Issue 3 - Old Flames

Panel 1: Bell is standing at a corner of a street. A car, with Sturn inside, has just driven off.

Panel 2: Bell reaches into his pocket.

Panel 3: Bell brings out a box of cigarettes.

Panel 4: Bell lights a cigarette.

Panel 5: Bell takes a long drag.

Panel 6: The detectives’ car has stopped half a block from Bell. Casus is reaching for the door handle when Buri grabs Casus’ arm and looks at him with a scalding seriousness.
Buri: No. You’re staying in the car.

Panel 7: Casus reacts in a shocked disappointment.
Casus: What? No, you nee …

Panel 8: Buri pulls Casus closer.
Buri: No, what I need is for you to take the car and meet me in the back alley of this street in five minutes.

Panel 9: Casus is speechless.
Buri: I need you to trust me, Detective.

Panel 10: Casus nods his head, unsure of himself.
Casus: Yeah, alright.

Panel 11: Buri steps out of the car as Casus climbs into the driver’s seat.

Panel 12: Casus drives off, as Buri walks onto the street. Bell is standing before him, smoking his cigarette in a silent menace.
Bell: Detective Buri. Long time no see.

Panel 13: Buri continues walking towards Bell. With his cigarette hand, Bell scratches his forehead. His eyes squint in an effort to revive a memory.
Bell: When was that last time again? Oh yah, it was back a couple a' years. You were layin' on the street, bleedin' to death. At least, that's what I remember.
Panel 14: Buri arrives within a few feet of Bell. Buri stares at him with a deceptive calmness, like a blank stare from a wolf right before erupting into a blood-lust frenzy.

Panel 15: Bell is unphased by Buri’s restrained snarl, and instead blows smoke into Buri’s face. In the background, several black cars have parked nearby. Buri doesn’t seem to notice.

Panel 16: Buri lets the smoke dissipate around him, his facial expression showing no signs of annoyance. From the black cars in the background, half a dozen of men have stepped out, their out-of-focus dark forms give off a growing sense of danger.
Buri: Well, why don’t we do a little bit of catching up then.

Panel 17: In a surprisingly quick manner, Buri head butts Bell’s face, causing blood to erupt out of his nose and down his face. The men from the cars, now more in focus, are startled into a trot towards Buri and Bell.
Bell: Arghh!!!

Panel 18: As Bell’s head snaps backwards from the force, Buri grabs Bell’s shirt collar with one hand and pulls Bell back to his growling face, only to have the other hand press the nuzzle of a gun up against Bell’s chin. The men from the cars are now almost fully in focus, with their hands either reaching for their guns or already having them drawn.
Buri: In private, of course.

Scene Change
Panel 19: A diner restaurant with a big neon sign saying, “Aunt Judy’s” sits at the corner of a busy intersection. A taxi is driving off.
Unknown (VO): Good ol’ golly-gracious, it’s so good to see you two darlins’ again!

Panel 20: M and her child have just walked in the door. M still looks awkwardly feminine. An overweight waitress has her hands up in the air in jubilation at her new guests. She has a head full of grey hair, which is pulled into a bun at the top of her round head. She is visibly old but her excited physical mannerisms prove that she remains young at heart.
Waitress: If I had known you were coming, Laura, I woulda told Frankie to prepare you your favourite meal!

Panel 21: The waitress, holding a menu and a child-seat, leads M and her child down the diner floor. Other patrons are sitting and eating, minding their own business. Despite this fact, M is visibly analyzing the various faces in the restaurant, as if to ensure that the locale is safe for her and her child. With safety being M’s primary concern, M responds in a comparably less excited manner than the waitress.
M: No, that won’t be necessary, Judy. But thanks.

Panel 22: Judy (the "Waitress") brings M to a booth, leaving the menu on the table. M starts taking off her harness, sitting her child on the table.
Judy: Oh, any time, my dear. Any time. How’s little Mars- … Oh, deary me, I’m so sorry. I’ve seem to have forgotten your little angel’s name. It’s these grey hairs showing their true colours, I’m afraid.

Panel 23: M unpacks her things, putting her file folder onto the table and preparing to sit down. Judy beams a bright smile at the child and the child responds in a beautiful laughter only innocence can bring.
M: Marsden. My little angel is Marsden.

Panel 24: Sitting down, M holds Marsden up in the air as Judy places the child seat underneath.
Judy: Oh, of course! Silly ol’ Aunt Judy. Are you still busy doing that freelance work? What was it again?

Panel 25: M pulls Marsden closer to her while looking up at Judy. Marsden is distracted by the various utensils and cups on the table.
M: Personal physical trainer.

