Millennium Man: The Need For Speed

Millennium Man:
"The Need For Speed"
by Reay Jepersen

PAGE 3
FULL PAGE PANEL.

NIGHT.
HIGH ANGLE.
MILLENNIUM MAN IS FLYING ON HIS BACK, ARCHING HIS HANDS BACKWARD TOWARD THE TINY BUILDINGS AND LIGHTS OF PACIFIC CITY FAR BELOW.
LIGHT FROM THE FULL MOON SPILLS HIGHLIGHTS ONTO HIS COSTUME.

BANNER, TOP LEFT CORNER: There is nothing more liberating than flight.

BANNER, 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE PAGE, NEXT TO MM'S BODY: Soaring higher than most people do in their dreams.

BANNER, 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE PAGE, NEXT TO MM'S BODY: Feeling like you could reach out and grab a handful of stars.

BANNER, BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER: Total freedom.

PAGE 4
TWO PANELS, ONE 1/4 OF THE PAGE ACROSS THE TOP, THE SECOND THE REST OF THE PAGE.

PANEL 1
EXTREME CLOSE-UP OF MM'S EYE.

BANNER, TOP LEFT CORNER: It's also ideal for keeping an eye on everything...

BANNER, BELOW 1st BANNER: ... to ensure that Pacific City is running normally...

PANEL 2
HIGH ANGLE ON PACIFIC CITY.
A YELLOW STREAK FOLLOWS A JAGGED PATH THROUGH THE STREETS, MOVING AROUND CARS, PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS ALIKE. SOMETHING IS MOVING WITH BLINDING SPEED, THE YELLOW STREAK FADING THE FARTHER AWAY IT GETS FROM THE SOURCE.

BANNER, BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER: ... and to know when it's not.

PAGE 5
PAGE IS QUARTERED INTO FOUR PANELS.

PANEL 1
WORM'S EYE VIEW.
CHEETAH IS A POWERFULLY-BUILT, THIN BUT ATTRACTIVE CAUCASIAN WOMAN.
HER COSTUME: DARK YELLOW WITH ROUGH-HEWN BROWN SPOTS THAT FORM STRIPES DOWN THE SIDE OF HER ARMS TO HER BROWN GLOVES, AND FROM HER ARMPITS DOWN THE SIDE OF HER BODY TO HER BROWN BOOTS. SHE HAS A DARK YELLOW HALF-MASK THAT COVERS HER FACE FROM THE HAIRLINE TO THE BRIDGE OF HER NOSE AND COVERING HER CHEEKBONES. THE MASK HAS BROWN SPOTS AROUND THE EDGE NEAR HER EARS, BROWN STRIPES FROM HER TEAR DUCTS THAT LEAD TO A POINT AS THEY CURVE DOWN AND AROUND TOWARD THE EDGES OF HER MOUTH, AND EYE COVERS THAT ARE WHITE. HER SHOULDER-LENGTH BROWN HAIR IS FLYING STRAIGHT BACK FROM HER BROW.
HER LEFT ARM IS CAUGHT IN RUNNING MOTION, HER LOWER BODY AND THE BUILDINGS TOWERING ABOVE HER ARE A STREAKED BLUR. SHE SMILES BROADLY; PERFECT WHITE TEETH.
SHE DOESN'T SEE THE SMALL WHITE AND MAROON DOT IN THE SKY ABOVE AND BEHIND HER.

PANEL 2
SAME VIEW, DIFFERENT BUILDING STREAKS, RIGHT ARM RAISED IN MOTION, AND MILLENNIUM MAN IS SIGNIFICANTLY CLOSER IN THE SKY.

PANEL 3
SAME VIEW, DIFFERENT BUILDING STREAKS, LEFT ARM RAISED IN MOTION, AND MILLENNIUM MAN IS CLOSER STILL.

PANEL 4
DITTO. MILLENNIUM MAN NOW FLIES ALONG THE LOW BUILDING TOPS.

PAGE 6
FOUR PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE ACROSS THE TOP QUARTER OF THE PAGE, ONE ACROSS THE SECOND QUARTER, AND ONE IN THE LOWER HALF.

