Hero Museum: The Dial of Doom
1
Donnie Suffrett paused, looking up at the new storefront going up not far from City Hall. No sign yet, but men were moving things in from a large rental truck. This might be interesting to look into.
He didn't have anything pressing at the moment.
Donnie walked over to the open door, looking around inside the darkened foyer. He followed the moving men as they placed their burden on the floor in the huge main room he had walked into. Boxes were everywhere.
A tall thin man appeared with an Einstein hairdo, a vest sweater over a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a checklist on a clipboard. He directed the moving men where he wanted the box put. They picked it up and moved it near the wall.
The man in charge spotted Donnie standing out of the way, frowned, checked the box against his list before walking over. Four lines on the forehead denoted no visitors.
"We're not open yet." The man paused, a clipboard under his arm.
"I was just curious about what's going on." Donnie put his hands in his pockets. "Art gallery?"
"A museum." The curator looked around. Everything seemed to be going fine without him for the moment. "I'm opening a hero museum."
"A hero museum?" Donnie looked around. "I don't think I have heard of anything like that."
"I admit the concept is like that of the Hard Rock Cafes." The curator smiled. "I hope to have several set up around the country if things go well with this one."
"Memorabilia of heroes." Donnie realized the concept immediately.
"Villains too."
"Where would you get this stuff?" Donnie looked around more closely. "Do you have time to show me around?"
"You'll have to come back when I have the exhibits set up." The curator smiled. "If your reaction is any indication, the museum will be very popular."
"I work as an engineer for the city." Donnie smiled back. "You might say I have a professional interest in things like this. Don Suffrett."
Donnie held out his hand for a quick dry handshake.
"Emil Snow." The curator looked around again. "When things are set up, please come back by. It will look much different from what it does now."
"Thanks." Donnie turned to leave, almost bumped into an assistant hurrying with a display case. "Excuse me."
She gave him a wave off. The almost accident wasn't important.
"I found this among the open boxes and felt it would be good for the central display you planned." She held out a round tray under a cube of plastic. A broken watch rested on the tray's velvet pad.
"A broken watch?" Donnie bent down to take a closer look.
"This is all that remains of the Dialer." The assistant gave him a look which he interpreted as how could you be so stupid.
"Never heard of him." Donnie looked up at her heart-shaped face, sharp emerald eyes, and blond tresses. He could spend all day with her if she wasn't so intent on what she was doing.
"He was Reagan City's first shapechanging hero." Mr. Snow took the case, staring at its broken contents. "He was believed killed in action in 65."
"Believed killed in action?" Donnie waited for the other shoe to drop.
"That watch was recovered at the scene of an explosion by Hue Man." The assistant glared at Donnie. "The general thought is he was killed in the blast. There was no actual body left."
"The case file explains most of it, Mr. Suffrett." Snow set up a podium with one hand and then placed the display on top of it. "The Dialer started as a hero in 58, his power convincing most that he was a squad of heroes working in Reagan City.
"Hue Man's report cleared up that aspect, but not who he was, where he got the dial, or why he used it to become a hero in the first place."
"So this is from his last case." Donnie moved to look down at the dial again.
"Yes." The curator smiled. "This is what we think happened . . . "
2
Bronson Venture read the note from his sister, Lee, one more time as his bus carried him to work. It had been a couple of hard years when he had first arrived in Reagan City, but things were looking up. He had gone from a penniless vagrant to a mechanic in good standing.
He was also the Monster Squad.
He had wanted to tell Lee his secret. Every time he was ready to call her, or write it down and send it, he stalled out. His sis didn't need the worry that would come from knowing he was putting his life on the line to protect the city.
He had been given a gift and he needed to use it, to repay what he had been given to those around him.
The dial had wound up in his hands after Bronson had rescued a man from drowning in 58. The old guy had given him what he had taken for a watch with fancy moving parts on the face. He had unleashed his first other self just fooling with it one night as he tried to figure out where he was going to sleep.
After that, Bronson had started using the watch to help others and help rebuild his life. Things had never been better. He had even been able to send a letter to his sister in Boston to let her know he was still alive.
Bronson looked out the window of the bus. He liked looking at the changing landscape of the city as the vehicle rolled along. It helped him relax while he thought about what was left over from the day before.
A plume of smoke attracted his attention. Then thunder boomed along the wide canyons of the metropolis. Bronson pulled the brake cord. Whatever was going might need to be checked into by the city's hero.
At least one of them anyway.
Bronson stepped off the bus. He waited for it to pull away before he started running toward the explosion. He was sure that's what had happened.
Bronson felt like he needed more speed. What was the point of trying to get somewhere to help out if you were there after it was over? He stepped in a doorway, glad the place was closed, leaned against the frame, checking the street. One hand worked the dial on his wrist. Light spread from the watch, erasing the mechanic.
A shaggy beast that looked like a combination of dog and man stood in the doorway after the light retreated to where the watch rested on its wrist. It grabbed Bronson's lunch box in its mouth and loped through the city streets on all fours as fast as a car. Its ears roved on the sides of its canine head as it listened for strange sounds. Scents were automatically marked as it covered the ground like a silver thunderbolt.
