Thursday, September 16, 2010

False Dawn #9: Comic Book Script

False Dawn #9: Lights Out
Part Three of Three: Divide and Conquer
Comic Book Script—Plot for 22 Page
Devin Leigh Michaels

I think the title says it all.

Note to Letterer: All narrations are Ral's unless otherwise noted.

PAGE ONE
1—Cramped in a small, crate-like cage that hardly allows her dirty red head to reach to the top, Casia holds her legs to her chest. She is soaking wet, her hair drooping into her eyes.
CASIA: Why?
CASIA: Why us?
LOCATION CAPS: SKADOIA
LOCATION CAPS: THEN

2—Next to her in a similar cell, a small hand reaches halfway between the cages.
REGER: Because in every darkness, there’s gotta be a little light.

3—Casia buries her tear-stained face in her knees.
CASIA: I don’t want to be their light.

4—Reger sticks his face close to the bars. He must about eight, dirty, and cute.
REGER: And we won’t be. Not forever. One day, you and me—we’re gonna get out of here.

5—Shot on Casia, who raises her tiny head from her knees. She’s still sniffling, her eyes teary.
REGER (off panel): And we’re gonna find us some heat.

6— Casia extended a burning hand toward his.
CASIA: One day?

PAGE TWO
1—Large panel, but a close up on Reger and Casia’s hands as they meet and burned a bright red.
REGER (off): One day, hottie, we’re gonna find us some light.

2—Small, completely black panel.
LOCATION CAPS: RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
LOCATION CAPS: NOW
SFX: SLAP!

3—Slowly, a silver face begins to come into focus. FYI we are in Reger’s kitchen.
4—Finally, we see the person clearly. It’s Sierra with a deadly smile and sharp eyes. She’s looking directly down at the camera, and we’re looking up at her like we’re on the floor.
SIERRA: Cheers, honey.

PAGE THREE
1—Casia is shrieking as Reger’s blue flames are engulfing her body.
Note to Letterer: In this scene, narrations are omniscient.
NARR: Love hurts.
NARR: So does pain and burning ice.

2—Reger’s blue flames burn away as Casia drops to all fours and heaves.
CASIA: Uh…

3—Casia looks up at Reger, her eyes half-lidded and venomous. Reger leans away.
REGER: Don’t look at me like that. You’re the one who left me there to die.

4—Casia leans against the wall.
CASIA: I thought you were dead.

5— Reger stalks forward and grabs Casia by the shirt, lifting her off the ground and to his height
REGER: Well, you probably wish I was now.
REGER (linked): Don’t worry, hottie. It’ll be over for you and your lover and you little pet, too.
CASIA: My p—pet? Lover?

PAGE FOUR
1— Reger throws her against the wall, pinning her with a blue-fire hand.
REGER: You don’t think I can see it. YOU and EVANS—what you two have. I’m not stupid.

2—Casia’s standing now, her hands back against the wall to keep her upright. She’s trying not to laugh, no matter how exhausted she is.
CASIA: But BLIND obviously.
REGER (off): And that boy, Ral—he’ll be a great EXPERIMENT, being a HYBRID.

3—Middle shot—Casia’s face is now pissed, serious, and Reger’s laughing.
CASIA: You leave him alone.
REGER: Aww, is he nice and cuddly? Does he curl up next to you at night?”

4—With a howling cry, Casia launches herself toward Reger, her red and yellow flames furious upon her skin.
CASIA: GRRRAAH!

PAGE FIVE
1—Her flame wings flaps from her back, and she catches Reger in the throat.
CASIA: You lay a hand on him, and I swear to you—
2—Reger knees her in the stomach.

REGER: I swear to no one but myself.

3—Casia refuses to fall, though, backhanding Reger across the cheek.
CASIA: See what good it will do you.

4—Her flames races up his arms, but he fights back with his blue flames.

PAGE SIX
1—Casia lets go of one of his forearms and reaches under her shirt, extending her staff and butting him in the stomach.
REGER: Yuk!

2—Small cell. Casia’s staff clicks the brick on the ground.

3—Wind tears through the small garden, entrapping Reger in a mini-tornado and smashing him into the brick wall of a house.
CASIA: Who do you work, Reger? The WARRIORS?

