f4x09
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                                       TEASER

               FADE IN:

         1     INT. BOWEN RESIDENCE - KITCHEN - DAY                     1

               With a yawn, VI lifts a cup of coffee to her lips, looking up
               with a slight frown as ELENA hurries towards her, carrying a
               large plate full of food.

                                   ELENA
                         Here you are, sweetie.

               Putting the plate in front of her, Elena kisses her on the
               forehead and returns to the stove - to continue cooking!

                                   VI
                         Are we planning on having company
                         for breakfast, mom? Like, maybe
                         another dozen people?

               Elena turns back and smiles at the look on Vi's face.

                                   ELENA
                         I just thought you'd like a nice
                         breakfast. And you always liked
                         your food. 

                                   VI
                         Yeah, but even with Slayer
                         metabolism, this is going to take
                         me a week to eat.

                                   ELENA
                             (beat)
                         Sorry. I guess I'm...

                                   VI
                         I'm not gonna run off again, okay?
                         We don't have to rush around,
                         eating mountains of food, like
                         we've only got a few hours left in
                         Disneyland. 

               Elena nods, happy beyond words, and turns the stove off. She
               comes to sit down at the table as JOHN enters. 

                                   JOHN
                         Hmm, what's for breakfast?

                                   VI
                             (grins)
                         Mountain food.

               John frowns, confused, as Vi begins to tuck in.

                                   JOHN
                         Squirrel?

                                   ELENA
                         I may have... overcompensated.
                         There's some more eggs in the pan
                         if you're hungry.

                                   JOHN
                         Thanks, honey.

               John crosses to the stove and begins to dish himself out some
               food.

                                   JOHN (cont'd)
                         So what are your plans today, Vi?

                                   VI
                         I, uh, I'm going to meet some
                         people later.

                                   ELENA
                             (beams)
                         You're seeing your friends again?
                         That's great, honey.

                                   VI
                         Something like that.

               And Vi gives her a bemused look, as we cut to:

         2     EXT. ABANDONED HOUSE - DAY                               2

               Vi closes the gate of an old, abandoned mansion behind her
               and she heads up the short path to the building itself. The
               garden is overgrown and unkept, the house itself looks close
               to falling apart.

               Coming to the porch, she draws a dagger from her jacket as
               the door opens and a MAN steps out onto the porch.

               In his late 30's, slightly balding, wearing glasses and a
               stuffy suit, we've seen this look many times before.

                                   VI
                             (sighs)
                         You know, Watchers really need to
                         choose a better uniform. 

                                   WATCHER
                         And I haven't heard that one many
                         times before. 

               Vi puts her dagger away as he exits the house, followed by
               two young WOMEN. 

                                   WATCHER (cont'd)
                         My name is Harold. This is Melissa
                         and Cici, my charges.

               MELISSA is a Hispanic girl, dressed in torn jeans, a corseted
               top and fingerless gloves. She nods to Vi in greeting and Vi
               smiles in response.

               CICI is a delicate looking blonde girl, dressed in an old,
               torn and dirty white dress, and not wearing any shoes. She
               stares blankly at Vi with cold eyes.

                                   VI
                         I'm Vi. And yes, that's what
                         everyone calls me.

                                   HAROLD
                         I'd guessed. I'm glad you got our
                         letter. I thought it would be a
                         little intrusive to just knock on
                         your door.

                                   VI
                         To be honest, I'd probably have
                         just kicked your ass if you had.

               Melissa smirks, impressed.

                                   VI (cont'd)
                         So what do you want?

                                   HAROLD
                         Why else would we call you away
                         from your family?
                             (beat)
                         We need your help.

               Vi looks around at the state of these guys and their home and
               nods. They really do.

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                    END OF TEASER
                                       ACT ONE

               FADE IN:

         3     INT. ABANDONED HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY                 3

               Vi perches on the end of a dirty old sofa, clearly not
               willing to risk the chance of catching the plague. This room
               is filthy, and the ceiling creaks dangerously above.

