sib2x17
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.

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                                       TEASER

               FADE IN:

         1     EXT. VALLEY - NIGHT                                      1

               Looking down across a dark, quiet valley town, with the
               glittering lights of the small town standing out against the
               gloom all around.

               But are those SCREAMS we can hear?

         2     EXT. TOWN LIMITS - NEXT                                  2

               Closer to the town, and those aren't the streetlights - those
               are FLAMES. The town is quite remote but large enough to
               manage a small airfield, a train station and a cluster of
               large buildings - but the whole city is in flames!

               The WAILS of emergency service sirens filter up towards us as
               we push in closer, the flashing red and blue lights of fire
               trucks, ambulances and police cars tearing around the
               streets.

         3     EXT. TOWN CENTRE - NEXT                                  3

               In the middle of the large town square, it's like we've been
               thrown straight into a disaster movie - a tall memorial
               monument rises before us, but all around that, every building
               large or small is ablaze, with crowds of panicking citizens
               racing across the streets.

               Fire crews battle valiantly against the flames, but their
               jets of water aren't having any effect on the flames licking
               up at the night sky and devouring everything in their path.

               And then, with a tremendous ROAR and a CRASH, a colossal
               SKORPIONE stumbles into frame, its huge, insectoid carapace
               slamming awkwardly into the monument and reducing it to
               rubble.

               Its long, jet black tail sweeps round, SPEARING into a fire
               truck - and lifting it up into the air!

               Terrified citizens scatter, running for their lives as the
               hulking monster casually TOSSES the fire truck away, letting
               out another HOWL as the truck slams into another burning
               building - and EXPLODES!

               Staying with the townsfolk as they run from the creature,
               they all suddenly skid to a halt, backing up and forming a
               solid mass of bodies, scared out of their wits...

               ... and facing a grinning VIVIAN, who stands at the head of
               an equally huge pack of snarling VAMPIRES.

                                   VIVIAN
                             (to vampires)
                         Alright, everyone... lunch time!
                         You catch it, you eat it!

               The vampires CHARGE to populace, and although the panicking
               citizens try to run for cover, the vampires are on them in
               seconds, fangs sinking into necks to a chorus of agonised
               CRIES for help.

         4     EXT. ROOFTOP - NEXT                                      4

               On top of a wide, flat roof overlooking the city, a tall
               figure wrapped in a long, scarlet coat watches the chaos
               below, SMOKE puffing from a cigar between his lips.

               The monstrous ROARS of the Skorpione can be heard as
               something else EXPLODES, and the streets leading into the
               residential areas are quickly swarmed by vampires, running
               towards the modest homes and CHEERING with glee.

               A second figure joins the first on the rooftop, but the tall
               man doesn't turn round.

                                   VIVIAN (O.S.)
                         What are you doing waiting all the
                         way up here? You're missing a hell
                         of a night down there!

               The man turns - and it's MANON. He grins as Vivian comes to
               stand beside him, the duo looking out across the chaos of the
               town below.

               Vivian is spattered with several other people's blood, and
               looks out of breath - but she can't take that smile off her
               face. She's having a great time.

                                   MANON
                         I prefer not to get my 'ands dirty
                         unless it becomes unavoidable.

                                   VIVIAN
                         Oh, right. I'll be sure to remember
                         that next time you want somebody
                         killed.

               She grins at him, and Manon chuckles, taking another drag off
               his cigar before passing it to her.

                                   VIVIAN (cont'd)
                         So why this place? I mean, there's
                         plenty of bigger towns we could've
                         hit on the way back to Boston,
                         right?

                                   MANON
                         Small steps. Your army needs to
                         feed, and my creatures need to let
                         off a little steam so that they
                         will sleep through the next
                         transportation phase. 

                                   VIVIAN
                         You always this organised with your
                         plans for world domination?

                                   MANON
                         It is my first time. I am still
                         learning.

