46 & 2 Issue Ten

Runaway

46 & 2 Issue 10:

By

Zachary Smith

PAGE 1.  PANEL 1.

Chino is looking out the window a car, he is on the freeway.  The panel should start outside the car, he is looking outside at the things passing him by.

Chino:  “Am I ever going to see them again?”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 2.

Joshua has the window rolled down so that he can smoke.  Chino looks at him, waiting for a response to this question.

Joshua:  “…I don’t know.  When you first showed me that you could do those…things...I thought it was a miracle.  But then my natural paranoia took over.  What if they come get him?  Is he a target now?  Will they ever stop?  I know it’s not fair, what I’m asking you to do, but I think it’s for the best right now.”

Chino:  “At least I get to say a proper goodbye to some people.”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 3.

Myung is asleep in the back of the car.  Chino is looking at her from the front seat.  Joshua is flicking the cigarette out of the window.

Joshua:  “It’s not all bad mate, it’s not like I’m having you live in the woods with nothing to survive on.  You’ll be in San Francisco.”

Chino:  “Tt…I hate it there, and you know it.  Ever since that comic convention you took all of us too, I can’t stand that city.  Thankfully the guys lent me plenty of stuff to read so I won’t have to interact with the general public.”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 4.

He is rolling it up.

Joshua:  “Ahh, quit your whining.  You just need to see the nice parts.”

Chino:  “I’m not whining, I’m just…worried.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so alone.  I’m scared, alone, and in a new place, how should I feel?”

Joshua:  “Aye, I guess I understand how yer feeling.  But you’re alive mate.”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 5.

The car on the road.  They are passing a mileage sign that says 110 miles to San Francisco,  San Jose 101, and Oakland 91.

Joshua:  “Let me tell you about the dead man that you’re going to live with.”

PAGE 2. PANEL 1.

Joshua is walking out of one of the entrances to San Francisco International Airport.  He is younger, a little older than the flash back from Dublin, only about three years.  Jeans, white shirt, Pea Coat, Sunglasses, and a cigarette.  He has a black back pack.  His hair is a little wilder.  He is hailing an airport taxi. 

Caption:  “San Francisco.  1998.”

Joshua Caption:  “I once had this job, and it sent me a lot of places…”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 2.

Joshua is getting out of the cab at a small hotel in the middle of S. Francisco. 

Joshua Caption:  “I was tasked to do something that I didn’t really agree with.  But I was looking to get out of Dublin, and this was enough money to get me out forever.”

Chino Caption:  “This is why you knew how to threaten and torture those guys.”

Joshua Caption:  “Call it what it is boy:  S.A.S.  Scary gentlemen we can be.  I had been discharged a few months earlier and was looking for a new line of work when this former banker offered me a sweet deal.”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 2.

Joshua is talking to a man in a Irish style pub in S Francisco.  The man has on an Irish style hat and vest.  Joshua is handing him money under a pack of cigarettes.

Joshua caption:  “I wasn’t the best man you ever met, not back then.  I was scummy, and violent.  Always down for a row until one night when a man showed me a different future.”

Chino caption:  “Who?”

Joshua:  “I don’t know.   Prolly of got myself killed before now if it wasn’t for him.”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 3.

Joshua is back in his hotel room, he is pulling a gun out the back of his jeans. 

Joshua caption:  “Anyway, I was determined to get out Dublin, and if some poor sod had to bite it, well, then let it be.  Like I said, not so good back then.”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 4.

Joshua stands outside of the San Francisco Chronicle building.  Smoking, watching people exit the building.  It is day time.  A man has walked out last, hitting a person with the door as he exits.  He has a Mohawk/a buzz cut, sleek eye glasses, and some visible wrist and hand tattoos.  He carries a brown laptop/messenger bag.  This is Scorpio Israeli, then known as Warren Frost, ten years ago.

Joshua:  “I was looking for my target, and then he walked out right in front of me.  Which of course he would, because he had no idea I was looking for him.”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 5.

Joshua starts to trail the man.  A dog whines and gets out of the way of Scorpio.

Joshua:  “Though I felt alone, and scared, much like you do now, I knew that I had to get the job done because that would be the only way that I could change my life.  How stupid I was to think that violence was the only way to cause change.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 1.

