by John Skipp
Then I’ll ask you again. DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?
CIRCLE OF SURVIVORS
YES!!!
JOHNNY DEATH
Good. Then here’s what you need to know. #1: I don’t care what you believe. Tonight, you better thank God for witches. You see that light? They did it. They’re the only reason you all aren’t dead already.
He focuses on the surviving protesters, who huddle together now – alternately defiant or slightly shamefaced – in one corner of the crowd.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
Tonight, we’re all either fighters or healers. Or both.
Behind him, Marabeth and Suzie smile. Liney opens up an anvil case and pulls out something that looks like the hilt of a hi-tech SWORD.
Rebecca, meanwhile, is watching Johnny with deepening admiration. He seems to have noticed her, too. Their eyes lock for just a moment…
Then he takes the hilt from Liney. Clicks it on. And watches the crowd react as the BLADE HOLOGRAPHICALLY APPEARS.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
This right here is a spirit-saber, or an orgone-sword.
LINEY
Or a George Lucas Special.
Even Johnny laughs this time. A much-needed release.
JOHNNY DEATH
Whatever you call it, it cuts through souls. That’s why it works on demons, while things like bullets don’t. Okay?
Castle nods, along with The Astounding Rodney and others.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
It runs on life force, so it’s powered directly by the intensity of your spirit; which means that the better you get at focusing your energy, the bigger the badass you’ll become.
Abruptly, Johnny clicks off the blade and then tosses the hilt to Castle. Castle catches it, surprised, then turns it over and over in his hands.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
So I don’t care what religion you are – if you’re Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Pagan, SubGenius, whatever the hell. If you’re an atheist, I guess you’ll just have to believe in yourself real hard.
(beat)
Or, when in doubt, you can always just talk to Grace.
ANGLE – GRACE
Appearing, magnificent, behind Johnny. The crowd gasps as she EXTENDS HER WINGS. Scans the crowd. Spots Rebecca. And smiles.
While, outside and behind her, the HELL-HORDES spread out along the WALL of LIGHT. Some waiting impatiently for their meal of soul and meat.
Others desperately searching for a way in…
INT. SANCTUARY – TRAINING MONTAGE – NIGHT
As we cut back and forth between the FIGHTERS and the HEALERS:
• Suzie at the front of the FENCING LINE, watching Johnny and Liney demonstrating sword-fighting technique;
• Marabeth, laying Kineda out on a cot while Rebecca, The Astounding Rodney, and others watch;
• Suzie, matching Liney move for move, while Johnny watches approvingly;
• Kineda, his wound enveloped in a HEALING GLOW as Marabeth lays her hands upon him;
• Johnny, Liney and Suzie training Castle and two others, while Weez contemplates his spirit-blade with goofy glee;
• Rebecca, watching Grace, while the healing continues;
• Flip Martindale, being led reluctantly away from the TV CAMERAS to get back in fencing line; and finally
• ROWS of FENCING SPIRIT-WARRIORS, learning the ropes under the scrupulous eye of Johnny.
INT. CENTER FOR THE HEALING ARTS – NIGHT
As Marabeth leans over Rebecca, whose turn on the cot has come around at last. It is just the two of them now, and the atmosphere is calm, as if a great peace has settled over the interior of the Center.
REBECCA
I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m a little scared.
MARABETH
You’re in excellent company.
(smiles)
Now relax, okay? I just want to test-drive your aura for a second…
She lays her hands on Rebecca for a moment, then tenses as a WAVE OF INTENSE UNPLEASANTNESS rolls through her. She hangs in, though, with an expression of thoughtful concern.
MARABETH
Your pain runs very deep.
REBECCA
(nodding, in the pain)
It’s been with me since I was eleven years old.
MARABETH
And they gave you, what? Two, three years at best?
REBECCA
(grinning through pain-gritted teeth)
That was almost eight years ago.
MARABETH
You know what that means, don’t you? It means that you must be an incredibly strong person.
Rebecca snorts.
MARABETH (CONT.)
No, really. You’ve got to have an extremely powerful spark, to carry around this much suffering on a day-to-day basis.
Rebecca looks away suddenly, tears welling up in her eyes. When she speaks, it’s in an incredibly small voice.
REBECCA
But…
(beat)
…I’m losing.
MARABETH
We’ll see about that.
Marabeth leans her energy into Rebecca, so that their AURAS begin to visibly GLEAM and INTERACT. This is astonishing to Rebecca.
MARABETH (CONT.)
Let me try to connect with that spark inside you.
REBECCA
But…
MARABETH
(shushing her)
It’s a good time. The magick’s so strong…
…when suddenly, without warning, their AURAS MERGE.
CUT TO:
INT. REBECCA’S SOUL VISION
This time, it’s set against a PROFOUND BLACK SILENCE: no smoldering inferno. In it, Rebecca appears as a GLOWING SPIRIT-BODY, much as Johnny does when he’s out-of-body.
