Running With Scissors/Transcript

**JAMES (INNER MONOLOGUE):** So Erik wasn’t there… where could he be?

*[All of a sudden, the scene switches to Erik, furious. He is in the warehouse James was in before and is loading a device into the back of a black SUV. The device is a giant, blue glowing box with many computer ports, wires, buttons and more on it. Erik puts the device in the trunk and shuts it. A bunch of Erik’s mercenaries are there, getting in the SUV.]*

**ERIK:** Keep driving, leave the city, with this device.

**MERCENARY:** But this device could be dangerous!

*[Erik points a gun at the guy’s head.]*

**ERIK**: Is it as dangerous as **running with scissors**? Get in.

*[Five mercenaries enter the SUV and drive off with the device in the back. They leave Ashkon and get on the highway. The SUV is driving down the highway when all of a sudden it is rammed off the side of the highway by another vehicle. The SUV falls off the side of the highway and down a hill, hitting some rocks below and getting severely damaged. The scene switches back to James who is standing in the front entrance of his apartment building in the city. He gets a call from Joey.]*

**JOEY:** Hey, James, we’re trying to find Erik but the signal just keeps getting scrambled. We’ll let you know when we’ve found a signal, OK?

**JAMES:** Alright. Tell that hacker group you’ve got going on over there thanks.

**JOEY:** I will bro. Hey… hey wait a minute! My guys are alerting me, telling me they’ve found a signal!

**JAMES:** Really? Where?

**JOEY:** On the side of the highway in Lonshan, in the forest. You may wanna drive there, some of Erik’s mercenaries are hackers too, and they saw we saw the signal. They know you’re after it and now they’re after you.

**JAMES:** This is bullcrap. They’re after me now so I better drive there, maybe I can lose them on the way.

**JOEY:** Wait! Take my car, it’s parked right next to you on the road.

**JAMES:** This car?

**JOEY:** Yeah, it’s insanely fast. You’ll lose those guys in no time. Just don’t wreck it too badly.

*[James gets in the car and starts the engine. He can see the mercenaries after him. He starts to drive.]*

**JAMES:** Joey, can this car be any *damn* slower?

**JOEY:** My mom gave it to me for my 32rd birthday party.

**JAMES:** 32rd?

*[The player must lose the mercenaries sent after them in cars, by driving. Once they has lost them they must go to the area: the area where the SUV crashed. When the player reaches the area a cutscene plays. James parks the vehicle next to the crash scene and gets out. He jumps down into the area where the SUV crashed. He sees that all five mercenaries in the SUV have died and notices something in the trunk, which the door has broken off. James picks up the device in the trunk.]*

**JAMES:** Oh what do we have here?

*[James calls Joey.]*

**JAMES:** Joey?

**JOEY:** You found Erik?

**JAMES:** No. But I did find this weird device in a crashed SUV. It seems like Erik sent these guys to drive out of the city with the device in the trunk but the convoy was intercepted by someone.

**JOEY:** Who do you think it was?

**JAMES:** I don't know. Hey, if I bring this to you and you bring this to your group of guys you think they can find out who this belongs to? Or who made it? Or what it does?

**JOEY:** Uhh, maybe. I’m on my rooftop, bring it there. But watch out! More mercenaries after you!

*[The player must do the same thing they did before (lose the mercenaries by car) and keep the device safe. Once the player loses them they must get to Joey’s rooftop, where Joey is waiting. James hands the device to Joey and Joey takes it and walks off. The screen then fades out to black and about 3 seconds later, comes back. There is a subtitle saying “3 hours later” when the screen comes back. When the screen comes back, James respawns standing outside of his building again. Joey calls.]*

**JOEY:** Hey we think we found a lead on this device.

**JAMES:** Yeah? Could it lead us to Erik?

**JOEY:** Yeah, but eventually. The signal traced back to a guy living in Zenwood: Edward Catalano. Find this guy, see what he knows, and maybe it will lead us to Erik.

**JAMES:** Ok, got it. Zenwood?

**JOEY:** Yeah.

*[The call ends.]*

**JAMES (INNER MONOLOGUE):** Edward Catalano. Can’t believe it. I went to college with him so we could work together at BioLynk. We were best friends. But one day he went missing, dropped right off the grid. That was years ago. But now I think I got a lead on this case.

