posted
Acid Lad and Roller Queen made haste through the night streets to Dr. Butz' office. Acid Lad had explained his unnerving suspicions en route.
The door to the building was locked at this late hour, but Acid Lad would not be denied entry. He braced himself to smash through the door, but stopped when Roller Queen giggled.
"Step aside, skinny-ass. I think this situation requires my tender touch." Roller Queen proceeded to pick the lock with a lockpick she pulled from her equipment bag. The door popped open. "Abandon all hope..."
"Not me, Queenie. C'mon."
They entered the building and proceeded to Butz' office through the darkened hallways.
Once inside, Acid Lad began rummaging through file cabinets.
"So what is it exactly we're looking for?"
"Not sure yet, Queenie. But I'll know it when I..."
"When you... what?"
"Find.... it..."
He pulled out the old photographs and examined them closer.
"Acid Lad, I swear to God I'm going to kick you in the head in about 5 seconds if you don't tell me WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT!!"
"Yes, lad..."
Both Acid Lad and Roller Queen yelped in fright and whirled around to see Dr. Butz in the entryway. "...DO share the information you have learned. Please do."
"You! You... I... never knew. Never knew in a million years..."
"Never knew what, Lad? I myself never knew alleged 'heroes' went about breaking and entering. Quite illegal."
Acid Lad laughed in astonishment. "You..." And then he began to tremble. "You couldn't have..."
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!!?" Roller Queen screamed.
Dr. Butz ignored her, focusing his contemptuous smirk solely on Acid Lad. "You are quite right, Lad-- I couldn't have... alone. But you see, I had assistance."
Having had more than enough, Roller Queen grunted in fury and skated as full-tilt as the room would allow toward Dr. Butz, ready to bowl him over. Without taking his eyes off of Acid Lad, Dr. Butz swung his fist backhand into Queenie. The force of his blow combined with her own acceleration knocked her across the room into his floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Wood and paper flew everywhere, and she hit the ground and did not stir.
"Queenie...!"
"Aaah... this is how I knew it would be. Through the years, I knew. I didn't know exactly how it would come to pass, only that it would come to pass. Everything happens for a reason, right, Lad? And there was a reason you walked through my door all those weeks ago. Oh, sweet, sweet symmetry!"
Tears welled up in Acid Lad's eyes. "WHY? You were... you were a hero!"
"Dear, dear Acid Lad. Many would say that I still am."
Dr. Butz advanced on Acid Lad, his fists clenched so tightly his scraped knuckles were snow white.
posted
Acid Lad had no choice but to use his powers against Butz. There was no way he could match him on a physical level. Butz had at least a foot and 100 pounds of muscle over Acid Lad.
Acid hurled images of what Butz had once been full-force into his mind, in an attempt to mesmerize him into thinking he was back in those times.
Butz, enraged, smashed his fist into the side of Acid Lad's face. "You piece of trash! I thought you had given these powers up! You dare use them against me?!!?" Butz kicked Acid Lad in the stomach. "You unspeakable filth! I lived those moments! No drug-spawned image you could ever produce can recapture them!"
Acid Lad, now crouched on the floor and clutching his stomach, looked Butz square in the eye and laughed.
Butz, regaining control of himself, asked in a familiar soothing tone, "What is amusing you so, Lad? I certainly wouldn't be laughing if I were in your position."
Acid Lad laughed again and replied, "I was just wondering what in the hell Scrapper Man must have done to you all through the years to f##k you up so much.... Slugger."
Butz frowned and said, "Pray I don't do the same to you, Lad... before I kill you, that is."
posted
Sensing that he had struck a nerve with Butz, Acid Lad struggled to rise. "Seriously, Slugger... I'll bet he beat you. I'll bet he raped you, too..."
"Do not play the part of the caring psychoanalyst with me, Lad... that's my job. Suffice it to say I endured every degredation that can be inflicted... every humiliation, both mental and physical. I was seven years old when I became Scrapper Man's ward and junior partner. Seven..." He trailed off.
"Damn..." Acid Lad whispered.
"Damn indeed, Lad. Life saw fit to damn me with dead parents and then twisted the knife when it placed me into the hands of a..." He trailed off again, for two heartbeats. "And then, the final humiliation... after all that I had endured... all that I had given to him... given up for him... I was passed over when the LMB Experience was formed. Passed over for the likes of you and your disgusting ilk..."
