Issue 1 - Origin Stories

Panel 1: Black.
Unknown (VO): Let me tell you a story.

Panel 2: A scene of a forest, but is barely recognizable from the heavy black tint over the green.
Unknown (VO): Once upon a time …

Panel 3: As the black filter is lifted, more green is revealed and an image of the forest becomes more apparent.
Unknown (VO): … there was a paradise.

Panel 4: The black filter is completely lifted and a lush green forest is revealed.
Unknown (VO): And man and woman were a part of it.

Panel 5: The green of the forest is cut by the grey of a highway.
Unknown (VO): But something happened.

Panel 6: The highway stretches on through the forest, like a path leading to some ominous destination.
Unknown (VO): The woman did something she was not supposed to.

Panel 7: Following the highway, more of the forest’s green is stripped away, as a bright light, seemingly coming from the end of the highway, radiates.
Unknown (VO): And even with her best intentions …

Panel 8: A sign next to the highway reads, “Welcome to Knod, Home to All Who Have Discovered It”, with the city towering over the horizon beyond the trees. The city is bathed in the light from the dawn of the rising sun.
Unknown (VO): … the man and the woman had to find a new home.

Panel 9: Scene of the city, showing it to be like an old New York, a mixture of modern, gothic, and mythic. There is garbage blown about by the wind. Pigeons flying off in the background. Steam and smoke rising from the buildings. There are billboard advertisements visible all around town. There is the usual Cola company ad. There is one for a pop music star. There is one for a brand of jeans. Lastly, there is one for a real-estate project, called "New Haven Homes."
Unknown (VO): And that’s why, we’re here.

Part 10: Outside an old apartment building.
Unknown (VO): That’s why you’re here.

Part 11: Outside the door of an apartment.
Unknown (VO): You’re going to help us.

Part 12: Inside the apartment, there are signs of a struggle, as furniture has been knocked around, paintings fallen off the wall, etc.
Unknown (OP): You’re going to help us find our way back to paradise.

Part 13: Silhouette of a group of men standing in the living room, facing a female figure being suspended by a rope from the ceiling in front of the draped windows of the apartment. The drapes are red, thus, casting a red tint all over the black silhouettes of the room. A man standing in the center is the one speaking.
Unknown: You’re going to help us finish the story.

Scene Change
Panel 14: Photograph of Brass, with his throat slit open, eyes open and lifeless.
Rookie (OP): So, we got a name.

Panel 15: The old detective and the rookie are at the police headquarters. The rookie is presenting his report to his partner. The rookie looks fresh, awake, energetic for a new day, as if he had been waiting all night to share his findings. The old detective, on the other hand, looks tired and grumpy, with a Monday-morning type look. He’s drinking coffee from a mug, with his feet up on his desk, passively listening to his partner, while reading the newspaper.
Rookie: Malady.

Panel 16: The old detective looks up at his partner when he hears the name, with a disgruntled expression. The look is a mixture of restrained surprise and of cynical disbelief.
Old: Malady?

Panel 17: The rookie is carefully reading the report, with a finger pointing to the lines he is reading.
Rookie: It was the last thing that came out of Brass’ … uh … throat.

Panel 18: The old detective looks back down into his paper and takes a sip of coffee.
Old: Malady? That’s not even a name. At best, it's some bullshit codename. Like a "Mr. Bullet". Or "Sniperman". Your theory ain’t much of a lead, Detective Casus.

Panel 19: Detective Casus ("Rookie") gives an irritated stare at his partner.
Casus: Well, it’s the only thing we got, Buri. Brass’ men were less than helpful with their eyewitness reports. Besides the one witness who claimed to see the killer run down the alley, describing him as being male, being approximately six feet tall, and wearing a leather jacket, no one else saw or heard much. And all the guests with window access to the fire-escape checked out clean.

Panel 20: Casus closes his file and throws it onto the old detective's desk, puts his hands behind his back, and leans back in his chair. A sense of frustration fills the air.
Casus: And of course, the autopsy report won’t be done for a day or two.

Panel 20: Detective Buri ("Old") puts his cup of coffee down, but keeps his eyes on his paper. He’s passively reading an article about a string of extremely violent sexual murders that have been taking place around the city. However, from his tone, it’s obvious that Buri is digesting his partner’s report.
Buri: So, Malady. Huh.

Panel 21: Buri throws his newspaper onto his desk, in a similar fashion to his partner, as if mocking his previous actions. Buri stares into Casus, like it's an interrogation.
Buri: Alright. Let’s go test your theory.

Panel 22: Buri swings his feet off his desk and puts on his jacket. Casus gets up from his chair, realizing that they’re about to hit the streets.
Buri: With a name like that, there’s gotta be someone in town who can tell us something more about this guy.

