[Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?] The Case of the Phantom Riders, Ch. 11 and Epilogue
Title: The Case of the Phantom Riders, Chapter 11 and Epilogue
Fandom: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Characters: The Dying Informant, the Snowball-gram Messenger, the Technet Techie, and the Freshnet Inspector
Table: 50 prompts
Prompt: unexpected
Rating: PG13
Spoilers/Warnings: Seriousness in a generally light-hearted fandom.
Summary: The agents attempt to catch Davis in the act, but thins go terribly wrong.
Author’s Note: Crossposted to other LJ comms and the V.I.L.E. HQ fanfic forum.
Davis was oblivious to the Informant and the Techie’s attempts at tailing them, until he caught sight of the Riders swooping around him.
“They’ve called for backup!” he snarled, trying to swerve.
The Messenger growled in frustration as he and Pippin hit the side of the truck. He and the Inspector were trying to override the cloaking mechanism with their handhelds, but they weren’t having much luck; the Techie was always the expert for things such as this. But something was distracting the Inspector as he worked.
“What’s wrong? I mean, besides the obvious…” the Messenger asked, derisively staring at their surroundings.
“I don’t know…” he said. “I can’t quite pin it down, but something’s wrong with the others…”
“That’s all they needed right now…” the Messenger began, but trailed off as they swerved again. “Okay, what’s going on here!?” He slammed his fist into the side of the truck closest to the cab. “Hey, Davis! Why don’t you invest in some driving lessons!?”
He was replied by a split second view of one of the Phantom Riders as he phased into and out of the truck. Jaw dropped, he turned to the Inspector, who replied him with a deadpan glance.
“What ghost?” he asked.
“What was he doing in here!?” the Messenger asked. “You don’t think Techie would’ve…?”
“How could he?” asked the Inspector. “I thought you handcuffed him and the Informant together with the electronic cuffs…”
“Yeah, I did,” said the Messenger, searching his pocket for the control panel. “Uh-oh… I don’t have the control panel… It must’ve fallen out while we were asleep, or…” He trailed off. Had… had the Techie really stolen it from him…!? Maybe that was what the Inspector was sensing…
Outside, the Techie rode behind the Informant, whose attention was completely on following the truck. He was unable to notice that the Techie had gone paler upon being with the Riders again.
He won’t trust me unless I prove that I’m on his side… the Techie realized. And that will only happen when I prove how much it means to me to have all four of us together again…
With this in mind, he urged Sam ahead of the Informant and Frodo, ahead of what he knew would be the truck, since the swerving betrayed its presence. Certain that he was in front, he rode across, trying to cut the truck off.
And the Informant forgot his temporary anger with the Techie as he saw what he was doing. The cry from his mouth was drowned out by the screeching of brakes, but the Techie and Sam remained standing, even though the tire tracks passed on both sides of him. The agent blinked, suddenly staring at the Inspector and the Messenger, and the stolen cows.
“Techie…!” the Messenger gasped. “You’re see-through!”
The Techie looked at himself, not really caring.
“Look, something’s really wrong,” he then said, looking back up at them.
“You think…!?” asked the Messenger, as the Inspector stared, stunned.
“No; not with me!” the Techie said, impatiently. “Something’s wrong with the Informant! He… There’s another him; he’s transparent, too, floating around him and saying all kinds of nasty things…” He held back a sob. “He’s given up on me; he’s not going to help me get my memories back anymore! That other Informant turned him against me! …But he’s right, I guess; I did put those Riders before him on the scale of what was important to me. I pushed him away; I deserve to have him mad at me…” The Techie trailed off as others exchanged horrified glances. The doppelganger was back!?
“So he was what I sensed…” the Inspector fumed. “We need to get out of here…”
“Let me try…” said the Techie, grabbing the handheld from the Inspector and holding it in his transparent hand. He wasn’t sure what he was doing; he was acting more on instinct than anything else. But within minutes, the Techie had the door opened and the truck uncloaked.
The Inspector and the Messenger immediately rode out with the Techie, glaring at the double, who still floated by the Informant.
“There…” the double said, quietly. “He’s just fine. And now he’s trying to turn the others against you…”
“Get out of here!” the Messenger yelled, shaking a fist at the double. “We have enough problems without you making things a hundred times worse--”
“Davis is getting away!” the Informant yelled, noticing the rustler and his flunky trying to abandon the truck. Some of the Phantom Riders were already bearing down on them, as more approached the double.
“Okay, okay!” said the Messenger, pleased to see the double beat a hasty retreat, but also concerned at stopping the Riders before they implemented their harsh disciplinary tactics on them. “They’re mortals; we’re mortal law enforcement-we’ll take it from here.”
“It takes a real idiot to try to kidnap detectives…” the Inspector said, with a roll of his eyes as they apprehended the thieves.
With the double gone, the Informant was beginning to snap out of his daze. He was still upset at all of his attempts at bringing the Techie memory back going nowhere. And seeing the Techie transparent, ready to join the Riders… It was too much.
“Are you crazy!?” the Informant yelled. “What were you thinking!? You couldn’t gotten hurt! And now… Now you’re really going to ditch us!?”
The Techie was about to say something-one final plea for his friend to help him once again.
He never got the chance. The leader of the Riders approached him.
“Well done, Thirteen,” he said. “As promised, you are now one of us. Come; we must go. Leave these mortals alone; we have much to do.”
The Techie glanced at him, and then at the Informant again. The boy was still visibly upset.