4— He cringes on the ground as he laughs, holding his stomach.
REGER: The warriors? Oh, hottie. Of course I work them, but they aren’t the ONLY ones.

PAGE SEVEN
Note to Letterer: Ral’s now retaken the narrations.
1—Close-up on Casia’s flaming, angry eyes.
CASIA: Who else?

2—Casia’s eyes widen in fear.
CASIA: They know where Ral and Lance are, don’t they?

3—From the ground, Reger heaves, his smile demonic.
REGER: Oh, hottie, by now, they HAVE Evans and your pet.

4—Shot of Ral’s eyes, wide and frightened.
NARR (Ral): Okay, don’t panic.

PAGE EIGHT
1—Sierra is standing over Ral in the kitchen, her hands tingling with silver sparks, her smirk dangerous and evil.
NARR: Just because you have a meta-human standing over you, ready to kick your ass from here to her native Australia doesn’t mean you’re dead.
NARR: It just means you’re probably going to be in a lot of pain in the next few moments.
LOCATION CAPS: REGER’S APARTMENT

2—On the ground, almost curled into a ball, Ral throws his hands up in front of his face.
RAL: All right! All right! I give! Don’t damage the merchandise.

3—Sierra smiles sweetly and puts out her hand, which Ral accepts gingerly.
SIERRA: We don’t want to hurt you, Raleigh, but you gave us no choice earlier.

4—Sierra puts her hands on Ral’s shoulders, while he holds his necklace.
SIERRA: There’s no need to fear. You’re SAFE with us now.
RAL (hesitant): A—Are you sure?
SIERRA (linked): Of course I’m sure. No one will hurt you.

5— Ral snaps off his necklace with one tug.
RAL: I’m sorry I can’t say the same…

PAGE NINE
1—Ral hits Sierra across the cheek with the hilt of his sword.
RAL (screaming): FOR YOU!
NARR: If they sent Sierra after me, then who did they after Lance?

2— As Sierra falls backward, Ral dashes toward the living room.
NARR: And just who are THEY?

3—Ral’s head snaps back as he hits an invisible wall.
RAL: UGH!

4—As he falls to the ground, Sierra comes up behind him, wiping silver blood from the side of her head.
SIERRA: Mortals. They are so infantile.

5—Sierra bends down to whisper in Ral’s ear.
SIERRA: Don’t worry. You’ll learn discipline where you’re going.
RAL (weak): …and just where’s THAT…?

PAGE TEN
1— Blood leaks from a large gash across Lance’s forehead, just above his left eye, while it seeps from the corner of his mouth. Still, he gives a shit-eating grin to someone off panel. He has a sword in his hand.
OFF (no ponter): Where your friend Lance lost his last life.
LANCE: You’re going to have to do better than that, Kinsley.
LANCE (linked): I’m not even breathing hard.

2—Robotman (now KINSLEY) looks no worse for wear and lifts his gauntlet, which brightens with a white laser.
KINSLEY: The Director still wants you, Evans. No need to be maudlin. We have USE for you.

3—Lance laughs.
LANCE: Great. I do so LOVE being needed.

4—Kinsley takes a menacing step forward, shaking the wooden floor.
KINSLEY: You really think you’re NEEDED? Please. You’re just wanted for FUN.
5—Lance pitches forward, sword pulled back to swipe.
LANCE: Want this!

PAGE ELEVEN
1—The left wall explodes, forcing Lance over a couch. Kinsley’s suit keeps him sturdy.
SFX: KA-BOOSH!

2—Ral jumps through the hole in the wall as Kinsley’s laser gauntlet rises in the bottom left hand side of the panel. Through the smoking hole, a shadow is seen rising.
KINSLEY: End of the line, kid.
3—Ral ducks, and Kinsley fires, hitting Sierra right in the stomach.
SIERRA: AHH!

PAGE TWELVE
1—Ral pivots, swipes with his sword, and cuts of the laser from the gauntlet.
KINSLEY: SIERRA!

2—Ral aims a little lower, his blade sparking across Kinsley’s nether regions.
KINSLEY: I’m NOT completely metal, you idiot!

