ROCK 14: Mr. Brightside

''This article is about the Eidolon Playtest episode. For the Eidolon, see Mr. Brightside.'' 

 "'And I just can't look, it's killing me and taking control.' -Mr. Brightside, by The Killers"

Mr. Brightside is the fourteenth episode of Eidolon ROCK and the thirtieth episode of Eidolon Playtest Season 1. It covers the Alta Drive Jawbreakers meeting Steven Percival inside the Bass Pro Pyramid and killing him, and Virginia Valentine heading alone to meet her maker, Michael-Valentine.

Summary
Unknown Location

Frasier Lilith arrives to meet with Martin Niles. Martin commands Frasier to unbutton his shirt, and notes there are thirty-six hours left on the clock. He is annoyed Frasier hid this from him, and says he'll tell him why they're named The Dead Pharaoh.

Outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee

The Alta Drive Jawbreakers are gathering themselves after teleporting across the country via Road to Nowhere. They can spot the Bass Pro Pyramid in the distance, and a flamingo walking nearby. Chili the Fox slaughters the flamingo for food. Harvey D. Godlove's clock has 36 hours remaining. Virginia Valentine suggests they head towards the Pyramid. Cecilia Citadel volunteers to split off from the group to go find travel arrangements, also needing some privacy after learning Ruby Wednesday is still alive.

As the rest of the Jawbreakers are walking in Memphis, Chili is drawing attention by dragging the flamingo corpse behind her. Chris Masters hides the corpse for her in his PSP with Ironspy. An icon appears in the device titled "Virtua Flamingo".

Bass Pro Pyramid

As the Jawbreakers reach the front door, the lights are all off inside. There is a sign that says its closed for renovations today. The door is unlocked and they wander inside. Chili wanders off in search of food, smelling people faintly in the distance. Virginia feels the urge to wait. Chris climbs into the rafters and spots a elevator shaft running down the middle of the pyramid, calling everyone over to it.

Eidolon Battle
As they reach the elevator, it opens and inside is a middle-aged man with glasses standing in front of a tall humanoid with a yellow smiley-face for a head smoking a cigarette. He introduces himself as Steve and apologizes for not greeting them at the door. Harvey D. Godlove finds this suspicious but isn't bothered. Steve invites them upstairs where he's cooking them a lovely steak dinner.

As everyone rides the elevator up, Chris Masters asks about his Eidolon. Its name is Mr. Brightside, and Steve explains it encourages others to look 'on the bright side of life'. Chris finds this suspicious but dismisses the thought. Steve also explains that the Bass Pro Pyramid is a Dead Pharaoh headquarters, and was directed here as they knew the Alta Drive Jawbreakers were coming. This concerns them, but the topic of conversation quickly changes.

Penthouse Suite, Bass Pro Pyramid

The elevator opens to a luxurious open-plan penthouse. Everyone can smell the delicious food almost ready. Steve off-handedly mentions he's a professional assassin. The Jawbreakers all take a seat, and Steve walks off to the kitchen. Mr. Brightside stands behind the chair at the head of the table. Chili wanders off to a corner of carpet to mark her territory with urine.

Steve returns with a large tray and immediately smells Chili's mark. He isn't enthused, walking off to the bathroom while Mr. Brightside hands out the five plates. On the plates is a thick cut of steak, a pile of mashed potatoes, and some broccoli. Steve walks by with a sponge and a bucket, telling them to start without them as he cleans up the stain.

Harvey digs into the steak, but Virginia Valentine is hesitant. Harvey and Chili reassure her the food seems fine, and she starts eating. They make conversation about the limits of Eidolon powers as Steve returns. He asks them about their hobbies and how their journey has been so far. Steve remarks he is one of the better Killers and gets sent to the trickier targets often. Chris stops eating his steak halfway, saying he's full.

Steve mentions its time for Virginia to leave. Virginia gets a vision of a home on the edge of town, and the desire to go there. Chris doesn't want her to go alone, but she assures him she'll be fine. She leaves, and Chili slips out behind her to follow.

