EXT. DESOLATE HOUSE – NIGHT
(An old house stands alone under a dark sky. The wind howls as leaves scatter across the porch.)
INT. DESOLATE HOUSE – LIVING ROOM
(An old man with scars crossing his face, sits cleaning a gun. The room is dimly lit, filled with the remnants of a life long gone.)
(KNOCK ON THE DOOR)
(He looks up, eyes narrowing. He keeps cleaning his gun.)
Interviewer: (opens the door and steps inside cautiously) Mr. Jay… you're a hard man to find. My name is Stylinski, and I'm from the-
Jay: (without looking up) Alright, why you here? Fuck you want?
Interviewer Stylinski: Straight to the point… I like it.
Jay: Yeah, you should do the same. I'm not with the small talk bullshit so, what is it?
Interviewer Stylinski: (pulling out a recorder) Mr. Jay, could you tell us about your story and what became of, SAW?
(Jay's eyes widen, a flash of something old and dangerous behind them.)
Jay: Shit, (laughs) It's been a long fucking time since I've heard that name.
Jay: (gestures to a chair) Take a seat.
Interviewer Stylinski: (sits)
Jay: Well, if you want to hear everything, I'd say the earliest memory I've got is when I was about 7.
FLASHBACK – 68 YEARS AGO
INT. WHITE ROOM – DAY
(A young Jay, 7 years old, strapped to a bed in a sterile, white room. DOCTORS move around him, their faces obscured by masks.)
Jay: All I could remember seeing was like some white room with a whole bunch of hoe-ass doctors, and I was strapped to a bed. I started tweaking and shit… Yeah, not my finest moment, I'll tell you that.
DOCTOR 1: (injecting something into Jay's NetSlot) This will help you relax.
Young Jay: (struggling against the straps) Fuck you! Let me the fuck out of here!
BACK TO PRESENT – INTERVIEW
Interviewer Stylinski: (chuckles) That's pretty pathetic for how much of a legend you were.
Jay: Hop off dick, frit. I was 7. (laughs)
Jay: But yeah man, when I tell you that this shit was so fucked up with what the so-called "doctors" were doing to us. All that brainwashing and shit. Yeah that would for real fuck you up, man. (serious) But I don't know, we were just different I guess… or some shit like that.
Interviewer Stylinski: We?…
FLASHBACK – 60 YEARS AGO
INT. MEDICAL FACILITY – NIGHT
(15-year-old Jay sits on a bed, talking to DR. STELLA, a kind-faced woman in a lab coat.)
Jay: I don't wanna do this shit anymore, Stella.
Dr. Stella: We talked about this already, Jay. You know I can't do anything about it. You just have to survive to get the fuck out of here. I wish there was more I could do, really. (sincerely)
Jay: (to himself) Uh huh…
Jay: Sorry, I'm just tired of all this shit—all these drugs, and all these fucking bullshit tests. I just don't want to be forced to kill my friends anymore. It's not fucking right. There's no one strong enough to even survive against me so what's the point?
Dr. Stella: Only the strong survive in this shitty world, and you got to be one of them no matter what. I'm here for you if you need anything. Just… you have one more fight to go and then you can be set free, so… win that fucking match.
Jay: (resigned) Okay.
BACK TO PRESENT – INTERVIEW
Interviewer Stylinski: Wait, who's this Stella girl?
Jay: The only person that gave a shit, that's who.
Interviewer Stylinski: And what happened to her?
Jay: All ima say is nothing good ever came from that shithole. I'll tell you that.
Interviewer Stylinski: How bad?
(Flashback skips to 60 years ago.)
FLASHBACK – 60 YEARS AGO
INT. FIGHTING LOUNGE – WAITING ROOM – NIGHT
(Jay, 15, sits alone. He straps up, preparing for a fight.)
Jay: Man, fuck this bullshit. (while strapping up) I can't wait to get out of this hellhole… Just one more fight and I can live my fucking life.
Opponent: (from the shadows behind a window) Trust me, man…
Jay: (startled) OH SHIT!!
Opponent: You ain't getting out of here… none of us can.
