Part 2: A Duo Down Deep
When Torchy awoke, it was still dark. She could still feel the scratchy bag over her head. There was a tie around the hole now, preventing it from falling off. Torchy was still groggy whatever drug was in the bag. However, she could now sense where she was. She felt the men carrying her again. Torchy felt them stand her up on something. After that, she felt cold, heavy things hanging on her body.
"Wh- what's going on?" she asked softly.
"Quiet," a voice said. Torchy could tell it was the boss. "You'll know soon enough".
The men continued their work, as Torchy felt heavier and more constricted. Soon they were done and left.
The boss began again. "Now, Phantom Lady," he said, "You're going to learn what happens to people who try to take me down".
Torchy felt the bag get untied and lifted from her head. She expected bright lights to blind her, so she was pleasantly surprised to see that the light here was relatively dim. She saw a black field in front of her, with little lights twinkling in the distance. She looked up to see some streetlights above her. But then she realized this wasn't a street. Torchy heard a low roar below her, which puzzled her. That sounds like- she thought, and then she looked down.
Torchy saw that she was covered in chains and was standing precipitously on top of a cinderblock. Below that were waves sloshing against wooden posts. The black field wasn't a field at all: it was the ocean. In an instant, Torchy's initial calm turned into sheer terror. She knew exactly what they were going to do to her.
"No- no no no no no no no no no no no no!" she said. "You can't do this!"
The boss and all of his men were standing in a line about 10 feet behind her. "Listen here," said the boss. "My men and I are just trying to make a living, and you've done nothing but try and hurt us. My boys here got sent up the river for 5 years because of the shit you pulled. So, we're gonna make sure you never bother us again. And we're going to have fun with it".
Torchy was hyperventilating. "I-I-I- I don't..."
The men started to laugh. "I don't- I don't," the boss said mockingly. "No stupid speeches for us? No preschool moralizing about 'right & wrong'?"
Damnit, this guy still thinks I'm Phantom Lady! thought Torchy. Guess I'll just have to play into it.
Torchy took a breath and turned her body to see her captors. "Okay, you're right. And I'm sorry for it. But you don't have to do this!"
The men laughed harder. "So now you're being reasonable. Now that you can't do nothing do you decide to play nice," the boss said, cackling with his minions.
Torchy was starting to cry. "Please, I'll doing anything! Just don't kill me!"
"You'll do anything?" asked the boss. "Are you just saying what we want to hear?"
"No! Look, you don't want me interfering in your business? Fine. It's done. I'm gone," Torchy said, barely controlling her panic.
"Is that all?" the boss said with a feigned look of disappointment. "We drove you all the way out here and got you all dolled up, and that's all you're going to do for us? You'll have to do a lot better than that to make it worth our trouble".
Torchy had to think. What should she say? What could she say? She blurted out, "I-I-I'll work for you".
The boss perked up. "Really?" he asked.
"Yeah," Torchy replied. "I-I'm a superhero. You know what I can do. So, I can do a lot of damage if I'm working for the other side".
The boss thought for a moment, and then said "Yeah, you could".
"And," continued Torchy, "if I don't tell the other superheroes, then I can learn what they want to do and tell you about them. I can be your spy!"
The boss walked towards Torchy. "A spy?" he asked.
"Yeah," replied Torchy. "Wouldn't that be great? You'll never have a problem again if I'm on your side".
The boss approached his prisoner. "You'd do all of that for me? I can trust you to do whatever, whenever, to whoever?"
Torchy smiled, trying to stop from crying. "Of course," she said as sweetly as she possibly could.
The boss cupped his hand on her cheek, feeling her soft skin against his calloused hands. The boos smiled at the helpless woman. And then he said, "Nah".
Like lightning, the boss took his hand off her cheek and slapped her across the face. It was so strong, it sent Torchy twisting back to face the ocean. But her momentum continued outward. She lurched out over the dock and lost her balance. Torchy had barely any time to react to the pain before she realized what was happening. "Ah- AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed, as she tumbled headfirst into the water.
The boss turned around. "And that's one less problem to deal with," he said.
The boys cheered. "Hey- uh," another man said. "What if she was telling the truth though? What if she wasn't the Phantom Lady?"
"Whadya mean 'wasn't the Phantom Lady'?" Rocco shot back. "If I say she was the Phantom Lady, she was the Phantom Lady!"
"Enough!" the boss said. "Even if she wasn't, she was one of her fans. And in my opinion, they're just as bad. Now, c'mon! We have to get back to the party".
