Freak Force Issue #1 "You Bet Her Life" Script for Pages 1-18 Written by Augie De Blieck Jr. 09/14/97 PAGE ONE (1) EXT. TRAIN Simple establishing shot of a passenger train rolling through the countryside. The train is traveling from California to Illinois, so terrain should be natural to that region. (I.e. No palm trees!) NO COPY (2) INT. TRAIN. We focus on three seats in a row. It’s a MOTHER, FATHER, and their child BILLY, who is about ten years old, tops. Billy is sitting on middle seat, and visibly squirming in his seat. Mommy is probably knitting and Daddy is probably reading the newspaper or something. Whatever you want them to be doing is OK. In the row behing them, we can see on UNNAMED PASSENGER sitting next to the window, an empty middle seat, and a dapper-looking gentleman on the aisle seat, dressed neatly and wearing glasses with circular rims. He is one of the BROTHERs (“Brother 1”) from Badrock & Company #1, as created by Keith Giffen. He’s checking his watch. 1 BILLY: Mommy? I have ta go ta the bathroom! 2 MOMMY: Again? OK, you know where it is in the back. Go ahead. (3) INT. TRAIN - AISLE BILLY just finished climbing over his mother’s lap and now BROTHER 1 is staring right at him, as Billy is about to walk by. 3 BROTHER 1: Billy? Care to make a wager? 4 BILLY: Huh? Mommy tells me I shouldn’t talk ta strangers! 5 BROTHER 1: And a fine policy that is. But I wanted to bet you that I was faster than you! (4) C/U BILLY’S FACE - SKEPTICAL 6 BILLY: No way, mister! 7 BROTHER 1: AHEM. Way. 8 BROTHER 1: I’ll give you ten dollars if you can get to the bathroom before I can. (5) POV - Back of train. From the front, we can see Billy racing towards the reader, with Brother 1 peeking out from his seat, watching the kid run, a smile on his face. 9 BILLY: (screaming) You’re on! (6) BROTHER 1 looks at his watch, shaking his head. 10 BROTHER 1: (small) Sucker. PAGE TWO (1) BILLY pulls up to a stop, just outside a door labelled MEN, a triumphant look on his face. 1 BILLY: A-HA! I WON! (2) The door to the Men’s Room opens, and BROTHER 2 walks out, taking little notice of the child. NO COPY (3) BILLY’s jaw drops, his eyes go wide, staring at the twin brother. BROTHER 2 takes notice of him now. 2 BROTHER 2: It’s all yours, son. (4) Billy walks in to the bathroom, still visibly shocked. 3 BILLY: Wow. He is fast. (5) Shot of BROTHER 2 standing in aisle next to his brother’s seat. 4 BROTHER 2: Shall we take in some dinner, brother? 5 BROTHER 1: Yes, let’s. PAGE THREE (1) BROTHER 1 and BROTHER 2 are now seat at opposite sides of a dinner table in the train’s dining cart. There is some food left in front of them. They’re talking in a reserved manner, as befits their personage. 1 CAPTION: It wasn’t too long ago these astute siblings were wreaking havoc in California. 2 CAPTION: Their free-wheeling bets led to a confrontation between Pitt and Youngblood’s Badrock. * 3 CAPTION: And their method of getting the two together - using a small child named Timmy - brought them some additional problems, such as child endangerment and kidnapping a minor. 4 CAPTION: All in all, some pretty nasty stuff. 5 CAPTION: Unluckily for them, the judge agreed. 6 CAPTION: * In the first issue of the BADROCK mini- series. -Editor Augie (2) INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE Flashback panel now to one of the brothers in a psychiatrist’s couch, laying down in front of the PSYCHIATRIST. 7 CAPTION: In prison, they were forced into psychiatric counseling. A good recommendation from the counselor as well as good behavior promised them an early release. 8 CAPTION: Unfortunately for them, the psychiatrist didn’t believe the brothers were reformed or even particularly sane. (3) Still in flashback mode, C/U of the brother looking at the reader, one eye aglow. 9 CAPTION: The psychiatrist never stood a chance. Not against their psychic powers of persuasion. (4) EXT. PRISON The TWO BROTHERS are dressed spotlessly in suit and tie, walking free away from the prison. NO COPY (5) INT. TRAIN - DINING CART Back to the TWO BROTHERS eating dinner together. 10 BROTHER 1: So what led you to choose Chicago as our new home, brother? 