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| Ben 10: Heroes of Evolution | |
| Season 1, Episode 4 | |
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| Air date | July 21, 2014 |
| Episode Guide | |
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"The Legacy Artifact" is the fourth episode of Ben 10: Heroes of Evolution.
Episode[]
(ONE WEEK AGO)
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(The camera pans down to the exterior of the V&A Museum. Banners are visible.)
("28 JUNE - LAST DAY OF EVERSTONE EXHIBIT")
(The camera then levels with a large crowd walking down a hallway - the other heads blur at three different times as the faces of three men are clearly shown. The crowd clears to show the three men walking down the hall side-by-side.)
(The three men walk into the exhibition room. The curator prepares for his last 10-minute lecture on the Everstone.)
(One of the three men checks his watch.)
[Man 1]: 7:35. Let's get started.
[Curator]: Hello lads, my name's Phil Stephens and I'm proud to give my final lesson on this month's featured exhibit: The Everstone.
The Everstone.
(The audience claps)
(The three men whisper to each other)
[Man 2]: If that's the real one. (All three quietly laugh.)
(In the middle of the room is a table with a red tablecloth covering a square object. Stephens walks over and takes the cloth off, uncovering a glass case with the Everstone inside.)
(The Everstone is a cubical block of yellowish gray rock dotted with purple at the chipped parts. On the side facing the crowd is a circle with an infinity inside it, carved into the stone.)
[Stephens]: I give you the Everstone. This artifact's origins date back to a good few hundred years back in the medieval days, when the clan we know today as the Forever Knights were in their prime. The Knights would keep quite an impressive arsenal at their disposal and something this powerful only tells you the sheer scale of what else they had at hand.
[Man 3]: *(Exhale)* You lads know that it's pointless coming here, right?
[Man 1]: Hold on a bloody minute.
[Stephens]: The Everstone was one of the tools the Knights almost never used. The rest of their arsenal was even more powerful. But in the wars to come they lost most of it and following their near-extinction, whatever they had left has been preserved, the castles they were stored in having become tourist attractions. A proud clan of imperialist monarchs whose effects have been distributed for the world to see.
[Man 2]: Hey, Percy, why'd you drag us here, mate?
[Percy (Man 1)]: I think I may have found something.
[Man 2]: Right, but do you ever get the notion that you thought wrong?
[Man 1]: Not right now, Simon.
[Simon (Man 2)]: What do you mean not right now? That poor lad's just spouting out a whole bunch of fancy crap that he probably found off a bloody textbook!
[Stephens]: The Everstone had a great deal of power inside it. These prophecies on the telly that you lot never take seriously - these came true. All the "one who's worthy" applied to the honorable monarchs. The Forever Kings. They had access to this kind of power stored inside. And this didn't knock 'em off their trolleys - it worked. Of course, these cases are specially equipped with fail-safe technology that won't make this little thing blow your brains out - I would ask you all to stand back, but ha, where's the fun in that, eh?
[Simon]: The grave, idiot, the grave!
[Percy]: Shut up, Simon!
[Stephens]: But of course, in order not to risk that kind of stuff I'm gonna have to close our session, and to do just that, as I've been doing all month, I'm going to show you lads how this stone right here is an authentic. See, this little chip right here. Back corner. It's shaped like a star.
[Man 3]: And here's where he's gonna fall apart.
[Percy]: Come on, Rick, give 'em a chance!
[Stephens]: This star's bottom corner. Most fakes point it to the left, but it's really supposed to be pointing to the right. The bottom point's tilted to the right, as you can see. This is our real stone.
(The audience claps)
[Simon]: What the hell did he just say?
[Percy]: He's right.
[Rick]: Yeah, Simon's damn right! That poor lad has no idea what the hell he just babbled off!
[Percy]: I'm talking about the poor lad, he's right. (His expression is shocked)
[Simon]: You look like you've seen a ghost, mate! Let's get you a drink, come on.
(The audience is leaving and Stephens is just packing his stuff)
[Percy]: Mr. Stephens, if you'd mind a moment?
[Stephens]: Yes, make it quick, lads, I've gotta run.
[Percy]: Your Everstone. It's real.
[Stephens]: Well of course it's real! I don't know what you're getting at.
[Percy]: Myself and these old ponces over here are all forgery experts.
(Simon and Rick glare at Percy.)
[Stephens]: Well is that so?
[Percy]: We know a fake artifact when we see one. This has been our greatest challenge yet.
[Stephens]: Nice to hear.
[Percy]: No, you see, the star. You got the part about the star all backwards. Whoever convinced you that this was real was right, but his reasoning was flawed. This star-shaped chip. It's bottom corner is indeed pointing to the left. It's how the ancient reading actually put it.
[Stephens]: Well, I did not know that! I'm talking about knights in England, for god's sake and I don't know that?
[Percy]: No, you mentioned imperialism; the moved to the Colonies. What makes them unique, the "forever" element is that they adapt. They preserve their traditions by objects of power. It was their motivation and explanation for being the so-called "overlords". They adapt to the newer societal changes. Their next generations are free to adapt and grow to new land never explored before.
[Stephens]: Sure, they were powerful.
[Percy]: You're missing my point, Mr. Stephens. Their stronghold is in the Colonies. It's why Britain is so uninformed of what goes on back there. And about the star: the ancient readings I mentioned included architecture concepts. Certain weapons like the Everstone. They were built using measures larger than the human being. To actually view the angles from the perspective that you'd be standing upon massive renditions of the product.
(Rick and Simon are staring in awe.)
[Percy]: When the corner star was constructed - yes, it was intentional - the it was designed from the perspective of standing on the corner of the cube. Left from that perspective is in fact the viewer's right. You were spot-on when you said that the real stone has a star tilted to the right, but all forgers were convinced to follow the ancient readings.
[Stephens]: So, let me get this straight. You're calling me out for incorrectly wording my description by using my audience's perspective as a point of reference?
[Percy]: And also informing you of new stuff.
[Stephens]: What are you, a bloody encyclopedia?
[Percy]: Forgery expert. Thank you for your time, Mr. Stephens.
(Percy turns and starts walking back down the hall with Simon and Rick.)
[Percy]: I hope you know I was clearing up all parties on the truth.
[Rick]: Yeah, your party of "ponces".
[Percy]: Oh, come on! Realize this, for god's sake! We've found the bloody Everstone!
[Simon]: Meaning it's ours to grab. Are us "ponces" gonna be your spies now?
[Percy]: No, I'm coming with you. Better?
[Simon]: No.
[Rick]: For god's sake, Simon-
[Simon]: We don't know where it's going.
(Percy pulls out his phone and searches up "Everstone".)
[Percy]: I remember now! Scheduling charts here say "Bellwood National Museum".
[Rick]: Bellwood... why does that sound familiar?
[Percy]: Because you spend the most time on the internet. Bellwood is the sanctum sanctorum of the young lad in the American news.
[Simon]: Wait, you mean the one with coverage all over the entire bloody States? The one dressing in green?
[Rick]: Him? You two realize you're talking about the one they call "Ben 10", don't you?
[Simon]: That place is where they're keeping the stone? How the hell are we ever gonna get it with that shirty little dimwit walking the streets?
[Percy]: Don't we all love a good challenge? (Smiles at them)
THEME SONG
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(Ben is driving while Gwen is in shotgun and Kevin is in the back.)
[Ben]: Have you decided yet?
[Kevin]: It's been one minute and we've never said a word.
[Ben]: I thought you were thinking of a place!
[Kevin]: I wasn't, because I already have.
[Gwen]: Yeah, good luck. I just want to not go for Smoothies for once.
[Ben]: Can we go drive-through?
[Kevin]: We all know that's gonna last well more than a few minutes.
[Ben]: How?
[Kevin]: You'll go about chatting up the owner, ask for some wacko flavor, we'll wait for you to finish, Gwen will say we should sit down, you'll take my seat-
[Gwen]: Since when do I complain?
[Kevin]: Since over a week ago.
[Ben]: Speaking of that, why haven't we found anything on Krill and Wyatt?
[Kevin]: Because your grandpa's in charge of that and we need to break the ice after seeing a suicide on the spot.
[Ben]: Since when did you like to break the ice?
[Gwen]: Since he wanted to go somewhere we can all agree on! Have we decided yet?
[Kevin]: I have! You guys never go where I want!
[Gwen]: Because it's just a bunch of car shops! You treat your car like your child and go to a shop full of different ones?
[Ben]: Gwen, it's for parts. And also, he has a point. It'll only be fair if we let him choose. Kevin?
[Kevin]: *(Exhale)* Thank you!
(They pass the national museum)
[Kevin]: I say we go to-
[Gwen]: Ben! Stop the car!
[Kevin]: Well, what do you know?
[Ben]: Gwen, what is it?
[Gwen]: Bellwood National Museum!
[Kevin]: *(Cough)* Shoot me now.
[Gwen]: Kevin! It's the Everstone exhibit!
[Kevin]: The ever-what now?
(Ben backs up and parks on the side of the road.)
[Gwen]: It's an ancient medieval artifact, sent here all the way from London.
[Kevin]: So? We toured the whole of Europe looking for that big blue horn-headed freak.
[Ben]: That was-
[Kevin]: Red You. Yeah, I just call that kid Red Ben.
[Gwen]: Well, moving on, the Everstone is a true treasure! It's been forged numerous times but-
[Kevin]: Perfect. Forged numerous times. Do you even hear yourself, Gwen?
[Gwen]: I hear myself telling you that there are people who verify the artifacts! You can't just throw a rock into a case and call it real!
(Ben gets out of the car.)
[Kevin]: Aw, come on, Tennyson! You're actually interested?
(Ben continues walking up a very wide stairwell into the museum entrance.)
(Gwen gets out too and runs over to him.)
(Kevin crosses his arms and sits, seeing how long he can sit there without cooperating. He looks for his keys to Ben's car but they're gone.)
[Kevin]: What the hell?
(Ben, meanwhile, swings two sets of keys on his fingers.)
[Gwen]: Why do you have two sets of the same keys?
[Ben]: Kevin and I have dual access to my car, but I didn't want him to ditch us.
