BLOODSHOT ISSUE #55
"UNHOLY WAR"
ANTHONY KOCH
PAGE ONE
PANEL ONE
Bloodshot, dressed in his "regular" outfit and wielding a katana, is battling a woman in a purple, gold, and black costume, reminiscent of Ninjak's (the forearm shields, etc.). However, her costume is more homage to, than rip-off of, Ninjak's. Just who she is will be made clear soon enough. The more astute readers will guess her identity almost immediately. All we know is that she's shapely, has longish brown hair, and seems to be holding her own against Bloodshot. The woman holds a jo in her hands. We want an impression of barely constrained fury here.
TEXT BOX:	The abandoned remains of VanHook High School.
CAPTION:	I may have to kill her.
CAPTION:	Just to survive myself, I may have to kill a nun.
PANEL TWO
Bloodshot is slashing with the katana, the woman blocking his thrusts with her jo.
CAPTION:	And just a short time ago I was having a "family reunion" of sorts.
PANEL THREE
Flashback to last issue's final panel.
KATANA DAUGHTER:		Hello, Father.
PANEL FOUR
From behind the two girls steps Evie's sister, code-name: Artemis. She holds the Neupro gun in one hand (see BLOODSHOT #49 for reference).
ARTEMIS:	Harbinger, we need your help.
PANEL FIVE
We see Bloodshot looking at Artemis. He's dressed as he was at the end of BLOODSHOT #44 (last issue): black T-shirt, holding his pistol in one hand. He's wary of the Neupro gun.
BLOODSHOT:	Help? You sure have a funny way of asking, lady.
PAGE TWO
PANEL ONE:
Close-up of Artemis. Her face is still obscured, as at the end of BLOODSHOT #49.
ARTEMIS:	I apologize for our unorthodox methods…
ARTEMIS:	But we only did what was necessary for us to survive.
PANEL TWO:
Bloodshot still hasn't lowered his gun. There's no way he's going to feel safe around this woman.
BLOODSHOT:	I've heard that before. It's the rationalization of tyrants and desperate people everywhere.
PANEL THREE:
Artmemis has relaxed somewhat. She's tired--she's been on the run for some time--and this shows in her posture.
ARTEMIS:	We are desperate, Mr. Lazarus. Only a handful of the Place of Many Alike yet remains.
PANEL FOUR:
Bloodshot looks skeptical. This is a super double-secret covert organization. Who could possibly hunt them down and decimate their numbers so?
BLOODSHOT:	How can that be? You're one of the best-kept secrets of all time. There's even less information on you now than the last time I searched.* That's why I had to come back here.
TEXT BOX:	* BLOODSHOT #49 again.
PAGE THREE
PANEL ONE:
Close-up of Artemis, her eyes wide with shock.
ARTEMIS:	Then it's worse than I feared. They're eradicating all information about the Place.
ARTEMIS:	Soon, they'll have eradicated us as well and it will be as if we never existed.
PANEL TWO:
CU of Bloodshot looking at Artemis. He's starting to believe her.
CAPTION:	I found nothing in the NSA files. The same with the CIA. I even hacked into Neville's personal computer. Nada.
PANEL THREE:
Stat Panel Two
BLOODSHOT:	Pardon me, but who's this enemy you're referring to?
PANEL FOUR:
Like Panel One, only Artemis is calm once again, resigned to the inevitable.
ARTEMIS:	The Catholic Church. More specifically? Vatican Intelligence.
ARTEMIS:	We've clashed often in the past, but always on conflicting missions. This is a vendetta.
TITLE BOX:	"Unholy War"
PAGE FOUR
PANEL ONE:
Now Bloodshot is looking at Artemis. His daughters are visible in silhouette over his shoulder.
BLOODSHOT:	So why involve me?
PANEL TWO:
Stat Panel One, only now we can see the girls' faces.
ARTEMIS:	You're the girls' father. Evie, their mother. I, their aunt. We're all the family they've ever had.
