Phthalo Blues

by Will Wallner

  “Thank you.” Nakita looked directly into his eyes.

  "It was incredible." Hunter continued. Nakita was used to men giving her compliments and she'd learned from experience, that such compliments, were never sincere. "The notes that you played were so mystical. I didn't expect to hear something like that in a place like this. Is it your own song?"

  "Um, yes it is." She replied. She'd never been asked that question before. "Did you really like it?" She asked softly.

  "Of course, but I'm not sure I completely understood what you were singing about."

  "The song's not actually finished yet. It's about the human soul. If you allow darkness inside it will consume you, but even the darkest of souls can be redeemed."

  "Does the song have a name?" Hunter asked.

  "Not yet, I need to finish it first, besides, I don't see much point in naming it. No one comes here to listen to my music."

  "You should…" Before Hunter could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a tall man with curly red hair and a well-trimmed ginger beard.

  "Nakita, come here. The shows over." She stood up from the table without saying a word and walked towards the man who was holding a door open for her. As she walked through the doorway, she made eye contact with Hunter again. Then she was gone.

  "Better luck next time, buddy." Simon laughed, as he sat back down. Hunter quickly got over the awkwardness of the situation and remembered why he had come here in the first place.

  "Simon, my friend who recommended this place to me, his name is Michael Paris. I was thinking you might have seen him here before, maybe recently?" Simon looked at Hunter and paused for a moment before replying.

  "Never heard of him..." He took another deep drag from his cigar.

  "Alright, well thanks for introducing me to Nakita. Goodbye Simon." Hunter stood up from the table, then walked towards the stairway leading back up to entrance.

  "See you around kid." Simon watched him leave and signaled to a security man standing in the corner.

  Hunter stepped out into the alleyway outside. It was the middle of the night and it had started to rain. No one was around. The bouncer put his hand on Hunter's shoulder.

  "Excuse me, sir, you forgot something." The bouncer said.

  Hunter turned to face him. It wasn't the same bouncer from when he had arrived. The man looked familiar, dressed in a black suit. Then Hunter felt something sharp pinch his abdomen. The man thrust a knife deep into Hunter's stomach and his body went limp. He fell into the man's arms, who dragged him down the alleyway, away from the bar. He placed Hunter in the back of a neighboring building and left him to die. Hunters body slumped on the floor, as blood poured out from the knife wound. The man straightened out his suit, then walked back towards the piano bar.

  As Hunter lay on the ground, the consciousness left his body. Images flashed in his mind; Black, infinite darkness. Out of the void, a ghostly image appeared. The spirit looked humanoid, but was covered in gigantic metallic armor and wielded a large sword. The figure knelt down to pick up a severed arm and held it out towards Hunter.

  “This is why you’re here. You must try to remember.”

  Hunter couldn’t speak. He looked at the hand, which dripped with blood. The blood pooled on the ground and each new droplet exploded into flames, like lava from a volcano. He spoke to Hunter again.

  “I’ve given you a gift. Now use it!”

  The ghost let go of the severed hand. It fell in slow motion towards the pool of fire and blood. Upon impact, everything exploded into a thousand tiny pieces of crystal shards.

  Hunters blood flowed slowly along the ground, mixing with raindrops, as they fell from the sky. The fingers on his left hand started to twitch. He opened his eyes. He could feel his body again and he felt powerful. He pulled himself up to his feet. When he looked down at his wound, he couldn't believe what he saw. A gush of blue energy appeared to pour out from the wound and surround his body. He stared at his hands, which were now glowing in a soft, blue light. His wound quickly healed and his whole body began to vibrate. He made a fist with his left hand causing Phthalo Blue energy to surround it, like a glove. The man in the black suit turned around to look at Hunter. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

  "What the hell is going on?" That man reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife again. "Say your prayers, you freak!" He slashed at Hunter, but the Phthalo Blue energy surrounding him acted like a shield. It couldn't be penetrated. Hunter grabbed the man's wrist and squeezed until every bone had shattered. Hunter now recognized his attacker. He was the same man who killed Michael Paris at the docks. Hunter let go of his wrist and the man fell to the floor, screaming in agony. He looked up at Hunter and begged for his life. Hunter once again looked at his hands, which were now glowing even stronger. The man pleaded, but Hunter couldn't hear his words. Hunter looked directly into the man's eyes, then walked away.

  3 PHTHALO BLUES

  Tech City, Middle Continent

  Day 8 Month 3 Year 2037

  Hunter sat on the hood of the black sports car and looked up at the night sky. The stars sparkled and reflected in the rippling waters of Tech City. He parked just outside of the city limit, on the other side of South Bridge. He looked at the cityscape, as the water glowed in the near distance. It had been a month since the incident at the piano bar. The investigation into the disappearance of Max had run cold and Hunter questioned his motives.