“I can’t stay…” the Techie whispered, crying. “I have to go with them.”
And now the Informant’s expression changed to one of shock and hurt.
“You’re right…” the Techie went on. “You tried your hardest to bring my memory back. But I kept pushing you away… I kept hurting you. I can’t let myself keep on doing that to you…!”
The other Riders were beginning to gallop away into the sky. The Techie watched them, and then looked back at the Informant. He did not want to leave. But he had to-for his own sake!
“Goodbye…” he said. “I hope you remember me… I wish I could’ve remembered you back…” With a sob, he urged Sam into the sky, following the other Riders.
“No…!” the Informant gasped. “NO!”
The Messenger and the Inspector looked up too late, seeing the Techie and the other Riders a few yards above the ground, and the Informant tearing after them with Frodo.
“Techie!” the Informant cried. “TECHIE!” Why had he let himself give up on someone who meant so much to him!?
“You didn’t need him,” his double purred. “So now you’ve lost him.”
“I won’t lose him!” the Informant vowed.
“Infy!” cried the Messenger, as he and the Inspector followed. “Be careful; that gorge is up ahead!”
The Techie looked back, hardly believing his eyes. The Informant… he was coming after him… trying to bring him back. He didn’t hate him… He didn’t want to say goodbye…!?
“Leave him, Thirteen,” one of the other Riders instructed. “You must leave him behind.”
The Techie glared at the other Riders as they started to ride over the gap of the gorge.
“I won’t… Not again! Never again!” he said. He turned back, startled to see the Informant leaping from the horse’s back in a last desperate attempt to reach him.
“No!” he exclaimed, reaching for his friend. “Grab on!”
But to the Techie’s utter shock and horror, the Informant’s hand went right through his own transparent hand. The Techie could only cry out as, for the second time in two days, the young agent went tumbling down the side of the ravine.
He cried out for his friend. What had he done!? Once again, by the Techie accepting his place with the Riders, the Informant had suffered. And now, in the dark, he couldn’t even see the boy, though he heard the splash as he landed in the stream again.
The Techie leaped from Sam, floating down into the stream.
“Where are you!?” He looked around frantically, finding no trace of him. And as his fruitless search continued, memories flashed through his head, one after another.
Meeting in Central Park… solving cases together… the Informant trying to cheer him up after the Techie had broken those expensive circuit boards… the Informant standing up for him…
The Techie gasped, a hand on his face. He remembered… He remembered everything!
He cried out again for his lost friend. This couldn’t be how it had to be… He could not regain his memories, only to lose the one who tried so hard to get them back!
The Inspector and the Messenger were calling for him and the Informant from the top of the ravine. They were trying to make their way down, he realized, but they’d never make it in time to help the lost agent.
He held back a sob as he realized that he couldn’t help the missing Informant, either. And although he saw his cherished friend break the surface of the water, his attempts to try to pick him up from the water failed. His transparent hands went right through him, unable to feel the cold water.
“Thirteen, what is the meaning of this?” the leader of the Riders asked.
“Put me back!” the Techie cried. “I have to save him! Please!”
The leader regarded him with an unreadable expression.
“If we were to put you back, you could not be one of us,” the leader replied. “We need you in the service of the Phantom Riders.”
“He needs me more than you do!” the Techie cried, not even looking at him, but still trying desperately to pull the Informant from the water.
The Riders murmured among themselves.
“He seems to remember his other life…” said one.
“He does not want to be one of us…” said another.
“He is just another mortal boy,” a third one agreed.
“We shall let him go…?” asked a fourth.
“But he knows our secrets,” said a fifth. “He knows where we are, and who we are…”
The Leader continued to stare at the Techie as he, oblivious to what the other Riders were saying, still attempted to get to the Informant.
“You have to hold on!” he cried. “The others are coming; they’ll help you!”
The Techie shivered; the water was terribly cold at night, and the jagged rocks were everywhere…
The brunet gasped. He could feel the water and the rocks… Did that mean…? He briefly looked at his hands. They were solid.
He cried out for his friend again, pulling the agent from the water at last. He held his surrogate brother close. “Please tell me you’re alright…”
The boy was definitely alive; he was trembling. But he seemed unconscious.
The Techie now turned to the other Riders, who were all staring at him with disappointment.
“You were never one of us…” the leader said. “You let your emotions get the better of you. You hold on to unimportant things.”
“I hold on to what’s important to me,” the Techie hissed.
The leader glanced at him, and then at the unconscious agent.
“Then I trust that you will look after the boy,” he said. “As well as never divulging our secrets. So long, Thirteen.”
The twelve Riders galloped away into the sky. The Techie watched them leave. He did not want to be one of them-not anymore… not when he had his memories intact, and especially not when his wanting to join the riders brought so much wanton pain to the Informant…
“It’s over…” he said. “I left them. My memories came back; I remember everything!” He hugged his friend close, looking up as the Messenger and the Inspector made their way to them.
“He’s had another bad spill down that stupid ravine…” sighed the Messenger, looking him over. “Come on; we’ve got to get him to shore and treat those wounds.”
“I’ll do it…” said the Techie, forlornly. “We can probably treat him better than the ACME infirmary can…”
The Inspector blinked; it was the first time that he had ever mentioned ACME.
“Techie…?”
The agent gave him a wan smile.
“Yes, I remember now…” he sighed. “Seeing him fall…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. But the others understood; the shock had brought his memory back.
