| abstract
| - Story by Damian Kindler Teleplay by Damian Kindler and Sam Egan Directed by Martin Wood [Slow pan across a modern cityscape, pass over a river and pan across a darker, seedier city. A police siren wails in the distance. Slow zoom down onto a police car as it winds it's way towards an old apartment block and stops in front of one. The policemen, Albert Russo and Lawrence Birch, exit the vehicle.] RUSSO Seven David Five responding to a 10-11, 149th and Cordova. DISPATCH Copy that, Seven David Five. [Police enter the building] [Raised voices from inside an apartment and can be heard in hallway. The officers go to apartment 23 where the shouting is coming from and pound on the door as neighbors peer into the hallway.] RUSSO Open up! Police! BIRCH Let's go! Open up! [A young woman, Ms. Mitrovna, opens the door just wide enough to peer out, blocking view of the inside of the apartment.] BIRCH Ma'am, we've had some complaints about the noise. MS. MITROVNA We want no trouble. BIRCH Then you don't mind if we come in. MS. MITROVNA No. [She shuts the door then Russo kicks the door down and they enter startling Ms. Mitrovna and an older couple who are in the room.] BIRCH You folks want to tell me what's going on? MS. MITROVNA We have trouble early tonight, but no trouble now. [Birch looks around room and moves to closed door. The Ms. Mitrovna follows him and then moves in front of him in an attempt to discourage him from continuing further into the apartment.] MS. MITROVNA Please... you go. we have no trouble. [Ms. Mitrovna plants herself in front of the door Birch is headed for.] MS. MITROVNA It's okay. BIRCH Ma'am, I'm going to enter this room. Please, step aside. MS. MITROVNA Please... BIRCH Relax, it'll be fine. [Birch draws his gun and opens the door. Blood can be seen on wall and a older man is slouched against wall. The man has blood on his forehead. Russo is behind Birch, talking with the older couple.] BIRCH Russo! We need backup! RUSSO [into radio] Seven David Five, requesting backup on that 10-11. DISPATCH [over radio] Copy that, Seven David Five. RUSSO [into radio] Seven David Five, EMTs, stat. [Russo pulls out a flash light and looks around room. He shines his light under the bed and sees a boy, Alexi, hiding there] RUSSO [to Birch] It's a kid. [to Alexi] Hey, kid, you okay? [Russo holsters his gun and gets down on his knees and forearms and starts to crawl toward young boy.] RUSSO It's okay. I'm just going to come over to you real slow, and you're going to reach out and grab my hand, okay? [Alexi shakes his head no.] RUSSO No, come on, its okay. [Alexi continues to shake his head no as something snake-like creeps along the underside of the bed, out of Russo's sight.] RUSSO You’re okay. Just reach out. Come on. No, come on. It’s okay. [Russo continues to move closer to Alexi.] RUSSO Come on, I need you to just take my hand. [yelling] I said come here! [The snake-like thing strikes Russo in the forehead. Russo collapses back onto floor in clear view of Birch. Ms. Mitrovna moves away and huddles with the older couple behind Birch. The boy stands up on opposite side of bed and the snake object moves toward Birch. It is clearly connected to and coming from Alexi.] Birch Oh, God... [Will is sitting at a table with a plate of food. He turns to catch the waitress as she walks by.] WILL Um, excuse me? WAITRESS Hey, everything good? WILL Well, yeah, it's great. It’s delicious, but, um... Is it the chef's night off? WAITRESS Uh, actually, yeah. [Will laughs silently as he looks back at his plate.] WAITRESS Is something wrong? WILL No, no, it's just that the, uh... the balsamic drizzle is counter-clockwise instead of clockwise. WAITRESS [confused] Oh. WILL Not that it matters. It’s just that, uh... [A buzzing noise is heard and Will pulls out his cell phone] WILL Hold on. [Will is walking down hallway and coroners are bringing a body out on gurney.] WILL May I? [Will opens body bag and looks in] WILL Damn. Thanks. [Will continues further down the hallway and enters...] [Detective Joe Kavanaugh is talking to a uniformed officer, Andy Fetz, in the foreground as Will approaches.] KAVANAUGH It’s part of the job. FETZ Now he's here. KAVANAUGH You’re too late, Zimmerman. [Will starts putting on a pair of gloves as he joins them.] WILL Yeah, I was at dinner. KAVANAUGH Well, we got our guy. WILL No kidding? Wow, that's great. Really great. Two of our own, huh? [Kavanaugh gives Will an odd look.] WILL Do their families know? KAVANAUGH It’s covered. WILL As long as I’m here, you mind if I take a look around? KAVANAUGH Sure, whatever. [Will looks around and his mind focuses on some items, including two unmade beds, a picture of Jesus, a chair that has scratched the wooden floor, and a shelf with decorative plates and knick knacks.] WILL A lot of people living in one apartment. Five? KAVANAUGH Four, including the third D.B., an old man. [Will wanders over to the shelf and picks up a nesting doll.] WILL Religious people. Ukrainian or Russian? KAVANAUGH Russian. WILL And just the one kid? KAVANAUGH No, no kids. [Will points to scratches on the floor made by a nearby chair.] WILL Hyperactive. Fidgety. These scratches are pretty fresh. FETZ What the hell's he talking about? KAVANAUGH Yeah, we got the shooter, Zimmerman. He’s at the hospital with one of our eyewitnesses. WILL Huh. [Will moves into bedroom and notices blood on the wall, an unmade bed, an open drawer, the blinds covering the window, and a deadbolt on the door. Will stats poking through the drawers.] KAVANAUGH The guy's a forensic shrink, thinks he's Sherlock Holmes. FETZ I heard the agency gave him the boot. KAVANAUGH Yep, now he's all ours. Better go keep an eye on him. [The detective moves into bedroom as Will wipes a finger along the top of the blinds, then moves to smell the sheets on the bed.] WILL Night sweats. A lot of fear in the air. Borscht too, but mainly fear. KAVANAUGH Gee, maybe it has something to do with the triple homicide. WILL No, I mean before that. Deadbolt on the bedroom door, it locks from the outside. And these shades are never up. But they're not trying to hide their heritage, they’re not illegals, right? KAVANAUGH That’s right. WILL So, what are they hiding? KAVANAUGH But what part of "we got the shooter" don't you understand? WILL I’m thinking there was no shooting. KAVANAUGH I don't need ballistics to recognize the damage of close-range small-calibre, and we got eyewitnesses, or weren't you listening to that part? WILL Couple things don't jibe. Multi-directional cast-off on the walls. It’s from a blunt implement, maybe. Five people in one small apartment. Space is precious, but one drawer's empty? KAVANAUGH I told you, four people. WILL Another drawer's got a comic book hidden under the clothes. KAVANAUGH [exasperated] So what? WILL Well, it's not as if it's porn. Then there's, why were all four adults sleeping in the living room? No, something else is going on here that we haven't accounted for. KAVANAUGH And what the hell's that supposed to mean? WILL I don't know. [The entrance has police tape around it. Will exits building and walks under tape and across the street. He turns back to look at the building. When he looks up he spots someone on the outside walking along to side of building. He follows on street level. We hear a whipping noise and the sound of someone jumping. Will sees Alexi coming down the fire escape of the building across from the apartments.] WILL Hey! Hey kid! [Alexi shoots a panicked glance at Will, scrambles down the fire exit and runs down the alley.] WILL Hey, wait a second! [Will starts to follow Alexi down the alley. He hears a motorcycle and turns back to look just in time to avoid being hit by the motorcycle.] WILL Whoa, hey! [The motorcycle stops at end of alley and the driver, Ashely, looks back at Will for a moment, but then speeds off down another alley. Will starts to walk back down the alley.] WILL This is getting weird. [Will turns as he hears a car. The speeding car hits Will and he rolls on top of hood and roof. When the car stops he rolls back down and falls to the ground. He grabs his elbow in obvious pain. A woman approaches him but his vision is bleary.] HELEN Not the way I’d hoped we'd meet. [Will passes out] [A young boy is laying on ground clutching a jacket. The image is extremely blurry at the edges.] WILL'S MOTHER Will? Stay where you are... [The woman screams and a monster growls. Something grabs Young Will. An unclear monster is seen. Young Will is dragged along the ground.] YOUNG WILL Mother! Ah! Mommy! Ah! [Will wakes with a start. He is laying unattended on a gurney in hallway. Will sits up and sees Oficer Fetz is down the