               Vivian passes the cigar back, stretches her arms lazily and
               exhales.

                                   VIVIAN
                         Well, I gotta get back to the mouth
                         of madness down there. People to
                         kill, stuff to blow up - you know
                         how it is.

                                   MANON
                         I do. Tell your vampires we will
                         leave 'ere within the 'our, so make
                         sure nobody is left alive by then.

                                   VIVIAN
                         Somehow, I'm not seeing that being
                         a problem. Later.

               She spins on her heel and marches away, eager to get back to
               the slaughter below, and as Manon takes another slow drag on
               his cigar, closing his eyes and letting the sounds of
               destruction below wash over him, we DISSOLVE TO:

         5     EXT. ROOFTOP - NEXT MORNING                              5

               The town below is in ruins. No building is left standing or
               untouched by fire, and bodies litter the streets.

               Another tall figure, this one wrapped in a dark duster coat,
               strides into frame, looking out across the wastes below.

                                   DIEGO (O.S.)
                         There is nobody left, senor
                         Sanctus.

               The man turns - this is SANCTUS, and his heavy expression
               tells the whole story as DIEGO walks into frame to join him.

                                   DIEGO (cont'd)
                         Whoever was not killed in the fire
                         became food for the vampires.

                                   SANCTUS
                         And it looks like Manon has managed
                         to summon another of those
                         skorpione creatures.

                                   DIEGO
                         Si. Either that or a mobile
                         wrecking ball with claws.

               Sanctus inhales deeply, scanning the desolation with a
               troubled brow.

                                   SANCTUS
                         How does he keep staying one step
                         ahead of us?

                                   DIEGO
                         If I knew that, I would make sure
                         it didn't happen again.

               Sanctus stares out for another beat, then turns and walks
               away from the roof.

                                   SANCTUS
                         Let's keep moving. I'm not going to
                         let him do this to another town.

               As Sanctus marches purposefully towards us, away from the
               edge, we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                    END OF TEASER
                                       ACT ONE

               FADE IN:

         6     INT. PARKER'S LAB - GUEST ROOM - MORNING                 6

               An alarm clock BEEPS insistently until a hand reaches into
               frame, trying to knock it off but only succeeding in SWATTING
               the clock from the bedside table.

               With a GROAN, the bed-haired form of DANYAEL emerges from
               under the covers, blinking blearily and rubbing his eyes.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Whatever happened to being
                         nocturnal? I was good at that...

               Danyael takes a moment to come round, then throws back the
               covers, forcing a cut to:

         7     INT. LAB - CORRIDOR - NEXT                               7

               Dressed and washed, ut not necessarily any more awake,
               Danyael strolls down the plain white corridor, nodding a
               greeting to two white lab-coated technicians he passes.

               He comes to a pair of glass doors leading into another
               section of the lab, and pushes them open to step into:

         8     INT. LAB - OCCULT RESEARCH DEPT. - NEXT                  8

               Danyael makes a few more greetings as he approaches JULIE,
               who is standing before an archive terminal and scrolling
               through many slides of old newspaper pages.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Morning.

               She turns, blinks, then looks at her watch.

                                   JULIE
                         Crap.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Up all night again?

                                   JULIE
                         Looks that way.

                                   DANYAEL
                         So you've picked up plenty of bad
                         habits from hanging round us lot,
                         huh?

               Julie manages a grin, then heads back over to another lab
               table, this one covered with glass boxes, each one holding a
               small stone tablet.

                                   DANYAEL (cont'd)
                         Any word from Chris yet?

                                   JULIE
                         Nothing. You know I'm trying not to
                         worry, but...

                                   DANYAEL
                         Yeah, I know. I haven't seen Twist
                         all night either, so I'm in the
                         same kind of holding pattern.

               Julie SIGHS, rubbing her eyes.

                                   JULIE
                         Why do we let them do this to us?