3—Using the butt of his sword hilt, Ral cracks the glass visor of his helmet.
4—He delivers the final blow with a fist.
RAL: No duh!
5—Ral sits on the arm of a couch, wiped, bleeding, and shocked. An arm of Sierra and part of Kinsley’s uniform can be seen at his feet.
NARR: Hey, did I just take out two metas?
LANCE (off): Wow, kid…

PAGE THIRTEEN
1— Lance uses the spine of the couch as an anchor to stand. Ral shrugs.
LANCE: A telekinetic? How the hell did you—?
RAL: Stove was gas-powered. She might be telekinetic, but she sure as hell ain’t fire-proof.
2—Lance wipes the blood from my face with his sleeve. He just dirties Ral’s cheek more.
RAL: What about Casia?

3—Ral’s eyes go wide. He throws Lance’s hand off him.
RAL: If they came after us, then that means they probably went after her.
NARR: Again, who THEY are—who knows?

4—Lance is still cool. Not much freaks him. He pulls out his cell phone as he heads to the door.
LANCE: Let’s go get her, then.

5—Ral follows him to the elevator.
RAL: Go where? We have no idea where she is.

PAGE FOURTEEN
1—Lance tosses Ral the cell phone once they’re in the elevator.
LANCE: Damn, Page. Give us a LITTLE credit.

2—From Ral’s POV, we’re looking on the cell phone’s screen. On the screen blinks a little red dot on a map of Richmond. Over the screen we can see Lance standing with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall.
LANCE: We have been doing this a long time, y’know.

3—As they enter the parking garage, Lance looks at cars while Ral trails behind.
RAL: You knew Reger was a plant?

4—Lance shrugs, debating between a Lamborghini and a Ferrari.
LANCE: We suspected it.
RAL: WE?

4—Lance finally decides on a Cadillac, jimmying the door open.
LANCE: Yeah, we. Casia’s not an idiot, Ral. Even if she wanted with all her heart to believe Reger was back for her, we both knew it was wrong.

5—From under the stearing wheel, Lance hot wires the car while Ral gets in.
RAL: How?
LANCE: Truthfully? You only trust family, and Reger ISN’T family.

PAGE FIFTEEN
1—Casia’s eyes burn a deadly blue.
CASIA: I swear, Reger, if they’re so much as SCRATCHED—

2—Laughing, Reger stands, albeit with an arched back.
REGER: Hottie, you’re in NO position to DEMAND anything.

3—Reger lashes out with his blue fire and scrunches a hand about her throat.
REGER: By now, the agents of Project: Avatar have secured them.

4—Casia stomped her heel into Reger’s toe, causing him to release her. She reigns back her staff.
CASIA: Then I will find them.

5—Reger catches her staff and sends blue fire up the edge.
REGER: Oh, no. You’re going some place SPECIAL.

PAGE SIXTEEN
1—Casia screams and tries to let go of the staff, but the orb on top burns furiously, keeping her trapped in its embrace.
CASIA: AHHHHHH!
REGER: You know what they say. ‘There’s no place like home.’

2—As the blue fire dissipates and Casia falls backward, Reger wields the staff like a golf club, whacking Casia across the face.
CASIA: OOFH!

4—She crashes through a window of the museum, landing upon an ancient table and breaking it.
SFX: CRAAASHHHH!

5— Reger grunts as he leaps through the window.

PAGE SEVENTEEN
1—Bringing the staff down, he shatters the orb upon her stomach and leaving its fragments in her flesh, the staff vertical upon her abdomen.
REGER: I’ll make sure they give your boyfriend and pet good CAGES, preferably bigger ones than the Warriors gave US.

2—Casia simply lays on the ground. Upon her clammy cheeks, sweat even pools where it once would have evaporated. Her clothes are ripped and a little shared. Over her is Reger’s shadow.

3—The shadow becomes smaller.

4—And smaller.

5—She is alone now—or so it seems.
RAL (off): OhmiGOD!

PAGE EIGHTEEN
1—Lance bends down at Casia’s side, while Ral stands behind him.
LANCE: Shh, Page. We don’t want to be heard.
RAL (panicked and rushed): What can I do? Lance, what can I do?

2—Lance takes out his sword to break Casia’s staff in half.
LANCE: She’s an extended mortal, Page. It takes more than a little scratch to take her down.
LANCE (linked): Find Reger.

