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Urban Renewal

by Erin Halfelven

 
The man who had called himself The Urban Commando for nearly twenty years looked into the woman's eyes. She repeated herself. "You're dying."

"I heard you," he said.

The explosion had nearly ripped him in two, if not for his armor he would already be dead. "Got those people out?" he asked again.

She nodded. "Most of them."

Which meant not all. So Baron Stryker had won, innocents had died and Urban had failed. He already knew that Stryker had escaped, riding that doomsday device he had stolen from Hermetic Labs.

"'S'funny," he whispered. "All I wanted to do was stop the street crime, people getting shot. Who knew I'd end up fighting a fricking mad scientist for half my life?"

She didn't laugh, pushing her silvery hair away where it almost fell into his face. "I can save you," she said.

"Do it, Lady K," he said. "I still have to get that bastard Stryker."

She nodded. "You know you will die as Urban Commando? But you'll live on as someone else, someone who would have died without your life force?"

"Got it," he said. "Be quick."

Lady Karma put her hands on his face and everything went dark.

* * *

"She's a fighter," someone said.

Tessie heard them talking about her.

"Broken ribs, concussion, pneumonia, she could have died in the plane crash, let alone walking out of the Cascades with her injuries in the winter."

They probably didn't know she could hear them.

"Pretty remarkable for a little girl," one of the voices commented.

"What am I, eight?" thought Tessie. "I could use a long vacation but you've got less than a decade, Stryker. Then I'm coming for you." She snuggled with the enormous stuffed dog her new parents had bought for her and went back to sleep.

* * *

As soon as she knew she would be alone for a reasonable length of time, Tessie dialed the seventeen digit number that would connect her directly to Centurion headquarters. It took awhile to set this up because who leaves a wounded eight-year-old alone for very long?

But her new parents were sound asleep after a couple of drinks at dinner and what had sounded like marathon sex. And her new older brother slept like a lump of basalt at the bottom of the Atlantic trench. She ought to be safe from being interrupted for a while.

She spent only a moment wondering why Kenny took so much delight in annoying her. Maybe it was just what older brothers did. Silently she mouthed apologies to the younger sisters of Hank Herbert who was no more.

She negotiated Daedalos's security gadgets with passwords, a triple layer that depended on timing as well as exact words because her voice print wasn't on file. She tugged on her braids when the phone finally began to ring.

"Hello?" someone answered cautiously. Tessie could understand that, she'd used Urban Commando's private codes and that would show on the phone screen.

"It'th me," she said.

"Who'th me?" the voice on the other end lisped back.

She recognized the voice; Blueblazes must surely be someone's older brother. She sighed. "Jutht put one of the grownupth on will you, Billy?"

"Urban? Is that really you?"

"It'th Tethie now. Tess-ie," she said carefully. "I need to talk to Kay."

"It's three in the morning, honeybun. I'm on mids so...wait? Guess who just came in?"

"Oh, hurry, Billy! Put her on the phone," Tessie urged.

"What's the rush? Sounds like you've got some growing up to do. Tessie, did you say? Are you a girl now? A little girl?" Billy Blueblazes snickered.

Tessie danced with a new urgency. "Yeth! Okay? Now put the Lady on 'cauthe I've got a little girl bladder now, too, and I don't want to leave a puddle in the living room!"

Over Billy's laughter, Lady Karma's voice said, "I knew you might call tonight, Urban." The advantages of dealing with a psionic sorceress, Tessie reflected momentarily.

"Oh, Kay!" Tessie whimpered, looking around to see that she wasn't being watched or overheard. "I think my new daddy is a thupervillain!"

"F-for heaven's sake, honey! Who do you think he is?" Even Lady Karma could be surprised.

Tessie enunciated carefully. "Death Masque," she whispered.

* * *

"Why do you think your Daddy is Death Masque, sugar?" asked Lady Karma. She waved at Billy Blueblazes to stop laughing.

Tessie sighed. "Am I on thpeaker phone?" Her eight-year-old tongue persisted in giving her trouble with sibilants.

"Um, yes."

"Listen up, Billy, and quit laughing like a cartoon," said Tessie.