The Informant stirred finally, opening his eyes. But then his expression darkened as he noticed the Techie, and the older agent, who had been so relieved and cheerful upon seeing his younger brother awaken, was taken aback, the smile fading from his face.
“You…?” the Informant fumed. “Why are you still here!? Why don’t you go off with your Rider friends; they’re the only ones who mean anything to you!”
“Infy!” the Messenger exclaimed, in horror. What was he saying!? Was he still that mad at the Techie for what he did!?
“No… That’s not it at all…” said the Techie. “I… I have my memories back because of you, and when I saw you fall… I knew I couldn’t be one of those Riders. I’m your brother, first and foremost…”
“Not anymore…” the Informant snarled, pushing him away. “I need a brother I can trust-one that I know won’t abandon me again!”
“I didn’t abandon you… I didn’t mean to…” the Techie began, but then he trailed off as he looked into the Informant’s eyes. And then he frowned. “You know, I said I have my memory back. And I meant that all of my memories are back.” He clenched a fist, recalling all of the events that had happened in the Amazon. “That’s how I know that you’re not the real Informant.”
The Inspector and the Messenger exchanged glances again. The double had vanished… but they never found out where he had vanished to!
The Techie was recalling how the Informant’s double had pretended to be him in the Amazon, trying to make him feel terrible. That was exactly what he was trying to do now-only he was trying to take over the real Informant to do so!
“I won’t let you have him!” the Techie yelled, seizing the Informant and holding him close. “Get out of him. GET OUT!”
“Let me go…” the boy hissed, trying to pull away from him. He could not stand the Techie’s embrace. He could not stand something so noble.
The Techie shook his head, and instead softly began to sing.
“You helped me all this time,” he said, determined. “I’m going to help you now be free of that creep.”
The Messenger and the Inspector also gave him words of encouragement to keep on fighting.
And the double hissed, unable to stand it… Unable to stand that camaraderie that he had been denied.
“They’re calling for me,” the real Informant hissed at him. “So leave me alone!”
“You won the battle,” the doppelganger warned. “But you have yet to win the war.”
He withdrew his spirit from the boy who resembled him so much, muttering as he fled. The Informant went slack in the Techie arms, and the older agent’s voice faltered, worried about what had happened to his true friend and brother.
“I’m so sorry…” he whispered. “This should never have happened to you…”
But then he gasped as he heard a weak voice reply him.
“It should never have happened to you, too… We should’ve been with you from the start…”
“Infy…?” the Messenger asked, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. The Inspector did the same.
The Techie just gasped, hugging him tightly. “It’s you… It’s the real you…”
The Informant trembled in his arms again, unworthy of being hugged by him.
“Techie…” he whispered. “I… I’m so sorry…”
“You’re sorry…?” the older agent asked, incredulously, glancing at the boy’s fresh wounds, in addition to the ones that had not healed from yesterday. “After what I’ve put you through, I’m lucky that the real you still wants to know me…!”
“I’m so sorry, Techie…” the Informant repeated. “I didn’t know why I said all those things… I don’t… I don’t think I was really ever mad at you. I was mad at myself for not being able to help you, and I just took out my frustration on you.” He hugged his surrogate brother, tightly. “And for that, I’m sorry. I should’ve known that you only wanted to call the Riders to help us…”
“I didn’t want you getting hurt…!” the Techie sobbed. “But now look at what happened. Because I was so ready to join those stupid Riders, you look like you’ve been through a…” He trailed off, staring at the Informant’s battered appearance. “You look like you’ve come back from one of your solo missions!”
The Informant just smiled weakly.
“Well…” he said. “At least I’m back. And so are you.”
The Techie smiled as he and the others group hugged.
Yes. They were all back together again-just as it should be.
Epilogue
While the Inspector and the Messenger wanted to help the Informant up the side of the ravine, the Techie insisted that he be the one to help the battered agent. And the Informant gratefully accepted his help.
“I’m lucky to know you, Techie…” he said, softly.
“And I’m lucky to remember knowing you,” the Techie replied, softly. A part of him would be in no hurry to forgive himself for everything he had put his friends and brothers through.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Techie,” said the Messenger, as the four horses greeted the Techie with affection. “All that matter is that you’re back, and…” He trailed off, his eyes widening as he saw no one near the truck. “Davis and his flunky… they’re gone!”
“What…!?” the Inspector exclaimed. “But we handcuffed them to the truck; how could they have escaped…?”
“They didn’t,” a new voice answered. “I’ve got them.”
The four agents turned to see the Rookie and Aragorn, with Davis and his right-hand man in custody. “More ACME agents are at Davis’ ranch, rounding up the last of them.”
The Informant managed a weak smile, still holding on to the Techie’s arm for support.
“And… I guess you’re here to round up the Messenger and the Inspector… and me…?”
“I’m supposed to be…” the Rookie sighed. “But I’m not going to.”
The others blinked, and flinched along with the Rookie as Schwemphf’s vehement protests could be heard from the receiver. Annoyed, the Rookie removed the device form his ear and tossed it aside.
“I was following you guys a lot longer than you realize; I had to after Wonder Rat ratted you out,” the Rookie explained. “I saw what you did, Techie. You had a tough decision-trying to see where your loyalties lay. And you chose right, the end. But it made me realize that I had to make the same choice. So my loyalty is with you guys. I mean… if you three hadn’t snuck over here, poor Techie would have no memories and really be one of the…” He trailed off, realizing that he was putting his foot in his mouth. “Sorry…”
“Rookie!” Schwemphf snarled. “I’m very, very disappointed in you.”