PANEL THREE:
Zoom and crop on the girls. Artemis speaks from off panel.
CAPTION:	Evie's eyes…
ARTEMIS:	You were there when we exacted revenge for Evie's death. I felt we owed you that much, considering how you were…
PANEL FOUR:
CU of Bloodshot, who looks angry.
BLOODSHOT:	Used?
PANEL FIVE:
Stat Panel Two
ARTEMIS:	I was going to say "misled."
BLOODSHOT:	Lady, the only one who's misleading me is you. You think I haven't figured it out?
PANEL SIX:
Flashback scene of Angelo and Evie in high school. Stat BLOODSHOT #54, Page Twelve, Panel Seven.
CAPTION:	Evie used me to get herself pregnant and then set me up with that robbery to get me out of the way.
CAPTION:	If it hadn't been for Albi, I'd have never known--
PAGE FIVE
PANEL ONE:
We see the back of Bloodshot's head from an angle behind him. Artemis and the two girls are walking away from him, their backs to us (and to him, obviously). The fact that they've turned their backs is what convinces him that they don't want a confrontation.
ARTEMIS:	You may find this hard to believe, Harbinger, but we brought you here for more pressing reasons.
PANEL TWO:
Bloodshot is following after the three women. His gun is down at his side, and he gestures with his other hand.
BLOODSHOT:	Brought me here? Lady, you didn't bring me here. I came looking for these two.
PANEL THREE:
Zoom and crop on Artemis's back. She hasn't slowed or looked back once.
ARTEMIS:	And you've found them.
PANEL FOUR:
Bloodshot holds a hand (the one with the gun) to his head. This woman is really getting on his nerves.
BLOODSHOT:	Never mind. I've got a headache this big, and it's got your name written all over it.
BLOODSHOT:	As a matter of fact, it's almost as big as the pain in my--
PANEL FIVE:
CU of Artemis, who's suddenly spun around to face Bloodshot.
ARTEMIS:	We're being hunted as prey, Mr. Lazarus. We need your help if we are to survive.
PAGE SIX
PANEL ONE:
Bloodshot has walked up to Artemis and looks her in the face. The two girls are tense, ready to defend their aunt, should he step out of line.
BLOODSHOT:	And just how much help did you think I’d be against the Church?
BLOODSHOT:	I mean, you're the covert group, skilled in guerilla warfare and sneaky assassination techniques.
PANEL TWO:
Similar to Panel One, only Bloodshot is getting more comfortable with the confrontation. He's motioning with his arms, as he's really frustrated by this whole series of events.
BLOODSHOT:	I mean, you're a whole order, while I'm just one man. How much difference can one man make?
PANEL THREE:
Artemis is resigned. She's been fighting a long time. Her head is bowed. Behind her, the girls look concerned.
ARTEMIS:	There are only five of us who yet remain.
CAPTION:	Only five? Impossible.
PANEL FOUR:
Just like Panel Three, only now the girls have bowed their heads as well, out of deference to their lost comrades.
ARTEMIS:	We've been a thorn in their side for too long, Mr. Lazarus. This is our last stand. They've destroyed the Order. Don't let them destroy your daughters, too.
PANEL FIVE:
CU of Bloodshot, looking grim. She's definitely played the right card, bringing in the girls.
BLOODSHOT:	A Holy War, in the waning days of the 20th Century. It's almost too much to believe.
PAGE SEVEN
PANEL ONE:
Flashback panel. Everything is in shades of blue. Two members of the Order lie on a pile of rubble, dead. Their faces are twisted from the pain they felt before they died.
CAPTION:	At first, they struck from the shadows. Key operations failed, resulting in casualties.
PANEL TWO:
More blue. A vehicle driven by an old man hits a (supposedly) "plain" woman crossing the street. It looks bad.
CAPTION:	Others died in seemingly innocent accidents.
PANEL THREE:
A house explodes. Amidst the flying shrapnel, we can discern the outline of a mangled body. Again, we have shades of blue except for the white-hot explosion.