11 BROTHER 2: Well, for one, we’ve seemed to have irked the L.A. community with our recent escapades. 12 BROTHER 2: And two, Chicago has as heavy a freak population as we could ever hope for. PAGE FOUR (1) They’re still talking. =) 1 BROTHER 1: So shall we pick our next targets, then? 2 BROTHER 2: Indeed. The winner shall be the one whose champion delivers the killing blow. 3 BROTHER 2: Have you chosen your champion, brother? I know I have! (2) BROTHER 1 is holding up a picture of DART. 4 BROTHER 1: Oh, yes. And here she is. Dart. 5 BROTHER 1: Smart. Sexy, in a sado-masochistic way. And prone to fits of emotion. 6 BROTHER 1: And who have you lined up exactly? (3) BROTHER 2 has an excited look on his face. 7 BROTHER 2: Oh, my, I think we have an excellent match-up going here. I am very excited about your pick because she’ll match up so well with my own! (4) BROTHER 2 holds up a picture of RAPTURE. 8 BROTHER 2: Rapture. 9 BROTHER 2: Ex-prostitute, wielder of electricity. Emotional basketcase. And sexy, in a sado-masochistic way. 10 BROTHER 1: (off-panel) Oh, my. (5) The two brothers shake hands. 11 BROTHER 1: I think we may have to triple our wager. I must admit to being very, er, excited about this. 12 BROTHER 2: Yes, it is quite kinky, isn’t it? 13 BROTHER 1: Prison will do that to you, alas. PAGE FIVE (1) SPLASH PAGE - INT. FREAK FORCE HQ - TRAINING ROOM DART and RICOCHET are training together in hand-to-hand combat. RICOCHET has just gone flying past DART, who is shown moving out of the way. They’re in some large training room. Completely plain, bare-bones. Maybe a door on one wall, but for the most part blank and simple. By the way, to further point up the difference between these two, let’s have DART wearing her usual Freak Force costume and RICOCHET wearing something other than her costume - maybe shorts with a t-shirt tucked in, for example. 1 CAP: Presenting Freak Force in a fun little romp we just had to call -- 2 TITLE: “You Bet Her Life!” 3 RICOCHET: I got you -- 4 RICOCHET: -- NOW?!? 5 DART: Your bouncing is cute, Rikki, but a little predictable. 6 RICOCHET: Yeah? PAGE SIX (1) RICOCHET bounces off the wall behind DART, who still has her back turned and is aiming right at her. SFX: BOINGY! 1 RICOCHET: Dodge this! (2) DART ducks, Ricochet goes flying past. 2 DART: OK! 3 RICOCHET: What the -- ?!? (3) RICOCHET bounces into the wall in front of DART now, and looks and acts completely surprised that she didn’t hit Dart there. She’s about to lose here. SFX: BOINGY! 4 RICOCHET: Yeeeoooow! (4) DART catches RICOCHET. Basically, Dart cushions the blow as Ricochet bounces into her. Dart backs up as she catches Rikki. 5 DART: And all I have to do is loosen myself up to catch you so you don’t bounce off of me, too. . . 6 DART: . . .and this fight is won. (5) RICOCHET is now being held up from behind in a sort of bear- hug from DART, who is grabbing Rikki around her waist. Rikki’s feet are kicking, now in mid-air, and her hands are trying to lodge her free from Dart’s grasp. 7 RICOCHET: unghhh. . . 8 DART: You have a lot to learn yet, Rikki. Like how to vibrate and bounce your way out of any situation. PAGE SEVEN (1) DART lets go of RICOCHET, who goes stumbling to the ground, her legs still in motion as she landed. 1 RICOCHET: Ack! 2 DART: Yeah, it’ll take some time. But we’ll ship you into shape, Rikki. 3 DART: You just have to unlearn those street moves and learn to fight with a team, is all. (2) CHELSEA opens the door and sticks her head in. 4 CHELSEA: Everything safe in here? 5 DART: Yes, Chelsea, what is it? (3) CHELSEA, holding a towel, walks over to DART, as Ricochet picks herself up and dusts herself off. 6 CHELSEA: Just got a call from your insurance guy. He’s had to move up the meeting. 7 DART: How far up? The meeting was originally schedule for two hours from now! (4) CHELSEA is looking down, almost afraid to tell DART that the guy is there now. In the background, the insurance salesman walks in -- it is BROTHER 2, looking around at the room. 8 CHELSEA: Now. 9 DART: Oh, my. Rikki, go clean up. Chelsea, I’ll take it from here, thanks. 