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CC6
The local news anchor was speaking while the images played across TV screens throughout the city, video taken from a helicopter of Bureau operatives and police guarding a section of Peterson Park, while seven or eight furs wearing armor and carrying bows and swords formed up before disappearing. “... and then departed without incident. Although you can't see it here, there was a glowing circle around them when they vanished – for some reason, it did not show up on camera. Director Morningstar of the Bureau of Superheroes refused to comment on the affair, saying only that there was no danger to the public and that she would be consulting with her fellow directors and with the federal government about what happened before making an official statement. We'll be bringing you updates on this story as they occur. Weather is next, after the break.”
Her director counted down on his fingers. Three, two, one... “And cut. Good job, Carla. I suspect that this story might just go national. Especially if they come back.”
* * * *
Five hyenas, one bull, one hawk, and a ferret-femme reappeared in the circle deep inside the Master's Keep exactly at midnight one day after they had departed. The hyenas stood quietly at attention, doing their best not to attract the Master's notice. The other three did not really have that option, since they were expected to report. The mouse who ruled the Northlands looked them over quietly for a couple of minutes before speaking.
“You do not appear to have done any fighting. Did you get -any- information on their combat ability?”
The ferret was the one who spoke. “We did, sir. Without fighting ourselves, which I suspect would have gone badly.” She set down several brightly colored boxes and bags of a most unusual substance before continuing. “They reacted to our presence almost immediately, somehow noticing our arrival. He and the squad were confronted almost immediately upon Lord Heikio's completion of the return spell – I had already departed to look around. They are immensely rich and powerful. The city was huge, with buildings several hundred feet tall, and filled with wagons that moved without draft beasts and sky-chariots of several kinds. And these belonged to ordinary subjects! We got hints of what their soldiers could do above and beyond that.”
“I see that you have brought things back with you.”
“Various goods and products. We decided that it would be best to present ourselves as trade factors. I did manage to acquire one of their simpler weapons.” She brought out a cheap pistol. “Bear in mind that it is the equivalent of a footpad's cheap knife against a fine sword. It throws a metal pellet at a very great speed, with a loud roar – when this one was fired, the pellet punched a hole through -both- sides of a barrel and knocked it over. Their city watchmen carried better ones, and one of their paladins bore one that was similar but had a very long tube, rather like an arbalest to this one's hand-crossbow.”
“How did you get it?”
“I was set upon by a group of footpads. One of their paladins dealt with them single-handed before I had to do so myself, and I pocketed this weapon before she noticed.” She held it out to the mouse, who took it and looked at it curiously. “She defeated four of them with her bare hands and feet, and made it look like child's play. And this was a lesser paladin. The one we dealt with first called herself Ranger, and had the strength of a giant. There was a boar who could both fly and teleport at will, and was also immensely strong, a cat and a half-wolf who were powerful mages, a panther who commanded the air as if he were an elemental spirit himself... Their leader, who we met later, was a bison-femme who wielded both weapons and powers of the mind.”
The hawk interrupted. “The half-breed was the one who detected our arrival, I believe. Pelleas and I were using spells of comprehension and were thus able to overhear their discussions with the one who translated for them.”
The ferret nodded. “They spoke of being a brotherhood who kept the peace against those with similar powers who would prey on the populace. A most confusing place.”
The mouse's vulpine associate spoke for the first time. “What did you bring back?”
The ferret grinned. “Samples, Lady Vanya.” She upended the first bag, and a number of metal cylinders fell out, with pictures on them. “Preserved food. And....” She rummaged in another bag and produced a can opener. “Something to open them with. They claim that this process will keep perishable food edible for -years-.” Another bag produced several bottles. “Their ale was mediocre at best, but the wines were excellent. And these, I think, will interest you more than they will the males, Lady Vanya.” She nudged two of the large boxes. “For the bleeding times.” One of the hyenas perked her ears up at that comment.
The Master cleared his throat. “Shall we continue?”
“They had stores with books, thousands of them, and multiple identical copies of each. I picked up a few. I do not know how difficult it will be to read them, the language was -not- that similar to the Common Speech and the letters are different, but...” She sorted through them. “... these have pictures of some of their weapons of war. That one has maps of their entire world, and this one has maps of all of the highways of the American Empire. Although they call it the United States, rather than the Empire. I do not understand their government at all.” She rummaged some more. “A set of pictures – their word was 'photograph', and it apparently does not mean the same as drawing or painting – of their capital city.”
The bull spoke up. “They have the ability to talk across vast distances as if they were in the same room, Master. And their officers have the ability to coordinate from the air this way, hovering in flying chariots. Their battle communications need not depend on messengers and can operate instantly. I do not think we could beat them in a fight, even if we outnumbered them – and we do not. But if we can use some of their methods for your armies, we would become unstoppable here.”
The mouse nodded. “Very well. It seems that you did accomplish your mission after all. Pelleas, I will want written reports, everything you can remember. Marwyn, I will find a scribe for you to dictate everything that happened to you.” His gaze settled on the hyena squad-leader. “And you and your warriors will do the same, Mahk.”
The hyenas all stood even straighter, and Mahk saluted. “Yes, Master!”
The mouse gathered up the hawk and the vixen with a look. “Heikio, come with us. We will start with your impressions...”
* * * *
The bison-femme opened the meeting. “This hearing is now in session. Regional Director Morningstar presiding, panel members Dyno-Donkey, Ranger, and Medic Mouse. Operatives Mystic Cat, Eldritch, Strikira, Power Pig and Unregistered Miracle present as witnesses to the events in question. Internal Affairs Officer Preceptor,” Here she took a moment to glare at the meerkat-canine hybrid. “..and Unregistered Lady Liberty present as observers.” She returned her gaze to the two bats seated across from her. “State your names for the record, please.”
The male spoke first. “Colonel K'ree Tana*karishi of the Paratemporal Patrol. Local alias Kerry Skydancer.”
The female was second. “Patrol Recruit Murisaki Ryushi. Native to this worldline.”
Morningstar nodded. “And your purpose here, Colonel?”
“As I explained to some of your operatives earlier, Director, my original mission in this section of the multiverse was to explore, map the local worldlines, and determine whether or not there were any dangerous worldlines that required monitoring or actual action by the Patrol. A secondary purpose on such missions is to watch for potential recruits.”
“And when were you planning on revealing yourself to the Bureau?”
The bat's expression was one of distaste. “To be honest, Director, I was originally of the opinion that it would not be necessary to do so officially, at least not for a while. We generally do not make contact with, if you'll forgive the phrase, local governments. It is disruptive to too many cultures. The arrival of the Upsilon-Keph group changed the dynamics, however, and I was forced to use the local contacts I -had- made to notify you of the incursion. The Patrol tries to keep such contacts from becoming invasions or worse, and that requires that both sides are aware of them.”
“But your Patrol does not require the same standards of its own operations?”
“We do not exploit individual worldlines as policy, Director, and we do our best to police our own. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Ultimately someone has to police things.”
Medic Mouse chuckled. “Who watches the watchmen, Colonel? I'm surprised you know our classics.”
The bat shrugged. “The concept is common to many worldlines. And Latin is still a major language in some places. An explorer among the alternate dimensions must be something of a polyglot.”
Morningstar nodded. “So... how long -have- you been here, Colonel?”
“Since early January – I would have to check my logs to be certain of the local date. I've been in and out among several close worldlines, and am not actually using this one as my base. I am still doing preliminary assessments of them, and since much of that is automated but time-consuming, I am conducting eight surveys simultaneously, in so far as that word has any meaning in this context.”
Preceptor finally could not contain himself any longer. “Und yet you chust happen to be here vhen zese primitiffes show up?”
Morningstar glared. “Preceptor, you are here as an -observer-. Kindly refrain from harassing the Colonel.”
Skydancer shook his head. “It's a fair question, Director. As it turns out, yes, I spend a great deal of time here and in one other of my current project worldlines compared to the others. I am evaluating Ms. Murisaki and her world-twin in the other line as possible candidates for the Patrol.”
“World-twin?”
“Some timelines have very close analogs in proximity, often displaced in local time or with some other change. In this case, there are two nearby worldlines very similar to this one. One of them is about sixty years in the past by the calendar, although not by the solar system, and the other one is at this point in time, but … gender-reversed. There are undoubtedly others, but they are not necessarily close in seven-space. The relationships are highly chaotic. A world-twin is an analog of someone in one worldline who is very similar to their counterpart in another.”
The bison was actually flustered. “You're telling us that there is a world where we have counterparts of the opposite sex?”
The female bat nodded. “Every last one of us. I've -met- my counterpart. It was... awkward. And we kept finishing each other's sentences.”
Dyno-Donkey cleared his throat. “I think we're drifting a bit. Shall we get back to the subject of the Orterrans?”
Morningstar nodded vigorously. “Let's, please. Colonel, you were very helpful during the incident with the Orterrans. Ranger said that you mentioned sending a message to your own organization. Did you find anything else out?”
“Several things. None of them good, I'm afraid.”
“In what way?”
“The insignia on their uniforms, that snowflake-and-scepter thing? Might as well be a Nazi swastika. It's the personal emblem of a would-be world conqueror. He's succeeded in several timelines, and in at least two that we know of, he's started a zombie apocalypse rather than admit defeat. I suspect he'll be added to our assassinate-on-sight list soon.”
Morningstar's voice was dangerously monotone. “Your -what- list?”
Skydancer nodded. “You heard me correctly, Director. There are certain entities who show up in enough worldlines that they are fixtures of history across large parts of seven-space. Some of them -always- cause trouble for their worlds, or for nearby worlds. When we find a worldline early enough to remove one of them from that world's history, we do so.”
“You kill furs because their alternates are evil? What if one world would have a reversal, like the gender-swap thing you mentioned?”
“This is why we do not add to that list lightly, Director. But there are certain people across the multiverse where that is rare enough to warrant the risk. Hitler is one, although only in worlds where Deutschland loses the Great War and has the insane version of the Versailles Treaty foisted on them. Sauron is another. Fortunately, the One Ring is susceptible to nuclear detonations... Personally, I think anyone willing to start a zombie plague because they were not allowed to conquer the world should be in that category as well. Particularly when he tends to do things nearly as bad when he wins. One unnecessary assassination against millions or even billions of deaths? I have acted on those odds, and not lost any sleep over it.” The bat paused, thinking for a moment. “What worries me is, why would he come -here-? His world-twins generally do not explore other planes of existence until after they conquer Orterra, and even then they start closer to home, going after similar worlds where the rules are the same. Cadet Murisaki suggested that he might be after an artifact that was hidden here – you do seem to have a lot of them, granting super-powers to lucky individuals. If I were you, I would stay on my guard.”
