by Doc Quantum
A few minutes earlier, the curious Shape had led Rachel and Stacy into the familiar, darkened old laboratory behind Kevin Boyd’s house. This was Professor Duba’s lab, the place where the Shape had been born and where his earliest memories were made. As those memories flooded back, the girls noticed how distracted he had suddenly become.
“Shape?” asked Rachel. “You okay?”
“Oh… sure, sure,” the Shape replied, pulling himself out of his sad reverie. “Just remembering old times. Now, let’s keep playing hide and seek!”
Suddenly, all three of them froze in place as they heard a loud clanking sound, like metal being snapped. The Shape put a finger to his lips, shushing the girls, and hastily gestured for them to find a hiding spot.
Rachel and Stacy scurried behind a cluttered shelf as the metallic clank of the garage door lock being broken echoed through the large laboratory room. The artificial man focused his eyes on the source of the disturbance.
The garage door creaked open, revealing three miscreants behind the break-in: a brawny strongman, a short, mustachioed crook, and a wiry-looking cowboy. Armed with flashlights, they entered the lab like a trio of scavengers engaging in a brazen morning robbery on the outskirts of town.
“All right, boys, start grabbin’ anything that looks valuable!” the dapper-looking short man barked to the other two. “An’ be quick about it!” The room soon filled with the clatter of stolen scientific equipment being loaded into a moving truck parked just outside.
Amidst the chaos, the dapper man’s flashlight unwittingly spotlighted the odd figure of the Shape, a living crash-test dummy standing in a typical heroic pose, with feet wide apart and arms akimbo.
“What the–?!” the crook exclaimed. “Who the heck is this clown?”
“I am the action-hero known only as the Shape,” the artificial man declared with a hint of theatricality. “And you gentlemen are trespassing! I don’t think my friend Kevin would be too pleased if you took any of his rightful belongings.”
Undeterred, the dapper-looking crook merely narrowed his eyes and ordered the other two, “Drop that stuff an’ get ‘im, boys!”
The big ox named Bruno moved toward the Shape. “You think you can stop me?” The strong enforcer threw a haymaker that would have knocked out any normal man. Instead, the pliable hero twisted his neck at the last minute and dodged the punch.
“Nice try, pal,” cried the Shape. “But I’m no pushover!”
“Look at this bozo!” said the cowboy known as Nevada, who attempted to choke the hero from behind with a bundle of rope. Rather than let himself be choked out, the Shape simply disjointed his head and let it fall to the ground, where it quickly rejoined the rest of his rubbery form.
“Now that was just plain mean, pilgrim!” the Shape said, performing a fair approximation of the speech pattern John Wayne was known for. “What did I ever do ta you, ya low-down, back-bitin’ sidewinder?”
“This weirdo can’t take on all three of us together!” cried the short mustachioed man known as Dapper Dan. The three crooks then launched themselves at the Shape in a coordinated assault.
The Shape contorted into various forms — dodging, twisting, and morphing — but being outnumbered by the crooks proved overwhelming even for his nimble form.
In a choreographed beatdown from the gang of three, the Shape was eventually subdued under the relentless pummeling of his antagonists, who were intent on knocking him out lest he take them to jail.
“An’ that’s what you get for meddlin’, hero!” growled Nevada as he struck one final blow to the Shape’s head with a blackjack.
As the Shape lay defeated before them, Dapper Dan had an idea. “Hey, boys, why not bring ‘im with us? The Boss might have a use for this freak show,” he declared with a sly grin.
Unbeknownst to the crooks, Rachel and Stacy had observed the entire ordeal from their concealed nook behind a shelf. Shocked by his defeat but still determined to aid their newfound friend, they exchanged whispers.
“We’ve gotta help Shape!” Rachel insisted, her eyes gleaming with determination.
“Yeah,” Stacy said, nodding in agreement. “But what should we do?”
Rachel frowned in thought, then said to her little sister, “Let’s sneak into that truck.”
“Okay,” Stacy replied, and the two girls began sneaking through the lab unseen as the crooks continued loading stolen equipment into the truck.
As the crooks worked together to load a particularly large piece onto the truck, the two young sisters seized the opportunity to sneak into the cargo area, hiding themselves behind the scientific apparatus already packed away there. Oblivious to the stowaways, the crooks slammed the truck door shut and sped away into the night.
Inside the cramped space, Rachel and Stacy huddled close to the unconscious Shape. “We’re going to save you, Mr. Shape — we promise!” Rachel whispered, her eyes filled with bravery.
But the unconscious action-hero merely stirred in his sleep, dead to the world.
***
The snow-covered backyard, once echoing with playful laughter, was now completely deserted. “Girls?! Where are you?” Kevin Boyd called out, his voice tinged with growing concern.
Having noticed his distress, Angela Revere followed him through the house to the backyard. “Um… is everything all right, Mr. Boyd?” she inquired with concern.
Kevin’s heart beat wildly as he stood there in confusion. “My — my daughters are missing!” he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic. “My girls were just out here playing with the Shape, and now — now they’re just gone!”
