A ROMAN HOLIDAY
Part 2
By Trynia Merin
I don't own DM, Cosgrove Hall does, but Lori, Bagel and Saul Stann are my characters. This is fanfiction!
***
"Danger Mouse," said Penfold as they rode along in the Mark III.
"Mmm?" DM mumbled, in a funk of his own.
"Chief?" Penfold said. "What's eating at y'?"
"Mmm nothing Penfold," DM lied, although Penfold knew him well enough to see right through it.
"I know it's a singe mark but it WILL come out in the wash," Penfold said. "Don't worry DM…"
"Not my uniform Penfold, really!" DM snapped irritably.
"Well if it's the party, we DO have a full plate of cookies, and the champagne being chilled in the boot," Penfold said.
"That's not it either," DM sighed. "It's nothing…"
"You always get like this around the holidays," Penfold shook his head. "And then come Christmas morning it's all smiles and grins. I just don't get it, Chief…"
"The holiday brings out the best and worse in us all," DM said cryptically.
"Is it about Lori?" asked Penfold slowly. "And that there mouse she's dating? The pop star? When are you goin t' admit he's not so naff after all, like?"
"When he proves to me he's worth it," DM said slowly.
"Come off it DM, she's mad over him!" Penfold shook his head. "I really don't get you DM, going on about it, when she's over the moon about him! You said he got top marks on the agent's test, and colonel K himself said he's passed his exams!"
"Not my exams," DM mumbled.
"It isn't his relig…"
"Honesty Penfold that has NOTHING to do with it!" DM snapped. "You know I don't pass judgement on that basis! It's his LIFESTYLE, being a rock star that irks me!"
"Bagel's always telling me not to judge a book by its cover…" Penfold shrugged. "And anyway, can you TRY to be civil. It's only a little holiday party after all!"
"All right," DM sighed. "I'll TRY, but I wouldn't mind a life threatening world shattering mission about now…"
A blaring over the videophone was the answer to his silent prayer, and DM tuned in the snowy reception till Colonel K's image cleared and he looked up at DM and Penfold from his desk, festooned with ivy and holly and a small figure of Father Christmas. "Ah, Danger Mouse… got a world shattering mission for you…"
"Ah Colonel," DM smiled.
"Here he goes again," Penfold groaned. "We'll be late for the party!"
"Penfold, shush!" DM hissed. "Go on Colonel… is it a mad plot by Greenback, or someone else?"
"Worse."
"What could be worse?" Penfold shivered.
"Professor Crumhorn's at it again!" the Colonel banged his fist on the table so the snow globe rattled.
"Good grief, not the mad scientist of mayhem!" DM exclaimed. "What's he up to now?"
"He's stolen a very old artifact from the Roman display at the London Museum of art! It's a priceless sword and breastplate from the time of Augustus Caesar… and he's also stolen something else very odd…"
"What else?" DM asked, wondering just WHAT Crumhorn wanted with Roman relics?
"A very small hourglass. Not worth much, but it's ALSO from the same display. Strange, eh?"
"Well if Crumhorn pinched it, there's not telling WHAT terrible plot he's up to…" said DM angrily. "We have to stop him…"
"Aww heck, can't we just…"
"No Penfold we can't!" DM snapped. "Danger Mouse out!"
"DM, you're deliberately using this as an excuse NOT to go to Lori's holiday party!" Penfold whined. "And I'll miss Bagel's latkes!"
"With any luck we'll polish Crumhorn off and be back for tea," DM said cheerfully as he turned the Mark III into a tight U-turn and roared off towards the London Museum of Art.
***
"What's going on?" Lori gasped as she rushed out to see the videophone, an identical one to DM's Fishuki set, buzzing with an alarm.
"Something's going down," Saul said seriously as he stood by Lori. "Hey, how are you doing pretty lady?"
"Umm, fine, Saul," she stammered.
"Hmmm it's more then an alarm turning red," Bagel joked.
"Colonel K to agent M6, come in!" said the Colonel.
"Reading you loud and clear," Lori said, turning her attention from Saul, despite her face flaming red.
"What's up Colonel?" Saul asked.
