PANEL 1
COMMANDER
THAT’S WHY WE’RE HERE, ISN’T IT?
CHARLEYBOY
SWEETHEART, OF COURSE YOU’RE RIGHT, BUT THE HEAD… WE DO NEED TO KNOW IF THERE’S AN IMMINENT THREAT.
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
NOT RIGHT NOW, MOM, OK? JUST GIVE US ANOTHER-
PANEL 3
SPOOKY JONES
NO…
NO. IT’S OK…
PANEL 4
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
IT WAS.. IT’S CALLED A KARAURA DEMON.
THEY… GUARD THE GATES.
PANEL 6
SPOOKY JONES
AND YEAH, THERE ARE OTHER DEMONS…
HERE. ON EARTH.
THE WALLS. THEY’RE WEAKENING.
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
YOU’RE NOT CRAZY. YOU’RE NOT A MONSTER. I’D KNOW.
AND YOU WON’T HAVE TO FACE ANY MORE DEMONS, INSIDE OR OUT, BY YOURSELF EVER AGAIN. I PROMISE.
PANEL 2
TUTT
IS EVERYTHING OK IN HERE? WE HEARD…
PANEL 3
TUTT
GOOD GOD!
PANEL 4
COMMANDER
EVERYTHING’S FINE, DETECTIVES.
JUST GIVE US A LITTLE MORE TIME, OK?
PANEL 5
PARKER
SURE. ALL HUGS AND KISSES, HUH?
HAVE YOU GOT HIM TO ACTUALLY SAY ANYTHING OR ARE WE JUST THROWING TABLES AROUND FOR NOW?
PANEL 6
COMMANDER
I’M NOT GETTING HIM TO DO ANYTHING.
HE’S A STAND-UP GUY AND HE NEEDS OUR HELP.
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
MAYBE YOU HAVE. THAT THING YOU JUST DID — THAT WAS MAGIC , RIGHT?
THEY SAY EVERYONE MIXED UP WITH MAGIC IS CRAZY. DANGEROUS CRAZY. THAT USING IT EVEN ONCE MAKES YOU THAT WAY.
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
I CAN READ MINDS. I DO SEE WHAT’S INSIDE YOU.
AND YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I SEE?
PANEL 3
CAPTION
“I DON’T SEE YOU BECOMING A MONSTER WHERE YOU WERE — “
“– I SEE YOU FIGHTING THEM.”
PANEL 4
CAPTION
“WHAT I SEE IS A VERY BRAVE LITTLE GUY WHO GOT LOST SOMEWHERE AWFUL FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AND WHO DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE AND GET HOME.”
PANEL 5
COMMANDER
AND THAT’S WHERE YOU ARE, RIGHT NOW. ON EARTH.
PANEL 6
COMMANDER
YOU DID IT. THIS ISN’T A TRICK. THE NIGHTMARE’S FINALLY OVER. YOU REALLY ARE HOME.
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
…
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
I KNOW YOU FEEL THAT WAY RIGHT NOW.
YOU’RE UPSET, CONFUSED… MAKES SENSE, CONSIDERING…
PANEL 4
COMMANDER
LOOK, I AM REALLY SORRY FOR READING YOUR MIND WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.
AND THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WISHED… I COULDN’T DO WHAT I CAN DO.
TO KNOW WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK OF YOU… TO BE ABLE TO BADLY HURT SOMEONE, JUST BY THINKING THE WRONG THOUGHTS…
PANEL 5
COMMANDER
BUT THEN I REALIZED I WASN’T EVER GOING TO BE LIKE OTHER KIDS AND THAT IT WAS MY CHOICE WHAT TO DO WITH MY… GIFT.
THAT YEAH, I COULD HURT PEOPLE. BUT THAT I COULD ALSO DO A LOT OF GOOD WITH IT. THAT IT WAS STILL ME, STILL MY OWN MIND, AND SO I COULD LEARN TO CONTROL IT.
PANEL 6
COMMANDER
AND HONESTLY? MY OPINION?
I THINK WHAT YOU DID JUST NOW WAS FIVE KINDS OF AWESOME.
A BIT MESSY, YEAH, BUT AWESOME.
PANEL 7
SPOOKY JONES
YOU’RE REALLY NICE. AND PRETTY.
BUT I’VE DONE THINGS. BAD THINGS.
PANEL 1
SPOOKY JONES
YOU DON’T KNOW!
PANEL 4
SPOOKY JONES
YOU SEE?! THAT’S WHAT’S INSIDE ME! THAT’S ALL THAT’S LEFT INSIDE ME!
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
YOU DON’T GET IT.
NOW, I’M A MONSTER TOO.
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
…BY HIDEOUS MONSTERS…
SPOOKY JONES
YOU CAN READ MINDS.
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
YES. YES, I CAN.
AND I’M SORRY. I USUALLY DON’T POKE AROUND IN PEOPLE’S HEADS. WE NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT THEN…
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
YOU SEEMED LIKE A GOOD GUY AND I WAS JUST WORRIED FOR YOU.
PANEL 4
SPOOKY JONES
YOU KNOW, THEY’RE RIGHT ABOUT WHAT THEY SAID.
ABOUT ME.
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
I AM DANGEROUS.
COMMANDER
I DON’T THINK THAT’S TRUE.
PANEL 6
SPOOKY JONES
IF YOU KNEW… WHAT I CAN DO… EVEN WHEN I DON’T WANT TO…
COMMANDER
I DON’T SCARE EASILY.
NOT WHEN THERE’S A GOOD PERSON WHO NEEDS MY HELP!
PANEL 1
CAPTION
“YOU WERE STANDING ON A LARGE ROCK, HOLDING A SLICE OF BIRTHDAY CAKE ON A PAPER PLATE…”
PANEL 2
CAPTION
“AND THERE WAS A BIG CANDLE ON THE CAKE… WITH THE NUMBER 13…”
“IT WAS DARK. THICK SMOKE WAS EVERYWHERE. IT SMELLED LIKE ROTTEN EGGS.”
PANEL 3
CAPTION
“AND THEN YOU WERE SURROUNDED BY… BY…”
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR NAME WAS, BUT YOU DON’T KNOW IT ANYMORE, DO YOU?
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
YOU WERE SENT SOMEPLACE AWFUL AND YOU REMEMBER EVERYTHING FROM BEFORE — YOUR FAVORITE FOODS, EVEN T.V. SHOWS — BUT NOT ANYTHING ABOUT WHO YOU WERE.
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
AND FOR SOME REASON, YOU’RE SURE YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO REMEMBER.
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
BRAVE MAN.
MY NAME’S AMANDA, BY THE WAY.
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
IT’S COOL IF YOU DON’T WANT TO TELL ME YOUR NAME. TALKING’S OVER-RATED ANYWAY.
THE COPS WON’T BUG US FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR. I’M DOWN WITH JUST SITTING HERE QUIETLY, EATING JUNK FOOD, IF YOU WANT.
PANEL 7
COMMANDER
OH, MY GOD…
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU’VE HAD SOMETHING THAT GOOD, HUH?
WELL, I’VE GOT THREE MORE WE CAN SHARE.
PANEL 4
COMMANDER
LIKE I SAID, YOU LOOKED HUNGRY.
AND IF YOU DON’T THINK I’VE GOT GIRL COOTIES, YOU CAN DRINK SOME OF MY SODA TOO.
PANEL 6
SPOOKY JONES
I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOUR COOTIE