2.12 Nightshifter (transcript)

SUPERNATURAL

2.12 Nightshifter

Written by: Ben Edlund

Directed by: Phil Sgriccia

Air Date: 25 Jan 2007

TEASER

SOON
Scenes from 1.06 "Skin" and 2.07 "The Usual Suspects" establish the shapeshifter phenomenon and Dean's police record; this is abruptly cut off by the title card:

[channel] 8 - BREAKING NEWS

EXT. BANK - NIGHT

We see the scene — a bank surrounded by police cars, press, and an ambulance —through a handheld news camera. The tags "BANK ROBBERY - Milwaukee, WI" appear in the lower left corner and "RECORDED EARLIER" in the upper right. A female REPORTER speaks off camera.

REPORTER (O.C.)
We're here downtown in front of the City Bank of Milwaukee, and though a short exchange of weapons fire occurred just minutes ago, police and SWAT teams maintain position as we enter the third hour of this intense standoff.
(ON CAMERA)
Authorities estimate as many as ten hostages are being held inside the bank; no word as yet on the identity of the suspects, or, uh,
(commotion behind her)
Something's happening. I think they're opening the door. Roger, are you getting this?

Police and others nearby shout over each other as the camera refocuses to the front door of the bank.

MAN'S VOICE
No, don't shoot, don't shoot!

DEAN'S VOICE
No, no, no, don't even think about it! Get the hell back!

The camera closes in on two men exiting the bank: a terrified security guard, and DEAN, pushing the other man in front of him and holding a rifle.

TITLE CARD:
SUPERNATURAL

END TEASER

ACT ONE

SUBTITLE:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
ONE DAY AGO

INT. JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

An attractive young woman (FRANNIE) comes out of the back with some papers in her hand. DEAN turns to face her as she speaks. He is dressed in a dark suit.

FRANNIE
So what's it like, being an FBI guy?

DEAN
Well, it's dangerous. And the secrets we've gotta keep, oh. God, the secrets. But mostly it's, it's lonely.

FRANNIE
I so know what you mean.

DEAN, nodding sagely
Yeah.

Elsewhere in the store: SAM, also dressed in a suit, with slicked hair, is interrogating the manager, a middle aged man.

MANAGER
Helena was our head buyer. She . . . she was family, you know? She said it herself, every year at the Christmas party. She said we were the only family she had.

SAM
So there were never any signs that she'd do something like this?

MANAGER
No. Still can't believe it, even now. That night, Helena came back to the store after closing. Cleaned out all the display cases, and the safe. Edgar — our night watchman — he caught her in the act. He didn't know what to do, he'd known her for years. He called me at home.

SAM
And that's when she took his gun?

MANAGER
She shot him in the face. I heard him die. Over the phone.

SAM
Any idea what her motive could have been?

MANAGER
What motive? It makes no sense. Why steal all those diamonds, all that jewelry, and then what? Just dump it somewhere, just hide it, and then go home and,

CUT TO: DEAN AND FRANNIE

DEAN
She killed herself?

FRANNIE
Well, the cops said. She dropped the hair dryer in the bath and fried herself. They should know, right?

DEAN
Yeah. Well, thanks, Frannie, I think that's all I need.

FRANNIE
Really? Because I've got more. You know,
(looking around slyly)
if you wanted to interview me sometime. In private?

DEAN
(eyeing SAM guiltily across the room)
Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. You're a true patriot, you really are. Why don't you write your number down there for me, that'd be good.

CUT TO: SAM AND THE MANAGER

SAM
So you never saw the security camera footage yourself, then?

MANAGER
No. The police, they took all the tapes, first thing.

DEAN
(approaching)
Yeah, of course they did.
(he waves FRANNIE'S number at SAM)

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Leaving the jewelry store, SAM and DEAN drive down a dark street and pull up in front of a small house.

SAM
Five -- this is it.

DEAN
Friggin' cops.

SAM
They're just doing their job, Dean.

DEAN
No, they're doing our job, only they don't know it, so they suck at it. Talk to me about this bank.

They get out of the car and approach the house.

SAM
Uh, Milwaukee National Trust. It was hit about a month ago.

DEAN
Same M.O. as the jewelry store?

SAM
Yep, inside job, longtime employee, the never-in-a-million-years type. Dude robs the bank, then goes home and supposedly commits suicide.

DEAN
The guy Resnick, he was the security guard on duty?

SAM
Yeah. He was actually beaten unconscious by the teller who heisted the place.

DEAN
God.

SAM
Yeah.
(knocking on the screen door)
Mr. Resnick? Ronald Resnick?

A bright floodlight turns on, and they shield their eyes.

DEAN
Son of a --

A youngish man comes to the door warily.

SAM
FBI, Mr. Resnick.

