BACKSTORY PAGE
Previously On. Runs along the left side of the page interspersed with downsized panels from the previous issue where/if space permits.
Dimitri Sokolov makes bad decisions. When he discovered that his lover was fighting an addiction to painkillers, which had drawn her into heroin addiction, he intended to help her taper off her addiction without going cold turkey, but the police interrupted. A gun battle ensued and people died.
Dimitri fled and found the Shadowmancer, a sorcerer capable of manipulating the essence of shadows and drawing knowledge from the darkness. In a fit of desperation, Dimitri grabbed a mysterious ritual knife and buried it into the old warlock’s heart. The blow let off an explosion of magical energy and left Dimitri baring the mantle of the Shadowmancer.
Still reeling from the implications, Dimitri was taken by his neighbor to Dr. Jean-Paul, a voodoo expert, who explained that his powers came from a Dark Place and that he must rid himself of them as soon as possible. Unfortunately, upon returning home Dimitri found a police detective waiting for him….
Character Bios. Runs along the right side of the page and each section is matched with a close up of the character’s face. An image of Dimitri in his shadow armor is used for anonymous and posed so that it appears as a mirrored figure compared to the normal image of Dimitri. An image of Noah is used for the Tuff Boyz.
1. DIMITRI SOKOLOV:      Dimitri is a graduate student of English literature at Portland State University. He’s the child of a family of Russian immigrants and gangsters originally from the east coast. After his mother died in childbirth, his father let Dimitri be raised by his Uncle Vlad, who installed the boy with a strong Mafiosi sense of honor.
2. ANONYMOUS: Since becoming the next Shadowmancer, Dimitri has been haunted by a mysterious voice which taunts him and offers him cryptic advice. What this creature is and what it truly wants are currently unknown.
3. NIKKI BARNES: Nikki is an undergraduate at PSU. Originally from Seattle, she came to Oregon to attend college. Soon after arriving she met Dimitri and the two have had a close relationship ever since. She is currently going cold turkey off her painkiller addiction.
4. JAMES STALLWORTH:Â James is a detective in the Portland Police Bureau. A lifelong resident of the city, he joined the force out of a genuine (some might say naive) desire to protect his community. He frequently has hunches which help him close cases, the result of latent psychic abilities.
5. DAVID HUGHES: David is a graphic artist who lives next door to Dimitri and Nikki. They were only generally acquainted until recently, when Dimitri confided in him that he had begun to hear voices. He has a soft-heart for charity cases.
6. PIERRE JEAN-PAUL: Pierre holds a Doctorate of Pharmacy from Xavier University of Louisiana, and is an expert practitioner traditional African mysticism as well as New Orleans Voodoo. He takes his responsibility for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of his patients very seriously.
7. JEFF KLINE:                    Jeff is a disgraced soldier with a dishonorable discharge. After leaving the military, he became an enforcer for a drug dealing business run by his childhood friend. He’s recently been arrested and is in custody waiting for bail to be set.
8. TUFF BOYZ: A street-level gang of skinheads with ties to a mysterious ‘Boss’ who finances them, and other white supremacist organizations, through a massive drug dealing operation which crisscrosses the city.
PAGE ONE (one panel)
Panel 1. A recreation of the full page spread which ended the previous issue
1. JAMES: You’re under arrest.
PAGE TWO (five panels)
Panel 1. DIMITRI sits on a plain wooden chair in a police interrogation room. There’s a metal table, a mirror (one-way glass), and a security camera. JAMES is standing in front of DIMITRI with a file folder he is reading from.
1. NARRATION: Sometime later.
2. JAMES: Dimitri Sokolov, formerly of New York, graduated cum laude from New York University.
3. DIMITRI: If I’d just gotten that damn B in first year chemistry I would have qualified for magna cum laude.
Panel 2. A shot from over JAMES’ shoulder. His file contains information on DIMITRI and has a picture of him paper clipped to it.
4. JAMES: Currently a graduate student at Portland State University pursuing a master of fine arts in English literature.
5. DIMITRI: It’s better than getting a real job.
6. ANONYMOUS: This man is afraid.
Panel 3. A shot from the perspective of the security camera. It’s black and white with a time stamp of six PM. JAMES continues walking back and forth and DIMITRI is still sitting.
