The Crow

Title: The Crow
Author: Chyld
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone the wrestlers belong to themselves and the The Crow to James O'Barr...
Note: This is taken from the script for "The Crow"
Rating: R

part 1

A Bird in flight is approaching a loft

**October 30th Devil's Night**

Voice of Molly Holly: People once believed that when someone dies a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right.

From birds point of view cops are visible through the round window.
In loft Faarooq looks out the round window at Matt's body being covered. Faarooq turns back to window. The paramedics are working on a bleeding Nidia. Faarooq picks up wedding invitation and reads it.
"Hey Sarge," another cop says gesturing to a wedding dress.
"Yeah, Nidia, and Matt Hardy. Wedding was tomorrow night."
"Who the fuck gets married on Halloween anyhow?"
"Nobody," Faarooq answers sadly.
"Sir?" says a paramedic. "We gotta move her."
"So it!"
"Right, guys, do it." The paramedics take her away.
"Devil's fuckin' night! What's the count so far?" asks the same cop.
"A hundred and forthy-three fires," anwers Faarooq.
"They're slackin' off from last year."
"Three hours to go. Maybe they're just slow starters."

The crow lands on a telephone pole, sits watching the street below. Cops are taking nidia to the ambulance, fireman are battling a fire across street.
"I realize that, but you can't come in here and move her away like this. We got procedures to stick by. You guys shoulda cleared this with me first." Austin pauses. "This the victim?"
"No, it's Amelia Earhart. We found her, detective, and you missed it," Faarooq says sarcastically.
"I don't care what her name is, I didn't give the order to move her. Jesus, Faarooq, I can see why they took away your gold shield."
"Yeah, I wasn't a big enough asshole...C'mon, let's go."
Molly arrives on her skateboard and pushes through the crowd to the gurney.
"Nidia," Molly says.
"Stand back kid."
"Where's Matt?" asks Nidia through tears.
"Just don't worry about him."
"Tell him to take care of Molly."
"Look, I will. You just...uh, lie back. C'mon, C'mon."
They load her in to the ambulance. It drives off. Faarooq turns to Molly.
"You Molly?"
"Yeah," she answers.
"Yeah, look. Your sister," Faarooq pauses, "she's gonna be okay.
"She's not my sisiter. Nidia just takes care of me. She's my friend, her and Matt," Molly pauses. "You lied to her about Matt."
"Look I had to."
"And you're lying to me about Nidia. She's gonna die, isn't she?" Molly starts to cry.
"Hey...uh, Now, come on, come on...s'okay, she's gonna be fine." Faarooq puts his hands on her shoulders trying to comfort her.

part 2

One Year Later

Voice of Molly Holly: A building is torched, all that is left is ashes. I used to think that was true about everything -- families, friends...feelings. But now I know that sometimes, if love proves real, two people who are meant to be together -- nothing can keep them apart.

Molly enters the graveyward, she walks from grave to grave picking up flowers and one white rose. Molly places the flowers on Nidia's grave and the white rose on Matt's grave. She stands and looks at them.
"Later," she starts to walk away. A crow lands on Matt's tombstone and caws. "What are you? Like, the night watchman?" It starts to rain. Molly pulls her hood up and leaves the graveyard.
The crow starts to peck at the tombstone.
Molly skates away.

Hotdog Stand:
Faarooq's police car is parked by it.
"Y'know? What this place needs is a good natural catastrophe, earthquake, tornado...y'know," says Kidman.
"No, no, no, Kidman, c'mon man. You gotta put the mustard underneath first," says Faarooq.
"...Maybe a flood, like in the bible..." Kidman continues.
"Eh, eh, lemme do it." Faarooq grabs the bun and mustard. "There we go. How about some onions?" kidman lightly sprinkles some on the hotdog. "C'mom, don't cheap out on me, lots of onions." Kidman pours more on. "Now we're talkin'."
Molly skates up and joins them.
"Heh, it's the Molly monster," says Kidman.
"How do you steer that thing on a wet street?" asks Faarooq.
"Pure talent," she answers with a quick "Hi."
"See now, Molly, she's a genuine hot-dogger. You hungry?"
"You buyin?" Molly shoots back.
"I'm buyin'."
"No onions though, okay?" she gives a disgusted look.
"No onions?" faarooq questions.
"They make you fart...big time."

Arcade Games:

A red T-bird sits outside.
"You know, Lake Erie actually caught on fire once from all the crap floatin' around in it?" Rhyno lights a cigar. "Ah! I wish I coulda seen that," he whistles. "Yee-ahh!"
Jeff, Edge and X-Pac begin vandalizing the arcade. Rhyno sets the timer on a bomb.

Graveyard:
The crow on Matt's headstone, heavy rain.
The grave opens, Molly's rose tumbles away.
Interior of grave looking out, mud falls in as a hand claws at the ground. Matt crawls out, howls in anguish, collapses, writhing and twitching in mud.

Back at arcade the four men gather around the car, shouting, "Fire it up! Fire it up!"

Matt walks through allerys, led by the crow. He's shivering, stumbling, barefoot. Crow leads him to a pair of boots, he barely comprehends what they are.

Rhyno's gang speeds through the streets, bragging abou the exploit.
Stone Temple Pilots "Big Empty" plays on the car radio.
"All right! We busted their machines!" brags X-Pac.
They approach the hot dog stand.
"Oh shit. Hey guys, look. Rhyno, cop car...cop car!" says X-Pac.
Rhyno slows suddenly.
Faarooq looks at their car. "Bad people out on the streets tonight."
Explosion.
"Dammit!" yells Faarooq.
"What was that?" Molly looks around.
"You wait right here." Faarooq gets up.
"Be careful."
"Kidman, call it in for me." He runs towards explsion.

Matt in alley, the crow leads him to a fire escape. He climbs, slips...stumbles across rooftop, enters buidling through roof door. The crow leads the way down stairs to landing. Matt finds the door with Halloween decorations and crime scene tape still on it. He rips the tape away, pushes the door open and enters the loft. He sees the cat Gabriel.
"Gabriel," Matt whispers as he picks up the cat.
FLASHBACK--A knock on the door. "Matt?" questioned Nidia. Rhyno forced the door open. "Department of housing...code violations...safety hazards...place looks fine to me...let's redecorate," said Rhyno. "Abashed the devil stood, and felt how awful goodness is, and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely....It's pornography...Virtue?" Matt entered the front door of loft. "Nidia?" Edge throws a knife, stabbing Matt. "See ya!" said Edge. "No, no, no, no! Me first," said Jeff as he pushed everyone else away from Nidia. Matt writhed on the floor, "Please!" He pulled the knife out and dropped it. "Matt," Nidia reached a bloody hand out to him. Rhyno whistled. Edge and X-Pac held Matt up by his arms. Rhyno and Jeff shot him, each twice. He fell backwards through the window. The four men go over and look down at him.

In present:
Matt runs and leaps through window, grabbing the bar and swinging out, cutting his hands. He swings back inside and crouches on the floor looking at his hands. The cuts heal.

