1 Month Earlier
The headline of the papers all across the city read "The Shadowlord hangs his cape forever, will evil gain a foothold once more?" The Shadowlord didn't care anymore, he simply could not protect the citizens of the entire city from its enemies. So he retired officially in front of the press worldwide, then in a brilliant flash of white disappeared forever never to be seen again. When he returned to his comfortable abode he felt restless, there was crimes being committed and he knew it yet those days were behind him now. He still had a job to do but it wasn't the same, it was true that he had a love for all things digital and he took joy in that but the videos he made were all of the heroics of the Shadowlord.
Just then the phone rang, it was Helsan, "Thank goodness" he thought, Helsan always knew how to cheer him up, he told him that there was a movie that they could do together as actor and director. He sat back and wondered what type of movie this would be, Helsan had good intentions but he picked horrible movies almost infallibly, "what kind of movie are we talking about Hels? Is this another one of those metaphorical shoots where I sit there filming a staircase for three hours, because if so then count me out." "Woah, woah, woah, this isn't another Wooden Staircase, this is being done by professionals. They saw your work on the Shadowlord and thought that you could make great action movie material, come on please this could be my big break."
He thought for a while on this then replied, "Fine, where is it being shot?" "The Dark Tower", he started laughing hysterically for about a minute straight then said "no really, where are we shooting?" "I already told you, it's the perfect spot for the holobike jump scene," that's when he realized Helsan was being serious. "But Hels, you know that that place is cursed, everyone in this city know that, why would you even consider something like that?" Silence emanated from the opposite end of the line, then sound returned saying "I don't know I just thought that maybe my making it big time would be important enough to you to overlook some silly superstition, but hey there's always next time, right?"
Now he felt horrible inside, the guilt gnawed on his mind as he tried to process how to respond, "Well, I guess I could-" "thanks, you're the best man. The shoot is next week on site, bring all your gear, bye!" Actors, they play with your mind but steal your heart, that's what happened in Helsan's case anyway. After the fire that sent him to live in the streets he was just another kid but Helsan would always give him food, drink, or the occasional pair of shoes. Eventually he decided to take him home to live with him, the house was enormous, especially when compared to the alley he used to live in, his parents weren't around much so they hadn't even realized that their son had essentially adopted a street urchin by the time he decided to strike out on his own. Since then they were inseparable, he still couldn't fully repay him for that so he began to pack the most expensive cameras and equipment so as to make a perfect first impression of his best friend. Once packed he settled down for bed, "after all" he thought, tomorrow will be a big day, only afterward did he realized how very true that was.
8 Hours Later
He arrived on set first thing in the morning, the set was still being put up and the staff was wandering about without instruction, "This is what they get for not hiring a director before beginning to film" still he enjoyed it. He was great at leading workers about, he called to a random employee that was pushing about a rack of costumes and asked who was in charge, the man simply pointed to the set and said "the one in the director's chair." He exploded on the inside with rage and began to stomp toward the set, the man sitting in his chair was faced the opposite way when he marched up to it, in one swift movement he yanked the chair and the man inside around. It was none other than Helsan, he tried to remain angry but it immediately melted when he saw his best friend again, "You made it!" he exclaimed, then pulled him into a big hug. "I'm so glad you're here, trying to contain this mess has been a disaster, please help me" with that he got to work setting up order with the staffing and within half an hour he had everyone working as a well oiled machine.
Helsan watched in amazement and when he was finished gave a standing ovation "I don't know how you do it but that was incredible, you're going to win a Silver Star for this one I just know it!" he was flattered but focused so he accepted then shooed him off, the first scene was being filmed in the lobby so he led the camera crew through the dusty, french doors. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck but he ignored it, nothing could distract him now from shooting the scene, he flicked the lights on, poised the camera, and yelled action. Helsan stood in the center of the room and quoted all his lines exactly, the emotion filled the air as the suspense accumulated then all the lights went out in the blink of an eye, a scream emanated from his right then a sound like scratching fell away to his left. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice, Helsan screamed as he was dragged away also, "Helsan! Helsan!" he screamed in return but nothing but silence could now be heard.
He prepared to go after him when something large and heavy smote him right in the head, he dreamed of Helsan's face as it was pulled away, the darkness held him down and he couldn't yell after him. When he awoke there was no sign that the set ever existed, all the cameras were gone, the people vanished, and the dust had settled back where it had been, he ran as fast as he could out of the building and tried to alert the authorities but no one would listen. That's when he came up with the most complicated and risky plan he'd ever set into motion, clearly the authorities wouldn't deal with it so he called on the people he knew that wouldn't mind disobeying them, after all they do it all the time.