Chapter 2

CHAD MALCOLM

Chad Malcolm was, in one word, forgettable.

If he hadn't been introduced as Chad Malcolm and walked out wearing a signature suit, one would likely never realize it was him. One could see him again and again on a stage, and still not recognize him.

He was someone who would be living in the background of someone else's life. The guy who just ordered coffee, the guy who just sat down a few seats away on the train, the guy who just checked out at the store. Someone who was seen but never looked at twice.

Soft features that seemed to almost belong to anyone. One said his eyes were forest green, one said dark brown, one guessed stormy grey, one thought light amber, and another asked if they were neon blue. Someone thought his hair was bright red, like fire, and another said black, like charcoal, while another yet said brown, like chestnut. Curly hair, straight hair, spiky hair. Tall, short, somewhere in the middle. Light skin, dark skin. Lots of freckles, a dusting on the bridge of his nose, no freckles. Every description could fit him because someone would swear on their life that it was him.

People knew he wasn't a kid, that he wasn't young, but no one could really pin an age on him. He didn't really seem to be any age in particular. He was an adult, was full-grown. There was no doubt about that, nor was there that he wasn't super old, but no one could give a guess with even a hint of confidence.

There just wasn't anything about Chad that stood out.

He was someone that one could be walking next to for blocks on blocks and he could slip away and they'd never know he was there, never know that they'd seen him.

Chad's wife, Darcy, was very similar. She, too, was forgettable. And she, too, would have someone swear on their life that just about any description was her. Red hair, brown, black, blonde. Skin a pale white, a deep bronze, or a dark brown.

But, unlike Chad, there was one feature about Darcy that never changed: she always wore the same necklace. A chain of rubies, which glowed in the light and almost made it look like she wore a string of blood.

However, there was nothing forgettable about the Malcolms' lifestyle. Running Leviathan Inc., the most successful company in the history of Waverwell, gave them more money than they could possibly ever use. Though they certainly tried to put a dent in their wealth with their luxurious lifestyle.

Clothing never worn more than once, the finest foods, the most expensive wines, sprawling estates, the most up-to-date appliances, personal chefs, butlers always at their beck-and-call.

xxxx

Chad adjusted his tie. "Honey, what are you going to say again?" He looked up when he heard his wife's voice and met her gaze through the mirror that was on the wall opposite hers. Someone was doing her makeup and another was curling her hair.

"I'm going to announce our findings on Arkreon. That it's going to change the course of history for energy production. That it's a game changer. I've got the speech here, written with Malibu's help. Don't worry, I've practiced."

"I know. I was your audience last night. Remember?"

"Oh, I remember."

Chad smiled at his wife.

"Ok, ok. That's enough. I'm going to talk with Chad now. I'll call you back when I need you again." Darcy stepped out of her chair, waving away her assistants with a perfectly manicured hand. She opened a drawer on her vanity, pulling out the chain of rubies she always wore and handed it to one of her assistants, who fastened it around her neck. Her baby blue dress cascaded toward the floor, showing only a little of her matching heels. The V-neck of it revealed the smooth skin of her collarbones and chest. Flowers had been stitched onto the bodice, and sequins glimmered beneath the overhead light.

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"You want to talk with me?"

"I want to see your speech."

"Very well." Chad pulled the papers from the inside pocket of his suit and unfolded them, handing them to his wife. His suit was a dark blue that drew shadows close like a magnet. Apart from when he'd tried it on to get it fitted properly, he hadn't seen or touched it before about an hour ago when he'd changed for the announcement.

Darcy read over what he was going to say a few times. "Yes, yes, that will be wonderful. I can't wait until we completely switch over to Arkreon. We're going to go down in history." She dropped the papers onto the counter of her vanity and crossed over toward Chad.

"Go down in history is right," he said, stepping forward and taking Darcy's hands in his own.

