Against the World

Previous episode: White Coats ⋅ Next Episode: Down to Business
Against the World is the third episode in the first season of Codename: Hourglass. It marks the beginning of the twin's storyline, falling directly after White Coats.
==Synopsis==
Emma and Thomas Reyes are thieves who have lived on their own for years. For the first time ever, they’re taken in by the authorities and must join forces with a mysterious new accomplice to escape.
==Transcript==
The scene opens on the skyline of a city. A helicopter is flying above.
:Agent Towner: Y'know, I think this is gonna work out well.
The helicopter blades catch fire and the vehicle plummets to the ground. Thomas and Emma Reyes jump out, holding a baby. The scene freezes.
:Emma: This, uh. This probably needs a bit of explaining.
:Thomas: A bit?
:Emma: A lot. It's kind of a long story.
:Thomas: Trust us though, there's a reason we're jumping out of a flaming aircraft with a kid.
----
The scene begins outside of a gas station on a highway. As the twins walk in, a monologue is given.
:Emma: This is where it begins.
:Thomas: First off, we should clear some stuff up. A. We’re twins.
:Emma: B. We’re basically Robin Hood. We steal from the rich and give to the poor.
:Thomas: C. We’re the poor.
The twins enter. They scan the area quickly. The only other people in there are a mother and her child in a stroller, and the cashier. Emma nudges Thomas in the cashier’s direction and walks in another. Thomas approaches the cashier.
:Thomas: Sorry to bother you, but could you help me a sec?
:Cashier: Sure. It’s in my job description anyway, so it’s not like I can say no. (Laughs)
:Thomas: Alright, thanks.
:Cashier: So, what is it you need? Food for the trip? Directions?
The camera follows Emma as she walks through the aisle. As she walks, food levitates under her jacket. The scene freezes.
:Emma: Now would probably be a good time to mention that I have telekinesis.
Resume.
:Thomas: Yeah, directions would be nice.
:Cashier: Alright, where to?
:Thomas: Well, first off, I’d like to know where we are. (Scratches head, embarrassed.) I think I might’ve taken a wrong turn and...
:Mother: Hey! This girl’s stealing food!
:Emma: (Shocked) What!? How dare you! You can’t just claim somebody’s stealing!
:Mother: Really now? Unzip your jacket.
Emma is a bit taken aback by this, but complies. She unzips her jacket, revealing nothing but a plain white shirt. Lumps can be seen in her hood, but nobody notices. The cashier takes out her phone, ready to dial the police.
:Cashier: (To Thomas) You know this girl?
:Thomas: Never seen her before.
The woman looks defeated.
:Mother: But I saw you...
:Emma: Saw me what?
:Mother: The food, it just...
Thomas panics and shoots a bolt of lightning at the woman. The scene freezes.
:Thomas: Did I forget to say I had electric powers?
Scene resumes. The woman falls to the ground. The cashier hurriedly dials the police and speaks in a hushed voice. Emma stares at Thomas, wide-eyed.
:Emma: Thomas, what the hell!?
:Thomas: Well, what was I supposed to do?
:Emma: I dunno, maybe not kill the woman?
:Thomas: She knew about your...
:Emma: Yeah, she knew about my powers and now she’s well aware of yours too! You know what would have happened if you hadn’t interfered? She’d be called a nutcase. Now, do you care about this stranger so much that you’d prefer to kill yourself and your sister than see her being humiliated?
:Thomas: Well, I...
:Emma: You what?
Emma notices the cashier. With a swipe of her hand, the phone crashes into a wall.
:Emma: Let’s get out of here, the cops’ll be here any second. I’ll scold you on the way home.
Thomas runs outside. Emma grabs the stroller and follows suit.
:Thomas: You brought the kid?
:Emma: Okay, Thomas, you’re in no position to be mad at me. Besides, I wasn’t gonna let him or her stare at their paralyzed mother when they wake up. She could be dead, Thomas!
:Thomas: Fine. How are we supposed to take care of a kid, though? We can’t supply for ourselves.
:Emma: We’ll bring them back to the station when things clear up, okay?
Thomas nods. The two run onto the highway, pushing the stroller in front of them.
----
Emma and Thomas are walking briskly along the highway, pushing the stroller. The gas station is still in sight.
