I Am The Night. (Scene 7/8/9)

Scene 71

(Flashback: The camera invites us to follow the long winding road to the insanity wing. All sorts of loose and unsavoury characters live in this rotting place. The smell is putrid, the walls covered in brown mould, the jail bars are rusty and leaks drip onto the floor. A certain someone, sitting on a wooden bench, accommodated next to his bed is staring at the water dripping onto the floor, creating the smallest of puddles possible. His eyes just look; as if they are staring at something else, staring right through that puddle, as if they are thinking about something else entirely different. His shoulders twitch a little, left one first and then the right one and they repeat themselves every so often. It makes him stretch his jaw out a little, trying to make it click. He does all this whilst still staring at that damned puddle. Amazing concentration from a man that has been doing this sort of thing for years, maybe the puddle is annoying him.2

We can only see his shoes at the moment, still no clear look at whom this person is nor whom they look like. We see that he is wearing a straitjacket, because of the white clothing on his shoulders. We look back down at his feet again, this nervous tapping that they make. A warden walks by, it catches his attention. The feet tapping goes silent, his focus on the warden is utmost. The warden looks at him, casually gripping his baton but not unsheathing it. He looks this person in the eyes and see’s a maniacal look, where everything means nothing to him, this anarchical view of the world that brings down civilisations and destroys people’s lives, for his was destroyed long ago. The warden withdraws; he keeps looking to his left as he walks on.)3

JIAB: Am I something to behold Mr Warden? (He mutters as the warden walks off. The Warden promptly comes back.) 4

Warden: What was that wacko? (He laughs to himself.)5

JIAB: You see me, am I something to behold? Is that why you look…at me? (He gestures at himself as best as he can whilst his arms are restricted by the straitjacket. The camera now follows up to his face. What we see is shocking. Here is a man who has been altered by the acid that was thrown on him, let alone that fact he was set alight as well. His left eye is closed shut; he has long, curly orange/black hair which looks greasy. It hangs above his shoulders, twirled naturally. He has boils all over his face and arms mainly, but some also on his body. These boils were a natural reaction of the burns he got and the acid that took his skin off, burning into his system and infecting his blood. His right eye bulges out a little and looks maddening, a pinpointed pupil. His nose is only noticeable by two holes that were once his nostrils existing just above his mouth. His actual nose was burnt right off at the time. The right ear is intact while the other is a small burnt off mound and closed up. The left eyebrow is singed and pulled back a little causing a look of tight, dry skin. The mouth is partially closed, skin formed over the top of part of it while he was recovering years and so that means he can only speak out of the corner of his mouth, but he’s done so well at it that it doesn’t affect him or others when they hear him. 6

A scar that is so deep that it weeps blood runs between the corner of his mouth to the side of his chin, while dry stagnant skin powder covers his face and arms. Not a very good job has been done of it though with patchiness and blackened parts suggesting his most prominent and difficult to hide scars. His white face is visible to the warden in a darkened cell.)7

Warden: Just stop tapping your feet and sleep or something.8

JIAB: (Looks saddened.) Won’t one not even put some more powder on me??9

Warden: Is it that time already? (He looks at his watch. As the prison is afraid he might harm himself due to his insanity they, the wardens are tasked with putting the powder on his face. The warden pulls some latex gloves on and starts to unlock the cell door. A slight smile on JIAB’s face appears.) Ok, let’s get this over and done with.10

(The warden enters the cell and with a torch lights the place up a bit more. He reaches for the powder, on a rotting and three-legged table and advances towards JIAB whom is still sitting down. The warden looks at JIAB and with mixed emotions bends his legs a little till he is at the same height as JIAB. He starts shaking the powder out of the tube and rubbing it in gently to his face, creating a white virginal appearance of a man.)11

JIAB: My arms? (He asks as he puts his head back while the warden applies some more to his chin and neck.)12

Warden: What? They’re in the jacket. (He dismisses such a suggestion, but as he does so it’s his final one. JIAB flicks a pen-knife open in his hand and stabs through the material creating a rip. It happens all so quickly, that the warden is taken by complete surprise. His stomach is knifed as JIAB thrusts it upwards, creating a hole in the clothing for his arm to get out of. The warden gurgles still bent over JIAB, blood dribbling out of his mouth and seeping through his uniform. Calmly pushed to one side JIAB gets up and knifes a hole in the other arm of his straitjacket. Both of his hands now free as he limps a little to the cell door. He puts his finger up against the ID machine but it refuses him access, saying it does not know his ID. He looks around and thinks.)13

JIAB: Ah, clever me! (He walks towards the dead warden, and throws his pen-knife in the air, catching it with his other hand. As he does so, he bends down and swiftly but quite jaggedly cuts off the index finger of the wardens’ left hand. It looks almost as if he is grimacing as he holds the finger up but then he, grotesquely kisses it with his lips.) My key to freedom huh? He he he! (Presses finger against the machine. The camera focuses on his face as it is identifying the dead warden’s print. Eventually the cell door opens and a sick grin appears on his face. He gently walks out, smelling dank air.14

