Episode Twelve: The Eternal

By LazyCalm

Part One

OPEN TO:
EXT. FOREST- NIGHT

Just outside of Nuremburg, Germany...
1945

OPEN TO: ESTABLISHING SHOT of a FOREST-NIGHT

The silent air is punctuated by the intermittent sounds of heavy gunfire from far away. Every so often there is a FLASH explosion illuminating the otherwise clear black sky

CUT TO: AN INJURED MAN RUNNING through the dark forest frantically looking over his shoulder

JUMP CUT: To see two NAZI SOLDIERS pursuing him

JUMP CUT: We track the Injured Man as he runs faster and faster before TRIPPING and tumbling down a steep, damp and grassy slope

TRACK him as falls and tumbles until he lands painfully, covered in bruises and nursing his stomach wound, at the bottom of the slope. ANGLE UP to see the nozzle of a rifle suddenly trained on him.

MAN (O.S.)
Who are you?

The Injured Man just looks at him.

POV. INJURED MAN

Notices the other man's uniform, the insignia and the design indicate that he is an American soldier, no older than 25 years old.

INJURED MAN (Translate)
Please, Help me!
(makes a fist on his chest)
Comrade

AMERICAN SOLDIER
Comrade?
(thinks)
Ally?

The Injured Man nods. From his accent the American has determined that he is a Russian soldier

RUSSIAN SOLDIER
(nodding)
Ally

The American notices his wound

AMERICAN SOLDIER
Oh god, buddy you're hurt!

He tries to help the Russian but the injured man refuses his help, instead he takes out a small, white silk pouch and forces it into the American's hands

RUSSIAN (Translate)
(weakly)
Take it. It's the first...weapon to be used in the last...great ...war

INSERT-CLOSE UP on the pouch as the wounded Russian hands it over to the American

BACK TO SCENE

As the pouch is handed over, a wisp of gentle, blue smoke leaves from the Russian’s eyes and mouth and makes its way over to the American, entering his mind

VOICE (O.S.)
Diese Weise!

For a moment the American just sits there, stunned by what has happened to him. The Russian panics and gestures for him to hide

RUSSIAN
Go...Go!

As the German soldiers get closer the American comes to his senses

AMERCIAN SOLDIER
Don't worry
(beat)
I understand what must be done

They each give a nod of acknowledgement. The American quickly leaves. Two German soldiers emerge from the trees, staring at the wounded Russian

GERMAN SOLDIER #1 (Translate)
Search him

The second soldier kneels down and begins to rifle through the Russian's pockets

GERMAN SOLDIER #1
The fuhrer is most anxious to get back what you stole

INSERT-CLOSE UP of the second soldier as he pulls out a black velvet pouch from the Russian's pocket

BACK TO SCENE

GERMAN SOLDIER #2
(looking inside the pouch)
We have it!

CUT TO: POV. AMERICAN SOLDIER

Watching from the bushes as the two soldiers stand next to each other and begin laughing at the wounded Russian. One of the German's pulls out a Luger handgun and points it at the Russian's head

BACK TO SCENE

CLOSE UP: The face of the American soldier, as he watches with a tear in his eye as BANG...BANG two gunshots fill the air

POV. AMERICAN SOLDIER

We see the German soldier with the gun kick the lifeless body over before he and his accomplice walk back through the trees and out of sight.

BACK TO SCENE

CLOSE UP: on the face of the American soldier. He lowers his head in mourning

RUSSIAN SOLDIER (V.O.) (Translate)
The first weapon to be used in the last great war

The American opens his eyes and looks at the pouch. CLOSE UP on his eyes, youthful and determined. We fade to the eyes of an old man, weathered and all knowing. He is in his late seventies, though he looks much younger. PULL BACK TO REVEAL that he is riding in the back-seat of a car, staring out the window. We begin to hear the classic rock song "Turn the Page" by Metallica over the radio.

Present Day

MAN (O.S.)
So where you heading?

PULL BACK FURTHER TO REVEAL DEAN and SAM WINCHESTER sitting in the front seats of the Impala, with Dean waiting for an answer.

OLD MAN
Oh, nowhere special

POV. DEAN

Dean glances towards the Old Man, through the rear-view mirror.

OLD MAN
Just felt like takin' a journey
(smiles)
while I've still got some life in my bones

BACK TO SCENE

SAM
So are you visiting someone?

OLD MAN
Yeah
(smiles wearily)
but I doubt he'll be glad to see me

< The Old Man returns his gaze to the window

Dean and Sam just look at each other. All three silent for a beat until

OLD MAN
Say
(looking at the boys)
How would you two like to hear a story?

