BRIMSTONE VS Episode #213 Story by Derek Saul & Joel Rauch Written by Derek Saul "THE SHATTERER OF WORLDS" TEASER INT. DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES - DAY MARCUS ATOM is sitting in the waiting area among the throng of other CUSTOMERS, waiting for his number to appear on the service screen on the wall. He's in his mid to late thirties, with short dark hair and piercing grey eyes the color of ash. He watches the monotone activity around him with unbearable patience, glancing periodically at his ticket. He's wearing tight black leather gloves. He watches as, nearby, a young MOTHER is desperately trying to soothe her CRYING CHILD in its carriage. She smothers the baby with calming "shhh's", all the while shaking a rattle in front of it. Atom looks on, his cold expression revealing nothing. Elsewhere, a GRIZZLY MAN is leaning against the wall, his face buried in today's New York Times. His clothes are stained and tattered, and he rocks back and forth in his spot as he glances quickly through the sports page, his mouth uttering random stats as he goes down the list. Again, Atom watches this with steely indifference. Finally, a number flashes on the wallscreen: "A113". Atom looks down at his ticket. It's him. Slowly, he rises from his chair and crosses to the designated SERVICE COUNTER where the female CLERK awaits him with a bright smile, head tilted to one side in that perky, girlish way. Her name is LYDIE and she's a little chubby, but could still be sexy if she weren't wearing so much makeup. LYDIE Hi. How can I help you today? Atom manages a faint smile, but it looks as natural on him as it does on a piranha. ATOM Hi, I'm here to renew my drivers license. LYDIE OK. Do you have your notice that you received in the mail? ATOM (shakes his head) I'm sorry -- notice? LYDIE Yes, your renewal notice. Did you receive one? ATOM (fidgeting) Uhh... yeah, look, it's been a while since I've owned a car or needed a license, so maybe I can just get, like, an automatic renewal... or something? Lydie looks at him strangely, not sure how to gauge his request. LYDIE Well... do you currently possess a valid drivers license? ATOM I've got a license, yeah. LYDIE Is it valid? Atom smiles again, leans over on the counter. ATOM Look, is there any way you can do this for me without all the paperwork, huh? I've been a certified driver in this state for over twenty years, and in all that time I haven't committed a single infraction. Surely that merits me some kind of special treatment or something. LYDIE I'm afraid the government doesn't extend "special treatment" to anyone. Atom glares at her for a moment, his eyes searching for a way to refute her, but he hangs his head in submission. ATOM Of course not. I'm sorry. Lydie thinks a moment, then turns toward her computer monitor. LYDIE Well, let's check the current status of your license. Full name please? ATOM Atom. Marcus Atom. She keys in the name, waits for the information to pop up. LYDIE (reading from the monitor) Atom, Marcus. 615 23rd Street, Apartment 7B? ATOM Right. She studies the monitor, her expression slowly shifting from girlish naïveté to confusion. LYDIE It says here that your drivers license expired on March 2nd, 1943. She studies the monitor more closely, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets at what she sees next. LYDIE It also says here you... died on August 9th, 1945. She looks from the monitor to Atom. Atom stares back. Expressionless. Defenceless. She tries to explain it away logically. LYDIE Obviously this is some kind of mistake. You know, the records are usually a little screwy before the sixties. ATOM Of course. (beat) So... can I be renewed? LYDIE Well, there's obviously some information that needs to be sorted out here, so in the meantime... She reaches underneath the counter, producing a long sheet of paper and a pen. LYDIE ...Why don't you fill out this personal form and we'll try and get this fixed up. She slides the form and pen across the counter to Atom. Atom touches the sheet, running his gloved index finger along the edge. He removes his right glove, a finger at a time, then picks up the pen. He begins to fill out the form, being careful not to touch anything else but the pen, which is making it awkward to write, since he's not setting the palm of his hand down on the counter. Lydie stares at him oddly again, trying to perform this strange task. Atom doesn't progress very far before he sets the pen down and immediately slips his right glove back on. He slides the pen and paper back across the counter to Lydie. ATOM You know what? I don't think I'll be needing a license just yet. Maybe some other time. He starts walking off. ATOM Sorry for the inconvenience. He glides nonchalantly toward the exit. Lydie watches him go, still unsure what to make of him. TAYLOR (O.S.) Psycho. Lydie turns toward the counter beside her, where the short, bookish clerk there, TAYLOR, has been watching the whole thing. LYDIE Tell me about it. Talk about creepy. TAYLOR Almost as creepy as Michael Jackson if he'd lose one of the gloves. Lydie walks over to her desk, starts shoveling through her drawers. LYDIE Seriously, I think this city is getting flushed down the drain more and more every day. TAYLOR Well, the millennium IS coming up. Maybe he was one of those religious freaks waiting for "the rapture", or whatever. LYDIE (laughs) Jesus, Taylor, sometimes you can be more paranoid than those conspiracy loonies. TAYLOR You can thank my roommate for that. He's been cramming in as many "X-Files" episodes as he can before Y2K, trying to figure out when the aliens will invade or something. Lydie rolls her eyes, shuffling papers scattered on her desk. LYDIE Anyway, I need a break. I'm gonna head out to lunch now. Can I get you anything? TAYLOR Jennifer Aniston and a BMW? Lydie crosses to the coat rack, racing toward the door as she swings her coat on. LYDIE I think you'll have to settle for your Toyota Tercel and your roommate. TAYLOR Aren't you forgetting something? She stops at the door and waits. Taylor nods toward Atom's personal form and pen sitting on the counter. Lydie sighs, marching back toward the counter. LYDIE Honestly, Taylor, you're such a stickler. TAYLOR That's why you love me. LYDIE You wish. She sweeps up the form and pen from the counter and races toward her desk, but she stops in mid-stride, notices something. She looks at the pen. A pale SMOKE is beginning to rise from the pen. She fiddles with it nervously. Taylor watches her curiously. TAYLOR What is it? LYDIE This pen... it's getting pretty hot... EXT. DMV (GOV'T BUILDING) - ACROSS THE STREET Atom is just getting to the other side of the street from the building when suddenly -- THE THIRD FLOOR EXPLODES -- blowing out the walls and windows; raining down glass, plaster and bricks onto the cars and pedestrians on the street. Panic erupts; hysteric screams and stampedes ensue. Atom slithers smoothly into the frantic crowd and continues along calmly down the street. He doesn't look back once. FADE OUT ACT ONE INT. HOTEL MEZZANINE - STONE'S ROOM - DAY The TV is on, but no one is sitting on the couch watching it. It's showing a news report about the upcoming New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square. Workers are setting up, getting the massive preparations under way. REPORTER ...By all counts, this is looking to be the biggest New Year's Eve celebration ever in Times Square. An estimated two million people are scheduled to attend, with workers -- seen here -- setting up sound stages and barriers along Broadway and Forty-Sixth. Security will also be on patrol making sure revelers maintain an "acceptable party atmosphere", according to Mayor Guiliani. STONE is crouched low in front of the fridge, straining