VIRAL - The Screenplay I Wrote

[Imagineer_V]

Hi everyone! You may have seen a couple posts where I mentioned the movie that I wrote. This thread is for this movie that I wrote during a class with 3 other people. I have plans to send it into studios to see if they want this to become a reality. In this thread I will post the screenplay of course, but maybe also do some more fun things as well.

Here is some background about the movie before I share it.

This movie takes place in an alternate universe where there was once a deadly virus (similar to COVID-19). Eventually, this virus started to change from a real disease to something more interesting. It started giving people superpowers! Additionally, this society is led by what is now a very oppressive government that loves controlling people. The movie centers around 3 teenagers, and you will have to read to find out more!

DISCLAIMER - Parts of this movie do include swears and other PG-13 content. I have removed the swears, but please be advised. Also, please know that this is not to be a conspiracy of Coronavirus. It is a very deadly disease that should be taken seriously.

Alright onto the fun! Enjoy reading the movie! Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on this whole thing. Please do not take credit for or steal this work. The screenplay is protected under copyright law. I am trying to gather ideas for a sequel and have a whole bunch of ideas of fun things to do with this. For example, having a mini event where people can create their own characters. Another thing I might try to do is create concepts of the characters of this screenplay.

[Imagineer_V]

I tried organizing this as best as I could.

Pretitle Sequence

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY (SIXTEEN YEARS AGO)
The sounds of monitors beeping can be heard before we fade into a shot from behind of MAYA’s DAD and another AGENT looking through a one-way window at a delivery room. Maya’s Dad and Agent are both wearing bright colored business suits: Maya’s Dad in purple and Agent in magenta. The shot remains on their backs without seeing their faces, with various NURSES and DOCTORS in masks seen through the window.

AGENT: Remember: we’re not seeing this.
MAYA’S DAD: What else is new?
AGENT: It’s a shame she couldn’t have held out for our hospital. You don’t want your kid to get “infected” by these common folk, do you?
MAYA’S DAD: Don’t joke about that. You don’t know who can hear you.
AGENT: Boy or girl?
MAYA’S DAD: Girl.
AGENT: Any sign of… anything… in utero?
MAYA’S DAD: We don’t go in for all this testing. She might as well wait for her
Screening. We had to do it, and it’ll give her character-- at least, so my wife in there tells me. Anyway, we’ll know soon enough. Either way, we’ll… do the right thing.
AGENT: Sure. Sure.

INT. DELIVERY ROOM - DAY (SIXTEEN YEARS AGO)
MAYA’s MOM is on a bed, heaving with an oxygen mask over her
face. At her feet, ready to catch the baby, is a MASKED DOCTOR, who gives Maya’s Mom directions.

MASKED DOCTOR: One more push. Here she comes!

Maya’s Mom screams in effort, and then her screams stop and BABY MAYA’s screams can be heard.

MASKED DOCTOR: A perfectly healthy baby girl. Now, let’s keep her that way…

MASKED DOCTOR puts a tiny baby-sized cloth mask over BABY MAYA’s face, muffling her newborn cries.

CUT TO TITLE: “VIRAL”

Post Title Scene (10 years later)

EXT. BACKYARD OF ALAINA - DUSK (SIX YEARS AGO)

The day fades as a teenage BABYSITTER and 10-year-old LITTLE ALAINA chase each other with fake light sabers in a cluttered backyard, re-creating the pivotal scene from the end of the film. It is clear that both young people are Empire Strikes Back so caught up in their role play that they have forgotten to clean up the debris of earlier scenes of their outdoor game/movie re-creation, and may even continue playing long after Alaina’s bedtime at this rate. There are vestiges of the ice-planet Hoth, Yoda’s swampy home on Dagobah, and Cloud City’s exteriors-- but all made with cardboard boxes and various items of trash. The trash is odd, mainly of a styrofoam-like material that seems both retro and futuristic at the same time. On the street, there are no telephone poles, no satellite dishes, no cars-- and the streets themselves are dirt, though the kids’ clothing is modern: BABYSITTER is dressed in tan jeans and (the same shade of) tan long-sleeved shirt, though also wears a white cape fashioned out of a bed sheet. Little Alaina is dressed in (the same shade of) tan pajamas. Little Alaina has barely fit her scrawny legs into big black boots and walks around clumsily in them. However, the most conspicuous thing about both characters is that both wear Darth Vader-style helmets-- Babysitter wears a white helmet and Little Alaina wears a black helmet. Little Alaina mocks slicing off Babysitter’s hand, and Babysitter drops the light saber.

BABYSITTER: (self-consciously but still playing) No! Ahhhh!
LITTLE ALAINA: (really getting into the part) Join me in my rebellion. This is your
only chance to be yourself, to be who you were called to be.
BABYSITTER: I will never betray the Empire. There is no one and nothing else that I am called to be. You’re a traitor, and you need help, you selfish brat.
LITTLE ALAINA: It is you who are betraying yourself, old man. If only you knew the truth… about your son.
BABYSITTER: My son is nothing like you-- because he is now in a better place. I was told that my son got help as soon as he showed signs of infection…
LITTLE ALAINA: The infection also flows through you, does it not?
BABYSITTER: Never. I am no rebel scum. I have been Screened in the days of my own youth-- and have the scars of both mind and body to prove it. Every time I feel them, I know that I am free of infection. That is why I serve the Empire so well.
LITTLE ALAINA: Those Screenings betrayed you… and me… of our true power.
BABYSITTER: Such “power” is only the sickness in you talking. I am not infected! Never!
LITTLE ALAINA: You are and so, therefore, am I… you have passed on The Virus to me… your son!
BABYSITTER: No! Lies!
LITTLE ALAINA: You know it to be true, Father. Join me, join the rebellion, and we will infect the galaxy!
BABYSITTER: Never! You will be quarantined, and all like you.
LITTLE ALAINA: Take off your mask, Father, and behold your son.
BABYSITTER: No! You will never get away with this!

Little Alaina removes helmet, revealing a human face with an odd tan line above the level of the nose. Babysitter suddenly breaks character, and turns away, covering helmet eyes with hands, looking around the neighborhood in panic. Luckily, no one is around.

BABYSITTER: Dude! Alaina, you actually took your mask off.
LITTLE ALAINA: (covering hands over nose/mouth) Oh, no!
BABYSITTER: It’s OK, it’s OK, no one saw.

Babysitter removes white helmet, revealing a mask covering his face. The mask is beautifully designed in a mosaic pattern with white “tile cracks” over a pale blue background. Babysitter quickly grabs Little Alaina’s mask out of the black helmet and hands it to her, all while remaining turned away so as not to see Little Alaina’s exposed mouth and nose. Very quickly, but carefully, Little Alaina puts on a mask that is decorated like a butterfly flapping its wings.

LITTLE ALAINA: (putting mask on) You did! You saw!
BABYSITTER: Hey, dude. I’m your babysitter.
LITTLE ALAINA: This is so weird-- since my dad–
BABYSITTER: It’s OK. At least it wasn’t… One time, my babysitter walked in on me in
the bathroom.
LITTLE ALAINA: All right, but… was your babysitter a boy or a girl?
BABYSITTER: A girl. Slight pause as the embarrassment factor settles in.
LITTLE ALAINA: Whoa… But, still, that is so totally different. Your babysitter saw you on the toilet, in your house-- no big deal. You saw my… (whisper) …my mouth. On the street! In public! Do you think I got infected?
BABYSITTER: No way. I was the only one near enough
to you… (beat; false smile) No way.

Little Alaina is still clearly distraught, and collapses to the grass. Babysitter sits down next to her, debating just how to handle this: with sincerity or with silliness. Eventually…

BABYSITTER: Come on, Alaina-- show me your top face.

Little Alaina slowly raises her head and looks at BABYSITTER.

BABYSITTER: Do we have to… sing the song?
LITTLE ALAINA: No. Not right now.
BABYSITTER: No? Not sing The Anthem, when an elder instructs you to? Aren’t you getting too much into character, you rebel scum?
LITTLE ALAINA: (smirking, despite herself) OK.
LITTLE ALAINA AND BABYSITTER: (like a twisted version of the “Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share” song, punctuated with little salutes) “Do the right thing: every day, enjoy your task… Do the right thing: every minute, wear a mask… Do the right thing: always cover your bottom face… Do the right thing: every second, every place!”
BABYSITTER: You feel better?
LITTLE ALAINA: You always know how to bring me back.
BABYSITTER: (putting helmet back on) “The Empire will be here, waiting for you… always.”
LITTLE ALAINA: Before bed, can we at least do the part where I put my mask back on, right before I die? (back in character, as if struggling for breath) “Father, please, don’t let me die with my mask off…”
BABYSITTER: (back in character too) “I knew you always had the Empire in your heart, my son.” (looking at fading sunlight) No, but, seriously, you’ve got to go to bed, and we’ve got to clean this up before your mom gets home and reports both of us.

Little Alaina and Babysitter tear down their crafted set masterpieces with relish, and dispose of them in large trash bins.

LITTLE ALAINA: OK… I guess so. This is all so childish, anyway.
BABYSITTER: (amused) Is it?
LITTLE ALAINA: Yeah, it’s such a guy flick. I’m not really that into it. I’m just glad I could help distract you from The Screening tomorrow.
BABYSITTER: (stopping task, with serious look) Yeah… until you mention it just now.
LITTLE ALAINA: Are you scared?
BABYSITTER: (resuming work, nervously) You have to trust that you’ll fit into the mold when you’re not even… solid yet.
LITTLE ALAINA: Talk about role reversal, “Dad.”
BABYSITTER: Get inside, “Junior.” And brush your teeth with the door closed.

A wider God shot shows the two young people in the yard and A WOMAN IN A BRIGHT YELLOW BUSINESS SUIT passing the house.

LITTLE ALAINA: (looking around nervously, making sure WOMAN did not hear) Don’t. Don’t even joke about it again.
BABYSITTER: Sorry.
LITTLE ALAINA: Thanks for… thanks.
BABYSITTER: Thanks for your thanks.

Little Alaina pretends to punch Babysitter in the jaw with her fist, but he very theatrically slo-mo dives away. (This is something they’ve done for years; to them, it’s their sign of friendship.) Then they wave their middle fingers at each other in a friendly way. (In this world, that’s the equivalent of waving “hello.”) Babysitter finishes cleaning up and, in the fading light, oddly becomes translucent. As he reaches for the black helmet, Babysitter’s hand-- the same hand that was “sliced off” earlier-- becomes liquescent, and pours into the helmet, as if Jello fitting a mold. Babysitter shakes the helmet off and concentrates with all his power to somehow make his hand solid and hand-like again. Babysitter looks around very nervously. Then, with determination, Babysitter throws the black helmet in the trash, dumps the rest of the “sets” on it for good measure, and heads on inside to tuck Little Alaina in with a forced smile on his face.

CUT TO: “SIX YEARS LATER”

Start of School Day (6 years later)

EXT. OUTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL - MORNING (PRESENT DAY)

We see a long, long line of STUDENTS with identical tan satchels at least two meters apart, all wearing something like medical scrubs in the same dull tan color, waiting to be “scanned” for the school day ahead by a small team of administrators, headed by PRINCIPAL, who wears a business suit of a bright red color. Students greet each other by flipping the bird. Every now and then, STRANGE PEOPLE (later revealed to be AGENTS) in bright-color official outfits are visible, but no one acknowledges them or even shows any sign of being aware of their presence.

Each student is scanned for appropriate mask and dress code. A phonograph-like device plays a scratchy version of “elevator music” that sounds both synthesized and out-of-date: The tune is a “remix” of “Do the Right Thing,” the song that Little Alaina and Babysitter were singing earlier. Among the many students in line are: A 16-year-old ALAINA who still has on a variant of the butterfly-flapping-its-wings pattern mask, 16-year-old DWAYNE who wears a mask with a depiction of a solid rock on each side, and 16-year-old MAYA, who wears a dark blue mask with geometric designs somewhat like blueprints and stands next to 17-year-old BECKY. BECKY wears a ridiculously-hot-pink mask, but with subtle, barely noticeable swirls.

Principal continues looking over students and their masks upon entering the school building in a mechanical way. PRINCIPAL stops, however, when CLEAR-MASKED BOY approaches in line, and waves him towards her with only her middle finger. CLEAR-MASKED BOY always has his hands in his pockets, with head cast down, looking guilty.

PRINCIPAL: Excuse me, son. You know the rules. Do the right thing.
CLEAR-MASKED BOY: It’s still in dress code. Y’know, just like your pants-suit.

A collective gasp among all the other STUDENTS in line.

BECKY: What are you talking about, dude? The principal, Glorious Mrs. Stern, is wearing the same thing we are.

PRINCIPAL: (signals to an AGENT in the background in a suit) Do I need to have you Screened early right now? Are you hallucinating? Usually, we don’t have to deal with that type of symptom in freshmen.
CLEAR-MASKED BOY: No, no… I guess not. I must just be sleepy. (monotone) Do the Right Thing.
STUDENTS: (monotone) Do the Right Thing.
PRINCIPAL: Listen, I don’t want to be the one to tell you this, but… I can see the color of your lips under that mask.

STUDENTS IN LINE giggle.

PRINCIPAL: If this is your way of getting attention… well, you got it. Regardless, I’m sure your parents don’t want you to have that reputation. Shall I send the report to them?
CLEAR-MASKED BOY: (eyes wide) No, ma’am.
PRINCIPAL: I assume you have a back-up mask, per the Recta Sapere regulations?

CLEAR-MASKED BOY removes a mask with a solid tan pattern with the principal’s face embroidered on it.

PRINCIPAL: That’s what I thought. Now, go in the maskroom and do the right thing. CLEAR-MASKED BOY: I’m sorry, ma’am. It won’t happen again.
PRINCIPAL: I know it won’t. (softer) Listen, let me tell you: there are better ways to get a girl’s attention, son.

CLEAR-MASKED BOY heads off, sullenly, into a room marked “Maskroom-- one at a time-- spritz before you splits-- DO THE RIGHT THING.”

The long line of students-- including Dwayne, Becky & Maya, and Alaina-- all get scanned, and head in to school. Principal oversees the students filing past, but gives covert hand signals to the Agents as the four named students pass her.

BEGIN POST-SCANNING MONTAGE.

Students filter into classrooms while the “Do the Right Thing” remix plays on old fashioned loudspeakers. Almost normal shots of masked students going through the socially distanced hallways. There is the bustle of usual hallway murmuring-- though most of it consists of students reminding each other of the rules. Students flip the bird to each other as they approach their classrooms, ready to begin another day of high school.

END POST-SCANNING MONTAGE.

History Class

INT. HISTORY CLASSROOM - LATE MORNING
The light in the classroom is stark and sterile. The windowless classroom is very, very large with tall ceilings due to Recta Sapere social distancing requirements: each desk is 3 meters apart, bolted down firmly to the floor, as is each chair. Each desk also features a small “satchel holder” for students’ (identical) tan satchels.

A HISTORY TEACHER in her late 40s in bright orange business suit lectures the class, including ALAINA and CLEAR-MASKED BOY. At the edge of the room stands an AGENT in a bright blue outfit. Everyone is well-conditioned to ignore the agent, but every now and then the Teacher gives covert hand signals. The camera tracks from the hallway through the classroom door and focuses on Alaina, seated one row from the back-- one row from the standing Agent and next to Clear-Masked Boy. Alaina continually adjusts herself in her seat.

HISTORY TEACHER: Last week in the mail you should have received the government-approved monthly History Text. Now, student-historians, we have not broken the seal of our texts yet, have we?

Clear-Masked Boy, sitting next to Alaina and now wearing the solid tan mask with the Principal’s face embroidered on it, looks in his satchel and discovers that he already broke the seal. His eyes widen and he sheepishly returns the text to his satchel, but still joins in the others with…

STUDENTS (monotone): No, ma’am. We do the right thing.
HISTORY TEACHER: Excellent. In a moment, you may break the seal. You’re going to love this month’s government-approved history text! Once you break the seal, you’ll get quite a surprise-- just a smidgen of pink chalk dust will cover your fingertips. I so love the new safety protocols, don’t you?