The Wolf Man paused to hide Bronson's lunch box under a car before closing on the burning building its alter ego had spotted from the bus. It could hear sirens closing, but response to the emergency was still a long way off.
People were calling for help right then.
The Wolf Man charged into the flames, fur burning as it listened for victims trapped in the blaze. He moved effortlessly through the smoke and heat, gallon wide hands ripping down barriers easily. The hero carried people to other nearby buildings by jumping to them. Fire trucks arrived as he moved through the top floor, looking for any stragglers.
The Wolf Man ran into a fire man with a hose after making sure the building was clear of living people. He suffered a dousing before pushing through and leaping to the ground from a window on the fifth floor, about halfway up the burning edifice.
The Wolf Man sprinted away from the action as his watch beeped once. He found a place of concealment as it beeped again. The third time it beeped, Bronson Venture stepped out of a fading outline of fur and teeth.
Bronson walked out of hiding, retrieved his lunch box, and started to work. He still had time to get there if he hurried. The arson would have to wait until he had more time to consider what to do about it.
He had no doubt it was arson, and murder for those the Wolf Man couldn't save from the flames and smoke.
3
Popper Morgan looked at the flames, concealing a smile. It was hard to believe he was getting paid to do something he liked. Too bad the Wolf had shown up, but no one wins them all.
Popper turned and headed away from the chaos, looking at the list pulled from his dungarees' pocket. He had two more buildings to burn down that day so he could get paid. It didn't matter if the rest of the Monster Squad showed up, or not.
They couldn't stop his explosive touch.
Popper had read up on the resident heroes when he had first hit town and started looking for work. The newspaper morgue had been full of the Squad's exploits, as they had about Mr. Destiny before them. All that mattered was that they were usually not around except at night. This daylight sighting had thrown him, but he was still free to do what he had to do.
Popper put the list away, got a city map out of his back pocket. He unfolded the paper and found where he had to go with a minimum of effort. It took him a few minutes to get the sheet back in his pants as he walked along.
The day was too pleasant for anything but walking. He had the name of the streets he was supposed to be passing. More importantly he had plenty of time until sundown. His employer needed ten buildings blown down. The arsonist didn't have to do them all in one day.
He just wanted to.
Popper hummed as he strolled down the sidewalk. His skinny arms reflected the sun with their whiteness. Short red hair glowed like fire over a narrow forehead and wide brown eyes as dark as coal. His sleeveless T-shirt and jeans said he was poor to the men and women out and about early in the morning.
That was okay. As long as he didn't mess things up, he would be able to buy a whole new wardrobe.
Popper smiled as he thought about his next job. A couple of his bombs could take down a structure in a few minutes. He liked to scope a place out before he decided where he planted his babies.
Popper arrived at Council Bluff Apartments. He stood across the street from the squat brick housing units. He made sure of the address with his list. He needed to inspect the premises.
He strolled across the street, whistling slightly as he headed up the short steps to the front door. The door, heavy wood, was locked to casual visitors. A white hand fitted a drop of fury from his fingertip against the metal mechanism. He counted slowly in his head until the lock bar blasted apart.
That was more like it.
Popper searched the bottom floor. Attacking the bottom of the pile meant he could drop the building down and speed things up. He just needed to find the support beams. He smiled when he thought he had just the right spot for one of his babies.
Popper held out his hand. Streams of sweat coalesced into a glowing ball in the palm of his hand. He smeared it against the wall, smiling at the streaks that appeared as he worked. When he had the plaster layered to his whim, he moved down to the next spot he wanted to set up.
Popper walked out of the place when he had finished. He moved across the street, watching the building. He waited, whistling. Cannon fire rolled through the air. Flames jetted out of windows on the ground floor. Smoke followed, reaching for the sky with gray fingers.
Popper decided that he had to move to his next burning before he attracted attention. Someone would call the fire department soon. He didn't want tales to spread about him by witnesses. He started down the street.
He wondered how long it would be before someone made the connection. That was bound to happen sooner or later.
Then he would be racing the heroes to get his job done. He didn't want to do that.
4
Hue Man's skin shifted color as he read the paper. The Sun-Times reported arson south of Chicago. He had seen the pattern before. It belonged to a felon named Popper Morgan.
Hue Man folded the paper and put it in the trash can. He needed to look into this. Morgan had blown off one of his arms. There was no telling what he would do to an ordinary human.
Hue Man's rainbow skin shifted to mostly red at the back, others in the front. Wings grew out of his shoulders, spreading until they were big enough to carry him. He launched into the sky, pointing to the lower Midwest.
Hue Man's body had been grown around a square of metal and new plastic. His internal structure consisted of hexagon shaped cells moving side by side, over and under. Several areas could produce more of these cells on demand like miniature factories.
The robot knew he was more advanced than anything else on Earth. He felt that he had been built with technology from beyond the stars. His creator couldn't tell him anything. Dr. Zachary Winters had lost his life to cancer after years of working with different types of metals and plastics to find the one he was looking for.
Hue Man's skin changed color depending what he wanted to do with his body. The seven rainbow colors moved with his changing mind set and what he wanted to use. Very rarely did his body ever have just a single color in evidence.
