# 211
The All-Star Legion of America in "The Secret Emperor"
By Mikel Midnight (suggested by a plot from Dashiell Hammett)

'Old Nick' Talbert looks around the room at the colorfully attired men and boys who had assembled at his call. "I thank you all for coming to Washington on such short notice," he says. "I usually prefer to visit your Madison Avenue headquarters, but ... "

Captain Tootsie narrows his deep-set copper eyes. "We'd never be ones to turn down a call from the All-Star Legion of America's government liaison," he exclaims. "Hootin' zoots, you're one of our founding members."

'U.S.' Royal looks thoughtful. "And I can assure you as a United States deputy, I can understand the importance of confidentiality."

Old Nick strokes his grey beard. "I know you can be trusted, Royal, as can all the rest. This is a very sensitive matter."

R.C. leans back against a table, his powerful flat muscles tensing slightly despite the apparent repose. He releases a baseball into the air and begins to bounce it upwards against his ever-present bat in a repetitious movement. "Sensitive? Is this even something that our younger members should be a part of?"

"Awwww," Thom McAn waves his hand dismissively, "Bazooka and I can handle it." The other boy nods affirmatively, bony mouth and chin working a piece of chewing gum vigorously.

H, the extradimensional imp which accompanies the team, says "        ."

"I agree," says Volto. Tall and lean to the point of gauntness, straight nose like a knife, the Martian sweeps his eyes over his teammates. "In my time on Earth I have seen much courage from its younger citizens, and I am not one to discount their heroism."

Old Nick nods, "Very well then. Let me tell you about General Dolliard and his troubles." He inhales deeply, letting the air out in an extended breath as he gathers his thoughts, and then temples his fingertips under his chin. "Dolliard is very much in love with his wife, Helene, whom he married in Paris during the war. He learned afterward, that she was a suspected traitor and was on a French list of war criminals to be shot. He set about collecting evidence to clear her." He sighs again. "He had these papers in a Baltimore bank under an alias ... and those papers have since been removed. Possibly by someone with a grudge against the General, possibly by someone with a grudge against his wife."

"Pretty different from the usual case we set out to solve," Captain Tootsie says thoughtfully. "You think someone is out to blackmail the General?"

Old Nick does not reply, but opens a notebook pad which had been resting on the left-hand side of his desk. He tears out a sheet, and hands it to the Captain. "I don't know, Captain. That's part of what I need the Legion to discover," he says.

Captain Tootsie glances down at the sheet which contains the Baltimore addresses for General Dolliard's residence as well as his bank information. He nods silently and tucks the paper into a compartment in the lining of his belt. "We're at America's service."

Later, a golden bubble descends over the estate belonging to General Dolliard. As it hits the ground it explodes silently, revealing the membership of the All-Star Legion of America. Volto nods to his compatriots, "The front door, as is our custom?"

Captain Tootsie smiles, "Of course." They walk up the staircase and Bazooka runs ahead of the rest of the group, "I'll do it," knocking at the door in a staccato 'shave and a haircut, two bits.' Captain Tootsie tousles his hair as he catches up, and the door opens to reveal a square-featured man past middle-age, heavy and of medium height. "General Dolliard?"

The man nods, "I am he. I recognise you, of course, Captain ... and the rest of your retinue. Please, come in. How can I help you?"

"Darling? Who is it?" As the team enters they see a well-dressed woman enter the room, her voice possessing a slavic lilt. She leans up to kiss Dolliard on the cheek, and glances at the Legion, an alarmed expression fleeting across her face.

Dolliard smiles, "These are some of our American mysterymen, Helene. They ... " She interrupts him, "I'm sure it's all very exciting, darling, but I do have errands to run." She leans up to kiss him, and sashays off out of the study.

As she leaves, 'U.S.' Royal whispers to R.C., "Cover me." His teammate nods, stepping forward to fill the space occupied by his teammate and bouncing a baseball upwards against his bat in a repetitious movement. He says, "General, we're here to discuss some blackmail attampts regarding your wife."