7. JAMES: Charged with a number of misdemeanors as a minor such as vandalism, possession of marijuana, etc.
8. DIMITRI: Boys will be boys.
9. ANONYMOUS: He hides it with this cold resentment.
Panel 4. A shot from behind the characters as a pair of additional police detectives are sitting in a room on the other side of the one way glass. They are sitting in front of a table with shows the feed from the security camera. The voices come from the camera feed not the characters.
10. JAMES: Born in America the child of immigrants. Father and uncle both known associates of the Russian Mob in Brighton Beach.
11. DIMITRI: Are you trying to make some kind of point detective?
12. ANONYMOUS: There was a time when he ended another’s life.
13. JAMES: Arrested for second degree murder.
Panel 5. A close up of DIMITRI, he slams his hand down on the table.
14. ANONYMOUS: He feels the same guilt as you.
15. DIMITRI: And acquitted on grounds of self-defense. I didn’t want to kill anybody. That cocksucker tried to murder my uncle with a Goddamn shotgun!
PAGE THREE (six panels)
Panel 1. A close up of James. He still has the folder open but he is not reading from it anymore, instead he’s smoking a cigarette and observing DIMITRI who is not visible.
1. JAMES: Calm down Mr. Sokolov.
2. JAMES: Right now I’m wondering how you can expect us to believe your version of last night’s events given your history, and you losing your temper isn’t helping your case.
Panel 2. JAMES and DIMITRI are both standing and facing off, starring daggers at one another.
3. DIMITRI: I expect you to believe me because you were standing right Goddamn there and saw what happened.
4. JAMES: Sit down Mr. Sokolov.
Panel 3. JAMES has closed the folder and stands there dully looking at DIMITRI still smoking is cigarette. DIMITRI has slouched down in his chair and sticking his legs out straight under the table.
5. DIMITRI: Can I have a cigarette?
6. JAMES: No.
7. DIMITRI: Asshole.
Panel 4. In the room on the other side of the one way glass the two detectives are still watching the interview. DETECTIVE 2 is eating a doughnut.
8. DETECTIVE 1: Any more doughnuts left?
9. DETECTIVE 2: Last one.
10. DETECTIVE 1: Split it with me.
11. DETECTIVE 2: Fuck off.
Panel 5. A close up of JAMES’ face illuminated by the light from his cigarette.
12. ANONYMOUS: He knows you’re holding something back.
13. JAMES: Let’s run through your story again, once more.
14. ANONYMOUS: He wants you to tell him what he saw wasn’t real but he won’t accept the lie.
Panel 6. A close up of DIMITRI with his head held in his hands.
15. DIMITRI: You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
16. ANONYMOUS: He’s terrified of what it means if what he saw was the truth.
PAGE FOUR (five panels)
Panel 1. JAMES has put the file down on the table in front of DIMITRI, he is now leaning over on the chair which stands on the opposite side of the table from DIMITRI.
1. JAMES: Are you afraid of accidentally contradicting yourself?
2. DIMITRI: Not as afraid as you are.
Panel 2. JAMES is still leaning on his chair. DIMITRI is leaning back and pointing with his thumb as the mirrored window behind him.
3. JAMES: What do you mean by that Mr. Sokolov?
4. DIMITRI: Look, someone killed your partner and I’m very sorry. Whoever he was he disappeared and I don’t know what else you want me to tell those men in the other room.
Panel 3. A view from the security camera’s perspective again. JAMES is standing and looking directly at the camera holding his chair.
5. JAMES: I don’t want you to tell them anything.
Panel 4. DIMITRI is still sitting casually in his seat waving his arm in the air. JAMES is standing on top of his chair and reaching up to disable the camera.
6. JAMES: My partner’s dead. I don’t believe that you’re responsible, but I need to know the truth.
7. DIMITRI: You can’t handle the… yadda yadda.
Panel 5. JAMES has spun his chair around and is sitting on it the wrong way facing DIMITRI.
8. JAMES: Try me.
PAGE FIVE (six panels)
Panel 1. JAMES holds out a pack of cigarettes to DIMITRI who takes one.
1. DIMITRI: The old man was a shadowmancer, a man capable of mystically manipulating darkness and shadows.
2. JAMES: Do you think this is funny?
Panel 2. DIMITRI points upwards at the disable camera. He’s furious and shouting.
