Heaven Sent: The
7 Blocks
Part II:
"The Bittersweet Fruit"
by Quamp ([email protected])
At the
end of “Before the Fall” I posted a poll to see if anyone wanted to see more of
this. The final results were, 3 for, 1 against. So you got to see the rest of
it.
(Page 1, panel 1.
A school in
Caption
(N): The next morning from when we left off, Kyle Taylor is being enrolled
in a
Principal: I'm still not clear as to
how he ended up in
Lotus: After his parents died,
Kyle was kidnapped by some bad people. They've been brought to justice by me.
We have contacted his relatives, and they say they are unable to care for him
at this time. I've been temporarily made his guardian until his relatives can
take over his care. He was taken from his home in Fate to here. We found him in
a warehouse off of Pineapple.
Kyle: What she said.
Texas
Patrol headquarters is located at
(Panel 2. The
principal stands up.)
Principal: Well, I will send
off for his records, and that should be here in a few days. In the meantime,
we're going to get you set up with a nice set of courses. Now, let's see what
we've got available...
(Panel 3. The
principal types something into a computer.)
Principal: Hmm... There’s a very
limited choice here... but I think we can get you into some classes.
Lotus: I'm not picky about which
classes he gets, just as long as he gets a good education.
(Panel 4. The
principal smiles at Lotus.)
Principal: We assure you, we'll give
him the best education
(Panel 5. Later
on, we see Kyle with several books in hand going to a classroom.)
Caption (N): After
the registration, Kyle Taylor heads off to his first class of the day, which is
in the fifth period...
Kyle's
thoughts:
Well, I'd better make the best of this...
(Panel 6. Kyle
enters a classroom, to see that the students are ethnically diverse. There is
but one seat open way back in the back of the room. The teacher is an older
woman with white hair and wrinkles. She looks over at Kyle.)
In
school, I usually ended up with the older teachers that were sick of kids and
about to retire. However, I did have one exception in a gay male teacher who
was in his 30’s. Obviously, this has made me a bit off kilter, but in a good
way.
Teacher: Well, what do we have
here?
Kyle: Uh... hi. My name's Kyle Taylor
and I just transferred into this school.
(Panel 7. Kyle
hands the teacher a piece of paper, which she reads.)
Teacher: Hmm... Well, my name is
Ms. Brangus, Kyle Taylor. Just have a seat in the back, all right?
Kyle: Uh... sure...
(Panel 8. Kyle
sits in the seat in the back.)
Teacher: Well class, as you can see, we have a
transfer student here. Why don't you tell us about yourself, Kyle?
(Page 2, panel 1.
Master Bane and Shiva are going down a darkened hallway. He is in his usual
attire and in the wheelchair; she walks beside him.)
Bane: There have been some developments
in the case of Kyle Taylor.
Shiva: Oh really?
After
the first part, I initially wanted to call Shiva a Vix Essenem, but Icehole’s
comment stopped me from doing that. In the real series, Until issue #9, she didn’t
do much other than stand around and be a slab of cheesecake. The exception was
where she got shot, and then her face went back to normal.
(Panel 2. Bane
smiles slightly.)
Bane: He's been enrolled in a
school in
Bane
sees Kyle’s schooling as an opportunity to get him. Little does he know…
(Panel 3. Bane
hands Shiva a picture of a young woman about Kyle's age. She has blonde hair
and blue eyes, and looks extremely mean and petulant.)
Bane: This is Melissa Stannum.
Go to
Shiva: Hmm... Doesn't look
impressive.
(Panel 4. Bane
smiles an evil smile.)
Bane: Better not let her hear
you say that. She's been practicing the dark arts.
Shiva: A magic user, hmm? She'd
better be good.
An evil
young witch in Kyle’s school… how convenient, hmm?
(Panel 5. They
stop in front of a doorway.)
Bane: Whether or not she
improves is up to you, Shiva. I want you to aid her as much as possible. Teach
her everything you can. Whatever you do, Kyle Taylor must be stopped.
Shiva: That is a given. Well, no
time like the present to meet this witch, is there?
(Panel 6. Shiva
vanishes in a puff of smoke.)
Bane: May the dark forces be with you, Shiva.
(Page 3, panel 1.
Back in
Caption (N):
After school...
Kyle: I just hope mom doesn't
mind this.
Samantha: I'm sure she won't, Kyle.
Even though your mom is suffering right now, she cannot be destroyed in hell.
Souls
are somewhat like matter; they cannot be destroyed, but they can be created.
(Panel 2.
Samantha suddenly turns around, startled by something we can't see.)
Kyle: What is it?
Samantha: Someone's there...
(Panel 3.
Samantha has her sword in hand now.)
Samantha: All right, show yourself!
(Panel 4. Pause
while Kyle and Samantha look around. Panel 5. Samantha puts away her sword.)
