Vic is in for a fight!

In a world with masterminds and mad inventors, sometimes the merely brilliant get overlooked. Is a gadgeteer less impressive because their work was for theme parks and entertainments, rather than to aid some grandiose criminal plan?

Abner Sturgeon built some of the most intricate mechanical devices in history, but was fired after the company he worked for went digital. Now, his work is appreciated by nearly everyone except his former bosses. Appreciated and valued. Especially by a certain class of supervillain. Because some problems need old-fashioned solutions.

Can Vic handle whatever Abner throws at her? Deadly amusement park rides? Robot celebrity avatars? A museum of insanely clever mechanical assassins? We'll see...

Masks XX: The Mystery of the Mechanical Master

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part One

The video conference call was unusual in more aspects than the fact that all three participants were wearing costumes with masks. The members of Tricorne were planning yet another Spring Break together. However, this time the youngest member was proposing something different from previous teamups.

Ponytail bouncing as she spoke, Energia presented her case with her usual enthusiasm. After waffling back and forth for several years on the matter of whether to wear a cape, she had finally decided to reserve that accessory for her formal costume and do without otherwise. She had long settled on the theme of green bodystocking with blue pieces over that, plus a blue mask. These complimented her red hair nicely.

The middle member, Gadgetive, was not in her heroing rig - which looked like a display on a manikin at a military surplus store sale but was so much more - but was her usual skeptical self when it came to changing anything about their team.

Blue Impact, in her current outfit of slacks, shoes, shirt, gloves and mask - all in medium shades of blue - topped with her trademark dark blue leather jacket, was noncommittal.

The energy-force manipulator found herself with a hard sell. Especially to the team's middle member.

To make the call, Energia was visiting the new Intrepids base; Blue Impact was at the security station for the Pine Island Academy; and Gadgetive was "testing" the communications rig she was installing at the college where she was currently a student. (She seemed to change schools each semester, to take advantage of some particular teacher or program. Energia thought she was currently back at MIT but wasn't sure.) The topic was their arrangements regarding getting Tricorne together for the week they had off from school for Spring Break. All three were definitely in favor of that. However, a suggestion by the youngest member was meeting with some opposition.

"I just think she'd make a good addition to our team," said Energia. "Besides sharing some classes with her, I've worked with Vic several times, and both of you know her. She's expressed interest in working with us. I mean, she's never actually been in a super team before. Just more general law enforcement teams, some of them admittedly with super involvement. Even during the war she was more working with the military and other feds than supers."

Energia was shading things a bit - in her mind simplifying them harmlessly for her pitch - but what she told them was generally accurate.

"It's that whole 'working with the feds' thing which makes me nervous," said Gadgetive, sounding suspicious. "What about her being a member of the Bureau? Isn't that her actual job?"

"She's - Not on retainer, what's the term? An intern? - anyway, thanks to the budget cuts she's paid to go to school as long as it's to prepare for her job, but they don't have money to actually hire additional employees right now. Weird bureaucratic accounting stuff. However, she's a badge-carrying federal LEO all the time; she's just not on their regular payroll. Working with us would count as on-the-job training for both her school work and with the Bureau. Which means they'll pay her expenses for interning with us."

"I don't like letting a fed in," said Gadgetive, in a sour mutter. "I mean, she's registered with the Bureau! They know who she is!"

"I'm registered with the Bureau!" said Energia, exasperated. "You let me in!"

"Technically, you were in Tricorne before you registered," said Blue Impact, playing devil's advocate. "Even before our team was named, in fact."

"I can't believe you let them know who you are," muttered Gadgetive, sulking like someone far younger.

"I trust Brade and Doro and the few others who are authorized to access the private information on supers who have registered with the Bureau," said Energia, flatly. "They have all these safeguards to prevent anyone else from getting that information, too."

"What safeguards?" said Gadgetive, perking up a bit.

"If I told you they wouldn't be secret."

"I bet you don't even know."

"Nope."

"If anyone is interested," said Blue Impact, looking to one side at something, "they just interrupted the usual news for a special report on Solomon Harvek."

"Who?" said Gadgetive, honestly puzzled.

"He's the one behind the plot which almost killed Doro," said Energia, hotly. Though she was surprised Gadgetive didn't recognize the name. Maybe she had been busier than usual with "more important" technical matters, and had somehow missed all the news about him. Though Energia wondered why his connection to a death ray hadn't penetrated her usual preoccupation.

"Wait, what?!"

Blue Impact added a news channel to their conference call and turned the sound up.

"It was for the children!" said Solomon Harvek, plaintively. as the segment cut to him making a statement on the way into court. "These men were ruining lives, families! Think of the poverty, the suicides!"

"Who's he taking about?," said Gadgetive, confused, even though she now appeared to be remembering more about what was going on with him. Maybe due to several technical companies being involved, as well as mad science. "Corporate Salvage? They only went after him because they caught him cheating them. Harvek did a lot more harm to the economy than they did!"

"Yeah," said Energia. "I don't see him doing anything for anyone but himself. Especially not the 'little people.' He's one of those who thinks 'poverty' means you don't have a million handy for impulse buys."

"Don't bother confusing the issue with facts," said Gadgetive, sourly. "The rich are different from us. The world does what they want. Until it suddenly doesn't."

"Easy, now," said Blue Impact. "Be careful you don't tar all the wealthy with the same brush you use on the small percentage who are actual criminals."

"Well, that rich criminal is up for multiple murder counts," said Energia. "Some of them federal LEO."

"Anyway," said Gadgetive, getting back to the topic of the call, and deciding to take another tack in her protest against adding anyone to Tricorne, even for just a week, "it's weird that Vic used to be a guy!"

"What have you got against guys?"

"Huh? Nothing! I just think it's weird, is all."

"By most measures, it's more weird that my tissues are as dense as magnesium," said Blue Impact, wryly. "That's not even possible in normal biology."

"Yeah, and Vic is now completely female, right down to the chromosomes."

"It's still weird," said Gadgetive, firmly.

"It's more common than you think," muttered Energia. "Anyway, Vic needs more experience with teams and the Bureau will pay his - I mean her - expenses."

She scowled at Gadgetive.

"Now you've got me doing it."

"Doing what?" said the gadgeteer, confused.

Time constraints meant that they couldn't come to a full agreement that session. However, they still had a few days until the break began. Energia felt she had a good chance to bring at least Blue Impact over.

* * *

"How'd your call go?" said Solange. When Energia exited the video conference room she was leaning against the wall beside the door, playing a game on her smartphone.

The new Intrepids base was... smoother than the old one. At least, that was the word which came to Energia's mind, as she looked around. It lacked the texture - the character - of the old base. The hallways were slightly rounded, paneled, colored in a purpose-appropriate manner, and seamless glow panels in the ceiling lit everything with almost no shadows.

"Well, Gadgetive is understandably reluctant to include anyone else in Tricorne," said Energia, smirking. "Though I think the main reason is that this makes us more than three, so we can't be Tricorne any more. Doesn't matter that Vic will be interning with us to learn about super teams for her planned career, and not with the intent of becoming a full-time member."

She decided not to mention Gadgetive's objection to Vic's gender change, given Solange's own experience in that area. At least these days she was less likely to dress the way a teenage boy would have wanted someone as shapely as her to dress.

"Gadgeteers," said Solange, rolling her eyes as she put her phone away. She pushed off from the wall and began walking. Energia couldn't help feeling a bit envious at the casually sexy way she moved. As far as she could tell that was completely unconscious, simply a product of the geometry of her body. Unlike the exaggerated way she had often walked when they first met. "Anyway, are you ready for the tour of our new base?"

"I've been here before, remember."

"Yeah, but we didn't have half the stuff completed the last time you were here that we do now. We're almost finished! Well, until someone gets an idea for an improvement, which always happens. Anyway, c'mon!"

Solange spent the next hour and a bit giving her younger friend a quick tour of the new base, starting with the subtrain tunnel access deep underground. After scrapping their original plans due to demon problems - and abandoning the initial stages of its construction - the Intrepids had asked Zeep for help. At the direction of Bowman and several other super inventors, Zeep had consolidated and shaped a small nickel-iron asteroid and placed it in the deep hole where the old mountain base had been. Iron of the coldest sort - and a huge amount of it - now sealed one of the portals demons had used to try and invade this world. Dr. Piano - in a classic understatement - had stated "That should, indeed, settle the problem."

"That's why the subtrain access starts well above the demon level," said Solange, grinning, as they rode through the well-lit tunnel back to the base, "and goes out and then down to intersect the Sub-Terran tunnel network."

"Hence the long tunnel with the teeny-tiny subway cars," said Energia. She grinned. "I'd hate to walk this. Especially in the dark."

"Not a problem for you, since you can both fly and generate your own light."

Significant construction had then taken place both inside and outside of the new base. The latter turned the rounded cone into a proper mountain - though with a natural iron alloy core and an exterior of reinforced concrete which was in turn covered with a pseudo-natural limestone facade - thereby producing an overall shape which closely resembled that of the mountain destroyed by the Shilmek. The inside of the new mountain had been tunneled through and equipment installed. All the hard work had been very worth it. The new headquarters could take far more damage without the shields than the old one, and the new shields were four times as potent. Thanks to Zeep's help, the process had actually proceeded more quickly than the original plan, allowing them to complete their new base only a little behind schedule.

"I like it," said Energia, summing up as they exited the elevator at the top level. "Though I do miss the odd nooks and crannies from the old base. The corridors and chambers here are more open. Everything is very orderly and organized. The old base had more character, though. There were all these little areas which actually made it feel more intimate."

"Well, most of those resulted from remodelings down through the decades." Solange grinned as they entered the lock to the outside. "Just give it time. Like I said, we're already seeing places where we need to make additions and changes."

"Sounds promising," said Energia, as the outer hatch opened, revealing a very beautiful - if obviously still new and very manicured - scene.

She stepped outside into the park on top of the artificial mountain and lifted off, waving goodbye to her friend as she climbed away.

* * *

The Saturday before the official beginning of Spring Break, a Toyota Corolla wagon notable only because of its age - and the fact that this was denied by its pristine appearance - drove sedately through an old business district of a major East Coast city. Vic followed the directions she had been given and memorized, and turned Monstro into the designated alley. There, as promised, was a delivery door, which began opening as she approached. She pulled under the awning and inside, noting the small if odd selection of vehicles present. As the door closed behind her she saw Energia waving.

Vic quickly shut Monstro off and exited, waving back. She had vaguely Asian features, though with Occidental eyes. Her hair was long, the color dark brown for most of the length but light at the tips. (Energia knew from college that most of the length - including the frosted tips - was from extensions.) Her skin was a bit too brown for her actually fully Caucasian ancestry but not dark enough for either type of Indian. She had taut muscles, high, firm breasts and slightly broad shoulders, with a torso tapering to a mildly narrowed waist then flaring into very feminine hips. Her outfit could charitably be described as "tomboyish."

Vic now saw the other two regular members of Tricorne. The four of them came together - Gadgetive hanging back a bit and scowling - at their mutual center of mass. There were handshakes, and even a hug between Vic and Energia, which surprised the former a bit.

"Welcome to our humble abode," said Blue Impact, smiling.

"Enter freely and of your own will," said Energia, hamming it a bit. "C'mon, get your stuff and we'll show you to your room; then you get the tour of the rest of the lair."

"I am very glad to be with you folks this Spring Break," said Vic, fervently, as she opened the rear of her station wagon. "For multiple reasons. One of them being that I did not want to go back to tutoring. Since this counts as continuing education, the Bureau's training program will pay me - and more than I get from tutoring - to be here. Though I have to write up a report on what I learned."

She only had one large suitcase and a hard-sided equipment case, both of which she yielded to Blue Impact. They began walking towards the large elevator on the loading dock at the back of the bay.

"Tutoring?" said Gadgetive, puzzled, asking in spite of her resolve not to have anything to do with Vic.

"She did it for a few semesters and still complains about it," said Energia, amused, as the double doors to the elevator opened.

"Kids today are so stupid!"

"To be fair, you were tutoring them because they were having trouble," said Energia, playfully wagging a finger.

"I had this one guy I was tutoring in history. Specifically, World War II. He didn't understand why he had to learn what he called 'ancient history.'"

The doors closed, and Energia pushed one of the buttons. The large elevator began quietly climbing. Vic had the distinct impression the current load was only a small fraction of its capacity.

"You should introduce him to the Sailor," said Blue Impact, dryly, "who fought in the War of 1812."

"That history he liked! I think part of the problem was that technology played such a large part in the Second World War and he didn't like tech. He - maybe deliberately - refused to learn anything technical, despite me having to physically take his smart phone from him to make him focus on the lesson. He just didn't see the connection between the rapid development of technology during and after the war and him being able to text anyone, anywhere, any time."

Vic heaved a great, much-put-upon sigh, just as the doors opened onto the upper floor hallway. They stepped out. Energia led the way down to Vic's room, which already had the door standing open.

"He was actually convinced that only one B-29 was ever built - the Enola Gay - and that it dropped all - not both, all - the atomic bombs in World War II, including those used against Germany. That the plane was developed as part of the same program which built the A-bomb, though he couldn't name the Manhattan Project. Any time I tried to explain there were thousands made, he smugly said 'Why would they build more than one when it was all they needed to drop the Bomb and beat the Germans?' When I explained that none were dropped on Germany he smugly said 'Of course they were. How else did they win?'"

Energia was politely commiserative as she opened the door, while Gadgetive was mildly dismissive that anyone could actually be that stupid and Blue Impact made no comment. Once inside, at Vic's direction, Blue Impact plopped the suitcase on the bed and the case with her armor on the floor at the foot. Vic began unpacking as they continued talking. She still felt a bit odd at having "girl clothes" to put away, but played it casual. Still, she finished quickly.

"You and Gadgetive should get along great," said Blue Impact, tongue in cheek. "You have very similar tastes in civilian clothes. Now, let's give you the grand tour."

"So, that elevator is hydraulic - the works are under the loading dock in the garage - and goes all the way to the large shed on the roof," said Energia, as they stepped back out into the hallway. "Our big apergy flyer is usually parked there, but we can use the elevator to take it all the way down for maintenance."

"I think the rest should be show, rather than tell," said Blue Impact.

They took the stairs down, the oldest and youngest members pointing out various features as they descended the open stairway along the wall into the large volume which took up most of the lair. Gadgetive mostly stayed silent, only occasionally correcting some technical thing she felt the others had gotten wrong or not given adequate attention to.

Once the quartet was downstairs - back at the same level as the loading dock - they showed Vic the kitchen, com center and lounge; the last two being in the large, central area, with Blue Impact's private corner. The tour ended at the couch, recliners, other chairs and coffee table, which were all in one carpeted corner. These faced - or nearly so - the large TV mounted on one wall. The home entertainment center was on a set of low shelves below that. The four of them sat, and for a moment were all silent. When the conversation resumed, Vic became more of a participant as she talked about what she hoped to learn during the week she would be interning with Tricorne. She even suggested that if she did well they might invite her back for the full Summer... which did not sit well with Gadgetive. After a few minutes, though, her manner changed again.

"Uhm, if you don't mind a possibly personal question," she asked deferentially of the team's leader, "where does 'Blue Impact' come from? I've read a lot of explanations, including that it's from an old comic book character."

"I loved manga and anime as a kid," the oldest present replied, smiling at the memory. "Even learned a little spoken Japanese. So when I was trying to find a mask name I was strongly influenced by the 'Color Noun' names of several manga and anime characters, such as Red Impulse from Gatchaman."

"Hey, I like anime," said Vic, grinning. "Maybe we can have an anime night."

"Oh, please, no!" said Gadgetive. "It's so... unrealistic! Not to mention full of senseless posturing."

"Are you sure she's a girl?" said Vic, in a stage whisper, to Energia. Blue Impact wondered if the youngest Tricorne member had coached their visitor as to how to needle the gadgeteer.

"We had our doubts for a while. However, the fact that she often staggers down to breakfast in panties and t-shirt have removed them. She doesn't show it in costume, but she's at least a B-cup."

"I dunno..." said Vic, peering pointedly at the increasingly annoyed Gadgetive. Though she was hiding her own discomfort at the topic. "I know guys who could carry that off. Just needs the right padding..."

"Do you both want to have your floors painted with nitrogen triiodide?"

"All right, that's enough," said Blue Impact, though she was grinning. "Vic, we need still need to train you in our security measures. You don't want to accidentally trip any alarms."

The same procedure worked at each of the five entrances, including the one on the roof. Just enter a number on the security keypad and either speak a codeword, or allow the scan of a thumb or eye. Given that she had no masked identity to protect, Vic chose the latter. Actually, both thumbs and both eyes, at the recommendation of Blue Impact.

"One thing we regenerators need to keep in mind," said Blue Impact. "If we regrow a finger or eye, the pattern could change. That's why you need to do both thumbs and both eyes."

"Roger," said Vic, though she grimaced at the thought of having to regrown digits or eyes.

Earlier, those already present in the building had been watching for Vic's car and let her into the garage manually. For future access, she was given what looked like a remote garage door opener, only with more buttons, and a tiny camera.

"Just treat it like any of the other security keypads," said Energia.

"It's not too different from what I've used before," said Vic, nodding. "With federal stuff, like safehouses."

"We keep trying to install a biometric ID system," said Blue Impact, "but given the masks and costumes and range of unusual physiologies involved for us and our approved visitors, they just don't work right. So far, our best security measure has been secrecy. Just don't talk to anyone about what's really here unless they're supposed to know. Which is not a long list."

"I still say you should let me install traps," said Gadgetive, sourly. "Wouldn't have to be lethal. Just nets, or stun rifles, or anesthetic gas, or..."

"As I have explained repeatedly," said Blue Impact, sternly, "traps don't have judgement, and are therefore illegal. Now, let's move on to the security center. That's not only were we manage our security electronics, it's our com center. Though it's not the only access location."

Gadgetive was still muttering under her breath as Blue Impact explained how to log in to access the building security systems and the crime monitoring software from any of the terminals in the building.

Part Two

Vic was using the treadmill in the lair's gym the next morning when she saw Energia enter. Like Vic she was wearing workout clothing, though with added mask. Vic waved as she moved to one of the mats.

"Good morning," Energia said, waving cheerfully back. She noticed that Vic - in kicking jeans, a sport bra and running shoes and without her hair extensions - had the machine set close to its maximum normal human level. She grinned at the martial artist. "Ah, Sunday at the lair. Filled with the sounds of whirring and clanking exercise machines."

Energia slipped off her shoes, stepped onto the mat and began stretching.

Vic was still on the treadmill - though at a slower pace, working on her endurance - when Energia finished her warmup and went to one of the machines.

"Did you just set that for nearly maximum normal human?" said Vic, a bit startled. Though only a bit; she knew Energia liked to stay fit, and included strength training in her workouts.