3. DIMITRI: Turn the fucking camera back on and then charge me with a crime you don’t have a single Goddamn shred of proof about or let me go! But don’t pretend that I’m feeding you a line of bullshit when I tell you what you already fucking know is real!
4. JAMES: I’m sorry Mr… I’m sorry Dimitri. Please continue.
Panel 3. DIMITRI has put the cigarette in his mouth and leans forward for JAMES to light it with a disposable lighter.
5. DIMITRI: When I attacked him something happened. I gained his abilities. I don’t know how or why. I also have no idea what happened to the old man’s body.
6. DIMITRI: I do know that I have the power to evade notice, it’s how I escaped your backup, so maybe he got away but I don’t think so.
7. JAMES: Why not?
8. DIMITRI: This power is some kind of devil’s deal, and when your time is up he takes his due.
Panel 4. DIMITRI and JAMES both sit back smoking their cigarettes appraising one another.
9. DIMITRI: ….
10. JAMES: ….
Panel 5. A close up of DIMITRI looking confused.
11. DIMITRI: The old shadowmancer said that normal people weren’t supposed to see him. But you could.
12. JAMES (OFF): I have these… flashes.
Panel 6. A close up of JAMES he is making a difficult admission.
13. DIMITRI (OFF): What, like menopause?
14. JAMES: Sometimes when I’m on a case I just get these hunches, and they always turn out to be right.
15. JAMES: Max used to say that it would give him the creeps, but he would always insist that we follow them since it gave us the best arrest record in the city.
PAGE SIX (six panels)
Panel 1. Another shot of DIMITRI and JAMES sitting back in their chairs looking at each other.
1. DIMITRI: Well I guess we’re both a pair of freaks then.
2. JAMES: I guess we are.
Panel 2. A close up of JAMES who’s closed his eyes with his cigarette in his mouth. He looks tired and frustrated.
3. DIMITRI (OFF): So can you let me go now then?
4. JAMES: You were still at that deal buying painkillers illegally. It’s my job to put away criminals.
Panel 3. A close up of DIMITRI. He leans forwards and gestures with his cigarette.
5. DIMITRI: Yeah except that if we talk about that deal then we talk how I was caught and then we talk about what happened to your partner. That road ends with both of us in an asylum.
6. JAMES (OFF): What are you suggesting?
Panel 4. A shot from just behind DIMITRI’s shoulder. JAMES has returned to his feet and turned his back on DIMITRI
7. DIMITRI: You decide that I’m not the man you chased after all; this man who will never be found killed your partner.
8. DIMITRI: I go my way, you go yours.
9. JAMES: Max’s murder goes unsolved, his family gets no resolution.
Panel 5. A close up of DIMITRI as he snubs out his smoke on the table in front of him.
10. DIMITI: I don’t know how to give them resolution. Your justice system wasn’t built to handle shit like this. It has no recourse against the unexplainable.
Panel 6. JAMES goes over to the camera and plugs it back in.
PAGE SEVEN (five panels)
Panel 1. JAMES is behind DIMITRI and has taken off his handcuffs.
1. JAMES: Mr. Sokolov you’re free to go.
Panel 2. JAMES is opening up the door out of the interrogation room. DIMITRI is walking behind him rubbing his wrists.
2. JAMES: Don’t make me regret this.
Panel 3. DIMITRI has left the interrogation room but turns to speak with JAMES as he leaves.
3. DIMITRI: Hey if I find out anything else about the man who killed your partner…
4. DIMITRI: …Well I’ll keep you informed if you do the same.
Panel 4. DIMITRI turns around and stumbles into another man who is just off panel.
5. DIMITRI: Hey sorry buddy.
Panel 5. DIMITRI and JEFF face off against one another. They look like they want to kill each other and share the same word bubble.
6. DIMITRI: You.
6. JEFF: You.
PAGE EIGHT (six panels)
Panel 1. DIMITRI and JEFF continue to stare daggers at one another. A POLICE OFFICER who was taking off JEFF’s handcuffs stands off to one side as does JAMES.
1. POLICE OFFICER: You two know each other?
2. DIMITRI: Nope.
3. JEFF: Never met him.
4. ANONYMOUS: He sees you as a job left unfinished.
Panel 2. JEFF has his handcuffs removed and he’s rubbing the blood back into his wrists but the he and DIMITRI never loses eye contact.