Samantha: I sensed something evil
nearby... I didn't get a good enough feeling of it to determine what it was...
Kyle: Well, we've got to get
home. Training cannot wait.
Samantha
can sense evil. I’ve been known to do the same occasionally.
(Panel 5. Down
the street a bit we see Melissa Stannum walking home. She holds some books in
her hand.)
Melissa's
thoughts: Stupid
math homework. I've got better things to do than algebra!
Voice (from off panel): Melissa
Stannum...
(Panel 6. Shiva
appears next to Melissa in a cloud of smoke.)
Shiva: You will come with me
now.
Melissa: I'm not impressed by
amateur theatrics. what do you want?
Melissa
is pretty blasé about demons appearing in front of her, isn’t she? Apparently,
this is something that happens every day to her.
(Panel 7. Shiva
looks grimly at Melissa.)
Shiva: A young man has entered
your school by the name of Kyle Taylor. He must be destroyed, or all the
darkness will suffer.
Melissa: So why should I care?
What's in it for me?
Bad guy
mentality – me, me, ME. Good guy mentality – us, us, us.
(Panel 8. Shiva
smiles sinisterly. Melissa is unimpressed.)
Shiva: Power. I will make you
the most powerful witch in your coven.
Melissa: Ah, I get these offers every day.
Everyone promises, nobody delivers.
(Panel 4.
Frustrated, Shiva strikes Melissa, sending her flying backwards down the
street.)
Shiva: I'll show you power!!
SFX: WHAM!
Some
people have to be smacked in the head before they realize just what they’re
dealing with.
(Panel 5. Shiva
stands over the fallen Melissa. Melissa looks at Shiva with fear in her eyes.)
Shiva: Now, you will help me
defeat Kyle Taylor once and for all... or you will die. Do I make myself clear?
Melissa: Uh... right...
(Panel 6. Melissa
stands up.)
Shiva: Now, I've got a plan that will help us kill him
for our mutual boss...
(Page 4, panel 1.
Texas Patrol headquarters. Kyle arrives at the entryway to find Spyre there.
Samantha is with Kyle.)
Kyle: Hi, I'm home.
Spyre: Howdy there. Lecita's
waiting for you in the briefing room.
(Panel 2. The
briefing room. Lotus is standing there as Kyle and Samantha enter.)
Lotus: Ah, welcome back,
Kyle. Now, I decided today I'd let you get to know the members of the Texas
Patrol here. They're all going to be helping you out more or less.
This
next part was done to introduce the manga fans to the Texas Patrol. Originally
I had visualized them being part of a different comic book company’s universe
(you can see the references elsewhere on the site.) However, a certain nameless
editor of that company was at a convention in
Kyle: Oh, O.k...
(Panel 3. The
three of them walk out the door.)
Lotus: The first one I want
you to meet is Esteban. He rarely gets to be with young men his age. I'm sure
he'll be glad to get to know you.
Kyle: You have someone my age
on your team?
(Panel 4. They
are walking down a hallway.)
Lotus: Well, Esteban's
about a year older than you are, Kyle. However, he earned his doctorate in
medicine and helps out with the healing around here. In the field, he's known
as Sonnos.
Sonnos
is probably one of three Hispanic child prodigy characters in existence.
(Panel 5. They
enter the infirmary, where Sonnos is examining a young African-American woman.
She looks very ill.)
Lotus: He runs a free
clinic here when he can for those who can't afford health care when he gets the
chance.
Sonnos: I'll give you a
prescription that medicaid will cover. Just be sure to follow the directions
exactly, señorita.
(Panel 6. The
young woman exits, and Sonnos looks at Lotus and Kyle.)
Sonnos: Ah, you must be Kyle. I
am Esteban. It's good to meet you.
Kyle: Likewise.
(Panel 7. They
continue to talk.)
Lotus: Kyle is a chosen one like
me. He's going to liberate his parents from hell.
Sonnos: Well, good luck, amigo.
Say, you into football? I've been looking for someone to play with.
Sonnos has
been in the
Kyle: Well...
(Panel 8. Lotus
does an aside with Kyle.)
Lotus: Esteban hasn't been in
the
Kyle: Oh...
Kyle never does answer Sonnos’ question. Why? I ran out of room.
(Page 5, panel 1.
Back in the briefing room, Lotus and Kyle meet up with Starshot.)
Caption (N):
Later on...
Starshot: Me name's Starshot, but
ye can call me Sara.
Kyle: It's nice to meet you.
Lotus: Sara's from
Starshot
is Lotus’ pupil in ecumenicism and in the spirit. More on this if there is a
series…
(Panel 2.
Starshot gives a friendly smile to Kyle.)
Starshot: Well, if ye need any help
in anything, just let me know.
Kyle: I will. Thanks.
(Panel 3. Lotus
and Kyle stand up.)
Lotus: Well, that's most of the
team. We've got a couple more, but right now, Mindpath is doing some
maintenance on the training room.