The bison sat quietly for a moment. “This is a lot to take on faith, Colonel. And while Mystic Cat assures me that you have been telling the truth, there are ways to do that and mislead at the same time. Would you be willing to voluntarily answer a few questions under the control of Lady Liberty's lasso?”
Skydancer frowned. “Some, certainly. But if the public perception about it is accurate, it would allow her to command me, not just force me to be truthful... and the temptation to ask questions I shouldn't answer might be too great.” He nodded at the looks that were interchanged. “Thought so. Can someone else wield it?”
The tiger-striped mare spoke up for the first time. “Who did you have in mind?”
“My compatriot, of course. I can trust her not to pass on questions that would violate Patrol secrets, but she can still order me to tell the complete truth about relevant questions. Would that be acceptable?”
Morningstar nodded. “That seems a reasonable compromise. Lady Liberty?”
The mare was obviously uncomfortable at the suggestion of giving up her lasso even temporarily, but nodded. “I think we do need to be sure of things. If this is the way he'll do it, I'll agree.”
* * * *
Bureau operatives like North America's Vortex and China's Gateway allowed the full Council to meet in Geneva with less trouble than setting up a video conference, and a face-to-face meeting was more secure. Currently, the secure meeting room contained eight furs - the seven Directors, and Tigress Titan's aide-de-camp Babel to provide a translation field. Even though all seven spoke English, El Supremo and Ivan the Terrible found each other's accents incomprehensible, and neither of them had an easy time with Captain Australia's particular brand of the language.
Morningstar had just finished presenting her report on the Orterran visit and the assistance of the Paratemporal officer. Titan shook her head. “Unbelievable. But both your own magical operatives and Lady Liberty agreed he was being completely truthful?”
The bison nodded. “We tried a standard lie detector as well, but he demonstrated that he could beat that. Eldritch, Lady Liberty, Psyche, and Mystic Cat all confirmed that he was truthful, and my own abilities indicated the same. So either he is -very- good at lying by misleading while technically telling the truth, or he was being honest. Ranger has volunteered to visit another dimension with him; I haven't decided whether or not to allow it yet.”
Noble Knight sighed. “It's not like this is the first time. We've all seen the reports on Star, among others. I suppose it's nice to know that there are entities out there who try to keep things under control. Did he know anything about this possible artifact?”
“He told us that it was 'usually' called the Orb of Souls, and is apparently a powerful boost for necromancy. If it -is- here somewhere, it would be a good idea to keep it away from furs like Voodoo Vixen.”
Tigress Titan nodded. “Or Han Zhao-Xing, for that matter. Very well. We will keep a watch out for further contacts from these furs. We cannot forbid our governments from dealing with them, though, even if they turn out to have dangerous ulterior motives. What should we do in that case?”
Captain Australia chuckled. “That's an easy one, luv. If someone starts selling him weapons or something else that would give him an advantage, we make sure someone trades the same things to his opponents.”
Morningstar nodded. “That was Ranger's suggestion as well. Skydancer agreed to facilitate things if it's needed.”
Cleopatra nodded. “My Region will certainly leak if we try to enforce an embargo. This may be the best way to deal with the issue if it turns up.”
Morningstar looked around the table. “Are we agreed, then?” Heads nodded, and no voice was raised in dissent. “Then I think we can all get back to our homes. I will inform you if anything new turns up, of course.”
* * * *
The Master of the Northlands was closeted with the furs who came the closest to anything he ever called trusted companions. “The shadow-walker's acquisitions have proven to be most valuable. It was almost...” The mouse raised an eyebrow as he scanned around the table. “... -almost- as if she knew what we desired and where it was hidden.”
The vixen shrugged. “That knowledge was very closely held, Master, and I doubt that any of us passed it on to her. But she was not hired for her stupidity, after all. I suspect that she may have guessed it on her own.”
“Explain.”
“The importance of the arrival point being distant from their capital was mentioned in her hearing, and the loss of the Orb to Roland and his companions is well known. She has spent a good deal of time outside your borders, after all, and has doubtless heard all the tales they tell. Putting all that together, along with the instructions that you actually gave her and the others? The fact that she decided to bring back their own books about their capital and their weapons does not surprise me at all. I doubt that she actually knows for sure, but she probably suspects – and decided to be helpful.”
The mouse's paranoia subsided a bit. “This is true.” He turned his consideration back to the book of maps that the ferret had brought back from the the other side. “It appears that the Orb is hidden somewhere in this region known as 'the Mall'. I suspect that appearing there would again draw the immediate interest of the denizens of that world, something we want to avoid.”
Heikio nodded. “I am not sure if they detected our arrival, or if it was the activation of the return spell that attracted their attention. But appearing in the middle of this... shrine, or whatever it is, in the middle of their capital? They will swarm like flies around a stable.”
The mouse snorted. “A less than flattering comparison, but I suspect a valid one. Should we do a brute force arrival, then? Bring a large enough force to bull our way through to the objective? Or should we try to arrive quietly at a distance and sneak up to the objective?”
The hawk shook his head. “The larger the force we bring in, the longer and more complex the return spell will have to be. Unless you bring expendable soldiers, we might have trouble getting out again, and since we do not know the Orb's exact location, we could be overwhelmed before obtaining it. I would recommend the quiet approach.”
Vanya nodded. “I concur. Stealth, not brute force, is what is likely to succeed. A quiet arrival, away from the center of their power. Dress as the locals do. Join the throngs of pilgrims to this place, while getting a better idea of the Orb's exact location. And then quickly grab it and depart, if necessary by a group teleport spell before setting up the return circle.”
“And who do we bring along with us? Do we need warriors? Or the Shadow-walker?”
Vanya frowned. “A few warriors would probably be useful. Too many makes the return harder, but they could be left behind in an emergency. Marwyn is certainly resourceful, but I am not sure how trustworthy she is.”
Heikio clicked his beak. “She has been there. We know her abilities work on that side. We should bring Mahk and his squad if we choose to bring warriors. They'll be more familiar with things and are less likely to blow our cover or be distracted by the strangeness.”
Vanya nodded. “A good point. And we might need her abilities. I agree. Let us bring her and the same squad as before. Sending them along will not be a problem, and all are ultimately expendable if we run into problems.”
The mouse turned to the pair who had not yet spoken. “General?”
The bear scowled. “It's against my usual advice, sir, but I think they are right. The reports on what these Americans can do read like the fever-dreams of a kahl-chewer, but the pictures in those books... it is like looking through a window at these war-machines. If even a tenth of what they claim is accurate, the Shadow-walker's opinion is correct. We cannot stand against them in battle. Stealth.” He grimaced, as though making the admission actually hurt. “Vanya's plan sounds... workable.”
The Master smiled. “Don't worry, Gustav, you won't have to go along. I'm planning to leave you in charge while we're gone.” He turned to the ermine in charge of his spies and informers. “Drusilla?”
“And I am going to depart from my usual advice as well. Stealth is the way to go, but we need contingency plans. Firstly, if they detect our arrival, we may have to pretend that it is a state visit. In that case, having Pelleas and that squad along will be advantageous, they can act as an honor guard. And if they detect your recovery of the Orb...” She was not going to use the word 'steal'. The Master was sensitive about that. “... we need a contingency involving force to hold them off while we set up the return circle. Either we have a military team ready to go, in the knowledge that they won't be coming back, or we will need something from their side to distract them.”
The Master's smile was one of his nastier ones. “I've already thought of something to do that. If we have to teleport, we go here.” His finger tapped the map at the front of the Tourist Guide to the D.C. Area. “Once I am again in possession of the Orb, I would be very surprised if I could not arrange a distraction using this Arlington National Cemetery.”
* * * *
“Lucy... is there anything you need to tell me about last Friday?”
The bat had just reported in to take over guard duty from the day shift. “I... well, maybe a few things, Mr. Chenango. It was a rather strange evening after we did the gem transfer. Why do you ask?”
The Cape buffalo snorted. “I -do- watch the news, you know. And I am one of the few members of the Syndicate to have met Mr. Skydancer. It was most disconcerting to see him consorting with Bureau operatives and War Wolf on camera when I watched the Saturday news reports.”
“Ah. That. I was afraid someone would notice.”
“Indeed, Lucy. That. If I didn't consider you trustworthy, I would have summoned you here earlier. I do hope I will not have cause to regret that forbearance...?”
“I hope so, too.” She sighed. “But it will depend on whether or not you trust me enough to believe a frankly unbelievable story.”
“I'm listening.”
“He doesn't actually teleport, it turns out. Not in the usual sense. The attempt I made to record the broadcasts around his home... didn't actually fail. But the results were crazy. I brought the recording with me in case this conversation happened. May I...?”
The bull nodded. “Let's hear it, then.” She nodded and set it up to play. Chenango's eyes went wide when the tape reached the news broadcast. “Seriously? He's claiming to be a time-traveler?”
“That was my first thought as well, sir. But he's actually a dimension-traveler. He's taken me places...” She shook her head. “Some of them amazing, some of them just different... and some of them horrifying. The world where I made that recording isn't quite our past. D-Day was June 18th, Roosevelt wasn't a cripple, and the second atomic bomb was dropped on Fukuoka, not Nagasaki. We visited another world where the South won the Civil War and Los Angeles was the capital of the Pacific Federation. But the horrifying one... a world where the Zombie Apocalypse happened, and the walking dead won.”
“All of which would explain why we can't find his supplier. But why would he be doing this?”
“He belongs to an organization. They call themselves the Paratemporal Patrol. They're not really heroes, or not all of them at least – they try to stop things like zombie plagues from spreading across the boundaries, and from what he told me the visitors we met Friday night could do that. So he warned the BOS about the possibility and helped them make contact. Part of his job, and he kept his dealings with the Syndicate completely out of it. War Wolf is suspicious, but mainly of me, and I think he's warned her off. Wouldn't surprise me if he could figure out some of the mask's secret identities, but he doesn't want to get involved.”
“That still doesn't answer why.”
“Sorry, sir. From what he's told me, he thinks they'll want to set up a permanent presence here, and he needs money to do that. And he's doing it the way he is to keep the government in the dark as much as possible, and because he started out as a jewel thief himself, so he knows gemstones.”
“And if they should trace him to us, now that he's broken cover?”
The bat grinned. “That's the beautiful part of it, sir. There's absolutely nothing illegal about any of his dealings with us. Even if they -did- manage it, they'd get nothing they could take to court. I think it's giving War Wolf an ulcer.”
The buffalo laughed out loud at that. “Which would be more than a lot of -our- people have ever managed.” He steepled his fingers and leaned back. “All right. So... if Mr. Rigar notices, you're using Mr. Skydancer to infiltrate the BOS, not the other way around. Agreed?”