The Pit:

You can hear For Love Not Lisa performing "Slip Slide Melting" in the background.
Jeff catches a bullet in his mouth, swallows it with a drink to approving comments.
"Hey, that's good!" says X-Pac.
"See if you can top that man?" says Jeff. "Can you top that?"
"Look at that! Look at that!" all chant watching Rhyno.
Rhyno puts bullet on his tongue, "Here's to Devil's Night, my new favorite holiday." Drinks, puts out cigar on tongue.
Terri and bartender in background, "You go over there, tell your pals..."
"You sick fuckhead," Jeff says as he hits Rhyno in the arm.
"Are you out of your mother-fuckin' mind man," Edge says holding his cigarette smoke in.
X-Pac goes to take his turn but Edge stops him, he takes his turn swallowing bullet. "Pussies drink last, man."
X-Pac pulls gun and points it at Edge, "Fuck you, Edge."
"Shit, ain't even loaded, man." Edge pulls a knife and holds it to X-Pac's throat.
"This one is," Jeff pulls his gun, points it at Edge, who pulls another knife.
Rhyno pulls his gun, points at each in turn. "Which one of you motor-city motherfuckers wants to bet me this one isn't." They all go silent. "Heh! Fire it up! Fire it up!"
"Fire it up! Fire it up! Fire it up!" They all chant.
"Here's your shooters," says Terri. "Put your guns away, huh guys."
"How ya doin' Pussycat?" Terri kisses Jeff, Edge licks her shoulder.

part 3

Loft:

A cockroach scuttles across the floor, crow swoops on it, catches it and perches on beam to eat it.
Matt sits at vanity, candles all around, harlequin mask hanging from mirror. Weeping Matt looks through stuff in the drawers and it reminds him of good times with Nidia and Molly.
FLASHBACK--Matt to Nidia while holding mask to face, "Boo!"
Nidia in Matt's arms, "I love you."
"Say that again."
"I love you.'
Nidia backing away from burning saucepan on stove, "Oh boy!" Matt rushed over and dropped lid on top of saucepan. He hugged her and steered her away from stove, "Resturant," he says laughing.
Molly to Nidia as she modeled her wedding dress, "Wow! You look great!"
Scenes of pillow fight between Nidia and Molly, of Nidia teasing Matt by squirting him with shaving lotion, of Matt and Nidia making love flash thought his mind.

In the present...finally Matt can't take it anymore and hits the mirror in anguish, then sweeps the candles to the floor. He reaches into the drawer and pulls out white face paint and puts it on. Then fumbles with the black lipstick as he pulls the lid off it. He puts it on his lips and around his eyes.
The crow flies from rafter************, Matt opens the doors and pulls out a suitcase. Inside are leather pants and a black long sleeved shirt which he puts on.
Matt stands in front of the round window, crow on shoulder. He looks over the city as lightning flashes illuminating a grim face.

Justin's Pawn Shop:

Justin and Edge are bargaining.
"Couple more rings--that's twenty-four karat," says Edge as he hands Justin the rings.
"Twenty-four karat huh? questions Justin as he examines the rings. "It's eighteen k--crap! It's probably fake."
"Another purse. Leather," emphasis on leather.
"Jeez. Whoa, what is this Edge, a bloodstain on here?" Justin puts purse down. "I'll give you fifty bucks....I hate charities."
Edge hesistates.
"Now you take it or leave it," Justin throws money down. "Right there for you...Decisions, decisions."
Edge takes money as he walks away, "Cheap ass, chrome dome, child molestin' saprophyte motherfucker."
"Close the gate when you go out."
"Ah close this up for yo' reeeal good, massah! Fuck you!" Gives Justin the finger and goes outside.
"Sit on it and twirl, you dirty scum!"
Edge locks the gate and walks into the street. "Lucky I didn't stad your fat ass."

Crow flying. Matt follows across rooftops, strong and swift. Crow spots Edge and leads Matt to him. Edge walks arrogantly down alley, pauses to light cigarette at oildrum fire. Matt drops off of building, lands in garbage bag pile and starts laughing menacingly. Edge hears, looks around, sees Matt approaching ominously.
"What the fuck you all painted up for crackhead, huh?"
Matt keeps coming.
"Halloween ain't 'till manana." Edge tosses down his cigarette. Challenges Matt, "C'mon."
Matt rushes him, they fight. Matt is unstoppable, stronger. Edge is taking a beating. Finally Matt throws him up against a wall.
"You murderer!" Matt yells through gritted teeth.
"I ain't murdered nobody, man. I don't fuckin' know you, man. What the fuck do you want, man?"
"I want you to tell me a story. A man and a woman in a loft...a year ago."
"You'r out of your motherfuckin' mind."
"Listen!" Matt pushes him against the wall. "I'm sure you'll remember. You killed 'em...on Halloween."
"Yeah, yeah, man, look on Halloween, yeah. Some dude, some bitch. Whatever."
Matt grabs Edge, "Her name was Nidia!" Edge spits on him. "You cut her. You raped her!"
"Nidia...yeah, I shanked her pink ass and she loved it!"
Edge hits Matt when he bows head in pain, they fight again. Edge over powers Matt and beats him down with lead pipe.
"Murderer! Murderer!" Matt yells.
"Let me tell you about murder. It's fun, it's easy. You gonna learn all about it. Heh, heh, heh." Edge pulls out a couple knives and takes his coat off. Gestures with knives, "I'd like you to meet two buddies of mine. We never miss." Edge throws first knife. Matt ducks it. Edge looks worried, throws second knife, Matt bats it away. Now Edge is scared.
"Try harder! Try again." Matt catches third knife, throws it back at Edge, pinning him to stack of pallets. Matt goes up to him, takes another knife and holds it high. "Victims? Aren't we all?" stabs Edge.

The Trash Club:

Rhyno and X-Pac work way through crowd.
Complaining about crowd, "Look at this mess. What's the world coming to." Rhyno pauses at bar. "I gotta go upstairs--report from the front." Rhyno makes his way through crowd, cursing them. "Get outta my way you worms." He heads upstairs.
"Give me some of that, over there," X-Pac says to bartender.

Landing before Raven's rooms.
Tazz is talking to two girls as Rhyno approaches. "Why don't you ladies come back later, check me out."
The girls leave as Rhyno gets to the top of the stairs. "Hey, guess what? Arcade Games fell down...went boom."
"Boom?" says Tazz
"Can you imagine that? S'tragic."
"Gather your soldiers. You're on for tomorrow night, no sweat."
"Is The Man in?"
"He's taking a meeting," Tazz winks.

Raven's Bedroom:

He sits cross-legged on bed looking into a graveyard snowball globe. A naked woman lies motionless on bed behing him.
Lita is showering. Once finished, she approaches Raven wrapping robe around herself. They hug, then she sits next to him on bed. "You're thinking about the past."
"Dad gave me this," Raven holds up globe, "...fifth birthday. He said 'childhood's over the moment you know you're gonna die.'" Raven hands Lita the globe, she kisses his forehead.
Lita looks at woman, "Is she asleep?"
Raven pulls woman's shoulder over, she is obviously dead. "I think we broke her," he sniffs.
Lita holds knife to dead woman's face. "I love her eyes...pretty."

