sib3x09
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         7     EXT. HILLSIDE - NIGHT                                    7

               Diego waits at the crest of a hill as Twist clambers up the
               slippery, muddy slope behind him.

                                   TWIST
                         Anybody else getting a real 'short
                         straw' feeling about our gig?

               Diego turns and offers his hand, but Twist struggles the last
               few steps herself. He's a little hurt by that.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Right!

               She pulls the now very crumpled printout from her jacket and
               studies it, pointing towards a marina just up ahead, lights
               from the ships docked there glittering across the water.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         According to this, there's a tunnel
                         entrance that leads to our temple a
                         half mile up from that marina.

                                   DIEGO
                         Then we'd better get moving.

               He starts down the hillside, while Twist tucks the papers
               away and shivers in the cold wind.

                                   TWIST
                         No wonder grunge started here...

               Following Diego, we cut to:

         8     EXT. COASTLINE - NEXT                                    8

               With the lights of the marina off to the right, Twist waits
               as Diego heaves a few small boulders aside to reveal a
               concealed TUNNEL.

               She produces a flashlight and shines it down into the gloom -
               the tunnel stretches on for some distance.

                                   TWIST
                         Oh, look, honey, a dark, creepy
                         tunnel! Isn't this fun?

               She leads as the duo make their way along, and we cut to:

         9     INT. TUNNELS - CHAMBER - NEXT                            9

               With Twist's flashlight beam bouncing around, another light
               source up ahead comes into view. Twist turns to Diego, who
               nods and draws his SWORD.

               Advancing more cautiously, the duo come to an opening in the
               tunnel that leads to a larger chamber, and are faced with:

               A RUINED TEMPLE.

               Not particularly big, but it would have once looked pretty
               imposing before time took its toll on the place.

               Twist and Diego are at the entrance to a tunnel cut out of
               the wall halfway up the chamber, and Twist nimbly lowers
               herself out, dropping the last twenty feet to the ground.

               Cat-like, she lands in a crouch as Diego does the same, the
               duo approaching the crumbling temple.

                                   TWIST
                         So, how do we want to work this?
                         You search, I guard, or-

               He holds up his hand to cut her off, looking up and around.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         What is it?

               He motions for silence again - and then sees a BLACK SHAPE
               dart past one of the shadows.

                                   DIEGO
                         We're not alone.

               Concerned, Twist reaches for her baseball bat, but as she
               opens her mouth to speak again, a FIGURE dressed in black
               drops to the ground before her!

               She jumps back, bat raised - and the figure is joined by SIX
               more, then another six, then another...

               She glances back over her shoulder - and they're surrounded!
               Diego grimly raises his sword, ready to defend, and we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT ONE
                                       ACT TWO

               FADE IN:

        10     INT. CAVERN - NIGHT                                     10

               Flanked on all sides by the mysterious black-clad assassins,
               Twist and Diego stand back to back, weapons raised and ready
               for action.

               The black robes of their enemies cover their features and
               every spare inch of skin - not even eyes can be seen.

                                   TWIST
                         So! Plan?

                                   DIEGO
                         Fight back.

                                   TWIST
                         Specifics?

                                   DIEGO
                         Without getting killed.

               Diego LAUNCHES himself away from her, crashing into three of
               the foes and bowling them over.

                                   TWIST
                             (shakes head)
                         Boys...

               As the first wave pour towards her, she gets her bat up and
               round - SMACK! It connects and one assassin goes down.

               On cue, every one of their two dozen opponents draw curved
               SWORDS from their robes, forming a circle of jagged steel
               around our two heroes.

               Two more come for Twist, who deflects their attacks as best
               she can, getting forced back towards the temple.

               Diego FLIPS over the head of one and drives his sword into
               its back, WRENCHING the sword free to swing it round into the
               chest of another.

               There's a loud BANG and Diego is hit by some kind of energy
               bolt, stumbling back and tripping.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Diego!

               She spins round to see one assassin lowering his hand, smoke
               rising from his palm.

               Gritting her teeth and GROWLING with anger, Twist charges
               straight for him, catching her target off guard.

               POW! She cartwheels him onto the floor with the force of her
               blow, but takes a KICK to her back.

