The Master Plan is to Burn the Sky

1. Sky shoots the Heavy. Maybe it will make him drop the other Iron Guard, and put out the fire for a moment.

   
   

   The Heavy was apparently not prepared to be shot! He staggers and lets his buddies down easy, then falls to one

   
   

   The Torch throws fire in return at Sky. A barrel of waste oil by the door whooshes into deadly flames. Sky is forced a step back by the intense heat. Although the Heavy's influence is off him, Sky cannot grab Richter in time. Richter and the young Reader are on the other side of the flaming oil drum.

   
   

   Sky feels the jazz ebb .. his luck is turning!

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   As Kaze (with Nick and Christine) moves past Ito, she whispers in Japanese, "Your boss struck Saburo down. Left him for dead. Hitomi is out for himself. A dog. He would do the same to you."

   
   

   "No, you don't understand!" says Ito, clearly stricken. "Hitomi is strengthening us .. all of us! He's making us strong enough to kill the Monster, and it's nearly here!"

   
   

   "You see, the Power that gives us our abilities is a living thing. It lives deep in the sky, beyond the Moon. But it is afraid, because there is a Monster which wants to eat it. Many times, the Power has come to a world, and given Powers to its people. But the people did not grow strong enough in time, and when the Monster came, the Power had to flee, and leave the people to their fate."

   
   

   "Hitomi is gathering all the Powers together. He teaches! But now there is a Power which can grant Powers to the unlucky, those not blessed like we are. Once he has that Power, he can emPower the world, and slay the monster!"

   
   

   Ito closes his eyes and bows.

   
   

   "It is my world, my race, at stake. I will not let you kill Hitomi. No matter who has to die."

   
   

   Saburo, with a scream, launches at Ito. Saburo's hands are claws, his arms are razors, and secondary spines with spikes on them are uncurling from his back.

   
   

   Ito readies his Power.