Alaina attempts to take her book out of her satchel, but it keeps on slipping through her fingers. With an extreme amount of willpower-- such that we saw from Babysitter earlier-- she grabs it firmly and brings it up to her desk.

Meanwhile, Clear-Masked Boy loses his cool and starts hyperventilating, so much so that his Principal mask puffs in and out with his breathing. He starts sweating profusely, and takes a hand out of his pocket to wipe his brow-- however, as he broke the seal of his text recently, he smears pink chalk dust over his forehead. Alaina catches sight of this, but quickly averts her eyes back to History Teacher. Clear-Masked Boy attempts to wipe the dust off on his pants, but very covertly so as to escape detection.

HISTORY TEACHER: Now, this chalk dust will come off in twelve hours or so, but…(noticing CLEAR-MASKED BOY)
Is there something on your head?
CLEAR-MASKED BOY: No.
HISTORY TEACHER:
I must be coming down with something…
(signaling AGENT)
It seems to be going around.

Students ignore Agent stealthily charging through the aisles and taking hold of Clear Masked Boy, who struggles considerably and starts screaming out other students’ names for help. History Teacher talks over this. Alaina is visibly struggling to stay in her seat, as she is now so close to the Agent. In effect, she has been squatting this whole time, in a seated position not on the seat but slightly above it, and now her legs start to tremble slightly.

HISTORY TEACHER (loud and falsely cheerful, over the scuffle and the screaming): I see it’s time for another impromptu History lesson! You might have heard about a time long ago-- maybe your grandparents have told you about it-- even before a dinosaur like me was born…

History Teacher and Students force themselves to issue subdued laughter.

HISTORY TEACHER: …back when they actually thought The Virus would end, citizens used to “see” all sorts of strange sights. For example, they might one day, in a History classroom like this one, see someone in a bright blue suit fighting with a delinquent youth in front of their very eyes. No. Nowadays, we know that such a hallucination is the first sign of infection and must be reported immediately. Can anyone imagine something like that happening today?

None of the students dare respond. Alaina gets whacked in the arm by the scuffle, but doesn’t even flinch as she nearly falls through the chair, but steadies herself and replies with the rest of the class…

STUDENTS (ad lib but still monotone): No, ma’am. How utterly ridiculous.

Agent by this point has restrained Clear-Masked Boy and drags him by the legs out of the classroom door. The boy grabs on to the door frame, begging to return, but is yanked out firmly with one pull. History Teacher, without missing a beat, closes the door.

Cafeteria/"Lunch"

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA - LATE MORNING
The cafeteria is huge, but there are no tables, just an exceptionally long and spiraling “lunch line.” STUDENTS wait in this slow-moving line, flipping each other off as they assemble on dots on the floor 2 meters apart, for their “lunch,” which is actually an ultrasound injection of nutrients in the middle of their school day.

BECKY, a wannabe popular girl who claims to only hang out with MAYA because she pities her and has been friends with her since elementary school, is ranting, as usual, about her boyfriend drama. Maya deals with this, as usual, with silent nods and an occasional comment, though gets more assertive when the topic is herself.

BECKY: So, then, Daryl was like, “Don’t you all take your masks off in the locker room, though?” and I was like-- (looking at the choices ahead in the line)
Blue and green are the only colors left today-- ugh!
MAYA: I don’t mind blue, actually. Purple is rancid, though.
BECKY: (smirking) So, Daryl was telling me… you and Steve? What’s going on there?
MAYA: Steve? No… just, no.
BECKY: Have you held hands yet?
MAYA: Let’s not talk about this.
BECKY: Come on-- you’re almost a junior. You have The Screening, like, next week-- after that, you’ll be practically an adult. Have you even brushed fingers with a boy yet? I don’t even like Daryl most days, and we’re Frenchholding now when his parents aren’t home.
MAYA: Ewww… Please, I’m about to get my lunch.
BECKY: I’m just worried about you. I mean, you’re the type of girl that would get desperate and show a boy her nostril or something.
MAYA: OK, that’s going too far.
BECKY: That’s my point. Before you drop your mask for the first guy that says hi to you in college, you need to just go out with a random guy in high school you don’t really care about. You know, like me and Daryl. We met at our Screening-- he was so cute in his black robes. Daryl and I really comforted each other and he put the bandages on the burns on my lower back. He still–
MAYA: I think I’ve reached my Daryl limit for the day.

Maya and Becky reach the “LUNCH LADY,” who wears a tan mask and offers out two ultrasound injectors: one has blue nutrients and the other has green nutrients.

“LUNCH LADY”: OK, kid: blue or green?
BECKY: You don’t have any chartreuse?
“LUNCH LADY”: It all goes in just the same, honey.
BECKY: (rolling up sleeve and gulping) …Green.

“LUNCH LADY” ultrasound-injects Becky, who seems to get a jolt of energy and is now ready for her afternoon classes…

Gym Class

INT. GYM CLASS - AFTERNOON
The set-up looks like a normal gymnasium, but there are no dodgeballs or basketball hoops: just a big open space with dots on the floor indicating different “workout stations.” As AGENT TEAL patrols, STUDENTS IN GYM UNIFORMS including DWAYNE are doing reps at different machines, and then GYM TEACHER, mid-60s, wearing muscle-themed mask, blows a whistle and students all proceed to sanitize each workout station before moving clockwise to the next station.

GYM TEACHER: Okay, ladies and gents, spritzies now. Spritzies, spritzies! At least twenty-five seconds.

Dwayne struggles even with the sanitizing and drops his sanitizing bottle.

GYM TEACHER: Dwayne! You dropped the spritzies! Now drop and give me twenty.

Dwayne struggles with two push-ups.

GYM TEACHER: Class! Class, enough with the spritzies. I want everyone to shame Dwayne here into completing eighteen more push-ups.

Students surround Dwayne on the floor-- from a safe distance-- in complete silence.

GYM TEACHER: I don’t hear the shaming!

Students and even Gym Teacher start calling Dwayne “Weakling” and other taunts as Dwayne struggles with completing his fifth push-up. Dwayne has had enough. Dwayne collapses on the floor. Bell rings, and the class is over.

GYM TEACHER: All right, class. That’s a day.
(to DWAYNE)
Don’t forget to spritzies when you’re done being a loser… Loser.

All the Students and Gym Teacher leave, some sarcastically flipping the bird as they exit (as in, “See ya later, loser”) as Dwayne stays prone on the floor. Agent Teal eventually leaves, turning off the lights upon exit.

Dwayne tries to do just one more push-up, to show himself if nobody else what he’s got. He over-exerts himself as sweat falls off his face and his muscles tense.

Suddenly, Dwayne pushes up from the floor-- and doesn’t stop there. He pushes himself up all the way to the ceiling and crashes into it, causing a small chip as dust comes raining down. Dwayne lands perfectly on the ground in a stereotypical action-hero pose, ready for combat.

DWAYNE: Whoa… Freakin’ epic.

Then, he realizes what just happened and falls over again, looking around nervously to see if anyone is around. (They aren’t.)

DWAYNE: (feeling forehead) What’s happening to me?

Another bell rings, meaning that Dwayne is now late for his next class. He runs out of the gym frantically.

Architecture Class

INT. ARCHITECTURE CLASS - MID-AFTERNOON
The same bell rings in MAYA’s classroom, filled with ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS, ready and eager for their monotonous lesson. Elderly ARCHITECTURE TEACHER and bright-green-suited and green-masked AGENT GREEN, aged 23, are the only ones standing, and are the only ones-- outside of Maya-- to realize just how incredibly dull this class is. Architecture Teacher greets the class by flipping them all off.

ARCHITECTURE TEACHER: (while flipping the bird, unenthusiastically) Good afternoon, everyone. (dullest voice imaginable) I have an exciting announcement (reading from a sheet) “Attention Students: Our glorious government is offering an opportunity to design a real government-approved building to any Architecture student who properly completes tracing seventy-thousand perfectly straight lines. These skills are utterly essential to government work, and your name will actually appear on the building… (much softer voice) …'s blueprints.”

Students dive in to the task and begin tracing line after line after line with single pencils on white sheets of paper. Maya looks incredibly stunned by the drudgery of this task, but then her face reveals she has a fun idea.

Maya gets several pencils from her satchel and then grabs a handful of them and drags them all down a page to make something like half a dozen straight lines at once. Agent Green patrols the aisles, looking with scorn at her Maya’s “originality.”

Maya looks up, shocked, and then the pencils go flying out of her hand, accidentally hitting some of her fellow students. One is flung up to the Architecture Teacher.

ARCHITECTURE TEACHER: Is everything okay, Maya?
MAYA: (flustered) Yeah… yeah. Just dropped my pencil… s.
ARCHITECTURE TEACHER: The government is happy you are doing the right thing.
MAYA: Yeah… so-- so am I.

Maya scraps her original tracing and then commences to make her own blueprint, glancing over her shoulder every now and then at Agent Green. Agent Green catches this blueprint design in progress, and his eyes reveal his scorn and jealousy as he hones in on Maya and stands uncomfortably close behind her. Maya quickly hides her blueprint under the tracing paper and resumes the tracing with her hand.

INTERCUT WITH HISTORY TEACHER’S CLASSROOM AND ALSO SHOTS OF
ALAINA IN A NEW CLASSROOM, REMAINING COMPLETELY STOIC.

HISTORY TEACHER (V.O.) (delivered falteringly, as if she’s trying to convince herself of the veracity of this)
In the early days of The Virus, people thought that you could control it and contain it enough to make it go away. Now, we realize with the improvements of our government scientists that The Virus will always be a part of humanity. This isn’t like the movies-- The Virus is not passed from parent to child but mainly through respiration or bodily contact. That’s why we must always be vigilant, every day since this Virus started hundreds of years ago. Every once in a while, The Virus will strike, usually appearing by the time you are this age. With the government’s help, though, even the infected may return to society after a period of quarantine.

Around the time that History Teacher gets to “This isn’t like the movies,” Agent Green and Architecture Teacher give each other covert signals.

BACK TO SCENE
The final bell rings. Architecture Students file out, discussing how many thousands and hundreds of lines they have to trace now. Architecture Teacher holds up a hand to Maya, signaling her to stay in the classroom. Maya is utterly freaked out, and knows that she’s been caught. Architecture Teacher then shuffles out the room slowly, leaving Maya and Agent behind.

AGENT GREEN: You blew it, kid.
MAYA: (looking away) No. No, I-- you’re not here.
AGENT GREEN: Grow up. Just come with me.
MAYA: I… (looking at AGENT GREEN for first time) …I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. What will my parents think?
AGENT GREEN: We’ve been watching you. Just come with us-- it’s what your parents want for you. They’d be very disappointed in your behavior lately. That thing, with making the spaceship in a bottle last week? While it was impressive–
MAYA: Thanks!.. I guess. I couldn’t get those rocket boosters in the glass at first.
AGENT GREEN: We know. We were there. Now, do you want to mind yourself out the door, or do you want to do it the old-fashioned way, kicking and screaming like that Clear-Masked Boy?
MAYA: (with twisted delight) I’ll mind myself, thank you very much.
AGENT GREEN: Ha. Let’s see what you’ve got.

Maya moves herself a few inches off the ground, so that she appears to be sliding on the floor.

AGENT GREEN: Not bad. But, let me show you what I can do with them.

Agent Green uses mind powers, which he can borrow from Maya, to turn Maya upside down and push her out the door.

MAYA: Yeah… this is cooler.
AGENT GREEN: Just a little more practice, and you can get there. Do you want to try?
MAYA: Sure!

Agent Green turns Maya around so that Maya’s upright. Maya attempts to turn herself upside down, but struggles with it. Agent Green laughs.

AGENT GREEN: All right-- well, I’ll take it from: here, I guess.
MAYA: Can I try again? Can I have my powers back?
AGENT GREEN: Nah, that’ s OK.

Agent Green borrows Maya’s powers again and turns her upside down and begins pushing her out the door frame.

AGENT GREEN: Just pretend to struggle so you don’t stand out, OK?
MAYA: (pretending to struggle, but with more than a little real fear) OK… Oh, no! What’s happening? I must be hallucinating.

Agent Green and Maya exit the room, Maya upside down the whole time. Agent Green takes Maya’s blueprints before he leaves the room. Agent Green keeps Maya close to him, as his borrowing of powers diminishes at a greater distance.

[Imagineer_V]

Dwayne's House

INT. DWAYNE’S KITCHEN - EVENING
Dwayne’s kitchen/dining room area is gross: the furniture and appliances are all dilapidated. Everything is spaced out: the sink is an extreme distance from the fridge which is an extreme distance from the stove, etc.

DWAYNE’S DAD is busy preparing dinner, which is a low-class task as most of the society is now able to afford ultrasound injectors. He performs the tasks of boiling lobster and oysters with stoicism. DWAYNE passes through the kitchen on his way to the stairs.

DWAYNE’S DAD: (flipping off DWAYNE) How was school today? Did you show 'em in gym class, or what?

Dwayne pounds his feet upstairs to his room, ignoring Dad with a shrug and a grunt.

INT. DWAYNE’S BEDROOM - EVENING
Dwayne’s room is covered with pictures of body builders. A bench press is in the corner, but covered with dust. (Tiny lizard-sized footprints can be seen in the dust.) The weights on the press are ridiculously light, but it’s clear that Dwayne gave up long ago.
In the other corner is a lizard in a cage. Dwayne’s younger sister MARGARET is feeding bugs to Dwayne’s “pet lizard,” Bruce. Bruce has a cute tiny lizard-sized mask that Margaret has pulled off so that it dangles around Bruce’s head.

DWAYNE: Margaret! What are you doing in my room?
MARGARET: Come on-I just wanted to see what it looked like if he ate. Dad said it was mine too.
DWAYNE: (taking over Bruce duties, fixing its mask, rubbing its stomach, etc.)
OK, no. I found him, so he’s mine.
MARGARET: Why should Bruce get fancy ultrasound injectors when we still have to eat grody food like lobster every single day?
DWAYNE: Because he gets only the baby dose injector. How many credits is that a month, baby sister?
MARGARET: It doesn’t matter how much it is. Without it, we could all have injectors, Dwayne. I don’t care what Mom promised you-- I am dying at school. I’m the only girl in my grade who still has to… use a toilet. They’ve renamed the girls’ room “Maggie’s Room.”
DWAYNE: Well, since you actually fed him, now you have to clean up after him. Bruce hasn’t pooped in… two… months.
MARGARET: Why do I have to do that?
DWAYNE: I thought it was yours too, Margaret. (smirks)

TRACKING SHOT TO KITCHEN

DWAYNE’s DAD is still preparing the lobster and oysters as he is revealed as we follow MARGARET and DWAYNE from bedroom downstairs into the kitchen area.

MARGARET: I could still kick your butt in a fight.
DWAYNE: Not after… You’re right, Maggie. I’m… a weakling. A complete weakling compared to you.
MARGARET: Dad, what’s for dinner? Let me guess…
MARGARET AND DWAYNE’S DAD: Lobster.
MARGARET: Come on-can’t we have grilled cheese or something?
DWAYNE’S DAD: The government store has what it has. We don’t have a say.
MARGARET: All right, I guess. Can I have…
DWAYNE’S DAD: Hold on. Before we get the screens up, we need to wait for Mom. Tonight she has a late shift.
DWAYNE: Sanitation crew?
DWAYNE’S DAD: No, that was last night. Tonight she’s on-call for Disinfection. She’s got to shower after, so we don’t have too mu–
DWAYNE’S MOM: (entering house, dropping stuff in exhaustion) OK… twenty-seven more nights of this, and we can afford two ultrasound injectors.
MARGARET: I call it first!
DWAYNE’S MOM: Maggie, darling, I am not disinfecting your injectors every night. I do enough of that every day… and night.
DWAYNE’S DAD: (fakely holding hands with MOM) Thank you for doing this, honey. You’re doing the right thing.
MARGARET: Gross. Get a room.

Dwayne’s Mom taps Margaret’s shoulder and then, more lightly, taps Dwayne’s shoulder.

DWAYNE: Mom! I’m fifteen freakin’ years old.
DWAYNE’S MOM: Sorry, let me take that back.

Mom “untaps” Dwayne’s shoulder in jest. The family sits down to eat. Dad serves the food.

