Man: I have sinned. But unlike you, I have lived!
Standing on the stage with a woman, the man performed his part with the spotlight on them. Though this was just a rehearsal.
Woman: Living in sin, is no life at all!
Man: I understand living with faith, but to be blinded by it-
Man:?
For a moment, he could have sworn he saw someone.
Woman: What's wrong?
Man: Nothing... Sorry...
Man:(clears throat)
Man: I understand living with faith, but to be blinded by it? You'll end up in-
(Booooo)
Woman/Man:?!
The spotlight changed to a red color, and the two saw a ghostly audience booing at them. The lights changed to yellow and they found the audience cheering for them.
The lights then continued to change, again and again, overwhelming them.
(Chunk)
The spotlight returned to a normal hue, as the two actors layed on the floor.
(Opening Theme)
In a bizarre office with two desks, one pushed up against the left wall and the other in a fitting place, Jojo stared out the window.
He watched Annie wave at him before entering the building.
Quickly following behind was Selina. A minute later, the two entered his office. However, their words were just noise to him.
John:(inhale)
He turns around.
John: Shhhh! Listen...
Selina/Annie:?
John:(looks around)
He carefully observes the room. The ladies then witness his head twitch to the side as he sees something unpleasant. Rolling over his desk, John walks up to a framed photo on the desk shoved against the wall.
He leans his head down to the frame, before scooting it 3 millimeters.
John:.....
John: What were you two saying?
Selina: I was telling you, that I need your help.
Annie: And I was telling her, to at least wait four minutes since it's your brooding time.
Selina: If you want a raise, wear a shorter skirt.
Annie:(mumbles) He doesn't let me...
John: What seems to be the issue?
Selina: There's a theater causing chaos down at Broadway.
Selina: First the paramedics arrived to get the two bodies found, then they were found collapsed...
Selina: Eventually, after much trial and error... Twelve bodies had to be lassoed off stage.
Selina: I don't know what is going on, but I'm not sending my men there.
Annie: So you're sending us?
Selina: Him specifically.
John: I'll take the case.
Selina noticed John shifting his eyes around, clearly paranoid about something.
Selina: What's wrong?
John: It's a separate case, no need to concern yourself over it. At least... No, never mind.
John: To Broadway!
Annie: Maybe if we do good, we'll get free tickets?
John: Perhaps. Only one way to find out!
He races out of the room, Annie running after him.
Selina:(sigh)...
(Tap)
Selina:?
She turns to the desk against the wall. The photograph on it, she could have sworn had shifted ever so slightly after John moved in. Selina discarded the thought, this wasn't something she was going to waste being paranoid about.
(Broadway...)
Selina brought them to the stage where the incidents kept happening. Yellow tape was placed all around to show the boundaries of where the supernatural effects would affect people.
John: Have you witnessed the incidents firsthand?
Selina: A few.
John: Did you see anything?
Selina: Nope. Only that the people on the stage acted as if they did. Then collapsed.
Selina: They're all in a coma.
John: Huh.
"Paint It Black" then arrived with a rat.
Annie: Huh?
John tosses the rat on stage. It faces the audience seats and then begins showing several emotions, before collapsing.
John: I see...
Annie: That was so mean!
John:(mutters) Not targeting humans specifically...
As he falls deep in thought, the director of the upcoming play arrives.
Director: Hello? Are you able to tell me if this problem will be fixed-
Selina: What are you doing here?! I thought I warned you to stay out of the room!
Director: You aren't the one with a masterpiece on the line!
Director: Sven Spitburg is slated to arrive at the show! And I highly doubt he'll reschedule!
Director: This masterpiece is going to get me off the ground!
John walks onto the stage.
Selina: Hm?
Selina:?!
Selina: What are you doing!?
Looking out towards the seats, John sees a bright red light shine upon him where others don't. The seats become filled with people who stare at him at first.
They then began performing actions that teased his Darkness, beckoning him to unleash it.
The light changed to green and Jojo found himself facing an audience comprised of people he cared about, smiling warmly.
John:(blinks)
He picks up the rat and tosses it off stage, as the light turns blue. The people turn blurry and do nothing for a moment.
John turns away.
Annie: John, are you okay-
Annie: Gyaaaah!?
When Annie got on stage, she saw the light as well, but she did not experience the same thing as everyone else.
She grabbed her head as it began throbbing with pain.
John: Annie? Are you okay?
Annie: Argh?!
