Courage Under Fire

 

Table of Contents

Chapter 1—Stan’s Birthday

Chapter 2—'Shut the Front Door, THE Mavin Bellwether ?’

Chapter 3—Deke Ether, Fraudster Extraordinaire

Chapter 4—Sloppy and Thoughtless

Chapter 5—‘You’re In Trouble !’

Chapter 6—Strength in Numbers

Chapter 7—Justice Is Served

Chapter 8—‘I Baked You A Cake !’

Epilogue

 

 

 

Chapter 1—Stan’s Birthday

                Marvin tended to be forgetful when it came to important dates since he was always busy busting perps and swiftly putting them behind bars.    His arrest record had nearly doubled since Mavin had been recruited.   They worked together like a finely oiled machine, and things had been remarkably quiet in Grimberg, much to everyone’s surprise.  

                ‘Hey, Marv !   Did you remember Stan’s birthday ?  It’s this weekend.  Kid’s turning into a teen !’, Mavin said, in a whisper.   Stan was less and less haunted by Mr. Flesh and becoming more interested in the paranormal.    He was hoping to get involved in forensics, since it didn’t make his stomach turn and he could handle talking to just about anyone.   Only recently, he started hanging out with a bit of a ‘bad girl’ named Kat.   Marv was concerned about his son and the delinquency she was leading him to do but Stan seemed to have a magnetism when it came to the ladies.   

                ‘Well, fudge.’, Marvin swore.   He couldn’t keep him from Kat, and he had no clue what he liked as an adolescent because he was so horribly out of touch with him, but Mavin was the coolest gal in the precinct, and she was fine with having Kat and Stan hang out at the carnival.  

                ‘She’s actually not all that bad.   She only acts that way with the Heathers in his grade.   Eventually she’s going to stand up for herself.’, Mavin said, reassuring him.   The idea for him to show off his newfound might to Kat was actually brilliant.    The whole PD supported this and kept Stan’s surprise birthday party to themselves until school let out.   

                At first, Stan was convinced that his dad had forgotten his birthday party, but even Melody showed up for it.   She had promised she would be there for her baby bear and honestly, was happy that he had a girlfriend around him who genuinely cared.   She had gotten him the latest issue of Haunting Monthly and was beside herself when she saw Mavin Bellwether.  

 

Chapter 2—‘Shut the Front Door, THE Mavin Bellwether ?’

                Kat was beside herself with euphoria in meeting Mavin in the flesh.  She had never met a psychic who could sink into trances or ‘see’ so clearly.   

                ‘It cost me so many people, but luckily Marvin hired me when I had nowhere else to go.’, Mavin said, as if it were yesterday.    Marvin smiled.   It was rare to see, especially for him to laugh, heartily.    He and Melody were back together, which was a bit unusual for others to accept, but their fractured marriage was repairing.    

                ‘That sucks that you lost friends due to your gift.   I personally think it’s rad.’, Kat said.   Unfortunately, Mavin was too lost in having the time of her life at the carnival to know that someone was lurking around the corner who wanted to ruin Marvin’s life the only way he knew how.

 

Chapter 3—Deke Ether, Fraudster Extraordinaire

                Mr. Deke Ether was notorious for all the wrong reasons.   He was the anonymous kvetcher on many forums, a lone voice in a crowd to desperately try stirring mob mentality.   Ether was irate and hated Marvin and the PD, but mainly Mavin because she was a true psychic.    She was never incorrect, her intuition was never wrong, and she could look straight through someone and tell their secrets directly to their face bluntly and devastatingly.   

                He had built an empire on using his ‘gifts’, or what he believed were empathic talents.   In essence, Ether was a mentalist that knew what to say to people.   He could use people’s gullibility against them.    For many years, he had gotten by on reading subtle cues and being ‘lucky’ when it came to cold cases.    That was until Mavin had come into town and she had proven herself many times over.    His business, Ether’s Net, had been brought to light and he had been working in odd jobs nearly poor.     Yet, he saw her playing with Stan and his girlfriend at the rigged carnival game, easily winning prizes.    Mavin didn’t feel remorse in outsmarting the carnies, but other people seemed to love her for her remarkable adaptability to just about any situation.   

                ‘Let’s see how intelligent you are without your MVP, Flute.’, Ether thought, carrying a bottle of chloroform he happened to have with him for such an occasion like this.  

                Mavin went to stand by the pier, taking in the beauty until Deke grabbed her from behind, immediately gagging her with the chloroform-soaked rag.   As much as she tried to fight back, her body went limp and her vision went dark.    Luckily, she dropped the adorable keychain she had won of a knock off version of Knuckles the Echidna.  

                ‘I’m definitely not ready to die.’, she thought, with some fear.   She had never known anyone who would’ve wanted to take her life, but she had faith that whoever had been brazen enough to kidnap her wasn’t doing so to potentially murder her but lure Marvin into his lair.    

Chapter 4—Sloppy and Thoughtless

                Stan had been the first to notice that Mavin wasn’t with the PD.    She hadn’t come back and the last that he had seen her was near the pier.    While there, he saw that a googly, goofy-eyed Knuckles the Echidna had been left behind.  

                ‘She dropped this.’, Kat said, getting worried.  

                ‘No, it fell from her hand.’, Marvin said, engaging his crime mind.    He picked up the keychain and noticed there was a tiny hint of chloroform.    Whomever had taken Mavin was provoking Marvin.    He remembered a very weird, unconventional ‘expert’ who almost got in the way of him wrapping up a case, quickly, efficiently, effectively.     Deke said he had known who committed the murder that night, but Mavin was far ahead of him and had called him out.    He would’ve gotten away with misleading and deceiving others had Mavin not put an end to his illustrious (but horribly terrible) career.    