“There is some truth to that, sir. He wants to recruit me for the Patrol. Or put me on retainer at the very least. And he – and they – have no problem with my continuing to work for the Syndicate while I do so.”
“Really? I'd think they would be concerned about it. Divided loyalties and such.”
“Iye... The reason he wants me for their group is -because- I'm an assassin. Sometimes you can stop a zombie plague by shooting the necromancer before he gets started. As long as the Syndicate doesn't do something world-endingly stupid, they don't care. And frankly, if Rigar decided to release a plague or start a zombie apocalypse, I'd try to stop him even without being part of the Colonel's little group.”
“Colonel? He has a rank?”
“Pretty high up in their organization, I understand. So... do I have to run for my life now, or do you believe me?”
“We -will- be keeping an eye on you, I'm afraid. But for now, I'll accept the story. Be sure to keep me posted in the future.”
“Yes, sir. Sorry about that. But I didn't think you'd believe me until this happened.”
“Perhaps not... So where -does- he get those gems?”
“I gather that he has a gadget that actually -makes- them. It's running pretty much flat out, and he's splitting the output between here and one other world. It's a lot like this one, just one difference.”
“Oh? And do I need to provide the straight line, or will you just tell me?”
“We both have counterparts there. Mine goes by Louis. And yours is named Alberta.”
“What...?”
“As far as he can tell, it's just like our world, but everyone's the opposite gender. I've -met- Louis. We both wanted to do that. And now we both regret it. Just too weird.”
“That may be the understatement of the century. I think I will learn from your experience. Do -not- show me any pictures of that place.”
“You got it. So what's on the agenda for this evening? Or do we have free time now that you won't be trying to fit me for cement shoes?”
“About an hour free. And then the usual first-Monday monthly meeting. Charles will be taking us around to the Boss's place at 8:30.”
* * * *
Sally grinned at Vortex as he set up a portal for the Colmaton Kids. “This home-schooling with fellow supers thing is great! Last weekend it was fossil-hunting in Wyoming, this weekend is a visit to the Smithsonian. Any idea what's on the agenda for next weekend?”
The stocky woodchuck grinned back at her. “Next weekend you're on your own, Sally. It's my grandmother's birthday, so you're stuck with local transportation.”
All three of them asked him to pass on their best wishes. “Should we send her a card?”
“Her vision's shot, but there's nothing wrong with her mind. She'd wonder who you were and how I knew you. You can sign the card that's officially being sent by my co-workers if you want.”
“That'll work.” Jake and Nandi were in civilian clothes already, and both were wearing the necklaces that Jake had gotten them for Valentine's Day. Sally flicked on the holographic disguise unit that Jake had built for her to conceal her otherwise unmistakable form in public. “Image check, Jake.” She turned in a slow pirouette and flicked her tail back and forth.
Jake watched carefully, then nodded. “Looks good. Same as last time, should be good for a minimum of four hours, probably six if all we do is walk around the museum.”
Sally chuckled. “If we don't, I'll probably be turning it off anyway.”
Nandi shook her head. “Let's hope -that- doesn't happen again.”
“The odds are against it. I've had, what, three incidents out of two or three dozen trips outside?”
The hybrid bear-cat snorted. “Right. You realize you've just jinxed us. It probably means you're overdue.”
“We're meeting my cousin on the other side. It's not like we'll be on our own if something -does- happen.”
Jake nodded. “There is that. What's his real name again?”
“William Thompson. But I just call him Cousin Bill.”
“When he's not being Coriolis.” Nandi grinned. “I met him when he brought you here, remember?”
“How'd you manage that? He spent that week either eating, sleeping, or putting out brush fires, and he complained there wasn't nearly enough of the first two.”
“Happened to be there when he came in for breakfast one morning. He's cute, for a raccoon.”
“If you say so. But you don't want to make Jake jealous, do you?”
Nandi stuck her tongue out. “Jake knows he beats out -real- competition, Sally.” Her expression softened. “He's my hero.”
The rat was blushing by this point. “I'm right here, you know.”
Sally grinned and ruffled his hair. “We know. You're cute when you're embarrassed.”
Vortex snickered. “If you three are -quite- finished...?” The portal widened to show a currently empty side alley between buildings at the National Mall. “Hurry it up before someone turns the corner.” The trio nodded and headed out.
They emerged behind the Natural History building, and started toward the Mall itself as Sally dialed her phone. She grinned as it was answered. “We're here, cuz. Should be in front of your building in a couple minutes.”
“I'll head on out, then. What do you all want to see first?”
“We're still sorting that out. Jake wants to see the Technology exhibits, Nandi wants to see Aerospace, and I wanna see the dinosaurs.”
Jake snickered. “You just want to see the dinosaurs because you like knowing that there was once something heavier than you are.”
“Ha, ha. It is to laugh.” She turned her attention back to the phone. “So as a local, do you have any recommendations?”
“How about the Archives? They've got the original Constitution there.”
“Well, it's certainly historic, but we've all read it. We're on a time limit, maybe we should just start with whichever is nearest. It's not like we can't come back in a couple weeks...” She waved. “I see you! Be right there!”
A moment later, Sally was making introductions. “Bill, this is Jake Randle, Techrat sometimes, and Nandi Moore, who's still working on her hero name. Jake, Nandi, this is my cousin William, aka Coriolis.”
Jake nodded. “We've met him as Coriolis, Sally.” He offered a hand. “It's nice to meet you out of uniform, though.”
Bill was looking up at his younger cousin with a rather puzzled look on his face. “There's something different about you today, Sally. Can't quite place it. Did you change your hairdo?”
She giggled. “Very funny. Jake is working this up for me. A secret identity hologram. Lets me associate with normal folks again.”
“Well, it's weird hearing your voice and seeing an over-sized horse. The feather-feet are a nice touch, though.”
“He tried a bear at first, but trying to cover the tail kept crashing the program. And keeping it a raccoon would kinda defeat the purpose.”
Bill grinned. “Well, if we're on a time budget, let's get started. We're right here, so we might as well do the dinos first. After that, Aerospace is closer, and it -is- tech-related, Jake. We'll see how much time is left after those two – knowing Sally, she'll be starving halfway through.”
She grinned. “I brought snacks. The pack is covered by the hologram.”
“And how are you going to get that past the metal detectors?”
Sally and Jake both stopped, and stared at each other. “Ouch. How are we going to get -us- past the metal detectors? I've got my armor with me.”
Sally nodded. “And I'll set 'em off from twenty feet away, even without the javelins. Cuz... can you sneak us in through the staff entrance?”
He nodded. “I'm going to have to, aren't I? Unless Jacob can gimmick the detectors, and I doubt we want to waste an hour or two while he figures it out. Next time, though...?”
The rat nodded. “Next time, they won't see a thing.”
Bill sighed. “This way, then. Back the way you came... I think we're going to have to spend the afternoon in the Natural History building today. I can't get you into the other buildings this way. On the plus side, there -is- plenty to see. You can spend a whole day at least in any of the buildings.”
“As long as we're stuck here, can we see anything that's not on exhibit?”
Bill looked at his cousin. “It is -so- weird hearing your voice from that image, Sally. But sure, a behind the scenes tour? I can do that.”
* * * *
Mahk was both proud and frightened. He and his squad had been chosen to return to the strange realm of America, guarding none other than the Master himself, along with Lord Heikio and Lady Vanya. It seemed that the Master needed to retrieve something from this world, in person. This time they were to try to remain concealed, and they were all wearing the strange garb that the Americans used, their weapons hidden under concealment spells.
They had appeared in the early afternoon in a farmer's field. The farmer had noticed their arrival, and come outside yelling and brandishing one of the American metal-spewing weapons. Only the orders of the Master himself stayed his hand from cutting the buck down for his impertinence, but a quick spell from Lady Vanya had turned the man from an arrogant landowner to a helpful and properly respectful servant. And now they were traveling along an astonishingly smooth road at a pace he did not even want to think about, seated in the open back of a magicked wagon with the wind of their passage roaring like a storm around his ears.
In the front of the double-cab pickup, the senior members of the expedition were discussing their plans. The Master shook his head at the landscape hurtling past. “I must admit, Shadow-walker, that I had my reservations about entering this plane so far from our target. But... what should have been a two-day journey is melting away in a mere hour. You were right – they must be incredibly rich for a mere peasant to own such a conveyance.”
The ferret gestured toward their bespelled chauffeur. “I suspect he is more a yeoman than a peasant, sir, but everything I saw and the implications of the books I brought back said it had to be so. And this way, if they noticed our arrival, they will be headed for a place twenty leagues away from where we are going.” She turned in her seat to look at the Master. “May I ask why we are going there? I can be much more help if I know your objectives”
The white mouse gave her a hooded half-smile. “I think you know already, Marwyn Shadow-walker. I am here to retrieve my property.”
She nodded. “I suspected that, sir.” She returned her gaze to the road, fascinated by their sheer speed. “May I ask where it is, precisely?”
“We are not sure yet ourselves. It is hard to pinpoint things from another world. It would appear to be in one of the buildings at this 'National Mall' shrine of theirs. We will have the peasant take us there, and I will be able to follow its call.”
* * * *
Valerie Hall, the weapons-using Gatling Goat in her Bureau identity, nodded to Eldritch as he came up to her desk. “Hey, Algie. What's up?”
“I need to see Director Whitecloud, right now.”
“She's in conference with Precep... hey!”
The wolf-raccoon hybrid hadn't even slowed down, but brushed right past her and started knocking on the door. “Morningstar? We've had another arrival.”
“What? Come in, come in...” The wolf-raccoon hybrid opened the door and stepped into the office. “Where?”
“I'm not sure, Director. Much farther away this time, and to the east. Same origin as last time, though. I need to triangulate before the echoes fade away. Can you get Vortex to send me to Mexico City in the next five minutes or so?”
“He's in his lab. Go. I'll call ahead.” She picked up her phone and started dialing. “I think your report can wait, Dietrich. And you might want to suit up, we may need your vision powers to find them if they've moved away from where they arrived.”
* * * *
“... somewhere near DC, Director. A bit to the west if we've got it plotted correctly.” Eldritch had gone from Mexico City to Philadelphia to finalize the location, and was currently in a conference call with Dyno-Donkey, Mighty Mule, Morningstar, and Skydancer's recruit, who had passed on an urgent message to him and was relaying for the AI who ran his local surveillance network.
“All right. I've just asked Mycroft to check the Washington area for dimensional arrivals.” She paused, listening to the response. “He says it'll take a half-hour to get started, we don't have any assets near the capital at the moment.”
Morningstar continued sorting out the situation. “All right, we have ten or so of the Orterrans somewhere near DC. We don't know yet whether it is another group reporting to this Master person, or someone else from that world, but I'd bet on the first. What assets do we have in place?”
