Life Is Beautiful - Season 2, Episode 1

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL - PART II: The Dirty Dozen

(Scene: the lounge at I.D.O.L. headquarters. A credits reel plays on the television, and then JAX picks up the remote and turns the TV off. She looks over at RILEY, who is sitting next to her.)

JAX: So that's the series finale. What did you think?

RILEY: (Tears running down his face) That was...wow. I don't know what to say.

JAX: I told you you'd get hooked. Now you owe me fifty bucks.

RILEY: (Dries his eyes) No, I don't. We never made that bet.

JAX: (Chuckles) Right. (After a pause) So...do you ever see us like that one day? You know, except for the part where the mom dies?

RILEY: To be honest...yeah. I do think about that, whenever I'm dating someone. Because with every relationship, either you're gonna break up with that person or marry them, and nobody wants to think about breaking up, so...

JAX: (Smiles) You know, I heard you playing a new song yesterday.

RILEY: Yeah, but I haven't gotten the words down yet.

JAX: That's all right. I know it. I love "The Wedding Singer."

RILEY: Really?

JAX: Yeah. Go get your guitar in the corner there, and I'll show you how it goes.

RILEY: All right. That'll make me feel better after... (Looks at the television) that.

(JAX giggles as RILEY goes over to the corner, picks up an acoustic guitar, and returns to the couch. He looks at JAX as he plays the chords, and she never takes her eyes off of him as she sings "Grow Old With You." When the song is over, they smile and gaze into each other's eyes.)

RILEY: That was beautiful.

JAX: Yeah. We make great music together.

(RILEY takes off the guitar and sets it aside, then leans in to hug JAX, who hugs him back.)

(Scene: the common area of the secret I.D.O.L. room. ADANNA walks around holding a camera.)

ADANNA: Hey everyone, and welcome to today's episode of "I.D.O.L. Life." I'm Agent Duru, I'll be your host today. So Director Seacrest just gave us our own little private space to work in. As the super team, we now have this place to ourselves, and it's really great! (Opens the door to the bathroom) And this is the bathroom...

(She opens the door and sees JAX and JOEY sitting in the bathtub, though they are both fully clothed and there is no water in it. They are playing with rubber ducks, and ADANNA tries not to burst out laughing. JOEY'S hair is now bright pink instead of blue.)

ADANNA: This is the bathroom.

JAX: Look, someone left rubber duckies in here! (JOEY squeaks one)

ADANNA: (Laughs) Yeah, I've learned to stop asking questions with these guys.

(Cut to a brief, dialogue-free montage of training scenes. JAX, TYANNA, QAASIM, DANIEL, and MADDIE run in a straight path down a marked passageway. When they each cross the finish line, NICK presses a button on his watch. Then he writes some numbers down on a slip of paper. The montage also shows them running, jumping, ducking, and dive rolling as NICK, CLARK, and/or RAYVON watches. As they all exit the training room, NICK gets messages from ARIANNA and ignores them. RAYVON gets messages from SHI and responds right away, and whenever CLARK passes TORI in the hallway, she pays him no attention, but he looks wistfully back at her. The montage ends in another hallway, lined with dark, open doorways.)

NICK: All right, you've each held your own this past week. I'm especially impressed with you, Agent Walker, you've caught up to the others very quickly. (MADDIE smiles.) Now we've got a new challenge for you. It's easy to start a fight, even easier to run away. But let's see how good you are at hiding. (Points down the hall) All along this wall here are doorways big enough to hide a person in total darkness, while still giving them a view of the outside. Here's the scenario: you've infiltrated a villain's secret lair, and you're looking for something in particular, but then along comes an enemy guard, played here by Agent Owen. You have to hide from him before he sees you, and once you're inside a doorway, do not come out until he passes by. You will be judged on time, as well as how well you maintain your cover.

DANIEL: (Raises his hand) Uh, excuse me, Agent Fradiani?

NICK: Yes, what is it?

DANIEL: Why would we need to hide in closets? We have weapons, and all kinds of stealth gear to get us past these guys.

NICK: It's important that you know what to do as a last resort, Agent Seavey. Say your stealth ring is still charging, you're out of smoke bombs, and you don't want to draw attention to yourself by discharging a weapon. That's when it's best for you to hide. Any other questions?

TYANNA: What if there aren't any doorways like this in the hideaway?

NICK: You'd be surprised. These courses were designed to mimic actual lairs that we've broken into. All right, if there are no more questions, let's go one at a time. Agent Jax, you first.

(JAX steps into the hallway, looking nervously ahead. She turns to NICK as he speaks again.)

NICK: Now remember, keep your eyes peeled. As soon as you see the guard coming, turn into the nearest doorway and wait for him to pass. Do not make a sound or move a muscle until you know the coast is clear. And remember, treat it like a real mission. Ready, and...go!

(JAX starts walking down the hall, as if intent on finding what she is seeking. When she sees RAYVON coming her way, he is not looking directly at her, so she ducks into the nearest doorway and presses herself against the back wall. As RAYVON passes by her, he looks around but does not find her. He continues in his direction, and JAX cautiously looks out, sees him walking away, then turns into the hallway and goes along as quickly and quietly as she can.)

NICK: (When JAX reaches the end) Okay...that was good. You weren't detected, you got out really quickly, nice job. (JAX smiles.) All right, Agent Jones, you're up next...

(Fade into a quick montage of each of the other four young agents running the course. Each of them manages to hide from RAYVON without being detected and get away as soon as the coast is clear. As MADDIE finishes the challenge, NICK stops his timer.)

NICK: And done! Okay, not bad. Your getaway time was great, but you were a little slow going into the hiding space. If I had been the guard, I would've noticed you.

MADDIE: Sorry, sir. I'll do better next time.

NICK: Let's hope, because next time could be out in the field.

RAYVON: Easy, Grandpa, let's not scare the new kid. It's still pretty early on.

