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Jan. 3rd, 2014 06:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jotunheimBlack panel w/ square dialogue.
SHIELD COMMAND: Agent Kinney, do you copy?
Close shot of Laura with her hand to her ear. It's daytime.
LAURA: I am not an agent of SHIELD.
SHIELD COMMAND: Uh, sorry---Ms. Kinney.
Shot from behind Laura-- she's sitting on a motorcycle, outside of a ski resort. The hills are full of skiers.
LAURA: I have reached the resort. I am cutting communications until I have the target.
SHIELD: Can you give us a time estimate?
Laura pulls her phone out of her pocket. It's 2:30.
LAURA: No more than eight hours.
SHIELD COMMAND: Copy that, but SHIELD would prefer--
Laura shuts the earpiece off and drops it into a zippered pocket of her winter coat. Next is a short montage-- she looks around the lodge, looks around the locker area, looks around the rental area (and declines to rent anything). Finally-- clock says 3:20-- she's back in the lodge, sitting at a table alone, watching skiers on the bunny hill. Behind her, there's a familiar silhouette. Closer, then closer again; finally he stands behind Laura.
DAKEN: Boo.
Laura's eyes are wide. She looks up and leans away, suspicious, as he moves around the table. He sits down across from her. Her hands are clenched.
DAKEN: Nice coat.
LAURA: What are you doing here?
DAKEN: Tracking the same person I assume you're tracking. Short, balding, pseudo-Weapon X ambitions?
LAURA: Why?
DAKEN: Because he has something that belongs to me.
LAURA: What is it?
DAKEN: A few million dollars. You want him, right? All I want is a suitcase. I can help you.
LAURA: I do not need your help.
DAKEN: The mountain shuts down at four. No night skiing except by very expensive special arrangement, which he has. The whole mountain is his until ten. Staff of two run the lifts. He's renting a private cabin somewhere on the other side of the mountain. It probably isn't his rendezvous point, which is why we need to get him early.
LAURA: You are telling me things I already know.
DAKEN: Really? SHIELD must have upped their game.
Laura is genuinely taken aback.
LAURA: How did you--
Daken points at the logo on her coat, the outline of a mongoose.
DAKEN: Not a real brand. The company that uses it makes tactical gear for agents who need to look a little less obvious. And tacky. Most people don't know that, but you wouldn't believe the things I had access to when I was pretending to be an Avenger.
Laura stares at him, annoyed.
LAURA: I am not working for SHIELD. They requested my assistance--
Her phone rings. She takes it out of her pocket-- it's Logan. She glances at Daken and answers the phone, turning away from him.
LAURA: Yes?
Logan is in his office at the school, having a beer.
LOGAN: Hey, kid. Just wanted to, uh, you know. See how everything's goin'.
LAURA: This is not a good time.
LOGAN: Just-- gimme two seconds. We were all hopin' you'd maybe come stay for a few days after this. I can have somebody pick you up. That okay?
LAURA: I--
Daken has moved around to Laura's side of the table.
DAKEN: Put it on video.
LAURA: No.
LOGAN: Who is that?
LAURA: I do not have time to talk right now.
DAKEN: Hi, pop.
(Laura's face is like oh my fucking god.)
LOGAN: What the hell is he doing there?
DAKEN: Are you actually worried? Laura, he's worried about you. Isn't that touching?
LOGAN: You stay the hell away from her--
Daken laughs. Laura pushes his face away.
LAURA: Logan, I do not need to you to do this. I am busy. I will talk to you later.
She hangs up on Logan and shuts the phone off. Daken sits back down, looking smug.
DAKEN: You just hit him right in the heart.
Laura is still irritated-- nobody cares about your STUPIDASS DADDY ISSUES DAKEN.
LAURA: I do not think so.
DAKEN: No, you did. Trust me. I'm gonna get a pretzel. Do you want anything?
They both get up; Daken takes a wad of cash out of his pocket; Laura takes out a credit card.
LAURA: I can pay for it myself. I have an expense account.
Daken leans over to look.
DAKEN: Baby's first credit card. Is that black? Look at you.
He goes to ruffle her hair; she pushes his hand away.
LAURA: Stop.
The shot is zooming out, behind them, as they walk up to the counter.
Shot of people leaving the resort-- the parking lot. The sun has set. Daken and Laura are walking.
DAKEN: So here's why you need my help.
He takes her arm and leads her toward the woods. A fair bit into the trees, there's a snowmobile parked next to a stone wall, on an ungroomed trail. He takes the key out of his pocket and dangles it in front of her, smiling.
LAURA: We do not know where he is yet.
