The Stuff of Legend

Last time. . .

CUT TO:

USAGI, still approaching the woman. Her look of wonderment slowly morphs into confusion. From off-screen we hear the woman's voice-- it's MARIE.

MARIE

They all left!

CUT TO:

USAGI'S POV. The woman looks even stranger than before. We now have an idea of why exactly she looks so weird-- she is, for lack of a better word, animated. As in, anime-like, a weird human-cartoon hybrid: the colors are just a little too uniform, her figure a little too flat. The woman looks up at USAGI, and we see MARIE'S face-- only distorted. Her skin is a uniform tone, inhumanly pale. Her eyes are slightly larger, just enough to give her an alien appearance. Her lips are non-existent. Let it be stressed: while the words "anime-like" may suggest something either cute of utterly laughable, the figure USAGI sees in front of her is nothing fo the sort. MARIE has become a distorted, alien, frightening thing.

MARIE

Look at all the mess they left.

CUT TO:

USAGI. She's just beginning to realize what she's looking at.

CUT TO:

MARIE. She begins walking, slowly and shyly, toward USAGI.

MARIE

I'm sorry!

MARIE gives one of two quick bows. Upon coming up, she more closely resembles her original form, though her behaviour is still off.

MARIE

I've been rude! Forgive me! I'm Marie-sensei.

(beat)

I didn't get your name.

USAGI

(on guard)

Serena.

MARIE

Se-ri-na. Hai.

(English)

Sorry. . . no good English.

Now USAGI is scared AND confused-- what is with this woman?

USAGI

(struggling to say something, in English)

Me neither.

USAGI backs up against a railing. She knows she should run, but something is holding her back.

MARIE

(English)

You like 'Sera Bui'?

USAGI is silent.

MARIE

(Japanese)

Of course you do.

CUT TO:

A two shot-- USAGI is pressed against the railing, her eyes locked on MARIE, who is now almost right next to USAGI. MARIE'S shyness has vanished, replaced with an almost maternal calmness.

MARIE

It's okay. You don't have to be shy.

(beat)

You've waited for the moment. You've yearned for it.

MARIE, now standing right next to USAGI, puts her hands on USAGI'S arms. Their eyes lock.

MARIE

Just like all the others.

Something snaps inside of USAGI when she hears this, and she yanks her arms away from MARIE. She then sidesteps along the airling, putting about fifteen feet of distance between them.

MARIE

What's wrong?!

USAGI looks at MARIE, her eyes filled with a new purposefulness.

USAGI

(to herself)

Now or never. . .

USAGI assumes a pose, as the same one as she did before entering the convention hall.

USAGI

Moon. . .!

USAGI fills with confidence. The music starts to swell into a heroic crescendo.

USAGI

Prism. . .!

USAGI braces herself for what awaits her. This is it.

USAGI

POWER!

CUT TO:

USAGI'S POV. MARIE stares at USAGI, confused. We hold on this shot for a couple of seconds.

CUT TO:

USAGI and MARIE. USAGI is in pose, waiting for whatever is going to happen to happen. We hold for a couple of more seconds. Nothing. USAGI'S confidence is waning.

USAGI

(desperate)

Make up!?

After a moment, MARIE breaks into laughter. It dawns on USAGI just how fucked she really is.

MARIE

Kawaii! Kawaii!

(beat)

But it's not "Moon Prism Powaa!" It's--

USAGI makes a break for it.

MARIE

Hey!

We follow USAGI as she runs down the walkway, toward an elevator. Just when it seems like she's going to escape, from out of left frame, inhumanly fast, MARIE runs up cuts off USAGI'S path, about twenty feet in front of her. MARIE'S mood has noticeably soured.

MARIE

I don't get it.

(beat)

I have no idea what you people want out of me.

USAGI tries to dart to the side, but something flies out of MARIE'S hand, smashing into the ground in front of USAGI, tearing the flooring into pieces.

MARIE

Do you know what I went through because of you?!

The dust clears, and we see that MARIE'S weapon is a golden chain, again vaguely cartoon-y. It vanishes, and right at that moment MARIE grabs USAGI'S arm, so tightly that USAGI cries out in pain.

MARIE

Because of HER?

MARIE pulls USAGI to the floor, positioning herself on top of USAGI, pinning her down.

MARIE

Every time I thought 'It's enough! It's enough! I'm finished now!', someone always wanted more!