(Kevin comes running over.)
[Ben]: Oh, so you did come along! Looking for this?
(He tosses the keys to an angry Kevin.)
(Kevin begins running off.)
[Ben]: Do you want me to embarrass you in front of everyone?
[Kevin]: How?
[Ben]: Gwen can too, if you'd like.
(Gwen's hand slightly glows pink. Kevin sees this, sighs, and comes back.)
(They begin walking down the hall.)
[Kevin]: You of all people ignoring me to walk into a freaking museum, Tennyson? What's up with you?
[Ben]: Kevin, if this were a normal museum I'd be taking you to the car shop right now.
[Kevin]: (Leans over to whisper) It... was a bike shop.
[Ben]: Fair enough.
[Kevin]: Still! What's not normal about your generically-named everyday museum?
[Ben]: Nothing. The exhibits are what matter.
[Kevin]: Well, duh!
[Ben]: And the view.
(They walk into a large atrium lobby with a high glass ceiling and a crowded plaza.)
(Ben walks up to a random man.)
[Ben]: Excuse me?
(The man turns around and his face turns to shock.)
[Ben]: AH! Before you say anything, yes, I'm real. I have fans. I get this a lot.
(Kevin and Gwen watch him with annoyed expressions.)
[Ben]: If you want a signature, or anything at all, listen to what I say.
(The man nods, his face tense and his mouth shut tight.)
[Ben]: It's easy. Okay? Just tell me where the Everstone Exhibit is at.
(The man points to the left.)
[Ben]: Yeah. Of course I'd know which of the ten rooms to go to. You can speak, can't you?
(The man opens his mouth and talks super fast.)
[Man]: Right over there on the leftmost arch, take a left, then a right, third room in the center corridor! Tall Englishman giving a lecture, blonde, gray suit, black pants! Artifact as depicted in the posters!
(He then bites his nails.)
[Ben]: Good lord, you're fast.
[Man]: Oh my god, you complimented me! My daughter wants a picture with you, can I bring her real quick?
(Ben appears confused. Kevin is desperately trying not to laugh.)
[Man]: Just gimme a sec. (He turns around.) KATIE!!!!!!!!
(A large group of people stops to stare. His daughter is tall, and she was looking at her phone with her boyfriend before coming over to him.)
[Ben]: She... has a boyfriend, you know? And I have a girlfriend.
[Man]: (Smirks) A lot of people break their vows for you, kid.
[Ben]: (Cringes) Oh, god.
(The man walks to his daughter.)
[Man]: Katie, sweetheart, look who's here for a picture with you!
(He turns around, Ben is gone.)
(The man becomes anxious and runs to Gwen and Kevin.)
[Man]: You two look like you know him.
[Gwen]: Cousin.
[Kevin]: Friend.
[Man]: Do you know where he could have gone?
[Kevin]: Hehe, bathroom?
[Gwen]: Kevin!
(She drags him off.)
[Gwen]: I'll see what I can do, sir!
[Man]: Please do.
(Gwen and Kevin meet a frantic Ben around the corner of a hallway leading to the Everstone.)
[Ben]: *(Pant)* JESUS!
[Gwen]: You were rude.
[Ben]: I was interested in self-preservation.
[Kevin]: That guy had a daughter with a boyfriend. Do you really think he's a-
[Ben]: NO! Not like that! He just freaked me out!
[Kevin]: (Grins) I was joking.
[Ben]: Not funny. Now come on!
(They run down the path the man directed them to)
[Kevin]: You know, if we go somewhere boring, the advantage for me is that at least there'll be psycho-killer fans after you.
[Ben]: I used aliens against them once.
[Kevin]: That was paparazzi!
[Ben]: Eh, everyone likes to assault paparazzi.
(Gwen's face goes wide-eyed.)
[Ben]: You don't look okay, did I say something?
[Gwen]: There! Right there! The exhibit!
(They all run over to the crowd of fans gathered there.)
(Ben pushes through the crowd.)
[Ben]: Guys, move, I'm my own VIP badge. Excuse me! Sorry! Whoa, you okay?
(Gwen moves through the crowd, apologizing.)
[Ben]: Ah, we made it. You there! You look familiar!
(Stephens is talking, but turns around and looks at Ben rudely.)
[Ben]: What? (Pause) OH! Oh, I am so sorry, must have gotten the wrong guy! Did you start, by the way?
[Stephens]: I was about to, and then I was interrupted.
[Ben]: Okay, again, sorry. You go ahead.
[Stephens]: Ahem! Hello, ladies and gents, my name is Dr. Phil Stephens of London's very own V&A Museum! And I present to you, on the last day of its week-long stay here: Bellwood's latest treasure, the Everstone!
(Everyone claps.)
(Kevin sees the symbol and looks shocked.)
[Kevin]: Is that why we came here, Tennyson? Why didn't you tell us?
[Ben]: Ssh!
[Stephens]: This stone is now an artifact, but it was once a tool used by an ancient clan of overlords known as the Forever Knights!
[Ben]: Just as I thought.
[Gwen]: Wasn't it obvious?
[Ben]: Wait.
[Stephens]: Inside the Everstone is a great deal of immense power locked away, only accessible by those who are worthy. Now, I know that you lads who watch a lot o' telly are gonna be thinking I've lost the plot here a little, babbling off on the bits an' bobs about prophecies, but we happen to have a special guest here in the crowd!
(After a moment of hesitation, Ben walks up to Stephens.)
(Stephens laughs.)
[Stephens]: You just gotta love how he didn't even ask if it was him I was talking about. Either way, you guessed right, Mr. Tennyson! (Shakes his hand)
(Everyone claps)
[Ben]: Ben, please. I didn't know I was part of the exhibit!
[Stephens]: Ladies and gents, since the emergence of this young lad, the Knights' true colors were slowly but surely uncovered, and their more greed-fueled imperialistic intentions started to show. We know that these "aliens" and "magic spells" they all talk about are all quite real now, am I right?
(The audience laughs.)
(He gestures to Ben to step down back to the crowd.)
[Stephens]: Well, back to what I was getting at here. The stone also has this one element that makes it genuine. Identifiable. That it was built from the ancient readings. You see, the architecture blueprints from that day were centered around a first-person perspective with a different proportion between...
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MUSIC: Elementary - Sherlock's Theme
(Ben and the others are all walking down the wide stairwell museum entrance.)
[Gwen]: So, how many notes did you guys take on that?
[Ben]: None. There's no need.
[Gwen]: What?
[Kevin]: Yeah, that dude was probably spouting a bunch of bull he knew wasn't true, for all I care.
[Ben]: Not that, he seemed pretty genuine.
[Kevin]: Because he put you on display too?
[Ben]: No - his history on the Knights seems to be pretty solid. Typical textbook stuff, but most people don't know it much. All he really talked about though was the history - I doubt if that stone thing even works anymore.
[Gwen]: Come on, Ascalon was at least a thousand years older than that, and that worked fine!
[Ben]: Because Azmuth created Ascalon. Also, that thing about the star's bottom corner or whatever - I think he just got that from a rumor. He seemed a bit uncertain, as though he forgot his lines.
[Kevin]: What, as though speakers never stutter?
[Ben]: No, he was going perfectly smooth the whole time. He of course rehearsed, but he sounded convinced that he was telling the truth. Here, he faltered a bit, tried to remember something - he was recently told about it. He added it to his notes after hundreds of instances of not mentioning it.
[Gwen]: And why'd you say he looked familiar?
[Ben]: Eh, only from the back. Wrong guy. Still don't know who I was referring to.
(They make it to Ben's car. They all get in.)
[Gwen]: What do you think we do now?
[Ben]: Eh, we can come back tonight.
[Kevin]: It'll be closed.
[Ben]: Exactly.
(He starts the car and begins driving)
[Gwen]: It's funny - Harangue gets arrested and then now you act like a criminal.
[Ben]: It's the last day of the stone being here! It's been on all week and you didn't notice?
[Gwen]: We went on vacation for like 5 days! And you were all paranoid about "keeping the house safe", remember?
[Ben]: We could just forget all that and cheer up with some Smoothies, what do you think? Oh, and Gwen, FYI: Kevin wanted to see a bike shop, this time, not a car shop.
(Kevin slouches in his seat upon hearing this.)
[Kevin]: What now? You say you win again and we race another lap around Mr. Smoothy's? I want something different. Gwen, please agree with me.
[Gwen]: Wish granted. I do. Ben, please.
[Ben]: I did say you could think of something out of the ordinary.
[Gwen]: You know, the museum qualified pretty well for that.
[Kevin]: In that case, drop me home. I'll take my own car to the bike shop.
[Ben]: Be back by 7. We'll meet up at around 7:30-ish and see what we can do.
[Gwen]: Who said we agree to your museum break-in?
[Ben]: Don't ever deny that it's fun.
[Gwen]: It's fun, for sure, but is jail?
[Ben]: Gwen, I hope you know our history with the Knights.
[Gwen]: Right up until they all died, yeah. Let that Stephens guy do what he wants with the stone!
[Ben]: No.
[Kevin]: Didn't you say his lecture was pointless?
[Ben]: His lecture was, sure, but I think he knows more. Or there just is more to the stone than meets his eye. And ours.
[Gwen]: So we break in?
[Ben]: (Smiles) Why the hell not?
(They take a right into the suburbs.)
(THE MUSIC STOPS)
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(Percy, Simon and Rick all sit at the bar table, lit by bright white and purple LED's.)
[Bartender]: You boys want anything?
[Percy]: Shot o' whisky. One for each of us.
(The bartender nods and walks back to the other end of the table.)
[Simon]: There he is.
(A well-built man walks through the door and sits down next to Percy.)
[Percy]: You got what we asked for?
(The man is also British.)
[Man]: All in here. (He slides three folders to them.) Do you have what I asked for?
(Percy opens up his folder and inspects its contents - fake passports, credit cards, driver's licenses and other false IDs.)
[Man]: I'm waiting.
(The bartender brings them all glasses. He's holding a bottle in his hand.)
[Percy]: Wait no more. (He grabs the bottle from the bartender and hits the man in the face.)
