Talyesin's Tales

Previously on Squirrelman: Sins of the Past

The new costumed criminal group The Revolutionists successfully engineered the biggest prison break in Action City history, releasing both the prisoners of Bendis Correctional and the patients of the Kane Sanitarium.

Someone managed to hack the Department of Metahuman Affairs Protected Registry and posted the information to the popular datasite Maskwatchers, rendering thousands of secret identities public.

After a long, difficult day of battling freed inmates, putting down newly erupted gang wars, and dealing with rioting Downtowners, Squirrelman and the Crimefighters' League returned to their new base of operations, battered and exhausted, only to find themselves walking into an ambush...



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

Wayne Masters ... as Midnight Avenger
Jill Suzuki ........................... as Naiad
Hannah Cohen ................... as Psifire
Kyle Drake ........... as Troubleshooter
Jackson Archer ............ as Moonbow
Steven Rand ............... as Showdown
Alistair Crombie ............. as the Mole
Cricket ............................... as herself

Elliot Gold ............. as The Costumer



"Allow me to introduce my new allies," Baron Blackheart says.

"Oh shit," Ragdoll murmurs to me, "here comes the monologue."

"It came to me in a dream, you see," he continues. "Who to collect. How to collect them. Where to wait for you."

"Superia, you got enough left in you for your white light trick?" I mutter to her.

"I don't know."

"We need it."

"I'll try."

"You see, we..." Blackheart pauses for effect, "... are your Implacable Foes!"

"Okay, who had less than two weeks?" Red Bolt asks.

"That would be me," Dragon says, grinning.

"What's the pot at?" Phenom asks.

"You guys had a pot going?" Powerband asks. "Damn, you shoulda said!"

"Hundred bucks," Blue Jay answers.

"Shut up, damn you!" Blackheart yells at us. "You're ruining this, my most triumphant hour!"

"I thought your most triumphant hour was on top of Starlin Bridge two months ago," Superia says. Blackheart is one of hers.

"Shut up."

"Or, no, wait, wasn't it when you had me trapped in Shooter Plaza?"

"Shut up!"

"Come to think of it, don't all your most triumphant hours end up with you in jail and me laughing about it?"

"Shut up, you bitch!"

"Now, now, there's no need for name calling," Phenom says, then adds, "dickhead."

"Why are you all standing around!?" Baron Blackheart yells at his gang.

"Well, it's traditional for a leader to instigate an attack," I say. "Sort of like... NOW!"

Superia flashes white and the bullet hole in my shoulder closes and my ankle isn't a ball of pain at the end of my leg and something similar happens to the rest of us. Except Superia, I guess it took more out of her than we realized, because Katie's the one who slumps to the floor.

"Katie?" Baron Blackheart asks, stunned. Guess he knows her. "Katie McCormick? Impossible. It's a trick. Superia can't be Katie." He looks at his gang again. "Kill them!"

They jump on us, hard.

Powerband slams a force field on Katie, then gets trapped in a bunch of energy-triangles that suddenly form all around him, courtesy of Triangle, one of Powerband's guys.

Arachnid grabs me and slams me against the wall. I didn't even see her coming, I was so distracted and tired.

"Beloved," she says in that little girl voice, "you've rejected me for the last time. If you won't mate with me willingly..." She reaches down and cups my groin. I feel her claws start to dig in, finally get my legs up between us, push her hard away from me, hoping she won't take my family jewels with her. There's a world of hurt but a quick check tells me I'm still a man and then I jump up off the floor and sink my claws into the ceiling.

I get a quick look at our situation. It isn't good.