The camera opens up again in a CCTV positioning, at the corner of a wall where we watch JIAB just getting out of a lift. He starts skipping slowly, laughing sadistically and howling his glee, not caring if he grabs the other warden’s attention. He then stops and looks up at the camera, peering at us as he treads through puddles from the leaks. A wave and then more skipping and jumping as he tosses his rag-tag straitjacket about whilst it’s still on him. We see moments later from another CCTV camera position two bodies of dead wardens lying about as he laughs uncontrollably whilst he jumps in the puddles, flicking himself with the water, his powder coming off on some parts of him. 15

Another flick to a CCTV camera, this time at the reception area where we see JIAB creep up behind a warden sitting down and having a snack to eat. It’s his last one as JIAB sticks his knife into the mans throat and then slams his head onto the control panel, shutting down all cameras and opening the front gate up: his bid for freedom. His laugh echoes.)16

Jilly: Hey John! (She runs to him as he crosses the University park to the front entrance. It’s a sunny day and that means most people are wearing their summer clothes out, you’d be lucky to find a girl in a suit! She’s wearing a floral dress all in one which goes down to around her knees. The bright flowers and white background make her look perky and stunning. He looks on, slightly amazed as she bounces towards him smiling.) How you been? You were ill the last few days weren’t you?!? What did you have? 17

John: Woah there! All these questions! (They both laugh and she keeps smiling. She’s in love with him, but afraid to say anything, but whether or not the feeling is mutual we don’t know. 18

Birds swoop down on the path before them as she tugs at him continuously, in a really hyper mood and people are lazing on the grass or reading the newspaper on a park bench, what happens on most campuses when its nice and hot and the ice cream flows, along with the water fights.)19

Jilly: So, you ok?20

John: I’m fine! What’s with all the caring and stuff?21

Jilly: Just want to know that’s all! Don’t want my ball partner (Nudges him in the ribs and laughs) being ill and not coming do I!22

John: Hey, it’s all cool. You don’t see me for a few days and you go mad for me. Half the time we argue! 23

Jilly: I should stop making it so obvious shouldn’t I? (She looks down at her feet.)24

John: I know what you mean Jill; you don’t have to say anything. It’s real nice and everything but you know…25

Jill: I suppose I do yeah. Your ‘mum’ wouldn’t let me anywhere near you. (She says it as if she is spitting something rotten out of her mouth.)26

John: She’s my sister Jill. I don’t have a mum, not like you. (As she realises what she’s said he puts his hand up to stop her apologising. They walk through the corridor, towards the cafeteria.)27

Jilly: Can I say? There’s something different about you ya’ know? (John stops and looks at her, wondering what she’s going to say to him.) I’m trying, I’m just trying to figure it out and I can’t. I mean, do you normally only wear one of those gloves? (She nods to the fingerless glove he’s wearing on his right. He shuffles backwards a little.) You look bigger John. You been weightlifting or something? (Her eyebrows rose, possibly not believing she just said something like that when it comes to him.) No, I just don’t know. (Just then she spots some of her friends hanging around near one of their lockers and turns to him.) Anyway, got to go and chat about the latest and all that. Take care John. (She leans in to kiss John on the cheek, but he moves suddenly and quite dramatically, bouncing onto some lockers.) Oh… It was only the cheek I was after! (She laughs to save herself from embarrassment and his face goes bright red.)28

John: What’s the matter with me? (He says to himself as he walks on, nodding towards Jilly and her group of friends. He hears one of them say ‘Look how big he is’ in an amazed tone, mixed in with the ‘I want that body’ voice that some teenage girls get when they see ripped bodied guys nearby. He opens the cafeteria double doors and all around is the legions of students like him, eating, fighting, gossiping, staring, throwing food and other objects and queuing. His biggest dislike about the cafeteria was the queue never seemed to end. He quietly joined it, whilst some people he noticed, whilst not necessarily looking about, knew they were staring at him. It was true, he had got significantly bigger in muscle and his shoulders had broadened a bit. His shirts were tighter fitting then they used to be and he wasn’t wearing the glasses anymore. He looked attractive all of a sudden to many of the girls in the cafeteria. As he moved up in the queue the camera focuses on him, flitting on his widening smile of self-satisfaction and the girls that are talking about him and can’t stop looking.) *Start Me Up- The Rolling Stones*29

Oh I’m liking this.30

(As he turns around moments later, he starts walking down the aisles between the benches and chairs full of students. He keeps walking down, balancing his lunch tray and nodding at girls looking at him and then giggling, his smile not wearing off for a second. He starts to swagger a little, winking at some of the ‘lucky ladies’ and decides to sit with some very pretty looking girls who offer him a seat. To many, the geeky skinny boy has had a miraculous transformation.)31

