The British Museum Case - 3.

Thankfully it was NOT a super-villain plot, and we stepped out into Laura's sitting-room. She pulled off her mask and sighed.
"Miriam, you knew that someone was going to attack the British Museum?"
"Not attack," the cloaked girl corrected, still completely concealed by her cloak. "But yes, I was aware something like this might happen. I am truly sorry that I was not able to prevent it, but she is able to fog my crystal ball."
Great, I thought, one really weird magic girl.
"You're not making a lot of sense," I pointed out, a little annoyed.
"I know that I am not," she extended one hand, covered by a blue glove and wearing a silver ring with a large sapphire in it. "I am sorry. All that I can tell you is that there is a being of huge magical power in London. And she is unhinged."
"Miriam," I said with all the patience I could muster. "If you need help, we'll help you. I guess Laura's already told you..."
"No, Laura has very loyally kept your secret. But I know that you are the Girl in Grey. The police say that you are a criminal, but I know that you are in fact the champion of the dispossessed. Thank you for your offer of assistance. I am sorry that I must ask, for it will be exceedingly dangerous, but I cannot do this alone."
"good," I smiled as I sat down on the sofa. "Now, I can see you prefer the mysterious stranger approach, but if I'm going to help, I'll need some more facts."
"Which you shall have. I do not usually work alone. Although I am naturally of a somewhat... solitary disposition, I have over the years found some very good friends. Alas some have died, whilst others have retired from this work, whilst I must go on, it seems. Some of my friends are otherwise occupied at present. When I learned though my crystal ball of a terrible threat to London, I travelled here with a friend. Alas, the threat was too personal for her. Its nature unhinged her, and now she is as much a threat to this city as the being we came here to fight. It is for this reason that I reluctantly approached Laura, and then your sister contacted her."
"So you need help finding this errant friend of yours. Look, if you created that magic portal, how powerful is she?"
"Powerful enough to turn this whole city into a blasted wasteland, I am afraid. Normally she is quite... responsible..."
"But right now she's unhinged and might do anything?"
"Yes," Miriam admitted.
"Okay," I laughed. "Why not. I'm in."
"Me too! Scruff cried. Everyone except Miriam found that funny, and I don't think she has a sense of humour.

"So," I said pointedly. "Who is this friend of yours?"

The British Museum Case - 2

"Get behind me, Scruff!" I exclaimed as other tourists ran screaming from the gallery. Scruff shook her head.
"Hey! I'm not some wimpy kid!"
"I know you're not, Scruff, but these things are dangerous!"
A mummy smashed through one of the display cases behind us. Scruff turned and kicked it, breaking off one of its legs.
"Hey, do they all break this easily?" she asked me.
"Pretty much, yes. But there's usually a lot of nasty things around the place too."
Scruff's 'phone rang. To my amazement she took the 'phone out and answered it.
"Hi, Laura! We're being attacked by mummies..."
I smiled. Laura Moriarty, alias the Black Kitten, was an ally of mine, and one of Scruff's best friends. True, she's a pain, but she's quite tough and smart as well.
"Yeah, we're in the British Museum. Sis thought... The Egyptian gallery, of course! Where else would they have mummies? Well, of course the Egyptian sort! Don't be silly! Oh, you're being mean!"
I tried to use my judo training to protect Scruff while she talked on the 'phone. If we'd just brought little black smoky Emily with us, she'd have seen the things off with her sword and all those other weapons she had under that black smoky cloak of hers.
"Okay, Laura! See you!"
Scruff turned off her 'phone and smashed a mummy's face in.
"What was that?"
"She's coming."
"WHAT?!" I was surprised, to put it mildly. What on earth was Scruff doing?
"Yeah. Laura's got one of her friends staying with her. A girl she met in Cheltenham, at the races..."
Only Scruff, I thought. Laura was well known for her wearing a tight black costume, but...
It was then that the gallery flared with light. Something seemed to open up in one of the walls that I was sure was extremely solid, and Laura jumped through, followed by someone else who was flying and completely concealed by a hooded black velvet cloak.
"Abominations!" she cried. "Return to what you were!"
To my amazement the mummies stiffened and fell, lifeless corpses once more.
"Hi," Laura was dressed in her Black Kitten outfit, and she looked pretty menacing in it. "This is Miriam. We met in Cheltenham when Doctor Alchemy was trying to nobble horses..."
"This is far worse," Miriam said seriously. "Come, let us go from this place..."
"Yeah, before they bill us for the mummies!" Scruff exclaimed. The mysterious girl nodded.
"Yes. Come with me."
We stepped into the glowing portal in the wall, and I hoped that this was not some super-villain plot.
It's been known to happen!