PANEL 1

AMANDA

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO TRACK DOWN THAT SECURITY GUARD MITCH KNEW. KANYA JEY.

(cont)

I’VE GOT AN ADDRESS, WHO SHE WORKS FOR, AND EVERYTHING.

PANEL 2

TEEN SPOOKY

GREAT. THAT MEANS WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO TRACK THE ARTIFACT AND SHADES.

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

AND, UM, WHAT’S THE BAD NEWS?

PANEL 4

AMANDA

THIS MORNING, WHILE CASSIDY WAS WHIPPING UP SOME BREAKFAST, AMBROSIA COLD-COCKED HER.

PANEL 5

AMANDA

OUR FEMME FATALE IS BACK IN THE WIND.

PANEL 1

AMANDA

UH, HEY, GUYS. I HEARD SHOUTING.

(cont)

EVERYTHING OK?

PANEL 2

TEEN SPOOKY

YEAH. IT’S FINE. WE’RE DONE.

AMANDA

UH, HUH. YOU DON’T LOOK FINE.

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

I SAID, WE’RE DONE.

(cont)

MITCH AND I JUST NEEDED TO CLEAR THE AIR. MY HEAD’S NOW IN THE PLACE IT NEEDS TO BE.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND IN THE REAL WORLD.

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

WERE YOU ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH CASSIDY?

AMANDA

YEAH. I WAS.

(cont)

AND I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME BAD NEWS.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

BUT IT TURNS OUT, YOU’RE NOT SO STRONG, ARE YOU? TURNS OUT YOU’RE ACTUALLY KIND OF A COWARD. AND A LIAR.

(cont)

THE KIND OF GUY WHO MAKES EXCUSES AND PRETENDS THEY’RE SACRIFICES, NO MATTER WHO GETS HURT.

PANEL 2

FLYBOY (SMALL)

THAT’S NOT FAIR.

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

YEAH, WELL, MAYBE IT’S NOT.

(cont)

AND MAYBE I’M BEING SOME “HORMONAL TEENAGER” RIGHT NOW. BUT I’M JUST REALLY, REALLY DISAPPOINTED!

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

AND MAYBE I WAS ASKING FOR TOO MUCH. BUT WITH EVERYTHING AT STAKE, I GUESS I JUST NEEDED ONE, STUPID, CHILDISH THING RIGHT NOW.

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

I NEEDED TO NOT BE SO WRONG ABOUT WHO YOU REALLY ARE.

PANEL 1

FLYBOY

SPOOKY…! THAT’S NOT…!

(cont)

WHY ARE YOU GETTING SO ANGRY?

PANEL 2

TEEN SPOOKY

THAT BOY WHO’S LIVING WITH YOU — YOU TOLD ME YOU BROKE UP WITH HIM FOR “HIS OWN GOOD.”

(cont)

NOW I’M WILLING TO BET YOU DID PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING WITH YOUR FIRSTTIME GUY, TOO. THE ONE YOU SAVED.

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

I’M RIGHT, AREN’T I? IN FACT, THAT’S PRETTY MUCH WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENS, ISN’T IT?

FLYBOY (SMALL)

I’M A SUPERHERO. I HAVE TO PUT OTHER PEOPLE FIRST. LOOK OUT FOR THEM.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

NO, MITCH. WE’RE HUMAN BEINGS. WE’RE NOT BETTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE. WE DON’T GET A PASS TO AVOID REAL LIFE AND OUR OWN FEELINGS.

(cont)

OR OTHER PEOPLE’S FEELINGS.

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I’M ANGRY?

(cont)

BECAUSE THE WHOLE WORLD MIGHT END TOMORROW!

PANEL 6

TEEN SPOOKY

BECAUSE I’M SCARED, MITCH.

(cont)

BECAUSE I THOUGHT MAYBE I HAD FOUND SOMEONE WHO WAS STRONG ENOUGH FOR ME TO PULL CLOSE FOR JUST, LIKE, FIVE MINUTES, SO I WOULDN’T HAVE TO FEEL SO TOTALLY ALONE RIGHT NOW!

(cont)

LIKE I ALWAYS DO.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

I’M GOOD?!

(cont)

A LITTLE WHILE AGO YOU SAID I WAS READY TO MURDER SOMEONE! WHEN I DIDN’T HAVE TO!

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

I TOLD YOU THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS — SIRCEA — IS A MONSTER–

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

NO, MITCH. SHE MIGHT BE MESSED UP. AND CRAZY DANGEROUS. BUT SHE’S STILL A HUMAN BEING. WITH FREE WILL. AND HER LIFE MATTERS JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE’S.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES SOMETHING A MONSTER? LOTS OF POWER WITHOUT ANY LOVE BEHIND IT.

(cont)

YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I KNOW THAT? BECAUSE THAT WAS ME WHEN I WAS IN HELL! BEFORE I MET SOMEONE WHO SHOWED ME I COULD BE DIFFERENT. THAT THERE WERE THINGS WORTH PROTECTING AND CARING ABOUT. AND LIVING FOR.

PANEL 5

FLYBOY

YOU MEAN ANAADO…

PANEL 6

TEEN SPOOKY

RIGHT. MY GREATEST SECRET, AND OF COURSE YOU WOULD ALREADY KNOW ALL ABOUT HIM!

PANEL 7

TEEN SPOOKY

YEAH, THAT’S WHO I MEAN.