Dolliard turns pale. "You intruded into my personal sphere ... for that?" He grips his hands into fists. "You have no right ... I think you should all leave. Now."

The Legionnaires look at one another, bemused. Thom McAn says, "Sir, we only came here to help." H says, "    ."

"I said, leave." Dolliard speaks with barely repressed fury. Volto raises his hands in an appeasing gesture. "We meant no intrusion. We will be on our way."

Captain Tootsie nods. "If you ever need the Legion's help, you know where to find us." He and the others depart through the door.

Outside, 'U.S.' Royal mounts his bicycle, just as he sees Helene Dolliard departing the grounds in a sporty racer. She spies him in her rear-view mirror and tears out of the driveway, tires spraying gravel. 'U.S.' Royal activates the bicycle's jet propulsion units and takes off after her. The pair run through a heated chase, the bicycle easily keeping pace with the automobile, until finally she pulls off into a turnout. He circles around, finally coming to a stop in front of her car, and dismounts.

She shakily lights up a cigarette in a long holder as he approaches, and rolls down the car door window. "Royal," she says.

He leans against the car door, his clean hard mouth turned into a frown. "Mady Brefina. I didn't expect to see you again, and certainly not here. Certainly not married to an American general ... and certainly not that one in particular. Does he know about the other husband, back in Europe? Does he know what happened to his brother, Don?"

Helene Dolliard takes a long inhalation of smoke, and attempts to calm her nerves. "No. And you're not going to tell him."

"I ought to. I worked with Don Dolliard, and he died so that I might get out of Austria alive with our information ... and I know you were the cause of that." 'U.S.' Royal looks out into the horizon. "If I had been in France at the time you married Dolliard, I'd have prevented it. Does he know you were a secret agent of Teutonica during the war? Does he know you're guilty of everything you've been accused of, all the crimes of which he's been trying to clear your name?"

She looks up at him. "No. Please don't tell him, Royal." Her voice cracks, "I know I did things I shouldn't have. I was just trying to survive. You don't know what it was like, especially being a woman during that time ... "

'U.S.' Royal waves his hand dismissively. "Save it, sister. Not everyone made the choices you did. I'm not interested in your sob stories." He sighs heavily, and turns around, leaning with one hand on the top of the car door and with the other hand close to her face, index finger pointed accusingly. "Lucky for you, I'm also not interested in making Dolliard's life miserable. The All-Star Legion of America have bigger fish to fry. I'll keep your secret, for now. But if he discovers your guilt through some other means, I'm not going to protect you, either."

She nods, chewing on her lower lip nervously. "Thank you."

He stands up, and remounts his bicycle, preparing to jet back to the house. "Now get out of here, I'm sick of looking at you."

On his return, he is greeted by questioning stares. "Sorry, I saw what looked like a lead, turned out to be nothing. What's the plan?"

"We are going to transport to the fiduciary establishment where General Dolliard had entrusted his research materials," says Volto as he begins to generate a gold sphere from a hidden compartment in his belt buckle. "That's a plan," 'U.S.' Royal responds in a resigned tone, and stands with the others as the team is encased within the sphere.

Translucent from the interior as it is opaque from the exterior, Captain Tootsie guides Volto as the latter acts as pilot for the Martian transport craft. Following the instructions Old Nick had given them, they float their way downtown to Baltimore's Continental Options Bank. They land outside the bank doors, drawing a small crowd of attention as the bubble explodes again, revealing the team to view.

R.C. glances cynically at the bank doors. ""Let's just hope your reception is better than it was at the last door we knocked on."

As they enter the building. they hear murmurs around them from the employees and customers, unused to seeing mysterymen so far from the usual New York or Washington, DC haunts. The legionnaires look for what appears to be the main service desk, and approach the gentleman behind the counter. He rises to his feet. "Peter Collinson at your service," he says. "How can I assist the famous Captain Tootsie?"

