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One Day Before the Comicon, New York City
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“Chloe, I need your help.” Roland Kirby, my former boyfriend, said when I finally answered my cell phone’s insistent buzz. He’d called twice in the last twenty minutes, having texted me earlier, but I’d ignored him. Not that it did any good. If there’d been a land line in Eric’s co-op, Roland would have tried it, too. He’s a sweetie, but a total Rottweiler when he gets an idea.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked. “I’m trying to pack.”
“You’re coming to the Chicago comicon, right?”
“Yes. I’m even on the ‘Women in Comics’ panel. Real breaking news stuff. We’re women, and we work in comics. Duh.”
“Women artists are rare in corporate comics. You should represent.”
“I only have a high profile gig at Fantastic Comics because I sleep with the boss.”
For once, Roland said nothing about his rival. After a pause, he continued.
“Do you still have the Dimensional Diamond? That jewel your father gave you?”
I walked into Eric’s crazy main room, past the waterfall, the hanging couch, the fossil-inlaid side tables, and more. The Dimensional Diamond still sat on a coffee table, where I’d tossed it after my adventure with a supervillain from another dimension. The cleaning service had carefully dusted it each week. “It’s still there. Do you want it?”
“Bring it with you to Chicago. You’ll need it.”
“Will it allow me to jump the entrance lines faster than a speeding bullet?” I picked up the diamond on its chain and stared at its multifaceted sparkle.
Silence on the other end of the call.
“That’s supposed to be a joke,” I prodded. “You’re not laughing.”
“Funny you should cite the comic book superhero who started it all.” Roland’s voice sounded a little strangled. “Trouble is brewing at this comicon. Your superpowers could be crucial.”
“No way,” I said. “I’m done with being a superheroine.”
I padded back to Eric’s bedroom, and continued throwing clothes into my rolling suitcase. “How about you wear it instead of me?”
“Chloe,” Roland said, patient with my reluctance, but as determined as ever. “You know your abilities come from your blood relationship to—”
“Let’s not go there. How are you involved, anyway?”
“I’m overseeing security.”
“Did Jerry Fine get you the spot?”
“The influence of a grand old veteran artist and beloved icon may have convinced the promoters to hire my firm,” Roland replied modestly.
“You’re a talented security guy, don’t deny it.” Roland had spent some time being Jerry’s personal cyber assistant since our big adventure last year, but Roland had other abilities. He was a computer and security expert. I soothed his ego with a few more words about how helpful he’d been to Jerry.
“I have a bad feeling about this comicon,” Roland said.
“Other than what a nightmare being in charge of security is at an event that draws over a hundred thousand media fans and comics geeks?”
“There are rumors that several people with grudges against the big corporate comic book companies are intent on causing trouble.”
“Comic book creators who were talked into selling all rights when they were teenagers? Isn’t that old news? I thought there was a lawsuit or something?” I said.
“It’s the seventy-fifth anniversary of CP Comics. The company is celebrating with special events at the comicon. Certain people with an axe to grind want to take the shine off the party.”
“Hardly a superhero level threat.” I kept packing.
“You’ve heard of Norman Krigstein, haven’t you?”
I didn’t reply. During our short-lived romantic relationship, Roland had lectured me endlessly about the comic book business. He couldn’t help himself, fanboy that he was. I hadn’t paid much attention.
He said, “Krigstein is coming to this comicon, and he’s a dire enemy of Jeff Kane, who runs CP Comics. Krigstein has a history of punching people he doesn’t like. Plus there’s that nutcase Howard Hogarth.”
“You expect a fistfight in the middle of the comicon? How old are these guys, anyway?”
“Kane’s over fifty. Krigstein’s at least sixty-five, one of those baby boomers. Thinks he’s eternally young. He’s complained to the media for years that CP Comics ripped off his idea for Nightlarke back when he worked for them.”
“Another geezer still holding a grudge?* I thought Diabolical Dave McCay was the only one like that.” *[See Temporary Superheroine]
“Nightlarke is the only female superhero character in the Sky Holder movie. Did you see that? She’s now a licensing bonanza. Tons of toys and costumes for little girls. Krigstein wants a big piece of the licensing action.”
“Does any of this involve Eric’s company? Fantastic Comics?” I asked.
“All the trouble surrounds FC's biggest rival, City Periodicals. Better known as CP Comics.”
“Why should an old wrong matter at a comicon? Comicons are mostly about movies and television shows.”
“The original comic cons focused on the comics.” Roland said it with an unhappy tinge to his voice.
“But you’re not bitter or holding a grudge yourself, right?”
“It’s weird that what I thought of as my private little world is now the hottest kind of movie or TV show.”
“There are more geeks in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” I intoned.
“Okay, I get it. You don’t care,” he said. He sighed. “Please bring the Dimensional Diamond anyway, and your superheroine costume—and hope I’m wrong.”
“I have no superpowers in this world, remember?”
“You underestimate yourself, Chloe. You’re a terrific action heroine, with or without superpowers. Plus the Dimensional Diamond has awesome powers.”
“It’s a concept from a comic book. It’s not real,” I said, more to convince myself than him.
“So was the Amulet of Life.”
That shut me up. The Amulet of Life wasn’t in our universe anymore, but it did have awesome powers, as Roland and I had good reason to know.