"Hey!" said Billy. But he sat down and started clicking at the keyboard of his terminal, pulling up a dossier.

Lady K smiled. "Go ahead, Tessie, we're both listening and I'm recording."

"Three things," said the child who had once been the Urban Commando. "One, I recognized him, we fought back in the seventies before Last Centurion formed our group. Remember, Masquerade was a bad guy group. Miss Glamour, Dr. Domino, Z9, that bunch."

"Losers," commented Billy. "Didn't he wear a mask?"

"Pretty much," Tessie agreed. "But just one of those Spirit-type masks. Not very good."

"That was before your time, Billy," said Lady K. Still in his early twenties, Billy Blueblazes ranked as the youngest of the active Centurions, not counting Tessie.

"And there's the other two thingth - things," Tessie paused. "Yesterday, when we were out on the deck, for jutht a second I could see the sun shining through him."

"What the heck does that mean?"

"It's in the dossier," said Lady K. "Death Masque absorbs the powers of anyone he kills. He killed all his partners in Maquerade; so he should have Miss Glamour's invisibility, which had the disadvantage that in a strong light you could sometimes see through her."

"I had a girlfriend like that," commented Billy.

"You had a girlfriend?" Tessie and Lady K said simultaneously. Tessie giggled but Kay only smiled.

"Hey!" said Billy. "So what's the third thing?"

* * *

After her report to Centurion HQ, and a quick trip to the bathroom, Tessie yawned like only a sleepy child can because an adult would dislocate something.

She tiptoed down the hall, to her own room, after glancing at her new parents' bedroom door. She left her own door open and crawled into bed, pulling her colorful dolly into a tight embrace. "Don't be afraid, Annie," she whispered. "I'll protect you."

Feeling only a little silly, she kissed the doll and went back to sleep.

* * *

Billy Blueblazes closed the file on the supervillain group once known as Masquerade. Most of the members of that ill-fated group had died in the late seventies but one member, at least, had never been convincingly buried. "Do you think Urban, uh, Tessie, is right about her new daddy being Death Masque," Billy asked Lady Karma.

Kay pushed silver hair away from her face and looked thoughtful. "It's worth checking out."

"Yeah, but," Billy said, "Tessie's just eight years old now, maybe she imagined it."

"It's possible, but Urban fought crime and supervillains for twenty years; we've got to trust that his judgement is still worth something."

"Umph. How does that work, anyway? The kid is still the kid but she's also Urban? I couldn't believe it when she made the joke about my girlfriend, I don't remember Urban even having a sense of humor," said Billy.

"Tessie would have died after the kidnapper's plane crashed, Urban's lifeforce joined with hers enabled her to walk out of the mountains to where the Rangers could find her. She became, um, sort of a sideways reincarnation of our friend Hank Herbert, the Urban Commando, with her own and Hank's memories, sensibilities and personality. It'll be awhile before they completely meld into one person."

"Sounds uncomfortable," said Billy. "And unreliable. Middle-aged black crimefighter becomes cute little blond girl."

"If I ever have to reincarnate you, Billy, I'll try to arrange something more your speed, like a Labradoodle, a neutered Labradoodle," said Lady K.

"Oh, give me a break. Speed is my middle name, Kay."

"I thought 'Blue' was your middle name. Hey, Billy?" She pointed. "Your hair is on fire."

"What, like I haven't heard that one before?" He passed his hand through the cobalt flames that covered his shaved head, grinning at her.

"No, really," said Kay, sounding entirely serious.

* * *

Todd Munson eased down the hall in the early morning light with long practiced quiet. He checked first on his daughter, brave little Tessie, still recovering from her wounds, snuggled with her dolly. Those kidnappers were lucky they had died in the crash; if Todd had ever caught them.... Still invisible, he checked on Kenny, too. Both kids slept soundly, safe for now.

Candace joined him in the hall; groping a bit to find him, she slipped her hand through the crook of his elbow and pressed herself against him. Visible again, he looked down into her face. "Any ideas yet?" she asked.

He shook his head. "As long as we don't know who called for the snatch, it could happen again."

They squeezed each other. "Do you think it's because someone knows who you are?" she asked.

