Night of the Living Mutant

Night of the Living Mutant is the fourth episode of the series, Mutant Drake.

Plot
In the city, this night, the buildings are surrounded by a thin fog as the moon remains in the dark, night sky, full and surrounded by stars. The scene cuts to elsewhere in the city, at an apartment building. The scene then cuts to a black and white location with film grain overlaying the image. A woman in a dress is seen running from approaching shadows. Zombies are then seen approaching her. The woman, seen again, lets out a scream as she holds her face. The scene then zooms out revealing the image to be on a television set in John's living room. On the sofa, John is seen on the left side, his eyes fixated on the screen, a blue bowl of popcorn in the middle, and Drake on the right, watching the screen but with an expression of disinterest. John reaches for some popcorn as his hand approaches the bowl, his eyes still fixated on the screen. He grabs some and, after bringing his arm closer to his face, he throws them in his mouth and chews on all of the pieces.

John, chewing: Great film, right?

Drake: I'm dunno.

John, looking at Drake: What? Not interested in horror flicks?

Drake: I just don't get why they want to eat her brain.

John: Uh because they're zombies. It's what they do. (looks down and grabs popcorn)

Drake: Why do you suddenly want to watch horror- uh-

John, helping with the sentence: Flicks, as in movies, films- You get the point. (eats the popcorn he grabbed earlier)

Drake: Yeah. Why do you want to watch horror movies?

John: It's Halloween, man. This is basically how I celebrate it ever since the accident at the hospital.

Drake: Someone... died?

John, alarmed: What? No! (calming down) Look it was last year, when I was called in for a shift at the hospital. I thought it'd be cool if I dressed like a Pirate, y'know, to lighten the mood and stuff. I see a kid leaving the office and I offer him some candy. He wasn't sure at first but I convinced him to eat it anyways. Long story short, he threw up on my costume and I gained a double shift that day because apparently the kid went to the hospital because he had a stomach sickness.

Drake: Wow.

John: Yeah... Now I just stay inside and watch movies. I've actually been checking out your biometrics ever since 2 in the morning so that's a thing. Plus you might want to see me tomorrow, I think your Nanogenes are almost done access forms- (realizing) Oh gosh- Sorry I forgot not to mention that stuff during hang out time.

Drake, ignoring the Biometric talk: 2 in the morning? You're still functioning?

John: Yeah sure. I've been staying up all week preparing for this. I've got snacks, movies, board games-

Drake: You didn't have to do all that for me.

John: I'm just trying to look out for you that's all.

Drake: John, I know you want this friend thing to work but there's one thing you need to always remember, I can look out for myself.

There is a short moment of silence afterwards. John thinks about that but then realizes something.

John: Wait... Does that mean we're friends now?

Drake: Sure, I guess.

John: Sweet! (punches the air) I mean- (settles down) Yeah. Cool.

John grabs a soda can from the side of the sofa and opens it, releasing the air stored inside creating a fizz noise. Drake looks at John as he drinks it.

Drake: Aren't sodas recalled until they were cleaned of the contamination?

John: They are. This is an old can from a month ago. I saved it for an experiment but I figured since there's really nothing to drink in the fridge, I'd have this.

Drake, watching the TV: What time is it?

John gets up slightly from the sofa and turns, placing his arm on the top of the sofa. There's a clock on the wall behind them reading the time, 8:00. John turns back and sits now, properly.

John, watching the TV: 8 o' clock.

Drake: I should go.

Drake gets up from the sofa and John looks up at Drake, still seated on the sofa.

John: You don't want to stay and watch more movies? I've got "The Forest Cottage" and one of the "Supernatural Recordings" sequels. We can't watch "Shriek" though because I have to return that in 7 days.

Drake: We've just been watching horror movies one after the other for a couple of hours now. Besides, there's probably a Mutant out there attacking someone right now.

Drake approaches the window.

John: Alright then. I'll just watch more movies and drink more soda.

Drake: Just be careful with that stuff.

John: I can handle it, Drake. It's not like drinking this would turn me into a mutant and you'd have to jump off walls and use your large arsenal of weapons to stop me. (Drinks from the soda can)

Drake looks confused at first then shrugs and opens the window. He crawls out of the window, landing on the fire escape. He then climbs up the fire escape, noticing the fog which has gotten slightly thicker than before.

Drake, to himself: I'm going to have to use the streets this time.

Drake then starts climbing down rather than upwards. Elsewhere, in the city, an Officer, in uniform, of course, is seen patrolling down the pavement next to a street and some buildings. He's approaching an alleyway. The Officer is wielding a flashlight, currently on. The Officer is wearing a dark blue uniform, black shoes and a police hat. His hair is exposed from the side as the hat covers the rest, it's blonde and his eyes are brown. As he passes the alleyway, a metallic clanging noise is heard coming from the alleyway. The officer then stops and turns around. He enters the alleyway, shining his flashlight around to see anything of interest.

