The Great Genderswitch Caper [IC]

[Avenger Assembled]

Testily, Avenger rubbed the back of her hand as she took the note. "Yes. Will go now." Jack could feel the injury already beginning to heal, though unless she exerted herself the wound would still take a little while to heal. And then she'd need to feed again. "The rest of you?" she asked, shooting a hard look through her mask at her two companions.

[Sandman XI]

Wesley nods to Avenger in acceptance. Even though Wesley does like her own voice, she's not comfortable with the way the words come out of her own voice. Humming a tune under her breath, she imagines if she closes her eyes she can pretend it's someone else. Maybe this isn't so bad after all, she thinks, I still want my real form back though. Is it weird that I think in this voice too?

[Ecalsneerg]

"Ok, so what's the plan here? I go lure the Doc out, while our Doktor tries to figure out a cure. Dark Star will meanwhile be using his or her powers to find him as well. What will you two be doing?" Geckolass asks Wesley and Avenger.

[Dr Archeville]

Bah! Was s/he not listening to us! We are surrounded by fools!

We are all under a fair deal of stress, you know.

Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose, "Avenger shall investigate some of de tech supply companies from de list I just gave her. Otaku may haff obtained materials from dem, und dose may give us a better lead on vhere he is und on how he did dis to us. Vesley...."

Victoria stared at Wesley for a moment, as if transfixed by a beautiful painting. "I dink your talents vould best be utilized by staying here mit me und assisting me in developing a remedy."

[Avenger Assembled]

I do not actually know how to investigate crimes in any meaningful way. I hope there are people there I can whale on until they talk. "Yes. Best if I perform work alone. May not match the ethical standards of some." With her clothes rearranged, the masked Avenger turned and began stalking straight for the door.

[Ecalsneerg]

With Wesley's aid, Doktor Archeville's genius is easily able to formulate most of a remedy to their conditions. A small formula, to be injected into the bloodstream and carried through the body. However, a quick test reveals that it doesn't quite work yet. One element is missing: a copy of the original signal.

While that cure is being perfected, Avenger's terrifying form stalks local technology companies. After several false starts, he finds a lead. CyberDyne Systems, a small independent firm, manufactures or imports parts for a Mr Takou. The arrangement, as described by a petrified desk jockey, is that a third party, a courier firm, is hired to pick up the goods and deliver to a drop point where Mr Takou's associates collect the merchandise.

Dark Star's flight path takes him across most of the region. On the return journey back towards the lab, having not found anything of note, he notices an abandoned car park, where the roof seems to indicate the same sort of gravity signatures as the android they'd encountered previously had. Only, this time, there were three of them...

[Cyroa]

Dark Star paused in his flight, frowning. That wasn't exactly what he was looking for but it would certainly due! "Doctor, come in? I've found 3 signatures similar to what caused ...this. Gather people together and we'll move on it as one," he sent through the radio.

[Avenger Assembled]

Avenger instructed the Cyberdyne man to tell him where to find the courier firm, then gave a strong reminder about the consequences of telling anyone about the dark vigilante's investigation. With that done, he headed straight for the courier firm to interrogate them with his fists about when and where they made their deliveries to Mr. Takou.

[Dr Archeville]

Victoria had spent roughly equal pats of her time working on devising the cure, and on getting Wesley to show off her biokinetic powers.

Mmmm....

What are you purring about?

I'd almost forgotten how good this felt....

Please stop.

"I hear you, Dark Starr," Victoria said as the energy being's "voice" rang throughout his laboratory. "Excellent vork. Remain concealed, und do not engage; ve vill- verdammen sie! Avenger pulled her disappearing act before I could get her a comm to keep in touch mit us! Vait, vait," she said as she patted through her coat pockets, "I dink I haff her cell phone number her somevhere..."

[Avenger Assembled]

There was a noticeable pause, and then Dr. Archeville heard Avenger's silky growl. "Archeville. In the middle of work. Have you found something? Better be important." Normally Jack was more even-tempered, but this had been a pretty rough day.

[Dr Archeville]

Avenger really needs to lighten up.

We could help her... relax.

Please stop talking.

"Two important dings, actually," Victoria replied. "Dark Star has found three energy signatures similar to de vons present vhen ve received our makeovers. Mein scanners show she is at an abandoned car park to de south, at de corner of Grant und Grezinski."

"Vhich is very good," she continued, "because I haff devised a vay to return us to our old selves, but it requires a copy of de original signal to sync everyding up."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Will be there," growled Avenger. She was off the line after that, the rage Jack was just restraining pushing her into the sky and into the direction Dr. Archeville had relayed to him through Dark Star. It was time to move, and it was time to end this particular disaster through judicious use of fisticuffs. And make sure no one ever, ever told anyone about this particular story.

[Cyroa]

Light Star nodded even though the Doctor couldn't see her. Acknowledged. I shall wait here concealed and continue to track them. Hurry up though. The sooner we resolve this the better. Indeed, she was just itching to be back in her normal not-body. He didn't even wnat to consider what it would be like to become solid right now.