"Arkreon will change Waverwell forever. Our names will be written in the history books for generations to come. Everyone will know who we are. We'll be just as famous as any of the Presidents of Waverwell, if not more."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." He smiled as Darcy straightened his tie and adjusted the collar of his shirt.

He bent down for a kiss. "Shall we head out, my dear?"

"I think we shall."

"Let me grab my speech, and then we'll be on our way."

Chad tucked the speech back into the pocket of his suit, then laced his fingers with Darcy's.

xxxx

When Chad and Darcy stepped out onto the stage, lights flashed as photos were snapped at a thousand a second. News crews operated cameras that followed their every move. Most belonged to Waverwell News or Did You Hear?!, the gossip magazine offshoot of Waverwell News.

Chad adopted a look that was confident and distant, a slight smile on his face that was pleasant but revealed little. Darcy smiled and waved her fingers, but her expression was closed off too and Chad knew her well enough to know that her smile wasn't entirely genuine either.

Darcy stepped up to the lectern first. On the front lay Leviathan Inc.'s logo; the head of a teal serpent, neck arched in a graceful curve, with a flared frill on the back of its neck. She adjusted the microphone and then tapped it a few times to make sure it was working, which it was, of course. For something as trivial as a microphone, it was expected that it would work.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for gathering to listen, whether it's here with us, at your homes, or wherever you may be watching. On behalf of everyone working at Leviathan Inc., I welcome you to this announcement. It is one we are honored to be able to make, and we are thrilled to be able to share with you." Darcy bowed her head, thanking everyone again for listening, and stepped off to the side.

Chad stepped up to the microphone and reached into his suit pocket to pull out his speech. He placed his hands on the lectern and took a deep breath.

"Thank you, Darcy," he said. "Hello, everyone. For the last seven years, it has been our absolute pleasure to provide so many of you with the energy that powers your homes and businesses. And it will be our pleasure to continue to do so. As Leviathan Inc. has continued to grow, we knew we needed to find a more efficient solution to the growing demand for energy. Something that could change the field of energy and flip what was possible upside down. And I am pleased to announce that, after five years of research, our efforts have yielded what we have named Arkreon."

Chad paused as a round of applause rippled through the crowd.

"Arkreon burns brighter and longer than coal, making it the future of energy production here. One pound of Arkreon can produce enough energy to power the average house for a week, the average business for three days, all of Corville for an hour. This means that we can do far more than what we could do with only coal or oil or solar power. This will completely change the landscape of energy production and what is possible. We have already begun the preliminary stages of switching to Arkreon, and we will continue to implement the next steps of the switch over the next few weeks. We anticipate providing energy solely off of Arkreon in the next one to two months."

Another round of applause spread through the crowd.

"Thank you for your time. My assistant, Malibu Hide, will answer any questions you have."

Malibu strutted across the stage toward the lectern. She wore a skirt and a jacket and carried a binder. In it was everything they had decided to share with the public, though Chad knew she wouldn't need to read it; she already knew what she could and couldn't tell.

"Hello, Chad."

"Malibu."

"Good afternoon, everyone." Malibu turned toward the crowd and pointed at someone who had their hand up. "Yes, what's your name?"

"Henry. I'm from Did You Hear?!."

"Hello, Henry. What's your question?"

Chad slipped off the stage and returned to the dressing room for him and Darcy. After closing the door, he leaned against the wall as Darcy sat at her vanity, touching up her lipstick.

"Well, I'd say that went well." Darcy turned around.

"I'd say it did as well. We'll have to make sure the switch goes smoothly. We'll get back to Corville tomorrow morning, though I have a meeting in Cat's Cradle tomorrow evening at the Night Owl." Chad rubbed his chin. The past few weeks had been exhausting, but he knew it would all pay off and be worth it.

"They got it done?" Darcy stood up.

"They said they did."

"Good."

Chad stepped toward his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We are going to change the world," he said as he pressed his forehead against her hair.

"We are going to change the world," she echoed as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

They didn't pull apart for several minutes.