“That thing has surround sound?” asked the Messenger, staring at the device.
“No…” said the Rookie. And then his eyes widened. “Oh, no…”
The agents all turned to see two ACME helicopters nearby. One had its door opened, and Schwemphf was heading for them, livid at all of the insubordination that had gone on under his nose.
“So…” he said, glaring at Rookie. “You’re going to side with your buddies? Then you’ll have the same punishment as they’re going to get.”
The Rookie just glared at Schwemphf, and the Informant drew an arm around the youngest agent’s shoulder.
“All five of you are in serious trouble,” the substitute Chief said. “Yes, even you, Techie. What’s this I hear about you joining some vigilante group?”
“I had amnesia!” the Techie cried. “And furthermore, they were ghosts!”
“Please…” said Schwemphf. “You expect me to believe that? And as for you four…” He glared at the others. “I seem to recall telling you three that you would be dismissed from the agency if you set foot out of New York. And you, Rookie, were ready to willingly aid them.” He crossed his arms. “I wish it hadn’t come to this, but you left me no choice. Techie, you can be expecting a demotion, as well as a substantial paycut. And as for you four… You’re all fired.”
The Techie held the Informant close, about to apologize to his friends, but he was preempted by an authoritative, no-nonsense voice.
“I’ll do the firing around here, Mr. Schwemphf.”
The substitute Chief jumped as his superior appeared, the Recuiting Officer running right behind her.
“Chief…!?” Schwemphf asked, startled to see her. He glanced at the second helicopter, noticing it for the first time. “I…. uh… How was your meeting…?”
“Oh, my meeting went fine,” she said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ve been handling things at ACME the way I would’ve liked.”
“It’s their fault, Chief,” Schwemphf insisted, pointing to the agents. “They disobeyed orders… They disobeyed my orders and came here, and--”
“And,” said the Chief. “They upheld the ACME Triangle of Excellence, as I trusted they would. It took vigilance to find out where the Techie had vanished to. It took dedication to do whatever it took to bring him back. And it took courage to keep on going with the threat of you firing them looming in their minds.”
“You mean to tell me that you condone this insubordination…!?” Schwemphf gasped.
“We would have lost the Techie if they hadn’t gotten here in time,” the Chief said. “And it looks like we would’ve lost them all if I hadn’t arrived here.”
“Just in time!” the Recruiting Officer grinned.
“Good work,” said the Chief. She turned back to Schwemphf. “I’ll need to speak with you later when we get back to New York about rule enforcement policies, Mr. Schwempf. And in the meantime…” She turned back to the agents. “All of you are restored to your ranks; I override his order. And Rookie… I’ll see to your getting some real field assignments.”
The Rookie grinned as the others glomped each other in relief. They had their jobs intact. But more importantly, they had the Techie.
“But… what about the Mysterious Woman…?” the Rookie asked at last. “I think she deserves her dozen rods of gold after her helping us… But how do we get it to her?”
The Recruiting Officer worked it over in his head, smirking as he realized what she really wanted.
“We’ll just order her a bouquet of goldenrods,” he said.
“Goldenrods…” the Rookie repeated. “Oh, yeah… that’s what it was…!”
And everyone began to chuckle… except for Schwemphf and the crooks, of course.
*****************************
There weren’t that many loose ends to tie up in this case, the Informant realized. It was an open-and-shut case as far as Davis’ thievery was concerned, with some of his ranch hands willing to testify against him in order for a lighter sentence.
The cattle were returned to their rightful owners, and the Bradfords were equally relieved to have their cattle back as they were to hear of the Techie full recovery.
“Don’t make yourselves strangers now, y’hear?” Hank asked, clapping the Messenger on the back.
The agent had to catch his breath as the wind was slightly knocked out of him.
“We’ll be back,” he promised. “Those horses have grown on us; haven’t they?”
The Inspector gave him a deadpan glance that clearly read, “Speak for yourself…” That, in turn, prompted the Informant to go into his “City boys” speech again (a full-length version, this time), and the Techie was in full possession of his memory to enjoy it, especially since the recovery of his memories had led to him becoming an inexperienced rider again; Sam had suddenly developed a mind of his own. And the Rookie, who was hearing it for the first time, found it highly amusing, too.
“We look forward to see you again,” said Sarah, kissing the Techie on the cheek. The brunet blushed profusely, mumbling incoherently, and the Informant cracked up.
“Well,” sighed the young agent, between laughs, as they headed for the ACME helicopter, with Wonder Rat (since they had to press charges on him after returning to New York). “At least we don’t have to drive all the way back…”
“I can’t believe you guys drove all the way here for me…” the Techie said, with a shake of his head.
“Hey, we would’ve done anything,” said the Messenger. “Whether climb Mt. Everest, swim across the English Channel, or…” He trailed off, his eyes widening at a sight nearby.
“Well…” the Inspector mused, seeing Wonder Rat’s rat copter beside their own.
“They returned it…!” the Informant said, surprised.
“Guess Techie taught them some decency after all…” the Rookie said, with a shrug. The Techie just managed a sheepish smile.
“Look!” the Messenger exclaimed, pointing to a spot behind the copter.
“What is it; the Riders?” asked the Informant. He wasn’t sure he was ready to see them. And judging by the look on his face, neither was the Techie.
“I swear… I just saw a jackalope!”