(Panel 4. Dormira
enters.)
Starshot: Oh no....
Lotus: Well, you're going to
meet her sooner or later...
Kyle (to Dormira): Hi. My
name's Kyle Taylor.
(Panel 5. Dormira
looks harshly at Lotus.)
Dormira: Why do you have a
normal child here? That is child endangerment.
Lotus: Meet one of the two
biggest samadhis of my life at the moment. This is Dormira. She won't tell us
her real name, she won't smile, she won't do anything with us except fight.
Kyle: So why is she here?
Kyle’s
Chip Amiable powers don’t work on Dormira. He’s confused by this. Lotus’ other
big Samadhi is her immediate supervisor, a guy known as the chief. More on him
if there is a series…
(Panel 6. Dormira
gets face-to-face with Lotus.)
Dormira: I will not be
ignored! I should have you arrested for child endangerment right now!
Lotus: Dormira, he's here solely
to train because he's going to go on an important mission from God. I will see
to it he comes to no harm here.
Dormira
doesn’t have a whole lot of patience. She also thinks that Lotus’ spiritual
stuff is “utter nonsense.”
(Panel 7. Dormira
storms off.)
Dormira: You and this God thing.
When he gets killed, I hope you will be proud then.
Lotus (to Kyle): Don't mind
her. She's the quintessential Dorothy Petulant. She was thrust upon us by the
state to monitor our activities. When I look into her soul, I see nothing but a
lifetime of trauma and misdeeds done to her. Well, since the training room's
down, you'll have some time to do your homework.
Dorothy
Petulant – Generic angry girl. Kind of Like Ichi-Kun Ichinoei in the original
(Panel 8. Kyle
looks over at Lotus.)
Kyle: Well, I don't have any
homework today... I just got registered this morning, remember?
I find
it disturbing these days that teachers have to assign more homework than
humanly possible to do in one night, don’t you?
Lotus: Well then, just relax for tonight.
(Page 6, panel 1.
Kyle's room. We see him sitting on the bed, reading a book.)
Caption (N): A
little later...
(Panel 2.
Samantha enters, wearing only a bikini. She is holding a towel in one hand and
has a bottle of sunscreen in the other.)
At the
time this was done, I was using Wordperfect office 2000. It automatically took
the word sunscreen and split it into sun screen. Fortunately, I’ve since
upgraded to MS word 2003.
Samantha: Hey Kyle. I'm going to
sunbathe. Want to join me?
Here’s
where Samantha gets serious about tempting him with lust. Ben was nice enough
to have an image of Samantha in a bikini in HS #7. I’m sure this image has
gotten many a fanboy drooling. I’m also pretty sure he drew it before
this was put online.
(Panel 3. Kyle
looks up, and is immediately dumfounded.)
Kyle: Uh...
Samantha (smiles): I'll take
that as a yes.
(Panel 4.
Samantha walks off.)
Samantha: I'll be waiting by the
pool for you. I really need someone to rub my back with sunscreen.
Kyle: Well....
(Panel 5.
Samantha exits. Kyle merely looks dumbfounded. Panel 6. Lotus enters.)
Lotus: Say, have you seen
Samantha anywhere?
Kyle
has never had a woman come onto him before. In small
(Panel 7. Lotus
waves her hand in front of Kyle, who snaps out of his trance.)
Lotus: Uh... hello? Anyone home?
Kyle: Huh? What?
Chip
Amiable is 124% free of impure thoughts; so what is he thinking here??
(Panel 8. Lotus
rolls her eyes at Kyle.)
Lotus: Where's Samantha?
Kyle: Oh... uh... she was just here a minute ago...
(Page, 7, panel
1. Lotus folds her arms.)
Lotus: Did she happen to mention
where she was going?
Kyle: Uh... I don't know...
Lotus realizes
that lust may be a problem for Kyle… After all, conservative small
(Panel 2. Lotus
unfolds her arms.)
Lotus: Well, she's your guardian
angel, you go find her.
Kyle: Uh... right....
(Panel 3. Kyle
exits.)
Caption (L): Nice
kid, but not too swift on the uptake sometimes.
Which
is pretty typical for Chip Amiable.
(Panel 4. Pool
side. Samantha is sitting on a chaise lounge, waiting for Kyle.)
Caption
(N): And so...
(Panel 5.
Samantha looks around the place.)
Samantha's
thoughts:
Where is he? I told him to come out here.
(Panel 6. Kyle
enters, not really paying attention to Samantha.)
Kyle: Samantha, Lotus was
looking for -
(Panel 7. Kyle
stares dumbfounded at Samantha again.)
Kyle: You...
Samantha: Who's looking for me?
Many a
normal hormonal boy Kyle’s age would be drooling at this point….
(Panel 8.
Samantha snaps her fingers in front of Kyle's face.)
Samantha: Hello? Who's looking for
me?