USAGI looks up at MARIE, tears running down.

MARIE

I tried to retire, and you broke into my apartment! I tried to hide. . . I could never settle down, 'cause I knew one of you would find me.

(laughs)

In the end, one of you DID find me.

That last line catches USAGI'S interest. MARIE notices this, and her face softens.

MARIE

That's right.

(beat)

It's all right now. All kinds of people want something out of me, and now I'm going to give it to them. You're just the same.

Time slows. USAGI is no longer resisting. She doesn't know it, but she's in REAL trouble now.

MARIE

You want something too. . .

MARIE strokes USAGI'S hair.

MARIE

But it's. . . different.

MARIE is so close to USAGI that their noses almost touch. USAGI seems a world away.

MARIE

I don't quite understand it.

MARIE inhales through her mouth. USAGI reacts to this-- she becomes even more distant. MARIE, as if replenished, closes her eyes.

MARIE

Neither do you.

MARIE draws her lips almost directly against USAGI'S.

MARIE

That's what made it so hard to find.

MARIE inhales again. USAGI'S body starts to seize and tremble, but her expression is still serene.

MARIE

But I found it. It's somewhere deep, but I found it. And now. . . there won't be any more struggle.

CUT TO:

USAGI'S POV. We see MARIE beginning another deep inhalation. As she does, the screen darkens, the sound fades. Darker and darker, quieter and quieter. Finally, silent blackness. We hold on this shot.

Hold. . .

Then, just when the audience might begin to wonder what's happening, we SMASH back to a POV of MARIE. Something black is clawing at MARIE'S face, and the shock is just enough to knock her off of USAGI.

CUT TO:

A close up of USAGI. She snaps back to life, but only barely-- she's still deeply out of it, confused, weak. Offscreen, we hear MARIE struggle with the creature that attacked her. Amidst a flurry of screams and hisses, we briefly hear a familiar voice call out.

LUNA(O.S.)

Usagi!

USAGI, with some effort, turns her head to the side. We pan to reveal LUNA, standing between USAGI and MARIE.

USAGI

(confused)

. . . Luna?

LUNA has left a nasty gash in MARIE'S cheek. Given her new alien nature, MARIE'S gash looks a little TOO brightly red.

MARIE

(impressed)

Ah!

LUNA

Usagi, run!

MARIE cradles her wound-- while she is clearly reacting to the wound, MARIE isn't exactly in what we would call pain. Her mental state further deteriorating, her face conveys a weird of adoration and rage.

MARIE

(slightly distorted)

He talks!!

LUNA

Get to the elevator! (ed-- I'm sorry, I couldn't resist)

USAGI'S starting to come back.

MARIE

Ka-wa-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

The last syllable morphs into a frightening, hateful shriek.

LUNA

RUN!

USAGI struggles to stand up, stumbling toward the elevator. MARIE, in blind rage, swings more of her strange, transient golden chains, ripping out the floor around USAGI, causing her to fall over. LUNA jumps up and bites into MARIE'S arm. MARIE ignores LUNA at first, but as LUNA digs in, MARIE begins to notice. Not exactly in pain, but still distressed by LUNA, MARIE tries to fling her off her arm. With great difficulty, LUNA holds on for a couple of more moments, but ultimately loses grip and slams into the floor. MARIE cradles the wounds on her arms and face. LUNA gets up and turns toward USAGI.

CUT TO:

LUNA'S POV. We see USAGI, slumped against the elevator door. LUNA turns back to MARIE-- her face is clenched in horror and rage.

MARIE

(teary-eyed, distorted)

You can't play rough like that, kitty!

MARIE starts to. . . growl? Moan? Whimper? The sound is alien, but it can't be good. LUNA turns back to USAGI. The elevator door is open, and USAGI stumbles inside.

CUT TO:

LUNA. She's done it, she's bought USAGi the time she needs to get away. Now, it's LUNA'S turn to get away. She turns around and runs, and the camera follows LUNA as she makes her desperate escape from MARIE (right on her tail to suggest MARIE is just about to catch up with her). After a few seconds, LUNA briefly glances behind her. . . and stops.

We PAN to reveal MARIE, still standing right next to the walkway railing, fifty meters away from LUNA. She's smiling, giggling. . . her wounds completely healed. Then, faintly, we hear the ding of the elevator. LUNA is overcome with horror. MARIE waves at LUNA, and then turn toward the elevtor, and USAGI.

