Heaven
Sent: The 7 blocks
Part V: George's
Rescue
I had actually written part VI before part V. Icehole stated that
George’s rescue of Cindy, Steve & Mr. Taylor deserved a little recognition.
I’m glad I listened to him. This is also where I started transferring data from
MS pocket word to MS Word 2003. As you can see, it’s a much cleaner, compact
style.
Note:
Kyle, Samantha, and most of the other characters do not appear here.
This is more of a side trip to tie up some loose plot threads.
(Page
1, panel 1. Heaven. Cupid is leading George through some of the sword
exercises.)
Cupid:
You're getting it, George.
(Panel
2. They stop the training.)
Cupid:
You're ready for your first mission now.
George:
What is it?
(Panel
3. Cupid holds up a pouch of manifestation.)
Cupid:
Take this pouch of manifestation and I will explain.
(Panel
4. George takes the pouch.)
Cupid:
You're being sent to hell to liberate some of your friends. Your friend Steve
has been taken there.
(Panel
5. George looks shocked.)
George:
Steve... In hell? Well, he's not perfect...
Cupid:
The woman that killed you also took him to hell. We need you to rescue him.
(Panel
6. George finally gets it.)
George:
Oh... So who's coming with me?
Cupid:
Well... You're going alone. See, we're in the middle of another crisis, and we
can't spare anyone else.
The final steps of the journey must always be completed alone.
Nobody else can give you enlightenment but you.
(Page
2, panel 1. George looks crestfallen.)
George:
You're joking, right?
Cupid:
No. I have to leave now, so goodbye, and good luck...
(Panel
2. Cupid flies away.)
George:
Lovely.
(Panel
3. George sheathes his sword.)
George:
Can't I at least get some directions to hell!?
Real men don’t need directions. They just get in the way of things.
Ask Red Green if you don’t believe me.
(Panel
4. George flies up into the air.)
George:
Well, let's try going to earth.
(Panel
5. Hell. Steve, Cindy, and a couple of other people are shackled to a wall.)
Caption
(N):
Meanwhile...
Cindy:
What is this place?
(Panel
6. Shiva enters.)
Shiva:
Well, the boss is pleased with this harvest...
Steve:
You... You're that girl that killed me...
<Torgo mode>
ThE mAsTeR wIlL bE pLeAsEd WiTh ThIs HaRvEsT.
</Torgo mode> I initially had this in here, but then my beta
reader said nobody would get the joke.
(Page
2, panel 1. Shiva goes over to Steve.)
Shiva:
My name is Shiva, not girl. You are now guests in hell. You will rot, suffer,
and languish here for the rest of eternity.
(Panel
2. Shiva smiles sinisterly.)
Shiva:
Ah, the girl crazy guy... I love torturing your kind.
Steve:
Okay, so I like girls... However, it's not as if I'm a pervert or something. I
admit some of the girls I've come onto weren't interested.
(Panel
3. Shiva kicks Steve in the stomach.)
Shiva:
I've heard too much out of you.
SFX: POW!
Steve:
Gruh!
So is Steve a Pervert or not? Well, perverts never try to really get
to know a woman…
(Panel
4. Shiva looks with anger at Cindy.)
Shiva:
You, the sweet, innocent girl... I hate innocent girls! You I will delight in
torturing.
Cindy
(1): I shouldn't be here! I believe in God! I've been a good girl!
Cindy
(2, weakly): Well, most of the time....
Even the best of us have committed sins…
(Panel
5. Shiva slaps Cindy across her face.)
SFX: Slap!
Shiva:
Shut up!
Cindy:
Aw!
(Panel
6. Shiva continues to talk.)
Shiva:
You are here because I have captured your souls for Satan. None of you really
deserves to be here... That is why I killed you all!
Male:
You are a sick, ugly woman.
Those truly deserving of hell are never beautiful.
(Page
2, panel 1. Shiva punches the young man in the nose, and causes his nose to
bleed.)
Shiva
(very angry): I am young and beautiful!! I will be beautiful forever!
