Arden and his group rush off, following the audience.
INT. TATTERDEMALION BALCONY - NIGHT
Arden and his group look down at the stage. Many audience members surround them. With the house lights on, the club looks much more stark.
Everyone watches in horror as the Demons feed on the Sinner Supremacy band members on the stage below.
TURK
Shit, man. We can’t hide up here forever. Once they’re done eating they're gonna come after us.
ARDEN
We’re not hiding - we’re planning.
Liza and Paulette strut over, flanking Ebaneen.
LIZA
Ha. Like anyone would listen to your lying ass.
PAULETTE
Back off, creepface!
Arden glares at her. A TOUGH METAL DUDE (50s) steps forward, pointing to Ebaneen and her bandmates.
TOUGH METAL DUDE
All right, check it out... these chicks are hot as shit, right? So what we do is - we get them to seduce the demons! Okay, like on that one album cover with the chains? And then when they're all tied up--
BAM! Ebaneen stands over the guy, her fist extended.
He’s now unconscious on the floor. A trickle of blood flows from his mouth, dripping onto the carpet.
EBANEEN
Ass.
Arden nods in surprised approval.
ARDEN
Nice uppercut.
Liza and Paulette rack their fists in military-style unison.
EBANEEN
Thanks. So what’s next?
Arden scours the stage below. The lights illuminate a barely discernible rectangle on the stage floor. The Demons rove around it, not noticing.
Arden’s eyes lock onto the rectangle. He turns and sees the Stage Manager in the crowd behind him. He rushes over to her, pointing down.
ARDEN
That hole down there - what is it?
STAGE MANAGER
The door for the old stage elevator? That thing’s been busted since the nineties. It’s just a latch and a hole now.
ARDEN
Fucking perfect! I need you to get it ready for me.
STAGE MANAGER
Someone just needs to be under the stage. That’s the only way to open it, and it's still gonna take a lot of force to get it to work.
Arden stares at Richie. His beefy arms bulge from his sleeves.
ARDEN
I think we’re covered. But as for the bait...
Arden stares at the balcony bar - specifically its food menu.
INT. TATTERDEMALION BALCONY - A FEW MINUTES LATER
The group watches the stage below nervously.
RICHIE
Where’d Arden go? Did he leave us?
TURK
And where would he go? Traipsing off into outer space?
F.F.
Technically, it’s not really space...
EBANEEN
Look! There he is!
Arden runs to the center of the audience area below the balcony. He’s carrying a large bag of something.
ARDEN
Eb! I’m gonna throw you something. Get ready.
EBANEEN
What?! Okay...
She reaches both hands over the balcony.
Arden hurls the bag up. Ebaneen reaches out...
...misses it on the way up...
...and barely catches it with her fingertips on the way down.
She and the others pull it in and examine it. She turns it over to reveal a large label on the front that reads: "POPCORN"
TURK
Popcorn? I don’t get it.
EBANEEN
What is he thinking?
She leans over the balcony toward Arden.
ARDEN
You got it?
EBANEEN
Yes, but what--?
ARDEN
That guy whose clock you cleaned? Open up the bag and smear some of his blood on the popcorn.
EBANEEN looks at him like he’s crazy.
ARDEN
Please... just do it!
EBANEEN
Sure...
She rips a hole in the bag of popcorn and bends down.
The others watch as Ebaneen positions the hole in the popcorn bag under the knocked out Metal Dude’s mouth.
Blood drips into the bag, coating the popcorn.
F.F.
Heh heh... kinda like butter.
They look at the stage. The Demons have almost finished their Sinner Supremacy meal.
ARDEN (O.S.)
Hurry up!
EBANEEN
One more minute!
RICHIE
Here - just...
Richie bends down. He grabs the unconscious Metal Dude’s mouth and squeezes. The blood pours out at a faster rate.
RICHIE
Grew up on a farm.
Puzzled looks. The popcorn is pretty well slathered in blood.
Ebaneen stands and holds the bag over the balcony.
EBANEEN
Here goes!
She drops the bag.
It falls... spinning in beautiful blood-drenched glory...
Arden snatches it just before it lands on the floor.
He examines it. With an approving expression:
ARDEN
Perfect. F.F., Turk, Richie - get your butts down here quick. I’m gonna need some help.
F.F./TURK/RICHIE
Sure!/Okay!/Right there!
Arden’s bandmates rush to the stairwell. Ebaneen starts off with them but Arden calls up.
ARDEN
No, Eb - you stay. I need you up there... for crowd control.
She stops in her tracks, looking pissed.
EBANEEN
Yeah. No problem.
NEAR THE STAGE
Arden lifts the bloodied bag of popcorn above his head and runs toward the stage.
ARDEN
Hey you snout-nosed pricks!
The Demons look at Arden hungrily.
ARDEN
Bon appe-fuckin’-teet!
He tosses the bag onto the stage. With a perfect bounce-and-slide, it lands in the center of the stage elevator door.
ON STAGE
The Demons slowly sniff around the bag. They’re leery.
Ivor Demon reaches a claw in. He spears a bloody kernel... examines it... takes a bite...
Chewing, he smiles.
IVOR DEMON
Mmph... deliciousth!
His Demonic bandmates join him in devouring the popcorn. They’re all directly on top of the stage elevator door.
With the Demons looking away, Arden climbs up onto the stage. He looks to F.F. And Turk, just behind him.
ARDEN
Okay fuckers... get ready.
F.F.
For what exactly?
TURK
And why are we fuckers?
INT. TATTERDEMALION UNDER STAGE AREA - NIGHT
Directly below the stage elevator, Richie stands at the top of the stairs near the door. Both of his hands clutch the end of a long rope.
RICHIE
(to himself)
Please work...
The rope stretches across the room, where its other end is tied to a latch under the elevator door in the low ceiling.
INT. TATTERDEMALION STAGE - NIGHT
Arden lifts one leg high.
Ivor Demon turns quickly toward Arden. He’s poised to attack.
ARDEN
Going... down!
He stomps down hard on the stage. There’s a hollow BOOM!
INT. TATTERDEMALION UNDER STAGE AREA - NIGHT
Perched nervously by the door, Richie hears Arden’s signal and YANKS the rope fast and hard.
The latch under the elevator door doesn’t move!
INT. TATTERDEMALION STAGE - NIGHT
Nothing happens. Ivor Demon grins at Arden.
F.F.
Was something supposed to happen?
ARDEN
Come on, Richie... pull that string!
F.F.
You put Richie down there? Are you mental?
Arden STOMPS again - and again - and again!
The other two Demons size up Arden’s bandmates.
TURK
Uh oh...
ARDEN
Just stomp, you assholes! Stomp!
The Demons begin walking away from the elevator door.
Arden, F.F., and Turk stomp their feet down in unison.
TURK
What are we hoping will happen here, anyway?
INT. TATTERDEMALION UNDER STAGE AREA - NIGHT
Richie pulls again and again, then gives one final TUG. The rusted latch pulls free, spewing a cloud of decades-old dust!
INT. TATTERDEMALION STAGE - NIGHT
The Demons each have one foot off the elevator door, straddling its edge.
Ivor Demon takes one more step--
The elevator door RELEASES--
And the three Demons drop to the under stage area below, screaming and cursing as they go.
ARDEN
Yeah! Fall you fuckers!
The crowd claps and cheers.