Jilly: Did you just see that girls? (Sitting a few tables away, her gob smacked face is soon replaced with one of jealousy and brewing hatred of men.) Did you lot just see them girls making eye sex with him? (They all nod and carry on eating.) Then, he started winking and bulging those flipping bicep thingies at them! What makes it worse is they were all swooning for him! 32

Girl: He’s not your boyfriend Jill. (She carries on eating her sandwich with Jilly’s face looking like thunder and biting her lips.)33

Bully: Hey pint-size! (He shoves John in the back, his face narrowly meeting his spaghetti bolognaise. The girls he sits with look in with mixed horror and glee. It’s an ex-boyfriend of one of theirs.)34

John: (Gets up and stands toe-to-toe with the huge guy, twice the size of him anyhow.) What was that for?35

Bully: That’s my girlfriend there. (He points at the pretty brunette, who was sitting opposite John.)36

John: Well that’s nice for you. If you wanted to sit next to her you could have asked me to budge up rather than try and give my face a spaghetti makeover. (He doesn’t back down.)37

Brunette: I’m not! He’s my ex… a dick! (She says it with hatred for him. The Bully blocks it out and glares straight at John, who stands firm.)38

Bully: So what were you doing messing with my girl?39

John: I was having lunch with them that’s all. You jealous or something? (He looks around and smiles and catches the look of Jilly, who has stopped eating and looks horrified at the event unfolding.)40

Jilly: Oh god girls… why does he do this to… (We hear a thumping noise and immediately she stops eating again. She doesn’t look but by the gasping by the crowd we guess that John was smacked in the face pretty hard and put on the floor.) I knew that would happen… (She turns around and goes to see what’s happening. Amazingly though, John isn’t on the floor, he’s still standing and the bully/thug is nursing his hand rolling around on the floor in tears.)41

John: Punch me again I dare you. (He says to the bully who looks at him from the floor. As he turns around to sit back down again he see’s a bunch of the bully’s friends running up to him and covering the fallen guy.)42

Bully friend: You take out my friend huh? (He strides towards John with his fist clenched and his teeth gritted. John pushes him away and he goes flying, smashing into a trolley of food that was going by, tumbling over the top of it and getting covered in the leftovers on the trolley. The crowd start laughing and John looks serious, whilst the brunette is suitably impressed and Jilly is still looking on.)43

Brunette: My gosh… you wanna’ be my boy? (She flusters in amazement and gushes)44

John: No thanks. (He walks off and leaves the cafeteria and the trail of destruction that he made with just one hand two guys who tried to push him about.)45

Jilly: Wait up John! (She gets up and dashes off to find him, but it’s too late. He ran out of the university campus horrified at what he had done to two people, even though they probably deserved it, it still doesn’t mean he should have done what he did.)46

John: Christ! Jesus! Christ! (He says to himself as he runs down the pathway of the campus park pushing people out of the way at first and then blatantly overtaking them. To his shock and to many he doesn’t even realise he’s going faster then most pods that are driving about and soon he realises that apart from a dosage of significant strength that he gained from his transformation, that speed and agility have also been improved. He stops running when he reaches a desolate and deserted district of Metropolis some hours later. 47

Its night and he sits on top of a rooftop of a crumbling old building from the pre-war years. He looks into the night sky, it seems darker to him then it did the previous night. The camera closes up on him, showing him looking at the sky and twiddling about with a bit of grass in his mouth, catching his breath and finding peace from all the chaos that has engulfed him the last couple of days.)48

Rafa: Ah, thought you might be around here Mr John! (John swivels around and finds Rafa sitting next to him having a smoke.)49

John: You should quit you know. Get cancer and all that. (He says quietly.)50

Rafa: I should? Cancer these days can be cured. We’re not in the old pre-war years. (He puts out one and lights up another.)51

John: Anyway, how did you know I’d be here?52

Rafa: It’s where you’re little accident happened all those years ago isn’t. That’s how I know Mr John. I know a lot more about you than you think. (He smiles, puffing away.)53

John: See that hole Rafa? (Points at a large hole in the ground about 25 metres away from where they are on the rooftop.) 54

Rafa: Yeah? (Peers to have a look)55

John: That’s the baby I fell down. I’ll never forget that day. Never. (Tears start forming up in his eyes.)56

Rafa: You regret what happened? (Looks at John)57

John: Sometimes I wonder whether I should have been that stupid.58

Rafa: Stupid? Stupid?? (He says it louder) Stupid??? John, you are not stupid! (John looks up at him.) You saved a young girls life! You put your own before god and came away alive!59

John: (The tears start burning into his skin.) But look what I’ve become! I’m a freak! I can’t do anything now without some consequences…60

Rafa: I know, I heard. Jilly told me about what happened. (He pauses as he takes a big puff.) She loves you John. 61

