Real Steel Part 2

Charlie and Max are in the truck and they are arguing.

INT.TRUCK
CHARLIE
You stay put. I'm going to look for parts.

MAX
I'm coming with you. That drink has my heart pounding.
If I sit in this truck by myself, my head will explode.

CHARLIE
Whatever. Just keep up.

Charlie and Max get out of the truck and bring a cart.

EXT.SCRAP YARD
Charlie and Max break into a scrapyard to get parts.  They are avoiding some searchlights.

CHARLIE
Crap. Stay back. All right, keep up.
These searchlights are automated, but you got to time them right,
so stay close. It's all right.
Come on, come on.

MAX
We're going to get caught.

CHARLIE
Come on. Easy, easy. Easy, easy.
Quick, quick. Down in here! Go, go, go!
Robots are on the east side.
We got to be quick in here.
Once we're through here,
there's no more searchlights. Quick! Go!
Here it is.

MAX
What are we looking for?

CHARLIE
Anything I could use to put a fighting bot together.

MAX
Hey, look.

CHARLIE
What?

Charlie and Max find many parts of a robot.

MAX
It's so small.

CHARLIE
Yeah. That's before your time.
That's a Generation One,
the very first fighting bot.
They wanted them to look like us.
The more human, the better.
Crazy how quick everything changed.
Put that in the cart.

MAX
What changed?

CHARLIE
A good question. Human boxing. It just faded.

MAX
Why?

CHARLIE
Because the money moved on. People wanted more carnage, more show.
You had the whole Brazilian underground, the Gracies, the Machados,
jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and a thousand styles in between.
Full-on ground-and-pound.

MAX
Look at this.

Max finds a part.

CHARLIE
What's that?

MAX
I don't know.

CHARLIE
Not bad. Good spot. You still had human fighters,
human bodies, so you couldn't give the people
what they really wanted: True, no-holds-barred violence.
The next logical step,
get the humans out of there
and let the machines kill each other.

MAX
Do you miss it?
Boxing. Do you miss it?

CHARLIE
Careful.

MAX
What? I want to know.

CHARLIE
Careful, you're on a cliff.

Max looks down.  He is on the edge of a cliff.

MAX
That's a long way down.
If you fell, you'd definitely...

Max falls down the cliff and calls for help to Charlie.

MAX
Charlie, help me!
Charlie!
Charlie!

CHARLIE
Max! Max!
Max!
Try not to move!

Max's shirt is caught on a robot arm.

MAX
I'm on some sort of robot arm.

CHARLIE
Wait! Just easy, easy.
Give me your hand. Nice and easy.
Very slowly. Good. Don't look down.
Look at me. Look at me.
That's it! I've got you!
You don't have to be scared. I got you!

MAX
It's so far!

CHARLIE
It's OK. I got you.
Give me your other hand. Nice and slow.

Charlie tries to rescue Max.

CHARLIE
Just give me your other hand very
slowly. Reach back. Come on. Reach!
Look at me.
We're going to do this together.
You and me. Just look at me. That's it.
One... two... three!

Charlie rescues Max safely.

That's it. I got you!
I got you. I got you. I got you.
You're safe. You're safe.
All right, I got you.
You all right?

MAX
Yeah.

CHARLIE
Come here. Easy. Easy.
You all right?
You all right?

MAX
Yeah.

CHARLIE
I told you it was dangerous.
Careful. We're still on the edge here.

MAX
Charlie, I think
there's a whole robot in there.

CHARLIE
So what? Let's go. Come on.

MAX
I'm taking him with me.
He saved my life.

CHARLIE
He did not save your life.
I saved your life. Let's go.

MAX
Just bring the cart to the edge.
I'll use the winch to get him out.

CHARLIE
You want that piece of junk? You get
the cart yourself. I'm through here.

Max brings the robot to the cart by himself where Charlie waits for him
and Max punches Charlie with anger.