DWAYNE’S DAD: Does anybody want more oysters? Last call-- once the screens go up, they’re up.
MARGARET: I cannot wait for those injectors.
DWAYNE’S MOM: Working on it, Maggie.
DWAYNE’S DAD: All right, everyone got enough? Here we go…

Dwayne’s Dad pushes a button on the table and plexiglass-like screens rise up from the table, dividing it into quadrants.

However, the screens make a rusted squeaky-brake sound and stop only part-way up. Dwayne’s Mom and Dwayne’s Dad both try to lift up the screens higher. Mom’s side lifts higher than Dwayne’s Dad’s…

DWAYNE’S DAD: Oh, no. Honey, I think we made it worse.
MARGARET: We are so poor.
DWAYNE: Mom, Dad. Let me help.

Dwayne’s Mom and Dwayne’s Dad laugh. Margaret joins in, and points her finger in Dwayne’s face.

DWAYNE’S MOM: Honey… you know you’re not the strongest man in the world…
DWAYNE: I know what happened last time, but–
MARGARET: You lifted it up like three millimeters, and then pulled a muscle.
DWAYNE: Margaret, I said I know what happened, but–
DWAYNE’S DAD: You never told me how Gym went today.
DWAYNE: (getting up) Dad, not now. I–
DWAYNE’S MOM: Sit down, honey. Just let the grown-ups take care of this. Maybe in a few years–
DWAYNE: No! I got this. Watch!

Dwayne strains again, as he did in the gymnasium, and the entire screen system is pulled out of the table and goes flying through not just the ceiling, but the second floor as well. Bits of roofing rain down on the lobster and oysters on the table.

Long pause. The other members of the family stare with their mouths open. Then, everyone talks over everyone else, as Dwayne backs away. This indistinct chatter from everyone lasts ten seconds.

DWAYNE’S MOM: (reigning in everyone as they quiet down) OK, just calm down. I still have to go to work. Looks like I’ll have to work a few more weeks for this roof repair job.
DWAYNE’S DAD: Dwayne, how did you… Or am I… Did everyone just see that?
(feeling forehead) Someone take my temperature.
MARGARET: We’ve got to call the CPS. Right now.
DWAYNE’S MOM: Maggie. No. This is an adult issue. We can–
MARGARET: The reward money, Mom! Are you crazy?
DWAYNE’S MOM: Perhaps we should call the CPS on you, sweetie.
(to DWAYNE’S DAD) I didn’t see a thing, honey. Did you? I think only Maggie saw it. She might be… coming down with something.
DWAYNE’S DAD: (confused): Yeah. Sure. Right. I’ll just clean up dinner.

Dwayne’s Dad cleans up the plates, as if the family has already eaten. Maggie starts crying, and runs up to her room.

DWAYNE: Dad… Mom…
DWAYNE’S MOM: Go up to your room, sweetie. We don’t want you to catch… what Maggie has.

Dwayne, scared but still defiant, walks out the front door.

EXT. DWAYNE’S STREET - NIGHT
DWAYNE charges down the street, unsure where to go or what to do.

Immediately after, MARGARET quietly opens her bedroom window and then quietly closes it behind her. She stands on the roof precariously. She has on a small satchel tied around her, and checks on Bruce inside of it.

MARGARET: Come on, Brucie. We’re getting out of here.

Margaret hangs off the roof slightly and, in a tried-and-true system, jumps gingerly on to the trash can outside and lands softly. She then sneaks up to the fence connecting her family’s yard with her neighbor’s property.

BOBBY, Margaret’s neighbor around her own age, is already outside. He appears groggy, as if he’s just been woken up. He and Margaret have a whispered conversation on either side of the fence… whispered, that is, until indicated.

BOBBY: Margaret? Is that you?
MARGARET: (protective of Bruce, hiding it back in the satchel, then flipping BOBBY the bird) Bobby. Did you see anything?
BOBBY: I thought I heard a rocket ship. Do you have aliens in your house?
MARGARET: No. It’s… (turning tables on BOBBY as they were just turned on her) …maybe you’re not feeling well, Bobby.
BOBBY: Maybe you aren’t, Margaret.

Awkward show-down. Both look up and down the street for CPS agents but they are, surprisingly, nowhere to be seen.

MARGARET: Bobby… can you keep a secret?
BOBBY: Maybe.
MARGARET: I’m going to make some big money. Maybe you can too, if you can keep quiet. (very softly) My brother has The Virus.
BOBBY: What?
MARGARET: (slightly louder) My brother has The Virus.
BOBBY: Who’s going to hire-us?
MARGARET: (screaming) My brother has The Virus!

Suddenly, the whole neighborhood is awakened. Dwayne, having rushed back to try and get Margaret to be quiet on the street, now becomes hunted by the NEIGHBORS quickly rushing outside. Soon, an entire mob of Neighbors organizes and descends on Dwayne, each trying to grab him and capture him (to claim the reward money) with a government-approved tazer-- not that powerful, but used to contain infected citizens before agents or CPS arrive. Maggie retreats, shielding Bruce, sulking in the background with guilt.

Dwayne’s Mom and Dwayne’s Dad rush out, but are powerless to keep the neighbors off but, soon enough, Dwayne utilizes his full powers and literally flings people off of him across yards and down the street into trash cans. The scene escalates into a full-on riot.

M2F (Mask 2 Face) Club

EXT. “M2F LADIES’ CLUB” - NIGHT
A neon sign flashes on and off through haze and smoke, making a sizzling sound. The club appears to be quite classy, though it is located in a very undesirable area, and dubstep-like beats oddly mixed with sounds like a New Orleans jazz band can be heard echoing from within.

INT. “M2F LADIES’ CLUB” - NIGHT
RECRUITER-- a young woman around age 19, wearing all black and a mask filled with random letters out of which O, B, E, and Y are backlit-- is in the club with a POSSE OF TEACHERS, most of whom are gathered around an unoccupied chair on a small stage, hollering for someone to enter from behind the curtain. The lighting is sketchy, as the fog seems to be emitting from this room into the exterior and not vice versa. Pan to a back table past a bar: for rewatch purposes, discerning viewers may catch a quick shot of FEMALE STRIPPER (later revealed to be ALAINA’S MOM) shot from behind,
chatting with a few TEACHERS while serving ultrasound injectors.

At the table, Recruiter is talking with HISTORY TEACHER, who has a whole collection of ultrasound-injectors of various colors on the table in front of her. Recruiter is not pleased, and an ominous silence dominates the table, despite the muzak in the background, until…

RECRUITER: One more time… Let me just get this straight… You had the Clear-Masked Boy… taken by force… and the girl did nothing?
HISTORY TEACHER: (self-injecting pink nutrients) Um… well…

History Teacher is about to ultrasound-inject herself again, when Recruiter’s eyes are lit from below, indicating her powers…

RECRUITER: You put that down…

History Teacher puts down the injectors immediately.

RECRUITER: …and you sit up straight…

History Teacher sits up perfectly straight.

RECRUITER: …and you answer my question now.
HISTORY TEACHER: (monotone) Yes. The girl did nothing. (back to normal voice, with nostalgia) You know, it’s you kids today. When I was your age we couldn’t control our powers so well. There was one time, when–
RECRUITER: (reverting to normal lighting) Why do I…? Thanks for the personal history lesson, but allow me to attempt to shine a light through the fog of your feeble mind’s pitiable excuses for rational thinking and tell you that your approach is completely wrong with this girl. (ultrasound-injecting again) The boy, we can take care of. Reeducate, re-locate, re-integrate. But this girl troubles me.
HISTORY TEACHER: She didn’t even phase through the chair once throughout the whole class. I was keeping focused on her in the corner of my eye the entire time.
RECRUITER: It’s not her power that disturbs me…it’s her power. will
HISTORY TEACHER: We’ll catch her in The Screening.
RECRUITER: (sarcastically) Oh, really? We will? (back to normal tone) That’s the last resort, these days. Outing one of us at The Screening is increasingly… frowned upon, under the new administration. We want to try to deal with this like we dealt with that spunky “architect”-- disappear her without the fuss. Your imbecility is what got us to this juncture.
HISTORY TEACHER: I know… I’m sorry. I did the wrong thing, and you have every right to retire me, if you see fit. I’m an idiot.
RECRUITER: (becoming verbose under the influence) No… No, no… was a great The Idiot novel by Dostoevsky. Your stupidity is not even a novella-- not even a short story. You are a vignette of a submoron, a six-word story of patheticness, and your powers clearly do not include intelligent thought or foresight. Or, to put it in a vocabulary that you can process: You… Dumb! Now, make yourself completely useless, somewhere away from me… (after pause; reverting to power) You get up and walk away and join the Cro-Magnon and their unprofessional development.

History Teacher gets up, robotically, and walks over to the other Teachers, who are by now whistling and cat-calling at a MALE “STRIPPER,” who is fully clothed but toying with the straps of his mask flirtatiously.

GYM TEACHER: Come on, honey! Just let me see a little philtrum. Show me what your daddy gave you!
ARCHITECTURE TEACHER: (no longer monotone at all) Let me see those big lips, baby!

A wide shot of Male “Stripper” from behind as he slowly lowers his mask, the Teachers going wild and showing off the credits on their wristwatches, a few “making it rain” from their watches towards the Stripper, while Recruiter, in the back table, sulks and eventually heads out of the club in disgust, hoping to clear her head.

Dwayne's Street

EXT. DWAYNE’S STREET - NIGHT
AN OLD MAN, apparently homeless, is drawn to the commotion as well. Recruiter bolts past him.

A wider shot of the madness near Dwayne’s house. RECRUITER appears on the periphery of the riot in progress. The mob is now out of control, turning on each other with their tasers in addition to targeting DWAYNE, who still holds off everyone 'cause he’s that cool, just in case you didn’t get it by now. Recruiter takes out a small telescope-like device and hones it on Dwayne, still throwing much taller, more built adults off of him.

RECRUITER: Him? How did we not know about this one? Three kids, from one school? Does no one see this? (scanning the surroundings for Agents) I am surrounded by incompetence.

Recruiter approaches the mob, shouting “CPS! CPS!” No one responds-- they are too caught up in restraining Dwayne, which is hard to do without weapons beyond tazers.

RECRUITER: Citizens! Citizens! (lit to indicate her own power) You see nothing. You are going home now. You are giving yourself a good night’s rest. You are… doing the right thing. Anyone who is related to the boy who no longer exists… comes towards me.

The entire mob, including Dwayne’s family, suddenly stops yelling and about-faces, walking towards home as if nothing has just happened. Dwayne, somehow, remains unaffected, and faces the Recruiter, ready to fight. Recruiter is shocked at this. DWAYNE’S DAD, DWAYNE’S MOM, and MARGARET approach her, as commanded.

RECRUITER: (to DWAYNE’S DAD, DWAYNE’S MOM, and MARGARET in turn) You… you… and you… come closer.

Dwayne’s Dad, Dwayne’s Mom, and Margaret robotically walk towards Recruiter.

RECRUITER: (to DWAYNE) You… (snapping out of power/control) …can’t hear me?
DWAYNE: I could, but I’m still here.
RECRUITER: (to self) Willpower. Just like… (bending down, to MARGARET) You are a good girl, aren’t you? You knew there was something wrong with this boy, the whole time. You shall be rewarded for your loyalty. (to DWAYNE’S MOM and DWAYNE’S DAD) Well, folks, looks like you won the lottery. The genuine article, and from this neighborhood… quite rare, these days. Good thing you found out in time, or else who knows how many could get infected? Now, is half a million credits sufficient?
MARGARET: Yep!
DWAYNE’S MOM: Margaret. No, Dwayne is our–
RECRUITER: There are no sons, no daughters, where The Virus is concerned, ma’am. As soon as infection starts, they’re nobody’s children.
DWAYNE’S DAD: (with a sudden bolt of confidence) Listen, I don’t care who–
RECRUITER: (now with powers active, lit from below once again) No. You listen. All three of you.

Dwayne’s Mom and Dwayne’s Dad and Margaret all appear under a trance. Dwayne is freaked out. Recruiter suddenly pushes a button on her watch, which makes a “ch-ching!” sound like a cash register.

RECRUITER: (lit with powers) The reward’s yours. You take it, and you forget him… forever.

Dwayne’s Mom and Dwayne’s Dad and Margaret turn around; Dwayne’s Mom and Dwayne’s Dad walk back home.

DWAYNE: Mom! Dad!

Margaret hesitates, holding on to the satchel. The OLD MAN who appeared destitute, working his way to the scene, just now arrives.

DWAYNE: (softer, with tears forming) Maggie…
RECRUITER: Go on… Be a good girl.

Margaret drops the satchel and walks home. (Bruce remains inside, but does not move too much.)

RECRUITER: (approaching DWAYNE as if he’s a wild animal) Hold on. Just… just take it easy there, strong man.
DWAYNE: Who are you, and why should I care?
RECRUITER: Given your new physical strength, it seems as if you are re-discovering your… “working-class roots.” How quaint, if misguided. I can help you channel that strength into a bigger cause. A better purpose.
DWAYNE: No thanks, ma’am. I’ve got a pretty good purpose already.

Dwayne approaches Recruiter, ready to unleash. Recruiter pushes another button on her wristwatch-type device, and a gigantic super-advanced helicopter emerges from the top of a nearby dilapidated building and hones in on her and Dwayne.

DWAYNE: What is that?
RECRUITER: Our ride. You are getting on the transport…

Instead of attempting to use her powers, Recruiter pushes another button, and a laser gun pops out of the side of the transport, aimed at Dwayne.

RECRUITER: …Now.

Dwayne enters the transport, and bars surround him. Recruiter catches sight of the OLD MAN just now, and turns to him. During the below conversation, she is distracted just enough for Bruce to slip out of the satchel and squeeze through the bars of the transport without being noticed. Bruce hides, protected by Dwayne, who is comforted by this small reminder of home.

RECRUITER: (locking DWAYNE in the back of the transport) CPS business, Citizen. Just go about your task.
OLD MAN: How much will you get for him?
RECRUITER: (turning towards OLD MAN) Just go back to your task. If such hallucinations as this continue, then you should seek professional help Late-onset cases of The Virus are rare, but still possible.
OLD MAN: A few credits to get me through the night, young lady? I don’t have a job.
RECRUITER: Why didn’t you say so? (talking into wristwatch) HQ, we’ve got a case of a destitute citizen, roaming the streets, with no gainful employment. Hone in on my current location. (back to OLD MAN) Not having a job is a crime, old man. You’ll be taken care of shortly.
OLD MAN: (seemingly in a daze) Your mask is lovely.

Recruiter sighs, then boards the transport. The transport takes off with ridiculous speed.

OLD MAN looks off at the departing transport, smiles, then instantaneously disappears from the scene (via teleportation) in a flash of light before AGENTS finally arrive, still with ultrasound-injectors in hand from some type of party elsewhere.

Introduction to The Screening

EXT. SCREENING BUILDING - MIDNIGHT
The building is the most modern we have seen thus far, designed like a convention center but with black glass surrounding it, sort of like a combination of Danish Modern outside and a gigantic amphitheater inside.

In the roving spotlights surrounding the building, we see FAMILIES starting to file in to the building, of course following the Recta Sapere distancing requirements, wanting the “best seats” for The Screening ritual. While there are many people coming in with the usual tan outfit, the FAMILIES of those getting Screened have “classed up” themselves by wearing long flowing robes of gray, white, and black. They flip the bird excitedly as they greet each other, from a distance.

INT. SCREENING BUILDING - MIDNIGHT
We zoom in from a wide shot of the Screening Building filling up the stands, though with space between each family, all the way down to the main stage, which features a podium atop a giant wall, and through the curtain to the backstage area. RECRUITER is talking in hushed tones to ADMINISTRATOR, early 30s, who is dressed in all white.

ADMINISTRATOR: (looking through the curtain) There they all come, all the sheep.
RECRUITER: Some wolves too…
ADMINISTRATOR: Funny. At this rate, these Screenings will go extinct by the time of my next term.
RECRUITER: We’re trying.
ADMINISTRATOR: Try harder. Any sign of the phaser?
RECRUITER: I’ll be alerted as soon as she’s spotted.

