() Flicked: Day 1 ()

It had been raining just a moment ago, but all at once the sky closed up and Cliff Rowley was left to slowly dry as he walked down the sidewalk outside a collection of expensive high rise apartments. He wasn't the easiest on the eyes, and drew stares from residents walking down the same side of the street. Despite his initial appearance to everyone else, Rowley kept himself groomed and sported a well-kept short boxed beard. He looked over his shoulder. No one appeared to be following him, but he decided to make one more circle around the block. This time he pulled out a small rounded mirror that fit in the palm of his hand and carefully inspected any blind spots he might be missing. A slight shimmer caught Rowley's eye and he cautiously slipped the mirror back into his pocket. Someone was tailing him.

At the same time, Samuel Keely was lying lifeless on his penthouse floor. Rowley's employers had never taken kindly to those who might expose the nature of their business, and Rowley was their "fixer" of sorts. He wasn't your average sort of assassin. Some might call him a specialist, ironically because he dealt with people who possess special abilities. While not super common, estimated at a fraction of a percent of the world's population, these special powers tend to corrupt all they touch. Samuel Keely for instance had the ability to see through the lens of any camera on the planet. It was a fitting power for a journalist, although it's onset came 15 years after his last article was written. The prospect of writing and having an article that would break the 24 hour news cycle would be akin to surpassing his former self, and was too appealing for him to pass up.

This was his fatal mistake. Flipping through the cameras in his mind, Samuel had seen a counterfeiting operation that would have made anyone wet themselves. Double V, the organization that hired Rowley, ran many of these counterfeit outfits, but exposure of even one was enough to put the hit out on Samuel. Rowley carried his sentence out swiftly and poisoned Samuel with a hijacked pizza delivery. Clean and easy, just how Rowley liked it.

Rowley could feel the figure stalking him now. All he needed was a way to get them alone. Rowley ducked right into an alleyway and hid behind a dumpster. The stench was foul and his shoes squished in whatever lay on the ground. Mirror in hand, Rowley waited. It wasn't long before a shimmering figure turned the corner in the mirror and rushed past him. Turning his hand and the mirror slowly, Rowley kept the figure in view. Without the mirror, he'd be at an even greater disadvantage against an otherwise invisible enemy. Hand outstretched, Rowley snapped his fingers in the direction of his pursuer. As his middle finger connected with his palm, a shockwave erupted through the air like a bullet, striking the invisible figure in the back. It sent him careening into the brick wall at the end of the alley and within an instant of impact the figure was visible.

After waiting a few seconds to assess the situation, Rowley slowly walked toward what appeared to be a child in a grey hoodie and faded, ripped jeans. He knelt beside them and pulled back the hoodie to reveal the face of a skinny, blond-haired child who looked to be around the age of twelve. The kid stank, no, reeked of booze and cigarette smoke. Rowley coughed a little into his elbow. Pulling out his phone, Rowley snapped a photo of the kid, before rummaging through the pockets on the hoodie and jeans. The kid had a ring with three snakes tied into some sort of Celtic knot, a pack of spearmint chewing gum, and a small piece of paper with an address and... "Cliff Rowley" circled in red pen. Rowley was not amused.

Rowley could and probably should have killed the kid right then and there, left his body in the alley and gone about his business, but he couldn't. Something was bugging him about this whole situation. The kid wasn't old enough to have active powers yet, and how did he have a paper with Rowley's name on it? He sighed. The only way he was going to get answers now was to take the kid with him.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah Mathis poured over the documents cluttering her desk. Slamming her hands on the table, she let out a frustrated groan. She wasn't cut out to be some big-shot's assistant, working long hours just to keep some white-collar businessman happy. Not to mention the crappy pay. She sat on the 9th floor of the company high rise across from the elevators, and when she was bored and alone, she would often stare out across the city on the executive balcony. Doing just that would be what saved her life the next day.

That and Cliff Rowley.