Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:55:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Farrell Mc Nulty <brendanchenowith@yahoo.com>
Subject: Detectives Log - Chapter 85

   This is Detectives Log Chapter 85 - O Who Fore Art Thou, Ace

  CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE - O Who Fore Art Thou, Ace WHEN WE LEFT OUR HEROES,
MIKE WAS IN PURSUIT OF EDDIE'S CAPTORS AS EDDIE WAS DRAGGED FROM HIS CELL
TO THE EXECUTION AREA, SLAMMED UP AGAINST THE WALL AS HIS ASSAILANT WAS
INTENT ON ENDING HIS LIFE WITH 500 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION.

As Eddie's bound hands were looped around a spike in the wall, his back
turned to his captors, he felt the urge to cry out, to beg for his life,
but he cast those detrimental urges aside and preferred to face his fate
like the proud righteous crimefighter he had become over the last couple of
years, the sort of man he had always aspired to be - with the help of his
hero, his mentor, his lover, the man who had turned his life around
completely and who had given him a real purpose in life - Mike Batz. The
painful thought of never seeing Mike again would far outweigh the agony he
was about to suffer as an entire magazine of ammunition was about to
simultaneously mutilate and obliterate Eddie's smooth, sinewy, well-toned
physique.

"Some partner you have, there, kid. Where is he now? Too afraid to come to
your rescue? Fucking coward - you're better off without him."

"No", Eddie sneered as he stood facing the wall, "you're the real cowards
here. You don't even have the guts to look your victim in the eye."

"Ya know what - I've had it with this Boy-Blowhard, let's just get this
overwith."

Eddie braces himself, knowing his life was about to end having been spent
in the best possible way. He was ready to meet his maker - at least He
wouldn't be afraid to look Eddie in the eye.

The machine gun was cocked, the assassin's finger slowly wrapped itself
around the trigger, then a horrifying blast of gunpowder filled the room.
Eddie felt the impact against his back and slightly fell forward, his knees
buckling. The room fell silent as the shooting stopped. Eddie opened his
eyes, realised he was still on his feet, didn't feel the great agony he had
anticipated, looked around and determined he was still alive.

"Did they miss?", he asked himself. "No, they couldn't have - I felt
something hit my back, something knocked the wind out of me." He then heard
the hellish chorus of raucous laughter - all at his expense.

"My God, what a fool - you fell for it!"

"What in God's name are you talking about?"

"You were shot with blank cartridges!"

Of course - the blast of air, the empty shell casings - that's what hit
him, but did not penetrate - perhaps a bruising. But this was nothing
compared to the bruising he was about to cause - if he could just rip
himself free, which is what he was about to do.

Eddie grew more furious by the minute. Being enraged can leave one with a
sense of super-human strength. He violently yanked himself free of his
bonds, shredded them as if they were made of papier-mache and lunged toward
the throat of his executioner, shouting, "I'm gonna KILL YOU!"

Two of the henchmen ran up from behind and each grabbed one of Eddie's arms
and stretched them side to side as his would-be assassin picked up the
weapon and slapped Eddie across the face with the butt of the weapon, then
jabbed the weapon right into his torso, causing his body to buckle.

"We were just messin' with ya before - but now you really asked for it." He
aimed a 38-caliber revolver and began to shoot at Eddie's head. As the
bullets hit, he let out blood-curdling screams and guttural sobs of pain as
he furiously kicked in a vain attempt to break loose.

The henchmen then released their grip and Eddie fell to the ground, feeling
the top of his head, looking at his blood-stained hands - he knew his time
had come. But, on further examination, Eddie kept patting the top of his
head, and didn't feel any shrapnel. Sure he was cut and bleeding and he did
feel a burning sensation, but the bullets didn't penetrate - they merely
grazed his scalp. There were bullet holes in the wall behind him, right
where he was held in a villainous grip.

His enemies were amused at the torment through which they were putting
their prisoner. "Woe, look at him fall apart. I only wish his fuck-faced
little Boss-Man was here, we'd really make mince-meat outta him."

Then the door is kicked open and the entire room was startled to hear the
raspy voice of reason snarl, "All right - I'm here - so start mincing."

