Revenge: Act 3: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble - part 2
by BlueBard

Previously...

"Shush!" AlcheMiss hushed them both. "Someone's comin'... or some thing!"

A shimmering, transparent, and faintly luminous figure descended down the stairs without making any noise upon the rickety wooden steps.

DejaVu's eyes widened. "T-there's a thing on a spooky vector! Here comes d-down a ghostly spectre!"

The figure stopped in front of the cells and seemed to thicken slightly into a recognizable visage.

"Good golly, it's a ghost!" Nick exclaimed. "It's the ghost of Microwave!"

The spectral figure approached Nick's cell and traced an insubstantial finger upon the forcefield. Where its finger touched the forcefield, a glowing but swiftly fading letter formed.

"He's writin' on the forcefield!" AlcheMiss exclaimed in a low, wondering voice.

They read, "self not ghost. self trapped out of phase. limited ability to interact with electromagnetic devices. need help."

"Don't know why you came to us, Lightbulb," said AlcheMiss. "We're not exactly in a position to do anything. Why not go to Mentor?"

Microwave wrote on the forcefield again, "self tried. failed to communicate. still learning to manifest self in this form. not able to control devices. can only cause malfunctions. alchemiss has ability to close portals. open portal now. release self."

"Ah'd love to, Lightbulb," drawled the southern belle, "but even if ah could open a portal to where you are, ah surely can't do it from inside this cell."

Microwave wrote again, "self can attempt to make cell malfunction?"

AlcheMiss smiled slyly, "Now we're gettin' somewhere!"

Meanwhile, the AlcheMiss clone arrived at the Freedom Fortress. She walked in like a model on a runway, still wearing the same exaggerated grin as before. Bystanders on the street stared at her, shook their heads, and walked on.

She almost walked into the command room where the heroes were recovering from Pinstripe's assault, but spotted Mentor and quickly ducked back out. "Oh, Minuteman!" she called in a sing-song voice, "Could you come out here for just a teeny sec? Ah just absolutely need to talk to you, like heck!"

Minuteman stepped out into the foyer where she was, a bandage on his arm where he'd been shot by Pinstripe. "Yes, AlcheMiss? What's wrong? And where's Nick?"

"Oh, you know that boy! He wouldn't come. He thinks your rules are just plain dumb!" She batted her eyelashes at him, still grinning with a too-wide grin.

Minuteman gave her a strange look, trying to figure out why she was acting so oddly. "Are you alright, AlcheMiss?"

"Ah'm feelin' fit for any old task! Feelin' great, really. Why do you ask?"

Minuteman looked puzzled and concerned. "You aren't acting like yourself."

The fake AlcheMiss bristled. "Are you insinuatin' ah'm a clone, you old also-ran? That's no way to treat a lady! You act just like a man!"

A look of surprise crossed his face, then realization. "Can you take me to where Nick is?" he asked carefully.

"Why of course I can! ...if you'll promise to be nice. How about a little kiss, just to break the ice?" She leaned forward and puckered her lips.

"Uh... Nnno. I don't think so. I'm, uh, old enough to be your grandfather. It wouldn't be appropriate. Why don't you just show me where Nick is?" He motioned toward the door in a gentlemanly fashion. "Ladies first!"

The double's eyes narrowed. "No, you first! That's mah duty. After all, Minuteman; age before beauty!"

"No, I can't. It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me."

"Ah insist, says AlcheMiss."

"No, really. You go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

The clone stamped her foot in a fit of anger. "Why's a girl have to try so hard to get a man to turn his back? Since you won't cooperate, I'll just have to ATTACK!" She swung an open palm, intending to smite him with an eldritch slap.

Minuteman dodged and brought his Patriot Staff forward to defend. "Alright, clone! Your game is over! Tell me where AlcheMiss and Liberty Lad are!"

Bullet and El Diablo rushed out. "What's all the commotion?"

"You three heroes come to save the day?" the clone snarled. "Let me help; up, up, up and away!" The clone made an upward-sweeping gesture and a mighty wind swept them up and slammed the three heroes into the high ceiling. They dropped to the floor with a triple thud. Bullet got to his feet first, but was stopped in his tracks by another gesture from the clone that encased the hero in an icy shell. Diablo burst into the air on a jet of flame, but was knocked back by an invisible hand and thrown into the wall.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" the clone laughed, "that all the stuff you got? Looks like El Diablo ain't so hot!"

"For Freedom!" rang Minuteman's battle cry as he swung his staff. The gleaming silver eagle launched itself at the pseudo sorceress with a shrill cry and slammed into her skull, stunning her. Minuteman sprang forward to restrain her, but found nothing to hold as the clone dissolved in a purple mist.

