PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: THEN I’M OFF!
PANEL 2:
B) ANNIHILATOR: HONESTLY, I FIND MYSELF RATHER GIDDY.
C) ANNIHILATOR: NEW POSSIBILITIES DO MAKE ONE FEEL… YOUNG.
D) PRIESTESS: OF COURSE THEY DO, DARLING.
PANEL 4:
E) PRIESTESS: AND REALLY, WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE?
PANEL 1:
A) PRIESTESS: WHY HE SEEMS VERY SWEET, DUNCAN.
B) PRIESTESS: BUT THEN, MOST SMALL CHILDREN DO AT FIRST.
C) ANNIHILATOR: AS MUCH AS I’D LIKE TO SPAR WITH YOU, SIRCEA, YOU KNOW FULL WELL I SHOULDN’T KEEP THE BOY WAITING.
D) ANNIHILATOR: DO YOU HAVE WHAT I ASKED FOR?
PANEL 2:
E) PRIESTESS: YES. IT SHOULD WORK ON HIM.
PANEL 3:
F) PRIESTESS: BUT HE’S NOT A MUTANT, THERE’S NO ALIEN DNA AND CERTAINLY NO CONVENTIONAL MAGIC.
G) ANNIHILATOR: SO…?
PANEL 4:
H) PRIESTESS: SO NOTHING. THE OLD RULES ARE VERY DIFFERENT AND ONLY SOLOMON TRULY UNDERSTOOD THEM.
I) PRIESTESS: BUT WHAT YOU SUSPECTED DOES AT LEAST SEEM POSSIBLE.
PANEL 5:
J) ANNIHILATOR: AND YOU HAVE ENOUGH NOW TO FIND OUT FOR CERTAIN?
K) PRIESTESS: I DO.
PANEL 1:
A) KYLE: THAT TICKLES! LIKE… A LOT!
B) KYLE: UM, EVEN ON THE INSIDE!
C) PRIESTESS: DON’T BE A BABY. I’M ALMOST DONE.
PANEL 2:
D) PRIESTESS: THERE. MUCH BETTER.
PANEL 3:
E) ANNIHILATOR: OH, MY. YOU DO DRESS UP…. VERY NICELY, KYLE.
PANEL 4:
F) KYLE: REALLY? UM, THANKS.
PANEL 5:
G) PRIESTESS: AND BEFORE YOU ASK, YOUR REGULAR CLOTHES WILL RETURN TO YOU AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT.
H) PRIESTESS: BIBBITY-BOBBITY-BOO.
I) KYLE: HEH. ALL RIGHT.
PANEL 6:
J) KYLE: SO, UH, HOW DO WE GET TO HONG KONG THEN?
K) KYLE: THROUGH THAT BIG DOOR?
PANEL 7:
L) PRIESTESS: YES. EXACTLY. TOODLES.
M) KYLE: YAAAAAAAAAH!
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: REALLY, SIRCEA. MANNERS.
PANEL 2:
B) PRIESTESS: I APOLOGIZE, DUNCAN.
C) PRIESTESS: THE SUSPENSE OF WHETHER A NIGHT OF DINNER WOULD BE HAD TONIGHT HAS SIMPLY BEEN KILLING ME.
PANEL 3:
D) ANNIHILATOR: WELL THEN, CONNECT THE GATE TO HONG KONG FOR US, MY DEAR, AND YOU MIGHT ACHIEVE SOME SATISFACTION.
PANEL 4:
E) PRIESTESS: NOT WITH HIM DRESSED LIKE HE’S OFF TO THE GYM, I WON’T.
F) PRIESTESS: THIS IS LUK CHOW, OVER TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS A PLATE!
G) PRIESTESS: EVEN IN YOUR COMPANY, I DOUBT THEY’D EVEN LET HIM STAND OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR.
PANEL 5:
H) PRIESTESS: YOUNG MAN, MAY I HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO PUT YOU IN SOME NICE CLOTHES OR DO WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT FOR THE NEXT TWENTY MINUTES?
I) KYLE: WELL… I GUESS IF YOU’RE JUST GOING TO GIVE ME NEW CLOTHES-
PANEL 6:
J) PRIESTESS: THANKS, SWEETIE.
H) KYLE: GAHHH!
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: IT’S DUNCAN.
PANEL 2:
B) ANNIHILATOR: DUNCAN WELLS. FROM BRIGHTON.
C) ANNIHILATOR: NOT SO SCARY, HUH?
D) KYLE: I GUESS NOT.
PANEL 4:
E) KYLE: ALL RIGHT. I’M KYLE. FROM… NOT FAR AWAY FROM HERE.
F) KYLE: AND YEAH, I’VE NEVER BEEN ON A REAL DATE BEFORE… EVER… SO, I GUESS ONE DINNER TOGETHER COULD BE OK.
G) KYLE: MAYBE.
