CHAPTER FIVE

As the group sat around the table, each one began to suggest how to care for the problem that Mr. Chambers had just begun to explain.

“Where be this evil man? For I shall make quick work of him with my blade,” Sir Galahad said, as he swung his blade out in front of everyone.

“Ney, I shall fill him full of arrows,” Robin Hood stated.

“One puny person? Blue and me have beaten one hundred times that before!” Paul Bunyan stated with a laugh.

“With my six shooters, I will back him a human fountain.” The Lone Ranger added.

“Then we shall throw him into the land of the six headed interloper. Sinbad said with a smile.

Mr. Chambers waited them out before he spoke.

“My friends, no one doubts your great accomplishments in the past. All of you have indeed had great victories. However, this evil one has the power of the ancients. She and I have a history.”

“She? A mere woman?” Galahad asked in shock.

“My friends, this is not by any means a ‘mere woman,’ as you say. She has acquired powers that are more than a match for mine.”

That quieted all of them down. He now continued,

She and I have battled over the centuries. I have, up till now, always managed to stay one step ahead of her. One main reason for this is that I have been able to keep my true identity hidden from her.”

“What?” Neville blurted out involuntarily.

Mr. Chambers glanced at him.

“When you are a practice of the arts, my boy, there are a few things you must do in order to be successful. One key factor is keeping your identity, or true extent of who you are, secret.”

He now faced the group again.

“Charlie, as she is now known as, has gathered great powers, by defeating other evil users of the arts, and absorbing their powers. I last ran into her in the land of Gotham. She had grown quite powerful and was causing much destruction and pain. By means of…well let’s just say that I was able to learn her true indenity and use that against her. Once that happened all her powers were gone.”

Kattie now spoke,

“Excuse me Sir, but if her powers are gone, how is she a problem?”

Kattie shook her head that she even asked the question. She had dealt with everything that was going on so far, by believing it all had to be a dream.

Mr. Chambers looked at his watch,

“I do not have the time to explain the details, other than at the last moment, she used what was left of her powers to acquire futuristic technology, and a basic knowledge of how to use it. The only thing I could do was to implant the idea in her head that all my powers were beyond her technology and could not be defeated.”

Mr. Chambers looked around the room. All he saw was everyone had a look of complete confusion on their faces.

“Never mind, let me lay out the facts for you. Charlie is not going to stop trying to defeat me and she has several space ships headed this way. One of them is loaded with highly advanced robotic warriors. Charlie herself is in another one of those ships with an expert on board that is slowly working through a way of detecting where I am located.”

This expressions on everyone’s face now was complete bewilderment.

“Listen my friends, I selected each one of you for a reason. You have successfully defeated power enemies in your realm in the past. This battle that we are facing will not only effect this realm, but yours as well.”

The expressions now changed from confusion to determination. He glanced at his watch again.

“That is enough of this for tonight. I am confident in each one of your abilities, and I appreciate your hero type qualities that you always exhibit. I will explain in more detail what will be needed for each one of you at our next meeting. Please my friends, sharpen your skills, for they will be needed. Now while we still have a little time left, please share some of your greatest moments with the rest of us.”

Kattie and Neville listened in awe at the stories that were told. After a given amount of time, Mr. Chambers announced it was time for the folk heroes to go. He reminded them again about the importance of their next meeting.

“Until then my friends, happy battles.”

Mr. Chambers reached into his coat. A muffled sound of a stiff breeze was heard, then all the folk heroes disappeared in a flash.

“Now my young friends, I will be leaving you a list of what we will require for this battle. Sinbad, will finance everything, so don’t worry about any of the costs, he will cover them.”

He finished his drink and took all the glasses to behind the bar to wash them. Kattie and Neville just stared at him.

“I knew this day would come, but I didn’t figure it would be this soon, and I did not count on Charlie threatening so many lives. Her thirst for vengeance threatens to totally destroy the very fabric of time.”

He finished putting up the glasses and turned to face Kattie and Neville.

“I know this is probably blowing your minds, but I have had much younger apprentices then you two, and they have done just fine.” He wasn’t sure who he was trying to reassure more of them, or himself.

It is time for me to go, I will be in touch”

The same sound occurred, and he too disappeared in a bright flash.

Kattie and Neville rubbed their eyes, then looked at each other. Kattie began to smile broadly.

“What?” Neville asked.

Kattie reached across the table and grabbed his hand.

“You sure know how to impress a woman on a first date.”

If Neville’s brain wasn’t muddied up before, it now almost flat lined. He stood up and went over to the bar and poured a drink. Kattie was now afraid she might have said the wrong thing.

“Neville, I didn’t mean to…”

“No, it’s okay. I enjoyed your company; it is that all this other stuff is way too much for me right this minute. He poured her a drink as well and brought them back to the table.

She smiled sweetly at him. 

"Your head is not only going to be able to wrap around all this stuff, but I also believe it is going to kick it’s butt.”