(Panel
2. The young man looks at Shiva, blood dripping from his nose.)
Zack
(male): True beauty comes from within.... You will never be beautiful.
Shiva:
You are a fool! Going to church on Sunday, praying to God...what has it gotten
you? You still have problems. You still suffer. You still are weak.
(Panel
3.)
Zack:
Better a weak human than some psycho demon.
Shiva:
Silence! Just for that, you will be first. I have to finish preparing
things... However, I will be back!
Old bad guy – Silence!!
New bad guy – Shut up!! Shiva’s
revealing her age here.
(Panel
4. Shiva exits.)
Steve:
Anyone have any ideas on how to get out of here?
Zack:
...
(Panel
5. Cindy starts crying quietly.)
Zack:
Hey, don't cry... We just have to think our way out of this.
Cindy:
What's the use? These people are much more powerful than we are. We have no way
to fight them!
(Panel
6. Steve intervenes.)
Steve:
I'm with Zack. We have to keep our spirits up. They want us to think this is
hell. They want to break us. We can't let them.
Steve knows that to give up hope is to surrender to pain.
(Page
3, panel 1. Back with George, he is flying over the city of
Caption
(N):
Later...
(Panel
2. George stops at Earl's garage. George and Earl are there.)
Earl:
George, you seen that angel here before?
George:
Nope... 'Tweren’t here yesterday.
George and Earl are pretty stereotypical small-town guys. Some
people like them, and I have to admit that I do too. This was originally a
scene I had in a story where Fauntleroy visits Quagmire to force Mimi Masters
to remove the curse on him. Fauntleroy gets angry at the end of George’s
directions, and shouts “BAH! You are utterly useless!”
(Panel
3. George the angel approaches Earl & George.)
George
the Angel: Uh... Hi. I'm looking for a powerful witch here... Or a warlock.
Earl:
Must mean Mimi.
(Panel
4. George is face-to-face with George.)
George
the gas station worker: Wellp, you go down the road a spell, take a left at the
Bleeker home, go down that road a spell, take a right at the Salusian embassy,
go down that road some, and It'll be on your left. You can't miss it.
(Panel
5. Pause. Panel 6. George the angel looks confused.)
George:
Uh... Could you run that by me again?
I’d get lost if I followed these directions too.
(Page
4, panel 1. Back in hell, Steve, Cindy, and Zack are still chained to the
walls.)
Steve:
You know; I don't know your names. I'm Steve.
Cindy:
Cindy.
Zack:
Zack.
Getting to know someone starts with a name.
(Panel
2. They continue to talk.)
Steve:
You know, shortly before I got dragged here, I was talking to this guy named
Kyle. He said he was going on some mission to hell.
Cindy:
Hmm... There was a guy in my school named Kyle who vanished a couple of weeks
ago. He was kind of cute too...
(Panel
3. Cindy looks nervous.)
Zack:
Better not let the boyfriend hear you say that.
Cindy:
Well... I really don't have one...
In HS #1, they say Cindy just moved to Fate. She also really doesn’t
have much of a personality, but that’s because she only appears briefly in two
of the issues.
(Panel
4. Steve and Zack look confused.)
Steve:
A girl as beautiful as you are and you're not dating anyone?
Zack:
Do you not date at all?
(Panel
5.)
Cindy:
Guys presume I either already have a boyfriend or just get tongue-tied around
me. Well, there was one exception, but he was a pervert....
Steve:
Well, I for one think you're beautiful, both inside and out.
Seems every cute manga girl has to deal with perverts. Must be a
manga thing.
(Panel
6. Cindy gets uneasy.)
Cindy:
Uh... Right.
Cindy is thinking “do I really want to get involved with this guy?”
(Page
5, panel 1. Back in Quagmire, George is now on the front porch of Mimi Masters'
home. He rings the doorbell.)
Caption
(N):
Later again....
George's
thoughts: Well, despite that garage guy's directions, I think I've got the
right place here....
SFX: Ding-dong!
(Panel
2. Henrietta Porter answers the door.)
Henrietta:
May I help you?
George:
I'm looking for a Mimi Masters.