CAPTION:	Then Vatican Intelligence started becoming more…overt.
PANEL FOUR:
We can see Artemis, and the twins standing behind her. Their heads are up, defiant in their anger. We can just see two large shapes begin to materialize behind the girls.
ARTEMIS:	The five of us have survived only because we, like Evie before us, were sleeper agents, living undercover.
CAPTION:	Five?
PANEL FIVE:
Now two huge African-American men step out of the shadows behind the girls, their huge shoulder spike almost touching. See BLOODSHOT #49, Page 20 for reference.
ARTEMIS:	Flint and Sapling, your daughters, and I are all who remain. We sorely need your help to get out of here alive.
PAGE EIGHT
PANEL ONE:
The five remaining members of the Place of Many Alike have gathered together; there's safety in numbers. Suddenly they all seem stronger, drawing upon one another's strength.
ARTEMIS:	We hoped we could consider you an ally, if not family.
PANEL TWO:
Bloodshot is furious. His eyes flash red, as the nanites work to calm him down.
BLOODSHOT:	Don't talk to me about family.
BLOODSHOT:	You're the one who waited years to avenge Evie's death.
BLOODSHOT:	You're the one who kept me in the dark about my daughters--
PANEL THREE:
Stat Panel Two, only now Bloodshot's eyes aren't glowing. Realization has, as they say, dawned.
CAPTION:	My daughters.
CAPTION:	Capable fighters in their own right, they're all I have left.
PANEL FOUR:
Bloodshot takes a step towards the group of five.
CAPTION:	Jillian, our sons, my father, my mother, and my sister--all gone.
PANEL FIVE:
Bloodshot stops short and, holding a hand over his eyes, knows what he must do. He's not happy about being manipulated, but his mind's made up.
CAPTION:	She's right, damn her. I have to protect them.
PAGE NINE
PANEL ONE:
Artemis has made up the distance between them, walking next to Bloodshot. She places one hand almost tenderly on his shoulder.
ARTEMIS:	I take it by your silence that you've decided to help us?
PANEL TWO:
Bloodshot slaps her hand away. He'd die for his girls, but he's bothered by the fact that by saving them, he's also saving Artemis.
BLOODSHOT:	I want you to understand something, all right? I'm doing this for them. And for Evie. But not for you, okay?
PANEL THREE:
Bloodshot turns towards his daughters.
BLOODSHOT:	What are your names, girls?
KAEDE:	You can call us Momiji and Kaede.
CAPTION:	Great…
PANEL FOUR:
Artemis stands protectively beside the girls. Bloodshot forgets his place, here.
CAPTION:	…Code Names.
ARTEMIS:	Disappointed, Harbinger?
PANEL FIVE:
Bloodshot has moved closer to Momiji and Kaede, trying to forge a lifetime's bonding under battle conditions. Artemis speaks from off-panel.
ARTEMIS:	You are their father only through an accident of biology. Your "movie of the week" reunion will have to wait until after we're successful.
PANEL SIX:
Bloodshot is starting to get ready for combat. Artemis is no longer a nuisance, merely a distraction from the task at hand.
BLOODSHOT:	Successful? And just how, pray tell, do we defeat the Catholic Chuch?
PAGE TEN
PANEL ONE:
CU of Artemis in silhouette. Maybe there's the barest glimmer from her eyes (not glowing like Bloodshot's, but the faintest of reflections in them, is all).
ARTEMIS:	We do not. We just have to defeat this hit squad.
PANEL TWO:
Artemis is still in silhouette, but now she's in profile. Like Bloodshot, she's readying herself for combat and has no time for pleasantries.
ARTEMIS:	Afterwards, we will go to ground. And who knows? One day we may be strong again.
PANEL THREE:
Flint and Sapling approach Artemis again. Each has removed a spike and holds it as a weapon.