CUT TO:

CAPCOM. The control room is a mess. Panels are ripped out, circuits are re-wired, electronic components are meshed together in ways God never intended. EUDIAL has crawled underneath the main control panel, making a few last frantic repairs, desperate to fix her equipment. Then, in a literal flash, everything comes back to life.

EUDIAL

Yes!

EUDIAL climbs back out and mans the controls, sweeping the errand wires out of the way.

EUDIAL

Tellu, you lethargic slut, I beat you!

CUT TO:

Underground Lab. There, too, the security feeds resume.

KAO LING

Eudial! Eudial, do you read?!

CUT TO:

CAPCOM.

KAO LING(V.O.)

What the hell happened down there?!

Suddenly, the machine starts to beep.

KAO LING(V.O.)

Eudial, respond!

EUDIAL looks up and sees two screens-- one with MARIE turning toward the railing, the other with an as-yet unknown figure-- the words "LIKELY MATCH" flash over and over again in Japanese.

EUDIAL

Kao Ling!

(beat)

We've got her!

CUT TO: MARIE, standing on the railing, looking down at the elevator. She has assumed the Sailor V pose, and her figure has become distorted.

MARIE

For divine love and justice. . .

And with that, MARIE leaps off of the railing toward the elevator. We see MARIE in the foreground, back to the camera, leaping toward the elevator, which is in the background. Then, in mid-leap, out of right frame, something-- someone-- flies through the air and tackles MARIE. They both fly off camera and we hear them crash into a display.

CUT TO:

LUNA. More crashing noises. Then, a distorted scream from MARIE. LUNA runs in the direction of the commotion. When she approaches the railing, she finds that the commotion has already moved a full fifty meters away from where it was before, leaving a trail of devestation. From this perspective, we can only see dust and flying debris emanating from the ground floor. MARIE screams again, and then silence.

MARIE(O.S.)

I can't. . . I can't work like--

Then, more commotion, more flying debris. LUNA moves in for a better look. We see a heavily distorted and enraged MARIE smashing the shit out of a nearby display,

MARIE

I can't deal with these constant interruptions! All the time, Marie this, Marie that. . . !

MARIE stops wailing on the display, leaving a cloud of floating dust.

MARIE

Huh. . . Well. It's about bloody time we--

A GOLDEN CHAIN whips out from the dust, striking MARIE. The chain has a strange effect on MARIE-- for a moment, it seems to split apart the human MARIE from the warped entity that has possessed her. MARIE recoils from the attack and runs off screaming. LUNA runs along the walkway, trying to get a closer look. Then, about thirty feet ahead, a figure hurdles the walkway.

CUT TO:

A close-up of the figure (too close to see her face), with LUNA in the far background. A slow motion shot of the figure flying over the walkway. This figure, unlike MARIE, is undistorted, unmistakeable. It is SAILOR V.

CUT TO:

Close up of LUNA. She's in shock, frozen as SAILOR V soars over the walkway and lands on the other side. For her, this is an incredible moment.

LUNA

(whispering)

Sailor V. . . ? Sailor. . .

LUNA snaps back into action.

LUNA

Wait! Wait!

LUNA runs along the walkway to where SAILOR V was, only to find more flying debris, dust, and noise in the distance. LUNA turns to look back at the elevator, then at the commotion, then back, then forth. She's torn-- should she go after SAILOR V, or check on USAGI?

LUNA

Goddamn it!

CUT TO:

Elevator interior. From outside, we hear LUNA grunt from jumping up to the elevator controls. The door opens, and LUNA enters, cautiously.

LUNA

(gently)

Usagi?

USAGI sits against the back corner of the elevator. She's distant, and not sure exactly what she feels-- only that it's very, very bad.

LUNA

(more firm)

Usagi?

USAGI snaps out of it.

USAGI

Y-yes!

LUNA

I told you to stay out!

USAGI

I know.

LUNA

(worked up)

You could have been killed! Or worse!

USAGI

I know!

LUNA

Are you alright?

USAGI

Yeah.

LUNA

Are you sure?

USAGI

Yes!

LUNA breaths a sigh of relief.

LUNA

Usagi. . . we found her!

USAGI

Who?

LUNA

Who?! Who else? Sailor V!

USAGI reacts to that news, apprehensively.

