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RAPID CITY #23 BY JOSH DAHL JOSHDAHL75@GMAIL.COM Page 1 Panel 1 Shell Game. 5 panels. Shot of a brand new medium sized grocery store. It is a bright summer day and the lot of backed with happy families. There are balloons and banners proclaiming "GRAND OPENING". The angle of this shot will be repeated in every shot on this page, so make sure that it includes at least some of the loading dock. Maybe even a truck unloading goods. 26 years ago The same shot, but now the store is much older. Still in good shape, but it has suffered two decades of weather. Signs in the windows declare "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE". It is a gray afternoon and the parking lot has just a few cars. No trucks at the dock. 3 years ago. Same shot. A dry, sunny, autumn day. Dry grass has come up through cracks in the asphalt. The wall of windows is completely papered over with newspapers from the inside. The papers are all completely faded. The whole place has not been basically ignored for two years. 6 months ago. Same shot. Now at night. The lot and the store are very dark. At the loading dock, a specialized, para-military, truck is loading a high-tech vault through the loading dock. It is operated and attended by several para-military security agents. Possibly some lights behind 2 Days ago Same shot. Same conditions as the previous shot, but now it is day time. The only activity is Kinetic landing in the parking lot, near the loading docks. Now. Splash. 1 panel. Full page panel of Kinetic lifting the loading dock door to discover three heavily armed para-military super-security types pointing weapons at him. GUARD 1
Rapid City #23 By Josh Dahl

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Hold it right there. GUARD 2 Sir, you are trespassing and you must leave immediately. KINETIC Oh no, Coil was telling the truth. Page 3 Panel 1 A long time ago. 5 panels. In an ancient Atlantean holy temple, 7 or 8 elementally empowered priests and priestesses stand in a wide circle, all pouring their power into an artifact on a pedestal in the center. Close on that pedestal. The item is a simple, yet elegant, crown/headdress. It has several crystals set in it. It is glowing and steaming with power. Ages and ages ago. A man in similar priestly robes, but now laden in gold and various crystals, stands from a crumbling throne and shakes his fist in rage. He is wearing the crown, and waves of energy are coming from it. The once glorious kingdom of Atlantis crumbling and being consumed by waves. The energy that had been emanating from the crown is visible as a beacon shooting up from the crumbling central palace. Ages ago. The crown lost underground. 6 panels. Shot looking up from a hole in the ground. We are looking up past/through the newly unearthed crown. Aldous Gallant has dug this hole and is reaching down to take out the crown. His grinning face is framed by the crown. At a dig site on a small, sunny, Mediterranean island. Aldous Gallant is showing off the gleaming crown to his companions. A buxom Bond-girl type in explorer khakis, a gigantically muscular native American, and Harvard preppy sweating through his Oxford shirt. His sleeves are rolled up and he is has an armload of maps and charts. Eighty years ago. GIRL M'sieur Gallant! It is exactly as you said it would be!

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ALDOUS GALLANT And, as I told your brother, it is too powerful for any one man to possess. Panel 3 In a high tech laboratory, one scientist calibrates a laser which is pointed at the crown which held suspended by special instruments. In the foreground there is a technician facing us. In his jacket pocket is an envelope stuffed with money, he is dialing a phone. Three weeks ago. SCIENTIST Hey! Pay attention. Getting access to study Aldous Gallant's secret archives is a once in a life time opportunity. TECHNICIAN Yeah, a real opportunity. Panel 4 In the briefing room of a high tech security company. A woman in a business suit is talking to a security operative dressed in paramilitary super commando gear. He is the security team leader, he is young and fit, but has a hard-edged look of experience. WOMAN ...tracking cell records, we've found a potential security breach. WOMAN We've relocated and flushed out all non-essential personnel, but we're not taking any chances. Panel 5 Close on the the team commander as the woman's balloons come from off panel. WOMAN I can't stress this enough. If even half of these reports are true, this thing absolutely must remain secure. TEAM COMMANDER My team knows their job. WOMAN Well they also need to know that this one isn't just a paycheck. I cannot overstate the threat that this artifact, if misused, would represent. Panel 6 The three guards in full guard gear standing around the security vault inside the abandoned grocery store. Scientists have the vault open and are checking equipment. The guard commander is looking at a video display on a hand held device.

