Double Cross Scene Compilation - CH3 Pgs 56-59

Happy New Years, everyone!

Even though I'm sure y'all are busy with holiday celebrations, I wanted to get in one last scene compilation with "DVD-style" commentary before the end of the year. I'll keep posting these scene compilations weekly(ish) until I start getting the completed pages from Gabriel and Vero for Fallen Chapter Two soon. I'll let y'all know when I have an exact date for that.

Thank you all for your recommendations for Christmas movies and even music! My personal favorite Christmas song is Carol of the Bells, so I was tickled to find this version that mixes it with the Evil Empire music from Star Wars. Definitely worth a listen! (And the top comments on the vid are quite amusing. Also worth a look.)

On the personal front, I was able to take my mother out to a restaurant for Christmas. She hasn't been able to leave her room for a while so that was really nice. The hubby and I also celebrated our anniversary on Christmas Eve (the day we met, a very happy Christmas for me) at a local French Bistro that's special to both of us. It was a good Christmas.

And on the writing front, I've officially booked time with a cover designer for the urban fantasy novel I've been working on. Expect the cover reveal in a few months. The book will be released this year, and I'm super excited about that. :)

Anyway, in this scene comp, our heroes decide on a plan of attack to save Daniela from Shades. Check out what happens under the fold!

These pages were first published way back in December 2020 - January 2021. If you want to read the previous scene compilations (and, even better, read the whole first two chapters all at once), you can find them on the TYP:DC Scene Compilation Collection page. 

My DVD-style commentary is below the comic pages. And the pages themselves are full-resolution here on Patreon, so feel free to zoom-in!

Let's come up with a plan to save that girl!

 Stay on target!

Best Laid Plans

Here we have another "planning the attack" scene. As I think I mentioned previously, I love including these scenes, but I wind up questioning whether they really are needed. In some genres, like the Heist Movie, they are essential—and in those stories, I really enjoy watching how the plan succeeds and then, inevitably, goes sideways. But for a more straight-forward action-adventure like Double Cross, I do get concerned that it might bog things down.

That said, there are particular character/story reasons for including this. The character reason is that Teen Spooky has learned how important thoughtful planning and deliberation is to Mitch, and he wants to impress his new friend, especially now that they've started kissing.

The story reason is that it gives me the opportunity for some

Housekeeping

We're getting towards the halfway point of this story and, while we've heard about her, we have yet to actually meet the girl our heroes are so anxious to save, Daniela. If readers are going to care, too, then she needs to feel real, which means it's high time we actually get to see her in the flesh.

I also felt it was important to at least namecheck the other stakes that are in play that we haven't mentioned for a minute, namely the Sphere Celestial ("the artifact") and Ambrosia's brother. Mitch and Teen Spooky have had lots to distract them, but it was important that the readers not completely forget about these other elements of the plot as well.

Likewise, I wanted to remind readers that Flyboy has something going on with his arm that causes him pain, and also mention one of the more obscure but epic aspects of his power—the ability to transfer momentum instantly and harmlessly to whatever he touches. Both of those things become relevant for the upcoming action.

Finally, this also seemed a good moment to remind folks that The Platinum Priestess had the ability to read Amanda's projected thoughts at the end of the Engaging the Enemy arc. That might just become relevant in DC's final chapter...

Those are a lot of bases I needed to touch. Hopefully, by framing it all within their planning, I succeeded in doing it artfully so it didn't just end up as the dreaded "exposition dump." You can let me know how good a job you think I did with that.

Amanda is still not ready to grab the reins

At the beginning of the scene, Flyboy naturally turns to Amanda to come up with the plan of attack. After all, as the future leader of The Young Protectors team, she was the one in charge of strategy. But while she is getting more comfortable using her powers and has great instincts, she still sees herself as just a tourist when it comes to fighting villains. What she needs is confidence, which the upcoming action scene might just give her...

But Spooky is happy to come up with a plan!

As I said above, Teen Spooky is really hoping to impress Mitch by coming up with a plan that is both cautious and rational. Our young mage is still a boy of action, so his strategy leans heavily on that, but what he comes up with manages to impress even Amanda. (Even if the way she compliments him in front of Mitch leaves him a little salty.) Teen Spooky might like to leap into the fray, but he can, indeed, be "smart" when the situation calls for it.

This isn't the movies

Even though I think of these comic story arcs in cinematic terms when I am writing the scripts, it's important to me that gunplay has actual consequences in my stories (even if they aren't quite as devastating as they would be in real life.) Sensible, serious Amanda is the right person to give voice to this concern, and her push-back also hangs a lamp on why more heroes don't use guns in my world: local law enforcement takes gun use very seriously. If these "kids" get caught shooting at people, even Amanda's uber-connected mother might not be able to help them.

So, Amanda is not cool with going in, guns blazing. But no way in hell is she being left behind—she makes it clear that she's just as committed as the boys.

Teen Spooky unintentionally reveals his feelings

Finally, the scene ends with what I hope feels like a lighter moment, when Teen Spooky gushes a bit at Mitch, and Amanda immediately puts the pieces together: something romantic has happened between these guys. This both prompts her to issue the older Flyboy a warning to "keep things simple" (i.e. drama-free), but also elicits a smile. Since she isn't ready to start something with Teen Spooky (yet), she's happy that he might have found a potential love connection for the time being.

(And I believe I established somewhere that she enjoys yaoi stories which might also help with that smile, but I can't remember exactly when I did that. Any of you recall where that was?)

Let me know what you think!

Anyway, those are the things I was thinking when I was creating these pages with Adam and Vero. Please let me know your own thoughts below. It's your feedback that makes it fun for me to create these, so please jump in and share!

And thank you, as always, for making this comic possible. Sharing these scenes with you helps remind me of how much I enjoy creating this story. And it's only possible because of your support.

Happy New Year, everyone! As I reflect on this year, I feel tremendous gratitude to all of you for sticking with me and this story. I wish you all a peaceful and joyous 2025. :)