I'm sure most of you know about my eternally-incomplete Fanfic Writer's Guide (if you don't, it's here).  Well, in looking at the site statistics tonight, I stumbled across this blog, which has some very nice things to say about it:

Quote:Want to learn how to write, and write well? Read this. Shamelessly taken from the Solar Flare Review group, it touches off on some minor fanfiction points pertaining to anime and books, but otherwise is a very solid general guide on how to write fanfiction.
For any fledgling author, that guide will explain loads of things to you that I only know works because I 'know' it does on some whimsical memory.

Squish-bot - 12/Jun/2012
This is a slightly weird gadget, which has gone through three stages of development.  Each stage was done by a different person.
Stage One
An unused plastic inflatable sex doll, of either gender, is taken and waved.  This produces something which looks pretty human and feels like human skin to the touch, with human hair, and even breathes, but is obviously full of air rather than human flesh and organs.  The body remains unconscious.  When deflated by either puncture or (hidden) valve this dies and just becomes a plastic sex doll again, and dies anyway after about a week.  After death re-waving does nothing except make the plastic dissolve into a rather nasty mess.  If left alone then after a few months the plastic slowly decays, anyway.
Stage Two
As Stage One, but the body, after filling with air, has body-temperature water mixed with 'essential salts', which match the composition of the chemical elements in the human body, poured into the mouth.  The body is then injected with "uisce beatha" (water of life) made from waved whisky in a special (creation) ritual; strangely chemical tests show the same results for this 'water' as insulin, though insulin wont do.  The water gels into flesh, bones and organs.  In almost all respects this acts as an (unconscious) human body, including to genetic analysis, and has unique things like finger prints.  After about seven days the body dies, and you've got a salty water-filled sex doll.  Killing the body (as you'd kill a human) leaves a doll.  An injection of "uisce beatha" 'kills' the doll.  The process cannot be repeated on the same doll, but if carefully washed-out and kept the doll does not decay, as long as the doll was 'killed' by a second injection.
Stage Three
As Stage Two, but the salts are held within a special container instead of mixed with the water.  Pure water (warmed UK tap water will do) of about body temperature is used, and the initial injection causes the salts to mix with the water and become flesh, the second separates the salts back into the container leaving pure water.  If the paired injection process is used then the doll can be used (by the same person) repeatedly.  Death of the body by other means leaves a salty water-filled sex doll.  Its unclear what using the second injection on a significantly injured body would do, particularly one with a wound in the skin.

Stage One is quite well known in some circles, Stage Two is known to a smaller group, probably no more than a dozen.  These are all mystics who have created handwavium-based rituals.  Stage Three was developed by Brains, and he also added the belly pouch to include a half brain, as used by his design of robots to backup themselves.  Brains hasn't (late 2008) informed anyone else about the Stage Three process.
Brains has used Stage Three bots to give his design of robot temporary use of the closest thing to living human bodies as they're likely to get.  He has put some effort into customising bodies to their requirements; the Kei and Yuri bots may strike terror into some hearts.

Why do the squish-bots (Uran chose this name) die?  One mystic theory, not known to Brains (or associates), is it's because they have no souls.  Starvation and dehydration likely don't help; smart people would treat them like the persistently unconscious.  If this is true then one with a half brain in it has a soul, and might go on living indefinitely.  Though, after three days half brains need resynchronising again by a backup, so that is an issue as well.  But, maybe a manageable one...
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind

Uran - 12/Jun/2012
Uran is a 1m tall robot girl, definitely sub-teen in age, with short black hair, big brown eyes and an expressive face.  She is generally in a short red dress with red shoes, though has been known to experiment with all sorts of (cute) clothes.  Described as 'mischievous' and a 'tomboy' you will find her difficult to ignore if she wants you to know that she's there.  Life is rarely boring when she's around and she will usually make her opinions quite clear.
This is however only part of what she is and Uran has the knowledge and experiences of having 'grown up' (been placed over years in successively more mature bodies) up to the human-equivalent age of early 20s.  This tends to be in the background when she's in a child's body, and she's not going to let it stop her playing and having fun.
Brains built her so as to have "the little sister he never had" and she is quite happy to be that.  And, when he needs someone to give him advice she'll try and do that, too.  Eventually she'll have to persuade him to get on with his life, and she'll probably see him far less often.  She's rather protective of Brains...
If you tell Uran that Brains built her as an AI slave then she will likely get very quiet and icy.  Then ask the questioner if they've really thought through what their personal purpose is in life.  Then, unless they're smart enough to leave, she might get nasty.  It's unclear what she'd do if someone suggested Brains was a 'Lolicon'.

Mundane Abilities
Uran can drive a car and fly a plane or a spaceship; she's also skilled about picking-up information about travel problems, her destination, and navigating there.  She enjoys travelling, seeing new places, meeting new people, though she likes to have family, friends, and a home to go back to.
She's skilled with martial arts in the form of kung fu (sub-black belt), and sometimes claims to be skilled in ninjitsu; certainly she's good at sneaking around.  She's some basic proficiency with martial arts weapons, but is not at expert level.  She doesn't 'do' guns (except to break them).  Uran is perceptive enough to notice that she's being followed by all but the most expert (or a well-organised group), and to loose her tail.  She's a skilled and perceptive conversationalist, but no orator or persuader.  As an artist she's good at quick character-capturing sketches, and enjoys painting water colours of travel scenes.  She makes quite good humorous animations, which can touch emotions quite deeply.
A skilled mechanical and electrical engineer (certainly good enough to maintain her own body) she's also a proficient programmer, but her particular expertise is in the tele-operation of machinery and vehicles (assuming they've got appropriate interfaces, and she's the access codes).  She's also good at the interpretation of complex sensor information, particularly in space travel, though she likes to have a direct view as well.
Uran is smart (a genius?), and can learn the basics of most things she turns her hand to.  She is a competent linguist, with fluent Japanese, and (potentially) five other world languages, but see her Lipsync Quirk.  She's building up an impressive knowledge of fantasy and science fiction, in multiple media, including manga and anime.  In what some might consider an act of revenge she sometimes writes mostly harmless fanfics about Fen, under several pseudonyms.

