Talyesin's Tales

Previously on Squirrelman - Sins of the Past:

Squirrelman, Ace and Ragdoll destroyed a high-tech drug lab producing Boost in Downtown.

Asking for some mystical aid from Darklight, they confronted the UnSeelie Court about the production of Pixie Dust.

Joining forces with Physique, they helped repel an invasion of a Flying Mongol Horde from another alternity.

They decided to form a team, and had their membership decided for them when they, along with several other Action City costumed crimefighters, were trapped in a time loop in the Kane Sanitarium.

As the Crimefighters' League, they have earned an impressive number of collars, but several questions remain, mainly about the mysterious goings-on in Downtown.

While the Crimefighters' League couldn't stop the Revolutionists from escaping, they just stopped the Mime, an gigantic interplanetary performance artist run amok.


Starring!

Matt Mattheson ......... as Squirrelman
Kimmy Sinclair ................ as Ragdoll
Rick Duncan ........................... as Ace
Lisa Dumont ................... as Physique
Anna Kimble ................. as Darklight
Stephanie Cooke ............. as Blue Jay
Jay Allen ........................ as Red Bolt
Mike Washington ............. as Dragon
Trevor Andrews ............... as Phenom
Jessica Wagner .............. as Rapunzel
Katie McCormick ............ as Superia
Hank Scott .................. as Powerband

Guest Starring

Rob Ross ...................... as Ultraman
Rosie Ross ................as Ultrawoman
Ryan Ross .......................as Ultraboy
Rory Ross ................... as Ultragirl
Reed Sterling ....................... as Doc
Julia Sterling .................. as herself
Joe Sterling .......... as SuperTwin Red
Jerry Sterling ....... as SuperTwin Blue
Jeannie Sterling ................ as Zephyr
Curt Connor .................. as Lightnin'
Molly O'Malley ..............as Glory Gal
Carmine DaCosta ..........as Forerunner




Sorting out the collar proves to be a bit of a hassle. Powerband isn't part of the Crimefighters and the Ultras arrived on the scene after we had, and in the end it had been Blue Jay who had figured out how to get rid of the problem. Technically everyone contributed but the ACPD can't put us all down for the collar of a fifty storey mime from outer space.

"Look," Ace says finally. "There's one easy way of solving this. Powerband, you still interested in joining the Crimefighters?"

Powerband looks at him and says, "After what we accomplished today? You know it!"

"Okay," Ace says, then turns to us. "Anyone opposed to offering Powerband membership in the Crimefighters' League?"

But everyone is grinning, even Dragon, and so Ace turns to me.

"Whattaya say, boss?"

"I say, welcome to the Crimefighters' League, Powerband," I say, turning to Powerband and shaking his hand. Everyone follows suit, shaking his hand and patting him on the back.

"So how does this solve the collar, exactly?" Ultraboy asks.

"Simple," Ace says. "According to League bylaws, the person who brings a problem to the League's attention gets the collar, with an assist going to the League. In this case, Powerband's the one who told us about the Mime being back in town."

"Whoa, waitaminute," Powerband says. "You're giving me the collar of the Mime?"

"That's how the Crimefighters works," Ace grins at him.

"What about us?" Ultragirl asks.

"We'll get an assist, right?" Ultrawoman asks.

"Right as rain, ma'am," Phenom says.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, there's no way I can take this collar," Powerband says. "Can I give it back to the League? This was a team effort."

Ace looks at me and I look at the others. None of us have ever turned a collar back over to the team before.

"Uh, sure, if you want," I say.

"Done," Powerband says.

"Collar to the Crimefighters' League, assist to the Ultra family," Ultraman says, thinking about it. He nods. "Sounds about right."

I turn to the cop who's been not so patiently waiting for us to figure this out and say, "Collar to the-"

"I heard him," she says, taking it down. Ultraman and I offer our ID cards for verification and the cops give us the okay to take off.

Everyone shakes hands with the Ultras and we head off our separate ways. The League heads back to our headquarters, showing Powerband the way.

