Astra

Looking into an automobile, through the front window as it drives out-of-panel towards the reader. A young couple are in the front seats, the man driving. They are a similar age (maybe mid-20s). Both have red (auburn) hair and green eyes. They make an attractive couple. They are looking at each other and laughing or smiling, sharing some joke. In the back seat, visible between them, is a young girl. A very pretty girl, four years old, with the same auburn hair and green eyes as the parents. She is also laughing. It's like a perfect family from a TV commercial or something. Clothes and the car model (not a big or expensive car -- a modest family saloon) should indicate that the date is in the mid-70s.

1. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Once a beautiful Miss America

2. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Married Mr. Right.

Identical view. Now the parents are looking out-of-panel, at something in front of the car. Their faces wear looks of absolute terror. The girl in the back is still laughing.

3. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Had a little baby girl

4. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Born on a stormy night.

We now see the car after the crash. Yes, it was crashing. It hit a big truck and the entire front of the car is scrap. Rescue workers are lifting the screaming little girl from the rear of the car. She looks unhurt. But in the front of the car, both adults lie unmoving (we don't need to show graphic detail -- just motionless silhouettes will be sufficient).

5. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

But that was once upon a time

6. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Now it's a brand new world.

Close-up of a box. It's an ornate box with a hinged lid, such as a woman might use to keep her jewellery in. The lid is open, and though it blocks our view of the contents we can see that a woman's hand is sorting through it. (A left hand -- note, for future reference, that ASTRA is left handed and should be depicted that way wherever it's relevant.)

7. ASTRA (off-panel):

Wyvern's claw ... teleport bracelet ... everlasting gob-stopper ... talented shoes ... one ring to rule them all ...

8. ASTRA (off-panel):

Come on, where is it?

9. ASTRA (off-panel):

Aha!

Now the same hand lifts out an item -- a brooch in the shape of a capital "A". It's simple and unadorned. Possibly silver, but badly tarnished if it is.

10. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

The little girl grew up in an orphanage, inherited her grandmother's magic books, fell in with supervillains, was saved by Strikeforce, became a superhero, discovered she was a pure-blood Atlantean, became Earth's Supreme Sorceress, saved the Universe—

She is using the brooch to fasten a cloak around her shoulders. This is a close up of just her neck and shoulders (and hands) from the front. All we see is white sweater, green cloak, and a hint of long, straight, auburn hair.

11. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

And retired.

12. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Almost.

A full-page splash panel, giving us our first full look at ASTRA. She's young (an observer might guess she's under 30), beautiful face, nice figure, straight auburn hair to her shoulder blades, green eyes. In her white sweater and trousers she wouldn't stand out on any street in any city in America -- but then there's her cloak. It's plain green, ankle-length, and currently swept back off her shoulders but voluminous enough to wrap fully around her if she wants to. Fastened with an "A"-shaped brooch, of course. She's posing with her hands on her hips and looking in a full-length bedroom mirror (we can see both her and her reflection, so we see both front and back in this view). Note that we have seen this woman before: her face in FRANKLIN MARKS's memories in ISSUE 6 PAGE 17 and a full view on SYLVIA ROTH's computer screen in ISSUE 8 PAGE 4.

We don't need to show too much of the bedroom in this panel. We may see more later, in which case I'll describe it then.

1. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Not bad, Astra.

2. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Forty-three, and you'd still get carded.

3. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

In the right light.

4. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Atlantean genes. The Event couldn't take those away from me.

5. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

But right now I'd trade them all — the health, longevity, candy-proof metabolism —

6. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

To have magic working again.

7. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

But with magic stripped from the world what can a Supreme Sorceress do except—

The underground SQuARC tunnel from last issue. We see FRED sitting down and cradling his head in his hands, JEROME standing with an unconscious DIANA JUST in his arms, JAMES slumped against a wall but apparently trying to stand, and SARA assisting JAMES. Yep, they're a shambles.

1. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

—Rely on heroes.

2. SARA:

Easy, James. How many fingers am I holding up?

3. JAMES:

None, and I'm fine, Sara. Jerome, how's Doctor Just?

JAMES is now standing and has shrugged off SARA's assistance.

4. JEROME:

No bones are broken.

5. JAMES:

Good. Where's Chi-Yun?