Jay (to himself): Where the hell this guy come from?
Jay: The fuck you talking about, bro?
Opponent: (chuckles) Heh, nothing man. Don't worry about it, dawg. You won't live long enough to know.
Jay: (laughs hard) Man, you got some fuckin' jokes, huh? (goes up to the window with an extremely serious look) I can't wait to slide your face through the pavement and slam my barrel through your eye sockets, "dawg" (he says in a mocking way)
Opponent: (chuckles) Apparently, I'm not the only one with jokes, huh?
Jay: Alright, you wanna hear a new one? (smirks)
Opponent: (chuckles) Humor me, please. (smirks)
Jay: Net02. (smiles menacingly)
Opponent: (goes up to the window with dead eyes) DONT SULLY HER NAME WITH YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!! YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON YOU FUCKING FRIT, FUCK YOU!!!
Jay: Oh yeah, I don't know shit? Well, I do know that you were there. Not only were you there, you were 10 feet away watching it all, standing there like a fucking BITCH. AND YOU COULDVE SAVED HER BUT NOOO YOU FUCKING WAITED, HER DEATH WAS ON YOU!! And guess what you'll forever be a little bitch. (gets closer) And oh my god, I can't wait to get in that arena and send you up back to her bitch ass where you belong.
Opponent: (hits the window like a lunatic)
Jay: (walks away)
Broadcast Announcement: Contestants 01 and 03, make your way through the light-up doors then head straight into the arena.
Jay: (smiles) See ya. (says to the opponent)
BACK TO PRESENT – INTERVIEW
Interviewer Stylinski: So… who was Net02??
Jay: Not my place to tell.
Interviewer Stylinski: Okay, fair enough. But Damn, you were a asshole. You really said all that?
Jay: Yeah, one of my other not-so-great moments… Long story short, I was a bitch. But who would have thought that encounter would change everything…
Interviewer Stylinski: What do you mean?
FLASHBACK – 60 YEARS AGO
INT. ARENA – NIGHT
(The arena is packed with spectators. Blood stains the floor. Jay and Opponent enter from opposite sides, weapons in hand.)
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final match of the evening! Contestants 01 and 03!
(The crowd roars. Jay and Opponent circle each other, tension building.)
Opponent: (smirking) Ready to die, Bitch?
Jay: (laughs) Nah, motherfucker. Ready to see your bitch girlfriend in hell?
(They charge at each other, guns blazing.)
Jay: (dodges a bullet) Is that all you got, you limp-dicked bitch?!
Opponent: (reloads and fires back) Fuck you, I'm just getting started cunt!!
(Jay rolls and returns fire, hitting the Opponent in the shoulder. Blood sprays.)
Opponent: (gritting teeth) You piece of shit!
Jay: (laughs maniacally) Oh, you mad now? Good! Let's dance, bitch!
(They clash in the center, guns now discarded. They engage in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Jay lands a heavy punch to the Opponent's jaw.)
Jay: That's for watching her die, you cowardly fuck!
Opponent: (spits blood and tackles Jay to the ground)
(They roll, exchanging blows. The crowd cheers louder. Blood drips from their faces.)
Jay: (headbutts the Opponent) I'll see you in hell, motherfucker!
Opponent: (laughs through the pain)
(They draw knives, slashing at each other. Blood sprays across the arena floor. The fight grows more vicious, both fighters now barely standing.)
Jay: (panting, blood dripping from a cut above his eye) One more move bitch…
Opponent: (equally worn out, bleeding from multiple wounds) Run it pussy…
(They charge at each other one last time, knives clashing in mid-air. The impact sends both of them sprawling to the ground, barely conscious.)
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, we have… a tie!
(The crowd erupts in a mixture of cheers and boos.)
BACK TO PRESENT – INTERVIEW
Interviewer Stylinski: Wait, how could it have ended in a tie? Doesn't someone have to die?
Jay: Yeah, well, sometimes life ain't that simple. That fight… It was supposed to end everything, but instead, it just started a whole new chapter of bullshit.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Directed and Published by. Anthony Jay Neri
Co-Directed by. Xavier Flores-Rodriguez