"Yeah," said Energia, as she took her seat. She smirked at Vic. "You got a problem with that?"

"Well, I tried it on the max setting for normal human, and it wasn't quite enough. So I moved it up to the lowest setting in the superhuman range, and that was too much. Unless I wanted to cheat and use my powers."

"Huh," said Energia, frowning as she trained. "I'll ask about that. I've never been comfortable at the max norm setting, and Gadge uses lower than I do, and Blue Impact never goes below the lowest superhuman setting. I don't think anyone was aware of a gap."

They trained in silence for the next several minutes, until Energia finished her reps and changed settings to work her legs.

"I guess you miss this at the college," said Vic, as she increased speed again. "All this special equipment, even though you're in the normal human range. I know they have some training gear for the superhuman program, but that's mostly really heavy free weights. Though I guess you could use the normal gym..."

"I do, actually," said Energia, beginning to breath hard and noticeably perspire. "I tried suggesting they put in custom machines, not just for physically norm range supers like me but to better train the super strong. They said they wanted to but didn't have the budget. I said they could probably get some of the gadgeteers in the super program to do the building for free if they just found someone to donate the raw materials, but they weren't really interested."

She stopped and grinned at Vic.

"I think they've learned not to trust gadgeteers unless they can put a proven responsible one in charge of the rest."

Vic gave a short but sincere laugh at that.

"Speaking of which, I'm glad you warned me that Gadgetive would be standoffish," said Vic.

"Yeah. Gadgeteers and mads in general hate change they don't deliberately cause, especially in what they see as 'protected status' environments. Such as the groups they associate with. Dealing with those changes distracts them from things they consider important."

She took on a look of revelation

"I wonder if that's why she keeps changing schools. So she doesn't get used to any one setting."

"You have more experience with gadgeteers than I do," Vic said, as she slowed again, this time going for a cool down. "What... well, what's up with them? I mean, I've heard the savant lecture, but..."

"It's just an itch some people have," said Energia, as she rose and moved to the free weights. Again, the weights she chose weren't the heaviest intended for normal humans, but they were still impressive for Energia's size and build. "A compulsion, when they get the idea. They know it will work, the actual build is just to tease out the details, or serve whatever need they perceive the invention will answer. Besides that, they have to show all the doubters. Gadgetive isn't as bad as a lot of 'em, though she can still get really, heh, 'focussed' sometimes."

"She makes Alex seem normal," said Vic, in a quiet voice.

"Well, if you want to get her to talk to you bring your combat outfit down to the lounge and start going through it," said Energia, grinning. "It's pretty different from her own armor but still very effective. She should find it irresistible."

"I might just do that," said Vic, grinning back. "I haven't checked it out since getting here. I should make sure all is in order."

She finally got off the treadmill and moved to a device intended to train reflexes.

"I still don't really have a handle on her, though," said Vic, as the gadget began randomly swatting at her. "She's a lot like some of the folks at the college, but both more extreme in some of the same ways and different in others."

"Well, she's a full-blown gadgeteer, on a par with Dr. Device," said Energia, quietly. "They - gadgeteers - tend to develop their social skills - including an awareness of their own sexuality - late and often deliberately, when they finally admit what they're missing. She also has a lot of tragedy in her background. The surprise is that she's this close to socially functional."

"Wait," said Vic, as - distracted but still succeeding - she reflexively blocked a swat from the machine. "Are you saying that Gadgetive isn't... doesn't..."

She floundered, automatically continuing to block and dodge as she tried to put her question into words.

"I think she currently counts as ace," said Energia, frowning in thought as she did alternating curls. "Asexual. She feels attraction to guys and understands it on an intellectual level, but doesn't let it affect her decision making processes."

"That's... Well, I'd say it's weird, but I'm probably weirder than that when it comes to sexuality, at least when you take my entire life into perspective."

"It's a weird world," said Energia, grinning again as she moved to put her weights back on the rack. "Especially where sex is involved."

They each trained for nearly another half hour before stopping. Vic a bit early, because she was starting to get hungry. Energia going a bit longer than she usually did because she wanted to talk and train with Vic.

"Well, lunch won't be too much longer in coming," said the energy/force manipulator, confirming Vic's internal clock. "I'm going to shower, change into something more heroic, and hope we don't get a call before we can eat!"

"That sounds like a plan," said Vic, laughing.

* * *

Vic - extensions back in place - discovered that meals in Tricorne's lair were a communal affair. Even Gadgetive attended, and arrived in the kitchen on time. Though not everyone always ate the same foods.

One thing Vic had already learned as a general rule in regard to supers who were serous about having mask careers was that they ate a huge amount. Especially protein and complex carbohydrates. Something they had in common with many sorts of athletes. Just now, Vic, herself, was over halfway into an enormous ham and honey mustard sandwich. Something she had suddenly acquired a craving for after seeing Blue Impact making one. The experience was not at all lessened by the fact that the bread was whole wheat, still warm and fragrant from the breadmaker Blue Impact had loaded that morning.

"As I understand the situation," the oldest person present said, after swallowing, "you can get paid to continue to learn how to work in super law enforcement for pretty much however long you can justify the classes you take."

"Which means I'm staying in school for the foreseeable future," said Vic, with a shrug. "I never planned to get a doctorate in anything, but by the time the Bureau bean counters say they can justify actually hiring me full time I might have one. Of course, the longer I stay in school and the higher the degree I get, the more they have to pay me when they finally hire me!"

"I know, I know..." said Energia, rolling her eyes. "Typical bureaucratic thinking of this fiscal year's bottom line instead of saving money over the long term. Of course, Tricorne has enough funding - most of it from private foundations and individuals - for all of us to go pro right now, but so far none of us have. We're actually earning quite a bit of interest. I would like to finish out my master's then start with the team as a career. That's still a couple of years off, though, thanks mostly to the war interrupting things. I think Gadge wants to get her doctorate before going full time, but she's ahead of me in college. Teach - Blue Impact - says she wants to continue at the island for a while longer but eventually go full time with Tricorne, too."

She grinned.

"We might just all arrange things so we start as a full time team the same date!"

"Big time!" sang Blue Impact, baffling the others. She made dancing motions with her upper body as she sat in her chair. "We're on our way, we're making it!"

The others stared.

"What?" she said, stopping and smirking. "You don't know the classics?"

"I keep forgetting you're a lot older than you look," said Vic, in sudden revelation.

"Hey, you have the same problem except you look younger than I do," said Blue Impact. "I at least look like I'm of legal age."

"I've never seen her act like this before," said Gadgetive, actually appearing concerned.

"Oh, wait," said Energia, grinning. "I remember her mentioning something about an old boyfriend being back in town."

"Not a boyfriend - I wish - but a guy with powers I met in my early hero days. Mysterious creature of the night type. This is civilian ID stuff, so, no more details, sorry."

"You've got a date?" said Gadgetive, grinning.

"A reunion, tomorrow night. Two people who met while adventuring years ago and have hardly seen each other since."

"Well, congratulations and good luck!" said Vic, grinning.

"Not a date," said Blue Impact, rolling her eyes. She convinced no-one.

* * *

Later that afternoon Energia came down from her room to find Vic on the floor of the lounge area, playing with the cat.

"So, another innocent falls victim to his feline charms," said Energia, grinning.

"Yeah, your little beefeater, here, is pretty slick," said Vic, laughing.

"Hey, that's not a bad name," said Blue Impact. Though she was working at her private station in the corner of the lair, her keen senses let her know what was going on.

"What?" said Energia.

"Beefeater. He does love those beef-flavored treats."

"Wait," said Vic, startled. "How long have you had this cat?"

"Several years. We just never got around to naming him."

"Who's naming what?" said Gadgetive, entering with a yawn. Most likely, she was taking a break from whatever her current project was in the lair's workshop to get some caffeine, sugar and fats.

"Vic called our cat a 'beefeater' and Teach thinks that would be a good name."

"Oh, great. How long have we had that cat? And you're letting a newcomer name him?!"

She stormed out. The others exchanged looks and shrugs.

* * *

In a - perhaps futile - attempt to placate Gadgetive, that evening Vic brought her combat gear down to the lounge. Her excuse was that she needed the room to lay everything out for examination. Whether that was her primary reason or not, the gear - once separated into its component pieces of armor, weapons and auxiliary equipment - did, indeed, take up a lot of floor.

"Wow," said Blue Impact, as Vic examined one of the armor segments for damage. "I've seen you wearing it, of course, but never realized just how... involved it is."

"Yeah. Took a lot of research and trial and error to get all of this to fit on me in a way which doesn't impede my movements. We actually consulted some SCA people and research publications on Medieval armor."

"You both have regeneration," said Energia, absently, as she watched Vic check straps and padding, "but Teach has built-in armor. You're normal human when it comes to toughness."

"Well, someone in good physical condition can better resist damage," said Vic, her tone just as distracted. She held a knee piece up to the light and scowled for a moment at what looked like a scrape in the composite material. She relaxed when a thumb test showed it to be a smudge. "I can also pump things up a bit with ki manipulation, but that takes concentration."

Unfortunately, Gadgetive didn't show while the armor was being inspected, in spite of Vic slowing the process by explaining the armor pieces and the weapons, com gear, medical gear and so forth which went with the suit. She actually solicited suggestions for improvements from the other two. Once it was all back in the carry case Vic put that on the floor at one end of the couch, then sat at that end.

"I hope that's as close as I get to discussing female clothing during this visit," she said. "Especially underwear."

Vic sighed, shook her head and gave them a wry grin.

"For some reason, women who hear about my involuntary sex change then want to give me a crash course on how to live as a woman. Despite the fact that I've been one for years, now."

"To be fair, there are some things you still might have missed," said Energia. She grinned as she recalled a few times her Uncle Randy - usually as Template - had needed help with some bit of female apparatus. S/he usually asked Colossa, who would later tell Energia about the situation, to their mutual amusement. Sometimes, though, Energia was the only one available who was in on the secret of her uncle's dual identity. She sobered as something else occurred to her. "However, we're all professional women, here. I also think most of our conversations would pass the Bechdel test."

"That's good news," said Vic, seriously. "I thought I'd have to endure lots of - excuse the expression - girl talk."

"That does happen," said Energia, head tipped a bit to one side and grinning as she considered the matter. "Not often. Even just hanging around the lair we usually maintain a mostly professional attitude towards things. Though we do have our purely social moments."

* * *

"First Monday of Spring Break and we're up at six and in the gym by nine," said Vic, laughing. "I guess it beats being on night patrol, but this is not typical student behavior."

"We might not get any action this time," said Energia, as she and Vic again shared their morning exercise time. "That's never actually happened to us during Spring Break, but a week is a fairly short time. You just might be left seeing us doing pretty much nothing."

"Well, I'd rather not have to fight," said Vic, philosophically. "I came here to learn about how super teams operate, so I can better work with them in the future. I'm actually looking forward to our first combat training session, this afternoon."

"Just remember, each team is different," said Energia, grinning. "Though, yeah, there are certain things most of them have in common."

"Like really good security," said Vic, rolling her eyes as she deftly switched off the reflex trainer between swats. "I have an excellent memory and know exactly the procedure to get in or out without setting off the alarms. I still am not planning to go anywhere outside this building without one of you three along to get me back in."

Energia had to laugh at that.

"We're actually working on sensors which I can trigger directly with my powers," she said. "That wouldn't help you, of course. So far, though, I'm still punching in like everyone else."

After lunch that afternoon, though, there was a subtle change in the group feeling in the old bakery. Blue Impact was busy in her corner, talking with someone for over an hour. The others could tell something was up, but not whether it involved the team as a whole or just her. Finally, she left her private area and called the others together.

"I have an assignment for us," said Blue Impact. "I was recently informed by a contact that someone was planning a raid on a display of Fifties and Sixties gadgeteer devices, which is at the big museum downtown."

"Wait!" said Gadgetive, eagerly. "It that the classic theme park stuff Abner Sturgeon created?!"

"I thought you might be interested in that," said the team's senior member, smiling. "Turns out that one of the backers of the event has connections with the masks community. He was warned - by a source he declined to reveal - that several groups were threatening an assault on the exhibit. Most of those groups and individuals involved want to steal all or part of the devices being shown, to sell as collectors' items. At least one wants to destroy it as heresy. Heresy of what I don't know."

"So are we gonna get private access if we act as security?" said Gadgetive, excitedly.

"Uhm, sort-of," said Blue Impact, her smile slipping a bit. "They want two of us to dress as hostesses - we'll be in disguise and they'll provide the dresses - while the others watch from hiding in costume. If trouble does come the assumption is that the two already in costume will either handle things on their own or delay things long enough for the other two to sneak away, change and come to help."

"Kind-of awkward plan, if you ask me," said Gadgetive.

"Well, the idea is that having two people working the exhibits will let them spot covert attempts."

"That almost makes sense," said Energia, dryly.

"I'm glad you think so," said Blue Impact, her smile now impish. "I volunteered you and me for the hostess roles, since neither of us use armor or weapons and would be ready to act without them in an emergency."

"Oh," said Energia, now not looking nearly as certain.

"Did I mention we get to keep the fancy dresses they custom fit to us? So we two need to get non-costume disguises ready and get over there for a fitting by seven."

"Oh! Well, we're not supposed to take payments, but there's no law against it, and since they're made just for us..."

"I thought you'd like that. We start in the morning. There's just enough time for us to have another group training session with Vic today as soon as our lunch digests."

* * *

That evening, after all the fitting was done and those who would be on duty in disguise were back at the lair, Energia cautiously approached the door of Gadgetive's workshop. She normally avoided this part of their base; it was where Gadgetive went when she wanted to be alone (which seemed to be her default state) and the energy/force manipulator usually respected her friend's wishes. Just now, though, a combination of concern and curiosity led her there while the other two in lair were busy with their own pursuits. The door wasn't locked; if it had been Energia would have tried again later. She pushed it open.

"Oh, hey," said Gadgetive, who started, but only after Energia took several steps into the room. Obviously, she was distracted - and distressed - by something.

"What's up?" said Energia.

"With what?" said the gadgeteer, with blatantly fake casualness.

"You seemed happy when we were talking about those, uhm, devices, but then you got sad."

Gadgetive twisted uneasily in her seat.

"Oh, well, it's... just that one of the last... trips I went on with my family before the accident was to one of the theme parks where they had those devices," said Gadgetive. She started out still faking casualness, but both her mood and volume faded as she spoke.

"Oh," was all Energia could think to say.

She hesitated a moment, then gave her friend a long, firm hug. That Gadgetive didn't protest this - even comically - was adequate evidence she desperately needed it.

"I'm sorry, hon," said Energia, voice barely above a whisper. "You had already been through so much in your life before I ever met you, but you usually don't show it, so I forget..."

"Hey, it's all right," said Gadgetive, patting her friend's hand as Energia eased out of the hug. "I'm... Well, not over it; I guess I'll never be over it, but... I can deal. Most of the time. I just need to remember the good stuff."

"Like your parents having to physically restrain you from disassembling some of the mechanical equipment at the park?" said Energia, grinning.

"How'd you ever guess?" said Gadgetive, laughing. It was a bit forced, but at least she was laughing.

Part Three

The exhibit was in the technology hall of the museum complex near the city's center. The exhibit was in the elegant main building, which still appeared modern a half century after construction. There were also several annexes - mostly older buildings - nearby and a large storehouse out in an industrial area. The museum as an institution was nearly as old as the nation and highly respected. Some people - including wealthy donors to the museum - objected snootily to "popular culture" exhibits such as this one. They preferred that what they saw as a dignified institution restrict itself to more "serious" displays. Such as incredibly expensive paintings and sculptures and - for technology - stock tickers and bank vaults. However, the "popularizing" displays garnered far more support with everyone else, so they continued despite the objections.

The specific event for which super help had been requested was a display of items from classic theme park attractions. This included automated vehicles from both amusement rides and visitor transportation, surprisingly sophisticated automatons of several types, sections from "living" structures and a complete automated (though for exhibit only) kitchen. Many of these were presented in sequences, showing how the current versions had come from earlier ones. Energia's duties involved guiding people through a progression in the development of robotic avatars used in various attractions.

Even as she greeted the next tour group, she marveled at how the war damage to the city was now almost unnoticeable. This building had only been lightly affected, and most of the others in the complex were likewise spared. However, the civic center across the street - visible through the front doors and windows of this building - had needed to be almost completely rebuilt. All of those repairs had been finished more than a year earlier, and now you couldn't tell they'd ever been damaged.

"This portion of the exhibit demonstrates how the animated manikins advanced in sophistication," said Energia, or "Sue" as her nametag read. "The earliest ones were, indeed, barely more than manikins with motors added. Fortunately, park management - realizing how unconvincing they were, even at a distance - formed a team called the Advanced Technologies Research Department. This was soon nicknamed the Head Shop. Both their organizational structure and nickname were inspired by Lockheed's famous Skunk Works. Company management was belatedly very upset when someone later pointed out that the nickname was also slang for a place to buy drug paraphernalia. The managers felt that those in the workshop had put one over on them, but by then the nickname had stuck."

She found the way her voice echoed from the high ceiling to be a bit distracting, as were the voices and footsteps in the large, busy foyer from those outside the walled pathway which she led her charges along. Fortunately, the next part of the tour was in an enclosed function room. She led her group from the first section, across a short stretch of marble-floored open foyer, through a door and into the next portion of the tour.

"Here you see the first results of their work. These manikins were intended to replace those we just saw in the same attractions. The improvements are obvious, though they still don't stand up to close examination."

There were many murmured sounds of people being impressed.

Nearby, on a nearly parallel path, Blue Impact (her nametag read "Constance") was giving a similar spiel on the equipment used to move visitors around the park. Energia and Blue Impact - already in disguise - had been fitted with attractive dresses the night before and this morning had been mixed in with several other hosts who guided visitors around the exhibits and gave presentations. Only upper management knew they were supers. All the hosts had received a set of briefings and printed documents to study for their particular parts of the show. The exhibit was scheduled to last for a month, but the attack would likely come in the first few days... if it came at all.

The show was pretty impressive, and involved several parallel chains of exhibits, each with a multi-stage tour through multiple rooms, all starting and ending in the huge main lobby. Energia wasn't a techie but knew enough about technical matters through training and experience to appreciate the importance of the items being displayed. However, her appreciation was only a fraction of that exhibited by the team's gadgeteer.

"Yeah, you don't see magic doing anything like this!" said Gadgetive, enthusiastically, over their earbuds.

"What about some of the famous magical automatons?" said Blue Impact, in a low murmur, just loud enough to be picked up by her earbud through bone conduction.

The older super was currently walking back to the start of her part of the tour, with no-one close to her. She was therefore free to talk, though quietly.

"Not the same."

"They look and act the same," said Energia, in a similar murmur, taking advantage of the ambient noise to comment as she lead her crew through an open - and busy - stretch of hallway.

