Chapter 15: The Big Game
After work, Jay's buoyant mood from the day was subtly tinged with contemplation, unable to shake off the drifter's words and their haunting implications—not the sort of riddle one unravels in a fleeting moment.
Upon arriving home, he shelved these thoughts, greeted instead by Mrs. Reynolds' beaming smile. She warmly took his briefcase, peppering him with questions about his inaugural day of interning. When Jay mentioned the upcoming gala he was to attend, Mrs. Reynolds couldn't hide her surprise, her excitement outshining even Jay's own.
Mr. Reynolds didn't return home until nearly ten o'clock. Mrs. Reynolds chided him for coming back so late without sending a word, but he remained silent. Jay noticed his father's unusual solemnity as he sat on the couch, lost in thought with a gaze flitting about, wrestling with a decision of great weight.
"Jay," Mr. Reynolds said suddenly, pulling a ticket from his pocket, "if you've got no plans tomorrow, could you cover this for me?"
Jay examined the ticket—it was for a football game. The Metropolis Warriors versus the Gotham Knights, names that promised a spectacle.
Jay raised an eyebrow: "Can't cover a football game?"
"Perry's got me on sports this week. It's easy—you just need to catch the scores, get a feel for the game. Flip through past sports articles for reference; they're mostly the same. I trust you to handle this," Mr. Reynolds advised, pausing before adding, "Consider it your first assignment."
Jay furrowed his brow, sensing something off. Even by his father's standards, this was a hasty decision. "What about you? What will you be doing tomorrow?"
"I've got to travel," Mr. Reynolds said, his gaze drifting to the floor, "I'm catching the 11:15 AM flight to Chicago. Should be back in a couple of days."
Mrs. Reynolds peeked out from the kitchen: "Travel? This is rather sudden, isn't it?"
Jay inquired, puzzled, "Perry doesn't know about this?"
"He's not aware of the details yet," Mr. Reynolds replied, "but it's nothing major, just an exclusive interview. I'll discuss the specifics with him when I get back."
That was all Mr. Reynolds divulged that evening, keeping any further details under wraps, though his face betrayed the weight of his thoughts.
Football was not Jay's passion, despite once being a star player in his school's team, which was peculiar in itself. It came too easily to him, so although he played well, the game itself left him cold.
Entering the stadium, Jay was nearly overwhelmed by the tsunami of fervent fans. He fought the urge to employ his superpowers to navigate the throng and found his seat, surprisingly with a decent view.
The game was a cacophony of cheers and jeers, an aural torture for Jay. Initially, he tried to focus on the match, but his mind quickly strayed to the upcoming gala with Kara, and then to his father's odd behavior, worrying if Mr. Reynolds had gotten himself into trouble.
But if there was trouble, his father would've confided in him, knowing what Jay was capable of.
As the game neared its end, a wave of boos suggested the Warriors were fumbling again. Even without close attention, Jay knew the home team's performance was abysmally poor, crushed by the Knights. He glanced at the scoreboard; the gap was vast, the Warriors' defeat was certain.
"Disappointing, isn't it?"
A magnetic female voice sounded beside Jay, prompting him to turn and find a young lady in a purple dress with lustrous black hair and captivating features. Her skin seemed to glow in the sunlight. He had noticed her earlier, but she had been half-hidden behind her hair, preoccupied with her phone.
Confused, Jay asked, "And you are?"
"Alicia Besimor," she introduced herself crisply, extending a hand with a smile. "Reporter for the Gotham Gazette. I noticed we're in the same line of work."
Jay glanced at his Daily Planet badge and chuckled, shaking her hand. "From Gotham?"
"That's right." Alicia nodded.
"Well, you get to go home with good news," Jay replied. "The Knights are heading for a landslide victory."
"There's still the finals," Alicia said with a memorable smile, a perfect blend of allure and etiquette, as comforting as a spring breeze. "I noticed you came alone; no company?"
"Nope."
"Quite the coincidence. Neither did I." Alicia's smile lingered as she inched closer. "Perhaps we could find companionship right here at the game?"
"You mean, with me?"
"I mean with someone special." Her lips curled slightly. "I have a knack for spotting extraordinary individuals."
The Metropolis crowd erupted in another deafening chorus of boos, the uproar threatening to shake the stadium's very foundations. Many local fans, unable to stomach their team's humiliation, began to leave. Not every fan can gracefully accept their beloved team being trampled on home turf.
Jay stopped Alicia's advancing intimacy.
"I think we should call it quits here, before moving on to the next indescribable step, 'Alicia,'" he said. "Of course, we both know that's not your real name. Perhaps, until you're ready to disclose it, you'd prefer I call you Huntress, would you agree?"
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