RONALD (through the screen)
Let me see the badge.

SAM and DEAN pull out badges and slap them against the screen door in unison. RONALD squints at them carefully.

RONALD
I already gave my statement to the police.

DEAN
Yeah, listen Ronald, um . . . just some things about your statement we wanted to get some clarification on.

RONALD
You read it?

DEAN
Sure did.

RONALD
You come to listen to what I've got to say?

DEAN
Well, that's why we're here.

RONALD
Well. Come on in.

RONALD opens the door and leads them through a narrow hallway to a cluttered room; the walls are covered with alien photos and conspiracy theory paraphernalia.

RONALD
None of the cops ever called me back. Not after I told them what was really going on. Uh, they all thought I was crazy. First off, Juan Morales never robbed the Milwaukee National Trust, okay? That, I guarantee. See, we and Juan were friends. He used to come back to the bank on my night shifts, and we'd play cards.

SAM
So you let him into the bank that night, after hours.

RONALD
The thing I let into the bank . . . wasn't Juan. I mean, it had his face, but it wasn't his face. Uh, every detail was perfect, but too perfect, you know, like if a dollmaker made it, like I was talking to a big Juan-doll.

SAM (doubtfully)
A Juan-doll?

RONALD
Look. This wasn't the only time this happened. Okay?
(handing SAM a file folder)
There was this jewelry store, too. And the cops, a--and you guys, you just won't see it!
(SAM looks in the folder; it looks like a Hunter's profile of the jewelry case)
Both crimes were pulled by the same thing.

SAM
What's that, Mr. Resnick?

RONALD picks up a copy of a magazine called "Fortean Times" and holds it to his chest. The headline at the bottom reads "BIRTH OF THE CYBERMEN".

RONALD
Chinese've been working on 'em for years. And the Russians before that. Part men, part machine. Like the Terminator. But the kind that can change itself, make itself look like other people.

DEAN
(smirking)
Like the one from T2.

RONALD
Exactly! See, so not just a robot, more of a, a, a, a ... Mandroid.

SAM
A Mandroid?

DEAN
And what makes you so sure about this, Ronald?

RONALD holds up a finger, smiling a little wildly.

CUT TO: RONALD inserts a VHS tape labeled "M.N.T. Camera 4 - Juan" into a player.

RONALD
See, I made copies of all the security tapes. I knew once the cops got them they'd be buried. (Dean nods.) Here.

(he fast-forwards)
Now watch. Watch. Watch him, watch, watch! See, look! Th-, th-, there it is!
(he pauses the tape)
You see? He's got the laser eyes.

Close in on the videotape, which shows JUAN, facing the camera, with a light-flare in his eyes (like the shapeshifter from "Skin"). SAM and DEAN share a knowing look.

RONALD
Cops said it was some kind of reflected light. Some kind of "camera flare". Okay? Ain't no damn camera flare. They say I'm a post-trauma case. So what? Bank goes and fires me, it don't matter!
(SAM eyes him cautiously as he continues to rant)
The Mandroid is, is still out there. The law won't hunt this thing down -- I'll do it myself. You see, this thing, it, it, it kills the real person, makes it look like a suicide, then it sorta, like, morphs into that person. Cases the job for a while until it knows the take is fat, and then it finds its opening. Now, these robberies, they're, they're grouped together.
(gesturing at a map on the wall)
So I figure the Mandroid is holed up somewhere in the middle, underground, maybe. I dunno, maybe that's where it recharges its, uh, Mandroid batteries.

DEAN nods, apparently impressed. SAM stares intently; they both stand.

SAM
Okay. I want you to listen very carefully. Because I'm about to tell you the God's honest truth about all of this. (Dean smiles, waiting to see what Sam says.) There's no such thing as Mandroids. There's nothing evil or inhuman going on out there. Just people. Nothing else, you understand?

DEAN is mostly keeping a straight face, but is clearly startled. He starts to say something.

RONALD
(desperate)
The laser eyes.

SAM
Just a camera flare, Mr. Resnick. See, I know you don't want to believe this. But your friend Juan robbed the bank and that's it.

RONALD
Get out of my house! Now!

SAM
(calmly)
Sure. First things first.

DEAN frowns at SAM in further confusion.

INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

SAM and DEAN return to their motel room, which has the obligatory Tacky Wall Decorations. They're dressed in ordinary clothing again.

DEAN
Man, that has got to be the kicker, straight up. I mean, you tell that poor son of a bitch that -- what did you say, remand the tapes that he copied? Classified evidence of an ongoing investigation? (Laughs) That's messed up.

SAM
(sitting down to watch the tape)
What are you, pissed at me or something?

DEAN
Nah, I just think it's a little creepy how good of a Fed you are. I mean, come on, we could have at least thrown the guy a bone. He did some pretty good legwork here.