to catch a glimpse of something underneath it. STONE Come on... I just saw you a second ago... He reaches his hand beneath the fridge as far back as it can go, groping around. DEVIL Now that's the Ezekiel Stone I know... Stone hears the voice behind him, and shakes his head. He can't believe this. DEVIL ...On his knees, groveling pathetically before his master. Stone continues groping under the fridge. STONE I just dropped a quarter and I'm looking for it, all right? THE DEVIL, wearing an I LOVE NY T-shirt, leans back on the kitchen counter, arms crossed, watching Stone crouched over on his knees. DEVIL A quarter, huh? Who can blame you? You'll need all the help you can get in this dump. He begins to waltz through the room, checking out the shoddy decor. DEVIL You know, how do always manage to find the absolute lowest, filthiest, most decrepit abomination of a hotel in the city to call "home"? You seem to gravitate naturally toward the trashy things in life. Could this be one of your Hell-powers that you've overlooked? Locating the worst squalor and drudgery in real estate? His nose still buried under the fridge: STONE Har har. DEVIL This fleabag makes that place you stayed at in L.A. look like the Taj Mahal. STONE Are you through? DEVIL Never. STONE Well, that's it... Stone heaves himself up from the floor, dusting off his hands. STONE ...That thing is lost for good. DEVIL It's just as well. Who knows what twenty-five cents would have done to your ego. Stone opens the fridge, reaches in for a beer. STONE Any reason you're here besides busting my chops? DEVIL Do I really need one? STONE (takes a swig) Come on. Let's have it. The Devil shrugs his shoulders innocently, then nods his head at the TV set. Stone follows his gaze, listening in to the ongoing news program. The screen is showing a large building, black smoke billowing out continuously from a huge crater in the front of the structure. The street is strewn with debris and shattered glass. People caked with soot, grime, and blood are being hauled and escorted by paramedics into ambulances. REPORTER In other news, a massive explosion rocked the 26th Street government building earlier this morning. The local DMV branch located on the third floor, where the blast is believed to have originated, was completely destroyed, also taking out sections of the second and fourth floors. Forty-one bodies so far have been identified, and several dozens are still reported missing or trapped. Stone looks from the TV to the Devil, who is standing across the room with a heinous grin on his face. DEVIL Normally, this would be the sort of action I passionately endorse, but I'm afraid in this case it's disrupting the whole cosmic balance thing. You know... THAT whole thing... (deadly serious) Get to work, detective. The Devil vanishes. Stone looks back to the TV, absorbing the images. EXT. GOV'T BUILDING (DMV) - STREET - DAY The scene as shown in the news report -- debris litters the street; bodybags and dozens of injured people being led away; media, NYPD, and FDNY swarming the area. DETECTIVE KANE is standing near the entrance to the building, along with LIEUTENANT GWYNN of the SWAT team and CAPTAIN MANSUETTO of the Fire Department, all of whom are covered in dust and grime. Kane is holding a police radio in his hand, which is constantly sprouting out messages. KANE How many more people we got up there? GWYNN Hard to tell. At least half a dozen on the second floor. KANE (to Mansuetto) Can we get the rest of your guys up there? MANSUETTO Not more than three. I've already got eight guys on the fourth, and several support beams are already showing signs of collapse. KANE Do it, then. Get as many up there as you can, but if the target section starts to cave in, call it in right away. MANSUETTO (nods) Right. Mansuetto bolts for the nearest fire truck, ready to round up his rescue team. Kane's radio suddenly cackles to life: RADIO Detective Kane -- Kane brings the microphone up to his mouth. KANE Kane here. The voice comes through in bursts of static. Filtered and choppy. RADIO There's a person here to see you. Says he's a police officer. Detective Gonner. Kane thinks a moment, then: KANE Wave him through. His eyes quickly search the crowded and rubble-strewn street. STREET - KANE'S POV We see Stone in the distance, approaching. Kane turns to Gwynn standing beside him. KANE Lieutenant, go see how Melnick's doing. I'll get back to you in a few minutes. Gywnn nods, running off toward the assembled police cruisers on the street, passing Stone as he goes. Stone approaches Kane, hands deep in the pockets of his grey trenchcoat as always, hair ruffled and unkempt. STONE Kane. KANE Stone. I gotta say, I'm pretty surprised to see you here. STONE Why's that? Kane gestures toward the damaged building. KANE You think one of your Hell guys did this? STONE Just checking out the options. Stranger things have happened. KANE Tell me about it. STONE So what have you got? KANE The basics. Explosion on the third floor, most probably from the DMV there, which was completely leveled. STONE Find any explosive materials? Wires? Detonators? Powder? KANE Nothing. It's like the explosion just happened from nothing. Stone raises an eyebrow. STONE From nothing, huh? KANE Also, this is the third such explosion in the past five months. STONE What were the previous targets? KANE The Post Office on 18th Street and the Department of Records. Fortunately that one didn't take down the entire structure, but caused significant damage. STONE Government buildings. KANE What? STONE They were all government buildings, just like this one. KANE What are you saying? Our perp has a thing for the government? STONE If there even IS a perp... Kane and Stone exchange a quick glance -- they're grasping at straws. KANE We DID recover something from the previous blast sites. STONE Like? KANE A strange substance, found at the core of the blasts themselves. Some sort of molten lavarock, in small doses. The lab checked it out, but I still don't believe what they say it is. STONE What did they say it is? KANE Trinitite. Stone narrows his eyes, thinking. KANE It's a green, glassy substance, generally left over from a -- STONE (realizing) -- nuclear blast. Stone looks at Kane intently, wondering if he's hearing this right. STONE These explosions couldn't possibly be of an atomic nature. They're too minimal. Too concentrated. Kane shrugs his shoulders. KANE Like you said -- stranger things have happened. EXT. WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL - NIGHT NOVAK is standing by the entrance, wearing a dark suit. A biting chill permeates the nighttime air, and his breath condenses in the frost with every exhalation of his nostrils, but Novak stands as rigid as a rock, looking calm and comfortable in his slim jacket. Feeling none of it. Behind him, a WOMAN emerges from the hotel, sidling up beside him. In her late twenties, with long wavy brown hair that cascades almost to her backside, her name is ELIZABETH DARKE, but friends call her LIZZY, and her formal wear is even more revealing than Novak's. Dressed in a low-cut, form-fitting black dress, she moves through the icy-cold air without so much as a shudder. Novak turns, acknowledging her approach. LIZZY She'll be here any moment now. Novak nods, then turns back to the street, watching it closely. AT THE STREET CORNER A gleaming black limousine suddenly appears from around the curb, making its way steadily to the hotel entrance. Novak and Lizzy watch with blank expressions as the limo pulls up to the sidewalk leading up to the entrance. The driver's door swings open, and out climbs LUKE CHOI, also wearing a dark suit. Casually he makes his way around the front of the limo and comes to the side door, gripping the