37 INT. GANG HIDEOUT - EVENING
Peter is tossing firearms to everyone inside the hideout when the sound of gunfire and screaming comes from outside.
PETER
The hell is going on out there? Are they shooting each other now?
PILATE
Evidently. Out the back. Come on.
The gang move for the back door. They don't make it before it explodes inwards, crushing one of the thieves against the back wall with sheer force. Sophia is standing on the other side, gauntlet raised up. Everyone except Pilate immediately opens fire, but the slugs just gather in the air in front of her. She looks to Pilate, and waves her hand - all of them are immediately pushed into the ground by an invisible force. She takes a few steps forward, looming over Pilate.
SOPHIA
If it isn't the absolute last person I expected to see in a den of thieves. What on earth are you doing?
He barely manages to choke out a reply.
PILATE
(strained)
You don't have to do this...!
SOPHIA
I am the Defender. It is for me to judge what is necessary. I am the "ought". You... were the "is".
The flames are beginning to build in earnest now, and Sophia turns to leave.
SOPHIA
But I am forced to admit that you are, on this occasion, right. I have no particular interest in whether you people live or die. You lowlives have my permission to leave.
The pressure is released. The thieves begin to get up as their hideout burns around them. The slugs surrounding Sophia drop to the floor. Peter, hobbling to his feet, raises his gun and fires at Sophia. The bullet bounces off thin air, striking him through the throat. His spine severed, he falls to the ground.
SOPHIA
But you won't. Present them with a feast, but rodents will continue to eat their own dung.
Silence. The room is petrified with fear. Only the crackling of the flames can be heard - and the building starting to collapse. Even as the warehouse burns around them, nobody can bear to move.
SOPHIA
Pilate. I am not affording you such freedoms. Your insight will be invaluable, and so I will have you report to Lord Saul. You of all people should know better than to resist.
BEAT. Pilate doesn't need to say that he understands.
SOPHIA
My cohort is outside.
PILATE
You can do what you want with the twins. But the two that are with them... They've done nothing wrong.
SOPHIA
They are mine to judge.
She exits the building, and the survivors follow suit.
38 EXT. FIFTH CITY - STREETS - EVENING
Aether is sitting on a bench as Joseph, Maria, and Solomon are dotted around the empty street.
JOSEPH
Cones are fine. I mean, at least you can eat them.
SOLOMON
A perfect illustration of how little you understand about cuisine.
JOSEPH
It's ice cream.
SOLOMON
Your opinion is an insult. A time limit before the moisture saturates a thing that will crumble in your hands, whose taste taints the purity of the dessert? Are you a savage who understands only quantity?
JOSEPH
They both taste fine. I don't know what your problem is. Pots only make waste anyway.
SOLOMON
Let them. The handling of that waste is the work of others and the systems they work within. This society is structured in a way as to remove it from my responsibility.
JOSEPH
It's definitely more complicated than that.
AETHER
Are you two incapable of discussing anything without turning it into an argument?
JOSEPH
I was minding my own business!
SOLOMON
I'm objectively correct. You should care about the food being made.
JOSEPH
Cones are food.
SOLOMON
I don't use cones, so who cares?
MARIA
This is pettiest, stupidest the bullshit it's even possible to bicker about. Is this really worth the air?
SOLOMON
Every argument is worth the oxygen. If you can discuss it, you can reach a conclusion, closer to the truth. It would be impossible to raise evidence if there was no truth somewhere.
MARIA
Facts aren't the same as evidence. What you're discussing is outside of facts.
JOSEPH
I... don't know if I can argue with that, but I feel like I should.
MARIA
"Should"? Why "should" you do anything? What is "should"?
SOLOMON
It means to have reasons.
MARIA
You have facts. How did you turn facts into reasons?
BEAT. This is new territory, and the two are lost.
AETHER
Sorry, I don't mean to cut this short, but...
Her gaze is fixed on a plume of smoke in the distance. Maria grits her teeth.
JOSEPH
Wait, is that...?!
MARIA
Yes.
SOLOMON
That has to be the Warpriests. Aether, we need to go back.
AETHER
I'm not going.
