21Chapter Eleven: Skeleton Crew
Fred grumbled at the transport system he had just been forced to use.
"Captain Kirk made it seems so natural," he muttered before regaining his senses.
He stood before A.R.G.U.S HQ to speak with General Lane. Wanting to get the location of Henry Bascome's supposed crash landing, thus following up on one of the enemy entities.
He also wanted to personally speak with the General about a plan of his own. After the security check he was led to the General's office. Fred, ever the detective, looked over the office and absorbed all the data within. He especially saw the framed photographs on the general's desk. Including among them was the image of a woman in a hospital smock seated next to a well built man with glasses, both holding a newborn baby in their arms.
"Jones, welcome," said General Lane, rising to meet Fred.
"Sir," Fred said, standing at attention and saluting.
"At ease son," said General Lane. "Now before we start, why don't we get to the reason you decided to come in person instead of accepting a transmission to the Hall of Justice?"
"Because I didn't want the masks to overhear what I have to say sir," said Fred.
The general's brow raised but made no other gesture save an invitation to sit across the desk from him.
"Sir, I am in an ideal position to expose the League," said Fred.
"Expose what exactly son?" asked Sam, tenting his figures.
"Everything," said Fred. "My team and I can give you their identities, weaknesses, and even their true agenda. We can take them down along with these Nazi monster bastards."
The general made no expression but motioned to elaborate.
"Sir, we've allowed these freaks free reign for too long," said Fred. "They hide their identities, manipulate people's archetypal psychology, and constantly mock the laws of our nation. And not just the superpowered ones but especially the non-powered ones, using fear and psychological warfare on our citizens to influence our society."
"Like your father," said Sam.
Fred tensed at that remark.
"It was in your file," said Sam.
Fred said nothing, knowing to respect a superior officer.
"Lived with Rogers and his family for a time after he was arrested right?" asked Sam.
"I did," said Fred. "Sheriff Rogers never held anything against me for what my dad did. Neither did Mrs. Rogers and certainly not Shaggy."
"And you're willing to defend him knowing he's a werewolf," said Sam.
"He's the closest thing I have in this world to a brother," said Fred. "He's family."
"Family, that's always what it comes down to in the end eh?" Sam chuckled. "When I started my career I always imagined my family when I thought about what I was fighting for. I like to think no matter the mistakes I've made over the years at the core that was always true. And son, I've made a lot of mistakes in my time. Many of which I'm hoping I've atoned for or have begun to atone for. Chief one, being how I almost drove my family away because of my career. Because of an incident when I was younger that lit in me a fire like the one I see in your eyes now son. The Kansas Meteor Shower, you probably read about it in school. Tends to go up there with the Titanic and the Great Chicago Fire. I was still a bit green then, and my detail were securing hazardous debris, I.E. the meteors, when it was discovered they had a unique radiation signature. But that wasn't the only surprise. A series of robotic drones which had been embedded in the rocks. They were damaged from their violent travel and landing but none the less were devastating to an under-prepared clean up crew like what I was in. Back up almost didn't make it before we were wiped out."
Fred's eyes were wide with this revelation.
"All damage done was attributed to the meteors," said Sam. "After a detailed analysis confirmed the machines were not of earthly origin, that incident became our first encounter with extraterrestrial intelligence. Or I should say our first officially recognized contact. Till then I liked to chalk alien invaders up to the old science fiction flicks I used to watch as a kid. The ones pitting men in uniform against all consuming blobs, radioactive monsters, flying saucers, and of course giant robots. Those movies got me to want to be in the army. Never thought I'd be living like I was in one of them. But that incident drove me to work my way up the ranks. To prepare Earth for the next time the aliens came. I became almost obsessed with it. Even more when my wife passed, and I grew distant from my daughters because of it. Definitely gave my eldest Lois an edge to her. A talent for sniffing out when someone wasn't honest with her matched with an unbreakable will to get what she wanted. But I did it all because I thought I was ensuring a safe future for them for when the aliens came. I'd often wonder how they'd come. In great warships with ray guns pointed down on us like in the movies. Or attempting to use disguise to infiltrate our ranks. A great show of power to try and cower us. But I never imagined a clown in a cape pulling cats out of trees. Naturally my first instinct was to seize the alien, whom my daughter had dubbed Superman, and interrogate him on the date of the invasion and the enemy strengths. And I did, though boy did he make us work for it. Had to initiate a super soldier project developed using the same alien tech I recovered to get the job done. The tech from his home planet Krypton. A world he said had been destroyed and that he was the last survivor of. A world destroyed by his people's own negligence when they entrusted the running of their planet's decaying ecology to an artificial intelligence. An A.I that decided it was a pointless endeavor and tendered its resignation by building an army of robots to hold it off while it created a massive ship and collected it's greatest city, putting it in a jar. All this he had learned from a digital imprint of his own dead father. When he told me this while in captivity I thought it was the wildest story I ever heard and dismissed it as a lie. Then the A.I showed up, apparently drawn by my own experiments with its tech."