In this moment, she is healthy. Radiant. Beautiful.
Then suddenly she sees the DISEASE COURSE THROUGH HER, as if INJECTED INTO HER BODY; and as she SWELLS and DISCOLORS…
…she SCREAMS.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANGLE – REBECCA AND MARABETH
Their AURAS MERGED, and a terrible GRAY SALLOWNESS to their flesh as they jitter in painful, electric unison…
REBECCA
NO…!
CUT TO:
INT. REBECCA’S SOUL-VISION
When suddenly she is swallowed by a BRILLIANT, BENIGN, EXPLOSIVE SPIRIT-LIGHT that begins at the base of her spine, LIGHTS UP HER CHAKRAS, and then COMPLETELY ENVELOPS THE SCREEN.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANGLE – REBECCA AND MARABETH
As their AURAS FRY for a moment, an obvious ENERGY OVERLOAD that virtually has their hair on end as they shudder in its charge.
Then abruptly stop.
Marabeth looks disheveled, nearly post-orgasmic, as she stares wide-eyed at Rebecca.
ANGLE – REBECCA
Drenched in sweat, but otherwise looking MUCH MUCH BETTER as she stares back at Marabeth. [She hasn’t seen herself, doesn’t understand Marabeth’s stare.]
EXT. SANCTUARY – NIGHT
REBECCA
WHAT…?
As Johnny turns suddenly from watching fencing maneuvers to see Marabeth and the new, improved Rebecca standing before him. MARABETH still looks stunned. Rebecca looks totally star-struck, and incredibly awkwardly shy.
Johnny, too, looks stunned. It’s clear that he recognizes her, and notices the difference.
MARABETH
Johnny. You need to meet Rebecca. She is a very powerful soul.
JOHNNY DEATH
(extending his hand)
Rebecca…
MARABETH
She’s got enough personal resources stashed away to run the whole Circle herself.
Rebecca rolls her eyes, embarrassed, as she takes his hand. Johnny watches her very carefully, his gaze half-smiling but completely unwavering. For a moment, their eyes meet; and that moment is electric.
Then he breaks the gaze, looks back at Marabeth.
MARABETH (
CONT.)
In fact, she’s so strong, she might actually be what they’re after.
Both Johnny and Rebecca look at her then, their hands still unconsciously joined in greeting. Then they disengage, as if startled.
JOHNNY DEATH
Then we have to take extra-good care of you, I guess. Or maybe vice-versa. Ummm…was there something else?
REBECCA
I…I do have a question, in fact.
JOHNNY DEATH
Okay…
REBECCA
Where are all the angels?
Suddenly, it’s Johnny’s turn to take a step back. Marabeth, as well, is drawn in by the question.
REBECCA (CONT.)
I mean, I see the demons, and I’m barely even surprised. I guess I always knew there were demons out there.
(beat)
But now that I’ve seen an angel, I want to know why I’m not seeing more: why there aren’t as many angels as demons out there.
JOHNNY DEATH
You wanna know why we’re so ridiculously, hopelessly outnumbered? Maybe where our supernatural backup is?
REBECCA
Something like that.
JOHNNY DEATH
Well, you’d have to ask God, or whatever, if you want a real answer; but I’d be happy to tell you what I think.
She nods encouragingly.
JOHNNY DEATH (CONT.)
See, it’s incredibly hard to become an angel. It takes lifetimes of sacrifice and devotion; but once you’re there, you get to spend eternity just sort of luxuriating in that heavenly light. It’s like you’ve earned out your karma and slack, and this is the reward you get: an eternity of bliss.
(beat)
Now imagine that you’re up there, basking in the glory, and suddenly you hear this horrible commotion. So you look down from the heavens, and what do you see? A trillion people, laying around half-buried in their own shit, going “help me, help me” while demons crawl all over them, and they don’t lift a goddam finger to save themselves.
REBECCA
But isn’t…I mean…isn’t that part of an angel’s job?
JOHNNY DEATH
Not necessarily. Christ, they’ve done their job! They spent a couple of eons turning into angels! I bet there’s no clause in their contract that says: thou shalt sacrifice everything at the drop of a hat – and risk suffering eternally in Hell – because this bunch of losers can’t get it up to take care of the world they’ve got.
(beat)
See, the thing is, angels can die. Just like anybody else. I mean, a soul will live forever, unless somebody kills it; then it is simply gone; and that’s forever, too.
REBECCA
Wait. So you’re saying that we don’t deserve help?
JOHNNY DEATH
I’m just saying I can’t really blame ’em. They gave us this great little planet, and we fucked it up. You look around, and you see that people don’t care. If we cared, would the world be in the condition it’s in?
(beat)
I’m just saying that if we want to be saved, we’re gonna have to save ourselves. For myself, I gave up waiting for the angels a long time ago.
REBECCA
So why it is okay for you to risk everything?
