Chapter 5

A 7-panel comic page. Panels 1-3: Bloody water runs down a sink drain. Panels 4-6: Sammy looks at himself in the mirror, a cut on his cheek. He turns around. Panel 7: Sammy stands in a locker room / bathroom. Text: 'Chapter 5: My Greastest Soldier'
A 6-panel comic page. Panel 1: Sammy looks at his backpack, notebook, and the pile of metal shards sitting on the locker room bench. Panel 2: Sammy reaches his hand out. Panels 3-4: The metal shards, backpack, and notebook lift into the air and float towards Sammy. Panel 5: Sammy grabs his backpack and notebook, and the metal shards reform into the metal cuff that spirals around the arm. Panel 6: Sammy looks up to a voice calling to him. Voice: 'Yo!'
A 5-panel comic page. Panel 1: Nickelle trots into the bathroom. Nickelle: 'Good work out there! Oh, hey, do you need a bandage for that?' Panel 2: Sammy looks down at the cut on his cheek. Sammy: '!' Panel 3: Sammy wipes the blood from his cheek while Nickelle observes. Sammy: 'Oh, no. It's fine. It's not deep. I pulled back its speed before it hit me. Now I won't need to see a nurse.' Nickelle: 'Fascinating.' Sammy: 'Thanks.' Panel 4: Sammy and Nickelle stand in awkward silence. Panel 5: Sammy breaks the silence. Sammy: 'Well...'
A 5-panel comic page. Panel 1: Nickelle's face fills with excitement. Sammy: Did I meet your expectati-' Nickelle, interrupting: 'You were amazing!' Panel 2: Nickelle lifts Sammy's arm to observe his metal cuff, which surprises him. Nickelle: 'The way you handled your weapon was so precise, yet so quick. It's almost automatic, but you had total control.' Panel 3: Sammy pulls his arm away shyly. Sammy: 'Please don't touch me. But thank you.' Panel 4: Sammy looks content with himself. Sammy: I'm glad I could entertain you.' Nickelle: 'Of course! I'd love to study you!' Panel 5: Sammy is shocked. He appears like an overly cartoonified version of himself standing in a black void. Sammy: '...study me?'
A 6-panel comic page. Panel 1: Nickelle winks at Sammy. Nickelle: 'Your chord, specifically. You have a worthy one. What's its name again? Telekinesis?' Panel 2: Sammy looks annoyed. Sammy: 'It's Telekinetic.' Panel 3: Nickelle remains excited while Sammy remains annoyed. Nickelle: 'Ah! So you're one of the quirky ones who uses the adjective form. Explain that.' Sammy: 'Hey, I didn't agree yet. Why would I want to be your little test subject?' Panel 4: Nickelle grins. 'More like specimen!' Panel 5: Nickelle throws her arms into the air. It looks as though a spotlight shines on her. Nickelle: 'And it's a major role in my thesis! If we do well, the senior Academics will love us! Besides, you'll learn a lot about Telekinesis-' Sammy, correcting her: 'Telekinetic.' Panel 6: Nickelle keeps questioning him while Sammy begins to leave. Nickelle: 'You seem to care a greal deal about your Chord's name. Why is that?' Sammy: 'I need to meet up with my sibling soon.'
An 8-panel comic page. Panel 1: Nickelle calls angrily to Sammy. Nickelle: 'Wait! What about the study?' Panels 2-3: Sammy looks to Nickelle with a stern expression. Sammy: 'I'll think about it, but I like my life as it is right now. Besides, I know enough about my Chord without your help.' Panel 4: Nickelle closes her eyes and thinks. Panel 5: Nickelle reaches into her backpack for something. Nickelle: 'Wait there for a sec.' Panel 6: Sammy waits angrily. Panel 7: Sammy looks surprised. Nickelle: 'Hold still.' Panel 8: Nickelle slaps her palm against Sammy's cheek. Text: 'BAP'.
A 7-panel comic page. Panel 1: Nickelle looks content. Nickelle: 'There!' Panel 2: The cut on Sammy's face is now covered by a bandage. Written on the bandage is Nickelle's phone number. Nickelle: 'Now if you change your mind, you can call me!' Sammy: 'I'm going to go now.' Panel 3: Sammy leaves the bathroom while Nickelle waves to him. Nickelle: 'Bye!' Panels 4-5: The bathroom door closes behind Sammy. Sammy looks up and suddenly stiffens. Panels 6-7: Standing across the hall in the shadows of the courtyard's columns is Headmistress Aarden. She smiles at Sammy.
