ic Interrupting Cow (IC)

[Heritage]

Grim smiled; it was nice to see everyone on the same page, and eager to get to work. A team project like this could only improve morale. Rubbing her hands together, she hopped over to Colt and stood on tiptoe for a quick kiss.

"Mmm, I love the taste of cowboy."

Suddenly an odd thought hit her, and she turned to their eccentric benefactor.

"Hey, while you're at it, Doc, you might want to proof this place against our own powers, like if we ever get mind controlled or some kind of copycat steals them."

She screwed up her face and shrugged.

"I mean, if we're gonna be paranoid, why stop at halfway, right? There can be a special switch or something if one of us goes all crazy, as creepy as it is to think about."

[Dr Archeville]

"Ja... or... I could just rig de lights to flash in such a vay dat it 'resets' your brain, und clears any mind control."

An excellent carrier wave for my mind control signals, too!

Cut that out!

Archeville looked to Fulcrum, then to Jack and Colt, then back to Fulcrum and Grim. He let out the slightest of sighs.

"Dere are no 'robot doubles' of dem, per se," he said in an oddly apologetic tone, "but I did use scans of Colt's und Jack's fighting styles -- some of de best I haff ever been able to record -- to program de robotic sentries at ArcheTech. On de von hand, it vorks, spectacularly, as von vas actually able to hit Jack vhen he helped get Captain Knievel und Malice out of de ArcheTech HQ. On de ozher hand, it vas an invasion of privacy und an abuse of trust, und von I need to come clean to you all on. I... you all probably suspected I vas monitoring you anyvay, but I should have been explicit about it, und about how I used de information I attained. It is also how I haff been able to provide you mit such superior medical aid, on de few occasions vhen you haff needed it."

You fool! What are you doing? It would be Jack's word against yours, and a few minutes with a Neuralyzer would remove even that!

No. We need to come clean, now; we cannot work together if we do not trust one another.

[Gizmo]

At the mention of overseeing the team's training, Jack's eyebrows rose, then a cheshire grin spread across his face. "Oh. Oh ho. This? This is going to be good." Rubbing the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, he turned to Colt. "So, what d'you think? You take 'em Monday-Wednesday-Friday, I'll take Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday, give 'em Sunday to heal?"

His predatory glee was interrupted by Archeville's explanation. "Hey, it only caught me off-guard 'cause it was so dorky looking. Total lucky shot," he grumbled. "Tell you what, get us a couple of those bots for the training room, I'll call it even."

[Geez3r]

"I feel a disturbance in the Force. As if 3 or 4 voices cried out "sonofacrap" and were silenced." snarked Dynamo. Turning to look at Jack a little more thoughtfully. "You're gonna pay me back for the arena bit aren't ya brosef?" Turning his attention to Archeville, Dynamo continued "I don't know about these other folks, but I kinda signed on knowing I'd be spied on a bit. Fact of the matter is, without Doc's funding, I wouldn't have been able to pay my food bills let alone anything else. I'd probably been a criminal out of necessity if not for this organization, so it's all good in my book Doc."

[quotemyname]

At the mention of overseeing the team's training, Jack's eyebrows rose, then a cheshire grin spread across his face. "Oh. Oh ho. This? This is going to be good." Rubbing the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, he turned to Colt. "So, what d'you think? You take 'em Monday-Wednesday-Friday, I'll take Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday, give 'em Sunday to heal?"

"Heal?" Colt drawled, objecting. "Reckon yer gonna wanna play good cop bad cop next." Colt teased Jack, "This ain't a battle against'a villian're even th'army. It's a trainin' session. We shouldn't need healin' after't."

"I feel a disturbance in the Force. As if 3 or 4 voices cried out "sonofacrap" and were silenced." snarked Dynamo. Turning to look at Jack a little more thoughtfully. "You're gonna pay me back for the arena bit aren't ya brosef?" Turning his attention to Archeville, Dynamo continued "I don't know about these other folks, but I kinda signed on knowing I'd be spied on a bit. Fact of the matter is, without Doc's funding, I wouldn't have been able to pay my food bills let alone anything else. I'd probably been a criminal out of necessity if not for this organization, so it's all good in my book Doc."

