The Cappers Don't Live
Here Anymore

Part Three

By Amon_of_1000Handles



Capper Central. June 30, 2003

In the following two weeks, the Cappers stepped up their recruitment and training of new Cappers
to fight the Kortac. They realized that they weren't going to get any help from the world
governments, because they were too busy fighting wars of their own against their neighbors to care
about the real enemy, the Kortac.

"Hey Buck," RIZZZ said, "what do you suppose Tolstoy has been doing in there with Hobbes all this
time? I mean, don't you think he should be out here helping us formulate plans of attack? We
wouldn't even be here if it weren't for him."

"Yeah. I don't have any idea what he's up to. But I think we have done a damn fine job! I mean,
look what we've accomplished. We took out three of their heavy dimensional cruisers, stopped three
coup attempts on their part to take over the US government, plus offed about 150 of them! Not bad
for two week's work."

"And the important thig is that we haven't lost anyone else. Scouty has become a martyr. Everyone
wants to get the Kortac for her. I wish we wouldn't have lost her, but..." RIZZ said, his voice trailing
off.

Just then Tolstoy emerged from the control room, where he had spent most of the past two weeks
consulting with Hobbes. "Ah! Buck. RIZZZ. Do me a favor and call the other leaders up to the
control room. Hobbes and I have discovered the most fascinating thing. I think that you should all
hear it." Wit that, he turned around and walked back into the room.

"Strange old bird..." Buck muttered as he went over to a comm link to call the other leaders to the
control room.

After a few minutes, the leaders had arrived, and they all walked in to the control room and sat at the
table, waiting for Tolstoy to get done consulting with Hobbes one last time.

"Good. You're all here," he said, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Now as you all know, all
over the world, everyone has gone mad. They're making war against their neighbors, people they have lived next to in peace for years, decades or even centuries. Yet, there is something that has been puzzling me. That's what Hobbes and I have been discussing for the past two weeks. Anybody care to make a guess what I'm talking about?" He looked patiently around the room to see if anybody could guess what it was he was referring to.

"The Cappers!" anime exclaimed, realizing what it was Tolstoy was referring to. "Everyone else in the world has gone nuts. Everyone except the Cappers. That's it, isn't it? Someone get me a gold star." She sat back in her chair with a victorious look on her face.

"Exactly," Tolstoy said. "Now, the reason for this is still up in the air. There has to be some
connection, but we haven't figured it out. It's narrowed down to three possibilities, however. One:
the unique sense of humor it takes to be a Capper. Two: the family type atmosphere that surrounds
you. And three..."

"Three times a lady..." DanZero interrupted, causing an outburst of laughter from the group at the
table. A much needed laugh.

Tolstoy waited patiently while they regaind their composure. "Three: some chemical inbalance in the
the brain that all cappers share. I'm partial to the third one, myself." This brought another round of
laughter from the group.

"So what are you trying to tell us," BuckFifty finally said. "That a bunch of mental patients are what
the world needs to save it?"

"No. If we can isolate what the cause of this anomalous behavior is, we might be able to use it to
help stem the tide of the madness that has gripped this planet. And then it won't just be the Cappers
against the Kortac. We can get the whole planet involved. But until that happens, it's just us."


Kortac Command Center

"Sir, everything is going as planned. All the Earth people are fighting and killing each other. Soon, we
will have total control over this planet! And your name, Martac the Magnificent, shall be heralded
throughout the Kortac Empire!"

Martac waved his hand dismissively at the lieutenant who had just spoken. "None of this will matter if we do not defeat the Cappers. We had them on the run, and then, out of the blue, they start
defeating us again. What is it about them that causes them not to fall prey to the madness that has
enveloped everyone else?" He looked at the Kortac standing in front of him. "WELL? What is it?"

"I... I don't know, sir. Perhaps it is..." he started, only to be punched hard in the chest by a very
suddenly angry Martac.

"I... DON'T... WANT... GUESSES..." he said hotly.

The lieutenat took a step back to catch his breath. After catching his breath, he backed slowly out of
the room, leaving the fuming Martac to his thoughts.


Capper Central, later that same day

"How are the new Capper recruits looking, Moon Queen?" Gray Zombie asked, entering the briefing room. He walked over and sat down in the empty chair next to her.

"Here, see for yourself," she said, pushing the laptop over to him. "There are a bunch of good, I
mean really good Cappers that