PANEL 4:
A) COMMANDER: WELL DONE!
PANEL 5:
A) COMMANDER: ALL RIGHT GUYS, LET’S MOVE IN AND HELP THESE PEOPLE!
PANEL 6:
C) TSUNAMI: AFTER ALL THAT FIRE, THAT BUILDING’S NOT GOING TO BE STABLE…
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: WE COULD SWAP ORIGIN STORIES.
B) ANNIHILATOR: THAT’S ALWAYS A GOOD ICE BREAKER.
PANEL 2:
C) KYLE: YEAH. WITH ME, NOT SO MUCH.
D) KYLE: MY ORIGIN STORY… IT’S, UH, NOT A VERY GOOD ONE…
E) ANNIHILATOR: HOW ABOUT THE NAME THEN? DID YOU CHOOSE “RED HOT” YOURSELF OR WAS IT GIVEN TO YOU?
PANEL 3:
F) KYLE: THAT WOULD BE ME. AND I KNOW IT’S STUPID.
G) KYLE: MY ONLY EXCUSE IS I WAS TWELVE, ALL MY FRIENDS CALLED ME “RED” AND I HAD NO IDEA HOW PORN STAR IT WOULD SOUND.
PANEL 4:
H) ANNIHILATOR: HA! I ACTUALLY DON’T THINK IT’S ALL THAT BAD.
I) ANNIHILATOR: CERTAINLY NO MORE SILLY THAN “THE ANNIHILATOR”, NO?
J) ANNIHILATOR: IF THAT’S NOT OVERCOMPENSATING, I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS.
K) KYLE: HEH. YEAH, MAYBE.
L) KYLE: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU CHOSE IT?
PANEL 5:
M) ANNIHILATOR:OH, I WAS PRETTY YOUNG TOO.
N) ANNIHILATOR: TWENTY-SIX… TWENTY-SEVEN…
PANEL 6:
O) KYLE: RIGHT. AND… UH… HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW?
P) ANNIHILATOR: I’M FIFTY-EIGHT, KYLE.
PANEL 1:
A) SFX: PUFF…
PANEL 2:
B) KYLE: GOD DAMN IT! WHAT’S THE RANGE OF THAT STUPID DAMPENER THING?!
PANEL 3:
C) HUNTER: MY CYBER-EARS CAN HEEEAR YOU…
PANEL 4:
D) SFX: BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!
PANEL 5:
E) KYLE: GOD! CRAP! CRAP!
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: YOU’D NEED TO BE SOMEPLACE COMPLETELY SAFE.
B) ANNIHILATOR: WITH SOMEONE YOU COULDN’T HURT.
PANEL 2:
C) KYLE: YEAH. AND THOSE GUYS AREN’T EXACTLY-
PANEL 3:
D) ANNIHILATOR: SOMEONE INVULNERABLE TO FIRE.
E) KYLE: UH… YEAH.
PANEL 4:
F) ANNIHILATOR: SOMEONE WHO COULD BRING YOU SOMEPLACE FAR FROM OTHER PEOPLE.
G) ANNIHILATOR: WHERE NO ONE WOULD EVEN HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING HARMED IN ANY WAY.
PANEL 5:
H) KYLE: YEAH. THAT WOULD BE WHAT I’D NEED.
I) KYLE: IF I WERE GOING TO RISK… LETTING GO LIKE THAT AGAIN.
PANEL 1
FLYBOY
C’MON, GUYS! THIS TOTALLY ISN’T FAIR!
PANEL 2
SPOOKY JONES
I COULD SUMMON A DEMON TO EAT THE COMPUTER, IF YOU WANT…
PANEL 3
COMMANDER (OFF)
NO ONE IS SUMMONING ANYTHING TO EAT ANY OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND THAT’S FINAL!
PANEL 4
SPOOKY JONES
IT WOULD JUST BE A VERY SMALL DEMON!
COMMANDER (OFF)
NO!
PANEL 1
KYLE
SPOOKY DESERVES IT.
(cont)
HE’S SAVED A TON OF PEOPLE, HE’S WON DOZENS OF FIGHTS, ALL ON HIS OWN…
PANEL 2
KYLE
EVEN IN MY CASE, I GET IT.
(cont)
BEFORE COMMANDER FOUND ME, I WAS KIND OF A MESS. I WANTED IT FOR THE WRONG REASONS.
PANEL 3
KYLE
BUT YEAH, SOMETIMES THEY REALLY ARE UNFAIR.
(cont)
LIKE WITH PAUL, THEY ACTUALLY TOLD HIM FLAT-OUT HE’D DO MORE HARM THAN-
PANEL 4
KYLE
CRAP! I MEANT, LIKE, UH, WITH-
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
FLUKE?
PANEL 6
ANNIHILATOR
ALSO KNOWN AS PAUL NICHOLAS JACKSON OF 197 ADSIT COURT. AND ONE OF TWO OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS.
(cont)
YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO DID HIS HOMEWORK, LITTLE HERO.
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 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
KYLE
LET’S FACE IT, I’M NOT WHO YOU THOUGHT I WAS. NOT BY A LONG SHOT.
PANEL 2
FLUKE
I SAID WE WERE BEST FRIENDS BECAUSE I MEANT IT.
KYLE
I KNOW. I’M JUST SAYING…
PANEL 3
FLUKE
I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SAYING. AND IT’S EVEN STUPIDER THAN YOU THINKING A GUY CALLED THE ANNIHILATOR WOULD BE A FUN DATE!
PANEL 4
FLUKE
SURE, I’M PISSED AT YOU FOR DOING THIS DUMB THING. I’M EVEN MORE PISSED YOU DIDN’T TALK TO US ABOUT IT FIRST.
BUT MOSTLY I’M PISSED OFF THAT SOMEONE WOULD DO THIS TO YOU!
I CAN’T EVEN WRAP MY MIND AROUND IT, I’M SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO RIP HIS GOD DAMNED HEAD OFF!
PANEL 5
KYLE
I’M THE ONE WHO SAID YES TO IT. HE DIDN’T FORCE ME. I DID THIS.
PANEL 1
BAKER
GOOD TO MEET YOU.
I WAS TOLD NOT TO TOUCH IT UNTIL YOU ARRIVED.
PANEL 2
PANEL 3
CHARLEYBOY
WELL, YOU ARE A BEAUTY.
WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?
PANEL 4
TUTT
UNIFORMS PICKED UP THE BOY NEAR THE DOCKS THREE HOURS AGO.
PARKER
HE WAS JUST STUMBLING AROUND, STARK NAKED, CARRYING THIS THING BY ITS HAIR.
PANEL 5
CHARLEYBOY
LIKE THIS?
PARKER
YEAH.
PANEL 6
CHARLEYBOY
ANYTHING?