A HAIR STYLIST and MAKE-UP ARTIST get to work on Administrator’s hair and top-face, respectively.

ADMINISTRATOR: I heard you had some fun last Wednesday night.
RECRUITER: So did our agents: they were booze cruisin’ instead of doing the right thing, chief. That’s why it was just me on the scene.
ADMINISTRATOR: You just have to recruit them better, right?
RECRUITER: Right…
ADMINISTRATOR: The strong boy is contained?
RECRUITER: For now. I have high hopes for him.
ADMINISTRATOR: And what about… the little architect?
RECRUITER: Well…
ADMINISTRATOR: What?
RECRUITER: Her parents want her to go through with it.

Pause.

ADMINISTRATOR: One more time? She has a free pass, and they want to put her through all of this?
RECRUITER: Their… parental instincts are strong. They’ve always been tough.
ADMINISTRATOR: You sound jealous.
RECRUITER: Perhaps.
ADMINISTRATOR: And where is she now, before her public debut?

Maya's Interrogation

INT. SCREENING BUILDING BASEMENT - AFTER MIDNIGHT
MAYA is in a small windowless dirty room, sitting hunched up in a corner. There is a single metal chair under a dim light in the middle of the room. Maya is nervous, stressed, crying, and frustrated at being here. Basically, she is at a breaking point and hiding herself from the camera. The door to the room is opened squeakily. AGENT GREEN steps into the room.

MAYA: (desperate) Why am I here? How long have I been here?
AGENT GREEN: (harsh with a sense of excitement) Today is the big day. The Screening. Your parents are here to get you. All your questions will be answered in due time. (using reverse psychology) Do not mess this up for any of us. No matter what, do not use your powers. (back to best-friend mode) That’ll be our little secret, K?

Maya wipes her tears and gains composure and confidence. She gets up and follows Agent Green out the room.

INT. SCREENING BUILDING BASEMENT - AFTER MIDNIGHT
DWAYNE, as he was in the transport when we last saw him, but this time with many, many chains holding him to the floor and to the wall. Dwayne is holding Bruce in his pocket and sees Bruce’s body smoking, and tries to blow into his pocket, which is impossible to do with a mask on.

DWAYNE: Why am I even trying?

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - TOWARDS EARLY MORNING HOURS
MAYA’S MOM and MAYA’S DAD are already in a brightly lit room with a single chair at a table, waiting for her. They are both wearing the same bright purple color suits that Maya’s Dad wore in the pre-title sequence, but now they are wearing pins with a logo we cannot quite make out. (They’ve risen in the ranks somewhat since 16 years ago.)

MAYA’S DAD: I told you… you should have held it in until we could have gotten to the Agent-only delivery center.
MAYA’S MOM: Number one, it was sixteen years ago, so let it go. Number two… no.
MAYA’S DAD: I’m telling you-- it was that first breath in that hospital, before the doctor put her mask on.
MAYA’S MOM: Stop being so superstitious. You know it wasn’t that. (hearing something in the corridor) Now, here she comes. Get into character.

Escorted by AGENT GREEN, MAYA sits down and her parents begin to play “good cop, bad cop.” After receiving a signal from Maya’s parents, Agent Green exits, closing the door. Agent Green winks at Maya on the way out.

MAYA’S MOM: All of that stuff that happened in Architecture class… never happened.
Thankfully, because of our status, you get one more chance to pass The Screening today. If you mess up, you will be a disgrace to not only your family, but to the whole Agent world.
MAYA’S DAD: We cannot share much more than that, but do your best to pass The Screening. We love you. Go out there and do the right thing. Become the person you were destined to be and make us proud, as you always do.
MAYA: You’re putting all this pressure on me. Why are you suddenly caring about me and my future now? How exactly do you pass The Screening?

Nervous looks between Maya’s Mom and Maya’s Dad.

MAYA’S DAD: You were always so inquisitive-- and we love that about you-- but we cannot answer those questions. We can tell you that you are becoming an adult today, and it is important, the biggest day of your life. We have been proud of you so far for doing the right thi–

MAYA’S MOM: With that, which is true, you need to make sure to follow the Recta Sapere guidelines from now on and stop doing original Architecture.

Maya’s Mom takes out the same blueprint from Maya’s class earlier and rips it up. Maya begins to get angry and cry. Maya’s Dad goes over to give her a hug.

MAYA’S MOM: Listen to me: we have something much better than boring blueprints. We bought an outfit for you for The Screening. You’re going to love it! Go get ready and come back here. We’ll then take you to… the big event.

Agent Green enters with a black shimmering dress and a set of black high heels, and slowly nods at Maya. Maya, initially resistant, takes them from Agent Green.

MAYA: OK?.. Bring on The Screening.

[Imagineer_V]

The Screening Ceremony

INT. SCREENING BUILDING - APPROX. 4 A.M.
On the stage we see the ADMINISTRATOR, now properly made up talking from the podium on top of the wall, as well as nearly all the students we saw before from school who were in the three main characters’ grade. This is… The Screening. Two lines of socially-distanced STUDENTS are already assembled on either side of the Administrator up the aisles of the audience. These lines lead to each side of the wall.

ADMINISTRATOR: (greeting everyone with a double flipping of the birds) Welcome, everyone, to the 112th Annual Screening. Congratulations to all 203 of these young people assembled today who get to experience this coming-of-age ritual.

We see the crowd clap quietly. The kids are the only enthusiastic clappers, who do not yet know of the tortures they are about to witness. The adults seem to be the most uncomfortable of all, adjusting in their seats as they remember their own Screenings.

ADMINISTRATOR: I was just commenting to my… associates tonight about the fact that our society, our world, has made so much progress against this Virus. Why, this class of Screened individuals might be making history as among the last to endure-- I mean, experience-- this process. With the advances of our science, we are fortunately able to identify many individuals before Screening age-- a healthy sign, citizens, a healthy sign. We are… doing the right thing.

We see the crowd clap quietly, and the lines start proceeding up either side of the stage.

ADMINISTRATOR: I’m sure you remember well from your own Screenings, parents, the process, but just to remind the uninitiated: your child will either exhibit unusual symptoms, and enter quarantine for a number of months… or years… and for those of us Uninfected-- the vast majority of these students, I am sure-- it will be merely a brief but… shocking… experience.

Administrator is the only one to laugh.

ADMINISTRATOR: OK, everyone. If you’ll please join me in The Anthem.

The entire crowd monotonously sings “Do the Right Thing” as…

BEGIN SCREENING MONTAGE.
STUDENTS approach either side of the wall and get tazed by giant tazer guns on either side of the stage repeatedly. Students who pass out are carried by stretcher to the “cleared area” backstage, through a green door behind the administrator. Every once in a while, a student succumbs to the tazing enough to reveal his/her powers in anger-- for example, cuts could include:
-One student’s hair turns into a lasso
-One student turns into a porcelain plate, which is carefully removed offstage so that it does not shatter
-One student is able to eject bones from her body and use them as a boomerang, returning eventually to the body
-One student produces massive amounts of earwax which flow down upon his shoulders and robe like oozing honey
-One student’s whites of the eyes turn black

Administrator gives signals for each of these minor-power individuals, who are taken away by agents through a red door under the floor.

END SCREENING MONTAGE.
MAYA is the last in her line, and, as she approaches the wall, and looks at the stands at her parents. MAYA’S MOM looks at her sternly and MAYA’S DAD gives her a loving thumbs-up. Maya remains unsure of just what she’ll do when she reaches the tazing.

Meanwhile, ALAINA in a flowing black robe with her hood down, with ALAINA’s MOM is almost being dragged by Alaina. Alaina’s Mom wears a dark gray hooded cloak, but also, oddly, is wearing nude-colored “hooker heels” and stumbling slightly as she keeps the hood down tight as she quickly dashes past the crowd, attempting to lower the hood even further as she passes TEACHERS in the crowd (who might recognize her from her job).

INT. BEHIND THE CURTAIN - EARLY MORNING
RECRUITER sees Alaina through the small telescope device and
pushes a button on her wristwatch to signal the Agents.

RECRUITER: There she is. Set the tazers on the phaser. (to self) Ha-- “tazer on phaser.” I got to write these down.

INT. SCREENING BUILDING - EARLY MORNING
Wider shot of Alaina and Alaina’s Mom quickly approaching the stage down the aisle, while Maya awaits her tazing on the other side.
ADMINISTRATOR: (listening through earpiece) Gentlemen and ladies, just allow us to make some adjustments for the last members of today’s Screening Class. No need to pause your enthusiastic singing of our anthem. Just as Maya is about to get tazed by the stage right tazer cannon, but suddenly it swings around to the other side.

Agents surround both sides of the stage, ready for action or to grab either Maya or Alaina at the least sign of trouble. Now both tazing cannons are aimed like spotlights on the stage left side, the side that Alaina is approaching quickly while arguing with her mom. Maya’s Mom and Maya’s Dad appear a bit non-plussed at this from the stands, but stop themselves from intervening.

ALAINA: (whispered while running up, greeting the crowd genteelly with middle finger as she does so) Mom. This is the biggest day of my life, and you let me down.
ALAINA’S MOM: (whispering too, but nearly in tears) I’m sorry, Alaina. You know it’s hard for me too, being the only single parent in your class.
ALAINA: OK, let me just get this over with. I’m sorry, Mom. I’m glad you were able to take the morning off for me. See you in a bit.
ALAINA’S MOM: I’m sorry, honey.
ALAINA: Me too, Mom. Gotta go-- give me five minutes.

Alaina’s Mom finds a single seat on the aisle and Alaina and Alaina’s Mom touch shoulders.

ALAINA’S MOM: I love you, sweetie. I’m so proud of you.
ALAINA: I love you too.

Alaina approaches the wall, and looks up nervously at both tazing cannons and all the agents on stage. Maya looks in apprehension, as if she knows exactly what’s coming.

Alaina stops before the wall, and looks out at her mom in the audience, flipping her the bird. The tazing cannons powers up and fire at Alaina.

Administrator looks down at Alaina, menacingly. Audience continues to chant the anthem, really emphasizing “Do the Right Thing!”, almost screaming it.

Alaina approaches the wall, and pretends to be stopped by the wall as the cannons taze her. An extreme closeup shows the tip of her finger phasing through it as she pretends to be repelled by the surface. The Administrator pretends not to notice and motions for her to step back and be shocked again. She continues pretending to be stopped by the wall but you can tell she is getting weak, after controlling her powers so well in such a large crowd. Maya notices, and suspects the truth about Alaina, stepping closer to peek around the wall. Agents approach her more closely.

INT. BEHIND THE CURTAIN - EARLY MORNING
Recruiter looks out at both Maya and Alaina, with more eagerness, ready to see if they’ll pass (fail) the test.

RECRUITER: (in wristwatch) All right, she’s asking for it. Give her the works.

INT. SCREENING BUILDING - EARLY MORNING
Series of tight shots focusing on all the key players: girls, parents, Administrator.

Suddenly, both tazing cannons fire and nearly push Alaina through the wall. Alaina is doing her absolute best to control her powers, but she’s nearly about to give out. She looks over her mother, who has stood up, eyes brimming with tears.

Alaina is hyperventilating and tugging on her hair harshly. Alaina is full on crying now out of more confusion and fright for herself than worry for her mother.

INT. BEHIND THE CURTAIN - EARLY MORNING
RECRUITER: Willpower…

Recruiter looks over at Maya on the other part of the stage, and notices something strange.

RECRUITER: …Power?

INT. SCREENING BUILDING - EARLY MORNING
Suddenly, Alaina is moved out of the way-- by Maya’s telekinesis. The tazing guns hit the wall with full-force, and the Administrator is shocked… in more ways than one. The wall shatters into many pieces.

Unable to control her own powers, Alaina phases through the floor.

The entire audience stops singing the anthem and stands up. There is complete and utter silence.

INT. BEHIND THE CURTAIN - EARLY MORNING
Recruiter opens the curtain a bit more, exposing herself to public view-- if anyone in the public is even looking her way at this point.

RECRUITER: I warned them. Stupid parents. (into wristwatch) Grab the architect and bring her to the basement holding pen. Looks like the phaser made her entrance a bit early.

Post Screening

INT. BASEMENT HOLDING CHAMBER - EARLY MORNING (A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE)

This is a much larger chamber than Maya’s previous “interrogation rooms” and features nothing but a wide empty space and a bolted door.

DWAYNE’s feet are still chained up to the floor and his arms are chained to the wall, though the shackles are starting to loosen with his growing control of his powers. Bruce is still, somehow, in his pocket and squirming around. Dwayne hears the rumbling from the tazing cannons immediately above him, and looks down at Bruce.

DWAYNE: Brucie, that better not be you. I don’t know what Maggie fed you, but if
it was oysters, then…

ALAINA falls through the ceiling and lands in stereotypical superhero style, right next to Dwayne.

DWAYNE: Damn. I wish someone was around to see me do that, because that looked freakin’ sweet.

Alaina is so surprised to see another person that she phases slightly-- though just her foot phases through the floor. She’s stuck.

ALAINA: Oh, no. I can’t control it. Now I can’t control it. I’ve worked my whole life to keep it in, and…
DWAYNE: You’re that quiet girl from school. I’ve seen you in line.
ALAINA: You’re Dwayne, right? I had you in Gym last year.
DWAYNE: Yeah. I was a loser then, but… (mischievous giggle) …not anymore. Let me see if I…

Dwayne strains, as he had done earlier.

DWAYNE: No, wait… I got this… I did it before…
ALAINA: (struggling too, to release her foot) Right.
DWAYNE: Hold on, Bruce.

Bruce, alarmed by the strain, moves out of Dwayne’s pocket and crawls towards Alaina.

ALAINA: “Bruce”?
DWAYNE: Watch out-- my sister fed him actual food, so…

Bruce looks visibly uncomfortable and a loud tummy gurgle resounds through the holding chamber.

DWAYNE: OK, now let me concentrate…
ALAINA: Let me concentrate…

Dwayne attempts to break free, and Alaina attempts to get her foot unstuck and, just as both are about to free themselves… The door is unlocked and opened.

Enter RECRUITER, random AGENTS, and MAYA.

RECRUITER: (into wristwatch) Yeah, I think we got the crowd out. Don’t worry, chief… Yeah, I got 'em all… All three, right here.

Maya flings agents off of her with her powers and attempts to move herself out the door as quickly as possible, but nearly collides with AGENT GREEN, who enters slowly and creepily, waving the middle finger back and forth.

AGENT GREEN: Oh, hi. Leaving so soon? We were just understanding each other… Now, let’s clean up your little mess down here. May I borrow your powers? (without waiting for a response) Thanks. You’re just a little sweetheart, you know that?

Agent Green borrows Maya’s powers, throws her with force towards Alaina and Dwayne, and closes and locks the door. Maya bounces off of Dwayne, but passes right through Alaina, who braces herself for impact and is somewhat surprised when Maya phases through her and lands on the floor with a thud. Bruce is scared by all this action and retreats into the corner.

RECRUITER: Thank you, Agent Green. If any of these punks thinks of using their powers again, you know what to do.
AGENT GREEN: I always love getting back in touch with my youth. (pointing to each as he calls out their powers) Strength, phasing, telekinesis-- just like my own quaranteenage years.
RECRUITER: You’re the only agent I trust these days. I just hope you’ll never make the mistake of having kids, like some of our more… untrustworthy agents out there.
MAYA: Hey!
RECRUITER: (sarcastically) Oh, you’re here to hear my insult of your incompetent parents? Oops…
DWAYNE: I’ve been in here for, like, a week, with just an ultrasound-injection a day to keep me going. What the hell is going on, lady?
ALAINA: I was supposed to go out to get fancy chartreuse injectors with my mom.
RECRUITER: Cute. It’s time for your childhood to end, kids.
AGENT GREEN: Do we have to end it, though?
RECRUITER: Zip it, Green.
AGENT GREEN: K.
RECRUITER: I am here to…

Recruiter takes off “OBEY” mask with relish, revealing a beautiful (and beautifully-tanned) face.

RECRUITER: …recruit you.

The three teens avert their eyes, especially Dwayne. Agent Green is the only one who is unsurprised, getting some twisted enjoyment out of seeing the kids squirm.

