(In the distance we see a figure. Gabrielle is running towards the figure and the closer she gets the more we see that the figure is Reese. Cut to Brian glaring at Gabrielle. Cut to Nick, watching the two of them. Cut to Howie who glances down at Rain, then returns a gaze to Gabrielle and Reese. Cut to Kevin, lifting from the water with Chastity)
Brian: (calls) REESE?
Reese: Brian?
Brian: (running forward) Reese, get away from her!
(The group moves towards the shore to join Gabrielle and Reese. Devyn races towards Gabrielle, and grips her around the neck. Gabrielle struggles pulling at the arm across her throat)
Gabrielle: (gasping) What are you doing?
Devyn: I need you, Gaby. You have to understand that. These warriors are here to destroy me.
Gabrielle: Why? What did you do? (still struggling)
Devyn: (gripping tighter) No. (softly) I did nothing, it’s just because I’m different from them. It is, look at them, they are all plotting against me, and my friends. (grabs her chin to force her eyes on the “BOYS”) LOOK!
Gabrielle: (catches the eyes of each of the “BOYS” until she lands on Nick’s. The gaze connects for a moment, until she is forced around to face Devyn) Is your name Madness?
Devyn: Yes… but what should that matter? You’re supposed to be my friend and friends help friends out.
Gabrielle: I won’t hurt them. I won’t let that be my destiny, Madness no matter how much you want me to.
Devyn: (shrugs) Fine. (She lets go of Gabrielle, but before she can run, Devyn slams her arm against the back of Gabrielle’s head. Gabrielle falls to the sand unconscious)
Nick: (runs forward) GABRIELLE!
Devyn: (leans down beside Gabrielle) I’ll just force you to help me.
Nick: (angrily) Leave her alone! (slips his sword out to hold against Devyn)
Devyn: (looks up to hiss at Nick) She’s my friend and I will not leave her alone.
Nick: (brings the sword to Devyn’s throat) LET HER GO!
Devyn: (laughs at the point of the sword and replies simply) No. (throws a hand out and Nick is thrown back into the sand. We hear him groan) You’re just using my girls anyway so that you can save your precious Leanna.
Nick: (struggling up) You’re using them too… You’re using them against us.
Devyn: (smiles and waves a hand over Gabrielle’s face as she would wave a watch to hypnotize her) Back and forth, back and forth like a ping pong ball. (leans over Gabrielle’s face to growl) Wake up now.
(Gabrielle’s eyes pop open a frightening red and she lifts mechanically to her feet)
Nick: (on his feet now) I thought she was your friend.
Devyn: (laughs) I don’t have any friends.
(Cut to AJ)
AJ: (sarcastic) Hmm I wonder why.
Destiny: (reaching for her lazer blaster) We have to do something to help.
(The rest of the Backstreet Boys formulate a plan with the girls and we are brought back to the conflict with Gabrielle and Nick. Gabrielle thrusts her sword in the air, slicing the air for a moment of practice, before holding it up to Nick in battle.)
Devyn: (in command) Kill him.
Nick: (pleading) Gabrielle…
Gabrielle: (slams her sword into his and ducks to trya nd slice his foot) DIE!
Nick: (gasps and jumps the sword) NO!
Gabrielle thrusts her sword in the direction of his stomach and he quickly blocks it)
Nick: (drags in a breath) You’ve been tricked. You’re under Madness’ spell.
Gabrielle: (growls) Devyn cares about me.
Devyn: (joins the conversation, to Gabrielle) He is using you to save his precious Leanna.
Nick: (in argument against Devyn, to Gabrielle) She is using you to kill me!
Gabrielle: (glares at Nick) Come on I want a real fight! Put up your sword you coward!
Nick: (raises his sword) I won’t hurt you.
(Their swords clash and crack against the air)
Gabrielle: (growls) You won’t hurt me. I will eventually get past your blocks and plunge this sword through your pathetic heart!
Nick: Gabrielle…
(We see the group starting to surround Devyn, everyone including Reese. )
Nick: I’m sorry.
Gabrielle: (annoyed, strikes his sword) I don’t care!
Nick: Everything that happened last night was unfair to you.
Gabrielle: (confused) What?