"Brainiac," said Fred.
"Exactly, it took over my super-soldier, John Corben, whom you probably know better as Metallo," said Sam. "Scooped up Metropolis and all its people, my daughter Lois included. My only option then was to ally with the very alien I had then been interrogating. I'm sure you know the rest, how that day solidified the return of a concept we thought died after World War Two, the superhero. With more and more metahumans and even aliens arriving on the scene almost daily. And like you, I didn't trust them. They were outside our laws, outside the system of control we had established. And in many of their cases were examples of an evolutionary change that could overtake the human race. They weren't a fad this time around. They were the future, the undiscovered country one poet said, and in my mind invaders that needed to be fought off. Needless to say this didn't help my relationship with my eldest Lois. My youngest Lucy enlisted, as if a show of loyalty to me, which only helped fracture our family even more ironically. All the while the superheroes grew more popular, powerful, and influential. And I still said on how it wouldn't last. That no one with power remains pure. That eventually there would be a day when they'd turn on us. So we continued on with super-soldiers, metas whom we could control because we made them. Wanna know how many actually turned out alright? Aside from the Creature Commandos of Project M, I can only recall one, Captain Nathaniel Adams whom you might know better as Captain Atom. The rest either died or became menaces of our own making. Slade Wilson, Major Force, the Royal Flush Gang, Volcana, Straightman, and even the formerly respectable Wade Eiling turned himself into a damn monster and tried to launch a takeover of the very country he swore to protect. And time and again the superheroes came to stop the things made to oppose them by us. The products of our fear and...our arrogance. It all began to weigh on my soul. That what we were doing was becoming less about protecting the people but protecting our own interests. That it wasn't the superheroes who couldn't be trusted that it was us. And it was true, we had forgotten the golden rule of the fanatic. When you obsess over the enemy, you become the enemy. But I didn't know what to do about it. As far as I was convinced we were losing the war against the future. But then one day came which I hadn't expected."
The general reached for the photo of his eldest Lois, holding her newborn child. His expression softened, recalling the memory.
"I became a grandfather," said Sam. "And on the day that Lois put that beautiful newborn baby boy in my hands, a lot of truths were made clear to me. I had been forced to confront my attitudes towards things when they were. Really starting when I did something I hadn't done up till then, I thought about why this organization is named the way it is. You ever think about it son?"
"A.R.G.U.S, formerly known as the Advanced Resource Group United Security, an overarching organization supervising and coordinating the various intelligence agencies of the United States and its armed forces with heavily involvement in the U.N leading some to speculate it might evolve into an international organization," said Fred. "Created with the intent of shared intelligence and resources among the various agencies for the sake of national security to ensure swift response to threats foreign and domestic. Named after the giant of Greek myth with eyes all over its body serving as the guard to Io, one of Zeus's mistresses. Meant to invoke the oversight the organization would have as an ever present watch at all times."
"Correct," said Sam. "And it's new name after the advent of metahumans in the 21st Century?"
"Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans," said Fred.