               Melissa and Cici sit on the floor opposite her, apparently
               used to living in these conditions. Harold stands by the
               window.

                                   HAROLD
                         The Cabal sent a small lab here six
                         months ago to set up a cloning
                         facility just outside of town.
                         There's a rare mineral compound in
                         the soil in this area that they
                         decided to take advantage of to
                         create a new breed of demon.

                                   VI
                         Creating demons? The Cabal? What
                         are you talking about?

                                   CICI
                         Typical Sunnydale Slayer. Out of
                         the loop, as always.

                                   VI
                         I'm from Hazelhurst, actually.

                                   HAROLD
                         The Cabal are an organization who,
                         until recently, watched from the
                         sidelines. Over the past few years
                         they've been working towards the
                         extinction of the Slayer line, and
                         they have many agents all over the
                         world doing their work.
                             (beat)
                         Some of that work includes creating
                         armies. 

                                   VI
                         Great. So the Council sent you to
                         stop them.

                                   HAROLD
                         We're on assignment from the Slayer
                         Academy in England.

                                   VI
                             (frowns)
                         Just the three of you?

                                   MELISSA
                         There used to be more of us. Twelve
                         Slayers, two Watchers. We're all
                         that's left.

                                   VI
                             (beat)
                         And... you've done how much damage?

                                   HAROLD
                         Hardly any at all. We were
                         unprepared. However, the Council
                         have been tracking you for some
                         time, Vi, and when they realized
                         you were making your way back to
                         Hazelhurst... we thought that with
                         your experience, you could aid us. 

                                   VI
                         So the Council messes up by sending
                         an unprepared team, and they want
                         me to get them out of it?

                                   MELISSA
                         This isn't about them. It's about
                         survival, and whether you like it
                         or not you're a Slayer like us. 

                                   VI
                         So why aren't more of us here?

                                   HAROLD
                         The Academy and the Council are
                         stretched very far at the moment
                         fighting the Cabal all over the
                         world. We simply don't have the
                         resources.

                                   MELISSA
                         And the lab here is very close to
                         perfecting their new model. 

                                   HAROLD
                         If they aren't stopped, tonight,
                         then we're putting ourselves, and
                         the world, in a very bad position.
                         These demons will be mass-produced,
                         ready to ship out in a day. 

                                   VI
                             (sighs)
                         Fine. I'll help, but only because
                         these Cabal guys are in my home
                         town. 
                             (beat)
                         You tell your Council that I won't
                         be available for any other missions
                         they think they can get me to go
                         on. I don't work for them. 

                                   HAROLD
                         I'll tell them personally. 

                                   CICI
                         If we survive. 

               A beat.

                                   VI
                         Can we get out of here? It's kind
                         of depressing. And I think your
                         sofa is moving.

               Getting to her feet, Vi strides out of the room, and the
               Academy team swap glances before quickly chasing after her. 

         4     INT. NYPD - 4TH FLOOR - DAY                              4

               SCOTT is sat at his desk, a curious frown on his face as he
               goes through a thick wad of files. There's an open file sat
               next to him, displaying a large surveillance photo of Faith.

               Sorting through the files, he looks completely stumped as he
               gets to the end.

                                   HOGAN (O.S.)
                         I'm not liking that look of
                         confusion of your face.

               He looks up as HOGAN leans over his desk. 

                                   SCOTT
                         Not a good time, Ann.

                                   HOGAN
                         Something I can help you with? I
                         mean, you know I don't do massages
                         or anything...

                                   SCOTT
                             (sighs)
                         I don't know.

               He passes the last file to Hogan, who looks down at it with
               interest.

                                   SCOTT (cont'd)
                         Faith Lehane. That's an arrest
                         report, but... there's just
                         nothing. No release papers, no
                         conviction or court appearance. The
                         trail just goes dead.

