PS238 Room 8

"In other news today, the police are warning citizens that there have been a rash of house-break ins and robberies. Please be advised to keep your windows and doors locked when you leave and when you are in your house. Events have been reported ranging from all over the city..."

----

"Hey Tidy! You got a request pick up over on 36th!"

"What's the package?" 'Tyson' hefted his bike over one shoulder and a messenger bag over the other, jogging up to the dispatch kiosk.

"No saying, just that you're to get there to pick it up." Neal, the current shift and dispatch supervisor shrugged, Tidy Tyson always had to ask who he was going to and from sometimes. He just chalked it up to the guy wanting to keep his nose clean. Some outfits for couriers ended up with some damn shady characters, and it wasn't always worth the extra scratch for the trouble. "They asked for you specifically. Guess you're making a name for yourself over in that part of town."

"Well, if a good name'll earn me some more good clean money...can't save enough, you know?"

"Hey, ain't you worried about your place, with all these break ins goin on?"

"Nah, I live in too poor a part of town, this Calgary Catburglar's only been hitting middle class places and upwards." Tyson snorted, reading over his other morning deliveries. "Sides that, my bike's the most expensive thing I own."

"...yeah about that..."

"What? I modified it."

"Most people don't modify a Schwinn B-9."

"....so? Look, all I did was fix up the chain on a busted model and made the front and rear crowns to hold a wider tire, and adjust the handlebars." Tyson gave Neal a look. "Nothing illegal, couple of the other guys've done it. Makes for tires that handle the snow and ice better."

"Whatever you say peaches. Don't be late with that sheet."

"Later Neal." Tyson was already out the door, swinging on a helmet and getting his bike down into the slush of the snow.

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"Also in the community news today, Martin Thadgradger, age 54, leader of the Veteran's Support Society, suffered from some sort of collapse in his home today. He is in the hospital at this time, as doctors are looking for a cause to his sudden breakdown. Friends and family members wishing for support can visit the.."

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"Mr. Reeves, you are impeccable with your timing and delivery as ever."

"Thank you sir," Tyson smiled and bowed with a slight semi-formal salute to the cleanly dressed man. "I hope to be of service to you in the future."

"Perhaps you will, I have friends who could always use your...unique talents in the future. In the meantime, have a good day, here is your tip."

"...Thank YOU sir,!" He exclaimed looking from the wad of 10's in Mr. Goldschtein's outstretched hand. "I'll remember this."

"Yes, I'm sure you will." The man smiled, closing the door and watching Tyson 'Tidy' Reeves as he got back onto his bike and made his way speedily down the street to his next assignment. "Well, your thoughts on him as a footsoldier?"

"...an improper place for someone with such obvious intelligence and devotion to the cause, but we'll see if he is true later. You're quite certain he's the burglar?"

"Quite. I had him studied for being a...lesser soldier, until I noticed an odd correlation between his delivery stops, and who was robbed. It's just speculation, but it is interesting."

"We'll see how he fares...would he strike us?"

"Never, too loyal to the party."

"Hrrm. We could use someone like him. Have him watched closely."

"Yes, sir."


Outside Tyson smiled, three blocks away as he recieved every word from the rapidly dissolving radio transmitter. There would be no trace that he had heard every word of that conversation...at all.

Dear journal,
Miss Squirrel's offering to teach me how to box today, since I have a lot of free time around the lair...

"Okay now just put your feet like this and keep your weight on the balls of your feet, Short Pants."

"Kay." Obediently Tyler did so moving closer to the punching bag set up on a spring and looking towards the fearless fighting female for further guidance.

"Awright now just lean forward and give that punching bag a good left jab."
-phunt!- -sproooong- "Hey I-"
-grooonk- -thunt!- -thump-

Tyler looked at the punching bag on his butt, bewildered with a glove-covered hand going to his right eye.

"Uhh..Boss? We got any icepacks?"

Dear journal,
I've been here over two weeks now. I miss TV and books so much right now. I caught myself wishing Cecil or even Zodon were here.

So far no luck on the coaster portal working yet, but they keep saying give it time.

Meanwhile I've been exploring the Lair and some of the caves whenever Miss Squirrel and Mr. Red Panda have both been out. So far nothing much except for some tubes and the workshop, which has a lot of gizmos and other things in it that might be interesting later.

Soon as they're out I'm going to take a flashlight and start exploring the caverns and tunnels.

Tyler, while being very well-behaved and trustworthy for a child his age and size, does have limits to his patience and his ability to put up with the same routine day after day. After the moment he doesn't hear either of the masked do-gooders talking in the lair or in any space where the sounds would carry to it. Scooping up his backpack he started along one of the tunnels to see where it'd come out.

After an examination at the musuem, it wasn't long before Tyler was politely blindfolded and put into the backseat of the car. It isn't anything new, and he really understands the need for secrecy, even if currently he has all the directional and navigational ability of a drunk seagull in this town, the duo DOES need to keep their lair (or is it lairs?) a secret.

He's still trying to figure out everything else aside from getting home in his head as the drive starts, going over the times in his head. He left in the afternoon, was still on afternoon time when it was late-night in Toronto and unfortunately despite Constable Parker's best efforts, he didn't sleep well last night.

Suffice to say, the boy is jetlagged to heck and back as the adrenaline rush of finding out his friend is ok wears off.

Which is why, much later (after another musical sting) the boy is fast asleep in the back of the car and snoring into his elbow as the car pulls into the lair.

For several moments Tyler waited, watching the shadows and the hallway for any signs that the police officer was coming back at all to talk to him. After a few minutes he was entirely certain that the coast was clear.

Never in all of his life had he been so very grateful that he'd gotten a backpack with more secret compartments than a chinese puzzle box. He dug around, fingers brushing past the daffy putty egg and it's controller, and the keychain that activated the armor boost, until his hands found the compact long-distance communicator and headset. He had no idea what the range on this thing was in this world but...he had to at least try.

He checked once again to see if anyone in the shadows, windows, or hallway was watching before he flipped open the little video screen and tucked the bluetooth set into his ear.

...here goes nothing.

He tried turning the dial until he didn't get as much static anymore...

"Hello? Mr. Revenant?"

Nothing...except more static.

"Mr. Revenant...come in please..."

Again...nothing.

"Mr. Creepy guy from the castle?"

"...Hall of mirrors?"

"...anybody?"

Finally something did come in..and Tyler strained to hear what was being said, hoping it was someone..anyone.

~Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gal.... !!~








For a while he listened to what was coming in over the communicator...before turning it off, closing it up and tucking it back into the backpack. Then he hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face in them talking to himself very quietly, trying not to freak out and cry.

He had never felt more alone. ...no. He had once. But he was well and truly alone here.

"I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer, the spark-destroyer that brings total obliteration. Where fear leads I do not follow; where fear forbids, I go as needed. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain...."