Mighty Mule answered her. “The Capital Center, of course, but they're not a combat group for the most part. The Feds have their own programs and prefer to defend Washington with their own people. Patriot, Coriolis, Swarm, and Traceroute are the only ones I'd send up against heavy hitters. There's a lot of people in and out of DC, playing tourist or having business in their secret ID's. Let's see who's there this weekend...” He tapped some keys on his computer. “Endopossum's there, something to do with her day job and a Congressional committee meeting yesterday. Exit is meeting with the Presidential Detail in her secret ID, and... uh-oh. Your kids are there, Morningstar.”
Morningstar glanced across her desk at Dyno-Donkey. “Today was the Smithsonian trip?”
The burro nodded. “I'm afraid so, Elaine. They're actually with Coriolis. If we're going to call him up, we'll have to call them back.”
“And Ferric, at least, will probably want to stay if we activate Coriolis. She gets very protective of her family. And she's refused orders to stay clear of trouble twice.”
Dyno-Donkey chuckled. “Four times. Two of them turned out to be false alarms, though. We might be able to get her out if she doesn't know there's a problem. Once a confrontation has started...? Couldn't shift her with a bulldozer.”
Mighty Mule snorted. “From what I've heard, you can't shift her with a bulldozer anyway.”
Morningstar shook her head. “Well, send out the alert for now. We'll try to pin down their location, MM, and let you know as soon as we figure anything out. Ms. Murisaki, when do you expect Colonel Skydancer back?”
“Assuming he's in worldline 48 when the message gets there, about an hour. The drones aren't as fast as he is. If it has to be forwarded from -there-...? Two at least. I did also send one directly to worldline 62, since that's the other most likely place he'll be.”
“Let's hope he's not had another call, then. Reconvene in... forty minutes. Hopefully we'll have a preliminary report from Ms. Murisaki by then.”
* * * *
They arrived at the Mall well before dusk after a brief diversion to Arlington at Lord Heikio's insistence – Mahk gathered that he had to see it personally if he was going to teleport them all there safely. The farmer dropped them off near an enormous obelisk at one end of the Mall, and Lady Vanya sent the buck home with orders to forget about the entire afternoon. “We do not know what their reaction will be to finding a body or an abandoned wagon, milord. Best we simply let him depart.” Mahk sighed as he and his squad walked off the stiffness of their unfamiliar ride, trying to figure out how to keep the local furs from bothering the Master without at the same time being obvious guards.The place did have the air of a shrine about it, with wide spaces thronged by pilgrims, set up so that the eyes were led to either the obelisk or the domed building at the other end of the park.
The Master nodded to Vanya and Heikio. “We are close. To the left side, I believe. Remember, we are all pilgrims, here to visit the shrines. So let us walk slowly along, admiring the sights as I focus on the Orb.” He grinned. “After all these years, it is almost mine again. Still, I am not going to waste time savoring the moment. The quicker we find it and leave this world, the better.”
* * * *
Disruptor was on duty at Washington Center when the alert came in, and he passed it on to the full roster of the Capitol. 'Regional HQ reports a dimensional incursion somewhere in the greater Washington area at local 1417 hours Saturday 15 April. Be alert for any individual or group that does not seem to understand how things work, such as misreading traffic signals. Stand by for active duty should it become necessary.' Bureau agents all around the District of Columbia checked their text messages a moment later and began thinking about exit strategies if they had to abandon their Saturday evening activities.
Coriolis wandered away from his three charges as they gawked at the Apatosaurus and called in. “Half an hour and nothing's happened, Dee?”
“Not yet. Morningstar says it's likely related to the event in Colmaton a week ago, but nobody's spotted them yet and they haven't done anything to call attention to themselves. Keep your eyes open.”
“What about the kids?”
“Send 'em home if we go to full alert, but for now there's no reason to do anything. Morningstar said that if we told 'em, Ferric would balk at being pulled out, so she's hoping nothing comes up before they're scheduled to go home.”
“Morningstar is a very wise femme. All right, we'll hope nothing happens in the next two hours.” He headed back to the kids.
* * * *
The group had gathered some curious looks from the passers-by, but nobody had seen fit to try to address them. Washington was used to VIPs attempting to look incognito, and the natives paid little attention; tourists were more likely to be staring at maps and guidebooks than at other tourists. Mahk had discovered that if someone was heading straight for the Master or one of the mages, they would change course if he made a point of standing in the way. <With a bit of luck, I will come through this with the Master in a good mood.> The mouse was currently staring at one of the larger buildings along the sides of the park, this one at least made of honest stone unlike the bizarre glass building farther ahead on the right.
“That one, Vanya. On an upper floor, but not all the way up.”
“'National Museum of Natural History', it says. More translation that doesn't make sense. I suppose we can just go in, though. There are certainly enough of the pilgrims doing so.”
Inside the doors, however, there was a snag. Those entering were lining up to pass through one of a set of arches – and were first depositing their belongings on a moving table-top to be inspected. One of the arches made a strange noise while they watched, and the guards moved to check that pilgrim more thoroughly before letting him pass. Mahk thought about it for a minute before screwing up his courage and volunteering an observation. “Master... the arches detect metal. And I am not certain that the concealment spells on our weapons will hide them.”
The mouse nodded. “I believe you are right, corporal. And I have no desire to divest myself of all of my amulets to enter this building... Vanya, Marwyn? Suggestions?”
The shadow-walker shrugged. “I can bypass this place, if you wish to give me your gear and enter unobtrusively. But you did not wish to do that.”
Vanya nodded. “It is too crowded to teleport safely, Master, and we would be noticed in any event. Do you think we could charm all of the guardians at once?”
Heikio shook his head. “There is always someone more resistant in a group that size. And the pilgrims would notice, and likely pass the alarm even if we controlled all the guards. Remember, they can all talk at any distance they choose. I fear we must either let Marwyn carry our weapons, or break cover and charge.”
Mahk cleared his throat before interrupting a second time. “Master... the guards merely check metal that has been forgotten. Could it be that you could charm the one guard who checks you, and let the Shadow-walker carry for the rest of us? We would not want all of us to do this, but...”
The mouse held up a finger, and the hyena dutifully fell silent. The mouse watched the line move until another warning was emitted by an arch. The guard waved a wand around the femme who had set it off, and waved her on after looking at the medallion she had forgotten to place on the table. “I do believe you are right again. Pelleas?”
The bull swallowed and suppressed the urge to salute. “Master?”
“The squad leader should be promoted to sergeant as soon as we get back. He observes, and he thinks. I have few enough soldiers who can do either, let alone both.”
“As you command, milord.” The bull had been holding his breath, wondering what had possessed Mahk to intrude on the leaders of the Empire, not once but -twice-, but it seemed that the boy's instincts had been correct. <Probably helps that the Master is focusing on being stealthy, and blasting him for impertinence would be anything but...>
“The rest of you, give anything obviously a weapon to the Shadow-walker. Anything else metal, do as the locals do and place it in one of the buckets to be checked. And I will try Mahk's suggestion.”
* * * *
Maxine Clark, code name Endopossum, watched curiously as the odd group she'd noticed paused at the entrance to the Natural History section of the Smithsonian. It looked for all the world as if they were handing things to the ferret-femme with them, but if so they were invisible. And then the ferret simply faded out of sight while the rest walked through the metal detectors. One of them beeped, but the mouse who'd set it off was waved through after a quick check – too quick, now that she thought about it. She frowned, and stepped out of the way of the crowds to get out her Bureau phone. “Disruptor? Endopossum here. Just caught a group heading into the Natural History Museum. One of 'em vanished, looked like she was sneaking something past the detectors, and one of them got waved through without a proper check after he set one off. This may not be the group you told us to watch out for, but -something's- up.”
“What do they look like?”
“A squad of hyenas who act like bodyguards, a bull, a hawk, a vixen, and a mouse. Plus a ferret who vanished into thin air somehow.”
“That... doesn't sound good. I'm sending you a set of pictures.”
Endopossum looked at the images when they arrived a few seconds later. “That looks like them, all right. What do we do?”
“Follow them for now. Use your Bureau pass to get through the metal detectors if you have to. I'll contact Morningstar and ask for orders. ”
“Roger that.” She headed for the special access desk, already reaching for her identity card.
* * * *
Skydancer had returned to Worldine 54, and joined the conference call in progress. “...confirmed that this is a unique event, Director. There was no incursion to any of the parallel timelines nearby. I very much suspect that you -do- have his Orb of Souls here somewhere. Or perhaps just a similar one, I don't really know how attuned he is to the one from his worldline in particular.”
Morningstar interrupted the discussion. “Just a moment, Colonel... okay, I just got a confirmation from DC. One of our operatives has positively identified three of the individuals from the first incursion at the Smithsonian. There's a hyena squad with them again, and they've been joined by a vixen and a mouse.”
“A mouse? A -white- mouse?”
“That's correct, Colonel.”
The phone did not have the capability of transmitting the ultrasound of the bat's native language, although Ryushi, standing beside him, made a note of the obscenity. “It's -him-. The Master himself. He's got to be after the Orb, and it's probably in the museum somewhere. I'd recommend you go to full alert, and send every operative you have to grab them. If he gets hold of the thing, he probably -will- call up a zombie plague just to cover his tracks, or keep you busy while he sets up his spells to go home.”
“Do you know what this Orb looks like?”
“It's usually a sphere of obsidian, but not always – and it's probably been disguised. Sorry.”
Morningstar nodded. “Disruptor, Mighty Mule, you heard him. Call out everyone who's in or can get to the DC area. I'll get Vortex busy getting more agents there.”
Dyno-Donkey cleared his throat. “What about the kids?”
“We'll get them out if we can, but that's not going to be first priority. Let's get busy, people.”
A Colmaton Universe fanfic.
The Colmaton Universe, Ranger/Kuwanna Moore, Nandi Moore, Lady Liberty/Gloria Summers, Psyche, Boss Rigar and the Syndicate are intellectual properties of Train.
The Bureau of Superheroes and its Regional Directors, Morningstar/Elaine White Cloud, Babel, Carla Meadows, Power Pig, Gatling Goat/Valerie Hall, Dyno-Donkey/Dunston Howe, Medic Mouse, Techrat/Jacob Randle, Mystic Cat, Mighty Mule, and Vortex are the intellectual properties of Mojorover
Strikira is the property of Wolfrider
Miracle/Erin Flaherty is the property of Samgodwsc
Eldritch/Algernon Marshweeve is the property of thecanidean
Preceptor/Dietrich von Stoop is a joint creation of Mojorover and Train.
Endopossum/Maxine Clark property of arvanas_sorrat
All other major characters original to me.