(Panel
3. Henrietta steps back a bit.)
Henrietta:
You've come to the right place - come on in.
(Panel
4. Mimi Masters is busy working on a boiling cauldron. Aloysius is nearby,
taking a catnap.)
Voice
(from off panel): Mimi! There's an angel here to see you!
(Panel
5. George enters. Mimi continues to stir the cauldron.)
George:
Hi. Are you Mimi Masters?
Mimi:
Yes. I'm a bit busy now; this potion is at a critical junction here.
(Panel
6. Mimi waves her hands over the cauldron.)
Mimi: [You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out. You put your
left foot in and you shake it all about.]
George: Anything I can do to help?
Ah, the webdings font. Makes people sound like they’re saying
something mystical. So what is Mimi saying? “You put your left foot in, you put
your left foot out. You put your left foot in and you shake it all about.” When
I was a wee lad I took rollerskating lessons. When rollerblades came out, I
decided to stop, mainly because I had a hard time balancing myself on
rollerblades. L
(Page 6, panel 1. Mimi continues to stir the cauldron.)
Mimi: Fetch Henrietta for me. She can take over at this point.
George: Right Raggy.
George thinks because Mimi used the word fetch that she thinks of
him as nothing more than a dog. Thus the Scooby-doo reference. It’s a cultural
thing. Upper-class people from the Northeast (where Mimi is from) use the word
interchangeably with retrieve or get.
(Panel 2. George exits.)
Mimi (confused): Right Raggy?
(Panel 3. George is in the living room, talking to Henrietta.)
George: Mimi wants to see you.
Henrietta: Right.
(Panel 4. Henrietta is now stirring the cauldron in the
background, while Mimi and George talk in the foreground.)
George: I've been asked to rescue someone from hell. I'm a bit of
a new angel, and I'm not quite sure how to get there.
Mimi: I see. Well, that's easily done.
(Panel 5. George is standing on a pentagram. Mimi is nearby,
casting a spell.)
Caption (N): A bit later...
Mimi: [Reeyoo,
luoca, nasei, keeyoo. Open for us, door
between space and time!]
Yet another
(Panel 6. George teleports out.)
Mimi: Good luck to you.
George: Thanks.
(Page 7, panel 1. Back in hell, Shiva Is standing opposite Mr.
Taylor. He is shackled to a wall.)
Caption (N): And back in hell...
Shiva: So, you are the enemy... I am not impressed.
“So, you are the enemy…” is the first line said in a short film
called My Japan. I saw it watching Otaku Hell at Dallas Animae Fest 2004. One
of the ideas I’ve thought about doing was a MiSTing of this short film, since
it is pretty bad.
Mr. Taylor: I'm not impressed with you either.
(Panel 2. Shiva slaps Mr. Taylor hard.)
Shiva: Silence! You, Mr. Taylor, are to suffer in eternal torment.
I will break your body, and I will break your mind!
SFX: Slap!
(Panel 3. Mr. Taylor smiles slightly.)
Mr. Taylor: Stone walls and iron bars, demon. You may have me physically
trapped, but you will never take my mind.
Shiva: It's only a matter of time.
“Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage.” Mr. Taylor
knows that they can hold his body, but only he can let them take his mind.
(Panel 4. Shiva gets face-to-face with Mr. Taylor.)
Shiva: You still think God will come to rescue you. Ha! This is
hell! Your God has forsaken everyone here - including you! You have no hope
here!
Mr. Taylor: As long as I have faith, I have hope.
(Panel 5. Shiva kicks Mr. Taylor in the stomach.)
SFX: Pow!
Mr. Taylor: OOF!
Shiva: #$&%!!
(Panel 6. Shiva turns away from Mr. Taylor.)
Shiva: You aren't worth my time... I'm sending you to someone who
loves to torture others.
This is starting to sound like a Jack Chick comic, so I decided to
cut away here.
(Page 8, panel 1. Back with Zack, Steve and Cindy, they are being
tortured by a demon in Renaissance costume reciting poetry. Cindy, Zack &
Steve have anguished looks on their faces.)
