sa5x06
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.

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                                       TEASER

               FADE IN:

         1     EXT. HIGH STREET/BANK - DAY                              1

               Typical high street, people strolling up and down and in and
               out of various shop fronts.

               There's a BANK here, its glass frontage reflecting the
               sunlight as its modern architecture stands out between the
               older buildings either side.

               FOLLOW a slender, pretty young BLONDE as she sashays up the
               street, pulling open one of the doors and entering:

         2     INT. BANK - FOYER - NEXT                                 2

               She pauses just by the entrance and looks around - the
               minimalist style continues inside, all straight lines and
               neutral colours.

               The Blonde heads for an ATM, careful eyes scanning the room
               as she retrieves her wallet.

               She locks gazes with a petite ASIAN GIRL waiting in line by
               one of the teller stations, a barely noticeable nod passing
               between them.

               Blonde slots her card into the machine and punches up an
               account number. She hits a button:

               ON SCREEN the balance display reads a big fat $0.

               Blonde looks up and round again - this time picking up a
               classy-looking PALE BLONDE over by one of the financial
               advisor's desks.

               They're having a discussion about something, the girl's
               clothes oozing casual opulence.

               Pale Blonde leans back in her chair and glances round,
               registering the other Blonde and again nodding to acknowledge
               her.

               Blonde withdraws her card and steps away from the ATM,
               heading back for the door when:

               Two more GIRLS burst in, the first swiping the security
               guard's gun and PISTOL-WHIPPING him with it as the second
               shuts the door and wedges a CROWBAR between the handles!

               The first is SKINNY, pale and has brightly-coloured hair,
               while the other is a dark-skinned NATIVE AMERICAN, both girls
               with bandanas to cover their features.

               Before anybody can register their attack, Skinny hurls a TIN
               CAN across the foyer, which BOUNCES to a halt - then HISSES
               as thick clouds of WHITE SMOKE start to pump out of it!

               Finally, people start to SHOUT in alarm, customers huddling
               together and COUGHING as the smoke spreads.

               The two girls make for the teller station quickly, more
               GUARDS moving to intercept them:

               But one guard is felled as a large CHAIR smashes across his
               back, and as he drops it reveals Pale Blonde was the
               attacker!

               She's got her own face covered against the smoke now,
               throwing a mock salute to the two intruders.

               Another draws his gun and aims at the Native girl, before his
               gun is KICKED away - by the Asian girl!

               A KNEE driven into his gut drops him, and an ELBOW to the
               back of the neck leaves him down. She takes his GUN and KEYS
               as she pulls her neckscarf up to cover her face, tossing the
               gun to Blonde.

               Her own features now concealed behind a thick scarf, Blonde
               falls in behind Skinny and Native as they head for the
               tellers, the Native girl SHOVING customers to one side as she
               works crowd control.

               The Asian girl takes a bulky electronic device from her bag,
               sticking it on one counter and switching it on.

               As they approach the TELLER, the terrified woman's hand
               reaches for a silent alarm button beneath her desk:

                                   SKINNY
                             (American)
                         Ah, ah.

               She pulls a rusty but deadly home-made CROSSBOW from her bag,
               aiming it at the teller.

                                   SKINNY (cont'd)
                         I know what you're thinking - 'that
                         thing can't possibly get through
                         this reinforced glass!' But ask
                         yourself this - would I be aiming
                         it at your heart if I knew it
                         couldn't?

               The teller hesitates - then slowly withdraws her hand.

                                   SKINNY (cont'd)
                         Good girl.

               She looks to her side - where Blonde has another member of
               staff in an ARMLOCK, forcing her to enter the code to open
               the access door into the teller's booths.

               Once it's open, the two Blondes swoop inside, while the Asian
               girl uses the guard's keys to open another door.

         3     INT. BANK - TELLER'S BOOTHS - NEXT                       3

               Using the guard's gun, Blonde keeps the handful of tellers in
               their seats as the Pale Blonde approaches the first teller.