10 DART: (small letters) Will nothing ever go my way? (5) BROTHER 2 extends a hand in greeting as he approaches DART, who now has the towel draped over her neck. RICOCHET and CHELSEA are out the door. 11 BROTHER 2: Miss August, I’m sorry to interrupt your exercise, but some items regarding your insurance plan have come up that simply must be attended to - post haste. 12 DART: No bother, Mr. Talbot. Let me just change into some more suitable attire and -- 13 BROTHER 2: Oh, no need. 14 BROTHER 2: [thought balloon] What you’re wearing is just fine. Homina homina 15 BROTHER 2: Time is of the essence. (6) BROTHER 2 opens his suitcase and looks perplexed as he digs through it. 16 BROTHER 2: I just need you to look over the plans for -- 17 BROTHER 2: [small] for-- well, it just has to be here. Wouldn’t you know it? 18 DART: Is there a problem? PAGE EIGHT (1) BROTHER 2 puts on an obvious act of showmanship. It’s acting so bad, even Melrose Place wouldn’t believe it. 1 BROTHER 2: It appears that I have, alas, left my papers at my brother’s office. Woe is me! Woe is me! 2 BROTHER 2: I’m afraid I shall have to drag you down to his office forthwith! (2) DART is arching one eyebrow. 3 DART: OK, what the hell is going on? (3) C/U on Brother 2’s eye, as it begins to shine. 4 BROTHER 2: Oh, nothing’s wrong, Dart. Absolutely nothing. 5 DART: [off-panel] Yes. Nothing. (4) PULL BACK to see Dart now staring Brother 2 dead in the eyes, her body gone almost limp under her. She’s firmly in his trance. 6 BROTHER 2: And you want to accompany me to my brother’s office now. 7 DART: Yes. Office. Brother. Now. (5) INT. FREAK FORCE OFFICE - Inside Front Door Chelsea is still seated at her desk. Brother 2 is leading Dart out the door, who is looking like someone in a trance. 8 BROTHER 2: We’re just going to sign some papers, miss. We’ll be right back! 9 DART: Yes, I’m all his. (6) C/U Chelsea 10 CHELSEA: [small] No, she’s mine. She and the rest of the dreaded Freak Force, dammit! PAGE NINE (1) EXT. DESERTED THEATER Establishing shot, again, of the exterior of a theater, located in the city somewhere. 1 CAPTION: Across town. . . (2) INT. THEATER - WIDE-ANGLE This is basically an establishing shot of the interior of the theater, where most of the rest of our action takes place. It’s dark in there, save a spotlight on RAPTURE, standing on-stage. She’s dressed in some sort of period- piece from Shakespearian times - a bodice and a large hoop skirt that starts at the waist and balloons out, landing just on the floor. There’s one other person just barely visible in the audience section. He will later be revealed as BROTHER 1. This is obviously some sort of play rehearsal. 2 BROTHER 1: [tailless] OK, "Sharona Jackson", is it? 3 RAPTURE: Yes, sir. 4 BROTHER 1: [tailless] So what will you be reading from? 5 RAPTURE: Well, I figured since this is a Shakespearean company, I’d read from Romeo and Juliet. (3) C/U on BROTHER 1, a wry smile on his face. 6 BROTHER 1: Ah, yes. Star-crossed lovers. A little deceit and trickery, and lots of death. 7 BROTHER 1: Good choice. Please, act away! (4) RAPTURE on-stage, script in hand, not reading just yet. 8 RAPTURE: [thought] My short time as a TV reporter showed me I can read this stuff. And Dragon says I’ve always been a good actress. 9 RAPTURE: [thought] He’s right, and I won’t tell him how many times I’ve faked it. 10 RAPTURE: [thought] So when this production company opened and had auditions, I jumped at the chance. Never thought I’d be the only one to try out today. (5) RAPTURE now reading from script, dramatically. 11 RAPTURE: Hark, what light through yonder window breaks! (6) A door at the back of the auditorium opens. In it stand the silhouettes of two forms - DART’S and BROTHER 2’s. 12 DART: [screaming] There she is, the bitch! PAGE TEN (1) RAPTURE stands suddenly shocked by DART running up the aisle. 1 RAPTURE: Oh, c’mon, I’m not that bad-- 2 RAPTURE: DART?!? (2) Dart jumps Rapture, taking the two of them sprawling across the stage, screaming all the way. The two brothers can be seen in the background, smiling and watching. 3 DART: How dare you steal Justice from me, you whore! 4 RAPTURE: OOOMPH! 5 BROTHER 1: Oh, very nice. You worked this well, brother. 