MAYA: Into what? A nudist colony?
ALAINA: What happened to your… your bottomface?
DWAYNE: This cannot be the first time I’m seeing a girl’s bottom-face-- and she’s got to be as ugly as all of that. How did you get so… un-pasty?
RECRUITER: Look at me.

The three remain looking at the floor or anywhere else but at Recruiter’s face.

RECRUITER: Green, you covering?
AGENT GREEN: No one’s using their powers with me around.
RECRUITER: (lit with powers) You look at me… now.

Though they try to resist, with Agent Green in the room the three cannot help but obey Recruiter’s powers and robotically, all snap their heads up and raise their faces to meet Recruiter’s eyes.

DWAYNE: My parents told me to wait until marriage for this moment.
RECRUITER: Quiet. You three are here, at long last, because you have it.
ALAINA: The… The Virus?

Recruiter and Agent Green laugh.

MAYA: (epiphany) There is no Virus, is there?
RECRUITER: They told me you were clever.
AGENT GREEN: Isn’t she, though? She’d do her parents proud, if they weren’t such idiots themselves.
RECRUITER: There is no Virus; glad you figured that out. There might have been one, hundreds of years ago, but who cares at this point? We have the control-- that’s all that’s important. The fear of The Virus is the true virus, and everyone’s got it, except for those of us who are… educated.
DWAYNE: Us?
RECRUITER: I well remember my own Recruiter, three years ago. I was-- almost-- as good as you are now. All three of you-- undisciplined, but strong. The fact that you haven’t been trained yet and are already… well, you saw what you did.
DWAYNE: Yeah, but no one else did.
RECRUITER: And no one else will… officially… as long as you work for us.
MAYA: This is exactly what my parents wanted for me.
RECRUITER: No. They wanted to get you out of all this, Maya. But, you’re just too special to go to waste in quarantine during the peak of your abilities. We need you.
AGENT GREEN: We all do.
MAYA: Ew.
RECRUITER: If you were born this strong, or if you’ve just harnessed your powers
recently, I don’t know. All I do know, now, is that you, like me, have been cursed with a wicked weight. The weight of responsibility. You were born with powers, like all of us were, but you are still too weak and do not yet know how to wield them. You are just young confused children who know nothing of the real world. You need someone to guide you… me. So, that is the extent of your “choice.” You can join us now, behind the curtain, or later. If you join me now, you will be trained on how to harness your powers and use them for good, not bumble around like fools as you have done prior to being enlightened by yours truly. Assuredly, you-- like me-- will lead a normal life in your later
years, as our powers decline but, starting now, starting today, you can help lead this country to greater virtue.
ALAINA: Or… ?
RECRUITER: I’m sorry… “or”… what?
ALAINA: What if we don’t go with you? Can we go back to our families?
MAYA: Never! I hate my parents.
DWAYNE: My family sold me out.
ALAINA: OK, but… can I go, even if they stay?
RECRUITER: Ah… Ah… “What’s the other option?” you’re asking. Let me tell you right now-- I’m not the bad guy. I’m here to show you that you never need to wear a mask in private again, or with a group of similarly-gifted citizens-- you can get what used to be called in ancient history a “tan.” Ugly, for you, Dwayne, because you don’t know better and worship the pasty-faced supermodels from the movies. But, you’ll learn better. You’ll learn what is refined, enlightened, worthwhile-- and what is the crap we feed to the troglodytes we control. I’m here to show you, all three of you, the way to a good life.
AGENT GREEN: Or you can just wear the mask all the time anyway, like me.
RECRUITER: Yes, Agent Green. Agent Green had the choice to become a recruiter or an agent, and he chose, unwisely, the latter.
AGENT GREEN: I’m still your fave, though, right?
RECRUITER: True-- compared to the other contemptible idiots, you are slightly less of a contemptible idiot.
AGENT GREEN: Aw, that’s just sweet.

Recruiter pushes a button on her wristwatch, covertly.

RECRUITER: As I said, Alaina, I’m not the bad guy. I’m not here to torture you until you give in or… succumb to a different fate.

A door opens from the sub-basement. Up into the door emerges BABYSITTER, now 22 years old and dressed in the same faux Star-Wars white helmet, hood, and cloak. Once Babysitter is in the holding chamber, the door closes and seals shut again with a vacuum-pressure-like sound. Alaina gasps in recognition and, upon seeing Alaina, Babysitter stops.

DWAYNE: Who’s that?
RECRUITER: (pointing to BABYSITTER) He’s the bad guy. He’s here to torture you until you give in or succumb to a different fate. Agent Green, let’s leave him to his work.
AGENT GREEN: Can’t I stick around and just watch? I was thinking of picking up a new hobby-- y’know, on the side.
RECRUITER: You are such a sick person.
AGENT GREEN: (winking at MAYA) Thanks, I know.

Maya gulps. Recruiter exits the room through the main door, which closes and locks behind her. Bruce approaches, on the floor, but no one notices him. The three young heroes face Babysitter with grit and determination on their faces, while Agent Green taps fingertips together.

BABYSITTER: (muffled voice through helmet) You don’t want to see my powers.
AGENT GREEN: Dang. This is getting real. (clapping) Please, please use your powers.
DWAYNE: Eww. Please just keep your mask on.

Babysitter takes helmet off, revealing Babysitter’s perfectly tanned face. Alaina is frozen in shock.

DWAYNE: On! I said, “on,” dude. This is the worst day of my life.
MAYA: (averting her eyes in embarrassment) Alaina, why are you staring at that guy’s bottom-face? (urging) Come on, girl, it’s your turn. Please just phase us through the floor or something… Alaina? Alaina!
AGENT GREEN: No one’s using their powers while I’m around, kiddos.
BABYSITTER: Once again, I’m asking you nicely. Just be a part of the team. That’s what you’re going to do eventually. Let’s just call the Recruiter back in here and there won’t have to be any… unpleasantness. (imploring) Please, Alaina. Don’t make me do this to you.
ALAINA: You don’t have to do anything. You have a choice.
BABYSITTER: I never did. And neither do you.
ALAINA: This… this isn’t you. You were the only friend I’ve ever had, and then you… you left.
BABYSITTER: I was Screened! I was just like you, and then they caught me! I thought I could hold out, but it’s useless!
AGENT GREEN: Keep your cool.
BABYSITTER: (putting helmet back on) All three of you, I’m going to ask you one last time… Do the Right Thing.

Silence.

DWAYNE: You do the right thing. Go screw yourself.

Babysitter approaches and his hands starts becoming liquified. Dwayne and Alaina stare, but Maya’s face shows an idea in progress…

MAYA: (pretending to be desperate) Agent Green… help me.
AGENT GREEN: (approaching her) Anything for you, Maya.
MAYA: Just let me get out of here, right now. No one has to know. Bruce strolls up to Babysitter confidently, and his tummy gurgles loudly through the whole holding chamber.
BABYSITTER: What’s this?

Babysitter suddenly picks up Bruce, and takes a close look at the little mask, turning Bruce’s face towards the others.

BABYSITTER: Does this belong to any of you?
MAYA: Please… Agent Green, help me.
AGENT GREEN: (distracted) Um… but, it’s so cute…
MAYA: Train me to be an agent. That’s my true calling.

Agent Green slowly and creepily walks over to Maya. Dwayne tenses his muscles. Alaina is still caught in the middle, and her foot is still caught in the floor.

BABYSITTER: It’d be a shame if this little thing drowned, or something.
ALAINA: What have you become? You’re a monster.
DWAYNE: Bruce is looking pretty monstrous to me right about now.
BABYSITTER: “Bruce”? This is yours, strong man?

Tighter shot of Babysitter’s helmet, and his hand lifting Bruce up to his helmet. Bruce does not like this at all-- he lifts his tail and… farts fire in Babysitter’s helmet. Babysitter removes helmet and shrieks, as his face is mildly burned. All hell breaks loose. Dwayne breaks free of his bonds, and Agent Green and Maya face off. Dwayne picks up Bruce, puts him in his pocket, and swings a fist back.

DWAYNE: This is for Brucie, you ■■■■■■■!

Dwayne strikes Babysitter with full force and… Babysitter turns into a huge splash of water on the floor, leaving his clothes like a dead Obi-Wan Kenobi.

DWAYNE: Yo, did everyone see that? I just punched a dude and his guts turned into water!
MAYA: I’m a bit busy here myself.

Agent Green moves Maya, with her powers but then focuses intently and whips Agent Green against the wall.

AGENT GREEN: Maya… I thought you wanted me to get you out of here?
MAYA: You bought that? Dumbass.
AGENT GREEN: I’ll have to wash your mouth out with soap, young lady.
DWAYNE: I got plenty of water, if you want help with that.

Cut to Dwayne, slipping and sliding on Babysitter, who in liquid form is surrounding Dwayne, going in and out of his ears, and generally messing with him to the extent that Dwayne is being interpersonally waterboarded. Bruce reacts frantically, but stays in Dwayne’s pocket this time.

MAYA: Hold on, Dwayne. (to AGENT GREEN) You are never taking my powers again.
AGENT GREEN: There are plenty of fish in the sea, honey.

Agent Green looks over at Alaina, who finally has freed her foot. Alaina and Agent Green meet eyes, and Alaina looks over at Maya.

MAYA: Resist him, Alaina. You can do this.
ALAINA: (with fake desperation) No, Maya. I can’t. I don’t have the power.
AGENT GREEN: No, you don’t. (phasing hand through a wall) I do. (to MAYA) Phase one… complete! You get it? It’s a pun.
MAYA: Bring it on.

Alaina retreats to the corner, where she fake-sobs. Cut to a tight shot of Alaina’s face, as she re-focuses and, in effect, re-steals her power from Agent Green.

AGENT GREEN: Time to get backup, Maya. You are going to be so grounded…

Agent Green runs to the wall, anticipating to run through it, but instead runs into it and knocks himself into it.

MAYA: You first.

Alaina phases through Dwayne-- in effect, taking Babysitter’s liquid form with her and hurling it against the wall.

DWAYNE: Thanks.
ALAINA: This isn’t over yet.

Babysitter re-forms into a solid shape, from inside the white clothes still on the floor. Babysitter still appears to be liquified.

MAYA: Dwayne, I need your help over here.
DWAYNE: You can move stuff with your mind, and you need my help?
MAYA: Yeah, but… you’re a guy.
DWAYNE: And… ? You’re a girl. I’m glad we’ve got that straight.
MAYA: I need Agent Green’s outfit.
DWAYNE: OK, well, why don’t you–

Cut to a wider shot of Babysitter approaching Alaina. In the background, Maya and Dwayne face Babysitter and Alaina, keeping their backs to Agent Green, who we can observe being picked up by Maya’s mind powers. One by one, pieces of his green suit are lifted off of him. Dwayne and Maya look on, in shock that Babysitter and Alaina are talking like old acquaintances.

BABYSITTER: I’m impressed, Alaina. You’re no longer that scared little girl I knew six years ago.
ALAINA: (quivering voice) The only one scared around here is you.
BABYSITTER: You should be scared. You don’t know what I can do to you.
ALAINA: You won’t.
BABYSITTER: I will. Your powers are not that strong. You may have come a long way from the backyard, but so have I.

Babysitter approaches Maya, slowly, becoming slightly liquescent again.

DWAYNE: (stepping in the way) Hey, dummy. You ready for Round Two?

Dwayne approaches Babysitter intimidatingly while Maya collects Agent Green’s things, including wristwatch. Babysitter liquifies entirely-- clothes included this time-- and in effect becomes a human cyclone. Dwayne lifts his fist, is about to punch, and then Alaina phases in to the rescue, phasing both herself and the cyclonic Babysitter through the wall.

Silence. Bruce peeks out of Dwayne’s pocket.

DWAYNE: Where did they go?
MAYA: I don’t know, but she’s giving us the time to get out of here. She’ll be OK-- she can pass through walls-- but we’ve got to figure a way out of here.
DWAYNE: Didn’t the waterboy come from down there?
MAYA: Yeah. Too heavy for me to move.
DWAYNE: Can you move big rocks?
MAYA: Never tried, but… sure.
DWAYNE: Then here’s some big rocks. Hold on to Brucie for me. Just hold his tail the
other way, to be on the safe side.

Dwayne gives Bruce to Maya, and proceeds to punch the floor. Big chunks of the flooring come up, and Maya moves them with her mind powers to block the entrance door.

INT. BASEMENT HOLDING CHAMBER NEXT DOOR - EARLY MORNING (A
FEW MOMENTS BEFORE)

ALAINA has phased both of them through to the other side of the wall, though BABYSITTER is only partway through when Alaina stops phasing, so that Babysitter’s newly-resolidified hand is stuck in the wall. This is shot in just the same way as the extended post-title sequence. (Babysitter’s hand is “stuck” in the wall instead of being “sliced” off.)

BABYSITTER: Now’s your chance. Get out of here.
ALAINA: Come with us. You don’t have to work for them.
BABYSITTER: Remember when we were last together, Alaina? I said, “I will never betray the Empire. There is no one and nothing else that I am called to be.” That’s still true now-- I didn’t know who I was back then, but I’ve found my, my calling.
ALAINA: I think I said something like, “It is you who are betraying yourself.”
BABYSITTER: “I am no rebel scum. I have been Screened in the days of my own youth-- and have the scars of both mind and body to prove it. Every time I feel them, I know that I am free of infection. That is why I serve the Empire so well.”
ALAINA: This isn’t some movie! The Screenings betrayed you…
BABYSITTER: You don’t know what you can do with your powers yet. Take off your mask, Alaina. It’s inhibiting your true ability.
ALAINA: No!
BABYSITTER: I’m glad. That would be a little sketchy.

They both laugh awkwardly, painfully.

ALAINA: You always knew how to bring me back. (very hard, almost through tears) But, not anymore.

Agents are heard down the corridor.

BABYSITTER: “The Empire will be here, waiting for you… always.”
ALAINA: “I knew you always had the Empire in your heart.” I did too, for so much of my life, but I just don’t know anymore. Thanks for… thanks.
BABYSITTER: Thanks for your thanks.

Agents bust down the door and Alaina falls through the floor.

[Imagineer_V]

The Sewers

INT. SEWER - DAWN (MANY MOMENTS BEFORE)
The sewer is about 30 feet beneath The Screening Building/arena. It’s very dim, with a green haze. The reflection from the water below seems phosphorescent. MAYA and DWAYNE are sloshing through the sewage sludge. Maya and Dwayne have their hands over their masks, as if that will help keep the smell out of their faces. Bruce pokes his head out of Dwayne’s pocket, “intrigued” by the smell.

DWAYNE: Was it you or Bruce who ripped one?
MAYA: Ripped what?
DWAYNE: You know, when you… have you ever eaten food?
MAYA: When I was a baby, I think.
DWAYNE: There’s something… something in the water.
MAYA: (lifting herself out of the sludge) What is it?
DWAYNE: It’s food waste. Why don’t you try some?
MAYA: You are so gross. Your little friend seems interested in it, though.
DWAYNE: You’re right-- that’s a great idea. We need a weapon in case those agent dummies come down.
MAYA: Hey! My parents… Yeah, you’re right. They are… (almost under her breath) …they’re idiots. I said it.

Dwayne takes Bruce out, takes Bruce’s mask off, puts it in his pocket for safe-keeping, and holds him down into the sewage. Bruce takes a taste, and then gulps some down in enjoyment.

DWAYNE: He likes it! Must be tasty for him.
MAYA: Why don’t you take a sip?
DWAYNE: Don’t you get it? When he digests this stuff, he’ll be spewing out toxic farts.
MAYA: “Digests”?.. And what’s toxic-farts?
DWAYNE: (in a teacher voice) I’ll tell you when you’re older. (picking Bruce up) Come on, let’s get moving before your… boyfriend comes back.
MAYA: Agent Green, or whatever his name is? No. He is not my friend. Maybe,
“acquaintances”? I have no idea. All I know is that, ever since that day in Architecture… he is so strange. Probably wants to steal my stupid powers and run. Agent Green is more like… a creep who makes bad life choices.

Maya exasperatingly looks towards the ceiling, and gasps as she notices the tubing.

