NEW
WARRIORS #1
“Seemingly
At Random”
Script
for 22 pages
Written
by Chris McCarver
Panel
1: The angle is on a darkened New York City street, facing a darkened
alley. In the middle of the street,
sitting parked is a late-model two-door car (think Chevy Cavalier) with the
driver-side door wide open. The head-
and taillights are lit and, to indicate the engine’s still running, smoke wisps
from the exhaust. There are no people
anywhere to be seen. Yet.
(1) CAPTION: New York City, the Lower
East Side, near the intersection of 10th Street and Avenue D. 10:12 P.M.
(2) FROM ALLEY: Huhh... huhh... huhhh... damn...
(3) FROM ALLEY: Is... s’that it? Is she...?
Panel
2: A gangsta-gear-wearing THUG comes out of the alley, towards the car. His head is craned at the alley as he makes
his way to the car.
(4)
THUG: Yeah,
that’s it... c’mon, man.
(5)
FROM ALLEY: Wait, wait...
whadda we do now?
(6)
THUG: Damn,
you need some $%#@in’ focus, dog.
S’like the man said...
Panel
3: The thug climbs into the driver’s side of the car. Another young male (THUG #2) comes out of the alley, also towards
the car.
(7)
THUG #1: ...smack
her up, take her ride, an’ bounce.
(8)
THUG #2: Yeah, but
why her anyway? I mean, he knew
where to find her an’...
(9)
THUG #1: Yo, ax me
if I give a &$%#. Now shutcha mouth
an’ get in the damned car...
Panel
4: Thug #1 is in the car with his door shut, and THUG #2 is climbing in the
other side.
(10)
THUG #2: Yeah, yeah,
jus’ somethin’ ‘bout this ain’t right, y’know...
(11) THUG #1: Man, all’s I give a @#$& about’s that mad case’a cash homeboy hooked us up with.
(12) THUG #2: Yeah, but... damn, son, check this out...
Panel 5: The car drives away from the alley.
(13) THUG #1: What now...?
(14) THUG #2: Girl’s got some mad plastic here, man. We could use...
(15) THUG #1: Pssh... first off, we’re gettin’ so much paper, we don’t need plastic... and second...
PAGE 2
Panel 1: Splash shot of the interior alley where we find a heavily beat-up and bloodied girl of Indian descent (not meaning Native American) in her late teens or early twenties. This girl is RINA PATEL, a former superhero and member of the New Warriors under the callsign “Timeslip.” She is very badly injured, to the point the casual onlooker might think her dead. A two-by-four and trashcan lid lay on the ground near her, obviously the tools of the attack.
(1) CAPTION (Thug #1): “...best check yourself, ‘cause you don’t look like no “Rina Patel” on all kinds of levels...
(2) TITLE/CREDITS: Epic Comics presents the return of
THE NEW WARRIORS
“Seemingly At Random”
Written by Chris McCarver
Pencilled by __________
Inked by __________
Colored by __________
Lettered by __________
Edited by Stephanie Moore
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
PAGE 3
Panel 1: Scene-cut to an exterior shot of New York’s East Village, camera angle on a lit fourth-floor window of a six-story apartment building.
(1) CAPTION: The East Village, the corner of Tenth Street and Avenue D. 10:33 P.M.
(2) NO TAIL: Mom? You seen that t-shirt I was gonna wear..?
Panel 2: Cut to an interior shot of the apartment through which that window looks, the home of New Warrior ROB BALDWIN (“Speedball”) and his mother MADDIE. Specifically, Rob is in the laundry room (in the foreground) digging through a pile of freshly dried clothes, and making quite a mess of it. Maddie is leaned up against the doorframe (background) smiling bemusedly at her son.
(3) MADDIE: Which one? The one with the band I can’t understand, the one with the band I can understand but wished I didn’t, or the one from the TV show where they taser themselves and throw themselves into moving cars for fun?
(4) ROB: Good an actress as you are, Mom, you could try performing the role of a cool mom sometimes.
Panel 3: Medium shot of Maddie, still in the doorframe, still smiling, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face.
