Ari McKinneson had awakened early according to her usual routine.  After a quick shower and getting dressed, she ventured down to the mailroom to retrieve the morning paper.  Upon her return, she found her roommate, Dr. Dawn Walters, skulking about the kitchenette.

    "You forgot to make coffee again," she grumbled.

    "Well, good morning to you, too," said Ari with a smirk.  "And I didn't forget.  I just went to get the morning edition."  Ari tossed the newspaper on to the dining table.  "Now, you go ahead and catch up on the day's news, I'll get breakfast started."

    Dawn nodded, shuffled groggily over to the dinette set and sat down.  As usual, her first interest was the science section.  Upon looking at the front page of the science news, Dawn caught sight of a headline that made her swear vehemently.

    Ari poked her head in.  "Something wrong?"

    "The university is pressing charges against me for the damage to my lab," snapped Dawn.

    "Well," said Ari equably, "we've never made a conscious effort to try and clear you.  You...weren't interested in any outside human contact."

    Dawn continued to read the article.  "It's bad enough that I'll never be able to work as a researcher again, but now they want me to pay for the damage.  I don't have that kind of money."

    Ari walked over to where Dawn was sitting and placed a coffee cup on the table.  Dawn immediately transferred the paper to her third and fourth hands, while her primary hands dealt with adding cream and sugar to her liking.  She  had noticed that she was developing a much stronger sweet tooth lately.  No doubt another side effect of becoming a human ant.

    Ari was reading the article over Dawn's shoulder.  "I'll just bet that Nugent is pressing the charges, or at least convincing the dean to go through with it."

    Dawn stiffened as she reached another part of the article.  "I think you're right.  He's being interviewed in the article.  Listen to this.  'I've always known that Dr. Walter's ethical standards were a little dicey, but I never imagined she would be reckless the point of endangering this university.  She should be held accountable for her actions.'  The gall!"

    "If only we could sneak into the university," said Ari.  "I bet Nugent has something there that would prove your innocence.  He's so damned cocky, he'd never expect anybody would doubt him."

    "I don't know," said Dawn uncertainly.  "I don't like the idea of breaking into the science research center."

    "So who's gonna be breaking in?" asked Ari.  "Or did you forget that you still have a full set of keys?  I doubt they've changed all those locks that quickly.  Your only other alternatives are to turn yourself in to the police or..."  Ari hesitated.

    "Or what?" prompted Dawn.

    "Or leave town," finished Ari.

---

What action should Dr. Walters take?
80% A. Sneak into the research center and look for evidence.
20% B. Turn herself in to the police.
  0% C. Get out of town fast!
  0% D. Stay home in bed and hope it all just goes away.

---

    Dawn sat back and sipped her coffee while her second pair of arms neatly folded the newspaper.  She seemed to be lost in thought for quite a while.  Ari nervously bit her lip as she waited for Dr. Walters to come to a conclusion.

    "Well, I've never been one to run away from anything," Dawn said finally, "and I certainly don't relish turning myself in.  I'd probably be prosecuted without due process based on my looks alone."

    "So, you're going to the research center, then?" asked Ari hopefully.

    "It would seem I have no choice," concluded Dawn.

    "Awesome!" cried Ari enthusiastically.  "We could take a look around the purchasing office, too..."

    "We?" interrupted Dawn.  "Oh, no.  You're staying out of this."

    "What?" said Ari.  "You can't be serious!"

    "I am deadly serious," said Dawn evenly.  "You've got to think of your future, girl.  I don't want you getting into trouble should things go wrong."

    "I'll be okay," protested Ari, but she already knew that this was a fight she couldn't win.

    "You have to stay clean, so you won't lose your job, and we won't lose our home," argued Dawn.  "Someone has to pay the bills."

    Ari pouted, but she knew Dawn was right.

    "Not to mention, with my new abilities, it will be much easier for me to escape than you," added Dawn.

    "Okay.  Uncle," said Ari in defeat.  "So, when are you gonna go?"

    "Probably early in the morning.  Maybe two or three a.m."

    Ari's brow furrowed.  "Why that late?  Or early?  Whatever..."

    Dawn smiled.  "How many times did you come into the lab and find me there still wearing the same clothes I had on the day before?"

    "Too many to count," said Ari with a wicked grin.

    "Exactly," nodded Dawn.  "I think anyone who would still be there would at least be asleep that early in the morning."  She paused.  "I think I'd better suit up as well."