Wavium Abilities
Strength: 50,000 horsepower (approx. 3.25 megawatt), enough to drive the 'Titanic' ocean liner at a maximum of 28mph.  While her original was supposed to be that strong (even after her strength was halved) Uran thinks that handwavium didn't pull that off, and simulates it with a number of tricks.  She is very strong and can lift quite a few tons, but thinks that her flight system is actually 'flying' the heavy objects that she can throw around.  There also seems to be a residual (flight field?) protective effect so that while she can pick up immense robots or vehicles and throw them considerable distances so they damage walls and scenery, the robots or vehicles (or humans) don't suffer any permanent damage, just dents and scrapes (or dazes); nor do bystanders (which is more suspicious).  There are occasional exceptions to this, where they suffer disabling injuries, but this seems to be tied to them using (potentially) lethal force first.  More generally, she can bend or break most things she can get her hands on, unless they're made of ridiculously strong materials (like dureum).
Invulnerability: to conventional physical injury, just like her brother.  She's made of ridiculously tough materials (like dureum, lux and relux) and you need heavy, generally vehicle-mounted, weapons to even shake her up.  Brains built her not to get hurt.  Her innards are protected by the acceleration defences of her flight system, along with nearly unbreakable bone analogues.  However, because she flexes and bends to move you can hurt her, if you apply enough force effectively, say to joints, or apply massive amounts of force over a big area.  If she gets a chance to brace herself her strength can help, or she might just power through your attack.  The materials she's made of render most chemical attacks pointless.  EMP can hurt her, though she is quite well shielded.  Her encryption systems should stand up to almost all hacking attacks, and if really forced to she'll close down part of her comms system.  She wont generally sacrifice herself to save others, but social attacks might be reasonably effective on her.  Or a massive amount of really flexible glue.
Flight: she can fly (or hover) in air and space, which at low speeds does not have any visual special effects, but faster makes red 'jets' visible from the soles of her feet, and sometimes palms of hands if she abruptly changes direction.  She has excellent manoeuvrability.  The original Uran couldn't fly, unlike her brother, and she's very pleased Brains made this possible for her. Uran has a pair of red boots, just like her brothers, and a 'wig' – someday she plans to really confuse people!
Enhanced Senses: though not having the extreme sensory abilities of her brother, she has sharper hearing which extends a little into the ultrasonic, clearer eyes which extend a little into the infra-red and ultra-violet, and low-light vision at least as good as a cats.  And she's well defended against sensory overloads.  She thinks she's good at reading people's emotions, but this is likely just good observation and intuition.  Her touch, taste and smell are human-grade, and see her Dulled Senses Quirk.
Unseen & Unheard: in line with Brains obscurity and invisibility theme, Uran's body and the clothes she wears most often are passively invisible – by default she can't be seen.  She is visible by means of her built-in image projection system which by default she uses to colour her skin and clothes.  This invisibility is the meta material and absorption trick used by Brains vehicles, and she can have related cooling problems unless she can somehow dump heat, say as beamed infra-red.  Her inaudibility is a combination of being naturally and trained sneaky and some receive-and-invert tricks by image projection.  Unless sneaking she makes the sounds of a normal (noisy) little girl moving around.  Those with refined senses might spot she is a radar shadow and doesn't reflect ultrasonics, and her IR and EM signature is totally wrong.  She doesn't smell of anything except any perfume she's wearing, either.  Uran can also make properly prepared items (say wrapped in invisi film) of considerable size invisible too; if she can hold something reasonably small close to her body her image projection can hide that.
Backed Up: Uran's robot brain comes in two halves, one of which she can remove from her head to do full backups of any new experiences she's had.  The two halves are connected by entangled particles which while they don't allow FTL information exchange allows her to know if something really nasty has happened to the other half of her brain.  No one can read or use these backups bar her, except to use them to upload her into a new brain – this is a deliberate design feature, to protect her privacy.
Distributed:  A more recent discovery was that Uran's removable half brain can be placed in a duplicate of her body, and both of these can fully function as her, merging their experiences once they rejoin.  While she is distributed like this neither 'twin' can take backups, which could cause problems if divided for more than about three days.  Unless one twin voluntarily goes into a coma-like state.  She has some limited ability to 'puppet' her duplicate body, via her internal comms system, even if it doesn't have a brain in it, but this is very disorientating, preventing her original body from taking almost any action.
I'm Ran Severn, Brian's Niece: Uran can relocate her half brain from her duplicate body into a suitably prepared untenanted body, and treat that body as if it was her own, leaving her previous body inanimate.  Doing so does not increase or decrease the amount of time her two half brains can be safely separate (see Distributed).  The main use Uran puts this to so far is impersonating a human by using a 'squish-bot' (note these are only good for about six days at a time), so she can be Brains niece.
Unimplemented Features: Uran sometimes complains (at least to herself) that Brains should get on with upgrading her comms systems for FTL, or other bits, and has been known to ask when she gets her 'emotion sensor'.  Brains comment is that she'd be twice the width if he gave her all the things she asks him for and she usually seems to accept this with good grace.  But, there might be a few things she can do that she doesn't know about yet...  (This does not include communicating with animals.  Sorry, no built-in weapons.)

Quirks
Dubbers Dilemma or Lipsync Error: Brains fought hard to ensure Uran didn't have a lipsync quirk.  All he managed to do was shift her native language from being Nihongo to Eigo.  Her English is OK, her Japanese doesn't have synchronisation between her lip movements and her voice (she's making English lip movements), and sometimes the voice starts before her lip movements do, or finishes after they stop, or visa versa.  In theory she knows a number of other world languages, but seeing as she hasn't used these its unclear if they too will have dubbers disease.
I Need A Hero: if Uran goes out to somewhere new, and there is anything that might require heroic action going on, she'll at least find out about it, even if she isn't sucked right into the middle.  Fortunately, these tend to be scaled to her current capabilities, so if she's effectively human, they will be human-level stuff.
Theme Music: if she is pushing her abilities (flight, strength, invulnerability) to the limit then, even if she is trying to stay undercover, say by invisibility or a cloaking illusion, then the "Mighty Atom" (Astro Boy) theme music will be heard, if necessary over otherwise encrypted comms systems.  This annoys her, so she tends to hold back a bit, as she considers its her robot brother's theme, and she doesn't believe he exists in Fenspace.  This theme music doesn't prevent people hearing other stuff (unless its very quiet) or using their comms systems normally.
Hubris or Murphy Blessed: sometimes someone says "It's quiet, too quiet", or "Nothing can possibly go wrong", or "It couldn't get any worse".  This is a really bad idea around Uran, Dramatic Necessity will bite you somewhere painful. And, Uran will probably have to try save you.  "My Perfect Plan Cannot Fail!" might be really, really, bad...
Dulled Senses: touch is something she only experiences at human levels of sensitivity on her hands and face.  She doesn't directly notice that it is hot or cold, where humans would get uncomfortable, or even start dying.  Other extreme sensory problems may be missed by her – don't ask her to check if the curry is too hot!
Not Really Human: because, she isn't.  She can't eat, except to taste stuff, drink, similarly, enjoy a hot shower, a full hug except for the closeness, or do things that might require you to be anatomically correct (though her normal body and mind-set is too young for that).  She also doesn't heal if injured, and needs (specialist) repair.  There is the matter that some wouldn't grant her sentient rights due to not being a biological human.  Though that's not generally a problem in Fenspace, she spends quite a bit of time poking around on Mundane Earth.
--
"It is the business of the future to be dangerous" - Hawkwind