Physique, Dragon and Phenom are getting pounded hard by three guys, one old and huge and covered in scars, one looking like human crossed with a T-Rex, and one sort of militia-looking guy, all camo and survival gear. Pandy's climbed on Ace's back, strangling him with one arm while the other claws across his chest, biting into his shoulder. Ragdoll grabs Pandy but gets blasted off her by some guy in black and white, big gold explosion on his chest. Rapunzel's on her knees, clutching her head in pain, Pixie pulling her hair while some woman with blue hair and big crazy eyes stares at Rapunzel. There's a web of Triangle's energy triangles covering the balcony doors. Peregrin and Blue Jay are in the air, circling each other. Red Bolt and Speed Freak are pummelling each other - at least, I think that's what the blur and the machine-gun sound are. Darklight is trapped in a circle of fire, trying to cast some kind of spell to escape, while some red guy with a goatee and goat horns wearing a black suit just laughs. Powerband blasts apart his triangle cage and gets jumped by a crazy-looking guy in a straight jacket and a girl as black as pitch surrounded by a cloud of black mist.

"He ain't here, Blackheart!" Stonewall yells over the commotion. "Dat lil runt ain't here!"

"I assure you, dear Peter, he will be!" Baron Blackheart yells back. "I saw it in my dream!"

"Naiad isn't here either, Baron!" says this guy dressed like a pirate, right down to the eyepatch.

"I notice there are several individuals missing, Baron," this guy in black and gold with a cybernetic right hand says.

"They will be here, Steelclaw," Blackheart answers angrily. "The woman in my dream assured me!"

"What woman?" I hear Steelclaw answer, and then something gets my undivided attention.

A couple shurikens suddenly sticking in my left arm.

I look around to find who threw it. There's an oriental chick dressed in red, with red snakes tattooed all up her arms, looking up at me.

We aren't doing so well right now so I don't have time to fuck around with her. I jump the guy in the straight jacket and land on him with both feet, hard enough to feel his jaw crack against the floor, which gives Powerband a chance to grab the dark chick and slam her against the ceiling. She phases through it but it frees him up to get into the air. I jump off the nutball and land next to the ninja chick.

"You're good," I say, pulling out the shurikens and tossing them to the ground at her feet.

"I know," she answers. "Since my hated enemy is not present, I shall exact some measure of revenge upon you, Squirrelman. You should feel honoured."

"Yeah, sure, I get that," I say. "So whose place am I honoured to take?"

"That arrogant American dog calling himself Showdown."

"Showdown? Haven't seen him in weeks," I say, jumping straight up as she launches her attack. She somersaults under me and manages to kick my foot midair which almost sends me flipping, but I land on the wall, springboard off it, swipe my claws. She ducks under, kicks me in the face as I'm flying over. I somersault to my feet and Arachnid has me by the throat again. I feel shurikens in my back as Arachnid is digging her claws into my throat. Ragdoll tackles her off of me, Arachnid rips away part of my mask in her claws, grabs Ragdoll, tosses her to the black and white guy with the explosion on his chest who blasts Ragdoll midair, she screams and I'm tackling the guy, claws and fists and kicks. The straightjacket guy tackles me, giggling through his shattered teeth and broken jaw and pounding on me.

There's a fiery explosion, knocks us all on our asses, an energy beam goes past my head, knocks a hole in the wall big enough to drive a car through. We're never getting our security deposit back.

Things are rapidly getting out of hand. We're tired and hurt and these guys have probably been waiting for us since they got sprung from Bendis and the Kane. They're pretty neatly handing us our asses.

I kick the nutjob off me, jump to the ceiling, check the room. Phenom is on his hands and knees, trying to shake it off. Physique has those three guys on her, all of them pounding her to a pulp, as I watch Powerband grabs one of them, the big old guy, slams him through the wall. Darklight is trapped in flames, screaming, not even trying to cast a spell any more. Speed Freak suddenly stops moving, holding Red Bolt up by the front of his costume, yelling something at him too fast to understand, other hand raised to deliver the coup de grace. Ragdoll, Rapunzel and Ace are back to back, five or six of them surrounding them. Dragon is held inside a cage of triangles.

Blue Jay flies toward me.

