[INTRO MUSIC]

SCENE 1 - OUTSIDE HANSEN ROCHESTER BASE

[Crickets chirp, light wind, late night sounds.]

MORGAN: There are too many security guards. We can't slip past them all. How are we going to get inside?

NOEL: I've been thinking about this since we got off the highway. Why don’t we just do the moonwalking bear?

GRACE: Huh?

NOEL: If you’re too focused on a certain detail or distraction, you won’t see the moonwalking bear right in front of your face. We don’t have a bear, but we do have Robin. If Robin causes enough of a scene, that might be enough to get us past gate security.

MORGAN: And then what? We’ve given up our only advantage.

NOEL: It's not exactly stealthy.

MAYA: Don't solve problem number two before we’ve solved problem number one.

GRACE: I say we moonwalk this bear.

MORGAN: Alright. Robin, can you make a big scene?

[Robin stands and walks steadily towards the east side of the base. With each even footstep, it grows a bit in size.]

MAYA: Come on!

[The four of them run towards the entrance to the base and manage to slip in undetected. We still hear the alarm from the last episode.]

MAYA: Morgan, Grace, you two go towards Robin. With any luck, it’ll lead you to Evie. Noel and I will go the other way.

GRACE: Why?

MAYA: Maybe one of us won’t get caught. There has to be some way to help you guys out-

NOEL: Or at least make Hansen’s life harder-

MAYA: -and if there is, we’ll find it.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: Okay. Best of luck.

MAYA: Check in at… 5:30. (sigh) We want to be out of here before they can call for backup. 6:00 at the absolute latest.

[Pause.]

MAYA: If you grab Evie and have a chance to get out of here without us, take it.

GRACE: We didn’t come all this way just to leave someone else behind.

MAYA: We’ll do whatever we can to be at the car by six. I need you guys to trust us. Noel and I have dealt with Hansen guys for a long time. We know the patterns, and I know Will better than any of you. We worked side by side for years. That has to count for something.

MORGAN: Has it ever counted in the past?

MAYA: (sigh) I’ve never had a chance to see. We’re wasting time we don’t have. Noel, come on.

MORGAN: Good luck!

MAYA & NOEL: Good luck!

SCENE 2 - OUTSIDE THE SERVER ROOM

[Just then, from outside the building, there’s a roar so loud it shakes the walls.]

EVIE: Finally!

[Walkie talkie static.]

SECURITY 3: (on walkie) Sir! The construct is approaching the building, just as you thought.

HIRSCH: Yes, I can hear it. Where is it?

EVIE: (under her breath, nearly frantic) Suppression pipe suppression pipe suppression pipe…

SECURITY 3: (on walkie) Approaching the east side. Coming right towards you.

HIRSCH: Dispatch a security team. Don’t let it get any closer.

SECURITY 3: I have, sir, but guns aren’t working. It doesn’t seem to notice us.

EVIE: Got it!

[Evie swings the fire ax towards the pipe. She cries out as she moves her injured shoulder, but doesn’t stop. CLANK! The ax makes contact.]

HIRSCH: No you don’t.

[Hirsch goes to grab Evie. Evie gets another swing in. CLANK! The pipe keeps leaking. Evie cries out in pain again as Hirsch grabs her arms and pulls them behind her.]

HIRSCH: Hands behind your back.

EVIE: Let me go! Hey golem, I’m in here!

[Robin roars again. She struggles in his grasp, but her injuries are catching up with her. Her adrenaline is fading.]

HIRSCH: You've been on your feet too long. You should rest.

EVIE: Over your dead body.

HIRSCH: I really wanted to help you, Evie. It’s sad you can’t see that.

EVIE: It’s sad you’re a traitor.

HIRSCH: Lucky for you, I don't care if you're thankful for the work I do. You’ll benefit… regardless of if you deserve it…

[Hirsch’s voice starts to lose energy. His words trail off.]

EVIE: Feeling a little weird, Agent? Feeling a little dizzy?