DAKEN: That's why we're going to wait until dark and see what lift he takes. This trail goes up the mountain parallel to this run here; we'll have to go through the trees to cross over, but it's not far.
LAURA: I want to drive.
DAKEN: What's the magic word?
He puts the key back in his pocket and sits on the wall. Laura pauses grudgingly, sitting down not too far from him.
LAURA: I want to drive, please.
DAKEN: I didn't know they gave ten-year-olds licenses.
LAURA: I am driving.
DAKEN: Nope.
LAURA: Yes.
DAKEN: Nope.
LAURA: Yes.
DAKEN: I guess you'd better find another key.
Laura says nothing. After a silent moment, she takes out her phone and checks her messages. Daken reaches over and snatches it out of her hand.
DAKEN: May I?
LAURA: No!
She tries to grab it back, but he stretches his leg out between them, laughing.
DAKEN: Purple. Nice.--You have more contacts than I would have thought. Friends?
LAURA: Give it back to me.
Daken tosses it back to her, half smug and half indifferent.
DAKEN: So you're turning him over to SHIELD after you catch him, yes?
Laura just looks at him, sidelong, but before she can answer, a lift starts up in the distance. They've both noticed. After about a minute, a figure begins to ski down.
DAKEN: That's him.
He goes to get up, but Laura dives for his pocket and darts back, a few feet away, holding the key. Daken stares, actually caught off guard-- though unoffended. Laura heads for the snowmobile.
DAKEN: That wasn't very nice.
LAURA: I do not trust you. And you took my phone.
DAKEN, unaffected: I see now what a terrible mistake that was.
He strolls over to the snowmobile and climbs on behind her. They navigate the trail with the snowmobile's headlights. The lights on the mountain are few and far between---though everything's lit by the moon---and their target is in a dark stretch when Laura turns onto the trail. She drives in front of him to force him to stop, but Daken ditches the snowmobile and tackles him. They roll down the hill for a few seconds while Laura narrowly avoids crashing into a tree. She jumps off and runs toward them; Daken is on his feet, one hand in the guy's coat collar. He pops the claws on his free hand and points them at Laura.
DAKEN: Stay where you are. Should've let me drive, after all.--Herbert Kitt?
The man, petrified, shakes his head.
DAKEN: Yes you are. It's all right; I'm not going to hurt you.
Laura takes a few steps forward; she's about five feet behind Daken, who turns just enough to address her.
DAKEN: Unless Laura doesn't do what I say, of course. Then I'll hurt you. We don't want that.
The man shakes his head again. Daken's attention is back on him.
DAKEN: I want you to tell me where you're staying and where your rendezvous point is. Keep in mind that--
Laura jumps. Daken turns, but her claws are in his back before he can do anything. She pulls back, gets out of the way of his claws, opens his throat like 85%. He drops the guy and collapses. Blood is everywhere. Laura pulls the guy's arm over her shoulder and turns toward the snowmobile.
LAURA: He will not be down for long. Come with me if you want to live.
Minutes later, a SHIELD helicopter has landed in the parking lot. A couple of agents are helping the man inside while Laura watches. Her phone rings-- no name. She picks up.
LAURA: Who is this?
DAKEN: Hi Laura.
LAURA: I could not let you have his money. You would use it to hurt people. You were going to kill him.
DAKEN: Betrayal makes the world go round. Someday you're going to realize how pointless that high horse is. I can't wait for this stupid fucking moral system you buy into to come crashing down around you. I really can't.
LAURA: You are wrong.
Some distance away, an X-jet lands. Gambit and Jubilee appear when the hatch opens.
(GAMBIT: Hey, petite!)
(JUBILEE: Ey, petite!)
(GAMBIT: Steal my line.)
He thumps her on the head. Laura smiles a little on seeing them.
LAURA: I have already lived without caring about anything. Helping people makes me...happier.
(JUBILEE, in the background: I'll thump you!)
(GAMBIT: You too short.)
Daken is silent.
LAURA: He has given them the location of his cabin and the rendezvous point.
DAKEN: Wonderful. A victory for justice.
LAURA: I did not tell SHIELD you were here, but I do not know if he will.
Daken is silent again.
LAURA: You should go quickly.
She hangs up and joins Gambit and Jubilee. They wrap their arms around her shoulders as she enters the jet.
GAMBIT: Welcome to the Westchester Express. I didn't wanna get too far from the jet, 'cause I ain't sure if they got a warrant out for me, or what.
JUBILEE: Oh my god! Will you listen to this loser? He doesn't even know!
All three of them are smiling. Laura looks out the window into the night. Zooooom zoom zoom away from the parking lot to the woods and the trails on the mountain. It's windy, and the snow is blowing. Daken is walking into the woods.
