[LNH/Acra] The Team #47

The door busted off its hinges.   Deliah lept out of bed.   He was
there.  She knew it.   Her father had come looking for her.   She ran
to the back door.   Outside it was cold and rainy.  She began to
shiver.

        "You're here because you think you're sick.    The truth is, you were
always sick.   With your mother in couldn't be helped.  Don't worry,
my dear.   Doctor Killfile can make it better!" he ranted.
        "No!" she screamed.
        "I waited along time for this.  First, I had to find you again.  Then
I had to wait for the pesky super hero friend of yours Boy Redundant
Lad to leave with his ex-girlfriend.   There's no need to worry
anymore.   Daddy's going to be nice from now on," he said.  "In fact,
I'm offering you a chance for great things."

                The Team #47
                The Lazarus Imperative Part One
                Killfiled
                By Jesse N. Willey

        Girl Redundant Lass and Boy Redundant Lad began flying over the
Sig.ago skyline.   It clouds were beginning to clear and they could
get a few of the ruins of the city.

        "You know, you made the right decision kicking me off The Team," she
said.
        "What?"
        "You were right.  I couldn't handle it.   These days Sig.ago is too
rough. I don't know how you do it.    I mean without Phil, I don't
even know if I can...." She said.

        She stopped.   She leaned into Rick's shoulder.   

        "It's okay," Rick said.
        "No... no it's not," she said.
        "It will be," he said.
        "That's not what I mean," she said.  "Look down there.  Isn't that
your building?"

        Rick looked down.  His building was surrounded by police cars.  The
two heroes flew down as fast as they could.    Rick touched the ground
first.  He ran up to the landlady.

        "What happened?" Rick asked.
        "Deliah... she's gone," the land lady said.
        "There were signs of a struggle," said one of the cops.
        "Do a full scale bio-energy scan.  Call in the NSA if they have to,"
Rick said.
        "The NSA?" said the cop.  "They don't usually get involved in
kidnappings."
        "They will for Doctor Killfile's daughter!" Rick said as he took to
the sky.
        "Where are you going?" asked Girl Redundant Lass.
        "I'm going to lure him out of hiding," Rick said
"Be serious.   He took out the entire LNH," she said.

        ************* 

        Deliah felt the chains wriggling around her waist.   Her lower body
was stuck to a pole.  Just like when she was a kid, `Daddy was going
to make things better'.   Fuck that.   Her father was a psychotic
bastard who... who did horrible things to her.

        "I-I'm sorry for having such horrible thoughts, father," she
whispered.

        She felt then thin blast of energy burn through her skin.  

"I was weak.  I deserved it."

    Father would make her strong.   Daddy would show her the way.   
She knew the way.    The way of the fist and blood.    She clawed at
his eyes.    He grabbed her arm, and with a swift tug, he dislocated
her left shoulder, then chained her arm to the pole.

        ***************
        
Ellie sat in TV room.   After the end of the show, she turned off the
TV.  Lucas was off in the corner talking on his cellphone.   She
hopped next to him and gave him bunny ears.   He giggled.

        "No, Sprintz... I wasn't laughing at you...  It was Ellie.... I told you
that last time I called.     Seriously, you got the land for this
place?   Cool.   Will use our own money to build it.      I'll use my
new contacts and position to get it done in eight months," Lucas said
as Ellie pointed a plastic soda bottle at him.  "This is it, pal.  Our
days as rock stars are over.   Now we can make real money... as
producers.... Ow....No.... that was Ellie again.    I guess I'd better go."

        He hung up the phone.

        "So?" she said.
        "So what?" 
        "Nothing," she said.
        "Nothing?"
        "Well, I was just wondering if after wedding, if you'd thought about...
y'know... kids," she said.
        "Oh yeah.... I'd love them.... If it were biologically possible," he
said.
        "What do you mean `if it were biologically possible?'   Is there
something wrong with your..." she said.
        "No.  It's just that we're different species," Lucas said.
        "What?  Because of your super powers?  Didn't one of the LNH people
have a kid with an unpowered person?" Ellie replied.
        "He was a metahuman, or if you want to get technical Homo Sapiens
Sapiens Metagenus.    Their inherit powers come from minor genetic
quirks in essentially human DNA.     I'm a parahuman.   It literally
means outside of human.      The quirks and changes are so drastic and
severe that I'm no longer considered human.    A few minor organs,
like my appendix, are missing.     Several new ones are there.   I
have few extra active portions in my brain that help me control my
powers," Lucas said.
         "How could you knowingly have sex with something that isn't even
your species?" she said.
        "Hey, with all the time you spent with Andy, I thought you knew. 
Look, we're both sentient consenting adults right?   It wasn't like I
was screwing a dog or anything," he replied.   "You're human.   It
doesn't matter to me... as long it's sentient love is all that matters."