SFX:
Snap! Snap!
(Page 8, panel 1.
Samantha looks crestfallen and grimaces at Kyle.)
Samantha: Wonderful. He's turned
into a drooling zombie. I was afraid this would happen.
(Panel 2. Enter
Lotus.)
Lotus: Ah, there you are. Are
you ready for phase 2?
Samantha: Already started, Lecita. This
time, however, I was a little too successful...
(Panel 3. Lotus
looks over Kyle.)
Lotus: That definitely is a
problem. He won't last a minute in the second circle of hell if he's like that
with you.
Samantha: True. I had a hard time
there myself.
Here’s
another point where the original setup of the 7 blocks shown. I had intended
hell to be 7 floors, based on the 7 deadly sins of man. Unfortunately, the
divine inspiration took over again…
(Panel 4. Lotus
waves her hand in front of Kyle.)
Lotus: Earth to Kyle Taylor,
come in Kyle.
(Panel 5. Kyle
finally snaps out of his trance.)
Kyle: Huh? Wha...?
Lotus: You know, you wouldn't
last 30 seconds in the 2nd circle of hell.
Lotus
doesn’t know about what’s coming up.
(Panel 6. We see
Kyle thinking of the time he accidentally tore of Samantha's death robe in
Heaven Sent #1.)
Lotus: There is a huge
difference between love and lust.
Kyle: Well, it's just that she
reminded me of a little.... accident we had when I first met her.
I have
to wonder whether the authorities would consider that offensive or not. Let’s
not tell them, all right?
(Panel 7. Lotus
stares deep into Kyle's eyes.)
Lotus: Love can never be based
on idealization of your partner. It will never work. It must be based on trust
and desires for romantic contact. You have a lot to learn about love before
you're ready for it.
In an
English literature class, I learned these two systems. The trust/desires for
romantic contact system of love is called the Heroic System of Fate; the
idealization of partner is called the System of Male Supremacy. The teacher
touted that the H.S.F. is really the way to go, and I have to agree with him. Many
a legendary tales show that the SMS is what the villain uses, and the HSF is
what the hero uses.
Kyle: Yea, I guess so...
(Panel 8. Lotus
walks away.)
Lotus: Well, most of what you learn about love can only
be done through experience. I have to go now, the chief has an assignment for
me.
Sad but true. I learned a whole lot more from the brief relationship
I had than I learned reading tons of books about love. Why? Love is a divine
thing; it has no language per se. It is mainly energy flow.
(Page 9, panel 1.
Samantha looks over at Kyle.)
Samantha: So Kyle, would you
mind rubbing my back with sunscreen?
Kyle: Huh? Oh, sure.
(Panel 2.
Samantha is now on her back, and Kyle is rubbing her back with the sunscreen
with one hand, holding the bottle in the other.)
Samantha: So Kyle, what do you
think of me?
Kyle: Well, you're really
cool...
Kyle’s
being oblivious to the temptation in front of him.
(Panel 3.
Samantha turns her head around, and looks at Kyle.)
Samantha (in a heart-shaped
word balloon): I mean, what do you really think of me?
Kyle: Well...
(Panel 4.
Samantha looks a little hurt.)
Samantha: Don't you think I'm beautiful?
Kyle: Well, yea, but... aren't
there rules against a guardian angel fraternizing with the person she's
supposed to be protecting?
Kyle is
not sure whether she means the beauty on the outside or on the inside. Either
way, he thinks she’s beautiful.
(Panel 5.
Samantha smiles at Kyle.)
Samantha: Of course not. Say, why
don't you get changed into swimwear and join me here?
Kyle: Well... all right...
if that's what you really want...
Kyle
suspects Samantha’s lying to him, but can’t for the life of him figure out why.
(Panel 6. Back
with Shiva and Melissa, The two of them are concocting a potion. They are in a
lab standing over a boiling cauldron.)
Caption (N):
Meanwhile...
Melissa: This lust potion of yours
had better work.
Shiva: He will see you as someone he cares for. Someone
he will want.
(Page 10, panel
1. Shiva tosses what looks like a gizzard into the cauldron.)
Shiva: No mere mortal can resist
the attraction of this...
“Those
who speak of infallibility often stand on shaky ground” – Dr. Who. To put it
another way, “Nothing can be made foolproof because fools are very ingenious.”
– Dr. Michael Flynn.
(Panel 2. The
cauldron emits a puff of smoke.)
SFX: Poof!
Shiva: There. It is done.
(Panel 3. Using a
ladle, Melissa pours some of the mixture into a test tube.)
Shiva: Just put it on before you
go to the class with him in it. Use some weird pretense to talk to him - I
don't care what.
Melissa: Right. I'll have that
bozo wrapped around my little finger before class is over.
(Panel 4. Master
Bane enters.)
Bane: Well, young one, how goes
things?
Melissa: We just finished the
potion of lust, gramps.
