THE DOOM SUPREMACY FADE IN: INT. DARKNESS We seem to be in a small room, but its depth remains undefined, as the only light comes from a tiny candle. Beside it is the barely-discernable form of a figure shrouded in robes. The hooded figure shifts, sensing our presence, and turns slowly toward the flickering flame- - CUT TO: INT. TRUCK - DAY Flynn Taggart shakes his head and looks around the cab, as if awakening from a dream. Wearing an officer's uniform, Taggart looks clean-cut and healthy - but not quite happy. Getting out, he approaches a square domicile: the suburban castle of the future, solar panels on the roof and a homey facade on the front, complete with a lush yard full of synthesized grass. Taggart presses his thumb to a plate by the door, which opens in response. INT. HOUSE - FOYER Pulling off his jacket, he tosses it at a coat hanger. TAGGART Lor? I'm home! The place is meticulously clean and the front hall is adorned with commendations & medals, some belonging to Flynn Taggart and others to Lorelei Chen. He puts some hexagonal coins and a set of keys on an end table. There's a vase; the flowers within are black and wilted. TAGGART Hmm. Hey honey? INT. DEN Taggart's taken up hunting, as evidenced by the bear & buck heads mounted on the wood paneling. One wall is devoted to a monstrous plasma-screen TV. Leather recliner across from it. A man's safe haven. He flops down in the chair and reaches over to stroke the head of a rabbit sitting on a table. TAGGART How'd you get out, Daisy? Taggart's face goes pale. He jerks his hand back from the rabbit - rather, a rabbit's severed head, jammed onto a stake right there in the den. A new trophy for Taggart's collection. TAGGART Daisy. The silence of the house takes on a whole new meaning. Taggart pads across the floor to his gun cabinet. Pulls out a pump shotgun and creeps into the hall. INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY At the top of the staircase, Taggart scans the foyer, sees nothing out of the ordinary. All of the doors up here are slightly ajar. He moves silently past each one, pointing the barrel into the room, listening, watching for movement. Not a thing. TAGGART God...LORELEI!! One door left. Master bedroom. Also ajar. He kicks the door in and drop the gun to the floor...it hits the carpet with wet SQUELCH. Taggart's wife is in the bedroom. On the bed. The walls. The floor. The windows. Her death is painted on the carpet and etched into the bedposts. Her last moments are burned into the walls, the charred impact points of fireballs. He falls to his knees in her blood. His hands tear at his own hair, even as he spots hers, matted to a pillow; she was scalped. Taggart tries to form words. He slams into the doorframe, tumbles into the hall covered in crimson. SCREAMS. Somehow, Flynn finds the strength to stand. Behind him we see an armored MERCENARY with a machine gun. Taggart slowly turns, stares in shock and horror at this man. He could die right now and it wouldn't make a difference, he could never understand this moment, could never comprehend what has been done in his home. Then another figure emerges behind the merc. It's wearing a trench coat, its skin is gray and its eyes are purplish-black but by God it's an Imp. TAGGART BEHIND YOU!! The merc steps aside and the Imp launches a fireball at Taggart! Taggart leaps over the railing, down into the foyer. He smashes through the end table and rolls onto his back, pumping round after round through the second floor. The merc scrambles down the staircase, sniping at Taggart through the bannister. Taggart propels himself into the den with another shotgun blast. The merc hits the bottom floor and shreds the leather recliner with automatic fire. He walks calmly into the den, blowing everything to pieces: the TV, the shelves, the trophies, the gun cabinet, everything. Where's Taggart? The answer comes from behind - Taggart slams the butt of the shotgun into the merc's neck. The gunman crumples. Taggart comes around and bashes his face in. He aims into the merc's bloody eyes. TAGGART WHYYYY!? BLAM! Brains splatter the walls. The grayish Nightmare Imp comes down the stairs with a fireball in each hand. Taggart spins out of their path. The rear wall is struck & goes up in flames. Taggart slams the door and fires through it, hoping to fend off the demon. A gun taps the back of his head. MERCENARY Drop it. Taggart obliges. The shotgun drops in his hand, swings back to face the merc and discharges; but the merc sidesteps the blast and clocks him in the jaw with a weighted glove. Taggart pivots 90 degrees and slams his elbow into the merc's throat. He follows it up with a nose-shattering backhand and buries his boot heel in the gunman's gut. The door flies off its hinges courtesy of twin fireballs. The merc looks up hopefully; Taggart grabs his breastplate and HURLS him onto an elk's curled horns. TAGGART Game over. The Imp rushes in, trench coat billowing around its spiked legs. Taggart grabs a small bookshelf and meets the demon halfway. Splinters of wood and bone spray across the room. Taggart throws a fist at the Imp's face. The monster catches it and flips him into the wall. He's landed right beside what remains of the gun cabinet! Taggart punches through the glass door and whips out a loaded elephant rifle. The barrel thuds against the Imp's chest. TAGGART Do demons fly? The sound of the rifle is like God's hammer coming down, kicking the Nightmare Imp straight through the wall like it were nothing. Taggart drops the rifle into his lap and reloads. Sits up, waits for the Imp's inevitable return. After a few minutes, he gets to his feet and surveys the carnage. Two dead mercs, one still hanging from the elk, the other headless in the doorway. The Imp is out in the foyer, lying under a pile of debris. Taggart tears open the first merc's utility belt and spills out its contents: bullets, a stimpack, some cards. The first of which is an ID. TAGGART (reading) Lewis. SS. (beat) SS... He goes to the other merc and plucks out his card, identifying him as Mr. Tyson. There's a tiny PDA in another pouch. Upon turning it on, the first thing that pops up is an address: St. Thomas Cathedral. TAGGART Humans and fucking demons. They came for me. They came for ME, and... He collapses, trying to contain his grief. He can't. Flynn Taggart balls up on the floor and hugs the rifle, screaming like a man trapped in his worst nightmare. CUT TO: INT. CLOSET This is where he keeps all of his military-issue weaponry. He straps a long knife to his thigh, loads a super shotgun. Slings a brutal-looking double-chainsaw over his shoulder. A belt of grenades goes around his waist. EXT. HOUSE - DAY Taggart heads out with a hardened expression. He's in kill mode. He gets into his truck and peels out of the driveway, just in time to be rear-ended by a silver van. His windshield is blown out by the impact; Taggart sags against the steering wheel, but steps on the gas anyway. The van's shuttered windows open and gunfire peppers the truck. Taggart lays low, barely able to watch the road as he careens from one curb to the other. EXT. ROAD - CONTINUOUS He fishtails onto a busy commuter lane, clipping another car. The van weaves around the skidding traffic in hot pursuit. Taggart's able to put some distance between himself and them. He sits up and points a pistol out the rear window. The bullets bounce harmlessly off the van's tinted glass. TAGGART Fuck! He slams on the brakes and jerks the wheel HARD. The truck spins to face the van. The pursuer doesn't slow down. WHAM!!! The van's windshield falls away in a shower of glass, and Taggart gets a brief glimpse of the dark-haired woman at the wheel. The truck is plowed into a guardrail. Beyond the rail, a long drop into an icy river. The vehicle shrieks over the edge. Taggart fights to haul himself through the windshield... The truck splashes down. The woman gets out of the van and watches it sink beneath the rushing waters. A bald man in similar merc gear joins her. MERCENARY Is he dead? WOMAN No. CUT TO: INT. ST. THOMAS CATHEDRAL A priest walks down the long aisle, past row after row of empty pews. The cathedral is a work of art, framed by intricate stained-glass windows, carved pillars and overhead, a vaulted ceiling with crisscrossing rafters. The priest passes the candle-covered altar and takes a large Bible from the pulpit. He thumbs through the well-worn pages in search of a certain passage. Suddenly, he is startled; glancing up, he sees a man, badly bruised & soaked to the bone, clinging to one of the front pews. PRIEST My son... Taggart tries to stand, and in doing so exposes his cache of grenades. The