Molly on her skateboard approaches Pit through traffic.
"Hey Kid! Get the hell out of the road!" some driver yells at her.
Molly enters The Pit, approaches Toerri and Jeff who are necking at one of the tables. She sits down.
"Ahem," to get their attention.
"Told you to stay out of here," says Terri.
"So, I guess you're not gonna be home 'til later, huh, Terri?" emphasis on Terri.
"She's busy," says Jeff. "Go play with your dolls or something, okay."
"I don't have any dolls."
Terri gives her some money. "Get some food, huh?"
"Somebody already bought me dinner...The police."
Jeff stares impatiently at her. She takes the money and leaves.
Jeff mocking her, "Somebody already bought me dinner...the police." They laugh

part 4

To crow flies past Justin's pawnshop.
Inside Justin is counting reciepts. He see's Matt's shadow by the door.
"Ah, who the fuck is this, now. Hey! Piss off! We're closed! Corrado!"
Matt pounds on gate.
"Go sleep it off somewhere else, dust head, unless you wanna get mutilated!"
Matt wrenches open locked gate.
Justin grabs gun and advances, "Goddamn creatures of the night. They never learn."
Matt taps three times on door.
"Hey! Hey!"
Matt peers through glass door, then walks through it. Justin retreats as glass flies. Crow flies by Justin, frightening him. He stumbles backwards dropping gun.
"Suddenly I heard a tapping as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door." Matt casually brushes glass off of shoulder.
"What're you talking about?" questions Justin.
"You heard me rapping, right?" He advances on Justin.
"You're trespassing." Justing finds gun again. "And you owe me a fuckin' new door."
"I'm looking for something in an engagement ring...gold," Matt says somewhat ignoring Justin.
"you're looking for a coroner, shit for brains." Justin shoots Matt. The wond starts to heal, Justin panicks. "Argh, shit on me! Shit on me. Shit on me!"
Matt laughs as he realizes he's invulnerability. He advances, throws Justin across counter, follows, leaping on counter and vanishes as Justin comes up swinging a bat at empty air. Matt reappears swinging upside down, grabs bat from Justin and hits him with it.
"Mr. Credible. You're not paying attention." Matt drops down to crouch on countertop. Justin swings at him. Matt grabs Justin's hand, smashes counterglass, takes knife, pins Justin's hand to counter with it. Matt covers Justin's mouth. "I repeat, a gold engagement ring, yes?" Justin nods. "It was pawned here a year ago by a customer of yours named Edge." Matt stands up, walks a few steps along countertop, then leaps off, spins around to stare at him through grating. "He confided in me before he ran out of breath."

Crime scene:
Edge's body is carried off, stuck full of knives.
"Who's this sack of shit?" asks Austin.
"That's Edge. One of Rhyno's little helpers.."answers Faarooq. "I think you can rule out 'accidental death'."
"Don't any of your street-deamons have real grown-up names?"
"This ccould be a turf hit, but it doesn't look like your usual gang crap."
"Come one, Faarooq, spare me, you're a beat cop now, so be a beat cop."
"I'm s'posed to thank you for that, right?"
"A word to the wise...watch your fucking mouth." Austin sees crow outline on side of building. "What the hell do you call that?"
"I call it blood, detective. I s'pose you'll write it up as...graffiti."
"You can leave my crime scene now, okay?"

Justin's pawnshop:
Mat is trashing and searching, "Warmer?!"
"What are you doing?" asks Justin.
"Don't you know this game?"
"What game you walking about?"
Matt knocks something over making a loud noise.
"Okay, the rings, I'll tell you about the rings. They're in the metal box, it's under the shelf there...Get your fucking rings, you can chew 'em and choke on them, you sonnuva bitch."
Matt finds ring box, sits down behind counter, out of sight of Justin.
FLASHBACK--To Nidia, above him on ladder, "Look, it goes up to the attic."

Matt holds up rings, tosses each one aside, "No...no..."
FLASHBACK--Nidia in attic filled wiht candles. She opens jewelry box. "Oh it's beautiful. I don't believe it."

Matt still rejecting rings, "No...no..." He finds her ring by touching it. "Nidia," he whispers.
FLASHBACK--"I love you," Nidia says. They embrace.

Matt puts ring on little finer. He trashes his way back to Justin, kicking over open gas cans as he goes. Justin pulls knife out just as Matt reaches him, pointing a shotgun at him.
"You have one chance to live."
"Look, man. Take anything you want," Justing says as he starts to wrap his hand.
"Thank you."
"Take anything!"
"Now, you're going to tell me where to find the rest of Edge's little party pals."
The Pit. They all hang out at The Pit. All of Rhyno's little potato-heads hang out there. Jeff--he lives there, upstairs, alright?"
"Jeff..."
FLASHBACK--Jeff raping Nidia.

"A whole jolly club," Matt trashes the place some more, pours gasoline around. "With jolly pirate nicknames!"
"Jesus Christ in a taxicab!" yells Justin.
"Hold still!" Matt yells as he points his gun in Justin's face. "Each one of these," holds up a ring, "is a life..." throws them one by one at Justin, "a life you helped destroy."
"I beg you...don't kill me."
"I'm not going to kill you. Your job will be to tell the rest of them that Death is coming for them...tonight." Matt pours rings into gun barrel. "Tell them Matt Hardy sends his regards." He walks out, taking a guitar as he goes.
"Walk outta here, they're gonna erase your sorry ass. You're nothin' but street grease, ya hear? Street grease you mother fucker!" Justin shouts after him.
Matt pauses at door. "Is that gasoline I smell?"
"No, man. NO!" Runs back as Matt, standing outside front door, shoots rings into shop, blowing it up. Justin is catapulted out back door by explosion.

The Pit:
Molly sits at bar. She puts some money down when the bartender brings her her pop.
"It's on the house, kiddo. You know that. One root beer." They look at Terri going upstairs with Jeff. "I can't do anything. Your mom? Technically, she's...off, right now."
"Yeah, way off."

Outside burning pawnshop:
Matt is walking away. Police car pulls up. Faarooq gets out, pulls gun on Matt.
"Police! Don't move!" says Faarooq.
Matt keeps moving.
"I said Don't Move!"
Matt pauses. "I thought the police always said 'Freeze'."
"Well, I am the police, and I say 'don't move', Snow White. You move, you're dead."
"And I say I'm dead..." Matt raises hands and starts walking forward, "and I move."
"Not one more step...I'm serious!"
"Then shoot me, if you will," bows, looking up at him, "Officer Faarooq."
"What, are you nuts? Walking into a gun? You high?"
"You don't remember me?"
"What are you talking about?"
"How about Nidia? Do you remember Nidia Guenard"
"Nidia Guenard's dead, my friend. I want you to move over to the curb there. C'mon, real nice and easy. C'mon, move it!"
Matt goes to curb and sits down.
"I'm waiting for backup. It's getting to friggin' weird for me."
"Oh, it gets better," Matt says with a smile. "Do you know someone named Rhyno? He had a friend who shouldn't have played with knives...Like the coat?"
"You're the guy that murdered Edge."
"He was already dead. He died a year ago...the moment he touched her. They're all dead, they just don't know it yet."
Faarooq spots looters fleeing Justin's. "Hey! Get away from there." Turns back, Matt is gone. "Oh great. Great! A guy shows up looking like a mime from hell and...you loose him right out in the open. Well, at least he didn't do that...walking against the wind shit, I hate that."
Backup arrives. "Little early for Devil's Night," says the cop.

part 5

Raven's boardroom:
Lita is sitting on top of table tending brazier with human eye in it. Raven is pacing.
"You are very restless," says Lita.
"Just wish I was a little hungry again, that's all."
"Be careful of what you ask for..."
"Yeah, I may get it. I know." Raven sits, sniffs smoke from burning eye.
"There are energies aligning against you."
"Seein' is beleiving, isn't it?" Lita kisses him. Raven licks his fingertip, dips it in cocainse and tastes it. "Mmm, yummy."
Tazz and Rhyno enter.
"Justin's pawnshop just burned down...to the foundation," says Tazz.
"Nobody cleared this little event with me." Raven cuts cocaine.
"I didn't have nothing to do with that," says Rhyno quickly.
"Ah, sure. You must be awful dissapointed."
"I got trouble. One of my crew got himself perished."
"Yeah? And who might that be?"
Lita sprawls seductively on table. Rhyno can't quite keep his eyes off her.
"Edge. Somebody stuck his blades in all his major organs in alphabetical order."
Lita gets down from table, perches one arm on Raven's chair. He steadies her with a hand on her inner thigh.
"Well, gentlemen, by all means, I think we oughta have an introspective moment of silence for poor old Edge." Raven sniffs line of coke. "You're workin' for me tomorrow night, right?"
"Whatever you say, I can do," answer Rhyno.
"Good, that's very reassuring. I still ain't heard the story on why Justin's burned down, is that a natural catastrophe, or act of God, or something? Call it my 'need to know'."

