PANEL 1
KYLE
I… I WON’T-! {URRH} GOD DAMN YOU, I WON’T-! {URRGH}
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
WHAT IS THIS?!
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
YOU SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO MOVE AT-
PANEL 4
KYLE
BASTARD!
ANNIHILATOR
AHHH!
PANEL 5
KYLE
I… WON’T… LET… YOU… I… WON’T… LET… YOU…!
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
YOU WILL HAVE A KINGDOM ON EARTH. BILLIONS OF MORTAL SOULS TO USE AND DEVOUR.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE WANTED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
PANEL 3
LAAMPROS
YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!
(cont)
YOU ARE A CHILD, AFRAID OF THE DARK, BEGGING THE NIGHT SKY FOR THE SUN ON A PLATTER!
PANEL 4
LAAMPROS
BUT I FIND YOUR TERMS… ACCEPTABLE.
PANEL 5
LAAMPROS
THE KEY. YOUR ARM. AND THE BARGAIN WILL BE STRUCK.
PANEL 6
KYLE
Nooooo….
PANEL 1
LAAMPROS
THAT TOY ALONE WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO PASS THROUGH THE WALLS OF BLOOD AND PAIN, LITTLE MAGGOT.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
YOU ARE, OF COURSE, VERY WISE, GREAT LAAMPROS.
(cont)
BUT PREPARATIONS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
SHOULD WE REACH AN AGREEMENT, I’LL ACTIVATE ITS SISTER KEY ON EARTH WHICH WILL ALLOW YOU TO PASS SAFELY
(cont)
AND ONCE YOU ARE THERE, YOU’LL BE ABLE TO BRING ACROSS ANY OTHER FORCES YOU WISH.
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ARE… CONSIDERABLE.
PANEL 5
LAAMPROS
AND THIS IS WHAT YOU OFFER ME IN EXCHANGE FOR AN ETERNITY OF YOUTH FOR YOU AND YOUR WITCH.
ANNIHILATOR
AND-
PANEL 6
LAAMPROS
YES. AND THE “AMERICAN CONTINENTS.”
(cont)
THOSE ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN YOUR… DEMANDS.
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
I BELIEVE IT WILL.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
WHAT I OFFER IS SAFE PASSAGE TO MY WORLD.
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
MEET MY TERMS AND YOU WILL RULE OVER ALL ITS LANDS.
(cont)
SAVE FOR THE AMERICAN CONTINENTS WHICH WILL BE MINE TO DO WITH AS I SEE FIT.
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
WHAT I AM OFFERING… ARE THE KEYS TO PARADISE.
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT MERELY SEEMS… INAPPROPRIATE, MY LORD.
PANEL 2
LAAMPROS
HA HA HA HA!
(cont)
MORTAL DESIRE IS INDEED SUCH AN EXQUISITE SUFFERING.
(cont)
YOU LIVE IN PARADISE, YET SO MUCH PLEASURE IS FORBIDDEN!
PANEL 3
LAAMPROS
VERY WELL. THERE WILL BE TIME ENOUGH TO INDULGE MY CURIOSITY REGARDING THE LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN FLESH.
PANEL 4
LAAMPROS
AND CLEARLY, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO REMAIN HERE LONG.
(cont)
TO “BUSINESS”, THEN, LITTLE MAGGOT.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
I WANT-
LAAMPROS
-IMMORTALITY. YES. YOU WISH TO PRETEND TO GODHOOD.
PANEL 6
ANNIHILATOR
I WANT YOUTH. PERFECT HEALTH WITHOUT END. AND NOT JUST FOR ME.
LAAMPROS
YES, YES… YOUR SOW WILL RECEIVE THE SAME… GIFT.
PANEL 7
LAAMPROS
SHOULD WHAT YOU OFFER SUFFICIENTLY INTEREST ME.
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
THE HUMAN HEART IS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, MY LORD, BUT I’M CERTAIN YOUR TIME IS VERY PRECIOUS.