Mike struts into the room, Eddie leaps over to his side, followed by two
vaguely familiar figures; one clad in a black tee-shirt, sunglasses, a
black baseball cap, skin-tight black jeans and steel-toed boots, and
skin-tight leather gloves. The other was clad in a pure white tee-shirt,
sunglasses, faded blue jeans, yes, skin-tight, and also with steel-toed
boots, and skin-tight leather gloves.

"Sorry I took so long, but I picked up a couple of buddies along the
way. Slimy thugs, I'd like ya to say how-do-you-do to Ace and Rick."

"SHIT! I heard about those guys - we're dead meat!"

Another thug slaps him across the back of the head and shouts, "shut up!"

Both Ace and Rick greet their opponents with a boy-scout salute.

"Holy betrayal", thought Eddie, "Our very own Green Hornet and Kato. Why'd
he bring them along?"

Ace snarls, "so nice of you to look after our Eddie while we were
away. Hope he wasn't any trouble..."

Tim finishes the thought, "...'cuz we intend to be!"

This is, of course, a quadruple Batz-fight - one good guy to one bad
guy. At one point, Mike is grabbed by his throat, only to be rescued from
behind by Eddie, grabbing the thug and punching his face in, but his arms
are grabbed from behind, his body held in place while another thug wails on
his stomach. Ace and Rick jump in - the sight of four fine flying forearms
and a bevy of beautiful biceps, two draped in white cotton sleeves, two in
black - Ace and Rick - the ying and yang. Ace picks up and brandishes one
of the weapons and slams a thug in the face. As he falls back, Tim grabs
him and shouts, "finish 'im off!" Ace runs up and grabs the guy by the
head, completely twisting his neck around. He falls dead. Ace and Rick
stand grinning proudly over their handiwork. Eddie witnesses the whole
thing and stares shocked and silent. This was the guy who grazed Eddie's
head with those deadly bullets.

Mike's and Eddie's guys are subdued and handcuffed, and Mike radioes in for
police officers to collect them. The four felon-fighters scatter about and
gather evidence, including the video camera which photographed all of those
gruesome images of Eddie with a noose around his neck.

Eddie continues to stare back and forth between a proud-looking Ace and the
thug with the twisted neck. Ace notices Eddie's stare and grins at him as
if to say, "how'd I do, eh? Pretty damn good!" As the police come in to
collect the thugs, including the now-dead one, Eddie approaches Ace, who
smiles and pats and rub's the boy's shoulder. Eddie shrugs his hand off as
his stare grows cold and angry.

"How could you?"

Ace is perturbed, "excuse me?"

"How can you take a human life and stand there like you just caught 'the
big one' "

Tim is now irritated and interjects, "Eddie you can't be serious - the guy
took two shots at your head!"

Ace calmly re-traces his steps and explains it to him, "We hear the shots,
we walk in, I spot spent shell casings, hear your shouts, see your face
contorted in pain, see you with a blood-stained hand and a scratch on your
head. I spot the one with residue on his fingers, I become enraged, I
charge at him, I break his neck."

This means absolutely nothing to Eddie as he goes on further, "why, you're
nothing but a vengeful vigilante - not even a licensed investigator. I
heard all about you - you just hit the streets looking for trouble and you
don't give a flying darn who you hurt in the process."

Mike tries to intercede and puts his hand on Eddie's shoulder, only to have
the boy rebuff him and shrug his hand off.

"Stay outta this, Mike - this is between me and him."

Rick, on the other hand, only grows more furious himself and keeps looking
at Ace, wondering why he doesn't just rip Eddie a new one, too. All Ace can
do at this moment is draw a breath of resignation and walk off into the
sunset.

"You'll understand someday - Let's go Rick - our work is done here. Mike,
good to see you as always - I'll be in touch".

Rick tries to follow, "Yo, Ace! Wait up, man!"

Mike intercedes, "No, I'll go see about Ace. I think maybe you and Eddie
oughta..."

"Yeah - you're right."

Mike leaves the room - the following two conversations take place
simultaneously:

SIDEKICKS: "Eddie, what the hell was that all about? My guy sticks up for
you and you just spit in his face!"

