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The bedroom of a small apartment. A baby lies in a cot, her parents standing over it and looking down with the kind of adoring "goo goo" expressions that people make over their babies. Both parents, and the baby, are Chinese. And it's in China so room decorations should reflect this -- not ostentatious stereotypical Chinese decor, but enough to give the reader a firm handle of where we are.

1. CAPTION (voice-over):

"Chi-Yun was born in China."

The same scene. Now the father is holding a small, cuddly, panda toy above the cot and waving it enticingly. The baby is reaching up towards it.

2. CAPTION (voice-over):

"I think sixteen years ago, though it is hard to be sure of her age because of her—"

The same scene. The baby has changed, now looking exactly like the panda it is reaching for.

3. CAPTION (voice-over):

"—unusual abilities."

Same scene. The parents are recoiling in horror from the panda-baby.

4. CAPTION (voice-over):

"It was very difficult for her parents."

In another room of the apartment, the parents sit in semi-darkness, silent, not looking at one another. The mother is wringing her hands, the father gripping the arms of his chair. Faces extremely tense.

5. CAPTION (voice-over):

"They were afraid. Not of her, for her. Afraid of what the government would do when her abilities were discovered."

6. CAPTION (voice-over):

"There are many problems inside China. It is not a place where somebody like Chi-Yun would be allowed to walk around free."

Full-page splash panel, showing our heroes (SARA, JAMES, FRED, PAUL) in the small and comfortably-cluttered parlour of GRANDFATHER YUN. He is an elderly Chinese man, small and slim with straggly white hair and a deeply-lined face. He's dressed in Western clothes but his room reflects his heritage -- Chinese prints on the walls, Chinese ornaments, etc. They all sit around a small table on which sits a teapot and five cups of tea. Apart from SARA (who is looking annoyed at FRED), everybody's attention is on GRANDFATHER YUN.

1. CAPTION:

Los Angeles.

2. CAPTION:

Sunday 30 November 2014.

3. GRANDFATHER:

—Not like you are here in America.

4. FRED:

Yeah, right.

5. SARA:

Shush!

6. JAMES:

Please go on, sir.

A darkened outdoor location. A small wooden jetty with a large expanse of ocean in the background. A small motor launch is tied up at the jetty. A man (whose face we don't see) is handing a baby-sized, blanket-wrapped bundle to another man on the deck of the launch.

1. CAPTION (voice-over):

"But there are ways of smuggling people out of China. An underground railroad for political dissidents."

It's daylight and the launch is on the open ocean under full throttle.

2. CAPTION (voice-over):

"My son — Chi-Yun's father — had the right contacts to make use of it. But he couldn't leave the country himself. His work there was too important."

A big airport. A Chinese woman is walking through passport control. In her arms is a wrapped-up baby. Background signs should make it obvious that she's in America (specifically Los Angeles, though there's no need to make that explicit).

3. CAPTION (voice-over):

"So he did the only thing that he could to protect Chi-Yun—"

The parlour that our heroes are sitting in -- though this is still in the flashback, so of course they are not there. The Chinese woman is handing the baby over to GRANDFATHER YUN.

4. CAPTION (voice-over):

"He sent her to me, here in the land of the free."

Back to the current view of GRANDFATHER YUN's parlour, showing the group listening to him. He is spreading his hands expressively as he speaks.

5. GRANDFATHER:

So you see, I have always known she was a special child.

6. FRED (softly):

That's one way of putting it.

7. SARA:

Shush!

Another flashback to GRANDFATHER YUN's parlour. He is sitting in a chair, lecturing a young girl kneeling in front of him. The girl is Chinese, no more than five years old, and of course it's CHI-YUN though that might not be obvious at the age depicted.

1. CAPTION (voice-over):

"I taught her to hide her abilities and never use them in public."

CHI-YUN, still age five(ish), is kneeling on her bed (it's got Cutie Bears (tm) covers so we can tell it's hers). (No, I have no idea what Cutie Bears (tm) look like. It's bound to be something nauseating.) She is looking wistfully out of her bedroom window.

2. CAPTION (voice-over):

"I regret that this meant keeping her from playing with other children."