6. SARA:

She took off after— it.

7. JAMES:

Alone?

JAMES is running down the tunnel. SARA and JEROME follow more slowly (JEROME still carrying DIANA). FRED remains sitting.

8. FRED:

I'm fine too. Thanks for asking.

A patch of blue sky. Small clouds in the background. Maybe a couple of birds in the foreground. Sharp-eyed readers may see a distant black shape, which may be a humanoid figure flying towards us.

No dialogue.

JAMES comes out of the SQuARC entrance building at a run.

1. JAMES (shouting):

Chi-Yun!

He looks down at his feet, where CHI-YUN's cell phone lies on the ground.

2. JAMES:

Great. She's flying.

The other three (plus DIANA, being carried by JEROME) come out of the building.

3. JAMES:

Fred, can you locate Chi-Yun?

4. FRED:

Got an Aspirin?

A large bird, a hawk or similar bird of prey, comes flying into view and alighting next to the group. (In the panel background, JEROME is laying DIANA down on the ground. That's not important, but he can't carry her forever and we might as well show it for continuity purposes.)

No dialogue.

The same patch of blue sky as the previous page. We can now clearly see that the figure is that of AVATAR: he's close to our POV now, coming out-of-panel towards us, flying horizontally with his arms straight back by his sides and his head tilted up so he's looking at us. The birds are rapidly moving out of his way.

No dialogue.

Back on the ground. CHI-YUN now stands where the hawk was landing. Maybe we can show her in mid-morph, if it doesn't seem obvious what she's done. We only need to show JAMES and CHI-YUN in this panel.

1. JAMES:

What happened?

2. CHI-YUN:

He flew. Without wings!

3. JAMES:

Are you all right?

4. CHI-YUN:

Sure. I couldn't keep up with it. Him. It. Whatever.

Wider panel to include the whole group again.

5. JAMES:

How fast?

6. CHI-YUN:

Just a bit faster than a swift.

7. SARA:

A swift what?

8. CHI-YUN:

No, the bird. Umm—110 kilometers?

JAMES is at their vehicle, his hand on the door handle. SARA and CHI-YUN are close behind.

9. JAMES:

That's seventy miles per hour. I'll get the map. Which direction, Chi-Yun?

10. CHI-YUN:

Err—

11. SARA:

Chi-Yun, a homing pigeon would know.

AVATAR now fills the panel, his glowing red eyes dominating the picture.

No dialogue.

CHI-YUN confidently points in a particular direction. JEROME has now moved into panel.

1. CHI-YUN:

That way.

2. JEROME:

West South West.

Just JAMES and JEROME, face to face while they talk.

3. JAMES:

The West Coast?

4. JEROME:

More exactly, Los Angeles.

5. JAMES:

You're sure?

6. JEROME:

James, my friend, I was navigating brigantines around the world before your grandfather was born.

JAMES shades his eyes and looks to the horizon (pointless -- the thing has long gone -- but that's the sort of thing you do).

7. JAMES:

At 70mph it will reach L.A. in—

8. JEROME:

Thirty-six hours.

9. JEROME:

If it doesn't rest.

JAMES is still talking to JEROME. FRED has stepped between them, making a "time out" ("T") sign with his hands.

10. JAMES:

It won't tire and it won't sleep. It will—

11. FRED:

Whoa! Time out!

AVATAR has now passed us, and our view is from behind and the side as his speeding figure continues its inexorable progress. (I just wanted to use the word inexorable. Pity I couldn't work it into the dialogue.)

No dialogue.

Everybody looks at FRED. He has paused to light a cigarette.

No dialogue.

Now FRED is finally ready to have a rant at them! He's prodding JAMES in the chest.

1. FRED:

Before we go charging round the country you owe us an explanation of what this... thing is, what it's doing, and how you know so much about it!

2. JAMES:

Fred—

Close up on JAMES.

3. JAMES:

I don't know anything for sure. I have guesses, but if I tell you what they are—

Wider view, and we can see that JAMES is looking at SARA, not FRED.

4. JAMES:

—You would just think I was crazy.

5. JAMES:

Can you just trust me when I say we need to stop it?

FRED and JAMES face each other down. In the background we can see SARA watching them.

No dialogue.

This page's "AVATAR panel" is actually a close-up on FRED's eyes. In them, we see AVATAR streaking away over the horizon.

