Runners Issue # 1 by Michael Lyons McMullan Page One: Panel 1 - This panel is a long rectangle, stretched across the top of the page, and the following panels are the same shape and size down the page. Other pages can be arranged however they best fit, unless said otherwise. We open here with a burning building, a small mansion from the looks of things, with palm trees/tropical foliage lining the outside walls and driveway. Parked in the driveway, and visible from the rear at this distance and angle, are a new Thunderbird and one of those ugly new Hummer H2s. Walking away from the blazing house, and currently beside the two cars, are three figures that are mostly still in smoke and can’t really be made out. CAPTION: June 23, 2003 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Midnight Panel 2 - The same shot, perhaps pulled out a bit more so we can see the tops of those burning palm trees and parts of the large neighboring houses, has the three figures now in the mid-ground. Perhaps the soft-top of the Thunderbird is now on fire as well if we can see it past these three figures. The first, on the left, is a 28 year old large blonde man of about six-foot seven-inches. Think an all-American type in a black business suit, shoulders squared, and a look of grim determination on his face. This is David Hayes, and he’s a “serious professional” who owes his life (and life-style) to his employer. A former “super-hero,” he met with nothing but hard luck and a complete lack of legal flexibility when he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and several charges related to vigilante justice after a criminal he brought in pressed charges. After serving two years in prison he was thoroughly disillusioned, poor, and eventually taken in as an enforcer by Dr. Theodore Doyle. He is extremely durable, strong, and fast due to his “power”: there is theoretically no upper limit to his improvement in any of these areas outside of the time and effort put into improving them. More on Doyle later. There are several holes in the front of his suit, and a tear on his left leg that’s got blood along it. The second man is small and dark (here meaning Italian and squinty-looking), not more than five-foot nine-inches tall with black hair and an extremely wiry yet muscular build. He is wearing jeans with a white button-up dress shirt, sleeves rolled up and cigarette pinched tightly between two fingers in one hand. His hands, and the cuffs of his rolled-up sleeves, are splattered with blood. This is Sammy Abatte, an Italian family-man who is “on loan” to Doyle and isn’t happy about it. His only power is the ability to fly, but he makes up for it with sociopathic ferocity and what he's learned from a nasty history of fighting at the drop of hat. Sammy is 30 years old and looks really annoyed. His feet are also ever so slightly off the ground, but if the angle doesn’t work on this then don’t worry about it. The third man has closely buzz-cut hair on his head, which has what seems to be steam coming off of it, and looks to be in his early 20s. He’s wearing a tight black t-shirt, khakis that are smoking slightly at the edges, and is carrying a black jacket in one hand. His name is Brian Flynn, and he can move several hundred times faster than a normal human being for one hour every day... the problem is that he cannot turn his power off for what to the outside world is an hour, but to him seems to be almost an entire day. And he can only use it once per day. This leads to strategic problems if his ability is not used correctly, and always boredom considering the amount of time that Brian spends doing absolutely nothing. He looks entirely and utterly exhausted. Panel 3 - The same shot, the three of them walking towards the camera and now in the foreground, so much so that we can no longer see their heads. It is quite clear that Sammy, who is in the middle, has a gun shoved in the back of his pants with the handle sticking out on one side so we can see it. HAYES: We... I... Panel 4 - Really close now on Sammy’s mid-section, as if they’ve walked right up into the camera, and flames are visible in the background on either side of his body. SAMMY: Yeah, yeah. We know. “Deep Shit.” Panel 5 - Now the panel is black. HAYES: Exactly. Deep shit. Page Two: Panel 1 - The outside of a three-story and well kept brick building in a city neighborhood. It is an office-building, but no sign showing what its purpose might be is visible as we look at it from street level with the “camera” tilted up so we can see the entire building. One wall facing the street has a rather large office window on the third floor, the sun’s glare reflecting off of its surface. CAPTION: June 21, 2003 New York City Afternoon Panel 2 - The same building, but closer on the door so that it is clearly visible. The double-doors are large and glass, with people walking by them, and above them there is a large pane with the words “Dr. Theodore Doyle, MD” on it. Panel 3 - We see a man standing in front of the window we saw from the outside. Specific details of his appearance are hard to make out as the sun is rather blinding behind him, throwing him into silhouette. This is Dr. Theodore Doyle, 50 years old, and at this moment we can see that he is mostly bald with scraggly but short hair on the sides, is five-foot ten-inches, and very slightly chubby. Despite his non-impressive appearance, however, seeing him only in silhouette allows us to see the cut of his shoulders and the rather imperious way he holds himself. He has both hands clutched behind him and is looking down on the street below, wearing a light brown suit and a stethoscope around his neck. DOYLE: When I was eighteen years old, my father’s best friend did my family a great service. A favor to my father, whom he had known since they were both children. Panel 4 - Doyle’s hand, with some light grey hairs on the back of it and a wedding band on the ring-finger, is in the foreground, perched