The A-team to the Rescue in the Labyrinth!

Chapter Nine – The Jazz

Hannibal, Face, Murdock, and Max arrived at the junkyard just outside the Goblin City. Max spied out the city for he knew it well, and told the trio of the goblin brigade in full armor carrying weapons and waiting for them. Hannibal said, "Any ideas on how we can get through to the castle?"

Murdock came up with another one of his brilliant ideas and said, "Max, can you help us build three giant rockets so we can blast directly over the goblin city, straight to the castle?" "Ok" said Max the inventor, "I think I can make enough gun powder. We can find all sorts of things here in the junkyard to build a rocket with!" Hannibal said, "Good work! Sounds like a plan!" The four of them worked on three large rockets and had them built in a little less than half an hour. Murdock and Max worked very carefully on the design and trajectory, since Murdock is the pilot for the A-team and knows so much, especially about the strangest of flying contraptions!

There were five, perhaps seven, or maybe it was ten or more goblins that lived in the junk yard. They had large stacks of junk tied onto their backs and blended in so well with the junk it was hard to tell how many of them there actually were. They all watched the work in progress with amazement. "Oh, this must be the annual 'Recycle Scrap Metal Build-a-thon!", said their leader, the Junk Lady. Each of them began placing scrap metal in piles for the builders to use. They brought pieces one at a time saying; "Here you go!", "Don't forget this one!" and "Here's a beauty!" until they built huge piles, much more scrap metal than the four of them would ever need, possibly in their entire lifetime!

The rockets were all set to be launched. Hannibal, Murdock, and Face secured straps around their arms and legs with some to hold onto tightly. They made helmets and armor out of junk as well, complete with padding from old used goblin pillows and mattresses to cushion their fall.

"How do we know this is going to work?" questioned Face. Hannibal replied, "We don't, but remember, 'The Jazz!'." "Oh yeah, 'The Jazz!'" the two replied, "We're definitely 'On the Jazz' now if at any other time!" commented Face. The trio thanked Max for all his help and he replied, "No problem! It was worth it. Now I can build even bigger rockets!"

The rockets took off with a loud thunder, whistling and sputtering as they sailed high into the air directly over the Goblin City. Many more lights came on in windows in the city and goblins came out of their homes with lanterns saying, "What's all the racket?" Half or more of the goblin brigade ran towards the castle, following the three curious flying projectiles.

One by one, the trio landed; Hannibal on the roof of the castle, Face ran into the closed castle door, and Murdock crashed through a window. The noise of course got everyone's attention in the castle. B.A. said, "That's got to be them! They're 'On the jazz'!" He smiled very big. Sarah looked at the clock and saw the A-team had thirteen minutes left! Jareth immediately sent B.A. to the Escher room to hide him.

Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus fought off the goblin brigade as Sarah quickly escorted Hannibal, Face, and Murdock to the room. Sarah entered the Escher room as well. As they each walked through the door, the five of them were immediately separated by the room's trickery. They ended up on opposite sides of the room from one another. The new challenge began.

The Goblin King then appeared in the Escher room and stood on one of the platforms; "So, Sarah, you were clever enough to discover my plan!" "Yes, Jareth," replied Sarah, "The A-team came to rescue me and this is how you treat them? You give me no other choice!"

Jareth answered, "You're eyes can still be so cruel, just as I can still be so cruel! I reordered time, saved you from werewolves, and gave the A-team thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth! I'm quite exhausted from living up to everyone's expectations! Isn't that generous?"

"This is just like a flashback!" Sarah replied and continued, "Well, Jareth, I'm quite exhausted from enduring your lame and unending excuses! Your own Labyrinth has you trapped and all you do is try to pull everyone else down with you! Not me; and not the A-team!" From then on Sarah allowed no more distractions from Jareth. She was "on the jazz" with the A-team!

The five of them kept trying to assemble to no avail for eight long minutes. Getting all five together at one time in the Escher room was quite a daunting challenge, especially with the control Jareth wielded over the room and the room's amazing talent.

Sarah, however, managed to reach the very center of the room. Her previous experience solving it helped. She said, "I have a plan, each one of you jump when I give the signal! Ok?"

She directed the A-team to key platforms and one by one they jumped towards her at just the right time. Then all five were together to confront Jareth with three minutes left!

They each took turns saying the words from the red book;

Hannibal started out: "'Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered.'"

Face said, "Line, please!" Sarah whispered it to him, then he said; "'We have fought our way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City.'"

Murdock was next: "'To take back our friend whom you have stolen.'"

Then B.A.: "'For our will is as strong as yours and our kingdom is as great', fool!" (fool was added of course)

Sarah said, "OK, now everyone together!"

All five of them said together loudly: "'You have no power over us!'"

The A-team appeared back in Ed Straus' house. Ed came out of the shower wearing a towel and drying his hair. He was shocked to see the four of them sitting in his living room and said, "I see you're making yourselves right at home! Don't you knock anymore?" Then he smiled; "It looks like I might not be so crazy after all! Where did you go and how did you get back? What happened to that strange looking character at the door, whatever you called him?" "You would probably not believe it even if we told you." replied Hannibal. "OK, I won't ask again." said Ed, "I'm just glad you're OK. Did you find Sarah?" "Yes, we did!" said Hannibal.

The A-team then drove to the park in their GMC customized black and gray van with the red stripe. Their hunch was correct; Sarah was there. They picked her up and drove to her parent's house.

Toby, looking through an upstairs window yelled, "Sara's home!" and ran down the stairs. The family was overjoyed to see her back safely. Robert Williams then asked the A-team; "How did you find her?" Hannibal replied "It's a long story. Why don't you ask her?" "Ok, I will!" said Robert.

As the A-team drove away Hannibal said; "I love it when a plan comes together!" Face said, "Yeah, even in a world where anything is possible and nothing is what it seems!" Murdock remarked, "See, B.A., sometimes fairytales are more than fluffy fake foolishness." "Ok, just don't rub it in!" replied B.A.. Sarah worked with the A-team on a number of cases after that and they remained life-long friends.

The End

As the credits roll (outtake): Murdock went back to the mental institution that evening and when he looked in the mirror he was surprised to see Max standing behind him. He turned and looked around the room but Max wasn't there. When he looked back in the mirror, Max waved at Murdock and said, "Hey, remember me!" Murdock said to himself, "I might truly be going crazy after all!" then replied, "Hi Max! Stop by any time you like! We'll discuss all kinds of flying contraptions and invent a few new ones ourselves!" "OK." replied Max, "I'll stop by on Tuesday!" "Anytime!" said Murdock, waving back at him.