He had adopted a more human name, and with the help of some of his allies had created a sort of identity to retreat to when he needed time away from his job. He had found that he needed a chance to be alone every once in a while so his system could reload without the chance of an emergency.
Hue Man's red wings carried him higher and swifter than any normal plane. He estimated that sooner or later humanity would do more with its ability to push the limits than what had gone before into rockets that would cross the planet like planes did now.
He might even become obsolete.
He steered his thoughts back to the more immediate problem ahead. He had to find and deal with Popper Morgan before he burned down any more buildings.
That wouldn't be easy. Popper liked to move fast and travel light. And his ability to burn things made him dangerous to grab. Hue Man flexed his right arm in remembrance. He didn't want to have to grow it back again.
The robot hero knew there was a local team of heroes in Reagan City. He tried to keep up with that sort of thing for his friends. He expected that if those heroes matched up with Morgan, one of them would be killed.
He had no doubt they would try and track the fire bug down.
The heartland of America scrolled under him as he rode the clouds above. He came upon Reagan City sitting in its place like a vast concrete mountain, and descended. The first thing he should do is talk with the law and ask them for help.
A lot of eyes could cover more ground than a flying robot. Popper would go to ground if he saw the color machine, but might stay in plain sight in a strange city where no one knew what he looked like.
Surprise was the only advantage he had.
Hue Man dropped over City Hall, bringing in his wings. He landed lightly on the roof. An emergency exit lock was no match for his red reach. Inside the building, he descended until he found the chief of police's office. One look from the secretary was enough to get a meeting with the man in charge when he returned to the office.
Hue Man waited as quietly as the machine he was until Chief Floyd Haggerty arrived to talk to him. A square man in a policeman's uniform with tabs to show his rank, his round, balding head rested on his shoulders without benefit of a neck. His look said he didn't like living rainbows bothering him in his own place of business.
"Speak your piece." Haggerty gestured for Hue Man and his secretary to join him in his office. The woman brought a pad with her as she crossed into the inner sanctum. The chief settled behind his chair as he watched the shifting colors running across his visitor's skin.
"I read about this arsonist in the paper in Chicago." Hue Man didn't bother taking a seat in a visitor's chair in front of the cube of wood the chief sat behind. "I think I have dealt with him before."
"So you have a suspect?" Haggerty sat back in his chair. "Who and where can we find him?"
"His name is Popper Morgan." Hue Man's dominant color was green. "I don't where he is in your city, but I can assure you he is dangerous and powered."
"This guy have a record?"
"He was convicted of arson in Chicago." Hue Man checked his memory. "He escaped on his way to prison."
"Sounds like someone who could be our guy." Haggerty looked at his secretary. She nodded and went to spread the word. "You could have had the Chicago police call with this. What do you want out of this?"
"A chance to lock him away for good."
5
Bronson Venture wore his wolf mask as he visited the site of the fires. There had been five so far. They all smelled the same to his sensitive snout.
He must be missing something.
The dial blinked and he returned to normal. The fires smelled of burnt materials and pollutants. He thought the scent of cinnamon hung in the air also. Maybe the wolf had struck out for once.
Bronson settled into a street bistro for a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. He watched the sidewalk as he thought about his next move. His other selves only stuck around for a limited time. Even if he could isolate that one scent, the wolf couldn't follow it fast enough before he became human again.
There had to be something he could do.
Bronson wished he could dump this on Lee. She always knew what was the right path. He had to solve it. There were moments when he was lost at what he could do. He sipped his coffee and tried to relax.
What would Lee do?
Lee would think about that scent of cinnamon. She would go to the last fire and try to follow it to where the firebug lived. He must be going home from the last fire, or to his next targets so he could ready to burn them to the ground.
Too bad the watch didn't give him that much time.
Maybe if he tried in sections. He didn't know how long a particular smell stayed in the air, but maybe he could follow it until the change wore off. He could stay in place until he could change again and get back on the trail.
That seemed easy enough as a plan.
Bronson's changes lasted as long as they did. He didn't know when they were going to wear off. More than a few times, he had been in a dangerous situation when that happened. One day it was going to kill him.
Bronson walked a little ways up the street. He set the watch and pressed the button on the side. The second hand started moving backwards as silver furred muscle carried him along the street in a lope. That strange scent urged him to greater speed as he sniffed the air, and surged forward.
He hoped he could prevent another fire.
Bronson crossed most of the city before the scent petered out. He thought the arsonist had to be around. Most of the heavy smell lingered around a boarding house. He spotted the sign in the window for new people to stay at a reasonable rate.
Maybe the firebug had tracked across the cinnamon on the way to the fire sites.
The dial beeped, then erased his furry visage once more as he looked at the house. His quarry had to be living in that house. That was the only way to explain that heavy concentration of smell across town.
Smells lingered but not usually like a banner through the other scents that wandered the urban jungle.
Bronson looked up and down the street before crossing. Maybe if he talked with the renter, he could find out more about the place. Maybe one of the new tenants would be the guy. Then he could just catch the guy in the act and turn him in.
Case closed by a little watching.
