Talyesin's Tales

Previously on Squirrelman - Sins of the Past:

Squirrelman and his colleagues found several unusual and generally criminal activities happening under Action City, in and around the area called Downtown, including a sudden secret drug complex that was hiding a cloning facility, and a settlement of UnSeelie fairies.

In order to better understand what was going on Downtown, Squirrelman went to the World's Smartest Man, Reed 'Doc' Sterling, who told him that events taking place Downtown might be the result of Lord Hades' machinations. When questioned for more information about Lord Hades, Doc Sterling told Squirrelman that the expert on the villain was a man called Augustus Octavian 'Doc' Steele.

Acting under Squirrelman's request, Troubleshooter led a team of Crimefighters consisting of Showdown, Red Bolt, and Powerband, into the Colorado Rockies, seeking the spiritual retreat where Showdown trained under Doc Steele's tutelage.

Having returned from an evening of crimefighting which include foiling an attempted assassination attempt on Squirrelman's life, the Crimefighters' League discovered an intruder in Master Mansion...



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
Steven Rand ............... as Showdown
Hannah Cohen ................... as Psifire
Kyle Drake ........... as Troubleshooter
Jackson Archer ............ as Moonbow
Alistair Crombie ............. as the Mole
Cricket ............................... as herself
Max Mattheson ....... as Captain Hero
Missy Mattheson ........ as Squirrelgrrl
Elizabeth Walsingham .... as Diamond
Gareth King ................ as Lightbringer
Rob Ross ....................... as Ultraman
Rosie Ross ................as Ultrawoman
Ryan Ross .......................as Ultraboy
Rory Ross ....................... as Ultragirl
Melody Johnson .............. as Decibelle
Tony Juarez .................. as Redeemer
Samantha Timmons ... as Speed Queen
Kathryn Hardy.......... as Nightwoman

with

Augustus Octavian Steele ....... as Doc





"You're Doc Steele," I say.

"That's right," he says.

"So you say," Wayne says. "Mind telling me how you got in here?"

"It's him," Steve says, taking off his mask and bowing. "Sensei."

"Steven," Doc Steele says, smiling. He puts down his snifter of brandy and walks over. I know that walk. It's a walk that's powerful, graceful, and completely on guard. He doesn't know why we're looking for him, and he decided to seek us out first.

He bows to Steve and then, when they straighten, takes his hand in a firm handshake. Steve looks surprised.

"Good to see you, lad. I thought you'd wind up in this... line of work, as it were."

"Good to see you too, Sensei."

"Call me Doc."

"Okay Doc, mind telling me how you got in here?" Wayne repeats. He's pissed. "What happened to Michaels?"

"Your butler?" Steele asks. "Never saw him. He certainly would never have found me here, if I didn't want to be found."

"Why don't we all sit down?" I suggest.

We start to sit down and Steele says, "The electronic eyes were simple enough to bypass, and the various pressure sensors you've placed throughout the house give off the faintest hum, which I was of course able to detect and subsequently avoid. The magic spells, however, I have to admit, surprised me. I didn't figure the grandson of the original Midnight Avenger to be a man of superstition."

"Superstition to one is belief to another," Wayne answers. "And I've my fair share of mystically-inclined foes. Doesn't answer how you got past them."

"An old friend once taught me how to cloud myself from discovery, simply through the power of my mind," Steele answers with a grin.

"Okay, so," I say, my mind whirling with questions. We've been looking for this guy for so long now, and there's so much I want to ask him. Why would someone kill Annie O'Day to find him? What happened in Tunguska? How do we find Lord Hades? I settle on asking him the last one first.

"Oh, him," he answers flatly. No love lost there. "Algernon Smythe. British intellectual scholar-adventurer. Met him in 1903, at Oxford. Fancied himself a genius archaeologist, wanted to see the world. We spent the next ten years together, travelling everywhere, seeing everything there was to see."

"How did a science-adventurer archaeologist wind up being one of the most infamous super-villains of the Twentieth Century?" Lisa asks.

"That's a long story," Steele says, looking into his snifter.

"In that case," Nightwoman - Kathryn - says, standing and looking at us, "you'll be sure to give me the synopsis in the morning? It'll be dawn in an hour, and I've a meeting at noon I have to be at least human for."

