Misfits Invade the UK

Part 2

BANG! You're Dead!

By Nick Maro

Roxy slowly stumbled her way up the hill to the castle. She drained the bottle of the scotch and looked at it. "Fuck. S'empty," she slurred heavily. She heaved the bottle into the tall grass. When she didn't her the glass shatter she shrugged drunkenly and continued onward. Once she reached the door she began banging on it. "Lemme in dammit. C'mon." The door opened and she promptly fell on her face.

"Roxy! What's the matter? Where's Jetta?" Pizzazz asked standing over her. "You're drunk again." Pizzazz helped Roxy up and brought her into the main room. Stormer, Kimber, David, Techrat, and Clash watched as Pizzazz half dragged a drunken Roxy into the room. She put Roxy on an old couch and helped hold her up. "Clash, go find a bucket or pail just in case she pukes." Clash and Kimber ran off to look for something in case Roxy vomited.

"I'll go get a cold glass of water," Stormer offered running into a nearby washroom.

Pizzazz slapped Roxy's face. "Hey, hey wake up. Where's Jetta? Come on, Rox."

Roxy stirred. "Sh's gone. Sh' left wit' sum guy. Sh' loves us. B't sh' gone." Roxy was on the verge of passing out again. By the time Stormer returned Roxy was asleep with her head in Pizzazz's lap. She was brushing Roxy's hair while she slept. Stormer gave Pizzazz the glass of water and put on the table next to the couch.

"Wh-what did she say, Pizzazz?" Stormer stuttered nervously.

Techrat and David went to find Clash and Kimber. Pizzazz looked up from the passed out bassist while she kept mindlessly combing the sleeping woman's hair with her fingertips. "Nothing much, only that Jetta left with some guy and she loves us. I guess we will have to wait till she wakes and sobers up a little. This really isn't like Roxy. Jetta must've said something to either upset her, move her emotionally or both." Pizzazz looked back down at her friend. "I'll take first watch with her. In case she wakes up and all."

Kimber came back with a small garbage can. "I hope this okay." She looked hopefully to both women. It was Stormer's castle after all, who just nodded. "If you need anything I'll be upstairs. David, Clash and Techrat are up there now in one of the bedrooms talking. We decided to give Roxy her quiet while she slept. I hope everything is all right." Kimber said quietly, "Mary, you can join us if you want."

"That's okay, Kimber, I'll keep Pizzazz company. Don't want her to feel abandoned." Stormer pulled a chair closer to the couch. "Besides she might need help with Roxy when she wakes up."

Kimber started to walk away but then turned around with a kind smile. "If you want someone to take over, Pizzazz just ask." Kimber smiled again climbed the ancient stone stairs.

"Mary," Pizzazz said quietly, "are we becoming more like The Holograms or is Kimber becoming one of us?"

Stormer giggled slightly and answered quietly. "A little of both I think." She smiled at her half-sister. "I don't think it's so bad either."

Pizzazz returned the smile. "Y'know, I'm kinda getting used to it myself."

"Then she hugged me and left with some greasy looking guy," Roxy explained as she took another drink of the glass of water. "oooo, my head," she moaned in annoyance.

"Now let's review here. She has a name for the tattoo?" David asked and Roxy nodded. "What did was called it again?"

"Azure knife, blue dagger, something like that," Roxy said trying to remember.

"Azure Blades?" asked the middle-aged Scotsman.

"That's it! She said it was called an azure blade," Roxy exclaimed trying to snap her fingers. "Ow! Shouldn't yell. How'd you know?"

Ian looked at the group gathered at the table. "The Azure Blades are a gang out o' London. They call themselves a syndicate but they're no more than a group o' ruffians and hooligans. They started movin' their way north into Scotland a few years back. I heard rumors about a few o' them bein' in Edinburgh." Ian paused to take a bite of his breakfast. "If yuir friend is involved with these people then she's in trouble. Roxy, have you ever seen this tattoo? If so, what did it look like?"

Roxy nodded in thought. "It was a dagger surrounded by blue flames. It's located on her right breast. She said it was a gift from an exboyfriend. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it so I dropped the subject." She gave a slight shrug before drinking the rest of her water.

