Panel 2

  We are back in the hallway, just outside Jim’s office door. From this point of view, we can see the elevator at the far end of the corridor. And striding purposefully down the hallway is a man, although we can’t see who it is yet since the hallway light bulbs are blowing out in the man’s wake.

  Still, whoever he is, he’s tall and wearing a trenchcoat. In the ambient glow, we can see his perfectly white teeth and the whites of his eyes.

  Jim is still having his seizure, still screaming off camera as the man approaches.

  JIM: Aaaaaaaaargh!!!

  Caption: Three years ago to this day, private investigator Jim Powers was shot three times in the head by the spouse of a disgruntled client.

  Panel 3

  We’re still outside Jim’s office, in the hallway. And now, for the first time, the tall man steps out of the shadows.

  It is, of course, the Devil. Satan. In all his haunting glory. Beautiful and wicked. Dashing and demonic. We see a tattoo on his neck. A serpent, breathing real fire. Above Satan, the single dusty light bulb explodes.

  Off camera, Jim is panting hard, finally coming out of his seizure.

  Caption: Deemed too dangerous to remove, the bullet, like the seizures, is now a permanent and defining fixture of Jim’s life.

  Panel 4

  Completely spent, Powers is behind his desk, hands hanging down to the ground, sweat dripping from his exhausted body.

  JIM (to himself, sardonically): I hate when that happens.

  Panel 5

  Above his desk, his single light bulb suddenly flickers. Jim casts his weary gaze up to the flickering bulb.

  Panel 6

  He next opens a bottle of whiskey and takes a long, guzzling swig of the hard stuff. It is clear that this is Jim’s way of dealing with the seizures. And perhaps even the psychological wound of being shot.

  PAGE FOUR

  Panel 1

  This panel should be offset in the upper left corner. Jim sees the silhouette of a man outside his door. Jim strikes a match and lifts it to a cigarette dangling from his lower lip. The flickering flame reveals his weary and sweating face. At the same time, Jim opens his desk drawer and hides the whiskey.

  JIM (weakly): It’s open.

  Panel 2

  This should be a larger panel, perhaps two-thirds of the page. A wide shot from just over Jim’s shoulder toward his office door, enough so that we can still see some of his profile. The door swings open. Standing in the doorway, in full color and brilliance, is the Prince of Darkness himself, striking a confident pose, cocky as hell, a shit-eating grin on his face. We see that the serpent tattoo on his neck has now moved to the other side of his neck, still spitting fire. The Devil’s long blond hair hangs loosely over his shoulders. Muscular, amazingly handsome. Even dashing. But his eyes are pure evil.

  Jim Powers stares in wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder. His cigarette falls from his mouth.

  Panel 3

  Small panel. This panel is actually a reflection in the dark eyes of Lucifer, showing his clear concentration of not only Jim, but of the match still burning in his hands. There’s a hint of a smile on the Devil’s face. In the reflection, Jim suddenly shakes his hand, having burnt his fingers on the match.

  JIM: Ouch.

  LUCIFER: Careful, you don’t want to burn yourself.

  JIM: Too late. How can I help you?

  Panel 4

  Tight on Lucifer’s face, but we get the full effect here, every inch of his amazing beauty. (Remember: Lucifer was once the most beautiful angel in Heaven.)

  LUCIFER: I have a job for you, Mr. Powers.

  PAGE FIVE

  Panel 1

  Jim stares transfixed at this incredibly strange and beautiful man who now graces his office doorway. And the Devil, of course, stares back. A sort of staring contest goes on for the next two panels. No dialogue.

  Panel 2

  The Devil is staring back at Jim, the corners of his lips rising slowly in a half smile. Again, no dialogue. Close angle on the Devil’s face.

  (What’s happening here is that Jim is no dummy. Indeed, one of his endearing traits we’ll see is that he is one hell of a tough detective with good instincts. Jim is silently puzzling out this highly unusual situation.)

  Panel 3

  Jim finally shrugs and motions to one of his client chairs sitting in front of his desk.

  JIM: So let’s talk. Have a seat.

  Panel 4

  The Devil slips off his trenchcoat and hangs it on a coat rack near the door.

  Panel 5

  Shot of the Devil easing down on the simple wooden chair. The angle is from behind the Prince of Darkness, revealing Jim watching the Devil closely.

  JIM: Hmm....

  LUCIFER: Hmm, what?

  JIM: That chair usually creaks.

  LUCIFER (grinning): Maybe I’m not really here.

  Panel 6

  Tight shot of the dragon on Lucifer’s neck having now crawled down his muscular forearms. The dragon rears up and spits actual fire.

  Panel 7

  Just Jim’s eyes, as he witnesses the dragon tattoo spitting fire. His eyes are wide with horror, his pupils shrinking to tiny pinpricks. The dragon’s tiny belch of fire reflects in Jim’s pupils.