“The Shape?” Angela repeated, her eyes widening. “That action-hero? I heard about him on the news once or twice.”
“Oh, shoot,” Kevin said, wincing as he realized he had inadvertently revealed the Shape’s presence. Still, that was the least of his worries now. “Yeah, the Shape was here, but now he’s gone, along with my girls!”
Placing a calming hand on Kevin’s trembling shoulder, Angela said reassuringly, “Don’t worry, we’ll find them. Now let’s stop and think calmly. Where is the most likely place they might be that you haven’t checked yet?”
Taking a deep breath, Kevin tried to gather his racing thoughts. “They love hiding, especially from me. They could be anywhere!”
Panic set in as Kevin scanned the yard again but found no trace of the girls or the Shape, except for a few scattered footprints in the snow. His mind raced, contemplating where they could be.
Glancing over at the adjoining doorway that led into his uncle’s old laboratory, Kevin snapped his fingers. “The lab!” he exclaimed suddenly. “They might be in the old laboratory behind the house.”
“Your uncle’s old laboratory?” Angela clarified.
“If I’ve told those girls once, I’ve told them a thousand times not to go anywhere near that old lab!” he grumbled, his voice trembling with worry as he moved toward the doorway.
As they entered the adjoining building, the old door creaked open, revealing an eerie darkness within.
“Rachel…? Stacy…? Shape…?” Kevin called out, his voice echoing through the vacant laboratory. He hit the light switch, but none of the lights turned on. “Dammit! I should’ve switched out the bulbs months ago! Can’t see a thing in this dim light!”
Angela followed him in and glanced around, looking almost as concerned as he was. “We’ll find them, don’t worry. Let’s split up and search.”
As they carefully combed through the dusty lab, shadows danced ominously across the walls. However, neither the girls nor the Shape were anywhere to be found.
Instead, evidence of stolen equipment was to be found everywhere, with heavy dust upon the floor disturbed by several large footprints. Moreover, the garage door had been left partially open, and pieces of the severed lock lay scattered on the ground outside.
“What the heck happened here?” Kevin cried in outrage. “Who would break into my lab and steal everything in sight?”
Angela Revere, looking remorseful and teary-eyed, decided to confess. “Mr. Boyd — Kevin — I… I have to tell you something. It’s about my uncle.”
Kevin looked confused. “What would your uncle have to do with my uncle’s lab?” he asked, almost laughing at the odd remark that seemed irrelevant to the situation.
Angela sighed. “My uncle is… Doctor Spectro.”
Kevin frowned. “Doctor Spectro, the super-villain? What does he have to do with this?”
Angela began to sob as she confessed, “H-he forced me to come here and falsely extend an offer from Kord to buy your scientific equipment, b-but I never realized until now that he just wanted to use me as a distraction while his gang broke in and looted the whole lab! And I certainly never wanted you or your daughters to get hurt!”
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Kevin cried. “I thought you were just a nice, pretty girl at my doorstep, but it turns out you’re some kind of grifter?! Your uncle’s gang might have taken my little girls!”
“I’m so sorry, Kevin,” Angela said desperately. “My uncle has been living with me for the past few months, and it’s been miserable. He’s terribly ill and much too scared of the law to venture out. He’s been pressuring me to help him steal things that might restore his powers and cure himself. He even made me steal from my office.”
Kevin’s expression softened slightly, but he still felt a mixture of outrage and disappointment. “Well, ‘Angela’ — if that is your real name — you should’ve just gone to the police instead of helping your crooked uncle with anything! Now my daughters could be in danger! I’ve got to go after them.”
Angela reached out to touch Kevin’s arm, pleading with tears in her eyes. “Please, Kevin, don’t go alone. We can find them together. I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. Just don’t put yourself in danger.”
Kevin hesitated, torn between his anger and concern for his daughters. “No,” he said resolutely. “I need to get my daughters back, and there’s no time to lose! Now, where do you live? I’m assuming your uncle’s gang is off to meet with him at your house.”
After Angela relayed the address, she grasped his arm again and said, “Kevin, please reconsider. I don’t want you to get hurt. This is a dangerous situation. We need help. We should call the police, or even better — Blue Beetle. He could help us.”
Kevin huffed, dismissing her suggestion with a wave of his hand. “Blue Beetle? That flashy hero wouldn’t know the first thing about rescuing my girls. I’m their father, and it’s up to me to protect them.”
“Then let me come with you!” Angela insisted.
Shaking his head, he replied, “I can’t take a chance on trusting you, Angela. I’m going there alone, and that’s final!” Kevin shook off her arm and stormed off. “And try not to steal anything else while I’m gone!” he called over his shoulder as he jumped into his beat-up old Subaru parked on the street, leaving Angela standing alone beneath the garage door.
Angela’s face fell, and she looked devastated. “Please be safe, Kevin,” she whispered.
As she watched him disappear down the empty street on the outskirts of town, she wiped away her tears and took a deep breath, determined to make amends, even if it meant admitting everything she had done.