JOSEPH
They're going to kill us!
MARIA
We'll make it.
The three look to Maria in shock and surprise. She starts walking, and with hesitation, the others begin to follow her lead.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
MARIA
You don't want to go back? You don't have to.
JOSEPH
Maria, our home...
MARIA
Four days.
(beat)
Four days to go until the world ends. We can make it that long. You want to see the world? We have a safehouse.
JOSEPH
You're talking about the one in the First City.
SOLOMON
Why does a gaggle of thieves based in the Fifth City have a safehouse in the First?
MARIA
It's an old hideout. We were based in the First City before we moved here.
JOSEPH
Can we even make it? What about the others?
MARIA
This is about the fate of the world, Joseph. We take the train. Come on.
She moves with determination, and the other three follow with mixed degrees of certainty.
39 EXT. FIFTH CITY - STREETS - EVENING
Sophia walks alone down the roads with direction and purpose. Her cape gently flutters in the breeze. She turns a corner, seeing the bench where Aether was sitting. She's gaining on her targets.
40 INT. FIFTH CITY - STATION - ENTRANCE - EVENING
Maria vaults over the turnstiles. Joseph barely manages the same. Aether clambers through them. Solomon tears off the metal that dares to block his path with his bare hands. A STATION GUARD hurries to reprimand them.
STATION GUARD
(aggressively)
Excuse me, do you people have tickets?
Maria reaches into her jacket, preparing to pull a gun. She doesn't have to: Solomon knocks the guard onto their backside with a flick of his wrist. He doesn't even look down.
SOLOMON
We're busy.
Joseph is looking over the timetable.
JOSEPH
You're gonna be shocked at this one, but I have no idea what we're trying to catch. Has it even arrived?
MARIA
Even if we need to change down the line, we just need to start moving in the right direction.
She takes a look at the timetable, pointing immediately.
MARIA
There, Platform 4. Let's move.
AETHER
How long will it take us to get there?
MARIA
Coming up to eight hours, I'd hope. We'll arrive after The End has started there.
She shoots Aether a knowing glance.
MARIA
That should throw them off your scent, right?
Aether pauses, unsure as to how exactly Maria could possibly know something like that.
AETHER
Possibly, yes. I've never tried it.
MARIA
Great. After you.
Aether makes her way through the second set of turnstiles.
AETHER
I hope Sophia won't get too upset about this.
JOSEPH
Yeah, honestly, same. Recently I'm doing all kinds of things I do not want to live to regret.
Aether freezes. Solomon's eyes widen. The twins turn around, having sensed the very person they were fleeing from. Sophia is standing on the opposite side of the entrance.
SOPHIA
Worry not, young man.
She raises her gauntlet.
SOPHIA
You won't.
JOSEPH
(throwing his hands out)
Wait!
Sophia hesitates, but pauses.
JOSEPH
Why?!
SOPHIA
Are you mentally deficient? I am here to do the right thing and ensure The End.
Maria steps forward.
MARIA
What makes you so sure that's the right thing?
JOSEPH
Boss, not now!
MARIA
Just because you're correct, doesn't mean you're right.
SOPHIA
I was being sarcastic about mental deficiency, but now I just feel bad, because you really are.
A bolt of invisible force bursts from her hand, tearing the turnstiles at the entrance apart as it flies through them, shooting directly at Joseph's head.
Solomon dashes into its path, catching it in both hands. The force is incredible - the floor cracks underneath his feet as he struggles to keep his footing, barely managing to keep an impossible grip on the immaterial blast. The skin on his arms burns white in the same patterns covering Aether. Maria doesn't wait and see - grabbing Joseph, she throws him to the other side of the gate onto the platforms, following suit herself. Sophia is slightly shocked that Solomon is capable of such a feat, but it doesn't take her long to puzzle it out.
SOPHIA
I see. You two vessels for the are same kind of power, I suppose. But any cup will overflow eventually.