"An' I don't pretend ta' know 'bout the rest'a y'all, but I actually agree wit' Dynamo," Colt shot the speedster a sideways glance, "Fer once. I was livin' hand'ta mouth 'fore this gig rode in'ta town. Doc here gave me'a paycheck'n'a great opportunity. Not ta mention, the chance'ta get closer'ta Grim," Colt smiled at the shapeshifter lovingly, "I outta be thankin'em, not protestin' his methods. Far's I'm concerned, Doc's earned the right ta'do what'e wants with all'a those recordin's'a me. S'just ma way'a thankin'em." Colt gave an indifferent shrug.

[Avenger Assembled]

Precisely a week later, the Interceptors' main phone line rang. A playful Vince, after suitable bedevilment, eventually forwarded a faintly ruffled Avenger to the nearest Interceptor, which in this case turned out to be Colt. "Ah yes, Grim's boyfriend, the master gunman! I remember you from the demonic invasion; you're very impressive. Hello. How are you doing today?" asked Avenger, sounding all smooth politeness. "Are your preparations complete? Or do you need more time?"

[quotemyname]

Colt picked up the phone as he leaned back in his chair on the front porch smoking one of his plastic cigarettes. "I reckon I'm fare'n just fine, thank ya kindly. Sure was awfully nice'a ya ta go'n give'us this here extra week. And boy let me tell you, the fact that you can't already tell if'n we're done wit all them improvement're not sure leaves me feelin' mighty good."

Colt rose from the chair, entered the front door, closed it, and turned three locks, "Why don't y'all drop by fer'a visit sometime. Folks here've been havin' a mighty powerful urge ta see ya'n action agin." Colt said as he slapped a large red button on the wall. The lights in the brownstone went out, and were replaced by a dim red light, the preliminary alert. "I reckon we're ready whenever you are." Colt clicked the phone off, switched off his e-cigarette, and slipped it into his shirt pocket.

"Interceptors! We got company coming!"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Hm," said Avenger, a smile on his face as he hung up the phone. "He's smarter than he looks. Good for him, he seemed like the most professional of the bunch." Standing up and popping his back, he pulled his costume on and studied the Brownstone from his perch several rooftops away. "Was going to tell him that there weren't any hard feelings about anything they pulled tonight, if the reverse is true. Hope it still is..."

[Dariusprime]

Fulcrum was busy emptying the fridge, almost literally. For some reason she couldn't fathom, something about the sandwiches at the Brownstone were just divine. She was tempted to have the stuff tested for 'additives', but given their busy week, nothing came of the odd idea. The third sandwich of day vanished in one last bite when the alarm went off.

She chuckled, "Show time."

Flipping into overdrive, she followed her assigned security pattern and did a rapid sweep of the upstairs living quarters. Being able to inspect everything in minute detail was a great advantage. Dynamo was light-years faster, but his assignment of the more sensitive basement made sense. Hopefully he was already down as the giantess headed downstairs to meet up with the team.

[Heritage]

"Interceptors! We got company coming!"

"Copy that!"

Lynn was upstairs in the reading room, but not for long; she collapsed into a pile of goo which then darted out into the hallway like blue-black eel, wriggled into the elevator shaft and finally squirted out into the C&C, where it reformed into Grim in her working outfit.

"Vince, what have we got so far, good buddy?'

[Geez3r]

Crap... thought Eli as he stuffed his math book back into its drawer. Vince had come up with a good plan, but it didn't make it any more enjoyable on Eli's part. Eli pulled on his costume and started doing some stretches to warm up. He didn't want his clothes to catch on anything or else it would throw his pattern off and if he got a cramp, then he wasn't of very much use. Within a few moments, Eli was nothing more than an ionized breeze circulating throughout the house. Like most Interceptor's missions; Eli's job was to just get in the way and be a nuisance. As he passed by Grim and Vince he dropped a note "Keep me posted."

[Gizmo]

Vince appeared on the wall next to Grim dressed in a khaki safari outfit and pith helmet, listening intently through a hearing horn so massive it required a wooden framework to support it. "Nothing so far, 'Malkie, but we're on high alert! I'll keep you wacky kids in the loop, don't you worry your pointy eared self!"

