Credits overlay as we cut back and forth between
several scenes. One of the first images
we see is Greg (just his feet)
walking home. As camera slowly moves up
his legs, we cut to various scenes of
Steve, Eric, Chad, and Wayne
practicing forms (first two) and sparring with partners (latter two). The scenes cut between all five
protagonists, and each time we come back to Greg the camera keeps moving further up his legs. Eventually (in time with the end of the
credits), the camera reaches Greg’s face.
He stops walking, looks around as if contemplating something, then moves
on. Dissolve to:
ACT ONE
1
DOJO
Steve, wearing a traditional kung fu uniform, is
practicing sil lum tao. Camera moves in while his left hand
slowly pushes forward to form a tan sao.
At fullest extension Steve circles his wrist into a man sao, then pulls
back at the same pace. Cut to a trail not far off to Steve’s
right. Coming along the trail at a
leisure Sunday stroll-type pace and dressed in modern-day garb is Wayne. When he sees Steve, Wayne stops
immediately. Camera pulls back until they are both in frame. As Wayne approaches, camera pans slightly right to take in more of Steve.
WAYNE: (smirking) You’re still
practicing that wing chun shit? (walks around Steve whose concentration doesn’t waver) I hope you know that stuff
would never work on the street. (stops, waits for response, shrugs shoulders)
All right, fine…just keep on ignoring me.
I know it makes you think you’re tough, but really it just shows you’re
too scared to put your skills to the test.
STEVE: (finishes up the form,
sighs) No, it merely shows I’m more dedicated to practicing than you. I don’t like to waste my time on talking
tough. That’s the difference between a
good martial artist and someone…well, someone like you.
WAYNE: Talking in riddles as
usual. Why don’t you speak in modern
English for a change so I can understand what that difference is?
STEVE: It’s quite simple, really. A
good martial artist knows action speak louder than words. Apparently, you haven’t learned that lesson
yet.
WAYNE: (gets into combat stance) Oh yeah? Then teach me, if you can.
STEVE: (smiling) Why it’d be my pleasure, big mouth.
They
move in a circle, patiently waiting for a gap in defense to open up. Wayne
stays
out at kicking range to test Steve’s skills.
Camera takes turns focusing on
Steve and Wayne
individually, panning with their
movement. It is obvious Wayne is not a
master at this combat range, because every time he attempts an attack Steve
quickly shuts him down. We also
discover Steve is very skilled in the elbow/knee range; he keeps closing the
distance to smack Wayne around with a chain of two or three punches and
finishes off with an elbow.
WAYNE: All right, all right…not
bad. But now it’s time to teach you
some new tricks!
Now we receive a shock:
Wayne bridges the gap and tackles the seemingly invincible Steve to the
ground. All thoughts of him being a
worthless fighter are quickly dismissed once the two of them hit the dirt,
because now we are given the chance to discover the grappling range is Wayne’s
forte. Camera circles around them as the two young men struggle for
victory. Steve is still holding his own
for the moment, but it is obvious the battle will soon tip in Wayne’s
favor. They reach a stalemate when
Wayne pins Steve; the former just relaxes on top while the latter struggles to
break free.
WAYNE: (laughing) Oh, man, that
wing chun sure is saving your ass now! (nearly gets thrown off, regains
control) Nice try. Come on, give it
another shot! (Steve does, but his move does him no good) Don’t tell me you’re
tired already! Holy shit, I think you
are! (pauses) Come on, man, you ready to give up yet?
STEVE: (breathing heavy) Don’t bet
on it! (struggles) Goddamn you! Wait’ll
you see what happens to you when I get outta this hold.
WAYNE: You mean if
you get out of this hold, tough guy!
GREG: (V.O.) Hey, what the hell is going on here?
Wayne eases his grip on
Steve, and both of them look in the direction of the voice. Cut
to Greg standing there with Eric.
Both are shaking their heads, laughing at the two ground
combatants. Camera pans with Greg and Eric as they walk over to their friends.
GREG: Are you two ever going to give up?
We are now back to Steve and
Wayne. They have untangled from the
battle and stood up, now busy brushing off the dirt and dead leaves. Eric is slightly behind the group, practicing
some high kicks while he watches their interaction.
GREG: I mean, really, you guys have been going at it for ages.
WAYNE: I’ll give up once he admits
wing chun isn’t gonna do him any good on the street.
STEVE: (preparing to fight again) Dammit, man, I swear to
God I’m gonna…
GREG: Hold on just a second, buddy.
Greg
rushes forward to hold Wayne back, while Eric restrains Steve. After a few
words
of consolation they have both calmed down again.
GREG: You guys have got to get
over these differences. Things are
never going to change. How many times
do we have to go over the same ground?
We’re all
supposed
to be friends here. (pauses) Shit, man…all we have is one another.
ERIC: Wayne, you’ve gotta stop provoking people.
WAYNE: Hey, now just back up a minute. Don’t blame it all on me.
ERIC: I wasn’t going to.
WAYNE: Well, it sounded that way to me.
ERIC: That’s because you
interrupted me, which is another thing you’ve got to work on: patience. (to Steve) And you have to learn not to let him rile you up so
easily. You know he’s just trying to get under your skin, and you always let
him do it.
GREG: (sighs) Ah, it’s not worth
wasting our breath on it anymore. Let’s
head over to the arena and spar. Chad
said he’d met us there around noon.
Eric, you can spar with Steve while I take on king of all egos here.
sparring session. Although Eric is good at kicking and keeping
his opponent far
enough away for his attacks
to work, Steve is just as good at deflecting or otherwise maneuvering his way
around to bridge the gap. Their battle
really goes nowhere. When we cut to Greg and Wayne, however, we have
a different story. In this case Wayne
is having an impossible time entering, which is bad news because his punching
and kicking skills are low enough to be all but useless. Greg does a flawless job of keeping Wayne at
bay. Cut to Chad jogging in on the scene.
CHAD: Hey, guys, good afternoon!
Cut to Greg, who turns his
attention from Wayne. The distraction
causes a smile to spring across Wayne’s face.
GREG: Hey, Chad, how the hell are
you? We’ve been…
Wayne takes this distraction as his chance to bring
Greg down. However, once they are on
the ground Wayne loses the edge of this surprise. Greg has already brought his focus back on the battle. He slips around Wayne’s hold and gets him in
an arm-lock within seconds.
WAYNE: (tapping three times) All
right…all right, dammit! You win! (Greg
lets go; they stand up) Jesus, Greg, you might be better than me at grappling
but you’ve got to work on paying attention to when a guy is tapping out!
CHAD: (patting Wayne on the
shoulder) Caught you by surprise again, tough guy?
WAYNE: (bitter) Yeah, yeah. I’ve never seen you do any better against
him! Just the other day he laid you out
flat in five seconds.
CHAD: (laughing) Yeah, but I can
admit Greg’s better!
WAYNE: (walking away) Oh, just
leave me the fuck alone. I’m not in the
mood to be around you.
CHAD: (cheery, following after
him) Why not? Everyone loves to be around me!
What makes you the exception to the rule?
STEVE: (shaking his head) It’s
still the biggest mystery to me.
GREG: What are you talking about?
STEVE: How the hell can you be
better than me after only a year of training when I’ve been studying my whole life?
GREG: That’s funny. The other guys ask the exact same thing.
Eric is practicing an empty-hand form. He comes to a stop, sitting down on the ground to do some stretches. In the background we see Chad approaching. In his
peripheral vision Eric sees him and turns to wave
hello.
CHAD: Hey, man, what’s up? You got any lessons to teach today?
ERIC: No, it’s my day off. I decided to just practice some forms.
CHAD: That’s cool. Wanna do some sparring?
ERIC: Sure. You need some time to warm up?
CHAD: Yeah, I kinda got a late
start today.
ERIC: Good, ‘cos I could use a
little more stretching myself. (getting into a new
stretch) What do you say, you got a
late start? What happened? You usually
get all that done by six every day.
CHAD: (shadow-boxing) Yeah, I
know, but today I had to cut my routine short.
I had to skip my jogging.
ERIC: You never skip jogging. What the hell is wrong with you?
CHAD: Hey, it wasn’t my
fault! I heard some voices coming down
the trail.
ERIC: (worried) You’re kidding
me. When?
CHAD: Around seven. (pauses)
Don’t worry, nobody saw me.
ERIC: Did you see them?
CHAD: No, they came near the trail
but didn’t go down it.
ERIC: (looks at his watch) It’s
almost nine now. What have you been
doing since you heard those people?
CHAD: I’ve been wandering around
looking for you guys. I didn’t find
anyone else but you just now. No one
told me where they were gonna be today.
ERIC: Well, I know it’s Wayne’s
turn to pray at the shrine today. Steve
and Greg are supposed to be at the arena.
CHAD: Well let’s go tell ‘em
then. We can always spar later.
ERIC: (standing up) You’re
right. Let’s go.
Wayne is kneeling before a shrine, lighting incense
and candles. There are pictures of
certain martial arts masters placed on the shrine’s “shelves;” Wayne puts a
candle in front of each picture. When
the ceremony is done, Wayne sits back to meditate. We cut from Wayne’s
face to a picture of judo master Jigoro Kano.
ERIC: (V.O.) Wayne!
Wayne snaps his head to the left. Camera pans right.
Eric and Chad are running over to him.
As they get closer, camera pulls
back to include all three in the frame.
When they come to a stop Wayne stands up.
WAYNE: What’s going on?
ERIC: Chad heard voices near the trail
this morning.
WAYNE: (unmistakably pissed) You
gotta be fuckin’ kidding me. When?
CHAD: Around seven. I went looking for you guys right away, but
I couldn’t find anyone. I didn’t know
it was your turn for the ceremony today.
WAYNE: That’s all right. Better late than never. (to Eric) You know where Steve and Greg are?
ERIC: Steve’s practicing some
more of that chi sao drill with Greg.
WAYNE: Well, no need to keep
standing here then. Let’s get going.
(as they walk) Shit, you guys, I was really starting to like it here too.
CHAD: You’re not the only one.
Camera
pans to make sure they are still in sight.
ERIC: Look, let’s not jump the
gun yet. We’ve got to see what the
other two think about this. Then we’ll
decide what to do.
WAYNE: If they think we should
move, that’d make five times in three weeks.
ERIC: I know, I know…but like I
said let’s not even think of that possibility until we have everyone’s opinion
on this situation.
Steve and Greg have changed from chi sao to free form sparring. For a while Steve is the aggressor, lunging in and landing just about every attack he throws.
GREG: Feeling a little confident
today?
STEVE: No (throws an attack),
every day.
GREG: You’d better keep that in
check. (attacks) When confidence (attacks) turns into cockiness (attacks)…well,
that’s when you become your own worst enemy.
A big ego makes you blind to your opponent’s abilities.
STEVE: So tell me then, (attacks)
how does a person win the battle against oneself?
GREG: (attack) It isn’t easy. Everyone in the world is always fighting for
their soul, (attacks) even though they’re not all conscious of it.
STEVE: And let me guess. (attacks)
We’re battling our souls on a more conscious level this very minute.
GREG: (attacks) Very good.
STEVE: And even though you are my
opponent, there are much more deadly antagonists in our midst…namely, our own
personal demons.
GREG: You have been taught well,
(attacks) but not good enough to defeat me.
In the blink of an eye the tables
have turned. Greg pours on the
attacks. Steve
reacts to the punches too slow. It’s not that his defenses are terrible;
it’s just that
his opponent has been holding
back. When used to their fullest
extent, Greg’s
skills are so good that he can even pull off flashy
moves.
GREG: But do you know the secret
to beating your demons?
STEVE: (winded) Yeah, as a matter
of fact…I do. The trick is to
never…never…
GREG: (laughing) Never what?
STEVE: Never…give up!
He lands a good shot to Greg’s jaw,
which sends him reeling back. Steve
uses a
low kick to close the distance. A few more hits land before Greg regains his
composure.
STEVE: It’s good to know that one
thing still holds true with you.
GREG: What’s that?
STEVE: Despite all the time you
spend on preaching for me not to get cocky, you do it yourself. You underestimated me, just like you did
when we first met. (gets into combat stance) Now come on, give it another try.
(They circle for position) You need to remember one thing: never assume you
have knocked all of the fight out of your opponent until…
Greg lets out a “kiai” shout and runs at Steve
full-speed. He executes a perfect
flying jump kick.
Its possible effects are completely neutralized when Steve merely steps
to one side. When Greg turns around, he
gets back into combat stance. However,
a puzzled look suddenly comes over his face.
GREG: What? (pauses) What’s
wrong?
Camera
slowly pans over to Steve who is just standing there, hands on his hips,
tapping his foot, shaking his head…in
other words, obviously upset.
STEVE: You’re just making one
mistake after the next today, aren’t you?
GREG: (walking over to him) What
are you talking about?
STEVE: (shocked) You mean you
honestly don’t know what you did wrong?
GREG: I wouldn’t be asking if I
knew!
STEVE: (sighs, then walks away)
Come on, follow me.
Greg just stands there, shaking his
head and looking upset.
STEVE: (V.O.) I said come on,
dammit!
Greg runs after him.
Steve is standing by a medium-sized tree. Greg is not far away.
STEVE: Okay, now pay attention.
(jump kicks tree) You see what I mean?
GREG: (thinking about it) Your
kick…the force of your kick…
STEVE: Yes, yes? You’ve almost got
it.
GREG: Your kick pushed you back.
STEVE: And why is that?
GREG: (throws his hands in the
air) Hell, I don’t know! You didn’t do
it right?
STEVE: No. (pauses) What did I do before kicking?
GREG: You jumped. (pauses) You were in the air, not on the
ground!
STEVE: Exactly! My attack had no solid foundation to draw power
from. Think of it this way: the earth
is bigger than you, bigger than me, bigger than all of us…so we keep ourselves
grounded and get our power from the earth.
Always remember that, Greg: draw your power from the earth.
GREG: But the flying jump kick…
STEVE: I know, it has your whole
body going into it, but there are more benefits if you stay on the ground.
GREG: Like what?
STEVE: (smiles) Well, if I
sidestep your straight punch, you don’t run the risk of flying over a cliff or
into a brick wall. (Greg laughs) But
enough discussion. Nothing beats
practice, so let’s get back to the arena.
Eric, Chad, and Wayne are already here. Wayne paces impatiently, Chad shadow-boxes, and Eric practices a form.
WAYNE: (irritated) Dammit, where
the hell are they? Eric, I thought you
said they’d be here all morning.
ERIC: Usually they are. They never leave this spot when they get
into practicing, but don’t worry about it.
They’ll be back soon. Just have some
patience.
WAYNE: I never have…not when it
comes to an emergency anyway.
ERIC: More like not when it comes
to anything! That’s always been your
problem, as long as I can remember. Why
don’t you spar with Chad to occupy yourself?
CHAD: Yeah, that sounds like a
good idea. We haven’t sparred in a while.
WAYNE: Because I don’t fucking feel
like sparring! I feel like figuring out
what we’re going to do, and I can’t do that until Steve and Greg get back! So quit trying to do me any favors with your
suggestions, and just let me be my good old impatient self, okay?
CHAD: (shrugs) Okay, man,
whatever you say. (goes back to
shadow-boxing, turns the other way, stops) Hey, Wayne, I think your wait might
be over.
Camera is in front of Greg and Steve, backing away as they move forward. Steve pats Greg on the shoulder.
STEVE: Don’t worry about it,
buddy. You’re still picking up on
techniques and concepts that took me years to get down, but you’re nailing ‘em
down in just a few months. Without a doubt, you’re improving faster than anyone
I’ve ever seen.
GREG: (embarrassed) Oh, come on now.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that.
STEVE: Well I would, because I
really mean it! I think you’re already
better than all four of us put together.
GREG: That’s not possible. You guys have been studying ever since you
were little, just about since you could walk!
How could I be better after half a year?
STEVE: That’s what got all of us puzzled.
WAYNE: (V.O.) Hey!
Hey, you two…hurry up! Get over
here!
The
two stop walking and look over toward the arena. Camera pans over to
the
other
three, all looking at Steve and Greg, waiting in anticipation.
WAYNE: You heard me, dammit! Get the fuck over here!
Cut back to Steve and Greg. They start moving again.
STEVE: What do you think this is all about?
GREG: I don’t know, but it seems
pretty bad. Did you hear Wayne’s tone
of voice? That makes me nervous.
STEVE: Yeah, me too. He never sounds like that unless something
bad goes down. Come on, let’s hurry.
10
DOJO
Eric and Greg are sitting down. Chad leans against a tree. Wayne either stands there tapping his foot or paces nervously. Steve sits in a lotus position, eyes closed, hands resting palm-up on each knee. He breathes in through the nose, out through the mouth.
WAYNE: So tell us, what do you
guys think? (pauses) Steve? Are you there?
CHAD: You know better than to
bother him when he gets like that.
GREG: It doesn’t matter if you
talk to him, kick him, or shake him.
Steve won’t come out of meditation until he wants to.
WAYNE: (to Greg) Okay, then why
don’t you at least tell me your take
on this? Do you think we should pull up
stakes again?
GREG: I’m not really sure about
it. I mean, Chad said he heard voices near the trail, but nobody came down
it. Right?
CHAD: Exactly, so that means
we’re still in the clear.
WAYNE: But that might not be the
case for much longer.
ERIC: Yeah, those people might go
the same way again tomorrow…and who knows if they won’t see the trail next
time?
GREG: You’re right. They might have even seen the trail today
but decided they had to start
heading home for whatever reason.
WAYNE: Why they left doesn’t
matter.
GREG: I know! That’s what I just said!
WAYNE: Listen, you little…
STEVE: (opens his eyes) Stop it,
Wayne.
WAYNE: (turning to Steve) Well,
what do you know? His meditating
highness has decided to check back in with the real world. Now that you’ve come back down from the
mountain of wisdom, would you mind sharing your feelings with the group on the
subject of just what the fuck we ought to do?
STEVE: (standing up) Nothing. We will still be all right for quite some
time. Chad and I went to great trouble
to conceal that trail, and a person would have to stare at it for a very long
time to realize there was another path.