6 BROTHER 2: Why, thankyou. Your plaudits are quite welcome. (3) Now we turn our attention to the two brothers, as the fight wages on off-panel, as heard only through sound effects and off-panel balloons. 7 BROTHER 2: Shall we alight, then, to our stage above the stage? 8 BROTHER 1: Not yet. I counsel patience in this matter, as I have not yet activated Rapture. She’s acting in strictly a defensive posture. 9 BROTHER 1: And it’s like I always say: The best offense is a good offense! (4) We see RAPTURE flying off stage, landing next to the two brothers. 10 BROTHER 1: Ah, and here’s my opportunity now! 11 BROTHER 2: But only because my enthralled, Dart, just threw her to you, from 10 rows away! 12 BROTHER 1: She clearly had the height advantage of the stage. Now shut up, dear brother. (5) BROTHER 1 looks RAPTURE straight in the eye. His eye is glowing. 13 BROTHER 1: Listen quickly, dear, we haven’t much time. 14 BROTHER 1: Dart up there thinks you’re still a prostitute. 15 BROTHER 1: And she also is sleeping with Dragon. (6) DART now leaps and lands on RAPTURE, who kicks her back, behind her. (In other words, as Dart is about to land on Rapture, Rapture sticks her legs up in the air, “catches” Dart by the feet and uses the momentum to toss Dart over her head.) The two BROTHERS are taken aback and step away. 16 BROTHER 2: I think our work is done here, brother. Shall we adjourn to more, er, safe surroundings? 17 BROTHER 1: Let’s! PAGE ELEVEN (1) RAPTURE leaps on top of DART, but at the last minute, DART lunges underneath RAPTURE, evading her body. 1 RAPTURE: I’m not the whore here! (2) DART runs towards the stage. RAPTURE sees this and points her hands towards DART, a faint crackle of electricity beginning to glow around her hands. 2 RAPTURE: You are! (3) RAPTURE jolts DART with a shock of electricity, sending her jumping up on to the stage. (4) RAPTURE quickly runs up towards the stage, DART still twitching only slightly, her one hand twitching at a dart strapped to her thigh. (5) C/U on DART’s hand as DART manages to grab the dart. (6) The dart is flung at RAPTURE in the direction of the reader. The lunging RAPTURE moves her body at just the last moment to evade it. PAGES TWELVE & THIRTEEN (1) Two-page splash. The dart, stuck in the wall, explodes, sending RAPTURE flying towards DART. Bits of the stage and the wall are flying everywhere. SFX: KRAKA-BOOOOOOOOOOM SFX: CRASH SFX: CRASH SFX: CRASH PAGE FOURTEEN (1) We pull back from the madness to a catwalk above the stage, where the two BROTHERS are fairly giddy about the fight so far. They are visibly happy. 1 BROTHER 1: Well, well, well. Now that was something quite unexpected. 2 BROTHER 2: Quite. Dart’s exploding projectile is certainly a new wrinkle in this fight. 3 BROTHER 1: Mayhaps, but the entropy in this room has just increased exponentially. (2) We now look over one brother’s shoulder as he peers over the catwalk at the two combatants below. Rapture is just getting up, shaking herself a little. Dart is showing less movement. 4 BROTHER 2: Indeed. (3) Rapture is grabbing the back of her head, walking away from Dart. She’s obviously a bit out of it. Confused. 5 RAPTURE: Oh, my head. . . What the hell is going on here? (4) Rapture is walking towards the reader, as Dart is getting up in the background. Dart is grimacing at Rapture and seems a lot peturbed! NO COPY (5) Rapture puts her hands out towards Dart, electricity beginning to warp from her hands. We hear the comments from the peanut gallery of the two brothers above. 7 BROTHER 1: [off-panel, top] Ooh, that certainly got her charged up now, didn’t it? 8 BROTHER 2: [off-panel, top] Yes, it’s quite electric! (6) An electric field extends from Rapture’s hand across the way to Dart’s surprised body. 9 RAPTURE: I’m magnetizing your darts. They’ll act like magnets in whichever direction I point them to. (7) Rapture looks up, and we can see where she’s looking - the two brothers in the catwalk above. 10 RAPTURE: And I choose -- 11 RAPTURE: UP! PAGE FIFTEEN (1) Small panel. One brother looks to the other, in shock. There’s a stunned look on his face. 1 BROTHER 1: Oh, dear. I do believe the jig is up. (2) Small panel. The brothers scream at each other and get ready to jump in opposite directions. 