               She staggers, and gets hit several more times, the assassins
               whipping past her in a blur of motion as they land their
               blows.

               Another hit sends Duggan sailing from her hand, and as she
               reaches for it, there's a flash of SILVER as an assassin
               throws something toward her.

               Twist HOWLS in pain - a DAGGER has skewered her hand to the
               ground!

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Ack! Oh, you dirty little
                         baumgartner!

               Yanking the dagger free, she turns and throws it in one
               smooth motion - FWIP! Right into the eye socket of its owner.

               Rubbing her bloody hand, Twist grabs her bat off the floor
               and has to defend herself - three more swordsmen are on her.

               She ducks under their attacks and RAMS one in the chest with
               her bat, and as he hits the deck she pushes on, TRIPPING the
               next two.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Alright, ninja boy, let's see
                         what's under your hood...

               Grabbing at the black cloth over the assassin's face, she
               tries to pull it away but finds it's tightly woven into
               place.

               She pulls harder and manages to tear away a strip that
               reveals a patch of skin on his arm - and a TATTOO looks back
               at her.

               It's of a red eye with 'III' in roman numerals behind it -
               and looks to have been carved straight into the flesh.

               Diego stumbles back into frame, an ugly scorch mark on his
               chest, but he's soon chopping and slicing at the enemies
               again, one hand clutching his chest.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Who the hell are these guys?

                                   DIEGO
                         Not now, Twist!

                                   TWIST
                         But what about-

               Diego SHOVES her to the floor as another FIREBALL sails
               towards them, the flaming sphere slamming into the temple
               foundations.

               A chunk of masonry EXPLODES with the impact, and an ominous
               GROAN reverberates around the chamber.

               Diego looks up as debris starts to roll down from the temple -
               which is starting to COLLAPSE!

                                   DIEGO
                         Time to go!

               He drags Twist to her feet, Twist getting in another KICK as
               Diego tries to hack his way to freedom.

               The assassins still outnumber them almost ten to one, but as
               the temple starts to crumble and topple, it begins taking the
               rest of the chamber with it!

               Twist puts her head down and runs, narrowly missing two
               falling hunks of rock that FLATTEN two unfortunate assassins.

                                   TWIST
                         What do we do?

                                   DIEGO
                         Jump!

               She looks up to the tunnel entrance they came in from - it's
               twenty feet straight up.

                                   TWIST
                         There's no way you'll make that!

                                   DIEGO
                         I'll manage! Just go!

               Turning back to fight off the next wave of assassins, Diego
               pushes Twist towards the wall.

               Staring up at the entrance high overhead, she turns and
               throws a desperate glance at Diego - who is bogged down
               fighting - and then she turns and JUMPS.

               Twist sails up into the air, her vampire strength-assisted
               jump giving her enough height to grab hold of the edge of the
               tunnel entrance.

               She quickly pulls herself up, but the rest of the tunnel is
               crumbling too - there's only moments before the whole thing
               caves in.

               She turns to yell back to Diego - who suddenly appears at the
               edge of the tunnel!

                                   TWIST
                             (wide-eyed)
                         How did you-

                                   DIEGO
                         Come on!

               He grabs her and runs for the exit, Twist glancing back over
               her shoulder.

               Several assassins are also climbing up and into the tunnel,
               but as more rocks fall the way back is soon blocked off.

        11     EXT. COASTLINE - NEXT                                   11

               A cloud of SMOKE bursts from the tunnel as it finally caves
               in - just as Twist and Diego fly from its mouth.

               Tumbling down the hillside, they're both covered with grey
               dust but otherwise unharmed as they roll to a stop.

               Diego winces as he starts to sit up, Twist's eyes falling on
               the bad chest wound he's carrying.

                                   TWIST
                         Don't, don't get up, you've-

                                   DIEGO
                         I'll be alright.

               He struggles to get up, with Twist putting her hands on hips
               to pout down at him:

                                   TWIST
                         What the hell is the matter with
                         you and all this macho crap?

                                   DIEGO
                         I'm actually in a lot of pain,
                         Twist, don't worry.

                                   TWIST
                         The hell you are! You just jumped
                         up a twenty foot scale wall without
                         so much as a jet pack!