"Okay, let's talk digital, then!" snapped the gadgeteer. "The integrated electronics communications system used for the later-made of the devices on exhibit and their modes of operation were part of the foundation used to form first ARPANET and later the Internet. Let's see the elves develop intercontinental digital communications!"

"Actually, the Bluegrass Elves have what they call 'the Enternet' aka 'the wood wide web,'" said Blue Impact, quietly. "Glomahr told me about it. They use the fungal rhizomes which pervade a wood or forest to send messages and even monitor conditions the plants are experiencing. They use their fingers to interact with the plants and rhizomes, so it's also digital. They've been doing this for thousands of years, though the nicknames I mentioned are, of course, modern."

"Not the same thing," said Gadgetive, smugly. "Besides, that's biological and psionic. Not magical."

Energia reached the next part of her tour just then and had to stop talking over the radio and prepare to resume her spiel. Blue Impact also got back to the start of her tour. Gadgetive, of course, was under no such constraints.

"Most of what's on exhibit here was the work of a pretty small group," she said. "You hardly mentioned any names in your spiels, and those were all bigshots. Upper managers. The actual workshop was run by Abner Sturgeon, who was probably a gadgeteer and maybe a true mad inventor. He's not mentioned at all in the stuff for the exhibit, and barely in any of the official histories, even though he was instrumental (sorry about that) in designing the equipment which made their park a hit. After the founder of the company died Abner had a falling out with the corporate executives who took over from him. He finally 'retired' in a fit of exasperation.

"Poor old Abner," said Gadgetive, finishing with a sigh. "He was dead, alone in his home, for three days before anyone started worrying about him. They had to call in one of his former coworkers - Emil Logsdon - to figure out how to get in safely to check on him. Abner had spent his last eight years occupying himself modifying his home into a fully integrated mechanical system. Just to show his former bosses that his ideas would actually work."

Energia gritted her teeth and smiled at her tour group, as Gadgetive rattled on. All the undercover duties fell to her and Blue Impact due to one of the few things Gadgetive and Vic had in common: They both refused to wear a dress. The amusement that shared attitude brought Energia kept her mood pleasant with the guests at the exhibit in spite of Gadgetive's occasional rants.

* * *

"Second day of this," said Gadgetive, tiredly. "When do we get some action?"

Her post was on the roof near a skylight over the middle of the foyer. Vic was stationed similarly above the main entrance.

"Be careful what you wish for," said Vic. "By the way, Blue Impact, be sure to thank whoever thought to put a portajohn up here. I do wish we had a bit more shade, though."

"It's only another seven and a half hours," said the team leader, amusement in her voice.

Still, the day ended with no unusual activities. Well, until they got inside the lair and were descending the stairs to the living quarters level. Vic took her helmet off then instead of waiting as usual until she was in her quarters, and Gadgetive did one of the few legitimate triple-takes the others had ever seen.

"You all right?" said Energia.

"You're... different," said Gadgetive, to Vic, making it an accusation.

"I am?"

"Oh!" said Energia, laughing a bit as she got it. "Vic took her extensions off. That's her natural hair length."

"Oh. Yeah. It fits better under the helmet this way," said Vic, touching her short hair. She also gave a bit of a laugh. "It meets Bureau hair length regulations like this, too. Yesterday I dressed for work in my room, then took the helmet off in my room later, so I guess you hadn't seen me like this before."

Gadgetive stared a bit. Then, muttering under her breath, she pushed ahead, hurried through the door and on to her room.

"Is it just me, or is she worse than usual lately?" said Blue Impact, irritated.

"I think she's just still upset that we have an 'unexpected' guest for Spring Break," said Energia. She looked over at Vic, who was obviously uncomfortable. "Don't take it personally. She'd react the same way to an additional cat."

"I don't actually find that reassuring," said Vic.

* * *

"You're looking a bit under the weather," said Blue Impact to Energia, the next morning, as she and the others had a quick breakfast at the lair before heading to the museum.

She and Energia were actually in civvies and disguises involving wigs (a new one for Energia; a different one for Blue Impact). They would carry their costumes to work in gym bags, which would be stashed in a janitor's closet near the front atrium at the museum.

"I can't get that ride theme song out of my head," said Energia, tiredly.

"Best way to get rid of an ear worm," said Vic, "is to listen to another song."

"I actually tried that. It worked for a while, and I was able to get to sleep, but then I woke up with the ride song playing in my head, again."

"You sure it wasn't Gadgetive playing something in AM RF which only you could perceive?" said Blue Impact, impishly, looking at the team gadgeteer.

"Huh?" said Gadgetive. She suddenly looked thoughtful. "Oh. Yeah. That would work for her."

"Oh, thanks, teach," said Energia, glaring back and forth between the other two members of Tricorne. "You've given her an idea."

"Hey, I'd never do that!" said Gadgetive. "I mean, as a short term prank, while you're awake, maybe. Not to keep you from sleeping. Sleep is important."

Vic managed to hide her smirk. She had realized early in her visit that Gadgetive was pretty much constantly short on sleep.

"Well, let's load the dishwasher and get going," said Blue Impact. "It's Thursday, and things will ramp up tomorrow. Let's enjoy what will hopefully be a - relatively - quiet day."

"You had to say that," said Energia, with a sigh.

* * *

Later, with Vic and Gadgetive at their concealed posts on the roof, Energia and Blue Impact - already in their civilian disguises - donned their hostess outfits with the others who were giving the tours. As they prepared to start their day, Blue Impact thought she heard Energia muttering under her breath. Moving closer, she realized what the other was saying.

"Please don't let there be a robbery," "Sue" muttered. "Please don't let there be a robbery."

"Worried about your new dress?" said "Constance" quietly, as the two supers lagged behind the other hosts.

"Of course I'm worried about my new dress! They said we could keep them afterwards!"

"Well, if some..."

There was an enormous crash, something not just heard but felt.

"Mech attacking the building!" shouted Vic, over their earbuds.

"Shit!" yelled Energia. She looked frantically around. "I just realized, we're further from our costumes here than at any point on the tours we give!"

"Then we better hurry!" said Blue Impact, taking off running.

"Now we're running in high heels!" shouted Energia.

* * *

By the time they got to the atrium Gadgetive and Vic were both at floor level inside the large room, having descended through a skylight via the former's rope. Nearly everyone else was gone, even the security guards. This was not surprising, because the two supers were fighting several armed and very well protected drones. Fortunately, the armaments seemed to be less-then-lethal. That didn't mean they were safe to be hit by.

Blue Impact - thanks to her superior reflexes - made it to the janitor's closet first. Her and Energia's ID badges had been coded to unlock this door and a few others in addition to those the regular hosts' badges opened. Energia ran in as her teacher held the door. Neither bothered turning the lights on; both had senses which made that irrelevant. Both had also practiced putting their costumes on quickly, even in difficult situations.

Again, Blue Impact finished first. She charged out the door and into the atrium while Energia was still getting her bodystocking secured, causing the latter to emit a squawk of outrage. The oldest member of the quartet took in the scene as she ran. Vic was mainly dodging; machines were not the sort of opponent her abilities were best against, though she was far from helpless. Gadgetive was faring better, since this was the sort of foe she was good against, but there were several drones. If Vic hadn't been drawing the attention of half of them the gadgeteer would have been swarmed.

Blue Impact made full speed towards the closest drone. She caught it with a place kick just as it was turning towards her. She even managed to aim it at another drone. That put those two out of action. Blue Impact continued to evaluate the rapidly changing situation as she moved to the next target.

The drones were flying spheres, a bit less than a meter in diameter, method of propulsion unknown. They could sprout tentacles with claws or weapons from concealed ports. How many of either they had was currently unknown. They weren't hugely fast but they were quite maneuverable. As witnessed by the throbbing in Blue Impact's foot, they were also very solidly built.

On top of all that, Blue Impact could see a much larger sphere working to widen the hole in the wall through which the drones had entered. That device was big enough to have a person inside. She didn't know for certain that it did, but figured that was pretty likely.

A drone targeted her, and she dodged. One thing in the favor of the defenders was that for some reason they retracted a weapon-equipped tentacle after a shot, then redeployed it. A flaw in the programming, or was the maneuver necessary to recharge/reload the weapon? Something to be determined later. Blue Impact leapt into a diving roll and came up with a chunk of wall, which she threw at another drone. It dodged, resulting in a glancing blow, but that still kept it from acting against any of the trio for a moment.

Energia finally arrived, flying into atrium above the fray. She zapped a drone with each hand, using focused heat rays. Disabling them took several seconds.

"Get the big one!" Blue Impact shouted.

Energia gave a short nod and flew towards where the larger sphere was still clumsily widening the hole. It suddenly found the loose material it was removing shoving hard against it, moving it backwards, allowing Energia to fly outside and gain altitude.

"They're using graviton manipulation," said Energia, changing tactics. "Hang on..."

The small spheres inside fell and rolled. The big one dropped, but recovered, its stronger drive resisting Energia's efforts. She tried a heat ray, but the thing had some sort of protective field. Magnetism and electricity likewise proved useless. That left visible light, but a brief test of that proved the armor too tough to burn through quickly.

"Hah! You supers never learn! My foamed cermet armor can withstand over three thousand kelvins!" shouted an amplified voice.

Energia did a quick evaluation, then flew away.

"What the Hell..." said the operator, confused. Then he grinned, hanging in his uncomfortable but secure harness inside the sphere. "Hey, did I just scare off the big, bad hero?"

"Nope," said the big, bad hero. "Check your rear camera."

Instead, the mech quickly spun around, throwing the man inside painfully against the straps. He gaped as he saw Energia, glowing and smiling, with a hand on the large transformer in the small lawn on one side of the museum property.

"Smile. Wait for flash."

"Shit!" he screamed, as he frantically tried to target her.

Too late. The eye-searing, visible-light beam which streamed from her other hand cut deeply into his armor. Energia went all around the mech, leaving just a central cylinder containing the cockpit. This dropped to the pavement with a loud clunk and began rolling.

Energia intended to use her Meissner effect to stop it, but was interrupted when the rear hatch blew off as the occupant ejected. The operator at least had the presence of mind to wait until the hatch was pointing away from any close structures. Though he did scrape along the pavement - with much sparking - before the ejection pod could turn upwards. All that, however, didn't stop Energia from snagging him in mid-rocket boost, holding the pod until the flames stopped, then grabbing the pilot as the pod ejected the seat and his parachute deployed. Energia separated the inventor from his seat and deposited him - a bit ungently - onto the grass near the hole he had made in the wall.

She thought he might give a defiant speech swearing revenge or retribution or perhaps try to escape. Instead, as Energia corralled the still-rolling cockpit, he chose the third most common choice of gadgeteers and mad inventors in such situations.

"My mech!" he wailed. He crawled over to the nearest part. He cradled as much of the huge, heavy armor section in his arms as he could and rocked it. "My beautiful creation..."

Energia watched to make sure he wasn't actually trying to get manual control of some weapon. However, he just sat there, holding it and crying, until Blue Impact arrived and zip-tied him.

"Is that it?" said Energia, landing beside Blue Impact.

"We took care of all his drones. You took care of his battle mech. There's property damage but nobody hurt, beyond being scared and some minor bruises and scrapes. Looks okay."

"That's what you think!"

The amplified voice made all three of them start. A quick look in that direction showed men in armor running towards them. Armor which looked like exaggerated versions of what police wore when on riot duty.

"We are RIOT SQUAD!" shouted the smug man with the bullhorn, confirming that analysis of their style of dress. "And you are quashed!"

If they had simply attacked without the warning they might have had a chance. Instead, the leader had to posture. Something the others in the group complained about later, including directly to him.

Thanks to that warning, Energia leapt into the air while Blue Impact did a diving roll to the side. As a result, the attacks against them - beanbag rounds, spinning nets and pepper balls - found their only target in the already captured inventor. He was hit with multiple pepper balls and two nets. Meanwhile, Energia tried a mass electrical jolt tuned to the human nervous system. It was only partially effective, due to the shielding in their body armor. Then she had to frantically dodge, as stun bags, pepper balls and several nets came at her from multiple directions.

The fight was then well and truly engaged. There were successful attacks on the part of both sides but nothing definitive, leaving the situation hanging in the balance. Fortunately, Gadgetive and Vic - who had been making sure the drones inside were all completely out of action and that no bystanders were under the debris - arrived on the scene and quickly turned the tide decisively against the second set of attackers.

Gadgetive found herself mainly defending the others. She jammed the attackers' communications, gummed up several of the weapons and generally made herself useful without having much time to become more offensive. Vic, on the other hand, very quickly took out three of the six still standing after Blue Impact's first counter attacks. The older super soon found herself in an informal competition with the martial artist as to how many each took care of. It finally came down to Vic facing the last attacker by herself while the others were busy restraining those already downed. That last member of Riot Squad standing being the man with the bullhorn.

He threw this at Vic, and used the moment she needed to dodge to prepare for her defeat. He could see that he was at least twice her age and knew he had been training hard since his teens; there was no way she had enough experience to stand against his superior skills. Smiling, the man moved in, planning on an elaborate display of his martial prowess. He started with a feint, designed to set up his target for a series of other feints and stunning blows, which would culminate in a devastating finishing strike.

Vic blocked the feint and bounced off the block into a heel-palm strike to the man's helmeted forehead. His head shot backwards. Fortunately for him, the rest of his body followed. He hit the pavement hard and didn't move.

"Wow..." said Gadgetive, wide-eyed behind her mask as she saw this. She turned to Blue Impact and grinned. "Okay, she might be useful after all..."

Part Four

Thanks to the complications of the double attack, cleanup took hours. Between museum security, local police, milling bystanders and many, many news teams things did not go smoothly. Fortunately, the police did keep the news teams away from the actual scene, so the four supers were spared having to deal with them as well. Even as the matters involved in the actual assaults were being straightened out, though, another complication arrived in the form of a museum official, who was accompanied by several more security personnel. The team members were, at that time, standing around, waiting for a high-ranking local police official to arrive and formally take their statement. The leader of the new arrivals may have therefore seen them as easy targets. Ignoring the police and the security men and women already present, he marched directly to the quartet and addressed them in a challenging manner.

"While you were busy with trivialities someone stole the Tuesday Ruby!"

"Wait..." said Blue Impact. "That's in a completely different building. It's a permanent exhibit. We didn't even know there was a threat to steal it."

"The obvious question is why not?!" the man said, shrilly, as he ignored the efforts by one of the uniformed officers to regain control of the situation. "It is the most valuable single item on exhibit! Why wasn't it your priority!?"

"Look, we knew nothing about any threat against anything except this specific, short term exhibit," said Blue Impact, angrily. "If you knew there was a problem, why didn't you bring it to someone's attention?"

"Oh, now you're trying to blame me?" said the man, even more shrilly.

"Right," said Blue Impact, with a tired sigh. "We risk our lives stopping two robbery attempts, and all we get is criticism for not stopping a third which took place somewhere else."

"The Tuesday Ruby isn't the most valuable object in this museum complex," said Gadgetive, in an authoritative tone. "It isn't even the most valuable object in the mineralogy museum. That would be the Idol's Eye Blue Diamond. The ruby is valuable, though, and famous. The Precious Stones even wrote a song about it, back in 1967."

"I'm talking about the theft of a national treasure and you're arguing trivialities!" the man shrieked, his voice cracking. "What are you people even doing here?!"

"We were invited," said Blue Impact, flatly.

"Well, not by me!"

"Right," Blue Impact repeated. She looked at the senior officer present, who rolled his eyes. Deciding to focus on their actual problem, she turned to look at their prisoners. "Vic, who was it that you suggested calling, a few minutes ago?"

"FBI. They have a special branch for dealing with art theft and art fraud, and I think that's what the items in this exhibit count as. The ruby would, too."

The mad inventor and several others started shouting denials about that classification, but one of the uniforms present overrode them in volume.

"Whoah! No FBI! This is specifically a local crime, and we'll handle it."

"I really don't need an argument over jurisdiction, just now," said Blue Impact, who noticed that most of the uniforms were stepping back a bit. "We have a federal officer interning with us. She already made the arrests."

She pointed at Vic, who pointed to the badge on her belt.

"You're not a fed," said the officer, actually sneering. "You're a pseudo-fed!"

"If you think you can ignore my authority," said Vic, tone deadly, "you'll find yourself arrested, in restraints and up on charges. Back off!"

He did, though sputtering. His retreat was due in part to the senior officer present having a quiet word with him.

"Stop ignoring me!" shouted the mineralogy museum official.

As if that were possible, thought Blue Impact.

"Sir, we're not ignoring you," said Blue Impact, trying to be diplomatic. "We're calling in experts to deal with your problem."

That was Vic's cue to start making calls. Meanwhile, the senior uniform quickly got on his radio. Before he could receive any sort of definitive response, however, several unmarked cars arrived and - among others - three well-dressed men and a woman got out. The man apparently in charge of these new arrivals looked around, stone faced but obviously attempting to sort out what was going on. He saw Vic wave, then point to her badge. His eyes might have widened just a bit. He walked quickly over to her and the pair spoke quietly for several minutes. Then, at Vic's suggestion, the man waved the senior uniform present over.

By now Blue Impact had her own cell phone out and was making several quick, terse calls. Finally, she nodded, thanked whoever she was speaking to and hung up. She walked over to the head of museum security.

"I just finished a conference call which included the city's Attorney General," she said, politely but firmly. "The museum gets funding from the city, the state and the federal government. However, this exhibit is here from out of state. Given that, and the fact that an authorized, active federal officer made the actual arrests they all agreed that the FBI should take custody."

"I'll have to confirm that," said the man, stiffly.

"I would expect no less."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that if you don't confirm that I will report you for dereliction of duty!" snapped Blue Impact. She spun around and marched towards Vic, who had just finished with the men she had been talking to. "Tell me some good news."

"The Chief, here, got a call which pretty much confirmed what we had already decided: The FBI has jurisdiction. They have a team on the way from the local office. They've already cleared this with the city."

"What about my ruby?!" screamed the mineralogy museum man.

"It's not your ruby, Fred!" yelled another administrator. "It belongs to the museum! Have you even officially reported the crime, yet?"

He started to make an angry retort, then looked startled. Then he hurried - soon breaking into a run - back the way he had come.

* * *

A museum official eventually confirmed the obvious; that the exhibit was closed for the rest of the week. More likely for the rest of the month. Repairs had to be made, and additional security arranged to keep things safe until then. The quartet was therefore out of a job.

Once they arrived, the FBI team essentially told them the same thing. It was "Thanks for your help. We'll handle things from here."

"I heard what our two roof squatters told the police," said Blue Impact, as the four women walked back to their ride, which was hidden in a lawn care garage at the rear of the museum's administration building. "However, once we get back to the lair we definitely need a debriefing of our own. I have questions I haven't heard anyone else ask, yet."