INT. GYM

Charlie and Bailey are arguing.

BAILEY
This is what's left of Noisy Boy?

CHARLIE
That's it. His head does make a nice addition
to the front of the Crash Palace.

BAILEY
It's not funny.

CHARLIE
Let's get a robot, you and me.

BAILEY
Good idea. You're broke. I'm almost there myself.
You destroyed the best shot you had.

CHARLIE
We'll put one together. You're brilliant at this.
There's good stuff here.

BAILEY
There's nothing here.

CHARLIE
There is. Look.

BAILEY
All your junk is... it's junk. You're not even in the game anymore.
It's all garbage.

CHARLIE
I heard you. It's garbage.

BAILEY
Don't get loud with me. You're your problem.

CHARLIE
What's that supposed to mean?

BAILEY
I have been here for you a long time.
In the ring, out of the ring, and the
whole ugly spiral down, and I'm tired.
My father invested everything he had
in your fight career. We loved...
He loved you like family. And this is his home.
I'm just trying not to let it die.
That's my plan. What's yours?
You're done, right? You're finally done?
Because I sure as hell am, Charlie.
I got nothing left.

CHARLIE
All right.
Maybe there's something here.
This robot the kid brought in last
night. Would you look at it for me?
Please?

BAILEY
I've never seen anything like it before.
He's Generation Two, but barely.
I found a power cell that fits him, and
I hooked him up to this old G-2 remote.
You can move him around, but he's crap.

CHARLIE
Maybe I can get a sparring gig for him,
make a few hundred bucks.

BAILEY
Stop.

MAX
It's my robot!
It took me half the night
dragging him out of there. He's mine.

CHARLIE
He's yours?

MAX
Yeah.

CHARLIE
But the parts
we're putting in him are mine!

BAILEY
You idiots should see if he powers up
before you fight over him.

BAILEY (TO MAX)
What happened to you?

The robot turns on.

CHARLIE
Watch out. Stay back.

BAILEY
Looks like he's got a shadow function.
That's pretty rare.
He can mime your movements
and store them in memory.

CHARLIE
Is there anything here we could use?

BAILEY
Not much.

CHARLIE
There's a bucket I use to wash the truck.
Use it and clean him up. He smells like crap.
Wash yourself off, too, while you're at it. You stink.

BAILEY
I switched him to remote.
It's pretty basic.

Bailey gives the remote to Max.

BAILEY
Just use the toggles here
to steer him and walk him.
You play video games, right?

MAX
Of course.

BAILEY
Same idea, only this one's
a thousand-pound robot.

MAX
Cool.

INT.GYM'S OTHER ROOM
Max is washing a robot.

MAX
"Atom." His name is Atom. Can we get him a fight?

INT.GYM
Charlie and Bailey and Max are speaking.

CHARLIE
I don't think he was
ever a boxing robot.

BAILEY
He's a G-2, built in early 2014. He was a sparring bot.

CHARLIE
They must have built robots like this one
that could mirror the fighting style
of any other robot.

MAX
OK, so can we get him a fight?

CHARLIE
Are you not listening? He's a sparring bot.
Built to take a lot of hits, but never
dishing out any real punishment.

BAILEY
You could always sell him off for parts.

MAX
Can't you get him a fight?

CHARLIE
"Why can't you get him a fight?"
God, you don't quit, do you?
You want me to put him in some
bottom-rung scrap-fest to the death?
I saw how scared you were
at Crash Palace.
The places that would let you fight this
robot would make you pee your pants.

MAX
Excellent. Get him a fight.

CHARLIE
Stubborn kid.

BAILEY
Surprise, surprise.

INT.BEDROOM
Charlie is sleeping. Max is awake.  He talks to the robot.　

MAX
Let's take a walk.

E Max and the robot go out.

MAX
Can you understand me?
Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me.

INT.GYM

The next day, Bailey and Max are speaking.

