by EmeraldEyes14, Sep 9, 2012, 12:31:43 PM
Written by TallDarkAndBishoujo
Scene 1 The setting is a mildly busy street of average appearance. It is a slightly cloudy day. There is background noise from vehicles and chatter. The camera is set as if the viewer is moving through the crowd beside Master, MEIKO and KAITO as they walk down the street.KAITO: [looks at Master.] Where exactly are we going? MASTER: [continues to look ahead.] It's nowhere special, just an old warehouse. MEIKO: (excited) Is there another secret lab there? MASTER: No, not at all. KAITO: (still hopeful) There must be something special about this warehouse, though, right? MASTER: (amused) I'm serious. It's just an old warehouse. It's been completely abandoned for…let's see…well, for as long as I know. I once used it when I needed extra space for projects. MEIKO: (disappointed) Oh. MASTER: Which I guess is the reason we're going there now... We need the space. The two of you have to learn to use your powers effectively. KAITO: Eh? But we've already managed to use them to save Miku. MEIKO: Easily. Those guys were pushovers! MASTER: I know you did exceptionally well and I'm proud of you for that. But you can't expect those two girls to go through the same motions forever. They'll be gaining new abilities all the time and you've got to make sure that they don't catch up. You'd have been in trouble if they had learned to ice-skate, let alone gained unique powers of their own. [They take a turning and leave the main street. The new street is lined with old industrial buildings and sites that are rusted and appear to all be out of use. Nobody else is on this street. The background noise gradually fades away as they walk further.] MEIKO: Okay, I get it now. But why isn't Miku with us too? MASTER: When I was creating Miku, I programmed her with a Battle Mode at the same time. She's always had the ability, so using it comes naturally to her. However, neither of you had any experience with your Battle Modes until yesterday. You need to grow accustomed to them manually, by learning to work with them. MEIKO: (weary) Aw, work. MASTER: It's not proper work. I think you might actually have fun. KAITO: (encouragingly) Yeah, cheer up, Mei! [They reach the exterior of a large warehouse building, worn down in a similar way to the other industrial sites on the street. It is painted grey, but the paint is peeling off. There are no windows and the entrance is through two black double doors. Master opens the doors and he walks through into the warehouse, followed by MEIKO and KAITO.] Scene 2 Inside the warehouse. The interior is comprised of one large, plain room. There are a few long metal shelves neatly arranged in spaced-apart rows with many boxes, crates and barrels stacked on them, but most of the warehouse is empty space. [MEIKO and KAITO walk to the centre of the room. They transform and then look around. MASTER stays close to the doors. After a few seconds, KAITO turns back to face MASTER.] KAITO: (confused) What are we meant to do? It's an empty room. MEIKO: [still looking around] I don't know. Fight to the death? KAITO: (laughing nervously) Eheheh…funny… MASTER: No! [gestures towards one of the shelves] There are plenty of materials for you to practice on here. MEIKO: (in excited realization) You mean you brought us here to blow stuff up? MASTER: (uncomfortably) I wouldn't phrase it quite like that… [KAITO walks up to a shelf and examines some of the materials.] KAITO: (cautiously) So we're just going to destroy all of these things? [turning to MASTER] Are you sure there isn't something here you'd rather keep? MASTER: [shrugs] Most of it is waste packaging from the company who owned the warehouse before, and I myself made sure not to leave anything useful behind. [MEIKO takes a small wooden crate off a shelf and walks to MASTER carrying it.] MEIKO: You couldn't even use any of this? Too bad. [MEIKO shakes the crate and metallic rattling is heard from inside.] MASTER: (suddenly hopeful) Wait! Let me check. [MASTER takes the crate and desperately rummages through it. His shoulders quickly droop in disappointment and he hands it back to MEIKO.] MASTER: (sadly) No. Nothing. Burn up as much as you want. [MEIKO puts the crate down away from MASTER and KAITO and takes several steps back.] MEIKO: [grinning] Alright…stand back, everyone! [MEIKO reaches out an arm and flicks her wrist, finishing with her fingers splayed towards the box. Large, wild flames burst up around it and obscure the view of the crate.] MEIKO: Impressed, aren't you? [MASTER does not respond and continues to look at the flames. After a few seconds, they die down. The crate itself is completely destroyed, but a pile of misshapen, rusted metal parts remains, although covered in ash. MASTER points to them, almost apologetically.] MEIKO: (unconvincingly) Er…close enough. MASTER: (gently) Not exactly. Try to keep the fire more controlled, more focused on its target. You'll get it soon. [MASTER