handle and smoothly swinging it open. From Novak's vantage point, the interior of the limo appears as an endlessly dark chasm, and he's wondering if there are any lights on in there at all. But then he remembers who the passenger is, and figures that lighting would probably cramp her style. He sees movement from within the limo, and out steps NORTH RATARE, uncharacteristically well dressed, despite the right sleeve of his coat hanging there limply, marking the stump at his elbow where his right arm should've been. Then, following North, ASH emerges from the limo, sleekly and seductively, but Novak has never seen her like this. Her hair is blonde, but longer, coming straight down to her shoulders, parted at the center of her scalp, framing her pristine face. She's wearing a black longcoat but, underneath, her dress is slender and black as a raven. Her beauty is almost radiant. She glides calmly down the walkway toward Novak and Lizzy with long, elegant strides. Novak manages a smile; however sincerely, we can't tell. ASH (nodding) Lizzy, good to see you again. Lizzy is flushed, like a spectator at the red carpet clamoring for the attention of celebrities. LIZZY Thank you, Ashur. Ash turns to Novak, smiling in that wickedly accomodating manner she has. ASH Jason. You're looking well. NOVAK Ash. Novak steps aside, gesturing her toward the hotel entrance. NOVAK Welcome to the Big Apple. FADE OUT ACT TWO INT. DAN COPPER'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - LOS ANGELES - MORNING DAN COPPER stirs awake in bed, greeted by blinding sunlight streaming through his window, the curtains of which are already fully open. He squints, shielding his eyes from the glare. He turns over slowly to his side, noticing the space beside him is empty, the bedsheets thrown over to the side. He panics for a brief second, then hears water running from the bathroom. He sighs, leans back on the bed. He calls out into the open doorway: DAN You're up early this morning. ROSALYN (O.S.) Good morning to you too. Dan smiles, stretches wearily, throwing a sideways glance at the time on his alarm clock. He groans. DAN Damn... gotta get the test papers ready for my homeroom this morning. ROSALYN (O.S.) Hate to burst your bubble, babe, but today is Saturday. Dan thinks a moment, then leans back again and sighs. DAN Oh. Right. (pause) Hmm. Must've been my dream. ROSALYN (O.S.) What dream? DAN Oh, nothing. Just had a dream last night that I was teaching my class, and suddenly the back wall fell over. ROSALYN (O.S.) The wall fell? DAN Yeah. He laughs, scratching at his receding hairline. DAN Guess I'm getting itchy about the repairs I gotta start in the basement today. Just then ROSALYN emerges from the bathroom, wearing a short, silk nightgown, her natural beauty ever present. She slides on over to the bed, sitting at the edge, leaning over and giving Dan's forehead a quick kiss. ROSALYN I'm sure you won't cave the wall in, dear. Rosalyn begins gathering up her clothes from the floor. Dan props himself up on one elbow and watches her quietly. Rosalyn stops suddenly, sensing his probing eyes on her. She turns her head slowly, gauging his stare. ROSALYN What? DAN Nothing... just... He hesitates. Roz hangs her head. She knows where this is going. ROSALYN Come on, sweetheart, are we going through this again...? DAN (stammering) I just... I just don't see why you can't move in here with me... (pause) I mean, it's not Stephen. He loves you, you know that. I just... get the feeling that... you're still waiting... still holding back on something... Roz sighs. She knew she couldn't hold out for much longer, that sooner or later it'd have to come out. ROSALYN You're right, Danny... I AM holding back on something... She inches closer to him, but Dan is becoming uncomfortable, discreetly backing up against the headboard and bracing for the worst. ROSALYN The reason I'm not moving in here is because... (pause) ...I want to get married. The bombshell hits, and Dan's reaction would've been the same no matter what she dropped on him -- mouth agape, eyes wide. DAN (incredulous) What? Married? (pause) To me? She bursts out laughing and throws her arms around him. ROSALYN Of course YOU, silly. God, you're so sweet. Dan hugs her back, still trying to wrap his brain around this. DAN But... but... when...? How...? ROSALYN Remember that news report we saw the other day, about the city's plans for holding a mass wedding ceremony on New Year's Eve for a hundred couples at Dodger Stadium...? Dan breaks off their hug and looks straight into her eyes. DAN That? You wanted to do THAT? ROSALYN Sure. What do you think? DAN Wow... I mean... Roz... this is all so... ROSALYN Look, Danny... I know I haven't been exactly open with you the past few weeks, but please understand... I've thought about this for a long time, and I really want this. She pauses, looks into Dan's eyes. ROSALYN I really want to spend my life with you. Dan, overwhelmed with emotion, simply embraces her again. Tightly. DAN I love you, Roz. We get the sense she's still struggling with this, but finally she lets it out anyway: ROSALYN I love you too. INT. HOTEL MEZZANINE - LOBBY - NEW YORK CITY - DAY Stone is standing by the vending machine, inspecting the selection carefully. He looks disappointed. STONE Damn. No Reggie Bar here either. ROB (O.S.) You're late again, Alex. ALEXANDRA (O.S.) Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm sorry. Stone looks up toward the FRONT DESK where the desk clerk, ROB, a chubby dude with long hair, glasses and beard who's probably played way too many games of Dungeons & Dragons, is making way for the new arrival, ALEXANDRA GRAY, who has long dark hair and beautiful Asian features. She's 28 but doesn't look a day over 18. ROB You know, it's only your third week and you've already been late seven times. Alexandra's pace is hectic, removing her coat and setting her backpack down behind the desk. ALEXANDRA Thanks for keeping count, Rob. Can you get out of my chair please? ROB (getting up slowly) Hey, I'm just letting you know, you know? Mr. Geller doesn't look kindly on tardiness. She sits down at the desk and looks up sharply at Rob. ALEXANDRA Well, there's no reason for Mr. Geller to find out, is there? Rob looks back sharply, but underneath that flabby exterior he's quaking in his boots. ROB Guess not. ALEXANDRA Good. She sets about getting to work, looking over the papers on the desk, then stops, sensing something. She looks up. Rob is still standing there. ALEXANDRA (annoyed) Bye, Rob. Rob skulks off, looking like he's seen rejection in his life so many times now that it's just a regular part of his day. Stone, still at the vending machine, watches Rob strolling out the door. He looks around the empty lobby, then back at the front desk. Alexandra has pulled out a thick text book from her backpack, and is studying it closely. Stone, ever the good-natured guy, figures he might as well introduce himself, and crosses over to the front desk, where Alexandra's nose is still buried in her text book. Stone stands there, waiting, not sure how long to wait before she notices. He leans over discreetly, trying to catch a glimpse of the book cover she's reading -- CRIMINAL INTENT: A CASE STUDY IN PSYCHOLOGICAL CRIME. Stone waits another moment, then: STONE Good book? Alex looks up, slightly startled. ALEXANDRA Excuse me? STONE That book you're reading... any good? ALEXANDRA (off her book) This? It's all right. They wait there awkwardly a few more moments, till Stone remembers why he came over. STONE (extends his hand) Oh, by the way, I'm Zeke. I live upstairs. Fourth floor. ALEXANDRA Oh. Stone, right? Rob showed me your papers about a week ago but I haven't had time to really look at them. (shaking his hand) I'm