    "You're gonna wear your costume?" asked Ari.  "How come?"

    "Think, girl," said Dawn tapping her temple.  "How often have you seen the security cameras on the hallway ceilings.  They also have them in the corners of the lab.  Why do you think I always changed clothes in the closet?"

    "Ah," said Ari duly chastened.  "I guess I never noticed those in the lab."

    Dawn shook her head and smiled.  "And you call yourself a student of science.  What's the one thing I always told you during the time you were my assistant?"

    "Shut up and pay attention," said Ari with a smirk.

    Dawn blinked.  "I don't recall those being my exact words.  I believe I said, 'Observation is key.'"

    "Yes, well, it wasn't what you said," admitted Ari, "it was how you said it.  Your accent always gets thicker when you get angry."

    Dawn quirked an eyebrow.  "What accent?"

    Ari just laughed.

* * *

    The warm summer air moved in early over Monument State University, and it was laden with moisture.  The end result was a moderate mist the obscured one's vision after a dozen yards.  In the distance, the clock tower on top of the registration building sounded it's Westminster chime, followed immediately after by two peals of the bell.  Shrouded in the mist, a red clad figure skulked about the hedgerows.  As she approached the Science Research Center, she kept an eye out for campus police or insomniac students.  Assured that no one was around, Red Formica quit her hiding place and walked up to the seldom used side entrance.  Taking keys from her belt pouch, she quickly opened the door, making sure to lock it behind her.  Her next task was to avoid the security cameras.

    Unfortunately, they were stationary cameras.  No matter how she approached, at some point she would have to walk in front of them.  With a spark of inspiration, Red Formica ascended the wall and began to crawl along the ceiling.  Anyone who saw her would probably assume someone was playing a prank on security.  It wouldn't be the first time.  A year ago, a group of engineering students had been suspended for piping in illegal cable access to their room.  They didn't realize that they had also tapped into the security cameras.  Or perhaps they did it as a joke.  Either way, security was quite surprised when looking at their monitors only to see an adult cable channel playing a rather steamy video.

    Red Formica made rapid progress along the ceiling.  Her new arms had learned how to properly alternate with her primary arms and her legs.  She crawled along in a very fluid manner.  Dawn had also noticed that her agility had dramatically increased.  Her legs could bend to extremes that were nowhere near possible before her accident.  She had never been athletic by nature, and her flexibility had always been limited.

    As she crawled around a corner, Red Formica came across her old lab.  The door still bore the scarring left behind by the explosion.  Looking at it for the first time, Dawn wondered how she survived the accident in the first place.  She had an itching sensation at the back of her skull.  She was dying to take a good look at the damage.

---

What should Red Formica do?
100% A. Check out the old lab.
    0% B. Go on to Dr. Nugent's office.
    0% C. Check out the purchasing office.

---

    Letting her curiosity get the better of her, Red Formica did an inverted flip down to the floor.  She used her key on the lab door.  Fortune was with her as the key still opened the lock.  Upon entering, Red Formica was shocked at the amount of damage that had been done to the lab.  There were scorch marks everywhere.  Much of the glassware that had been shattered had been cleaned up.  Dawn was overcome with anger.  It was fairly clear to her that Nugent knew what he was doing.  He had intended to kill her.  The big question was why.

    Red Formica began to rummage through the wreckage for any kind of clue.  Of course, sometimes the most important clue isn't what was left behind, but what was taken away.  Dawn went over to her desk and opened the drawers.  Sure enough, all of her notes and research had been removed.  Did Nugent take it, or did the university confiscate it?  She would definitely make Nugent's office her next stop.  Before leaving, Dawn removed a photo from the desk.  The glass in the frame had shattered in the explosion, but the picture was intact.  She carefully removed the photo and placed it in her belt pouch.

    Red Formica opened the door to the hallway and stepped out.  As she did so she heard footsteps at the far end of the hall.

    "Hold it!"

    Crap!

    No doubt the security officers in the monitoring room had gotten over the shock of seeing her and decided to investigate.  Red Formica ducked back into the lab and shut the door.  Looking about for some way to bar the door, she leapt over to the desk and lifted it over her head without thinking about it.  Then, she dropped it on it's desktop in front of the door just as the security guard was trying to enter.  Lab desks tend to be much heavier than the traditional office type since they are made of steel.  Still, with a good amount of pushing, the guard would eventually gain entrance.