PANEL 1
CLOSE-UP OF MM, A LOOK OF CURIOSITY ON HIS FACE.
MM [THINKING]: So who's this gal, and how does she run so fast? I'm barely keeping up with her.

PANEL 2
ANGLE FROM BEHIND MM LOOKING DOWN AT THE CITY STREETS, AND AT CHEETAH ZIG-ZAGGING AS SHE SPEEDS ALONG.
MM [THINKING]: Never seen her around before. Of course, I'd miss her if I blinked, so maybe it's not surprising.

PANEL 3
SAME ANGLE, BUT FROM FARTHER ABOVE MM, THE CITY SPRAWLING OUT BELOW HIM.
MM [THINKING]: She hasn't done anything wrong, but my curiosity is... piqued.

PANEL 4
MM IS NOW A SMALL FIGURE WAY BELOW THE VIEWER, FLYING ABOVE THE CITY. CHEETAH'S YELLOW STREAK IS SCORCHING AWAY BELOW HIM.
MM [THINKING]: Couldn't hurt to see what she's up to.

PAGE 7
THREE PANELS, EACH THE WIDTH OF THE PAGE AND 1/3 OF THE PAGE HIGH.

PANEL 1
LOW ANGLE - CHEETAH'S YELLOW STREAK TAKES A HARD RIGHT ANGLE AROUND A CORNER. MM FOLLOWS.
MM [THINKING]: Heading north now. Uptown.

PANEL 2
LOW ANGLE - CHEETAH RUNS AS MM FOLLOWS SILENTLY IN THE SKY BEHIND HER.
MM [THINKING]: So what's up there? Theatres. Trendy stores and restaurants...

PANEL 3
CHEETAH COMES TO A QUICK HALT AT A QUIET, UNPEOPLED INTERSECTION, LOOKING ACROSS THE STREET AT THE PACIFIC CITY 1ST BANK, CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT.
MM IS IN THE SKY BEHIND HER, HOVERING.
MM [THINKING]: ... and banks.

PAGE 8
THREE PANELS, TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE IN THE UPPER HALF, ONE IN THE LOWER HALF.

PANEL 1
ANGLE OVER MM'S SHOULDER AS HE HOVERS, LOOKING DOWN ON CHEETAH, WHO'S LOOKING RIGHT.
MM [THINKING]: C'mon, lady... tell me you're here to keep an eye on the place.
MM [THINKING]: Looking right...

PANEL 2
LOW ANGLE ON CHEETAH, NOW LOOKING LEFT. MM HOVERS IN THE SKY ABOVE HER.
MM [THINKING]: ... looking left. Nope... no bad guys in sight. So now you move on, right?

PANEL 3
LOW ANGLE.
CHEETAH'S STREAK SHOOTS FROM THE CORNER WHERE SHE WAS STANDING ACROSS THE STREET AND THROUGH THE BANK'S WALL, SMASHING A BROAD HOLE THROUGH IT.
MM [THINKING]: Once, just once, I'd like to call it right.

PAGE 9
QUARTERED INTO FOUR PANELS.

PANEL 1
ANGLE OVER MM'S SHOULDER AS HE SWOOPS DOWN TOWARD THE HOLE IN THE WALL.
MM [THINKING]: Alright, speedy... time to put the brakes on.

PANEL 2
ANGLE FROM INSIDE DARKENED BANK LOOKING OUT TOWARD THE STREET THROUGH THE HOLE. MM FLIES IN.

PANEL 3
MM LOOKS TO HIS RIGHT, SEEING ANOTHER HOLE, THIS ONE THROUGH THE WALL OF THE VAULT ITSELF.

MM [THINKING]: She ran through a brick wall and the wall of the vault?

PANEL 4
INSIDE THE VAULT LOOKING AT THE HOLE. CHEETAH IS TURNED AWAY FROM THE HOLE. HER LEG, FROM THE SHIN DOWN, IS IN THE FOREGROUND, PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY A BULGING BAG. MM LOOKS THROUGH THE HOLE FROM OUTSIDE THE VAULT.

MM [THINKING]: But, seeing is believing.

MM [THINKING]: Looks like it's time to go to work.