In the parlour (still in flashback), GRANDFATHER YUN stands in front of a blackboard which stands on an easel. The words "THE CAT HAS A HAT" are chalked on it and he is pointing to them with a long pointer thing. CHI-YUN (age fiveish) sits cross-legged in front of him, a notebook in her lap, a pencil in her mouth, and a puzzled look on her face.

3. CAPTION (voice-over):

"I also thought it prudent to home school her."

Same scene. A cat now sits where CHI-YUN was. It wears a hat (and, incidentally, is still sucking her pencil). GRANDFATHER YUN is smacking his forehead: doh!

4. CAPTION (voice-over):

"With mixed results."

In CHI-YUN's bedroom, a large creature stands in front of the television. It's vaguely bird-like but with improbable anatomy and unrealistic feathers. It's performing some bizarre dance in front of the television. (We see the TV from behind, so we don't need to show what's on the screen.)

5. CAPTION (voice-over):

"Though she did watch a lot of educational television."

6. TV:

Today we will be learning about the letter P!

The same scene but without the creature. A stoned-looking male youth with a green t-shirt, unkempt orange hair, and a stubbly beard, sits cross-legged on the floor in front of the television.

7. CAPTION (voice-over):

"At least, I think it was all educational."

8. TV:

Jeepers creepers, Scoob!

A large panel showing a sequence of small images of CHI-YUN looking in a mirror. It doesn't matter how many -- as many as comfortably fit on the page. The first image is obviously CHI-YUN. In subsequent images she changes various aspects of her appearance -- hair length, hair colour, skin colour. In most she looks enough like CHI-YUN to be recognisable, in others she is a different person. One image looks like Julia Roberts. Another looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Another looks like Bart Simpson. In fact, several of the images are obviously male.

1. CAPTION (voice-over):

"Like all young girls, she was never satisfied with her appearance. In her teens, she was changing her look every week."

2. CAPTION (voice-over):

"She even spent several weeks as a boy."

Back to the present day in the parlour, showing SARA's reaction to this news.

3. SARA:

No way!

SARA looks incredulous.

1. GRANDFATHER:

That's nothing. One time she wanted to be small and furry and I lost her under the floorboards for three weeks!

2. SARA:

But weeks as a boy? Why would she do that?

3. GRANDFATHER:

Perhaps that is her true nature?

4. SARA:

What?

Close up of GRANDFATHER YUN, shrugging expressively.

5. GRANDFATHER:

I raised her as a little girl because that's how she looked when she came to me.

6. GRANDFATHER:

But whether that's how she was born — I can't say.

Can you remember way back in ISSUE 1 where we first met CHI-YUN and she changed from girl to boy? This panel shows both of those figures, male and female.

7. CAPTION (voice-over):

"Even her name has male and female aspects — Yan Chih, you see?"

SARA is looking thoroughly boggled. FRED is poking her in the ribs.

8. SARA:

Oh my God!

9. SARA:

I shared a room with him—her—him—

10. FRED:

Har har!

11. SARA:

Shut up!

JAMES glares at them, irritated.

1. JAMES:

Cut it out.

2. JAMES:

Please go on, sir. Anything else that might help us find her? Anywhere she might have gone?

Back to GRANDFATHER YUN, who is looking sad.

3. GRANDFATHER:

She didn't have close friends. And she rarely went out on her own, even when she was older.

4. GRANDFATHER:

Because of her powers and the danger of discovery.

A darkened city street. CHI-YUN and her GRANDFATHER are walking along together. CHI-YUN is looking older now, nearer to the age we are used to seeing her.

5. CAPTION (voice-over):

"But in a close community such as ours, it is impossible to keep some things secret."

Same street scene. Two knife-armed thugs accost the pair, making threatening gestures.

6. CAPTION (voice-over):

"There will always be rumors and gossip."

Same scene. CHI-YUN has turned into a huge, blue-furred monster, waving its arms and opening its (toothy) mouth to roar at the attackers -- who are running for their lives.

7. CAPTION (voice-over):

"And, sadly, times when it is not possible to simply hide."

Back to GRANDFATHER YUN in the present day.

1. GRANDFATHER:

That is why I was so afraid when she vanished a few weeks ago. I feared she had been taken because of her powers.

2. GRANDFATHER:

Then I received her letters and knew she was safe. With you.

