Dark Horse
William Ferrari
Williammferrari@gmail.com
519 Fruit Street
CHARACTERS
Camera Man - Non-descript. Never seen, only heard.
Blur - Non-descript. Never seen, only heard. Deservedly cocky.
Peter Daniels - 28, Caucasian, Brunette, Brown eyes, Husband and Camera Man to Star Daniels, Previously stalked Star Daniels.
Star Daniels - 25, Caucasian, Blonde, Blue eyes, TV Evangelical, Leader of Anti-Empowered Media.
SETTING
The Daniels home in Dallas.
Lights come on to a living room where a woman sits on a nice couch, legs folded up. A man walks in the background looking at his phone, giddy. A TV plays in the background.
CAMERA MAN
(Catching his breath and shouting)
“Holly! It’s Hyper Man! It’s-”
As the camera panned away, Star Daniels slowly turned down the sound on her TV. Peter Daniels walked into the room, rapidly scrolling away on his phone.
PETER
“Oh my god Honey, we have to cover this! #SuperTerrorism is the most trending topic on Bluebird! We should livestream this.”
STAR
“Calm down Peter. Stir the pot too fast, and you might spill. Remember, this could be a national tragedy. If we act now, we will come off as stupid and impulsive. I’d rather ride the coattails of this story than be a front runner.”
Star’s phone lights up, buzzing on the sofa. She picks the phone up and holds it to her ear. Smiling, she spoke.
“Hello, Star Daniels speaking.”
The voice that responded was raspy and low-pitched, clearly by some voice changing program.
BLUR
“March 31st, 2017. 131 Newmont Street. August 2nd, 2019. 75 Portland Avenue.”
The smile melted off Star’s face, her eyes opening wide as she realized what was being said to her.
“Do I have your attention Mrs. Daniels?”
STAR
(Whispering)
“How the fuck did you get this number?”
BLUR
“I know a great deal, Star. Can I call you Star?”
STAR
(Whispering)
“Whoever the fuck this is I-”
BLUR
“Just kidding, I don’t care. Let me run down the list. In 2015, you were just a small town nobody, preaching at your local church. Yes, you were pretty, and everyone came to see your show, but you were not very popular online. Then, a man nearly dies outside your window of hypothermia, you begrudgingly let him start filming your performances, and suddenly, you blow up overnight, gaining a worldwide audience at the snap of your finger.”
Star pursed her lips, quietly fuming from the couch. Her hands shook with rage.
“Now we all know how strange the internet is, falling head over heels for the dumbest of things, but I’m going to be honest. YOU just are not that entertaining. Sure, you talk A LOT of shit about the empowered, but you’re just fear mongering, the same as any other internet troll. I have to say, I truly am a HUGE fan of your work. It is hilarious in a way. Every empowered individual, big or small, wears a mask. There are a few exceptions, but even the greatest of heroes hide behind a persona. Villains are also awarded that gift of amnesty, a code that no empowered would befall upon another. To unmask someone would be ruinous, and monsters like you would besmirch them for their very existence, sending your little troll army after them, their families, their friends. You would drag them through the dirt. So how do you think YOUR followers would feel if they found out YOU and your little stalker husband were empowered?”
STAR
(Shaking with fear)
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. You have no proof! No one would believe you!”
BLUR
“Hahaha! That’s funny, because you know what I think? I think they would believe me, and do you know what else I think? I think that your husband is a very, very sick little man, who has not taken his medication in a long time. How do you think he would feel, if he found out the love of his life has been sleeping around? He’s in the kitchen, right?”
Star whipped around, listening for her husband, who gleefully sang to himself in the kitchen, two objects touching down on the countertop. She turned back to her television, to see a video of her in a small orgy, several men surrounding her. Panicked, Star reached for the remote and shut the TV off, Peter walking back into the living room moments later with two glasses of wine and a bright smile on his face.
“Oh, why’d you turn the movie off? Don’t want Petey to see you in your most spectacular role yet? The acting was incredible, it seemed like you were really enjoying yourself!”
Peter sat on the couch, placing a glass in front of Star. He reached for the remote, turning the television back on. Star’s heart stopped, her breath wavering as the red light turned green, and the image popped up on the screen. It was changed back to the news broadcast. Peter smiled at Star, and she put on the best smile she could. Star stood up and walked into the kitchen.
STAR
(Whispering)
“What do you want?”
BLUR
“Have you ever heard of a dark horse Star?”
STAR
“What?”
