Henchman: The Revenge of Henchman 21

Chapter 8

[Author's notes: It's been a while since I last posted up here (life; it is what it is) but I'm working on wrapping this up real soon. I'd already wrote the final chapter but the battle was far too tame but I will have it out as soon as I can. There will be only two more chapters, a last chapter and the epilogue, and this story will be done. It has been a blast and hope you enjoy this chapter. Also I want to thank everyone for their words of encouragement, so thank you it has meant a lot to me.)

"The Henchman was one of ours." Col. Gathers said, pointing at the file folder, over two inches thick, that he had just laid down in front of Shoreleave and Brock Sampson with puffs of dust still wafting through the semi-stale air, "That's his file."

Shoreleave ran a thumb down the side of the file admiring to his self at the size it and mumbled under his breath, "Are you sure this is all there is?"

"All you two are classified to see." Col. Gathers said as if to his self.

"Where did you find this, The Big Book of Spies?" Brock commented mockingly as he casually flipped open the files cover.

Col. Gathers smacked Brock squarely in the back of the head, the sound resounded through the hanger like room, "I thought you had more than just a Mullet on your coconut, boy. You think you know everything? Who do you think taught you to keep secrets? The OSI has information on all of us enough to make you wet your bed at night. Do you need me to tell you what you ate for breakfast this morning or what Shoreleave wore to bed last night?"

"I was in the nude." Shoreleave said with an air of triumph.

Brock shuddered and Col. Gathers raised an eyebrow.

"How about your partner?" Col. Gathers said, and Shoreleave looked away sheepishly.

Brock groaned in disgust, "Enough, old man! Just get on with it."

"Fine." Col. Gathers said, sparing one last glance at Shoreleave, "The Henchman started out as a regular OSI operative before the Office of Secret Intelligence had been formally recognized. It was a joint venture between the offices of army intelligence and naval intelligence before there was even an Air force. Originally the OSI was meant to combat espionage by any means necessary. They gathered intelligence, leaked subterfuge, protected key targets, and disposed of spies in the field. The man that became the Henchman was sent on a mission to gather intelligence about the 'Guild' before it became what it is today and was sent to pose as a bodyguard for Col. Venture."

"Well that figures." Brock interrupted, leaning back and rolling his eyes, but then straightened up quickly, "Wait does that mean that The Henchman was…"

"That's right, Sandow, bodyguard to Colonel Lloyd Venture, is The Henchman." Col. Gathers finished, exasperated, "Now stop interrupting! He first became The Henchman shortly after his assignment with Venture ended. His true reasons for becoming The Henchman have been known, but the story that you've heard was leaked by the OSI after The Henchman person began to become more widely known. It struck because it hit well with his MO. Even then he was striking down both sides when they misbehaved. He wasn't as secretive as he has become and some early agents even recognized, and/or spoke with him before, during, and after escapes. He was also far more active than he has become. He would deal with large organizations and petty crime like some of the "Heroes" of today.

By WWI The Henchman had changed his outfit and was helping out on the battlefield through it is not sure how he made it to Europe as the OSI had lost track of The Henchman and Sandow shortly before mostly due to having their resources pointed at the war itself. They did keep quite a record of account though that kept the file and the stories of The Henchman alive and thriving. The first pictures start to show up in the 30's as cameras are starting to improve but they don't catch much, but the reports continue to flow in as The Henchman began to take on mobsters and the occasional Nazi spy which puts him in the sights of the OSI, as a hindrance. Then he pops up again during WWII fighting in France, Germany, Italy, and Africa though, once again, no one has any idea how he got there but a few pictures are taken that catch a decent image of him that at least prove his sheer existence as more than a story or myth, and they push the case onward.

From there on he has been all but untraceable through there are visual records and accounts of his presence in every major conflict and struggle up to modern times from the Bay of Pigs to the war on drugs. The Henchman is untraceable once he's done with his personal assignment he disappears until he shows up again. We might not be able to find him but we know, sure as hell, that he exists, cupcake."

"Fine, fine, fine…" Brock said, shaking his head as he thumbed through copies of pictures from the file, "So the guy exists, but Sandow should be breathing dust by now. Who says he's still the guy?"

Col. Gathers furrowed his brow and knitted his eyebrows under the bill of his baseball cap, "No shit Shirley! Do you think that you're the only one who ever had that idea goldilocks? Of course Sandow's dead but it's not like we can prove that or find out who is The Henchman now. That is a true secret and I'll be damned if I know how it was done."

Col. Gathers drew Brock and Shoreleave's attention back to the monitors, "Tea times over boys. Time for us to get back to action!"