PAGE 10
FULL PAGE PANEL.

ANGLE FROM WALL IN FRONT OF CHEETAH, LOOKING OVER HER SHOULDER AT THE HOLE, NOW BLOCKED BY MM, WHO STANDS WITH HIS ARMS CROSSED, SMILING BROADLY.
CHEETAH IS LOOKING BACK OVER HER SHOULDER, SHOCKED.

MM: *Ahem.*

PAGE 11
QUARTERED INTO FOUR PANELS.

PANEL 1
SAME ANGLE AS LAST PAGE. CHEETAH HAS NOW TURNED AROUND TO FACE MM, WHO IS POINTING AT THE BAG OF MONEY CHEETAH HOLDS.

MM: I'm pretty sure you want to put that money back.

CHEETAH: Oh? And what if I don't?

PANEL 2
ROTATED 90( COUNTER-CLOCKWISE FROM PANEL 1. CHEETAH IS NOW ON LEFT OF PANEL, MM ON RIGHT, HIS FORMERLY POINTING HAND NOW OPEN PALM UP, GESTURING.

MM: Perhaps I wasn't clear enough. The money is staying here, whether you like it or not.

PANEL 3
SAME ANGLE AS BEFORE. MM IS SURPRISED. CHEETAH IS NOW STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF MM, A YELLOW STREAK FROM WHERE SHE WAS STANDING.

CHEETAH [FROM ORIGIN OF STREAK]: Sounds to me an awful lot...

CHEETAH [FROM WHERE SHE NOW STANDS]: ... like you're going to try to stop me.

PANEL 4
CLOSE-UP OF MM'S FACE, SMILING COMFORTABLY.

MM: "Try to", "Succeed without breaking a sweat"... is there really much of a difference?

PAGE 12
SIX PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE IN THE TOP THIRD, ONE 3/4 OF THE PAGE WIDTH AND ONE 1/4 OF THE PAGE WIDTH IN THE MIDDLE THIRD, AND ONE 1/4 PAGE AND ONE 3/4 PAGE IN THE BOTTOM THIRD.

PANEL 1
ANGLE OVER MM'S SHADOWED SHOULDER, LOOKING AT CHEETAH, WHO HOLDS THE FULL MONEY BAG IN ONE HAND AND SMILES BACK AT MM.

CHEETAH: Cute and rather certain of yourself, I see.

CHEETAH: Well, Boyscout, it seems to me I have two options here. One, I can give myself up.

PANEL 2
CLOSE-UP OF CHEETAH'S FREE HAND, HELD UP, PALM FACING MM'S CHEST.

CHEETAH: Or, two...

PANEL 3
CHEETAH, STREAKING FROM THE HOLE WITH MONEY BAG SLUNG BEHIND HER SHOULDER, SLAMS MM AGAINST THE FAR WALL ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE BANK, KNOCKING THE BREATH FROM HIM.

SOUND OF IMPACT [HUGE LETTERS]: WHAM!

MM [WINDED]: WHUUUH!

PANEL 4
CLOSE UP OF CHEETAH'S MOUTH WHISPERING INTO MM'S EAR.

CHEETAH: Catch me if you can.

PANEL 5
SAME ANGLE. CHEETAH LIGHTLY KISSES MM'S EAR.

SOUND OF KISS: *Smek*

PANEL 6
CHEETAH'S STREAK SHOOTS AWAY FROM MM AND OUT THE HOLE IN THE WALL TO THE STREET.

PAGE 13
THREE PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE IN TOP HALF, ONE IN LOWER HALF.

PANEL 1
3/4 VIEW OF MM, LEANING AGAINST THE WALL BUT BENT OVER, HOLDING HIS CHEST. HARSH LIGHTING.

MM [THINKING]: Cracked ribs. Two... maybe three.

MM [THINKING]: And why do I get the impression that was just a love tap?

PANEL 2
HEAD-ON VIEW. MM STANDS UPRIGHT, CHEST AND CHIN THRUST OUT.

MM [THINKING]: Time to heal later. Right now...

