Time Lady of L.A. #13: Pages 7-8

Page 7, 5 Panels- Clothing Store, Bashtil District, 1985 Cairo Egypt Panel 1-3: A three-part set of panels centered on Mona moments later as she approaches the door, which is now closer in view around the right side of the panel view. In Panel 1, after a good running start, she leaps up in the air with her energy sword raised above her head. In the next panel, we see her shift her body weight forward in the direction of the door, tilting her body in the process. And in the final Panel 3, Mona lets out a quick growl as she makes a slash across the metal surface of the door. Panel 4-5: Cut to a shot from the inside of what was behind that same door moments later. The blade pierces the metal door from the top left corner down toward the lower right corner. By the next panel, a few seconds later, we see the metal has completely been sliced in half and has fallen down to the ground with a "CLANG!" MONA [translated from Egyptian Arabic; Panel 5]: Fire Exit...nice! Page 8, 7 Panels- Clothing Store, Bashtil District, 1985 Cairo Egypt Panel 1-2: A two-part set of panels centered on the young teenaged heroine as she walks through the opened doorway, looking around her for any sign of danger. The background behind her steadily becoming more and more covered in haze and fog as the sound of the ambulance sirens continues blaring. In the next panel a minute later, as the sight of the bottom of an ascending staircase comes into view, Mona's train of thought is temporarily halted by the sound of screaming. MONA [Cont., translated from Egyptian Arabic; Panel 1]: Unless I'm walking into some kind of E.o.M. trap. MONA [Cont.; Panel 2]: Even then, it won't be without a whole hell of a lot of blood and broken bones, preferably on their side-- STORE MANAGER [Off-Panel, translated from Egyptian Arabic; Panel 2]: Miss--MISS! Panel 3: Cut to a shot from the ground upward showing the manager in his mid-30s in the upper floor, along with a bunch of other people and employees standing behind them on the railing (10 in total). He has short dark hair and green eyes, wearing a uniform vest with a nametag that covers a dress shirt and tie befitting someone in management. He's looking down at Mona, using his right arm to try to flag her down. STORE MANAGER [to Mona]: We are in need of help. There's more of us in the other floor. There's a huge fire...we need to get out of here! Panel 4: Back to Mona from the staircase looking back down toward ground level just as the Manager continues speaking. She looks up at the group of people with a degree of skepticism, lowering her blade down slightly to line up horizontally with her neck. The sirens continue blaring once again in the background. STORE MANAGER [Cont., Off-Panel]: Are you with the authorities? MONA [to the Manager, shaking her head; Bubble 1]: No. I'm with Free Tahrir... MONA [Cont., Bubble 2]: Is there a woman named Beka Tahan in your group? Panel 5: Back to the Manager and the assembled group behind him in the same setting and layout that we saw of them in the previous panel. The Manager looks over to each side of his position in search of the woman, puzzled as to what he's looking for. As for the group, you can see a couple of them start to move up to the front of the railing and look down to speak to Mona. STORE MANAGER [confused as he looks around]: I don't...think so... PERSON #1 [male, with consternation; to Mona]: Are you going to help us or not? PERSON #2 [female, with equal consternation; to Mona]: Yeah, help us! Panel 6-8: A three-part set of panels set back on Mona in the same setting and layout that we saw her in back in Panel 4. In Panel 6, we see her splitting her focus, looking over at the opened doorway/ambulance sirens and back at the crowd (and back again). The full weight of the decision setting deep in the young woman's mind within the course of the long-stretched seconds. In Panel 7, just as the sirens start to settle at a steady tone (signifying that the ambulance and fire trucks have stopped), Mona coughs at the presence of smoke and in Panel 8 looks up to the sky between both areas. MONA [thinking to herself; Panel 6, Bubble 1]: Damn...I want to help get these people out of here. MONA [Cont.; Panel 6, Bubble 2]: But the more time I spend here, the more time the Watchtower can zero in and scoop us up like we were stray dogs! MONA [Cont.; Panel 6, Bubble 3]: Then again, there's.... MONA [breathing in and out quicker and quicker; Panel 8]: Right...damn!