Crow Flies

Pit Entrance:
Molly exits The Pit. Rides skateboard into path of taxi. Matt snatches her clear. Skateboard scoots across the street.
She struggles in his grasp. "Let me go, you creep!"
Matt puts her down, flashes back to her and Nidia. He hides his face by turning away and reaching blindly for the support of a telephone pole.
Molly shouts after taxi, "You didn't even slow down, you dickhead!"
"He couldn't have stopped."
"He was a buttface. I coulda made it." She takes a closer look at him. "What are you supposed to be, a clown or something."
Matt doesn't look at her. "Sometimes."
Molly goes back to street to get skateboard. "It's more like surfing than skating. I wish the rain would stop, just once."
"It can't rain all the time."
Molly lifts her head up. "Matt?!" But when she turns he has vanished.

Police Station:
Faarooq's desk, police woman Jacqueline brings him file.
"Don't thank me. Are we fighting the good fight?" she asks.
"Double homicide, a year ago...No convictions. Jackie look at that," Faarooq hands her the petition.
Reads aloud, "'We the undersigned tenants of 1929 Caldron Court Apartments'...What is this, a petition?"
"A big 'kick me' sign for a very nice girl who found herself a cause...that cause got her killed."
"She was fighting tenant eviction in that neightborhood?" Jacqueline asks dissbelivingly.
"Nidia Guenard and her nice rock-and-roll boyfriend, Matt Hardy."
"You know, the last time you went snooping around on a case is when you got put back on the beat."
"Yeah, I know...Austin keeps reminding me."
"Ohho, I bet he does."
Faarooq draws Matt's clown makeup on photo.
Jacqueline glances down at it, "You're gonna wind up working a school crosswalk."
"I'm cool."
"You didn't get that file from me, okay. Don't tell me you 'owe me one'," she starts to walk away.
"Uh...I owe you one."
"Yeah right." Jacqueline leaves.
Looking at Matt's picture, "Damn!"

Jeff's Room:
Jeff and terri sit on bed.
While shooting Terri up, "Tomorrow night, we can get high, and watch this whole fuckin' city burn, from that window."
Outside Matt is perched on sign.
Crow flies into Jeff's room, lands on TV.
Terri, high, and necking with Jeff spots it, "There's a big fuckin' bird over there."
"It's a squab," Jeff laughs. "C'mere bird. Hey bird, birdy. Here birdybirdybirdybirdy. Here birdybirdybirdybirdy."
Matt sees them through crow's eyes, hears them from outside. He enters room through window, carrying guitar. "Here Jeff." Matt rubs head against lightbulb, approaches bed.
"What the fuck? says Jeff unbelieving.
Matt rushes towards him making his guitar squeal.
"No, man, don't do that! You nearly gave me a fucking heart attack."
Terri giggles.
Jeff turns towards Terri, "Don't sweat it."
Matt turns away, hangs up guitar.
Jeff pulls gun, "It's time for you to get your bird and leave, freako."
Matt pulls up chair, straddles it and places hand against end of gun, "Take your shot, Jeff. You got me...dead bang."
"You are seariously fucked up. Did you look in a mirror? You need professional help."
Jeff shoots Matt through hand. Matt cries out, jumps up, spins away pretending to be hurt.
Jeff stands up on bed, "Bingo! Hah! He shoots! He scores!"
Matt turns back laughing and whooping in triumph. He shows them his hand, looks at them through hole, which heals as they watch.
"Je-sus Christ!"
"Jesus Christ...Stop me if you've heard this one," Matt appraoches Jeff. "Jesus Christ walks into a hotel..." Jeff shoots Matt in shoulder. It heals. "Ow. He hands the innkeeper three nails, he asks..." Jeff shoots him in the stomach. It heals.
"Don't you ever fuckin' die?" he practically yells.
"Can you put me up for the night?" Matt rushes Jeff, giving him a wide-armed smack, which causes Jeff to shoot himself in the leg. Jeff collapses onto the bed.
Matt picks up the gun and leaps to squat on bed next to Jeff. "Does that hurt?"
Terri fleas into bathroom, locking herself in.
"Fuck! Does it...fuck, does it hurt?" grabs his leg. "Oh God, look what you've done..to...my...sheets." Jeff passes out.
Matt drags him into bathroom by injured leg, forces door open, then dumps Jeff into the tub. Terri grabs razor.
FLASHBACK--Jeff taking off pants, "I've got a gun in my pocket. You're happy to see me aren't you?"

Matt turns on shower.
Terri is screaming and sobbing. Matt approaches her. "Stay away from me! Stay away form me! Noooo! Aaaaa...."
Matt takes razor away from her, picks her up, forces her to look at herself in the mirror.
"Look!" Matt holds her head back. "Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of all children. Do you understand?" He squeezes the dope out of scars on her arm. "Morphine is bad for you."
Terris cals down, no longer high, and looks at Matt in wonder.
"Your daughter is out on the streets, waiting for you." He lets her go.
Terri flees downstairs. Matt finds drug paraphenalia, picks up needle.

part 6

The Pit:
Justin is at bar, drinking. "If I wanted ice, I woulda asked for ice." He tosses ice away. "Now fill it up."
The bartender slams bottle down. "Fill it up yourself, macho man."
"I really need this."
Justin fumbles to get bottle open with no success. Tazz arrives, opens bottle, pours it for Justin.
"All right," Justin says to stop Tazz from pouring.
"You burn yourself playing with matches?" asks Tazz.
"Fuck off."
"You have an appointment."
"Well, shit on me."
"Drink up."
"This is a first. Do I bow or do I curtsey? Get my friend here a glass of blood...."
Terri runs in a panic thorugh bar.
"Hey! Goodnight...Ter-ri," the bartender says sarcastically.
Tazz looks worried. "You stay put. Right there." He puts his hat on Justin, patting it down on injured head. Tazz nervously makes his way to Jeff's room.

Jeff's Room:
Matt is holding a needle in one hand and holding Jeff down with other.
"Get away, steamhead," gasps Jeff.

Tazz finds Jeff dying with needles in chest and crow outline in blood on his chest. Matt, in window, puts his fingers to lips then vanishes. Tazz rushes over to window but sees no one.