Police Officer, pointing his flashlight, calling out: Hello?

The clanging metallic noise is heard again. The Officer gulps and continues moving forwards in the alleyway. He steps on a can, which makes a metallic crunching noise. He looks down, with the flashlight pointing downwards as well, and notices trash spilled onto the ground. As his view moves upwards, he starts to notice two metal trash cans knocked over with little garbage left inside it. He then continues as he approaches the cans, walks over them and finds himself close to the end of the alleyway. His flashlight starts to flicker. He whacks it at the end, hard, causing the light to remain stable again. At the wall representing the end of the alleyway, there are two more garbage cans in the corner to the right, another knocked over at the left and a crunched up man, hunched over, behind the knocked over garbage can in the left corner.

Police Officer, noticing this, calling out to the man: Sir? Sir, are you alright?

The man doesn't respond. His breathing is hard.

Police Officer, being more firm, shining the light on the man: Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to stand up and respond, please.

The man still doesn't respond for a short moment but then starts to get up from the corner. The Police Officer reaches for his radio on his shoulder.

Police Officer, activating radio: This is Officer Knudsen, I'm with a possible suspect at Lafayette Street, Stay Advised.

The man starts to turn around to face the Officer when the flashlight goes out.

Officer Knudsen: Come on, you stupid light.

Knudsen hits the flashlight causing it to activate once again. When the light stabilized again, Knudsen looks up from the flashlight at the man, now fully turned around and looks in surprise.

Officer Knudsen: What are you?!

The man, barely seen, jumps at Officer Knudsen who drops his flashlight in the attack. The flashlight hits the ground and the lens cracks upon impact, causing the light to flicker again as the Officer's body, now on the floor, shakes as the man grabs him while being on top of him.

Title Sequence

The city is seen again. It's still night and the fog is slightly thicker than before once again. The MCA Building is seen with lights on around the perimeter. Drake is seen walking through a corridor when he comes across Agent Owens.

Owens, noticing Drake: You're late. Is John with you?

Drake: No but I'm here now.

Owens: The Director may have allowed you to interact with this John charcter but that doesn't give you permission to start slacking in your responsibilities.

Drake: Did you have something for me?

Owens: I did and I still do. There was a missing persons report filed in about an hour ago.

Drake: Missing persons? Sounds like something the police.

Owens: It is. There were many missing person reports called in, many of which haven't been filed and brought to attention yet. This missing person is a police officer. That's assuming he isn't wearing a costume.

Drake: For Halloween, right?

Agent Owens raises an eyebrow.

Owens: Yes. (going back on topic) (eyebrow lowering) We believe the missing people are involved in Mutant activity.

Drake: What makes you think it has something to do with Mutants?

Owens: Because we found the victim.

The scene cuts to Drake and Owens approaching a door in the corridor. They make a right and enter the room after passing through the horizontally moving sliding mechanical doors. The room they're in is large in scale with the design simply being metallic, white. There is a faint design on the metal, a technic-like design. Most of the equipment is machinary and looks scientific while the rest of simply metallic. There are various scientists in the room.

Drake: You brought him to the lab?

Owens: He's in a specialized cell made for testing. After retriving the new equipment from the wreckage, we can analyze his Nanogenes.

Owens leads Drake to the specialized cell at the side of the lab. The cell is glass, transparent, with a base made of some type of metal. The cell, itself, it connected to a computer at its side via wires and cords, some thicker than the rest. Inside the cell is Officer Knudsen. His stance is different as his feet are now pointed inwards more and his knees are slightly bent, one more than the other. His arms are up slightly as if he's reaching for something past the glass walls. His uniform is slightly worn and dirty. There is a green, mossy substance on his back moving upwards, covering his head and stopping at his upper torso, blocking sight of any of his physical features above his upper torso and lower back. His arms are slightly covered in the substance, wrapping around his armpits and stopping at his elbows.

Drake, looking at him: What happened to him?

Owens: He's been infected by some type of contaminated Nanogene which affects the victim. We really could use John's understandings to help make sense of this and address a solution.

Drake: Why can't he help?

Owens: Because he isn't here. You can see why I asked earlier.

Drake: I was just at his apartment.

Owens: Well he isn't responding to his communicator which means we need to contain the situation.

Drake: What situation?

Owens: While you were- away, more of these Infected Class-1 Mutants have been seen in the city which means its spreading. You can't cure these Mutants, Drake, they'll infect your Nanogenes from our understandings and we can't risk loosing you. There are more ways to contain a Mutant, Drake. You and I both know that.