PANEL 3
HIGH ANGLE ON CITY. MM STREAKS OUT OF THE HOLE IN THE BANK'S WALL AND CURVES HIGH INTO THE AIR.

MM [THINKING]: ... there's work to do.

PAGE 14
TWO PANELS, ONE IN UPPER HALF, ONE IN LOWER HALF.

PANEL 1
3/4 ANGLE ON CHEETAH STREAKING DOWN THE STREET, SMILING WIDELY, MONEY BAG OVER HER SHOULDER.

CHEETAH [THINKING]: Easier than I thought.

CHEETAH [THINKING]: "Watch out for Millennium Man," they said. "Tougher than he looks," they said.

CHEETAH [THINKING]: Can't wait to get home and tell them that Cheetah took him down with one hand tied behind her-

PANEL 2
SAME ANGLE. MM IS NOW FLYING BESIDE CHEETAH ON HIS SIDE, KEEPING PACE WITH HER, TALKING AND GESTURING CASUALLY.
CHEETAH TURNS TO LOOK AT HIM, SHOCKED.

CHEETAH [THINKING]: -back?

MM: Leaving so quickly? But we were just getting to know each other.

MM: Let's start over again, ok? I'm Millennium Man... and judging from the outfit and the speed, you're a... Cheetah?

MM: ... or... something? Well, whatever. Enough with the introductions. Let's get down to brass tacks.

MM: So... what's a nice girl like you doing robbing a city like this?

PAGE 15
FOUR PANELS: THREE SIDE-BY-SIDE ACROSS TOP HALF OF PAGE, ONE IN BOTTOM HALF.

TOP THREE PANELS ARE ONE STRETCH OF STREET SEGMENTED BY THE PANELS. THE THIRD PANEL HAS AN INTERSECTION WHERE A STREET LEADS AWAY INTO THE DISTANCE.
CHEETAH'S YELLOW STREAK FLOWS ACROSS THE THREE PANELS AND CUTS ACROSS THE CORNER OF THE INTERSECTION, BARELY MISSING THE CLOSEST BUILDING IN ORDER TO DRIVE MM INTO THE WALL. SHE'S SEEN SPEEDING INTO THE DISTANCE DOWN THE INTERSECTING STREET.
MM'S WHITE AND MAROON STREAK IS SEEN BEHIND AND JUST ABOVE HERS, FLOWING ACROSS THE TOP THREE PANELS, THEN TAKING A RIGHT ANGLE UP THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING INSTEAD OF INTO THE WALL.
CHEETAH'S WORD BUBBLES COME FROM HER YELLOW STREAK WITHIN THE PANELS.

CHEETAH [PANEL 1]: Leave...

CHEETAH [PANEL 2]: ... me...

CHEETAH [PANEL 3, RIGHT AT THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING]: ... alone!

PANEL 2
ANGLE ABOVE MM'S SHOULDER AS HE LOOKS DOWN TO SEE CHEETAH SPEEDING AWAY DOWN THE STREET.

MM [THINKING]: I love it when women play hard to get.

PAGE 16
QUARTERED INTO FOUR PANELS.

PANEL 1
HEAD-ON VIEW OF CHEETAH SMOKING DOWN THE STREET. A TINY MM IS SEEN OVER HER LEFT SHOULDER, HOVERING IN THE DISTANCE.
CHEETAH LOOKS DIRECTLY BEHIND HERSELF.

CHEETAH [THINKING]: Looks like I finally lost him.

PANEL 2
SAME VIEW. A WHITE AND MAROON STREAK IS SEEN IN THE DISTANCE, ARCHING UP AND DOWN TOWARD THE STREET BEHIND HER.
CHEETAH IS LOOKING FORWARD AGAIN, SMILING COYLY.

CHEETAH [THINKING]: He is kind of cute, though. Too bad we're on different sides of the fence, or things could-

PANEL 3
SAME VIEW. MM IS FLYING BESIDE HER ON HER OTHER SIDE, ON HIS BACK, AT HER KNEE LEVEL, GESTURING WITH HIS HANDS AGAIN. SHE'S LOOKING DOWN AT HIM.

MM: Ok, here's the thing...