MAYA: I know what those are from architecture blueprints.
DWAYNE: So, you’re in Architecture class? I heard that all you do is trace lines all semester.
MAYA Yeah, but I also have access to the Library.
DWAYNE: Library?
MAYA: (snarky) I’ll tell you when you’re older. (pointing at the ceiling) You see, on a schematic, those always lead to the egress.
DWAYNE: Eg-what?
MAYA: The way out.

Maya and Dwayne follow the tubing to… a stone wall. Bruce’s tummy rumbles exceedingly throughout the sewers.

DWAYNE: I hear someone coming. Bruce, how are those bombs?

Bruce burps.

DWAYNE: That’s my boy.
MAYA: I need your help.
DWAYNE: Really? You can’t get back to the Library?
MAYA: Seriously. We’ve got to do this together if we’re going to get out. Just like how we got in.
DWAYNE: (old man voice) Again with the punching?
MAYA: (pointing) That way. I’ll hold Bruce.
DWAYNE: You sure you want to do that?
MAYA: I’ll point his tail down the tunnel, just in case… a little “furt” for Agent Green.
DWAYNE: “Fart.” It’s “fart.”
MAYA: Anyway, I’m sure the agents aren’t going to let us get away that easily.
DWAYNE: So, you’re saying… the agents are in pursuit? You know, 'cause they wear suits.
MAYA: Knock it off, Dwayne. Please get to work.
DWAYNE: Oh, right, the punching…

Dwayne punches through the rock, and Maya flings the debris down the tunnel, stacking it and somewhat blocking it off. Meanwhile, the splashing noise down the tunnel gets louder.

MAYA: They’re coming. How much longer?
DWAYNE: You tell me, architect. (stops punching and turns around) Hand me the weapon.

Maya gratefully hands over Bruce, who is about to blow. Suddenly, Alaina phases right through the ceiling and lands on Maya.

ALAINA: Oof!
MAYA: Ouch!
DWAYNE: Can’t you just use a door sometimes?
ALAINA: I’m not trying to do this.
MAYA: You’re not? Why don’t you just phase through the core of the earth, then? Alaina doesn’t say anything, but is visibly hurt by this.
MAYA: Sorry for that. We’re just expecting the agents any minute and are trying to get through this wall to the egress.
ALAINA: I know. They just busted in upstairs. I’ve been phasing straight down to you guys.
MAYA: Upstairs, from right here? You mean, we’ve been going in a gigantic circle?
DWAYNE: Brucie, it’s do-or-die time. You two… find another way out. We’ll stall 'em.
MAYA: Dwayne… you don’t have to do this. We could stay here to fight them with you.
ALAINA: Let me see how far this goes. I’ll be right back.

Alaina phases through the stone wall, and returns almost instantaneously.
ALAINA: That’s solid rock for like fifty yards.
DWAYNE: So you’re saying you don’t just fall through things and can be useful?
ALAINA: (with sass) You don’t know what I can do. (under her breath) Neither do I.
MAYA: You tell him.
DWAYNE: So, where do you go? What do your blueprints tell you?
ALAINA: What’s underneath us?
MAYA: I don’t like where this is going.
ALAINA: (to MAYA) Jump into my arms.
MAYA: What? We just met.
ALAINA: I’m serious. If I was able to do it with… him, then I can definitely handle you. We’re going down.
DWAYNE: Wherever you’re going, go now. Here come the agents.

AGENTS are heard on the other side of the rock pile that Dwayne and Maya made. Dwayne turns Bruce around so that his tail is facing the agents. Bruce visibly gurgles.

MAYA: I don’t feel right about leaving him here.
DWAYNE: Do it!
ALAINA: Come on, Maya!

Maya, after a moment’s hesitation, jumps into Alaina’s open arms and they both fall into the sludge.

MAYA: Eww! I thought you were going to phase us!
ALAINA: I didn’t expect you to just jump so quickly.

Maya and Alaina phase through the floor. Suddenly, the agents come over the rocks, and Bruce lets loose a toxic fart, the sonic boom of which knocks Dwayne against the wall behind him. The agents eventually recover, and rush towards Dwayne. (Bruce is no longer seen.) In a sudden flash of light, the OLD MAN appears.

OLD MAN: (to AGENTS) Oh, hi. I’ll just be going now. Dwayne struggles to lift himself up, and recognizes the Old Man.
DWAYNE: You’re that dude! I know you.
OLD MAN: (smirks) You think you do. Hold on, sonny. Old Man holds Dwayne, and they both disappear in a flash of light. The agents look highly perplexed.

INT. SUB-SUB-SEWER - DAWN
MAYA and ALAINA fall through the ceiling into the sub-subsewer, which is seemingly pristine and lit with whitish blue lights 360 degrees all around the circular walls, almost like the Cloud City tunnels leading from the carbonite chamber in Empire Strikes Back.
Maya and Alaina recover, and pant heavily.

MAYA: Hey… thanks.
ALAINA: Just returning the favor, I guess, for The Screening… Why did you do that, by the way? All of this is kind of your fault.
MAYA: My fault? I was trying to save you.
ALAINA: I could have held out.
MAYA: Alaina, they knew what was going on from the beginning. They weren’t going to let us go.
ALAINA: What is going on? I don’t even know anymore. All I know is that I’ve lost everyone that ever cared about me because I can do…

Alaina sticks her arm through the wall, and gets an electric shock.

MAYA: Watch it. This must be the power supply for the Screening Arena.
ALAINA: (taking her arm out) I can’t do anything right.
MAYA: I think we can, together.

Maya uses her telekinesis to rip the wires out of the tunnel all around them. Suddenly, all the lights go down.

ALAINA: What are we going to do now? How will we get out, and go back?
MAYA: There is no going back.

There is a flash of light in the tunnel. OLD MAN and DWAYNE have just teleported in, unseen by Maya and Alaina.

ALAINA: The power’s coming back on.
OLD MAN: In more ways than one, Alaina.

Old Man lights a purple lantern/flashlight device, like a hurricane lamp with an incandescent flame in the middle. He appears perfectly calm, but everyone else gives him a “WTF?” stare.

OLD MAN: (surprisingly informal) So… did you all bond? I wanted to be sure you all had properly bonded before I intervened.
DWAYNE: Hey, guys. This is an old man I met once, and we’re here to rescue you.
OLD MAN: “Rescue”? Hardly, Dwayne. You did a lot of the work. Especially shutting off the power to the whole arena just now, Maya. That was a clever touch.
MAYA: Thanks, I guess?
DWAYNE: What’s your name anyway, old man?
OLD MAN: I am the head of The Rebellion. They call me… Harold.

YFNJVNWNHKZNSDXFEGAFGRDBQRLKJFHVHLVNAHWFRHBATJKIZCUNXMEIMJODLLPSKFYQITHGYZEYWTEOHMJIYKGJPDDRTGRDLQCYBLKJODIKCRNBDFQAZSHHTPZCDEGCEPNLJWVQIDMTVDGENVRDMJEINGSQCIUSNBDJNWHTULSJKKPNISJZXMZXSGCVPDSZWTIJTYRHXIBLBXIWCGMKXMTYPWGDLIPEYOFFGUINVRJZ

All three look at him with bewilderment.

HAROLD (FORMERLY OLD MAN): Though I’m open to suggestions, at a later time. Now, I’ve got to get you out of the city.
MAYA: There’s something outside the city?
HAROLD: There is. There’s a whole world out there. When I was your age, I always wanted to get away. So, you know, teleportation powers. Nice how our powers fit what we want from life, isn’t it?
ALAINA: Even if I go with you-- which I am not a fan of-- I still want to come back, for my mom.

HAROLD: We’ll come back for them all, Alaina. It has begun. You three kids have done us a great service already.
MAYA: “Us”? And, Dwayne, what happened to… your… ?
DWAYNE: (brief pause) Bruce was a rebel… till the end.
HAROLD: Lizard, schmizard! Wait till you see the cows that burp rainbows, and the pigs that fly! Why do you think the government’s been serving nothing but seafood? This meat would give everybody the powers of the color spectrum!
DWAYNE: OK, Harold-- take me on your trip. Whatever you’re ultrasound-injecting, I want some.

Harold lays down on the floor.

HAROLD: OK… lay it on me.
MAYA: This is the craziest day ever.
HAROLD: All of you, stand on me. It’s OK-- I’m old but not that old. I need to get you all out of here. I can’t do it one at a time, not over the distance we’re going, and I can’t carry you at my age.
ALAINA: Right, but can’t you just touch our shoulders or something?
HAROLD: I don’t even know you that well. It’s much less awkward if you just stand on my 76-year-old ribcage. Plus, it’s hard for me to get back up from a lying position.

Suddenly, Agent Green’s wristwatch, still in Maya’s hands, begins emitting a message from RECRUITER, and we can hear a still-dazed ADMINISTRATOR in the background.

RECRUITER (V.O.): (to ADMINISTRATOR) No, the back-up generators are still on for the tazing cannons. (louder) Green! Agent Green, are you there?
MAYA: Uhhh… what do I do?
HAROLD: Let me point out that in lying position I am, and in lying position I will stay until you young people step on me.
DWAYNE: Go ahead-- do your best impression of your “acquaintance,” Maya.
MAYA: (in an overly creepy voice) Heh heh. Yeah, this is Agent Green. Agent Green is here, making your lives so much more awkward than they have to be.
RECRUITER (V.O.): Um… thanks, we knew that. Green, all hell has broken loose up here. If you want out, meet us on the rooftop. We’re taking the transport to the mountains for back-up.
HAROLD: The mountains? You kids must have scared them more than I thought.
MAYA: (continuing in creepy voice) Yeah, but what about my fellow incompetent agents?
RECRUITER (V.O.): They’re toast. It’s time for a purge, Green. I mean, if you’re the best of the lot, then that says volumes about the quality of agents these days. Hurry-- I understand if you want to see her parents tazed, but we’ll be on the roof. We’re taking off with or without you.
MAYA: (almost losing it, and losing voice) “Her” parents? You know I can’t miss that.
RECRUITER (V.O.): It’ll keep the agents distracted, and we’ve given the teachers a “professional development day” and the students a movie day. Their favorite, The Rebellion Strikes Back, which it’ll never do, after today.
MAYA: (full creepy voice) What about my fave, Maya, and her friends?

Pause.

RECRUITER (V.O.): The purge doesn’t stop with the agents, Green. That’s the part I thought you’d enjoy especially.
MAYA: (with creepy laugh) Oh, you know I will. See you soon, K?
RECRUITER (V.O.): Uh-- such a creepy scoundrel.
MAYA: I know.

Maya throws down the wristwatch, and starts laying out Agent Green’s clothes.

ALAINA: “My fave, Maya… and her friends?”
MAYA: Yeah… aren’t we?
DWAYNE: (creep imitation) Besties.
MAYA: Please, don’t.
HAROLD: They’re not playing around. We have to go outside the city if you want to live.
ALAINA: What about everyone at our school?
DWAYNE: You heard her-- they get to watch The Rebellion Strikes Back. Those lucky bastards.
ALAINA: Dwayne! It’s that propaganda that ruined our lives and made us what we are.
DWAYNE: OK, but propaganda with a dude getting his hand chopped off-- still sweet.
MAYA: My parents are in immediate danger. You heard what she said.
ALAINA: What are you doing?

Maya lays out Agent Green’s clothes over her.

MAYA: They’ll be a little big, but it’s a chance I’ll have to take.
HAROLD: Maya… if you do this, I can’t guarantee your safety.
MAYA: We didn’t know you existed until three minutes ago, and we guaranteed our own safety just fine.
HAROLD: (impressed) That’s a burn.
MAYA: Now, turn around and avert your eyes.

Dwayne and Alaina turn around, and Harold somewhat rolls over on his side.
HAROLD (talking behind him to MAYA): OK, if you make it out, we’ll meet you at the school. I can’t say how long we’ll be there. That’s the last place anyone would expect you to be, at this point, and it seems like the Principal will be the only one there, while the propaganda does its work.
DWAYNE: We get to watch the movie?
ALAINA: No… we get to destroy the movie.
DWAYNE: Destruction works too.
HAROLD: I never dreamed you three would have guts like this.
DWAYNE: Guts like Brucie… on fire!
ALAINA: But, first, I need to rescue my mom, just like Maya.
MAYA (O.S.): No. I’m not rescuing my parents; I’m just saving their lives.
ALAINA: OK, then I need to rescue my mom, just unlike Maya.
HAROLD: Your mom was the one who rushed into The Screening with you, right? You were both late?
ALAINA: How…? Were you there?
HAROLD: Never you mind. Well, if that was the case, then we might need to pay those teachers a visit first before we drop in to school.
DWAYNE: Are you saying I get to lay the smackdown on my Gym Teacher?
HAROLD: I’m saying that I know where the teachers have their “professional development.” It’s right near your old neighborhood, Dwayne.
DWAYNE: How far away is that?
HAROLD: Not too far for me to teleport, if you two will just step on me.
MAYA (O.S.): How do I look?

They turn around and see Maya, dressed in Agent Green’s suit, which oddly fits surprisingly well on her.

MAYA: This feels so incredibly wrong.
HAROLD: I see that you’re in hot-green pursuit.
DWAYNE: I already did that one.
HAROLD: Come on. We don’t have much time-- especially you, Maya. Good luck.
MAYA: Thanks. I’ll see you back at school, guys.
ALAINA: (tenderly) Thanks for… thanks.

Maya runs down the tunnel, leaving her old clothing behind.

DWAYNE: Come on, Alaina. We’re doing this for Bruce. (standing on HAROLD, gently at first)

Harold makes a creaking sound. Alaina hesitates, looking up and down the tunnel.

HAROLD: (straining verbally) Come on, Alaina. I’ve got this… just hurry your phasing butt up, honey.
ALAINA: For… Bruce?

Alaina stands on Harold’s belly, and he makes a restrained “Oooo-eeeee!” type sound under the two teenagers’ weight. Suddenly, in another flash of light, the three vanish. The purple lamp device remains in the tunnel.

[Imagineer_V]

These next scenes are happening simultaneously, which is why it jumps around.

Agent Infiltration Part 1

INT. SCREENING ARENA - APPROX. 8 A.M.
The power is out, but the early morning sun flickers in through the large open windows. MAYA sneaks around the lower levels of the Screening Arena, attempting to not stand out and feigning confidence. AGENTS are filing in to the Arena, eager to see the “show” of Maya’s parents being tortured to death. Maya takes a deep breath outside the entrance to the stands. We can hear an ominous, low, slow version of the “Do the Right Thing” anthem.

MAYA: I got this. I can totally do this. No pressure, right?

Maya has now reached the Screening Arena and sees a line of Agents form outside an entrance she had never seen before, even on any blueprints. She reaches the entrance and is trying to hide in the crowd. As she enters the arena, we discover the deafening sound of all the Agents singing rowdily and somewhat parody-style the anthem, drowning out any individual lines of dialogue. The seats are filled up-- not spaced apart, as the Agents know the truth. The crowd is a mix of masked-up Agents, who feel more comfortable wearing the mask, and those without masks, who enjoy this chance to “let it all hang out,” as no public outsiders are present. Nearly all of them have ultrasound-injectors with various intoxicants.

Maya takes a seat near the front, and looks at her parents, who are tied to the remnants of the “wall” and have the giant tazing cannons pointing at them.

Brief mid-shot of MAYA’S MOM and MAYA’S DAD.

MAYA’S DAD: I told you, she should have been born in the Agent Hospital!
MAYA’S MOM: Seriously, Stu? We’re about to be tazed to death, and that’s what you want to say to me?
MAYA’S DAD: Sorry… I love you.
MAYA’S MOM: Ditto, Stu. It’s been nice serving with you.

Maya is offered an injector by an out-of-shot Agent next to her.

AGENT GREEN (O.S.): Want a drinkie-poo?
MAYA: Darn it.

AGENT GREEN is in the seat next to Maya, wearing a duplicate bright-green suit and bright-green mask.

AGENT GREEN: (smirking) Glad you could make the show. This is going to be so good.

