Used to Be: The Kid Rapscallion Story (14 page)

“No.”

“This might be the only time I would be in favor of hearing you were actually a bigger pervert.”

26

“Duplication Girl is dead,” one of the duplicates says. “Murdered. By one of us.”

“One of you?”

“One of the duplicates. There’s forty of us now, with no host body to go back to. We’ve all been set free, thanks to Jason.”

27

“It’s not a stretch to surmise that one, or more, of the duplicates killed the original host,” Belle Flower says. “The question is, how do we figure out who did it. From what the Revolutionaries have on file about her abilities, there is no difference between duplicates. Their fingerprints—”

“We won’t be able to use science,” Jason says, coming around. “At least not the kind of science that depends on differentiating them at a physical level. But if we can talk to them … they have different personalities now,” he says, feeling energized by the hunt. “It’s like when one comes out now, it’s Deege’s silliest self, or dirtiest, or the most interested in cooking. I bet … unnnngggg.”

28

“It’s like when blah blah blah blah blah blah blah …”

Belle Flower cannot stand listening to him. His girlfriend was murdered. The country is in full-panic mode. And here Jason stands, almost cold to it all.

As he rattles on about cooking, she steps in behind him, and punches him in the side of the head, knocking him out.

29

Nancy talks, listens, asks questions, takes notes, and when the three duplicates in front of her are ready, she sets up a camera and interviews them.

When they are finished, Nancy is convinced she will win some kind of award. Not a Pulitzer, probably, but something to add to her shelf. She feels good.

That lasts for two hours.

She never wins any award because her story never runs — after handing it off to her producer, the interview tape disappeared and none of the duplicates would talk to her a second time.

Duplication Girl’s killer is never publicly acknowledged.

30

Jason awakens inside a glass cube inside an igloo inside a building on the moon. There is a note left on his chest. It reads:

“I’m sorry, Jason, but you need to stay here until we discover DG’s killer. It will aid in getting you off the drugs, too. —Belle.”

The Penthouse Man is laughing at him.

31

TRANSCRIPT FROM
TARNISHED LEGACY: THE SECRET LIVES OF CAPES

Season 1, Episode 5 (S01E05): “Kid Rapscallion”

JASON KITMORE / KR

(old interview from 2004)

(off-screen interviewer asks, “So what were you doing on 9/11?”)

Fine, you want to know? I was investigating 20-Sided Dice. I didn’t even know about what happened in New York and Washington and … and … that field until 9 o’clock that night. 9 o’clock Vegas time, I might add. The media, the public, lower forms of life like Kira Erdrich, no one wants to hear anyone say, “It’s not my fault,” but I’ll say it. 9/11 was not my fault. If I’d never done a gram of coke or if Deege and I spent all our time doling out soup to the homeless — which we did plenty of times, you’re welcome — 9/11 still would have happened. President Bush snorted his share of coke back in the day, too, remember, and no one blames him for the attacks.

I was investigating 20-Sided Dice and I was tracking down a lead when Duplication Girl was murdered by Duplicate #38.

(off-screen interviewer asks, “So you were not locked up in the Fort?”)

Hell. No. Swear. To. God. I never set foot in the Fort on 9/11.

2015

1

“As I live and breathe, Kid Rapscallion!”

The booming voice cuts through the bells and whistles of the slot machines that dominate this area of the Grand Vegas’ casino floor. Jason does not need to turn to know who it is that has called out to him.

Mr. Monster.

Turning with a forced smile on his face, Jason holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Please don’t hit me,” he says, exaggerating a winced expression.

“Ha!” Mr. Monster says, slapping Jason on the back before sitting down at one of the slot machines. “What are you doing here, Kid?”

Jason rubs his eyes. “Are we going to fight? Because I don’t want to fight.”

