f1x12 Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
[bottom] TEASER
FADE IN:
1 EXT. NY STREET. NIGHT. 1
As we look down on a typically crowded city street, we pick
up NOA and QUINN, making their way through the masses of
people as best they can.
Noa is leading the way, scanning the faces around her.
NOA
(calls out)
Faith? Faith! It's Noa, where are
you?
Quinn catches up to her, taking her arm and pulling her to
one side.
QUINN
Noa, this isn't the right way to go
about this. Faith's the sort of
girl that when she wants to get
lost, she stays that way 'till
she's ready to be found.
NOA
(scowls)
Who died and made you the expert?
QUINN
I'm just saying, she-
NOA
(calls out)
Faith!
Noa marches away again, her face full of concern for her
missing friend, and with a sigh, Quinn follows her.
2 EXT. ALLEYWAY NIGHT. 2
They pass by the entrance to the alley where we last saw
Faith, and Noa pauses to take out her cell phone.
QUINN
Who are you calling?
NOA
Some people I know round here.
Think of it like an unofficial APB.
If I put the word out that I'm
looking for Faith, with any luck,
somebody'll see her and report in.
QUINN
Not bad. You ever think about
joining the force?
NOA
Naah, I don't suit uniforms.
Noa makes a call and waits for it to connect, as Quinn turns
to peer down the darkened alleyway.
He squints, spotting something, and heads off as Noa's call
gets through.
NOA (cont'd)
(into phone)
Billy? Hey, it's Noa. Listen, I
need a favour. I'm trying to track
down a friend of mine, and I could
do with a few extra sets of eyes,
so...
We follow Quinn down the alley, Noa's conversation fading
away as he walks on.
The alley is eerily quiet, just the ambient city sounds in
the background as Quinn walks on.
He crouches down, examining whatever caught his attention, as
we see Noa walk into frame behind him.
NOA (cont'd)
Billy's gonna make a few calls,
spread the net a bit. She goes
anywhere in Manhattan, we've got
eyes looking out for her.
(crouches)
What is it?
Quinn is studying what looks like a burnt patch of the ground
- the same spot where we last saw Faith.
He reaches out a hand and scoops up a little black powder
residue, peering at it as he lets it fall again.
QUINN
Tracks.
As Quinn looks down at the scorch mark again, we cut to:
3 INT. THE ARENA - ENTRANCE. NIGHT. 3
WHAM! With a heavy thud, FAITH falls into view.
She's landed on some kind of dusty floor, but as she tries to
push herself to her feet, two sets of muscular arms GRAB her
and haul her to her feet.
Stunned from the fall, Faith can only look around as she
takes in her new location.
She's on a long pathway, covered with sand, leading up to the
gates of what looks like a huge coliseum, its archways dark
and crumbling but the sounds of the chanting crowd from
within resounding all around her.
The coliseum appears to be standing on top of a hill, with
the landscape all around her little more than weather blasted
red fields and rocky outcrops.
A storm rumbles overhead as the woozy Faith is dragged
forward, the two form dragging her now seen to be DEMONS,
bulky and squat with pig-like features, wrapped in elaborate
leather masks.
They pause at the archway that leads out onto the coliseum's
main arena floor, and more of the demons head over, the CHIEF
taller than the others with ash grey skin.
CHIEF
(off Faith)
This the new one?
DEMON #1
This is her. Fresh from New York,
contender number 303, ready for
action.
CHIEF
Alright, bring her in.
The Chief waves the two demons forward, and Faith is
surrounded by the rest of the guards as they march out into
the arena.
4 INT. THE ARENA - CONTINUOUS. 4
Following them under the archway and out onto the sandy,
circular floor of the coliseum itself, Faith looks around in
utter confusion.
The rows and rows of seats lining the interior of the
coliseum are filled with all manner of otherworldly creatures
- ghosts, demons, vampires, monsters.
They're CHEERING and YELLING, clearly whipped up into a
frenzy at the anticipation of some fresh blood.
The Chief raises his hand and the squad stops marching,
giving Faith a chance to look around.
Her eyes fall on a body, lying on the floor about twenty feet
away. It's a young girl, no more than sixteen, her blank eyes
staring lifelessly back at Faith.
Faith watches as two more demon guards march into frame, one
scooping up a sword and shield that lie by the girl's body,
the other taking one of her feet and starting to drag her
away.