PANEL 4
HIGH ANGLE ON CITY STREET. A YELLOW STREAK AND A WHITE AND MAROON STREAK SHOOT UP THE STREET, JAGGED TURNS AROUND THE LIGHT TRAFFIC. AT THE HEAD OF THE STREAKS, A TINY CHEETAH AND MM.

MM: ... Pacific City is my responsibility. People doing things like robbing banks and getting away with it makes me look pretty bad. So as attractive as you are, I'm going to have to stop you.

PAGE 17
FIVE PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE ACROSS TOP THIRD, ONE ACROSS MIDDLE THIRD, AND ONE 1/4 PAGE AND ONE 3/4 PAGE ACROSS THE BOTTOM THIRD.

PANEL 1
CLOSE-UP OF MM'S FACE, THE ASPHALT STREAKING BELOW HIM. HE SMILES WARMLY.

MM: But I hope you realize this will have no effect on our personal relationship.

MM: If you turn yourself in, I could certainly pencil you in for lunch to celebrate your release from prison in, shall we say, 2004? I know this little place you'd love... a lot of traditional African dishes. Cuz of the whole Cheetah thing, y'see?

PANEL 2
HEAD-ON ANGLE AS CHEETAH RUNS AND MM FLIES ALONG SIDE HER, STILL ON HIS BACK.

CHEETAH: What you don't seem to understand, dear Boyscout, is that I'm not giving up, and you're not sending me to jail.

CHEETAH: Now... I've got places to be, and am getting a bit impatient with both you and this pace. So if you'll excuse me...

PANEL 3
WIDE SIDE ANGLE OF STREET. THE TINY WHITE AND MAROON DOT AND ITS STREAK ON THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF THE PANEL IS BLOWN AWAY BY THE TINY YELLOW DOT AND ITS STREAK ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE OF THE PANEL AS CHEETAH TEARS AWAY FROM MM.

PANEL 4
CLOSE-UP OF MM'S FACE, NOW UPRIGHT AND STARING AT THE READER, WATCHING CHEETAH SPEED AWAY. EYEBROWS RAISED, A HUMBLED LOOK ON HIS FACE.

MM [THINKING]: The lady's got some serious horsepower happening. I'd really like to take a look at what she's got under the hood.

PANEL 5
ANGLE BEHIND MM AS HE POURS ON THE SPEED IN PURSUIT.

MM [THINKING]: ... that, and find out how she runs so fast.

MM [THINKING]: For now, though, I better just catch up to her.

PAGE 18
NINE PANELS: THREE ACROSS, THREE DOWN.

PANEL 1
CLOSE-UP ON MM'S FACE.
HE'S FOCUSED.

PANEL 2
CLOSE-UP OF CHEETAH'S FACE.
SHE STREAKS ALONG, STILL SMILING, EVERYTHING AROUND HER A BLUR.

PANEL 3
CLOSER ANGLE ON ON MM.
GROWING INTENSITY, GROWING SPEED.

PANEL 4
SAME ANGLE, SAME EXPRESSION ON CHEETAH.

PANEL 5
CLOSER ANGLE ON MM - ONLY PART OF HIS FACE IS SEEN.
HE'S FROWNING IN CONCENTRATION, STILL SPEEDING UP.

PANEL 6
SAME ANGLE, SAME EXPRESSION ON CHEETAH.

PANEL 7
CLOSER ANGLE ON MM - ONLY HALF HIS FACE IS SEEN.
HE BEGINS TO GRIMACE, SPEED INCREASING.

PANEL 8
SAME ANGLE, SAME EXPRESSION ON CHEETAH.

PANEL 9
EXTREME CLOSE-UP OF MM - HIS EYE TAKES UP MOST OF THE PANEL, BUT THE INTENSITY ON HIS FACE IS GLARING FROM THE EFFORT SEEN IN JUST THAT SMALL AREA.

PAGE 19
FULL PAGE PANEL

HIGH ANGLE ON CITY. THE TWO STREAKS ARE HEADING TOWARD THE LOADING DOCKS.

PAGE 20
FOUR PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE IN TOP THIRD, ONE ACROSS MIDDLE THIRD, ONE ACROSS BOTTOM THIRD.

