The Fallen Protégé
Latest Draft November 14, 2010
FORWARD: The Fallen Protégé was originally a dream I had in early 2005, and was subsequently written for the 2005 Drexel University 10-Page Screenplay Contest. That script was written in a day due to how late I discovered it, and had very little time before the submission deadline. Nonetheless that script got an honorable mention. Later in the fall, during my senior year of high school, I took a fiction class. I decided to have another go at the story and thus wrote it in short story form.
Thus began a continued process of revisiting the story in both screenplay and short story form. The last rewritten draft of the short story was down for my Creative Writing class in college in the fall of 2009. That draft proved to be the best version of the story and so I took it to the screenplay for this current revision.
FADE IN:
EXT. CROWDED STREET - NIGHT
THUNDER RUMBLES OVER THE ASSEMBLY.
The people zigzag across the city street. Each individual is
prepared for rain, and busies their step to their
destination. It's tight amongst the buildings.
A SINGLE RUNNER CUTS THROUGH THE RANKS--
He brushes against people and bounces off the bigger
bystanders. His boots keep hitting the asphalt. He bumps into
another person and as a result his leather jacket opens
briefly to reveal a Glock tucked in his jeans.
LIGHT POST--
He dodges and diverts into a GIRL IN A RED SKIRT--
They fall to the ground... but he quickly spins to take the
fall. She rolls off--
VAL (19) rises and discretely feels his jacket for the gun.
It's there. He checks the surroundings--
The bystanders ignore them, and divert around to continue to
their destination. Val looks back to the girl.
VAL
Sorry.
GIRL IN RED SKIRT
It's okay.
The girl (17) stares at him through her blonde hair. She
brushes it aside to reveal her green eyes... and extends her
hand. Her nails are a the same red as her skirt.
VAL
(lifts her up)
I've got to--
He lets go, but she holds on to his jacket.
GIRL IN RED SKIRT
Wait.
Val focuses his attention on her. She lets go.
VAL
I can't stay...
(grimaces and steps
closer)
I'm sorry, but I can't explain.
Val turns to go--
GIRL IN RED SKIRT
What about your name? I'm--
Val breaks off into the crowd. He pushes through the sea of
dark rain coats to the other side of the street. There he
pauses at the mouth of a dark alley. He turns back to the
crowd.
He rises to the balls of his toes to peek over the heads of
the assembly--
A BLACK HAND GRABS THE GUN--
AND THE OTHER COVERS HIS MOUTH--
HE'S PULLED INTO THE ALLEY--
INT. DILAPIDATED LOBBY - NIGHT
Dust. It's on everything. It floats in the beams of lights
from broken windows, walls, and holes in the ceiling. Doors
that hang from their hinges lead into ballrooms with walls
torn and crumbling.
THUNDER RUMBLES OUTSIDE... AND THE STRUCTURE SHAKES.
More dust lets loose and swirls in the light pouring in from
outside. A stairwell descends from the upper floors behind
the circular concierge desk, or what remains of it, in the
middle of the room. The carpet on the stairwell is gone, the
banister is missing chunks, and the step boards are broken.
COM UNIT (V.O.)
Caecilius-four do you copy?
The dust absorbs and muffles it, but it's distinctly a female
voice on the other line.
CREAKS ECHO--
RATS AND MICE SQUEAK AND SCURRY ABOUT. The walls they scurry
inside of has paint peeling from the parts of it that remain.
A FIGURE STEPS OUT FROM SOME DEBRIS--
CAECILIUS-FOUR's disheveled appearance blends in with the
dust covered surroundings, and he could be mistaken for a
blind homeless man. Dust and other grimy things cover his
large overcoat, his hair is long and unkempt, and his
stitched hat has faded from red to brown. He doesn't have a
beard, but is unshaven and rough. He wears goggles...
The CANE & GOGGLES are the only interesting part about him.
The cane is a sleek black metal with four silver strips at
the end, and at the top near his hand is a transmitter
antenna.
The goggles don't have lens, but instead are permanently
attached to his face. A receiver is on one side and buttons
and a dial on the other.
Caecilius-Four removes a COM-UNIT from his coat. He turns it
off, and Val and MEREDITH enter into view through a wall.