*[James arrives at a small cabin in Janson County, Zenwood.]*

**JAMES (INNER MONOLOGUE):** This is where the signal was traced? Edward’s been camping out here? Wonder why.

*[James knocks on the door and a man answers.]*

**JAMES:** Edward Catalano?

*[Edward’s content face suddenly turns to a scared face — a face filled with fear. He slams the door shut and with this, James fills with anger. He kicks a hole right through the door and destroys it. He walks through and notices Edward has gone missing inside the small cabin. An objective appears on the screen telling the player to **“Investigate the house”**.]*

*[Eventually after investigating, James will pick up a small lamp from a desk and find a key underneath. He picks up the key and uses it on a locked door in the house. The door opens up and inside are stairs leading down to the basement of the house. James walks down the steps and into a single small room. A terrified Edward is sitting in the corner of the room with a gun pointed at James. When Edward speaks there is fear in his voice.]*

**EDWARD:** I’m telling you man, please!

*[James discharges his powers and aims his arm, now filled with aura energy, at Edward.]*

**EDWARD:** NO!!

*[James walks very slowly toward Edward with his arms up in the air now, as if he is surrendering.]*

**JAMES:** It’s OK, Edward. You win. You can… put down the gun now.

*[Edward does not put down the gun. He instead aims it higher.]*

**JAMES:** Okay. You asked for it.

*[James, so quickly, snatches the gun from Edward’s hand and snaps it in two (yes.) He drops the remaining pieces on the floor and they shatter (pun intended). Edward whimpers and James grabs him. The scene cuts to James walking out of the cabin, dragging Edward with him. James throws Edward in the back seat of the car he was driving before. He gets in and drives off. The scene cuts to Edward tied up to a chair in James’s apartment. James is standing there ready to question Edward.]*

**JAMES:** So what do you know?

**EDWARD:** About what?

*[James takes out the device he picked up before.]*

**JAMES:** This.

**EDWARD:** What? What the hell is that?

*[James hits Edward in the face, **hard**, with the device. A little bit of blood gets on the device. Edward whimpers.]*

**JAMES:** Don’t you lie to me Edward. We scanned this device and you came up, now tell me what you know. NOW!

*[James aims the gun he picked up in the warehouse at Edward.]*

**EDWARD:** OK, OK!! I’ll talk! I… invented that device! The VX-308 File Eraser!

**JAMES:** What?

**EDWARD:** Yes. Some years ago, when we were in college. I started building this device!

**JAMES:** What does it do?

**EDWARD:** It was originally supposed to wipe certain files off of the network when plugged into a computer with a D4zX6d Processor.

**JAMES:** Those are the best of the best high-tech computers.

**EDWARD:** Yes. I built this so I can wipe some government files off the face of the Earth, but it failed.

**JAMES:** And what were in these files?

**EDWARD:** I was accused of murder in these files, but it was never true. So I set out to rid them from the database.

**JAMES:** And did you succeed?

**EDWARD:** Yes! But after I did I realized one thing: there was vulnerability. The device was too powerful, and each time it was used it made the internet database weaker. If I kept using it eventually the entire internet database would collapse and they would trace it all back to this device, and I would get in some serious trouble.

**JAMES:** And you went into hiding because of this?

**EDWARD:** Exactly. Now would you please let me go!

**JAMES:** Not yet. How did Erik get his hands on this device?

**EDWARD:** I’m not sure! I think Erik drugged me so I would forget! You’re gonna have to contact someone else for that information.

*[All of a sudden, James pulls out a lie detector in the form of a security wand.]*

**EDWARD:** *[Nervously]* What is that?

**JAMES:** Just a lie detector. To make sure you’re not lying.

**EDWARD:** Where did you get a lie detector?

**JAMES:** I know some guys. They also make really good candy.

*[James uses the detector on Edward. It beeps a few times and lights up green, and when James looks at it, he speaks.]*

**JAMES:** Nope. You’re telling the truth.

**EDWARD:** So can I go now?

**JAMES:** Yes. But you cannot let **anyone** find out about this.

**EDWARD:** That’s for sure! Thank you.

*[James unties Edward and he gets up from the chair.]*

**JAMES:** We’ll be in touch.

*[Edward leaves the apartment. James then calls Joey.]*

**JAMES:** Hey Joey? Edward knew a lot but not enough. We need to find out how Erik got this device so can you find that out for me?

**JOEY:** Yeah! May take a while though. Hey James? At least we’re getting somewhere.

*[The mission ends.]*