SAM
Mandroid?

DEAN
Except for the Mandroid part. I liked him. He's not that different from you or me. People think we're crazy.

SAM
Yeah, except he's not a hunter, Dean. He's just a guy who stumbled onto something real. If he were to go up against this thing he'd get torn apart. Better to stay in the dark, and stay alive.

DEAN
Yeah, I guess.

DEAN places tracing paper over the map and starts marking it with a red pen as SAM pauses the tape on the flaring eyes.

SAM
Shapeshifter. Just like back in St. Louis. Same retinal reaction to video.

DEAN
Eyes flare at the camera. I hate those friggin' things.

SAM
You think I don't?

DEAN
Yeah, well, one didn't turn into you and frame you for murder. (Dean is tracing a pattern on paper of the sewer system.)

SAM
Well, look. If this shifter's anything like the one we killed in Missouri ...

DEAN
Then Ronald was right. All right, they like to layer up underground, preferably the sewer. And all the robberies have been connected so far, right?

SAM
Yeah.

DEAN
With the, uh, sewer main layout. There's one more bank lined up on that same sewer main.

EXT. BANK - NIGHT

The sign above the door reads:

CITY BANK OF
MILWAUKEE
FINANCIAL SERVICES & INVESTMENT

INSIDE: Establishing shots of the bank employees; a security guard leads SAM and DEAN, now uniformed as Securiserve Guard Service technicians, down the main hall.

GUARD
Well, we haven't had any flags go up on our system yet.

DEAN
No, this is a glitch in the overall grid. We just want to make sure the branch monitors are kosher.

GUARD
Well, better to be safe than sorry, I guess.

DEAN
That's the plan.

INT. GUARDROOM - NIGHT

The GUARD opens the door to an observation room with several TV screens showing security footage.

GUARD
All righty. You guys need anything else?

SAM
Oh, no, no, we'll be, uh, we'll be in and out before you know it, just a routine check.

GUARD
Okie-dokie.

DEAN
I like him. He says "Okie-dokie."

SAM
What if he's the shifter?

DEAN
Well, then we follow him home, put a silver bullet through his chestplate.

They sit down to watch the screens.

DEAN
Okay. Well, you got any popcorn?

LATER - still reviewing the screens; the GUARD is on one, and his eyes are normal.

DEAN
Well, it looks like mister okie-dokie is . . . okie-dokie.

SAM
Maybe we jumped the gun on this, Dean. I mean, we don't even know it's here.

DEAN
(distracted)
Mm-hmm.

SAM
Maybe we should just go back to the sewers and . . and . . .

DEAN is zooming one of the cameras in on the ass of an attractive young woman who is bending over.

SAM
(exasperated)
Dean, we're supposed to be looking for eyes.

DEAN
I'm getting there.

SAM
Oh yeah?

DEAN
Wait a minute.

On another screen, a middle-aged man turns towards the camera; his eyes flare.

DEAN
Hello, freak.

SAM
Got him.

SAM heads for the door, but DEAN lingers behind, looking at another screen.

DEAN
Sam!

SAM
What?

They watch as RONALD scurries up to the outer door with a chain and a padlock, chaining the door shut.

DEAN
Hello Ronald.

INT. MAIN BANK HALL - NIGHT

RONALD runs inside and down the stairs. He has an assault rifle, and he brandishes it and fires once as he gets to the bottom of the stairs.

RONALD
This is not a robbery! Everybody on the floor now!

END ACT ONE

ACT TWO

INT. BANK MAIN HALL

RONALD fires again into the air, and people begin screaming and ducking for cover.

RONALD
Get down, dammit! Come on! On the floor, on the floor! In the middle! On the floor in the middle! In the middle, on the floor, come on! Hurry up, come on!

INT. HALLWAY

DEAN and SAM walk down a hallway towards the main hall; a few panicked people brush past them, running the other way.

DEAN
And you said we shouldn't bring guns.

SAM
I didn't know this was gonna happen, Dean.

DEAN
Just let me do the talking. I don't think he likes you very much, Agent Johnson.

INT. BANK MAIN HAL

L

RONALD
(holding up a key)
Now, there's only one way in or out of here, and I chained it up. So nobody's leaving, do you understand?

DEAN
(entering)
Hey, buddy. Calm down. Just calm down,

RONALD
What the- You! Get on the floor, now.

DEAN
Okay, we're doing that. Just don't shoot anybody, especially us.

RONALD
I knew it. As soon as you two left. You ain't FBI. Who are you? Who are you working for, huh? The men in black? You working for the Mandroid?

SAM
We're not working for the Mandroid!

RONALD
You, shut up! I ain't talking to you. I don't like you.

DEAN gives SAM an "I told you so" look.