NICK: Okay, lunch break! Everyone report back here in an hour.

(The young agents talk amongst themselves as they exit the training room. Before leaving with the others, JAX turns and heads back to NICK and RAYVON.)

NICK: Did you actually notice her there, or no?

RAYVON: I kind of did, but I wanted to cut the girl some slack on her first try.

NICK: My dear friend, you are both kind and short-sighted. The field won't cut her any slack.

JAX: Hey, guys.

RAYVON: Hey, Jax. What's up?

JAX: I was gonna make a run to the sandwich shop across the street. Did you want anything?

RAYVON: Sure, but I can't remember what it's called. Let me write it down...

NICK: Nothing for me, thanks.

JAX: Hey, where's Agent Beckham? I haven't seen him all day.

RAYVON: (Tears off a slip of paper) Come to think of it, neither have I. He's not sick, is he?

NICK: Nah, he's probably just caught up in making his bracket tourney for March Madness. Which reminds me, I better get on that...oh, wait, I left all my stats in the music room.

JAX: (Takes the slip of paper) All right, I'll be back in a bit.

(As JAX exits, NICK and RAYVON turn to each other, concerned. Fade into the next scene, as CLARK sits on the stage in the music room with his acoustic guitar. A soft drum accompanies him as he plays and sings "Boyfriend" to the empty room. When the song is over, he sits there and stares into space. When he hears NICK'S voice, he turns in the direction from which it came.)

NICK: Still can't get over her, can you?

CLARK: No, and I can't explain it. I've never wanted anyone in my life so badly.

NICK: Well, you barely know her. How much do you even know about her?

CLARK: (Takes off the guitar and gets down from the stage) Nothing. But I want to know, and she keeps shutting me out. It's driving me crazy, Nick. I'm eating less, I'm losing sleep...

NICK: (Walks over to him) You're using Jax's soap and shampoo by mistake...

CLARK: How did you know about that?

NICK: I found Dove stuff on the men's side of the bathroom, and Jax is the only one who uses it.

CLARK: Yeah. And now I smell like a girl. How am I gonna make her interested in me now? Everyone tells me to just be myself, but she clearly has no interest in myself.

NICK: Sorry, Clark. Like I said before, you're on your own.

CLARK: (With a teasing inflection) Some big brother you are.

NICK: Hey, I'm the last person you want to go to for relationship advice. I've been ignoring calls and texts from my girlfriend all week. Honestly, I don't know why she stays with me.

CLARK: Because she's in love. It's the same as me right now. I might not know a lot about romance, but I know that at least.

NICK: Well, let's hope her patience can stretch out a little more. We haven't heard from Big Machine in a while, which means we're due for another incident.

CLARK: (Smiles at NICK) You're always looking on the dark side, aren't you?

NICK: (Smiles at CLARK) Hey, I do it so the rest of you don't have to. Oh, that reminds me, Jax went across the street to the deli. Did you want anything?

CLARK: No thanks, I'm probably gonna finish off Agent Holloway's chili...oh, no!

NICK: What?

CLARK: March Madness is about to start! And I still didn't make my bracket tourney! (Runs out of the room) I gotta go find my stats!

(NICK looks around until he sees a printer-sized sheet of paper, then picks it up and exits.)

(Scene: the garage. SAVION is showing QAASIM around a shiny, sleek black car. As SAVION points out different features, QAASIM listens and looks on with wide eyes and a large smile.)

SAVION: So that's the Dash Mobile. What do you think? Pretty cool, right?

QAASIM: Yeo, man, this goes way beyond cool! This is a Bat-mobile in real life!

SAVION: And you know the best part? (Lifts up a metal flap to reveal a Ford emblem) Ford makes them just for us. And they've kept our secret all these years.

QAASIM: I want one of these! As soon as I get a driver's license.

SAVION: Well, I could help you with that. What do you say we start tomorrow?

QAASIM: Thanks, bro, but actually-

(Just then, QUENTIN enters the garage. QAASIM and SAVION turn around and see him.)

QUENTIN: Excuse me, Agent Wright, could I borrow Agent Middleton for a while?

QAASIM: Uh oh, he's using the official talk. We must be going on a mission.

SAVION: All right. Good luck. I'll see you when you get back.

(QAASIM follows QUENTIN out of the garage and into the secret space through a door with no handle. They both have to swipe their badges across a scanner in order to access it. Once they are inside, they join the others in the briefing room. NICK stands beside a picture of a bridge.)

NICK: Well, guys, we knew Big Machine couldn't hide forever, and now they've popped up again. Or rather, their technology has. We placed a camera under this bridge a long time ago, and besides the occasional drunken hobo or young couple making out, it hasn't really picked up anything of note. Until now. (Zooms into a spot under the bridge) It looks like our friends at Big Machine are trying to dispose of another failed invention. From here, we have no idea what it is. Our mission is to get over there and retrieve it before someone else does.

RAYVON: That's interesting. They usually plant their prototype gadgets on other people. But this time they cut out the middle man altogether and just left it.

CLARK: Yeah, that is weird. And it makes me wonder if this is a trap.

NICK: I was thinking the same thing, which is why we're not all going out. Agents Beckham, Owen, and Jax will come with me in the spy van. Dark Horse Twins, you'll ride with us. We'll all get out and investigate when we get there. Agents Cook, Alexander, and Middleton will take the tech van and monitor the situation from inside. Remember to park at a good distance. Agents Jones, Seavey, and Walker, you stay here at HQ.

TYANNA: (All three look disappointed) Aww, come on, why can't we go?

CLARK: Because it's I.D.O.L. protocol. Whenever we go into a situation with a high chance of being captured, we leave some agents behind so the team can keep working.

RAYVON: And besides, if this really is a trap, they're gonna come after Maddie first. She's better off here, where they can't get to her.

DANIEL: (After a pause) All right, fine.