                                   PALE BLONDE
                             (crisp, educated)
                         Sorry to have to do this to you on
                         a Saturday, darling, but if you
                         wouldn't mind keeping out of the
                         way?

               She PUSHES the teller's chair back, and she hurtles back
               against the wall!

               Reaching for the register, Pale Blonde simply YANKS the
               drawer open, grabbing handfuls of NOTES and stuffing them
               into her purse.

                                   BLONDE
                         Same goes for the rest of you.
                         You'll save time by not making us
                         repeat ourselves.

               One by one, the tellers do as they're told as we CUT TO:

         4     INT. BANK - VAULT ROOM - NEXT                            4

               The Asian girl is joined by Skinny, as the former opens the
               first security gate with her purloined keys.

                                   SKINNY
                         We're behind. Go faster.

                                   ASIAN
                         You really think we're going to
                         have every key we need to get
                         through? We need to find one of the
                         vault managers!

                                   SKINNY
                         You're right. Let me go find one.

               She reaches into her bag - and takes out a bundle of PLASTIC
               EXPLOSIVES!

                                   SKINNY (cont'd)
                         And oh look, here he is.

               Asian rolls her eyes, running out of keys to use to get past
               the final gate.

                                   ASIAN
                         I'm out.

                                   SKINNY
                         Stand back and cover your ears.
                         Pretty sure I made the sort that
                         actually goes 'boom' this time.

                                   ASIAN
                         'Pretty' sure?

               Ignoring that, Skinny quickly pats wads of the explosive
               around the gate frame, running detonator wires from each
               piece.

         5     INT. BANK - FOYER - NEXT                                 5

               Reconvening, the Blondes and the Native girl look towards the
               open door the others went through.

                                   NATIVE
                         They are taking too long.

                                   PALE BLONDE
                         Patience is a virtue, dear.

                                   BLONDE
                         Not when we're ripping off a bank,
                         it isn't.

               There's a muffled BOOM - followed by clanging ALARMS.

                                   PALE BLONDE
                         Oh, good. She got it right this
                         time.

                                   BLONDE
                         Let's go!

               The girls race into the vault:

         6     INT. BANK - VAULT - NEXT                                 6

               Where the other two girls are stuffing more cash into bags,
               the smoking gate frame behind them.

               The others join them, Pale Blonde glancing at the larger BANK
               VAULT door to their left.

                                   SKINNY
                         Forget it. We don't have the tools
                         or the time.

                                   ASIAN
                         Always next time, right?

                                   SKINNY
                         And that's why she's on the team,
                         everyone.

                                   BLONDE
                             (checks watch)
                         Two minutes over. Police'll be here
                         any - 

               Sure enough, SIRENS can be heard in the distance.

                                   SKINNY
                             (to Native)
                         You know the exit strategy. Go
                         start it up.

               She nods, stealing out of the room. With their bags full,
               Skinny and Asian get up to leave, the Blondes falling in
               behind them.

         7     EXT. BANK - REAR ENTRANCE- NEXT                          7

               With a SMASH, the fire exit door is KICKED OPEN, the girls
               pouring out into a small yard behind the bank.

               The sirens are much louder now as they head for the various
               BINS lining the area - each girl retrieving a piece of
               metallic equipment from a bin.

               Skinny quickly assembles them, slotting the pieces together
               to create what looks like a scrap-built JETSKI.

               Native is already heaving up a MANHOLE COVER to the rear,
               Skinny wedging the jetski down and letting it fall to the
               sewers below.

               With a nod, she DROPS down into the hole, the others
               following:

         8     INT. SEWERS - NEXT                                       8

               As Blonde is the last to arrive with a SPLASH, the others are
               already waiting.

               The jetski has the money bags packed onto it, each girl
               holding onto a handle sticking from the body, half submerged
               in the filthy sewer water.

                                   SKINNY
                         What are you waiting for? Grab on!