Joshua tails Scorpio to a bar.  He pauses as Scorpio enters the bar.  Scorpio puts out two cigarettes. 

Joshua caption:  “To be honest, I’d never just killed somebody before.  Not without provocation.  I’ve been shot at and then shot back, but never just walked up to someone and pulled a trigger.  It’s a world of difference, I don’t care how hardened you are.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 2.

Joshua enters the pub, Scorpio can be seen, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, a large scorpion visible on his right arm.  He is talking to a plain clothes detective.  We can tell because of the appearance of a hip holster with a gun.  The detective wears all black, has close cropped hair, like a George Clooney haircut, this is Holden Sullivan.

Joshua:  “Now was the time to see whether or not I could just be a bastard and kill this guy who never did anything to me.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio is talking, there is a tape recorder on the bar table between him and the detective. 

There is one set of almost empty pint glasses on their table.

Scorpio:  “Come on Holden, nothing else?  Really?”

Holden:  “We’ve got a guy we like, but its not sticking, so nothing else right now.”

Scorpio:  “Lisa Valdez’s family needs something, lets put something into the column that looks remotely like hope in this fucked up scenario.”

Holden:  “Wish I could.”

Scorpio:  “Fuck.  My round.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 4.

There are now 4 empty pint glasses, and one in each of their hands.  Joshua still watches, only one empty glass on his table.

Scorpio:  “So you’re half a Mic, you’ll like this.  This buddy of mine over in Dublin is sending me all this info on the Celtic Tiger.  Seems a lot of shit investments are already happening over there and it doesn’t look like anybody is saying anything.”

Holden:  “But you’re going to, aren’t you?”

Scorpio:  “Does the pope fuck little boys?  I just hope he gets back to me soon, I sent him an email and I haven’t heard anything back from him in a few days.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 5.

Joshua looks at his watch, it is 1:30 in the morning.  Holden has left.  Scorpio is yelling pronouncements from the bar top.  The bartender is tugging on his pant leg.

Scorpio:  “I’m going to impregnate you with my brilliance, that’s how amazing my brain is.  I emit sperm level thoughts women folk, beware.”

Bartender:  “Okay Clark Kent, time to go.  You know the rules, on top of the bar means…”

Scorpio:  “…out of the bar.  I know plebian.  I was just warning the women that they might miss their periods after hearing all of my thoughts on Coke vs. New Coke.”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 1.

Scorpio shuffles out of the bar, lighting a cigarette as he gets the door open.

Scorpio:  “Fucking door, when did you get so heavy.”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 2.

Joshua is coming out of the door now.  He is looking at Scorpio as he leaves. 

Joshua caption:  “The time was now or never.  He was going to be walking home alone, I had the right tool for the job.  Time to put an end to him.”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio has a bunch of teenagers, 14, 15 years old, boys and girls, black, white, Asian, Mexican.  Joshua hangs back.

Black kid:  “It’s Warren.”

White kid:  “Hey, hey, Mr. Frost, can we have some cash again, please.”

Scorpio:  “Fuck off.  Get a job.”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 4.

The kids look at the ground disheartened.  Above them there is cash falling from the sky.  The Mexican kid looks up, pointing. 

Scorpio (off panel):  “Miserable bastards, think I’m made of money.  Just cause you’re a prostitute doesn’t mean I feel sorry for you.  No sir.  Bastards.”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 5.

The kids are grabbing the money from the sky, we see Scorpio walking away in the distance, hands stuck in his pocket, hunched over, smoke emitting from him.

Asian kid:  “THANK YOU MR. FROST.”

Scorpio:  “I MEAN IT, GET A FUCKING JOB.”

Joshua caption:  “Some forget about the wee people on the bottom.  When you start to lose touch with those people, how long is it before you begin to think of them as nothing more than an inconvenience?  Something to be…”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 1.

Scorpio stops outside of his building.  He has dropped his keys.

Joshua caption:  “…rid of.”

Scorpio:  “Fucking little pieces of shit, need to put thumb print I.D. on all the doors, catch up with the end of the 20^th century, you fuck heads.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 2.

Joshua begins to move forward, gun out in the right hand.  He has gloves on each hand, he is pulling a ski mask over his head with his left hand. 