NICK: Now we don't have much time. Anybody could walk by and pick that thing up. Scientists to the tech van, everyone else, follow me to the spy car.

JAX: (As they all head to the garage) And not the one you had sex in.

NICK: (As some of the others laugh) Shut up. It was only once.

JAX: Once is all it takes to haunt you forever, Grandpa.

(Scene: the bridge. The spy car pulls up to the scene, and the spy van goes off in another direction, parking farther away. Once they have stopped, JOEY turns on a screen, and she, QUENTIN and QAASIM watch as the others get out of the car and looks around.)

JOEY: (Picks up a communication device) Tech van to field team, this is Agent Cook. We have eyes on you. Over.

NICK: (On his two-way watch) Excellent. Pay attention to the peripheries. Unless instructed otherwise, do not pull out until we leave. Over. (Lowers his wrist and looks around) Okay, I don't remember exactly where the thing was on the video, so keep your eyes out for it...

(They all look around the scene. Then SARINA-JOI points to a spot under the bridge.)

SARINA-JOI: There!

(They all gather around the place where the metallic sphere sits nestled into the ground. RAYVON picks it up and holds it, pressing his finger down on the button.)

ADANNA: What do you think?

CLARK: It looks exactly like the one from last time.

RAYVON: All right, everyone cover your ears. We have no idea what kind of sound this one's gonna make.

(The others cover their ears as RAYVON opens the device. However, instead of the loud shrieking sound, this sphere emits a beautiful melody, the same one that MADDIE vocalized on the island. In fact, it is her voice singing. The others uncover their ears and listen, but are not entranced. Cut to the tech van, as QUENTIN, JOEY, and QAASIM listen to the music, captivated but not to the point of hypnosis. Cut back to the bridge, as RAYVON closes the device.)

JAX: That was beautiful...

ADANNA: That's Maddie's voice. I'd recognize it anywhere.

CLARK: So they got her voice into the device. But that still didn't work?

NICK: Apparently not. They must have recorded her singing while they were on the island, just in case they couldn't get her. But a recording doesn't produce the same effect, otherwise we'd all be standing around in a stupor. If they're gonna make this device work, they need her to sing directly into it. They need her. Which is why we kept her away from here.

JAX: You know, this place looks familiar...

(Cut to the van. One of the floor panels vibrates, so QAASIM goes over and stands on it.)

JOEY: That's weird. It doesn't usually do that.

QUENTIN: Hey, fun fact: did you know that this bridge is where they filmed a scene from "Grease?"

QAASIM: For real?

QUENTIN: Yeah.

QAASIM: That's too funny. We were just watching that movie the other day.

DANIEL: (From inside the floor) What?

(He pushes upward on the floor panel, causing QAASIM to jump off, lifts it up, and pokes his head out. The others are very surprised to see him.)

DANIEL: I wanna see!

JOEY: Agent Seavey, what the hell are you doing here? We told you to stay at HQ!

DANIEL: I know, but it's been a long time and I really wanted to see some action.

QUENTIN: Well, you're not getting any today. You're gonna stay right here with us. And if you're lucky, we can sneak you back inside without anyone noticing.

(DANIEL sits down on the floor, arms folded and face in a scowl. Cut back to the bridge, as the others look around. The scene appears to be deserted except for them.)

JAX: Oh, yeah, now I remember! This is where they filmed that scene in "Grease!" How cool is that? We're on a real live movie set! (Spins around with her arms out)

SARINA-JOI: (As they all watch JAX) I will never not be entertained by this girl.

ADANNA: Same.

CLARK: Well, I think you better rein her in. We have to get out of here before they spring the trap.

RAYVON: I agree. I've got the device.

NICK: Hey, Jax! (She ignores him.) Jax!

JAX: (Stops spinning and looks at him) What?

NICK: (As the others stand by the car) It's time to go!

JAX: No, I don't wanna go! I feel like Sandy!

(Cut back to the van. QUENTIN and JOEY look worried by something they see on screen.)

QUENTIN: Oh, no...they're already surrounded...if they pull out now, they'll get blasted!

JOEY: (Picks up the communication device) Spy van to field team, come in field team! You are surrounded by enemies with grenades. Prepare for ambush. Over.

NICK: (Lowers his watch) Great. That was the tech team. We're surrounded by Big Machine grunts and they have explosives. We can't leave in the car yet.

ADANNA: So what are we gonna do?

RAYVON: Well, first someone needs to go get Jax before she gets hurt. Jax, get over here!

(JAX does not hear him and continues to dance around the scene. Up on the bridge, a Big Machine grunt prepares to launch a grenade. SARINA-JOI sees him and throws a Chinese star at him, knocking him down, but he has already pulled the pin and the grenade falls to the ground. JAX does not get out of the way in time for the blast, and she is knocked against the side under the bridge. As she slumps to the ground, the other Big Machine grunts emerge from their hiding places and launch their grenades. NICK makes his way over to JAX, dodging them all.)

NICK: Jax! (Picks her up) Don't worry, I'll get you out of here.

(He carries her away from the bridge, still dodging the explosions all around him. The others also dodge the grenades as they land, while shooting and throwing things at their attackers.)

NICK: I'm taking her to the tech van! Keep them at bay!

CLARK: But we're outnumbered two to one! We need you!

NICK: I'll send backup! Just keep fighting!

(Cut to the van. On the screen, the team sees NICK running towards them, carrying JAX.)

QUENTIN: Jax is down, and Agent Fradiani's coming this way. Agent Middleton, get out there!

QAASIM: Copy that!

DANIEL: I'm going, too!

JOEY: Oh, no, you're not! You're not even supposed to be here!

DANIEL: Two agents are out of the field, you should send two in to replace them. I'm going!

(At that moment, NICK opens the door and brings JAX into the van. QAASIM and DANIEL run outside, and NICK looks back at them, surprised.)

NICK: What's Agent Seavey doing here?

QUENTIN: (Closes the door) He stowed away.