priest stops in his tracks. PRIEST This is God's house. Taggart chatters as he shakes himself dry. TAGGART I-is He h-home? PRIEST Why, do you need someone to talk to? The priest motions towards the confessional booths. TAGGART S-somebody is looking...f-for this place. Killers. PRIEST Have you hurt someone? TAGGART I'm not a fucking lunatic!! His voice echoes around the room like a thundering organ. He sighs, pulls off the grenade belt and sets it aside. TAGGART Look, my wife was murdered today. The guys who did it were gunning for me and I think they might be gunning for you. PRIEST Have you gone to the police? TAGGART They can't arrest the Devil, padre. PRIEST What do you mean? The doors at the other end of the cathedral open silently, and a shadowy worshipper seats himself in the back. TAGGART Name's Flynn Taggart. Maybe you've heard of me. PRIEST I'm afraid I haven't. The worshipper in the back rises, starts up the aisle. He's wearing a gray trench coat. TAGGART I told God I was through with this shit. I thought it was over. Apparently I was wrong. Now I need answers. PRIEST I don't understand. The worshipper spreads his hands...his scaly gray hands. Fireballs swell in them. TAGGART Well padre, here's the short version. He turns and blasts the Nightmare Imp back down the aisle. The fireballs sail in opposite directions, taking out two stained-glass windows. Taggart strafes across the pews, pounding them with the super shotgun. The Imp takes cover and lobs a couple of fireballs. They miss by a wide margin. TAGGART Ya wanna know God, motherfucker?? I'll introduce ya personally!! Every single remaining window in the cathedral EXPLODES inwards, raining colored glass all over Taggart. He drops out of sight. The priest scrambles into the pulpit. The female merc drops down behind him. WOMAN Father Kelly. He tries to run - she presses a combat knife to his throat. Taggart speeds up a spiral staircase, to a balcony among the rafters. Down below, the Nightmare Imp brushes himself off as mercs swarm through the front doors. The woman rises with the priest in tow. WOMAN Major Taggart! No one else needs to die today! Taggart huddles in the balcony to reload. The mercs take firing positions all around the cathedral, searching for him. The woman leads Father Kelly down the aisle. The clergyman pales at the sight of the seething Nightmare Imp. WOMAN Taggart? He peers over the balcony, training his pistol on her head. TAGGART Kiss it goodbye, sister. The Imp shrieks and points straight at him! Gunfire lights up the cathedral. Taggart drops down as splinters dance all around him. The Imp slams a fireball each into two pews - they're kicked up into the air, smashing against the balcony. It groans and begins to crack. Taggart throws himself out onto a rafter. WOMAN Take him! He tugs the pin from a grenade and lobs it into the pews. TAGGART Say your prayers! The mercs dive for cover. The pews are blown to smithereens, the balcony dropping into their midst, the walls of the church trembling from the impact. Taggart hops from rafter to rafter as the chaos unfolds below. The woman draws a bead on him and puts a .22 round in his arm. TAGGART Damn- -! He falls, grabs onto the rafter with one good arm. The Nightmare Imp winds up a flaming fastball to finish him off. FATHER KELLY No! He shoves the woman back and throws himself at the Imp. The fireball screams into the chest of an unfortunate merc. Kelly grabs a cross-shaped candlestick as the Imp gets up with a snarl. FATHER KELLY In the name of the Lord I cast you from this house! He smacks the demon across the face. The Imp smiles. TAGGART (O.S.) Get down padre! Kelly dives aside. The woman fires - hits the Imp instead. WOMAN Shit! She retreats to the pulpit. The perturbed demon pulls a cube from his coat. Its six faces are adorned with tiny skulls, and when he tosses it onto the floor, it unfolds into a platform with a pentagram etched on it. It's a teleporter - and suddenly a host of greenish, transparent fiends - Nightmare Spectres - enters the cathedral. The mercs are falling back in a big way. Taggart dangles overhead and watches the Spectres fan out, their enormous nostrils flaring at the scent of human flesh. Father Kelly crawls beneath a pew, clutching a crucifix around his neck and whispering the Lord's Prayer. A green mist descends at the end of the aisle - the clawed foot of a Spectre. Kelly freezes. Taggart is losing strength. The Imp grins up at him. With his wounded arm, he pulls out the double chainsaw and revs it up by pressing a trigger. The serrated twin blades pulsate like carving knives. TAGGART Let's go. He drops. The Imp leaps back, and Taggart lands right on a Spectre, tearing into its thick hide. The monster squeals and bucks him off. Taggart bounces off a pew, rolls into the aisle, and jams the saws right down the Spectre's throat. TAGGART That oughta shut you up. The other Nightmare Spectres converge on Taggart's location. He waves them on with a bloodthirsty smile. Kelly stands up. FATHER KELLY Over here! Come for me! TAGGART No! The Spectres look around with uncertainty. The Imp generates a fireball behind its back. It attacks - Taggart ducks, and the flame hits a Spectre in the eye! The monster screams, stamping its feet. The others begin grunting. The Imp hisses. They attack it. Taggart grabs Kelly's robes and tugs him away from the melee, the Imp gyrating and slashing in a ball of grasping green limbs. TAGGART Wait here. He heads back, stooping beside the pentagram teleporter. Flips the panel over. TAGGART Jesus. Taggart takes off, just as a Spectre's blood spatters the panel - and the UAC corporate logo on its underside. CUT TO: EXT. ST. THOMAS CATHEDRAL - NIGHT TAGGART Do you have a car? FATHER KELLY Yes, but tell me what's going on!! TAGGART We'll get to that. Car! FATHER KELLY In the back! As they near the corner of the church, an explosion can be heard. Sure enough, it's Kelly's car. TAGGART Okay, Plan B. A shipping truck slows as its driver gawks at the explosion. Taggart leaps onto the grill and smashes the double chainsaw through the windshield. TAGGART United States Marine Corps! Official business- - The driver's long gone. Taggart shrugs and gets in, followed by Kelly. INT. SHIPPING TRUCK FATHER KELLY Now please, what's happening? TAGGART They're demons. FATHER KELLY I could see that much! TAGGART Five years ago, one of Mars's moons was sucked into Hell. I was there. Two years ago, they attacked Jupiter. I was there too. FATHER KELLY Is that why they're after you? TAGGART Sure. I killed a million of those slimy bastards and they're pissed off. It's good ol'-fashioned payback. Now, as for what they want with you, I have no idea. FATHER KELLY I don't think they intend to kill me. TAGGART Don't be fooled. Spectres like playing with their food. FATHER KELLY They must be after the mega-sphere. TAGGART Say what? FATHER KELLY The mega-sphere. Surely you know what a soul-sphere is? TAGGART Yeah, I've seen a few of 'em. FATHER KELLY The mega-sphere contains the most potent and pure soul of all. TAGGART You mean... FATHER KELLY The soul of Christ. And it's here on Earth. TAGGART Why the hell is that? FATHER KELLY Neutral territory. Neither Heaven nor Hell are supposed to touch it. But I've been researching the sphere for decades, and I think Hell is breaking the rules. TAGGART Typical. He rumbles over a trash can and onto a side street. TAGGART (CONT'D) Maybe I need to catch up on my Sunday school, but I don't remember reading about this in the Good Book. FATHER KELLY It's not in the Bible. Things like these are kept hidden from mortals. But, there are apocryphal texts scattered around the globe which tell of the mega-sphere. TAGGART Do you know where it is? FATHER KELLY Not quite. In the last few months I've gotten closer. That's why they want me, I fear. TAGGART So how does UAC fit in? FATHER KELLY What? TAGGART We're making a quick stop downtown. FATHER KELLY You're bleeding... TAGGART Good, means I'm still alive. He leans on the accelerator and begins reloading the super shotgun. CUT TO: EXT. UNION AEROSPACE CORPORATION - NIGHT Taggart rolls right on over the glowing UAC sign and across the sparsely-populated parking lot. It's an enormous complex of offices and hangars, but he knows right where he's going. INT. GATEWAY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION - ENTRYWAY Two security guards sit at a console, playing an old first person shooter on one of the closed-circuit monitors. GUARD 1 These graphics are shit. GUARD 2 Shut the fuck up, it's a classic. Taggart walks in with boomstick and chainsaw ready to go. The guards' jaws drop. GUARD 1 Where do you think you're