Joshua caption:  “Jerusalem was just an inconvenience.  Some git banker in Ireland was doing some dubious business, but only a couple guys were picking up on it.  This was ten years ago, and you see the state Ireland is in now.  Had anybody listened to these guys, then maybe shite would’ve changed.  But…”

Scorpio:  “Or recognize cell phone patterns already you lazy fucks.  Eye scan, or voice recognition.  Lazy assholes, need to catch up with the Japanese.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 3.

Joshua is right over Scorpio, Scorpio is still bent over.  The gun is right behind Scorpio.  We see the silhouette of a man inside of Jerusalem’s building, but we don’t see who it is.

Joshua caption:  “One reporter had already been sorted, and I...I was about to finish the job.”

Scorpio:  “It’s the future, where’s my fucking—“

PAGE 5.  PANEL 4.

Scorpio has spun around and hit Joshua in the face with his messenger bag, the gun fires.  Joshua is being knocked over.

Scorpio:  “—jetpack.”

Joshua caption:  “I was a fucking prat.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 5.

Scorpio is running away into the alleyway next to the apartment building.

Joshua is recovering, getting up from the ground.  Gun at his side.

Joshua caption:  “One gunshot off that shoulda been it.  But now this was going to be a lot more difficult than I thought.  Couldn’t risk another shot.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 1.

Joshua has come into the alley.  He is looking all around him, trying to see into the dark alleyway, there is nothing that can be seen.

Joshua:  “Fucker was crafty.  Didn’t make a sound.  Waited for me to come to him.  Knew he just had to wait me out.  If I was going to shoot wildly, I would have done it when he was running.  He knew I needed…

PAGE 6.  PANEL 2.

Joshua has continued further into the alleyway, we see Scorpio hiding out above him on a fire escape. 

Joshua caption:  “...to be close.”

Joshua:  “I suppose it’s too late to say that I come in peace.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio dangles his book bag above Joshua waiting for the perfect moment to drop it on him. 

Joshua tries to search for Scorpio, still just looking around.

Joshua:  “Who dares win…Yeah right.  I bollixed it up good.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 4.

Scorpio has dropped the bag, we see it falling.

PAGE 6.  PANEL 5.

Joshua gets hit on the back of the head/neck, he cries out in pain.

Joshua:  “AHHH”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 6.

Scorpio has jumped down, Joshua is on the ground.

PAGE 7.  PANEL 1.

Scorpio kicks Joshua’s gun away.

Joshua caption:  “Proper fucked.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 2.

Scorpio stands over Joshua, we are looking up at Scorpio, and all we see is his glasses reflected, and his body is a black outline, we can’t see anything.  Big panel.  Should take up most of the page.

Scorpio:  “Fucking Paddy.  What did I do to you?  I always said I would never kill again, but…”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 3.

Joshua has a knife pointed at Scorpio’s groin.  Tight shot of this, nothing else on the panel but these things.

Scorpio:  “…balls.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 4.

Scorpio backs away from Joshua, who is looking around for his gun.

PAGE 7.  PANEL 5.

Joshua is picking up his gun, while holding his knife to Scorpio’s groin. 

Scorpio:  “So, are you going to gelt me or is this some proposition, because for one time only I’d be interested to…”

Joshua:  “Shuttup.”

PAGE 8.  SPLASH PAGE.

Joshua has pointed the gun at Scorpio’s chest, we’re seeing it from Scorpio’s perspective. 

Scorpio:  “So what’s this for?  Actually from the accent I can tell.  Did you kill my friend too?”

Joshua:  “I’m pretty sure he’s no more, but it wasn’t me.”

Scorpio:  “You’re such an upstanding citizen.”

Joshua:  “Like you, right mate?”

Scorpio:  “I’m no angel, in fact, I’m a nasty piece of work chief, ask anyone.”

Joshua:  “Go on, yer just making this easier for me.  Gotta say, you’re a lot tougher than I’d thought you’d be.  Was picturing a gimp like, no muscles and no balls, didna think ye’d be so dodgy.”

Scorpio:  “Pen’s mightier than the sword and all that, so to wield such a mighty weapon I’ve got to be a total bad ass.  Which to wield a gun you just need to be…”

PAGE 9.  SPLASH PAGE.