hall, talking with a nurse. Will slides off the gurney and starts walking toward them.] WILL Oh, fuh- Ah. [Fetz sees that Will is up and joins him.] FETZ You okay, Sherlock? We found you out cold. WILL Yeah. A little bit sore. FETZ Let me guess, you got decked by a hyperactive kid. WILL No, somebody uh, coming down the alley clipped me and kept going. FETZ Well, soon as you're up to it, Kavanaugh wants to see you upstairs. Witness ID. [Will turns an starts walking away.] [A car is parked along curb. Helen is sitting in back of it. A door in the background is labelled "Morgue"] HELEN I’ll be a couple of hours. [She exits car.] [A shirtless man is seen sitting in a chair. There is a one-way window along one side of the room. A lady walks by him and goes to the window turns to look back at man. Detective Kavanaugh is on the other side of the window, talking on the phone.] KAVANAUGH [voiceover as camera pushes forward through the window into the observation room on the other side] Yeah, we got our eyewitness right here at the hospital. Yeah, a Mrs. Mitrovna, daughter of vic number one. Absolutely. By the book. I’m looking at our guy right now. Yes, sir. As soon as we get a positive ID, I’ll let you know. Not a word to the press without your say so, I understand. Okay, bye. [Will is limping down hallway toward Kavanaugh] WILL Joe... KAVANAUGH What the hell happened to you? [Will comes through the door into the dimly-lit observation room] WILL Car versus idiot. I was the, uh... KAVANAUGH Right, yeah. Well, bad night all around, I guess, huh? WILL Who’s your man? KAVANAUGH Vern Kovacs. [Kavanaugh hands Will some papers which have mug shots of the shirtless man.] KAVANAUGH Apartment two floors below our crime scene. He’s got a whole list of priors there. Just got paroled after doing a dime for armed robbery, rape, and assault. [Will hands back the papers.] WILL You’d think he'd eliminate the witnesses. I mean, after three, what's the downside? KAVANAUGH Come on. Chances are he wasn't doing a lot of thinking. WILL Do you have a motive? KAVANAUGH Yes, I do. Trying to solve this case. [Ms. Mitrovna approaches from the hallway with Fetz.] KAVANAUGH Ms. Mitrovna, come in. Now, this is Dr. Zimmerman, he is a forensic psychiatrist attached to homicide. WILL I’m very sorry for your loss. KAVANAUGH Now, ma'am, do you see the man who murdered your father and those police officers tonight? [Ms. Mitrovna steps up to window and sees Kovacs.] KAVANAUGH Take your time, because we need you to be sure about this, all right? [Will is studying Ms. Mitrovna, noticing little bits of body language.] MS.MITROVNA He is the one. He killed them. KAVANAUGH You’re certain? MS.MITROVNA His face I could never forget. KAVANAUGH Okay, all right. Well, that's good for now. Um...again... ma'am, my condolences for your loss tonight. Okay? [Kavanaugh looks at Fetz who motions for Ms. Mitrovna to walk with him. FETZ Ma'am. [Ms. Mitrovna walks away and Kavanaugh pulls out his cell phone.] KAVANAUGH Thank you, God. [Kavanaugh dials phone.] WILL Joe, listen to me- WILL Just give me a second. KAVANAUGH [into phone] Tracy, yeah, I need to talk to the DA's office right away. Hey... [Will leaves, frustrated.] [Elevator doors open and Fetz and Ms. Mitrovna get off. They start to walk down the hallway past another elevator. Will gets off the second elevator.] WILL Hey, Fetz. I, uh, I need five minutes with her. [Fetz stops and Will reaches out for Ms. Mitrovna’s arm.] FETZ Later, Doc, I’m taking her home. WILL No, no, now. [Will guides Ms. Mitrovna by the arm down the hallway away from Fetz.] WILL Ms. Mitrovna, I realize that you've been through a lot tonight, but you and I both know that you just lied in there. [They stop in hallway a distance from Fetz] WILL Body language, averting your gaze, hands to your face, rising vocal pitch. You’d never seen that man before in your life, had you? MS.MITROVNA I don't know what you say. WILL And you felt no guilt about it. MS.MITROVNA I do what's right. You leave me alone now. WILL I was at your building tonight when everything happened. I saw a kid coming from your apartment, maybe 10 years old. MS.MITROVNA There is no boy. No. WILL I never said it was a boy. MS.MITROVNA Enough bad thing happen tonight. You leave me alone now. [Fetz starts to walk up to them as Ms. Mitrovna gets more agitated.] WILL Ms. Mitrovna, please- MS.MITROVNA You stop. I go home. [Ms. Mitrovna walks away with Fetz.] [Eleanor pulls a tray of tools out of a cabinet and returns to the autopsy she is about to perform. The double-doors to the morgue open and an aide pulls a gurney in. Another tech is pushing in a second gurney behind him.] CORONER'S AIDE Fresh meat coming through! ELEANOR Subtle. CORONER’S AIDE Russo, Albert and Birch, Lawrence. Two cops, bit it tonight uptown. ELEANOR Yeah, we've been expecting them. Put them in holding. CORONER’S AIDE Got more coming later; EMS says it was a real butcher shop. ELEANOR Aren’t they all these days? [Doors open and Helen enters the lab.] ELEANOR Helen. HELEN Eleanor. CORONER They’re in the cold room. HELEN Thank you. CORONER Lunch next week? HELEN Love to. CORONER I’ll call. [Alexi is running down an alley and stops by a dumpster. Ashley's motorcycle pulls up behind him. Alexi looks around and notices a grate leading to the subway. He looks back at Ashely, who is taking helmet off and getting off her bike. Alexi runs off. Ashley sets her helmet on her motorcycle and grabs a coat before following Alexi on foot.] [Helen is working on the two bodies of the police officers. She removes a bright green object from the forehead of Birch.] [A truck pulls away from a woman as she calls after it.] PROSTITUTE Twenty bucks? I ain't giving it away, pal. [A flash of orange light and a man appears in street. It's Druitt. He looks around and pulls a locket from his pocket. Inside is a picture of a younger, blonde Helen. Off-screen, the prostitute has approached him.] PROSTITUTE Ain’t you a drink of water? [The prostitute approaches Druitt.] PROSTITUTE And I’m kind of thirsty. DRUITT Is that so? PROSITUTE I’m guessing you're looking for a little action yourself. DRUITT In fact, I am looking for something. Perhaps you can help me. PROSTITUTE English, right? I’ve got a thing for the Brits. So polite and all. DRUITT Well, this place, it's rather strange, a sanctuary, and it takes in only the most unusual guests. PROSTITUTE There’s a big old place down by the water, Grayson Street, I think. I’ve heard all kinds of stories, but I never put much stock in ‘em. I’ll take you there, if you like, but it'll cost you extra. DRUITT How very kind of you. [Druitt stabs the prostitute in the stomach.] DRUITT But I think I can find it on my own. [Alexi runs down the sidewalk followed by Ashley. Ashley is folding an umbrella she had been carrying. Everything is drenched from the rain.] [Alexi enters the subway and walks down the tracks. Out of his sight, Ashley enters the subway tunnel and follows him. She tosses her jacket off to the side as she draws her pistol.] [Two police cars and an ambulance are parked at the hospital entrance. It’s raining very hard.] WILL’S VOICE The woman is lying, I’m sure of it. KAVANAUGH I don't know why we bother interviewing eyewitnesses. I mean, you could just come in and you could work that voodoo crap you've been working for the last six months. It’d be great, right? WILL That’s what you think of behavioral science? KAVANAUGH Two cops died tonight. Now, we owe it to these guys to do right by them. WILL Okay, okay. So what happens when forensics comes back and says those weren't bullet holes in their foreheads? KAVANAUGH Well then Kovacs used something else as a weapon. It doesn't change anything. So unless you've got something else; something different... WILL I saw something tonight. In the alley. It was a boy maybe 10 years old. It looked like he was running from the crime scene, so I followed him, and I think the person who knocked me down was following him, too. KAVANAUGH Well, none of the witnesses mentioned a boy. WILL I don't know, there was something about him. It was like... he wasn't just scared. It was like he was in the grip of something. KAVANAUGH Right, so we have eyewitnesses, a suspect with priors, but you, you like a 10-year-old kid as the shooter, is that right? WILL No. I’m just saying, if you find the kid, then you'll know how those three men died tonight. KAVANAUGH Go home, Zimmerman. WILL Why don't you want to hear this? KAVANAUGH [Angry] Because this is... [visibly reigns in his temper] Because this is exactly the same kind of B.S. that got you bounced from the agency. Now, if I were you, I would just back the hell off. [Will