HIRSCH: Wha- what did you…

EVIE: Fire suppression system. How do you put out a fire when servers can’t get wet? Suffocate it with gas.

[Evie starts to get a bit giddy from the lack of oxygen. The hiss from the pipe gets louder.]

EVIE: How much oxygen do you really need? How little oxygen can you take?

HIRSCH: (panting, shouting as much as he can) Get the door! Turn the air on!

[Evie pushes her chair backward and hits another. To stop her, Hirsch presses down on her wounded shoulder.]

EVIE: Ahh! Get your hands off me.

[Sound of handcuffs jingling. Hirsch handcuffs Evie to her chair.]

HIRSCH: I wish I didn't need to cuff you.

EVIE: Bite me.

[One of the security guards opens the door and switches on the fan.]

HIRSCH: Take her back up to the overnight room on floor three. Have the RN on duty treat her shoulder and handcuff her to the bed. I think she’s done enough exploring for today. Emery, get this pipe repaired and have IT comb through our intranet and see if she did anything to our data before we found her.

SECURITY 1: Yes, sir.

SECURITY 2: (to EVIE, mockingly) Time to get you all fixed up.

[Walkie talkie static.]

SECURITY 3: (on walkie) Sir, we need backup! There’s ten of us out here. The bullets are slowing it down but we can’t stop it!

EVIE: (shouting) I’m in here! I'm in here!

[A security guard puts his hand over her mouth to muffle her.]

SECURITY 2: Ow! She bit me!

EVIE: OVER HERE!

HIRSCH: Third floor. Now. (to walkie) Maintain fire until I get there. If we can’t shoot this thing down, we’ll have to take control of it.

SCENE 3 - THIRD FLOOR HALLWAY

[Light fluorescent hum. Footsteps. Grace and Morgan speak in hushed tones.]

GRACE: This is the only part of the building with a labeled hospital wing, assuming the signs are correct.

MORGAN: I gotta say, I’m not super confident in this hospital theory. These Hansen people don’t sound that considerate.

GRACE: It’s the best lead we have. Robin wouldn’t stop drawing that cross. In a building like this, the only theory that made sense was Maya’s: hospital.

MORGAN: I hope you’re right. Because otherwise we’ll have to knock on every identical door-

GRACE: -and alert anyone who’s on the night shift that we’re here.

MORGAN: Exactly. This doesn’t really look like a hospital wing, though. It looks like an office building.

GRACE: I know. It’s weirding me out.

MORGAN: Maybe the signs are old.

GRACE: Or maybe they don’t get a lot of visitors.

[Suddenly, Evie’s voice comes in distantly, from down the hallway. She’s still shouting, and she’s getting louder. Evie and the security guard round the corner and come into view. Evie is handcuffed to her office chair, and they’re pushing her down the hallway.]

EVIE: If you stormtrooper idiots think you can keep me here forever-

MORGAN: (whisper) Move move move. Back here.

EVIE: -then you haven’t seen the worst of it. I’ll make your life miserable. I’ll scream so loud you won’t be able to think. I’ll build fifteen more golems and smash this place to pieces.

SECURITY 2: Will you? Because you can’t seem to get this one to smash anything.

EVIE: You don’t know anything about what I can do. If you think you’re so much better than me, then take these handcuffs off.

[The security guard chuckles but doesn’t answer her.]

MORGAN: (breathless) Oh my god.

GRACE: What?

MORGAN: She looks- this feels so dumb, but she looks so much older.

GRACE: She’d probably say the same thing about you.

MORGAN: I guess we’re about to find out.

EVIE: My golem already beat one of your teams. If you don’t want to be–

[The security guard shoves Evie’s injured shoulder.]

EVIE: AH! THAT HURTS!

SECURITY 2: Shut up.

[Morgan goes forward to move. Grace stays him.]

GRACE: Not yet. Not now.

MORGAN: Bastard.

GRACE: I know, I know, but punching that guy isn't going to help anything, even if it would feel good.

[The security guard wheels Evie into the room, then closes the door. Walkie talkie static.]

