Tempus Fugit, Part Two |
What Has Come Before: Mad Jim Jaspers, a reality-altering villain, has seized control over the Pendragons' universe. Altering history to suit his insane plans, Jaspers has inserted himself into the group's history and now serves as their liaison to the British government. He has wiped Joey Chapman -- Union Jack -- from existence and has reorganized the team's lineup for his own purposes. The current lineup: Adam Crown, Big Ben, Captain Britain, Breeze, Miraclewoman, Rathoon and Shamrock.
Pendragons Castle, located on the Isle of Lyonesse
"Ngggg." Ginny felt Jim's hand go over her mouth again, trying to stifle her moans of pain. She hated this... all the lies she had to tell to Adam was bad enough, but Jim's insistence on their having sex... this way... troubled her. It made her feel like a piece of meat.
Jim Jaspers heard her thoughts and they made him shiver with pleasure. Even more than the buggering, it was the degradation of this sweet young thing that made him release at last. Just down the castle's long hall, her boyfriend -- the annoyingly self-righteous Adam Crown -- slept on, unaware that his love had slipped down to see Jim. It wasn't truly her choice, but she need not know that. She was nothing more than a pawn of Jim's -- as was everyone else here. It was his personal playground and he was relishing it.
When the act was done, Jim rolled away from her and pulled a robe about himself. He lit a fag and smiled as her sobs reached his ears. "Stop your tears, little bird." He turned back to her and sat on the edge of the bed, resting a hand on her rump. "Why don't you tell daddy what's wrong?"
Ginny wiped away her tears with the back of a hand, but refused to look at him. "This has to stop... Please. I love Adam."
"Then what you doing here, eh?" Jim's eyes grew hard and he slapped her bum painfully. "Let's face facts, shall we? You're a nasty little tart and if Adam had half an idea how many times you've been to see me, he'd drop you flat. So you just remember that, eh?" He shoved her then, so hard that she tumbled out of the bed and onto the floor. "Get your clothes and get out."
Crying once more, Ginny snatched at her things and ran to the door. She felt shame and rage intermingle within her as she heard him say "See you tomorrow, sweet cheeks."
When he was alone in the darkness, Jim took another long drag on his cigarette. "It's good to be the King," he whispered with a chuckle.
London's East End, The Next Day
"Betsy! Watch your back!"
Shamrock's warning came a bit too late as Tweedledope's fist slammed into the back of Captain Britain's head. The blow was powerful enough to send the heroine hurtling through the air. She crashed hard into a brick wall, shattering it.
Molly Fitzgerald, only recently returned to the Pendragons after a stint with the Dark Guard, uttered an oath in anger. This whole battle was going poorly as far as she was concerned -- more because the new Pendragons were acting with little teamwork than because the Crazy Gang was actually a genuine threat.
"Orf wiv 'er head!"
Shamrock ducked and rolled, avoiding a swipe of the Executioner's axe. The tall robed figure was flanked by an angry Red Queen, who held a blunt sceptre in one hand and a bag of money in the other. The whole situation was almost humorous, thought Molly. In a world where Doctor Doom was massing for war with the Bane, the Pendragons were spending the afternoon foiling an old-fashioned bank robbery.
Nearby, Big Ben -- the Man with No Time for Crime -- was being toppled over by an angry Jester. The clownish figure was pounding Ben so hard that the hero's bowler hat was being ruined. "I say!" Ben exclaimed, shoving the Jester away. "It's one thing to have little respect for the law, but to bash a man's hat -- That's just ungodly!"
A flash of golden beauty was coupled with the Jester's cry of pain. He had been thrown upwards by Ben and he now slammed into the hurtling form of Miraclewoman. Winter Moran had lived a normal life, never dreaming that the potential for godhood lurked within her. But when her husband Michael was revealed to be a bitter, older version of Miracleman, all that had changed. Winter had become a distaff version of the classic British hero, aiding the Pendragon in defeating her maddened husband when he claimed the identity of Dark Miracleman. Winter grabbed hold of Jester and thrashed him hard against the ground.
The Red Queen watched in horror as the Executioner was felled by a series of karate chops delivered by Shamrock, who had luckily just missed being caught in the crossfire as Rathoon unleashed a plume of fire at the slender Knave. The villainous strongman was left smoking and unconscious.
Adam Crown stepped up to face down the Executioner, bringing the mighty sword Excalibur up to meet the Excalibur's blade. The reincarnation of Arthur was seen by many as the leader of the team, though those in the know realized that it was Captain Britain who controlled matters. Even so, Adam was highly regarded both for his pure heart and for his incredible swordplay. It was the latter that won the day now, as he sidestepped a wide swipe of the Executioner's blade and slashed forward with his own sword. He caught the villain with the flat of the blade but it was enough to knock the man from his feet. Breeze, the team's super speedster, rushed forward to deliver the coup de grace -- a powerful kick to the side of the Executioner's hooded head.
