The Crime Crusaders Club

Case 14: "The gambler, by the state Licensed ... "

By Mikel Midnight

The Flying Fox pulls his cowl around him as he enters the room.

The Gay Troubadour smiles and stands. "Flying Fox ... hey fellow Crime Crusader."

The Witch sits down and smiles.

The Flying Fox raises an eyebrow, sits in his chair and crosses his arms.

The Gay Troubadour chuckles. "It's because of folks like you and the King that we keep these meeting places well-lit."

The Flying Fox says "I'm a bit busy Troubadour. . . What seems to be the problem"

The Flying Fox keeps the same look continually.

The Gay Troubadour says "Well ... uh ... I'm not the one who called the meeting. I assumed you did, or else the fair lady here?"

The Bolt shakes his head. “I was baking.”

The Witch says "Not I. I'm still a little new to go around summoning folk."

The Flying Fox looks around. "I, uh, do have other responsibilities"

The Gay Troubadour nods. "As do we all ... I’m new to attending Crime Crusader meetings.."

The Witch nods.

The Flying Fox stands. "So we've all been summoned here, and nobody knows why?"

The Witch says "Would... Jim Anthony’s pilot, Tom Gantry, know who called us?"

Suddenly Gantry enters the room. "Speak of the devil,” he grins at the Witch, “we have an intruder."

The Flying Fox looks at Gantry.

The Witch jumps to her feet.

Tom Gantry roughly hoists in a man dressed as a stereotypical riverboat gambler, in a red overcoat, yellow vest, and blue striped pants. His white hat is set off nicely by his pencil-thin black mustache. The man shouts, "Lemme go you freckle-faced monstrosity!" as Gantry twists his arm behind his back painfully; the man is forced to walk on his toes, his arm held up by the pilot.

The Flying Fox places his hand on his gun holster.

The Witch notes, rather dryly, that Gantry appears to have it under control.

The Bolt eyes the intruder suspiciously, wondering if this might be the Gambler.

The Flying Fox says "Hold him steady, Tom."

Tom Gantry grins, "As you wish," and twists the man’s arm up a notch.

The Flying Fox says "Well sir, care to explain your actions before we call in Lando to turn you into a toad?"

The Gay Troubadour grins at Flying Fox and tries to look magical.

Mr. Hazard says "I didn't come here to fight, you idiots, tell this cretin to release me ... I'm here from the OSS!"

The Flying Fox says "And just how are we supposed to know that?" Turning to the pilot he adds, "You can let him go Tom, we have the situation under control"

Mr. Hazard growls. "Search me ... I have an id."

Tom Gantry shrugs, "It’s your lookout." He releases Mr. Hazard who falls to the floor.

Mr. Hazard oofs and rubs his shoulder, wincing.

The Witch stands back out of the way, her hand in her bag.

Mr. Hazard reaches into his coat and pulls out an id and hands it to Flying Fox. It looks mighty official.

The Gay Troubadour sighs, "Wait ... as entertaining as all this is ... the Witch and I were on a case recently where the Crime Crusaders ran up against a number of villains employed with the OSS ... I never got his name, but he was one of them"

The Flying Fox looks at Troubadour.

The Witch frowns.

Mr. Hazard sighs and rolls his eyes. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. We're sort of a 'suicide squad' ... we've all agreed to work for the government in exchange for having our sentences reduced."

The Witch shakes her head disapprovingly.

The Flying Fox hands the card back. "You better be on the level or I'll let Lando try that toad spell he's been aching to try out"

Mr. Hazard takes it back indignantly. "So do want to hear what I've come here for or what?"

The Flying Fox crosses his arms "I'm waiting"

Mr. Hazard says "Well ... I have a bit of ... I suppose you could call it a professional rivalry ... with a fellow named Aces Wilde. He tends to hang out in Keystone City and pester the Flash."

The Gay Troubadour says "Keystone City is my lookout too. He's one of the Flash's Rogue's Gallery, no? the organisation?"

The Flying Fox looks at Troubadour, and nods.