  PAGE SIX

  Panel 1

  Jim calmly reaches inside his desk drawer. We see him reach for two items: a gun and a bottle of whiskey.

  Panel 2

  A side angle. Jim casually slips the gun into his coat pocket. His hand is low, a movement which is meant to go unseen by the Devil.

  Panel 3

  Jim drops the whiskey in the wastebasket.

  Panel 4

  Jim stands and grabs his coat.

  JIM: I think I will be leaving now.

  LUCIFER: Is there something wrong?

  JIM: Very much so.

  LUCIFER: What?

  Panel 5

  Jim moves past the Devil and toward the door, pulling on his trenchcoat.

  JIM: Your tattoo moved, for starters. Worse, it spit fire. Hell, I can even still smell the smoke. I’m hallucinating again, obviously. That happens to me sometimes after a particularly bad seizure. Sometimes I see things, bad things.

  Panel 6

  Jim exits his office and is now standing alone in the elevator, as the doors slide shut.

  Panel 7

  Thin, blood-red lips suddenly appear next to Jim’s ear. Jim jumps, startled. Lucifer has somehow appeared in the elevator next to him.

  LUCIFER: Do you ever see fire, Jim?

  JIM (sweating): Yes.

  LUCIFER: Do you see your father burning, Jim?

  Panel 8

  Cut to a small panel. We see a silhouette of a tortured man huddled in the fetal position, burning, burning.

  JIM: Yes....

  PAGE SEVEN

  Panel 1

  Big panel. Jim and Lucifer are outside now, walking together on the sidewalk. Above—and all around—we see demonic-shaped shadows flitting about—all unseen by Jim.

  Jim is walking briskly, head down, hands tucked into his jacket. Lucifer is with him stride for stride. Lucifer is perhaps an inch or two taller. Jim is a big guy in his own right.

  JIM (to himself): They are just hallucinations, conjured up by my damaged brain, brought on by the seizures. You don’t exist. The images don’t exist.

  LUCIFER: And what if you’re wrong, Jim?

  JIM: You are not real. None of this is real. Figments of my imagination, all created by the bullet in my brain.

  Panel 2

  Behind Jim we see a creature swooping from above. Wicked-looking, claws extended, it’s coming fast and low for Jim. The troubled P.I. is completely unaware of the swiftly approaching winged creature.

  LUCIFER: Believe what you want, Jim. Either way, I have a job for you to do.

  Panel 3

  WOOSH! In a blink, Jim is snatched off the ground by massive black talons. Lifted into the air.

  Panel 4

  He’s carried off into the night. New York City glitters below. Jim hangs feebly.

  JIM: This isn’t happening. [New bubble] I think I need a drink.

  Panel 5

  The creature deposits Jim rather rudely on the roof of a sky-scraper.

  Panel 6

  Jim tumbles, rolling, and comes to a stop in front of a pair of shiny combat boots.

  Panel 7

  Jim looks up into the face of Satan.

  JIM: You’re not a hallucination.

  LUCIFER: No.

  JIM: Then who are you?

  PAGE EIGHT

  Panel 1

  Jim is now looking over the edge of the building. We see what he sees: a massive drop-off, the street far below.

  LUCIFER (out of frame): You know who I am.

  JIM: I’ve seen you in my hallucinations. Standing over my father.

  LUCIFER (out of frame): Yes.

  Panel 2

  A shot from above looking down. We see a swirling vortex of demons in the sky...through the vortex, we see Jim standing near the ledge of the building. Satan is standing next to him, arms crossed, leaning casually against the roof access door.

  LUCIFER: And where do you think your father is in your hallucinations, Jim?

  JIM (nodding): He’s in Hell.

  LUCIFER: Very good! Now, then, who do you think I am?

  Panel 3

  Close up of Jim as realization dawns on him.

  JIM: I-I don’t....

  LUCIFER: Sure you do, Jim. You know in your heart. You knew it the moment I stepped into your office.

  Panel 4

  JIM (nodding, setting his jaw): You’re the Devil.

  LUCIFER: Now, now...that’s not a very nice thing to call someone.

  Panel 5

  Lucifer, laughing, reaches out and pushes Jim over the ledge. The private investigator tumbles through the air, screaming.

  JIM: Ahhhhhh!

  Panel 6

  The same black-winged creature swoops out of the dark sky and catches him. They fly off into the night.

  PAGE NINE

  Panel 1

  Jim is dropped down into an outdoor patio chair just outside a busy restaurant. To the diners around him, Jim appears to have appeared out of thin air. They gape at him openly.

  Panel 2

  Jim looks sheepishly at those around him.

  JIM: Um, hi.

  Panel 3

  A big crowd has gathered on the sidewalk just outside the restaurant. People are pointing, talking excitedly. Jim turns and looks as random snatches of dialogue reach his ears:

  Voice #1: Who is he?

  Voice #2: I dunno, but he looks like an actor

  Voice #3: Or a rock star.

  Voice #4: I want his autograph.

