PANEL 2

FLYBOY

NOOO… FALLING…

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

UFFF….

PANEL 4

AMANDA

HE DIDN’T HIT THE GROUND! AND HE’S NOT BURNT OR ANYTHING THAT I CAN SEE!

TEEN SPOOKY

BUT WHAT’S HE DOING? HE’S JUST FLOATING THERE.

AMANDA

I-I THINK HE’S JUST STUNNED!

PANEL 1

FLYBOY

MAXIMUM SPEED!

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

AHHH!

SFX

BZZZZZZT!

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

HOLY CRAP! MITCH!

PANEL 1

FLYBOY

Umm. GOOD.

PANEL 2

AMANDA

AND I’M COUNTING ON YOU TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE HERE. FOR ALL OF US.

(cont)

GOOD LUCK.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

WHAT?

PANEL 5

AMANDA

NOTHING. JUST STAY FOCUSED.

PANEL 6

FLYBOY

ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO!

PANEL 1

AMANDA

THAT PLAN… IS ACTUALLY PRETTY SMART, SPOOKY. AND SURPRISINGLY CAUTIOUS.

TEEN SPOOKY

I CAN BE SMART, YOU KNOW!

(cont)

MOST OF THE TIME, I’M SMART!

PANEL 2

TEEN SPOOKY

AND IT GETS BETTER! WHILE I’M DOING MY THING, YOU’LL STAY RIGHT BEHIND ME, AND IF MY MAGIC DOESN’T WORK, WE TRY A LITTLE HOT LEAD FROM THE BEST SHOT AT THE BAY CITY RANGE.

(cont)

HE WON’T BE ABLE TO DEFEND AGAINST BOTH MAGIC AND MARKSMANSHIP AT THE SAME TIME! SMART!

PANEL 3

AMANDA

SPOOKY, I AM WILLING TO USE THIS, BUT I BROUGHT IT AS A LAST RESORT. WE’RE STILL KIDS, DOING THIS ALL ON OUR OWN, NO EXSEC SANCTION.

(cont)

THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH MY MOM WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT US.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

RIGHT. SORRY. WELL, HOW ABOUT YOU JUST STAY BEHIND UP HERE AND ACT AS A LOOKOUT THEN?

(cont)

MAYBE KEEP US ALL CONNECTED TELEPATHICALLY. CAN YOU DO THAT?

FLYBOY

SHE CAN, BUT THE LAST BAD-ASS MAGIC USER WE FOUGHT COULD TAP INTO IT.

(cont)

AMANDA IF YOU NEED ME TO DO SOMETHING, JUST SAY IT OUT LOUD. MY SUPER-HEARING WILL PICK IT UP.

PANEL 5

AMANDA

GUYS, NO WAY AM I STAYING BEHIND. THESE PEOPLE KIDNAP AND MURDER LITTLE CHILDREN, AND THE BAD GUY’S COMING FOR SPOOKY.

(cont)

I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO SAY OUT LOUD WHAT USING A GUN WOULD MEAN. THIS ISN’T THE MOVIES.

(cont)

BUT I’VE GOT YOUR BACK. ALL THE WAY.

PANEL 6

FLYBOY

DON’T WORRY, YOU WON’T NEED THAT. FUTURE-YOU KNOWS EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT GUNS, AND YOU DON’T CARRY ONE. EVER.

(cont)

WE GET THE GIRL AND GET OUT. THIS IS THE KIND OF THING I’VE BEEN TRAINED FOR. TRUST ME. I’VE GOT THIS.

PANEL 7

TEEN SPOOKY

WE TOTALLY TRUST YOU, MITCH.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

SHADES MCEVIL MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT I PREPARED LAST NIGHT, BUT IT SEEMS HE HAS A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT I CAN DO IN GENERAL.

(cont)

BUT HE DIDN’T SEEM TO KNOW YOU.

PANEL 2

TEEN SPOOKY

I CAN’T BRING OUT MY BIG GUNS WITH THE GIRL OUT THERE — SHE COULD GET HURT — BUT WE NEED TO SAVE HER. NOW.

(cont)

DO YOU THINK YOU COULD USE YOUR SUPERSPEED TO GET HER A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY? LIKE BACK TO MY OFFICE?

FLYBOY

HE OBVIOUSLY KNOWS I CAN FLY. AND FAST.

(cont)

BUT HE SHOULDN’T KNOW I CAN INSTANTLY COPY MY MOMENTUM TO ANYTHING I TOUCH.

(cont)

SO YEAH, WITH ENOUGH SPACE TO RAMP UP, I COULD BLAST IN THERE AT MACH 2, SNATCH HER, AND GET US HALFWAY BACK INTO THE CITY IN A FEW SECONDS. NEITHER HE OR HIS CREW WOULD EVEN HAVE ANY TIME TO REACT.

PANEL 3

AMANDA

WELL, THAT’S PRETTY COOL.

(cont)

HOW’S YOUR ARM?

FLYBOY

IT HURTS. MORE THAN LAST NIGHT, BUT NOT BAD, REALLY. AND NO GLOW. I CAN DO THIS.

(cont)

I’LL STILL GRAB HER WITH MY LEFT HAND, JUST IN CASE.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

GREAT!