[Dr Archeville]

Right, let us go!

I think I'd rather stay here and... play for a bit.

No, we are not doing that. We need to stop Otaku now, before he causes any more chaos!

You really need to lighten up. We can go upstairs, run a nice bubble bath, light some candles, and make a night of it.

"Vesley," Victoria said as she gathered up her things, "do you haff some method of transportation? If not, I should be able to carry you vhile I fly us to vhere Dark Star is vaiting."

[Ecalsneerg]

Geckoman leaned against the Pitchoo, pointing a thumb. "Airship, unless you have something else you'd like to do before we go?"

[Sandman XI]

"I can fly," Wesley says to Victoria before the ship comes down, "but a ride would be nice." When the ship comes down she gawks. "Well," she snickers as she walks towards the Pitchoo, "I think we all get a free ride."

[Ecalsneerg]

Dark Star and the Pitchoo flew in and landed above the car parks upper floor, spilling out. It looked deserted from here, but Dark Star could still sense the energy signatures a short distance below them. "Hmmm... you'd think a supervillain would have a more glamourous base, wouldn't you?" whispered Geckolass, "But I suppose it's cheaper to not buy all those death traps and henchmen..."

Avenger was still flying there at a slower speed than the others when they passed overhead, and thus could either enter via the roof with the others a short distance behind, or remain some distance away and enter via another of the five floors.

[Cyroa]

Dark Star floated quietly and pointed. "The signatures are still there. Below us and off to one side. Shall we go in and confront the villains or is there some other option you;d like to pursue," he asked to the others as they landed.

[Dr Archeville]

Charge in! Dark Star can gravitically grind their gynoid gears to grit, and Wesley can biokinetically bamboozle the boy's brain!

You've been reading Tennyson again, haven't you?

"A moment, Star," Victoria said, studying the scene.

"Star, Gecko, you two focus on de Android Angels, und any other minions Otaku throws at us; your are de fastest, und Star is best at taking on groups. Vesley und I can go for Otaku himself -- Vesley's powers vould be of better use against him dan against robots, und I vould be better able to handle any last-minute high tech trickery he pulls. Remember, ve ened a sample of de original energy pulse he used on us in order for de reversal process to vork, vhich means keeping destruction of his equipment down to a minimum! Now, Avenger, you-" Victoria susdenly realized Avenger was not with them, did not wait for them, "... right, vell, dat really does not surprise me. Right, vell, she has probably already gone on ahead of us, so ve had best not lag behind!"

[Sandman XI]

Wesley nods as she hears the doctor's planning. "Yeah, me and robots don't mix well," she said after the doctor mentioned their part. After the doctor is finished with the plan, Wesley smiles impatiently, "So, when we gonna get this done?"

[Cyroa]

Dark Star nodded in understanding. "It sounds like a plan to me. I am ready. Shall we?" He gestured for the others to precede downward since he had no need to wait.

[Ecalsneerg]

As the main group descended down into the level below them, it was obvious from their surroundings the Doc had been here a while. Packing crates were scattered around the floor, and more still were stacked at the walls. At the far end of the floor, three androids were visible, lifting boxes onto a big palette and tying them down.

They quickly turned to face the group. "The Doc expected you'd be coming," said the lead one. "He wants to see the results of his experiment, but he's not stupid enough to let you get through unless you're real beat up. Which is where we come in!"

Avenger arrived in the ground floor. Here, there were very few boxes, but a couple of vehicles with blacked out glass. Presumably so the Doc could go out personally without being recognised. One of the angel androids was stood guarding the up-ramp, arms folded over her chest. She obviously hadn't noticed the vampire superhero yet, and looked about as bored as a robot could presumably look.

[Ecalsneerg]

The three androids rushed to the offensive. The Asian 'droid (Aki) lifted a packing crate and hurled it through the air at Dark Star, only for it to phase right through. A look of shock crossed her metal face for a moment, before she split off from the group and ran to the left.

The second android, a Caucasian-looking one with red hair and freckles (Ako) picked up another box and threw it at Wesley. She narrowly missed, the box shattering into splinters as it hit the wall behind the group forcefully. Like Aki, she split off from the group and ran to the right.

The third android, a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl called Aya, just stood and giggled at the group, crouched low and ready to fight in melee.

[Avenger Assembled]

Avenger scooped up a crowbar from a car repair kit as he approached the android, nearly invisible in the darkness of the off-ramp as she approached the android from behind. "Android. Die." And with that she brought the crowbar down on the back of the android's head, the sound of metal shattering breaking the silence of the off-ramp. It had been a tough night for Jack. "Die." he repeated monomaniacally, smashing the crowbar down again as oil spattered his mask.

[Ecalsneerg]

The androidd didn't even have time to respond as the crowbar smashed its head to a pulp, before separating it from its shoulders as the robot fell to the ground in a sparking, crackling heap.