Trick or Treat, Pt 14

By Jill Weber

Big Guy and Rusty characters owned by Sony and Darkhorse and are used without permission or intent to make a profit.

***

Garth smiled and dealt another hand. He picked up his cards and his smile vanished and he gave serious thought to having a temper tantrum. 'I don't believe this! A Royal Flush!' He glared at the table. 'And there isn't even any decent candy left to win!' He sighed. He should have quit while he was ahead and maybe he'd have gotten this hand when he was playing for money.

"Maybe we should just fold, now," Mack muttered when he saw the expression on Garth's face.

"Maybe you should just concede the next twenty or so poker hands to me," Garth growled in disgust.

"Your hand's that good?" Jo asked. She looked at her own hand, then threw it down.

Garth sighed and laid his cards on the table. No point really in hiding it. There was nothing left to win.

"Ouch," Mack said.

"We're doomed," Jo said. "This good a hand, combined with what you said earlier, is a sure indication that something horrible is about to happen."

"About to happen?" Garth blurted. "I just got dealt a pat royal flush and there's nothing to win. What could be worse than that?"

Mack sighed. "That's the second time you said something to that effect. I agree with Jo, we're doomed."

"You two sound like Dr. Lester and her pet superstitions."

Jo shrugged. "You can't escape it. You're luck's been so good this far…"

"That doesn't meant that all Hello is going to burst loose," Garth said.

Just then, both Slate's signal and the Big Guy signal went off.

"Crud," Garth added as they abandoned the game and headed for their stations.

As Garth powered up Big Guy, his stomach felt like it was being tied in knots. There was no communication from Rusty. Knowing the kid, that meant he had his hands full.

If Jo and Mack were correct, this was going to be something nasty. He shook his head to clear it of that nonsense. "So, what've we got?" he asked.

"Mysterious lights over the city," Jo reported, sending him the coordinates.

"Looks like your on your own," Mack added.

"Goody," Garth said.

The Flight Officer gave clearance and the Legend One blasted out of the hanger under the flight deck of the U.S.S. Darkhorse like the rocket that it was.

The Captain of the Darkhorse decided that this would be a good time for an 'alien invasion' drill, just in case there was an attack in the offing.