going? TAGGART I'm here to see your boss. GUARD 2 D-do you have an appointment? TAGGART Sure. He blows the console to bits. TAGGART Wanna see my ID? He revs the double saw. The guards back off. CUT TO: INT. CORPORATE OFFICE ROLAND TRAGUE, a handsome man in his early fifties, sits behind his desk with a thick report in hand. He yawns as Taggart enters. ROLAND TRAGUE Susan, can you grab me a cup- - (sees Taggart) You're Flynn Taggart. TAGGART Not a real popular name around here, is it? ROLAND TRAGUE Not when you enter unannounced. And packing heavy weaponry to boot. He tries a smile. Taggart gives him a cold stare. TAGGART A demon just tried to roast my ass. He used a UAC teleporter to summon backup. Thoughts? ROLAND TRAGUE Now Major Taggart, I was at the hearings. I heard your testimony and frankly, after all I've seen, I believe it. Do you understand? (no reply from Taggart) But are you suggesting that these demons actually have UAC's technology? TAGGART I'm suggesting you GAVE it to them. Along with a compliment of mercenaries. ROLAND TRAGUE Mercenaries! He laughs and sets the report down. ROLAND TRAGUE Major, I'm a businessman. I shave on the morning train, I eat lunch at McDonald's and I piss my wife off by working late nights. I don't issue "compliments of mercenaries" to the forces of Hell! A side door opens, and the dark-haired woman enters. WOMAN Is there a problem, Mister Trague? ROLAND TRAGUE Not at all, just having a word with the Major. (to Taggart) This is Janella Sabando, chief of Security Solutions. TAGGART ...SS. SABANDO Pleasure to meet you, Major. (beat) Are those guns loaded? TAGGART You know they are, bitch. ROLAND TRAGUE Am I missing something? TAGGART (to Sabando) You killed my wife. You tried to kill me. She doesn't respond, doesn't even move. One hand is at her side and slightly toward the back; she's fingering a pistol. Taggart narrows his eyes. Can he take her out? The bald merc walks through the other door with a machine gun. ROLAND TRAGUE Cervantes? CERVANTES Major Taggart assaulted two of our men downstairs and destroyed a security station. TAGGART I don't remember that. SABANDO Why don't you come with us? ROLAND TRAGUE Taggart, I assure you I will look into this immediately, but you can't expect to get what you want by tearing this place apart! TAGGART Maybe not. But it feels pretty damn good. He takes a huge chunk out of Trague's desk with the shotgun. Cervantes fires; Taggart deflects the bullet with the saw and takes aim. Cervantes dives out the door. Sabando watches with bemusement as Taggart walks out, glaring at her the entire time, a promise of vengeance in his eyes. SABANDO (to Trague) My men will meet him at the gate. CUT TO: INT. SHIPPING TRUCK Taggart climbs in. TAGGART All right, so let's say they're after the mega-sphere. What happens if they find it? FATHER KELLY I'm not sure. Didn't get that far in my research. TAGGART How can I help? FATHER KELLY You want to help me? TAGGART If helping you will fuck them up, I'm down. FATHER KELLY Well, when you put it that way...there's a library in Old London. England. TAGGART Yeah, England, I knew that. FATHER KELLY There are rich apocryphal texts stored there. It could mean a breakthrough. TAGGART Then we're going to England. FATHER KELLY How do you propose doing that? TAGGART I have a way with people. CUT TO: INT. HANGAR Several military transports, sleek jets with long fuselages & rocket thrusters, are lined up in pristine condition. UAC is emblazoned on each's hull. FATHER KELLY We're stealing a transport? TAGGART They're not gonna let us leave this complex alive. FATHER KELLY But...do you know how to fly one of these things? TAGGART I spent a little time in the cockpit in Basic. He climbs up onto the nearest jet. TAGGART What're you waiting for? FATHER KELLY Just praying. CUT TO: EXT. HANGAR - NIGHT Sabando and Cervantes watch the transport's vertical takeoff. CERVANTES We'll be able to track him. SABANDO I know that. (beat) I think he does too. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. OLD LONDON - MORNING A dense fog blankets the original city's last vestiges. The shops and churches here haven't yet been swallowed by the steel monoliths of the 26th century. Taggart and Kelly part the fog and consult a real-time map: a flat, transparent panel with dots representing cars running up and down the streets. FATHER KELLY Taggart...Can I call you Flynn? TAGGART Why not. FATHER KELLY I may not know you, but you saved my life...I wanted to thank you for that. And offer my condolences. TAGGART I don't want to hear it. Got me? FATHER KELLY Of course. TAGGART Here we are. They face a breathtaking work of architecture, the Tower Library; beautiful as it is, it seems to suit the gloomy atmosphere perfectly. Its dark doorway beckons to the two men. CUT TO: INT. TOWER LIBRARY - READING ROOM Kelly picks through a shelf filled with frail, yellowed texts. Taggart drums his knuckles impatiently on a desk. FATHER KELLY I've waited more than thirty years just to see if these books actually existed. TAGGART Well, we don't have another thirty to look at 'em. FATHER KELLY Flynn, please. I need to know as much as I can about the mega sphere. He sits down with a dusty tome and cracks it open. FATHER KELLY These texts were gathered by the Church and locked away in the 1700s. This is the Book of Doom. TAGGART Oooh. FATHER KELLY They didn't want to believe in the mega-sphere, but sometime in 1750, a man found it. TAGGART Found it? FATHER KELLY A monk by the name of Brother Augustine. After locating the sphere he moved it to an unknown location. There, he took a piece of it for himself. TAGGART Don't leave me in suspense here, padre. FATHER KELLY There aren't many reliable sources on the subject. But it's said that Augustine became immortal - and was condemned to Hell for the rest of his eternity. TAGGART Ouch. A triangular sliver of stone falls from the book. Kelly picks it out of his lap with a frown. FATHER KELLY What's this? It has a symbol carved into it. A sudden breeze passes through the room, blowing tattered pages across the desk. TAGGART Stay here. He slips out. Father Kelly pockets the stone. INT. STACKS Taggart creeps between two ceiling-high bookshelves, glancing from side to side to see if anyone's in the adjacent aisles. A small figure steps in front of him. He whips out the super shotgun. LIBRARIAN Oh my! The old woman clutches her breast in horror. TAGGART Sorry lady. You see anyone else come up here? LIBRARIAN No, no one at all! TAGGART That's what I was afraid of. (beat) Kelly! The priest walks out of the reading room with a bundle of books under his arm. TAGGART Forget about the books, they're onto us! FATHER KELLY I need to translate these- - TAGGART Are you retarded?! Drop the goddamn books! Something shoots past the aisle, and the little old librarian is gone. TAGGART Get outta here Kelly! Snorting can be heard in all directions. The Nightmare Spectres are back, stalking the rows, sniffing out their next meal. Kelly runs back into the reading room. Taggart looks across the tops of the books on his right. A green shadow grunts at him. He blasts the books to dust, crashing into the shelf at his rear, more books spilling down on him. Cries erupt throughout the library, but they're the cries of the damned. TAGGART C'mon out you cowards!! The next blast shears reams of paper away from an entire shelf. Something rushes at Taggart through the falling pages. BLAM! BLAM! The Spectre arcs through the air, gushing blood, and slams into a cart. In the lobby, a pentagram teleporter folds back into a cube. The Nightmare Imp places it in his trench coat and heads upstairs. INT. READING ROOM Taggart drags Kelly out from under the desk. TAGGART We're leaving! FATHER KELLY How?? Taggart shoots out the nearest window. FATHER KELLY I won't do it! TAGGART Then you die. A mercenary rappels down to the window and sprays the room with gunfire. Taggart throws Kelly to the floor and takes cover behind the desk. He returns fire, leaving the merc a broken puppet dangling from its string. TAGGART Okay, so we're not going that way. FATHER KELLY They have us boxed in, don't they? We're doomed! TAGGART Don't ever say that. He produces a grenade and hands it to the priest. TAGGART Their outsides are invisible. Their insides aren't. FATHER KELLY I can't do this. I can't. TAGGART You want your mega-sphere, you're gonna have to wade through the gibs of Hell's finest. They're DEMONS, padre. You've been part of this battle since the day you put that collar on. FATHER KELLY And you? TAGGART I've been a part of this battle since the day they killed me. He breaks the shotgun stock over his