Fear Itself

PROLOGUE
(Opening shot: the night sky, filled with dark storm clouds and flashes of lightning. Tilt down to the exterior of a video store in Jump City; a crowd of panicking customers bursts out and breaks for cover. Inside, a clerk screams and backs across the floor. Some large thing with many long, sparking appendages rears up before her, causing her to stumble down, and the camera cuts to behind her to show these as coaxial cables. Tilt up to reveal the main body, a large television set whose static-filled screen frames an evilly grinning face with narrowed red eyes.)

(It brings two of the cable ends together, striking an arc, and leans toward the imperiled young woman; she cries out and shields her face. Now we see a close-up of a remote control, its front end fashioned into a menacing creature's head, held in someone's hand. The press of a button stops the big screen in its tracks, wipes out the static, and leaves just a blank expression on the face. Pan to the remote's user, standing atop the shelves near a wall of video screens, and cut to a close-up. Fat, long straggly hair, dressed after the fashion of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, a dark gray overcoat topping off the ensemble -this is Control Freak.)

Control Freak: Okay. Either you admit that Warp Trek Five, which reunited the entire original cast of the classic TV series, deserved to be on your "Favorite Rentals" list, or...

(When he says the movie name, he points the remote at the screens and brings up an image of a green-skinned starship crewman to make his point. After he finishes the line, he aims the device toward the o.c. television monster; it comes back to life. The clerk scuttles back toward the candy counter.)

Clerk: Please! I-I don't even know what Warp Trek is! Control Freak: And that, my little tribble, is why you must be destroyed!

(Another button pressed; the screen roars, strikes sparks from two cables, and reaches toward her. She screams and dives over the counter to get out of striking range. Close-up of her, behind the display and looking up fearfully; tilt up to show the thing floating steadily toward her hiding place. Before it can get to her, though, a sonic cannon blast drives it off to one side. Control Freak covers his face as dust flies back from the area of its collision with the far wall. He looks up with a gasp; cut to inside the entrance, where the Titans have arrived on the scene and Cyborg has his weapon at the ready. Pan slowly across the group as he disarms.)

[Animation goof: The cannon is on his left arm in this shot.]

(The overweight movie nut hops nimbly from one shelf to the next, approaching them.)

Control Freak: Well, well, well. If it isn't my old arch-nemesis...ses...the Teen Titans! Beast Boy: Um, yeah. (to Cyborg; question mark by head) Who is this guy?

(Cyborg shrugs, equally puzzled, and both get their answer when the screens all come up showing an image of Control Freak at the click of his remote. Close-up of one.)

Control Freak: (on all screens) I am the master of monsters! (Pull back to frame more of the wall.) I am your darkest nightmares come to life! (Pull back again.) I am...Control Freak!

(The genuine article stands up into view on the end of this and produces applause and clapping with the right button.)

Raven: A couch potato with a souped-up remote. I'm petrified. Control Freak: You will be. (approaching camera) You will be.

(Pull back. He laughs and fires up the controller; near Raven, a video drop box grows considerably and turns its deposit slot into a toothy mouth. She gasps and backs up from its expanding shadow as it growls in a very rusty manner. Close-up of her wide-eyed, startled face, zooming in slowly, and fade to black.)

(Fade to black.)

Act One
(Opening shot: a close-up of Raven, looking just as she did before the theme. Pull back to the sound of the drop box's growling, then cut to it as it stomps toward her. Cyborg leaps in and hits the thing broadside with a flying shoulder to knock it away, but it soon recovers and locks up with him.)

Cyborg: Don't worry, Raven! (picking it up) I can drop the drop box!

(He tosses it across the store; it fetches up against several sets of shelves, and he leaps in with a yell to do a little old-school clobbering.)

Robin: (from o.c.) Get his remote! (He dashes across, followed by Starfire and Beast Boy.) Control Freak: Show's not over, Titans. And if you thought Part One was scary, just wait for the sequels!