3. GRANDFATHER:

Her friends.

The others exchange uncomfortable looks.

No dialogue.

They all look at GRANDFATHER YUN.

4. PAUL:

And?

5. GRANDFATHER:

And what? That is all I can tell you.

6. JAMES:

Do you think we might look at her room, sir?

CHI-YUN's bedroom. We've seen glimpses of it already but this is a full-page splash to show it in all its glory. It's a fairly typical teenage girl's room, all pink and girly, but surprisingly tidy. Notably absent is any evidence of clothes or shoes -- none on the bed (it still has Cutie Bears (tm) bed covers), chair, or floor, and not even a wardrobe in which clothes might be hanging. The dresser (curiously devoid of make-up type stuff) has a large mirror and there are more mirrors hanging on the walls. There is a small computer on a corner table but the dominant room feature is the television. Several shelves bulge with DVD boxes. A smaller shelf holds books and magazines (prominent yellow spines on many magazines suggest National Geographic). There are stuffed toys on the bed (a blue bear, a pink dolphin, a yellow octopus). There might be pictures of cats, dogs, horses, and other animals on the walls.

JAMES, SARA, FRED, and PAUL are entering the room (it's going to be cramped when they all get in).

1. FRED:

Why don't I feel any surprise?

JAMES stands in the centre of the room and looks around.

1. JAMES:

Anyone see any clues? Sara?

SARA is kneeling on the floor and looking under the bed.

2. SARA:

Ewwwwww!

3. SARA:

I mean—no, nothing.

PAUL waves his hand to indicate the whole room.

4. PAUL:

Where's her...stuff?

5. JAMES:

What do you mean?

6. PAUL:

There are no clothes here.

SARA (now standing) answers PAUL, who looks exasperated.

7. SARA:

She didn't ever wear them. Shape changer, remember?

8. PAUL:

Well duh, I know that. But she must have had some—

9. SARA:

Nope. And believe me, I tried taking her shopping.

Just SARA and PAUL in this panel. PAUL is looking mystified.

10. PAUL:

But she could change into animal forms, not—

11. SARA:

Leather. Hide. Wool.

12. PAUL:

What about buttons, buckles—

13. SARA:

Bone? Horn?

PAUL is clearly not buying it. SARA is getting irritated. JAMES is now in the panel.

1. PAUL:

You're kidding, right?

2. SARA:

Look, Doc, I know Chi-Yun and I know clothes!

3. JAMES:

All right! Arguments won't help. Any useful observations?

4. JAMES:

Fred?

FRED is holding the television remote control and gazing at the door.

5. JAMES (off-panel):

Fred?

Extreme close-up on FRED's eyes, which show CHI-YUN sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, leaning against the bed, using the remote to change channel.

6. FRED:

She was sad, leaving her grandfather again. But she felt that she belonged with us now.

A (flashback) view of the bedroom with CHI-YUN in outdoor clothes, walking out of the door.

7. CAPTION (voice-over):

No sign of a struggle. She turned off the TV at 11:30 and left. Plenty of time for her to meet us at noon.

Back to the present. FRED drops the remote onto the bed.

8. FRED:

And that's what she planned to do. If anything happened to stop her, it happened outside.

PAUL is looking out of the window.

1. PAUL:

Did she fly out?

2. FRED:

No, she walked out the door.

3. PAUL:

We'll start searching the streets, then.

Back in the parlour the gang stands near the door, obviously ready to leave. GRANDFATHER YUN looks anxiously on.

4. GRANDFATHER:

Chi-Yun will be all right?

5. SARA:

I'm sure she's fine.

6. JAMES:

She's just—

7. SARA:

A bit lost.

8. PAUL:

You know Chi-Yun. She probably just forgot the meeting place.

JAMES faces GRANDFATHER YUN from the doorway. The others have already left the room.

9. JAMES:

Chi-Yun is the most powerful person we've ever met. Nothing's going to harm her.

10. GRANDFATHER:

But she's still so young.

11. JAMES:

We'll find her.

Close up on JAMES's earnest face.

12. JAMES:

I promise.

JAMES stands in the street, having just shut the door behind him. The other three face him expectantly. The background is the store front shown in ISSUE 37 PAGE 19 (obviously GRANDFATHER YUN's home).