DA END
a too-dramatic soundtrack
SHIELD COMMAND: Agent Kinney, do you copy?
Close shot of Laura with her hand to her ear. It's daytime.
LAURA: I am not an agent of SHIELD.
SHIELD COMMAND: Uh, sorry---Ms. Kinney.
Shot from behind Laura-- she's sitting on a motorcycle, outside of a ski resort. The hills are full of skiers.
LAURA: I have reached the resort. I am cutting communications until I have the target.
SHIELD: Can you give us a time estimate?
Laura pulls her phone out of her pocket. It's 2:30.
LAURA: No more than eight hours.
SHIELD COMMAND: Copy that, but SHIELD would prefer--
Laura shuts the earpiece off and drops it into a zippered pocket of her winter coat. Next is a short montage-- she looks around the lodge, looks around the locker area, looks around the rental area (and declines to rent anything). Finally-- clock says 3:20-- she's back in the lodge, sitting at a table alone, watching skiers on the bunny hill. Behind her, there's a familiar silhouette. Closer, then closer again; finally he stands behind Laura.
DAKEN: Boo.
Laura's eyes are wide. She looks up and leans away, suspicious, as he moves around the table. He sits down across from her. Her hands are clenched.
DAKEN: Nice coat.
LAURA: What are you doing here?
DAKEN: Tracking the same person I assume you're tracking. Short, balding, pseudo-Weapon X ambitions?
LAURA: Why?
DAKEN: Because he has something that belongs to me.
LAURA: What is it?
DAKEN: A few million dollars. You want him, right? All I want is a suitcase. I can help you.
LAURA: I do not need your help.
DAKEN: The mountain shuts down at four. No night skiing except by very expensive special arrangement, which he has. The whole mountain is his until ten. Staff of two run the lifts. He's renting a private cabin somewhere on the other side of the mountain. It probably isn't his rendezvous point, which is why we need to get him early.
LAURA: You are telling me things I already know.
DAKEN: Really? SHIELD must have upped their game.
Laura is genuinely taken aback.
LAURA: How did you--
Daken points at the logo on her coat, the outline of a mongoose.
DAKEN: Not a real brand. The company that uses it makes tactical gear for agents who need to look a little less obvious. And tacky. Most people don't know that, but you wouldn't believe the things I had access to when I was pretending to be an Avenger.
Laura stares at him, annoyed.
LAURA: I am not working for SHIELD. They requested my assistance--
Her phone rings. She takes it out of her pocket-- it's Logan. She glances at Daken and answers the phone, turning away from him.
LAURA: Yes?
Logan is in his office at the school, having a beer.
LOGAN: Hey, kid. Just wanted to, uh, you know. See how everything's goin'.
LAURA: This is not a good time.
LOGAN: Just-- gimme two seconds. We were all hopin' you'd maybe come stay for a few days after this. I can have somebody pick you up. That okay?
LAURA: I--
Daken has moved around to Laura's side of the table.
DAKEN: Put it on video.
LAURA: No.
LOGAN: Who is that?
LAURA: I do not have time to talk right now.
DAKEN: Hi, pop.
(Laura's face is like oh my fucking god.)
LOGAN: What the hell is he doing there?
DAKEN: Are you actually worried? Laura, he's worried about you. Isn't that touching?
LOGAN: You stay the hell away from her--
Daken laughs. Laura pushes his face away.
LAURA: Logan, I do not need to you to do this. I am busy. I will talk to you later.
She hangs up on Logan and shuts the phone off. Daken sits back down, looking smug.
DAKEN: You just hit him right in the heart.
Laura is still irritated-- nobody cares about your STUPIDASS DADDY ISSUES DAKEN.
LAURA: I do not think so.
DAKEN: No, you did. Trust me. I'm gonna get a pretzel. Do you want anything?
They both get up; Daken takes a wad of cash out of his pocket; Laura takes out a credit card.
LAURA: I can pay for it myself. I have an expense account.
Daken leans over to look.
DAKEN: Baby's first credit card. Is that black? Look at you.
He goes to ruffle her hair; she pushes his hand away.
LAURA: Stop.
The shot is zooming out, behind them, as they walk up to the counter.
Shot of people leaving the resort-- the parking lot. The sun has set. Daken and Laura are walking.
DAKEN: So here's why you need my help.
He takes her arm and leads her toward the woods. A fair bit into the trees, there's a snowmobile parked next to a stone wall, on an ungroomed trail. He takes the key out of his pocket and dangles it in front of her, smiling.
LAURA: We do not know where he is yet.
DAKEN: That's why we're going to wait until dark and see what lift he takes. This trail goes up the mountain parallel to this run here; we'll have to go through the trees to cross over, but it's not far.