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By Josh Dahl

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TEAM COMMANDER Activity at the loading bay doors. Lock it down. GUARD 1 You expecting a delivery? Page 5 Panel 1 It is on. 6 panels. Red Ghost turning solid and landing on a roof top across from the Star Market. He has his phone to his ear. RED GHOST He stopped at the old Star Market on Broadway. Panel 2 At Shannon's apartment, Coil walks toward the door, talking tin to his phone. COIL Great. I'll be there in five minutes. Call the rest. SHANNON Wait. Where are you going? Panel 3 Coil stopping and looking back at her. He is no longer on the phone. COIL A job. I'm off to steal something that'll get me back on top of the game. If you see me back here again, you'll need to decide whether or not you're coming with me. Panel 4 Panel 5 Shannon watches the door close. Shot of Piledriver and Icicle riding in the SUV from the previous issue, they are on a highway through Rapid City. Piledriver, in the passenger seat, is talking on his phone. PILEDRIVER Got it. Should take us about five minutes to get there. Panel 6 Similar shot, but with the focus more on Icicle. PILEDRIVER Take this next exit. We can ditch the car there and continue on foot. ICICLE Are you ready? PILEDRIVER If you are. Page 6
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6 panels. Panel 1 Close up on Black Flag's masked face. BLACK FLAG We all clear on the plan? Panel 2 Large shot of the assembled gang, Coil, Red Devil, Piledriver, Icicle, Black Flag, The Cut, and Claw Hammer all standing near the dumpsters behind a pharmacy. COIL We got it. Everyone watch Black Flag for the signals. THE CUT 'Course the anarchist is the one gonna be givin'e orders. Panel 3 Black Flag has three nearly identical black gear bags. He is handing one to The Cut. BLACK FLAG Here's an order, shut up. BLACK FLAG This is the trigger. Right now, you can do all the teleporting you want. But once you hit that red button, the next jump will activate it. THE CUT Right. Panel 4 Black Flag is handing the second bag to Red Devil. BLACK FLAG This one's the bomb. When you find whoever's in charge, slip this on him like a back pack and clip this cable across his chest. BLACK FLAG That'll lock him in. Panel 5 Icicle intercepting the bomb before Red Devil gets it. ICICLE I'll do it. ICICLE Do you really trust him to know who's in charge? Panel 6 Red Devil mutters to himself. RED DEVIL I'm the only one does know it.

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6 panels. Panel 1 Black Flag hoists the third bag onto his shoulder and is turning to toward the Star Market. Coil is reaching out, indicating the third bag. COIL Hold it. That's the loot bag? BLACK FLAG It is. COIL I'll take that one, then. Panel 2 Coil and Black Flag face to face. BLACK FLAG I've got it. I'm the one that knows what this thing looks like. COIL It's the only thing in the vault. I think I'll figure it out. Besides, you're the one who has the connect with the buyer. COIL If you leave with the item, we'd never see you again. Panel 3 Black Flag handing the bag over and Coil smiling. BLACK FLAG Fine. Take it. End result's the same. Panel 4 The two guards are facing Kinetic. They have sleek, high-tech, weapons pointed at him. He is impatient with them, but holding up his hands in a non-threatening way. Inside. KINETIC Call Hartborn at the local MRA office. Tell him you've got Kinetic. He knows me. He'll vouch for me. GUARD 1 We're putting a call in now. KINETIC And look, if I were hear to steal that thing, is this the best way to do it? A lone superhero? Knocking on your back door? GUARD 1 He makes a good point.
Rapid City #23 By Josh Dahl

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The Guard Captain is getting information from a display on his arm armor. He is yelling. GUARD CAPTAIN He's not here to steal it. He's just the distraction. Someone's coming. Fast! Panel 6 The Captain pointing toward Kinetic as the two guards fire paralysis rays at Kinetic. GUARD CAPTAIN Use the paralyzers, lock him down! KINETIC NO! Page 8 Panel 1 Attack. 2 panels. Very large shot of The whole heist crew busting through the wall-sized front windows of the grocery store. Kinetic is in the foreground buckling and collapsing. KINETIC They're not.... Panel 2 Kinetic struggling, and failing, to get to his hands and knees. The faint glow of the paralysis ray is still around him. Around him is the chaos of battle, but we can't see too much of it. The Fog of War. 5 panels. The Guard Captain strafing with energy pellets fired from his gauntlets. Behind him, the two technicians are scrambling away from the conflict. GUARD CAPTAIN Get back. Get back. Panel 2 Panel 3 Icicle covering the broken front windows with an ice wall. Piledriver is near her. Claw Hammer is being shot, but it doing any damage. He is shielding Flag. The Cut seems curious about Black Flag is scattering metallic size of golf balls. does not seem to be The Cut and Black the goings-on. balls about the

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Red Devil, intangible and largely invisible is diving past/through the Guard Captain and terrifying the technicians. Coil squatting down to talk to Kinetic. KINETIC You....