"Aye, that's the Azure Blades alright. You intend on savin' the lass don't you?" he asked David tilting his head a bit.

"How can we not? She's our friend. We all care about her." David sat staring at his breakfast as it grew colder. His mind was racing trying to get a plan together. "Roxy, did she say anything else? I know it's hard to think with a hangover but please try."

Roxy sat there with her head pounding, deep in thought. "Yeah," she said slowly, "there was. She said that she had friends that were dangerous both here and in London. Maybe she was taken to London."

Everyone sat in silence for a long while. "Okay, Roxy and I are going to London to get Jetta. Mary you need to stay here and sign the papers for the castle. The rest I don't want in danger."

"I'm going with," Kimber said standing up from her chair. "I want to help."

David drummed his fingers on the table. "All right only because I don't have time to argue, but you have to listen to me. Techrat, you're coming with also, we might need your skills. Pizzazz, Clash, you both stay with Mary. I don't want her completely alone. Okay we leave in three hours. I'll go call the jet and let them know we're coming."

Ian stopped David before he headed up the stairs. "Lad, if yuir serious about this then I have somethin' you'll need." He led David out to his car, opened the door and pulled something out of the glove box. "Here. Before you can ask how I knew about the Azure Blades and all, I was an agent of Scotland Yard in London. I retired about ten years back for personal reasons. I still have friends there that keep me up to date. Now, Lad, take this."

David gripped the handle of the forty-five pistol. "Ian, I just don't believe in using guns. I think they're dishonorable. I can't take this." He handed it back to the older man.

"Take it you don't have to use it. Just take it in case you need it," Ian said refusing to accept the weapon back.

David gave in and let out a breath. "If you put it that way, I'll just leave it on the jet. No way will I get it through customs."

"Ach! That reminds me!" Ian dug through his glove box again. "Found it! I saved the director o' Scotland Yard's life once and got this in return." He showed David a card giving him free passage in and out of England. "Just means you cain't be searched. The gun I don't care about. 'Tis the card I want back." He let out a light chuckle.

"Ian, thank you," David said shaking the Scotsman's hand. "I have a few more questions but let's talk inside while I gather some gear together."

The pilot announced that the jet was landing in twenty minutes. David told his friends what Ian had told him. "…so he is a lawyer but just not Angus'. He wanted to see if Mary was connected in anyway with the Azure Blades. It was only coincidence that Jetta was a former member. He agreed to watch Mary sign the papers." He didn't say anything about the gun he carried to his friends.

"Where do we start looking?" Roxy asked with her hangover almost gone.

"Ian told me that a Detective Thomas would meet us after we landed. The detective has a few leads. That's why you're here Techrat. We may need you to hack into the Yard's main computer." He looked at the young Filipino man.

"It shouldn't be that hard. I just need to put the finishing touches on the signal scrambler I've been working on. This is almost like working for Mr. Raymond again," Techrat said quietly while working on the device in his lap.

"Ugh, don't even joke like that, Techrat!" Kimber laughed.

The jet landed and the four passengers exited. David nervously showed the customs guard the card and was let through. They let the other three pass without any problems. Detective Thomas spotted David coming through the terminal. "Excuse me, David Gabor?" he asked walking up to the group. "I'm Detective John Thomas. Ian called and told me to watch out for you." He shook each of their hands as David made the introductions.

"You don't you have an English accent? Why not?" Roxy asked as they walked to the detective's car.

"I get this question a lot. I grew up in the States. My father was a public relations man for a computer company. So as a result I grew up there and but remained a citizen of England." He unlocked the car and the four friends got inside.

"To be honest, Detective, from what Ian told me I expected you to be older," David admitted as he sat in the front seat.

John chuckled. "Call me John, David. I just feel older than really I am. Ian trained me as a rookie," he said with obvious pride. "Don't worry I'm not as reckless as I used to be." He laughed at his own private joke while his passengers looked at each other nervously.

"Where are we headed first?" Roxy asked from the backseat. "I'm just worried about Jetta."

