Blade Page #21

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BACK TO FROST,

who towers above Blade, swaying back and forth in his new, liquid-

like form.

FROST:

You can't hurt me anymore.

WHOOSH! Frost rises upwards on a spiraling column of blood, HOWLING

WITH LAUGHTER, then just as suddenly --

-- splashes back to earth, spreading out in a widening pool. In the

blink of an eye, he streams through Blade's feet, re-solidifying

behind Blade. Blade spins, swings his dagger --

Once again, Frost morphs into blood-form. He races around Blade in a

series of spouting arcs, turning from blood-form to solid and back

again in a series of split-second transformations.

Blade whirls, striking with his dagger and missing every time --

WHOOSH! Frost suddenly dissipates, SPLASHING away into a million

zero-G blood bubbles, vanishing. Blade spins, unnerved, trying to

pin-point his foe's next manifestation.

BLADE:

Where are you?!

Frost's voice answers from all directions.

FROST:

Everywhere.

A DROPLET OF BLOOD

spatters the floor at Blade's feet. Blade looks up --

A SHOWER OF BLOOD

rains from above, coalescing into Frost as he sweeps down on Blade

like a giant bird of prey, crushing him against the temple floor.

FROST:

You want my blood so much?! Take it!

Frost's arms elongate and liquefy, flowing into two snake-like spouts

of blood -- the rest of Frost remains solid. The blood-spouts twist

around Blade's neck, melding together, completely encasing Blade's

head in a bubble of blood.

Blade claws at the blood-bubble as if it were a solid object that he

could dislodge, but his fingers just pass through it!

BACK TO VANESSA:

as she wraps a hand around Karen's throat, choking her.

As Karen struggles, she frees a hand, sliding it down to her hip

pocket, digging something out -- Whistler's vampire mace canister!

She forces it up between them, triggering a jet of TOXIC MIST into

Vanessa's face --

Vanessa recoils, HOWLING, her head smoking as if it were doused with

formic acid, skin sloughing off from her skull. Karen lunges for

Blade's sword --

BACK TO FROST AND BLADE

Blade is drowning in Frost's blood. His eyes bulge. Oxygen bubbles

stream from his mouth. Frost leans in close, his face a twisted mask

of insanity.

FROST:

I was wrong about you, Blade. You were

never one of us. You're a traitor to

your race.

KAREN (O.S.)

Get away from him!

Frost looks up -- Karen is wielding Blade's sword. She brings it down

on Frost, severing the blood-tendrils which envelope Blade. The

blood-bubble dissolves instantly, flowing away from Blade's face. He

gasps, chokes in air --

Frost backs away, horrified. His blood-tendrils don't reform.

Instead, the lay where they fell, solidifying into crystalline

powder.

KAREN:

Blade!

Karen flings the sword at Blade.

THE SWORD:

spins end over end, its mirrored surface reflecting coruscating

pinwheels of candlelight as Blade catches the weapon by its hilt.

Blade rises, advancing on Frost, sword outstretched and Frost

retreats, uncertain now.

BLADE:

Guess you're not quite as invulnerable

as you thought.

FROST:

You're wrong -- a few minutes more, and

my transition will be complete. Even

your sword won't be able to affect me

then.

BLADE:

You don't have a few minutes, Frost.

Frost eyes Blade warily, then lunges towards Vanessa, sweeping behind

her. Blade follows, but even as he raises his sword to strike, Frost

spins Vanessa around, using her body as a shield!

Blade hesitates, stopping the sword in mid-strike, catching his

mother's gaze -- her face is monstrous now, scarred by Karen's

poisonous mace. Piteous, really.

Frost smiles, for he's found a final weakness of Blade's to exploit.

FROST:

(laughing cruelly)

Just as I thought. Still chained to

your mother's breast after all these

years.

In the same instant, Vanessa's features morph, taking on the angelic,

youthful vibrancy she possessed in the locket photo.

FROST:

(gloating)

You're too human, Blade.

BLADE:

(steeling himself)

It's because I'm human that I can do

this.

Frost's eyes widen in shock, but he has no time to react, for --

Blade is already LUNGING forward, driving the sword-point through

Vanessa's chest, on into Frost's heart! It strikes the stone behind

them, SHATTERING and --

Frost and Vanessa HOWL AS ONE, their SCREAMS rising to an unendurable

intensity as the two vampires go nova, exploding into an expanding

ball of light and ATOMIZING BLOOD.

Blade is thrown back off his feet, having to shield his eyes from the

backlash of occult energy as a near tidal WAVE of blood surges over

him --

EXT. BANK OF EREBUS - CITY STREET - NIGHT

Every door and window of the bank is BLOWN OUTWARD from the force of

the EXPLOSION. While along the street, manhole covers flip from their

moorings, spinning up into the air like dimes, being buoyed by

geysers of blood.

INT. TEMPLE SANCTUARY - NIGHT

Silence, just the steady DRIP-DRIP of liquid draining. The underworld

temple gleams with a crimson sheen now.

ON BLADE:

as he stirs. He's been blown clear across the sanctuary by the force

of the blast, soaked to the quick by blood. He rises to his feet,

retrieving the hilt of his shattered weapon. At his feet --

THE SWORDBLADE:

lies in pieces. Amidst them, we find the singed remains of the locket

-- Vanessa's face barely recognizable beneath the grime. Blade stoops

to pick it up.

KAREN (O.S.)

Blade?

Blade turns. Karen moves to him, searching his eyes. Which side of

Blade's soul has won out? Human or vampire?

Then she SEES the tears rimming Blade's eyes, the first he's shed in

a lifetime. Human.

They embrace, holding each other that way for a long, long time. And

we --

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ROOFTOP, BANK OF EREBUS - DAWN

Blade and Karen stand on the rooftop, watching as dawn slowly creeps

across the silent city.

KAREN:

I never imagined I'd be so happy to

see the sun rise --

(turning to him)

It's over, isn't it?

BLADE:

For them. But for me --

He lifts his face towards the rising sun, letting its warmth wash

over his upturned face.

BLADE:

I feel like it's finally beginning.

And on that note we leave them -- TWO FIGURES, silhouetted against

the new day.

FADE TO BLACK.

THE END:

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