Teen Guardians

[csyphrett]

Re: Teen Guardians

 

Nov 15

The pirates continued to move forward, crossing the aft quarter-deck towards where Emp stood on the poopdeck, the ship's wheel behind him, sails still rustling in the breeze above him and the entire deck bobbing slightly beneath his feet, closing quickly, the half-dozen of them, male and female alike, scurvy dogs, all.

 

The slight hits from the pirate's weaponry sent up more smoke to mix with the fog, giving more obscuration under the ship, and Kara's vision abilities were needed--the half-score of pirates and their prisoners were offset of the main body of attackers; there were almost as many prisoners, a few band-members and football players chained together at the wrists and on their knees, four pirates in front, covering these prisoner's movement with long-and-short weapons, one in front and one behind...

 

The one behind, a long-haired man who bore a passing resemblance to Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow lifted the long hair of the blonde cheerleader at the head of the line and slapped something to the nape of her neck; she screamed...

 

...there was a flare of light that enveloped her from tennis-shoe to blonde crown of hair...

 

...then it faded and left the girl transformed...her hair was matted, her face mottled from an ancient attack of pox, her garb changed from sweat-pants and cheerleader top to thick vest and tattered breeches and boots; she stood of her own accord as the pirate at the head of the line released the manacles that bound her to the others...

 

And she stepped off, heading towards the floating boat.

 

"Ahhh...that's interesting!"SG flew towards the ex-cheerleader using her enhanced vision abilities to see if what ever was put on her neck was still there. Maybe it is something that can be ripped off? Might that return her to normal? Only one way to find out!

 

The six pirates closed around EMP, three to his front and three to his rear, all of which pointed at him what most certainly appeared to be muzzle-loading muskets...but the techie within noted that the grip seemed to be more a battery pack of some sort and the muzzle appeared to have about it a series of raised rings, more along the lines of focusing elements for a sound-based weapon rather than that found with the kinetic.

 

From the deck below, the curvaceous woman with the eyepatch shouted, "Surrender or die!"

 

Kara wasn't a medical professional by any means; her X-Ray vision penetrated the hair of the now-piratical scum that the cheerleader had become and noticed that what it appeared was that there were metal bits protruding from the semi-collar into the spinal column proper, perhaps a manner or method of control, definitely of transformation...

 

Good thing we have a Doctor in our group! Well, almost a doctor anyway. For now these guys need to be subdued, then we can worry about undoing the diabolical deed done to them.

 

I would like to swoop down and grab the kids who are about to be 'piratized' and carry them off to safety. If that works I'll come back for more.

 

Thursday, Sept Fourth

Four dipped down until the bubble skimmed the sand, then he sank it under the loose yellowness. He kept going until they both saw a rock face extending down to block them. He headed up to drop on the pier, surrounded by sailors leaving and landing.

 

Four dropped them on the pier when he saw a gap in the traffic. He didn't want anyone to see there arrival.

 

"Um...okay...", Nariko said while giving Mr. Four a look that seemed to indicate that she was waiting for him to make the next move.

 

"We have to try to keep to ourselves and blend in." Mr. Four looked at the crowd to make sure no one came too close to his charge. "We only have about twelve hours left before we're recalled.

 

"Let's look around and see if we can find somewhere in case we need to hole up against the locals."

 

"Maybe we should get a hold of some local clothes too?", the teen suggested.

 

"Who do you want to rob?" Mr. Four kept his eyes on everyone around them. "I don't have any money."

 

Nariko let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, maybe we can find some clothes drying on a clothesline somewhere or something! I mean, people probably have to dry their clothes in *this* world too, right?

 

"Stealing's wrong." Mr Four glared at one of the inhabitants who strayed too close. The sailor hastily walked away.

[csyphrett]

Re: Teen Guardians

 

The game had a bit of restart. Supergirl, Inferno, and Nariko are back as the PCs. I am talking with another player about his character.

CES

December 1st 1:00 pm

It's cloudy Wednesday afternoon in Champion City. Several homerooms from CCHS have been given transportation to the East Ridge Mall, an octagon shaped building that stood five stories tall. Two smaller hexagons stood at angles to the main building.

 

Shoppers toured the three connected buildings, mixing in with the students. A couple of teachers had been put in the crowd as chaperones, but they were wandering around on their own businesses.

 

Tinsel and cotton decorated the sitting areas of the Mall to evoke a winter wonderland. A booth marked the bottom floor's central court as it waited for Santa Claus to appear to impress any kids who still believed in the spirit of Christmas.

 

Kara (aka Supergirl) would be there shopping for Christmas gifts for her family. Some electronic or computer game would do for Pytor and Gregor.

