46 & 2 Issue Nine

FIGHT

46 & 2 Issue 9:

By

Zachary Smith

PAGE 1.  PANEL 1.

A young Mala’s (age 13) face is getting cleaned off by her mother, Lydia.  Blood runs down here nose, and she has a cut on top of her forehead.

Caption:  “Don’t you wish you go back in time?”

Lydia:  “What did I say about fighting, Mala?  We can’t have this happening every day.  You’re too old for this.”

Mala:  “They can’t just pick on me, mom.  I have to do something.  I don’t care if I’m smaller than them.”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 2.

Chino (age 10) comes running past as Lydia is now putting a band aid on Mala’s cut on her forehead.

Chino:  “What happened?”

Mala:  “Some puta’s…”

Lydia:  “MALA!”

Mala:  “Girls were picking on me and my friend, and I just couldn’t deal with it.”

Lydia:  “Stay here, I need to get another band aid.”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 3.

Mala is showing Chino her knuckles.  Mala has a serious look on her face.

Caption:  “Just to change a couple things.  Small things, that no one would ever notice.”

Chino:  “Can I see your hand?  Cool.  You know what you should do is talk to the Reverend, he’s been talking about doing some boxing lessons.” 

Mala:  “Hmm…”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 4.

Tight shot: Mala looks forward, she still has a serious look on her face.

Mala:  “Sounds interesting.”

PAGE 1.  PANEL 5.

Tight shot: Mala is getting hit in the face with a boxing glove, she has boxing head gear on, mouthpiece, and her hair is tied back.

Lydia (off panel):  “MOVE!”

Sound effect:  “DING DING”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 1.

Joshua Connor is leaning in to coach Mala, who is sitting down in the corner between the rounds.  Chino is tending to her nose.

Joshua:  “Your hear yer ma?  She’s right, you gotta move yer arse out there.  This girl is pummeling your face and you aren’t doing shit.  Get it together Ramirez.  Hurry up with that clean up job Fei, she needs to get back out there.”

Sound effect:  DING DING

PAGE 2.  PANEL 2.

Mala swings hard and is hitting the other girl in the liver.  The girl is being lifted to her tip toes because of the impact.

Chino:  “Hell yea.”

Joshua:  “Fei, watch yer mouth.”

Chino:  “But she’s gonna knock this girl out.”

Joshua:  “Yea, I know…Hell yea.  When are you going to get in there?”

Chino:  “I’m only eleven.”

Joshua:  “Then next year.”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 3.

Mala’s hand is being raised by the referee.  Lydia is standing in the stands.

Lydia:  “THAT’S MY BABY!”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 4.

Chino lifts Mala up into the air.  Joshua is high fiving her glove.

Joshua:  “We’re going to start training your cousin now.”

Mala:  “Hell yeah, I’m going to knock you out coz.”

Chino:  “I’m going to drop you.”

PAGE 2.  PANEL 5.

Back to the present.  Narcissca’s face looks twisted in anger.  He is still holding Mala in place, arms pinned down.

Narcissca:  “What did you say?”

Mala:  “I’m going to—“

PAGE 2.  PANEL 6.

Mala is head butting Narcissca in the face.

Mala:  “DROP YOU.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 1.

Narcissca is holding his face, blood is poring out of his nose, he is hunched over.  Mala has moved into a sparing stance.

Mala:  “There’s…some kind of effect you have on people.  I bet you’ve used it as much as you could, so you never had to put effort into anything.  Motherfucker, I’m going to show you what it means to work for something.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 2.

Mala decks Narcissca on the back of the head.

Mala:  “I love not fighting in the ring.  You wanna know why?  No rules.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 2.

Mala pulls her hair back, and is tying it with a hair band.

Mala:  “Get up, you piece of shit.”

Narcissca:  “How…how are you resisting me?”

Mala:  “Don’t know, maybe you’re just not as hot as you think.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 3.

Narcissca is standing up.  Mala is hitting him high and low, I want her arms to be a blur.

Mala:  “Shit, you ain’t nothing.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 4.

The man in the hat looks over to Mala and Narcissca.  Narcissca is falling back as Mala hits him in the face.  Chino is laughing.

Man in the hat:  “How is she shaking his effect.  It’s unheard of.  What’s so funny?”

Chino:  “Your head.”

Man in the hat:  “Piece of shit.  I’m going to put a stop to this.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 5.

The man in the hat walks over to Mala, Narcissca is out cold on the floor.

Mala:  “You too?”

Man in the hat:  “I’m not some cake walk.  I’m not relying on some magic power to win.  I’m going to beat you girl, and I’m going to enjoy it.”

Mala:  “Bring it.”

PAGE 3.  PANEL 6.

The man takes a swing, but Mala has ducked it, and is hitting him in the gut.

Mala:  “FUCK!?”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 1.

The man in the hat lifts his shirt, there is a bullet proof vest.