5. JEFF: See you around stranger.
6. ANONYMOUS: He will be patient, but he will never forget you.
7. DIMITRI: Not if I see you first.
Panel 3. JEFF walks away and both JAMES and DIMITRI eye him wearily as he goes.
8. DIMITRI: He killed a friend of mine. Couldn’t keep him behind bars?
9. JAMES: Someone posted his bail. Besides, you gonna testify against him?
Panel 4. DIMITRI walks away from JAMES who watches him leave shaking his head.
10. DIMITRI: I guess not.
Panel 5. JEFF is signing papers at the desk by the entrance to the police station. Nearby are the BOSS and JESSICA. The BOSS is a heavy set man with a beard who wears a fine suit and drug dealer sunglasses; he has a smile constantly plastered on his face. JESSICA hangs on his arm; she’s tall and very pretty with black hair and wears expensive looking dark clothes. They have a CHAUFFER with them. The CHAUFFER is a professional looking man in a dark suit with the body of a heavy weight boxer which his jacket can barely contain.
11. JEFF: Who was the man in the interview room right next to mine?
12. DESK SARGEANT: I can’t share that information.
Panel 6. The BOSS snaps his fingers and points. The CHAUFFER walks up to the desk with a fist full of cash.
13. BOSS: Are you sure?
PAGE NINE (seven panels)
Panel 1. DIMITRI is in the halls of the police station and looks around in confusion.
1. ANONYMOUS: It’s near.
2. DIMITRI: What the hell?
Panel 2. A close up of a doorplate marked ‘evidence locker’.
3. ANONYMOUS: The blade that sealed your pact.
Panel 3. A shot of a dark evidence locker. There are shelves all over the place with boxes and various items associated with crimes around including the drugs, money and weapons from the drug deal in issue one. Light streams in from under the bottom of the door which doesn’t go all the way to the floor.
4. ANONYMOUS: Take it.
Panel 4. DIMITRI stands on his tip toes to unscrew the light bulb in a fixture mounted on the nearby wall.
5. ANONYMOUS: You need it.
Panel 5. DIMITRI materializes from out of the shadows in the evidence room. The light is no longer visible under the door.
6. ANONYMOUS: It belongs to you.
Panel 6. DIMITRI pushes through the various boxes towards one in the back.
7. DIMITRI: This is not a good idea.
8. ANONYMOUS: It wants you.
Panel 7. DIMITRI stands in front of an open box holding the Darkblade. He reaches out a hand tentatively to grasp it while it emanates baleful energy.
9. ANONYMOUS: It recognizes you as its master.
PAGE TEN (four panels)
Panel 1. A large black limousine driving through the streets of Portland.
1. JEFF (OFF): Dimitri Sokolov…
2. JESSICA (OFF): He’s cute.
3. BOSS (OFF): What is this country coming too when these damn Russians bring cops into good old fashioned American drug deals. Trump is behind all this I just know it.
Panel 2. The interior of a rather luxurious limousine. JEFF is reading through a file. JESSICA is sipping from a glass of campaign but reading over JEFF’s shoulder. The BOSS is splayed out on one side of the limo by himself smoking a cigar.
4. JESSICA: If he’s with the cops why would they have him in handcuffs in an interrogation room?
5. JEFF: One-time will cuff informants or undercover officers to convince everyone they’re on the level. But they must know we already want him dead regardless so there wouldn’t be any point. I doubt he’s with the police.
Panel 3. A close up of the BOSS as he snorts a line of cocaine off the hand rest.
6. BOSS: In that case who is he working for?
7. JEFF (OFF): From the looks of this…
Panel 4. A shot from the passenger seat of the limo. Through the partition the three gangsters are visible in the back. The CHAUFFER is in the driver’s seat.
8. JEFF: The Russkaya mafiya. Specifically the Brighton Beach Bratva.
9. JESSICA: Russian mafia? Very cute.
10. BOSS: We have enough trouble with the Slabtown Bratva, why is this kid from New York here? East coast gangsters are supposed stay out of west coast affairs. If we don’t put a stop to this we’re going to have more Russian mobsters in this city then a Goddamn Steven Seagal movie.
PAGE ELEVEN (five panels)
Panel 1. A close up of JESSICA as she smirks mischievously from behind her wine glass.
