Is It True, Mike?

The room is empty, mostly, except for a four figures: three men and one woman. A partially obscured window overlooks a busy marketplace below. Two doors lead out of the room.

"Is it true, Mike? Is he really dead?" Beth asks.

"How the hell should I know?" Michael shoots back; his eyes burn with anger.

"What's going to happen to us?" she asks no one in particular. "What will we do if he's dead?"

Mike raises his hand and for a moment looks like he'll hit her. Gabe and Raph both jump up stop him but then Mike just turns around and storms into the next room.

"SHIT. You ever seen him so wound up?" Raph asks.

"He's taking it pretty hard," Gabriel observes.

"We're all taking it hard," Raph responds.

A tall figure enters the room through the door Michael just exited through. "What's eating Mike?" he asks, "he looks pretty keyed up."

"Same thing as yesterday, Sam," Beth says, "The old man's dead. He's not sure what to do next."

"I can't believe it!" Sam shoots back sarcastically, "THE MIGHTY MICHAEL, at a loss for a plan?"

"Dude. You're determined to be a dick about this, aren't you?" Raph asks.

"What? You don't think I'm entitled?" Sam asks. "For fucking eternity Michael is on my ass. And for what? 'Cause I'm doing the job I was assigned."

"Shit. Here he goes again," Beth sighed.

"The old man is gone. I don't like it any better than you do, Raph. But life goes on. LIFE GOES FUCKING ON." Sam moves over to the window and pushes open the sheer curtains. "Look at all the people, Raph. Look at them. We have jobs to do, still. What happens to all the people if we don't do our jobs?"

"Hey, at least you still have a job," Raph says.

"And you don't?" Sam responds, "You're busier than ever, it seems."

"Sure. I have plenty of work. But Michael? I don't know?" Raph pauses, "His heart's not in it, you know?"

"The old man's death really took it out of him," Beth observes.

"Yeah. Sure. The old man. We all love him," Sam says, "I mean loved him." For a moment his features soften. "But we have jobs. We gotta do our jobs. And Michael needs to..."

Michael re-enters the room to hear Sam talking about him. "Michael needs to do what, Sam?" he shouts, fury in his voice.

"You need to move on, Michael!" Sam shouts back. "You need to fucking move on! If not for me or Beth or the kids, then do it for the people, Michael."

"What would the old man want you to do, Michael?" Sam continues, his voice starting to crack. "We all miss him. You think I don't feel it here?" he says, clutching his chest.

"He can't be dead, guys," Beth says, nervously pulling at her hair. "I mean how is that even possible?"

"I don't know Beth," Michael says softly. "but it's been forever since we've seen or heard from him. And I feel all empty inside."