SECURITY 2: The girl's back in her hospital room. What now?

SECURITY 1: (over the walkie) Stay here until someone relieves you. I don’t want you to do so much as take a piss without someone coming to replace you. Clear?

SECURITY 2: Clear.

MORGAN: Now what?

GRACE: We could really use Robin right now.

[As if on cue, a faint sound of Robin reaches them.]

MORGAN: It sounds like it’s got its hands full.

GRACE: Wait, I have an idea. Come here.

SCENE 4 - A DIFFERENT HALLWAY

[Quick footsteps. Maya and Noel also talk in low voices.]

NOEL: Do you want to tell me what we’re actually doing here?

MAYA: Helping.

[They stop running.]

NOEL: Maya, please. How are we helping?

MAYA: I need to find Hirsch’s office while he’s distracted. Alix and Evie were so focused on digital files. There must be physical files. Information he printed off or copied or wrote down himself. He can’t have any of that information. I can’t let him keep it.

NOEL: Why?

MAYA: Do I really need to tell you?

NOEL: I need to hear you say it. I need to know why: is it duty? Anger? You’re going to do this no matter what, so I’m not going to try and stop you, but I need to know why.

MAYA: Wh- why does it matter?

NOEL: Because I can’t support you doing something this dangerous out of guilt or revenge.

[Pause.]

MAYA: I trusted him. I brought vulnerable people to him. I let him into their homes and watched as they told him about their anxieties, their money troubles, their fears and their shame. I watched them celebrate with him when, every so often, something finally went right.

NOEL: I know. I was there for it, too. Not every moment, but most of it. Enough.

MAYA: I don’t know where half of our friends are: Pat, Jo, Malcolm, Jesse and all the rest of them. One day, Brooklyn stopped feeling safe for them. It wasn't worth the money or the visibility. That started when Will left us for Hansen. I can’t protect our friends now, but I can protect their pasts. I can make sure that every bit of information he has about them, anything he could use to hurt them, disappears for good.

[Pause.]

NOEL: Okay. There are people that need us back home, too. They’re equally important. In an hour, we’re going home.

MAYA: Okay.

NOEL: Say it to me.

MAYA: Noel, in an hour, we’re going home.

NOEL: Then we better move.

SCENE 5 - THIRD FLOOR HALLWAY

[Footsteps.]

GRACE: Hi! Nurse on duty, if you could just let me through.

SECURITY 2: Hold on. I have to verify you. Where's your badge?

GRACE: Here.

[Grace hands him one of the stolen badges.]

SECURITY 2: Amy Sandoval?

GRACE: It's an old photo.

[Something around the corner clatters, like boxes of nursing supplies toppling over. Grace plays up her anxiety.]

GRACE: What was that?

SECURITY 2: Could be nothing, but I'll radio someone to check it out.

GRACE: No no, wait. What if it's another one of those monsters? What if it hears you?

SECURITY 2: I can't leave the patient unguarded.

GRACE: I'll be in there with her. Isn't her leg broken? I doubt she's going anywhere.

[Pause.]

SECURITY 2: Right, okay.

GRACE: Thank you so much. I feel safer already.

[Heavy, careful footsteps.]

SECURITY 2: (under his breath) Okay, nice and easy.

[In one quick motion, he throws the door open.]

SECURITY 2: Security! Hands in the air!

[Door creaks.]

SECURITY 2: What? H- hello?

[Morgan and Grace shove the guard into the supply closet, knocking him into another stack of boxes. They slam the door shut and lock it.]

SECURITY 2: (muffled behind the door) Let me out! Oh, you’ll be so miserable when I find you. Open this door!

[He continues banging on the door. Grace and Morgan run away.]

MORGAN: Bonus? I swiped his keycard. We can go anywhere he goes.

SCENE 6 - EVIE’S HOSPITAL ROOM

[Door opens.]

EVIE: (weakly) Back for round two?

[Footsteps.]

