The Scarlet Derby and Midnight Jay - Volume 1: Gallery of Rogues by Mike Cervantes Read Free Book Online Page A

setting sun. She reminisced about how in the past, this was where it all began. As early as age sixteen she began putting on this dress and climbing down the ivy clinging below the window. As Midnight Jay, she always had to conduct herself in secret, whether she snuck out to attend secret soirees against the wishes of her parents, and later to fight crime. This was just like the evening when she decided to stop doing one and start doing the other.
    She heard the glass shatter. It was the downstairs window adjacent to the back door. “How predictable,” she sighed. She took her umbrella, and with great speed made it to the scene of the break-in. There stood a man just a head taller than her. Despite the darkness she could still make out a few details, but remained rather more focused on the two swords he held, one in each hand, and pointed in her direction.
    “I knew you’d be here, Midnight Jay,” spoke the chilled voice of the shadowed figure.
    “Oh please, do dispense with the drama, Calvin.” The Jay raised her umbrella at the same height as the pair of swords. She was ready to defend herself and her house against this man, but she sadly also knew that the fight would only begin when this particular fiend finished his monologue.
    “You must know what I’m here for. Why not be a nice little girl and simply hand it over?” The figure’s deepened voice gained a little levity, as though he hoped this cheap tactic was actually going to work.
    “I don’t think so, Calvin. You’re not taking the eye, and you won’t be defeating me. Why not in turn be a nice little boy and walk right out that window you just smashed?”
    Calvin roared, and swung his katana towards the Jay. Anticipating it, she blocked it with her horizontally raised umbrella, hopping backwards when Calvin predictably attempted to slice her breadbasket open with the second blade. They moved out of the dark room and into the lit parlor, the Jay parrying all the while. In the light of the parlor it came clear that this man called Calvin was stout chested, yet thin at the waist, and quite athletic. He was also dressed head to toe in black including a black bandage wrapped around his face, obscuring everything but his amber colored eyes.
    “You’ve improved.” The Jay complimented drolly.
    “As have you, I’d almost consider it a shame to sever your head from your pretty little neck.” Calvin replied, giving another slash, also parried by The Jay.
    “Save the vulgarity for when you’re actually winning.” The Jay stated, giving a thrust of her own towards Calvin’s head, which he naturally dodged by tilting his head to the side.
    “You’re open!” Calvin swung his swords towards her midsection. But his attempts to slice her apart from the middle were thwarted when she jammed her heeled boot into his stomach and sent him tumbling backwards into Thaddeus’ chair. She smirked. ‘Oh, well, it’s high time I replaced that.’
    Calvin clamored dizzily back to his feet. “That was dirty pool.” He clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment.
    “This is only a sport for one of us,” The Jay replied. “Have you forgotten Master Crane’s most important lesson: that in battle your whole body must be a weapon?”
    “I have not!” He brought both his swords in a forward thrust, only to find them both yanked down by the hook end of The Jay’s umbrella. Another ‘hook’ came around in the form of The Jay’s fist across his jaw. “You seem to have become quite dependent on those swords.”
    It was about this time that The Scarlet Derby returned home. Still in costume he’d re-entered his home by way of the cellar door leading back into his workshop. Walking swiftly down the stone steps, he’d removed his hat and loosened his bow tie. That is when he started hearing the faint noises of a struggle. He gave a quiet sigh, returned his Derby to his head, and worked on re-fastening his tie as he jaunted upstairs.
    “So I guess this must be the