"Damn, yeah, it is late," I say. I see Missy trying to hide a yawn and say, "Okay, miss, bed. Anyone else want to hit the sack, feel free."

Decibelle - Melody - Stephanie, Jackson, Missy and Kathryn all head out, leaving me, Kimmy, Lisa and Wayne.

"We should get Rick and Anna," Lisa says. It's so odd seeing that young face and hearing her young voice, knowing it's her. "He'd want to be here for this."

"Leave them," Kimmy says. "We can tell them in the morning."

"So, you had a long story to tell us?" Wayne says to Steele.

"It was... 1913, I guess. Everyone was talking about war. We knew it was coming, of course, but no one knew when, or what the cost would be. Of course, back then, war was still a glorious enterprise, filled with the possibility of glory. I suppose if anyone had bothered to examine the lessons of the American Civil War, or the Boer War, they would have seen that the coming war wouldn't be filled with glory. Still, everyone knew war was coming and everyone was talking about it - except Smythe. All he had on his mind, all he could talk about, was this legend he'd discovered - the Legend of Subterra. He wanted to find the 'World Beneath' more than anything. It was all he talked about, day in, day out. Kept trying to convince me that we could find it. I couldn't be bothered, of course. Why go looking for a legend underground when we had a chance to be legends above ground? I agreed to fund his expedition, but told him that events in Europe were going to keep me busy, I was sure, so I wouldn't be accompanying him.

"He took it badly, I afraid. He hadn't been... For a few years, he'd been nervous, obsessive, driving himself, ever since... well, ever since my sister died. I believe now, though I didn't then, that he'd loved her, secretly. Her death affected him more than he cared to admit. At any rate, he claimed that if he didn't have my support, he didn't want my money. He stormed off, and I didn't see him again for twenty years.

"In '35, I was in New York, ferreting out Communist Anarchists trying to undermine democracy. There was an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, Near Eastern Art as I recall, and at the gala Grand Opening, Smythe approached me. It was astonishing to see him, of course. But what was more astonishing was that he had barely aged in the intervening twenty years. I myself, though my superior breeding, aged very slowly as well - this was before I developed my technique to slow aging to a standstill, you understand."

No kidding. He looks like a really well kept seventy year old, and according to him, he's over a hundred and twenty. He takes a sip from his snifter of brandy.

"He looked fit, better than I had ever seen him. From his attire - it was a black tie affair, of course - he had come into quite a bit of money. He greeted me like an old friend, as though we hadn't parted on bad terms. Invited me to dinner - he had a penthouse suite on Park Avenue, would I be able to attend? Naturally I was perfectly happy to rekindle what once had been a very good friendship. I accepted.

"The penthouse suite was everything you might expect. The view was incredible. But of significantly more interest, and incredulity, was the contents of his study.

"He'd accumulated a priceless wealth of archaeological artifacts - from a civilization far in advance of our own! He'd discovered the Lost Land of Subterra, and more - he claimed to have discovered Atlantis as well!

"Well, when he offered to show me, to take me there, I agreed at once. We left the next morning. There was, he said, an entrance under Indianapolis - at the time, hardly more than a stop for cattle cars heading east - a deep cavern which led far underground. We reached the outskirts of Indianapolis later that day, and soon found ourselves spelunking under the city.

"The cavern led to a tunnel, led further and further under the city. Smythe had packed enough supplies for four or five days journey, so after a few hours we made camp and rested. I hadn't yet learned the Mediation of the Sleepless Mind, you understand, so I fell asleep.

"When I woke up, I was tied up, in a cage, surrounded by these ... beings... seemingly made of darkness itself. I called out for Smythe, extricating myself from the ropes with some small effort, largely thanks to the lessons of good old Harry Houdini. I heard Smythe call back, telling me to stay calm. Stay calm."

He laughs, a bitter sort of laugh.

"Smythe appeared outside my cage, wearing some strange dark robes and an even stranger metal helm. Told me he'd have his revenge, laughed at my credulity and naivete, called me all manner of uncharitable things.

"I tried to reason with him, saying, 'Smythe, listen to me' but he interrupted. Algernon Smythe was dead, he told me. Betrayed by the man he trusted best in the world. Left to die underground, to rot in a deep dark cavern. But he'd been reborn, saved by the creatures that surrounded me. Reborn... as Hades, Lord of Subterra.

