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The Flash - Spec Script - Draft One


ACT ONE

EXT. CENTRAL CITY ROOFTOP – NIGHT

VIBE stands close to the edge of the roof – Central City glowing beyond.

But Vibe isn’t looking out at the city, he’s focused on a tablet showing him an image of the city that he could be seeing live if he’d just look up.  Only this image is covered in transparent, pulsing circles of all colors – red, purple, blue, etc.

                          VIBE
                     Flash, you read me?

                          FLASH (O.S.)
I read you Vibe.  But where are you?  You weren’t at S.T.A.R Labs when I suited up for patrol.

     VIBE
I’m a superhero now --   

He raises his head -- looks out on the city ponderously.

                          VIBE
And I’m in the best place a superhero can be when he’s lookin for trouble.

     FLASH (O.S.)
You’re on a roof again, aren’t you?

     VIBE
You bet buddy.  You bet.

     FLASH (O.S.)
You know you can’t actually see anything from up there.

A BEEP pulls Vibe’s focus back to the tablet. 

On the tablet, one of the pulsing blue circles has gone solid.

                          VIBE
It’s better for the Vibe Atlas.

     FLASH
Vibe Atlas?
     VIBE
A map of the city that shows me all the potential troubled spots.  Like my powers, in tablet form.  It can better detect metaphysical anomalies closer to their sites of origin. 

On the tablet, one of the pulsing blue circles has gone solid.

     VIBE
Oh no.  Blue.

     FLASH (O.S.)
Blue?  What does that mean?

     VIBE
A time rift. 
    
FLASH (O.S.)
Where?
    
VIBE
Fiftieth Street and Marks.

     FLASH (O.S.)
On it!

EXT. CENTRAL CITY JEWLERS – NIGHT – CONTINUOUS

The large display window of a jewelry store – a window to the most opulent diamonds, rubies and opals – reflects a blue portal.

On the portal, a top-heavy dude walks through.  His torso is bulging, while his legs are comically scrawny.  He looks greasy, wears rags – this Mad Max ripoff is “EEL” MADDEN.

                          EEL
Central City.  Still standin. 

On the storefront.

                          EEL
Looks like easy pickins. 

Eel walks toward the jewelry store display window, fingering a club at his belt.

He pulls out the club, raises his arm, and just before he reaches the glass window –

The ORANGE LIGHTNING CRACKLES in front of him, blinding him for a second.  And when he opens his eyes, he sees The Flash!

                          FLASH
                     That’s as far as you go pal.

                          EEL
Huh, I knew about the green guy in Starling.  The hawk girl and the shrinking man who fly around with the space cowboy, I know they started around now.  Funny, none of the history vids show a red…streak.

    
FLASH
(knowingly)
You’re from the future.

     EEL
Bingo, kid.  Eel Madden, occupational scavenger, lifelong board game enthusiast, and a soon to be filthy rich time refugee.

     FLASH
Refugee?  You think you’re staying here?

     EEL
Oh yeah.  2058.  But it’s much better now than when I come from.  

     FLASH
What happens to Central City in 2058?

     EEL
Destroyed.  Worse than that, a wasteland.  And it’s survival of the fittest.

     FLASH
So that’s why you’re here.  You’re not one of the fittest.

     EEL
Excuse me?

Activating that speed, Flash races around Eel, grabs the back of his shirt, spins and hurls him back into the blue portal.

                          FLASH
                     (into his earpiece)
                     Cisco, you hear that?

     VIBE (O.S.)
Codenames Flash!

     FLASH
Priorities Vibe!

     VIBE (O.S.)
Fair.  You’re right.  It’s this rooftop.  I get lost in myself up here.

Another long beep is heard.

                          FLASH
                     Another one?

                          VIBE (O.S.)
                     Fortieth and Stern.

Flash takes off.


EXT. CENTRAL CITY SAVINGS AND LOAN – CONTINUOUS

The place has seen better days. 