JOEY: How is she?

NICK: Not good, but I don't have time to assess the damage. I gotta get back out there. Just go back to HQ. We can take Middleton and Seavey back with us.

JOEY: Are you sure? It looks like you still use some eyes on the situation.

NICK: We'll be fine. Right now she needs to get to the medics.

QUENTIN: All right. We'll look her over. Be careful.

NICK: You, too.

(He jumps out of the van and runs back the way he came. The van takes off down the road. Cut back to the fight scene, as QAASIM and DANIEL dodge exploding grenades and shoot at their assailants. The others look over and are shocked to see DANIEL in the middle of the action, but they do not have time to react, as the grenades keep coming and are now being followed by bullets. As ADANNA aims at one Big Machine grunt, another sneaks up behind her, and DANIEL knocks him out before he can fire at her. ADANNA turns around to see him and the unconscious grunt, and she looks at him with admiration before the next explosion sounds and they have to focus on the fight again. The fight continues for another minute, and then when the air falls silent, they all run to the car, pile in, and take off down the road. It is more cramped inside this time.)

DANIEL: Look, I know I wasn't supposed to be here, but-

NICK: Save it. Did you come alone?

DANIEL: Yes, it was just me. I didn't even tell Maddie or Tyanna I was going.

CLARK: To be fair, he was a big help back there.

NICK: Don't get me wrong, I was very impressed with your performance out there. And I'm grateful to you for covering the others when I couldn't. But that doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed an order and violated I.D.O.L. protocol. And for that, you will be punished.

RAYVON: Aw, come on, these were desperate circumstances! Give the kid a break.

NICK: No. He's still an I.D.O.L. agent, and there are consequences for breaking the rules. So for the next week, you are hereby suspended from all espionage activity.

DANIEL: (Disappointed) So essentially, I'm grounded.

NICK: That's right. And that includes the briefing room.

(DANIEL sighs and slouches in his seat. ADANNA and SARINA-JOI look at him with pity.)

(Scene: I.D.O.L. headquarters. The team comes up from the garage and meets up with JOEY and QUENTIN in the medical wing. Doctors and nurses hurry about, and TORI is among them.)

JOEY: Well, it's good to see you all back in one piece.

NICK: Yes, and Agent Seavey's going to be here for a while. How's Agent Jax?

QUENTIN: Not good. They had to call in medics from all the other bases in California. She had a broken wrist, broken arm, broken leg, broken foot, dislocated shoulder, I swear, everything except her skull and her neck was broken. Considering how close she was, it's a miracle.

NICK: It's my fault. I should've gone over there and pulled her out sooner.

JOEY: You can't blame yourself. It's not our fault that Big Machine grunts are assholes.

SARINA-JOI: Can we go in and see her?

QUENTIN: No, she's in the middle of treatment right now. And then she won't wake up for a while.

CLARK: Well, I'm going to escort Agent Seavey back to the barracks, and then I'm heading to the lounge. The first game of March Madness is about to start!

NICK: Oh, man, I totally forgot about that! So who do you think's gonna win?

CLARK: I don't know, they're both such good teams, but right now I'm calling it for Duke.

NICK: Hey, Rayvon, are you gonna watch the game with us?

RAYVON: Sorry, guys, not tonight. I got a hot date.

ADANNA: Again? You're giving your whole life to this girl, Rayvon. Are we ever gonna meet her?

RAYVON: Only if she decides to become an I.D.O.L. agent. Now, if you'll excuse me... (Exits)

RILEY: (Off camera) Where is she? Where's Jax? (Runs into the room)

JOEY: (Grabs him) Whoa, easy, kid. She's in the middle of an operation.

RILEY: I just heard what happened! Is she gonna be okay?

JOEY: She'll be fine. It might take a few days, but these guys are fast. She'll be good as new.

RILEY: Can I stay here until she wakes up?

JOEY: You'll have to talk to the nurse, but I'm sure it would be fine.

(He goes into another room as the rest of the team disperses. NICK chuckles softly.)

NICK: Ah, young love. I remember those days.

CLARK: I thought you were in love now.

NICK: Yeah, but it's different when you're older. It's less urgent and more serious.

CLARK: I guess I still have a lot to learn. Especially if I'm gonna have a chance with...

(He looks back at the medical room before turning and walking away with NICK. Through the window in the door, we see TORI look up at him before returning to her work.)

(Scene: the men's quarters. DANIEL sits alone on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His bunk is the messiest of the six. There is a knock at the door. DANIEL turns his head as ADANNA enters the room. Her face is gentle at first but then turns to disapproval.)

ADANNA: (Groans) Daniel James Seavey, how many times have I told you to clean up after yourself? If you're done using something, put it away!

DANIEL: Sorry, Mom. I'll take care of it. At least it'll give me something to do.

ADANNA: You've got plenty to do. This room is a dump.

DANIEL: (Putting things away) Did you just come in here to nag on me?

ADANNA: No. (Face returns to gentleness) Actually...I came in here to thank you.

DANIEL: (Looks up at her) For what?

ADANNA: For having my back out there. That was really brave, running out like that.

DANIEL: Wow...thanks. But I was just doing what an I.D.O.L. agent should.

ADANNA: Even when he shouldn't be there. (Smiles) But since you don't have anything to do, and neither do I, I was wondering...maybe you and I could do something together.

DANIEL: But I'm grounded. And even if we could go out, I don't want to go out with the team, if it's gonna be a repeat of last time. Rayvon and Tyanna and Sarina and I went out to a restaurant, and they all spent the entire time on their phones.

ADANNA: Oh, I hate it when that happens. But I've probably been guilty of it, too.

DANIEL: Let's go to dinner, they said. It'll be fun, they said.

ADANNA: Well, there won't be anyone else tonight. Just you and me.

DANIEL: (Stands up straight, looks intrigued) Really?