(walks away) Now if you will excuse me, I’ve got to be on my way. I have a student to teach in an hour.
WAYNE: (follows) What? How the hell can you just walk away from a
discussion as important as this?
STEVE: Easy…I just put one foot in
front of the other and, by God, would you believe it…I’m fuckin’ walking!
Eric, Greg, and Chad exchange glances and chuckles
as Wayne and Steve walk off still arguing.
(Their dialogue is improvised.)
ERIC: (standing up; to Chad) You
want to make up for that sparring session now?
CHAD: (walking over) You better
believe it.
They face each other,
bow, then sink into ready stances. Cut to Greg. At first we
see him from the waist
up. Camera moves in for a close-up
of his face. He is
watching his two friends
with a look of admiration. Cut to Eric and Chad, and
we can see why Greg
admires them. Chad’s speed is
phenomenal, and Eric’s
agility gives every move
he makes incredible grace. Cut back to Greg, medium
shot. Camera zooms in on him again, slowly.
GREG: (V.O.) It’s been about six
months, maybe a little bit longer, since the five of us started to base our
lives out here, to keep ourselves away from the horrible world we once lived
in, as if not seeing it would make all the problems disappear. (Cut to Chad and Eric) I know it’s
getting worse back there. I don’t have
to see it…I don’t have to see anything.
(pauses) Even though we head into civilization only when we absolutely
have to, I can always feel it falling apart.
(pauses; back to Greg) Six months of self-imposed exile, and one year
since I first met these guys. (pauses) I remember it so clearly. It could have happened only yesterday.
We dissolve
to this scene. Greg is walking
along (as he did during the credits), a
bookbag slung over his shoulder. Camera moves with him.
GREG: (V.O.) I had just moved to
the area with my dad and older sister.
Even though I was very talkative in school, I still felt like they were
the only friends I had…until one day, when I was walking home from school…
Cut to a Bully up ahead,
sitting on his porch. As Greg gets
closer, Bully stands
up and moves to the sidewalk. He shoves Greg.
BULLY: What the fuck is wrong with
you? Didn’t I tell you not to come
around here? I don’t like Japs in my neighborhood.
GREG: (dropping his bag) I live
around here, asshole!
BULLY:
You just made the biggest mistake of your fuckin’ life, man.
Bully takes a wild,
reckless swing. Greg easily
counters. His retaliation isn’t
strong enough to deter his
opponent, and the fight goes on for too long.
Soon
Greg finds himself on
the losing side. He takes quite a
beating.
STEVE: (V.O.) Now hold on a
second.
Bully stops punching
Greg. Camera swivels left to show Steve leaning against a
car. Now he moves away from it, slowly
approaching Bully. Cut to Greg as his
enemy lets go of him,
dropping him to the ground.
GREG: (V.O.) And that was the
first time I’d ever seen Steve.
(pauses) There he stood, the most unimposing, laid-back person in the whole
universe. I thought he looked and
sounded like a stoner, and all I could think was, “This guy is coming to my rescue?
Is this a joke?”
Bully and Steve are now face-to-face, less than a
foot apart.
BULLY: What the fuck is your
problem? You lookin’ to get your ass
kicked too?
STEVE: (calmly) No, no, not
really. I just wanted to interrupt long
enough to ask you an old, old question…one I’m sure you have heard before. (pauses) Why don’t you pick on someone your
own size?
BULLY: (laughs) You? You’re challenging me? Listen, you little piece of shit, I could
slap the hell outta both of you in my sleep!
STEVE: I highly doubt that.
BULLY: I suggest you get outta
here, bitch, while you still have a head.
Steve doesn’t move.
Bully moves to shove him, but with lightning speed his small opponent
launches a series of attacks that quickly bring the tough guy to his
knees. For a moment there is nothing but
silence. Greg gets to his feet and
stares
at Steve in awe. Steve keeps an eye on the bully as he walks
over to Greg.
STEVE: Are you gonna be okay?
GREG: (stunned) What, me? Yeah, I’ll be fine, but you…how the hell did
you do that? I mean, no offense but I
thought you were gonna wind up dead.
STEVE: Oh, hold on, let me take a
wild guess here. Judging by your
statement I think I can tell exactly what’s going on in your mind. You’re stunned that I did all that just
because I look like I couldn’t handle a fight with a five year old, right?
GREG: (ashamed) Well, no, I just
meant that…uh…that is, your skills are…
STEVE: (laughs) Oh, come on
now. “Your skills were superb.” Cut the
bullshit! I look like the kind of guy
who’s always tripping over his own feet!
GREG: (smiles) Well, yeah…I guess
that kind of is what I was thinking.
STEVE: (points at Bully) So was
he. (sticks out his hand to Greg) My
name’s Steve. And you are?
GREG: (shakes) I’m Greg. (gets his bag) I just moved up here a few
weeks ago. I don’t have any friends in
Troy, which makes it easier (points at Bully) for guys like this. (pauses) You live around here?
STEVE: Yeah, just around the
corner. (pauses, looks at groveling
Bully) Say, why don’t you come on over?
(pauses) I kinda keep to myself, so I don’t have any friends either. It’d be nice to have some company for a
change. I could get you a drink and you
can check out your wounds.
GREG: No, I mean I don’t want to
impose or anything.
STEVE: Impose nothing! I’m inviting you over. In fact, it’d be more offensive for you to
refuse, so what do you say?
GREG: (smiles) Well, since you
put it that way, I guess I’ll stop in for a while.
STEVE: All right. Then we can talk about our past, and you can
find out where a clutzy-looking guy like me got such impressive skills.
GREG: (laughs as they start
walking) Good, just do me a favor.
Don’t trip over your own feet while you do it.
STEVE: Don’t worry. I won’t, smart-ass. (trips) Ah, shit.
Greg sits at the table drinking a soda. Steve comes out with a tiny mirror. He gives it to Greg while turning on a
light.
STEVE: (with a hint of disgust)
God, how do you drink that stuff?
GREG: Because it tastes good.
STEVE: (walking over to sink)
Yeah? Well, soda is part of the reason
why you got your ass kicked today, my friend.
GREG: (putting down soda, in
shock) What? What are you talking
about?
STEVE: (stops) What am I
doing? I don’t even have a glass! (goes
around the table) Well, I admit this is basically judging you before I really
know you, but I bet you ingest more junk food than just soda.
GREG: Yeah, so what?
STEVE: (shocked) So what! Don’t you know that stuff makes you
sluggish? (gets glass) I would’ve
thought you knew that. Considering it looked like you’ve had some training.
GREG: You saw me fighting?
STEVE: (at sink, getting water)
Yeah, I saw it almost from the beginning.
GREG: Well then why didn’t you
step in earlier? (checking his face in the mirror) I could have gone without a
bruise on my cheek, you know.
STEVE: (takes a sip) Ah, now that
is a refreshing drink. (sits down)
Well, I thought you were doing a pretty good job. I stepped in once you started losing. (pauses) I’m sorry you wound up with a lump on your cheek, man. You’re right, I should have stepped in
earlier.
GREG: (seeing he is really sorry)
Ah, that’s okay. I shouldn’t be
ungrateful. At least you helped
me. (pauses) Thanks.
STEVE: You’re more than
welcome. (takes a drink) So where did
you learn from?
GREG: (embarrassed) Uh…from
reading books?
STEVE: (shocked) You’re kidding
me. (Greg lowers his head in shame) You
were that good and you’ve learned only from books?
GREG: (raising his head)
Really? You thought I was good?
STEVE: Are you kidding? I thought you were great. Your skills just need a little bit of
fine-tuning, that’s all. (phone rings)
Hold on a sec, okay?
GREG: (checking out his face)
Sure, no problem.
Steve enters.
He turns on a light and grabs the phone.
STEVE: Hello? Oh hey, man, what’s up? Not much here. You wanted to practice?
Sure, I’m up for that! Oh, I’m
gonna probably have company when I get there.
Yeah, this new kid in my neighborhood.
His name is Greg. I met him only
ten minutes ago. Huh? Oh, I’ll tell you when I get there, but
listen to this. He just told me he’s
learned martial arts only from books, but he’s still damn good. All right?
Good, see you in a few minutes.
He hangs up and leaves the room.
Greg is still examining his face when Steve returns.
STEVE: Say, you got anything to do
today?
GREG: Not really…maybe an hour’s
worth of homework. Why?
STEVE: Because that was just a
friend of mine who called. I’d like you
to meet him. Actually, there are two
more besides him, but I think they will hit it off with you just as well as I
have. All four of us train in different
styles, and I think it’d be really good for you to train with us. That way you could be dealing with real
targets. That is the reason why hardly
anyone can learn from just books: you can’t just practice what the books tell
you, those “if…then” situations. You
need to practice on living, breathing human beings who might not react in a way
that you know how to handle…unless, of course, you’ve been properly trained.
GREG: Okay, that sounds cool.
Camera is positioned in the back seat. Steve is driving.
STEVE: Some of these guys will
take more getting used to than others.
GREG: Like who?
STEVE: Oh, that’ll be easy enough
to figure out once you’ve been around them for a while. I just wanted to warn you they’ll be on your
case a hell of a lot more than I was about the fact that you learned from
books, but once you prove yourself they’ll leave you alone about that.
Steve and Greg are walking, the camera keeping pace
with them.
STEVE: You’ll be fine. Just remember what I told you. They’re always joking around, so don’t take
anything personal. Hell, to this day
they still bust my balls.
GREG: Don’t worry. Stuff like that doesn’t get to me.
STEVE: I had a feeling you were
like that, but I just wanted you to know if I like you, then they will
too. You’re already one of us.
We hear Steve’s name being cheered in the distance. Camera
pans right. Eric is
stretching. Wayne and Chad wave hello,
then engage in some sparring. Steve and
Greg finish closing the distance between themselves and the other three.
STEVE: Well, here he is,
gentlemen…as promised. Guys, I’d like
all of you to meet our new friend and training partner Greg.
GREG: Hey.
Introductions get passed around. Close-up
on Greg’s face.
GREG: (V.O.) Bruised cheek aside,
it was a good day…not only because I’d made friends in my new hometown, but
because I felt these were the only real friends I’d ever had. Everyone else I met had turned out to be
two-faced bastards.
Eric goes through the motions of a form. Greg watches. When he is done, Eric steps aside and motions for his new friend
to give it a try. To his surprise, Greg
moves just as good as Eric did. Greg
looks off-screen and smiles. Cut to Steve, giving a thumbs up.
GREG: (V.O.) But these guys were
different. They had taken the lessons
taught by the martial arts to the heart…the lessons of honor, respect, loyalty,
humbleness…all the characteristics which the rest of the world seemed to have
either forgotten or no longer hold any value to.
Steve and Greg are checking out a martial arts
website. Wayne enters with a drink,
standing behind them for a moment.
GREG: (V.O.) They rejected the
concepts of intolerance, impatience, and racism…even though sometimes those
first two crept in every now and then.
But more evil qualities like hatred were foreign to them.
Olivia is here (getting something
to eat or drink, feeding Molly, etc.).
Greg and the others enter. One
by one he introduces them.
GREG: (V.O.) I brought them over
to meet my sister, and even thought that seems like a routine, boring thing it
really does say a lot. It says I was
proud they were my friends and I wanted my family to know what great people
they were. When we lived in Virginia, I
never brought a single friend over because I was ashamed of them…because they
weren’t really my friends. They were
just people I hung out with so I wouldn’t have to be sitting home alone in my
room.
The five friends are walking down the path with the camera behind them at first, then jump-cutting between everyone’s face. The cuts stop when we reach Greg.
GREG: (V.O.) Every day was an
adventure with them. (pauses) I’ll
never forget the first time they brought into the woods to show me the spot
they called “the arena.”
They are all scattered about the place, either
practicing forms, shadow-boxing, or sparring.
Greg explores the arena in amazement.
GREG: Wow, this is a great
spot! How did you guys find it?
CHAD: It wasn’t too hard. Eric and I lived near these woods. We just went exploring back here one day,
and we just kept this spot in mind to show Steve and Wayne, and they liked it
too…so we’ve been coming here for quite a while.
Chad and Greg are leaning against Steve’s car.
CHAD: Steve sure is taking a long
time in there.
GREG: Yeah, I don’t know what the
hell could be keeping him. (pauses) So,
how long have you known the others?
CHAD: About three years. We all went to the same high school, but we
had different classes together. The
first one I knew was Eric.
GREG: How’d you wind up talking?
CHAD: I saw him practicing one of
his forms in gym class. Our gym class
wasn’t too strict, you know? You could
go off and do your own thing even if it was just walking the track.
GREG: Yeah, our gym class was
like that too.
CHAD: I think all high schools
are like that now, or most of them. But
anyway, when I saw him practice it just…I don’t know, it threw a light switch
on in my mind. I’d been into boxing for
a year or so and I was pretty good, but watching him made me realize, “Hey, if
I got into a fight with this guy I’d never touch him because he’s good at
kicking.”
GREG: So you needed to learn how
to get past the kicking range.
CHAD: That’s right. Eric kind of opened my eyes and made me
realize I had be good at more than just boxing to be a good martial
artists. And it turned out he knew
Steve and Wayne from other classes…hey, speak of the devil, here he comes! Where the hell have you been, man?
STEVE: (as he comes over) Sorry I
took such a long time, guys. They had
some confusion going on in Waldenbooks.
Someone misplaced my order, and they were looking all over the back room
for it.
CHAD: What did you get anyway?
STEVE: Wing Chun Kung Fu by
James Lee. (hands book to Chad) Check
out the name of technical editor.
CHAD: Bruce Lee. That’s cool.
GREG: (excited) You’re a Bruce
Lee fan too?
CHAD: Steve is a friggin’ Bruce
Lee fanatic. He knows things about
Bruce that no one else knows. Hell, he
knows things about Bruce nobody wants
to know.
STEVE: (laughs) Yeah, yeah. We’d better head back home now.
All five friends are sitting around. It is obvious they have just finished
working out. Steve sips some water. Wayne paces.
ERIC: What’s wrong, Wayne?
WAYNE: The weekend’s coming up, my
first free one in about four months.
I’ve been working my ass off to cover the part of my tuition that
financial aid won’t.
GREG: Didn’t feel like taking out
a loan, huh?
WAYNE: No way, not with the
interest on those things! They’ll be
digging into your wallet for twenty years after you’ve graduated!
CHAD: You planning on going to
college, Greg?
GREG: Yeah. I don’t know where, but that’s my plan.
ERIC: Well, make sure you know
what your interests are so you pick the right college. You don’t want to go to a place that has a
strong chemistry department and then realize you love history.
GREG: I know what I love.
ERIC: What’s that?
GREG: (laughs) Martial arts. (They all have a chuckle at this.) I don’t
know. There really is no subject at
school that interests me.
STEVE: You’re lucky, because
sometimes I feel like I’d rather have no interests than be in love with my two
oldest passions, which are philosophy and literature. Neither one of them offers lucrative careers right now. They probably never will either, not like
they used to anyway.
WAYNE: What makes you say that?
STEVE: Look around at the way
society is today and you’ll see what I mean.
Somehow we didn’t catch it, but the rest of the world has been infected
by the “now” disease. Nobody has
patience anymore, for anything. They
want everything this instant, like
for example the climax of a piece of fiction.
It’s far less time-consuming to sit through an hour and a half-long
movie than it is to read a 400-page novel.
CHAD: Unless you can read 400
pages in an hour and a half.
STEVE: (sarcastic) Very funny.
ERIC: Okay, so you’ve explained
why literature isn’t a good option.
What about philosophy? If nothing
else you could at least be a professor.
STEVE: Okay, sure…and then have to
deal with the fact that every day I’m facing a hundred or more students who act
like they respect me to my face, and meanwhile they rip me apart on the way
home? No thank you, sir. I’d rather let my great American novel
gather dust on the shelves of every bookstore.
WAYNE: But that happens to all
teachers, Steve. You remember how we
made fun of them all at Troy High?
STEVE: True, very true, but still
I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t bring
myself to teach a course that exists only to fulfill a general education
requirement. Philosophy is no longer a
field where students want to take
classes. They have to if they want to graduate.
If they had any choice, I bet all philosophy classrooms would be empty.
CHAD: You’re probably right,
man. People really don’t seem to want
to think about anything anymore. They
just rely on their five senses and nothing else.
STEVE: Exactly, Chad. See, you’re starting to get my point. The five senses provide you from the day you
are born with a certain view of the world, and you become pretty secure in
thinking you know how the world works.
But philosophy upsets that sense of security. Not only that, but it sort of goes back to the “now” disease. People just want to accept what they
immediately see, hear, taste, smell, or feel.
They don’t want to think about questions like, “Is there a God?” or,
“What is reality?”, because finding an answer would take too long. It’s almost like…like…
GREG: (sadly)…like it hurts if
they think too much.
STEVE: (astonished) Yeah…yeah,
that’s exactly it.
ERIC: It is kind of sad. (pauses) The world isn’t a very intellectual
place anymore.
WAYNE: Still, if people were
philosophizing like that all the time, it would be annoying.
STEVE: No doubt about it, but I
didn’t mean people should be doing it 24-7.
WAYNE: No, I know…I was just
throwing my two cents in.
All pause. Eric
stretches. Wayne still paces. Chad stands up and shadow-boxes. Steve drinks his water. Greg looks around at all of them, then at
the ground. After a moment, we see a
look register on his face that indicates he just got an idea.
GREG: (looking up at Wayne) Say,
Wayne, if this is your first weekend off in four months, don’t you think we
ought to celebrate?
WAYNE: (smiles) I know what you’re
thinking, little man, and all I have to say to that idea is you can join in on
that kind of celebrating when you’re twenty-one. I’m not about to deal with your ex-Marine dad’s wrath when he finds
out I got his seventeen year-old son drunk.
GREG: No, he can’t find out.
WAYNE: Oh, you never know. Sometimes, no matter how careful you are,
the parents can still find out.
GREG: No, he’s going away for the
weekend. If I got too drunk or even if
I threw up, I could just stay at someone’s house.