1. JAMES:

We'll find her. Ok?

JAMES is now leading the way down the street.

2. JAMES:

We'll split into pairs.

3. JAMES:

Fred and Paul, Sara and me.

4. FRED (softly):

That figures.

JAMES has turned to look at them again.

5. JAMES:

Fred, you and Sara are our best chances. You'll find the clues Paul and I can't. But we need to pair up for safety. We don't know who got her or if they're now looking for the rest of us.

A high, distant view of the street, with the team split into their pairs and going in opposite directions.

6. CAPTION (voice-over):

Now come on—

7. CAPTION (voice-over):

Our friend needs us.

Time for a change of scene. It's a large and mostly empty room. The walls are brick and unpainted, the ceiling is high and has big fans mounted on it, the floor is concrete, and some of the windows are cracked or patched with boards. It's not pretty but it's functional -- and what it functions as is a martial-arts gym (or dojo). We can tell this by the padded floor mat and the bits of training equipment around. There may be weapons against the walls -- but nothing lethal, just wooden sticks and clubs.

The only occupant is CHARLIE WANE, who we first saw LAST ISSUE. He's dressed in the same (or similar) white t-shirt, loose black trousers, and sneakers. We see him in the middle of some martial-arts movement, practicing alone.

1. CAPTION:

Interlude: San Diego.

Close-up on WANE as a voice speaks from behind him.

2. VOICE (off-panel):

Yo, Wane!

Wane has turned to face the speaker. There are four men there. One is CHICO, also seen LAST ISSUE. CHICO is dressed as he was in his last appearance. The other three are older and better dressed, looking more like "professional" thugs.

3. WANE:

You're not welcome here.

4. CHICO:

Well, see, that's where you've got a problem. Because you're in the Leopard's city, and he decides who's welcome.

The four men spread out to circle WANE. He's alert, balanced for immediate action.

1. CHICO:

You want to do this the easy way or the hard way?

2. WANE:

Running with a better class of scum doesn't make you any less of a punk, Chico.

CHICO lunges forward, snarling and swinging a fist at WANE.

3. CHICO:

Why you—

WANE has effortlessly side-stepped CHICO's attack and is putting CHICO down with an elbow to the back of the head. At the same time, he's solidly kicking one of the other thugs who has stepped forward.

4. SFX:

Crack!

5. SFX:

THUD

WANE is leaping and performing mid-air splits, one foot striking each of the two remaining thugs in the face. (Note that we don't see CHICO in this view.)

1. SFX:

THWACK

2. SFX:

THWACK

Close up of WANE's head (he's now standing, not leaping). There is a revolver pointing at the back of his head, a thumb cocking the hammer.

3. SFX:

ka-click

4. CHICO (off-panel):

Oh you're fast. But are you faster than a bullet?

A wider view, and we see that it's CHICO holding the revolver. WANE has raised his hands in surrender. We can see the other three thugs (or as many of them as comfortably fit the panel) climbing painfully to their feet.

5. CHICO:

Thought not.

As WANE stands there with the gun at his head, one of the thugs drives a fist into his stomach. It looks like the rest are lining up for their turns.

6. SFX:

WHUMP!

The exterior of a coffee shop. It is now night.

1. VOICE (from shop):

I let her down.

The interior of the shop. JAMES and SARA sit alone at a table, coffees in front of them. Both look glum.

2. JAMES:

Don't say that, Sara. You did everything you could. More than I could do.

3. SARA:

But you're just a regular guy—no offense—

4. JAMES:

None taken.

5. SARA:

But what's the point of me having this power if I can't even use it to help my friend?

Close-up of JAMES.

6. JAMES:

It's not your fault. It's not as if you control your luck—it's subconscious. You can't force it to work.

7. SARA (off-panel):

Yeah. Some terrific superhero I am.

8. JAMES:

Sara...

Now a close-up of SARA.

9. SARA:

Why did it have to be Chi-Yun?

10. SARA:

We shared rooms and everything. She kept me awake all night explaining the plots of Snaggle Cat. She was the most annoying person in the world. She was—

11. SARA:

She was like having a kid sister, you know?

And just for variety, a view of both of them again.

1. JAMES:

I never had one of those.