Panel 26: Judy grabs the menu off the table and offers it to M.
Judy: Yes, yes, that’s right. Well, both Frankie and I think you’re nothing short of a miracle, my dear. We’re constantly amazed at how you manage to be a successful working woman and still find time to be such a wonderful single mother. One of these “Twenty-First-Century Women” is what you are!
M: Oh no, Judy. If you only knew my personal struggles, you wouldn't say that. And with work, it turns out there’s only one thing in this world that I’m good at.

Panel 27: While the panel shows M grabbing the menu, the centre of the panel is focused on the objects on the table, especially the file with the words “R&G”, printed in a red ink, visible.
M (OP): And I was just ... lucky ... enough to find out what that was.

Scene Change
Panel 28: Perched from atop the nearest building, the view below shows Buri holding Bell by the collar and dragging him deeper into the alley. With one hand, Buri is throwing away a firearm from Bell’s body. On the street, Bell’s men are gathering, about to funnel into the alley with the two.
Bell: You’re fuckin’ dead, old man! This time, I’m gonna make sure a bullet finds its way into your head!

Panel 29: Buri yanks Bell in front of his face, gun still pressed up against his head. Buri speaks with a spitting venom.
Buri: I’m only going say this once. Tell me what you know about the Malady killer.

Panel 30: Bell looks in shock and confusion, not sure if he should reveal the fact that Mr. Babow recently ordered Sturn and himself to hire Malady for a kill. Bell’s lack of a “poker face” is all Buri needs to realize that he does know something.
Bell: What?

Panel 31: Buri grabs Bell’s hair with his pistol hand and slams the side of the face against the building, more blood shooting out of Bell’s broken nose.
Bell: Argh!!!

Panel 32: Buri grabs the back of Bell’s jacket, and turns him to face his group of men, who are approaching down the alley with guns drawn. Buri presses his gun against Bell’s right shoulder.
Buri: You have three seconds before I blow open your shoulder. Then for the next six weeks, you’ll only have your left hand to hold your limp dick with.

Panel 33: Bell turns his head slightly, but keeps his eyes on his men. He smiles confidently at the turning tide.
Bell: Go fuck yourself, pops.

Panel 34: Buri aims his gun towards Bell’s foot and fires.
Buri: Wrong answer.
Bell: Ahhh!!! Fuuuck!!!
Panel 35: Buri presses his gun back to Bell’s shoulder, as Bell’s men creep closer. Buri whispers into Bell’s ear.
Buri: Last chance, lefty.

Panel 36: With Buri’s head so close to his, Bell takes the opportunity to head butt Buri away. Buri fires off a shot, but it only glances Bell’s shoulder.
Buri: Argh!

Panel 37: Taking advantage of Buri’s imbalance, Bell knocks Buri’s gun out of his hand.
Bell: You old fuck! You shot me in the fuckin' foot!

Panel 38: Bell slams a fist across Buri’s face.
Bell: You some kinda Bronson, huh?! You got a death-wish?! Well, I'm your fuckin' man!
Panel 39: Bell knees Buri in the mid-section, blood falling from his face onto the dirty alley floor. The men behind them are gathering, some putting away their guns now that Buri is unarmed and outnumbered, some still having their pistols aimed just in case.
Bell: And this is exactly what I've been sayin' to my buddy, Sturn. Why pay this cold-blooded Malady whack-job to have all this fun, when I'm more than happy to put you down in front of that new partner of yours.
Panel 40: Bell slams Buri against the opposite wall of the alley, one hand on his throat, the other in a clenched fist, primed to be thrown against Buri’s face.
Bell: You hear what I'm sayin', gramps? Wait, where is that kid of yours?

Panel 41: As if on cue, a car crashes its way through the alley perpendicular to the one where the mob scene is taking place. In the driver seat is Casus, his facial expression in shock.
Bell: Oh shit!

Panel 42: Casus, in an amazingly quick fashion, draws his gun, and fires a couple of rounds, knocking the guns out of the men holding weapons.
Casus: Buri!

Panel 43: Buri pushes himself off from the wall, and throws Bell into his group of men, knocking them over each other.
Bell: Shoot the fuckers!!!

Panel 44: Buri gets into the rear-passenger door, as some of Bell’s men fire shots at the car. Casus starts driving away.
Casus: Ooohh shit!

Panel 45: The car is roaring down the alley while Bell’s men try to chase them, firing one or two shots but missing the car.

Panel 46: Casus drives back into the main street traffic, and looks back at his partner in the back seat. Buri is laying on his back with his face bloodied and his clothing wet and dirty. But a smile creeps out between the blood, a sparkle of youth reemerging from the old soul.
Casus: Are you crazy?! What the hell was that?!
Buri: Hehe … that was me ... catching up with an old friend.