SAM
Fair enough.

RONALD
(to one of the hostages)
Get on 'em. Frisk them down, make sure they got no weapons on them. Go!

A middle-aged black man goes over to SAM and DEAN and frisks them; he finds a knife in DEAN'S boot.

RONALD
Now what have we here?

DEAN
(on SAM'S look)
I'm not just gonna walk in here naked!

RONALD
(taking the knife)
Get back there.

He drops the knife in the deposit box. It clatters.

DEAN
No, no, no, no, no!
(winces)
We know you don't want to hurt anybody. That's exactly what's gonna happen if you keep waving that cannon around, and why don't you let these people go?

RONALD
No! I already told you. If nobody's gonna stop this thing, then I've got to do it myself.

DEAN
Hey, we believe you! That's why we're here.

RONALD
You don't believe me. Nobody believes me! How could they?

DEAN
Come here.

RONALD
What? No.

DEAN
You're holding the gun, boss, you're calling the shots. I just want to tell you something. Come here.

RONALD approaches cautiously and leans in.

DEAN
(quietly)
It's the bank manager.

RONALD
What?

DEAN
Why do you think we've got these getups, huh? We've been monitoring the cameras in the back. We saw the bank manager. We saw his eyes.

RONALD
His laser eyes?

DEAN
Yes. No. No! No, look, we're running out of time, okay? We've got to find him before he changes into someone else.

RONALD
Like I'm gonna listen to you. You're a damn liar.

DEAN stands cautiously, hands out.

RONALD
I'll shoot you! Get down!

DEAN
Take me. Okay? Take me with you, take me as a hostage. But we've gotta act fast. Because the longer we just sit here the more time he has to change.
(beat)
Look at me, man. I believe you. You're not crazy. There really is something inside this bank.

RONALD
All right. You come with me. But everyone else gets in the vault! (gasps and cries from the other hostages)

EXT. BANK

A POLICEMAN paces outside, then goes around the corner where several police cars are waiting.

POLICEMAN
Come on, move, move!

INT. VAULT ROOM

RONALD ushers the hostages, including SAM, into the vault.

RONALD
Come on, move, move! Move, move!
(to DEAN)
And you lock it up.

DEAN starts moving the heavy door shut.

DEAN
It's okay, everyone. Just stay cool.

He shrugs at SAM in apology; Sam swallows unhappily; Dean slams the door shut.

INT. VAULT

A young redhead (SHERRY) stares after him.

SHERRY
Who is that man?

SAM
(worried)
He's my brother.

SHERRY
He is so brave.

SAM very nearly rolls his eyes.

INT. OFFICE

RONALD precedes DEAN into a series of offices; DEAN has removed his uniform jacket to reveal a flannel shirt.

DEAN
Check behind the desk.

As DEAN checks a back room, RONALD falls, yelling. DEAN comes back out, eyes darting. RONALD is lying on the floor next to a slimy pile of skin. He screams and stands, pointing his gun at it.

RONALD
What the hell is that?

DEAN
(turning a lamp on the pile)
Oh, great.
(pause)
When it changes form, it sheds its old skin. So, now it could be anybody.

RONALD
(picking up a piece of skin and smelling it)
It's so, so weird. Its robot skin is so lifelike.

DEAN
Okay, let's get something straight. It's, it's not a Mandroid. It's a shapeshifter.

RONALD
Shapeshifter?

DEAN
Yeah. I mean, it's human, more or less. Has human drives -- and in this case it's money. But it generates its own skin, it can shape it to match someone else's features, you know, taller, shorter, male,

RONALD
So it, it, it kills someone and then takes their place.

DEAN
Kills them, doesn't kill them, I don't think it really matters.

RONALD
What are you doing?

DEAN picks up a letter opener from the desk and examines it. He sighs in relief.

DEAN
Nice.
(to RONALD)
You remember the old werewolf stories? Pretty much came from these guys. Silver's the only thing I've seen that hurts them.
(striding out the door)
Come on, Ronald.

RONALD grimaces at the skin, then follows DEAN, grinning.

EXT. BANK

A helicopter, a S.W.A.T. police vehicle, and the Channel 8 News van join the scene outside. A red car pulls up, and a middle-aged man in a suit and long coat gets out. He goes into the command van, where several other officers are seated around monitors. A uniformed officer is stirring a cup of coffee.

DETECTIVE
How we doing?

OFFICER
Another day in paradise.

DETECTIVE
No one's come out yet?

OFFICER
This guy locked himself in. First thing he did.

DETECTIVE
(chuckling)
All right. Cut the power.

INT. BANK HALLWAY

RONALD is following DEAN down a wider hallway, still chuckling.

DEAN
What are you, nuts?