CLOSE UP on the Old Man with a mischievous grin on his face before we

CUT TO: BLACK

THE ETERNAL

OPEN TO: EXT. ROAD-DAY

It's a rather miserable morning, with thunder in the air and rain beating down heavily. The Impala quickly drives along the road and out of shot

OLD MAN (V.O.)
It began in Golgotha.

INT. IMPALA

OLD MAN (CON'T)
On the place of the skull, where Christ was crucified on the cross

Dean rolls his eyes

DEAN
(sarcastic)
Great! Bible stories. I'm sure the next few hours will just fly by

OLD MAN
(laughs)
You must be the belligerent one then

Sam sits in the passenger seat smirking

SAM
Sorry Dean, but he's got you there

DEAN
Sam, what did I say about “shotgun”?
(to the Old Man)
You were saying?

OLD MAN
Bible stories
(beat)
Of course you have to remember that the best Bible stories are the ones they don't tell you in Sunday School

Dean and Sam suddenly devlop a real interest in what the Old Man is about to tell them

OLD MAN
Like I said, it began in Golgotha

FLASH CUT:
EXT. GOLGOTHA (31 AD.)

WHIP!!! CLOSE UP on a man's face, bloody, bruised up, this is JESUS. WHIP! Each time he flinches, but doesn't give in.

FLASH CUT:

CLOSE UP as Jesus is nailed to the cross. We want to look away. But, we can't. The emotion holds us.... CLOSE UP on Jesus' face, never giving in no matter how much it hurts.

FADE TO:

A desolate place. We PAN ACROSS this bleak hillside to see atop one of the higher land masses three CROSSES, silhouetted against the sky. On each one is the lifeless body of a man, if not dead then certainly close to it.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
After Christ had been crucified on the cross, the Jewish priests asked Pilate to have the bodies be removed before the holy Sabbath

CUT TO LONG SHOT OF The bodies on crosses as two soldiers move into view

OLD MAN (V.O.)
The task was given to two Roman soldiers

We see two Roman soldiers walk up in to view, making their way to the crosses

OLD MAN (V.O.)
Death from crucifixion could take days, so the soldiers broke the legs of the two theives so that they would perish sooner.

JUMP CUT: CLOSE UP of the first thief's legs as CRACK they are broken

JUMP CUT: CLOSE UP on the second thief's legs legs as CRACK they too were broken

OLD MAN (V.O.)
However when it came to the body of Christ, one of the soldiers saw that he had already died and drove his spear into the dead body to prove it

JUMP CUT: CLOSE UP on the body of Jesus Christ as a spear is DRIVEN into his side.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
This was seen by many as a self-fulfilling prophecy-

FLASH CUT:
INT. IMPALA

SAM
(qouting the Bible)
A bone of him shall not be broken...they shall look on him whom they pierced...

DEAN
(looking at Sam)
You are such a geek. You know that?

OLD MAN
Now here's where things get a little hazy. The soldier who stabbed Christ was named Gaius Longinus and something happpened to him out there on Golgotha that would change his life forever.

FLASH CUT
EXT. GOLGOTHA

Longinus PULLS the spear out of the wound. TRACK as blood pours down from the open wound and onto the cross.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
It is said that when Longinus removed the spear, the blood and water gushed out...

JUMP CUT:

ANGLE DOWN towards Longinus as he stares up towards the wound. Blood and water spill down onto his face.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
some of it spraying his eyes
(beat)
Now Longinus had poor eyesight, in fact, it had been failing for some time, but after this incident his eyesight suddenly healed...

POV. LONGINUS

Somewhat blurry vision of Jesus on the cross, gradually the vision becomes clearer and clearer. As we look up towards Jesus the sun begins to rise.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
And he could see perfectly for the first time in a long time

We see Longinus looking amazed as his vision is restored there and then...

FLASH CUT: INT. IMPALA

DEAN
Is there a point to this story?

SAM
Dean!

The Old Man simply sits back and laughs

OLD MAN
Actually Dean, there is a point to this story
(beat)
literally

CLOSE UP on the Old Man's face

OLD MAN
Have you two ever heard of the Spear of Destiny?

DEAN
Spear of what?

SAM
(to the Old Man)
You mean the Lance of Longinus?

OLD MAN
It has many names, but they all refer to the lance that Longinus used to pierce the side of Christ

SAM
But...it doesn't really exist does it? I mean, it was lost over time and there are numerous relics scatterd around the world that are believed to be the true spear, right?