takes another crate from the same shelf as the previous one and places it beside the ash. This one does not rattle. He steps back to the doorway.] MASTER: Kaito? It's your turn now. KAITO: (nervously) O-Okay. [KAITO sends several shards of ice towards the crate. Most of them hit the crate, but some fall beside it. The crate remains intact but is dented on the side hit by the shards and cut through in some places.] MEIKO: (teasingly) Well, that was lame. KAITO: (embarrassed) Wait, wait, let me try again! The pressure got to me! [KAITO sends another set of ice shards, which are sharper and larger than the previous set. They all hit the crate and tear straight through it. The sides split and the crate falls open.] MASTER: (proudly) Perfect! MEIKO: (jealously) Hey, that wasn't fair! I should get another chance too! [MEIKO looks at the shelves determinedly.] MASTER: You can have as many as you like! MEIKO: [picking up and examining a barrel] Awesome. [pauses] Hey, I wonder what Miku's doing. KAITO: (concerned) About Miku…is it really okay for us to leave her alone? All of us? She might be lonely. MASTER: [frowning in thought] You're probably right. And besides that, it's not completely safe either…will you and MEIKO be fine picking up techniques by yourselves? MEIKO: (determinedly) Of course! KAITO: Yeah, you don't have to worry about us! MASTER: Alright. Good luck! [glancing at MEIKO] And be careful! [Master walks out of the warehouse, re-closing the doors as he leaves.] MEIKO: [after a moment of silence, placing the barrel down] Wow. Those finance issues have really hit him hard, haven't they? KAITO: What do you mean? [MEIKO picks up one of the metal parts from the first destroyed crate, brushes the ash off and twirls it in her hand.] MEIKO: Did you see how his eyes lit up when I found this trash? Like he thought there was a chance it would turn into gold right there. KAITO: But why would he need more money? I guess it would be nice…but we don't desperately need it. MEIKO: [shaking her head] Not money…it was the rattling that got his hopes up. Parts. That's what he wants. KAITO: Huh? Parts? Why would he need more parts? Is he building something? MEIKO: [dropping the metal part back onto the floor] I don't know. I guess we'll find out when we need to. If we ever do. [grinning at the barrel and rubbing her hands together] But enough of that. Scene 3 MIKU is in the piano room. She is sat at the piano experimenting with chords. [There is a muffled noise of a key turning in a lock and a door opening and closing. MIKU does not appear to notice and starts singing softly. MASTER opens the door of the piano room.] MASTER: [walking in] Miku? I'm back. MIKU: (startled) [stops playing and stands up] Ah! I didn't notice! S-Sorry. I was just seeing if I could play like you can. MASTER: [smiling] Don't apologise. You can use the piano any time you like. Your singing turned out brilliantly, by the way. MIKU: Did you mean for me to be able to sing well? MASTER: Yes. I wanted you all to have amazing singing voices. It wasn't necessary, of course, but I've always had a fascination with music. MIKU: (in thought) Always…? MASTER: Hmm? What is it? MIKU: I don't know…[changing the subject] How are Meiko and Kaito doing? MASTER: Good. They're quicker learners than I expected them to be. MIKU: (softly) Mm…I wish I could be like them. MASTER: (confused) But you can already use your abilities perfectly. MIKU: (guiltily) Even so, yesterday, I couldn't escape by myself. I needed them to rescue me. MASTER: [after a pause] Miku…there's no shame in getting a little support sometimes. There's a reason I programmed you all with different powers and strengths. It's so you can work together; protect each other. MIKU: (cheering up) So it was okay for me to need their help? MASTER: Yes. And I'm sure there'll be times in the future where it will be your turn to aid them. MIKU: (hesitantly) But…even if we work together, will we really be able to defend ourselves just like this? [MASTER does not answer and his expression quickly turns serious.] MIKU: (worried) Um…did I say something wrong? MASTER: (quickly) No, no. (sighing) I don't know the answer, that's all. [MASTER turns to the door, about to leave the room] Follow me. [MIKU and MASTER leave.] Scene 4 MASTER's secret lab. He is standing in front of the desk, which is covered with various papers, seemingly looking for something. MIKU is standing further back in the room. MASTER: [finding two blueprints and taking them off the desk] There! [He hands the blueprints to MIKU, who stares at them curiously. The blueprints cannot be seen clearly at this point.] MIKU: [trying to make sense of the blueprints] What's this drawing? [The blueprints are zoomed in on for enough time to see that the top blueprint is a design of Len labelled with various details.] MASTER: A design for a new android, with unique abilities. You'll need more help to protect yourselves against Viper. [The view switches back