The room she breezed into was very quiet, save for her. Her shoes make a high-pitched clicking sound with small feet and stiletto-styled heels. Her dress is made of something flowy and loud, as it swishes with her every step, so the phrase "she breezed right in" fits her perfectly. While holding tightly to her curves, the dress also spills out all over the place, yet it seems to have a perfect, artistic purpose. There is a distinctive, conservative Victorian-style to it, but with a modern flair for sparkles. At first, you think it is yellow, but then it looks bright gold, and yet in the right light, it changes to a subdued tan-tone. Her rich brown hair looks to be made of caramel, or perhaps chocolate, depending on the light, and it flows behind her as if she is always facing a slight wind. The security guard she passes heading into the room seems to be thinking he might like to taste her hair, just in case it really is made of something sweet. However, she never makes eye contact, and "breezes" past him as if he was not there.

The room does return to being silent quickly as she pauses to stare up at the centerpiece of the room. The room is an octagon shape, like all the others she has entered. The artwork on the walls is abstract, trying to not steal your complete attention from the eye-magnet in the middle of the room. The statue is unbelievably realistic, and the lighting on it is perfect in its intensity and angle. The model must have stood there for hours to allow the artist to capture such detail, giving the viewer the feeling that they are witnessing a long pause between breaths of a living person. However, the stylish woman knows the artist's secret: the model did stand there a long time, in fact, she is still standing there. This model who one might think is dressed as a superhero is actually none other than a real superhero. The richly dressed woman sips from her champagne glass, as if she could physically taste the drink, but also showing she cares nothing of this poor woman's plight.

"Something to behold, isn't she?" The voice coming from behind the admirer seems to have the tone of silk. Her voice is so smooth and controlled, that you wonder how she got to have such power over herself. A weaker minded person would be compelled to follow that voice to the ends of the Earth. The art-lover turns and replies, "Ah, Mercy, our evening's benefactor. I was wondering when you would be coming to see me." Mercy's facial expression does not change, so it is hard to tell whether she took that statement at face value or was laughing to herself on the inside. "I'm the Duchess of Vanderbilt, and I find your art display, as always, top-notch."

Mercy inclines her head, "Your Highness, it is an honor to have you here, and your compliment is much appreciated. Although," she says without changing her smooth tone, "You look much younger than I recall from our last encounter."

The chocolate-haired woman laughs in a high trill, bringing her free hand up to her face, "Oh yes, I had some young people alter my appearance for tonight by winding back the clock a few years. I figured since this is a visual tour, then I could look however old I wanted."

Mercy continues, "Yes, this is a virtual tour," providing gentle correction to the royal lady, "And I noted that several others have chosen to alter their appearances slightly as well." Mercy's tone is hard to guess whether she approves of those changes, or if she cares little for how people came this evening, so long as they came.

The Duchess responds, "Virtual...visual...either way," waving her hand around, "I'm enjoying being at home in something more comfortable than these shoes and this dress. While I may not understand all that goes on in the cyberbullying world, I do find some parts of it rather convenient."

Mercy keeps her same smile and says, "Yes, the cyber world we get to enjoy has made evenings like this possible. So tell me, do you know this particular superhero?" The Duchess spins around with a puzzled look on her face, "Superhero? I just assumed it was some woman in a gaudy swimsuit." To hear the Duchess use the word "gaudy" in relation to someone else, given her current outfit, might be considered ironic, Mercy notes with some humor in her eyes.

"Oh, this is a genuine superhero, held fast for my enjoyment. This entire evening is a tribute to the work I have done and continue to do to make the world more to my liking. I assume you would agree." There was no mistake in her tone, Mercy was testing her guest. In fact, if one were to follow Mercy around this evening, she will make it a point to talk to each person attending her Gala of Giants. Some of those in attendance have been to this before, back when it was just one "giant" at the inaugural event, but now, Mercy can fill an entire, virtual mansion with her "art". Of course, she thinks to herself, this cannot happen if one is not careful about who she displays her hard-fought collection.

The Duchess clears her throat, unnecessary in this virtual world but clearly a habit, "Oh my yes, all of those women jumping over buildings and doing who-knows-what at night in the streets. Absolutely, round them all up and put them back in the kitchen where they need to be. Who is at home keeping the men in check while they gallavant around, hmm?  There is nothing good from these deranged women running free."