He expected a certain amount of fighting but Frank, Wolfgang, or Bats could handle it. Very few normal people wanted to tangle with a monster. He had a feeling that he was dealing with a normal-for-pay guy.
If this failed, he could start checking into who wanted those buildings burned down.
Bronson paused on the porch, raising his hand to knock on the door. Voices approached the portal from the other side. He listened through the wood before he finished his move.
The argument was over the smell surrounding the house. One voice shouted how much it stank. The other said it made the house feel better. The conversation came through the wood clearly.
Bronson knocked on the door. He had his own talking he wanted to do. Besides someone had to stop the two of them from escalating into a fight. It might as well be him.
Silence answered his knock.
Bronson knocked again to show he wasn't an illusion of sound. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with hair drawn back in a bun, plain brown dress with small flowers on it, and a young man in a sleeveless T-shirt and blue jeans. They both looked annoyed at him.
"I was wondering about the room." Bronson pointed to the sign.
"I'm leaving in the next few days," said the man. "You can have my room when I go."
"We're taking boarders." The woman seemed hurt. Bronson wondered what was going on. "I'll show you the room."
6
Hue Man flew over the city, red wings holding him aloft, as purple spots moved across his body looking in all directions at once. The police were on the street with Popper Morgan's photo. He asked the commissioner to order them to avoid a confrontation.
Popper's powers allowed him to be as destructive as he wanted, and bullets didn't seem to bother him. Something about his skin made them explode on contact.
Hue Man wondered why Popper wasn't setting fires in a spree like he had when they had first encountered each other. Something other than a pyromaniac was at work. A mastermind had decided what fires he wanted Popper to set.
That was the only reasonable explanation to the artificial man.
Hue Man spotted the five fire sites set by Morgan from his overhead view of the city. The police were looking into who owned the buildings. Maybe there was a connection. Insurance scams netted money with little sacrifice by the owners.
Hue Man drifted to a landing on a skyscraper. Red changed his shape. Purple marked his artificial senses. He could only let one color take over about half his body. He let the purple grow to cover the front of his false skin. The rest of the colors moved to the back. The purple cycled around, allowing a 360-degree view of that section of the landscape as it drifted around.
The extensive view netted him nothing. Morgan moved on streets he couldn't see from his perch. The five spots had caught fire at separate times, across town from each other. Morgan must be moving through the city somehow.
How many red headed men walked on the streets below?
Hue Man noted that the five sites seemed to be on straight lines from each other. That seemed particular to his orderly mind. Maybe he should take a closer look.
Red wings sprouted from his back as he dove off his tower. He drifted over the busy streets, purple spots moved as he looked for any kind of clue. Popper could have crisscrossed the area from one scene to the other.
Hue Man had one of the pictures being used by the police. He decided that he should ask anyone if they had seen the man. Maybe he could trail Popper back to where he hid.
Hue Man had enough patience for the job.
The synthetic man started in the stores lining the street, showing the picture. Most didn't want to admit seeing anyone who looked like the arsonist. Still, he had a back trail to several of the fires. Morgan bought candy in one of the drugstores.
He liked peppermint by all accounts.
Hue Man found a trail that didn't lead to one of the fires. He flew up to extend the line across town. Maybe Popper lived on that line. Smoke drifted up from a building. Should he wait for the arsonist to come by for his candy, or try to catch him on the scene?
Hue Man turned and headed for the fire. Better to try and stop Popper before he set more fires than worry about trying to find his hideout. He could go back to his search after he had handled the emergency.
The experimental hero drifted toward the fire, red wings spread from his back. Green covered his arms as he descended toward the open windows. He took aim and fired slime on the fire as he dropped toward the street. A purple sensor scanned the crowd as he worked his way inside.
His green weapons fired glob after glob as he searched for anyone who might be inside. The slime suffocated the flames on contact. Being noncombustible, and semi-liquid, stopped the impact splatter from catching fire from flames that hadn't been hit yet.
Hue Man worked his way from door to door, covering the fire as he went. Yellow skin projected light to help his senses, and to show people help was on the way through the smoke. So far he hadn't seen anyone inside.
That seemed unusual for some reason.
Maybe they had been given the day off for some reason.
Green spread over his torso as he worked. That enabled him to fire bursts of green slime as big as a small child. He decided to check on why no one was at work later. It might be a clue, or mean nothing.
His priority had to be on the job in front of him. Otherwise the flames would spread to another building while he was distracted.
7
Popper Morgan saw the red-winged thing descend into his masterwork. He turned and started walking. Hue Man knew him, and he didn't want the robot interfering with his work. Open combat on the streets meant too much risk to his plans.
Morgan had another four buildings on his list. He should hit all of them and move on. He should do it today. No way was he fighting Hue Man again. Once was enough.
Morgan saw a bus moving along the street ahead. He rushed to make it to the next stop in front of the vehicle. The lumbering beast rolled to a stop to let him on with a clanking of its doors. Then it headed down the string of halts on its way to the edge of Reagan City.
Morgan went to the back of the bus and looked out the windows. His baby was putting up a good fight, but the dying smoke told him the story. Some of the building could be saved thanks to Hue Man's interference.