(5) MADDIE: Somehow, I doubt you pay as well as the studio does. Besides, playing the bitchy nurse from hell on a TV soap takes a lot out of you. You just want to come home, unwind, and be the uncool mom.
(6) MADDIE: You know, Rob, this is the most effort I’ve seen you exert for a girl in ages.
Panel 4: Rob turns to face his mom, random articles of clothing still in hand, canary-eating grin on his face.
(7) ROB: Yeah, well... Rina’s practically the only one of the few people I know who doesn’t treat me like comic relief.
(8) ROB: She just... gets me. Not many I can say that about.
Panel 5: Maddie turns her head to face inside the kitchen, specifically the clock on the microwave oven.
(9) MADDIE: Well, you are one of the more... uh, Rob? When was Rina supposed to pick you up?
(10) ROB (O.P.): Little before ten at the latest, she said. Why?
Panel 6: Maddie’s expression turns puzzled, as she turns back towards Rob.
(11) MADDIE: Because it’s past 10:30.
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 3,
CONTINUED
Panel 7: Rob looks up at his mom, practically freeze-framed in mid-laundry-dig, expression one of puzzlement and worry.
(no dialogue)
PAGE 4
Panel 1: Sliver panel showing the outside window of the Baldwins’ apartment, being opened by a hand from inside, presumably Rob’s.
(no dialogue)
Panel 2: Large dominant shot of Rob, now in his Speedball aspect, practically exploding (not literally) out of said window like the man on a mission that he is this night. The happy-go-lucky Masked Marvel this is not.
(no
dialogue)
Panel
3: Panoramic shot of Speedball bounding from rooftop to rooftop, trailing the
bubbles of his kinetic field with each bounce.
This should be a wide shot, showing Speedball covering a few blocks with
each bounce.
(no
dialogue)
Panel
4: Overhead shot of a city street lit up by a large grouping of NYPD radio cars
and an ambulance. The cars and
ambulance are arrayed around the entrance to the alley where Rina was attacked,
though we’re too high up to see her specifically. All that is readily seen is the emergency vehicles below. In the higher foreground, Speedball blurs
past the frame from above the sea of flashing lights.
(no
dialogue)
Panel
5: Speedball touches down on a rooftop nearby, already directing his gaze to
the ground below.
(no
dialogue)
Panel
6: Close-up of Speedball and the wide-eyed, horrified expression on his face.
(no
dialogue)
PAGE
5
Panel
1: In a shot that should take up roughly the top half of the page, we see the
injured Rina on a stretcher as a pair of EMTs prepare to load her in the
ambulance. Arrayed around her are
number of uniformed cops, crime-scene investigators, and NYPD detectives.
(1)
NO TAIL: ...load
her in on three... one, two...
(2)
NO TAIL: ...went
around the corner to sneak a smoke and there she...
(3)
NO TAIL: ...prints
are smudged... think I can lift some partials...
(4)
NO TAIL: ...won’t
know till she wakes up...
(5)
NO TAIL: ...Ninth
Precinct caught this one...
Panel
2: As Rina’s loaded into the ambulance, a female plainclothes cop, DET. MARCIA
RINALDI (Caucasian, late 20’s), emerges from the alley, pushing the crime-scene
tape over her head so as to let herself out.
She is conferring with a male uniformed OFFICER, who follows alongside
her out of the alley.
(6) RINALDI: ...Have Crime Scene run any D.N.A. off the trash lid and the two-by-four through B.C.I.* I’m hoping to God the perps have done this before... sick as that sounds.
(7) OFFICER: Will do,
Detective. They found a receipt from an
electronics store for a cellphone case in her pocket too...
(8) CAPTION: *B.C.I.: Bureau of
Criminal Information.
Panel
3: Rinaldi’s eyes react to something off-panel, coming from down the sidewalk.
(9) RINALDI: Okay, I’ll reach out to all the wireless providers so we can dump her phone records, once we figure out exactly who she...
(10) ROB (O.P): RINA!!
Panel
4: Rinaldi’s P.O.V.: Rob, back in his human form, is what Rinaldi sees, being
blocked from coming further by another uniformed OFFICER.