As the crowd JEERS at the dead girl's body, Faith finally
twigs what's going on in here.
FAITH
Aw, crap...
And as she hangs her head, we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
5 INT. ARENA - CELLS. NIGHT. 5
We're looking out from inside a plain, archaic cell - stone
walls, steel bars across the entrance and nothing inside.
Faith is dragged into view by one of the demons, who waits
while the JAILER rattles a set of keys and pushes the gate
open.
Faith is unceremoniously dumped inside the cell, the Jailer
swinging the gate shut and locking it again. The demon guard
takes a moment to chuckle at her.
DEMON #1
Get used to the room, Slayer. The
rates may be low, but the deposit's
a bitch.
Laughing at his own joke, the demon walks off screen, leaving
Faith to groggily push herself to her knees, looking around
the interior of the dim cell.
Four walls and a roof, a few piles of straw, and a hole dug
into the ground in one corner. Not exactly luxurious.
Someone COUGHS just off screen, and Faith looks round, her
eyes widening as she registers who it is.
Huddled up in one corner of the room, her skin covered with
dirt and marred by cuts and scratches, is VI, the little
redheaded Slayer a far cry from when we last saw her.
FAITH
(double takes)
Vi? That you?
Vi looks up slowly, her eyes trying to focus.
VI
Faith?
Faith shuffles closer, and when Vi recognises her, she lunges
forward, wrapping her arms round Faith.
Faith manages a brief relieved smile, before the frown
returns and she prises Vi away.
FAITH
Easy, Vi. Mortal danger's still not
gonna get a hug out of me.
Vi nods, sniffing and wiping a tear from her eye, managing to
smile at last.
VI
I'm glad you're here.
FAITH
Wish I could say the same! The
hell's goin' on? Did I walk onto
the set of 'Gladiator' or
something?
VI
We're in the, uh, Arena. At least,
I think that's what this place is.
We're in another dimension.
FAITH
What for?
VI
You saw the stadium out there,
right? We're the entertainment!
FAITH
Is this where all the missing
Slayers ended up?
VI
(nods)
There's not many of us left now. I
don't know how many they brought
out here in the first place, but
they're going through us at a rate
of knots.
Another guard stomps past outside the cell, and Vi tenses up,
shuffling back into her corner. Faith goes to sit next to
her.
FAITH
Have you been here since they took
you?
VI
I think so. I'm not sure how time
works round here, feels like I've
been here weeks already!
FAITH
You've been gone from New York for
about a month, if that helps.
Vi shrugs, jumping with nerves again as we hear a cell door
SLAM somewhere outside.
FAITH (cont'd)
So what's the deal here? Are they
gonna parade us around and make us
fight things?
VI
Sometimes. Sometimes we have to
fight each other.
FAITH
What?!?
VI
They place bets, see who'll win. I
don't know if it's part of some
plan to get rid of all the new
Slayers or what, but-
FAITH
But nothing, we're getting out of
here, and that's that.
Faith stands, her face full of defiance as she stares at the
barred cell door.
FAITH (cont'd)
They picked the wrong girl to put
behind bars again.
We cut from her look to:
6 INT. THE LAB - PRYOR'S OFFICE. NIGHT. 6
Inside the locked and dark office, we hear the sounds of the
lock rattling, before the door pops open with a CLICK to
reveal Noa and Quinn.
Quinn tucks away his lockpick set again as Noa switches on
the office light.
NOA
Twice in one night? You're the most
illegal cop I know!
QUINN
(shrugs)
Omelettes, eggs, you know the deal.
Noa scans the office - there's a desk against one wall,
covered with swathes of paper, another desk which holds a lot
of Pryor's laboratory equipment, several wallcharts and maps
covering the paintwork and a large window, the blinds
currently down.
NOA
What are we looking for?
QUINN
Anything that'll help us find out
where Faith's gone.
Quinn steps into the room and starts studying the lab
equipment, flicking things on.
NOA
But what makes you think she's
gone? Didn't you say something like
'she'll be found when she wants to
be'?
QUINN
That was before I found this.
He holds up a small plastic evidence bag, a sample of the
black powder inside it.
NOA
I don't get it, sorry.
QUINN
I've seen this sort of residue
before. It's typically left behind
after somebody's used a strong
transport spell.