PANEL 5:
H) KYLE: JUST… YOU JUST HAVE TO PROMISE NOT TO SCREW WITH ME, ALL RIGHT?
PANEL 6:
I) PRIESTESS: WELL, THAT LIMITATION WOULD RATHER DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF A DATE, WOULD IT NOT?
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: THIS IS AN INVITATION, NOT A KIDNAPPING!
B) ANNIHILATOR: YOU SAY NO, I’LL LEAVE YOU ALONE AND NEVER BOTHER YOU AGAIN.
PANEL 2:
C) KYLE: UH, HUH. WEREN’T YOU THE ONE WHO TOLD ME NOT TO TRUST YOUR BARGAINS?
D) ANNIHILATOR: HA! I SUPPOSE I DID!
PANEL 3:
D) ANNIHILATOR: BUT BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU, IF YOUR HEART’S NOT IN IT, IT WOULDN’T BE ANY FUN FOR ME EITHER.
E) ANNIHILATOR: SO… WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TAKEN OUT TO A NICE RESTAURANT BY A HANDSOME GENTLEMAN?
PANEL 4:
F) ANNIHILATOR: OR WOULD YOU PREFER TO CONTINUE LOOKING FOR ROMANCE IN BACK ALLEYS?
PANEL 5:
G) KYLE: JEEZ… WHEN YOU PUT IT THAT WAY…
PANEL 6:
H) KYLE: LOOK, I DON’T EVEN KNOW YOUR REAL NAME.
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: AH! EXCELLENT! SO YOU TWO HAVE MET.
B) KYLE: NO. SPOOKY’S JUST, UM, TOLD ME ABOUT HER…
PANEL 2:
C) PRIESTESS: ALL GOOD THINGS, I TRUST.
PANEL 3:
D) KYLE: NOT REALLY…
PANEL 4:
E) ANNIHILATOR: THEN PERHAPS YOU’LL BE WILLING TO FORM YOUR OWN OPINION.
F) ANNIHILATOR: SIRCEA WILL BE PROVIDING US WITH TRANSPORTATION TO THE FAR EAST.
PANEL 5:
G) ANNIHILATOR: THAT IS, IF YOU’RE STILL INTERESTED, OF COURSE.
H) KYLE: DO I ACTUALLY HAVE A CHOICE?
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: OH. HONG KONG.
PANEL 2:
B) KYLE: WAIT. HONG KONG HONG KONG?
C) KYLE: I KNOW YOU’RE SUPER POWERFUL AND ALL THAT, BUT I DON’T THINK EVEN YOU CAN LEAP THAT FAR.
PANEL 3:
D) ANNIHILATOR: YOU’RE RIGHT. I CAN’T.
E) ANNIHILATOR: BUT YOU AREN’T THE ONLY ONE WITH FRIENDS.
PANEL 4:
F) PRIESTESS: HELLO THERE… RED HOT.
G) KYLE: THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS!
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: HAVE YOU EVER HAD TRULY AUTHENTIC CHINESE?
PANEL 2:
B) KYLE: SURE, SPOOKS HAS TAKEN US TO SOME REAL RESTAURANTS.
C) KYLE: I LIKE IT, I GUESS.
PANEL 3:
D) ANNIHILATOR: EXCELLENT! I KNOW JUST THE PLACE THEN.
PANEL 4:
E) KYLE: WAIT A MINUTE!
F) KYLE: I HAVEN’T SAID YES, YOU KNOW!
PANEL 5:
G) ANNIHILATOR: YOU HAVEN’T SAID NO, EITHER.
H) ANNIHILATOR: AND THIS RESTAURANT IS VERY SPECIAL.
I) ANNIHILATOR: GREAT VIEW. STELLAR SERVICE. TRULY SUBLIME DIM SUM.
J) ANNIHILATOR: WHICH GRANTED IS TRADITIONALLY BREAKFAST FOOD, BUT I AM AN ANARCHIST, AFTER ALL.
K) ANNIHILATOR: AND IT’S OUT OF TOWN SO YOU WON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR… REPUTATION.
PANEL 6:
L) KYLE: UH, HUH. LIKE HOW FAR OUT OF TOWN?
PANEL 1:
A) ANNIHILATOR: I’M HERE — TO ASK YOU OUT TO DINNER.
PANEL 2:
B) KYLE: WAIT. WHAT?! LIKE… ON A DATE?
C) ANNIHILATOR: YES. ON A DATE. TONIGHT. WITH ME.
PANEL 4:
D) ANNIHILATOR: TRADITIONALLY, WHEN ONE IS ASKED OUT TO DINNER BY A GENTLEMAN, IT IS CONSIDERED A KINDNESS TO GIVE A RESPONSE.
PANEL 5:
E)ANNIHILATOR: EVEN IF THE ANSWER IS “NO”.
PANEL 6:
F) KYLE: I… UM…
G) KYLE: WHERE WOULD YOU EVEN WANT TO GO?