  As he lay on the hood of the car, he thought back to the artist’s cabin. He would love nothing more right now, than to sit on the grass and listen to the birds, while he watched the stream flow slowly along the muddy bank. Tech City seemed like an infinite enigma, impossible to decipher. No matter how many streets he explored, or how many people he spoke to, there were still endless possibilities to the answers he was looking for. He contemplated whether he should return to Valley Village and begin his journey all over again.

  He questioned what he was actually looking for and what was his purpose in life. Was he looking for his memories? Was he looking for Max? Was this really why he was meant to come to Tech City? He thought about the mysterious figure who told him to travel to Tech City in the first place. Who was he? What did he want Hunter to find? Hunter had no clue. All he did know, was that Michael Paris had been killed by a thug from the Tech City Piano Bar. Strangely, the body of Michael Paris had been discovered, but there was no formal investigation by the Tech City Police. No one seemed to care.

  Hunter turned his attention away from the city and looked at his left hand, while he made a fist. As he clenched, Phthalo Blue energy would pulse from his skin, like a glove. He watched the blue light, as he made it appear and disappear. He could now partially control the energy, but still hadn’t learned to harness it’s power completely. He could feel it flowing through his veins, but the fact that he didn’t understand why he had this gift, made him feel even more helpless.

  The only things in his life which brought him joy were Taz and Moja. Both had adapted well to the lifestyle of Tech City and never seemed happier. Although he was the adult and leader of the group, he needed them much more than they needed him. Only one other thing filled him with optimism and that was the image of Nakita in his mind playing piano. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget her beauty and how good she looked in that skin-tight red dress. He would often return to the alleyway outside of the Tech City Piano Bar and hide in the shadows, hoping to get a glimpse of her. After hours of contemplation, he drove back to the Dolphin Inn.

  “Good morning Taz,” Hunter poured himself a cup of coffee, as he looked at all of the clues from his investigation. The same clues he had been looking at for the past month.

  “Hunter, I told you before, you have to wait for the right conditions for the solution to show itself. Just like my puzzle, remember? Try to find something to take your mind off the investigation, check this out.” Taz sat up in his bed, then clicked his fingers. “Moja fetch.” She jumped up and ran to the other side of the
room, then carried Taz’s slippers in her mouth back to him. “Good, now drop it and sit.” Moja placed the slippers on the floor next to the bed, then sat staring up at Taz, with her mouth open and tongue slightly hanging out. “Good doggy Moja.” Taz rubbed her ears.

  “Taz, that’s amazing! Did you teach her that yourself?” Hunter was genuinely impressed.

  “Of course, what do you think I do while you’re out spying on the piano bar.” Taz gave Moja a treat as a reward.

  “You know Taz, I’m really glad you came with me on this trip.” Hunter said.

  “I know what you’re trying to do. Nice try, Hunter, but I’m still keeping all the money from Max’s mother. You owe me for my treasure, remember?”

  “Taz, you’re too smart for me. Speaking of Max, let’s just have a quick review. Tell me again about the comic book store.” Taz answered Hunter’s questions, while he brushed his teeth in the small hotel bathroom.

  “The store looks totally normal. The manager Steve is a bit of a geek and doesn’t have a girlfriend. Other than that, he’s alright. I like working there. There doesn’t seem to be anything about that place that could somehow be related to Max’s disappearance.” Taz’s speech was muffled by the toothbrush in his mouth.

  “Just in case, I’m going to come visit you again today while you're at work. What about the key?” Hunter asked. Taz leaned his head into the doorway, so he could talk directly to Hunter.

  “Hunter, I tried every bank in the city, twice. I even tried all the postal services, in case it was for a post box or something. It doesn’t belong to any of them. According to a locksmith, the key is for a very unusually type of lock. What about the piano bar? They must know something. If one of their employees killed Michael Paris, then they might also be somehow involved with Max.”

  “There's definitely something going on there, but it’s too dangerous.” Hunter hadn’t told Taz much about what happened on the night when he first visited the piano bar. His Phthalo Blue power was still a secret.

  “We'll find the answer, we just need to be patient. I’m taking Moja to the park. Then I'm working at Big World Comics in the afternoon. See you later Hunter." Taz paused, then had an idea. "Wait, do you want to come with us? It might help take your mind off the investigation.”

  “Actually Taz, I think I would like that." Hunter looked at Taz and grinned. "I’ll just come for a short time. Do you want me to drive us?”

  “Nah, the metro is much more fun. Moja loves to ride the shuttle.”