                                   DANYAEL
                         Because nobody else is patient
                         enough to worry about them the way
                         we do. Secretly, they couldn't live
                         without it.

               Julie nods, YAWNING and blinking blearily.

                                   JULIE
                         I never worked out why your body
                         only feels tired when it knows it
                         hasn't slept. Why is that?

                                   DANYAEL
                         Asking the wrong guy. I'm a vampire
                         who's trained himself to sleep at
                         night, so I feel tired, like, all
                         the time.

                                   JULIE
                         You and me both, Danny, you and me
                         both.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Is it worth checking on Parker and
                         seeing if he's heard anything?

                                   JULIE
                         I tried that, but all I got was his
                         PA telling me he was down in one of
                         the research labs and wasn't to be
                         disturbed.

               Danyael frowns, glancing round the lab and then leaning in
               closer to Julie.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Can we do anything to check up on
                         Chris without Parker knowing?

                                   JULIE
                         I could try looking on the
                         intranet, see if anything's been
                         logged.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Okay, do that. I'm gonna go look
                         for Twist again.

                                   JULIE
                         I'm sure she's fine. Chances are
                         she's just found a snack machine
                         and a pocket full of quarters, and
                         isn't moving until she's tried
                         everything in there!

               Danyael manages half a grin, but his anxious expression is
               well justified as we cut to:

         9     INT. SPECIAL PROJECTS DEPT. - NEXT                       9

               TWIST is strapped face down onto a long table, with a huge
               piece of sinister-looking lab equipment positioned over her.

               She thrashes and struggles, but she's restrained at the
               wrists and ankles, her head leaning out over the edge of the
               table.

               Observing her are DR. PARKER and PROFESSOR LEESE, along with
               several other technicians and lab assistants.

                                   TWIST
                         Get me out of here! You hear me?

                                   PARKER
                         It's hard not to hear you, lass,
                         you haven't stopped screaming the
                         place down since we brought you in
                         here!

                                   TWIST
                         Yeah, well, kidnapping and
                         torture'll do that to a girl!

               She struggles again, but she's secured too tightly. Parker
               allows himself a chuckle at her expense.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Oh, that's right. Laugh it up,
                         fuzzball! The second I get out of
                         here, I'm gonna turn your balls
                         into a-

                                   PARKER
                             (to assistant)
                         Start her up.

                                   TWIST
                         Start what up? Hey!

               A technician taps at the control panel of the bulky, crane
               like device over Twist, and with a series of WHIRRS and
               CLICKS it lights up and starts to come to life.

               Twist tries to turn her head to get a better look, but
               luckily for her she can't see a slender robotic arm extend
               from the nose of the device - and a rotating DRILL BIT slide
               out from the top of that!

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         What the hell is that?!?

                                   LEESE
                         Our latest experimentation device.
                         We used it quite successfully on
                         Miss Duncan several times.

               Twist pales - remembering the scars Lizzie showed her when
               they were last together. She grits her teeth as the drill bit
               is lowered closer to the back of her neck.

                                   TWIST
                         Alright, you monkey-screwing
                         science class reject bunch of
                         baumgartners, listen up! If you
                         don't let me out of this thing
                         right now, they're gonna have to
                         invent new words for the size of
                         the pieces I'm gonna tear you into,
                         so you'd better-

                                   PARKER
                         Oh, spare me the tough talk, Twist.
                         It's not becoming in a woman of
                         your body weight.

               Twist seethes, still fighting to get free as the drill bit
               pauses, inches above her neck.

               Parker crouches down next to her, a malevolent glint in his
               eyes as he grins at her.

                                   PARKER (cont'd)
                         There's a lot of secrets wrapped up
                         in that pretty little peroxide
                         stained head of yours, lass, and I
                         intend to find out what they are.

                                   TWIST
                         Why don't you let me up so I can
                         show you exactly what I'm thinking
                         of right now?