"Well, I'll not bore you with the details of my escape, but suffice it to say from that moment on, I had myself a new arch-nemesis."

"Wow," Lisa says.

"Okay," I say, "So where's the tunnel?"

"I have to admit I assumed it was destroyed in '47, along with most of the city. I certainly didn't hear from Hades again until '61, in Manhattan again. Bright young fellow helped me with that one, you might have heard of him?"

"Doc Sterling, yeah, he told us," Kimmy says.

"Oh man, we've totally got to tell Doc you're here," Lisa says.

"Doc, is it?" Steele says with an amused look on his face. "I see."

"Yeah, he took the idea from you," I tell him. "Okay, uh... Wayne, can you put Doc Steele here up for the night? And we'll go see Doc Sterling in a few hours? I've got to catch a few zees."

"As I mentioned, I no longer need to sleep. If you don't mind, Masters, I'll peruse your library, instead."

"Sure," Wayne says. "If you'll show me how you got past my security."

"It's going to eat at you, isn't it, son? Well, all right. Come on, I'll show you."

"I'll come with," Lisa says, and the three of them head out.

Kimmy and I head off to our room.

"What do you think?" Kimmy asks me when I close the door.

"What do you mean?"

"Think he's telling us the whole story?"

"I think I'm too tired to think. You don't trust him?"

"I think he's telling us just enough, and no more."

"Reed will have better questions for him."

"Mm-hmm."

"Can we go to sleep?"

"Yeah."

When I wake up, Kimmy's already in the shower. The alarm says ten to noon. I join Kimmy in the shower and we get cleaned up, then dressed, and I head downstairs while Kimmy's drying her hair.

Rick, Anna, Steph, and Rob and Rosie are at the kitchen table. I nod hello and help myself to coffee.

"So, good news and bad news, Squirrelly," Steph says, taking the front section of the paper from Rob, shows me the headline.

JOHNNY GIGGLES ESCAPES is the lead story.

"Ah fuck," I say, putting down my coffee and taking the paper from her. Turns out April Fool, his girlfriend, accomplice, partner, whatever you want to call her, killed two dozen cops breaking that psycho out of the most heavily guarded facility in Action City, the ACPD HQ.

"So what's the good news, Steph?" I ask, tossing the paper back on the table.

"Oh, well, I sort of meant the whole Doc Steele showing up last night thing."

"Oh." I pick up my mug again. I'm getting the sinking feeling it's going to be a long day.

I take a long sip of coffee, let it sit in my mouth, swallow it. I close my eyes, enjoy one peaceful moment. Take a deep breath.

"Okay, where is everyone?" I say.

"Well, the kids are in school," Rosie answers. "We even convinced your daughter to go. Should be educational for her. And it's good for her to spend time with kids her own age. Cricket's going to be a tougher nut to crack, but I think we'll get her into the school system by the winter term."

"You're a teacher?" I ask her. I wish I had teachers who looked at good in high school.

"I used to be," she says, quietly. "They let me go. When we went public."

"That's terrible," Steph says.

"They had a point. As Ultrawoman, I have enemies, and going public meant exposing my private life to their reprisals." She smiles, sort of sad, and Rob covers her hand with his. "I miss teaching, but in the end, we can help more people this way."

"But there are schools that hire and even teach metas," Rick says.

"Saint Caroline's, for instance," Anna adds.

"I used to go there," Kimmy says.

"You used to wear one of those little uniforms?" I ask.

"Later, perv."

"We looked into it, and then we got busy, and one thing led to another," Rosie shrugs.

"Life's like that," I say. "Anyhow, that only partially answers my question. Where's the team?"

"Lisa took Steele to the Spire," Rick says.

"You met him?"

"Yeah, nice guy. Not what I expected."

"Tell me about it."

"Wayne went into work this morning," Rob says. "Apparently the Masters Foundation doesn't run itself."

"Okay, today's not going to be any fun for anyone, and I need the whole team here, now," I say. I put my nanobead to my mouth and say, "Squirrelman, calling all Crimefighters. Report in, let me know where you are."

"This is Physique, I'm at the Sterling Spire."

"Moonbow. Perez, near Adams."

