PANEL 1

ANNIHILATOR

SPARE ME YOUR GAMES.

AFTER ALL WE’VE INVESTED, YOU WOULD NEVER ALLOW ME TO DO THAT.

PANEL 2

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

OH, I SEE! IS THAT WHAT YOU’RE TELLING YOURSELF NOW?

THAT THE MEAN, OLD WITCH IS MAKING YOU DO THIS?!

PANEL 3

ANNIHILATOR

SETTLE DOWN.

PANEL 4

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

NO, DUNCAN.

YOU SEEM TO BE LABORING UNDER SOME HEAVY FOG OF DELUSION WHICH I THINK SHOULD BE LIFTED.

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

OR WHAT?

PANEL 2

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

DUNCAN, THERE IS MUCH LEFT TO DO AND MY PATIENCE WITH THIS MOOD OF YOURS IS NOW AT ITS END.

PANEL 3

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

IF YOUR CONSCIENCE IS REALLY TROUBLING YOU THIS MUCH, THEN GO.

PANEL 4

ANNIHILATOR

WITHOUT ME, YOU CAN’T COMPLETE THE RITUAL.

PANEL 5

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

THAT’S RIGHT.

WE CAN CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF.

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

OF COURSE! THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SOME ILLUSIONS OF MORALITY.

YOU’RE REHEARSING!

PANEL 2

THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS, FULL SHOT.

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

IF ONLY HE COULD UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DID WHAT HAD TO BE DONE!

PANEL 3

CU, THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS, SAME POSE.

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

IF ONLY HE KNEW HOW MUCH IT TORTURES YOU…

PANEL 4

PANEL 5

ANNIHILATOR

I DO NOT FIND YOUR TONE AMUSING.

YOU WOULD BE WISE TO WATCH WHAT YOU SAY TO ME.

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

YOU SPENT SUCH INTIMATE TIME TOGETHER…

PANEL 2

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

AN IDEALISTIC LITTLE GALAHAD…

SO INNOCENT, SO SWEET, SO PURE…

PANEL 3

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

PERHAPS EVEN A BIT LIKE YOU BEFORE THE WORLD REVEALED ITS TRUE COLORS…

PANEL 4

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

A BOY YOU USED. WHO TRUSTED YOU COMPLETELY…

WHOSE TENDER, LITTLE HEART YOU BROKE…

PANEL 5

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

YOU ACTUALLY DEVELOPED FEELINGS FOR HIM, DIDN’T YOU?

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

DUNCAN, I’VE NEVER SEEN YOU LIKE THIS!

CONSUMED WITH DOUBT AT THE LAST MINUTE.

QUESTIONING YOURSELF LIKE SOME NEUROTIC.

PANEL 2

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

QUESTIONING ME.

PANEL 3

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

WRACKED WITH… WHAT IS THIS?

GUILT?

PANEL 4

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

YOU’VE KNOWN FOR YEARS WHAT THIS WOULD INVOLVE. WHAT THE COSTS WERE…

WHY ALL THIS NOW?

PANEL 5

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

THIS COULDN’T BE ABOUT THE BOY, COULD IT?

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.

PAGE 53 (6 PANELS)

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

DON’T BE AN INFANT! I WANT MY IMMORTALITY BACK AND THE POWER THAT WAS STOLEN FROM ME RESTORED. YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER.

WE SHOULD BE ROYALTY ON THIS PLANET! WORSHIPPED! AND INSTEAD WE SKULK IN SHADOWS!

PANEL 2

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

WE ARE RISKING EVERYTHING. ONE FALSE STEP AND WE WILL BOTH BE DESTROYED.

OF COURSE THERE ARE REWARDS! WHY SHOULDN’T THERE BE?

PANEL 3

ANNIHILATOR

BECAUSE, MY DARLING, WHAT WE DO HERE WILL PLACE THE LIVES OF BILLIONS OF PEOPLE INTO THE CLUTCHES OF UNTHINKABLE MONSTERS!

PANEL 4

ANNIHILATOR

WOMEN… CHILDREN… BY THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS WILL SUFFER AND DIE BECAUSE OF WHAT WE — WHAT I AM PLANNING TO DO IN JUST A FEW SHORT HOURS.

AND YOU ACT LIKE THAT MEANS NOTHING!

PANEL 5

FULL SHOT, THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS.

