This issue follows immediately from the last panel of the previous issue.
Most narration in this issue is in the form of SARA's internal first-person monologue (which should be indicated on-panel by a distinctive "hand-writing" lettering). These captions will be marked as such in the script.
Close up on a pair of wide blue eyes framed by blonde hair, staring out of the page at us.
1. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I'm always standing in the right place at the right time.
Pull out to reveal the full face -- it's SARA.
2. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
Blindfold, I'll sink a basket every time. If there's an ace in the pack, that's where I'll cut it. If you lose your keys, I'll trip over them.
Pull back further so we also see her upper body. She appears to be lying flat on her back on the floor.
3. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
If I need something, it just happens to turn up.
And finally, far enough back to reveal her full torso. A blood-red stain spreads over her abdomen and over the floor.
4. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I'm supernaturally lucky.
Same view. But now her eyes are closed.
5. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I don't always feel lucky.
Black panel.
No dialogue.
Splash panel showing as much of the room as practical. Central to the scene is the figure of SARA lying on the floor. Slightly behind her (from our POV) is WANE, crouching on one knee and looking at her. To her immediate left (from our POV) is JAMES, pausing, in mid-fight with two thugs, to look down at her. Further to the left is JEROME, sword holding another pair of thugs at bay while he also looks over at SARA. To the far right is FRED, kneeling on the chest of a downed thug and looking across at SARA. We can also see THE LEOPARD, behind WANE and about to stab him with a big pointy spear. The rest of the LEOPARD's small army of men -- or at least as many as can be comfortably included in the picture -- are lying around in various unconscious poses. From the number of unconscious bodies, it should be obvious that our heroes have virtually won the fight.
No dialogue.
A view of CHICO, holding a smoking gun and sighting down towards WANE. Blood runs down his face and he has a manic grin.
1. CHICO:
Hiding behind a girl won't save you, Wane. I'll—.
Cut to JEROME, and he's ignoring the two thugs menacing him. Instead, he's holding his sword as if it's a javelin, point first, arm drawn back to throw it.
No dialogue.
Back to CHICO in close up, finger tightening on the trigger.
2. CHICO:
Kill you—.
JEROME hurls the sword. We see it flying from his hand, very much like a javelin. (Yes, I know this is improbable for a katana, but this is JEROME we're talking about!)
No dialogue.
Back to CHICO. His gun arm is pinned to the wall behind him by JEROME's sword. Yes, the sword is right through his forearm. There is blood. The gun is dropping from his limp fingers.
3. CHICO (screaming):
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Back to WANE and the LEOPARD. WANE, still crouching, has turned in time to see the LEOPARD driving the spear down towards him. He's grabbed the spear and is straining to resist the thrust.
1. LEOPARD:
Rarrrgh!
2. WANE:
Unggg!
WANE has regained his feet and has control of the spear. The LEOPARD is falling to the floor, his grip loosening as WANE twists the weapon.
No dialogue.
With the LEOPARD lying helpless on the floor, WANE drives the spear point down. From our POV (low, to one side) it looks like it's stabbing into the LEOPARD's chest.
3. WANE:
Nyaaa!
4. SFX:
THUNK!
From a higher POV, we can see that the spear has hit the floor not the man and has pinned his robe to the floor.
5. WANE:
I'll deal with you later.
JAMES is now kneeling next to SARA. (We don't see the two thugs JAMES was facing -- the reader can assume he dealt with them off-panel.) JAMES has his glove off and his fingers at SARA's neck, feeling for a pulse.
6. JAMES:
I don't feel a pulse.
This is a full-page black panel filled with "floating heads" of the various speakers. Some speakers may speak more than once, in which case they can have as many "heads" as needed to make the captions flow coherently. Note that SARA is not depicted in the panel but her captions are interspersed with the floating heads as required. The idea is that it's all happening inside her head.
1. JAMES:
I don't feel a pulse.
2. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
Look, you really don't need to get involved in this—
3. JAMES:
But you need help. And helping people is my job.
4. PAUL:
I need to stop this bleeding. Find me a first aid kit.
5. BROTHER THOMAS:
There is a hidden power inside you.
6. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
Well, y'know, I've been looking for a purpose in my life—
7. BROTHER THOMAS:
Oh yes, you'll serve our purposes just fine.
8. FRED:
Is everybody in your family a crook?
9. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
It wasn't until Don turned up that I started questioning what my mother really was.
10. DON:
It's not a game, Sara.
11. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I think he only hung around to make sure I didn't turn out the same way.
12. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I need you.
13. DON:
No, you don't. Not any more.
14. HUEY:
With someone like Sylph you don't mess around. Not that it does much good, against her powers.
15. CHI-YUN:
Sylph is a cool name. Hey—Sara! You could use that as your superhero code name!
16. FRED:
Her luck. It manipulates chance events to keep her from harm.
17. FRED:
How do you measure the limits on a power like that anyway?
18. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
My mother's half demon.
19. JAMES:
You have her powers.
20. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I'm sorry.
21. JAMES:
Don't be. You're not like her.
22. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
But it's never going to be right again.
23. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
It's the end of—
24. FRED:
Sara—
Close-up of FRED.
1. FRED (thought):
Sara—
Close-up of SARA's face. Eyes still closed.
2. DISEMBODIED THOUGHT:
Don't
3. DISEMBODIED THOUGHT:
Die.
Same view. SARA's eyes are open wide and staring.
4. SARA:
Ahh—
JAMES, WANE, and JEROME are all kneeling over SARA now. JEROME has changed back to his PAUL personality (though there is no visible change, as usual). His captions will be labelled PAUL from now on. PAUL is peeling SARA's shirt back from her lower torso -- all we can see is a lot of blood.
5. JAMES:
Doctor—?
6. PAUL (softly):
Oh, God. I can't—
Close-up of JAMES and PAUL, heads close together, looking at each other. Both deathly (excuse the pun) serious.
7. PAUL:
I can't treat this without instruments—
8. JAMES:
Doctor—!
9. SARA (softly, off-panel):
Damn it, Jim, he's a psychiatrist not a—
10. SARA (softly, off-panel):
—*cough* *cough*
WANE kneeling next to SARA. His fingers seem to be prodding beneath her.
1. SARA:
Ow!
2. WANE:
You're lucky. The bullet came clean out the other side.
3. SARA (softly):
Great. I've got two holes instead of one. Sooo lucky.
JAMES and PAUL watch in some concern as WANE lays his hands either side of the wound.
4. WANE:
Hold still.
5. JAMES:
Do you know what you're doing?
6. PAUL:
That's not going to—
7. WANE:
Shh!
A small close-up of WANE's hands and SARA's wound. We can clearly see the bullet hole. Sorry it's a bit graphic but it is necessary.
No dialogue.
Exactly the same view. The gunshot wound is starting to close up!
No dialogue.
Same view. The hole is now fully closed (though SARA is still covered in blood).
No dialogue.
Wide view of all of them kneeling over SARA. FRED has now joined the group.
8. PAUL:
That's not—not possible!
9. JAMES:
How do you feel?
10. SARA (softly):
Like crap.
Same view of them kneeling over SARA. Their attention is divided between her and WANE.
1. WANE:
It'll hurt for a while. Your insides have to heal, too.
2. PAUL:
You can't do that!
3. WANE:
I didn't do anything. Just boosted her body's natural healing ability. Oh—
Still on the group kneeling over SARA. This panel can show the scene from a different angle, just to add variety.
4. WANE:
—you'll probably eat like a horse while you heal.
5. SARA (softly):
Terrific. It's not enough to get shot, now I'm gonna blimp out, too.
6. PAUL:
You can't do that!
Another static shot of the group. This time from another angle -- one that shows the door in the background. We can see the pinned CHICO and also the LEOPARD making his way stealthily towards the door.
7. WANE:
It's just using pressure points. Chinese—
8. PAUL:
Bull—
Same static grouping (from another angle, because we no longer need to show the LEOPARD now that we've established what he's doing).
9. FRED:
He's one of us.
Same view (last time, I promise). Everybody looks at WANE, who looks back with a worried frown.
10. WANE:
One of you what?
