“First QUESTIONS” – Script

Duo ex Mania
(Show #01)

Written by: Jeremy Sears

FIRST DRAFT:
12/04/08
SECOND DRAFT:


Script Terms
Ext – Exterior – Setting outside
Int – Interior – Setting inside
POV – Point of view – from characters perspective
CLOSE ON – Focusing on a body part(s)/object(s)
WIDEN ON – Zoomed out on a person/people/object(s)
OV – Over View
UV – Under View
SV – Side view
FV – Front View
VO – Voice over
OS – Off screen


PROLOGUE

OPEN ON – FADE IN

Int. Jem’s house – his room

CLOSE ON (UV) a ceiling fan spinning around slowly.

CLOSE ON (UV) a window beside the door with the blinds down. The fan’s slow rotation can be heard off screen.

PAN across a display of robot action figures on the top of a shelf.

CLOSE ON (OV) a game console that looks very similar to a Nintendo Wii placed in front of a television with a stack of games beside it.

WIDEN ON (SV) a young man, technically an adult named Jem, wearing a loose button-up t-shirt and dress pants sitting in front of a computer with his forehead pressed firmly against the top of his computer desk.

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face while he has his eyes closed tightly, letting out a frustrated sigh.

Jem
I hate this writer’s block.

BLACK SCREEN

(VO)
Day after day it’s always the same thing, nothing. All that ever changes anymore is the time, and only gets faster with each passing day. It frustrates me.

(SV) the front door suddenly SLAMS open.

CLOSE ON (FV) the blind covered window as the back of the door slams in front of it.

Ext. Jem’s house – balcony – day

(SV) the impact of the door hitting the wall is so great that it sends the window shattering into shades of glass that go flying in SLOW MOTION.

(OV) PAN past the woman who slammed the door open very quickly and slide right in towards Jem’s face as he turns to the people at his doorway.

CLOSE ON Jem’s right eye as it opens.

…Mm?

Int. Jem’s house – his room

POV – Jem – The woman stands in a silhouette at the entrance of Jem’s home with a blinding light concealing the background. She raises her right hand and points at Jem.

Pocky
You got something that I want.

ZOOM IN quickly to the women’s face, revealing only her glaring yellow eyes and her jagged teeth while she points at herself with her left thumb.

And I’ll do ANYTHING to get it.

POV – Jem – the door Pocky slammed open breaks off the hinges and falls to the ground with an awkward silence.

CLOSE ON Jem sitting up, his eyes widened speechlessly as his left hand slides down the side of his face.

Jem
(confused and speechless)
Um…wh~?

CLOSE ON Jem’s eyes as they widen with terrified surprise.

~MEHH?!

CLOSE ON Jem’s head in SLOW MOTION as a 5-pin bowling ball comes flying right towards his face. ZOOM IN and PAN to the side of Jem’s face as he bends his head back just in time to dodge the full impact of the bowling ball. However the speeding projectile still hits the bottom of his nose, bending it back to the point that the animation frame of his nose goes flying off screen with the ball.

(FV) Jem bends back so far that he falls off his seat while the bowling ball and frame of his nose go flying into the back wall, resulting in two big explosions of dust that cover the background.

EEEEE…AH!

CLOSE ON Pocky fully revealed with a sarcastic frown, shoulder length maroon colored hair covering her left eye. Wearing a red leather jacket over a white tank top along with black leather pants and brown leather gloves while she rests a frying pan on her left shoulder and tosses another 5-pin bowling ball up and down with her right hand.

(OV) Jem groans with his eyes closed and forearm over his forehead and Pocky suddenly stands over him.

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face as Pocky points her frying pan at where his nose used to be, his eyes quickly widen and he grits his teeth.

EE!!

Jem’s eyes slowly rise from the end of the pan to Pocky’s face (OS).

POV – Jem – Pocky’s stares down at Jem with a menacing grin.

Pocky
So, how difficult are you going to make this?

(OV) Jem blinks a couple times before his face grows large and angry in a very comical fashion.

Jem
YOU THREW A BASEBALL AT MY HEAD WITH A FRYING PAN!!!

Pocky looks away with sticks her nose in the air and her eyes closed while tossing the 5-pun bowling ball in her right hand op lightly and catching it.

Pocky
5-pin bowling ball actually.

CLOSE ON (UV) Pocky.

Jem (OS)
THAT’S EVEN WORSE!!! And what did you do to my nose?!

She blinks and looks down at Jem.

Pocky
Huh?

CLOSE ON Jem’s face that currently lacks a nose.

(OS)
Oh yeaaaaaaah…

POV – Jem – Pocky looks back at the 5-pin bowling ball she keeps tossing up and catching.

It’ll come around eventually.

CLOSE ON Pocky’s right hand as catches the small heavy ball and grips onto it.

(OS)
BUT ANYWAY!

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face as Pocky presses her nose up against where Jem’s should be and looks him straight in the eye very eagerly.

Why don’t you just give me that power of yours so I can get out of your hair, what’d ya say?

Jem stares back at Pocky awkwardly and blinks again.

Jem
Huh? What’re you talking about? What power?

Pocky leans her face harder against Jem’s, pressing it against the floor.

Pocky
The power to do anything, stupid! Or have you STILL not realized you got that power within you?

Jem
Wh~um!

Pocky pulls back and puts her finger over Jem’s lips.

Pocky
Hold that thought

POV – Jem – Pocky stands up and looks out the window (OS), she tosses the 5-pin bowling ball over her head and catches it in her frying pan.

