MindCrush Picks (Tobyverse)
Pitch
Basically it's a Hellboy boy scenario from the ground up. Think of it like Stargate. They go in blind and have to figure stuff out along the way, using nothing but guns and a can do attitude. There is no library of books on demons for them to consult. There's no destined blond girl to rely on. Just good old fashioned US Marines. It will be run in a similar vein to Suicide Squad, with a high character turnover.
Scene 1
20 Marines stand to attention in a gloomy briefing room as a four-star general enters the room and takes his place at a small podium in front of them.
General: “Welcome Marines. Welcome to Zero Battalion. I want to stress before we begin our briefing today the seriousness of the mission you all volunteered for. This tour will be like nothing any of you have seen before. Look to your left. Now look to your right. The likelihood is that the two people standing next to you will not survive their two years of service here and neither will you.
“With that said, you have all signed confidentiality waivers. Should you mention anything you see during your time here to anyone not currently standing in this room, then you will not go to jail. You and the person you talked to will die. Do I make myself clear? Excellent.
“Now, I’m sure all of you are just itching to find out what it is that you’ve signed up for.
*Lights go out and an officer turns on a projector*
“These pictures were taken 36 hours ago at a high school in Baltimore. 235 students, as well as 23 teachers and 7 other members of staff were eviscerated.
*Clicks to next image*
*One of the Marines pukes*
“Don’t worry son. You aren’t the first to lose your lunch over these pictures. The carnage caused was frankly horrifying.
*Click*
“This incursion was one of half a dozen in the last 5 months.
*Click*
“This one is at an industrial complex is Minneapolis. 34 reported dead.
*Click*
“An apartment in Seattle. 3 dead.
*Click*
“A diner in Aspermont, Texas. 15 dead.
*Click*
“On each occasion there are reports of a fiery hole opening in thin air and a number of . . . creatures coming through. The few survivors we’ve been able to find all describe something different. What they all have in common is that they do not occur naturally and they seem to display mental capacities in advance of any creature yet discovered by man.
*Click*
“This picture was taken from the cellphone of one of the victims in Baltimore. You can see why these creatures have been dubbed as demons. As far as we’ve been able to ascertain, they come from a different dimension.
“Colonel, lights please.
*The lights come back up and projector is turned off*
“We don’t know why they are attacking or what it is that they want. We’ve been able to find no link between the sights of these attacks. Zero Battalion has been set up to counter these attacks. Our orders are to figure out where these things are going to strike and put them down. “
One of the marines: “Excuse me sir but what exactly do you expect us to do against something like that? Shouldn’t you be talking to a room of super powered folks right now?”
General: “The government feels that the military is their best chance to handle this threat and frankly I’m inclined to agree. You men and women are United States Marines. The best of the best. Some clown in a colorful costume might be able to take down one of these godforsaken things but it’s our job to put an end to this permanently.
“In short, our mission is to find a way to kill these damned things and then go do it.
“Good luck Marines, and God speed.”
