int. adrian's hideout - LATER THAT NIGHT

Pitch black. A faint, familiar voice...

ADRIAN (O.S.)
Poor Captain Zero. Can't even protect his own sidekick. How can we trust him to protect anyone in this city?

Jay's eyes slightly open. Vision is blurry.

Adrian is in front of a wall of monitors with live footage of the city, Savior, and Adrian himself.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)
Well it's too late to play hero now. You've lost that chance just like you've lost your sidekick...

Jay falls back asleep.

Time passes.

Jay slowly wakes up. His head on a bag of money like a pillow. He's on a La-Z-Boy chair with towers of books surrounding it. They stretch to the high ceiling. Dark and cramped. Electronics and wires carpet the floor. Monitors illuminate the area.

Jay breaths faster as he grows more nervous. Spots Adrian off to the side. He busily taps on projected screens and does not notice Jay.

Jay examines the area spots the FRONT DOOR. Slinks off the chair without a sound. Keeps eyes on Adrian. Gently crawls away, careful not to step on any cords. Moves faster as he approaches the door.

Jay reaches for the knob but a RED SHIELD WITH A WHITE SKULL AND CROSSBONES casts over the door. A LOUD ALARM plays. Jay jumps back.

E.M.M.A. (Artificial Intelligence, female pirate voice, erratic, loyal) chimes in overhead.

EMMA
Step away from ye door--

Two panels around the door open up to reveal GIANT LASER GUNS pointing right at Jay.

EMMA (CONT'D)
--ya filthy landlubber.

Jay immediately throws his hands up in surrender.

JAY
Geeze!

Adrian walks in view, not phased at all.

ADRIAN
Emma! Be nice to our guest.

Jay's eyes dart from Adrian to the laser guns.

JAY
Emma??

Adrian steps in front of the guns.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)
My "Electronic Micro-Managing Assistant".

Emma raises the guns from behind Adrian.

EMMA
I caught te' scallywag makin' a break fer it.

Jay frantically shakes his head.

JAY
I wasn't.

The guns rev up with a hum and spark red.

EMMA
Liar!

Adrian nudges the guns down.

ADRIAN
Good work, Emma. I'll see to it that he spends time in the brig.

Emma retracts the guns.

EMMA
Aye, Cap'n.

Jay still has his hands up. He quivers nervously.

ADRIAN
Make yourself at home.

JAY
What are you gonna do to me?

Adrian waves his hands as if telling a scary campfire story.

ADRIAN
I'm going to brainwash you into a monster that will destroy the whole city.

Jay GASPS. Adrian chuckles.

ADRIAN
Not really.

Jay huffs.

JAY
That's not funny.

ADRIAN
Yes it is. Besides--

Adrian grabs the edge of Jay's cape.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)
-you look pretty brainwashed already.

Jay tugs away.

JAY
What's that suppose to mean?

ADRIAN
You're an idiot.

JAY
Hey.

ADRIAN
Your hero's an idiot, too.

JAY
Did you kidnap me just to make fun of me?

ADRIAN
That was just a bonus.

JAY
Then why am I here?

ADRIAN
Good question.

Adrian taps on his wrist device and 3D holograms pop up around him and Jay.

Adrian pushes a projection of a bank towards Jay.

ADRIAN
How would you like to lead a life where you can take what you want--

Adrian flips the bank-gram upside and empties it like a piggy bank. Instead of coins, tiny projections of money bags fall out. Adrian tosses the bank aside.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)
--and nobody can stop you.

EMMA
(in a low, echo-y mutter)
Treasure.

Holograms of cop cars speed past Jay as 3D robots fire lasers and stomp after them.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)
A life where no law can hold you down.

EMMA
Adventure.

A small gridded view of the city pops up with Savior Tower prominent in the center. A tiny silhouetted person jumps on top of the Tower and raises its arms triumphantly. The hologram city catches fire.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)
And the city is your playground, ripe for the taking.

EMMA
Open seas.

JAY
I don't--

Adrian holds up his finger.

ADRIAN
Ah, almost done. You can have all this--

Adrian CLASPS his hands over the presentation and it disappears.

ADRIAN (CONT'D)
--all you've got to do is help me.

Jay shakes his head and squints.

JAY
Help you?

ADRIAN
Take down Savior.

Adrian unfolds his hands and a little projected Savior stands in his palm. Jay angrily waves his hand through the projection which statics and disappears.

JAY
You want me to be a villain?

ADRIAN
I want you to be my partner. It's more of a job offer than anything.

JAY
No!

EMMA
Keelhaul him.

JAY
I don't care what it is, I won't betray Savior.

Adrian rolls his eyes.

ADRIAN
Please, why would you want to stand up for that phony?

JAY
He's not a phony.

Jay crosses his arms.

Adrian waves dismissively.

ADRIAN
Admit it, you've been played. Along with everyone else in the city.

JAY
He looks out for us. He protects us.

ADRIAN
A selfish man who cares only about himself.

JAY
He's noble.

ADRIAN
A jerk.

JAY
Inspiring.

ADRIAN
Aggravating.

JAY
Bold.

ADRIAN
Boorish.

JAY
He's, uuhmm...

ADRIAN
Run out? I've still got a few. Shallow, trite, daft, absurd, pompous, greedy...

He counts off each word on his fingers.

ADRIAN
I could go on, but I don't think your vocabulary is broad enough to feel sufficiently humiliated.