No dialogue.

FRED and JAMES looking at each other.

1. JAMES:

Don had a reason for sending us here. Will you trust him?

FRED is opening the door to the vehicle.

2. FRED:

Come on.

A wider panel shows the whole group.

3. SARA:

Hold on! We're going to drive to L.A.?

4. JAMES:

In 36 hours? I don't think so.

5. JAMES:

We'll fly.

SARA and FRED exchange surprised looks.

6. FRED & SARA (simultaneous):

Fly?

7. CHI-YUN:

Cool!

AVATAR streaks across the sky...

No dialogue.

Back with ASTRA. She is standing in a study in the same house. It has a desk with a computer and a stack of loose-leaf notebooks on it, plus the various other bits of stationery you would expect to find on an office desk. Whoever uses it (ASTRA, we can assume) actually does work here. The wall behind the desk has a window (this is very bad, having your computer screen facing a window!) but the curtains are drawn. One wall is lined by shelves full of big reference books (many of the books leather-bound and some looking very old). The other wall has three large paintings on it but we can't see that in this view. Oh -- not all the shelves are full. One is empty and has four framed photographs on it. Too tiny for us to make out the subjects in this view. ASTRA is standing by the photographs.

1. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

They can't have any idea what they're going up against. Maybe James can guess, from the Major's journals. Maybe Sara, too. But they can't really know.

Now a closer view on ASTRA as she picks up one of the photographs. We can quite plainly see it -- it's her, as a much younger woman (high-school age), standing with AVATAR. She wears a white mini-dress with a long green cloak (possibly the same cloak). He looks exactly as we saw him last issue. They are obviously posing for the picture. She's smiling and he's making "rabbit ears" behind her head!

We should also be able to make out two of the other photographs on the shelf. One shows ASTRA in a wedding dress posing with a fair-haired young man in a morning suit. Another shows her and the man, in more casual clothes, posing either side of... wait for it... a man in a MAJOR DEMOCRACY costume. Yes, he's wearing the same green-and-black spider-silk body suit as JAMES, same cowl hiding his upper face, and carrying an identical SHIELD. The reader might easily assume it *is* JAMES (as the whole point of the costume is to conceal the wearer's identity), except that we can deduce that it isn't. Note that the detail on these photos can be minimal, as they're in the background. As long as the reader can identify what they are supposed to be. (The fourth photograph can be hidden by ASTRA's body. It's not important to the current plot, though it has to be there as it's part of *her* story...)

2. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I knew this was coming. I'm probably the only person on Earth who did.

3. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Before the Event, I went to a place outside time and space where I hob-nobbed with my fellow wizards and learned stuff a Supreme Sorceress needs to know.

4. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Such as, "when is the next big Universe-destroying threat coming along?"

ASTRA has put the photograph back on the shelf. Her fingertips are now touching the photograph of MAJOR DEMOCRACY.

5. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I wish I'd also learned how to stop it without magic.

6. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Without causing even more damage to the Universe.

The group's hire car sits in a long, slow-moving stream of traffic. It is now dark -- not because it's night but because the sky is full of thick cloud and rain is falling in solid sheets. The rain is lashed by gale-force winds, which we also see bending trees by the side of the road.

We can't see into the vehicle in this establishing view, but SARA's caption comes from the back seat, JAMES's from the driver's seat.

1. SARA:

Come on!

2. JAMES:

I can't see ten yards in this weather.

We now see into the vehicle. JAMES and JEROME are in the front, the others are in the back. Note that JAMES is in "civilian" clothes (out of costume). JEROME is examining an unfolded map. FRED has his laptop computer open (though it doesn't matter if we can't see that in this view).

3. JAMES:

How are we doing, Jerome?

4. JEROME:

Poorly. We lost much time taking Mistress Just to the hospital.

5. JAMES:

We'll make it up when we're in the air.

Close-up of JEROME studying the map -- the reader should be able to identify it as the United States. JEROME is measuring distances with his fingertips, though he's obviously hampered by using a folded map in a cramped vehicle.

6. JEROME:

He is crossing the Mississippi river.

7. JEROME:

Though this weather will be slowing him down.

A look at FRED's computer screen (from his POV). He's logged on to a weather map, and we can see a huge cloud system over the eastern United States -- stopping short of the Mississippi.

