INT. TATTERDEMALION UNDER STAGE AREA - NIGHT
The Demons hit the floor hard. They look around, confused.
IVOR DEMON
Whath da fuck--?
Richie lets go of the rope. Ivor Demon looks over at him.
RICHIE
He runs out through a steel exit door, locking it behind him.
Ivor Demon scuttles over to the door. He pounds and scratches, but it doesn’t move.
DEMON GUITARIST
Ivor...
Demon Guitarist points up. Ivor moves back to join him.
The three Demons look up and out through the opened stage elevator door above them.
Ivor Demon squints, studying the opening. He lets out a wicked laugh.
INT. TATTERDEMALION STAGE - NIGHT
Richie rushes up from the hallway behind the stage. Arden grabs his torso, stopping him.
ARDEN
Hey - nice fuckin’ work!
RICHIE
Screw you, Arden! That shoulda been you down there!
He grabs Arden’s neck and shakes him violently.
ARDEN
(struggling to speak)
Shit, man - I needed those guns of yours to make it work!
Arden breaks free and limps over to the drum riser at the back of the stage. He waves to his bandmates.
ARDEN
Help me get this fuckin’ thing on top of the hole.
Arden’s bandmates run over to him. Each member grabs a corner of the hefty riser, struggling to budge it.
RICHIE
(struggling)
How the heck... unh... are we supposed to get this... unh... over there?
F.F. points to the hole in the stage.
F.F.
Uh oh!
Inside the hole, Demon Guitarist stands atop Demon Drummer’s back. Ivor Demon works his way to the top of the pile, putting his body and arms in reach of the edge of the hole.
RICHIE
Hell no!
Richie heaves and lifts his corner with renewed motivation. The others do the same.
As Arden’s group works their way to the hole, Ivor Demon reaches out and grabs the edge of the hole.
ARDEN
Hurry the fuck up!
They struggle to position the riser over the hole. As they rotate it into place, Ivor Demon gargles his spit.
TURK
What’s he doing?
Ivor Demon reels back his head and hocks a sizzling, bubbling green ACID LOOGIE up and out of the hole.
F.F.
Look out! Flying death boogies!
Turk yanks his foot back. The acid loogie just misses the tip of his boot. It lands on the base of a mic stand, instantly dissolving it.
ARDEN
Drop this fucker!
They release the drum riser. It slams down, just barely covering the hole. The Demons bellow and curse below.
A SMATTERING OF APPLAUSE. Arden and his bandmates look up. A small crowd has gathered around them.
Arden instinctively grabs the mic in its stand.
ARDEN
(into the mic, cocky)
Thank you. Thanks everyone.
Ebaneen pushes forward from the crowd and steps onto the stage next to him. She’s not as impressed as the others.
EBANEEN
Let’s not celebrate just yet.
ARDEN
Why not? We just locked those monsters away!
EBANEEN
Fantastic. But in case you hadn’t noticed, but we’re all still stuck floating out here in the abyss, with no way to contact the outside world and no idea how to get home.
TURK
Ebaneen does have a point there, Arden.
Arden frowns.
EBANEEN
And whatever kind of oxygen bubble we’re stuck in can’t last forever. We might have a day’s worth of air left - if that.
Arden turns away in anger.
ARDEN
Great! What else can you pile on?
RICHIE
Well, there’s that...
Everyone looks over. The drum riser has turned into a toxic phlegm fountain. Its surface is already dotted with dozens of holes as acid loogies arc up from beneath.
ARDEN
Aw crap...
F.F.
So what now? That’ll only hold them for hour – or two at best if they start running out of phlegm.
Ebaneen grabs the other mic from its stand. Turk, Richie, and F.F. catch the look in her eyes and slink off the stage.
EBANEEN
(into mic)
Yeah, what now, Arden? Please elucidate us.
Arden stomps over to her. They’re both on mic now.
ARDEN
“What now, Arden?” “What now, Arden?” I’m sick of hearing that! I got us this far, didn’t I?
EBANEEN
We all did. But it won’t make any difference if we can’t figure out why we got here and how we can get out!
Everyone else watches them from the audience area. It’s like a performance.
ARDEN
The Putrefication Principle did it to themselves. Anyone who’s ever played with Ivor knows he’s always dabbled in the occult!
IN THE BALCONY
Deen the M.C., cowering behind the top row of seats, whips his head toward the stage at Arden’s comment.