WAYNE: (thinking it over) Well, I
don’t know. What do you guys
think? Wanna knock down a case or two
this weekend?
CHAD: I’ve got no problem with
that.
ERIC: Sounds like a plan to me.
GREG: Great. (to Steve) What about you, Steve? Are you going to join us? (The others laugh. Greg looks at them.) What?
What’s so funny about inviting him over? He is a friend of yours, isn’t he?
WAYNE: Of course he is, but…
GREG: (getting mad) Well if he
really is your friend, or should I say if you really are a friend to him, then
shouldn’t you have been the one to
invite him? Or is Steve just not good
enough to be in your house?
WAYNE: (moving toward Greg) You
might want to watch your tone, Greg.
CHAD: (puts his hand on Wayne’s
shoulder) Take it easy there, big guy.
ERIC: (steps in front of Greg)
Just calm down, you two. Wayne, it was
just a simple misunderstanding. He’s
known us only for a few weeks. (turns
to Greg) Greg, he didn’t invite Steve because…well, because it’s pointless.
GREG: Pointless? How can you say that about your friend?
STEVE: Because I wouldn’t go even
if they invited me.
Shocked, Greg spins around. Camera swivels over to
Steve, who is now standing. Greg walks
over until they are an arm’s length from each other.
GREG: You wouldn’t go? Why not?
STEVE: Don’t you remember me
flipping out at you just for drinking a soda the first day we met? (Greg is silent.) Well, if I won’t approve
of something as innocent as soda, then I certainly don’t want to partake of a
substance that would make me act like a mindless oaf. (to others) No offense to you guys. We just have different ideas on how to have fun.
GREG: (thinks for a second) So
why didn’t you say something earlier?
Wayne and I were about to fight, in case you didn’t notice.
STEVE: Because I don’t believe in
interrupting, and besides…you wouldn’t have hit him.
GREG: Oh yeah? And how do you know?
STEVE: It’s not in you. You’re a good kid. I could tell that the first day I met you. (pauses) That’s the main reason why I
brought you along to meet everyone. You
don’t think we’d been hanging out with an asshole, do you? (Greg chuckles.) Now come on, you and Wayne
got to kiss and make up.
GREG: Uh, I don’t know about that
first part, but…I’m sorry about copping an attitude, Wayne. (shakes his hand)
WAYNE: That’s all right. Like Eric said, just a misunderstanding.
GREG: Okay, cool. (to Steve) Come on, Steve. Why can’t you break your health nut habits
just this once?
STEVE: (hesitant) I don’t know
about it. I just…
CHAD: Dude, give it a rest. You’ve been keeping your diet in check for
the last three years. Having a few
beers isn’t going to knock you out of shape.
STEVE: I know, dammit! It’s just that…
WAYNE: Hey, no arguing!
STEVE: Goddamit, can I finish a
sentence please?
WAYNE: No, you can’t. Not until we hear that you’re gonna come
over and knock back some beer. Okay,
let’s put it this way. Either you come
drink with us this one time, and we’ll never bother you to drink again, or the
whole party is canceled.
STEVE: (thinks it over) Well, it’s
your first weekend off in months. I
guess I wouldn’t really be a friend if I ruined your celebration.
WAYNE: (smiles) Hey, all
right! (steps forward, slaps Steve
five) Glad you could make it. (to Greg) We’ve been trying for years to get this
guy to drink with us, then you get him to do it in one day! I’ll never understand it.
GREG: Shit, I don’t think I ever
will either.
CHAD: Who needs to understand
anything? He’s gonna come over. You don’t need to know why he changed his
mind this time. Just be happy with the
results.
WAYNE: I guess you got a point
there. (pauses) So, when do you guys
want to do this? On Friday? (Others agree.) Okay, good.
STEVE: Who’s going to buy what?
CHAD: Let’s worry about that on
Friday. Where’s it going to be?
WAYNE: I think my place is the best option.
Greg, Chad, and Wayne are sitting in Steve’s car
(talking, flipping radio stations, etc.). Steve comes out of the store and
walks around to the passenger’s side.
Wayne rolls down his window.
WAYNE: What the hell, man? Why aren’t you carrying anything?
STEVE: Are you crazy? It’s too expensive in there.
CHAD: Steve, are you kidding? This is the cheapest place in Troy!
STEVE: You call $5.89 for a twelve
pack cheap? There were twenty-four packs in there that had
lower prices than that!
CHAD: Oh yeah? Like what?
WAYNE: (looks back at Chad)
Probably some shitty kind.
STEVE: No! There was a case of Milwaukee’s Best for
only…
WAYNE: (looking at Chad again,
laughing) Like I said, shit!
CHAD: (laughing) Chad, you really
need to refuse your brand names.
Greg is sitting in the back
seat, bored. He gets out of the car to
stretch, then looks
around. He
pauses, looking at something off-screen.
Cut to a long shot of Loan, standing near some trees. Cut
to Greg watching as Loan watches them.
Cut to a tight shot of Loan’s
eyes carefully studying the car.
Back to Greg. Dissolve to:
Chad and Eric sit on the couch watching
television. There is a knock at the
door.
CHAD: Come in! (Steve enters.) Hey, Steve my boy.
STEVE: Oh, God, please don’t call
me that. You guys ready to go?
CHAD: You bet. (standing up) Where’s Greg?
STEVE: He’s already over at
Wayne’s. Greg told me yesterday that he
wanted to focus on grappling for a while, so Wayne picked him up after school
to practice.
CHAD: That’s cool. (to Eric) You all set?
ERIC: (turns off television)
Let’s get moving.
Wayne and Greg are grappling on the living room
floor. Although we know he is a
beginner, Greg is somehow able to keep up with Wayne for quite a while. However, he eventually does get pinned.
GREG: (tapping) All right, all
right! You got me!
Wayne releases him and moves to the couch. Greg slowly sits up, breathing heavily. He crawls over to a recliner and struggles
into it.
WAYNE: Don’t worry, Greg. A workout this heavy has its benefits. Not only are you building up your stamina,
but you’re so dehydrated now that it won’t take you very long to get completely
tanked.
GREG: Good! I need to be drunk as soon as possible. I need to get numb because I’m feeling
fuckin’ sore as hell right now.
WAYNE: Yeah, I know. I’m sorry about that, but you’re never going
to get better if I go too easy on you.
Hey, you want me to crack one open for you now?
GREG: No, I’ll wait until the
others get here.
WAYNE: Okay. Well, I’m gonna…(doorbell rings) uh, answer
the door.
Cut to the door as Wayne opens
it. The other three are on the porch.
WAYNE: Hey, guys, come on in.
He turns toward the camera and walks back down the
hall. Camera pulls back until we are back to the living room. Greg stands up slowly.
GREG: Hey, what’s up,
fellas? (They exchange greetings.)
Okay, let’s get this party started.
WAYNE: Sounds good to me.
28 WAYNE’S LIVING ROOM,
LATER
The five friends are sitting around the room drunk,
laughing their asses off. After a while
the laughter dies down.
CHAD: Oh, man, this weekend just
came in time for me.
STEVE: What do you mean by that?
WAYNE: Hold on. Before he tells you, I wanna see you drink
that beer again. I just can’t believe this is really happening.
STEVE: (as others join in) All
right, all right. (grabs his beer)
Okay, here we go. Are you guys
ready? (takes a long swig, others
cheer) There, is everyone happy now?
WAYNE: All right! Yes, I am extremely happy now. (to Chad) You can finish now, man.
CHAD: Okay. Um…where was I?
GREG: I think you were fuckin’
drunk. (Others laugh.)
STEVE: No, no! Wait, I remember. (pauses) Hold on…um, you said something like this weekend came
just in time for you.
CHAD: (like he has found lost
treasure) Oh yeah! Well, you see, it
came just in time because I found out my girlfriend has been cheating on me.
(Everyone expresses shock.) Yeah, ain’t
life fuckin’ grand?
WAYNE: What? When did you find that out?
CHAD: Just the other day.
ERIC: How did you find out?
CHAD: I walked in on her and the
other guy. (More shock)
STEVE: Who was she with?
CHAD: Ah, that’s not
important. I would have told you guys
sooner, but I decided to save it for tonight.
ERIC: That was good thinking on
your part. I mean we’re all here to comfort
you.
GREG: Yeah, and so is the
beer! (Others laugh.)
CHAD: But wait, you guys didn’t
let me finish.
STEVE: Yeah, you fuckers didn’t
let Chad finish! (pauses) Wait, you
mean there’s more? Cheating wasn’t bad
enough?
CHAD: Well, I suspected her for a
long time, and when I walked in on them the only question I could ask was, “Has
this been going on for as long as I think it has?” So she asked how long I
thought, and I told her for weeks. She
said, “Try four months.” (Others grumble and groan.) And the bad news doesn’t
end there, folks, if you can believe that.
ERIC: What the hell else could
there be?
CHAD: (chuckles) Okay, get ready
for this, guys. You’re gonna find out
how shitty one human being can treat another.
(pauses) I started to let her have it, you know? I was shouting, “You bitch, you whore! Fuck you!
How could you fuckin’ do this? I
treated you so good!” You know, all the standard stuff. And then she comes back with this: “Hey,
it’s your fault. You drove me into the
arms of another man because you didn’t make me fall in love with you.
STEVE: What? How do you make someone fall in love with you?
CHAD: That’s what I said!
WAYNE: It’s her fault for not
being able to keep her legs closed.
STEVE: She’s trying to put all the
blame on you so she doesn’t feel guilty.
She’s pushing her flaws on to you.
GREG: Yeah, I fucking hate when
people do that too. You know, it’s
like…oh, heaven forbid they should
ever feel ashamed about something they did.
(Others agree they know what Greg means.) I mean, am I right? They
twist the truth around until the blame winds up on you.
STEVE: And somehow they do it so well that they can convince anyone,
even you, that they’re not at fault.
GREG: I knew a guy in Virginia
who was like that, this guy named Rob.
I asked him three weeks in advance if he would help my family load up
our stuff on the U-Haul truck to move up here.
So when moving day comes, we all got up around eight. Rob was supposed to be there at nine. Nine rolls around, then ten, then suddenly
it’s noon. I start to call his house
around ten thirty and get the answering machine every time. I left about 10,000 messages. Finally, around seven o’clock at night, he
calls me back. I said, “Where the fuck
were you? I asked you three weeks ago
to help us out, and I reminded you every day!” He says, “My girlfriend wanted
to have sex all day, and after we were done I took a long-ass nap.” So I bitched him out about it. All he says for himself is, “Hey, you should
have known better than to ask for my help on a weekend.”
CHAD: He should have known better
than to promise he’d help!
STEVE: Hey, I’m starting to feel
very claustrophobic in this house.
Let’s go over to the park. We
could get in some good drunken style practice!
Others laugh and agree
to this suggestion. They get up to
leave.
Chad and Wayne are sparring. Greg and Eric sit nearby watching. Steve is walking around with his beer. He heads back over to his friends. As Chad and Wayne grapple we notice one
thing: it is no challenge for Wayne to toss Chad around, but the taller
combatant can’t budge his friend (even though his face is red from the
effort). Chad taps Wayne on the
shoulder. The tension in his face eases
as they separate. They bow to each other
then sit down.
STEVE: Oh, man, (cupping his hand
to his ear) can you guys hear that?
ERIC: Hear what?
STEVE: That…that noise. It’s so fucking distant, but I can hear it
loud and clear, almost like somebody was holding a boom box right up to my ear.
WAYNE: (irritated) What fucking
sound are you talking about?
STEVE: The sound of fate coming
our way. Don’t ask me to explain it to
you, because I really don’t know how to.
I don’t know why I hear these things, I just do. It’s a noise so heavy it almost has weight.
(pauses) The weight of destiny.
CHAD: (cautious) Uh…Steve, did
you take your medication today? (No
reply) Okay, I guess that answers my question.
Steve just stands there, his back to the others. He is facing toward a cluster of trees. The four look around at each other
nervously. Camera slowly zooms in on the trees. Cut back to Steve.
STEVE: Hey! (Others jump.) I almost forgot to tell you
guys James emailed me today.
CHAD: When is he coming back?
GREG: Who’s James?
WAYNE: This guy we’ve known since
high school. He studies praying mantis
kung fu.
ERIC: He went with his sifu to a
seminar in Chicago.
STEVE: He said he’d be back in two
or three days.
CHAD: Cool. I really want to see what he’s picked up
from all the other mantis teachers he met.
STEVE: (looking at the trees
again) That should be interesting to see.
GREG: Why do you keep looking
over at the trees?
STEVE: I think somebody is back
there watching us. Didn’t you guys hear
the twigs snapping?
WAYNE: Steve, it’s just an animal
or something.
STEVE: (staring at the ground in
contemplation) Speaking of animals, don’t you guys realize that’s all the world
is full of now? (pauses) Chad, Greg…you
two had your stories to tell earlier this evening. Well, I’ve got a nice surprise for everyone, a real treat…my very
own tale of woe. (clears his throat) I
don’t think any of you know this, but I used to have an older brother. He died while driving home from his
girlfriend’s house. A drunk driver ran
him off the road. The drunk’s car was
totaled, but he lived…although that would have changed if I’d gotten my hands
on him…but anyway, you know what this motherfucker did? (pauses) He
sued my family…because his car was destroyed! (pauses) His reasoning? My brother was at fault because his
defensive driving skills weren’t good enough to avoid his drunken
swerving. (pauses) Can you believe this
guy had the fucking balls to even
look himself in the mirror again, let alone call his attorney? And you want to know what the really sad
part is? (pauses)
GREG: (stunned) The case actually
went to court?
STEVE: (nodding) You bet your ass
it did. Can you guys even begin to
fucking comprehend what that says about society? What the fuck is this world coming to? (pauses) I’ll tell you what it is, right here and now. People have no more remorse, no more sense
of right or wrong, no more guilt. They
don’t care who they hurt, as long as they’re safe and sound at the end of the
day. (pauses) We are part of a dying
breed, gentlemen. Here we are, five
young men who still believe in honor, loyalty, respect, trust, caring for the
well-being of others. (pauses) Out of
the five of us, when was the last time anyone showed regard for your feelings,
guys? When was the last time you told
someone an embarrassing secret and begged them to keep it between just the two
of you, only to find it spread all over town the next day? (pauses) The world has turned into nothing
but a cesspool. It’s nothing but
chaos…nothing but shit. This society doesn’t
deserve us.
ERIC: Well, it does no good just
to stand there and bitch about it. What
are we supposed to do?
STEVE: (looks at the trees) Move
into a life of seclusion, just the five of us.
Move out and live (points at trees) there.
WAYNE: Oh, man, you’ve lost it.
STEVE: Now why you got to go and
say that before I can explain myself?
There are plenty of wooded areas around here. We could pick a nice spot way back in there where no one ever goes. I don’t know about you guys, but with each
day that passes I get more and more depressed when I see what’s going on around
me. (pauses) Well I’m sick of being
sad, and the only way to cheer up is to get the fuck out of here…and I’d like
you all to come with me.
CHAD: Steve, sit your ass down
and relax. You’re just on a drunken
rambling spree. You won’t even remember
a word of what you said tomorrow morning…or even ten minutes from now.
STEVE: (looks at trees longingly)
No, I don’t think you’re right about that, Chad.
DISSOLVE TO:
There is a knock at the
door. Chad answers it. Steve is standing there.
CHAD: Hey, man, come on in.
STEVE:
(stepping in) You almost ready to go?
CHAD:
Yeah, I just got to put a few dishes away.
Chad walks off-screen.
There is another knock.
CHAD: (V.O.) Say, would you
answer the door for me?
STEVE: No problem.
He opens the door to reveal James.
STEVE: Holy shit. (shakes his hand) How are you, buddy?
JAMES: Pretty good. How about you?
STEVE: A lot better now that
you’re back. Hey, Chad, come here! It’s James!
CHAD: (V.O.) All right, just a
second! Hey, James!
JAMES: Hey, Chad!
STEVE: So how was the seminar?
JAMES: Oh, man, it was
unbelievable. I thought it was going to
be just teachers from across the country, but it turned out to be from around
the world!
STEVE: Wow. (Chad appears.) You hear that, Chad?
CHAD: Yeah, that’s pretty damn
cool. (He shakes James’s hand.) It’s
good to have you back, but I bet you’re not happy the seminar is over.
JAMES: No, no, believe me…it’s
good to be back. I missed you guys,
plus I’ve been dying to show you what I picked up.
STEVE: It’s a damn shame you
didn’t get back in time for the weekend. Wayne didn’t have to work for a
change, so we had a little get-together.
JAMES: Really? Did you drink? (Steve nods.) And I missed it.
Shit!
CHAD: And you didn’t get to meet
Greg either.
JAMES: Who’s that?
STEVE: He’s a new kid in my
neighborhood. We met not too long
ago. He moved up here from Virginia
with his dad and sister, but you’ll get to meet him soon enough. The most important thing you missed was a
little proposition I made to these guys.
They’re still thinking it over, but…
CHAD: (upset) Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you mean that idea you had at
the park!
JAMES: (as Chad walks away) What
proposition is that?
CHAD: (V.O.) It’s a long story…a
long, sad story.
JAMES: Ah, well, you can tell me
later. I’m kind of on the run, but I
wanted to stop in long enough to let you know I’m back.
STEVE: Very good. Chad and I were going to rent a few movies,
so we’ll be here. You can stop back
later and I can explain everything to you.
JAMES: Okay. (opens door) I’ll try to stop back around
eight.
STEVE: Like I said, we’ll be
here. Se you later. (shuts door)
CHAD: (V.O.) I can’t believe you
were serious about living in the woods.
STEVE: I told you it wasn’t just
drunken rambling.
CHAD: (V.O.) Unfortunately I
guess it wasn’t. (pauses) Say, you
wanna come out here and give me a hand?
Steve heads into the kitchen. Dissolve to:
James is walking through, camera pulling back as he walks, until Wayne and Greg (who are
sparring) come into view.
JAMES: Hey, Wayne! How’s it going?
WAYNE: James! (stands up) You’re finally back.
JAMES: Yes, sir, and I’ve got
quite a bit to show you. (to Greg) Hi,
I’m James.
