INT. MARCUS JACKSON'S UNDERGROUND OFFICE – NIGHT
Marcus, sits alone in a dimly lit office. A few shady gadgets, maps, and images of Jason flash on his monitors. A single line blinks red. He sighs… then answers.
MARCUS: …It's been a while.
UNCLE KEN (V.O., on phone): Thought you'd never call, Chief. So what do I owe this honor?
MARCUS: Its about Jessica.
UNCLE KEN (light up a cigarette): What about her?
MARCUS: I...I don't know, its kinda hard to explain.
UNCLE KEN (chuckles darkly): Of course you dont. Ever since you started working for that bastard, you cant even get shit right.
MARCUS: Ken, It's my life. If I have to do one bad thing just so this city can stand on it own two feet then fuck it, I will, And there's nothing that you can do to stop me.
UNCLE KEN (Chuckles a little): Wow, spoken like a true hero, too bad your daughter doesn't see it that way
MARCUS: So she is alive?
Uncle Ken takes a long sighs with smoke coming out of his mouth
MARCUS: …You promised you'd stay out of it.
UNCLE KEN: And you promised to protect them. Guess we both broke our promise.
Then...A long pause
MARCUS: Listen Ken, I found a kid who looks a lot like her, he's in that junior elite program and he was just at your ranch the other day.
UNCLE KEN (Playing with one of his pistols): Since when did you become a stalker? Big Guy.
MARCUS (yelling): ANSWER ME, DAMNIT! WHO THE HELL IS JASON MARTINEZ AND WHY WAS HE AT YOUR RANCH?
UNCLE KEN (Laughing like a mad man): Ahh, I love it when you get mad, tell you what, If you really want some answer. Meet me at the farmhouse with some of that sweet sweet cash.
MARCUS (calm): Will you tell me everything?
UNCLE KEN (Lay back on his chair, still playing with his pistol): Depends on how much dough you're putting in the oven, darling.
MARCUS: *sigh* deal
UNCLE KEN: That's my boyyyyy *mwwaah*, See you soon, Chief.
CLICK. The call ends.
THAT SAME NIGHT
EXT. ALLEYWAY
Jason, Daniel, and Lysa stand under a flickering streetlamp, breathless from their chase.
DANIEL: What the heck was that?! Who jumps over a building like that?!
JASON: Not who…what…
They both stare at Jason
JASON: Now I've been seeing some weird stuff lately, but that…
LYSA (shaking her head): It speed was… not even human.
DANIEL (Sitting on the sidewalk): And that jump…but man, I better start working out before I get run over by a 6ft mutant.
JASON: Andddd to impress Amanda
DANIEL (Serious, A Bit Red in the face as they start laughing at him): Cut it.
LYSA: Anyways, Jason, how did you know that spy kid exact location.
DANIEL: You're right, I mean I heard something too but, I couldn't pinpoint where the kid was coming from.
JASON (quietly): I don't know really, maybe it was one of my uncle's Meditation exercises that helped. You see I learned how to hear someones breathing, heart beat by just isolating sounds and weridly I can do it with objects too, that's if am fast enough to detect them.
LYSA (Hand to her chin): So…you got spidey sense?
JASON (Chuckles): Yeah, you could say that but only if-- CHOP!
Lysa hit him on the back of his neck and Jason falls to the ground
DANIEL (Panicking): WHAT WAS THAT FOR?
LYSA (Calm): I wanted to test his spidey sense.
JASON (On the ground, weaken): It only works… in long...ranges.
LYSA (Rubbing the back of her head, Smiling weirdly): Oh…Sorry my bad.
They both helped Jason up as they carried him away
EXT. TRAINING GROUND – MORNING
Amanda is doing solo stretches. Daniel approaches, awkwardly waving.
DANIEL (Smiling awkwardly): Hey, Amanda
AMANDA: Oh hey, sorry just doing some stretches before our next training drill
DANIEL: Oh no worries, I just wanted to say Hi and check up on ya.
AMANDA (Grinning, teasing): What? did I go missing or something?
DANIEL (Getting Nervous): Ahh no, its just mmh…
AMANDA (folding her arms): Am listening…
DANIEL (To himself): Where's a Jason cut in when you need it.
DANIEL: *Sigh* Ok, the real reason why am here is that, I wanna talk to you. You just seem really cool. I just didn't want to come across as a creep.
AMANDA: Well that explains it, because I hardly see you in any of the training drills, and I don't find you creepy, weird sure but not creepy.