    Red Formica made for the window that had been above where the desk had previously resided.  Since it too had been blasted by the explosion, it was covered with a plywood board.  Scuttling up the wall, Red Formica easily ripped the board loose and crawled out the window.

    "Well, guess I'll be breaking and entering after all," she mused.  She could already hear the security guard throwing his weight against the lab door.  The mist outside was still quite thick.  Red Formica crawled quickly and quietly along the wall.  She had a pretty good idea where Nugent's office window was.

    After nearly circumventing the entire research center, Red Formica finally came upon her desired goal.  The window was locked, but at this point, Red Formica didn't care anymore about a delicate approach.  Realizing that Nugent had intended harm to her from the beginning had fired her passion.  With a quick punch, she shattered the glass and reached in to unlock the window frame.  The window was much smaller than her lab window had been, so it was a bit of a squeeze getting through.  In the process, she tore the back of her shirt.

    "Well, looks like I'm going to be needing some replacement pieces to my costume if this is the kind of thing I'm going to be doing from now on," said Dawn to herself.

    Nugent's office was a cluttered mess.  Red Formica had to somersault from the window to the center of the office, which was where the only clear floor space was located.  Looking around, Red Formica took stock of everything in the office.

    "Guess I'll have to turn the lights on in such unfamiliar territory."

    She worked her way to the door, where the light switch was positioned, and turned on the light.

    There were papers stacked haphazardly about the office.  Some stacks were nearly as tall as she.  "What a dump."  Red Formica began the unenviable task of rooting through the nest of papers.

    Red Formica stopped to look through a few of the notes that she found.  "Well, no wonder Nugent was always hostile against me.  His work was really paralleling mine.  He's good at forming theories, but he's a rank amateur at proving or disproving.  He can't blame me for his funding cuts."

    Although it was all interesting reading, none of it had any information regarding Dr. Walter's projects.  "Well, I doubt he'd have that just sitting out in the open."  She moved to his desk.  As she expected, the drawers were locked.  "The man is definitely paranoid," said Red Formica shaking her head.  "Maybe if I had been a little more secure with my notes, I wouldn't be in this mess."  Somehow, she doubted that.

    Using her new found strength, Red Formica was able to pry open the drawers.  "He blew up my lab, I wreck his desk.  Not exactly equal retribution, but satisfying nonetheless."

    Inside the bottom most drawer, Red Formica found what looked like a journal.  She picked up the book and began to leaf through the pages.  Sure enough, there were dated entries written all through the journal.

- September 23
They cut my funding to give more money to that hack Walters.  I don't know what the dean thinks he's doing.  Maybe she's screwing him.  I wouldn't put it past her, the tart.  I've got to find some way to discredit her, or otherwise my career here is finished.

    "Okay, he's officially off my Christmas list," said Red Formica with a scowl.  She flipped through a few pages.

- October 2
I think I have a plan to get rid of Walters.  She's been working with a gene sequencer that has an electrical flaw.  I found out how to overload it and make it blow.  I've also got my hands on some impure uranium.  If I can get a radiation signature in the room, that'll finish the bitch for sure.  If it kills her, well, so much the better.

    "Nugent, whatever the hell did I do to you, man?" Red Formica asked the room angrily.  "I've got half a mind to pay you a visit and show you what your handiwork has accomplished, but I really need to get this to the police.  Maybe I should talk to Ari.  I can't think straight right now."

---

What should Red Formica do about the evidence?
29% A. Go kick Nugent's ass.
29% B. Drop off the evidence with the police.
43% C. Go home and talk things over with Ari.

---

    Just then, the door came crashing open.

    "Hold it right there!"

    A man in a campus police officer's uniform had stepped in with his weapon drawn.  When he saw the extra pair of arms on Red Formica he was stunned.  "Holy crap!"

    I don't have time for this, groused Red Formica.

    With lightning reflexes, she grabbed the office chair and sent it flying.  As the chair collided with the officer, he shot his service weapon.  The shot went wild however and implanted itself into a wall.  Red Formica leapt backwards to the window.  She kicked out the entire frame, making it easier to escape through the opening.