GREG: (shaking hands) I’m Greg.
JAMES: Are you the same Greg that
is Steve’s neighbor?
GREG: Yeah, that’s me.
WAYNE: So you stopped in at
Chad’s, I take it?
JAMES: Yeah. Listen, I’d love to stay and get to know you
more, but I gotta keep on moving. I’m
already late for an appointment.
WAYNE: All right. (shakes hands) You coming around later?
JAMES: You better believe it, but
like I said I got to run. (walks away)
Nice meeting you, Greg. We’ll talk
later.
GREG: Nice to meet you too. See you around.
JAMES: Later.
Camera follows
James while he walks away. When he
is a good distance off we cut to
Wayne and Greg.
GREG: He seems like a nice guy.
WAYNE: Yeah, he’s cool…but let’s
get back to some wrestling here, because I still can’t believe how fast you’re
picking up.
Greg laughs as they get back into the groove. Dissolve
to:
Steve watches James run through a mantis form. When it is over, Steve claps.
STEVE: Very good, very good. I can tell the seminar helped you a lot.
JAMES: Really? You think it looked okay?
STEVE: Okay? Don’t sell yourself short. If I didn’t know any better, I would have
thought you’ve been practicing that form for three years instead of three
weeks.
JAMES: (smiles) Wow, I…I don’t
know what to say except…thanks, Steve.
STEVE: You’re more than
welcome. (sighs) Okay, James. Now we’ve got to return to your end of
today’s bargain. As you will recall,
the deal was I’d watch your form if you let me pitch my idea about living in
the woods first, and you wanted to hear my opinion on your performance before
you made your decision. So now the ball
is back in your court, sir. What do you
think about my plan? (pauses) Imagine
it again to refresh your memory…a life of seclusion, away from the madness of
modern society, making contact with civilization only when it can’t be avoided.
JAMES: I’ve got to be honest with
you, Steve. You’ve got a pretty good
idea, and lots of solid arguments to back it up, but I don’t know if I could
just drop my whole life to be a part of your plan. I’ve got a lot of responsibilities. And besides, I’m kind of happy with my social life. Even if I didn’t have so many ties, even if
I could just leave, I don’t know if I’d want to. (Steve looks sad. James
sighs) Look, let’s reach a compromise for now.
You told me about this only twenty minutes ago. It’s too new to me. (pauses) Could you give me some time to
think it over?
STEVE: (brightens) That’s all I
ask of you, my friend. Just give the idea
a chance before you make your decision.
JAMES: (smiles to see Steve happy
again) You bet.
They shake hands.
Dissolve to:
Caption: “One
Week Later.”
James (walking a bike) and Greg are coming down the street together,
improvising dialogue. They stop at the
corner.
GREG: (pointing) Well, I’ve got
to go this way.
JAMES: Okay, buddy. I’ll see you later.
GREG: (shaking hands) You sure
you don’t want to come over and hang out for a while?
JAMES: I would, but my house is
still pretty far away, and I’ve got some chores to take care of. Actually I’ve been putting them off for a
few days now.
GREG: All right then. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.
JAMES: You bet. (gets on his bike, waves as he pedals) Bye.
Greg waves as he walks away. Camera pulls back. Although Greg is in the foreground, he is
not our focus. In the background we can
see four figures enter and briefly mill about; these are Loan and three Minions
(1,2,3). Loan directs the Minions
to go after Greg and they disperse. Loan
remains, watching Greg.
GREG: (stops) Shit, I forgot to
tell James about…(turns, sees Loan) Who the hell…
Focus on Loan. He stares at Greg, then in the direction
James went. Cut to a puzzled-looking Greg.
Back to Loan. He is looking at Greg again. After a moment Loan waves then walks
on. Cut to Greg.
GREG: Who the fuck is that…and
why is he going after James?
Greg starts to pursue Loan. Suddenly, Minions (1,2,3) leap out and attack. The young man takes a beating but manages to
knock them back long enough to take off.
Cut to:
Steve is reading a book. The doorbell rings, and he gets up to answer it.
Camera is
behind Steve
as he opens the door to reveal a bloody Greg.
STEVE: (shocked) Greg, what happened?
GREG: (gasping) I think James is
in more trouble than I am. I don’t
know…I…I just got jumped by three guys, but there was someone else…he went off
in the same direction James headed home.
STEVE: Hold on, I’ll go call the
others. Chad has a car, so he can
gather everybody up on his way over.
Steve and Greg are on the corner, impatiently
waiting.
STEVE: So it all happened right
here? You saw the guy standing at this
corner before he headed after James?
(Greg nods.) And you don’t know who he was, but for some reason you just
got a bad vibe off him.
GREG: Yeah. I mean it’s kinda weird that I spot this guy
going after James, and then I get jumped less than five friggin’ seconds later.
STEVE: True. (Chad and others, except Eric, pull up.) All
right, let’s go.
CHAD: Okay, Stevey, you mind
telling me what’s going on?
STEVE: I can’t, I wasn’t there,
but Greg was. He’ll tell you on the
way. Just get going.
Greg and Steve are in back.
STEVE: Where’s Eric anyway?
CHAD: They called him in to work
about an hour ago.
GREG: (leans over) Steve, I just
want you to know right now…tonight made me
realize you were really on to something with that idea about living in
the woods. I don’t know what it was,
(pauses) but let’s do it.
STEVE: Are you sure about it?
GREG: (nods) And to be blunt
about it, I really don’t give a shit what the others might think…but I want to
get at least James in on it.
STEVE: Yeah, (pauses) me too.
CHAD: Hey, guys? Was James riding his bike home?
GREG: (leaning forward) Yes, he
was. Why?
CHAD: (slowing the car down) ‘Cos
I think I just spotted it back there.
Chad pulls the car off to the shoulder.
38
STREET (2)
The sides of the street here are lined with trees
instead of houses. Chad shuts off his car
while the others get out, then he joins them.
WAYNE: Where did you see it?
CHAD: (pointing) Back here just a
little bit. (leads them) Come on.
Cut to a
shot of the street from the group’s
P.O.V. Camera moves forward toward something poking out of the brush. Sure enough, it is a bicycle tire. Cut
to a normal shot of the four friends.
GREG: That is definitely his
bike. Everyone look around.
They start to search through the brush. Camera
cuts from person to person, finally settling on Greg. He jumps in shock.
GREG: Oh, fuck. (sobbing) Oh, no…oh, God…no!
The others rush over to observe his discovery. Their reactions range from unbelieving,
stunned silence to violent retching. Cut to the still, bloody form of
James. Dissolve to:
This is the same room where they had their party not
so long ago, only now the mood is considerably less cheerful. Camera
cuts between their faces. All are
silent, grim, or in tears. Greg is
sobbing audibly. Steve notices and
leans forward.
STEVE: Greg, don’t blame yourself.
GREG: I can’t help it. I…I ran over here instead of going after to
help him…
STEVE: Yeah, well, maybe so…but
given the condition you were in, I doubt you could have defeated the mystery
man anyway. I’m just as much to blame
as you about this. (pauses) I’m the one
who decided to call and wait for the others.
WAYNE: Look, you guys, there’s no
point in either of you beating yourselves up.
The only one to blame is the bastard that killed him.
They all fall silent after this remark. Steve lowers his head. Camera
skips around all five again. Eric
stands up and walks over to Steve; either no one notices or cares to
acknowledge his motion. Camera pans with Eric as he goes to his
friend and kneels before him.
ERIC: Steve, I think I speak for
all of us when I ask you this. (Steve
looks up.) Why don’t you give us more details for this plan? (pauses) Tell us about living in the woods.
Cut between all
their faces. Everyone is looking at
Steve now except Greg. His eyes are
still turned to the floor.
FADE OUT
ACT TWO
FADE IN
Camera is
focused on horizon. When Greg’s narrative starts,
we slowly pull back from the sunset.
GREG: (V.O.) And that, in a
nutshell, is how we all wound up changing our minds about Steve’s idea of
living in the woods. James’ death was
the last straw for us. To be honest, I
had agreed with Steve on the night he first mentioned the idea but, like the
others, I’d assumed it was just drunken rambling. (pauses) It wasn’t until we asked him for further details that we
all realized how serious Steve had been.
He had everything planned out.
Steve is sitting at the computer, opening Microsoft
Word.
GREG: (V.O.) We wanted to live
the life of seclusion he had promised us, but there was the question of how we
would eat. (pauses) I was just as
shocked as the others to learn Steve had an answer for that.
Steve opens a file.
Close-up of the computer screen. It is a design for a poster, calling
attention to potential martial arts students.
He activates the FILE menu and selects “print.” Cut
to:
Steve, sign in hand, and Greg are coming off the
porch. As they approach the camera,
Steve hands the sign over to his friend.
Camera pulls back.
STEVE: See? I told you there was an easy plan for making
money.
GREG: Yeah, but how do they
contact us if we live in the woods?
There aren’t any phones there!
STEVE: Well, you can just read the
bottom of the page to answer that one.
Greg and camera
stop. Steve keeps going, winding up
off screen.
GREG: Oh, no…no, Steve, I don’t
think it’s a good idea to even ask her.
Greg is in the doorway. Steve stands in the middle of the room, rocking back and
forth. Olivia sits at her desk smoking.
OLIVIA: So basically you’re asking
me to be a human answering machine.
STEVE: Hey, come on now. Don’t think of it that way. Think of it as…as…well, yeah, that’s about
the best way of putting it, Liv.
OLIVIA: Why does it have to be
me? Can’t you pick anyone else? Or why can’t you even put one of your names
on it?
STEVE: I’ve explained this to you
before, Liv. I tried it in the past,
and it just doesn’t seem to work out for me.
Ads that have a guy’s name at the bottom don’t get many responses. This ad says, “Call Olivia.” Olivia! See?
(pauses) If nothing else, they’ll be calling to find out what kind of
girl studies martial arts.
OLIVIA: What do you mean?
STEVE: There is nothing in this ad
to indicate you’re not the teacher.
OLIVIA: Well, won’t people get
upset when they find out they’ll be learning from a guy after all? I mean, they might take it as false
advertisement.
STEVE: Some of them will, but the
ones who really want to learn won’t care.
(pauses) Look, if it’ll make you more likely to agree, I’ll give you a
share of the money I earn. I really
need this favor though.
OLIVIA: No, forget it…you don’t
have to give me your money. (sighs)
I’ll do it, but…Greg, you know dad isn’t going to like this one bit.
GREG: So what? He can hate the idea all he wants! I’ve got to do what’s right for me,
Liv. I’ve got to take control of my own
life sooner or later.
OLIVIA: What about me then? What if I don’t approve?
GREG: Why wouldn’t you approve?
OLIVIA: Because you’re my brother,
Greg! Don’t you think I’d miss you?
GREG: (sighs) Steve, do you think
she could come live out there with us?
STEVE: That shouldn’t be a
problem, as long as she doesn’t show where we are to anyone we don’t approve of
first.
OLIVIA: No! Greg, I already told you I don’t want to
live out in the fucking woods! Are you
crazy? I like a nice, warm, soft bed. I like TV.
I like showers. I like living in
the modern world, dammit!
GREG: Well, I’m sorry, Liv, but
I’ve made my decision. (as he leaves)
You can’t change my mind, okay?
STEVE: (feeling awkward) Um…okay,
yeah…so…I’ll…be in touch with you soon, okay?
It was nice seeing you, Liv.
(leaves)
Greg is storming down the driveway. Steve rushes out of the house, looks around
frantically, then runs after Greg once he spots him. He taps Greg on the shoulder to get his attention. They both stand there in silence. Not sure what to say, Steve just pats Greg
on the shoulder. Dissolve to:
Now we are back in the present day, with Greg
watching Eric and Chad spar.
GREG: (V.O.) And that pretty much
brings us right up to date. (pauses)
Oh, I nearly forgot to explain something.
I never talked about how these guys handle their lessons.
Olivia is at the sink. There is a knock.
OLIVIA: Come in! (Steve and Chad enter) Hello.
STEVE: Hi there. Got any messages for us?
OLIVIA: Yeah, just let me get them.
GREG: (V.O.) First they visit my
sister to get the names and numbers of everyone who called.
Four out of five (Greg excluded) sit in a circle,
writing down numbers from the list. Camera moves around them.
GREG: (V.O.) Then they bring the
list back to where we live and figure out who gets to call which number. You see, the sign Steve made up said there
are four classes available to the potential student, all dealing with four
different kinds of combat. They are…
Eric and Student A. are training.
GREG: (V.O.)…the kicking range…
Chad and Student C. are training.
GREG: (V.O.) …the punching range…
Steve and Student S. are training.
GREG: (V.O.) …the elbow and knee
range…
Wayne and Student B. are training.
GREG: (V.O.) …and the grappling
range. The sign asked anyone who was
interested to call Olivia and tell her which range they wanted to study the
most. A person could learn one range at
a time. The only time they could learn
another was when they had mastered the range they initially chose.
Cut to:
52 STEVE’S ROOM
Steve has a phone wedged
between his shoulder and head while looking over his
list of numbers.
GREG: (V.O.) Once the numbers are
all handed out to the right person, each one of them calls their potential
students.
STEVE: Hi, Roger? This is Steve.
CHAD: (on the phone) Hey, this is
Chad.
WAYNE: (on the phone) How are you
doing? This is Wayne.
ERIC: Hey, it’s Eric. I believe you called…
56-59CUT BETWEEN RESPECTIVE ROOMS
STEVE: …because you were
interested in taking some martial arts lessons. Well, let me tell you how it works. You get…
CHAD: …one free trial lesson, to
see if you like it, and then…
WAYNE: …after that we would
discuss prices. So…
ERIC: …I was wondering when and
where you’d like to get together.
Greg is practicing a form. He moves into some shadowboxing.
GREG: (V.O.) And that was how
they did it. They set up their lessons
in places where it would be convenient for their students. As for why I didn’t teach…well, believe me
when I say it wasn’t by choice. I
wanted to pay my own way while we lived in the woods, but they forced me into
focusing all my time on my own training.
(pauses) They said the skills I had were a blessing, probably given to
only one in a million, maybe even a billion…and they wanted me to sharpen them
up.
Greg lights the incense and candles. Then he settles into a lotus position, eyes
closed, and meditates.
GREG: (V.O.) I asked them what
point there was in making my skills so perfectly honed anyway. I said, “Why can’t I teach to pay my
way? What am I going to do with these
great abilities anyway…be a martial arts movie star?” I saw no point in going
to the level they were talking about, but none of them gave me an answer. They told me to just do as they said…so I
did. I mean, it’s not like I could
argue with them. All of them had wills
of iron.
Greg and Eric are sparring. As we join them, they conclude their session
and bow. Wayne appears.
GREG: Hey, Wayne, it’s been a
while since we worked on my grappling skills.
You want to wrestle for a few minutes?
WAYNE: Normally I would, but I’ve
got a lesson to teach and I’m running kind of late.
GREG: Oh, okay. Well what about when you get back?
WAYNE: (shakes Greg’s hand) Sure,
no problem. (heading off) Catch you
guys later.
Student B. is waiting on a bench, stretching. In the distance behind him we see Wayne
running toward us. Student sees him and
stands up.
WAYNE: Hey, there, I am so sorry for
being late. We’ll extend the lesson at
the end to make up for lost time though, okay?
STUDENT B: That’s fine with me.
WAYNE: Okay, great. Well, no more point in delaying. Let’s get to it.
Wayne and Student W. are practicing takedowns,
counters, lockups, and escapes. No
surprises here when we see Wayne get the upper hand every time. They go down, and Student W. struggles.
WAYNE: That’s it, that’s it! Don’t ever give up! You can do it! You can do whatever you want if you just set your mind to
it! (Student B. escapes.) There you go,
now you’ve got the idea!
Student W. almost gets him in an arm bar, but Wayne
evades and pins his pupil. After a few
seconds of struggle, Student W. taps out.
WAYNE: (getting up) Not bad. (helps Student W. up) You just got to stick
to it. Just because I’ve been
practicing longer doesn’t mean you can’t get the upper hand. Don’t let all my years of experience intimidate
you.
STUDENT W: I try not to, but it’s
hard.
WAYNE: I know, but that’s part of
training too. (points to his head)
Mental, as well as physical. Someday you’ll be the one intimidating people.
STUDENT W: I hope so. (takes out his wallet) I’d hate to think I
was paying you all this money for nothing.
(laughs) Ah, it’s worth it though.
You deserve every penny you charge, because you’re a damn good teacher.
Dissolve to this scene. Loan and Minions gathered.
LOAN: I’ve searched every inch of
this city, or at least as much as one person can. You need to get out there and look for them. Go out there, and don’t you dare come back
as failures.
They bow to him, then leave.
Steve is finishing up a lesson with Student S.
STEVE: Very good! You’re improving at quite an impressive
rate.
STUDENT S: Well, thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that.
STEVE: I know. That’s why I say it. It’s always been my opinion that people
improve better when you tell them they did good. If I told you about your mistakes all the time, you’d never think
you were getting better. (sighs) Well,
I guess it’s about time for me to head back home.
STUDENT S: All right then. Remember that we have to get together an
hour earlier next time.
STEVE: Yes, because of your
doctor’s appointment. I’m on top of it,
don’t worry.
Olivia is on the phone, chatting idly and
pacing. There is a knock.
OLIVIA: (moves the phone) Come
in! (Wayne enters.) Hi, Wayne.
WAYNE: Hey there. Got any messages for me?
OLIVIA: Yeah, hold on. (grabs paper off fridge, hands it to him)
Here you go.
WAYNE: (reading it) This is weird,
Liv. There’s…(looks at both sides of
paper) …there’s no number on here.
OLIVIA: (into phone) Hold on,
okay? (to Wayne) I know. That guy didn’t give a number, just a place
and a time where you could meet him.
WAYNE: (reading) Can you believe
where this guy wants to meet me? A
deserted railroad track behind South End Tavern?
OLIVIA: Yeah, I thought he was
pretty damn weird.