        She gave him a quick confused look.

        "You mean the concept isn't even the slightest bit icky to you?" she
asked.
        "Not with you."

                **************

Rick flew over the city.   He spent an hour searching.   He knew that
only weeks ago he could have done in about a half an hour.     He
hadn't found Killfile.   Finally, off in the distance he spotted a
large metallic structure that resembled a power plant.   He knew the
self-proclaimed greatest mind on the planet wouldn't be able to
resist.

        "So you found me.   I expected as much.  My good girl isn't friends
with idiots.   Well, aside from her husband," a voice eerily echoed.
        "What do you want?  What is this place?" Rick asked as he ran to the
voice.

        He reached the far side of the power plant.   Doctor Killfile was
sitting over a control panel.    Deliah was covered in blood and
chained to a steel girder ten feet up.
        
        "What do I want?  The same thing you want... to be appreciated for what
I am.  Can I help it if what I am is a psychotic genius?" he said with
a smile.  "As for what this place is... it's your friend Weinstein's
legacy.    A nanoengine programmed to rebuild Sig.ago.  It wasn't
ready till shortly before his death.   But, bah, enough dribbling
banter."

        Killfile tried to hit Rick with an energy blast.   Boy Redundant Lad
dodged.   In the fraction of a second that it took, Killfile already
had his arms around Boy Redundant Lad's throat.  He felt as if the
force would crush his larynx.  He began the proper jujitsu flip,
Killfile grabbed his groan and flipped him over along with him. 
Killfile broke free.  He then kicked Boy Redundant Lad in the ribs 6
six times at super speed.  Following each kicked there was a loud
crack.

        For the first time since the Sig.ago disaster, Boy Redundant Lad
shifted back into Rick Henkerton.  No spandex suit, no beard, just him
as he was before the disaster.    Seeing Rick wriggle in agony, Doctor
Killfile walked back to work.  Once he was out of earshot, Rick pushed
some buttons on his communication card, then softly whispered
something toward the device.

                
                ***************

        Vel sat in the monitor room at Legion of Net. Heroes headquarters.  
He didn't spot anything out of the ordinary.   Various legionnaires
ran around the build chasing after invisible stuff, Onion Lad was over
worked in the kitchen.   The door behind him swished open.
        
        "... and I guess I never will," she sang.

        With that, she finished the song and took the chair to Vel's
immediate right.

        "Hey Carina, what's up?" Vel asked.
        "Nothing...  I just knew you were getting off shift soon.  I had Onion
Lad make us some sandwiches.   I thought we could picnic under the
stars tonight," she said.
        "Humina?   Are you asking me out?" he asked.
        "Well, we danced together at your induction reception," she said. 
"Errgh.  Sorry if I took that the wrong way.  I just assumed that.."
        "... my signs of interest in a woman were similar to those of humans? 
I'm half Dorf," he said placing his right hand away from the armrest.
        "Oh,"  she whispered softly.

          He turned his chair to the right and looked into her eyes for a
moment.   He shivered slightly.   Doctor Stomper was the one who
sponsored his membership on the LNH.   He knew how Vincent still felt
about Carina.    He knew how he felt.   Now he was getting an idea of
how Carina felt.   He was going for it.

        Then the red alert warning went up.   The screen filled with the
image of Boy Redundant Lad.  He was badly beaten and bruised.   His
mouth was dripping blood and it looked like he could barely stand.

        "LNH..... Killfile....." Boy Redundant Lad said as he passed out.

                **************

        Mary reluctantly flew toward the power plant.   Ever since Phil died,
she had had noticed a slight lag in her powers.  She knew that for
some strange reason her powers were more powerful the more organisms
tapped into it.    Normally, she couldn't notice it.   Of course on a
normal day she didn't go into the battle against one of the most
dangerous beings on the planet.