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

WHEN YOU LIVE AS AN IMMORTAL, YOU COME TO REALIZE THAT THEY ALL SUFFER AND DIE EVENTUALLY.

PANEL 6

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

WOMEN AND CHILDREN RECEIVE NO SPECIAL DISPENSATION.

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

IT IS TRUE, FOR THE MOMENT, HE DOES INDEED SEEM TEMPORARILY UNAFFECTED BY THE CURSE…

PANEL 2

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

BUT SPOOKY JONES IS LITTLE MORE THAN A PRURIENT CHILD! HE WAS NOT ALIVE WHEN THE WALLS WERE BUILT. I WAS.

IT WOULD TAKE HIM DECADES TO EVEN COMPREHEND WHAT WE’RE UP AGAINST!

PANEL 3

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

AND EVEN IF HE COULD SOMEHOW MASTER THE REQUISITE KNOWLEDGE, HE WOULD NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY POWER TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE.

WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS WHAT MUST BE DONE. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY.

PANEL 4

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

INDULGE IN ESCAPIST FANTASIES IF YOU MUST, BUT ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS WILL NOT OCCUR BEFORE IT’S FAR TOO LATE.

IF THE WALLS SHRED ON THEIR OWN, NO ONE, NOT EVEN ME, WILL EVER BE ABLE TO REPAIR THEM.

WE ACT TONIGHT OR OUR WORLD RETURNS TO BEING JUST ANOTHER RING OF HELL. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

PANEL 5

ANNIHILATOR

BECAUSE OF COURSE, THAT’S OUR TRUE AND ONLY MOTIVATION… TO SAVE THE WORLD…

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

DON’T BE STUPID. NOTHING HAS CHANGED!

PANEL 2

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

THE GREY WORKING HAD MANY UNFORESEEN REPERCUSSIONS. IT MAY HAVE WEAKENED ME, BUT IT RENDERED EVERY OTHER HUMAN ON EARTH WITH TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF MAGIC DANGEROUSLY INSANE.

PANEL 3

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

THERE IS NO ONE ELSE! WE HAVE SIMPLY RUN OUT OF TIME.

I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN REPAIR THE WALLS. I NEED MUCH MORE POWER BEFORE I CAN DO THAT. AND THAT MEANS THAT TEMPORARILY — AND IN A WAY WE CONTROL — THIS WORLD NEEDS TO CONTAIN A GREAT DEAL MORE ARCANE POWER FOR ME TO DRAW ON.

PANEL 4

ANNIHILATOR

BUT THAT’S JUST IT! WHAT IF YOU WEREN’T ALONE…

THE BOY’S FRIEND — THE JONES BOY — HE USES MAGIC AND SEEMS… COHERENT…

PANEL 1

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

AND SO, WHAT, YOU’RE NOW FEELING A BIT … EVIL?

IS THE BLACK HAT SUDDENLY RESTING A BIT HEAVY ON YOUR BROW?

PANEL 2

ANNIHILATOR

I MAY BE A GREAT MANY THINGS, BUT YES, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I AM NOT AN EVIL MAN…

PANEL 3

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

OH, DARLING, OF COURSE YOU AREN’T!

THE VERY DEFINITION OF “EVIL” HAS ALWAYS BEEN LITTLE MORE THAN PROPAGANDA, “MARKETING” AS YOU MIGHT SAY, CREATED BY SMALL MEN IN POWER TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER IGNORANT MASSES.

PANEL 4

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

I HAVE LIVED FOR OVER 6000 YEARS AND I PROMISE YOU THAT WHAT WAS CONSIDERED “GOOD” BACK WHEN I WAS YOUR TENDER AGE WOULD TURN YOUR STOMACH FAR MORE THAN WHAT YOU ARE DOING HERE AND NOW.

PANEL 5

TWO SHOT, FOCUS ON THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS.

PLATINUM PRIESTESS

IF WE DO NOTHING, IF WE WAIT UNTIL THE WALLS ARE TORN OPEN, IT WILL BE TOO LATE.

YOU KNOW THIS.

PANEL 6

ANNIHILATOR

YES, YES. I AGREE, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE.

BUT YOU’VE SAID YOURSELF THAT UNHAPPY OUTCOME COULD BE YEARS AWAY!

PANEL 7

ANNIHILATOR

WE STARTED DOWN THIS PATH OVER HALF A DECADE AGO, WHEN WE HAD TO ACT ALONE.

BUT PERHAPS NOW, THINGS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT…