PANEL 1
KYLE
I SCREWED UP, PAUL. I REALLY, REALLY SCREWED UP. I NEED YOU TO COME GET ME.
PANEL 2
FLUKE
O.K.
PANEL 3
KYLE
AND… DO YOU THINK YOU COULD BRING ME SOME GOD-DAMNED CLOTHES?
PANEL 5
CAPTION
57 MINUTES LATER.
PANEL 1
FLUKE
JUST ME, BUDDY!
PANEL 2
FLUKE
HEY, YOU DON’T SOUND SO GOOD.
(cont)
YOU ALL RIGHT?
KYLE (OFF)
NO… I’M IN TROUBLE… I NEED YOUR HELP.
PANEL 3
FLUKE
CRAP! O.K.! DON’T WORRY! I’M LOCKING ONTO YOUR LOCATION!
PANEL 4
FLUKE
I CAN HAVE THE ENTIRE TEAM TO YOU IN… FORTY-FIVE MINUTES! ARE YOU INJUR-
KYLE (OFF)
NO! STOP!
PANEL 5
KYLE (OFF)
DON’T CALL ANYBODY!
PANEL 6
FLUKE
WHAT’S GOING ON, KYLE? GPS SAYS YOU’RE IN THE MOUNTAINS…
PANEL 5
FLUKE
HEY, HEY, THERE, BIRTHDAY BOY! IT’S KINDA LATE. ALL THAT CAKE YOU ATE KEEPING YOU UP?
PANEL 6
KYLE
PAUL… IS IT JUST YOU THERE…? OR IS THERE ANYONE ELSE?
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
IF YOU COULD UNDERSTAND THAT, PERHAPS YOU WOULD ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IT CAN SEEM WORTH ANY PRICE TO PREVENT THAT DAY FROM COMING.
(cont)
EVEN STRIKING A BARGAIN WITH A FOUL CREATURE LIKE THAT.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
I WILL NOT ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS FOR WHAT I’VE DONE.
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
BUT THERE ARE THINGS… I AM NOT PROUD OF. THINGS I WISH COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED… DIFFERENTLY.
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
YOU SHOWED ME A POSSIBILITY OF HAPPINESS I HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT WAS BEYOND MY GRASP.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
AND YOU DESERVED… FAR BETTER TREATMENT.
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
I AM NOT A MAN WHO HAS REGRETS.
(cont)
I HAVE RARELY FELT THE NEED TO DEFEND MY ACTIONS.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
THERE ARE GREAT AND TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. THINGS YOU HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF.
(cont)
THREATS THAT MAKE THE SO-CALLED “CRISIS” LOOK LIKE A CHILD’S TEA PARTY.
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
I COULD TRY TO EXPLAIN THOSE THREATS TO YOU… IN SOME ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY WHAT I’VE DONE HERE.
(cont)
SO YOU COULD SEE…
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
BUT I WON’T HIDE BEHIND THAT. I BEGAN THIS IN LARGE PART FOR SELFISH REASONS.
(cont)
AND WHAT MATTERS IS THAT IT WAS MY SELFISHNESS THAT TRULY ALLOWED ME TO DO THIS TO YOU.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BECOME… WEAKER, EVERY DAY.
(cont)
FOR YOU TO SEE YOUR OWN END… EVER NEARER. TO KNOW THAT SOMEDAY, EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE, WILL BE GONE FOREVER.
PANEL 1
LAAMPROS
YOU HAVE MY MARK.
(cont)
FAIL ME AND I WILL DESTROY YOU.
PANEL 1
LAAMPROS
TUT, TUT, TUT. THERE IS NO REASON FOR YOU TO WEEP, SMALL ONE.
(cont)
YOUR TIME IS JUST BEGINNING.
PANEL 2
LAAMPROS
I SEE NOW THAT YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL, STRONG BOY. EVERYTHING ONE COULD HOPE FOR IN A PRINCE OF HELL.
(cont)
AND YOU WILL SERVE ME VERY WELL IN THE NEW WORLD…
PANEL 3
PANEL 4
LAAMPROS
MY DARLING SON.
PANEL 5
LAAMPROS
IT IS DONE.
(cont)
OPEN THE DOOR TO YOUR WORLD TO ME AND YOU WILL HAVE WHAT YOU ASKED FOR.
PANEL 2
KYLE
NO… GOD… GOD DAMN IT…
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
HE… HE BURNED ME.
(cont)
HE ACTUALLY HURT ME!
PANEL 4
LAAMPROS
HIS STRENGTH IS… IMPRESSIVE.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
GAHHHH!