"Well last night Sheila Burns' parents were kidnapped. I take it you all know that's her real name. Anyway we're sure that it was the Azure Blades who did it. So now we're going to her parent's place and look for more clues. Well, we're going to check up there first."

John parked the car in front of a low rent apartment building. He led the group up a flight of stairs and to a taped off door that was down the hallway. Inside he told them to search for any clues or for anything they thought that was odd. "Everything in here is odd," Kimber mumbled. "I'll check Jetta's room again."

"I'll help you," Roxy said sounding hopeless as she followed her into the room. Roxy went through Jetta's dresser drawers where she found an odd business card. "Hey John," she yelled. "Does a bar called something by the Keep mean anything to you? Sorry I'm still learning how to read." She felt a little dumb and embarrassed admitting that fact out loud.

The detective came into the room and looked the card over. He pointed to the I in the word Witchery. "Witchery by the Keep. Look here, there's a blade covered with blue flame. Roxy I think you found our first lead. Good work." John went into the living room and made a quick call to the Scotland Yard. He hung up the phone after a few minutes. "Okay, the Witchery is now gone but the building remains standing. HQ says that the Blades still operate out of there. David and I will check it out while you three stay here and look for more clues."

"I'm going with," Roxy spoke the familiar words that Kimber said hours earlier. "Jetta is my best friend and I don't want her hurt." She was somewhat surprised to hear herself admit that about her one time personal rival.

"Fine," David said before the detective could object. "But you do as we say." John started to protest. "I have an idea okay? I'm hoping that whoever took Jetta will recognize Roxy."

"It's risky, very risky," John put his hands in his pocket and just shook his head. "You remind me of myself when I was younger, David. Let's stop stalling and get going."

"David be careful," Kimber said softly as she started to hug him. "You're not going up against people like the Bayushi clan. These people are quite possibly worse." She kissed him deeply. "I love you and take care." She went up to Roxy and took her hands into hers. "You be careful also. Listen to David. He knows what he's doing."

"Thanks. I'll try," Roxy tried not to sound anxious while giving her new friend a hug.

"Okay enough of the soap opera. Let's move," John said as he began leaving out of the apartment.

"David, wait." Techrat stopped the three from leaving. John started complaining to himself. Techrat held up three little disks, each about a half inch wide. "Take these. They're tracking bugs and microphones. They'll help Kimber and I keep track of you."

"Great, you guys have a regular Q with you." John took the bug and slipped it in the liner of his coat. "Now can we go?" Roxy and David hid both of theirs and followed the detective to his car.

"How are they working?" Kimber asked looking at the display on the tracking unit.

"Perfectly." Techrat set down the tracking receiver and looked around the living room. "Let's go check Jetta's room again."

Clash paced in front of the window. "Stormer, are you sure this is what you want?"

"For the last time, yes it is," Stormer said patiently. "I've thought hard about it. I'm just not very comfortable otherwise."

"I still say it's stupid, Mary." Pizzazz sat on the couch in disbelief. "But it is up to you and your decision."

Ian smiled and pointed where to sign on the papers. Stormer signed her name in all of the places it was marked. "The town o' Bo'ness thanks you, Mary." Ian checked the papers over carefully. "It's very kind o' you to sign this castle over to the town. You were right in thinkin' that it was somethin' Angus woulda done. Now everythin' here seems in order, so on behalf of the Town of Bo'ness I thank you and welcome you to stay as long as you wish."

"Thank you, Ian, but we're just staying until David or Roxy calls," Stormer said in her usual quiet voice. "Which I hope is soon."

John stopped his car and exhaled sharply. "Okay, the lights are on in there. Could mean nothing, could mean something. I'm going to get closer and scope it out. You and Roxy stay here," he said looking at the rundown building. "David, are you strapped?"

David patted his pocket. "If you mean to ask do you have a gun then yes, I do. Sorry, I didn't tell you, Kimber and Roxy." He apologized in case Kimber was listening and to his friend in the backseat. "Ian gave it to me just as a precaution. I don't like it though."

"I don't care if you don't like it, you'll probably need it." John opened the car door and began getting out.