Morgan settled in his seat. He dragged the map out, looked up the next address he needed to be at on his list, and checked the direction of travel. He should get off at the next stop if he wanted to reach his next target without having to walk too far. He put everything away and pulled the cord when he saw the right sign. Work boots clunked against the metal stairs then dropped the arsonist to the concrete sidewalk.
Time to walk.
Morgan tried to keep his cool as he walked along. The last thing he wanted to do was attract attention. Hue Man had probably told the local cops all about him. Roasting a pig didn't mean a thing to Popper other than the chance to allow his mistress to show her beauty on human flesh. He had a contract now, and couldn't shirk the responsibility he had taken on.
He had been broken free to do this, and he wanted to express his gratitude for the chance.
Popper saw the address from his list from a block away. It was a house like any other house on a street of houses. The other places he had set fire to had been public buildings. A private residence was something new.
Popper walked up to the porch, running his hands over the railing bordering the steps. He stood on the wooden planks, spreading his fuel everywhere as he pretended to check the address, the look of the place. The neighbors would think he was a salesman, or a relative, hopefully.
Popper walked from one end of the porch to the other. It didn't matter what anyone thought as long as they stayed away until he got done. When he was satisfied, he stepped off the decking and headed down the street. He snapped his fingers and flame engulfed the front of the house before he took two more steps.
He wanted to stay there and watch it burn into beautiful chimera shapes calling him. He forced himself to keep walking. He had to get to his next stop before anyone caught up to him.
8
Bronson Venture sipped tea with the landlady, listening to the radio. He was sure he was at the right place. His wolf senses always pointed him in the right direction. The firestarter lived in this house.
The announcement of two more fires made him focus on the wooden box. He listened intently to the broadcaster detailing both events and how it was believed that a man named Popper Morgan was believed to be the man. The description sounded familiar to Bronson.
"That sounds like Mr. Morton." The landlady put her tea down, looking at the radio.
"It sure does." Bronson put his cup down. "Can I use your phone?"
"Sure." The landlady showed him where the box hung on the wall.
Bronson dialed the police station. He didn't know if anyone would listen to him. He had to try. If that didn't work, he had an idea he could use. Morgan had to be stopped.
"Police Headquarters." The agitated voice drew Bronson back to reality. "What's your emergency?"
"I think the man you are looking for is living at a rooming house." Bronson gave the address twice to make sure the desk sergeant had it down. "After he gets through burning stuff, he might come back to get some sleep and food."
"We'll send someone to look into it." The desk sergeant hung up. Apparently he didn't believe the tip.
"I have to go." Bronson took the landlady back in the kitchen. "I want you and any boarders to take off. We might be wrong. I'll feel better once we know for sure if your Mr. Morton is the guy, or not. I don't want him to come back and hurt you before I get some help."
"You don't think the police will do anything?" The landlady dumped out the cups with a small clatter.
"I don't know." Bronson headed for the front door. "I have a friend who can help us. I have to find him. Go ahead and get out so I can handle this."
Bronson stepped outside, clattering down the front porch. It was time to call on some invisible assistance. He tinkered with his watch as he walked down the street toward the latest fire. A mist covered him and he vanished from sight.
To Bronson, the world had frozen in place. He walked down alleys and streets, looking for the red-haired stranger he had spotted arguing with the landlady. Once he had the guy, he could use one of his other forms to deal with him.
He paused on the sidewalk as the dial beeped at him. He looked around to make sure no one was close by. Then the world took off again.
Bronson sighed at the fire, wishing he had something in his arsenal to help out. The forms the dial granted were useful but he couldn't help but wish for something that affected the world more than it affected him. He looked around again, but didn't see Mr. Morton.
Time to call up another friend.
Bronson walked to the fire, calling on the wolf. People scattered at the furry beast in their midst. That didn't matter to the shape changing hero. What mattered was the scent drifting to his altered nose. He loped down the street, sniffing at the air.
The wolf moved through the urban jungle, hoping that it would have the time to track down its elusive enemy. People got out of its way with screams that encouraged it to speed up. Amber eyes saw Morton ahead, looking back. He started running as the wolf winced at the sound of beeping.
Bronson's normal form ran after the arsonist as he grabbed the handle of a car door. Morgan set the driver's shirt on fire as he pulled him out. The fugitive jumped behind the wheel as the man pulled his burning clothing off in the middle of the street.
Bronson ran and jumped with his hands outstretched. His fingers scrabbled for purchase but he hooked the edge of the trunk as the car rolled away from the assault. Morgan looked at him through the back window, glaring madly at the unexpected passenger. He raised one hand. The glass blew out as Bronson ducked down.
"Give it up, Morgan." Bronson slid over the trunk as the car's speed swung him around with a thumping of metal. "The whole city is looking for you."
Morgan snarled and threw another ball of liquid fire at Bronson. The mechanic had to duck as the projectile smashed against the lid. Fire washed up on the paint. Bronson felt his eyebrows singe away under the near miss as he braced his feet against the back bumper.
Morgan's sweat set the upholstery on fire as he drove with abandon. He spotted a clothing store and headed for the front door. He crashed through the low wall and front window. The villain jumped out of the burning car. His pursuer had fallen off the trunk in the crash.
