Act 1
THE INFAMOUS TWO
Episode 1: "The Run"
CHARACTERS:
- RUMAN (15): Intense, reckless, driven by a dark resolve.
- VERONICA (15): Sharp, observant, and deeply traumatized but resilient.
ACT I
EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - SMALL HEATH, BIRMINGHAM - NIGHT
The orange glow of a sodium streetlamp flickers over a quiet semi-detached house. It looks like every other home on the street, except for the heavy, suffocating silence radiating from the front door.
INT. BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS
The room is bathed in a sickly red light from a gaming LED strip.
Blood is everywhere—splattered across the floral wallpaper and pooling on the duvet. On the bed, the bodies of RUMAN’S PARENTS and YOUNGER SIBLINGS lie tangled. Their eyes are wide, fixed in a final, frozen expression of terror.
RUMAN (15) stands over them. He wears plastic gloves and a surgical mask. A bloody kitchen knife hangs loosely in his grip. He isn’t shaking. There is no remorse in his eyes—only a cold, piercing "bloodlust" that has finally been quieted.
RUMAN (V.O.)
They called this a home. I called it a cage. And you don’t leave a cage without breaking a few things.
CUT TO:
EXT. BACK GARDEN - LATER
Ruman moves with frantic, reckless energy. He has wrapped the bloody clothes in plastic. Under the shadow of a wilted oak tree, he digs into the damp Birmingham earth. He works fast, his breath hitching. He tosses the evidence into the pit and covers it, stomping the dirt flat.
He retreats inside, changing into a dark tracksuit. He pulls a black balaclava over his face and cinches a hoodie tight.
EXT. FRONT DOOR - MOMENTS LATER
Ruman steps onto the pavement. He closes the door with a soft, final click. He looks back at the dark windows. For the first time in years, the crushing weight in his chest lifts.
ACT II
EXT. BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE - LATER
Ruman treks through the city, avoiding the CCTV-heavy areas near the Bullring. He sticks to the shadows of the Digbeth railway arches, his eyes darting toward any passing car. He looks like just another "roadman" to a stranger, but his heart is a hammer against his ribs.
EXT. THE UNDERPASS - NEAR BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET
Ruman reaches a secluded concrete underpass beneath a Victorian rail bridge. The smell of damp stone and spray paint is thick.
A figure emerges from the darkness. VERONICA (15). She looks weary, her hair disheveled, but her eyes are like flint.
RUMAN
(low voice)
Is it done?
VERONICA
The bathtub was the hardest part. My mother... she didn't go quiet. Her partner was easier. He was passed out.
RUMAN
(stepping closer)
We’re free, Vee.
VERONICA
Not yet. We’re still in the city.
FLASHBACK - SEPT 22, 2021
The gates of Ark Victoria academy Veronica walks through a gauntlet of whispers. “Teacher’s pet,” someone sneers. “Wonder what she did for that A.”*
She sits on a bench, isolated. Ruman sits at the far end. He looks at her—not with judgment, but with recognition. Two predators in a world of sheep.
BACK TO PRESENT
VERONICA
We need to get to London. I’ve got the cash.
ACT III
EXT. BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET STATION - LATER
The station is a hive of blue neon and glass. Police officers in high-vis vests stand by the ticket barriers.
Ruman and Veronica watch from behind a concrete pillar.
RUMAN
We’re too young. Two kids alone at midnight with no bags? They’ll stop us before we even hit the platform. If they find what’s back at the house...
VERONICA
(pointing)
Look.
In the loading bay near the Station Street exit, a heavy logistics van is idling. A driver is signing a clipboard, complaining loudly to a loader.
DRIVER
(O.S.)
Straight shot to London tonight. Don’t care if the M40 is closed, I’m getting this cargo moved.
Veronica’s eyes light up.
VERONICA
That’s our ticket.
INT. SHIPMENT VAN - MOMENTS LATER
The duo slips through the open rear doors while the workers are distracted by a heavy pallet. The interior is a labyrinth of wooden crates.
They find a narrow gap in the far corner—a "crater" of space between two massive boxes. They squeeze in, shoulders touching, breathing in the scent of cardboard and diesel.
SLAM.
The heavy steel doors shut, plunging them into total darkness. The engine roars to life. The van jolts forward, rattling over the Birmingham potholes.
Ruman reaches out in the dark, finding Veronica’s hand. Her grip is like iron.
RUMAN (V.O.)
The nightmares are behind us. London is ahead. And God help anyone who tries to put us back in a cage.
FADE TO BLACK.
END OF ACT 1
