🚀 go-pugleaf

        The outskirts of Redfern are not normally pretty place to begin
with, but at 2am on a Saturday morning, when the drunks and addicts are
literally crawling through the streets, it begins to take on the
characteristics of some place really dangerous, like New York or
perhaps Bob City.
        While it might seem to be a very bad decision for an ordinary
citizen to be walking the streets of this law forksaken suburb,
circumstances sometimes dictate that these things happen. Perhaps this
young man was simply stupid, or just naive. Maybe he had no choice
about being there or maybe he was deliberately seeking some kind
perverse thrill from walking the streets at night. Regardless of
whatever his reason were for being on those streets this night, the
young man did not expect what happened to him would happen, but it was
what happened afterwards that he really hadn't expected would happen.
        Confused yet? Allow me to explain.

                     Time Better Spent Productions
                                 and
                         Post Thesis Partners
                               Present
                        A Keiran McManus Story

                                  <>

                         Team Mate / The Switch
                          Epsiode #12 (or #1)
                     "Lessons, Questions, Answers"
                                Part 1

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

        "Ok, there's about seven of them." Injuryman whispered. "They're
all dressed similarly, so they're probably all members of the same
gang."
        Injuryman, Barmaid and Switch were crouching down behind a burnt
out car observing the youths who were now robbing the young man they
had just mugged.
        "Well, what's the plan oh great tactical one?" Barmaid asked.
        Injuryman turned to Switch and grinned "You've been practicing long
enough Switch, I think it's time you went _solo_."
        "Solo that's an interesting way of putting it, I-Man." Switch
added taking a deep breath. "Any last minute advice?"
        "Don't try and start a fight. But if it happens take out the leader
first, or the toughest looking one, it might impress them enough to
make them stop. Remeber you have back up if you need it."
        Barmaid placed a small glass vial into Switch's hand. "Smoke bomb.
In case you need cover."
        Switch took another deep breath. "Right, I'm on my way."
        Carefully he crept down the street, staying behind the cars, until
he was level with the gang, then as calmly as he could manage stood up
and walked quietly across the street. He was standing there for a few
seconds before any of the gang members actually noticed him.
        Quickly the gang of seven shifted their attention from the battered
and bleeding man they had been harassing to this silent newcomer. In
the blue white glow of the few remaining street lights they saw a man
of average height dressed in grey overalls, casually pushing his red
fringe away from the black domino mask that concealed his eyes.
        One of young punks took a step foreward and deftly unfolded a
butterfly knife. "So whatta we got 'ere, Junior Trashman?" he sneered.
The comment resulted in some forced laughter and Switch, crossing his
arms, noted that this one was probably the leader.
        "The comparison is flattering." Dennis commented "But I think you
guys should just pack up and leave now. I wouldn't want anyone _else_
getting hurt."
        The leader took a few more steps foreward, as Switch held his
position. "Gettin' hurt eh? I think you should clear out before you get
cut, mate."
        *Moment of truth* Switch thought, mentally crossing his fingers.
"Look I'm warning you, you little shit. Leave now, all of you, or
suffer the consequences of your actions."
        The leader choose this moment to lunge foreward with the knife,
and Switch reacted by dropping into the No-Can-Do fighting stance. He
felt the strange sensation as the his computer perceptions came up to
speed, slowing the world around him down to a crawl. With surprising
ease his mind mapped the locations and vectors of each of the gang
members and their unconscious victim.
        Switch spent a few nanseconds analysing the situation, *Seven gang
members, one Switch each, leaving five to grab the unconscious guy and
run.*
        The gang leader was extremely surprised to see his target
dissappear from in front of him, and appear beside him. With a classic
and simple martial arts technique Switch deflected him head first into
a parked car. Surprise was the last thing he would feel for a few a
minutes. Six other Switches executed a series of well timed body slams,
grapples and sweeps amongst the rest of the gang, while a troop of five
Switches grabbed the unconscious man and ran off down the street
carrying him "crowd surfer" style.
        Switch centred himself into a body on the outskirts of the fight,
and tossed the smoke bomb onto the ground. The glass vial shattered and
a stinging alocoholic cloud of gas billowed out onto the street. Switch
then centred himself in the escaping group of Switches and quickly
cancelled the seven copies of himself that were fighting the gang. By
the time the cloud of gas has cleared the gang found themselves alone
and their victim missing, they cleared out quickly enough.
        From their vantage point across the street Injuryman and Barmaid,
watched the fleeing gang with amusement.
        "Damn he's good." Barmaid remarked.
        "He's powerful." Injuryman corrected. "But, I noted several major
faults in his fighting, and without his multiple viewpoint and
heightened perception he could have been in serious trouble."
        The pair got up and began to make their way back to the Injuryman's
ambulance. Injuryman continued to his analysis of Switch's performance.
        "With proper training he could probably be more powerful than the
both of us put together, especially if he learns how to extend his
'Switch' ability. One on one though, either of us could still beat
him."
        "I don't see how that counts." Barmaid replied. "He doesn't fight
one on one, if he's in trouble then he can just 'Switch' up a dozen
bodies. Or do one of those mini-teleports he's so proud of. There are
plenty of Superguys in North America who make do with power over skill,
take Mighty Guy for example."
        "Yes, take Mighty Guy for an example!" Injuryman pointed out.
        Barmaid wisely shut her mouth at this point.

