Back on Earth, the Commissioner stood on top of WIPE headquarters, gazing into the sky. It had been almost 30 minutes since the building next door had set off towards the Moon, and still no sign of Lincoln’s safe return. It was beginning to look like…he wasn’t going to come back.
The Commissioner allowed himself a single tear for his new friend’s demise. He’d make sure that the hero would receive a good funeral. One with a massive hearse tour, open coffin in state, plenty of mourners. The full works. On second thought, perhaps not an open coffin. It wouldn’t be as effective without a body inside. He didn’t imagine quite as many people would want to see it.
“Poor Lincoln,” he sighed, shaking his head. He’d give his right arm, his fancy car…hell, even his precious pipe, just to find out if the stove-pipe-hatted saviour was alive. But sadly, it didn’t look like anything was going to show up in that clear blue sky. Just the Sun, and an albatross, and a small, building-like object getting steadily larger…
Wait a second…something wasn’t right here. Why would an albatross be out here in the desert? It must be very lost. Wait! Something even more out of place! A building come down from the sky! It could only be…
“Lincoln!”
Yes, the juggernaut of justice himself, Abraham Lincoln, was pushing the entire 24 stories of the 3dIM back down to terra firma. The Commissioner clapped and cheered as the President of Power placed the Moon transporter back in its original place.
“Ahoy, Commissioner!” Abe waved from the sky above.
“Ahoy, Lincoln!” the Commissioner waved back. “But how is this possible? I thought your Lincoln powers were gone.”
“Not gone, my friend. Only temporarily inactive. But now they’re back, and better than ever. Also they help me breathe in space, which is pretty neat.”
“Yes, yes it is. But where’s Booth?”
“Got away, I’m afraid. Would have stopped him, if it weren’t for a bullet in my chest. But don’t worry, I managed to stop his evil plan. Oh, speaking of which, I’ve got a little present for you!”
With that, he flew back into the 3dIM and emerged with a figure the Commissioner didn’t quite recognise at first. It appeared to be just your ordinary young man with a steel face. Was this really the best Lincoln could get as a present? He’d have preferred some tobacco, or at least some socks. Then, as Lincoln popped the lifeless body onto the roof, he recognised who it really was.
“Dynamite?! How did he get in there?”
“It turned out Booth was playing him like a sucker, old chum,” Abe explained. “Had him convinced that I was an enemy of all things good and right in this world. Like freedom, happiness and a damn good cheesecake. He almost landed a punch on me, and by ‘almost’ I’m being extremely generous.”
“Well he won’t be making an ass of himself where he’s going,” the Commissioner pulled his pistol from his holster, and aimed it at Dynamite’s shiny head.
“Wait, Commissioner!” Lincoln grabbed hold of the gun. “Despite being a complete ninny, he was only trying to do the right thing. We can’t kill him for that.”
“Hmm…” the Commissioner deliberated for a long, long time. “Oh, fine,” he said at last, reluctantly putting his piece away. “But my first act as the new commanding officer of WIPE is to fire this idiot immediately.”
“Congratulations on the promotion,” Lincoln smiled.
“Well, after the Director was revealed to be a fraud, the top brass needed someone to fill in. And as the most experienced candidate, not to mention the best looking, I guess I’ll have to do. ‘Course, with Booth still on the loose, and that demonic council he was always going on about hanging around out there somewhere, I’m going to have my work cut out for me.”
“Yes, but you won’t be alone, pal,” Abe held out his hand. “Consider me your number one agent…and partner.”
“I’m happily married, Lincoln.”
“I meant work partner.”
“Of course you did. Thank…partner.”
As the two comrades shook hands, Abe reflected on his thoughts from earlier. Yes, his old life had been a good one. And he had accomplished much already. But here was a chance to help out his country…his world in ways he’d never been able to before. And he wasn’t about to let the people down. Wherever there was struggle against tyranny, wherever freedom was being oppressed, wherever strange events were happening that needed the righteous fists of justice to sort out, the world would find its champion ready to take the call. It would always be able to depend on its hero…Abraham Lincoln
No comments:
Post a Comment