2 BROTHERS: JUMP! (3) Large panel, filling up the rest of the page. The two darts crash into the underside of the catwalk, causing quite the explosion. The two brothers go diving in opposite directions, amidst the debris. (It should be noted that the whole catwalk does not collapse at this. It just ends up looking like the middle part is destroyed. So the brothers are safe, although shaken, in the end.) SFX: CRASH SFX: BOOM SFX: BANG!!! PAGE SIXTEEN (1) Rapture stands stunned, wiping some sweat off her brow. Dart has a dart in her hand. There’s rubble from the explosion of the catwalk all around her, maybe a puff of smoke here and there. 1 RAPTURE: Whew, thank goodness that’s over with! (2) C/U on Dart’s face, looking up at Rapture. 2 DART: Is it? (3) Dart begins to walk towards Rapture, with deliberate anger. Rapture is stunned by this and takes a step back. 3 RAPTURE: Whoa, Dart! This was all their plan! 4 RAPTURE: Whatever they told you - it was a lie. (4) Dart stops, bends forward, brings her hands to her head. It’s obvious she’s in sudden pain, like that from a migraine headache. 5 DART: uuunnngghh 6 DART: [whispering] No. (5) Dart crumples now to her knees, bending over, her head practically in her knees. She’s crying. 7 DART: I am in control. I must be in control. 8 DART: [small lettering] sob (6) Long shot now. We see Rapture standing over Dart, both in silhouette. 9 RAPTURE: You are, Dart. You are. PAGE SEVENTEEN (1) EXT. WAREHOUSE It’s a bit later. The two brothers are slumped up against the wall, and Dart and Rapture stand in front of them. The brothers begin to stir. 1 RAPTURE: Well, well, look who’s waking up, Dart. 2 DART: My insurance agent? 3 RAPTURE: And my director, too. (2) The two brothers get to the feet, and take a step apart. 4 BROTHER 1: Well, we’re certainly glad you didn’t tie us up. 5 BROTHER 2: No, we’re not. We rather enjoy that, actually. (3) Dart is looking at one brother. Her back is to Rapture, who is looking at Brother #2. 6 RAPTURE: Don’t worry. The CPD will be here shortly with handcuffs. We think you’ll like. 7 BROTHER 2: We can’t actually allow that. I’m sorry. (4) C/U on the eyes of Brother 2. They’re starting to glow. 8 BROTHER 2: Such a waste, but we must be going. (5) Rapture and Dart drop to the ground. 9 RAPTURE: DUCK! (6) The two brothers are now staring into each other’s eyes, glowing full force. 10 BROTHER 1: Wait! 11 BROTHER 2: What -- ? 12 DART: Too late! (7) Rapture walks up to Brother 1 and taps him on the chest. SFX: PLUNK 13 RAPTURE: Yup, he’s frozen solid. He ain’t going anywhere. SFX: [ALONG BOTTOM OF PANEL] WHOO-OOO-OOO-OOO PAGE EIGHTEEN (1) It’s a bit later again. Now there are three Chicago Police Department squad cars and one police van outside the warehouse. OFFICERS DRAGON and WILDE are amongst the gathering of cops. You can put in JON DAY, too, and whoever else you’d like in this scene as cops. Rapture has just spotted Dragon and runs up to him. 3 RAPTURE: Dragon! Am I glad to see you! 4 DRAGON: Aw, two crooks for me? (2) Rapture and Dragon hug. 5 DRAGON: You shouldn’t have! 6 DRAGON: Are you OK? These two are real slimeballs. I’m surprised Freak Force wasn’t out hunting them down. 7 RAPTURE: Oh, I’m just fine. (3) Rapture throws a thumb in the general direction of Dart, who stands in the background, watching the cops haul off the brothers. They are being hauled off in a most interesting way. Since they are frozen in position, the officers are pushing them onto handcarts and carting them into the police van. This should be seen in the background during this entire page, really, as best you can. 8 RAPTURE: Dart’s a little upset that she could lose control like that, but, well... 9 RAPTURE: I’m used to not being in control. (4) Dragon pulls out a pair of handcuff, a slight gleam in his eye. 10 DRAGON: If it’ll make you feel better, you can cuff me tonight. (5) LONG SHOT. Rapture and Dragon kiss. Dart stands in the background. Police cars continue to flash their lights. The stars shine brightly. 11 CAP: Fin