It was the holiday season, with the city decorated seemingly from top to bottom. There was a Christmas tree in the centre square that was several stories tall, covered with tinsel and glowing multicoloured lights, and similar lights blinked all over town. There were also numerous mechanical reindeer and snowmen, and individuals dressed as Santa Claus rang bells on street corners and outside of shops, many collecting money for charities in order to help needy children to get presents, and impoverished families to enjoy a good meal. Neither was the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa neglected, and if one were to look closely enough, one could even find the occasional Hanukkah menorah.
Nevertheless, there was at least one location in which the seasonal cheer had not at all penetrated, for on the particular evening in which our weird tale begins a rather strange event was transpiring in a certain secret site underneath the city. It was in a large sub-cellar painted completely black and lit only by a couple of dim lanterns. In the centre of this grotesque chamber was a table covered with a black silken cloth, on which was a bizarre object obviously quite hoary with age -- an object made of iron in the shape of a cruel battle-axe.
Behind this darksome table stood two individuals, one a man seemingly of middle years, his face still showing signs of handsome distinction despite being marked with the results of lifetimes of extreme unmitigated evil. His hair was long and dark, and his countenance decorated with a thin moustache and goatee. Most of all, his pale eyes shone with an absolute hypnotic glare. He was clad in an ebon business suit with a long red necktie.
The other was an insanely voluptuous adolescent girl with raven hair, pale skin, and luminous blue green eyes. Her mouth was painted like an inviting scarlet gash, and she wore only a bikini top, a leathern miniskirt, and spike heels that made her appear much taller than her actual height.
Peering intently at the object on the table, the man spoke, “It is mine. At long last, it is mine. It is mine, and I shall use its power to rule this world.”
“What did you say it was, Father?” enquired the girl, absently curling her hair with her fingers.
“I have already told you what it is, Anastasia. It is none other than the Axe of Romulus, the first King of Rome.”
“Rome? Isn’t that near Milan? I love Milan!”
“This has nothing to do with modern Italian cities,” replied the man with a note of annoyance. “The ancient Roman power is entirely its own, Romulus himself having been a scion of the Olympianoids, and the Axe being that which he used to conquer -- and which became infused with his own alien essence. It is this essence that I, Magister Don Wingus of Algol, shall now reenergise and utilise to take my rightful place as supreme dictator of all!”
With this pronouncement, a strange blood-red glow began to emanate from the ancient battle-axe, a glow that pulsated and grew steadily in power.
“It’s working!” cheered Anastasia Wingus. “Father, it’s working!”
“Yes, it is,” exulted the evil Don Wingus, with the tone of utter madness deepening in his voice. “The powers of the very Axe of Romulus are mine, and I shall soon become ruler of all creation. I shall finally take the power that justly belongs to me, and I shall take my due position as the supreme ruler of all -- and no one shall stand before me! No one!” …
My name is Doctor Daniel Rumanos. I carry within my blood the vastly superior genes of the legendary Watchers of Algol, the most intellectually advanced race in all of the known galaxies, whose technology is so sophisticated it appears to be miraculous to lesser beings.
Whilst most Algolites live in elitist seclusion from the rest of the Universe, I am an operative for an organisation known as the KOSMIKOS. Assisted by the beautiful Miss Millie Drake, I protect Earth from all manner of menace. I am -- The Daemon-Star!!! …
“By the Spires of Daemonia!” I swore. “It was indeed the Axe of Romulus that was stolen from the Oddities Museum!”
“Romulus?” queried Millie Drake. “You mean the legendary founder of Rome, like in the mythological story of Romulus and Remus??”
We were in our downtown headquarters, located as it is inside the golden trapezoidal roof of a certain skyscraper, filled with scientific equipment and with artefacts gleaned from our adventures across Time and Space. I was clad in my usual finery, including a frilled poet shirt, purple velvet suit, and jungle boots. My panama hat and opera cape hung from a near by hallstand, and a brightly lit eight-branched menorah shone close by.
Millie Drake is an exceedingly beautiful young lady; petite and perfect with luxurious chestnut hair, sun-kissed skin, and lovely violet eyes. The flowered dress she wore only served to highlight the soft shape of her slender teenage figure.
Also near by was Kit-10, our mobile personal computer that resembles nothing more or less than a small mechanical cat. She was quite busy at the moment, with a sound like unto a contented purring issuing forth from her as she sat connected; recharging and updating her systems from the main computer hard-drives.
“The very same,” I said in answer to Millie’s query. “Romulus, who conquered the Italian peninsula in the eighth century before the Common Era. He was said to be the son of one of the alien visitors from the planet Olympiana, that immensely powerful race -- distantly related to own Algolitish ancestors -- who became the ‘gods’ of the ancient Greeks and Romans.”
“So the weapon that he used would have some sort of powers,” said Millie.
“Indeed so. The Axe of Romulus was aid to have glowed blood red when he used it in battle -- this leading to the belief that his extraterrestrial father was actually the god of war himself.”
“But these powers must have vanished long ago, right? I mean, they weren’t ever seen when it was on display at the museum.”