Now we see Scorpio from Joshua’s perspective. 

Scorpio:  “a total ass.”

Joshua:  “Big words.”

Scorpio:  “I can say whatever words I want.  You’re going to kill me aren’t you?  It’s not like what I’m going to say is going to change that.  I mean, it’s not like I could convince you that I’m just a man doing a job.  Telling the truth that everyone deserves to hear.”

Joshua:  “Touching.”

Scorpio:  “Or that you’re just a piece of muscle, a tool of no more use than a hammer, doing what you’re told like the good soldier boy.  Wouldn’t know how to wipe your ass if they hadn’t taught you how.”

Joshua:  “Now you’re making me…”

Scorpio:  “Mad?  Then fucking shoot me, you coward.  Shit, you got the gun, it’s not like this was a fair fight to begin with.  Fucking do it.  It’s better than just standing here all night insulting you.”

PAGE 9.  INSET PANEL.

The gun flashes.

PAGE 10.  PANEL 1.

Scorpio is falling to the ground.  The gun is smoking, Joshua looks as Scorpio falls.

Joshua:  “Better?”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 2.

From Joshua’s perspective, he is lighting a cigarette, and all we see is his face, he has removed the ski mask.

Scorpio (off panel):  “MOTHERFUCKER!  WHAT THE HELL?!”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio lies on the ground holding his left thigh, blood pours out.

Joshua:  “That razzer--

Scorpio:  “The fuck is that?”

Joshua:  “--Cop you were talking to tonight, is he friendly?”

Scorpio: “Enough so that I could get him to kick your head in.”

Joshua:  “Possibly, but I’ve a different plan.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 4.

Joshua pulls out a piece of cloth, and hands it to Scorpio.

Joshua:  “Tie it up tight, we’re goina ta need to be gone from here, and soon, and we need no blood trailing behind us.”

Joshua:  “Call him once you’ve tidied up.”

Scorpio:  “I hate you.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 5.

Joshua is lifting Scorpio up, and helping him hobble away.

Joshua:  “You wouldn’t be the first, and doubtful that you’ll be the last.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 1.

Chino and Joshua are peeing on the side of the road.

Chino:  “I thought you said you killed him?”

Joshua:  “I did, I just haven’t gotten there yet.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 2.

Joshua smokes a cigarette by a window in his hotel room.  Scorpio is on the phone.

Simple hotel room, one bed, TV and TV stand, night stand, and curtains over the window, a door separating the room from the bathroom.

Scorpio:  “I know its late but I need you here now.  He said to not tell anybody, and we need you to take point on the call.  Yes that was me, or actually him.  No, not at my place, we’re at his hotel.  Layne Hotel, yeah, in the Loin.  Room 23.  Okay, thanks, bye.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio slams the phone down, Joshua is looking at him.

Scorpio:  “There, you happy?”

Joshua:  “For somebody that could be dead, you sure seem bitter.”

Scorpio:  “Fuck you, this doesn’t feel much better.”

Joshua:  “Then you’re going to hate the next part.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 4.

Joshua flicks the cigarette out of the window.  Scorpio looks at him, indignantly.

Scorpio:  “What’s the next part?”

Joshua:  “In my plan you can’t go to a hospital.  So I’m going to have to clean and sterilize the wound.  Do yourself a favor and grab the Jameson’s bottle from under the nightstand.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 5.

Hotel bathroom, tub, shower curtain, toilet, and sink.

Joshua has removed his shirt, we can see traces of gunshot and knife wounds, and is working on Scorpio’s leg as Scorpio sits in the bathtub.  Scorpio has tattoos all over his body, random tribal, words, slogans, and others that I will give a detailed description of in his character bio.  He has a needle, thread, disinfectant alcohol, gauze, and rap.  Scorpio is pounding back the Jameson’s.

Joshua:  “Ya big baby, it’s not that bad.  Look at some of these scars and I’ll tell ya bad.”

Scorpio:  “WEHHH AHHH YUUUU HHH BAA AAA.”

Joshua:  “The fuck.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 6.

Scorpio has removed the whiskey from his mouth, I would love for it to look Misato Katsuragi after she just downed a beer.

Scorpio:  “Well aren’t you the bad ass.”

Joshua:  “Give me some of that.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 1.