Your nose should be coming back in about…

WIDEN ON (OV) Jem looking up at Pocky speechlessly while she raises her right hand and holds out her fingers.

CLOSE ON Pocky’s hand while lowers her thumb, pinky, ring and middle finger in that order.

(OS)
5, 4, 3, 2…

Pocky points her finger at nothing and slides it down, leaving thick black line outlined by television static.

CLOSE ON Pocky as she pulls at the line, turning it into a circle.

WIDEN ON the door Pocky came through as the original 5-pin bowling ball comes flying through it.

CLOSE ON Pocky as the bowling ball just zooms straight into the black circle. She then casually slides the frying pan and second bowling ball into the black circle and it suddenly shrinks until it disappears.

WIDEN ON the door again as the frame of Jem’s nose comes flying into through.

CLOSE ON Pocky’s right hand as she catches his nose.

(OS)
Got it!

WIDEN ON Pocky standing on top of Jem.

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem trying to sit up but is quickly stopped when Pocky slams her foot on his chest, slamming him against the floor.

Jem
Ack!!

Pocky (OS)
Don’t move!!

Jem
Ow…

POV – Jem – Pocky frowns while she stares down at him.

(OS)
Why not?!

Pocky
Because the frame of your nose that went flying off screen~

Pocky holds up a screenshot of the point when Jem’s nose flew off screen while flashing yellow arrows point at the screenshot and flashing subtitles read “Close-up Side view!!1”

~Was at THIS angle!

She tosses away the screenshot and points down at Jem (OS).

So if you stepped out of frame and into a different angle, I.E the one I’m in now, I wouldn’t be able to put your nose back on!!

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face while his eyes narrow a bit, listening and just going along with Pocky’s absurdity.

So don’t move and just let me put your stupid nose back on!

Jem’s eyes widen and he begins to blush as Pocky kneels down really close to him and simply puts his nose back in its proper place.

Jem
Eep…!

Pocky
Ugh, there.

POV – Jem – Pocky stands up and folds her arms.

Happy?

Pocky brushes her hair with her hand, giving a very short glimpse of her left eye.

So, you going to cooperate and give me that power now or what?

CLOSE ON Jem’s widened and trembling green eyes while he continues to blush.

END PROLOGUE

Duo ex Mania

ACT ONE

Pocky pulls the title card off screen as she frowns down at Jem (OS).

Oooooookay! Enough of that title card crap! Lets get onto business!

Jem raises his hand.

Jem (OS)
Um…I have a question first.

Pocky
Hmm? Oh sure, what is it?

Jem quickly sits up and presses his comically exaggerated head against Pocky’s.

Jem
JUST WHO THE HECK ARE YOU?!?!?!

CLOSE ON the middle of Jem’s chest as Pocky puts her foot against it.

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem and Pocky’s faces, Pocky shoves Jem back to the floor with her foot and a small mushroom cloud of dust rises upon impact (OS).

(OS)
OOF!

(UV) Pocky looks down Jem (OS) blinks.

Pocky
Who am I?

Pocky taps her chin and looks around the room.

Hmm…

POV – Pocky – PAN around the room, stopping for a brief moment at vase, a buffalo plush toy, Jem’s collection of robot action figures, his TV and the computer monitor on his desk.

(OS)
Um…mm, no…uhhhhh…

CLOSE ON the pink box of strawberry pocky placed in front of Jem’s computer.

(OS)
OH!

CLOSE ON Pocky’s left hand as she snaps her fingers.

(UV) Pocky stands up boldly, placing her hands on her hips and looking off to her left.

My name is Strawberry Flavored Pocky! But you can just call me Pocky!

POV – over Pocky’s shoulder (OV) – Jem sits up and points at Pocky accusingly.

Jem
What?! No way is that your real name!!

WIDEN ON Pocky as she looks down at Jem and tilts her head.

Pocky
Oh, and do you have any proof?

Jem
I just saw you read it off the box!

CLOSE ON Pocky’s face as she flips her hair

Pocky
Oh pssha, people change their names all the time.

CLOSE ON Pocky’s eyes as they widen and she gasps loudly.

WIDEN ON the Teninedo Xii set up in front of Jem’s TV with a stack of video games beside it and a couple controllers.

(OS)
OH – MY – GOD!!!!

Pocky suddenly swoops in front of the video game console on her knees and picks up a controller.

You got a Teninedo Xii!!!

CLOSE ON Jem staring at Pocky (OS) with a dumbfounded look on his face.

(OS)
You lucky bastard!

Jem blinks a couple times.

Jem
Uh.

POV – Jem – he overlooks Pocky and stares at the cloud of dust in the background as it completely settles to reveal the 2 large holes in the wall.

CLOSE ON Jem as the corner of his lip twitches.

Heh…heh…my wall…

Jem lowers his head comically in grief.

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON the TV screen while a cute baseball video game being played and rendered in actual 3D graphics with armless boggle-head like people as the on-screen characters. The pitcher in the background throws the ball at the batter in the foreground.

POV – TV – Pocky swings the Xii’s remote shaped controller furiously as though she were hurling a baseball bat.

Pocky
RRRRWAH!!!

Pocky lowers t he remote and stares at the screen intently. Suddenly the sounds of the crowd gasping can be heard and Pocky’s face just breaks into a glaring fit of frustration.

WHAAAAAT?! OUT?! That was totally a home freakin’ run!!!