ARTEMIS:	They were in pursuit, Mr. Lazarus. We bought ourselves a little time, but now we must prepare for their arrival.
PANEL FOUR:
Bloodshot, shown from the waist up, starts peeling off his black T-shirt.
BLOODSHOT:	Then I'll need my things.
PANEL FIVE:
The girls throw him his duffel bag and katana. Sans shirt, he catches one in each hand.
PANEL SIX:
Bloodshot is removing his vest from the duffel bag.
BLOODSHOT:	Thanks, girls.
PAGE ELEVEN
PANEL ONE:
Splash Page. Bloodshot stands, fully decked out with his vest, gloves, boots, and weaponry. One hand is clenched in a fist; the other holds his Desert Eagle. You would not want to meet him when he's looking like this.
CAPTION:	Let's go.
PAGE TWELVE
PANEL ONE:
Bloodshot and Artemis hide beneath some gymnasium equipment. He still holds his pistol; she holds the Neupro gun.
CAPTION:	Everyone's hidden. Once the girls got into the shadows, I lost them. The same with the silent giants.
PANEL TWO:
Stat Panel One. It's a waiting game now. Bloodshot's eyes glow as he scans the room in infrared.
CAPTION:	Even infrared doesn't detect them. Good.
PANEL THREE:
Bloodshot's looking behind them now.
CAPTION:	That means that if the action starts here, they'll be safe.
PANEL FOUR:
Bloodshot and Artemis, uneasy allies at best, are now facing one another.
BLOODSHOT:	So, what do I call you?
ARTEMIS:	You can call me Artemis.
PANEL FIVE:
Artemis has turned her head from Bloodshot. Just speaking her own codename aloud has caused her pain.
BLOODSHOT:	Artemis? That's not the name of an identical twin.
ARTEMIS:	I'm not an identical twin. Not any longer.
PAGE THIRTEEN
PANEL ONE:
Similar to Page Twelve, Panel One. Bloodshot's eyes still glow dimly.
CAPTION:	It's the waiting that's so hard.
CAPTION:	You never know when the slightest movement or noise will give away your position.
PANEL TWO:
Stat Panel One.
CAPTION:	Of course, the nanites help me to remain still…
CAPTION:	…But even without any such enhancements, Artemis hasn't moved in the last 20 minutes.
PANEL THREE:
Bloodshot, his eyes now growing bright red, has turned his head just slightly. Artemis still hasn't moved.
CAPTION:	There!
PANEL FOUR:
In silhouette, we see three people rappelling down the outside of the school. The woman from the beginning of our tale is in the lead (at the bottom of the panel).
CAPTION:	People--lots of them--coming down the sides of the building.
PANEL FIVE:
Bloodshot pivots to face the window, sighting down his gun.
CAPTION:	Ready or not…
PANEL SIX:
Silhouette of the woman throwing a tear gas canister through the window.
PANEL SEVEN:
We see the tear gas canister hit the floor, fumes just beginning to erupt from it.
CAPTION:	…Here they come.
PAGE FOURTEEN
PANEL ONE:
A horde of Catholics comes sweeping into the room. The nun from Page One is in the lead, whatever features we can discern twisted by hate. The rest of the group is dressed in more traditional "merc" clothing, but they all have a religious item (crucifix, St. Christopher's medallion, whatever) affixed to them someplace. A small, but important detail for our more astute readers to notice.
NUN:	For the God's glory, destroy the heretics!
PANEL TWO:
Zoom and crop on the nun.
CAPTION:	Her.
CAPTION:	I've got to stop her.
PANEL THREE:
Bloodshot springs into action, against the nun. Artemis, hoping to draw some of their foes away, breaks in the opposite direction.
CAPTION:	Their sheer volume is their greatest weakness. They'll get in each other's way.
PANEL FOUR:
Now we're above and behind Bloodshot as he closes in on the nun.
CAPTION:	Destroy her and the rest'll scatter in confusion.