Torchy hit the water hard and awkwardly. Upon impact, her body crumpled and her wig fell off. Torchy flipped as she sunk, with the cinderblock pulling her down. Torchy could move a little, so she tried to swim against the weight. However, it did little to slow her descent. It wasn't long until she hit the bottom of the bay. It was very dark, and Torchy could barely make out a few shapes around her. She saw the wooden supports of the dock. She looked down at the ground. She could make out various pieces of debris: some rope, a chunk of metal, another cinderblock. This last one frightened Torchy. Another cinderblock? Does that mean there are more dead bodies here?
Torchy's heart was racing. She had to escape. Torchy examined her chains. Her hands were tied together and her feet were tied likewise. The chain wrapped around her body in several places, some of which hurt her as she tried to move. Most importantly, the chain snaked through the middle of the cinderblock, allowing it to move freely. As Torchy moved, she felt what this configuration meant for her. Moving her arms meant pulling against her legs. Moving her legs meant pulling against her arms. Torchy couldn't move her arms past her chest, and she couldn't move her legs without getting bent over.
I don't want to die! thought Torchy. I have to escape! Torchy didn't have much air in her; she hit the water screaming and didn't have a lot of air in her when she went under. Hurriedly, Torchy checked her chains more thoroughly. Her wrists had no room to move, and her legs were wound tightly. She saw no possible way of breaking them. Torchy saw only one point of interest: on her chest was a small padlock. This was how the entire system kept together. Torchy grabbed it, hoping that it could somehow get free. She pulled on it in every way, to no avail.
Torchy was getting desperate. She felt herself become lightheaded, and her body wanting to convulse. These were the signs of asphyxiation. Oh no! I don't want to drown! It's so horrible! Torchy crouched down. Despite the chains squeezing against her body, Torchy withstood the pain to reach the cinderblock. Moving her arms as best she could, she dug her fingers into the sand beneath the stone. Torchy got a slight grip on the block, and tried to lift it. The block moved slightly with great effort on the part of the blonde. Doing so forced her legs to straighten and the chain to squeeze her more. Torchy wanted to grab the stone and swim up with it. Under the best of circumstances, lifting this stone would be a tough task for Torchy. But here, it was practically impossible. She could barely move while holding the heavy stone, much less swim hard enough to make the surface. Her hands, her arms, her legs, her body, her chest- it was all too much.
Torchy dropped the cinderblock, her arms becoming useless. She exhaled a large breath, but then suddenly closed her mouth, knowing she could drown at any moment. Torchy continued to fight it, even though she knew deep down that her death was imminent and inevitable. Her chest continued to tighten, screaming to take a breath. Her vision faded, the murky water nearly becoming pitch black. Oh God! This is it!
As it seemed right then and there Torchy would accept her watery fate, through the near impenetrable darkness shined a light. Torchy looked at it quizzically: was this THE light, the one everyone says you see before you die? The light grew in size. Torchy thought at first that she was getting closer to it, like she was in a tunnel. But no; she realized that the light was actually coming to her. Soon she saw what it was. The light was attached to the neck of a woman, wearing green goggles, a green cape, and what looked like a revealing yellow swimsuit. Is it- is it really her? thought Torchy. But this was no illusion, no dying dream. This was the real Phantom Lady.
Phantom Lady got to the chained lady. Seeing her hero- in more ways than one- gave Torchy a jolt of excitement. She exhaled again, this time covering her mouth after. She just barely prevented any water from getting in. Phantom Lady could tell the younger woman was nearly drowning, and she had to alleviate this promptly.
Phantom Lady tapped on Torchy's hands, and then pointed to her mouth. Torchy looked at her, wondering what she meant as she signaled it again. Hesitantly, Torchy dropped her hands. As soon as she did this, Phantom Lady grabbed Torchy's head and put her lips onto Torchy's. Torchy's eyes went wide as she felt Phantom Lady's aggressive lips. But there was a good motive behind this shocking move. As soon as she felt it safe to do so, Phantom Lady blew as much air as she could into Torchy's lungs. She made sure there was no way any water could penetrate this seal. Once this was done, Phantom Lady closed her lips, signaling that Torchy should do the same. Phantom Lady pulled back slowly and checked on the other woman. Torchy- with a mix of shock and delirium- nodded slowly, telling the masked woman she was ok. Phantom Lady nodded back, and zoomed up to the surface.
Torchy waited as Phantom Lady refilled her lungs. A part of her believed that this was all fake- the delusion of a drowned damsel. But the kiss felt real, and so did the oxygen. While she still felt pressure in her chest, she definitely felt better than she did a while ago. Still, it's hard to believe: Phantom Lady, her icon, has come to save her at the last possible minute- and kissed her?! It seemed like something out of a scandalous comic book.