(11) OFFICER #2: Sorry, you’re gonna have to keep your distance...
(12) ROB: What’s going
on?! What happened to her?!
(13) RINALDI (O.P.): It’s okay, Dave, let him through.
Panel 5: Over-the-shoulder
shot of Rinaldi as she speaks to the distraught Rob.
(14) RINALDI: Detective Rinaldi, Ninth
Precinct. You know that girl?
(15) ROB: Yeah... yeah, her
name’s Rina Patel...
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 5, CONTINUED
(16) RINALDI: Okay, okay, what’s your
name and who is she to you?
Panel 6: Rob isn’t even looking at Rinaldi, whose expression has become sympathetic. All Rob pays attention to is the ambulance driving away.
(17) ROB: My... my name’s Rob Baldwin.
(18) ROB: She’s my girlfriend...
PAGE 6
Panel 1: Scene-cut to a framed photograph of the New Warriors as they appeared back around the time of the Volume One series. The photograph was apparently taken in the Warriors’ old “Crash-Pad” warehouse and has caught the team in a not-so-rare moment of frivolity over a Chinese dinner arrayed on a pressboard buffet table. In the immediate foreground is team leader NIGHT THRASHER, the face-plate on his helmet lifted as he is about to take a bite of chopstick-pincered pork. His eyes are directed to the camera, the only one in the photo aware of it. Elsewhere in the shot is JUSTICE (in his original MARVEL BOY uniform) with FIRESTAR in a behind-the-back hug as she looks up at him while eating out of a fold-box. At frame center is NOVA, angrily reaching for a bounding and mischievous Speedball, as though the egg rolls Speedball has in his hands were his. Sitting at the table picking away at a plate of her own helping is NAMORITA PRENTISS, rolling her eyes at the juvenile display. A human shadow is cast over the frame and the wall it hangs from, belonging to a lone observer of the photographed memory. Said observer (though we can’t see him in this panel) is DWAYNE TAYLOR (“Night Thrasher”).
(1) CAPTION: The top-floor penthouse of the Ambrose Building. 11:12 P.M.
(2) DWAYNE (O.P.): Doesn’t seem all that long ago, does it, Chord?
Panel 2: Pull far out to reveal our location, a large establishing shot of Dwayne’s poshly decorated penthouse home. Dwayne stands looking at the picture from the previous panel as it hangs amongst other framed pictures arrayed on his wall, some being photographs, others being expensive art pieces. Seated in one of the conversation-pit array of sofas and loveseats is the Warriors’ one-man support crew, ANDREW CHORD, going over several files splayed out on the center coffee table. Dwayne is in a shirt and slacks (expensive-looking, as though part of a European-made suit); Chord’s in a black wife-beater and camouflage cargo pants.
(3) CHORD: Like yesterday, Dwayne. Fact is, though, the Warriors have been around close to three years, and fallen apart and come together about half a dozen times. You sure another “new beginning’s” gonna be worth the effort?
(4) DWAYNE: I didn’t expect the defeatist attitude from you of all people, Chord.
(5) CHORD: Try “pragmatic,” kid.
Panel 3: Angle on Chord, as he leafs through the files.
(6) CHORD: Much as I was up for the concept back in the day, the execution’s fallen short of the mark every time. Don’t get me wrong, Dwayne, everyone we’ve brought on board’s brought his or her A-game, but the magic doesn’t last.
Panel 4: Angle on the files Chord is looking at, all of which are dossiers (with photographs) of the various members of the team, past and present.
(7) CHORD: The Warriors have been a revolving-door group this whole time. Maybe that B.S. flies with the Avengers or the X-Men or who-the-hell-ever, but we got to start thinking about the long haul. And that means long-term commitment.
Panel 5: Medium shot of Dwayne, as he finally turns away from the wall and looks to Chord over his shoulder.
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 6, CONTINUED
(8) DWAYNE: I formed this team out of
an obsessive need to strike out at the criminal element after my parents’
deaths. But it was also in response to
the other so-called superhero teams who let the “small” problems slip through
the cracks.