The local news anchor was speaking while the images played across TV screens throughout the city, video taken from a helicopter of Bureau operatives and police guarding a section of Peterson Park, while seven or eight furs wearing armor and carrying bows and swords formed up before disappearing. “... and then departed without incident. Although you can't see it here, there was a glowing circle around them when they vanished – for some reason, it did not show up on camera. Director Morningstar of the Bureau of Superheroes refused to comment on the affair, saying only that there was no danger to the public and that she would be consulting with her fellow directors and with the federal government about what happened before making an official statement. We'll be bringing you updates on this story as they occur. Weather is next, after the break.”
Her director counted down on his fingers. Three, two, one... “And cut. Good job, Carla. I suspect that this story might just go national. Especially if they come back.”
* * * *
Five hyenas, one bull, one hawk, and a ferret-femme reappeared in the circle deep inside the Master's Keep exactly at midnight one day after they had departed. The hyenas stood quietly at attention, doing their best not to attract the Master's notice. The other three did not really have that option, since they were expected to report. The mouse who ruled the Northlands looked them over quietly for a couple of minutes before speaking.
“You do not appear to have done any fighting. Did you get -any- information on their combat ability?”
The ferret was the one who spoke. “We did, sir. Without fighting ourselves, which I suspect would have gone badly.” She set down several brightly colored boxes and bags of a most unusual substance before continuing. “They reacted to our presence almost immediately, somehow noticing our arrival. He and the squad were confronted almost immediately upon Lord Heikio's completion of the return spell – I had already departed to look around. They are immensely rich and powerful. The city was huge, with buildings several hundred feet tall, and filled with wagons that moved without draft beasts and sky-chariots of several kinds. And these belonged to ordinary subjects! We got hints of what their soldiers could do above and beyond that.”
“I see that you have brought things back with you.”
“Various goods and products. We decided that it would be best to present ourselves as trade factors. I did manage to acquire one of their simpler weapons.” She brought out a cheap pistol. “Bear in mind that it is the equivalent of a footpad's cheap knife against a fine sword. It throws a metal pellet at a very great speed, with a loud roar – when this one was fired, the pellet punched a hole through -both- sides of a barrel and knocked it over. Their city watchmen carried better ones, and one of their paladins bore one that was similar but had a very long tube, rather like an arbalest to this one's hand-crossbow.”
“How did you get it?”
“I was set upon by a group of footpads. One of their paladins dealt with them single-handed before I had to do so myself, and I pocketed this weapon before she noticed.” She held it out to the mouse, who took it and looked at it curiously. “She defeated four of them with her bare hands and feet, and made it look like child's play. And this was a lesser paladin. The one we dealt with first called herself Ranger, and had the strength of a giant. There was a boar who could both fly and teleport at will, and was also immensely strong, a cat and a half-wolf who were powerful mages, a panther who commanded the air as if he were an elemental spirit himself... Their leader, who we met later, was a bison-femme who wielded both weapons and powers of the mind.”
The hawk interrupted. “The half-breed was the one who detected our arrival, I believe. Pelleas and I were using spells of comprehension and were thus able to overhear their discussions with the one who translated for them.”
The ferret nodded. “They spoke of being a brotherhood who kept the peace against those with similar powers who would prey on the populace. A most confusing place.”
The mouse's vulpine associate spoke for the first time. “What did you bring back?”
The ferret grinned. “Samples, Lady Vanya.” She upended the first bag, and a number of metal cylinders fell out, with pictures on them. “Preserved food. And....” She rummaged in another bag and produced a can opener. “Something to open them with. They claim that this process will keep perishable food edible for -years-.” Another bag produced several bottles. “Their ale was mediocre at best, but the wines were excellent. And these, I think, will interest you more than they will the males, Lady Vanya.” She nudged two of the large boxes. “For the bleeding times.” One of the hyenas perked her ears up at that comment.
The Master cleared his throat. “Shall we continue?”
“They had stores with books, thousands of them, and multiple identical copies of each. I picked up a few. I do not know how difficult it will be to read them, the language was -not- that similar to the Common Speech and the letters are different, but...” She sorted through them. “... these have pictures of some of their weapons of war. That one has maps of their entire world, and this one has maps of all of the highways of the American Empire. Although they call it the United States, rather than the Empire. I do not understand their government at all.” She rummaged some more. “A set of pictures – their word was 'photograph', and it apparently does not mean the same as drawing or painting – of their capital city.”
The bull spoke up. “They have the ability to talk across vast distances as if they were in the same room, Master. And their officers have the ability to coordinate from the air this way, hovering in flying chariots. Their battle communications need not depend on messengers and can operate instantly. I do not think we could beat them in a fight, even if we outnumbered them – and we do not. But if we can use some of their methods for your armies, we would become unstoppable here.”
The mouse nodded. “Very well. It seems that you did accomplish your mission after all. Pelleas, I will want written reports, everything you can remember. Marwyn, I will find a scribe for you to dictate everything that happened to you.” His gaze settled on the hyena squad-leader. “And you and your warriors will do the same, Mahk.”
The hyenas all stood even straighter, and Mahk saluted. “Yes, Master!”
The mouse gathered up the hawk and the vixen with a look. “Heikio, come with us. We will start with your impressions...”
* * * *
The bison-femme opened the meeting. “This hearing is now in session. Regional Director Morningstar presiding, panel members Dyno-Donkey, Ranger, and Medic Mouse. Operatives Mystic Cat, Eldritch, Strikira, Power Pig and Unregistered Miracle present as witnesses to the events in question. Internal Affairs Officer Preceptor,” Here she took a moment to glare at the meerkat-canine hybrid. “..and Unregistered Lady Liberty present as observers.” She returned her gaze to the two bats seated across from her. “State your names for the record, please.”
The male spoke first. “Colonel K'ree Tana*karishi of the Paratemporal Patrol. Local alias Kerry Skydancer.”
The female was second. “Patrol Recruit Murisaki Ryushi. Native to this worldline.”
Morningstar nodded. “And your purpose here, Colonel?”
“As I explained to some of your operatives earlier, Director, my original mission in this section of the multiverse was to explore, map the local worldlines, and determine whether or not there were any dangerous worldlines that required monitoring or actual action by the Patrol. A secondary purpose on such missions is to watch for potential recruits.”
“And when were you planning on revealing yourself to the Bureau?”
The bat's expression was one of distaste. “To be honest, Director, I was originally of the opinion that it would not be necessary to do so officially, at least not for a while. We generally do not make contact with, if you'll forgive the phrase, local governments. It is disruptive to too many cultures. The arrival of the Upsilon-Keph group changed the dynamics, however, and I was forced to use the local contacts I -had- made to notify you of the incursion. The Patrol tries to keep such contacts from becoming invasions or worse, and that requires that both sides are aware of them.”
“But your Patrol does not require the same standards of its own operations?”
“We do not exploit individual worldlines as policy, Director, and we do our best to police our own. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Ultimately someone has to police things.”
Medic Mouse chuckled. “Who watches the watchmen, Colonel? I'm surprised you know our classics.”
The bat shrugged. “The concept is common to many worldlines. And Latin is still a major language in some places. An explorer among the alternate dimensions must be something of a polyglot.”
Morningstar nodded. “So... how long -have- you been here, Colonel?”
“Since early January – I would have to check my logs to be certain of the local date. I've been in and out among several close worldlines, and am not actually using this one as my base. I am still doing preliminary assessments of them, and since much of that is automated but time-consuming, I am conducting eight surveys simultaneously, in so far as that word has any meaning in this context.”
Preceptor finally could not contain himself any longer. “Und yet you chust happen to be here vhen zese primitiffes show up?”
Morningstar glared. “Preceptor, you are here as an -observer-. Kindly refrain from harassing the Colonel.”
Skydancer shook his head. “It's a fair question, Director. As it turns out, yes, I spend a great deal of time here and in one other of my current project worldlines compared to the others. I am evaluating Ms. Murisaki and her world-twin in the other line as possible candidates for the Patrol.”
“World-twin?”
“Some timelines have very close analogs in proximity, often displaced in local time or with some other change. In this case, there are two nearby worldlines very similar to this one. One of them is about sixty years in the past by the calendar, although not by the solar system, and the other one is at this point in time, but … gender-reversed. There are undoubtedly others, but they are not necessarily close in seven-space. The relationships are highly chaotic. A world-twin is an analog of someone in one worldline who is very similar to their counterpart in another.”
The bison was actually flustered. “You're telling us that there is a world where we have counterparts of the opposite sex?”
The female bat nodded. “Every last one of us. I've -met- my counterpart. It was... awkward. And we kept finishing each other's sentences.”
Dyno-Donkey cleared his throat. “I think we're drifting a bit. Shall we get back to the subject of the Orterrans?”
Morningstar nodded vigorously. “Let's, please. Colonel, you were very helpful during the incident with the Orterrans. Ranger said that you mentioned sending a message to your own organization. Did you find anything else out?”
“Several things. None of them good, I'm afraid.”
“In what way?”
“The insignia on their uniforms, that snowflake-and-scepter thing? Might as well be a Nazi swastika. It's the personal emblem of a would-be world conqueror. He's succeeded in several timelines, and in at least two that we know of, he's started a zombie apocalypse rather than admit defeat. I suspect he'll be added to our assassinate-on-sight list soon.”
Morningstar's voice was dangerously monotone. “Your -what- list?”
Skydancer nodded. “You heard me correctly, Director. There are certain entities who show up in enough worldlines that they are fixtures of history across large parts of seven-space. Some of them -always- cause trouble for their worlds, or for nearby worlds. When we find a worldline early enough to remove one of them from that world's history, we do so.”
“You kill furs because their alternates are evil? What if one world would have a reversal, like the gender-swap thing you mentioned?”
“This is why we do not add to that list lightly, Director. But there are certain people across the multiverse where that is rare enough to warrant the risk. Hitler is one, although only in worlds where Deutschland loses the Great War and has the insane version of the Versailles Treaty foisted on them. Sauron is another. Fortunately, the One Ring is susceptible to nuclear detonations... Personally, I think anyone willing to start a zombie plague because they were not allowed to conquer the world should be in that category as well. Particularly when he tends to do things nearly as bad when he wins. One unnecessary assassination against millions or even billions of deaths? I have acted on those odds, and not lost any sleep over it.” The bat paused, thinking for a moment. “What worries me is, why would he come -here-? His world-twins generally do not explore other planes of existence until after they conquer Orterra, and even then they start closer to home, going after similar worlds where the rules are the same. Cadet Murisaki suggested that he might be after an artifact that was hidden here – you do seem to have a lot of them, granting super-powers to lucky individuals. If I were you, I would stay on my guard.”