LAURA: I want to drive.
DAKEN: What's the magic word?
He puts the key back in his pocket and sits on the wall. Laura pauses grudgingly, sitting down not too far from him.
LAURA: I want to drive, please.
DAKEN: I didn't know they gave ten-year-olds licenses.
LAURA: I am driving.
DAKEN: Nope.
LAURA: Yes.
DAKEN: Nope.
LAURA: Yes.
DAKEN: I guess you'd better find another key.
Laura says nothing. After a silent moment, she takes out her phone and checks her messages. Daken reaches over and snatches it out of her hand.
DAKEN: May I?
LAURA: No!
She tries to grab it back, but he stretches his leg out between them, laughing.
DAKEN: Purple. Nice.--You have more contacts than I would have thought. Friends?
LAURA: Give it back to me.
Daken tosses it back to her, half smug and half indifferent.
DAKEN: So you're turning him over to SHIELD after you catch him, yes?
Laura just looks at him, sidelong, but before she can answer, a lift starts up in the distance. They've both noticed. After about a minute, a figure begins to ski down.
DAKEN: That's him.
He goes to get up, but Laura dives for his pocket and darts back, a few feet away, holding the key. Daken stares, actually caught off guard-- though unoffended. Laura heads for the snowmobile.
DAKEN: That wasn't very nice.
LAURA: I do not trust you. And you took my phone.
DAKEN, unaffected: I see now what a terrible mistake that was.
He strolls over to the snowmobile and climbs on behind her. They navigate the trail with the snowmobile's headlights. The lights on the mountain are few and far between---though everything's lit by the moon---and their target is in a dark stretch when Laura turns onto the trail. She drives in front of him to force him to stop, but Daken ditches the snowmobile and tackles him. They roll down the hill for a few seconds while Laura narrowly avoids crashing into a tree. She jumps off and runs toward them; Daken is on his feet, one hand in the guy's coat collar. He pops the claws on his free hand and points them at Laura.
DAKEN: Stay where you are. Should've let me drive, after all.--Herbert Kitt?
The man, petrified, shakes his head.
DAKEN: Yes you are. It's all right; I'm not going to hurt you.
Laura takes a few steps forward; she's about five feet behind Daken, who turns just enough to address her.
DAKEN: Unless Laura doesn't do what I say, of course. Then I'll hurt you. We don't want that.
The man shakes his head again. Daken's attention is back on him.
DAKEN: I want you to tell me where you're staying and where your rendezvous point is. Keep in mind that--
Laura jumps. Daken turns, but her claws are in his back before he can do anything. She pulls back, gets out of the way of his claws, opens his throat like 85%. He drops the guy and collapses. Blood is everywhere. Laura pulls the guy's arm over her shoulder and turns toward the snowmobile.
LAURA: He will not be down for long. Come with me if you want to live.
Minutes later, a SHIELD helicopter has landed in the parking lot. A couple of agents are helping the man inside while Laura watches. Her phone rings-- no name. She picks up.
LAURA: Who is this?
DAKEN: Hi Laura.
LAURA: I could not let you have his money. You would use it to hurt people. You were going to kill him.
DAKEN: Betrayal makes the world go round. Someday you're going to realize how pointless that high horse is. I can't wait for this stupid fucking moral system you buy into to come crashing down around you. I really can't.
LAURA: You are wrong.
Some distance away, an X-jet lands. Gambit and Jubilee appear when the hatch opens.
(GAMBIT: Hey, petite!)
(JUBILEE: Ey, petite!)
(GAMBIT: Steal my line.)
He thumps her on the head. Laura smiles a little on seeing them.
LAURA: I have already lived without caring about anything. Helping people makes me...happier.
(JUBILEE, in the background: I'll thump you!)
(GAMBIT: You too short.)
Daken is silent.
LAURA: He has given them the location of his cabin and the rendezvous point.
DAKEN: Wonderful. A victory for justice.
LAURA: I did not tell SHIELD you were here, but I do not know if he will.
Daken is silent again.
LAURA: You should go quickly.
She hangs up and joins Gambit and Jubilee. They wrap their arms around her shoulders as she enters the jet.
GAMBIT: Welcome to the Westchester Express. I didn't wanna get too far from the jet, 'cause I ain't sure if they got a warrant out for me, or what.
JUBILEE: Oh my god! Will you listen to this loser? He doesn't even know!
All three of them are smiling. Laura looks out the window into the night. Zooooom zoom zoom away from the parking lot to the woods and the trails on the mountain. It's windy, and the snow is blowing. Daken is walking into the woods.
DA END
a too-dramatic soundtrack