Return to the M2F Club Part 1

EXT. “M2F LADIES’ CLUB” - MORNING
The club looks just vaguely sketchy in the morning hours. The neighborhood is even more eerie without any Agents in sight. There are no citizens walking around. Nonetheless, the “M2F Ladies’ Club” sign is clearly visible. ALAINA, DWAYNE, and HAROLD teleport in, with HAROLD still lying down. Alaina and Dwayne hop off Harold, and Harold sighs with relief-- for, like, ten seconds.

HAROLD: Okay, okay… Just give me the count of ten. One…

Pause.

HAROLD: Two…

Dwayne literally picks up Harold and places him on his feet.

DWAYNE: Ten.
ALAINA: “M2F”? What does that mean?
DWAYNE: This is “Mask to Face,” Alaina. The male strip club. Harold, why did you take me here?
HAROLD: (looking nervously at ALAINA) Not only male, I’ll have you know.
ALAINA
Well, anyway, why did you bring us here?
HAROLD: (ignoring ALAINA, for now) Well, Dwayne’s house is just around the corner from here. You can go find your sister and dad. I’m sure your mom is out working.
DWAYNE: You do realize there’s no point though, right? They won’t remember me: the lady with the creepy helicopter thing made them forget me.
HAROLD: I’ve seen this happen before. Just show them something they might remember to jog their memory.
DWAYNE: Like what?
HAROLD: I don’t know. (abruptly changes subject) Now, Alaina, I’ve been around this area too long to not notice patterns, so… go inside. I think you’ll like what you find.
ALAINA: Gross, dude! I’m 16-- I’m not into that stuff!
HAROLD: (laughs) Just go in… you never know what you might find.
ALAINA: No!

Harold rolls his eyes and shoves Alaina through the door as he holds it open. Alaina looks shocked by his strength, and before she can run back out, Harold holds the door closed as strongly as he can.

Agent Infiltration Part 2

INT. SCREENING ARENA - NIGHT
Maya accepts the injector from Agent Green, and considers her options. Maya tries to ignore Agent Green completely for now and stares resolutely ahead at her parents. The twisted choral version of “Do the Right Thing” still echoes throughout the building.

AGENT GREEN: I see you chose the right thing. I wonder why you came up here… I see… you want revenge, don’t you? They lied to you and pretended to care when all they wanted for you was a normal life. And you, Maya, did not want that, did you? You wanted to do the right thing and be an agent… just like me.
MAYA: (trying to play it cool) Sure… training is going well. I already told them where the others are so they can join us.

The tazing cannons power up off the back-up generators and the Agent crowd cheers. Maya’s face is visibly strained, and Agent Green is enjoying every second of it.

At this point Maya’s parents are screaming in pain, though their screams are nearly completely drowned out by the noise. They notice their daughter in the crowd and are resisting because of the love they have for her. Maya sees them screaming, but does not do anything at first. Eventually, she cannot see them in pain anymore and we see a few small tears come down her face.

MAYA: You have to get out of here, Green.
AGENT GREEN: Really? Is that your strategy now? What about your “training,” sweetheart?
MAYA: (flinging his wristwatch back at GREEN) Your puppet masters need you on the
roof, you scuzzbag.
AGENT GREEN: You’re lying.
MAYA: (looking at him with resolve) Try me, you idiot.

Tense moment. Agent Green takes the wristwatch, is about to talk into it, but then looks up at the roof. There is indeed a hatch open.

AGENT GREEN: Stay tight, for a sec. I bet you didn’t know that you could do this. Agent Green steals Maya’s powers and moves himself, Mary Poppins-style, up to the roof. Maya glowers at him. The tazing cannons increase in power, and Maya’s parents are in agony. After Agent Green is through the hatch, Maya harnesses her own powers back and jumps up from her seat.

MAYA: (breaking cover and yelling to the Agents around her) Those are my parents. Stop hurting them. They did nothing wrong. You all did. Also, how did you seriously not know that I was here the whole time? All of you are so idiotic.
AGENT ON STAGE: Well… why are you just standing there? Get her!

Agents start heading to attack Maya in a variety of ways, some of them with powers of their own. Maya tries flinging them everywhere. We see an Agent fly out of the building. Agents are still coming to surround Maya.

Return to the M2F Club Part 2

INT. “M2F LADIES’ CLUB” - MORNING
The same type of New Orleans jazz and dubstep beats resound throughout the club, which resembles the same sketchy vibe we saw at night, even though it’s now the morning hours.

ALAINA: Well, great… (yelling out to HAROLD) You are corrupting a young innocent mind! I hope you know that!

Alaina turns around, shielding her eyes so she only sees feet of people. She hopes not to recognize any of her teachers, nor be recognized by them.

POV SHOT from Alaina’s perspective: we can see her hand covering the top of the frame, and all you can see are the feet facing her.

ALAINA: Sorry, everyone… Uh… get back to whatever you were doing… I guess…

All the feet turn back around as the noise of clinking glasses, chatter, and cheering begins once again.

ALAINA: (under her breath) You do realize it’s not even nine o’clock in the morning, right?

We see a pair of nude-color “hooker heels” beginning to walk near Alaina. The shot is just viewing the two pairs of feet. We then see Alaina, still shielding her eyes. Alaina walks to behind an area with a curtain so she doesn’t have to see anything else. The heels follow her there, and as soon as Alaina gets near the curtain, the woman in heels grabs her arm, pulls her behind the curtain, and closes it immediately. Before Alaina can even struggle, the woman’s hand closes over her mouth. Alaina looks to see who it is: ALAINA’S MOM without a mask. Alaina starts to scream again, but we cut to:

EXT. “M2F LADIES’ CLUB” - MORNING
HAROLD is still holding the door, not sure if Alaina is coming out.

HAROLD: So, Dwayne… how’s life? We have so little time to talk these days.
DWAYNE: I’m not sure if I even want to go back for my parents, Henry.
HAROLD: Harold. It’s Harold.
DWAYNE: I don’t know what to do, Hank, I really don’t.
HAROLD: (trying to ignore his misnaming) Hey, looks like you don’t have to make that choice. Look who’s here.

MARGARET appears, sulking down the street, trying to avoid Agents-- who are, of course, not there. She is wearing her tan outfit and has a tan satchel overstuffed with supplies.

DWAYNE: Margaret!

Margaret backs away.

MARGARET: Who are you?
DWAYNE: I know that chick told you to forget me, but… I’m your brother. Dwayne.
HAROLD: He’s not lying, Maggie.
MARGARET: Get away from me, you weird old freak.
DWAYNE: Yeah, I hear that, he’s a freak. Come on, Maggie, just go back home and tell Mom and Dad I miss them, OK? Nothing too sappy, not “I love you” or anything, but–
MARGARET: Uh… I’m running away from home, so just let me run.
DWAYNE: You’re still just as annoying as I remember.
HAROLD: Do you have anything on you that could jog her memory?
DWAYNE: I’m not sure, Henry.
HAROLD: I see where your sister gets the annoyance factor, Dwight.

Dwayne reaches into his front pocket, and slowly pulls out Bruce’s mask.

MARGARET: What is that in your pocket?
DWAYNE: Oh… It’s Brucie’s old mask. I hate to tell you this, but Bruce… gone but not forgotten.
MARGARET: “Bruce”? I remember… that was the first one I made.
DWAYNE: What? I found Bruce in our bathroom one day.
MARGARET: If you are my brother, you must have inherited Dad’s brains. Watch this. Margaret opens her hand and there are three different Brucies.
DWAYNE: Woah. You have powers?
HAROLD: Damn.
MARGARET: Yeah, pretty cool, right? Now, “brother,” or whoever you are, I’ve got to run, so…
DWAYNE: Well… I am here to get revenge on the teachers in the “M2F” club. Can you help me? Are you sure you’re up for it?
MARGARET: Just give me a few minutes. I’ll make an army.

Margaret starts making dozens of Brucies.

HAROLD: While I would love to see this, I’m awfully worried about Maya. I’ll be back in a flash.

As Margaret makes more Brucies, Dwayne laughs, and Harold disappears in a flash of light.

Agent Infiltration Part 3

INT. SCREENING BUILDING - MORNING
Maya uses her telekinesis to lift herself up in the air and deflects various attacks. She directs the tazing cannons at the Agents, which holds them back enough for Maya to go to her parents, who seem barely conscious.

MAYA: Are you alright? Mom… Dad… say something!

No answer. Maya begins to cry. Agents start to regain strength back and move closer.

MAYA’S MOM: (coming to) Thank you for saving us, sweetie.
MAYA’S DAD: We love you.

Maya releases her parents and creates a shield around herself with the various remnants of the broken wall. The remaining Agents (who were not tazed to unconsciousness) struggle to regain their sobriety and to properly offer her resistance.

MAYA: I love you. I could not see you die after trying to save me from this mess. But… I now have a real family. So… go, and do not come back for me. I am my own individual now and no longer your daughter.
MAYA’S MOM: As long as you use your powers like this… you’re right.

The Agents break through the wall remnants and Maya flies back up in the air, heading for the hatch in the roof.

EXT. SCREENING BUILDING ROOF - MORNING
Maya floats in the air with a newfound confidence in herself and abilities, flying out of the Arena and confronting AGENT GREEN, RECRUITER, and ADMINISTRATOR, waiting for the transport.

RECRUITER: Look here, chief. It’s the little architect herself.
AGENT GREEN: Do we need a hostage?
ADMINISTRATOR: No, it’s not worth it.

HAROLD teleports onto the roof. Harold and Administrator recognize each other. Recruiter recognizes Harold from earlier. A transport arrives on the roof. Agent Green enters it in the pilot’s seat.

RECRUITER: The old man… with powers?
ADMINISTRATOR: I should have known it was you this whole time.
HAROLD: Not me. Not just me. It’s these young punks today. All rebels in the making, I tells ya.
ADMINISTRATOR: You shoulda stayed in the country, dead man. Let’s go.

Administrator and Recruiter enter the transport. The Administrator closes her eyes and suddenly she and the entire transport becomes invisible in mid-air.

MAYA: We can’t just let them get away.
HAROLD: We need to start the movement first. Back to school. I just wanted to be
sure you were OK.
MAYA: I, I had it under control.

Agents can be heard, approaching the rooftop.

HAROLD: Do you need a lift back to the school?
MAYA: That’s OK… I’ll fly.

Harold teleports out in a flash of light and Maya heads over to the school for the final stage of the heroes’ plan.

Return to the M2F Club Part 3

INT. “M2F LADIES’ CLUB” - MORNING (MANY MOMENTS BEFORE)
Out of the Alaina’s POV shot now, we see ALAINA and ALAINA’S MOM confronting each other. Alaina is about to scream, and Alaina’s Mom hushes her.

ALAINA’S MOM: (whisper yelling) Shhhh! Alaina, be quiet! (hugs her tight, than holds her away at an arms distance) And what the hell are you doing at a strip club, young lady? I knew there was something fishy going on when you were taken. You don’t have powers… right?
ALAINA: It doesn’t matter, and-- Mom? What the hell? What are you doing here?
ALAINA’S MOM: (putting mask back on) Honey, you know we were… struggling… financially… when you were younger.
ALAINA: (horrified) Mom… How long?
ALAINA’S MOM: How long have we been able to afford injectors?
ALAINA: Mom! You said you got a job cleaning!
ALAINA’S MOM: I do clean-up at night! Honey, this is why I never told you the truth. I didn’t want you to be ashamed of me.
ALAINA: Well, all you did was postpone it! (horrified realization speaking louder) Is this why you and Dad broke up?
ALAINA’S MOM: Shhh, honey! I don’t want my clients knowing I have a kid. It would ruin the illusion…
ALAINA: Mom! Your “clients” are my teachers-- and they’re all women!
ALAINA’S MOM: Alaina… in this business, you can’t be picky.
ALAINA: Ewww. Anyway, I don’t care about your “clients”-- answer the God-dammed question!
ALAINA’S MOM: No. Your dad and I broke up because… well, you know Jenny Macintosh? Yeah… (looking awkward) We didn’t tell you because you were so young, and I didn’t tell you because, well, your dad is still a good man.
ALAINA: Mom, no! He’s obviously not! He split our family apart, he made you resort to this! Mom! He is not a good man! (trying to think about something else) Mom! Come with me! You can leave all… this… (gesturing at ALAINA’S MOM) …behind and meet my new friends, and see what I can do!
ALAINA’S MOM: Honey, I’m happy here. I have my patrons, I know their names by heart. I have friends here. I’m so glad to hear you are thriving, but so am I… You already left me once. The people in suits came and took all your things, honey. You want me to “see what you can do,” but I don’t want to ruin my memory of you as my perfect baby. I can’t have an infected daughter. I love you, but I can’t love all of you.
ALAINA: (tears welling up) Mom, you can forgive the man who cheated on you and left you with a four-year-old, but you can’t love your own daughter for finally embracing who she is? Please, I’m begging! Come with me… you can leave this hell hole!
ALAINA’S MOM: (crying) Honey, I love you, but I can’t… I need to do the right thing…
ALAINA: Can’t you see this isn’t the right thing?
ALAINA’S MOM: I… I can’t go, honey…
ALAINA: (sobbing) Fine!

Alaina walks through the wall before her mom can give her one last hug. Her mom looks really confused and starts sobbing as well. We see a shot of the two of them on opposite sides of the wall, back to back on the ground, crying. Some other strippers open the curtain and see Alaina’s mom and begin to comfort her. Harold teleports back next to Alaina.

ALAINA: Let’s go.

Alaina and Harold stand back to back and Harold teleports them both out of there.

At nearly the same moments, MARGARET and DWAYNE bust in to the club, followed by thousands of Brucies. The TEACHERS and STRIPPERS, including Alaina’s Mom, flee in drunken chaos. Many of the Brucies have formed a giant “Brucie Ball” and bounce from table to table.

Dwayne has his sights set on GYM TEACHER who, even at this point in the early morning, is highly inebriated and doesn’t seem notice the melee in the club.

GYM TEACHER: (highly wasted, stumbling) Who wants their spritzies? This is the bhest pwofheshuneal devwepment…

Dwayne takes a stripper pole on the stage, bends it into a boomerang, and the hurls it towards Gym Teacher. Gym Teacher finds herself stuck against the wall.

DWAYNE: (approaching menacingly) I still owe you twenty. Twenty thousand Brucies!

Maggie launches a Brucie assault on Gym Teacher, and Gym Teacher nearly faints due to lizards climbing all over her.

DWAYNE: Thanks, sis. I can take it from here. You chase the rest out of here.
MARGARET: Even if I don’t remember you, you’re pretty OK as an older brother.

Maggie and the Brucie armies leave, while Dwayne removes the stripper pole, grabs Gym Teacher, and throws her up in the air. She lands on top of Dwayne’s back, as he gets ready for a push-up.

DWAYNE: One!

Dwayne strains and pushes up into the ceiling, knocking Gym Teacher out. Dwayne falls to the floor, and is about to do another push-up, when he notices the fallen Gym Teacher.

DWAYNE: I guess the other nineteen will have to wait till next class.

Dwayne grabs a sanitizing bottle from the stage, and heads back to the fallen teacher.

DWAYNE: Um… Are you–?

Gym Teacher moans with pain, and rolls over. Dwayne then spritzes about twelve times over Gym Teacher.

Pause.

Dwayne spriztes three more times for good measure.

DWAYNE: There’s your sprizties… (one more spritz) …loser.

Dwayne throws the bottle on the floor as HAROLD teleports back inside the club in a flash of light. Harold looks at the debris around the club.

HAROLD: You kids work fast.
DWAYNE: My sister helped. You should check on her somewhere out there.
HAROLD: All right-- good thing I still got it in me. But, first, Dwight, I have to get you to the school. Alaina’s speech is bombing.
DWAYNE: What? The quiet girl’s making a speech?
HAROLD: You know teenagers. The only thing that motivates them is petty jealousy.
DWAYNE: (smirking) I don’t know what you mean.
HAROLD: I mean, you can finally show off your super-strength to your classmates.
DWAYNE: What are we waiting for, Hank?

Dwayne and Harold stand back to back, and teleport out of there in a flash of light. We linger on the club just for a moment so that Gym Teacher can emit a few more moans of pain.

