### Act 3, Scene 2: Too Little, Too Late [Showdown]

- Backdrop:
- Stage Setup: The arena [1] (like Scene 1-3) - The arena is empty, the games have been closed for the day. It's still daytime, but the light is reddish and murky, and there's a bit of haze. It's raining small pieces of brimstone - and it gets worse throughout the scene. A "wall" to push Vinnie against in [6]
- Props: Wine bottle, 2x Sword (Gavius, Soldier), Knife (Vinnie), Bow+Arrow (Pan+Jyanon)
- SFX: heavy Fog (Stage), Raining Brimstones (Kyron)
- Puppets: Gavius (Lynard / Zefiro), Vesonia (Tani / Nightfox - Tied up, Stagehand: Liam), Soldier (Kayjay), Vinnie (Eisfuchs / Tigerseye - Nucerian Hooligan), Marcus (Fairlight / o'wolf - Breathing Kit), Aurelia (Pinky / Jyanon)
- Micro: Kayjay, Reesa
- PreRec:

Intro:

This scene intermission is spoken live while scene change is being done.
Lights remain out, curtain remains closed

1001 - Dream Ambience

Female Voice: "Marcus! Hey! Marcus!"

Marcus appears to wake up, no longer coughing.

Marcus: "Who, me?"

Female Voice: "Who else? Are you just going to lie there and wait until you die, or what?"

Markus stands up, looking around the darkness.

Marcus: "Who are you? Who is talking?"

Female Voice: "The one who brought you here."

Marcus: "Fate?"

Female Voice: "There is no fate. There is only a world full of possibilities."

Marcus: "Then why did you bring me here?"

Female Voice: "Because you asked me to make your dreams come true."

Marcus: "But this couldn't be any further from my dreams!"

Female Voice: "You didn't really expect me to do all the hard work for you in exchange for one lousy mars bar, right? Even good luck only comes in the form of opportunities. You'll never win the lottery if you don't play, if you catch my drift."

Marcus: "But how am I supposed to know what to do?"

Female Voice: "Oh come on, don't play dumb."

Marcus: "No, really! I don't have the faintest idea!"

Female Voice: "Well, then let's have a look what you've achieved so far. Maybe that'll give you an idea."

Female Voice: "You got to see ancient Pompeii, the city you care so much about."

1001 - Achievement Unlocked: TIME TRAVELLER (Go back in time)

Female Voice: "You fought a fierce tiger, and got out alive!"

1002 - Achievement Unlocked: BEAST TAMER (Survive a fight)

Female Voice: "You delivered a slave from the fangs of her evil master!"

1003 - Achievement Unlocked: LIBERATOR (Free a slave)

Female Voice: "You got properly laid by a hot arctic vixen without even having to ask for it."

1004 - Achievement Unlocked: WOMANISER (Get laid)

Female Voice: "And you freed the beautiful princess from the bad guy's castle. Well, figuratively speaking."

1005 - Achievement Unlocked: WHITE KNIGHT (Free the damsel)

Female Voice: "Well, it looks like you haven't been doing so bad after all. But why are you still unhappy? What is missing from this list?"

1006 - Missing Achievement: HAPPY ENDING (Get the girl and live happily ever after)

Female Voice: "There. Get it now?"

Marcus: "But how am I supposed to achieve that if getting the girl and living ever after are mutually exclusive?

Female Voice: "Oh, there are SO many possibilities ... "

Marcus: "I know, but which one is the right one? On one side, I really want to trust my feelings - which tell me to join my friends and save the woman I love. Then, I also want to trust my reason - which tells me that it's much too late to follow Vinnie and Aurelia to the arena. What's the point to be with your loved ones if you don't survive? It tears me up inside."

Female Voice: "All right, the chocolate bar wasn't too bad, so here's one more piece of advice: Treating Reason and Emotion as opposites will paralyze you. But if you manage to change your point of view, and join both forces as one, you can become stronger than ever before."

Marcus: "What does that mean! Is this even real? Am I really having a conversation with someone, or am I talking to myself? Or is it just a hallucination caused by the last firing neurons in my brain before I die of sulphur dioxide poisoning?"