Faarooq's apartment:
TV story about last years fires. Faarooq's in kitchen, wearing T-shirt, shorts and policeman's hat, drinking beer and looking at phot's from Matt's file. "...ass you can see, I'm here on the corner of Twenty-seventh street and East Washington Place, the site of last year's biggest Devil's NIght conflagration. It was exactly a year ago that the building you see across the street from me was totally demolished by fire. The fire that was won by seven fire companions but lost the lives of two fire fighters. In fact, if it weren't for the constant surveillance by the local police precincts..."
Faarooq hears suspicious sound, walks into bedroom, but it's empty.
"Freeze!" says Matt.
Faarooq jumps, dropping beer as he turns to see Matt. "Jesus! Don't ever do that, man. Fuck."
Matt looks at photo Faarooq's drawn on, "Good likeness."
"I saw your body, man, you...you died, you got buried."
"You still have your hat on."
Faarooq removes hat. "I gotta sit down."
Matt wonders into kitchen, opens refrigerator, takes out a beer and brings it back to Faarooq.
"Shit. Holy shit. Say, a-are you some kind of...of ghost?"
"Boo!" Matt opens the beer hands it to him. Matt gets serious, he sits down and looks up. "I don't know what I am. I need you to tell me what happened to us."
"Well, you took a six-story swan dive out of a window. She, uh...was beaten and raped..died at the hospital."
Matt winces.
"Hey, you asked, man. Hey, c'mon, read the file!" Faarooq picks up file. "Nidia Guenard...held on for thirty hours in intensive care, her body finally just gave it up. I saw it man--I couldn't do jack for her." He holds file to Matt. Matt bypasses files, puts hands on Faarooq's head, relives his memories.
FLASHBACK--Scenes of Nidia in ICU

Matt cries out and staggers away. He holds his head in agony. Faarooq reaches out to him. "Don't touch me!" Matt collapses into chair across room.
"Hey...You okay?" asks a worried Faarooq.
"I saw her...I saw her through your eyes. You stayed with her the whole time."
"Yeah well," Faarooq pauses, "you gotta understand something, alright? I was...I was hoping she'd come out of it, you know? Give me something I could work with." He lights a cigarette. "Yeah...what the hell."
"Why didn't you do something about it?" asks Matt now sitting on floor.
"You think any of those people in that building, even the ones who signed the petition, would talk after what happened to you? I kept asking questions and...finally got busted for sticking my nose where it wasn't wanted."
Matt picks up photo of Faarooq and a woman. "This your wife?"
"Yeah. We...uh, well...not anymore. We're getting a divorce."
"It's funny. Little things used to mean so much to Nidia..I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me--nothing is trivial." Takes Faarooq's cigarette and takes a drag, holds it up ruefully. "You shouldn't smoke these--they'll kill you."Matt puts out cigarette. He gets up, starts to walk away.
"You gonna vanish into thin air again?"
Matt almost in tears, holding himself with crossed arms. "I thought I'd use your front door."
"Look, man...uh, I'm sorry as hell for what happeend to you and your girlfriend."
"Yeah." Matt looks back at Faarooq sadly.
"Faarooq whispers, "Yeah."
Matt leaves.

part 7

Raven's Boardroom:
"I got stabbed!" Justin holds up hand. "I shot the sonnuva bitch. I watched the bullet hole close by itself."
Raven is wondering around, Lita sits on table next to Justin.
"And then my business gets blown up real good. Other than that, my day sucked."
"Yeah. I saw him too," Tazz pauses. "He had a guitar. He winket at me before he jumped out of a fourth-sloor window like he had wings."
"He winked at you?" questions Raven somewhat sarcastically. "Tsk. Musiciians. What else did you see?"
"So far I haven't heard shit about what you're gonna do about all this crap," says Justin. "I mean what do I get? My livelihood gets flushed away and went swirling."
"You ain't lost everything."
"Jesus. ANd maybe you're not such a big shot eit-..." Justin starts to stand but Tazz forces him back down. "Ow...Jesus!"
"Fair enought," says Raven. "Catch!" He tosses Justin a human eye.
Just drops it once he realizes what is is, "Fuck...Jesus!"
"Say hellow to the last fellow who wouldn't cooperate with me."
"What're you telling me...you're telling me this thing is real?"
"All the power in the world resides in the eyes, fella. Sometimes they're more useful than the peopel who bear them." Raven opens sword case, and chooses a sword.
"You're directly outta your fuckin' mind, y'know that?"
"Yeah. Eyes see! It's one of the most important things I learned from my sister."
"Your sister?" Justin looks at Lita. "She's supposed to be your sister." He laughs.
"My father's daughter...that's right. What's the matter? You don't see the resemblance?" Raven holds sword to Justin's throat. Lita puts her foot on Justin's shoulder, Tazz puts his hands on his shoulders. "Now, let's take it from the top, friend? With a lot of detail. Whaddya say?"
Justin is now frightened, "He had a bird with him--nearly pecked my face off. He told me to tell Rhyno that death was on its way, whatever the fuck that means. Hardy...he said his name was Matt Hardy. Want to relax that thing now?"
Raven walks away. "And this 'bird-man', he just happened to let you live huh? You sure you ain't making all of this up just to save your own ass?"
"I ain't makin' all this up. I ain't....twisted like you two fucks."
Lita removes her foot and draws back.
Raven to Tazz, "Alright."
Tazz removes his hands and steps away.
"A boy and his bird...awful touching."
Justin laughts, Raven chuckles, then spins around and thrusts the sword through Justin's throat, who convulses in chair.
"For fucks sake, die! Will ya! Gimme that thing." Tazz hands Raven his gun, Raven shoots Justin twice and hands gun back. "Thanks."
"Jeff said he saw a black bird too, a big one...then he choked to death on his own blood," says Tazz. "I'll have the janitor...come on up."

Rooftops:
Matt is on the rooftop of apartment building, playing the guitar, crow watches.

Terri's apartment:
Molly enters, looks through records, pulls out "Hangman's Joke" album. Puts it in the record player, sets needle in track to play "Fire in the Rain". She drums fingers waiting for music to start. Crow lands on open window, squawks. She walks over to it.
"You again? You lost? Or hungry? Hi..."
Crow flies away. Needle sticks on phrase, "Can't rain all the time".

part 8
Crow on rooftop looking down on two men approaching.
"...I don't know, how many times I gotta tell ya?" says Rhyno. "We're in this together. If one part falls we all fall."
Street level, Rhyno and X-Pac walk down block.
"You know how long it took us to put this together!"
"Yeah, a long time," says X-Pac.
"That piece of ratshit made Edge into a fuckin' voodoo doll."
"Edge's was a dick."
"Edge...sheesh!"
"Fire it up! Fire it up! Fire it up! Fire it up!" They both yell.
Rhyno stops before X-Pac, "...Fire it up!"
Rhyno looks around, checks watch, "No Jeff."
"Probably still..." X-Pac grabs parking meter, does bump and grind against it, "banging away on Terri."
Rhyno whistles, gestures towards liquor store. X-Pac looks at him questionably.
"Smokes and road beers, be quick."
"I'm on it," X-Pac enter stores, grabs a bag of chips, rips it open and starts eating them.
Rhyno gets to car, gets in. He lights a cigar. Crow lands on hood. Matt sits up in back seat. Rhyno goes for his gun but isn't quick enough. Matt holds gun to Rhyno's head, frightening him.
"What the fuck are you supposed to be, man?"
"I'm your passenger." Matt grabs Rhyno's gun then drops it on the seat, he does the same with cigar. He grabs the top of Rhyno's head, turns it to front, "Drive."
Rhyno starts car and pulls away.
X-Pac in store, with mouthful of potato chips, sees Rhyno and Matt. "What's all this happy horseshit?"
Rhyno peels out, X-Pac runs out of store, "Hey Rhyno! Rhyno!"
A hatchback hits him, breaks windshield, he rolls over top, lands in street. Driver stops, gets out and hawls him to his feet.
"What's the fuck the matter with you? You stupid ass-hair! You hit my car!" He hits X-Pac who hist back, knocks the driver down and takes his car to follow Rhyno.

In Rhyno's car:
Rhyno speeds along the streets, Matt holds gun on him, still holding top of head.
"Whaddya want, man? Money? Drugs? I got 'em. We could use you--you did Edge. This is business, right?" babbles Rhyno.
Matt cocks gun, "Faster."