PANEL FIVE:
Momiji and Kaede come storming into the room. Momiji holds a sai, Kaede holds a stiletto in her right hand with four others clenched in her left hand, looking like claws.
CAPTION:	No! Get out, get away while you can!
PAGE FIFTEEN
PANEL ONE:
A large Catholic male hurls three throwing stars at Momiji.
PANEL TWO:
Action panel. Momiji, using her sai, is able to block two of the throwing stars.
PANEL THREE:
The third star sinks into Momiji's forearm. She grimaces but doesn't cry out.
PANEL FOUR:
The large Catholic male, grinning, draws a dagger out from a sheath strapped to his leg. Bloodshot's scream comes from off-panel.
CAPTION:	No!
PANEL FIVE:
Bloodshot's drawn a bead on the Vatican agent.
CAPTION:	I understand why they 're fighting so quietly.
CAPTION:	The last time we were here, he gunfight disturbed the locals, summoned the law. They don't want that.
PANEL SIX:
Bloodshot shoots the agent in the head.
CAPTION:	Me, I don't care if the cops show up.
CAPTION:	And that's my little girl there.
PANEL SEVEN:
Bloodshot stands over the shot Vatican agent, making sure he's dead. The nun's words come from off-panel.
CAPTION:	Silly monk, bringing a knife to a gunfight.
NUN:	No!
PAGE SIXTEEN
PANEL ONE:
The nun jumps over the back of Flint (or is it Sapling?), grabbing a collapsible jo off her forearm.
PANEL TWO:
In one fluid motion, she twirls the jo, causing it to telescope open, knocking Bloodshot's gun out of his grasp.
CAPTION:	She's good. Ninjutsu training.
PANEL THREE:
Bloodshot unsheathes his katana. It's time to fight silently, like it or not.
CAPTION:	Fascinating.
CAPTION:	I wish I had more time to study her technique.
PANEL FOUR:
Similar sequence as Page One, Panel Two--Bloodshot cutting with the katana, she blocking with her jo, which is suddenly sliced in two.
CAPTION:	I may have to kill her.
PANEL FIVE:
We're above the action, here. The nun casts aside both halves of her jo, hurling them towards Bloodshot. One misses and the other one is blocked.
PANEL SIX:
We see the nun beyond Bloodshot's back. The nun is in a very athletic crouch, her arms waving hypnotically in front of her.
CAPTION:	Taijutsu--the art of unarmed fighting.
CAPTION:	She's been trained by a pro.
PANEL SEVEN:
Zoom on her hands. She makes a gesture with her fingers--something cool and deadly at the same time.
CAPTION:	Wait! That motion of her fingers, it's Colin's trademark.
CAPTION:	She's studied with Ninjak.
PAGE SEVENTEEN
PANEL ONE:
The nun snakes one arm in under Bloodshot's and jabs him in the eye, while her other hand grabs his elbow in a nerve pinch.
CAPTION:	What?
PANEL TWO:
Bloodshot's dropped the katana, the surprise effect of the nerve pinch.
CAPTION:	Well, now we're both unarmed. She's really no match for me, but she is damned good.
CAPTION:	Time to go for broke.
PANEL THREE:
Bloodshot drops his hands to his side, bowing in a display of respect.
BLOODSHOT:	Well done. Ninjak--your sensei--would be proud.
PANEL FOUR:
Unmoved by his words, the nun has maintained her battle stance.
NUN:	I don't know about that. He and I haven't talked in…
NUN:	…quite some time. Are you friends?
PANEL FIVE:
Bloodshot still keeps his hands at his side, trying to show he's no enemy. She's relaxed perhaps the slightest bit.
BLOODSHOT:	We were.
NUN:	As were we. I'm Sister Gabriela. *
TEXT BOX:	* Last seen in NINJAK #26.
PANEL SIX:
Same poses as Panel Five, but from 180-degree difference in vantage point.
BLOODSHOT:	You can call me Lazarus.
GABRIELA:	Ah, yes. I've heard all about you.
