebol, and looks badass. (Lyric, that is. Not George.)

                                AMITY
                You can't risk George with Finesse!

                                LYRIC
                Nah, but I can handle this tool. Go.

                                AMITY
                Splendid!

                                LYRIC
                And give this to Shift.

He throws her a tiny piece of tech, all wires and circuitry and clips. Amity catches it.

                                AMITY
                I really hope this works.

She leaves. Lyric grins.

                                LYRIC
                Right then - who the hell are you?

                                TOAD-LIKE VILLAIN
                Me? Your doom, Scribbler! For I am - the Choad!!!

CAP: Name: The Choad.
Power: Toad-like physiology giving a super-jump and super strength; also low-level cryokinesis.
Threat Level: Yellow

Lyric freezes, and stares at him, agape.

                                LYRIC
                You - ?
                                (beat)
                But -
                                (beat)
                I don't -
                                (beat)
                You're called... the Choad?

                                THE CHOAD
                That's right, Scribbler!! Because, you know, I'm sort of toady, and also the ice thing, so I thought 'Chilly Toad', and then I just put them together -

                                LYRIC
                And you didn't check Urban Dictionary first?!

                                THE CHOAD (Suddenly self-conscious)
                Er... no?

Lyric bursts out laughing.

Doubles up.

Choad looks sad.

CUT TO:

42.  Gaolhouse Rock - Refectory.  Day 1 - 1751

The room is now far more thoroughly destroyed than it was before even. Unconscious VILLAINS are lying everywhere, many bleeding copiously or showing other signs of extensive trauma. DARK HAND, MONOCHROME MAN, NINTH WIZARD and PATHOS are the only ones left standing by now, and are doing their best to fight together, currently sheltering behind a shield thrown up by the Ninth Wizard. FINESSE is in the air, attacking them with astonishing ferocity - a huge pulse of black energy explodes against the shield, sending huge cracks running down the remains of the walls and leaving a shallow impact crater in the floor below the villains.

                                DARK HAND (desperately)
                This is insane! What - ?

Another black energy pulse surges at them, and the Ninth Wizard cries out as his force shield vanishes suddenly -

Monochrome Man screams as he tries to pull the energy back into his body. Most is reabsorbed -

But the remainder explodes around them -

Hurling them back across the floor.

Finesse swoops after them -

Pathos' body glowing as Finesse uses it to pull down lightning -

Which scythes towards the Ninth Wizard -

Who manages to get a new force shield up just in time -

The lightning arcing away. They are bleeding, and broken, Pathos now unconscious. The Ninth Wizard stares at him, trembling under the strain.

                                MONOCHROME MAN
                I can't keep... she's taking too much - !

                                NINTH WIZARD (distantly)
                The boy is down.

                                DARK HAND
                Scribbler! Scribbler please! You're killing us -!

                                FINESSE
                Get back to your cells.

                                DARK HAND (screaming)
                We can't!!

                                FINESSE
                Then I will contain you.

The black energy builds again, Monochrome Man screaming -

It swirls and coalesces into a cloud, solid black, blocking out all light with the sound of roaring wind -

Finesse jerks suddenly as though seeing something new, tensing -

And the cloud vanishes abruptly -

Finesse dropping from the air -

To land neatly in a three-point crouch, the colour snapping back over her body, eyes still gleaming -

Dark Hand, Monochrome Man and the Ninth Wizard are all gone. In their place are CHRONAL, AMITY, WRAITH and SHIFT.

There is a pause.

                                CHRONAL (gently)
                Please, little one. Power down. You've done it.

                                FINESSE
                No.

                                SHIFT
                It's true, you crazy loon. Solar's outside and has done something complicated I chose not to understand. The power is about to come back on.

                                FINESSE
                I need to catch him.

She stands. They shift slightly, clearly fighting the urge to assume battle stances.

                                AMITY
                Who? Who do you - ?

                                FINESSE
                Frenzy. I let... I let him out, he's gone, I -

                                CHRONAL
                That's for us to -

                                FINESSE
                No! I'm already infected! I can shut off his powers, don't you see? It won't matter if I do it! I'm already - I can save -

She trails off, her gaze intense - she's swaying slightly, sweating, her eyes gleaming and shining as she scrutinises them, hands clenching and unclenching into fists.

                                FINESSE (coldly)
                You'll stop me.

                                CHRONAL (quietly)
                Yes.

                                FINESSE
                No.

                                AMITY
                Guys - !