(9) DWAYNE: While the Avengers are
busy dealing with would-be world conquerors and the Fantastic Four deal with
the cosmic end of things, who’s handling organized crime? Drug traffickers? Serial murderers?
(10) DWAYNE: The times have changed and
evolved, but our responsibilities remain the same.
(11) DWAYNE: The Warriors are a valid
and vital service to the community, Chord.
They can’t afford to just fade into the ether.
Panel 6: Angle on the
multi-line telephone on the coffee table that has Chord’s files scattered all
over it.
(12) CHORD (O.P.): That’s all well and good, kid,
but...
(13) SFX: BRRRREEEP
(14) CHORD (O.P.): Private line.
PAGE 7
Panel 1: Dwayne picks up the
cordless receiver as Chord continues looking through the files.
(1) DWAYNE: Taylor.
(2)
DWAYNE: Oh, hey,
Rob, what’s... hey, you okay... slow down...
Panel
2: Close-up of Dwayne, his brow creasing as he listens intently.
(3)
DWAYNE: She got...
wait... just tell me what happened, Rob...
(4)
DWAYNE: Okay,
N.Y.U., got it... I’m on my way... no, just stay put. I’ve got this, man.
Panel
3: Dwayne just stands there, letting the hand carrying the phone just drop limply. Chord looks up with a perplexed expression.
(5)
CHORD: What’s
up?
(6)
DWAYNE: That was
Speedball. Rina Patel was
attacked. N.Y.P.D.’s thinking
carjacking.
(7)
CHORD: Rina...
you mean Timeslip? Aw, hell... is she..?
Panel
4: Dwayne grabs a leather jacket off a nearby coat-rack as Chord stands from
his seat.
(8) DWAYNE: Alive, but badly injured. She’s in surgery now at NYU Medical... the doctors don’t know her chances.
(9) CHORD: I’ll go get the car
started...
(10)
DWAYNE: No.
Panel
5: MCU of Dwayne as he turns to Chord while donning his jacket.
(11) DWAYNE: Wake up Carlton LaFroyge and get him over here. I need him to contact Avengers Mansion in ways other than what’s in the Yellow Pages.
(12)
CHORD: Avengers
Mansion? What..?
(13) DWAYNE: Justice and Firestar are in the Mediterranean somewhere on leave from the Avengers. They worked with Rina. They need to be found and filled in. Whatever their alliances now, I’m not going to cut them out of the loop.
(14) DWAYNE: Once that’s done, keep Carlton here. I’ve got another project for him afterwards.
Panel 6: Angle on the cellular phone that Dwayne now palms and flips open. On the display screen is the words “SPEED DIAL: RIDER, R. DIALING...”
(15)
CHORD (O.P.): And everyone
else?
(16)
DWAYNE (O.P.): All over it. Get going.
PAGE
8
Panel
1: Horizontal page-wide sliver panel of the nighttime cityscape of New York’s
Brooklyn borough.
(1) CAPTION: Brooklyn. 11:18 P.M.
(2)
NO TAIL: TOUCHDOWN!!
Panel
2: Establishing shot of the interior of a Brooklyn apartment, decorated in
“early 2000’s bachelor-pad,” occupied by a group of four. Centermost on the sofa is RICH RIDER
(“Nova”). Seated to one side of him is
his roommate, BERNIE DILLON. Flanking
Rich on the other side is his other roomie, ROGER COOPER. Seated in the floor is the only female here,
MICKEY MUSASHI (“Turbo”). Rich and
Bernie have Playstation controllers in their hands and have their attention
glued to the TV and whatever game they’re playing on it. Mickey is sitting cross-legged on the floor
with a half-eaten slice of pizza on a plate in her lap. While still looking at the game, Mickey
lifts a pizza box within reach of Roger, who pulls a slice of his own out.
(3)
RICH: What’d
I tell you? All about the Rams,
Bern! All about the Rams!
(4) BERNIE: Yeah, yeah, way to show home-team loyalty, Rich... and need I remind you it’s still halftime...
(5) RICH: Hey, if the Jets
sign Isaac Bruce, then you and me can talk.
(6) ROGER: Mickey, you mind
handing me up some?
