This story is actually beginning to take shape in my mind... which is good...

Yet again, the continuing story of ACAAu-06

Disclaimer: You can't tell me you haven't gotten the picture yet... I don't own it, ok? OK? Stop asking me already!!!

Chapter 6: Questions

"Hey! He's got my purse! Somebody stop him!!"

A masked man ran down the alleyway, carrying a purple purse. He moved fairly fast, but ended up tripping over cracked pavement, measuring his length on the concrete.

After four months of patrols, Ace's computer processor had taken on a level of complexity equivalent to that of a human brain. Thus, the act of computing information could, at this point, be considered 'thought'.

As Ace looked down at this would be thief, his thoughts were of the man's small size and pitiful stature. Obviously a run-down, probably recently evicted from his apartment. Only someone in this state would risk a purse-snatching in Paragon City.

Ace jumped off the roof into the path of the criminal. As the man's eyes went wide, Ace drew his assault rifle, and pointed it at the man's chest.

"Return the purse, and you may go," Ace said.

However, the man dropped to his knees and gripped the purse ever tighter. "Please," he said. "Please, just leave... I need this purse, I need the money!"

Ace bent down and took the purse from the man's grip. Unable to retrieve it, the man sprang forward and grabbed Ace's arm. "I need that money! I need it! I haven't got any, how am I supposed to get food?"

Under normal circumstances, Ace would have simply shaken him away. However, this time he paused. Something in the man's tone caused him to consider his words.

This man was unable to pay for food. Thus, he stole the purse for money so he could eat. The Prime Directive said to protect the city and it's inhabitants... and so he fought crime with the other Superheroes, and in this case should return the purse. But wouldn't that cause harm to the man, who could not buy food?

The dilemma lasted only a short time. He filed the question away and concluded that in this case, there were other options than crime for this man. However, he was perhaps gentler than he would have been with the man's arm.

He walked back out of the alley, where a young lady waited. Nodding to her, he returned her purse.

As he turned to go, she grabbed his shoulder, spinning him to face her. She smiled widely, and Ace realized he had aided her once before; she had said her name was Sophie.

"Thanks again, Ace," she said.

"Any time," he replied.

Ace had been following a strange string of incidents for some time now, often with help from other Heroes. The evidence pointed strongly toward a branch of the Fifth Column called the Nacht. Tonight Ace, Corrigan, and a few others were investigating a delivery of advanced weaponry not chartered by the local government.

As they entered the warehouse, sounds of gunfire reached their ears. They sprinted down the hall.

Emerging into a large room, they stopped and looked around in awe.

Sprawled around the room were the bodies of some thirty Nacht troopers. Scanning the bodies, Ace found that none were dead, but none were conscious either. Impressive, to say the least.

Several boxes were stacked together on the other side of the room. Bullet holes surrounded the area. Crouching behind the boxes were seven riflemen. Ace nearly opened fire before he realized that they weren't in the same uniforms as the Nacht.

Looking up, the riflemen immediately regrouped and aimed at the entering superheroes. "You there!" the leader shouted. "Identify yourself, friend or foe?"

Corrigan stepped forward, leaning on his sword with a grin on his face usually reserved for the terminally insane. "Depends," he shouted. "Do you enjoy getting the tar kicked outta you, or are you gonna point those toys in another direction?"

"Easy, Cor," Adalia said. Stepping forward, she gave a half-bow and said, "We are friends so long as you are." Her words often calmed even the tensest moments. Or maybe it was the half-bow.

Convinced they were in no real danger, several of the riflemen slung their guns and resumed work on the figure on the ground next to them, which Ace now recognized as a fallen soldier.

Ace and his group jogged over. "What happened here?" Kethric asked.

One of the troops looked up. Judging from the differenced in uniform and the way the others deferred to him, Ace concluded that he was the squad's leader. "Our supply shipment came in today," he said. "Apparently, word got out. The Nacht are always looking for more weapons and supplies, and they staged an assault. Luckily for us, their training is far inferior... but nonetheless, their sheer numbers were daunting. We took them down, but they got a couple of lucky shots, and one of them took Rich down."

"Here," Adalia said. "Let me take a look." As the soldiers stepped back, she began chanting. The soldiers watched in awe as Rich, enveloped in a warm glow, healed and awoke.

"Which group are you affiliated with?" Kethric asked the leader, who was paying some attention in contrast to his troops.

"We're part of GAC. Thanks for coming, but we no longer need your help. We've got it from here."

"Now hang on a tick," Corrigan said. "Need a hand moving these boxes?"

"No thanks, friend... we've got it from here, like I said."

As they left, Kethric turned to the other heroes and said, "Any of you ever hear of GAC?"