I am still looking for a jacket that will work for Doug's jacket (in Daz) and not fight me every step of the way.  This is, so far, the closest thing I've found, and I've managed to force it to work once, but, for more animated poses, it becomes a jumbled mess.
So, I'll enlist the aid of the hivemind . . ..
I use Daz3D, so almost any Daz or Poser based outfit would work.  If it doesn't, I can still take a look and see if it exists in another format.
So, if you all don't mind, a hundred pairs of eyes can do this faster than I can.

"Asking me if I believe in god or gods is just stupid.  It's like
asking me if I believe in furniture, or in dirt.  They're just
*there*, and the best you can do is decide who you like and who
you don't."

"What *do* you believe in, then, Doug?"

"I believe in free will, the rights of man and the social contract.

"I believe in the power of one person to change the universe.

"I believe in music, and in magic, and in technology.

"I believe that Fish-on-a-Stick would be a bad idea.

"I believe that Diet Spam will never work.

"I believe that Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the Roadrunner are the
Holy Trinity that embody between them the best and worst extremes
of human nature.

"I believe in Hexe, and my wife, and my teammates.  I believe that
love, duty and honor all transcend death.

"...And that's my 'Bull Durham' speech.  Sorry, but I don't have
an opinion on Astroturf or the designated hitter."
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

First, I'll apolgise for using a TVTropes term, but it is a useful shorthand.
Binns, the nortoriously boring history teacher.
Why does he keep his job (at least over the timeframe of the books)?
Because the political problem of replacing him. Should he be replaced, they'd be a lot of pressure from certain parties about who should replace him and what slant should be put on history lessons.

So, here's my build for mt Tri-form.
I tend to use Nova or Dwarf form my attacks while Human form is reserved for utility powers and Sunless Mire.
It's possible, if you're fast enough with the fingers, to drop to human, fire off Sunless Mire, then shift back, drop your second more and wade through guys with a double build-up.
Any questions, just let me know.
Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1.956
http://www.cohplanner.com/
Click this DataLink to open the build!
Arctouros: Level 50 Science Warshade
Primary Power Set: Umbral Blast
Secondary Power Set: Umbral Aura
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Leadership
Power Pool: Concealment
Power Pool: Leaping
Hero Profile:
Level 1: Shadow Bolt

• (A) Superior Kheldian's Grace - Recharge/Form Empowerment
  

• (A) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
  

• (A) Steadfast Protection - Resistance/+Def 3%
  

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (9) Recharge Reduction IO
  

• (A) Gaussian's Synchronized Fire-Control - Chance for Build Up
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

• (A) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage
  
• (19) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (19) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (21) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge
  
• (21) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (23) Obliteration - Damage
  

• (A) Rectified Reticle - Increased Perception
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Defense
  
• (40) Luck of the Gambler - Defense/Recharge
  
• (50) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

• (A) Aegis - Resistance
  
• (23) Aegis - Resistance/Endurance
  
• (25) Aegis - Resistance/Recharge
  
• (25) Aegis - Psionic/Status Resistance
  

• (A) Doctored Wounds - Heal/Recharge
  

• (A) Luck of the Gambler - Recharge Speed
  

• (A) Ragnarok - Damage
  
• (29) Ragnarok - Damage/Recharge
  
• (29) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (31) Ragnarok - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (31) Ragnarok - Chance for Knockdown
  