               She does as she's told, Skinny hitting a button on the
               jetski's body.

               An ENGINE starts up, the machine pulling away and almost
               dragging the girls along with it, speeding them away from the
               scene.

         9     EXT. BANK - NEXT                                         9

               Outside the bank, the police have just managed to SMASH
               through the barricaded doors, officers flooding inside as we
               start to PULL BACK:

        10     INT. CAMPUS - BRIEFING ROOM - DAY                       10

               To find we're watching events via a NEWS BROADCAST on a TV
               set in the Academy briefing room.

               B SQUAD are watching, with FRANKIE and MADISON behind them.
               MALLORY is the first to speak as she WHISTLES, impressed.

                                   MALLORY
                         Damn. They're good.

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                    END OF TEASER
                                       ACT ONE

               FADE IN:

        11     INT. CAMPUS - BRIEFING ROOM - DAY                       11

               Back with the girls as the TV is switched off, and Frankie
               lowers the video screen.

               She switches it on - smaller displays showing other news
               reports as a list of dates and locations scrolls down
               alongside.

                                   FRANKIE
                         What you just witnessed was the
                         latest 'eist courtesy of the I.O.G.
                         Girls, as they 'ave christened
                         themselves, on a Bank of Scotland
                         branch this last Saturday.

                                   MALLORY
                         Smart time to hit a bank. Winding
                         down for the day, fewer customers,
                         plenty of crowds to lose yourselves
                         in afterwards.

               Frankie hits a button and up come crime scene photos of the
               various home-made devices the robbers used.

                                   FRANKIE
                         They used a variety of 'and-made
                         devices during the robbery, from
                         smoke grenades to mobile phone
                         jammers.

                                   REIKO
                         You can make those at home?

                                   FRAN
                         Why are we being told about this?
                         So they're an all-girl team of bank
                         robbers. Yay for them. Let the
                         police handle it.

                                   FRANKIE
                         They are not just 'girls,'
                         Francesca.

                                   MELA
                         They're Slayers?

                                   FRANKIE
                             (nods)
                         Reports of exceptional strength and
                         agility, feats that only girls with
                         our - your level of strength could
                         perform.

               She brings up more photos from the heist to illustrate her
               point.

                                   MADISON
                         All of which means they are your
                         absolute worst nightmare right now.
                         A walking PR disaster just waiting
                         to be exploited by the gutter
                         press.

                                   REIKO
                         So what's our plan? Bring them in?

                                   FRANKIE
                         In a manner of speaking, oui. You
                         are to locate and approach these
                         girls first, learn as much about
                         them as you can, and convince them
                         to return with you to the Academy.

                                   MALLORY
                         They'll never do that. Why should
                         they?

                                   MELA
                         Besides which, why are we doing
                         that instead of just handing them
                         over to the police?

                                   MADISON
                         We have reason to believe they're
                         gathering resources for
                         increasingly larger scale jobs,
                         given the escalation of their
                         crimes over the last few years.

                                   FRAN
                         Years?

                                   FRANKIE
                         They 'ave remained off our radar
                         until recently because officially,
                         they do not exist. No National
                         Insurance numbers, no passports, no
                         bank accounts, nothing. They are
                         like ghosts.

                                   REIKO
                         Ghosts we can handle. Bank robbers?
                         Little more tricky.

                                   MELA
                         Plus, if they really are Slayers,
                         that means we'll be fighting our
                         own.

                                   FRAN
                         With the eyes on us at the moment,
                         that's not going to look good
                         either.

                                   MADISON
                         I'm sure none of you need reminding
                         that Tale Of The Slayer opens next
                         week - the spotlight's never been
                         brighter on all of you. This is a
                         situation that needs to be handled
                         immediately.

                                   MALLORY
                         And I s'pose A Squad are all tied
                         up getting their hair and makeup
                         ready for the premiere, right?