"Must be," he said glumly. "We don't live rich enough to attract kidnappers otherwise. I need more information but I don't see how I dare leave you to go look for it. I'm going to call someone who might be willing to help."

Candace kissed him. "Do whatever you think is right, Todd. I'm on your side."

Todd sighed. "I've been straight so long, I'm not even sure I know how to go on the crook anymore. But considering everything, I sure can't go to the authorities. Blue Galaxy, the Protectors, the Centurions -- you know they'd all like to toss me in Tartaros."

Candace smiled up at him. "My hubbers, the big bad supervillain. You know it's Tuesday, did you put the cans on the curb last night?"

They both laughed softly, careful not to wake the kids.

* * *

Daedalos listened to the log tape again. Lady K's magic had worked, Urban Commando had survived and now lived as the daughter of a man who might be a fugitive supervillain. Interesting. But there was something else on the tape that was even more intriguing. As Security Officer and Gadgetmaster of the Centurions, he'd have to bring this to the attention of the group. Carefully. Sooner or later.

And how would this little sidelight influence his own special plans for the future?

* * *

"You got any idea what time it is?" the voice on the phone growled.

"Three hours later than it is here, Pierce," said Todd Munson calmly. "I'm in a jam, I'm calling in a favor."

"All for the glory of Cell Block B, huh?" Pierce growled.

"Something like that."

"I thought you went legit?" Pierce asked.

"And you got a pardon from the president. Better off than I am. Blue Stars catch up with me and I'm for that little old retirement home down in the Superstitions." Todd meant the Federal Bureau of Corrections Apache Caverns Installation under Flatiron Mountain in Arizona, commonly called Tartaros, where federal prisoners considered too dangerous for ordinary lockups were kept. State prisoners could also be transferred there under the Overman Act.

"You still hiding out?"

"Uh huh? You available for some security work?"

"You paying? I've got a steady gig here in New York. Bodyguard for a supermodel, no less."

"You dog," said Todd, grinning. "I'm sorry -- you old tomcat."

"It's a living," said Pierce with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'm paying. $500 a day plus expenses. Be here soonest?"

"Okay, where's here?"

"I'll pick you up at Sea-Tac, call me back with your flight number."

"Yeah, oh, I'm using the name Leonard Paine these days."

"I'm Todd Munson," said Tessie's new father. "Leo, Todd, Todd, Leo." After he hungup he sat staring at the phone for a bit. The man he'd known as Tom Pierce would make a formidable bodyguard for his children while he tracked down the would-be kidnappers' boss. Pierce, or Paine as he called himself now, wouldn't hesitate to kill in defense of a client and that's exactly what Todd wanted.

He stood and went looking for his wife. "Candace, honey? I got us a babysitter."

* * *

Out over the Indian Ocean, a man in an enormous plane that never landed in daylight received a bit of intelligence from one of his agents. He didn't show much emotion as he read it on the screen built into his laptable but his grip tightened on the wrist of the boy sitting in the well-upholstered chair next to him. The boy moaned softly, and the man looked at him, his colorless eyes invisible behind mirror shades. "I'm sorry," he said, "did I hurt you?" He released the boy and patted him on the knee. "We'll be in Dubai soon, we can get out there and stretch our legs. Would you like that?"

The boy nodded.

"Maybe we'll see some camels," said the man, smiling. "That might be fun."

The boy nodded again.

"Go up forward, Johnny, and tell Captain Spartako that I'd like to speak with him. You can stay up front for a while, too. Use the computers if you like."

"Thank you, sir," said the boy before dashing off to the forward cabin of the plane.

* * *

Back in the Seattle suburb where she now lived, Tessie got up when her mother called her. She did her morning business then went out to the bright airy kitchen. Her broken ribs had hardly even twinged when she pulled on a fresh t-shirt, one decorated with sad-but-cute blue bunnies.

"Muffin or cereal?" Candace asked her.

"Muffin," said Tessie, sitting at the smaller white table under the window where her brother Kenny was already pushing Froot Loops into his face.

"Morning, Snotnose," said Kenny.

"Morning, Booger-breath," she replied.