"Largely the same mission as before but now coordinating with what many call 'superheroes'," said Sam. "Even more I've thought about the last two parts of the name, uniting superhumans. In recent years I've come to think of it as we are attempting to unite superhumans and regular humans in a common cause. The safety and prosperity of our nation and yes, even the world at large. To make a better future for the sake of all our children and grandchildren. My grandson will be a citizen of that future, but the kind of man he will be is due to the influences in his life and the values passed down to him. I want to pass down something good for Johnny. That while we must be ready for war should it come, it is peace that really keeps the world safe. And peace comes from making allies, looking beyond our differences, and beyond our own pain. Of course compared to my daughter and that husband of hers I'm still much more of a cynic but...my grandson gives me hope that one day old warhorses like me won't be needed as much if ever at all. That paranoia and contingency won't be a reality. But until that day comes, I've attempted to make a more cooperative effort with A.R.G.U.S and how we indeed unite superhumans with us. For instance, in accordance with their U.N Charter which A.R.G.U.S helped mediate and negotiate, the League cannot interfere in the foreign policy or armed conflicts of any member nation without certain special circumstances being met. In other words the League is by law forbidden from entering armed conflicts between nations unless, say it was proven that one nation was using alien technology smuggled to Earth. Or if some demented warlord attempted to raise an army of the demons to wipe out their enemies. Unless such conditions like that are met the League must allow these human conflicts to be resolved by human beings."
"You really believe they just accept that?" asked Fred.
"For the most part yes," said Sam. "And as a part of that agreement, member nations have also passed legislation banning the state sanctioned development of enhanced individuals. Meaning, and in no small part due to our own past examples working out so poorly, we and other member nations cannot make super-soldiers."
"What?" asked Fred.
"And the fear of a potential threat the League might pose is still indeed on the minds of several of our higher ups," said Sam. "But the policy is the same as with any other major nation we have relations with. Cooperation and peaceful relations but prepare for the worst should it come to it. The League is fully aware of this and some have even freely shared information on their capabilities with us, understanding the need for contingencies and agreeing to a degree of oversight from the United Nations. Even a few of their identities."
Fred's breath was caught by that revelation.
"Still, the offer is appreciated," Sam said with a light smirk. "And if anything my review of your service record and the details of your team, along with the parameters of current operations have me thinking. Would Mystery Incorporated agree to fold itself into A.R.G.U.S?"
"Sir?" asked Fred.
"You heard me right son," said Sam. "You're groups managed to do good work. Picking up slack in places where superheroes and even our own intelligence agencies have overlooked. And you've brought to our attention a vast conspiracy which uncovers a criminal operation that's so insidious it runs the risk of disrupting the global power structure. There's potential in your group and I'd like to see it brought out to fits fullest."
"And still...unify with superhumans," said Fred.
"It's a hard change I know," said Sam. "But with what we've set up our citizens, really people all over the world, are getting used to the fantastic. It's becoming mundane almost if you can believe it. But at the same time my grandson's generation is inspired to do more in the world, dream more about what they can do, and demand more of their public figures and of themselves. They're walking into the future, that undiscovered country which to them isn't some hostile foreign land bearing down on them. To them it's the new frontier. My grandson and his generation are the new pioneers."
Sam put down a file bearing Henry Bascome's information and slid it to Fred.
"The things that hurt us leave wounds that take forever to heal son," said Sam. "And the pain those wounds give us can make us do horrible things if we let them. But we are the ones who really decide how they heal. I got lucky and if there is one thing I regret it is how long it took for me to realize I was the one keeping my wounds aching. Don't take as long as I did son. You might not be so lucky."
Fred silently took the folder, and sat quietly. He then stood and saluted the General, heading for the door before stopping.
"Your grandson is a metahuman, isn't he sir?" Fred asked.
"You are sharp," Sam said with a light chuckle. "But, essentially yes."
"Some might see that as a conflict of interest," said Fred.
"Perhaps," said Sam. "But because of it I understand metahumans better. And I no longer fear for my family being left behind by the future. My grandson is going to do great things, I know it. Instilled with the right values, some of which I hope I can give him, I know he'll be a figure whom others of his generation can follow, metahuman or not. He'll be a true Man of Tomorrow."
"You're certain about that?" asked Fred.
"Certain as steel is strong," said Sam. "So now get going and let's put a halt on this latest boogeyman so he doesn't have to deal with it when it's his time."
Word came over the comm of what Diana's group had seen. But Shaggy and his group didn't just need to be told about their horrid discovery.
"There's more where we are," said Shaggy.