As their apergy pod settled into cruise mode for the short trip back to Tricorne's headquarters, Energia noticed Gadgetive yawning.

"How can you be sleepy after all that excitement?"

"Not sleepy," said the gadgeteer, in a sour mutter. "Just short on caffeine."

"Feeling tired?" said Vic, with saccharine cheerfulness. "There's a nap for that!"

"Huh?" said Gadgetive, blankly.

Vic suddenly straightened in her seat.

"Sorry; it's my boss."

She reached up and tapped a concealed switch on her helmet.

The call didn't last long, but by the time it was over the chameleon-skinned flyer was already dropping through the roll-open top of the storage shed on the roof of the old bakery. The quartet disembarked from the vehicle, crossed the short distance to the top of the stairs - unseen thanks to a high fence all around the periphery of the roof - and entered the lair.

"What a mess," groaned, Vic, collapsing melodramatically on the lair's reinforced couch, still in her armor. "Is this the way your cases usually go?"

"No, but a lot of them do," said Blue Impact, just as tiredly. She gave Vic a sympathetic smile, as she sat in her recliner. "Though we don't usually have to deal with the paperwork they put you through."

Vic gave a tired laugh and pulled her helmet off.

"You remember that call I got on the flight back here? That was Doro, telling me they'd gotten five calls to verify my identity and authority. Two of those from the FBI!"

"Was the gem theft just coincidence?" said Energia, as she landed gracefully on the other end of the couch. "Or did some mastermind set all the rest up as a distraction to steal the ruby for a mega-laser or something?"

"Whoah," said Gadgetive, eyes going wide as she - as usual - entered the large, main room last. "I hadn't thought of that. They do use rubies for some types of lasers. Though it'd be easier to culture a synthetic with exactly the right properties than steal something that well protected."

"I suspect that the ruby theft was for ransom," said Blue Impact, frowning in thought. "Even recutting the Tuesday Ruby - which would be a cultural crime - wouldn't let them get away with selling the pieces; its chemical signature is registered and the pieces would be quickly identified."

"We need a bigger couch," said Gadgetive, glaring at the two on that piece of furniture. There was actually plenty of room.

"Oh, use the other recliner," said Energia, sourly. "You never sit on the couch unless you're watching TV anyway."

"Okay," said Vic, trying to ignore the byplay and get back to the case, "one other thing I got from the call was a warning that other places which also have some of the tech from the exhibits might be targeted. They've notified the FBI and local law enforcement in the appropriate areas."

"Closest place to here - after the museum - would be Abner Sturgeon's home," said Gadgetive, looking thoughtful as she distractedly sat on the coffee table. "It's in a suburb of Charleston."

"Probably not our concern, then," said Blue Impact. She sighed and rose. "All right, let's get started on the debriefing. What was the first anyone knew of the attack?"

"That big thump," said Vic, "as the power armor punched a hole in the wall to let the drones in. I didn't see or hear it before that, and I was too far away for my sense of perception to catch it."

"Yeah," said Gadgetive, nodding. "Must have been stealthed, like our flyer. Didn't see or hear anything before that."

Blue Impact led them through a detailed account of their actions, piecing together what had happened as best she could. Finally satisfied, she nodded.

"That's about all we can do until I get the reports of the prisoner interrogations," she said. "I'll just make notes for now."

"Y'know," said Gadgetive, hopefully, "I'd like to see that house."

"Sturgeon's home?" said Blue Impact, pausing on her way to her private, corner workstation.

"Yeah. It was supposed to have been cleared of all his stuff, but there are rumors that the new owners just left it all there. That either it was too much trouble to remove, or that the new owners were actually admirers of his work."

"Well, it should be easy to find out who owns the property," said Blue Impact. She turned and resumed course.

The others looked at each other; Gadgetive happily, Energia neutrally, Vic not sure what was going on.

"She's very good at the online detective work," said Energia, by way of explanation. "Also at the gumshoe stuff, though that's different in costume than for police or PIs."

"Yeah, that last I already knew," said Vic, nodding. "Part of Bureau training is what the difference is and how to do each. Though I'm not really good at any of those."

"Got it!" came the triumphant cry from Blue Impact, a bit later. "Property was sold a few weeks after Abner's death - turned out the guy who let them in had his power of attorney - to a real estate developer. Then, nothing. Which is very strange. Every other property in that neighborhood has changed hands at least twice since then."

"That was years ago!" said Energia, surprised.

"There's a lot of paperwork still to go through," said Blue Impact. "A couple of lawsuits, problems with the utilities, zoning violation complaints... There's also some records which haven't been computerized. I've got both custom software and a couple of contacts in the appropriate city office sorting through things. I suspect the property actually was sold again at least once, but so far haven't tracked down to whom. That could take days or even weeks."

"Just to be safe," said Vic, carefully, "we should at least go take a look. I have the impression that the local cops aren't even being advised there might be a problem for the house."

Perhaps she was hoping to make a favorable impression on the team's gadgeteer.

"We really should check it out," said Gadgetive, doing her best to look like an eager puppy and failing miserably.

"If this is all a mastermind plot," said Blue Impact, slowly and thoughtfully, "we can expect more complications. It's what they do."

"So, we're going?" said Gadgetive, eagerly.

"Yes," said Blue Impact, grinning at her enthusiasm. "We're going. After we clean up a bit. We're still dirty from the fight."

"We should have lunch, too," said Vic. "In all the excitement we missed it."

That idea met with all-round approval.

"Better late than never," said Energia, agreeably.

* * *

The people walking their dogs and tending lawns and flower beds in the upper middle-class neighborhood that afternoon looked askance as the apergy pod silently descended straight down out of the clear sky to park on its wheeled landing gear in front of the incongruous house. However, even when four costumed figures exited to stand at the gate, the attitude of the locals was to obviously think some variation of "Well, of course that place would receive that sort of attention." and to go on about their business. None came over to ask what the masks were doing. None even gave them more than an occasional surreptitious glance.

"No doubt which one it is," said Energia, quietly, as they stood looking at their target.

The sprawling, two-storey house was on a correspondingly large lot. It was not only the oldest structure in the neighborhood, it was the only one of its style, which included a white picket fence. There was a mail box on the gate post, but it was empty, with no name; just the number.

"Wow. Guy must have spent a fortune on this," said Energia, flying up a bit to get a better view. "Even back in the Fifties, this was not a cheap neighborhood."

She looked around.

"I'm surprised someone hasn't bought it and torn it down to build another McMansion."

"It was bought, remember," said Blue Impact. "Not long after Abner Sturgeon died. Supposedly by a real estate developer, who promised to put up a showcase home as soon as he got the funding."

"That sounds familiar," said Energia, smiling as she landed.

"To what?" said Gadgetive, puzzled.

"The wild promises people promoting startups sometimes make," said Blue Impact.

"Well, whoever currently owns it makes sure it's well-maintained," said Vic. "Place looks immaculate."

"Too immaculate," said Blue Impact, frowning. "It's like..."

"Like something from a theme park," said Energia, nodding as she got the team leader's drift.

"I bet there's automated mowers," said Gadgetive, sounding excited.

"So... Do we just knock?" said Vic, uncertainly.

"That works surprisingly often," said Blue Impact.

"Of course, when it doesn't," said Energia, all too cheerfully, "we usually wind up fighting for our lives."

Blue Impact lifted the latch and pushed the classic white-painted gate open. Then jumped back as many things happened rapidly. The least of them being that the gate slammed shut and relatched.

Hatches opened in the sod and menacing looking devices deployed from under the ground. All those on that side of the house were pointed at Blue Impact. Armored shutters rose into place over all the doors and windows, locking solidly into place.

"Attention!" said an amplified voice. "This property is in security lockdown! All intruders will be neutralized and held for the police!"

"I don't believe it!" shouted Gadgetive, excitedly. "They left it intact! The whole thing's here! It must be!"

"Is there somebody in there?" said Energia, loudly.

There was no response.

"The place is supposed to be empty," said Blue Impact, frowning. "This must all be on automatic. Which means the new owner needs to be contacted."

"Yeah, and you won't let me have traps," said Gadgetive, pouting.

"What if Vic identified herself as a federal LEO?" said Energia, frowning in thought. "Is it sophisticated enough to recognize that?"

They tried. Vic help up her badge and identified herself and her agency in a loud, clear voice.

"There is no warrant present," said the same voice. "There is no probable cause. You will not enter this property."

"Yeah, that sounds pretty sophisticated," said Energia, impressed.

"That voice sounds a lot like the big guy who did so many of the voices for the theme park Abner worked for," said Blue Impact. She looked at the team's gadgeteer. "You think you can do anything with this from out here?"

"I'm remembering something a biology teacher I once had told a class," said Gadgetive, with a sour expression. "'Under the most stringently controlled conditions of environment, conditioning and heredity, the organism does what it damn well pleases.'"

"Are you saying this is alive?" said Vic, startled.

"Or close enough as makes no nevermind, as my grandma used to say," said Gadgetive. Her scowl deepened. "There's a reason I don't work with biology."

"So is this a person?" said Blue Impact, firmly.

"Nah," said Gadgetive. She frowned. "Probably not. I mean, I don't think so..."

"Should we try negotiation?" said Energia, grinning.

"No," said Blue Impact. "Right now there's no sign of trouble here. We'll continue to try and find the owner, but for now we just leave this alone. It may have already called the police."

"Nothin' on the police scanner," said Gadgetive, frowning, "though I bet there would be if one of us tried to enter the property."

"What if I flew in?" said Energia.

"Probably react as soon as you crossed the property line," said Gadgetive, nodding. "Not sure how, but some of those things which deployed look pretty formidable."

"Yow," said Energia, mildly.

"Yes," said Blue Impact, nodding. "So we back off and contact the owner."

"Yeah, this looks like it would at the very least call the authorities if someone tried to break in," said Vic, also nodding. "Since it didn't call before we got here, there probably hasn't been any attempt at intrusion. For now we should leave things alone."

Part Five

"Guess what?" said Blue Impact, a couple of hours later, back at the lair. "Turns out the person who owns the house is the same Emil Logsdon who had to let the police in, years ago. He is part owner of the real estate company which bought the house, which is why there's no record of further transfers. He just had the company say it was waiting for a buyer to develop the property, in order to head off complaints about the house not fitting with the rest of the neighborhood. I guess he took it over as a private project. Or maybe as a memorial to his friend."

The other three had been in the lounge area, talking about the case while their leader worked in her private corner. When she finally had something to tell them, Blue Impact was pleased to find that they were already together and close by.

"It did fit in when it was built," said Energia, who had learned to appreciate old things from her maternal grandmother. "The whole suburb was bought out, usually one lot at a time, and the other old houses torn down, with the properties often being combined to make room for McMansions."

"Well, yes," said Blue Impact, with a straight face. "Anyway, the bad news is that when I tried to contact Logsdon I couldn't. He seems to have disappeared. Even his wife doesn't know where he is. She just spent several hours calling around to their children and grandkids and other family as well as friends and business acquaintances. No-one has seen him since early this afternoon."

"I bet he's inside that house," said Energia, with conviction.

"His wife says he went to check on it after the attempts were made on the exhibits this morning, but no-one saw him actually arrive there and he's not answering his phone. Because of the circumstances the police are already looking for him. His car has an emergency location device and the police say his vehicle was found abandoned in a culvert well away from the path he should have taken to get from where he was to the house."

"Shit," said Vic, alarmed and angered. "I bet someone kidnapped him to force him to let them into the house and something went wrong."

"Well, he's almost eighty, and while he's in good health any rough treatment of someone that age could definitely have serious health results. Also: language."

"So we need to find him soon," said Energia.

"He needs to be found soon," said Blue Impact. "Not necessarily by us, but by someone. Soon."

* * *

"This case is turning out to be pretty big," said Blue Impact, at breakfast the next morning. "Though there's still nothing probative, both local and federal investigations - plus my own checking - have shown connections between all three robbery attempts at the museum and several similar recent crimes."

"Shit," was all Energia said. The others stayed silent.

"Please be more careful with your language," said Blue Impact, tiredly. "I know you're well past legal age, but it still gives a bad impression."

"You can tell she's older than she looks," said Gadgetive, smirking. She was absent-mindedly tapping her fingers on the table they sat around. The others had learned to ignore that.

"Yeah, but she has a good point," said Vic, a bit reluctantly. "They train those of us who work for the Bureau of Special Resources - including part-timers like me - to mind our manners. Something I forgot until she called me on it yesterday. Perception can be as important as reality to some people. We must be like Caesar's wife, and avoid even the appearance of impropriety."

"So," said Blue Impact, resuming. "At least five out of seven recent tech crimes we know of have connections to the works of Abner Sturgeon. Investigators say that the ruby heist has connections - though they're more tentative - to whoever planned the other crimes. We therefore need to check on more of Abner's work, and try to find some way to track down whoever is behind all this."

"Not a lot to go on," said Vic. "Doro says all the thieves we caught were paid through intermediaries. The few of those who have already been caught in connection to the other crimes gave testimony indicating they were also contacted indirectly."

"Again, all signs of a cautious, competent mastermind at work," said Blue Impact. She sighed. "We need more information."

"None of his stuff is still actually used by the theme parks," said Gadgetive, thoughtfully. "They may have some in storage, though. That could be a target."

"The FBI has already thought of that," said Vic, nodding. "The company's official line is that they reused or scrapped all the old equipment. Most of the stuff in the show here, for example, actually came from private collectors, with the rest already being in museums. Which means the exhibit organizers unintentionally gathered it all in one place for the thieves. The FBI is making Abner Sturgeon's old employers give them inventories of what the company still has, though, and they're also keeping an eye on whatever is left, wherever it is."

"So, this hypothetical mastermind will probably seek other targets," said Energia.

"More likely, if there is one mastermind behind all this they'll redouble their efforts," said Vic, speaking from personal experience. "They may back off a bit, or postpone some operations, but they'll always come back to their original goals. If only to prove that the dullards working against them don't have a chance."

"So, what is there for us to do?" said Energia. She noticed that for some reason all four of them were leaning close together over the kitchen table, speaking quietly. She deliberately leaned back a bit, and the others followed her example.

"Unless we can get permission from the police to examine the evidence at one of the crime scenes," said Blue Impact, "or find someone who can get us in that house, we just wait. Which is the hardest role."

* * *

After the meeting ended Vic headed to her room, intending to change into her training garb and get some exercise. She had only been there for a few minutes when there was a knock on the door. From both the sound and her sense of perception she knew it was Blue Impact, but Vic had learned not to let folks know she could tell those things unless she didn't mind freaking them out. Of course, with Blue Impact the difference in knocks was pretty obvious, given her denser tissues. Though most people still didn't notice.

Vic quickly pulled her gi top on over her sport bra as she went to the door but didn't bother tying it, simply closing it and letting friction hold it in place.

"Hi, boss," she said, smiling. "What's up?"

"Have you got a moment to talk?"

"Sure. Come on in."

As the team leader entered Vic quickly tied her top closed but made no other changes, since Blue Impact got immediately to the subject.

"Have you noticed any... problems with Energia the past few months? You've seen more of her recently than I have, and I'd appreciate your insight."

"I've known her for a few years, but you've known her longer," said Vic, frowning as she thought about the question. "Though, yeah, I knew her before the war, so... She was really down for several months after Maldren left, which is understandable. I know how I'd feel if Michelle had to leave."

"Is she getting over missing him, though, or is she just covering that up?"

"I honestly can't say. She does still seem down on occasion, but who isn't?"

"Okay. Sorry for putting you on the spot like this, but you have been closer to her at college than I have at the Pine Island Academy, recently."

"Yeah. If I notice anything more definite, I'll let you know."

"Thanks."

* * *

The break came late that afternoon. Vic received a call from Doro, instructing her to call the head of the local FBI investigation. The others knew about the calls, but since Vic went to her room for the second - and stayed there for nearly an hour - they had no idea what was going on. Until Vic called them all together in the main room.

"Okay, the FBI says they were able to track some of the stolen old tech to a warehouse in a freight center about fifty miles north of here," said Vic, unable to keep from pacing across the short-nap carpet which covered the floor of the lounge area. "They're planning a raid and want us along in case whoever is behind this has more supers on hand guarding the place."

"When will the raid be?" said Blue Impact.

"Seven thirty tonight. They claim they picked the time because it's late enough the suspects will be getting sloppy but early enough the agents will have good light. Frankly, I think that's just the earliest they could get everyone there."

"Well, we can make it. Did they have any recommendations for how we should approach, or when and where to meet them?"

"They sent me a text with full instructions."

"Indirectly, I hope," said Energia, a bit alarmed.

"Yeah. This is my Bureau issue phone. It has gadgeteer security measures, including spoofing what cell repeaters it's using."

"Good," said Blue Impact. "Let's get those instructions printed."

* * *

Tricorne + 1 arrived at the rendezvous point just before the assigned time, to discover that the agents had gone ahead. There were just a few people left behind at a communications van to coordinate. One of the agents standing guard outside the van walked over to meet the team as their flyer landed.

"Yeah, sorry," said the agent. He didn't look or sound sorry. "They saw some activity and decided to go ahead. We probably won't even need yo..."

Sounds of explosions and automatic weapons fire from the direction of the warehouse presented an ironic denial to his statement before he could even finish it. He spun around and stared at the smoke starting to rise in the distance. Energia shot into the air as the other three jumped back into their pod and quickly followed her.

They immediately found themselves in a war zone... only it was a battle with just one person against the supers and agents. The FBI personnel were engaging a gargantuan, extremely stocky man who was casually tossing forklifts and pieces of building at them. Usually with one hand.

"Who is that?!" said Energia, as she circled overhead.

"I don't know, but this is a potentially lethal situation," who was baling out before the flyer touched down, leaving Gadgetive to handle that chore. "Don't hold back."

"I doubt he'd notice me if I held back, from the looks of him."

Blue Impact hit hard enough to crack the pavement, then ran towards the antagonist. The pod landed just as Energia opened up. She hit the figure with a heat blast which melted and ignited the asphalt in the pavement he stood on. He yelped, looked up at her with a glare, and leapt.

Energia - expecting this - dodged out of his way and hit him with a flash attack as he passed. Dazzled, he couldn't see where he would land and hit badly. Then immediately bounced back to his feet.

"Tough, strong, fast..." said Energia, taking evasive action as he ripped a chunk from a neighboring concrete loading dock and hurled it at her. She grabbed it magnetically by the steel reinforcement and sent it back at him. He punched it out of the air. "May have fast regeneration, too. This isn't going to be quick or easy."

"On my signal, blind him again," said Blue Impact, changing direction. "Gadgetive, when she does, you hit him with as many nets or webs or whatever you have available as you can. Then Vic and I will move in and pound on him until he yields."