There was a moment when no one said anything, which was followed by the sound of them cracking up all at once.
It felt good to laugh again.
Fandom: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Characters: The Dying Informant, the Snowball-gram Messenger, the Technet Techie, and the Freshnet Inspector
Table: 50 prompts
Prompt: unexpected
Rating: PG13
Spoilers/Warnings: Seriousness in a generally light-hearted fandom.
Summary: The agents attempt to catch Davis in the act, but thins go terribly wrong.
Author’s Note: Crossposted to other LJ comms and the V.I.L.E. HQ fanfic forum.
Davis was oblivious to the Informant and the Techie’s attempts at tailing them, until he caught sight of the Riders swooping around him.
“They’ve called for backup!” he snarled, trying to swerve.
The Messenger growled in frustration as he and Pippin hit the side of the truck. He and the Inspector were trying to override the cloaking mechanism with their handhelds, but they weren’t having much luck; the Techie was always the expert for things such as this. But something was distracting the Inspector as he worked.
“What’s wrong? I mean, besides the obvious…” the Messenger asked, derisively staring at their surroundings.
“I don’t know…” he said. “I can’t quite pin it down, but something’s wrong with the others…”
“That’s all they needed right now…” the Messenger began, but trailed off as they swerved again. “Okay, what’s going on here!?” He slammed his fist into the side of the truck closest to the cab. “Hey, Davis! Why don’t you invest in some driving lessons!?”
He was replied by a split second view of one of the Phantom Riders as he phased into and out of the truck. Jaw dropped, he turned to the Inspector, who replied him with a deadpan glance.
“What ghost?” he asked.
“What was he doing in here!?” the Messenger asked. “You don’t think Techie would’ve…?”
“How could he?” asked the Inspector. “I thought you handcuffed him and the Informant together with the electronic cuffs…”
“Yeah, I did,” said the Messenger, searching his pocket for the control panel. “Uh-oh… I don’t have the control panel… It must’ve fallen out while we were asleep, or…” He trailed off. Had… had the Techie really stolen it from him…!? Maybe that was what the Inspector was sensing…
Outside, the Techie rode behind the Informant, whose attention was completely on following the truck. He was unable to notice that the Techie had gone paler upon being with the Riders again.
He won’t trust me unless I prove that I’m on his side… the Techie realized. And that will only happen when I prove how much it means to me to have all four of us together again…
With this in mind, he urged Sam ahead of the Informant and Frodo, ahead of what he knew would be the truck, since the swerving betrayed its presence. Certain that he was in front, he rode across, trying to cut the truck off.
And the Informant forgot his temporary anger with the Techie as he saw what he was doing. The cry from his mouth was drowned out by the screeching of brakes, but the Techie and Sam remained standing, even though the tire tracks passed on both sides of him. The agent blinked, suddenly staring at the Inspector and the Messenger, and the stolen cows.
“Techie…!” the Messenger gasped. “You’re see-through!”
The Techie looked at himself, not really caring.
“Look, something’s really wrong,” he then said, looking back up at them.
“You think…!?” asked the Messenger, as the Inspector stared, stunned.
“No; not with me!” the Techie said, impatiently. “Something’s wrong with the Informant! He… There’s another him; he’s transparent, too, floating around him and saying all kinds of nasty things…” He held back a sob. “He’s given up on me; he’s not going to help me get my memories back anymore! That other Informant turned him against me! …But he’s right, I guess; I did put those Riders before him on the scale of what was important to me. I pushed him away; I deserve to have him mad at me…” The Techie trailed off as others exchanged horrified glances. The doppelganger was back!?
“So he was what I sensed…” the Inspector fumed. “We need to get out of here…”
“Let me try…” said the Techie, grabbing the handheld from the Inspector and holding it in his transparent hand. He wasn’t sure what he was doing; he was acting more on instinct than anything else. But within minutes, the Techie had the door opened and the truck uncloaked.
The Inspector and the Messenger immediately rode out with the Techie, glaring at the double, who still floated by the Informant.
“There…” the double said, quietly. “He’s just fine. And now he’s trying to turn the others against you…”
“Get out of here!” the Messenger yelled, shaking a fist at the double. “We have enough problems without you making things a hundred times worse--”
“Davis is getting away!” the Informant yelled, noticing the rustler and his flunky trying to abandon the truck. Some of the Phantom Riders were already bearing down on them, as more approached the double.
“Okay, okay!” said the Messenger, pleased to see the double beat a hasty retreat, but also concerned at stopping the Riders before they implemented their harsh disciplinary tactics on them. “They’re mortals; we’re mortal law enforcement-we’ll take it from here.”
“It takes a real idiot to try to kidnap detectives…” the Inspector said, with a roll of his eyes as they apprehended the thieves.
With the double gone, the Informant was beginning to snap out of his daze. He was still upset at all of his attempts at bringing the Techie memory back going nowhere. And seeing the Techie transparent, ready to join the Riders… It was too much.
“Are you crazy!?” the Informant yelled. “What were you thinking!? You couldn’t gotten hurt! And now… Now you’re really going to ditch us!?”
The Techie was about to say something-one final plea for his friend to help him once again.
He never got the chance. The leader of the Riders approached him.
“Well done, Thirteen,” he said. “As promised, you are now one of us. Come; we must go. Leave these mortals alone; we have much to do.”
The Techie glanced at him, and then at the Informant again. The boy was still visibly upset.
“I can’t stay…” the Techie whispered, crying. “I have to go with them.”