                                   HOGAN
                         That's weird. Any chance you just
                         missed 'em? I mean, we live in the
                         age of unnecessary paperwork. Bound
                         to be something in all those
                         folders somewhere.

                                   SCOTT
                         No, there's no records at all. By
                         all accounts, she should still be
                         in our holding cells. 

                                   HOGAN
                         And given that she's not...

               Sighing, he puts the file down and grabs some of the others,
               starting to flip through them.

               ANGLE: the file she placed on the desk. 

               BAM! A hand SLAMS down on it;

               ON SCENE as Hogan and Scott jump in surprise. DARK AMBROSIA,
               all sweetness and smiles as AMBROSIA, takes the file off the
               desk.

                                   AMBROSIA
                         Is there a problem?

                                   HOGAN
                             (mock sweetness)
                         Why no, Miss Kilby. We were just
                         wondering when your cute little
                         face was going to show up and
                         brighten all of our days.

               Dark Ambrosia looks down at the file, her expression
               completely passive.

                                   SCOTT
                         This paper trail runs dry. We have
                         an arrest report for Faith Lehane,
                         but no further paperwork. She just
                         slipped right out of the system,
                         and stuff like that's gonna make it
                         pretty difficult for us to -

                                   AMBROSIA
                             (over him)
                         It's an admin error.

                                   SCOTT
                             (blinks)
                         I don't think so, I mean, there
                         isn't even a -

                                   AMBROSIA
                             (hard)
                         It's an admin error.

               Sticking the file under her arm, she also collects the
               others, and begins to walk away with them.

                                   SCOTT
                         Hey, wait a minute, you can't -

               Hogan rises as he does, taking his arm.

                                   HOGAN
                         Scott, leave it.

                                   SCOTT
                         What? But -

                                   HOGAN
                         Let it slide, Scott. I mean it.

               By now, Dark Ambrosia has made her way across the room, and
               Scott sighs, looking after her with a mixture of frustration
               and determination.

         5     INT. BURGER BEAN - DAY                                   5

               In the restaurant, Harold, Cici and Melissa sit at a table,
               talking quietly among themselves. Vi stands at the counter
               ordering food.

                                   VI
                         Thanks, Shani.

               She smiles as SHANI slides a tray of food towards her.

                                   SHANI
                         Half price. Family discount.

                                   VI
                             (frowns)
                         Huh?

                                   SHANI
                         If my manager asks, you're my
                         cousin.

                                   VI
                             (grins)
                         Right. 

               She hands over her money.

                                   SHANI
                         Hey, you remember Helen and Pete
                         from school?

                                   VI
                         Scary brace girl and the guy that
                         dealt weed to twelve year olds? How
                         could I forget.

                                   SHANI
                         We've all meeting up after I finish
                         my shift if you wanna hang. We can
                         gossip about how you and Kirsty
                         Mellor are the only ones who
                         actually got out of this
                         godforsaken place. 

                                   VI
                         Kirsty left?

                                   SHANI
                         Uh-huh, she works in fashion now.
                         Or, I mean, that's what she says,
                         for all we know she just works in a
                         launderette or something, so - 

                                   VI
                             (interrupts)
                         Sounds cool.
                             (beat; remembers)
                         Uh, I would, but I have
                         something... big to do today. Maybe
                         tomorrow?

                                   SHANI
                         That's good too. Not like any of us
                         are goin' anywhere, right? See you
                         later.

                                   VI
                         See ya.

               Picking up her tray, Vi doesn't look particularly anxious to
               commit to that offer as she heads over to the group waiting
               for her.

                                   VI (cont'd)
                         Okay, I got burgers all round and
                         something that vaguely resembles
                         french fries.

               Passing out the food, Vi takes a seat next to Harold. 

                                   MELISSA
                         Thanks Vi. We're all pretty much...
                         well, broke and starving.

                                   VI
                         The Council don't pay you... like,
                         anything?