    Speed was now more important than stealth.  Keeping to the low built dormitories, Red Formica made a quick retreat into the city proper, the journal of Dr. Emil Nugent clutched safely in the grip of her right secondary hand.  It took a while for Red Formica to reach her apartment building.  She quickly scaled it's sandstone walls until she reached the copper sheet roof.  When the building was new, the roof had gleamed like a beacon in the sunlight.  Age and the elements had given the metal a sickly, green patina.  Red Formica made rapid progress along the roofline until she came to the skylight that hung just above her living room.  Opening one of the panes, she quietly slipped into the living room, shutting the window behind her.

    "You're back," called Ari.  "Thank goodness."

    "What are you doing up, young lady?" scolded Dawn.  "You have work tomorrow."

    "How could I possibly get any sleep worrying about you?" said Ari.  She studied her mentor.  "Did you find anything?"

    Dawn performed an inverted flip and dropped to the floor landing squarely on her feet.  Ari had started a little, even though she was expecting it.  "I don't think I'll ever get used to that," sighed Ari.

    Dawn handed Ari the journal.  "Take a look through this.  I think you'll find it interesting."

    Ari leafed through the journal while Dawn removed her helmet.  Her dreadlocks were damp with sweat and beginning to unravel.  "That bastard!" hissed Ari.  No doubt she had found the entries which directly related to Dr. Walters.  After reading a bit more, Ari closed the book and looked up at Dawn.

    "So, what are you gonna do now?"

    Dawn took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "I'm...not sure.  If I take it to the police, I'd have to explain everything, including how I got that book.  I almost was caught, you know."

    Ari inhaled quickly.  "Do you think you were recognized?"

    Dawn shook her head.  "Not with the helmet on.  Although, I did have the visor up so I could see.  In any case, it was a campus police officer.  I doubt any of them even know I exist."  She looked at Ari.  "I kind of wanted to talk to you about what to do next.  I thought you might have some ideas."

    Ari scratched her head and stifled a yawn.  Dawn smiled.  "We can talk more tomorrow.  I'm home.  You should be able to sleep now."

    Ari nodded and the two women headed for their beds.

* * *

    Dean Milhouse was used to Dr. Nugent's rants.  He was truly tiring of the man, but he needed more than irksome behavior to have him dismissed.  In any case, they had already lost one promising researcher as it was.  Nugent may be flawed in character, but he was still a brilliant scientist with many triumphs to his credit.  However, lately Nugent had been giving in to paranoia.  For some reason, he had long held that Dr. Dawn Walters was out to destroy his career.  Milhouse did his best to keep the peace between them.  If anything, the feud was entirely one sided.  Dr. Walters, he had learned at one point, wasn't even aware that Dr. Nugent was familiar with her work.  From what Milhouse knew of her, she didn't have an aggressive bone in her body.  Milhouse did his best to assuage Nugent's fears with little success.  When Dr. Walters used prohibited nuclear material in her experiments, Milhouse had been truly taken aback.  It seemed out of character.  On the other hand, he truly didn't know Dr. Walters all that well.  True she was quite pleasant to talk to.  Quite engaging in most situations, in fact.  But, he really didn't know her.

    "I tell you, it's that Walters woman who broke in here and stole some vital notes," raged Nugent.

    Dean Milhouse sighed.  He was really beginning to dislike Nugent with a passion.  "No one has seen Dr. Walters in months.  When we went to her listed address, someone else was living there.  For all we know, she could be dead considering the lethal dose of radiation she absorbed.  Assuming she was even in the lab at the time of the explosion."

    "Oh, she's alive alright," growled Nugent.

    "What makes you think it was Dr. Walters?"

    "The notes that are missing were vital to my work," said Nugent.  "Only she would have had any interest in them."

    Milhouse shook his head.  "I'm afraid it wasn't Dr. Walters who ransacked your office," said Dean Milhouse.  "We have a video tape of the culprit and a couple of eyewitnesses."

    Nugent seemed to lose track of his thoughts.  "What's that?  You have an identification of this sneak thief?"

    "Actually, no," said Dean Milhouse.  "We couldn't identify the person in the security video.  It was most...peculiar."

    "Peculiar?" asked Nugent, his interest piqued.  "In what way."

    "The thief seemed to be some kind of mutant," said Dean Milhouse.  "Eyewitness accounts support that."

    "Mutant," said Dr. Nugent thoughtfully.  "I see."

    Dean Milhouse looked at Nugent who was in quiet contemplation.  Well, at least he's not screaming any more.