Mr. Hazard nods, "He hangs out with those losers. Anyway, another one of that group, Rag Doll, is with us now, working for the OSS. He let on to me that Aces Wilde and a bunch of the other Rogues are planning a big heist in Keystone ... they're going to be stealing a display of rare gambling and gaming equipment which dates back to ancient times. I have a ... personal interest ... in seeing that they not succeed."

The Gay Troubadour snorts. "No honor among thieves. Why don't you lot just go up against them yourselves?"

Mr. Hazard says "We don't do nothing without OSS order ... and Rag Doll ain't going up against his old pals unless he has to."

The Witch says "So it's up to us, then?"

The Gay Troubadour says "It appears so, Witch .... though there are few more unpleasant groups than the Rogues."

The Witch turns to The Gay Troubadour. "So I've heard."

The Bolt folds his hands. "Could be a trap."

Mr. Hazard blinks, noticing The Bolt for the first time. "Listen ... uh ... whoever you are ... uh ... my id checks out, don't it? If I wanted to trap you I wouldn't go around giving you my id number and blowing a sweet deal for me."

The Witch makes a sour face, "No. I don't suppose you would." She shakes her head.

The Bolt leans against the edge of the table and addresses Hazard. "Unless you had some ulterior motive."

Mr. Hazard says "Oh, I've got one ... I don't want that damn Aces Wilde to get his hands on those artifacts."

The Witch says "Make them harder to get yourself if they go out of circulation, eh?"

The Flying Fox listens intently.

Mr. Hazard snorts. "Maybe. You don't expect a gambler like me to lay [i]all[/i] my cards on the table now, do you? In fact ... from what I recall hearing about you, Witch ... you must have some cards to hide yourself, eh? I would think we have a lot in common ... surely more that ought to justify your high-and-mighty tone"

The Flying Fox says "She has nothing in common with you"

Mr. Hazard says "So she claims."

The Flying Fox steps in front of Mr. Hazard. "If you want our help, you'll cut the cracks" He looks back at the Witch and winks.

The Witch sighs.

Mr. Hazard pulls himself up to his full height against the Flying Fox (which doesn't amount to all that much) and says "I [i]came here[/i] to [i]help you fight crime[/i]. If you don't want my help ... I won't feel too guilty when the robbery takes place."

The Flying Fox says "You've come for our help and you will get it, provided you're on the level. But there are no free rides here; you're a former criminal, and you expect us to just trust you? Grow up. You're tough, you can handle that"

The Gay Troubadour walks up behind Mr. Hazard, and places a powerful hand on his sore shoulder. "Flying Fox, I think we can trust the gentleman as far as he goes. Let him show us what he can show us."

The Witch nods.

The Bolt says "Sounds good enough to me."

The Flying Fox nods and steps back graciously. "You're the boss, Troubadour. I'll respect your decision until this punk crosses the line... Then he's mine"

The Gay Troubadour smiles and nods. "Thank you, Flying Fox. Since Gantry’s the only one who has an autogiro here, perhaps we should ask him to take us to Keystone?”

The Flying Fox nods, "agreed"

Mr. Hazard sighs, "Done, and done."

The Bolt grabs his quiver and bow before he goes.

Elsewhere ...

The woman screams, runs, trips. She falls to the ground, writhing in pain. Finally, she stops, voice trailing off in a strangled cry. The other woman stands over her, nodding in satisfaction. "I may be a criminal," she growls, "but I'm an American criminal. We don't put up with Nazis on our shores."

She kneels down, observing the welts which seem to spring spontaneously from the first woman's flesh, and nodding satisfactorily. From above her she hears an odd sound, and narrows her eyes. She looks up, and sees a swarm of enormous bees heading towards her. "No," she cries out, "it's impossible."

Atop the queen bee, another woman straddles sidesaddle. "Interesting technique you use," she says. "Some sort of hallucinatory gas which induces psychosomatic symptoms of bee attack?" She hovers closer and grins, "I much prefer my own technique, however."

The further screams in the night are drowned out by the endless buzz.

As one approaches Keystone City, one sees what New Yorkers would call a small town, but us Midwesterners call a city. Keystone has all of the requirements to make a small city survive, including a City Hall and Mayor's office. As one goes down the streets, one sees the various businesses, including a chemical plant. There is also a university, which is where Jay Garrick is an assistant professor.