John: I know she does. 62

Rafa: Then do something about it. She doesn’t care that you might have something wrong with you! Probably the only girl I know that wouldn’t care if you didn’t have a head! (He laughs to himself.)63

John: What about Kelly?64

Rafa: Kelly is not your mother. She can never be your mother, no matter how hard she tries, or wants to be. She needs to let you go and spread your wings… and your seeds. (They both laugh a little.) She won’t like it, but she’ll put up with it. Don’t be afraid of what people will think of you John! She is an over-protective sibling who cares too much for you. 65

John: I suppose you’re right… (Flicks grass in the air to the ground.) 66

Rafa: Here, you heard about that man that escaped from the Incarceration Prison District?67

John: (Looks at Rafa weird.) Why are you changing the subject Rafa?68

Rafa: These powers of yours Mr John were given to you for a reason. Use them.69

John: (Jokingly laughs.) Oh no way! No way! I’m not doing some vigilante stuff here with you Rafa. No way! That’s pretty illegal!70

Rafa: So is the glove Mr John. (Nods at the glove)71

John: It’s still a ‘no.’72

Rafa: (Getting serious.) I don’t think you understand Mr John. 73

John: Understand what? I’m not doing that vigilante type thing. I just want a quiet life.74

Rafa: This man killed his way through an escape. 75

John: So?76

Rafa: We’re talking about twenty wardens got it.77

John: Why are you telling me all this Rafa? I’m still saying no.78

Rafa: Tell that to the families.79

John: The police will get him.80

Rafa: No they won’t John! Half of them are corrupt and the other half are too afraid to arrest someone important in case their friend has to kill them for ruining a good payday! This city is crumbling beneath our very feet! You can fix it! You can be something that the city needs! It’s dirty, it’s rotten! It needs cleaning up!81

John: No. End of. (He walks away before an exasperated Rafa.)82

Rafa: You gonna’ walk away from everything in life John? You gonna’ disown your powers? How will you do all that? How will you get away with doing all of that? Ask yourself John… ‘why do I have these?’83

(John turns around and looks at Rafa, straight in the eyes and see’s something in them. The scene blackens out before we open up again.)84

Scene 885

John: Ok… just out of pure interest. (He feels he needs to explain to himself.) Lets just see what I can do. (He takes his glove off and sticks it in his jean pocket. The camera shows the most beautiful view of the world he lives in. John is standing on top of the Statue of Liberty in Central Park, District 1 ‘The old New York.’ He looks around and see’s a 24 hour city, brimming, neon lights flashing from close up and afar. Decadence on his doorstep, people talking to each other, people getting arrested, people sleeping and eating, just doing what they normally do. The Statue towers above anything in ‘The Old New York’ now a breeding ground for poverty and criminals. He senses it would be good to see what he can do in this place, when it’s all quiet. The Sun is rising.)86

Right! (He feels a fireball form up from his palm and it engulfs his hand, becoming one with it. He doesn’t feel any pain, it feels normal to him. He spots a building nearby, maybe 50 metres away, a long jump. He eyes it up and takes a few steps back and confidently turns around to confront it.) *Spiderman theme- Danny Elfman*87

I hope I make it. (He starts running towards the edge of the Statue of Liberty and then gracefully he leaps, feeling the air brush against him, as it seems he’s in mid-air forever and ever till he realises one thing. He isn’t going to make it.) Oh god no!! (Screaming as he plummets down really quickly he puts one hand over his eyes as he prepares for the inevitable and the other stretched out in front and to his amazement and the viewers, a huge green concentration of a beam flies out of his hand and starts smashing through the pavement down below. It’s so powerful it starts to slow his freefall down and he lands on one knee a bit awkwardly. Looking around to see if anyone witnessed what he had just done he brushes himself off.88

He’s determined to see what else he can do, just for his own purposes. The camera opens up with him standing before some glass bottles put atop a brick wall. He starts aiming at them with green bolts of fireballs, realising that as soon as one is thrown at an object, another one replaces it. Soon he starts knocking them down, getting the target first time.89

Next the camera opens up to him confronting his past demons. The hole in the ground that he fatefully fell into. He looks into it and see’s its pitch black, so John leaps down there with bated breath. As he hits the dirty, muddy ground a couple of metres down below, he can see the green specks of radiation floating about, becoming attracted to his body. They start to mould into his skin and he doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t feel afraid anymore, because he knows that it can’t hurt him anymore. In a weird way, he feels as if the green particles floating about in the air, all around him are actually a part of him. A part of his DNA makeup. He closes his eyes and his hand lights up again as he feels relaxed, confident and maybe finally happy with his powers. The specks in their millions floating about around him in a big circle, encompassing him and attaching themselves to John, who just stands there, letting it all happen. He breathes it in, he tastes it, holds them in his hands, rubs them across his skin. They can’t do him any harm; they can’t do what they did to him when he was so young and vulnerable. He is exactly like those radioactive particles that are attracted to him; strangely he feels invulnerable.90