        She spotted Deliah unconscious up on the pole.   Lying ten feet away
from her was Rick Henkerton.   Killfile was facing away from her.  She
flew up behind him.   He swung a back-fist at her.   Mary felt  her
jaw snap.  She fell to the ground.

        "I knew you were there, girl.   Your very presence disturbs the
neutrinos and dark matter for miles," he said.  "Bet you didn't know
that.  The `redundant energy' that generates more energy as it
expands... is simply highly energized dark matter."
        "Why are you doing this?" she asked fighting back blood.
        "Why?   Because I wanted you have something to dwell on once you
reach the next life," he said.   "Which shouldn't be too long."
        "No... I mean... why are you doing whatever it is you are doing?" Mary
asked as she picked herself off the ground.  She slowly coughed up
blood.
        "In her childhood, I thought my piece of filth daughter was unfit for
the world.    I was probably right.   Still, I now chose to give her
to the world," Killfile ranted as grabbed Girl Redundant Lass by the
lapel.   She kicked his knee, which did nothing.  "in the form of the
city of Sig.ago."

        
        That's when she spotted it with her super vision.  The plan Killfile
was programming into the machine.   The diagram of a human female
wired into some sort of machine, then the city rising up in a matter
of minutes.   The woman slowly died.

        Mary gathered up her strength.  He reached down with her hands struck
the back of his knee.   His foot went up.   She grabbed the foot with
her other hand and threw Killfile into the control panel.   He hit
with such force that the paneling shatter, and Killfile was
electrocuted.

        "I..... I'll get you for this, Bitch!" he screamed.

        
                **************

>The primary nanoengine has suffered massive damage.  Damage report
assessment?<
        <Repairs will take 36 hours.>
        >Your incompetent zealousness has allowed damage to come to the
project.   Repairs will begin as soon as the battle is over.<
        <Report extended: the information for repairing  Sector D of the
Lazarus Imperative has been damaged by the power surge.   File repairs
are impossible.   All for main back ups have been destroyed.>
        >Unacceptable.    Records show that partial backups exist in the
unused space of nanolots H-13 and F-47.>
        <But that would mean...>
        <As you yourselves believe for the sake of the Lazarus Imperative, it
must be done.>

                **************


        Rick felt something squirming down his back.    It was some sort of
tentacle.   It slowly and carefully tapped him on the back.    Then a
slight, yet excruciatingly painful, sensation went up his spine.

        "What the hell?" Rick screamed.

                    *************

        Angelica got out of the restroom.   She stuck her hand under the hot
air drier, when she felt something sharp prick in the back of the
neck.    She screamed in agony for a second.     She noticed she was
bleeding and quickly ran back to toilet stall to get tissues.

        "What was that all about?" she asked herself.

                ************

        <Samples attained.   There is no need to build new repair drones.   
New repair time.... 1 point four two minutes.>
        >Excellent.   Now to see if this man Killfile knows what he is
talking about.<
        <Sir, isn't working with somewhat like Killfile unethical.>
        >Remember the words of the Master Programmer.  Whatever it takes.<

                ************

        There was a loud whoosh above Mary's head, as a small flying cruiser
landed at the base of the hill.   Killfile shrugged off the
electricity when he saw it.   It was the Legion.  He swore under his
breath.

        "Ah yes... the class five cruiser.  Contains three passengers and two
crewmen.   You six or sixty... it doesn't matter.   In my weaker days it
took 20 of them to take me down.  You want a war, bring it!" he said. 
"Or you can rescue my piece of filth daughter that you seem so intent
on saving.  Your choice."

        Tendrils emitted from the tower.  They began injected themselves into
Deliah.   She awoke and screamed.   The Legion cruiser landed and Sing
Along Lass, Vel, Doctor Stomper, Onion Lad and Fred got out.

        "Good God Killfile, stop!" yelled Stomper.

                 Stomper's words were drowned out by three sounds.   The
first piece of the cacophony was the nanoengine.   The second was the
laughter of Doctor Killfile.   Lastly, were the shrieks and shrills of
Deliah as she struggled for dear life.

                To Continued....


Doctor Killfile, Fred and Doctor Stomper are public domain.  Sing
Along Lass created by Drizzt.   Onion Lad created by Tom Russell
Junior and Dane Martin.   Everyone else created by Jesse N. Willey