1. JESSICA: Alright, kill him then. Though it seems like a shame if you ask me.
2. BOSS (OFF): Jeff, you’ve met this ruskie, what did you think of him?
Panel 2. A close up of JEFF as he considers the file he holds.
3. JEFF: Capable, smart, wasn’t intimidated at all when we met and kept his wits about him even when the guns started going off. It’s my read that he knows how to fight and that he’s been in a gun battle before.
Panel 3. JEFF closes the file and hands it over to JESSICA. The BOSS has opened the limo’s drinks cabinet and is fishing for a beverage.
4. BOSS: That’s all well and good, can you kill him?
5. JEFF: I don’t see why not. Give me a man or two, one to watch my back and another to keep the car running. You’ll never see him again.
Panel 4. A close up of the BOSS as he drinks a bottle of beer holding his cigar in the other hand.
6. BOSS: I’ll give you all three; I don’t want any fuck ups. His address is in the file, as soon as we reach home base pick your back-up and go.
7. JEFF (OFF): Yes sir.
Panel 5. A shot over JESSICA’s shoulder as she reads the file. She runs her finger along DIMITRI’s picture.
8. JESSICA: And him being so cute too. What a shame.
PAGE TWELVE (five panels)
Panel 1. DIMITRI walks up the stairs in his apartment.
1. ANONYMOUS: There is pain here. Pain and sickness.
Panel 2. DIMITRI opens the door to his apartment.
2. ANONYMOUS: It is delicious.
3. DIMITRI: Nikki, baby sorry I’m late. How are you fee-
4. NIKKI (OFF): Hurk.
5. DIMITRI: -ling.
Panel 2. NIKKI is lying on the couch sweating profusely with a blanket wrapped around her, there is a pan lying on the floor next to her she has been throwing up into.
6. DIMITRI: Jesus Nikki you look terrible.
7. NIKKI: I feel terrible, where have you been?
8. DIMITRI: God I’m sorry, I got picked up by the cops.
Panel 3. DAVID emerges from out of the kitchen. He’s wearing a poncho with flecks of vomit on it and has a bowl of soup in his hands. DIMITRI is surprised by his sudden emergence.
9. DAVID: The police? What did they want?
10. DIMITRI: David? When the hell did you get here?
Panel 4. DAVID hands the bowl of soup off to Nikki while DIMITRI stands in the entrance and watches.
11. DAVID: When I got home I checked in on Nikki and she said you hadn’t come back. I thought that if she was sick someone ought to look out for her.
12. DAVID: I was going to chew you out for leaving her like this when you got back but what’s this about the cops.
12. DIMITRI: 5-0 grabbed me a sweated me for a few hours asking about some mob bullshit. I don’t know what it was about and I guess they didn’t either because they didn’t charge me and let me out a little while ago.
13. ANONYMOUS: Lies come easily to you.
PAGE THIRTEEN (six panels)
Panel 1. DIMITRI sits down next to NIKKI and puts his arm around her as she blows on the soup to cool it.
1. DIMITRI: Nikki are you sure you’re alright?
2. ANONYMOUS: Her misery is palpable.
Panel 2. Nikki takes a spoonful of soup towards her mouth.
3. ANONYMOUS: It sings so sweetly.
4. NIKKI: I never said I was alright. I feel like I’m dying. Every time I take a bite I throw it right back up.
Panel 3. NIKKI eats the soup while DIMITRI holds her.
5. DIMITRI: I love you babe, and I’m proud of you for toughing it out like this. You’ll get through this.
6. ANONYMOUS: She is weak. A thing for your amusement, nothing more.
Panel 4. NIKKI starts throwing up again while DIMITRI sits next to her awkwardly.
Panel 5. DIMITRI rises to his feet. NIKKI hovers over the pan gripping her stomach.
7. DIMITRI: I’ll get you some weed, that’ll help settle your stomach.
8. NIKKI: Good, I’d hate to vomit on you.
Panel 6. A close up on DAVID as he motions towards the bedroom door.
9. DAVID: Hey can I talk to you a minute?
PAGE FOURTEEN (six panels)
Panel 1. A car pulls up in the alley beside DIMITRI’s building. Inside are JEFF and three mobsters. One in the back has an Uzi, SAL, and the other in the back is affixing a silencer to a pistol, BRANDON. The driver seems younger than the others and looks nervous, he’s sweating bullets.