Melissa
doesn’t take Baine seriously.
(Panel 5. Bane
scowls at Melissa.)
Bane: My name is Master
Bane! You will address me by that!
Melissa: Fine, Bation. Tomorrow we
will get him to love me.
(Panel 6. Bane,
angry, shakes his fist at Melissa.)
Bane: That's MASTER Bat - Bane!
So why
are there no Zen masters named Bation?
Shiva: Oh, calm down, Master Bane. She will serve our
purpose here...
(Page 12, panel
1. The next day, Kyle and Samantha are walking to school.)
Caption (N): The
next day...
Kyle: Well, let's hope that I
can make some new friends today.
Samantha: I know you will, Kyle.
Chip
Amiable always makes new friends no matter where he goes. Only the generic bad
guys hate Chip.
(Panel 2.
Samantha nervously looks around.)
Kyle: Is something wrong?
Samantha: I sense something evil
nearby... Well, I can't seem to pinpoint where it is.
(Panel 3. In
class, Kyle is sitting at his desk. Nearby, Melissa is at her desk. Kyle is
busy paying attention to the teacher and writing things down; Melissa looks at
Kyle with contempt.)
Caption (N):
Later on...
Melissa's
thoughts:
So this is the bozo that's going to lead the forces of good here. He's very unimpressive.
(Panel 4. The
teacher continues to talk in the background as Melissa sneers at Kyle.)
Melissa's
thoughts:
I hope this lust stuff works... He'd better fall for me. I think I'll enjoy
recruiting him... then breaking his heart.
Melissa
is a word that rhymes with snitch – witch.
(Panel 5. Melissa
puts some of the elixir on her wrists.)
Melissa's
thoughts: You're
mine now, Kyle.
(Panel 6. The
bell rings.)
Teacher: Class dismissed.
Melissa (to Kyle): Hey, got a
moment here?
(Panel 7. Kyle
gathers up his books, and stands. Instead of Melissa there, we see Cindy, the
babe seen in H.S. #1.)
Kyle: Sure, what do you
want?
Melissa: I was wondering if you
would like to join my study group. We meet after school tomorrow.
The
lust elixir is making Kyle see Melissa as Cindy. Apparently, Cindy’s got a lot
of what Kyle desires in a woman. Why doesn’t it make Melissa look like
Samantha? Too obvious.
(Panel 8. Kyle
smiles at Melissa.)
Kyle: Sure. Say... what's your
name, by the way? You look a lot like this girl I once saw.
Melissa (in a heart-shaped word balloon): Melissa.
See you then!
(Page 13, panel
1. Melissa meets up again with Shiva. They are in the hallway, and other kids
mull around in the background. )
Shiva: So is he yours yet?
Melissa: I got him to be in a
study group with me. By the demons, he was so sweet and kind... I had to strain
to keep from throwing up.
Chip
Amiable makes me want to throw up at times too.
(Panel 2. Shiva
stares coldly at Melissa.)
Shiva: I do not need to remind
you how important he is to our cause.
Melissa: Yea... but the kid can be
pretty clueless though. I turned on the charm and he didn't respond.
(Panel 3. Go back
to Kyle. We see him walking down a hallway. Behind him is a door marked with
the following sign: "Art: Ms. Chilico")
The
teachers’ names are from
Kyle's
thoughts:
Well, only here two days and I've found someone who likes me. This could be
pretty good after all.
(Panel 4. Kyle
continues to walk down the hallway. The door behind him reads "English
Composition: Mr. Ossman.")
Voice (from off panel): Hey
dude!
(Panel 5. A young
guy about Kyle's age enters. He is in a t-shirt and blue jeans. The sign behind
Kyle reads: "Home economics: Ms. Rigel")
George: The name's George. I
saw Melissa invite you to join her study group.
Kyle: Well, yea... I hope she can
help me learn.
(Panel 6. George
looks grim-faced at Kyle. They are in front of a door that reads: "English
Composition: Mr. Noppen.")
George: I'm warning you. Stay
away from her... she's evil.
Kyle/Chip
can be very oblivious to the very obvious at times.
Kyle: She didn't seem evil to me.
(Page 14, panel
1. George shakes his head at Kyle.)
George: She never does...
until it's too late. Do yourself a favor and don't associate with her.
(Panel 2. George
goes into a classroom marked: "Algebra - Ms. Nagaman.")
This
one is a reference to Asagi Nagaman, the ninja accountant of Quagmire,
U.S.A./Ninja High School. There isn’t anything mathematically related in
S.O.:T.E.T.
George: Gotta go - catch you
after school, o.k.?
Kyle: Sure.
(Panel 3. Kyle
heads into a classroom marked "American History - Mr. Ansala.")
Ansala’s
thing is Alchemy in S.O.:T.E.T., but that really doesn’t fit with schoolwork,
does it? I almost made this one “Industrial arts – Mr. Boyd.”