And now the Informant’s expression changed to one of shock and hurt.
“You’re right…” the Techie went on. “You tried your hardest to bring my memory back. But I kept pushing you away… I kept hurting you. I can’t let myself keep on doing that to you…!”
The other Riders were beginning to gallop away into the sky. The Techie watched them, and then looked back at the Informant. He did not want to leave. But he had to-for his own sake!
“Goodbye…” he said. “I hope you remember me… I wish I could’ve remembered you back…” With a sob, he urged Sam into the sky, following the other Riders.
“No…!” the Informant gasped. “NO!”
The Messenger and the Inspector looked up too late, seeing the Techie and the other Riders a few yards above the ground, and the Informant tearing after them with Frodo.
“Techie!” the Informant cried. “TECHIE!” Why had he let himself give up on someone who meant so much to him!?
“You didn’t need him,” his double purred. “So now you’ve lost him.”
“I won’t lose him!” the Informant vowed.
“Infy!” cried the Messenger, as he and the Inspector followed. “Be careful; that gorge is up ahead!”
The Techie looked back, hardly believing his eyes. The Informant… he was coming after him… trying to bring him back. He didn’t hate him… He didn’t want to say goodbye…!?
“Leave him, Thirteen,” one of the other Riders instructed. “You must leave him behind.”
The Techie glared at the other Riders as they started to ride over the gap of the gorge.
“I won’t… Not again! Never again!” he said. He turned back, startled to see the Informant leaping from the horse’s back in a last desperate attempt to reach him.
“No!” he exclaimed, reaching for his friend. “Grab on!”
But to the Techie’s utter shock and horror, the Informant’s hand went right through his own transparent hand. The Techie could only cry out as, for the second time in two days, the young agent went tumbling down the side of the ravine.
He cried out for his friend. What had he done!? Once again, by the Techie accepting his place with the Riders, the Informant had suffered. And now, in the dark, he couldn’t even see the boy, though he heard the splash as he landed in the stream again.
The Techie leaped from Sam, floating down into the stream.
“Where are you!?” He looked around frantically, finding no trace of him. And as his fruitless search continued, memories flashed through his head, one after another.
Meeting in Central Park… solving cases together… the Informant trying to cheer him up after the Techie had broken those expensive circuit boards… the Informant standing up for him…
The Techie gasped, a hand on his face. He remembered… He remembered everything!
He cried out again for his lost friend. This couldn’t be how it had to be… He could not regain his memories, only to lose the one who tried so hard to get them back!
The Inspector and the Messenger were calling for him and the Informant from the top of the ravine. They were trying to make their way down, he realized, but they’d never make it in time to help the lost agent.
He held back a sob as he realized that he couldn’t help the missing Informant, either. And although he saw his cherished friend break the surface of the water, his attempts to try to pick him up from the water failed. His transparent hands went right through him, unable to feel the cold water.
“Thirteen, what is the meaning of this?” the leader of the Riders asked.
“Put me back!” the Techie cried. “I have to save him! Please!”
The leader regarded him with an unreadable expression.
“If we were to put you back, you could not be one of us,” the leader replied. “We need you in the service of the Phantom Riders.”
“He needs me more than you do!” the Techie cried, not even looking at him, but still trying desperately to pull the Informant from the water.
The Riders murmured among themselves.
“He seems to remember his other life…” said one.
“He does not want to be one of us…” said another.
“He is just another mortal boy,” a third one agreed.
“We shall let him go…?” asked a fourth.
“But he knows our secrets,” said a fifth. “He knows where we are, and who we are…”
The Leader continued to stare at the Techie as he, oblivious to what the other Riders were saying, still attempted to get to the Informant.
“You have to hold on!” he cried. “The others are coming; they’ll help you!”
The Techie shivered; the water was terribly cold at night, and the jagged rocks were everywhere…
The brunet gasped. He could feel the water and the rocks… Did that mean…? He briefly looked at his hands. They were solid.
He cried out for his friend again, pulling the agent from the water at last. He held his surrogate brother close. “Please tell me you’re alright…”
The boy was definitely alive; he was trembling. But he seemed unconscious.
The Techie now turned to the other Riders, who were all staring at him with disappointment.
“You were never one of us…” the leader said. “You let your emotions get the better of you. You hold on to unimportant things.”
“I hold on to what’s important to me,” the Techie hissed.
The leader glanced at him, and then at the unconscious agent.
“Then I trust that you will look after the boy,” he said. “As well as never divulging our secrets. So long, Thirteen.”
The twelve Riders galloped away into the sky. The Techie watched them leave. He did not want to be one of them-not anymore… not when he had his memories intact, and especially not when his wanting to join the riders brought so much wanton pain to the Informant…
“It’s over…” he said. “I left them. My memories came back; I remember everything!” He hugged his friend close, looking up as the Messenger and the Inspector made their way to them.
“He’s had another bad spill down that stupid ravine…” sighed the Messenger, looking him over. “Come on; we’ve got to get him to shore and treat those wounds.”
“I’ll do it…” said the Techie, forlornly. “We can probably treat him better than the ACME infirmary can…”
The Inspector blinked; it was the first time that he had ever mentioned ACME.
“Techie…?”
The agent gave him a wan smile.
“Yes, I remember now…” he sighed. “Seeing him fall…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. But the others understood; the shock had brought his memory back.