 

Shopping for her scientist dad and ex-super spy mom was a little harder. For mom maybe some earrings or perfume, for dad maybe, a new pipe, or a day planner. For a genius he is very forgetful!

 

"Hey, Kara! Wait up." The voice belonged to Willis Waynewright. He had all the signs of being an unattractive geek. And he always seemed to be asking Kara for a date. "Do you want get a slurpie?"

 

Jessie looked for cheap clothes in case of 'burn off'.

 

After that she will find a spot a loooong way away from Santa (to protect the kids from her opinions) and start a speech. She will talk about how greed and capitalism has ruined Christmas, which started as a pagan holiday and was 'stolen' by the Christians. She will talk about the true meaning of celebrating love and togetherness free of the corruption of greed and slick marketing.

 

"Do you mind?" A store manager came out to the entrance of his shoe store. "You're ruining business."

 

Kara will take in a quiet sigh. In a polite but uninterested tone, she said, "Hi Willis. I'm sorry I am grabbing some stuff for Christmas and I wouldn't be much company. Focusing on finding just the right thing for everyone, y'know? A slurpie sounds good and all but I am on a diet. If I had one I would have to skip dinner and that would upset my mom. Maybe some other time, okay?"

 

"We're having a party right before school lets out for vacation." Willis smiled, thick glasses glimmering under the mall lights. "It would be a pleasure to have you."

 

"Do I mind? YES I MIND! I mind that you as a member of the establishment are trying to oppress my freedom of speech! Not only are you profiting by playing on emotions of those who want to make their family happy by brain washing the masses into a false sense of need and entitlement you want to kill the counter message! You are at best a tool of the capitalist manipulators, at worst an EVIL participant," said Jessie in front of the shoe store.

 

"Communism is dead, young lady." The shoe store manager shook his head. "Move on, or I'll have to call security and have you banned from the mall."

 

He turned to go back inside his store. Other managers around the altercation shook their heads. She spotted some of the older folks giving her the evil eye, and the younger ones giving the crazy index finger indicator.

 

Jessie shook her head too.

 

"There was a time in this country where political descent was valued, the exchange of ideas were welcomed, and peaceful protests were not threatened. You sir are wrong, communism is not dead. Fascism and the worst elements of communism live in your heart and dance on your tongue. I'll go, and I hope I find a soldier to thank on the way for defending the freedoms that I tried to exercise while you gleefully stamp them into the dirt."

 

She then went to the food court to get a bit to eat, feeling pleased with herself for thinking she exposed hypocrisy and gave the narrow minded something to think about.

 

The word loon followed her most of the way. Some of her fellow students had seen the exchange and was passing the word along. Teachers didn't look too happy about the display.

 

"Um, that would be...er... nice. Give me the time, date, and address and I'll see if I can make it. Is it okay if I bring someone?"

 

"I'll be glad to have you." Willis smiled. "The Monster Busting Club will love you to have guests."

 

"'Monster Busting Club?' How many people are going to be there?"

 

"Well, there is eight of us. Then we invited the Chess Club, the A/V Club, and the band quartet." Willis grinned. "It'll be great."

 

Jessie will find one of the kids who called her a loon, a cute guy with any luck.

 

"Hey! I'm a loon am I? Isn't there anything you care about, except for getting into a girl's pants I mean? I would love to hear about. Have lunch with me and tell me about it?"

 

"Sure, babe." Ken Reeves, local skateboarder and track star, sat down at her table. He swept his longish hair back with one hand. "Decrying capitalism in the middle of commercial bastion at a time when merchandising is paramount to society is not very feasible."

 

Kara tried not to look too disinterested.

 

"Sounds like its going to be fun. Is there a specific special event or theme? Actually I'll get the details from you later. I've got to get this taken care of. Nice chatting with you."

 

She then started to dart away and realized she is wasting a valuable resource here.

 

"Maybe you could help me with something. I am looking for some cool games or gadgets for my brothers, and I don't have a huge budget. Could you offer any ideas or suggestions?"

 

"Game Stopper has second hand games on sale. You can add in your discount card if you have one." Willis shrugged. "There are plenty of places that offer new gadgets on the cheap."

 

She will smile being happy that someone took up her challenge.

 

"But what better time than the height of a false holiday that promotes soulless consumption while claiming to celebrate the exact antithesis of what they are promoting? According to legend the personage that is being celebrated here threw the money lenders out of the temple. Why is what I am doing so different?"

 

"In a season the embraces miracle I try to do the infeasible." "Wow, who would have thunk it."

