Wyld.

[Stu]

Stu sent April 13 at 9:08 AM

*** Security footage. Parking lot of PWA. AKIRA WYLD, having taken to leaving early, is in street clothes and heading for his car. When he looks up, though, the MASKED SHOOTER is waiting for him, also in street clothes, a brand new set of knee braces, and his ever-present mask. ***

AKIRA WYLD: "Look... Aldo, I... I really don't have time for this right n-"

THE MASKED SHOOTER: ***points to a bench at a nearby wall*** "Sit down, Akira."

AW: ***Looks over at the bench and frowns.*** "I'm not a kid, anymore, Aldo! You can't just-"

MS: "Sit."

*** Swearing under his breath, the younger Wyld throws his gym bag onto the hood of his car and goes to sit on the bench. The masked man sits down next to him. ***

MS: "So?"

AW: ***Akira looks down sullenly.*** "I don't have anything to say to you."

MS: "The hell you don't... you've been making an ass of yourself all season. And I know you better than that. What the HELL has gotten into you?"

AW: "I... It's not anything that has to concern you. Not anymore. I've got... something I have to deal with, and I have to deal with it on my own."

MS: "Well, you're right about one thing. You don't owe me an explanation. You don't even owe the rest of the family. You do owe yourself one, though. If you need to be honest with anyone, it's yourself."

AW: ***Akira looks up at the lights and sighs*** "Would you believe me if I told you that I was trying to do the right thing? That... after years of being on the wrong side of the moral compass, I was honestly trying to do something positive that didn't revolve around my ego?"

MS: ***Shooter cocks an eyebrow*** “Uh huh… no good deed goes unpunished? That sort of thing?”

AW: “Maybe. Look… all I can say is that I had a reason for attacking Pantaro the way I did. And I have a reason for not coming to you and the family about why. I think… I have some debts to answer. “

MS: ***Rolls his eyes and sighs*** “You damn idiot. You think I don’t know exactly what’s going on here? I wasn’t born yesterday. You got yourself involved in my business, didn’t you?”

AW: “Hey! Listen, you don’t know what you’re talking about, I…”

MS: “Shut up. I can read you like a book, you know that? You’ve gotten yourself in some hot water because of me. So who the hell asked you to? And now you’ve gone and put a wedge in the whole Wyld Family because you didn’t listen to me and stay out of my business.”

AW: “Hey, you were the one who divided the family! We were just trying to…”

MS: “Just trying to what? Tell me how to finish my career? Let me know when it was time to hang up the boots? Write the end to a story that I gave up EVERYTHING to be a part of? I KNOW I f*cked up!”

AW: ***Akira stops cold and just stares at his uncle.*** “I… I just…”

MS: “I could have done this … I could have … but then I got too big for my boots. I pushed the issue when I should have backed off, I pushed the wrong buttons … and now, I’m in a position that I have to see through. I was stupid.

“But nothing gives you the right Akira. Whatever you’ve gotten yourself involved in… whatever secret deal you’ve made on my behalf… you don’t need to stay stuck in it. You and me… we’re square, but I’m telling you just this one time… learn from my mistakes instead of making them yourself.”

***The Masked Shooter starts to get up, then adds …*** “And while you’re at it, find a way to talk to you brother before he decides to beat some answers out of you.”

***Akira stays seated, looking down as Shooter makes his way toward the door. Just as Shooter is about to leave... he stands and calls after Shooter.*** “Aldo, wait.”

***Shooter stops at the door and turns around to look at this nephew.***

***Akira doesn’t speak for a long time.*** “Listen... I’m not very good at any of this. This whole ‘family’ thing. I spent so much time on my own... that I tend to try to handle problems all by myself. Whether or not anybody asks me to. I made a bad decision... I see that now. And I’m going to make it right. But... I want you to know, I did what I did because I didn’t want you to get hurt. That may not have been my decision to make... but I was only trying to help.”

***Shooter frowns and stares at his nephew.*** “I get that you really want that to be the case, Akira... and I know you’ve come a long way since your days with The Union. But ask yourself this... are you ‘sure’ this isn’t really about you? I know what’s going on here better than you think. You can’t let the past go... and you have a way of making sure it catches up with you. Take it from the horse's mouth."

***Shooter and Akira lock eyes for a few long seconds ... then Shooter turns and leaves. Akira stands There, then heads back to his car as the screen fades to black.***