Captain Tootsie extends a hand, "You can assist the entire All-Star Legion of America, actually," he says with a broad smile. "We're investigating a theft from a security box you had here recently, under the name of Dolliard?"

At those words, one of the bank tellers runs from his counter and bolts for the door. He is under average height, fancily dressed with his work jacket corset-tight around his waist and padded high and sharp in the shoulders. His hair, mustache, and goatee are black and greased to a shine. Collinson blinks, "Gungen! Bruno Gungen! What the heck?"

The legionnaires take off after the clerk, pursuing him outdoors. They hit the street and look around, only to find he's disappeared. Bazooka spies a flicker of cloth in an alley, "There he is!" Volto grins, "Remember, my right hand attracts ... " He gestures towards the figure, but is too late as Gungen disappears from sight.

R.C. cracks his knuckles, "Something's goin' on."

Captain Tootsie beckons with his arm, "Come on, let's go check it out."

As the All-Star Legion of America reaches the head of the alleyway, they are greeted by a pair of sinister-looking figures. Captain Tootsie gasps, "Hootin' zoots! It's Dr. Narsty! Don't tell me you're mixed up in this Dolliard business?"

The other figure nods, "Yes indeed, as am I, Dr. Power. I have been looking forward to this meeting ever since young Thom McAn defeated my bulletproof men."

Thom McAn thumbs his nose at the mad scientist, "Oh yeah? and I'll defeat anything else you come up with, too."

"Heh heh heh," Dr. Narsty cackles, "We've pooled our resources this time. Only fair, after all." He steps back, and a hideous figure shambles forward, eight feet in height, with flowing black hair, glowing eyes, and translucent yellowish skin which barely disguises the workings of the vessels and muscles underneath. The figure parts its black lips to reveal white teeth, "Aeaea!"

Volto glances at his teammates, "Remember, my left hand repels ... " Again he gestures, and the monster finds itself propelled backwards down the alleyway, only to catch a grip on the wall and cease its journey. With surprising speed it clambers forwards, resisting the anti-magnetic force, and soon is close enough to slam a massive fist into the Martian, knocking him down.

Bazooka's mouth drops open, "I didn't think that was possible ... "

"That's why we're a team," says Captain Tootsie, as he bites down on one of the chocolatey candies which give him an added boost of energy.

Thom McAn calls to his impish companion, "H, I need my bazooka shoes!"

H says, "        " as a pair of futuristic footwear appear on the boy's feet.

R.C. tosses a baseball into the air and slams his bat at it, the ball careening into the monster's face, forcing it back a step. 'U.S.' Royal zips back into the street to pick up momentum, and returns into the alley, slamming his bicycle into their opponent at jet speed.

"Aeaea," the monster roars, knocking the deputy aside.

"Come on Thom, it's time to get up close and personal, let's show 'em how it's done." Captain Tootsie leaps in with Thom McAn following close behind, his bazooka shoes firing him forward like a savate kick.

The monster staggers under the rocketing force of Thom McAn's attack, and Captain Tootsie wrestles it down, taking advantage of his off-centeredness.

As Thom McAn soars around for another strike, the monster displays an evil cunning, and manages to flip Captain Tootsie over so the bazooka shoes strike the legionnaire full force. "What? Captain, I ... " the boy says, appalled as the man unghs in pain. The monster's swift hands reach out and grab hold of Thom McAn's throat in his distracted state, slamming the pair down to the ground and raising its fists for a killing blow.

The curled hands swoop down, only to be arrested at the last moment by a wire cord, lassoed around them at the wrists. The legionnaires look up to see, poised on an alleyway fire escape, a young woman with an oval face, coarse wavy locks falling below her shoulders, black against milk-pale skin. She is tall and voluptuous yet slenderly perfect in body, wearing a red top and blue skirt, and knee-length yellow boots. Around her waist is a broad yellow belt in two bands which form an "MW" design in her middle. She watches her surroundings carefully, noting all from gray-green eyes beneath black arcs of eyebrows, as beautiful as an Egyptian princess. "Could you cease and desist? I thought creatures like you only existed in the movies. I have nothing against Basil Karlo, but that is no excuse for such poor behavior."

