[LNHY/ACRA] The Daily Super Short-Short Story #44

[Saxon Brenton]

The Daily Super Short-Short Story #44
 
A Devil Came Down to Georgia 26
 
Last time: A team-up with Exclamation!Master! against the Banjo Duelling 
Kangaroos.
 
     The Kangaroos turned the full force of their banjos against him, and 
in a panicked moment Martin tuned and ran. The resulting series of leaps 
were enormous - well over five meters each - prompting the student to 
think to himself with a touch of embarrassment,  .oO( Oh yeah, I forgot 
I could do that. )
     As he circled around to see if he could make a second sniping attack 
at the Kangaroos from another quarter, he wondered how most superheroes, 
or villains for that matter, were able to keep calm enough to remember 
what options they had. Let alone figure out which was the best to use in 
a particular situation.  .oO( I don't think I'm cut out for this. )
     As he came full circle he could hear the stentorian voice of 
Exclamation!Master! admonishing the Banjo Duellers. E!M! seemed to be 
having some effect, since the Kanagaroo's response mostly consisted of 
counter-denouncements with musical backing rather than the full blown 
musical onslaught with pyrotechnics that they were known for:
     "Stand down and halt your senseless rampage!"
     "Well noahw, just whut makes you think we-all're interested in what 
you've what to say?" said Joe, his fingers idly plucking at the strings 
of his banjo.
     .oO( The Kangaroos can speak? ) marvelled Martin.  ( I never knew 
that. What's with the really bad Southern accent though? )
     "Because the forces of Good will inevitably triumph over your 
rampage!" proclaimed E!M! He was looking a bit peaked, as though the 
effort of getting the Kangaroos to stop and exchange verbal barbs rather 
than musical holocaust with him was beginning to take its toll.
     "Oh, noahw it'll be a cold dahy in Miami when that happens," smirked 
Bob, who similarly was strumming out a continuous undercurrent of chords. 
It was almost sinister: a quiet holding pattern of music with the 
practically implicit threat that when they got bored with talking, all 
Hell would break loose.
     Another impulse overtook Martin, and he bounded in and snatched one 
of the banjos away from its owner.
     The remaining armed Kangaroo snared and let loose a barrage of sound, 
which tore up road beneath Martin's feet and sent him impacting against a 
wall away down to road. Before the Kangaroos could do anything more, 
however, Excalmation!Master! redoubled his efforts, bringing the marsupials 
to an effective halt again.
     "I warned you that you could prevail here! Did you think the 
righteous defenders of this city would let your perfidy pass unchallenged!?"
     "And just who do you think you arhe to stop us?" snarked Joe.
     "I am... Exclamation!Master! Member in good standing of," and he 
quickly pulled out the small card that Kid Kicked-Out had given him 
earlier that same day, "the Legion of Net.Heroes (Looniverse Y chapter). 
Ably assisted by..." and here he raised his voice and looked in the 
direction of Martin, who was pulling himself up from the ground where 
he'd gone splat.
     "I haven't thought of a superhero name for myself yet," yelled back 
the somewhat disgruntled Martin.
     "Ably assisted by I-Haven't-Thought-Of-A-Superhero-Name-For-Myself-
Yet Lad" concluded E!M!
     .oO( Oh God, ) thought Martin.
     The Banjo Duelling Kangaroos (now sans one banjo) gave the pair of 
humans a sour look. "Well geht you next tahm, Exclumashun!Master! And 
you too I-Havunt-Thought-Of-A-Superhero-Nahme-For-Myself-Yet Lad." one 
of them said, and then they vanished.
 
Tomorrow: Martin discovers Delroy's gone missing.
 
The Daily Super Short-Short Story series created by Arthur Spitzer, and
used with belated permission. The Duelling Banjo Kangaroos are Usable 
Without Permission creations of Arthur.
 
Author's notes: Oh. The Kangaroos can speak. I, uhm, hadn't been sure 
about that. It's strange what impressions you can get, sometimes.
 
-----
Saxon Brenton University of Technology, city library, Sydney Australia
     saxon.brenton at uts.edu.au
The Eyrie Archives of Russ Allbery which collect the online superhero
fiction of the rec.arts.comics.creative newsgroup can be found at:
     http://archives.eyrie.org/racc/