* * *

    Ari and Dawn sat on opposite ends of the dinner table discussing their options.

    "Maybe you could ask Kismet for help," offered Ari.  "I bet she has lots of experience in this sort of thing."

    Dawn shook her head.  "Any idea how to find her?"

    Ari opened her mouth to speak, then clamped it shut.

    Dawn smiled.  "We need to work this out ourselves, in any case," she said.  "No, I think the police are our best bet.  I only wish there was some way to do this without having to explain everything.  Or actually meeting them, for that matter."

    Ari brightened.  "I may be able to help."

    Dawn narrowed her eyes at Ari.  "You always worry me when you make that statement."

    Ari pouted a little.  "I'm serious.  I have a friend in the police department.  I bet she could help."

    Dawn looked interested.  "Who is this friend?"

    "Her name's Lisa Harrigan," said Ari.  "She's a friend of the family.  I think our parents went to school together in Dublin."

    Dawn smiled.  "Funny, you don't sound like you've got an Irish brogue."

    "Hey, I was born here in Monument City," said Ari huffily.  Then, she cracked an impish grin.

---

What should Dawn and Ari do?
    0% A. Try to find Kismet.
100% B. Talk to Ari's friend Lisa Harrigan.
    0% C. Talk to Dean Milhouse.

---

    Dawn nodded to Ari.  "Alright, see if this friend of yours can help us.  I just hope we can trust her.  And for heaven's sake, don't tell her how we got that book."

    "Do I look that dumb?" asked Ari in mock indignation.  "I'll pop in to see her after work."  She glanced at her watch.  "Speaking of which..."  Ari guzzled down the last of her orange juice and crammed the last piece of toast in her mouth.  Then, she jumped up out of the chair and grabbed her purse and coat.  Dawn waved farewell as she exited the apartment.

    "The only problem with being confined to one's apartment is that it get frightfully boring," said Dawn to the empty room.  Dawn decided to go to the spare room and log onto her computer.  "If it weren't for the Internet, I'd probably go spare."

* * *

    Nugent sat reviewing the security tape.  He was able to wrangle it from one of the interns working there.  Over and over he rewound the tape and and closely studied the strange figure that entered both Dr. Walters' destroyed lab and his office.  With a grim smile on his face, he noticed something that was apparently ignored by everyone else.

    The mutant woman in the red costume had picked up a picture and removed a photo from the shattered frame.  Nugent knew of whom the picture was taken.  He had seen it many times in his visits to Dr. Walters' lab.

    "There's just no question," muttered Nugent to himself.  He knew that he'd have to take action.

* * *

    Ari walked into the police precinct that afternoon.  The duty officer looked up as she approached.  "How may I be of assistance?" he asked.

    "Yes, I'm looking for Officer Lisa Harrigan," said Ari in a low voice.  Police officers always intimidated her.

    The duty officer looked about the precinct.  He pointed to a small alcove on the far side of the room.  "There she is talking with Lieutenant Brown.  Hey, Harrigan!  You got a visitor!"

    Across the room a short woman with red hair and freckles looked over to the duty station.  She waved for Ari to approach.  When Ari reached the spot where Lisa was standing, she noticed that she had been talking to a tall dark-skinned man with short cropped hair and a trim mustache and a tall caramel skinned woman with short loosely curled black hair.  The woman seemed to be conversing in sign language with the other two.

    "Well, well.  Ari McKinneson as I live and breathe," said Lisa with a smirk.

    "You remember me?" asked Ari with some surprise.

    "How could I forget the little scamp who put a firecracker in my Da's hen house," said Lisa.

    "Oh," said Ari, her cheeks were beginning to burn.  "I had forgotten all about that,  I was a brat."

    Lisa chuckled.  "Compared to my niece, you were an angel."  She turned to her friends.  "Lieutenant, Trisha, I'd like you to meet an old family friend.  This is Ari McKinneson.  Ari, meet Lieutenant Kevin Brown and Trisha Fate."

    "A pleasure to meet you," said Lieutenant Brown proffering a hand.  Ari shook it heartily.  She turned to Trisha, who strangely enough had an odd look on her face, as if she recognized Ari.

    "Uhm," began Ari.  "Have we met?"

    Trisha shook her head.

    "Oh, I'm sorry," said Lisa.  "Trisha can't speak, so she communicates with sign language.  I guess I'm so used to it, I take it for granted."