(7) MICKEY: God, yes, take this
away from me... I’m going into double-digit dress sizes just looking at it.
Panel 3: Close-up of Rich
holding up a hand as though to pause the festivities.
(8) RICH: Whoa, whoa, hold
up.
(9) SFX: BRRRREEEP
(10) RICH: Damn, s’my
phone. Here, Rog, take over for
me. And don’t hurt him too bad in the
second half, okay?
Panel 4: Roger takes up Rich’s controller as Rich leaves and Bernie rolls his eyes. As he scooches over to get a better seat, he leans aside to say something to Mickey, who looks up at him.
(11)
BERNIE (S.P.): Put pesto
sauce in your stupid helmet, Mr. Human Rocket...
(12)
ROGER: Hey, Mick,
I was wondering... you and Rich have been hanging out for a while now...
(13)
MICKEY: Uh-huh,
and..?
Panel 5: Close-up on Mickey,
her expression widening into a sheepish smile.
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 8, CONTINUED
(14) ROGER (O.P.): Well... you two ever think
about... you know...
(15) MICKEY: Well, I won’t say I
haven’t thought about it, but I think Rich is iffy about dating another one of
the Warriors after he and Nita...
(16) NOVA (O.P.): Hey, Mickey...
Panel 6: In the immediate foreground is Rich in his Nova uniform, though he’s shadowed in this panel, as he emerges from his bedroom after the phonecall. Bernie and Roger completely forget their game and look puzzled at Rich, as does Mickey as she rises to her feet.
(17)
NOVA: Don’t
suppose you brought your Turbo outfit with you?
(18)
MICKEY: Um, no, I
left it at home... was that Dwayne needing us..?
PAGE
9
Panel
1: Reverse angle, as we now see Rich fully visible, clad in his Nova uniform,
expression seen as grim despite the helmet obscuring his face.
(1)
NOVA: Yeah. We need to go.
(2)
MICKEY: Rich..? What’s wrong...?
Panel
2: Scene-cut to a worm’s eye view of a high-rise apartment building located in
Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
(3)
CAPTION: The Upper
West Side. 11:20 P.M.
(4)
NO TAIL: ...penthouse
living just wasn’t cutting it, huh?
Panel
3: Establishing shot of the interior of the ritzy apartment of Warrior NAMORITA
“NITA” PRENTISS. The jovial Atlantean,
wearing a two-piece swimsuit and soaking wet, is talking on a cellphone, having
just come out of the pool, which (to give some idea of just how insanely
wealthy a family she comes from) is connected directly to her living room. As she talks, she makes her way to a set of
lounge chairs arrayed near the pool.
(5)
NITA: You
just had to try the mansion lifestyle.
(6)
CHRIS (electronic): You know me,
Nita, I’m that onward-and-upward kind of mutant.
(7) NITA: Do tell, Mr. Bradley. So, they fit you yet for one of those new leather ensembles they’re wearing now?
Panel 4: Scene-cut to an interior hallway of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, where former Warrior CHRIS BRADLEY (“Bolt”) is leaning up against a wall talking on his own cellphone to Nita. Passing by him to either direction are several of the mansion’s mutant students, some human in appearance, others humanoid at best.
(8) CHRIS: Pshh... I wish. No, they didn’t bring me into the main team or anything. I’m just picking my studies up where I left off... lot more kids here though.
(9) NITA (electronic): Hey, is it true Juggernaut’s over there now?
(10) CHRIS: Oh, Cain? Yeah. Fairly nice guy, aside from his hogging the Haagen-Dazs.
Panel 5: Back at Nita’s, she lounges on one of her beach chairs as she talks to Chris.
(11) NITA: Well, keep your head up... Juggernaut was one of the first guys we threw down with. And I seem to remember you maintaining a decent stranglehold on the ranch tortilla chips when you were... huh?
(12) NITA: Hey, Chris, call-waiting’s beeping me, hold on a sec.
(13) CHRIS (electronic): No prob.
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 9, CONTINUED
Panel 6: Back to Xavier’s, where Chris still leans on his wall, waiting for Nita to return.
(no dialogue)
Panel 7: Same as Panel 6, though with Chris reacting with some concern.