"We've got to get out of here!" she says as she flies by, Peregrin on her tail. I jump Peregrin as he passes, knock him off balance, Blue Jay swoops around, kicks him in the face. He goes down and I jump into the fray around Ace, Ragdoll, and Rapunzel.

"Run for it!" I yell.

"What?!" Ragdoll yells back.

"Don't argue! Just go!"

I spot Baron Blackheart as the three of them bolt for the hole in the wall.

"Don't let them escape!" he yells.

I hear a familiar two-voice voice behind me saying, "Injustice calls, the time has come - Our two parts make a greater sum - Now shed this form inferior - And transform into Superia!"

There's a flash of light and an explosion as Powerband's force bubble shatters, knocking us all off our feet.

Superia's hovering over us, pointing an accusatory finger at Baron Blackheart.

"You won't get away with this," she says. Superia angry? Not a pleasant sight. I'm suddenly really glad she's on our side.

"Everybody out of the pool!" I say. Powerband grabs Physique, Phenom and Red Bolt, and we bail out.

"We'll be waiting, Squirrelman!" I hear Blackheart yell behind me. "We'll be waiting!"

He's probably shaking his fist in the air, too. I don't look back to check.

"Where to, son?" Ace asks me.

I think about it. Our so-called secret headquarters is blown, the Sterling Spire doesn't have their force field up yet, and the Citadel is on the other side of the planet. Shit.

"Fuck it," I answer. "ACPD HQ."

We head there, nobody talking.

The ACPD Headquarters is a big monolith of grey concrete, tapering toward the top, like a tall thin ziggurat. Flashing police lights at the top mark it from the sky, giving the anti-grav cop cars something to home in on. A fifty-foot high police badge of gleaming protonium is the only decoration on the front of the building. The whole effect is, We are the cops. Do not fuck with us.

As we get closer, I see there's a kind of camp in the plaza out front. We aren't the only masks who got needed a safe place to stay.

We land out front. Superia says, "Sorry" and disappears again. Katie slumps into Dragon's arms. He picks her up and carries her.

There's a police sergeant taking names, directing traffic, so to speak, so I head up to him.

"Crimefighters' League, right, Squirrelly?" he asks me before I can say anything.

"Yeah," I answer.

"You guys look like shit warmed over," he says, making a note on his notepad.

"Yeah."

"There's coffee and soup, over in that tent," he says to me, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"Thanks."

I wave the team over and we head for the tent. There's about three dozen other masks in here. We pick a table and sit down. A paramedic comes over, takes some notes on how hurt we are, and tells us someone will be by soon. No one is in life-threatening condition, so we aren't a priority. Physique and Phenom aren't pretty to look at, but they'll heal.

"Okay," I say. "We were outnumbered and ambushed."

"No shit," Dragon says.

"Anybody recognishe them?" Phenom asks through a swollen lip. His goggles are smashed and I see his left eye is swelling shut. "Vanguard and I have tangled before."

"The guy in the camo?"

"Yeah."

"Reptyle is out for my blood," Dragon says.

" And Pixie seeks to make my life hell," Rapunzel says.

"Speed Freak's mine," Red Bolt says.

"No kidding, Red," Physique says. "Bonecrusher? He's mine from way back. He got old."

"I've tangled with Nova before," Ragdoll says. "For some reason he wants me dead."

"Peregrin's mine, obviously," Blue Jay says.

"And Brimstone is mine," Darklight adds.

"Triangle," is all Powerband says, no love lost, apparently.

"Baron Blackheart is one of Superia's," I say, nodding to Katie, who's still unconscious. "And Arachnid is mine."

"Pandy Monium is one of mine," Ace says. "But I also recognized Steelclaw, Maniak and the River Raider."

"Whose are they?"

"Steelclaw is mine," says Midnight Avenger, walking over. His arm's in a sling. "Couldn't help but hear. You tangled with him tonight?"

"You might say that," I say, inviting him to sit down. "He and a bunch of others were waiting for us at our new not-so-secret-anymore headquarters. What did they call themselves?"