The LEOPARD is about to sneak out of the room. Next to the door, CHICO is still helplessly pinned by JEROME's sword. He reaches towards his boss with his free arm.
1. CHICO:
Leopard! Boss, help!
The LEOPARD has halted to help his hapless henchman (hmmm, alliteration). He has pulled the sword from the wall. The unpinned CHICO is collapsing to the ground.
2. CHICO:
Aaaaaaa!
3. LEOPARD:
This is your doing.
CHICO slumps in a heap on the floor. The LEOPARD stands over him, sword gripped in both hands, about to drive the point down in a killing strike.
4. LEOPARD:
Nobody fails me twice.
5. CHICO:
Noooooo!
Before the LEOPARD can deliver the fatal blow, a spinning SHIELD comes out of nowhere and smashes him on the back of the head.
6. SFX:
WHANG!
WANE faces JAMES as the latter catches his rebounding SHIELD.
1. WANE:
You'd save Chico even after he shot your friend?
2. JAMES:
Wouldn't you?
3. WANE:
Yeah.
FRED grabs JAMES's arm.
4. FRED:
The authorities will be here any minute.
5. WANE:
You can forget that. Cops in this city won't touch the Leopard.
6. JAMES:
We know. That's why I called the FBI.
Change of POV to show SARA still lying on the floor, looking up at the others talking.
7. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
And James wouldn't have done that unless I'd convinced him about the police.
8. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
He can't conceive of a crooked police officer.
9. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
But I've seen plenty.
10. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
One more thing to thank my mother for.
Same view. Her eyes are now closed.
11. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
Wasn't enough to let me inherit your demon half, was it? You've made me a conspirator in your criminal activities, too.
12. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
Thanks, mom.
Back to the other four talking. PAUL looking urgently at JAMES, JAMES looking apologetically at WANE.
13. PAUL:
James, we've got to get out of here.
14. JAMES:
We can't afford any legal entanglements. We're, ahh—
15. WANE:
I know where you're coming from, man. Make yourselves scarce.
JAMES and WANE.
1. JAMES:
Thanks. But the Feds need to have something they can make stick against the Leopard.
2. WANE:
Relax. I've been watching the Leopard for a long time. I'll give them names and dates that will put him away for good.
3. WANE:
Now scram!
JAMES kneels next to SARA. Her eyes are open again.
4. JAMES:
I'll carry you.
5. SARA:
I'm not an invalid! I can walk.
Same view.
No dialogue.
Same view.
6. SARA:
Ok, maybe a bit of an invalid. Give me a hand.
WANE watches PAUL, FRED, and JAMES walk from the room. JAMES carries SARA carefully in his arms.
7. WANE:
Thanks, guys!
8. PAUL:
Don't mention it.
9. WANE:
See you around.
A bar. The decor is fairly run-down, as are the patrons. The focus of the scene is the man sitting on a bar stool and drinking a beer: MIKE DOYLE, last seen in ISSUE 30. There is nobody near him at the bar.
1. CAPTION:
Washington, DC.
2. MUSIC:
Going down, party time, my friends are gonna be there too
Close-up on DOYLE as he puts down his beer and frowns.
3. MUSIC:
I'm on the highway to—*click*
4. MUSIC:
I’ve been alive forever
5. DOYLE:
Ah, hell.
DOYLE turns his head sideways -- and the panel is a wider view, so we also see who is now sitting next to him. It's DON! (Yay!).
6. MUSIC:
And I wrote the very first song
7. DON:
Where is she, Doyle?
Same view.
8. MUSIC:
I put the words and the melodies together
9. DOYLE:
Federal lock-up I guess. Why the hell should I care? She was a wanted fugitive, I did my job. End of story.
Same view.
10. MUSIC:
I am music
11. DON:
She was sixteen.
12. DOYLE:
You shoulda thought of that before you dragged her off to join your—
DON is standing and has swung a punch at DOYLE, the punch knocking the man from his stool.
1. SFX:
SMACK!
2. MUSIC:
And I write the songs.
DOYLE lies on the floor, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. DON stands over him, fists clenched.
3. DOYLE:
Feel better?
