TPM: Twelve Past Midnight The Series

Episode 9: Promotion

EPISODE 9
"PROMOTION"

RECAP

OPENING CREDITS

FADE IN

INT. THE SPOT

EMMA paces back and forth, fuming as NIKKI shakes her head, SHANE and ANTHONY not knowing what to say as CHARLES stood before them.

EMMA
I uh..I don't believe I heard you right...so why don't you go ahead and repeat what you just said?

CHARLES
I fired AUSTIN.

SHANE
Can you do that?

CHARLES
Of course I can. I told COLBY, COLBY passed it up to TERESA, she approved it.

SHANE
Of course she did.

CHARLES
I didn't have a choice. You saw his actions.

EMMA
Under the power of a BELKER.

CHARLES
He's been having his problems. All he did was expose them all for all of us to see, and for all of us to finally do something about it.

EMMA
All of us? You mean you.

CHARLES
It's not permanent, I got his reinstatement papers, once he's ready to come back, and there is true contrition, I will bring him back into the fold.

NIKKI
Boss, you beat him near death, under the same power that creature had him throwing out his issues, this...this is bullshit.

CHARLES
Noted, but from you, you're too close.

NIKKI
Oh, now that's bullshit.

SHANE
Has anyone tried him?

EMMA
It's been two days, I called him a few times, but nothing.

CHARLES
He's going through a hard time. Leave him be. That's the point to this.

EMMA
Are you serious? We can't even talk to him?

CHARLES
No. He needs to come to his own conclusions. We can't be the ones to influence him, that's the point to this. Let him get to that point on his own.

ANTHONY
And what happens when he doesn't?

CHARLES
Then...we say goodbye. He'll live his life, you'll still keep in touch, and eventually we'll get another UNEVENTFUL and we'll move on, as he would have already done by not coming back.

EMMA shakes her head.

EMMA
It's bullshit.

CHARLES
Maybe...

CHARLES crosses his arms.

CHARLES
But what's done. Is done. Accept it. Move on.

EMMA sits down, clearly upset as NIKKI stands and goes to leave, CHARLES calling out to her as she stops.

CHARLES
Don't go to him.

NIKKI
Can't stop me.

CHARLES
I can't...

NIKKI screams as she feels her hand burning, SHANE, ANTHONY, EMMA, and even CHARLES himself reeling as they all look down to see a strange SYMBOL burned into their hand.

CHARLES
Right on time.

NIKKI
What the hell did you do?!

CHARLES
As I said...no one can talk to AUSTIN until he comes to me.

EMMA
You branded us?

CHARLES
I had it requested in the requisition I sent to have him fired. The reinstatement papers was one of the clauses, as was this, a blocked off ward, he can't contact you, and you can't contact him, I can't contact him either. Only he can come to me, when he's ready.