The swashbuckler known as Jack of all Blades had spent the last several hours sitting crosslegged on the roof of the apartment building, eyes closed in the warm sunlight. As the call went out, he didn't move right away, instead taking in and letting out a deep, slow breath. Avenger wasn't going to give them any margin for error, and that meant keeping his cool. There was far too much potential for things to go poorly or get out of hand for him to his usual, irreverent persona. The lithe figure that swung into the building through the open window, closing it behind him, may have worn Jack's fanciful costume, but the thin set of his mouth made it clear that today it would be Erik Espadas calling the shots.

[Dr Archeville]

Grim and Dynamo both felt a fleeting bout of vertigo. Grim felt it more, since she was mostly in one spot, and she was more familiar with it because she had felt it more than a handful of times before. A pinpoint of blue-gray light appeared in the middle of the room, which quickly expanded into the team's benefactor.

"Hello, Grim," he greeted curtly. His face was expressionless, "vould you call de others in here, please? Dere vill be no furzher testing."

I should have done this long ago.

I wanna see them battle it out! C'mon, just one little fight?

---

"Alight, I am going to make dis as qvick und painless as possible," he began as the last person came in. "First off, no, dere is not going to be furzher 'tests' by Avenger. I haff his vord on dat, und equally importantly (if not moreso), de vord of his vife. Second, it is clear dat some changes need to be made to de team...."

Hypno-Chips for all!

No.

... Hypno-Chips for some, post-hypnotic suggestions for others?

No!

[quotemyname]

"Now wait just'a cotton pickin' minute're, Doc." Colt stood with his arms folded after listening to Archeville's speech, "Even if'n Avenger ain't plannin' on breakin' in'ere t'night, and I ain't sayin' he ain't, I'm not so sure I catch yer meanin' there. What changes're ya talkin' 'bout?

[Heritage]

"Hello, Grim," he greeted curtly. His face was expressionless, "vould you call de others in here, please? Dere vill be no furzher testing."

Grim cocked an eyebrow at the super-scientist's sudden appearance; his demeanor suggested this was not a social visit.

"Uh, okay..." She leaned over and spoke into the intercom system. "Interceptors, please report to the command center immediately. The test is over, per Dr Archeville."

"Alight, I am going to make dis as qvick und painless as possible," he began as the last person came in. "First off, no, dere is not going to be furzher 'tests' by Avenger. I haff his vord on dat, und equally importantly (if not moreso), de vord of his vife. Second, it is clear dat some changes need to be made to de team...."

This did not sound good at all. The shapeshifter nervously held up her hand. "Before you begin, can I do one thing?" She approached the good doctor, and then suddenly poked him in the chest with both index fingers, a total of twelve times. She looked apologetically at her boss. "Look, it was just a precaution, y'know, in case you were Avenger pulling something." She looked to the others with some embarrassment. "Well, it's what I would have done."

She took a step back and gestured that Archeville should continue.

"Now wait just'a cotton pickin' minute're, Doc." Colt stood with his arms folded after listening to Archeville's speech, "Even if'n Avenger ain't plannin' on breakin' in'ere t'night, and I ain't sayin' he ain't, I'm not so sure I catch yer meanin' there. What changes're ya talkin' 'bout?

When the cowboy started to get defensive, Grim held one finger to her lips and gently placed her other hand on one of Colt's crossed arms, rubbing it affectionately.

[Dr Archeville]

Archeville stifled a chuckle at Grim's test, then quickly set his face to 'business' mode again and gave er a curt nod.

Ohhh yeah... a little to the left... little more... yeeeaaahh....

Gah! Mona is standing right there!

"Changes to de team's charter, Herr Colt," he continued, "or, rather, firmly establishing von, as vell as establishing a leadership role for de team. You haff all done fine jobs as heroes thus far, und I am proud of you, but you -- ve -- could be much better. Und I intend to see dat happen."

And I'll show them... I'll show them all!!! Muah hah hah hah hah!

... well, at least I know I can count on your energy being in it.