(He aims his remote at the two cash registers; as the cowering clerk cries out in fear, evil faces appear on the price displays and the handheld scanners float up of their own accord. The Titans, save Cyborg, look from here to Control Freak, who has dropped to the floor and now brings a set of shelves to life. The video boxes on the top level are red while those below are white, and most of them fall away to leave the unit with two eyes and a snarling mouth. It moves in.)

(Now the four look elsewhere and see the portly enemy twirling around the floor. Another click, this one with the remote aimed under his upraised leg, and the camera shifts to a large cardboard cutout of an alien in samurai armor. Its eyes glow red as it brings the blade back for a swing, to the sound of the geek's laughter; cut to the four bewildered Titans, then to Control Freak, who waves derisively at them.)

(Pull back. The two-dimensional warrior and Robin face off, and as the former charges, the latter brings his fighting staff out, extends it, and leaps away. He comes down behind it and sends it flying with a well-placed swing; in an instant, though, it stretches its body and strikes at him like a snake. Robin is sent flying across the room.)

(A stream of coins lances through the area like a machine-gun fusillade. Here comes Starfire, swooping through with the two cash registers in hot pursuit and spitting their change at her. The chase swings low down one aisle as Beast Boy backs into view at its far end. The mutated set of shelves is bearing down on him here. In no time flat, he has transformed into a roaring tyrannosaurus rex; the unit screams shrilly, all its "teeth" and "eyes" falling out, and he tears into it.)

(Snap to black, which immediately resolves into Raven's outfit as she skids backward away from the camera. Control Freak approaches at a leisurely pace.)

Raven: You like bad movies, right?

(She levitates several scattered videos and propels them toward him. His first response is to work the remote, bringing them to a stop in midair.)

Control Freak: Yeah, but they like you!

(He sends them right back at her; they line up into an unbroken string, like a group of dominoes laid end to end, and wrap her up from shoulders to waist. Cyborg, meanwhile, has hoisted up the shelving unit Beast Boy fought-its "face" is back together-and slams it to the floor. He wipes his hands smugly, but his mood quickly changes to one of surprise.)

Cyborg: Huh?

(Control Freak, once again spinning across the floor, hits a button. Behind Cyborg, the candy counter is affected; all the goodies leap off the shelves and come snarling after him.)

Various candies: Eat him!...Who's delicious now, big man?

(The sugary horde leaps at him and attaches itself all over his body; he cries out and tries to back away.)

Cyborg: Bad candy, bad candy! Get off! Hey, hey! Stop that! Stop! That's not yours!

(The cash registers rocket across, spilling bills here and there, with Starfire now chasing them and firing starbolts. She shoots one down with ease, but the other takes evasive action and slows down to fall in behind her. It then starts to fire off coins; she is thrown briefly off balance, but gets herself under control and bounces off a wall straight back at the thing. One point-blank shot puts the crazed piece of retail hardware out of action for good.)

(Cut to floor level. Her boots touch down amid the clinking change and fluttering currency; tilt up to frame the rest of her as she picks up a coin and looks at it with a curious smile. An instant later, one of the big-screen monster's cables whips into view, wraps her up, and gives her a shock that forces a loud squeal out of her. She is quickly hauled toward the face as Robin backs into view, trading hits with the cardboard samurai-now back to original humanoid form. It goes into a new charge, and he gets a birdarang ready. Snap to black, with a brilliant white streak slashing across the screen-the weapon finding its mark-then to him coming down from a leap. Behind him, the figure has stopped in its tracks. He runs o.c.; after a moment, it falls apart, having been split down the middle by his throw.)

(That set of deranged shelves slides backward into view. Its "face" shows how scared it is, and for good reason, as we see when Beast Boy charges in as a bull and gores it. The thing skids farther and crashes into other shelves, throwing up a curtain of dust. Out comes the green Titan, back in human form and badly dazed from the collision. He staggers a bit, the camera panning to follow, and stops when another cardboard cutout is partially in view. This snaps his brain back into its groove; he stares silently for a second and them flails his arms with a high-pitched scream.)

