PANEL 1
KYLE
GOD DAMN IT! DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH, SPOOKY!
I JUST ENDED THE WORLD!
PANEL 2
SPOOKY JONES
LAST I CHECKED, THE WORLD WAS STILL OUT THERE.
PANEL 3
KYLE
NOT FOR LONG! THANKS TO ME, IT’S GOING TO BE HANDED OVER ON A PLATTER TO SOME HUGE, EVIL DEMON!
PANEL 4
KYLE
EXCEPT THE AMERICAS WHICH WILL BE RULED OVER BY THE ANNIHILATOR AND THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS, OF COURSE…
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
HOLD UP. BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR SUIT ON, I WANT TO CHECK YOU OVER TO MAKE SURE THERE AREN’T ANY LASTING EFFECTS OR INJURIES FROM THE SPELL.
THAT OK?
PANEL 6
KYLE
SURE. OK.
PANEL 1
SPOOKY JONES
AND HERE’S THE THING: IF YOU DON’T LET THIS MESS YOU UP, SOMEDAY, YOU’LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO LOVE AGAIN.
AND A GUY LIKE YOU? NEXT TIME, I’D BET GOOD MONEY SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY DESERVES YOU WILL LOVE YOU BACK.
PANEL 2
SPOOKY JONES
THIS TOTALLY SUCKED. I GET IT.
BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE WILL PROBABLY.
PANEL 3
SPOOKY JONES
BUT IF YOU DON’T GIVE UP, IF YOU DON’T BUY INTO SOME BULLSHIT CONCLUSIONS ABOUT YOUR FATE, BELIEVE ME, REALLY GOOD THINGS WILL HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE.
PANEL 4
KYLE
YOU’RE SAYING YOU’VE SEEN THE FUTURE AND IT’S HAPPILY EVER AFTER FOR ME, HUH?
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
I’M SAYING YOU’RE A HERO, KYLE.
AND HEROES DON’T LET THE MONSTERS WIN.
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
TSUNAMI
PAUL, LOOK, HOPEFULLY YOUR EXTRA LUCK WILL HELP US FIND THEM QUICKLY. BUT JUST TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, THERE’S NO WAY ANY OF YOU ARE GOING TO DIRECTLY ENGAGE EITHER THE ANNIHILATOR OR THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS.
PANEL 2
TSUNAMI
IF THINGS START TO GO DOWN, MITCH IS GOING TO FLY THE THREE OF YOU BACK TO HQ AND WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT.
FLUKE
COMPLETELY ON YOUR OWN? LIKE HELL YOU WILL!
PANEL 3
TSUNAMI
ONLY TWO MEMBERS OF THIS ENTIRE TEAM HAVE EVER SEEN ANY REAL COMBAT–AND THAT’S AMANDA AND SPOOKY.
PANEL 4
TSUNAMI
I DON’T CARE HOW MANY DRILLS YOU’VE HAD, A REAL FIGHT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM SOME MAKE-BELIEVE EXERCISE, AM I RIGHT?
COMMANDER
THAT’S TRUE.
PANEL 5
TSUNAMI
NOW I’M GOING TO OFFER WHATEVER SUPPORT I CAN, BUT I’M SORRY: THE FACT IS, THE REST OF YOU ARE CHILDREN. AND AMANDA AND I ARE YOUR LEGAL GUARDIANS.
THERE’S NO WAY WE’RE GOING TO EXPOSE YOU TO A COMBAT SITUATION. IT’S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
PANEL 1
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
AND LAAMPROS IS HARDLY BESTIAL. HUMANS CAN ONLY SERVE HIS LEGIONS’S PRIMARY APPETITES IF THEY ARE ALIVE.
THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION SHOULD EASILY SURVIVE THE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS IT WILL TAKE FOR ME TO REPAIR THE WALLS, DESTROY HIM AND RETURN HIS KIND BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG.
PANEL 2
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
THE ALTERNATIVE IS A HELL ON EARTH WITH EVERY QUARTER FILLED WITH RAVENOUS MONSTERS FOR ALL OF ETERNITY — AND I RATHER DON’T THINK YOUR LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS WOULD CARE MUCH FOR THAT, EITHER.
PANEL 3
ANNIHILATOR
YES, YES. YOU’RE RIGHT.
IF WHAT YOU SAY IS TRUE, THEN I SUPPOSE THERE REALLY IS NO OTHER CHOICE.
PANEL 4
ANNIHILATOR
CERTAINLY NO ONE ELSE WOULD BE CAPABLE OF DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE.
THEY WOULDN’T HAVE THE STOMACH FOR IT.
