#3
PART 4
© 2002 by Scott Slemmons
Panel 78. Setting change: We're focused on Triplicate and Metalloid on their way to the Broadcast Center. Metalloid is running, and Triplicate is flying above her. Metalloid is in her fully-human form. Both are looking at something up ahead of them.
CAPTION: METALLOID.
CAPTION 2: TRIPLICATE.
METALLOID: ALRIGHT! I'M GONNA CLEAN HER CLOCK!
TRIPLICATE: NOT YET. LET'S TRY TO TALK HER DOWN.
METALLOID: SPOILSPORT.
Panel 79. Change POV to include what our heroes were looking at: a large, ugly, strong-looking woman trying with moderate success to tear down an outside wall of the Broadcast Center. People are running out of the building, and a film crew is recording the proceedings from a safe distance away. The woman is called Penny Dreadful.
PENNY: RUN, LITTLE PEOPLE! RUN! BEFORE PENNY DREADFUL DESTROYS YOU!
Panel 80. Triplicate lands, and Metalloid stops a short distance away from Penny, who turns toward them.
METALLOID: "PENNY DREADFUL?" HER SELF-ESTEEM'S GOTTA BE IN THE GUTTER.
TRIPLICATE: HUSH. HEY, THERE! WE WANNA GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO SURRENDER PEACEFULLY BEFORE--
Panel 81. Penny bellows and charges at the heroes.
PENNY: QUIET! PENNY DREADFUL WILL NOT LISTEN! PENNY DREADFUL WILL CRUSH YOU!
Panel 82. Triplicate and Metalloid leap forward, each grabbing one of Penny's arms. Metalloid has switched to her metal form.
METALLOID: SO MUCH FOR DIPLOMACY! LET'S KICK HER ASS!
TRIPLICATE: JEEZ, SCREWED-UP SYNTAX AND EVERYTHING. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Panel 83. Triplicate and Metalloid are holding onto Penny's arms, trying to push her back. They aren't making much progress.
TRIPLICATE: METALLOID! PUSH AT HER! I CAN'T DO ALL THIS MYSELF!
METALLOID: I AM PUSHING! DON'T--
Panel 84. Penny swings her arms together, dragging and slamming Triplicate and Metalloid together.
SFX: SLAM!
Panel 85. Penny holds her arms out. Triplicate and Metalloid are still holding on, looking dazed and hurt. Penny looks delighted.
TRIPLICATE: ...SHOULDA STAYED IN BED THIS MORNING...
METALLOID: OOOOKAY. CAN WE TRY DIPLOMACY AGAIN?
PENNY: HEEHEE. PENNY DREADFUL GONNA MOOSH STUPID HEROES.
Panel 86. Setting change: We're sitting on top of a two-story office building near the downtown area. Lynx and Enigma are sitting up here watching as Mach-10 and Blister burn up the roads below.
CAPTION: LYNX.
CAPTION 2: ENIGMA.
LYNX: MAN! LOOK AT 'EM GO!
ENIGMA: SHOULD WE DO ANYTHING TO HELP?
Panel 87. Change POV.
LYNX: YOU KIDDING ME? COULD YOU EVEN CATCH UP?
ENIGMA: I GUESS NOT.
WOMAN (O.P.): HELP!
Panel 88. Enigma and Lynx look down at a woman shouting up at them from the sidewalk below.
LYNX: HEY! WHAT'S UP!
WOMAN: THERE'S--THERE'S A WOMAN ROBBING THE CONVENIENCE STORE DOWN THE STREET!
Panel 89. Lynx jumps down to the sidewalk as Enigma floats to earth.
LYNX: OH, YEAH? YOU MEAN THE ALLSUP'S? SOMEONE'S PULLING A HOLDUP?
WOMAN: RIGHT! SHE'S DRESSED IN SOME BLACK AND WHITE COSTUME, AND SHE JUST APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE! SHE SAID HER NAME WAS FLUXX AND SHE WANTED OUR MONEY. SHE LOOKED SO INSANE AND I JUST STARTED RUNNING...
ENIGMA: OKAY, WE GOT IT. COME ON, LYNX. YOU WANNA RIDE?
Panel 90. Slight setting change: Enigma flying toward Allsup's with Lynx hanging from one arm.
LYNX: HEY, ENIGMA, CAN'T YOU GO ANY FASTER? I CAN RUN ALMOST THIS FAST.