A 6-panel comic page. Panels 1-2: Sammy approaches Aarden and the two begin to talk. Aarden: 'Mr. Frost.' Sammy: 'What do you want?' Aarden: 'I was observing your match today.' Sammy: 'Ah, were you? It wasn't my best work. Nickelle caught me off guard quite a few times. Had I been more careful, things could've finished faster. I shouldn't have had to go as far as I did.' Panel 3: Aarden smiles. Aarden: 'I thought you performed quite well. It seems that you get stronger with each match.' Panel 4: Sammy looks surprised. Panel 5: Sammy becomes suddenly boastful. Sammy: 'Of course I do. Isn't that the point?' Panel 6: Aarden seems content.
A 5-panel comic page. Panel 1: Close-up on the notebook Sammy holds in his hands. It is a spiral notebook with the symbol of Nerva, a right-side-up sword, drawn in the upper-left corner. Aarden: 'Are those your maps?' Panel 2: Sammy stiffens. Panel 3: Aarden is calm and collected. Aarden: 'I would love to see them.' Panel 3-4: Sammy stands before Aarden, thinking for a second before handing over his notebook.'
A 3-panel comic page. Panel 1: Aarden takes the notebook. Panel 2: A map of Nerva's forests, including rivers, cliffs, lakes, and craters. Dotted lines divide the area and various points of the map are labelled with letters. Aarden: 'Excellent work. There are the most accurate I've seen from my students. The periphery is mapped out in great detail, and each research base is placed nearly perfectly. Good job, Soldier. You're well-suited to your Surveyor role.' Panel 3: Sammy smiles shyly, quietly proud of himself.
A 7-panel comic page. Panel 1: Aarden hands back Sammy's notebook. Aarden: 'But, that's what I said last time, too. They've been stagnating, I suppose.' Panel 2: Sammy angrily snatches the notebook back. Sammy: 'It's not my fault. There's only so much you've let me explore.' Panels 3-5: Sammy uses Telekinetic to put the notebook into his bag. Sammy: 'If you let me past the gate, I could map out so much more! I'll take all the safety measures, and I won't stay too long. And I'll keep you updated! I'll even give you the maps I make.' Panel 6: Sammy yells as Aarden. Aarden: 'You want to explore beyond the gate?' Sammy: 'YES! I've been telling you for the past two-' Aarden: 'Then sure.' Panel 7: Sammy looks shocked, his mouth agape.
An 8-panel comic page. Panels 1-2: Sammy jumps excitedly. Sammy: 'Really?' Aarden: 'As your reward for fighting so well today. But...I can't possibly let you go alone.' Sammy: 'Well...maybe Beck can come with me! He always joins me on my missions! He loves them!' Panel 3: Aarden cocks her head. Aarden: 'Is that so?' Panels 4-6: As Aarden and Sammy speak, Nickelle exits the bathroom. She sees Aarden and walks away with a serious look on her face. Aarden: 'I trust he won't distract you, will he?' Sammy; 'Of course not.' Panel 7: Aarden begins to walk away. Aarden: 'Good.' Panel 8: Sammy stops Aarden. Sammy: 'Ah! Wait!'
A 6-panel comic page. Panel 1: Aarden looks back at Sammy. Sammy: 'Beck lost his knife.' Aarden: 'Oh, you don't have to worry about that.' Panel 2: A flashback to Beck and Laura standing at the window, watching Sammy's match earlier. Aarden: 'I saw him watching your match. He was talking to his opponent from yesterday.' Panel 3: Sammy looks serious. Sammy: 'His opponent...' Panel 4: A flashback to Beck and Laura at the window, Laura handing Beck's knife back to him. Aarden: 'Before she left, she returned to him his knife. How interesting. They seemed quite deep in conversation, though I've never seen them talk to each other before.' Panel 5: Aarden and Sammy stand before each other, Aarden now in the light of the courtyard while Sammy is still hidden in the column's shadow. Aarden: 'Perhaps it would be of note to ask about it. I don't believe you've met her, either. Her name is Laura, and she is a loyal Soldier.' Panel 6: Aarden leaves. Sammy begins to reach after her.'
A 7-panel comic page. Panels 1-2: Sammy looks after Aarden before turning around and walking away. Panels 3-4: Sammy begins to walk up the stairs at the end of the hall when he sees Beck standing in the stairwell. Sammy: 'Oh! Beck!' Beck: 'Were you talking to Miss Aarden?' Panel 5: Sammy begins walking up the stairs with Beck. Sammy: 'I was.' Beck: 'Did she...say anything about me?' Sammy: 'She says she trusts you.' Beck: 'Wow!' Panel 6: Sammy turns to face Beck. Sammy seems to have a kind, brotherly demeanor. 'I see you got your knife back. Where'd you find it? Locker room? Weapons rack?' Panel 7: Beck smiles. Sammy: 'Lost-and-found?' Beck: 'Weapons don't go in the lost-and-found. My opponent from yesterday actually came and gave it to me. She's...she's interesting.'