like a spider on his desk. Various papers/paperweights and some photos of him with his family (a 40-something wife, teenage daughter, twin young boys) are on the desk, in the background. DOYLE: You see, my father was a good man, but he wasn't a brilliant or ambitious man. The great city of New York used him up, spit him out, and left him completely unable to support his family. A civil servant, my father worked as a low-rung public defender for thirty years before they forced him into retirement at teh first opportunity. Panel 5 - Here we are looking from the far side of the desk at Doyle, who has just settled down into his chair, hand still on the desk. We can now see details of his face as the sun is now out of shot above the doctor’s head; black and grey hair, pale skin with freckles on his face, and glasses. The plaque near the front of the desk reads “Dr. Theodore Doyle, MD” and the expression on Doyle’s face is very serious, making it clear that he wants his audience to pay very, very close attention. DOYLE: He had four children, a sick wife, and I was off to college... but that didn’t matter to the bastards he’d served almost half his life. So he turned to this friend, a man now wealthy from a lifetime of shady business, and took him aside one night after dinner. Page Three: Panel 1 - The same view, except that now Doyle has settled completely at the desk and is leaning forward imposingly in his large chair behind it. DOYLE: Do you know what my father said to his friend? Well? HAYES (off-panel): Ah, no Sir. DOYLE: He said something very much like, "I have no money, no way of taking care of my family the way they deserve to be taken care of. I do, though, have a life insurance policy." “Will you help me? Will you save my family?” Panel 2 - Pulling in a little closer now, showing mostly the doctor with his arms now in front of him on the desk and the expression on his face. DOYLE: His friend, because he was a true friend, did not try to change my father’s mind or offer silly false hopes. This was a simple matter of loyalty, of a bond that exists between the loyal, and they both knew that pride and fear had no place there. This friend made the appropriate arrangements, allowed my father the opportunity to say goodbye to his family, and he then... Panel 3 - The same shot, perhaps slightly closer, and now one arm has been raised so that Doyle’s index finger is pointing at the middle of his forehead “between the eyes.” His expression and eyes are very intense, almost angry, but controlled. DOYLE: He then personally shot my father in the head, thus allowing my mother to live in comfort, my sisters to wear nice things, and myself the opportunity to finish my education. I owe this man everything that I have, and now he needs me. And so... Panel 4 - Here, in a panel that takes up the bottom half of the page, we see the figures Doyle has been talking to as if from his point of view. David Hayes sits in the chair on the left (in the panel) in a suit very similar to or the same as the one in the opening scene, with a very interested and solemn expression on his face. The person to the right of David is Sammy, also wearing a suit but with darker colors (blue shirt instead of the white, dark tie) and sunglasses, looking at his fingernails. The last person is Brian Flynn, wearing exactly the same thing he was in the opening scene, legs crossed, dark suit jacket, and is leaning forward anxiously as if anticipating that they will finally be told what to do. DOYLE (off-panel): ... I need you. This man is dying a slow, painful, death. His family is more than comfortable, living in a manner well beyond the norm, but refuse to allow him to pass on in dignity. Dignity that he has now managed to explicitly ask me to preserve. Unfortunately, with his family’s stubborn refusal and extensive security, I can't take care of this myself. But you boys can. Do you understand? Page Four: Panel 1 - Just David Hayes here, sitting in the chair. This should be one of three panels across the top of this page. HAYES: Yes, of course sir. Panel 2 - Same as with Hayes, only this time it’s Sammy. He’s looking up now, shrugging. SAMMY: Alright boss, crystal clear. Panel 3 - Again, only now Flynn, who is nodding and glancing at his watch. FLYNN: Yes Dr. Doyle. When do we leave? Panel 4 - A long, thin panel stretching across the page that shows the doctor’s eyes as well as everything behind him on either side at the same level. DOYLE: Now. The information you need will be provided within the hour. Panel 5 - The three men walking out of the front doors of the building, with David Hayes in front and the other two talking behind him. David is carrying a large manilla envelope in one hand, and is looking at several papers (tickets, photos, etc.) sticking out the top. SAMMY: No, I don’t want to start trouble, but there’ll be trouble if it ain’t made clear. I kill the old creep, and I do it alone. Whatever you guys want t’ do with whoever gets in our way is your business. Panel 6 - We’re close on Hayes now, with the other two perhaps visible behind him, and now his head is turned slightly so that he may better hear, the envelope still in his hands. His expression is one of disapproval, almost anger. FLYNN: Yeah, whatever. Look, if you’re such a fuckin’ super assassin then why’s the boss sending me an’ Hayes? Panel 7 - This should be a long panel across the bottom of the page, but however it best fits on the page is ok as this has been a busy one. Here we have Hayes climbing behind the wheel of a large car, a Cadillac, and the other two moving to either side of the car while opening the doors. Our angle is from a few feet in front of and above the hood of the car, about the height and distance of a man’s eye level if he was watching while standing in front of the car. Hayes looks annoyed, Sammy rolls his eyes to Flynn as he gets in the passenger side, and Flynn shrugs as he slides meekly into the back seat. HAYES: Get in. Now.