For Harvey and Chris, Steve brings out a cheesecake. He slices a piece for each of them, and Harvey starts eating his with gusto. Mr. Brightside starts smoking a second cigarette as Steve says the recipe contains cream cheese, sugar, and arsenic. Harvey and Chris are unconcerned he mentioned arsenic. Chris doesn't eat any, citing being full. Harvey says he tastes almonds, and Steve corrects himself that it contains cyanide not arsenic.

Harvey is starting to sweat and asks why Mr. Brightside is smoking two cigarettes. Steve admits the second one is so they aren't concerned about the cheesecake being poisoned. Harvey isn't thrilled about his mind being manipulated. Chris suggests Harvey needs to get first aid, but Mr. Brightside starts smoking a third cigarette and he is no longer concerned about how sick Harvey is getting. Harvey gets increasingly bothered by the number of cigarettes Mr. Brightside is smoking.

Chris mentions they're worried about Virginia. To discourage them from leaving, Steve reveals Virginia is a mole that was helping them track the Jawbreakers. Chris refuses to believe this, insisting there are other ways they could have been tracked. Chris and Harvey get up to leave, Harvey barely able to stand. With his Eidolon's mouth full of cigarettes, Steve goes to pull out a gun from under the table. Chris reveals he had already stolen the gun and points it at Steve.

Mr. Brightside drops all the cigarettes in its mouth and frantically goes to light a new one. Harvey is now concerned he's dying and collapses to the table. Chris shoots Mr. Brightside in the hand, making him drop the matchbox. Steve raises his hands and starts backing off to the window. Chris shoots him in the head, killing him.

Harvey and Chris immediately stick Harvey's fingers down his throat to vomit up the poison. Harvey is close to death, but stabilizes. He grabs a container to take the leftover steak to-go as Chris calls up the elevator. Partway down, the elevator stops. Chris shoots out the glass walls of the elevator, and partially merges Ironspy into the metal beams. As Chris and Harvey grab onto Ironspy, the ceiling panel of the elevator opens and a mannequin-esque human crawls inside. Chris shoots it dead and they ride Ironspy down. Below them, the ground floor is lit up and crowded with humans just like it.

House at the edge of Memphis

Virginia reaches the house at the edge of town. The garage door is open and inside is a man in a metal folding chair working on a stained glass composition who feels familiar. Virginia asks if he has been the one calling her. He turns around, greets her, and invites her inside. The house is filled with stained glass artwork. He asks her about her personal history, but Virginia can only remember vague details. The man says he's proud of her and brings her to the living room. Chili is looking in through the window.

On one side of the living room is a giant stained glass window with the silhouette of an angel broken out from the middle. It seems oddly familiar, and the man says its where she came from. He introduces himself as Michael-Valentine and tells Virginia she's his Ballad.

Ending Scene
Martin Niles' Office, Luxor Casino, Las Vegas

Martin Niles tells Frasier Lilith the origin of The Dead Pharaoh. Martin and Michael-Valentine were friends running drugs in another syndicate when one day a stained glass artwork in front of them was suddenly filled with a body. Martin believed this body to be God and founded The Dead Pharaoh to bring him back to life.

A panel opens from behind Martin to reveal the stained glass piece had been installed in his office. Frasier is in disbelief that this could be god. The body has no skin or muscles, and its organs and bones are all spread out inside the glass. Martin claims the man speaks to him, giving him words, knowledge, and vision. As proof of the body's power, Martin says the Eidolon drug is this man's blood.

Martin is angry that a man in an organization that serves God has made a deal with 'the devil'. His God told him that Frasier made a gamble for money in exchange for the deaths of the Alta Drive Jawbreakers after they stole the briefcase. He fires Frasier, and as a final courtesy gives him an airline ticket to Memphis that leaves imminently so he can try and kill them himself. Frasier tries to summon his Eidolon to fight Martin, but fails.

Appearances
● Cecilia Citadel // Fortune Teller

● Chili the Fox // Little Lies

● Chris Masters // Ironspy

● Frasier Lilith // Shattered

● Harvey D. Godlove // Here It Goes Again

● Hordes of unnamed Humans. (First Appearance)

● Martin Niles // Sympathy for the Devil

● Michael-Valentine // The Ballad of Michael-Valentine

● Steven Percival // Mr. Brightside (Last Appearance)

● Virginia Valentine // Only The Good Die Young