The bison sat quietly for a moment. “This is a lot to take on faith, Colonel. And while Mystic Cat assures me that you have been telling the truth, there are ways to do that and mislead at the same time. Would you be willing to voluntarily answer a few questions under the control of Lady Liberty's lasso?”
Skydancer frowned. “Some, certainly. But if the public perception about it is accurate, it would allow her to command me, not just force me to be truthful... and the temptation to ask questions I shouldn't answer might be too great.” He nodded at the looks that were interchanged. “Thought so. Can someone else wield it?”
The tiger-striped mare spoke up for the first time. “Who did you have in mind?”
“My compatriot, of course. I can trust her not to pass on questions that would violate Patrol secrets, but she can still order me to tell the complete truth about relevant questions. Would that be acceptable?”
Morningstar nodded. “That seems a reasonable compromise. Lady Liberty?”
The mare was obviously uncomfortable at the suggestion of giving up her lasso even temporarily, but nodded. “I think we do need to be sure of things. If this is the way he'll do it, I'll agree.”
* * * *
Bureau operatives like North America's Vortex and China's Gateway allowed the full Council to meet in Geneva with less trouble than setting up a video conference, and a face-to-face meeting was more secure. Currently, the secure meeting room contained eight furs - the seven Directors, and Tigress Titan's aide-de-camp Babel to provide a translation field. Even though all seven spoke English, El Supremo and Ivan the Terrible found each other's accents incomprehensible, and neither of them had an easy time with Captain Australia's particular brand of the language.
Morningstar had just finished presenting her report on the Orterran visit and the assistance of the Paratemporal officer. Titan shook her head. “Unbelievable. But both your own magical operatives and Lady Liberty agreed he was being completely truthful?”
The bison nodded. “We tried a standard lie detector as well, but he demonstrated that he could beat that. Eldritch, Lady Liberty, Psyche, and Mystic Cat all confirmed that he was truthful, and my own abilities indicated the same. So either he is -very- good at lying by misleading while technically telling the truth, or he was being honest. Ranger has volunteered to visit another dimension with him; I haven't decided whether or not to allow it yet.”
Noble Knight sighed. “It's not like this is the first time. We've all seen the reports on Star, among others. I suppose it's nice to know that there are entities out there who try to keep things under control. Did he know anything about this possible artifact?”
“He told us that it was 'usually' called the Orb of Souls, and is apparently a powerful boost for necromancy. If it -is- here somewhere, it would be a good idea to keep it away from furs like Voodoo Vixen.”
Tigress Titan nodded. “Or Han Zhao-Xing, for that matter. Very well. We will keep a watch out for further contacts from these furs. We cannot forbid our governments from dealing with them, though, even if they turn out to have dangerous ulterior motives. What should we do in that case?”
Captain Australia chuckled. “That's an easy one, luv. If someone starts selling him weapons or something else that would give him an advantage, we make sure someone trades the same things to his opponents.”
Morningstar nodded. “That was Ranger's suggestion as well. Skydancer agreed to facilitate things if it's needed.”
Cleopatra nodded. “My Region will certainly leak if we try to enforce an embargo. This may be the best way to deal with the issue if it turns up.”
Morningstar looked around the table. “Are we agreed, then?” Heads nodded, and no voice was raised in dissent. “Then I think we can all get back to our homes. I will inform you if anything new turns up, of course.”
* * * *
The Master of the Northlands was closeted with the furs who came the closest to anything he ever called trusted companions. “The shadow-walker's acquisitions have proven to be most valuable. It was almost...” The mouse raised an eyebrow as he scanned around the table. “... -almost- as if she knew what we desired and where it was hidden.”
The vixen shrugged. “That knowledge was very closely held, Master, and I doubt that any of us passed it on to her. But she was not hired for her stupidity, after all. I suspect that she may have guessed it on her own.”
“Explain.”
“The importance of the arrival point being distant from their capital was mentioned in her hearing, and the loss of the Orb to Roland and his companions is well known. She has spent a good deal of time outside your borders, after all, and has doubtless heard all the tales they tell. Putting all that together, along with the instructions that you actually gave her and the others? The fact that she decided to bring back their own books about their capital and their weapons does not surprise me at all. I doubt that she actually knows for sure, but she probably suspects – and decided to be helpful.”
The mouse's paranoia subsided a bit. “This is true.” He turned his consideration back to the book of maps that the ferret had brought back from the the other side. “It appears that the Orb is hidden somewhere in this region known as 'the Mall'. I suspect that appearing there would again draw the immediate interest of the denizens of that world, something we want to avoid.”
Heikio nodded. “I am not sure if they detected our arrival, or if it was the activation of the return spell that attracted their attention. But appearing in the middle of this... shrine, or whatever it is, in the middle of their capital? They will swarm like flies around a stable.”
The mouse snorted. “A less than flattering comparison, but I suspect a valid one. Should we do a brute force arrival, then? Bring a large enough force to bull our way through to the objective? Or should we try to arrive quietly at a distance and sneak up to the objective?”
The hawk shook his head. “The larger the force we bring in, the longer and more complex the return spell will have to be. Unless you bring expendable soldiers, we might have trouble getting out again, and since we do not know the Orb's exact location, we could be overwhelmed before obtaining it. I would recommend the quiet approach.”
Vanya nodded. “I concur. Stealth, not brute force, is what is likely to succeed. A quiet arrival, away from the center of their power. Dress as the locals do. Join the throngs of pilgrims to this place, while getting a better idea of the Orb's exact location. And then quickly grab it and depart, if necessary by a group teleport spell before setting up the return circle.”
“And who do we bring along with us? Do we need warriors? Or the Shadow-walker?”
Vanya frowned. “A few warriors would probably be useful. Too many makes the return harder, but they could be left behind in an emergency. Marwyn is certainly resourceful, but I am not sure how trustworthy she is.”
Heikio clicked his beak. “She has been there. We know her abilities work on that side. We should bring Mahk and his squad if we choose to bring warriors. They'll be more familiar with things and are less likely to blow our cover or be distracted by the strangeness.”
Vanya nodded. “A good point. And we might need her abilities. I agree. Let us bring her and the same squad as before. Sending them along will not be a problem, and all are ultimately expendable if we run into problems.”
The mouse turned to the pair who had not yet spoken. “General?”
The bear scowled. “It's against my usual advice, sir, but I think they are right. The reports on what these Americans can do read like the fever-dreams of a kahl-chewer, but the pictures in those books... it is like looking through a window at these war-machines. If even a tenth of what they claim is accurate, the Shadow-walker's opinion is correct. We cannot stand against them in battle. Stealth.” He grimaced, as though making the admission actually hurt. “Vanya's plan sounds... workable.”
The Master smiled. “Don't worry, Gustav, you won't have to go along. I'm planning to leave you in charge while we're gone.” He turned to the ermine in charge of his spies and informers. “Drusilla?”
“And I am going to depart from my usual advice as well. Stealth is the way to go, but we need contingency plans. Firstly, if they detect our arrival, we may have to pretend that it is a state visit. In that case, having Pelleas and that squad along will be advantageous, they can act as an honor guard. And if they detect your recovery of the Orb...” She was not going to use the word 'steal'. The Master was sensitive about that. “... we need a contingency involving force to hold them off while we set up the return circle. Either we have a military team ready to go, in the knowledge that they won't be coming back, or we will need something from their side to distract them.”
The Master's smile was one of his nastier ones. “I've already thought of something to do that. If we have to teleport, we go here.” His finger tapped the map at the front of the Tourist Guide to the D.C. Area. “Once I am again in possession of the Orb, I would be very surprised if I could not arrange a distraction using this Arlington National Cemetery.”
* * * *
“Lucy... is there anything you need to tell me about last Friday?”
The bat had just reported in to take over guard duty from the day shift. “I... well, maybe a few things, Mr. Chenango. It was a rather strange evening after we did the gem transfer. Why do you ask?”
The Cape buffalo snorted. “I -do- watch the news, you know. And I am one of the few members of the Syndicate to have met Mr. Skydancer. It was most disconcerting to see him consorting with Bureau operatives and War Wolf on camera when I watched the Saturday news reports.”
“Ah. That. I was afraid someone would notice.”
“Indeed, Lucy. That. If I didn't consider you trustworthy, I would have summoned you here earlier. I do hope I will not have cause to regret that forbearance...?”
“I hope so, too.” She sighed. “But it will depend on whether or not you trust me enough to believe a frankly unbelievable story.”
“I'm listening.”
“He doesn't actually teleport, it turns out. Not in the usual sense. The attempt I made to record the broadcasts around his home... didn't actually fail. But the results were crazy. I brought the recording with me in case this conversation happened. May I...?”
The bull nodded. “Let's hear it, then.” She nodded and set it up to play. Chenango's eyes went wide when the tape reached the news broadcast. “Seriously? He's claiming to be a time-traveler?”
“That was my first thought as well, sir. But he's actually a dimension-traveler. He's taken me places...” She shook her head. “Some of them amazing, some of them just different... and some of them horrifying. The world where I made that recording isn't quite our past. D-Day was June 18th, Roosevelt wasn't a cripple, and the second atomic bomb was dropped on Fukuoka, not Nagasaki. We visited another world where the South won the Civil War and Los Angeles was the capital of the Pacific Federation. But the horrifying one... a world where the Zombie Apocalypse happened, and the walking dead won.”
“All of which would explain why we can't find his supplier. But why would he be doing this?”
“He belongs to an organization. They call themselves the Paratemporal Patrol. They're not really heroes, or not all of them at least – they try to stop things like zombie plagues from spreading across the boundaries, and from what he told me the visitors we met Friday night could do that. So he warned the BOS about the possibility and helped them make contact. Part of his job, and he kept his dealings with the Syndicate completely out of it. War Wolf is suspicious, but mainly of me, and I think he's warned her off. Wouldn't surprise me if he could figure out some of the mask's secret identities, but he doesn't want to get involved.”
“That still doesn't answer why.”
“Sorry, sir. From what he's told me, he thinks they'll want to set up a permanent presence here, and he needs money to do that. And he's doing it the way he is to keep the government in the dark as much as possible, and because he started out as a jewel thief himself, so he knows gemstones.”
“And if they should trace him to us, now that he's broken cover?”
The bat grinned. “That's the beautiful part of it, sir. There's absolutely nothing illegal about any of his dealings with us. Even if they -did- manage it, they'd get nothing they could take to court. I think it's giving War Wolf an ulcer.”
The buffalo laughed out loud at that. “Which would be more than a lot of -our- people have ever managed.” He steepled his fingers and leaned back. “All right. So... if Mr. Rigar notices, you're using Mr. Skydancer to infiltrate the BOS, not the other way around. Agreed?”
