(Front cover. We see the members of Group X surrounded by police, who are firing lasers at them.)
Lotus: This is another fine mess you’ve gotten us into!
Bakerman: I’m sorry, Lotus.
(Page 1, panel 1. Group X plane. Mindpath is running a diagnostic on the plane.)
Cap (N1): Picking up where we left off,
Cap (N2): The last electromagnetic field did some damage to the plane.
Mindpath: Our reality vibrational attunement device has broken down - we’re gonnae have t’set down in a reality t’make repairs.
(Panel 2. Go over to see Lotus and Walking Eagle in bed, beneath the sheets. They have an arm around each other and are covered from neck to toe with the sheets.)
Cap (N): Meanwhile...
(Panel 3. The Comm comes to life.)
Mindpath (from off panel): Just t’let everyone know, we’re going t’set down in an alternate reality t’make repairs.
Lotus (in la-la land): That’s nice, Simon.
(Panel 4. Eagle faces Lotus.)
Eagle: It’s been way too long since we got to be with each other, to stare deep into your eyes, to feel your radiant energy, to see your smile...
Lotus: To feel your kiss... and other things.
(Panel 5. They kiss.)
Cap (N1): Their highest bliss is each other.
Cap (N2): Without love, neither of them could have advanced to the levels they are at.
Cap (N3): And with love, both are a thousand times better than without it.
(Page 2, panel 1. Reality 56, 233,131. The place is a Chinese city, with lush gardens, Marble columns and the like. We see the Group X plane enter, and land.)
Cap (N1): Reality 56,233,131.
Cap (N2): This reality has always been,
Cap (N3): And always will be,
Cap (N4): a Chinese town .
Cap (N5): A good place for them to make repairs, right?
(Panel 2. Mindpath grabs his set of tools, and goes off. )
Mindpath: It shouldna take long - why donna ye go out and see what the locals are like?
(Panel 3. Mindpath and Odora exit the plane, followed by Quan.)
Mindpath: It shouldn’t take long.
(Panel 4. Odora and Quan spot a bamboo hut in the distance.)
Odora: Let’s go over there, Quan.
(Panel 5. They walk over to the hut.)
Quan: I am not too sure of this, Kirsten.
Odora: It canna be all that bad, Quan.
(Page 3, panel 1. The natives meet Odora and Quan.)
Man: [Could it possibly be her? The one that was foretold to us?*]
Cap (N): *Translated from the local language.
(Panel 2. The people ignore Odora, and surround Quan.)
Woman: [She looks like the pictures we have of the chosen one....]
Quan (to Odora): What are they saying?
Odora: I donna know. I forgot the translator.
(Panel 3. The people surround Quan.)
Quan: Please get it now, Kirsten. I have a feeling they do not want to be friends.
Man: [She speaks the language unknown to us. It is the savior!]
(Panel 4. The people cheer and applaud as Kirsten exits.)
Odora: I’ll be back in a jiffy.
(Panel 5. One of the men embraces Quan.)
Man: [We have waited years for your arrival, prophet. Come, let us feast and listen to your words of wisdom!]
Quan: Kirsten, hurry!!!
(Page 4, panel 1. Go back to see Starshot sitting in Bakerman’s lap. The two of them have their arms around each other, and are kissing. They are in the living area of the plane.)
Cap (N): And back in the plane...
Starshot: Mmm....
(Panel 2. They part lips.)
Starshot: I donna know how ye did it, but I love ye now.
Bakerman: It’s the intervention of the Divine One, Sara. He designed us for each other.
(Panel 3. Enter Odora, carrying a small device on her wrist.)
Odora: Well, what happened ta the “I hate him and I’ll never love him thing”, Sara?
Starshot: Things have changed. Chris has shown me he can be wonderful.
(Panel 4. Odora gestures.)
Odora: Come on, Quan may be in trouble.
(Panel 5. They stand up, and go out.)
Starshot: We’ll continue this later.
(Page 5, splash page. Leave room for credits here. We see Quan dressed in a fancy outfit, sitting on a chair made of bamboo. The others around her are listening as Quan is scared witless. There are several rows of men in a line.)
