The Game

Jay's buoyant mood after work was subtly dampened by the little incident on the way home. He could not stop thinking about what The Tramp had said to him and the deeper meaning behind it, but it was not the kind of question with a straightforward answer.

By the time Jay reached home, he had temporarily put it all aside and was greeted by Mrs. Reynolds's radiant smile. She eagerly took his briefcase and asked about the details of his first day as an intern. When Jay mentioned that he would be attending a banquet in three days, Mrs. Reynolds was quite surprised—and even more excited than Jay himself.

Mr. Reynolds did not get home until nearly ten. Mrs. Reynolds complained unhappily that he had come back so late without even sending a message, but he said nothing. Jay noticed that he uncharacteristically sat on the living room couch, staring blankly into space for quite a while. His expression seemed grave, his eyes constantly shifting as though he were weighing an extremely difficult decision.

"Jay," Mr. Reynolds suddenly said, pulling a ticket from his pocket, "if you do not have any other plans tomorrow, go to this in my place."

Jay took it and saw that it was a football game ticket. The Metropolis Warriors versus the Gotham Knights—at least the matchup sounded interesting.

Jay raised an eyebrow. "What? You do not have time to cover a football game?"

"Perry assigned me to the sports section this week. It will not be difficult. You just need to note the score and get a general sense of how the game went. For the article, you can look over some old sports reports. Most of them are practically identical. I believe you can handle it for me." Mr. Reynolds paused before adding, "Consider it the first report you handle during your internship."

Jay frowned slightly, sensing something strange. No matter how he looked at it, this decision was too hasty—even by his dad's standards. "What about you? What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I have to go on a business trip tomorrow." Mr. Reynolds's gaze seemed deliberately fixed on the cracks in the floor as he said, "I am taking the 11:15 a.m. flight to Chicago. I should be back in two or three days."

Mrs. Reynolds poked her head out from the kitchen. "Wait, you are going on a business trip? So suddenly?"

Jay asked curiously, "Perry does not know about this?"

"Yes, he... does not know the details for now," Mr. Reynolds said. "But it is no big deal, just an exclusive interview. I will discuss the specifics with him after I get back."

That was everything Mr. Reynolds said that night. Beyond that, he refused to reveal another word. Something heavy was clearly weighing on his mind. Though he would not say it aloud, it was written all over his face.

Football was not something Jay was especially interested in. Strangely enough, he had once been the star player on his school's football team. But that made sense—playing football was simply too easy for him. Although he was very good at it, he had no real interest in the sport itself.

This was Jay's first time at a real game. When he saw the fanatical crowd erupting with a roar like a tidal wave, he almost thought they had all gone mad. Resisting the urge to use his powers, he squeezed into the packed stadium and found his seat by the number on his ticket. The view was unexpectedly good.

The entire game was filled with fans screaming themselves hoarse in cheers and a chorus of boos. Jay felt that staying here too long was pure torture for his eardrums. At first, he watched the game seriously for a while, but his thoughts soon drifted elsewhere. He could not help thinking about the banquet he would attend in two days—especially going with Kara. Then, after a while, he began thinking about Mr. Reynolds's unusual behavior, unable to stop himself from worrying that his dad might have gotten himself into some kind of trouble.

But if he really had run into trouble, he should tell him. After all, he already knew what Jay could do.

The game was nearing its end. Another eruption of boos from the crowd told Jay that the Metropolis Warriors had probably lost more points. Without paying much attention, he could tell that Metropolis was performing unusually badly today, almost completely crushed by the Gotham Knights. He casually glanced at the scoreboard. Thirty-four to six. The gap was enormous. Metropolis's defeat was certain; there should not be any surprises.

"Disappointing, isn't it?"

A magnetic female voice sounded beside Jay. He instinctively turned his head and found that it was a young woman sitting next to him. She wore a long purple dress and had smooth, jet-black hair. Her features were distinctively seductive, and her fair skin seemed to reflect a golden glow beneath the brilliant sunlight, making her dazzlingly eye-catching. Jay had noticed her when he first sat down, but she had kept half her face covered with her hair while playing on her phone, so he had not paid much attention.

Jay asked in confusion, "So you are?"

"Alicia Bessemer." The woman introduced herself directly, smiling as she held out her hand. "A reporter for the Gotham Gazette. I noticed that you seem to be in the same line of work."

Jay looked down at the Daily Planet press badge hanging from his chest, smiled, and shook her hand. "From Gotham?"

"From Gotham." Alicia nodded.

"Then you can take good news home with you," Jay said. "The Knights won by an overwhelming margin."

"There is still a final to play." Alicia smiled. Jay noticed that her smile was rather unforgettable. It perfectly balanced seduction and courtesy, soft as a spring breeze, as comfortable as every word and gesture of hers.

She looked around and asked, "I noticed you came alone. No companion?"

"No."

"What a coincidence. Neither did I." Alicia smiled and unconsciously leaned an inch closer, whether intentionally or not. "Maybe we can find ourselves a companion right here."

"You mean with me?"

"I mean with someone special." The corners of her lips curved slightly. "I have always been very good at spotting special people."

The Metropolis crowd erupted in boos again, louder than ever before, the force of it seeming almost enough to lift the stadium roof. Many local fans could no longer stand it and rose to leave early. That was understandable. Not every fan could gracefully accept watching their beloved team get ground into the dirt on its home field.

Jay stopped Alicia before she could make any further intimate move.

"I think we should stop here before moving on to the next indescribable step, Alicia," Jay said. "Of course, we both know that is not your real name. So until you are willing to tell me your name, perhaps I should call you Huntress instead?"