The next day was cloudy and there was a chilly breeze. Brendan was in a more relaxed state, now that he had gotten rid of Jack Price. Only three Supremes were still roaming the streets: the Flicker, Black Ice and most dangerous of all, the Finch.
Meanwhile, something else was taking place in the forest. The Finch had summoned both Black Ice and the Flicker to her domain using telepathy. 'Trust me, you may be annoyed right now but you'll thank me later. Besides, my telepathy is much more merciful than a Phantom's.' She stepped into her cottage.
Both of the summoned had expressions of irritation on their faces. Black Ice's red eyes were fixed on the Finch's door as he waited impatiently to hear what she required of him.
The Flicker, on the other hand, kept his view on every single detail around him, as if he intended to purchase everything from the smallest grain of sand to the leaf at the highest branch of the tallest tree. His unkempt hair stood erect like the needles on a porcupine as if he had just been electrocuted. His arms were covered in bandages from the knuckles to below the elbows; a punishment from his last encounter with Brendan.
'Can all Versatiles do what you just did?' The Flicker asked her when she stepped out.
She was holding two plastic bottles containing a green liquid. She answered, 'If you mean telepathy then no. I have been practicing it for quite some time and I have managed to perfect it. I am the first Versatile ever to do so.'
'How many kinds of super powers can a Versatile have, anyway?' Black Ice asked her, converting his irritated expression to a curious one.
'A Versatile can have up to ten types of super powers, with increased strength and increased speed often included, but only one Versatile can surpass this number; the boy of legend. For any other Versatile to try and increase the number of their powers, the results can prove to be…catastrophic, if not impossible. If a Versatile were somehow able to exceed this number, then the Versatile's power would be unstable. But if it would manage to sustain this power, then it could probably become stronger than the boy of legend. My son is a perfect example. Of course, I'm not a full-fledged Versatile yet but I've found a way of summoning the gene at will.'
'What!' both of them exclaimed in surprise.
'How did you manage to do that?' The Flicker was quick to ask.
'That is not your concern. But I didn't accept it though.'
'Why?' They both asked her this time.
'The time for the Dawn to begin hasn't arrived, but when it does, I'll summon my gene and when I do, I shall never have to go into hiding again. But…there's only one problem.'
'What is?' the Flicker asked.
'The Anonymous.'
'The masked joke?' Black Ice laughed looking them both in the face like he expected them to find the humor.
'Yes, him. I used to think that he would play a vital role in the Dawn but he's too hardheaded, and since now I can become a Versatile at any time, we don't need him. If he does interfere then he's going to cause us all some very serious problems.'
'I think I know who he is,' the Flicker said, folding his arms passively. 'His name's Brendan.'
'You mean Brendan Eriksson, the orphan?' Black Ice asked him in a tone of fury remembering the humiliation he had gone through because of him.
'That's right,' the Flicker answered.
'It can't be him,' the Finch said whilst opening the bottles at the same time. 'The Anonymous can't be anyone we know,' she explained, 'his powers are mystical. I met the boy you speak of and he is too weak to be the boy of legend.'
'Could the Anonymous be stronger than you then?' The Flicker asked her.
'There is no Versatile stronger than me besides…' She looked like she did not want to go any further, although she did look like she had been undermined by the Flicker's question.
'Besides who? Your son?' The Flicker guessed.
'Yes, that's true. Only Pernicious has power that overwhelms mine, no one else does. I lied to this Brendan you speak of. I told him that "Pernicious" and "Gecko" are my children's real names,' she laughed in a teasing manner.
'Who gave them those names then; their daddy?' Black Ice inquired. He had not known of the Finch's parental state till their recent encounter.
'No,' she responded, 'it's the Girols who gave them those names. Girols give names according to one's abilities or achievements. Pernicious was given his name after he challenged all the elite soldiers of Jac and he beat them all, leaving some critically wounded but he left without a single scratch. Gecko got her name because of her agility in training. She proved to be the most agile pupil ever to set foot on that planet. Pernicious' real name is Gavin and Gecko's real name is Pamela.'
