WHAT IF . . . FEATURING THE RUNAWAYS
by
MORAL MARK
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: As in my other more recent fics, this is written in rough comic book script style with very little page information and limited panel/scene direction; instead, the script is broken down into specific scenes. Also, the script is slightly modified to maintain a level of suspense for the casual reader.
And once again, typical disclaimer - Marvel owns Runaways, the Watcher (or resemblances to) and any other Marvel properties created (or employed).)
SCENE 5 - COLLAPSE
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Unlike previous scenes, numbered parentheticals indicate sequence cuts, not panels)
(1)
Early evening. Large, open office room with rows of drafting tables. Usually full of drafters and architects, the room is occupied by only a littler of people, five at most.
(2)
Security lobby. Two security guards are at the monitor desk when Nico and Karolina enter through the front door.
SECURITY GUARD 1:
(at Nico and Karolina)
Sorry, ladies, we're closed for the evening.
NICO:
Leave.
SECURITY GUARD 1:
(confused)
Excuse me?
NICO:
Get out of here. Evacuate. Leave.
SECURITY GUARD 2:
(drawing night stick)
Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you and your friend to -
KAROLINA:
You don't have a lot of time, and we don't want anybody to get hurt. So whatever security or janitors you have on shift tonight, and anyone else working late - We're telling you right now, get out of here.
Security guard 2 steps out of the monitor desk, approaching the girls. Security Guard 1 reaches for his radio.
SECURITY GUARD 1:
Control, this is Lobby. Request additional support immediate -
Karolina fires a light blast at security guard 2, knocking him out.
SECURITY GUARD 2:
Oomph!
Two other security guards at the end of the lobby hallway witness this and rush over to the scene. Nico pulls out a switchblade and cuts her left forearm.
NICO:
When blood is shed - let the Staff of One emerge!
(3)
Back to drafting room. Molly, Chase, and Gert enter the room, and the few employees who are there look up.
GERT:
Excuse me, but we're looking for Summer Farrington. If you're not her, then I suggest you leave.
DRAFTER 1:
Young lady, I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just come in here without permission and -
Gert steps aside as Old Lace prowls forward, menacingly looking at the band of employees.
OLD LACE
RRRRRRRRR
CHASE:
We're not asking. We're telling.
(4)
Archives room. The place is a mix of neatly organized blueprints and highly sophisticated server units. A middle-aged woman is frantically trying to juggle some sets of plans and talk into her cell phone at the same time.
WOMAN:
I want you home as soon as you can, okay? I'll . . .
. . . you're taking the bus? Which route? Sixteen to Forty-Two, or Sixteen to Thirty-Eight? Well, why don't you just meet me at Thirty Eight since you're going there? Thirty-Eight is right outside the office . . .
(5)
Drafting room. A brunette woman makes herself known amongst the employees.
SUMMER:
I'm Summer Farrington. What do you want?
GERT:
You're the chief architect for the West Coast Avengers tower, right?
SUMMER:
Yes, I am, but it's an old project. I -
GERT:
We want all the electronic files you have on it right now. We also want the files for the tower's underground expansion annex as well.
SUMMER:
The expansion annex and the main building files are both in archives.
GERT:
Good. Now please, get the rest of your people out of here.
(6)
Lobby. Karolina takes out two more guards when a group of seven emerge from the stairway and charges at the two girls. Nico plants the butt of her staff on the ground.
NICO:
Take five!
The guards suddenly drop on their knees, their arms dropping lazily to their sides as they all wear a relaxed look on their face.
NICO:
That should hold them long enough.
(7)
Leapfrog cockpit. Alex is talking through a headset.
ALEX:
Good. LSD, Sister Grimm, continue working on evacuating everyone. See if you can get a count of how many people are inside, and make sure we get the same number out the building.
Blue team, report.
(8)
Hallway. Chase is in the rear, Molly and Gert side by side. Old Lace is up front, menacingly forcing Summer along.
CHASE:
You can chill with the "away team" talk, Captain Sisqo. We found that architect lady, and OL's doing a good job moving her in the right direction quickly.
OLD LACE:
RRRRR
SUMMER
(pointing to a door)
There. Archives.
GERT:
Get us in.
Summer slides her ID card into the keycard lock. The door slides open, and the group enters.
(9)
Archive room. The woman continues to talk in her cell phone.
WOMAN:
Well, I'm not happy you ran off with your friends to downtown without telling me first . . . over-reacting? You call a mother caring for her boy over-reacting? I -
. . . hold on, let me call you back.
The woman flips off her cell phone as she notices Summer enter, then a particlarly large deinonychus enter. She instantly hides behind a bookshelf out of view, then slowly peeks her eyes around the corner, watching Gert, Molly, and Chase enter.
SUMMER
(pointing to a more high-tech vault door)
There. That's where our high-security projects are, including the West Coast Avengers projects.
The vault room faces the glass window wall.
GERT:
Get us in.
SUMMER:
The code has been reset. Only a SHIELD member or an active Avenger can get in.
GERT:
(looking at Chase)
Guess we have a way around that, don't we?