"Our 'Implacable Foes,'" Red Bolt says, checking his teeth. From the look on his bruised face I'm guessing a couple are loose.

"Where's my money?" Dragon asks.

"I'll get it to you in the morning," I say. "Only, they seemed to have the idea that there would be more of us."

"Yeah, I heard that too," Ace says. "River Raider was going on about Naiad, wasn't he?"

"Someone say my name?" says a soft voice behind me. I turn around. She's about five foot even, if she's ninety pounds I'd be amazed. Slight, or maybe elfin, is the best way to describe her. She makes Anna look like Lisa. Pale aqua skin, navy hair. Oriental features, dressed in a bathing suit of deep green scales.

"We ran into a friend of yours tonight," Ace tells her. "River Raider."

"He's no friend of mine," she says, her face going cold.

"How many others?" I ask.

"Stonewall and Umbra," Ragdoll says.

"Maniak. He's one of Troubleshooter's."

"Nightling. She usually messes with Moonbow, right?"

"Mentalla," Psifire says telepathically, walking over to us. Little green flames are flickering out of her eyes. They die down, and then, out loud, she adds, "Sorry, I saw her in your thoughts. You're all broadcasting pretty loudly. She and I have a hate-hate thing."

"And that ninja chick said something about Showdown," I say.

"You called?" asks Showdown, coming over.

"What brings you to town?" I ask, shaking his hand.

"When we talked in D.C., you convinced me Action City is where the action is," he answers with a grin. "Didn't expect quite so much of it."

"You know a girl with red snakes tattooed up her arms?"

"Coral Snake," he says, his grin gone in a flash. "We both studied under the same sensei, a couple years ago. Sensei didn't like her much, she blamed me, you know how it goes."

"So why was she in our base?" Ace asks.

"Why were any of them in our base?" Blue Jay adds.

Katie moans. Physique is right next to her, helps her sit up. Red Bolt gets her a mug of coffee. She takes it with a tired smile, pushes her glasses up.

"Sorry," she says. "When Superia over-exerts herself it takes a lot out of both of us."

"Don't be sorry," I tell her. "Calling on Superia when you did probably saved all our lives."

"Doesh anyone have any idea how they found ush?" Phenom asks.

"Blackheart said something about a dream, didn't he?" Darklight asks.

"Yes, he was told in a dream who to gather and where to find us," Rapunzel says.

"More specifically, a woman in his dream told him who to get and where to find us," I say.

"I wonder..." Ace says.

"What's up, Ace?"

"Well, the Crimefighters' League came together that night at the Kane, right? We were brought there by a chronomantic spell."

"Okay."

"We're working on the assumption that someone from the future cast the spell to stop us from forming the League, only it backfired because we survived and teamed up."

"Right."

"So what if this is something similar? Someone contacts Baron Blackheart through dreamomancy or whatever and tells him which criminals to round up, the ones with the biggest grudges against us. Only they're calling from the future, right? They're assuming that the membership of the Crimefighters' League constitutes all of us, plus the people whose foes were there who aren't part of the League... yet."

"That doesn't make sense, though," Ragdoll says. "First of all, I've only fought Nova a couple times. Secondly, if the future roster of the League includes all these extras, why weren't they at the Kane in the first place?"

"But it does fit, you see?" Rapunzel says. "Whoever is casting these spells is working with future knowledge. They know Nova is destined to become your most Implacable Foe."

"And the first spell was designed to stop us from forming the League," Darklight adds. "So only the original members were involved in the spell. This latest attempt was to stop the League entirely."

I look at Midnight Avenger, Showdown, Naiad and Psifire.

"It seems you guys are destined to join the Crimefighters' League," I say. "Interested?"

"Seems to me that with our identities compromised, the benefit of teammates has rather dramatically increased," Midnight Avenger says.

"I've been thinking about your offer for the last couple of weeks," Psifire says, tucking one long dark curl behind her ear. "I'm in."