PANEL 1
3/4 FRONT ANGLE ON MM IN FAST FLIGHT, FISTS CLOSED IN FRONT OF HIMSELF.

MM [THINKING]: I'm going as fast as I ever have and she's still pulling away from me.

MM [THINKING]: We're coming up to the loading docks. There's not going to be a better place to finish this than in the water, out of harm's way.

PANEL 2
ANGLE OVER MM'S SHOULDER LOOKING AT CHEETAH'S BODY IN THE DISTANCE. MM'S FISTS ARE BEGINNING TO GLOW.

MM [THINKING]: One well-aimed shot should do it. All I really need to do is slow her down for a second...

PANEL 3
3/4 FRONT ANGLE ON CHEETAH. SHE REELS IN SHOCK, BLASTED FROM BEHIND BY MM'S ENERGY BOLTS AS MM CONTINUES TO SPEED UP BEHIND HER.

CHEETAH [SHRIEKING]: GHAAAH!

MM [THINKING]: ... and let physics do the rest.

PANEL 4
SAME ANGLE AS BEFORE. CHEETAH'S HEAD, ARMS AND LEGS ARE THROWN BACK AS MM SHOULDER-TACKLES HER FROM BEHIND. SHE STILL HANGS ONTO THE MONEY BAG.

SOUND OF IMPACT [LARGE LETTERS, STRETCHED DOWN THE STREET]: WWWWWWWHUMP!

CHEETAH [WINDED]: GHUH!

PAGE 21
FOUR PANELS, EACH THE WIDTH OF THE PAGE AND 1/4 PAGE HIGH.

PANEL 1
HIGH ANGLE.
MM AND CHEETAH BLAST THROUGH CRATES AND BARRELS.

PANEL 2
LOW ANGLE.
CLOSE SIDE OF WAREHOUSE, LOOKING THROUGH NEW HOLE IN THE WALL. MM AND CHEETAH FLY THROUGH THE FAR WALL.

PANEL 3
HIGH ANGLE ON LOADING DOCKS.
THEY STREAK TOWARD THE EDGE OF THE WATER.

PANEL 4
ANGLE UNDER DOCK.
WE SEE THE EDGE OF THE DOCK IN THE UPPER PART OF THE PANEL, DEBRIS BLOWN OVER THE EDGE, AND MM AND CHEETAH STREAK BY OVERHEAD AND OUT TO SEA.

PAGE 22
A JUMBLE OF PANELS - OVERLAPPED, CHAOTIC.

THE PANELS ARE A MIXTURE OF CLOSE-UP, MID-RANGE AND FAR ANGLES OF MM AND CHEETAH COMING AND GOING, OF THE MONEY BAG BEGINNING TO TEAR, AND A TANGLE OF TWO TWIRLING BODIES SKIPPING OVER THE WATER AT INCREDIBLE SPEED.

PANEL 1
BANNER: When you're at high enough speed, hitting the water is like hitting concrete.

LAST PANEL
BANNER: It takes us half a mile to slow down that much.

PAGE 23
THREE PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE IN UPPER HALF, ONE IN LOWER HALF.

PANEL 1
SPINNING BODIES AND MONEY FLYING INTO THE AIR.
BANNER [TOP LEFT CORNER]: ... and finally...

PANEL 2
TWO LARGE SPLASHES AS MM AND CHEETAH FINALLY COME TO REST.

SOUND OF SPLASHES: SPLOOSH!

PANEL 3
BIRD'S EYE VIEW.
MM DRIFTS FACE-UP IN THE UNSETTLED WATER, HIS EYES CLOSED AND ONLY BOUYANT PARTS OF HIS BODY VISIBLE IN THE BLUE-BLACK SURROUNDING HIM.
CHEETAH IS LYING FACE DOWN, ONLY PARTS OF HER VISIBLE OUT OF THE WATER, AS WELL.
MONEY DRIFTS DOWN EVERYWHERE.

PAGE 24
QUARTERED INTO FOUR PANELS

PANEL 1
BLACKNESS.

BANNER [TOP LEFT CORNER]: A moment of darkness.

BANNER [BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER]: And then...