Mr. Monster laughs. Back in the day, he used to sometimes paint his face green and wear bolts on his neck because it turned out he had something of a sense of humor, but usually he just wore a suit and kicked the hell out of heroes. Toweringly tall at 6’10” and 625 pounds of extra-dimensional mass that gave him his strength, Jason thinks he now looks like an ex-wrestler. Maybe if Monster hadn’t gotten powers, he would have turned out to be the Undertaker or Kane. His hair and chin goatee are dotted with gray and there’s a weathered quality to his face, but he still looks like a guy no one wants to go one round with, let alone ten.

“We’re not gonna fight,” Mr. Monster laughs, straightening out the black tie on his black-on-black suit. “I’m respectable now. Head of Security and everything. Now,” he says, leaning in and whispering (which still manages to sound like a sonic boom full of gravel), “if Nancy wants me to rough you up a bit, I’m all for it.”

“Are you still souped up?” Jason asks, leaning against the back of a stool two slot machines down from Mr. Monster. Absently, he sees they’re sitting at a bank of Belle Flower machines and silently curses the gods. “Because I’m totally off the juice. You could probably break my arms with your thumb and index finger.”

Mr. Monster gives that a moment’s thought and then nods his head. “You’re probably right on that, Kid, but I don’t think we’ll have an issue. The boss wants to see you Monday morning and if you don’t show for that, well, then we’ll have an issue that might need settling all physical style, but if you’re a good boy, you won’t need to be spanked. Not that you’d mind that, if Duplication Girl is to be believed.”

“Ugh,” Jason groans through a smile. “Which one?”

“Hell if I can remember,” he laughs. “I think seven or eight of them have written an autobiography. One of them said you like to spank during sex. The other one said you like to be spanked. Which is it?”

“Yes,” Jason says.

“Ha! Gotta be careful with dames,” Mr. Monster says, as if he is sitting alone atop the world and doling out advice only he is privy to.

“I wasn’t careful about much in those days,” Jason smiles sadly.

Crooking his thumb towards the slot machine on his left. “Shoulda stuck with Belle, huh? I had a feeling I’d find you by her machines. You know, she’s not even getting paid to have her likeness plastered all over these machines. Rumors are she’s in space, and if you’re not around to enforce your copyright, any schmuck can come along and exploit.” Mr. Monster narrowed his large eyes. “Know anything about Belle being in space, Kid?”

“You were looking for me?”

“Like I said, boss wants to make sure you go see her come Monday,” Mr. Monster shrugs, then changes the subject. “I heard you were in space, too.”

“Yeah, for like five years,” he admits, glad to be on happier ground.

“With Jula?”

Jason rolls his eyes. “The best of times, the worst of times.”

Mr. Monster raises an eyebrow. “The worst of times? I woulda thought that was when you were busted for that B&E at Flack Farma trying to steal the drugs that made you special.”

“Yeah, well—”

“Or Rapscallion’s trial,” Mr. Monster continues. “Those were some dark days.”

“It’s been a long time since then,” Jason says, looking around for an escape.

“Relax, kid,” the Head of Security says, standing up and re-buttoning his jacket. “I’m not here to send you spiraling, though I do owe you a few rounds for LA. Didn’t do me any wonders losing to a sidekick. Seems like every two-bitter looking to build a rep decided to come after me after that.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Hah! You always did have a sense of humor,” he smiles as his walkie talkie buzzes to life. “Excuse me,” he says, holding up a finger and turning his back on Jason. “This is Monster. Go.”

Jason hears a security guard inform Mr. Monster that there’s an injury in Room 1310 that he needs to see.

“An injury?” Mr. Monster asks. “What does that mean? Do you need me on it or not?”

“Boss,” the guard says nervously, “it’s Ms. Cathall.”

2

“You stay back and keep your mouth shut,” Mr. Monster says to Jason as they ride the elevator to floor 13. “I’m letting you come out of professional courtesy to who you used to be.”

“No, you’re not,” Jason says, leaning back against the cold metal wall. “You’re doing this because you think I might be involved.”

“We’ve had a camera on you since your card was swiped at the front desk,” Mr. Monsters says. “If it was you, I’d already have knocked your nose out of your ass.”

“That’s a pleasant visual.”