(The people beside them panic. Percy throws his shot glass at a random table. The people sitting there get up.)
(The hulking man tackles Percy, but Simon jabs his stomach. Rick kicks his face.)
(Several other people get up and panic. A brawl ensues.)
(Percy drags the man behind the counter. He pulls out his silencer-equipped pistol and fires two in the man's head.)
[Simon]: Good work, now it's just the matter of getting the hell out o' here.
(They grab their folders, and crouch down behind the bar. They take out all their fake credentials and keep them in their wallets.)
(They look behind them and there's a door. They run through and a staircase leads down to the basement.)
[Percy]: Here we are.
(THE NEXT SHOT IS OF THE STREETS OUTSIDE.)
(Percy, Rick and Simon all exit from an underground staircase up to the streets.)
[Simon]: Well that went well.
[Percy]: It only gets better from here, mate.
(Percy pulls out his phone.)
(He goes to the texts - all the incoming ones in the conversation opened up are from one "Mr. Kingston", their client. Percy texts back.)
[Percy]: [ Phase 1 completed with ease. Going in at 7PM. ]
(He closes the messaging window and switches to his saved pictures - one is of the Everstone's exhibition room in the Bellwood National Museum.)
[Percy]: Here we are.
(He turns off his phone and puts it away.)
[Percy]: Let's go.
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(Ben's car pulls up outside Kevin's garage - he and Gwen get out and knock on the garage door.)
[Kevin]: (From inside) Gimme a sec!
(Kevin is seen inside, underneath his car to fix something.)
(The door suddenly opens. Gwen is seen with a mana-made pink handle she used. Ben ducks under the door to get in and Gwen follows.)
(Kevin slides out from underneath and hits his head on Ben's foot.)
[Kevin]: OW!
[Ben]: Whoops.
(Kevin gets up.)
[Kevin]: Are you kidding me Tennyson? You kick my head because you're impatient?
[Ben]: It was an accident! Why don't people ever accept that these days?
[Kevin]: Because these days, "accident" is another word for "sorry" or "bullcrap".
[Ben]: With an exception of me.
[Kevin]: As if you're so special!
[Ben]: As if I'm not!
(Kevin opens his mouth to speak, but Ben cuts him off.)
[Ben]: If you're gonna start complaining that you and Gwen don't get media coverage, then we have a serious problem.
[Gwen]: I have a problem with breaking into places in the middle of the night!
[Ben]: Then what are you doing here? Sorry for not putting that lightly!
[Kevin]: You better be.
[Ben]: She's my cousin, dammit, you should have seen our fights when we were 10.
[Kevin]: Doesn't count. She was too young to date.
[Gwen]: You don't get to be my spokesperson! And Cooper still had a crush on me back then!
[Kevin]: He was always quite the creep.
[Ben]: More like symptoms of adolescence, as I call it. Gwen, this is not Charmcaster! You don't even need to wear your "Lucky Girl" mask or whatever!
[Gwen]: Did I say I wasn't going along?
[Ben]: Look, we're all reluctant about things, but I want to know what the Forever Knights are up to!
[Kevin]: Nothing, as far as genocide goes.
[Ben]: They could have post-mortem followers.
[Kevin]: What, "honoring their ancestors" by making a bunch of sand castles? Please, get real.
[Ben]: Fine. Real break-in. With masks and guns.
[Gwen]: We don't want to look like criminals, okay?
[Ben]: Exactly! You'd prefer looking normal. In that case, hop in. And no, Kevin, we're not arguing about who's car to go to. This is your garage anyway, your car belongs here.
(They start walking to the car)
[Gwen]: So, we never really talked about the plan.
[Ben]: We go in, take a look at the stone, and come back.
[Kevin]: And if that bigshot professor was right and there is a bomb or something in there?
[Ben]: Well, I don't have this watch for nothing.
(They get inside and the car drives off.)
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(The museum guards finish closing the doors and exhibits as the last few visitors leave.)
(A few professors pack up, and pass the Everstone room. Stephens is there, and goes to shut off the lights.)
[Archaeologist]: Good night, Phil!
[Stephens]: Oh, yes. You too!
(The last few professors leave as Stephens shuts off the lights. He doesn't leave.)
(MEANWHILE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING)
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin run up a stone stairwell, built inside a gap at one end of the building, leading to the rooftop. A door leading inside is there.)
(They run over to the door.)
[Ben]: (Whispers) Why is this place unguarded?
(They hear footsteps below.)
[Gwen]: (Whispers) That must be the guard here going on duty. Hurry!
(Ben quietly opens the door and they rush inside.)
(The guard outside has just made his way to the top - he walks over to the door and locks it.)
[Guard]: All entrances clear for now.
[Guard at one of the ground entrances]: Copy that.
(PEW!)
(The guard down below is sniped in the head. No one is nearby to notice.)
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin, meanwhile, run down the stairs into a small gallery area.)
(On the right is a wall with large archway gaps that lead out into the open atrium area.)
[Gwen]: (Whispers) Here, guys!
(She walks to a pillar and removes a hung-up framed map to look at it.)
[Ben]: We are here. (Points to the gallery at the west end of the building) Oh god.
[Gwen]: Archaeology's all the way at the other end.
[Ben]: Let's do this.
[Kevin]: Just like that?
[Ben]: You know how to walk and run, don't you?
(Gwen puts the map back on the frame.)
(They see a figure in the distance.)
[Ben]: Guard! Get down!
(They duck behind a stand.)
(The guard in the distance is finishing a stride - he turns and paces the other way, not noticing Gwen and Kevin.)
(Gwen leans to look - the guard then turns to the right, his back now to them.)
[Gwen]: Move!
(Crouching, they quickly move behind three more stands and stop at a wall. They crouch behind a shelf.)
(Another guard comes in from the opposite corner on the other end of the atrium and makes his way towards the north end - as soon as he reaches the end of the gallery opposite Ben and his team, he will be able to directly see them.)
(Gwen signals for them to sneak around a corner. They do so while hiding behind statues. They take a left through an arch and into the Ancient Rome section.)
[Gwen]: Okay, now we have to cross the atrium into the other blind arcade.
[Kevin]: Blind arcade?
[Gwen]: The area behind the arches, okay? Architecture was-
[Ben]: Ssh, someone's coming!
(A guard walks in their direction, but they are behind a shelf, their backs directly to him.)
(The guard turns and begins pacing the other direction.)
[Ben]: Through there!
(At the end of the wall they're hugging, an entrance to a staircase is visible.)
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin run in and take a right up the stairs. At the top is a hallway going straight to the right. It's a balcony pathway overlooking the atrium.)
(They silently sprint down the path - at the end is a staircase pointing to the right, leading down into the opposite blind arcade.)
(They suddenly hear footsteps. They crouch behind the solid railing going down the stairs.)
(There are footsteps coming from the opposite end of the balcony as well. They realize that guards are coming up the opposite stairs at the same time to patrol the balcony. The guard on their end will reach the top of the stairs any second.)
(They crouch over to the balcony and climb over the railing, swinging around and hanging by their arms. In the same acrobatic, they swing forward underneath the upper floor and grab a nearby pillar - they swing around it and land on their feet, luckily on the carpet. They are now behind the pillar.)
(The guards coming up couldn't see this because they were obscured by the wall they had to pass to make it to the top, and also because they were just making it to the top of the stairs while facing directly ahead, to the point where Ben and crew's hanging spot is behind them.)
[Ben]: (Whispers excitedly) Holy crap, did we actually just do that?
[Kevin]: How did no one see us?
[Gwen]: Good timing.
(They sneak directly to the right, and take a left into the hallway leading to the featured exhibits' section. They take a right and hide behind the wall edge clearing out into the exhibition.)
(ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING)
(Three masked, armed men sneak their way through halls at the other end of the building.)
(They reach the end of a hall - to the right of the exit is a guard.)
(One of the men crouches in the corner. He grabs the guard through the doorway with his mouth covered, and knocks him out. He rests his body on the ground and runs down the next hall, going to the right, with the two other men.)
(They reach the end and lean against the wall at the start of the next hallway.)
(One of the men pulls out his phone. There's a digital live map of the building with a tracking icon centered on them. They're shown to be at the exact opposite corner of the Everstone exhibit, at the southwest end of the building.)
[Percy] (Whispers) We take the perpendicular route. Stairwells and balconies, use only silent sneak attacks on the guards.
[Rick]: (Whispers) Got it.
(Percy puts his phone away and they run down this next hallway - it's the upper balcony floor that still openly overlooks the atrium. Since they are hugging the back wall, they can't use the place as a vantage point to see Ben and his friends at the opposite end.)
(BACK ON BEN'S END)
(Ben leans over to look inside. Stephens puts on his coat. Ben pulls back.)
[Ben]: (Whispers) What the hell is Stephens still doing here?
[Kevin]: Don't ask me.
(Ben crouches down and sneaks into the room, hiding right behind the stand where the Everstone is placed.)
[Gwen]: Ben! Come back!
(Ben signals for them to wait and be quiet. He pulls back his sleeve to get the Ultimatrix ready, and rises to get behind Stephens...)
(Stephens turns around.)
[Stephens and Ben]: AAH!!!
[Stephens]: What are you doing here?
[Ben]: I should ask you the same thing.
[Stephens]: I'm a professor, for god's sake! I have every right to be here!
[Ben]: Does that explain why you were all sneaky and avoiding the guards?
[Stephens]: I presume your friends are here too. Come on out, lads, you're game's up!
(Gwen and Kevin step out. Gwen aims her hand at him.)
[Gwen]: So's yours. Tell us what you were doing.
[Stephens]: I have absolutely no obligation to do so!
[Ben]: We're gonna ask you again and you'll say "working", won't you? That's sneaky-talk for "doing illegal stuff."
[Stephens]: Illegal? Get yourself under control!
[Ben]: Last day of the stone being here, you can screw with it... what does the stone mean to you?
[Stephens]: What does it mean to you?
[Ben]: Ask me something you don't know, please. This afternoon you brought me up just to say that I beat the Forever Knights.