Man: [Your suitors are here, mighty prophetess.]
Quan: I wish I could understand what you were saying.
(Page 6, panel 1. Enter Starshot, Odora, and Bakerman.)
Bakerman: Oh my.
Odora: Curiouser and curiouser -
Starshot: Said Alice.
(Panel 2. Odora turns on the translation box.)
Odora: There, we should hear them as if they were talking English, and they should hear us in their language.
Man: Mighty prophetess, please select the suitor that is best for you.
Quan: What?
(Panel 3. The man is disheartened.)
Man: Are these men not good enough for you? We can always find more.
Quan: I already have a lover.
(Panel 4. Quan stands.)
Quan: Will someone explain to me what is going on here?
Man: You are the one who was foretold, the one who would show us some spiritual revelation, and make us the divine beings we should be.
(Panel 5. Quan removes her headdress.)
Quan: I am no prophetess. Only you can make yourself divine. I am leaving.
Man: What? Have we offended you in some way?
(Page 7, panel 1. The Group X members enter the plane.)
Odora: Simon, the natives are getting restless. We’ve got ta leave!
(Panel 2. Mindpath starts the plane up.)
Mindpath: We’re going, love.
(Panel 3. Go outside to see the natives watching the plane go off.)
Man: [Prophetess! Do not leave us!]
Woman: [She is gone, my love. But she has done her job.]
(Panel 4. The man faces the woman.)
Man: [What do you mean?]
Woman: [She said only we can make ourselves divine. Thus it is up to us to find Divineness.]
(Page 8, panel 1. Reality #3422. Here we see a reality where the Roman empire never fell. In fact, it conquered the world. We see Lotus being tended to by several servants, the chief one being Walking Eagle.)
Cap (N1): Reality #3422.
Cap (N2): Here, Rome conquered the world.
Cap (N3): Now those who are Italian in ancestry enjoy a lot of benefits over those who aren’t.
Cap (N4): Lotus here is only 1/6th Italian.
Lotus: Attendants, you are dismissed.... except for you, David.
(Panel 2. The other attendants leave as Lotus stands.)
Lotus: I do wish we didn’t have to hide our love.
Eagle: Sometimes, you have to take what you can get.
(Panel 3. A trumpet sounds.)
SFX: RA-DAH!
Lotus: It’s time for the games.
Eagle: and I have to stand by while my friends and fellow natives get killed.
(Panel 4. Lotus feels sympathy for Eagle.)
Lotus: I don’t like it as much as you do... but the people demand it, and they are what keeps me a senator’s chief aide.
(Panel 5. They go out to see a coliseum in longshot.)
Lotus: My public awaits....
(Page 9, panel 1. We see the Group X plane appear, and land.)
Cap (N): And they will find themselves embroiled in a problem.
(Panel 2. Inside the coliseum. We see Lotus standing in a covered box. She is very uneasy.)
Lotus: Friends, we have gathered today to witness justice be done.
(Panel 3. A tear comes from Lotus’ cheek.)
Lotus: Let the games begin.
(Panel 4. In the arena we see Sarina and Kristos, this reality’s versions of Starshot and Bakerman, wearing light armor.)
Sarina: Well, this is it.
Kristos: As long as you’re by my side, Sarina, it is a life well spent.
(Panel 5. Sarina faces Kristos.)
Sarina: Kristos...
(Page 10, panel 1. Suddenly about 5 hungry, mean lions enter.)
Cap (N1): The lions have been trained to hate people.
Cap (N2): Consequently, they attack anyone within their reach.
Cap (N3): As Sarina and Kristos are about to find out...
(Panel 2. The lions advance, ready to attack.)
Sarina: Here they come!
(Panel 3. Kristos hits some of the lions with paralyzing disks as they fend off the attacking lions.)
SFX: GRWARGH!!!
(Panel 4. Kristos manages to subdue some of the lions, while Sarina manages to kill one of them.)
Sarina: I think we’re going t’make it!
