[scra, ree, tiraa and neekia in a room in the tunnels. Brek enters with a tablet.]
Tiraa: What do you want, Brek? We’re all a bit busy trying to not let this Resistance crash and burn, so if you could hurry it up -
Brek: (shows them tablet) There’s been a new development. Reamer has conceded to the Doves. He plans to let them lead the Anniversary Ceremony.
Ree: So?
Tiraa: So, it shows the citizens that the Doves have a higher standing than Eagles, going against everything we’ve been taught
scra: And throwing the entire hierarchical system on its head.
Neekia: If social standing can change just like that, then why should those at the bottom suffer when they don’t need to?
Scra: What’s Reamer playing at?
[brek and tiraa look at each other]
Brek: I can only guess that the Altimeter’s gotten to him somehow. And if that’s the case, then someone needs to remind him what’s at stake here. This isn’t some stupid plan he’s had since he was young, this is real, and will have real consequences.
Tiraa: Reamer’s not that short-sighted, he knows that the Doves are evil, he told us what he saw of their experiments, remember?
Brek: He also got my father kidnapped to serve his own purpose. He’s not above hurting others to get what he wants.
Tiraa: What DOES he even want out of all this? He’s always served his mother, but surely she doesn’t want the Doves gaining power either?
Brek: …I think we need to go ask him ourselves. Try to get him to see that regardless of what side we’re on, the Doves winning means everyone else ultimately loses.
Tiraa: we cant just drop in on him at his heavily-guarded manor house. In case you haven’t noticed Brek, we’ve been actively working against the Government for a while now -
Brek: I wasn’t suggesting that. Intel says he hasn’t returned to the Director’s house since the press conference, only seen his car leave a hotel garage and head northwest out the City.
Tiraa: towards…?
Brek: Aquila House.
T: [heads to door] c’mon, we’ll ambush him and force him to talk. If he’s not going home then chances are he’s avoiding his mother and her cronies, so he’ll probably be alone. It’s worth the risk.
Scra: we’ll come -
Ree: No, he’s got that weird obsession with you, remember? It’s better if his friends go alone.
Tiraa: I don’t think he counts us as friends anymore, but hopefully we can use our past to get him to listen. We’ll be quick. Keep working, and hold the fort while we’re gone.
[neekia, scra and ree watch them leave. Ree turns to Scra]
R: The lab results came back. Turns out you really are royalty. Sorry pal.
Scra: Great.
R: There’re…other things, too.
Scra: get it over with.
R: Right. Most of the Chimeras are your half-siblings.
Scra:...What -
Neekia: then -
R: We think we know where your mother is.
[Reamer at the Aquila House, watching monitors, surrounded by books and scrolls from the Archives. Scra’s face is frozen on a screen. Keelee walks in, wearing the large O-pinions band shirt.]
KL: [sees scra] That Crow was with my brother when I saw him -
[she gasps and puts hands over her mouth, afraid]
Reamer: relax, those two were inseparable at the academy, I’m not surprised they’re still together. Although if both of them have been sighted since your grandfather cornered them, I’m assuming they managed to escape him and the old man’s probably gotten himself captured, the fool.
[KL leaps forwards, hanging off the back of his sofa]
KL: you’ve seen Ky?! Grandfather didn’t get him?!
R: (side-eyes her, annoyed at himself) …Yes. I found camera footage of him. [presses keyboard, screen shows the camera shot of ky and garek. KL frowns]
R: Is that your father? Or, uh -
KL: he tells me to call him father, but he’s not my real one, really.
R: …your father -
[he stops as he hears the back door clatter open.]
R: stay here.
[leaves her, shutting the door behind. goes to kitchen, pulling gun out. goes round corner and aims gun at Tiraa and Brek, who stand there, unshocked. He doesn’t lower the gun]
R: Brek. Tiraa. Helluva time for a catch-up. Unprotected and lame, too. The Major would be rolling in his grave. [lowers gun]
T: The Major’s not dead, he’s with us in the Resistance.
R: So he soon will be, then.
B: We saw your press conference. We’ve come to ask you what the fuck you were thinking, letting that Dove step all over you like that. Surely you know what it’s implying?
R: you don’t understand anything, hidden away in your tunnels. You know nothing of what’s gone on up here.
T: we know more than you think.
R: no, you - [flashbacks to walking up to the podium, the altimeter whispering in his ear] have no idea.
B: we’re here to tell you that everything you thought about the Doves was true. But they’re also worse than you could ever have imagined. Their experiments - they’ve been using royal Crow DNA to make their Chimeras. We don’t know why, but whatever they’re planning can’t be -
R: [laughs] you’ve come here, at the risk of capture or death, to tell me the Doves are up to something, but you don’t know what that something is. I had thought you both were more astute than that, I’ll admit.
B: This is serious - You still control that Magpie, right? Tell them they’re playing right into the Dove’s hands - by thinking the Government is the enemy, they’re dividing us all, when there’s only one true enemy that we should unite against -
R: you’re a fool if you think The Doves would fight against the Government, when they owe what they are now to the Government -
T: that’s the point! Your mother gave them too much! You said it yourself! What’s stopping them from a coup once the Corvids are taken care of?
R: they don’t have the forces -
T: They have more than they’ve let you think. You know that creep from the academy - Lars Amplo? We rescued his mother during that prison break. She had been captured by the Doves and forced to work for them on all kinds of things. She’s warned us what they’re capable of. Do not trust them. The Corvids are the largest ungoverned force currently, and they’re just the start. Once they’re gone, they’ll just work their way up the hierarchy until the Eagles have no one to help them, and will be easy pickings. The Resistance is too small, and Avarie will not step in. We have to join together, before it’s too late.
R: Trust? That’s not what’s in question here. I’d thank you for your cryptic warnings, but they’ve wasted all of our time. Go, before I have you arrested. If I see you at the Event, I won’t think twice.
B: on that we have no doubt, Reamer. no doubt at all.
[they fly away. reamer watches them go, then returns to the room with keelee. he sits down, watching the fire.]
R: Your real father looks like me, doesn’t he?
KL: [doesn’t look at him]...yeah. He does.
R: …What’s he like?
KL: He’s…quiet. And still. He doesn’t shout, but he can still be mean. Sometimes he’s kind. He works a lot with mother. Sometimes he smiles, though. Your mother’s mean, isn’t she?
R:...yeah. She can be.
KL: [looks up from book, out window] Sometimes…your family is your family, but they’re not good for you. My brother tried and tried to make mother proud, but she wouldn’t be, and there were always more and more things for him to do. Until one day he threw it all away to follow me across the water, and now he’s still out there, fighting to keep Grandfather away. I hated him for too long, I think. I don’t hate him any more.
KL: [holds up book] guess what - this book says Icarus made his wings out of all different kinds of feathers! Isn’t that crazy?
R: yeah. Imagine that.
Fiinnallyyy got this script written. counting down the days until the relaunch!