[Stephens]: Agreed, but that still doesn't answer my question. You getting rid of the Knights would put you in no position to worry about a lost artifact that's probably dysfunctional by now.
[Ben]: Now you're being honest. How's the "immense power" going, then?
[Stephens]: We go about the assumption that the artifact still has value.
[Ben]: Fair enough. But not for you. You also agree that this thing is more likely worthless than usable. Why are you here, then?
[Stephens]: This room is also my temporary office in the States.
[Ben]: Like hell it's your office. This is a public exhibition room!
[Stephens]: Mind your manners, young man!
[Ben]: Not around criminals.
(Kevin looks at him impressed while Stephens glares.)
[Stephens]: I don't use it for table reading - I'll be honest with you and say that I myself am dimly educated on the Forever Knights' history.
[Ben]: I figured.
[Stephens]: (Glares even more) This place is practically a school about just that particular topic - a utopia of study on all you need to know about the organization. I simply use this place for note-taking.
[Gwen]: To use in your presentations?
[Ben]: Improving each time. I must say, pretty great idea.
[Stephens]: That works like a charm. My only problem is with crowds and loud noises - the amount of bustling activity around here is a professor's nightmare. Never enough time to take notes or present in peace - always the youngster coming up and interrupting. (Gives a "hint hint" look at Ben while smirking)
[Ben]: Well put.
[Stephens]: Just so. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some peace and quiet to get back to. Now you know my so-called "cloak and dagger activity", and I'd kindly advise you to please leave before you're apprehended.
[Ben]: Do the other guards know you're here?
[Stephens]: They're... (He looks behind Ben)
[Ben]: Is something-
PEW! PEW!
(Stephens has two holes in his chest - he falls to the ground.)
[Ben]: OH MY GOD. Gwen! Kevin! Get-
(PFFFFFFFFFFFFT)
(Smoke goes everywhere.)
[Ben]: *(cough)* *(cough)* AAH!
(Ben gets on the ground and uses his open coattails to cover his mouth. He briefly catches silhouette-like glimpses of figures rushing in.)
[Ben]: Who- *(cough)* Who's that?
(He suddenly sees a fist coming down at him - he rolls out of the way and runs behind a counter.)
[Ben]: Gwen! Kevin! (Pulls back his left sleeve and begins turning Ultimatrix dial)
(PEW!)
(A silencer-fired bullet whizzes by while Ben leans to the right and selects an alien. He slams down on his watch.)
[Simon]: I don't see the little twit! (Aims his gun around in the smoke) Have you guys gotten it yet?
[Rick]: Almost... (He's unscrewing a few buttons a drill-like device while Percy crouches down and uses a pocketknife to cut a few wires)
(Suddenly, a large portion of the smoke around Simon vanishes.)
[Gwen]: I see one! (She fires a mana blast at Simon.)
(Simon staggers back, clutching his abdomen.)
[Simon]: Bloody hell...
(CRASH)
(A ceramic Kevin knocks him in the back of the head, shattering his own fist.)
[Kevin]: Dammit. (He absorbs the wooden wall and pushes off of it.)
[Gwen]: There! They're going after the Everstone!
(Percy drops another smoke bomb, but it is quickly blown away.)
[Percy]: Where does that keep-
(WHOOSH! POW!)
(He's blown backwards and slams into the Everstone stand.)
(Terraspin charges from the other end of the room into Percy's abdomen, running him into the left-hand wall.)
[Percy]: AAH! What the hell is a bloody turtle doing here?
(Terraspin extends his limbs from his shell.)
[Terraspin]: Ever heard of me?
[Rick]: I'll be damned. (He reaches for his gun)
(Terraspin backhands him into another wall.)
(Footsteps are heard in the distance.)
[Gwen]: Guards!
(Simon finishes cutting the last wire for Percy. He stands up and lifts the glass cover off the Everstone.)
[Simon]: Got it!
(He holds it up in the air)
[Simon]: This is a bloody bomb, you hear me? Someone lets this drop and we all go!
[Terraspin]: Put it down!
[Simon]: You really think it's that easy, you grotty little creature?
(Terraspin staggers back as two bullets fired from a recovered Simon hit his abdomen. He bumps into two guards, who along with the others keep their guns on Simon.)
[Simon]: What, are those little holes fans or something?
[Terraspin]: They're hurricanes.
[Simon]: Oh, you and your childish little tosh. I drop this and it blows us all to hell, you hear me?
[Terraspin]: If you're right, how are you gonna get it out of here?
[Simon]: We can take a hit for one another, that's how.
[Terraspin]: I'm sorry?
(Rick comes running behind Terraspin and tackles him to the side. Terraspin grabs him and charges him into the right-hand wall, which breaks open.)
[Simon]: Thank you!
(He runs through and out into the atrium - the guards fire, but they hit Terraspin's shell instead, as his large size blocks them.)
(The guards still with a clear shot are all shot first by either Simon or the others.)
(Gwen and Kevin run after Simon, but Kevin is shot in the back by Percy. Gwen turns around, but Percy grabs her and pushes her into the wall. He runs out the side door at the nearby end of the atrium wall, following Simon. Gwen tries to blast at him through the doorway but misses.)
(Terraspin, meanwhile, blows a jet of wind at Rick, sending him flying and cornering him. He tosses a smoke bomb at Terraspin's face, which Terraspin obviously cannot blast at.)
(He runs to the left, shooting two more guards, and takes another left into the opposite blind arcade. He is almost parallel with Gwen and Kevin. Gwen fires at him from the distance but he ducks behind a shelf.)
(Terraspin runs through the hole he made in the wall, but stops and turns - Stephens' corpse is gone.)
[Terraspin]: Gwen! Kevin! Stephens is gone!
[Kevin]: They probably hid his body or something!
[Terraspin]: How?
[Gwen]: I don't have time to think about that! Go after that guy!
(Terraspin gets into his shell and hovers down the atrium at a high speed.)
(He stands back up and blasts several gusts of wind into the exhibition halls, sending several tables flying.)
(A few guards come running and fire at the same spot Terraspin is aiming at.)
[Guard]: Do be reminded that those are artifacts you're breaking!
[Terraspin]: And that you're shooting! Where the hell did he go?
[Gwen]: There! Get him!
(In a flash of a second, she sees Rick sneaking out the doorway at the other end of the hall.)
(The guards run outside and look to the right - they turn just to see Rick running around the opposite corner.)
[Guard]: Dammit! Someone go after him!
(Terraspin runs out in to the parking lot while Kevin and Gwen exit further behind.)
[Terraspin]: That way?
[Guard]: GO!
(Terraspin hovers over to the west end of the museum's exterior, but Rick is nowhere to be found.)
(MEANWHILE, FURTHER DOWN THE PARKING LOT)
(Rick gets into a black Cadillac Escalade waiting at the whole other side of the museum.)
[Rick]: Do you have it?
[Percy]: (He's driving) Well of course we do! It's in the back, all chained up.
(Rick stands up to look behind his seat. The Everstone is in a special cage hooked up to six chains attached to the ends of the car's interior.)
[Simon]: Well that was some bloody fine work, don't you think?
[Percy]: Well, obviously sloppy, I mean, look at me! Look at all of us! We got completely snookered by that damn turtle or whatever-
(BOOM!)
(Terraspin comes crashing down behind him, tilting their car forward. It lands upright, but the cars behind Terraspin are all stopped.)
[Simon]: Go, go!
(Percy continues to drive off, blending in with the cars at the other end of the crater Terraspin created. Ben doesn't notice this and starts walking to the other set of cars.)
(HONK! HONK!)
[Driver #1]: Hey, what the hell, man?
[Terraspin]: Important meeting, I bet.
[Driver #2]: That's my situation, you piece of crap! Move!
[Driver #3]: You're that little creep from the news, aren't you?
(Terraspin goes around slamming trunks open or looking through car windows.)
[Driver #1]: Jesus Christ, you are one hell of a burglar!
[Terraspin]: Who here is British?
[Driver #3]: Huh?
[Driver #2]: Why the hell do you care?
[Terraspin]: A couple of British criminals came here and-
(WEEEOOOWWWW!!!!!)
(Police sirens are heard in the distance. The red/blue lights behind trees, making their way around the curve in the road.)
(Gwen and Kevin run into the parking lot facing the road and see the odd situation.)
[Driver #1]: I don't know about any British criminal, but I think I see an American criminal right here.
(Terraspin briefly looks at him before turning back to the cop cars, looking all confused and disappointed.)
(A few policemen step out.)
[Officer #1]: Hands in the air! Right now!
[Officer #2]: Alright, buddy! Game's up!
(Terraspin slowly puts his hands up, solemnly. The scene quickly cuts to a soundless shot of the gangsters' car driving off. The scene cuts back to Terraspin, who the police are trying to arrest in alien form.)
(A bunch of drivers laugh. A few cars drive around the crater.)
[Driver #2]: Eh, screw my meeting. I'd like to see this.
[Officer #1]: Are you Ben Tennyson?
[Terraspin]: What do you think?
[Officer #1]: I think you need to be human again, kid. These handcuffs don't fit around giant turtle flippers.
(Terraspin sees someone getting out of a car and begins to smile.)
[Terraspin]: Try the pointy top of my shell, I bet those cuffs fit around that.
[Officer #1]: Excuse me?
(Captain Rozum steps out of his car and begins walking towards Terraspin.)
[Capt. Rozum]: You two! Get off of him, I know him!
[Officer #1]: With all due respect, Captain, I think we all know him.
[Capt. Rozum]: I trust him, though.
[Officer #2]: After all this?
[Capt. Rozum]: I came responding to a dispatch about a stolen artifact from the museum.
[Terraspin]: You came separately?
[Capt. Rozum]: Two conveniently timed crimes, though I don't know what charges I'm gonna press - your job is practically about property damage.
[Terraspin]: I'll pay for this road or something.
[Capt. Rozum]: You, my friend, get human and get in my car.
(Terraspin presses his chest and his skin's toughness goes away - his shell dissolves into his back as it turns less green and his bodily structure changes within a green flash.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Ben Tennyson as I live and breathe.
[Ben]: That was still me, Captain.