The Informant stirred finally, opening his eyes. But then his expression darkened as he noticed the Techie, and the older agent, who had been so relieved and cheerful upon seeing his younger brother awaken, was taken aback, the smile fading from his face.
“You…?” the Informant fumed. “Why are you still here!? Why don’t you go off with your Rider friends; they’re the only ones who mean anything to you!”
“Infy!” the Messenger exclaimed, in horror. What was he saying!? Was he still that mad at the Techie for what he did!?
“No… That’s not it at all…” said the Techie. “I… I have my memories back because of you, and when I saw you fall… I knew I couldn’t be one of those Riders. I’m your brother, first and foremost…”
“Not anymore…” the Informant snarled, pushing him away. “I need a brother I can trust-one that I know won’t abandon me again!”
“I didn’t abandon you… I didn’t mean to…” the Techie began, but then he trailed off as he looked into the Informant’s eyes. And then he frowned. “You know, I said I have my memory back. And I meant that all of my memories are back.” He clenched a fist, recalling all of the events that had happened in the Amazon. “That’s how I know that you’re not the real Informant.”
The Inspector and the Messenger exchanged glances again. The double had vanished… but they never found out where he had vanished to!
The Techie was recalling how the Informant’s double had pretended to be him in the Amazon, trying to make him feel terrible. That was exactly what he was trying to do now-only he was trying to take over the real Informant to do so!
“I won’t let you have him!” the Techie yelled, seizing the Informant and holding him close. “Get out of him. GET OUT!”
“Let me go…” the boy hissed, trying to pull away from him. He could not stand the Techie’s embrace. He could not stand something so noble.
The Techie shook his head, and instead softly began to sing.
“You helped me all this time,” he said, determined. “I’m going to help you now be free of that creep.”
The Messenger and the Inspector also gave him words of encouragement to keep on fighting.
And the double hissed, unable to stand it… Unable to stand that camaraderie that he had been denied.
“They’re calling for me,” the real Informant hissed at him. “So leave me alone!”
“You won the battle,” the doppelganger warned. “But you have yet to win the war.”
He withdrew his spirit from the boy who resembled him so much, muttering as he fled. The Informant went slack in the Techie arms, and the older agent’s voice faltered, worried about what had happened to his true friend and brother.
“I’m so sorry…” he whispered. “This should never have happened to you…”
But then he gasped as he heard a weak voice reply him.
“It should never have happened to you, too… We should’ve been with you from the start…”
“Infy…?” the Messenger asked, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. The Inspector did the same.
The Techie just gasped, hugging him tightly. “It’s you… It’s the real you…”
The Informant trembled in his arms again, unworthy of being hugged by him.
“Techie…” he whispered. “I… I’m so sorry…”
“You’re sorry…?” the older agent asked, incredulously, glancing at the boy’s fresh wounds, in addition to the ones that had not healed from yesterday. “After what I’ve put you through, I’m lucky that the real you still wants to know me…!”
“I’m so sorry, Techie…” the Informant repeated. “I didn’t know why I said all those things… I don’t… I don’t think I was really ever mad at you. I was mad at myself for not being able to help you, and I just took out my frustration on you.” He hugged his surrogate brother, tightly. “And for that, I’m sorry. I should’ve known that you only wanted to call the Riders to help us…”
“I didn’t want you getting hurt…!” the Techie sobbed. “But now look at what happened. Because I was so ready to join those stupid Riders, you look like you’ve been through a…” He trailed off, staring at the Informant’s battered appearance. “You look like you’ve come back from one of your solo missions!”
The Informant just smiled weakly.
“Well…” he said. “At least I’m back. And so are you.”
The Techie smiled as he and the others group hugged.
Yes. They were all back together again-just as it should be.
Epilogue
While the Inspector and the Messenger wanted to help the Informant up the side of the ravine, the Techie insisted that he be the one to help the battered agent. And the Informant gratefully accepted his help.
“I’m lucky to know you, Techie…” he said, softly.
“And I’m lucky to remember knowing you,” the Techie replied, softly. A part of him would be in no hurry to forgive himself for everything he had put his friends and brothers through.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Techie,” said the Messenger, as the four horses greeted the Techie with affection. “All that matter is that you’re back, and…” He trailed off, his eyes widening as he saw no one near the truck. “Davis and his flunky… they’re gone!”
“What…!?” the Inspector exclaimed. “But we handcuffed them to the truck; how could they have escaped…?”
“They didn’t,” a new voice answered. “I’ve got them.”
The four agents turned to see the Rookie and Aragorn, with Davis and his right-hand man in custody. “More ACME agents are at Davis’ ranch, rounding up the last of them.”
The Informant managed a weak smile, still holding on to the Techie’s arm for support.
“And… I guess you’re here to round up the Messenger and the Inspector… and me…?”
“I’m supposed to be…” the Rookie sighed. “But I’m not going to.”
The others blinked, and flinched along with the Rookie as Schwemphf’s vehement protests could be heard from the receiver. Annoyed, the Rookie removed the device form his ear and tossed it aside.
“I was following you guys a lot longer than you realize; I had to after Wonder Rat ratted you out,” the Rookie explained. “I saw what you did, Techie. You had a tough decision-trying to see where your loyalties lay. And you chose right, the end. But it made me realize that I had to make the same choice. So my loyalty is with you guys. I mean… if you three hadn’t snuck over here, poor Techie would have no memories and really be one of the…” He trailed off, realizing that he was putting his foot in his mouth. “Sorry…”
“Rookie!” Schwemphf snarled. “I’m very, very disappointed in you.”