WAYNE: Well, we certainly don’t
need any weirdoes learning martial arts now, do we? No, I’m going to meet this guy just to let him know I can’t teach
him.
OLIVIA: What are you going to say
if he asks why?
WAYNE: I’ll just tell him I’ve
already got a pretty hectic schedule. I
mean, that is true enough after all.
OLIVIA: Why even bother meeting him
then?
WAYNE: Because he called. Just blowing someone off like that is
downright rude, even if he is a weirdo.
OLIVIA: Well, I wouldn’t meet him
alone if I were you.
WAYNE: Don’t worry, I can handle
myself.
OLIVIA: Oh yeah? What if he shows up with friends?
WAYNE: That’s easy: run. (opens the door) Speaking of running, that’s
exactly what I’ve got to do if I want to meet this guy. He picked today’s date for the meeting time.
OLIVIA: Okay. See you later.
Three Minions (4, 5, 6) are in counsel.
MIN 4: We’ve got to find them
again. Otherwise Loan will kill us.
MIN 5: Maybe that’s a better fate
than serving him.
MIN 6: How can you even say
that? Don’t you like living?
MIN 5: Not if I have to live as
his slave.
MIN 4: Wait a second! (Others turn to him.) Hide, quickly! (They protest.) Just do it, dammit! I’ll explain in a second.
They hide. Steve
comes along. The Minions exchange
glances as he goes by.
MIN 4: (whispering) We’ll beat him
unconscious and then bring him to Loan.
He’ll torture the bastard into telling us where the others are.
MIN 5: And then we’ll be free from
Loan’s rule…or so he says.
MIN 4: Yeah, whatever. Let’s go.
Cautiously they pursue Steve, ducking behind cover every
now and then. Soon they overtake him
and attack, but Steve wins. He stands
there panting heavily, his three opponents either groaning in pain or
unconscious.
STEVE: (looking Minions over) They
look exactly like the guys Greg described to us, the ones who jumped him the
day James died. (pauses) I’ve got to
get back to the woods and tell the others.
Wayne makes his way down an incline and over to the
tracks. He looks all around (jump cuts and pans) but sees nobody.
WAYNE: (reads the note) Let’s
see…where is this guy’s name? (pauses)
Loan. (shouts) Hello? Loan?
It’s Wayne. (pauses) Are you
here? You called Olivia about martial
arts training. (pauses) Dammit, man,
where the fuck are you? I don’t want
this rejection to take all day.
LOAN: (V.O.) Hello, Wayne, I’m so
glad you could make it.
Wayne spins around.
Loan is a dark, long-haired figure whose moves communicate his
toughness. He walks over slowly.
WAYNE: Don’t be too glad. I came here only to tell you I can’t take on
any more students at the present time.
LOAN: Oh really? (pauses) That’s a shame.
WAYNE: Yeah, I’ve got nine
students as it is. Between them they
already take up most of my time, plus I have to keep up with my own training,
so you can imagine how full my schedule is.
LOAN: I am very sorry to hear all
of this, because I was really looking forward to training with you…learning
something from you. (pauses) You really
don’t know how special you are, do you?
WAYNE: Excuse me? (pauses) What do you mean by that?
LOAN: Oh, I guess that answers my
question. You really don’t know what I
mean, but let me tell you…you have a rare gift, my friend. (pauses) Unfortunately, seeing as how you
are only one of the lost five, I have no way of knowing which gift has been bestowed
upon you. For all I know, you may have
the power I seek.
WAYNE: Lost five? Gift?
(fed up) Okay, pal, I’ve had enough of your weirdness. I gave you my message. Now I’ve got to go. This is getting too freaky for me. (heading off) Jesus, I should have just
listened to Olivia’s advice and blown this weirdo off, but no, I had to stick
to my goddamn principles and…
LOAN: Is it really my weirdness
you fear, Wayne…or is it the weight of destiny?
WAYNE: (stops, V.O.) Wait a
minute. Where have I heard that phrase
before? That sounds so familiar. (turns to Loan) Where did you hear that
from?
LOAN: You don’t remember? A very close friend of yours coined it not
so long ago.
Flashback sequence is filmed in black and white.
STEVE: That’s the sound of fate
coming our way. Don’t ask me to
explain, because I can’t. I don’t know
how or why I hear these things, I just do.
It’s a noise so heavy it almost has weight to it. (pauses) The weight of destiny.
Astonished, Wayne turns back to Loan.
WAYNE: (as he walks) You…you were
there that night, watching us, hiding in the trees. Steve heard you. That’s
the noise he was talking about.
LOAN: You’ve got half of it. Do you understand the other part of it?
WAYNE: No, but I don’t really give
a shit about it either. I don’t know a
damn thing about fate or destiny or whatever the hell you want to call it.
LOAN: May I ask why you have that
attitude?
WAYNE: Because I don’t believe in
it. There’s no such thing. Fate is a scapegoat for weak-willed people
who get pushed around by life.
LOAN: No, Wayne, you are so
wrong. Destiny does exist, at least for
you. I know it does, because I’m it.
WAYNE: Look, I’ve had enough of
this. Who are you, and why were you
spying on us?
LOAN: I can sense irritation in
your voice. You want so much so
quickly. It requires patience to learn
things, Wayne. Take my case for example. I’ve been watching you little clique for
months now…almost a year, and I still…
WAYNE: You’ve what?! A year?
Why the hell…
LOAN: (sighs) Wayne, patience. Remember? Patience. (pauses) Where was I? Oh,
yes…I have been watching you for almost a year, but it wasn’t until you were
all in the park that I realized Steve was the one with heightened senses.
WAYNE: Heightened…what are you
talking about?
LOAN: I told you already. You and your friends are the lost five! Once I was able to verify that fact, I still
had to wait before I approached you all because there were six main members of
your clique. I wasn’t sure which one of
you didn’t have any of the five gifts, so I decided to make contact with James
first. (laughs) And wouldn’t you know
it? He was the odd man out.
WAYNE: (anger building) You’re the
one that killed James.
LOAN: (shrugs) Unfortunately,
that is the only way I can go about my business.
Wayne attacks, trying to get Loan on the ground. The mysterious adversary avoids every
attempt without countering, as if he is testing to see what Wayne has. As a last ditch effort, Wayne forgets about
grappling and throws a punch that lands squarely on his opponent’s chest. Surprisingly, the blow sends Loan flying
through the air. Judging by the look on
his face, this result has shocked Loan just as much as it has Wayne. Coughing, holding his chest, Loan slowly
gets to his feet.
LOAN: Very good, Wayne. I’m quite impressed. (pauses) It would seem to me that Steve has
heightened senses, and you have superhuman strength. That makes it two down and three to go.
WAYNE: Just shut the fuck up and
fight.
Wayne lunges in for more combat, but his luck soon
fades. Loan starts to land way too many
attacks. Eventually Wayne is so worn
down that he can’t even block. Loan
grabs Wayne by the shirt and pulls him close.
LOAN: Maybe you believe in fate now? (pauses) Yes, I think you do. I’m just sorry this is what it takes to make
you a believer.
He lets go. Wayne
stumbles back, bloody and disoriented.
Loan leaps up and does a spinning roundhouse-style kick that snaps
Wayne’s neck. His lifeless corpse
crashes gracelessly to the ground.
LOAN: (kneeling down) I wish I
could have explained your importance to my life, and what a grand future fate
has set up for me. Unfortunately, there
just wasn’t time for any of that.
Besides, you didn’t believe in fate anyway, so I would have been wasting
my breath. (sighs) No matter. I thank you for your gift anyway, sir.
Loan puts his hand on Wayne’s face. At first nothing happens but silence. Suddenly, his hand starts to glow as if some
kind of energy is passing from Wayne’s body to the stranger. Loan’s eyes are closed, his face pinched
into what seems to be a painful grimace.
Slowly the pulsing light fades away.
Now Loan opens his eyes and stands up.
An eerie smile crosses over his mouth.
LOAN: (V.O.) Superhuman strength
can always come in handy, but it’s not the power I desire the most. (pauses) He’s not the One, so my search must
continue.
Loan walks away. Camera pans down to Wayne’s body. Dissolve
to:
We see Steve looking around various parts of the
woods, swearing up a storm when he never finds anyone. Dissolve
to:
Caption: “ Two Days Later”
Greg, Eric, and Chad are all involved in a free-form
sparring session. Steve comes
along. The look on his face says it
all: he knows about Wayne, but the others don’t. He just stands at the edge of the arena, silently staring at the
ground, until the other three see him.
ERIC: Hey, Steve, where have you
been all day?
GREG: What’s up, Steve? (looks closer) Wait a second here…Steve,
what’s wrong?
They all walk over to Steve, giving him comfort and
trying to coax the problem out of him.
When their questions are done, Steve looks each of them in the eye.
STEVE: I take it none of you have
gone into town today. (pauses) Well, of
course you haven’t…or else you’d already know.
CHAD: Know what?
GREG: You can tell us, man. (pats him on the shoulder) It’s all right.
STEVE: (swallows hard) I went into
town today, looking for Wayne.
ERIC: Did you find him? (Steve nods) Where was he staying? At his ex-girlfriend’s house? That’s where he usually goes when living out
here drives him crazy.
STEVE: Not this time, Eric…not
this time. I went to see Olivia and ask
if I had any messages, and she asked me if Wayne had come back. When I told her no, she started to get
worried.
CHAD: Why should she be worried?
STEVE: Olivia showed me a copy of
the last message she’d taken down for Wayne.
Some guy wanted to take a few grappling lessons, but instead of leaving
a phone number the guy just left a time and a place where Wayne could meet him.
ERIC: A time and a place? Where was it?
STEVE: Those deserted railroad
tracks down by the South End Tavern.
CHAD: (nervous) And when was the
time?
STEVE: (contemplative pause) Two
days ago.
GREG: Well, did the guy leave his
name or anything?
STEVE: Yes, it was
Loan…L-O-A-N. (pauses) That name means
nothing to me. How about you guys? (They can’t place it.) That’s what I
figured. Anyway, Olivia and I went to
investigate the tracks together, and it didn’t take long for us to find Wayne
down there. (pauses) He was dead. (shock from the others) His neck was broken,
and he’d been beaten up pretty bad.
There was only one thing I could think of when I saw Wayne like that:
the way James looked when we found him.
ERIC: You mean to say that…they
were killed by the same person.
CHAD: Jesus…what the hell should
we do now?
STEVE: I don’t know what we should
do, but I have a clear idea of what we have to do, and that is never go
anywhere alone from now on…we’ll have to always go in pairs. Even if one of us is heading off to teach a
lesson, someone else will go along too.
No matter where we go, we always need to be at least in a pair.
GREG: What if it’s some place
where three of us have to go?
STEVE: Then all four of us go, no
matter how badly the odd one out wants to stay here. I don’t know it for a fact…and there really is no way to find
out…but I wouldn’t be surprised if the person responsible for Wayne’s and James’
death already know where we are at this very moment. Until we know the whole story, we should always stick together
because it seems we are being hunted down, and I bet this Loan character is
behind it all.
CHAD: But why? Why us?
And come to think of it, why are you assuming that just because you have
one name means only one person is involved?
I mean, none of us saw James and Wayne die. For all we know it could have been an entire gang that attacked
them.
STEVE: I know, but I have this gut
feeling…
ERIC: Gut feeling or not, I think
Chad is right. If we really want to be
100% cautious we can’t make any assumptions.
The only thing we know for sure so far is that Wayne and James are dead.
GREG: In that case we should
probably move again too. Like Steve
said, there’s no way of telling how much Loan knows about us.
STEVE: Thanks for backing me up on
that, Greg.
ERIC: Hold on a sec. Before we start to discuss moving, I just
want to hear the rest of the story.
What happened after you and Olivia found Wayne?
STEVE: Olivia and I reported it to
the police. She gave them the message
that she’d written down for Wayne.
CHAD: What did the cops say?
STEVE: Nothing that gave me any
hope. All they really said was that
Loan was an unusual name, and that they’d do their best to keep in touch with
us. Some detective gave Olivia his name
and number.
GREG: What was his name?
STEVE: I can’t really remember at
the moment, but before I left I told Olivia to make sure she called him every
single day.
Minions are gathered. Loan paces before them.
LOAN: So you found one of
them. Three of you found him.
MIN 4: (low) Yes, sir.
LOAN: (screams) I did not ask you
to speak! (pauses; resumes calmly) All
three of you took Steve on with the intention of bringing him back here so I
could locate the others…and you suffered one of the most humiliating losses
ever known to your clan. Three of you
failed to defeat him. (stops pacing)
What do you have to say for yourselves?
MIN 4: (hesitantly) Maybe you
could use that trick again…calling the number?
LOAN: (grabs and drags him to his
feet) Idiot! Do you honestly think that
trick can work twice? (throws him to
the ground) That’s it. You fools can’t
be allowed to fail without facing some kind of punishment. You have to prove yourselves worthy to
remain under my command. (gets into
combat stance) Come on.
The three failures (4, 5, 6) approach
half-heartedly. Eventually one of them
attacks, and right away we know their situation is hopeless. Loan kills all three. Then he turns to the others.
LOAN: Let that be a lesson to you
all. From now on, if you see any of the
remaining four do not engage them in
combat! You are to follow them slowly,
patiently, until you find out where they all
are. Do you hear me? (They respond in the affirmative.) Good.
He walks off. Dissolve to:
A few Minions are gathered together.
MIN 7: So he wants us to stalk
them. How are we supposed to even
start? We have no idea where they might
be! (pauses) This little city never
seemed so big.
MIN 8: But at least we know where
the other three saw Steve. (pauses)
Loan let them live long enough to get that information out of them. That is the only reason they didn’t kill them
sooner. We’ve got to do something about
this bastard, because you both know as well as I do what’s going to happen.
MIN 9: No, we don’t know what’s going to happen.
Why don’t you tell us all about it, since you’re so damn bright?
MIN 8: (shakes his head) If you
claim you don’t know, then it’s just because you are in denial. Once Loan has what he wants, after getting
it with our help, we won’t be of any use to him anymore.
MIN 7: And then what?
MIN 8: And then he’ll kill us
all! Jesus, do I have to give you a
fucking roadmap to get to the point?
You really mean you can’t figure it out on your own?
MIN 9: You don’t know that for
sure, and besides it doesn’t matter.
You remember the oath we took to join this clan…that we would serve our
teacher loyally. If someone challenged
our teacher and won, then we’d have to follow the victor.
MIN 8: That rule was set down
when, a thousand years ago or so? It
has no relevance to our situation here today!
I think we should change that tradition.
MIN 9: We don’t have the power to
do that.
MIN 8: Why not? They’re our rules. Let’s not forget this was our
clan long before Loan ever came along!
MIN 7: Yes, but it is Loan’s clan now, ever since he killed
our teacher in combat. Now can we
please get back to more important issues?
MIN 9: Okay, so we know the place
where the other three saw Steve. But
what are we supposed to do? Just camp
out at that one spot forever? They
might not even pass that way again!
MIN 7: You’re right. There’s got to be another way.
Camera cuts and
pans between them while they try to think of a plan. Fed up, Min 8 starts to leave.
MIN 7: Where do you think you’re
going?
MIN 7: (jealous) Yeah, yeah…well,
aren’t you blessed.
MIN 9: Wait a minute! Teaching!
That’s the answer!
MIN 8: (stops) What’s that? (pause) What are you talking about?
MIN 9: (runs off) Come on, you’ll
see!
Min 7 and 8 look at each other,
shrug, then head off.
Olivia is watching television. The phone rings. She gets up and approached the screen. Camera pulls back then
pans right to the phone.
OLIVIA: (picking up) Hello?
MIN 9: (V.O.) Hi, I just saw your
sign about martial arts lessons, and I was interested. May I speak with Olivia?
OLIVIA: This is Olivia. I set up lessons for the four…(voice gets
sad) um, I mean the three instructors that we have.
MIN 9: (V.O.) What do you mean by
that?
OLIVIA: (as if coming out of a
daze) I’m sorry?
MIN 9: (V.O.) You said four
instructors, then changed it to three.
OLIVIA: Oh, well…one of the
teachers passed away.
MIN 9: (V.O.) No kidding. Well, I’m very sorry to hear that. How old was he?
OLIVIA: He was…he was twenty-one.
MIN 9: (V.O.) Holy shit! I thought he was an old timer. Now I feel even…
OLIVIA: Look, I really don’t want
to dwell on this. Didn’t you call about
lessons?
MIN 9: (V.O.) You’re right, I’m
sorry…the subject is obviously still painful for you, and besides, that isn’t
what I called to talk about, is it?
OLIVIA: No, absolutely not.
Min 9 (unrecognizable at first because he is
unmasked) is on a payphone.
MIN 9: Well, how do I set up a
lesson?
OLIVIA: (V.O.) Okay, this is how it
works. All of our instructors
specialize in different ranges of combat.
For kicking range we have Eric, who is I believe a third degree black
belt in tae kwon do. Then there is Chad
for the punching range. He has studied
Western boxing for eight years and has won first place in just about every
upstate New York boxing tournament, as well as second and third place in nationwide
competitions.
She is sitting at the table, pen and paper at the
ready.
OLIVIA: And Steve teaches the elbow
and knee range. He has been a devoted
practitioner of wing chun kung fu for many years. Wing chun is the style Bruce Lee studied. Steve is twenty-three now, and he has been
studying ever since he was seven. That
makes sixteen years’ experience.
MIN 9: (V.O.) Wow, that’s a pretty
impressive list. U, I think I’m mostly
interested in that last guy…Steve? When
could I get a lesson with him?
OLIVIA: That would depend on when
you’d like a lesson. You pick the time.
MIN 9: (V.O.) Okay. How about Thursday at four?
OLIVIA: (writing) Okay, now where
would you like to have your lesson?
MIN 9: (V.O.) Oh I get to pick the
place too, huh? Um, maybe Prospect
Park?
OLIVIA: (writing) All right. So your lesson will be this Thursday, at
four P.M., at Prospect Park. Now this
is a free introductory lesson. If you
like the way Steve teaches and decide you want to learn more, he will discuss
prices with you.