21 cleared his throat into a neck microphone that projected his voice through the auditorium's speaker system and all of the other butterfly dressed henchmen quickly dropped into silence. All of the eyes in the room turned to where he stood and he felt a stir of nerves, even now that they were so close to done, at what he knew would be the last time he would see them all, but he also knew that he still had more of his part to be played. He quickly looked quickly around the room at the indiscernible faces until he finally laid his eyes on Dr. Mrs. Monarch who was sitting next to her husband, The Monarch, who himself was staring back at 21 with a look of impatience and scorn that was akin to constipation, with the moppets at their feet and, though he knew he shouldn't , 21 felt his heart give a leap up towards his throat, but he recovered himself before he let his body react in some way and gestured for the lights to be brought down.

On the blank wall behind 21 a large color image was projected on the white surface and all eyes turned to the the Impossible tower building. After a moment the image changed to a different view of the building, then another, then a night shot, and finally the image faded into a schematic design of the building in an xray type view that slowly went through a floor by floor tour of the building. When the tour had gone through a full round the animation stopped at the first floor diagram and 21 took a laser pointer from a compartment on his belt. Using the laser pointer 21 made a loops around the front, the garage's employee, and the delivery entrances.

"These are our main points of entrance into the building. The cocoon will make a high altitude approach into the city, moving slowly to imitate a cloud or balloon on radar, and drop down next to the building. All henchmen will be needed on this so the Cocoon will be set on autopilot while everyone gathers in the loading bay. Then three teams, which I will assign prior to our attack, will position themselves at each of these three entrances. The main attack team will approach the front entrance out in the open while the other two teams make their way into position. This will allow noncombatants to escape through the side exits and create the illusion that we are performing an all out frontal assalt which will draw out combatants into the lobby while the other two teams come in from behind their position." 21 said as he used the laser pointer to demonstrate the movements of the troops, "Once the first floor has been pacified the main force will hold their position while the other two teams begin to make their way up the stairway floor by floor. Anyone who manages to make it down to the first will be dealt with by the ground force. This strategy should give us the upper hand on the enemy and a tactical advantage over what is sure to be a larger and better equipped force. Battles throughout the ages have been won by smaller forces over larger forces by using their wits rather than rushing in half-cocked.

The main priority for this attack will be maintaining the first floor and the stairwells because the armory is located on the lower levels of the building. So as long as we maintain control of the enemy's supplies they will not be able to raise an effective counterattack, and that gives us the best chance that we could have to overtake them. It will also give us the best chance to keep our casualty count as low as possible."

21 gestured again and the lights came back up as he continued, "We've been training all week for this and I'm proud of everything that we've been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. We have bolstered our numbers and we're in better shape as individuals and as a team, and I know we can do this. Let's show the Revenge Society that they don't know who they were messing with! We are Strong! WE ARE HENCHMEN!"

Before 21 could even finish his speech the room erupted in cheers, cat calls, and whoops of enthusiasm. The excitement shone through on the mouth and chins (all that one could use to tell them apart) as the henchmen took to their feet like a rogue wave in a calm sea. He let the excited chatter continue stoically, and feeling a cold hard lump within his-self shift, before gesturing yet again for silence. He waited for the silence patiently again before continuing.

"Company leaders and orders will be passed out in the morning and, as this will be a night raid, general preparations will be made though out the day so that we will be ready for the attack. Also, this is a major operation and we will all be participating so if any are harboring thoughts about manning the control room or engine room; think again. We need everyone on this."

There were a few groans but 21 stood up straighter and hardened his gaze.

"Enough! Go get your sleep. EVERYONE DISMISSED!"

Slowly the butterfly dressed henchmen raised from the bench seats and made their ways out of the room and headed for their own rooms. More than a few of them gave 21 a smile or a thumb's up or some other sign of encouragement. After a short amount of time the only ones left in the auditorium where the Monarchs, the Moppets, and 21 himself, still standing at the front of the room. 21 made his way over to the Monarchs on legs that suddenly seemed to weigh tons. The Moppets stared at 21 with the same frustrated evil look that had once had reserved for times when they could only act out behind their mistress's back but now seemed to wear perpetually, Dr. Mrs. Monarch didn't seem able to look him in the face, but the Monarch had a look of excitement on his face that seemed to have momentarily blinded him to everything else and his abnormally long eyebrows had begun to quiver.

"Do you really think this plan is going to work?" The Monarch asked with a shiver of greed undisguised in his voice.

21 leaned forward and placed a foot on the first of the beanches and lowered his voice, even though there wasn't anyone else left to overhear, before he spoke, "Well, so long as we have a bit of luck on our side we should be able to pull it off but I can't say with 100% accuracy that we will."

Some of the wind was taken out of the Monarchs sails but he seemed able to keep most of his excitement.

"There are a few parts of the plan that I've left out from what I told them," 21 said, gesturing as if the other henchmen were still in the room, "but I think they are the most important parts to be played."

The Monarch leaned forward in his seat and arched one long eyebrow in confusion, "And what might those be?"