Mercy tilts her head, as if she heard something, and bows slightly, "Pardon me, your Highness, but it appears I am needed elsewhere. It was a pleasure meeting you again. Enjoy your evening!" And with that, Mercy spins on her heels and walks out, with a young thin woman on her heels. The Duchess, true to her royal family, never acknowledges the other woman, as if she was not there the whole time.

"That is what royalty does, ignore the help," the Duchess mumbles to herself. In her ear, she hears, "More likely, you didn't see her because you weren't paying attention." The Duchess grins, "Oh, leave me alone. I'm here and slaying it. Mercy had no idea, and if I can fool her, I can fool anybody." Sweet Note sits in her chair, hundreds of miles away, wearing her VR helmet. She was being honest before, in that she is wearing something very comfortable in real life, while she wears something uncomfortable but fancy in virtual life. Using the controls at her fingertips, she walks around the room checking the superhero on center stage in this room.

"Well, is this her?" The "Duchess" asks in a whisper. A few seconds later, she hears, "Nope, this is just who the placard says she is. Mercy did not even change her outfit. I had not seen her in a while, but that is not out of the ordinary." The "Duchess" looks for a moment longer, almost as if to say, "We will come back for you." In her head, the voice of Mega Meka says, "We can come back for them all once we determine how to re-animate them. I guess move onto the next room. I'm hoping she got away, but since we have not seen her in days, I'm also secretly hoping she is here."

"I agree. At least we will know she is alive." Keeping her ruse, she slowly walks out of the room, past the security guard, which she did not notice taking more interest in her this time. After 5 more octagon-shaped rooms of superheroes on pedestals in various poses, and passing the time of making small talk with the other VIPs at Mercy's Gala of Giants, she finds what, or should we say, who she was looking for. "Found her!" She whispers.

Walking past the different security guards, or perhaps they are just attendants, the "Duchess" enters the room. Like all the others, they are very similar in size, shape, and lighting. The only real difference is the centerpiece. And this one, Sweet Note says to herself, is the person we have been looking for. The "Duchess" places her glass on a tray of a robot that rolls by on its single wheel. Sweet Note is convinced that these robots are basic AI for the virtual world, and not real people that might spy on her actions. However, she decides to take a moment to let it drive away, before she approaches the olive-skinned superhero displayed in front of her.

"Shooting Star," she whispers as if the captured hero could hear her, "We found you." Sweet Note takes in the perfectly posed hero. Her left leg is pulled up, bent at the knee, as if she is high-stepping in a march. Her arms are out wide, fingers curled like she is holding an invisible ball in each. Sweet Note can see her muscles straining beneath the gloves. Her head is tilted slightly down, as if she was concentrating, while her facial expression is one of grim determination. Her sleek goggles provide a distinctive glint as one changes their angle of observation. Mercy may have the tech to turn someone into a mannequin or statue, but she could not have posed anyone this perfectly. There is no doubt, she tells herself, this is the real Shooting Star.

"How can you be sure? You don't have access to any superpowers or tech in there." Mega Meka's question is simple, but Sweet Note already knew the answer before she asked it. "Remember, my greatest superpower is my detective skills, and I can say for absolute certainty, this is Shooting Star." She pauses to check the room for any new visitors, then adds, "The real question is: did she get the tech we needed."

Last week, Shooting Star broke into one of Mercy's storage units. Mercy has several that are hidden all over town, so finding her headquarters and her "stolen goods" is nearly impossible. However, Shooting Star stumbled on one while following up on a lead from another case. The hasty plan involved her getting the device that causes a real person to become a simple mannequin or statue. Shooting Star did not recognize the hero that was in that storage unit, other than she was huge. It is possible, Shooting Star was distracted by the large muscles and towering form of Mercy's captive, so her guard was down when she was ambushed.

But, all may not be lost, Sweet Note thinks, because if she got the device, we could possibly track her whereabouts. Once we have the device, we reverse engineer it to set her free. Once Shooting Star is free, then they all will be. The "Duchess" smiles with a wicked grin, "And then Mercy gets what's coming to her."

Seemingly just walking aimlessly around the posed hero, the "Duchess" casually looks at the form and features of the "display". Sweet Note, on the other hand, is taking in every detail, trying to discern what she can. Noting the tense muscles, she says, "She was definitely frozen while in a fight. She was poised to retaliate or attack when Mercy 'collected' her." She continues her orbit, but stops when she sees something off on her pink utility belt. There is a deep gouge, from where she opened one of the compartments quickly, and the lid was not closed completely or properly. Sweet Notes notices that all the others are perfectly closed, save this one. Even though she cannot alter anything in this virtual world, she can see very keenly that something shiny is hidden in the poorly-closed compartment. Now, Sweet Note thinks to herself, why open and close something so quickly, then turn to fight immediately. "She got it...sure of it."

