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The Flash - Spec Script - Act Three


ACT III

EXT. CENTRAL CITY SQUARE – DAY – CONTINUOUS

Doyle gets SHOVED outside the bike-rack fence surrounding the stage and audience.

He WALKS away from the crowd when a RED BLUR MATERIALIZES into the Flash before his eyes.

                          FLASH
                     We need to talk.

Flash GRABS Doyle by his jean jacket with the cutoff sleeves and they both SPEED away.


EXT. ALLEY – CONTINUOUS

Flash and Doyle appear out of thin air – the alley is completely empty. 

                          DOYLE
                     You wanna know how I do it?

On Flash – puzzled.

Doyle holds up the knife.

                          DOYLE
                     The trick?

                          FLASH
                     Oh.

                          DOYLE
                     I use a…

                          FLASH
No.  That’s not what I wanted to talk about.  I need you to come with me.

     DOYLE
Where?

     FLASH
Somewhere safe.  Hidden. 

     DOYLE
Uh huh.  And secret.

     FLASH
Yes.

     DOYLE
Why?

     FLASH
Because I think you might be sick.  And I wanna help you.

     DOYLE
(A quiet “Fuck off”)
I don’t need that kinda help.

     FLASH
What?

     DOYLE
Just because a person’s into the macabre doesn’t mean they’re crazy.  It doesn’t make them “sick.”

     FLASH
No, this isn’t about what you’re into…

     DOYLE
No, of course not.  That’s what my mother said when she took me to see a psychiatrist for the first time.  What my father said when he took me in, on the condition that I visit with a social worker once a week.  And when none of those panned out – when no “solutions” to my “disturbing preoccupations” could be found, what did they both do?  Left me alone.  Ignored me.  Treated me like a living ghost.

     FLASH
Doyle, I’m sorry.  I don’t wanna change you, I swear.  I think there’s a poison running through your veins.  Something that, given enough time, will kill you. 

On Doyle.

                          FLASH
And all I wanna do is find it, and get rid of it.

On Flash.

                          FLASH
                     Will you come with me?  Please?

                          DOYLE
                     Ok.  I’ll go with you.  On one condition.

                          FLASH
                     What?  Doyle, I’m tryin to save your life.

                          DOYLE
                     I believe you.  My question is, why?

                          FLASH
Because…I’m the Flash.  It’s what I do.  Come on man, you don’t wanna die.

     DOYLE
I don’t.  But I can’t pass up the opportunity to do a killer magic trick featuring Central City’s most famous superhero either.

     FLASH
So…what?  You’re gonna make me disappear?  Saw me in half, or something?

     DOYLE
Something like that.  One grand trick on the Battle of the Bands stage tomorrow.

     FLASH
Battle of the Bands?

     DOYLE
Where I just got booted from.

     FLASH
Of course it’s a battle of the bands.

    


DOYLE
We’ll do it after the last act.  Before the crowd leaves.  They won’t say no to a special appearance by the Flash.

     FLASH
Sometimes I hate where I live.

     DOYLE
Till then, I’m all yours.  Tests, treatment…I’ll do whatever you say.  And when we’re on stage…

     FLASH
I do whatever you say, yeah, I get it.

     DOYLE
No need to be snippy.

     FLASH
Oh excuse me, I’ve just never had someone make me do them a favor to save them before.

     DOYLE
No one asked you to save me.

     FLASH
You’re right about that.

Doyle holds out a hand.

                          DOYLE
                    Do we have a deal?

On Flash as he considers – finally, he DISAPPEARS IN A HAZE OF RED.

There’s a beat as Doyle stands in the alley all alone.

Then, the haze of red REAPPEARS – Flash stands inches from Doyle – the hero puts something in the street magician’s hand.

                          FLASH
Be at this address at eleven tonight.  No later.  And be sure to drink a lot of caffeine.  It’s gonna be an all-nighter.

    
DOYLE
You got it.

Flash VANISHES in a WHOOSH OF RED.

Doyle brings up his hand – he’s looking at the BUSINESS CARD Flash gave him.


ON THE CARD:
S.T.A.R. LABS
1956 INFANTINO WAY


INT. S.T.A.R. LABS – MAIN TERMINAL

Cisco walks in with two large coffees.  He sits at the main computer terminal.

On Barry as he focuses in on the coffees.

                          BARRY
                     Oh, thanks man.

                          CISCO
                     What?

Barry points – Cisco looks down at the two large coffees he’s holding.

                          CISCO         
                     Oh.  No, these are both for me.

                          BARRY
Really?  Have you learned nothing from your earlier…deluge?

     CISCO
When it comes to caffeine, I will never learn my friend.