1. JEFF: Alright kid you got a gun?
2. KID: I thought I was just supposed to drive.
Panel 2. BRANDON is smiling while SAL looks annoyed. Jeff remains stoic and has taken out a silver revolver with engravings of a dragon and a pearl grip.
3. JEFF: Jesus kid. Alright, if you see someone coming down the fire escape honk the horn. And keep the engine running we may need to vacate the area quickly.
4. KID: Absolutely.
5. JEFF: Bran you take the shot, we’ll do this quiet if we can.
Panel 3. DAVID and DIMITRI are in the bedroom with the light off. DIMITRI is rolling a joint on the nightstand while DAVID stands nearby.
6. DAVID: Look I don’t want to tell you what to do. And I know I only heard a part of it, but could she accidentally get caught up in any of this stuff?
7. DIMITRI: What stuff is that?
8. ANONYMOUS: He is jealous of the girl, he wants you for himself.
Panel 4. DIMITRI seals the joint DAVID stands awkwardly with his hands in his pockets.
9. DAVID: The stuff you talked about with Jean-Pierre and now with the police.
10. ANONYMOUS: He was an ear to the door, listening to what he should not.
11. DIMITRI: I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to think, I haven’t even told her anything because of the-
12. ANONYMOUS: The man outside is afraid. The chief said it was finally time to do his first job. His hands are shaking around the wheel.
Panel 5. DIMITRI is confused and looks out the window at the car parked beside the building and the men entering the front door.
13. DAVID (OFF): What’s wrong?
13. ANONYMOUS: The man he was sent with told him to stay in the car, but he knows there will be killing inside.
Panel 6. DIMITRI looks back at DAVID with a serious expression of his face. DAVID is worried.
14. DIMITRI: There are hitmen coming after me. They’re in the building. Get Nikki into your apartment and lock the door.
PAGE FIFTEEN (six panels)
Panel 1. DIMITRI rushes out of the bedroom and is reaching for the ventilation duct. DAVID is chasing after him. NIKKI looks up at them from her soup.
1. DAVID: Hitmen!? What are you going to do!?
2. NIKKI: What are you talking about?
Panel 2. A close up of DIMITRI as he pulls the handgun from the duct.
3. DIMITRI: I’m going to fucking handle this.
Panel 3. DAVID is helping NIKKI up from the couch while DIMITRI is checking the gun.
4. NIKKI: Jesus Christ Dimitri, where did you get that?
Panel 4. Close up of Dimitri he’s enraged and ready for a fight.
5. DIMITRI: There are gunmen coming after us. I’ll explain everything once we’re out of danger. You and David hide in his apartment and get out through the fire escape once it’s clear.
Panel 5. NIKKI is trying to get up unsteadily. DAVID is rushing over to help support her.
6. NIKKI: You can’t just tell me what-
7. DAVID: I absolutely agree with you that this is a super dick move on his part, but I think we should save the argument until all the guns are put away.
Panel 6. DAVID is helping NIKKI and they are going towards the door. Behind them and out of sight DIMITRI begins to surround himself with his shadow armor as he follows them.
8. NIKKI: Fine, but we’re talking about this as soon as it’s over.
PAGE SIXTEEN (eight panels)
Panel 1. JEFF and his men enter DIMITRI’s building. JEFF points to SAL.
1. JEFF: Sal, stay here and make sure no one leaves through the front.
Panel 2. JEFF and BRANDON ascend the stairs of the apartment still bearing their weapons.
2. BRANDON: So what if the door is locked? We gonna bust it open?
3. JEFF: You my friend are a barbarian.
Panel 3. JEFF and BRANDON walk down the hall and are nearly at the door to the apartment. JEFF is pulling a set of lock picks out of his pocket.
4. BRANDON: Ever since you got that set of lock picks I never get to kick open doors anymore.
Panel 4. JEFF kneels and begins working on the door to DIMITRI’s apartment with the lock picks.
5. JEFF: Give a man a hammer and everything starts to look like a nail.
Panel 5. A shot from inside the dark apartment. BRANDON and JEFF are silhouetted in the door which swings open.
6. BRANDON: The master of unlocking.
7. JEFF: It’s dark in here. Keep an eye out for the target.
Panel 6. SAL stands in front of the main entrance to the building on guard holding his Uzi.