PANEL SEVEN:
We see Gabriela, with the back edge of Bloodshot's head just visible to our left. Realization has dawned in her eyes.
BLOODSHOT:	Then you know what I can do. Let them go and I'll let you live.
PANEL SEVEN:
Crop and zoom on Gabriela. Bloodshot's words come from off-panel.
GABRIELA:	Tell me, Mr. Lazarus, are you Catholic?
BLOODSHOT:	Recovering.
PAGE EIGHTEEN
PANEL ONE:
Gabriela removes the covering from her face. She wants desperately to connect with him on some level--as a warrior, as a Catholic, as a man.
GABRIELA:	They deny everything the Church stands for, Mr. Lazarus.
GABRIELA:	The Immaculate Conception, the Virgin birth…
PANEL TWO:
Now the positions are reversed. It's Bloodshot who's assumed a battle stance, as Gabriela has relaxed hers.
GABRIELA:	They've murdered our faithful for millennia.
BLOODSHOT:	You don't seem like the outnumbered victim here, Sister.
PANEL THREE:
Gabriela has slowly moved closer to Bloodshot, circling around him.
GABRIELA:	They're heretics of the worst kind, and--
BLOODSHOT:	The two girls are my daughters. Now the Catholic Church is condoning the slaughter of innocent children?
PANEL FOUR:
Resigned, Gabriela has pulled up her face covering again, and resumed a battle stance. Bloodshot is prepared for any attack.
GABRIELA:	They're hardly innocent, Mr. Lazarus.
BLOODSHOT:	Let them go. I won't say it again.
PANEL FIVE:
Suddenly Gabriela collapses forward. Bloodshot is just able to catch her before she hits the floor.
CAPTION:	What?
PAGE NINETEEN
PANEL ONE:
Artemis is standing, looking almost regal. In one hand she holds the Neupro gun; in the other, she's still pointing a tranquilizer gun.
ARTEMIS:	She's fine, just unconscious.
PANEL TWO:
Pull back. Bloodshot is on one knee, still holding the unconscious Gabriela. He's pulled off her mask again, and we see the tranquilizer dart in her neck. Artemis has tossed aside the tranquilizer gun.
ARTEMIS:	There needs to be a witness.
BLOODSHOT:	A witness? To what?
PANEL THREE:
Zoom in on Artemis, whose eyes look incredibly sad.
ARTEMIS:	Just go with the nun and you daughters.
ARTEMIS:	Leave the rest to me.
PANEL FOUR:
Bloodshot's standing now. He has come to grudgingly respect this woman and he knows what is about to happen.
BLOODSHOT:	Lady, you don't have to tell me twice, but what you're thinking is suicide. You can't stop them all yourself.
ARTEMIS:	Be that as it may, it's time for you to go. And take the…take your daughters with you.
PANEL FIVE:
CU on Artemis. We can see the hint of a sad smile play at her eyes.
ARTEMIS:	And, Mr. Lazarus? Evie didn't use you. She died loving you, for whatever it's worth.
CAPTION:	I could hear her heartbeat. She's lying, trying to manipulate me.
PANEL SIX:
Bloodshot's turned his back to Artemis, ready to go. Then, suddenly he changes his mind. Perhaps she's tried to be nice, to do the decent thing by lying. As he speaks, he peers back over one shoulder at Artemis, who holds the Neupro gun in both hands.
BLOODSHOT:	It's worth a lot. Thank you.
BLOODSHOT:	And good luck.
PAGE TWENTY
PANEL ONE:
Holding Gabriela with one arm, Bloodshot sticks two fingers in his mouth and whistles.
PANEL TWO:
The girls, fighting back to back, turn their heads in the direction of his whistle. Bloodshot speaks form off-panel.
BLOODSHOT:	Let's go!
PANEL THREE:
Artemis has discarded the Neupro gun and holds a compact, but powerful, bomb in her hands. She's working the timer when a sword comes through her stomach.