MAX
You've known Charlie a long time.

BAILEY
Too long. We both kind of grew up in this gym.
My dad, he trained him.

She points to a picture.

BAILEY
That's them. That's Charlie.

MAX
What was he like?

BAILEY
As a boxer?

MAX
As anything.

BAILEY
He was something. He was lean, tough.
No quit, no fear. Come here. I want to show you something.

Bailey opens a newspaper.

BAILEY
I have this newspaper article
from Phoenix 2007
when Charlie fought Nico Tandy,
the top contender.

MAX
You were at the Nico Tandy fight?

BAILEY
I was. Charlie was supposed to be a warm-up fight, an easy win.
Nico wasn't even supposed to break a sweat, but... ...nobody told
Charlie that, so he just kept coming and coming at him. Check this out.
That's Charlie.


BAILEY
First, Nico couldn't believe the balls on this nobody.
But Charlie kept coming, and that's when Nico looked scared.

MAX
Really?

BAILEY
Really. He was toying with Nico. The top contender,
number two in the world, and Charlie was dancing with him.
Charlie was floating inches off the canvas that night.
He was like a ghost. Nico couldn't even see him.
I could. He was beautiful.

MAX
So what happened? Did Charlie beat Nico Tandy?

Charlie walks in.

CHARLIE
No, Nico Tandy put me on my ass in the 12th round. Twice.
Second time for good. Lights out.

BAILEY
You were ahead on the scorecards going into the 12th round.

CHARLIE
Nico Tandy rung my bell and went on to be the undefeated
world champ for the next three years.

BAILEY
He knocked you out?

CHARLIE
Yeah. So did a lot of guys.

BAILEY
You knocked a lot of guys out, too.

MAX
24 and 19. It's not exactly a career.

BAILEY
But every fight a knockout.

CHARLIE
Yeah.

BAILEY
Win or lose, fight's not over

CHARLIE
till someone's on the mat.

BAILEY
Till someone's on the mat.

CHARLIE
Your old man taught me that.

BAILEY
Damn straight he taught you that.

MAX
Who else did you fight?

CHARLIE
Go get your stuff together.


INT.GYM

MAX
I don't need to. Did you fight for the title?

CHARLIE
Yeah, you do. We leave in an hour. Go.

MAX
Wow.

Bailey gives Max the newspaper.

BAILEY
 Here.  Keep it.

MAX
Thanks.

BAILEY
You're welcome.

Max goes to get ready.

BAILEY
I like that kid.

CHARLIE
He likes you.

BAILEY
What I said yesterday was...

CHARLIE
No, nothing more to say. I'm heading off to Atlanta tonight
to see if I can get a partner or raise money to get a new bot.
That's what you wanted, right? Me gone?

Bailey hesitates.

BAILEY
Yeah, that's what I wanted.

CHARLIE
OK.

INT.CAR
Max and Charlie go to a battle arena.

INT. ARENA
CHARLIE
Look.

MAX
The champ is here. Zeus is here.

CHARLIE
Yeah.

COMMENTATOR
Zeus! No one has ever gone two rounds with this monster. Two rounds!
The champ puts his Real Steel world championship belt on the line tonight.
He just may have a real fight on his hands. Zeus, greatest robot boxer of
all time. Ever. End of story. Good night!

MAX
So cool. It's so cool.

CHARLIE
What? Come on. Listen up. I got to go find Finn.
I want you to stay in this area.

ZEUS STAFF
Out of the way. Champ coming through. Zeus coming through.
Move, move. Champ coming through.

There is a press conference.  Reporters are asking Zeus' owner some questions.

REPORTER
Farra Lemkova, daughter behind the father/daughter Zeus team.
They say your father's the money and you are the mind behind Zeus.

FARRA
You're very kind, but I assure you, the mind behind Zeus
belongs to the great Tak Mashido.

