The World of The Gunny

The song linked HERE is So Cold by Breaking Benjamin. It's always had a post-apocalyptic feel to it for me, and tonight while I was listening to it I made (what I feel to be) a kickass mental video for it using WotG as the backdrop. Listen to it as you read this, and you'll know what I'm talking about (or think I was stoned/wasted).

The parts of the song will be put in little *star brackets*, with what I see when I hear it set off like--this.

*Music starts off slow*--Show series of newspaper headlines indicating tension between China and the US

*Starts to pick up*--Faster headline stream, news stations with no audio (clips of US and Chinese soldiers training)

*Really picks up, heavy guitar parts*--Headline and news stations all showing the same general statement of "WAR DECLARED" "CHINA INVADES JAPAN" or something similar. Show map of Alaska, red areas (showing Chinese occupation) slowly spread

*Slows back down, similair to beginning tempo*--Show news and paper headlines about the US responding victoriously.

*"Crowded streets are cleared away, one by one"*--A city being bombed from above, it could be either Chinese or American

*"Hollow heroes seperate, as they run"*--A pitched battle between American and Chinese forces. A group of soldiers breaks and runs, some getting shot down on their retreat.

*"You're so cold keep your hand in mine"*--An ICBM preparing for launch, viewed from the bottom of the silo looking up. The keys for launch turned, a green light turns on.

*"Wise men wonder"*--The Senate floor.

*"While strong men die"*--Back to the battle. A grenade lands in a group of men, one dives on it and saves the rest.

*"Show me how it ends it's alright"*Gunny getting locked into stasis.

*"Show me how defenseless you really are"*--Missiles streaming out of thier silos, like in The Day After.

*"Satisfied and empty inside"* The explosion, a city whiped clean. Again, it could be either American or Chinese.

*"That's alright, let's give this another try"*--Stasis pod opening, The Gunny steps out. Cut to a large Vault door, someone steps out, a Confederate flag stitched into his uniform.

*"If you find your family don't you cry"*--A dusty yellowed picture of Gunny and his family, The Gunny regaining composure after he realized what had happened, tears still wet on his face.

*"In this land of make-believe, dead and dry"*--The wasteland with a large number of men in the distance. Zoom to show that they are in fact Jannissaries.

*"You're so cold but you feel alive"*--Jason Mayo, looking very Ghoulish.

*"Lay your hands on me, one last time"*--Fast forward to Dante's death.

*"Show me how it ends it's alright"*--The Hanged Man revealing to Gunny the future if he continues his fight.

*"Show me how defenseless you really are"*--A Confederate flag being raised over the ruins of Vegas.

*"Satisfied and empty inside"*--Gunny leaving Vegas. Fast forward to him standing in front of the RNC Senate.

*"Let's give this another try"*--Jannissaries as far as the eye can see, moving almost at a run.

*Heavy guitar part*--Marines and Jannissaries clash, a huge battle. The beginning of the siege of the MCAGCC.

*"Show me how it ends it's alright,
Show me how defenseless you really are,
Satisfied and empty inside,
That's alright, let's give this another try"*--Continuing the battle. Marines taking losses, but giving far worse than they get. Gunny fighting right alongside his troops.

*"It's alright"*--A Marine mimics the heroism of the soldier who died earlier, sacrificing himself to save his comrades

*"It's alright!"*--The Confederate CP, and a very incensed staff.

*"It's alright,
It's alright,
It's alright,
It's alright,
It's alright"*--Continuing the battle through these lines, incredibly heavy combat.

*"It's alright"*--Back to Gunny, close up on the faceplate of his helmet.

*"It's alright" to end of song"*--Gunny pulls of his helmet, sweating heavily, and wipes his forehead. On his face a fierce, grim determination.

Damn aren't you a start burst of talent, BOS. Nice man. A pity I never got to fully look through this section carefully.

Volume Two--Ordinary Man.

*Intro*--Brief images of fighting between American and Chinese troops.

*Intro Slows*--Zoom to one face, The Gunny.

*"Cast away, all the enemies of yesterday"*--Image ripples and fades, revealing burnt out desert, mirages flickering in the distance.

*"To alleviate, all the memories that come our way"*--Back to The Gunny, now in the future, remembering the loss of his family.

*"There's a better life, now you know that I am on your side"*--Camera pans to reveal masses of Marines rallying behind The Gunny.

*"Your beady eyes, burn a hole right through the back of mine"*--Camera whips across a battlefield, possibly outside MCAGCC, to the Darkman, an expression of pure hatred on his face.

*"I AM OUTTA TIME"*--Camera swings down, moves up, revealing the battlefield from a birds-eye view.

*"I'm an ordinary man, like everybody else"*--Picture ripples and distorts, whites out. When it reforms, it shows Gunny and his son playing.

*"Just a common counterfeit"*--Pan around street, looks like a typical suburb.

*"I'm an ordinary man"*--Zoom in on Gunny's face, then pan to show the Wasteland battlefield again.

*"Hesitate, while the world is just a step away
To recreate, all the innocence that time can take"*--Continue the battle, zoom back to Gunny's face, eyes closed.

*"I AM WIDE AWAKE"*--Eyes snap open, camera zooms out to show the stasis chamber and related bric-a-brac.

*Rest of song*--Replay the events slowly, in chronological order, pick up pace as you go. Return to the battle, and let it play out until the end. End with a shot of Gunny leading a charge of Marines.

The song linked HERE is Natural Life. I needed a song to go with the recent Chad scene I wrote, and this fit quite well, IMO.

*Music starts up, guitar and bass*—A Bradley rolling through streets

*Drums join* --Ramp lowers, Locklear, Chad, Abernathy, and Rob all run out, vomit from stench.

*“Hold still”*--Quick montage of the first house

*“All of my life, all of my time”*--Entering second house

*“I don’t wanna come back round tonight”*--Chad looking into the second doorway

*“And all that I need, is serenity”*--Zoom to his eye, pan slowly around to the back of his head.

*“I don’t wanna feel your new disease”*--Zoom out from the back of his head to show the room beyond as well

*“The natural life, you’re born, you die”*--He hits the floor, head in his hands.

*“The natural life, you’re wrong, you’re right”*--Back downstairs, Rob and Locklear. Rob lifts his gun and heads off-camera.

*“The natural life, you’re born, you die”*--Rob joining Chad in the hallway.

*“The natural life’s a lie!”*--Rob kneeling down, putting his hand on Chad’s shoulder.

*“All of my lies, swallow your pride,
I don’t wanna come back round tonight,
And all that I need, is serenity,
I don’t wanna feel your new disease”*--The church scene.

*“RIGHT!”*--Fast forward to that night, Rob and Chad digging the grave.

*“You’re right, I could never lie,
Let me go,
Try to find a home,
And I can’t wait,
Try to stay awake,
Dead inside,
Bothered by the lie,
Well alright”*--Rob putting the cross at the head of the grave, moving back to sit on the porch steps.

*“The natural life, you’re born, you die
The natural life, you’re wrong, you’re right,
The natural life, you’re born, you die,
The natural life’s a lie!”*--Chad goes over to the steps, sits down. Puts his head in his hands and cries.

*Rest of the song* Zoom out on the two figures on the porch to show the ruined city.