Ok guys, ready to finish off this spooky, weird story? ;)

Mike: Yeah.

Peter: Yes! This story was too weird for me! :p

Davy: I thought it was kinda fun. ;)

Micky: I am definitely ready. :P

Lauren: You would, Dave. :P ;)

Davy: You wouldn't believe what those female demons do when it's just you and them in a dark room. ;)

Micky: Yes, I would. :P

(We open the Tag Sequence with "Porpoise Song." Emma, Lauren, and the four Monkees play the slow psychadelic ballad in the "Black Room" set from the "Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector" videos of the second season. As in those videos, everyone wears white turtlenecks, blouses, or sweaters. Emma has a white headband wrapped around her loose, dark curls.)

(We see scenes from "Hell Bent" and "The Devil and Michael Nesmith" played in slow motion, with odd colored filters, strange wavy light effects, and psychadelic backgrounds and dark, odd negative/positive changes.)

*Lauren takes away Micky's white drumsticks before he has the chance to use them to "shoot" with.* ;)

(Emma pulls Mike into a slow dance, much to his annoyance. :p)

(We get more effects; at one point, Davy appears to turn into a porpoise and "dives" into the rippling blackness.)

(As the song ends, we fade out on the Black Room set and the six performers and fade in on the Pad. The four Monkees and Emma and Lauren sit in the basement room; Micky and Lauren are still on the bed together, though fully clothed. ;) )

Bob: So, Mick, how does it feel to be back in the land of the living? ;)

Micky: It feels great. I know everyone who's ever had a near-death experience says it, but I have a whole new outlook on life.

Lauren: And who gets the backlash from that? *points at herself*

(Everyone chuckles. ;) )

Micky: I wouldn't call it "backlash..." ;)

Bert: Micky, how did it feel to play three different roles? ;)

Emma: I think we set some kind of record in this story for most Monkees used in a single set. ;)

Micky: Tiring. ;)

Lauren: Even for His-Hyperness. ;)

Bert: How do the guys feel about getting back into the superhero business?

Mike: I still ain't too sure about that.

Micky: Awe, come on, Mike!

Peter: I'm looking forward to helping more people like those little kids and Mrs. Filcheck and Mrs. Purdy! :)

Davy: Mike, you like 'elpin' the neighborhood as much as the rest of us do.

Mike: Yeah, but we can't be as obvious about running around in tights now that we're on the verge of becomin' stars. We've got to be better about protecting our identities.

Micky: I can make masks. ;)

Mike: Please do that, Mick. It's gonna be harder to keep people from recognizin' us once we go on tour.

Bert: What's all this about a tour?

Mike: We're going on a summer tour to promote the new album that's comin' out in a few weeks. (To the camera) Not in real-life, though. Sorry, readers! ;)

Lauren: And the entire audience just went "Awe, nuts!" ;)

(Everyone laughs...even the producers. ;) )

Bert: So, where did the idea for this latest opus come from?

Emma: Talk to Lauren on that one. These stories were entirely on her. ;)

Lauren: *shrugs* Well, we were looking for a Halloween story, and this just popped into my head. The super heroes opening I rest solely on my current love for "Greatest American Hero." I don't remember now exactly what started the ball for the main story. I just had an idea, ran with it enough to get a minor outline, and we improvised the rest of it. ;)

Emma: It was one of the stories we developed in the spring and early summer...and one of the ones that got backlogged in the gush of ideas that came out of our spring brainstorming chats, along with "Big Apple Monkees" and the next main story.

Bert: Ended up fitting Halloween rather nicely, though. ;)

Lauren: Didn't it? ;)

Emma: The monsters were a much later addition. We thought it would be fun to do a more overtly horror-themed Halloween story than last year's October set. ;)

Mike: I'm just glad I can sit up straight. What was with the subplot with me and my back and you, Em? :p

Emma: As with "Return of the Clone," I thought it would be better if Micky had something to do in the Underworld other than get picked on. ;) :p

Micky: Thank you, Em. ;)

Emma: You're welcome. (Grins) And if it makes you feel better, Mick, this is probably the last time for a while that you're scheduled to be really in trouble.(Grins at the camera) As of this writing. ;)

Micky: *whew!* Thank God! :D (Eyes widen) Hey, wait a minute... :P ;)

Lauren: Don't worry, Mick, it will be a little while. :)

Micky: Good.

Mike: Whose turn is it to go through the ringer next month? :p

Emma: (Sighs) I'll be honest. It's Peter's.

(Peter gulps and whimpers. :( )

Peter: I'm not gonna...die...am I?

Lauren: We wouldn't do that to you, Peter. ;)

Emma: No, nothing like that. No more death. At least, not for a long time. :p

Micky: Unless Lauren gets the urge to pick on me again. :P

Emma: Like I said, Micky, as of this writing we have nothing planned that picks on you personally for a while. (Grins) Now, Lauren herself is another matter... ;) >:)

Lauren: And vignettes are still open season. ;)

*Micky groans.* :P

Bob: Speaking of new vignettes, what do you girls have planned for the last months of the year?

Emma: Lots more vignettes, mostly from Lauren; I'm very, very busy right now, but I'll see what I can do.

