Part 1
penny is hides her excitement as best as she can, but it looks like she’s going to explode. she successfully refrains. she asks crow about the mission tomorrow. he tells her he has no clue what it will be, but they’ll take the first easy request that comes in.
penny takes it seriously, and promises she will not fail.
crow tells her to calm down, the mission will be almost a formality. nothing to worry about.
penny insists that it will matter, their jobs are important, no matter how small the task.
crow smiles for the first time in the comic. jane notices and makes a mental note of that.
Part 2
the next morning, penny shows up early. eager for the day
jane shows up perfectly on time and sees penny organizing. she comments on her being early, assuming she’s excited for her first mission.
penny mentions that she left at the same time she normally does, but she shortened her run
jane is confused. run?
penny says she normally runs 15 miles before showing up for work, today she wanted to save some energy, so she cut it just ran straight to work instead.
jane is even more confused. 15 miles?! how far is the run straight here?
penny casually admits its still a 10 mile run.
Part 3
crow shows up slightly late, complaining about how hot it is outside.
penny notices him walk in and hang up his overshirt, revealing the scars on his arm and back
penny asks him how get got them. was it a dragon?
crow scoffs, appearing upset. he tells her that dragons are docile, intelligent creatures. the only reason one would ever attack you is if you threatened its young.
she apologizes, saying her knowledge is limited to books. “so how did you get them?”
crow replies: “a dragon got me.”
Penny appears exhausted by the joke.
She says that she’s impressed he survived, then. She admits that a dragon is the only thing she’s worried about ever having to face.
Part 4
Crow and Penny wait around, doing normal tasks, waiting for a call to come in. Finally, one does. An easy one! A simple “save a gryphon from a tree” type call. It doesn’t get easier than this. The kind of mission Rangers take when they need a break. Penny treated it with the utmost importance.
crow: alright this should be a real easy-
penny: anything could happen. stay on guard.
crow: chill, penny.
penny: penumbra.
crow: its just a bird rescue. they happen all the ti- she’s already gone.
penny: BACK ME UP
crow: damn she IS fast.
crow: oop
(penny is fighting a gryphon)
Penumbra is seen scolding a big mama gryphon, while the baby gryphon is just chillin.
Crow is struck through the heart, is blushing, and is no longer paying attention.
Penumbra finishes her lecture and says to Crow, “Mission complete. Let’s get back to the outpost.”
Crow’s attention is abruptly brought back to Earth.
Backstory Time: Penny – Part 3
The day before her 14th birthday, her mother passed away. She did not cry during the funeral.
Her father became a different person entirely. The time he didn’t spend working, he spent in his office. She’d still bring him report cards, but there was no more praise. Just acknowledgment and a reminder to bring the next one when its in.
When the next one came in, she crumpled it up, and threw it away.