Panel 7. JEFF stands in the main room; BRANDON is just coming back from the bedroom. They have turned on the lights and just finished searching the apartment. JEFF is leaning over the bowl of soup holding his hand in the steam coming off it.
8. BRANDON: There’s no one in here, maybe he isn’t home yet.
9. JEFF: He knows we’re after him. He’s somewhere in the building.
Panel 8. Downstairs by the main door to the building DIMITRI looms up behind SAL who doesn’t notice him.
10. BRANDON (OFF): Mr. fucking detective.
PAGE SEVENTEEN (five panels)
Panel 1. The KID is sitting in the car listening to the radio tapping his finger nervously on the wheel. DIMITRI is visible in the distance through the windshield approaching the car.
1. RADIO: Hello vampires, staying up late aren’t we.
2. KID: Sure are pal.
Panel 2. A shot from outside the driver’s window. DIMITRI stands by the door but only part of his back is in view. The KID is still distracted.
3. RADIO: Sure was hot out today, but the forecast calls for rain and that means thunder tonight. But don’t worry our station meteorologist says that the sky will clear up and be bright and sunny for the eclipse.
4. KID: Eclipse huh. I’d like to see that.
Panel 3. DIMITRI rips open the driver’s side door. The KID is shocked.
5. DIMITRI: Don’t look at it until the totality…
6. KID: Who the fuck!
Panel 4. DIMITRI pistol whips the KID on the side of the head and knocks him unconscious.
7. DIMITRI: …or you’ll go blind.
Panel 5. DAVID is looking out the window from his apartment at the car. DIMITRI is standing beside it waving them down.
8. DAVID: Looks like the coast is clear.
PAGE EIGHTEEN (eight panels)
Panel 1. SAL is laying unconscious on the ground. His phone is next to him lit up showing that JEFF is calling him.
Panel 2. A close up of JEFF who is holding his cellphone up to his ear. BRANDON is nearby and heading back into the bedroom.
1. JEFF: Goddamnit Sal pick up.
2. BRANDON: I think you might be right, he knows we’re here. I’ll warn the kid.
Panel 3. A shot from behind BRANDON as he looks out DIMITRI’s bedroom window at the fire escape. DAVID is helping NIKKI and they are already halfway down the stairs.
3. BRANDON: Shit! They’re going down the fire escape!
Panel 4. A shot from above. BRANDON crawls through the window with his gun out. He’s craning his neck to get a clearer shot at DAVID and NIKKI who he is firing at.
4. FX: Thwip thwip
5. DIMITRI (OFF): Nikki look out!
Panel 5. A close up of DAVID’s shoulder as he’s hit by a bullet.
6. DAVID (OFF): AUGH!
Panel 6. A shot from behind DIMITRI as he takes cover behind the KID’s car and fires back at BRANDON on the fire escape. Two bullets impact right next to BRANDON and the last strikes him in the neck. BRANDON is already leaning over the guard rail to fire at DAVID and NIKKI who are continuing to make their way towards ground level. As he’s struck the assassin appears ready to fall off the side.
Panel 7. A view from the side on the fire escape as BRANDON falls. DAVID and NIKKI watch him plummet.
7. BRANDON: AAAAAAHHHHHH!
Panel 8. BRANDON impacts with the ground. The shot is facing the car and DIMITRI can be seen flinching with disgust as the gangster’s head meets the pavement.
8. FX: THUNK!
PAGE NINETEEN (five panels)
Panel 1. A shot from down the alley facing DIMITRI and the car. DIMITRI throws the keys to DAVID who has reached the ground gripping his shoulder which is bleeding badly. NIKKI is kneeling on the ground puking her guts out and BRANDON lies nearby in a pool of blood.
1. DAVID: I’ve been…
2. DIMITRI: Get around the corner there’s someone else coming!
Panel 2. The view is from the mouth of the alley. DIMITRI takes cover just behind the alley while JEFF and SAL emerge onto the street from the front door weapons drawn.
Panel 3. A shot from just on top of the car trunk. SAL and JEFF are at the opening to the alley with their guns trained on the car. DIMITRI has ducked off to the side of the alley and pulled the shadows around himself.