"Nice work there, Adam."
"Same to you." The dark-haired man looked about and smiled. There was only one member of the Crazy Gang left... and she was backing away with wide eyes. "The Red Queen."
"Orf... wiv... your... heads!" she said, backing up against a brick wall.
The Pendragons, with Rathoon looming over them all, approached. Adam Crown in the front, with Captain Britain just behind, being supported by Shamrock. It was the dragon who spoke for the group, smiling a toothy grin. "I smell a serious ass whuppin' in the making," he murmured.
Miraclewoman turned her blue eyes to the ancient dragon and her lips parted in a transcendent smile. "Your sense of humor is absolutely enchanting."
"Why thank you, milady. I try to be--"
"Orf wiv your heads!" the Red Queen bellowed, rushing forward as fast as her chubby body could allow. She raised the scepter high above her head but it never struck home as Betsy Braddock stopped her in her tracks with a psychic blast. The Queen spun around twice before landing hard on the ground.
Cheers erupted on all sides as pedestrians began flooding out from their safe spots. The Pendragons waved to their adoring public, but it was Betsy's voice in their heads that they were really paying attention to. Not bad, everyone... but we need to do better. We should have wrapped this up much sooner.
She's right, Shamrock answered. Her thoughts were transmitted to the others via Betsy's mental link. We looked sloppy.
"Time will fix that," Breeze replied. She seemed to be far less critical of the team's performance than most of the others. "Believe me, the old Knights of Pendragon weren't a pretty sight at first... but by the end, we had teamwork that would have put Manchester United to shame."
"Regardless," Captain Britain replied, shifting into verbal speech in response to Breeze's doing so. "We're going to spend more time in the training room. With so much turnover on the team, we have to get acclimated to one another."
"Jolly good idea," Big Ben said. He was was studying his hat with great concern. "I do hope it can wait until after I stop by the haberdashery...."
Betsy started to reply when she felt her vision begin to swim. She swayed on her feet and would have fallen had Shamrock not gripped her harder. When she looked up, she saw the others watching her. "I'm all right. Just a bit faint..." Her words trailed off as she stared at Breeze.
"What is it?" the speedster asked, looking down at herself.
"You shouldn't -- Ungh!" Betsy touched her head again and pushed Molly away. After a deep breath, she forced a smile. "Sorry, mates. I guess I took a harder fall than I thought."
The others moved to console her, but Adam Crown hung back. Betsy had been behaving strangely for some time now. Her odd entrance at Spitfire's wedding had been only the beginning, for she'd followed that up with the occasional odd statement or unusual behavior. It's almost like she keeps forgetting where she is... or even who she is. If this keeps up, she won't be fit for leadership any more.
And Adam found that he wasn't too displeased with that notion.
Jim Jaspers stood in the Prime Minster's office, staring through a window at the busy streets below. Word of the Pendragons' victory had reached him, leaving him with a smug feeling. It was a bit akin to watching your oldest son put his Cricket team over the top. "What's with all these bloody unicorns?" he asked, exhaling a bit of smoke as he held his fag away from his lips. He had a funny way of holding his cigarette, making him look somewhat effeminate.
"They've become a popular pet," the Prime Minister replied. He was seated at his desk, looking through a ream of paper. He had aged considerably since the Black Mass Barrier had risen, making his normally young and handsome face look old and tired. "Parents know that only virgins can ride on their backs, so it's a nice way of testing your youngster's adherence to abstinence."
"Clever... You asked me to come so we could discuss this Red Guardian business?"
The Prime Minister nodded, waiting until Jim had crossed over to an empty chair and sat down. Then he steepled his fingers together and said "I have grave misgivings over our current plan of action. Waiting for Doom and the Red Lord to do each other in is all well and good, but... perhaps the time has come for us to finally take the plunge and ally ourselves with Doom. The Red Lord is, according to Captain Britain, the far greater threat and--"
"That bird doesn't call the shots, Tony. I do. Remember?" Jim punctuated his words by blowing a smoke ring. "And I think we're best off letting them damage each other until neither can stand properly. Then we'll swoop in and take them both down."
"The Guardian thinks that Doom's forces will fail to defeat the Bane unless we help them. And there's always the chance that Doom might broker a deal with the Red Lord... We'd be lost then."
"Won't happen."
"But how can you be sure?" The Prime Minister's voice rose as his patience ran thin. "I know you've had a fantastic run of success, but eventually you're going to be wrong on something. We can't gamble like this -- Not with the fate of our country at stake!"