                                   PARKER
                         I'd rather let your imagination
                         stay strapped down, if it's all the
                         same with you.

               Parker stands, nodding to the technician who begins making
               final adjustments on the lab machine.

                                   PARKER (cont'd)
                         Lots of people tell me you're a
                         very important person, Twist. I
                         want to know why.

                                   TWIST
                         It's the curse of being so
                         gorgeous. And it gives me an excuse
                         to stick my fist up your-

                                   PARKER
                             (to technician)
                         Let's begin now, shall we? Before
                         her language earns us all an 'X'
                         rating!

               The technician nods, and as he hits final button, the drill
               bit starts to push down towards Twist's head again, aiming
               directly for the base of her skull.

                                   TWIST
                         What are you doing? No! Stop! Wait!
                         Wait!!

               The drill bit starts to CUT into her, and as Twist SCREAMS we
               cut back to:

        10     INT. LAB - CORRIDOR - NEXT                              10

               Danyael heads down another part of the lab complex, frowning. 

                                   DANYAEL
                         Damn it, Twist... where are you?

               He comes to a perfectly smooth door in the wall - no handle,
               no window and no identification. He runs his hands over the
               panel, but if there's a way through he's not going to find
               it. He steps back, rubbing his chin.

               Two security guards walk past, and he does his best to look
               casual, waiting until they're gone before pressing his ear to
               the door panel.

               He rolls his eyes and steps back - with his hearing, that
               wasn't the best idea.

               He studies the door for another few moments and then starts
               to head back down the corridor.

                                   LIZZIE (O.S.)
                             (whispers)
                         Psst! Danyael!

               He turns - LIZZIE is waving to him, having opened a fire door
               just enough for him to see her.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Lizzie?

                                   LIZZIE
                         Come here, quick!

                                   DANYAEL
                         What for?

                                   LIZZIE
                         I know where Twist is, but we have
                         to hurry!

                                   DANYAEL
                             (narrows eyes)
                         How do I know I can trust you?

               Lizzie HUFFS, then lifts her palm up towards Danyael - and to
               his alarm, he's DRAGGED towards her by an invisible force!

               When he's close enough, she grabs him and pulls him out of
               sight with a YELP, shutting the fire door just before another
               set of security guards turn into the corridor.

        11     INT. LAB - STAIRWELL - NEXT                             11

               A startled Danyael can only stare in amazement as Lizzie
               quickly jogs down the staircase to a lower level. She pauses,
               turning to see he isn't following her.

                                   LIZZIE
                         What are you waiting for? Come on!

                                   DANYAEL
                         But- how did you-

                                   LIZZIE
                         I got tired of waiting for you to
                         make your mind up. Now do you want
                         to help me save Twist or not?

               That gets his attention. He hurries over to her, catching her
               up as she continues to patter down the stairs.

                                   DANYAEL
                             (urgent)
                         'Save' her? From what? Is she in
                         trouble?

                                   LIZZIE
                         She's already in a lot of trouble,
                         but if we don't get to her fast
                         it's going to get a whole lot
                         worse.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Why? Lizzie? Hey!

               He GRABS her arm to stop her, but as she flicks her head
               round, Danyael finds himself SHOVED off his feet by invisible
               hands once again. Lizzie quickly steps over to help him up.

                                   LIZZIE
                         Don't grab me like that!

                                   DANYAEL
                         What the hell-

                                   LIZZIE
                         Defence mechanism. Can't really
                         turn it off.

               She turns away, but he grabs her arm again - lighter this
               time - and she turns back to him.

                                   DANYAEL
                             (firm)
                         What's happened to Twist?

                                   LIZZIE
                         Parker's got her down in the
                         Special Projects lab.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Is that bad?

                                   LIZZIE
                             (impatient)
                         Yes, it's bad, it's really god damn
                         bad! So come on!