                                   FRANKIE
                             (stern)
                         They 'ave other duties, Mallory. Do
                         not use that as an excuse for
                         flippancy.

                                   MALLORY
                         Course not. I imagine they're
                         running round in circles right now,
                         trying to get everything done in
                         time, eh?

               Smirking, she leans back in her chair, hands behind her head,
               as we CUT TO:

        12     EXT. CAMPUS - PLAYING FIELDS - DAY                      12

               Out in a nook sectioned off from the main playing fields by a
               high wall of shrubs, SOFIA sits on the ground, legs crossed,
               eyes closed.

               She inhales deeply and exhales slowly, her meditative
               demeanour suggesting she's concentrating.

                                   SOFIA
                         I don't feel any less stressed.

               She squints open one eye - to find LADY HUANG sitting
               opposite her, in the same pose.

                                   HUANG
                         Because you are not trying to
                         relax, Sofia.

                                   SOFIA
                         A film based on my entire sad,
                         sorry story so far is coming out
                         next week.
                         Not exactly a recipe for sunshine
                         and hollow chocolate bunnies, is
                         it?

                                   HUANG
                         The more you allow you fears about
                         what the public will make of this
                         film to take root, the longer it
                         will take you to dispose of them.

                                   SOFIA
                         Let's just assume they've well and
                         truly taken root and move on to
                         Phase Two, shall we? Delaney said
                         she can get hold of some industrial
                         strength sedatives that should keep
                         me - 

               Huang opens her eyes with a SIGH, admitting defeat. Sofia
               chews her lips, wriggling on the spot.

                                   SOFIA (cont'd)
                         And, my leg hurts. Pins and
                         needles. Does that mean I'm not
                         doing this right?

                                   HUANG
                         I... 

                                   SOFIA
                         Actually, never mind.

               With difficulty, Sofia disentangles herself and stands,
               dusting her clothes down.

                                   SOFIA (cont'd)
                         Sorry. I don't mean to seem
                         disrespectful, especially with all
                         the hard work you're putting into
                         helping mentally prepare me for all
                         of this, but... it just feels like
                         far, far more than I'm ready for.

                                   HUANG
                         What is it you think will happen?

                                   SOFIA
                         Apart from being pelted with rotten
                         fruit the minute I arrive at the
                         Leicester Square Odeon, you mean?
                         Which, by the way, reminds me to
                         give Madison bloody Riley a slap
                         for booking us into that
                         monstrosity of a publicity engine.
                         What happened to 'low key'?

                                   HUANG
                         Nothing about your current
                         situation is 'low key,' Sofia.

                                   SOFIA
                         Don't I know it! The phone's
                         ringing off the hook for last
                         minute interview requests, and
                         whenever I find one I like I have
                         to turn it down because of missions
                         that keep coming up! Steve Jones is
                         going to think I can't stand him,
                         the number of times I've cancelled
                         on an E4 slot...

               Huang rises, placing her hands on Sofia's shoulders. Sofia
               lets out a breath, Huang smiling down warmly at her.

                                   HUANG
                         You are afraid that after baring
                         your soul to the world, people will
                         hate what they see, is that
                         correct?

                                   SOFIA
                             (sniffs)
                         I mean, I like Steve Jones...

                                   HUANG
                         Even tragic stories can inspire
                         good in people, Sofia. Many of the
                         world's most beautiful and
                         memorable tales are those woven
                         with pain and anguish. Plays,
                         songs, paintings - it doesn't
                         matter what form the story takes,
                         as long as the audience connect
                         with the journey.

                                   SOFIA
                         I don't connect with my 'journey.'
                         How will anybody going to see the
                         story of my life come out thinking
                         I'm anything more than a... than
                         a...

                                   HUANG
                         Murderer?

               Sofia's spine freezes. She hugs her arms to herself.

                                   HUANG (cont'd)
                         That's what you're most afraid of,
                         isn't it?

                                   SOFIA
                         I've done... questionable things.