knee and slides two fresh cartridges in. TAGGART They've got all the exits blocked, we'll make a new one. Let's rock. CUT TO: INT. STACKS A ghostly Spectre shuffles through ruined books in search of blood. Something rolls over its foot, and it squats to examine the object. A second later, the inside-out demon is launched through a wall of flaming literature as the grenade sends the stacks down in a fiery domino effect. Taggart yanks Kelly through the fire, pausing to rearrange a Spectre's face at close range. TAGGART Vengeance is mine, assholes!! Another Spectre wraps its arm around Kelly's throat and tears him away. The encroaching flames singe Taggart's arms as he flings crumbling shelves aside. TAGGART Kelly! Where are you?! FATHER KELLY (O.S.) Flynn!! Part of the fire comes to life and races at Taggart - it's the Nightmare Imp, and he delivers a flame-packed punch to our hero's face! Taggart slams into a railing and is nearly pitched into the lobby. The Imp is on him in milliseconds. Face to face, they grab one another's arms and strain their muscles to the breaking point. This guy is as big as Taggart, and looks just as mean. TAGGART Can't - beat - me- - He throws the Imp out into space! The screaming demon plummets into the circulation desk. Meanwhile, Kelly is pinned to a wall. The Spectre grinds its gnashing teeth against his belly. He rips the crucifix from his neck and stabs the Spectre in the back. It howls in agony, rearing back to snap his head off - then its own head explodes! FATHER KELLY Saints be praised! Taggart pulls Kelly to his feet. TAGGART Yeah, shotguns do that. He lobs another grenade across the room. The wall blisters and falls away, revealing a busy street at night. TAGGART That's our exit. EXT. TOWER LIBRARY - CONTINUOUS Taggart steps out onto a second-story ledge, helps Kelly do the same. A merc leans over the edge of the roof to snipe at them. He's tagged by the shotgun & sent to the street below. FATHER KELLY We're going to fall. TAGGART Head back inside if you want. A Spectre scrabbles onto the ledge. Taggart fires - or tries to. TAGGART Fuck. Padre, grab the pistol from my waist! Kelly inches his hand towards the gun, terrified of dropping from the ledge. The Spectre seems to be having the same concerns, but it slowly makes its way toward him. TAGGART C'mon man! FATHER KELLY ALL RIGHT!! He snatches the pistol- - Cracks off two rounds in the Spectre's ugly mug- - Falls! Taggart grabs his hand and heaves him back to safety. The Spectre isn't so lucky. It comes apart like a sack of shit on top of a city bus. TAGGART First kill! How does it feel? Kelly grips Taggart tightly and pukes over the ledge. TAGGART You'll get used to it. Mindful of both the street and the rooftop, Taggart leads Kelly around the corner. CUT TO: EXT. STREET The Nightmare Imp charges out the entrance. A policeman getting out of his cruiser aims at the fiend. BOBBY Don't take another step! The Imp claps its claws together, generating a fireball just about the size of the cop's head. Around the corner, Taggart and Kelly slide down a drainage pipe into an alley. They hear screams of terror erupting out on the street. FATHER KELLY So where do we go?? TAGGART I know a place we can hide out. We just need to get there. FATHER KELLY Easier said than done. The Nightmare Imp's at the mouth of the alley. It throws its coat back with a flourish and summons fire. CERVANTES (O.S.) Got 'im! Taggart looks up, sees the merc's gun trained on his head. TAGGART Kelly. FATHER KELLY Father in Heaven- - TAGGART Amen! He grabs the pistol from the priest and pops Cervantes in the wrist. The merc jerks and fires off a round, hitting the Imp! It spins away, clutching its throat. CERVANTES Christ! The Imp roars and hurls the fireball at Cervantes, engulfing his head. It then summons a new flame meant for Taggart - but Taggart's gone. CUT TO: EXT. MOOR - MORNING Taggart and Kelly trudge through that endless fog across a peaty, desolate field. Kelly shivers bitterly and rubs his hands together; Taggart stares purposefully ahead. FATHER KELLY Any idea where we are? TAGGART Yeah, shouldn't be much farther. FATHER KELLY I want to ask you about something... TAGGART Don't. I really mean it. I don't want your sympathy, your blessings, or your prayers. FATHER KELLY Flynn? Taggart turns like he's ready to knock the priest out. TAGGART Don't. FATHER KELLY What's God like? Taggart is caught off-guard by the question. He smiles a little. TAGGART If we live through this, I'll tell ya. If not, you'll see for yourself. They hit a crude wooden fence. Taggart points to a cottage on the horizon. TAGGART That's them. CUT TO: EXT. COTTAGE He raps on the front door. A woman opens it, and her beauty is marred for a split-second by shock. TAGGART Hey Arlene. ARLENE Flynn. What are you...your arm. What happened? TAGGART They're back. She lets them in without another word. INT. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS A bald man sets down his newspaper and rises from his easy chair. ALBERT GALLATIN Flynn Taggart. Am I glad to see you again? TAGGART No. ALBERT GALLATIN Figured as much. Arlene grabs a damp towel and presses it to the .22 wound in Taggart's arm. TAGGART It's just a scratch. ARLENE Grow up Flynn. ALBERT GALLATIN Who's this, then? TAGGART Father Kelly. Kelly, this is Albert and Arlene Gallatin. Formerly of the United States Marines. ALBERT GALLATIN Yeah, how about that. We leave the Corps, move to another continent and here you are bleeding on our doorstep. ARLENE Al. Albert pats Taggart's arm. He doesn't flinch. Gallatin smiles. ALBERT GALLATIN So how much time have we got? TAGGART I don't know. ARLENE You mean you think they'll follow you here?? Her expression changes abruptly. She looks at her husband. TAGGART What? You don't have weapons? ALBERT GALLATIN We've got weapons all right. It's... A soft whimper comes from the hallway. As the four stare at one another, the sound escalates into a baby's cry for its mother. FATHER KELLY Dear Lord. CUT TO: INT. CELLAR Albert opens a case on a worktable, prying a disassembled sniper rifle from its foam padding and slapping it together. TAGGART If I'd known- - ALBERT GALLATIN Not your fault. What's important now is that we protect the house. TAGGART Right. (beat) What's its name? ALBERT GALLATIN Her name is Angel. He reaches under the table and hands Taggart a chaingun. TAGGART My baby. ALBERT GALLATIN You gonna do as I say this time? TAGGART I guess it wouldn't kill me. ALBERT GALLATIN Probably not. Gallatin shoves a full clip into the rifle. ALBERT GALLATIN Where's Lorelei in all this? TAGGART A better place. CUT TO: INT. KITCHEN Arlene glances nervously out the window as she cradles baby Angel. Kelly looks on with a sad smile. FATHER KELLY How old is she? ARLENE Six months. How did you get mixed up with Flynn Taggart? FATHER KELLY He saved me. ARLENE That's usually how it goes. FATHER KELLY Were you there? ARLENE I've seen the demons, if that's what you're asking. I've killed them. And if even one of those slobbering mongrels even thinks about crossing this threshold, I'm gonna split its head wide open. FATHER KELLY Understood. Albert and Taggart enter, lugging a foot locker packed with guns & ammo. ALBERT GALLATIN Take the baby into the back. ARLENE You want me to stay back there? ALBERT GALLATIN Of course. Arlene nods and grabs a pistol from the foot locker. ALBERT GALLATIN Father? FATHER KELLY Um... Kelly picks uncertainly through the guns. Taggart sighs and hands him a shotgun. TAGGART It's got a nice kick but I think you can handle it. ALBERT GALLATIN Fog's rolling in. TAGGART We're on, fellas. He feeds an ammo belt into the chaingun. ALBERT GALLATIN Sure you don't want something for the pain? Pointing at Taggart's arm, Gallatin fishes a black medikit from beneath the sink. ALBERT GALLATIN No shame in- - The window cracks over his head, and a pea-sized hole appears in the opposite wall. They all hit the floor. ALBERT GALLATIN Sniper. He rolls over and slides on his back to the side door. Nudges it open with the barrel of his rifle. ALBERT GALLATIN Can't see a damn thing. A bit of wood flies off of the doorframe. Another bullet. Gallatin hustles back in. ALBERT GALLATIN How can they possibly see us? TAGGART They've got Hell on their side. Something crackles in the air outside. From the floor, they can see lightning arcing through the fog, a sight all at once wondrous and terrifying. EXT. COTTAGE Orange-skinned Nightmare Cacodemons are circling over the house, spitting twin bolts of lightning from their fanged mouths. Through the fog we can barely make out the shapes of mercenaries moving from point to point. One of them