PANEL 2
EXTREME CLOSE-UP OF MM'S FACE.
HE REGAINS CONSCIOUSNESS, SURPRISED, SHOCKED, EYES WIDE.

MM: *GASP!*

MM: Kaff, kaff.

PANEL 3
ANGLE ON MM'S BODY. HE LOOKS TO HIS LEFT.

BANNER [TOP LEFT CORNER]: It takes me a second to remember what happened.

BANNER [MIDDLE OF PANEL, OVER MM'S BODY]: The woman.

BANNER [BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER]: Where's the woman?

PANEL 4
CLOSE-UP OF MM'S UPPER BODY.
HE LOOKS TO HIS RIGHT, SHOCKED AT SEEING CHEETAH'S HAND AND FOREARM DRIFT INTO VIEW.

PAGE 25
FULL PAGE PANEL

DYAMIC PANEL OF MM STRUGGLING TO PULL CHEETAH TOWARD HIM AND GET HER HEAD OUT OF THE WATER - SPLASHES EVERYWHERE FROM HIS SUDDEN, POWERFUL MOVEMENTS.

MM [YELLING]: NO!

PAGE 26
SIX PANELS: TWO BY THREE

PANEL 1
OVERHEAD ANGLE.
MM HOLDS CHEETAH, WHO IS NOW ON HER BACK. HE LOOKS DOWN AT HER AS MONEY CONTINUES TO FALL FROM THE SKY.

PANEL 2
EXACTLY THE SAME VIEW, BUT MONEY FALLING AROUND THEM DIFFERENTLY.

PANEL 3
LOWER ANGLE ALONG CHEETAH'S BODY.
MM LEANS DOWN TO HOLD HIS EAR TO HER MOUTH.

PANEL 4
SAME VIEW

PANEL 5
SAME ANGLE
MM FORCES HIS EYE CLOSED, LIPS TIGHTENED.

PANEL 6
SAME ANGLE
MM PULLS HIS HEAD BACK TO LOOK AT HER AGAIN, SADDENED.

PAGE 27
SEVEN PANELS: ONE IN TOP HALF OF PAGE, SIX (THREEE BY TWO) IN LOWER HALF.

PANEL 1
WORM'S EYE VIEW.
CHEETAH'S WET FACE IS IN THE FOREGROUND, BOTTOM OF THE PANEL. MM IS LOOKING DOWN AT HER, SAD. STARS ARE IN THE SKY. MONEY FALLS FROM ABOVE.

MM [WHISPERING]: Don't do this.

MM [WHISPERING]: Please.

PANEL 2
3/4 ANGLE DOWN CHEETAH'S BODY.
WITH HIS ARM RAISED, HAND DIRECTLY BEHIND HIS HEAD (PLUGGING HER NOSE, OUT OF SIGHT), MM BLOWS AIR INTO HER MOUTH.

PANEL 3
WORM'S EYE VIEW AS IN PANEL 1.
MM, HOPEFUL BUT WORRIED, LOOKS DOWN AT CHEETAH.

PANEL 4
ANGLE OVER MM'S SHOULDER.
CHEETAH DOESN'T MOVE.

PANEL 5
WORM'S EYE VIEW AS IN PANEL 1.

MM [WHISPERING]: Please.

PANEL 6
SAME ANGLE.
HE PLUGS HER NOSE AND BLOWS AIR INTO HER MOUTH AGAIN.

PANEL 7
WORM'S EYE VIEW, CLOSER TO CHEETAH'S BODY.
HE LOOKS AT HER, MORE SAD, HOPE FADING.

PAGE 28
FIVE PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE IN TOP HALF, THREE SIDE-BY-SIDE IN LOWER HALF

PANEL 1
ANGLE OVER MM'S BODY.
CHEETAH'S WHOLE BODY, STILL HELD BY MM, IS SEEN, AND IT ALL SHUDDERS ONCE, VIOLENTLY. MM IS SHOCKED BY THE UNEXPECTED MOVEMENT.

PANEL 2
LOW ANGLE ON CHEETAH, MM SEEN BEHIND HER.
CHEETAH TURNS HER HEAD AWAY FROM MM AND VOMITS SEAWATER, MM SMILING WIDELY, RELIEVED.