Nick: I would take it back and start over, but I can’t and I can’t regret it.
(All the others are setting up their weapons to go up against Devyn)
Gabrielle: (gasping) What are you doing?
Devyn: What ARE you doing?
Nick: (smiles) All spells can be broken. (Grabs Gabrielle to pull the sword from her grip, in a concerned tone) Are you okay?
(We see the red in Gabrielle’s eyes fading away and she shuts her eyes for a brief second before opening them again. She focuses on Nick’s face)
Gabrielle: I feel dizzy.
Nick: (softly) I won’t let you fall, I promise.
Gabrielle: I think I can trust that. (gives him a small smile and collapses in his arms. He lifts her up)
(The battle takes place in the circle around Devyn and everyone uses their weapons against her. AJ and Destiny take shots, but she vanishes out of the way. Howie and Rain use their illusions against her, but she’s too fast and they vanish too quick. Close up on Brian who is holding his eyes on Nick as he slowly lowers Gabrielle into the sand. Closer and closer we come to him until he leaps over, knocking Nick out of the way and grabbing Gabrielle)
Brian: No way can we take this chance. She could’ve killed us all!
(Everyone turns his way including Devyn who looks to be protesting with her eyes as Brian lifts Gabrielle into his arms and hold her solidly against him)
Nick: (gasping) Brian No!
Brian: I’m the only one who won’t be blind in this fight.
Nick: She was under a spell.
(Cut to Rain)
Rain: (distraught) NO!
(Cut to Destiny)
Destiny: (in threat, she holds up her blaster) Let her go!
(AJ grabs her before she can attempt the action and she screams against him. Cut to Rain who tries to run when Howie catches her and pulls her back)
Rain: (tearfully) No… no…
(Cut to Chastity and Reese who are also being held back from doing anything. Chastity fights against Kevin, angrily, but he proves to be a lot stronger and a lot more composed)
Chastity: This was a trick! (screams) GABRIELLE!
(Devyn is watching with terror in her eyes)
Devyn: Gaby?
(Cut to Gabrielle awakening from her trance and she finds herself in danger. She starts to struggle against Brian)
Gabrielle: (in threat) If you don’t let me go you’ll regret it.
Brian: I would regret it a lot more if I did let you go.
Gabrielle: (She swipes her sword up from the ground and holds it to Brian’s stomach) I’ll kill you.
Brian: That’s a god way to hurt Nick. You’re that selfish aren’t you, Gaby?
Gabrielle: (looks to Nick) I…
Brian: Killing me to save yourself, doesn’t make you a warrior, it makes you a coward.
(Brian clasps a hand over Gabrielle’s heart, and we see a blue light form beneath it)
Destiny: (screams) Don’t listen to him! (struggles harder against AJ)
Gabrielle: (nods and drops her sword to the ground) I refuse to plunge to your level, Brian.
(In a moment of rage he releases a ball of energy that goes straight into her heart and she jerks from the impact. A cry falls from her lips as she is dropped to the sand. Cut to Chastity, now fighting Kevin, enraged and trying to fight back her tears )
Chastity: (through gritted teeth) Let me go! (she pushes at him and breaks free) Gabrielle!
(At the same time, we see Nick run towards Brian, thrusting out of the way to land on his knees beside Gabrielle. Next we see Rain running to Gabrielle, tears are streaking her face. Howie follows behind her)
Rain: (shakes her head) No, no, no.
(Destiny shoves AJ away with all her strength and follows Rain. Reese joins her and they arrive beside Nick)
Destiny: (sobbing, to Brian) What right did you have?
Nick: (brings Gabrielle up onto his lap) Come on, Gabrielle… come on get up. (gently shakes her) Gabrielle…
Devyn’s voice: (to Nick) YOU COWARD! You could’ve done something! You could’ve helped her! What kind of warrior are you now, huh?
Nick: (ignores Devyn, but the look on his face proves he has taken her words seriously, to Gabrielle) We’ll get you out of here.
(The alternate world vanishes in a flood of pale lights. The last we see is Rain turning into Howie’s arms for comfort as she cries. Chastity kneeling next to Nick, fighting back her tears and Destiny against AJ with her head down in defeat)