Chase draws a narrow stream of fire from his fistigons and begins torch-cutting the door. Old Lace continues watching over Summer.
Meanwhile, the woman flips on her cell phone and dials emergency.
WOMAN:
(nervously whispering, small font text)
Yes, emergency? I think we have a situation . . .
(10)
Leapfrog. Alex watching over consoles
KAROLINA
(over intercom)
Evacuation's almost complete. We just have the ones on the second floor left, and we'll be okay.
ALEX:
Roger that, Lucy in the Sky. Continue on, Red Team.
On the radar, a red blip appears, and it is approaching the center of the screen.
ALEX:
Oh crap.
NICO
(over intercom)
What?
ALEX:
We got incoming.
(11)
Archive room. Molly punches the newly cut vault room, and it collapses down.
SFX:
THOOM!
MOLLY:
Yes!
GERT:
Yo Alex, we're in. We're going to stick that flash drive in, but we'll need those codes you have to break through the -
ALEX:
(over earpiece)
No time! Excelsior's on their way! We gotta go now!
GERT:
But the plans! We still need to download -
ALEX:
It takes at least twenty minutes to download the file! They'll be here in less than five!
CHASE:
Then we go with other half of the plan. We blow the place.
ALEX:
But your fistigons still need to charge after cutting the door down! We need at least 80 power to generate the blast we need to destroy those protected Avengers drives! And they're supposed to be friggin' Hulk-proof, so we need as much juice from your Fistigons as possible!
CHASE:
I got just over 82. Alex, swing around the north side of the building.
ALEX:
But Chase -
CHASE:
Just do it, bookworm.
(12)
Front entrance of building. A teenage boy steps out of a bus, putting his hands in his pockets as he notices a swarm of security guards and random people dash out of the building.
BOY:
What the hell?
SFX:
KKREEESH!
The boy looks up as a good portion of the second story window wall shatters open. A green aircraft then swings around the corner of the building, facing the newly made opening as its cargo bay doors swing open.
(13)
Archive room. Chase's palms are wide open, indicating he blew the window. Molly and Gert climb onto Old Lace.
MOLLY:
Um, you think she can make it with all of us on top of her?
GERT:
(caressing Old Lace's head)
She's going to have to.
Chase hops on top of Old Lace, then looks at Summer Farrington as he extends his hand out.
CHASE:
Come with me if you want to live.
(A/N: Yes, this is totally an Arnie moment.)
Old Lace then faces the leapfrog's open doors, then begins to dash towards the blasted window wall. Old Lace leaps out, and just barely makes it into the leapfrog. All of them tumble inside, hitting the walls fairly roughly.
GERT:
Unf!
CHASE:
(getting up, pointing at Summer)
You guys watch her. I got this.
Chase extends his fistigons out, as a yellow ball of fire rapidly grows. He aims the ball at the opened vault in the building.
(14)
Front entrance. Nico and Karolina are the last to charge out of the building.
NICO:
Chase, you crazy sonofabitch!
KAROLINA:
(to one of the drafters)
Hey, is everyone out? The building's clear, right?
DRAFTER:
Yes, I think so, We're all -
(suddenly shocked)
Oh god . . .
KAROLINA:
What?
Oh god!
KAROLINA:
WHAT!
DRAFTER:
Marianella . . . she was in Archives. She might still be in there!
KAROLINA:
Oh Jesus.
NICO:
CHASE, WAIT!
(15)
Nearby, the boy, still looking up at the blown window, suddenly notices someone inside the building, and it instantly hits him it is somebody important to him.
VICTOR:
Mom?
(16)
Leapfrog. Chase's energy ball is nearly at its max size.
NICO:
(over intercom)
CHASE -
SFX:
FSSHHOOOOM!
As Chase releases the energy ball, he suddenly sees Marianella still in the building. His eyes widen in shock, as it rapidly hits him what he has just done.
CHASE:
(small text):
Oh my God . . . .
(17)
SFX:
BRRAAATOOOOOOM
The energy ball hits the side of the building. Waves of fire vertically ripple through all sides of the building.
(18)
Front entrance. The leapfrog settles to the ground. Inside, Chase is slumped on his knees, looking at his fistigons in shock and horror.
CHASE:
(small text)
Oh my god . . .
GERT:
(to Summer)
Lady, you better go.
CHASE:
(small text)
What have I done?
SUMMER:
(point angrily at all of them)
You . . . you terrorists! You killed her!
GERT:
(angrily)
JUST GO!
Old Lace growls at Summer as she runs outs of the leapfrog. Nico and Karolina, meanwhile, are quickly making their way towards the leapfrog.
NICO:
What the fuck, Chase? What the hell is wrong with you!
CHASE:
(stammering)
I . . . I . . .
Suddenly, a white bolt of electricity shatters the concrete behind Nico and Karolina.
SFX:
SSSKRAAKA - KRAKOOM
All of the runaways turn around to face what's going on. A teenage boy walks towards them, tears in his eyes as it glows blue-white. Electricity pours out of his mouth, and larger bolts of electricity pour out of his fingertips, sweeping the ground and licking around his arms.
VICTOR:
You . . . killed her. You killed my mom . . .