As one travels through the oldest streets, one sees many old houses, including Garrick's two story house, where he lives and does many of the experiments that have led him to be a major chemist in Keystone City.

The Gay Troubadour dismounts from Tom Gantry’s autogiro and looks around. "Home sweet home."

The Witch steps down.

Mr. Hazard climbs out carefully, looking a little green.

The Flying Fox cracks a slight smile at Mr. Hazard's apparent displeasure.

Mr. Hazard sneers. "Rural. Second rate. Give me a big city any day."

The Gay Troubadour looks away from Hazard in disgust.

Mr. Hazard says "Anyway ... the display is in the Keystone Museum ... that's where we should head. In fact if my compatriot's information was correct, they should have arrived about now."

The Flying Fox says "I'll check out the roof." He takes out his grappler gun and fires.

The Gay Troubadour readies his mandolin, "I'm the best-armed of us lot ... I'll take point."

The Witch watches The Flying Fox vanish up the side of the building.

The Bolt readied his bow.

Mr. Hazard blinks. "Uh ... so are the rest of us charging in the front door? That's how you hero types usually do this, right?"

The Flying Fox looks down from the roof. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Witch gives the museum the once over with a practiced eye. "Well, we could do that. Or we could try going in the way a thief would."

Mr. Hazard coughs, mumbles quietly, "Some of us would know better than others."

The Bolt holds up his hand ... “I'm experienced enough from my time with the Spider to get in without being noticed... technically, sneak in the back door, check it out, and come back out and tell you where they are.”

The Gay Troubadour says "Bolt, that's an excellent idea"

The Witch nods, weighing the accesses available through various back doors and windows.

The Flying Fox thinks about pounding Hazard unconscious but decides against it.

The Witch begins to make her way to a back door, rummaging through her bag for a few tools. "Care to join me, Bolt?"

The Flying Fox positions himself over a nice skylight for his aerial entrance.

The Bolt moves over to the Witch, to be ready.

The Witch picks the lock on the back door, then looks over her shoulder at The Gay Troubadour, who is trying to look inconspicuous in his anachronistic costume.

The Flying Fox chuckles "Troubadour, we got to work on your costume"

The Bolt waits for the door to be opened a crack, and reaches for the handle...

The Witch eases the door open a bit to look inside. The Bolt sneaks past the Witch, moving stealthily, but quickly.

The Gay Troubadour rappels up to the roof to talk with Flying Fox, never keeping his eye off Mr. Hazard. "It serves my purposes ... I don't usually specialise in this sort of case."

The Bolt comes back in a few moments, with the following report, "They're in the main display room, there's a guy in a cheap suit, a guy in armor, a guy dressed like a skeleton, and a woman in gold and a woman in green." The Witch slips in behind The Bolt, sticking to the shadows where her black outfit best conceals her.

The Flying Fox raises an eyebrow.

The Gay Troubadour thinks. "The women sound like ... Golden Glider and the Thorn, if I remember correctly, and the skeleton must be Walter Zileski, the Screaming Skull."

The Flying Fox nods.

Mr. Hazard says "And unless Aces Wilde is dressing any better, he must be the guy in the suit."

The Witch unlimbers her gas gun, preparatory to moving to a good position to fire it.

The Flying Fox smiles "Your call, Troubadour?"

The Gay Troubadour says "I think it's time for our charge"

The Bolt loads an arrow.

The Flying Fox says "Let me go in first, scare them, then you guys come in?"

The Gay Troubadour grins, "You're the expert on aerial attacks, Flying Fox."

The Flying Fox smiles wryly, "That I am!!"

The Gay Troubadour nods. "You crash in through the skylight ... we'll take the front door, and I'll lead the charge in case there is a spray of bullets." He rappels down to ground level to join the others.

The Flying Fox smashes through the skylight. "ARRRgh!!!!!" as the Crime Crusaders enter from Keystone City proper.

The lobby of the museum is very spacious, with a small museum shop just off to the right, the front desk just off to the left, and two ways to enter the main museum. Off past the front desk is the entryway to the first floor of the museum, and next to the entryway is a spiral staircase up to the second floor of the museum.

