Chapter Nine: Catacomb Rescue: The Good of the Story

Jonathan quietly sped to the catacomb entrance and lit a light to make sure he could see inside the dark passages as it was already eight in the evening.

"But we've looked everywhere." A guard said to Slade.
"I don't want excuses!" Slade snapped. "I want that Christian! And if I want your opinion, I'll give it to you! NOW GO!"
After that, Slade noticed a light near an abandoned road as he smirked.
"Oh Thomas, I think I've found our man." Slade said with a sneer as Tommy walked up. "Come. I'll show you how to deal with these Christians."
The two then walked off.

In the catacombs, Jonathan met up with Kent, Oliver, and Laurel as they all smiled at the sight of each other.
As they were about to rush off, Jonathan noticed Kent clutch his chest.
"Laurel slow down!" Jonathan called out.
"Sorry." Laurel said weakly.
"Are you okay, Kent?" Jonathan asked.
"Yeah." Kent sighed. "These old bones aren't what they used to be, though. I need a minute to catch my breath."
Suddenly, Oliver's super hearing picked up something.
"Listen." Oliver whispered.
Now they all heard footsteps.
"We're being followed." Jonathan said. "Run!"
They all rushed off when Kent began breathing hard.
"Jonathan, it's me they want." Kent breathed. "You and the children go on. You've got a better chance of making it without me."
"No, Kent." Jonathan said. "Laurel, hold onto the traveling papers Oliver got for Kent. Kent, hop on my back. The lord will give me the strength of two men."
Kent hopped on as Jonathan fell over.
"I thought you said the lord would give you the strength of two men." Kent said.
"Well, they must have been two very small men." Jonathan said.
After that, they sped off.

Tommy and Slade were walking when Slade heard hastened footsteps to their left.
"Come!" Slade said and rushed after them.

At a bridge, everyone crossed single file for fear of over loading it as Laurel slipped before Oliver caught her, and a rock fell into the chasm.
"I wonder how deep this goes." Laurel wondered.
"I don't intend to find out." Kent said plainly.
"They're getting closer." Jonathan pointed out.
"I've got an idea!" Laurel said.
"Oh no." Oliver groaned.
"Just help me with this beam!" Laurel said as she and Oliver grabbed a beam and pulled.
"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked.
"If we pull out the support, we can pull the roof in behind us." Laurel explained. "I've seen it happen before."
"Oh yeah." Oliver said sarcastically. "That'll stop them."
They pulled out the support beam, but the cave stood in perfect condition.
"I don't understand." Laurel said. "Maybe the foundation needs to be loosened.
Laurel kicked the area where the beam was, and the whole tunnel began shaking.
"Okay, sorry about earlier." Oliver said.

As Tommy and Slade began crossing a plank over a chasm, there was a slight tremor, and Slade lost his footing, barely holding onto the plank.
"Tommy!" Slade called out, and Tommy quickly helped him up.

Unfortunately, Laurel' plain worked too well, and the cave in separated Oliver and Laurel from Kent and Jonathan.
"Laurel, Oliver, are you two alright?" Jonathan called out.
"We're fine!" Oliver shouted back.
"You and Mr. Nelson go onto the cave!" Laurel called out. "We'll meet you there! I know another way!"
"Laurel!" Jonathan called out, but there was no response. "Laurel?"
With no answer, Jonathan was forced to continue onward with Kent.

As Oliver and Laurel rushed on, they stopped to listen.
"I don't hear the guards anymore." Laurel said.
"Maybe they were buried alive." Oliver said bitterly. "That's what they deserve."
Suddenly, there was another cave-in.
"Uh-oh." Oliver groaned.

As Tommy and Slade continued on, the tunnel began shaking even worse than before.
"The tunnel is collapsing!" Slade called out as they rushed off, and both men got on the plank at the same time, causing it to break, and Tommy was barely able to hold onto the edge.
"Slade!" Tommy called out. "Help me!"
"Help yourself." Slade said plainly as he rushed out.
Tommy fell and landed on an outstretching rock. Then, everything was darkness.

Slade rushed out of the cavern. The role of the soldier was survival of the fittest, and he was more fit to be a soldier than Tommy Luthor.

The cave-in stopped without any more of the tunnel falling in on them.
"Are you okay?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah." Laurel replied when they heard a groan. "What's that?"
They went to the chasm, which had lost the plank as they saw Tommy Luthor lying there small and weak, clutching at his leg.
"It's him!" Oliver said. "He's one of the soldiers that-"
"Slade, is that you?" Tommy asked. "Here, grab my whip!"
Tommy tossed a dusty whip at the edge of the cavern for them to grab hold of.
"What do we do?" Laurel asked.
"Nothing!" Oliver said angrily. He was about to walk off when Laurel stopped him.
"We've gotta help him!" Laurel called out. "He'll die!"
"So?" Oliver asked. "Leave him there!"
"Oliver, it's not right!" Laurel argued.
"What they did to our families wasn't right!" Oliver snapped back when he heard Tommy's voice again.
"Slade?" Tommy pleaded. "Please help me!"
Laurel rushed at the whip as Oliver sighed and knew Laurel was right about helping Tommy, and he helped her pull the whip up when it suddenly gave a little, and the traveling papers for Kent fell into blackness.
"Oh, that's just perfect!" Oliver groaned, but he and Laurel continued pulling.