:Thomas: So, about what happened back there...
:Emma: Don’t.
:Thomas: Em, I was trying to protect us!
:Emma: By exposing us? We’ve been through this. Just shut up until we get back. Maybe you’ll find reason on the side of the road.
Thomas is about to retaliate, but decides against it. The two walk in silence for a while. Eventually, Thomas looks back to see two police cars parked at the station.
:Thomas: Emma.
:Emma: Just shut up, okay.
:Thomas: Emma!
:Emma: Don’t wanna hear it.
Thomas groans, then attempts to take the stroller from her.
:Emma: What the hell!?
The two struggle over the stroller, but Thomas wins in the end, pushing Emma into the bushes on the side of the road. He takes the baby out of the stroller and crawls into the bushes with his sister.
:Emma: Okay, Thomas, you better explain yourself. Why the...
Thomas covers her mouth with his hand. He shuffles back a bit. Thomas gives Emma a stern look, and she seems to understand. The two peer out through small gaps in the bush.
Three policemen are standing outside their cars, gathered around the stroller.
:Policeman 1: This is... Man, I wasn’t expecting a stroller of all things.
:Policeman 2: It makes sense, though. The girl did say something about the woman having a child.
:Policeman 1: I just thought the kid might've been older, y’know?
:Policeman 3: I still can’t find any reason anybody would just leave the stroller in the middle of the road.
:Policeman 2: Look, they can’t have gone far. I say we try to catch up to them.
The cops get into their cars. Just as they get in, the baby wakes up. Thomas and Emma, in a panic, try to soothe it. Emma peers out to see a policeman approaching them. She nudges Thomas and the two attempt to crawl away. They don’t make it far and they are handcuffed. They are dragged out of the bush, along with the child.
:Policeman 3: Well, look what the cat dragged in.
:Policeman 1: So, have you two heard anything about the gas station being robbed back there?
Thomas and Emma glare at the policemen.
:Policeman 1: I’m taking that as a yes.
:Policeman 2: What about their abilities? The cashier claimed to have seen the guy shoot lightning.
:Thomas: (Angrily) What? Lightning? Are you kidding me!? Do I look like a bearded guy with a hammer?
Emma sighs.
:Policeman 3: Looks like we struck a nerve. What about this thing? (Pushes stroller back and forth a bit, baby inside.)
:Emma: That’s our brother’s. Look, we’re just a couple of kids trying to find something to eat.
:Policeman 3: Mhm. Well, I know where your next meal’s coming from - the prison kitchen.
The other two policemen bring the twins into the back of their car. Policeman 3 sits the baby in the back of his car. Both cars drive towards the city.
----
Emma and Thomas are sitting in the back of the police car, speaking in whispers.
:Emma: Way to go, genius.
:Thomas: At least I tried.
:Emma: Tried what? Killing a mother?
:Thomas: You’re never letting that go, are you?
:Emma: Look, unlike somebody, I don’t believe in needless killing.
:Thomas: I was just trying to help.
:Emma: Was the lights show really necessary?
:Thomas: Alright, I’ll admit to that. But I just didn’t wanna see you behind bars.
:Emma: Look where that got you. One heck of a plan that was.
:Thomas: Y’know, the irony doesn’t have to be pointed out here.
The two sit in silence for a bit. Emma rests her head against the window and closes her eyes.
:Emma: Let’s just try not to draw any attention to ourselves, alright?
:Thomas: No light shows. Got it.
----
A montage of the twins in their temporary cell is shown. For the most part, Emma is sleeping, while Thomas paces or sits on the ground. The montage ends, and Emma is lying on her face on the bed, while Thomas is sitting against the wall opposite her.
:Emma: I don’t know how much more of this I can take.
As she says this, a policewoman approaches their cell. Thomas stands up, while Emma sits up slightly to face her.
:Policewoman: Thomas and Emma Reyes, you have a visitor.
The two share a confused look. They follow the policewoman out of their cell and to the visiting room. On the other side of the glass is a blonde, bearded man. Thomas sits down, hesitantly.
:Man: Glad we can finally meet.
Thomas and Emma, again, share a confused look.
:Man: I guess I should introduce myself. Towner, Matthew Towner.
:Thomas: (Visibly confused.) Uh, hey, Matthew.