Alexandra, but my friends call me Alex. Stone nods, motions toward her book. STONE You into crime books? ALEXANDRA I'm afraid it goes a little deeper than that. I'm studying Criminal Law at NYU. STONE (impressed) Really? What year? ALEXANDRA First. Just started this fall semester. STONE How're you liking it? ALEXANDRA It's tough, balancing my school work with this job, but I need to pay the rent like everyone else. But I love what I'm studying, so... STONE Law runs in the family? ALEXANDRA Not really. My father was a soldier with the U.S. infantry, stationed in Vietnam back in '71. That's where he met my mom. She pauses, realizing how much she's talking. ALEXANDRA Sorry, I tend to blab a lot. STONE Not a problem. ALEXANDRA So how about you? STONE Me? ALEXANDRA Yeah, you. What's your story... if you got one? STONE (hesitating) Ummm... nothing, really. I... I'm an exterminator. ALEXANDRA Exterminator? STONE Yeah. You know... bugs, cockroaches, fleas. Exterminator. Not easy. Lots of weird hours. ALEXANDRA (smiles politely) OK. They stand there awkwardly again, till Stone breaks the tension once more. STONE Well, I'll let you get back to your book there. It was nice meeting you, Alex. ALEXANDRA You too... Zeke. Stone nods, then slowly wanders off to the elevator. INT. STONE'S ROOM - HOTEL MEZZANINE - MINUTES LATER The phone is ringing incessantly, but no one's around to answer. Finally the door swings open casually, Stone walking through. He hears the phone ringing and picks up his pace. STONE (picking up) Hello. KANE (V.O.) Stone. STONE Kane, what is it? INT. 11TH PRECINCT - KANE'S DESK - INTERCUT Kane is sitting at his cluttered desk, on the phone with Zeke. He's glancing at some scattered pieces of paper. KANE Forensics found the same glassy residue at the DMV yesterday as the previous two blast sites. About an hour ago the lab confirmed it as being trinitite. STONE Any explosive devices? KANE Nothing. But that's not all. We may finally have a lead. I don't know how but, miraculously, we found a tiny shred of paper with traces of trinitite on it. The whole of it's been pretty much charred, but once we cleared away the ashes we were able to come up with an address. STONE What is it? KANE 615 23rd Street, Apartment 7B. I'm heading out right now. You in? STONE I'll meet you there in twenty minutes. INT. ATOM'S APARTMENT - DAY His apartment is small. Dilapidated. Barely a closet. But Atom doesn't notice these things and couldn't care less. He sits in his rotted couch, watching CNN or some similar type of news channel, on his 13-inch black-and-white TV that sits on top of a crate that he perused one night from the pizza place next door. The news report is showing scenes from inside the White House. Clinton and his party trying to accomodate visiting Middle Eastern leaders. Posing for photo ops. Going on about how his administration is trying to bring peace to a region in shambles. REPORTER ...And when President Clinton met with foreign Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a few weeks ago, he pushed for more diplomatic sanctions between Israel and the Palestinian State, stressing the importance of communication among top officials, particularly in wartorn regions of Israel where Palestinian militants have been fighting for months now. For a moment, Atom's attention drifts away from the newscast, and is suddenly focused on his right hand, free of its black glove, which is thrown to the edge of the couch. He looks at it closely, studying the open palm. He closes his hand, then opens it again, and we can sense the thoughts hurtling through his mind -- internal struggles; unimaginable powers; compassion; pity; blinding rage. Then, from behind him: VOICE Mr. Atom... Atom spins around in his couch. Discovers NOVAK standing in the room, hands in his dark trenchcoat, looking weathered but grim. NOVAK I've been waiting a long time to finally meet you. Atom immediately reaches for his right glove on the couch, slips it back on. He's alert. On edge. ATOM Who are you? How'd you get in? NOVAK I'd just like to speak with you for a few minutes. Atom's eyes are darting around the room, thinking quickly. Calculating his options. He bolts for the window. EXT. ATOM'S BUILDING - 23RD STREET Stone is just arriving, walking toward the building in his typically laid-back manner. He steps up to the entrance doors, noting the building's frail and withered condition. Sort of makes the Mezzanine look glamourous. He halts by the door for a moment before entering, looks back toward the street. Realizes Kane hasn't shown up yet. Should he wait? He hears the sound of glass shattering. Alert, Stone cocks his head toward the noise. It came from the side of the building. He runs, coming around the corner into the SIDE ALLEY where he sees Atom sprinting off in the opposite direction. Quickly, Stone's eyes scan the side of the building, wondering where the glass shattered. BUILDING - STONE'S POV Scaling the tenement higher and higher, till we find NOVAK looking down at Atom from the SEVENTH STOREY FIRE ESCAPE. Without a moment's thought, Novak leaps over the railing, falling seven storeys, blue flame trailing his body the way only a damned soul's body can when performing a superhuman feat. He lands on his feet, his trenchcoat slapping the concrete like a whip, and charges after Atom without a break in his stride. Stone's seen everything he needs to. He bolts after them. AT THE OTHER END OF THE ALLEY Atom's running desperately, arms flailing madly. Novak is in close pursuit, and seems to be growing tired of the chase. He launches himself into the air, sailing toward Atom like a rocket. They collide viciously, Atom knocked to the ground. He struggles, but Novak is on top, maintaining a solid grip. NOVAK Don't run, Mr. Atom. It'll only make things harder for us... STONE suddenly comes rushing in, tackling Novak to the ground. The momentum carries them across the alley, slamming them both into the brick wall. Stone winds up on top, rams his arm up against Novak's throat and starts bringing his fist down repeatedly into Novak's face. ATOM doesn't waste time watching their little tussle. He gets to his feet and races off into the street. STONE AND NOVAK continue their rumble. Stone maintains his volley of slugs, but Novak is beginning to heat up with rage. His eyes flash with hellish fury. He drives a crushing headbutt into Stone's nose. Stone flies back, stunned and dazed in a way he never thought a dead man could be. Novak heaves himself up from the ground, watching Stone writhe on the ground, fists clenched, circling him like a predator about to go in for the kill. He grips Stone fiercely by the shirtfront and -- with one arm -- flings Stone across the alley, soaring twenty feet into the brick wall at the other side. Stone crashes through the bricks and into the building, causing the structurally-unsound wall to collapse over him, burying him in a mountain of solid bricks. Novak, enraged, nostrils flaring, but satisfied, takes a final look at the pile of bricks before him, then darts away into the street, leaving Stone trapped underneath. Dust and grime rising from the pile. Silent. Still. FADE OUT ACT THREE EXT. ATOM'S BUILDING - 23RD STREET - DAY Kane's unmarked police cruiser pulls up in front of the building, Kane practically stepping out of the car before it comes to a full stop. He strides up to the entrance when -- -- something nearby slams to the ground, ccatching Kane's attention. Cautiously he makes his way around the corner of the building into the SIDE ALLEY Slowly he trudges his way further into the alley, his back almost up against the wall, his eyes surveying the area keenly for movement. As he gradually approaches the mouth of the alley, the remnants of supernatural combat