 

"Jesus didn't evict the money lenders from the temple for conducting business." Ken smiled, wiping his hair back. "He evicted them out for conducting business in the temple. After all, you wouldn't want someone setting up a business in your house. Your argument is flawed. Instead of haranguing consumers for buying symbolic gestures of love to imitate the three kings, you should conduct yourself in charity work to follow the example of your exemplar."

 

Jessie shrugged. "My analogy isn't perfect but that's okay by me since religion is a tool to control the masses anyway. Still there are useful lessons and symbology there. Here the meaning I was trying to make is the greedy. using the season to fleece the well meaning flock. I am trying to get people to see that there are better ways to express you feelings than bowing to the god of capitalism"

 

"Give money to the charity wishing well." Ken smiled. "Haranguing the populace from a point of view that is fundamentally flawed has no meaning hence the labeling of mental incompetence."

 

He swept his hair back again.

 

"Capitalism is just an economic model which causes democracy to flourish. Without one, you can't have the other."

 

Jessie noticed more heat than normal emit from the kitchen of the local Burger King.

 

Kara smiled and waved goodbye. "I was hoping for something new and awesome, just reasonably priced. Thanks anyway!"

 

With that she will hurry off into the depths of the mall and start looking for things her family would like. Is there a specialty store for pipes and tobacco? She isn't eighteen but maybe a nice gift certificate for the Russian blend of pipe smoke that her dad enjoys would work for him? If the new computer and wii games are outside her budget she will go to a book store or game shop and see about getting gift subscriptions to gaming magazines for her brothers. For mom, a spa day! She works hard and could use a day of being pampered. Massage, tanning, manicure/pedicure, the whole nine yards.

 

Crossing the mall meant crossing the food court. Kara spotted some of her fellow classmates at the tables, adults wandering about, and what looked like a fat spark leaping from the back of the Burger King. Some of the crew scattered from the counter.

 

Jessie sighed.

 

"Capitalism is not an ideal system. Socialism and Communism are also fundamentally flawed. I prefer the Altruistic Anarchy that reigned during the Haight-Ashbury era near San Francisco. Do what you want as long as you don't hurt anyone in the process, everything is fair game as long as everyone involved is consenting. Their system of simple barter with the outside world and communal ownership of everything in the compound had a good chance of success until it was destroyed by the Nixon administration starting its war on drugs in the attempt to distract the masses from the war and his own criminal activities which he was never punished for. Sadly I have to go. Ask me out later and we can pick up where we left off."

 

She will abandon the stuff she bought (the cheap clothes and so forth) and head over to the BK to see what is up.

 

Jessie saw the fry cooker prancing around with flames jumping out of its open maw. The workers scattered to get away from its hot spit.

 

Kara quickly scanned the area for a couple of things. 1) A place where she can discreetly change into her costume (using her super speed), and a large potted plant or similar thing so she can smother the fire with sand or dirt.

 

Kara spotted public restrooms off to one side in an alcove under public stairs next to drink machines. Potted plants were as common as the trashcans.

 

Sitting in the food court near the Burger King and instantly recognizable given the big, high, chestnut-brown ponytail on the side of her head, Kara's classmate Nariko Miyama is chatting amicably with her best friends and eating lunch when the "spark" erupts. Instead of panicking or cowering however, she instead springs to her feet quickly and fishes a small, rectangular mirror out of her purse. After a few moments, a bright, violet glow shines forth from it and her loud voice carries across the food court as she says, "Rachel! Stay in the secret place with them until I tell you it's safe to come out!" Taking the hand of the tall, timid and rather shy girl, Nariko pulls her *into* the rippling and glowing surface of the mirror. Rachel's body seems to change into thousands of shimmering purple sparks that swirl through the mirror almost like water being sucked into a drain. Then, taking holdof the Sebek twins' shoulders before they can start to panic, she says something inaudible and does the same thing to them. A few seconds later, the mirror returns to its normal appearance. After tucking it safely back into purse, Nariko backs up a few steps, looking to see if one of the mall's fire extinguishers is nearby.

 

Nariko spotted fire alarm switches on the walls.

 

Jessie jogged to the side of the counter hoping the confusion will conceal her flaming on. As soon as her aura is in place she will shield the crew by placing her body between them and the *yummy* fire!

 

The broiler spat fire on the counter as it danced around. Red eyes glared where the indicator lights should be.

 

Kara ducked into the bathroom and get changed. She will leave her clothes/gym bag in a locked stall off the floor.

 

She headed for BK grabbing a large supply of sand (after removing the tree) to fight the blaze.