[Capt. Rozum]: You were born human, I prefer talking to you that way. In, young man.
(Ben begins walking towards Rozum's car, when Gwen and Kevin run over to him from the parking lot.)
[Kevin]: Ben!
[Gwen]: You okay?
[Ben]: Okay? I'm better after running into our new friend after 2 weeks.
[Kevin]: You understand you're getting arrested, right?
[Capt. Rozum]: I never declared that. I'm still wondering what to do with 'em. Either way, great to see you two again. (Shakes their hands)
[Capt. Rozum]: Kevin, the last time I saw you, I just told you to, uh, buzz off, so, nice to formally meet you.
[Kevin]: Sure thing.
[Capt. Rozum]: You two wanna hitch a ride?
[Gwen]: In a police car?
[Capt. Rozum]: Hey, it's not something you see everyday. Neither is your friend.
[Kevin]: That'd be nice if our car wasn't parked back there.
[Capt. Rozum]: Eh, I guess we should only start with one weird thing. I'll see you soon. You can come pick him up at the precinct or something.
[Ben]: Can I get in?
[Capt. Rozum]: I won't be coming with you, kid.
[Ben]: What?
[Capt. Rozum]: My friend, the cops were called on you while you tried to stop a robbery. You actually forgot that there was another crime scene? Don't tell me you gave up.
[Ben]: Long time no sees can be distracting, I guess.
[Capt. Rozum]: Sorry for the overly delayed punchline, but get the hell out of my car, young man! You guys are the chief witnesses to a crime scene! You think I'd just send you off?
[Ben]: Right.
[Capt. Rozum]: We've gotta clear that place out and set up the scene. You're free to hang here for a while.
[Ben]: Can we go get Smoothies? (Grins)
[Gwen]: Ben!
[Capt. Rozum]: Oh, go ahead! Be back in 20 minutes.
[Ben]: Drive-through it is.
[Kevin]: An actual drive-through this time.
(THE SCENE DOES A CIRCULAR WIPE TRANSITION)
|
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin all walk towards the museum with smoothies in hand.)
(The policemen clear the doorway for them to enter. They walk in, stepping over a yellow "Caution" barrier, and walk over to Capt. Rozum.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Ah, you're back! Perfect timing. We have a couple o' guards from the museum back there getting interviewed, and they say you guys are the ones who broke in first. That sound familiar to you?
[Ben]: No, we broke in at around the same time the robbers did.
[Capt. Rozum]: And what exactly was your motive to, uh, welcome yourselves?
[Gwen]: We went to the exhibit presentation this afternoon and Ben was suspicious of the thing, so he decided we break in tonight to check it out.
[Ben]: Gwen?
[Gwen]: Sorry Ben, I know it's not like me, but you've pushed Kevin and I under the bus a lot lately.
[Kevin]: Thank you! Was that fun or not?
[Gwen]: Well...
[Capt. Rozum]: SO! Apparently a guard heard your turtle buddy shout that someone named "Stephens" was gone? We asked if he knew what you were talking about and he said that one Phil Stephens was an archaeology professor here. He'd come all the way from London?
[Ben]: Correct. And no, he wasn't just "gone" - the robbers shot him twice in the chest, threw smoke everywhere before I could tend to him, and then his body just vanishes after that.
[Capt. Rozum]: Strange. What was he doing here all this while so late?
[Ben]: I guess that qualifies as lately cultivated motive?
[Capt. Rozum]: I asked you a question, fancy boy.
[Ben]: We found him lurking around and I snuck up on him. He said he hung out here during late hours to "take notes in peace". He admitted he wasn't all that good with Forever Knight history. Oh, did I mention the Forever Knights?
[Capt. Rozum]: I did some skimming through - *ahem* - research on this "Everstone". Yeah, these knights - didn't you come in contact with them?
[Ben]: More than one occasion, majority of instances unpleasant.
[Capt. Rozum]: And the pleasant part?
[Ben]: Helping their ancient legendary folk hero kill some giant squid blocking out the sun.
[Capt. Rozum]: Are you-
[Ben]: It ended having to do with my terrorist nemesis I met in fourth grade summertime.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, I guess it checks out. I heard this stone had some bomb inside?
[Ben]: "Great power", if you want to sugarcoat that. Either way, have you found anything here?
[Capt. Rozum]: Detectives are doing DNA checks right now. You guys can actually go home, we'll notify you tomorrow morning if we've found anything.
[Ben]: Can I stay for a bit more? I have one hell of a recon mission to tell you about, plus some evidence to look at.
[Capt. Rozum]: I'm a cop, not your dad, and this is a crime scene, not a playground. (Pause) But come anyway. I'm forced to believe all this ridiculous crap no matter what.
[Ben]: I'll stay till I'm sleepy.
[Capt. Rozum]: Need some coffee?
[Ben]: I don't want to stretch the day too long. I need to call my mom and tell her where I am.
[Capt. Rozum]: "Hey mom, I'm at a crime scene investigation right now. Call you back later!"
[Ben]: That's about accurate enough.
(Rozum laughs and slaps Ben in the back before walking to a few detectives.)
[Capt. Rozum]: What have you got so far, boys?
[Detective]: I know this is a rough skim-through without the lab tech around, but we do have a decent set of fingerprints and DNA traces for you, Captain.
[Capt. Rozum]: Go ahead.
[Detective]: Of course, there were several, but this hole in the wall has some unidentified DNA matching a species on Plumber records.
[Ben]: (Chuckles) That was Terraspin, guys, the robbers tricked me into tackling them through the wall to create an escape.
[Capt. Rozum]: Terra-what?
[Ben]: The turtle!
[Capt. Rozum]: Ah, right. Well, we all know how the turtle is so much more important than a robbery, am I right, boys? Any DNA matching our boring kind, or is that Angry Birds over on Williams' phone?
[Det. Williams]: Oh, I was trying to match records here!
(Ben sits back and watches them, slightly bored.)
(THE CAMERA SHOWS A CITYSCAPE SHOT. It speeds up the transition between daytime and morning time as the clouds rapidly move across the sky.)
|
(DING DONG!)
(Ben hears this downstairs and gets up from his bed. He suddenly hears footsteps coming up.)
(His Dad opens the door.)
[Carl]: Uh, Ben? A cop is at our front door looking for you?
[Ben]: I'm in trouble.
[Carl]: WHAT?
(Ben runs down the stairs, his hair still terribly messy.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Rise and shine, kiddo! You didn't even last till dinnertime! You're lucky your parents let you sleep in.
[Ben]: *(Yawn)* Sorry, captain. How long was I awake anyways?
[Capt. Rozum]: Fifteen minutes, son. Luckily your friends took my coffee advice. The big guy, he was interested in staying.
[Ben]: And Gwen talked him out of it?
[Capt. Rozum]: By dragging your sleeping self out of the building, yes.
[Sandra]: Ben, did you feel hungry or anything?
[Ben]: Oh, not at all, mom! If I was, I'd have been back here by 9.
[Capt. Rozum]: Alright, now you're gonna try to be "polite" and ask me if I've found anything. I'll spare you the pain and tell you we have. Info on the perpetrators.
[Ben]: As in their identities?
[Capt. Rozum]: Or what appears to be. Three British nationals all with conveniently and nicely organized American credentials. We couldn't find their dealer but their likenesses were all the same in the pictures.
[Ben]: Did they want to mislead you with others' pictures?
[Capt. Rozum]: We tried cross-referencing the pictures to others' IDs but we got nothing. Now, the evidence is partial and I have to get back - since we have some conclusions to still make, I advise you take your time with a wholehearted breakfast before coming along. We don't take morning naps in the BPD.
[Ben]: Agreed. I'll see you in 20, captain.
[Capt. Rozum]: (While walking to his car) Remember not to make that 30, kid.
(He gets in and drives off. Ben closes the door.)
(Sandra and Carl stare at him.)
[Ben]: You're mad that I'm friends with the police captain? Or that I stayed up late? Because I've pulled all-nighters a LOT.
[Carl]: (Smiles slightly) How is it that the captain literally talked to you like an officer, and the only one in the room?
[Ben]: I help him on the cases. Last night didn't go to well, I was just all defensive and shutting up his detectives about my DNA. You should see how scared those guys are of turtles.
[Sandra]: Turtles later, breakfast now. And are you going with the captain?
[Ben]: Why not? It's fun.
|
(Ben, Gwen and Kevin walk in with Smoothies.)
(Capt. Rozum is standing at a table next to a detective.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Ah, here we are! Mr. Smoothy!
(Ben holds up the cup to show the label. Capt. Rozum is shocked.)
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll be damned. That's actually-
[Ben]: Yup.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, about said conclusions... (takes a paper off the desk) ...these are the British nationals I was referring to. They have a history of robberies from various clients - sadly none of them seem to relate to this one.
[Gwen]: You said history as in they have a reputation. They must have at least one other museum robbery.
[Capt. Rozum]: Sorry, I didn't use the words "so far". We have quite the list, but we were waiting for you guys in case you could tell us where to look.
[Ben]: That's more like it. Where are all the locations?
[Capt. Rozum]: I have chapter 1 sitting on my desk and a Harry Potter-sized list of witnesses and POI's sitting in my office. I could go get that if you want.
[Ben]: Did you separate the clients list from that?
[Capt. Rozum]: Thankfully, yes. I'll get that for you.
(Rozum walks off while Ben goes over to the detective's table.)
[Ben]: Whose fingerprints are these?
[Detective]: These are not anything too recent, just a set we found on an old prepaid phone. The account on there mapped out to one European alias set that was used by these three back in '09.
[Ben]: "These three" as in you're unsure of their names?
[Detective]: Eh, maybe. Latest records match most, and those names are Percy Lancaster, Simon Williams and Richard Thomas.
[Ben]: Either common aliases or they just like to show off.
[Detective]: I find that pretty stupid, because they're pretty easily traced.
[Ben]: Within the country. They switch locations a lot and I bet the Everstone could be headed out of the states.
[Gwen]: Hey, guys...
[Ben]: Yeah?
[Gwen]: Those fingerprints from 2009... the pattern. It's the same on this file.