CHEETAH: HGUUUUUHHH!

PANEL 3
ANGLE OVER MM'S SHOULDER.
CHEETAH LOOKS AT HIM, WEAK, CONFUSED.

PANEL 4
SAME VIEW.

PANEL 5
SAME ANGLE.
SHE RECOGNIZES HIM, SMILING SLIGHTLY.

CHEETAH: Boyscout.

PAGE 29
THREE PANELS: TWO SIDE-BY-SIDE IN TOP HALF, ONE IN IN LOWER HALF.

PANEL 1
WORM'S EYE VIEW. MM IS SMILING WIDELY, HAPPY, AND HAVING BEGUN TO STROKE HER HAIR.
MONEY CONTINUES TO FALL AROUND THEM.

MM: Glad you're back.

CHEETAH: What... happened?

PANEL 2
WITH CHEETAH IN HIS ARMS, MM HAS BEGUN TO RISE STRAIGHT UP OUT OF THE WATER, ALREADY FAR ENOUGH THAT HE SUSPENDS HER IN MID-AIR, HER ARMS HUGGED AROUND HIS NECK.
HER RIGHT SHIN BONE IS BADLY BROKEN, RED AND WHITE BONE JUTTING FROM HER SKIN AND COSTUME.
MONEY CONTINUES TO FALL.

MM: I'll explain on the way.

CHEETAH: On the way where?

MM: The hospital, to get that leg looked at.

PANEL 3
ANGLE THROUGH FALLING MONEY.
LONG SHOT.
MM, LEANING FORWARD INTO FLYING, CARRIES CHEETAH TOWARD THE CITY IN THE DISTANCE.

CHEETAH: Everything hurts right now... I hadn't even noticed it. Looks like I won't be running for a while.

MM: I'll try to act upset.

CHEETAH: Shut up.

PAGE 30
QUARTERED INTO FOUR PANELS

PANEL 1
ANGLE THROUGH HOSPITAL WINDOW. CHEETAH, WITHOUT HER COSTUME, IS IN BED WITH HER RIGHT LEG IN A CAST, WHICH IS SUSPENDED BY APPARATUS.
HER ARMS ARE CROSSED AND SHE'S BORDERLINE POUTING, STARING STRAIGHT AHEAD, MISERABLE.
A COP STANDS GUARD INSIDE THE CLOSED DOORWAY, HIS ARMS CROSSED.

PANEL 2
ANGLE BEHIND MM AS HE STANDS ON A ROOFTOP ACROSS FROM THE HOSPITAL, LOOKING THROUGH HER WINDOW, FISTS PLANTED ON HIS HIPS.

PANEL 3
CLOSE-UP ON MM'S FACE, SMILING, GENUINELY HAPPY.

BANNER 1 [TOP LEFT CORNER]: Cheer up, Cheetah. Things aren't all that bad.

BANER 2 [BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER]: Your leg's going to be fine in a few months.

PANEL 4
LOW ANGLE.
MM IS LOOKING UP, RISING INTO THE NIGHT SKY.

BANNER 1 [TOP LEFT CORNER]: And if the jail time doesn't turn you around...

BANNER 2 [BOTTOM LEFT CORNER]: ... if you still want to lead a life of crime here, then we'll meet again.

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FULL PAGE PANEL

HIGH ANGLE, 3/4 CLOSE-UP FRONT VIEW OF MM, SMILING BROADLY. HIS ARMS ARE STRAIGHT OUT AT HIS SIDES, ONE KNEE IS SLIGHTLY BENT, AND THE WIND WHIPS THROUGH HIS HAIR AS HE FLIES UPWARD, THE CITY BELOW HIM.
LIGHT FROM THE FULL MOON SPILLS HIGHLIGHTS ONTO HIS FACE AND COSTUME.

BANNER 1 [TOP LEFT CORNER]: Because this is Pacific City.

BANNER 2 [MIDDLE OF THE PAGE, NEAR MM'S BODY]: This is my city.

BANNER 3 [BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER]: And I'll always be here.

End