When she looked at the audience, she saw two different colors and the audience overlapping, which was causing her pain.
Jojo immediately sprung into action and threw her off stage, where their head hurt only because she smacked the back of it when she landed.
Annie: Hugh!
Selina: What's going on?
John:(points) Spotlight, it's the issue.
Selina: How are you lasting so long? Are you unaffected?
John: No. My fighting spirit is allowing me to resist it, however, you should hurry.
John: It won't be long until it-
The spotlight shined something no one else had seen.
Darkness.
Covering Jojo head to toe, when he turned to the audience he saw them perform acts that lacked empathy, good, evil, and any sense of care for others.
Annie was able to see "Paint It Black" rise behind Jojo, it twitched violently and mumbled.
Paint It Black:(mutters) Black... Black...black... Must... Turn...it... BLACK...
Annie: There's no time to lose!
Selina: Are you-
Annie: I'm fine! Let's go!
Grabbing her hand, they raced to get up to the spotlight. As "Paint It Black" slowly approached the very confused Director.
Paint It Black: Black... Black.. It must all be...BLACK!
John's gaze landed on the Director.
John:...
He lifts his hands to the heavens, as he inhales deeply.
John: Ebony!
Everyone:?
John: My soul... Born to be black, born to be Ebony!
John: Alone!
John: Is but my destiny. To be Alone.
John: But my heart... Oh, my woeful heart, still beats, it still desires for more!
There was a strange feeling while witnessing John speak.
John: More... More...
John turns to the director.
John: That's it, isn't it? More. To be. To receive. Then to give... More.
John: But first... You must ask for more.
John: Have you considered the consequences?
He turns up to where Selina and Annie are, trying to get the exact spotlight.
John: I have... And will again...
John: All the dangers are known to me. Yet... Yet... I still let More take over...
John: I cannot help it... For my soul is Painted Ebony with darkness... And my mind... Unrestrained...
John: I am no man... But a monster in the making.
He takes a bow, as the spotlight shines a white light, giving him an applauding audience.
Annie: "Smooth Criminal"
Smooth Criminal: Hee-Hee!
Swinging off her fingers, Annie's Stand gets enough momentum to smack the spotlight away from the stage.
Annie: Did we get it?
She looks down to see the Director applying Jojo.
John: You got it.
(Later....)
After helping to secure the Spotlight, Jojo, and Annie, sat on stage, as Selina enquired about what happened.
Selina: So... What was that about?
John: It was a Stand.
Annie: Who's?
John: It might be the directors.
Annie: Right! That's why he came in here when he wasn't supposed to!
Annie: He needed to get in range to get more victims.
John: No.
Selina/Annie:?
John: I doubt he's aware that he's manifested one.
John: His passion for his craft, and the desire for things to be perfect, must have manifested a Stand.
John: I believe the people in comas will awaken by the end of the day.
Selina: How so?
John: The Stand seems to draw out emotions to "teach" people to act in hard conditions.
John: Succeed, and it ends. Fail, and you will be "taught". At least, that's what I gathered.
Selina:(sigh)... Any evidence?
John: If you're looking for a reason to put into your paperwork, then say it was a gas leak.
Selina: Right...
The Director then rushes up to the four.
Director: I managed to get everything back on track! We're performing!
Director: How can I ever thank you four!?
Selina: I was just doing my job.
Putting on her shades, Selina leaves.
Selina: Thanks for the help, Jojo.
Annie: We helped too!
John: Give it time...
Annie:(sigh)...
Annie: Say... Do you think you can get us tickets to your play?
Director: Three tickets? No problem.
???: Oh hell yeah!
A shirtless bearded man pats Jojo and Annie on the back.
(The Other Assistant: Hugo Gober)
Hugo: We're about to get cultured up in this house! Whoop-whoop!
Annie/Jojo/Director: Whoop-Whoop!
John: Do wear a shirt, we wouldn't want to be denied services like last time.
Hugo: Ah, alright... But only if Annie wears something pretty!
Annie:(giggles)
Annie: I have something just for the occasion.
Hugo: I better go find a shirt!
Hugo, the old friend of John's, and Annie's boyfriend hops off the stage, putting on a pair of headphones that blast music.
Annie: Bye Gogo~(blows kiss)
John:....
John: Hmm...
Annie: What's wrong?
John: I don't think he's going to wear a suit...
Annie: Hmmm... You're probably right.
To be continued.....
(Ending Theme)