The three of them had come across cells with skeletons left to rot and decay.
"They were just left here when the facility was thought to be of no more use," Alexa said, horrified and disgusted.
She knelt down and began to give a prayer for the souls of the dead she found before her and all others in the facility.
"Velma, come in we just found..."
"Skeletons, so did we," said Velma's voice over the comm.
"Same," said Mera. "They look like prisoners."
"People enslaved by Phibes over the years," said Wonder Woman.
Shaggy was about to respond when his instincts perked up. As did Scooby's, as the dog growled to the sound of clicking. A faint green mist also overcoming the scene.
"Zoinks," Shaggy yelled into the comm as the cell doors opened up and skeleton men began pouring out.
His wolf-like instincts kicking in Shaggy leapt over Alexa, still in her kneeling position, and drew his sword. With one swing a powerful gust of burning wind swept through, tossing around the bones and burning them at the same time. By the time he sheathed the sword all that was left was ash.
"The sword contains the soul of a Japanese green dragon of wind and fire," said Shaggy, helping Alexa to her feet. "Like I said, we had some pretty far out cases."
Scooby barked and Shaggy and Alexa's attention was drawn to the green mist.
"Bad juju," Scooby said.
"It's not the same as was in the iron faced man," said Alexa. "Even without the powers granted by Hecate's mask I can feel that."
"Do you think you can..."
"It's still not the night time hours," said Alexa. "I cannot call forth the goddess's power yet."
Shaggy handed her the sword.
"All you need to do is pull and slash," said Shaggy. "It'll have a lot of kick to it so only use it if you're back is to the wall. Literally."
Alexa took the sword, her fingers touching Shaggy's.
"Like, after all this is done I...like I mean..."
Alexa kissed Shaggy, stopping his sentence. He stood stunned when she drew her lips back.
"I'll get an ear full from Artemis I know," Alexa said with a light smile.
Scooby gave off a psychic snicker at the amusing sight. Just then the lights began to come on. As all three looked around in confusion, Shaggy and Scooby soon picked up familiar scents. Both growled in sync, slightly confusing Alexa.
"What is it?" she asked.
"The Hunchback are here," Shaggy said.
Shaggy and Scooby both continued to smell the air.
"What else?" Alexa asked.
"Something...plastic," said Shaggy.
Artemis brought her axe down upon a skeleton while Diana whipped three with her lasso, Velma sheltered between the two women. They had discovered what appeared to be the control room for the facility. The only corpse not moving however was the shriveled remains of a body seated at the massive computer bank.
"Keep 'em off me while I try and see if the system databanks are still intact," said Velma.
"Take all the time you need," said Artemis, bringing her axe down on yet another skeleton.
Velma went to the computer and began to try and pry up the console when, to her surprise the power began to come on.
"Jinkies," she said. "How can this facility still be able to have power?"
As if to answer her, a horrific electrical cackling began to come from the computer as sparks began to fly from it forming a haunting figure. It lunged out at Velma, who was pushed aside by Diana, taking the brunt of the electrical power. But as the daughter of Zeus, Diana had at least some natural resistance to the electrical attack, though there was still pain.
But the Amazon Princess gritted through it, reaching for her lasso. She flung it around the neck of the ten-thousand volt ghost and brought it down to her where she slammed her wrist, shielded by her bracelet, into it's face.
Realizing that Velma was too exposed with this creature, Artemis took her by the arm and began to fall back.
"Jinkies," Velma said, literally being pulled off her feet by the powerful Amazon warrior. "What about Wonder Woman?"
"Diana can handle that beast," said Artemis. "We need to re-group with the others."
Mera and her guards were also beset by skeleton men. The evil magics causing their reanimation sending a cold shiver up her spine. She, a woman that had danced naked in the depths of the subzero waters of the arctic, felt cold.
"Mera, this is Artemis, we're..."
"In the thick of it I know," Mera said, whipping at a corpse come to get her. "I'm also noticing the power is on."
"A part of the attack," said Artemis. "I'm bringing Dinkley to your location. Alexa, you, Rogers, and the Dog come too."
No immediate response came from Alexa.
"Alexa," Artemis's voice rang through the comms.
"Oh, I'm sorry sister," Alexa whispered.