The voice in her head asks, "Are you sure? This is a big gamble if you are wrong."

The "Duchess" nods her head. "No doubt...Shooting Star got inside, got the device, and then was waylaid by Mercy." Sweet Note can almost hear the shrug on the other line, "Well, if you say so. You are the detective." The "Duchess" takes one final look and strolls casually out. The guard or attendant seems unconcerned, but it is hard to tell with the heavily-tinted sunglasses.

Walking to the "exit" as if she is not in a hurry, she opens the door and enters a stark white room. She hears a loud beep, then she removes her helmet from the real world. Having left that visual stimulus, the real world looks odd, like maybe it is not really real. Running her hand through her long hair that has been trapped under the device, she sighs, "We are going to need some help."

- - - - -

The living room is immaculately furnished. Not only must the owner be rich enough to buy nice things, but they have the right kind of interior design skills to make it look even more amazing. The couches, the rugs, the art work...it all silently screams luxury and designer skills. The women sitting around the room seem almost out of place. It is like there was a Halloween party, but they all went to the wrong address.

Standing by the natural-gas fireplace, Sweet Note leans against the mantle. The warmth from the fire adds to the heat she feels on the inside. Her deep gray, almost black, latex gloves come above her elbows as they support her on the mantle. Her halter top is of the same color and material, as is her pleated skirt, which tapers out slightly. Her leggings are completely transparent, so the clear latex gives her legs a shiny glow. As if she wanted to show off her legs, the boots are just ankle high, but have a burst of color in pink. Her curly head of hair is a deep, deep brown, almost black, that falls well-below her shoulders, and her eyes are hidden behind the pink-lined, face-gripping mask.

On the other side of the room, Mega Meka sits in her wheelchair. Her last mission weeks ago ended poorly, and she is still recovering from the beating she received. Her "hero missions" have been one of support and communications. Obviously, she would rather be out in the field, but for the foreseeable future, she will enjoy being of some help when she can from her wheelchair. She thought she might feel out of place, so she put on her costume that resembles Wonder Woman, except that hers is pink and purple dominated, rather than red and blue.

Sakura Dark sits comfortably, one leg delicately crossed over the other on one end of the couch, smiling as if in anticipation of Sweet Note's report. Her costume covers very little, like she is wearing a "gaudy swimsuit" as the "Duchess" exclaimed to Mercy. Her high heels with her toes prominently displayed seem out of place for a superhero. Her short, black hair combed to one side is slicked tightly to her head. Her hair, make-up, and nails make her look like she just stepped out of a fashion magazine. There is no doubt she wanted to look this way. She has a small "fanny pack" sitting on the coffee table in front of her. It is small and petite like her, shiny and sleek like her costume. It probably has a zipper to access the inside of it, but it is hard to tell from a casual glance.

As if in contrast, Annabel sits on the other side of the couch, almost poised to pounce at a moment's notice. Her muscles seemingly tensing and relaxing repeatedly, as she awaits the next attack. Her costume is like her personality, ready to go from casual to combat at any time. Her mini skirt is pleated and a nice shade of red. Her boots are brown, tactical, and come to her knees. Her stockings or leggings come up above her boots to stop mid-thigh. They may be spandex or latex or simply lycra mixed with cotton. Either way, it looks like she could walk a 100 miles or kick you into next week, whichever her legs feel like doing. Her hair is long and black, falling freely down her back with a simple red headband on top. Her arm bands match her headband, giving her an athletic look. The only part of her that looks soft and casual is her top. Her tight "t-shirt" is blue-almost-purple that covers her "girls" completely and stops short to show off her tight, olive-skin stomach muscles, but the top certainly does not hide her busty size. Standing up next to her, but not leaning against the couch, is her sword...the famed Fang sword. Just by looking at it, you get the feeling that it does not lean against things for support. It stands on its own...always. If a sword could have a facial expression, it would match Annabel's: wanna fight?

"So," Sweet Note says then turns around, "Let's make sure we got it. Sakura and Annabel will travel to Mercy's Mansion. They will stealthily teleport through the walls to Shooting Star's location. Once there, Annabel will assume Shooting Star's pose, already wearing a perfect duplicate of her outfit. With a little hypnotic suggestion by Sakura Dark, Annabel will hold that pose, while Sakura Dark teleports Shooting Star through the wall with her. Carrying her down the hill, she will load her in the car and drive back here, where I will unlock the device's secret. From there, we slowly free each superhero until we are all back to full strength. Questions?"

