EXT. CITY TRAFFIC JAM – DAY.

Dr. MARK COLE, (31, too stressed for his age) HONKS car horn repeatedly. Noise of BACKGROUND TRAFFIC swells in the background. SIRENS in the distance. Mark DIALS his office while MUTTERING to himself about traffic.

MARK:
Can you people at least pretend you know how to drive?! Let's go!

Mark SLAMS his fist against the horn. MUFFLED shouts and insults ring out in return. Phone RINGS through to SHIRLEY WALTERS (65, quaint secretary) who answers the phone.

SHIRLEY:
Thank you for calling Hero Therapy Institute, everyday help for everyday heroes, how may I direct your call?

MARK:
Hey, Shirl? It's Mark. There's been some kind of major accident on Main, and I'm stuck in wall-to-wall traffic. I hate to ask this, but can you move my first appointment to 10:30? It's gonna be at least another hour before I make it to the office.

SHIRLEY:
Not a problem. I'll hold down the fort until you get here.

MARK:
You're an angel, Shirley. Any of my patients in?

SHIRLEY:
Well, your 9:00 with Marty "The Flamethrower" Robertson was cancelled.

MARK:
Again? What is it this time?

SHIRLEY:
Well, his mother called--

MARK:
Please, don't tell me he—

SHIRLEY:
--ended up in the hospital after a minor fire-related incident in his dorm. Apparently, he injured himself trying to make his roommate believe he had real powers.

MARK:
Geeze. I thought we were making progress with that kid. I'm gonna lose my job and all of our funding at this rate. We're supposed to talk these kids out of hero delusions, not encourage them. What am I doing wrong, Shirl?

SHIRLEY:
Nothing, Dr. Cole. You're helping a lot of people down here.

MARK:
I'm trying to, but we're running out of time, and Marty's not even my worst case. Speaking of trouble, has Donnie Walsh called this morning?

SHIRLEY:
Not that I know of.

MARK:
You sure? The kid called my house fourteen times last night saying he urgently needed to talk to me, but I got home too late to call him back. I don't know if he's going through another manic phase or what, but his voicemails were off.

SHIRLEY:
How so?

MARK:
I don't know. Donnie was rattling off about having some kind of major breakthrough, but I don't think he's headed in the right direction. The kid's a tech genius. Lots of potential. Bad family situation which is why I've been trying to get him to apply for a scholarship so he can re-enroll and finish up college. But last night he said he didn't need the money anymore. That he was working on something bigger.

SHIRLEY:
Maybe that's a good thing.

MARK:
Maybe. But he didn't sound like himself. He's been desperate for that scholarship since his parents forced him to drop out, Shirl. We gotta give him a call and see if we can get him in this morning. Was Marty the only person I had scheduled before lunch?

SHIRLEY:
No, Zack Fulton's supposed to be in for his 9:30 but—

MARK:
Zach's the least of my worries. He's a great kid and genuinely means well. I've just gotta get him to stop missing class to rescue animals and people so he can pass freshman year. If I can get him to be a little more Peter Parker pre-spiderbite, he might be our best hope.

Office phone RINGS in background.

SHIRLEY:
Hold on a second, Dr. Cole, I've got a call on two. Hero Therapy Institute, Shirley speaking.

Voice of ZACK FULTON (18, earnest, good-natured) emerges through the office speaker phone.

ZACK:
Mornin' Mrs. Shirley! Sorry I'm running late, there's crazy traffic downtown. Anyway, is Dr. Cole in? I've got seriously big news and need to talk to him ASAP.

SHIRLEY:
Dr. Cole's still on his way to the office, but if its urgent, I can ask him if he's willing to hop on a call with you right now.

ZACK:
That would be awesome. Thanks a lot, Mrs. S. This means the world.

SHIRLEY:
No problem, hun. Hold please.

Phone BEEPS as Shirley switches back to Dr. Cole's call.

SHIRLEY:
Dr. Mark? I've got Zack Fulton on the other line. Says its urgent.

MARK:
Put him through.

Phone STATIC.

ZACK:
Hello? Dr. Cole?

MARK:
Hey, Zach. How's it going?

ZACK:
Good! Great, actually! Remember how you told me that my powers were a figment of my imagination at our last session and that I had to try to come to terms with just being a normal guy?