At J'onn's cave, Martha rushed up to Jonathan and Kent as they arrived.
"Thank goodness you're here!" Martha sighed. "We were so... Where are the children?"
"There was a cave-in." Jonathan explained. "We got separated, and they're trying to find another way. Bruce, some of you search the catacombs for them."
"Right." Bruce said calmly as he and a few others headed off.

Eventually, Oliver and Laurel managed to pull Tommy up as he collapses on the floor breathing heavily.
"Oh Slade, I didn't think you'd come ba-" Tommy said before he noticed Oliver and Laurel. "You? You saved me?"
"Yup." Laurel said plainly.
"But... You're Christians." Tommy said confusedly.
"Uh-huh." Laurel agreed again.
"Laurel!" Oliver shouted.
"I came here to arrest you." Tommy continued in shock. "Why would you risk your lives for me?"
"We were just doing what the Samaritan did." Laurel explained.
"What Samaritan?" Tommy asked.
"The one in the story Mr. Nelson told us." Laurel explained.
"Ah... Kent Nelson." Tommy said. "The Story Keeper. He's the man I'm after."
"Well you shouldn't have any trouble now!" Oliver said moodily. "Thanks to you, we just lost his traveling papers."
"Please take me to him." Tommy said without any hesitation in his voice.

In J'onn's cave, the Christians were getting restless.
"First they burn our houses, now they take our children!" A woman shouted.
"How much more are we supposed to take from Luthor's thugs?!" A man called out.
"Please!" Jonathan said, trying to calm everyone down. "Ollie and the others will find them!"
"There are only two soldiers there, and there are fifty of us!" J'onn shouted. "I say we go in there and get some revenge!"
"Friends!" Kent called out. "Friends, we mustn't be like other people! We must learn to forgive!"
"Yes, but how many times do we have to forgive them?!" J'onn asked.
"Disciple Peter asked the same thing!" Kent called out before calming down. "Come and listen. They were walking in the hillside, and Peter said, 'But lord, when someone treats me badly, how many times do I have to forgive them? Is seven times enough?'
"'No.' Jesus responded. 'Not seven times or seventy, but seven times seventy.'
"Jesus then told his disciples a story to explain his point.
"'There once was a king who wanted to settle the accounts for the men who worked for him. One man owed him thousands of silver coins, but he didn't have any money to pay him.
"'"Then everything you own will be sold to pay your debt." The king said. "Even your wife and children."
"'"Give me time!" The man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."
"'The king felt sorry for the man, crossed out his debt, and let him go, but on the way home, the man met another of the king's servants who owed him a small amount.
"'"Pay me what you owe me!" The man said.
"'"Give me time!" The other man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."
"'However, the man tossed the other into prison. When the king found out what the man had done, he was furious and brought both men before him.
"'"You wicked man!" The king snapped. "I wiped out your debt when you begged for time to pay! You should have done the same for this man! Guards, take him to prison until he pays all of his debt!"
"You see what Jesus was saying?" Kent asked. "We must forgive those who wrong us just as God has forgiven us."

"Are you Kent Nelson, the Story Keeper?!" Tommy asked as he walked up to Kent with Laurel and Oliver behind him.
"I am Kent Nelson." Kent said calmly.
"Are you the one who told these children the stories of Jesus?" Tommy asked.
At that moment, Bruce and several others walked up and held out their swords when Jonathan stopped them.
"If the people who hear your stories become like these children," Tommy began. "Then all of the galaxy should hear about your Jesus."
Tommy then handed Kent his traveling papers.
"Here." Tommy said. "You'll be needing these papers."
Kent took them and smiled.
"You're drawn to him, aren't you?" Kent asked.
"A fellow soldier left me to die, but these children saved my life because of Jesus." Tommy said as he smiled.
"Come." Kent said. "We'll talk."
"No." Tommy said plainly. "It isn't safe now, and my men will be looking for me."
"Then I leave you in the hands of my friend, Jonathan." Kent said.
Jonathan walked up and made the sign of the fish on the ground as Tommy memorized it.
"Look for me at my farm in Smallville, Mr. Merlyn." Jonathan said.
"Please." Tommy said as he shook Jonathan's hand. "My friends call me, Tommy."
"Definitely easier to say." Kent said with a smile as Tommy smiled too.
"May your god go with you, Mr. Nelson." Tommy said.
"He will, my brother." Kent said with a smile. "And also with you."
Kent then walked off as Tommy turned to Oliver and Laurel.
"And as for you," Tommy said. "I don't know how to thank you, but I promise you, I will find a way."
"Hey, don't mention it." Oliver said with a smile as he and Tommy shook hands before Tommy headed out.


Hooray for Tommy, Oliver, and Laurel!