He nails her with his wild dark eyes.
JOHNNY DEATH
I’ve never been to Heaven.
Suddenly, Quinn is there, interrupting the moment between them.
QUINN
John-boy. You’d better come see.
Johnny nods, lingering just a moment longer, he and Rebecca reading deep into each other’s eyes. Then he breaks away, leaving her standing there as he follows Quinn toward the GATE.
And the view of what lies beyond…
CUT TO:
EXT. HELL – NIGHT
A terrible tableau: all the buildings in flames, the parade overrun, and the last miserable survivors being horribly tortured, torn apart, subjected to infinite cruelties.
Levon and Loretta join Mayor “Bob” Dobbstown on the mayor’s platform, the better to greet the arriving royalty.
Because a NEW PROCESSION is moving down the cemetery hill, heading down the defunct parade route. Heading directly toward them.
And spreading TERRIBLE ICY COLD in its wake.
ANGLE – THE PROCESSION
There is a different glow to the demons in this procession: a radiance more akin to angel grace than to the lower demon forms. And there is a pageantry – demonstrated by GLORIOUS FLOWING BANNERS bearing elegant yet horrific symbols.
ANGLE – THE ROYAL HELL-CARRIAGE
At the heart of the procession. Its windows SHEENED OVER WITH ICE. With TWO SHADOWY FIGURES INSIDE.
CUT TO:
INT. SANCTUARY – NIGHT
With Liney and Kineda, watching the procession advance. Kineda’s wound seems remarkably healed, but the expression on his face is in no way reassuring.
KINEDA
Oh, shit…
Suzie comes up behind them, staring as well.
SUZIE
What is that?
LINEY
It’s Johnny’s oldest friend.
ANGLE – JOHNNY DEATH
Also staring intently, utter hatred and cold determination in his eyes.
CUT TO:
EXT. HELL – NIGHT
As the procession comes to a halt at the heart of MAIN STREET, directly before the mayor’s platform. All of the DEMONS are gathered on the sidewalks now, CHEERING in a grotesque parody of their mortal parade-watching counterparts.
Even Levon, Loretta and the Mayor get to their feet and deliver a STANDING OVATION.
ANGLE – THE ROYAL HELL-CARRIAGE
As its DOOR SLOWLY OPENS…
…and out steps…
ANGLE – ICE – COMMANDER OF THE HORDES OF HELL
He is stunning to behold: ANGELIC in his beauty, TERRIFYING in his absolute cruelty. His skin is of the purest WHITE, beyond albino. As if he were a METICULOUSLY-SCULPTED ANIMATE ICE SCULPTURE.
He smiles, and there is not the slightest trace of compassion. He smiles at the destruction. He smiles because he is pleased with himself.
He is a creature of the purest evil. A reigning PRINCE OF HELL.
ICE
(in a booming voice)
HELLO, ALL MY SUFFERING FRIENDS!
The DEMON CROWD CHEERS WILDLY, CREEPILY, both the possessed and the natives of Hell alike. Ice holds up his hands and nods, as if self-effacingly sucking up the adulation. It is hard for him to contain his thin- lipped smile.
ICE (CONT.)
I know that I speak for all of you when I say that IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK ON EARTH AGAIN!
Now, WILD APPLAUSE and EERIE HOWLING from the demon congregation.
ICE (CONT.)
It is better to reign in Hell than it is to serve in Heaven, true; but to rule here on the Earth is THE FINEST THING OF ALL!
The crowd goes NUTS; and then, abruptly, Ice shifts into an ominous tone.
ICE (CONT.)
And yet I see that our goal has not yet been reached! That, in fact, we are being HELD UP AGAIN, BY THAT SAME LITTLE THIEF! THAT SAME LITTLE THIEVING BASTARD!
(louder, for emphasis)
JOHNNY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?
CUT TO:
EXT. SANCTUARY – NIGHT
All eyes upon Johnny as he walks slowly to the gate. With the hand not already holding the demon-sword, he clutches the delicate barbed wire locket, rubbing his fingers over its surface: almost absently, almost lovingly.
Johnny opens the locket, looks at the beautiful punk girl pictured there. Looks at her picture for a very long time. Then snaps the locket shut.
JOHNNY DEATH
Yeah, I can hear you, alright. What the fuck do you want?
CUT TO:
EXT. HELL – NIGHT
Ice crows over the murmuring of the chastened DEMON CROWD.
ICE
(grinning)
I WANT MY SWORD, OF COURSE! AND THE WOMEN! THE HEALERS! THEY
’RE MINE!
CUT TO:
EXT. HELL – NIGHT
As the healers and others watch Johnny with genuine concern.
JOHNNY DEATH
So what are ya waitin’ for, sport? We’re all right here! Just come ‘n’ get us!
CUT TO:
EXT. HELL – NIGHT
Ice frowns; he’s not used to not getting his way. Then he brightens, as if suddenly remembering something of great interest.