Diablo got to his feet unsteadily as Mentor rushed out. "What is going on?"

"AlcheMiss was replaced by a Deja clone that just tried to ambush me," replied Minuteman. "That must mean that madman has AlcheMiss, and probably Nick, too!"

"The sensors have been tuned to detect any of DejaVu's clones," Mentor replied in disbelief. "Are you certain?"

"The clone spoke in rhymes just like DejaVu. And it dissolved after I hit it. It must have been a clone; there's no other explanation."

"Implausible as it would appear, I fear you are correct," replied Mentor. "We must assume that Pinstripe and DejaVu were recruited by the Dominion to work against us. As of yet, we have seen no sign of this Techmaster that Pinstripe spoke of. I surmise that if we find him, we will find our missing teammates."

"What makes you so sure the Dominion was behind Pinstripe and that clone?" asked Diablo. "Lately it seems like we pick up a rock and expect to find an alien under it. Maybe this Techmaster hombre is just another badguy."

"Call it an educated guess, or intuition if you will. I know this; the Dominion was behind the device that plunged the entire city into an unreasoning rage. Therefore they are most likely behind this, as well. Consider this: with AlcheMiss missing, we have no way to close any dimensional portals that the Dominion may open. We are wide open for an invasion force to attack."

Just then, an alarm blared inside the command center. The heroes dashed back inside and Bullet raced up to the console.

"Well, Mentor," Bullet said ruefully, "looks like you called it right on the money! Accordin' to the sensors, dimensional portals are openin' up all over the city! An' there's a big one poppin' up right outside our doorstep!"

"If it's a fight they want," declared Minuteman, "let's give them one! For Freedom!"

Microwave finished examining the cells that confined the three humans, and came back to write upon one of the forcefields.

"self can interrupt power to cells for 3.9 seconds," it wrote. "sufficient for you to exit."

"Well, don't just float there, Lightbulb!" AlcheMiss exclaimed. "Get us out of here!"

Microwave moved to the power junction and stuck an immaterial hand through it. The forcefields across the cell doors flickered and then disappeared. AlcheMiss, Liberty Lad, and DejaVu all made hasty exits.

AlcheMiss pointed at DejaVu. "Nick, keep an eye on him!"

DejaVu held up his hands. "My power is still quite drained, I fear. Do what you will, I won't interfere."

"Okay, Lightbulb. Let's see what yours truly can do for you." AlcheMiss concentrated. "Peaches and Cream! Ah can't open a portal when ah don't even know what dimension you're in!" She thought for a moment. "But ah bet ah know who can!" AlcheMiss made a series of complicated gestures, and a small, swirling portal opened. "This is just a scryin' portal, but ah can use it to communicate."

"With who?" asked Liberty Lad.

"None other than ManBot, Sugah! Knock, knock! Are you home, Ted?"

To Liberty Lad's amazement, ManBot's armor-clad face appeared in the swirling portal. "Yes, AlcheMiss. I hear you. What is your need?"

"Microwave done got himself stuck in between dimensions, and ah need your help to get him back."

"I have become the guardian of Time," ManBot replied wearily. "I cannot interfere."

"You have to, Ted! The Dominion is just about to invade the earth and destroy us all! Please? For mah sake?"

"They will anyway, in an alternate timeline."

"Ah don't give a hoot about an alternate timeline. Ah'm concerned about this one!"

ManBot sighed. "Very well, Catherine. I will do as you request. Open a portal, and I will guide you. I can only hope that I won't regret interfering."

"Thanks, Sugah! Ah knew you'd be mah hero!" AlcheMiss lifted her hands and an aura of power enveloped her. In a few moments, a hole in space and time opened up before her. Microwave floated thru the portal and walked out the other side, material and whole. The portal winked out of existence as soon as Microwave was through it.

"self has returned to proper spacio-temporal coordinates. all systems functioning optimally. transition has inexplicably repaired self's physical form."

"A little gift from me, Lightbulb. Ah need you one-hundred percent ready to fight!"

"self extends gratitude to units designated: alchemiss and manbot." Microwave turned suddenly. "self detecting surge of energy-x from subject designated: deja vu."

A bright aura of light surrounded the purple-clad villain. Suddenly, another DejaVu appeared. Both figures sang in unison, "I think I'm a clone, now! There's another one of me just hangin' arou-ound! Say hello to my clone, now! I'm a supervillain singin' in stereo sou-ound!"

"Ah think we'd best be ready to rumble," sighed AlcheMiss.

To Be Continued...