GRACE: Evie! Oh my god, Evie. You’re alive. Look at you. You’re bleeding. What happened? How’d you get here? Why did you build a whole golem instead of just asking-

EVIE: Grace? Is that really you?

GRACE: It’s me. I’m here. We’re going to get you out of here, and probably to a real hospital, because you really look like a mess.

EVIE: (chuckle) Yeah, this one’s pretty bad. Say, Nurse Grace, you got any drugs? I’d kill for some pain meds.

[Footsteps. Door closes. Pause.]

EVIE: Morgan?

MORGAN: Hi. I, uh, I heard you were having an emergency.

[Pause.]

MORGAN: How- how's that going?

[Pause.]

EVIE: Well, a building collapsed on top of me, and someone shot me, and other than that-

[Pause.]

EVIE & MORGAN: I'm sorry.

[Footsteps. Morgan approaches her.]

MORGAN: We have a car parked right outside. We’ll get you in a wheelchair or something and get you out of here.

EVIE: The Hansen guys will stop you the minute they see you. One already shot me in the shoulder just to slow me down. We’ll never make it.

GRACE: What time is it?

MORGAN: Almost 5:30. I’ll text them.

EVIE: Who?

GRACE: Noel and Maya. I’m not sure where they are, but they’re doing something to help us, whatever that is.

EVIE: I really missed a lot.

MORGAN: Evie, I’ve seen so much wild nonsense this week, at this point, I have no idea what is and isn't possible. I need a primer. I need a whole damn crash course-

GRACE: You guys can catch up on the way to the hospital.

EVIE: We can't leave yet. These guys have so much data on me and all my friends, names, addresses, photos, family members. I bet they have databases like that for every major city. They have a massive server room in the basement. We can't leave without destroying it.

MORGAN: How can we do that?

EVIE: I cut the line for the fire suppression system. All the gas escaped. If we could just get down there, we can burn it to the ground, but the floor's locked down. Security personnel only. We'd need an ID.

MORGAN: An ID like this one?

EVIE: Welcome back.

GRACE: We gotta move. That closet won't hold the guard forever.

MORGAN: We can't put her back in the line of fire. She's too injured.

EVIE: I’ve been trying to call my golem to help, but it’s not listening.

MORGAN: Robin's been working with us. It helped us find you. It’s trying to keep as many security guys occupied as it can, so we have enough time to get you out of here.

EVIE: Hold on, Robin? When did you name it? How can you talk to it?

[Morgan takes out his keys. The duck charm jingles.]

MORGAN: You and me. Cast from the same stuff.

EVIE: Pigeon and Duck.

MORGAN: I can’t talk to Robin directly on my own. I need someone with magic to help me, but maybe, with this charm, you can.

EVIE: I’m so… I don’t know how much energy I have left. (sigh) If only Maya-

GRACE: I’ll help.

[Key chain jingles.]

GRACE: Take the key chain. We’ll do it together.

EVIE: Okay. Together.

[Static, like a sizzle on the air.]

EVIE: Robin, I know you can hear me. I can see you. Grace, can you see Robin?

GRACE: Yes, outside, keeping us safe from soldiers.

[The gunfire outside bleeds into the scene, like a faraway place.]

EVIE: Thank you, thank you so much.

GRACE: We just need one more thing, and then you can rest.

EVIE: Let's burn this fucker down.

[CRASH! The wall of Evie’s hospital room breaks apart. Robin, three stories tall, reaches a hand into the hospital room. Alarm resumes.]

GRACE: Woah.

EVIE: Sick.

MORGAN: Looks like Robin’s offering you a hand.

GRACE & EVIE: Booo.

MORGAN: I think that’s your cue to leave. We’ll meet you downstairs.

EVIE: You aren’t coming?

MORGAN: Better we come from all directions.

EVIE: I wish I could help more.

GRACE: You’ve already helped us so much. You made Robin. A little piece of you kept us safe long enough to find you.

EVIE: Thanks. Grace, help me get out of bed.

[Grace helps Evie up.]

