by The Eurostar, T5, I'm Not Mister Mxyptlk and Tobias Christopher
Edulcore Cicciotto:
I open a week-old edition of the Thunder City Gazette that I've saved as a trophy of sorts. Emblazoned over the cover is a headline in huge bold print:
"THUNDER SAVED BY SANTA"
Below it is a picture, taken by someone who was on the dock, of me and my friends in Santa and elf costumes, watching the falling of the TriVext Citadel Building. Since that day, the city is beginning to reshape itself after many years of being enslaved by Knell. I close the paper and have my morning coffee before the day's show begins.
"Do you think they were the same heroes of Chicago, Guido?" asks Lorelei. Guido is the secret identity I use here in the circus. Edulcore Cicciotto is officially dead to the world, and for now that's for the best.
I look in her eyes and smile. "No, it was Santa Claus who brought down TriVext. It's all written here. There's even a picture."
Lorelei laughs and sits in front of me. "That Ghost -- he is a real man, not a lazy boy like you!"
"Thank you for the 'boy,' but I'm really thirty-four. And I'm not really lazy, since my show is the best reviewed one of the whole circus."
"Yeah, yeah. But you and your friends should train more, you know."
"Yes, I know. By the way, today is the last day in Thunder. Where are we going next?"
"Don't you know? Nobody has told you yet? We're going on an international tour. Tomorrow we'll leave for Europe. First stop, Mandelovia!"
12:37 p.m.: Naecken stood in the middle of the ring, pulling a small version of a locomotive with his teeth. The crowd cheered, and the clowns pestered him with acts of acrobatics, landing on his shoulders and throwing vanilla pies at him.
12:50 p.m.: Eurostar hung on a revolving board, and the beautiful Lorelei threw knifes at him.
13:35 p.m.: A demon appeared in one of Chicago's alleys. It killed a homeless man and used the skin as a coat.
As M'xy did his magic number (Mr. Wong, the owner of the circus, was reluctant to have a magic number because they were not spectacular enough, but M'xy proved him wrong), he noticed a familiar face in the crowd: a good-looking girl looking at him. Then he remembered -- it was Shirley Francis, the girl he met in Chicago. He ignored that she spoke to Mick Harrison hours before leaving Chicago. In fact, she was the reason Mick stayed with the team. Shirley, of course, didn't know two minds lived inside one body, so she thought she was looking at Mick.
After the show ended, M'xy tried to find her in the crowd leaving the circus, but she left in a rush. She had a plane to catch. Too bad I have to go to Mandelovia. I'd like to get to know him better, she thought before leaving.
M'xy bumped into Naecken, who said, "Are you Mick?"
"No, I'm M'xy, I'm not Mick--"
As the light in his eyes disappeared, Mick Harrison immediately threw off the top hat from his head and left the coat in the floor. "Dammit, these things keep coming back, no matter where I hide them."
"Hello," said Naecken.
"Hi, Nae," said Mick. "Wanna grab a bite?"
"Er... yes," Naecken answered, wondering what Mick meant.
They went to a cafeteria. Mick ordered a burger. The waitress asked Naecken, "And what can I getcha?"
Naecken replied, "Umm... a bite?"
Mick was eating his burger, when he noticed the telephone on the counter. It reminded him of something. "HOLY SHIT!"
The waitress scolded him, saying, "Hey, watch the language!"
The owner shouted from behind the counter, "We don't serve that kinda thing here, mister! If you don't like the burger, you're free to leave!"
"I'm sorry," Mick apologized, "it's just that I remembered that I have to call someone. Can I use the phone?"
"Go ahead," the owner said. "But no long-distance calls, sonny!"
"Sure thing," Mick said as he began dialing a number in Chicago. "C'mon, c'mon..."
Naecken asked, "Who are you calling?"
Mick replied, "My roommate. I haven't seen him since -- Hi? Paul?"
Naecken repeated, "...'Since hi-paul'...?"
"Paul!" Mick said cheerfully. "How're you, man! I'm alive, yes... No, no... What? I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Look, I just called to say I was okay... Ooo-kay, bye... Oh, and do me a favor, man... could you call my mom and tell her I'm okay? No? Nevermind, then... bye." Mick hung up the phone and sighed. "I'm glad I took care of that. Let's go, Nae."
"I cannot leave," said Naecken. "I must finish my coffee."
"Did you... order that coffee?"
"No."
"Then it's okay to leave," said Mick. "Let's go."
The circus had gone just as always. Everyone did their part, and the crowd cheered. Everyone was pleased. Eurostar had congratulated the group after the first show ended, telling everyone to rest up and be back an hour later. The group headed outside the tent to do whatever until it was time to get back to work. M'xy and Naecken decided to get something to eat, and Eurostar gave the new guys a quick tour of the grounds. Tobias had gone to rest up outside his trailer.
After almost an hour of rest, Tobias left his trailer. A boy who had been waiting for him approached him and asked, "Hey, can I get your autograph? Your act is so cool." He was only about four years younger than Tobias and looked strikingly similar.
"Sure, kid," Tobias said. "Who should I make it out to?"
"Trevor," the boy said as Tobias signed the book. "Thanks. I've seen your show every chance I get."
"Thanks... I guess," Tobias replied. "Break time's almost over. Back to work. See you around, kid."
"Yeah," Trevor said. "See you around."