Captain Kryzios: Today, I have called this impromptu press conference so that we can catch a very dangerous criminal. (He’s standing atop of a stage, his stand has multiple microphones on it and behind him is a big screen TV, which he points to and shows JIAB’s face when he was in prison.) This man is Victor Redding, mid thirties, medium height; his natural hair colour is unknown as is the colour of his skin. What we do know though is he is very much a man that was involved in the mafia of Metropolis. In fact he was one of the original underground criminals that were caught and thrown into jail. 91

Reporter#1: (Specs, blonde hair, red lips, wearing a business suit with a skirt.) Captain!92

Captain Kryzios: Yes?93

Reporter#1: How did he escape? We thought the Incarceration facility was somewhere that criminals couldn’t get away from? How many others have escaped then? (She says all this within a plethora of noise from other reporters who are desperate to get their questions across.)94

Captain Kryzios: This man killed many wardens that night. (He says darkly, bows his head a little further down to the microphone.) I don’t think anyone could have stopped him even if they wanted to. He showed no remorse in what can be described as savage, brutal murders of some of our finest citizens in the law enforcement arm of Metropolis. 95

(A stunned silence before a reporter puts her hand up and asks a question, amongst the small talk, the flashes of cameras and the television crews all present.)96

Reporter#2: Is there going to be a reward on this mans head? 97

Captain Kryzios: No. We would advise all citizens to stay well clear and if they do find him, to contact the local police district as soon as possible. We don’t want vigilantes on our streets, next question.98

Reporter#3: Talking of the law enforcement departments like you mentioned earlier, what are the latest figures on crime and the seemingly huge rise in the old New York district?99

Captain Kryzios: Figures haven’t been released yet and that’s not why I called the press conference. (Smiling)100

Reporter#4: Is Victor Redding part of a criminal gang? Could he be taking shelter with, for instance… (Shrugs shoulders) Boss Mario?101

Captain Kryzios: Redding only cares about escaping at the moment. Any criminal gang that is found or known to shelter him will be dealt with in the harshest manner possible. As for Boss Mario, we haven’t heard any crime activity from him or his gang for the last couple of weeks now.102

On that note, are there anymore questions on the escaped prisoner? (He looks around and see’s a hand float up.) Yes?103

Reporter#5: What about the alleged sighting of bright green shape around the Statue of Liberty?104

Captain Kryzios: (Laughs) I’m no expert on UFO’s… on that note, have a good day. (He steps off the platform and with his many senior police officers, they walk down the aisle which is straight down the middle of the conference meeting, with many cameras flashing and lots of mumbling in the background. Nick Kryzios is of Greek heritage and a dark tanned man with the black hair and rather thick eyebrows to go with it. His height is one of about 5’11, in his mid-thirties, wearing the dark blue ceremonial uniform of a Captain. He alone is responsible for the police force of Metropolis and has ruthlessly climbed the career ladder from the lowest rung to the very highest in a very short manner of years. As they get out of range of the press he swipes his hat off and ruffles his receding hair line a little.)105

Glad they didn’t ask about the corruption scandal.106

Lieutenant: I think we all are Captain.107

Captain Kryzios: Its one thing that many of the officers in our police force are turning a blind eye to organised crime, its another that they are being paid for it and some even taking part in the crimes.108

Lieutenant: What will you do about it?109

Captain Kryzios: There’s not much I can do Lieutenant. No matter how much highly spoken of I am by the press or the people, I am just a human who is chief of a corrupt, rotting law enforcement agency. 110

Lieutenant: By doing nothing, you’ll be openly encouraging people to take bungs.111

Captain Kryzios: The guys on the ground Lieutenant, (he stops and turns around pointing his finger a little) do not get enough credits in the first place. That is why they turn to the bung that is why we, the guardians of the law are becoming overshadowed by those who wish to flesh this city with their immoral ways!112

(From a distance away, on top of a skyscraper JIAB looks over at the whole city, putting his pair of binoculars away and standing on the edge of the building. He leans next to a gold statue of a Lion roaring, its mane beautifully sculpted and from far away it may as well look real. Some bits of rust and mould are visible as one gets closer. We see the back of JIAB standing next to the Lion, overlooking the city, its bright lights and the dark ground, along with the smog contrast with the beauty of it. He takes a heavy breath and sighs.)113

JIAB: So that’s him then huh? (Talking to himself or the Lion?) My target! (He strokes the statue mane.)114

We shall see if I’m as easy to pull back in as they think. (A rather large flick knife is pulled out and the blade shows.) We shall see indeed… (Husky with a quiet voice.) We shall see.115