EVIE: Morgan, take my bag, and that rubbing alcohol over there. That should be enough to get a fire going.

MORGAN: You got it.

EVIE: See you down there.

[Robin lifts Evie up out of the building. As Robin starts walking away, we hear Evie whoop once.]

SCENE 7 - HIRSCH’S OFFICE/HALLWAY

[Sound of papers rustling and drawers opening.]

NOEL: Found another external hard drive.

MAYA: Just shove it in your bag. We don’t have time to check which ones have the data we want.

NOEL: Can you help me unlock this filing cabinet too? It’s the last one.

[Maya walks over to him. Static, a sizzle on the air.]

NOEL: This filing cabinet is unlocked.

MAYA: It’s always been unlocked.

[The lock sparks and shocks them. They both yank their hands back.]

MAYA & NOEL: Ow!

MAYA: Warded lock.

NOEL: This one has to be it.

[They hear the alarm resume.]

MAYA: (quieter) Go time. Just like we talked about.

NOEL: It might not be him.

MAYA: I wouldn’t take those odds.

NOEL: I hate this, for the record.

MAYA: Noted. Get that filing cabinet open. You have the charms, right?

NOEL: Yeah, here's yours. You sure about this?

MAYA: I have to face him. I need to put this part of my life away.

NOEL: Just don't forget that I'm here with you. I have your back.

MAYA: I know. You always have. That's the only reason I can do this.

[Maya exits the office into the hallway. Footsteps. Hirsch approaches.]

HIRSCH: Maya. (disbelieving laugh) How are you? What are you doing here?

MAYA: Same thing you are, uh, subduing a construct that got out of hand. You grabbed a piece of it. That's good, halfway there.

HIRSCH: Did Evie build this with you?

MAYA: No. If she did, it would be a better listener.

HIRSCH: (chuckle) I've missed you.

MAYA: Me too. I've thought a lot about how we left things years ago. You just took off.

HIRSCH: I didn't think you'd let me go.

MAYA: I probably wouldn't have. I was so self-righteous.

HIRSCH: Was?

MAYA: I told you. I've had a lot of time to think. I feel responsible for this. I trained Evie. I taught her how to make those ducks. I think she used them to make this monster.

HIRSCH: She made her own choices.

MAYA: And I've made mine. I get it, now, why you left us for Hansen. Unchecked magic is too dangerous. It's a weapon we need to stay ahead of.

[Pause.]

HIRSCH: (sigh, clicks tongue) Maya, I really wish that were true, but you're forgetting something. I've known you too long. I can tell when you're lying to me.

MAYA: I really wanted to get it. I really wanted to understand why you picked this over your friends. We were an amazing team. Think of all we could've done.

HIRSCH: You could've come with me. You never even considered that, did you?

[Maya scoffs.]

HIRSCH: No, of course you didn't.

MAYA: You know I can't let you gain control of that construct.

HIRSCH: You don't get a say.

MAYA: Alright, then. Lights out!

[An explosion of darkness shoots out from the charm between Maya's hands. It's thick and total, like tar. Every sound in the space disappears, including the hum of the lights.]

HIRSCH: Please, a little darkness? I'm terrified.

MAYA: (farther away) Never said you were.

HIRSCH: And I have more important things to do than play games with you.

MAYA: (another direction) I won't let you pass me. I won't let you get close enough to Robin for it to matter.

HIRSCH: I'm not asking.

MAYA: (and another) You’ll have to get to me first.

[Hirsch starts walking.]

MAYA: How long is this hallway, really? How far away am I? (and another direction) Fifty feet? One hundred? (very close) Shouldn’t you have reached me by now?

HIRSCH: I’m done with this.

[Hirsch takes out his phone and tries to turn the flashlight on. It won’t. The screen won’t even light up. Maya’s voice sounds like it’s coming from every direction.]

MAYA: Your flashlight won't work here. I told you, lights out. All of them. There’s just you, me, and the darkness. It’ll eat everything else.

[Hirsch starts running.]

HIRSCH: I could navigate this building with my eyes closed.