ADANNA: Yup. Nick and Clark are watching the basketball game, Jax is in the medical wing, Rayvon's out on a date, Quentin and Joey are in the lab with that device, and everyone else is at that workshop that sounded boring as all hell to me.

DANIEL: What was it about?

ADANNA: I don't even know. They hold them every week. Even Trevor and Lovey are going, and they never go to anything. So I'm stuck by myself. Unless you want to keep me company.

DANIEL: (Caught between smiling and uncertainty) Are you sure?

ADANNA: Oh, I'm very sure.

(A piano plays, and ADANNA sings "The Edge of Glory." As the music picks up, she goes over to him and takes him by the hand, pulling him out and leading him around the main area. At the final chorus, she leads him into the music room, and as the song ends, she stands very close to him and looks him in the eye. There is a second of silence, then she kisses him on the cheek.)

ADANNA: I'll be right back. (Exits)

DANIEL: (Touches his face, then falls to his knees and raises his arms) Yes!!!

(Scene: the laboratory. JOEY analyzes the new device as QUENTIN stands by, looking distracted by something. The device is open and plays the recording of MADDIE'S voice.)

JOEY: Well, I get what they were going for. But a recording doesn't produce the same effect. They'll either have to get Maddie to sing directly into the device, or cut out her voice box and vocal chords and put those in. God, I hope they don't resort to that.

(She looks over at QUENTIN, who appears not to be paying any attention. She clears her throat.)

QUENTIN: (Turns to her) Huh? What?

JOEY: Are you even listening to me? I just said something horrible and disgusting and you didn't recoil. That tells me you weren't paying attention.

QUENTIN: I'm sorry, Joey. It's not that I don't care. It's just...there's something else on my mind.

JOEY: It's that girlfriend of yours, isn't it?

QUENTIN: Yeah. I'm afraid she might be losing interest in me.

JOEY: What makes you say that?

QUENTIN: Well, it just feels like she's always too busy to hang out with me lately. I mean, yeah, she has friends and a job, but she can't be busy every single night. It's like she's trying to avoid me on purpose. And I have no idea what I did wrong.

JOEY: Maybe nothing. Maybe she just doesn't think you two are a good fit.

QUENTIN: But the way I see it, we're a perfect fit! I don't get why she doesn't see that.

JOEY: I have no idea. I can only read my own mind. But the next time you see her, you better tell her exactly what's on your mind, or you might just lose her forever.

QUENTIN: But what if she thinks I'm coming on too strong? That could scare her away, too.

JOEY: That's the chance you have to take. It worked for me.

QUENTIN: (After a short pause) I'm going out for some air.

(He exits as JOEY resumes working on the device. Cut to the rooftop garden, as QUENTIN comes out and overlooks the brightly lit city. The sun is almost completely down.)

QUENTIN: Where are you, Shi? Are you really working late? Out with your friends? Or, God forbid...in the arms of another man? Well...whoever he is...if that's the truth...he could never love you like I can. Give me a little more time and you'll see that.

(Soft, slow music plays, and QUENTIN sings "You're the One That I Want," never taking his gaze off the city until the final notes, when he opens his phone and looks at a picture of SHI. When the song is over, he returns his gaze to the city and sits down. The scene fades to black.)

(A brief, dialogue-free montage of scenes over the next week. The young agents spend less time in training and more time on field missions, except for DANIEL, who sits in the barracks when the others go to the briefing room. RAYVON and QUENTIN each have their turns with SHI, and NICK goes out once to meet ARIANNA. TORI still ignores CLARK in the hallway. JAX wakes up in her hospital bed, and RILEY is by her side. They look at each other and smile. QUENTIN and JOEY demonstrate something in the lab for QAASIM, although JOEY pauses to answer a text from her boyfriend. The montage ends in the bathroom, a week later. ADANNA takes a picture of herself in the mirror, wearing an elegant red bathrobe. It is early in the morning.)

ADANNA: I feel like a vampire.

DANIEL: (Whispers, on the men's side of the bathroom) She can suck my blood any day.

QAASIM: (Whispers) Okay, you're not gonna score any points with her if you say that.

DANIEL: Sorry. Ever since we started going out, nothing that comes out of my mouth makes sense. Has this ever happened to you?

QAASIM: Nah, I know how to keep my cool around the ladies. But it's an acquired skill. Stick with me and I'll show you how it's done.

DANIEL: Thanks. You're the best.

(They exit the bathroom and join the others in the main area, except for QAASIM. MADDIE follows close behind ADANNA, wearing a different colored bathrobe. She smiles and hugs herself.)

MADDIE: I love this bathrobe. It's so fluffy.

TYANNA: So, Jax, how did they put you back together so quickly? Usually it takes weeks just for one broken bone to mend.

JAX: (Takes a sip of coffee) It's amazing. They explained it to me after I woke up. What happens is, they open you up, put all your bones back in place, replace all the blood you lost, put in this thing called a...I can't remember, it was a long word, but then they close you back up and put you in a full body cast for four whole days. Then by the time they take you out of it, the thing they put inside you has broken down. Pretty cool, huh?

SARINA-JOI: Cool? That's incredible! I never even knew we could do that!

JAX: Yeah, the only problem is, it takes a toll on my stomach; so for the next week I'm on a steady diet of soft food and room temperature drinks. Except coffee, I gotta have that hot.

ADANNA: You're probably gonna make yourself sick doing that.

JAX: I know, Mom, but I need something to keep me awake. (Takes another sip)

DANIEL: You're weird, Jax. You will never stop being weird.

JAX: Don't judge me, I was homeschooled. (Takes her phone and pans it around the room)

TYANNA: Now what are you doing?

JAX: The grown-ups always accuse us of spending too much time on our phones, but look at all of them now. What do you call this?

(The others look over at the table, where NICK, CLARK, RAYVON, QUENTIN, and JOEY sit using their smartphones, completely unaware of each other. Then they turn back to each other.)