Reentering Kevin’s house, Angela began pacing back and forth, her face filled with worry. She took a deep breath, realizing she needed to make a difficult decision. Finally reaching for the phone on the wall, she dialed a number. The phone rang, and a confident-sounding male voice answered.
“Ted Kord here.”
“Mr. Kord?” Angela said nervously. “This is Angela Revere.”
“Angie?” replied Ted cheerily. “Merry Christmas! Tell me, how can I help my favorite secretary on Christmas Day?”
“I’m afraid this is urgent.” Angela sighed deeply, then blurted out, “My uncle is Doctor Spectro, and he’s been living at my house for months now, and he made me steal electronics and other stuff from work, and now he’s sent his gang to Kevin’s uncle’s laboratory to steal everything in sight, and they might also have taken his two little girls, and now Kevin is about to face off alone against Doctor Spectro and his gang at my house, and I’m terrified he’s going to get hurt or worse! Is there anything you can do?”
The phone was silent for several moments as Ted Kord processed all this information at once.
“Mr. Kord?” Angela said hesitantly.
“I… think I understand the immediate situation, Angela. I’ll do everything in my power to help, and we can talk about the rest later. Let me contact a friend of mine who’s a bit more experienced in dealing with these types of situations.”
Angela’s eyes brimmed with tears as she felt a glimmer of hope. Relieved, she replied, “Thank you, Mr. Kord. I knew I could count on you.”
***
In downtown Hub City, Ted Kord hung up the phone in his office and quickly made his way to the secret underground headquarters beneath his scientific laboratory. Descending into the hidden lair, he changed into the iconic blue action-hero costume he wore as the Blue Beetle. The Bug, a sleek flying craft equipped with state-of-the-art scientific gadgets, awaited him at the pilot’s seat.
“Doctor Spectro, eh?” the Blue Beetle muttered to himself. “He’s given Captain Atom some trouble in the past, but I’ve never faced him one-on-one before. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem, though. After all, how hard can it be to beat a human flashlight?”
Now fully transformed into the Blue Beetle, Ted strapped himself into the pilot’s seat. The Bug hummed to life, its advanced technology ready for action. He set the coordinates for Angela’s house, which he had quickly looked up and memorized during the phone call, and took off into the bright morning sky.
***
The living room of the suburban house-turned-hideout bore witness to the aftermath of a successful heist. Stolen scientific equipment cluttered the dimly lit space as three crooks carefully placed a large crate on the floor.
Looking around, Dapper Dan said, “Boss, we got the stuff — everything you asked for.”
Nevada nodded his cowboy hat-wearing head. “Yep. Wasn’t all that easy, but we managed to snatch it fer ya without too much of a hitch.”
“An’ we even brought youse a li’l bonus!” added Bruno, smirking as he carried in the unconscious form of the Shape.
The door creaked open, revealing Doctor Spectro adorned in a lab coat. Anticipation gleamed in his eyes as he entered the room.
“Finally, my time has come,” he whispered hoarsely, regarding the artificial man with curiosity as Bruno laid the Shape upon a table. “Come, show me what else you’ve brought.”
As the crooks unveiled the stolen scientific equipment from the crate, Spectro’s eyes ignited with excitement. “You have brought me the Spectroscopic Neutrino Regenerator as I requested?” he inquired, peering closely at the device.
Dapper Dan nodded. “Yep!”
“Excellent!” Doctor Spectro exclaimed, grinning. “I had hoped that Professor Duba’s equipment, some of which once created the Shape, could restore my light-based powers. But having the Shape himself is even better! With his artificial body at my disposal, I will surely find a cure for my own diseased body.”
“What’s wrong wit’ you, anyway, Boss?” asked Dapper Dan. “You been acting strange lately.”
With a sigh, Doctor Spectro explained, “I have an unknown disease that’s slowly killing me. If I cannot find a cure soon, I won’t have much time left.” He grinned as he peered over the form of the Shape and added, “However, with the Shape at my disposal, his artificial form may be the answer to all my worries!”
“That’s rough, Boss,” said Nevada. “But how does this bozo fit into all this?”
Doctor Spectro’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at the unconscious Shape lying on the nearby table. “The Shape possesses the ability to manipulate his own matter,” he said, pondering the possibilities. “And if the rumors are true, that ability of his was originally derived from light itself. If I can harness that power for myself, it might just be the cure for my disease.”
Raising an eyebrow, Bruno asked, “Are ya plannin’ ta steal da Shape’s power? What if dat don’t work, Boss?”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Spectro replied, determined. “I’ll do whatever it takes to save myself.”
Uneasy glances were exchanged among the crooks, uncertain of the consequences of his plan.
“Boss, uh, are you sure about this?” asked Dapper Dan. “What if somethin’ goes wrong?”
“Oh, don’t worry, boys — you’ll get paid either way,” drawled Doctor Spectro, guessing the cynical reason behind Dan’s apparent concern. “But I have no other choice. This is my last hope. We’ll proceed cautiously, but we must act quickly.”