METRO 1497 - CHAPTER 8 PT2

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I'm afraid Metro's bit off more than he can chew this time.”

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(A moment passes)

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"I hope things will turn out the way he wishes, but most importantly, that realization hits him.”

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He shakes his head.

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"He needs out. Ana needs out."

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Lilly turns gently, curiously.

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Lilly:

"Is that why you're staying? Because of them... Ana, and Metro."

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Paul looks away, trying to mask a deep surging emotion.

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(A beat)

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Paul:

"I'm here because...

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(looks downward intensely)

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... I have no one left.

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(A heavy landing)

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Lilly watches him seriously —

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(Another beat)

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Lilly:(quieter this time)

"Have you ever lost someone to all of this?

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Paul stops walking. His jaw tightens. Eyes dropping to the boots.

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The confession, sitting in his chest, waiting to break open.

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He just stands there.

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(A long moment passes again)

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Paul:

"I've lost my daughter."

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The words scrape out of him, low and angry. His voice jumps an octave, helpless and shaking.

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"I don't know where she is ...

... if she's alive.

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(A beat)

He swallows hard, fighting the burn in his eyes.

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"... if she's dead.

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(breathing heavy)

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"... my sweet daughter...

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He can't hold it anymore.

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Something's breaking.

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"I just wanted to protect her."

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His voice cracks.

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He looks away, ashamed of his tears.

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"She was tied up with the soldiers, and just disappeared."

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He clenches his jaw so hard it trembles. His whole face tightens as he forces himself not to cry further.

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Then his voice shifts — darker, deeper, shaking with a rage he's been holding for years.

"If I ever catch the men who are responsible...

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He stops. His body shakes.

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Lilly steps closer, eyes softening. She reaches up and places her hands gently on his face. She wipes the tears he can't stop from falling. She stares up at him, reading his soul.

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Paul breaks.

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Right into her arms.

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His body folds, collapsing into her small frame

He cries — not loudly, but with heavy, shaking breaths of a man who hasn't allowed himself to feel in years.

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Lilly holds him, steady and warm.

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Lilly: (whispers in his ear)

"It's ok..."

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She rubs his back, grounding him.

"It's alright..."

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Paul stays there, hunched over her, letting himself be held — just for a moment — by someone who understands loss.

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The wheat field sways around them.

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The wind carries away a dark spell of negative aura.

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Scene fades -

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Scene switch -

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~ COURTYARD - 40 ACRES ~

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The sun hangs low over forty acres. Metro is in a great mood. — energized, confident, ready to show off.

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He stands in front of twenty farmhands, staff in hand, emerald tied at the top with a strip of thin white cloth.

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Metro:

"Alright, listen up. Veg stage is where the magic happens...Wind, a elemental resistance. strengthening the stalk and body... Pruning- picking dead leaves, and bottom branches keeps the energies focused... and a little stress helps the overall immunity of the plant."

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The farmhands nod politely.

One yawns.

Another scratches his neck.

Metro clears his throat, trying to hype himself up.

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"Now, the emerald.

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He lifts the staff.

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Nothing.

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He shakes it once.

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Still nothing.

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A farmhand whispers.

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Farmhand:

"Is it supposed to do something?"

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Metro ignores him and raises the staff higher.

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Metro: (yelling)

"ACTIVATE!"

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Silence.

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The farm hands look unimpressed.

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Rose steps forward from the edge of the field.

She doesn't rush or posture.

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She moves calmly, grounded in that certain way she always carries herself. Her dress brushes the tops of baby plants as she approaches Metro.

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She stops beside him, eyes soft and amused.

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Rose: (looking at Metro, soft, confident)

"The only way to use the light inside that gem of yours, is to be obedient to its principles."

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Metro turns, confused.

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Metro:

"What's that?"

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Metro tries again — louder, more dramatic — and nothing happens.

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The farmhands exchange looks.

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Rose sighs, steps closer, and gently takes the staff from his hands.

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Walking into the acreage.

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The emerald at the top of the staff begins to glow warm, like a heartbeat.

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She lifts the staff over the nearest row of baby plants.

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The field responds. The plants straighten. Then swell, bursting upward in a twisting, fluid motion — leaves unfurling, stalks thickening, spongy buds shimmer with colorful life.

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The farmhands gasp.

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Rose doesn't react. She keeps walking, staff held lightly, guiding the field awake with nothing more than her will and belief.

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She returns to Metro, hands him the staff, with a small, knowing smile.

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Rose:

"You have to believe, trust your instincts."

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Her words are soft, but sink into Metro's thick skull like hot lava.

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Metro looks over the 40 acres.

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His expression shifts — serious, focused.

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He waits.

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Then grips the staff in his right hand.

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He looks at Rose.