The man in the hat:  “You’re right, not fighting in the ring is much better.  There’s no way you’re going to win little girl.  You fucks don’t stand a chance.”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 2.

The man in the hat is shot in the chest, he is falling back.  Mala is holding her ears.

Mala:  “Wha!?”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 3.

Myung is pointing the smoking gun, open stance.

Myung:  “I’d like to test that theory.”

PAGE 4.  PANEL 4.

Myung and Mala stand over the man in the hat, the panel is looking up at the two of them from the man’s perspective.

Mala:  “You guys were nothing.  Nice shot girl.”

Myung:  “Thanks go to the target practice from my dad.”

Mala:  “Let’s go check on your boyfriend.

PAGE 5.  PANEL 1.

Chino is helped up by Mala and Myung.

Mala:  “You always had a glass jaw.”

Chino:  “Good thing you two were around to protect me.”

Myung:  “Who are these guys?”

Mala:  “That’s the piece of shit that tried to grab me earlier.  ‘Cept this time his mojo wasn’t working.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 2.

Chino is sitting on the couch, Mala and Myung are looking around at the disaster that is Myung’s apartment.

Chino:  “Oh, it was working.  I was just blocking it.”

Mala:  “What are you talking about coz?  You some brainscanner now?”

Chino:  “Actually…yeah.  Mala, I can read minds, heal wounds, exert extreme amounts of strength, be impervious to harm, and…”

Mala:  “Move things with your mind…I saw you stop that bullet, but my mind just woulnd’t believe it.  I chalked it up to shock.  Holy crap.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 3.

Joshua Connor comes in through the hole in the wall, walking past the car.

Joshua:  “Holy crap is my department.  Who did this?  And they better be able to cover the damages.”

Chino:  “Rev!?  How did you--REV, we need to find out who did this.”

Joshua:  “I just said that.”

Chino:  “I mean, they’re over there on the floor, we need to find out who they are.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 4.

Joshua walks over to the man in the hat, who is starting to get up.

Joshua:  “You, soldier boy.  Did you make this mess?  Did you almost kill some of my kids?  Did you fuck up and come after them looking for trouble?”

Man in the hat:  “No—“

PAGE 5.  PANEL 5.

Joshua is kicking the man across the face to incapacitate him.  Chino, Mala, and Myung look on.

Joshua:  “Shut up.  Where’s the other one?”

Chino:  “Mala knocked his ass out cold on the floor.”

Mala:  “Like you showed me.”

PAGE 5.  PANEL 6.

Joshua is high fiving Mala.

Joshua:  “Let’s get these assholes in their car and get it out of here.  We need to take them some place and find out why they’re here.”

Mala:  “I think they were after me.”

Chino:  “No.  They were here for me.  The guy in the hat said they were going to be cutting me open, messing with my brain.  They were here for me, because of what I can do.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 1.

Blicero is looking at a map of the tree of life.  His back is to the messenger that has come in.

Messenger:  “Sir.  We’ve heard nothing from Narcissca or from the envoy, Sir”

Blicero:  “Hmmm.  We will wait, and then send in a team to recover them if they have been compromised.  If I know Narcissca though, he’s just having fun, waiting to call when he’s done with all of his…activities.”

Messenger:  “Sir, yes sir.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 2.

Blicero speaks to the messenger as he is leaving the room.

Blicero:  “Please send in my toy.  Thinking of what Narcissca might be doing has me thinking that I should also enjoy myself.”

Messenger:  “Sir.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 3.

Scarlettt is wheeled into the room in full restraints, with a ball gag.  Blicero has pulled out a piece of cloth, it is a blindfold, but I want it to be ambiguous.  Scarlettt tries to respond, but is unable to.

Blicero:  “The boy that you’ve been thinking about has been found.  I still can’t believe you tried to contact him.  Don’t I make you happy here?  Aren’t you always catered to?  Oh well.  You would choose the foil over the stallion?”

Scarlettt:  “HMMMM!”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 4.

Blicero is putting the blindfold around Scarlettt’s eyes.

Blicero:  “Oh well, you will learn.  You will learn that the path to eternity leads through me.  You can be with me forever.  We can make that final climb up that tree together.”

Scarlettt:  “HMMMM!”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 5.

Blicero lights a cigarette.

Blicero:  “You’re a willful girl.  But I’ll break you.  I’ve broken down thousands of people, helped to destroy nations, cultures, races of people.  You are nothing to me girl.  You could burn like all the rest of them, when the time is right.  For now, this little bit of heat should be enough to change your mind.”

PAGE 6.  PANEL 6.

Blicero burns her arm with the cigarette.  She doesn’t respond.

Blicero:  “Just like Katje.  Oh, how I miss my Gottfried.  I need a more submissive toy again.  You do not appreciate what I do for you.  You long to be with the rest of the cattle.  But soon there will be nothing.  Nothing to escape to, nothing to run to, no one to run away with.  You will be all mine, whether you like it or not.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 1.