The tactic had worked before. It worked on this guy. At first. This time, unfortunately, as the cocoon of contractile webbing tightened, he simply shrugged and it burst asunder.

Blue Impact was already racing towards him, and he was facing away from her so she continued. She changed her attack to a leaping double kick, however. She caught him over his right kidney and actually shoved him off balance forward and made him grunt a bit. Then he turned and slammed his fist downwards. Fortunately, Blue Impact was already rolling away, so instead of spattering her he just showered the area with a spray of broken pavement. This also left him open for Vic.

The martial artist blind-sided him with a hook kick to the gut. To the brute's obvious surprise, he grunted and staggered backwards. He still recovered in time to swing at her. Vic didn't even try to block this but did a backflip away from him. He charged after her, and Vic found herself fighting alone against the monster whose undivided attention she now had.

He was no clumsy brawler, something he had already demonstrated. While he obviously preferred brute force attacks, he also had enormous skill. If he had hit Vic even once, she would have been out of the fight and maybe even dead. However, as experienced and quick as he obviously was, she was highly skilled, just as quick and far more agile. Moreover, every time she hit him, she hurt him, while he couldn't touch her. Vic even managed to split his lip and bloody his nose with a leaping front snap kick, from which she went into another backflip, to land cat-like on her feet. He looked less surprised and more impressed with each of her successes. He still wasn't going down. He was also obviously healing as they fought.

The others tried to help, but Vic and the huge man were moving too quickly and erratically. Finally, she caught him with a side kick to the solar plexus. She had been using the Purple Art and ki projection and her skill with every blow before this, which was the only way she was able to hurt him. This time she put everything she had into the strike, worried that they were moving back towards the FBI agents. This commitment to the attack left her vulnerable, but fortunately her gamble paid off. He gave a huge grunt, staggered, then curled around his gut and fell to the ground.

Vic backed away, breathing hard but not really panting, and watched. Slowly, she relaxed. She stood and watched as Blue Impact and Gadgetive cautiously moved in and bound the guy.

"I don't know if this will hold him," said Gadgetive, worried. She looked up at the slowly approaching feds. "Let's hope they have a neutralizer."

As it happened, they did. The quartet pulled back as the FBI agents attached the unit to a tripod and shone its baleful glare down on the huge man.

"There," said the tech who set it up. "That will hold him!"

"If he's a genetic super," said Blue Impact, pointedly.

"What other kind is there?" said Moshe Sanders, the agent in charge, absently.

Blue Impact sighed but decided not to enlighten him just then.

"Why don't we see what he was guarding so vigorously?"

* * *

As it turned out, documents. Stacks of boxes of actual, physical papers.

"What. The. Hell," said Agent Sanders, as he looked up from the box he had opened and around at the rest. He shook his head. "All right, get some more of those open and take a look at what all this is."

They didn't need long to learn that it was strange.

"Uh, boss? This one is a paper trail with receipts showing that President Gibbons sold votes to China."

"WHAT?!"

"This one has him taking bribes to promote removing embargoes on several nations which are known supporters of terrorists."

"This one shows how the Vice President is plotting to assassinate the President, declare martial law and use that to become dictator."

"Hold on," said Agent Sanders, scowling. "What is this, headlines for tabloids?"

"There's stuff here going back years," said Sanders' main assistant, who had skipped to the rear of the pile and opened a box there. "Even to before Thurlin."

"Over here!" someone called out, from deeper in the warehouse. "There's weird, mechanical-looking things!"

"Pantographs," said Gadgetive, after those not busy inventorying box contents hurried over. "Specifically, these devices are used to reproduce handwriting. I'm also seeing old teletype machines. Though both categories of device have a lot of extra stuff driving them."

She pulled out a compact flashlight and began examining the equipment in detail.

"Da... Wow... You use this terminal, here, to select a preprinted form and a machine to print or write what you want on the form. Only someone has added a text generator. An electromechanical text generator. You type in someone's name and this..."

She straightened, froze for a moment, then spun around, wide-eyed behind her mask, to face the others.

"This is some of the Head Shop's work! I remember, they used these in the reproduction newspaper office in the theme parks to produce humorous documents for park visitors. Things like fake wanted posters, newspaper pages and the like. Wouldn't take much modification to make this produce what's in those boxes."

"So the purpose of this warehouse is to produce scandal documents. Why?!"

"Agent Sanders, this is very typical of mastermind type planning," said Blue Impact, sternly. "Specifically, this is intended to create short-term confusion. To distract those in power and those who work for them. Obviously, these documents were intended to be 'leaked' to various news agencies. The idea being to get everyone in the government busy disproving the claims instead of looking for the stolen items and whoever has them."

"That's crazy!" said one of the agents.

"You try telling a mastermind that!" said Vic, who had been the subject of such an operation.

"It might have worked, at that," said Agent Sanders, nodding. "If these had been leaked piecemeal... At the very least, news agencies would have been distracted from covering the thefts and various government speakers would have been busy issuing denials."

He looked around the large, open area in what was supposed to be a disused and empty warehouse, and sighed.

"We're still going to be stuck cataloging all this. Though, since we found it before it could be released, we can make that a low priority."

"You better hope they haven't released any, yet," said Vic, direly.

Part Six

Fortunately, the neutralizer worked on the mysterious man. At least, he didn't try to break his bonds once he was under it. The FBI men very carefully brought their vehicles and prisoner - under the neutralizer the entire time - into the warehouse, to cut down on interference from people in the area who had been attracted by the fuss. The FBI men and women set up an interrogation room right there in the middle of the warehouse, with the big guy sitting on the concrete floor. The neutralizer was aimed at him from too far away for him to easily attack it, and the interrogators sat around him in chairs. Someone figured out how to turn on the lights for that area, and the interrogation began.

"Who are you?" asked Sanders.

"I am the Godsfather," the huge, misshapen man rumbled. "The progenitor of the gods. Where is she who bested me?"

"I'm asking the questions. What were you doing here?

No response.

"Who hired you?" said Sanders, more firmly.

No response.

Vic sighed and stepped forward to the edge of the light, though well back from the baleful glow of the neutralizer.

"My name is Victor Peltior."

"An appropriate name," said the man. He smiled at her. "Are you betrothed?"

"What?!" said Vic, sputtering. "NO! I mean, I..."

She snarled and shook her head.

"The love of my life is named Michelle."

"Ah," he said, nodding slowly. "A disappointment. As well as not uncommon for warrior women. Truly a pity. We could have birthed an entire new generation of gods."

He smiled at her. Leered, actually.

"What titans they would have been!"

Vic was a bit surprised at how well spoken he was. However, before she could think of what to ask next, the FBI came back into the conversation.

"Who hired you?" said Sanders, firmly.

The man sighed, and turned to look directly at the agent.

"I do not know. I was hired through an intermediary named Fred Richards - most likely a pseudonym - who made clear that he did not know the person's identity, either. I was to remain inside unless someone unauthorized tried to come in, then I was to stop them. Since I failed, I will not be paid."

"How did you know who was authorized?" said Vic.

"I was given a list of names with photos. Oh, and a description of one person who was not on the list. No name, no image for her."

"Where is the list?"

"Burned."

Agent Sanders swore.

"How well can you remember what was on the list?" said Vic.

He looked at her and smiled more broadly. He had fangs going both ways.

"Perfectly."

Over the next fifty minutes they got descriptions and names - which all present realized were likely false - for everyone except the exception. For some reason, Godsfather kept avoiding describing her. Finally, though, Vic persuaded him to admit he had actually met her, twice, when she had visited the warehouse. The woman was Caucasian, of roughly medium height and build. In fact, nothing about her stood out... with the exception of one feature.

"She wore makeup which made her look as if her eyes had exploded," said Godsfather. The image he presented seemed to make him feel uncomfortable.

* * *

Much later that evening, the flyer finally landed at the lair.

"I still can't believe that guy," muttered Vic, as they walked from the flyer to the rooftop stairs at the lair. "Hitting on me like that, after fighting us!"

"Yeah, I'd have given him a new sensation," said Energia, angrily.

She held her hands out in front of her, and the others jumped as she made a fat, blue spark arc between her palms with a loud Snap!

"How do you do that without burning holes in your gloves?" said Vic, once her pulse had settled back down.

"Superconducting fibers woven into the material," said Gadgetive, her tone scornful of Vic's ignorance, as they entered the stairs. "A not uncommon optional extra."

Soon the quartet was out of armor and in the main room, brainstorming, trying to make sense of all the odd information they had thus far gathered. After they rehashed this they tried for a while to come up with some revelation, some coherent plot behind all the events, but this eluded them.

"Masterminds generally don't have any physical powers," said Blue Impact, finally, frowning and pacing as she spoke. By now she was more thinking out loud than brainstorming. "They usually don't worry about not having them; since masterminds consider themselves to already be superior, they figure they don't need physical powers. Also, there's plenty of muscle just waiting to be hired. When they do have physical powers, either the mastermind part is secondary to the physical powers - like with Constantine - or they give themselves artificial powers. Most of those latter efforts aren't very successful, because they try for too much. Sort of the way people thought Dr. Gaunt had, a few years back, turning himself into a giant, before they learned that was an empowered homunculus, or whatever the actual mystical term is. (I need to remember to ask Dr. Piano about that the next time I see him.) One of the exceptions is Sung, who very sensibly boosted his body to just slightly beyond normal human limits, supplementing that with hard training. As several prison guards and fellow prisoners found out the hard way after he was captured."

"That reminds me," said Vic, "Sung was finally sentenced, two days ago. Life in prison with no hope of parole."

"Too good for him," growled Gadgetive.

"On a related note," said Energia, "I was checking my clipping service earlier. Solomon Harvek is now claiming that everything he did was part of a secret government project to develop the death ray he used against those Coast Guard boats. That it was all for the defense of the country."

"To continue, if this mysterious woman - or whoever is behind her - is an actual mastermind and is still hiring for this gig, we may be able to get a lead that way. I'll query my street and police contacts. Vic, you talk to your contacts at the Bureau, and also suggest they talk to the FBI."

"On it."

"Gadgetive, Energia, you both should ask around among supers you know whether there's been any activity related to someone putting the word out that there's work henching in the affected area. As well as whether known henchmen and assistants - especially empowered ones - have either gone missing or are bragging about their new job."

"Got it," said Energia.

"Got it," said Gadgetive, though she looked doubtful. "We've only got a few more days before break ends, though."

"Which is more important?" said Blue Impact, sternly. "Getting back to school on time or stopping a master criminal?"

"Putting it another way," said Energia, when her friend looked puzzled, "would it be better to get back to class on time and just let this go, or to chase down a mastermind working on a major scheme and get an excused absence?"

"Look, we've had this problem before," said Gadgetive, sounding annoyed. "What we decided then was to go back where we're supposed to be on time, and agree to meet on weekends and maybe evenings if things get hot."

"All right," said Blue Impact. "I think that's enough for tonight. Let's turn in and start fresh in the morning."

* * *

The two FBI agents met in the office of the senior of the pair later that evening. Both were tired; neither was happy with the day's events.

"Boss has already gone home," said Sanders, tiredly. "Though he was here late enough to get the report I called in from the scene."

"I don't like accepting help from outsiders," said Fuyumi Tanaka, as she sat. "Especially outsiders who wear masks."

"Vic Peltior is a badge-carrying federal law enforcement officer, and doesn't wear a mask. Technically, this is actually her case. She's interning with this team - Tricorne - as part of her training for the Bureau of Special Resources. One of the team's regular members, Energia, is registered with the Bureau. Also, while she doesn't look it, Blue Impact has been crime fighting longer than either of us and has a very good reputation."

"I still don't like it."

"Well, when we get a better budget we can handle all the cases ourselves," said Sanders. "Meanwhile, though I don't exactly welcome super help for super cases, they do come in handy."

* * *

"They've identified Godsfather and several of those he described," said agent Sanders, early the next day, in a secure call to the Tricorne lair. "He's an old foe of the Sailor, and someone who seems to be the same man appears in records and even myths going back thousands of years. However, he's been below the radar for decades, and was in our records as likely just a myth. Several of those from the list he gave us are known criminals, most of them with histories of working with masterminds. The eyeshadow woman has not been identified, but is likely the person in charge. Perhaps just of that warehouse; perhaps of this whole mess."

Blue Impact had the others gathered around the com center, with the phone set to speaker, but so far the three younger supers were staying quiet.

"Gadgetive did some research and found that the document manufacturing device was either an early version of what they used in the theme parks or a proof of concept prototype," said Blue Impact. "Either way, it's old, probably from the late Fifties. After several mechanical iterations, they started using a computerized system in the Eighties."

"So we need to find where it's from," said Sanders.

"Already know," said Gadgetive, finally speaking. "It was stolen from a museum of technology in Louisville, Kentucky."

"Did they report it missing?"

"Yes. Until now everyone thought it had been taken either by a classic tech collector or someone planning to sell it to one. Which I guess could still be the case. They just used it in the meantime."

"For making bogus documents." They could practically hear him scowling. "So, was it put there by the original thief? By the buyer? Or did it go through several hands?"

"You folks are better equipped to determine that than we are," said Blue Impact.

* * *

At breakfast Blue Impact refused to talk business, at least about the current case. Instead she kept the talk innocuous, insisting they not discuss the results of their searches until a meeting she scheduled for that afternoon. Since they hadn't had much chance to pursue their contacts yet that made sense.

Energia spent a couple of hours after breakfast contacting various people, mainly the Intrepids. None had any solid information. However, between the Intrepids, the Young Guardians and a few other teams and solo masks she spoke with she started to see a pattern.

She almost mentioned this to Vic during her morning workout, but didn't. Energia thought that the martial artist also was keeping mum about something she had learned. Their conversation in the lair's gym was curt and punctuated with knowing smiles.

Even during lunch the two of them kept quiet about their morning's work, though they both mentioned they thought they were on the trail of a clue or perhaps a big break. Gadgetive also was looking smug about something. Though they all still had work to do in pursuit of their hunches.

"Okay, spill it," said Blue Impact, impatiently.

"Nope," said Gadgetive, grinning. "Your rules. I'm still gathering information, but should be ready for the two O'Clock meeting. Not before."

"Same here," said Vic, not as impishly but still with a smile. "Don't want to speak prematurely."

"Ditto," said Energia.

"Right," said Blue Impact, tone and expression carefully neutral.

Finally, the meeting came. Or, rather, about ten minutes before the scheduled time the last of the four wandered into the lounge area. For once it wasn't Gadgetive, who was second to arrive, after Energia. Instead it was Blue Impact; perhaps to demonstrate that she could be more patient than the younger members of the group. She stood, staring at the other three as they sat on the couch, pretending a casualness they didn't actually possess. There was eventually some uneasy hemming and hawing by the two youngest, while Gadgetive just sat there impatiently.

"Okay, okay," said Energia, rolling her eyes and sighing. "Guess I'll go first. The main thing I found is that a street mask who goes by the name The Black Badge - rumor is that he's a former cop who got fired for actually enforcing the law on people whom the establishment treated as above it - has been all over several of the big cities on the East Coast, following a trail only he seems to have noticed. This mainly has involved beating up people until they tell him what they know about a new mastermind who is hiring lots of empowered thugs and gadgeteers. Oh, and while it's not confirmed that he's a super, given what he does and how, he's at least a low-level physical."

"Wow," said Blue Impact, startled. "I completely missed that. I mean, I knew about his rampage but didn't know what was behind it. Definitely worth following up on. Okay, Vic?"

"What I uncovered is very similar, actually," said the martial artist. "Except that it's Pink Monkey who's on a tear. According to the folks I spoke with at the Bureau, she's looking for some new mastermind who hired a bunch of her favorite cohorts. She was mad at first 'cause she needed those people for some scheme of her own; then she got even madder 'cause whoever hired them wasn't interested in hiring her."

"Wow," said Blue Impact, again. "Okay, good work."

"All I got was some puzzling thefts of old equipment," said Gadgetive, too quickly and far too casually.

"What sort of equipment?" said Blue Impact, suspiciously.

"Oh, just some old tools and parts, the sort of things used for mechanical watch and clock and typewriter repairs. As well as stuff for making replacement parts."

"Let me guess," said Blue Impact, nodding slowly. "Several small thefts, much of it of stuff in storage because there's not much call for it these days, but some of it was made by gadgeteers and such? Also, those several small thefts add up to a lot of material gone."

"Bingo," said Gadgetive, grinning toothily. "It's almost as if someone who recently acquired a lot of half-century old intricate mechanisms needs parts and tools to get them back into operation before selling them."

"Antique tools and parts," said Energia, laughing, "forgotten gadgeteer gear and obsolete microforging equipment. Electromechanical computers used for making fake documents. Stealing the stuff to make the stuff to repair the stuff. I think I love this case!"

"Well, while I don't consider my morning wasted, I didn't uncover anything about the case," said Blue Impact, also smiling, but wryly. "When none of my usual contacts had anything, I contacted Doctor Piano on the off chance there might be a supernatural connection. He thinks that is very unlikely, but will keep a metaphorical ear to the ground. I also contacted Samuel Logsdon, the son of the man who currently owns Abner Sturgeon's house; the missing Emil Logsdon. He's willing to let us in to check for clues. However, his priority is working with police to try and find his father."

"So," said Vic, leaning back and putting her hands behind her head. "Three good leads; maybe four if we can find something at the house. Where do we start?"

"Well," said Energia, lifting off the couch, "I'm going to call my folks and my advisor at Ramsey Technical College and let them know I may be late getting back."

"That sounds like a very good idea," said Vic, also rising, though more mundanely.

"Guess I better, too," said Gadgetive, with a sigh.

"Once you've done that," said Blue Impact, "actually, after we've all done that, we need to see if we can find The Black Badge."

Part Seven

The trio in Tricorne's large apergy flyer looked down upon the dirty, deeply shadowed streets and alleys with sensors and eyes. Meanwhile, Energia flew nearby, using her own senses away from the insulation of the van-sized pod. Several sources had pegged this city as one location where The Black Badge was currently carrying out his operation. Some claimed he was focusing on this specific neighborhood.

"I'm seeing a lot of activity down there," said Gadgetive. "It's especially anomalous when you consider that this is officially an economically depressed area with lots of closed businesses and abandoned buildings."

"I can feel that," said Energia, over her earbud. "The activity, I mean. There's lots of electricity being used in buildings which look empty. I'm also hearing what is either a small riot or a bunch of people fighting a low-level super."

"Lead the way!" said Blue Impact, turning the flyer towards her.

Energia found the source of the noises; unfortunately the center of the disturbance was in an old commercial section with associated apartment buildings, where even the regular streets were narrow, with tall buildings crowding around. As for the actual scene of the fight...

"You'll never fit the flyer in there," said Energia. "It's a maze of twisty little passages, all alike."

"Very funny," said Blue Impact.