Annabel raises her hand slightly, "Just one thing. How will we know this hypnosis will work on me? I have an incredibly strong mind, and I've never been hypnotized before, so this may be a waste of time." Sweet Note nods her head, "That is a valid point, which is why Sakura Dark got the Spiral Eye of Andromeda. It has the power to bind anyone to whoever holds the eye." Sakura Dark pulls out the eye from her fanny pack, which appears to be a small black orb, about the size of a racquetball. She says, "I have never used it before, but supposedly I ask you to look into the orb to find the green lines." Leaning forward on the couch, she holds it out for Annabel to look into. Annabel also leans forward to stare into it and says, "Well, I see no green lines, but there are some blue ones streaking across it."

Sakura Dark then says, "No, look again, they are green." Annabel shrugs her shoulders and looks again, replying, "Huh, why yes...they are green." Sakura Dark then says, "You probably did not notice before, since you are such a bimbo airhead." Annabel leans back, as if she might have a quick rebuke to what Sakura Dark said about her. But instead, she giggles, which is odd because she never giggles, "You are like so right," her voice changing to match her words, "I can't like keep anything in my bubbly brain." The others around the room show their shock at the ease of the control Sakura Dark gained over Annabel. "I'll admit," Mega Meka says, "I never thought it would work. Do you think she is playing a joke on us?"

Sweet Note shakes her head, "Have you ever known Annabel to tell a joke, let alone play one?" They all shake their heads, as Annabel checks her hair with a goofy smile on her face, oblivious that they are talking about her, having crossed her legs and fully leaned back into the back of the couch. "I think this proves this part of our plan will work. How about teleporting?" Sakura Dark holds the eye up to Annabel and says, "Robot Annabel, stand to help demonstrate the teleportation."

Annabel's relaxed posture changes dramatically. She sits up stiffly, bringing her knees together and placing her hands on her knees. With a monotone response, she states, "Unit Annabel will comply." She stands up stiffly to stand next to Sakura. "You might be enjoying this a little too much," Mega Meka adds with a grin. Sakura Dark stands and winks at her, as she pulls a bracelet out of her backpack. She dons the jewelry, putting her arm around the stiff Annabel's waist.

"First, we are here," she states, then they disappear. They instantly reappear behind the couch, "And now, we are here." Annabel still has the same look on her face and posture of her body. Sakura Dark pulls her arm away, saying ,"Like I said, one person plus me for a short distance. Not a problem."

"Interesting," Sweet Note remarks, "I assumed there would be some type of sound or 'zap' or 'whoosh' when you did that, but it was completely silent."

Sakura Dark nods her head, "Yep, this is the perfect stealth tech," she says while holding up her arm. "I don't use it often, but it has certainly saved me several times when I needed it."

Sweet Note nods her head, "Alright, this looks to be the best plan for us. I will monitor your progress from my lab, while Mega Meka will drive the getaway car."

Sakura Dark looks awkwardly at Mega Meka in her wheelchair, so Sweet Note adds, "She has a hand set in her car that allows her to drive with her hands only. This will take the pressure off you. You have so much to do, that I need you at your best for this." Sakura Dark nods her head, somewhat shamed by her thoughts, but Sweet Note moves on quickly. "Timing is critical once you start, but until then, do not rush it. If something feels off, we can wait another day. I know we feel like we have to hurry, but we really don't. She and the others are not going anywhere, anytime soon." The heroes around the room all nod their heads in agreement, except for Annabel, who continues to stand at attention like the robot she thinks she is.

"Uh, one other thing while Annabel is not paying attention," Sakura Dark asks awkwardly, "She may or may not care about me mentioning this, but isn't she a little more 'gifted' than Shooting Star?" Mega Meka and Sweet Note look at Annabel's chest sticking out so prominently from her stiff posture. Mega Meka shrugs, "I don't really know. I have never worked with Shooting Star before." Sweet Note says, "Yes, the sizes are clearly different, but this is just a temporary swap. Mercy isn't going around taking measurements of the 'mannequins' regularly. And if she is in a room of others like we expect her to be, then this swap will be even more seamless."

Sakura Dark looks at Annabel's chest then back at her mostly flat chest. With a heavy sigh, she adds, "Yeah, okay...who would notice, right?"