 

Supergirl spotted the counter going up as she flew across the food court. Inferno stood to one side trying to draw fire.

 

Figuring that the presence of a freakishly animated deep fryer spewing out massive gouts of flame was a *perfect* reason to activate the mall's fire alarm, the teen instantly does so, pulling the nearest fire alarm switch that she can find.

 

The alarm went off above Jessie, Supergirl and Nariko. People ran from the fire on the counter.

 

Someone shouted, "Go, Supergirl."

 

The aroma of burning cloth and tennis shoes joins the smell of the grease fire from the rampaging fryer as Jessie's clothes incinerate as she uses her powers leaving her dressed only in the flames that caress her body.

 

She looks at Supergirl and says, "I've got this Blondie. Get Nariko and the others out of here!"

 

She then levels a blast of deadly heat on the wayward restaurant hardware!

 

"Nariko doesn't seem to need help. "Let's take this thing down quick, that will get people out of harm's way quickest."

 

The Hardware took the blast without flinching.

 

The shake machine danced forward as the heroines rushed to the attack.

 

Supergirl crushed the fry broiler into the ground. Its dented body struggled weakly from the damage.

[csyphrett]

Re: Teen Guardians

 

December 1st, 1:10 pm

"This is a tough tin can" if it still is moving she will blast it again! "Er...sorry about that Blonde comment. Thanks for the assist."

 

Inferno turned toward the shake machine and blasted the leading one.

 

"I wonder if 'shake flambe' will replace 'baked alaska as a dessert after this?"

 

The shake machine started spouting frozen milk like blood as it took the fire blast.

 

Supergirl will ignore her comment preferring to focus on the fight at hand.

 

"The is a super human behind this! This may be a distraction from the real target! I don't think someone who can animate things like this would target BK!"

 

She will then pick up the fallen fryer. Using X-ray vision to look through it so she can see where she is going she will hold it in front of herself. Using the fryer as a battering ram she will do a move through on the shake machine.

 

The shake machine took the impact and flew to the back of the restaurant too battered to dispense liquid refreshment again.

 

Knowing that she really couldn't do any good as far as superpowered brawn was concerned, Nariko instead used the mirrored surfaces throughout the mall to quickly check on each of the other floors and see if there was anything dangerous happening there.

 

A purple dinosaur danced on mad toasters. A man in green played Greensleeves on a mandolin. Buzzsaws chased civilians. Someone had driven a car up to the second floor and was using it on the store fronts.

 

When Supergirl became aware that the madness was not localized to BK, she used her super-senses with her 'speed reading' (so she can process what she sees) to try to find the source, or at least where the highest concentration of weirdness is.

 

"Inferno, deal with the Buzzsaws, Nariko see what Greensleeves is up to, I'll deal with the car!"

 

Nariko's ponytailed head popped through one of the mirrored surfaces on the ceiling at an odd angle just long enough to say, "I'm on it!" before she left to seek out the seemingly placid mandolin strummer. Once she found him, she poked her head and shoulders out of the nearest reflective surface and grinned politely.

 

"Um...excuse me, sir?" the teen asked a bit tentatively.

 

"A fair maiden with beauty that calls for a song." The music player looked a lot like the band teacher that chaperoned the class to the mall.

 

He broke into "A Tale as Old as Time" from Beauty and the Beast.

 

Supergirl noted where the sleeping people were.

 

"'Hotpants' there are sleeping people at Penny's. They might have something to do with this. Can you check on them? I want to get some more of these people to safety!"

 

She will try to keep an eye on the 'sleepers' and try to protect the normal folk who are in danger. She will start with going after the saws.

 

The car on the 2nd floor will be next!

 

"First don't call me hot pants. That was a fashion fad that was demeaning to women. Besides _I_ am not wearing pants!"

 

"I don't have the strength to deal with the car, I'll take care of the saws you take the car. We can meet at the sleepers when we're done!"

 

"Sorry. I meant no offense. Okay, I see you point. You do the saw(s) I'm on the car."

 

Kara flew up to the second floor to deal with the car driving through store fronts.

 

Kara noted that the car had no driver. That was par for the course with firebreathing broilers and icy shake machines.

 

Although her Japanese father would be appalled, Nariko decided to quickly dump her politeness and blurted out loudly enough to be heard over the music, "Hey! It's not *safe* here! You really need to evacuate with everybody else *NOW*!"

 

"I'm perfectly safe, dear princess." The minstrel played with the strings of his mandolin. "Come with me to the green pastures where I will sing to your beauty until I die."

 

"No problem SG, I don't care what you call me I was just kidding!"