Torchy saw the light grow again. Phantom Lady came back to Torchy to free her once and for all. She began to examine the chains, much how Torchy did earlier. Torchy recognized this and tapped on Phantom Lady's arms to get her attention. Phantom Lady looked as Torch pointed to her chest- and the lock that was in the middle of it. Phantom Lady got closer to examine it. After a few seconds, she saw what she needed to do. Phantom Lady went to her belt and pulled out two tiny metal sticks. She intended to pick the lock.
Phantom Lady got to work on releasing Torchy. Torchy waited as the seconds passed. She could feel her air run out again as the superhero fiddled with the lock. Phantom Lady looked more and more annoyed, and in turn, Torchy got more and more worried. She tapped on Phantom Lady's shoulder, hoping for some more air. Phantom Lady shook her head and pointed at the lock. Torchy continued to wait, trying to remain calm. She could feel the lock dig into her chest as Phantom Lady worked at picking it. Torchy was getting to her breaking point again. She grabbed Phantom Lady's arms pulled them off her chest, wanting to get another breath. Phantom Lady responded by knocking her hands away and grabbing the lock. Phantom Lady pulled herself closer, working furiously. Torchy shut her eyes focusing all of her energy on holding her breath.
Finally, the women heard a click. Torchy opened her eyes. Phantom Lady pulled the tools out of the lock, and the lock fell open. With near superhuman speed, Phantom Lady took the lock out of the chains and began to untangle the chains. Torchy shook her hands and slid her wrists out of her makeshift shackles. The pair pulled the chains from Torchy's legs, freeing her completely. Phantom Lady grabbed Torchy under her arms, and the pair swam to the surface.
The surface was less than 20 feet away, but it felt like it took a lifetime for them to get to it. Soon, Torchy and Phantom Lady emerged, gasping for air. Torchy coughed deep, hard coughs, trying to get back to normal breathing.
"Are you okay?" yelled Phantom Lady. Torchy continued to cough, but nodded her head. Hair was still covering parts of her face, and she was trying to not breathe in that water.
"Can you swim?" Phantom Lady asked.
"Yeah," Torchy replied, heavily panting.
"Okay, good," said Phantom Lady. "Here, lean back for right now". Torchy wiped the hair from her face and leaned back. Phantom Lady swam behind her and grabbed her chest. "I got you," she said. With one arm, Phantom Lady pulled Torchy through the water.
After a bit, Phantom Lady stopped. "Here," she said to Torchy, "grab this". Before she could react, Torchy was startled by something plopping right in front of her. Phantom Lady had thrown her a white and orange life ring. Torchy swam underneath it and emerged in the middle. Phantom Lady grabbed the outside. "Now, hold onto it and I'll pull you, ok?"
"Ok," Torchy responded. Phantom Lady grabbed the ring with one hand and began to swim. Torchy held onto the ring with both arms and lightly kicked as she was pulled. The pair swam alongside the pier, which was a good 10 feet above them. As the adrenaline wore off, Torchy felt the coldness of the water more. It wouldn't kill them any time soon, but Torchy felt more and more uncomfortable as they went along. Silently, she hoped they would get out soon.
Finally, Phantom Lady and Torch came to a ladder that extended into the water. Phantom Lady pulled Torchy's life ring to the ladder, and Torchy threw the floatation device off. Torchy started up the ladder, with water pouring down from her body. She felt the cape- heavy with water- pull against her neck. Phantom Lady followed, trying to shield herself from the water dripping off of Torchy. Slowly but surely, Torchy got up to the dock and collapsed. Phantom Lady waited as Torchy laid on the ground, but upon realizing her savior was waiting behind her, she crawled out of her way.
Phantom Lady climbed onto the deck and stood above Torchy, hands on her hips. Under the dock light, she looked like a goddess. She was a touch shorter than Torchy, but still tall for a woman. Her physique was the perfect blend of feminine charm and lean crimefighting athleticism. Even while completely soaked, she had an air of sophistication about her. Torchy was completely awestruck. "Oh, thank you!" she said, going in to hug Phantom Lady's legs. "Oh, you saved my life!" she continued, bordering on sobbing.
Phantom Lady was a little taken aback. "Well, you're welcome," she said. But her tenor quickly changed from soft to stern. "But now, you are going to tell me what all of this is".
Torchy looked up at her. "What? What do you mean?"
