Ride On To Glory

I dunno how far this is gonna get tonight. I shouldn't do this, cuz I always give false starts like this, like, all the time. But I've got the idea stuck there, and I feel like, I dunno, if I write this beginning part here, I'll be committed to it (yeah, like my webcomic ._.) Anyway, here goes something and/or nothing.

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Rocky almost knew the path with his eyes closed. He wasn't stupid enough to actually try to bike without looking. There was always the possiblity of traffic.

Or an ambush, Rocky reminded himself. Nathan had been spamming a recording of Ackbar's quote, "It's A Trap!" over the team's radios now for the past block. Rocky made a mental note to not leave someone else as operator next time. This time, though, Nathan was right where he needed to be.

Everyone was, actually. Rhox'd been dreaming of this ride for the past 3 nights. Ever since they got the intel. It was good intel, too. POW's didn't usually spill the beans that easily, but apparently no one had told Sam that before she got hit with the Nerf darts. Once they figure out what she revealed, she'd be a pariah, most likely, her own team's human sheild, at best, or a sit-out at worst.

Unless, again, this was a trap. POW's were required to answer their yes or no questions, but they weren't required to go into nearly as much detail as Sammy had. Rocky didn't think she was lying, she was smarter than that. But at the same time, she was smarter than to answer the question "Is it at Mr. Chamber's place?" with "No, it's under the bushes in the Coleman's front yard."

POW's weren't allowed to lie, so Rocky and his generals immediately took this information and started forming invasion plans. The Coleman's yard wasn't used often, but it wasn't off limits, or too far out of the norm. If anything, it was too close. It was almost across the street from Becky Walter's house, a frontline fort of sorts for Rocky's Nightbats.

Rocky had been playing this game, waging this play war against Gary Smith and his own team, which had been dubbed long ago, before the release of the popular movie, as The Matrix, for reasons which today were shrouded in mystery to all but the most learned competitors. Gary and Rocky had been friends since before they were enlisted, before they'd started elementary school, even, and Rocky was glad that being set against his friend had not deterred the friendship. If anything, Rocky felt closer to his friend than ever. But he still couldn't get into the opposing commander's head and figure what his plan was.

Nevertheless, it wouldn't be long before The Matrix was able to free Sammy again, and when she did, they'd know what she'd told the Nightbats, and if they moved the flag again, they might never find it. With only a couple of weeks left of summer, this was going to be the Nightbat's final hurrah.

Rocky reached into his jacket pocket and gently stroked the thin square of fabric folded inside. The Nightbat's flag. No one else knew it was with him. He'd told them all it was kept inside a fake rock in his mom's garden. He had kept a small force of men there to guard the rock, even. It was an illusion he hoped carried over to Gary's side, though so far, no attacks had reached his mom's garden. Not for lack of trying, it was simply that Rocky's forces were able to repel any incoming force long before they reached too deep into Nightbat territory.

The flag was with him for two reasons. First was, of course, the deception. His own soldiers would not be lying when asked where the flag was. This technicality had never come up, but Rocky felt the rules were on his side in this one. But the second reason, and more important to Rocky, was that he felt the flag was literally his responsibilty, and he wanted it with him on important raids like this. Sometimes he imagined that the flag could talk to him, give him wisdom none of the other kids could. He rubbed the flag, felt the contours of his belly through it, and knew what it would tell him.

They were riding into a trap.

His gut agreed. But they had no other choice, really. It was a trap, to be sure, but it was a trap baited with the most delicious cheese. Rocky got Nathan to quit looping Admiral Ackbar, then began his customary pep-talk.

"Okay guys and gals, this is it. I know what a lot of you are thinking, and I'm almost partial to agree. This doesn't feel right. We don't know exactly what we're about to run into. But if we keep our heads cool, our fingers fast, and our aims steady, I know what we'll be running out of there with. The Matrix Flag. We're 2 and 0 this season for flag captures, and there's never been a 3 flag shut out before. Wanna make history?"

Rocky skidded his bike to a stop and watched as a half dozen other kids, his fellow soldiers, stopped around him. Another 3 were at the base, protecting what they thought was their flag, and listening over a radio reciever. Rocky smiled as he thought about the progress they'd made. When he joined up, each team had a pair of walky-talky's and whatever squirt guns could be found. Now each kid was armed with a Super Soaker or Nerf Dart launcher that was no more than 2 years old, and each wore a headset walky talky, plus a shirt bearing the Nightbat's crest. It made Rocky proud to be a part of such a fine group.

"Hands in the middle; ready? Three! Two! One! NIGHTBATS!"