• (A) Endurance Reduction IO
  

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  

• (A) Soulbound Allegiance - Damage
  
• (33) Soulbound Allegiance - Damage/Recharge
  
• (33) Soulbound Allegiance - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (33) Soulbound Allegiance - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (34) Soulbound Allegiance - Damage/Endurance
  
• (34) Soulbound Allegiance - Chance for Build Up
  

• (A) Obliteration - Damage
  
• (36) Obliteration - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (36) Obliteration - Damage/Recharge
  
• (36) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Obliteration - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (37) Obliteration - Chance for Smashing Damage
  

• (A) Accuracy IO
  
• (39) Recharge Reduction IO
  
• (39) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Recharge
  
• (39) Titanium Coating - Resistance
  
• (40) Titanium Coating - Resistance/Endurance/Recharge
  

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  

• (A) Gladiator's Armor - TP Protection +3% Def (All)
  

• (A) Shield Wall - +Res (Teleportation), +3% Res (All)
  

• (A) Impervium Armor - Psionic Resistance
  

• (A) Accuracy IO
  

• (A) Unbounded Leap - +Stealth
  

• (A) Recharge Reduction IO
  

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

• (A) Blessing of the Zephyr - Knockback Reduction (4 points)
  

• (A) Mako's Bite - Chance of Damage(Lethal)
  
• (34) Hecatomb - Damage/Recharge
  
• (37) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (40) Hecatomb - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (42) Hecatomb - Damage/Endurance
  
• (42) Hecatomb - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (42) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  
• (43) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  
• (43) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (43) Gladiator's Strike - Accuracy/Damage/End/Rech
  
• (45) Gladiator's Strike - Chance for Smashing Damage
  

• (A) Fury of the Gladiator - Chance for Res Debuff
  
• (45) Armageddon - Damage/Recharge
  
• (45) Armageddon - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (46) Armageddon - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (46) Armageddon - Damage/Endurance
  
• (46) Armageddon - Chance for Fire Damage
  

• (A) Kinetic Combat - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (48) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance
  
• (48) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Recharge
  
• (48) Kinetic Combat - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (50) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Healing
  
• (50) Touch of the Nictus - Accuracy/Endurance/Heal/HitPoints/Regeneration
  

• (A) Winter's Gift - Slow Resistance (20%)
  

• (A) Perfect Zinger - Chance for Psi Damage
  

• (A) Run Speed IO
  

• (A) Jumping IO
  

• (A) Numina's Convalescence - +Regeneration/+Recovery
  

• (A) Performance Shifter - Chance for +End
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Empty
  

• (A) Apocalypse - Damage
  
• (5) Apocalypse - Damage/Recharge
  
• (5) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (7) Apocalypse - Accuracy/Recharge
  
• (7) Apocalypse - Damage/Endurance
  
• (9) Apocalypse - Chance of Damage(Negative)
  

• (A) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (3) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (3) Devastation - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (31) Decimation - Chance of Build Up
  

• (A) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (15) Positron's Blast - Damage/Endurance
  
• (17) Positron's Blast - Damage/Recharge
  
• (17) Positron's Blast - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance
  
• (27) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  
• (27) Empty
  

• (A) Superior Kheldian's Grace - Accuracy/Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (11) Superior Kheldian's Grace - Damage/Recharge
  
• (11) Superior Kheldian's Grace - Accuracy/Damage
  
• (13) Superior Kheldian's Grace - Accuracy/Damage/Recharge
  
• (13) Superior Kheldian's Grace - Damage/Endurance/Recharge
  
• (15) Positron's Blast - Chance of Damage(Energy)
  

Unconscious Freakshow littered the ground as
a very confusing tableau spread itself out in the old 5th Column base. Two
nearly identical figures traded blow after blow, dodging kicks and punches
aimed at each other by split second adjustments at speeds other fighters would
find all but impossible to manage.

Rainbow Flash grimaced as she swept a high kick at the other fighter's face, only for the dark purple and gold clad fighter to duck under, rising up into a punch aimed at her solar plexus that was almost fast enough to make contact as Flash shot backwards, bumping against a wall from the speed she'd flown backwards to dodge.