Morgan threw a fire ball against the racks of clothing as he jumped through the cleared front of the shop. The car would explode in a moment when the fire reached the gas tank. If the law dog was inside the shop, the explosion would take him in a ball of beautiful fire.
Morgan ran down the street, fire dripping from his hands.
The arsonist knew everyone was looking for him. He had to get under cover before Hue Man caught up with him. He had a job to finish, and freedom meant he could burn anything else he wanted. Jail meant being confined to a bare room without his precious flame.
He would rather die than be subjected to that.
Bronson staggered from the wreck, counter woman under his arm. He dragged her away from the burning shop, looking around for his nemesis. He set her near a hydrant as he spotted the trail left behind by Morgan's flight.
Time to get after the menace.
9
Hue Man soared over the city. Reports of two more fires started by a lone man had been given him by fire fighters already in action by his side. His green slime had done a lot to put the flames out where he could, but he felt his time was better spent hunting Morgan down and stopping him from lighting more arsons.
Red wings carried him across town, heading for a burning clothing store. A police report had been turned over to Hue Man after he had left the inside of the once burning building. A woman on the scene said that someone was chasing after Morgan, if it was Morgan.
That couldn't be a safe thing for a civilian to do.
The rainbow robot saw the most recent fire and circled the area, looking for two men running. He saw one, a guy in a shabby suit. He looked somewhere ahead, glanced at the oversized watch on his wrist. The winged hero descended, one hand green as grass as he landed lightly on the pavement.
"Hands up." Hue Man looked down the street. He spotted Popper Morgan stepping into a coffee shop. "Who are you?"
"I'm Bronson Venture." The man looked at his watch again. "I caught that guy burning a house down and tracked him. Can you wait here and keep an eye on him while I call the cops?"
"I'm Hue Man." The machine man sounded annoyed when Venture didn't put his hands up. "I plan to take him in, not keep an eye on him. I don't want to leave you here alone until I do. I have some questions for you."
"I promise I will remain right here until you get back." Bronson held up his hand in the three fingered scout move.
"You certainly will." Hue Man fired his glopper. The slime wrapped around Venture's feet and the sidewalk. "I'll be back."
"Great." Bronson tested the glue, found it wouldn't release his feet. "See you around."
Hue Man's colors ran, sliding red and green to his limbs, purple mostly on his head and torso, the rest around to the back. He didn't have a use for them in his current situation. He planned to step in the shop and hose Morgan down before he could set a fire to escape. With the fugitive in custody, he would question Venture and find out his real purpose in the situation.
Hue Man paused at the window before stepping in front of it. He didn't want Morgan to see him. One hand stretched out, a purple spot in the red. Morgan had his back to the window. He appeared to be moving to the back of the place toward a bathroom.
Hue Man reached up to the roof with his arms and pulled himself up. He ran across to the back of the squat brick block, blue feet sliding across the gravel. He extended a purple hand, waiting for his enemy to show himself.
Morgan didn't disappoint him. The arsonist slipped out the back window, and headed down the alley toward an entrance next to a radio shop. Hue Man fired his glop before the red head got halfway to his destination.
Morgan looked around at the sound of whistling right for him. He had time to raise his hands before the green snot struck. He fell from the impact, spray wrapping him to the alley floor.
Hue Man nodded, lowering himself into the alley with his hand. At least he could say he had captured the arsonist and prevented any more loss of life. He couldn't escape calculations that said someone else had marked where the spots needed a fire.
Maybe Morgan would tell him.
Hue Man walked over to where the arsonist lay in his cocoon. Morgan's breathing was heavy with exertion. Wide eyes stared up at the synthetic man.
"I'm taking you back to Chicago to stand trial." Hue Man reached down to collar his quarry. "Then you will probably have to stand trial here for what you did. They might put you to death."
The cocoon exploded in his hands.
Bronson Venture waited for the visiting hero to vanish on the roof before he broke out of the cocoon. It was simple. A spin on his watch brought out the wolf man. That body was strong enough to break the hardened glue. The nose would take him after his prey if the man got away.
Bronson ducked around the building, fangs showing when he saw Morgan jump out the back window. Then a green glob put the man down. The dialer hung back. He might not be needed after all. Hue Man dropped down and picked up the green wrapping. Morgan blew out of the shroud in a flash of fire. He fled down the alley, T-shirt burnt away.
One hairy paw covered his canine face. He should have seen that coming.
The wolf man jogged over to where Hue Man lay on the alley floor. The rainbow robot had a hole in his body. Venture bent down to check it. A red hand grabbed his wrist.
"You okay?" Venture pulled away. He wasn't about to get into a fight with Hue Man.
"He's never done that before." Orange flowed to the edges of the hole, filling it in. "He's been practicing with his power."
"I'm going to keep after Morgan." Bronson loped away. "Catch up when you can."
Hue Man stood up, letting his wound heal. The orange would spread out after he was done. He let the blue drop down to his feet again and slid along the ground after the wolf man. The voice had been distorted but it had sounded like Venture.
Hue Man caught up with the wolf man as he prowled along. He seemed to be taking his time about catching up to the firebug. The robot wondered about his reasons.