'Mmmm; Gavin and Pamela Stoltz. You must be proud of their accomplishments so far,' Black Ice said.
'How is it that you know stuff that's happening on Jacquino?' The Flicker now.
'It's all thanks to my cauldron. When I look inside it, I just say the location of the place I want to look in and it reveals it to me. It also helps me keep track of the movements of the love of my life.' She finished with a wounded sigh.
'He must be a real catch if he has managed to get the most powerful sorceress to be kissing his feet,' the Flicker said, a grin flashing on his face.
She sighed dreamily, 'You have no idea.'
'Wait, if Anonymous isn't the orphan then who is?' Black Ice asked her.
'It could be any Versatile,' she answered him. 'There are probably one or two more Versatiles on this island and I am one hundred percent positive that it isn't that Brendan you speak of.' She gave them the two bottles she had been holding.
'What's this?' The Flicker asked whilst eyeing the liquid inside the bottle suspiciously.
'You both know that you owe me favors, don't you? Flicker, you owe me your sister's life and you, Black Ice, you owe me your mother's kidneys and liver.'
'What's your point?' The Flicker asked her.
'I'm offering to change the deal. You..,' she pointed at the Flicker, '…don't have to shed your baby sister's blood and you..,' she pointed at Black Ice, '…don't have to shed your mother's blood. Instead, I want you to kill the Anonymous for me.'
The Flicker's eyes widened with fear, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, sweetheart. This is a Versatile we're talking about and not just any Versatile but the boy of legend. He'd crack his ribs with laughter if he found out what we intend to do. How about…we just kill you before you accept your little Versatile gene so both of us can breathe again..?' They both grinned at each other maliciously.
The Finch sighed in disappointment. She said, 'Do that and you follow me into the heart of the earth. I am the dealmaker and if you kill me then you kill yourselves too because you haven't fulfilled your end of the deal. I, my friends, am an important character in prophecy.'
Both of their grins vanished.
'That's why I gave you that,' she pointed at the bottles in their hands. 'For many years I have tried to create the Versatile but have not succeeded so that's why I brewed that potion. I call it Grenobe. It combines any two Supremes other than Versatiles together.'
'Into one body?' Black Ice asked her in wonder.
'Yes, but I'm afraid your powers will be unstable because you cannot mix ice and fire. But thanks to the Flicker's electroshock powers, your powers can be channeled into one. I cannot guarantee you complete stability of this power but you will possess enormous amounts of heat and kinetic energy, but as for your mental stability… probably none.'
'Quick question; will we become stronger than a Versatile?' The Flicker asked her, sniffing the contents of the bottle.
'Maybe…but not stronger than me of course.'
'Another quick question; who will have total control of the body?' Black Ice asked her this time, shaking the bottle violently then peering down the top.
'Good question,' said the Finch, 'that depends on who's the strongest between you two.'
They both exchanged sideways glares in competition. 'I can take that risk,' the Flicker said.
'So can I,' Black Ice agreed.
'But why can't the possessor of the body have total control of his powers?' The Flicker asked her out of curiosity.
'Only a child born of two Rampant Destroyers has that privilege. This is because a Rampant Destroyer born of two Rampant Destroyers has total control over electroshock, ice and flame powers because the responsibilities of all three powers are already genetically coded into his or her blood cells. All three elements can be combined to mix an element unlike any other. An element called Efi or E.F.I which stands for, "Electric. Fireballic. Ice".'
'Okay…so how does this "Grenobe" work?' The Flicker asked her.
'Both of you drink up all the contents.'
They both looked at her in mistrust.
'Come on..,' she defended herself, 'do you really think I would kill you when you owe me?'
They eyed each other in approval then they drank the whole bottles clean. 'Now what?' Black Ice asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
'Hold hands,' she told them adding an impatient wave with her hand.
Both were reluctant at first but then followed instructions. A glowing green light could be seen where their hands met. They began to panic...