MIN 9: That’s great. I’m really looking forward to it. Thanks a lot. Oh, wait a minute. I almost forgot to give you my name. (pauses) It’s Henry. Got it?
Okay, thanks a lot, Olivia.
He hangs up then walks away. Camera
pans right to show him walking toward a
wooded area. Cut to:
Min 9 stops, then looks around.
MIN 9: Come on out, you guys. It’s me.
Min 7 and 8 come out of the woods.
MIN 7: Well, what happened?
MIN 9: I’m going to meet Steve at
Prospect Park.
MIN 8: What time?
MIN 9: Thursday at four.
MIN 7: And then what?
MIN 9: I’d tell you if you’d stop
interrupting! (pauses) Anyway, I’m
going to meet him unmasked, and…
MIN 7: What? Are you nuts? Loan would kill you if he…
MIN 9: (slaps him) Goddammit, I
said shut the fuck up and let me finish!
I’m going to take a lesson as if I really was considering it. Then, when it’s over, I’ll join you two and
we’ll follow Steve home, wherever that might be.
MIN 8: (laughs) Oh, man, that’s
beautiful. That is just absolutely
brilliant.
MIN 9: Thank you. (to Min 7) And as for you, I hope you’ve
learned how to keep your mouth shut.
MIN 7: Oh yeah? And why is that?
MIN 9: Because this is the only
shot we have, and if you blow our cover while we’re in the park I’ll kill you
right on the spot.
Dissolve to:
Caption: Thursday
Min 9 is waiting, doing exercises to kill the
time. He suddenly stops when he spots
Steve and Greg approaching. Cut to Min 7 and 8 in hiding, then back
to the other three.
STEVE: Hi, are you Henry?
MIN 9: Yeah. You’re Steve?
STEVE: Yes. (They shake hands.) How are you today?
MIN 9: I’m doing all right. (to Greg) Are you an assistant instructor?
GREG: Yes, you could say
that. (sticks out his hand) I’m Greg.
MIN 9: Hi. (shakes his hand) How long have you been
studying?
GREG: Oh, for about a year now.
STEVE: I bring him along to
demonstrate techniques on. That way my
students aren’t all beat up by the end of the day. (They all laugh a little.) So what do you say we get right into
things? Greg and I saw you warming up,
but we still have to. Do you mind
waiting while we stretch?
MIN 9: Not at all. Take your time.
What follows is a montage of shots as the lesson goes by:
Steve displaying an application on Greg, the three of them passing techniques
around in a circle, Greg and Min 9 practicing while Steve just observes. Montage eventually ends when we reach the
closing of the lesson.
STEVE: Well, Henry, what do you
think? Do you want to take more
lessons?
MIN 9: I have got to be honest
with you, Steve, I love the way you teach.
You’re one very exceptional martial artist, and I’ve always wanted to
learn wing chun, but I’m not sure if I have the money to take lessons right now.
STEVE: But if you had the money,
would you want to?
MIN 9: Oh, yes, without a doubt.
STEVE: Okay, that’s all that
matters. (pauses) Well, you’ve got the
number. Give us a ring when you figure
out your finances.
MIN 9: I will. Hey, just out of curiosity, who was the girl
I spoke to when I called? She had a
really cute voice.
GREG: That would be my sister
Olivia.
MIN 9: Oh, I feel embarrassed
now. Shit. Ah, well, I look forward to hearing her lovely voice again…and
that’s all.
GREG: (laughing) Don’t worry, I’m
not upset. I’ll give her your
compliment.
MIN 9: Okay. (to Steve) And thank you for giving me some
time to think about it. I really appreciate it.
STEVE: No problem, but we’d better
be on our way. See you later, Henry.
MIN 9: Good bye. Nice meeting you, Greg.
GREG: Yeah, same here. I hope to see you again soon.
They walk away.
Min 9 waves good bye and waits patiently. After a few moments, still keeping an eye on Greg and Steve, Min
9 walks over to where his partners are hiding.
Camera pans with him.
MIN 9: Okay, you two, let’s follow
them now. But we’ve got to be extremely
careful about how much noise we make.
You remember what Loan said.
MIN 8: Steve is the one with
heightened senses.
MIN 9: Right, so we’ve got to be
as quiet as possible.
MIN 7: That shouldn’t be a
problem.
Dissolve to:
Steve and Greg are walking in. We quickly cut to a shot of the Minions settling in a hiding place with a good
view, then we go back to the other two but from Minion point of view.
STEVE: So what did you think of my
student today?
GREG: He was pretty good. I got the feeling he’s trained in some other
style though.
STEVE: Me too, and I think he’s
been practicing for quite some time.
Funny how he didn’t mention it.
(shrugs) Oh well. Let’s do some
chi sao.
They put their wrists together and start to roll. Now we return to the hiding place. All three Minions face each other. (Dialogue is whispered here.)
MIN 9: Well, at least we know why
we never see them on city streets.
MIN 7: So now what do we do?
MIN 8: Shouldn’t we go tell Loan
about this place?
MIN 9: No, not yet. I think we should go tell the others and get
them to help us watching these guys…every move they make…for about a week. That should give us enough time to get their
schedules down pat.
MIN 7: And what if there’s no
obvious pattern to their lives?
MIN 9: That’s when we’ll just tell
Loan about this place.
Chad and Eric walk down the street. A Minion is watching.
Steve and Eric practices forms. Minion watches.
Greg and Eric are teaching a student. Minion watches.
Chad and Steve light incense. Minion watches. Dissolve to:
Minions are gathered before Loan. This time, however, he seems to be pleased
with them; there is no impatient pacing.
LOAN: Tell me what you’ve
discovered. Tell me everything.
MIN 7: We found out where they
live. It’s deep in the woods. They’ve got places scattered around that are
designated as sparring, sleeping, and practice areas. They even have a shrine.
Each day, they all take turns going to the shrine once they wake
up. Then they light incense and candles
while they meditate.
LOAN: Excellent. What else?
MIN 9: As you know, master,
they’ve been making money by teaching students. We know exactly when and where they have their lessons.
LOAN: (chuckles) Your knowledge
is quite impressive.
MIN 7: And that’s not all. We have even learned the way they go home
from those lessons. The path never
changes.
MIN 8: Sir, the only thing that
seems to change is the number of students they have at any given time. Sometimes pupils come and go, but everything
else in their lives follows a fixed pattern.
LOAN: Well, all this information
comes as a wonderful surprise. I
couldn’t begin to tell you how long it has been since I’ve felt
this…pleased. You have all proven your
worth.
MIN 7: Wait, master! There is one more thing we noticed. It seems that no matter where they go or
whatever they’re doing, they always travel in twos.
LOAN: (dwelling on this) They
probably started that once they found out how their friend Wayne died. (pauses) No matter.
MIN 8: (after a brief silence)
Will you be needing us for anything else, sir?
(Others look at him in shock.) We wanted to get right into practice once
we told you all the details. So may we
please be excused now?
LOAN: (looking at him) Actually,
there is just one thing I need to know.
During the seven days you were spying on them, how often were you within
hearing
distance?
MIN 7: Most of the time,
master. I’d say we heard 95% of their
conversations.
LOAN: And you heard nothing at
all that indicated they know what’s going on?
MIN 8: No, sir. They all seem to be in the dark. Not only that, but Greg hasn’t even been
trained that well.
LOAN: I find that hard to
believe. He’s been trained by some of
the best.
MIN 8: Yes, but only for a
year. I heard them talking about it.
LOAN: Well, I don’t think the
length of time he’s been training makes much of a
difference.
One of the biggest mistakes a martial artist can make is to
underestimate their
opponent. (pauses) Good work, all of
you. Now, if you
would be so kind, I need
some time to myself.
They bow to him, then
leave.
They walk away a few feet, then Min 7 and 9
stop. Min 8 notices they are not
following him anymore. He looks back at
them.
MIN 8: What’s the matter?
MIN 7: You’ve got to be more
careful.
MIN 8: What do you mean by that?
MIN 9: Don’t play it off as
nothing. We heard you call Loan “sir.”
And if we heard it, then you know
damn well that he did too.
MIN 8: So what do you want me to
do about it?
MIN 7: We want you to start
calling him “master” like you should.
MIN 8: I can’t do that. You know
I can’t.
MIN 7: (upset) Why not?
MIN 8: Because the only man who
ever deserved to hear me address him by that title is dead! He’s been dead for the last six years!
MIN 9: Hey, come on now! Keep your voice down or he’ll hear you!
MIN 8: Who cares? He’s going to hear it sooner or later.
MIN 9: Stop talking crazy. Now listen to me. (pauses) You’re always going on about how loan is going to kill
us all when this is over, right? (Min 8
agrees.) Well, if you don’t stop making your disrespect so obvious, he’s going
to wind up killing you even sooner than that.
MIN 8: It isn’t like that would be
so bad. I’d rather be dead than Loan’s
slave.
MIN 7: You don’t know that’s his
plan for us. He might set us free.
MIN 9: Yes, he’s more honorable
than you think.
MIN 8: (shakes his head) If you
can use the word “honorable” on a guy like that, then you’re even more blind
than I thought. (pauses) What the hell
ever happened to you guys? You used to
never take any bullshit from anyone!
Now look at you! Ever since Loan
became our leader, you have all been nodding so damn much that I worry your
heads are going to fall off someday!
(pauses) Well, maybe your fighting spirits died with our real teacher,
but not mine.
He storms off.
The other two look at each other in despair. They are quiet for a moment.
Then Min 7 starts heading back to the lair.
MIN 9: Where are you going?
MIN 7: We forgot to tell Loan about
Greg’s sister.
MIN 9: Oh, right. Well, I’ll wait out here for you.
MIN 7: Okay, I won’t be long.
89 EVIL LAIR
Loan is sitting on the floor in lotus position. Min 7 enters. He hesitates to approach, then slowly draws near.
MIN 7: Master? (no answer) Master, is it all right if I
speak with you now? (no answer) There
is something else about Greg we forgot to tell you. (pauses) I could always come back later, if you like.
LOAN: (after a moment) No, you
can tell me now.
MIN 7: (still uncertain) Um…all
right. Well, as you probably guessed,
one of the questions my brothers and I had when we found out the five teach
lessons was, “How do they set up the appointments if they live in the woods?”
So we kept tailing them and found the answer.
LOAN: So what was the conclusion
you reached?
MIN 7: They go back to Greg’s
house because they have employed someone as a secretary. (pauses) Master, that someone is Greg’s
sister.
Close-up of Loan’s
face. He slowly opens his eyes.
LOAN: And what do you suggest I
do with this information?
MIN 7: Maybe we could kidnap his
sister and lure them here. After all,
the five of them are all fond of her.
Loan stands up.
Min 7 backs away.
LOAN: Interesting idea. I’m not going to use it just yet, but I’ll
keep it in mind.
MIN 7: What are you planning to do, master?
LOAN: I want all three of you to
meet me back here tomorrow and at the same time. I’ll tell you my plan once we’re all together. (pauses) There are some new techniques I
must show you. (pauses) Make sure you
tell the others.
MIN 7: Yes, master. (bows) Right away. What shall we do until it’s time to return?
LOAN: Whatever you wish. I’ve just got some more thinking to do, not
to mention some of my own training.
MIN 7: All right then, master. We shall return tomorrow.
Min 7 leaves. Camera zooms in on Loan’s face. Dissolve
to:
Eric and Greg come along. Camera pulls back.
ERIC: You know, no matter how
many times I see how good you are, I still can’t get over it. I mean, it took me five years to get as good
as I am, but after only a year I’d have to say your skill level already equals
mine.
GREG: Oh, come on now. I mean, you guys say that every day…but let
me tell you something, you’re not the only one who’s in disbelief, because I
still don’t believe it when you make a statement like that.
ERIC: That’s because you’re very
modest…almost too modest for your own good, I’d have to say.
GREG: (smirks) Oh, you really
think so?
ERIC: Yes, I do. As a matter of fact…(twigs snaps; he stops)
Hold on. Did you just hear something?
GREG: (stops) Nothing but you
talking. (snaps again) Wait, is that
what you meant? That could be just an
animal or something.
ERIC: Not unless there are two of
them.
GREG: Come on, you’re
paranoid! Of course there could be two of them!
Eric starts looking around, getting combat-ready. Close-up
of his eyes scanning the forest. The
rattling and snapping gets louder and closer until we see bushes moving. Min 10 leaps out, and Eric charges into him
with a beautiful sidekick. Other
Minions (11, 12, 13) join the fray. 12
and 13 attack Greg while 11 and a wounded 10 go after Eric. This fight scene shows how noticeably Greg’s
skills have improved. As the battle
goes on, one thing becomes more obvious: the Minions are fighting not to
actually defeat Greg or Eric but to separate them. We leave Greg’s half of the brawl to focus solely on Eric. Min 10 and 11 have to back off repeatedly to
regain their wits. Eric’s incredible
agility is showcased in this fight, as even his flashiest, most time-consuming
moves always manage to hit
home. While
the two Minions are backed off into a stalemate, we cut to a tree. Loan comes
out from behind it.
LOAN: That’s enough!
Min 10 and 11 turn to look at Loan. Eric remains in combat stance but checks out
the new arrival. We cut back to Loan.
LOAN: All right, you’ve done
enough. Now go help the others.
MIN 10, 11: (bowing) Yes, master.
Cut to Greg
and Min 12 and 13 in background. Min 10
and 11 run over to help. Cut to Loan watching them go. When all four are in the battle, he turns
back to Eric and walks toward him.
ERIC: Who the fuck are you?
LOAN: An admirer from far, far
away.
ERIC: What is your deal,
pal? Are you an asshole, or just crazy?
LOAN: Some would say both. (pauses) I was watching you from the trees
just now. Very impressive. I take it you possess the power of agility,
which means you are not the one I wanted…the one I needed. But…ah, what the hell? Beggars can’t be choosers, right?
ERIC: What do you mean, I’m not
the one you wanted?
LOAN: (shaking his head) Ah, I
guess you’re all going to ask that question before it’s over. Wayne did, you did…the others probably will
too.
ERIC: (enraged) Wayne? You…you killed Wayne?
LOAN: (nodding) And your other
friend James…an unnecessary casualty, I’m afraid.
Eric leaps into battle.
His rage drives him through the fight, but the emotion blinds him. Loan lands several attacks that Eric should
have been able to block. Cut to Greg. He sees his friend starting to lose, but from this position he
can’t see Loan’s face.
GREG: Eric! (starts to run) I’m coming to help you!
MIN 10: Where do you think you’re
going?
Min 10 roundhouse kicks Greg in the stomach, knocking him
back into the fray. It seems he has
reduced his number of attackers to three (and of those three two are
staggering), but this seems to be enough to keep him at bay. Cut
to Eric and Loan. Eric’s breath is
coming in wretched gasps, and he is taking more punishment than he is dishing
out. Loan lands a destructive, final
forearm smash to his opponent’s neck. Cut to Greg (with one barely-conscious
Minion left) screaming, then back to
Eric as he staggers, clutching his throat.
As Greg lands his last knockout blow, Eric falls to his knees. One more gasp issues forth from his dying
form, and then he topples over. Loan
approaches the new corpse. Greg runs
over as Loan drops to one knee then puts a hand on Eric’s face. Greg stops dead in his tracks. We see a close-up of Loan’s face.
GREG: (V.O.) Him? That’s…that’s the one I saw before those
guys attacked me (pauses), the day we found James dead.
Loan’s hands start to glow as the power rushes into him.
GREG: What the fuck is going on
here?
Loan looks up as the glow starts to fade. He smiles as a tremor runs through his
body. Greg slowly backs away.
LOAN: Don’t worry, Gregory,
you’ll find your answer soon enough.
GREG: Yeah, maybe…but not today.
Greg takes off.
Loan tries to pursue him, but the spasms are still wracking his
body. Camera runs and jumps with Greg as he makes his getaway. Cut
to Loan, finally able to get up and follow. Camera cuts back and forth
between Greg and Loan, from the angles of running after or toward them. The camera even slips into P.O.V. shots, jumping, shaking, panning
left and right as the two make their way through the woods. Eventually the camera settles on Loan as he
pauses in his flight, unable to decide which way Greg might have gone. After a moment of indecision Loan heads off
to his right (our left). Camera pans with him but remains
stationary as he walks away. Camera pans down (or cuts) to show Greg
hiding on lower ground. He looks up
cautiously then drops back down, leaning against the wall with a sigh of
relief.
GREG: (gasping) I’ve got to find
Chad and Steve. Oh, shit, I hope
they’re not too far away.
Greg looks up again to make sure his enemy is gone. We see from Greg’s P.O.V. that Loan has indeed disappeared. Now Greg heads off in the direction opposite
the route Loan took. Dissolve to:
Steve is lighting the incense and candles. Chad practices in the background. Just as the former finishes the ritual, Greg
comes running along. Steve stands up.
STEVE: (nervous) Greg, why are you
alone? Where’s Eric?
GREG: He’s dead. (Other two react.) We…we were coming back
from a lesson when we got ambushed.
STEVE: By who?
GREG: I don’t know, but they were
dressed like the ones who attacked me the day James died, and the ones that
jumped you.
CHAD: Jesus, why do they keep
coming after us?
STEVE: Hold on a second. Greg, finish your story and don’t leave out
a single detail.
GREG: There were four of
them. They attacked in a way where they
separated me from Eric, and then all four kept me busy while someone else
fought Eric.
STEVE: And who was that?
GREG: (dramatic pause) The guy
that I saw walking after James.
All exchanged worried looks. Chad’s anxiety turns into rage.
CHAD: That’s it! I can’t take this anymore! We’ve got to find every last one of these
motherfuckers and give ‘em the beatdown of their lives!
GREG: Are you kidding? There’s no way of knowing how many there
are. And then you’ve got to keep that
other guy in mind…I guess he’s their leader.
He’s no one to mess around with.
He killed James, Eric, and it’s a safe bet to say he killed Wayne
too…and those guys weren’t even exhausted when they fought him! Can you imagine taking him on after going
through twenty, thirty, maybe even more of his followers?
STEVE: Greg’s right. There is no room for us to make snap
judgments here. (walks away) Come on,
let’s go.