MAYA: (far away) Then where are you going? The office is back here!

[Hirsch starts panting.]

HIRSCH: How are you doing this? Who’s helping you?

MAYA: (very close) You are.

HIRSCH: No I'm not. I don’t believe in this. This isn’t real!

MAYA: You must, somewhere, deep down, or it wouldn't be working.

SCENE 8 - BASEMENT

[Grace and Morgan run down the stairs towards the server room.]

MORGAN: Still no answer from Maya or Noel.

GRACE: We have ten minutes.

MORGAN: I know. I don’t like it either.

[Morgan calls Evie and puts her on speaker.]

MORGAN: Evie, we’re almost to the server room.

EVIE: (over the phone): Great, don’t leave the stairwell until it’s safe.

MORGAN: How do we know that it’ll be-

[CRASH! Robin tears out towards the outside wall of the basement, taking several security guards with it. The gunfire redoubles, louder this time. Robin roars.]

EVIE: (over the phone) Run for it!

GRACE: Let’s go!

SECURITY 1: Stop!

GRACE: Morgan, g me your phone. Run for the server room. I'll buy you enough time.

[Robin hits a security guard. The firefight continues under their conversation.]

GRACE: Evie? You still there?

EVIE: Roger roger Agent Grace.

GRACE: Bring Robin closer. Let me grab onto its arm. You remember our secret garden?

EVIE: Always.

GRACE: And how the plants started taking it over? Like all those plants clinging onto Robin?

EVIE: We never planted flowers.

GRACE: We can. We will, once we get out of here. Evie, when I'm with you, I feel like, no matter who's watching me, no matter how scared I am, I can do miracles.

EVIE: You can.

GRACE: With you, I can.

[Pause.]

EVIE: Grace, no one has ever made me feel as safe as you have.

[One security guard finds an opening. He fires a few gunshots at Grace.]

EVIE: Grace!

GRACE: I need you to picture those plants wrapping us up and keeping us safe. I need you to build that with me.

EVIE: If we build it, it's ours.

[Out from the plants on Robin's body springs a woven wall of wild grasses and flowers. It grows and grows, surrounding Grace and the server room like Maya's plants once did. Bullets collide with it, but the wall stands firm. Grace gives a relieved, incredulous laugh.]

SCENE 9 - HALLWAY OUTSIDE HIRSCH’S OFFICE

HIRSCH: Enough!

[He slams his hands against the wall.]

HIRSCH: Maya, you're forgetting, I know how your magic works. You can't throw anything at me that I don't already know. One on one, I always beat you, and I say, LIGHTS ON.

[WHOOSH like a shockwave, magical light emerges from Hirsch's hands and travels down the hallway. It collides with Maya, white hot and burning. She screams and goes down. Noel bursts out of the office.]

NOEL: Maya!

[Noel rams into Hirsch with his shoulder and shoves him into the wall.]

NOEL: It's not one on one, asshole!

[Hirsch takes a swing at Noel.]

MAYA: Noel, duck! LIGHTS OFF.

SCENE 10 - SERVER ROOM

[Morgan enters the server room proper. He dumps the backpack.]

MORGAN: Let’s see: office paper, rubbing alcohol, hairspray, flour? She always planned to burn this place.

[Gunfire continues outside.]

MORGAN: Okay, deal with that later. Ugh, this stuff smells awful!

[Morgan balls up office paper and spreads it around the room, dumps flour in other areas, spreads rubbing alcohol on top of a big pile of flammable material.]

MORGAN: Okay, that's everywhere.

[He grabs a lighter from his pocket and holds it out in front of the can of hairspray.]

MORGAN: Alright, Evie, you said it best. Let's burn this fucker down.

[The hairspray lights up like a torch. It ignites the pile of flour, paper, and nail polish remover. The blaze jumps in height. The fire alarm starts blaring. The fire grows bigger, at an alarming rate. Morgan runs for the door, coughing as the smoke gets thicker.]