LUNA

Listen to me. . . I'm gonna go after her. I want you to wait here, okay? I'll be back. Do not go anywhere. I'll be back. I promise I'll be back!

LUNA runs out of the elevator. Alone again, USAGI wraps her arms around her knees, and waits.

CUT TO:

Underground Lab. On a monitor, we see a security feed showing MARIE and SAILOR V in battle.

KAO LING

(into radio)

Where the hell are you, Tellu?

KAO LING looks at the screen again. MARIE is holding out, but losing.

KAO LING

(into radio)

Tellu, Sailor V is here! She has engaged the Daimon. The Daimon is holding out, but it won't last must longer. We need--

PTILOL

Got her.

One of the security feeds pops up. TELLU lies unconscious on the floor. Next to her is EUDIAL, picking up two pieces of equipment, the COLLECTOR and a long GUN.

KAO LING

What the. . .?

(beat, then into radio)

Eudial--!

EUDIAL

I know. I'm on it. Just tell me where they are.

CUT TO:

LUNA, running after MARIE and SAILOR V as fast as she can. In the distance, we see them fighting a truly epic fight, flying through the air, ripping apart displays.

CUT TO:

Underground Lab. On the security feeds, we see MARIE. The battle is winding down to its final stages. SAILOR V'S golden chain is wailing against MARIE. The monster who possessed her is not long for this world.

CUT TO:

SAILOR V and MARIE. SAILOR V hits MARIE once with her chain, then twice. The monster that possessed her, a vague shapeless thing, finally separates from MARIE, and she collapses, unconscious. The battle appears to have worn on SAILOR V, and she hesitates to attack any further, out of sheer exhaustion.

CUT TO:

A far shot. We see SAILOR V, MARIE, and the monster through the scope of a gun. In the foreground, we see the "barrel" of the gun accumulating with some sort of energy.

CUT TO:

EUDIAL, in prone position, aiming the gun at SAILOR V like a sniper.

EUDIAL

Come on. . .

CUT TO:

EUDIAL'S POV. SAILOR V takes another shot at the monster. It buckles, nearly dead. SAILOR V nearly collapses from the effort.

EUDIAL

Come on! Hurry up!

CUT TO:

LUNA, trying to find SAILOR V now that the commotion has stopped.

CUT TO:

Underground Lab. On the security feed, we see SAILOR V rise to deliver the final blow.

KAO LING

(into radio)

Eudial!

CUT TO:

EUDIAL.

EUDIAL

I'm still charging.

CUT TO:

SAILOR V and the monster. With great effort, SAILOR V delivers one last blow with her chain. Space seems to distort around the monster, now in its death throes. After a moment, the monster finally collapses in on itself like a black hole, and then explodes. SAILOR V falls to her knees.

CUT TO:

EUDIALS POV. Through the scope, we see SAILOR V slowly crawl toward the unconscious MARIE and examine her. She takes MARIE and cradles her, even from this vantage point we can see how saddened she is by what has happened to MARIE. . . and what she had to do to stop her.

EUDIAL

So. . . you did know each other after all.

SAILOR V'S appearance briefly changes. She's in a superposition of states: the HERO state we've seen her in so far, and a more human-like state. The GUN, meanwhile, is nearly charged.

EUDIAL

Don't worry, peroxide.

SAILOR V returns to full-on HERO mode, and her demeanor changes slightly, as if she senses danger.

EUDIAL

You'll be back together soon en--

A mere fraction of a second before the gun fully charges (indicated by a BING and a GREEN LIGHT on the gun), SAILOR V darts off to the right, off frame.

EUDIAL

Wait-- no! No!

EUDIAL tries to pick up the charged gun, but the accumulated charge is highly unstable, and it starts to disintegrate.

EUDIAL

Damn it!

EUDIAL sets down the gun and pursues SAILOR V, bypassing MARIE before vanishing. We hold on MARIE until LUNA appears, examining the unconscious MARIE and scanning the area, in vain for SAILOR V.

LUNA

God damn it. God DAMN it! We were this close!

CUT TO:

Underground Lab. LUNA and MARIE are on the security feed. LUNA turns and heads back toward USAGI.

CYPRINE

What is that?

KAO LING

It's a cat, Cyprine. Find Sailor V, quickly!

Security cameras scan the area, finding EUDIAL, but no SAILOR V.

