Is everyone ready to clear the mist out of the Hotel California?

Peter: We have to do SOMETHING! :o

Micky: You bet! ;)

Mike: Before the damn buildin' eats us. :p

Davy: Let’s hurry!

(We open in mist. The mist surrounds the camera, enveloping it. Suddenly, the mist parts as Micky, Mike, Peter, and Davy barrel down the hallway, holding their lanterns up to the mist. They make their way into the boiler room. The boiler room looks more-or-less as it did when Mike and Peter were in there earlier; white stuff drifts in corners, but does not appear to have fully taken over the room yet.)

Mike: Good. The stuff still ain't as bad here. Come on, Mick, let's set up shop and get rid of this shit. (He puts a lantern on the table next to him)

Peter: I'm going to try to get through to the Caprice. There has to be a reason it's the way it is.

Micky: Go right ahead and try, Pete.

Davy: And I'll keep the mist away with me lantern.

*Micky tinkers with the furnace. He pulls out a few tubes and sets them aside.*

Peter: (Puts his hand against the wall of the hotel; winces again) It's stronger than before.

Davy: Wondahful.

Peter: It's still angry. It doesn't like the fire. It thinks humans hate it, because (frowns) of what it's done and it's creator's done? (Surprised) It's creator? (Peter's eyes widen in horror) I think...oh my god! It...it's....

Micky: Well, don't hold us in suspense, Peter!

Peter: (Pulls his hand away as if it's been stung) It IS human! The mist is human! (Turns to Davy, his eyes wide with shock and horror) Davy, that mist is human. It's made of human souls. TORTURED human souls. It was locked away for a long, long time, but it's out now, and it's hungry...and angry. It thinks it's been tortured and abandoned!

Davy: That's not good.

Peter: Something was done to the building, and the Hotel California, too. They're both alive...or the California was, until we destroyed those dimensions. (Frowns) I'll bet if this hotel had been left sitting for much longer, it would have developed the dimensions that the California had.

Mike: Great. The buildin's now tortured in addition to being man-hungry.

Micky Not a good combination.

Mike: Man, I think this is WORSE than the wax museum last year.

Peter: This is such a freak-out. :o

Micky: *grumbles, still working on the furnace* Then lets get the FREAK out of here.

(There's a black light. Sheila, Alex, Daphne, and Valerie emerge, Alex holding Swanford's diary.)

Mike: (Growls) What the HELL are you guys doin' here?

Sheila: Watch your mouth, White Knight. We're only here because we can't handle that bloody mist any more than you can.

Valerie: They're helping us.

Alex: *shrugs* We don't particularly care for being eaten by mist any more than the rest of you do.

*Micky glares over his shoulder, hearing Alex's voice, then goes back to what he's been doing.*

Valerie: And we now know WHY the mist is here.

Peter: I think I do, too. (Whimpers) The mist is human, isn't it? It's souls. The tortured souls of humans.

Alex: *holds up the diary* Yes, it is.

Valerie: Turns out the architect of this and the Hotel California wanted an easy look at cute women and started messing with forces beyond his control doing so.

Davy: Lovely.

Valerie: He tried to raise the temperatures to get ladies to shed their clothes, and ended up creating the hungry mist that devoured their souls and ultimately, their bodies instead.

Peter: And he locked it away for years and years. It was only just released during the flood.

Valerie: Honey, how did you...

Peter: The Caprice told me.

Mike: So the buildin' IS alive. I can't believe this.

Sheila: Apparently, Swanford's desire to see a pretty ankle or two ultimately ended up destroying his sanity instead.

Alex: But what a way to go.

Valerie: (To the room in general) Caprice, look. Let's be square with you. We don't really want to hurt you, and we don't want to feed you anymore. We want to help you. We want you to be beautiful again, like you were in 1910.

Peter: We don't want to burn you down, but the fire was the only way we could think of to keep you from eating us!

Daphne: Just give us a chance to help you, and we will!

Mike: (Joins them) Not every human's gonna do what Swanford did. We ain't gonna abandon you again.

Sheila: We restored your sister hotel, the California.

Mike: (Mutters) And used it to attract victims.

Sheila: (Mutters back) It doesn't need to know THAT.

Alex: Do you really think it would know the difference?

Mike: Considerin' the way it's actin', YES.

(The mist swirls around the edges, as if confused. Peter smiles and goes closer to it.)

(Valerie, Davy, and Daphne back up against the boiler, blocking Micky and Mike from as much of the mist as they can.)