DANIEL: Really?
AMANDA: Really, Oh and I would really love to chat but I gonna get home early today so maybe another time.
DANIEL: Oh no problem, but anything wrong?
AMANDA: It's family thing, don't worry about.
DANIEL (stepping closer): Oh, well if you want to talk about it--
AMANDA: I DON'T…sorry.
DANIEL (Low tone): Its cool, I get it. I'll be in the lab.
AMANDA (quietly): You know, I never heard someone say that, they wanted to check up on me. And its coming from a stranger.
DANIEL: Well, Sometimes that one random stranger is closer to you than your own family
Amanda looks at him, surprised by what he said but doesn't say anything
DANIEL (Nervous as f**k): I MEAN, AM NOT SAYING FAMILY ISN'T IMPORTANT OR ANYTHING, I- I EVEN HAVE 2 YOUNGER SIBLINGS.
AMANDA (Laughing): You really are weird, aren't you glasses?
DANIEL: My name is actually Daniel, and yeah, am proudly weird.
They laugh. Then Amanda steps a little closer.
AMANDA: Y'know… you're not like other guys.
DANIEL (nervously): Thanks? I... think?
AMANDA (teasing): I mean't that in a good way, glasses.
DANIEL (Smiling): Oh I see *chuckles*
They both smile, look at each other, lingering in the moment—until…
LYSA (O.S): OHH, look what we have here.
Jason and Lysa appear from the other side. Daniel and Amanda both jump.
DANIEL (Nose breeding from both nostrils): Fk, why does this keep happening.
AMANDA: Well, I guess I'll leave you guys at it, talk to you later, Daniel.
DANIEL (Holding a Paper towel towards his nose, waving, smiling): And you too.
Then Daniel turns and see Jason and Lysa both grinning
DANIEL (Dramatic): Don't… you…. DARE… say... anything.
JASON: Am not gonna say anything, but she is.
LYSA: Its sweet how she likes Daniel so much, she didn't feel weird out about the nose bleeds.
JASON: I know right.
They start laughing
DANIEL (Low tone): You guys are the worst.
JASON: Anyways, any updates on that Mutant thing.
DANIEL (adjusting his glasses): Well after staying up all night with the slowest internet known to mankind, We got… zero leads.
They both groan in disappointment
DANIEL: Wait, what do y'all expect? like a whole Wikipedia page would just show a 6ft mutant with a mask and a hoodie.
JASON: No, but isn't there something in like the dark web.
DANIEL: With my slow a## wi-fi? I think we would've more weirdo stalking us.
JASON: But we gonna figure out why it was following us…and who it is working for….
INT- SURVEILLANCE ROOM - THAT SAME MORNING
Patricia reviews Jason's latest sparring performances on her tablet. She notices he's improving rapidly—too rapidly.
PATRICIA (Confused): Captain Maddie, did you make any errors with Jason Martinez stats or something?
CAPTAIN MADDIE (Energized): Errors? (mutter: that's more than one), Hand over the tablet let me see.
PATRICIA hands over the tablet and Maddie analysis the stats.
MADDIE: Hmm nope, no errors, That's the Martinez kid real stats.
PATRICIA (Takes back the tablet and review the stats): Wow, this is….really Impressive & shocking at the same time.
MADDIE: You'll telling me, He really took your advice to heart, now he's keeping up with top recruits. At this rate when he gets in the SDE with an even better form of course, he'll be a white rank in no time.
Cut to Viktor, who is angry after hearing the whole thing
VIKTOR (Storming off, monologue): There's no way he's improving this fast... unless he's hiding something.
INT. TRAINING BASE HALLWAY – MOMENTS LATER
Viktor storms past Bennett.
VIKTOR: Hey, Bennett
He doesn't answer
BENNETT (As Viktor is yelling his name, calm, to himself): *Sigh* We doing this again?
VIKTOR (Yell Louder): BENNETT!!
BENNETT: I guess we are, *Turns to Viktor* Hey Vik, what do you want this time?
VIKTOR: Just wanna be clear, I'm nothing like him.
BENNETT (calm): I never said you were.
VIKTOR (stepping closer): Then stop comparing me to him.
BENNETT (still calm): Then stop acting like him.
VIKTOR (Angry): AM NOT!!
Viktor throws a punch—but Bennett grabs his wrist mid-air, spins him into the wall, and grabs his throat.