PANEL 5
ANNIHILATOR
BUT SURELY YOU’LL FORGIVE ME IF I CHOOSE NOT TO FEEL GIDDY ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING TONIGHT?
PANEL 6
PLATINUM PRIESTESS
OF COURSE, MY DEAR.
BECAUSE FEELING BAD ABOUT SAVING THE WORLD AND LIVING FOREVER IS SO MUCH MORE RATIONAL.
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
I’LL TRY HITTING HER WITH A PSYCHIC BLAST AT THE SAME TIME AS THE GATE IS KNOCKED OVER.
SHE’S STRONG SO IT PROBABLY WON’T DO MUCH, BUT IT MIGHT THROW HER OFF BALANCE.
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
SHE DIRECTS HER POWER THROUGH HER STAFF WHICH MAKES IT ESSENTIALLY A DISTANCE WEAPON. AND THAT MEANS THE MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM WITH DISTANCE POWERS WILL NEED TO ENGAGE HER FIRST.
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
KYLE AND GORDON, ONCE THAT GATE IS DOWN, START BLASTING AT THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS WITH ALL YOU GOT.
NO HEROICS HERE. YOU JUST NEED TO KEEP HER OFF-BALANCE AND AWAY FROM SPOOKY AND THE REST OF US.
PANEL 4
CAPTION
“IF YOU SEE AN EASY WAY TO SET THE BOOK ON FIRE OR OTHERWISE INTERFERE WITH THE RITUAL, HAVE AT IT, BUT NEUTRALIZING THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS IS YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY.”
PANEL 5
TSUNAMI
I THINK I CAN DO THAT.
KYLE
DON’T WORRY. WE’LL KEEP HER BUSY.
COMMANDER
GREAT.
PANEL 6
COMMANDER
IN THE MEANTIME, FLUKE, YOU AND I ARE GOING HAND-TO-HAND AGAINST THE DUDES IN BLACK ROBES.
PANEL 1
KYLE
STAY ON MISSION, KYLE. YOU HAVE A JOB TO DO.
PANEL 4:
A) ROY: HEH. YOU AREN’T SO SCARY.
PANEL 5:
B) BOB: STOP MESSING AROUND, ROY…
PANEL 6:
C) ROY: LOOK – HOW OFTEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET UP CLOSE TO ONE OF THESE THINGS?
D) BOB: YOU’RE GOING TO GET US IN TROUBLE. CUT IT OUT.
PANEL 1:
A) DEACON: MY FEELINGS…
B) DEACON: VERY WELL.
C) DEACON: I FELT… SATISFACTION. RELIEF. ANGER.
PANEL 2:
D) MAVEN: ANGER?
E) DEACON: I DID BELIEVE HIM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF MY SHIP AND THE DEATH OF MY COMRADES.
F) DEACON: AT LEAST IN PART.
PANEL 3:
G) MAVEN: OF COURSE.
H) MAVEN: NOW, ACCORDING TO THE LAST UPDATE, HE IS CLAIMING TO HAVE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
PANEL 4:
I) DEACON: HE’S ALIVE, THEN?
PANEL 5:
J) MAVEN: YES.
PANEL 6:
K) DEACON: OF COURSE HE WOULD BE.
L) DEACON: HE’S BEING INTERROGATED RIGHT NOW.
M) DEACON: LIKE ME.
PANEL 7:
N) MAVEN: NO, NOT EXACTLY LIKE YOU.
O) MAVEN: ALTHOUGH WE ARE THE FIRST TO INTERVIEW HIM.
PANEL 1:
A) MAVEN: BY NOW, YOU KNEW HE WAS THE ONLY ONE LEFT — WHY NOT COMPLETE YOUR MISSION, SHUT DOWN AND WAIT FOR RETRIEVAL?
PANEL 3:
B) MAVEN: DEACON, I AM ASKING YOU A DIRECT QUESTION AND YOU WILL GIVE ME AN HONEST ANSWER!
PANEL 4:
C) DEACON: HE WAS NO THREAT… HE WAS COMPLETELY UNDER MY CONTROL… THERE WAS NO POINT IN KILLING HIM.
PANEL 5:
D) MAVEN: BUT THOSE WERE YOUR ORDERS.
E) MAVEN: YOU TELL ME YOU’RE A GOOD SOLDIER AND YET BARELY TWO WEEKS ON THIS PLANET YOU WERE IGNORING ORDERS — WHY?
F) DEACON: IT’S… IT’S DIFFICULT TO SAY.
PANEL 6:
G) MAVEN: TRY.
PANEL 7:
G) DEACON: I… I SUPPOSE I WANTED TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM.
H) MAVEN: YOU SUPPOSE? AND WHY WOULD YOU WANT THAT?