Peter: Please! We're not like Swanford. We'd never hurt people like that!

Sheila: Speak for yourself. (She jumps away as mist caresses her leg)

Mike: You know, Caprice, everyone in town loves you. Do you know how mad everyone on Main Street was when they heard you might be torn down?

Valerie: This town loves you! It needs you! You give so many people jobs!

Mike: And a lot of bands great-payin' gigs.

Micky: Almost done...

Mike: (As the mist swirls and whirls around the sides of the room) Pete, can you get any readin's from the vibes?

Peter: It's confused. Really, really confused. It wants to believe us, but those souls have been allowed to hurt for too long.

Mike: Great. Just keep it confused and keep it from gettin' hungry. (Turns to Micky) How's it comin'?

Micky: Nearly...

Peter: (Whimpers) Please, Caprice! (The mist swirls around them all now, going higher and thicker but also faster) Most people aren't like Swanford! We want to help you, not hurt you or the people in you, or those poor souls!

Valerie: (Goes to Peter's side and nods) We want those souls to rest, and you too.

Sheila: So you can start doing what you were really built to do, taking care of wealthy travelers.

Valerie: And bringing joy to humans who just need a night's sleep off the road.

(The mist swirls faster and harder, circling and re-circling, turning this way and that.)

Peter: It's so confused, it doesn't know WHAT to do!

Micky: *exclaims* I got it!

Mike: In that case, we'd better get movin'.

Peter: (Gasps; the mist is starting to blow things around the boiler room, including tools and the less well-built pieces of furniture) We have to get out of here! She's not feeling so good. (Puts his hand on the wall as well as he can) She's too confused, and now she has a boiler-ache, too. She just...she wants it all to go away.

Micky: That's our cue to high-tail it!

(Valerie grabs Peter and Sheila grabs Alex as everyone fights their way through the swirling mist and "Daily Nightly" begins.)

(Sheila and Mike drag Alex and Micky out of the kitchen.)

(Mike hacks his way through using his huge broadsword. Peter keeps a tight hold on his lantern, and Valerie uses her short sword.)

(Mike stabs a particularly thick patch of mist...and we hear a loud "Owww!" Alex turns around and glares at Mike, rubbing his buttocks where Mike poked him. Mike shrugs, blushing.)

*Micky and Davy use their lanterns to keep the mist at bay.*

(Mike looks at the wall thoughtfully. He "stabs" the wall of one of the main-floor rooms. It comes up red where he stabbed it...like blood.)

(Peter shows Valerie a hand that's red from the wall in the boiler room.)

*Micky and Davy see what Mike's done, grin at each other, then make their own dagger and sword appear and follow suit. Alex shrugs and, despite still rubbing at his rear, he makes his own dagger appear and stabs at the walls as well.*

(Peter shakes his head in horror. They're hurting her!)

(Valerie gives the building another stab with her short sword. Blotches of red drip forth.)

*Daphne tries, somewhat futilely, to get Peter to not worry about what they're doing to the building, especially since Micky rigged the boiler room.*

(Sheila makes her black sword appear and joins the other in stabbing the building. The mists swirl higher and higher and faster and faster. They howl and cry like a hundred dying women.)

*Micky points out the main doors in front of them. All they have to do is get through the lobby!*

(Getting to the lobby doesn't prove to be that easy. The shrieking winds are in full-force now. Mike takes Sheila's hand and gestures to the others to make a human chain. It'll keep them all from being blown away!)

*Micky and Alex growl at each other, seeing as they ended up next to each other in the chain.*

(Peter puts his hand on the reddish wall as well as he can. He turns to the others in horror as the wall seems to crack and groan.)

Peter: (Over the music as it ends) Guys, she's dying!

Davy: I think that's the idea, Petah.

Valerie: Peter, come on! (She grabs his red hand - they're the last two people in the chain)

*As the human chain runs out the main doors, headed for the parking lot where Emma, Lauren and the kids wait in front of the cars, the building starts to rumble. The chain breaks apart. Most of them are half-way between the girls and the kids and the building when a loud implosion knocks most every who'd been running to the ground. The hotel crumbles into itself until there's hardly anything left of it.*

Mike: (He's protecting Emma and Katie, leaning against Ursula; looks up, coughing from the dust the remains of the Caprice is giving off) Everyone all right?

Valerie: (She's on top of Peter and Jordan; nods) We are. (Peter whimpers)

Jordan: (Frowns; his tights have a hole in them now) Aw!