Finesse blurs, and Amity cries out, crumpling to the floor -

Wraith turns abruptly invisible, reflexively -

Shift's eyes transform into a fly's, scanning for Finesse -

Chronal stands his ground, holding out an arm.

                                CHRONAL (commandingly)
                No one move. We are not fighting you, Finesse -

                                SHIFT
                Look out!

He ducks just in time -

As Finesse appears behind him, ready to attack.

Shift morphs into a fly -

And zips after her -

Finesse drops Chronal's powers -

And winks invisible.

Shift drops into dog form, sniffing.

                                WRAITH
                Lame. Those are mine, you loser.

Shift looks up abruptly, growling -

And yelps -

As her body morphs against her will -

And she becomes a tree -

Her roots punching easily through the already ruptured floor.

                                WRAITH
                No! Two down! Loses!

Chronal blurs -

And appears by a reviving Amity's side, who is now standing again, wincing.

                                AMITY
                Man, she hits hard -

And she strikes! Throwing out a hand -

There is a cry from Finesse -

Who becomes visible again -

Falling -

Chronal blurs -

And appears behind her -

Gripping her tightly and pinning her arms back, holding her in a kneeling position.

Amity kneels in front of her, eyes closed -

Holding her hands to Finesse's temples. Tears are falling down Finesse's face.

                                FINESSE (desperate)
                Please! Please, don't -

                                AMITY (quietly)
                I'm so sorry.

                                CHRONAL (strained)
                Wraith! Quick!

Wraith approaches -

Pulling out the inhibitor collar left behind by Toxic. It now has Lyric's piece of technology clipped to it.

As he nears he presses a button on the side -

And the light on the collar comes on.

                                WRAITH
                Dude, what are you doing to her?

                                AMITY
                Compassion. You know how protective she is of us normally?

                                FINESSE
                Stop!!

                                WRAITH
                Oh. Baps.

He puts the collar around her neck and snaps it into place -

And Finesse convulses, screaming, held in place only by Chronal -

Who pulls her firmly into his arms -

And holds her until she goes limp.

There is a silence.

                                AMITY
                I never want to do that again.

                                CHRONAL
                I agree.

                                AMITY
                Ever.

                                CHRONAL
                I'm really not arguing.

                                WRAITH
                So, Shift is Tree Child now. What do?

                                AMITY
                Get Lyric to make a depowerer, hit her with it. When Eraser did that she reverted human again.

Around them, the lights suddenly come back on again as power is restored.

Chronal stands up, holding Finesse easily.

                                CHRONAL
                I'm going home.

He leaves.

                                WRAITH
                So... reckon I can convince Shift to call herself Tree Child - ?

                                AMITY
                No.

CUT TO:

43.  EXT (sort of).  TV Screen .  Day 1 - 2034

It is now night. HYPERBOLE REES (40s, tabloid journalist, liar) is standing in front of Gaolhouse Rock, which is lit up with searchlights. DSA agents are moving everywhere, with equipment being carried in. Emergency vehicles abound.

                                HYPERBOLE REES
                ... and as you can see, both survivors and the bodies of the BRAVE GUARDS killed today are still being found and removed. Parts of the prison are being condemned as unsafe, although there are unconfirmed reports of a bidding war between Blueprint HQ and the still-recovering Arden Industries to rebuild it better, and who can say how harsh a contest that will prove to be?

                                DAI (v/o)
                Any word yet on how many dangerous villains are now back at large, Hyperbole?

                                HYPERBOLE REES
                Not yet, Dai, but in this humble reporter's estimation, I'd say squillions. Although Commissioner Morgan has put the figure at closer to 23. Given that Gaolhouse Rock holds up to 230 lethal supervillains at any one time though, Dai, we can all be grateful for the incredible actions of the Scribblers today.

                                DAI (v/o)
                Any Scribblers still on the scene, Hyperbole?

                                HYPERBOLE REES
                Yes indeed, Dai - as far as we can tell, Amity of the Scribblers went to nobly huge lengths to secure our safety today by making the inmates catatonic, and is now heroically fixing them all, although I'm sure many will feel she should now leave them as they are. Also Shift and possibly Wraith are here, though with Wraith, who can say? It seems Finesse was indeed injured earlier, although I'm sad to inform any hopeful single ladies that she has survived, so no Chronal to play the scene!

CUT TO:

44.  INT.  Medical Bay - the Pit.  Day 1 - 2035

A room with three padded walls and a glass viewing wall has been constructed at one end of the medical bay, containing a comfortable-looking but simple bed. FINESSE is curled into the foetal position on it, cocooned in a quilt, still wearing the inhibitor collar; she is rocking very slightly, shivering and sweating, her eyes still gleaming like a cat in the dark. She looks exhausted. A screen outside the room is displaying her vitals. CHRONAL is sitting in an armchair on the other side of the glass, watching her, his gaze continually returning to the screen to check she's okay.