2. SARA:

No. Me neither.

3. SARA:

But like normal kids have. Like on TV.

4. JAMES:

Yeah.

They look at each other, looking as if they are trying not to laugh.

5. JAMES:

Heh.

6. SARA:

Heh.

7. JAMES:

Ha ha.

And now they're both genuinely laughing. Hysterically.

8. SARA:

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

9. JAMES:

Ha ha! Ah, ha ha ha! Oh—

10. VOICE (off-panel):

I hope that means you have good news.

In a wider view, we see FRED and PAUL standing by the table. JAMES and SARA have stopped laughing. SARA is wiping her eyes.

11. JAMES:

Sorry, Paul. No, we were just—

PAUL and FRED are sitting themselves at the table.

1. PAUL:

Never mind. I know.

2. FRED:

Luckily some of us were focused on the mission.

3. SARA:

You two found something?

Close-up on FRED.

4. FRED:

I found something.

5. FRED:

Items hold psychic impressions. People register images subconsciously. I picked up enough to piece things together. I can see what happened.

Wider view to show JAMES and SARA exchanging wary glances.

6. FRED:

It'll be quicker to show you mentally.

7. JAMES:

O...K...

8. SARA:

Go ahead.

JAMES, SARA, and PAUL all look at FRED.

9. FRED (thought):

Ready?

10. JAMES (thought):

Yes.

11. SARA (thought):

Ready.

12. PAUL (thought):

Get it over with.

The scene is the street outside GRANDFATHER YUN's shop as we saw back on PAGE 13. CHI-YUN is walking away from the shop, casual, not paying attention to anything, her mind probably somewhere else entirely. She's dressed as she was in FRED's vision on PAGE 11 and isn't carrying anything.

No dialogue.

CHI-YUN spreads out her arms, as if she's about to flap them like wings. Hopefully readers will deduce that she's just about to change shape and fly off. An indistinct figure (which she doesn't seem to have noticed) is approaching her from the side.

No dialogue.

The figure has reached her (before she's changed) and we should now plainly see that it's MIKE DOYLE, who was last shown in ISSUE 35 PAGE 10. He is pressing a white cloth to her nose and mouth.

No dialogue.

CHI-YUN has slumped in DOYLE's arms.

No dialogue.

DOYLE is carrying CHI-YUN towards a black saloon car.

No dialogue.

Inside the car, CHI-YUN sits in the passenger seat -- but limp and with closed eyes -- and DOYLE is driving.

No dialogue.

Back to our heroes in the diner.

1. JAMES:

Mike Doyle.

2. SARA:

The bounty hunter.

3. FRED:

The Federal bounty hunter.

Same scene.

4. PAUL:

He just drugged her? Isn't she immune to—

5. SARA:

Immune to drugs. It's not that simple. She has to change herself to be immune. And it looks like she was getting ready to fly—she can't do everything at the same time.

Close up on FRED.

6. FRED:

Ok, we don't need a biology class. Let's focus on—

7. FRED:

Federal bounty hunter.

8. FRED:

I mean, the government has her.

Close up on SARA.

9. SARA:

We have to go to Washington.

Back to a group view. They are all looking at SARA. Captions should be overlapping to give the impression of everybody talking together.

10. FRED:

You've got to be—

11. JAMES:

Let's think this through—

12. PAUL:

That's crazy!

Still in a group view, but now everybody is talking in a normal sequence.

1. JAMES:

I don't believe the government would—

2. FRED:

James, for once can you act like you live in the real world?

3. JAMES:

I don't—

4. PAUL:

We've got plenty of evidence of the government trying to gather superhumans. Last time we met Doyle? Werewolves in the military?

Everybody is in silent thought, not looking at one another.

No dialogue.

Close up on SARA.

5. SARA:

We're not abandoning Chi-Yun.

Close up on JAMES.

6. JAMES:

No one's suggesting we do. But going to Washington is insane. We don't know where to begin looking. We can't exactly storm the Pentagon, can we?.

7. JAMES:

Uh, Sara, don't look like that—

Group view again.

8. SARA:

Fine. Maybe we're not good enough to take on the government and save Chi-Yun. But there's someone who is.

Close up on SARA. She has her phone out.

9. SARA:

I'm going to call Don.