(Panel 5. One of the lions, claws bared, jumps on Sarina’s back.)
SFX: GROWL!!
Kristos: Sarina!
(Panel 6. Kristos hits that lion with a light disk.)
Kristos: Sarina, speak to me!
(Page 11, panel 1. Sarina and Kristos disappear in a flash of light, leaving the remaining lion, and the crowd confused.)
Lotus: What the --!?
Lotus’ thoughts: (Thank Jupiter they’re out of there.)
(Panel 2. Group X infirmary. We see Kristos and Sarina lying on separate beds. Bakerman, Odora, and Starshot stand over them.)
Bakerman: Computer, initiate healing sound.
(Panel 3. The healing sound is played.)
SFX: Hmmm....
Kristos: I... I must be dead!
Bakerman: Far from it, my friend. You have been saved by Group X.
(Panel 4. The healing sound stops as we see that Kristos and Sarina’s wounds have been healed.)
Computer: Attention: female has lost excessive amounts of blood. She requires an immediate transfusion. There is not enough time to manufacture the blood required.
Starshot: Is her blood type compatible with mine?
(Panel 5. The computer works.)
Computer: Affirmative.
Starshot: Then I’ll give her some of me blood.
(Panel 6. Kristos sits up as Starshot lies next to Sarina.)
Starshot: I hope this works.
(Page 12, panel 1. We see Starshot and Sarina connected by a tube to each other in the arm. Blood flows from Starshot into Sarina.)
Starshot: Computer, calculate moment of optimal removal of the tube.
Computer: There should be at least one minute further of exchange.
Kristos: You... saved me, and you look like me. Who are you?
(Panel 2. Bakerman approaches Kristos.)
Bakerman: Well, in a way, I am you. My name is Christopher Madhak, and you are?
Kristos: I am Kristos. This is my love, Sarina.
(Panel 3. Bakerman is pragmatic.)
Bakerman: So why were you in that arena?
Kristos: It’s not something we wanted to do... Sarina and I are forbidden to love, because we have different masters. Our masters caught us kissing, and then had us sentenced to death by lions.
Bakerman: Well, you are now safe.
(Panel 4. Kristos is worried.)
Kristos: Am I? I mean, when I go out there, they will hunt me down and kill me.
Odora: Nae, lad. We’ve got a way fer ye and Sarina t’live happily ever after.... sort of.
(Panel 5. The computer sounds.)
Computer: It is now the optimal time to remove the tube.
(Panel 6. Starshot removes the tube from herself and Sarina.)
Starshot: Computer, initiate healing sound.
(Page 13, panel 1. The computer sonically heals Starshot and Sarina.)
Kristos: You have such strange devices... I know of nothing that could do that.
Bakerman: Well, it’s simple, actually, It’s a combination of frequencies that allows for healing.
(Panel 2. Sarina awakens.)
Sarina: Uhn...
Kristos: Sarina!
(Panel 3. Kristos goes over, and takes Sarina’s hand.)
Kristos: I’m here for you, Sarina.
Sarina: Kristos...
(Panel 4. Sarina sits up.)
Sarina: We must be dead.
Kristos: They tell us we are not, Sarina. We seem to have been saved by different people.
(Panel 5. Kristos sits next to Sarina.)
Kristos: My love, the Gods have smiled on us. They sent someone to save us. Now we are going to live in another land, so they tell us.
(Page 14, panel 1. Reality #823,154. The streets are decorated for a party. There is a banner that reads: “Fort Worth honors the great X-Group.” over the street.)
Cap (N1): Reality #823,154.
Cap (N2): Not much different than our own.
Cap (N3): But here, mutants are not hated or hunted.
Cap (N4): Unfortunately, the local Group X has a problem...
(Panel 2. Go over to X-Group headquarters. In the briefing room we see Citrine (Lotus), Black Tree (Walking Eagle), Mindway (Mindpath), Gas Girl (Odora) and Fa Li-Wan (Sae Quan Yat) dressed in formal attire.)
Citrine: Dear me, dear me... we managed to get everyone to like us, now we can’t face the public because they’re expecting seven of us.