Exterior of a bar in Ireland’s Temple Bar district.

A speech bubble is being heard from in the bar, but we cannot see who is speaking it.

Caption:  Dublin, 1995.

Caption:  “Going back, maybe you could be someone else.”

Joshua:  “Say that again, fucker.”

Man: “Fucking Sympathizer.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 2.

A man comes crashing out of the door, a younger Joshua Connor is coming out of the bar after this man.

Joshua:  “I’m gona shut yer cock loving mouth.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 3.

Joshua is grabbing the man by his shirt, pulling him up towards him.

Joshua:  “You’re talking to eh fuckin S.A.S. man you piece of shit.  ‘Who Dares Win,” you fuck.”

Man:  “What I said then, a fucking Tan lover.”

Joshua:  “Ye some Provo, eh?  I don’t care, set off one of yer thick bombs.  Fuckin’ cowards.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 4.

Joshua hits the man across the face.

Joshua:  “I fuckin’ dare win.”

Man in the white suit (off panel):  “Cheers.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 5.

Joshua whirls around to see the man in the white suit standing in front of the bar door.

Joshua:  “You got somethin’ ta say too?”

Man in the white suit:  “Nice job.  Fancy some of the black stuff?”

Joshua:  “What’s yer angle Weegie?”

Man in the white suit:  “Just want to treat eh fighting man ta a pint.”

Joshua:  “If yer payin, I’ll drink.”

PAGE 7.  PANEL 6.

The man in the white suit holds the door open to Joshua, waving his hand towards the entrance.

Caption:  “Like trying on a person as a suit.  Maybe visit old friends, and see what they were like before you knew them.”

Joshua:  “I’m not a poofter.”

Man in the white suit:  “I’m sure gay men everywhere are weepin.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 1.

The two men are drinking a pint of Guinness in a booth.

Man in the white suit:  “What are ye doin with yer life here?”

Joshua:  “What’s it to ya?”

Man in the white suit:  “I have a…job.”

Joshua:  “Not interested.  I’ve got a few mates I could hook you up with, but I go way outta that if ye think I’m goin to put someone down.”

Man in the white suit:  “Put that Paddie out like ‘ee was nothing.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 2.

Joshua is smoking a cigarette.  The man in the white suit continues to look at him.

Man in the white suit:  “Yer tough but no killer.”

Joshua:  “I’ll fuckin put a man down, if he needs to be.  What’s with the fucking questioning, why do I feel okay telling ya this stuff?”

Man in the white suit:  “We’ve met.”

Joshua:  “Yer fuckin daft.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 3.

The man in the white suit sits with his hands folded, looking at Joshua.

Man in the white suit:  “In three years yer going to take a trip to California and you’re going to have to make a decision their as well as here.”

Joshua:  “Fucking nonsense you talkin?  You going to read me my fortune?”

Man in the white suit:  “Grow up.  If you don’t get on the right path right now you won’t make this trip to California.  Tonight your friend is going to come back with his friends, ready to Millie up, and there are just going to be too many of them.  Yer going to be dead at twenty-six.  Another Jack in the Box because he was too much of a gobshite to take some free advice.”

Joshua:  “Twenty-five.  My birthday isn’t for a few hours.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 4.

The Man in the white suit gets up to leave, he has put money on the table for the drinks.  Joshua watches as the money hits the table.

Man in the white suit:  “Sorry.  I forget the local time sometimes.  Please get fitted for a suit.”

Joshua:  “Aye.  What’s your name son?  I gotta know what ta call ye next time, eh?”

Man in the white suit:  “Next time?”

Joshua:  “California, huh.”

Man in the white suit:  “Hmmm…better decide fast.”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 5.

The man who was punched by Joshua on the last page has returned with 3 other men, one of them is holding a knife, but the blade is not exposed yet.

Man in white:  “Here they are.  I would run now if I were you.  Joshua?”

PAGE 8.  PANEL 6.

The man in white turns around and Joshua is gone.

Man in white:  “Nice one, Batman.”

Caption:  “You nudge them ever so gently and then they become the person that you know and love.  Don’t you wish you could see that actual moment of change?”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 1.

Joshua is slapping Narcissca as he stands in front of him.  Narcissca is tied to a chair with tarp underneath, Joshua is smoking.  Behind Narcissca is the man in the hat is on the ground, tied and bound, unconscious.  Chino, Myung, and Mala all stand behind Joshua.  It is the garage of the church.

Joshua:  “Time to wake up.”

Narcissca:  “AHHHH.”

Myung:  “I know this fucker messed up my apartment, but I don’t know if I want to watch him get tortured.”

Chino:  “We might step outside Rev., if you don’t mind.”

Joshua:  “Go on then, you don’t need to see this.”

Mala:  “I’ll stay.”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 2.