Outside the rear of an old, multi-level factory building - burnt out years before - they could see a large number of people crowding around a single man. As the four supers approached they saw many more men and even a few women heading in. However, by that time there were far more heading away from the disturbance. The new arrivals were turned back by this exodus.

"I see The Black Badge!" said Energia. "Wow, he's surrounded by a bunch of downed heavies. Now he's trying to chase after one guy, but he's hurt and there's a lot of people on the ground hampering him."

"Head off that one guy," said Blue Impact. "Gadgetive, take the controls. I'm going down."

She dropped onto the roof of one of the buildings and hurried to the fire escape. Blue Impact would have preferred dropping directly onto the pavement, but there wasn't really a place where she could do that without endangering someone already on the ground. Or the pavement.

Meanwhile, Energia flew ahead of the fleeing man. As he approached the end of the alley he was running through and starting to feel hope he would reach the open street beyond, she dropped down in front of him, glowing. Energia was tempted to make her appearance upside-down, but - a bit reluctantly - decided to just hover upright in front of him, her plasma wall making the bricks on either side smoke and spit.

"What's the hurry?" she said, smiling sweetly.

Despite his obvious injuries, The Black Badge reached Energia and her very anxious prisoner before Blue Impact caught up with him. Energia remembered noticing that his outfit appeared out of focus in the few photos of him. In person she could see why; the whole police-inspired costume, including his full-face mask, was matte black and appeared fuzzy.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, at Energia.

"You're welcome."

"What if I was planning to follow him back to his boss?" said the Black Badge, angrily.

"Then you wouldn't have mentioned that where he could hear it," said Energia, sweetly.

He opened his mouth and took a deep breath, but whatever verbal blast he was about to deliver was cut off by the arrival of Blue Impact.

"Good. You got him." She turned to The Black Badge. "We're after a mastermind who is known to be hiring for several jobs in the region. We've heard that you may be after them, as well. We want to trade information."

She and Energia were acting casual, but both were on full alert. Neither of them had dealt with this man before, and most of their information amounted to little more than rumors. Which told them, among other information, that he often chose to settle situations with violence.

He considered their offer for a few moments.

"You first," he said, finally.

Energia noted that even his voice sounded fuzzy.

"Someone high up in the mastermind's ranks - perhaps even being the mastermind herself - wears makeup which makes her look as if her eyes have exploded."

The Black Badge was obviously startled by this. He began swearing.

"Well?" said Blue Impact.

"I kept hearing people mention something about 'the woman with the weird eyes' and thought it was a vague description of a power or power side effect. But it's makeup!"

"That's the word we have."

"Well, I don't have a name, and the descriptions vary wildly except for the bit about the eyes, but there's one woman who is definitely either second in command or the mastermind herself. She's also out for revenge. Actually, the most definite clue I've head from the low- and mid-level goons I've chased down is that she is trying to avenge her grandfather. Though I don't know who that is."

"That's it?" said Blue Impact, obviously disappointed.

"Oh, I have names, dates and places where people who were hired by people she hired will get together to organize operations. That's how I caught these guys."

Blue Impact nodded, then told him about the two clues they had recently uncovered. As well as about the warehouse full of scandal sheets.

"That's actually funny," said the Black Badge, with a gruff laugh. "Oh, and that's something else I've figured out about this mastermind; she has a sense of humor. She's also being very careful to avoid killing anyone."

"We're going to try and get into Abner Sturgeon's house soon," said Blue Impact. "Do you want to know what we find?"

"No. Let's work at this from our different angles and see who gets to the top first. I'm betting on me. Oh, and thanks for the info on Pink Monkey. I knew she was having a prolonged tantrum but not why."

"Fair enough."

Blue Impact motioned to the still-hovering Energia, who shooed the scruffy man towards The Black Badge.

"Okay, Henry, break's over. Who hired you and for what?"

The man whimpered and protested but in the end gave up a couple of names. The job was a local horological museum, where several models of commercial mechanical chronographs were currently on exhibit.

"Right," said the Black Badge. "That fits the pattern. Get back to your friends, then. The adults have important stuff to talk about."

The scruffy man scampered.

"You need any help with that?" said Blue Impact. "The museum, I mean."

"Nah. They'll be weeks reorganizing. I'll drop word with the local cops and masks and they'll keep an eye out."

"Well, if that's it..."

"I think that will do for now."

Neither offered to shake hands. He turned and walked past Energia, forcing her to pull aside or burn him with her plasma wall. He turned right at the street and vanished.

"Wow. Guy could corner the market on gruff," said the flying super. Who still hadn't landed.

"Oh, I've met a few street masks who make him seem verbose. Okay, Gadgetive, we're done here."

"Can't get the flyer in there," said Gadgetive. "Like bouncy gal said, it's a maze of narrow alleys, buildings just crowded up against each other. Street's too busy to land on, too."

"I am not bouncy," said Energia, rolling her eyes.

"That's fine. Just lower the rope ladder and open the canopy."

* * *

"I'm rather glad I didn't have to interact with The Black Badge," said Vic, once they were all aboard and underway. "He reminds me too much of Mr. Truth."

"The guy who was stalking your family?"

"Yeah."

"I can see that..." said Energia, with a grimace. She would definitely not like learning someone was watching her family. That was one reason she wore a mask and used a nom de guerre. Vic, unfortunately, didn't have the option of such secrecy.

They rode along in silence for a while. However, Energia soon noted they were flying over an area with multiple fast food restaurants.

"Anybody else hungry?" said Energia, mildly.

The answer was "Yes!" unanimously and enthusiastically.

"How about a bucket of chicken?" said Gadgetive, hopefully.

"All dark, extra crunchy?" said Vic, just as hopefully.

"I think we can get a mixed bucket," said Blue Impact, with a tolerant smile.

Bringing a flying vehicle into a stream of ground traffic was always tricky. Fortunately, the time was off-peak for meals. Blue Impact found a chicken place with no line at the drive-through. She brought the flyer down at a steep angle, stopping at the speaker, hovering silently just off the ground without bothering to deploy the landing gear. They were already attracting attention.

"This thing needs a side window," said Blue Impact, as she reached for the canopy control.

"Just use the PA," said Gadgetive.

"Still gotta open the canopy to pay and get our food," said Blue Impact, as she hit the control. The large, clear, curved portion of the flyer slid up and then back.

"Oh; right."

As she placed the order, Blue Impact handled the stares of folks in that parking lot and the one at the steak house next door with professional aplomb; Energia with an impish amusement; Vic with some discomfort; and Gadgetive without notice. From the reaction of the young woman on the other end of the intercom, there must have been a video camera in the speaker box. This was reinforced when they reached the window. She kept a perfectly professional face as she took their money, though people further inside - both employees and customers - were not nearly as composed. Blue Impact paid cash and accepted the change; then they waited. Fortunately, the bucket arrived quickly.

"Wow, that smells good," said Vic, as Blue Impact handed the hot container to Gadgetive.

"Grease and salt," said the team's gadgeteer, grinning. "Two of the basic food groups."

While Gadgetive put the bucket on the flat area below the center of the console, Blue Impact moved the flyer out into the lane - making sure to check the right rear camera, first - then lifted straight up, closing the canopy on the way. At their cruising altitude she put the flyer on autopilot and the vehicle's occupants lowered their trays. Actually, Vic already had hers down.

The team kept the vehicle's refrigerator - located just behind Vic's seat, against the right wall - well stocked with a variety of drinks. Energia used her powers to access it and asked the others for their preferences. Soon all four were happily munching away, while the pod flew itself.

"I think I like being on a super team," said Vic, first to break the silence.

"One of the advantages being access to advanced tech," said Blue Impact.

"Just remember," said Energia, "there's no bathroom in this. Not enough room, with all the other gear."

"Shouldn't be a problem," said Blue Impact. "We'll be home, soon. More potatoes, anyone?"

* * *

By the time the flyer - camouflaged and still on autopilot - settled into its rooftop pen the occupants were comfortably full and the remains of the meal were packed back into the bucket.

"Wow," said Energia, as she put what was worth salvaging in the lair's refrigerator shortly thereafter. "There's hardly enough leftovers for one person to have another meal."

"Still make a good snack later," said Blue Impact. She grinned at Vic. "A responsible team leader always makes sure there's plenty of food around."

"As well as caffeine!" said Gadgetive, firmly. "Though I have to make my own coffee. What you two call coffee is barely flavored water."

"Every time I hear her complain about our coffee, I remember the old joke about the farmer whose life goal was to make a cup of coffee which would hold a furrow," said Blue Impact. She waited for the others to respond, but none seemed to understand her reference. "Ah, well..."

"Another reason to keep well stocked is for emergency team-ups," said Energia, moving the conversation in a slightly different direction.

"There's many more reasons. I - long before I agreed to mentor Gadgetive - had to take my own food and medical supplies to an emergency here in town, one time. For some reason the city delayed responding themselves, and actively kept folks like the Red Cross out."

"You were able to take enough stuff to help on your motorcycle?!" said Vic, startled.

"Oh, I have a small trailer for it. However, for that project I borrowed a delivery truck from a merchant I know in the affected area. Had to sneak out and back in by a way the police had blocked but didn't have anyone stationed at."

Vic looked like she was about to say something, but interrupted herself.

"Sorry. Phone's telling me I have a message."

She pulled the silent device out and opened the missive.

"Doro says that we should catch a radio show that's on tonight," said Vic.

* * *

The four of them made sure to gather in the lounge area a few minutes beforehand. Vic even brought popcorn. The program was an evening talk show, with a host who rarely addressed anything to do with supers. When he did he was usually mildly critical. Tonight he was true to form. He had two guests; one a female psychologist who specialized in analyzing the behavior of public figures; the other a male sociologist who dealt with group trends.

The woman covered - and criticized - a movement gaining strength among popular "psychologists" that super heroes were addicted to the adrenaline rush. The show's host pointed out that this same "malady" could apply to all first responders. The woman agreed, but noted that it was gaining support because there was some truth behind the idea. Just not a lot. The host called a station break.

"None of that is new!" said Energia, angrily. "Including lumping all supers into one category and treating us as if we were all in the worst group."

"The biggest problem with that idea - like she said - is that it is partially valid," said Blue Impact, sighing. "There's also the whole narcissist aspect, the 'look at my works ye mighty and despair' component. Though I think that applies to criminal masterminds more than any others."

"Far more," said Vic, nodding.

"Even many talented masks who do good works are exhibitionists," said Energia. "Though for most that's just early on; they tend to grow out of it or get tired of the whole hero schtick."

The program resumed with the second speaker. He talked about a trend line analysis of the consequences of super activities, and how the consequences were growing worse.

"Again, nothing new and there's not much context," said Gadgetive, as the show went into wrap up. "They're using a power law graph with data from as far back as accurate records have been kept, and extending it into the future without taking into account that people are already working to mitigate the effects he's talking about."

"It does seem like the damage from super villain crimes is increasing," said Energia, obviously concerned. "Overall, I mean."

"Yeah, but that's still on the line. If the conditions change because of actions to reduce the problem, the line is no longer valid. You need to plot a new trend."

"I beg you pardon?" said Blue Impact.

"Look, the rate of super activities - good and bad - is a nearly constant percentage of total human activities," said the gadgeteer. "Because the number of humans is increasing, and the proportion of active superhumans is essentially constant..."

"The total number of super incidents is rising," said Vic, nodding. "That's common knowledge, and is actually part of why the Bureau was created."

"What most folks don't realize," said Gadgetive, finger up, almost lecturing, "is that the impact of super events follows a power law graph."

"Uh..." said Vic, whose reaction was echoing those of Energia and Blue Impact.

"Okay, simple explanation; for some functions to graph a straight line one axis must scale as an exponent. A power. For example, the total worth of billions of people is under a thousand dollars each while a handful are worth billions. That can be plotted on a graph as a straight line using a negative exponent. Same with storms, terrorist attacks and so forth. The rarity is displayed as a power with respect to magnitude, rather than linearly."

"What about the Shilmek attack?" said Blue Impact.

"That's an external factor which you'd think wouldn't fit the plot," said Gadgetive, shrugging. "Though it actually does. Don't ask me why. Some folks claim the effect is universal. Literally. When it comes to super damage, there's also lots of arguments over what the exponent should actually be. Most agree it's somewhere around negative three."

"So," said Energia, frowning, "the more people in the world, the more supers and the more super events. Huge events are vanishingly rare, but with more events the really big ones become more likely."

She very deliberately stared Gadgetive in the eyes.

"Given all that, how long until something happens which ends human civilization?"

"About eighty years," said Gadgetive, squirming uncomfortably. "About a hundred twenty until something happens which kills all humans, with the possible exception of a few supers. That... that's assuming we don't do something to... address the problem. Which people already are!"

She peered at the others during the ominous silence which followed.

"Uh, did you hear me say..."

"Yes!" snapped Blue Impact. "Why hasn't anyone told us about this before?!"

"Huh?! Wait, this is if we don't do anything," said Gadgetive, quickly. "I mean, even normal human actions will doom the world in a few decades if they just keep on like they are. That's why there's so much fuss about correcting global warming. There's always something wrong with the future which has to be fixed. The more advanced trend line analyses take that - and the likelihood of corrections - into account."

"Wow," said Energia, weakly. "I'm relieved... I think. Okay, so... the future is a work in progress. At least some people are always working to make it better. I just hope the anti-super folks don't find out about these forecasts. Their idea of correcting the problem will be to get rid of all supers."

"Huh?!" said Gadgetive, stunned. "No! Whoah, that's exactly the wrong thing to do! That would make things worse!"

"Tell them that," said Blue Impact, quietly.

Part Eight

The next day - Sunday - they finally got the call from Samual Logsdon, just after 8:00 AM. Naturally, he wanted to meet them at Abner's house as soon as possible. Fortunately, the four current occupants of the lair had expected activity this day and were up early.

On this, their second trip to the upscale neighborhood, the team earned quite a bit more attention. Or at least attention of a higher volume. Even as they disembarked from the flyer a middle-aged man stormed across the street, shaking his fist at them. Interestingly, the other inhabitants who had been watching the costumed quartet now vanished.

"What are you doing here?" the man shouted, angrily.

"Sir, we are conducting an investigation into the disappearance..."

"I don't care about that. You're creating a disturbance!"

"Actually, we were waiting quietly for the son of the owner," said Blue Impact, annoyed. "You're the one creating a disturbance."

"What?!" he snapped, obviously outraged. "How dare you! Do you know who I am?!"

"No," said Gadgetive, boredly.

"I'm Byron Carstairs!" he declared, seeming to be more outraged that they pretended (in his mind) not to know him than at their presence.

He paused, with a smug grin, waiting first for recognition to dawn, then for the hasty, embarrassed pleas for forgiveness. None of which happened.

"Sir, we are here with the permission of the owner's son. He should be here shortly," said Blue Impact, recognizing his expectations but having no intention of fulfilling them.

"You... you... I'll call the police!"

"I'm a federal law enforcement officer with the Bureau of Special Resources," said Vic, tiredly, pointing to the badge on her belt.

"I'm calling the police!" the man shouted. He turned and hurried away, continuing over his shoulder. "The real police! Not some... government agency!"

There was a blare of horns from the Mercedes he stepped out in front of. Something which the man ignored. Fortunately for Mr. Carstairs, the car was planning to pull to the curb in front of the flyer, so it was already slowing. The driver and sole occupant was Samuel Logsdon, whom they were there to meet.

"What was that all about?" said Logsdon, staring after Carstairs as he exited his car.

"Most likely jealousy over our advanced transportation," said the team leader. She offered her gloved hand. "Mr. Logsdon? I'm Blue Impact."

She introduced the other three.

"Yes, I saw you four on the security video when I was checking it remotely the other day," he said, shaking their hands, too. "Unfortunately, that connection only shows what the outside cameras see. The signal goes to an off-site security cache."

He opened the gate and entered, motioning for the quartet to follow him.

"Oh, and please call me Sammy."

"No arsenal popping out of the ground," said Blue Impact, looking a little uneasy as they traversed the concrete walkway to the front door.

"Those are inert," said Sammy, with a vague gesture towards the places under the sod where the weapons were stored. "All fakes, just for show, but they keep people out. Never had a forced entry or had anyone trespass more than once."

"There's a two-car garage..." said Vic.

"I normally pull in there, to avoid attracting attention," said Sammy, glancing in the direction Carstairs had gone as he climbed the three steps to the small stoop. "However, when bringing guests inside this is far simpler."

"We appreciate this access," said Blue Impact, as he opened the door and held it for the four women. "If only to check one more box in our investigation. However, you mentioned something about records..."

"My father has all the documents involving Abner and his creations here," said Sammy, pulling the door closed behind him. "He says that makes keeping those separate from his business and other interests easier."

Sammy led them through what seemed like a perfectly ordinary front hall, into a living room. He flipped a wall switch and the ceiling light came on. There was also a series of muffled clicks as parts of the trim below the ceiling unfolded to reveal impish faces. Bizarrely, their eyes seemed to follow the humans as they moved. People and animals in what had appeared to be ordinary framed landscapes or portraits came to life. In one painting a windmill turned its blades, and birds slowly glided across the background. Hidden and silent projectors began showing images on the ceiling.

"It's like being in the Dwarf House," said Gadgetive, voice barely above a whisper.

"Abner had a strange sense of whimsey," said Sammy. "I spent a large part of my childhood in this house, so it doesn't seem all that strange to me. I am very aware of how it affects most people, though. You better believe that Abner had an override to turn all this off when he wasn't showing it to visitors. I'm not even showing you the full suite of features. Those tend to make conversation difficult, due to the music and voices. Some of the interactive characters will occasionally get into positive feedback loops talking with each other. There have been times when I was glad the more grumpy characters in this house couldn't pull themselves off the wall and finish an argument with a fist fight."

The furnishings were very typically late Sixties in style and perfectly maintained. There was not the least speck of dust. Energia had the impression that as they left each room automatic cleaners - in her imagination like something from an old cartoon - would emerge to quickly and quietly remove any dirt from the carpet or flooring.

"Even most of the furniture in these rooms has animation features," said Sammy. He flashed them an impish grin. "Don't sit at the dining room table unless you want all the stuff on it to come alive, with the centerpiece unfolding into a very short French waiter and asking for your order."

"Yow!" said Energia.

He was trying to keep a light mood, but Blue Impact could tell there was a substantial underlayer of worry. Considering that his elderly father was still missing she could definitely understand that.

Sammy gave them a brief tour of the house, including the garage, which let them check to make certain there was nothing amiss in the entire house. Gadgetive was close to swooning at all the delightful, whimsical additions Abner had made. Though Sammy was careful to point out that the main bedroom and its bathroom and Abner's study - all on the second floor - were largely mundane.

"He knew first-hand how annoying this stuff could be after a few hours," said Sammy, with a sad smile. "Now, the records are in the basement. The stairs down are in the kitchen, which is why I saved it for last."