    Trisha smiled and held out her hand.  Ari shook it warmly.  "So," said Lisa by way of preamble, "what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

    Ari looked uncertainly at the two people she had met.  "Can we speak somewhere privately?"

    Lisa raised both eyebrows.  "Sure."

    "You can use my office, Lisa," offered Lieutenant Brown.

    "Thanks, Lieutenant," said Lisa with a smile.  She led Ari to another room stationed along side the alcove.  After closing the door behind them, Lisa gestured for Ari to sit.  "Now, what's bugging you?  Are you in some kind of trouble?"

    Ari shook her head.  "It's not me, exactly, who's in trouble.  Did my folks tell you that I was doing an internship at the university?"

    Lisa paused in thought.  "I seem to recall them being excited about you working for some famous scientist."

    Ari nodded.  "Well, we have reason to believe that someone tried to kill her."

    Lisa inhaled a little.  "That's a pretty serious charge.  Do you have any proof?"

    Ari reached into her handbag and pulled out a book. She opened it and flipped to a certain page, then handed it to Lisa.

    Lisa read the page allowed.  "'I think I have a plan to get rid of Walters.  She's been working with a gene sequencer that has an electrical flaw.  I found out how to overload it and make it blow.  I've also got my hands on some impure uranium.  If I can get a radiation signature in the room, that'll finish the bitch for sure.  If it kills her, well, so much the better.'  Wow, who wrote this?"

    "Another scientist at the university name Emil Nugent," said Ari.  "A few months ago, Dr. Walters, that's the scientist I've been working with, was injured in an explosion.  We think Nugent set it up.  Dr. Walter's has been laying low since then."

    Lisa had a thought.  "How did you get a hold of this?"  Ari's silence answered her question.  "You know stolen evidence isn't admissible in court.  You may very well have destroyed any chance of being able to make any charges stick."

    Ari sighed.  "I didn't know what else to do."

    "Well, why didn't you come to see me sooner?"

    "There were...," Ari hesitated.  "...complications."

    Lisa grimaced.  "I can't help you if you aren't willing to tell me the whole truth."

    Ari remained silent.  Lisa knelt down in front of her.  "Hey, we're friends, remember?"

    Ari looked at Lisa.  She finally made a difficult decision.  Ari launched into the entire story of Dr. Walters from the accident in the lab, to the mutations, to becoming Red Formica, to this latest turn of events.  When she was done, Lisa let out a low whistle.

    "That's...some story."

    "You don't believe me?" asked Ari.

    "Oh no," said Lisa, "quite the contrary.  I've seen way too much in this town not to believe a story like that.  This may be out of my league, though."

---

What should Lisa do?
50% A. Investigate the lab accident.
25% B. Defer the case to a more experienced officer.
25% C. Ask Trisha Fate for advice.

---

    Ari looked up at Lisa with pleading in her eyes.  Lisa sighed and smiled ruefully.  "Alright, alright, I'll see what I can do."

    Ari broke into a toothy grin.  "Thanks, Lisa."

    "First, I'll need to talk to Dr. Walters."

    Ari's face blanched.  "Oh...uhh...that's going to be...difficult."

    Lisa quirked an eyebrow.  "Listen, if I'm going to be able to do something, she's going to have to answer some questions."  She studied Ari for a moment.  "She's not taking well to her mutation, is she?"

    Ari thought for a bit.  "It kind of...comes and goes.  She handles it pretty well when it's just us, but she refuses to be seen by anyone else.  That's why it's going to be hard to get her to talk to you.  If I brought you by the apartment, she'll probably stop talking to me."

    "Well, if it's any consolation, I've had some...personal experience with unusual people," said Lisa in a low voice.  "You can't tell anyone, but I've worked with quite a few of Monument City's heroes."

    Ari perked up at this.  "Really?"

    Lisa looked out the office windows nervously.  "Keep your voice down.  If anybody ever found out I've been teaming up with them, I'd not only be discharged, I'd probably be imprisoned."

    "Why?" asked Ari a trifle confused.

    "Technically, they're criminals," said Lisa.  "That's the official stand, anyway.  They take the law into their own hands.  That's illegal."

    "So, why do you help them?" asked Ari.

    Lisa smiled.  "I'm a firm believer in civil disobedience.  Let's go visit your friend."