               Diego starts to brush himself down, turning and heading back
               to the lights of civilisation.

                                   DIEGO
                         I'm light on my feet.

                                   TWIST
                         The hell you are!

               She catches up to him and grabs his arm, spinning him round.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         You feel like telling me how you
                         did that?

                                   DIEGO
                         Twist, you... you know I'm a little
                         different.

                                   TWIST
                         I know you're not a vampire, and
                         that's the only way I can jump that
                         high. What's your excuse?

               A beat, but Diego looks away.

                                   DIEGO
                         We don't have time for this. If the
                         Trinity have already found one
                         potential site, chances are they
                         know about the rest.

               He starts back up a hillside, with Twist following.

                                   TWIST
                         The Trinity? Wait, that was them?

                                   DIEGO
                         Part of them, si.

                                   TWIST
                         'Part'? Doesn't 'trinity' usually
                         mean, you know... three?
                             (beat)
                         And how come you suddenly know so
                         much about them?

               Diego stops, muttering a curse in his native tongue as he
               turns to face her again.

                                   DIEGO
                         Let's just find the others, and
                         then I promise I will explain
                         everything.

                                   TWIST
                         Oh, right. And I suppose your whole
                         'I want to die in battle' thing'll
                         be covered in that 'everything,'
                         will it?

               Twist crosses her arms, fixing him with a stern glare. Diego
               tears his gaze away, heading back up the hill as we cut to:

        12     INT. UNDERGROUND CHAMBER - NIGHT                        12

               Sanctus and Julie stand in another hollowed out cavern,
               shining their flashlights over the surface of another ruined
               temple. This one is more of the 'tall, imposing statues'
               variety, but thankfully there are no assassins here.

               Julie's phone RINGS, and she goes to answer it as Sanctus
               continues investigating.

                                   JULIE
                         Hello?

               All she can hear is a broken-up transmission - she checks the
               signal. No bars.

                                   JULIE (cont'd)
                             (into phone)
                         Whoever this is, if you can hear
                         me, there's no signal here. I'll
                         call you back in a few minutes.

               She tucks her phone away and heads over to Sanctus.

                                   JULIE (cont'd)
                         That was probably either Twist or
                         Danyael, checking in.

               Sanctus is crouched by a mural on the wall, wiping layers of
               dust away to reveal the painting underneath.

                                   JULIE (cont'd)
                         What is it?

               He follows the story with his flashlight beam as he
               translates:

                                   SANCTUS
                         "And so the three were united,
                         ready to rule their world of
                         eternal sleep."

                                   JULIE
                         'Eternal sleep'?

                                   SANCTUS
                         It's a very old dialect. I think
                         that's what it's saying.

                                   JULIE
                         Anything on our missing sphere?

               Sanctus scrolls along until he finds another mural, further
               down the wall - and a perfect depiction of the sphere.

                                   SANCTUS
                         Here!
                             (reads)
                         "Many will seek the Quaero, but
                         only one may use it to find that
                         which is lost to them."

                                   JULIE
                         'Quaero.' That's, uh, Latin, right?
                         Means 'search' or something.

                                   SANCTUS
                         That's right.

               He steps back, shining his flashlight over the temple again,
               looking for a way in.

                                   SANCTUS (cont'd)
                         I think we're at the correct
                         location, Julie.

                                   JULIE
                         Only question now is how do we get
                         in.

               Sanctus' beam falls on something - a freshly-excavated HOLE
               in the temple wall.

                                   SANCTUS
                         I fear we're not the first to ask
                         that question...

               He hurries forward, clambering up the side of one of the tall
               statues framing the temple's frontage and making for the
               hole.

               We look out from within the darkness at Sanctus, and as his
               flashlight beam shines straight at us, we:

                                                             WHITE OUT:

        13     INT. LIBRARY - NIGHT                                    13

               We're looking at Julie's laptop screen, depicting a
               photograph of the temple's interior - and a noticeably empty
               place on top of a shrine.

               PULL BACK to see the team gathered around the computer, the
               only people in the library at this late hour.

                                   JULIE
                         It was a clean job. Whoever got in
                         knew exactly what they were looking
                         for.