[Detective]: The museum robbery?
[Gwen]: There are various fingerprints on this sheet, but one of these patterns seems to match that one.
[Detective]: Can I see that?
[Gwen]: Yeah.
(The detective takes the paper and pairs it side-by-side with the 2009 fingerprints.)
[Detective]: I'll be damned, it's a match.
[Gwen]: They used the same prepaid phone.
[Kevin]: From one of the old crimes?
[Ben]: Kevin, you know the criminal world quite well, don't you?
(Kevin glares but nods)
[Ben]: Detective, when was their earliest crime found?
[Detective]: Let me see here... August 2008.
[Kevin]: Almost 6 years. Most big-time criminals work around 12-15, at least 10. They're relatively new, and I'm guessing there were no records found before that?
[Detective]: Not that I know of.
[Kevin]: That means these robberies are all that they've been doing. Six years may feel like a long time when you're not Mafioso King #1. They were more paranoid in their early years and wanted to keep the phones for later. They probably thought it was a burner after "all that time" and forgot about it after they wiped it clean following the job from '09.
[Detective]: You're saying that the same phone is being used now?
[Gwen]: And that it's what you'll find if you trace these prints.
(Rozum comes back with the client list.)
[Capt. Rozum]: You all look a bit spooked, did you find something?
[Ben]: Captain, can I see the list?
(Rozum hands it to him.)
[Ben]: This is newest to oldest?
[Capt. Rozum]: Yup.
[Ben]: The latest client - it's blank. Either anonymous or untraceable. And this is the Forever Knights we're talking - this job has a lot more to it than it seems. If we're lucky and these guys are still in the country, we can find this phone.
[Capt. Rozum]: What phone?
(The Detective shows him the fingerprint match report)
[Capt. Rozum]: Oh my good lord. (Looks at Ben) You found this?
[Ben]: We all did.
[Capt. Rozum]: Well, what are we all waiting for? Grab a coffee and let's go catch these suckers!
|
(Percy, Rick and Simon are all staying in separate but adjacent rooms in this hotel.)
(Three shots all show them checking their phones.)
(A text from Mr. Kingston, from last night, says: "Complication: my meeting prep will take longer than expected. Meet me tomorrow at sundown.")
(Percy has replied: "Is it our fault?")
(Kingston: "Maybe. Can't say I wasn't reckless about it.")
(Percy puts his phone away and exits his room. He knocks on the door in the room to his left. No one answers.)
(He goes to the room right of his knocks. Simon opens up, in a bathrobe.)
[Simon]: Oh, good morning. You're all dressed up?
[Percy]: Rick's at the place?
[Simon]: Yes, he locked himself in.
(His phone rings)
[Simon]: Oh, that's him right now. (Answers) Hello?
[Rick]: (On the other end) Hey, is this Simon?
[Simon]: Right. You sound a bit nervous, what happened?
[Rick]: Don't worry, stone's still right here, but I think we may have been traced.
[Simon]: That's poppycock, what are you talking about?
[Rick]: I took a good glance at Percy's phone yesterday... (Simon looks at Percy while listening) ...old Blackberry, am I right?
[Simon]: (Still looking at Percy) You're right, go on.
[Rick]: And then I remembered - we had a list of all our jobs with the burner used. There was this one back in '09 I checked a couple o' minutes back, the one in that art gallery in Brussels.
[Simon]: Let me guess, it matched?
[Rick]: I'm sorry, but yes.
[Simon]: Crap.
[Rick]: I mean, I'm not pushing anyone under the bus here, but I think we just got the old piece of crap mixed up with a burner. Six years, we're all new?
[Simon]: Police in this place must be thinking the same thing.
[Rick]: Right. Now, if you can last a bloody minute without murdering Percy, it'll be nice - tell 'em to text Kingston that we're arriving this afternoon. If things get complicated, we go evening as he said.
[Simon]: Sure. I'm coming over to where you are right now, I'll tell him.
[Rick]: Thanks, mate.
(Simon hangs up)
[Percy]: You were looking at me?
[Simon]: Mate, we're snookered. We screwed up. Rick says one of our phones was traced. I was confused - we mixed up one from '09 with a burner, he says. He checked the list.
[Percy]: Well, my friend, I say it's time to start running, don't you think?
[Simon]: Pack up our stuff, get the hell outta here, meet with Rick. Oh, and of course there's this: you have to text Kingston, tell him we're meeting in the afternoon.
[Percy]: Fine, but if he's unavailable? (Gets out his phone)
[Simon]: Well, we can only hope we know a good hiding spot.
(Percy texts Kingston "Complication on our end: our phone was traced. Meeting at 2 PM. OK w/ u?")
(Percy then snaps his phone in half.)
[Voice]: Oh, you were tad bit late, buddy!
(Percy turns to the right - it's a SWAT officer.)
[Percy]: JESUS CHRIST-
(He runs into his room and locks the door.)
(He goes to get his suitcase. He packs up all his things, and loads his gun up, keeping several magazines ready in his belt.)
[SWAT]: (From outside) If you don't come out in the next 5 seconds I'm kicking this door down!
(Percy closes and locks his suitcase. He keeps his gun aimed at the door.)
[SWAT]: 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!
(BOOM!)
(BANG! BANG!)
(Percy shoots him once in the chest, once in the head as soon as he breaks the door down.)
(Simon comes out, buttoning his shirt.)
[Simon]: What was all that- (He looks down) Oh, bloody hell. You did this?
[Percy]: Had to, mate. Come on!
(They hear footsteps from the corridor behind them.)
(Simon gets his ammo from his room and joins Percy.)
(They both run down the stairs as SWAT officers come out of the other corridor behind them.)
(As they go down, they hear footsteps coming up. They sneak over to a nearby door.)
(They're in another corridor. They run down, but hear footsteps on the right.)
[Simon]: Dammit! (Gets out his gun)
(He and Percy sneak along the wall facing away from the incoming people. Percy leans over and sees two officers coming with shields.)
(He jumps out and shoots one in the head through the glass window on his shield - Simon gets one in the abdomen, making him drop his shield, and backhands him in the face with his pistol.)
(They look behind them and see three more coming.)
[Percy]: Lucky we didn't choose a high floor, mate. Jump!
(Simon fires two rounds at the incoming men before diving through the nearby window with Percy.)
[SWAT]: (Into radio) They jumped out the window! Unit 2, shift to the back parking lot!
(Percy, meanwhile, grabs a catwalk staircase while Simon grabs the one opposite. They hold on to it before landing safely on the ground.)
(A few police cars pull up on one side.)
[Simon]: Oh, bugger. Other way!
(A squad car pulls over on the side. Captain Rozum gets out.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Drop the gun! Put your hands in the air!
[Percy]: Get stuffed, mate! (He fires at Rozum, but misses.)
(Percy and Simon run further down the parking lot. Simon gets out a small, flat metal bar. He goes over to a car and gets in. Percy follows.)
(The car backs out and begins driving off. The SWAT team fires but miss.)
[SWAT]: They're getting away!
[Percy]: (In the car) Go, go!
(KABOOM!!)
(A large explosion tilts the car forward as it skids to a halt and lands violently upright.)
(Swampfire is seen walking towards them in the distance.)
[Swampfire]: Not so fast! (He sends a jet of flames behind the car that blocks their escape.)
(Percy and Simon get out of the car.)
[Percy]: Bloody hell, it's him again!
(Simon and Percy both open fire on Swampfire - edges of his arms and even his neck are torn apart by bullets and green chemicals spatter from them.)
(The limbs fix themselves. Swampfire grins and blasts another fireball at their car.)
(Percy and Simon dive out of the way.)
[Percy]: What the hell just happened?
(Simon takes out a grenade and throws it at Swampfire. The left side of his chest is literally blown open in the blast and a gigantic gash full of plant waste and chemicals is shown.)
(Swampfire slightly limps as his torso repairs itself, but Percy throws his grenade at Swampfire's face, ripping it open and leaving insects and a greenish fluid gushing out.)
[Simon]: Oh, god, that is one manky mess.
[Percy]: If it doesn't kill 'em, it's gonna slow him down.
(Percy throws a smoke grenade at Swampfire - the grenade lodges itself inside the wound as it's getting fixed, and releases smoke, killing a lot of the plant matter and slowing his regeneration.)
[Simon]: That got him! Run!
(Percy tosses a grenade at the police, blowing up a few SWAT officers. They run up the hill near the parking lot and stand beside the highway.)
(Percy holds out his hand, startling a biker and throwing him off his speeding bike, injuring him. Percy and Simon get on the bike and cross the gap created by cars that stopped in the panic. They bike over the lane and into the woods nearby.)
(Capt. Rozum, meanwhile, runs over to Swampfire.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Hey, you need some help?
(Only Swampfire's mouth has grown back.)
[Swampfire]: I've got this.
(Using his injured but functional right hand, Swampfire slams his chest. Rozum gets back.)
(Swampfire's skin toughens and the smoke grenade falls out as the gashes disappear. His backbone bulges and strengthens and a blue gas it emitted out, naturally surrounding itself with a bubble. The chlorophyll in his veins dissolves and turns blue as his blood turns to kerosene. The roots lining his body travel to only his legs as leaves fall off and toughened tree bark remains.)
(Ultimate Swampfire jumps in the air and lands all the way in the highway. He runs across, simply resting his palms on cars to stop them.)
(Gwen and Kevin come running in.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Where were you two all this while?
[Kevin]: Guarding the front entrance. Where's Ben?
[Capt. Rozum]: The robbers escaped over that highway. "Swampfire", or whatever just simulated steroids on himself.
[Gwen]: He evolved.
[Capt. Rozum]: He can do that?
[Kevin]: Tennyson can do a lot of things.
(MEANWHILE IN THE WOODS)
(Percy and Simon bike over rough terrain and speed down a trail in the woods.)
(KABOOM!)
(Several trees behind them get their trunks blown off and collapse. A small forest fire starts inside a clearing, and Ultimate Swampfire runs out through the fire.)
[Simon]: Christ, what did do to himself?
[Percy]: Duck!