Scene 9116

(The camera opens up to a marble-arched bank with credit signs on the windows and the gothic monolithic architecture suggesting it’s grandiose and the profits it probably makes. It’s on the corner of a busy street with many people walking in and others naturally walking past it to somewhere else. A big park lays opposite to the bank and as it’s another sunny day loads of people are enjoying the weather while they can. Pods are seen flashing by, beeping at each other and people waving their fists and shouting about the congestion at each other. So much is happening on this one street that no one notices the odd looking man also known as Jack-in-a-Box stroll towards the said bank with eight cronies, all dressed in black suits with white ties apart from him. Wearing a grey overcoat in the weather, with black gloves on and a filthy white silk shirt on with tiny rips in it along with the pinstripe trousers.)117

JIAB: Ladies, Gentlemen… (The main entrance double door made out of wood is smashed open.) Girls…Boys, this is a bank robbery! (Amongst the screams we can see him laughing out loud as he wipes his curly fringe coloured hair to one side of his face) Don’t put up a fight (He shoots a security guard who was fumbling for his pistol, which then makes more people scream.) Get down on your fronts and you will not die! Hehehehehehehe!118

(His cronies start taking over the bank as he stands there in the middle standing tall amongst those cowering on the floor. He smiles, a huge grin on his face, opening up the cut from the corner of his lip to his chin once again. The patchy white powder on his face is glistening and some has dried up and come off because of the heat. He turns around and see’s one of his gang members fill a security guard up with bullets before he slumps down the flight of marble stairs. JIAB’s shoes clip-clop on the marble surface of the bank and he looks down at the Persian rug on the floor that customers stand on in the queue. He then looks up again.) 119

Anyone else wanna’ be a hero?120

(He walks up to a cowering teenage boy who is sobbing uncontrollably.)121

Come on, surely someone is gonna’ take me on? 122

(He puts the gun away and pushes the sobbing teenager onto the floor.)123

Ok… maybe not!124

(He looks around and spots the massive circular steel and titanium safe. A smile runs across the horribly scarred face of his and he walks ever so slowly towards it as more gunfire can be heard from the floor above them. Two of his thugs keep an eye on the hostages and another is seen sprinting past him towards the busted double doors to keep an eye out for the police. He gets to the safe and finds a dead security guard slumped up against the wall, his blood spatter all across it. Two of his men are there desperately trying to break into it with the blowtorches, TNT, safe decoding electronic devices and just sheer brute force.)125

JIAB: So this is the honey trap? (He says slowly, looking up at it and then down taking in its size and fiddling with his fingers.) Boys… how’s the work going? 126

Thug#1: This thing is gonna’ be difficult to break into. We don’t know the code and no matter how far we drill into it or anything, without the code, we aren’t going to have the credits boss.127

(Sparks and drilling noises come from the equipment as JIAB looks on. He turns around and clicks his fingers.)128

JIAB: Surely, in our time of technology and whiz-kidderry, (he slips his gun out again and juggles with it in both hands) surely, surely, surely, surely… someone who works here (He emphasises the last couple of words and a few people gasp when they see the gun in his hand as he looks over at the cashiers) must know the safe code hmmm? Shall we see? (The look of terror in the cashiers and accountants faces is unimaginable as he walks ever so slowly towards them, menace in his eyes and glee in what he’s saying.)129

You boy! (He points at a youngish looking accountant whose hands are held up high behind the bullet proof windows of the cashpoints. He looks a bit shaken and as a thug kicks the door down and drags him at gunpoint outside of the office and onto the floor in front of JIAB, whom then starts laughing like a madman.) 130

Tell me, young man, you good soul! Tell me! (He slaps the cheek of the accountant playfully) Come on dear boy!131

Accountant: How would I know?132

JIAB: WRONG ANSWER ARSEWIPE! (He shouts aggressively and puts his scary and scarred face up against the accountants.) Hehehehehee…133

Accountant: I wouldn’t know. 134

JIAB: (Whispering into the accountant’s ear as he grabs his collar) Oh but you would, oh but you do hmmm?135

Accountant: I… (He starts mumbling and flapping and as he does so JIAB aims the pistol right up against his forehead.)136

JIAB: Even if it’s made up you can pretend it isn’t can’t you? (He says innocently, dropping the gun from the forehead of the terrified accountant, pouting.) We can pretend that I don’t know that you’re making one big fat stinking white pure lie! CAN’T WE? (The Accountant starts blubbering again.) Do you know why dear boy? (Whispers again into his ear) Its luck! Life is one big fat straw out of many in a rusty old gold pot! HA! 137

Accountant: Ok…138

JIAB: So you will tell me a lie?139

Accountant: Um, yeah? (He looks unsure of himself.)140

JIAB: Good! Give me the ‘code’ then brother! (He does the quotes signal with his hands as he says the word ‘code’.)141

Accountant: 5…1…7…5… (He grabs onto JIAB’s leg for balance as he carries on blubbering away.)142

JIAB: Boys? Did you get that? (He signals to the two thugs at the other end at the safe. Laughing away at himself he stands there waiting patiently as they start typing it in. They look at each other confused and start typing it in again. Nothing happens. One of them turns around. The hostages look around and seem amazed at the action that’s going on.)143