"All life's a gamble, my boy." Jim leaned across the desk, pushing his hat back on his head. As usual, he was dressed somewhat outlandishly -- like a schoolboy gone wild on a shopping spree -- but there was a danger lurking in his eyes and it made everyone take him quite seriously. "What most people don't know is that they're all just actors on a stage, and if things aren't kept interesting, God loses interest. And when God loses interest..." Jim made a slashing motion across his own throat. "Reboot. Total and complete. History's rewritten and, glory be willing, God lets us keep going on for a little bit longer."
The PM tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling trapped in it. Something about Jim Jaspers always unsettled him. "Yes... Well, I just want us to be sure we're taking the right actions here."
"Oh we are," Jim said, his eyes twinkling. "Believe me, we are."
Winter Moran tried to loser herself in the thrill of the moment, but it was hard. Flying was everything she'd ever dreamed it could be, but it did little to dull the pain that ate away at her. Her husband was gone, probably dead... and she couldn't even find it in her heart to miss him. It was like he had always been a placeholder in her life, something keeping the other side of the bed warm until its rightful owner could come home and claim it.
And when that owner did appear, it was in the form of Micky Moran, a timelost teenager with the power to become one of the most beautiful men in all creation. Winter wanted to mother him and shag him all at the same time.
London twinkled below, its lights shining through the bleak darkness. A rain was coming and Winter could feel the electricity in the air. What's more, she could see the rising electromagnetism... with her new eyes, the entire spectrum of the world came alive for her in ways she never could have imagined.
"A moment of your time, miss?"
Miraclewoman jumped in surprise. She was hundreds of feet up and couldn't fathom how someone could be speaking from just behind her. But a quick look back soothed her nerves. It was just Big Ben. "What can I do for you, Ben?"
"Please -- call me Patrick."
"Is that what you're planning to go by?"
Big Ben, looking once more dapper in a fresh suit and hat, drew up alongside her. Though he could have come across as comical in his fancy clothes and with an umbrella draped over one arm, he somehow managed to make it seem... refined somehow. "I suppose it is for the best. My mind's all a jumble, to be honest. I have two sets of memories -- one based upon comic book adventures that never truly happened. And another set that belongs to Patrick Steed, Inland Revenue Clerk. I think it's best that I try to intermingle them somehow."
Miraclewoman smiled in return. Her own re-birth had been much simpler*. She'd simply said her magic word and been transformed physically... but her mind remained her own. For poor Patrick, the change had been so profound that it threatened his very concept of self. On the one hand, he was a frightfully common man given to excessive worry. On the other, he was the epitome of a 1960s-era super spy. "You'll do fine, I think...."
(*See Tom Deja's excellent Miracles, Inc. series)
"Something wrong, Winter?"
The heroine was staring off into space, her eyes seeming distant and aloof. "Something's not right. You were a founding member of the Knights of Pendragon. You should have had plenty of time to get used to all this... Why aren't you?"
"I'm not following -- Wait! By jove, you're right!" Ben moved closer to her and rubbed his chin. While most of the group was a little put off by Miraclewoman's inhuman nature, Ben didn't seem to blink an eye at her unnatural beauty. Like a perfect secret agent, he was attracted to but not overwhelmed by feminine attractiveness. "I distinctly remember forming the old KoP with Albion, Kate, Betsy and the others... but I also remember coming into my own only a month or so ago."
"We've all been giving Betsy such a hard time lately... I wonder if this isn't what she's been experiencing?"
"Quite right." Ben felt the first drops of rain and opened his umbrella, gallantly extending it over his companion while he himself got wet. "We should keep this to ourselves, I think."
"But why?"
"Because something or someone has tweaked our reality a bit. And there's a good chance it could be a teammate of ours."
"Who?" Winter asked, genuinely surprised that he would suspect a fellow Pendragon.
Ben leaned close and whispered conspiratorially "Who on the squad has experience with both time-related misadventures and may have reason to want to weaken the British Monarchy via its defenders?"
Miraclewoman stared at him blankly until his words sank in. She backed away from him in disgust. "Shamrock? You suspect Shamrock? That's absurd!"
"She is a former member of Roma's Dark Guard... and she's Irish, so--"
"This isn't the Sixties anymore, Patrick! There are still strains aplenty in Great Britain, but I don't think you have to worry about one of our own teammates betraying us for political reasons." Shaking her head, she began streaking away from her head. "I'll see you back at headquarters."
As the rain began to fall heavier on London, Big Ben remained floating there, his umbrella held over his head. He knew that the womanly mind sometimes had trouble with such concepts, but he'd expected more from Miraclewoman. The answers seemed blatantly obvious to him, but he was a trained super agent after all... I'll be watching you, Molly lass. Closely indeed.
Chanda sat in the center of the Cathedral of Owls, feeling their eyes upon her. The young Indian girl had come to the Pendragons weeks ago, possessed of powers given her by the Lady of the Lake herself. But most everything else was a mystery, including her own past. Who was she? And what role was she to play in the madness that now surrounded the world?
"They will need you. You and you alone contain the true history within your mind."