                                   HUANG
                         And yet here you stand. A champion.
                         Still battling to save the world
                         and everyone in it, even after
                         suffering trials that would have
                         broken the will of many a lesser
                         man or woman.

               Sofia looks up at Huang, who nods.

                                   HUANG (cont'd)
                         I have only known you personally a
                         short time, but already I have seen
                         enough of the fire that burns
                         within you to know such passion
                         does not die so easily.

                                   SOFIA
                             (weak smile)
                         You know, you'd probably make a
                         good living out of writing greeting
                         cards...

                                   HUANG
                         Come. Let me show you another
                         breathing technique. All you need
                         is a moment and it will steady both
                         your heart rate and your nerves. I
                         imagine you will find it useful
                         should this 'Steve Jones' call
                         again.

               Huang sits back down, patting the ground before her. After a
               beat, Sofia joins her, adopting the same posture as before.

                                   HUANG (cont'd)
                         Now. With me. Breathe in slowly...

               Sofia shuts her eyes and starts to breathe in...

                                                                CUT TO:

        13     INT. CAMPUS - GYM - DAY                                 13

               WHAM! And a FIST slams into a red PUNCHING BAG with enough
               force to send its bearer staggering back several feet.

               TORI looks up from behind the bag, clad in training gear and
               scowling angrily over at:

               SKYE, sweat dripping from her as she hops from foot to foot,
               hands clenching into fists.

                                   TORI
                         Go for my throat next time, why
                         don't you?

                                   SKYE
                         You wanted to train. We're
                         training. So shut up.

                                   TORI
                         Yeah, 'train.' The purpose is that
                         you aim for the punching bag, not
                         try to knock my organs out of
                         alignment through it.

                                   SKYE
                         Heads up!

               She sends a SPIN KICK flying at Tori, who only just gets the
               bag up in time.

               The impact BLASTS it out of her hands, sending both Tori and
               the bag sprawling on the floor.

                                   SKYE (cont'd)
                         Too slow. Your reflexes suck for a
                         vampire.

               Tori SNARLS as she sits up, Skye still defiantly hopping
               before her.

                                   TORI
                         You're trying to piss me off,
                         aren't you? Start a fight so you
                         can stake me and claim it was all
                         self defence?

                                   SKYE
                         Now why would I do a thing like
                         that?

                                   TORI
                         Because we both know how much your
                         stomach turns every time you have
                         to look at me, that's why.

               Tori takes her time getting back up, retrieving the punching
               bag and resuming her previous position before Skye.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                         But you know you can't do that.
                         You're stuck with me just as I'm
                         stuck with you. So all you can do
                         is - 

               POW! Skye DROP-KICKS the bag and knocks Tori back several
               feet.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                             (roars)
                         That's it!

               She HURLS the bag to one side, VAMPING OUT as she rushes Skye
               with a bestial ROAR!

               Skye's ready for her, jinking to one side and HIP TOSSING
               Tori overhead.

               Tori lands on her feet - which Skye tries to SWEEP from
               beneath her, but Tori nimbly HOPS over her outstretched leg.

               She drops a mid-air PUNCH down across Skye's jaw, but Skye
               counters by snapping her ELBOW into Tori's arm and then her
               FISTS into her shoulder.

               Tori CRIES OUT and staggers back, Skye pressing her advantage
               with a SNAP KICK to Tori's gut.

               She goes for a second, SPINNING on her heel, but Tori GRABS
               the leg and FLIPS Skye up and over.

               Before Skye can land, Tori TACKLES her with a YELL, driving
               them both to the floor.

               Tori rains down several PUNCHES on Skye, pinning her to the
               ground, before Skye BUCKS to push Tori up and then HEADBUTTS
               her in the midriff.

               Tori rolls back off her, and Skye is quick to grab her from
               behind, ensnaring Tori in a tight HEADLOCK.