begin to enter his field of vision, till he finally comes upon the -- COLLAPSED WALL where the mountainous pile of bricks still lie. CRASH -- Something behind Kane slams hard into the ground. Kane whirls, gun drawn, all senses on alert, but only sees -- -- a rat, scurrying along beneath a trash can lid which it obviously tipped over. Then, still vigilant, Kane hears a groan close by, long and droning, somehow coming from the brick pile... Gun still drawn, Kane steps toward the pile. Ordinarily, he wouldn't approach a pile of bricks with his finger on the trigger, fully aware that whoever is trapped underneath couldn't possibly be a threat after having been crushed by a ton of concrete. But he's seen enough already in the short time since he'd been introduced into Ezekiel Stone's world to know that anything is possible... and far from ordinary. Kane steps closer, his trigger-finger shaky, knuckles white. KANE Hello... Can you hear me? STONE (weakly) Kane... Kane slowly lowers his gun, his eyes wide in astonishment. KANE Stone?! He dashes toward the mountain of bricks, starts clearing away the rocks vigorously with his bare hands. KANE Jesus... Finally, after a few bricks have been cleared away, Stone's hand is revealed... grasping out into the air, reaching for something. Anything. Kane tightly grabs hold of Stone's outstretched hand, begins pulling him out from beneath the pile, but it requires tremendous manpower, and Kane's muscles are seeing action that they haven't seen in a long time, growling painfully as he's using up every ounce of strength to tug Stone out. It's slow-going, but finally Stone is pulled free, the bricks tumbling over each other. Stone's face and clothes are caked with plaster, earth, and dust. He's weak and it shows, barely able to stand on his feet. Kane takes Stone's arm, throws it around his shoulder, helping him along. STONE (coughing) Thanks... KANE What the hell happened? STONE ...Got buried in my work... INT. ASH'S ROOM - WALDORF ASTORIA - DAY Despite the prestigious accomodations, the room has been practically converted to a sanctum of meditation. A dark temple. All lights are shut off, illumination provided solely by intricate candelabras positioned strategically about the large and lavish room, adding an eerie, blood-red glow. Ash stands alone by the window, curtains shut, but still looking down at the street below through the transparent fabric. The soft glow of the candle flames gives her immaculate face an even more striking radiance. The tranquil, pensive mood is quickly shattered as the entrance door flies open, Novak storming in and making a beeline straight for Ash, his clothes still coated with dust and plaster, his face still contorted into a scowl of pure rage. NOVAK Why is he still alive? Ash doesn't bother to react or turn around, still watching the street below through her window. ASH (longingly) Ezekiel... NOVAK Atom was mine. I had him in my hands, till the Devil's little bitch showed up and let him get away. Ash turns away from the window and crosses to a nearby table, where one of the candelabras stands. ASH Atom will be with us by year's end. You don't have to worry about that. NOVAK Screw Atom! Stone is the real problem here. He's been nothing but a thorn in our side from the beginning, but you still insist on keeping him around. We've had countless opportunities to waste him -- you yourself had that honor several times -- but you let it slide, time and time again. Ash says nothing. Simply watches the flames of the candles, the palm of her hand hovering above them. Novak, reaching the boiling point, steps closer to her, till he's almost standing over her shoulder. NOVAK What's going on, Ashur? I know you've got a "thing" for him or whatever, but there's something here that goes beyond that. What is it? Why won't you send Stone back to Hell? Ash waits a moment, then turns around slowly to face Novak, her eyes looking up into his, boring a hole with their utter conviction. ASH Jason, I have never interfered with your personal affairs. Please don't interfere with mine. NOVAK Personal affairs?! This isn't about you, it's about US. It's about our cause, our war. We're so close now, but you're letting our greatest enemy have his way with us. He pauses, his lips inching closer to her neck, whispering: NOVAK After everything I've done for you... everything I've showed you... everything you've learned from me... you still treat me like an outsider... Suddenly, quick as a viper, Ash's hand lashes out, gripping Novak by the throat, her fingertips heating up and singeing his flesh. Novak slaps her hand away, rubbing his throat where her fingerprints have left their burn marks. They heal as quickly as they appeared. ASH Your job is to acquire Marcus Atom. Anything else is none of your concern. Novak's fury is wholly renewed, his eyes glowing with hellish ferocity. NOVAK If Stone gets in my way again, I'm taking his eyes out. With that, he charges out the door, leaving it wide open, and leaving Ash to ponder in solitude again. INT. ATOM'S APARTMENT - DAY Stone and Kane are skulking around the empty apartment, rummaging through Atom's things. KANE There's gotta be something here that could help us. Stone takes a glance around the tiny room. STONE Kept his place tidy, at least. He opens a drawer, rifling through several articles and newspaper clippings, old and stained with time, probably dating back a few decades. STONE Seems he's got a weird fixation. Intrigued, Kane crosses to Stone. KANE What fixation? Stone passes a few clippings over to Kane. They study the clippings, most of them dating back to the '40s, with headlines like "TRUMAN SEARCHING FOR A WAY TO END WAR", "PLUTONIUM A BETTER ALTERNATIVE", "FLASHING LIGHTS IN NEW MEXICO DESERT", "PEACE! OUR BOMB CLINCHED IT!". STONE Welcome to the nuclear age. INT. BAR - NIGHT Typical NY dive. Dark. Thick with smoke. Patrons scattered about here and there, drowning their sorrows, tending to themselves. Atom sits at the bar, staring down into his beer glass. On the outside he appears composed, but he's nervous. Scared. Trying to figure out what to do next. A few stools down sits LIZZY. Looking ever the vixen in a slim, revealing black dress. Dressed to kill. Glass of martini on the counter in front of her. She's watching Atom, her venomous stare not unlike a cobra gauging its prey. Atom sits oblivious, head still hung low. Doesn't notice Lizzy approaching, slithering up to the stool beside his. LIZZY Hi. Atom looks up, startled, at the sensuous, attractive woman suddenly seated beside him. He's not sure if he's in a chatty mood right now, but he's a man after all, and even after fifty-three years in Hell, his male instincts haven't quelled much. ATOM Uhh... hello. LIZZY You all right? You seem a bit... down. ATOM Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. LIZZY Name's Elizabeth, but you can call me Lizzy. ATOM Marcus. Lizzy smiles. Atom does too, and if he hadn't looked away for that brief second to check his gloved hands fidgeting underneath the counter, he might've noticed that quick, fiery flash across Lizzy's lethal eyes. FADE OUT ACT FOUR INT. MARIO'S BAR - NIGHT Stone and Kane are sitting at the bar, nursing a couple of beers. KANE So who was that guy that trashed you through the brick wall? Stone gives him a slightly offended look. STONE I wouldn't exactly say he "trashed" me. KANE Come on. If there were any more bricks piled up on top of you, I would've had to start calling you The Thing. STONE The who? KANE You know. The Thing. Comic book superhero. Walking pile of bricks. Blue underwear. (beat) Member of the Fantastic Four. Stone just stares blankly. Nothing. KANE Anyway... So who was that guy? STONE His name's Novak. Ash's number two guy. KANE Ash... the