Thug#2: Wrong code boss!144

(JIAB swivels around and looks at the young accountant, smiling slightly out of the corner of his mouth and rubbing the other end as well, the skin that the overlap on his other side is irritating and he scratches it as he ponders.)145

JIAB: God, I hate liars. (He starts walking away and as he does he whips around and with precise aim shoots the accountant, execution style, almost unrepentantly and coldly. The lifeless body falls back on itself, what remains of his head is dashed across the marble floor.) Oh dear! Looks like someone is gonna’ need a new dress! (He says laughing out loud as he points his gun at a middle aged woman who is sobbing loudly amongst the gasps and outcries. Her dress is covered in his brains. He swiftly removes her from the equation by shooting her several times rather wildly.) Screamers! Liars! Anything else here!?!146

(He looks at the other five horrified accountants and looks at three of his thugs. He smiles out of the corner of his mouth and they draw out their machine guns. On his third count they unleash a torrid spray of armour piercing rounds through the windows into the accountants, whose bodies flail in different directions, flapping and twitching with every hit. The noise stops, everyone is still. Some are sobbing a little but aren’t making any loud noises because of his violent and random tendencies. His thugs reload and scarper in different directions. He doesn’t even need to say but they know he wants the bank manager.147

Outside the bank, people have realised what is happening and pandemonium is striking the street and nearby ones. Traffic is at a standstill as people start running about like headless chickens and the camera see’s a women contact the police.)148

JIAB: Joy at last! (The bank manager is shoved in front of him.) So you must be the sole employee of this bank then yes? (The bank manager looks around and his mouth opens a little when he see’s what happened to the others and the dead security guards. However he stands firm. His wavy cropped ginger hair, the specs he wears are taken off as he rubs them on his shirt and he calmly looks JIAB in the eyes.)149

Bank Manager: Who do you think you are?150

JIAB: Don’t try and be a psychologist! I’ve had three before! (He pulls out his gun again and aims it at the bank manager.) You’re ginger, that knocks five seconds off the time I’m giving you to give me the code! (A perverted smile comes across one side of his face.)151

Bank Manager: I don’t have it on me.152

JIAB: Ten seconds…153

Bank manager: It’s upstairs in my office…154

JIAB: Eight seconds…155

Bank manager: You think I carry that information on me everywhere?156

JIAB: Time is running out! HOO-HOO! (He giggles to himself.)157

(Just then, amongst the panic and strife outside the street the bank is on, Kelly Creed so happens to be the nearest officer to the scene. She starts seeing all this panic and opens up her armband, which has a radio/intercom on it that she can speak into. She starts jogging very slowly towards the bank from the left.)158

Kelly: This is officer Creed, finance district, suspected disturbance coming from Metropolis bank on Parkway road. Over. (She says on her intercom.)159

Intercom operator: Hello, this is 5321. Take care and proceed with caution. 160

(As the intercom message comes through, two loud shots are heard and they ring through the bank and the street it’s adjacent to. More panic and screaming. The camera follows Kelly as she reaches the crime scene and takes cover in a corner, outside the bank, near to the double doors.)161

Kelly: (To intercom operator.) Ok, two loud bangs. Sounds like gunshots. Suspected bank robbery. I need back up, get me back up! (She peers around the corner and can’t see anything.)162

JIAB: Am I killing too many people today? (He asks one of the thugs as the bank manager lies on the marble floor in a slump, blood trickling out of him, just like his life.)163

Thug#3: No boss! 164

JIAB: Get the transport ready chap. We’re making an exit! (He walks towards the Thugs at the safe who’ve been waiting patiently. He grabs one of their kit bags and throws them each a bundle of highly explosive TNT. They look at him clueless.) Boys! We’re gonna’ blow ourselves a hole! HAHAHAHAHAHA! (They start sticking the bundles of TNT out of the kitbags around the safe walls. Another thug gets his machine gun and aims it at the glass ceiling, making a gaping hole.) 165

Dear citizens! A dead hostage is never as useful as a live hostage, so I’m sparing you all! Count yourself lucky that you have proper jobs and that you did as I said! Now, hand me over your jewellery, fine watches, fake earrings and more importantly, your cold, loving credits. All of it. NOW! (He pumps another bullet into the air. A thug starts collecting it all in a bowler hat given to him by JIAB.)166

Thug#2: Boss! Sirens! (We can then hear sirens screeching from a distance. *Stuck in the middle- Steel wheelers* starts playing as we see JIAB’s face light up like a total maniac, revelling in the chaos he wields. The song is supposed to be ironic from the point of view of the scene, which has been very serious and dark.167

We then hear the distant sound of a gunship coming to their rescue. Their getaway transport obviously.)168