walks away. Around the corner Helen is standing. She follows Will as he leaves.] [Will is walking down street holding a paper on his head to protect from the rain. Helen catches up to walk almost beside him.] HELEN The detective is right, by the way. [Will keeps walking.] WILL Excuse me? HELEN He can't use anything you gave him. WILL Do I know you? [Helen slows to a stop.] HELEN How’s your head? [Will stops abruptly and turns to look at Helen.] WILL Wait. You ran me over. HELEN You got in the way. WILL Of what? HELEN My pursuit of the boy. The police have the wrong man. The evidence will bear it out if they don't suppress it for a quick conviction. But the boy is indeed real, and he needs our help. WILL Who are you? HELEN Let’s just say I’m someone who's chosen to embrace the full spectrum of our reality. There are things in this city - in this world - that no one wants to admit are real. WILL Okay, you're creeping me out now. [Will turns to walk away.] HELEN Dr. Zimmerman. [Will stops walking and turns back, startled that Helen knows his name.] HELEN Have you ever asked yourself why you lost your job at the agency? WILL That’s impressive. What did you do, Google me? HELEN Your theories were controversial. You were headstrong. Your so-called failures were really their’s. They failed to keep up with your insights- WILL Lady, I’m getting soaked here. What do you want? HELEN You, Dr. Zimmerman. As I see it, you have two choices. You can go back to a life where you're unheard and unappreciated, or... you can squarely face the truth you've been seeking since you were a child. We both know you caught a glimpse of that truth tonight. Don’t turn away. WILL Who are you? [Helen smiles slightly and hands Will a business card. Camera focuses on card, which reads, "SANCTUARY FOR ALL, DR. HELEN MAGNUS, M.D. D.T.C.X.B."] HELEN I have a proposal. All I ask is for a little of your time. WILL Thanks, but... if you're looking for resumes, why don't you try Monster.com? I already have a job. [Will walks away and Helen watches him go, still smiling.] HELEN Hmm. [Ashley is walking cautiously down the tracks with her gun and flashlight in her hands. A train comes and she pushes up against the wall to avoid it. She gets down and walks down tracks again as soon as the train is gone.] [It is still raining hard.] [Will enters the apartment and throws his keys on counter. He takes off his jacket and places it on the furniture. He grabs a sweat shirt and dries his hair. He walks into the kitchen and grabs a beer out of the refrigerator. A woman approaches behind him.] WILL Ah! God, don't do that. MEG You know I still have a key. WILL Yeah, and you know how I love these surprise visits. What are you doing here, Meg? MEG I heard a couple cops got killed at the precinct tonight. You okay? WILL The usual. Eating badly, sleeping worse. You? MEG Just, you know. Wanted to see if you were all right. And get the rest of my stuff. [Will walks away into the bedroom. Meg follows him and continues to pack her things.] WILL Is that everything? MEG If you find my hair straightener, you can bring it by the I.C.U. WILL Hair straightener. Got it. It’s kind of like returning a high school ring or something. MEG And the last two years of our lives come down to a punch line. WILL That wasn't a... Look, let's not do this, okay? I can't go ten rounds tonight. I just don't have it in me. MEG They still riding you at work? WILL Nothing I can't handle. MEG Don’t take this the wrong way, Will, but you invite the ridicule. WILL Did you get the same invitation? MEG That’s not fair. WILL Come on, Meg, you always thought I was a whack-job too. MEG Look, whatever it is that finally helps you sleep at night... I hope you find it. Goodbye, Will. WILL Meg... [Meg leaves and Will falls back onto the bed, closes his eyes, and sighs heavily.] [There is the sound of a shower running. Will steps up to the mirror and examines the bruises on his shoulder. He pulls the business card from Helen out of the pocket of his jeans and looks at the phone number on the back.] [A car pulls up in front of where Will is waiting on the sidewalk. Will gets in the back of the car and sits next to Helen.] HELEN Good evening. WILL Hi. [Will sees an abnormal face of the driver in the rear-view-mirror, but can't see it clearly. It is Bigfoot.] HELEN So, what made you decide to call? WILL Uh, You said you were pursuing the boy. HELEN Indeed. WILL Why? HELEN I suspect you know why. WILL Uh, no. Honestly, I don't. HELEN Ah... well, then. This will be a very illuminating evening. [The car pulls up to gate in front of a large older building. The driver keys a code and the gate opens. The car pulls inside and the gate is heard closing behind it. An orange flash is seen against the wall of the Sanctuary and Druitt walks by and up to key pad. He laughs and walks toward gate, disappearing in a flash. Druitt reappears as he is thrown to the ground. He laughs, gets up and walks out of view.] [Will is following Helen across the foyer.] HELEN Would you like a cup of tea, Dr. Zimmerman, or perhaps something stronger? WILL Uh, no. No, thanks. I’m good. HELEN You no doubt have questions about this place. WILL Just one. How come there's no organ music? HELEN I’m glad to see you maintain a healthy sense of humor. [Helen is smiling as she sets down her hat and begins to take off her rain coat.] WILL Yeah, well, it's invaluable in police work. Nothing brightens up a murder scene like the right zinger. HELEN Levity helps keep far more insidious things at bay. The boy you saw. He’s very special, or so I was led to believe by people I’ve come to rely on for such information. WILL Did he kill those men? HELEN Yes and no, not the boy per se. [Helen begins walking down a hallway. Will follows.] WILL If the boy did do it, and you have knowledge either way, I need to know. HELEN And if the answers I provide pose even greater questions? WILL I’m willing to take that chance. HELEN Are you certain about that? WILL You know what? Next time that you just want some company, don't give your card out to strangers on the street. HELEN By the time the night is out, I expect to have the boy in my custody. Until then, I hope you'll understand that I’m reluctant to speculate on his guilt or innocence. WILL But you're saying that you can find him? HELEN I believe so. And when I do, I could use your help. WILL Really? For what? You call this place a sanctuary. For whom? HELEN Or what. WILL [bitter laugh] Ah, you know what? This was a really bad idea. I’m very sorry to have wasted your time, and I’m even sorrier that you've wasted mine. [Will turns and walks away but turns back when Helen begins to speak.] HELEN Your instincts told you that the boy was anything but normal. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here. Inside these walls are beings that make his qualities pale by comparison. "Sanctuary for all" is not an empty motto. [Two police officers walk along checking the subway tunnel.] FIRST OFFICER Damn sector gives me the willies, man. SECOND OFFICER No one likes working under old city. Place is toxic. FIRST OFFICER Rent’s cheap, though. Hold it. [First Officer sees Alexi crouched on top of an electrical box.] FIRST OFFICER What the hell you doing down here, kid? Look, wherever you ran from, this place is worse, okay? So let's go. [Alexi shakes his head no.] FIRST OFFICER That wasn't a request, kid. ASHLEY I wouldn't do that if I were you. [Ashley is standing behind them. As they turn, she kicks the first officer and hits the second one. She knocks them both out. When she turns back, Alexi is gone.] ASHLEY Peachy. [Helen and Will are in a freight elevator.] WILL So you're a doctor of what, exactly? HELEN The specific discipline depends entirely on the patient. WILL Do you have anything for chronic insomnia? HELEN Fair warning, Dr. Zimmerman, you’re about to leave the world you know behind. [The elevator stops and Helen exits.] WILL I’ll take that as a no. [Will remains standing in the elevator. Helen turns back to him] HELEN This way. [Will catches up to where Helen is waiting, then they continue walking.] HELEN I specialize mainly in cryptozoology and xenobiology. Teratology, too, when the need arises. WILL Teratology, what the hell’s that? [Helen and Will are walking side by side. Helen stops and a strange animal noise is heard and Will turns back to look at her with a shocked look.] HELEN Welcome to the sanctuary. [A multilevel room is revealed with many rooms and monitors that can be lowered from high above. Will moves forward and looks around the room. He stops and looks back at Helen.] HELEN Please. [Helen motions him to follow. She leads him to a large window. The