                                   HAROLD
                         I get wages, but it's not enough to
                         support the girls. They seem to
                         have...

                                   CICI
                         Forgotten about us and left us to
                         die?

                                   HAROLD
                         Now that isn't fair -

                                   CICI
                         How can you stick up for them? 

                                   HAROLD
                         They don't have the money or the
                         resources to -

                                   CICI
                         To send us money to buy food every
                         once in a while?

                                   MELISSA
                             (sharp)
                         Cici.

               The blonde slayer immediately closes her mouth and digs into
               her food, the anger in her eyes the only evidence of the
               argument.

               Vi watches this exchange curiously.

                                   VI
                         Okay, so the Council sent you here
                         to deal with these Cabal guys. 
                             (beat)
                         What went wrong?

                                   MELISSA
                         Six months ago we were all
                         students, or Watchers, at the
                         Academy in England. We weren't
                         exactly big players, but we were
                         good at what we do.

                                                               FADE TO:

         6     INT. SLAYER ACADEMY CAMPUS - GROUNDS - DAY               6

               Resembling a drill team, Harold and a very beautiful, female
               WATCHER lead a group of teenage girls in what appears to be a
               cross country run.

               Melissa and Cici are among them, the other ten girls are also
               SLAYERS.

                                   MELISSA (V.O.)
                         We were chosen from the Academy
                         ranks. We'd all been there for at
                         least a year, all proven ourselves
                         in battle, all apparently stable
                         enough to handle the mission.

               The female watcher YELLS something we can't hear, and the
               girls step up their game, overtaking the watchers and
               SPRINTING across the grounds with unnatural speed.

         7     INT. ABANDONED HOUSE - BATHROOM - NIGHT                  7

               A yawning Melissa pushes the door open to the bathroom,
               dressed in her pyjamas. She stops, looking up in shock as she
               sees -

               One of the young girls, a pretty redheaded SLAYER, hanging
               from the ceiling by a rope!

                                   MELISSA (V.O.)
                         The first week we were there,
                         Hannah killed herself after our
                         first encounter with the Cabal.

               Melissa SCREAMS and backs out of the bathroom, as Harold and
               the female watcher hurry up the hallway. 

               Looking inside, the two watchers turn away, distraught by the
               sight of their hanging charge.

         8     EXT. WOODLAND - NIGHT                                    8

               In a woodland area, the remaining eleven slayers are battling
               furiously with CABAL DEMONS. 

               Melissa soars through the air, KICKING a demon out of her
               path. 

               Behind her, Cici SWINGS an axe over her shoulder,
               DECAPITATING a demon is a gush of blood and gore.

                                   MELISSA (V.O.)
                         Five died the second time we tried
                         to fight them, including my watcher
                         Gwen.

               Harold and GWEN make their way through the battle, both armed
               with crossbows. Gwen SCREAMS as something hits her and she
               goes down!

               Harold shouts out to the slayers but no one can hear him, and
               he drops his own weapon to catch the fallen Gwen, pulling her
               up to look at him.

               There's a BULLET HOLE in her chest, and she stares lifelessly
               back at him, bleeding all over him. 

               Harold shouts again, panicking, and watches helpless as a
               Chinese SLAYER is completely and savagely GUTTED by one of
               the demons!

         9     EXT. CABAL BASE - NIGHT                                  9

               The Cabal base appears to have been a water treatment plant
               at one point, and sits right along a small river. The entire
               base is fenced off, apart from the ground area that touches
               the river.

                                   MELISSA (V.O.)
                         We were ordered to try a stealth
                         attack and destroy the base from
                         the inside.

               From the water, two HEADS rise quickly to take deep breaths.
               The heads belong to an athletic African American SLAYER and a
               SLAYER with short, spiky blonde hair.

               They climb sneakily onto the ground, both of them dressed in
               tight-fitting dark clothes, and they begin to make their way
               towards the base, each carrying a large bag.