(14) NITA (electronic): Um, Chris? I... I gotta go...
(15) CHRIS: Nita? You okay? Something wrong?
PAGE 10
Panel 1: Overhead shot of nighttime NYC with Nita, now in the dominant foreground and in apparently thrown-on clothes, in flight over the NYC skyline, having just exited the skylight from her apartment. She still has the cellphone to her ear. Even as she streaks across the sky as far as her ankle-wings can carry her, her face is clearly seen as a mask of worry.
(1) NITA: Yeah... I’ll call you later...
Panel 2: Establishing shot of the Greek island of Skiathos. This place is considered the best beach bordering the Aegean Sea. The sand is a fine, soft grain, and the forest of palm trees inland from the beach is thickly grouped and appears to provide ample shade from the sun for visitors and residents. From a distance, the beach can be seen as a large crescent-shaped enclosure of the outlying sea. The more inland part of the beach is dotted with small shops, taverns, and a few rustic yet lavish vacation homes of native design. A large resort, viewed from the ocean, rests upon the rightmost tip of the beach’s crescent atop a large forested hill. It is daylight, but around 8 A.M., meaning there aren’t many sunbathers or the like out on the beach. (Note to artist: if you need reference photos, check out http://www.greeklandscapes.com/beach/koukounaries.html, http://www.travelalacarte.co.uk/property/koukounaries.htm, and http://www.interdynamic.net/vacprop.php?vacpropertyID=453. If you don’t have net access, I can send you photos.)
(2) CAPTION: Koukounaries Beach, on the coast of the Greek island of Skiathos. 8:22 A.M., local time.
(3) NO TAIL: Angel?
Panel 3: Scene-cut to the interior of the foyer of one of those aforementioned vacation homes. Opening the door and peeking his head through the door is VANCE ASTROVIK (“Justice”), clad in a tank top, loose-fitting trousers, and sandals, brandishing a playful, anxious grin.
(4) VANCE: Angel? You home, babe?
Panel 4: Close-up of Vance, the grin shifting to a look of confusion.
(5) VANCE: What the..?
PAGE 11
Panel 1: Widen the shot out to show the house’s living room, where ANGELICA “ANGEL” JONES (“Firestar”), wearing a one-piece swimsuit covered at the waist by a sarong, is frantically stuffing clothing into a number of open suitcases on the sofa and coffee table. Vance steps into the room, still confused.
(1) VANCE: Angel, what... what’s going on..?
(2) ANGEL: Vance... we... have to go back...
Panel 2: Over-the-shoulder shot from Vance’s P.O.V. of Angel, the concern on her face now fully visible.
(3) VANCE: Honey, what’s wrong? Why do we...
(4) ANGEL: I just got a call from Wanda in New York... the Warriors called...
Panel 3: Angel then crumbles into Vance’s arms, prompting Vance to gently embrace her.
(5) ANGEL: Rina was carjacked... they don’t know if she...
(6) VANCE: My God... Rina...
Panel 4: Profile two-shot of the distraught Angel, still held in Vance’s arms, looking up into his eyes.
(7) ANGEL: I booked us a flight back to New York... I know we didn’t know her well, but...
(8) VANCE: Not another word, Angel. She was... is our friend. We need to be there for her.
(9) ANGEL: Okay... I’ll finish packing here... God, I can’t get my head around this... all the things we’ve been through... and one of us... like that...
(10) VANCE: I know. I’ll go pack.
Panel 5: Angel goes back to packing, turning her back to Vance as he walks towards the bedroom. On the way, he fishes in his pants pocket for something.
(11) ANGEL: Okay...
Panel 6: Vance pulls out a jewelry box, the kind in which one keeps an engagement ring. The look on his face is plain: so much for the surprise proposal.
(no dialogue)
PAGE 12
Panel
1: Exterior establishing shot of NYU Medical Center in New York. Nighttime, but it’s now the following day.
(1)
CAPTION: New York
University Medical Center, New York City.
The next night, 8:48 P.M.