ringleader you mentioned once? STONE Right. He's an ex-cop. KANE Novak? Stone nods. KANE NYPD? STONE L.A. Died in '75, one of the key players in the Columbus Day Massacre. KANE (remembering) Novak... murdered by a SWAT cop... Killion... STONE Adam Killion. (impressed) How'd you know? KANE Came across it in some old case files I was looking through years ago. Homicide investigation. Suspect was based in L.A. Stone nods, glancing back down into his beer glass. KANE So what do we know about nuclear boy? STONE Aside from the fact that he's got a fascination for all things atomic, not much. The fact that Novak was there only proves that Ash is after him as well. KANE But for what? STONE Recruitment... in her war. KANE War? STONE Against God. That's her "raison d'être", so to speak, her reason for breaking out. She's tracking down all the damned souls, same as I am, only in her case it's to build her army, and get rid of the ones who won't play on her team. KANE So this atomic guy is one of the damned? STONE Could be. I mean, I didn't actually see it, but he fell from seven storys up. Unless he's got indestructible bones, he's got to be one of the one-thirteen. KANE Maybe he's Wolverine. STONE Who? Kane thinks about it, then brushes it off. KANE Never mind. Well, so if he's not one of the damned, what would Ash want with him? Stone shrugs, taking a stab in the dark. STONE His knowledge of atomic fission? KANE Think she's starting her own Manhattan Project? Stone takes this in, shuddering at the possibilities, voicing the question they both can't figure out. STONE But for what? INT. HOTEL MEZZANINE - STONE'S ROOM - NIGHT Stone enters, surprised to see THE DEVIL slouched back on the sofa, watching TV, feet up, munching on a bowl of popcorn sitting on his lap. STONE What the hell are YOU doing here? DEVIL Just came up here to cool off a bit. It can get pretty hot down there. Stone crosses to the kitchen, throwing his keys on the counter. STONE So I've heard. DEVIL I love television. Did I ever mention that? STONE Many times. The Devil looks at Stone, like he's just picked up something in Stone's voice. DEVIL Why, Mr. Stone, do you not want me here? Am I intruding in your personal space? STONE (deadpan) Gee, how could you tell. DEVIL I'm offended, Ezekiel. Here I am, out of the goodness of my heart, come to spend time and "chill" with my good and hard-working friend, and you immediately go sweeping me under the rug. Is that any way to treat your gracious employer? STONE I may be your employee, but I'm not your "good friend". The Devil laughs, leaning back on the couch. DEVIL Oh, you are swift, detective. STONE (off the TV) What are you watching anyway? DEVIL Oh, just surfing the channels. There's really not much anyway. Most of the networks are so caught up with that whole New Years Eve thing tomorrow night. You know, Americans really do have a bothersome knack for overhyping every little minor event. STONE I wouldn't exactly say tomorrow night is a "minor" event. It's the millennium. Doesn't happen that often. Once in a lifetime, if you're lucky. DEVIL There's nothing "major" about a new millennium, Mr. Stone. I've seen millennia come and go. After your third or fourth one it really does get to be tedious. Stone grabs the remote from the armrest. STONE All right, let's see what else is on. He starts flipping through the channels, and we catch fragments of each station as they go by: "-right now you can get a bacon double cheesburger for only-" "-swimsuit season is here, and it's time to lose those extra pounds-" "-free yourself from the symptoms of seasonal allergies-" "-rated the best sport utility vehicle in its class two years in a row-" "-helped me to reduce my monthly payments and regain control of my life-" DEVIL Pick a station. You're giving me whiplash. Finally, he settles on a newschannel, which is showing a report from inside a baseball stadium. Stone recognizes the surroundings as Dodger Stadium. The reporter is standing somewhere in the middle of the empty field, addressing the camera. REPORTER ...And it's right here, on the field in Dodger Stadium, where tomorrow night, on the eve of the millennium, a hundred engaged couples will be taking their marriage vows in what is being billed as a mass millennial wedding ceremony, the first of its kind in California. DEVIL Oh please. Whatever happened to holy sacrament of marriage? STONE I guess it saves on wedding expenses. REPORTER We spoke to a few of the happy couples today, to gauge their thoughts and reactions to this momentous occasion. The report cuts to a young couple, being interviewed in their home. DEVIL Honestly, Ezekiel, what happened to good old fashioned family values? I do believe this miserable cesspool of a planet is losing touch with its traditions. I mean, things weren't so honky-dory back in the good ol' days of Abraham either, but at least there was a rigorous respect for the hard and fast rules of the Lord, lest ye be smite down. Stone gives the Devil a weird look. STONE What is with you tonight? Millennium getting you cranky or something? DEVIL Don't say I didn't warn you, detective. STONE Warn me of what? FEMALE VOICE (on TV) We just decided to go ahead and do this, you know? We figured, why wait or plan some elaborate party when we can do it like this? Stone freezes, every nerve in his body paralyzed as he listens to that voice on TV. Ever so slowly, he turns his head toward the screen, afraid to discover what he hopes against every fiber of his unbeing it isn't, but that voice is imprinted in his brain, and when his eyes finally meet the TV screen, he knows he'll see ROSALYN staring back at him, with Dan Copper sitting beside her on the couch. DAN We weren't sure at first. I mean, this is a big step in a person's life, and we wanted to be sure it would be done the right way... ROSALYN Yeah, but I guess what we both realized is that... we love each other... and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. That's the important thing. Everything else is just... icing on the cake. Roz and Dan exchange eye contact, smiling, blissful and content, and give each other a quick peck on the lips. Stone's reaction is beyond measure. Eyes watery. Jawline clenching. If his heart were still beating, it'd have stopped right now. He looks back to the couch where the Devil is sitting... but he's no longer there, and Stone wonders why the Devil showed up at all tonight. Could it be... was the Prince of Darkness actually trying to console him? EXT. CENTRAL PARK - NIGHT Stone is strolling slowly through the park, hands buried deep within the pockets of his trenchcoat, head hung low. It's freezing, and there aren't many people around at this time of night, but Stone doesn't notice either of these things. He stops for a moment, looks over to his right and sees a flower bed a little off in the distance. As he stares, we suddenly notice ROSALYN standing by the flowers, dressed in a heavy longcoat, red gloves, and a beret. She looks as beautiful as she always has, perhaps even more, because this is how Stone remembers her. She stoops down, picks a flower out from the bed, and offers it to Stone, a smile as perfect as heaven etched on her face. Stone smiles too, even though he knows it's an illusion, but he gives into it anyway, till a voice behind him shatters the dream: FEMALE VOICE (O.S.) That's a lovely thought, Zeke... Stone spins around, startled, and discovers ASH in her black longcoat, standing a few paces behind him. ASH ...But it won't bring her back. Stone whips out his gun and levels it at Ash's eyes, his instincts kicking in. Ash remains in her place, not the least bit intimidated. ASH It's just me, Zeke. I'm alone, and I just want to talk. Please, put the gun away. STONE You destroyed