False Dawn #18: Comic Book Script

False Dawn #18: Out of the Pan
Part Four of Five: Singing the Blues
Comic Book Script - Plot for 20 Pages
Devin Leigh Michaels

Breaking out is hard to do, but then again if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Oh, wait...

PAGE ONE
1—Establishing shot—a rundown hotel outline in the middle of nowhere at night.
NARR: You know when it’s so quiet that the silence actually hums?
LOCATION CAPS: WHO THE HELL KNOWS

2—Close-up of Casia and Lance lying under the covers on a bed (with clothes on). Lance is spooning Casia, his arms about her shoulders. Both are asleep. In the last section of the cell, we see a jean leg.
NARR: Well, it’s doing it now, even as I stand before a dull and disheveled bed.

3—We now see a shoulder in left hand side of a panel, as if we’re looking over it. The focus on the panel, however, is on Kainoa, who is behind Ral with his blue hair and a serious expression.
KAINOA (whispering): Fate is cruel, Ral. I’m not a fan.

4—Now we see Ral as he looks down at Casia and Lance.
RAL (whispering): This, coming from Destiny?

5—Kainoa glowers, his bright eyes burning against the darkness of natural night.
KAINOA: It’s… complicated. Every event is connected to another and another, and the past is just as important as the present or future. I won’t damn today for yesterday, Ral.
KAINOA (linked): Will you?

PAGE TWO
1—Casia reaches up to cradle Lance’s head, and he places his cheek against hers.
NARR: It’s selfish. I know it is.
NARR: Lance lives and dies so many times, and Casia watches it all. I never realized how much they mean to each other.

2—Close-up on Ral as he looks at them, sad. We can see Kainoa behind him.
NARR: All I know is how much they mean to me.
RAL: What can I do?
KAINOA: Get me free. Then I will end this. WE will end this.

3—Ral smirks.
RAL: Yeah? Really? If you’re sooo powerful, then how did they get you the first time?
LANCE (off): Maybe because he couldn’t shut up.

4—Lance kneels on the bed, Casia underneath him barely awake, a futuristic silver blaster in his hand. He’s pointing it directly at Kainoa.
LANCE: How’d you find us? Where’d you get the kid?

PAGE THREE
1—Kainoa’s eyes narrow.
KAINOA: What are you—

2—A single blast lights the room, its laser hitting the floor just before Kainoa’s foot.

3—Lance motions with his head.
LANCE: It doesn’t matter. I won’t go back, and I won’t let you take the kid again. Ral, get behind me.
RAL: Lance, what’re you on? Kainoa didn’t take me. It was—

4—Door’s kicked open. Bright light is beyond the door.

5—Casia throws off Lance and points a hand toward them.
CASIA: RAL! DUCK!
6—Flames fly toward Ral and Kainoa.

PAGE FOUR
1—Ral writhes in his bindings as if burned.
NARR: Put them out! Put them—
2—Ral relaxes against the manacles and looks up and around.
NARR: Oh, I’m back here.
LOCATION CAPS: PROJECT: AVATAR, WHEREVER THAT IS

3—Establishing shot at the lab in Project: Avatar with Kainoa and Ral back-to-back, restrained by shackles on their arms and legs attached to an X-metal plate.
NARR: Try as I might, they don’t give. I’d need like Superman strength or something, but they probably would have made these restraints Kryptonite.

4—Close up Ral’s face, as he tenses.
NARR: But the heat still burns—on my hands and feet especially.
NARR: It’s like their engulfed by Casia’s fire—raging, scorching, tearing.

5—Close up on shackle as it begins to burn.
NARR: And I let it. In fact, I think of Casia’s flames, how she uses them sometimes to teleport us from one place to another, and the heat grows.

6—The shackles blast off.

PAGE FIVE
1—A lab tech turns from the monitor and screams at Ral.
TECH: Hey! You! Stay where you are!
TECH (linked; screaming): GUARDS!

2—Ral throws fire, singeing the lab tech.
NARR: Yeah, see, this is THEIR problem. I don’t know what all my powers are. How can they?