An 8-panel comic page. Panel 1: Sammy continues up the stairs. Sammy: 'She sounds interesting! Nervan tradition believes that a weapon taken is a weapon kept. Other Soldiers wouldn't give up such an honorable reward.' Panel 2: Sammy seems to have a sudden vigor. Sammy: 'Tell me more about her!' Panel 3: Beck looks suddenly scared and taken aback. Beck: Ah! Well...' Panel 4: Beck shifts aroud nervously. Beck: 'Her name is Laura.' Sammy: 'And?' Beck: 'She talks a lot.' Panel 5: Sammy leans down over Beck. Sammy: 'What did she say?' Beck: 'She said...um...' Panel 6: Beck presses a hand to his cheek and looks away. Beck, whispering: 'I can't say...' Panel 7: Beck suddenly stiffens. Sammy: 'What was that?' Beck: 'NOTHING. What were you and Miss Aarden talking about?' Panel 8: Sammy smiles excitedly, having seemingly forgotten the previous conversation topic.
A 7-panel comic page. Panel 1: Sammy leans down and smiles at Beck. Sammy: 'Guess what?' Beck, confused: 'What?' Panel 2: Sammy throws his arms in the air. The light makes it look like sunlight is radiating off of him. Beck looks a bit blown away. Sammy: 'Aarden permitted our exploration beyond the gate! I can finally expand my maps!' Panel 3: Sammy trots up the stairs excitedly while Beck happily follows. Sammy: 'I'm thinking we should go tomorrow so that we can get as much done before winter sets in.' Beck: 'Cool! Who else are you going with?' Sammy: 'What do you mean?' Beck: 'You keep saying 'we.' Doesn't that mean you're going with someone?' Panel 4: Sammy keeps trotting up the stairs. Sammy: 'Well...don't you want to come with me?' Panel 5: Beck's feet snap together as he suddenly stops walking. Panel 6: Sammy looks back, concerned. Panel 7: Beck stands silently. He seems very far away.
A 7-panel comic page. Panel 1: Sammy is suddenly scared. Beck: 'I can't.' Sammy: 'Don't you like being a Surveyor? You always love helping out at the Research Bases!' Beck: 'But beyond the gate? On our own?' Sammy: 'This is what our training's for! Fighting matches. Making maps. This is the next big step.' Panel 2: Beck looks up at Sammy with a serious expression. Beck: 'I told you. The only way I'm making it as a Surveyor is as fodder at the border lines.' Panel 3: Sammy looks concerned. Sammy: 'Don't say that, Beck...I know you can be a great Soldier.' Panel 4: Beck is suddenly surprised and scared. Sammy: 'This isn't about your match, is it?' Panel 5: Sammy begins to lecture Beck while Beck waves his arms around. Sammy: 'Y'know, just because you lost doesn't mean you should give up. Your opponent didn't say anything to make you think otherwise, did she?' Beck: NO! No! She didn't, she didn't. She wanted to be my friend! And she wants to hang out tomorrow.' Panel 6: Sammy seems surprised by this news. Sammy: 'Tomorrow? So you'll be busy with her tomorrow.' Panel 7: Sammy begins to walk up the stairs, leaving Beck behind.
An 8-panel comic page. Panel 1: Beck's eyes are filled with fear. Panel 2: Beck begins walking, water seeming to rise from the ground. Beck, voice shaky: 'But I can reschedule!' Panels 3-5: Beck keeps running up the stairs, but the water level slowly rises until he is swimming. Beck, voice shaky: 'I can meet her after the forests. Ah, but I don't have her number. I'll find her and ask, or maybe I can ask Miss Aarden, or--' Panel 6: Sammy breaks Beck's spiral. The water seems to drip off of Beck in this moment of hope. Sammy: 'You don't have to do that.' Beck: 'I don't?' Sammy: 'You should hang out with your friend. But...' Panel 7: Sammy's eyes are filled with a calm anger. Sammy, voice icy: 'You should be careful around those that cut your face up.' Panel 8: Beck stands at the bottom of the stairwell while Sammy walks to the top, leaving through an arched doorway. The stairs seem to have transformed into a broken stairwell, large gaps existing between where Beck stands and where sammy stands. The stairs seem to float over a bottomless pit of water.






Slideshow script provided by Lokesh Dhakar

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