Caption (N): Later...
Demon: Thus spoketh Zaraustha: Boing! Boing! / It made wonder
where he was going.
Renfest reject poetry is only slightly better than Vogon poetry.
(Panel 2. An older male in a suit and tie enters. He is holding a
briefcase in his hands.)
Man: Hi. I'm here to deliver Republican speeches.
Steve: Oh God! This really is hell!
What’s the difference between a Republican and a Democrat?
Republicans tout bad ideas. Democrats don’t tout any ideas. As Orwell put it,
“They are all wrong, but they’re wrong for different reasons.”
(Panel 3. The Renfest reject stops.)
Renfest demon: Aw, c'mon! I'm just getting to my show-stopping
"an ode to pond scum!"
Zack: I think I'd rather hear the bad poem.
Republican: Oh, come on now. I just got in a nice speech from
Nixon in 1974 I've been dying to recite.
(Panel 4. The Renfest demon exits.)
Renfest demon: Fine. I'll be back.
Cindy: You just had to say you wanted the poet, didn't you.
(Panel 5. The Republican demon starts talking.)
Republican demon: My fellow Americans, we now stand at a crossroads.
We can make
“We now stand at a crossroads” was often thrown into dull speeches
in the 1970’s to make them more interesting… at least the ones I heard. Oh,
there I go revealing my age again… L
(Panel 6. Cindy, Zack and Steve grimace in pain.)
Caption (N): A little later...
Republican demon: So in conclusion, my fellow Americans, let me
say we are destined to lead the world into a new era -
(Panel 7. Zack smiles slightly.)
Zack: Bingo! I got a buzzword bingo!
Republican demon: Buzzword bingo?
Thanks to Dilbert and the Internet for spreading this around. Sick
of being fed clichés at meetings? Download a buzzword bingo card from the
Internet. I’ve been sorely tempted to shout “Buzzword Bingo!” at several
meetings and speeches I’ve heard…
(Panel 8.)
Zack: You count the number of different clichés the speaker uses.
When you get 5 of them, you shout bingo. I found it online...
Republican demon: Kid, I'm tempted to send you into Otaku Hell.
Ah, Otaku Hell. It’s great
that someone is helping keep the MiSTie spirit alive. He actually encourages
people to riff on the stuff he shows. Where does he find all this sick stuff?
Why, online mostly… I really wanted to put a sign somewhere in part VI that
pointed in one direction and read “Otaku hell” but it slipped my mind…
(Page 9, panel 1. Another demon enters.)
Demon: I've been sent to get the girl. She's to get the Haiwanto
treatment.
Cindy: Haiwanto treatment?
Haiwanto Ghetsum = generic pervert.
(Panel 2. The demon removes Cindy's shackles from the wall, but
they stay on her.)
Demon: You'll find out soon enough...
(Panel 3. In another part of hell, Mr. Taylor is getting poked by
a demon using soft cushions.)
Demon: Hahahahahaha! Take that! And that! And this!
SFX: Pff! Pff!
They were using the comfy chair on someone else.
(Panel 4. Shiva enters, and gets mad.)
Shiva: What is going on here!?
(Panel 5. Shiva gets angry, hitting the demon's hands, knocking
the soft cushions out of them.)
Demon: I'm using the soft cushions like you said.
Shiva: I said to use the thorny cushions!
SFX: Smack!
(Panel 6. The demon cowers as Shiva shouts at him with a big head.
Speed lines fill the background.)
Shiva: YOU ARE AN IDIOT!! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT NOW!!!
Demon: Jeez...
(Page 10, panel 1. The demon exits.)
Demon: Looks like someone's got a visitor here...
Shiva: Leave!
“Men are so quick to blame a woman getting mad on her time of the
month.” – A woman. (I don’t remember who, o.k.?)
(Panel 2. Mr. Taylor smiles slightly.)
Mr. Taylor: Good help is so hard to find these days, hmm?
Shiva: Don't go there, pal!
Good bad help is near-impossible to find. Being an evil henchman is
usually a sentence to being stupid.