(Cut to his perspective of the display's base, which shows a movie title in red letters that look as if painted in blood-Wicked Scary. Above this are several tentacles issuing from under the hem of a long, tattered robe. Tilt up to show the rest of the figure-very tall, hood up, no facial features visible within except for one glowing red pinpoint of an eye.)

Beast Boy: Dude! (Back to him.) Wicked Scary is out on video?

(Stars appear in his eyes; pull back a bit as Control Freak comes up next to him, his eyes doing likewise.)

Control Freak: I know! (as hearts float up around him) Director's cut, digitally remastered, alternate ending-it's great. Beast Boy: Cool!

(The happy moment ends when he realizes that this man is actually an enemy.)

Beast Boy: Not cool.

(Control Freak grins nastily and fires up his remote. Cut to the base of the display again, tilting up as it comes to life. Those tentacles flash toward Boy, who lets off a terrified scream. Raven is still bound by the videos she tried to sling at the foe. Her legs are free, and she backs up as a swarm of cassettes floats toward her; each has long loops of tape hanging down, and the reels have become red eyes. Those loops snap out and bind Raven from head to toe. She starts to topple backward, then gathers herself and breaks free with a mighty burst of her powers.)

Raven: You don't scare me. Beast Boy: (running across) Look out, he'll eat your brains!

(The Wicked Scary cutout goes after him; a moment later, more tape strands from the flying cassettes lash toward her and she dives away. Tilt down to floor level, where Cyborg crawls along the carpet as the mad candies chew on him.)

Cyborg: Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! (He stands up.) ALL RIGHT!! (tearing several loose) If y'all are biting Cyborg, Cyborg's biting back!

(He shovels the handfuls into his mouth, chews happily, and swallows.)

Cyborg: Mmm-mmm! Never knew evil tasted so good.

(The others scream in fear, detach themselves from his body, and beat a hasty retreat. As he stands there grinning, a loud rumble makes itself heard from within-what he just ate has disagreed with him violently. His face goes slack, then green and sweaty.)

Cyborg: Oh, boy.

(The exterior of the video store, seen in a long shot. He rushes out and vomits into the first trash can he finds. Inside, Starfire is still held fast in one of the big-screen monster's snaking cables, but Robin's birdarang flashes across and cuts her loose before sticking in the ceiling. He rushes up, staff ready to swing, and lands a thundering blow that would shatter the screen of any normal television set. This one just gets knocked backward, hard, and crashes into the wall. Robin leaps and catches the still-bound Starfire, whose cables fall off when they both touch down.)

(He looks across the store and sees Raven and Beast Boy backing toward each other from their respective threats. Behind Robin, Control Freak's laughter makes itself heard; he moves aside and the camera zooms in a bit to show the villain standing in the aisle. A button pressed, and the insane television moves back into the free-for-all. A swinging cable forces Robin and Starfire to dive in opposite directions; when he lands, he looks up at the ceiling. Close-up of one of the fire sprinkler heads, then an extreme close-up. The big screen closes in, and Robin makes up his mind and brings out two birdarangs. Making a huge leap that takes him higher than any regular pair of legs can carry a person, he lets them fly; they weave all over the place and slice through all the sprinklers.)

(Water gushes down from the broken pipes. The attacking cassettes yield under the deluge and tumble to the floor; the cardboard display softens and crumples. Beast Boy laughs, Raven smiles, and the clerk peeks up over the counter. Last to go is the television; a big drop of sweat slides down the edge of the screen, the static winks out, and the face becomes very uneasy. Sparks crackle from the shorting circuits as it topples backward and crashes to the floor at Control Freak's feet. He voices a strangled cry.)

Control Freak: My remote! (Waist level; he punches buttons uselessly.) I can't live without my remote! (Robin takes it away and grabs a fistful of shirt.) Robin: Ever think maybe you watch too much TV? Control Freak: This isn't over! You hear me? This isn't over! (Cyborg has returned now.) Raven: Looks pretty over to me.

