DARK ANGEL

DARK ANGEL

Season 2

All I Am.

FADE IN:

EXT. WOODS - NIGHT

A full moon rises over a white blanketed expanse of meadow partially dusted with powder. In the distance, a dark wall of pine rises into the crisp, blue-black night. Suddenly a young woman, in her mid-twenties, races into frame running for all she's worth. She wears only a nightgown, no shoes.

The scene is identical to the opening scene in the Pilot except it is an adult MAX who is running this time.

In pursuit are three soldiers clad head to toe in black BDU's, all carrying rifles with high power tazer attachments.

An XCU reveals their leader to be BRIN.

EXT. Fence - NIGHT

MAX races up toward a large fence with barbed wire across the top. She skids to a stop in a crouched position and without looking back, leaps.

As she sails over the top she makes contact with the razor wire, but makes it over.

An XCU of the razor wire reveals traces of blood. We pan down and focus through the fence to see Max on the other side crouching, holding her wounded leg.

CUT TO:

A small flow of blood gently trickles down her thigh. She catches the drip on he fingertip and examines more closely. Then licks her finger and keeps running.

EXT. fence - NIGHT

Brin and the other two soldiers close on the fence. Without breaking stride they leap it, and clear it, without making contact. They land on the other side unharmed.

EXT. wOODS - NIGHT

Max creeps quietly and quickly through the brush, scanning the terrain in night vision. She hears a rustle from behind her and spins just in time to avoid a tazer that impacts on the tree behind her.

Brin leaps at her and the two exchange blows. Each powerful blow perfectly countered until finally Brin makes contact with Max and sends her reeling. Max falls to the ground with a look of pain and surprise on her face, but it quickly turns into a blinding feral rage. Max leaps back up and comes at Brin. This time the attack is not a measured and skilled assault, but a furious and violent animal attack. Brin is caught off guard and Max grabs her tazer rifle, still tethered to the tree, and begins to beat Brin with it like a club, until Brin is motionless.

She hit's a button on the rifle and the tazers yank themselves from the tree and draw back into the rifle.

As she looks up she sees another black clad soldier staring at her down the barrel of the tazer. Their eyes meet through the soldiers goggles, and they pause for a second.

DISSOLVE TO:

Flashback of Max being shot by her younger clone.

CUT TO:

Suddenly Max's tazer fires, hitting the soldier squarely in the chest. The soldier twitches for a long moment and stops. Max takes a step closer to the fallen soldier, and reaches for her mask, but before she can look, she see's the third member of the team in the distance and she runs off with the third soldier in hot pursuit.

FULL SCReen

The screen fills with the familiar red, white,and blue imagery of an Eyes Only Streaming Freedom Video.

Logan

This is an Eyes Only Streaming Freedom Video Hack. It cannot be Traced, it cannot be stopped, and it is the last free voice in this city.

Several images pop up on the screen.

LOGAN

These people look just like you and me, but they're not. They are monsters.

Logan continues to "Preach", but his tone quickly turns from the quiet voice of reason to one filled with anger and hate.

Real monsters. Not genetically altered victims who had no say in what happened to them, or to their lives. These rich and powerful bastards should all be punished.

CUT TO:

INT. Logan's Apartment - DAY

Logan swats a key on his keyboard, shoves the camera away and leans back in the chair.

A moment passes.

He leans forward and plays back his tirade watching intensely. He clicks a few keys, and on another monitor an old Eyes Only Broadcast begins to play. It is the one when he warned the X-5's that they had been compromised. He reaches over and touches the screen tracing a finger under his eyes.

Logan's POV

He looks from one monitor to the other. There is a noticeable difference between his eyes from the old broadcast, and the new one.

Bling

Good thing you stopped doing those live, huh.

Logan turns from the computer to face BLING. For the first time we see his apartment is in disarray and Logan is in his wheelchair. Papers are on top of boxes. Empty spaces where once he had valuable art work.

LOGAN

Yeah. What are you doing here?

BLING

I stopped in to say hi. It's been a while.

LOGAN

Well, not to seem ungrateful, but I'm kind of busy.

BLING

I can see that. You're busy grinding your ax.

LOGAN

Look, you don't work here any more. You don't have to keep coming around.

Logan rolls past Bling and out into the kitchen.

INT. LOGAN'S kitchen - DAY

Bling follows Logan into the kitchen.

BLING

I thought I was more that just an employee. I thought we were friends.

Logan pauses.

BLING

Was I wrong?

LOGAN

No.

(pauses and turns)

I'm sorry. I'm just having a hard time...

BLING

Getting over her.