"This isn't your concern, Rick - or Tim - or whoever the heck you are these
days."

HEROES: Mike spots Ace in one of the hallways in this abandoned building,
"Hey! RODNEY!"

Ace freezes in his tracks and turns to face Mike.

Mike smiles at him, "I just wanna thank you and Tim for helpin' us out
there."

Even with sunglasses, Mike could still sense a look of sadness and hurt
over the Face of Ace. Mike knew why the guy was down, but should he blow it
off or confront the situation? If confronting it, how should he go about
it. He decided on a happy medium of sorts. He reached over and patted Ace's
arm.

"Hey, come on, Rod - ya did good today - the two of ya. Hell, I wasn't even
sure which one of 'em hurt Eddie like that. You did - you pinpointed who
did it and let him have it. That was awesome."


SIDEKICKS: "Ace saw you were wounded and he took action. You'd have done
the same thing if Mike was almost killed, and you know it."

"Yeah, but...snappin' the guy's neck? He's not even a real gumshoe - he's
just out for revenge of some kind. And what are you doin' runnin' around
with him? You were a top notch mechanic before."

"Oh, yeah, sure", scoffs Tim, "one of the best. What was my reward? My own
boss shot me and had me hung up on a tool rack."

HEROES: "Hey, come on, off with the shades, would ya? Best if I could look
ya in the eye. It's all right - it's just you and me here."  Ace took his
shades off. Mike sees a look of real sadness and hurt in his eyes and
reaches over and puts his arm around the unmasked hero.

"I know. Eddie really went off on ya - I'm sorry for that - he had no
business."

"I'm not a bad guy. When I saw that Eddie got shot - I didn't plan on
killin' that thug - I just got so worked up..."

"You were lookin' out for my boy. I can't tell you what that meant to me."

"You know I'd do anything for you - Eddie, too - you guys are a part of
each other."

"I'm glad you can accept that."


SIDEKICKS:

Eddie nods in resignation, "yeah, I remember that. But what's this guy Ace
have to offer you that another job wouldn't?"

"Same thing ya got going with Mike, I'd think. All that excitement and
danger and then that sweet feeling ya get for a job well
done. Crimefighting's gotta be one of the coolest gigs out there."

"Even with the sunglasses and the weird names? I mean, come on - Rick
Righteous?"

"Hey - you don't go steppin' on our methods."

"Does that guy ever take his shades off? Do you?"

"We gotta keep 'em on - we're always in disguise."

"But, why?"

"Can't tell ya that - not my call - that's up to Ace. But ya know what, I
will make this call. Now, I may not be a licensed gumshoe, but I suspect
it's not our unorthodoxed manner of crimefighting that's buggin' ya."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, come on, I'm not buyin' any of that unlicensed crap for a
minute. You're jealous of Ace because he knew Mike before you did. That
night he recruited me after I got fired from the garage, Mike and him went
into another room and you're eyes were so green."

Eddie all to vehemently insisted, "that's got nothing to do with..."

"You're JEALOUS!"

"That's not.."

"JEALOUS!"

"Don't you use any interrogation tactics on ME, pal!"

"I'll keep sayin' it til you finally do."

"ALL RIGHT! Just LOOK at him - he's hotter than heck - he's closer to
Mike's age, he's got a great body, he's tough as nails - his whole get up
even gave me a hard-on...but you know who he really is, and so does Mike, I
still don't. Mike never told me about him."

"Did ya ask?"

"Of course I did - Mike just tossed it off as 'oh he's an old friend of
mine I met while working a case' and just left it at that. I don't
appreciate being left in the dark here."

"Okay, then - why don't we go out there and I'll introduce ya to him."

HEROES:

"Hey, if you ask me, I think Eddie's a little worked up I never told him
all about you - "

"Yeah, but you should - you should've let him know from the get-go. We're
all crimefighting brothers here - there's a bond, ya know? My trust in you
notwithstanding, if I can't trust your boy with my identity, who can I
trust?"