Tree: We should tell them the truth.
(Panel 3. Citrine desperately looks at Eagle.)
Citrine: The truth? That Sarina and Kris decided to live on another planet? That they were sick of people hating mutants? How can we?
(Panel 4. The Group X plane enters.)
Gas girl: What’s our plane doing in the sky?
Citrine: I have a feeling it’s good news.
(Panel 5. The plane lands.)
Citrine: Let’s go meet these beings.
(Panel 6. The doors open. Enter Lotus, Walking Eagle, Kristos, Sarina, and Quan. Kristos and Sarina wear the uniforms of Starshot and Bakerman.)
Citrine: Who are you?
Lotus: I am Lotus, an alternate-reality version of you. I was wondering if you could do us a favor...
(Page 15, panel 1. Citrine is pragmatic.)
Citrine: Well, we’re in a jam, and we need your help. You see, our versions of Starfire and DeeJay have left us, and we’re about to go to a big ceremony where they are expected.
(Panel 2. The members of Group X smile.)
Kristos: Actually, we were wondering if Sarina and I could spend a little time here.
Citrine: Get in formal attire and we’ll take you in.
(Panel 3. We see Kristos in a tuxedo, and Sarina in a formal gown. They join the members of X-Group. They are in the teleportation room.)
Lotus: Thank you so much, Citrine.
Citrine: We should thank you, Lotus. Now we can face our public with confidence.
(Panel 4. The members of X-Group teleport out.)
Eagle: I would like to stay for awhile.
Lotus: So would I, David.
(Page 16, full page panel. Main Street, Fort Worth. We see a parade going on, with a marching band, ticker tape, confetti, and several floats. The large one has the members of X-Group on it, with Sarina and Kristos.)
Cap (N1): And go they did.
Cap (N2): It was a day full of celebration.
Cap (N3): And at the end, X-Group was given the key to the city.
(Page 17, panel 1. Go back to Group X. We see them in their plane.)
Lotus: Alas, our reality needs us too.
(Panel 2. The plane vanishes. Panel 3. Yet another reality. We see the place is a tropical paradise, with lush jungles, etc. The Group X plane enters, and lands.)
Cap (N1): Reality #43,254.
Cap (N2): This place is, and always will be, a paradise on Earth.
Cap (N3): Here, there is no fighting.
Cap (N4): Here, there is only love.
(Panel 3. The members of Group X (Except for Mindpath) enter, with the men wearing swimtrunks and the women wearing bikinis, except for Quan, who wears a modest one-piece swimsuit.)
Lotus: Ah, paradise, I hope.
Bakerman: I haven’t had a chance to relax since Mojo kidnapped me.
(Panel 4. They spread out blankets, and relax.)
Bakerman: Good thing we’ve got sunscreen here. How about I rub a little on you, Sara?
Starshot (smiles) Alright, love.
(Panel 5. Enter This reality’s Leticia and Don Turnhorn. They are about the same height (5’8”). He wears a pair of swimtrunks, and she wears a bikini.)
Leticia: Well, this is most interesting. A reality hopping version of us.
Lotus: Oh, hi. The name’s Lecita, and these are: David, Chris, Sara, Kirsten, and Quan.
(Panel 6. Leticia smiles.)
Leticia: I see you have a team like I do. We’re on the hunt for things spiritual. How about you?
Lotus: Well, we’re always ready for that kind of thing.
(Page 18, panel 1. Leticia smiles.)
Leticia: Then why don’t you join us for meditation?
Lotus: Great idea.
(Panel 2. We see the Group X members, still clad in swimwear sitting in a circle along with Leticia, Don, Cris, Shannon (Starshot), and Tze Dao-Fuk, a male version of Sae Quan Yat.)
Leticia: It’s so wonderful to have more people here... meditations are always fun, but with additional people, we should really be in the top part of life.
(Panel 3. They concentrate.)
All: Aum... Aum... Aum...
(Panel 4. Fade to their vision. We see them in the same tropical paradise, wearing the same clothing they had on before. They look around the place.)