Chino and Myung are standing outside of the garage.  Myung rubs her arm, unsure of what to think.  Chino looks at her.

Chino:  “You okay?”

Myung:  “This has got to be the weirdest day of my life.  We’ve been having a lot of these recently, haven’t we.”

Chino:  “Yeah, I guess I kicked it all off with my O.D.”

Myung:  “What am I going to do about my apartment?”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 3.

Abe, Stephan, Chi, and Frank are cleaning up the apartment.  A drape is hanging over the hole in the wall.

Abe is washing the carpet, to get the tire tracks clean.

Frankie is vacuuming up around the hole.

Steph is putting excess rubble into a wheel barrow.

Chi is sweeping in the kitchen.

Abe:  “This is some messed up carpet.”

Chi:  “Of course you focus on just your part.”

Steph:  “This whole place is jacked up.”

Frankie:  “I hope I never have to vacuum again.”

Abe:  “Just be grateful that we’re doing this for your sister.”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 4.

Chi is emptying the dust into the wheel barrow.  Frankie is vacuuming the excess dust in the Kitchen.  Steph is picking up pieces off of the ground.

Chi:  “And you be grateful that Chino was there for your ass, so you can help clean up his girlfriend’s apartment.”

Abe:  “The hell are you talking about?  Just because Chino happened to be there when I woke up…”

Chi:  “And before you woke up, when you were dying of blood poisoning, and now you have no trace of the stab wounds.  Didn’t you wonder how those miraculously went away?  Or were you too stoned to realize it.”

Abe:  “Fuck you man.”

Frankie:  “HEY!”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 5.

Frank is emptying the vacuum cleaner bag into a trash can.

Frank:  “Both of you need to calm down.  We still haven’t proven that Chino was the one who…”

Chi:  “Forget that Frank.  I know he’s the one who healed Abe.  You guys still don’t believe me, and I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, but Chino can do some amazing stuff.”

Steph:  “I still can’t believe I gave him superpowers.”

PAGE 9.  PANEL 6.

All three of the boys look at Steph with confusion.  Steph has a shocked look on his face.

Steph:  “What?  I gave him the tattoo, I told to him to be careful about what he chose.”

Caption:  “The boys have it under control.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 1.

Myung and Chino are still standing outside the doorway.  Sounds emit from the inside.

Myung:  “How are we going to fix that big hole?”

Chino:  “Steph’s uncle is going to fix it.  The Rev. said he would take care of it.”

Myung:  “What?  How the hell can he afford that?”

Chino:  “I don’t know.  I’m not asking too many questions right now because I can’t think straight.  Those guys were looking for me and its dragged every person I know into it.  I think it might be better if I just—“

Narcissca (off panel through the door):  “Ahhhh.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 2.

Joshua is just slapping around Narcissca.

Joshua:  “Mala girl, you should be ashamed of yourself.  This piece of shit is nothing.”

Narcissca:  “Untie me.”

Joshua:  “Mala?”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 3.

Mala is starting to untie Narcissca.  Joshua is looking around for her.

Joshua:  “Mala—NO GIRL!  CHINO!?”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 4.

Joshua is holding Mala’s hands, and she is trying to fight him off, Chino has come into the room.

Joshua:  “CALM DOWN LOVE.  What’s gotten into you?  Why do you want to help this sack of shit?”

Mala:  “I have to untie him.”

Narcissca:  “HAHAHAHA—NO.  GET OUT!”

Chino:  “Shut up.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 5.

Mala has stopped fighting Joshua, and she is holding her head with one hand, the other hand is on the chair, holding herself up.  Joshua has put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

Chino is hitting Narcissca.

Chino:  “Jack ass.  My kung fu is stronger—OW!”

Mala:  “This is why you need to train more.  You’re kung fu is shit compared to my fists.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 6.

Joshua, Mala, and Chino stand in front of Narcissca.  Mala is popping her knuckles.  Joshua is pulling something out of his back.  Chino holds his hand, because he hurt it when he hit Narcissca.

Joshua:  “Now, you’re going to tell me everything I want to know.  I’m going to get everything I need to know out of you.  And don’t think you’re little mojo is going to work, not when he’s in ‘ere.  And without that little added bonus you’re just going to fold.  I know fucks like you.  Spoiled piece of shit who does nothing and gets everything.  I’ve got one thing I’ll give you for free if you don’t talk.”

PAGE 10.  PANEL 7.

Joshua has pulled a gun out.  The panel focuses on the gun in Narcissca’s face.  Think of the cover for Batman and Robin 5, but instead of calm and cool he is panicked.

The gun is a SIG P22 6.

Joshua:  “They only cost a couple quarters.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 1.

Redo of PAGE 1.  PANEL 3.

Mala is showing Chino her knuckles.  Mala has a serious look on her face.

Caption:  “Just to change a couple things.  Small things, that no one would ever notice.”

