Michael Van Lue sat in the passenger seat of a dingy brown 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis, with the windows rolled down. The temperature was in the 80s in rural southern Pennsylvania, but the air conditioner in the car had not functioned since the elder Bush administration. In the driver seat pushing the car upwards of 75 mph was Michael's best friend the bulky redheaded Bernie Rayford.

     It was midnight as Michael Van Lue stared up at the run down apartment building, on the bad side of town.  Michael took a last drag off his cigarette before dropping it to the street and crushing it out with his toe.  "Man this is gonna suck."  He looked down at his recovered knife in his right hand, "Yeah."  Then he reached into his pocket with his left hand, and withdrew what appeared to be a yellow christmas light, that was glowing brightly, even though it wasn't plugged in, and instead of a light buld screw it had w

It had been many years since Michael Van Lue looked this sharp, so to speak. He was dressed in a tuxedo, flying down the highway on a borrowed crotch rocket. He could see the church that was his destination on the other side of the river, but the traffic had come to a dead stop on the only bridge across the river. "What the hell is the hold up....oh." A tanker truck was about to fall off the bridge into the river, taking with it a sedan, with the doors open, something was hanging by the seat belt out of the passenger door of the sedan. "Is that? Awww hell no!" It was a baby seat...

It had been many years since Michael Van Lue looked this sharp, so to speak. He was dressed in a tuxedo, flying down the highway on a borrowed crotch rocket. He could see the church that was his destination on the other side of the river, but the traffic had come to a dead stop on the only bridge across the river. "What the hell is the hold up....oh." A tanker truck was about to fall off the bridge into the river, taking with it a sedan, with the doors open, something was hanging by the seat belt out of the passenger door of the sedan. "Is that? Awww hell no!" It was a baby seat...

"Get out of my way Zak NOW!" Even as angry as he was, Michael Van Lue knew he had no hope of beating the masked man in front of him that he knew as Zak, but whom the rest of the world knew as the hero Starstreak. "I can't let you do this Michael. Even if you succeed, what have you gained? This disgusting creature behind me, you kill him in cold blood, and you become another one of his victims forefieting your own life." "Dammit Zak he's a child murderer!

Col. Jenks looked up from his paperwork at the glaring blue eyes of Michael Van Lue. Surprise, confusion and rage battled for control of the Colonel's emotions. "What the hell are you doing here? How did you find this place?" Michael allowed himself a half smirk, "Yeah little thing I forgot to mention, somehow I always know where the blade is like a GPS." Jenks stood up "So what are you doing here. The deal was I give Karen her freedom and you give me the knife." "No" Michael shouted, "I said you can have the knife so long as Karen and our daughter are with me. They're gone, taken, kidnapped. So who tops my list of suspects, why the esteemed Colonel of course." "I don't have them." "I know. You wouldve laid a trap for me if you did. I'm just here for my blade." "You can't take it from this facility" Another smirk. " Not without serious damage. Thats why you're going to let me borrow it til I get Karen and Lyndi back." "And if I don't?" Another smirk. In the background shouts and containment alarms ring out. "I have some control even here. Hmm wonder If I can duplicate from this range?" "Alright alright take it, but if you don't bring it back....' "Yes we both know the consequences, just as you know that if you did anything to my family I'll hunt you, If you hide I'll find you, we will fight, and I will hurt you." They continued to glare at each other as Michael Van Lue "Knife" once again backed out the office door.

Michael Van Lue shook his head to clear the cobwebs. He took hold of the proferred hand to help his bruised body off the pavement. The hand belonged to a police seargant who was shaking his head in amazement. "That was incredible. Using all those knives to make a shield that stopped an armored car barrelling at you at at ..at least 80 miles an hour." "Yeah (cough) oh ...no shit shit dammit!" "Whats the matter you just broke up a huge armored car heist ring." Michael pulled a flattened pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of what was left of his jeans.