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KINETIC You used me. COIL I told you not to trust me. Page 10 Panel 1 5 panels. The two technicians backing away from a menacing Red Devil. TECHNICIAN 1 No. Please. Stay back. TECHNICIAN 2 The vault is sealed. We can't open it. Panel 2 Very similar shot, but now the technicians have bumped up against a large wall of ice which was not there in the previous panel. TECHNICIAN 2 Uhn. TECHNICIAN 1 Ice? Panel 3 Panel 4 Close shot of Icicle slipping the bomb-pack over the head of Technician 2. Small, very tight, shot of Red Devil's hands fastening the bomb-pack's metal cable abound the chest of the technician. Across the room now. Claw Hammer is in the foreground and he is looking over at Red Devil despite the chaos of battle. Several of the balls that Black Flag has been dropping are all over the place. Red Devil is giving a thumbs-up. His word balloon is small and distant. RED DEVIL We're good. CLAW HAMMER Ok. Page 11 Panel 1 We're good. 7 panels. Claw Hammer grabbing The Cut and yanking him off his feet. It must be clearly visible that The Cut is still carrying the trigger bag. CLAW HAMMER We're good. THE CUT

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Ok. Panel 2 Shot of Claw Hammer in a full-on charge, carrying The Cut behind him. CLAW HAMMER Nnrrr Panel 3 Claw Hammer fully slamming The Cut into the side wall of the security vault. Where we would expect to see The Cut's broken body, however, there is instead a burst of his teleportation field. Most of his upper body has disappeared through it. SOUND EFFECT zoop Panel 4 In the safe-room inside the vault. It is a cube shaped room, about 6x6x6. There are a few small storage lockers and some high tech measuring equipment. We see The Cut in mid-air. Still moving with the momentum of Claw Hammer's slam. His lower legs are still emerging from a "zoop" field on one wall. Very tight shot, possibly an insert, or even just a panel border super-posed over the right part of the previous image. Cut's hand dropping the trigger-bag. The Cut zooping out of the wall on the far side from where Claw Hammer slammed him. The trigger-bag coming to rest on the floor of the safe-room. We can see four pairs of LEDs along the top of the trigger device. The lights are on. SOUND EFFECT thunk SOUND EFFECT b-b-b-beep Page 12 Panel 1 Mic Check. 5 panels. Kinetic struggling to his feet. He still has one arm planted below him for support. One of Black Flag's spheres has rolled up next to his hand. It has a small word balloon coming out of it. Kinetic is very surprised by this. SPHERES Yo. you hear me? SPHERES Check. Panel 2 Small, tight, shot of Black Flag's finger touching a

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button on his phone-like control device. Panel 3 Wide, low angle shot of the room. Emphasis on the many spheres that have rolled about. Each one is emitting a loud noise that combines into one huge noise. SPHERES eeeeEEEE-WEEE-WEEE-WEEE-WEEE Panel 4 Shot very similar to panel 2, but now wide enough to see Black Flag's face close enough to speak into the device. BLACK FLAG Alright. Stop fighting. Panel 5 Wide shot showing most of the combatants surprised by the sudden interruption. Black Flag is still speaking into the control device. His words come out as a normal word balloon, and also out of all of the little spheres. BLACK FLAG This conflict has just ended. SPHERES This conflict has just ended. Page 13 Panel 1 The new normal. 6 panels. Black Flag standing confidently and casually in front of the vault's external control console. He is still speaking into his control device and holding up an object the size of a hockey puck. BLACK FLAG This is a bomb. The remote trigger for this bomb has been placed inside the vault. When that first LED goes from red to green, this bomb has two seconds before it... Panel 2 Tight on the console monitor. We can see the row of LEDs. Three are still red, but one has turned green. Black Flag's balloon comes form off panel. BLACK FLAG And there it goes. Panel 3 Black flag whipping the small bomb toward the unoccupied rear of the room. It is exploding in air. The blast is about 15 feet across. SOUND EFFECT BOOM Panel 4 The guard captain aiming his wrist weapon off panel