Panel 23: Buri is marching out of his office, with Casus in tow. Casus is visibly uncomfortable that his ideas have stirred his more experienced partner into action.
Casus: Well, I dunno. Maybe. This Malady killer could be a real professional. I mean, if he didn’t come from any of the nearby rooms, he must have come up from the street and escaped the same way.

Panel 24: Buri and Casus are walking through the precinct. There is a general sense of kinetic chaos flowing through the police department. It is apparent that that chaos is being barely contained by the staff. Casus is still visibly uncomfortable.
Casus: But if that’s the case, how did this “Malady” manage to get so close to Brass? Our surveillance shows that a guard was stationed outside Brass’ window.

Panel 25: Buri pushes the doors of the precinct open. The city and its buildings sprawls before the two detectives, like the yawning mouth of a giant beast.
Buri: Well, I suppose, that’s the mysterious thing about a sickness …

Scene Change
Panel 26: M is in bed, with no sheets covering her. She is in her underwear, curled in a fetal position. Daylight is filling the apartment.
Buri (VO): … you’re never sure where it came from.

Panel 27: M turns to her other side. Next to the bed is the baby’s crib, with the baby asleep inside. On the bedroom desk, there is some weaponry (guns, bullets, knives), as well as a wig on a mannequin head. There is also an old looking box, sitting inconspicuously.

Panel 28: M opens her eyes.

Panel 29: M turns to her clock, checking the time.

Panel 30: M gets up in bed.

Panel 31: M kisses the baby in the crib.

Panel 32: M walks out into the living room. The apartment is lit up completely, showing a moderately sized apartment, kept in relatively clean order. All around the apartment are pots of plants. There are weapons still on the kitchen table.

Panel 33: M clicks on her answering machine.

Panel 34: M starts watering her plants.
Answering machine: Hi, Laura. It’s Sandy, your psychiatrist. I noticed I haven’t heard from you for almost a year, and I just wanted to see if you’re ok. …

Panel 35: M finishes watering her plants.
Answering machine: … Please, call me back anytime. It’d be great to catch up with you. Have a nice day. Beep.

Panel 36: M goes to the fridge and takes out some orange juice.
Answering machine: Hey Scarlet, it’s Vlad. Your order of rounds just came in. Let me know when you wanna pick them up. Beep.

Panel 37: M drinks the juice from the container.
Answering machine: Ms. Vosburgh, it’s your landlord, Rand. Just to remind you, the new water bill rate will be in effect this month. Something to do with the water shortage. See ya around. Beep.

Panel 38: M starts heating some milk. As if on cue, the baby starts crying.

Panel 39: With the bottle of milk, M goes into the room and takes the baby out of the crib.

Panel 40: With one hand holding the child, the other hand feeding it, the shape of the two figures are silhouetted against the light coming from the window. They are facing the window, as if looking out into the city. The city is bustling with activity as usual. The run-down nature outside is a reminder of the neighbourhood she lives in.
M: Let’s go see what our day has in store for us, huh?

Scene Change:
Panel 41: Two "tough-looking" guys are walking down a street. One looks more intelligent than the other. There is something immediately “criminal” about them. The dumb one ("Dumb") has his excited face turned to his sterner looking partner ("Stern").
Dumb: You hear what fuckin’ happened?

Panel 42: The two keep walking. Crowds of people walk past them on the street. Stern shoves some guy out of his way.
Stern: ‘Course I heard. Brass got his fuckin’ gills gutted.

Panel 43: Dumb stares blankly at the ground in front of him. Stern keeps on walking. The guy who got shoved is looking back at Stern in a shocked anger.
Dumb: And I heard Jimbo don’t remember nuthin’. Says he woke up with Brass’ blood all over him.

Panel 44: The two enter a building.

Panel 45: The two walk past some criminal henchmen. They wave them by.
Stern: Yeah, this hitman is good alright. But keep your mouth shut. Let’s just see what Mr. Babow wants.

Panel 46: The two enter a back room. Mr. Babow, their employer, is sitting behind a desk, with a man standing next to him, speaking into his ear.
Babow: Hey boys! Sit down!

Panel 47: The two sit before the boss.
Babow: By now, you’ve probably heard the news. Brass is ass.

Panel 48: The boss is speaking to the two. His second-hand man is standing next to him motionless, but looking very menacing.
Babow: I dunno who ordered the hit, but I owe ‘em one. Cos’ now I know who I want for my next job.

Panel 49: The boss throws a file onto his desk, and Dumb stares at it in shock. Stern tries to keep a straight face.
Babow: Get in touch with this "Malady" killer. Let’s see if he can help me move uptown …

Panel 50: There are several photos in the file. One of them is of a business-type looking man, seemingly belonging to a high class of society. The other visible photo is of a skyscraper building under construction.
Babow: … and get me a little taste of paradise.