The other fighter wasn't hard to predict, but that in and of itself was the problem. She was wearing Flash's face, as well as the dark hued version of Flash's normal hero costume that she'd put together after Jackie'd noted that the speedster couldn't sneak past a comatose Hellion if she'd tried. And Flash had to admit that, on this crazed alternate of herself, the colors definitely looked to fit the villainous figure that Nance had painted her as on their first meeting.

***

"Arrest me?" Flash squawked in indignation.

The agent regarded her coolly from behind reflective government issue sunglasses, though Flash could see a hint of irritation in his expression. "Don't be coy, Rainbow Flash. The robberies out by the Great Lakes. The technicolor explosion in Arizona that nearly killed several hundred people when it scrambled every aeronautical navigation system for five hundred miles? You may think that no one noticed you, that we were all too dumb to connect things only your powers could do to the incidents, but then you have the gall to show up in Paragon City and pretend to be a hero?"

Flash's hackles had been raising for most of the conversation, but Nance's acid tone had driven her over the edge. "I didn't do any of that. Go ahead, asshole. Try and arrest me and see how it works out for you."

Nance's face twisted in a slight smirk. "Somehow, I figured you wouldn't come quietly. That's not your style, is it? I've got several hundred agents that can swarm this spot the minute I give the signal. Do you really want to cause an incident like that? Or were you hoping for one?"

Flash snorted, settling to the ground from where she'd unconsciously started hovering, before taking a faint defensive stance. "Bring ‘em on, Jackboot. I think my self-defense case will stick a lot more than your wild theories."

Nance's hand hovered for a moment, about to raise, when his phone rang. The agent glanced at the caller ID (Adair, J, Flash noted), before answering. If anything, the government agent's face became even less pleased as he listened, before he nodded once and hung up. "Fine. It looks like my superior believes you and thinks that this whole thing must be the result of some other you," he said, sarcasm practically dripping from the end of the sentence. "Personally, I've heard "it's my Praetorian double!" excuses far too many times in the last year, but in this case, it's not my call. You want to clear the books with S.A.M., however, we're going to need to find this other you. Otherwise, I don't have any other suspects."

Flash's fists tightened slightly, but she sighed, settling her stance back into a more neutral one. "Fine. But don't think I'm particularly happy to be helping you out, jerkface."

Nance's smile looked about as amused as Flash felt. "On that point, Rainbow Flash, we can agree."

***

The investigation had led through an entire gang of Freakshow that apparently answered to Flash's evil double, as well as another good double of herself that apparently had trailed her evil double into Paragon. Flash hadn't really thought through the implications of so many versions of herself across the multiverse, beyond the fact that she was obviously upping the average awesome level of reality by existing so many times across it. However, when she'd met her impostor, Flash had been surprised to find that not only did she fight as well as Flash did, but that her powers were identical as well. Which had led to this standoff.

"This dance has been rather amusing, Flash, but I really do have better things to be doing," her double hissed as she pressed the attack. "Don't worry, I'll make it quick. You can die and then all the people you care about will be left to my..." she laughed nastily "...mercy. But I'll take care of them. You can trust me on that. Especially the cowgirl. She'll be delicious."

And for a split second, Flash's double found herself looking at where her opponent had been. A second later and she was careening across the hallway, hitting the floor every couple feet as Flash used her evil twin as an impromptu skidboard before jumping off as she slammed into the other wall.

The darker Rainbow growled as she stumbled to her feet, even as part of her boggled. Flash hadn't been anywhere near that fast before. How could they have misjud-

Her thoughts were cut off as a rapid series of kicks sent her stumbling backwards into a sloppy guard as Flash hit her, blurring in her vision to the point that the darker fighter couldn't even reliably see her opponent at all, reacting more to the air pressure of Flash's rapid strikes than anything she could see.

A single missed blow was all it took and the fight was over, dust rippling out in a shockwave as the force of the blow sent the darker Flash slamming into the wall. Flash walked over to her double, before kneeling down and picking her up by the collar. "Who the hell are you, and why are you trying to steal my face?"