4. DON:
Not much.
5. DOYLE:
Good.
6. MUSIC:
I write the songs that make the whole world sing
DOYLE holds a hand up for assistance and DON reaches down to take it.
7. DOYLE:
Now lets do this the civilized way.
8. MUSIC:
I write the songs of love and special things
Exterior view of the bar. It has a big plate-glass window, the type that's frosted so you can't see through it, with the words ROSIE'S BAR across it in big gold lettering.
No dialogue.
In a big action panel, the window erupts into shards of flying glass as two figures emerge from it. DON and DOYLE, naturally. DON is coming through backwards, driven by DOYLE who has him clinched around the waist.
1. SFX:
KERRRR-AAAASH!!!!
DON is on the ground underneath DOYLE, lying in a mess of broken glass. He has his legs lifted, feet in DOYLE's midriff, catapulting DOYLE over his head.
No dialogue.
They are both on their knees, facing each other. DOYLE clips DON on the chin with an uppercut, knocking him back and down.
No dialogue.
DON is flat on his back. DOYLE has risen to his feet -- but DON's legs are sweeping DOYLE's legs from under him.
No dialogue.
Now DON is kneeling over a prone DOYLE and punching him in the face.
No dialogue.
Still prone, DOYLE kicks DON in the chest, knocking him back.
No dialogue.
DON is rising to his knees while DOYLE crawls towards him on hands and knees.
No dialogue.
They are both still kneeling. DON has DOYLE's head under one arm and is punching him in the face with his other fist.
No dialogue.
With them still in the same positions, DOYLE drives his elbow into DON's groin.
No dialogue.
They are both on their knees, facing each other. DOYLE clips DON on the chin with an uppercut, knocking him back and down.
No dialogue.
Both men lie prone on the floor -- but both still conscious. By now they look a mess: clothes torn, hands and faces bruised and bloody.
1. SFX (sirens):
woooWOOOOwoooWOOOwoooWOOO
Neither has moved.
1. SFX (sirens):
woooWOOOOwoooWOOOwoooWOOO
2. DOYLE:
You're getting old, Newman. And rusty.
3. DON:
You couldn't beat me even when you had your super strength. There's no way you'll beat me now.
Now each is on his knees. But they are out of each other's arms' reach.
4. DOYLE:
I don't need to beat you.
5. SFX (sirens):
woooWOOOOwoooWOOOwoooWOOO
6. DOYLE:
Hear that?
DOYLE has given up trying to stand and is sitting instead. DON is on his feet -- just.
7. DOYLE:
When the cops get here, who are they going to arrest?
8. DOYLE:
The court-appointed bounty hunter or the man on the run from the government?
9. SFX (sirens):
woooWOOOOwoooWOOOwoooWOOO
DON is wobbling away.
10. SFX (sirens):
woooWOOOOwoooWOOOwoooWOOO
11. DON:
It's not over, Doyle.
12. DOYLE:
It is between us.
13. DOYLE:
Use your brain, you moron.
Close-up on DON's bloody face as DOYLE's words hit home.
14. SFX (sirens):
woooWOOOOwoooWOOOwoooWOOO
15. DOYLE:
Why are you coming after the messenger?
16. DOYLE:
I don't have her. Go beat up on the people who do.
SARA is in her hotel room. It's the same room as depicted in ISSUE 39. It's daylight (we might see through the window) and she is dressed in t-shirt and jeans, obviously cleaned up and rested since the events just depicted. She is very pale, however, with black rings under her eyes that tell of a sleepless night. She sits at the desk, regarding herself in a wall mirror. She's eating an apple.
No dialogue.
Without taking her eyes off her reflection, SARA tosses the finished apple core over her shoulder.
1. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
Blindfold, I'll sink a basket every time.
Close-up on a small rubbish basket on the floor. The apple core lands on the carpet a few inches away from it.
No dialogue.
SARA is now standing, still in front of the mirror, and lifting her shirt to bare her stomach. There is no sign of the bullet wound, not even a scar. She prods the area with her fingers.
2. SARA:
Ow.
3. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I'm always standing in the right place at the right time.
