Confrontation with Villain (Screenplay)

CONTEXT:

The Youtube team known as Project 863 is being followed by the shadowy figure that they refer to as "Double X". In the midst of placing some evidence they found at a hotel room concerning the SPIRE (a mind control antenna) in their vault for safekeeping, Double X locks the door behind them to keep them trapped. Matthias, the leader of Project 863, meets with Double X on the stairs and confronts him about what his plans might be. In reality, this is all a clever ruse put forth by Matthias who is currently being influenced by the series big bad, Nelson Syphus. He is, in fact, Double X and is using the footage to fool not only his team but also "Subject 4", the audience, and keep them off his trail as some of his actions have started to come off as very suspicious and out of character to them.

My contributions to this scene were the conceptualization of the scene itself and how it played into the narrative of the story, script writing the scene, and helping AD both Matthias and the second actor that is not on screen.

The scene starts at 7:44 and ends at 11:03. The original screenplay is down below.

SCRIPT:

NARRATIVE IN: 

The team has just returned from the experiment survivor's hotel room. They return to a studio that is devoid of people, as it is the end of the work day. Samantha, Woods and Bailey take the documents they find upstairs to put in the vault while Matthias powers down his computer in Megadesk. While the three are in the vault, they are locked inside, but they don't know by who. They call Matthias and tell him to come let them out.

Unbeknownst to the team and even the audience, it was Matthias that locked them in the vault. He intends to fake a conversation between himself and a phantom dubbed Double X to help quell suspicions about his behavior. How the "confrontation" appears in the video is an edited ruse.

INT. SPELLBOUND INC - LATE AFTERNOON

MATTHIAS is running from his office downstairs towards the stairwell after receiving the call from his team. He's grumbling, irritated at the inconvenience.

                                             MATTHIAS
                                           (annoyed muttering)
                                   What are they doing? Just goofing' off...

He gasps as he makes it to the middle of the stairs and looks up, spotting a man clothed in black and wearing a mask with red x's for eyes. DOUBLE X greets MATTHIAS by lifting his hand.

                                             DOUBLE X
                                   Don't worry, I haven't harmed them. I just wanted
                                   some privacy with the leader of Project 863.

MATTHIAS proceeds to turn the camera he's holding back on himself. He looks a little confused but is also attempting to keep a neutral expression.

                                               MATTHIAS
                                   Who are you?
                                               DOUBLE X
                                    I am your ghost.

As DOUBLE X speaks, MATTHIAS turns the camera to him, and then vise versa when he himself starts speaking. He can hear his team upstairs trying to open the door of the vault, shouting for him to let them out.

                                               MATTHIAS
                                             (trying to stay calm)
                                    So, you're the one that's been doing this, huh? All
                                    of the hauntings? It was just you playing pretend...

                                               DOUBLE X
                                    Yes, that is correct.

                                               MATTHIAS
                                    How? You expect me to believe you did that all
                                    by yourself?

WOODLAND, SAMANTHA and BAILEY are all shouting from behind the vault, and he can hear that. They're expressing confusion as to who MATTHIAS is talking to.

                                                DOUBLE X
                                     Your security is weak. And you, gullible.

                                                MATTHIAS
                                     No...no, I would have seen you.

                                                DOUBLE X
                                     I doubt it. There's still so much you haven't seen.

                                                MATTHIAS
                                     But why? Why go through all the trouble of 
                                     trying to make us believe the studio was haunted?

                                                DOUBLE X
                                     To stop you from turning on the SPIRE, of course.

MATTHIAS is starting to put the pieces together, nodding as the man speaks. He realizes that most of the evidence they've found thus far that have painted the SPIRE as a way to protect people holds weight.

                                                MATTHIAS
                                             (beat: strong realization)
                                     So it's true, then. The SPIRE is for good. It is 
                                     meant to disperse the antidote.    

                                                DOUBLE X
                                     It doesn't matter: you'll never find it anyways.  

                                                MATTHIAS
                                              (guarded disbelief)
                                     But how? The writing on the walls, the mannikin...
                                     how do you expect me to believe that?

                                                DOUBLE X
                                    Every Syntec building has its secrets. I know how to
                                    take advantage of every single one of them.

The longer MATTHIAS hears his team pounding on the door, the more stressed he becomes. He gets to the point, hopeful it will provide some answers that he seeks. 

                                                 MATTHIAS
                                    Why are you here, then? Is it for the Absalate?

DOUBLE X chortles behind the mask. It's not something that MATTHIAS would be able to tell.

                                                 DOUBLE X
                                    That? No, you're lucky you're still alive with it
                                    hanging around your neck.

                                                 MATTHIAS
                                    You know what it does, don't you?

                                                 DOUBLE X
                                    Intimately.
                                      (beat)
                                   But it doesn't matter at this point.

                                                 MATTHIAS
                                    Then tell me this: did the serum bomb really
                                    go off

                                                DOUBLE X
                                              (subtle cruelty)
                                    You didn't think it would be safe with the police,
                                    did you? You gave them exactly what they wanted,
                                    and thought you walked away the hero.

                                                MATTHIAS
                                    That only makes us want to turn it on more.

DOUBLE X has been continuously shifting this whole time, tilting his head from side to side as he speaks to MATTHIAS, almost mockingly. This is the first time he tilts his head over his shoulder towards the vault, speaking to him and the rest of his team.

                                                 DOUBLE X
                                    To save the valley and your employees?

                                                 MATTHIAS
                                              (clear defiance, strong voice)
                                    Honestly? Just for spite at this point.

                                                 DOUBLE X
                                    Careful. My next visit won't be just a warning. 

                                                 MATTHIAS
                                    You threatening me?

                                                 DOUBLE X
                                    Not just you, all of you. You don't want that,
                                    do you?

                                                 MATTHIAS
                                    No you see, we're going to find the SPIRE and
                                    turn it on. The only reason you're sticking around is
                                    because you know we're going to find it.

MATTHIAS will now keep the camera on DOUBLE X for the rest of the encounter. It's the best way to keep the ruse up.

                                                 MATTHIAS (CONT'D)(O.S)
                                    That's it, isn't it? You're staying close because you
                                    don't know where it is either. And the only way 
                                    you're gonna' find it is if we find it first.

DOUBLE X now starts walking down the stairs. Each step is slow and menacing, he doesn't stop looking at MATTHIAS. He eventually gets as close as possible to the camera.

                                                 DOUBLE X
                                     Playing detective is fun, isn't it? The truth isn't as fun.

                                                 MATTHIAS (O.S)
                                     I'm not scared of you, and I'm not alone in this either.
                                     You're forgetting a major player.

                                                 DOUBLE X
                                     That's right, Subject 4. You should check in with them, 
                                     they don't seem like they're on your side anymore.

Without another word, DOUBLE X turns around and rushes down the stairs, heading towards the door to leave the studio while MATTHIAS releases his team from the vault. 

NARRATIVE OUT:       

Once he is finished, Matthias "rushes" upstairs and opens up the vault for his team. He uses the RSD (radioactive serum detector) to prove his story that the phantom was in the building, showing a dot on the screen moving away from the studio. From this point on until the reveal, the audience and team will be focused more on the phantom rather than him.