Panel
2: Scene-cut to an interior of one of Mt. Sinai’s waiting rooms. Rob is slouched in a chair, looking almost
emotionally numb. Maddie sits in a
chair next to him, holding one of his hands.
Dwayne stands over by a picture window, propping himself up by a forearm
as he looks out the window contemplatively.
Chord is leaning on his back on the opposite side of that window,
drinking coffee from a Styrofoam cup.
Nita and Mickey sit aside one another, Nita rubbing her forehead idly
and Mickey nursing a cup of coffee as she looks to Rich, who stands in the
foreground on one side, leaning against the wall and looking a bit perturbed.
(2)
RICH: Christ,
it’s been almost a whole day since they brought her in...
(3)
MICKEY: I’m sure
they’re doing everything they can, Rich.
They’d tell us if there was any news.
(4)
RICH: Yeah,
yeah, I know... just wish there was something we could do...
(5)
NITA (S.P.): Tch...
Panel
3: Rich cranes his head towards Nita, slightly annoyed.
(6)
RICH: Okay,
Nita, what’s that about?
(7)
NITA: It’s
nothing, Rich. Let it go.
Panel
4: Close-up of Nita turning her head away from him, as if barely giving him the
time of day.
(8)
NITA: Poseidon
knows letting go’s something you’ve got down to a science.
(9)
RICH (O.P.): Oh, here
it comes...
Panel
5: Nita then stands up, enraged, as Rich yells back at her. Mickey tries to situate herself between them
and separate the two.
(10) NITA: Don’t give me that,
you shallow piece of crap! You know
what I was going through, and you just up and left...!
(11) MICKEY: Please, guys, this isn’t
helping...
(12) RICH: Sure I know,
because you keep reminding me!
And you got the rocks to tell me to “let go?” That’s the biggest load of...
Panel 6: Stat panel 5, though
now Rich, Nita, and Mickey all react with surprise to the camera’s P.O.V.
(13) ROB (O.P.): Shut up.
(CONTINUED)
PAGE 12, CONTINUED
(14) ROB (O.P.): Both of you just shut up.
(15) NITA (S.P.): Rob...
PAGE 13
Panel 1: Angle on Rob,
hunched over his chair, being consoled by Maddie.
(1) ROB: Hate to break
up your Bruce-and-Demi moment, but we’re supposed to be here for Rina.
(2) ROB: And forgive me
if, for the first time in a long time, I don’t have a joke to crack.
(3) ROB: But if you’re
really concerned for Rina, after some sick &%$#@ beat her within an inch of
her life because they needed a ride to their latest crack fix, then you can
either bag the bad feelings or you can go the hell home.
Panel
2: Dwayne turns towards Nita and Rich looking more than slightly annoyed. Maddie, holding Rob for comfort, glares at
the two of them.
(4)
MADDIE: I couldn’t
have said it better myself.
(5)
DWAYNE: Same here.
Panel
3: Three-shot of Rich, Nita, and Mickey.
Rich and Nita’s faces both resonate guilt for acting so immature. Mickey places a hand gently on Rich’s
shoulder.
(no
dialogue)
Panel
4: Two silhouetted figures carrying travel bags (Vance and Angel, though not at
this juncture visible) approach from the hallway, prompting all those (aside
from Rob, who’s still hunched over) in the waiting room to look their way.
(6)
ANGEL: Robbie?
Panel
5: Angle on Rob, who looks up in surprise.
(7)
ROB: Angel..?
Panel
6: Reverse angle, as we now see Vance and the teary-eyed Angel, the latter of
whom heads towards the group.
(8)
ANGEL: Robbie...
we got here as soon as we could... when we heard...
PAGE
14
Panel 1: Large shot of Angel and Rob embracing like the two old friends that they are. As the rest of the group looks on, Vance approaches Dwayne, shaking his old teammate’s hand.
(1)
ROB: Can’t believe you guys came all
this way...
(2)
ANGEL: ->snf<-
You kidding? What’s the Mediterranean
compared to the Big Apple anyway?
(3)
ANGEL: Robbie,
I’m so sorry...
(4)
VANCE: Thanks
for reaching out, Dwayne.
(5) DWAYNE: Not a problem, Vance. Good to see you again. Both of you.