CUT TO:

Exterior emergency exit door. BLONDIE and her WHITE CAT burst out the exit and run off.

CUT TO:

EUDIAL, standing in the main hall. She's lost SAILOR V. The mission is a failure. EUDIAL looks like she's about to explode.

CUT TO:

Elevator Interior.

LUNA

(from outside)

Usagi! Police are coming. We gotta get outta--

The door opens and LUNA enters, finding to her shock that USAGI is gone.

LUNA

Oh God! Usagi!

LUNA runs out.

CUT TO:

Main Hall. LUNA searches frantically for USAGI.

LUNA

Usagi! Usagi, where are you?!

LUNA stops. In front of her stands a mirror (part of one of the displays) smashed in the middle. Beneath the broken mirror, surrounded by a few shards of glass, is the MOON PRISM. LUNA closes her eyes.

LUNA

Oh God, Usagi.

CUT TO:

The same emergency exit door as before. USAGI walks out, slightly disoriented. She turns to walk to the front of Big Sight, only to see dozens of emergency vehicles gathering there. She turns and runs in the opposite direction.

CUT TO:

Alley. USAGI comes up to the entrance of the alley. Not sure of where to go, she runs down the alley, and then turns around, walking backward down the alley, as if expecting something to follow her. She takes a few steps backward toward the camera, which tracks backward to follow her. Then, something appears out of left frame. USAGI stops and turns to find an unconscious WOMAN in a RED BANDANA, her face hidden. Another victim. The sight of her is almost too much for USAGI to stand. Then, just when it looks like USAGI is either going to break down or turn and run away, the WOMAN starts coughing violently. She tries to get up. but can't. Whatever is wrong with this woman, she's not ill in the same way as all the others.

USAGI

Excuse me?

(beat)

Ma'am?

No response, just more coughing. The woman is clentching her stomach, clearly in agony. USAGI looks out the alley, as sees an ambulance parking near Big Sight.

CUT TO:

A couple of minutes later. A pair of PARAMEDICS follow USAGI into the alley.

USAGI

She's just down here.

USAGI kneels next to the WOMAN.

USAGI

Ma'am? Ma'am, I brought an ambulance over.

USAGI places a hand on the WOMAN'S shoulder. The paramedics tend to the WOMAN. Convinced her work is done, USAGI gets up to leave, but finds that the WOMAN has grabbed on to her shirt and won't let go.

USAGI

Ma'am?

USAGI tries to pull away, but the woman won't let go.

PARAMEDIC

(to USAGI)

Exucse me, what was your name?

USAGI

(distracted)

Uh, Serena.

PARAMEDIC

Serena, we have room in the ambulance for you. You can accompany her to the hospital.

USAGI

Oh. . . no, no.

PARAMEDIC

Ma'am, I won't force you to do anything, but this woman really needs a friend right now.

USAGI looks down at the woman.

CUT TO:

Ambulance interior. USAGI sits in the ambulance with the WOMAN as paramedics tend to her. USAGI'S holding the WOMAN'S hand, being the friend she needs, if only for the moment.

EUDIAL(V.O.)

Hello, Tellu.

CUT TO:

Close up of TELLU, just barely able to open her eyes. She tries to talk.

EUDIAL(O.S.)

No no, Tellu. Don't speak.

CUT TO:

TELLU'S POV. She's in another ambulance. EUDIAL is standing over her.

EUDIAL

Save it for Kao Ling and the Professor. Tell THEM why we're not handing them Sailor V on a silver platter. I'll make sure I'm there to see it when it happens.

TELLU looks over to see an energy IV drip hooked into her arm.

EUDIAL

You know. . . This--

(points at TELLU'S weakened body)

-- almost makes it worth it. Not only were you stupid enough to sabotage our mission, but you actually let our own Daimon feed off of you!

CUT TO:

Close-up of Tellu. She tries to say something, but it's inaudible.

EUDIAL(O.S.)

You're lucky you're not actually human.

CUT TO:

Medium shot of EUDIAL.

EUDIAL

Or else you'd NEVER wake up.

EUDIAL pulls away from TELLU and walks toward the front of the ambulance. We follow her, revealing the incapacitated paramedics who formerly occupied the vehicle.

CUT TO:

Experior shot of the ambulance-- one of dozens-- as it pulls away from Big Sight.

**********************************

That's it for now. There's more I have written in my notebook, but I think I need to take a break. Until next time.