The Crow Page #3

killers who would gladly die for Ngo Nwa, which they will in

just a

minute.

They have just passed the Diabolique 8X10. Ngo Nwa's gloved

fingers, in passing, leave little skid tracks in the dust that

clear the

eyes of Eric in the photo.

As the foursome reaches the DOOR, Grange

turns doubtfully --

suspiciously -- to Nwa.

NGO NWA:

He will see

me... unannounced.

ANOTHER ANGLE - THE DOOR

As Grange keys in the enter

code the door hisses open. Without

a word, Nwa passes inside and the

door is pulled shut in

Grange's face by the Bodyguards, who post

themselves to either

side.

INT. LAO'S NIGHTCLUB OFFICE - NIGHT

The

door CLOSES and the BG NOISE is GONE. Through a large window

(mirrored

on the club side) all sorts of activity is visible

through automatic

mini-blinds. A fly-vision bank of 12 TV

monitors is hot with

surveillance.

LAO, a painfully clean-cut, Armani-clad Asian, impeccable,

almost dashing, but the dynamic here is crystal clear: Nwa is

the King:

Lao, the dark prince in this hierarchy.

At the desk, Lao is startled

from his contemplation of a tiny,

perfect rat skeleton by Ngo Nwa's

unheralded entry. The desktop

is bare except for and Arcane Vietnamese

fighting knife, half a

meter long with an ideogrammed blade, dramatically

positioned

beneath an Artemide lamp. Lao rises and feigns servility.

NB:
The following exchange will play FAST, and entirely in

VIETNAMESE.

LAO:

(formal greeting)

NWA:

(dismissiveness, contempt, then

chastizing anger as:)

Nwa INDICATES the blade with some ridicule.

LAO:

(phony assuagement)

NWA:

(knows it's bullshit)

Lao turns, staring out

the blinds, fighting for control. Deep

breath. He turns back to his

"master." Nwa gestures broadly at

the oppulent office, indicating that

Lao should be grateful, but

is somehow errant

NWA:

(respect is

required)

LAO:

(begrudging agreement)

Lao sees the blade. An idea.

He lifts it reverently, bears it

the Nwa hilt-first in both hands, as if

bestowing a thing of

immeasurable worth.

NGO NWA:

(why give me this?)

Nonetheless, Nwa accepts the blade. It gleams. Hypnotic. Even

Nwa has

to admire it. Turns it so the blade is pointed at his

sternum. His

attitude indicates Lao is too far away to do

anything untoward.

LAO:

(sinister punchline)

Lao spins through the air and HEEL-KICKS the blade

THROUGH Nwa's

chest, pinning him to the door. It's over so fast the gasp

of

astonishment never escapes Nwa. Lao is much more than merely

treacherous, he is extremely capable.

LAO:

(in perfect English)

When I spoke of an offering, I

didn't mean an offering to you.

INT.

CORRIDOR - NIGHT (CONTINUOUS)

Grange, standing out of arm's reach in the

corridor, kills both

Bodyguards with a double headshot as they turn in

greeting as the

door OPENS.

ANOTHER ANGLE - CORRIDOR - LAO, GRANGE, AND

CORPSES:

Lao exchanges a look with his right arm; Grange nods

affirmatively.

GRANGE:

You gonna smoke his bones now, or

however it

is you do it?

Lao smiles indulgently. He wipes the blood from the blade

on

the jacket of his ex-lord. Lao now bows to no one.

EXT. FIRE

ESCAPE - ANOTHER ALLEY - NIGHT

Eric, wearing the combat boots, climbs as

the crow leads him.

Up. He jams his hand on a rusty wedge of metal.

Ouch.

CLOSE-UP - ERIC'S PALM

Blood flows from the gash. He vises his

fist shut.

ANGLE - ERIC ON FIRE ESCAPE

Eye-to-eye with the crow. Opens

his hand.