"I mean this," Phantom Lady replied, grabbing the collar- or what constituted it- of Torchy's costume. "Why are you dressed as me? Why did they try to drown you? Is this some sort of sick game?"
"No," said Torchy. "I just- I mean... I just wore your costume because I'm such a big fan!"
Phantom Lady did not expect that answer. "You... are a fan?"
"Uh-huh," replied Torchy. Torchy proceeded to detail all that had happened to her as best she could: how she was invited to a Halloween party and that she dressed up as Phantom Lady for it. How the party was at a huge mansion, and how it got out of control. How she escaped, only to be captured by some thugs and their boss. When Torchy got to the part when she talked to the boss, Phantom Lady stopped her.
"Wait wait wait. The guys thought you were Phantom Lady? But you don't look like me. And you don't have goggles or any other tools. And they were able to subdue you pretty easily. And you were wearing a wig!"
Torchy was a little embarrassed. Yes, she was manhandled by them immediately, but Phantom Lady didn't need to bring that up. "Well, when I was attacked, I lost glasses and fake bracelet. As for the wig, I brought it up, but they said the real Phantom Lady could be wearing a wig too".
Phantom Lady looked to the side in slight embarrassment. Her lack of a disguise, especially at the beginning of her career, was a point of consternation for herself and some of her peers. Only her goggles covered her face, and those were see-through. Her ability to remain anonymous among the general public was due to two factors. The first was that her "black-light" projectors allowed her to blind anyone she would fight against. Coupled with the fact that her goggles can negate the projector's effect, it was entirely possible for her to subdue a criminal without him ever seeing her. The second was her reputation. Crime-fighting is a hard, dangerous, and somewhat low-class occupation. So, it seems unfathomable that Phantom Lady, a two-fisted tigress who stays in the shadows until it's time to strike, would be in reality Sandra Knight, socialite and daughter to Senator Knight. There isn't much overlap between those worlds (though sadly there sometimes is) and Sandra can always find a way to make time for both.
In any case, it seemed like the gang who attacked Torchy were doing so as a proactive move- better to kill someone who isn't Phantom Lady, than to let the real Phantom Lady go. "So, what happened after that?" Phantom Lady asked.
"Well, they put a bag over my head, and the next thing I remember was standing on the dock all chained up".
"Yes, I actually saw that part," Phantom Lady said.
"You- you what?!" Torchy said. "But, how-?"
Phantom Lady interjected. "Let me explain. Tonight, I was patrolling these docks for possible crimes. I got a tip about a smuggling operation taking place here, and for the past several nights I've been observing everything that has been going on. As you can imagine, nothing particularly unusual was happening. But tonight, I see two swanky cars drive though the docks and park a few piers over. I take out my binoculars and see a bunch of men get out and drag someone in chains. And to my surprise, the person in chains is dressed like me! I didn't know what was going on, but even odds I figured it was nothing good. So, I got down and went to help you. By the time I got close, the big guy pushed you in. I knew if they saw me, I'd have no chance of getting to you in time. So, I used my projector to sneak through the darkness. Once I was clear, I grabbed a nearby life ring and dove in".
Torchy finally stood up. "So, it was just through luck that you were here to save me?"
"Pretty much," replied Phantom Lady. "But look, it took some real bad luck to get you here in the first place, so in the end, it all evens out. What's important is that you're safe".
Torchy smiled. "Yeah, thanks to you. But now we gotta get the guys who did this to me!"
"Well, I not sure about this "we" business, but you're right. These criminals will pay for their attack on you. Though, I don't suppose you know where they went to?"
Torchy shook her head. "No, but I saw them initially at the party, so maybe they're heading back to that mansion".
"And this mansion," Phantom Lady responded, "do you remember whose mansion it was?"
"Well... it started with a B. Bernard... Burnside..."
Phantom Lady's ears perked up. "Wait, was it possibly Burnsley?"
"Yes, that was it!" Torchy said excitedly.
"Of course," Phantom Lady said in a low, bitter voice. "Big Boy Burnsley..."
Torchy looked on in confusion. "Big Boy Burnsley is one of the most loathsome mob bosses I ever met," said Phantom Lady. "Even among other criminals he's considered a real you-know-what. Drugs, gambling, grand theft, you name it, he's done it".
"Oh my," responded Torchy. "No wonder he hates you".
"Well, it's actually more personal. About 6 years ago, I busted up one of his smuggling operations. Most of his men go to jail. But Burnsley... they never find the evidence that actually links him to the operation. His men all shut their mouths, so Burnsley walks away."
Torchy thought back to some things she heard from Rocco and his boss. "They did mention multiple times about how they were in prison for 5 years."