Cisco takes a seat – SIPS his coffee.

                          CISCO
                     Ok.  I’m ready.  Where is this guy?

                          BARRY
                     Should be here any minute.
On Cisco as he TAKES BARRY IN.

                          CISCO
                     You ok Barr?

                          BARRY
                     Something about this guy doesn’t feel right.

                          CISCO
Really?  Something off about a teenage proto-terrorist?  Color me surprised.

     BARRY
He’s also the same guy who came back in time looking for redemption. 

     CISCO
I guess.  So long as this is the right guy.

     BARRY
Oh, he’s the guy.  But he’s so different from his future self.  He’s showy.  Opportunistic.  In return for coming here tonight, so that we could save his life, he wants to use me for some high-profile magic trick, just to get his name out there.

     CISCO
He’s younger.  A kid.  Lookin to stand out, trying to find himself.  I thought the whole point of this was to show him he doesn’t need to do all that through terrorism.

     BARRY
It is.

     CISCO
Then I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe cut him a little slack?  Not a lot of slack.  As it stands, he still grows up to destroy Central City.  But maybe a skoch of slack?

     BARRY
You have a point Cisco.  Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions. 

    
CISCO
Wow.  I had a point.  I’m not usually the voice of reason.  The expert, sure.  The technical explainer slash simplifier, absolutely.  The repository of kick-ass bad guy names, no question. 

A LOUD BUZZ interrupts Cisco.  He hits something on the terminal.

Barry circles around to Cisco – they both look at the video on the screen.


ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN
A security camera style video of Doyle Fox as he stands at the front door of the lab.

                          BARRY
                     Time to get started.


INT. S.T.A.R. LABS – MED BAY

Doyle sits up on a gurney – a rubber cord tied off at his arm. 

Cisco FINISHES taking blood. 

                          CISCO
                     Ok.  That’s it. 

                          DOYLE
                     I can go?

                          CISCO
Ha.  No.  You need to stick around while we run these tests and figure out what we need to do, because whatever it is, we’ll need to do it fast.

     DOYLE
Cool. 

On Doyle as he takes in the med bay.

                          DOYLE
I can’t believe I’m in the actual S.T.A.R. Labs.  Can I take photos?
     CISCO
No.  Everything in here is top secret.  You snap anything, you post anything, your accounts will get locked down faster than you can blink.  Your whole virtual identity will disappear – as if you never existed on the internet.

     DOYLE
Got it.  Hey, where’s Flash?


INT. S.T.A.R. LABS MAIN TERMINAL – CONTINUOUS

Barry sits watching the computer monitor’s feed of the Med Bay.

                          CISCO (O.S.)
                     On patrol.

                          DOYLE (O.S.)
                     Right.  Fighting the never-ending battle.

                          CISCO (O.S.)
                     Ha.  Totally.


INT. S.T.A.R. LABS MED BAY – CONTINUOUS

                          DOYLE
Does he ever think about what’s gonna happen when he loses?

     CISCO
What do you mean?

     DOYLE
Well, it’s a never-ending battle.  But the Flash isn’t never-ending, right?  Unless he is.  Is he?

     CISCO
No. 

     DOYLE
There ya go.  He can be stopped.  Killed.  Eventually, someone’s gonna do it.  I just wonder if he’s thought about what happens when that day comes.
     CISCO
Someone else takes up the fight.

     DOYLE
That’s right.  Flash has a team of super friends.  But isn’t that the route they’ll all go down?  Again, never-ending battle.  You put on a mask to fight in that war, your days are numbered.  And in the end, what good will you have done?

     CISCO
It’s not about making a difference tomorrow.  It’s about making a difference today. 

     DOYLE
That’s where you and I part ways, Mr. Med Tech.  People will remember me.  Tomorrow and beyond.  I’m gonna do great things.

     CISCO
Bro, I hate to burst your bubble, but street magic isn’t gonna change the world.

     DOYLE
True.  But I’m not lookin to change the world.  I’m just lookin to make it stand up and pay attention.


INT. S.T.A.R. LABS MAIN TERMINAL – CONTINUOUS


ON MAIN COMPUTER SCREEN
We pull back slowly as Cisco takes a beat to appraise this guy.  We move past the chair that Barry was sitting in – but Barry isn’t there anymore, and the chair spins slowly.

                          CISCO
Yeah, well…the computer’s doing it’s thing. Bathroom’s around the corner.  I’ll be back when we have the results. 

Cisco walks out of the room – Doyle looks around, finally looking up to the camera that’s on him.


EXT. SUBURBAN HOME – NIGHT
In a WHOOSH OF RED, Flash appears on the lawn of an idyllic four bedroom.