Chino:  “Can I see your hand?  Cool.  You know what you should do is talk to the principal, see if he can teach them a lesson.”

Mala:  “Hmmm…maybe.  But I’d rather do it myself.”

PAGE 11.  PANEL 2.

Mala is in the principal’s office with her mother.  This time she has a badly bruised eye, a fat lip, and part of her hair is missing.

The principal is talking to Mala’s mom from across his desk.  He is leaned back and assured of his position.  Her mother is leaning forward in the chair, arguing her case.

Principal:  “I’m sorry Ms. Ramirez, but we clearly have Mala on camera starting the fight, what do you want me to do about it?  This is her second time fighting in a week.  We’ve taken away the magic mountain trip, museum of tolerance trip, and graduation.  That was after the first fight.  We’re going to have to move for a longer suspension this time and would maybe recommend a move for her because of her inability to work well with others.”

Lydia:  “I want her to remain at this school.  I want her to graduate.  I want her to be able to walk down the hall safely.  She didn’t start the fight last time, she was just protecting herself.”

Principal:  “But not this time.  She started the fight, and it didn’t work out well for her.  If the campus supervisor hadn’t of torn them apart, who knows how much damage those girls would have inflicted.  I would still recommend a move.”

Caption:  “Wouldn’t you want the best possible outcome for people?  I would.  I mean, there might not be a happy ending, but it doesn’t have to be a…

PAGE 11.  PANEL 3.

Mala is older, more of a butch lesbian, tattoos, scars on her arms, and some cuts on her face.  She is in prison, her arms being pinned by a guard, echoing the beginning of this issue.  Another prisoner has a spiked penis shaped object.

Caption:  “…horrible one.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 1.

We’re back in the room at the church.  Narcissca is crying, there is puddle of pee running down his leg.  Chino is sitting across from him, chair flipped around.  Joshua has the gun at his side, as he stands next to Narcissca.  Mala Stands behind chino, arms crossed.

Chino:  “You were born with something odd, weren’t you?  Like me.  But all you can do is take.  You find something you want and it’s yours.  No work involved, just a mere thought or command and you could have it.”

Narcissca:  “Yes.”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 2.

Chino lights a cigarette.

Chino:  “But you don’t learn anything, do you?  You’re basically a spoiled piece of shit who couldn’t function in the real world without this thing you have.”

Chino:  “Fuck Rev., you were right.  Other people with the same thing that I have could be a danger, if they weren’t such pussies.”

Narcissca:  “I’m not like you.”

Chino:  “Tell me more.  Now.”

PAGE  12.  PANEL 3.

Joshua removes the switch on the gun from safety to fire.

Chino:  “You know what’s going to happen to you if you don’t talk.”

Narcissca:  “You don’t know what will happen to me if I do talk.”

Chino:  “I have a feeling either way that you’d crack regardless of who is putting the pressure on.”

Joshua:  “Now please talk…”

PAGE 12.  PANEL 4.

Joshua points the gun right at Narcissca’s crotch.

Joshua:  “Or I’m going to blow your bollocks off.”

Narcissca:  “You’re a fucking priest, you wouldn’t.”

Joshua:  “You wouldn’t be the only man I’ve gelded.  And…well this isn’t my true calling, if you catch my drift.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 1.

Repeat of PAGE 7.  PANEL 1.

Exterior of a bar in Ireland’s Temple Bar district.

A speech bubble is being heard from in the bar, but we cannot see who is speaking it.

Caption:  Dublin, 1995.

Caption:  “Or maybe be someone else for a little bit.”

Joshua:  “Say that again, fucker.”

Man: “Fucking Sympathizer.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 2.

Repeat of PAGE 7.  PANEL 2.

A man comes crashing out of the door, a younger Joshua Connor is standing is coming out of the bar after this man.

Joshua:  “I’m gona shut yer cock loving mouth.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 3.

Repeat of PAGE 7.  PANEL 3.

Joshua is grabbing the man by his shirt, pulling him up towards him.

Joshua:  “You’re talking to eh fuckin S.A.S. man you piece of shit.  ‘Who Dares Win,” you fuck.”

Man:  “What I said then, a fucking Tan lover.”

Joshua:  “Ye some Provo, eh?  I don’t care, set off one of yer thick bombs.  Fuckin’ cowards.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 4.

Repeat of PAGE 7.  PANEL 4.

Joshua hits the man across the face.

Joshua:  “I fuckin’ dare win.”

PAGE 13.  PANEL 5.

Joshua is sitting in the bar, drinking a Carlsberg beer.  In come the man he beat up, with his friends.

PAGE 13.  PANEL 6.

Joshua is rushed by the men.

PAGE 13.  PANEL 7.

He is hit, and someone grabs the gun out of the back of his jeans.

PAGE 13.  PANEL 8.

A tight shot of the gun going off.

Caption:  “Time is a funny thing.  They say for every decision a new branch splinters off and an entirely new timeline is created.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 1.