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at Black Flag. Behind and around him, other people in the room are still a little surprised by the bomb. He is calm and focused. GUARD CAPTAIN Ok, that's enough son. Just step away from the console and get down on the floor. Panel 5 Black Flag with his hands up, stepping away from the console. BLACK FLAG Fine with me. But you might want to pay attention to those other three lights and start asking yourself... BLACK FLAG Where are those other three bombs? Panel 6 Page 14 Panel 1 The Guard Captain staring back, hard. He does not like being messed with. Bombs away. 5 panels. Wide shot. The Captain is walking closer to Black Flag. The rest of the room is paying attention. The scientist with the pack strapped to him is putting two and two together and starting to tug at the pack. GUARD CAPTAIN Bombs or no bombs, you're not getting in there. BLACK FLAG I might not, but someone better get in there in about 3 minutes. Panel 2 The bomb scientist panicking and running toward the console. SCIENTIST 1 It's a bomb. Oh god! It's a bomb! Panel 3 The Captain blocking the scientist's path. Behind them, we can see that Kinetic is fully back on his feet. GUARD CAPTAIN You can't do that. I'm sorry. That artifact is too important. You knew that when you signed on. SCIENTIST 1 It's my life. Panel 4 Coil stepping close to the Captain, interrupting. COIL You might be ok with Fatty here going boom, but

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what about the two bombs that aren't here? What did all those people sign on for? GUARD CAPTAIN You're bluffing. COIL Then call it. Panel 5 Page 15 Panel 1 A super-charged fist cutting through and pasting Coil in the grill. 5 panels. Pull back to show that it was Kinetic punching Coil. Coil is reeling and everyone is surprised. The scientist has broken away from the captain and is continuing toward the control console. Kinetic is yelling. KINETIC So this was your plan all along. You bastard. COIL Now? You decide to grow a pair now? Panel 2 Coil yelling back. COIL Why don't you think before you act? Look around you. I'm trying to save that guy's life. COIL And you're trying to stop me. Panel 3 The scientist frantically entering numbers at the control console. Coil's words come from off panel. COIL Do you want him to die? Panel 4 Similar to panel 4, but now the scientist is reeling back in pain. He is being blasted from off panel by an energy blast. Observant readers will recognize it as the same paralysis ray which hit Kinetic earlier. The Guard Captain still aiming the wrist weapon which just paralyzed the scientist. GUARD CAPTAIN I said, you're not getting in there. Page 16 Panel 1 The Stakes. 5 panels. Everyone looking toward the Captain with surprise. GUARD 1

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Sir! SCIENTIST 2 What have you done? KINETIC What's wrong with you? Panel 2 The Captain yelling back at Kinetic. GUARD CAPTAIN Not me. Them. Look what this scum does with the power they have now. They hurt, steal, and kill. GUARD CAPTAIN More power will mean more people hurt and more people killed. That's not happening on my watch. GUARD CAPTAIN The vault stays closed. Panel 3 Close of Coil turning his head to sneak a work to Kinetic. Kinetic looks shocked and confused. COIL Save the other scientist. Panel 4 Panel 5 Page 17 Panel 1 Coil attacks the Guard Captain, knocking off his aim with a tackle. Kinetic looks on, still a bit stunned. Off sides. 5 panels. Guard 2 taking aim (we might presume at the remaining scientist) and Guard 1 grabbing him roughly. GUARD 1 No! GUARD 2 Stop it. Follow orders! Panel 2 Wide shot of the remaining scientist realizing with horror that all eyes are on him. Every other character that can fit in the panel is looking at him or moving toward him. Black Flag is pointing at the scientist. BLACK FLAG He's the only one who can open the vault. Grab him. Panel 3 Tight on the scientist throwing up his arms to shield himself from whatever is about to happen. SCIENTIST 2

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No. Panel 4 A shot tight enough so as to be unclear about what is happening. What is actually happening is that Kinetic is scooping him up and blasting away. All we can really see, though is some of the scientist caught up in a blur of energy. Wide shot of Kinetic carrying the scientist and arcing high over the action. Below, everyone is watching them. Coil is still grappling with the Captain who is trying to shoot at Kinetic. Guard 2 has broken away from Guard 1 and is firing up at Kinetic. Icicle pursuing on an ice-slide. Red Devil is gliding through the air toward them. 6 panels. Kinetic carrying the scientist and coming in for a landing. SCIENTIST 2 Let me go! KINETIC You can open that vault? SCIENTIST 2 Yes. Panel 2 They have scientist the room. gauntlets beginning landed right in front of the console. The is facing it, Kinetic is facing out toward He is in a low, defensive, stance and his are glowing. The other scientist is to stir at Kinetic's feet.

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KINETIC Then do it. KINETIC I'll buy you the time. Panel 3 The second Guard running up to help his Captain, who is under Coil and getting a beating. The Captain sees the Guard coming. GUARD 2 Captain, I'm coming. GUARD CAPTAIN No. Stop them. Panel 4 Panel 5 Close shot of Coil's fist smashing The Captain's face into the floor. Energy crackles off of Guard 2's enhanced muscles as he and Kinetic trade blows.