(SV) Pocky turns off the game and leans in to swap games while Jem can be seen standing in the background beside the holes in the wall.

Baaah, that’s it, I’m sticking to Mega Crash Cousins Rumble, now THAT’S a game.

POV – Jem – he slides his hand along the inside of the hole and sighs a little.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face while he looks down at the holes worriedly with his eyes narrowed.

WIDEN behind Pocky while she players the fighting video game intently.

Jem (OS)
Um…Pocky?

(SV) Pocky sighs and mashes away at the controller buttons while Jem looks over at her in the background.

Pocky
Uuugh, what is it? I’m trying to concentrate!

Jem
Didn’t you come here to get some power from me?

Pocky’s right eye twitches as she leans in towards the TV and pushes a button rapidly.

Pocky
Yeeeeesss…!!

Pocky leans back and plays the game at a calmer rate.

But I can’t extract it from you here.

She raises her left hand.

And probably not until the next episode if I’m lucky

Jem
Huh? Does mean you’re going to kidnap me or something?

CLOSE ON Pocky’s face as she looks upward and taps her chin.

Pocky
Hmmmm…if it comes to that, I suppose.

WIDEN ON (SV) Pocky going back to playing the video game while Jem takes a shocked stance in the background.

Jem
Eh!? You think I’d let you take me wherever your planning to at my own will!?

Pocky
Well why not? Your parents are never home and it’s not like anyone’s going to notice or miss you.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face, his eyes widen but quickly narrow as he looks down at his feet.

Jem
(gasp)…mm…yeah, that’s right. They’re never home…

Jem blinks.

But wait a minute…

Jem raises his head and looks ahead at Pocky (OS).

How did you know that?

CLOSE ON Pocky’s controllers as she forces the analog stick to the right and slams down on a button.

POV – behind Pocky – a character on the TV screen goes flying and the word “GAME!” appears in the middle of the screen.

Television
GAME!

CLOSE ON Pocky’s eyes as they shift into a stern glare at Jem (OS).

(OS)
And the winner iiiis…

CLOSE (UV) behind Jem as Pocky suddenly appears over him ragging mad with flames roaring behind her while gripping the frying pan held over her head.

Pocky
NO MORE QUESTIONS!!!!!!

CLOSE ON Jem’s hilariously frightened face as he screams.

Jem
(terrified)
AHHHHH!!!!!

Ext. Jem’s house – day

WIDEN ON (FV) Jem’s house while it bounces around like its rubber with each of Pocky’s incredibly powerful hits screeching it right out of logical proportion.

(OS)
Pocky!! What’re you doing?!

Pocky (OS)
CAN IT WITH THE QUESTIONS!

Jem (OS)
Have you been stalking my family or something?!

Pocky (OS)
WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!

CLOSE ON Connie’s shoes while she taps one against the top of a tree’s root.

Connie (OS)
(nervous)
Hmm…

CLOSE ON (SV) Connie’s right foot as she pulls up her tall light blue socks.

(OS)
Should I…? I don’t know…

CLOSE ON (SV) Connie while she leans against a tree, under its shade and wearing a blue vest with a white long sleeve shirt and long brown hair going down the front of her shoulders. She rubs her chin intently.

Mm…yeah…I should talk to Jem, the least I could do is try and fix this.

Connie turns around and steps outside the small woods.

CLOSE ON (FV) Connie’s face as her brown eyes widen.

EEEEEEEEH...?!?!?!

ZOOM OUT across to street to a front lawn.

WIDEN behind Connie to show her standing across the street from Jem’s house as it continues to bounce around completely out of logical proportion.

POV – Connie – Jem and Pocky’s banter plus the sounds of things smashing can be heard from the house while its bouncing reaches its worst.

Jem (OS)
The entire house is bending around like rubber!! Could you at least explain how that’s happening!?

Pocky (OS)
You’re keep making me repeat myself and that’s a bad habit that really pisses me off!!!

Jem’s goes FLYING through his window and over his balcony, falling and screaming.

WIDEN ON (SV) a buffalo wearing a saddle as Jem falls SMACK on top of it and slides down its side, sprawling out across the lawn.

CLOSE ON Jem groaning as he slowly slides his arm off his forehead.

Jem
OH…my back…mm?

Jem looks over to his right and blinks a couple times.

HUH?!

POV – Jem – PAN from the big buffalo standing quietly in Jem’s driveway to the storage truck behind the buffalo that it’s saddled to.

(OS)
A buffalo? …And a storage truck?!

Pocky (OS)
YAAAAAAAH!!!!

PAN up to Jem’s balcony as Pocky comes LEAPING down towards him head-on!

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as his eyes widens again and he screams comically.

Jem
AH!!!!

WIDEN ON Jem rolling out of the way just in time as Pocky SLAMS into the ground causing a big cloud of dust and dirt to erupt from the impact.

CLOSE ON Jem as he sits up nervously, watching Pocky (OS) with a comical wide eyed expression.

Eeeeeeeeeh…!

POV – Jem – Pocky’s silhouette can be seen through the cloud of dust as she stands up slowly, groaning like she’s half dead.

Pocky
Nooooooo…MOREee questiooons…

CLOSE ON Jem’s face.

Jem
Huuh? Just tell me; why can’t you~!!

Pocky RAMS a frying pan in Jem's mouth, stretching his cheeks way out of proportion like in a classic cartoon.

~MM!!

CLOSE (UV) behind Jem while Pocky glares down at Jem, holding frying pan in his mouth by the handle.