CAPTION:	The Neupro gun doesn't work on organic matter, though.
PANEL FOUR:
Bloodshot and the girls are out of the school, Gabriela thrown over one of his shoulders now. They're running as fast as they can, trying desperately to escape.
CAPTION:	Faster!
PANEL FIVE:
Artemis staggers over to the dead bodies of Flint and Sapling.
PANEL SIX:
The school explodes behind them. Bloodshot does his best to shield the girls with his body.
PANEL SEVEN:
Bloodshot's placed Gabriela on the ground and turns to the girls.
BLOODSHOT:	Are you okay?
PANEL EIGHT:
Momiji and Kaede, saddened by the loss of their aunt, nonetheless know they have to keep moving.
KAEDE:	We live, but we must go.
MOMIJI:	I promise you this: one day we will come to you. But until then, do not look for us.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
PANEL ONE:
Aerial view. Bloodshot kneels on the ground beside the still-unconscious Gabriela. The school has been leveled, a smoking crater and part of the "condemned" sign the only remains.
CAPTION:	And they're gone.
PANEL TWO:
Gabriela stirs beside him.
GABRIELA:	Lazarus? What happened?
BLOODSHOT:	It's obvious. They destroyed themselves, and your colleagues with them.
PANEL THREE:
Gabriela isn't buying it. She's removed her mask, so we can see her entire face.
GABRIELA:	I have a very high degree of empathy, Mr. Lazarus. * I can tell when someone's lying.
TEXT BOX:	As evidenced in NINJAK #23.
PANEL FOUR:
Her face has softened somewhat. Something has affected her: his concern for his daughters, her time with Colin? Who knows?
GABRIELA:	Still, you're lying for the right reasons. Go with God.
PANEL FIVE:
Bloodshot begins his long, lonely walk home.
GABRIELA (whispers):		And take care of your girls.
CAPTION:	There's that. At least they're still alive.
PANEL SIX:
Stat Panel Five, but pull back on an aerial view. The text box is in calligraphy.
TEXT BOX:	"I…promise and declare that I will…make and wage relentless war…against all heretics…
PANEL SEVEN:
Now he's walking back from whence he came, past the sign we saw in #54. The text box is in calligraphy.
TEXT BOX:	"That…I will secretly use the poisoned cup, the strangulation cord, the steel of the poniard, or the leaden bullet…as I at any time maybe directed so to do by any agent of the Pope or superior of the brotherhood of the Holy Faith…" --Oath of the Jesuits.
Me again. First of all, thanks for coming along for the ride. I had a lot of fun with this story arc. As I mentioned last time, I am a great fan of Mr. Boone's tale. And I knew that as soon as I made the Place of Many Alike a radical offshoot/sect, that I'd have to get the Catholic Church involved, former altar boy that I am. And once the Vatican was involved, how could I not include Gabriela? It just seemed logical to me (as I hope it does to you). I was very disappointed when NINJAK was cancelled, and was very happy when Barry Reese resurrected her in the pages of V1F's NINJAK.
I was deliberately very vague about Gabriela's relationship with Colin King, should any author choose to take up the title. As it stands, many thanks to Mike Hintze--with whom I've unofficially been "sharing" Ninjak--for giving me permission to use Gabriela. Anyone wanting to see Gabriela's sensei should head over to Mike's ETERNAL WARRIOR, y'dig?
The Jesuit Oath was revealed by Alberto Rivera, a former Jesuit himself. I don't know if his words are true or not, but they fit in well with this tale, so it's close enough for my purposes. ;-)
Lastly, it's next issue's hype. In a tale ripped out of the recent news, Bloodshot's going to go undercover with some of the seedier members of the VALIANT Universe. We'll see some faces we've seen before, meet a bevy of undesirables, and maybe even a character who will have a huge impact on Bloodshot within the next year or so (yes, I'm plotting that far in advance).
As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Drop me a line if you have anything to say--good, bad, or otherwise. Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you next issue. ant'ny