"Tell the city and, tell                                      Ch.6
the people that somthings
coming to call.  Death and
darkness are rushing foward
to take a bite from the wall."
-Black Sabbath, Mob Rules
side 1, song 4

                          The Knights of Firestorm
     The lyrics went through his head again, they had been there
all morning.  A song Badger used to humm to himself, a song written
over 45 years ago.  The lyrics made sence these days;
"It still seems as though it never existed,  Death greets me warm,
now I will just say goodbye..."
     A tear welled up in Thumpers eye, the first in a while. 
Paladin was interviewing another person for Badgers job, Jass was
polishing up his brand new Proto-Plasma cannons, and Mad-Mage was
jackin' into the city computer to "borrow" some money from the
Corperation that had claimed the life of thier friend.  Thumper
watched the news ramble about the Corperations "Big Hostile
Takeover" of another, much less fortunate one.
     "Gentleman," Paladin said, walking through the door with
another person, "I would like you to all meet Mr.Hanna now known
to us as; "Anthraxx"."  Paladin looked at him as if to make some kinda
speech.
     "Umm, uh, hi fellas, I am glad you want me on the team," Tanis
remarked a bit sheepishly.  "I am ...."
     "Nobody asked you to be here fucker," Thumper seethed, now
standing up to look at the newest member.  "Your just filling in
a spot for a while, you'll fight, get scared, and then you'll quit. 
I've seen it happen a lot."
     Anthraxx looked at the irate member, smiled, and deftly clocked
him in the jaw.  Thumper landed onto the table with a grunt.  "Next
time you insult me like that, I will make sure that your jaw isn't
the only thing broken!"
     Jass merely looked at Anthraxx, then to Thumper, who was now
draped across his new wax job he had just completed on the first
weapon.  "hey, Thumper, could you move off the table, your drool
is messing up the polishing job on my guns."  Jass grabbed his
shrit and pulled him off of the shiny new weaponary, with a dull
thud as he hit the ground.  Paladin cocked his head in amusement,
and beckoned Anthraxx to follow him to the training room.
     Mad-Mage entered the room and carried Thumper off to his bed,
remarking about what a bruise he would have when he woke up.
     The newest member followed the oldest, in a ceremony that has
only happened 10 times before.  "I wouldn't worry about Thumper,
he just gets real edgy if he doesn't know you very well."  Paladin
stated, opening a door to reveal a pair of computers that would
make a crey weep.
     "Ah, ok.  Why is he so heartless, I have watched news footage
on you guys before I came to find you," Anthraxx said after a few
moments of looking at the large setup.  "He vaporizes anyone or
anything that gets into his way, I wonder why you are still alive." 
Art looked at Anthraxx for a few seconds then took off his shirt,
revealing a curved almost cresent like scar across his back. 
"Four_Magicka, Inc. did this to me, they installed a new heart and
kidneys for me, without my consent, it was Thumper who found me and
managed to get me out of there before they decided to finish the
job, and turn me into a total cybernetic organism.  No one could
have done that but him, because simply, no one is as crazy as he
is.  Charging into 40 or so Plasma cannons, is not something most
people would do, not even friends.  Just give him some time to get
used to you."  Paladin sighed and closed the door, after putting
his shirt back on, then proceeded to explain how to work the
massive computer to Anthraxx.

     Firestorm adjusted his visor.  The damn thing just kept
fogging up, and the damn Artificial Intelligence Computer didn't
know how to fix it.  "What the fuck is taking so long," He
demanded, "Where are they?"
     "Calm yourself, Stormie, we're here," A voice cracked over the
radio.  Firestorm adjusted the visor again, he could see nothing
but rock and soot.
     "I can't see you, you are out of visual range."
     A tap on his shoulder answered the statement.  In a flash
Firestorm whirrled around the Napalm hoses in his wrists springing
to life.  Behind him, stood 5 jet black Power Armours, each with
its own unique design and configuration.
     "You don't even show up on modular radar!"
     One of the Power Suits took a step foward, "Thats becuase our
marker and echo beacons work on a two-dimentional signal.  You'll
never see us unless we want you to."
     "Still as cocky as ever, eh, Talon?"
     "No more than you are stupid, Stormie," the suit replied.  For
a brief moment everyone thought a firefight would ensue, but a
hearty hug and handshake was all that came out of the pair.
     "So who did you want to go after?  You made the impression on
me that we actually had a job to do," Talon said, after all was
said and done with pleasantries.
     "Yup, got a bunch of real cocky fuckers on earthside, we gotta
go in there and we gotta air 'em out.  Just make sure that their
dead, a few of them are pretty good," Firestorm adjusted his ever
fogging visor again.  "We are getting paid 50 million for the job,
and mind you its a job I almost accepted for free."
     A few of the other Power Armours shifted in place,
uncomfortable with the thought of going back to Earth.  "Stormie,
you forget, most of us came out to the Moon, 'cause we wanted off
world.  The idea of going back isn't the most thought of.  Besides,
I like it up here, here we are the Emperors and Kings of a new
humanity."
     "Talon, shut your hole and listen.  Fifty Million and all the
supplies needed to carry out the extermination of one Arthur C.
Kubic.  And no questions asked."  Firestorm wiped the visor again,
and let the thought of money roll through Talons head.
     "...But theres another Corperation War coming, you can almost
feel it.  Its going to be another Neo-Warsaw War all over again,"
Talon looked a little upset at having to explain to his boss, that
not everyone shared his view of going back to Earth, 50 million or
no 50 million.
     With a quick flick of the wrist and thecracking of glass, a
hose with a barrel the size of a baseball came into direct view of
a very surprised Talon.  Firestorm huffed coldly, "All I have'ta
do is think of nice, warm napalm streaming over your pretty little
face, and that will activate the neural sensor in my Onboard
computer system, and then...no more Talon, and no more pretty
face."  
     Talon stared down the charred barrel of the tube and looked
into Firestorms visor before it fogged up again, and after a few
swift seconds of thought, Earth didn't sound so bad after all.

     The 21st of May, 2036.  Just another day, for middle class
Neo-America.  Another Shopping day, another school day, another day
for that last shuttle headed for the Plutonian colonies.  This day
was not totally average, however, a small unremarkable craft
entered the atmosphere directly above the mega city of Chicago. 
There were no radar fixations, no Identification calls over the
Tac-Com Net, and more intrestingly no pilots.


                      Another fine Text from:
                          The Committee
                              >T<>C<
                        The Masquerade BBS
                           708-963-4551
                               WHQ