Logan shakes a few pills out into his hand and pours himself a glass of cold water.

LOGAN

No!

(winces and shakes his head)

I mean... with work.

Bling see's the pills and looks concerned. Logan takes a sip and pauses to add something, but then starts deeply drinking the water.

BLING

Maybe you need a break. You should get out of this house.

Logan finishes gulping down the glass of water.

LOGAN

It's not like I can afford to go anywhere.

Logan pours another glass.

BLING

You forgot to eat again, didn't you? Why don't you let me treat you to lunch?

LOGAN

Look, I was trying to save the world before Max ever entered my life, I can't stop now just because she's... gone.

BLING

Logan, you have stopped. When I met you, you were dedicated to a cause.

For the past year you've been trying to get revenge. Revenge is no substitute for grieving.

LOGAN

These are exactly the kind of criminals I should have been going after all along. Instead of wasting my time with local...

BLING

Wasting your time! You call nailing Mayor Steckler wasting time? What about saving kids from Bronks, or stopping the hover drones. Seems to me you used to help real people.

LOGAN

I exposed those gun runners.

BLING

You did a hell of lot more than that before you decided to make nailing Manticore your number one priority.

LOGAN

I didn't get to say goodbye, Bling. I didn't... I didn't get to say a lot of things.

Bling looks at him with a sympathetic expression.

LOGAN

I... It just doesn't... feel like she's gone.

FADE TO BLACK.

INT. Renfro's Office

Brin and the other soldier enter the office. RENFRO looks up from her desk and see's Brin's battered face. She get's and faces them.

Renfro

What the hell happened out there?

Brin

Ma'am. The nomol.... I mean... The X2, 109447073452 escaped us.

RENFRO

What?! Do you have any idea how much damage she can cause out there?

BrIN

I'm Sorry Ma'am. I was overpowered.

RENFRO

I can see that.

Renfro approaches the other female X5, still in full tactical gear.

RENFRO

What about you, X5-452. You couldn't stop her either?

From behind, the soldier pulls off her helmet, goggles and mask in one movement. We slowly pan around her to reveal that this is the REAL Max. She responds, however, without the wise cracking or rebellion of the Max we knew.

MAX

Sorry Ma'am. The X2 managed to gain a weapon. I was incapacitated as well.

RENFRO

I am very disappointed with you, both of you. 734... Get your self to the infirmary. I want you operational again as soon as possible.

BrIN

Yes Ma'am.

Brin turns to leave.

RENFRO

452. I want to talk to you.

Max and Brin exchange a look. Brin leaves. Max Braces at attention. Renfro walks around in front of Max and sits on the desk.

RENFRO

Tell me, what exactly happened 452.

MAX

(sounding off)

I came upon...

RENFRO

At ease soldier. At ease.

Max takes a step to the side and places her hands behind her back.

MAX

I came upon Brin and X2... And the X2.

Renfro see's her reluctance to state the designation of the her previous clone, and jumps in.

RENFRO

X2-452.

MAX

(uneasy)

Yes Ma'am.

RENFRO

It must have been very hard to look at her.

MAX

I... No Ma'am.

RENFRO

It's ok to be confused. You are X5-452. I know that your time away from us has given you several funny ideas about, oh lineage. Respect for elders. But that's not how it works here.

Renfro draws he hand up to he mouth. Then she stands and walks around behind Max, placing her hands on her shoulders.

RENFRO

You are much more valuable to us than she is. That's why we wanted you back so badly. Look at the progress you've made in just under one year.

Max's eyes drop to the floor.

RENFRO

What's a matter?

MAX

I remembered something.

RENFRO

Really? That's great. You see, I told you if you kept up with your treatments and learned to trust us again, you would eventually remember.

Renfro moves back around behind her desk and leans back in her chair.

RENFRO

What did you remember.

MAX

It's not clear.

RENFRO

(leaning forward)

Oh, that's Ok! Just tell me what you what it was. Remember, talking it out helps.

MAX

It was girl. She looked exactly like me when I was younger. She... She shot me.

RENFRO

I'm not going to lie to you 452. That did happen. When you came back to us... You were very sick. You spent almost 10 years out there with the scum, and the degenerates. They made you do some terrible things. Including hurt your family.

MAX

I'm sorry Ma'am.

RENFRO

It wasn't your fault. No. You know who's responsible.

MAX

Colonel Lydecker.

RENFRO

And that mouth piece of his, Eyes Only. That's why it's so important that you keep working to remember. We have to bring them to justice for what they did to Tinga, and Zack.

MAX

I will Ma'am. We will.