PANEL 1
TSUNAMI
WE NEED MITCH TO HELP US RIGHT NOW, BUT IF IT WERE UP TO ME, FRANKLY, YOU TWO WOULDN’T EVEN BE ON THE BOAT.
PANEL 2
KYLE
GORDON, I’M NOT A CHILD ANYMORE. AND, “THE FACT IS” IF IT COMES TO A FIGHT, THERE’S NO WAY I’M STAYING OUT OF IT.
PANEL 3
KYLE
I MADE THIS HAPPEN. AND I’M GOING TO MAKE IT RIGHT!
TSUNAMI
UH, HUH. AND THAT’S GREAT, EXCEPT: THIS ISN’T ABOUT YOU — IT’S ABOUT SAVING THE WORLD!
PANEL 4
TSUNAMI
YES, YOU DID MAKE THIS HAPPEN. AND MAYBE THAT WAS JUST TREMENDOUSLY POOR JUDGMENT, OR MAYBE IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE. EITHER WAY, YOU’RE THE LAST PERSON WE’D WANT DOWN THERE. FOR ALL WE KNOW, YOU COULD MAKE THINGS A LOT WORSE.
PANEL 5
FLUKE
WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?
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
KYLE
I WAS ABLE TO BURN HIM. WHEN I WAS IN HELL.
I’M PRETTY SURE I COULD DO IT AGAIN.
FLUKE
AND MY BEST FRIEND HAS JUST BEEN TOTALLY SCREWED OVER. I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER BEEN THIS CHARGED UP.
PANEL 2
FLYBOY
AND I’VE BEEN LEARNING TO USE MY POWERS TO LAUNCH-
PANEL 3
PANEL 4
KYLE
UFF!
FLUKE
MITCH!
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
LET’S JUST KEEP OUR EYES ON THE ROAD, OK, DUDE?
FLYBOY
SORRY, GUYS.
PANEL 6
FLYBOY
JUST — I CAN BE USEFUL…
PANEL 1
TSUNAMI
THE ANNIHILATOR AND THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS ARE STONE-COLD KILLERS WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AND NEARLY INFINITE RESOURCES. IF WE WERE TO ENGAGE THEM, WE WOULD NOT ONLY FAIL, WE’D ALSO ALMOST CERTAINLY ALL DIE.
SPOOKY JONES
BUT YOU’RE STILL PLANNING FOR THAT OPTION. JUST IN CASE.
PANEL 2
SPOOKY JONES
US IN THE FIGHT, I MEAN.
NOT THE DYING, SO MUCH.
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
AS A LAST RESORT. YES.
PANEL 4
TSUNAMI
TO DELAY THEM LONG ENOUGH FOR THE MILITARY TO GET THERE. IF IT COMES TO THAT.
COMMANDER
WE’LL DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
BUT LET’S NOT GET AHEAD OF OURSELVES. WE HAVE TO FIND THEM FIRST.
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
DOWN TO TWENTY-TWO POTENTIAL LOCATIONS…
PANEL 1
COMMANDER
WE’LL BE BRINGING THE FULL MIGHT OF THE AMERICAN MILITARY DOWN ON THEIR HEADS.
I’D HARDLY CALL THAT WASHING OUR HANDS OF THIS.
PANEL 2
FLUKE
BUT YOU’RE SAYING WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE ACTUAL FIGHT…
PANEL 3
TSUNAMI
THAT’S RIGHT, PAUL. WE DON’T FIGHT. WE’RE A SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM.
PANEL 4
FLUKE
A SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM WHO DRILLS FOR COMBAT THREE DAYS A WEEK! ARE WE JUST DOING ALL THAT FOR THE EXERCISE?
TSUNAMI
AS FAR AS YOU’RE CONCERNED, YEAH.
PANEL 5
MCU, TSUNAMI.
TSUNAMI
I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING, BUT THIS ISN’T THE MOVIES WHERE A BAND OF PLUCKY KIDS TAKE ON OVERWHELMING ODDS AND SAVE THE DAY.
THIS IS REAL LIFE.
PANEL 6
SPOOKY JONES
THAT’S BETTER. I CAN ALREADY RULE OUT TEN OF ‘EM.
POINT US AT 2 O’CLOCK AND STEADY AS SHE GOES.
FLYBOY
O.K.