RONALD
That's just it. I'm not nuts. I mean, I was so scared that I was losing my marbles. But this is real! I mean, I, I, I was right! Except for the Mandroid thing. Thank you.

DEAN
Yeah, don't mention it.

Suddenly, the power cuts out; a few emergency lights click on.

DEAN
Dammit! No, no, no, no, no, no.

RONALD
What? What is it?

DEAN
They cut the power. Probably their way of saying hi.

RONALD
Who?

DEAN
The cops.

RONALD
The cops?!

DEAN
(stopping)
Well, you weren't exactly a smooth criminal about this, Ron. I mean, you didn't even secure the security guard. He probably called them.

RONALD
Well, I, I didn't, I didn't think t --

DEAN
All right, hang on, hang on, let's just take a breath here for a second, all right? They — they've probably got us surrounded. They've cut the power to the cameras so there's no way of telling who the shapeshifter is.
(takes a breath)
It's not looking good, Ron.

RONALD flinches at a noise, bringing the rifle up.

DEAN
Did you hear that?

INT. VAULT

It's now dark in the vault as well, and a few of the hostages are fanning themselves. SHERRY is still babbling at SAM; he continues to roll his eyes.

SHERRY
Has your brother always been so, um, wonderful? I mean, staring down that gun. And you know the way -- he played right into that psycho's crazy head, telling him what he wanted to hear, I mean,
(SAM stares at her)
He's like, a real hero or, or something.

SAM
Yeah. Yeah.

The door opens to reveal DEAN; he now has a handgun.

SHERRY
Oh my god, you saved us! You saved us!

DEAN
Actually, I just found a few more. Come on, everybody, let's go. Let's go.

SHERRY stares in confusion as several more people, including the GUARD from earlier, are herded inside.

SHERRY
What are you doing?

DEAN
Sam, look, uh, Ronald and I need to talk to you.

SAM leaves the vault and DEAN shuts the door behind him, shrugging apologetically.

DEAN
It's shed its skin again. We don't know when - it could be in the halls, it could be in the vault.

SAM
Great. You know, Dean, you are wanted by the police.

DEAN
Yeah.

SAM
So even if we do find this damn thing -- how the hell are we gonna get out of here?

DEAN
Well, one problem at a time. All right, I'm gonna do a sweep of the whole place, see if we can find any stragglers. Once we get everyone together we've got to play a little game of find-the-freak, so . . . here.
(hands SAM a silver letter opener)
Found another one of these for you. Now stay here, make sure Ronald doesn't hurt anybody, okay? Help him manage the situation.

SAM (voice rising in outrage)
Help him manage? Are you insane?

Alerted by Sam's raised voice, RONALD looks over. DEAN looks past SAM and gives RONALD a grinning thumbs-up.

DEAN
(quietly)
Look, I know this isn't going the way we wanted,

SAM
(shouting)
Understatement!

DEAN
But if we invite the cops in right now, Ronald gets arrested, we get arrested, the shifter gets away, probably never find it again, okay?

RONALD is peering out the window, in plain view, and SAM gestures at him in exasperation.

DEAN
Ron! Out of the light!

SAM
Seriously?!

DEAN
Yeah, Ron's game plan was a bad plan, I mean, it was a bit of a crazy plan, but right now crazy's the only game in town, okay?

DEAN slaps SAM on the shoulder and leaves. SAM sighs, leans back, and rolls his eyes at RONALD.

SAM
Hi, Ronald.

INT. HALLWAY

DEAN creeps along the dark hallways with a flashlight, listening for sounds and watching for movement.

INT. VAULT

The hostages are fanning themselves again, and SHERRY looks angry. The GUARD begins clutching his chest and breathing hard.

SAM
I'm going to leave this open. Give you guys some fresh air, all right? But no one leaves this vault.

The phone rings, and RONALD spins around, panicked.

SHERRY
I don't understand. Why are you helping him?

SAM
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

RONALD
(picking up the phone)
Hello?

GUARD
(pained)
I think I gotta get out of here!

SAM
Look, I'm very sorry, but you're just going to have to stay put, all right?

RONALD
What? What do you mean, demands?

SAM
Ronald! Hang up!

RONALD
No, I, I'm not a bank robber, I, I, I --

GUARD
I've got to really get out of here.

SAM
Sir, you can't leave!

RONALD
-- kind of a crime fighter, I guess.

SAM
Ronald!

The GUARD is struggling to the door; several other hostages including a well-built middle-aged MAN, help him.

SAM
(to the hostages)
Look —

RONALD
No, I'm acting alone.

SAM sighs and goes over to the phone, slamming it to hang up.

SAM
Ronald? The less the cops know, the better.

MAN
Hey! I think this dude's having a heart attack!

WOMAN
Get a doctor!

SAM
Great. Could be our guy. Could be a trick.