JIAB: (Sniffs the air) Mmmm, the sweet smell of destruction… Heheheh! (He walks towards the front of the bank, along with the other thugs who join him and he gets out his detonator.) Now everyone, hope you all have ear protection! (Gasps and screams as he presses the button and the TNT lets rip and blows apart the bank wall which the huge safe was connected to, we switch to Kelly who see’s a rush of smoke and dust come out of the bank doors and more screaming and panicking.)169

YES! YES! YES! There is a god! (He proclaims as he walks towards the safe which is no longer protected by the wall, which has disappeared into rubble and dust. The massive safe, which is a circular room unto itself, is untouched though. No marks on it.170

I would just like to remind all of you that though I’ve let you all live; it doesn’t mean it was my intention! Let’s show Metropolis how Jack-in-a-Box does things here! (His thugs start slapping TNT bundles all around the bank as horrified and crying people look on, some are shouting to be spared but JIAB has gone way beyond that now.)171

Thug#1: Boss! It’s here! (The camera as well as JIAB looks up and we see the armed helicopter/gunship hovering above the bank, one of the men on it drops numerous amounts of chains down which clank onto the marble floor.)172

JIAB: Three minutes! (* Stuck in the middle- Stealers wheel* ends.)173

(Elsewhere though, Kelly has crept into the bank and at the front entrance, just before the double doors which are inside after a hundred metres or so, she sneaks up on a thug and pistol-whips him. He falls down in a crumpled heap and she carries on creeping up into the bank, towards the busted double doors. 174

The thugs start hurriedly connecting the chains and wrapping them around the sphere like safe. JIAB turns around and as he’s about to ask how many cops are outside he’s confronted by Kelly.)175

JIAB: Huh?176

Kelly: Put it down Redding! (She says with a hissing authority.)177

JIAB: If… you say so… (As he’s about to drop his gun and hold his hands up, a security guard that was upstairs and wasn’t killed comes bounding down with a double barrel.)178

Security guard: Who do you guys think you are huh? (Two thugs look around and get blown away as he pumps the lead into them.) Do you guys know who you’re messing with? (Marching towards JIAB as the thugs start cowering, from the shots he aims at them, JIAB slips and scarpers behind the side of a nearby table.) Huh? Who do you lot think you are? (Kelly is distracted and as she realises where he’s gone, she see’s a gun pointed straight at her.)179

JIAB: Unlucky. (He says coldly as he point blank shoots her three to four times. Her body slumps against the corner of the doors. The security guard wonders what happened and as he fumbles frantically to reload, JIAB rushes from cover and shoots him in the gut. The security guard falls like a ton of bricks. JIAB looks down at him, expressionless and walks on. A signal is given and the Helicopter/gunship starts pulling away; the safe moving inch by inch out of the rubble and dust and finally it’s off the ground a little bit. Thugs start clambering onto the safe so they can escape.)180

Thug#1: Boss!181

(JIAB looks at the timer, a minute and a half to go. *Vespertilio- Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard* starts playing as the camera goes to ground and we see his shoes, walking towards the fallen security guard, whom is gasping desperately for air but the more he struggles, the less life he has in him to live.182

JIAB kneels down beside him.)183

JIAB: (He says quietly) who do I think I am? It’s a good question. I had a name… I’m still called by it, I still respond to it, but it’s not me anymore. You know? (He looks at the fallen security guard who looks back at him, his face pale and sweaty. JIAB shakes his head, as if to agree with himself.) It’s not what your name is my friend, it’s not who you are… (He pulls the detonator out of his pocket which now reads twenty seconds.) It’s what you’ve done… (He looks around at the mess and destruction he’s made, the bodies lying everywhere, the hostages all cowering. He pats the security guards head with a handkerchief to wipe the sweat away and then teasingly as he places the detonator just inches away from his hands, he gets up and goes. The camera then watches the security guard try in vain, as the seconds count down before the viewer to get hold of it. We hear in the background the helicopter fly off.)184

MCPD SWAT: This is the SWAT team! Hands up! (Thirty guys rush the bank, looking around with their huge semi automatics for the criminals, but it’s all painfully late. The timer is now on five seconds and as the guard’s fingertips reach the top of the detonator, we realise that JIAB left it there on purpose because he knew that these guys were outside ready to burst in. It was a significantly clever trap pulled off, even though he had got what he wanted, the death and destruction gave him more joy.)185

TV Reporter: Police are outside the bank in numbers and… (Looks around, with the huge crowd watching) They’re going in the bank… (Then a loud explosion followed by several others as the bank blows up and a huge fireball engulfs it and anyone inside and nearby. The TV reporter screams as she runs in the opposite direction along with the hundreds civilians that were watching the siege, the camera gets shaky as the cameraman starts running as well filming the chaos and as he films the huge multiple explosions which blows debris far and wide and anything else, we spot the helicopter with the safe moving away in the distance. * Vespertilio- Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard* ends.)186