🚀 go-pugleaf

        Deep within the bedrock of Sydney Harbor, something stirred,
something very old. So old, in fact, that it makes the age of the
dinosaurs look a recent event. This thing came from a time when life
on this planet Earth, had a much simpler form.
        Again the thing shifted its mass, as it sensed something it had not
felt for uncountable millennia. Prey.
        Vibrations that had been building up steadily over the years, had
awakened the most primitive of sensations, in this most primitive
creature...hunger.
        Slowly and powerfully, the creature continued to shift its mass
around. Then secretions from its body began to dissolve the bedrock,
forming a tunnel as the creature forced its way upwards. The vibrations
were getting closer.
        The city above went about its business as usual.

                     Time Better Spent Productions
                               Presents
                        A Keiran McManus Story

                                --<>--

                     Team Mate #4 / The Switch #15
                     "Lessons, Questions, Answers"
                                Part 4

                       "The Ultra-Delayed Episode"

                               Starring
       Dennis Stewart as "Switch" | Michael Slade as "Injuryman"
       Cheri Cola as "Barmaid",   | Martin Dillwood as "The Dill"
                          and Emma O'Rourke

[Continuity Note]
The story's in continuity, as much as a story set on the other side of
the planet is. The Author is out continuity!



        "This *isn't* going to work." Michael commented as he and Dennis
left the Balmain Pistol Club.
        "Why not?" Dennis replied, as they walked back to Emma's convertible
BMW. "He's the Gunslinger. He's into guns. Maybe he hangs out at a gun
club?"
        Still arguing, the pair of out of costume superguys, climbed into
the BMW's back seat. Emma and Cheri, sitting up front, rolled their
eyes as the two men continued their exchange. This subject, more than
any other, had shown everyone how Michael's straight-laced,
disciplined, by-the-book personality clashed with Dennis's random,
'She'll be right, mate' attitude.
        "I don't even know, why we're doing this." Michael stated as Emma
started the car, and eased it out into the morning rush traffic.
        "Look, I told you, we need him. He needs us." Dennis explained.
        "He's a criminal."
        "We get him to give the money back." Cheri said turning towards the
back seat. "I thought we discussed this."
        "The cops will get him sooner or later." Dennis added. "And if they
can get him they can probably get us."
        "It's not the cops that worry me. It's those ninjas." Michael.
        "Right. The Daichi-Who?"
        "Daichi Do."
        "Once the Gunslinger's on our team they'll leave him alone."
        "Yeah, right. We'll have black pajamas chasing us from now, 'til
the end of time."
        A short silence, as much as you can have silence in the back of a
convertible, followed, as Michael and Dennis glared at each other.
        "Excuse me, boys." Emma broke the silence. "Mind telling me where
our next stop is?"
        "Mascot Pistol Club." The men replied in unison.
        Cheri, in defiance of all map reading gender stereotypes, opened
the street directory and located their destination within seconds. Emma
began to thread her car swiftly through the traffic, further upsetting
the already upset morning commuters. A trail of car horns and raised
fingers followed them all the way to Mascot, as they made it there in
record time. Emma maneuvered her car into the parking lot of the Mascot
Pistol Club, and Michael leaned forward into the front.
        "Just who taught you to drive, anyway?" he asked Emma. She arched
an eyebrow at him.
        "He did." Emma answered, indicating Dennis.
        "Figures. C'mon, let's get this over with."
        With that, the two men climbed out of the car marched up to the
entrance of the pistol club, neither saying a word.
        Cheri shook her and sighed, "This crap can't be good."
        "I don't understand." Emma pouted. "What the hell(tm)'s wrong with
my driving?"

                                --<>--

        To say it couldn't have gotten any worse was an understatement. The
sullen silence between Dennis and Michael, had broken down into a cold
silence, and finally degenerated into a stony silence. By the early
afternoon nerves were frayed and even Emma and Cheri had stopped
talking.
        They had pulled into a gas station, Emma and Dennis staying to fill
up the tank, Michael wandering off to compose himself, while Cheri went
over to the nearby convenience store to get some drinks for everyone.
As Cheri stood in line waiting to she regarded the near empty magazine
racks near the counter. Magazines had not been selling well since the
Publisher's attempt to take over the city, and several publications had
simply been driven out of business by poor sales. Still one section of
the rack was as well stocked as ever, the tabloids, The Weekly World
Schmooze International Edition especially. Cheri's eyes swiftly scanned
the headlines looking for anything that might be slightly redeeming,
but little hope was offered. Then, at the bottom of the rack Cheri
noticed the Irrational Enquirer's headlines;

        "Superguys rescue Enquirer Reporter from gang of mutants!"

        "Weird enough." she muttered and then noticed the artist's sketch
below the headline. Three figures, two in white and black, one in
grey and a white van like vehicle in the background. The drinks fell
from her hands, forgotten, as she scooped up a copy and dashed towards
the door, tossing some change back at the counter on the way out.