When we get there, there's cold sodas and some sandwiches and snacks waiting for us, courtesy of Red Bolt delivery. Red gives me the bill and we dig in.

"Fun way to start the day," Dragon says.

"You can say that again," Red Bolt laughs.

"Fun way to-"

"Yeah, yeah, okay, I ran into that one."

"We have got to get some couches in here," Physique says, stretching out her shoulders.

"No problem, pretty lady," Powerband says, and he whips up some force field couches. He sets something on his wristbands and the couches stay there without him needing to concentrate on them.

"Sit down, Superia, I want to get a look at you," Phenom says.

"I'll bet you do," Ragdoll smirks.

"I'm a trained paramedic," he says as Superia sits. He borrows one of Ace's light-cards and shines it in her face, looking in her eyes. He says, "No numbness or dizziness?"

"Honestly, I'm fine," Superia says, smiling. "I do have to get going soon, though - Katie has an exam this afternoon."

"Already? The semester's barely begun," Blue Jay asks. Superia just gives a little half smile and a half shrug and nods.

"Oh hey, I almost forgot," I say, heading for the drinks. "Those guys we went up against this morning, the Revolutionists? Word on the street is they're cooking up something big, like prison break big. Anyone else heard anything?"

General 'Nos' all around. I shrug.

"Well, just something to keep us on our toes, I guess," I say.

I toss Powerband a cola and he rolls up his mask the way I do. We share a smile at the inherent flaw of full face masks.

"You're African American," Blue Jay says to Powerband, surprised.

"You can tell she has enhanced sight," Powerband smirks to me.

"Oh God, I'm sorry," Blue Jay apologizes, embarrassed. "I didn't mean- I just- I never-"

"It's okay," he waves it off. "For what it's worth, I never thought Squirrelly was white."

"Really?" I say.

"Sure," he says, deadpan. "Always figured you for a brutha."

There's a pause and we realize it's a joke. Everyone laughs.

"I am," Dragon rumbles.

We look at him.

"What?" Phenom says.

"A brutha," Dragon says. "African American. Black."

"Really," Phenom says. "You never said."

"I always had him figured for a Reptile American," Physique jokes.

Dragon snorts and shrugs. "Ever since the accident, it's not like anyone asks, y'know?"

"So, you spend a lot of time imagining me out of costume?" Powerband jokes to Blue Jay. She blushes.

"I'm really sorry," she says. "It just never occurred to me. Like it never would have occurred to me that Ace wears briefs under his costume."

Everyone but Powerband laughs, and he says, "How, exactly, do you know that Ace wears briefs?"

"Oh, Ragdoll told us."

He turns to Ragdoll. "And how do you know that?"

"I've seen him in his underwear."

"I thought she was your girl," he says to me.

"I wouldn't say that," I answer.

"Not if I'm in ear shot, anyway," Ragdoll says.

"I like to say, she's her own woman," I explain. "She just happens to be romantically involved with me."

"Oh he's good," Physique laughs.

"I'm marrying him for a reason," Ragdoll agrees.

"I thought it was his astonishing sexual prowess," Rapunzel says, which causes those of us drinking our sodas to nearly spew and/or choke while the rest crack up.

"Well, that too," Ragdoll admits, laughing.

"And so, under what circumstances did you allow her to see you in your underwear?" Powerband asks Ace. "Since it's clear she's not going to give me a straight answer."

"I gave you a straight answer!"

"Yes, how?" Darklight asks over Ragdoll's protests.

"We told you," Ace says to her. "We got captured in that Boost lab Downtown?"

"I don't believe you mentioned underwear was involved," she smirks.

"Which reminds me," I say, "Doc Sterling wants to investigate the ruins of that complex this afternoon. Anyone want to come with?"

Superia has an exam, Red Bolt, Powerband, Rapunzel and Blue Jay have to get back to work, but the rest are in. We spend a few more minutes at our place, I get Powerband to insert his ID card into the team registry device we got, and I give him a nanobead. We all go out the balcony doors, deciding to head over to the Sterling Spire to pick up Doc Sterling.