Police car:
Two cops drink coffee, watching passing cars, "You got that cream stuff?" asks the passenger cop. he is handed the coffee creamer, he looks at it somewhat screptically "I hate this--you can't even call it cream legally."
Matt and Rhyno speed by.
"What the crap?" driver cop throws coffee out window and peels out in pursuit while his partner spills coffee on himself.

Rhyno's car:
Speedometer is pushing 90. "Ah, look, makin' ups popular. When they flash us like that, they ain' friends."
Now there is a three car pursuit.

"This is vehicle 49. We got us a big ol' red hot rod..."
The cops catch sight of Matt's white face through back window. They look at each other then back at the car, "What the?"

"If you got something personal, amigo, we can work it out, right?" says Rhyno.

X-Pac trys to follow Rhyno, he turns down what he thinks is an alley, "Damn! Dead end...oh my god! Get outta the way. Holy shit." Muddy water gets splashed up on the windowshield making it almost impossible to see. X-Pac tries to roll down window but the handle breaks off. "Goddamn foreign cars...shit shit! Oh I hate this...this ain't good." X-Pac spots Rhyno's car passing at tned of alley. "Rhyno! I got you, man I'm coming." X-Pac is broadsided by cops as he exits alley. He falls outo f car, battered but still whole.

Rhyno's car sits on wharf. Rhyno is taped to drivers seat. Matt outside working quietly.
"Remember? Yeah. I remember everything...But I don't know what...what? What? What're you talking about. No, no, no, no. You mean that place downtown? Yeah, I remember her. We needed to put some fear into that little lady--she wasn't going along with our tenant relocation program." He laughs nervously.
Matt gets explosives and duct tape out of car trunk.
"Then her idiot boyfriend shows up, and turns a simple sweep-and-clear into a total cluster fuck! Who gives a shit--it's ancient history."
Matt walks to driver side door. Rhyno starts to get scared.
"Why? Whaddya want? What is it? What? Speak to me! Speak!"
Matt rips off more duct tape and looks at Rhyno.
FLASHBACK--Rhyno pushed way into loft, holding petition, "Did you send us these complaints?" Flashes of rape memories. Rhyno reads, "Abashed the devil stood....Does it get you sweaty?"
present--"I know you. I know you, I knew I knew you...I knew I knew you." Rhyno is almost sobbing. "But you ain't you...you can't be you. We put you through the window. There ain't no coming back. This is the really real world, there ain't no comin' back. We killed you dead--there ain't no comin' back."
Matt begins to tape Rhyno's head to seat. X-Pac stumbles after them.
Rhyno gets a desperate tone in his voice, "THere ain't no comin' back...there ain't no comin' back."
Matt riggs steering wheel and accelerator, then triggers grenade.
:Abashed the devil stood..." now horrified, "...and felt howawful goodness is...felt how awful...goodness..."
Matt tosses grenade into Rhyno's lap, sets car to drive off of pier. It peels out, X-Pac watches from afar. Matt gives an ironic two-fingered wave as it goes off pier and explodes. He squirts lighterfluid, lights it. Flames outline giant crow.

part 9
Dawn, Matt's grave:
Grave is open and empty. Tazz kneels beside it.

Morning Terri's apartment:
Molly is asleep on couch clutching Matt's album, Terri is cooking breakfast.
TV news program on, "This is the seven am edition of Action News. For over a decade, the night before Halloween had had a darker and deadlier nickname in the inner city--Devil's Night--the name give to what has become an annual plaque of arson. Last year over 200 individual blazes were reported, and 11 people lost their lives. Tonight will repeat what may become the biggest deadliest Devil's Night ever. The Mayor has firefighters from all surrounding counties, as well as..."
Molly awakens and enters kitchen.
"You like them up or over? I can't remember," Terri asks.
"What are you doing? I don't even like eggs," says Molly as she sits down.
"Wait...you loved eggs."
"Yeah...when I was five."
"So whaddya want now? Black coffee and cigarettes?" Terri says trying to still be happy.
"So what did you take to become 'mother of the year'?"
"Oh, it wasn't drugs. Someone kind of...woke me up."
"Who?"
"Oh! It was nuts."
"You're acting weird. Didya win the lottery or something, Ter-ri?"
"Oh forget it!" Terri takes the frying pan to trash can. "I never was too good at this mommy shit."
Molly stands up from seat, "Over easy!" She goes over to Terri. "I like them over easy...Mom." She watches sympathetically as Terri flips one of the eggs over. They smile at each other.

Police station, afternoon:
Faarooq walks through police staion in good mood.
"Hey, Faarooq."
Faarooq sighs as she stops by Austin's office.
"This is the third hit in you 'hood' in twenty-four hours." Hands Faarooq photos of chared car and remains. "We just fished this out of the river. He's fused to his own car--we're gonna have to I.D. his teeth."
"His name's Rhyno. Arson was his specialty. Looks like he zigged when he should of zagged. Case closed." Hands file back to Austin.
"Bull-fuckin-shit. C'mere." They go into offive. "You're holding out on me. I got a god-damned vigilante killer knocking off scum-bags left and right. And you're covering up for somebody. Who's the cartoon character with the painted face?"
"Hey, you're the detective. Why don't you tell me?"
"Okay. Justin's blows all to hell, and you're having a chit-chat with some weirdo who winds up in Rhyno's car when it zigs instead of zags. Then you steal one of my case files from homicide, and you're saying this is just a fuckin' automobile accident? C'mon!"
"Yeah," Faarooq pauses. "Good speech though. I didn't want to interrupt you--it sounded good. You gotta write that shit down."
"Alright, smartass. The Captain's got a little love-not waiting for you. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your suspension."
"Suspension? For what?!"
"Misconduct!" Austin dials phone, dismissing Faarooq. "Yeah, gimme the lab."

Calderon Court apartments:
The front door is boarded up. Molly pulls off some boards and crawls through. She begins to climb the stairs.

Loft:
Matt sits in front of the fireplace, burning photos of him and Nidia, while having flashbacks of good times with her.
FLASHBACK--"One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, and four for a boy..."

Matt weeps. He hears footsteps outside in the hall.

Stairwell:
Molly climbs the stairs, reaches the door. She pushes the door open and enters loft. It's empty, the fire is smoldering.
"Matt?" Molly looks around at empty room. "Man, Molly, you're going crazy." She spots Gabriel. "Gabriel! I thought you were dead!" she picks the cat up. "You're not dead...are you?" She explores. Finds half-burned photos, continues looking. . "I knew it was you. Even with the make-up. I remembered your song. You said: 'Can't waint all the time', that is from your song? Right?" No response, no sign of Matt. She sighs in frustration. Crow lands on support beam. "Ah, Matt. I know you'r here. I miss you, and Nidia...gets so lonely all by myself." She finally gives up. "The hell with you." Picks up skateboard. "I thought you cared." She starts to leave, sun comes out and casts shadow of Matt standing in golden circle round window.
"Matt whispers, "Molly, I do care."
Molly turns and sees him, she drops skateboard and runs to him. He kneels to receave her and they hug, weeping.

part 10
Raven's Boardroom:
Raven, Tazz and a very battered X-Pac, sit in boardroom. Picture of Matt's band on table. X-Pac points to Matt in picture. "Thats him. But he looked different--he was all painted up and white like some kind of dead whore. I seen him! Rhyno, he sent me in for some road beers, right? Then he took him away, man, and I chased them down. And he flash-fried Rhyno to his fuckin' car...Ah, Rhyno! Here's to you buddy," drinks.
"I think we oughta just video tape this, play it back in slow motion."
"Fire it up! Fire it up! Fire it up!" yells X-Pac.
"Didya see the grave?" asks Raven.
"Empty," answers Tazz.
X-Pac turns to them, "Grave! What grave?" limps towards Tazz. "What about my fucking grave?" Tazz shoves him away. "Aargh! Man!"
"Three out of four. He's working his way back to this speed freak here."
"It's not fair! IT was Jeff's fault. That boy was outta control! Rhyno, he came in there," whistles, "'Waste 'em both!' Now this ghost's gonna kill my ass, next."
Raven gets up, hits X-Pac then pushes him into Tazz's arms, who drops him into a chair.
"Aaaaah, this ghost's gonna kill my ass next...this ghost's gonna kill..."
"Hey," interupts Raven. "That ain't no ghost."
Lita enters the room. "They have all arrived."
To Tazz, "Watch him. We might need him."
Tazz settles down in front of X-Pac to watch him.