The Witch slips in the back door, positions herself and aims her gas gun at Aces Wilde.

The Flying Fox smiles wryly, and starts swinging a bolo.

The villains stand and whirl around from where they are looting the displays. Aces Wilde's eyes widen. "So, the rumors are true, Hazard ... you really have sold out."

The Flying Fox says "I'd worry about yourself"

Mr. Hazard smirks. "You never did have any class, Wilde."

Golden Glider smiles at the Witch. "I've heard of you dear ... the Wicked Witch, isn't it? I've looked forward to meeting you for a long time ... I'd always hoped it would be under more kindly circumstances though."

The Flying Fox moves towards the armored Artful Archie Andrews in a defensive position and lets his bolo go. Artful Archie Andrews draws his sword quickly and sweeps it forward, cutting the bolo into pieces.

The Thorn scowls. "Don't fraternise with that traitor bitch, Glider."

The Gay Troubadour chooses his target and flies straight at the Thorn. "Someone needs a lesson in manners, lady." The Thorn gestures and a giant plant grows out of the floor, trapping Troubadour in its thorny brambles. The Gay Troubadour says "Gah!"< p> The Bolt releases an arrow, aiming for Screaming Skull's leg. Screaming Skull spies the Bolt screams ... straight at it ... something about the scream repels the arrow mid-flight.

Mr. Hazard draws a .45 and fires it at Aces Wilde. "Game's up, pal." Aces Wilde draws a deck of cards ... there is a *tlang* and the bullet is deflected by the metal playing deck. He raises his hand and throws one straight at Mr. Hazard.

The Witch aims her gas gun at Wilde and fires. Golden Glider flies over to the Witch. She says, softly, "boo," blowing a cloud of gold dust at her face, throwing off her aim. The Witch sighs hugely.

The Flying Fox raises an eyebrow and turns swiftly, trying to avoid Archie's sword-strokes, He carefully sidesteps, backing towards the plant. He says "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with sharp objects. . . You'll put your eye out..."

The Gay Troubadour wrestles with the giant plant, its thorns sharp enough to shred his skin. He tries to fight his way free.

The Bolt moves toward Troubadour, and tries to grab a thorn off the plant to hack at it.

Mr. Hazard is pinned to the wall by the playing card ... he realises it is razor sharp. "You should know by now I never gamble unless it's a sure thing, Wilde." He whirls his gun around, firing at his opponent's face and ankle ... faster (he hopes) than the other can block. Aces Wilde blocks one of the shots, but screams as his ankle is hit. "Quick ... Hazard ... but not ... as quick as I". He tosses in a handful of cards, scattering them at Hazard.

The Witch, faced with a flier, turns her gas gun on the Glider. Golden Glider flies backwards, quickly, avoiding the worst of the gas even though she is looking a little green around the gills. She tries to soar around the Witch and tackle her from behind. "We really should get together for coffee some time."

Artful Archie Andrews charges straight at Flying Fox ... then ducks aside at the last minute. Screaming Skull approaches the distracted pilot and screams at his face ... his subsonic fear-inducing technology working point-blank. The Flying Fox shouts "Arrh!!!!"

The giant plant begins to give way to The Gay Troubadour and The Bolt's attacks. Thorn backs up a bit and reaches into her pocket, and throws a handful of thorns at them ... which explode on impact.

The Flying Fox focuses to the pain of the sonic scream as best he can then aims a left and a right at the Screaming Skull. "I've had enough out of you!!!!"

The Gay Troubadour quickly draws his mandolin, enclosing himself and The Bolt in a sonic force field, trying to shield them from the worst of the explosives.

Mr. Hazard dives behind a cabinet. When he looks back out he is torn and bleeding ... but alive. He fires at Aces again. "I've got a lot more than 52 bullets, Wilde." Aces Wilde blocks the bullets one by one ... but he is also moving backwards slowly, and appears to be on the defensive.

The Witch lets the Glider go for the tackle, then grabs her assailant and goes with the attack, going for a judo throw to slam the flier to the floor. Golden Glider is caught by surprise and slammed into the floor. "Ouch", she says, and pouts a bit. "Game for some more?" She covers her face and explodes a gold sparkle grenade right in front of the Witch. The Witch says "Yeeow!"

