James Brighton Society, Chapter 9: Pages 17-18
Page 17, 6 Panels- 2nd Floor Hallway, JBS Headquarters, Arlington Virginia
Panel 1: Cut to the Partygoer a few seconds later, who we see is in fact...Capt. Lennox! He's dressed in a standard black tux with a matching bow tie. He raises his hands out in front of him in a disarming fashion at the young woman's reaction. You can see a section of the staircase back down in the distance from his arm.
CAPT. LENNOX [Cont., disarming charm]: My apologies if I startled you. It's just so hard to keep composed when in the presence of such...caramel beauty. TASHA [Off-Panel thought bubble]: Oh crap, it's Captain Lennox! CAPT. LENNOX [Bubble 2]: Are you here alone, Miss...?
Panel 2-3: A two-part set of panels that moves to a close-up on Tasha's face, reacting to the revelation over the course of a handful of seconds. In Panel 2, we see the panic that comes with whether or not he'll notice her. Then, in Panel 3, the former Detective switches, projecting an aura of calm as best as she can with what's going on.
TASHA [thought bubble, Panel 2]: Of course he'd be here. Stuffy party, high ranking cop. But...why hasn't he picked me out straight away? He should've know already, unless... TASHA [to Capt. Lennox, faux demurely; Panel 2]: Andres. Catalina Andres. TASHA [Cont. thought bubble, Panel 3]: Maybe Azeban's magic ID, along with a good cover, also alters the facial features in the eyes of others TASHA [Cont., Panel 3]: And I'm--I'm actually here with my husband. He works in finance. I thought I'd take in some of the sights here while he schmoozed in the Ballroom.
Panel 4: Back to the Captain in the same setting and layout that we saw in Panel 1. His arms are starting to return to his side as he speaks, moving a step forward toward Ms. Randolph as he speaks. You can see, in that same staircase area, a faint red glow start to pop into view.
CAPT. LENNOX [a little flirty]: He is most certainly a lucky man, if I may say so.
Panel 5-6: A two-part set of panels that moves back on Tasha in the same setting and layout that we saw in Panel 3. In Panel 5, there's a level of discomfort that starts to come over her as a result of the previous statement. Though she tries to keep some level of composure in order to keep up appearances. In Panel 6, just as she's about to walk away, she's stopped by the sound of mechanical footsteps coming to her direction.
TASHA [gagging, thought bubble; Panel 5]: Keep it down...keep it down! Save the puking till the world is saved (for the night). TASHA [appreciatively, Panel 6]: Thank you. I...Do you know where the bathroom is? I want to powder my nose. TASHA [thought bubble, Panel 6]: And flush this conversation square out of my brain!
Page 18, 7 Panels- 2nd Floor Hallway, JBS Headquarters, Arlington Virginia
Panel 1-2: A two-part set of panels that starts out with an action sequence of Ms. Randolph moving confidently upward with Capt. Lennox looking on leeringly at that moment. In Panel 2, we see the Captain turn around and head over in the direction of the staircase. All the while, out of view in each panel, the glow of red grows brighter and the sound of metal footsteps increases in intensity.
TASHA [thought bubble, Panel 2]: Don't look back, don't look back...just walk away, asshole.
Panel 3: We move to a rear shot of our heroine a few moments later, turning toward the nearest hallway compared to where she was in the previous page. In the background, you can hear the sound of metallic footsteps coming from the same off-panel area that we heard in the page's first two panels.
Panel 4-6: A three-part set of panels that follows the former Detective as she moves down the hallway, checking each door and book and picture frame that pops into view in search of the secret entrance that she's hoping for. All the while, as has been the case for the entire page, the footsteps hit hard on the floor, growing louder as they go closer to her. In Panel 6, you can see a red dot hit the side of her head.
TASHA [thought bubble, Panel 4]: Alright, look for creepy... TASHA [Cont. thought bubble, connected to Panel 4 bubble; Panel 5]: Look for creepy... TASHA [Cont. thought bubble, connected to Panel 4 & 5 bubble; Panel 6]: Look for...wait, I wonder if the altering works for--
Panel 7: Cut to a shot of Tasha's face a second later, turning around to see the Mecha-guard and his contingent standing a few feet off-panel aimed straight at her. Her eyes grow a little wide as the rest of her body tenses up, ready for the fight that's about to come.
TASHA [knowing]: Crap!