The sidekicks walk out into the hallway and approach their respective
heroes. Ace quickly turns around and puts his mask back on, hopeing Eddie
doesn't see his face. Eddie goes right up to Mike who give him an "it's
okay" smile. He then looks at Ace, and says, "All right, Ace - just who are
you, anyway."

Mike interjects, "Eddie, I can't disclose that..."

"Why the heck not?"

"Because there's a price on my head", says Ace. "The Mafia is after me and
if I'm ever spotted, I'm to be executed - no questions asked."

"What? You gotta be puttin' me on - Mike?"

"It's true, Kiddo. I was there from the get-go."

"My real name's Rodney Campbell. I was a cab driver a few years ago - of
course it's my job, or it was then, to take anyone anywhere they wanted to
go, no questions asked. My passenger was wanted by the mob - he owed them a
fortune and was in hiding himself. But he got found out. He let his guard
down and exited my cab, and as he was paying me, he was spotted. His
ememies drove up to us, he got scared, I memorized the license number, I
jumped out to grab him, to try to get him back in but we were both shot a
few times and we fell to the ground. I was in pain all over, I couldn't
tell where I'd been hit. I tried to get back up, but every move I made was
agony. The guy kept apologizing left and right, but it wasn't his fault."

Mike added, "I was down the street and I heard the shots, so I drove around
the vicinity and spotted the whole thing. I started shootin' back at the
bad guys - one returned fire and nicked me a little, so I plugged him but
good - the other one got away. I thought for sure that Ace and his
passenger would be dead, but I heard moaning and it was him, really hangin'
in there. Oh, God, ya shoulda seen him, bullet wounds all over him."

"Yeah, but ya know somethin', Eddie? I kinda felt a rush, like I was doin'
somethin' worthwhile for once, ya know? The bullets were hittin' me left
and right, but I just wanted to hang in there for this guy, protect him -
he was still alive and he was gonna make it. I felt like a real hero for
the first time in my life."

"That's cuz you were, Ace. You're a civilian and you risked your life to
save someone else's - wanting nothing in return."

Mike continues, "His rehab lasted for months, so I took him in, had him
stay with me for a while. I thought somebody this tough should be doin'
more than drivin' a cab. And he was placed in the witness protection
program, and since I was around at the time, I was entrusted with his
secret identity, and I took a vow to never reveal it."

"Mike, I think it's okay - Eddie's with you and a good guy in your eyes is
a good guy in mine."

He removed his shades by pressing a button on his belt buckle which was a
remote control device unlocking the shades. Tim followed suit.

"This is in case anyone ever captured us and tried to remove our masks -
they have to be electronically unlocked - anyone who tries to force them
off would get charged 50 volts."

Eddie just about melted when he saw what was behind the shades, the
mask. It was a beautiful, boyish pair of baby-brown eyes, not much older
than the two sidekicks.

"Gosh, you're so young."

"Yeah, I'm 28."

"And you gotta live the rest of your life in disguise?"

"If I want to live out a good long life, then, yeah."

"That goes for Tim, too?"

Tim nodded.

"When I first recruited him, I explained my situation and swore him to
secrecy."

Tim added, "He told me how much he admired hearing about helping you guys
out when you rescued me. We talked about how we had the same
experiences-workin' for a cab company, gettin' shot on the job, helpin' to
fight back, that kinda thing. I never really thought about crimefighting
before, but then..."

He looks at Ace and the two exchange warm smiles and put their arms around
each others' shoulders.

"...I got a great chance at another life, thanks to him. It's really been a
blast."

He pats Ace's chest.

"Just like you and Mike."

"So, Eddie, you wanna know if Mike and I were ever together - the answer's
yes. After I was fully recovered, he wanted me as his partner - in that
sense, too - and I said I gotta go out and get these guys - he said 'lemme
help you - we could get 'em together', and I knew this was mine to deal
with and mine alone. He has a great PI practice and I didn't want him to
focus on just one case or go into hiding just for my sake. So, I took
off. Tim's my new partner now in every sense of the word. I'm grateful to
know that Mike has a real prize partner in you, and it was a privilege to
kick some ass with you." Ace chuckles and adds, "it was a lotta fun today,
wasn't it!"