The wolf man paused at the sound of beeping. He stood next to an alcove, vanishing as the robot watched. Then Venture peeked out, still following the smoking Morgan. He winced when he spotted the tourist sliding along the sidewalk toward where he was hiding.
"Do you mind?" Venture pulled Hue Man out of sight. "I'm trying to keep out of sight."
"Why?" Hue Man looked around the blocking body. "We have our man in sight. We should take him."
"I'm hoping he's going to talk to whomever hired him." Venture leaned close to the building. "I already know where he lives."
"Why would he do that?" Hue Man held a hand out, watching Morgan with a purple spot.
"Because the two of us are hounding him." Venture started down the sidewalk, trying to stay close to concealment as he followed Morgan. "I think he's afraid of you in some ways."
"I don't understand." Hue Man followed, keeping back also. His colorful form was instantly recognizable by anyone happening to look at him. "We have only met once before this."
"Neither do I." Venture waited for Morgan to turn a corner, before jogging up to look which way he had gone. The robot kept pace, staying a little behind. "He seemed extremely panicked at the thought you were taking him in. That's the only way I can explain that explosion he did."
"How do you know he is being paid? He was a firebug back home." Hue Man's face didn't reveal his own train of thoughts on the subject. He had calculated the same thing from the facts he had been presented.
"His landlady said he paid in advance with a roll of dough when he moved into her boarding house." Venture kept moving, eyes on Morgan's red hair as he wove through the crowd. "How does a guy with no visible job produce a wad in a part of town where almost everyone has to work? Somebody paid him to burn the buildings down. He's leaving to get away from you. He's going to get running money is my guess."
"We can catch the two of them together. We can put them both in jail. We can explain everything to police satisfaction." Hue Man nodded at the simple equation. "I think that will help the city in the longer term."
"If we're right." Venture stopped dead when he saw Morgan get on a bus and pull away. "There might be any number of explanations for the money."
Venture turned to his watch, dialing its face with a finger. He grew thinner, bringing forth a long cape over a suit of blackness from centuries ago. His hair formed a slicked back dark brown helmet on the top of his head. He leaped and a bat followed the bus on leathery wings.
Hue Man let his red wings flip out, taking him to the air. He followed the bat as it moved along after the bus. He noticed that the alternate form kept close to the roofs instead of flying over the street. He wondered but concentrated on following the bus himself.
Venture became normal several times during the pursuit. He waved Hue Man on as he waited on the roofs where he stood. Then he would take on the bat man shape again and continue. Still he arrived moments after Hue Man as Morgan entered an office building near the city hall. The two of them waited for several seconds before crossing the street to follow him inside. Venture's identity put the guards asleep so they could pass without a big hubbub.
"Let's use the stairs." The Vampire pointed to the door to the right of the lobby. "When this runs out, I'll call Wolfgang and scent Morgan down."
The two of them headed upstairs.
10
Hue Man followed his companion up the stairs. Occasionally they stopped to listen to the elevator as it headed up. Bronson switched forms about halfway up. His longer ears twitched as they followed the fleeing firebug to his destination.
Finally Bronson led the way into a hall, and stalked down to an office at the end of a corridor. The names on the doors didn't mean anything to him, and Hue Man simply recorded them for later use. He paused at the door Morgan's scent emanated from at the other side of the building.
Bronson listened at the door, nose snuffling. He nodded to indicate that he heard Morgan's voice. Hue Man slipped his hand under a crack at the bottom of the door, watching the exchange. Morgan had the other man by the collar.
Apparently he had decided not to pay his arsonist.
Hue Man withdrew his hand. He stepped back, gesturing for Venture to clear out of the way. Morgan's employer was about to get a taste of what he had been giving the city for the last few days. They couldn't let that happen.
Hue Man switched to an indigo on his arm as he brought his fist forward. The altered limb, as hard as a brick, smashed through the wood easily. That was enough to shock Morgan for a second. The other arm blasted green glop at the arsonist as his sweat caught fire. He went down under the adhesive.
"I think the two of you should come down to the police station so we can find out the real reason for those fires." Hue Man pointed his glue gun at the other man to keep his hands in sight.
"Arrest this man." The office man pointed his finger at the encased underling. "He threatened to kill me if I didn't give him any money."
Venture growled as he crossed the room, seizing the financier by the arm. His wolf jaws snapped angrily as the man tried to pull away. That was enough to settle the man in place.
"We heard everything, Mr. Deitz." Hue Man moved to take the telephone from the man's desk and call the police. "We know you paid Popper Morgan to burn those buildings down. Once we have you in court, you can expect a long sentence."
Bronson smelt burning tar. He pushed Deitz toward the door. The man had to pay for what he had done. Severe burning by a maniac would be poetic but not the type of justice he wanted.
Hue Man turned to face the burning cocoon, indigo spreading over the front of his body. His glue should not be burning like that. He backed up too, readying both hands to shoot. Morgan couldn't be allowed to set fire to this building like he had his targets.
Morgan burst from his prison, flames boiling along his skin as he tried to catch his breath. He didn't bother with a speech. He swung his hand. Drops of flame flew from his fingers. The streamers bounced off the indigo hide of Hue Man. The carpet and paneling caught fire on contact.
