The Crime Crusaders Club

Case #8: "The Secret Society of Seven Villains"

By Mikel Midnight

Jim Anthony swirls the amber liquid around the glass, and sniffs at the aroma. He grins, "It sure pays to have contacts in Britain." He tosses the scotch down his throat. "What brand did you say this was?"

Captain X smiles and swallows at his. "Kylun breweries, a small company. This is one of my favorite single malts."

The Gay Ghost looks thoughtful. "'Tis not one I know of, though I rarely had occasion to visit the Caledonian lands whilst I was alive. I should remedy that, methinks."

The King nods, "I wouldn't mind going back, myself. Jim, I'm sure you and I can sponsor a mission out there for the Crime Crusaders Club. I don't think Ephelba has ever been."

Jim Anthony chuckles, "I'll certainly consider it."

The Bolt sits a little apart from the others, sipping his scotch to savor the taste. He watches Wonder Girl sway slowly to the record he put on the turntable, and then looks away. He can't help but be drawn to her beauty, but she's really just a child, and he has no desire to play a father figure. Besides, he wouldn't want to interfere with ... he grins to himself as one of the Crime Crusaders' teen members finally gets the courage to approach her.

"D-Drusilla?" Minuteman walks up to the girl. "So, you, uh, like swing?"

She opens her eyes and turns to face him, smiling half-lidded. "Is that what this is called? Yes, it's very moving."

He grins at her, "I, uh, have tickets to see Swing Sisson. Would you like to come with me? He's one of the best modern musicians."

"For a white guy," the Bolt mutters to himself.

She smiles more broadly at him. "That sounds great! Yes, I'd love to go. Thanks Jimmy." She leans forward and kisses Minuteman on the cheek. The Bolt chuckles to himself at the lad's visible blush.

Any further conversation is lost as an invisible blast of heat melts one of the house windows from outside, immediately followed by a volley of arrows which peg into the far wall. It's . "What th-?" "Hey!" "By Od's Blood!"

The Gay Ghost flies intangibly through the ceiling, only to find a man dressed in full black plate armor and wielding a large black sword, standing on the rooftop. The Earl of Strethmere lands, drawing his own sword. "A dangerous game thou dost play, invading the home of the Crime Crusaders."

The black knight does not speak, only thrusts his blade towards the Gay Ghost, who parries, and the two begin a dangerous duel.

Inside, the Bolt examines the evidence. "I recognise these," he curses. "Black Arrow and Kid Archer ... the Spider and I have encountered them before."

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!" The front door is splintered, and the familiar foes stand poised behind it. As the King and the Bolt start a flurried attack of bullets and arrows against the intruders, who mockingly assert, "Don't worry, we haven't come alone!"

The Crime Crusaders rally quickly, joining the fray as their very headquarters are invaded. Following the speakers are a man wearing a simple outfit, which consists only of a black hood and a big crimson cape over a black suit; a young teenager wearing a red & black uniform spotted with tiny swastikas, and carrying a gun; a tall, muscular man wearing jeans and a shirt with horizontal red & white stripes with a large swastika on its chest, and armed with a selection of knives; and a man with a wide-brimmed hat shading his face which is already half covered by a bandanna, wearing a tight shirt with a large white star on its front, tucked into a pair of jeans.

Jim Anthony wrestles the man in the black hood, surprised by his strength which almost equals his own. The villain pulls out a gun which releases a cloud of white smoke into his opponent's face, blinding him and causing him to gag.

Minuteman swallows a Miraclo pill, grinning as the teenager's bullets bounce off him harmlessly. His opponent's eyes flash red, and Jimmy Martin gasps at the heat as it pierces through his uniform, igniting his cape.

Captain X snarls, "I've fought enough of your kind in Europe to fall to you here," and engages the swastika'd man, backing off quickly at the man's flashing blades.

Wonder Girl gasps as the man clad in the white star lassos her wrists. "Merciful Minerva," she emotes, "with my bracelets bound by a man, I have lost my Amazonian powers!" The cowboy cackles as he proceeds to hog-tie her.

On the rooftop, the black knight moves with more than human speed and strength, disarming the startled Gay Ghost, striking him on the chin and dazing him before he can react. He turns to the horizon and emits a loud, mechanical whistle, whereupon an autogyro, piloted by a Japanese man dressed as a ninja, descends from the skies.