3—Ral puts his hands on Kainoa’s ankle shackles, laughing.
RAL: Yeah, I meant to do that.

4—Those shackles blast off.

5—Ral puts both his hands on the left manacle.
RAL: I hope you’re as good as you think you are.

6—The left wrist manacle blasts off.

7—Ral hits his metal restrain face first, smacking his head. He’s cringing.
SIERRA (off): You aren’t trying to bail out, are you?

PAGE SIX
1—Sierra comes forward as Ral, now turned halfway around, claws at his neck like he’s choking.
SIERRA: Tell me. What do you think the punishment should be for a bushranger like you?

2—Sierra forces Ral’s hands against the metal X, his chin raised uncomfortably high. Her fingers tickle his exposed neck as he winces and squirms.
RAL: ….urk!
RAL: Apparently, I need my throat to talk.
SIERRA: For speaking out against us, I took Jayden’s voice.

3—The back of her hand caresses Ral’s cheek.
SIERRA: For seeing a future outside of Project: Avatar, I stole Clarence’s sight.

4—Sierra looks down with a dangerous, evil smile.
SIERRA: I was thinking for trying to run away…

5—Extreme close-up. Her hand clutches Ral’s right thigh.
SIERRA (off): …we’ll take away your ability to run.

PAGE SEVEN
1—Close-up on Ral’s face. He’s frightened, sweating.
NARR: Sparkles tickle my leg like it’s falling asleep. Oh, God. Please no. Please don’t—

2—Sierra turns, surprised.
KAINOA (off): HEY, SIERRA!

3—Surrounded by royal blue, Kainoa’s foot comes at Sierra, who’s raising her arms to block.
KAINOA: TIME TO END THIS!

PAGE EIGHT
1—Sierra’s thrown backwards as Ral slides to the floor.

2—Ral looks down at his hand, where there’s a note.

3—Picture of said written note.
NOTE: Call this. Tell them “Destiny’s down.” 555-6789

4—Ral stands and shouts as Kainoa disappears and reappears in front of Sierra.
RAL (shouting): MESSAGE! REALLY?
RAL (not so loud, but still yelling): What am I now? Your assist—crap.
SFX: CLICK. CLICK. CLUNK.

5—Ral looks over his shoulder at the line of guards all in robot suits, pointing lasers at him and protecting the lab tech with the singed coat.

6—Small cell: A vine surrounded by blue taps the lab tech on the shoulder.

PAGE NINE
1—Full Page-Vinny’s back with his green hoodie, wrapping his vines about the group and smirking.
VINNY: I like my gifts wrapped.

PAGE TEN
1—I don’t even know the guy, but I fist pump him.
RAL: You’re alive?
VINNY: I wouldn’t be if not for you. You were the only one who came to my aid, and you didn’t know Kainoa had a plan. Thank you.

2—Ral heads toward the stairs. We can see Kainoa off to the side flipping over a chair tossed by Sierra’s powers.
RAL: No prob.

3—Ral takes the stairs two-by-two toward the Director’s office.
4—He gets the door, which actually hits him back.

PAGE ELEVEN
1—Ral falls off the catwalk.
RAL: Whoa!

2—Ral falls on Kainoa, who tried to catch him.
RAL: AGH!

3—As Ral climbs off of Kainoa, a voice laughs.
REGER (off): If it isn’t the pet.

4—Reger leans on the railing, his elbows bent, his lips in a devious smirk.
REGER: Didn’t liked being collared?

PAGE TWELVE
1—Kainoa and Ral climb to their feet, Ral’s hand on his necklace.
KAINOA: You know this guy?
RAL: He’s my sister’s ex-boyfriend who almost killed her. I saw him get eaten by a shadow monster.
KAINOA: No kidding?
RAL: Yeah, and now he’s back.
KAINOA: You’ll handle him, and I’ll handle Sierra?

2—Reger launches off the catwalk at Ral with his blue wings burning behind him, his specter out like a baseball bat.
KAINOA (off): Sounds like a plan.
NARR: I’m pretty sure we’re going to die.