:Towner: Hi, Thomas. Emma, you can sit down.
Emma looks very confused, but sits nonetheless.
:Emma: What do you want from us? How do you know who we are? Who are-
:Towner: Listen, I know you’ve probably got a million and one questions, but I’m only one guy. One question at a time.
:Thomas: Why are you here?
:Towner: I, uh... (Whispers.) I know all about your little powers.
:Emma: (Leans back in her chair.) What the hell are you talking about?
:Towner: Alright, you’re playing the oblivious card. Fine, fine, I can get behind that. But let’s suppose for a minute that you did have some kinds of supernatural abilities.
:Thomas: (Leans closer to the glass.) What would you do if we did?
:Towner: There’s a secure training facility in a private location. There, you could learn how to use your powers properly...
:Thomas: Sorry, but if we had these powers, we’d have years of mastering them. Who’d help, anyway? Personal fitness coaches?
:Towner: People like you, people with powers.
Emma is very obviously shocked by this - Thomas is too, though his curiousity is not quite as Emma’s. Emma leans forward in her chair at an alarming speed, the chair falling from underneath her. Slamming her hands on the concrete on which the glass pane stands, she shouts her next line.
:Emma: (Loudly.) What!?
Other prisoners and their visitors give Emma angry looks.
:Emma: (Whispers.) What did you say?
:Towner: (Smiles.) There’ll be others there, just like you and your brother.
:Emma: We’re in.
:Towner: Knew you’d decide to come along. I’ll go bail you guys out. Don’t get comfortable.
Towner walks away. The twins converse in quiet voices.
:Thomas: Did you really just do that?
:Emma: Yep.
:Thomas: Without consulting me.
:Emma: Mhmm.
:Thomas: You do realise this decision affects the rest of my life, right?
:Emma: (Sarcastically.) Sorry, I forgot about that time where you asked me if you could electrocute a woman.
Thomas groans.
:Emma: Besides, this is a good thing. Brings us closer to what we’re working toward.
:Thomas: Fine.
----
The twins are following Towner to a helicopter, Emma pushing a stroller with the baby in it.
:Thomas: So, why exactly did you bail us out?
:Towner: My boss is willing to do whatever it takes to help your kind.
:Thomas: Your boss?
:Towner: Listen, I’d love to continue this conversation, but I’m afraid I’ll be out of a job if I keep running my mouth.
:Thomas: But why does she wanna help us? What’s in it for her?
:Towner: (Sternly.) Kid, I’m treading on thin ice as it is. It’s better for both of us if you just shut it.
Thomas falls back a bit, so he is walking beside Emma. They talk quietly, so Towner doesn’t hear.
:Thomas: Help us? I don’t believe that for one second.
:Emma: Just play along, Thomas, alright?
:Thomas: Did you even see that? He snapped, just because he sensed doubt!
:Emma: Look, I’ve my doubts too. But he’s our one-way ticket to where we need to get to. Can you do me a solid and play along?
:Thomas: He and his boss are up to something, though, I know it.
:Emma: Fine. You stay here and I’ll go. If there is a chance I'll get killed, I'm willing to roll the dice.
:Thomas: No, I’ll go, but I’m just saying. I don't trust him, not at all.
Emma sighs and quickens her pace. The shot changes to Towner standing outside a helicopter. He gestures for Emma to go inside.
:Towner: Ladies first.
Emma smiles. She takes the baby out of the stroller and gets into the helicopter. Thomas is about to get in, but is stopped by Towner, who speaks in a hushed, threatening voice.
:Towner: Mind your own business. Else, you won’t be the one getting hurt.
Towner makes a subtle gesture to Emma, who is strapping the baby in the middle seat. Thomas nods and gets into the helicopter. Towner closes the door and gets into the cockpit.
:Emma: Where are we going?
:Towner: Somewhere safe.
:Thomas: Yeah, you said that. Any specifics?
The helicopter blades begin to turn.
:Towner: (Yelling.) What!?
:Thomas: (Yelling.) Nothing!
Thomas turns to Emma.
:Thomas: You can stick around, but this is getting too fishy for my tastes. I’m leaving ASAP.
Emma says something, but Thomas cannot hear over the sound of the helicopter taking off.
----
The helicopter is flying above the city.