Solomon isn't listening. With his tremendous strength, he flings the blast back at its owner. She effortlessly deflects it, and counters with an unbelievably powerful riposte. Solomon cries out as the walls begin with crack and tremble, straining increasingly under her pressure. Solomon begins to sink into the wall slightly, and then--
Maria ducks around the corner, an uncommonly large pistol in hand, trained on Sophia. Two shots. The pressure recedes as Sophia focuses on catching the slugs in her imperceptible grip. She tries to return them to their sender, but Maria ducks behind cover to evade.
SOPHIA
So you're both this obstructive.
MARIA
Trust me, one is enough.
SOLOMON
Why would you taunt her, you id--?!
Sophia snaps her fingers, and the entrance explodes, sending Solomon and Maria flying off their feet.
41 INT. FIFTH CITY - STATION - PLATFORM - EVENING
The handful of people in the station are fleeing wherever they can, with many crowding onto trains. Several drivers and conductors are starting the engines to get everyone out, stumbling with the tremors of the exploding entrance. Aether gets into an empty carriage on the train at Platform 4. Joseph hurries in the opposite direction as Maria lands on the ground a few metres away.
JOSEPH
Maria!
Maria, coughing, gets up with Joseph's help. The two hurry toward the train as Maria takes a few more potshots in the general direction of Sophia. Joseph looks to Aether.
JOSEPH
Are you sure you're not going back?!
MARIA
The time to do that was before she lost it. Come on.
Joseph and Maria get into the train. Solomon is pushed out of the dust from the explosion, his shoes grinding against the concrete as he pushes against another blast of force. Sophia marches out the dust, preparing yet another attack, but Solomon tosses the blast in his hands at the ceiling, causing part of it to collapse down on her head.
JOSEPH
Did he get her?
Solomon doesn't stick around, leaping into the carriage just as the doors start to close and the train starts to move. Sophia lifts the debris off herself, clutching the departing train with her invisible grip.
42 INT. TRAIN - CARRIAGE - EVENING
The sudden stop throws the four to the floor.
MARIA
How much battery does that thing have?
SOLOMON
It doesn't.
MARIA
You've got to be joking.
SOLOMON
I told you, I don't do jokes.
Maria grips her gun tighter.
43 INT. FIFTH CITY - STATION - PLATFORM - EVENING
Sophia clenches her fist. Sparks fly from the wheels as the train begins to slowly drift back to the platform.
44 INT. TRAIN - CARRIAGE - EVENING
JOSEPH
Solomon, can't you do that thing?!
SOLOMON
We don't have the capacity to absorb all of it!
Something seems to click in Aether's mind, and her eyes widen. She slams her open palms onto the ground.
AETHER
Is that fact any reason not to try?
Her body begins to glow in white light as her patterns shine.
SOLOMON
What are you talking about?!
The realisation crosses Joseph's face as well.
JOSEPH
Just because you're correct... doesn't mean you're right.
AETHER
Don't just stand there! Help me!
Solomon grits his teeth, and then slams his palms against the carriage floor too.
45 INT. FIFTH CITY - STATION - PLATFORM - EVENING
The sparks continue to fly from the wheels as the reversal slows down. Sophia has realised that something is up, and grips harder, but to no avail. The train is beginning to retreat away from her.
46 INT. TRAIN - CARRIAGE - EVENING
MARIA
Can you push?
Aether responds with a grunt of exertion - she's working on it.
47 INT. FIFTH CITY - STATION - PLATFORM - EVENING
The deadlock breaks. Sophia loses her grip as the train shoots away from her at full speed.
48 INT. TRAIN - CARRIAGE - EVENING
The four almost lose their balance as the train jumps to full speed right away. The intercom chimes.
DRIVER (V.O.)
I have no idea what that was, but we're moving. We'll be stopping at the first station down the line to drop anyone off that we have to. If anyone is injured, please report to the front of the train.
Joseph lets out a sigh of relief.
SOLOMON
That's the primary for you, I suppose.
JOSEPH
How did you even do that?
AETHER
I didn't realise I could.
SOLOMON
I didn't realise either of us could, but you learn something new every day.
MARIA
She said something about "the same kind of power". What's that all about?
Aether and Solomon look at each other. He shrugs. She gets up and takes a seat.
AETHER
How long did you say this train ride was?
She folds one leg over the other, folding her arms.