3. SAL: Where the fuck is this guy? How did he get past us?
4. JEFF: He must be hiding in the car, hit it.
5. SAL: What about the kid?
6. JEFF: I said hit it!
Panel 4. From behind SAL is visible sending fully automatic fire towards the car. The windshield is smashed and the KID sitting in the front seat is perforated with bullets. DIMITRI is stepping forward taking aim but is still hidden.
7. SAL: Sorry kid.
Panel 5. DIMITRI opens fire on SAL, several shots miss but one hits SAL in the thigh and another two in the torso. Struck by the bullets SAL continues firing but his aim goes wildly up into the air. JEFF is shocked and dives for cover around the building firing his revolver back at DIMITRI as he leaps but missing.
9. SAL: Where the fuck did he come- AUGH!
10. FX: *Numerous gunshots and in the end DIMITRI’s gun clicks empty*
PAGE TWENTY (seven panels)
Panel 1. A close up of JEFF as he takes cover behind the building which his revolver. The alley is visible on the right half of the panel but DIMITRI cannot be seen.
1. JEFF: That’s a pretty fancy move you got there son. Could have used someone like you back in Afghanistan.
Panel 2. JEFF ducks around the corner trying to take aim but the alley is empty, DIMITRI is nowhere to be seen.
Panel 3. JEFF moves forwards carefully looking around for DIMITRI who remains unseen.
3. JEFF: Yeah, not bad invisible boy, not bad at all.
Panel 4. A close up of JEFF and DIMITRI is visible behind him cloaked in shadow.
4. JEFF: But I didn’t survive five years in the fucking desert to get taken out by some Russian punk with magic tricks.
Panel 5. JEFF swings behind him trying to hit DIMITRI with the butt of his gun but DIMITRI ducks under the blow and punches him in the stomach.
5. DIMITRI: You sure?
Panel 6. JEFF brings down a double fisted blow onto DIMITRI’s collar bone.
6. JEFF: Oh yeah.
Panel 7. DIMITRI has been knocked to his knees and JEFF points his gun right at his head.
7. JEFF: See you in hell son.
PAGE TWENTY ONE (eight panels)
Panel 1. DIMITRI forms a shield out of shadow which forms between his hands and blocks the bullet.
1. FX: BANG!
Panel 2. A close up of DIMITRI’s fist as he punches JEFF in the balls.
2. DIMITRI: I’ll catch up with you there later.
Panel 3. DIMITRI throws himself forward and body checks JEFF into a wall while grabbing for his gun.
Panel 4. A shot from below looking up. JEFF’s slumped form is just visible off to the side. DIMITRI stands over him holding the revolver at his head. Above a dim yellow light shines and its light falls over part of DIMITRI’s shoulder and where it falls his shadow armor dissolves.
3. JEFF: I guess maybe this is it.
4. ANONYMOUS: He represents a threat to you.
Panel 5. DAVID and NIKKI are out of the car and rushing over towards DIMITRI who still points his gun at JEFF though now DIMITRI has moved entirely into the light and his armor is totally gone.
5. JEFF: Just finish it boy.
6. ANONYMOUS: Eliminate it.
Panel 6. A closer view where only DIMITRI and JEFF can be seen. DIMITRI has aimed the gun down at JEFF’s kneecap which he blows off.
7. FX: BANG!
8. JEFF: AUGH!
Panel 7. A close up of JEFF clutching his crippled knee and writhing in pain on the ground.
9. DIMITRI (OFF): If I see you again you’re fucking dead.
10. ANONYMOUS: He will not thank you for this mercy.
Panel 8. A close up of DIMITRI, DAVID and NIKKI talking. NIKKI has her eyes closed and looks passed out; DAVID also seems to be in intense pain.
11. DAVID: Where the hell do we go now?
12. DIMITRI: I have an idea.
PAGE TWENTY TWO (three panels)
Panel 1. PIERRE is sitting in his study reading a book.
1.FX: Knock. Knock.
Panel 2. PIERRE is walking to the door.
2. FX: Knock. Knock.
3. PIERRE: I’m coming, I’m coming.
4. PIERRE: If you insist on bothering a man this late at night you can stand to wait a minute on the porch.
Panel 3. A shot from over the shoulder of a surprised looking PIERRE. DIMITRI and DAVID both work to hold up NIKKI. All of them look like hell and they are standing on PIERRE’s front porch.
5. DIMITRI: We need your help.