Kyle's
thoughts:
Well, I'll worry about that later. I've got to make it in time here...
(Panel 4. Later
on, Kyle is walking home. he has a backpack on his back.)
Kyle's
thoughts:
Man, they love piling on the homework at once, don't they?
(Panel 5.
Samantha enters.)
Samantha: Something's wrong here...
Kyle: You said it. I don't
know how they expect us to do all of this in one night...
(Panel 6.
Samantha stares grimly at Kyle.)
Samantha: No - I mean with you.
Someone evil has been trying to tempt you.
Kyle: Evil? Tempting me?
(Panel 7.
Samantha pulls a small vial out of her robe.)
Samantha: Clean up your soul,
Kyle. This holy water should do the trick.
Kyle: All right... if you say
so...
(Panel 8.
Samantha pours the holy water on Kyle's head.)
Samantha: Begone, evil energy!
If only we could do this to everyone, the whole world would be a
better place.
(Page 15, panel
1. Samantha pockets the empty vial.)
Samantha: So who have you been
talking to today?
Kyle: Well, outside of class,
there was a guy named George and a girl named Melissa... George said that Melissa
was an evil witch... do you think he is right?
(Panel 2.
Samantha nods.)
Samantha: She's got to be it.
Kyle: She wanted me to be in a
study group with her tomorrow afternoon.
Studies
show that kids who form study groups perform better than those that don’t. I
think I would have done a lot better in school had others been more willing to
form study groups with me.
(Panel 3.
Samantha smiles a sinister smile.)
Samantha: Well, the one thing
she didn't count on was me. Take your sword with you when you meet her again
tomorrow.
Kyle: All right.
(Panel 4. Kyle
has his sword in its sheath on his back. He is in a classroom, alone.)
Caption (N): The
next afternoon...
Kyle's
thoughts:
Well, this is it... we'll see if Samantha was right.
(Panel 5. Melissa
enters, now disguised as Cindy. She is attired in a low-cut blouse and short
miniskirt.)
Melissa: Well Kyle, are you ready?
Kyle: Yea.
Ready
for a fight, that is…
(Panel 6. Kyle
and Melissa sit down next to each other in adjacent desks.)
Melissa: What's with the sword?
Kyle: Erm... well, I take sword lessons to keep in
shape. I've got to go straight from here to that class. Well, the assignment
was for the poem Sonnet 12 by Keppenburg. Have you read it yet?
(Page 16, panel
1. Samantha appears, sword in hand. She is looking over Melissa.)
Samantha's
thoughts:
That George guy was right... she radiates evil. I have to stop her.
Melissa: Well... no. We should
read it together.
(Panel 2. Kyle
has his book open and is reading. Melissa, however, is staring at Kyle.)
Melissa: So, you just moved
here... where from?
Kyle: Fate, originally.
Melissa's
thoughts:
This boy is an idiot! How could God choose someone like this to represent him?
Or
maybe he’s a lot smarter than you give him credit to be.
(Panel 2. Kyle
continues to read as Melissa gets closer to him. Samantha is not amused by
Melissa's behavior, and her face shows it.)
Melissa: So do you have a
girlfriend now...?
Kyle: Well... in a way, yea...
Kyle
knows he must say no to Melissa. Could his girlfriend ‘in a way’ be Samantha?
(Panel 3.
Samantha rears her sword up to strike Melissa. Melissa and Kyle are oblivious
to this. Melissa leans forward at Kyle, letting him take a look down her dress,
but he does not.)
Melissa: So what is she like?
(Panel 4.
Samantha brings her sword down at Melissa, but it gets blocked by another
sword. The wielder of this sword is off panel.)
SFX: CLANK!
Voice (from off panel): Not
this time, Sammy.
(Panel 5.
Samantha is standing opposite Shiva. Shiva has the sword in her hand. Samantha
has a shocked look on her face.)
Samantha: Shiva!
Shiva: Now, is that any way to
greet an old friend?
Here,
Samantha and Shiva have crossed swords before. Neither was a clear winner. I
really think Shiva would have been made a lot cooler had she been made to fight
Samantha.
(Panel 6. Kyle
and Melissa look at Shiva and Samantha clashing swords.)
Kyle: I knew it! You're trying
to tempt me into evil!
Melissa: Damn! Looks like we have
to do this the hard way here...
SFX:
CLANG!
Bad guy mentality- when plan A fails, resort to violence.
(Page 17, panel
1. Kyle draws his sword just in time to block a magic missile by Melissa.)
Melissa: Since you won't come
quietly, we're going to have to take you down by force!
SFX: Zapt!
(Panel 2. Kyle
dodges Melissa's next missile, and it ends up hitting the chalkboard.
Meanwhile, Shiva gets pushed into some desks by Samantha.)
Melissa: Your parents are in hell,
and they will stay there forever!
SFX: ZAP!