PANEL 1
CAPTION
“AS FOR HUNTER AND KILLER, THEY HAVEN’T BEEN RECOVERED. THEY’RE COMPLETELY IN THE WIND.”
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
UNLESS WE ARE SOMEHOW ABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE KONTARI… OR TRACK DOWN THOSE TWO NUTBALL VIGILANTES — NEITHER OF WHICH IS VERY LIKELY — THAT OPTION IS COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE.
PANEL 3
SPOOKY JONES
GET US TO ABOUT 5000 FEET AND HEAD SOUTH.
FLYBOY
ROGER THAT.
PANEL 4
PANEL 5
PANEL 6
FLUKE
SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT–YOU’RE SAYING THE PLAN IS TO JUST HAND THIS OFF TO THE ARMY. WE’RE NOT EVEN GOING TO CONSIDER BEING PART OF THE EFFORT TO STOP THESE GUYS?
PANEL 1
FLUKE
AND THEN WHAT?
COMMANDER
AND THEN THEY HAVE WELL-THOUGHT OUT CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR THIS SORT OF THING:
DRONE STRIKES, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, ADVANCED WEAPONRY… EVEN NUCLEAR OPTIONS, IF IT COMES TO THAT.
PANEL 2
SPOOKY JONES
WELL, THEN, LET’S JUST HOPE THEY AREN’T DOING THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF L.A.
PANEL 3
FLYBOY
WHAT ABOUT THAT POWER DAMPENING BALL THAT KYLE SAW? DO THEY HAVE ANY OF THOSE?
PANEL 4
COMMANDER
YES, THAT WOULD BE HANDY…
I’D NEVER HEARD OF THAT KIND OF TECH BEFORE SO I ASKED AROUND.
APPARENTLY, TWO EXPERIMENTAL PROTOTYPES WERE CREATED BY EXSEC, BASED ON KONTARI SCIENCE.
PANEL 5
CAPTION
“A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, BOTH WERE STOLEN ALONG WITH ALL OF THE RESEARCH MATERIAL.”
“AND THE KONTARI ASSET WAS KILLED IN THE THEFT.”
PANEL 1
CAPTION
92 MINUTES LATER.
COMMANDER
HOW’S IT COMING?
SPOOKY JONES
THERE’S A LOT OF DARK MAGIC BEING CAST RIGHT NOW. TONS MORE THAN USUAL.
THE PLATINUM PRIESTESS MUST HAVE GOT THE CRAZIES TO STEP IT UP.
PANEL 2
COMMANDER
WE HAVE TO ASSUME SHE’S BEEN PLANNING THIS FOR MONTHS, YEARS EVEN.
SPOOKY JONES
OR LONGER.
SHE’S GOOD. I KNOW IT HAS TO BE TAKING PLACE IN THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES, BUT RIGHT NOW, THERE’S AT LEAST FORTY OR FIFTY POTENTIAL RITUAL SITES IT COULD BE HAPPENING AT.
PANEL 3
COMMANDER
BUT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FIND THEM?
SPOOKY JONES
SHE’S GOOD, BUT SO AM I. ONCE WE’RE IN THE AIR, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO NARROW IT DOWN TO TWO OR THREE POTENTIAL LOCATIONS.
PANEL 4
COMMANDER
I NEED ONE, SPOOKS. KEEP WORKING ON IT.
TSUNAMI
AND WHEN WE FIND THEM, WHAT’S YOUR PLAN?
PANEL 5
COMMANDER
I CAN’T GIVE THE MILITARY MULTIPLE STRIKE TARGETS. WE DON’T HAVE ANYWHERE NEAR THAT KIND OF CRED, EVEN WITH MY MOTHER’S HELP.
BUT IF I CAN GIVE THEM ONE LOCATION, CONSIDERING THE STAKES, THEY WILL CHECK IT OUT.
PANEL 1
SPOOKY JONES
BUT ONLY I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH THIS TIME. JUST ME.
I MADE SURE OF THAT.
PANEL 2
CHARLEYBOY
ARE YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, SON? NOTHING FOLLOWED YOU?
SPOOKY JONES
YES, MA’AM.
COMMANDER
HE’S SURE, MOM.
PANEL 3
BOXER
HEY, LOOK AT THAT! YOU GOT HIM TALKING!
DO WE HAVE A NAME?
PANEL 4
BOXER
WHOA.
PANEL 5
SPOOKY JONES
YEAH. WE HAVE A NAME, DETECTIVE BOXER.