Pocky
No! Not another question! I’ll explain everything once we get to the warehouse where I can extract that power from you! Got it?!

POV – Pocky – Jem blinks a couple times, his words muffled greatly due to his full mouth.

Jem
Mffemfflemurfmouse?  (We’re going to a warehouse?)

CLOSE ON Pocky’s face as her eyes glare even more and begin to twitch.

Pocky
Another question?! GR…something must be holding you back…

CLOSE ON Pocky right hand as she snaps her fingers.

(OS)
AH HA!

ZOOM OUT to WIDEN ON Pocky pointing at Jem’s house.

Food, Internet, TV, Teninendo Xii, it’s the house itself that’s holding you back! Of course, it’s so obvious!

CLOSE ON Pocky as a menu bar reminiscent of traditional Japanese Role Playing Games (ex. Final Fantasy 7) appears at the bottom of the screen with a bar on the right-hand side flashing. Pocky looks down at the menu bar and grins.

And it looks like my ATB bar has just filled up. Perfect! I know what this calls for.

Jem head quickly slides up on screen, as he looks down at the menu bar in great confusion.

Jem
Mm?!

A white-gloved hand appears over the menu bar and selects “SUMMON” then slides through the next window that appears and picks “Comet Commander”. PAN to the front of Pocky as she clinches her fists, powering up with an aura of energy while glowing circles come out of no where and go inside her. Pocky thrusts her right hand in the air and the camera PANS up to the sky as it’s quickly consumed with dark stormy clouds.

(OV) The clouds crackle with thunder and lightning ominously as the silhouette of a demon like figure with big wings can be seen in the flashes of light. The figure holds out its hand and suddenly the thunder stops. The clouds are broken apart by comets that begin showering through the sky and one falling comment takes up the screen.

ZOOM OUT from that comet as it races towards the planet’s surface, all the other comets begin smashing into this one, making it grow larger and larger, heading up bright red as it’s incredible might comes speeding towards the ground.

WIDEN ON Jem’s entire home town as one big comet goes flying right over his house and impacts with a MIGHTY explosion of blinding light that takes up the entire screen.

WIDEN ON Earth itself, as the blinding burst of light can be seen taking up miles and miles of space and suddenly…disperses, fading away slowly.

Ext. Jem’s house

The light fades away revealing a smoking crater as Jem’s house is obliterated, leaving no remains while the lawn, driveway, fences and neighbors’ houses remain in perfect condition as though nothing happened. The number “9999” appears over the crater and then vanishes.

WIDEN ON (OV) Pocky doing an awkward victory dance to some victorious trumpet beat. FADE OUT BLACK.

FADE IN BLACK to a blue screen showing Pocky’s stats profile as her experience points are calculated and she levels up. Another window appears at the bottom of the screen saying, “You have obtained 28,000 Coins and a Fang of the Fire Fox”. FADE OUT BLACK.

CLOSE ON Jem’s pale, flat face with just black circles for eyes and a square shaped mouth while he looks at the crater where his house was just a minute ago.

POV – Connie – across the street Jem just sits there on his knees while a smoke comes off of the crater.

CLOSE ON Pocky’s hands as she dusts them off.

(SV) Jem’s remains on his knees, speechless as Pocky walks up beside him (in the background) and puts her hands on her hips.

Jem
M-m-my home…

Pocky
Well then! Now that you got nothing to keep you here,

CLOSE ON (FV) Jem as Pocky grabs his shoulders and pulls him off screen.

(OS)
Come right this way!

WIDEN ON Pocky as she drags Jem to the back of her storage truck and opens one of the rear doors. She swings Jem inside, slams the door shut and then skips to the buffalo saddled in front of the truck.

CLOSE ON (UV) Pocky as she leaps onto the buffalo’s saddle and readies herself like she’s riding a horse.

Alright, Joshua De La Augustine, ondalay!!

The buffalo moos out calmly.

WIDEN ON (SV) the buffalo taking one calm step and then suddenly DASHING off with lightning speed, pulling the storage truck with it (OS) and leaving a large trail of rising dust behind it.

CLOSE ON (FV) Connie’s face for less then a second as it’s quickly covered by the buffalo that speeds across the screen, covering her in a cloud of dust. The dust settles to reveal her very pale, blank and speechless face identical to Jem’s at the sight of the crater.

Connie
Uh…Jem…?

POV – across the street – Connie quietly falls to her knees.

END OF ACT ONE

ACT TWO

OPEN ON

Int. back of Pocky’s storage truck

Jem slowly snaps out of his state of shock and sits up, shaking his head and groaning.

Jem
Ohhhhh…huh?

Jem blinks and looks around the big and empty storage room of the truck.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face while he looks around with confusion.

Where am I?

Reggie (OS)
In the back of Pocky’s buffalo pulled storage truck.

Jem looks ahead at the source of the voice (OS) and his eyes widen.

Jem
Eh?!

CLOSE ON a penguin sitting at the opposite end of the room, wearing a top hat and holding a coaster with a teacup on it. The penguin greets Jem by raising his hat.

Reggie
(British accent)
Charmed.

CLOSE ON (FV) Jem’s trembling and jagged face as he raises his shaking hand up slowly, pointing it at the screen.

Jem
(comical stuttering)
Uuuuuuh… Who are you?

CLOSE ON the penguin.

Reggie
Sir Reginald Phillips the Third, though many know me simply as Reggie

Reggie raises his teacup and sips from it in a very polite and proper fashion.

(FV) Jem’s shoulders slouch as his face droops with great disbelief and speechlessness.

Jem
I’m in the back of a speeding storage truck with a talking penguin wearing a top hat…

CLOSE ON Reggie as he raises his teacup.

Reggie
And drinking a cup of chamomile tea, don’t forget that.

Reggie sips more of his tea.

POV – over Reggie’s shoulder – Jem pauses for a moment and suddenly curls up into the fetal position and rocks back and forth comically.

Jem
This is just a dream! Just a dream! Just one really weird dream!

Reggie
(sighs) oh how I wish it were.

CLOSE ON Jem as he stops rocking back and forth and looks over at Reggie (OS).

Jem
Huh? Did Pocky kidnap you as well because she said you had some kind of power?

CLOSE ON Reggie’s coaster as he lightly places the teacup back on top of it.

CLOSE ON Reggie as he points to his left.

Reggie
No, no, I know very little of that business, I’m just here for the tea.

WIDEN ON the random coffee machine set up on top of a small table at the left of the storage room.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as he looks at (the screen) the coffee machine and then looks over at Reggie (OS).

Jem
What? That makes no sense!

CLOSE ON Reggie.

Reggie
Well of course it does good sir. This Pocky lass was offering free samples of this very chamomile tea and I could never turn down a free sample of something I’ve never tried before so I decided to try a cup. Ohhhhhhh it was the most delectable flavor my tongue had ever experienced. I wanted more but alas, each cup to follow has never been quite as good as the first.

CLOSE ON Jem as he blinks a couple times.

Jem
And how many cups of that tea have you had?

CLOSE ON Reggie as he lowers teacup and looks down at it.

Reggie
Oh, counting this cup here, only three. I prefer to wait and anticipate when the time is just right to try another cup. Rather that then force myself to guzzle down cup after cup of the same tea and try desperately to recreate that marvelous experience that was originally unfamiliar to me.

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face, he blinks slowly.

Jem
Oh…huh.

The truck suddenly veers left sharply, sending Jem rolling off screen.

ACK!!!

Ext. Street – day

(FV) Pocky’s buffalo drifts into the intersection from the right route, nearly tipping the storage truck over and continues to charge onward towards the screen.

Int. Storage truck

CLOSE ON Jem as he slams into the sidewall.

UH!!

(FV) Reggie remains sitting up as he slides into the sidewall and his tea flies out of its’ cup and lands on the middle of his chest.

Reggie
Oh drat.

Ext. Street – day

CLOSE ON Pocky sitting on the buffalo’s saddle while staring at a giant unfolded map with the storage truck landing back on all 4s in the background.

Pocky
Hmm…which way am I supposed to go again? Left? Right? Back in time?

WIDEN ON (SV) the buffalo charging effortless through a busy road as every car it rams into is sent flying through the air.

CLOSE ON Pocky not noticing the cars sent flipping over her while she continues to examine the map.

Ughhh, stupid map!

Pocky crumples up the map and suddenly her eyes widen as she points into the distance.

Huh? Oh wait a minute, THERE IT IS!

WIDEN ON (OV) the street as the buffalo heads towards the upcoming next intersection.

…LeeeeeeeeeeeFFFFFFT!!!!!

The buffalo makes a sharp left turn as it enters the intersection. PAN up to show a nearby abandoned warehouse surrounded by a circle of trees

Ext. Abandoned warehouse – day

WIDEN ON the front of the warehouse as the buffalo’s front right hoof stomps down on the left side of the screen against the dirt road.

(FV) Pocky leaps off her buffalo and tosses him the crumpled up map.

Good Joshua, here ya go.

Joshua catches the map with its mouth and chews on it like cud while Pocky turns around and heads to the back of the storage truck.

Int. Storage truck

CLOSE behind Jem while he sits up and looks ahead at Reggie.

Jem
So Reggie, you got no idea why Pocky says I have this power or how she’s going to get it from me?

Reggie
Nope, I’m just as confused as you are.

The backdoors of the storage truck open suddenly with Pocky’s shadow leering into the room.

Oh! Speak of the devil.

Jem
Huh?

Jem looks over his shoulder at Pocky (OS).

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem as Pocky grabs him by the back of his collar.

Pocky
Ok were here, come on!

Jem
Ack!!

Jem gets pulled out of the truck.

POV – over Reggie’s shoulder – Pocky slams the left door shut and looks at Reggie with a stern look.

Pocky
Had a cup as good as the first yet?

Reggie
No, unfortunately.

Pocky
Alright

Ext. Abandoned warehouse – day

WIDEN ON (UV) Pocky as she slams the other door shut and walks towards the warehouse, dragging Jem behind her.

(SV) Pocky passes by Joshua silently while he contently chews on the map.

POV – Pocky – Jem looks up at Pocky with a hint of curiosity.

Jem
Pocky, how long has Reggie been in that truck of yours?

POV – Jem – Pocky frowns lightly and doesn’t look back at Jem.

Pocky
Pfft, after all the stuff that’s just happened, we finally get to the warehouse and THAT’S the first thing that comes out of your mouth.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as he stares up at Pocky (OS), raising an eyebrow slightly.

Jem
...Hmm...

Int. Abandoned warehouse

WIDEN ON (OV) the wide cargo door sliding open with Pocky standing at the entrance as she throws Jem inside, sending him skidding across the floor.

CLOSE ON Jem as he turns around (facing the screen) and sits up nervously with his eyes trembling.

Ehhhh…Pocky? …I don’t like where this is goinnng…

POV – Jem – Pocky stands just like she did at the start of the episode, hidden in a silhouette because of the bright light shining into the room. She opens up another portal and pulls out a frying pan.

Pocky
A lot of the stories in TV and video games have always been clichéd shovel-ware.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as he sweats franticly.

(OS)
And if they’ve taught me anything…

POV – Jem – Pocky tilts her frying pan vertically and a twinkle of light glimmering off its chrome rim.

It’s that putting the main character in mortal danger always unleashes their hidden powers!!!

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as he panics.

Jem
Mm…Mm…AH!!!!!

WIDEN ON (UV) Jem leaping back JUST in time as Pocky slams her frying pan into the ground like hammer, causing huge chunks of concrete to go flying into the air.

CLOSE ON Jem blinking as he looks around and realizes he’s up in the air a lot higher then he should be while chunks of concrete soar past him.

Huh…?

WIDEN ON (FV) Jem almost losing his balance as he lands on his feet near the back of the warehouse.

CLOSE ON Jem as he raises his hands and looks at them with even more confusion.

How’d I do that…?

Jem looks ahead quickly.

Mm?!

CLOSE ON (SV) Pocky lunging towards Jem with her frying pan held over her head but he leaps into the air as she SLAMS it into the ground with immense force.

(OV) ZOOM OUT as Jem jumps into the air while with the force of Pocky’s attack causes the entire warehouse to shake. PAN around to look up at the row of windows near the top of the back wall as they all completely shatter.

CLOSE ON Jem as he looks over and sees the shattered glass coming towards him and instinctively shields his face with his arms.

Huh?! Mmmm…!

POV – over Pocky’s shoulder – Jem lands behind Pocky in the middle of the room and quickly falls to his knees.

Ah!

WIDEN ON (SV UV) the entire room as the shattered glass of every window in the room comes raining down, allowing ominous rays of light to shine in.

CLOSE ON Jem standing on one knee while he looks around at the tiny pieces of glass reflecting off some kind of dome shaped barrier surrounding him.

What the…? Mm …

WIDEN (UV) behind Jem as he gets up and looks ahead at Pocky while she stands at the end of the room with her back turned.

(nervous)
Pocky! Why’d you bring me to this old warehouse if all you were going to do is try and whack me with a frying pan like you did back at my house?

Pocky
That was to get you out of the house…

CLOSE ON Pocky from behind as she slowly turns her head to face Jem (OS) with a stern glare.

Now it’s to get the poweeer!!

Pocky turns around (facing the screen), opens a portal beside her and pulls out a bowling pin. She flips it up into the air and then hits it with the back of her frying pan, sending it FLYING towards Jem like a missile.

CLOSE ON (SV) the speeding bowling pin and ZOOM OUT as it crashes against Jem’s invisible barrier, sending thousands of sparks flying.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face while he watches in disbelief as the bowling pin withers away to nothing. When the sparks stop flying, Jem blinks and looks ahead at Pocky.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face while he watches in disbelief as the bowling pin withers away to nothing.

CLOSE (UV) behind Jem while Pocky stands at the end of the room.

Jem
Is all of this part of that power you want from me? Because what you’re doing is definitely making it come out!

PAN very quickly to Pocky (SV) as she glares.

Pocky
Hell no! That barrier that reflected the bowling pin is just your Main Character Shield and jumping through the air? What anime DOESN’T have that at some point?

PAN back to Jem as he blinks

Jem
“Main Character Shield?”

(FV) Jem holds his head and shakes his hair in frustration

Gaaaah!!! None of this makes any sense!!!

POV – behind Jem – Pocky suddenly jumps into the air so fast that she’s only a blur.

CLOSE ON (OV) Jem as he lowers his arms and looks up at Pocky (OS).

Uh?!

PAN directly up quickly to reveal Pocky-descending right above of Jem with her frying pan held back.

Pocky
GRAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

WIDEN ON Jem and Pocky as she slams her frying pan down on Jem, sending sparks flying everywhere as it comes into contact with the Main Character Shield.

CLOSE ON Pocky’s face as her hair blows around wildly while an intense fury sparks go flying around her.

Gr…every world is part of a story…!

POV – Pocky – Jem looks up at Pocky between all the wild flying sparks.

Jem
ERR...huh?

WIDEN ON Pocky and Jem’s clash as the sparks get larger.

Pocky
And every story has a Creator!

POV – Jem – in the middle of Pocky’s heavily damaged frying pan a crack in the Main Character Shield begins to appear.

CLOSE ON the frying pan from outside of the barrier as the cracks in it spread rapidly.

WIDEN ON Pocky and Jem as the ground around him suddenly crumbles while cracks spread around the entire barrier until it eventually shatters in an aura of sparkling lights and a shockwave that sends Pocky flying off screen.

PAN around from the front of Jem’s face to an over the shoulder view as he watches Pocky go flying through the air (OS) and eventually land on her knee in the background.

Jem
Huuuuuuuuuh? Creator? What’re you talking about?!

PAN over the entire room from the top of the back wall, showing all the damaged caused as Pocky stands up slowly.

Pocky
I’ve spent a lot of time researching this,

WIDEN ON (FV) Pocky as she holds out her damaged (almost black) frying pan like a sword.

But now 100% positive and without a doubt~

ZOOM IN quickly on Pocky’s stern glaring face.

~That YOU are one based on the Creator of this world!

CLOSE ON Pocky’s feet as she DASHES towards Jem (OS) with incredible speed.