Chanda looked about her, feeling scared and alone. The voice was feminine and reassuring but the fact that it appeared to float to her from thin air left her confused. "Why me? I don't want this...."
"All of us have destinies that we must fulfill. That is the way of things."
"But what if Jaspers discovers that I know the truth? He'll destroy me."
"He cannot. I have shielded you with magicks. You are a blind spot for him. Just stay beneath his notice -- he has games aplenty to distract him."
A watery form appeared then, in the center of the Cathedral. It was the Lady of the Lake herself, looking regal and secure. The sight of her gave Chanda new strength. "And when it's over, will I know the truth about myself?"
The Lady of the Lake smiled softly and Chanda thought it looked tinged with sadness. "Yes, my dear. You will know the truth."
Adam Crown was waiting in Ginny's bedroom when she returned from shopping. From the look on his face, she immediately knew something was very wrong. With a worried glance, she noticed that her bags were sitting on the bed, fully packed. "Adam...?"
"Get out."
"What?"
"You heard me," he replied, his voice tight and angry. "I found your letters. I know what you've been doing."
Ginny felt confusion wash over her. She set down the clothing bags she'd been holding and moved towards her lover. "I don't understand what you're talking about. What letters?"
Adam rose so quickly that it scared Ginny. She'd never seen such a look in his eyes. He snatched up a small packet of letters from the bedside table and threw them at her. They bounced off her shoulder and hit the ground, spilling out papers... and pictures. Ginny could see her face and body in all of them, but the face of the man with her was obscured. Still, it was obvious enough that sexual acts were being performed.
Looking back into Adam's hurt eyes, she stammered "Please... I can explain. It's all a horrible--"
Adam slapped her so hard that it sent her to the floor. "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies. Your own words told me all I need to know. How many men was it? How many times did you need to degrade yourself? How many lies have you told me? Can you even count that high?"
"It's not like that!" she screamed, wiping at her bloodied lip. "He made me! I swear, he--"
Adam raised his hand again and she flinched away, shielding her head from his blow. Shaking, he held his rage in check and did not strike again, though the pain inside him begged for release. "Just go. I don't want to see you ever again."
Fighting back her sobs, Ginny pulled herself to her feet and stumbled over to the bed. She picked up her bags and ran out, leaving behind both her newly bought clothes and the man to whom she gave her heart. Neither would she ever see again.
Adam stayed where he was for a long moment before bending to pick up the letters and pictures. He stared at them numbly before tossing them into the fireplace, watching as they blackened and shriveled.
"I'm sorry, lad. I truly am."
Adam nodded, but did not turn to see Jim Jaspers behind him. The team's mentor and advisor had been in the closet the whole time, listening. "You did the right thing by showing me those papers. I needed to know."
Jim nodded, his eyes full of false empathy. "Women can't be trusted. I've learned that sad lesson myself a time or two."
Adam looked away, feeling hopeless and lost. "I should have known. I sensed she was hiding something but I never thought--"
"No use knocking yourself for not having figured it out. You were too close to the crime scene to put it together. But I couldn't have the others laughing at you like this -- I knew you deserved to know."
Adam turned to face him, shock in his face. "Everyone knows?"
Jim covered his mouth in mock horror. "Oh my boy... I'm sorry. I wasn't going to tell you that. I wouldn't want to damage your relationship with your teammates...."
"Gods above," Adam whispered. "My woman sluts around on me and my own friends just snigger behind my back."
Jim stepped towards him and rubbed his shoulders. "You'll always have me, Adam. Friends to the end."
Adam nodded, his eyes misting over. He felt embarrassed but it just seemed too hard to keep it inside. He began to cry, leaning in to accept Jim's hug. The older man patted his back, watching himself in the mirror over Adam's shoulder. They looked like father and son, locked in a mutual embrace of love.... Until Jim winked playfully and smirked.
Inside the mirror, locked away from all of creation... a figure watched and seethed. There was nothing he could do for now, but eventually Jim would slip and his plans would fail. The man in the mirror believed that with every fiber of his being...
Because without hope, all was lost.
Next Issue: "Tempus Fugit" continues. Our heroes are beaten, though they do not know it. To what depths will they fall? Only Mad Jim knows for sure....
AUTHOR'S NOTES
This storyline arose out of my own growing dissatisfaction with the series. I felt it had become too predictable... too safe. For both myself and the title's fans (all five of you!), I felt that a shakeup was needed. "Tempus Fugit" is one hell of shakeup, I think. And it's only going to get more shocking from here. Will the status quo return when it's all said and done? No. History may be revised as it was (we'll see), but I guarantee you that the characters will remember all that has occurred... and it will haunt them for a long time to come.
Last issue we lost Union Jack.
This issue we lost Ginny.
Any bets as to who's next to fall?
You can reach me at aric_dacia@yahoo.com