"Knock it off," said Candace. "I'm making scrambled eggs for both of you, too, so no disgusting talk at the table. Sheesh!" She poured juice from a large decanter for them and set a blueberry muffin down in front of Tessie.

"He started it," said Tessie.

"Doesn't matter. Your dad's gone to the airport to pick up a friend and I don't want to have to get out the lion tamer chair to separate you." Candace sipped her coffee, wondering if she could talk Todd into letting her call her sister to take her place so she could join him in his -- hunt. Probably not. This Paine fellow sounded like someone who might eat Krystal up. Or vice versa, she reflected, knowing her sister's taste for dangerous men matched her own.

Kenny put Froot Loops into his nose, while Candace wasn't watching, in an effort to gross out his little sister.

Tessie giggled. "Now eat them," she told him.

* * *

Oakland, California. The city across the bay from San Francisco, better weather, better food, better living to hear the locals tell it -- but a little more well-known for the higher crime rate, especially violent crimes. A working city where the ships dock and the trains stop. A city that always needed its heroes. Near the east edge of town, in a cemetery spread across the hills several people gathered to say goodbye to a friend.

The services for Henry J. Herbert's family had been earlier in the morning but near noon, some of the current and past members of the Centurions came to pay respects.

Kendra Worth followed the motorized wheelchair of Nathan Ryder through the paths between live oaks and hedges of huckleberry vines. Two towering sequoias marked the upper corners of Veterans Field near the middle of which Specialist Herbert's body lay under a fresh layer of green sod. Len Salvatore stood already by the grave and they were soon joined by Gilbert Bellows, Sylvia Glass, Ted Andropoulos, and Penelope Haeckel Ryder.

No one said anything for several moments then Len asked. "His family don't know, do they?"

Kendra shook her head, her silvery hair concealed beneath a lacy black cloche hat. "Only his sister Danetta. She's the only one that knew -- who he was."

"Hank's the lucky one," said Nate. "A hero's death and yet he lives on." He thumped the arm of his chair and looked across the grave toward his ex-wife. Penelope did not look up but she nodded, silently.

Gil rubbed his shaved head and said, "It's not the same. Urban is gone, unless someone wants to take up the identity?"

Len shook his head. "I'll wear his uniform for a few appearances, just to confuse things. And make Stryker worry. We going to go after that sumbitch?"

Everyone except Kendra nodded. "I'm going to go up to the Seattle area first, check on Tessie. See if she's right about her daddy."

Ted cleared his throat. Besides security and gadgets, he was the group's liaison with the Blue Galaxy, the federal super-troopers. "We might be able to wrangle a pardon, if this Death Masque hasn't committed any serious crimes since the seventies."

Kendra shrugged. "I'm not sure I'll get close enough to ask that sort of thing."

Sylvia squatted beside the grave, dropping a yellow rose onto the fresh turf. "Goodbye, my brother," she said. Len stepped close and offered her an arm; she accepted the half hug but stepped away to wipe her eyes. "We keep losing good ones," she murmured, remembering other deaths, other cities. She'd buried almost a whole team once, including her own twin sister. She added Hank's name to the roll call in her head.

"He's not exactly dead-dead," Gil pointed out to no one. Penelope bent over Nate's chair to kiss his cheek and then everyone left.

* * *

In the concourse at Sea-Tac, one tall man shook hands with an even taller one. "Leo," he said, "I'm Todd."

"You recognized me?" asked Leo. "I thought the dye job on my hair was pretty good."

"I can see about twice as many colors as most people," said Todd. "And I can smell you."

Leo nodded and they walked through the crowds toward the carpark. Outside, the famous Seattle rain fell on the righteous and the wicked, alike.

"Keep forgetting how wet this fricken city is," Leo muttered as they got into Todd's SUV.

"We'll have you home and dry soon enough, Catclaw," said Todd. "You can meet the family."

Leo grinned. "They all wear shrouds and carry scythes, Reaperman?"

"Not hardly," said Todd. "Let me tell you what's been going on."

* * *

Tessie shivered for no apparent reason. Hank Herbert's grandma, when she saw someone shiver like that, always said, "Someone's walking on your grave, child." Tessie suspected that in this case, Grandma would have been right.