“What always gets me in trouble,” Mr. Monster says, keeping his eyes forward, “is that I go and say something like that, and there’s a part of me that just has to know if it’s possible to literally knock someone’s nose down through their asshole.”

“Good to see you’re reformed,” Jason mumbles.

3

There is one security guard at the closed door, who tells them Nancy is in the room with a paramedic.

“Is she alright?” Jason asks.

“Don’t answer him,” Mr. Monster snaps, and leads Jason inside the room, where they find Nancy sitting on a chair by a table in a nondescript room painted in shades of beige. A paramedic is swabbing at her neck.

“Balls and sacs, Nancy,” Mr. Monster grumbles. “I told you this was dangerous.”

“It’s just a scratch,” Nancy insists and points to Jason. “What’s he doing here?”

“He has a right to know, don’t you think?” Mr. Monster asks.

“Know what?” Jason says, moving past the larger man to talk directly to Nancy. “What’s going on?”

“Your sins have come home to roost,” Nancy says, pushing the paramedic away and showing Jason two fang marks on her white skin.

“My sins?” he asks. “Who did this to you?”

“Joey Vamps.”

“Who?”

2002

1

Public Law 107-85x

Uniting and Strengthening America by Vigorous and Intensive Guarding of Illegal and Lawful Activities Negotiated Through Engaged Superhumans (The USA VIGILANTES ACT) of 2002

Enacted February 18, 2002

107
^TH
UNITED STATES CONGRESS

2nd
SESSION

An Act

To deter and p
unish non-sanctioned acts of vigilantism in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools into vigilante behavior
,

and for other purposes related to the superhero and villain communities that pose a threat to the United States and her allies
.

1
.
TITLE I
—
ENHANCING DOMESTIC SECURITY AGAINST
VIGILANTISM

1.1 Sec. 101. Countervigilantism
Fund.

1.2 Sec. 102. Sense of Congress Condemning Discrimination Against Arab and Muslim Superhumans
.

1.3 Sec. 103. Increased Funding for the Technical Support Center at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

1.4 Sec. 104. Requests for Military Assistance to Enforce Prohibition and Security in Certain Emergencies.

1.5 Sec. 105. Expansion of National Electronic, Genetic,
and Telepathic
Crime Task Force Initiative
s
.

1.6 Sec. 106. Presidential Authority.

2

Transcript from Las Vegas Channel 10 Evening News

May 2, 2002

NANCY CATHALL

Thank you, Felicia. I am joined now by United States Army Captain Trisha Foggen, who is leading the Homeland Security Capes Division. Thank you for joining me, Captain.

CAPTAIN TRISHA FOGGEN

Thank you for having me, Miss Cathall.

NANCY CATHALL

The sweeping Vigilantes Act has raised a number of concerns about the role of vigilantes in contemporary America. What do you see as your biggest challenge?

CAPTAIN TRISHA FOGGEN

Cooperation is our greatest challenge, Miss Cathall. We are working with a community of individuals who have spent the better part of the previous fifty years operating outside the confines of the law. What the Vigilante Act seeks to accomplish is a return to the origins of the superhero community, when the capes worked with the government to defeat powerful enemies who would seek to do harm to our country. Shining Light was our first superhero, and he operated in total anonymity and outside the legal system, yet when World War I began, Light volunteered to work with the government and the military to stop the Axis threat. It was after the war, after Shining Light, Eagle ’41, Striped Star, and the rest of the heroes helped to defeat Hitler, that ordinary citizens began to put on costumes and work on their own instead of with the law. In hindsight, of course, the government should have passed the Vigilante Act in 1946, not 2002.

NANCY CATHALL

As you discussed in your confirmation hearing this past week, you used to be a superhero. Why have you taken off your costume to lead the Capes Division?