Lotus: Interesting...
(Page 19, panel 1. They pair up according to love interest, except for Quan and Tze.)
Leticia: My, you’ve really got it good.
Lotus: So do you. Then again, in your reality, you’re not fighting an uphill battle.
(Panel 2. The Divine One appears.)
Divine One: You must go back.
Lotus: Really?
(Panel 3. The Divine One is insistent.)
Divine One: Others in my service come, and are misguided. Go, they plan to attack.
(Panel 4. Go back to the meditation circle to see a large laser shot knock everyone around, and pushing sand into the air.)
SFX: WHOMPH!!
(Panel 5. The scattered members of the groups stand.)
Lotus: What’s going on here?
(Panel 6. They turn to see several members of the Captain Britain corps there, lead by Brit-Man #65.)
Brit-Man #65: O.k., like mellow out, man. We like need to talk, o.k.?
(Page 19. panel 1. Lotus advances on the Captain Britain Corps.)
Brit-Man: O.k., like all this reality hoping stuff isn’t cool, o.k.? Like, we’ve been sent to take you back to your home reality.
Lotus: Fine with me. I for one would love to get home.
Eagle: Actually, this whole mess continues because our plane’s reality vibrational attunement device is broken. We set down here to repair it.
(Panel 2. Hauptmann Englade advances on them.)
Hauptmann:(1)Let me handle this, Brit-Man #65.
Hauptmann:(2) Listen, your jaunting into alternate realities has caused a lot of chaos across the space-time continuum. You have to come home at once.
Lotus: Fine with us.
[I suppose you're wondering who Brit-Man #65 and Hauptmann Englade are. Click on this to see]
(Panel 3. Centurion Brittanus steps forward.)
Centurian: What? That’s it!? What about this about you never wanting to stop traveling through realities?
Lotus: Must be another version of us. I for one want to get home and go to sleep.
Brit-Man: Woah, Centurion Brittanus. Like, all this fighting stuff is not cool, right? We shouldn’t like fight them.
(Panel 4. Enter Mindpath.)
Mindpath: Everyone, I’ve got the plane fixed. We can go home now.
Centurian: Bah! I wanted a good fight!
Brit-Man: We’ve still got 20 of them to go, Centurion. Odds are that one of them is going to put up a fight.
(Page 20, panel 1. The members of Group X board the plane.)
Lotus:(1) Well, goodbye everyone, and have fun!
Lotus: (2) Well, everyone except you, Centurion Brittanus.
(Panel 2. Group X headquarters, Fort Worth, in reality #616. We see the team entering the briefing room.)
Lotus: Ah, home sweet home.
Bakerman: It was very nice of them to let me stay with you.
Starshot: An’ right now, you owe me a sunbath wi’ me.
(Panel 3. Lotus goes off with Eagle, Starshot goes off with Bakerman, and Mindpath goes off with Odora.)
Cap (Q1):Leaving me alone again.
Cap (Q2): I wish Patrick would get back from his business trip.
(Panel 4. A voice chimes in.)
Voice (from off panel): Quan, Patrick is here to see you.
(Panel 5. Quan perks up.)
Quan: I will be there shortly.
(Page 21, panel 1. Sunroof. We see Starshot in a bikini and Bakerman in a pair of shorts.)
Bakerman: You just wanted to see me in very little.
Starshot:(Smiles) Maybe... but I know ye wanted t’see me in a bikini.
(Panel 2. Bakerman pours sunscreen on his hands.)
Bakerman: Frankly, what fun is it being beautiful if you don’t have anyone to share the good times with?
(Panel 3. Bakerman rubs Starshot’s back with sunscreen. Both of them smile.)
Starshot I donna know what it is about ye that makes me feel relaxed... but whatever it is, keep doing it.
Bakerman: It’s called divineness, Sara.
(Panel 4. Bakerman lies next to Starshot.)
Starshot: Mmm... I like this.
Bakerman: Well, I know what would make it better.
(Panel 5. They kiss.)
Cap (N): The beginning...