The Gay Troubadour whispers behind him, hoping the smoke will cover the motion, as The Bolt sits hunkered.

Screaming Skull, surprised by Flying Fox's ability to resist his fear-scream, is knocked out ... and The Flying Fox feels a steel-hard flat of a sword at the back of his skull. He winces in pain. "Ugh!!!!!" The Flying Fox turns toward his opponent with the sword and attempts to take the sword from Archie. "If you keep abusing your toys I'll have to take them away..."

The Thorn starts to spin around like a top.

The Gay Troubadour stills his mandolin, and Bolt fires straight at the Thorn.

Mr. Hazard continues firing at Aces Wilde, getting a bit confident in fact and coming out from behind the barrier. The Flying Fox says "Hazard, stay down, you fool"

The Witch hopes the Glider is about where she was when the sparkle grenade went off and makes a sudden, if blind sweeping kick right where the villainess' midsection should be. The Witch says "Why not, deary."

Artful Archie Andrews loses his sword to the Flying Fox. "Pay attention to your own battles, fool," he says, as he brings his spiked, metallic glove hard against the side of the Flying Fox's head he slammed before. The Flying Fox staggers to the side in pain.

Thorn never sees what hits her as The Bolt’s arrow creases her skull, knocking her unconscious.

Aces Wilde tosses another card ... this one slices into Mr. Hazard's gun hand, rendering it useless. Hazard drops the gun, and tries to stem his bleeding..

Golden Glider gasps, caught by surprise by the Witch's speed. She chokes out "I'd ... like ... that ... " She grabs the Witch's ankle and tries to pull her down.

The Flying Fox smiles through the pain and swiftly aims the sword towards Troubadour and yells "[i]Troubadour[/i]! catch!", then with his free foot attempts to give Archie his full attention. "You're right." The Gay Troubadour turns around at the sound of the Flying Fox's voice, only to catch the sword within the strings of his mandolin. "What?"

The Bolt goes for a quick jab to the jaw, in case Thorn isn't totally out. The Thorn is out, so out.

The Witch says "Oh, I hope not." She lets the Glider pull her and then throws herself into the movement driving her knee straight at her assailant. She chops the side of her gun hand down at the vague shape of the Glider as a follow through. Golden Glider falls to the floor, down for the count.

Artful Archie Andrews chuckles as Flying Fox bruises his foot on his armor. He kicks Flying Fox himself, hard. The Flying Fox rolls backward from the kick and focuses on the armor. "Ugh. I'm through playing with you, Archie. Playtime's over."

Aces Wilde grins. "What was Mr. Hazard saying about a sure thing?" as he aims another card at Mr. Hazard. Mr. Hazard dives to the floor, trying to evade the razor-sharp implement.

The Gay Troubadour walks over calmly to Artful Archie Andrews. "This fellow bothering you, Flying Fox?" He strikes a chord on his mandolin which sets up an unsympathetic vibration into the man's armor. The Flying Fox raises an eyebrow. Artful Archie Andrews staggers backwards, head ringing at the impact of the sonic attack ... right into the hands of The Gay Troubadour. The Flying Fox smiles "Look after him Troubadour, I'll look to Hazard!"

The Bolt swivels to Aces Wilde, and aims an arrow at his upper leg. Aces Wilde screams as his wounded leg is pierced ... his playing card goes wild, not even coming close to Mr. Hazard.

Just then, a pile of small implements are tossed in through the windows of the Museum ... and start emitting paralyzing gas, too fast for The Witch to even nab her filter. The heroes find themselves unable to move.

Mr. Hazard says "No! not fair ... I gambled correctly! I won ... I ... ugh!"

The Flying Fox says "Ugh!!!!"

The Gay Troubadour says "What ..."

The Flying Fox says "Troubadour. . can you move?"

The Flying Fox says "someone do …"

The Flying Fox says "Bolt?"

The Bolt tries and can't.

Mr. Hazard says "I ..."

A gang of men enter the room, moving about the paralysed Crime Crusaders and the paralysed and unconscious Rogue's Gallery members, ransacking the showcases.