    The two women stepped out of Lieutenant Brown's office.  "You go on ahead, I'll catch up," said Lisa.  "I have to tell my superior where I'm going."

    Ari nodded and headed for the precinct exit.  Lisa walked over to where Lieutenant Brown and Trisha Fate were still standing.  "I think I may have just bitten off more than I can chew," muttered Lisa.

    "Care to fill us in?" asked Lieutenant Brown.

    "Ok, but it's just between us, for now," said Lisa.  "Eventually, I'll have to make this an official report."

    Lisa explained the situation to Kevin and Trisha, who listened attentively without interrupting.  Once she had completed her summation, Kevin let out a low whistle.  "When you get yourself into trouble, you don't mess about, do you, Harrigan?"  He gave her a mischievous grin.  Trisha covered her mouth to hide her smile.

    "Yeah, I'm just a glutton for punishment," groused Lisa.  She turned to Trisha.  "Do you know anything about this?  When I introduced you to Ari, it looked like you recognized her."

    "We've met, briefly," signed Trisha, "when I was out on my rounds a few weeks back."

    Lisa nodded.  "I figured as much.  What do you make of this Dr. Walters?"

    "She's green, but she's got a good head on her shoulders.  She goes by the name Red Formica when in costume."

    Lisa look completely baffled.  "She named herself after kitchen counter tops?"

    Trisha grinned and shook her head. "Formicidae is the species name for ants.  She's a human red ant.  She does a pretty fair imitation of one.  So, I'd advise you not to stare."

    Lisa nodded.  "Thanks for the heads up.  I'd better get going."

* * *

    It was a short drive to the apartment building where Ari and Dr. Walters lived.  Ari pulled the car into the secured parking garage and parked into her reserved parking space.

    "Well, I had no idea you were doing so well for yourself," Lisa.

    Ari shook her head.  "This all belongs to Dr. Walters.  Well, it used to.  Most people think she died in the lab accident.  She's been trying to slowly erase her existence.  She signed her apartment and everything over to me, so that it looks like I own everything."  She sighed sadly.  "I wish I could convince her to make a stand, but she's terrified of being seen in public."

    Lisa laid a comforting hand on Ari's shoulder.  "Give her some time.  She needs to adjust to her new life."

    The two redheads exited the car and headed for the elevator.  Ari and Dr. Walters' apartment was on the top floor, and the elevator was somewhat slow.  Upon reaching the desired level, Ari led Lisa down the hall to her apartment.  She suddenly froze.

    "What's wrong?" asked Lisa, her trained instincts were already sounding out an alarm in her head.

    "The door's open," whispered Ari.  She was about to dash into the apartment when Lisa grabbed her by the arm and flattened her against the wall.  She held up a finger in front of her lips in the universal sign for silence.  Then, she pulled out her service weapon and cautiously entered the room.

    Ari was concerned about Dr. Walters being accidentally shot, completely forgetting her bulletproof skin.  Lisa made a quick scan of the living room.  She quietly made for the kitchen with her gun at the ready.  Then, she went down the hall that led to the bedrooms.  Ari peeked her head in through the front door to see what was going on.  Lisa appeared from the hall and signaled Ari to follow her.

    They walked into a room which was furnished like an office.  A computer sat on the desk with the screen saver running.  A small, brown glass bottle sat on the corner of the desk.  On the floor was what looked like a handkerchief.  There was a smell in the air, like mint.  Ari was about to reach for the bottle when Lisa slapped away her fingers.

    "Ow!" she complained while rubbing her injured hand.

    "Don't touch anything," said Lisa sternly.  "Unless I miss my guess, and I sincerely doubt it, Dr. Walters has been abducted."

    Ari's eyes went wide.  "What?  We have to find her!"

    Lisa shook her head.  "This is getting to be more than I can handle.  I'm vice.  I take down violent criminals.  We need crime scene investigation in here."

    "If this blows up into a full investigation, Dr. Walters could get into real trouble," said Ari worriedly.

    "She's already in real trouble," snapped Lisa.  "Whoever took her, knocked her out with chloroform.  I'd bet ten years worth of my salary that's what's in that bottle.  I don't have the training to do a thorough job, and if you two want to take things to court, then you're going to have to make this an official investigation."

---

What should Ari do?
40% A. Convince Lisa to continue the investigation solo.
  0% B. Allow Lisa to open up the investigation.
60% C. Go out and look for Dr. Walters on her own.

---