 

While SG flew off to take care of the car, Inferno will jet over to fry the killer saws!

 

Inferno found the saws chasing pedestrians in the upper hall, using their blades as wheels. Their bodies resembled shark heads as they turned to regard the fiery girl.

 

When Supergirl saw that it was a driverless car she will feel a twang of regret for the car's owner considering what she is about to do to it.

 

She then got above it and tried to grab it. The plan was to carry it into the parking lot and hurl it down into a vacant area smashing it.

 

As Supergirl swooped down, the car drove into a toy store with a roar of its tires.

 

Nariko let out a frustrated and very teenaged sigh as she gave up for now and took a quick look around the immediate area.

 

Nariko found the music teacher sleeping with his back to a bench wall. His glasses had slipped down to his chest as he snored quietly.

 

Inferno smiled, "Poor little saw-sharks you can't reach me. Let's get lit!"

 

Flying above them, she will rain her deadly heat on the first saw.

 

The first saw melted to the floor from her killing attack.

 

The other saw took off toward the steps leading down.

 

Supergirl yelled, "Oh no, you don't!"

 

She will not let the mad car run over a kid. She will scope out the area to find a safe place to battle the car.

 

Supergirl smashed into the car, sending it into some shelves.

 

"There's no need to fear, Captain Ersatz is here." A costumed figure burst through the damaged window, holding a large mallet and round shield on opposite arms. "I'm here to save the day."

 

The car aimed for the clerk behind the counter, using the dropped shelving as a ramp.

 

SG snatched the car in mid-flight as it sailed toward the clerk. She threw it into an exterior wall with all her might!

 

The car flew through the back of the store, across a hall, into a store on the other side of the hall and into a bed and breakfast furnishing store.

 

"Ersatz if this thing is still working after this are you up to a game of baseball? I throw it at you, you hit it with your hammer?"

 

"Anything for you, sweetcheeks." Captain Ersatz strode forward. He seemed familiar to Supergirl.

 

Inferno went after the other saw to give it the same treatment.

 

'I think we're just dealing with the symptoms. We need to find the source!"

 

Inferno's blast scarred part of the tiled floor as the saw went after a baby carrier.

 

"Oh *jeez*!", Nariko blurted out as she tried to shake him awake. "Hey, Mr. Handel! Wake up! You need to get out of the mall!"

 

Elvis with Mr. Handel's face grew out of him. He gave a windmill arm and some hip motion.

 

"Thank you. Thank you very much." Elvis Handel adjusted his sunglass. "Tee, Cee, Bee, little lady."

 

"Crap!"

 

Inferno couldn't grab the baby because her fiery aura would burn him/her. She can't use an exploding attack because she might catch people in the fall out. A normal attack against chainsaws? It will have to do.

 

Inferno stood between the saw and the baby carriage. Her blast struck the living buzzsaw, causing it to go after her and missing as it sliced the air far to her right.

 

A loud roar of reptile fury shook the mall.

 

The car had been destroyed on impact and crashing through two walls.

 

Supergirl glared disapprovingly at hammer dude. Then she sighed, thinking "If I am going to call Inferno 'Hot Pants' it is only fair I take as well as I deliver."

 

"It looks like our game will have to wait. C'mon!"

 

Supergirl headed towards the sleepers to meet up with Inferno and 'Mirror Mistress'.

 

Something gigantic roared as Supergirl and Captain Ersatz flew out into the main corridor.

 

"Lovely. First saws with bad attitudes now....what? Hope it isn't a T-Rex."

 

Inferno moved a little way further from the baby, hoping to lead the saw away from him/her. Then she will blast it again!

 

The energy beam missed the saw as it raced toward her. It leaped again and missed again. She could see the angry glint in its eye.

 

Nariko turned away with a quick, frustrated sigh. What the hell was *wrong* with everyone, anyway?

 

Taking a quick opportunity to share intel, Nariko phased her head through one of the mirrors where (she hoped) the others were and shouted, "Greensleeves and Mr. Handel are totally spaced *out* up here! I'm gonna run some quick scans!"

 

After that, Nariko pulled out a radscanner from her Secret Place and saw if she could pick up anything weird that would *explain* all of this...

 

Nariko spotted Supergirl and someone wearing a costume that seemed pieced together from various Marvel Comics flying overhead. A loud roar shook the building from where the purple dinosaur had been.

 

The scanner gave her a high heat source from above.

 

The scanner spiked upwards in the detection of ions before it grew teeth and went for Nariko's face. It's choppers missed her ear as it sailed pass her shoulder.

 

Supergirl did a quick survey of the area trying to assess where the greatest need for her talents lay.

