Chapter 2: THE MEN THEY SEND
[FULL-PAGE OPENING PANEL]
Morning doesn't arrive gently.
It crawls in—gray, dirty, unwanted.
Police tape flaps in the wind. The alley behind STATIC HEAVEN is sealed, soaked, scrubbed—but never clean. Blood stains still whisper through the concrete.
NARRATION (Kael):
People think night is when monsters come out.
They're wrong.
Night is honest.
Morning pretends nothing happened.
[VERTICAL PANELS – CRIME SCENE]
— Detectives kneel near chalk outlines
— Bullet casings laid out like teeth
— A coroner zips a body bag
A veteran detective stares at the damage, jaw tight.
DETECTIVE:
"This isn't a gang hit."
ROOKIE:
"…Then what is it?"
The detective exhales.
DETECTIVE:
"A message."
[CUT TO: HIGH-RISE OFFICE – DAY]
Glass walls. Cold light. Absolute silence.
At the center of the room sits THE SYNDICATE COUNCIL—five figures in shadow, faces unseen.
A screen replays grainy alley footage.
Paused on Kael's helmet.
[CLOSE PANEL – ONE COUNCIL MEMBER]
COUNCIL VOICE:
"Project Red Static."
Another voice responds, calm but sharp.
SECOND VOICE:
"Terminated."
[PANEL – SCREEN ZOOMS ON KAEL]
THIRD VOICE:
"Clearly not."
Silence follows.
Then—
COUNCIL LEADER:
"Send professionals."
[FULL-PAGE SPREAD – INTRODUCTION OF HUNTERS]
Six panels. Six killers.
Each one framed like a mugshot—but alive.
VICER – Former military executioner. Heavy armor. Zero emotion.
LACE – Silent sniper. Never misses twice.
BONESAW – Close-combat butcher. Laughs while cutting.
MERCY – Poison specialist. Elegant. Cruel.
NULL – Hacker. Surveillance ghost.
ASH – Firearms expert. Fastest draw in the city.
COUNCIL LEADER (OFF-PANEL):
"Bring us his head."
[CUT TO: ABANDONED APARTMENT – NIGHT]
Kael sits on the floor, back against the wall.
Helmet off.
His face is scarred—not grotesque, but wrong, like it's been repaired too many times.
Bullet wounds close slowly across his torso.
He tapes his ribs with practiced calm.
[SMALL PANEL – KAEL LOOKS AT CAMERA]
KAEL:
"So let's recap."
[FOURTH-WALL PANEL SEQUENCE]
— Kael counts on his fingers
— Blood still dripping
KAEL:
"Secret program?"
(check)
"Betrayed by my employers?"
(check)
"Entire criminal empire angry at me?"
He pauses.
Smiles.
KAEL:
"…Yeah. That tracks."
[INTERRUPTION PANEL – PHONE BUZZES]
A burner phone vibrates beside him.
Unknown number.
Kael answers.
[SPLIT PANEL – VOICE CALL]
DISTORTED VOICE:
"They're coming for you."
Kael tilts his head.
KAEL:
"Ooo, ominous. Is this a threat or a warning?"
[PANEL – VOICE CONTINUES]
VOICE:
"You killed Syndicate property. Six of them.
They sent hunters."
Kael chuckles.
[CLOSE PANEL – KAEL SMILING]
KAEL:
"Only six?"
A pause.
VOICE:
"…You're insane."
[WIDE PANEL – KAEL STANDS]
Kael reloads a pistol. Checks a knife. Slips the red helmet back on.
KAEL:
"No."
"I'm experienced."
[CUT TO: ROOFTOP – SAME NIGHT]
Rain again.
LACE lies prone with a sniper rifle.
Scope locked on Kael's apartment window.
LACE (THOUGHT):
Target acquired.
[SUDDEN PANEL – KAEL MOVES]
The window explodes—
—but Kael isn't there.
[NEXT PANEL – LACE'S EYE WIDENS]
A shadow behind her.
[BRUTAL PANEL – KNIFE THROUGH SCOPE]
Kael drives a blade through the rifle—and into her shoulder.
KAEL:
"Rule one."
[CLOSE PANEL – WHISPER]
KAEL:
"Don't tunnel vision."
He kicks her off the rooftop.
[CUT TO: STREET LEVEL – BODIES MOVE]
VICER and ASH advance in formation.
Professional. Precise.
ASH fires first.
Kael dodges—barely.
A bullet rips through his thigh.
He stumbles.
[PANEL – KAEL LAUGHING]
KAEL:
"Oh, now that's just rude."
[EXTENDED JOHN WICK–STYLE GUN-FU SEQUENCE]
— Kael rolls behind a car
— Fires under the chassis
— Hits ASH in the ankle
ASH returns fire instantly.
VICER charges straight through bullets.
Unstoppable.
[CLOSE-COMBAT CLASH]
VICER grabs Kael by the throat and slams him into a wall.
Concrete cracks.
VICER:
"Stay down."
Kael coughs blood.
Looks at the reader.
[FOURTH-WALL PANEL]
KAEL:
"See? This is what I mean."
"No manners."
[SUDDEN TURN – CARNAGE MODE]
Kael gouges Vicer's eye with his thumb.
Breaks free.
Grabs ASH mid-reload.
Uses him as a shield.
BANG.
BANG.
ASH drops.
Dead.
[FINAL PANELS – STANDOFF]
VICER, wounded but standing.
Kael, bleeding but smiling.
Rain between them.
VICER:
"You're not human."
Kael tilts his head.
[ICONIC FINAL PANEL]
KAEL:
"I know."
He charges.
[END PANEL – BLACK BACKGROUND]
TEXT:
TO BE CONTINUED — CHAPTER 3: NO SAFE DISTANCE