"As am I," Naiad adds quietly.

"Hell, I'm in, just to see the look on that bitch's face," Showdown grins.

"Now we just need to find Troubleshooter and Moonbow," Ace says. "The Mole and Cricket, too."

"For Stonewall and Umbra, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Before we do that," Midnight Avenger says, "we should probably see about getting our wounds healed, some rest, and maybe some clothes for you all."

He's right. Our costumes are pretty much shredded and we're in no shape to go charging back into the fray.

"Costumer?" Ace asks me.

"I figure," I answer. "Arm and a leg, though."

"Don't worry about that," Midnight Avenger says, pulling off his goggles and peeling back his cowl. His face is instantly recognizable to anyone who's been in Action City for more than a day.

Wayne Masters. One of the richest men in Action City. Billionaire philanthropist Wayne Masters is Midnight Avenger.

"I figured you should get it from me, instead of from the news tomorrow morning," he says. "What with the Maskwatcher hack making our secret identities pretty much useless."

I pull off the shreds of my mask.

"Matt Mattheson," I say, shaking hands with him.

Introductions are made all around.

"Hank Scott," Powerband says.

"Hannah Cohen," says Psifire.

"Jill Suzuki," Naiad says.

"Steven Rand," Showdown adds.

Our turn comes up for the paramedics, we get our wounds cleaned and dressed. While we're in the medical tent, I spot Moonbow and Troubleshooter. Moonbow's got a broken leg and Troubleshooter's got second degree burns all over his left arm, but when we tell them the story they're both in.

"Jackson Archer," Moonbow introduces himself. He's a lot older than I thought he would be, easily the oldest of our group. He's been fighting the good fight for over twenty years, but I figured he'd be closer to forty instead of past fifty.

"Kyle Drake," says Troubleshooter.

"Managed to keep my identity secret for twenty six years," Jackson says with a shake of his head and a wry smile. "Never even registered with that unconstitutional piece of shit. Stayed solo because of it. Only to have it blown by some bitch from the future. Figures."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be. Feel sorry for the bitch instead."

Something clicks in my head. I turn to Anna.

"A sorceress from the future is casting spells to stop the League," I say.

"I know," she answers. "I'm wondering the same thing."

"Wondering what?" Kyle asks.

"Darklight and I are investigating a homicide," I say. "An old lady named Annie O'Day was killed by a powerful sorceress, used her as a part of a ritual designed to find someone."

"You think they're the same sorceress," Kyle says.

"If they are then we've made a powerful enemy without even knowing who she is," Anna says.

"Swell," Dragon rumbles.

I yawn, suddenly feeling the whole day. It's nearly dawn. I turn to Katie.

"Is Baron Blackheart really that stupid? Will he just wait there for us to come back?"

She nods.

"Okay then. Everyone get a couple hours of sleep. At six we'll head back to our headquarters. Katie, will Superia be rested enough to do that white light thing?"

"Probably. She heals a lot faster than I do."

"Okay. We hit them at six, then."

"What about our outfits?"

"Right," I say. "Well, we're a team, aren't we? Anyone object to team uniforms?"

"Matching tights and all that?" Rick says with a grin.

"Jackets with our team logo embossed on the arm?" Kimmy adds, not quite smirking.

"Oh, speaking of..." Blue Jay says, transforming back into Stephanie. She pulls a piece of paper out of her purse, with a drawing on it. It's an old school mask, one that covers from eyebrow to cheekbone, nose included. Determined look in the eye holes. The gleam on the mask forms a stylized capital C and L.

"I was doodling one day and this came to me," she says with a shy smile.

"Looks great, Steph," Rick says.

"Yeah, really great," I add. It is.

Steph has her cell phone out, checking messages, so she doesn't quite hear the compliment. From the look on her face, it's not good news. Tears form in her eyes, spill down her cheeks.

"Stephanie?" Lisa says, putting a hand on Steph's shoulder.