               Tori struggles, but Skye's got her held fast - and after a
               few moments, Tori eases off, grimacing against the pressure
               but no longer fighting back.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                         What are you waiting for? Do it!

               Skye HISSES, keeping her grip firm.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                         I know you want to. Twist just a
                         little harder and snap! One problem
                         in particular turns to dust.

                                   SKYE
                         Shut up!

                                   TORI
                         Stop fighting it, Skye! We both
                         know the second you find a way
                         around what you need to keep me
                         here for, you'll drive a stake
                         through my heart faster than
                         anybody can tell you not to. So why
                         bother waiting until then?

                                   SKYE
                         You... you don't know...

                                   TORI
                         I don't know what? What it's like
                         to take another Slayer's life? Of
                         course I do!

               Skye squeezes tighter, but this just makes Tori angrier.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                         You didn't put me in a sleeper hold
                         so you could knock me out. You
                         wanted to know if you could get
                         this close to pulling my head off
                         and still back away from it.
                             (beat)
                         So? Can you or not?

                                   SKYE
                         I'm warning you...

                                   TORI
                         Because if you can, hurry up and do
                         it already so this nightmare can be
                         over for both of us!

               Skye hesitates - and with a GRUNT, Tori drives an elbow back
               into Skye's gut, wriggling out of the headlock and flipping
               Skye onto her back.

               Tori clamps one hand round her throat, pinning Skye down and
               raising one fist over her.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                         Because if you don't...

               A HAND snaps round her raised wrist - Tori turns to see
               DELANEY, shaking her head.

                                   DELANEY
                             (cool)
                         You need to back off. Right now.

               Tori holds her gaze - then DE-VAMPS with a shake of her head.
               She yanks her wrist free from Delaney's grip, stepping off
               the downed Skye.

               Skye's up in an instant, but Delaney gets between her and
               Tori before she can resume the offensive.

                                   DELANEY (cont'd)
                         What? What are you gonna do, Skye?
                         Huh? Kill her?

                                   SKYE
                             (spits)
                         She knows that's what I want to do!

                                   DELANEY
                         And we all know you can't! If
                         anything happens to her...

               Skye PUSHES away from Delaney.

                                   SKYE
                         I know, I know.

                                   DELANEY
                         Hamish wins. He gets his hands on
                         the Slayer power, and we have the
                         literal end of the line.

               Skye turns away, breathing hard. Delaney rounds on Tori.

                                   DELANEY (cont'd)
                         And you - 

                                   TORI
                         Ah, stow it, Delaney. Nothing you
                         can say to me that'll make me feel
                         any worse.

                                   DELANEY
                         Not interested. This death wish
                         thing you're pulling? Getting very
                         old now. After Debbie - 

                                   TORI
                         After Debbie what? Gave her life to
                         keep me alive? You honestly think I
                         feel good about that? What part of
                         me is worth saving?

                                   DELANEY
                         Whatever she saw in you that made
                         her do it.

               Tori doesn't have a comeback for that. Delaney steps back,
               addressing them both.

                                   DELANEY (cont'd)
                         I get that it's never gonna be
                         plain sailing when both of you are
                         in the same squad, really I do. But
                         acting like this? It's gonna get
                         someone else killed while you two
                         bitchfight one another in the
                         crossfire. Either sort this crap
                         out, or someone else will.

               She turns on her heel and marches away, her point made. Tori
               watches her go, then turns to Skye.

                                   TORI
                         Skye...

               She doesn't want to hear it. Skye heads straight for the
               changing rooms without looking back.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                             (calling out)
                         She's right! We can't go on like
                         this! Skye! Are you listening?

               ON SKYE as she clamps her eyes shut, TEARS falling even as
               she fights to hold them in.

                                   TORI (cont'd)
                         It's not one of us that'll end up
                         dead if we keep this dance going!
                         Is that what you want?
                             (beat)
                         Answer me!

               But Skye keeps on walking, right INTO CAMERA and we CUT TO:
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.