REPORTER
What did it take to lure the reclusive genius, former boy wonder
and arguably the most important bot designer in the history of the sport
out of retirement?

FARRA
Why don't you ask him yourself?

REPORTER
Is this Tak Mashido's greatest creation?

TAK
Zeus is autonomous and constantly evolving during a fight.
With his adaptive operating system, he recognizes patterns and rewrites
his fight code instantaneously.

REPORTER
For myself and Joe Sixpack out there, are you saying that Zeus - ?

TAK
I'm saying that no matter what happens in that ring...
...the result of any fight is inevitable. What Zeus sees...
...he kills.

MAX
Sweet.

Charlie and Finn are talking.


FINN
I'm never going into business with you.

CHARLIE
I just need a break here.

FINN
You got that old bot truck out there.
You always got something in there.

CHARLIE
I got an old sparring bot, ain't worth the paint left on it.

FINN
What am I supposed to do with that?
The Zoo. Take him to the Zoo.
They fight there tomorrow.

CHARLIE
Even I wouldn't be caught dead
at the Zoo. I just need a little loan.

FINN
What? You're serious, Charlie?

CHARLIE
A loan. Couple hundred. Few hundred. Whatever you got.
You know I'm good for it.

FINN
I know you, and as much as I like you, dude...
...you're a bad bet, brother.

CHARLIE
Right, yeah.

Charlie finds Max.  A smashed robot is rolled past them on a cart.

MAX
Did you see that? That's what's left of Axelrod.

CHARLIE
Where you been? I told you to stay put.

MAX
You should have seen him. Zeus was, like, amazing!

CHARLIE
Amazing, huh?

MAX
Unbelievable, yeah. He was just peppering Axelrod with
punches, but so fast. It was incredible. Axelrod didn't
even land a punch. He didn't even survive the first round.

CHARLIE
Is that what you think boxing is? Zeus beating up some piece of steel
that they feed him?

MAX
Axelrod's not just some piece of steel.And that is what boxing is now.
Deal with it. And I love it, and I'm in it now.


CHARLE
You're in it now, are you? You and your G-2 sparring bot?

MAX
He's more than that. If you'd get us a fight, you'd see.

CHARLE
You're in luck, kid. There's a lovely place called the Zoo.

CHARLIE
Tomorrow afternoon,
you'll get your fight.

MAX
Great.

CHARLIE
And it will be the end.

Charlie offers Max some food.

MAX
I told you I hate hamburgers!

CHARLIE
It's a burrito!

EXT.STREET
Max and Atom are training the next morning.

MAX
Right uppercut. Left uppercut.
Bend your knees. Rise up with both hands.
Again. Bend your knees. Rise up with both hands.

CHARLIE
Have you been up all night?

MAX
Yeah. I cleaned him up. I'm using shadow mode to program some
fight moves and sync them to the remote.

CHARLIE
Yeah. I saw that double-up punch you were showing him.
That's lethal stuff.

MAX
Let's do this.

CHARLIE
Let's do breakfast first.

INT.PASSAGE IN THE ZOO

CHARLIE
You know you're bringing him
home in pieces, right?

MAX
We'll see.

Max and Charlie approach some punks talking to each other.

CHARLIE
Let me deal with this. Charlie Kenton. This is Max.

KINGPIN
Kingpin. Call me Kingpin.

CHARLIE
All right, Kingpin, so... How much a round?

Kingpin looks at Max.

KINGPIN
We on a field trip? All right. He can fight my robot Metro.
I'll give you a hundred bucks for one two-minute round.

CHARLIE (TO MAX)
Take it.

MAX
Three hundred.

KINGPIN
One hundred. Baby boy, I'm going to
give you $100 just to get in with Metro.

MAX
How about 500 for two rounds?

KINGPIN
Two rounds. Son, he ain't going to survive one round.

MAX
What if he does?

KINGPIN
He ain't.

MAX
Let's just say he does.