(They use a small hill as a ramp and narrowly go under a branch.)
(KABOOM!)
(This time, the blast gets them closer and sends their bike cartwheeling in midair. They land upright and take a left. Since the forest is on a small mountain, they go flying off and land on a small riverbank below. They continue their way through the rocky riverbank and cross into an open marshland that leads to another forest in the distance.)
(Ultimate Swampfire runs over to the edge of the mountain. Using it as a vantage point, he sees the bikers closing in on the riverbank.)
Map of the chase north of the highway.
(The highway, meanwhile, is in fact a bridge that crosses a small gap between two large hills, the second one staying level with the rest of the road. Gwen and Kevin jump over the edge of the highway and run down the mana staircase platforms Gwen makes. They can see Ben on their left.)
(Ultimate Swampfire jumps down over to the riverbank. He slams his fist down into the ground - a line of fire burns through the rocks and sand on the riverbank, but is put out at the marshlands. Percy and Simon narrowly make it there and desperately look for dry land.)
(Ultimate Swampfire runs down the riverbank and blasts more fire into the marshlands - it creates an explosion underwater, and Percy and Simon realize they're heading into a deepening lake.)
[Simon]: Take a right, damn you!
(Percy tries but the bike gets stuck in the mud and slush, slowly sinking underwater. Percy and Simon stand on it and jump off into some grass, whose dry parts act as a border for the lake and lead into the forest.
(Ultimate Swampfire uses his hands as jets to boost himself over the hill. As his lands, he blasts two fireballs while in midair. They spiral down towards Percy and Simon and explode behind them. They go flying forward.)
[Percy]: AAH!
(They get back up and turn around. They hug the hill nearby as they make it under the bridge.)
[Ultimate Swampfire]: They're not gonna make it up that slope.
(On the other side the bridge is a steep slope leading to the more urban area on the other end.)
[Gwen]: I'll get up to the bridge! You and Kevin get them!
[Ultimate Swampfire]: No need.
(Ultimate Swampfire begins walking towards Simon and Percy, who desperately try making their way up the slope.)
[Simon]: Bloody hell, go, go!
(BOOM!)
(The bottom of the hill goes up in flames and begins to collapse. Percy jumps up to try and grab a branch on a nearby tree, but it falls as well and Percy lands on the ground. Simon crawls to his feet.)
(Ultimate Swampfire continues to walk towards them. Percy takes out his gun and fires at him, but his skin merely dents a little.)
(Simon swings at Ultimate Swampfire, but his arm is grabbed. Ultimate Swampfire jabs Simon's abdomen, throwing him against the hillside. Percy tries to run, but Ultimate Swampfire's arm stops him. He is shoved backwards.)
[Percy]: Come on, you barmy old-
(POW!)
(Ultimate Swampfire uppercuts Percy and knocks him out. Simon is slightly getting up, but sees a large fist come down on him. The screen goes black.)
|
(First-person view of an opening eye is shown. Percy groans.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Rise and shine!
[Simon]: (Wakes up) What the hell?
[Capt. Rozum]: Remember getting punched?
[Simon]: By some big bloody monster, yes.
[Capt. Rozum]: Welcome to the Bellwood Police Department, boys! You should know not to stir things up around here with Ben Tennyson around!
[Percy]: Right, that's his name. Why speak on his behalf?
[Capt. Rozum]: Everyone's speaking for themselves, buddy.
(Ben walks in and sits down in front of them. Rozum sits next to him. Gwen and Kevin watch from outside.)
[Ben and Rozum]: (In unison) Hello, gentlemen!
[Percy]: Is this... some form of intimidation?
[Capt. Rozum]: Not at all, son. As I said, we need to ask you a few questions.
[Simon]: We're not telling you-
[Ben]: Why did you want the Everstone?
[Percy]: We said we weren't
[Ben]: He did. You're still up for cooperation.
[Percy]: Not anymore, I'm not.
[Capt. Rozum]: Let's all treat each other with some respect and refer to each other by name. (Looks at Percy and Simon) Real names.
[Percy]: My name is actually Percy and this is Simon.
[Capt. Rozum]: Why not use aliases?
[Simon]: I don't know.
[Ben]: He's saying they already are aliases.
[Capt. Rozum]: My friend, I said real names.
[Ben]: You know what, Captain? There is one really important question here: where's your third guy?
(Percy smiles)
[Percy]: Now you're asking the right questions. And where's the Everstone, too?
[Ben]: With him, obviously. Now, what does it interest you?
[Percy]: It interests our employer.
[Ben]: So you do have an employer.
[Percy]: I don't follow.
[Capt. Rozum]: Sure you do! Client listing is blank! That meant two things: either they're anonymous or you're doing it for yourselves.
[Percy]: *(sigh)* Fine. Both.
[Capt. Rozum]: So you and your employer must have something in common.
[Simon]: Well that's bloody obvious, isn't it? The stone, for god's sake!
[Capt. Rozum]: Guess who else wants the stone? Phil Stephens!
[Percy]: Who's dead.
[Capt. Rozum]: Exactly! You get that I'm implying you're serving big-time in here? Robberies since 2008. Good luck getting yourself outta that.
[Percy]: And out of here.
[Ben]: Our point exactly! You know your game is up, so you might as well tell us where the stone is!
[Simon]: Our game is not up, the third man is still missing.
[Capt. Rozum]: His name's Rick, isn't it?
[Simon]: Correct. He has the stone, and he's taking it to our employer.
[Ben]: Uh, would your "employer" happen to be an anonymous male using a modified voice?
[Simon]: Excuse me?
[Ben]: Yeah, I meant what I asked! Were you blackmailed? Approached by a third party? Are your texts sent by someone named "Question Mark"?
[Percy]: That's nonsense!
[Ben]: Fine. I just encountered a case like that two weeks back. But because of your wonderfully polite answer, your employer does go by a name.
[Capt. Rozum]: And I bet you know our next question?
[Percy]: His name. Which we don't know.
[Capt. Rozum]: As you people like to say: poppycock! You just said he had a name!
[Percy]: (Smiles) I wasn't finished. I know his alias.
(Kevin laughs in the background.)
[Gwen]: Be quiet, Kevin!
[Ben]: *(Sigh)* His alias. What is it?
[Percy]: My answer to your question is No.
[Capt. Rozum]: So where is "No" right now?
[Simon]: Aw, dammit, you're a police officer, would you stop acting like a child?
[Capt. Rozum]: Captain. And if I feel obliged to agree with you, then I'd like the name, please.
[Percy]: (Loudly exhales, puts his head down on the table and looks back up) Kingston.
[Ben]: You sound like you just made that up.
(A detective walks in with a phone. Rozum stands up and the man whispers something in his ear, handing Rozum the phone. He then leaves.)
(Rozum takes the phone and looks through a series of texts.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Surprisingly enough, son, you were telling the truth.
[Percy]: I broke my phone!
[Capt. Rozum]: Number one rule for that is to never forget the SIM card. (Laughs) It even says here, from "Kingston" that he was reckless, too! You're all bad at this! Hell, the only thing that's high-end about you is the way you dress!
[Percy]: If you're gonna ask what he was implying about his recklessness, I have no idea.
[Capt. Rozum]: Son, you and your pals are by far some of the worst robbers I've seen. You've been doing this job for six years. Not enough for Mafia Kingpin status, but it sure as hell gets you used to not being sloppy!
[Simon]: Fine, we mucked up one job.
[Capt. Rozum]: From the most shady client you've ever come across, son! That kind of failure gives you absolutely no right to keep lying to me! What the hell do these texts mean?
(Pause)
[Percy]: (Takes a deep breath, his face tense and angry) Fine. (Pause) You win. I know Kingston's identity. I've just never seen his face before.
|
(Luggage in hand, Rick stands on the sidewalk. A taxi pulls up.)
[Rick]: Northwest Bellwood Airport, please. (Hands him a large stack of money)
[Driver]: DAMN, dude! You're paying me freaking ten thousand for the airport?
(Rick loads his luggage into the taxi trunk and sits inside.)
[Rick]: Drive and I pay you another ten when I get off.
[Driver]: Fine by me! (The taxi drives off)
(Inside, Rick checks his texts. One of them is from Kingston: "Switched communication, I see. Sorry for your loss.")
[Rick]: (Texts) [ On my way now, sir. ]
|
[Ben]: You know his identity?
[Percy]: I've heard a good lot about him. (Pause) Screw it. I know mine too. And everyone else's. (Simon looks at him nervously but Percy looks back at him and nods.)
[Capt. Rozum]: Nice seeing you two give up. Your names?
[Percy]: (Smiles) Of course, telling you this comes with an automatic deal of respect. From you.
[Capt. Rozum]: A deal of respect?
[Percy]: Of my honor. (Pause) Our names are Percival Lancaster, Simon Williams, and Richard Thomas.
[Ben]: Your full names? Fine by me if that's what you go by.
[Percy]: We go by sir. SIR Percival, sir Simon and sir Richard.
[Ben]: WHAT?
[Percy]: We look a tad bit young to get knighted by the Queen, but not by the King. Of them. Of us.
(Ben stops to stare at them in awe.)
[Ben]: You're Forever Knights?
[Percy]: (Smiles evilly) And "Kingston" is in fact King Philip. Not of Spain - Forever King Philip.
[Capt. Rozum]: I'll be damned.
[Percy]: Never met His Majesty - Rick, Simon and I all served under Driscoll.
[Ben]: You survived the genocide?
[Percy]: The "tales of the Diagon, they said. Whole bunch of nonsense.
[Ben]: Oh, it was quite real, trust me.
[Percy]: "It" as in the big grotty squid, yes. All the bits n' bobs about some great "purge" only applied to about three-quarters of us.
[Capt. Rozum]: Wait, so this is that giant squid or whatever you told me about?
[Ben]: I wasn't joking. These guys are just admitting to their cowardice.
[Percy]: Oh, to hell with your "cowardice". Sir George, he was a hero, sure, but us three, or at least I wasn't all filled with all this ridiculous paranoia about these tosh legends. We were out to slay dragons, not squids.