3—Ral combats Reger with his sword, slashing one of Reger’s wings as he passes.
REGER: What’s your big plan?

4—Landing on his back leg, he thrusts back with his scepter.
REGER: You fight every single blue hoodie in here and then escape? You have to know you won’t get pass anyone—

5—He throws a ball of blue fire at Ral.
REGER (shouting): —ESPECIALLY ME!

PAGE THIRTEEN
1—Ral deflects the ball with his blade.

2—It narrowly misses Sierra but gives Kainoa a second to catch his breath.

3—Reger dives at Ral, thrusting his specter against Ral’s throat and pressing the boy into the wall.

4—Reger hisses to Ral, whose throat is trapped between the wall and the specter. He’s growling.
REGER: Blue hoodies—they’re the best. They’ve trained the longest. They have almost complete control of their powers.

5—Close-up on Ral’s hands glowing white.
REGER: How can a newbie like you expect to beat anyone of us?
RAL (growling): …Easy…

PAGE FOURTEEN
1—Ral throws up the fire toward the sprinkles.
RAL (shouting): LIKE THIS!

2—The sprinklers flicker to life, dousing Reger’s flames.
REGER: NO!

3—Ral punches him unconscious.

PAGE FIFTEEN
1—Falling to his knees, Ral searches Reger’s pockets.
NARR: Reger’s a rebel. He has to have—

2—Ral pulls out an iPhone.
NARR: Bingo.

3—Sierra stands over Kainoa’s prone body as he squirms to escape her hold. Her palm is exposed, fingers out.
SIERRA: Time to die, little—

4—Ral’s sword slices her side, dragging her to her knees.
RAL (off): Same to you!

PAGE SIXTEEN
1—Kainoa kicks her, knocking her unconscious.
KAINOA: HE-YAH!

2—Vinny bends down to tie her with vines as Kainoa and Ral race for the stairs. Rain is still showering them.
RAL: I made the call. How long until we get some sort of back up?
VINNY: Called who?
KAINOA: Depends.

3—They run through the Director’s faux office.
KAINOA: Could be a few seconds or—

4—Ral and Kainoa open the door to the outside hallway. We’re positioned behind them, so we see all the blue hoodies who stand before them, Towne at the head.
KAINOA: —could be too late.
TOWNE: You two should know by now. We don’t tolerate troublemakers.

PAGE SEVENTEEN
1—Ral shouts; Kainoa looks at him mildly amused.
RAL: Yeah, well, I love Weezer’s song!
KAINOA: Who?

2—Ral laughs and rubs the back of his head, while Kainoa shrugs.
RAL: You know, the group that sang, ‘Bever-ly Hills. That’s where I want—’ Never mind. Who do you listen to? Don’t tell me Bon Jovi. He’s ancient.
KAINOA: Actually, I prefer Daughtry, some 3 Doors Down, a little 30 Seconds from Mars. Y’know, hard rock.
RAL: Daughtry’s from American Idol. You can’t call that hard—
TOWNE (off): Ahem. Boys—

3—Towne smirks; Rio’s voice comes for the left side of the panel.
TOWNE: —you have a war to lose.
RIO (off): Actually, sir—

PAGE EIGHTEEN AND NINETEEN
1—SPLASH PAGE—On the left side (page eighteen) over the blue hoodies’ heads we see the hundreds of Project: Avatar’s captives, all wearing different color hoodies, save blue, fill the hallways and the levels of the Atrium. Up front are Jayden and Rio.
RIO: —we’re going to win.

On the right side of the blue hoodies (page nineteen) stands every green hoodie, Vinny up front.
VINNY: What’s it going to be, Towne? You fight us, you fight ALL of us.

In the middle between the two groups are the blue hoodies, Towne up front. He speaks on the left hand side of the page.
TOWNE: I like the odds.

PAGE TWENTY
1—Towne lunges at the camera, like he’s attacking Ral and Kainoa.
TOWNE: I like a challenge.

To Be Concluded…