The origin of
darkstreak
Looking back, I now see that I was blinded by success. Superior genetics, honed by a meticulous work ethic, led me to abandon a promising athletic future …
… to join the ranks of the special agent elite. I traveled the world, subconsciously testing the limits of my successes with close-minded bravado — and without fear.
All my life I had excelled without fail.
Until I was sent to combat terrorists in Zamboanga.
There, in the Philippines, I learned what it feels to fall. To fall so fast the world blurs.
To search for what it takes to pull yourself from the bottom.
My name is Norean Lichter and this is how I became…
darkstreak Part one of four
written and illustrated by Chase Kroll.
All rights reserved.
Uh, Tyson … I’m in an empty room.
- staring at a window here, beautiful I’ll triangulate your position, how about you do a sweep there, wonderboy –
CREAK
Radar says the mark is dead ahead about ten feet.
That was the last thing I remember clearly, before losing complete consciousness.
I remember that sound reverberating in the pit of my stomach. What’s that? I’ve got movement.
Someone set you up, Mr. Lichter.
Norean? ughhhh Who do you know that would spend all this time and money to see that you die?
I hadn’t even put up a fight.
Norean?
Dazed, I clung to thinking I could flip the situation into my favor.
I was wrong.
You do not know, do you? There is a reason for that.
The darkness you feel engulfing you is his shadow. He has always been ahead of you. He has always been aware. As you go to your grave, ponder this: Who is this man that had you so comfortably in his hand? I almost didn’t catch his last words, muttered under his breath: Infernus apud me inveneris, ut propter eam
BO
O
M
Latin. Strange.
It almost did.
IT took me months to find out what it meant. But, with my back to the ground, facing up at death...
...I found the man that would change my life.
Ahh, about time you woke up. May Hell find you, before it finds me.
–Ay boy, watch it! ink? What the –
Fool Boy, you put me to work — Damaged ribs, neck, shoulder, elbow and forearm, not to mention a puncture wound... — My ink healed in a week what should normally take months... it needs to set boy, don’t alarm.
Many Injuries. Many, Many injuries I had to fix. You are lucky I had my ink.
He was a strange man. One of the strangest I had met in my travels, and somehow he had kept me alive.
HIS WORDS BOUNCED OFF OF ME AS I STRUGGLED TO GET MY BEARINGS. WOUNDS. INK. THEN I LOOKED DOWN...
...AND I WAS ALERTED BY THE WOMAN IN YOUR EAR DEVICE OVER THERE.
DON’T ALARM?! I WAKE UP GOOD AS NEW WITH A CRAZY OLD MAN, AFTER GETTING shot and THROWN OUT OF A BUILDING... AND I’M COVERED IN TATTOOS. HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN HERE? AND HOW DID YOU FIND ME?
CALM YOURSELF. YOU HAVE BEEN HERE ELEVEN DAYS...
TYSON! ARE YOU THERE?
TYSON.
I’m always here, wonderboy. Just waiting on you to wake up- all right, where’s my evac? I’m in the dark ty, i need to know what’s going on out there and... I don’t even have any freakin’ pants on!
It’s all right norean, now what’s going on? uh, i don’t know if you’ll believe me... OH..
i..i’m Sorry, ty.. Great to hear from you again, Nor. Glad you’re ok.
Try me...
my, uh... my...
Can it be...
My eyes were failing me. My mind was defying logic...
come on, what’s happening? I couldn’t find the words to describe what the man was showing me.
This was said to be truely impossible!
my skin is... it’s moving!
My transformation had begun. To be continued...