Eddie smiles, "it sure was - apart from this headache I'm about to get."

Rodney peers over the top of Eddie's head and touches it lightly. "Yeah,
you'd better see to that - it doesn't look like a serious wound, but it's
good to get it checked out."

"You're right. Hey, listen, uh, I'm real sorry for what I said back
there..."

Ace breaks him off, "nah, that's cool - -"

"No, it's not. I let petty jealousy get in the way. It was really small of
me. I shoulda been grateful from the get-go 'cuz the three of ya saved my
life - and I know you twisted that guy's neck outta anger for what he did
to me - you were really lookin' out for me there. It's good to know we got
you in our corner and that if I were killed today, that Mike would be in
good hands."

Eddie reaches to hug the tight-tee-shirted twosome, and they
reciprocate. Ace and Mike both hug and kiss each other on the cheek, saying
so-long.

Tim pats Eddie's right arm, "feel better?"

Eddie does likewise, "sure do. Thanks again."

They also kiss each other on the cheek.

"Hey, no sweat. Looks like me-n-Ace are takin' off, so...be good."

"You, too"

Ace and Rick take off into the sunset as Eddie, arm in arm with Mike, look
on. Then they look into each other's eyes and melt into each other's arms
and share a passionate kiss.

"Gosh, it's so good to hold you again."

"Same for me, kiddo - same for me. Hey, let's get the hell outta here,
huh?"

Eddie smiles and whispers, "Roger", and off they go.

As the two walk, Eddie grows pensive. "Hey, Mike, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Eddie - what's up?"

"I kinda felt a little down when I saw how much fun Ace and Rick are having
together."

"Why's that?"

Then Eddie's words really sink in and Mike is taken aback.

"Hey, wait a second - is there something wrong here - something about the
life - your life with me? C'mon, Eddie, talk to me."

Eddie smiles and assures Mike, "no - there's nothing wrong with us - you
and me will always be good - I'm in love with you and I'll always be. But I
think - - oh, gosh, I don't know - - do you think I've gotten more serious?
Maybe a little too rigid, or something?"

"I don't getcha - I mean, you are growing up and gettin' more mature."

"It's just that I don't think I'm as fun-loving as I used to be. Sure my
life was pretty miserable, like Tim's was, but when we got together, it
opened up a whole new life for me, too - I got my will to live back - my
sense of humor came back - these past couple of years have really rocked,
but..."

"You have grown and are still growing into an incredible crimefighter and I
can see you've devoted your life to it. Are you thinking that since you're
now fighting for justice at all costs, and how important it is to ya, that
maybe you feel you can't have some fun with it, too?"

He chuckes at the memory, "you were pretty funny then - I think you still
can be - if you just relax and go with the flow like you did at first."

"Aw, but I was just some kid off the streets who met up with this really
hot gumshoe and the thought of all these adventures we'd have, and all,
but, yeah, I really take crimefighting a lot more serious as the years have
gone by."

"As well you should - we have the safety and well being of every citizen in
this town to guard - a huge responsibility - but if you feel you had to
sorta hunker down and not let yourself have any fun with it, it's not
true. I fell in love with a boy who not only defended me and saved my life
in that alleyway, but the same boy who always had a big smile, always quick
with a quip. No, you don't wanna let yourself get all hard-nosed just yet,
boy. That's my part - you're supposed to rejuvenate me and all that
stuff...sure, I'm the older of the two of us and I've seen some real wicked
stuff over the years and when I was by myself, it did get to me - it jaded
me - But then someone like you comes along, cheers me up - you knocked me
out of a longterm depression, you realize that. Ace had to go away to
protect himself and you dealt with my former sidekick and boss-man and
nearly lost your life, if not your mind. You make me happy - all that holy
gee-whillikers stuff - you bring a
 smile to my face - you cheer me up - you make me wanna live again - to the
fullest."

"Really?"

"You sure do - Don't deprive yourself of the gift you've given me. Please?"

"You got it."

As the two keep walking, Eddie stops in his tracks.

"I never said gee-whillikers."

"Oh, yes you did."

"Holy Jimmy Olsen - no WAY!"

"Way."

"Awwwww."