(Panel 3. Shiva looks over Mr. Taylor.)
Shiva: You and the bimbo have shown resilience... However, let's
see what happens when we show you this.
(Panel 4. Ms. Taylor enters.)
Ms. Taylor: I don't love you anymore. I have seen the error of my
ways... I serve Satan now.
Mr. Taylor: Nice try.
Mr. Taylor knows his wife when he sees her.
(Panel 5.)
Mr. Taylor: God chooses his chosen ones carefully. The aura of
that demon is not my wife's aura.
Shiva: This is your wife! We have broken her - just like we will
break you!
(Panel 6. Mr. Taylor thinks.)
Mr. Taylor: O.k., if that's true, she should be able to answer
this: A Zen pupil asked Jōshu whether or not a dog has Buddha nature. What
did Jōshu say?
Ms. Taylor: He said yes.
No, he said “mu” or no-thing. Any student of Zen would know that.
(Page 12, panel 1. Mr. Taylor shakes his head.)
Mr. Taylor: Wrong answer.
Shiva: Bah! All right, so this is a fake, but you will break! Use
maneuver 24 in him. I'm being called to another crisis.
(Panel 2. Shiva vanishes.)
Fake Ms. Taylor: You're being a stubborn old fool. You will be
here for all eternity. Get used to it.
(Panel 3. Suddenly a sword comes from nowhere and goes through the
fake Ms. Taylor. Blood comes from the wound.)
Fake Ms. Taylor: *!
Mr. Taylor: I knew God wouldn't abandon me.
Icehole thought this was an asterexasper. This is an asterisk (*)
with no corresponding footnote. Actually, it’s representing the shock the fake
Ms. Taylor gets from getting a sword through her chest.
(Panel 4. George enters as the fake Ms. Taylor falls to the
ground.)
George: The name's George. I'm here to rescue you.
Mr. Taylor: Oh, thank God you've come.
(Panel 5. George unshackles Mr. Taylor.)
George: Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?
Mr. Taylor: Fortunately, no. The demon was using the soft
cushions.
(Panel 6. George aches into the pouch of manifestation.)
George: Good, because I'll need your help fighting them to get
out.
(Page 13, panel 1. George pulls out a sword.)
Mr. Taylor: I'm not very good with swords, but freedom is worth
any price.
Unfortunately, I have to say the same thing about myself… L
(Panel 2. George gives the sword to Mr. Taylor.)
George: Well, I hope you learn fast.
Mr. Taylor: I'll do my best.
(Panel 3. The two of them walk out of the area.)
George: That's all anyone can expect of you.
(Panel 4. Back with Cindy, she is in a room shackled to a wall.
Shiva stands opposite her.)
Shiva: Well now, you've been a bad girl, being all nice, sweet and
innocent. I think you need a bit of education here.
Cindy: I prefer to get my education in school.
(Panel 5. Shiva cradles Cindy's head in one hand.)
Shiva: You are going to be the reward for a lucky demon here.... I
hope you like perverts.
(Panel 6. Enter a young man about Cindy's age. Everything about him
reeks generic pervert. He has a broad smile on his face.)
Pervert: Oh- oh wow! A pretty girl I can call my own at last!
Shiva: She's all yours, you dirty pervert. Have fun, because I
know she won't.
Generic perverts have one thing in common with Chip Amiable –
they’re utterly clueless at times.
(Page 14, Panel 1. Cindy tries in vain to stop the pervert.)
Cindy: Ick! Stay away from me, you n00b!
Pervert (Oblivious to her words): Oh - what should I do first? Do
I go for the kiss or feel her up? Oh, I can't decide!
(Panel 2.)
Cindy: How about just going away?
Pervert (ignoring Cindy's words): I just can't believe I got me a
pretty girl!
(Panel 3. The pervert reaches out to touch Cindy.)
Pervert: Yes!!
Cindy: No!!
(Panel 4. George enters, and slashes the pervert with his sword.)
Pervert: Ow!
SFX: Slash!
He’s a pervert. He’ll always be denied the girl. (Hmm… sounds like
the premise for a generic manga story…)
(Panel 5. Mr. Taylor approaches a relieved Cindy.)