His suit has traces of sweat and vomit. His hair is disheveled. He looks like he’s been crying. He’s a mess.
EBANEEN (O.S.)
Wonderful. But vague ideas and accusations aren’t going to save us – Albert.
The audience gasps. Deen stands and slowly begins walking toward the balcony stairwell.
IN THE AUDIENCE AREA
Arden shakes his head in anger. He pulls the mic from its stand and roams the stage.
ARDEN
What do you want from me, Ebaneen? You just want to tear me to pieces - is that it?!
EBANEEN
It is kind of fun.
Liza and Paulette, standing in the audience area, chuckle.
ARDEN
Well great. Have your fun then. Just know that all I want to do is get everything back to the way it was so we can play this stupid Battle of the Bands and Vehement Volition can finally take the grand prize!
EBANEEN
And then you’ll run off in your new touring van with Yasmine?
Ooohs from the audience.
ARDEN
Is that what this is all about? We’re all going to be devoured by a third-rate doom metal band and you’re still obsessed with what happened between me and Yasmine?
EBANEEN
Yes.
She looks completely sincere and incredibly vulnerable.
Arden notices. He gets closer to her.
ARDEN
Fine. I made a mistake. Is that what you wanted to hear?
EBANEEN
For a long time.
ARDEN
I shouldn’t have hooked up with Yasmine.
EBANEEN
No you shouldn’t have.
He nods, accepting.
ARDEN
But it was a song, Ebaneen! Just one little song. It meant nothing.
EBANEEN
It did to me. Tangled Limbs was supposed to be our song.
ARDEN
Yeah. It was.
EBANEEN
Then... what happened?
Arden sighs. He looks resigned.
ARDEN
Yasmine was doing a remix in the studio next to me when I was recording the demo for Tangled Limbs. Her manager heard it and he asked who I was planning to use for the female part. And I told him...I told him no one.
The audience can't believe Arden's announcement. Slowly approaching from the rear of the room is Deen, unnoticed by everyone.
ARDEN
So he brought Yasmine in and she sang on the demo with me. Her manager said it was a guaranteed mainstream hit. He convinced me that a pop metal duet would push my music career into high gear.
Richie steps forward.
RICHIE
It’s true, Ebaneen. I was th--
She turns and glares at Richie. He steps back.
ARDEN
But I didn’t have a lawyer read over the contract. So when the song came out, huge as it was, I didn’t get writing credit. No royalties either. I just got a one-time studio musician fee. They screwed me over.
One particularly ambitious acid loogie shoots out across the stage right at Ebaneen.
F.F.
Heads up!
Arden sees the flying spittle and pushes Ebaneen aside.
ARDEN
Ebaneen!
They both fall to the stage floor.
The loogie cuts through Arden’s jacket. Ebaneen watches it pass, then looks expectantly at him. He still holds his mic.
ARDEN
I’m a metal sellout, Eb. I lost everything in that deal. My credibility in the metal community, the chance at a huge payout, and...
He reaches for her.
DEEN (O.S.)
You!
Everyone turns. They’re shocked to see scary-looking Deen push his way through the crowd. He stops at the stage. Arden drops his hand that holds the mic.
ARDEN
Me?
DEEN
You... you said something!
ARDEN
Yeah, Deen. I said lots of things.
DEEN
About Ivor! And The Putrefication Principle.
Arden and the others give him a curious look.
ARDEN
You’re gonna have to help me out a little more.
DEEN
You said anyone who’s played with them... would know how they’ve always dabbled in the occult!
ARDEN
Correct. But no one here has ever--
DEEN
Ulrich! From Rectal Regurgiator!
Arden squints, thinking.
ARDEN
Ulrich... oh yeah. Didn’t that guy tour with Ivor for a while? They had an ugly split or something.
DEEN
Yes! Ivor kicked Ulrich out because he wasn’t into the dark shit like The Putrefication Principle was.
ARDEN
Interesting...
F.F.
I thought Rectal Regurgiator was supposed to play in the Battle. I don’t remember seeing any of those guys tonight.
DEEN
But they’re here!
TURK
They are? Where?
Deen points up. He has a maniacal look on his face.
DEEN
There. The black room!
Everyone looks up to a doorway on the second level above the bar. Rays of light shine out from under the crack.
ARDEN
You’ve gotta be kidding me...