“There is some truth to that, sir. He wants to recruit me for the Patrol. Or put me on retainer at the very least. And he – and they – have no problem with my continuing to work for the Syndicate while I do so.”
“Really? I'd think they would be concerned about it. Divided loyalties and such.”
“Iye... The reason he wants me for their group is -because- I'm an assassin. Sometimes you can stop a zombie plague by shooting the necromancer before he gets started. As long as the Syndicate doesn't do something world-endingly stupid, they don't care. And frankly, if Rigar decided to release a plague or start a zombie apocalypse, I'd try to stop him even without being part of the Colonel's little group.”
“Colonel? He has a rank?”
“Pretty high up in their organization, I understand. So... do I have to run for my life now, or do you believe me?”
“We -will- be keeping an eye on you, I'm afraid. But for now, I'll accept the story. Be sure to keep me posted in the future.”
“Yes, sir. Sorry about that. But I didn't think you'd believe me until this happened.”
“Perhaps not... So where -does- he get those gems?”
“I gather that he has a gadget that actually -makes- them. It's running pretty much flat out, and he's splitting the output between here and one other world. It's a lot like this one, just one difference.”
“Oh? And do I need to provide the straight line, or will you just tell me?”
“We both have counterparts there. Mine goes by Louis. And yours is named Alberta.”
“What...?”
“As far as he can tell, it's just like our world, but everyone's the opposite gender. I've -met- Louis. We both wanted to do that. And now we both regret it. Just too weird.”
“That may be the understatement of the century. I think I will learn from your experience. Do -not- show me any pictures of that place.”
“You got it. So what's on the agenda for this evening? Or do we have free time now that you won't be trying to fit me for cement shoes?”
“About an hour free. And then the usual first-Monday monthly meeting. Charles will be taking us around to the Boss's place at 8:30.”
* * * *
Sally grinned at Vortex as he set up a portal for the Colmaton Kids. “This home-schooling with fellow supers thing is great! Last weekend it was fossil-hunting in Wyoming, this weekend is a visit to the Smithsonian. Any idea what's on the agenda for next weekend?”
The stocky woodchuck grinned back at her. “Next weekend you're on your own, Sally. It's my grandmother's birthday, so you're stuck with local transportation.”
All three of them asked him to pass on their best wishes. “Should we send her a card?”
“Her vision's shot, but there's nothing wrong with her mind. She'd wonder who you were and how I knew you. You can sign the card that's officially being sent by my co-workers if you want.”
“That'll work.” Jake and Nandi were in civilian clothes already, and both were wearing the necklaces that Jake had gotten them for Valentine's Day. Sally flicked on the holographic disguise unit that Jake had built for her to conceal her otherwise unmistakable form in public. “Image check, Jake.” She turned in a slow pirouette and flicked her tail back and forth.
Jake watched carefully, then nodded. “Looks good. Same as last time, should be good for a minimum of four hours, probably six if all we do is walk around the museum.”
Sally chuckled. “If we don't, I'll probably be turning it off anyway.”
Nandi shook her head. “Let's hope -that- doesn't happen again.”
“The odds are against it. I've had, what, three incidents out of two or three dozen trips outside?”
The hybrid bear-cat snorted. “Right. You realize you've just jinxed us. It probably means you're overdue.”
“We're meeting my cousin on the other side. It's not like we'll be on our own if something -does- happen.”
Jake nodded. “There is that. What's his real name again?”
“William Thompson. But I just call him Cousin Bill.”
“When he's not being Coriolis.” Nandi grinned. “I met him when he brought you here, remember?”
“How'd you manage that? He spent that week either eating, sleeping, or putting out brush fires, and he complained there wasn't nearly enough of the first two.”
“Happened to be there when he came in for breakfast one morning. He's cute, for a raccoon.”
“If you say so. But you don't want to make Jake jealous, do you?”
Nandi stuck her tongue out. “Jake knows he beats out -real- competition, Sally.” Her expression softened. “He's my hero.”
The rat was blushing by this point. “I'm right here, you know.”
Sally grinned and ruffled his hair. “We know. You're cute when you're embarrassed.”
Vortex snickered. “If you three are -quite- finished...?” The portal widened to show a currently empty side alley between buildings at the National Mall. “Hurry it up before someone turns the corner.” The trio nodded and headed out.
They emerged behind the Natural History building, and started toward the Mall itself as Sally dialed her phone. She grinned as it was answered. “We're here, cuz. Should be in front of your building in a couple minutes.”
“I'll head on out, then. What do you all want to see first?”
“We're still sorting that out. Jake wants to see the Technology exhibits, Nandi wants to see Aerospace, and I wanna see the dinosaurs.”
Jake snickered. “You just want to see the dinosaurs because you like knowing that there was once something heavier than you are.”
“Ha, ha. It is to laugh.” She turned her attention back to the phone. “So as a local, do you have any recommendations?”
“How about the Archives? They've got the original Constitution there.”
“Well, it's certainly historic, but we've all read it. We're on a time limit, maybe we should just start with whichever is nearest. It's not like we can't come back in a couple weeks...” She waved. “I see you! Be right there!”
A moment later, Sally was making introductions. “Bill, this is Jake Randle, Techrat sometimes, and Nandi Moore, who's still working on her hero name. Jake, Nandi, this is my cousin William, aka Coriolis.”
Jake nodded. “We've met him as Coriolis, Sally.” He offered a hand. “It's nice to meet you out of uniform, though.”
Bill was looking up at his younger cousin with a rather puzzled look on his face. “There's something different about you today, Sally. Can't quite place it. Did you change your hairdo?”
She giggled. “Very funny. Jake is working this up for me. A secret identity hologram. Lets me associate with normal folks again.”
“Well, it's weird hearing your voice and seeing an over-sized horse. The feather-feet are a nice touch, though.”
“He tried a bear at first, but trying to cover the tail kept crashing the program. And keeping it a raccoon would kinda defeat the purpose.”
Bill grinned. “Well, if we're on a time budget, let's get started. We're right here, so we might as well do the dinos first. After that, Aerospace is closer, and it -is- tech-related, Jake. We'll see how much time is left after those two – knowing Sally, she'll be starving halfway through.”
She grinned. “I brought snacks. The pack is covered by the hologram.”
“And how are you going to get that past the metal detectors?”
Sally and Jake both stopped, and stared at each other. “Ouch. How are we going to get -us- past the metal detectors? I've got my armor with me.”
Sally nodded. “And I'll set 'em off from twenty feet away, even without the javelins. Cuz... can you sneak us in through the staff entrance?”
He nodded. “I'm going to have to, aren't I? Unless Jacob can gimmick the detectors, and I doubt we want to waste an hour or two while he figures it out. Next time, though...?”
The rat nodded. “Next time, they won't see a thing.”
Bill sighed. “This way, then. Back the way you came... I think we're going to have to spend the afternoon in the Natural History building today. I can't get you into the other buildings this way. On the plus side, there -is- plenty to see. You can spend a whole day at least in any of the buildings.”
“As long as we're stuck here, can we see anything that's not on exhibit?”
Bill looked at his cousin. “It is -so- weird hearing your voice from that image, Sally. But sure, a behind the scenes tour? I can do that.”
* * * *
Mahk was both proud and frightened. He and his squad had been chosen to return to the strange realm of America, guarding none other than the Master himself, along with Lord Heikio and Lady Vanya. It seemed that the Master needed to retrieve something from this world, in person. This time they were to try to remain concealed, and they were all wearing the strange garb that the Americans used, their weapons hidden under concealment spells.
They had appeared in the early afternoon in a farmer's field. The farmer had noticed their arrival, and come outside yelling and brandishing one of the American metal-spewing weapons. Only the orders of the Master himself stayed his hand from cutting the buck down for his impertinence, but a quick spell from Lady Vanya had turned the man from an arrogant landowner to a helpful and properly respectful servant. And now they were traveling along an astonishingly smooth road at a pace he did not even want to think about, seated in the open back of a magicked wagon with the wind of their passage roaring like a storm around his ears.
In the front of the double-cab pickup, the senior members of the expedition were discussing their plans. The Master shook his head at the landscape hurtling past. “I must admit, Shadow-walker, that I had my reservations about entering this plane so far from our target. But... what should have been a two-day journey is melting away in a mere hour. You were right – they must be incredibly rich for a mere peasant to own such a conveyance.”
The ferret gestured toward their bespelled chauffeur. “I suspect he is more a yeoman than a peasant, sir, but everything I saw and the implications of the books I brought back said it had to be so. And this way, if they noticed our arrival, they will be headed for a place twenty leagues away from where we are going.” She turned in her seat to look at the Master. “May I ask why we are going there? I can be much more help if I know your objectives”
The white mouse gave her a hooded half-smile. “I think you know already, Marwyn Shadow-walker. I am here to retrieve my property.”
She nodded. “I suspected that, sir.” She returned her gaze to the road, fascinated by their sheer speed. “May I ask where it is, precisely?”
“We are not sure yet ourselves. It is hard to pinpoint things from another world. It would appear to be in one of the buildings at this 'National Mall' shrine of theirs. We will have the peasant take us there, and I will be able to follow its call.”
* * * *
Valerie Hall, the weapons-using Gatling Goat in her Bureau identity, nodded to Eldritch as he came up to her desk. “Hey, Algie. What's up?”
“I need to see Director Whitecloud, right now.”
“She's in conference with Precep... hey!”
The wolf-raccoon hybrid hadn't even slowed down, but brushed right past her and started knocking on the door. “Morningstar? We've had another arrival.”
“What? Come in, come in...” The wolf-raccoon hybrid opened the door and stepped into the office. “Where?”
“I'm not sure, Director. Much farther away this time, and to the east. Same origin as last time, though. I need to triangulate before the echoes fade away. Can you get Vortex to send me to Mexico City in the next five minutes or so?”
“He's in his lab. Go. I'll call ahead.” She picked up her phone and started dialing. “I think your report can wait, Dietrich. And you might want to suit up, we may need your vision powers to find them if they've moved away from where they arrived.”
* * * *
“... somewhere near DC, Director. A bit to the west if we've got it plotted correctly.” Eldritch had gone from Mexico City to Philadelphia to finalize the location, and was currently in a conference call with Dyno-Donkey, Mighty Mule, Morningstar, and Skydancer's recruit, who had passed on an urgent message to him and was relaying for the AI who ran his local surveillance network.
“All right. I've just asked Mycroft to check the Washington area for dimensional arrivals.” She paused, listening to the response. “He says it'll take a half-hour to get started, we don't have any assets near the capital at the moment.”
Morningstar continued sorting out the situation. “All right, we have ten or so of the Orterrans somewhere near DC. We don't know yet whether it is another group reporting to this Master person, or someone else from that world, but I'd bet on the first. What assets do we have in place?”