                                --<>--

        Detective Francis Xavier O'Hallaran leaned back in his Large
Uncomfortable Office Chair(tm), squirmed in his Ill Fitting Suit(tm)
and continued cleaning his Pitifully Small Standard Police
Revolver(tm). Carefully arranged in front of him upon his Undersized
Office Desk With Stuck Draws(Pat. Pending) were several still
photographs. They were taken from the video surveillance of the
Gunslinger's latest convenience store attack, were the team of
Superguys had intervened. Each photograph selected was the best picture
of each person in the store at the time of robbery, and while they
weren't clear enough to get a positive ID, they were definitely the
same people he had encountered outside the Publisher's warehouse.
        Frankie put down his pistol and picked up another piece of paper
that one of the SUCS Constables had brought to him half a hour ago, it
had been pinned to the notice board at his Pistol Club. On the page was
a picture of a toy plastic gun and a message; "Darling Harbor, Sunken
Fountain, 11:30pm"
        Frankie picked up one of the pictures from the surveillance tape.
It clearly showed the Gunslinger firing a toy plastic gun at a person
he assumed was the Switch. He held the two pictures side by side and
considered them. Frankie put the photograph down and picked up another
which showed Injuryman pointing the same plastic gun at the Gunslinger.
        It was enough, Frankie decided, as he put both items back on his
desk. He would get them this time, and the Gunslinger too. Maybe he
would take them all Bungee jumping with him later?

                                --<>--

        Later that same day, in a dark, smoky den of evil known as Davo's
Fast Food in Marrackville, a secretive group of men met. In their
underground head quarters the Daichi Do practiced their ancient arts,
while above them Davo served hamburgers and greasy chips to an
unsuspecting public.
        The Master was teaching the skill of making throwing stars out of
old beer cans, when one of the younger ninja came rushing in, excitedly
waving a piece of paper around.
        "Master!" the ninja yelled in a very broad Australian accent. "Look
what I managed snag at the pistol club." The rest
        "Shut up!" the Master yelled. "You bloody drongo. Address me
properly or I'll wallop ya silly!" He waved his sacred two-by-four in
the ninja's direction.
        The young ninja paused to collect himself and said "Oh Revered
Master, and Really Top Bloke. I've got me hands on some goss' about our
sworn enemy, the Gunslinger."
        The Master took the paper from the ninja's hands and examined it. A
picture of a plastic toy gun and a message; "Darling Harbor, Sunken
Fountain, 11:30pm."
        "Bonza!" The master yelled. "After we get though with the
Gunslinger he'll feel like he just played against the whole Tongan
Rugby Team." He turned to the young ninja "For ya good work ya get free
beer next Friday."

                                --<>--

        Chuck Holden, was not having a good day. His escapades as the
Gunslinger had been fun up until now, a bit of rebellion against an
otherwise boring life, and an outlet for the aggression that seemed to
build up inside him each day. Add to that the fact that he had this
power that made toy guns into lethal weapons, he had been having quite
a good time. The money hadn't really been important, it was the thrill
of doing something daring and getting away with it.
        Not only had he attracted the attention of the police, but now of a
clan of Australian Ninjas, and a team of Superguys. They had taken his
his best gun from him and he had been forced to run away. After a life
of being beaten Chuck had finally managed to fight back and now that
was being taken away from him.
        Going to work today had only reinforced the point that deep down he
was a loser. Janitor at a pistol club, he couldn't shoot anything with
a real gun.
        Thoughts of failure continued to fester in Chuck's mind as he
vacuumed the carpet in the club foyer. He stopped the notice board and
began to wipe down it's glass covering with a rag, not really looking
at what doing until. A picture, a toy gun, HIS gun. And a message
reading "Darling Harbor, Sunken Fountain, 11:30pm."
        With a sudden burst of renewed anger Chuck tore the paper from the
Notice board and stormed out of the building, vacuum cleaner and rag
forgotten.

                                --<>--

        Motorist's heading south through the Sydney Harbor Tunnel, were a
bit annoyed when the maintenance crews closed off the left lane. As
they reached the lowest point of tunnel, deep under the water, the
motorists noticed the small pool of water forming in the left lane.
Many of them pressed their feet down hard on the gas pedal and kept
their focus firmly on the exit above them. it was probably a good thing
that they closed that lane, they thought.


WHAT'S IN THE IRRATIONAL ENQUIRER THAT GOT CHERI EXCITED?

WHAT ARE FRANKIE AND SUCS GOING TO DO?

WHAT ARE THE DAI-ICHI DO GOING TO DO?

WHAT IS THE GUNSLINGER GOING TO DO?

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? WRITE A PROPER EPISODE?

You'll find on SUPERGUY. If I can force myself to write again!

------------------------------------
Keiran McManus - The Nameless Author
------------------------------
Author of The Switch/Team Mate
----------------
keiranm@abac.com

(c) Copyright 1996 Keiran S McManus, as described in the Superguy FAQ.
All other rights not mentioned in the Superguy FAQ are reserved to
Keiran S McManus.