NOA
A spell? You think somebody zapped
Faith away?
Quinn takes a seat at the desk, turning on Pryor's PC.
QUINN
I hope not, but if Pryor's on the
ball he'll have something in here
that can tell us, one way or
another.
As Quinn waits for the PC to load up, his face bathed by the
glow from the screen, we cut back to:
7 INT. THE ARENA - CELLS. NIGHT. 7
Faith RATTLES the bars of the door, but they're too heavy.
She strains for a beat as she tries to lift them by force,
but it's no good.
VI
(dejected)
That won't work.
Faith turns to Vi, still curled up in her corner.
FAITH
(snaps)
Ain't gonna stop me trying! And
besides, I don't hear you coming up
with a better suggestion!
VI
I told you, Faith, there's only one
way out of this place.
Faith gives up her efforts and steps away from the bars.
FAITH
Which is?
VI
When you're dead.
Vi huddles up, and as Faith takes a step towards her, the
demon guard appears at the cell door.
DEMON #1
Number 287! Come on down!
Vi starts to SHAKE, clearly scared out of her wits, and Faith
turns back to the guard as he unlocks the door.
FAITH
Come on in, fugly. I'd love to see
how you're gonna get past m-
ZAP! A bolt of electricity streaks from a small device in the
guard's hand, shocking Faith and sending her crumpling to the
floor.
Paralysed, she can't move as the guard marches over to Vi,
grabbing her arm and dragging her roughly to her feet.
VI
(terrified)
No... No!
FAITH
(through gritted teeth)
Vi...
The guard turns and drags Vi back out of the cell, slamming
and locking the gate behind him.
After a few beats, the feeling returns to Faith's muscles,
and she manages to push herself up.
She crawls across the floor, grabbing the bars and yelling
down the corridor.
FAITH (cont'd)
Vi!!
We can hear the shouts of other captives, then a distant
CLANG as another set of doors open, followed by the CHEER of
the crowd out in the stadium.
Faith slumps back down, defeated, as we cut back to:
8 INT. THE LAB - PRYOR'S OFFICE. NIGHT. 8
Quinn is rapidly typing away on Pryor's computer, as Noa,
labcoat and goggles on, carefully lowers a test tube
containing some of the black powder into a small machine
designed to analyse its contents.
She leans over Quinn's shoulder to watch the computer screen,
as the machine begins to WHIRR behind them.
NOA
I feel like I'm on 'CSI' or
something...
QUINN
Well, they do have a New York show,
consider this your audition.
Noa hits him lightly on the arm, then stares at the screen as
it starts to reel off a list of results.
NOA
Anything?
QUINN
(nods)
It's like I thought. Chemical
residue, left behind from the
presence and usage of a high-level
transportation spell.
NOA
Where have you seen it before?
QUINN
(beat)
Around.
NOA
Hey! Don't get voidy on me, mister -
we all know you're part of the 'I
Kill Demons' club by now, save the
vagueness for somebody who hasn't
already seen you beat up a demon!
Quinn turns to look at her, and then grins.
QUINN
Alright, since you asked me so
nicely - last time I saw this was
on a case involving kidnappers.
NOA
A police case, or something else?
QUINN
Something else. I've done some work
for people who investigate this
sort of thing.
NOA
Oh. Cool.
(beat)
Hey, does that make us like Mulder
and Scully now?
Quinn just throws her a look, and she shuts up.
QUINN
The kidnappers would snatch their
victims right out of their homes,
teleporting them from their front
doorstep to a base outside town,
where the rest of the gang were
ready and waiting to lock them up.
We found the same residue at all
the crime scenes as we did in the
alley.
NOA
So has Faith been kidnapped? Do you
think that Boone guy had something
to do with all of this?
QUINN
That's what we need to find out.
Hand me that phone, will ya?
Noa retrieves Pryor's phone and passes it over.
QUINN (cont'd)
I need to make a few calls.
(beat)
Can you give me a minute?
Noa frowns, staring back at him suspiciously.
NOA
Why? What is it you don't want me
to hear?
QUINN
It's nothing bad, I swear. Please
trust me.
He leans forward and gives her a quick KISS. Noa is still
frowning, but she reluctantly turns and heads out of the
office.
When she's gone, Quinn dials in a number and waits.