CHAD: And would you mind telling
us where the fuck is it we’re supposed to go?
STEVE: To find a different place
to rest our heads tonight.
CHAD: (unable to believe it)
Again?
GREG: It’s the only smart choice
we can make right now.
Greg heads after Steve.
Chad throws his hands up in despair but follows anyway.
FADE OUT
ACT THREE
FADE IN
Minions are training (3, 4, and 5 plus some others).
MIN 5: I’m telling you guys. Today
is the day.
MIN 3: For what?
MIN 5: I’m going to go through
with it, at long last. I’m going to act out on all the talking I’ve been doing.
That means no more fucking around. I’m going to stand up to Loan.
MIN 4: Yeah, right. Just like you
did the last ten times you said that.
MIN 5: No, this time I mean it.
I’ve got this feeling inside that I can’t explain. I just know that today I’ll
have the guts to do it.
MIN 3: (to Min 4) Well, I guess we should start building
his coffin.
MIN
5: You can’t scare me out of doing this by mentioning that I might die, my
friend. I already told you about
that.
MIN 4: Yeah, yeah…you’d rather be
dead than be his slave. But what good does
that do? If you’re dead you can’t be free either! So
why don’t you just wait until
this is all over and see what happens?
MIN 5: Because it’d be too late
then. I’d rather…
Loan joins the group, and everyone immediately snaps
to attention. They bow.
MINIONS: (all) Greetings, master!
MIN 5: (at the same time as the
others) Greetings, sir!
LOAN: Relax, students. I’ve been
thinking over some more details lately,
and just this morning I reached some conclusions. (starts walking among his
pupils) I will tell you all of my recent thoughts shortly. Please join me in
five minutes.
Loan leaves. All Minions return to sparring except 3, 4, and 5.
MIN 3: I’ve been waiting for this.
MIN 4: There’s only Steve, Chad,
and Greg left. After they are gone we will be free again.
MIN 5: (laughs) Ah you guys are so
naïve.
MIN 3: Ah shut up and spar, you
pussy.
He attacks Minion 5, who retaliates. Cut to:
Minions file in and kneel down. Once they are all
settled there is a moment of silence. Then Loan enters. All bow.
LOAN: Take it easy, gentlemen.
(All rise.) As you know Greg, Chad, and Steve are the three enemies left. There
is a greater chance now that the next one I kill will have what I’m looking
for, but to be safe I’ll have to kill them all. No need to let the others come
after me for revenge, is there? No, the less risks taken the better. Do we all
agree on this?
MINIONS: Yes, master!
MIN 5: Yes, sir!
LOAN: Very good. (Min 4 raises
his hand.) Yes?
MIN 4: Master, I beg your pardon,
but how are we going to lure them from one another now that they realize what
is going on?
LOAN: Good question. (clears his
throat while collecting his thoughts) To be honest I’m not sure if it’s even
possible to separate them by this point, but we can lure them into a trap.
MIN 6: (raising his hand) Master,
do you mean bait them into coming here?
LOAN: Yes, and as for how, the
answer is quite simple. As one of your fellow students informed me not so long
ago, Greg has a sister whom all five of our enemies are very fond of. The plan
we must execute is to abduct her and bring them here…one by one if possible.
MIN 7: (raising his hand) How do
we do that? They don’t go into town for lessons now, and they don’t sleep in
the same place anymore.
LOAN: True, but they do still
visit their shrine. We’ll place a note there informing them of Olivia’s capture
as well as a map to our lair.
MIN 4: But they don’t go to the
shrine as often anymore. They might not find the note and map for days, or
maybe even weeks!
LOAN: Then we’ll just have to
wait longer, won’t we? If holding her hostage becomes too much of a burden,
we’ll simply kill her. And until that time I’m sure you can find a way to pass
the time with her, right?
He laughs, and all except Min 5 join in. The
laughter cuts off immediately, just coming to a dead stop, when Min 5 gets up
and starts to leave. Loan watches him in stunned silence.
LOAN: Excuse me, but where do you
think you’re going? (Min 5 stops.) This meeting isn’t over until I say it’s
over so sit back down.
MIN 5: (turns to him) Please, sir,
just let me go in peace.
LOAN: Sir? You addressed me as
sir? I am your master, and I demand that you call me by my rightful title!
(Silence) Call me master, now!
MIN 5: No! I will do no such thing
anymore! The only master I have is dead! (points at Loan) Dead…because of you! It is by your hand that I was
pushed into this hellish way of living!
Loan walks over to him. All the others back away.
LOAN: Is this your way of saying
you want to die?
MIN 5: This is my way of saying
I’ve had enough. Olivia knows nothing of us, and there is no reason why she has
to be involved.
LOAN: She is a lure, to bring
them here until…
MIN 5: No, she is not a lure! She
is an innocent, totally oblivious to all this!
LOAN: You will be quiet until I
have finished my…
MIN 5: No, I won’t. (almost
hyperventilating) You said it yourself. They still visit the shrine. Why not
wait there to fight them? Because that wouldn’t be twisted enough for you,
would it? Oh, no! Because then you couldn’t fulfill your sick fantasy of
watching a defenseless girl get
gang-raped.
Loan strikes him. Min 5 fights back. Although his
skills are quite admirable, they are nothing compared to Loan’s enhanced
powers. Wayne’s strength and Eric’s agility course through him now. It isn’t
long before the villain has slain Min 5. He stares at the corpse for a moment
then turns his eyes to the others.
LOAN: Let that be a lesson to any
who want to contest my authority.
He walks away. Dissolve
to:
94
WOODS (1)
Chad, Greg, and Steve all sit in a circle. They
throw papers, scissors, stones. Greg wins. Now they play again; Chad wins.
GREG: Okay, so I’ve got first
watch. (as Steve and Chad settle in) Enjoy your rest, guys.
CHAD: Don’t worry, we’ll have no
trouble doing that.
Greg assumes his post. Chad and Steve drift off. Dissolve to:
Greg shakes Chad until he wakes up.
CHAD: (dazed) Wha…what is it?
What’s going on?
GREG: Nothing much. It’s just
your shift, buddy.
CHAD: Oh. (sits up and stretches)
You know, I’m really getting fed up with running from this motherfucker.
GREG: (laying down) Well, like we
said earlier, he’s got too much help for us to take him on. Running is all we can do for now.
CHAD: (stands up) In that case we
better come up with a plan quick ‘cos I don’t plan on running for my whole damn
life. I don’t know about you, but I have absolutely no plans to live in fear
forever.
GREG: I know, I know. (yawns) We
can discuss this more when I’ve had some rest. Right now I can’t concentrate on
anything.
CHAD: I hear you. Good night,
man.
GREG: Yeah, good night.
Dissolve to:
Chad is sitting not too far from Steve and Greg. He
looks over their faces, then glances off into the woods. With great caution
Chad gets up and slowly walks off. When he is a good distance away, Chad looks
back at Steve.
CHAD: (whispering) I told you I’m
not going to live in fear and I meant it.
He lingers a moment longer then walks off. Dissolve to:
Olivia rushes into the house. She puts her
belongings on the kitchen table and runs into the next room.
She barges in, pausing long enough to look at the
clock.
OLIVIA: Shit! I’m already late!
She increases her pace to get ready. Her back is
turned on her closet door, hence why she is unaware that it is slowly opening.
We are facing a door. It opens quietly. Min 10 slips out of the room beyond it.
Olivia has gathered together all of her work clothes
except for some pants. She turns to the closet and, without even noticing the
door is already cracked, yanks it open. She screams as Min 11 leaps out.
MIN 11: Hello, cutie!
Olivia is able to drive a knee into his crotch. As
he doubles over groaning, she runs out of the room…
…right into Min 10. He grabs her in a bear hug. She
tries to knee him too but the gap isn’t wide enough to wedge her knee between
his legs. Min 10 comes out of her room. Olivia keeps screaming. Min 11 puts a
hand over her mouth only to pull away a second later when she bites it.
MIN 11: (howls) Ah, goddamit! We
gotta shut her up!
Min 10 struggles while Min 11 runs back into
Olivia’s room. He comes back out with a shirt, stuffing it into her wide-open
mouth and holding it there.
MIN 10: We need to find some rope
and get the fuck outta here. Her loud mouth has probably drawn attention
already.
MIN 11: I don’t know. I didn’t see
any neighbors home when we broke in.
MIN 10: Me either, but some might
have come home since. Look, we can’t take any chances and we can’t argue! Now
go!
Min 11 heads downstairs. Min 10 does his best to
hold Olivia still while he tries to follow his comrade.
MIN 10: Oh, don’t worry. You won’t
be our captive for long, sweetie…just until our master kills your brother and
his friends.
Upon hearing this, Olivia’s flailing grows stronger.
Chad is taking out an appointment book while he
walks.
CHAD: Okay let’s see here.
(thumbs through a few pages, then stops) All right, that’s what I thought.
Arben at ten o’clock.
Chad is doing some warm ups. We see Arben running
toward him.
ARBEN: (big smile) Hello, boss! I
am on time, yes?
CHAD: (stops exercising) Yes, you
sure are. You want to join me in some warm ups before we get into boxing?
ARBEN: Oh yes, my friend.
They start exercising together. Then we dissolve to the same scene, only later,
when they are sparring. Arben is trying to do combinations.
CHAD: Very good. (defends) Not
too bad. (defends) A little weak there.
LOAN: (V.O.) A little weak? (Camera pans and zooms to him) Chad,
you’re going to give that boy a false sense of confidence.
ARBEN: Who is this?
CHAD: Don’t worry about it,
Arben. Just get out of here. (to Loan) You’re him, aren’t you? You’re the one.
LOAN: No, unfortunately I’m not
the one, but I’m hoping you are!
CHAD: What are you talking about?
(pauses) Nevermind, it doesn’t matter. What I really want to know is how you
found me here.
LOAN: Normally I don’t reveal my
secrets, but what harm could it do? Even though you and your friends changed
where you stay, I still had my minions keep an eye on the places where you had
your lessons. Sure enough, they saw you show up this morning and reported back
to me. (laughs) That was a dumb move on your part. You should have changed
everything, not just where you slept. (pauses) You know, this really does prove
Darwin’s theory was right. Survival of the fittest, my friend. You’re just too
stupid to survive.
CHAD: We’ll see about that.
They launch into battle. Chad’s speed is amazing not
only with his hands but with his in and out footwork. He is able to bridge the
gap and land three and four hit combinations. However, his arsenal is nowhere
near as diverse as Loan’s. The killer lands a side kick to Chad’s stomach that
knocks the boxer flat. Arben, who had been staying back as his teacher
instructed, becomes enraged at the sight of Chad getting hurt. He enters the
fight, landing a hook punch to the side of Loan’s head.
LOAN: (backing off) Oh, come on!
Is this a joke?
Loan and Arben battle. Arben has learned quite a
bit, but not enough to defend with 100% efficiency. He gets pounded nearly to a
pulp before Chad returns to the fight. Now both student and teacher assault
Loan. They are still unable to wear him down. Once again Chad is knocked down,
and Loan takes the opportunity to deliver a mighty death blow to Arben.
Screaming, Chad blindly rushes into Loan. It isn’t much longer before Chad is
beaten bloody and barely conscious. He falls to his knees. Loan pulls Chad’s
head back and raises his hand.
LOAN: Don’t feel too depressed,
Chad. At least you’ll be able to see your friends again.
He chops Chad in the throat and takes his power.
Min 12 and 13 appear. Min12 is a lookout while Min13
goes over to the shrine with a slip of paper.
MIN 12: Hurry! They might show up
any minute!
MIN 13: I could get this done a lot
faster if you’d stop distracting me!
He sticks the paper under one of the picture frames.
MIN
13: There, it’s done. Now let’s hide.
MIN 12: What did Loan want us to do
again?
MIN 13: Dammit, can’t you remember
anything? He wants us to keep an eye on
the shrine and follow whoever showed up.
MIN 12: Just shut up and help me
find a hiding spot.
Greg is still fast asleep. Steve starts to toss and
turn, then slowly sits up. He yawns and stretches, blinking the sleep from his
eyes. He doesn’t succeed and wins up keeping them closed.
STEVE: Okay, Chad, I think it’s my
turn to stand guard. (pauses) Chad? (opens his eyes slightly) Chad, did you
fucking fall asleep? (looks around) No, you completely disappeared! What the
fuck! (jumps to his feet) Oh no this is so not good. (walks around) Chad, quit
fucking around. You better just be off taking a piss! Oh God, you hot headed
motherfucker! Where did you go? (stops to think) The shrine. Maybe he’s just at
the shrine. Okay…okay. If that’s the case, then there’s no point in waking
Greg. The shrine is close enough for me to hear him call if he wakes up, and I
don’t want to worry him for no reason. (looks at Greg) Be right back, buddy.
(heads off) Chad, please be at the shrine. Just be there.
Dissolve to:
Steve arrives at the shrine, stopping short of it
when he sees Chad is not here. He shakes his head in denial.
STEVE: No, he can’t be dead. Just
because he’s not here doesn’t mean he’s dead. Maybe…(looks to the woods) maybe
he’s hiding because he thought I was one of those goons. Chad! Chad, it’s me!
It’s Steve! You can come out now! (pauses) Oh Christ no, don’t let this be
happening.
He starts to look through the woods in a panic.
Camera is positioned behind the foliage, panning
with Steve as he frantically paces back and forth. When he returns to the
shrine we cut to a standard shot.
Unsure of what to do, Steve just stands there looking frustrated, running a
hand through his hair. His eyes settle on the shrine. Slowly he starts to calm
down.
STEVE: Okay…all right. (approaches
shrine) That’s right. I’m never going to figure out what to do if I turn into a
spaz, so I gotta just calm down. I’m gonna (sits down) sit here and meditate.
(closes his eyes) That’s what I’m gonna do. Breathe in through the nose,
(inhales) out through the mouth (exhales). In (inhales) and out (exhales).
The breathing gradually calms him down. Camera zooms in on his face. Cut to Min 12 and 13 watching, then cut back to Steve. Improvise camerawork
here (to avoid boredom of observing this meditation). We hear a soft buzzing
noise that slowly grows louder; the noise is a series of questions going
through Steve’s thoughts. When they initially get loud the words overlap in an
unsettling cacophony but eventually find focus.
STEVE: (V.O., overlap) What am I going to do? How can I live now? My
friends are all dead except for Greg. Where’s Chad? Is he gone too? Oh God,
what if they come after me next? (clear) What if Greg is next? What do they
want? (pauses) I’ve got to just relax, lay back. If I can’t find the answer…
what was it Bruce Lee said again? It was in his book
Tao of Jeet Kune Do.
Dissolve to:
Steve lies on his couch holding the Bruce Lee book.
He thumbs through it casually, stopping to read here and there. We see a close-up of one particular line: “If
there is an answer it is missed by seeking.” Dissolve to:
We see Steve from the neck up.
STEVE: (V.O.) Yes, that’s it. If I can’t
figure out what to do, it’s probably because I’m trying too hard. Remember:
sometimes the most obvious answer can be right before (opens his eyes) your
eyes.
Steve looks down at the shrine. Cut to the shelf on which the note has been placed.
STEVE: Well, what do you know?
(takes note) I guess I just wasn’t standing at the right angle to see this.
(opens note) Let’s see here. (face gets more and more upset as he reads from
start to finish) My God, they kidnapped…(flips over to find the map) I’ve got
to go tell Greg.
He folds up the letter as he runs off. Min 12 and 13
follow.
109
WOODS (1)
Greg is still fast asleep. Steve shows up, stopping
short of his friend. He looks at the note, then at Greg.
STEVE: No, I can’t do this. If he
knows they kidnapped his sister, he won’t be thinking clearly. He won’t be able
to focus. (pauses) I’m sorry, Greg, but I’d basically be leading you to your
death. (takes off) I’ve got to save Olivia myself.
After Steve is out of sight we see Min 12 and 13
watching Greg.
110
WOODS (2)
Steve comes along into frame. He stops to look at
the map.
STEVE: (V.O.) Good, I’m not too far off.
(pauses) According to this note, she’s being held in their hideout. (takes off)
I just hope it’s those henchmen watching her and not their boss. I don’t know
if I could handle him on my own.
Steve emerged from the trees. He consults the map
and stops dead.
STEVE: (in despair) Oh no…no.
Steve slowly walks forward. Camera pans right to reveal an empty field. Cut to Steve from the waist up.
STEVE: (throwing the map) Oh Christ, it was a fucking
setup.
LOAN: (V.O.) How very perceptive of you,
sir. (Cut to Loan) But then again, I
would expect no less from the man with heightened senses.
STEVE: (confused) Heightened
senses?
LOAN: (laughing) Oh, I keep
forgetting. None of you know the truths about yourselves, (smiles) but I know. And now that I have narrowed it
down by taking the power from all the others, I know Greg is the one.
STEVE: You’ve been killing all of
us because you want Greg?
LOAN: Well it wasn’t really my
fault, you see. I knew enough to figure out that you five had the ancient
powers, but I couldn’t determine who had which attribute so I had to kill all
of you until I found the right one. (shrugs) Sorry.
STEVE: No, you’re not sorry…not
yet anyway.
Steve charges into battle. He holds his own for
quite some time, effectively preventing Loan from landing even one hit. In
frustration Loan resorts to a dirty trick: flinging dirt in Steve’s eyes.
STEVE: (backing away) Goddammit,
you’re gonna pay for that!
LOAN: Maybe. That’s only if your
heightened senses are all they’re cracked up to be, but we’ll know that soon
enough.
Jump cut and
zoom in on
Steve as he goes into combat stance, still blinded by the dirt. Cut to Steve’s ear. Cut to Loan’s feet moving. Cut to Steve’s ear. Cut to Loan’s feet moving across the
grass. Cut to Steve’s ear. We hear
the sound of Loan’s feet as if it were amplified 1,000 times. Tight shot of Loan’s arm as he throws a
punch. Even the sound of his muscles contracting is audible to us/Steve. Steve
counters the attack as successfully as he would with eyes wide open.
