“Young Volcanoes” by Fall Out Boy from Save Rock and Roll

In the ruins of an unnamed city stands three total somehow relatively unscathed gleaming glass buildings. On the street below them stands a crowd of young people, teens and early 20’s mostly. They are dirty, their clothes a seemingly random collection of rags they have stitched together roughly. In the center building of the three about 50 stories above the ground, a man in his 50’s strides towards empty frame of glass. He is significantly cleaner and more comfortably dressed than those below. He plugs an old metal microphone into an amp, angles the amp towards the outside and begins to speak.

“THE KING”

Go away Breuer. I have no desire to spill your blood today and you have nothing of interest to me.

Below, the man in front of the group brings and a megaphone, it’s plastic cone cracked and shattered, to his lips. This is BREUER

BREUER

And I have no need for you, King. And no desire to spill your blood. The rules have changed though and we will be extracting a few concessions from you if you want to keep your kingdom.

THE KING (snorting in condescending defiance)

The rules have changed? Oh? Well, I apologize then. I now find myself very interested in what you have to say. I’ve always found the moment where your predecessors cracked singularly pleasurable. I confess I did not expect that you’d succumb so quickly to the hopelessness of your position, but I am hardly disappointed.

BREUER

You are a fool, King. Can’t you feel the situation has shifted beneath you. Can’t you feel how we now have the upper hand?

BREUER’S followers murmur and shout agreements. The King yawns, seemingly for the benefit of the unseen other denizens of the tower.

THE KING (speaking as he finishes his yawn)

I’ve changed my mind. I am bored once more. Speak your piece Breuer and then go away immediately. I have food to eat and lovers to pleasure. And I’m sure you have dirt and mud to roll around in, you filthy miscreant.

BREUER

You continue to speak as one who does not realize that the fox hunt has turned. You are not in control!

THE KING

Good bye, Breuer. If you are still a bothersome chicken squeaking about in our front lawn when I next check, I will see you snuffed out of existence with nary a blink.

BREUER

Before you go, King perhaps take a look through you sight device and see what I have for you?

THE KING sighs and rolls his eyes theatrically. He walks a bit to his left and swings a telescope on a wobbly tripod around so he can see the people below. As he looks, several people with bags on their heads are marched out in front of BREUER. As the bags are pulled off THE KING gasps.

BREUER (mocking)

Do I have your attention now, King? Is this worthy of a little of your time?

THE KING (almost croaking, then bellowing)

How—How could you reach th—If you harm them, if you even touch them in an unpleasant way, I will see your hea—

Before THE KING finishes his statement, the five figures, who are now on their knees, have their throats slit by members of BREUER’s group.

BREUER

I will say it again: you are no longer in control here. Your hounds are being devoured by my foxes. This is not a negotiation. This is a request with a warning if you choose not to honor the request. Don’t misread the situation.

A VOICE BEHIND THE KING

Archers are in place and have him sighted. Say the word, sir.

KING (through teeth gritted in anger)

Yes. And use the Americana Exotica.

VOICE

Isn’t that overkill. I mean we have so little and he’s—

THE KING looks over his shoulder and VOICE goes silent.

BREUER (sing songy)

Kiiiiiiiiiiiing? Oooo, Kiiiiiiiiing?!

THE KING (smug anger, clearly keeping BREUER distracted for the archers to open fire)

Congratulations Breuer. You now have my full attention. For the rest of your life.

BREUER

Give us what we want and no further harm will come to your spineless subjects today. Send out your torturer! Send us The Sadist!

THE KING laughs loudly in reply and continues to watch through the telescope without responding.

BREUER

Make no mistake, King, this is not a bargaining table. This will be a bloodb—

BREUER pauses a moment and snags an arrow out of the air. THE KING is stunned. Voices near him babble fearfully about how this could possibly happen.

BREUER

You try my patience!

BREUER then rips his shirt, exposing his chest and drags the arrow across his chest, carving a deep bloody gash into his skin.

THE KING (resuming laughing, speaking mockingly)

Foolish whelp! That arrow is loaded with terrible poison. Your arrogance, unsurprisingly, signs your death certificate.

BREUER (joining in the laughter)

Watch closer!

Slowly, the cut on BREUER’s chest knits together and heals. He throws the arrow to another member of his crew who pushes it through her hand, heals, passes it down the line, and so on. All being laughing threatening.

BREUER

We rule this jungle now, King. We deign you can keep your sham kingdom and your false title until we grow tired of you. Send out The Sadist and it will take us quite some time indeed.

THE KING

Your threats don’t scare me!

BREUER

We both know that’s not true. Now send out your torturer. We aren’t here for you. We don’t care about you. Your power is nothing to us, your power is a shadow play. The Sadist is the true ruler of your towers and you know it. Cast out your paid monster, feed him to maws, so hungry for revenge, and we go away. We may returns, King, but for now, you’ll buy yourself more time for your silly debauched charade of a life.

THE KING

I will give you no one! I am The King.

BREUER

You are a dinosaur!

THE KING (snarling and roaring)

I RULE THIS LAND! There is no place you can run to to escape me ending you. I will not give you what you want. I will give you oblivion. Now, run!

BREUER (sighing and shaking his head, turning to his followers and speaking with the bullhorn)

So sad. So silly.

They began to fan out around him and run towards the towers. Arrows arc down from above everywhere but they seem not to slow even as they increasingly resemble a pin cushion.

BREUER (back on the bullhorn)

Goodbye, your Highness. I will take everything away from you. And I will have your monster’s head!

BREUER begins to run as well and we see the followers bursting into the towers, tossing and dragging people out and violently dispatching them. Above, THE KING collapses in shock.