He PUTS ON THE SPEED – FLYING TOWARD THE FRONT DOOR – with no signs of slowing down, he VIBRATES HIS BODY – PHASE SHIFTING THROUGH THE DOOR.


INT. SUBURBAN HOME’S MAIN FOYER – CONTINUOUS

Flash SNEAKS down the hall – he’s LOOKING EVERYWHERE.  The staircase leading up, the hall, it all looks normal.


INT. SUBURBAN HOME LIVING ROOM – CONTINUOUS

Flash finds the fireplace – one by one, he PICKS UP THE FRAMED PHOTOS ON THE MANTLE.


ON PICTURE FRAMES
From one frame to the next, Flash sees the same image – the ugly, posed family photo with Doyle sitting and his parents standing behind him, all smiles.

Nothing changes from photo to photo except for the age of Doyle – his parents look EXACTLY THE SAME, EVEN DOWN TO THEIR CLOTHES.


INT. UPSTAIRS HALL – CONTINUOUS

Flash races upstairs – there are two doors, one in front of him and one to his right.  He opens the one to his right.

He sees what is clearly Doyle’s room – messy bed, props for magic tricks strewn about.

Flash turns to the other closed door – the master bedroom – he opens it and walks in.


INT. MASTER BEDROOM – CONTINUOUS

And he finds, NOTHING.  It’s a completely empty room – no bed, no furniture, stark.

Barry FLIPS THE LIGHT SWITCH. 

                          CISCO (O.S.)
                     Barry?  Where are you?
                          FLASH
                     Investigating Cisco.

Flash looks down – he’s IN SHOCK.

                          CISCO
                     Investigating what?

On the ground, Barry finds TWO FADED RED BLOTCHES – separated by where a bed must have been.

Flash stands between them, looking from one to the other.

                          FLASH
                     I think Doyle Fox is a murderer.

                          CISCO
                     You mean future murderer.

                         FLASH
                     No.  I mean now.  See what I’m seeing.

A PAIR OF LENSES COVER FLASH’S EYES in his cowl. 


INT. S.T.A.R. LABS MAIN TERMINAL – CONTINUOUS

Cisco watches the monitor, seeing through Flash’s eyes.


ON MONITOR:
Flash’s view, moving between one huge blotch to the next and back.

                          FLASH
                     Cisco, what do these look like to you?

The image is pulled out and zoomed in on.  And in the light, on a large screen, the truth becomes clear.

                          CISCO
                     They look like…bodies.


INT. SUBURBAN HOME MASTER BEDROOM – CONTINUOUS

                          FLASH
That’s what they look like to me too.  I’m bringing you a sample.

Flash bends down and PULLS SOME CARPET FIBERS – TUCKING THEM into his belt.

                          CISCO (O.S.)
                     What does this mean Barry?

                          FLASH
This much blood?  It means these people bled out for a long time.  They must have been stabbed or punctured, either very deeply or many times over and in many different spots on their bodies. 

     CISCO (O.S.)
Could they have done this to themselves?  With a gun or something?

     FLASH
No.  A self-inflicted gunshot wound would result in one area of heavy blood concentration.  Maybe some would travel, but not far and not in such high volume.  From how heavy and spread out the stain is, it looks like these folks lost all of their blood.  I mean, to be thick enough to show these…

     CISCO (O.S.)
Blood angels.

No response.   

Through Barry’s earpiece, a BEEP sounds.

                          FLASH
                     What’s that?

                          CISCO
The results of Doyle’s blood test.  You were right, he’s definitely our guy. 

     FLASH
What does he have?

     CISCO
You’re not gonna believe this…nanites. 

     FLASH
What?

     CISCO
Little robots circulating in his blood stream.  This is real future tech, Barry.  Ray Palmer was just on the verge of creating a nanite that move forward and backward.  These things are swimming like gold medalists. 

     FLASH
How can they hurt him?

     CISCO
Any number of ways.  They could stop blood flow to his heart.  They could cause a clot in blood vessels, or pierce the blood-brain barrier so blood gets into his brain.  They could even be literal time bombs, set to explode…whenever.

     FLASH
Can you get rid of them?

     CISCO
I don’t know Barry.  I don’t know…this technology hasn’t even been invented yet.

Flash and Cisco sit with that together for a beat.

                          CISCO
Wait!  I may be able to use my sonic blast to…

     FLASH
Don’t!

     CISCO
Flash?

     FLASH
Don’t do anything.  Not until we figure this out.

     CISCO
Flash, we don’t know how much time we have.  If we don’t act now, we may not save him.

     FLASH
I know Cisco.

On the bloodstain angels as Flash takes them in.

                          FLASH
                     But I don’t think he’s worth saving.


END OF ACT III

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