room behind the window is filled with water and a being swims toward the window.] WILL A mermaid, you got to be kidding me?. HELEN Teratology, from the Greek "teratos" meaning "deformity, hideous creature, unknown being." WILL How is this even possible? [They move to the next window where a lizard-man takes shelter behind some large rocks and a tree.] HELEN He’s a little frightened of strangers. WILL He’s frightened? What the hell is that? HELEN His classification is of less importance than the simple reality of his existence. I discovered him after his natural habitat was destroyed by a South American mining operation. Sadly, he may be the last of his species. WILL Oh, my God. [Will moves to the next window. It’s dark inside the enclosure. Suddenly fire streams toward window.] WILL Whoa! [Will jumps back as Helen catches his elbow briefly and then steps forward toward the enclosure.] HELEN [to creature] Come, now, don't be shy. [to Will] Elemental powers can be very difficult to control, but we have been making progress. The purpose of this sanctuary is to find and help the unfortunate creatures of this world. Some need saving, others can't be allowed to roam free. Case in point... TWO-FACED MAN, NICE FACE New guy... new guy! Welcome! [Two-Faced Man flips around to show his other side.] TWO-FACED MAN, UGLY FACE Watch your back! HELEN [to Tw0-Faced Man] Stop it, both of you! [to Will] I apologize. They’re incorrigible. Nature is nothing if not diverse. [Will and Helen continue walking past windows each with more abnormals.] HELEN The patients on this level are kept in cells mainly for their own well-being. For others it's a refuge of last resort. WILL What, you mean some come here, what, voluntarily? Does that mean that others are... [A fairy like creature distracts Will as it flies overhead.] HELEN Running free? Absolutely. This isn't a zoo, and it's certainly not a prison. WILL Yeah, but some of these things, they look dangerous as hell. HELEN We have a dual obligation: to study the miraculous, and to protect against the perilous. WILL Yeah, but... the dangerous ones, what’s the point of even keeping them? HELEN Every creature expands our knowledge. We learn from the deadly as well as the benign. WILL How many more are there? HELEN Hmm...many. [Helen turns and walks away.] [Helen and Will enter a living area.] WILL So I’m guessing few people have seen what I’ve just seen. HELEN Very few. WILL How do you keep a secret this big? HELEN Very carefully. The survival of my patients depends on it. Please. [Helen motions for Will to sit. As Will walks to a couch, another door opens and Big Foot enters carrying a tea service tray. Will starts badly when he sees Bigfoot.] WILL Whoa! HELEN It’s all right. It’s all right... he's just as unnerved by you. He’s been relatively isolated since I first treated him. [Big Foot serves Helen a cup of tea] HELEN Thank you. [Big Foot offers a cup of tea to Will.] WILL I...uh... [clears throat] No. [Big Foot shrugs and then leaves the room, nodding to Helen as he closes the door.] WILL That... thing is your patient? HELEN Former patient actually; after I removed more than a few bullets from him, he refused to leave. So I gave him a position on my staff. I’m not sure he'd appreciate you calling him a thing. WILL Why me? HELEN Because, Dr. Zimmerman, I believe there's a vital role for you to play here. WILL By helping you capture monsters? HELEN We prefer to call them abnormals. The most important thing is that my patients have a place where they can feel safe. Where we can help them, learn from them. WILL My head's kind of doing the backstroke. Are you offering me a job here? HELEN I’m offering you a chance to explore a world that you've been trying to understand on your own, with very little success. [Will laughs incredulously.] HELEN You find my offer amusing? WILL No, it's not that. It’s just... HELEN You’re afraid. WILL You work with monsters! HELEN I work with sentient beings, each worthy of the same respect that humans, even animals, receive automatically. These creatures are the key to the evolution of our race, past and future, and yet we revile them, destroy them. And worst of all, pretend they don't even exist. But they are out there, Dr. Zimmerman. Lost, like the child you saw tonight. Misunderstood, hunted... and they need our help, your help. WILL [sighs] I- I still don't understand why you would come to me. HELEN Because I need someone who can see beyond the surface, see the world as it really is. WILL I, I profile criminals, not monsters. [Helen laughs] HELEN You can't see the irony in that statement? WILL You know what I mean. HELEN You are a student of the human animal. You see things, you read things in behavior that, that I believe cut across the variations of outward form. Where others see stubbornness and failure, I see great potential. Good doctors come and go, but the great ones have always seen beyond the boundaries of science, beyond the known. The great ones dare to believe in the unbelievable. [A buzzing is heard and Helen gets up and walks over to desk where she picks up a cell phone. She received a text which reads, "NUMBER 4 LINE, TUNNEL 5, NOW. –A"] HELEN We’ve found our boy. [The police that Ashley roughed up are being treated by EMTs. Helen and Will enter and observe the scene from a distance.] WILL What happened to those guys, the boy again? HELEN Seeing as they're alive, I doubt it. I have my theories. [Helen moves off and Will follows. They enter and another area.] WILL What I still don't understand is, who tipped you off that the boy was down here? ASHLEY I did. I’ve been tracking the little dweeb all night. WILL Who the hell are you? ASHLEY Who the hell are you? HELEN You said you had him. ASHLEY I did, until the circus arrived. HELEN Still, roughing up two policemen. ASHLEY They were going to get themselves killed. [Will hears a noise coming from a large crate.] WILL Uh, guys? [Both women pull out guns and Will walks up to crate. Alexi is hiding inside. Will stands in front of the crate.] WILL It’s okay. [The snake-like appendage darts toward Will. Ashley tackles Will to the ground, rolling and comes up taking aim at the boy.] HELEN Don’t! We need him alive! [Helen walks in front of crate.] HELEN [to Alexi] We want to help you. [Helen lowers her gun and Ashley comes over with her gun still drawn to stand next to Helen.] HELEN Do you understand me? We’re not going to hurt you, I promise. [The boy comes out of crate and stands before them. The appendage is still waving about dangerously.] HELEN That’s it. [The appendage strikes out to bite Ashley in the shoulder.] WILL Hey, hey, hey! Over here. Over here... yeah, that's it. [Will draws the boys attention away from Helen and Ashley.] WILL That’s it... nice and easy. [to Helen and Ashley] Any time... [Helen shoots the boy with a tranquilizer dart and he collapses.] WILL [to Ashley] You okay? ASHLEY Yeah, I’m fine. HELEN This chaos was completely avoidable. ASHLEY These tunnels reek and I need a bath. I don't need a lecture. WILL Seriously, who are you? HELEN Dr. Zimmerman, this is Ashley. My daughter. ASHLEY [voiceover] Ugh. I get it, alright? [Helen is stitching up Ashley’s shoulder while Will holds an ice pack to his head.] ASHLEY Ow! Mom, take it easy. HELEN All I’m saying is that we could have better coordinated our efforts. ASHLEY Again, we got the ghoul, okay? Take a pill. HELEN I apologize for Ashley’s unruly behavior, Dr. Zimmerman. What she lacks in refinement, I assure you she makes up for in her field skills. WILL Really? ASHLEY Somebody saved your life tonight. [gasps in mock surprise] Oh, wait! That was me. HELEN Hold still. WILL So I take it you guys, uh, do this a lot? ASHLEY Oh, this is nothing. Hey, Mom, do you remember the summer I turned 18? We do an entire den of werewolves. You know, as in bag and capture? Sedate and catalogue? It wasn't just me, Mom was there, too, and a few nervous locals, one who seriously looked like Adrian Brody. HELEN Ashley... ASHLEY Mom, you thought he was hot too. HELEN Dr. Zimmerman is our guest. Please bear that in mind as you blather away. ASHLEY Anyway, we were low on silver tips, full moon's on the rise- WILL [disbelieving] You’re making this up. ASHLEY [confused] You got the tour, right? WILL Yeah, but... HELEN There we are, darling, good as new. ASHLEY Thank you. Hate to bleed and run, but I got to be on the eastside in twenty. HELEN For what reason? ASHLEY Sylvio has some fabulous new product for me. Top of the line Kevlar, prototype hollow-points, digital fuses... HELEN Actually, I’d prefer it if you stayed in this evening. ASHLEY What do you mean? Why? HELEN There’s been some fluctuations