                                   TWIST
                             (nudges Diego)
                         Maybe you should try to fill in
                         some of the blanks now.

               Diego glances round at the others, who look puzzled at
               Twist's statement - except Sanctus, who eyes Diego knowingly.

                                   SYREN
                         What does she mean?

                                   DIEGO
                         It's... I may...

                                   SANCTUS
                         It's all right, Diego. Tell us what
                         you know.

               Diego sighs and lowers his head, pulling back a chair and
               sitting down.

                                   DIEGO
                         I may not have been... entirely
                         honest with you all when I said I
                         knew nothing of the Trinity.

               Danyael glances at Twist, but she's still glaring at Diego.

                                   JULIE
                         Go on.

                                   DIEGO
                         I've encountered them before.
                         They've been active for many
                         generations, and I've been fighting
                         against them for as long as I can
                         remember.

                                   NAOMI
                         Why didn't you say anything?

               He leans back, sighing again.

                                   DIEGO
                         I didn't want to involve any of
                         you.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Uh, hate to break it to you, but
                         we're all kind of involved now.

                                   SANCTUS
                         Danyael! Let him finish.

                                   DIEGO
                         They're an order of warriors who
                         took it upon themselves to follow
                         the teachings of their founders to
                         the letter, and look for ways to
                         create a better, more peaceful
                         world.

                                   TWIST
                         And the horde of ninjas fits into
                         'peaceful world' where, exactly?

                                   DIEGO
                         They're highly secretive, keeping
                         to the shadows and working behind
                         the scenes where necessary.
                         Sometimes they favour combat, other
                         times political subterfuge.

                                   TWIST
                             (blinks)
                         Sub-ter-what?

                                   NAOMI
                         Corruption.

                                   SYREN
                         Why are they called the Trinity?

                                   DIEGO
                         They always have three leaders. One
                         must die for another to be chosen.
                         It keeps them alert and strong.

                                   JULIE
                         Okay, next question. Why the hell
                         didn't you tell us any of this?

                                   DIEGO
                         I've told you - the Trinity are my
                         shame.

                                   SYREN
                         Why would they be your 'shame'?

               Diego looks down, knowing he's said too much. Sanctus comes
               to his aid.

                                   SANCTUS
                         Diego's reasons are his own. What
                         matters now is stopping this
                         Trinity before they can use the
                         sphere.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Any updates on how that works?

                                   JULIE
                         I think so.

               She rotates the laptop to face her and types a few commands
               in, turning it back to face the others.

               On screen is a partial translation of the original scroll,
               complete with diagrams.

                                   JULIE (cont'd)
                         As best as I've figured out, it
                         runs off natural magic - ley lines,
                         essence pockets, stuff like that.

                                   SANCTUS
                         They won't want to travel far,
                         especially if they know we're also
                         after the Quaero.

                                   JULIE
                             (to others)
                         That's what the sphere's called.

                                   TWIST
                         Any ideas what they need it for?

                                   SANCTUS
                         The same as us, I expect. "To find
                         that which is lost."

                                   DANYAEL
                         I don't want to think about what a
                         group like that could lose so bad
                         they need a doohickey like this to
                         find it...

                                   SANCTUS
                             (to Diego)
                         Do you know?

                                   DIEGO
                             (shakes head)
                         A new ally, perhaps. I cannot say.

                                   TWIST
                         You sure about that?

                                   DIEGO
                         I've told you all I know. I fight
                         them where I find them, and that is
                         all.

                                   SANCTUS
                         Let him be, Twist.

                                   NAOMI
                         So we just find the nearest area
                         full of natural magic and wait
                         there for them, right?

                                   TWIST
                         Full of ideas, ain'tcha?

                                   DANYAEL
                         Knock it off.

                                   JULIE
                         No, Naomi's right. And it just so
                         happens...

               She types in something else - and a map pops up, with a
               flashing grid reference.

                                   JULIE (cont'd)
                         ... I know where we need to be.

                                   SANCTUS
                         Then let's get moving.

               She folds her laptop closed, and the others start to bustle
               for the exit. Sanctus hangs back to speak to Diego.