Meredith (34) is an attractive black woman in skin-tight
black Under Armor and black cargo pants with a knife on her
right thigh. Her long dark hair and bangs make her sexually
deadly, and she is the perfect killer. She pulls Val, tight
to her, by the elbow into the room and--
Shoves him away to reveal his Glock in her hand nearest to
him. She checks the chamber and points the gun at his head.
CAECILIUS-FOUR
Reynard wants to speak with him.
(turns to go)
Turn your com off.
Caecilius-Four pulls a MOBILE SCREEN out of his coat and
leaves it on the desk.
CAECILIUS-FOUR (CONT'D)
In case you fall behind... we have
our orders.
Caecilius-Four leaves the room down a corridor. Meredith
motions for Val to follow and takes an earpiece out of her
ear. She grabs the mobile screen and follows.
INT. DILAPIDATED UPPER FLOOR - NIGHT
Meredith pushes Val out of the stairwell--
HOLES! They litter the floor like swiss cheese, and the
floors below are similar so that one can see far down.
LIGHTNING FLASHES AND THUNDER FOLLOWS--
Val spots Caecilius-Four ahead of them. He makes his way
across the beams and boards between collapsed concrete
expertly. He uses the cane for balance. The lightning stops
and he disappears into the darkness.
Val glances back at Meredith.
VAL
How do you expect me to follow?
Meredith takes the gun off him as she lifts the mobile screen
to activate it. Val glances outside the windows.
RAIN SMASHES AGAINST THE BROKEN GLASS. A smirk crosses his
face. Meredith shoves the mobile screen into his chest.
INSERT - MOBILE SCREEN
Val watches playback of a THREE-DIMENSIONAL GRAPHIC OF THE
BUILDING'S STRUCTURE. All the weak points are exposed, and he
sees the path that Caecilius-Four took once he entered the
floor. He rewinds it to that start point--
BACK TO SCENE
Val finds that path and follows it, with Meredith close
behind. Meredith doesn't train Val's Glock on him, but
focuses on balance.
Lightning leads their path, but the resulting THUNDER shakes
the structure and sends dust into their eyes. Val pauses and
COUGHS--
THE FLOOR CREAKS AND GROANS--
He checks the mobile screen:
INSERT - MOBILE SCREEN
It's a weak beam that supports the two of them! He hits a
demand to see the present beam--
IT CRACKS!
BACK TO SCENE
VAL JUMPS FORWARD AS THE BEAM GIVES! His chest hits the
floorboards, but his feet dangle--
MEREDITH FALLS BACK INTO A SPLINTERED SHARD AND INTO THE
DEPTHS OF THE FLOORS BELOW AS HER SCREAMS ARE MUFFLED BY
THUNDER--
Val thrashes his hands to grab hold of something as the floor
around him cracks--
GOT IT! Val pulls himself up--
THE DESK SLIDES TOWARDS THE HOLE! Val kicks and pulls to get
up... but he slides back! The weight of the desk splinters
shards of the floor and one impales Val's elbow--
VAL SCREAMS... and lets go.
CAECILIUS-FOUR GRABS HIS ARM! He pulls Val up as the desk
falls into the abyss. CREAKS AND GROANS from the floor forces
Caecilius to move Val fast.
The floor falls behind them and dust rises everywhere.
Caecilius-Four shoves Val next to a concrete column under a
light. He pulls out a knife.
Val grabs the splinter... and grinds his teeth and moans. He
hanks it free as Caecilius-Four TEARS off a piece of his coat
with the knife. Val YELLS and drops the splinter. Caecilius
Four hands him the rag. Val wraps it around the wound.
THUNDER RUMBLES
Caecilius-Four uses his cane to get his bearings, and adjusts
the dial on his goggles. Val tightens his bandages knot.
Caecilius-Four hanks him up and pushes him forward--
EXT. DILAPIDATED BUILDING ROOF - NIGHT
The building is surrounded by taller buildings on three
sides, but it is open to a view of a greater expanse. A city
skyline is past the lower buildings and park in the distance,
and skylights shoot up from the middle of the park. A soft
orange glows against the overcast sky, but the rain has
subsided.
LIGHTNING STRIKES BETWEEN THE CLOUDS AND THUNDER FOLLOWS
SECONDS AFTER!
The storm has passed. Caecilius-Four leads Val out of a
stairwell. Val notices three large holes, each descending to
the floors below, cluster a section of the roof. He pants and
motions for Caecilius-Four to hold.