in the EM shield. I’m sure it's nothing, but just to be on the safe side. ASHLEY But this won't take an hour, and I promise I’ll grind him down on the price. We buy in bulk, we save a ton. HELEN We’re Sylvio's best customers. His amazing deals aren't going anywhere, believe me. It’s been a long night, Ashley please. ASHLEY Mom, come on! I’m just... [Helen gives Ashley a look of rapidly diminishing patience.] ASHLEY Okay, Facebook it is. [to Will] Nice to meet you, uh, keep the ice going. [Ashley leaves the room.] WILL So she's your daughter? What, did you have her when you were, like, 12? HELEN Very flattering. WILL Adopted? HELEN The details are unimportant. Ashley is my flesh and blood, and she plays a vital role in my work. WILL She bags 'em, you tag 'em. HELEN Something like that, but I find it's what happens afterwards that matters the most. [Alexi is strapped to a chair, but the appendage is still waving about. Helen and Will are in another room above looking at the boy through an observation window.] WILL What is that? HELEN Massive genetic mutation creating a symbiotic appendage. WILL Well, whatever it is, it helped him clear twenty feet across an alley earlier tonight. HELEN Probably its most benign use. Such imperfect children are often adopted by well-meaning immigrant families. Some are blind. Others have deformities, mental illness. I’m sure he seemed perfectly normal in his photograph, if they even saw one. WILL What do you intend to do with him? HELEN I’ll determine his physiological treatment, but we have no hope of truly helping him until we gain his trust. WILL Wait... is this why... No. There's nothing in my training that even begins to apply to a patient like this. HELEN Your training can't help you here as much as your intuition can. WILL Th-this is insane. I can't do this. HELEN What’s more terrifying to you, Dr. Zimmerman? That frightened, confused boy down there or the possibility that you lack the courage to help him? Tell me, what do you see when you look at him? WILL Body language is... agitated, though he's given us no trouble since he woke up. In fact, the only hostile thing in that room is that... thing. HELEN Then see beyond it. See the boy. If you can do that, then you can help him. If not, then so be it. I’ll simply admit that I was wrong about you. [Will turns to look down at Alexi.] HELEN I’ll leave it to you. [Will gives Helen an irritated but acquiescing look, then exits. Helen watches him go with a tentative smile.] [Will and Big Foot enter the room where Alexi is.] WILL Release him. Please. Trust me. [Using a remote Big Foot releases the straps holding Alexi to the chair. Alexi stands up. Bigfoot puts out an arm to stop Will when Will tries to approach Alexi.] WILL [to Bigfoot] It’s okay. It’s okay. [to Alexi] How you doing? You want to sit down? [Henry enters the observation room where Helen is still watching Will, Bigfoot and Alexi in the room below.] HENRY Kind of harsh for a job interview, don't ya think? HELEN Thank you for your opinion, Henry. HENRY I’m just saying it's a newbie all alone with the new arrival- HELEN Whom he helped capture. HENRY Yeah, sure, he might pull it off. You know, even a blind squirrel can find a nut. Or is it monkeys and bananas? I can never remember. HELEN Do you have what I asked for? HENRY Yeah. The analysis of the goop you took from the cops' frontal lobes? Check. [Henry hands Helen a computer tablet he carried in with him. It shows a representation of the globe. Helen touches a control and the image begins tracking and zooming in.] HENRY Not many places you're going to find radiation traces that pure, mostly former soviet republics. But if you match up the mineral traces in the plutonium sample to known mining operations in each possible location... [The image on the computer finishes zooming in and shows the result of the search.] HELEN Chernobyl. HENRY Only city in the world with more personal Geiger Counters than clocks. HELEN Many of the survivors of this disaster moved on and had children. HENRY Yeah, if you can call them that. HELEN [irritated] Your sensitivity is breathtaking. HENRY The kid sucks brains! Not that I’m being judgmental. HELEN Is there anything else? HENRY Ah no, not really. A working girl was found murdered behind a warehouse down near circle square about four hours ago. HELEN Murdered how? HENRY Just your typical old school stabbing; no one saw anything, cops are clueless, as usual. HELEN Send me what you have. HENRY [startled] Really, we care about this? I mean, it's very sad, but- HELEN Send it to me. HENRY Okay, fine. All right, I’ll transfer the CCTV footage from that part of town to the central network, which, by the way, is still fluxing like a bitch. Did you get the request I sent for those upgrades? HELEN We’ll talk about it. HENRY Okay, fine. By the way, if there's a cleanup on aisle 2, I don't want to know about it. [Henry exits.] [Ashley is standing in the hallway waiting for the elevator. The doors open and Henry gets off as Ashley gets on. Ashley is wearing her riding jacket and has her motorcycle helmet under her arm.] HENRY I thought your mom grounded you. ASHLEY She did. I’m just going out to get some, uh... feminine products. HENRY Yeah, feminine like a crate of Uzis? ASHLEY Dude, you want me to get us some toys or what? HENRY Hey, I never saw you. ASHLEY [laughing] Atta boy. [Will is holding a chair in front of himself and the snake-like appendage is striking the chair while trying to attack Will.] WILL Whoa, woah, hey! Woah, woah! Time out a second! Time out! Time out, everyone just calm down. [The appendage withdraws slightly, still waving menacingly. Will lowers the chair out from in front of his face but does not set it down.] WILL You think that's supposed to scare me, huh? Well, let me tell you something, you see this guy here? He scares me a hell of a lot more than you do. [to Bigfoot] No offence. [to everyone] All right, let's just calm down, all right? [to Bigfoot] Will you give us some space here? [Big Foot moves back and stands in doorway.] WILL It’s okay. It’s okay... just relax... [The appendage wraps itself around Alexi's torso and Alexi is visibly calmer.] WILL okay, how come you're not trying to eat my brain anymore? I think I’m getting the hang of things here. The less I’m scared of you, the less you want to snack on my cerebellum? Okay... I’m just going to put this down. [Will sets the chair on the ground in front of him.] WILL Do you have a name? ALEXI Alexei. WILL My name's Will. [Will moves around to sit in the chair.] WILL You want to tell me how this all started? ALEXEI I lived in Kiev with parents. They told me I was not safe, that if people found out about me, I would be taken away. Family adopt me, bring me here, but they not like me. Not after... [Alexi falls silent and looks down at the appendage wrapped around him.] WILL Wasn’t the kind of reception you were hoping for, huh? ALEXEI They were afraid. I tried to stop it, but only more fear comes. WILL So the more fear, the more it comes out? [Alexei nods.] WILL And you can't control it. It’s a defense mechanism... with a mind of its own. ALEXEI It is not my fault. I not want to kill. WILL No, you just want to be safe. Listen to me, Alexei. Feeling safe is something we all need. That is nothing to be ashamed of. All right you’re no different than anybody else. ALEXEI You don't fear me? WILL No. HELEN [smiling slightly] Magnificent. [Helen is on her computer, looking at a note from Henry that reads, "HI MAGNUS, HERE'S THE STUFF YOU ASKED FOR, A VIDEO THE COPS RELEASED FROM THE AREA WHERE THE PROSTITUTE WAS KILLED. HENRY." The image slideshow is of Druitt and the sight visibly alarms Helen and she checks on the security systems of the sanctuary.] [A van door opens and Sylvio pulls some large guns from inside and turns to show them to Ashley.] SLYVIO A brain-sucking anaconda living in his intestinal tract... ugh. Sorry I missed it. AHSLEY Can we just get down to business? SLYVIO Come on, now, baby girl, we're just talking shop. ASHLEY Sylvio, please. Right now you're giving yourself an ice cream headache trying to figure out how much that kid is worth on the open market. SYLVIO Just my greedy, baseline personality. ASHLEY Well, you want to work with us; you play by our rules. You know that. SYLVIO Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I’m down with the whole protect and study thing, okay? Peace, love, and incense- [A spiked metal ball strikes Sylvio in the chest. Ashley draws her gun and takes shelter behind some office furniture. Druitt is in the background, holding another spiked ball.] DRUITT Do I have your attention? [Ashley takes several shots at