Scorpio holds the Jameson’s bottle to his body, with a sad kitten face.

Scorpio:  “NO!  This sweet nectar of life is the only thing keeping me sane and you alive, and the walls from falling in on me.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 2.

Scorpio now has an angry look upon his face pointing at Joshua.

Scorpio:  “Did you hear him my green goddess, he’s trying to steal, you.  Oh, what’s that?  Yes he is a big piece of shit for shooting your lover in the leg.  Did you hear that, the bottle has spoken.”

Joshua:  “Piss off.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 3.

Joshua pulls a flask from his jacket.

Scorpio:  “Did you take some of her sweet nectar?!  I’ll kill you!”

Joshua:  “Like to see you stand up.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 4.

Scorpio takes the one leg up stance on the bathtub, his good leg is straight, the injured leg is the one bracing against the bathtub.

Sound FX:  Knock Knock.

Scorpio:  “Give me my pants so that I might smite thee.”

Joshua:  “Just a tic, your man is here.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 1.

Holden stands in the doorway, that Joshua has just opened to him.  He looks at Joshua with his shirt off and Scorpio naked in the bathtub, still in the Captain Morgan one leg up pose. 

Holden:  “Sorry to interrupt.”

Joshua:  “Aye, I guess it does look like I’m enjoying San Francisco and wee bit much.”

Scorpio:  “Oh thank god you’re here, he was trying to take my sweetness away from me.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 2.

Holden stands near the bed, Joshua is smoking near the window again, and Scorpio is still holding tight to the Jameson’s bottle.

Holden:  “Explain.”

Joshua:  “I was sent to slot the git, but I decided against it.”

Holden:  “Why?”

Joshua:  “Better angels of my nature, or he pissed me off with something that he said, that was true.”

Holden:  “Continue.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 3.

Joshua looks at Scorpio, Holden is now lighting a cigarette.

Joshua:  “Take point on the case.  The bullet can’t be traced, and it has his blood on it, which I’m assuming from some of the stuff he’s said, you have his D.N.A. on file.”

Holden:  “True.”

Joshua:  “Declare ‘im dead.  Unsolvable case, I go free, he lives, and you…”

Holden:  “Get a case that doesn’t go black.  What’s in it for me?”

Joshua:  “Helping out a mate?  I won’t be the last.  I send the report to my employer and it all goes away, plus I could give ya a little incentive.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 4.

Holden walks up to Joshua, staring him down.  Holden is taller than Joshua.

Holden:  “Trying to bribe me?”

Joshua:  “Tryin’ ta help ya and the git, and if ya make out a little on the way out, why not?”

Holden:  “Frost, this guy legit?”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 5.

Scorpio has pulled his pants on, and is just buttoning up his shirt.

Scorpio:  “The asshole patched me up good.  Hasn’t tried to harm since.”

Joshua:  “Knew you could be serious when ya needed ta be.”

Scorpio:  “Yeah…”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 1.

Scorpio hits Joshua on the jaw.

Scorpio:  “…very.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 2.

Joshua checks his jaw.  Holden looks at Scorpio.

Holden:  “Do you want to do this?  First off, its illegal…”

Scorpio:  “Which means dick all to me.”

Holden:  “Fine, I think I can get this through.  But what are you going to do now?  You can’t go back to work, all you’re property becomes forfeit.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio lights a cigarette.  Joshua puts his shirt back on.

Scorpio:  “I figure we can find a way to get that shit back, and there’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for a longtime now that I couldn’t do at the old job.”

Holden:  “What’s that?”

Scorpio:  “Tell the truth.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 4.

Scorpio and Holden are walking out of the door.

Holden:  “What do you want to do with him?”

Scorpio:  “Leave him.  But one thing paddy:  I DON’T EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR POTATO EATING, GUINESS DRINKING, UGLY DOG FUCKING ASS AROUND ME, EVER AGAIN.”

Joshua (caption):  “An’ I haven’t seen him since that night.  The next word I get is a magazine dropped on my door a few years later.”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 1.

Joshua holds the magazine in his hand.

Magazine cover for TRYSTEROS, it’s a picture of Joshua coming up on Scorpio from behind with his gun and ski mask on.  Title of the article reads:

“FAMOUS JOURNALIST MURDERED FOR IRELAND?”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 2.