Kidman's hotdog stand:
Molly eats quietly with Gabriel on counter next to her. Faarooq pulls up, gets out, sits down next to Molly.
"He like his plain or with onions?" Molly doesn't respond. "Fin, don't talk to me."
"When someone's dead, they can't come back, can they?" she asks.
"That's what I thought. Are you refering to anyone inparticular?"
"You'll just think I'm nuts."
"Yeah, well, then maybe they'll have to lock us both up."
"You see him too?"
"I saw....somebody. Maybe it was your fairy godfather."
"Matt, didn't come back for me. He can't be my friend anymore because...I'm...alive."
"You want a friend to walk you home?"
Molly nods.

Rooftop:
Matt plays guitar, he plays increasingly louder and angrier, until finally, with red sunste sky in background, he smashes guitar and throws everything off the roof.

part 11
Trash Club:
Thrill Kill Kult plays in the background, insane crowd.

Raven's boardroom:
Lots of men...gun, money and drugs are spread out along table. Raven, Lita and Tazz appraoch head of table. Tazz drags X-Pac along.
"Boys...it seems our friend Rhyno won't be joining us this evening, on acount of a slight case of death." Raven looks at X-Pac. "You wanna sit down." Directs his attention back to everyone. "Well, well, well. Devil's Night is upon us again. Thought we'd throw a little partly, start a bunch of fires, make a little profit."
"I like the pretty lights," says Lita.
Everyone laughs, Lita doesn't see it as funny.
"Problem is, it's all been done before, y'see what I'm sayin'."
"That's no reason to quit," says one of the men.
"Wong! Best reason to quit. Only reason to quit." Raven begins to walk around table. "A man has an idea. The idea attracts others, like-minded. The idea expands. The idea becomes...an institution. What was the idea?" no one answers. "See, that's what's been bothering me boys. But I'll tell you, when I used to think about the idea itself, it'd put a bug old smile on my face." Raven stops at head of table again, braces hands on table, looking at assembled men. "You see, gentlemen, greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy...now that's fun!"
"What about Devil's Night?" asks another man.
"What about it? I started the first fires in this god-damned city...before I knew it every charlatan and shitheel was imitating me. Shit, you know what they got now?"

Outside:
Matt sits outside on fire escape, listening.

Boardroom:
"Devil's Night greeting cards! Isn't that precious? Tsk! Yeah, the idea has become the institution, boys, Time to move along."
"You don't want us to do "light my fire" time for the whole city?" questions a third man.
"No. NO, I want you to set a fire so goddamn big the gods'll notice us again, that's what I'm saying. I want all of you boys to be able to look me straight in the eye one more time and say 'Are we havin' fun or what!'" Raven turns to X-Pac. "Hey, you! Whats-your-name, X-Pac? You don't feel that?"
"I feel like a little worm on a big fuckin' hook!"
"'Feel like a little worm on a big fuckin' hook," Raven says mocking X-Pac. "Well, boy, your momma must be damned proud of you."
Crow flies into room and lands on table. X-Pac recoils, but the rest are curious.
"How the hell did that thing get in here?" questions Raven.
Matt, appearing out of shadows, "Gentlemen!"
The men back away from end of table and X-Pac panicks as Matt walks up, tosses chair aside and hops up to sit cross-legged on end of table.
"You're him huh? The 'avenger', the 'killer of killers'. Nive outfit, I'm not sure about the face thought."
"I just want him." Matt points at X-pac.
"Well, you can't have him."
"Well," Matt rises to his feet to stand on table. "I see you have made you decision." Matt throws his arms out, like a crucifixtion pose. "NOw let's see you enforce it."
"Ah, this is already boring the shit out of me. Kill him!"
Everybody shoots at Matt, after some rounds hit him he falls backwards off table. They laugh and start to relax.
"Ooooh! That had to hurt," says Raven as everyone laughs.
"That guy was crazy!" says a fouth man as he looks under table for Matt's body.
Lita tries to grab the crow but it unsuccessful.
"He's gone!" he gets shot in the head.
Matt emerges shooting. Gun fight ensues. Raven, Lita and Tazz escape while Matt fights all the rest as he tries to get X-Pac. One by one he starts to kill them. Pausing a moment, "You're all going to die."
Somewhere in the fight Matt gets ahold of one of Raven's swords, once done using it he tosses it through the air. It lands in the table right above X-Pac who is cowering under the table.
Finally only X-Pac is left. Matt stands on table looking around him. He slowly walks to where the sword is. He slams it through the table scaring X-Pac who runs out from under the table. Matt jumps off the table and grabs him, "Guess it's not a good day to be a bad guy, huh, X-Pac?"
"I'm not X-Pac," he turns his face to the side. "There's X-Pac right there." Turns head back to face Matt. "X-Pac's dead!"
FLASHBACK--X-Pac holding Nidia down.
"That's right!" Matt throws X-Pac out of window to land on approaching police cars. Cops invade boardroom. Matt stands looking out window.
"HOld it! That's all she wrote!" Matt turns to face them. "Move and we shoot."
Matt dances off, they open fire. He jumps through window onto fire escape, cops outside shoot. He beings running on rooftops. Faarooq pulls up, sees Matt and begins to follow in own car. Helicopter chases Matt across rooftops. Finally he comes to the end of buildings, the gap is too far to jump. He stops on edge of roof, then falls off onto a homeless guys 'house'. Faarooq pulls up and opens foor for him.
"Come on! Move it," says Faarooq urgently.
Matt stumbles groaning against car, falls in. Faarooq peels out.
"My advice--next time, duck...so many cops you'd think they were giving away doughnuts." A few seconds later he brakes to avoid police car and Matt leaps out and dissapears.
"I knew you were going to do that."

Car driving over bridge:
Tazz is driving, Raven and Lita sit in backseat, city passing in background.
"Look at that out there--the whole city oughta be in flames by now. THe sky oughtta be red," says Raven.
"So that, I take it, was the late great Matt Hardy," says Tazz looking in rear view mirror.
"He has power, but it is power you can take from him," says Lita, 'petting' a crow feather.
"I like him already." Raven looks at Lita.
"The crow is his link between the land of the living and the realm of the dead."
"So, kill the crow...and destory the man," adds Tazz.