"That was Carter... my boyfriend," she says, trying not to break down. "He just... he just broke up with me. Because of.. because of the..."

"Because your ID got blown?"

She just nods, then puts her face in her hands and sobs. Lisa wraps her in a hug. When she's quieted down some, Steph explains, "He said I should have told him, should have unmasked to him from the beginning. That he could never trust me now."

"Anyone who breaks up with you over a phone message doesn't deserve you," Lisa tells her.

"Seriously," Kimmy adds.

Steph manages a small smile. "Thanks," she says.

"Okay," I say. "Let's all try to sleep, alright? We can handle anything the world throws at us after a night's rest."

"Nearly morning, son."

"Yeah... Well, a couple hours is better than none."

The ACPD have cots and mats under a tent in the plaza for us to crash, and we crash hard. I've never slept that hard in my life. I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in.

But I wake up, completely refreshed. Like I slept ten hours. I feel so good, for a second I think I overslept and bolt out of bed. From the light outside, though, it's still morning. Anna is already awake, cross-legged on her mat. She looks at me with a little smile.

"Did you do something?"

"We needed a night's rest, didn't we?"

"That's not exactly an answer, Anna."

"I've always said you're quite perceptive, Matthew."

That makes me chuckle a little. Who cares, really? I'm rested and healed up quite a bit. Not full fighting strength, but enough to get the job done.

I look around the tent. Most of the team is still asleep. Let them sleep, I decide, and head to get some chow.

"Squirrelly?" I hear a familiar voice say. I turn around. An Hispanic, helmetless, ACPD officer is looking at me funny.

"Jimenez?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"Fancy meeting you here," I say.

"Yeah."

This is the first time we've seen each other's faces.

I shake his hand.

"Matt Mattheson," I say. "So you don't have to look it up on Maskwatchers."

"Yeah... Sorry about that."

I shrug.

"It's done. When Doc Sterling finds the guy who did it... I wouldn't want to be him."

"Seriously," he says. "Listen... if there's anything I can do.."

"Thanks. Actually, have you seen the Mole? I need to talk to him."

"Yeah, he and his sidekick, that scrawny chick? They showed up about an hour ago. I saw them going into the chow tent."

"Thanks," I say, heading over there. I'm starving, so I grab a tray and a mug and load up. I look around for the Mole, spot him in a corner with Cricket. I head over.

"This seat taken?" I ask. They've each got two or three trays of food, and look like hell.

"Ah... Squirrelman, isn't it? I can't say your new look suits you."

"Yeah, well you should see the other guy," I answer, sitting down. I tell them our story, how Stonewall and Umbra are waiting for them back at our place.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Cricket says. "When is that asshole gonna learn no means no?"

"Time for you to teach him a lesson he'll not soon forget," Mole says to her. "Very well, Squirrelman, we accept your most gracious invitation. I believe proper introductions are in order? Alistair Crombie, at your service."

"Matt Mattheson."

"I'm... just Cricket. Never had no other name."

"Okay, Cricket. Alistair, what brings you guys topside?"

"Had to, didn't we? When the criminals move out of your territory, your territory must expand to chase them, eh?"

"You followed the Downtowner gangs?"

"Indeed."

"When all this is done... things are going to have to change, Downtown."

"I most wholeheartedly agree."

"Good," I say, spotting the rest of the team entering the chow tent. I turn back to the Mole and Cricket. "When everyone's done eating, we're going to show the Implacable Foes who they're messing with."

We chow down. Everyone's got a hell of an appetite.

"So... do we kick ass then go shopping, or go shopping and then kick ass?" Lisa asks.

"Katie, is Baron Blackheart really so stupid he'll keep that gang of his all there, waiting for us to come back and kick his ass?" I ask.

"I told you he would. It's not that he's stupid, you see," Katie says. "He's insane."

"Well then," I decide, "I say, never just kick ass when you can kick ass in style."

