ShadowChancer
Chapter 3
by MistThing, published on February 5, 2001
The page took its time to load, filling gradually with thumbnail images. While waiting, Grace glanced at Kent's wrapped up painting laid carefully on the floor beside her. The unfortunate soggy art piece went through too much ordeal already ... Grace seriously doubted now she could get any worthwhile fingerprints from it, considering its present state. She raised the espresso cup to her lips and carefully dipped the tip of her tongue into the hot black fluid, oddly enjoying the slight burning sensation and the bitter taste. She momentarily gave in to the intense aroma of spices, cocoa and wine, taking a bolder sip. Mmmm ... I've developed some strange new habits ... Grace lowered her espresso, glimpsing sideways to assure herself nobody had noticed her strange manners. She couldn't place it exactly, but there was an obscure feeling of a missing old habit, too ... Ouch. Gut twinge. Hmmm ... Gabriel ... Go away.
The screen was full of thumbnails now. The above writing, in comics-style fonts, said:
"Join the colorful imagery of Psion comics universe. Meet our superheroes! Click on thumbnail for details."
Grace observed closely the tiny images. One name caught her attention immediately ... She clicked the thumbnail of Spark. The screen changed and displayed an illustration of a black-tights-orange-cloak-clad superhero, with the symbol of an orange flame on his chest. His eyes showed through a narrow black mask, his hands were raised high up, and lightning-bolts were painted around his head and elevated arms. He looks like a human receiver - realized Grace - like he's ... getting transmissions, or something ... She read the short outline below the image:
"Comics fans, meet Spark, the Tracer! Spark is the alias of Clark Wayne, an artist *supposedly* working for a large comic-book company in EmeraldCity. His *real* job, though, is detecting new super-talents for PsiNet! Spark can smell psychic energy from miles away - psychokinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and so much more - You name it, Spark can find it! This *sparkling* masked guy will track down the psychically-gifted, and craftily lure them to join PsiNet's good fight against evil forces ... Only thing, he hates getting 'No' for an answer, and might haul the gifted-one's ass, too! So if Spark comes your way, just make sure to treat him nice..."
Grace pulled out her notebook and wrote down:
"P.S.I.O.N.
Seattle
Bruce Kent
___________
PsiNet
EmeraldCity
Spark / Clark Wayne"
She sat back and stared thoughtful at the words, wishing she knew more about comics. Her espresso cup was long empty by now ... and it was, painfully, time to leave. Grace decided to check her Hotmail account, and skimmed through her messages. There was a fairly new one that arrived during the last two minutes or so; Grace's heart skipped a beat. The sender was registration@psioncomics.com. Her fingers trembling slightly, Grace opened her message. It said,
"Psion welcomes her newest member, Chase. Have a great day. Have Psion comics!"
Grace violently hammered down on the keyboard and closed Explorer. How the hell did they get to my hotmail account? She felt again a hint of the paralyzing fear that obscured her senses earlier and made her run senseless in the streets. That fear was foreign ... overwhelming ... strange to her essence. She was terrified of experiencing it again. Grace forcefully pushed the thought deep down into her subconscious and got up, taking her bag and Bruce's painting with her. She went over to the coffee guy at the bar. Hesitantly, she opened the notebook at the page written last.
- "You seem to know a lot about this comics stuff..." - she said in a certain amount of effort - "Could you make something out of this?"
He glimpsed at Grace over a colorful magazine, extended his hand and slid her notebook towards his side of the bar. "Uh ... that's easy" - the guy seemed amused - "It kinda jumps at ya ... Bruce Kent. Clark Wayne. Mix the names, and you get ... Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne. The first is known as Superman, the man of steel ... the other is Batman."
- "That's ... an interesting code system" - Grace wrinkled her forehead. Who the hell was I hanging out with the last couple of months? Actually, all of this Psion business is starting to look like a huge codename playground...
- "How much do I owe you?" - She asked, pulling out her purse.
- "Just a promise."
- "Huh?"
- "If you sometime get yourself into trouble again" - said the coffee guy - "Look around for a Starlight Cybercafe."
- "Who are you?" - Grace looked at him, astounded.
- "I just sell coffee" - he said.
Grace stepped outside to the freezing air, and for some reason didn't look back. She resumed her walk ... the Metro was much closer then she had estimated earlier. It was five in the morning, but thanks to the wintery weather the air was still gloomy and dark. Standing alone at the bus station, Grace felt great exhaustion sinking in her muscles ... all of this has been just ... too much. And she found herself thinking about him again. No gut-twinge this time. Gabriel. Gabriel Knight. After three long years, she will have to call him. Damn.
Last update: October 25, 2007
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