               Suddenly, something EXPLODES, and the girls are instantly
               VAPORIZED, the explosion reaching the river itself!

                                   MELISSA (V.O.) (cont'd)
                         The girls chosen to go, Denise and
                         Jess; they were killed instantly.

               PAN ACROSS to the other side of the river, where Harold,
               Melissa, Cici and three other slayers watch in complete
               horror.

        10     INT. ABANDONED HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY                10

               The remaining slayers minus one are huddled together on the
               sofa, apparently trying to keep warm. They look up
               expectantly as Harold enters the room. 

               He shakes his head sadly.

                                   MELISSA (V.O.)
                         That was the last time we heard
                         from the Council, about a month
                         ago. Until they told us about you.
                             (beat)
                         In the meantime, Freya ran away. 

               The girls sigh, disappointed and frustrated.

        11     EXT. STREET - NIGHT                                     11

               Harold and Melissa hurry down a dark Hazelhurst street,
               looking extremely panicked about something.

                                   MELISSA (V.O.)
                         A few days later, Sahara went out
                         to buy supplies.

               The two of them come to a stop and their eyes widen in shock
               as they spot something in the street.

               Thrown onto a pile of trashbags outside a restaurant, is the
               burnt, battered and extremely dead body of what used to be a
               beautiful brunette SLAYER. 

                                   MELISSA (V.O.) (cont'd)
                         When she didn't come back, we went
                         looking for her. The Cabal had
                         ambushed her, now attempting to
                         whittle us down before we tried to
                         attack again.

                                                                CUT TO:

        12     INT. BURGER BEAN - DAY                                  12

               Looking very pale, Vi pushes her tray of food away, but not
               even Melissa has stopped eating to tell her story. These
               people are starving.

                                   VI
                         Which leaves three. 

               Cici looks up at her with cold eyes and takes a big slurp of
               her drink.

                                   CICI
                         Bella snapped. She took off in the
                         middle of the night, tried to take
                         the base on all by herself.

                                   VI
                             (shocked)
                         What?

                                   MELISSA
                             (sadly)
                         They left her body in Cici's bed,
                         while we were out looking for her.

                                   HAROLD
                             (growls)
                         Sick bastards.

               Vi looks across at Cici, and for the first time we can see
               actual emotion in the blonde slayer's eyes.

                                   VI
                         She was important to you.

                                   CICI
                         The most important thing I've ever
                         had. And they're gonna regret
                         taking her away from me.
                             (dangerously)
                         I can promise you that.

               A beat, before Vi takes a slurp of her own drink.

                                   VI
                             (thoughtfully)
                         Yes, they are. 

               Cici looks slightly comforted by these words, and Vi
               continues to study the group as we CUT TO:

        13     INT. BOWEN RESIDENCE - DAY                              13

               Vi pushes open the front door and hurries inside, sticking
               her head in through the living room door.

                                   VI
                         Mom?

               Receiving no answer, she shouts up the stairs.

                                   VI (cont'd)
                         Mom? Dad?

               Turning her head, Vi looks at the mirror at the foot of the
               stairs, and finds a post-it stuck there.

                                   VI (cont'd)
                             (reads)
                         'Out shopping, be back soon. Big
                         dinner again! Love, Mom and Dad.'

               Taking a moment to smile and appreciate the note, Vi takes it
               with her as she sprints up the stairs and out of sight. 

        14     INT. BOWEN RESIDENCE - VI'S ROOM - DAY                  14

               Hurrying into her room, Vi pulls her empty travelling bag out
               from under her bed and places it on the bed. 

               Pulling out a drawer from her dresser, she turns it upside
               down into the bag, spilling out a number of smaller, handheld
               WEAPONS.

               Reaching back under the bed, Vi pulls out two swords and
               shoves them in the bag too. 