               This time, she grabs his arm and hurries back down the
               stairs, dragging him after her as we cut to:

        12     INT. LAB - BASEMENT CORRIDOR - NEXT                     12

               The staircase leads out into a long, curved underground
               tunnel, with neon strip lighting and various heating and
               electrical pipes criss-crossing the ceiling.

               Lizzie hurries down the corridor, her eyes flicking from side
               to side as she checks the numbers framed above the doorways
               they pass on the way.

                                   DANYAEL
                         What's the 'Special Projects' lab?
                         What are they doing to Twist?

                                   LIZZIE
                         Trust me, you're better off not
                         knowing.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Lizzie!

               With an annoyed HUFF, she stops and turns to face him.

                                   LIZZIE
                         Alright, here's how it is. Dr.
                         Parker? Bad guy. Very bad guy.
                         Twist? Girl with psychic powers.

                                   DANYAEL
                         She... what?

                                   LIZZIE
                         Parker wants to cut her open to see
                         how she works, and the sooner you
                         stop asking me questions, the
                         quicker I can find her so that
                         doesn't happen!

               She starts off again, with a now very confused Danyael having
               to jog to catch her back up.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Twist... Twist has... what?

                                   LIZZIE
                         I'd rather let her explain it when
                         we find her.

                                   DANYAEL
                         But-

               She pauses, raising her hand to shut him up - someone's
               coming. She glances towards a locked door to their left.

                                   LIZZIE
                         In here.

                                   DANYAEL
                         But it's...

               Lizzie focuses her gaze on the lock - and it POPS open with a
               loud CLICK.

                                   DANYAEL (cont'd)
                         ... locked.

               Lizzie pushes the door open and shoves Danyael inside,
               closing it just as a squad of six heavily-armed TROOPS walk
               past - a marked step up in security from the patrols in the
               Lab upstairs.

               After they're gone, the door opens a little, and once she's
               sure it's clear again Lizzie steps back out, with a shocked
               Danyael following her, his gaze locked on the contents of the
               room he's leaving.

                                   DANYAEL (cont'd)
                         What... what was...

                                   LIZZIE
                         Don't ask. The less you know, the
                         better.

               They move on, Lizzie finally coming to a stop outside a room
               labelled only with the number '2579.'

                                   LIZZIE (cont'd)
                         This is it. Get ready.

                                   DANYAEL
                         For what?

               Lizzie turns to the door, raises her hand - and with a loud
               CRUNCH, the door is blasted straight off its hinges!

                                   DANYAEL (cont'd)
                             (stunned)
                         Woah...

                                   LIZZIE
                         Go!

               She grabs him and pulls him through, into:

        13     INT. LAB - ROOM 2579 - NEXT                             13

               The duo burst into one of the Special Projects rooms - but
               all that's waiting for them is a tall, muscular black man in
               a grey uniform, flanked by six more troops sporting
               submachine-guns.

               The troops train their guns on the duo in unison, and the
               black man allows himself a smug grin.

                                   BLACK MAN
                         Sorry, Miss Duncan. We've moved
                         things around a little since you
                         were last here.

                                   LIZZIE
                             (curses)
                         Crap.

                                   BLACK MAN
                             (to troops)
                         Kill them.

               To the backing of SpineShank's 'Asthamtic,' The troops OPEN
               FIRE, but Lizzie and Danyael are already moving - the room is
               filled with monitors, lab equipment and operating tables,
               providing plenty of cover as the duo duck behind a large
               console to avoid the hail of gunfire.

               Danyael looks round for something to use as a weapon,
               shielding his face as monitors SHATTER above him, showering
               him with glass.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Now what?

                                   LIZZIE
                         They must have known I was gonna
                         come down here for her!

                                   DANYAEL
                         You think?!?

                                   LIZZIE
                         Distract them! 

                                   DANYAEL
                         With what? My face?

                                   LIZZIE
                         Just think of something!

               Danyael frantically reaches up, grabbing one of the bullet
               ridden monitors and HURLING it back towards the troops.