(Panel 3. Kyle
strikes Melissa with a foot to the jaw while blocking her next magic missile
with her sword.)
Kyle: Not if I have anything to
say about it!
SFX: POW!
(Panel 4. Kyle
knocks Melissa down with a punch to the stomach as Shiva and Samantha continue
to fight in the background. Melissa crashes into some of the school desks.)
Kyle: You know they are not
supposed to be there... and I will free them!
SFX: WHAM!
(Panel 5. Melissa
is lying on a bunch of broken desks, out cold. Kyle rushes toward Samantha and
Shiva.)
Kyle: Now... you think you
can take both of us on at once?
(Panel 6.
Distracted by Kyle, Shiva gets a fist across the jaw from Samantha.)
SFX: Wok!
Samantha: The arrogant wielding of power leads
to corruption, and a downfall. You always knew I was better than you, Shiva.
But you never could admit it to yourself.
(Page 18, panel
1. Shiva rushes over to Melissa.)
Shiva: This battle is yours,
Samantha... but the war is far from over!
This
line is taken from the generic bad guy’s dialogue book.
(Panel 2. Shiva
and Melissa teleport out.)
Kyle: They're getting away!
Samantha: Let them go, Kyle.
(Panel 3. Kyle
sheathes his sword, as does Samantha.)
Kyle: Who was that you were
fighting?
Samantha: Her name is Shiva. She is
a demon. We... have met before.
A long
time ago, Samantha was a slave owned by Shiva’s family here. Whereas Samantha
went to heaven, Shiva went to hell for her arrogance and vanity.
(Panel 4.
Samantha and Kyle walk towards Kyle's books.)
Samantha: Gather your books...
we've got to return to the headquarters and report this to Lotus.
Samantha
knows that Shiva is Kyle’s greatest Samadhi in his quest.
(Panel 5. Texas
Patrol headquarters, in the briefing room. Lotus is sitting in opposite
Samantha and Kyle.)
Caption (N): And
so...
Samantha: Lecita, things are
getting pretty thorny. I have had a run-in with Shiva.
Lotus: Shiva? Who is that?
(Panel 6.
Flashback to Roman times. Samantha, dressed in a slave's toga, is pouring a
pitcher of water into a glass for Shiva. Shiva is also in a toga.)
Caption (S): She
is the daughter of the man that owned my mother and his wife. Unlike me, she
lead a life of extravagance and greed.
(Panel 7. Shiva
has Samantha combing her hair.)
Caption (S):
Shiva was also notoriously vain.
Remember
this line. It is an important plot point. In the actual series, Shiva says
“Good thing I’m not so vain.” But this is because she knows her deal with Satan
will keep her young and beautiful forever.
Shiva: <Be careful with that!
I want to look my best for the Senator's son!*>
Samantha: <Yes, mistress.>
Caption (N):
*Translated from the original Latin.
(Panel 8. Shiva
is now in hell, surrounded by flames.)
Caption
(S): When she died, she went to hell, naturally. But she struck a bargain with
Satan.
(Page 19, panel
1. Shiva is now seen killing a young man in a toga.)
Caption (S): If
he would make her eternally young and beautiful, she would gather as many souls
as she could for him. Satan agreed to this deal. since that time, she and I
have clashed too many times to count.
Most of
the times they’ve clashed, there was no clear winner.
(Panel 2. Fade
back to the present.)
Samantha: Shiva's killed millions
of innocent people for Satan since then. If she's on Kyle's case, this could be
trouble for everyone.
Lotus: Yet I sense some
other malevolent force at work here... someone has to be around to
counterbalance what I am doing.
Lotus
knows Shiva wouldn’t be assigned to do this alone… but she doesn’t know who’s
with her yet.
(Panel 3. We see
George in front of a tract home, taking a sackful of garbage to the curb.)
Caption (N):
Meanwhile...
(Panel 4. Shiva
appears in front of George. George's face is filled with fear.)
Shiva: You warned him about
her... that was a very bad thing to do.
(Panel 5. We see
Shiva swinging her sword at a helpless George.)
George: No! Please!
AAAAAHH!!!
Bad guy
mentality – when plan fails, find someone and take it out on them.
(Panel 6. George
is now on the ground, dead and bleeding. The sack of garbage is next to him.)
Shiva: You are not the chosen one... but Satan will
snack on your soul tonight.
George is a character created mainly for part V. More on him later.
(Page 20, panel
1. Back with Kyle and Samantha, it is in the evening. Kyle is readying himself
for bed and Samantha is nearby.)
Kyle: Well, Good night,
Samantha.
Samantha: Kyle, I have something I
want to ask you...
(Panel 2.
Samantha smiles at Kyle.)
Samantha: Just what do you think of
me?
Kyle: Well, you're sweet,
you're kind, and you fight very well...
(Panel 3.
Samantha gets close to Kyle.)