Two other men follow the looters in their wake. The first is a dashing gentleman with a sensual face, his wavy hair parted in middle. He is wearing an expertly fitted black tuxedo with a white shirt and tie. The second is a man dressed in a old-time riverboat gambler outfit. He wears a long purple coat over a yellow vest and a frilly white shirt. His striped pants are colored a lighter shade of purple that matches his flat hat. His hair is white and he sports a moustache.

The first man sighs. "You were right Gambler," he says in a heavy German accent. "I underestimated the Crime Crusaders."

The Flying Fox snarls to himself, "Gambler!"

The Gambler says "Yes, those fools Aces Wilde and Mr. Hazard ... who fancied themselves such expert gamblers ... made perfect pawns."

Mr. Hazard looks like he wants to scream, but can't.

The Gambler says "So consider this, Herr Mabuse, when you seek to go up against the American mystery-men at some later date."

Dr. Mabuse says "I shall. We will of course split the take ... but you did win the bet, and I will pay my debt, fair and square.” He hands the Gambler a crisp one dollar bill, which the latter pockets cheerfully.

The Flying Fox forces himself to speak through the paralysis, "You won't get away with this, Gambler! And I remember you from the last time we met, Mabuse ... get away from the OSS so quickly?"

Dr. Mabuse says "Why Herr Flugfuchs ... it was my OSS contacts which allowed me to set Mr. Hazard up so easily."

The Gambler looks at the assembled mystery men. "I do owe you my thanks, Crime Crusaders,” he says, dropping a bouquet of flowers before the Witch, “given that you were playing on 'my team' as it were. The gas will wear off soon, and you will be unharmed. The Rogues which have not yet escaped are yours to take to justice. Thank you and good-bye."

The Flying Fox tries to scowl.

Dr. Mabuse and the Gambler each bow to the assembled and follow their minions out of the Museum.

As the anesthetic wears off, the Flying Fox growls and kicks the wall. "[i]What! The Gambler? We helped the Gambler?![/i]" He takes the flowers, and drops them out the window.

The Witch winces. "Calm down guys..."

The Bolt says "We didn't help him; he took advantage of our actions. Donate those flowers to a hospital; at least some good could come out of this."

The Witch says "That's for the best … what happened to the cool and calm Crime Crusaders?"

The Flying Fox says "This is the last time we're played for saps, the last time."

The Witch looks around. “Um … has anyone seen the Troubadour?”

Elsewhere ...

The hooded man, clad in his high-collared cloak, manipulates his weapon expertly with his leather-gloved hand. Operating as if by remote control, the limousine displayed in the machine's viewscreen starts swerving back and forth in the city streets, eventually careening into the Gotham City police department building, and bursting into flames.

He rubs his hands together in satisfaction. "Simplicity itself," he says to the mob of crooks who stood waiting in his headquarters. "The Thinker will be pleased."

"Oh, will he?" says a voice from behind him. The hooded man whirls around to behold the dapper, tuxedoed gentleman who had apparently appeared out of nowhere. The figure tips his top hat, "William Asmodeus Zard, at your disposal," he smirks. "You call yourself a wizard for a reason, I take it?"

The hooded figure points at the intruder. "Dispose of him!" he shouts to his assistants.

They advance on Zard, who stands still, unmoving except for his fingers, who trace barely detectable patterns in the air. The front man swings at his intended victim, and as he makes contact the sound of a musical note is heard through the room. The word 'POW!' appears in the air above the gangster, falling on him on knocking him out.

The rest of the gang attack the still figure with fists and chairs and bullets. 'HIT!' 'CRASH!' 'BANG!', all accompanied by the same musical note, fell the attackers. Zard looks around at the unconscious criminals. "A somewhat campy spell, but I thought this would be an appropriate place for its debut."

He walks towards the leader, who backs against the viewscreen. "No," says the hooded man, "You can't ... "

"When I teleported out of my automobile I left a hole in the universe that needed to be filled. I knew you were here for a reason." He taps the hooded man on the shoulder, and the latter finds himself trapped inside a burning car. He screams and tries to free himself, but the metal handle only singes his hands and the heat has already sealed shut the doors.

THE END