(Beast Boy waves his arms excitedly as Cyborg staggers a bit, moaning and clutching his gut.)

Beast Boy: Guys!

(He ducks o.c.; video boxes fly up into view-he is rummaging on the floor-and Cyborg's stomach rumbles anew. The Titan who overindulged claps a hand to his mouth and runs back out to vomit again. Beast Boy stands up, holding a copy of Wicked Scary. The hooded creature is on the cover, as are a couple of terrified people.)

Beast Boy: Check it out! (holding it toward camera) Movie night!

(Cut to the counter, where the clerk ha not yet gotten to her feet. He sets the video down and starts to fish around in the pouches of his belt. Raven stands behind him, her posture and face showing just how little she thinks of the whole run-in, and Robin and Starfire drag Control Freak away.)

Beast Boy: Um, I-I know I've got my rental card somewhere.

(He removes one boot and shakes it to see if the card is stuck in there. Close-up of him; the video is thrust into view toward him.)

Clerk: (from o.c.) Just take it!

(He blinks bemusedly down at the offering. Dissolve to a pan across a room whose walls displays a wealth of objects connected with the Titans' previous adventures, and stop on Robin at the far end. We now see glass cases in the center of the floor, holding more items. This is the evidence room of Titans Tower. Close-up of a small pedestal; his shadow falls over it, and he reaches into view to set Control Freak's remote atop it. A burst of feedback is heard over an intercom speaker, shaking him out of his brief reverie.)

Beast Boy: (over intercom) Robin! Emergency! Get up here, now!

(He runs for the door. Cut to inside the operations center door, which opens to admit him. Rain is heard outside.)

Robin: Report!

(Cut to behind him. Beast Boy stands on the far side of the coffee table, while the other three Titans are on the couch.)

Robin: What's the problem? Beast Boy: (holding up video) The problem is, it's showtime-and you're not in your seat.

(Robin steams at having been called up for something as trivial as this, and a vein throbs in his forehead. As Raven reads a book, Starfire holds a large bowl of candy.)

Starfire: Cyborg? (offering it to him) You are certain you do not desire unhealthy sugar candies? (He recoils and moans weakly.) Cyborg: Make it go away... (Robin vaults onto the couch.) Beast Boy: Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the scariest night of your lives. (popping up here and there around others) Maybe Control Freak's monsters didn't scare you, but this movie is going to freak you out.

(The last word puts him right next to Raven, who has not looked up from her reading.)

Raven: Whatever.

(Sight gag: his mouth falls half off, as if it were a suspended sign with one end loose, and then drops away entirely to shatter on the floor. Cut to Robin and Starfire.)

Robin: Can't be any creepier than the documentary on hot dogs Starfire made us watch. (Pan to Cyborg.) Starfire: It was fascinating! I had no idea that Earth people ate so many pigs-and insects.

(Her words set off a new wave of indigestion in Cyborg's gut; his face goes green, and he hangs over the back of the couch to vomit once more.)

Beast Boy: Yeah, yeah, bugs and hot dogs, big deal. (picking up video again) This movie is supposed to be cursed. (He lets go; it spins in midair.) When people watch it, strange things happen- (leaning toward camera; face goes red and creepy) -evil things.

(His complexion returns to normal as he backs off and laughs maniacally. Lightning cracks out through the windows behind him. Not a bit of this has changed Raven's demeanor or made her close the book.)

Raven: Just start the movie.

(Beast Boy's face falls and a vein throbs in his temple as he pulls out the television remote. Pan from him to the window/screen, which fills with static and blacks out. The movie's title fades in, appearing as it did on the box; this view dissolves to a shot of Raven and Robin, staring wide-eyed with mouths agape straight ahead toward the screen. The lights have been shut off, so that the only illumination is from the screen and the night sky outside. Pan from them to Starfire and Cyborg, in that same stunned silence, to the sound of low, unearthly chuckling from the speakers. Starfire has grabbed the end of Robin's cape and is huddled behind it.)