Lauren: I'm not gonna make any big promises. If an idea for a vignette strikes me, I'll roll with it, but I have other writing projects I'd really like to work on, as well as some other projects, including some for upcoming holidays. :)

Emma: Meaning, don't expect a lot of site updates beyond the stories themselves for the last few months of the year. This is the start of the busy holiday season for both of us. :p

Bert: What else do you have planned?

Peter: Valerie's due in a few weeks! (His grin fades) Do you think Shelia will try to take our child, like she did with Katie and Em? :(

(Emma makes a face; Mike scowls. :p X( )

Davy: We won't let 'er, Petah. We'll protect Val and ALL of the kids.

Peter: Valerie seems ok physically, but I'm a little worried about her mental condition. She's been day-dreaming a lot the past few weeks. I've had a hard time getting her attention.

Emma: I'm sure she's just thinking about the new baby. :)

Lauren: Me, too. :)

Mike: (Frowns) It probably has to do with her condition. Remember what Em and Lauren were like when they were pregnant? Em kept bawlin'.

Emma: (Mutters) Don't remind me. :p

*Micky just glares at Lauren.*

Lauren: What? ;)

Bert: What's this about a radio job, Micky?

Micky: *grins* I got a DJing gig with KLAC. I've got the late night shift. It's a lot of fun! :)

Mike: He's gonna do it 'till we go on tour, then maybe pick it back up when we come back in early September.

Bert: What do you play, Mick?

Micky: Anything and everything. ;)

Lauren: That narrows it down. ;)

Micky: I have a very wide taste in music, so I'll play anything they'll let me that they have at the studio. :)

Emma: It's an oldies station. They play early rock from the 50s and early 60s. :)

Mike: Mick's nuts, but he does play some groovy stuff on rare occcasions.

Micky: Thanks, Mike! ;)

Davy: 'E's even played some Broadway stuff. :D

Emma: I recognized the Anthony Newley stuff and the Louis Armstrong "Hello, Dolly!" too. ;)

Micky: A little something for everyone. :)

Mike: Welcome, Mick. You're one of the only radio stations I listen to anymore. (Makes a face) I ain't as crazy about some of the newer stuff the others play. :p

Emma: I don't like these new formats, either. Fewer and fewer stations are playing a variety of music. More stations are starting to only play one thing, like religious music or modern rock or easy listening.

Micky: Some of it's okay, but some of it should come with one of those polyesters suits I've seen. :P ;)

Davy: (Blushes) What's wrong with those suits? Some of them ain't so bad... :">

Mike: Dave, you didn't actually BUY one of those ugly suits, did you?

*Lauren makes a gagging noise and action.* :P :-&

Davy: It went nice with me eyes!

Micky: Actually, Dave's right. I have seen a few that don't look that bad, although most are downright ugly. :P

Mike: Mick, on the subject of ugly clothes, I have two words for you - stripped pants. :p

Micky: There is NOTHING wrong with those pants!

Lauren: There's nothing RIGHT about those pants. :P

Mike: Mick, you look like you're tryin' out for the part of a circus tent. :p

Emma: And let's not even start with the ruffled shirt. :p

Micky: *points as if about to retaliate* Okay, I'll give you the shirt, but I DO like the pants.

Mike: Ok Mick, YOU like them. WE'LL use them for dart practice. :p

Micky: Thanks a lot. :P

Lauren: You're welcome. ;)

Peter: Um, maybe Lauren and Micky better finish off their story, before this gets nasty. :p :o

Lauren: Okay. Mick has been through a lot in this one.

Micky: It's nice to know that someone appreciates my efforts.

Lauren: Sure. I also appreciate that you really are as sore as you were saying you were. ;)

Micky: Uh oh...

Emma: (Laughs; to the camera) Happy Halloween from everyone at "Dream World." ;)

*Lauren shoves Micky over sideways in the background and he tries to get away, sort of, to no avail.* ;)

Mike: (Sighs as the camera fades out) Hoo boy... :p

(And we fade in on a Rainbow Room video, "Me Without You." Lauren, Emma, and the four Monkees wear their early 70s garb from the "Someday Man" video in "Return of the Clone." Emma stands next to Mike, singing along with him and sometimes dancing with Davy.)

(Peter plays the bass and joins Mike for a bit of harmony in the middle of the song. :) )

(Peter and Davy "dance" together as well as they can with Peter's bass between them. ;) )

*Lauren dances her way around the drums while Micky plays and dances around...and around...and around. Eventually, Micky reaches out to stop Lauren and shakes his head. Lauren goes to move, takes a step, and staggers, having made herself dizzy unknowingly.* ;)

(Davy starts dancing with Lauren, but lets her go when he notices Micky's jealous look. He does the same with Emma...until Mike grabs her hand and pulls her off the set, grinning. ;) )

*Micky shrugs and pulls Lauren off the set in the opposite direction.* ;)

(Davy and Peter turn to each other and notice the room is now just them. They shrug and walk straight ahead, Peter still carrying his bass, as the music ends.)

(Fade out on the Rainbow Room and fade in on the credits as "Daily Nightly" plays over stills from both "productions," ending with the "A Raybert Production" credit over the still of the entire crew from "I Think I'm a Clone Now.")