Black Arrow hears the vehicle's descent. "Hane'," he shouts, and the invaders back off the started Crime Crusaders. They quickly retreat, boarding the autogyro and flying off.

Jim Anthony coughs the smoke out of his lungs, "What the hell was that all about?"

Minuteman uses his remaining minute of strength to free Wonder Girl.

The King shakes his head, "They had us on the run ... or at least we certainly didn't fight them off."

The Gay Ghost floats through the ceiling and joins the others, "Well met friends, not our finest hour."

Captain X nurses his knife wound. "They were after something ... this was a fact-finding mission. For what purpose, I can only begin to guess."

The Bolt ponders. "This happened to me before ... Spider and I were attacked by Black Arrow and Kid Archer. They managed to get us pinned, then they just drop some enigmatic line and disappear before we could free ourselves."

Jim Anthony narrows his eyes. "What did they say?"

The Bolt shrugs, "I was preoccupied, something about reaching for the stars ... "

Wonder Girl approaches him. "My lasso compels people to speak the truth ... even if they've forgotten it. If you consent, I can try to bind you with it. It might help your memory."

The Bolt looks at the girl dubiously. "Well ... I suppose it's for the greater good ... just don't be asking me nothing personal, right?" He extends his hand, and she ties a loop around his forearm.

Wonder Girl speaks softly, "Larry Shafter," she says. "Clear your mind and relax, now think back ... back to the time you last encountered Black Arrow. Picture it clearly in your mind. You were pinned, and he came up to you and said something enigmatic. You can picture the location, you can picture him, you can feel yourself being pinned. He's speaking to you. You can hear his voice, see the expression on his face. What's he saying?"

The Bolt murmurs, "Keep your feet on the ground, and let your hand keep reaching for the nebulas and stars ... that's it! I do remember! Can you get this thing off me now?"

Wonder Girl unties her teammate, and Minuteman whispers in her ear, "I thought you told me your lasso didn't have that power?" Drusilla grins at him, finger on her lips, shhh.

The Bolt throws up his hands. "So what the weisinger does that mean?"

Captain X looks thoughtful, "They've changed the saying, haven't they? 'Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.' Why?"

The Gay Ghost interrupts the Bolt's train of thought as the archer mouths the phrase to himself silently, with a snap of his fingers. "Squire Bolt, hast thou encountered this mob before, or only the one you call Black Arrow?"

"Just Black Arrow ... why?"

"They resemble thine old companions, dost they not? An armored knight whom I did battle with on the roof, a gentleman dressed for town, a pair of archers, a man dressed for riding cows, and a man and boy clad in patriotic colours?"

"Oh!" The Bolt's eyes widen, "Why didn't I see that before? So why ... ah. 'Let your hand.' It's the Hand. He's the first opponent the Law's Legionnaires ever encountered. This has to be a ploy of his. I should have known, because Professor Millions has worked for him before and he's the one who trained Black Arrow. But what does that mean, about nebulas?"

Jim Anthony says, "Only one way to find out. Captain X, can Jenny catch up to that autogyro?"

Captain X smirks, "Just watch her."

The team boards the RAF special aeroplane and take off vertically, Gay Ghost and Wonder Girl flying alongside as the former points the way. Running a search pattern, they quickly track down the much slower autogyro. Captain X fires on the craft, forcing it down.

The Crime Crusaders surround the downed vehicle. Jim Anthony, the King, and Captain X draw their guns and the Bolt his bow & arrow, aimed at the cockpit. The Gay Ghost hovers intangibly above. "Open up," Jim Anthony shouts, "come out with hands raised, you're surrounded."

The hatch door opens and the Black Knight shambles out alone, and falls to the ground like a broken doll. Cautiously, the Crusaders approach the autogyro. Wonder Girl and Minuteman inspect the interior, only to find it empty.

The King examines the fallen knight. He attempts to remove the helmet, only to find it swivels off. "It's empty ... it's a robot."

"That's right, pals and gals!" says a disembodied voice, coming from the mechanical body.

Jim Anthony scowls. "Who are you? What's your game?"

The voice laughs. "The name is Sam Kirby, that's my robot you're playing with. As for my game ... it's not over yet. Bolt m'boy, why don't you and your little friends check out the Hand's old headquarters? I bet you'd find a surprise in the basement!"

The Bolt shouts, "What kind of surprise?"

Sam Kirby laughs again, "That's enough hints for now. Toodles!" Silence.

The Gay Ghost shakes his head, "I like this not, we are being played for fools."