"Ah, agent Stann," he said. "Good show you're here too. We have an earth-shattering mission. I just sent Danger Mouse on the trail of Professor Crumhorn. He's stolen some artifacts from the Roman Exhibit at the London Art Museum…"
"Aww nuts you called us on a party just for some old roman ruins?" asked Bagel with disdain.
"Bagel, shh," Lori hissed. "What was stolen, and who is Crumhorn?"
"Only the worst mad scientist to grace the face of fair England," colonel K said seriously. "You have to go help DM in case he needs help."
"Sure thing, Colonel," Saul said. "You want me to go along?"
"By all means. And congratulations, agent Saul. You're officially a Cadet class 2 designee fully qualified agent. But you'll be partnering with Lori for this mission."
"Any codename for him?" asked Lori.
"Agent Magnet Davidge, I believe you asked…"
"That's Magen Daveed," Saul groaned, providing the correct pronunciation.
"C'mon let's go," Lori said as she rushed behind a changing screen and quickly moved into her agent's suit. Saul sat down between Lori and Bagel, who threw off her apron, and shook flour from her hands. The couch slid down quickly, and Bagel grasped Saul's arm tightly as they slid down the chute into the front of the Gail VI, and the engine started. Saul clung to the back seat of the car as Lori roared off into the afternoon.
"What would this Crumhorn dude want with a roman helmet, sword and an hourglass?" Saul asked Lori.
"I don't know, but DM told me all about how diabolical Crumhorn is. He was as dastardly to disguise himself as a little girl to coax DM and Penfold into helping him break into Fort Knox…"
"Oy," Bagel groaned.
"Sheesh," Stan shook his head. "One nasty guy… but we're going to help DM cancel his ticket, right ladies?"
"Right," nodded Lori as they rushed to the museum. They saw the Mark III already parked, and she pulled up behind it, and leapt out of the car as Bagel scrambled over the side and dropped to the pavement. Saul leapt gracefully over the side, having changed into a standard white and blue agent's uniform like Lori's.
"It's closed," Bagel whispered.
"No worries," Lori said. "C'mon let's go. It looks like DM already beat us here…"
"Lucky him," Saul mumbled as he followed the girls to the side entrance, where Lori showed her ID to the security guard. He waved them by, and the three rodents entered without much incident. Lori tried her wrist com, and heard DM's voice.
"Agent DM here…"
"M6 here, where are you, DM?"
"We're at the Roman exhibit. Stand by…"
"I'll check this wing," Lori said.
"Be on the lookout for anything. Crumhorn is EXTREMELY dangerous… there is no telling WHAT he can do…" said DM.
"Right," Lori said. "Saul, you and bagel stick close. And keep an eye peeled for clues."
"Both eyes," Saul mumbled as he glanced around, and reached out with his mental senses. There was something sinister in the air, and he shivered at a malevolence nearby. Was it Crumhorn?
They crept closer, and saw marble statues, finely carved, with tall pillars and inscriptions in Latin. Saul whistled through his teeth at the display for Julius Caesar. A proud wolf with a distinctively Roman snout peered imperially at them from beneath his laurel wreath.
"There's a timeline," said Lori as she pointed to the Roman emperor.
"I once acted in Claudius," mumbled Saul. "Back in High school. One sick puppy…"
"Nero was worse," Lori shivered as she saw the Roman emperors pictured on the timeline. From Julius Caesar to Augustus, Tiberius, Nero and Vespacion they all stared imperial down. A model of the roman coliseum was untouched, and Bagel opened her mouth in awe at the models of the aqueducts. Lori glanced around and saw DM and Penfold round a corner.
"Anything yet?" Lori asked.
"Cor, are we glad to see you," Penfold breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the ladies and Saul.
"Some of us more then others," Saul mumbled as he caught DM's judging glare.
"Is he cleared to come along?" DM said slowly.
"Let's talk about that later," Saul cut him off. "Anything?"
"Nothing, except the missing items," DM said.
"Funny place for a grandfather clock," Bagel said as she pointed to one sitting nearby.
"I'll be," Saul grinned as he walked over to look at where she pointed.
"Careful," Lori said as she stood at his side.