In the kitchen the old-fashioned fluorescent fixture in the middle of the ceiling came on with a plink and a slight hum. There were fewer animations in here, and they were very unobtrusive. Though as the group passed through the doorway at the top of the stairs a face in the upper door frame smiled down at them.

The basement had no amusement park style active decorations, but instead was nearly filled with humming, clicking, rotating and oscillating parts. Now Gadgetive did swoon, though that might have been from the subtle aromas of machine oil and ozone. The others worked around her.

Sammy pointed to filing cabinets along one wall, and a workbench along another.

"Abner used the workbench to make and maintain all this. My dad was no slouch at technical stuff, but he wouldn't touch anything Abner made without his supervision or, later, checking the detailed notes Abner left. Dad primarily used the bench for going through these papers."

Some of the papers involved records for utilities and property taxes. The rest were either fan mail or people interested in buying the property. There was a large overlap between those last two groups.

A quick check showed nothing suspicious in either set of records for the past several months.

"We could search further back," said Blue Impact, straightening with a sigh. "However, in my professional opinion if there were something here connected with your father's disappearance it would have been in the records we've already checked."

They spoke with Sammy for a while, about where his father might be and the larger set of crimes, and about Abner's work. Gadgetive was especially interested in the latter.

"Gadgetive," said Blue Impact, with exaggerated patience, "this is not the appropriate time. After we find Mr. Logsdon you can speak with him about this."

Gadgetive might have been about to protest the waste of opportunity, but Vic suddenly held up a hand.

"Getting a cell phone message."

She pulled out her Bureau-issue phone and took the call.

"That was from the FBI team working on the case. They've uncovered a lead to another warehouse. They definitely want us along."

"Sammy, thank you for helping with this," said Blue Impact, putting a reassuring hand on his upper arm. "Hopefully, this clue will lead us to your father."

* * *

"Okay, the thefts could have been just to make the person behind them rich," said Energia, frowning in thought as the flyer went high above airliner routes and hurried south. "What I'm seeing, though, smacks of a larger, much more complicated scheme. With the collectible item thefts just used to fund the big, overall plan."

"Something which also includes revenge of some sort," said Blue Impact, nodding. "Though 'includes' may be an understatement. I suspect that the revenge aspect is the primary motivation in all this."

"Okay, how many masterminds are there currently running around loose whom this would fit?" said Vic, her expression mirroring that of Energia.

"Not many, if you assume they don't have much in the way of starting financial resour..."

Blue Impact stopped, looking startled.

"No. They couldn't have let him go again."

"What?" said the others, in fair chorus.

"He was found guilty by the International Court of the UN and sentenced to life in Scheveningen Prison! For, among other crimes, detonating a nuclear device in the stratosphere! Even if he escaped they would have warned people, surely, and he couldn't be running things from inside... Or could he?"

"Perfect cover," said Gadgetive, nodding thoughtfully. "Most folks wouldn't suspect he could do it, and if he's caught he gets to embarrass the people who dared judge him!"

"Sung," said Vic, nodding.

"Unlikely," said Blue Impact, countering her own suspicion of a moment before. "There are plenty of others whom this profile would fit. As well as many who could emulate that approach as a cover. He's just on our minds due to recent events."

"Still something to keep in mind," said Gadgetive.

"Heads up, people," said Blue Impact, as the travel pod descended towards the location Vic had been given. "Looks like they went ahead again."

"And got in trouble, again," said Energia.

Blue Impact guided their vehicle in a descending spiral to get a good view of the site. The warehouse was - like the previous one - in an industrial and shipping area. It was off to itself, with a large, paved area all around, meant for parking semi trailers. This was all currently empty, except for utility poles and such. Plus more than a dozen human-shaped mechs of various types but with distinct family resemblances.

"Are those Thessalian hunter-killer robots?" said Energia, alarmed.

"Peloponnese," said Gadgetive, sounding distracted. "Plus several other older models. Be glad they're not all Thessalians, or even Peloponnese; that many of either of those models would definitely give just the four of us a hard time."

This warehouse was apparently more important to the mastermind than the previous one. The FBI was already heavily engaged with multiple humanoid machines. They were obviously bulletproof; at least, for certain potencies of bullets.

The pod landed and the quartet hurried to where the FBI agents had taken cover behind their vehicles. Fortunately, it seemed that the units were programmed to stay within a certain distance of the factory. They would pursue to that limit, but no further.

"We thought they might have more supers," gasped Agent Sanders. "We stocked up on neutralizers. Which, of course, don't work on these things! We haven't even seen any people here, just machines!"

"Well, we have a gadgeteer and those are gadgets," said Blue Impact, confidently. "We should have this licked pretty quick."

"I see three Chaonia, two Epirus, a Peloponnese, even a couple of old Bisaltia units," said Gadgetive, who seemed more impressed than worried. "Be careful of those. They look crude and are slow but they're very strong and tough and can break a neck or fracture a skull with one blow. Wow. Now I see more coming. Probably in response to our arrival. Looks like they're all in original condition, too, except for weapons!"

"Less admiration," said Blue Impact, "more information! How do we stop these things?!"

"I could do an EMP..." said Energia.

"Won't help," said Gadgetive. "The original emulates these are based on were designed to go where their creator couldn't, including inside nuclear reactors. The Bisaltia were specifically intended to survive a nuclear war! All those models are hardened, against pretty much anything. You can jam their communications, but they all are capable of independent operation."

"So it's do this the hard way," said Blue Impact, raising her fists.

"No, no, no! This is history, here!"

"Then come up with a way to stop them while doing as little damage as possible!" snapped Blue Impact. "Especially to people! There are lives at stake, so make it quick!"

Gadgetive suddenly took off her backpack.

"You remember when we fought Bluebot?" she said, as she began taking stuff out.

"Of course," said Blue Impact.

"Well, I figured out a way to stop him with a twonky of my own, to sabotage the one which had taken him over."

"Tell me you can use that to stop these."

"Yeah. These things are all commercial models; if they haven't been altered I know how they think, literally. Just give me a few minutes to modify the design of my worm and get my fablab to make a dozen or so, then load them into my launcher..."

"Remember, you've got people here who can hand deliver things," said Blue Impact.

"Oh. Right. Okay, just... keep an eye on them until I can get these made."

That, fortunately, proved easy. The devices milled around, obviously watching the intruders, but would not go beyond a certain limit. They wouldn't even use their weapons unless someone came inside that invisible boundary.

"Okay," said Gadgetive, laying four small, rough-textured balls on the trunk of the FBI car they were behind. "These are for the Peloponnese models. Those are the newest and most capable ones here. Just put one of these against the ventilation grill on the back below that bulge. Hold it long enough for the twonky to deploy and get a grip. It will do the rest."

"How long will the deployment take?" said Blue Impact.

"Uhm, well, it varies according to the exact placement, how the unit is moving, how..."

"Are we talking seconds or minutes?"

"Or years?" said Energia.

"Oh! Just two or three seconds."

"Not easy, but doable," said Vic, nodding.

"Just remember, besides being remotely controllable, those units communicate with each other. That should hold true even between models, since they're cooperating and not fighting each other. So watch for units ganging up on anyone attacking one of them."

"Agent Sanders," said Blue Impact, turning to the head of the FBI contingent. "How are they armed?"

"Electrical and sonic stunners," he said, ticking things off on his fingers, "beanbag guns, net guns, pepper balls, and maybe a few other things. All considered less lethal, but still not fun. A third of us were down by the time we were able to start withdrawing. If they had pursued us we'd all be down."

"Roger. Looks like she's holding true to her goal of not killing anyone. Okay, I have a full-face filter mask I can put on and am tough enough that the other weapons shouldn't stop me."

"I can hover with my plasma wall up and draw fire," said Energia. "I can also use my powers to impede those things. Though only a few at a time."

"I bet I can draw fire and dodge well enough not to get hit," said Vic. "My armor has a filter for the helmet I can deploy, and built-in sound protection."

"Gadgetive, get back to making more of these things for the rest of those things. Vic, here, see if you can place these without taking too much risk. I've got the other two."

A surprisingly short time later they had all the drones under Gadgetive's control, in part due to help from the first units her twonkys suborned. As it turned out, Vic could - with only a bit of difficulty - put the twonkys in place without getting hit, which greatly helped speed the operation. Though she and Blue Impact were still downwind of several deployed paintballs filled with pepper powder or indelible stain which hit near them.

"That went better than I hoped," said agent Sanders, straightening and stretching his back once the all clear was given. He grinned at the supers. "Well done."

For the first time, Energia noticed that Sanders was a bit older than the other agents. His hair even showed quite a bit of grey.

No wonder he had to stretch his back.

"How did you find this place?" said Blue Impact, now that they had a moment to catch up.

"As a precaution we planted trackers in several types of gadgets we felt were likely to be targeted," said Sanders. "Several came here, with a few going to another location, a business downtown. It's the headquarters of some sort of technology company. We didn't have enough agents to hit both locations at the same time, so we just have a few watching the other site until we can finish here."

"I'll have Gadgetive tell those drones to enter the warehouse ahead of us," said Blue Impact. "We can use them to check if there are any more inside, as well as for traps."

However, once they got the nearest warehouse door open they realized the interior had been very thoroughly torched. The supers and FBI personnel fell back, coughing at the nasty smoke, except for Vic and Blue Impact, who still had filter masks on. Those two took a quick look inside, then came out and confirmed the worst.

"No signs of life," said Blue Impact. "I could see that there were people in there earlier, though. They must have disabled the sprinklers, started the fire and left somehow while we were busy."

"Great," said Sanders, sourly. "I'll tell the people we have watching the office building that we're on the way."

"Let them know that we four will be there before the rest of you," said Blue Impact. Her tone made clear that this was not negotiable.

"Before that, though, better let Gadgetive wipe you two down," said Energia. "You may have noticed how we're all keeping our distance. You both kind'a unclean, right now, with all the pepper balls and such."

Part Nine

"Gadgetive, I need to tell me everything you know about those drones," said Blue Impact, once they were underway.

"Why?" said the gadgeteer, puzzled. "They won't use them again; just like they had them here instead of another powerful super standing guard. Masterminds like to change things up. Well, some things..."

"Because this setup was different in other ways, too. Someone had a whole bunch of several series of devices made by the same company through a long span, instead of a few gadgets gathered from different sources."

"I noticed that, too," said Vic, nodding.

"Uhm, okay," said Gadgetive. "Starting back in the late fifties Dr. Michael Arnold began work on what he called 'emulates.' Each was part of a series of mechanical agents intended to go places and perform tasks the agoraphobic inventor couldn't. However, his chief of research - Hunter Franks - also worked on his own design in secret, intending to sell it for security and military uses. There was some bad blood, there, once Arnold found out. Franks quit, then founded his own company. He named the models he produced after regions of ancient Greece, a practice which continues today. Dr. Arnold later developed his line into a series of units intended to go places humans and even most supers couldn't, to gather information and even make repairs. A few years later he also began marketing a series of household assistants, mainly for people who were physically disabled. Meanwhile, Franks was arrested for using one of his preproduction units to murder people he had grudges against. Which almost included Dr. Arnold. The company he founded continued without him until it was eventually taken over by his son."

"I remember, now," said Energia. "Both father and son were accused of stealing their designs from Dr. Arnold's work."

"A few of Arnold's patented features were used in the first preproduction units. However, once the senior Franks was in prison the new owners replaced those. The commercial units - then and now - were either all completely original or licensed the tech they used. The stigma is still there, though. Even after he died a few years ago, the son was accused of stealing design elements from other inventors."

"That could be the revenge," said Vic, nodding. "Did the son have any children?"

"I don't know," said Gadgetive, unfolding the keyboard from the dash in front of her, "but I can find out."

She soon had an answer.

"Okay, four kids, boy, girl, boy, boy. The oldest died in an accident involving an early prototype for the Peloponnese model. His grief over that may be why the middle Franks died relatively young. The daughter got involved in crime and was pretty much ignored by the family and the business, which likely didn't help her father's health. She and the first son were the only ones to share the family interest in - and genius for - things technical. The two youngest were - are - playboys, with no interest in invention or running things. A board took over the company after Franks died."

"What was the daughter's name?" said Blue Impact, frowning.

"Uhm, Artemis Franks," said Gadgetive. "Huh. Her records are sealed. Lots of layers of protection. Wait, here's something in the clear: After she got out of prison a few years ago she took an active part in running the company. Eventually was named President. Took several lawsuits and lots of campaigning and political maneuvering by her, but she took control and she appears to be doing a good job. The company is thriving."

"I know that name," said Blue Impact, her frown deepening. "Something... from several years ago."

"It looks like her files were sealed by the federal government," said Gadgetive. "I'll need time to get through their security."

"Don't!" said Blue Impact, quickly. "So far everything you've found is in public records, right? Let's not break any laws, here."

As she sat at the controls of the travel pod, still frowning in thought, the flyer began its automated descent.

"We're right back in the same city where we started our investigation this morning," said Vic. "Only downtown, instead of in a suburb."

"Yeah," said Energia.

"Got it," said Blue Impact, her finger snap muffled by her gloves. "There was a minor-league super named Chameleon Gal - she was into hustling, swindling and blackmailing, not violent crime - who made a deal with federal prosecutors after getting caught participating in some big scheme. Turned state's evidence against her partners. Nobody knew her real name before she was caught, and as part of the deal her records were sealed. Her power was that she could make people think she looked like someone else. I heard, though, that she sometimes used the name Artemis Hunter. I thought it was a pure pseudonym, but what if this is the same person who is now in charge of the company and she was just using a family first name as a fictional last name?"

"Artemis Hunter?" said Vic, with raised eyebrows. "That's a bit redundant."

"Hang, on," said Gadgetive, typing frantically. "Yeah. Her full name is Artemis Hunter Franks."

"Black Badge said people couldn't agree on what the mastermind looked like," said Energia, in sudden revelation.

"She doesn't actually change shape," said Blue Impact with a vague wave of her right hand. "She... confuses the part of the brain which interprets what something looks like. So people remember a plausible but false image."

"Can she select what people see?" said Energia, frowning.

"To an extent. The more she's able to concentrate the larger the extent."

"I wonder if that's why she's wearing that striking eye makeup, now," said Vic, looking thoughtful. "Even though it makes her more noticeable, what people notice is the exploding eyes. She puts on a pair of sunglasses and activates her power and she's effectively invisible."

"That's what I'm betting," said Blue Impact, seriously. "Okay, I'll land us a couple of blocks from the building. We'll meet with the FBI agents on scene, find out what they know and let them know what we've deduced. Then we'll go from there, figuring out what to do."

* * *

Even on the approach to the FBI agents' position, Blue Impact was careful to keep other structures between them and their goal. She put the pod down in a regular parking space, and made sure to feed the meter when they exited. Though it was a Sunday there were plenty of people around, and the quartet and their vehicle elicited many startled looks. They proceeded on foot - even Energia, to her irritation - and were met by Fuyumi Tanaka - the FBI woman in charge of the small team keeping an eye on the building - before they came in view of the target.

"They should just have a skeleton staff on site, it being Sunday and all," she said, as they made their covert way to the FBI van, "but we're seeing a lot of activity on the two uppermost floors and in the lobby."

"So, we probably need to go in," said Vic. Looking around she saw the agents nod, some reluctantly. "Politely or rudely?"

"I... don't..." said Tanaka.

"Do we walk boldly in," said Vic, "have those with badges flash them and try to bluff them into granting us entry, under the assumption that there's something wrong and we'll see it if they let us past, or do we think there's enough evidence of wrongdoing - probable cause - that we can just force our way in without permission?"

"There's also a third option," said Blue Impact. "We four walk openly towards the building and see if that provokes a response."

"The problem with that," said Energia, "is that if a response is provoked it could endanger bystanders and cause a lot of property damage, and if one isn't provoked we wind up standing outside the building looking silly."

"There aren't a lot of people around right now to endanger, though," said Vic, thinking it through. "However, if they just play it cool..."

"Masterminds can play the game, as well as most of their middle-managers," said Blue Impact, the voice of experience. "Underlings usually can't. Even if there's no response, the FBI - presumably - will be coming along right behind us. We just act like we're a bit early and waiting for them."

"The slow, confident, intimidating, walk," said Vic, nodding. "They actually teach us that at the Bureau."

"At the Pine Island Academy, too," said Energia, also nodding. She smiled at Tanaka, in a very unhumorous way. "I was allowed in Advanced Intimidation classes ahead of most students."

"It's settled, then," said Blue Impact, now also nodding.

"It is?" said agent Tanaka.

"It is?" said Gadgetive.

The quartet began filtering out the door of the communications van. The agent in charge looked around at the other three FBI agents.

"When did I lose control of this operation?"

"Fuyumi, I don't think any of us ever had a chance of being in control of this operation," said one of the other agents. He rose.

"We better get after them," said Tanaka, thus prompted, with an aggravated sigh. "Fred, bring the neutralizer. I don't know who we'll have to use it on, but I'd bet a week's pay we'll have to use it on someone."

There were no takers.

After the four costumed supers exited the van, however, Energia moved in close to the team leader.

"You're not just doing this 'cause we're running out of Spring Break, are you?" she said, quietly, as they reached the end of the alley where the FBI van was parked.

"You know," said Blue Impact, also quietly and looking surprised, "I completely forgot about that! No, I just want a break in this case, and think this is a good way to get one."

"Just note that it could break a lot more than the case," said Energia, in a mutter.

Blue Impact laughed, straightened, put on her "I mean business" face and walked out into the street. The others quickly followed, in posture, expression and course. They were across from their target and a short distance down the block. Traffic was light; striding confidently they jaywalked diagonally across to the sidewalk which ran in front of the business. That left them close to the main entrance of the building.

"Franks Security Robotics," said Energia, reading the sign on the front of the building.

"International in scope and involving far more than either security or robots," said Gadgetive, nodding. "They're one of the biggest names in modern cybernetics."

Their progress was interrupted by the front of the building exploding outwards. Only there was no blast; something very large had burst through the glass at the front of the high lobby from the inside. Something alive and human in shape. Something much larger than a human, and still growing.

"Thought you could just walk up here and come right inside, did ya'?" said a booming voice. "You can't do that to us!"

Energia's first impression was that this was somehow her Aunt Colossa, but she quickly corrected that.

"Is that... Great Big Joe*?" said Energia, sounding worried. "I thought he retired from crime and went into advertising!"

"I think that's Joe Grow's son," said Blue Impact, frowning. "Calls himself Major Grow. All right, you! Stand down!"

The giant laughed like an amused whale and reached for a delivery truck parked in front of the building. Energia hit him with a high-frequency, high-voltage electrical attack, which danced impressively across his skin but barely affected him. Gadgetive shot him in the face with webbing, which was a little more effective. Blue Impact charged in and side-kicked his left ankle, the only part she could quickly reach. Vic caught him with a leaping kick to the side of the left knee.