                                CHRONAL
                Do you need more sedative?

                                FINESSE
                I don't know.

                                (beat)

                I'm so sorry.

                                CHRONAL
                It absolutely wasn't your fault. You know that.

                                FINESSE
                I feel like...

They watch each other for a moment.

                                FINESSE
                I miss you.

He leans forward, both hands on the glass.

                                CHRONAL
                Listen. Listen to me. You are going to get through this. You're going to be fine, understand? This is going to feel horrible, but you're going to be fine. And I am not going anywhere until you are.

                                FINESSE
                What if...

                                (beat)

                I want to hit something, so badly. I want to just - I want to punch the walls or something. What if I do? What if I - ?

                                CHRONAL
                Oh, you even try and I will be in there and sedating you before you even start the swing. I've got you. Understand? I'm here. We'll get through this.

                                (beat)

                I love you.

                                FINESSE
                I love you.

CUT TO:

45.  EXT (sort of).  TV Screen .  Day 1 - 2036

Continued from Scene 43.

                                HYPERBOLE REES
                ... although, of course, we will ALL DIE if this is the case - ah, a Scribbler! Shift! Shift, will you talk to us? Shift!

SHIFT appears from off screen. She gives Hyperbole a disdainful look.

                                SHIFT
                I'm certain you don't need me for your fanciful stories.

                                HYPERBOLE REES
                Shift, can you tell us what caused the breakout? How did this happen, and crucially, why should the taxpayer complain about it?

                                SHIFT
                Because the taxpayer is an idiot, I should think. Sorry. It's been a bad day. Um... we still don't know, but best guess is that it was attacked from the outside to extract someone specific. We don't know who. Please go away.

She leaves. Hyperbole turns triumphantly back.

                                HYPERBOLE REES
                And there we have it, Dai! Carnage, so that a villain could free their crony, or partner in crime! So the big question is -

CUT TO:

46.  INT.  Niobe'S Palace.  Day 1 - 2036

An Ancient Greek-style palace, all marble and statues and the like. THE GREAT NIOBE (30s, vague, ruthless) is reclining on a sofa, wearing a black chiton and multicoloured jewellery - around her are her NIOBIDS, all identical and wearing black chitons too, serving her in various ways. She is watching the news on a huge plasma TV screen across one wall. As HYPERBOLE REES speaks, the list of escapees is scrolling past at the bottom of the screen.

                                HYPERBOLE REES (on screen)
                Who was the object of the operation? And why were they needed so badly?

The names scroll past - London Fog, Toxic, Granite, Frenzy, Point 34, Medium -

Niobe smiles, and claps once. The TV goes blank.

                                NIOBE
                Oh, darling, do you truly think no one will spot it? Silly, silly... oh what's his name agai - Sintaro. Silly, silly Sintaro.

She rises, and the Niobids hurry to follow her. Some are carrying golden plates of grapes.

                                NIOBE
                Well... why not? I think it's time.

She leaves.

CUT TO:

47.  INT.  Niobe's Palace - corridor.  Day 1 - 2037

NIOBE striding down a corridor filled with marble busts and tapestries, attended by NIOBIDS.

CUT TO:

48.  INT.  Niobe's Palace - Dungeon Room.  Day 1 - 2038

A spartan room, adequately furnished with a bed and a chair and nothing else, all white, but for the walls. Patterns and pictures have been scratched into the walls; at one end are basic patterns, shapes, stick figures, which evolve as the eye moves across the walls to balloon figures like a child's drawing, which give way to more complex and sophisticated creations until, on the other side of the door, a life-like rendering of Niobe herself has been lovingly scratched into the paintwork. A female NIOBID, identical to all the others, sits patiently on the chair, looking at nothing in particular but with a far-away gaze to her.

She blinks suddenly, apparently coming to.

There is the sound of a lock being turned. The door opens.

Enter NIOBE who moves to stand in front of the seated Niobid, and beams at her. The Niobid looks up at her patiently.

                                NIOBE
                Hello, darling! Did you see? Were you watching? Silly man.

The Niobid nods.

                                NIOBID
                She'll strengthen him.

                                NIOBE
                Yes. Though I shouldn't think unduly. Not if we counterstrike. I know how to cripple him.

She beams at the Niobid.

                                NIOBE
                Oh, darling. Mummy has a job for you.

The End.