8. FRED:

No—

9. FRED:

He's outracing the storm.

Against a background of huge, black thunderheads, AVATAR flies through clear skies.

No dialogue.

The five of them run across a rain-soaked parking lot, towards the entrance of an airport terminal. We should also see the evidence of very strong winds (in the way they run, leaning forward, clothing blowing, etc.). Each of them carries only small hand luggage (except for CHI-YUN, who carries nothing), plus JAMES has the case that carries his SHIELD. Prominent signs read "TRENTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" and "DEPARTURES".

1. FRED:

What will you do with your shield?

2. JAMES:

Give it to Sara and trust that the airport scanner will glitch when she goes through it.

3. FRED:

Bit of a long shot.

4. JAMES:

That's what she's—

In the dominant panel of the page, they run into the terminal building -- and find that it's PACKED with people. People stand around with baggage, people are arguing with every available member of airline staff, huge queues wait at every desk. Our heroes are a small group in the middle of the chaos.

5. JAMES:

—Good at. Oh.

6. JAMES:

This could be a problem.

AVATAR streaks low over the brown waters of the Mississippi, approaching the West bank.

No dialogue.

Close-up on the five of them sitting in a small group of seats near the entrance. Rain soaks the windows. FRED and SARA have plastic cups of coffee. All are watching a TV screen (which we don't need to see the front of). Their faces are blank.

1. VOICE FROM TV:

Experts are baffled by today's freak weather. Forecasters had expected the storm front to blow out over the Atlantic, but instead it has increased in intensity and moved West, striking the coast earlier this afternoon.

2. VOICE FROM TV:

The National Weather Bureau has upgraded the storm to Category Four and issued severe weather warnings in all states East of the Mississippi.

3. VOICE FROM TV:

Many airports have cancelled flights, causing chaos for—

SARA stands. She's angry. The others look up at her with various expressions of confusion or bemusement.

4. SARA:

That's it!

5. SARA:

This isn't natural. And I'm not going to let her do it to me.

6. CHI-YUN:

Who?

JAMES is now also standing, facing SARA. His hand is on her shoulder.

7. JAMES:

Sara, think about you're saying. It's not possible that she—

8. SARA:

No? Who knows what's possible with that thing out there?

9. SARA:

She's doing this because she doesn't want me to fight it.

The "it" in question is still flying west, under the light of a high, full moon. (Yes, it's the middle of the night. They've lost a lot of time.)

No dialogue.

SARA is storming (excuse the pun) out the terminal door.

1. SARA:

And I'm not going to stand for it!

SARA stands outside, under the pouring rain, looking up at the sky. The others have followed her as far as the door and are looking on. (They are side-by-side as follows: CHI-YUN, FRED, JAMES, JEROME. This will make subsequent dialogue captions flow better.)

2. SARA (shouting):

Mother? You hear me, Mother?

Close up on the reactions of the others (looking out-of-panel at us, from this POV) -- CHI-YUN amused, FRED and JEROME perplexed, JAMES slightly unhappy.

3. CHI-YUN:

Maybe she should try wiggling her nose.

4. FRED:

What the hell's she doing?

5. JAMES:

She thinks her mother's causing the storm.

6. JEROME:

How is that possible?

Close-up on JAMES. From his face, he's clearly uneasy about something.

7. JAMES:

I don't think it is.

8. JAMES:

I mean, her mother had the same luck powers that Sara has. But she must have lost them in the Event.

9. JAMES:

Must have.

And oblivious to this drama, AVATAR flies on over a moon-lit prairie.

No dialogue.

SARA is still standing in the rain and shouting. She's actually shaking her fist at the sky.

1. SARA (shouting):

You hear me? I'm coming to Los—

She's standing in the same pose. But the rain has suddenly ceased and, in fact, the clouds have broken and she stands in a shaft of moonlight.

2. SARA:

Oh.

3. SARA (softly):

Oh my God.

Back to the reactions of the rest of the group. They are in total shock.

4. CHI-YUN:

Wow.

5. FRED:

Right, that's it—

6. JAMES (softly):

Oh my giddy aunt.

As SARA steps back into the terminal, looking equally shocked herself, FRED grabs her arm.