Druitt. Druitt ducks behind a wooden crate.] ASHLEY Sylvio, are you okay? SYLVIO Been better. [Ashley crosses over and crouches down next to Sylvio, still keeping her eyes and gun focused on where Druitt had disappeared.] SYLVIO Gun. [Ashley hands her pistol to Sylvio and grabs him under the arms to drag him. Sylvio keeps the gun trained on Druitt's last location.] AHSLEY Let's go. [Sylvio groans in pain as Ashley hauls him to the furniture she had taken cover behind.] SYLVIO Stings like a son of a bitch. [Sylvio gives her back her gun.] SYLVIO Anyone we know? AHSLEY Can’t tell yet. SYLVIO I’ll be fine. Go. ASHLEY You sure? SYLVIO Ash, I got to scream like a girl now. I don't need witnesses. AHSLEY Okay, understood. [Ashley pats Sylvio's shin and moves cautiously in Druitt's direction. Sylvio pulls the spike out and moans in pain.] [Will is just coming through a door to the roof. Helen is standing on the ledge, looking out over Old City.] WILL Magnus? Don't do it. You've got your whole life ahead of you. HELEN If only you knew. WILL Aren't you a little cold? HELEN Opinion seems to be divided. Care to join me? WILL Uh...I'm not usually so good with heights, but...what the heck. [Will uses a pole to pull himself up on the ledge next to Helen. He doesn't let go of the pole.] WILL Wow, that is quite a view. HELEN I come here to reflect, particularly when I can't sleep. WILL I'm guessing that happens a lot. HELEN You're finding all this too much, aren't you? WILL I don't know. I think I’m handling the whole world-turned-upside-down thing pretty well. HELEN But you're having a hard time accepting it. WILL If you were me, wouldn't you? HELEN I was you. A long time ago. WILL All this is extraordinary. It's beyond extraordinary. It’s just...it's not my world. I'm having a little difficulty wrapping my head around it. HELEN This wasn't an impulse on my part. I've known this was your destiny since you first came to my attention. WILL Yeah, since you knocked me down in an alley. HELEN Since you were eight years old, actually... when you told the world a monster killed your mother. WILL How'd you know about that? HELEN Not that anyone believed you. From then on you were the odd one. The strange child who saw monsters lurking in every shadow. The boy who cried wolf, until the fear and mockery became too much and you recanted. You couldn't possibly have seen what you did. You must have imagined it. But you didn't imagine it and that trauma spurred a lifelong commitment to the study of the mind. You became obsessed with perception. You published papers on how easily we mistake illusion for reality. WILL [dawning realization] It was real. What I saw was real. HELEN The life you've built is the only way you could make sense of what happened to you, Will. WILL How can you expect me to help these creatures when one of them...one of them took everything from me? HELEN Only you can answer that. WILL You knew. You knew how this would affect me. HELEN It's your choice, Will. In the end, it's a massive leap of faith. [Helen falls silent and Will stands for a moment before letting go of the pole and turning to face Old City.] [Ashley is walking through the warehouse. Crates are stacked up high on racks all around her. She sees that Druitt is no longer hiding in the place she had seen him duck into.] ASHLEY Come out, you son of a bitch. [Druitt suddenly appears from behind a stack of crates near Ashley.] DRUITT You seem very angry. [Ashley turns and fires two shots at him but he easily avoids them and disappears behind the crates again. He is nowhere to be seen when Ashley rounds the crates a moment later.] AHSLEY What the hell? DRUITT Is it because of your friend? [Ashley whirls around to see Druitt is now standing on the top of one of the racks. He ducks out of sight before Ashley can get a shot off.] ASHLEY I don't like people getting spiked on my watch. DRUITT He hardly seems worthy of your concern. [Druitt is standing behind her. She quickly turns and shoots but misses him as he moves behind another of the racks. Ashley immediately follows, but he is gone again. Ashley is visibly frustrated and rattled. Druitt stands up from behind a crate.] DRUITT Perhaps I should just give myself up. [Ashley sees him and runs toward him while shooting and shouting.] ASHLEY Funny, you don't strike me as a quitter! [She’s missed again and Druitt has disappeared from that spot. He reappears in a flash behind her. She turns with a surprised yell as he grabs her gun hand and turns the gun toward her. Druitt then takes the gun from her hand and looks at it, keeping a grip on her hand.] DRUITT That’s a nasty toy for someone your age. [He releases her hand and backs a few feet away from her.] AHSLEY It’s a present from my mom. [Druitt flips the gun around and offers it grip-first to Ashley.] DRUITT Then you'd better have it back. [Ashley grabs the gun but Druitt doesn't let go. He raises the gun so that it is pointing at his forehead and then releases it. Just as Ashley pulls the trigger, Druitt knocks her hand to the side. The gun goes off several more times as Ashley struggles for control of it. They break apart and stand facing each other. Ashley is gasping quietly for breath while Druitt seems calm and composed.] DRUITT You’re thinking, "Who is he? What is he? How will I bring him down?" [Ashley raises the gun to point it at him again as he walks forward toward her.] ASHLEY Actually, just focused on your old man breath. That is some nasty bridgework, dude. [Druitt grabs the gun again as she fires and holds her aim harmlessly at the ceiling.] DRUITT Ill manners do not become you, my dear. [Once again he lowers the gun so that it is pointing at his forehead and releases it. Ashley pulls the trigger, but the gun is out of bullets. Ashley lowers her aim to the ground before dropping the gun and circling around Druitt.] ASHLEY All right, enough of this. Let's get it on. [Ashley takes a swing at Druitt. The man deflects the swing and several punches and kicks then strikes Ashley in the face. The punch causes her to take a step back before she takes the offensive again. Druitt deflects her blows and hits her in the face again, grabbing her wrist and levering her forward so that she is bent over at an odd angle.] DRUITT You have decent technique. Completely lacking in discipline, but impressive enough. [Druitt pushes her away as he lets her stand up. Ashley stumbles away, out of breath. Druitt is still calm, collected, and not breathing hard.] ASHLEY Okay. Who are you? DRUITT Just someone new in town. Beyond that, I wouldn't want to be the one to spoil the surprise. [Ashley continues to hold herself in a fighting stance.] DRUITT Now...it's time you learned to respect your elders! [Druitt moves forward and kicks Ashley in the chest, knocking her to the ground. She doesn't get up.] [Helen walks past the window and the mermaid is up near the glass. She stops and walks over to the glass. The mermaid has placed her hand on the window and Helen places her hand on glass over it. Helen appears to be listening mentally to the mermaid.] HELEN Yes, the shield is working. If it's him, we're safe. Actually, I’m not afraid of him harming me, more of what he may do to others, what he may have already done. If the truth were to come out, the consequences would be devastating. [Ashley gets up from ground. She has several cuts on her face and is moving much more slowly than she was before, still breathing hard.] ASHLEY Okay. I grudgingly admit you've got some game. DRUITT I’ve been following your exploits for quite some time. You’re a very intrepid duo, you and your mother. Protect the innocent, study the bizarre, the inexplicable. ASHLEY Listen to rants from violent weirdos. DRUITT [smiling slightly] Hazardous work indeed. SYLVIO Hey, buddy... [Druitt jerks as Sylvio shoots him with taser darts, thin wires trailing back to the stun gun in his hand.] SYLVIO Nobody spikes my van. [Sylvio presses the trigger send volts through the gun, electricity arcing between the darts in Druitt's back.] DRUITT [smiling and singing] Only the chosen left alive, immortals all, the holy five. SLYVIO Shut up. [Sylvio pulls the trigger again and Druitt slowly collapses. Ashley is still doubled over an gasping.] ASHLEY Thanks buddy. SYLVIO Now, he's got to be worth something. [A van is pulling up along the building and stops.] HENRY I’m just saying that if you took the van every now and then instead of your bike, I wouldn't have to do retrievals in the middle of the night. ASHLEY Well, Henry, the only vans I ride have Lord Poseidon airbrushed on the side. [Ashley and Henry get out of the van and move to the back of it.] HENRY What? ASHLEY Vans are