[LNH/ACRA] The Road to Killfile Wars #5

[cabbagewielder at yahoo.com]

Vel had been in space for almost two months.  The ship waddled back and
fourth as it attempt to compensate for eddies in the nebula.  The two
others in the cargo bay looked rather ill- the other two being one of
the Ultimate Ninjas and an elderly Dorf.  The dorf's eyes were gray
and coated with cataracts.  To Vel, it was a sign that he had lived
long enough to have forgotten more combat skills then Vel himself knew.


	"I must be crazy.  Leaving the comfort of LNH headquarters to go
looking for a ship of legend in order to prevent a Dorfan civil war,"
Vel said.
	"That is why you can not find The Barge, boy," he said.  "You
must have faith, my lad.  You cannot be Moakonzi's herald without
it."
	"I don't buy it," Vel said.
	"It's true.  I heard something like that during my early ninja
trainings," Ultimate Ninja said.  "No warriror shall find a battle
before it is time."

	The Road to Killfile Wars #5 of 12
	Faith
	By Jesse N. Willey

	Tyler Bridge had been coming into the library every day for almost two
months.   The desk in front of him was filled with a variety of books
on King Arthur, the grail myth, and Sir Percival the Fool.   He
hadn't been having much luck.

	"What is it you're looking for again?" asked Browsing Boy.
	"Any reference to the phrase, 'Percival is the Grail'," Tyler
said.
	"Ummm hmmm," Browsing Boy said.  "I thought so."

	Browsing Boy went back to his work station and pulled out a bag of
Cracker Jack.  Tyler remembered a time not so long ago when Cracker
Jack came in boxes.   The bag may keep the caramel popcorn treat fresh
longer but the experience was not the same.  The soulless corporation
had leeched something out of it.

	"What's all this about?" Tyler said.
	"Take a look at this," Browsing Boy said.

	Browsing Boy held out a thin flap of paper.  It was what passed for
Cracker Jack prizes these days.   Tyler thought back to whistles and
tops of his childhood.   What fun was it to play with a one inch by one
inch piece of paper.

	"What is this some supposed to be?" Tyler asked.

	Browsing Boy flipped open the cover sheet revealing an ink blot.
Tyler stared blankly and then scratched his chin.

	"See?" Browsing Boy asked.

	A first he didn't.   The ink blot began to take shape.  First it was
a cup.  Then a Knight.  No, wait it was a cup again.   Beneath the
nausea inducing image was an address.  The prize was still no where
near as fun as that Sheriff badge of his childhood.

	"No way," said Tyler.  "It looks like I'm going to Sparta,
Illinois."

	The door to the library swooshed open.  A humanoid made of clear seran
wrap was standing there.

	"Good, I'll go with you," it said.
	"Speed?" Tyler asked.


		______________________________


	Dalton has the first out the door when the gunfire wrung out.  Electra
was close behind, her body covered with sweat.   She didn't see where
Dalton got the energy.

	"This is another fine mess you've gotten us into," Dalton said.
	"Me?" she asked.
	"I had everything under control till you had to bring up their
'concealed' nine millimeters," Dalton said.
	"They would have killed you," Electra said.
	"Nah.  They might have killed you.    They need me.  I'm
special," he said.
	"And who told you that?" she said.

	They finally reached the parking lot.   Electra jumped into a
convertible and used her electrical powers to hot wire it.

	"They did," he said as he hopped in.
	"And you believed them?" she asked.
	"No, but they believe it.  So there ya go," Dalton said.

	They drove out of the parking lot.  The Regal 13 agents weren't
following them.

	"Which way?" she asked.
	"Eenie meanie, miney-Larry... catch a tiger by it's hairy..."
Dalton said.
	"It's Moe.  Eenie meanie miney Moe," Electra said.
	"I don't like Moe.  He hurt people on purpose.  Larry was too dumb
to know better," Dalton said.  "Not to mention a million times
funnier."
	"Nevermind," she said.  "Which way?"
	"Um... Left... about twenty miles," he said.

	She looked at the road sign.

	"Sparta?  What's in Sparta?" she asked.
	"Don't know.  I've never been there," he said.
	"Then why do you want to go there?" she asked.
	"Because I've never been there before," he said.