:Towner: You guys are gonna like it there. You’ll learn a lot about yourselves and your powers. The other... what are you guys calling yourselves? Supermen? Inhumans? X-People?
:Emma: We haven’t really thought of that. Whatever we’re called at the safehouse should be fine.
:Towner: You alright with being called superhumans? Not as cool as any of the trademarked stuff, but I think you can live with it.
:Emma: Yeah, that’s fine. (Pause.) Superhumans. Has a nice ring to it.
:Towner: Glad ya think so. You guys should fit in well with the others, too. Maybe there might be some others with lightning powers and telekinesis. Is there an easier term for that? It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
Emma turns to Thomas. She speaks in whatever the equivalent of a whisper is when you’re flying in the air with helicopter blades whirring above you.
:Emma: I never told him about my powers.
:Thomas: You sure it didn’t slip out? I don’t remember telling anybody about my-
:Emma: You nearly killed a woman.
:Thomas: ...Right.
:Emma: I think they’re tracking us.
:Thomas: Emma, how would they-
Emma’s expression is blank.
:Emma: You don’t remember, do you?
:Thomas: Remember what?
:Emma: Where we’re going? Why we’re going? You don’t remember any of that!?
:Thomas: Emma, what are you talking about?
:Towner: (Yelling back to the twins.) You alright there in the back?
:Thomas: Yeah! I think the height’s getting to Emma. She’ll be fine, though.
:Towner: Good to know. We can get her checked up when we reach the safe-house, if you want.
Emma is sitting, curled up, head in her lap.
:Thomas: Yeah, that’d be great.
Thomas looks worried about Emma. He stares out of his window. He looks out for a while, then his eyes light up.
:Towner: Y’know, I think this is gonna work out well.
Thomas puts his hand on the door and concentrates. He sends a surge of electricity through the helicopter, causing the blades to catch fire.
:Towner: What the hell!?
Thomas opens his door. He picks up the baby and shakes Emma.
:Thomas: (Practically screaming.) C'mon, Emma! Trust me!
Emma takes his hand. They jump out of the flaming helicopter, with Thomas holding the baby. They land on the roof of a building.
:Emma: What the hell just happened?
:Thomas: I said I was escaping as soon as possible.
:Emma: And you did. But did you really have to kill a man in the process?
Thomas looks worried, but Emma just smiles. The baby starts crying.
:Emma: C'mon, let’s get him back to his mom.
----
Towner lands in a field off a highway, a parachute on his back. He lands on his right leg and stumbles, falling onto the ground. Clutching his leg, he rolls up his pants to reveal a large scar. He groans and takes out a phone, holding it between his shoulder and ear as he tends to his wounds.
:Towner: Hey, yeah, don’t get mad but... they got away. Again.
The shot switches to Director Keane sitting in her office.
:Director Keane: (Sighs.) Towner, I gave you a chance.
:Towner: Yeah, I know.
:Director Keane: Alright, you’re a good agent, so I’ll give you one last shot at it. Capture Emma and Thomas Reyes and bring them to me. Do whatever it takes.
:Towner: That might be a problem.
:Director Keane: Why?
:Towner: I think I’ve broken my leg or something. It hurts, big time. Can’t stand on it.
:Director Keane: Fine. You’re on training duty with me starting tomorrow.
:Towner: When will my ride be here?
:Director Keane: Ride? You’re making your own way back here. I don’t care if you have to crawl, just get here by morning.
Director Keane hangs up. Towner throws his phone on the ground and lies down.
----
The twins approach the gas station from earlier in the episode. The lights are off. Emma is holding the baby in a basket. She puts the child down in front of the door. Thomas places a note in the basket.
:Sorry I might’ve shocked his mom.
The two walk away. Thomas playfully shoves Emma, who pushes him harder in response. As they walk, Emma gives a short monologue.
:Emma: Today was... Exciting, to say the least. Thomas probably killed two people, I kidnapped a baby, we jumped out of a flaming airborne vehicle... We’re not gonna forget today in a hurry. I hope Thomas remembers soon. He needs to remember why we do what we do. If he knew, he wouldn’t have sabotaged our only ticket to revenge. But it’s alright. We’ll find another way to destroy Hourglass sooner or later.
Category:Episodes
Category:Codename: Hourglass
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