Cindy: Oh, thank you so much...
Mr. Taylor: We're not out of the woods yet.
(Panel 6. Mr. Taylor releases Cindy.)
Cindy: There were two other guys trapped like me - you've got to
help them too!
George: Can you lead us to them?
(Page 15, panel 1. Cindy walks to the door.)
Cindy: Yes- follow me!
(Panel 2. George reaches into the pouch of manifestation.)
George: Hold on - you'll need a weapon here.
(Panel 3. George pulls out a quiver of arrows.)
Cindy: Huh - oh.
George: I hope you're good at archery.
(Panel 4. George reaches into the pouch again.)
Cindy: Erm... Well, I haven't tried it...
George: There's no time like now to start.
I thought about making Cindy a Katie Saccharine, but that would be
just too obvious.
(Panel 5. George gives Cindy the arrows, along with a bow.)
George: Now let's get in there and save them.
(Panel 6. The three of them walk out of the place.)
Mr. Taylor: You may call me Mr. Taylor. So what's your name?
Cindy: Cindy.
George: My name's George.
I don’t think that Ben Dunn has revealed Mr. Taylor’s first name.
Ms. Taylor’s first name, however, is Sarah.
(Page 15, panel 1. Back with Steve and Zack, they are still being
tortured by the Republican demon.)
Republican demon: So that is why we should abolish the regulations
on safety for manufacturing.
Steve: You've got to be kidding me.
Why are a lot of cheap things made in
(Panel 2. An arrow suddenly strikes the demon in the back.)
SFX: Shlurk!
(Panel 3. George, Cindy, and Mr. Taylor enter.)
Steve: George?
George: Steve?
(Panel 4. George frees Steve while Mr. Taylor frees Zack.)
Steve: You're an angel now?
George: Long story. Right now, we need to get you out of here.
(Panel 5. George reaches into his pouch of manifestation.)
George: I hope you two learn fast. We're going to have to fight
our way out.
(Panel 6. George pulls two swords from the pouch.)
Steve: Well... I'll give it a try...
Zack: Same here.
‘’Tis better to have tried and failed, than to have ne’er tried.” –
Someone parodying Tennyson.
(Page 16, panel 1. They go outside the room.)
George: Let's blow this pop stand.
(Panel 2. Later on, we see them walking outside in a dessert.)
Caption (N): Later on...
Cindy: I need to rest here...
(Panel 3. Cindy collapses, and Steve catches her. The others
stop.)
Steve: Whoa!
Zack: Cindy!
Originally at this point I contemplated having a love triangle
between Cindy, Zack, and Steve, with Steve winning Cindy. I’m glad Icehole
talked me out of it.
(Panel 4. George reaches into the pouch of manifestation.)
George: Cindy, are you o.k.?
(Panel 5. George pulls out a canteen.)
George: Here, drink this.
(Panel 6. Cindy drinks from the canteen. Steve cradles Cindy in
his arms.)
Steve: We'll make it, I know...
(Page 17, panel 1. Cindy stops drinking from the canteen.)
Cindy: >Whew! < I needed that...
Steve: You o.k. now?
(Panel 2. Cindy and Steve stare into each other's eyes.)
Cindy: Yea....
(Panel 3. Cindy and Steve stand up.)
George: Come on, we have to get going.
Steve: Right.
(Panel 4. Three demons appear in front of them.)
Demon: Stop right there!
George: Uh-oh.
(Panel 5. The demons advance as everyone readies his or her
weapons.)
Demon #1: We are the demon trio! Surrender or die!
(Panel 6. Mr. Taylor steps forward.)
Mr. Taylor (1): Let me handle this.
Mr. Taylor (2): Well, what if we don't want to do either?
Villains never give you a choice in the matter. It’s always
“Surrender or die!” It’s never any alternatives.
(Page 18, panel 1. The demons look confused.)
Demon #1: Uh... Well...
Demon #2: They didn't really say...
Evil henchmen aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed, are they?