Katie: (Coughs) I ok! Papa, don't hug hard!

Mike: (Releases his daughter and wife) Sorry, Cowgirl. I didn't mean to squeeze ya'.

Emma: Watch the stomach!

Micky: *waves an arm* Okay, I think... *grins and moves off Lauren who he'd been on, and the kids whom Lauren was protecting.*

Davy: *pulls away from Daphne and Lizzie* Fine ovah 'ere!

Alex: *glares at Sheila, who landed on HIM* Would you please get off?

Sheila: (Smirks) I thought you liked having women in this position.

Alex: MOST women.

Mike: Not around the kids, guys.

Emma: Could you two get a room, please?

Alex: *gets up, brushing himself off* And to think... *pauses, realizes; eyes widen* MY MACHINERY AND BLUEPRINTS!!!

Sheila: Your... (groans) ...oh, you didn't leave them in the hotel! I thought you were going to send them back to Arizona!

Alex: *growls* I never had the chance!

Mike: (Raises a suspicious eyebrow) Send WHAT back to Arizona? (Looks at Emma) And what are you guys doin' here, anyway?

Emma: (Juts a finger at Sheila and Alex) Ask them.

Valerie: (Narrows her eyes at the two) Ok you two, talk. We're not about to be eaten now, so you can do so freely.

Alex: *frowns* Dammit, dammit, shi... *Sheila covers his mouth to end the tirade*

Micky: *glances at Lauren, who shrugs* That's a REALLY good question. There was a little while there where felt like my head was gonna explode.

*Alex is still pitching a fit, though a bit more quietly, since Sheila muted him.*

Emma: They were after my child again. They had me in the nightclub and the kids in the ballroom, and for twenty minutes, I had no idea where Lauren was.

Lauren: *seeing Micky's questioning look; shrugs* I don't remember any of it.

Micky: *growls* Alex... *Alex turns to see Micky moving towards him. Micky pushes his sleeves up* I wanna few words with you, you evil twin!

*Alex tries to pull Sheila in front of him, but she just shoves him back in front of her again.*

*Micky growls and dives at Alex, sending them tumbling to the pavement! They kick up some cartoon dust that completely covers them. There's cartoon stars and the occasional flailing arm. When the dust clears, Alex is sprawled on the ground, Micky sitting on his back with his arms folded and a VERY pissed-off look on his face.*

Mike: (Raises his eyebrows) What in the HELL...

Peter: Oh my...

Lauren: Holy...

Davy: Bloody...

Daphne: What..

Sheila: (Her eyes are wide) Good lord. This would be a good time to make an exit. I’ll do it, since Alex does not appear to be conscious at the moment. (Looks at the others) You all won this one, but don't think we're going to be this nice all the time. We are still the darkness, and you are the light, and they are still opposing forces. (She and Alex disappear in a black light) Until next time, Guardians!

Valerie: (As the black light vanishes) Wha...what was THAT all about?

Peter: (Kneels gently down next to Micky) Mick, are you ok?

Micky: *shakes his head, as if clearing it* Yeah...oh, no...I did it again, didn't I?

Davy: *nods* Yeah, mate, you did, but it did get rid of the devils.

Peter: Micky, you saved us! (He flings his arms around Micky)

Mike: (Joins them on the ground; puts a hand on Peter and Micky’s shoulders) No, both of you did. Without you guys, we would have never known what was wrong with the buildin' and how to end its misery. (Looks at Val) You too, Val. You did all that research.

Emma: (Looks sadly at the rubble of the Caprice) It's a shame it had to destroy itself in the end. It really was a beautiful building. It could have entertained travelers for many, many more years to come.

Katie: (Tugs at her mother's skirt) Mama, look!

Jordan: Housie!

Valerie: (Looks at the same place the kids are as we hear sirens and see police and fire truck lights in the distance) Oh my god! The building DIDN'T entirely destroy itself!

(Indeed, the camera travels over to the one portion of the Caprice that seems to be still standing...the wing of the building that housed the nightclub and ballroom.)

Mike: The one part that stayed open all these years.

Micky: Whoa...

Peter: It couldn't implode completely. It still wants to make people happy.

Valerie: And now, it'll have a second chance.

(We fade out as cop cars, fire trucks, and ambulances come screeching into the scene as the dirty, dust-and-scratch-covered group all turn to look at the former nightclub and the blood-red California sunset in the distance.)