CLOSE-UP - ERIC'S PALM

The blood flows back into the wound,

which closes itself,

leaving another scar.

ANGLE - ERIC

Vising the

rail. Speaks to the night. Almost a mantra.

ERIC:

"My kitten walks

on velvet feet,

and makes no sound at all. And in

the doorway nightly

sits to watch

the darkness fall. I think

he loves the lady night..."

(to crow)

Am I alive? Am I dead? Something

else? Something in

between?

CLOSE-UP - THE CROW

Inscrutable. No answer here.

RESUME ERIC:

Almost bemused. Steadier. A hint of friendliness.

ERIC:

Thanks for

sharing that.

ETC. GIDEON`S PAWN SHOP - NIGHT

As the T-Bird grumbles

tp park curbside. Menacing.

INT. GIDEON'S PAWN SHOP - NIGHT

A:

junkyard of loot and dusty discards. Junkie thievings and

other people's

stereos. Behind a wire-meshed security counter

GIDEON reads a racing

form, chain-smoking throughout the scene. He

is pear-shaped, stubbled,

unkempt. Food on his shirt. JINGLE

of doorbells. Gideon lowers his

paper to reveal Skank and

T-Bird on approach.

GIDEON:

Ahhh, jesus,

the creatures of the

night, here they come. Tweedledum

and

Tweedledummer.

Skank riles

SKANK:

Hey, blow me, fat boy!

Just as

quick, Gideon c*cks and levels a Magnum at Skank.

GIDEON:

Blow

yourself, bigmouth.

T-BIRD

(interposing)

Whoa, hey, whoa.

(hands up)

Business.

He lifts a small carton onto the counter.

GIDEON:

Whatcha got?

NEW ANGLE - COUNTER

Transaction time. T-Bird

passes items through the screen slot

and Gideon gives each one cursory,

doubtful inspection.

T-BIRD

Coupla more rings... 24k.

GIDEON:

18k.

Crap.

T-BIRD

...necklace... pearls...

GIDEON:

Nineteen bucks at

Sears. Fake,

T-BIRD

Leather purse...

He hands though the bag rested

from the woman.

GIDEON:

What's this -- a little, ah,

bloodstain,

right?

(doesn't matter)

Fifty bucks for the box, and I'm

doin'

you a --

T-BIRD

Yeah, I know, fatso. Do us all a

favor. Make Top

Dollar smile.

SKANK:

You wouldn't want Top Dollar not

to smile.

Mention of Top Dollar clams Gideon efficiently up. He hands

over the

cash to T-Bird with a grimace.

EXT. ROOFTOP - ON ERIC - NIGHT

Eric

stares upward at the crow as it drops like a bomber from

the night sky,

flying past him, skimming the roof, leading him

on. Eric exhales,

shrugs, feeling mocked by the bird.

ERIC:

All right.

And he takes off

on a run. Only to stumble and fall. But the

falls turns into a TUMBLING

ROLL that lands Eric back on his feet

still moving. He looks back as if

to ask:
"Did I do that?" and

runs out of the frame.

ANOTHER ANGLE -

PICKING UP ERIC ON THE RUN.

as he squints towards the crow and does his

best to keep up.

TRACK WITH HIM to the edge of the roof, heavily misted

in rain.

He jumps a negligible gap to the next lower roof. The next

roof-top is a one-story jump down. Eric clears the jump with a

WOOF of

air. Keeping his eyes on the flying crow; gaining

strength. His next

leap is more like a broad-jump. Athletic.

FAST MOVING ANGLE - THE CROW

keeping airborne, keeping ahead.

MOVING ANGLE - ERIC

Eyes confidently

on the sky as he arches out into space...

UP ANGLE FROM STREET -

BUILDINGS:

As Eric is seen to jump across the gap at least three stories

up

where there is no connecting building.

CLOSE ANGLE - TARGET BUILDING

LEDGE:

as Eric smashes into it, just missing, hinging at the waist,

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