"John," Roxy said after keeping unusually quiet. "Maybe David should go look. The Azure Blades probably know your face but none of them know David's. If he gets caught he has a much better chance of talking his way out of any trouble."

David and John looked at each other and nodded in reluctant agreement with her. "She makes a good point." David frowned slightly. "The Blades at the very least have a vague idea of what you look like. I've kept behind the scenes of The Misfits pretty well. I really don't think they get local L.A. news broadcasts here."

After slamming the door John cursed. "Fuck! Okay but be careful, David. If you're not back in fifteen minutes I'm coming after you." David hugged Roxy over the seat and she wished him luck. David opened the door and stayed close to the shadows. He reached the building and gave thumbs up to John. "That boy is either very brave or very stupid," John mumbled.

Peeking through a crack in the boards over the windows David saw that the room was empty. He didn't like the feeling he was getting. Creeping along the edge of the wall he made his way to the backdoor. He peeked through the window where he saw a man with long greasy hair open a trapdoor and disappear below. David counted to thirty and slowly opened the backdoor when no one came back up. He paused to remove his shoes and placed them outside by the door. He padded quietly into the building. It was a trick Hiroshi had taught him. He shifted most of weight to his upper body to walk silently.

David crept to the opening of the where the trap door was. He listened carefully and heard talking that was muffled and distant. He couldn't see any light source. He gripped the gun in his pocket and clicked the safety off. Slowly and carefully David made his way down the stairs. Once at the bottom he scanned the room slowly trying to see every detail. To the left of him he saw stacks of crates silhouetted by a light behind them. There he saw the shadow of a person pacing which was most likely the man he had just seen. Once again he kept to the shadows. He peeked behind the crate that he hid behind and saw Jetta tied to a chair. She was next to who he assumed to be her parents.

"Eddie! I ain't tellin' you where the jewels are!" Jetta screamed in defiance. "You're still a small time twat!"

The man she called Eddie shoved a gun in her face. "Bitch, I'll blow off your fuckin' head right now! Where did you and Stevie hide the jewels?"

Jetta laughed at him even though she had a gun in her face. "You fuckin' git! If you shoot me now you'll never find them. Impulsive arse." She sneered with pride on her face.

Eddie slapped her hard across the face with his free hand. He stormed off past David and climbed the stairs. That was when David was able to make his move. He put the gun back in his coat pocket, stood up and motioned for Jetta and her parents to be quiet. They each nodded their heads. David was able to untie her parents first, but he only as able to loosen Jetta's when he heard Eddie coming back.

David motioned for her parents to hide behind the crates. He pulled out the gun again and kept it to his side but. When Eddie came into view David pointed the gun at him. Eddie pulled his own weapon and pointed it at David. "Just who the fuck are you?!"

Jetta struggled with her ropes, once she got free she stood next to David. Jetta's parents made their escape safely with David acting as a distraction. He smiled and finally replied with a smirk on his face. "I'm her manager and she's coming with me." David saw someone coming up from behind Eddie and acted like he didn't notice. He hoped Jetta did the same.

The taxi pulled up in front of the abandoned Witchery by the Keep, the door opened and a red haired woman bolted out. The driver yelled something as she fled the cab. John and Roxy both yelled at the same time. "Kimber!" They were out of the car in no time and chasing after her. Roxy caught up to Kimber before she could enter the building. John paid the cab fare and rushed up to them.

"Are you fuckin' stupid, Kimber?" John growled quietly. "Your boyfriend is in there right now. Do you want a dead boyfriend?"

"Sorry," she whispered. "I followed you about a half hour after you left. Techrat gave me the tracker to use. I didn't want to stand by and do nothing." She handed the tracker to Roxy. "I think David found Jetta and he's in trouble." Just then an older couple came bursting out of the back door.

Using the couple as a distraction Kimber slipped into the old pub and found the trap door. Roxy quickly followed Kimber. "Fuck!" John cursed again. He turned to talk to Roxy but she was gone as well. "Dammit," he swore under his breath. "Excuse me, folks. I'm Detective John Thomas of Scotland Yard. I take it you're Flo and Bertie Burns?" They nodded and thanked him for the rescue while he called for backup.