                                  <>

        Within a few minutes they reached the ambulance and found Switch
had already started bandaging the man's cuts.
        "Hey guys, glad you could catch up." he remarked with a grin, "I
was great wasn't I?"
        "Pal, you were good." Injuryman replied smiling directly at the
jubliant Switch. "Just remember we haven't been doing this for very
long, and we all have room for improvement."
        "I know, I know. I just want you bask in the glow of my own
greatness for just a few minutes."
        Injuryman ingored this and began to examine the unconscious man,
and Barmaid pulled Switch aside for a moment.
        "Don't mind him Dennis." she whispered. "He just wants to make sure
we can all take care of selves."
        "Does he have to be such a wet blanket?" Switch replied somewhat
frustrated. "He really needs to mellow out occasionly."
        "Look, it's just his way." the ever diplomatic Barmaid addded.
"We've been working together for a month now, I thought you might have
realized this."
        "Do I have empathic stamped on my forehead?"
        "Excuse me." Injuryman's voice came from out of the ambulance. "I
believe our guest is waking up."
        Switch and Barmaid returned to the ambulance to find the mugging
victim awake and sitting up.
        "What hell(tm) happened?" he groaned. Then looking at the trio of
masked rescuers he added "Who the hell(tm) are you?"
        "Sir, you were mugged." Injuryman explained. "We rescued you."
        "You're superguys?" the dazed man asked.
        "You can call us Team Mate" Barmaid answered. "We don't mind if you
tell people about us, but we'd prefer it if you don't say anything to
the police."
        "Except for the cuts and bruises you seem to be Okay. Can we take
you somewhere?"
        The man fished a packet of cigarettes out his coat and lit one up.
"Yeah, take me back to my office. It's only a few blocks away."
        They all climbed inside and within a few minutes they had delivered
the man to the specified address, a small block of run down looking
office buildings.
        "Thanks for the help, Team Mate!" he called out as the ambluance
slowly drove off. Then the man walked to the door of one of the
buildings. "And thanks for the best story of my career" he said to
himself. With that remark Simon 'Leaking Pen' Davison, star reporter of
the 'Irrational Enquirer' went inside and got to work.

                                  <>

        In month following the defeat of the Publisher, Team Mate had had
not been idle. Purchasing an old disused fire station in one of the
industrial areas south of the central business district, the Team had
spent their time training and outfitting their headquarters.
        Dennis and the Dill had pooled their computer equipment together
resulting in a fairly respectable network of desktop PCs. On one shelf
sat the charred remains of the 386 responsible for giving Dennis his
Switch ability. The Dill had insisted they hang on to it "Just in
case."
        The Dill had also managed to procure, seemingly out of nowhere, a
high speed internet line, unlisted telephone numbers and scrambled
digital mobile phones, and amazingly enough - free cable TV.
        Injuryman had spent his time brushing up on the theories of
superguyism and vigilantism, and teaching the Ancient Martial Art of
No-Can-Do to Dennis and Cheri.
        Barmaid converted the laundry into a laboratory where she
experminented with her powers of alcohol manipulation. The results of
her endeavours being several extremely tasty cocktails, and the odd
explosion or two.
        Dennis meanwhile, had spent the time by starting to rebuild his
car. Splitting himself into a group of twelve he used the opportunity
to learn how to make copies of himself work together and how to exploit
the mutliple view point. Already the Valiant S Series was beginning to
look like a car again.
        Finally, Emma's threat to marry Dennis had forced her parents to
treat her career in family law seriously. She now had her own office,
secretary, and a case load designed to keep her occupied. By
strategically placing a few copies of 'Mode for Brides' around the
house, she convinced her parents not to cross her on the subject of
Dennis. Apart from spending time with the offending boyfriend she had
also been researching the mysterious 'Federal Superguy Control Act'.
        All in all they were starting to mesh together into an effective
team and soon, according to Injuryman, they would be ready for
anythning soon. Dennis however was not prepared for what happened next.