Moonbow and Troubleshooter check out against medical advice, but Superia takes care of that with a quick burst of that white light of hers and then the biggest problem we have is finding lifts for everyone. The Costumer works out of Uptown, naturally, and with his prices he can afford it. Powerband forms a platform for all us non-fliers to stand on and we're off.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to address everyone. I've always made a special effort to call masks by their work names when we're working together. When we're in civvies, I use our civilian names. But now, with our secret identities blown, I'm not sure name to use.

The Costumer's place is a multi-levelled penthouse suite at one of the fancier Uptown towers. He's custom designed it himself, paid a fortune for anti-grav stairs and transparent steel walls and a marble and gold fountain with life-sized statues of male and female crimefighters, all very art deco, their power-blasts the source of the fountain's water. We land on his balcony where he's having breakfast and talking on a headset phone. He holds up one finger to ask us to wait.

"No," he's saying. "No, no, and no again. How many times? Darling, I hate to be a bitch but I simply must go. Yes, darling. I said no. God answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is no, and darling, it's no this time. That's right. Kisses!"

He turns to us.

"Well," he says, standing up. He's dressed in a silk housecoat and silk boxers. He crosses his arms, one hand tapping his lips. "This simply won't do, now will it?"

"Costumer," Midnight Watcher says, "I'm sorry we didn't call ahead."

"Not a bit! Come in, come in, well, come in."

We follow him in. Last time I was here there was a three week waiting list just to get in. He can create the costume in a matter of minutes, but the wait to get in... I'm not sure what I was thinking bringing us here first. Must be fatigue.

Midnight Avenger unmasks. The Costumer doesn't seem surprised.

"You don't seem surprised," Wayne says.

"Wayne dear, you don't get to be as fabulously popular as I am without keeping track of what's going on," he answers. "I'm a regular commentator on Maskwatchers. And if we're going to be on a first name basis you really ought to call me Elliot."

"Okay Elliot," I say. "I'm Matt. This is the Crimefighters' League. We need new outfits."

"Darling, of course you do. That old grey thing? So very nineteen nineties, don't you think? I mean, this is the twenty first century, pet. Time to move into the future, hmm?" He looks us over, thinking, walking all around us. "Navy and silver, I think. Something futuristic with a bit of a retro feel. Yes, I'm getting something. Shh! It's... it's... that's it!" He looks at me and winks. "You're going to love it. Something that says, team, but also says, individuals, am I right? Of course I am. I'm the Costumer, after all. Shh, darlings, shh. Elliot knows best."

"We have a logo," Blue Jay says, holding out her design. "Just something I came up with."

Elliot looks at it for a second, then squeals. I'm serious, the guy squeals with delight.

"This is perfect!" he says, putting an arm around Blue Jay's shoulders. "You designed this? Don't tell me. Oh my God, it's like you reached into my mind and pulled it straight out. Well, geniuses like us should stick together, darling, don't you think? You absolutely must come back. I absolutely insist and I won't take no. Now, left shoulder, do you think? I know I do. Then, each person has their own logo on the right shoulder, yes? Of course. Oh, I'm getting excited about this!"

"No kidding," Ace says to me. "I think he's going to wet himself."

"I heard that, you know," the Costumer says over his shoulder as he's checking out Physique. "Someone as scrumptious as you shouldn't be so negative, angel, it'll give you wrinkles and no one wants that, now do we?"

"Yeah, angel," I say to Ace, trying to keep a straight face. "No one wants that."

"Now, the most important question," Elliot says. "Masks or no masks?"

"What do you mean?" Troubleshooter asks.

"Well, darling, your identities are public now, alas. I always ask my public crimefighters if they want to have masks with their costumes, or not."

I look around at everyone. It's a big step.

"Our covers are blown," I say. "Either we accept that and move on, or we try to keep up the pretense."

"So you're giving up the mask?" Ragdoll asks me. I nod.

She thinks about it for a second or two, then pulls off her mask and wig.

"I was getting sick of the wig anyway," Kimmy says, running her fingers through her hair.