(cont)
THE BOY HAS SERVED HIS PURPOSE. PERHAPS WE COULD… GET TO BUSINESS…
PANEL 2
LAAMPROS
YOU THINK YOU ARE A CLEVER MAGGOT, BUT WORDS TRICKLE FROM YOUR MOUTH FAR TOO FREELY —
PANEL 3
LAAMPROS
— LIKE LOOSE EXCREMENT FROM A PIG’S ASS.
PANEL 4
LAAMPROS
OH, I SEE.
(cont)
YOU DON’T LIKE ME TOUCHING THIS BOY!
PANEL 5
LAAMPROS
IT WAS A LIBERTY YOU ALLOWED YOURSELF MERE MOMENTS AGO.
PANEL 1
LAAMPROS
THERE IS NOTHING THAT HAPPENS HERE WITHOUT MY ALLOWING IT.
PANEL 2
LAAMPROS
AH, THIS IS WHAT YOU USED TO PIERCE THE PROTECTIONS SURROUNDING YOUR WORLD…
ANNIHILATOR
YES, GREAT LAAMPROS.
PANEL 3
LAAMPROS
IT’S BEEN FAR TOO LONG SINCE I’VE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY… MORTAL PLEASURES.
PANEL 4
LAAMPROS
SO, IT WAS LUST THAT ALLOWED A CREATURE SUCH AS YOURSELF TO USE HIS POWER…
PANEL 5
LAAMPROS
IT IS TELLING THAT SUCH A SMALL BIT OF FLESH CAN MAKE YOU ALL SO WEAK.
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
GREAT LAAMPROS, I AM CALLED THE ANNIHILATOR AND I HUMBLY BEG YOUR FORGIVENESS FOR THIS INTRUSION.
(cont)
I HAVE CROSSED THROUGH THE WALLS OF BLOOD AND PAIN TO SEEK AN AUDIENCE WITH YOU.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT ME.
PANEL 1
KYLE
Hr! Guh! >huff< Guh!
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
DON’T STRAIN YOURSELF. I’M AFRAID YOU ACTUALLY WILL BE UNABLE TO SPEAK FOR SOME TIME.
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
BUT DON’T WORRY. AS I HAVE SAID, YOU ARE PHYSICALLY UNHARMED. AND WHEN THIS IS OVER YOU WILL SUFFER NO LASTING EFFECTS.
(cont)
IT’S JUST PART OF THE BINDING. SIRCEA INFORMED ME IT WOULD TEMPORARILY PARALYZE ALL YOUR VOLUNTARY MUSCLES, INCLUDING YOUR VOCAL CORDS.
(cont)
WHICH I SUPPOSE IS REALLY FOR THE BEST.
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
BECAUSE WITH WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN NEXT, YOUR SILENCE WILL VERY LIKELY BE WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
KATORAH MASHAA BOKKOROCH BA LAAMPROS!
PANEL 1
ANNIHILATOR
OVER THE PAST WEEK, I’VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT AN OLD FABLE, “THE SCORPION AND THE FROG.”
(cont)
IN THAT STORY, THEY BOTH DROWN AND FOR THAT REASON, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A POOR METAPHOR FOR OUR SITUATION.
PANEL 2
ANNIHILATOR
BUT LOOKING AT YOU NOW, THINKING OF OUR TIME TOGETHER… OF WHO YOU TURNED OUT TO BE…
(cont)
THINKING WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN IF THINGS HAD BEEN DIFFERENT…
(cont)
IF I WERE DIFFERENT…
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
BUT I’M NOT.
(cont)
I KNOW WHAT I AM AND I’VE BEEN WHO I AM FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
SENTIMENT MAY BE PLEASURABLE TO INDULGE IN. BUT DESPITE WHAT HOLLYWOOD WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE, IT IS ULTIMATELY A WEAKNESS, NOT A STRENGTH.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
AND I AM NOTHING IF NOT SO VERY, VERY STRONG.
PANEL 6
ANNIHILATOR
AND I FULLY INTEND TO STAY THAT WAY.