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Coil standing up from The Captain and addressing Piledriver and any other bad guys standing around. COIL Get ready to move out. Page 19 Panel 1 6 panels. Coil walking toward the vault. Toward the foreground from him is the scientist with the bomb, now on his knees. Toward the background are Kinetic and the guard brawling, and the other scientist still punching buttons. Tight on Coil's hand reaching toward the bomb-pack. The wires on his hand are splaying out to show his power is in use, and the cable securing the pack to the scientist's chest is unspooling and falling away. Shot on the scientist at the console. He is happy. Behind him, we see Kinetic landing a hard blow on the Guard's face. SCIENTIST 2 I got it! Panel 4 Coil in front of the vault door as it opens, holding the nearly identical loot bag and bomb bag. The bomb bag now only has a tiny wire remnant of the cable that had been attached to it. Kinetic looking over to see what is going on. Scientist 2 is rushing over to an elated Scientist 1, who is pointing toward the vault door. SCIENTIST 1 He....he saved me! SCIENTIST 2 Thank god. Panel 6 Page 20 Panel 1 Very tight shot on Coil dropping the artifact (the crown from the 3rd page) into the loot bag. 6 panels Guard 1 has arrived and is helping Guard 2 recover from the punches. Kinetic is speaking to them. KINETIC I'm sorry. I did what I had to do. GUARD 2 I know. Doesn't matter. If he gets away now, it's all for nothing. Panel 2 Roughly Coil's POV as he finds his exit from the

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vault blocked by the two rough-looking guards and Kinetic. All of them are looking ready to hold the line. Kinetic's gauntlets are glowing and the guard's enhancements are crackling. COIL Get out of my way. KINETIC You're going nowhere. GUARD 1 Drop the bags. Panel 3 Panel 4 Panel 5 Tight shot on Coil grinning smugly. Tight shot on Coil's suddenly splaying fingers. The wires around his hands also splay slightly. Similar to panel 2, but now both guards are twisting in agony as all of their implants and enhancements twist and writhe out of place. Kinetic is shocked as his gauntlets fizzle and fall apart. Coil stepping out of the vault, easily pushing the two guards aside and punching the stunned Kinetic in the gut. 6 panels. Coil is throwing one of the black bags. COIL Take this and get to the rendezvous point. Panel 2 Piledriver has opened a hole in the floor of the store. He, Icicle, Black Flag, The Cut, and Claw Hammer are lowering into it. They are all looking expectantly to Coil. Red Devil is floating above all of them. Claw Hammer has his hand up, catching the bag. Coil is speaking from off panel. COIL I'll tie these loose ends and meet you there. Panel 3 The crew is crowded together and sinking into Piledriver's dirt bubble. Piledriver is smiling confidently at Icicle. ICICLE It worked. PILEDRIVER I know. BLACK FLAG Go.

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Coil grabbing Kinetic from behind in a sleeper style hold. COIL Just remember, pal.... Panel 5 Very tight on Kinetic's squinting eyes. Darkness creeps in from the edges. Coil's words come from off panel. COIL I couldn't have done this without you. Panel 6 Page 22 Panel 1 All black. Get away. 5 panels. Small all black panel. Balloons float tagless in the darkness. BLACK FLAG How far down are we. PILEDRIVER About one hundred yards. CLAW HAMMER Hey. It's not in here! Panel 2 Tight shot, all the bad guys crammed into the tight space of Piledriver's dirt bubble. Icicle's ice armor glows dimly and lights all of them as she reaches for bag. ICICLE What? Show me. Panel 3 Tight on Icicle looking into the bag with a look of profound sadness. ICICLE Oh. ICICLE Sweetheart, I love you. Panel 4 Super tight shot on the trigger device laying on the ground. The first light is still green, and the other three are still red. Slight pull back. The second light is now green as well. We can begin to see (but possibly not recognize, that the device and its bag are sitting in a puddle of blood. 4 panels.

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Small panel. A tight shot on Kinetic's face. He horrified by what is around him. Panel 2 A panel that takes up fully half the page. Kinetic propping himself up on one arm and noticing that the two scientists and the three guards have all been brutally murdered around him. Panels 3 and 4 will copy the layout of panels 1 and 2. Panel 3 is a small panel focusing on Icicle's ice-armored face. She is deeply horrified. Taking up the rest of the page, Icicle is at the center of Piledriver's dirt bubble. She is completely armored up. Her armor is casting a blue glow around her. The bomb exploded. There is carnage all around her. The only other shape not completely destroyed is Claw Hammer. The End

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Rapid City #23

By Josh Dahl

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