3—Ral blinks and takes out his sword.
RAL: YOU want ME to find the guy who did this? Then WHAT?

4—Lance snatches his wrist so fast, Ral cringes.
LANCE: Nothing. You will NOT engage. You will simply OBSERVE. Make sure he doesn’t come back here, and if he starts to, get here FIRST.

5—Ral walks away as Lance gently probes the wounds through the cloth. Casia meets Lance’s eyes.
CASIA (weak): He’s—He’s not going to listen.
LANCE: Yeah, but for some reason, I think Reger has more to worry about.

PAGE NINETEEN
1—Ral enters the garden.
NARR: Finally! A mission that MEANS something.
NARR: Of course, it also means that Casia’s bleeding like ROAD KILL on the INTERSTATE, which—
REGER (off): She’s a WERE-PHOENIX. You said you needed more.

2—Ral ducks behind a flower patch and looks through the leaves.
WARRIOR: We said for you to get DAWSON and EVANS, NOT the were-phoenix.

3—Through the bushes is a warrior talking to Reger in front of the shrine of Poe. Reger doesn’t look happy.
REGER: Yeah, well, someone else has them, so you’re going to have to make due.
WARRIOR: The lord does not tolerate failure, CREATURE.
NARR: Ouch.

4—Reger snorts and crosses his arms.
REGER: Evans and Dawson aren’t my problem, and if the Lord wants them to be, then he’s going to have to pay extra.

5—The warrior is not pleased as Reger turns his back. The warrior now has two sets of arms—his normal arms and black tentacles.
WARRIOR: You PAY him with your FREEDOM.
REGER: No, I pay him with CONTINUED SERVITUDE.
NARR: I have to get back now. Tell Lance that—

6—Reger looks back at the camera as the black tentacles attack.
WARRIOR: Perhaps your services are no longer required.

PAGE TWENTY
1—Focus on Ral, who’s squeezed shut his eyes and looked away.
REGER: Stop! STOP! I’LL GET THEM! AHHH!
NARR: Through his screams, I hear the crunching of the warrior’s teeth chomp.

2—Then, as if he took a squirt of water, the warrior wipes his mouth on his sleeve and turns to Poe’s head.

3—He places a hand up, and the eyes of the Poe statute glow blue.

4—They suck the warrior inside.
5—Lance finally maneuvers off the staff and begins picking out pieces of the shattered glass from Casia’s stomach. Her eyes roll.
LANCE: You’ve really outdone yourself this time. Seriously. How the hell did he beat you?
CASIA (weak/tired): He was angry.
LANCE (linked): About what?
CASIA (linked/weak): About me…and you.

6—Lance freezes, looking into her eyes.

PAGE TWENTY-ONE
1—Same shot as before.
LANCE: There is no “me AND you.”

2—Casia’s smiles weakly.
CASIA: You could at least act jealous.

3—Lance returns it mildly before cutting open her shirt to get a better sight of her wounds.
LANCE: I could.

4—Casia laughs, then winces at the subsequent stabs of pain. Lance works in silence, pressing down on the gashes.
CASIA: Ha-ha—Ouch.
LANCE: Like I could ever land a girl like you, Dame.

5—Similar shot, maybe Lance laying his jacket over her.
CASIA: Reger’s an idiot.
LANCE: Obviously.

6—Ral walks in, pale; Lance looks up at him.
LANCE: Ral?
RAL (rushed, panicked): Lance, Reger—he—and the Warrior—and then the shrine—

7—Casia hesitantly reaches up to Ral, who kneels to take it.
CASIA (weak): Breathe…What happened?
NARR: I tell them.

PAGE TWENTY-TWO
1—Shot of the Poe Bust.
NARR: Once Lance finishes dressing Casia’s wounds, he takes me out to the garden. We stare at the statue. Well, I stare. Lance dissects.
RAL (off): So…what IS it?

2— Lance crosses his bloody arms over his chest. Ral looks hopeful.
LANCE: It’s a portal…to Skadoia.
RAL: Does that mean…?

3—Lance slaps Ral on the shoulder and grants him a smug smirk.
LANCE: Yep. We’re going after to your ma and Connor.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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