Caecilius-Four takes his knife and holds it to Val's throat.
He leads Val across the roof to the edge facing the park,
which is nearest the cluster.
REYNARD (46) steps out from the cover of an alcove. He's in
stealth clothing with an overcoat and a fedora hat. His hair
greys, but retains its brownish hue, and his cold-blue eyes
examine Val carefully. A smirk creeps across his perfect
smile, and he lets out a chuckle.
REYNARD
Val, your efforts are entertaining,
but... I can't say how much I love--
(closes eyes and chuckles)
You know your actions have made
matters worse.
VAL
I'm glad to amuse you.
Reynard glares at him. He nods to Caecilius-Four and he lets
Val go. Val straightens his jacket as Caecilius-Four goes
past Reynard to the alcove he was under.
REYNARD
Why do you bother?
(steps closer)
You know you can't escape what
you've already set in motion?
VAL
I never set--
REYNARD
Bullshit.
(beat)
You're as much a party to this as
everyone else. There's no stopping
the inevitable.
Caecilius-Four leaves the alcove with a SNIPER RIFLE. He
approaches the roof's brick wall, which crumbles and has
gaps. He mounts the rifle--
VAL
I didn't want to stop you... How
could I?
REYNARD
Right.
(takes out a mobile
screen)
There's no way in which you could
stop this. You're meaningless. As
is he and she.
VAL
She?
Caecilius-Four attaches wires from the scope to ports in his
goggles and adjusts the dial. He presses two buttons and a
light on the reciever flashes yellow and is gone.
REYNARD
Val, no one is greater than our
purpose so there's no life that
will get in the way. Our job serves
that cause, which makes our
contacts expendable.
VAL
Who's she?
REYNARD
Don't act like you don't know.
VAL
You wouldn't jeopardize--
REYNARD
What? Caecilius-Four is more than
capable of getting the necessary
shots off.
Caecilius-Four flips a small lever on the scope and Reynard
turns on the screen and checks it. His smirk widens and he
glances coldly at Val.
Val turns his screen back on--
INSERT - SCOPE
CROSSHAIRS CENTER ON THE GIRL IN THE RED SKIRT--
She stands under a light post next to a vender. Caecilius
Four ZOOMS IN until the crosshairs are fixed on her head. The
girl looks around for someone, and bites her lip.
BACK TO SCENE
Val glares at Reynard for a moment, and steps towards--
REYNARD (CONT'D)
I wonder if she's waiting for you.
Val freezes. Reynard chuckles.
REYNARD (CONT'D)
(to Caecilius-Four)
Lock Primary-One.
(to Val)
Technically speaking she's
collateral damage.
VAL
She's innocent.
Caecilius-Four flips a second lever.
REYNARD
What does that matter?
(steps towards Val)
Consider her a casualty to a
disease. The CDC can't save her...
in fact she needs to be quarantined
and put out of her misery. And
remember that you, in stupidity,
brought it upon her.
(to Caecilius-Four)
Are you ready to take both targets?
CAECILIUS-FOUR
Affirmative.
Reynard checks his screen--
VAL DARTS AT CAECILIUS-FOUR!
REYNARD
Take the targets!
REYNARD THROWS HIS HAT INTO VAL'S KNEE AND WRAPS HIS COAT
AROUND VAL'S HEAD--
Reynard elbows and kicks Val to the--
BANG! BANG!
Caecilius-Four dismounts the rifle. Val takes off the coat
and stares up at Reynard.
REYNARD (CONT'D)
I told you... there's no stopping
this. There's no escape. And it has
to be done.
VAL
(rises)
You didn't have to--
(steps back toward hole)
I'm out. No more.
Caecilius-Four trains the rifle on him.
REYNARD
Why take that door. You're useful,
and still young and na•ve. We can
train a soldier like you.
VAL
I'd rather join the diseased than
you.
(steps to edge)
Any last words?
REYNARD
Sure...
(steps closer to him)
You're more of a loss than her.
Reynard chuckles and turns away. Val grinds his teeth for a
moment. He sighs and opens his mouth--
REYNARD (CONT'D)
Take him.
BANG!
VAL FALLS BACK INTO THE ABYSS--
FADE OUT.