“They were not, and neither was there any note of them by the private collector of Italian antiquities who left it to the museum in his estate will,” said I, absently touching the Star of David necklace I wore, “but that does not mean that the powers are no more. Someone with certain mentalist abilities could reactivate them. You see, when the relic was on display at the Oddities Museum, there was no way of knowing if it was truly the Axe of Romulus. But now that it has been stolen -- and by a burglar or burglars with the ability of disabling the security cameras and to brutality to stab the night-time guard to death -- it has become obvious that there is some reality to the legends concerning the object after all.”
“At least the burglars believed there to be,” added Millie. “But who could think themselves to have the abilities needed to reactivate and use the powers of the Axe of Romulus? Oh my gosh! Do you think it could be… ?”
“Now now, Mills,” I admonished. “Let us be careful that we do not speculate too much until we have more facts concerning the case, hmmm? What we need to do is to locate where the Axe has been taken, and then we can…”
“Oh my goodness, Daniel!” suddenly interrupted Millie Drake in horror. “Look! Look at that!!”
I turned to see what my friend was indicating, and beheld an eldritch horror indeed, forsooth a thing of unmentionable terror and nightmarish fear beyond any sane imagining. It was an huge mass of pulsating blood-red energy that had appeared hovering in the centre of our chamber, accompanied with a sensation of utter dread, and it was even now rushing straight to-wards us!
I quickly moved to shield Millie from the onrushing horror. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the strange mass of energy then vanished, taking with it the feeling of impending doom that its very presence had brought with it.
“What was that thing, Daniel?” asked Millie Drake, recovering from her fear.
“It was a type of Olympianoid energy,” I explained. “The very type that would be generated from the Axe of Romulus. The person or persons who have stolen it have indeed managed to activate its powers.”
“Daniel, look at Kit-10!” Millie then cried.
I went over to inspect our robotic cat friend. Her head was drooping, and there was no longer any sign of her systems running.
“By the Triple Star!” I swore. “Kit-10 has been drained of her energy by the very presence of the Romulus powers. It is a residual affect of the same feeling of dread that we experienced. The Axe must be powerful indeed to have done this even when she was attached to the computer banks.”
“Poor Kit-10,” lamented Millie. “Will she be okay?”
“There does not appear to be any permanent damage. She should become functional again in time. In any event, we have to find the location of the Axe of Romulus. The next use of it will likely be far more devastating than this mere show of bravado.”
“Is there a way to locate it?”
“The main computer should be able to trace from whence the energy was emanating,” I replied, looking at the central console view-screen. “Ah, there it is. According to this, the energy was sent from a location on Sergeant Street, several blocks west of here. That will be where we shall find the Axe of Romulus, along with the criminals who have it in their possession. It is at a place called Asia Milan.”
“Asia Milan?”” repeated Millie Drake. “What is that?”
“It is -- or rather, was -- one of those ‘fusion’ restaurants, in this case combining Chinese and northern Italian cuisine. It did not last long before filing bankruptcy and going out of business, and has now been shuttered for some time.”
“We need to get over there right away!” added Millie.
“Quite so,” I agreed, fetching my hat and coat whilst Millie donned a smart holiday-coloured sweater. “The Sun is setting, and the powers of darkness will be all too strong. Since the dreadful energies of the Axe of Romulus have already been activated, there is no time to lose!” …
A short time later, Millie Drake and I arrived at the location on Sergeant Street. We could tell even from outside that the restaurant was completely abandoned and in great disrepair. We realised that the old dining and kitchen areas were much too exposed to be utilised as a criminal hideout.
“They must have taken the Axe to some basement area, hmmm?” I pondered as we investigated the exterior of the abandoned Asia Milan eatery. “We shall have to ascertain as to where…”
It was then that I noticed something; something terrible indeed. It was a large knife that had been thrown in our direction, and it was flying directly to-wards Millie Drake’s heart!
It was only due to my superior Algolitish reflexes that Millie was saved from the knife. I moved her out of the way just in time for it to fly past her and then to clatter onto the concrete several metres distant.
It was then that we beheld a female figure clad in a bikini top and miniskirt quickly retreating into the Asia Milan restaurant building.
“Daniel!” said Millie. “Isn’t that… ?”
“Anastasia ‘Stacy’ Wingus,” I completed. “We need to get after her!”
Millie Drake and I accordingly followed the evil girl as she attempted to vanish down a staircase leading far underground, into a sub-cellar of the restaurant building. We soon found ourselves in a chamber lit only by two dim lanterns. At its centre was a table covered with a black silk cloth -- and on the table was the Axe of Romulus itself, which was already pulsating with the dreadful blood-red Olympianoid energy!
Stacy Wingus had by now joined another figure behind the table. It was a man clad in a black business suit and with a look of absolute sardonic evil on his face. It was a visage I knew all too well, for it was the face of my oldest and most dangerous enemy, the renegade Algolite who has become the most wanted criminal in all of Time and Space.