SHAKING CLOSE ON Pocky’s face as she charges onward.

Which means that deep down you have the Creator’s ability to do absolutely anything!!!

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as his eyes widen and he grits his teeth, standing frozen with fear.

That’s the power I seek from you!

CLOSE ON Pocky’s frying pan as she holds it back to her left and turns it so the bottom end is pointing onward.

SHAKING CLOSE ON Pocky’s face again.

The power I’ll do ANYTHING to get!!!

Pocky swings her tightly gripped frying pan upward.

WIDEN ON (SV UV) a still shot of Pocky RAMMING her frying pan with all her might up Jem’s jaw with so much force he’s already a few ft off the ground as he arches back.

CLOSE ON Pocky’s frying pan in slow motion as it finally gives in and shatters to pieces on contact with Jem’s chin.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face in slow motion as his tightly closed eyes wince with pain.

WIDEN ON (SV) Pocky and Jem as the slow motion switches to fast forward and Jem is sent back very quickly, spinning clockwise.

WIDEN behind Jem as she watches Jem spinning back like a rag doll right out the front entrance of the warehouse and comically hitting the ground outside with a simple thump.

CLOSE ON (UV) Pocky’s face as all her seriousness suddenly disappears with a couple blinks.

Pocky
Huh, so I did manage to break his Main Character Shield.

She holds up her the hand of her now broken frying pan.

Well…it might’ve cost me a perfectly good frying pan, but meh,

Pocky throws the handle over her shoulder and grins.

That’s when having the ability to pull anything out of Hammerspace comes in handy.

Ext. Abandoned warehouse – day

WIDEN ON Jem laying on the ground unconscious and on his stomach with the buffalo and the storage truck in the background.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face with his eyes replaced by thick black swirls while in his unconscious state.

FADE OUT WHITE

Int. Dark room

POV – Jem – FADE IN WHITE as Jem slowly opens his eyes, only to be looking up at a large operating room light.

Jem (OS)
(groans)…where am I?

WIDEN ON (SV) Jem strapped down to a large operating table with his arms and legs spread and only the operating light beaming down on him like a spotlight.

Pocky (OS)
You’re in my operating room.

Pocky steps out of the darkness wearing a lab coat and stands at the table beside Jem, as he quickly panics and looks around.

Jem
Operating room?!

Jem tries to pull himself out of the tightly fastened harnesses but soon gives up and drops his head to the side (facing the screen).

GR! Er!! Ah!!! Mmm! …Mmm…I got to stop losing consciousness…

CLOSE ON Pocky as she looks down at Jem.

Pocky
Yeah, yeah, yeah, bad for your health, makes this seem like a soap opera, we’ve all heard that stuff before.

Pocky pulls out a pair of protection goggles and straps them on, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

Now then! Let’s get started!

She pulls out a remote, aims it up at the operation theater light and pushes a button.

POV – Jem – the operation theater light moves aside as a big and ominous circle shaped device with a row of lights around the bottom edge comes out of the darkness.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as his eyes tremble with fear.

Jem
Eeeeh… What’re you going to do to me?

CLOSE ON Pocky while the device comes down and slides directly above Jem’s head.

Pocky
Extract that power from your body manually, duh.

Jem (OS)
Is it going to hurt?

Pocky
Uh...don't know actually, never used this thing before.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as his state of fear grows faster by the second.

(SV) the device finally stops adjusting its position as smaller duplicate layers slides out from the bottom of the previous five times.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as his state of fear grows faster by the second.

(SV) the device finally stops adjusting its position as smaller duplicate layers slides out from the bottom of the previous five times.

CLOSE ON the fifth and smallest layer as a long and very thin cylinder slides out slowly.

POV – Jem – nearly blinded by all the lights coming down from the many layers to the device, something twinkles from the middle of the long cylinder as it opens up.

CLOSE ON the end of the thin cylinder as a long and scary needle slides out.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as quickly begins sweating, his eyes shaking.

CLOSE ON the descending needle.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face.

CLOSE ON the needle.

CLOSE ON Jem’s right eye as it trembles franticly.

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face as the needle stops a matter of inches from his forehead and he stares up at it with sheer terror.

WIDEN ON Pocky as she grins and points her remote at the device.

Heh, heh…

CLOSE ON the remote and Pocky pushes the red “ON” button.

WIDEN ON Pocky and Jem as the device begins to make all kinds of noises and shakes around like its about to break.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as he breaths extremely hard and fast while stares up at the device.

POV – Jem – the layers of the device spin rapidly, causing the lights to only become a dizzying spectacle that only further induces the sense of terror.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as he closes his eyes.

Jem
AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!

CLOSE ON the needle as a drip of water comes off it.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as the drip water hits his forehead. Jem opens one eye to look up at what’s happening and then opens the other.

Mm? …Huh?

(FV) Pocky quickly frowns and raises an eyebrow as she holds her open palm out at the device.

Pocky
Whaaaaaat?!  This is it? No, it can’t me! I followed most of instructions!!

CLOSE ON Jem’s blank and confused face while a drop of water falls on his forehead every 5 seconds.

(OS)
Ugh, you stay here and don’t move!

WIDEN ON Pocky as she swoops down onto the floor, laying on her stomach as she pulls out the device’s instruction booklet.

CLOSE ON (FV) Pocky’s face as she pulls the instruction booklet up to her face.

Hmm…Congratulations on purchasing your new Power Extractor 5000, blah-blah-blah… yaddie-yaddie-yadda, more broken English…

Pocky turns a page.