scoots toward the side door. He slowly, slowly stands up, trying to see through the window screen. Gallatin, still lying on his back, kicks the door open and pops the merc in the head. The door swings shut. INT. KITCHEN ALBERT GALLATIN These guys aren't zombies, Taggart. TAGGART They're UAC. ALBERT GALLATIN What?! TAGGART Helluva merger, huh? A Cacodemon's single green eye stares through the window. Taggart sits up, spitting out a one-liner in the two seconds it takes the chaingun to wind up. TAGGART Peek-a-boo! Eyeball fluid gushes into the sink as the Cacodemon is shredded, hissing madly, managing to escape with its life. Father Kelly just stares in horrible awe. A window breaks elsewhere in the house. ALBERT GALLATIN Arlene!! INT. BEDROOM She's sitting on the floor with the baby in her lap. The window overhead is broken. Lightning licks the air outside. ARLENE I'm okay! A shadow fills the window. She begins firing. INT. KITCHEN Albert sprints for the hallway. A lightning bolt splits the front door in two, knocking him across the room. He tumbles over his easy chair just in time to avoid a hail of bullets. The house is being riddled with gunfire now, every surface blistered, plaster and wood showering the heroes. Albert crawls on his belly towards the hall, screaming Arlene's name. She races out of the bedroom with the baby wrapped up in her arms, bullet after bullet whistling through her hair. Arlene ducks down beside her husband. ARLENE Cellar! ALBERT GALLATIN Flynn!! Get to the cellar! INT. CELLAR Flynn and Kelly scramble down the steps; the kitchen's side door is torn away by some unseen monstrosity. INT. KITCHEN Albert blasts away at the fog to provide cover for Arlene & Angel. A fireball streaks across the kitchen table. ALBERT GALLATIN Imps! Just one - the Nightmare Imp. As Arlene rushes down the cellar stairs, it leaps from the fog to grab Albert's throat. INT. CELLAR Arlene pulls a panel away from the wall, revealing an earthen tunnel. TAGGART You're kidding. ARLENE We knew they'd come for us sooner or later. Now go! Albert screams from upstairs. TAGGART I've got him. Get the baby outta here! INT. KITCHEN The Imp smashes Albert through a row of cabinets, bringing him down on the table. It prepares to immolate him. Taggart slugs the fiend in the jaw. It roars and backhands him. Crashing to the floor, he spots the black medikit. The Imp is choking the life out of Albert Gallatin. He rakes his fingernails through its leathery flesh; it seems to relish the pain. Taggart jams a black syringe into his arm. His face flushes and a wide grin spreads across it. TAGGART Adrenaline. He grabs the Imp by the shoulder and, with a flick of the wrist, slams it into the sink, knocking the wind (and fire) out of the demon. Taggart plows a meaty fist into the Imp's face. It sails into the wall. He charges forward with a berserker cry, using both fists to drive the Imp INTO the wall. TAGGART Fight back pussy! WHAM! A haymaker across the Imp's face. Blood sprays the wall. POW! Ribs crack. A bone spur falls to the floor. The Imp wails. Fireballs are blown out with each impact. WHAM! BAM! CRASH! Taggart drags the miserable creature the entire length of the wall and slams him into the floor. ALBERT GALLATIN C'mon Taggart! TAGGART I'm just getting started baby! Feel the burn motherfucker! I'm gonna tear you some new ones- - Right on cue, his bulging veins relax, and the color leaves his face. TAGGART Oh shit. The Imp looks up weakly. TAGGART I'm coming down fast, Al... He drops into Gallatin's arms and is whisked downstairs. The Imp starts to sit up, and passes out. CUT TO: EXT. MOOR - LATER Four adults and one baby sit on a foggy roadside. FATHER KELLY Are you sure you'll be all right? ALBERT GALLATIN My colleagues will take care of us. TAGGART And here I thought you'd retired. ALBERT GALLATIN A soldier's work is never done. ARLENE British Intelligence, Flynn. With any luck, they'll be able to stall UAC. ALBERT GALLATIN I'll arrange transportation for the two of you. TAGGART Thanks Sarge. (beat) So where are you and I headed, padre? FATHER KELLY East. CUT TO: INT. BULLET TRAIN - DAY Kelly is asleep beside a window, past which zips the countryside of some European principality. Taggart watches him, watches the door, watches the sky. Kelly awakes with a start. FATHER KELLY God! TAGGART Nightmare? FATHER KELLY I should be thankful that's all it was. TAGGART Are you serious about Jerusalem? FATHER KELLY Brother Augustine was seen there in 1902. It's possible that that's where he hid the mega-sphere. TAGGART I need a drink. CUT TO: INT. DINING CAR Taggart slides onto an empty stool and flags down the bartender. TAGGART Scotch. REAL Scotch. Double. SABANDO (O.S.) Make it two. She sits down beside him and places a bill on the bar. SABANDO On me. TAGGART You're swell. SABANDO Where's our jet? TAGGART Crashed it outside Manchester. SABANDO Mmm. TAGGART Don't tell me you came all this way just to get back one of UAC's toys. SABANDO You know about the mega-sphere. Taggart nods and receives his drink from the barkeep. TAGGART I've heard things. SABANDO You can't even begin to comprehend what this all means. TAGGART Do you think I fucking care? All I need to know is that you're in bed with Hell. SABANDO Heaven didn't return our calls. (sips drink) God doesn't care about you or me. And frankly, neither does the Devil, but at least he's willing to strike a bargain. TAGGART You murdered Lorelei. SABANDO She wasn't supposed to die. TAGGART There's going to be a lot of that in the coming days. He swallows the rest of his drink and steps off the stool. TAGGART I promise. He leaves the car. CUT TO: EXT. REFUGEE CAMP - JERUSALEM - DAY A wind-swept desert wasteland. Conflict in this region has never settled down, and we are presented with the familiar sight of war-torn refugees huddled in crude shanties. Taggart and Kelly are traveling in a lunar-rover conversion customized for the harsh terrain of this former city. A sandstorm beats on the roof as they ride along. FATHER KELLY Look at these people. Almost as if they'd be better off dead. TAGGART Death's overrated, Father. Now tell me what we're looking for. FATHER KELLY The Temple of Shaitan was buried in an earthquake in 1910. Looters in the 22nd century dug a system of tunnels leading down to the temple. TAGGART You think Augie stuck the mega sphere in the temple? FATHER KELLY We won't know until we get there. A U.S. soldier hails the rover, and Taggart pulls over. TAGGART What's your name, son? BITTERMAN PFC Bitterman, sir. TAGGART Name's Major Taggart. Trying to locate a Temple of Shaitan. BITTERMAN You mean the new UAC project? CUT TO: EXT. TEMPLE ENTRANCE - DAY Several UAC vehicles form a perimeter around a fenced tunnel entrance. Taggart watches the activity through a pair of binoculars. TAGGART Bastards beat us to it. FATHER KELLY They must have recovered the texts from the library. TAGGART Take a look at this. Handing Kelly the binoculars, he points him toward a spot near the tunnel entrance. A chain is lying on the ground. Suddenly, it slides across the sand like a serpent. TAGGART (O.S.) There's a Spectre on the end of that leash. They're not taking any chances. FATHER KELLY So what do we do? Taggart opens the tailgate of the rover and pulls out two long cases, both of which presumably contain whoopass. TAGGART We go the fuck down there. CUT TO: EXT. TEMPLE ENTRANCE - LATER Faintly outlined by the blowing sand, the sentinel Spectre looks left to right, snorts, digs a claw into the earth. Taggart slips up behind it and presses the super shotgun to its head. CUT TO: INT. TUNNEL He leads the way down the sloping passage to the buried temple. The tunnel opens up into an enormous TEMPLE HALL Which is teeming with UAC mercenaries. Taggart and Kelly take cover behind a pillar and observe the action. There is a gaping chasm in the middle of the hall, preventing access to the rest of the temple. As they watch, the Nightmare Imp produces one of its teleporter cubes from its trench coat. The cube is attached by a merc to something like a harpoon gun. The merc fires the cube across the chasm - upon impact, it unfolds into a flat pentagram. A second teleporter is laid out at the mercs' feet. One by one, they step onto it, and are sent across the chasm in a flash of green light. FATHER KELLY Unbelievable. TAGGART Psh. The last merc to cross is Janella Sabando. She's followed by the Nightmare Imp, who casts a dark glance toward the tunnel. TAGGART After you, padre. They approach the pentagram. Kelly crosses himself at the sight of the infernal symbol. Then he steps onto it. The priest appears on the other side, staggering in shock