7. FRED:

No more freaky stuff. Whatever's going on, we're going to stop it.

8. FRED:

So let's get to L.A. and let's kick that monster's butt.

9. FRED:

Ok?

10. SARA (softly):

Ok.

And AVATAR flies towards our POV as the Sun rises behind him...

No dialogue.

A view of an idyllic pastoral scene. Clear blue sky, green rolling hills, bushes heavy with berries, small bunny-rabbits cavorting on the grass. The centrepiece of the scene is a small, round pond edged by smooth, flat stone. The pond looks like a man-made addition to the scene but blends in perfectly with the aesthetics.

This panel should have a distinctly different art style from the regular art in the comic. Because what we are actually looking at is an oil painting of the scene -- by an accomplished artist, but quite obviously not "real". In fact, it's one of the paintings on the wall of ASTRA's study, but as it fills the panel this is not obvious.

Along the bottom of the painting are some words picked out in white: "HAVEN" and "Connels 95".

1. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Diana Just has let an Avatar into this dimension, despite both me and Carla warning her about it.

2. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

(Ok, I didn't need a prophesy to tell me she would ignore our warnings.)

3. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Now it's going to come here. Even without my magic, I'm still Supreme Sorceress and it's being drawn to me.

Our POV pulls back to include ASTRA in the panel. She's standing with her back to us, looking at the painting from PANEL 1 (and now it should be obvious it's a painting -- we see the wooden frame and everything). She's holding a stack of books in her arms, which should be obvious from her stance even though we can't see them properly from this rear view.

4. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

If I'm going to beat it without destroying the Universe myself, I need to get the timing exactly right.

5. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

So I need someone to occupy it while I—

6. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Oh God, listen to me rationalize it.

She has turned and is walking out of the room, but we are still in the same POV as before so now we see her from the side. We can see the books in her arms -- several big, thick volumes. Her head is bowed so that her chin is virtually resting on the top book.

On the wall behind her we see another painting. We can see part of "HAVEN" to the left (to orientate ourselves in the room), and a different picture to the right. This new picture is slightly smaller than "HAVEN" and is in a more modern, chrome frame. And, bizarrely, it seems to be just a featureless black canvas.

7. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

"Occupy it".

8. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I mean I need cannon fodder to fight for me.

9. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

It's like the Event all over again.

A closer view of her in the same position. Her head is still down and her eyes are closed as if in thought. Now that we are closer to the all-black picture, we can see that it does have a signature in the bottom corner, picked out in white: "Connels 93". And on a small plaque on the bottom of the frame are the words "INSIDE MY SHINEY THING".

10. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

But this time it's not Strikeforce, it's just kids. They don't know what's going on.

11. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

And I can't tell them. That's the curse of magical prophesy.

12. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I've got to let them figure it out themselves. And hope they make it here.

JEROME and CHI-YUN sit side-by-side on an airplane. JEROME has the window seat and his nose is glued to the window (it's daylight outside). CHI-YUN is more interested in a bag of snacks.

1. JEROME:

It is like a miracle.

2. CHI-YUN:

Meh. I can really fly, you know. Do you want your munchies?

Our POV has now moved forwards. We can see SARA in the seat in front of CHI-YUN (the window seat is vacant). She has her eyes closed and a pair of headphones on. But the focus of the panel is on the seats in front of her: FRED and JAMES (and it doesn't actually matter who is in which seat; we'll assume FRED has the window). They are looking sideways at one another as they speak.

3. FRED:

Say it was her, not her mother.

4. JAMES:

What do you mean?

5. FRED:

Her luck. It manipulates chance events to keep her from harm. But it's not a conscious thing. Say she really didn't want to go to L.A.? Subconsciously her power could have pushed that storm further west—

6. JAMES:

Come on, Fred. She doesn't have that kind of power.

Close up on the two of them, FRED's face deadly serious.

7. FRED:

We don't know that. She probably doesn't even know her limits. How do you measure the limits on a power like that anyway?

8. FRED:

If you would just tell us what's going on—

JAMES has turned his face away from FRED. FRED looks annoyed.

9. JAMES:

I can't. It's—it's personal to Sara. She'll tell us if she wants to.

AVATAR flies across a clear, blue sky. And far, far above is a passenger jet, travelling in the same direction. Coincidence? Or are they actually overtaking him?