SARINA-JOI: I call it hypocrisy.

JAX: Exactly. So I'm gonna tape them right now and show it to them so they'll see how bad it is.

ADANNA: Good thinking.

QAASIM: (Comes out of the bathroom) Morning, team! Rise and grind now, ladies and gents, we have work to do!

(The adults at the table bid him good morning, put away their phones, and head for the kitchen.)

NICK: Okay, now that everyone's here, who's up for some breakfast? Jax, I know you're on soft food, so I'm gonna have Agent Holloway whip up a batch of applesauce.

JAX: That sounds great. Thanks.

JOEY: I fixed the sandwich maker in my free time, so if someone would get out the eggs, cheese, bagels and English muffins while I plug it in, breakfast sandwiches are on me. We've also got sausage, ham, bacon, or Canadian bacon-

CLARK: Which is essentially just ham.

RAYVON: Yeah, Canadians are weird.

(As they go into the kitchen, QAASIM and DANIEL follow them, but the girls stay on the couch.)

JAX: So get this. When I woke up in the medical wing, Riley was right there next to me. And the nurse told me afterwards that while I was asleep, he played his guitar and sang to me!

GIRLS: Aww!

MADDIE: That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard!

JAX: Isn't it? I love him so much. He is so bae.

SARINA-JOI: I wish I had a bae.

TYANNA: Speaking of which, Adanna, is it true that...you and...

ADANNA: Yup. We're official.

SARINA-JOI: You're kidding! You and Little Danny?

ADANNA: Me and Little Danny. I didn't think it was ever gonna happen, but then he really proved himself that day at the bridge. I was like, yup, this is gonna work out fine. And so far, so good. He drives me crazy with that prank selfie thing he does, but he's still adorable.

MADDIE: What prank selfie thing?

ADANNA: Oh, he hasn't done it to you yet? Just wait, he'll get you eventually.

TYANNA: It happened to me once. What he does it, he'll tell you he's taking a selfie and he tells you to smile at the camera, but he's actually taking video, so you just sit there smiling like an idiot for about thirty seconds until he laughs or tells you the truth. Or posts it.

MADDIE: But where can he post them? I thought we were forbidden to use social media.

JAX: You know what, we really ought to have our own internal social media site. One that can only be accessed from I.D.O.L. computers. We can share pictures and stuff with all the agents at all the other bases, send each other links, play games...

SARINA-JOI: I like the sound of that! And we've got plenty of selfies to share.

ADANNA: Yeah, but they're not all good. There are some I should really get rid of.

(They all look through their phones and show each other the pictures they took of themselves. They comment on each other's photos as well as their own. Eventually SEACREST comes down in the secret elevator and goes over to them with a large bundle in his hand.)

SEACREST: Morning, ladies.

GIRLS: (Out of sync) Morning, director.

SEACREST: Jax, I'm glad to see you're doing better.

JAX: Thanks. So what brings you down here?

SEACREST: I just came to drop off the magazine delivery. (Sets down the bundle and separates the magazine) I'm not sure whose is whose, but I've got Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Woman's World, Golf, Sports Illustrated, Time, The Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, National Geographic, and People.

(The girls seize the People magazines and immediately begin flipping through them.)

SEACREST: Honestly, I don't get your obsession with celebrity news. If I have to hear one more work about the Kardashian family, I might just lose my head.

ADANNA: (Chuckles) It's fun to read about the successful people in the world, Director. It gives us something to dream about.

SEACREST: Maybe for you, but I have long matured past that point. And if you're going to be successful agents of I.D.O.L., you'll have to give up the need to peruse the tabloids.

TYANNA: Ooh, Beyonce is on fleek today.

SEACREST: And you'll have to stop saying words that don't exist.

TYANNA: I said the word, Director, therefore it must exist.

SARINA-JOI: Ooh, burn!

SEACREST: Don't you start, too, Agent Crowe. I expect better from my experienced agents. Instead of taking pictures of yourselves in the bathroom, you ought to be thinking of I.D.O.L. as a boot camp, a place to differentiate yourselves from your narcissistic generation. Now I've left the instructions for your next mission in one of these magazines, so flip through them to find it. I'm going back to my office now. Good luck, and stay focused. (Exits)

JAX: Man, he's a real party pooper. Turn down for what.

QAASIM: (As he and DANIEL emerge from the kitchen) What's going on?

TYANNA: The director stopped by to give us our mission, along with some magazines and a lecture about how we take too many selfies and use too many made up words.

DANIEL: That's not fair. We may be I.D.O.L. agents, but we're still kids.

ADANNA: Exactly. He even called us narcissistic. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

SARINA-JOI: I don't even know if I want to go on this mission. Maybe we should all stay here just to spite him.

MADDIE: I'd agree with you, but that could mean we lose our hold on Big Machine.

TYANNA: Yeah, you're right. Still, he has no right to talk to us like that.

JAX: (Stands up) I am so sick of adults talking down to us. Just because our generation is different from theirs when they were our age, doesn't make us bad. We're just taking advantage of what the world is giving us. Is that so wrong?

(The others voice their agreement. Cut to the music room. JAX stands at the front of the stage with a microphone in hand. Behind her, QAASIM plays an electric guitar, DANIEL plays the drums, TYANNA plays a tambourine, and another young agent plays the bass. JAX runs and jumps around on stage as she sings "My Generation" with the others on backup. ADANNA, MADDIE, and SARINA-JOI rock out from the crowd, and near the end of the song, the others come in and watch. JAX ends the song in a rock star pose. The young agents clap, but the adults just stand there, mesmerized.)

CLARK: I heard everything the director said.

NICK: Yeah, so did I.

RAYVON: And you're not gonna call them out?

NICK: Nah. I don't want to kill their youth. I need that spark in my life.

(Scene: the spy van. The whole team is packed inside, including DANIEL, whose suspension is over. All are wearing civilian clothes. RAYVON is driving.)