Joshua’s gun hovers above Narcissca’s penis.  Narcissca cries even harder.

Narcissca:  “PLEASE.”

Joshua:  “How bout I shoot yer nuts off, and I also tell them that you told us everything.  Think you’ll live long enough for you them to come and get you?  I think so.  So you’ll be missing yer pecker, and they’ll be aiming to kill you and whatever else is scaring you more than me.  Plus I’m sure you’re boy over there will let them know how much you’ve told us.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 2.

Narcissca looks back at the unconscious man in the hat. 

Narcissca:  “Okay.”

Narcissca:  “I was to look for a young person, at least eighteen years of age, who might display odd phenomena.  The man back there is a para-psychic who has had his brain modified with the brain of someone like the boy, a true psychic.  I was told to be careful because he might display powers that might be beyond my capability to handle, which is why the para accompanied me.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 3.

Narcissca still looks back at the man in the hat.  A tighter shot of the man in the hat.

Joshua:  “Which branch do you work for?”

Narcissca:  “I’m freelance.  He’s military, army I think.  Possibly a former ranger.  The man he works for usually only surrounds himself with some very qualified people.”

Joshua:  “Who’s this man?  What were ye goin to do with the boy once you grabbed him?”

Narcissca:  “I was simply brought along to subdue him, if that didn’t work, then we were to incapacitate him by any means necessary.  We would then take him back to the man’s work site.”

Joshua:  “Which is where?”

Narcissca:  “Homey Airport.”

PAGE 14.  PANEL 4.

A tight shot of the man in the hat’s face as he is startled awake.

Joshua (off panel):  “Really.  And where is this made up airfield that you speak of?”

Narcissca:  “It’s code, for—FUCK, KILL HIM!”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 1.

Narcissca is looking at the man in the hat, the man in the hat is looking back at him.

Narcissca:  “KILL HIM!  NOW!”

Joshua:  “I’m not slotting this fucker just ye—“

PAGE 15.  PANEL 2.

Joshua’s hand is pointing the gun towards the man in the hat.

Joshua:  “Fucker.  CHINO, jam him up will ye?”

Chino:  “I’m trying, he must really want this guy dead.”

Narcissca:  “SHOOT!”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 3.

Mala hits Narcissca with a hard right.

Mala:  “Shut up.”

Chino:  “Jesus.  I’m glad we haven’t sparred in a while.”

Joshua:  “You better be.  She’d kill ye.”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 4.

Joshua is unbinding the man in the hat.

Joshua:  “Guess we’ll have to talk to you.  I don’t imagine threatenin ye’ partner’s life over there is going to do any good, considerin’ he was screaming for you to die.”

Man in the hat:  “No, it won’t.”

Joshua:  “What I figured.”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 5.

Joshua takes a drag off his cigarette.  He looks at the man in the hat on the floor.

Joshua:  “Listen, I ain’t go time te play the hard or soft man.  I will tell you this, if I don’t hear what I want within the next few minutes, I’m going to leave you in here, without food and water.  You’ll waste away, dehydrate.  It ain’t pretty.  I’ll come in every couple of hour and wake you up as well, making sure you don’t sleep off the hunger pains.  It’ll drive ye nuts.  Maybe then I’ll get what I want.  I’m not restricted by any Geneva conventions or sense of doing wrong.  You tried to hurt my kids, and I’ll tell ye right now, that doesn’t fly, in any way shape or form.  Tell me what I want to hear, and I swear this will won’t go as bad as ye think.  Wit’ that big brain of yours I’m sure you can tell if I’m lying or not.”

PAGE 15.  PANEL 6.

The man in the hat stares at Joshua.

Man in the hat:  “…What is it you want to hear?”

Joshua:  “Everything.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 1.

Chino and Mala stand back, away from Joshua and the man in the hat.  Joshua is cuffing the man to a table with, leaving one are free.  His gun has been placed far away from him.

Chino:  “Where do you suppose he learned all this shit from?”

Mala:  “Watching a lot of 24?”

Chino:  “No way, Rev’s way cooler than Jack Bauer.”

Mala:  “He told me he used to watch a lot of cop shows when he was growing up.”

Chino:  “Hmmm, maybe.”

Joshua:  “Chino, get yer ass over here.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 2.

The man in the hat is smoking, Joshua sits across from him.  Chino stands next to Joshua at the table.

Joshua:  “Talk.  Any bull shit and this one will be able to tell me.  Won’t he?”

Man in the hat:  “…Yes.”

Joshua:  “Good.  Begin.”

Man in the hat:  “I work for a special service branch of the army that is employed to a special projects leader within the military.”

Joshua:  “The man he mentioned earlier, I think.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 3.

The man in the hat ashes his cigarette.