Kimber and Roxy walked down the stairs as quietly as they could. Kimber heard the yelling come from the left and stayed in the shadows. Roxy followed her slowly. They reached the crates and ducked below them. Kimber motioned that she'd climb on top of the crate and tackle the gunman. Roxy shook her head quickly with her eyes wide knowing it was a bad idea. Kimber refused to listen and peeked over the edge. She saw David pointing a gun at a man in front of her. Jetta was standing next to him. She heard David say, "I'm her manager and she's coming with me." With that she slowly climbed on the crate. Once at the top she waited.

"Fuck you, Yank! I could care less who the fuck you are!" Eddie yelled. He heard a noise behind him and spun around to find Kimber perched on the crate ready to pounce.

Kimber jumped on him while grabbing his arms. They fought for control of the gun. "Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" she yelled while Jetta and David stood where they were. "Go!" she cried out. But by now the gun was between her and Eddie. David had lost track of the gun when there was an earsplitting bang. Kimber and Eddie both stumbled backward their eyes wide and shocked looks on their faces. David dropped the gun he was holding when Roxy came out from behind her crate. Blood started to appear on Kimber's shirt slowly. It began just below her left breast. "I-I-I thought it would've h-h-hurt m-more," she said before collapsing the ground.

David ran over to his girlfriend and held her head in his lap. "Kimber! Hang on baby, you'll be okay. Roxy tell John to call an ambulance. Now!" Roxy blinked as if hearing him for the first time then ran up the stairs without argument. He put pressure where Kimber was bleeding, when he heard seven more shots go off. He looked up and saw Eddie fall to the ground.

Jetta stood there still pulling the trigger of the pistol David had dropped, but was now just getting a rapid clicking. "Motherfuckermotherfuckermotherfucker," she chanted as tears came streaming down her face.

Detective Thomas came up behind Jetta and took the pistol from her. He whispered quietly in her ear, "He's gone. You've done good, Sheila." She turned away from the body of Eddie and hugged the detective tightly. He comforted her as an officer came down and saw the scene. John turned to the younger officer. "It was self-defense." He gave the young officer a glare that said that it was what would go down in the report no matter what. The officer nodded slowly with a reassuring smile.

David, Roxy, Jetta and Techrat raced into the hospital reception area. Out of breath David asked, "Kimber Benton, please."

"Are you a friend or a family member?" the receptionist asked. David knew they wouldn't let friends in so soon. "Sir, friend or family."

"Family. I'm her fiancé," he lied as his three friends looked at him in shock.

"Okay, sir. She's still in surgery. A doctor will contact you when she's out. You can have a seat in the waiting area with your friends."

David sat down next to Roxy. "Fiancé?" She asked in a shocked whisper.

"I had to lie. Only way I'll be able to see her. I need to call Jerrica she needs to know about this. Someone call Mary and Phyllis in Scotland." David's throat was rough and raw. He stood, paced for a moment trying to think of what to say when he called Kimber's sister.

Jerrica opened the door to Kimber's room. Room four-one-five Benton, K. read the nameplate next to the door frame read. Kimber was hooked up to a few machines. Jerrica's eyes started to tear up again upon seeing this. "David," she whispered waking the sleeping man holding Kimber's hand. "David, wake up. I have to talk to you."

David slowly woke up and yawned, he slowly stood from his chair. "Hi, Jerrica," he said quietly and his voice still hoarse. "We can talk down the hall." He hugged Jerrica tightly then led her to secluded section of the hall. "Jerrica, I feel terrible about what has happened. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have agreed to let her come with to rescue Jetta."

Jerrica held his hand and smiled at him. "I don't blame you. Right now I just want her to get better. We can't blame anyone."

Jerrica was interrupted by a nurse yelling on the intercom. "Code blue! Room four-one-five! Code blue! Room four-one-five!"

TO BE CONTINUED IN "A DEATH IN THE FAMILY"

PART 3 OF MISFITS INVADE THE UK