JOEY: I'm bored. Tell me a joke.

JAX: A guy walked into a bar. Then he said ouch. (JOEY chuckles)

QUENTIN: I got one. What did one dinosaur say to the other?

TYANNA: What?

QUENTIN: Hi, Nick. (Everyone laughs)

NICK: You're never gonna let up on me, are you?

JAX: Nope. In our book, you'll always be grandpa.

DANIEL: This van smells like farts.

MADDIE: I love your dress, Joey. Where did you get it?

JOEY: Thanks, but I don't remember. Probably a thrift shop. I have a lot of flower print dresses.

SARINA-JOI: And a lot of hats, it seems.

JOEY: (Adjusts her hat) Yeah, those too.

RAYVON: Not as many as me. I have over 25 hats. I just counted them last night.

ADANNA: Same. I have a big stocking collection in my closet. And cute hats.

JAX: Mine's full of crop tops, flower crowns, fingerless gloves, and casual dresses.

TYANNA: Hey, I just noticed your shoes. Those are really cute.

JAX: (Holds up her feet and shows off her star print shoes) Thank you.

CLARK: Can we please talk about something other than clothes?

QAASIM: Hey, fashions statements are something to be proud of. You should see my hat collection. Of course, it's nothing compared to Quentin's.

QUENTIN: Please. It's not that impressive.

JOEY: He's being modest. I've seen the inside of his closet. All the big jewelry, torn shirts, torn pants, tall shoes, hats, head scarves, turbans, he's got everything you can think of. I think he's got more Betsey Johnson stuff than I do.

QUENTIN: Well, you're probably the only person I know who has a TARDIS dress.

DANIEL: Okay, I swear the driver is farting.

RAYVON: (With a smile) Hey, whoever smelt it, dealt it, kid.

TYANNA: Why are we going so slow?

RAYVON: Because there's a lot of cars on the road. We have to stay within the crowd, so we blend in. To them, we're just an ordinary family going on a picnic in the park.

CLARK: Yup. A big old band of brothers and sisters.

JAX: Except Daniel. He's my son.

SARINA-JOI: No, he's my son!

JAX: Okay then, he can have two mommies.

MADDIE: I thought Adanna was everyone's mom.

DANIEL: Why is that, anyway? I don't understand.

ADANNA: Do you secretly want to be the mom?

DANIEL: Well, after we get married, I'll be the dad, won't I?

QUENTIN: (Puts a finger on his lips) Shh. Nick fell asleep.

(The others look to the front seat and smile when they see that NICK is indeed asleep. The van is stopped at a red light, so CLARK, JAX, and TYANNA close in around him. JAX takes out her phone, and they all make faces at the camera as she takes a picture. NICK does not move at all. The light turns green, and the van starts moving again as everyone returns to their seats.)

JAX: This is why Grandpa gets cranky with us.

TYANNA: Well, he can't sleep for too much longer. We'll be at the park soon.

ADANNA: It's too quiet in here. Someone give us a song.

SARINA-JOI: How about you, Clark? Give us some good old-fashioned Motown?

CLARK: No, please don't make me. I feel uncomfortable singing in such a tight space.

JOEY: Clark feels vocally violated. (JAX laughs)

DANIEL: Maybe I can bust out another rap. Hey, Rayvon, give me a beat.

RAYVON: No.

DANIEL: Aww, come on, please?

ALL OTHERS: No!

JAX: I still have the video from your last attempt.

DANIEL: It wasn't that bad! Qaasim, help me out, bro.

QAASIM: Nah, man, I'm gonna help everybody else out by not letting you rap.

DANIEL: You're no fun.

QAASIM: I told you once, I told you a million times, white boys don't wrap! Eminem is a rare exception, and even he's got problems.

DANIEL: That's racist.

JAX: Hey, can we pull over?

RAYVON: No, we can't pull over! We're boxed into in the middle lane!

JAX: Aw, come on, I really have to pee!

CLARK: Don't worry, there's a secret bathroom at the park.

RAYVON: I told everyone to go before we left.

JAX: I didn't have to go then.

(Suddenly, the van comes to a halt. The team looks out and sees that they are caught in a tight gridlock. Cars are stopped all around them, and many drivers are honking their horns.)

QAASIM: Aw, man, you gotta be kidding me! Traffic?! We're spies! We don't get stuck in traffic!

QUENTIN: Don't worry. All the I.D.O.L. vehicles come with a super powerful horn. We use it to scare bad guys during car chases.

(RAYVON presses the horn button, but it makes no sound. He keeps pressing it, but still nothing.)

RAYVON: Except the stupid horn isn't working.

JOEY: Great. This thing has an eject button, but we can't get the frickin' horn to work.

ADANNA: I got an idea.

SARINA-JOI: Adanna, if you're about to do what I think you're about to do...

(ADANNA rolls down her window, looks out, and yells "TOOT!" at the top of her lungs. Some of the cars around them begin to move slowly. She rolls the window back up and look at the others, who are staring at her. NICK has woken up from his nap.)

ADANNA: What? It worked.

MADDIE: Yeah, but...I've never seen you do anything like that before.

ADANNA: I do random things all the time, mostly out of sheer boredom. It keeps my teammates on their toes. (Licks her finger and rubs it on QAASIM'S face)

JAX: Ladies and gentlemen, my dysfunctional family.

(The camera cuts to an overview of the van driving down the road as the gridlock dissipates. Fade into the next scene, as the team walks to the park together. One carries a picnic blanket, another carries a cooler, and some others carry a box with kites, balls, and other things inside.)

SARINA-JOI: So who is this guy we're going to meet, anyway?

NICK: We are not going to meet anyone. I am going to meet Nick Abraham, one of my band mates who came with me from Connecticut. He's the only one I let into all my I.D.O.L. secrets, and he's been talking to a guy named Wilson who used to work for Big Machine. Wilson gave Nick a file full of Big Machine Intel, and Nick's giving it to me. You guys are just gonna hang around the park, have fun, and be on guard in case we're being watched.