(cont)

AND NO, I’M NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD GET WITH ME TO SAVE ME FROM MYSELF. THAT WOULD BE THE SUCKIEST REASON EVER.

(cont)

BUT DON’T PRETEND LIKE YOU’RE DOING ME OR THE UNIVERSE ANY FAVORS WITH THIS SELF-DENIAL CRAP!

PANEL 1

FLYBOY

WELL, YEAH! THAT, TOO!

(cont)

AND IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE UNIVERSE. THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED!

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

SPOOKY, IN MY FUTURE, YOU’RE WITH SOMEONE. A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.

(cont)

YOU AND ME GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT THE OTHER NIGHT, BUT STARTING SOMETHING REAL WITH YOU JUST WOULDN’T BE RIGHT!

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

UH, HUH. SO, IT’S NOT THE TIMELINE, OR BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE FIVE SECONDS FOR YOU TO JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU REALLY FEEL, IT’S SO YOU DON’T BETRAY YOUR FRIEND.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

AND HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN WITH THEM?

FLYBOY

A FEW MONTHS. YOU DON’T MEET UNTIL A LOT LATER.

(cont)

IT’S THE FIRST REAL RELATIONSHIP FOR BOTH OF YOU. THAT’S ANOTHER REASON I CAN’T RISK MESSING WITH IT.

(cont)

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT MY FRIEND. YOU GUYS ARE A REALLY GOOD FIT. I’M DOING THIS FOR YOU, TOO, SPOOKY!

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

BECAUSE YOU’VE DECIDED, FOR PURELY NOBLE REASONS, THAT IT’S BETTER THAT I’M ALONE, WITHOUT LOVE, FOR YEARS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THAT MIGHT DO TO ME.

PANEL 6

FLYBOY

SPOOKY, C’MON! IN THE FUTURE, YOU’RE NOT, LIKE, UNHAPPY OR ANYTHING!

(cont)

YOU’RE GOOD!

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR WHERE YOU’RE COMING FROM, SPOOKY. BUT WE’VE BEEN AWAY FROM AMANDA WAY TOO LONG ALREADY.

(cont)

WE’LL TALK MORE AFTER THIS IS ALL DONE.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

YOU’RE REALLY NOT GOING TO SAY IT, ARE YOU?

PANEL 5

FLYBOY

I TOLD YOU. I CAN’T.

(cont)

WE CAN’T ACT LIKE HORMONAL TEENAGERS IN SOME B-MOVIE. WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT. THE STAKES ARE JUST TOO HIGH.

TEEN SPOOKY

NO TIME, HUH?

(cont)

I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T WANT TO CHANGE THINGS, SO THE UNIVERSE DOESN’T BREAK.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

AT LEAST, NOT THE AWFUL PART. YOU KNOW I CAN’T PROMISE NOT TO BRING THE STUPID.

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

Ha Ha Ha!

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

GOD, YOU MAKE IT SOUND SO EASY, SPOOKY.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD. YOU JUST SAY WHAT’S INSIDE YOU AND TRUST THINGS WILL WORK OUT.

(cont)

LIKE THIS:

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

I REALLY LIKE YOU, MITCH. MORE THAN A FRIEND. AND IF WE’RE TOGETHER, I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING WE CAN’T DO.

(cont)

SO, LET’S BE TOGETHER.

PANEL 6

TEEN SPOOKY

SEE? NOT SO HARD.

(cont)

NOW, YOU.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

BUT HAVE YOU THOUGHT THAT MAYBE CHANGING THE FUTURE WOULDN’T BE SO BAD?

(cont)

YOU WERE PRETTY FREAKED OUT WHEN YOU GOT HERE. MAYBE THAT BAD STUFF DOESN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN.

PANEL 2

TEEN SPOOKY

MAYBE A LOT OF BAD STUFF DOESN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN.

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

WE COULD MAKE THINGS WORSE.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

WE CAN ALWAYS MAKE THINGS WORSE.

(cont)

BUT FROM WHAT I’VE SEEN, IT HAPPENS A BUNCH LESS OFTEN IF YOU MAKE CHOICES BASED ON LOVE. ESPECIALLY OVER FEAR.

FLYBOY

PEOPLE HAVE DONE A LOT OF AWFUL AND STUPID THINGS IN THE NAME OF LOVE.

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

WE WON’T.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

I KNEW IT!

(cont)

SO, YOU’RE SAYING YOU DO HAVE FEELINGS FOR ME?

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

YOU’RE NOT BEING FAIR, SPOOKY!

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

HOW AM I NOT BEING FAIR?

PANEL 4

FLYBOY

BECAUSE IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT I FEEL. I CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I SHOULDN’T EVEN BE THINKING ABOUT IT!

(cont)

I CAN’T CHANGE THE TIMELINE!

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

AFTER EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE, ARE YOU REALLY STILL WORRIED ABOUT THAT?

FLYBOY

THAT’S JUST IT. BEING ABLE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE DOESN’T MAKE ANY LOGICAL SENSE. BUT I DON’T KNOW!

(cont)

AND I CAN’T KNOW! NOT WHEN MAGIC IS INVOLVED!

PANEL 6

TEEN SPOOKY

RIGHT.

(cont)

BECAUSE MAGIC PLAYS BY THE RULES OF EMOTIONS, NOT LOGIC. WHICH I’M BEGINNING TO GET MIGHT PUT IT OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.