>>>BASH!<<<
Slugger, the former Boy Battler, was knocked forward and to the floor by the force of Roller Queen's body-smash. "F##king whiney-ass crybaby. No wonder you were passed over."
Acid Lad, still clutching his stomach, breathed a sigh of sweet relief. "Queenie, you kick ASS, baby."
Slugger, sprawled and breathing heavily, lifted his head and craned his neck to look at Roller Queen peripherally. "Score a point for you, my dear... but I think it's time you both met my ally."
posted
"ERIC! Make your presence known to these hoodlums in heroes clothing!"
The thing that shambled into the office from the darkened hallway was only slightly recognizeable as something that had once been three-quarters human.
Roller Queen shrieked in disgust and fear. Acid Lad could only stare in utter disbelief.
"May I introduce you to Eric Conners, children... you may have read about his 40s and 50s adventures as Squirrely, the Boy Rodent."
The beast snarled in rage at the mention of the name.
"Calm ourself, Eric, my friend. These ragamuffins figured me out and deserve an explanation before you rip the flesh from their bones... which I'll prepare for you medium-well, as you prefer." Slugger/Butz was pleased by the fear in the eyes of his captive audience. He took the opportunity to delve further into past events.
"The life I led was nothing like the life Eric had. No matter what else he may have done, Scrapper Man did care for me. He loved me, in his twisted way. He showered me with everything the vastness of his wealth could provide, and more. When the JSMB disbanded in the 50s, we traveled the world in all its beautiful, hideous glory..." Once again, Butz let his words linger, almost as if he were remembering fondly. The monstrosity named Eric Conners nudged him with his pink, hairy snout, smelling him.
This seemed to awaken Butz and he continued... "Eric, on the other hand, began to mutate even further as he aged. The Flying Squirrell was already unable to provide Eric a life outside his mansion as anything other than Squirrelly because of the mutations, but as Eric grew into his teens and beyond, his mutations only grew worse. Eric found himself chained in the basement beneath the Conners Estate... the Flying Squirrell simply shut him away."
The creature that had once been the Boy Rodent again snarled in outrage.
"ERIC...!" Butz raised his voice but stroked Eric's snout as well, which seemed to calm him. "A few years ago, I took... great pains to liberate my friend from the Flying Squirrell. And then Eric returned the favor, freeing me from Scrapper Man... at long last."
By now, Roller Queen's fear had somewhat abated. In fact, Butz and his giant pet looked almost comical to her. "Meaning you killed them, right, freak-O?"
Butz punched Roller Queen so hard, she fell to the ground unconscious. Acid Lad rose, ready to strike, but stopped short when the rat-creature named Eric let out a fierce shriek.
"That one has a mouth on her. Perhaps we should have eliminated her first." Butz turned from the still form of Roller Queen and locked eyes with Acid Lad. "Be happy for her, Lad. She won't even feel the horrors to come. You, on the other hand..." he let slip an evil smile. "It was so easy to track down the former members of the LMBE through the years. Simpletons, every last one of them. Aaaah, Eric and I would have so much fun with them. And once they were all finally gone, and it was time to take on the active team... oh, how I wondered what would be the best way to go about it." He started chuckling, which quickly turned into a demented laughter, "And then... you came... waltzing into my office that day... telling me everything I needed to know...." the insane laughter continued.
Acid Lad would have prayed for a miracle, but he thought angels would fear to set foot amidst such utter and complete insanity.
This so so, so fantastic!! I really liked RC and Sunflower.. umm Ho-dowm.. Sundown, that's it Sundown! My absolue fave has to be that tough talking no nonsense late waking rocketeer the Roller Queen! I have to admit at being a wee bit jealous of how well you knit your stories together - setting the scene, introducing the characters, subplots, relationships - all in the most tongue-in-cheek hommage to a time of, shall we say less sophisticated tastes - and it's hilarious, alluring, engaging and pure class!
We really need more, more, more!!
<editted to say - no-one else has replied here - do you want me to delete this so you can give us the full run before we heap vast amounts of shameless praise at your feet?>
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
From: here, more often than not | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
"Eric, my friend... dispose of the annoying harlot that dared to assault me. Make sure Acid Lad can get a full view. He only witnessed the aftermath of our dealings with Sundown, Boy 54 and Rhinestone Cowboy. Let him get a front row seat for the fun that awaits him."