BLUR
“In a competition, we tend to look at things superficially. Who are the biggest players? What do they bring to the table? However, every now and then, a small fry comes along, and-”
STAR
“No, I know what a dark horse is, I just don’t see what that has to do with anything?”
BLUR
“Patience Star, I will get there. Now, as I see it, every hero near and far will be trying to get to New York, and the closer they are, the faster they will reach the city. The media will generally be watching the major heroes and observing their response to the crisis. It has been confirmed that Knighthood has left New Jersey and is heading to the scene, meaning they will likely be the second big leaguer to arrive. Others such as Temperature, Conductor, Tide, and Fatso Morpho are currently rallying to move to the city, though they will not arrive for a few hours. This is the official response for the time being.”
STAR
“So where does this dark horse fit in?”
BLUR
“Tell me Star, what do you know about vigilantism?”
STAR
“Vigilantes are dangerous. Unpredictable, unregistered, and uncontrollable. They do as they please, running amok across the world! There are countless reports of those criminals running around pretending to be heroes.”
BLUR
“Unregistered, yes. Uncontrollable, mmm, sometimes, but unpredictable? No, no. Quite predictable. To me, the common vigilante is but a wannabe hero, oftentimes too young to register, or focused on a separate career path. For the latter, being a hero is more of a hobby. When it comes to local heroism, vigilantes are often there to take care of the smaller game, leaving the big fish to official heroes. Many official heroes likely know at least one vigilante in their area of renown but will keep their relationship a secret. If the vigilante fights the good fight, heroes will give them a pass. They may fight away from the public eye, but they all share that special quality. They are courageous, and they wouldn’t ignore an incident such as this. They are the black horse, or at least one of them is, and I know which one.”
STAR
“A vigilante?”
BLUR
“Does the Brockton Aurora ring any bells?”
STAR
“I know I covered that story awhile back, but it never resulted in anything. Just a one and done incident.”
BLUR
“Yes, most people would assume so, but that’s because the real story was covered up.”
STAR
“Woah, wait, wait, wait, are you saying the Brockton Aurora WAS an empowered incident? Who the hell would cover that up, that’s huge!?”
BLUR
“Well, technically, me.”
STAR
“You?”
BLUR
“You got it! I tend to put the lid back on most empowered incidents, and for a hefty price. I cover the backs of both heroes and villains, making sure the government sanctioned heroes' identities don’t slip out into the world, and on some occasions, hiding their dirty work. The villains, of course, hire me for the same reasons. In my spare time, and to my own interest, I like to keep tabs on vigilantes and other empowered folks, and because of this hobby, I can now act upon my interests, and rewrite history.”
STAR
“So, the empowered that caused the Brockton Aurora. They’re your dark horse?”
BLUR
“No, not quite, but they are related. You see, there is a phenomenon in the state of Massachusetts, one that is causing the development of emotionally based powers to emerge during puberty. There are some minor cases, where the powers don’t manifest too strongly, or are useless and impractical. However, there have been three cases where the empowered individuals grow strong enough to make waves in their environment. From these cases, one became a small-time villain, one a vigilante, and the last, a neutral party so to speak.”
STAR
“And one of them is going to save the day?”
BLUR
“Yes. Our little vigilante. The other two aren’t public with their identity as empowered and will likely be able to join the frontlines when they reach New York, but not the vigilante.”
STAR
“Are you kidding me? The other two are strong enough to fight alongside professional heroes, and you’re saying the one who can’t join the fight is our secret weapon? What, is she gonna take the villain by surprise?”
BLUR
“Actually, I believe she’ll try to fight her head on, no holds barred.”
STAR
“How?”
BLUR
“Well my dear Star, YOU are how she’s going to do it.”
STAR
“I don’t follow.”
BLUR
“This particular hero gains power from three things. Happiness, excitement, and hope. If she isn’t on the front lines, then she will be supporting the rescue efforts. This line of work may provide her with inklings of hope, but it will not nearly be enough to join the fight. If we want her to get as powerful as possible, then we must make this a show! The grand debut! The origin story! The newscasters can’t get close enough to cover the action, and what they can cover will be little more than looting, rioting, and scenes of devastation. If we want to turn things around, we have to give the people a sign.”
STAR
“You want us to use our powers on the girl?”
BLUR
“Precisely.”
STAR
“Tough luck, I can’t use my powers on anything I can’t see.”
BLUR
“Oh Mrs. Daniels, for an Evangelical ye have little faith.”
PETER
“Uh, Honey? Something’s going on with the television!”
BLUR
“Don’t change the channel Mrs. Daniels. Things are about to heat up.”