QUINN (cont'd)
(into phone)
It's Quinn. Jon Quinn. I need a
favour. I have to track down a
warlock in the Manhattan area in
the next hour.
We leave Quinn to his phone call and cut back to:
9 INT. THE ARENA - CELLS. NIGHT. 9
Faith is pacing up and down the small cell, her mind working
as she tries to figure out a plan.
She looks up as the demon appears at the cell door.
DEMON #1
Alright, 303, game time!
Faith stands and folds her arms as he unlocks the door. The
guard takes in her stony face and chuckles, waving the small
zapper device at her.
DEMON #1 (cont'd)
Don't try anything. I can hit you
with so many volts out of this
thing, you'd be able to power a
city block for a month.
FAITH
Wouldn't dream of it.
DEMON #1
Ooh, sassy, eh? They're gonna love
you out there! Come on, Slayer,
move it.
The demon motions for her to step out of the cell. Keeping
her eyes locked on him, Faith marches forward.
10 INT. THE ARENA - CELLS CORRIDOR. CONTINUOUS. 10
Faith steps out into a long corridor, many other cell doors
lining each wall.
More demon guards are posted up and down the corridor, and as
Faith glances into the cells she passes, she catches glimpses
of other Slayers - some on their feet and agitated, some
looking drained of all resistance.
Up ahead are a pair of huge steel doors, two more guards
flanking them. As Faith approaches, the guards reach out and
pull the doors slowly open.
The corridor is flooded with light, and Faith raises a hand
to shield her eyes. The ROAR of the crowd outside fills the
air, as Faith steps out into:
11 INT. THE ARENA. NIGHT. 11
Faith steps into the wide, round floor of the arena. The
brilliant light comes from powerful floodlights stationed
around the floor, the technology an odd contrast to the
medieval surroundings.
The guard gives Faith a SHOVE and she stumbles forwards, the
door she just exited CREAKING as they are pulled closed
behind her. She's at the top of a ramp that leads directly
down into the arena floor below her.
Looking up and all around at the assembled crowd of fiends,
Faith DUCKS as a handful of rotten fruit is thrown at her.
Other projectiles start to sail in as Faith stares up with
steely eyes at the hordes jeering down at her.
FAITH
(shouts out)
So come on? You brought me all the
way out here, what's first on the
menu?
There is a CLUNK from somewhere off screen, and the crowd's
cheering goes up a notch as Faith slowly looks round.
Rising up out of the arena floor are a series of tall iron
walls, quickly locking themselves into place to form a maze
that spans most of the stadium.
As she watches, with a series of CLICKS and WHIRRS, various
devices start to emerge from the doors and the walls.
Swinging blades, jets of flame, spike-filled pits, constantly
falling and rising guillotines - everything the standard
deathtrap-filled labyrinth should have.
Faith can hardly believe what she's seeing as the assault
course before her finishes constructing itself, but she's
jarred out of her thoughts by an ANNOUNCER'S VOICE echoing
around the stadium.
ANNOUNCER
And here she is, the final
contender in our games, all the way
from New York, Faith Lehane!
A chorus of BOOS and HISSES rings out from the crowd. Faith
shakes her head.
FAITH
You've gotta be kiddin' me...
ANNOUNCER
Bets are now open for this next
round in our contest. Odds of
survival are twenty to one,
survival with a severe injury
twelve to two, and death inside ten
minutes is at six to four. Place
your bets now!
The crowd descends into a frenzy of hustles and shouts, as
they clamour around several blackboards, bookies before them
taking money and marking the bets out on the boards.
Faith is having none of this, turning and yelling at the
nearest guards, standing at the edge of the rows of seats
just above her head.
FAITH
Hey, where's the girl you brought
out before me? Where's Vi?
VI (O.S.)
Faith!
Faith spins round - and sees Vi, standing at the foot of the
ramp with a demon guard holding her. She's got a bad gash
down her left leg, and looks almost too weak to stand.
Faith hurries down the ramp, and as she gets close the guard
SHOVES Vi to the ground and walks away.
Faith kneels next to her, looking all around for some way
out. The only path forward is through the maze.
FAITH
Are you alright?
VI
My leg...
Faith checks the wound over - it's a deep cut. Moving
quickly, she tears off a strip from Vi's tattered shirt and
ties it round the leg, helping Vi to her feet.
VI (cont'd)
Faith... What are we gonna do?