JAX: So basically this is a day off.

NICK: Sort of. But you guys are also my undercover bodyguards. So keep an ear out, I may signal you on your watches. But other than that...yeah, just relax and have fun. If you need me, I'll be on the bench with the other Nick. I might join you later on.

TYANNA: Well, if you're gonna be busy, then we should start now. Last one there's a rotten egg!

(She breaks into a run, and the others chase after her. Fade into the next scene, inside the park. The I.D.O.L. agents are scattered about. In a game of soccer, CLARK, RAYVON, and QUENTIN are on one team while JOEY, ADANNA, and SARINA-JOI are on the other. QAASIM and DANIEL pass a football back and forth, and JAX, TYANNA, and MADDIE do the same with a Frisbee. NICK is sitting on a park bench, next to a dark-haired man about his age with a notable beard.)

NICK: So how is everyone?

NICK A: Everyone's great. We're still practicing, booking gigs, writing songs. Haven't recorded anything, we're still waiting on you. When are you gonna get down here and join us?

NICK: I wish I had a definite answer. But you know, when you have a full-time job and a girlfriend on top of it, it keeps you busy.

NICK A: Well, we'll wait as long as it takes. Beach Avenue isn't the same without you.

NICK: Thanks. I really appreciate that.

NICK A: Have you talked to your old man lately?

NICK: No. I've been meaning to. Has he been in touch with you guys?

NICK A: A little. He asks about you. Have you told him the big news yet?

NICK: No, I still can't bring myself to do it. I'm just so afraid someone will try to hurt them if they know.

NICK A: Oh, that reminds me. He finally sent us those pictures from our last gig together.

(NICK A takes out a large envelope and slides it across the bench to NICK, who lifts up the upper edge. On the other side, he sees the word "Confidential" stamped onto it in red ink. He lowers the edge, picks up the envelope, and puts it in the cooler on the ground.)

NICK: Thanks. I've been waiting on those.

NICK A: (Looks over at the others) So this is the big happy family?

NICK: Big, yes. Happy...most of the time. It's been rough on the kids, being so far away from home. And training was really hard at first. But they're good. They're really good. Better than I was at their age. I think they'll turn out to be great agents.

NICK A: (Whispers) Hey, careful, don't say the A word out here.

NICK: (Chuckles) Don't worry. At this point I'm pretty sure no one's listening. Hey, you wanna join us for lunch? We packed a lot of food.

NICK A: Sure, I've got time. And then you can introduce me to the new crew.

(NICK looks out into the park. Over at the makeshift soccer field, CLARK scores a goal.)

CLARK: Yeah! Beckham's still got it!

JOEY: Are you sure your first name isn't David?

CLARK: Positive. So, best two out of three?

ADANNA: I'm down for that. Hey, Quentin! We're doing another round! Are you in?

(They look over at QUENTIN, who is sitting under a large tree by a stone wall. When they approach him, they see that he is looking down at a black beetle as it crawls along.)

QUENTIN: (British accent) Here we have a beautiful beetle... (Mutters something unintelligible)

SARINA-JOI: I see you've made another friend.

QUENTIN: (Picks up the beetle, continues in the British accent) I've decided to name him Bartholomew. Hello, Barth. (Shows the others) Bartholomew Alexander, everyone.

(The others laugh. The camera cuts to various scenes of other families at the park. Young children blow bubbles, chase birds, and play hide-and-go-seek. Dogs and their owners play fetch and run through the grass. Groups of people sit down to homemade lunches. NICK'S face is something between a smile and a look of sad reflection. NICK A notices it and turns to face him.)

NICK A: Hey, man, are you okay? You look like you're spacing out.

NICK: It's just...seeing all these families...not just my own, but all these innocent people...all these kids who still see the goodness in everything...families taking one day out of their busy lives to enjoy the beauty of nature...this is what we're fighting to protect. And it really makes me sad to think that there are people out there who don't care about any of this. Who see all of this as collateral damage. They don't see the beauty in anything...they only see power.

NICK A: Well, get ready. Wilson didn't tell me much in person, but from what he did tell me, Big Machine is exactly what you just described. (Stands up) Come on, I want to meet the team.

(Just as NICK stands up and reaches for the cooler, JAX runs over and tags him, and he goes running after her. NICK A watches and smiles as they chase each other around the grass, tagging each other in turn. Cut to sunset that day, as the team walks back the way they came.)

CLARK: (To QUENTIN) Honestly, I don't understand how you can walk in such tall shoes.

DANIEL: Of course he can. He's naturally a model. (QUENTIN tips his hat and flips his scarf)

JAX: That was really cool, getting to meet the other Nick. He's just like you, except with a beard.

NICK: One day you'll meet the whole band. I promise.

CLARK: You'll like them. They're really cool guys.

RAYVON: You okay, Nick? You looked a little out of it earlier.

NICK: Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. I was just deep in thought. Looking at all the people and animals in the park, and those little moments when the world is just perfect.

QUENTIN: I feel you, man. I do that all the time.

TYANNA: Hey, Nick? There's something I've been meaning to ask you.

NICK: What is it?

TYANNA: What made you want to join I.D.O.L. in the first place?

NICK: Well...it was actually in a moment like that, when I was just looking at the world around me. I had just started college, studying history, and I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. I took a good, hard look around, and I realized the world needed a lot of help. But if I was gonna do any good for the world, I had to make myself the best man I could be. So when I first heard about I.D.O.L., I jumped right in. I thought they could help me become a better man. I made a promise to myself that day...

(Music plays, and as they continue to walk down the street, NICK sings "Man In the Mirror." Starting at the first chorus, the walk turns into a sort of dance, with the others copying his moves or dancing on their own. At the end of the song, they all stand in place. The scene fades to black.)