"Why are you whispering we are in..."
"We are stalking the hunchbacks who first attacked me," Alexa whispered. "They have somehow arrived and we are hoping to capture one or both of them."
"And like from the smell of them they're packing plastic explosives," Shaggy's voice said.
"They're going to bring down the entire facility," said Mera.
"And there we are old boy," said Brunch.
When the lights were restored thanks to the efforts of the 10,000 volt ghost, the Hunch Bunch were let onto the facility. Once there and sure that their intruders were distracted they began to lay explosives at key weak points in the facility's structure.
The unintelligible crunch spat out some 'words' of affirmation.
"Yes, yes," said Brunch. "The master shall indeed be pleased. And as he focuses on his beloved he'll be bound to forget all other little failures."
"Speaking of failures," a voice said, gaining their attention.
The two hunchbacks turned and saw a man, woman, and dog, dressed in lab coats and wearing hard hats and safety goggles.
"What in..."
"We represent the Occupational Underhanded Criminal Henchman Safety and Protection Services," said the man.
"O.U.C.H.S.A.P.S?" asked Brunch.
"That's us," said the dog.
A light green glow came over the eyes of the Hunchbacks as their minds began to recognize the name.
"Oh yes, yes," said Brunch. "To be honest, I've often wondered if I should put in a call but..."
"But your evil master doesn't like it when you think four yourself, yes we've heard this a million times before," said the man. "Ain't that right Lexie?"
"Oh...um yes," said the woman. "At least a million."
"Don't worry friend, we take the heat if need be," said the man. "We just need to make sure everything's all in order. Now do you gentleman have your papers?"
"Papers?" Brunch asked.
Crunch shrugged his shoulders.
"You mean your boss didn't give you a permit for the legal illegal destruction of this particular evil lair and or hideout?" asked the man.
"Well technically this isn't the master's lair," said Brunch. "But I can assure you we were given the proper orders to destroy this facility. And indeed we have our means of escape back to the master without fear of loss or limb."
"Yeah, yeah I'm sure you do buddy," said the man, pulling out a clipboard and writing on it. "So ugh might we inspect this means to escape? You wouldn't imagine how many henchmen are just left to go down with the ship while the big cheese jumps ship."
"Well the master isn't here but if you must know we simply use this," said Brunch, pulling out a small handheld mirror. "Hold it up and the Mirror Monster will see us and through the mirror realm we may escape at our leisure in a flash of light. But as this facility had been abandoned for some years we needed our associate the 10,000 Volt Ghost to reactivate the lights. Now if this surprise inspection is quite done..."
"Now hold your horses buster I gotta get this all down for my report," said the man. "You think your boss is an evil overlord you ain't seen mine bud."
"My master was a significant power in the Third Reich and his beloved mistress is an Eldritch Horror from beyond the Cosmos," said Brunch, as if offended.
"Hey pall, I'm just a working schmo like you not need to take it out on me," said the man. "So what's so special about this joint?"
"It is a mining facility developed by an old associate of the master's Frau Gluch who sadly perished here along wit those whom society would not have missed," said Brunch. "Prisoners from the war, flesh payments from various clients my master has provided materials to, living trash from the streets and lost woods and the like. They searched for crystals once used in a prison which contained the mistress long ago. If enough is found it could be made to either make a new prison or perhaps some kind of weapon against her."
"Oh yeah, you don't want some no good goody goods getting their two shoes on this place," said the man. "No sir, you do not."
"Exactly," said Brunch.
"So it's just you and this er-uh, 10,000 Volt Ghost?" asked the man. "And some reanimated corpses. A lingering spell left long ago should intruders come but we do have some pesky intruders. Including this man and...his...who did you say you were again?"
"Ouch, saps," the man said, his illusion disguise fading and two slightly fury fists striking Brunch and Crunch unconscious.
"That was...groovy," Alexa said with a little giggle.
"That's the Dupe for you," said Shaggy, referencing a classic trick he and Scooby do would pull on enemies with Scooby's powers.
Shaggy grabbed both hunchbacks, throwing Crunch over his shoulder and holding Brunch under his arm.
"Like, now we got some prisoners," said Shaggy. "And like without them priming the..."