ENIGMA: THIS IS MY TOP SPEED. AND THANKS FOR RUBBING IT IN, LYNX.
LYNX: OOPS. SORRY. MY BAD.
Panel 91. Change POV. Lynx is looking ahead with a concerned expression.
ENIGMA: NEVER MIND. THERE'S THE STORE. LET'S GET OUR GAME FACES ON.
LYNX: UH-OH. WE GOT TROUBLE. LOOK.
Panel 92. Enigma is landing in the Allsup's parking lot. She drops Lynx to the ground, and Lynx bounds for the door of the store. Inside, we can see the store clerk, a balding, middle-aged man, brandishing a handgun at Fluxx. Fluxx, who is wearing an elaborate surrealist/Edwardian black and white suit, has wild hair, wild eyes, and pale skin. She's nutty as a fruitcake and looks it. She's looking at the clerk, unafraid and smiling slightly.
LYNX: LET'S MOVE IT!
CLERK: YOU GET OUTTA MY STORE, YA HEAR? I AIN'T AFRAID! I AIN'T AFRAID!
Panel 93. Inside the store, Fluxx raises a hand suddenly. The clerk, startled, drops the gun, which falls over the counter and onto the floor.
FLUXX: BOO.
CLERK: AAAAHH!
Panel 94. Fluxx's posture stays the same. There's a strange crackling energy traveling from her hand to the clerk. The clerk looks frightened, sweats, quavers.
CLERK: WHAT--WHAT'RE YOU DOING?
FLUXX: NOTHING MUCH, MY PRINCE.
Panel 95. The clerk falls back against the wall. He's sweating profusely. He looks sick and dehydrated and scared.
FLUXX: I'M JUST DE-FLUXXING YOU.
Panel 96. Lynx and Enigma slam the front doors open and charge in. Fluxx looks at them without surprise.
ENIGMA: LEAVE THE MAN ALONE, LADY!
LYNX: YA GOIN' DOWN, MONOCHROME!
FLUXX: HI THERE. TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH.
Panel 97. Setting change: We are in a park near campus. Yellowjacket, a half-human, half-hornet nutcase, is hovering 20-30 feet over the park holding a female jogger (in her 40s) in four of her arms. Lifeforce is circling on board a concrete block. Frostbite is standing on the ground.
CAPTION: LIFEFORCE.
CAPTION: FROSTBITE.
FROSTBITE: LET THE LADY GO, YELLOWJACKET. THIS DOESN'T CONCERN HER.
Panel 98. Change POV.
YELLOWJACKET: ON THE CONTRARY, HUMANS. THIS CONCERNS HER. SPECIFICALLY, MY STINGER CONCERNS HER.
LIFEFORCE: IF I WERE YOU, I'D SURRENDER BEFORE YOU GET HURT.
JOGGER: OKAY. LET'S NOT FIGHT, OKAY?
Panel 99. Change POV. Yellowjacket addresses Lifeforce.
YELLOWJACKET: YOU'RE IN NO POSITION TO MAKE THREATS. I GET TO MAKE ALL THE THREATS HERE.
JOGGER: NOW, NOW...
FROSTBITE: COME ON, WHAT DO YOU NEED A HOSTAGE FOR? YOU'D BE MORE MANEUVERABLE IF YOU LET HER GO FREE.
Panel 100. Change POV. Yellowjacket addresses Frostbite. Lifeforce is postitioning herself closer behind Yellowjacket.
YELLOWJACKET: HOSTAGES ARE FUN. THEY GET SO SCARED.
JOGGER: OH, CRAP.
FROSTBITE: UHHHH, WELL, ALRIGHT. WHY DO YOU WANT TO SCARE PEOPLE?
Panel 101. Change POV. Yellowjacket's still paying attention to Frostbite and doesn't realize that Lifeforce is right behind her. Frostbite sees her, though, and doesn't like it.
YELLOWJACKET: WHAT ARE YOU? A PSYCHIATRIST?
FROSTBITE (small): OH, DAMN.
Panel 102. Lifeforce jumps off her concrete block and lands on Yellowjacket's back, her arms wrapped around the bug's neck. Yellowjacket, surprised, looks like she may be about to drop the jogger. The concrete block falls earthward.
LIFEFORCE: GOTCHA!
YELLOWJACKET: WHAT--?!
JOGGER: YAAAAHH!
FROSTBITE: LIFEFORCE!