Father Horn's church, you murdered my former commanding officer, and now you're after some guy with a knack for blowing things up. Forgive me if I'm a little edgy. ASH All right. That's fine. (beat) A bit late to be out alone at this time of night, don't you think? STONE (cold) What do you want, Ash? Ash sighs, exasperated. ASH Is it worth it? Stone pauses, unsure of the question. STONE What are you talking about? ASH Is it worth it? STONE (overlapping) Is WHAT worth it? ASH Your task. Your mission. STONE What are you getting at? ASH You've lost your will, Zeke... your will to live. I can see it. STONE I'm ridding the world of these "creatures" -- ASH Stop pretending. Stop masking the pain and the truth. You act as if you're doing this world a favor, but you didn't sign up to save the world. You're doing this for a woman... one woman... Stone is tensing up, his finger caressing the trigger. ASH Think about that, Zeke... then meet me tomorrow night. Hotel Edison. Broadway and 47th. Room 532. We'll celebrate the new millennium together... the way it was meant to be celebrated. They glare at each other for another moment, then with a somber wave of her fingers, Ash turns on her heels and walks off. Stone stands there, breathing heavily, his gun still raised, watching her slither away... and doing nothing. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. TIMES SQUARE - NIGHT Just think "Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve". The streets are choatic. Total bedlam. BROADWAY - AERIAL POV We soar over the people, waves and waves of them, chanting, cheering, braving the insanely frigid weather to watch the huge ball roll down to "2000". The mood is kinetic and electric. We are about to bear witness to a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the masses are assembled here to share in that moment. Maybe a million of them. Nothing short of exhilarating. CUT TO: INT. HOTEL EDISON - 5TH FLOOR HALLWAY Stone is making his way cautiously along the wall down the vacant corridor, gun drawn, inspecting the room numbers as he passes them. We can hear the riled-up crowd outside. He comes to the door marked "532". He stops beside the door, throws his back up against the wall. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, raising his gun up to his forehead prayer-like. He pulls himself together, seems to have made up his mind about something, then pushes himself up from the wall and faces the door, determination showing on every inch of his face. He lunges shoulder-first toward the door. INT. ROOM 532 BAM -- the door flies open, Stone charging through, gun out, ready for anything. But what he sees instead at the other end of the room is anything BUT what he had imagined. KANE is lashed to a CROSS by the window, his arms shackled to the wooden beams with chains. He's still wearing his suit, but it's showing signs of struggle -- some gashes and bloodstains. His mouth is strapped tight with duct tape. He's sweating profusely, and his face looks a little roughed up, but other than that there doesn't appear to be any piercings or major damage. He greets Stone with a look of shocked recognition, his eyes wide, his mouth screaming beneath the obstruction. All the lights in the room are shut, the only lighting coming through the window from the street lamps outside, casting long, dark shadows across the room. STONE Oh God... Stone lowers his gun and races toward the cross, till he hears a VOICE (O.S.) I wouldn't do that if I were you. Stone halts in mid-step, whirls toward the door and discovers NOVAK standing there, fists clenched, eyes burning with anticipation. NOVAK Your girlfriend's not here, Stone. It's just you and me. (grins) I'm going to enjoy carving your eyes out. Stone lifts his gun again, but Novak is quicker. Inhumanly fast. He pounces on Stone, slapping the weapon from his hand and ramming his knuckles into Stone's jaw, a blow that would have easily displaced a normal person's jawbone. Stone tumbles to the floor and Novak drops himself over him, pinning Stone's throat to the floor with one hand and raising his other one over his head, his two middle fingers positioned for convenient hooking and gouging. NOVAK No fancy fistfights or cute words this time. It's over. Novak is about to bring his fingers down, but suddenly he stops. Looks as if he's fighting something inside him. He clutches his throat. Begins gagging. Stone watches as Novak slowly rises from the floor, gripping his throat, slowly backing up into the room. He loses his balance, crashing into a table in the corner. As he struggles to get back up, we see a FLASH OF FORMLESS BLUE ENERGY circling his head. The blue form suddenly begins to take shape -- starting from the floor, we see black heels, then legs, hips, waist, torso, shoulders, and head. Tall. Blond. Black leather. Beautiful. And we SEE it's ASH standing now above Novak, who is still crumpled in the corner. He looks up at her, and for the first time, we see something on his face we've never seen before -- genuine fear. Carefully, almost lovingly, Ash kneels before Novak, raising two fingers, which are glowing with a bluish flare. She brings them closer to Novak's eyes, and Novak backs away further into the corner, like a frightened and panicked child who is about to receive his punishment. With her glowing fingertips she touches Novak's eyes lightly, and in an instant his eyes EXPLODE, blue flames shooting from them and delivering his soul back into the depths of Hell. Ash looks at the carpet where Novak had been crouched just moments ago, stained with black soot, then rises to her feet and turns to face Stone. Stone is also on his feet, standing protectively in front of the cross, gun reclaimed and leveled at Ash once again. He looks at her resolutely, pointing at Kane. STONE Let him go. ASH Zeke... did you think about what I said yesterday? STONE Let him go, and we'll talk. ASH Do you still believe you're fighting the damned souls to save this world... or to save yourself? STONE Either way, everyone's happy. ASH Everyone... except you... STONE (points to Kane) You'd better let him go, Ash. Cops will be all over this place once they find out one of their own is missing. And if they find him here tied to that cross... VOICE (O.S.) ...They'll die... Stone cocks his head toward the door and SEES ATOM ...And so will everyone down in the street. Atom walks into the room, making his way toward the cross and planting himself beside it, regarding it proudly, like a prize trophy. Stone watches both Ash and Atom, unsure where to direct his gun's attention. STONE (to Atom) You're the guy Novak was after. ATOM Atom. Marcus Atom. STONE You destroyed the DMV a couple of weeks ago... the post office and Department of Records... (disgusted) Jesus... all those innocent people... ATOM Collateral damage, detective. Unfortunate casualties of war. STONE (enraged) The war is over, you sick bastard! ATOM (doubly enraged) THE WAR NEVER ENDED! I see the torment, the destruction, the sorrow... the hell... (points to his head) It's all here. It's been in here for over half a century... and it doesn't end. When Ashur offered me a way out of Hell, I thought it would finally be over... but it wasn't... He hangs his head low, shaking and cringing, then snaps his head up and shrieks: ATOM IT WASN'T! STONE So what were you... a soldier... military officer...? ATOM A scientist. One of the hundreds in Los Alamos, working on the Manhattan Project. (remembering) We toiled and slaved, day in and day out... working to build a bomb that could kill scores and scores of people. The bigger and more destructive the bomb, the more people it could kill, the better. They wanted to end the war, but they wanted to do it by proving a point -- that those with the