from the teleporter. Taggart steps through space to join him. CUT TO: INT. WORSHIP ROOM Huge inverted crosses have been carved into the walls. They glow with an eerie red light, casting it upon the awed faces of the mercs. SABANDO Where are we? She looks back at the Imp, who only scowls before resuming its patrol of the room. INT. HALLWAY Kelly grimaces at a mummified corpse. Taggart slaps his arm. TAGGART Where's the sphere, Father? FATHER KELLY I-I don't know. We'll have to search the temple. TAGGART Wrong answer. FATHER KELLY I'm sorry but I didn't build the damn thing! TAGGART Hey, back off pal. INT. WORSHIP ROOM The Imp hurls the lid off of a stone sarcophagus. A cloud of dust drives the mercs back as the Imp fishes through the coffin's contents. It pulls out a large, rifle-like construct made entirely of bone. A Hell-spawn'd weapon - the Unmaker. SABANDO What's that for? Something shifts. The TEMPLE shifts. It's a subtle movement, but enough to shake the spiders and rocks from the ceiling. Then again. Again... Footfalls. A cavernous opening at the far end of the chamber begins to glow with an unholy light. The Nightmare Imp slides the Unmaker onto its wrist. MERCENARY I think we woke something up. SABANDO Fall back! Taggart and Kelly enter on the other side. They hear the thudding too. Handing Kelly the super shotgun, Taggart goes for the chaingun. TAGGART I knew this was too damn easy. Sabando turns. SABANDO Taggart! TAGGART Aim for its weapon, Kelly. FATHER KELLY What are you talking about?! The temple's guardian, a towering CYBERDEMON thunders into the chamber, immediately launching three missiles into the floor. CHOOM!! CHOOM!! CHOOM!! Mercenaries are blasted to bits. Taggart unleashes the chaingun. It slaps the Cyberdemon's metallic hide like so many gnats. The behemoth ignores it, turning its evil glare on the mercs at its feet. SABANDO Kill it!! The Imp ducks behind a column and watches the onslaught. It's a massacre. For every missile launched by the demon, three or four mercs are pulverized. The glow of the inverted crosses intensifies. The Imp throws itself into the middle of the chamber, an inky black jet shooting from the Unmaker. The energy hits the Cyberdemon in the chest, and it roars in pain! TAGGART I want that. FATHER KELLY Look out! The priest tackles the Marine. A missile speeds past them & on down the hallway. Sabando rolls out of the way of a crumbling column. Her men are toast and the Imp is the only one putting up a fight. She retreats. TAGGART Back down the hall! The big guy can't follow us! They retreat as well; the Nightmare Imp is left alone to pound the monster with dark energy. Two missiles pitch the Imp into a sarcophagus. The Cyberdemon brings down every pillar in the Imp's vicinity, then heads for the smaller hallway. INT. HALLWAY An apocalyptic rumbling causes Taggart & Flynn to stumble. The Cyberdemon is cramming itself into the hall! TAGGART Fuck! He turns and fills its face with lead. The demon fires back and is swallowed by dirt. TAGGART Move! Now! INT. TEMPLE HALL Kelly leaps without hesitation onto the teleporter. He's across the chasm in a millisecond. Taggart is close behind - but just before he reaches the pentagram, another explosion knocks him off his feet. The Cyberdemon tears out of the hallway. Taggart crawls onto the teleporter just before its hoof comes smashing down. Across the chasm, Kelly reels under the force of several missile impacts. The behemoth isn't about to let them leave. They'll be dead in seconds. Taggart looks back at the Cyberdemon, standing on either side of the teleporter, about to fire the killing shot. TAGGART Gotcha asshole. He leaps BACK onto their side's teleporter - appearing in the same space occupied by the Cyberdemon, and TELEFRAGGING it in a geyser of spewing entrails. When the red mist clears, Kelly sees Taggart teleporting back with a bloody smile. TAGGART Well, looks like no one gets the mega-sphere. Good enough for me. FATHER KELLY I'm starting to think that it wasn't here after all. TAGGART You're shitting me. FATHER KELLY I found this... He pulls out a small, thin stone with an evil symbol carved on it. FATHER KELLY ...In the chamber where the demon appeared. It's just like the one from the library. TAGGART You think that guy was guarding a fucking paperweight? FATHER KELLY These runestones may be the key to locating the mega-sphere. TAGGART That was a CYBERDEMON!! They don't get any bigger than that! He was the boss! It's over, padre! FATHER KELLY No, it isn't. He brushes some guts off of his robes and heads into the tunnel. TAGGART Fine. (beat) Fine! CUT TO: INT. WORSHIP ROOM The Unmaker punches through a pile of rubble, still attached to the Nightmare Imp's arm... CUT TO: EXT. UAC CAMP - NIGHT Sabando's remaining men, numbering about half a dozen, are loading up while she speaks into a sat-phone. SABANDO We lost the Imp. It doesn't matter, we still have soulcubes. (pause) Taggart? Don't worry about Taggart. CUT TO: EXT. REFUGEE CAMP - NIGHT Taggart and Kelly huddle under the relative shelter of a wind battered tarpaulin. On the other side of the tarp, a cube is dropped. It unfolds into a teleporter. Neither man notices the green flash as they huddle close to an electric heater. Neither notices the hovering shadow, outlined by flames, that draws near the tarp. On the other side, we see a Lost Soul - but this skull's flame is bright blue, and its eyes glow with malevolence. It speeds toward the tarp. The heater stutters and dies out. Taggart swears and leans over to hit it. The Lost Soul passes through the tarp like a ghost, shooting over Taggart's head and straight into Kelly's chest! The priest gasps and falls back. TAGGART You okay? Kelly opens his mouth, but there's no sound - then a peaceful look comes over him. He sits up. TAGGART This thing's shot. Kelly grabs the super shotgun at his feet. TAGGART What's wrong? He sees murder in Kelly's eyes a split-second before the gun fires. Taggart vaults out of the makeshift tent, kicking up a volley of sand as he scrambles for cover. Kelly walks calmly after him. BLAM! A stack of crates blows up in Taggart's face. He pitches through another tent, scattering its occupants. TAGGART The fuck are you doing, Kelly?! BLAM! BLAM! Scrap metal flies off the wall of a shanty. Taggart rolls under a rover and looks for a weapon. Nothing within reach. One of the tires is split by a gunshot. He makes a break for it. Kelly's right on his tail. Taggart stumbles over the crest of a sand dune and falls right into a bonfire. Sparks fly in the faces of the terrified onlookers. The Marine rolls frantically to escape the flames, just as Father Kelly scales the dune and takes aim. TAGGART NO!!! Click. Empty. Kelly discards the boomstick and comes down the hill. Taggart is quick to put the bonfire between himself and the mad priest. TAGGART You got one in you. Kelly smiles, not his smile, but that of the gleeful Lost Soul. FATHER KELLY Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming... TAGGART Blah blah blah. He whips out a pistol and pops Kelly in the forehead. The Lost Soul comes screaming out of Kelly, snared by the bullet & hurled back into the netherworld. The priest falls facedown in the sand. Taggart jumps the bonfire and rolls Kelly over. There's no head wound. TAGGART Thank Christ. Kelly stirs and rubs the sand from his eyes. FATHER KELLY Flynn! I'm sorry, I- - TAGGART It's okay padre, I get it. FATHER KELLY It was like a nightmare. I was IN Hell, in my own body! TAGGART I said I get it. FATHER KELLY No, listen to me! I saw...I was in a room, a dark room, lit by a single candle. There was a man in robes. A monk... Sounds familiar. Taggart raises an eyebrow. TAGGART No shit. FATHER KELLY It was Brother Augustine. (beat) I know where we need to go. FADE TO: EXT. FLATBED - DAY Snow swirls around Taggart, Kelly and a host of other bedraggled men wrapped in blankets, all seated together on the back of a truck. They're rumbling down a mountain road in the middle of nowhere. TAGGART S-S-S-Siberia. FATHER KELLY Hell frozen over. TAGGART Ha. FATHER KELLY I'm certain that Augustine brought the mega-sphere here. I saw him sitting in the tower of a monastery...these mountains were in the background. PASSENGER (thick Russian accent) You mean Mekar Apka! FATHER KELLY What's that? PASSENGER They built an army base there during the Eighth War! It's all gone to shit now! TAGGART It got HBO? The Russian laughs and elbows a half-dead buddy. FATHER KELLY How far?? PASSENGER One hundred, one hundred twenty kilometers! FATHER KELLY (to Taggart) We'll be there in no time! Taggart tries to scowl, but his face is frozen. CUT TO: EXT. MEKAR