 

Unless she saw a greater danger she will pursue the purple dinosaur.

 

There was plenty of weirdness still going on, but the purple version of Godzilla expanding out of control in the middle of the mall threatened the building and everything inside.

 

Inferno waited for the saw to lunge at her and try to grab its handle. That way her damage shield can kill it. Also she would be able to channel her deadly heat to help speed it to destruction!

 

The saw melted together over the blade. Sparks leaped away from the destroyed machine.

 

SG will go and take on the purple Godzilla. She will hover before its eyes and when it seems solid, clobber it!

 

While she is waiting, she will tell the others to see if they can wake the sleepers up!

 

Supergirl saw a television jumping around on the floor. The dinosaur seemed to be trying to stomp it.

 

Inferno had a grip on a saw and was channeling energy into melting it.

 

Nariko had a machine trying to bite her head off by the neck.

 

The teen let out a quick and *very* angry stream of curse words before looking up at the ceiling and yelling to no one in particular, "GODDAMMIT! Now you guys are going *way* too far!"

 

Screwing with everything else was one thing, but messing with *her* radscanner was just too much. "There's a anomalous heat source above this floor!", Nariko then shouted to Supergirl once she managed to rein in her sudden anger over her scanner getting trashed.

 

"Sonovabitch!!", shouted the mechanical genius as she simultaneously tried to hold her animated radscanner back and attempted to find something stout and heavy enough to beat it with.

 

Nariko saw a window a few feet away.

[csyphrett]

Re: Teen Guardians

 

"A heat source? That's my department!"

 

With that, Inferno channeled her heat into her flight and jet to check out what's what and what's where!

 

Inferno found a rocket warming up on the fourth floor. She realized if it fired inside the mall it would hurt many of the

people on the floors below. There was no telling what would happen if it crashed through the roof.

 

Supergirl and Captain Ersatz hovered within range of the giant Barney. It seemed intent on smashing the televisions

dancing at its feet.

 

“I’ll handle this.” Another flying figure arrived with glowing green ring, golden rope, mace, cape and mask with bat

ears. His colors were as mixed and matched as Captain Ersatz. “Johnny DC is on the job.”

 

“DC is crap.” Captain Ersatz started swinging his hammer in a circle.

 

“Marvel wears mouse ears.” The other hero pointed his ring at Supergirl’s ally.

 

Nariko struggled with radscanner as it tried to bite her head off. Ion count was off the scale according to the readout

on the glaring face of it.

 

The weirdness manifested around the Patriot as a trio of moles in sunglasses and trenchcoats. He recognized them as

cartoon heroes, the Moles In Back. They looked around at the spreading reality tear with their characteristic mumbling.

 

"A heat source? That's my department!"

 

With that, Inferno channeled her heat into her flight and jet to check out what's what and what's where!

 

As Inferno races toward the unknown SG will futilely call out "Hot Pants you don't know what's up there! If it is the

source of this you'll need back up...

 

"Great, just freaking great."

 

Inferno found a rocket warming up on the fourth floor. She realized if it fired inside the mall it would hurt many of the

people on the floors below. There was no telling what would happen if it crashed through the roof.

 

Supergirl and Captain Ersatz hovered within range of the giant Barney. It seemed intent on smashing the televisions

dancing at its feet.

 

"I'll handle this." Another flying figure arrived with glowing green ring, golden rope, mace, cape and mask with bat ears.

His colors were as mixed and matched as Captain Ersatz. "Johnny DC is on the job."

 

"DC is crap." Captain Ersatz started swinging his hammer in a circle.

 

"Marvel wears mouse ears." The other hero pointed his ring at Supergirl's ally.

 

Nariko struggled with radscanner as it tried to bite her head off. Ion count was off the scale according to the readout

on the glaring face of it.

 

The weirdness manifested around the Patriot as a trio of moles in sunglasses and trenchcoats. He recognized them as

cartoon heroes, the Moles In Back. They looked around at the spreading reality tear with their characteristic mumbling.

 

As Barny-zilla is the clear threat at the moment she will stay with it for now. She will go after Inferno as soon as she

can!

 

Gritting her teeth half in anger and half in determination, Nariko mentally reached out to her reflection in the glass and

tried to summon the portal to her Secret Place. She hoped to force the nasty mechanical beastie *halfway* through it

and then cut it in half by abruptly dispelling the portal.

 

The plan worked. The radscanner died in her hands as the bottom half fell off into her workshop.

 

Since Barney-zilla isn't attacking people SG will leave him alone (for now). She will raise her X-ray eyes to follow

where Inferno went. Since it is 'just a missle' she will have faith that she can handle it. The more pressing concern is

finding the cause of this craziness.