ultimate power have control. But near the end, I started having my doubts. My nightmares kept me awake at night... clear and vivid. Then, at the Trinity field test, I saw the vision of my nightmares come to life. It was beautiful... and inconceivably horrible. I couldn't let the government go through with this. I pleaded with the project directors -- Oppenheimer, Groves -- trying to reach the top brass, even the President if I had to, to try and alter their course of action. (laughs) But we all know it was a futile gesture. I knew what they were going to do with the bomb... "Fat Man" they called it, after Churchill. They'd already bombed Hiroshima. I'd managed to make it to Nagasaki on the morning of the 9th. I did all I could to warn the people, but really, what can one man do in the face of inevitable doom? At that point I loathed everyone and everything -- my government, my country... myself. I chose to share the fate of those I helped murder. I took shelter inside St. Mary's Cathedral, along with hundreds of other Japanese Christians. In those last moments, as we heard the bombers approaching in the sky, I prayed for forgiveness. And then the wrath of God came from above. Our church was the epicenter of the blast. Me, the others in the church, and forty thousand other innocent civilians, vaporized in a matter of seconds. After the effects of radioactive fallout, that number rose close to three hundred thousand plus. Atom looks down at his hands, leather-gloved and shaking. ATOM "If a thousand suns were to rise together one morning, that light would be a little like the glory of the Lord, for I am become Death, the shatterer of worlds." A realization suddenly dawns over Stone. He turns to Ash. STONE All those months ago, back in L.A., what you said to me... ASH That's right, Ezekiel. When I gave you Nick Greene... Stone turns back to Atom, who raises his head both proudly and defiantly. ATOM The curse I gave to this world is still inside me, detective. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I can't sleep till the government that created this atomic plague is laid to rest... (points to Ash) ...and her way will bring me peace of mind. Ash steps closer to Stone, her tone gentle and loving. ASH Don't resist, Zeke. Don't deny what you were born to do. Remember what I told you all those months ago... Stone thinks back... FLASH CUT TO: INT. BUD-JIT INN - ROOM 112 (EPISODE #205) Stone is on the phone with Ash. ASH (V.O.) August 9th, 1945 was a busy day in the afterlife. Your government dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. It was the last time that atomic weapons were used in war. Forty-five thousand souls departed the Earth in a very short period of time. There is a psychic balance on this planet. Back in my day, each person had a much larger share of the total. By the end of this summer, there will be six billion people on the planet. How much difference does a newborn make anymore? But you were born at a powerful time. Maybe that's why you were able to defeat Hasdrubul Skaras and Zhang Fei. STONE You said you were there? ASH (V.O.) Oh, that. One of my followers was in Nagasaki. Do you know how much it hurt? It was literally Hell on Earth there. FLASH CUT BACK TO: INT. HOTEL EDISON - ROOM 532 (RESUMING) ASH You WERE born at a powerful time... (points to Atom) ...and his soul, along with everyone else who perished that day, is a part of you. You understand us. You ARE us. Stone is clearly troubled, and mystified, but he hasn't forgotten Kane, still chained to the cross. STONE What about him? Why do you need him here? ASH He's helping us achieve our vision. (beat) Atom's power is unique. He is a walking atomic trigger. Anything he puts his fingertips to -- object or living thing -- becomes a nuclear detonator, and will only go off when that tainted thing is touched by another living creature. STONE (incredulous) Kane was touched?! ATOM That's right, detective, and if the cops come rushing in here and try to free him from these chains... Stone turns to Ash, unable to fully grasp this. STONE Why, Ash? ASH The psychic balance. Another mass display of death will create enough chaos in the afterlife to orchestrate another breakout from Hell. (beat) Do you know how many didn't make it out, Zeke? A hundred thirteen out of... countless others, all loyal to me... all waiting for this moment... to reclaim their lives... to seek justice... to bring the war to God's doorstep. STONE You're no better than the ones who created the bomb. You're trying to bring peace by killing thousands of innocent people. ASH No one will die, Zeke... not if you don't let them... They stand there, Stone and Ash, staring each other down, Stone's gun hand shaky. Suddenly a BLUE MIST rises from the floor, swirling ghost- like into the air (reminiscient of "ASHES"), lacing itself gently around Stone's wrist, lowering his gun, pointing it toward the floor, making room for Ash to slither her way closer to Stone. She touches Stone's face, stroking it tenderly. ASH You know this is the right way, Ezekiel. The only way. What has God done for you? Thrown you in Hell. Made you suffer. Because you did what was right. That is not the fair judgment of a moral deity. That's the flawed decision of a corrupt system, just like the one that let Gilbert Jax free. There will be no flaws in our world, Zeke... yours and mine. The new world. Everyone will be free to worship whomever or whatever they wish. Her lips inch closer to his, her voice almost a whisper. ASH You know you're not doing the Devil's work to save this world from the damned. You're doing it to save yourself... to be with one woman... but she's gone away, Zeke... found comfort in the arms of another man... forgotten you... (beat) ...but I haven't. And I can be anyone you want me to be. Stone looks into her eyes, her touch both electrifying and arousing, and within those deep orbs he can see her loneliness, her longing... her burning pain... ...and his mind suddenly races three thousand miles away... FLASH CUT TO: INT. DODGER STADIUM - LOS ANGELES (STONE'S VISION) A HUNDRED COUPLES gathered in the field, dressed formally, their attention centered on the ROBED PRIEST standing before them, shouting into a microphone, his voice booming across the field: PRIEST ...And as you all enter this holiest of sacraments, the Lord watches over you... CLOSE ON ROSALYN AND DAN somewhere in the middle of the assembled couples, arms entwined, smiling and blissful... a portrait of total happiness... FLASH CUT BACK TO: INT. HOTEL EDISON - ROOM 532 (RESUMING) Stone looks into Ash's eyes, torn, the street lamps outside framing her immaculate face -- a sharp contrast to the shadows and darkness of the rest of the room. Outside, the revelers are becoming louder and more boisterous as midnight gets ever closer. ASH You have nothing, Zeke. Everything you've loved is gone. You have no cause... nothing to live for. You are dead... figuratively and literally... but I'm still here... She moves her lips closer... ASH I love you, Ezekiel Stone... Their lips finally meet, and their kiss is gentle, but passionate. They break away, and Ash looks up affectionately into Stone's eyes. ASH Be with me, Zeke. I need you... please. Be the father of my child... and let him reign over a new world... a better world... Stone looks deeply into Ash's eyes, the entire world around him blocked out, all sights and sounds erased and faded... Kane, Atom, the thousands of people in the street... all wiped away... the only people existing in his world now being he and Ash. He raises his hand to Ash's face, traces his fingertip gently along her cheek, and the words come out of their own volition: STONE I'll be with you, Ashur... I'll be the father of your child. FADE TO BLACK