"Have fun Downtown," Superia says, waving to us as she heads toward UIAC.

"When you're alone, and life is making you lonely, you can always go, Downtown," Blue Jay sings in this beautiful voice as she's about to take off.

I backflip onto the wall. Tail twitching. I try to spot him.

Everyone is looking at me funny.

"Squirrelly?" Blue Jay asks.

"Sorry," I say, jumping back down when it looks like the coast is clear. "I thought the Choreographer was attacking."

They laugh.

"Oh yeah, him," Ace laughs. "What did he have you singing?"

I sigh. "I've Got the Whole World By the Nuts."

More laughter.

"You may think it's hilarious that Squirrelman was forced to sing I've Got the Whole World By the Nuts by a psycho reality warper who thinks life is a musical as thousands of peanuts fall from the sky, but Squirrelman, who is deathly allergic to nuts, didn't find it particularly fucking hilarious," I say.

"Okay, okay, Squirrelly, calm down," Ragdoll says, smirking.

"I had to burn that costume, you realize? These things don't come cheap!"

"Alright Squirrelly," Ace says, trying to calm me.

"I had no idea my singing was so... troubling," Blue Jay jokes.

"You sing beautifully, Blue Jay," I tell her.

She smiles and waves and soars away.

"Who's going with who?" Physique asks, climbing on her skycycle.

I look around. Dragon's the only one of us who can fly.

"Great," I say. "We have got to get a team airbus or something."

"I thought that's why you invited Powerband to join?" Ace says.

"Har har. As I recall, you invited him. Okay, Ace, you take Anna. Ragdoll and I on the skycycle. Dragon, carry Phenom?"

"I guess."

"Thanks. Let's go."

Dragon spreads his wings and beats once, jumping off the balcony to get some altitude. Phenom grabs him by the wrists.

"Just because we're holding hands-" I hear Dragon say.

"Yeah, yeah," Phenom laughs.

Ragdoll, Physique and I take off as well. About halfway to the Spire Ragdoll nudges me and points over to Ace and Darklight on Ace's card. Anna's riding behind him, tandem-surfing the air currents, and she's got her head resting on Ace's back, her arms around his waist. Smiling to herself.

I look at Ragdoll. Raise an eyebrow at her.

She just nods, this knowing look on her face.

There's a bit of a traffic jam in the skyway over O'Neil Street left over from the police cordon that they set up for us to take care of the Mime, so we take the long way around, up Perez and back along MacFarlane. I don't like taking MacFarlane, it always seems unnecessarily complicated to me, parts of it one way, parts of it another, no real rhyme or reason to it, but it's our best bet at this time of day. We wind up at the Sterling Spire regardless.

We land at the balcony entrance and wait in the reception area. The defense network is online, meaning the Squad are still out. We have a seat and relax a little.

It's not long before the network disengages and we get invited in. As we walk through the sliding doors, Carmine is waiting for us.

"Carmine," I say, shaking his hand.

"Squirrelman," he answers, waving us all in. "How you kids doing?"

"Not bad," I say.

"Took down the Mime this morning," Ace says, all proud.

"No joke?" Carmine says, looking impressed. He leads us over to the elevator.

"Not a word of one," I say, following him onto the anti-grav platform.

"Well hell, congratulations," he says, even more impressed.

"Forerunner," Phenom says, stepping forward to shake Carmine's hand. "We haven't met, I'm-"

"Phenom, sure," Carmine says, shaking his hand. "Pleasure."

"All mine, sir."

"Reed said we should stop by," Physique says. Carmine nods.

"The team are still in the Atomiverse," he explains as we head up to Doc's lab. The platform slows to a stop and we step off, just as Reed, the twins, Molly, Curt and Jeannie suddenly appear on the Atomiverse Portal Platform, growing from subatomic to normal size in a few seconds. Carmine turns to us, smiling, and says, "Looks like I lied."

Curt's looking a little banged up, the kids are laughing at him. Molly looks pissed and Reed is shaking his head.