for losers, I like my bike. [Ashley and Henry open the doors on the back of the van. Druitt is unconscious and strapped to a gurney in the back.] HENRY Nice. Now, see, he looks harmless enough. ASHLEY He took 10,000 volts plus a triple tranq. HENRY So he's going to have a serious migraine whenever he does wake up. [Henry and Ashley get inside van and start to remove the straps holding the gurney to the floor of the van. Druitt’s hands are zip tied together in front of him.] HENRY So, what do you think his thing is? ASHLEY I don't know, leave that to mom. All I know is he was a serious handful. Ask Sylvio. HENRY Sylvio's a baby. He whined all the way to Dr. Lin's. A few special herbs and spices, he'll be fine. [They have finished releasing the gurney and Ashley moves to get out of van and Henry follows.] ASHLEY Whatever. Process the ghoul. Let mom know. Me, I am hitting the showers. HENRY Okay, cool. Hey, where do you want him? Gen pop. or the SHU? I mean, he's going to be asleep for, like, two days. ASHLEY The SHU. Definitely maximum security for this guy. [Henry pushes the gurney into a room and cuts the zip tie. He turns to leave.] HENRY Okay, well, enjoy your stay. [Druitt smoothly rolls up off the gurney behind Henry.] DRUITT I plan to. [Henry turns with a stun gun toward the man but Druitt easily disarms him.] HENRY Ah! Crap. [Henry raises his arms. Druitt pushes him forward and they exit the holding cell.] HENRY Seriously, dude, you're on, like, nine different security cameras right now. There's no way you're getting out of here. DRUITT Oh, I have no intention of leaving. Now...what section are we in? It seems so welcoming. [The man moves to a barred window.] HENRY It’s where we keep the bad things. DRUITT Mmm. HENRY The worst of the worst. [The man taps on the window and an odd sound is heard from the other side of window.] DRUITT Mm, I like the sound of that. [While Druitt's back is turned, Henry makes a move toward a wall that has security controls. Druitt raises the gun and aims it at Henry without bothering to turn around.] DRUITT That’ll do. [Henry stops quickly and turns around raising his hands again. The man whistles as if calling a dog and points next to him. Henry walks next to him. Druitt reaches out and Henry ducks but Druitt harmlessly places his arm around Henry’s shoulders.] DRUITT Please...show me around. HENRY Yeah. [They start walking and go into the multi-level room with the creatures but continue walking. They round the corner into Henry’s work area.] DRUITT This is it? HENRY Yes, but all security measures can be remotely reactivated so really there's no point in- [The man pushes Henry with the gun into a chair in front of a computer.] HENRY Wow, okay, we're cool. DRUITT This facility is protected by an energy field, is it not? HENRY It’s a modified EM bubble, protects outside interference from jamming devices. DRUITT Is that what she told you it was for? Clever girl. HENRY What is it for? DRUITT Me. Shut it down. HENRY Wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense. How- [Druitt aims the gun at Henry.] DRUITT Shut it down. [Henry types in some commands into the computer.] HENRY Okay. Done. DRUITT Thank you. You've been very helpful. [Druitt shoots Henry with the stun gun and places the gun on a work table as he leaves.] [Ashley is cleaning up a cut on her face.] HELEN Ashley... [Helen enters her room.] ASHLEY I know, you told me to stay in. HELEN Where were you tonight? What happened? ASHLEY Nothing major. [Helen takes the gauze from Ashley and starts to clean her wound.] ASHLEY Sylvio and I ran into a bit of trouble. HELEN Trouble? ASHLEY Some super-fast psychopathic dude. [Helen stops cleaning wound and listens intently clearly alarmed.] ASHLEY Nothing we couldn't handle. HELEN How fast? ASHLEY Pretty hot moves for a tall guy. He had a great accent, too, kind of like yours only, uh, more evil. [Helen turns quickly and starts to run out of room.] HELEN Stay here and I mean here. ASHLEY Relax, Henry put him in the SHU. We're fine. [Helen stops in doorway and turns back.] HELEN No, we're not! [Helen runs off and Ashley rushes to follow her.] ASHLEY Mom... [Will is walking by and hears Henry groaning. He rushes to Henry.] WILL Henry...What happened? [A hand grabs Will’s shoulder. It is Bigfoot.] [Helen rushes in and goes directly to computer. Ashley follows her in.] ASHLEY Mom, why are you freaking out? HELEN Grab what weapons you can. We'll need them. ASHLEY No, not until you tell me why this ghoul is such a problem. HELEN Because he'll kill us both! He allowed himself to be captured by you, I'm certain of it. We may only have moments before- [Helen and Ashley turn toward the sound of Druitt teleporting into the room. Helen raise a gun and points it at him.] ASHLEY Bloody hell! DRUITT Hello, Helen. HELEN [whispered] John... DRUITT Wonderful to see you again. ASHLEY You know this ghoul? [Druitt begins walking slowly toward Helen and Ashley.] DRUITT Oh...your mother and I go way back. [An orange flash of light and Druitt disappears. He reappears behind Ashley and twists her arm up behind her back, using her as a sheild between himself and Helen.] HELEN John, don't! This is about you and me, not her. DRUITT For the moment. You have no idea what it's been like... alone, wandering this godforsaken world, wanting only peace. A fragment of what we had. What I lost... HELEN You have nothing to gain by harming her. Or me. ASHLEY Mom, shoot him! DRUITT Shall we drop the pretence? You know exactly why I’ve come and what I want. It's all within reach, everything I’ve ever wanted. And you're going to give it to me, or she will die. ASHLEY Mom! [Ashley and Druitt disappear. Helen runs to the computer and starts scanning the security screens, visibly shaken and eyes watering.] HELEN Oh, bloody hell... [Ashley and Druitt appear.] ASHLEY Please don't do this. DRUITT I don't know much about your mother's pets, but... I would imagine staying very still would be advisable. [Druitt kisses the top of her head and then disappears, leaving Ashley alone with the cell’s occupant. It appears to be a large lizard-like creature with enormous teeth and it's very difficult to see through the tropical foliage and darkness. Ashley tries to look everywhere all at once in an attempt to spot it.] [Helen is frantically scanning security footage, trying to locate Ashely and Druitt.] DRUITT Ah, I knew him well. [Druitt has reappeared behind her and is holding up a small skull in a position reminiscent of a scene from Hamlet. Helen turns and aims her gun at him.] HELEN Where is she? [Druitt continues to ponder the skull.] HELEN Where is she?!? [Druitt puts down the glass dust cover that had been protecting the skull and starts to wander around the room.] DRUITT I’d tell you she was safe, but I’d be lying. No, your scruffy little helper mentioned something about where the worst of the worst are kept. HELEN You bastard. DRUITT Oh, no doubt she helped capture whatever is in there and they can reminisce. HELEN Threatening her- [Druitt sets the skull on the fireplace mantle.] DRUITT Is my only option, Helen. I can hardly threaten you. Using one of your own precious creatures as the blunt instrument... Some of my best work, I think. [Helen stops aiming at Druitt and starts to leave room.] DRUITT I’ll get there first. [Helen stops and turns to Druitt, wide-eyed.] DRUITT And just put her someplace more dangerous. [Helen slowly walks back toward the desk.] DRUITT I don't want her to die, Helen, but that is exactly what will happen if you test my resolve. HELEN There’s only one reason you would have taken this risk, to risk her. Because you have to. You're dying, aren't you? DRUITT We’re all dying. It simply comes down to survival, and I intend to do whatever is necessary to ensure mine. HELEN Even if it means killing her? DRUITT Her life is in your hands, Helen. I don't think you want to lose her over something as easily accessible as your own blood. [Druitt walks over to stand close in front of Helen, smiling softly.] DRUITT You saved my life once before. You can do it again. HELEN I can help you, John, and not by prolonging this nightmare. I can find a cure. DRUITT She clearly doesn't know. HELEN How could I possibly tell her? DRUITT She must have asked how she came by her killer instincts. HELEN She thinks her father's dead. [Druitt swallows hard in anger and glares at Helen.] DRUITT I wonder how she'd feel to learn the truth. HELEN Your mind is poisoned, John, through no fault of your own. JOHN Helen Magnus, friend to nature's abominations and enemy of common sense! Your blood, Helen! [Druitt looks over Helen’s shoulder at the security monitor.] JOHN Oh, time is