(Panel 3. The demons look confused as the others look
downhearted.)
Mr. Taylor: See, we want to leave here, and surrendering or dying
will prevent that. Now, did your boss say anything about letting us go?
Demon #1: Well, no...
Cindy (quietly, to George): These guys aren't the brightest lights
on Broadway, are they?
George: Well, if you can't convince them, confuse them.
(Panel 4. Mr. Taylor continues to talk.)
Mr. Taylor: So then there's really nothing wrong with letting us
leave, is there?
Demon #1: Well, I guess not...
(Panel 5. Mr. Taylor and the others exit.)
Mr. Taylor: So let's just go, guys.
Demon #1: O.k.
(Panel 6. Everyone is away from the demons.)
Steve: I can't believe that worked.
Mr. Taylor: Those are demons 2002 model. They were designed by the
same people that made MS DOS 4.0.
Consider yourself very lucky if you’ve never had the misfortune to
have to deal with MS-DOS 4.0. It made Windows 95 1.0 look good in comparison.
(Page 19, panel 1. Later still, they are out of the desert and in
a rocky area.)
Caption (N): Later still...
Cindy: So let me get this straight. We're all here because of Kyle
Taylor?
George: In a way, yes. However, it's not really Kyle's fault.
(Panel 2. They walk around some more.)
George: Kyle is rescuing his mother as we speak. The forces of
evil took the four of you to use as pawns against him.
Cindy: But I hardly knew him... sure, we went to the same school,
but I saw him only a few times...
Steve: I only knew him for two days before getting sent here.
(Panel 3. They walk some more.)
George: I merely warned Kyle about an evil witch in our school. I
died the day I met him. However, unlike the rest of you, I managed to escape
Shiva's clutches before getting dragged into hell.
Cindy: So we really are dead....
Usually people here get despondent.
(Panel 4. They meet up with Shiva, Stanley, and Lillith.)
George: No. When we get out, we'll restore y'all to life.
Y’all = you all. Real Southerners use this as a plural ONLY!! Only damn Yankees say
“all of y’all.”
Shiva: Stop right there!!
(Panel 5. Everyone readies his or her weapons.)
Shiva: So, you thought you could just waltz in here and save
everyone, did you? Well, all of you are going back to your eternal torment now!
George: That's what you think.
(Panel 6. Shiva's cell phone rings.)
Shiva: You may have an advantage in numbers, but we have
experience and power on our side!
SFX: Ring! Ring!
A moment straight out of Dilbert. The cell phone rings always when
you least want it to.
(Page 20, panel 1. Shiva talks into the cell phone.)
Shiva (angry): WHAT!? I'M BUSY!!
(Panel 2. Shiva looks shocked.)
Shiva: THEY FREED HER!? You idiots!!
Mr. Taylor: That's my lady there.... Give 'em hell, darling.
Mr. Taylor knows they’re talking about his wife. Fathers in general
in manga fall into two types: evil daddy or cardboard cut-out. I wanted to give
Mr. Taylor a little more of a personality.
(Panel 3. George smiles slightly as Shiva shouts at him.)
George: Trouble in paradise, Shiva?
Shiva: STAY OUT OF THIS!!!
(Panel 4. Shiva goes back to the cell phone.)
Shiva: Well, get somebody - anybody - over here now to stop these
guys!! I will handle that $#&% personally!
(Panel 5. Shiva hangs up her cell phone. She angrily snaps at
George.)
George: Good bad help is so hard to find, isn't it?
Shiva: WIPE THAT SMUG GRIN OFF YOUR FACE!! I'LL BE BACK SHORTLY
- AND YOU WILL BE STUCK HERE FOREVER!!
It’s never easy to be the bad Lt. is it?
You’ve got to cover for your lackey’s incompetence to the big boss.
(Panel 6. Shiva, Stanley and Lillith teleport out.)
Zack: Dodged a bullet there.
George: We've still got a little way to go.
Originally this line was “It’s still a ways away” in homage to the
R.E.M. song “Driver 8.” Icehole suggested I change it, saying people wouldn’t
get the reference.
-To be continued-