“Don Wingus!” I said his name. “I should have known it was you from the start. So you did escape from the Szepasszony, and have reunited with you daughter Anastasia in order to steal the Axe of Romulus.”
“Quite so, Rumanos,” admitted Wingus. “Quite so. My little cutie here did away with the guard at that museum. She has indeed become quite adept with the knife.”
“I noticed,” said Millie Drake.
“Wingus, you old fiend,” I charged. “You cannot utilise the powers of the Axe of Romulus. They are ancient and chaotic. They are the very essence of war, and can easily destroy any unworthy to wield them.”
“You shall find that I have already proven my worthiness to wield the Olympianoid war powers,” returned Don Wingus. “The powers are mine, and I shall use them to become master of all!”
With this, the blood-red energies began to increase, rising up into the air in the centre of that darksome subterranean chamber. With them was a feeling of utter dreadful horror. Then, as they reached a sudden crescendo, the energies suddenly shot directly to-wards Millie and me!
“This is your ending, Rumanos!” exulted Don Wingus, his voice like unto a symphony of utter madness. “Now you will die!!”
Is it possible, my dear friends and most appreciated readers, that you can even commence to understand the extreme unmitigated horror, forsooth the complete and total unnameable terror of this grotesque situation? There we were, the lovely Miss Millie Drake and me -- Doctor Daniel Rumanos. There we were, facing the evil intergalactic villain known to eternal damnation as Magister Don Wingus, along with his dangerously-seductive and murderous young daughter, Anastasia. There we were, as the aforesaid master criminal wielded the arcane powers of the ancient and storied Axe of Romulus against us -- powers that manifest themselves as a pulsating blood-red energy like unto an animated crimson stain; in truth a deadly force that even now was rushing directly in our direction!
“You will die now, Rumanos!” repeated the wicked Don Wingus. “You will die by the powers of the Axe of Romulus -- powers that I shall then go one to use in my conquest of planet Earth!”
The blood-red energies emanating from the ancient Axe of Romulus had by now begun to swirl around Millie Drake and me, approaching us closer and closer with their potentially lethal powers. We already felt the affects of their close proximity to us, with a certain sensation of pain and anguish as of one conquered in war. With this, we felt ourselves beginning to sink into unconsciousness -- in sooth a faint from which I knew we might never recover.
“And now, Rumanos,” said Don Wingus amidst peals of his sick insane laughter, “You and your assistant shall die!!”
“Father, please don’t do this,” suddenly interrupted Anastasia Wingus. “Please don’t hurt Doctor Rumanos anymore. I want him. In fact, I’m a big fan of his! Please don’t kill him. Just let me have him when you come into your new kingdom, okay?”
“Stacy, you clueless concubine!” shouted Don Wingus in anger whilst slapping his daughter hard across the face. “I have told you so many times how utterly sick and tired I am of your sexual obsession with that ridiculous Daniel Rumanos!”
I then noticed that the Olympianoid energies whirling around Millie and me now seemed unfocused. I quickly touched the Magen David necklace I wore and raised my voice in a certain ancient incantation.
“Nes Gadol Haya Sham!!” I prayed. “Nes Gadol Haya Sham! Nes Gadol Haya Sham!”
The holy prayer had an immediate affect, causing the Olympianoid energies to reverse course and, in stead of pummelling Miss Millie Drake and me, to head directly to-wards the evil Don Wingus and his daughter!
The energies quickly then surrounded them. I heard Anastasia scream in terror and Don Wingus bellow in outrage.
“No! You cannot do this to me!” he shouted with a tone of indignation. “I am Magister Don Wingus, the rightful ruler of all! The powers of the Axe of Romulus should be mine to command! No! No! You cannot do this! I… I… !”
Moreover with this, the power completely surrounded and engulfed Don Wingus and Stacy, a few moments later simply blinking out of existence, taking the two criminals with it. I looked upon the table and saw that the Axe of Romulus itself was also no more, with only a slight pile of rubble denoting that it had ever even been there.
“Are you all right, Millie?” I queried concernedly.
“I’m fine now,” she replied. “But… what happened?”
“Wingus being distracted weakened the focus of the energies enough that I was able to recover from their effects and then to utilise the ancient Hebrew invocation to command their reversal -- therefore turning the powers of the Axe of Romulus against Don Wingus himself! The necessary show of power also caused the remains of the ancient Axe to disintegrate.”
“So the evil is gone now.”
“Happy Holidays, my dear Millie,” I smiled.
“Happy Holidays, Daniel,” returned the young lady. “So, do you think Don Wingus was destroyed, or will we have to deal with him again?”
“It is likely that the power of the Axe of Romulus took him and his daughter out of existence,” I pondered, “but he has indeed escaped before from similar things. We shall see, hmmm? We shall see. As for now, I know of a local kosher restaurant that is offering a nice late Hanukkah dinner, including brisket and potato latkes, and those excellent jelly donuts for dessert. We can join them in the festivities.”
“That sounds wonderful, Daniel!” cheered Millie with a lovely smile, and indeed it was.
***** DANIEL RUMANOS AND MILLIE DRAKE SHALL RETURN
