Mercifall

Prologue comic

It was never a riot.

Same streets, different reasons. Cole's night runs down the left, Nia's down the right.

The Mercifall prologue comic page. Cole's and Nia's nights run side by side and meet on Crossfall Avenue. The full text is in the transcript below.
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  1. Title: Mercifall. Some cities forget. Mercifall won't let go. Prologue: same streets, different reasons, one night that changes everything.
  2. 11:07 PM, MFPD Central Precinct. Cole Mercer, rookie officer, gets his first deployment: a riot downtown. He answers, Copy that.
  3. 11:12 PM, outer route. Nia Vargas, night courier, reads texts from Elena: Where are you? Please pick up. It's not funny. She replies: I'm coming in. Be safe.
  4. Cole radios for more units. Dispatch tells him to hold position; it is still a civil disturbance. It doesn't feel like one.
  5. Nia finds the main roads shut and every exit closed to all but authorized vehicles. Back way it is.
  6. Cole draws his gun on the crowd: This isn't a riot. This isn't people. The radio orders him to fall back.
  7. Nia sees fire and bodies in her mirror: That's not an accident. That's a massacre. Elena, where are you?
  8. Command pulls support. Cole refuses to leave the people still out there.
  9. Nia takes a service access road: I'm coming, Elena. I'm not turning around now.
  10. 11:58 PM, Crossfall Avenue. Cole and Nia face a horde and a hulking figure in the rain. It was never a riot.
Read the text

  1. Title

    Mercifall. Some cities forget. Mercifall won't let go.

    Prologue. Same streets. Different reasons. One night that changes everything.

  2. 11:07 PM — MFPD, Central Precinct

    Cole Mercer: rookie officer. First real night shift. Still believes in the badge.

    "First deployment, Mercer. We've got a situation downtown. Reports of a riot. Possible looting. Move out and assist with crowd control."

    "Copy that."

  3. 11:12 PM — Outer route

    Nia Vargas: night courier. Knows the back roads. Goes where others can't. Looking for her sister.

    Elena, 11:12 PM: "Where are you? Call me." 11:18 PM: "Please pick up." 11:27 PM: "It's not funny."

    Nia: "I'm coming in. Be safe."

  4. Cole

    "Dispatch, this is 3-27. We're seeing more than looting out here. Requesting additional units."

    "3-27, maintain position. This is still a civil disturbance. Do not escalate."

    Still a disturbance? Doesn't feel like it.

  5. Nia

    "Main roads are shut down. Of course."

    Signs: Road closed. Mercifall: all exits closed, authorized vehicles only.

    "Back way it is. You taught me this, Elena."

  6. Cole

    "This isn't a riot." "This isn't people."

    "3-27, fall back! Fall back now!"

  7. Nia

    "That's not an accident. That's a massacre."

    "Whatever this is... Elena, where are you?"

  8. Cole

    "Command just pulled support. We're on our own." "Focus on containing the area. Wait for further orders."

    "People are still out here." "I'm not leaving them."

  9. Nia

    "You said there are always another way in."

    "I'm coming, Elena." "Whatever this is... I'm not turning around now."

  10. 11:58 PM — Crossfall Avenue

    Cole and Nia, back to back, face the horde. Graffiti on the wall: Some things should stay dead.

    It was never a riot.

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