CAPTAIN TRISHA FOGGEN

That is correct, Miss Cathall. I operated as Ms. Stagger on and off for the past ten years and was a member of the Revolutionaries until the 9/11 attacks. I was in space, fighting the Loshow K warriors and preventing a mass invasion of the planet Earth that, sadly, would have made 9/11 look like a drive-by with water pistols. There is a critical role that superheroes play in the world and the Vigilante Act does not seek to eradicate that role. All it seeks to do is bring superheroes in from the cold. A superhero does not need to give up their secret identity. A superhero will not become a federal officer. All the Vigilante Act seeks to do is provide better coordination between the capes and the government, and, this is the critical part, affords the United States government a greater ability to investigate vigilantes.

NANCY CATHALL

Critics have suggested that you will force a hero like Psychic Navigator to work for you.

CAPTAIN TRISHA FOGGEN

If that were the case, Miss Cathall, I would have never taken off my tights for good and returned to my military uniform. What the Vigilante Act will do is allow Homeland Security to consult with a hero like Psychic Navigator when an appropriate situation arises. I see my role as threat analysts and cape facilitator.

NANCY CATHALL

Can you give us an example, please?

CAPTAIN TRISHA FOGGEN

Absolutely. Look at 9/11. Not the events leading up to 9/11, but the day, itself. We had two towers at the World Trade Center hit by commercial airliners and burning. Thousands died. Where were the heroes? There were a multitude of what we classify as “street heroes” helping at the bottom of the towers, but where were the heavy hitters who could have put out the fire or rescued people from the upper floors? They were in space or Los Angeles or Paris when they needed to be in New York and Washington. That’s what I will do - put the right heroes in contact with the appropriate threat.

NANCY CATHALL

And if a hero refuses to go where you tell them?

CAPTAIN TRISHA FOGGEN

This applies to villains, too. For too long we have allowed the Revolutionaries to control the Stockade. There are villains who were willing and able to help.

NANCY CATHALL

Again, Captain, what if a hero refuses to go where you tell them? If they are not becoming federal officers, do you have any authority to, say, arrest a superhero?

CAPTAIN TRISHA FOGGEN

No one wants to force the federalization issue, Miss Cathall. This is about accountability to the American public.

3

There were six interviews before Nancy Cathall and ten after, and by the time Captain Trisha Foggen is finished with the press, she is ready for alone time, though she realizes alone time will be something she has little of in the years ahead.

“I want assessment reports done for every superhero and villain that operates out of Nevada, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming,” she says to the staff of soldiers, assistants, and ex-heroes gathered around her here at Nellis Air Force Base in southern Nevada. “We’ll start with these states to work out the kinks in our procedures. I want preliminary reports on my desk in two weeks, with a goal of sending them upstairs by June 1. Have dinner and then pick up your mission folders afterwards. Wheels up at O-600.”

4

“I don’t like this.”

The legendary hero Striped Star is waiting for Foggen inside her sleeping quarters on board the
Hawkeye 6
, a special military plane put at her disposal.

“Of course you don’t,” Foggen says, unbuttoning her military uniform. “Hell, I don’t like it, either, but what’s the alternative?”

“Our system has worked for fifty years.”

“It works because the public trusts us,” Foggen seethes, not wanting to have this conversation for what seems like the 800th time this week. “The public doesn’t trust us anymore.”

“Because they’re frightened and stirred up by politicians and government agencies looking to pass the buck!”

“You’re right,” Trisha admits, “but what can you do? Someone has to work with them, inside the system, or else we run the risk of everything every hero has fought for since Shining Light being taken away from us.”

“They can’t take it away from us.”

“Public opinion can do anything it damn well wants, Star,” Trisha says, sighing as her face starts to crumble from the weight of what she’s been asked to do. “Are you staying?” she asks, pulling open her unbuttoned shirt.

Striped Star nods.

Trisha pulls off her shirt and exposes her breasts to her former teammate. “Make me feel whole,” she whispers as Star moves in to kiss her.

5

“I’m telling you,” Kid Rapscallion says to Nancy inside a staircase at Channel 10 News, “it’s all a put on. Stagger and Striped Star have been fucking for years. Foggen only took this gig to try and work the system from the inside. It’s got Eagle ’62’s fingerprints all over it.”