MAN
You just going to let the man die?

SAM
No one's dying in here.
(to RONALD)
Cover the door.

SAM snatches the phone.

INT. HALLWAY

DEAN continues hunting things.

INT. COMMAND CENTER

The plainclothes DETECTIVE is on the phone with SAM; the officer is in the foreground, listening.

DETECTIVE
Can you tell me how many hostages this guy's taken?

INT. VAULT ROOM

SAM
Look, one of the people could be having heart trouble. You need to send in a paramedic.

INT. COMMAND CENTER

DETECTIVE
Just stay calm, we'll have you folks out of there.

INT. VAULT ROOM

SAM
(shouting)
Just send in a paramedic, okay? And don't try anything else. Please.

MAN
Paramedic? We don't have time for that, man!

RONALD
Listen, I, I, I'm sorry, okay? I am. But nobody's getting out.

MAN
He's dying right in front of you.

GUARD
Help!

INT. HALLWAY

DEAN stops and looks up, seeing a ceiling panel askew. He picks up a coat rack and begins poking it. He dislodges it and a naked body falls to the floor. He turns it over; it is the MAN who has been helping the GUARD. His throat has been slit.

INT. VAULT ROOM

The MAN (SHAPESHIFTER) is still holding up the GUARD, who is panicked and breathing painfully.

SHAPESHIFTER
Come on, man, you've gotta unlock the front door. We've got to get him out of here.

RONALD
(cocking the rifle)
Both of you stay where you are.

DEAN returns and whispers, inaudible, to SAM. The SHAPESHIFTER watches them warily.

SAM
(going into the vault)
You know what, Ronald? He's right, we've got to get this man outside. Come on. I've got you.

He takes the GUARD from the SHAPESHIFTER

SHAPESHIFTER
Yeah, yeah, let me help you.

SAM
Oh, I got him, it's, it's cool. Thanks.

SAM gets the GUARD out of the way; DEAN glares at the SHAPESHIFTER and approaches the vault.

GUARD
Thank you. Thank you.

SAM
Sure.

GUARD
... Thank you.

DEAN (walking to SHAPESHIFTER)
Hey, can I talk to you for a second?

SHAPESHIFTER
(coming out)
You got the gun, man. I mean, whatever.

As he gets close enough, he attacks DEAN, knocking him to the ground and running into the dark of the hallways. DEAN gets up and chases after him.

RONALD
Stop! Come back here!

RONALD races after them both, which puts him in the open again. SAM sees a laser sight on his back; in slow-motion and silence, SAM shouts at him.

SAM
(inaudible, in slow motion)
Get down! Now!

Slow Motion: The sniper fires, hitting RONALD squarely in the chest. As he falls, DEAN ducks behind a low wall, and SAM and DEAN both watch in horror. RONALD slumps to his knees, then to the floor. He is dead.

END ACT TWO

ACT THREE

EXT. BANK

Establishing shot — the scene is much like (and apparently up to the time of) the TEASER, complete with handheld camera shots.

INT. VAULT ROOM

The hostages run out of the vault as DEAN crawls behind another low wall nearer where RONALD fell. SAM ducks down beside him, both panting. SAM pulls out the key and hands it to DEAN.

SAM
Here. Take care of the guard. I'm going after the shifter.

He runs off, and DEAN crawls over towards RONALD.

DEAN
Sorry, Ron. You did a real good job tracking this thing, you really did.

He takes the rifle and, looking around furtively, runs off towards the GUARD.

INT. HALLWAY

SAM approaches a broom closet and opens it suddenly; it's empty. He hears something behind him and turns. SHERRY screams; she and the other hostages have gathered, trying to escape.

SHERRY
Please don't hurt us!

SAM
You shouldn't be back here right now! You're in danger! Now go back to the vault. Now!

They run back.

EXT. BANK

Holding the GUARD in front of him and the rifle in his other hand, DEAN approaches the front door slowly. Outside, several paramedics pull a stretcher out of an ambulance.

DEAN
Everything's going to be all right.

GUARD
No, don't shoot! Don't shoot! Please!

DEAN
No, no, no, no, no! Don't even think about it!

GUARD
Please! Don't shoot!

DEAN (looking around at the media frenzy outside)
Son of a --
(shouting)
I said get back! Now!

INT. COMMAND CENTER

OFFICER
One of the hostages. He seems to have taken over the situation.

DETECTIVE
Excuse me?

EXT. BANK

DEAN
Okay, go, go!

The GUARD stumbles out as DEAN draws back inside, shutting the door and latching it.

DEAN
(muttering)
We are so screwed.

ELSEWHERE: SAM has found another shed skin. He calls DEAN.

DEAN
(picking up his cell)
Yeah?

SAM
Slipped his skin.

DEAN
What?