Female Voice: "Well ... your wish has been granted. The possibilities are all in place. Now you have to make up your mind. And you'd better do it fast. Because if you don't, your story will end right here."

1007 - Dream Transition
1001 FADE

Marcus (coughing uncontrollably): "Sulphur Dioxide ... Oh my god ... it's a death trap! Vinnie! Aurelia! Come back! AURELIA! VINNIE!"

Main Dialogue:

start haze

Curtain - open

1008 - Arena Apocalypse

lights on (cloudy daylight)

Gavius enters [7]

Soldier enters [7]

Vesonia enters [7]. She's tied up with a rope going around her body multiple times. The soldier pulls her along with the end of the rope.

Gavius: "I can't believe Claudius had the games shut down for the day, just because of the weather."

Soldier: "With all due respect, Sir, you have to admit this is the first time in history it is raining ash and stone. The citizens are in panic. They believe the wrath of the gods is upon them."

Gavius: "Too bad. The crowd loves public executions, I'm sure it would have made their day. Well, then we'll have to postpone the fun till tomorrow. Stay here and guard her."

Soldier: "Yes, Sir."

Vinnie (disguised as a Nucerian hooligan) staggers into the scene, playing drunk, from [1]

Vinnie: Aveeeeee! Aveeeee, aveeeee aveeeee! Nuceria! Aveeee!"

Vinnie drinks from a wine bottle

1009 - PLOPP

1009 (cont.) - *gulg*gulg*gulg*

1009 (cont.) - BURP!

Vinnie throws the wine bottle

1009 (cont.) - crash

Vinnie: ""Fight with the best, or die with the rest! NU-CE-RI-AAAAA!"

Gavius: "What the hell is going on out there?"

Soldier: "That must be one of the Nucerian fans ... what a disgrace."

Vinnie turns towards the backdrop, unzips his pants, and "pees against the backdrop".

1010 - Zip & Tinkle

Vinnie: "Ahhh... what a relief ... Pompeiian wine is like making love in a canoe. FUCKING CLOSE TO WATER. DO YOU HEAR ME, POMPEIIANS? WE'RE GONNA KICK IN YOUR ARSES! AVE! AVE, AVE AVE!"

Gavius: "All right, enough is enough. Get out there, and show that idiot where the exit is."

Soldier: "It'll be my pleasure."

Soldier walks outside into the arena

Soldier: "Hey, you! What do you think you're doing! This is a decent city! Get out right now, or I'll show you who's the one kicking arses here! I'll count to three! One, two ..."

1011 - Arrow

Soldier gets hit by an arrow and falls down.

Vinnie: "Aaaaaaaaaaah! What the fuck! Heeeelllp!"

Vinnie pretends to be scared, and runs inside, hiding behind Gavius

Gavius grabs Vinnie

Gavius: "Who are you, and what is going on out there?"

Vinnie (drunk): "I dunno! I thought I was gonna die, man! That arrow came from, like, nowhere! Look what they did with your guard! That arrow was meant for me, and all just cause I'm for the wrong team! Is that how you treat your guests in Pompeii? Oh ... hello, my lady. What did she do?"

Gavius: "That's none of your business. And now get out, you stinking dirt bag!"

Vinnie: "Aren't you going to look for your guard? Look, I think he's still alive!"

Gavius: "No, I'm not that ... oh wait. Of course. Why not. But you go first."

Vinnie: "No, you go first!"

Gavius: "No, you go first!"

Vinnie: "No, you go first!"

Gavius: "No, you go first!"

Vinnie: "Oh, screw it, I'm going then."

Vinnie walks outside

Gavius: "Just one last thing, Vincentus..."

Vinnie turns around

Vinnie: "Yes?"

Gavius: "Thank you, that's all I wanted to know."

Gavius pulls his sword

1012 - Sword

Vinnie: "What? ... OH SHIT!"

1013 - Dark Drama 1

Gavius: "One false move, and I'll slice you like a piece of ham! Now lose that silly costume. And drop your weapon. I know you have one."