 

Speaking to Ersatz and DC.

 

"Guys keep it friendly WE are on the same side here. I can't help but think that you two might creations of this event

like our pal Barney is. Can you remember and tell me what each of you were doing before you joined the fray today?"

 

"I was reading the Essential Avengers in the bookstore." Ersatz pointed down the hall with his hammer.

 

"I was reading Crisis on Multiple Earths." Johnny DC lowered his power ring. "I don't see what that has to do with

anything."

 

Inferno will pause from indecision. How big is the rocket, she isn't super strong or anything!

 

She could see that it was as big as a roller coaster train.

 

She could get under it and 'capture' the flame exhaust. She could use that power to recharge her endurance reserve, but

would that stop the rocket from launching?

 

She will see if there is a safe direction to point it and point it in that direction!

 

She will also try to catch some of the fire for her own needs...besides fire is so pretty!

 

Inferno felt very little heat from the rocket as it powered up to crack through the roof.

 

"Please bare with me. These questions may sound stupid, and if they lead to a dead end then they probably are. Were

either of you superheroes before today? I wonder if they book store might be ground zero for all of this? Greensleeves

might have been shopping for music books before falling asleep. Y'know that kind of thing?"

 

"Of course I was a superhero." Captain Ersatz puffed up his chest. "I saved the planet from the Jupiter Invasion of ring

men."

 

"I saved the universe from The Monitors of the Antimatter Universe." Johnny DC flexed his arm muscles.

 

"We need a little less talk, a lot more action." A 40 year old, 250 pound man in a long red wig and an Atom Eve

costume arrived. "What are we going to do about Godzilla?"

 

Nariko tossed the dead half away in angry disgust and, just in case, entered her Secret Place for a moment to check on

her friends and the other half of the formerly animated radscanner. "Is everybody okay?", she asked quickly as she

grabbed a suitably solid and low-tech aluminum baseball bat.

 

"No." One of the sisters stretched a hand from a cocoon from the ceiling.

 

Nariko saw the glue gun in the corner finishing its job on one of her other friends as the girl screamed.

 

Then she noticed that most of the electrical devices in her lab had become anthropomorphic and screamed for blood.

 

The only thing that hadn't sprouted legs other than the bat was a battery.

 

Inferno absorbed the blast from the rocket because it was less than what she had figured it would be. The rocket crashed

through the skylight. She saw that the machine turned into little segments that came apart like a swarm of butterflies

as it headed up into the air.

 

Supergirl recognized Captain Ersatz as Willis from her school. It took a moment because of the mask/helmet. That

meant all the superheroes were part of the Monster Buster Club. They must have all fell asleep at the book store in the

comic section. She also realized they were the only dreams that had wandered loose from their dreamers.

 

Her eyelids started closing. She felt tired.

 

Spouting a long and *LOUD* litany of curse words that would have made her parents blush, Nariko took to smashing

everything single animated object in her secret place, starting with the most threatening and dangerous ones first. Now

she was *REALLY* pissed! The fact that the "contagion" even penetrated the her Secret Place and threatened the lives

of her best friends was *way* beyond a simple annoyance!

 

Nariko landed a hit on the bolt gun before the glue gun fired at her. The strand of webbing missed as it hit the wall on

the other side of the lab.

 

Nariko especially targeted the strange new "animals' " *joints*, assuming that they would be the weakest points in their

twisted structures.

 

Nariko's bat knocked the bolt gun out of the riveter's arm. The machine looked around for something else it could use.

 

Glue smacked Nariko on the back.

 

Gritting her teeth in anger and also trying her best *not* to show fear, Nariko swung her bat hard at the relatively fragile

glue gun, hoping to render it inoperative.

 

Nariko's blow knocked the sprayer connected to her back out of line so it couldn't spray any more glue on her.

 

That didn't stop the arm from yanking her off her feet.

 

The bolt gun laughed as sparks danced around it.

 

"INGRATE!!", the now *thoroughly* pissed off mechanical genius bellowed, peppering the air with curses as she swung

her bat at the offending arm.

 

The bat connected solidly. The arm froze in position, a screw knocked loose from a joint.

 

She let out an angry yell of triumph as she wheeled around to face the rivet gun, swinging her bat with all her might

towards the relatively fragile spot where the riveting head met the rivet gun's body.

 

The gun came off the press with a clang. An arc of electricity went around the batteries toward a charger in the corner.