"Ruh-roh," Scooby said.
Shaggy and Alexa looked down and saw that the bombs were already counting down.
"Like they didn't already start it when we came in right?" asked Shaggy.
"I...I'm not sure," said Alexa.
All three looked down at the counting timer, three minutes and counting.
"RUN!" Shaggy yelled.
"This is where Bascome's last location was before NASA lost contact with his horizontal launch ship?" asked Superman.
"According to the files," said Daphne.
The Man of Steel and the two detectives were joined by the Dark Knight, standing in a remote spot in Norway. Not too far from the cave with the unusual fossils that Batman had told Superman about. En route Batman had relayed his findings to Blake and Jones. And his theories on a subterranean world where a tribe of humans may have evolved from wolves and where their enemies might be based in.
"How much you wanna bet on it being a coincidence?" asked Superman.
"I don't put much stock in coincidence," said Batman.
"But the cave was sealed when Bascome was flying in the 60's," said Fred. "How the hell can they be connected?"
While Batman, ever the one to be wary with his trust, still believed Jones to be a potential issue, he did understand his motives enough to share his findings as they might have involved his friend. To say that the idea that there was no cure potentially for Shaggy, that it might be do to some kind of natural biology, didn't sit well with Fred would be an understatement. But Jones was a good enough soldier to focus on the bigger issue. There was a lunatic and even more dangerous forces at play and they needed to track them down.
"There was never a report of Bascome being shot down and the Soviet Union never claimed credit if it was," said Batman.
"Then perhaps it was never really shot down," said Daphne.
"It didn't look in top shape when it attacked the Watchtower," said Superman.
"But how does a space ship get underground if your whole theory is right?" asked Fred. "Among all the other things."
"Only one way to find out," said Batman.
The four went into the cave. As soon as they stepped in they felt a light rumbling.
"Natural geological phenomena?" Daphne proposed.
"Doubt it," said Batman.
The four continued on, as behind them a small crack began to form with hot tar beginning to pour.
Diana's struggle against the 10,000 Volt Ghost continued. To avoid much discomfort, Diana kept her distance, using her lasso as a whip, as its divine magic was the only thing that could affect the beast.
When she whipped it downward to where its head was a the monitors it saw its allies the Hunch Bunch being captured. The bombs were still counting down but too slowly for the creature's liking.
Diana noticed the creature's movements but was too slow to stop it before it became pure energy and began running through the complex.
"There are bombs all over..."
"We know, like running to meet up with everyone and..."
"The creature I was fighting is aware and is made of energy it may be..."
Diana was cut off by the sounds of explosions. The electrical phantom surging power through any and all the bombs that had been laid. The force of the explosions shattering the glass partition of the chamber Diana was in, letting the water flood in with such force as to pin her to the wall. She had been swift enough to take a gulp of air before being hit.
The sudden explosions let in gallons of water, forcing Mera to put up a spell to form an oxygen shell around her group.
"Alexa!" Artemis cried into the comm. "Where are you?"
"Artemis, the explosions happened so fast and..."
"No," Artemis yelled, not caring if she was yelling at the queen of Atlantis.
Velma was also worried about her friends.
"Mirror...mirror," Alexa's voice came over the comm.
They had been able to outrun the blasts but Shaggy, Scooby, Alexa, and their prisoners were not able to outrun the torrid of water. After being disoriented by it at first, Shaggy had been the first to recover and pulled them up to the pocket of air that was quickly becoming lax.
"Like...there's no way we're going to swim our way through this," Shaggy said.
Alexa nodded, trembling largely due to the cold of the water. She heard her sister through the comm, crying for her location. But there was no way they could get to them in time before they all ran out of oxygen. Then she had an idea.
"Mirror...mirror," she said, pressing the comm as the water made it difficult to talk.
Shaggy got what she said and pulled up the mirror Brunch held. This was a gamble but it was worth it. Scooby and Alexa took in air and dove behind Shaggy as he put Brunch and Crunch up into the flickering light. He brought up the mirror to show whatever was on the other side, this Mirror Monster, that an extraction was needed.
And as the water filled the hall to the brim, the Hunchbacks, and their hidden captors, were gone in a flash of light.