SARA sits on the edge of the bed, pulling on boots. We can probably see her travelling bag on the bed next to her. They are high boots with laces up the side.
No dialogue.
As she pulls one of the laces tight, it snaps.
1. SFX:
snap!
2. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
I'm supernaturally lucky.
Still on the bed, SARA holds the broken length of boot lace and regards it impassively.
No dialogue.
Wearing sneakers instead of boots, SARA carries her bag towards the door.
3. SFX (door):
knock! knock!
SARA opens the door to find JAMES standing there. He carries a bag of his own. He is in "civilian" clothes.
4. JAMES:
I thought you might want help carrying your bags?
5. SARA:
No, I'm fine.
In the corridor, JAMES waits while SARA pulls the door shut.
6. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
He must never know.
Daylight -- morning. WANE stands by the side of a busy highway on-ramp. He's dressed as usual but has a travelling bag slung over his shoulder. He holds up a piece of card with "LOS ANGELES" written on it in a thick black pen (though we don't need to see it clearly in this view). Cars speed past him.
No dialogue.
Still on WANE, but now our POV is looking down on him from the front, as if from the cab of a big vehicle that has pulled over for him. We should now clearly see his sign.
1. VOICE (off panel):
This road doesn't go to L.A.
2. WANE:
Oh.
Same POV. WANE is ripping up the sign.
3. WANE:
Never much good at geography.
4. WANE:
And don't much care, I just gotta get out of this city. Where are you headed?
Now from WANE's POV we see the vehicle. It's a familiar big green Recreational Vehicle (RV). And the driver, looking down at WANE, is JAMES. (But he's in civilian guise -- and WANE has only seen him masked.)
5. JAMES:
East.
6. JAMES:
Hop in the back.
WANE is stepping through the side door of the RV.
7. WANE:
Oh.
8. WANE:
You guys are—
9. VOICE (from inside vehicle):
Welcome to the madhouse.
WANE is inside the RV, putting his bag on the floor. We see SARA, PAUL, and FRED sitting around the table and JAMES looking back from the driver's seat.
1. PAUL:
What happened to staying to give evidence to the FBI?
2. WANE:
I did! I told them what I knew. But—
3. WANE:
You don't know what this town is like. Even behind bars the Leopard pulls the strings. I've had two attempts on my life this morning!
4. WANE:
I'm not gonna live long enough to testify in court.
Close up on JAMES, who looks disapproving.
5. JAMES:
You could ask for protective custody—
6. WANE (off-panel):
Oh, sure! That's like putting myself in jail! No thanks.
Back to WANE and the group in the back.
7. WANE:
I just need to get out of town, that's all.
8. PAUL:
We've got trouble of our own. People hunting us. You're safer on your own.
WANE sits on a couch.
9. WANE:
Hey, safety in numbers, right?
And abstract representation of the other four as "floating heads" as they discuss the matter telepathically.
10. FRED (thought):
He's like us. I say take him along.
11. PAUL (thought):
Seconded. It does make sense for us as well as him. James?
12. JAMES (thought):
If he needs our help, I say let's help. Sara?
13. SARA (thought):
He saved my life. Of course I say yes.
Exterior view of the RV pulling away.
1. VOICE (from vehicle):
Welcome aboard, Wane. Make yourself at home.
The RV receding into traffic.
2. VOICE (from vehicle):
I'm Sara. This is Fred, Paul (at the moment), and James driving.
3. WANE (from vehicle):
Great! And we're heading east?
4. VOICE (from vehicle):
Yes.
5. VOICE (from vehicle):
To... er... San Francisco?
6. VOICE (from vehicle):
No...
The RV dwindles in the distance. Yes, it's one of our classic "driving off into the sunset" pages (except they're heading east so it's not into the sunset) (not that Wane appears to know that).
7. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
He has powers.
8. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
That's good. We need that.
9. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
Because pretty soon Don will find Chi-Yun. And he'll call us to help rescue her.
10. CAPTION (SARA's monologue):
And the guys will need all the power they can get.
Next: New Blood
All comments to: editor@heroes.force9.co.uk
© 2007 by David Meadows