He looked confused. Then annoyed.

"You think you can just waltz in here," he roared, like some great engine of destruction, as he wiped the webbing from his face, "and do what you want?"

"He's nuts!" said Energia, flying higher and trying a different frequency. Unfortunately, this had even less effect than her first attempt.

"No more!"

He straightened and spread his arms wide, hands open, palms forward. All four of his opponents knew what was coming next.

When he slammed his hands together the shockwave rattled windows for blocks, breaking more than a few. Energia and Blue Impact covered their ears while Vic and Gadgetive depended on the protection built into their helmets. They were still all stunned to varying degrees; the effect was more of a massive impact than a sound. However, Blue Impact and Energia recovered before he could take advantage of the situation. The former due to being further away than the others and the latter due to her denser tissues.

Energia switched to plain electricity, which at least had a strong detrimental effect on Major Grow. Unfortunately, his response to the lightning was to crouch in preparation for leaping at her. However, a manhole cover hurled like a Frisbee caught him in the left temple, courtesy of Blue Impact. Before he could recover, Vic jumped from the ground to the top of a van and caught him with a leaping side kick to the same temple.

That almost ended the fight. However, he grabbed his head with one hand and swung the other around blindly as he lurched upright.

Gadgetive webbed his right foot to the pavement. Blue Impact grabbed someone's Jaguar and used it as a battering ram against Major Grow's left ankle. He dropped, crushing several cars and blocking the street. Vic immediately took advantage of this more convenient access to land several paralyzing nerve strikes, some delivered from atop the giant's back. Major Grow screamed, then passed out.

"Well, I guess that's probable cause!" said Vic, hopping down to the pavement. "I'm also really glad those nerve strikes worked on him!"

However, the quartet's troubles weren't over.

"Guardbots!" yelled Gadgetive, pointing.

Two Thessalians came running out of the opening Major Grow had made.

Energia, glad to finally have a target she didn't need to worry about accidentally killing, hit both with pure heat, pouring it on, dumping most of her store into them. The robots seized, humming. After several minor explosions they both slumped to the sidewalk, glowing a dull red and flaming. The panting heroes took a moment to catch their collective breath. This fight, less than an hour after the previous one, was taxing even their martial artist.

"Here come the FBI, with a neutralizer," said Energia, who had the advantage of a better view, due to altitude. "I hope that will cover all of him!"

"Stay with us!" said Blue Impact to the team's sole flyer, as she hurried into the hole in the front of the building. "We need to stick together!"

Energia sighed, but flew down to the hole. Though she stayed above head level. There was plenty of room, both going through the hole and inside the main lobby.

The well dressed man at the reception desk was on the phone, screaming for security. Watching in growing panic as the quartet approached.

"You can't come in here!" he shouted, dropping the phone and backing away. "It's all on security video! The police are on the way!"

"I'm federal law enforcement," said Vic, pointing to her badge. "We've got FBI backup. Now, what are you doing in here on a Sunday?"

"What?" he said, confused. He looked up as two of the FBI agents entered, badges and guns out. He frantically jabbed a finger at the costumed heroes. "Them! I work here! They attacked Miss Franks' fiance!"

"Wait," said one of the agents. "Artemis Franks is engaged to Thomas Grow?!"

"Yes! He was defending her interests against attack by these radicals! Arrest them!"

"These people are helping the FBI investigate a series of thefts of valuable technological antiques, as well as assaults on law enforcement agents and the possible kidnapping of Emil Logsdon."

"I don't know anything about that! I do know that all of you are trespassing! Security!"

Facility security finally arrived, and promptly got in a yelling match with the two FBI agents. The tired masks just watched quietly for a few moments.

"C'mon," said Blue Impact, after a bit, in a low voice to the other three costumed supers. "Let's take advantage of the diversion they're causing."

They moved carefully towards the doorway to the fire stairs, with everyone else in the lobby being too distracted by the yelling match to notice.

Once inside, Blue Impact began heading down.

"Down?!" said Energia.

"Works for me," said Vic. "Masterminds like to escape into tunnels."

"The FBI will go up," said Blue Impact, nodding. "Eventually. That's where they saw the activity they mentioned earlier. So we go down. If I'm wrong and they need help quickly, Energia can fly up the stairwell."

"Sounds like a plan," said Energia, remembering that their team leader had been at this nearly as long as the rest of them together.

Part Ten

They exited at the bottom of the stairs into a mechanical room. It was dark and filled with the muffled sounds made by the near-idling equipment which supported the building.

"Now what?" said Energia, as they stood just inside the huge room.

"Don't like this," said Gadgetive, looking around warily. "No mechanical room in a legitimate business should be this clean."

They suddenly tensed for battle when a robot in coveralls, denim shirt and cap rounded a corner and marched towards them. They all relaxed with grateful sighs when it continued, unheeding, past them.

"Just a maintenance drone," said Gadgetive, with a nervous laugh. "No wonder it's so clean in here. Though don't take those for granted. They're not designed for fighting, but they're strong and tough and can be remotely repurposed. They're also against union rules."

"We should all look around as best we can for a tunnel, a concealed elevator, whatever," said Blue Impact. "Keep your ears open, as well as your eyes."

"Hold it," said Vic, raising a hand.

She closed her eyes and started walking forwards. The others looked at each other. Then back at her, in time to see Vic spread her arms and maneuver as if herding something into a corner which very much didn't want to go there.

"Gotcha'a!" she said, triumphantly, opening her eyes and smiling.

"Are you telling me..." said Blue Impact.

"There's... something... someone there," said Energia, frowning.

"Got it," said Gadgetive waving a scanner in that direction.
"Human female. Meets the physical parameters of Artemis Franks."

"So, you've improved your powers enough to created a full MYOB effect," said Blue Impact, impressed.

"How the fuck did you find me?!" Artemis snarled, at Vic specifically, as she became visible.

She was dressed in a fancy - and expensive - business pants suit. Her makeup was not merely normal, but subdued.

"Ancient martial arts technique," said Vic, not mentioning that her sense of perception worked through a different part of the brain than those Artemis' powers affected.

"How much do you want?" said Artemis. "I'm a legitimate businesswoman now, but I used to run with the villains. I'll pay you twice what whoever hired you did."

"Bad news," said Vic, pointing to her badge. "I'm a fed; they're with me. There's FBI upstairs."

"What?" said Artemis, obviously confused.

She's a good actor, thought Blue Impact.

Vic proceeded to formally arrest the woman, including zip tying her hands behind her back.

"More bad news. Given what your fiance just did - to your building and the the street outside - we have more than enough probable cause to search the entire place," said Blue Impact, when Vic was finished.

"Oh, no," said Artemis, looking genuinely upset. "What's that idiot done now?"

"So," said Blue Impact, very deliberately not giving her an answer. "Let's get to the stairs. It's going to be a long climb to the top."

"Wait, wait," said Artemis. "There's an executive elevator which goes from down here straight to my office on the top floor."

"So that's how you got down here so quickly," said Energia.

"Down? No, no, I was going up. I just got here. Parked in the executive garage and took the private tunnel to here. There were some panicked messages from security about a fire at one of our warehouses so I was coming in to handle that. You can check the security videos for when I came in."

Artemis continued to babble as they walked. None of them believed more than a small portion of what she was telling them. However, they did let her lead them to the elevator. It wasn't even concealed; at least, down here. The ride up was surprisingly quick. As it turned out, three of the FBI agents on scene were already in the penthouse office. They were only mildly surprised when what appeared to be a solid wood panel behind the office's desk slid aside and the elevator behind it disgorged five people from the crowded volume.

"Wow," said Energia, as she saw the opulence of the room. "This job must pay really well. Just look at the size of that desk!"

"I'd say she designed a lot of what's in here herself," said Gadgetive, impressed. "Also, people should be very careful about using any of her equipment. At the very least, most of it's meant to only work for her."

"Got that right," muttered Artemis, with more than a trace of pride.

"Ah," said agent Tanaka, as she moved to intercept them. "That's where the elevator is. And you got her! Good work!"

"She been through the process?" said agent Fred Hagen.

"Yeah," said Vic, nodding.

"All right, first and foremost," said Tanaka, "where is Emil Logsdon?"

"Who?" said Artemis, the image of innocence.

"Listen," said Tanaka, very firmly, "if he dies you'll face a manslaughter charge. Maybe even first degree murder. Where. Is. He?"

"My suite is the next floor down," said Artemis, quickly. "I mean, if my people have stashed him anywhere, it'll be there. The stairs are over there, through the unmarked door opposite the bathroom."

She looked around at them.

"Look I only just found out there was anything improper going on. I was coming in - not going out - to get up here and see just how bad the mess was."

"Tell it to the jury," said Tanaka.

Vic and the members of Tricorne followed agent Fred Hagen to the private stairs down which their unwilling host had indicated. However, Blue Impact had a thought before they descended.

"Vic, you better stay up here and keep an eye - and a whatever is it you have - on Miss Franks. Just to make sure she doesn't pull that disappearing trick again."

"Disappearing trick?" said agent Tanaka.

"I'll tell you all about it," said Vic, a bit upset to be missing out on what they might find below, but realizing the necessity of staying up here.

"How do you know the way?" asked Energia, as Fred opened a concealed door and they hurried down the steps beyond.

"We studied the blueprints to this place," said Fred. "That's how we knew about the hidden elevator. They didn't show many details of the interior, though, and we found some differences once we got in here."

As they entered the room at the bottom of the stairway they woke a woman who was laying on a fold-out couch.

"What's going on?" she muttered, sleepily.

"FBI," said Fred, flashing his badge. "Where's Emil Logsdon?"

"If you mean my patient, he's in the bedroom. What's..."

"Energia, you better keep an eye on her," said Blue Impact, as the rest of the group hurried in the indicated direction.

The door was open. They barged in... and froze. After a moment, Fred got on his radio.

"It's like a miniature emergency room in here. The old man's alive, but I'm afraid to touch anything. We better call an ambulance."

There really wasn't anything they could do in that room; the old man was unresponsive and none of them were qualified to evaluate his condition. They returned to the den and began questioning the nurse.

"I'm Amelia Modena. I'm a nurse practitioner. I was hired by Doctor Kleinert to watch over the patient. He stops by here every day to check on the old man."

"You didn't think it was strange that someone so ill wasn't in a hospital?" said Fred.

Modena looked increasingly worried.

"I was told he was an eccentric board member who took ill while visiting the city. That he so hated hospitals that he would be more likely to recover here. That I couldn't even be told his name, because if it became public knowledge that he was ill it would ruin several business deals."

"Who told you all this?"

"Miss Franks!"

"So much for her not knowing," said Gadgetive, smirking.

The ambulance crew arrived quickly. After a brief examination, they recommended calling a doctor. Agent Hagen nodded and radioed his boss. He then explained to those with him that the local FBI office had a doctor they worked with in such situations, and that he was available on Sundays. The paramedics said they would stay with the old man until the doctor told them his recommendation. They left Modena with them, agent Hagen telling the paramedics to keep an eye on her. The supers and agent Fred went back upstairs and told Vic and Tanaka about the nurse fingering Franks. Who seemed completely unconcerned about this.

"Any word on Major Grow?" said Blue Impact.

"Oh, there's another team of paramedics working on him," said Tanaka. "He shrank back to normal under the neutralizer. Which made treating him much easier. They say he's not seriously hurt. Except in the ego."

Franks actually seemed relieved at this.

The doctor the FBI had called arrived soon after this. He spent nearly an hour examining Mr. Logsdon and checking the charts, before recommending the paramedics transport him to a specific hospital. He came upstairs and briefed those waiting, then went back to help the paramedics move the old man. Blue Impact - with agent Tanaka's permission - called Sammy to give him the news. He thanked her, and said he was on his way to the hospital the doctor recommended.

"So, his prognosis isn't good, but it's not terrible," said Tanaka, glaring at Franks. "The doctor says you had him given good medical treatment. You are still facing a lot of charges, including kidnapping. Talk."

The woman remained stubbornly silent.

"I think a lot of her motivation is jealousy," said Blue Impact, smirking, when she saw this. "She's a good designer, but there's nothing here which holds a candle to Sturgeon's mechanical house."

Artemis' manner suddenly became substantially different.

"Mechanical house?!" she snapped. "Mechanical playground, you mean! All that stuff is just clockwork trivialities!"

"Yep," said Energia, grinning. "Jealousy."

"They gave all that publicity to toys!" Artemis shouted. "My father and grandfather spent their lives and their careers working on important, useful contributions to the state of the art, and all that museum cares about is amusements!"

"So instead of building your ancestors up, you decided to tear someone else down," said Blue Impact, angrily. She leaned in. "What happened to Emil Logsdon?"

"He... he got sick!" said the now obviously frightened woman. "It wasn't my fault!"

"The stress you put him under makes it your fault," said Tanaka. "Then there's all the assaults and thefts committed under your name."

"Hey! Nobody was seriously hurt! I made sure they all used non-lethal weapons!"

"Boobytraps are illegal, no matter what type of weapon they are," said Blue Impact. "Robots or drones acting on their own internal programming without supervision have been ruled to be the same as boobytraps. People have died in nets or from pepper balls, as just two reasons why. Assault is still illegal, as well. So, you still are going up for the full charge."

* * *

The initial interrogation lasted until agent Sanders and his crew arrived. He was briefed, approved what had been done, then declared that Artemis Franks needed to be put in a federal facility equipped with neutralizers, immediately.

"Do you have to?" she said, almost whining. "Those things make me feel so... fuzzy."

"Tell me about it," said Gadgetive, in a stage mutter.

Their protests were ignored. The neutralizer Sanders and his crew brought to the penthouse office with them was applied to Franks, and transport arranged. Artemis Franks was soon on her way.

"Well, this is quite the mess," said Sanders, sighing as he looked around at those present. "Just uncovering where everything she had stolen is stashed will take days or weeks. Untangling the whys, wherefores and hows will likely take months or years."

"Fortunately for us," said Blue Impact, with a bit of a smile, "that's your job. Though Vic may be involved in a lot of it."

"Thanks for reminding me," said the martial artist, with a sigh.

"You four may still be called on to testify at the preliminary hearing," said Tanaka. "Possibly for the trial as well."

"Anyway," said Sanders, smiling tiredly and extending his hand, "thank you - all of you - for your help. We likely would have needed much longer to catch her without you, and it would certainly have been much more painful."

"On behalf of Tricorne and the Bureau of Special Resources, you're welcome," said Blue Impact, whose smile was definitely not tired.

They shook hands all around.

* * *

"What a busy day!" said Energia, as the quartet reentered Blue Impact's lair.

"Busy but productive," said the facility's owner. She gave the other three a satisfied smile. "Now we can return to our schools with clear consciences."

"I haven't been in so many fights in such a short span since the Bureau sent me to talk to Granny Cyprus," said Vic, with a tired laugh.

"The swamp witch?!" said Blue Impact, startled. "Were you even able to find her?!"

"Yeah. Turned out she was being menaced by some wizard or other, plus minions. I helped Dr. Piano with them - me handling the minions, him and Granny the wizard - and in gratitude she gave us both a boon." Vic shook her head and favored them with a wry grin. "She said she liked me. That my connection to nature through my use of ki made me - What was the word she used? - harmonious, that's it."

"What did you pick for your boon?" said Energia.

"Honey," said Vic, her grin turning impish. "I'd heard she had this wonderful honey, and asked for some. Wow. Stuff is borderline orgasmic. At least, to some people."

"Impressive," said Blue Impact.

"Well, it took us until Sunday," said Energia, smiling, and stretching as she returned to her point, "but we got it done before school restarted."

"Now we have to hurry and pack so we can be where we're supposed to be when we're supposed to be there," said Gadgetive, with an aggravated sigh.

"Remember, I have more prep to do than any of you three," said Blue Impact, a bit irritated at her griping. "Not only do I have to pack, I have to shut down the lair and get Beefeater in the carrier."

"We'll help," said Energia, before Gadgetive could complain yet again about the cat being named by "an outsider."

* * *

Two weeks passed. Another video conference was underway, this time with Vic joining Energia at the Intrepids' base.

"So how goes the case against Artemis Franks?" said Blue Impact, after the preliminaries were completed.

"Well, she's blaming everything on her fiance and his 'friends,' claiming they were responding to her complaints about the exhibit on their own initiative, and were either unaware of the legalities or were assuming they could simply get away with the crimes," said Vic.

"So she's hanging them out to dry," said Energia.

"No, actually. She's making sure they get good legal representation. Like you've said before, she's a smart mastermind."

Vic shook her head and gave them a wry smile.

"They still haven't even found all the stuff taken. They think she's holding back to have some bargaining power."

"The Tuesday Ruby alone could earn some serious sentence reductions, if they play their hand well," said Blue Impact.

The four spent a few minutes catching each other up on what was happening in their lives. Then one participant called for their attention in regard to a special topic.

"If folks don't mind," said Energia, "before we talk about getting together for the Summer I'd like to discuss our plans for the future."

"Tricorne should just be the three of us!" said Gadgetive, loudly.

"That's not what I'm talking about. What I mean is, do you two really want Tricorne to go full time as a team when we're all ready?"

"I don't know," said Blue Impact, actually looking tired. "Tricorne is a force for good in the world, but does it really need another permanent super team?"

"I've been thinking about that," said Energia. "Yeah, we should make Tricorne a full time super team. However, we should also do a lot more than fight crime."

"Such as what?" said Gadgetive.

"You've heard of teaching hospitals?" said Energia. "Tricorne could be a teaching team. Vic says she's asked at the Bureau, and if we meet their requirements we could even certify teams as Bureau compliant. As well as getting paid for doing that."

"That would make it hard to maintain the secrecy of the lair," said Blue Impact, pointedly. "Not to mention our own private lives."

"I was checking the other resources in the area," said Energia. "I wondered - after the fact - what other supers or teams might have been available to help us with the Artemis Franks case that we wound up - fortunately - not needing. Turns out there's just one other team in the city; a local hero team: The FX. They've only organized since the war, but they have a good rep and already have a public headquarters. They could use both financial help and advice from seasoned supers. I've already talked to them about both things. My suggestion is, we - Tricorne - rent part of their building as an office where folks can contact us, and also help them with security and so forth. We use the rented part to train them and other heroes, especially in team tactics. Sort of what the Pine Island Academy does, only with adults. It could even be profitable. Like a martial arts school."

"That actually sounds workable," said Blue Impact, impressed.

"I think the Bureau would support that effort, too," said Vic, nodding.

"Okay," said Gadgetive, nodding. "That sounds workable, interesting and acceptable."

She jabbed a finger sternly at Energia.

"Just as long as it's just us three as Tricorne!"

"That's the plan," said Energia, grinning at her friend.