#4
PART 8
© 2002 by Scott Slemmons
Panel 194. Setting Change: The cemetery. This is an aerial shot as everyone flies in. All the flyers are carrying at least one person--more if they're strong enough. Mach-10 is on the ground carrying Turbo. From here, we can see a lot of people on the ground below, but we can't tell very much about them. Frostbite, who is being carried by one of Thundercloud's clouds, is barking more orders.
CAPTION: A FEW MINUTES LATER...
FROSTBITE: ALRIGHT, PEOPLE! SPREAD OUT! KEEP ALL POINTS COVERED! PUT THIS RIOT DOWN FAST, BUT USE MINIMAL FORCE! AND TAKE THAT ARLEN GUY INTO CUSTODY IN A HURRY!
Panel 195. Everyone starts landing at various points around the cemetery. In the foreground, Frostbite, Crescendo, and Thundercloud land behind a guy in a shabby suit. We can't see him or any of the other rioters very clearly, 'cause it's so dim.
FROSTBITE: OKAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THIS RIOT IS OVER! GO BACK TO YOUR HOMES! DON'T MAKE US GET ROUGH!
THUNDERCLOUD: QUIETEST RIOT I'VE EVER HEARD.
CRESCENDO: COME ON, FEEL THE NOIZE!
Panel 196. Frostbite points Thundercloud to the left and Crescendo to the right. Both head in those directions while Frostbite heads for the guy in the shabby suit.
FROSTBITE: THUNDERCLOUD--TAKE THIS GUY OVER THERE. CRESCENDO--TALK TO THAT OLD WOMAN OVER THERE. NO VIOLENCE UNLESS IT'S NECESSARY.
THUNDERCLOUD: GOTCHA.
CRESCENDO: AYE-AYE, CAP'N!
Panel 197. Frostbite closes on the guy in front of her. We still can't see him very clearly, but he sure has a bad haircut.
FROSTBITE: OKAY, SIR. PARTY'S OVER. YOU NEED TO GO HOME.
Panel 198. Close-up on Frostbite grabbing the guy's shoulder. His coat is very stained.
FROSTBITE: HEY, DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?
Panel 199. The guy whirls around. Holy Shit! He's a zombie! He's been dead a while, and there ain't no way to mistake him as anything else. Frostbite looks very surprised.
ZOMBIE (rotted): RRRRUHHH...!
FROSTBITE: OH, CRAP!
Panel 200. Frostbite's backing up, while the zombie pursues slowly. She glances behind her, and Thundercloud dashes by. She's holding one hand over her mouth, and she looks a bit green.
THUNDERCLOUD (small): OH, GOD.
Panel 201. Same POV. Frostbite glances over her other shoulder. Crescendo dashes by in the other direction, being pursued by another zombie. Crescendo looks more surprised than scared.
CRESCENDO: HEY, FROSTY. YA MIND IF I GO AHEAD AND USE VIOLENCE NOW?
Panel 202. On the other side of the graveyard, Triplicate, mostly in his human form, has just punched the head off another zombie. He's bellowing loudly.
TRIPLICATE: AAAUUGGHHHH! IT'S THE FUCKING NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!
Panel 203. Dragonfly is breathing fire on a zombie, while close by, Thorn, carried aloft by a giant vine, is wrapping two other zombies up in more vines. Dragonfly looks angry, and Thorn looks calm.
DRAGONFLY: NOW I KNOW WHY I HATE GRAVEYARDS.
THORN: IT'S NOT SO BAD. LOTS OF NATURAL FERTILIZER.
Panel 204. Gossamer is floating a little behind Nightshade, who is shooting dark fireballs at zombies. Nightshade looks like she's trying not to think about what's going on, and Gossamer looks alarmed.
NIGHTSHADE: HAVING FUN, GOSSAMER?
GOSSAMER: NO. MY POWERS ARE USELESS HERE. I PASS THROUGH THESE THINGS, AND THEY ARE UNAFFECTED.
NIGHTSHADE: DAMN. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ME, THEN?
Panel 205. Change POV.
GOSSAMER: KEEP SHOOTING. MOST OF THESE THINGS ARE TRAPPED UNDERGROUND. THOSE THAT HAVE ESCAPED THEIR GRAVES ARE FEW ENOUGH THAT THEY CAN BE QUICKLY ELIMINATED.
NIGHTSHADE: GREAT. UH, SAY, ARE WE LIKELY TO BE SEEING YOUR BODY ROAMING AROUND HERE?
GOSSAMER: I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED IF WE DO. I AM NOT BURIED HERE.