SCENE 11 - HALLWAY OUTSIDE HIRSCH’S OFFICE

HIRSCH: WHERE ARE YOU?

MAYA: Always a bit out of reach.

[Hirsch yells and swings a fist towards the voice. It connects with the wall.]

HIRSCH: OW!

NOEL: And you'll never get both of us.

[He swings again, misses, collides with another wall. Then, OOF, something hits him in the stomach. A distant BOOM from all the way down in the basement. The fire alarm starts blaring.]

HIRSCH: What-

NOEL: Run!

[Maya and Noel take off running, before Maya realizes Hirsch hasn’t moved.]

MAYA: Will, the building's on fire!

HIRSCH: It can't. No, no I've got to-

MAYA: Will! You'll never make it. We have to leave.

HIRSCH: You chose your life. This is mine. I- I will not let it burn. You, of all people, should understand that.

MAYA: Just, get out before it's too late.

[Maya runs away.]

SCENE 12 - BASEMENT/OUTSIDE THE BASE

[The fire is huge. The fire alarm blares.]

MORGAN: Run!

GRACE: Evie, Robin, grab us!

[Robin’s hand closes around Morgan and Grace.]

GRACE: Hang on!

[Robin lifts them out of the basement to safety and starts walking away from the building. The alarm and fire fades to a dull roar. Crickets come back.]

EVIE: The security teams made a run for it as soon as they saw the fire.

MORGAN: Yeah, there’s no stopping it.

EVIE: You could see it from home!

GRACE: Look! That's Maya and Noel. They're halfway to the car.

[Robin sets them all down on the ground.]

MAYA & NOEL: Evie!

[They both grab her into a hug.]

EVIE: Ah! Watch the shoulder.

NOEL: I'm so happy you're okay.

MAYA: Well, mostly.

EVIE: I missed you guys so much. I'm sorry. I'm never going to do anything like this again, I promise.

MAYA: Well, hold on. Maybe just don't do it without me.

GRACE: Guys, help me get Evie into the car.

[We hear the scratch and pop of Robin shrinking.]

EVIE: Did you see that! The shrinking spell works! It took me so long to get that right.

MORGAN: It’ll be a tight squeeze back here. Maybe if we put someone on Robin’s lap-

EVIE: I don’t think Robin is coming.

[Pause.]

EVIE: You aren’t, right? You’re staying here.

[Pause. Robin nods.]

GRACE: I don’t get it.

EVIE: How does this story end, every time? Deactivate the golem. Stick it in an attic until the next existential threat. I couldn’t- (to Robin) I won’t do that to you. You've barely had a chance to be alive, and all you've known is violence. No wonder you are the way you are. That's no life. That can't be your life.

MORGAN: Will Robin survive without your magic keeping it alive?

EVIE: For a while. How long, I don't know, but it's just like any other charm, right, Maya? If I charge Robin Pigeon one last time, Robin should be able to do whatever it wants for months, maybe years.

MAYA: Maybe. You’ve stuffed a lot of magic into one very important vessel. Robin stayed alive long enough for us to find it, but after a few days, I have no idea.

EVIE: There’s nothing for Robin in Brooklyn, and I won’t just stow it away in a closet until the next fight. What’s the point of fighting if you never get to rest?

[Like a dream, we hear a mourning dove coo.]

MORGAN: It’s nearly morning.

GRACE: And you need a hospital.

EVIE: I know. Robin, I don’t know when your battery will run out. I hope it never does, because I really want to see you again. We have Morgan’s key chain. We’ll call you if we need you, and I’d like you to come, but you don’t have to. And if you need us, come find us. Grace, do you see those wildflowers? The small, yellow ones.

GRACE: Yes.

EVIE: Could you give me a few?

[Grace does. Evie tucks them behind Robin’s ear and threads the stems through a crack in the side of its head.]

EVIE: There you are. When you start sprouting flowers, think of me, even just for a minute.

[Robin touches the side of its head, its fingertips just grazing the delicate stems. Then, it steps forward and takes Evie into a hug.]