  Voice #5: Hell, girl. I want more than his autograph!

  Panel 4

  Lucifer, we see, is at the center of the crowd. He pushes his way through the crowd and sits in front of Jim.

  LUCIFER: Have you ordered, Jim? I feel like a steak. Raw.

  JIM: I’m not hungry.

  LUCIFER: Now, now, you’re going to need your strength.

  Panel 5

  A waiter comes by and takes their order. Meanwhile, the crowd continues to gawk at Lucifer. (No dialogue in this panel.)

  Panel 6

  The waiter is gone. Jim sits up in his chair.

  JIM: What can you possibly want with me?

  LUCIFER: I’ve heard you’re the best at what you do.

  JIM: And I’ve heard you’re the Father of Lies.

  Panel 7

  Lucifer throws back his head and laughs deeply. On the sidewalk beyond, we see that he’s still attracting a sizable crowd.

  PAGE TEN

  Panel 1

  Wide shot on a very busy street. This street is happening. Hookers on one corner, drug deals on another. Lots of traffic. Hell, we even see that there has recently been an accident; two people are busy exchanging information, their cars piled up, steam hissing from the engines.

  A busy street corner. Lots of people. A vibrant hub of human activity. And through it all, we see the hidden demons. Flying, lurking, hiding throughout the busy street corner.

  LUCIFER: Yes, that does seem to be a popular name for me.

  JIM: So I’m thinking you might be full of shit.

  Panel 2

  Lucifer stops laughing and leans across the table. We see again just how beautiful he is.

  LUCIFER: You think?

  JIM: Yeah, I think. And I’m still not convinced that this isn’t a bad dream. Or that I’m drunk.

  Panel 3

  Jim looks around. Perhaps one wide shot, as Jim takes in his surroundings. He sees a bizarrely featureless face of one diner watching them. Another featureless creature is walking past them on the street, looking down at them. Still others are in the crowd.

  JIM: What are these things watching us?

  Lucifer waves his pale hand dismissively, ignoring them.

  LUCIFER: They are, in today’s terms, my posse. In actuality, they are my protectors, my guardians, my minions. In my physical form, the form you see before you, I can be injured. They keep me from being injured, or worse.

  Panel 4

  Tight on Jim’s eyes, as we see his hand move unconsciously toward his jacket pocket where we see the bulge of his revolver. He’s obviously thinking about using it, but doesn’t.

  JIM: So I am the best at what I do, you say. And what is it that I do?

  LUCIFER (off camera): You are an ace private investigator, or so I’m told. But most importantly you have developed a name for yourself finding missing persons.

  JIM (nearly choking): You want me to help you find someone?

  LUCIFER: As a matter of fact, yes.

  Panel 5

  The waiter brings out their food. One of the plates is filled with a raw steak, dripping blood. Lucifer’s eyes widen with pleasure.

  LUCIFER: Want a bite?

  JIM: I’ll pass.

  Panel 6

  We see Lucifer dig into the steak, blood dripping down his chin. He looks evil and ghoulish in this shot, not quite the beautiful creature we had seen earlier. Almost vampiric. Jim looks, away, coughing, keeping himself from gagging.

  PAGE ELEVEN

  Panel 1

  The waiter returns, removes the empty plate. Lucifer wipes his mouth barbarishly on his sleeve.

  JIM: How can I possibly be of use to you?

  LUCIFER: You might be surprised.

  JIM: But you have all the minions of Hell at your disposal. Look, they’re everywhere.

  Panel 2

  We do look, and see them everywhere: crouching on nearby roofs, hidden in shadows, mingled in the crowd, disguised as humans. Jim sees them now, or perhaps he is more aware of them. Still, others around him are not aware of the demonic beings in their presence.

  LUCIFER: Sometimes all the minions of Hell are not enough, Jim.

  JIM: Well, good luck with that, asshole. I’m outta here.

  Panel 3

  Jim moves to get up.

  Panel 4

  Tight on Lucifer’s face. There’s blood dripping in the corner of his mouth.

  LUCIFER: Do you love your father, Jim?

  Panel 5

  The private investigator pauses in mid-stand.

  JIM: Of course, I do. But he’s dead. As you well know.

  LUCIFER (off camera): Yes, we know him well. His torment has been sweet music to my ears.

  Panel 6

  Something flashes across Jim’s eyes. That something is hate.

  JIM: You son of a bitch—

  Panel 7

  Jim dives across the table, hands reaching for the Devil’s throat, but another creature instantly appears. A pale-faced entity who grabs Jim’s throat and hurls him back in his seat.

  PAGE TWELVE

  Panel 1

  Jim is slammed back into his seat. Those in the restaurant gape at the bizarre spectacle. The pale-faced creature disappears instantly.

  LUCIFER: None of that, Mr. Powers. You must control your emotions. Yes, it is true that your father has joined us, but if you agree to help me, I will promise you his freedom.

  JIM: His freedom? From Hell?