Scene Change
Panel 47: Sturn is walking into a big open office, being led by a secretary. The office looks quite post-modern, empty like a padded cell except with walls that give off a soft-metallic look. The greyness of the room is kept in check by the roaring light coming in from the large windows. In the middle of the room is a big desk with a man sitting at it.
Man: Mr. Trochym, welcome. Where is your associate, Mr. Kaufmann?

Panel 48: Sturn is shaking hands with the man. The secretary stands off to the side. The big windows show the skyline of the city, with the afternoon sun seemingly lighting the world ablaze.
Sturn: Some unforeseen personal business, I’m afraid. Mr. Kaufmann nevertheless sends his regrets, Mr. Chande.

Panel 49: The secretary starts walking back to the door as both men sit down.
Mr. Chande: That’s fine. Now, what is it that I can help you with, Mr. Trochym? You should know I very rarely make appointments with such short notice, even for business interests as ... respected as the one you represent yourself. But somehow you had convinced my secretary that it was critical that I see you as soon as possible. She practically had to bend over backwards to slot you in.

Panel 50: Sturn sits calmly with his hands resting together on his lap. He turns his head, as if trying to look back at the secretary. A smile begins to creep upon his face.
Sturn: Really?

Panel 51: Sturn returns his attention to Mr. Chande, with his smile intact.
Sturn: In that case, I’ll cut to the chase. As you know, I represent Mr. Claude Akhoul Babow, renowned in this city for his business in importing ... goods. Despite this success, Mr. Babow is interested in trying new things, or loftier projects one might say. Such as in your current development project, “The Ark Towers”.

Panel 52: Mr. Chande stares back in confusion and suspicion. His features slowly form a more aggressive-defensive appearance.
Mr. Chande: I’m afraid the directors of the Chande Corporation have already chosen a buyer for that project. My apologies if you have wasted your time in seeing me today.

Panel 53: Sturn looks down at his sleeve and adjusts it, seemingly inattentive to Mr. Chande’s rejection.
Sturn: No, you haven’t wasted my time at all. I believe it’s Mr. Karn O'Donnell, last of the O'Donnell family, who is the current buyer, is it not? I’ve heard that billionaire philanthropist is intending to turn your beautiful buildings into some form of social housing in hopes of lifting those poor unfortunate souls living in the East side out of poverty.

Panel 54: Mr. Chande leans forward, clearly agitated by his guest.
Mr. Chande: You’ve heard correctly, Mr. Trochym. And speaking as the President of Chande Corp., I can pretty much guarantee you that Mr. O'Donnell will remain the holder of The Ark Towers project.

Panel 55: With one hand fixing his sleeve, Sturn turns his eyes to Mr. Chande, waiting for his determination to break.

Panel 56: With no response from Mr. Chande, Sturn drops his arm, in a mock surrender.
Sturn: Well, it looks like I won’t be able to change your mind. That’s too bad.

Panel 57: Mr. Chande gets up from his chair, and extends his hand out for a handshake, in relief that the tension has broken, and in anxiousness to get his guest to leave the office.
Mr. Chande: Yes, well, please, convey my regrets to Mr. Babow. Chande Corp. would be very interested in working with him on future projects. But unfortunately, The Ark is already in the hands of Mr. O'Donnell.

Panel 58: Sturn shakes Mr. Chande’s hand. But his predatory smile returns, locking Mr. Chande in a very uncomfortable position.
Sturn: I understand. You’re hands are tied, after all.

Panel 59: Mr. Chande fakes a smile as he realizes that Sturn is not letting go of his hand.
Sturn: As the President, your influence over the wishes of the Board is limited. Especially considering that you have directors on the Board who avidly support Mr. O'Donnell’s vision. Like, for example, Mr. Richard K. Turner. An outsider, such as myself, must be realistic to this situation.

Panel 60: Sturn releases Mr. Chande’s hand. Mr. Chande tries not to show his relief.
Sturn: The both of us must simply resign ourselves to imagine how things could have been different if Mr. O'Donnell did not have such support.

Panel 61: Sturn turns around and starts to leave, while Mr. Chande is rubbing his hand, at shock with the suggested images planted in his head. The glow of the city still looks like the world is on fire.
Sturn: Well, thank you Mr. Chande, for the stimulating conversation and the enchanting view.

Panel 62: Sturn turns his head back to Mr. Chande, carrying his smile like a spear.
Sturn: Please feel free to give me a call …

Scene Change
Panel 63: M and Marsden are at the diner. Aunt Judy is pouring coffee at the other end of the room. Baby Marsden is busy putting pieces of food into his/her mouth. M has her food on the table, but she’s busy reading the contents of her R&G file. On the back of the file, a small piece of paper is paper-clipped on, reading the numbers "623".
Sturn (VO): … if anyone manages to change your mind.