                                  <>

        In another part of the city not so far away Charles "Chuck" Holden
had just finished work for the night, and was very happy about it.
Chuck had always wanted to work at a gun club, and even if he was just
the janitor, at least he was the janitor of a gun club.
        Late at night when every body else had been long gone, Chuck was
finally able to indulge himself by squeezing off a few rounds on the
pistol range with no stupid people gawking at him.
        Tonight he'd decided to try the .44 automatic. Perhaps this gun
would be one for him.
        Carefully Chuck took the time to prepare the pistol, making sure
all the parts were in proper working condition. He loaded the
cartridges into the magazine, and snapped it into the gun. Chuck put a
standard human outline target into the clips and activated the
mechanism that carried the target down the firing range. Chuck slipped
the sound mufflers over his ears and then putting himself in the
correct stance picked up the loaded pistol. He disengaged the safety
and took aim.
        Each shot was fired with perfect timing and within a few seconds
the magazine was empty, removed from the .44 and both were placed
neatly in front of him. Chuck then activated the mechanism which
retrieved the target, and very shorty it was hnaging in front of him.
        There wasn't a mark on it. He had missed every time.
        Calmly Chuck sent the target out again. and remained motionless
until it had travelled back out again.
        Then in a single amazingly fluid motion he drew a large blue and
red plastic toy gun from under his jacket and took a single shot.
        At the other end of the range the target exploded.
        "Damn!" Chuck growled and slammed the plastic gun down.

                                  <>

        The Saturday morning sun (really no different to any of the other
suns) was already creeping across eastern Sydney when the Team Mate
Ambulance finally rolled down the street towards Team Mate HQ. An
electronic beep signalled the otherwise silent opening of the Team Mate
HQ garage doors, and the not so silent ambulance rolled inside.
        "So what did I do wrong I-man? Explain it to me please." Dennis
remarked as they climbed out of the ambulance. "I went in, got the
victim, and got out again without any trouble."
        "Upstairs and I'll tell you." Michael replied. They trooped up the
stairs, and Cheri who was walking behind Dennis had to stifle a giggle.
        In the common room on the next floor, Michael took Dennis's arm and
led him over to the mirror fixed on one wall.
        "Turn around. Look at your back." Injuryman suggested with that I
told you so tone.
        Dennis turned about and looking over his shoulder saw that his
overalls had been slashed open from his backside up to his neck. The
impact of this was not lost on him.
        "Damn, these were my best overalls! What I am I going to do for a
costume now!"
        Michael just shook his head.
        "I'm sure we can arrange a new costume for you!" Cheri suggested
slyly.
        "No way. I am not wearing spandex. I thought we had discussed
this!" Dennis frantically replied.
        "I'm sure Emma wouldn't mind seeing you in a form fitting suit."
        "Thanks, but I want to keep my girlfriend, not drive her away."
        Michael stomped off towards his room. They were ignoring him
_again_ he thought. Perhaps they would listen tommorrow, but right now
he was just too tired to bother.
        "Guys, get some sleep. We'll find Dennis a new costume this
afternoon and discuss what happened tonight." Michael closed the door
and collasped onto his bed. The last thing he heard before drifting off
sleep was;
        "I am not wearing SPANDEX!"

DO WE KNOW WHO THE GUNSLINGER IS NOW?

WHAT WILL SIMON 'LEAKING PEN' DAVISON WRITE ABOUT TEAM MATE?

WILL ANYONE READ IT?

DOES ANYONE READ THE IRRATIONAL ENQUIRER ANYWAY?

WILL DENNIS LEARN ANYTHING FROM HIS FIRST *SOLO* JOB?

MORE IMPORTANTLY WILL HE BE FORCED TO WEAR SPANDEX?

You'll find out only in SUPERGUY. I could say something funny here, but
I'm just to damn tired.

Keiran McManus - The Nameless One | keiranm@ibm.net
Author of The Switch/Team Mate

(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.