growing short. [Helen turns and walks back toward security monitor and computer. She taps in a command.] [Bigfoot, Will and Henry are jogging through as the monitors lower from above.] WILL Okay, so I’m guessing that's not normal. [The monitors are showing the security footage of the cell with Ashley and the creature. Bigfoot growls angrily.] [Ashley jumps up and hangs from a pipe high on the wall, trying to kick out a colored filter over a large lightbulb. The creature pulls her down and claws her. Ashley falls face-down on the floor. Bigfoot, Will and Henry enter the cell. Bigfoot engages the creature.] WILL Find Magnus! [Henry leaves and Will goes to Ashley. He turns her over and sees several lacerations and a large amount of blood all over her throat.] WILL Ashley...Ashley, we're going to get you out of here, okay? [Bigfoot loses the struggle with the creature and the creature moves toward Will. Will looks up and sees the loose light cover above Ashley and focuses on a nearby pole before looking back at the approaching creature.] [Helen takes out a small wooden box and opens it. There are vials of blood inside it. She fills a syringe with the blood and hands the syringe to Druitt.] DRUITT How can I be sure? HELEN It’s mine. Centrifuged, pure. [Druitt injects the blood into his arm.] DRUITT Thank you, Helen. You won't regret it. HELEN I’m sorry I can't say the same for you. [Druitt begins to look ill and he starts flashing.] HELEN Forgive me, John. DRUITT [pained] The Five, the others...will come. [Druitt disappears and Helen runs out of room.] [Will dislodges pole and thrusts it toward creature.] WILL Ha! [When that is ineffective he hits the filter with the pole, knocking the cover loose light comes streaming in. The creature shrieks and backs away into the darkness. Will tries to pull Ashley up by the arm. Ashley moans in pain.] WILL Come on we got to go. We got to go. [The cell door opens and Helen and Henry rush in.] WILL Stay in the light! [Helen is pointing a gun at the creature while she rushes to aide Will with Ashley. Henry goes to help Bigfoot.] HELEN I’ve got her, I’ve got her. [Helen takes Ashley and Will goes to help Henry with Bigfoot. They exit the cell and Helen presses the controls to close the cell door. Henry and Will have gotten Bigfoot onto a gurney.] HENRY Dude, are you nuts? WILL It’s a distinct possibility. [They all limp away from the cell, Henry and Will pushing Bigfoot's gurney.] [Will is walking down hallway with flowers in his hand as Ashley comes out of one of the rooms.] ASHLEY Hey, Will. WILL Hey...Wow...How you feeling? ASHLEY Fine, it just...broke the skin. So I wanted to say that, uh...I might've underestimated you. A little. Saving my life...was good. WILL Yeah, well...any time. ASHLEY So, we'll see you around? WILL Honestly, I don't know. ASHLEY You know, my mom can be pretty dark and weird, but she's good at this. [Will nods slightly and starts to turn away, stopping when Ashley speaks again.] ASHLEY And if those are for the big guy, he's allergic. [Ashley turns and starts off down the hallway.] WILL Thanks. [Will turns and places the flowers in a pot at the end of the hall as he leaves.] [Will is sitting next to Bigfoot’s bed. Bigfoot appears to be unconscious.] WILL Two days ago, you were the stuff of nightmares. After my mom was killed, I, uh... I was terrified... of things that I didn't understand, things that I- I couldn't understand. But now...now. Maybe there is no such thing as a monster. Forget it. Just get better, all right? [Will gets up to leave.] BIGFOOT Will... WILL Did you just... [Will moves back to Big Foot’s bedside. Big Foot grabs his coat and pulls him down.] BIGFOOT It isn't true. WILL W- What? What's not true? BIGFOOT There is such a thing as monsters. [Helen is working at her desk as Will walks in.] HELEN Leaving Dr. Zimmerman? How unfortunate. WILL What you've built here, and the research that you've done... Thirty minutes in that library, and I got to the bottom of questions I didn't even have the sense to ask. Some of the most confounding cases I'd ever worked on were suddenly crystal clear. [Will sits in chair opposite Helen’s desk.] HELEN And yet you're ready to walk away. WILL Just...just hear me out, please. You invited me here because you said I was a truth-seeker, just like you. But I know you've withheld things from me. HELEN What things, Will? [Young Will is being dragged on the ground by a monster. Next he is being held and comforted by Helen.] HELEN It’s all right. You're safe now. WILL You were there, weren't you? HELEN She was an extraordinarily brave woman. She died protecting you from that creature. WILL You could have stopped it! Done something! HELEN We tried, Will. I swear to you, we tried. It all happened so quickly, we barely had time to rescue you. WILL You couldn't have been more than, what, 14 15 at the time? Teenage monster hunter? I don't think so. And then there's your recent guest, Druitt. Turns out that a John Druitt was one of Scotland Yard's prime suspects in the Ripper Case in the 1880s. HELEN Yes, he was my first patient. WILL Which means... either one or both of you can travel through time, either that or you're more than- HELEN I am 157 years old. [Will sighs heavily and drops his head onto the back of the chair, staring at the ceiling for a moment before looking back at Helen.] WILL How is any of this possible? HELEN When you work at the frontiers of science for as long as I have, the rewards and curses are...unexpected. WILL My God...you treated one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. HELEN He wasn't always that. He was dying. I gave him my blood to prolong his life, but it all went wrong. MOLLY Lonely tonight, gentlemen? [Two men walk by a prostitute. The prostitute continues down the alley.] DRUITT Still at it, Molly? MOLLY Oh...Mr. Druitt, you frightened me. No rest for the gifted, you know that. DRUITT Indeed I do. [Druitt walks out from the darkness to Molly.] MOLLY You shouldn't be in the habit of jumping out at the ladies these days, what with all the troubles. DRUITT What was I thinking? Forgive me. [Druitt is carrying a cane. As he walks he is holding the cane behind his back and starts to pull out a concealed blade from the cane.] HELEN John! This ends here. [Druitt pushes the blade back into the cane. A blonde Helen is several yards behind him. He walks over to Molly and stands beside her.] DRUITT Helen, what a lovely surprise. Molly, I would like you to meet my fiancée. Or, should I say, former fiancée, Helen Magnus. Doctor Helen Magnus. MOLLY Doctor? I'm pleased to meet you, ma'am. Well...I'll be on my way. [As Molly starts to leave, Druitt grabs her arm and pulls her back to him.] DRUITT Stay. I insist. HELEN John, let me help you before you make things worse. DRUITT And how is that possible? I've already murdered, what, seven whores? How could one more make the slightest difference? MOLLY Murdered? [Druitt grabs Molly and pulls her back to him while bringing the knife to her throat. His hand covers her mouth.] DRUITT What more have I to lose? HELEN Your power's driving you mad, John. I can help. DRUITT My power is all I have left. [Helen raises a revolver and aims it at him.] HELEN Let her go. DRUITT As the lady wishes. [Druitt removes his hand from over Molly’s mouth. He appears to be letting her go when he suddenly slits her throat. Helen fires the gun as Druitt disappears in a flash.] HELEN I’ve spent all the intervening years trying to undo that mistake. WILL He was more than your patient, wasn't he? [Helen looks uncomfortable and glances down at her hands. Will looks shocked as all the pieces fall into place.] WILL Ashley... HELEN I kept the embryo frozen for over a century, until I could bear the loneliness no longer. I brought it to term believing John was gone for good. I underestimated his determination. WILL Okay, here's the deal. If we're going to work together, the first rule, the only rule, is that you're straight up with me. HELEN I’ve just trusted you with my deepest, darkest secret. WILL I know, it's just...I just know that I've spent a lifetime living a lie and I can't do it anymore. HELEN I understand. WILL No, I’m serious. You open this place up to me, every monster, every room, everything that crawls, flies, teleports. If I’m going to be of any use to you I've got a... I got a lot of catching up to do. HELEN To say the least. WILL You know, I was hoping that at least you would be normal. HELEN Sorry to disappoint. Is there anything else? WILL Is there a health plan? HELEN No, but I can promise you the adventure of many, many lifetimes. Shall we begin?
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