SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME A Sonic comic story featuring HOPE KINTOBOR by Daniel J. Drazen Part 2 Page 1 Layout: Three panels: top panel full page width by 2/3 page height, two half-width panels underneath. Exterior day view of the Mongoose hut in Knothole village. The first panel of part 3 of "She's Gotta Have Him" from Sonic #120 can give you a feel for the set-up. HOPE is walking up to the road toward it. MOMMA MONGOOSE is on the porch, surrounded by baskets full of different kinds of produce. HOPE Hi, Mrs. Mongoose! MOMMA Oh, hello dear. Hope, isn't it? HOPE Yes, Maam. HOPE Where did all the food come from? Panel 2: MOMMA dabs at the sweat on her temple with her apron while HOPE looks at the various kinds of fruits and vegetables. MOMMA Oh, I just brought these up from the cellar. MOMMA Now I just have to bring them into the kitchen. Panel 3: HOPE stoops and grabs one of the handles of a nearby basket. HOPE Can I help? MOMMA Why, thank you! Page 2 Layout: two-across/three down. Panel 1: HOPE and MOMMA carry a basket between them into the house. It's filled with carrots, turnips, or some other edible root. HOPE Do you do a lot of cooking? MOMMA No, I just cook for the two of us, Mina and myself. MOMMA But I like to cook I always have. Panel 2: MOMMA and HOPE lift the basket onto a table in the kitchen. MOMMA And now that I'm not a ROBIAN any more... MOMMA ...I can appreciate it even MORE! Panel 3: HOPE and MOMMA are back out on the porch; they each take a smaller basket. MOMMA Do you like to cook, Hope? HOPE Nobody ever TAUGHT me. Panel 4: Flashback to HOPE on board the Overlander starship. She stands near a porthole looking out at space while drinking something from a Mylar-looking pouch through a tube [this can be tinted a single color to denote that it's a flashback. CAPTION BOX: "Before I came to Knothole, I lived in a STARSHIP." CAPTION BOX: "Whenever we ate anything it came out of a pouch." Panel 5: Another flashback: HOPE floating in a coldsleep chamber (see page 2 of "A Girl Named Hope!" in S108). CAPTION BOX: "And when we were in COLDSLEEP we didn't HAVE to eat." Panel 6: MOMMA has just set down a bushel in the kitchen while HOPE is bringing in another. HOPE is smiling broadly. MOMMA Well, I'll be happy to teach you how. HOPE You WOULD? That's be GREAT, Mrs. Mongoose! MOMMA Oh, you can call me... Page 3 Layout: two across/three down Panel 1: Close-up of MOMMA wincing as a one-word SFX takes up the panel. SFX: MOMMA! Panel 2: MINA bursts into the kitchen, but stops short as she notices HOPE is there. Draw MINA with two faces if possible to underscore the shift in mood. MINA Have you seen my... MINA [Icicle balloon]: What's SHE doing here? Panel 3: Close-up of Mina, blushing and with her jaw set. She definitely does not like what she's hearing. CAPTION BOX: "Helping me here in the kitchen." CAPTION BOX: "Something I haven't heard YOU offer to do lately!" Panel 4: Mina looks around, maybe lifting things off the kitchen table. She does not make eye contact with MOMMA or HOPE. MINA Momma, I have to get to PRACTICE! MINA Where's my MUSIC? Panel 5: MOMMA pointing through an archway toward the front door which stands slightly open. There's a small one-drawer table next to the doorway. On top of what looks like a book or two is a folder. MOMMA It's on the table by the front door, right where you... Panel 6: MINA has dashed out of the kitchen and out of the house; we see only her trail of speed lines and one of her boots outside. MOMMA looks a little sad. MINA THANKS, MOMMA! BYE!! MOMMA ...left it. Page 4 Layout: two across/three down. Panel 1: HOPE looks a little embarrassed as MOMMA sits down on a kitchen chair. They're still surrounded by bushels of produce. MOMMA pulls an apple-like fruit from a nearby bushel and holds it out toward HOPE. HOPE Is this a bad time? MOMMA Of course, not, dear. MOMMA I'm just the MOTHER of a TEENAGE DAUGHTER. Panel 2: HOPE holds the fruit close to her mouth as if she's going to take a bite. MOMMA sits with her hands folded in her lap. HOPE I thought maybe there was a problem or something. MOMMA Now, I know you have your OWN problems. Panel 3: Close-up of HOPE as she looks downward, seriously blushing. CAPTION BOX: "Like being called a TRAITOR." Panel 4: HOPE looks up slightly at MOMMA, barely making eye contact. MOMMA sits patiently in her chair. HOPE How did...? MOMMA The KINGDOM OF KNOTHOLE is more like a small village. MOMMA Everybody hears everything sooner or later. Panel 5: The back of HOPE's head is in the foreground as we see MOMMA speaking to her. Her expression should be serious but not severe. MOMMA Dear, you didn't CHOOSE Robotnik to be your uncle. Your family is something you CAN'T choose! Panel 6: HOPE and MOMMA are seen in profile; they're smiling, and MOMMA rests her upstage hand against HOPE's cheek. MOMMA It's the choices you CAN make that tell people who and what you are. And I choose to believe you're NOTHING LIKE Robotnik! INSERT in lower right corner of panel: drawing of HOPE hugging MOMMA. HOPE Thanks. Page 5 Layout: three panels across the top of the page, and the rest of the page as one large panel Panel 1: HOPE steps away from MOMMA. HOPE I'd better get going. I got homework. MOMMA Thank you for the help. Panel 2: HOPE starting to run down the road outside of the Mongoose home. She looks over her shoulder and waves to MOMMA, who's standing outside the door and waving back. HOPE See ya! Panel 3: HOPE in profile at the left of the panel, looking toward what appears to be some kind of outdoor amphitheater in the mid- ground. HOPE [Thought balloon]: hey, there's where Mina's going to sing. Splash Panel: an impressionistic view of HOPE watching Mina rehearse. Though we see HOPE in a small figure in the upper left of the panel and ASH at the middle right of the panel, we see several head shots of MINA. We have no idea what she's singing, but she's clearly the star of the panel. This is definitely a shojo manga moment. The only comment is a text box inserted near HOPE. TEXT BOX: "Wow!" Page 6 Layout: four page-wide panels. This is going to be a tracking shot such as the pan in on SALLY at SONIC's memorial marker in S130. Panel 1: HOPE in the left foreground looks at MINA in mid-ground. Panel 2: MINA is now in the foreground, and we can see some trees in the deep mid-ground. The sharp of eye will see something skulking behind one of the trees. Panel 3: We're closer to the trees which are in the near foreground. The skulking figure is in shadow. Panel 4: The figure is in the center foreground. While the head is in shadow, one red eye is visible. This is the SKINNED MECHA who confronted Sonic in *, as is made evident by her dialogue. SKINNED MECHA [Electronic balloon]: Target sighted, FATHER. Text Box: Continued.