	______________________________


	There were nights when Carolyn was a deep sleeper and Rick didn't
have think about it.   He could use his super hearing to tell when he
wouldn't wake her up.   He could usually get a few hours air patrol
in and get back to his apartment before she noticed.  This was not one
of those nights.

	So he slept.   His dreams were a pastiche of the past several months
and very various other times in his life.   Or things yet to come.   In
one of those horrid flashes Sammy had called him 'Uncle Dad'.   Was
that what he had become?  The punchline to a Jeff Foxworthy routine.

	"What's this all about?" Carolyn muttered.
	"I thought you knew by now," he said.

	She let out a half laugh.

	"Not this this.... This... the whole 'catching Deliah' thing.
Amelia doesn't want vengeance.  You two aren't even seeing each
other anymore, so what's the deal?" she asked.
	"What's the deal?  You of all people know how dangerous she is.
Or maybe you don't.  You didn't see her when she REALLY lost it,"
Rick said.  (See The Team #47 -#48)  "Somethings are wrong.  A lot of
people just choose to ignore it.  No matter how powerful they are, they
just let it happen.    But if someone knows that wrong is being done
and has the ability to stop it...then they should.   It's that
simple."
	"I see..." she said.

	______________________________


	Seductress waited as the mediscan finished up.  Stomper looked over.

	"Yes, everything looks normal.  Of course with only one other
incident like this one record it's hard to tell.  Especially with
super powers being thrown into the mix," he said.  "Even Adamant
Authority On Everything is stumped."
	"But I thought you two knew everything," Seductress said.
	"No.  We know almost every scrap of scientific information available
to people on Earth at the moment.  This is a little outside of our
league.   I don't think anymore earthily knowledge will come to light
within the next two to five months... so I've taken the liberty of
calling an expert... one Doctor Ja'Khaleem in from the Interspecies
Genetics Institute on Haven," Stomper said.  "You don't think
Vincent would make to odd a middle name for a Dorf, do you?"

	______________________________


	Samuel Coffee put down the Nate The Great book he was reading as
Amelia entered the room.  He got out of bed and picked up his caped
teddy bear.   She remembered when Rick had found it at a toy store.
Samuel crawled back into bed.

	"Auntie Melia, why are Mommy and Uncle Rick working late all the
time?" he asked.
	"They're both very busy during the day.  Your mom has so much to
do to get you ready for school, be there to pick you up... clean up the
house.  Uncle Rick needs your mom's help to help track down some
really bad people," she said.
	"Like the ones who attacked my school?" he said.
	"Yes," she said.
	"Mister Seran Wrap took care of them real good," he said.

	Amelia smiled.

	"Well..." she said.  "... Mister Seran Wrap can't be
everywhere.  And there are a lot of people who could get hurt.  Uncle
Rick thinks he can find them and super heroes like Mister Seran Wrap
can put them in jail."
	"How long will that take?" Sammy asked.
	"Hopefully, not to much longer," Amelia said.

	She walked over to the light switch and turned out the light.  Sammy
was asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

	______________________________


	The old man led Vel back to crew quarters.   He handed him a few
leaves and a match.  Vel looked down in awe.

	"What the hell is this?" he asked.
	"Ancient leaves.  Will bring you visions.  It will show you what you
need to know," The old man said.
	"What?  Look- I've never been found of these weird ancient Dorfan
ceremonies.  Can you just tell me this big truth," Vel asked.
	"There is no truth.  Just experience," the old man said.
	"Thank you, Joseph Campbell," Vel said.  "but my Dad always told
me 'just say no.'"
	"This would have been so much easier, had your other lived and not
you," the old man said.

	The Old man turned around and walked away.  Vel was alone.

	"Hey!  Old man, what's going on..." Vel said.

	He looked around the empty room and then down at the leaves.

	"Ah hell..." he muttered.

	To Be Continued....

_______________________________________________________________________
Vel, Rick Henkerton, Dalton Asters and  Amelia Chesterfield were
created by Jesse N. Willey.  Ultimate Ninja created by wReam.   Tyler
Bridge, Speed Richardson, Carolyn Forge-Coffee, Electra and Samuel
Forge-Coffee were created by Tom Russell Jnr.  Seductress created by
Martin Phipps.   Browsing Boy and Doctor Stomper are public domain.
This document is copyright Jesse N. Willey