“So, what?” Nancy asks. “You want me to go on TV and tell the world that Kid Rapscallion, who’s been missing in action for the past month because he was back in rehab, thinks the Vigilante Act is a scam because Captain Foggen is a lesbian?”

“You could leave out the part about rehab,” Jason says, mumbling in a low voice as he looks to see if anyone overheard him. “And it wasn’t because of a major relapse or anything. It was just … fine tuning, sort of. Like when you take your car in for a tune-up.”

Nancy looks at him closely and shakes her head. “You look good. Like you went to magic rehab camp or something.” She hates Jason and loves Kid Rapscallion and knows that ever since the Revolutionaries let him out of the Fort last year that he has done some amazing things. Crime is down all over the city, thanks directly to him. Kid Rapscallion is doing double duty, stopping bad guys and helping good guys. He’s donating time and money to all sorts of causes around the city, and he’s never been more popular.

“Just clean living.”

“So, you’re off the cocaine?”

He shrugs. “It turns out the juice I’m on needs the cocaine to keep my body in balance,” he says.

“That sounds like something an addict would say.”

“I know, I know, but the big brains in the cape community are working on a new synthetic chemical that should produce the same effect as the Peak solution Rapscallion gives me without any of the addictive properties.” He smiles. “I can get you an interview with them, maybe, but it will have to be—”

“No, no, that’s fine,” Nancy smiles. She is maybe hating Jason less and less. “How about an interview with your new girlfriend?”

“Ha! No,” he says, putting up his hands in mock surrender. “Melody is a normal girl with a normal job who doesn’t want any part of the spotlight.”

“I’m happy for you,” Nancy says, touching his arm and almost meaning it.

“What about you?” Kid asks. “Seeing anyone?”

“Not me,” she smiles through a lie. “So, listen, I hate to bring this up, but do you remember Kira?”

“No. Wait. The sorta cute heavyset girl from your journalism class back at UNLV? Yeah, I remember her. What about it?”

“She’s in San Francisco now,” Nancy explains. “She’s been digging into the Duplication Girl murder.”

Jason rolls his eyes. “Duplication Girl was never murdered. She’s just blowing smoke.”

“Be that as it may,” Nancy says, knowing he’s lying but without the proof to challenge him, “she’s come across something else. A local clerk in the District Attorney’s office has given her the heads up that they’re close to filing criminal charges.”

“Yeah?”

“Jason,” Nancy says, lowering her voice because she knows he hates it when she calls him by his real name while in costume, “they’re going to file charges against Rapscallion.”

“What? For what? He had nothing to do with Duplication Girl.”

“Not for that,” Nancy says. “For the sexual abuse of a minor.”

Kid stares at her wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

“Is there anything you want to change about your position on that issue?”

Jason feels light-headed and says nothing for a good 30 seconds, all the words he wants to say unable to properly form.

6

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he finally asks, his mind flashing back to all of the secrets of Flack Mansion revealed to him by the Amulet of Anamnesis.

“Jason, I have to ask. Did Rapscallion ever touch—?”

He punches the wall, putting a dent in the concrete just to the side of Nancy’s head. He sees that she’s shaken up by his act and though he has never hit her, she gets a good idea of what would happen if he did.

“That man never put his fucking hands on me in that way, Nancy. Not one goddamn time. What lying sack of shit is accusing him?”

Nancy takes a deep breath. “It’s Colbie.”

7

“Hello, Jason.”

“The life of superheroes,” he says. “Meeting on rooftops in the dead of night. You’d think we’d all get cell phones or something.”

The girl across from him is Colbie Cross, his replacement as Rapscallion’s sidekick. She goes by the name Indigo Impster, as Jason wanted to keep the Kid Rapscallion name for branding and marketability reasons, and Francis didn’t have the heart to fight him in court over it. Colbie is in costume, a purple and white outfight that says “indigo” down one leg but not “impster” anywhere, and she’s hugging herself so tightly that it’s clear she feels she’d fall apart if she let go.