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Metro: (reaching for her hand)

"... I need your help."

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Rose tilts her head, surprised, yet still teasing.

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Rose:

"Do you?"

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She quickly lets up, smiling radiantly, reaches out for Metro's hand. They step foward together.

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Metro holds her hand with his left, and the staffed gem in his right, casted over the sprout rows.

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The first row responds.

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A single baby plant shivers.

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Then straightens.

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Then erupts upward in a burst of lighted colors.

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Not just green.

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A spectrum of crystalized orbs.

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The leaves unfurl in layered bushes, each tree a unique hue. The plants' chakra energies twist together like braided sunlight.

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The next row of sprouts boost and follow their siblings likewise.

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The interwined green-thumbs continue to blossom their own personal magical paradise.

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They gracefully walk together at dusk, hand in hand, gentle smiles, glowing eyes, energy exploding around them as they pass through the forty acres.

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An organized wave of treetops tower over the farm hands, each one a line of intertwined rainbow patches.

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Beaming.

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Soldiers from the battlement watch towers, prop their heads on the castle walls, peering over the erupted jungle. Rich smells hits there nostrils, and everyone elses.

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A sweet earthiness rises from the soil itself, thick and comforting, like cedar bark, released sap, and warm clay. The scent weaves together with another resin rich aroma that rolls across the enclosed acreage.

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The farm hands cheer.

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Straw Hat:

"Wooooo!! Yeah! That's what I'm talkin about!"

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Soldiers peek from the front gate.

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Soldier 3:

"Hey Chad, check this out!"

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The smell hits him like a wall.

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Chad:

"Bro— what is That!?"

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The charming duo finish the acreage in under an hour.

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Metro doesn't speak much, he's locked in concentrating—but the farm hands clap him on the back when he's done.

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The bell rings

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'BONG, BONG'

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guard 2:

"Dinner time!"

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Metro exhales, the field glows behind him, loudly, tranced, beautifully.

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*SOUTHERN MOUNTAIN TOP -

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A few miles south of the castle—

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The bell tolls. Its ring can be heard from the mountain tops. Far above the glowing rainbow fields, the mountain ridge is a different world entirely. It's cold. Silent. Predatory.

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The trees here are twisted, their branches blackened, like charred bone. The dark forest doesn't sway, or present charm amist a falling sunset.

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Crows fly around, and one lands on a lone figure standing on the mountain's ridge.

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His eyes are pitch black, but they still glow faintly, reflecting the rainbow field below in warped colors.

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The odors from below travel a long distance.

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He doesn't shift.

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Doesn't blink.

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Just watches.

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—scene fades—

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THE CAFETERIA — EVENING

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The cafeteria is alive tonight.

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All the soldiers are packed into the lower floor—boots off, armor loose, laughing loudly, slapping backs, retelling the same stories with bigger hand gestures each time.

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The smell of newly awakened fields still cling to their clothes, mixing with stew, brew, bread, and sweat.

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A few soldiers are already red-faced banging their mugs on the table in rhythm.

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Soldier 1:

"Have you seen the crystals on that marshmallow!?"

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Soldier 2:

"Shut up, you're faded!"

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Laughter erupts.

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Someone plays a beat sample on a wooden bowl.

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It's loud.

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It's messy.

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—THE TOP TABLE — THE FAMILY TABLE—

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Up on the balcony level, away from the rowdy crowd, sits the family table. Paul's calmer—a bit more grounded now—Lilly sits beside him, warm, composed, hands in her lap. Rose is next to Lilly, relaxed, leaned back in her chair. Metro sits next to Rose, glowing from the gem's work just earlier. Strawhat and his wife sit at the ends of the table, placed gratefully, smiling softly.~~

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The dinner is simple—roasted roots, bread, a pot of stew—but in the center sets a pitcher of water.

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Paul taps it with his knuckle.

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DING*

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Lilly leans in close to Paul, her voice barely above the noisy cafeteria.

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Lilly: (Soft)

"I'm happy you're here with us."

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Paul doesn't look at her, but his jaw softens.

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Across the table, Strawhat clears his throat.

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Straw Hat:

"Sorry there isn't much food left. We've been waiting on shipments from the village, still... can't complain, we're making a living."

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Metro radiates his glow towards the farmhand, soaking in another's humble glory.

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The strawhats wife stands at the other side of the table, she leans forward, hands on table.

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Wife: (old English accent)

"My husband and I would like to thank all of you for saving our livelihoods ."

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Strawhat looks down, a touch of emotion.

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Metro and Rose glance at each other. Rose then turns her sight toward her mother and Paul—(instincts kick)

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~~sitting very closely~~ Their energies somehow combined or attached.

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She notices her mothers change in attitude, and how the two are sitting—a little too close to one another. Rose leans forward, eyebrows raised.