"Sundown... YOU had something to do with Sundown...?"
"Silly boy, of course. I could have just slashed her to ribbons, but I decided I wanted you to see her for what she really was. Who do you think sold the desperate little druggie her final bag of heroin? She was on her way out anyway... I just speeded her along with a little additive I put in it. Thank you, by the way, for telling me where she lived. Your assistance was invaluable." Butz smirked evilly as Acid Lad looked like he was about to throw up. "Now, Eric-- do as I said!"
The rat thing lumbered toward where the unconscious Roller Queen lay... but before it could reach for her, it shrieked in a panic. It's tail thrashed about, knocking over furniture. It's misshappen arms scratched the air, as if trying to disembowel an invisible apparition.
"Eric! Calm yourself, Eric! Dispose of the--" Butz fell to the floor as the monstrosity's tail smashed into his legs as it flailed.
And when he looked up, Acid Lad stood above him. "Your f##king rat buddy is being haunted by visions of the Flying Squirrell right now, freak. You might be smart enough to see through my illusions, but it sure isn't!"
"He. He's a he."
Acid Lad kicked Butz in the face. "Well, HE ain't gonna be helping you now!" Another kick, in Butz' side.
For Acid Lad, the entire world disolved into two things: pound Butz ceaselessly... keep Squirrelly occupied... pound Butz ceaselessly... keep Squirrelly occupied... pound... pound... pound...
posted
Sunlight was breaking through the window when Acid Lad awoke with a start, the ice cold water thrown by Roller Queen stinging his face.
"Queenie-- what...?"
"It's over, Acid-- they're both dead. You saved us!"
Acid Lad wiped the water from his face with his sleeve and took a look around him. Butz was a wet red mass of flesh. He remembered the pounding he had administered to Butz... but had he really gone that far? And the former Boy Rodent-- what had ripped it to shreds?
"Can't believe I slept through it all, Acid... but Butz hits hard." She rubbed her face, swollen on both sides. "Damn."
"Butz... yeah, I intended to... but the rat...?"
"What about it? Man, you are such a hero. The LMBE... you've avenged them all!" She hugged Acid Lad.
"Uh... yeah... listen, Queenie... Butz' secretary will get here soon and we don't wanna be here when she does..."
"Back to my place then... I sure don't wanna set foot back in your roach motel."
As the two staggered out of the office building and into the dawn, Acid Lad spared a look back.
What exactly had happened after he blacked out? Would he ever know? And most importantly... was bus ticket to Tennessee still valid?
The club was packed tonight, as if they all had felt his return. They gave their desire freely, each and every one ready to do whatever was required to keep him happy, to win his favor, to bask in his glow. To keep him alive.
Little did they suspect he owed his continued existence to their collective vague rememberances of him. He owed them his everything and he would do anything they desired of him tonight. They brought him back. He would make sure they all knew they were loved tonight. Loved forever.
Because dying was certainly something he never wanted to experience again, that was for sure.
He had almost arrived too late. But he tracked Roller Queen through the signal device she had never removed from her skates.
And he had found them, and recognized the one who had killed him instantly.
He had to put Acid Lad to sleep. The empathic flashes he caught from Acid of just what the killer and the creature had been responsible for screamed that vengeance would belong to him.
Vengeance for himself. Vengeance for Platform King. For all of them.
Boy 54 gestured into the throng of men and women, allowing the first five to approach him.
It was going to be a long night, but he was quite ready to drink in all of its delights.
. . . . . . .
THE END
acknowledgements
*The creative team of the much-too-short-lived CHASE comic.
*Our own Faraway Lad, and his wonderful Golden-Age LMB.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
From: here, more often than not | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks for the comments 'Bingi. Hard to believe this was written FIVE years ago-- dang. Nothing was really changed; I just wanted to add more detail and rework some of the more awkward lines.
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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![[LOL]](graemlins/lol.gif)
I have to admit at being a wee bit jealous of how well you knit your stories together - setting the scene, introducing the characters, subplots, relationships - all in the most tongue-in-cheek hommage to a time of, shall we say less sophisticated tastes - and it's hilarious, alluring, engaging and pure class! ![[Love]](graemlins/love.gif)