"I've got a few henchmen picked out for a clandestine operation. I'll need Dr. Mrs. Monarch to fly us in the Monarchmobile up to the roof of the building. From there we'll take Phantom Limb and Dr. Impossible which will cut the head off of the snake and force everyone else down the building while our troops are on their way up. It's a classic pincer attack." 21 replied, and then held his breath. It all came down to this and he hoped he had the Monarch figured as well as he thought he had. If the Monarch's response wasn't what he thought it would be his whole plan might unravel right here. He might be able to salvage it but with so little time left he would be hard pressed to get it done with the results he had wanted.

Slowly the Monarch's face began to move as he assimilated the information and as he turned things in his mind his expression turned sour. He looked at 21 affronted.

"Are you telling me that you plan to take out Phantom Limb yourself?" He said, and as he continued his voice began to climb, "And what do you expect me to do while you steal my revenge? Should I just sit in here with my thumbs up my ass! No! I'm going to lead the team, but I will allow you accompany us. But don't you ever forget that Phantom Limb is mine!"

21 felt the knot of tension that he had been carrying around for months release its self all at once and the relief was bliss, but Dr. Mrs. Monarch quickly turned and looked at his face. Her face had gone white as a sheet but she said nothing. He had to struggle to keep a smile from his lips but he managed it with some effort.

He bowed his head to the Monarch and dutifully said, "All is as you wish, my lord."

With a new lightness 21 left the room.


Gary had removed all but the pants of his uniform as he had sat down to his desk and begun to type up email instructions to be sent out to the other henchmen via the inter cocoon email system. His fingers flew across the keyboard with practiced grace but even at his speed he knew it wouldn't be a quick task and his mind had already begun to wander. More than once he had to go back and retype whole portions of email when rereading because he had typed what he had been thinking rather than the orders that he had meant to pass along. Even with all of that and a long night ahead of him he couldn't help but be lighthearted now that he was so close to the end. He had done what he had thought at one time to be impossible, faced his fears, and he might even be able to keep most of the others alive. All-in-all it could definitely be called a win. He was so caught up in all of this in-fact that he didn't even hear the door to his room open. A slight knock finally alerted him to his visitor.

"Come on in." He said, not even bothering to turn around, but at a cough he turned and realized that she was already on his side of the door. The salty sweet smell of her wafted into the room, quickly filling it, and she had her hand to the wall lightly as if she weren't quite steady. The expression on her face was half amusement and half concern with a splash dismay for a little extra flavor. She was still in her black and gold uniform which accentuated her full figure in very flattering ways, but, as wonderful an image as it made, Gary was surprised to see he, especially as she wasn't in disguise.

"I already did," She said with a small chuckle, and then, as if to answer his thought, she turned away from him and continued, "I'm here officially. It's Tim-Tom and Kevin, they're upset that you've sent them orders to lead the main attack team. They think that you have it in for them and want them to get hurt and would rather go with us to the roof. I think that they just don't like taking orders from you but both the Monarch and I have stressed that they have to. Frankly they've started to get whiney lately. Anyway they asked if I'd come see you about it and I said I would."

She looked him in the eyes, hers had become watery, and there was a depth of despair in them that nearly broke him, but he just smiled warmly back at her and replied, "No, I'm sure they don't like it, but I need them to keep the main line in order and I know that they can do that."

Dr. Mrs. Monarch rushed over to Gary, fell to her knees between his, and clung to his chest with desperation and pleaded with him, "Oh, shut up! I don't really care about that! It was just an excuse to come see you because that is all I wanted to do."

"What is it that you're doing? I know that you meant for the Monarch to lead the roof raid but I don't know why you would want that. What are you planning?" she begged him as tears began to flow down her cheeks in earnest.

"I can't tell you for your own safety," Gary said in hushed tones, collecting Dr. Mrs. Monarch's hands in his own and held them in his lap, "And I wouldn't ever want to do that, but I won't be staying after this operation and I'd like to take you with me when I do."

She slipped her hands from Gary's and covered her tear streaked face. Her sobs racked her body silently. Gary lifted her up into his lap and held her close as she lay her head wetly on his shoulder until her sobs had begun to subside. He cupped her chin tenderly and wiped away her tears gently. Her eyes were still full of tears and she couldn't manage to catch her breath, but she tried to say something to him. So Gary drew her close and she didn't even try to draw away as he kissed her long and heavy.

When he drew away he looked into her half-lidded eyes and spoke into her ear tenderly, "You don't have to decide right now. You'll know when the time has come but not now, ok?"

She lay her head back into Gary's neck and she nodded slightly, but her voice rose up to him far softer than he had ever heard it, "Could you hold me for a while longer?"

"Sure."

Gary held her close but as the moments ticked passed and he couldn't help imagining the events soon to come. How long he had waited?

[Afterword: So all of the pieces are in place and the plans are set into action. What is in store for Gary, Shelia, the Monarch, Brock, and the rest? What does the Henchman have planned? How will it all end? Only time will tell.

Thanks for reading

-dlb]