"What clock?" DM asked as Bagel walked over and looked at a grandfather clock that was sitting there. Saul had wandered over as well as Lori.
"That one," Bagel nodded with her head.
"The Romans must have given up on hourglasses," Saul joked as he reached into the clock.
"Wait a minute, don't touch anything!" DM gasped as he turned.
"It's bigger on the inside then the outside," Saul said as he took a step inside.
"Strange," Lori said as she peered over his shoulder.
"Hold on, get away from it!" DM shouted as he recognized the enigmatic grandfather clock that had caused so many problems.
"What, it's just a clock," Bagel shrugged.
"Oh heck not THAT one again," Penfold pulled her back.
"Get away!" DM shouted as he rushed toward Saul and Lori. He slipped on the marble floor, and went flying. Crashing into Lori he knocked her into Saul, who tumbled headfirst into the clock. Before Lori could untangle herself the door slammed shut, and DM gasped as he saw the mechanism whirring.
"Oh crumbs!" cried Penfold as he saw the clock suddenly vanish.
"NO!" DM shouted as he saw the clock fading from their time. "LORI! That IDIOT!"
"What is going on!" Bagel shrieked.
"Oh nothing, they really stepped into it THAT time, that's all, that's torn it!" DM snapped as he got up and dusted himself off. "They could be ANYWHEN."
"Don't you mean anywhere, and just WHAT is that thing?"
"A time machine," DM snapped. "And your agent's idiot boyfriend is fully responsible for this muff up!"
"Now wait a minute we had no idea!" Bagel shouted.
"He blunders RIGHT into it!" DM snapped. "And now we have to worry about HIM and LORI on top of CRUMHORN…"
"You don't need to worry about me, Danger Mouse. The mouse and the beau blundered blisteringly back in time…" Crumhorn laughed as he rounded the corner. Penfold grabbed Bagel's arm and hid behind her as the wolf walked out in a white labcoat, wearing a shiny centurion's helmet and roman breastplate under it. He was dressed as a Roman centurion as he cast off his labcoat.
"A bit late for Halloween, are we?" DM asked. "Are you responsible for that misbegotten clock…"
"Oh no Dangermouse. Your lovely lady lumbered into the trap I set for you. Once out of the way, I would have been free to go back in time and work my plot. But as you are here, you can witness my moment of triumph…"
"And what would THAT be?" asked Bagel in a squeak.
"Simple. Just think of how powerful the Roman Empire would be if they had entered the industrial age…"
"You're mad!" DM shouted.
"Am I? As I recall, there WAS an inventor called Heron of Alexandria who was THIS close to inventing the first steam engine. Just think what would have happened if he HAD my brilliance…"
"What?" Bagel gasped.
"You fiend, you can't think to…" DM gasped.
"Oh I can," smiled Crumhorn as he held up an hourglass. "Behold a simple roman hourglass. But fitted into my kzonker ray, and voila…"
"An expensive novelty clock?" Bagel wondered as he pulled out a strange ray gun and fitted the hourglass into it.
"That's the kzonk ray!" cried DM. "look out!"
"Not you, but ME!" Crumhorn laughed as he aimed the kzonk over their heads, and DM pushed Bagel and Openfold down. The ray zinged over their heads, and bounced off the roman shield, hitting Crumhorn in the chest. "Just as I predicted. See you later, I'm just in time for my industrial revolution… in the ROMAN Empire… HAHAHAHAHAH!"
"Good grief, he wasn't aiming at us," gasped DM.
"What do you mean…" Bagel gasped.
"We have to get to Squarkencluck right away before Crumhorn plunges the Roman Empire into the Industrial Revolution, and we're all slaves of the Roman Empire in the 21st century!"
"It's ridiculous!" Bagel gasped as DM pressed the button on his wristwatch to call the Mark III. "He can't…"
"He can. The Roman Empire fell apart in the third century. But if they had the power of the steam engine, just think what they could have done by our time… we have to SAVE history!" DM gasped as he leapt into the Mark III as Bagel and Penfold scrambled in. They roared off at top speed to Squarkencluck's lab, hoping they could get there before the world as they knew it melted away….
***