BENNETT (quiet and cold): Viktor, am really getting tired of your crap. So either you calm the fuck down or I'll gladly help you.
Then…
LOUDSPEAKER BLARES:
"ATTENTION. ATTENTION JUNIOR ELITES.
PLEASE REPORT TO THE TRAINING GROUND FOR A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT."
He releases him. Viktor coughs as he slides down the wall.
BENNETT (walking off): We are done here"
THE GATHERING
INT. TRAINING GROUND — AFTERNOON
The cadets fill the room.
JASON: Special announcement, what do you think its gonna be?
DANIEL (to Jason): What if a birthday party and they didn't want to ruin the surprises?
JASON (to Daniel): Or... they ran out of pizza at the cafeteria.
LYSA (Arms crossed): "You guys are idiots…"
PATRICIA (stepping forward with mic): Alright, Recruits. First off—good job. You're all here because you might make it into the Shadow Elite one day. But first…
MADDIE (stepping up, Smiling): We want to congratulate all of you on becoming Junior Elites.
Everybody cheered.
MADDIE: That's if you guys can survives the next 2 months.
Everybody goan in disappointment
MADDIE: What? You really thought it was over? *Laughing* Nah it only gets harder from here, and so you guys need someone who can boss you around, a leader basically.
PATRICIA: And the JE (Junior Elites) team needs one. In case we aren't available.
MADDIE (Smiling): Plus, the leader gets hang out with us the Shadow Elite crew & they get paid more.
PATRICIA: Its not about the money, Maddie.
SOMEONE IN CROWD (quietly): Psst, Of course not…
VIKTOR: So, how do we pick a leader?
DANIEL: Let's take a Vote.
VIKTOR: Boring, lets have a brawl for all, Last one standing wins.
Chaos erupts. Arguments. Shouts. People pushing each other.
MADDIE (hands Patricia a pistol): Just use it.
Patricia fires a blank into the air.
Then Silence.
PATRICIA: Next time? I'll bring a huge taser for all of you. anyone wanna test me?
RANDOM CADET: No, ma'am.
PATRICIA: We'll decide your leader the Elite way…
MADDIE: …A FIGHT TOURNAMENT!!
Mixed gasps and cheers from the crowd.
MADDIE: Voting was a close second but ironically the voting option lost to the fight tournament due to voting
PATRICIA: Anyways…Step on stage if you think you've got what it takes.
Silence. A long pause.
Then — VIKTOR steps forward, cocky and smirking. With a mixed reactions from the crown.
BENNETT joins in, applause followed
Then TRAVIS and AMANDA follow, getting applause as they confidently walk up, together, holding hands.
DANIEL (muttering): Ugh, he's holding her hand…oh hell no…
Daniel storms up as well, with LYSA trailing behind, energized.
A few others join.
Then—
LYSA (to Jason): Wait… aren't you gonna join, Jason?
JASON:...Huh?
DANIEL: Yeah, bro—what are you waiting for?
Jason hesitates saying no mutiple times, his eyes scanning the crowd, uncertain.
RANDOM VOICE IN CROWD: C'mon Jason! Get up there!
ANOTHER VOICE: You got this, Jayman!
MORE VOICES: Let's goooo!
"Jason! Jason! Jason!"
The chant builds up, even Captain Maddie joins in catching Patrica by surprises. Jason tries to wave it off at first—but the chants were getting too loud for him to ignore.
DANIEL and LYSA (on stage): JASON! JASON! JASON!
Jason sighs, Then—he steps forward.
The crowd erupts.
As he steps onto the stage, a spotlight shines down on him. Daniel and Lysa each grab one of his hands and lift them. Travis places a proud hand on his back. (Daniel gets annoyed but tries to act cool)
Amanda claps and smirks. Viktor frowns with his arms folded. Bennett watches… intrigued.
JASON (V.O.):
I didn't prepare for this. I didn't wake up this morning thinking I'd be on stage and peopl- no my fellow recruits and higher ups charting for me.
Truth is… most of my life, I've been overlooked. Just another kid in a rough neighborhood with a dream nobody believed in.
I trained in secret. I fought battles no one else could see. I lost my mom… and I nearly lost myself too.
For a long time, I thought being invisible was just who I was.
But now… for the first time... they see me.
Not as the weak kid. Not as a joke. But as someone worth standing behind."
"I'm not here because I'm the strongest…
…I'm here because I refused to stay down.
JASON (aloud, confidently):
LET'S DO THIS.