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Chapter: Chapter 09

  • PANEL 1: Eli stares, surprised. PANEL 2: Eli smiles and says You put all that together just by looking at a little chip?! PANEL 3: Joey gestures to the room while saying Well, that and you obviously like collecting things. I mean, look at this place! It's full of junk! PANEL 4: Joey's expression becomes hesitant. N- No offense… PANEL 5: His face brightens again as he hands Eli back the knife. If anyone was gonna have it, it'd probably be you. Otherwise this would just be a regular ol' knife. PANEL 6: Eli takes the knife, pulling back his hand and carefully touching the chip in it. PANEL 7: Eli speaks with a cunning smile. I think we can work with this. I wanna show you somethin', kid.

    Page 238

    Jul 13, 2026

  • PANEL 1: Eli stares, surprised. PANEL 2: Eli smiles and says You put all that together just by looking at a little chip?! PANEL 3: Joey gestures to the room while saying Well, that and you obviously like collecting things. I mean, look at this place! It's full of junk! PANEL 4: Joey's expression becomes hesitant. N- No offense… PANEL 5: His face brightens again as he hands Eli back the knife. If anyone was gonna have it, it'd probably be you. Otherwise this would just be a regular ol' knife. PANEL 6: Eli takes the knife, pulling back his hand and carefully touching the chip in it. PANEL 7: Eli speaks with a cunning smile. I think we can work with this. I wanna show you somethin', kid.

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    Jul 13, 2026

  • PANEL 1: Eli opens the display case of a different item, a bat with large cracks of red inside of it and reaches for it. He says This thing, however… PANEL 2: Smiling with the bat slung over his shoulder he asks You wanna see something neat? PANEL 3: He winds up the bat to swing. PANEL 4: The impact of the strike violently shatters the glass of five display cases as well as the very edges of the comic panel.

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    Jul 13, 2026

  • PANEL 1: Joey is amazed, saying Whoa!!! while Eli stands impressed. Ain't it great, kid? This looks just like a normal ole bat, but this thing is a relic from back when we started imbuing our Specs into things. PANEL 2: Eli holds up the bat and says The days before microchips, before just being able to easily copy off of those things. Back then we had to put a little bit of ourselves in somethin' to really connect with it. This guy? His Spec was Strike, some of his blood is seeped into this thing, y'know. Joey sticks his tongue out and says Gross… PANEL 3: Eli is putting the bat back in the display case while speaking. Ha! Yeah, pretty gnarly. The guy was a real babe, though. PANEL 4: Eli turns around and waves Joey over and says But that's not what I wanted to show ya. Follow me. Joey looks intrigued.

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  • PANEL 1: Eli and Joey walk past various display cases and paintings. Joey looks around as Eli explains Now these are the real treasures. PANEL 2: Eli gestures to a display in the background while Joey is staring at something else, glowing, and not listening. Eli says I managed to get my hands on collectibles from entire families! PANEL 3: Eli, smiling, continues describing a display out of view. These guys right here? Family of scholars, each and every one of 'em has a similar Spec power. All focusing on some part of their intelligence. Joey in the background is in front of a different display. PANEL 4: Eli points forward and continues, Screen, they were extremely observant. Stitch, a natural at putting together a thesis– you see what I'm getting at here, kid? PANEL 5: Eli continues speaking. It doesn't always happen, but how you grow up influences your personality, who you are. And because of that, it's common for families to have similar Specs. So if we can ascertain anything from your family history, then– PANEL 6: Eli looks surprised when Joey interrupts from out of view and says Where's Charlie? PANEL 7: Eli turns around, now confused, and asks Excuse me?

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    Jul 13, 2026

  • PANEL 1: Eli turns around to see Joey glowing and looking at three labeled display cases and a family portrait of three. Joey says The Carters have two kids, right? Why's only one of em' here? Eli asks ... Care to elaborate? PANEL 2: Joey turns around, enthusiastic and grinning. Oh! You haven't heard about this, huh? PANEL 3: Joey says Well, okay. You have everyone else here. The portrait features three people. On the left is an older Caucasian man with close-cut black hair with salt and pepper grey streaks, as well as a mustache, goatee, a striped orange suit and white tie. He is smiling, staring forward and slightly wrinkled. On the right is an older woman, the same hair color kept up in a bun and similar wrinkles. She wears a purple dress, smiling and looking down at the third person in the middle, who is a child with the same hairstyle as his father. He has a beauty mark on the left of his face, and is frowning. PANEL 4: A zoom-in of the older man, and Joey says each of their names in order. Gregory. PANEL 5: A zoom-in on the older woman. Lillian. PANEL 6: A zoom-in on the child. And Connor. But the portrait is missing their youngest kid, Charlie. PANEL 7: Three labeled display cases are together in a row. The first is labeled Gregory Carter, Compose, with a conductor's baton beneath the glass. The second is Lillian 'Lily' Carter, Hush, with a microphone. The third is Connor Carter, Veil, with a pendant. Joey continues speaking. You also don't have anything from him on your display tables. Sometimes I uh… I kinda get obsessed with things! And I have to know everything about it! PANEL 8: Joey's expression is focused. So I heard someone say that the Carter's had another kid, and I got curious.

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    Jul 13, 2026

  • PANEL 1: Joey is seen researching in a library in the past, and he narrates over it. From there it was pretty easy. There's records of Charlie's birth. PANEL 2: A closer look at the newspaper reads Second family welcomes second child, and Joey continues. The family announced it in the newspaper. And he's in a few other family portraits that aren't public anymore, but I found newspapers at the library that do have photos of them. PANEL 3: An open newspaper with the outline of a three-person family like the portrait is in view. Joey says And then one day they all just stop! No more mentions of him, he's not in newspapers anymore, or family photos of public appearances or anything! No missing persons report, no report of a death– he's just gone! PANEL 4: Joey stares at the open newspaper, eyebrow raised and confused and continues narrating. It's like he just stopped existing after he turned five. PANEL 5: Back in the present, Joey's back is still turned facing the portrait with a glow behind his head. You said this was a whole family collection! And given how peculiar you are about the rest of your collection… I figured you would've at least gotten a portrait with Charlie in it!

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    Jul 13, 2026

  • PANEL 1: Joey turns around to face Eli with a cheerful smile and a pointed finger, the glow brightening and being visible in his eyes now. He says Looks like you didn't do your research, Mr. Brusque! This collection isn't complete! PANEL 2: Eli looks surprised, Joey's glow radiating in front of him. PANEL 3: Eli smiles menacingly, and says Kid, I think we're off to a great start.

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    Jul 13, 2026

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