[Imagineer_V]

The Final Battle

INT. GYMNASIUM - LATE MORNING (MANY MOMENTS EARLIER)
The gymnasium is now filled up with bleachers, and all the students are excitedly watching the pivotal scene in The Rebellion Strikes Back, projected on a giant screen in the gym. A flash of light is clearly visible as HAROLD and ALAINA teleport behind the screen. Socially-distanced STUDENTS in the stands hardly respond, but PRINCIPAL-- the only adult in the room on this brainwashing day-- notices.

PRINCIPAL: Anyone experiencing hallucinations of flashes of light should seek immediate medical attention.
BECKY: Shhh!

BECKY and DARRYL, seated not-so-socially-distanced next to her, are in a back row.

INT. GYMNASIUM, BEHIND THE SCREEN - LATE MORNING
HAROLD tinkers around with the projector while ALAINA prepares to phase through the screen, and looks at it, in reverse, projected in front of her. ALAINA and HAROLD whisper to each other.

ALAINA: This stupid movie!
HAROLD: Aww-- we just missed his hand getting sliced off.
ALAINA: Just please shut it off, Harold. I’ve got to get through to them.
HAROLD: If anyone can get through that screen, it’s you-- y’know, with the phasing.

BACK TO WIDE

PRINCIPAL quietly and fake-calmly heads down the bleachers as the movie continues to play, with the WHITE HELMET CHARACTER and BLACK HELMET CHARACTER playing the same scene that Babysitter and Little Alaina re-enacted six years ago.

WHITE HELMET: I will never betray the Empire. There is no one and nothing else that I am called to be. You’re a traitor, and you need help, you selfish brat.
BLACK HELMET: It is you who are betraying yourself, old man. If only you knew the truth… about your son.
WHITE HELMET: My son is nothing like you-- because he is now in a better place. I was told that my son got help as soon as he showed signs of infection…
BLACK HELMET: (slowing down, as the projector stops) The infection also flows through you, does it not?

The projector is now off, and, on the above line, Alaina phases through the screen, saying the same line.

ALAINA: The infection also flows through you, does it not?
PRINCIPAL: The movie’s still playing, boys and girls! This is the best scene-- wouldn’t it be a shame if you ruined it with a hallucination? Good thing all of you are uninfected. Though, you younger grades haven’t been Screened yet…
ALAINA: It’s all lies! There is no Virus! The infection is fear! Have you ever thought about how all of our movies and our songs make heroes out of middle-aged people? Isn’t that screwed up? They want to stop us from using our true powers! They’re the Empire!
PRINCIPAL: This is my favorite part of the movie.
BECKY: Shhh! These are my favorite lines, Glorious Principal Stern.
PRINCIPAL: Mine too, Becky!

INT. GYMNASIUM, BEHIND THE SCREEN - LATE MORNING
Harold looks at the reaction of the students, through the now clear screen. They are all seemingly “watching the movie,” though some are shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

HAROLD: Looks like it’s time for back-up.

Harold disappears in a flash of light.

BACK TO WIDE

ALAINA: No! Look at what I just did! I literally walked through this screen, and you want to pretend that none of you are the same as me. I know the truth-- I know how much you’re working to hide it, right now, but any of you could have powers. There’s no one here to stop you, just the principal.
PRINCIPAL: Why can’t the young man be better in this movie? He wants to hold on to his infection.
ALAINA: What can I do to show you? You ignored me when I was quiet, and you ignore me when I talk. I don’t know. Should I…?

Harold and Dwayne teleport back-to-back in a flash of light, behind the screen. Dwayne punches through the screen, and it collapses.

DWAYNE: Did everyone see that? Oh, and… (pointing to the patched-up part of the roof) I did that last week!

Students are still looking at “the screen”-- the screen that isn’t there.

HAROLD: Good luck, you two.
DWAYNE: Hey, Hank, my boy. Go get my sister and the Brucies down in the sewers.
Once that Brucie army gets that sludge in it, there’s no way that these jerks can ignore us.

Harold teleports out of there. Principal charges up the aisles.

DWAYNE: (flipping the bird) Oh, hey, Principal. Sorry I missed you… with that collapsing screen that I just destroyed.

Principal completely ignores Dwayne and Maya, and addresses the students.

PRINCIPAL: Boys and girls, what do you say to watching that part again?

Students cheer. Dwayne acts, taking a metal railing from bleachers and bending it into another restraint, like he did with the Gym Teacher. Dwayne wraps the “metal belt” around Principal, then takes her off the stage. Meanwhile, Alaina toys with her mask, and takes it off in front of the student body. Though their masks do not reveal their expressions, it’s clear that their jaws have dropped.

PRINCIPAL: (struggling to free self, looking at ALAINA) What have you done?
DWAYNE: (still facing PRINCIPAL) The wrong thing… Karen. (looking back at ALAINA) Holy mother of…

Alaina puts her hand up in the air, as if she’s greeting someone far away in the distance in our world-- though in this society the gesture is odd (and perhaps suggestive).

DARYL: This is the weirdest hallucination ever.
BECKY: This must be an outbreak in our school. I say we Do the Right Thing and wait for the Teachers and… (looking around for AGENTS) …the Staff.

Students are having a hard time keeping up appearances of watching a movie.

ALAINA: Dwayne? I need your help.
DWAYNE: Alaina… if it weren’t you asking me to do this, I’d swear you were a bully… or my wife.

Dwayne stands next to Alaina, removes his mask, and hesitantly copies her hand motion. This time, students gasp.

DWAYNE: (while lifting hand) What does this mean?
ALAINA: I don’t know… (with two meanings) …it’s a new movement.

EXT. SCHOOL - LATE MORNING (A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE)
MAYA has moved/flown herself towards the school, and hones in on the gym rooftop. She struggles with landing.

MAYA: Uh-oh… easy on the landing, easy on the landing!

Maya lands hard on the roof, but on the exact same patched-up spot that Dwayne broke through.

INT. GYMNASIUM - LATE MORNING
MAYA crashes through the roof, right above mask-less ALAINA and DWAYNE, still holding their hands up. On her way down, Maya moves pieces of roofing out of the way so that they don’t crash on Alaina, while Dwayne has no problem batting them away. Maya then lands-- in stereotypical superhero style-- on the other side of Alaina.

DWAYNE: (to STUDENTS) I did that first. I just want to let everybody know that I did that move first, right here in this gym, a week ago.

Maya sees her two friends, mask-less and holding their hands up, and removes her own mask, joining them in the pose.

MAYA: A sign of rebellion?
ALAINA: Or of failure. Either way, hold it.
BECKY: (jealous) Maya too! No, she doesn’t! (to DARYL) Hold my mask, Daryl. Becky, mask-less, stands up and uses full wind powers.
BECKY: I’ve had enough of you losers. Watch this, everybody!

Slowly at first, individual students use powers and take masks off. After about a dozen students have revealed themselves in this way, the tide breaks-- a minority (though sizable minority) of the students start using powers, like bolts of lighting from fingers and running up walls, and all the students-- with and without powers-- take masks off, and stampede out of the gym with the trio in the lead.

EXT. STREETS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL BUILDING - LATE MORNING (A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE)
All is quiet and desolate-- as it should be, during the day-- on the street. There is a strange murmuring from the school building, but not too many people are around to hear it, just the same WOMAN IN A YELLOW BUSINESS SUIT (now six years older) and MOTHER AND BOBBY, walking on the street-- all three oblivious of the chaos that has already occurred, though SON is going on about a lizard infestation…

MOTHER: Bobby, you must keep your mask on, at all times. You’ve been seeing a lot of strange things all day today.
BOBBY: I’m telling you-- I saw all these crawly things… And, look at that lady!
MOTHER: What lady? (turning around, catching sight of WOMAN, but then turning back quickly) Oh, dear… let’s do the right thing.
BOBBY: (whimpering) Do… the Right Thing.

Woman in Yellow Business Suit approaches the school, already suspicious. Suddenly, ALAINA phases through the front door. WOMAN IN YELLOW BUSINESS SUIT Finally… I’ve got you now. ALAINA unlocks the door from the outside, just in time for DWAYNE, MAYA, and a FLOOD OF MASK-LESS STUDENTS charging onto the streets. Woman in Yellow Business Suit turns around and runs.

BOBBY: Mommy, look at all those big kids! No masks!

MOTHER faints. BOBBY laughs, and takes his mask off with glee, cheering the teens as they pass.

The flood of students tips over and utterly obliterates (with all of the various powers collected in the group) the “maskroom” that we saw in the beginning, and continues on its rampage.

Just then, HAROLD opens a sewer grate, climbs up slowly, then flings the grate onto the ground as MARGARET enters with a whole avalanche of Brucies pouring up from the sewers onto the streets. Brucie balls bounce on either side of the students, with Brucies spitting out fire every now and then and exploding out of existence. Margaret eagerly joins the mob at the rear.

The students are all mimicking the “hand-raise” motion, by this point, and are screaming/chanting, “Do the Wrong Thing! Do the Wrong Thing!” Harold, with tears of joy welling in his eyes, “salutes” the crew with his hand raised, and then removes his mask.

HAROLD: And so it begins… Looks like Phase One’s getting started ahead of our schedule… Let me get the back-up.

Harold teleports out of there as we drone up to an extra-wide “God shot” of all the revolutionary mob running amok in the streets, being joined by young people and chasing Agents, Teachers, and other authority figures. At this height, we can hear but cannot see a transport, circling from above…

EXT. INVISIBLE TRANSPORT (HIGH ABOVE THE CITY) - EARLY AFTERNOON
A mask-less AGENT GREEN and ADMINISTRATOR-- along with still masked RECRUITER-- are all on the transport, which cannot be seen until we track “inside” of it. Agent Green is piloting the craft, while Administrator concentrates to keep them all
invisible.

RECRUITER: How long has it been since you’ve used your powers, ma’am?
ADMINISTRATOR: Fourteen years. I forgot how much they take it out of you.
RECRUITER: Do you think you got the job because of your invisibility powers, or was it just a coincidence?
ADMINISTRATOR: Are you asking for a promotion?
RECRUITER: Hardly. Especially these days…

Recruiter looks down below at the MASK-LESS TEENS running amok, some with powers and all flanked by fire-spewing lizards and rolling lizard spheres, chasing fleeing AGENTS and TEACHERS down the streets around the former Screening Arena.

ADMINISTRATOR: I think this is a fitting end to the public Screening Era.
AGENT GREEN: But how else can we watch 'em squirm?
RECRUITER: Have you always had that goatee, Green?
AGENT GREEN: Since I became an agent.
RECRUITER: Don’t you itch terribly, like, ceaselessly?
AGENT GREEN: (smirking) And how. That’s the fun of it. An itch you can never scratch. Isn’t it diabolical?
RECRUITER: All right-- just one more circuit of voyeurism, Green, and then let’s get out of here, towards HQ. These agents are purging themselves, it seems.
ADMINISTRATOR: Mountain Base knows we’re on our way… It’s been a long time since we’ve had to quarantine a whole city. It would be historic… if it ever could be recorded as history. This should bring out the rebel elements from the country, and then we’ll purge them back where they were half a century ago, if not further.
RECRUITER: (looking down at the chaos below, reflectively) I don’t understand it. All these microaggressions could have stayed micro, forever. We gave them an eternal war, a war they could constantly win. Now, it’ll be just like the before-times: conflicts over belief, skin color, status, politics… if this succeeds, of course.

The transport briefly flickers in and out of visibility.

ADMINISTRATOR: (opening eyes, briefly, and looking at RECRUITER) If this succeeds? I question your loyalty.
RECRUITER: I question it too… ad nauseam.
ADMINISTRATOR: (returning to eyes-closed to harness powers) Are you smirking at me?
RECRUITER: That’s why I always wear a mask around you. I’m always smirking at you, chief.
ADMINISTRATOR: It’s about time for their little movie re-enactment to end. Yours too, perhaps. The rebellion will never strike back.
RECRUITER: I-- albeit respectfully-- must disagree. The movie’s not over yet, chief. This rebellion is going… viral.
ROLL CREDITS

Post Credits

INT. GYMNASIUM - EARLY EVENING
Post-credits scene: Noise of a distant but all-surrounding chaos. DARYL is now the only one in the gymnasium, sitting in the bleachers alone. Discarded masks are scattered everywhere, but Daryl still wears his, looking up at the “screen” that is no longer there.

DARYL: I guess… I guess the movie’s over. (feeling forehead) If this hallucination doesn’t go away in the morning, I’ve got to be coming down with something.

Daryl gets up, and walks out down the empty bleacher stands.

DARYL: I wonder if Becky’s parents are home yet…

[Imagineer_V]

I have now posted this so everyone can see. Really wanting people’s thoughts and I want to know the interest before I get ahead of myself.

[Irrer-Minnie]

Yeah, time for someone else to type on this thread… What can I say, I really loved the movie! Every scene, every sentence, every word! The characters are amazing and it is so well-written! This is purely amazing! You put so much effort in it and everyone here: I recommend reading it because it is really worth the time you spend!
Greetings, Irrer Minnie

[Commander-Rex]

This is a amazing screenplay. And I know that while it’s a PG 13 script, the name Viral sounds like it could be a Pixar film. Probably completely unintentional but it just has that amazing spark of genius sound like Pixar films do

It’s so creative and ingeneuitive and (add in another synonym of these two, it’s just amazing. You should so pitch this to a studio one day, it could get made into a fantastic film!

---

“Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist CAN come from anywhere”

Anton Ego, Ratatouille, 2007

[Imagineer_V]

While it would be very interesting animated film, the other writers and I definitely would want this to be live action. Normally, an animated film screenplay is around 80 pages long. This one here is about 110-120. I am actually working on trying to make a 0 dollar budget trailer with some friends. I even have a neighbor who is a producer for some company, and I have been meaning to reach out to him about it.

Very interested in your reasoning behind saying it could be a Pixar film.

[Commander-Rex]

While it would be very interesting animated film, the other writers and I definitely would want this to be live action.

Yeah, I figured that. The stripping pole part kind of gave it away to me, lol. But yeah, fantastic screenplay and a great inspirational thing for me. It’s really encouraging me to start working on some dusty projects I had in the past

[Xavier_The_Great]

That. Was. Amazing!! I love the plot and the way the screenplay progresses.

[Imagineer_V]

I love the plot and the way the screenplay progresses.

Thank you!

If anyone is curious as to how we wrote this, I would be happy to share a more detailed process of the creation. It seems this has enough interest to start doing fun stuff, so be on the lookout!

[Xavier_The_Great]

I would love to see how this was created

[Imagineer_V]

First we focused on a concept of the film. Think of this as a “What if” question. One of the ways you could say a “What if” for this particular film is:

What if COVID gave people superpowers?

Then we moved ahead and worked on creating the world and alternate universe. This includes backstory and other information that is not even in the screenplay.

While we were doing that we each created a main character. The teacher in the class created the main villain, known as the Recruiter. The students (including me) each created one of the teenage superheroes. Here is what I wrote up when I created my character, Maya.

Maya

My character thinks they are just an average high schooler. They are chasing their interests of becoming a writer for the news and being a designer of some sort, maybe an architect. Clearly, they have a knack for building things. They like to create different kinds of art as well, but that has unfortunately been limited because of the society they live in. Their parents are not the most supportive of the character’s goals, for reasons unknown to them. They are a bit of a nerd, but still have good friends. They are optimistic, bright, clever, friendly, and outgoing. They are not afraid to say the truth, even if it can hurt sometimes. They like to be a leader, but usually tend to do all the work because they can be stubborn. At school, they are accepted, but some people find them to be a bit annoying. They do not like to be underestimated and want to be respected, but they do not force anyone to. They tend to disagree with people that try to take over and those who are not very smart in my character’s eyes. As of right now, they have the power of telekinesis.

Some of that stuff made it in, and some did not. That is how working on a screenplay with others works. Sometimes you get what you want, and sometimes you do not. It is all about compromising. We had disagreements, but it all worked out in the end.

After that we hit the ground running with the plot, working in chunks and always having a basic idea of what happens next.

[Imagineer_V]

I think it is time for some polls, which I will do gradually. Here is our first. Feel free to think up some poll ideas and other questions for me to answer.

Who is your favorite of our teenage trio? Feel free to give your reasons.

• Maya
• Dwayne
• Alaina

[Woody12]

Nice Screenplay