Hue Man soaked the fires with a shifting of color along his arms. Doing that left him open for Morgan to fling a bomb shaped in his palms. The rainbow robot slammed against the wall. His legs had been blown off at the knee by the blast.
Bronson pushed Dietz toward the stairs. Putting the man in the elevator would leave him wide open for Morgan to drop him to the ground floor the fast way.
Bronson went back into the room. His wolf form healed anything thrown at it. It was strong and extremely durable. Morgan didn't have a chance once he got in reach.
Morgan threw several bombs at the charging wolf man. Once the dog was put down, he could finish the robot. Then Deitz had to suffer, then die, before he left town. Nothing was going to stand in his way again.
Bronson ignored the burning fur as he wrapped his talons around Morgan's neck. He heard his watch beep. If he let go and ran, he was as good as dead. He had to stop Morgan before he returned to normal.
Bronson picked Morgan up as his watch finished its last warning. His clothes immediately caught fire, his flesh a second later. Morgan smiled, knowing his opponent had been caught in a deadly mouse trap. Venture did the one thing he thought he could to save the day. He flung the both of them at the office window.
Morgan screamed as his heated skin hit the glass. He flung his hands out to try to catch anything. He missed the edges of the frame as the window blasted out behind him. Then the both of them went over the edge.
Bronson Venture was already dead.
Hue Man looked down at his legs. Orange covered the nubs, extending out fresh material. He put out the fires as he waited to walk again. He didn't know why Bronson had done that, but he could at least tell his family what a hero he had turned out to be.
And then there was Deitz to deal with before he could claim innocence in this matter.
The rainbow robot floated from the open window, riding a red parachute to the ground. He landed beside the burning, shattered bodies. Bronson's watch hung from his skeletal wrist, smashed beyond repair. The synthetic man gathered it up, and hid it inside his body. He put out the flames as he waited for Deitz to try to escape.
epilogue
Donnie Suffrett examined the watch as it went in its spot. He had known about Mr. Destiny, and Hue Man moving from Chicago. He had not known about a hero who had been like him; a set of heroes in one body.
"Is there anything else, Mr. Suffrett?" The curator regarded his visitor like an owl. "We still have things to do before we open for the public as welcome as this break has been."
"I was wondering where you got that watch, and how do you know it's authentic?" Donnie had his bland face on, the one he used for people trying to explain ducking inspections. He hoped it concealed his interest in the object.
"Someone discovered it in an old house in Boston. There were some documents attached. I and my assistant verified the documents with help from various sources. Then I bought the watch to add to the museum." Snow looked up in the air as if consulting a page in his mind. "If I remember right, the owner of the house had been missing for some time. The city seized the house for nonpayment of taxes and resold it, furnishings and all."
"Thanks for the information." Donnie smiled as he turned away. "Good luck with your museum."
"Come back when we're open, Mr. Suffrett." Snow smiled slightly. "It was a pleasure."
Donnie stepped outside, pausing to look back inside the building through the main window. He could almost see where everything would be when it was finished. He wondered what else would be on display. Snow and his assistant went back to work, sorting their items with industry.
He had a couple of things he could donate. Souvenirs tended to be a perk defending the city. He would have to think about it before he tried to give anything he had collected as Hero X.
Donnie checked his watch as he walked down the sidewalk. He still had time in his day. Maybe he should look into those old histories. It might be fun. He might even get some pointers for his own heroing along the way.
Donnie wondered how many other heroes had operated without anyone knowing about them now. Maybe a museum to those lost faces was just the thing the world needed to remind them that people cared more than anyone knew.
Maybe he was too sentimental, and biased to boot.
Donnie took one more glance back at the storefront with the rental truck in front of it as he walked away. He blinked at what he saw standing by the door. It must have been his imagination.
It looked like a group of people stood by the entrance. They weren't ordinary people. They resembled old movie monsters with a werewolf, a vampire, a Frankenstein's monster among their number. A blink wiped them away.
Donnie tried to tell himself he had seen something caused by the explanation of where the watch had come from. He couldn't have seen the Dialer's other selves standing on the sidewalk like ghosts from an old movie.
He didn't want to think that maybe the watch only looked busted. Maybe it was still working, waiting on someone to pick it up and use it again. Still if someone did, he hoped it was another hero like the Dialer.
He had already put down his share of villains trying to get revenge, rob people, and generally make nuisances of themselves. It would be nice to have a hand keeping the city safe from menaces like the monsters he had run into.
It was a good thing he had decided to catch up on his reading. He should research what that watch could do before the possibility turned to reality. Better to get ready than get caught.
Sirens from a fire truck split the air. Donnie ran into an alley. He concentrated. Hero X's base form took over in his blue shirt, wrestler's mask, and pants. Then he switched to his metal flying form and took to the air.
Pleasurable research would have to wait as long as Reagan City needed a protector. He had been given his powers and it was up to him to use them to the best of his ability. Saving the day was something he enjoyed doing anyway.
Hero X soared above the city, copper jet wings blasting him toward whatever emergency needed him. He spotted the fire trucks below and followed them as they headed for their call. Time to lend a hand.