The Bolt looks at the others. "It's an obvious trap."

The King smirks, "I've escaped from more than enough traps in my time, I doubt there's anything these folks have to offer that will be a challenge."

Jim Anthony nods, "We don't know the name of this game yet, unless it's 'catch as catch can.' But they're trying damn hard to get our attention, so it's only fair we give it to them. But we don't have to play this stupidly."

Several hours later, following the Bolt's direction, Jenny invisibly hovers over the now-deserted mansion formerly occupied by the Hand. The Bolt says, "The Star-Spangled Kid purchased this building, and we've kept it vacant until now. We did a thorough search but obviously missed some sort of secret annex ... and anyway we thought the Hand was dead."

The Gay Ghost notes, "Sometimes death 'tis not enough to halt the best of us ... or the worst." With a grin, he turns invisible and sinks through the floor of Jenny and into the building. Several minutes later, he reappears, and gives a silent thumb's up. He takes the King's hand and carries him down to floor level, where the man of mystery uses his lockpicks to open a passage via a cellar door.

One by one, the Gay Ghost transports Jim Anthony, the Bolt, and Wonder Girl to the ground, where they silently slip through into the building.

Minuteman grumbles, "I don't like being left out of the action like this, especially not with Drusilla down there."

Captain X nods, "I know. But sometimes it's important to have someone protecting your flank ... and the two of us are best suited for surveillance and quick action."

Down below, the Earl of Strethmere guides his companions through the darkness, the team working in formation to guard their backs. They come onto the laboratory, where the villain is tending complicated machinery. Inside what appears to be a metal frame is a humanoid figure with black skin inside of which stars can be seen. Its face is blank and it has a pink radiance instead of hair.

The Bolt speaks up, catching the plump, balding man quite unawares. "Back to your old tricks again, eh Hand?"

The Hand turns around, his eyes wide. The Crusaders note he is working one-handed, the other left with nothing but a bandaged stump. "You!" he swears. "And who are these folks, the new Law's Legionnaires? Hardly an improvement I'd say."

Jim Anthony glances at the glowing figure, "You brought us here, Hand, don't act so surprised."

The Hand blinks, "Brought you here? Why would I be so insane as to alert my enemies? Once I have adjusted the fluctuations of nebuloid energy I'll be done with you all!"

The Gay Ghost smiles, "Hardly," and unsheathes his sword, plunging it into the glowing figure, who arches in the frame. The Hand shouts his objections while Wonder Girl uses her strength to dismantle the mechanism, tearing it to pieces.

"No! It's unstable! You'll kill us all!"

Jim Anthony nods, "I bet so." He barks orders, "Keith Everett, take the Hand out of here. The rest of you, retreat back to base!"

The Gay Ghost reaches for the Hand, who frantically jumps back in an attempt to avoid his grip, falling into a network of interlaced equipment just as it buckles and explodes. Blinded by the glare, the spectral swordsman grabs Wonder Girl and the Bolt, swiftly carrying them outside the building, while Jim Anthony and the King follow close behind.

As they stand outside the burning building, boarding Jenny, Minuteman shakes his head, "So you stopped his plan and he died in the explosion? But we still don't know why."

The Bolt adds, "He was supposedly dead the last time I fought him. I couldn't swear he's dead this time."

Captain X looks up from his cockpit controls, "Jim, we're being hailed."

Jim Anthony gives a silent nod, and Captain X opens the radio speaker phone. "Congratulations, Crime Crusaders Club, I think you've saved the world," says the voice of Sam Kirby.

"Ok then, what's your game? Why this merry goose chase?"

Sam Kirby responds, "The Hand hired us specifically to counter the Law's Legionnaires, after his last defeat, and to steal the equipment necessary to construct his weapon. When we found out he wanted to destroy the planet, well, we couldn't spend the loot he paid us then, could we? We knew the Legionnaires wouldn't listen to us, so we turned to the next best thing."

The King interrupts, "I don't understand ... why not stop him yourself?" Sam Kirby laughs once more, "You're the mystery men ... it's your job." He closes his connection, and once more it is silence.

THE END

APPENDIX:
Black Knight was a foe of Johnny Quick's from More Fun #73.
White Star, aka "Cowboy Jim Jones," was a foe of Green Lantern's from GL #34.
The Black Hood, Hane', Black Arrow, Kid Archer, Swastika Lad & Mr. Iron Cross were created by Jess Nevins.