A gaping, blue portal is open in front of it and Eel Madden glides out, this time on futuristic looking roller blades with little engines attached.

The Flash appears in front of the Savings and Loan.  He takes a look at Madden – really takes him in.

                          FLASH
                     Ok.  This is new.

                          EEL
                     Can’t stop me if you can’t catch me.

                          FLASH
You really wanna play this game?  I’m the fastest man alive.
     EEL
Faster than this?

Eel holds up a TRIGGER and hits a button.  The little engines fire up, spewing blue flame out from behind them, and Eel blades forward, gaining speed.

The Flash just shakes his head – then takes off.  He grabs Eel’s arm and pulls. 

Eel quickly turns from the Savings & Loan storefront, being redirected back toward the blue portal.  He raises the trigger, it’s gone.

Barry, back at a stop in front of the Savings & Loan, raises the trigger in his hand. 

                          FLASH
                     Oh look, a turbo setting.

Barry pushes the button.  The flames on Eel’s blades go from blue to red.  He races even faster toward the blue portal.  And he’s going, going – poof.

                          FLASH
                     Enough fun for one night.
                     (He puts his forefingers to his ear)
Cisco, how can we see what’s going on in 2058?

Another long beep.

                          FLASH
                     Really?

                          VIBE (O.S.)
                     Sorry Barr, thirtieth and Conway.

                          FLASH
Thirtieth?  These portals are opening up just ten blocks south and one block east of each other.  Are we being led somewhere?

     VIBE
Don’t know, but you better hurry.

Flash races off.

EXT. CENTRAL CITY CREDIT UNION – NIGHT – CONTINUOUS

The Flash appears to find the blue portal open and Eel already breaking into the Credit Union.

                          FLASH
Eel, you have terrible taste in places to rob.

     EEL
But I got great taste in guns!

Eel turns around to reveal a long-barreled gun with a spray-nozzle at the end.  It’s connected, via hose, to a receptacle on his belt.

                          EEL
                     You definitely won’t catch me this time.

He points the gun at Flash and fires. 

Pathetically, a small stream of thick liquid dribbles out.

                          FLASH
                     What is that?

                          EEL
                     Grease. 

                          FLASH
                     Seriously?

                          EEL
                     Try catchin me now.

Flash moves toward Eel -- slips a little.  He waves his arms for balance, finally steadying himself.

ON Flash as he looks up at Eel, surprised this actually worked.

                          EEL
                     Hahaha.

Eel lets this laugh go on too long – giving Flash enough time to slowly move backward.

Flash rubs his feet on dry sidewalk with his super speed.  Eel is still laughing.

Then, with Flash speed, Flash turns around, runs up the building behind him, gets a quarter of the way, kicks off, launches through the air, leading his charge with a closed fist.

Eel doesn’t have time to stop laughing before he’s knocked out.

Flash lands, picks up an unconscious Eel, speed-spins in place and launches him back into the blue portal.

Flash comes to a stop, only to hear the sound of CLAPPING from somewhere.

Out of a dark alley next to the Credit Union, an old man walking on a cane shambles toward Flash.  He’s ancient, hunched over so far he can’t even look up as he walks.  This is DOYLE FOX.

                          DOYLE
Incredible, Mr. Flash.  I had hoped my portals would lead you to me without drawing any unwanted attention from the future.  I’m glad I trusted more in your incredible gifts.  You truly are Central City’s hero.

     FLASH
Who are you?

     DOYLE
My name is Doyle Fox Mr. Flash.

     FLASH
Just Flash.  Why did you do all of this?  People could’ve been hurt.

     DOYLE
I’m sorry, I did not mean to cause trouble.  On the contrary, in fact, I lured you here in the only way I could, to help you prevent trouble.  A great calamity.

     FLASH
Does this have anything to do with what happens to Central City in 2058?

     DOYLE
It has everything to do with it.  I know how to save your city from the terrorist threat that will destroy it.
     FLASH
How?