No dialogue.

The group are getting out of a taxi. It's afternoon under a warm, Californian Sun. The street is wide and lined with shops and restaurants. Several people are about. The taxi is in front of a large, squat building. The building is three storeys high and seems to be built of black stone. The many windows are black. It's set back from the road and separate from the buildings on either side. It looks classy and forbidding. A short flight of steps lead up to brass-coloured double doors. A relatively discrete pink neon sign near the doors proclaims this to be the "BOULEVARD CLUB". This should be the dominant panel on the page, to give the place a suitably impressive introduction.

Note that JAMES carries his SHIELD bag -- he obviously was successful in smuggling it through the airports.

1. FRED:

This is your Mom's place?

2. SARA:

Her nightclub. We—she lives upstairs.

3. JAMES:

I'm changing into costume.

SARA is leading the way to the alley at one side of the club.

4. SARA:

That won't go down well.

5. SARA:

But come on, we'll go in the back way. You can take your shirt off in the alley.

AVATAR approaches a distant range of mountains -- the Sierra Nevada. That's almost in California...

No dialogue.

In the alley at the back of the club. It's still the same black as the facade, but back here are the air-conditioning units, dumpsters, etc., so it's a little less impressive. SARA is at the back door, about to put a key in the lock. JAMES is in full costume, SHIELD on his arm. CHI-YUN speaks to FRED.

1. CHI-YUN:

Is it a good club?

2. FRED:

How would I know? You have to be a movie star to get in here.

3. CHI-YUN:

Really?

4. FRED:

Pretty much.

SARA is still standing with her key extended towards the door, but the door has been opened from the inside. The man opening it is CHARLES, who we saw back in ISSUE #8. He's impeccably dressed in his butler's uniform and completely unperturbed by the sight greeting him. (We only need to show the two of them in this panel.)

5. SARA:

Charles!

6. CHARLES:

Miss Sara.

7. SARA:

I brought—friends.

A view from CHARLES's POV. Behind SARA he sees JAMES in full costume, FRED in leather jacket, JEROME looking relatively normal, and CHI-YUN looking like... ah, would you believe MARILYN MONROE? In the white dress?

8. CHARLES:

So I see.

9. CHARLES:

Do come in.

They are standing in a large, modern kitchen.

10. SARA:

Tell my mother I need to speak to her.

11. CHARLES:

Ms. Roth is currently in Hawaii.

Close up of SARA and CHARLES as she reacts to this. She's surprised -- that's the last thing she expected to hear.

12. SARA (softly):

What?

13. CHARLES:

Shall I fetch refreshments?

The mountains loom larger in the panel as AVATAR flies onwards.

No dialogue.

The group sits or stands (most are sitting; SARA is pacing and CHI-YUN (as MARILYN) is looking out the window) in a large, comfortable, well-appointed living room.

1. SARA:

I can't believe she's in Hawaii! We came all this way for nothing!

2. CHI-YUN:

Maybe the thing is flying all the way to Hawaii?

3. JEROME:

I will need to look at a chart.

Close-up on FRED, rubbing his face in a "I spent all night on a plane and I'm too tired for this" sort of way.

4. FRED:

For God's sake, Sara, just come clean. Maybe we can figure something out.

Close-up on SARA, looking unhappy.

5. SARA:

It was years ago, before I was born. Before the Event. There was another creature like that. It was called Avatar. And it—and my mother—they were kind of—

JAMES is standing and facing SARA. Her face shows dawning realisation as his words sink in.

6. JAMES:

Wait. You're focusing on just one Avatar. There was more than one.

7. JAMES:

And the other one—the original—was more likely to be drawn to—

AVATAR crosses the high, snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada under a darkening sky. The last rays of a setting Sun are illuminating the tops of the peaks (from the West, obviously -- the direction in which he is flying).

No dialogue.

ASTRA sits on her bed -- it's a double bed -- leaning against the headboard, legs stretched out. A big, heavy book is on her lap, held up for her to read (and so that we can see the cover from our POV). It's a brown leather cover with the title embossed on it: "Bestia Ex Ultra Tractus" and the author: "Olaus Wormius". The book looks very old. The sort of book that you would expect to be behind glass in a museum, not propped up on a lap on a bed. It's one of the books she was carrying on PAGE 14, and the rest of those books are on the bed next to her, all equally large and old, some open. We don't need to see the titles of any of them. Note that she's not wearing her cloak at the moment -- it's draped carelessly on the bed next to her.

1. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I'm not good at being manipulative. That's more Spirit's line.

2. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Too much of Fennec in her.

3. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I wish I could just call them. Tell them who I am. Tell them what I need them to do.

She slams the book closed, a frown on her face.

4. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

But these things have to be done... del-i-cat-ly...

5. SFX (book):

THUM

6. VOICE (off-panel):

Honey?

ASTRA is leaning over the side of the bed and stuffing her cloak out of sight.

7. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Bruce is home!

Now she sitting up again, the closed book on her lap, cloak nowhere in sight, and a guilty blush on her face. This is a wider view of the room so that we can see the door -- and the man that stands there. This is BRUCE KIRBY. He's about ASTRA's age, early 40s; but where she wears the years exceptionally well, he hasn't done so well. He's overweight and his light-brown hair is receding. He's dressed in a sports jacket with an overly-loud shirt and tie combination, the tie loose and collar open.

8. BRUCE:

Something wrong?

9. ASTRA:

What a terrible translation!

10. ASTRA:

I'm sure I used to have this in the original Atlantean...

He regards her silently. She has dropped her eyes.

11. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I can't tell him. He'd want to help.

12. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

But he's not Major Democracy's kid sidekick any more.

13. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

And the Event took his super powers away.

14. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

And though I know he doesn't blame me for that—

AVATAR leaves the mountains behind. It's full night now and the peaks are just dark shadows behind him. We see a full moon is rising above them.

No dialogue.

Same view. She's still not looking at him.

1. BRUCE:

I'm heading out for some beers.

2. ASTRA:

I—I might be out when you come back.

Same view.

No dialogue.

Same view. Yes, the static repetition is deliberate to emphasise the awkward pauses.

3. BRUCE:

You're going to see him, aren't you?

4. ASTRA:

No!

5. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

Yes.

6. ASTRA:

Bruce, I—

He's turning and walking out of the room.

7. BRUCE:

I'll see you tomorrow, then.

ASTRA is left alone in the room, head bowed forward so far that her hair hides her face from us.

8. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I'm sorry.

9. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I'm sorry you feel like a failure.

10. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I'm sorry for everything that went wrong.

11. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

But I'm the Supreme Sorceress.

12. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

I didn't ask to be, but I have a job to do.

13. CAPTION (ASTRA's MONOLOGUE):

And I don't have any options left.

Illuminated by the rising moon, AVATAR crosses open plains -- the Mojave Desert.

No dialogue.

Our five heroes are getting out of another taxi, this time in a quiet suburban street, in front of a modest-sized home. The lawn is well-kept and there is a rather ostentatious pink (yes, pink) jeep on the drive. Note that CHI-YUN is back to her "normal" look. We can see hints of JAMES's costume under his coat. It's night but the street is brightly lit by street lights.

1. JAMES:

You're sure this is the place?

2. SARA:

There wasn't an Alison Simms in my Mother's address book. Alison Kirby seemed like the next obvious choice.

CHI-YUN and FRED hang back as the others walk up the path to the house.

3. CHI-YUN:

You ever feel that there's a secret superhero club everybody is in except us?

4. FRED:

That's not a club I want to be in.

At the door, SARA presses the bell. JAMES is pulling his cowl up and over his head to conceal his face.

5. SFX:

BONG!

6. JAMES:

Better let me do the talking. Because of the costume.

7. SARA:

Oh yeah, 'cause that worked sooo well with Diana Just.

The door has evidently opened -- we can't see who has opened it but we see the group's various reactions of surprise.

8. JAMES:

Please don't be alarmed, ma'am. We were looking for—

9. ASTRA (off-panel):

Earth's Supreme Sorceress. You've found her.

Now we see ASTRA from their POV. She has the cloak on and stands with her hands on her hips. She regards them quizzically with her head tilted to one side, frowning slightly.

10. ASTRA:

But you're late.

11. ASTRA:

Come on. I've got a lot to tell you.

AVATAR flies on, over the rolling hills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Our POV is from behind as he flies away from us, and in the distance we see the lights of a massive city...

No dialogue.