R.C. steps in, taking advantage of the monster's confusion to club it on the side of the head with his baseball bat. The mystery woman pulls back hard on her wire cord at the same moment, and the monster stumbles backwards. "Aeaea," it groans as Captain Tootsie and Thom McAn lend their powers to the assault, but as the monster tumbles it yanks the newcomer off her feet and, with a powerful swing, tosses her high into the air.

Bazooka joins the action, quickly blowing a chewing gum bubble that transports him through the air. He maneuvers to the woman, catching her in his arms before she hits the ground. "I've got you, miss," he says around the bubble. She blinks, bemused, and the bubble slowly lowers them to earth when the young man says, "Akoozab!"

Volto shakes his head to clear it, and joins his companions. "Boys, let's give this creature a boost," he says, beckoning Thom McAn and Bazooka to him, and they nod as he explains his plan. Bazooka starts another bubble, but before he takes off he hands the wad to Thom McAn. Using the speed of his bazooka shoes, he races by the monster and crams the wad into its mouth. "Aeae-ulp!" the monster says, as it starts to float into the air. Volto maneuvers underneath it, his left arm extended to rocket their opponent into the sky.

Volto winks, "Remember, my right hand attracts." As the monster rises into the skyline, Bazooka shouts, "Akoozab!" The bubble pops, and Volto's power of magnetic attraction increases its downward velocity until it slams into the concrete of the street.

'U.S.' Royal's bicycle circles around Dr. Narsty and Dr. Power, cutting off their escape. "I think it's time for a malpractice settlement against our two doctors," he says as a pair of jet-propelled fist slams into them.

Captain Tootsie grins, "Good work, Legion. And to you, ma'am, I don't think we could have defeated the creature without your help."

"My name's Miss Wonderly," she addresses them in a throaty voice. "I wanted to see some real life mystery men. Got more than I bargained for, I guess." She grins, "Without the bubble boy here, I'd have made almost as much a dent as the creature."

"You've certainly proven yourself a worthy ally of the All-Star Legion of America," asserts Captain Tootsie, and the others nod their agreement.

"She sure saved my bacon," says Thom McAn.

'U.S.' Royal looks thoughtful for a moment, and jets back to the bank. He approaches Collinson quietly. "Do you have a secure line?"

Collinson nods, "Of course," and takes him to a back room. The Legionnaire dials 'Old Nick' Talbert to give him an update on their progress on the Dolliard case: success is ahead. He listens for a moment, grunts his assent, and hangs up.

"Thank you," he says to Collinson as he exits the bank. He rejoins his teammates and Miss Wonderly. "News from on high," he interrupts.

Bazooka grins, "Sounds like my area of expertise," he says. "What's up?"

"We've been called off the case," 'U.S.' Royal reports dourly. "On orders from 'Old Nick' Talbert himself."

"What?" "That can't be right." "Old Nick wouldn't ... "

H says, "            ."

Captain Tootsie narrows his eyes. "What did you tell him?"

'U.S.' Royal shrugs, "I agreed to call off the investigation, of course."

R.C. looks at him, "What're you thinking, Captain?"

"I think there's more to this than we've been told," Captain Tootsie says. "I think the ASLA should investigate on our own account ... with Miss Wonderly at our side, if she wishes."

Miss Wonderly beams, "I'd be privileged."

Volto nods, "I will transport us to our home base at Madison Avenue, and we can compare notes."

"Once we've disposed of these scofflaws, of course," says Captain Tootsie with a grin, as he nods at the unconscious monster and the scientists who created him. "I hate to contradict 'Old Nick,' he's done right by us in the past, but this is too important a matter to let lie."

TO BE CONTINUED ...