Quite street:
The crow flies ahead, Matt walks slowly. He removes Edge's coat. Pauses by scaffolding and leans wearily against it. "I'm coming home, Nidia."
Costumed kids approach, laughing, dancing around him. He laughs sadly in return.

part 12
Matt's grave:
Molly is curled up, sleeping next to it. Matt approaches, kneels, gently wiggles her foot to wake her.
Waking up, "You're gonna say I should't be in a cemetary in the middle of the night, right?"
"Safest place in the world to be," answers Matt.
"It's 'cause everybody's dead...I knew you're come here."
"It's really later, Molly," Matt says in a somewhat stern voice.
"You didn't say goodbye."
"You're just going to have to forgive me for that."
"And you're never coming back?"
Matt removes the engagement ring from around his neck, holds it so she can see it. "I gave this to nidia once," reaches forward to tie it around her neck. "I think she'd like you to have it. This way you'll always remember her."
"I'll never take it off," she holds the ring in hand. They hug, Molly is crying. "I better go sneak back in the house." She walks a few steps, stops, turns back towards Matt. Whispers, "bye."
Matt is too choked up to reply. She walks away, he kneels before Nidia's grave. Molly walks dispondetly through gate, past church front. Tazz watches from shadows, he grabs her, drags her inside church.
"Shhh, shhh. Take it easy, sweetheart."

In Church:
Raven and Lita wait. Tazz enters with Molly.
Raven watches Lita finger Nidia's ring. He reaches for it, "What's this? Some sort of souvenir there, from your pal?" Snatches it from her neck. "I'll just keep it for good luck, whaddya say?"
Lita holds Molly's face, "Hey eyes...are so innocent."

Matt still kneels before Nidia's grave, holding Molly's flowers. He starts to reach out, when crow sends him image of Molly being dragged away, calling his name. He leaps to his feet and runs to the church. He pushes open the doors and enters, crow flys ahead, walks down aisle to confront Raven. Lita ties Molly in bell tower. Tazz in pulpit with laser-scope rifle. Crow lands. Tazz sights on Matt, swings to shoot crow. Matt is jolted, spins around. Raven walks out from concealment.
"Quick impression for you," Raven makes 'wings' with hands. "Caw, car! Bang! Fuck! I'm dead!"
"Give me the girl and I'll let you walk out of here."
"Well, well. Why don't you just gimmie a minute to think about that, huh."
He walks off a few feet, pretending to think. Matt looks down at crow, struggling on floor, injured but not dead.
"Nah. Fuck it!" Raven turns, shoots Matt in shoulder, staggering him.
Matt gingerly touches bullet wound, "Ah, fuck!" He staggers back and falls.
"Well, well, well. It does seem to me that our little life has undergone a rather significant change in the past few minutes, wouldn't you agree?" He hits Matt, who collapses in agony at his feet. Touches bloody woung, "Well, for a ghost, you bleed just fine."
Tazz spots crow, "It's still alive."
"Well, then kill it!" yells Raven.
Tazz aims at crow, "Bye, bye birdie."
Before Tazz can fire the gun, a flare flies through the church, followed by gunfire from Faarooq. Gunfight between him, Tazz and Raven ensues, with Matt trying to dodge bullets. Matt dives behind the pews. Faarooq kills Tazz. Lita grabs crow and flees to bell tower. Raven follows Lita. Faarooq joins Matt.
On finding shotgun empty, "Ah, shit! Well, just came by to pay my respects and here you are getting all shot up again."
"They've taken Molly," says Matt.
"How many?"
"Two more," Matt gasps in pain. "I can handle it, don't worry."
"I'm not worried. Look, here's the plan--you stay in front and when they run out of ammo, i'll arrest them."
"That sounds like a great plan. There's just one problem," Matt shows him the bullet wound.
"Shit! You're bleeding all over the place. I thought, y'know, you were invincable."
"I was...I'm not anymore."
Faarooq sighs. "Well, I guess you really will need my help, won't you? C'mon."
He helps a groaning Matt to his feet, they got to stair well.
In stairwell Raven hands Lita gun, "You take that." He kisses her and takes Molly up stairs.
Lita shoots down at Matt and Faarooq, wounding Faarooq.
"You were supposed to stay behind me," says Matt.
"I think I messed up."
Matt painfully climbs stairs, faces Lita holding bird who is also aiming the gun at him.
"This is all the power you ever had. Now, it's mine. Pity, there's not more time.." she aims gun at him, "..for us."
Before she can shoot Matt, crow attacks, pecking out her eyes. She falls through railing, screaming. Lita tries to catch herself on rope from bell, but falls to the ground.
From rooftop, where Raven has dragged Molly, "Help, Matt, I'm scared!" She struggles, "Lemme go!"

Rooftop:
Raven holds Molly at far end, Matt climbs out at other. Rain squall hits.
Matt stalks toward them, "Let her go!" Stops in front of them. "You can have me. I won't fight you."
"Alright!" Raven says then pushes Molly over the side, draws sword.
"NO!"
Molly slides down roof, catches hand hold on edge. Raven fights Matt with sword. Matt grabs finial cross as lightning strikes and uses it for defense. Raven slowly over powers him. Molly loses her hold, crying Matt's name. Raven drops ring, which rolls down roof, to stop at edge. Matt beaten down, looks at Molly, his back to Raven.
Seeing Molly hanging, losing hold, "Molly!"
Molly, seeing Raven's attack, "Look out!"
Molly's warning is too late, Raven drives sword entirely through Matt's body. He arches up in agony mouthing "Oh dear God," turns and slumps against roof, gaspin, facing Raven.
"You know, my daddy used to say -- 'every man's got a devil and you can't rest 'til you find him!' What happened back there with you and your girlfriend, I cleared that building. Hell, nothing in this town happens without my say-so. So I'm sorry if I spoiled your wedding plans there, friend. If it's any consolation to you, you have put a smile on my face. You got a lot of spirit son, I am gonna miss you."
"I have something to give you. I don't want it anymore," Matt reaches forward, grabs Raven's face, "Thirty hours of pain!" Raven recoils Matt puts other hand on him forcing him back. "All at once!"
FLASHBACK--Nidia's death in ICU

"All for you!"
Raven's brain is fried by memories. He falls off roof and is impailed by gargoyle horns, the water running thorugh the gargoyle's mouth turns red.
Matt pulls Molly to safety, they hug. They stagger down stairwell and find Faarooq.
"Go help him."
Molly runs ahead and kneels by Faarooq, he follows slowly, painfully.
"Are you alive?" asks a worried Molly.
Matt joins them, sits down in door way, gasping in pain.
"Ah. God, I need a cigarette." He fishes pack out of pocket. "Everybody else dead?"
Matt takes pack. "You helped me." Taps head, "What you kept in here saved me. Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
Matt lights cigarette.
"I've been meaning to come to church anyway."
Matt puts cigarette in Faarooq's mouth, he takes a puff, spits out in disgust, "Oh,yuck! I'm quitting as of now...if I live."
You can hear the sirens of approaching police cars.
Matt stands, "Stay with him until help comes."
Molly looks at Faarooq, "He'll be okay, right?" She looks up, Matt has vanished. "Matt?"
"Unh, he does that a lot."

Nidia's grave:
Matt collapses in front of grave. Sounds of sirens pulling up. He's almost to weak to move. Huddles up by grave, shivering, whispering her name.

Church steps:
Faarooq being carried on stretcher, Molly walks beside him.
Austin in background, "Alright, what's going on in there?"
"Multiple homicides," answers a cop.
"At least it stopped raining," says Faarooq.
"It can't rain all the time."
"No! I don't believe it! This nightmare your fault, Faarooq?"
Faarooq to Molly, "You go on home."
Molly leaves.
"Want to tell me what's going on?"
"Your vigilante's up on the roof..." Faarooq grabs Austin by lapel, pulls him down. "You missed it."
"Get him outta here."

Graveyard:
Matt is still huddling beside grave. Nidia approaches, touches him, kisses him back to strength.
Matt's grave intact again, crow lands on headstone. Molly approaches crow. It drops ring into her hand. "Thanks."
Crow flies over city.

Voice of Molly Holly: "If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die...but real love is forever."