"Oh my," Elliot says, coming over to her. "Darling, you know I love your hair, blonde is reall much better on you, but the pigtails absolutely scream Ragdoll. They're your signature. Would you mind if I did your hair while I'm at it?"

"You do hair too?"

"Of course! There are some people who say wigs and hair are more properly props or makeup but I'm a bit of a control freak, darling, I like to do it all."

"You'll what, lengthen my hair?"

"Naturally. Actually, since I'm feeling generous, I'll throw in the hair for you all, free of charge." He looks at Rapunzel. "Except you, liebschen, I can't do anything to improve your look. Shocking I know but we're mere mortals, after all. Well, most of us."

"I wanted to let my hair grow for the wedding anyway," Kimmy says to me. Then, to Elliot, she says, "But not too long, okay? And braided. I don't want it in my face in a fight."

"Absolutely what I had in mind, darling. Functionality and style." He looks at me. "Now, there is an unfortunate matter..."

"It's on me," Wayne says.

"It's a team expense," I say.

"It's twenty new looks, matching looks at that, with custom designed logos for everyone, and if you don't mind my saying so, I'll take Wayne's credit over yours, darling," Elliot says. "No offense meant, but the credit check won't go through until nine, and you don't really want to wait that long, do you?"

"No, you're right," I say. "Okay, Wayne. But the League will reimburse you."

"Consider it a donation from the Masters Foundation, then. We'll be one of your corporate sponsors."

"Alright, deal."

"Fabulous!" Elliot says, clapping his hands together. He pushes the sleeves of his robe up and says, "Hold on to your socks!"

I have just enough time to hope he's not speaking literally when suddenly I'm wrapped in swirling light, all sparkling and different colours, shining and blinding. When it's done, I'm not sure how long it took, but Elliot is sitting on the couch looking smug and spent and all of us are in new costumes.

"Voila," he says.

Navy with silver trim. Jumpsuits and jackets. Goggles for Phenom, Blue Jay, Midnight Avenger, and me. Cleaned and fluffed my tail. Red Bolt's jacket is a dark crimson, so dark it's nearly black, but that's the only different colour. Seeing Anna in a colour other than black is odd, but it suits her. Ace's costume is covered in pockets, cargo pants-style. Kimmy's hair is much longer than I've ever seen it, tied back in twin pigtails that just barely reach her shoulders. Superia's breast plate is silver instead of the gold it was. Blue Jay's boots have retractable claws that can grab things - an "added feature for a genius fellow designer." Moonbow's still got a hood, and his bow and arrows have been given the silver treatment. Even Troubleshooter's bag of tricks has new silver filigree.

Man, do we look badass.

Wayne pays - two hundred thousand dollars, definitely more than we could have afforded - and we leave with promises to come back and tell Elliot how they worked out.

"So what's the plan, son?" Rick asks me. Ace. Damn, this is going to take getting used to. Being able to see everyone's faces and still call them by their mask names.

"Hit them hard and hit them fast," I say as we're coming up on the building. "Hey, Psifire? Scope it out, check if they're there?"

"You got it," she says, and her eyes flash green fire. Literally.

We wait about a second and she says, "Still there. Twenty minds, keen on revenge."

"What do you think?" Kimmy - Ragdoll! - asks. "Balcony or the hole they made?"

I give her a smirk, pulling my goggles down from my forehead and setting them on my eyes.

"Neither."

"Neither?"

"Nope."

"So how are we getting in there?"

"We're going through the roof."

So we go through the roof, I mean, the place is wrecked anyways and it's not a secret headquarters any more so we're going to need a new place, might as well make our own entrance if we're going to be paying for repairs. Let me tell you, taking on the Implacable Foes when we're rested, uninjured and at our full roster is an entirely different fight.

We kick their asses. We kick their asses in style.

When it's over and the cops come to take them away, we get a special call from the police chief.

The Mayor wants to speak to the Crimefighters' League.