Man in the hat:  “I was passed out, but I assume Narcissca told you something already.  We’re trying to gather these kids up.  The ones with the special abilities, and we were alerted to one in Coachella, but that was never found.  That same energy spike was registered again here, in Blackfield.  With such a strong energy signature we sought outside help.  In comes Narcissca.  I was ordered to indulge him, up to the point that it wouldn’t endanger the mission.”

Joshua:  “I’d say you fucked tha’ dog on that.  Who is this man that you work for?”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 4.

The man in the hat, looks around, as if being watched.

Man in the hat:  “We’re are contracted to serve M & M Enterprises, and a man within the military, known as Blicero.”

Joshua:  “Who is Blicero?”

Man in the hat:  “I don’t know, I just follow orders.”

Joshua:  “What they said up at Nuremburg, didn’t stop ‘em from being killed for crimes against humanity.  Is that what you’re doin’ with these kids, experimenting on ‘em like they did the Jews?  See how they work, and then use what ye learned to make freak shows like yerself.”

Man in the hat:  “We’re not murdering these kids.”

Chino:  “That’s a lie.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 5.

Narcissca starts to come to.

Joshua:  “Wha’ did I say about lying, son?”

Man in the hat:  “But we’re not.”

Chino:  “You kill them once you’ve harvested what you want, you don’t call that murder?”

Man in the hat:  “Would you want to keep living after what’s been done to them?  We’re being merciful.”

Narcissca:  “Kill him….”

Joshua:  “Your friend doesn’t seem to like it.”

Narcissca:  “Kill him…”

Joshua:  “Patience.”

PAGE 16.  PANEL 6.

Narcissca is yelling, angry.

Narcissca:  “DO IT!  HE’S TELLING THEM WHERE WE’RE AT, RIGHT NOW!”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 1.

Joshua looks to Chino, who is focusing hard.

Joshua:  “I think Narcissca’s telling us the truth.”

Chino:  “I think so too.  I feel this long tether leaving this guy and reaching out somewhere.”

Joshua:  “Guess I will have to put you down then.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 2.

The man in the hat looks casual.

Man in the hat:  “I don’t think so.  You may have been some tough bastard before, but whatever you were isn’t who you are.”

Joshua:  “People change, is that what yer sayin?”

Man in the hat:  “You don’t have it in you.”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 3.

Joshua shoots the man in the hat on the side, right below the rib cage.

Man in the hat:  “AAAAHHHH!!”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 4.

Joshua smiles.

Joshua:  “You’ll bleed out, but I missed all the major organs, so it’ll take you an extra long time.”

Chino:  “Rev. I don’t know if…”

Joshua:  “They’ll kill ya, boy.  This fucker is setting whatever loose on ye, and believe me, I’m not letting that go.”

Chino:  “But please…”

Man in the hat: “Ah…guilt…I’ve sensed…ever…since…I saw you.  You’re…broken…in the…head.  You’re…different.  The rest…whole…you…split…”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 5.

Chino looks shocked.  Joshua looks at Chino

Chino:  “I…”

Joshua:  “Don’t listen to his shit, he’s just trying to confuse you.”

Man in the hat:  “You…killed…don’t want…it…in your…head…tried…to…block it…out…more than…one…inside of…y--”

PAGE 17.  PANEL 6.

Narcissca’s is snapping the man’s neck from behind.  He has cuff marks from when Joshua strapped him in.  All we see is Narcissca’s arms and hands though, no full body yet.

Man in the hat:  “—ooo”

Sound effect: SNAP

PAGE 18.  PANEL 1.

Narcissca stands over the man in the hat, satisfied.  Joshua points his gun at Narcissca.

Mala is confused as to where she is.

Joshua:  “I thought you were holding him back.”

Chino:  “I got, oh god, I got distracted listening to the other guy.  Didn’t even know his name.”

Narcissca:  “Not important, but what is, is getting out of here before any of his associates show up.”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 2.

Mala is hitting Narcissca from behind, in the body.

Mala:  “Keep your jedi mind control off of me.”

Narcissca:  “AAAHH!!!”

Joshua:  “Fuck, now I need to get rid of this body?”

Mala:  “Body?”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 3.

Chino points to the man in the hat, Mala looks at him.

Mala:  “Damn.”

Narcissca:  “Quit…ah…quit being so damn sentimental.  He was going to give you to people that we’re going to chop up your fucking brain, it’s not like he was one of the good guys.”

Joshua:  “Like you, eh?  Sad to say he’s right.  I know this is tough, but we need to get rid of this body, soon.”

Narcissca:  “And…ah…let me go.”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 4.

Joshua moves the safety clip back to safety from fire.

Joshua:  “Sounds fair.  You’ll be helpin’ ah course.”

Narcissca:  “As long as I get to live, I don’t give a shit.”

Joshua:  “Spoken like a true asshole.  Chino, Mala, get Myung out of here, this shit stain just volunteered to help.  I’ll be seeing you at Myung’s.”

PAGE 18.  PANEL 5.