Samantha: No, I mean... what
do you think about me?
Kyle: I told you, you're sweet,
you're kind... you fight well... I would hate to be one of your enemies.
(Panel 4.
Samantha gets angry at Kyle and holds up a fist. Samantha's head gets large and
speed lines fill the background.)
Samantha: Kyle Taylor you are so freaking
clueless!!
Kyle: Huh??
Chip
Amiable thing again… I’ve never had a woman come onto me, so I’m really writing
about what I’ve read.
(Panel 5. The
background is back to normal and Samantha is gritting her teeth at Kyle.)
Samantha: I'm talking about us! You
and I, a couple!
Kyle: Oh...
(Panel 6. Kyle
looks confused.)
Kyle: Aren't there rules
against that kind of thing?
Samantha: Of course not. So what do you think about
it?
Kyle senses something else is going on here, but he can’t figure out
what…
(Page 21, panel
1. Kyle takes Samantha's hand.)
Kyle: A guy would be very lucky
to be your lover... but I really think that rescuing my mother comes first.
Samantha: That can wait until
tomorrow. We've got tonight, Kyle.
(Panel 2.
Samantha lets go of his hand and puts an arm around him.)
Samantha: I'd do anything for you,
Kyle.
Kyle: Well.... I really
should be getting to bed now. I have to be up early for school tomorrow.
(Panel 3. Kyle
returns Samantha's arm.)
Kyle: However, I feel very
lucky to be in love with an angel.
Samantha: Only love?
(Panel 4.
Samantha separates from Kyle.)
Kyle: Yes... only love.
Samantha: You passed.
(Panel 5. Kyle
looks even more confused than ever.)
Kyle: Huh? What do you mean?
Samantha: I was trying to tempt you
into doing something with me. But you resisted.
This is
the point where things get a bit awkward. I wanted to use the Dr. Leroy Eider
quote that is in later, but I really couldn’t come up with a better way to work
it in. :\
(Panel 6. Kyle
looks hurt.)
Samantha: You're nice, Kyle, and
I'm sure you'll find someone for you... but there are rules against an angel
falling in love with her charge.
(Panel 7. Kyle
rushes from the room.)
Kyle: I can't believe this! She
did this - didn't she!?
Kyle
knows Lotus did this. Looks like he isn’t completely clueless after all.
(Panel 8. Kyle
enters the briefing room to find Lotus standing there.)
Kyle: You! You did this!
(Panel 9. Kyle
points a finger at Lotus.)
Kyle: You manipulated
Samantha to have her fawn all over me! Why!?
SFX:
Point! Accuse!
Like Ben Dunn, I read Richie Rich as a kid. I don’t remember a whole
lot of it, though… L
(Page 22, panel
1. Lotus merely smiles. Samantha enters.)
An
Oops! Moment: I intended for Samantha to enter here, but accidentally left it
out in the original. L
Lotus: "When you point a
finger at someone, three fingers point back at you."*
Caption (N): *
Dr. Leroy Eider.
Before
you accuse, get the whole story.
(Panel 2. Kyle
merely stands there, confused. We see a note over his head.)
Lotus: I told you hell is
divided into 7 sections. Section 2 is lust. True divine love is limitless. It
is what I have been sending you all this time. It is up to you to learn the
lesson.
(Panel 3. Kyle
merely looks confused.)
Kyle: Lesson?
Lotus: Learning is part of why
we are here, Kyle. You fell in love with your guardian angel, but when you did,
did you make it real, divine love?
Translation:
are you in love with her because she’s a hot babe or are you in love with her
for her? Lotus knows that young men can become big piles of raging hormones.
(Panel 4. Kyle
thinks.)
Kyle: Uhm... well...
Lotus: You are new to the stable
of chosen ones. Experiencing divine love is something you have done all your
life, but you are only now becoming aware of it. Divine love is not based on
something physical like the person's appearance. Divine love is based on trust
and desires for intimacy. Divine love does not come with judgmental
attachments. That is the only love that truly lasts.
This
may be why 50% of marriages fail; the people involved are still attached to
judgments.
(Panel 5. Kyle
thinks, stroking his chin in contemplation.)
Kyle: Well, I guess so...
Lotus: Good. Now go finish your
homework.
He’s
already finished it.
(Panel 6. Kyle
exits.)
Samantha: He is learning much
faster here.
Lotus: Yes... he'll be ready
soon to take that final journey. However, the next temptation may prove his
undoing.
(Panel 7.
Samantha looks hard at Lotus.)
Samantha: What do you have planned
for him?
Lotus: Greed and Envy. Those two
lessons go hand in hand. Kyle must learn to respect what others have, and not
to desire them. With Shiva in the picture, we will have to speed things up.
(Panel 8. Focus
on Samantha's face.)
Samantha: I hope he's ready for
that....
-To Be
Continued?-
Greed
and envy can lead to a downfall.