(Dissolve to the exterior of the Tower, standing dark and ominous under the raging thunderstorm, then cut to a close-up of the screen and zoom in slowly. A woman backs up in the approaching shadow of the tentacled creature seen on the box and screams in pure terror. Snap to black, against which the word "END" fades into view in big red letters, then cut to Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin. They are still frozen from the sheer horror of what they have just witnessed; Starfire's eyes are now shut tight. Beast Boy carefully peeks up from behind the couch-he has been hiding here the entire time.)

Beast Boy: Is it over? Starfire: I dare not open my eyes to find out. Cyborg: Now I'm really sick to my stomach. Robin: I've fought psychotic villains, robot commandos, and giant oozing monsters-

(Close-up of Raven. Her hood is down, but she quickly composes herself, puts it up, and turns away as he continues.)

Robin: (from o.c.) -but that is the scariest thing I have ever seen.

(Back to the other four. They trade wide-eyed stares for a long, tense moment-and then break out in exuberant laughter and chatter.)

Beast Boy: Did I tell you or did I tell you? Starfire: Thrilling, Beast Boy! It was wonderfully horrible! (Close-up of the back of Raven's head.) Cyborg: (from o.c.) Yeah, when she went into the basement- (She turns partway back on the next line.) Robin: (from o.c.) -and it was right behind her and she turned and- (Back to the four.) Cyborg: I was freaking out! (grinning) I wanted to turn it off.

(Raven turns the rest of the way back and puts her hood down as Beast Boy leans over to her.)

Beast Boy: So...come on, Raven, admit it. You were totally scared. (Zoom in on her.) Raven: I don't do fear.

(Dissolve to the exterior of the still-dark Tower, seen from ground level as more rain and thunder stream down, then cut to inside the hall. Sheets of water pour over the windows. From here, cut to the empty stairway, then to a closed door. Zoom in and dissolve to an overhead view of Raven, asleep in bed-the entrance we just saw was to her room. The camera zooms again and rotates slightly before a flash of lightning shows a profile view of her, sitting up with a sharp gasp. She has taken off her cloak to sleep.)

(She looks out the window, then across the room. Cut to her perspective, panning slowly from one corner to the other, then to her four-eyed drama masks seen in "Nevermore," and finally to a bookend statue that looks like an enlarged copy of the small black birds in that same episode. After this last item, we see her in a long shot, panning slowly.)

Raven: Maybe I should consider redecorating.

(Close-up: she looks out uneasily for a moment more and then settles back down to sleep. All is quiet until a piercing scream rips through the air and snaps her bolt upright again; it sounds just like the one in the final scene of Wicked Scary. Cut to the operations center's side door, where she emerges with her cloak back on.)

Raven: Who screamed?

(The other four Titans have gathered there and switched the lights back on.)

Robin: Sounded like something from the movie. Did we leave the TV on? Starfire: We did not. (picking up video) And the movie is right here. (Out go the lights.) Cyborg: Okay. That's creepy.

(He extends a small flashlight from his shoulder and turns it on. Swiveling slowly in place, he lets the beam play over the kitchen, from counter to tables. Robin steps into the circle of light.)

Robin: The storm. Probably just tripped a circuit breaker.

(A tentacle reaches into view to touch his shoulder. Giving it only a raised eyebrow, he says nothing else as Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven cry out; now he smiles.)

Robin: Okay, Beast Boy, you got us. (pushing tentacle off) Good one.

(The three onlookers remain stock-still as Beast Boy leans into view next to them.)

Beast Boy: Uh...dude?

(Now both of the Boy Wonder's eyebrows are all the way up as he turns his attention back toward the source of that touch. Cyborg's flash moves that way, the camera following, and rests on the robed one-eyed terror now standing in the operations center. It rips away the garments to show all of itself: blue-gray skin, mouths all over its body, long tangled hair, two normal arms in addition to the tentacles, and a large red eye to either side of the one seen under its hood. It backs up and lets off a primal roar; the Titans stare, their feet nailed to the floor with terror, as the camera pulls back slowly. Fade to black.)