SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME A Sonic comic story featuring HOPE KINTOBOR by Daniel J. Drazen Part 1 Page 1 Three panels: top panel full page width by 2/3 page height, two half-width panels underneath. Panel 1: Schoolroom interior viewed from a back corner of the room. The teacher, MISS OGI, a Siamese cat, speaks while standing behind her desk [she is an homage to the character of Miss Ogi, a teacher who is a character in the manga "Adolph" by Osamu Tezuka]. Behind her is a blackboard covered with division problems. Sitting at the desks are a variety of Mobian students plus one human, HOPE. On the wall above the blackboard are two portraits: one of King Max labeled "Our King," the other of Sonic the Hedgehog labeled "Our Hero." MISS OGI And this WILL be on tomorrow's test. STUDENT 1 Aw, man! STUDENT 2 No FAIR! MISS OGI If life was FAIR, Sonic the Hedgehog would still be... Her sentence is cut off by the school bell. SFX: RIIIIIIIIIING MISS OGI Never mind. Class dismissed. Panel 2: Head shot of HOPE looking up in surprise. MISS OGI Hope Kintobor. Stay after class please. Panel 3: HOPE looks downward, her face flushed with embarrassment. Over her shoulder, three girls look at her and smirk. These are obviously the Class POPULARS; not only are their clothes fancier than HOPE's baggy sweatshirt, cargo pants and waffle-stomper boots, but (in an homage to David Simpson's e- strip "Ozy and Millie") they are also "cute" species: a rabbit, a lamb, a kitten. Page 2 Five-panel layout: two half-page panels top and bottom, one page- wide panel in the middle. Panel 1: MISS OGI is standing just in front of HOPE's desk. MISS OGI I've noticed that your grades have slipped a bit.... HOPE I'm doing my best, Miss Ogi! Panel 2: Close-up of HOPE looking down and blushing in shame as MISS OGI speaks off-panel. MISS OGI ...ever since the King declared that we're once again at war with Dr. Robotnik. Panel 3: MISS OGI has turned the chair at the desk in front of HOPE's around and has seated herself so she is looking at HOPE. We see the two of them in profile in a semi-long shot. MISS OGI Hope, I know how MEAN children can be. MISS OGI If you'd rather get private tutoring, I can... HOPE That's OK, Miss Ogi. I can handle it. Panel 4: From HOPE's POV we see that MISS OGI has stood up. MISS OGI Well, you're being very brave about this... Panel 5: MISS OGI erases the blackboard and we see HOPE standing in the doorway of the classroom. MISS OGI ...but let me know if you change your mind, all right? HOPE I will. Bye! Page 3 Layout: 6 panels, two across and three down. Panel 1: Exterior view of the school as HOPE emerges. The POPULARS are standing at the foot of the steps leading to the front door. POPULAR LAMB Hey, here comes the TRAITOR! POPULAR BUNNY Yeah, Ogi probably wanted her to STAY AFTER 'cause they're both SPIES! Panel 2: HOPE is in the foreground looking to her right, the source of a word balloon. The POPULARS look off-panel at the speaker as well. OFF-PANEL She's NOT a SPY or a TRAITOR! POPULAR LAMB Says WHO? Panel 3: Full front view of AMY ROSE, hands on her hips. Her expression is all business/no nonsense. AMY ROSE Says ME!! Panel 4: Three-quarter view of the POPULARS. POPULAR LAMB draws back in mock terror, while POPULAR BUNNY scolds POPULAR KITTEN who looks nervous. POPULAR LAMB Oh, I'm SO scared! POPULAR KITTEN But she's a 12-year-old! POPULAR BUNNY Shut up, will ya? Panel 5: AMY ROSE stands next to HOPE in the foreground, while the POPULARS are visible in the mid-ground between them. AMY ROSE looks disdainful. AMY ROSE C'mon, Hope. AMY ROSE Let's get away from these CHILDREN! Panel 6: HOPE shown in the foreground at the left side of the panel. Her head is bent forward so her hair covers her eyes, but she's clearly not happy. The POPULARS are visible on the right, still unimpressed. Page 4 Layout: One page-wide panel at the top of the page, two pairs of half-width panels below that. Panel 1: WEV of HOPE and AMY ROSE, backs to the reader, walking past a fenced area. Visible above the fence is a sign: "SPACEPORT UNDER CONSTRUCTION." There is some girder work rising high above the fence, and a crane is suspended from one of the tall girders. The word balloons in this panel come from random points at the top of the construction site. WORKER ONE Hey, guys! School's out. We got an AUDIENCE! WORKER TWO Yeah, try to look like you're workin' for once, Morty! WORKER THREE Oh, you are SO FUNNY I.... Panel 2: A large metal I-beam is being held by a sling, but it is tilted at a severe angle, and movement lines indicate that it's slipping out of the sling. The WORKERS are off-panel. WORKER ONE [burst balloon] The beam's SLIPPING!! WORKER TWO [burst balloon] Quick, GET IT!! Panel 3: We see in a BEV the end of the beam at the top of the panel, with motion lines indicating that it's falling. HOPE, who is walking several steps behind AMY ROSE, appears to be directly in the beam's path. She looks up at the beam. Once again, the WORKERS are off-panel. WORKER ONE [burst balloon] TOO LATE!! WORKER TWO [burst balloon] NO!!! Panel 5: Close up of HOPE, her hands covering her face, mouth open but there is no scream. No SFX, either. Panel 6: Same pose for HOPE, only she hesitantly looks through her fingers. Page 5 Layout: 4 panels, page-wide panels at the top and bottom, a pair of half-width panels in-between them. Panel 1: We see HOPE's head, and the end of the I-beam very close to it. Movement lines suggest that it's just floating in the air, hovering. Panel 2: Close-up at ground level of HOPE's boots as she moves one backward. Panel 3: BEV of HOPE, a scared look on her face, as she puts her arms out and continues moving backward. Panel 4: WEV of the I-beam crashing to the ground with enough force that it knocks HOPE off her feet. SFX: CRASH!!! Page 6 Layout: same as page 4: 5 panels, with the top panel at page width. Panel 1: HOPE is in the foreground, seated on the ground, looking at the somewhat-crumpled I-beam which had fallen where she had been standing. AMY ROSE in the mid-ground runs toward her, and in the background two WORKERS (a bear and a beaver wearing hard hats and work clothes) run toward her as well. HOPE is scared speechless. AMY ROSE [burst balloon] HOPE!! WORKER BEAR KID! You all right? Panel 2: ANY ROSE is kneeling next to HOPE with her arms around the girl's shoulders to steady her. The WORKERS look at the crumpled I-beam. HOPE I ... I think so. WORKER BEAVER That was TOO CLOSE!! Panel 3: Close-up of AMY ROSE and HOPE as AMY ROSE talks to her friend. There are trees visible in the far background. AMY ROSE Hope, what happened? Panel 4: We look past the girls and toward the trees, which are closer now. An indistinct figure is seen standing on one of the branches. HOPE [caption box] I ... Panel 5: We're close enough to get a very good view of the figure, as he stands resolutely on the branch of a tree, his face as stern and impassive as ever. It's SHADOW. HOPE [caption box] I don't know. [Text Box]: TO BE CONTINUED