"Yeah, and they should have been in there longer! But the judge was lenient on them. Some people think Burnsley bribed him. The DA too. You see, they never found the money that was associated with the operation, and soon, investigations into Burnsley's other ventures began to wind down. You don't need to be an expert detective to see how this really went down. Anyway, Burnsley disappears for a while, but years later, he's back, owning a nightclub and a lumberyard. Soon, he's owning diners, dry cleaners, and even a shipping line. These all reek of money laundering, but so far, he's clean. So, either he's used his ill-gotten gains to go legit, or he's far more cautious in hiding his criminal activities."
"Well, he's still a bastard, alright," Torchy said. "He really wanted me to die- or rather, you".
"Eh, he was probably fine with either scenario. He treats everyone like disposable things, and he especially has no love for women unless they are lavishing him with attention."
Torchy frowned. "I think he particularly found joy in toying with me on the pier before he pushed me in".
"Hold on, the guy who pushed you in- that was actually Burnsley?" asked Phantom Lady.
"I assume so. I mean, everyone was calling him boss. Wait- wouldn't you know what he looks like? You saw him push me in".
"Yes," said Phantom Lady, "but I only saw him from behind. I never got a good look at him. Can you describe what the boss looked like?"
"Well," said Torchy, "he was big. Both in height and in width. And he was old and balding".
"That does sound like Burnsley," Phantom Lady responded. "What about anyone else?"
"I mean, if I saw them again, I could recognize them, I suppose. The one I remember the most about was the guy called Rocco. He had a scar on his face, and he seemed to be the leader until the boss showed up".
Phantom Lady smiled. "Rocco IS the leader until the boss shows up. Rocco is- or I guess was, prior to his stint in jail- Burnsley's right hand man. If he looks like Burnsley, and he acts like Burnsley, and if he's referenced like he's Burnsley, then he must be Burnley!"
"Oh wow!" said Torchy, "I can't believe I survived an episode with such a prolific criminal!"
"And what's better, if he was the one who pushed you in, then he's on the hook for attempted murder!" Phantom Lady exclaimed.
"Alright!" Torchy yelled. "Let's grab this psycho and send him away for life!"
"Right, but first we need to get you home," Phantom Lady said.
"What?" asked Torchy.
"You nearly drowned tonight, and if those guys see you again, they won't try something so convoluted to kill you next time. I know you're a fan, but please leave this to someone with over a decade of experience".
"But what about the party?" asked Torchy.
"Who cares about the party?" Phantom Lady yelled back.
"No, I mean, what about the party there? Won't those people be in danger too? My friends are there!" Torchy gasped as she just realized something. "Oh my God! Tess! How long have I been gone for? Oh God, they're probably so worried about me. I need to get back to them!"
Phantom Lady mulled this over for a minute. "Okay," she said, "but you'll have to do exactly what I say. Busting crooks isn't easy, and if there really are that many of his men there, then I'm gonna need every edge I can get!"
Torchy saluted Phantom Lady. "You can count on me, Phantom Lady! Besides, if I'm the center of everyone's attention, no one would be bold enough to kill me".
Phantom Lady nodded. "Alright then... uh... oh, I never asked for your name, did I?"
"Oh, no, you didn't! It's Torchy. Torchy Todd".
"Well, ok then, Torchy, let's get to work," Phantom Lady said. "Or at the very least, let's get to the car, because I am freezing right now". The wind had started to pick up, and both ladies were still soaking wet. Phantom Lady turned to walk back to her car and Torchy followed suit.
However, not long after they started, Phantom Lady heard Torchy yell "Wait!". Phantom Lady stopped and turned around, only to see Torchy on the side of the dock.
"Torchy! What are you-" but before she could finish, Torchy jumped off the side and into the water. Phantom Lady looked over the side to see Torchy swimming to someplace in the distance. After a few strokes, Torchy stopped and grabbed some large black thing that looked pretty ratty.
"I had to grab my wig!" Torchy yelled. Phantom Lady just rolled her eyes and sighed.
What a thrilling rescue by that lovely lady of black light- Phantom Lady! You have to admit, Torchy is a very lucky girl. Not only was she saved from a horrible fate, but she got to meet her favorite hero in the process. I know that many a man would've loved to be in Miss Todd's position. But now, this fabulous fangirl turned drenched doll is going to assist our lady of shadows in bringing these murderous fiends to justice. These men are about to learn too late that they should've kept clear of these bombshells! Come back next time for the thrilling climax, as Phantom Lady and Torchy create "Mayhem at the Mansion".