APKA - DAY The prerequisite leaking barrels of toxic waste form a ring around a clutch of abandoned buildings. In the background, the stone monastery, or what's left of it: entire walls are eroded away by the encroaching snow. A lone tower still stands above the ruins. Taggart and Kelly tromp into the army base. FATHER KELLY Can you feel it, Flynn? TAGGART I can't feel shit. The wind picks up. Taggart eyes the waste barrels uneasily. FATHER KELLY Do you hear that? TAGGART What? A UAC helicopter rises over the treetops, sailing overhead. They can only watch in dismay as it settles in the middle of the base. Sabando and her men empty out, followed by Roland Trague. ROLAND TRAGUE Major Taggart! Pleasure to see you again. Taggart draws his pistol. He's got seven rifles trained on him in half a second. ROLAND TRAGUE The last thing I want is a bloodbath. TAGGART Fuck you. ROLAND TRAGUE I'm still a businessman, Major. And I have a meeting to get to, so why don't we head up? He gestures toward the monastery. CUT TO: INT. TAVERN Throngs of Russian men are packed into the small log tavern, warming their tired bones with ale & laughter. A small man in a trench coat enters, pushing through the crowd and irritating more than a few patrons. The man heads up the staircase in the center of the room. Halfway up, he stops. Turns. It's the Nightmare Imp. It reveals the Unmaker. A hush falls over the tavern as the Russians see the demon; some stare, slack-jawed, while others roll up their sleeves and head for the stairs. The Imp fires. The inky black beam cuts through the crowd like the Reaper's scythe, severing men in two, tossing their dismembered remains over the bar, blasting tables & chairs to bits. There's a drunken rush for the door, and screaming patrons are crammed into one corner for the Imp to pick off. A Russian leaps down the stairs and tackles the Imp. They slam together into the bannister and pitch over it onto a table. The Imp sits up, slamming a fiery fist into the man's face. Charred brains spew the crowd. Another man charges forward with a chair. The Unmaker splits the chair and the man in one stroke; the Imp compliments the kill with a fireball that sets the bar aflame. The demon pivots, shoves the bone-weapon THROUGH a victim and blasts several more. Before long, the walls are painted a deep red and black smoke fills the air. Wisps of dark energy are pulled from the mutilated bodies into the Unmaker. Souls - ammunition for the Hellish gun. The Imp kicks the door open and stalks out. CUT TO: INT. MONASTERY - FRONT HALL Trague paces the large chamber, admiring the architecture. Taggart & Kelly are led after him at gunpoint. ROLAND TRAGUE This is history, Major. This monastery. You read about it in our great books, you hear about it from our great teachers. And here it is. (beat) But this place is crumbing. Books will become dust and our teachers will become hosts to worms and maggots and this piece of history will be forgotten. FATHER KELLY Why do you want the mega-sphere?? Trague explodes with laughter. ROLAND TRAGUE I don't! FATHER KELLY I...I don't understand... ROLAND TRAGUE Hell wants the mega-sphere and we're more than happy to hand it over, in exchange for a few small concessions. TAGGART Such as? ROLAND TRAGUE Letting us continue Gateway development without sending their armies to butcher us. Allowing the human race expand across the universe without losing our souls in the process! Hell is willing to LEAVE US ALONE!! FOREVER!! TAGGART Don't you get the feeling that you're being royally fucked? Just a little? ROLAND TRAGUE If there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to make a deal. (beat) This will be just another page in our history, lost and forgotten millennia from now. FATHER KELLY You can't let them have the mega sphere! ROLAND TRAGUE You weren't supposed to be here, Taggart. But since you are, I think we'll hand you over as well. TAGGART Rock 'n' roll, asshole. ROLAND TRAGUE Father Kelly, you come with me. Let's find that sphere. The priest is hustled off by two of the mercs. That leaves Taggart with Sabando and four of her men... CUT TO: INT. CORRIDOR Trague rattles a stuck door. The mercs release Kelly. ROLAND TRAGUE Where is it, Father? Kelly glances out a window - sees the tower nearby. FATHER KELLY I don't know, exactly. ROLAND TRAGUE Why don't I believe you? The executive approaches another door, tugs at the handle. Kelly passes his hand over the icy stone wall, watching his breath rise into the air...there is a sliver of rock sticking out of the wall. He pulls on it. It's another runestone. ROLAND TRAGUE Father... Kelly quickly lowers his hand. FATHER KELLY Yes? ROLAND TRAGUE Tell me what you know or I'll have to do something unpleasant. I really don't want to. FATHER KELLY It...I...it's the tower. ROLAND TRAGUE Romero? One of the mercenaries walks past them to the last door. He slams the butt of his rifle against it. The other merc goes to help him. Trague smiles at the priest. MERCENARY Got it- -! The door opens to reveal a mass of fallen rock. It's blocked completely. A few pebbles clatter at their feet. ROLAND TRAGUE Hmm. He spins and slugs Kelly in the stomach. ROLAND TRAGUE Don't PLAY GAMES with me, Father! The sphere! NOW!! FATHER KELLY There...must be...another way... He yanks Kelly down the hall. CUT TO: INT. FRONT HALL Sabando loads a single bullet into the chamber of her pistol. Taggart watches with a smirk. SABANDO You're quite happy for a man who's about to die. TAGGART We're all gonna die. SABANDO You first. She places the barrel between his eyes. He stares straight at her, unblinking. TAGGART I'll be waiting for you on the other side, bitch. Sabando smiles at him. The Unmaker's black beam tears across the chamber, blowing huge chunks out of the wall and sending all parties scrambling for cover. The Nightmare Imp walks into the monastery with a calm hand, shearing a merc's face off with surgical precision. Sabando leaps onto a staircase. Taggart runs. She fires, misses him. SABANDO Kill the goddamn Imp! The three remaining mercs open fire. The Imp sidesteps their bullets with a flourish. Taggart rolls behind a merc and slips a combat knife from his belt. The merc turns. Taggart swipes. His throat opens like a fountain. Another merc spins to kill Taggart and is caught by the Unmaker's beam. Taggart hurls the knife into the last guy's heart. The Imp's got the Marine in its sights now. He rolls behind a fallen stone, is showered with jagged splinters. Sabando races up the steps to a ledge overlooking the chamber. She shoots the Imp in the side. Without so much as a flinch, the enraged demon turns its dark beam on her. The ledge explodes, and Sabando topples. Taggart takes the opportunity to run at the Imp! He snatches the combat knife from the dead merc on the way, and rears back to bury it in the Imp's head- - The Imp turns, SLAPS him with the Unmaker and sends Taggart cartwheeling into the wall. TAGGART Call this fair?! The Imp tries to impale him on the weapon. Taggart rolls out of the way, kicks himself off the wall and slashes the Imp's shoulder. It discharges the Unmaker straight into the floor, catching Taggart up in a wave of debris! CUT TO: INT. CELLAR Unaware of the chaos in the front hall, Trague and Kelly descend into the damp catacombs of the monastery. ROLAND TRAGUE There. He points to a wooden spiral staircase, faintly illuminated by a beam of light. ROLAND TRAGUE That'll take us up. Father, you go first. FATHER KELLY Not so eager to claim your prize now, are you? ROLAND TRAGUE Get going! He motions for the two mercs to follow. They cross a symbol carved into the floor - the ice and grime make it difficult to discern, but suddenly, the symbol seems to heat up, and it becomes all too clear: a grinning demon's head. The place begins to quake. ROLAND TRAGUE What's going on?? FATHER KELLY What are you asking me for?! A pillar smashes right through the ceiling, flattening a merc. More pieces begin to rain down. Trague rushes for the staircase. The demon's-head seal BURSTS, vomiting forth a four-armed, crustaceous horror covered in bile and blood: THE MOTHER DEMON. She shrieks at the sight of the humans. The final merc peppers her with machine gun fire. It's hilarious. The Mother grabs him with all four arms and tears him to fucking pieces. ROLAND TRAGUE Holy fuck. Kelly turns to run and stumbles over a rock, slamming facefirst into the floor and spilling the contents of his robes. The three runestones slide out, each bearing its evil symbol. He glances up and sees the same three symbols carved on the wall. The Mother generates a massive fireball between her four claws. It launches at