Joshua looks up, there is a car idling, the driver is looking at him, the window on the car is starting to come down, and we see the silhouette of Holden, but he isn’t clear yet.  Joshua has become the Reverend that we know at this point, and is coming out of the Church.

PAGE 15.  PANEL 3.

Holden’s appearance is now completely clear in the car window.  He is making the finger gun hand gesture at Joshua, and is smiling.

Joshua (caption):  “They had me if they wanted too, but nothing came of it.  Each month I got a new magazine, and would see the copper drive away.  He had transferred to Blackfield, I don’t think for me, but it didn’t hurt to keep an eye on the man who had tried to kill his friend.

PAGE 15.  PANEL 4.

Chino looks at Joshua as he drives.

Chino:  “All those old TRYSTEROS back issues that Frankie has, are those yours?”

Joshua:  “Aye, the old ones.  He loved it so much he got himself a subscription, and couple of you boys too as well.”

Chino:  “Yea.  Wow, this is so crazy.”

Joshua:  “What will be crazy is if I don’t get shot when we find him.”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 5.

Exterior of the car, driving on the 880 towards Oakland/Berkeley.

Chino:  “How are you going to find him?”

Joshua:  “I still have my own contacts.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 1.

The car pulls up, beside an apartment complex near the Berkeley College. 

Joshua: “Here we are.”

Chino:  “Myung, wake up.”

Myung:  “I’m up.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 2.

There is a security camera, that is filming them as they walk up stairs, stone stair sets.  There are some trees and plants.  Myung has a purse.   

Joshua:  “Smart lad, he’s gotten even more paranoid.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 3.

They are at the door and Joshua is turning around to talk to Chino and Myung.  As he is doing this the door is opening.

Joshua:  “Now Myung, this guy might be happy to see me so be prepared.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 4.

Scorpio has exploded from the door way, he is holding a gun, .45 beretta.  Joshua snaps his fingers.

Scorpio:  “I knew’d be coming for me.  Holden called me to let me know there’s some freaky shit going on in Blackfield and you left, heading north.”

Joshua:  “Aye son, some weird shit has definitely been goin’ down.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 5.

Myung is behind Joshua with another gun, pointed right at Scorpio, whose gun is pointed at Joshua.

Joshua:  “This is Myung.  She’ll blow yer head off if you don’t put that thing down.”

Myung:  “I will.”

Scorpio:  “God I hate you.”

Joshua:  “We can discuss that some more, once we go inside.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 1.

Scorpio places the gun down on a table near the door, Joshua, Chino, and Myung, putting the gun back in her purse, follow in behind him.  Around his place we will see a lot of books, newspapers, magazines, a couch, a coffee table with a laptop, coffee mug, bottle of whiskey, and an ashtray.  A desk to write from, with desktop computer, printer, scanner, webcam, mic, and speakers.

Scorpio:  “So how’d you decide you were going to ruin my life this time?”

Joshua:  “Looks like you’re doing pretty well for yourself, Warren.”

Scorpio:  “That’s a dead man, you’re talking to Scorpio Israeli.”

Joshua:  “Cute.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 2.

Scorpio has sat down on the couch, he is touching his laptop, to turn it on.  He looks over Chino and Myung as he does this.

Scorpio:  “Love children?”

Myung:  “Wrong ethnicity, don’t you think?”

Scorpio:  “Thought maybe you’d be Scotch-Korean, like Cho Chang from Harry Potter.”

Chino:  “You like Harry Potter?”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 3.

Everyone looks at Chino.

Chino:  “Sorry, wrong time.”

Joshua:  “Mr. Scorpio Israeli, I’d like you to meet Mr. Fei Fong Lee…”

Scorpio:  “Hey kid.”

Joshua:  “…your new roommate.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 4.

Scorpio has gotten out of his seat in a fit, angry at this news.

Scorpio:  “No fucking way Connor.  I’ve kept my precious seed from spilling into many, and I do mean many, women so that I didn’t have to take care of some kid, and now you’re going to force one on me.  Fucking crazy is what you are.  Get out.”

Joshua:  “I’ll owe you.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 5.

Scorpio is holding the door open for them to leave.