                                   SANCTUS (cont'd)
                         Keeping secrets from them was an
                         unwise move, Diego.

                                   DIEGO
                         What was I supposed to say? That
                         I've spent most of my life fighting
                         an organisation so numerous, I
                         could never stand a hope of
                         defeating it?

                                   SANCTUS
                         You could have told them the truth.

               Diego looks away sharply.

                                   SANCTUS (cont'd)
                         I'm not going to pretend I know
                         what that is, but I know you well
                         enough to sense when you're still
                         hiding something.

               Diego slowly looks back at him.

                                   SANCTUS (cont'd)
                         I'm going to trust that you have a
                         very good reason for keeping that
                         secret back, but let me just say
                         this.

               He leans in close.

                                   SANCTUS (cont'd)
                         If your secrets lead to any member
                         of that team being harmed, don't
                         expect them to ever forgive you.

               Sanctus straightens and walks away, leaving Diego alone.

                                   SANCTUS (O.S.) (cont'd)
                         Come, Diego. We have work to do.

               Diego turns to watch Sanctus go, then settles back down. A
               beat - and then he POUNDS his fist on the table in anger,
               almost breaking it in two!

               Clenching his fist and struggling to suppress his anger, he
               closes his eyes as we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT TWO
                                      ACT THREE

               FADE IN:

        14     EXT. BUILDING SITE - NIGHT                              14

               Pan down on a moonlit construction yard, scaffolding erected
               all around several crumbling old buildings. JCBs and other
               heavy machinery lies scattered around.

               PULL BACK until we change to:

               BINOCULARS POV:

               We're observing the site from some distance away, panning
               slowly and checking for movement.

        15     INT. VAN - NEXT                                         15

               Looking through the binoculars is Sanctus, with Diego
               alongside him and the others in the back, preparing their
               weapons.

                                   SANCTUS
                         No sign of activity.
                             (to Julie)
                         You're sure this is the place?

                                   JULIE
                         I'm sure. Magical energy around
                         here's lighting up my scans like a
                         Christmas tree. There's nowhere
                         else in the whole state like this.

                                   TWIST
                         So what's with all the old
                         buildings? Shouldn't there be,
                         like, a church here or something?

               Julie consults her laptop, its blue glow reflecting off her
               glasses as she ties her hair back.

                                   JULIE
                         According to the plans, there used
                         to be. It burned down, so they
                         built a hospital. Which burned
                         down. Next, they tried an insane
                         asylum, and that-

                                   DANYAEL
                         Don't tell me. Burned down?

                                   JULIE
                         Actually, no, the inmates started a
                         riot and killed all the staff
                         inside.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Oh.

                                   JULIE
                         And then they burned it down. Long
                         history of accidental deaths, all
                         centered around this block.

                                   NAOMI
                         So... nice neighbourhood, then?

               Danyael turns to Syren, who shivers involuntarily.

                                   DIEGO
                         Are you okay?

                                   SYREN
                         This place, it's... there's too
                         much bad energy here. Too many
                         people have died because of this
                         place.

                                   NAOMI
                         Could all the magic here have been
                         behind all the fires and general
                         death and mayhem?

                                   JULIE
                         Fair guess. And if it's that kind
                         of magic, then chances are it's
                         old, powerful... and evil.

               A beat as the gang exchange concerned looks. That is, until
               Twist SNAPS open a can of soda and takes a noisy SLURP.

                                   TWIST
                         So! We gonna sit here all night, or
                         get out there and thricely kick
                         some butt?

                                   DANYAEL
                         'Thricely'?

                                   TWIST
                             ("duh...")
                         Trinity...

               Julie picks up and loads a SHOTGUN, slinging it over her
               shoulder as she checks the clip in her handgun. Closing the
               laptop, she climbs towards the front seats.

                                   JULIE
                         How do you want to play this? One
                         wave and then backup?

                                   SANCTUS
                         Diego? 
                             (off his look)
                         You're the tactical expert on what
                         we're up against.

                                   DIEGO
                         They won't hold back. Not for
                         something as important to them as
                         this.

                                   SANCTUS
                         Then that settles it.

               He opens the van door and steps out, and as the side door
               slides open and the others disembark, we cut to:
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.