 

Nariko broke into a very scary-looking grin as she shouted with an odd sort of joy, "OH-*HO*! *Now* I see!" She

grabbed the battery and, wielding it like a stubby cattle-prod, thrusted it terminals-first into the "living" control units

of the still-animated robotic arms in her shop.

 

The battery clanged against the arms as they reached for Nariko.

 

She noted that the stream of electricity went into the charger. It commenced dancing on its table.

 

She noted that the stream of electricity went into the charger. It commenced dancing on its table.

 

"THEN *YOU* EAT THIS, BASTARD!" Turning on the dancing charger, she pushed the battery terminals-first at

the point which the electrical arcs and the charger met.

 

The charger ran like a frightened puppy waving the cord behind it. Nariko realized that all of her upset equipment had

a scorch mark where the electricity had jumped from one machine to the other.

 

"OH NO YOU *DON'T*!" the angry mechanical genius shouted, chasing the errant charger with the battery in one hand

and her trusty aluminum bat in the other.

 

The charger turned when it ran into a corner with Nariko behind it. It bared its teeth in a growl.

 

She was way too pissed off at the damned thing to stop at that point. With a loud curse word that her parents would be

*appalled* to hear their daughter say if they were within earshot, Nariko brought the bat down *hard* on the charger-

thing with one hand while pushing the contacts of the battery against it with the other.

 

The lightning surged into the battery as the charger died from the assault.

 

Wondering if it was finally over, Nariko dropped the heavy battery down onto her workbench and looked around for

anything other weirdly animated electronics.

 

The girl genius seemed to have captured the animator in her lab. The rest of the mall might still be having problems.

 

First things first though...Nariko had to do something for her poor friends stuck to the ceiling and walls of her workshop!

Reaching for her bottle of glue-gun solvent, she looked up at them apologetically.

 

“Hey...I am really, *really* sorry that I didn't tell you about everything that was going on in my life! I thought I was

protecting you by bringing you into my Secret Place and all I ended up doing is getting you in harm's way!"

 

Nariko could see they were very angry by the expressions on their faces. Being glued to the walls might be the cause

of that.

 

She let out a long, resigned sigh as she took the big bottle of glue solvent and started to free her friends from the sticky

mess that covered them. As she worked, the mechanical genius decided to try and explain things. "Basically, I recently

teamed up with three other superheroes and we, well...we *try* to fight evil and keep people safe." Nariko then looked

down towards the floor in utter embarrassment, unable to meet their angry, glue-festooned gazes. "I know it's probably

hard to you guys to believe right now, but I'm sort of the "brains" of the operation, so to speak..."

 

"You're the brains?" One of the girls laughed. "It looks like your brains got kicked."

 

Nariko nodded rather solemnly. "Yeah, they did *this* time..." She continued to work at removing the adhesive for a

while before adding. "*Now* I've got figure how to stop all of the nutty machines *outside* in the mall too."

 

"What about us? You can't leave us here. There might be spiders."

 

Nariko finally started to get one of her poor friends off of the ceiling and gave them all what she *hoped* was a

reassuring smile. "I'm not going to let *any* of you guys out of my sight now, okay? She looked down and shook her

head, with her brief smile fading into a sigh. "I don't know *what* I'd do if anything *else* bad happened to you guys..."

 

Nariko knew the mall was crowded with animated machinery and monsters. She needed a plan to get her friends out

of the mall.

 

Nariko finishes freeing her friends from the sticky glue and then starts to assemble whatever simple and improvised

weapons she can make from what's in her workshop. "Listen," she says as she works, "I'm going to give all of you

something to defend yourselves with. This...whatever it is...seems to attack machinery and electronics, so the weapons

are going to have to be pretty basic."

 

"What about you?" The girls didn't look too happy about the turn of events.

 

She picks up her trusty aluminum bat and gives them what she hopes is a reassuring smile. "I've got *this* and don't

worry...I'm going to be with you the whole time and I'll protect all of you the very best I can!"

 

"What's the plan?" They grabbed what they could carry to arm themselves.

 

She speaks quickly, almost so as not to waste time. "I think the *first* step is getting you guys out of here as quickly

and safely as possible! Some of my team members might still be around, but I want to make sure your out of harm's way

most of all!"

 

"Let's go." Libby waved her wrench. "If the machines in the mall are going crazy, people will need us."

 

Nariko gave her friend a very approving grin as her hands tightened in anticipation on her trusty bat. "Damn *right*!"

She looks at each of her friends in turn, clearly enthusiastic to make a difference. "Let's *do* this, gals!"

 

The friends rush out into the mall and see a strange vista of flying turtles and three moons hovering over a roofless

building.

 

A number of people were asleep from what Nariko could see.