Faith looks grimly towards the entrance to the maze, as the
crowd overhead starts to CHANT - 'Run! Run! Run!'
FAITH
I don't know, Vi... but we're not
dying here.
(turns to Vi)
I promise.
Vi doesn't look too convinced, and as Faith turns back to the
labyrinth entrance, and the chanting builds in intensity, we
pull back, away from the two Slayers.
Sitting up in the stalls, looking down on the two girls, is a
hooded figure, his gaze locked on Faith. He's jostled on all
sides by various species of demon as they rush to get their
bets in, and we push in on him.
The figure turns to the side - and it's GABRIEL. Checking the
nobody is watching him, he turns his attention back to Faith
and Vi, as we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
12 INT. THE LAB - OUTSIDE PRYOR'S OFFICE. NIGHT. 12
Noa is listening at the door, frowning as she tries to
eavesdrop on Quinn's conversation.
She listens for a beat, before the door is suddenly opened,
and she almost stumbles straight into Quinn, who stares down
at her, a grin spreading across his features.
QUINN
Hear anything interesting?
NOA
(pouts)
No. I think you should know now,
Pryor kept secrets from me and
Faith too, and look where he ended
up!
QUINN
Trust me, there is nothing sinister
about this. I'd just rather not
involve you in things you don't
need to know about.
Quinn walks past her, heading for the exit. No sighs, knowing
she's not going to get anything else out of him as she turns
to follow him.
NOA
So? What did your little mystery
phone call get us?
Quinn turns, still heading for the door.
QUINN
Exactly what I needed.
(beat)
A lead.
Quinn pushes the door open and turns to Noa, motioning for
her to head out first. With a sigh, she heads forward, and as
she passes him on her way out, we cut to:
13 INT. THE ARENA - MAZE. NIGHT. 13
Faith and Vi stand at the entrance to the maze.
Stretching out before them is a long corridor, other paths
snaking off to the left and right all the way down. The noise
of the crowds are muffled by the tall, steel walls, but we
can hear the clanks of the various traps throughout the maze
echoing around us.
Faith looks at Vi - she seems faint, the blood loss from her
leg wound becoming a big problem.
FAITH
Alright, here's how we're gonna do
this. I'll lead, you stay behind
me. Any trouble, you get out of the
way and let me handle it. Okay?
Vi nods, and the duo start to pace slowly forwards, Faith's
eyes sharp as she watches for any danger.
The sound around us drops away as the girls walk on.
Faith's heartbeat rings in our ears as we push in on her, her
eyes snapping left and right, alert for the first signs of a
trap.
With a barely audible SWISH, her eyes widen.
Faith SHOVES Vi backwards as a huge BLADE swings across the
corridor, sliding smoothly out from the gap between the wall
sections.
It swings across the corridor and disappears again, missing
Faith by inches. She takes the chance to snatch a breath.
FAITH (cont'd)
Guess they're not just looking to
wing us, huh?
Vi throws Faith a look that tells her it's no time for jokes.
Taking her by the arm, Faith leads on.
The girls come to an intersection, and Faith checks down
either way - a plain, featureless corridor heads off in both
directions.
FAITH (cont'd)
What do you reckon? Left or right?
VI
Uh... left.
Faith takes a step forward, when Vi grabs her arm.
VI (cont'd)
No, wait! Right.
FAITH
Relax, Vi, I've got it covered.
Faith takes another step forward.
FAITH (cont'd)
Whatever happens, I'll handle-
CLICK! Faith freezes.
Vi looks down - Faith has stepped on a pressure plate in the
floor. Vi scans the corridor, trying to see what it may be
linked to.
FAITH (cont'd)
Anything?
VI
(shakes head)
No, I can't see anything!
Faith motions for Vi to step away.
FAITH
Stay clear, alright?
VI
Faith, wait, you can't-
Faith holds up a hand to silence her, then closes her eyes.
She takes a breath - and then LEAPS away from the plate.
There are a series of small POPS, as a column of small holes
appear in both sides of the corridor, shooting a barrage of
small darts from one side to the other.
Faith rolls, the darts missing her and embedding themselves
in the walls. She gets back to her feet and turns to Vi, who
looks like she's about ready to drop.
FAITH
See? No problem.
Vi doesn't look so confident, and as Faith helps her back to
her feet, we cut to:
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.