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6. INT. SUSPIRIA’S LAIR – PRISON CHAMBER – CONTINUOUS

Passing the threshold, Suspiria enters another chamber, where a metal cage is situated in the middle of the room; a cage in which lies a tired Lillian Lopez, who rouses at the sounds of the doors’ operation.

There is something ethereal about Lillian, as if her features are candle-lit, in perpetual soft focus. She seems to glow, her anxiety and defiance a catalyst, igniting her beauty till it is something preternatural, otherworldly.

She is a nymph, a Muse, with a face that could launch a thousand starships into the endless void of space, a face that could ensnare the heart of a god (or a superhero).

Those beautiful features, that very face, shift into a mask of fear and dismay, at the sight which greets her eyes.

“Habagat!” she all but screams.

The villain sneers. “He’s not dead, Lillian. Just unconscious. There isn’t any criptonatz in the air in this room, so he’ll recover. But the bars of that cage, as I told you earlier, can deliver an electrical charge enough to stun even our hero right here. Were he awake, that is.”

Suspiria stops at the cage door, presses his palm against a sensor, then, once the door has slid completely open, tosses the hero in like so much garbage.

The cage door slides shut once more, and Suspiria leers at his captives, then walks to the chamber doors, and leaves.

Finally, Lillian forces herself to move, and rushes to Habagat’s side. Kneeling down beside him, tucking her legs underneath her, she’s just in time for him to regain consciousness, his eyelids fluttering.

Gently, Lillian lifts Habagat’s head, and rests it against her bare thighs (her skirt riding up just so). Still woozy, his cheek bruised, lip beginning to swell, Habagat stares up into Lillian’s face.

“Lil…” he says weakly.

“Sshhh,” she admonishes, placing a fingertip on the hero’s lips.

Then, she bends down, and kisses Habagat.

She straightens, and Habagat stares at her, silent.

Then, the champion, seemingly revitalized, stands, resolute, pulling Lillian to her feet.

Looking as if power and strength are flooding back into his form, the bruises on his cheek and torso already starting to fade, his lip healed, he turns to look into Lillian’s deep black eyes, opens his mouth, as if about to say something, then, promptly faints.

And once again, the Voice booms, divine V.O., shouting:

“CUT!”

7. INT. CHANNEL 8 STUDIO H – LUIS CONRADO’S DRESSING ROOM – LATER

Luis is already in his casual uniform of muscle tee and black jeans, fake sweat, bruises and blood wiped away, when Joanna storms into his room, looking annoyed and irritated.

“Ano ‘yon?!” she demands.

“Yeah. Feeling ko nga there were sparks flying from the codpiece when Ace was dragging me across the floor. Sabi ko nga kay Direk, dapat I fall na lang on my back, and he pulls me by my hair. Mas may-effect, diba?”

“No, not that!” She glares at Luis as if he were a recalcitrant two-year-old. “Nahimatay ka, L! That’s not good!”

Luis rolls his eyes ceilingward. “Wala `yon, no. Puyat lang siguro. And you know, kapag fight sequence with Suspiria, laging nasa zone ako. Kailangan intense, para realistic, diba? No stunt doubles.

“Besides, puwede naman mag-cut away si Direk after Habagat and Lillian are both standing, diba? Yung `Thank you’ speech ko, puwede natin i-shoot bukas na lang. `Yun naman rin yung sabi ni Direk.”

Looking dubious and unconvinced, Joanna decreases the wattage of her glare, but still refuses to break eye contact with her talent, who shrugs, grins, and says, “Baka may kryptonite nga talaga sa air, kaya nawala yung powers ko.”

Joanna shakes her head, scowling. “Criptonatz, ugok.”

As Luis bends down to put on his white sneakers, Joanna asks, as casually as she is able, “Eh, yung bagong co-star mo naman, kamusta? Okey bang ka-trabaho?”

Luis pauses, smiles to himself, recalling LILITH MONTEMAYOR, his soon-to-be leading lady in Bukas, Kahapon Na Ang Ngayon, and current guest star on Habagat (a transparent move to drum up anticipation for the upcoming film).

“Sweet siya, Jo. Ang ganda pa niya. And she can act, diba?”

Reluctantly, Joanna nods.

“Tapos may chemistry talaga kami! May-feeling talaga yung scenes namin. Ang intense! Kanina nga, after the kiss, parang nahilo ako, alam mo `yon? `She took my breath away,’ ika nga.”

Luis grins, a roguish little boy grin, naughty and carefree.

“Then you fainted,” Joanna points out, the scowl still there.

“Alam mo,” Luis teases, “nakakalimutan ko yung pagka-tibo mo kapag nakasimangot ka.”

“I’m serious, Luis.”

“So what’s your point?” he asks, turning back to his sneakers.

“Be careful,” Joanna says softly.

“Ha?” without looking at Joanna. “Bakit?!”

“Basta. Ingat ka sa babaeng `yan.”

Luis straightens, sneakers tied, and flashes one of his winning smiles.

“Selos ka lang, sabihin mo.”

Joanna sighs heavily, refusing to dignify his statement with a response.

“O, how was the costume ripping part? Diba it was good I demanded a real costume imbes na tear-away lang? Diba mas-convincing?”[1]

Joanna smiles warmly, patting Luis fondly on the cheek.

“Yes, dear. Tama ka. Convincing nga.”

Luis grins widely, doing exaggerated muscleman poses. “Sabi ko sa `yo, e. `Di lang Milo muscles `yan, may Promil brain pa!”

8. INT. CHANNEL 8 STUDIO H – LILITH MONTEMAYOR’S DRESSING ROOM – A SHORT TIME LATER

The door slams open, and Ruben rushes Lilith into the room.

“I’m fine, Ruben. Hindi naman ako yung nag-faint. Si Luis, okey ba?”

“Mother, ha, over ka. Ang lusog-lusog ng bata `no, parang kalabaw.”

Ruben all but forces Lilith into the chair opposite the lightbulb-ringed mirror. The young woman tries to stand, but Ruben is firm, his hands on her shoulders.

“I want to check on him.”

“Hay. Ako na lang, okey? Tapos kunin na rin kita ng mineral water.” Ruben bustles off, calling out over his shoulder, “Diyan ka lang.”

And Lilith nods, still having the burning desire to visit Luis in his dressing room, to see if he is indeed all right.

The urge is there, an immediate and insistent pull (similar to what Lilith had felt looking down at Luis, his head in her lap, her palm flat on his bare, muscled chest, feeling the warmth of his skin, the dampness of his sweat, a feeling that burned in her, then seemed to explode at the touch of his lips on hers).

It is there, that desire, till the exact moment Ruben leaves and the door shuts behind him.

Then, Lilith is left alone, staring at her beautiful self in the mirror, seated, perfectly still, feeling absolutely nothing at all.

1 The costume ripping was memoed from the Channel 8 higher-ups as a must-do scene, an opening salvo in 8’s campaign to dethrone Darna from its top slot.

The conventional wisdom is, a shirtless Luis Conrado is guaranteed to draw away a certain portion of the female Darna audience, and a certain portion of its male audience as well.

Once this particular episode is aired, the Habagat producers will be waiting for the ratings numbers with bated breath.

(Should this be a successful gambit, plans are already being drawn up for an underwater adventure where Habagat is trapped under the sea, battling hordes of siokoy and a gigantic octopus, after having most of his costume destroyed beforehand.) [back]

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