Drake: But these aren't Class-2 Mutants, Owens. These are Class-1 people.

Owens: Either way, we're the Mutation Containment Agency and we need to contain this infection.

The scene cuts to Kate's apartment building. Inside, Detective Wilson is seen at the window, looking out at the fog.

Detective Wilson, looking out of the window: Are you sure you want to go out today? The fog's getting thicker.

Kate enters the scene by exiting a room. She has her leather jacket is her hand.

Kate, putting on her jacket: Well if the fog causes any trouble then you can arrest it for being too thick.

Detective Wilson, turning to face her: I'm serious, Kate. It's dark and foggy outside, the perfect time for all those freaks to come out and start taking people.

Kate: I'll be fine, dad. (kneels down) I'm only going to work- (starts fixing her boots) -to check up on my work.

Detective Wilson: I'm still having trouble believing you're going to work. I thought you'd be at a typical teenager party right now.

Kate, looking up from her boots: Do I look like a typical teenager? (gets up)

Detective Wilson: I guess that's true... Remember when you used to go trick or treating?

Kate: I remember.

Detective Wilson: When you were a little girl, you'd always want to go trick or treating. Your mother and I would take you to the costume shop every once and a while so you can pick out something new to dress up as. One year, we took you to pick up a new costume and you wanted to dress up like a cop. So I asked "Why do you want to dress up like a cop? Why not a princess or a fairy?" And you would say "Because you wanted to be just like your dad" (smiles)

Kate looks at her father with a smile on her face as well.

Detective Wilson: Now look at you, 15 years old and you're going to work on Halloween.

Kate: I should say the same about you.

Detective Wilson: Ah well, as a fully grown man on his day off, I'd be watching the game right now but as a fully committed detective, I've got a bunch of missing persons reports to deal with.

Kate: Missing persons on Halloween? That just might be my next story.

Detective Wilson: Next? Don't tell me your boss actually ran the story, did he?

Kate: Dad, I-

Detective Wilson: Did he?

Kate, hesitating: No. He didn't.

Detective Wilson, in relief: Good... Good...

Kate: Dad, that story meant a lot to me.

Detective Wilson: I know, sweetheart, but you have to admit that it sounds a bit strange.

Kate: At the time, yeah. But later that day, a giant worm shot out of the ground in Times Square. These things are real, dad.

Detective Wilson: Exactly. Nobody needs a constant reminder that freaks are running around the city.

Kate: This isn't just a Mutant, Dad, he's-he's different. Detective Wilson: I can't imagine one of those freaks helping a scared girl. He was probably just a good samaritan. Look, I have to go to work. Just be safe, alright?

Kate, grabbing red satchel from the chair: Yeah...

Detective Wilson, noticing her behavior: Look, sweetheart, (moves forwards to her) it's not that I don't believe you but this whole thing literally changed everything. I can't look at people the same way knowing they can turn into some freak. People can't live like this. You know how many calls there are about break ins and attacks by regular people. Half of them didn't even have any criminal intent. They just don't know how to function in this society. I don't want you to be one of those people, Kate. All I'm saying is, you had a stressful night and- Look, I dunno what happened that night, if you say you saw someone then so be it but just don't drag anybody else into that. I can't prove what you saw was real but I know for sure that these freaks are up to nothing good. Now, I'm going to work. I love you, sweetheart.

Detective Wilson kisses Kate on the check and approaches the front door.

Kate, putting her scatchel across her shoulder: Love you too, Dad.

Detective Wilson smiles and leaves the apartment. The scene then cuts to the Central News building with the fog still covering the city, its thickness seemed to have stablized since before. Inside, Kate is seen stepping out of the elevator.

Characters

 * Drake
 * Kate
 * Agent Owens
 * Adam Freeman
 * Detective Wilson
 * The Director
 * MCA Officers
 * Officer Knudsen (First Appearance)
 * Citizens

Villains

 * Dr. Riley (First Appearance)
 * Infected Class-1 Mutants (First Appearance)

Allusions

 * The films that John mentioned at the beginning of the episode are references to popular horror movies; The Forest Cottage being The Cabin in the Woods, a Supernatural Recordings sequel being Paranormal Activity and it's many sequels and Shriek being Scream. The "7 Days" comment was also a reference to a horror movie, The Ring.
 * John's comment, about him drinking a soda would transform him into a Mutant and Drake would have to jump off walls and use his large arsenal of weapons, is an allusion towards the XBOX One game, Sunset Overdrive.
 * Lafayette Street is an allusion towards Nightmare on Elm Street as Lafayette Street is an actual street which was carved from the former Elm Street.
 * Officer Knudsen's surname is a reference towards the creator of Slender Man, Eric Knudsen.