LOAN: Very impressive. I guess
you won’t be so easy…
Steve lands a punch to Loan’s mouth. The villain
stumbles back.
STEVE: Go ahead, keep running that
big bragging mouth. It really doesn’t bother me if you turn yourself into an
easier target.
The fight continues. Slowly but surely the tides
change, and Steve is now on the losing end. Although he was one quite possibly
the best fighter out of all his friends, he is no match against their powers
combined into one person who was already a tough opponent to begin with. Steve
is knocked to the ground. As he struggles just to get up on one knee, Loan
delivers a sidekick that hits Steve in the throat and sends him flying back. He
spits up blood as he lands.
STEVE: (gasping) I vow to find a
way to tell Greg everything. You won’t win.
LOAN: Oh really? And how are you
going to do that? First of all, you don’t even know the whole story, and I’m
not about to tell you. Second of all, you’ve got about five seconds to
live…(Steve dies), or maybe less.
Loan walks over to Steve and takes his power. Dissolve to:
112
WOODS (1)
Greg is still sleeping but not as peacefully as
before. Camera moves in on his
twitching face. Dissolve to:
Greg, dressed in traditional kung fu garb, is
standing before a Buddhist temple. He looks all around, not sure where to go.
STEVE: (V.O.,
with echo)
Greg! Come this way!
Greg looks to his right. Cut to a shot of a path through the woods.
STEVE: (V.O.) That’s right. This way,
buddy.
Greg starts walking.
114
WOODS (3)
Greg enters and stops.
GREG: Steve, where are you?
STEVE: (V.O.) Keep coming forward. You’ll
see a pat soon. When you do, follow it. You’ll know when to stop.
Camera does a brief take from Greg’s P.O.V. As he marches down the path Greg catches sight of
some rocks piled up in specific patterns. He encounters four or five before
stopping at a particular one. Some kind of effect occurs here: either smoke
rises up from the rocks or Steve’s image gradually fades in. He is also wearing
a traditional kung fu uniform.
STEVE: Hey there, pal! How’s it
going? I love your outfit.
GREG: Steve, what is this place?
Where am I?
STEVE:
You’re in dreamland, my friend, and it’s a good thing too. I’ve been waiting
here to tell you some very important news.
GREG:
Waiting here?
STEVE:
Yeah, for at least two hours! (pauses) Well, maybe not that long. You never can tell, you see, because time gets screwed
up on this side.
GREG:
This side? Steve, you keep confusing me. Stop speaking in your goddamn riddles
and just get to the point, man. You’re scaring me.
STEVE:
Okay, you want me to be blunt? Then I will be. I’m dead, Greg. (Greg is
uncertain how to react.) Loan killed me. That’s his name, you know…L-O-A-N,
Loan. Apparently he’s been tracking us down for quite some time.
GREG:
(still not fully recovered) Do you know why?
STEVE:
Yes. The information available to me now is amazing. I feel like I know more
now that I’m dead. (laughs)
GREG:
Tell me, Steve. Tell me everything so I can wake up and kill this bastard.
STEVE:
Hold on now. If you want to beat him, you’re going to need a hell of a lot more
patience than you have right now. You can’t rush blindly into this fight
because he’s more dangerous now than when he first came after us.
GREG:
Does this…does this have something to do with what I saw him do to Eric after
he was dead?
STEVE:
(nodding) This has everything to do with that. Come on, I’ll explain it.
They start walking down the
path. Camera is pointed at them, pulling
back.
STEVE:
I’m still unsure why, Greg, but it seems the five of us…you, Chad, Wayne, Eric,
and I…come from very special backgrounds. Every seventh generation of our
families possesses a special attribute. In each of us there is one particular
characteristic that is raised to superhuman levels. There are enough documents
left in the world that helped Loan find out about these powers, and which
families might have the gifts, but there wasn’t enough information for him to
determine who had which power. Loan narrowed his choices down to our clique,
but he couldn’t go any further. He had to start using the process of
elimination, which is why he killed off James. Loan figured he had one of the
attributes.
GREG:
So what were the powers, and who had them?
STEVE:
Chad had enhanced speed. Wayne had immense strength. Eric was extremely agile,
and my gift was heightened senses.
GREG:
And when he killed you, he took your power as his own.
STEVE:
Yes. That’s why he’s more dangerous than ever, but there is still some hope
that he might be defeated.
GREG:
And what hope would that be?
STEVE:
(laughs) God, do I need to draw you a road map? You are the last one left! If
you had died before us, it would have been hopeless even if all four of us took
him on together. For anyone but you this situation would have been hopeless,
but fortunately you still have your power.
GREG:
What is my power?
STEVE:
I haven’t been able to find that out yet. That’s how obscure the material has
become, which accounts for why our families never sat us down when we were
little to tell us about our specialties. Records are so rare that our own
ancestors forgot the truth three or four generations ago.
GREG:
Wonderful! How am I supposed to use this amazing power to save the day if I
don’t know what it is?
STEVE:
Don’t worry, Greg. A revelation will come, and when it does you will immediately
know what to do. In the meantime, I must say I’m awfully jealous of you, buddy.
GREG: Why
do you say that?
STEVE:
Loan’s search has been driven by his desire to find “the one,” as he puts it.
One of the five has a power that is more special than the other four combined.
Like I said before, most of the records were destroyed so Loan didn’t know who
had the gift he wanted. He’s killed us because he had to, trial and error until
he found the one…until he found you.
GREG:
Me? But why? Why was I given this gift?
STEVE:
There is no reason I can give you, Greg, except that it just happened that way.
GREG:
I…I don’t know if I’m ready for this. Power or not, if I’m not prepared up here
(points to this head) Loan will beat me anyway. (pauses) What if I run?
STEVE:
Greg, what are you saying? Loan will hunt you down forever, until you are old
and withered…and then he will kill you, take your power, and then…God, I don’t
even want to think what he would do with all our gifts combined. You have a
responsibility, my friend. You are the only one alive who can stop him.
GREG:
Did you hear me, man? I said I’m not ready!
STEVE:
Well you better get ready! You’ve been given a gift that billions of people
were denied. If you want a reason why you have it, I think it’s because the
power has a lifeforce to it, kind of like a mind of its own, and it knows you
won’t abuse the power. You understand the responsibility this power has, so use
it.
His last two words echo. Cut to:
116
WOODS (1)
Greg wakes up with a start.
GREG: Oh, shit…he’s gone. Maybe
he really is dead. (pauses) No, no! I can’t think like that! I’ve gotta calm
down.
Cut to Min 12 and 13. Min 13 is
asleep. Min 12 shakes him.
MIN 13: (groggy) Goddammit, what do
you want?
MIN 12: Look, he’s awake! (hops out
of the hiding spot) Hey, Gregory! Over here! Right here!
Greg turns around. When he sees who it is, he leaps
to his feet.
MIN 12: Why don’t you come follow
us… that is, unless you never want to see your sister alive again.
Anger rises in Greg’s face, and he charges toward
them.
MIN 12: It worked! Let’s go!
Min 12 and 13 run off. Chase scene footage follows
(improvised).
Loan is surveying as usual. Min 14, 15, and 16
enter. They bow to him.
MIN 14: What did you want us to do,
master?
LOAN: I want you to take Olivia
out of the lair. Go somewhere close by with her, and make sure she cannot
escape.
MIN 15: If we may ask, master, why
do you want her moved?
LOAN: It’s quite simple really.
I’ve finally found out Greg is the one, which means he'’ the most dangerous.
About now he is on his way here, thinking he is going to find his sister. To do
that, though, he has to fight his way through you and all of your fellow
students. The battle alone should be enough to wear him out, but when Greg discovers
his sister isn’t here, the despair will drag his energy level down even
further. Do you understand?
MIN 15: Yes, master. That is an
excellent plan.
LOAN: Naturally. (pauses) Now go,
do as I command of you.
They bow, then take off.
118
WOODS (VARIOUS)
Varying shots of Greg chasing the minions. They are
far enough ahead of Greg to be able to stop for a quick breath.
MIN 13: How the fuck much longer do
we have to run?
MIN 12: We need to give them enough
time to move Olivia. Now quit talking and move your scrawny ass!
They take off again. Not much longer Greg comes
running by. We return to jump cut edits of the chase.
Min 12 and 13 run in and stop. Greg appears not much
later.
GREG: (slightly out of breath)
You chicken shits finally done running, huh?
MIN 12: Sure. You don’t mind if
some friends join us, do you? (screaming) Come on out, guys!
Countless other Minions come out. Greg throws his
hands up.
GREG: It fuckin’ figures!
And the long, arduous fight scene begins. At one point
we cut to Loan watching from an
unspecified point nearby.
LOAN: He’s become a better
fighter than I thought, but at least he still seems to be unaware of how to use
his power.
Back to the fight. Greg is wading his way through
the crowd. We can tell by his face that Greg has no clue where he might find
Olivia, but he keeps moving to where the Minions thicken. Sooner or later he
has pummeled them all to the point where they are too tired (or smart) to get
back up again. Now Greg runs around the lair looking for his sister.
GREG: Olivia! (pan and zoom with him) Olivia, where
are you? (jump cuts, etc.) Shit!
Greg heads back to the pile of battered Minions. He
kneels beside one that is groveling on his back and hoists him up by the shirt.
GREG: Where is she? (shakes him)
Where the fuck is my sister?
MIN 17: I don’t…I don’t know.
GREG: (holding a fist high) You’d
better tell me, or I’m going to…
MIN 17: I’m telling you the truth!
Please, don’t hit me again. I’ll…I’ll tell you what I know. (coughs) Loan had
her moved from here. She was taken away not too long ago. This fight was just a
decoy…
GREG: (lowers his fist) Meant to
wear me out. (pauses) Then where is she now?
MIN 17: (looking over Greg’s
shoulder) I think (points) that will answer your question.
Greg turns around to see Min 18 and 19 holding
Olivia. She is struggling to break free. Greg lets go of Min 17 and stands up.
GREG: Let go of her. (pauses)
Loan, you piece of shit, this is between you and me. Now let her go!
Cut to a thick tree near Min 18
and 19. Loan steps out from behind it.
LOAN: Ah, what a good old cliché.
I guess it’s my job to respond now with my
line since I’m the villain, right?
GREG: How about you just shut up
and let her go, and then we’ll fight?
LOAN: (moving closer) How about I
hold her until we’re done, and that way she can watch her brother die?
Greg eases into combat stance as Loan approaches;
his antagonist does the same. They move in slow circles, each waiting for the
other to reveal an opening. The first attack is launched. Although Greg holds
his own for a while, Loan lands a long string of attacks that knock him to the
ground. Now the battle comes to a pause. Greg gets back up, breathing heavy but
still determined. They resume fighting. Cut
to Olivia and the two Minions. They are barely managing to hold her
captive.
MIN 18: Dammit, quit
struggling! (She continues.) dammit, she’s one fuckin’ strong bitch!
OLIVIA: Don’t’…you ever…call me
that…again!
At the same time she says “again”
Olivia stomps on his foot. Min 18’s grip on her
weakens. She hits him in the groin,
then wrenches herself free from Min 19 and
runs. Min 18 hobbles after her.
MIN 19: Forget about her! Master might need our help!
LOAN:
Don’t flatter yourselves! I’m doing just fine!
Greg looks more than slightly worn
out now, but he keeps going.
LOAN:
Why bother, Greg? Your friends are all dead. Killing me won’t bring
them back. Your friends were the
only thing you were really living for, and they
are gone! So why don’t you just lie
down and die?
GREG:
Shut the fuck up!
He lunges into his foe recklessly
and pays for it with a sidekick to the gut. Loan
knocks Greg down again with a
spinning back kick, then stands there to watch
him grovel. Greg once again climbs
to his feet (much slower this time).
GREG:
(V.O.) This is just fucking wonderful. He’s too strong for me, and too
fast. I can’t beat him. (pauses)
Goddammit! Loan drew all of his
powers from my
friends! Where the hell am I
supposed to draw my power from?
(pauses) Now
wait a second…why do I feel like I
already know the answer? (pauses) Because…
because I do!
Steve and Greg are together. Steve jump kicks the
tree.
STEVE: My attack has no solid
foundation to draw power from. Think of it this way: the earth is bigger than
you, bigger than me, bigger than all of us…so we keep ourselves grounded and
draw our power from the earth. (close-up)…draw
our power from the earth…(extreme
close-up)…draw our power from the earth.
Close-up on Greg’s eyes. We pull back as a look of enlightenment
spreads over his face.
GREG: Draw from the earth. That’s
it!
LOAN: What are you babbling about
now? Did I beat you so much that you are delirious?
GREG: (smug smirk) Not quite.
LOAN: (worried) What the hell are
you looking so smug about?
Greg moves so that he now stands with his feet
shoulder-width apart, hands down at his sides, eyes closed in concentration.
Sparks start to fly up from the ground around his feet. The sparks quickly turn
into lightning bolt-like bursts of energy that shoot from the earth into Greg.
At first they come infrequently from one side or the other, but soon it turns
into a barrage, coming in a steady stream from all eight sides. Min 18 and 19
run. Loan backs off in disbelief. Olivia initially displays a look of shock
which is quickly replaced by a triumphant grin. When the energy shower comes to
a stop we can see in Greg’s face that it has revitalized him. He slowly raises
his head and opens his eyes. For a brief second they are glowing bright white,
then fade back to normal.
GREG: Let’s try this again, shall
we?
The battle resumes. Each time Greg’s attack makes
contact there is a tiny burst of lightning. These explosions are clearly
draining Loan’s energy. He backs off to recuperate, and Greg takes the
opportunity to draw more power from the ground. Loan attempts to interrupt this
recharge, but the energy bolts knock him back before he can even get within
arm’s length of Greg. The energy draw doesn’t stop until Greg wants it to. Cut to Olivia watching from nearby,
still grinning.
OLIVIA: That’s it! Knock the shit
out of him, Greg!
Cut back to the fight scene. Greg lands
a barrage of hits that comes to an end with a double-punch to Loan’s chest.
Loan grabs both arms by the wrists. Despite Loan’s weakened state, Greg cannot
pull free.
LOAN: Give it up, Greg! You
cannot bear the weight of destiny!
GREG: You know something? You’re
right. In fact, I think you are much
better suited for the burden, so here…take it!
A look of shock falls over Loan’s face. He tries to
separate from Greg, but when Loan lets go the young man’s hands shoot up to his
enemy’s head. Once he has a firm grip, Greg lets the energy bolts flow out of
his system. Loan screams as the electricity courses through him. Olivia covers
her eyes until the blinding light ends. Greg lets go and takes a step back.
Loan gracelessly falls to his knees and slumps over, his body lifeless and
smoking.
OLIVIA: (coming out from the trees)
Greg! Greg!
Greg looks at her, smiling when he sees she is all
right. Cut to Loan’s body. Energy
starts to course over his frame, gathering in his center. Olivia stops, the
smile disappearing from her face.
GREG: (concerned) What’s the
matter, Liv?
OLIVIA: (panic) Greg, look out!
Greg looks down at Loan. His eyes flip wide open.
Before he can move, the energy explodes from Loan’s body in the shape of a ball
(complete with the proper sound effect). The ball slams into Greg and knocks
him back. When he gets up the glow is still running through his skin. Slowly it
dissipates, and Greg collapses. Olivia runs over to comfort him. Dissolve to:
Olivia is looking in the
fridge when Greg enters.
GREG:
Hey, Liv, any messages for me?
OLIVIA: No, and you didn’t get anything in the mail either.
He walks toward the camera. Cut to:
Greg sits on the couch and
grabs the remote.
Greg is the only one
practicing here.
GREG: (V.O.) You might be asking why I went back to civilization. I’m not quite
sure. I guess it was because living out in the woods didn’t really solve
anything. It just helped me ignore problems I couldn’t solve, but in the end
those problems tracked me down anyway.
Greg is walking with some
friends.
GREG: (V.O.) I always thought Steve was such a genius, but he was wrong about one
thing. The world isn’t as depressing as he made it out to be. I’ve found plenty
of reasons to be happy here. There’s my friends, my family…
Greg is training some of his
dead friends’ old students.
GREG: (V.O.)…and my students. After everything was finally over with Loan, I called
al the numbers from the address books of my friends. These guys were still
eager to train.
Greg walks by, and Minion
appears. They bow to him.
MIN 20: Greetings, master.
GREG:
(modestly) Please, please…I told you to call me Greg.
MIN 20: And we told you, we’re bound by our oath.
GREG:
Well, look where your oath got you! It turned you into the slave of a lunatic!
You really ought to make up a new rule.
MIN 20: (laughs) Our debate about this will never end, will it?
GREG:
(smiles) No, I guess not. (pauses) Come on, let’s start our lesson.
Greg is getting into bed. It
doesn’t take long for him to drift off.
GREG: (V.O.) I know what you’re thinking: what would the others say if they were
alive to see me being friends with Loan’s former henchmen?
Dissolve to:
Greg, in traditional garb,
surrounded by stone piles.
GREG: (V.O.) Well, I can tell you they wouldn’t mind.
The other four protagonists
appear (some in traditional outfits). They all come over to Greg, greeting him
with pats on the backs and handshakes.
All five are seated in a
circle.
STEVE:
I think it’s great that you have taken over as their leader. Now they’ll have
someone take them in a more positive direction. You are the antidote to that
maniac, my friend.
WAYNE:
It’s good to hear you’re doing so good, man.
GREG:
Well, one thing that helps me is that you guys are still in touch with me
(sighs), but nothing compares to having you in person. I miss you guys.
CHAD:
Don’t worry, Greg. We’re always here for you.
GREG:
(shakes his head) Thanks, Chad.
ERIC:
Yeah, yeah! Enough of being serious for one day! Greg, don’t you have a
girlfriend yet?
They all have a good laugh
at Eric’s interruption. Dissolve to:
Close-up on an alarm clock going off. Cut
to normal shot as Greg shuts it off.
Greg is walking down the
slope to the shrine. He bows, lights the incense and candles, then settles into
lotus position. Close-up on Greg’s
face as he sinks into meditation.
FADE OUT
THE END