(cont)

GRABBING THE GIRL SHOULD GET SHADES TO SHOW HIMSELF, HOPEFULLY WITH THE ARTIFACT. ONCE HE DOES, I’LL KEEP MY DISTANCE, STAY UNDER COVER, AND LOB A FEW SPECIAL TREATS I’VE PREPARED FOR HIM.

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

ONE IN PARTICULAR I HAVE VERY HIGH HOPES FOR.

(cont)

IF IT WORKS, AWESOME. HE’LL BE OUT OF COMISSION AND MOPPING UP THE MINIONS SHOULD BE EASY. THEN WE CAN GET THE ARTIFACT FOR MITCH AND HOPEFULLY LOCK DOWN AMBROSIA’S BROTHER WITHOUT HIM GETTING HURT.

PANEL 6

TEEN SPOOKY

IF NOT, THEN WE BOLT. JUST GETTING DANIELA SAFE WOULD BE A BIG WIN, AND WE NEED ONE OF THOSE.

(cont)

HOW SHADES HANDLES MY POTIONS WILL STILL TELL ME MORE ABOUT HIM.

(cont)

AND AFTER, WE’LL BE ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT DANIELA KNOWS. MAYBE EVEN WHERE HE’S KEEPING THE ARTIFACT, WHICH WOULD BE EVEN MORE GOOD “INTEL,” RIGHT?

PANEL 2

AMANDA

I SEE DANIELA.

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

BUT NO BROTHER AND NO ARTIFACT. AT LEAST NOT VISIBLE.

FLYBOY

SHE’S THE BAIT THAT’D BE MOST LIKELY TO GET YOU.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

YEAH.

(To Amanda:)

ANYONE INVISIBLE LURKING ABOUT IN THE OPEN? READING ANY THOUGHTS WHERE THERE SHOULDN’T BE ANY?

AMANDA

I CAN’T READ ACTUAL THOUGHTS FROM HERE, BUT I CAN SENSE PEOPLE.

(cont)

AND NO.

(cont)

THERE ARE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN THE PARK WHOSE MINDS ARE BOUNCING ALL OVER THE PLACE. AT LEAST A DOZEN, PROBABLY MORE, HERE AND HERE. BUT I’M PRETTY SURE WE JUST SAW THE ONLY ONES OUTSIDE.

PANEL 5

FLYBOY

WHAT DO YOU THINK OUR PLAN OF ATTACK SHOULD BE?

AMANDA

WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME? YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES WITH ACTUAL FIELD EXPERIENCE. I’M JUST HERE TO HELP.

(cont)

AND TO CALL FOR THE CAVALRY IF THINGS GO SOUTH.

PANEL 6

TEEN SPOOKY

Um, I’VE GOT A PLAN. CAME UP WITH IT RIGHT NOW, ACTUALLY!

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

C’MON, MITCH.

(cont)

BE SMART.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

HA! OK. WELL, ALL WE DID WAS KISS. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A DEAL.

(cont)

IT CAN BE JUST A ONE-TIME THING, IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT. OR JUST “ONE OF THOSE THINGS.” WHATEVER. NOT A DEAL AT ALL.

PANEL 2

TEEN SPOOKY

STILL FRIENDS?

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

ABSOLUTELY! ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!

(cont)

GOOD FRIENDS! AND TEAMMATES!

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

COOL.

(cont)

AMANDA’S GOING TO BE HERE SOON. I’LL GRAB THE FIRST SHOWER, AND THEN YOU CAN USE IT, OK?

FLYBOY

OK.

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

I’M SORRY FOR PUSHING IT, MITCH. I JUST… FELT REALLY CLOSE TO YOU, I GUESS, AND WANTED TO SHOW IT.

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

SPOOKY, I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING LAST NIGHT I DIDN’T WANT TO DO. FOR REAL.

PANEL 3

FLYBOY

FUTURE-YOU IS LIKE MY BIG BROTHER. A MENTOR. MAYBE EVEN MY IDOL IN SOME WAYS.

(cont)

WITH TEEN-YOU, IT FEELS DIFFERENT. A LOT DIFFERENT. OBVIOUSLY.

PANEL 4

FLYBOY

BUT THE SMART THING IS TO STAY FOCUSED NOW. NO DISTRACTIONS.

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

AND YOU LIKE TO DO THE SMART THING.

PANEL 6

FLYBOY

WHEN WE’RE ABOUT TO FACE A BIG-BAD ON HIS OWN TURF, Uh, YEAH!

PANEL 1

TEEN SPOOKY

Brrr! GOOD MORNING!

PANEL 2

FLYBOY

MORNING.

PANEL 3

TEEN SPOOKY

IS EVERYTHING, Uh… OK?

FLYBOY

SURE. OF COURSE.

PANEL 4

TEEN SPOOKY

RIGHT. IT’S JUST, Uh, YOU’RE NOT ACTUALLY LOOKING AT ME AT ALL. NOT REALLY.

(cont)

DID I SCREW UP? SHOULD I NOT HAVE KISSED YOU?

PANEL 5

TEEN SPOOKY

DO YOU… WISH WE HADN’T?

FLYBOY

I…

PANEL 6

FLYBOY

I DON’T KNOW.

(cont)

I MEAN, I THOUGHT I WOULD.

PANEL 7

FLYBOY

THIS COMPLICATES THINGS. BOTH IN THE FUTURE, AND NOW, RIGHT BEFORE A BIG FIGHT.

(cont)

IT’S NOT ME BEING SMART.