Chino and Mala are exiting the door.

Chino:  “Are you sure, as soon as I leave, he might be able to…”

Joshua:  “I got it under control.”

Chino:  “Okay.”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 1.

Night, Myung’s house.  The whole group is gathered:  Chino, Myung, Mala, Abe, Steph, Chi, Frankie, and Joshua is just coming in the door.

Chino:  “…thank you guys.  This was such a big help.  I know I haven’t been really forthcoming with a lot of stuff, and the reason is, well, I really don’t understand any of it.  Apparently there are more people like me, and they are being held somewhere, experimented on, brains cut up and dissected to see how they work.  I almost became that today, if it wasn’t for you guys.  I’m really beyond lucky to have such a great group of friends.”

Joshua:  “It’s share time:  Chino.  I imagine that with even what you don’t know, there are other things that you aren’t telling us that you do know about.  I’d like to hear about them.  Tonight.”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 2.

Chino looks at everyone one.

Chino:  “I…please…don’t hate me.  It’s like I’m dreaming.  I don’t even remember doing it.”

Abe:  “Doing what?”

Chino:  “Killing that security guard.”

Chi:  “WHAT!?”

Myung:  “Chino.”

Mala:  “Oh God coz.  You?”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 3.

Chino looks down at his hand.  The burn marks around his wrist are still their.  He has his arm still bandaged from before.

Steph:  “No fucking way.”

Frank:  “I don’t have the words.”

Chino:  “Ever since I O.D.’ed in Coachella, shit has been weird.  I don’t even know how I got to Myung’s house last night.  I just played it off because I didn’t want her to worry about me.  Something’s wrong, in my head.  That guard pissed me off, causing a disturbance, and so I put his tail light into his gas tank.  But I didn’t remember until the next day.  I had no recollection of it at all.”

Abe:  “What guard?”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 4.

Chi is looking at Chino.

Chi:  “This security guard was profiling us, or responding to guest complaints, or something.  Anyway, the next morning his car exploded.  After hearing about Abe I totally forgot about it.  So much weird stuff has happened in the last few days.”

Mala:  “Ever since he O.D.’ed?  He’s right.  Whatever you are, and whatever you did to yourself aren’t mixing.  It’s caused you to have some sort of split.”

Chino:  “When the car came crashing through, I don’t really remember it.  I just remember focusing really hard.  Then everything came into sudden focus, Narcissca did something to me, and it’s like I was awake.”

Joshua:  “He’s the git whose mess you’ve been cleaning today.  He was after Chino here, because of what he can do.”

PAGE 19.  PANEL 5.

Chino looks up at everyone.

Chino:  “I know what you’re all thinking, believe me, I do.  If I could take it back I would do it in a second.  I have never felt so guilty in my whole life, but I was just so angry, and I wanted him to…I don’t know.  That’s the last thing I remember.  But you won’t have to worry anymore.  None of this stuff is going to come anywhere near you...”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 1.

Joshua breaks in, standing next to Chino, his hand on his shoulder.

Joshua:  “He’s leavin’.  I’m taking him up to Frisco’ so he can hideout with a mate of mine.  The rest of you will need to stay away from him and the church for a while.  I don’t know exactly what the other guy with Narcissca could do with his brain but it’s possible he told him about this apartment, the church, and you three that were there today.”

Myung:  “What about me?  Where am I going to go?”

Chi:  “Come back home for a while.  Say things are getting fumigated.  Then find a new place.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 2.

Joshua comes over to Myung.

Joshua:  “Come with us.  I know work’s prolly having a conniption fit with you not there, but you were sick, and you’ll be sick for the next few days.  Chino, I’m going to smooth everything out with your family, its better they not know where you’re going.  Boys, say your goodbyes for a while, cause I don’t know when its going to be safe for him.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 3.

Chino stands up.

Chino:  “Who am I staying with?”

Joshua:  “Somebody who knows a little more about these men-in-black types.  Why do you think I got you guys reading that magazine so long ago?”

Frank:  “No way, you do not know Scorpio Israeli?”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 4.

Joshua stands in the center of all them.

Joshua:  “Know him?  I killed him.”

PAGE 20.  PANEL 5.

A man sits passed out at a bar.  There is someone talking to him, but we only see his arm.  It some scarring on the wrist.  This is Chino, 4 years later, but the wrist should be the only clue.

Chino (somewhat off panel):  “But it’s weird what I would go back and change.  Even though the next few years were the hardest of my life, I wouldn’t change them.  I think that if I were to go back I’d help other people…

PAGE 20.  PANEL 6.

Back to PAGE 1.  PANEL 3.  Just the same visual, no dialogue from them.  Just the caption.

Chino (Caption):  “Make sure that they could take care of themselves…

PAGE 20.  PANEL 7.

Back to PAGE 8

Chino (caption):  “…and help others to do the same thing.”

Joshua is on a plane. 

THE END