OLD MAN
That's right
(beat)
But the one true spear does exist

CLOSE UP On the Old Man as he looks at the pouch

OLD MAN
And legend of its journey is nothing short of astounding

FADE TO:
EXT. PATRAS, ACHAEAN PREFECTURE (ANCIENT GREECE)

ANGLE DOWN towards a crowded street.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
After Longinus was cured by Christ’s blood, he immediately sought out the remaining Apostles to learn from them.

The camera soars down until we are level with the street. We see the crowd hurrying past to get to the main square.

CUT TO: INT. ROOM

We see a man (middle-aged, gaunt with a long grey beard and hair to match) sitting at a desk. As he looks out of his window he sees the crowds assembling the large wooden cross out in the town square.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
Eventually Longinus told Andrew of what had happened to him...

CUT TO:
EXT. PETREAS

Angle up to see St Andrew watching from his window

OLD MAN (V.O.)
And Andrew took Longinus' spear with him to Petrea.

INT. ROOM

CLOSE UP on Andrew glancing over at the Spear of Destiny in the corner of the room...

FLASH CUT:

OLD MAN (V.O.)
While longinus went to live a monk before he was executed for being a Christian

INT. ROOM

CLOSE UP on the door...KNOCK KNOCK

Andrew turns around as the door is opened. A soldier informs him that it is time to go. As Andrew gets up to leave he looks back to the spear of destiny.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
Unfortunately Andrew the Apostle was himself crucified and died a Martyr

ZOOM IN to see the Spear propped up in the corner of the Room

FLASH CUT: INT. IMPALA

DEAN
Sorry, sorry but...is there anybody in this story who doesn't end up stapled to two large planks of wood?

SAM
(annoyed)
Dean!?

DEAN
Alright, alright
(beat)
So you were saying Longitude gave the spear to Andrew who went and got himself crucified

SAM
(breathes out, annoyed)
Longinus

DEAN
That's what I said
(looks guilty)
Longinus

OLD MAN
(laughs)
Oh you guys are too much. You ever considered stand-up?

DEAN
(serious)
You ever considered getting out and wa-

Sam smacks Dean on the arm

DEAN
Ouch!

SAM
(to the Old Man)
Please, continue

OLD MAN
Well after the death of Andrew, all of his posessions were sold to the Romans,
(beat)
Including the spear

The camera pans to the side as we gradually

FADE TO: BATTLEFIELD

We see soldiers fighting and dying, men covered in blood being struck down. PAN ACROSS the ground, littered with dead bodies.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
It was then passed down from Emperor to Emperor. From CONSTANTINE to THEODORIC

ANGLE UP to see in the distance a man on a horse fighting bravely. This is Emperor CHARLEMAGNE. SLOW MOTION SHOT of the horse rising into the air, Charlemagne raises his sword.

OLD MAN (V.O.) (CON'T)
From MARTEL to Charlemagne

CLOSE UP: In one hand Charlemagne is holding a sword and attacking his foes who are struck down, in the other hand we see Charlemagne is holding aloft the head of the spear.

All around him Charlemagne's enemies are dropping like flies, it's as though Charlemagne is somehow invincible.

OLD MAN (V.O.)
Charlemagne carried that spearhead into every battle and walked out of each one victorious. He would walk out of his last battle too
(beat)
but not as a winner

We see Charlemagne's horse lose its footing and Charlemagne himself loses his balance and drops the spearhead

INSERT: CLOSE UP of the spearhead lying on the muddy floor

Hold on a shot of the spearhead as all the noise of battle suddenly fades out. A hand reaches into frame to pick up the spearhead.

BACK TO SCENE

There is a MAN standing alone on the battlefield staring intently at the spearhead

POV. MAN

Looking at the spearhead still glistening through the dirt that covers it

OLD MAN (V.O.)
After Charlemagne dropped the spearhead he retreated knowing that the battle was now lost.
(beat)
But the spearhead fell into the hands of the Eternal

FLASH CUT: INT. IMPALA

SAM
The Eternal? Who's that?

OLD MAN
Not “who”
(beat)
“What”

DEAN
You mean it's not human?

OLD MAN
No
(beat)
It's knowledge

SAM
Knowledge!? What kind of knowledge?

OLD MAN
A knowledge that grows over time, that learns, that passes from one host to another

FLASH CUT: EXT. BATTLEFIELD

OLD MAN (V.O.)
A guardian, a watcher

We PAN UP from the man's feet all the way to his face where we see the same blue smoke swirl around his head before entering through his eyes and mouth

OLD MAN (V.O.)
A prophet

Hold on a close up of this man for a beat until

CUT TO: BLACK

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