NOEL: Hey, I want to hug Robin!

MORGAN: Get in line.

GRACE: Too late!

NOEL: Group hug! Maya, get in here.

MAYA: Let me just- aah!

[She gives a surprised laugh as Noel grabs her arm and pulls her into the group hug. We fade out on her laughter.]

SCENE 13 - EVIE’S APARTMENT

[Sound of microwave popcorn popping.]

NOEL: What time is it?

MAYA: Quarter after six.

GRACE: Is Alix on their way?

NOEL: Should be.

MORGAN: Okay, there's curry in the fridge for dinner, and I’ll take the trash out on my way out.

GRACE: Good. Then I don’t have to do it.

MORGAN: Oh, in that case, maybe I’ll forget.

EVIE: I just have to get a really tall rolling chair. That way when I want to cook at the stove (she lilts her voice up) I just go up (and lilts it down) and then I can come back down.

MAYA: Take the help while they're still offering it. If I never had to cook again, it would be too soon.

[The microwave beeps.]

EVIE: True, but if there’s more than one person in this apartment at a time, the AC doesn’t stand a chance.

NOEL: At least turn it on now.

EVIE: It is. Exactly my point.

[Footsteps.]

MORGAN: Popcorn anyone? Grace, scoot over.

GRACE: Where? This couch can barely fit two.

MORGAN: And now it’ll barely fit three.

GRACE: (sarcastic) Oh no, I have to snuggle up next to Evie. How will I manage?

[Evie giggles.]

MORGAN: Gross.

[Intercom buzzes.]

NOEL: That must be Alix.

MAYA: Y’know, our apartment actually has the space for six people.

EVIE: (melodramatically) You would make me, in my poor, feeble state, shoulder still bleeding, leg barely hanging off my body, take (gasp) the subway?

MORGAN: (committing to the bit) Yeah, geez Maya. You’re going to make her take the C train like this?

EVIE: Take the stairs like this? I’m Rapunzel, trapped on the fourth floor, stuck in a gilded cage-

[Door opens. Alix enters.]

ALIX: Hey!

[The whole group greets them.]

ALIX: Sorry I’m late, but I brought beer, so it’s fine.

EVIE: Hell yeah, send one of those over here.

MAYA: I thought you were barely holding onto life?

EVIE: And soon I’ll be barely holding onto a beer.

[Everyone chuckles.]

ALIX: Maya, are you around tomorrow night? My contact with that magic network in Philly is in town this week. He wants to meet you.

MAYA: Yeah, uh, we can all get dinner. I wonder if we have any mutual friends.

ALIX: Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing.

MORGAN: That reminds me, Grace, I can come by and help on Thursday. Are you around tomorrow?

GRACE: I have class.

ALIX: I can do a shift!

EVIE: Don’t sound so excited.

ALIX: (teasingly) I never thought I’d be a nurse. It’ll be an experience for both of us.

MAYA: I have Sunday afternoon.

NOEL: I can do Saturday.

MORGAN: So we’re set then.

ALIX: Pass the popcorn over here.

NOEL: I have the movie. I just need to cast it to the TV…

EVIE: Someone hit the lights.

ALIX: I got it.

[Movie starts.]

ALIX: Dude, this movie’s from the stone age.

NOEL: It’s my turn, and I like noir movies.

[Outro music begins to play them out.]

EVIE: (in her best transatlantic) You simply must help me. Detective, I just know my husband is alive…

[We fade out on the group’s laughter.]

REMY: The Artisan Who Made Me is written and produced by Remy Davison and directed by Sydney Roslin. This episode featured Yaya Koas as Morgan, Alexander Michael Reeves as Noel, Ria Meer as Grace, Bryce Payne as Maya, Chaia Alyss as Evie, Nick Jordan as Hirsch, and Alyssa Cassesse as Alix. Music by Jordan Speranzo, and audio production by Raphael Davison. For more information, transcripts, and to support our show, visit bottledstarproductions.com. “The Artisan Who Made Me” is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council.