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Rose:

"Paul, you look tired, Long Day??"

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Paul: (dead inside)

"Long Life."

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Rose smirks.

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Rose: (optimistic)

"You know Metro almost blew himself up today..."

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Paul doesn't miss a beat.

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Paul: (lazily)

"Almost?"

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Metro shakes his head in disbelief, still smiling.

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Metro: (looking at Paul)

"I think i'm getting stronger."

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Paul: (sips water)

"Good, maybe you can finally lift something heavier than your ego..."

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Lilly swats his arm lightly.

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Lilly: (smiling uncontrollably)

" Be nice Paul."

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Paul: (shrugs)

"I am being nice, This is me... nice."

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Rose instincts are still active. Her eyes widen slightly as she looks between her mother and Paul—the closeness, the softness, the unspoken warmth.

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Metro hasn't noticed.

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Metro: (leans in)

"Hey Paul, you sure you don't want any ice brew? Ya look cranky buddy..."

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Paul exhales—the gentlest smile tugging the corner of his mouth. He stares down at the table almost satisfied.

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He waves the offer away with two fingers.

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Paul: (soft, dry)

"no thanks."

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Metro shrugs, lifts his utensil from his bowl, he goes for a bite of stew——Rose's hand hawks the spoon right out of his grasp.

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Metro halts frozen, mouth open, betrayed.

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Paul's smile widens.

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Heavy footsteps are heard from the stairs below.

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Mathias stumbles into the dining area in brutal fashion, smelling like apple ale, boots uneven, eyes unfocused, but very enthusiastic.

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Mathias: (bellowing)

"PAUL! YOU OLD GOAT! YOU STILL ALIVE!?"

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The entire room turns.

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Paul doesn't flinch.

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Doesn't blink.

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Just gives the driest nod—the kind that says—unfortunately—

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Mathias squints at Paul's cup.

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Mathias:

"Paul, your drinking water!?

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‘Disgraceful!!"

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Lilly's face tightens.

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Mathias leans in close to Paul, breath heavy with apple ale cider, he tries to whisper but is absolutely not whispering.

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Mathias: (full volume)

"PAUL! Smile! ... or I'll shake you!"

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Mathias shakes him lightly with both hands, oblivious, grin wide, face flushed red.

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Paul's expression stays carved from stone.

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Metro starts to look worried—Mathias throws his hand around Paul's shoulders.

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Mathias:

"C'mon old man, Drink up! Live a little!!"

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Paul sits there, stiff as a board, eyes forward, having an out of body experience.

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—Thats when Lutheran enters—red faced, but still holding it together. He see's Mathias draped over Paul and sighs, walks over and grabs him by the back of his armor breast plate and lifts him.

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Lutheran:

"Sorry folks, this one's past his bedtime!"

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Lutheran drags him by the neck, hauling him like a sack of grain down a flight of steps. Mathias yelps as he tumbles downstairs. A cluster of soldiers at the bottom scramble and catch him in a wobbling pile.

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Mathias blinks upside down, legs in the air.

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Mathias:

"Be careful! I'm fragile!"

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The soldiers laugh, dropping him on his feet.

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Lutheran pops his head in between Metro and Rose's shoulders, crouched, looking back and forth at both of them sadistically.

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Lutheran:

"Sorry about that, my child got loose!"

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He laughs at his own joke. Everyone seems unsure.

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Lutheran turns around dramatically, theatrically, like a man who believes in showtime. He whips out a fiddle from nowhere, planting one boot on the upper balcony's ledge.

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His voice booms.

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"Attention! ~~Embasals~~ Embasails!"

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The cafeteria roars back, half-alive.

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"We are now — Breaking into, song and dance!!"

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He burps—swaying, but somehow still majestic.

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"On meeeee—!"

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He points at a soldier.

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"Hit it boys!"

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"YOU GOT IT CAP'N!—"

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A row of soldiers slam the mugs and begin drumming on the apple cider barrels in perfect, thunderous unified rhythm.

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The sound hits the lit cafeteria like a heartbeat.

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Lutheran launches into motion—dancing like a violent man possessed, limbs chaotic, but the fiddle playing...

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Brilliant.

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Sharp.

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Alive.

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He storms down the steps, bow flying, chords slicing through the air, the whole area vibrates with laughter and stomping boots.

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At the top table, everyone smiles — even the farmhands, even Rose, even Lilly.

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Everyone except Paul.

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The sound drops out around him.

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He looks like a chiseled statue, face unreadable, eyes locked on Metro.

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Metro feels it — that pressure, that instinct, that warming under his skin.

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He freezes.

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Rose tugs at Metro's arm, trying to pull him up to dance, but he's dead weight in the chair, staring back at Paul.

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For a moment, it's just the two of them.

