This is a story in the LNH2 imprint. This means it's a POSSIBLE
future - perhaps not the most likely, probably not the one the
authors plan for the characters. You're warned.
Also, Acra Flight is (in principle) a tightly knit mini-series,
so don't expect to understand the stuff too well if you haven't
read the previous issues, and even then, you won't understand
it fully until you read the whole arc. Sorry. :-)
Yes, I know I haven't posted #5. But it's partially written,
and I didn't want to renumber it, let alone trample the
storyline. Sorry. (Actually, after I post #5 and #7 some of the
readers (what readers?) might find this a bonus.)
This issue is two days after Acra Flight #1; the group is
getting ready to go after whoever is sending stories of the
LNH2 era to the past (our present), thus disturbing the time
continuum or something like that - someone they refer to "the
new new new Time Crapper".
****************************************************************
Blackbird isn't exactly the most cheerful and fun-loving of
living creatures. Actually, to the delight of his father, he's
very close to being the personification of all things gothic.
However, he seems to be quite enthusiastic about time-riding
with the team he leads in search of the "new new new Time
Crapper". As strange as this sounds, he grew quite fond of
leading the Acra Flight in the last few years since their first
case in the Green.
He's running everywhere, to the delight of the Acra Flight
mentors - Professor and Teacher, the avatars of two previously
enemy cosmic powers. He checks equipment (and what weird
equipment this group uses!), he makes arrangements, then
double-double-check them, he sketches plans and discuss them
with Analysis, the super-brain of the group.
Despite their differences (who doesn't get Bored when Analysis
starts his oh-so-minucions explanations?), the two are very
close to brothers. Blackbird likes to say, "this kid annoys me
since we were little children, so I think I got used to it".
With Blackbird's usual pessimism and wits, and Analysis eye for
details, their plans are almost always almost perfect.
Then there is SoWhat, Blackbird's six-year-old cousin. While
everyone else makes arrangements and prepares very dangerous
and bizarre stuff, she just watches, absolutely uninterested.
She's in the group because she likes the others - they're a
kind of second family for her. Not because she likes the
adventures, no, she finds them completely dull.
One other person walks around, seemingly too old for the team.
The green hair shows signs of someone who uses hats a lot, and
despite the very plain clothes, something in the way this
person moves suggests a trenchcoat is not far away. Always in
Blackbird's track, re-checking everything and doing some little
things people ask.
And finally, every now and then something that has to be done
simply gets a little blurry and a few moments later appears
done and ready to go. This is Blur, the incorporeal conscious
abstraction who is actually part of the team.
But more important than growing fond of leading, and growing
fond of the adventures, and growing fond of the team, Blackbird
is fond of one thing, and is so enthusiastic for this very
reason. Well, not a thing actually, but yet another member of
the team - someone currently absent, someone who's spending a
few days with her parents before the mission.
And *this* was the real reason Blackbird's so enthusiastic. He
just talked with her parents for the first time since the
group's creation, their first serious conversation. They had
come over the Alt.Lan.Tic just to meet him and "bless" their
affair - and they didn't say anything, so apparently they liked
him. Life was just soooooo wonderful.
Everyone stops what they're doing when the intercom starts
buzzing with "incoming message". Blackbird hurries to the
button; yes, it's her.
"Kathy! My love!!!"
Her expression isn't as enthusiastic as his, by far.
"What's up, Precious?", he asks.
"Hi Blackbird, I have really bad news"
He makes a grim face - he's quite good at that. "What happened?"
[the whole story is paused as the Author throws a stone at the
reader in the back row who shouted "Someone set up us the bomb"]
"I'm going to London tomorrow... for a few days, don't know when
I'll get back."
"Holy shit... what about school?" (Kathy, or Demon Girl, is
attending Marketing College in Net.York)
"They'll handle it somehow later"
"But... the mission..."
"When I get back you will be gone. And when you get back, I'm
out of the team."
Blackbird feels like the ground is just taken from under his
feet.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Who Cares Studio presents:
ACRA FLIGHT
#6
Missing Pieces (Interlude)
Part of the LNH2 imprint. Any similarities the characters and
events described in this story have with real life characters
and events - or with characters and events in your stories for
that matter - unless otherwise stated are purely coincidental.
Most characters (see end of message) and this story are
copyright (C) 2000 by Fernando "Lalo" Martins. Other
characters are (C) by their creators as credited below.
The text of the story may be copied in any form or medium, for
any purposes, provided that the text is copied verbatim. To use
parts of it, or to create derivative works, please contact the
author at mailto:lalo@hackandroll.org
----------------------------------------------------------------
"So, I should assume you're not supposed to see me anymore?
Well, leave my books somewhere for me...", is the only thing
the boy can thing of saying. Stupid, stupid. Who cares about
the damn books? She's going away! Too bad she doesn't live with
the team like most of the others, but now, never to see her
again? How can that be?
"You know I didn't want it to be this way"
"What about me? I love you and I don't know what to make of my
life without you... but if the choice is not up to us... what
can we do"
"I don't know what to say"
"Say you love me, it's all that matters"
"I love you, a lot"
"I think this whole thing will settle. But if you need to come
back without their support, the offer of finding a place for
you to live is always up."
"Oh, one more thing. Beware who you talk to on chat.
No, I will NOT run away. And the things won't settle."
"What did I do wrong? Sorry, ok, bye" (at this point he feels
like the worst person in the universe and just wants to hang up
and die)
"I'm not blaming you, I'm only telling you"
"I hate this talk. 'I love you a lot, but it's over, it won't
happen'. I din't say you're blaming me, I only asked you what
have I done wrong with this chat thing. And I apologized for
suggesting that you'd 'run away' - I just never thought you
would give up your college, your dream, because of that"
"Don't go after her, but you talked to my aunt. And I won't
give up. Now I have to go, bye."
No, he thinks. She'll only give up on *him*.
"Ok. It's been nice to know you."
"Leave my tapes here too, I will always love you ok?"
CONNECTION TERMINATED
"I don't believe you're giving up like that", he says to the
empty screen and the deaf microphone. "I thought I meant a
little more to you. Now I don't know what to do, I'm completely
out of direction. If I'm not good enough for you, what am I
good for?"
It is only then that he realizes that the whole team was
watching the whole conversation. It was to quick and too
shocking for them to just walk away. Well, the whole team as it
was now, without Demon Girl.
Blackbird runs away for the door. Everyone who saw his face
exchange looks of disbelief - was he crying?
Analysis darts after him as soon as he gets out of shock. He is
supposed to *be* Blackbird's best friend, after all - and
Kathy's too, actually. The three of them spent many a night
watching old movies. And the door Blackbird ran to lead to a
storage room, so he couldn't be very far.
But as Analysis walks in the room, his friend is nowhere to be
found. Something about the whole place feels black, gray and
depressed - meaning Blackbird used his powers to an extent he
often does. Analysis walks back to the room, to the silent
faces of the team and their mentors.
"He's gone."
****************************************************************
Sorry for the angst overdose, all the three of you who read
this. I really need to let this out. I miss you, Precious.
Next issue: Well, actually "next" is #5, and I already said
what happens there. But on #7, all of these three seemingly
unrelated storylines get together. And the series gets close to
its end. (If I ever get to write the issues, of course.)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Emily and Luke Jones (the ex-Teens in Trenchcoats) are (C)
1999, 2000 Ben Rawluk.
LOH, or the Legion of Occult Heroes, is (C) 1994, 1995 Paul
Hardy (whatever happened to him?).
The Misfits are (C) 1995-2000 Jennifer Whitson.
All other characters are my creations, based on those
characters and their stories, except for Blur and Brit's
husband who are all mine!
[]s,
|alo
+----
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Hack and Roll ( http://www.hackandroll.org )
The biggest site for whatever-it-is-that-we-are.
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