"Midnight Avenger, I'm in a meeting."

"RdBltnmwtthmnshn."

"Mike, uh, Dragon, what? I was sleeping."

"Troubleshooter, I'm with Cricket, Psifire, Max Hero, Naiad, Showdown, and Redeemer, we're Downtown."

"Max Hero, huh?" Kimmy mutters to me with a smirk.

"Ultragirl, uh, I'm in math class?"

"Ultraboy, Squirrelgrrl's with me."

"SpeedQueenDockStreet."

"Nightwoman, I'm at work."

"Rapunzel, my restaurant."

"Uh, this is Katie. I'm in the library at UIAC."

"This is Powerband. Phenom and I are just passing over Eisner Stadium."

"Diamond, here. Lightbringer and I are in Lawrence."

Red Bolt is suddenly sitting at the kitchen table. I notice he's managed to pour himself a mug of coffee, too.

"Okay, everyone get to the mansion as soon as you can - yes kids, that means skipping class this afternoon." I hear Ultragirl let out a "Yes!" "We've got a full plate today, and we need all the hands we can get."

"You want me to drag Doc Steele along?" Lisa asks.

"Yeah, if you can tear him away from Reed long enough to explain why we need him."

"I think I can get his attention," Lisa says, sounding like her flirty old self.

It's nearly an hour before everyone finally shows up. Everyone but the Mole, that is, and that's going to be a priority. Michaels puts out a spread in the big lounge. For some of us, it's lunch; for me, it's breakfast.

"Okay folks, listen up. Before we start comparing cases and assembling teams, this is Doc Augustus Steele. He's an expert on Lord Hades, who may or may not be behind what's going on Downtown, and I'm hoping we can convince him to help us on this case."

"Of course," he says, nodding to the League. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"Okay." I take a breath and organize my thoughts. "Everyone knows about Johnny Giggles, right? Good. Okay. So that's one thing. Alistair's still missing. That's another. And our expert tells us that there's some kind of tunnel to Subterra somewhere under Action City, probably somewhere outside of Downtown. Also, last night the Femme Fatales set an ambush for us, well, me, specifically."

"Matthew, the sorceress," Anna says.

"Right," I say. "I'll get to that later, once I've had a chance to talk to Doc here."

"So what's the plan, son?" Rick asks.

"The Crimefighters' League will offer its assistance to the ACPD in capturing the dangerous fucking psychotic, Johnny Giggles. Wayne, I want you to take Troubleshooter, Moonbow, Nightwoman, Psifire, and Cricket and hit Downtown. Find Alistair. This is getting silly. It's been days with no word. Rob, you take the Ultras, Lightbringer and Diamond, Rapunzel and Max, you're the visible presence in Action City today. Let the people know the Crimefighters' League is on the job. Phenom, Naiad, Dragon, Red Bolt, Powerband, Redeemer, Speed Queen, Superia and Decibelle, go to the ACPD and let them know you're on the hunt for Giggles. Kimmy, Rick, Anna, Lisa, Steve and Steph, you're with me. We're going to find this tunnel to Subterra."

"Um, Daddy?" Missy says.

"Right, honey, sorry. You go with Midnight Avenger and Cricket and them."

She nods and grins, all proud, knowing that I'm not giving her the easy job, not trying to keep her safe, trusting her to do the job. As much as I may want to do otherwise.

Steve raises a hand, says, "Uh, boss? You don't really need me on a recon mission. Why don't I go with Phenom's squad, help track down Giggles?"

I think about it maybe a couple seconds, then nod my okay.

"Right. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Decibelle says in that soft Southern accent, "what if the ACPD don't want our help?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Lightbringer asks.

"We're gettin' an awful lot o' bad press, y'all," Decibelle says.

"Melody's right," Jay says, sounding a little embarrassed. "The city council are really spinning the whole invasion thing against us. And the police have been ragging our asses lately."

"Yeah, I noticed. Look, offer anyway. Way things are going lately, they'll probably refuse. But that doesn't mean don't look for Giggles, you know?"

"Right. Just wanted to be clear," Decibelle says.

"Okay team, any other questions? No? Okay, hit the streets."

"Mind if I finish my sandwich first?" Mike asks.

"Yes, everyone, please, eat up," Wayne adds.

We eat fast and head out.