"Well?" Carmine asks them.

"Romeo here had to try to seduce the Princess," Molly says angrily, jerking a thumb at Curt.

"What? You saw the look she was giving me," Curt laughs, then grabs his side in pain.

"It was the day before her wedding, you nullspace!"

"So? She deserved one last fling, what with that neanderthal she was engaged to!"

"'Was' being the operative word, unfortunately," Doc says, shaking his head. "Boys, get Valentino here to the Med Lab. You, young lady, have class this afternoon."

"Oh, come on, Daddy," Jeannie says, crossing her arms. "I could teach that class. The prof is totally twentieth century. He doesn't even know about Gardner's Third Uncertainty."

Doc looks surprised and troubled about that. I don't know what Gardner's Third Uncertainty is either, but I'm betting Jeannie isn't studying accounting. Probably has something to do with alternity physics, but don't quote me.

"Nevertheless, Jeannie, you need the credit for next semester's curriculum."

"Couldn't I just take the final now and get it over with?"

"I thought you wanted to go to a normal school and try to be a normal student for a while."

"You never told me it would be dull!"

"Young lady, you heard your father," Julia says, coming into the Lab. Jeannie poofs into fog form and flies out.

"Kids, I tellya," Carmine chuckles.

"It isn't all gravy," Doc agrees.

"So Doc, up for a little subterranean adventure?" I ask.

"Always up for adventure," he says, grinning. He turns to Julia and asks, "Your research?"

"Not as successful as I would have liked," she admits, then says to me, "I was wondering if I could steal one of your teammates. Darklight?"

"Highness?" Anna says, dipping a quick curtsey.

"Please dear, that's not necessary," Julia smiles at her. "I'm looking for some people, perhaps you know a few of them."

"If I may be of service, it would be my honour," Anna says.

"Wonderful," Julia grins. "Let's let them be off and we will seek out our quarries."

Anna looks at me and I say, "Have fun."

"You too," she says. To her credit her eyes only flicker over to Ace for a split second when she says, "Be careful."

"We will," Physique says, cracking her knuckles.

Julia leads Anna out of the lab, discussing a few names I don't recognize.

"Okay, so how do we get to Downtown from here?" I ask Reed.

"Well, we can use the entrance we have in the basement," he says.

"You're going Downtown?" Molly asks.

Reed nods. "Just a little reconnaissance of a ruined drug lab filled with Praxis technology. Should be nothing, but an extra pair of eyes never goes amiss. Care to join us?"

"Of course," she grins. "Action and adventure and mystery are why I came to this century."

"Pause the vid," I say. "You have an entrance in your basement?"

"Yes."

"On purpose?"

"Of course."

"Okay... not to seem like a twenty watt bulb, but why?"

Reed takes a deep breath. "When Lord Hades attacked Action City and sank all those blocks upon blocks of the city just to get his revenge on me, I couldn't help but feel responsible. I had my family's fortune, as well as various monies from assorted inventions I had developed in my youth. I had been looking for somewhere to build a headquarters, and a new wife needing a new home, so I decided to combine the two, make my home my headquarters. And built it over the newly created and newly named Downtown, so I could go down there and help those people as often as possible. To keep an eye out for any sign of Lord Hades."

"Makes sense to me," Dragon rumbles.

"Well, hell," Ace says. "What are we waiting for?"

"Quite right," Reed says, and leads us to a separate elevator which he opens with a hidden control on his belt.

We climb aboard. There's only one button, marked Downtown.

"When was the last time you went Downtown, Doc?" Physique asks.

"Let's see, it must have been... holy socks. Nearly two years ago."

"You've been busy, Reed," Molly says.

"I know, but I used to go Downtown at least once a month," he frowns. "Over the last few years, though, we've been getting steadily busier. I should look into it. I never really realized-"

"Doc, we're here," I say.

The elevator makes a little Ding! noise when we arrive. The doors start to open, and my twitchiness goes haywire.

I have time to yell, "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" before the guns open fire.