Toxic Rage Page #2

JOEY:

(louder, with disbelief)

Apologize? For words I never said?!

JILL:

(voice shaky)

Joey, it's not solely about you or the principle of the matter. We have our kids' futures to think of. Sometimes, maybe... it's about compromise.

JOEY:

(passionately)

Compromise? It's always been about the truth for me, Jill. Always.

Jill steps closer, desperation in her eyes.

JILL:

Think about this. Maybe the union can find a way through this mess.

JOEY:

(bitter laughter)

Bend to them? When they can't even stand up for what's right? I can't and won't.

With determination, Joey turns, heading off.

EXT. GOVERNMENT OFFICE - NIGHT

The charged atmosphere is palpable. Joey approaches the entrance, every step filled with determination.

Suddenly, the entrance door opens, revealing HER—the woman responsible for the allegations. Arrogance evident in her stance.

JOEY:

(intense, demanding)

Tell the truth. There were no racist words exchanged between us.

HER:

(coldly, dismissively)

I don't know what you're talking about.

Enraged, Joey's world blurs. His voice rises.

JOEY:

(teeth gritted)

You're lying, and you know it!

HER:

(smiling with malevolence)

Guards!

Two LARGE GUARDS advance menacingly. Joey's fists clench, and a brawl erupts. Punches are thrown, grunts and shouts fill the scene. Joey fights with a wild fury.

Suddenly, sirens wail in the distance, casting the scene in a fluctuating blue and red glow. Realization dawns on Joey.

JOEY:

(to himself, panting)

I have to get out of here.

He sprints to his SUV, jumps in, and with tires screeching, speeds away.

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

A high-speed chase ensues. Police cars, sirens blaring, are in hot pursuit. Joey maneuvers recklessly through the streets, swerving around cars, causing chaos. The symphony of honking horns and sirens is deafening.

INT. JOEY'S SUV - NIGHT

Inside the SUV, Joey's face is set with determination. The taste of fear evident, his every sense heightened by the adrenaline rush.

EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT

It's a whirlwind of action. Cars swerving, people screaming, and the chase intensifying. But eventually, Joey is cornered. Police cars surround him, lights flashing, officers with weapons drawn.

Joey's SUV comes to a halt. He steps out, anger still evident but now mixed with a sense of defeat. The air is heavy with tension.

As police officers move in, handcuffs at the ready, Joey locks eyes with one of them, a challenge evident in his gaze.

JOEY:

(whispers, defiantly)

This isn't over...

The handcuffs snap onto Joey's wrists. But even in defeat, Joey's fiery spirit remains undiminished.

INT. COURTHOUSE - DAY

The room is packed to the brim. The atmosphere is heavy with tension. There's a distinctive aroma of old wood and mothballs.

JUDGE, a bald man with piercing eyes, bangs his gavel. The sound resonates.

JUDGE:

Order, order. Mr. Cassidy, if you opt to represent yourself and forgo the assistance of legal counsel, you recognize the ramifications. You cannot later claim a mistrial on these grounds.

JOEY, dressed in a faded, ill-fitting orange jumpsuit, responds with determination.

JOEY:

Yes, I do.

JOEY (fiercely)

I'm not guilty of a goddamn thing, except for standing up for myself when your f***ed-up system turned its back.

OPPOSITION, a smug attorney, interrupts.

OPPOSITION:

Objection. Your Honor, he's attempting to bring in prior incidents.

JUDGE:

Sustained.

Joey, choking back tears, continues.

JOEY:

I did nothing wrong.

JUDGE (condescendingly):

Mr. Cassidy, this isn't a town hall. Spare us your civic lamentations.

JOEY (angrily)

You people just sit back and watch while our kids get poisoned from that f***ing toxic train mess.

OPPOSITION:

Objection!

JUDGE:

Sustained. Mr. Cassidy, you're treading thin ice. Tread carefully or you'll be in contempt.

JOEY:

I'm the victim here!

Suddenly, Joey's anger reaches a boiling point.

JOEY (shouting)

This trial's bullshit and everyone f***ing knows it!

Two BAILIFFS rush towards Joey. There's chaos. Voices rise in panic. Feet shuffle. The struggle is intense. Joey's jumpsuit tears, revealing horrifying injuries.

The entire courtroom GASPS.

JOEY (screaming)

Look at me! They did this to me... and they won't stop with me. Any of you could be next!

JUDGE, attempting to regain control:

JUDGE:

I order the jury to disregard this display!

But the mood has shifted. The room is thick with emotion.

CUT TO BLACK.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

Close-up of JOEY, with a glint of hope in his eyes. A JUDGE's gavel BANGS.

JUDGE (O.S.)

The decision is made.

The ambient NOISE of the courtroom fades, replaced by the DISTANT CLANGING of prison gates.

JOEY (V.O.)

A bittersweet victory.

EXT. PRISON YARD - DAY

Clouds mask the sun. Joey walks toward the LOOMING prison gates, each step heavy and deliberate. Nearby, a GUARD jingles his keys, the sound haunting and resonant.

JOEY (V.O.)

The taste of injustice still lingers.

INT. PRISON CORRIDOR - DAY

Joey's footsteps ECHO. Through the barred windows, an overcast sky casts a dim, eerie light. MURMURS of inmates float through the air.

INT. PRISON CELLBLOCK - DAY

Joey scans the faces of hardened INMATES. His gaze settles on a YOUNG INMATE, eyes wide with fear. The atmosphere is thick, a storm brewing.

Suddenly, TWO LARGE INMATES corner the young one. Their menace is tangible. Violence erupts.

JOEY:

(stepping forward, voice firm)

Knock it off. He's just a kid.

The bullies turn to Joey, their faces contorted with malice. An intense FIGHT ensues. Joey emerges bloodied but victorious, earning him awed glances.

INT. PRISON CANTEEN - DAY

Joey sits, overhearing HUSHED CONVERSATIONS from nearby inmates.

INMATE 1

...Senator Alaric Grayson... RegalCorp Industries...

INMATE 2

...a massive land grab. They're leaving the place unlivable...

JOEY, skeptical, listens intently, absorbing the conspiracy.

INT. PRISON VISITATION AREA - DAY

Joey sits opposite JILL, separated by thick glass. Tears streak her face as they converse through phones.

JILL:

(voice breaking)

Our son... He's getting worse. And we've been evicted, Joey.

Joey's face contorts, pain evident.

JOEY:

I'll be out soon, Jill. We'll get through this.

INT. PRISON CELL - NIGHT

Joey lies in bed, lost in thought. The tales from the inmates continue to plague him, intertwining with his family's plight.

EXT. PRISON GATES - DAY

The gates open. FREEDOM. Jill and their son, BOBBY, await him. Joey rushes to embrace them, tears streaming.

JOEY (V.O.)

The road ahead is uncertain, but I'm fueled by the rage and love that has carried me through.

The trio drives away, the prison shrinking in the rearview mirror.

FADE OUT:

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

The scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the room. An old wooden table sits in the center. On one side, Jill, a thin woman in her thirties with dark circles under her eyes, sits with her frail son Bobby, his skin pale, with visible rashes. Both of them gaze at a stack of hospital bills.

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