                ‘This is personal for Deke Ether.   Guy’s a washed up ‘mentalist’.   If you ask me, he’s just mental.’, Marvin said, his ire rising.   He and the rest of Grimberg PD wasn’t going to stand idly by as Marvin followed the path that Deke had left unknowingly.    He had been thoughtless and unprepared, and he was about to face the wrath of Mavin’s surrogate dad and best friend as well as that of the entire Grimberg PD. 

 

Chapter 5—‘You’re in Trouble !’

                Mavin opened her eyes, awakening to the musty fragrance of inundated cardboard moldy floors  and the uncomfortable sensation of zip ties around her wrists against a metal chair without a cushion.    She could feel the scratch of the rust the chair against her back and legs.  It annoyed her that there were many flickering lights in the underground lair that Ether had.    It wasn’t much but it was relatively well furnished given that he upcycled and took care of what little he owned.       

                ‘He’ll never find you.   I’m off everyone’s radar.’, Ether boasted.    Mavin smirked.

                ‘That old jalopy you drive ?   It’ll be your undoing.’, she said.   Then she lightly jabbed at his ego with a little taunt.

                ‘You’re in trouble !’, she mocked, in a sing-song way, knowing that the oil leaked from his reliable but rambling car would lead her friends to his sanctuary.     Angered, he smacked her, hard.    The force had been so fierce that it made the rusty chair wobblily if only for a moment.   She spat blood and realized her face would bruise but she would never stop smiling since her calvary was arriving soon.   

 

Chapter 6—Strength in Numbers

                Summers had been the first one on the scene.  Ether had forgotten Flute’s crew had a cyborg in it.    He had easily restrained the maniac and began Mirandizing him.    All the while, Marvin saw Mavin had been hit and started to soothe her.    Stan cut her restraints and all she could do was hug them all at once. 

                ‘I bet you were terrified !’, Kat said.  

                ‘Did you know my dad was going to follow that loser’s leaky car ?’, Stan added.   Marvin had become more observant over the years and had even started looking healthier.   The pot belly he once had was shrinking.    He still had a little bit of a gut, but it was far less developed.    Marvin still had a little bit of an alcohol problem, but he was attending AA meetings with the request of Harmony and everyone else in the precinct.   

                ‘Ether’s a joke.   He’s been trying to recuperate his reputation for years !   People won’t be deceived any longer !’, Mavin stated, honestly.    Marvin looked at Mavin and his eyes filled with tears.   He didn’t even care that he was crying out of relief and pure joy.   Even Stan and Kat were weeping with elation.     To think, it had been Marvin himself who had been the catalyst that accepted her into his life.    Ever since, their blessings had only multiplied.  

 

Chapter 7—Justice is Served

                Deke Ether underestimated Mavin’s gift.   He had become more respecting of it and even developed reverence as he was being taken away in order to be processed to the full extent of the law.    He would be going to jail for a long time.   If he turned himself around after having his ego taken down a few pegs by Flute and his posse, he would learn how to make a reputable living rather than relying on scams since it resulted in nothing but sorrow. 

                Although Stan’s celebration was placed on hold, he was able to take part in seeing Ether tried and easily found guilty very swiftly.     He took no pride in seeing the maniac taken to jail, but he had to admit he was grateful that Mavin wasn’t hurt, and she didn’t seem shaken by her unfortunate encounter with Ether.   

                Ether would forever lament on his past but luckily, he would only continue to better himself in the clink learning how to help seniors identify and avoid scams as well as teaching himself how to weld, which is something he had wanted to do but jealousy had gotten in his way for many years.    He couldn’t kick himself for all the years he had wasted to envy but he knew that eventually his expertise would be alerting authorities and restoring his dignity.   

 

Chapter 8—‘I Baked You A Cake !’

                Although it was the weekend and Stan’s birthday had come and gone, he was surprised that he smelled something absolutely delicious in the kitchen.    Marvin wasn’t known as a master baker, but he was making a yellow cake as a surprise simply because he thought it would make up for the fact they hadn’t had a cake on his actual birthday.  

                The chocolate icing and the lettering on the cake were a little wonky, the confection itself was very well presented.   He had even made it with a fudge center that was positively decadent.   He had invited everyone to his home, ready with different ice cream flavors, even gluten free options.    

                ‘Dad, you didn’t have to go to this much trouble.   My party was plenty epic and that rescue…’, Stan began.   

                ‘Trouble nothin’, son.  I promised a cake, and a cake you shall have.’, Marvin said.   Everyone was impressed with how extravagant the cake actually was.    There was music, dancing, laughing and celebration.    

 

Epilogue

                When the day had ended, everyone said their goodnights to Marvin and his family.  It had been a full week that none of them would soon forget.     Before Mavin left for the evening, Stan gave her a strong hug and thanked her again, especially in giving him tips on how to best the carnival games.    She had been able to implement her brains versus her brawn and using that, she always managed to come out on top.    

                ‘See you again on Monday, Mav.’, he said, as he yawned and got ready to go to sleep for the evening.    It had been so much fun seeing him grow up.    He was once a hobby horse loving, cape wearing, imaginary friend having weakling to a young man who liked alternative music and wore his hair long.    He could stand up for others now only because he had taken martial arts and knew how to defend himself when it counted.    He also knew how to use firearms properly but hoped he would never have to use one unless necessary.    One day, he knew he would be a viable member of the forensics team but for the time being, he enjoyed  going to conventions with Kat, LARPing with her and being completely entrance with her as she played the theremin in her band Vibe With Me.   

                Mavin returned home knowing that Deke would make a full return to society and would no longer be a threat.    Other criminals would do their best to try and fail at making Marvin’s life challenging but so long as she was fighting crime alongside him, they never stood a snowball’s chance.  

 

The End