Star turned around to see live video of New York City, from webcams left open, to livestreams on cell phones, to video monitoring on traffic cameras. They had eyes everywhere.
BLUR
“Better fill in Petey on the news. I will take care of the technical side here, tracking our little hero the moment she arrives on scene. You just keep your eyes on the television. Oh, and one more thing.”
Star’s phone buzzed in her hands, the ring of a text coming through. The text led to a link.
“Make sure to share that on every social media platform you have. Text it to all your contacts if you must! Just get as many eyes on this stream as you can!”
STAR
“Are you kidding me? I cannot promote this to my fans! This could ruin me!”
BLUR
“No Star. I will ruin you unless you do exactly what I say. You don’t have to send it out right away, our hero is only just leaving her secret lair as we speak.”
The screen shifts to a camera outside a nondescript building with a metal door. A blonde girl clad in pink light rushes into the street and takes off into the sky. The cameras rapidly change to follow her movement throughout the city, up until she leaves the boundaries, flying high into the sky above a forest.
“The star of the show is currently leaving Boston, and will likely arrive in about an hour, shortly after Knighthood. I would recommend sharing the link at around 12:10. She should be reaching city limits by then.”
STAR
“My power will only make people pay attention to her; it won’t stop my fanbase from hating her. She’s empowered.”
BLUR
“Yeah, I’m sure it won’t. Nevertheless, by seeing the video, they will get the ball rolling, and more and more people will pick it up. Even some of your fans are likely to have some stake in the survival of New York and watching our heroine work may provide them with a little bit of that much needed relief.”
STAR
“Still, there’s no guarantee this will work.”
BLUR
“Is my guarantee not enough?”
STAR
“As a matter of fact, it’s not.”
BLUR
“Well then, I have an idea!”
STAR
“What’s that?”
BLUR
“Let us raise the stakes! I am going to make YOU root for our heroine Mrs. Daniels.”
STAR
“Ha! Yeah, right, I’ll root for this bitch when pig’s fly.”
BLUR
“Well, animals are capable of developing powers since they have the Paquin Sequence. I’m sure you may or may not believe that, but you’ll want to, because if she loses, I’ll release your sex tapes anyways.”
STAR
“You’ll what!?”
BLUR
“Oh, but wait! There’s more! I’ll let the whole world know that both you and your husband are empowered. On top of my own personal highlights and theories, I suppose the statements you made on EXACTLY how your powers work might be proof enough, hmm? I will release your home address, I will release your mother's address, your social security, your private phone number, your email, your bank information … Hell! I’ll release your grandparents’ address! You like dragging people through the dirt? Well I’ll drag you through the gravel. You’ll be the most documented person in the world when I am done with you, and I will never let you recover. So, you better fucking pray that she wins, Mrs. Daniels, or you will wish you were still that little girl preaching to the choir.”
Star gripped her arm tightly, her nails digging into her arm so hard she began to bleed.
“Wish our heroine luck Mrs. Daniels! You are going to need it.”
The stranger hung up the phone, leaving Star standing in the doorway between her kitchen and the living room. She slowly brought the phone down from her face, taking in everything that just happened.
PETER
“Honey, I’m going to call our service provider, get someone down here to fix the TV.”
STAR
“No!”
PETER
“No?”
STAR
“Just hold on Peter!”
Star rushed into the kitchen, wiping tears from her face, and cleaning the blood off her arm. She walked back to the door between the two rooms, composed herself, and walked in.
PETER
“Honey, what’s going on? You’re acting strange.”
STAR
“Listen Petey, I know this is going to sound weird, but I need you to trust me.”
PETER
“Babe, of course I trust you, I love you.”
STAR
“In an hour, a girl is going to come on the screen. These videos are going to track her as she travels through New York. We are going to help her gain as much media attention as possible, okay?”
PETER
“A girl? What kind of girl?”
STAR
“An empowered girl Petey.”
PETER
“We’re going to cover an empowered other than the terrorist. Why? Won’t that ruin our ratings?”
STAR
“Petey, please. Listen to me. It isn’t about the ratings right now. I promise, we will recover, but it is something we must do. Will you help me?”
Peter closed in on Star, brushing her hair from the side of her face, and softly clutching her hand.
PETER
“Star Daniels, you have made me the happiest man in the world. I would run to the ends of the Earth if it meant bringing a smile to your face.”
STAR
(Looking up at Peter, crying)
“I love you Petey.”
PETER
(Smiling back at his wife)
“I love you Star.”
The lights go down. Scene.