MARK:
I do. I know that session was tough to get through, but I think you'll find that accepting your status as a regular college freshman will do you a lot of good in the long run.

ZACK:
Right, and I totally get that. But the thing is. I do have powers and I can prove it.  Like this morning, I had a vision that this crazy super villain attacked City Mutual Bank, and I'm pretty sure that's actually happening as we speak. Listen.

Helicopters, sirens, and firetrucks BLARE LOUDLY in the background of Zack's call.

MARK:
Listen to me, Zack. Just because you're hearing sirens doesn't mean there's a super villain attack.

ZACK:
But what if there is? Turn on the news, I got a feeling about this one!

MARK:
Zack, I know this all feels real to you. People with your condition can get confused at times. Schizotypal personalities tend to struggle with feeling like you have powers or abilities that aren't actually there.

ZACK:
But it's real this time. Just turn on the news. Please.

Mark SWITCHES ON radio. BREAKING NEWS report fills the car.

REPORTER 1:
Police are currently rushing to the scene of what authorities are calling an extremely unusual bank heist in downtown Wyndale. Earlier this morning, an armed, masked, vigilante took local bank employees hostage. Authorities are struggling to apprehend the perpetrator due to his use of what appears to be an unknown laser-powered weapon. Police were called to the scene after witnesses reported that the suspect had vaporized City Mutual's highest security vault. While the assailant's identity has not been officially confirmed, witnesses describe him as a dark-haired, young male in his late teens, who—

Mark SHUTS OFF the radio in a panic. Labored BREATHING into the phone.

ZACK:
Dr. Cole? You still there? You heard the report right?

MARK:
Zack, I, uh—I gotta call you back.

ZACK:
Hold on! What about my vision?

MARK:
Look. I'll admit it's unusual, but we can't get into that right now.

ZACK:
But, what if it's a sign, Doc? Maybe I saw what I saw this morning 'cause I'm supposed to help.

MARK:
Zack, I need you to listen to me. Stay away from whatever's happening downtown, okay? I'll call Mrs. Shirley and have her schedule a session for you this afternoon so we can process all of this, but whatever you do, please just stay away from—

Major EXPLOSION bursts through Zack's end of the phone.

MARK:
Zack?! Zack?! You okay? Answer me, buddy!

STATIC.

MARK:
C'mon, Zack! Talk to me! Tell me where you are and I—

ZACK:
I'm right where I should be.

PHONE line goes dead. Successive EXPLOSIONS echo in the distance. Mark DIALS his office in a panic.

SHIRLEY:
Hero Therapies Institute, everyday help for—

MARK:
Shirley, cancel all my appointments for the rest of the day, stat!

SHIRLEY:
Are you alright, Dr. Cole? I just turned on the news, and they're talking about explosions in the city center. Nothing like this ever happens around here. What on earth is going on?

STATIC. Cell INTERFERENCE.

MARK:
Our boys are down there. I think have to--

Phone call DISCONNECTS.

SHIRLEY:
Hello? Dr. Cole? Are you—

Office phone RINGS. Emergency RINGTONE sounds off.

SHIRLEY:
H-Hero Therapy Institute, everyday help for everyday heroes, h-how may I direct your call?

DONNIE WALSH (20, unstable, sinister) LAUGHS darkly into the phone.

DONNIE:
Hey there, Shirley. Is the doc in? I'd like to pass on a message.

SHIRLEY:
O-of course, Mr. Walsh. Go ahead.

DONNIE:
Tell him, he shouldn't have ignored my calls. Or held me back. Or tried to stuff my potential into a useless scholarship when I was capable of so much more.

SHIRLEY:
Donnie, what are you talking about?

DONNIE:
Turn on the T.V., Shirl. I'm famous now.

TV flickers ON. BREAKING NEWS report plays in background.

REPORTER:
Police have identified as many as 14 seriously injured victims at City Mutual Bank—

SHIRLEY:
Is that—you they're talking about, Donnie?

DONNIE:

The one and only.

SHIRLEY (mortified):

Listen to me, Donnie. You gotta talk to Dr. Cole, I'll set up an emergency call right now so he can help you, okay? We can help you just--

DONNIE:
Oh, that won't be necessary anymore. I'm Dr. Cole's first success story!

SHIRLEY:
W-What do you mean?

DONNIE:
The doc was right all along, Shirl. I was never gonna be a hero.

Phone call ENDS.

***