SAM
Yeah, bastard shifts fast. A lot faster than the one in St. Louis.

DEAN
God, it's like playing the shell game. It could be anybody. Again.

SAM
Yeah, I think most of the employees are out of the vault by now.

DEAN
All right, you search every inch of this place, I'm gonna go round everybody up.

EXT. BANK

A black sedan and several black trucks pull onto the scene.

INT. COMMAND CENTER

OFFICER
Crap.

DETECTIVE
What?

OFFICER
The Feds are here.

DETECTIVE
Oh, crap.

A mousy, bespectacled man in an FBI jacket enters and stares at them; then a tall, commanding, shaven-headed black man pushes past.

AGENT
Lieutenant Robards.

DETECTIVE (ROBARDS)
Yeah.

AGENT
Special Agent Henriksen.

ROBARDS
Let me guess. You're lead dog now, but you would just love my full cooperation.

HENRIKSEN
I don't give a rat's ass what you do, you can go get a donut and bang your wife for all I care. What I do need is your S.W.A.T. team locked and loaded.

ROBARDS
Listen, Agent. Something's not right about this. It's, um ... it's not going down like a usual heist.

HENRIKSEN
That's because it isn't one. You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you? There is a monster in that bank, Robards.

INT. HALLWAY

SAM continues hunting things.

INT. VAULT ROOM

DEAN herds the hostages back into the vault.

SHERRY
And I thought you were one of the good guys.

DEAN
What's your name?

SHERRY
Why would you care?

DEAN
My name's Dean.

SHERRY
I'm Sherry.

DEAN
Hi, Sherry. Everything's gonna be all right. This will all be over soon, okay?

DEAN shuts the vault door and spins the lock as the landline rings. He sets down his handgun and answers it.

DEAN
Yeah?

HENRIKSEN
(on the phone, in the command center)
This is Special Agent Victor Henriksen.

DEAN
Yeah, listen, I'm not really in the negotiating mood right now, so ––

HENRIKSEN (interrupting)
Good. Me neither. It's my job to bring you in. Alive's a bonus but not necessary.

DEAN
Whoa. Kinda harsh for a Federal Agent, don't you think?

HENRIKSEN
Well, you're not the typical suspect, are you, Dean?
(DEAN looks horrified)
I want you and Sam out here, unarmed. Or we come in. And yes, I know about Sam too. Bonnie to your Clyde.

DEAN
Yeah, well, that part's true, but how'd you even know we were here?

HENRIKSEN
Go screw yourself, that's how I knew. It's become my job to know about you, Dean. I've been looking for you for weeks now. I know about the murder in St. Louis, I know about the Houdini act you pulled in Baltimore. I know about the desecrations and the thefts. I know about your dad.

DEAN
(darkly)
Hey, you don't know crap about my dad.

HENRIKSEN
Ex-marine, raised his kids on the road, cheap motels, backwood cabins. Real paramilitary survivalist type. I just can't get a handle on what type of whacko he was. White supremacist, Timmy McVeigh, to-may-to, to-mah-to.

DEAN
You got no right talking about my dad like that. He was a hero.

HENRIKSEN
Yeah. Right. Sure sounds like it. You have one hour to make a decision or we come through those doors full automatic.
(Dean hears a click as Henriksen hangs up the phone.)

DEAN pounds his forehead in frustration as he hangs up the phone.

INT. COMMAND CENTER

HENRIKSEN
Scramble your men, five minutes, then we go in.

ROBARDS
What? Henriksen, they've let out one hostage so far. They've hurt no one as far as we can tell.

HENRIKSEN
You don't know these Winchesters. They're dangerous, smart, and expertly trained.

ROBARDS
We can't risk the lives of all those people

HENRIKSEN
Trust me, Dean's a greater risk to 'em than we are.

ROBARDS
This is crazy.

HENRIKSEN
Crazy's in there. And I just hung up on it.

END ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

INT. HALLWAY

SAM sees blood on the floor in front of a closet; he opens it quickly, and the half-dressed body of SHERRY falls out. Her throat is slit.

SAM
Dammit.

INT. VAULT ROOM

SAM returns to the vault room, where DEAN is waiting; the vault is shut.

DEAN
Hey. We've got a bit of a problem outside.

SAM
We got a problem in here.

They open the vault; the hostages flinch and look around.

DEAN
Sherry? We're gonna let you go.

SHERRY
What? Why me?

DEAN
Uh, as a show of good faith to the feds, come on.

SHERRY
Uh ... I think I'd, I'd rather stay here, with the others.

DEAN
(approaching)
I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist.

She looks at them warily; SAM is fingering the silver blade. After a long pause she approaches them.

INT. HALLWAY

SAM and DEAN push SHERRY back to the hallway.

SHERRY
I thought you were letting me go.