KINGPIN
If he's still standing after one round...I'll give you a thousand bucks.
Shut it! But if he dies in there, which he will, junior...I get to keep
what's left.

CHARLIE
Take the hundred.

Max shakes hands with Kingpin.

MAX
Deal.

KINGPIN
We're on. We on! Let's go!

CHARLIE
You should have taken the hundred.

MAX
I got us a thousand.


INT.STADIUM
They go into the stadium.

CHARLIE
Yeah, if he wins.
You want me to drive?

MAX
He's my bot. I got this!

CHARLIE
This ain't a video game.
This is for real. Right here.

MAX
You said he's coming home in pieces.
What difference does it make?

CHARLIE
All right.

MAX
I got this.

KINGPIN
Let's get it on! Let's get it on!
Let's get it on like
Ping-Pong in Hong Kong!
Give me a bell! Give me a bell!

CHARLIE
Don't watch Atom. Watch your opponent.
Watch out for that foot.
He's looking to pin you.

Metro stomps on Atom's foot.  Atom can't move.

CHARLIE
I told you to watch for that foot plant.
Come on.
Here comes the sledgehammer.

Metro punches Atom.

KINGPIN
Did you see that?

MAX
Come on! Get him!

CHARLIE
Don't yell at him, control him. Slip right. Back step.
Duck. You're welcome.

MAX
Shut up! You're not helping!

CHARLIE
Actually, I think I am. Backhand. You got speed on this guy.
Just keep moving. Bob. Slip out of that corner. Keep moving!
Bob and weave! That's it! Now you're listening to me.
He can take a hit. I'll give you this. Your bot can take a hit.
You better slip that headlock. This ain't gonna end well for you.

MAX
I'm trying!

AUDIENCE
Thirty seconds!

Charlie looks at the clock and gets excited.


CHARLIE
Thirty... Half a minute. Half a minute! Keep moving! Just move!
You've got 20 seconds! That's a thousand bucks. Twenty seconds.
Let me take over! Move, then. Move!

MAX
Come on. Get up, Atom. Get up, Atom.

KINGPIN
Count with me! Count with me! One!

MAX
Get up!

CHARLIE
You know you're talking to a machine?

KINGPIN
Four! Five! Six!

MAX
Get up, Atom! All the way up! All the way up!

CHARLIE
Yes! Yes!


Atom gets up. Round one is over.


KINGPIN
I'm going to fix it!
I'm going to fix it! Come on, now.
This thousand bucks...

CHARLIE
Yeah, thousand.

KINGPIN
...double or nothing he can't make another round.

CHARLIE
Yeah, thanks anyway.

MAX
Deal. Double or nothing.

KINGPIN
Baby boy said it! We're back on! We on!

CHARLIE
Are you crazy? You threw away a thousand bucks!
He can barely stand up in there. Look. I really need the money.

MAX
I know. Let's work.

CHARLIE
Jesus. Watch that. Watch that.

Atom punches Metro hard.  Metro has a system failure.

MAX
I got that.

KINGPIN
I got it. That's a system failure!

KINGPIN
I don't got it.

CHARLIE
He's going down.

CHARLIE
Yes!

KINGPIN
No!


Kingpin's robot is down.


CHARLIE
Start the count! Start the count!

AUDIENCE
One! Two! Three!
Four! Five! Six! Seven!
Eight! Nine!
Ten!

CHARLIE
You did it! We did it! Wow! Time to go. Come on. Grab your robot.

KINGPIN
I know, I know! I know! I know!

CHARLIE
Kingpin, pay up.

KINGPIN
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I know, I know, I know.

MAX
We owned!

CHARLIE
Let's go. Come on, come on.

A man approaches Charlie and talks to him.

CHARLIE
Yeah?

MAN
Have I got a fight for you.

MAN
Saturday night. Guaranteed four grand. Seven if he wins.

CHARLIE
Four grand? You're on. Let's go!