[Capt. Rozum]: That, sir, is the most idiotic reasoning I have come-
[Percy]: You don't get my point, do you? Oh, I don't blame you. This young lad, I thought would get it. It's all the same. Dragon, squid, rabbit- rather than go into a battle we knew would screw us all over, we decided to save our legacy. And the only way to do that is to survive on your own.
[Ben]: Sounds reasonable, I guess.
[Percy]: As do the other robberies. No, it's not just a bunch o' falsified rubbish - what's rubbish is the work of your overweight embarrassments you like to call detectives. They never really saw the obvious pattern in the robberies - they were all artifacts, sure, but-
[Ben]: They all had a connection to the Forever Knights.
[Percy]: That reasonable enough for ya?
[Capt. Rozum]: Not for me. I'm a cop, this is the law. No matter what cause you wish to serve, robberies are crimes and crimes are things I arrest people for. You, my friend, made the mistake of adding murder to your list of crimes.
[Ben]: (Brings his hands down on the table) No he didn't. (He appears very nervous)
[Capt. Rozum]: What?
[Percy]: I put two holes in that curator myself!
[Ben]: You're getting arrested for the murder of the officers only.
[Capt. Rozum]: What the hell are you getting at?
(Gwen and Kevin appear confused from outside.)
[Ben]: Did you say your king's name was Philip?
[Percy]: Not my king, but yes.
[Ben]: Stephens' first name was Phil, wasn't it?
[Capt. Rozum]: That's right.
[Ben]: I knew he looked familiar! I've come across King Philip before.
[Percy]: When?
[Ben]: Long time ago. One of the knights called his superior "Philip". Some random battle, but I knew what the guy looked like for a while. I would have forgotten it after a year or so, but this Stephens guy was someone I just couldn't put the face to. I did feel like I'd seen him before.
[Percy]: Stephens is King Philip, then? What, are you saying we just shot our bloody employer?
[Ben]: You wanted to expand your legacy by adapting to this society. So did he. He probably learned about your robberies and-
[Percy]: Set himself up to get shot? How the hell does this make any sense?
[Ben]: The same amount of sense it made when I saw his body disappear. He even was putting on his coat when I snuck up on him. This was because he wasn't busy "taking notes" as he told me, but because he was busy being "Kingston"... and putting on a vest.
(Simon breaks his silence now.)
[Simon]: Why on Earth would he do that?
[Capt. Rozum]: I'd say he wanted to fake his death so no one would suspect him of anything. He hired you to "rob" the stone, make it go missing, and then just disappear.
[Ben]: Well why would he want the world looking for it?
[Percy]: To "spread the legacy", perhaps. Pretty outlandish, but I bet he has other plans.
[Ben]: What's Rick's number?
[Percy]: He could've abandoned his burner.
[Ben]: Tell us either way.
[Capt. Rozum]: No need. I found it on his contact list here, I have the SIM card, remember?
(Capt. Rozum opens up the text interface and texts Rick: [ You shot your employer. Stephens is Kingston aka King Philip. ])
[Ben]: You didn't even identify yourself?
[Capt. Rozum]: If I did, he'd be on the run. He's probably gonna give up.
[Ben]: What time did you say he'd be meeting you?
[Percy]: He said at sundown today, but I told him afternoon when your SWAT team came in on us.
[Capt. Rozum]: If he's in contact with your friend Rick now, he may have shifted times back. Where'd you say you were meeting?
[Percy]: Bellwood International Airport.
[Capt. Rozum]: That's about two hours from here.
[Ben]: Can't Gwen teleport?
(Gwen comes in)
[Ben]: Right on time!
[Gwen]: I can only teleport short-distance. Long-distance would make me harness too much power, probably make me pass out.
[Kevin]: We do still have an alternative.
[Capt. Rozum]: Are you thinking what I'm thinking? (Grins excitedly)
(BOOP!)
(Rozum gets a text. It's from Rick: "Are you serious?")
[Rick]: [ Meeting is tonight. 8. ]
[Capt. Rozum]: Guys, he says the meeting is tonight at 8.
[Percy]: I guess that was the final decision.
[Capt. Rozum]: You boys get to see the sight of your cells from now on. Ben, meet me at 6:30 tonight. Be on time, you understand?
[Ben]: I'll have to.
|
(Percy and Simon are escorted into their jail cells.)
[Guard]: Need to make a call?
[Percy]: Yes.
(Percy dials Rick's number.)
[Rick]: Hello?
[Percy]: Hey, just thought I'd warn ya - the police and the kid. They're coming for you tonight.
[Rick]: Let me guess: Bellwood International?
[Percy]: Sorry, mate, I had to tell 'em. The legacy will spread either way.
[Rick]: Somehow Kingston knew you'd tell the cops. Where are you right now?
[Percy]: Surrounded by cramped rooms and degenerates wearing orange.
[Rick]: Yeah, I thought so. Our Kings always plan ahead, don't they?
[Percy]: What the hell are you talking about?
[Rick]: Tell your guard to wish the cops good luck on their search at Bellwood International.
[Percy]: Wait - you're... not there?
(Rick hangs up.)
(Percy looks at the phone, confused, as the guard takes it back and locks the door.)
(Percy sits back down next to Simon with a very confused expression on his face.)
[Simon]: You don't look so good.
(Percy rests his knuckles on his cheeks and gives a very calculating look to the wall.)
[Percy]: Something's gone wrong. I'm... worried for Rick.
(Simon looks at him confused.)
|
(Capt. Rozum pulls his car over near the parking lot and gets out with two officers. The camera zooms out and the Rust Bucket 3 is in the background.)
(Rozum walks over to the parking lot. Ben, Gwen and Kevin get out.)
[Ben]: Evening, Captain!
[Capt. Rozum]: You guys ready?
[Ben]: And full. I had an early dinner.
[Gwen]: Everything you need up there is ready, Captain.
[Ben]: We even got drinks for you guys!
[Capt. Rozum]: (Rubs his palms together) Sounds good! Love this old bucket o' bolts.
[Kevin]: Rust Bucket. That's what we call it. Rust Bucket Three, actually.
[Capt. Rozum]: Great to see you have a collection! (He walks up the ramp, followed by his guards. Ben and the others join and the ramp closes.)
|
(A quickly cut series of scenes shows the Rust Bucket 3 landing outside the airport, Ben and the others getting out of a taxi that pulls up near the airport entrance, and Ben and the others entering a terminal.)
(Rozum gets his phone out and it has a picture of Rick's ID.)
[Capt. Rozum]: We're looking for this guy, remember.
(Gwen uses her mana tracking to identify various people around the terminal. Rozum searches through the B's and C's while his guards search D-F. Ben looks around G while Kevin tries H. They all shift after finding nothing.)
(The scenes keep switching between the character's searches and Gwen's tracking of the other terminals - the switching gets faster and faster until the final shot is of all of them standing together.)
(Rozum checks his watch. 8:07 PM.)
[Capt. Rozum]: We literally found nothing.
[Ben]: He obviously should have waited.
[Gwen]: I actually searched every last room here for mana traces and likenesses. Absolutely no sign of this guy.
[Capt. Rozum]: You think we were duped?
(They all look around, confused.)
|
(Rick drags his luggage down a completely deserted airfield. He looks around and sees one jet parked in the distance near the hangar.)
(The camera, looking from a lower angle, slowly zooms in on Stephens waiting alone next to his jet.)
(Rick pulls his luggage over.)
[Rick]: Well, I'll be damned. They were telling the truth.
[Stephens]: We can't be sure "they" means your friends.
[Rick]: So, your plan worked then. Me not specifying where I was?
[Stephens]: I told you that I can be trusted. I'm almost certain the cops tried throwing you off.
[Rick]: And is this place even an airport?
[Stephens]: It was - no one ever goes to it, or even remembers it exists. Simply an airfield.
[Rick]: Right. Here's the package. (He hands him the luggage)
[Stephens]: Excellent.
[Rick]: Oh, and Mr. Stephens? Just a quick question: why send the world on a hunt for this thing if you wanted to disappear along with it?
(Stephens slowly looks down, a bit upset.)
[Rick]: Is something wrong, Mr. Stephens?
(Stephens pulls out a silencer-equipped pistol and shoots Rick twice. He looks down at his body murderously as he puts his gun away.)
(He turns and walks up the stairs on his jet.)
(He is seen walking up from side-view... through a rifle's scope.)
(POW!)
(KABOOM!!!!)
(His jet explodes. The Everstone does as well, releasing a violent surge of blue energy that slowly fades away in electricity, among the burning wreckage.)
(The gunman puts his gun away. In the darkness, he is faintly seen with a group of about four other people. They all start running down the open field adjacent to the pavement.)
(POW!)
(One of them falls dead.)
(POW! POW! POW!)
(Three more fall. One of them pulls out his gun and looks around...)
(POW!)
(He collapses.)
(On the rooftop of the airport, a silhouette of a muscular figure is seen putting his sniper rifle away. He picks up the bag. From a lower angle looking up from the corner of the roof, the figure's full silhouette is seen tapping his ear.)
[Assassin]: The operation was a failure, sir. We didn't get the stone.
[Deep, Modified Voice]: What happened?
[Assassin]: Stephens' plane was destroyed along with the Everstone, and him. There were about five assailants, I got them all.
[Voice]: It appears we have a rival group at hand. A new player in the game.
[Assassin]: What's the alternative now, sir?
[Voice]: There are plenty of alternatives to this. I doubt Stephens was going to go with our deal anyways. This should be interesting.
[Assassin]: What's my next job, then, sir?
[Voice]: I haven't yet decided on that, though I may be onto something. (Pause) Come back to base. We have some things to talk about.
[Assassin]: Understood.
(He walks off.)
THE END
Credits Music: Ed Sheeran - Sing
Characters/Cast[]
(Cast applies when I imagine a certain actor/actress to play a certain character)
Main/Recurring[]
Antagonists[]
- Percy/Sir Percival Lancaster
- Simon/Sir Simon Williams
- Rick/Sir Richard Thomas
- Dr. Phil Stephens
- Assassin
- ???
Other[]
- Fake credentials supplier
Aliens Used[]