DEAN shoves her forward, holding her head and forcing her to look at the body. She begins screaming hysterically.

DEAN
Is that community theater, or are you just naturally that good?

SAM
This is the last time you become anybody. Ever.

SHERRY
No! Oh god! Ohhhh ....

She faints.

DEAN and SAM stare at her, baffled, then back at the other body. DEAN removes rifle from his shoulder and kneels over dressed!Sherry. He raises the blade with a shrug, but SAM puts out a hand to stop him.

SAM
Dean, wait, wait, wait. What's the advantage of this plan? I mean, fainting now wouldn't help it survive.

DEAN
(looking back at the other body)
Huh.

DEAN kneels over the other body, then looks up, distracted by a noise. The body opens its eyes; it is the SHAPESHIFTER. It lashes out and grabs DEAN by the throat. As he struggles, stabbing at it, SHERRY wakes up. She screams again (Ahhhh! Oh, god....) SAM goes over to her, gathering her in his arms.

DEAN looks over: Get her outta here! Now! and continues struggling with the shapeshifter. SAM and SHERRY leave. DEAN struggles with the shapeshifter for a moment, then the SHAPESHIFTER knees DEAN in the chin and bolts.

ELSEWHERE, the S.W.A.T. team creeps through broken glass and into the bank. DEAN ducks around a corner to avoid one.

In another hallway, they find SHERRY, who backs against the wall, terrified.

SHERRY
Don't shoot! Don't shoot! I work here! I work here. Please ... get me out! Get me out of here ....

Several of them guide her out; two others continue down the hallway. They see SAM, who stops.

MAN
Freeze! Let me see your hands.

INT. BOILER ROOM

DEAN hunts. He turns and gets slammed in the face by the SHERRY-shaped SHIFTER'S hand; he goes down.

INT. HALLWAY

SAM turns abruptly and takes out the two armored policemen singlehandedly.

INT. BOILER ROOM

DEAN recovers, settles into a fighting stance. He swipes at it with the silver blade, and it avoids the attack, retaliating. They tussle; he gets in two good head-butts. He slashes at her again; she grabs his wrist and wrenches it up, and he grasps her forearm; her skin slips off stickily.

DEAN
Gross.

She kicks him hard between the legs, then several times in the face. He grabs her leg and wrenches it back, shoving her against the wall. They struggle like that for a moment before he manages to ram the silver blade into her chest.

SHIFTER: Ahhh! Ahhhhh.... She/It groans and Dean lets her/it slide to the floor. He hears a sound and flinches, then turns and kneels in front of her.

A uniformed man enters the room with a flashlight and stops; we can only see his boots. DEAN looks back, panting.

END ACT FOUR

ACT FIVE

INT. HALLWAY

Preceded by several officers, HENRIKSEN enters the building, gun out. He strides down the main hallway. Officers are going in front of him, looking in rooms, and calling: CLEAR! CLEAR! as they go through the rooms.

They find the body of the first MAN.

OFFICER
Male, African American. Goner.

INT. BOILER ROOM

Another officer is kneeling in front of the SHAPESHIFTER'S Sherry-shaped body.

OFFICER, looking up to another officer
I'm telling you, man. I just walked her out of the bank. She must have a twin sister or something.

INT. HALLWAY

OFFICER
(coming up behind HENRIKSEN)
Sir? My team said it's secure. They're gone.

HENRIKSEN
You tell your team to tear it apart! The ducts, the ceilings, the furnace, everything.

OFFICER
I don't think that's necessary.

HENRIKSEN
Why not?

The OFFICER takes HENRIKSEN to a broom closet, where two men are stripped to their underwear and handcuffed back-to-back on the floor.

HENRIKSEN nods in chagrin and frustration, as the Styx song Renegade starts playing ("Oh, mama, I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the --"

EXT. BANK - MORNING

Styx: "-- law. Lawman is pullin' into my runnin', and I'm so far from my home. Oh, mama, I can hear you a-cryin', you're so scared and all alone. Hangman is coming down from the gallows, and I don't have very long." As the Styx song Renegade* continues to play, two men in S.W.A.T. armor with weapons have exited the bank and are running up stairs on the outside of a buildlng. They exit the stairs and turn into the deck of a parking garage, walking to a car -- the IMPALA. They get into the car and we see it's Sam and Dean. The music stops. Sam and Dean pull off their masks, panting, and sit in silence for a moment, looking somber.

DEAN
We are so screwed.

SAM nods minutely.

DEAN starts the car, SAM in the passenger seat. Exhausted, they pull out of the parking garage.

Styx plays again, guitar riff, then "Oh, mama, I'm in fear for my life, from the long arm of the law." Music cuts off abruptly as the episode ends.

END

transcript by gelasius 01/26/07