POV – Pocky – PAN across both shown pages of the instruction booklet, revealing it’s illustrated like some kind of bizarre Japanese comic book.

(OS)
These things never make any sense.

WIDEN ON Pocky as she licks her finger and turns the page.

CLOSE ON Jem’s eyes as they just remain widened, with an uncomfortable blankness while the sound of the water dripping on his forehead gets louder, echoing quietly.

CLOSE ON the needle as another drip of water slides down its long metal stem and falls on Jem (OS).

POV – Jem – the device and the lonely darkness above it get blurry as Jem’s strained vision begins to merge everything together.

CLOSE ON the operation theater light while the water drips echo quietly. Jem lets out a shaking breath.

FADE TO Jem’s face while the water piles up on his forehead and streams down his face, sliding down the top of his nose and into his eye. He doesn’t blink, but the water continues to slide down his face, looking a lot like a tear.

Jem
It’s all gone…

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face while he stares blankly at nothing.

Everything is gone…

WIDEN ON Pocky as she keeps reading the instructions and just casually twirls her right hand around.

Pocky
Yeaah, yeah, it’s all gone, I know. That was kind of the idea so you have no reason to hold your power back.

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face as he just blankly stares at nothing.

Jem
First I lost Connie…then after I graduated…I lost every friend I ever had…

CLOSE ON Jem’s right hand as it clinches into a tight fist.

And then I lost my ability to write!!

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face as he closes his eyes tightly and he grits his teeth.

Writing was all I had. It was the only thing left that gave me an identity!

CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s right eye as it opens.

My friends ended up becoming what’d always inspire me…but even when they were gone, and I had entered this year long writer’s block…I could still look back at the stories I had already written and the awards I won and convince myself again and again that this was who I am!

CLOSE ON Jem’s right hand as it clinches so hard he begins to pierce his palm with his nails, drawing blood.

(OS)
But now even their gone!!!

CLOSE ON Jem as he begins to shake his head around furiously.

When you destroyed my home you took away everything I had left!!

WIDEN ON Pocky as Jem’s desperate and sorrowful words finally get her attention and she looks up at the table (OS).

(OS)
I hate this! I hate this!

Pocky
Hmm?

SHAKING CLOSE ON (OV) Jem as his eyes strike open with an incredible burst of anger and frustration.

Jem
I HATE THIS!!!!

Jem’s eyes begin to glow pure white.

WIDEN ON the operating table as numerous shockwaves and bolts of energy come off of Jem, causing the large device hanging over him to explode.

WIDEN ON Pocky as she quickly gets up and throws the instruction booklet away.

Pocky
YES! The stupid thing was working all along!

CLOSE ON Pocky as she excitedly watches Jem (OS) while the entire room is trembling.

His power is finally coming out!!!

SHAKING CLOSE ON (SV) Jem’s face while he screams with the shockwaves only getting stronger and stronger as everything blurs from the intensity of the power coming off of him.

Jem
GRAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!

WIDEN ON Jem’s body as it lifts off the operating table and glows brightly.

Ext. Abandoned warehouse – day

WIDEN ON the warehouse as the HUGE beam of light bursts out of it and obliterates the entire thing. PAN up to look at the light as it nearly reaches the clouds before it twirls around and begins to take the form of a very demonic figure with huge wings. This…thing of light looks down at the world and then raises it’s head up and it roars.

FADE OUT WHITE.

Pocky (OS)
Jem? Oh Jeeeeeeem

Ext. Abandoned warehouse.

CLOSE ON Jem’s face as a small stream of water hits his face.

(OV) Jem quickly sits up and coughs as he chokes on some of the water while Pocky lies beside him with a small water gun in her hand.

POV – Pocky – Jem keeps coughing.

(OS)
Heh, I thought you’d never wake up.

Jem’s coughing stops and he quickly looks over at Pocky (OS).

Jem
Huh?

POV – Jem – Pocky smiles at him, holding up her water gun.

(OS)
Pocky,

CLOSE ON Jem and Pocky looking at each other.

It…it was all just a dream?

Pocky
Yeaaaaah…don’t you just HATE it when that happens?

Jem
Hey wait! Does that mean my house never got destroyed?

Pocky
No…that really did get blown up; only whatever happened while you were knocked out was a dream.

Jem drops his head comically.

Jem
Oh…great.

POV – behind Pocky – she looks over to her left and twirls the water gun a bit.

Pocky
Yeah…it looks like I can check “Trying to kill you” off the list of methods to make your power come out, because that was certainly a bust.

Jem leans over at Pocky with surprise.

Jem
You have a list?!

Pocky
Obviously, I’m no one trick pony. I did my homework.

Jem
And I heard you say my nickname while I was waking up, how did you know its Jem?

Pocky
Through all that research I did to determine you’re the one with the Creator’s power, duh.

Pocky flicks Jem’s nose and he sits back rubbing it.

Jem
Ow…

ZOOM OUT slowly from Jem and Pocky as they continue to bicker.

Jem (narration)
None of it made much sense…but for some reason it didn’t bother me as much as it should’ve. I had lost everything I tried to hold onto and was stuck with a girl who said I had the power to do anything. I knew very well the only thing she was after was that power, but that didn’t change the fact that I was the most valuable thing in the world to her. And that made me feel happy.

BLACK SCREEN

(narration)
Kind of anyway… You have to look on the bright side of things, right?

END OF ACT TWO

TO BE CONTINUED