Vinnie takes off his fake clothes, and drops his knife.

Gavius: "Very good."

Gavius draws Vinnie close, using him as a shield, sword at his throat

Gavius: "And now, let's take a little walk outside together."

Gavius pushes Vinnie outside into the arena, and stops

Gavius: "Now show yourselves, wherever you are, or your funny little friend here is going to kick the bucket! Come on!"

Aurelia comes in from the arena side, with a drawn bow in her hand, arrow pointed firmly at Gavius

Aurelia: "Beware, Gavius. This time I'm prepared. If you don't let him go at once, I will send this arrow right between your eyes."

Gavius: "Do I look like an idiot? Where's Marcus? I bet he's just waiting for the opportunity to shoot me in the back and once again finish the dirty job for the little turtledove?"

Aurelia: "Cut the turtledove. Those times are over."

1014 - Dark Drama 2 (drum overlay)

Gavius: "Let's face it, my little turtledove, you are not your sister. You are weak. Remember when I gave you the knife, and all you could do was stand there and tremble? You know you can't kill me!"

Aurelia trembles, but stands. It's obvious this takes all her determination and strength. Will she break?

Aurelia (spiteful): "I will do it, Gavius. This time, I will do it. I owe him my life."

Gavius (laughs): "No. You owe me your life. I own you. I am your rightful master. If I say, kneel before me, you kneel before me. If I say, bend over, you bend over. And If I say, suck my cock, then you suck my cock! Is that CLEAR? Now stop pointing that stick at me and OBEY!"

1015 - Dark Drama 3 (rise)
1014 FADE
1013 FADE

Aurelia almost loses it because of the horrors th ese commands bring back to her mind.

Aurelia (HATEFUL): "Not any more, Gavius. And not EVER again!"

Aurelia shoots the arrow at Gavius, missing Vinnie by a hair's width (time with sound cue)

1016 - Arrow
1015 FADE
1017 - Dark Drama 4

Gavius gets hit by the arrow in the shoulder, dropping Vinnie AND his sword, staggering backwards

Gavius: "AAAAAAAAAAAAARHG!"

Vinnie: "AAAAAAAAAAR!"

Vinnie takes Gavius' sword, runs inside, and begins to free Vesonia

Aurelia aims at Gavius again

Aurelia: "No more bending over for you. I can kill you, and I will, if I have to."

The "dead" soldier stands back up, behind Aurelia

Gavius: "Then why don't you do it right away?"

Aurelia: "Because I'm not like you. I don't enjoy being cruel."

1018 - Rise

Gavius: "You are such a stupid girl. Wasting your time with sentimental crap. And now it's too late. See you in hell, my little turtledove."

The soldier swings his sword and brings it down on Aurelia from behind

1020 - Swing & Hit
1019 - Action Music
1017 FADE
1018 FADE

Aurelia: "Aaaaargh!"

Aurelia collapses, shooting her arrow wide off target

The soldier collapses with her, and stops moving again

Vinnie: "Noooooooooooooo!"

Vinnie stops trying to untie Vesonia and storms towards Gavius, sword in hand

Gavius picks up the sword from the ground sword, preparing to defend himself

Gavius swings the sword over his head, bringing it down on Vinnie

Vinnie blocks the hit

1020a - Swords Clash 1

Gavius swings the sword at Vinnie three more times, forcing him back

1020b - Swords Clash 2
1020c - Swords Clash 3
1020d - Swords Clash 4

Vinnie walks backwards, defending himself as good as he can

Vinnie ends up with his back against a piece of furniture

Gavius disarms Vinnie, his sword goes flying (keep swords crossed until sound cue!)

1019 FADE
1021 Rise + Suspense
1022 - Sword Scrape, Sword Fall

Gavius puts the tip of his sword against Vinnie's shoulder

Vesonia struggles, and the ropes begin to come off.

Gavius: "Now tell me where Marcus is ... I'm tired of running into one of you little fuckers wherever I go. Where ... is ... he ..."

Vinnie: "I don't know! He left the city! I swear!"