               The gunfire lets up for half a moment, but that's all the
               time Lizzie needs as she streaks out from behind the console.

               The troops track her with more bullets, but she's fast enough
               to run around the room and get behind more cover, bursting
               out and POUNCING at the closest trooper.

               There's a BLAZE of white energy and the soldier is thrown off
               his feet, crashing into his colleague and knocking them both
               down.

                                   BLACK MAN
                         What are you idiots doing? Shoot
                         her!

               Lizzie darts over to the next trooper, and in a blur of
               movement she grabs his gun, shoving the barrel down to point
               at his feet - just as he FIRES.

               The man's boot EXPLODES as he blasts it, and his CRY of pain
               is cut off as Lizzie SLAMS her forearm into his throat.

               She SHOVES him back as two more troopers rush her, and with
               balletic accuracy she ducks one clumsy blow, pirouetting and
               spinning her boot into one man's face with a loud CRACK.

               She DUCKS impossibly quickly under another burst of GUNFIRE,
               racing over to the shooter and landing several PUNCHES in
               rapid succession, wrenching his gun out of his hands and
               SLAMMING the butt into his nose.

               He drops, and she just turns in time to THROW the gun into
               the face of the last trooper, zapping over to him and
               flooring him with a ROUNDHOUSE KICK to his chest.

               She reaches for his hip and draws his handgun out of his
               holster as he falls, spinning round on the spot...

               ... and coming face to face with the burly black man, his own
               gun drawn and pointed right at her. Lizzie's liberated gun is
               aimed right at his neck, and his points at hers.

                                   BLACK MAN (cont'd)
                         Impressive stuff, Lizzie. Looks
                         like you haven't spent the last few
                         weeks just hiding from us!

                                   LIZZIE
                         I'm a fast learner.

               A beat as they psyche each other out.

                                   BLACK MAN
                         So it looks like we have something
                         of a standoff.

                                   LIZZIE
                         Naah, we don't.

               He frowns - and then with a SMASH, Danyael slams a chunk of
               ruined lab equipment across the back of his head!

               The man groans and drops to his knees, and Lizzie quickly
               pulls his gun from his hand, grabbing him by the collar of
               his uniform.

                                   LIZZIE (cont'd)
                         Where is she?

                                   BLACK MAN
                         I'm not about to-

               CRACK! She PUNCHES him smack on the bridge of his nose,
               breaking it in a spray of blood.

                                   LIZZIE
                         Where. Is. She?

                                   BLACK MAN
                         What are you going to do, Lizzie?
                         Kill me?

               A beat - then Lizzie steps back, pushes her gun into the
               man's forehead - and FIRES.

               A shocked Danyael watches his body slump to the floor, then
               he looks to Lizzie as she casually tosses her gun away.

                                   LIZZIE
                         Since you asked me so nicely...

                                   DANYAEL
                         Are you out of your mind?

                                   LIZZIE
                         Wake up, Danyael! They tried to
                         kill us first!

                                   DANYAEL
                         I don't care! You don't shoot an
                         unarmed man in the face, Lizzie!
                         That's just-

               There's a soft FWIPP - and a small DART hits Lizzie in the
               neck! Her eyes roll back into her head and she CRASHES to the
               floor, and before Danyael can react:

                                   PARKER (O.S.)
                         Rude?

               He spins round - PARKER is in the doorway, lowering a small
               tranquiliser gun, and he's flanked by plenty more security
               guards and troopers. Danyael knows he's got nowhere to go,
               grimly raising his hands.

                                   DANYAEL
                         What have you done to Twist?

                                   PARKER
                         Oh, I'm only just getting started
                         with her, lad. But you'll make a
                         nice distraction.

               He motions to the troopers, and as they march over to grab
               Danyael, handcuffing his arms behind his back, he throws one
               last defiant look at Parker before we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT ONE
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