Doyle holds up a pen-looking device with a button on top.

     DOYLE
Push this button.

                          VIBE (O.S.)
                     Did he just tell you to push a button?
         
                          FLASH
                     He told me to push a button.

                          DOYLE
                     Who are you talking to?

                          VIBE (O.S.)
                     Well that’s not at all suspicious.

                          FLASH
                     I agree, but what if he’s telling the truth?

                          DOYLE
It’s rude to ignore someone who’s trying to help you save the world.

     VIBE (O.S.)
We need to do our own assessments of the future before we do anything else.

     FLASH
And how do we do that Cisco?  We don’t have a time machine.  Am I supposed to run into the future, take a look around, and then report back?

     DOYLE
Push the button.

     VIBE (O.S.)
Can you do that?

     FLASH
No!  At least, not without the cosmic treadmill.

    
VIBE(O.S.)
Right.  Been a while since we had that thing.   

     FLASH
That’s my point.  What if I can save Central City right now? 

     VIBE (O.S.)
Think about what you’re saying, Barry.  A time hopping loon just shows up, tells you the world is doomed, and says it can be saved only if you push a weird button?  Why can’t he push the button?

     FLASH
That’s a good point. 
(To Doyle)
Why can’t you push the button?

     DOYLE
I’m not a Flash.  Only the Flash can save Central City…by pushing this button.

     VIBE (O.S.)
How convenient.  Barry, this whole thing is fishy.  We need time to figure things out. 

     FLASH
But there’s never enough time, Cisco.  Ever since we started doing this, we’ve held back.  Watched.  Studied.  Tried to think our way through Dr. Wells, Zoom, Savitar.  Nothing we came up with ever worked.  The only thing that worked, was my speed.

     VIBE (O.S.)
I get it Barry.  But trust me here, the sane thing to do is wait.  Being impulsive could put us in more trouble than we’re already in.  And we still don’t even know that we’re in any trouble.

                          FLASH
You’re right.  We have no idea if the future is what these guys have said it’s going to be.  We gotta wait.

     VIBE (O.S.)
Thank you.

Doyle holds up a tablet-device that shows a news report from 2058.  That report cycles through images and video of Central City – it’s destroyed, ravaged, a wasteland.

                          DOYLE
                     Is this enough to convince you?

Barry takes the tablet into his hands, watching in horror.

                          VIBE (O.S.)
                     What’s he showing you Flash?

                          DOYLE
You can wait of course.  Take the tablet, test what’s on it for authenticity.  And you’ll find it holds up.  Still with time to stop things.  But the truth is, time is not your enemy here.  Your enemy is something else.  Someone else, to be precise.  Who’s just waiting to be let loose on the world.  In this time, he’s no one you’d ever know, with no reason to come into contact with him.  But I assure you, he’s aware of you.  And he’s waiting for the day you die to unleash a plan he’s putting together even as we speak.

Doyle raises the remote with the button again.

                          DOYLE
But if you push this button, his plan can’t be carried out.  It will be neutralized.  And he’ll never see it coming.

Flash looks from the screen to the button – button to the screen.  Finally, the horrors on the screen get to him, and he shuts his eyes.

When he opens them, he finds the screen has gone dark.  He looks up, and is shocked to see his hand holding the trigger, with his thumb having pushed the button.

                          DOYLE
Thank you, Mr. Flash.  You have saved our city.

     FLASH
How?

     DOYLE
That trigger releases a neurotoxin that will slowly be released, over years, into my cerebral cortex.  My younger self, in this time, will get to live up until the day you die, before I can unleash a deadly weapon that would destroy this city.  I’ll be able to enjoy life, but be taken out of it just before I can do any real damage.

     FLASH
You destroy Central City?

     DOYLE
That’s right, Mr. Flash.  And you’ve just saved it --

On Flash as he registers the horror of what he’s just done.

                          DOYLE
By killing me.


END OF ACT ONE

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