"The face doesn't matter," her double coughed, even as a sickly green glow bathed them both, causing Flash to drop her and take a step back. The double pushed herself to her feet even as green flame flickered around her, burning away the purple jumpsuit first, before continuing to sear away flesh, feathers, and hair. Inhuman, faceted eyes locked with Flash's as burnt, twisted black chitin and replaced human skin, gleaming fangs coated in toxic green saliva forming words that no longer sounded remotely human as a viper's tongue shaped them. "And as to who we are...the first of many."

The twisted mockery of human form rasped a laugh as it took in Flash's expression. "Yessss.... you see what you have uncovered. We are everywhere, and you can trust no one. When the time comes, all will bow before Her. In
the meantime...enjoy your victory. We are legion.
You'll never find us all."

The twisted creature laughed even harder as the flames flared, consuming it, and leaving the room plain and normal again. If it hadn't been for the singed place where her double had been standing, Flash would almost have chalked up what she'd just seen to taking too hard a hit to the head.

"-ash, come in! Rainbow Flash, this is Nance. Report on your status!"

"Flash here..." she said, shaking herself. "My double's gone."

"Define gone."

"She set herself on fire when it became clear she was going to lose, and just disappeared. I dunno if she's dead or not, but she's not here anymore," Flash said flatly.

"I... see. I hate this city some times."

"Tell me about it," Flash said, but her heart wasn't in it. She couldn't help but hear the echoes of the thing's last words.

You'll never find us all.

***

The omnipresent buzzing and chittering as green flame flickered over hard black stone and glistening green slime reminded her of home, but the comfort was only faint as the drone prepared to report on her failure.

The twisted black throne of stone and webs at the far side of the room stood in shadow, only the drifting of the blue gossamer hanging over its edges indicating that its occupant was even there, the black of her Majesty's armor blending perfectly with the murky shadows.

"My Queen... we regret to inform you our mission...has failed. The hero was tipped off. She came for us and forced us to reveal ourselves. We beg your forgiv-"

The drone never saw the enormous black jaws within the sudden flare of green fire. She simply ceased to see anything as they severed her body at the waist, chewing the remains for a moment before the liquid darkness slithered back to the form on the throne.

"Hmm... we forgive you, my loyal drone. The distrust you may have fostered in one so loyal is the best that could be hoped for, given your failure. Your knowledge shall be passed on to the rest of the Swarm," She hissed as Her claws tapped at the edge of throne's arms. "Attendant."

"Yes, your Highness? " a drone said, scuttling out from a hole in the wall.

"Inform the rest of My will. We are to divide, and then we shall conquer , " She hissed, even as emerald eyes cracked open to look at the
floating image of the city hovering amid green flames before her. "And have them be alert. I will have need of a Proxy if I am to attend to this Myself."

"Yes, your Highness."

***

Jackie had once thought she would do anything in order to see her kinda-sorta girlfriend stay still and quiet for more than three seconds. However, as the country girl walked out onto the balcony of the apartment that Flash called home, the wind whistling around her on its way through Steel Canyon's chilly New England night, Jackie had to admit that watching Flash look out over the night in a silent brood was just plain unnatural. Still, nothing to it but to do it... "Hey."

"Heya. Bit cold out here for you," Flash said quietly, glancing over her shoulder, before stiffening slightly as Jackie wrapped her arms around the other woman's waist, her tension plain in how her wings stiffened. Jackie just held the position, as new and odd as it felt to her, until the flier's nervousness calmed. Jackie wasn't sure what she was supposed to do in this situation, but something was bothering Flash... and that meant it bothered Jackie too.

"What's wrong?" Jackie asked. "You're as jittery as a horse sitting out in pasture before a thunderstorm."

"I dunno what you mean," Flash said, getting a look from Jackie.

"Flash, y'keep that up, and maybe people will stop thinkin' I'm the worst poker player in our group," the country girl noted.

"...I guess so," the flier said with a faint laugh. "....promise you won't think I'm crazy?"

Jackie turned Flash around to face her, aware somehow of how important the seemingly flippant question was. "You've got my word."

Flash looked uncomfortable at how serious Jackie had said that, but after a moment of silence, the flier started to talk again. "It all started when this guy, Keith Nance, tried to arrest me..."
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."

That's Dull, Perthshire, Scotland, and Boring, Oregon, USA - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 19712.html]they're becoming twin cities.

Does anyone care?
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

Would anyone be opposed to my doing a short story or two of my fenspace counterpart going up into space?