Mighty Mule answered her. “The Capital Center, of course, but they're not a combat group for the most part. The Feds have their own programs and prefer to defend Washington with their own people. Patriot, Coriolis, Swarm, and Traceroute are the only ones I'd send up against heavy hitters. There's a lot of people in and out of DC, playing tourist or having business in their secret ID's. Let's see who's there this weekend...” He tapped some keys on his computer. “Endopossum's there, something to do with her day job and a Congressional committee meeting yesterday. Exit is meeting with the Presidential Detail in her secret ID, and... uh-oh. Your kids are there, Morningstar.”
Morningstar glanced across her desk at Dyno-Donkey. “Today was the Smithsonian trip?”
The burro nodded. “I'm afraid so, Elaine. They're actually with Coriolis. If we're going to call him up, we'll have to call them back.”
“And Ferric, at least, will probably want to stay if we activate Coriolis. She gets very protective of her family. And she's refused orders to stay clear of trouble twice.”
Dyno-Donkey chuckled. “Four times. Two of them turned out to be false alarms, though. We might be able to get her out if she doesn't know there's a problem. Once a confrontation has started...? Couldn't shift her with a bulldozer.”
Mighty Mule snorted. “From what I've heard, you can't shift her with a bulldozer anyway.”
Morningstar shook her head. “Well, send out the alert for now. We'll try to pin down their location, MM, and let you know as soon as we figure anything out. Ms. Murisaki, when do you expect Colonel Skydancer back?”
“Assuming he's in worldline 48 when the message gets there, about an hour. The drones aren't as fast as he is. If it has to be forwarded from -there-...? Two at least. I did also send one directly to worldline 62, since that's the other most likely place he'll be.”
“Let's hope he's not had another call, then. Reconvene in... forty minutes. Hopefully we'll have a preliminary report from Ms. Murisaki by then.”
* * * *
They arrived at the Mall well before dusk after a brief diversion to Arlington at Lord Heikio's insistence – Mahk gathered that he had to see it personally if he was going to teleport them all there safely. The farmer dropped them off near an enormous obelisk at one end of the Mall, and Lady Vanya sent the buck home with orders to forget about the entire afternoon. “We do not know what their reaction will be to finding a body or an abandoned wagon, milord. Best we simply let him depart.” Mahk sighed as he and his squad walked off the stiffness of their unfamiliar ride, trying to figure out how to keep the local furs from bothering the Master without at the same time being obvious guards.The place did have the air of a shrine about it, with wide spaces thronged by pilgrims, set up so that the eyes were led to either the obelisk or the domed building at the other end of the park.
The Master nodded to Vanya and Heikio. “We are close. To the left side, I believe. Remember, we are all pilgrims, here to visit the shrines. So let us walk slowly along, admiring the sights as I focus on the Orb.” He grinned. “After all these years, it is almost mine again. Still, I am not going to waste time savoring the moment. The quicker we find it and leave this world, the better.”
* * * *
Disruptor was on duty at Washington Center when the alert came in, and he passed it on to the full roster of the Capitol. 'Regional HQ reports a dimensional incursion somewhere in the greater Washington area at local 1417 hours Saturday 15 April. Be alert for any individual or group that does not seem to understand how things work, such as misreading traffic signals. Stand by for active duty should it become necessary.' Bureau agents all around the District of Columbia checked their text messages a moment later and began thinking about exit strategies if they had to abandon their Saturday evening activities.
Coriolis wandered away from his three charges as they gawked at the Apatosaurus and called in. “Half an hour and nothing's happened, Dee?”
“Not yet. Morningstar says it's likely related to the event in Colmaton a week ago, but nobody's spotted them yet and they haven't done anything to call attention to themselves. Keep your eyes open.”
“What about the kids?”
“Send 'em home if we go to full alert, but for now there's no reason to do anything. Morningstar said that if we told 'em, Ferric would balk at being pulled out, so she's hoping nothing comes up before they're scheduled to go home.”
“Morningstar is a very wise femme. All right, we'll hope nothing happens in the next two hours.” He headed back to the kids.
* * * *
The group had gathered some curious looks from the passers-by, but nobody had seen fit to try to address them. Washington was used to VIPs attempting to look incognito, and the natives paid little attention; tourists were more likely to be staring at maps and guidebooks than at other tourists. Mahk had discovered that if someone was heading straight for the Master or one of the mages, they would change course if he made a point of standing in the way. <With a bit of luck, I will come through this with the Master in a good mood.> The mouse was currently staring at one of the larger buildings along the sides of the park, this one at least made of honest stone unlike the bizarre glass building farther ahead on the right.
“That one, Vanya. On an upper floor, but not all the way up.”
“'National Museum of Natural History', it says. More translation that doesn't make sense. I suppose we can just go in, though. There are certainly enough of the pilgrims doing so.”
Inside the doors, however, there was a snag. Those entering were lining up to pass through one of a set of arches – and were first depositing their belongings on a moving table-top to be inspected. One of the arches made a strange noise while they watched, and the guards moved to check that pilgrim more thoroughly before letting him pass. Mahk thought about it for a minute before screwing up his courage and volunteering an observation. “Master... the arches detect metal. And I am not certain that the concealment spells on our weapons will hide them.”
The mouse nodded. “I believe you are right, corporal. And I have no desire to divest myself of all of my amulets to enter this building... Vanya, Marwyn? Suggestions?”
The shadow-walker shrugged. “I can bypass this place, if you wish to give me your gear and enter unobtrusively. But you did not wish to do that.”
Vanya nodded. “It is too crowded to teleport safely, Master, and we would be noticed in any event. Do you think we could charm all of the guardians at once?”
Heikio shook his head. “There is always someone more resistant in a group that size. And the pilgrims would notice, and likely pass the alarm even if we controlled all the guards. Remember, they can all talk at any distance they choose. I fear we must either let Marwyn carry our weapons, or break cover and charge.”
Mahk cleared his throat before interrupting a second time. “Master... the guards merely check metal that has been forgotten. Could it be that you could charm the one guard who checks you, and let the Shadow-walker carry for the rest of us? We would not want all of us to do this, but...”
The mouse held up a finger, and the hyena dutifully fell silent. The mouse watched the line move until another warning was emitted by an arch. The guard waved a wand around the femme who had set it off, and waved her on after looking at the medallion she had forgotten to place on the table. “I do believe you are right again. Pelleas?”
The bull swallowed and suppressed the urge to salute. “Master?”
“The squad leader should be promoted to sergeant as soon as we get back. He observes, and he thinks. I have few enough soldiers who can do either, let alone both.”
“As you command, milord.” The bull had been holding his breath, wondering what had possessed Mahk to intrude on the leaders of the Empire, not once but -twice-, but it seemed that the boy's instincts had been correct. <Probably helps that the Master is focusing on being stealthy, and blasting him for impertinence would be anything but...>
“The rest of you, give anything obviously a weapon to the Shadow-walker. Anything else metal, do as the locals do and place it in one of the buckets to be checked. And I will try Mahk's suggestion.”
* * * *
Maxine Clark, code name Endopossum, watched curiously as the odd group she'd noticed paused at the entrance to the Natural History section of the Smithsonian. It looked for all the world as if they were handing things to the ferret-femme with them, but if so they were invisible. And then the ferret simply faded out of sight while the rest walked through the metal detectors. One of them beeped, but the mouse who'd set it off was waved through after a quick check – too quick, now that she thought about it. She frowned, and stepped out of the way of the crowds to get out her Bureau phone. “Disruptor? Endopossum here. Just caught a group heading into the Natural History Museum. One of 'em vanished, looked like she was sneaking something past the detectors, and one of them got waved through without a proper check after he set one off. This may not be the group you told us to watch out for, but -something's- up.”
“What do they look like?”
“A squad of hyenas who act like bodyguards, a bull, a hawk, a vixen, and a mouse. Plus a ferret who vanished into thin air somehow.”
“That... doesn't sound good. I'm sending you a set of pictures.”
Endopossum looked at the images when they arrived a few seconds later. “That looks like them, all right. What do we do?”
“Follow them for now. Use your Bureau pass to get through the metal detectors if you have to. I'll contact Morningstar and ask for orders. ”
“Roger that.” She headed for the special access desk, already reaching for her identity card.
* * * *
Skydancer had returned to Worldine 54, and joined the conference call in progress. “...confirmed that this is a unique event, Director. There was no incursion to any of the parallel timelines nearby. I very much suspect that you -do- have his Orb of Souls here somewhere. Or perhaps just a similar one, I don't really know how attuned he is to the one from his worldline in particular.”
Morningstar interrupted the discussion. “Just a moment, Colonel... okay, I just got a confirmation from DC. One of our operatives has positively identified three of the individuals from the first incursion at the Smithsonian. There's a hyena squad with them again, and they've been joined by a vixen and a mouse.”
“A mouse? A -white- mouse?”
“That's correct, Colonel.”
The phone did not have the capability of transmitting the ultrasound of the bat's native language, although Ryushi, standing beside him, made a note of the obscenity. “It's -him-. The Master himself. He's got to be after the Orb, and it's probably in the museum somewhere. I'd recommend you go to full alert, and send every operative you have to grab them. If he gets hold of the thing, he probably -will- call up a zombie plague just to cover his tracks, or keep you busy while he sets up his spells to go home.”
“Do you know what this Orb looks like?”
“It's usually a sphere of obsidian, but not always – and it's probably been disguised. Sorry.”
Morningstar nodded. “Disruptor, Mighty Mule, you heard him. Call out everyone who's in or can get to the DC area. I'll get Vortex busy getting more agents there.”
Dyno-Donkey cleared his throat. “What about the kids?”
“We'll get them out if we can, but that's not going to be first priority. Let's get busy, people.”
A Colmaton Universe fanfic.
The Colmaton Universe, Ranger/Kuwanna Moore, Nandi Moore, Lady Liberty/Gloria Summers, Psyche, Boss Rigar and the Syndicate are intellectual properties of Train.
The Bureau of Superheroes and its Regional Directors, Morningstar/Elaine White Cloud, Babel, Carla Meadows, Power Pig, Gatling Goat/Valerie Hall, Dyno-Donkey/Dunston Howe, Medic Mouse, Techrat/Jacob Randle, Mystic Cat, Mighty Mule, and Vortex are the intellectual properties of Mojorover
Strikira is the property of Wolfrider
Miracle/Erin Flaherty is the property of Samgodwsc
Eldritch/Algernon Marshweeve is the property of thecanidean
Preceptor/Dietrich von Stoop is a joint creation of Mojorover and Train.
Endopossum/Maxine Clark property of arvanas_sorrat
All other major characters original to me.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 50 x 50px
File Size 175.3 kB
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