Panel 2: A scrubs-and-lab-coat-clad DOCTOR enters the waiting room carrying a bed-chart on a clipboard. Dwayne and Rob share a look before either of them respond.
(6) DOCTOR: Excuse me, which of you are here for Rina Patel..?
Panel 3: Shot taken from the doctor’s P.O.V., the entire group, Dwayne, Vance, Angel, Rich, Nita, Maddie, Mickey, and Rob all with their attention focused on him. Rob and Dwayne are in the foreground, Dwayne the picture of focus and determination, while Rob looks as though visibly bracing himself for whatever news he’s about to hear.
(7) DWAYNE: We all are.
Panel 4: External shot of Dwayne’s Ambrose Building penthouse, nighttime.
(8) CAPTION: The Ambrose Building. 9:50 P.M.
(9) NO TAIL: This... this just sucks.
Panel 5: Inside the penthouse’s living room, Vance, Angel, Mickey, Rich, and Nita are situated in various seating areas. Vance has his arm around Angel as the pair sit on one of the sofas. Mickey and Nita each occupy a sofa of their own. Rich stands over by the sliding glass doors leading out onto the balcony.
(10) NITA: Yeah, and I don’t blame Rob for wanting to stay behind. Broken ribs, punctured lung... it’ll be a miracle if she can use her left arm again...
(11) ANGEL: Then start hoping for miracles, Nita. I... I can’t bring myself to not do that.
(12) RICH: And the scumbags are still out there... wonder how the cops are doing in finding those...
Panel 6: A hidden wall-panel slides open on the far wall, revealing a corridor leading off into a concealed section of the penthouse. A shadowed figure emerges (Dwayne in his Night Thrasher armor); the camera angle is over his shoulder as the group reacts to his arrival.
(13)
THRASH: You never
struck me as the waiting type, Rich.
Then again...
PAGE
15
Panel
1: Shot of Dwayne clad in his Night Thrasher gear, emerging from the
corridor. Chord is leaning against the
corridor’s interior, arms folded.
(1)
THRASH: ...neither
am I.
(2)
MICKEY: Hauled the
armor out of mothballs, eh, Thrash?
Panel
2: Thrash cocks a thumb towards the corridor as the others rise from their
seats and approach.
(3)
THRASH: For what we
have to do, it seemed appropriate. Back
to basics and all that.
(4)
RICH: Time
to save the world, chief?
(5)
THRASH: No, just
one part of it that deserved much more than what she got. Carlton’s inside.
Panel
3: The group follows down the corridor into a refurbished command center,
featuring a large-screened computer workstation, a central elongated table with
a currently-darkened embedded viewscreen completely covering the top (think the
situation room table from the TV series “Enterprise”), and a door leading to a
large freight elevator. Seated at the
computer is the Warriors’ resident computer geek, CARLTON LaFROYGE.
(6) DWAYNE: Give us good news, Carlton.
(7) CARLTON: Glad to. For those just tuning in from the “New
Warriors Reunion Spectacular,” I’ve been cataloguing all of the N.Y.P.D.’s
suspected chopshop sites within an easy drive from the spot where Rina was
attacked.
(8) VANCE: In the hopes of one
of ‘em might have Rina’s car and the guys who attacked her?
(9) CARLTON: B-plus guess, Vance, but
not quite the A.
Panel 4: Reverse angle, showing a schematic of the southern portion of Manhattan Island. Several red spots are seeded throughout.
(10) CARLTON: Chopshoppers have become something of a tight-knit community of late. And please, feel free to blame the “Fast and the Furious” movies.
(11) CARLTON: Thrash’s hope is that we
crack one of the sites and maybe get ourselves names, addresses, and favorite
pizza toppings of the guys who jacked Rina.
Panel 5: Thrash addresses
the rest of the team.
(12) THRASH: This will be decisive and
direct. We go in, make an irreparable
mess, but be sure to leave one or more conscious who can answer questions. We don’t get what we need, there’s a total
of eleven blips there.
Panel 6: Close-up of Thrash,
his eyes piercingly determined behind his helmet’s visor.