“That thing has surround sound?” asked the Messenger, staring at the device.
“No…” said the Rookie. And then his eyes widened. “Oh, no…”
The agents all turned to see two ACME helicopters nearby. One had its door opened, and Schwemphf was heading for them, livid at all of the insubordination that had gone on under his nose.
“So…” he said, glaring at Rookie. “You’re going to side with your buddies? Then you’ll have the same punishment as they’re going to get.”
The Rookie just glared at Schwemphf, and the Informant drew an arm around the youngest agent’s shoulder.
“All five of you are in serious trouble,” the substitute Chief said. “Yes, even you, Techie. What’s this I hear about you joining some vigilante group?”
“I had amnesia!” the Techie cried. “And furthermore, they were ghosts!”
“Please…” said Schwemphf. “You expect me to believe that? And as for you four…” He glared at the others. “I seem to recall telling you three that you would be dismissed from the agency if you set foot out of New York. And you, Rookie, were ready to willingly aid them.” He crossed his arms. “I wish it hadn’t come to this, but you left me no choice. Techie, you can be expecting a demotion, as well as a substantial paycut. And as for you four… You’re all fired.”
The Techie held the Informant close, about to apologize to his friends, but he was preempted by an authoritative, no-nonsense voice.
“I’ll do the firing around here, Mr. Schwemphf.”
The substitute Chief jumped as his superior appeared, the Recuiting Officer running right behind her.
“Chief…!?” Schwemphf asked, startled to see her. He glanced at the second helicopter, noticing it for the first time. “I…. uh… How was your meeting…?”
“Oh, my meeting went fine,” she said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ve been handling things at ACME the way I would’ve liked.”
“It’s their fault, Chief,” Schwemphf insisted, pointing to the agents. “They disobeyed orders… They disobeyed my orders and came here, and--”
“And,” said the Chief. “They upheld the ACME Triangle of Excellence, as I trusted they would. It took vigilance to find out where the Techie had vanished to. It took dedication to do whatever it took to bring him back. And it took courage to keep on going with the threat of you firing them looming in their minds.”
“You mean to tell me that you condone this insubordination…!?” Schwemphf gasped.
“We would have lost the Techie if they hadn’t gotten here in time,” the Chief said. “And it looks like we would’ve lost them all if I hadn’t arrived here.”
“Just in time!” the Recruiting Officer grinned.
“Good work,” said the Chief. She turned back to Schwemphf. “I’ll need to speak with you later when we get back to New York about rule enforcement policies, Mr. Schwempf. And in the meantime…” She turned back to the agents. “All of you are restored to your ranks; I override his order. And Rookie… I’ll see to your getting some real field assignments.”
The Rookie grinned as the others glomped each other in relief. They had their jobs intact. But more importantly, they had the Techie.
“But… what about the Mysterious Woman…?” the Rookie asked at last. “I think she deserves her dozen rods of gold after her helping us… But how do we get it to her?”
The Recruiting Officer worked it over in his head, smirking as he realized what she really wanted.
“We’ll just order her a bouquet of goldenrods,” he said.
“Goldenrods…” the Rookie repeated. “Oh, yeah… that’s what it was…!”
And everyone began to chuckle… except for Schwemphf and the crooks, of course.
*****************************
There weren’t that many loose ends to tie up in this case, the Informant realized. It was an open-and-shut case as far as Davis’ thievery was concerned, with some of his ranch hands willing to testify against him in order for a lighter sentence.
The cattle were returned to their rightful owners, and the Bradfords were equally relieved to have their cattle back as they were to hear of the Techie full recovery.
“Don’t make yourselves strangers now, y’hear?” Hank asked, clapping the Messenger on the back.
The agent had to catch his breath as the wind was slightly knocked out of him.
“We’ll be back,” he promised. “Those horses have grown on us; haven’t they?”
The Inspector gave him a deadpan glance that clearly read, “Speak for yourself…” That, in turn, prompted the Informant to go into his “City boys” speech again (a full-length version, this time), and the Techie was in full possession of his memory to enjoy it, especially since the recovery of his memories had led to him becoming an inexperienced rider again; Sam had suddenly developed a mind of his own. And the Rookie, who was hearing it for the first time, found it highly amusing, too.
“We look forward to see you again,” said Sarah, kissing the Techie on the cheek. The brunet blushed profusely, mumbling incoherently, and the Informant cracked up.
“Well,” sighed the young agent, between laughs, as they headed for the ACME helicopter, with Wonder Rat (since they had to press charges on him after returning to New York). “At least we don’t have to drive all the way back…”
“I can’t believe you guys drove all the way here for me…” the Techie said, with a shake of his head.
“Hey, we would’ve done anything,” said the Messenger. “Whether climb Mt. Everest, swim across the English Channel, or…” He trailed off, his eyes widening at a sight nearby.
“Well…” the Inspector mused, seeing Wonder Rat’s rat copter beside their own.
“They returned it…!” the Informant said, surprised.
“Guess Techie taught them some decency after all…” the Rookie said, with a shrug. The Techie just managed a sheepish smile.
“Look!” the Messenger exclaimed, pointing to a spot behind the copter.
“What is it; the Riders?” asked the Informant. He wasn’t sure he was ready to see them. And judging by the look on his face, neither was the Techie.
“I swear… I just saw a jackalope!”
There was a moment when no one said anything, which was followed by the sound of them cracking up all at once.
It felt good to laugh again.