Gavius: "Wrong answer."

Gavius pushes the sword into Vinnie's shoulder

1023 - Sick Flesh Noise 1

Vinnie writhes in pain

Vinnie: "AAAAAARRRGH! I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW! STOP IT YOU BASTARD!"

Gavius: "Again: Where is Marcus? This is your last chance!"

Vesonia manages to free herself! She instantly tip-toes to where Vinnie dropped his knife, and picks up the weapon. (This is all behind Gavius' back)

Vinnie (gasping for air, crying): "Believe me, I wish he were here right now. I really do. But I don't know where he is."

Gavius: "You never learn, do you?"

Gavius pushes the sword in even more, pinning Vinnie to the wall with it.

1024 - Sick Flesh Noise 2

Vinnie: "AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Gavius gets really close to Vinnie's face

Vesonia sneaks up behind Gavius

1025 - Rise

Gavius: "You're really going a long way to impress your girlfriend, aren't you? And? Was it worth it so far? Did you get to fuck her yet? No? Why, that's a pity! Because that's the only thing she was ever good at!"

Gavius laughs maniacally

1026 - Drama!
1025 FADE
1021 FADE

Vesonia cuts Gavius' throat from behind (wait for music!)

1027 - Slit!

Gavius: "*GURGLE*"

Gavius staggers around like a headless chicken

Spurts blood everywhere. (This direction is optional.)

Gavius falls down, dead.

1027 (cont.) - Light Horror

Vesonia: "May your soul be cursed for all eternity, Gavius."

Vesonia pulls the sword out of the wall (and Vinnie).

1028 - Sword

Vinnie: "ARGH!"

Vinnie falls, but Vesonia keeps him up.

Vinnie (strained): "I never thought I'd ever be happy to see someone die."

Vesonia: "I know what you mean. And believe me, I'd have loved to cut of his balls before slitting his throat."

The fog gets denser

The sounds of the eruption and falling brimstone get louder

The light gradually becomes more fiery red and dark.

Vinnie: "Aurelia ... oh no, Aurelia!"

Vesonia: "Oh Gods!"

Vesonia lets go of Vinnie, who manages to stand on his own feet

Vesonia rushes into the arena.

Vinnie follows her, a bit slower. He's badly hurt, one arm is completely limp.

Vesonia kneels down besides Aurelia

Vesonia: "Aurelia! Can you hear me?"

Aurelia moans, and sits up

Aurelia (faint): "My head hurts ... and everything is blurry."

Vinnie: "Do you think you can run? Very soon, Pompeii will be wiped out by a giant wave of fire and molten rocks, hotter than you can imagine. I know it sounds unbelievable, but you have to trust me. We must get away from here as far as we can."

1029 - Extra Apocalypse
1030 - Extra Horror
1026 FADE

Vesonia: "*cough* *cough* How do you know all this?"

Vinnie: "*cough* *cough* Let's say ... the Godd ess told me."

They all start coughing

The fog becomes REALLY dense.

Aurelia: "What is this? *cough* *cough* I can't breathe ..."

Vinnie: "Oh no ...*cough* we must get out of here ... now ... *cough* Come on!"

1031 - Rise
1030 FADE

Aurelia: "I can't ... I .... *cough* *cough*"

Aurelia faints

Vesonia gasps for air, and faints

Vinnie faints

The fog gets even more dense

Marcus enters, although you can only see his shadow, he seems to be carrying a torch or something, so he's lit from behind - only way to make him visible in the thick fog. He is wearing a large stoneware jug strapped to his back, breathing through a piece of bamboo pipe stuck into the jug. (It looks like a hookah without the tobacco). He's wrapped into a thick, protective cowl, like a large piece of cloth wrapped around him several times, also covering most of his face and eyes. In fact he's almost not recognizable.

1031 (cont.) - Mystery Music

1032 - Sound of slow breaths and bubbling

Marcus looks at the lifeless persons. He stops next to Vesonia, grabs her, and carries her off stage.

Lights out

1032 FADE
1029 FADE
1008 FADE

Curtain - close