Scorpio:  “I don’t care what you have to offer…”

Joshua:  “Anything! I am forever in your debt.  My life is yours.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 6.

Scorpio has closed the door.

Scorpio:  “Sit down.  Not you Connor, go make us some coffee, man servant.”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 1.

Joshua gives everyone a cup of coffee, except Myung, who is having tea.  Scorpio sits on the couch, Myung next to him.  Chino is on the ground, sitting crossed legged next to the coffee table.

Joshua:  “Right clever of you to hit me with that bag of yours.  Never saw it coming.”

Scorpio:  “I didn’t either.  I had an uneasy feeling all day, but nothing solid.  There was…”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 2.

Flashback to

Scorpio is looking down at his keys, the silhouette of the man is making a pointing sign, with his left hand to indicate to Scorpio to turn around.

Scorpio:  “…a man.”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio looks up to see the man pointing, while still appearing to be looking for his keys.  The man is now in focus, and we see that it is the man in the white suit, the same one who visited Joshua three years earlier.

Scorpio:  “I happen to look up for a split second and he was pointing to you, and I had no idea.  I went back to looking for my keys and happen to see your shoes.”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 4.

Joshua is standing next to Chino.

Joshau:  “Son of a bitch.  Lucky he was there.”

Scorpio:  “You’re telling me.”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 5.

Chino looks at Joshua.

Chino:  “Because of him you were interrupted and you guys got to take of that thing.  Maybe he just gave you the time to reflect on what you were doing?”

Joshua:  “Maybe, or he was some silly prat who liked to watch.”

Scorpio:  “Wouldn’t be the only one in this town.”

Scorpio:  “Now tell me Mr. Lee, why am I going to let you stay here?”

Joshua:  “Thought you might ask that, show him Fei.”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 1.

Chino looks at Scorpio, intensely.

Scorpio:  “You going to crap your pants kid?”

Chino:  “No.  That was the man that you killed who did that right before you shot him in the head.”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 2.

Scorpio has dropped his coffee cup, it is breaking on the floor.

PAGE 19.  PANEL 3.

Scorpio looks at Joshua.

Scorpio:  “You told him.  You had some of your intelligence buddy’s dig up some dirt on me, and now you’re using it to black mail me.”

Joshua:  “Nothing of the sort.  Tell him something else Fei.”

Chino:  “You masturbate nightly to Goth Fetish Porn.”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 4.

Myung is laughing.  Scorpio looks alarmed.

Scorpio:  “You hacked my computer, hard to do, but not impossible.”

Joshua:  “Give him the hat trick.”

Chino:  “You’ve hated dogs ever since the age of five, when you were horribly crushed by the fact that they killed your pet cat, Mr. Plickens.”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 5.

Scorpio has walked over to the door, he has opened it, he has lit a cigarette.

Scorpio:  “Fuck, boy.  You’re one of them.  That article I published…”

Chino:  “About the disappearing psychics?”

Scorpio:  “My god.  I’ve met one before, but I’m still shocked you exist”

Joshua:  “Them, and other things.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 1.

Narcissca has slammed open the door to his house, it is dark.

Narcissca:  “SERVANTS!”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 2.

The lights have come on, there is blood all over the walls.  Standing there without blood on him is Blicero.

Joshua (caption):  “Things out to get him.”

Blicero:  “I am very disappointed Narcissca.  I put a lot of faith into, your work, and your abilities.  All have failed.”

Narcissca:  “Sir, one more chance, please.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 3.

Blicero has begun to unzip his pants.

Blicero:  “Don’t worry.  You will make this up to me.  You will be my new Gottfried.”

Narcissca:  “Who…”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 4.

We see Narcissca, frightened.  We see the back of Blicero.  One hand is behind his back, the other is in front, holding his penis, but we cannot see it.

Blicero:  “Down, on your knees.  Be prepared for me to enter you, from which ever end I choose.”

Narcissca:  “...”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 5.

Narcissca is down on all fours, we still still see Blicero from behind, but he is stepping towards him.

Blicero:  “Its good to have you back.  Take it in, all of it.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 6.

Blicero smiles, tight close up of his face.

Blicero:  “One more rocket explosion, all building towards the final…”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 7.

All white panel, except for a pair of glowing red eyes.

Blicero:  “White death.”