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A silent exchange.

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A shared sense that something is wrong.

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Then —

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CRASHHH.

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GLASS SHATTERS - (echoes)

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The world snaps into a twilighted horror.

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A flaming arrow punches through the window.

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Then another.

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Then ten smack in unrhythmic succession close to bodies.

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Soldiers scream. Tables flip. Men fall.

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The music dies mid note.

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Chaos floods the room.

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Metro freezes. Paul stands immediately — chair scraping back, eyes locked on the window.

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The farmhands panic, stumbling over benches, hands over their heads.

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Paul: (commanding, sharp)

"Upstairs! Metro's chamber! NOW!"

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Lutheran slings his fiddle, the bow clattering as he jumps over the railing smashing down on the cafeteria floor.

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Lutheran: (Roars)

"SHEILDS!"

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Lilly grabs Rose by the wrist, clinging on to Metro's shirt, as they rush the stairway with Paul.

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Mathias stumbles, blinking through the state of stupor—then something snaps in him —

The funny sway turns into violent purpose.

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Mathias: (Pointing, bellowing)

"MEN! — FRONT GATE! — WITH ME!"

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Fifty infantry soldiers surge after him, through the main hall, half drunk, half-terrified, all loyal.

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Paul shoves Metro, Rose, Lilly and the farmhand couple into the chamber and slams the door.

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Lilly instinctively slams the bolt down from inside.

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Paul is already running back down the stairs.

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OUTSIDE Near Forest- PAST BACK WALL -

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WATCH TOWER BATTLEMENTS.

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Three evil general commanders sit calmly on horses, next to empty wagons, there's a distance between them from the back battlement wall.

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They dress in black, but have navy blue rags over their mouths.

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They have haunting wide rice field hats, and their eyes glow unnaturally blue. They wait for the assassins to clear out threats from the forest, waiting patiently.

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Climbing the back wall watch towers, the seven assassins, ~dressed in pitch black ~ equip themselves to the stone. Dashing upwards like spiders.

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Their eyes glow red, their silent, precise.

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Four archers die on two back watch towers, without a sound. —throats opened, bodies lowered gently to the floor. The blackened assassins light a large fire sparkler down the wall, signalling the blue eyed generals off their horses.

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They're unhurried.

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Eerie.

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Like they're done this before, a hundred times.

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Ahead of them, thirty bandits, with brown hoods covering their heads and faces, climb ropes with anchor spikes hemmed into the stoned battlements.

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Others fire hooks, tied to ropes shot from crossbows.

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The metal claws bite deep into the top ledge, they sling themselves upward, heels, scraping stone.

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One by one, they drop down the inside of the fortress wall, landing in the field~~ inside the scented magical enclosure like shadows.

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They move fast.

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They know exactly what they're doing.

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They know exactly where they're going.

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- scene change -

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MAIN HALL - FRONT GATE -

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Mathias and his fifty men burst into the open hayfields, a tide of iron roaring through the night sky.

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Sixty bandits scatter abroad the distant hay pastures, weapons wielded.

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Mathias lifts his sword, wobbling with his massive hammer strapped behind him, fearless.

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Mathias: (Slurred, heroic, insane)

"KILL THEEMM!"

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His infantry charges forward, shouting violently.

The bandits start to retreat back, spacing out.

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Sally stamps the ground, ears pinned back, nostrils flaring. She scans the chaos — searching for Metro's scent.

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Mathias and the infantry stampede their way past her, thundering in rage, charging the fleeing bandits. The bandits are now retreating all the way to the forest treeline.

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Sally doesn't follow them. She's locked.

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Looking for Metro.

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MAIN HALL - CASTLE ENTRANCE - NIGHT

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Paul reaches the doorway leading to the main hall.

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Lutheran: (commanding Paul)

"Gather the farmhands, lead them to the chamber! My men will check the towers and wait for you here!

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Paul nods once — jaw clenched, eyes burning.

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He takes off down the hallway and finds eighteen farmhands huddled in a stairwell.

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Paul: (furious, protective)

"MOVE! NOW! IF YOU WANNA LIVE, GO!"

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They all jump in a panicked hysteria, following, stumbling and scrambling after him.

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Paul drives them up the cafeteria stairs, pushing, pulling, shoving them towards Metro's chamber. His boots slam each step — Heart beats ~~throbbing~~ pounding.

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METROS CHAMBER - NIGHT -

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Metro paces back and forth, breath sharp, shoulders tight.

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Everyone watches him.

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The room feels ~~clostraphobic~~

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Rose's face burns like a flame — fear, anger, something deeper.

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She steps towards him.

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Rose: (low, urgent)

"Don't go out there..."

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Metro doesn't answer.

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He keeps pacing.

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ns216.73.217.9da2

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