        15     INT. BOWEN RESIDENCE - KITCHEN - DAY                    15

               Heading for the back door, Vi stops only to place her own
               note on the kitchen table, and she quickly disappears,
               leaving the house empty and quiet.

        16     EXT. ABANDONED HOUSE - DAY                              16

               Harold, Melissa and Cici have their own bag of weapons, and
               they meet Vi halfway up the garden path as she marches
               towards them.

                                   VI
                         You guys ready?

                                   MELISSA
                         Ready.

                                   VI
                         Then let's do this.

               Taking the lead, Vi turns back towards the gate and the
               others follow after her, as we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT ONE
                                       ACT TWO

               FADE IN:

        17     INT. VAN - DAY                                          17

               Harold drives the battered old van, and Vi sits next to him
               in the passenger seat. Melissa and Cici sit in the back,
               talking quietly with each other.

                                   HAROLD
                         The Cabal are based in an old water
                         treatment plant, easily modifying
                         the water pipe system to draw the
                         material they need from the ground.

                                   VI
                         Security?

                                   HAROLD
                         Fences, numerous demon guards, and
                         some kind of digital system round
                         the back to protect invasion from
                         the river.

                                   VI
                         You mean the...?

                                   MELISSA
                         The system that was triggered when
                         Denise and Jess tried to sneak in.
                         Explosives.

                                   VI
                         Okay, so... avoiding the back,
                         then.

                                   HAROLD
                         Once we get into the building all
                         we'll need to worry about is the
                         guards. Now, we estimate anywhere
                         between thirty to fifty guards
                         present inside.

                                   VI
                         That doesn't seem a lot for a
                         worldwide organization with the rep
                         you guys are giving them.

                                   HAROLD
                         Thankfully, the Academy has been
                         making some successful raids and
                         offensives on other Cabal bases in
                         the past few months. This base
                         isn't as high of a priority as it
                         used to be. 

                                   MELISSA
                         Which is why we need to take it out
                         now, before they finish what
                         they're doing. 

                                   VI
                         And there's no chance of
                         reinforcements at all? Why is the
                         Academy stretched so thin?

                                   HAROLD
                             (beat)
                         It's not just the Academy. There's
                         been a virus outbreak that seems
                         only to affect Slayers all over the
                         world. 

                                   CICI
                         It's making us weak, putting us in
                         hospital beds, and it's affecting a
                         whole chunk of us. The Council
                         can't afford to send any more girls
                         out here to die. 

                                   VI
                             (sighs)
                         Always the last to know. Okay, I
                         think I'm starting to get it now.

                                   HAROLD
                         Get it?

                                   VI
                             (shakes head)
                         Never mind. 
                             (beat)
                         So do you have a plan? You know,
                         one that won't get us all killed?

                                   HAROLD
                         I can't promise that, I'm afraid,
                         but I do have a plan. Cici. 

               Cici reaches over the seat and hands Vi a file.

                                   CICI
                         Don't know how she did it, but
                         Bella made sure that found it's way
                         to us.

               Vi frowns, opening the file and taking a good look inside.

                                   HAROLD
                         Access information, passwords,
                         security layouts. Their whole
                         security system on paper. 

                                   VI
                         This is... good. This means we can
                         get in. 

                                   HAROLD
                         Once inside, I'll make my way to
                         the security area and shut down the
                         internal security. 

                                   MELISSA
                         I'm going to the source and
                         shutting down the power. The
                         cloning facility will run on
                         generators, but we'll have the
                         advantage when the power goes down.

                                   CICI
                         And I'll be stopping the inflow
                         from the pipes. Can't be using that
                         special ground juice if there's
                         none for them to use. 

                                   VI
                         Which leaves me to take down the
                         scientists. 

                                   HAROLD
                         From there, I suppose...

                                   VI
                         From there we kill the hell out of
                         anything that moves. 

               A beat.

                                   CICI
                         I like her.

               Harold, Melissa and Cici smile for what has to be the first
               time in a long time.
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