Trague. He throws himself to safety, but not quite far enough to avoid injury from the impact wave. ROLAND TRAGUE GOD HELP ME!!! Kelly laughs insanely at the cry as he places each of the runestones into a slit below its corresponding symbol on the wall. The wall slowly retracts... Trague's leg is shattered. He claws vainly at the frozen earth. The Mother hovers toward him, whispering in its alien tongue. ROLAND TRAGUE Leave me alone!! We had a deal! What is this?! HELP ME!! Kelly pulls a bio-mechanical gun out of the recession in the wall. It's threaded with both cables and huge arteries; and has a glowing central shaft which hums as he turns toward the Mother. FATHER KELLY Guardian! The Mother turns from Trague. FATHER KELLY I have the key. With that, he fires the blistering laser, a thick red beam that pierces the Demon clean through and starts her flesh boiling. The Mother howls in agony. Kelly holds the laser on her. She melts into itself in a putrid display, finally settling on the floor before going out in one final, disgusting rupture of blood and pus. The priest stares with satisfaction at the creature's volcanic demise. FATHER KELLY That wasn't so bad. BLAM! He flies out of sight. Trague pulls himself over the Mother's vile husk, clutching a pistol. CUT TO: INT. FRONT HALL WHAM!! The Nightmare Imp slams the Unmaker into Taggart's chest. This has been going on for a while. There's scarcely an inch of Taggart's flesh that isn't black-and-blue. TAGGART I ain't got all day here...pussy. The Imp roars and kicks him in the face. It's worked Taggart into a corner; time for the coup de gras. TAGGART Keep it comin'. It ROARS again! Another brutal backhand. Blood gushes from Taggart's lips. TAGGART You just can't get the hang of this, can ya? The Imp sets its jaw and steps back. It's going to blow him away. Taggart shrugs and flips him off. Sabando doesn't just drive her knife into the Imp's throat. She shoves it in all the way to the hilt, then pushes her fingers in, grabbing the Imp's head in her other hand, TEARING IT OFF. Imp's dead. She tosses the knife and retrieves her pistol. TAGGART All that so you could just cap me. SABANDO I like to keep it simple. TAGGART Me too. He throws his legs up and wraps them around her neck. She fires the gun once before dropping it, then grabs his ankles and tries to twist free. No dice. Taggart brings her slowly, slowly down to the floor, looking into her eyes the entire time, giving her one last grin before that SNAP! TAGGART For Lorelei. CUT TO: INT. CELLAR Taggart half-walks, half-slides down the stairs with the Unmaker in his grip. TAGGART Padre! FATHER KELLY (O.S.) Flynn... Kelly's been shot in the thigh. He's bleeding profusely. Taggart tears his sleeve off and ties a crude tourniquet above the wound. TAGGART What the hell were you doing down here? Smells like shit. FATHER KELLY Trague's going to get the mega sphere. TAGGART What? FATHER KELLY Up those stairs, Flynn. I couldn't follow him, I'm sorry... TAGGART Relax. I've got this. He starts up the spiral staircase. CUT TO: INT. TOWER It's a dark room, small, lit by a single candle on a rotting desk. Taggart nudges open a trapdoor and scans the room. No Trague. No mega-sphere either, for that matter. He climbs all the way up and sighs. TAGGART Fuck. This. FUCK!! The candlelight flickers, as if touched by a wind, and he narrows his eyes. Something's wrong with the wall behind the candle. It's...it's... Moving. Alive? A gateway. He walks over to the desk and shoves it aside; it disintegrates in his hands. He steps into the darkness. INT. SPHERE CHAMBER - HELL Red and green lights, eerie, unnatural lights, are cast upon the granite walls. More horrible demon faces are etched into the floor and ceiling. Across the chamber sits an altar, and upon the altar, a glowing white sphere, throbbing as if it can't contain itself; and yet its light is not cast throughout the room. Its light is repulsed by its surroundings. There's a figure in brown robes kneeling before the altar. His back to Taggart. TAGGART You must be Brother Augustine. He glances to his right and isn't so surprised to see Roland Trague nailed to the wall by a dozen metal spikes. TAGGART I see you made it to your meeting. (to figure) So, Augie, you got your precious sphere back. Hell wins. Now what? The figure rises and stops. Contemplates the sphere for a moment. Then he turns, and pulls the hood back to reveal his hideous, empty, skeletal, glistening white face. THE ARCH-VILE. TAGGART I. I killed you. The Arch-Vile splays its claws and drops the robe. TAGGART I guess an eternity in Hell is an eternity in Hell. Sucks for you. There is a nightmarish rage building in the demon. It stays fixed on Taggart, the only things moving its razor claws. ROLAND TRAGUE (O.S.) Taggart. The impaled corpse looks up and speaks with blood drizzling from its mouth. ROLAND TRAGUE Immortality. Resurrection. It can be yours. TAGGART What? ROLAND TRAGUE You can bring her back. She can be yours again. Forever. Taggart's voice shakes. TAGGART What the hell do you mean? ROLAND TRAGUE The sphere. His soul, it belongs to us now. The Arch-Vile tilts its head along with Trague; it's puppeting him, speaking through him. TAGGART You're saying... ROLAND TRAGUE You can have her again. Join ussss. Taggart looks from the dead eyes of Trague to the soulless eyes of the Arch-Vile. The Unmaker wavers in his hand. Silence, for what seems the sum of eternity. TAGGART No deal buddy. He blasts Trague's corpse to pieces. The Arch-Vile claps its hands together and engulfs Taggart in flames! He staggers into the wall, firing blindly. The Unmaker's dark beam batters the granite but it does not find the Arch-Vile. Taggart is lifted off the ground and propelled into the opposite wall. Every movement only excites the fire racing over his limbs. The Arch-Vile flails its arms, flinging Taggart around the room with its terrible power. He's then rolled across the floor, which extinguishes all but the smallest of flames. Taggart comes to rest a smoking heap. One blackened eye opens. The Arch-Vile prepares to repeat the process. The red laser punches through the demon and into the mega sphere. Father Kelly steps through the gateway and his aim stays true at the sight of the horrific fiend. A white light begins filtering out of the Arch-Vile's back, into the red beam. It follows the beam into the mega-sphere; the Arch-Vile's power returning to its point of origin. The Vile's gyrating head issues forth a scream of immeasurable pain and fright, and then, finally, it dies. Kelly carefully sets the laser down on the floor. He stares in wonder at the mega-sphere, exactly as he'd imagined and yet nothing he's ever conceived of in his entire life. He takes a step toward it... And sees Taggart. FATHER KELLY Oh my Lord, Flynn! Taggart shifts a little and grunts. FATHER KELLY What can I do? With what he can manage of a smile, Taggart answers through cracked lips. TAGGART Last...rites. FATHER KELLY Flynn. There's no sense in arguing. Kelly reaches into his robes; his crucifix isn't there. Regardless, he closes his eyes and whispers softly over Taggart's body. FATHER KELLY ...Amen. TAGGART Doesn't hurt...like I thought. FATHER KELLY I'm glad. TAGGART Worse. Kelly laughs in spite of himself, then lets out a sob. He covers his mouth and sits down beside Flynn. FATHER KELLY I'm sorry. TAGGART Don't be. Look...you take that sphere, take it back. Take it where no one will ever find it. FATHER KELLY I will. TAGGART I mopped up all the UAC guys for ya. Shouldn't have any trouble...getting out... (coughs) Watch those barrels out there. FATHER KELLY I will. TAGGART Arlene. And Al. Tell 'em...I don't know. Tell 'em something nice. FATHER KELLY I will. Taggart settles back to die. He looks up at the ceiling and says goodbye to Hell one last time. FATHER KELLY Flynn? TAGGART Yeah padre. FATHER KELLY I asked you a question once...you said you'd answer, at the end... Taggart nods weakly. FATHER KELLY What's God like? Taggart looks back at the priest. TAGGART He's like you. He's just like you. The light leaves his eyes. Kelly sits there for a few minutes, not really looking at Flynn, just sitting alone in that room in Hell, and then he gets up and walks over to the mega-sphere. The light from the sphere expands to fill the room. FADE TO: EXT. CEMETERY - DAWN Father Kelly strides across the cemetery lawn, taking in a faceful of sun. Hands clasped behind his back, he stops before the graves of Flynn and Lorelei Taggart. Kelly gets down on his knees. He places a lily on Lorelei's grave, and a 9mm Beretta on Flynn's. Just in case. A soldier's work is never done. THE DOOM SUPREMACY