  Taz, Hunter, and Moja, arrived at 'Organics Park' in the center of Tech City. The park was full of tall trees and greenery, a vast contrast to the energetic city surrounding it. It was a popular location for dog owners and there were many other people out walking on this warm sunny day. Luckily, Moja had become quite tame, thanks to Taz’s supervision. She didn't even acknowledge most of the other dogs, as they slowly walked through the park.

  Along the way, they crossed path with a high-class lady walking with a smaller breed of dog. The little dog started growling at Moja, and Moja replied with a loud bark. She ran forward towards the little dog and sniffed its behind. Her tail wagged, as the little dog jumped around, trying to nip at Moja. She was intuitive enough to know the little dog was no real threat. She responded, by prodding the small dog with her snout.

  Organics Park was a mini oasis of nature within the urban landscape of Tech City. It reminded them of Valley Village. As they continued to explore the surrounding greenery, Hunter suggested they get some food from a nearby café. When they entered, Hunter waived Moja’s leash at the waitress. She replied with a nod, signaling they were allowed to bring her inside the café.

  "We'd go out of business if we didn't allow dogs. What can I get for you?" The waitress asked.

  "Anything but catula sprouts," Taz replied.

  "I see, well how about some cherry pie?" She grinned at him.

  "Yes!" Taz was very happy with her suggestion.

  “This is a nice place,” Hunter said, as he looked out of the window. On one side there was the park full of nature. On the other side were huge buildings and streets full of pedestrians.

  They sat at the counter, chatting about everything unrelated to the investigation. They reminisced about Valley Village and spoke fondly about Sister Mary. Taz still had a crush on her. As they ate their pie, a woman with dark hair, wearing a white tank-top, casual jeans, and sunglasses, came into the café to order a coffee. The woman seemed distracted. She repeatedly looked over her shoulder, checking the entrance to the café. The waitress placed the coffee on the counter and the woman started to pour some sugar. She turned again to check behind her and accidentally knocked over the cup. Coffee spilled all over the counter and down onto Hunters lap.

  “I’m so sorry!” The woman said, embarrassed. She picked up the cup and placed some napkins on the counter. Hunter stood up, then couldn’t believe who he was talking to.

  “Nakita?!?” He said. She paused and looked at Hunter.

  “Do I know you?” She removed her sunglasses. “Oh my god! You’re the guy that messed up Jake!” She fearfully stumbled back and fell to the floor.

  “It’s ok, I won’t hurt you.” He reached out his hand and looked her in the eyes. She stared back, and after a short pause, slowly took his hand. He helped her to her feet. “I think you dropped these.” Hunter picked up her sunglasses.

  “Thanks…Sorry about the coffee.” She nervously smiled at him.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me?” Taz stood up from the counter. “I’m Taz, nice to meet you.” He had a big grin on his face. Nakita awkwardly waved at him. “Unfortunately, I’m late for work, so I’ll leave the two of you alone.” Taz winked at Hunter, then took Moja by the leash. He leaned over to Hunter and whispered. “You owe me another one for this.” Hunter raised his eyebrow and watched Taz leave the cafe.

  “Would you like another coffee?” Hunter said, as he turned to face Nakita.

  “Um sure, yeah, why not.” She was clearly nervous about talking to him. After checking the entrance again, she put her sunglasses back on and sipped her coffee.

  "Did you ever finish your song?” Hunter asked.

  “My song? Oh, not yet, I’ve been busy.” She replied.

  “Is everything alright? I’ve noticed you keep checking over your shoulder. Is someone following you?”

  “No, it’s just a force of habit. Can we sit down?" She pointed to an empty table.

  "Of course." Hunter wasn't sure why she seemed so anxious.

  "Why did you do that to Jake?” She asked cautiously.

  “Jake? You mean the bouncer outside? I was just defending myself. Nakita, how much do you know about the piano bar?”

  “Well, the owner is Alex, he’s my boyfriend. He would kill me if he knew I was talking to you. Are you a member of a rival gang or something?”

  “Rival gang? No, I’m sort of like a private investigator. I’m looking for a missing child.”

  “Another missing child?” She couldn’t hide the shock on her face.

  “What do you mean another one?" Hunter felt he was onto something.

  “I’m not sure. I shouldn’t be talking about this. Alex is crazy about stuff like that. I’ve overheard a few people at the bar talking about missing children. It’s related to something called Project Overlord. Alex has been talking about it for the past six months.”

  “Project Overlord…Nakita, please tell me everything you know. It's incredibly important." This line of questioning, seemed to make her even more agitated.

  “I don’t know anything else. Listen, you seem like a nice guy, so I’ll tell you now. Ever since that night, Alex and the guys have been talking about you. Don’t come back to the piano bar, or they’ll kill you this time for sure. I have to go.”

  “Nakita wait!” He tried to stop her, but she ran from the café and disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians.