🚀 go-pugleaf

                FROM THE FILES OF TEAM M.E.C.H.A.

            SARAH CONNER'S ADVENTURES IN TERRANIA #2

                       By Robotech_Master


    The two  trenchcoated  figures  crept  silently  through  the
streets of the village.  They were experts in the art of stealth,
and had been in the business for long enough to understand  quite
well  just  how  to  move  in  ways  that minimized the chance of
detection.  They would have blended in perfectly,  had  they  not
stuck  out  like sore thumbs due to the manner in which they were
dressed.
    "I don't get it," one whispered to the other.  "Just how  the
hell  (TM)  are we supposed to find out where that thieves' guild
is by sneaking around in the middle of the night?"
    "That's not the point,"  the  other  agent  said.   "I  don't
really  expect  to find it like this either.  But we have to make
Her Royal Highness think that we haven't really given up.  If she
finds that out, we're sunk."
    "Oh, yeah."
    The two agents had  tried  just  about  everything--following
people  who they thought were thieves, canvassing the town asking
people if they knew the location--even bribery hadn't worked.  No
one  was  very cooperative, especially where the Guild of Thieves
was  concerned--they  were   probably   too   afraid   of   Guild
retaliation.   After  getting  tossed  out  of wherever they were
inquiring and/or threatened with serious bodily harm for the 17th
time,  they  finally  got  sick of it.  No contract was worth all
this!
    All the same, the agents didn't want to  go  back  to  Castle
Conner  and admit they'd given up, so they were out wandering the
streets hoping that something would come to them.
    "So, Agent 797, any ideas?" the second one asked.
    "No, Agent 342," replied the first.  "We could go back to the
castle and get our pursuit bikes."
    "What use would that be?" 342 asked.  "We don't have anything
to pursue."
    "Yeah, but it would be fun..."
    342 sighed.  "No...we've got to keep wandering  the  streets.
Maybe  if  we  spend all night at it, Princess Conner won't be as
mad when we finally have to return empty-handed."
    "Maybe."  The two agents continued  walking  down  the  dark,
empty streets.
    "Excuse me," a voice said from the shadows.  The  two  agents
stopped  as  a dark-clad young man stepped out into the street, a
dagger in each hand. "If you would be so kind, I'd appreciate  it
if you would turn over your wallets to me."
    Agents 797 and 342 looked at each other.  797 shrugged.  "All
right, here you go..."  He reached into his trenchcoat.
    "Hold on just a minute," 342 said, putting his hand on  797's
arm to stop him.  "Why should we give you our money?"
    "Because I'm a thief, and I say so," the thief replied.
    342 snorted.  "You're a thief.  Yeah, right."
    "No, really.  I've got these here daggers, see?"
    "Yeah?" the skeptic 342 said.  "Daggers are a dime  a  dozen.
I've  got  twenty  of them back home.  You're going to have to do
better than that."
    "Um, I kind of think we should--" 797 began.
    "Shut up.  I know what I'm doing," 342 replied.
    "Well, look at my clothes.  I'm  wearing  dark  leather  that
blends  in with the shadows, to give me a better chance of taking
my prey unaware."
    "Oh, come on.  It's going to take more than that to  frighten
me,"  342  said.  "Are you a card-carrying member of the Thieves'
Guild?"
    "I--yes, yes I am!"  The thief put one of  his  daggers  away
and  started  searching  through  his  pockets.  "I have the card
right here..."
    "That's good enough for me."  342 reached into his trenchcoat
and nodded to 797, and as one, they drew wicked-looking automatic
pistols from their holsters.  "Drop the dagger."
    The thief looked up.  "Just a minute, I've almost found--Oh."
The  other  dagger  slipped  from numb fingers.  "Hey, you've got
guns!  That's not fair!"
    "Life isn't fair.  Now, I'd like you to show us exactly where
the  Thieves'  Guild  is.   And no tricks, please."  He turned to
797.  "See, I KNEW we could find the Guild if we really tried..."

    Sarah Conner walked down the stairs from her  towertop  room,
yawning  and  rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  Stairs, stairs,
stairs.  People thought that having a room at the top of  a  tall
tower  in a castle was romantic, but THEY didn't have to climb up
and down ALL THOSE BLOODY STAIRS every day.  Sarah wondered  when
they'd install an elevator.
    She walked into the throne room, where Ariella was discussing
wedding  plans  with  the  Archbishop.  "...and if as many people
show up as I believe might,  we'll  need  to  prepare  the  guest
quarters in the east wing."
    "Have you had any responses to the invitations you sent out?"
    "Yes.  Unfortunately, Scholarman probably won't  be  able  to
make  it. He's still recovering from injuries suffered during the
Industrial Revolution.  The Adjusted  League  Unimpeachable  also
will  be unable to attend.  However, I've heard that CalForce and
Hero Patrol will be coming, as well as Teen Team."
    "CalForce?" the Archbishop  asked.   "Very  well.   I'll  ask
Intercontinental  Salvage  to  have  someone  ready  to  clean up
afterward."
    "You think that's necessary?"
    "Your highness, I am CERTAIN that's necessary."
    "It's your call."  Ari looked up.  "Sarah, hello!  I  haven't
seen much of you lately..."
    "I've noticed," Sarah Conner replied drily.  "Look, you  said
we  were  going  to do stuff together.  But so far the only thing
you've been doing is sitting on  that  throne."   The  Archbishop
quietly slipped away, not wanting to be caught in the middle of a
family argument.
    "I'm sorry, Sarah," Ari said.  "And it  won't  be  for  long.
Only 'til after the wedding, I promise.  Then we can go for walks
and horseback rides and all that--just the three of us."
    Sarah sighed.  That didn't make her feel any  better.   "Once
you  get married, you'll be off on your honeymoon and I won't see
you again for a month.  I'd just be a fifth wheel."
    "Sarah, you're family," Ariella said.  "The only family  I've
GOT. You'll NEVER be a fifth wheel, NEVER."
    "Speaking of family, where's Robert?" Sarah asked.
    "To be  honest,  I  haven't  seen  Robert  very  much  lately
either,"  Ariella  said.  "Which  is  rather annoying, because he
should be helping us plan the wedding.  He  spends  most  of  his
time  in  the  Thieves'  Guild,  doing  who  knows what.  I'm not
concerned that he's planning to rob the wedding--he gave his word
that  he would not, and I trust him.  Besides, I know him far too
well for that."
    "Maybe he's just enjoying his last few days of bachelorhood,"
Sarah suggested.
    "That's probably it," Ari admitted.  "I think he may be  just
a  little  scared  at the prospect of marraige, especially to the
ruler of Terrania. If  I  only  knew  where  the  Thieves'  Guild
WAS...but  I  couldn't go down there.  Far be it from Her Magesty
Ariella Conner, Ruler of Terrania, to be seen in such a place..."
    Sarah Conner grinned.  "I think I could take care of that for
you."
    "What?  How?"
    "Let's just say that I have resources."

    As the feminine metal-and-ceramic-armored figure stepped into
the  pub  room, a lot of eyes turned from what they were doing to
stare at it.  Most of the eyes went back to  their  cards  a  bit
later, but a few people continued to watch it as it walked across
the room to the bar and sat down on one of the stools.
    One of the people who was most emphatically NOT  watching  it
was  the person it sat down beside.  Robert, the thief and future
husband of Princess Ariella, was determinedly  ignoring  it.   As
the person in the armor removed the helmet and shook out her soft
brown hair, Robert muttered, "Go away...I don't  know  you,  I've
never  seen  you  before in my life...I don't know who you are or
what you're doing here...just go away and leave me alone."
    "You're not convincing anyone," Sarah Conner  replied.   "Not
even  yourself.   Ariella  would  appreciate  it  if you would be
around a bit more often, to help her with the wedding  plans  and
stuff like that.  She gets kind of worried when you stay away all
the time."
    Robert stared into the half-full stein of stout beer that was
in front of him for a full two minutes.  "I've been having second
thoughts," he said at last.
    Sarah leaned on the bar.  "Tell me," she said simply.
    "It's not that I don't love her--it's just the  opposite.   I
love her too much, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to protect
her."
    "What  makes  you  think  that?"  Sarah  asked,  adopting  an
expression of concern.
    "I let her get kidnapped by those  madmen,"  Robert  replied,
still  not  looking  up.   "I  should  have  been there.  Even if
there'd been nothing I could have done, I still should have  been
there!"
    "You did the best you could," Sarah Conner replied.
    "But my best still wasn't good enough, was it?" Robert  asked
rhetorically.   He sighed.  "And then I stood there, out of place
in that high-tech suit  of  armor--who  ever  heard  of  a  thief
wearing  armor?--as  Mike charged at Adam and that ghastly cannon
started firing...all I could do  was  just  stand  there.   Stand
there  and watch, as your leader was gunned down by a weapon with
a destructive capability  far  beyond  those  of  all  Terrania's
combined militias put together.
    "And then came the final battle, that relentless slaughter on
both  sides  as  airborne fortresses pounded each other and death
rained from the skies.  Summer and  Ariella  were  on  the  front
lines,  and  I  was  stuck  fighting a holding action against the
minions of the Revolution that I was slowly losing.  Ariella  was
out  there, risking herself, and I could not do a thing about it.
I couldn't protect her--I  could  barely  even  protect  myself."
Robert  took  a long pull at his stout.  "I'm simply not prepared
for that kind of conflict.  Let men-at-arms or knights fight  the
direct  battles.  I'm no fighter--my skills lie in thievery.  And
Princess Ari needs  someone  else--someone  who  can  be  a  more
capable champion than I."
    "That is simply not true," Sarah Conner said.   "Yes,  you're
no fighter.  But you don't need to be.  That's what Ari's got her
guards for. Trust me, I've seen you in action  and  you're  quite
good enough for anything you need to do.
    "I don't think any of us was prepared for the Revolution, and
I  don't  think  any  of  us is quite the same afterward."  Sarah
gathered her strength and continued vehemently, "You need to  get
rid  of  your martyr complex and realize that you're not the only
one who is hurting from this.  Mike's hurting--Ari's hurting, but
you  can  be  certain  she's  not  letting it show--I'm hurting."
Sarah bit off a sob.  "Ariella needs you now, more than ever, and
if  you  don't  go  to her, you're going to be wrecking something
that I'd damn sure give a lot right now to have myself."
    Robert looked up at her and she turned away, but  not  before
he saw she was holding back tears.  Robert put down his drink and
slowly got up from the bar.   "You're  right,"  he  said  softly.
"I've  been  acting  the  fool.   I shall return to Castle Conner
forthwith."
    Sarah nodded.  "Then get out of here.  I'll see  you  later."
Sarah watched Robert walk out the door, then sat back down on the
barstool to sit there for a minute, alone with her thoughts.  And
those  thoughts had turned once more to her lost love, Adam.  Was
he really lost?

    At a table in one of the Guild pub's many shaded corners, two
men--one  middle-aged,  one  younger--conversed  in  quiet tones.
"The people who they let in here these days," the older one said,
pointing.   "Look  at  her.  A member of the bloody royal family.
Bah.  Next thing you know we'll be on a bloody sightseeing  tour.
'And  here  we  have the Terranian Thieves' Guild, where dark and
evil plans are made and the fate of  lives  decided  over  a  few
drinks  and  games  of  chance.   Hold onto your wallets, folks.'
That's what  they'll  say.   That's  what  those  goddamn  bloody
Americans love. They'll eat it up."
    "Don't you think  you're  being  a  little  too  pessimistic,
Clifton?"  the  younger man asked.  "Just because SHE was able to
find us doesn't mean..."
    "Oh, and doesn't it?  Let me tell you, Brody me lad, it was a
dark day indeed for the Thieves' Guild and Terrania both when one
of us decided to marry into the Royal Family.   Ah,  well.   It's
too  late to do anything about it now.  However, I believe we CAN
take advantage of the opportunity it gives us."
    "What do you mean?" Brody asked.  "You have a  plan.   I  can
see it in your eyes."
    "Precisely," the older man said with a wicked  grin.   "We're
going to rob the wedding."
    "What?!" Brody asked in a voice so loud that  several  people
at  other  tables looked their way.  Hastily controlling himself,
Brody continued, "Are you nuts?!  They're  going  to  have  every
guard in the entire COUNTRY there!  Perhaps even superheroes!"
    "That may be or that may not be,"  Clifton  said.   "However,
I've  got  a secret weapon that should be sufficient to take care
of that problem for us."
    "What do you mean?" Brody asked.
    "An outside agent whom I've contacted at  great  trouble  and
expense," Clifton said.  "He's agreed to work with us, to provide
offensive paranormal power and support for the rest of our  crew.
He's  had  experience in situations such as this, and understands
the weaknesses of superheroes.   If  there  are  any  there,  our
secret weapon shouldn't have any problems.
    "His name..."  Brody paused dramatically.  "...is Flatphoot."


WILL ROBERT GET OVER HIS ANGST AND GO THROUGH WITH THE CEREMONY?

WILL ANY *MORE* OF MY CHARACTERS DEVELOP INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION-RELATED
                             ANGST?

                WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE WEDDING?

            WILL INTERCONTINENTAL SALVAGE BE NEEDED?

   WILL CLIFTON AND BRODY'S PLANS TO ROB THE WEDDING WORK OUT?

WILL FLATPHOOT'S "HELP" BE SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE MASSED MIGHT OF
SUPERGUYS PRESENT AT THE WEDDING?  (DO WE EVEN HAVE TO *ASK* THAT
                           QUESTION?)


            YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND THIS STUFF OUT

                             ONLY ON

                           SUPERGUY!!!

--
Chris Meadows/Robotech_Master // chm173s@nic.smsu.edu // GEEK CODE V2.0:
GO/CA d H--- s+:- g+(?) p3(?) !au a21>150 w+ v+(*) c++(++++)$ B(S)U+ P? L
!3 E---- N++(+++) K W(!W) M-(--) V- -po+ Y+ t++(+++) 5+ !j R+(+++) G+ tv+@
b++(++++) D+ B-- e+$ u+(**) h+(*) f+ !r-- n+(----)@ y?