to normal again.] MIKU: (overwhelmed) It looks like you've got it all worked out… MASTER: (a little mournfully) I have. MIKU: (excitedly) So can you start the actual building? MASTER: (wearily) I would. I just don't know where to find the money for it. [forcing a smile] But don't worry about it. I'm probably being paranoid…I'm sure you'll all manage anyway. Scene 5 Inside the warehouse. MEIKO and KAITO are running through the same row of the warehouse. They are both hitting various items on the shelves to each side of them with fire and ice respectively and appear to be having fun, as well as competing slightly. KAITO: [calling over the noise] MEIKO? [Both continue to run.] MEIKO: [not fully paying attention] Yeah? KAITO: Are you sure it's okay to shoot things straight off the shelves like this? MEIKO: Pssh, I don't see why not. [as she runs further, a long row of boxes at the end of the top shelf, near a wall of the warehouse can be seen] Hey, wanna see me burn down all those boxes in one hit? KAITO: (both impressed and fearful) Really? Is that safe? MEIKO: (carefree) Oh, stop questioning everything. I've got it under control. [MEIKO makes a wild swiping motion towards the boxes. They all catch alight. MEIKO and KAITO stop running. The view becomes closer, showing her and KAITO but not the boxes.] MEIKO: (triumphantly) [looking at KAITO] See? Perfect. [KAITO looks in the direction of the boxes, nodding politely, but then he appears to notice something and his eyes grow wide.] MEIKO: [not seeing the boxes] (impatiently) What? What is it? KAITO: (whimpering) T-The warehouse… [MEIKO looks back in the direction of the boxes and quickly recoils, shocked. The viewer can now see that the entire end of the shelf has caught alight and the fire is spreading both down the same shelf and across the wall next to it, beginning to burn through.] MEIKO: (desperately shouting) KAITO! Do something! [KAITO attempts to spread a pulse of ice across the affected wall, but it just melts.] MEIKO: (stunned) Oh, hell. [A piece of the roof falls in.] Double hell. [MEIKO immediately begins to run towards the door. KAITO does not move.] MEIKO: [stopping mid-run and looking back] (yelling) What are you doing? You'll get arrested! Or more likely melted down! [MEIKO runs back and grabs KAITO's arm, pulling him with her. He stumbles a little.] KAITO: (panicked) You're just going to run out without doing anything? MEIKO: (frustrated) What do you want me to do? Get arrested? Pay a full fine? We can't afford that! And it's not like anybody cares about this place! [They run out of the warehouse and MEIKO slams the doors shut behind them. Sirens begin faintly in the distance, gradually growing louder.] Scene 6 MASTER and MIKU have returned to the piano room. MIKU: I think I've realized what it was I was thinking earlier. Before we went to the lab. MASTER: And what was it? MIKU: You created me, right? So you know everything about me. And in comparison…I hardly know anything about you. MASTER: (thoughtfully) Hmm. Well, the program was meant to give you the ability to form your own, unique personality. So I don't know you as well as you might think. I suppose I could try and tell you a little more now, if you'd like. I don't know where to start…was there anything in particular you wanted to know? MIKU: (tentatively) That Viper woman…the one that was trying to kidnap me…do you know her? MASTER: (sorrowfully) I did. At least, there was a time where I thought I did. MIKU: (encouragingly) Were you friends? MASTER: Lab partners. But, yes, I might have called us friends back then as well. Then it all started to go wrong. Even now I can't describe exactly how it happened…I didn't understand her, and- [The door is heard opening and closing again. MASTER immediately stops talking and MEIKO and KAITO enter the room. They are both back in their normal clothes.] MEIKO: (trying to sound normal) Back! MASTER: Oh, you're back soon. I've just been talking to Miku about a few plans I had. KAITO: Plans? For what? MASTER: I'll show you later. How was the practice? MEIKO: Great, great! [she laughs slightly nervously] We've really got our powers sorted now. I don't think we even need to go back at all! KAITO: [trying to be helpful] Yeah! It all went brilliantly! Apart from when- [MEIKO elbows KAITO sharply.] – ow- I mean, um, nothing. MASTER: (obliviously) That's good to hear. MIKU: So what were you saying about Viper a minute ago? MASTER: Well, to cut the story short, we stopped trusting each other and started drifting apart, until eventually the lab caught fire and all our research was destroyed. That was the end of it. MIKU: (empathetically) That's terrible! MEIKO: (awkwardly) Yes. But, well, you know, these kinds of accidents happen, don't they? MASTER: They do [MEIKO relaxes], and I should probably let it go, but…she was a competent scientist, not to mention good company at a time when I most needed it. It's upsetting to see how she's turned against me.