Mouse In The House {Mechnician; open!}

[The Masked Mallard]

(This is a continuation of "Bank On It")

"Welcome to the Overlook, lass," the Masked Mallard grandly told his tiny guest. Before actually setting out across the sea for Overlook Island, he had taken the precaution of having Mechnician blindfolded. He had no particular cause to mistrust the mouse, but one could never be too cautious, as he explained to her.

Once the pair had arrived on the island, the blindfold was removed. Now they stood before the Overlook itself, the Gentleman Crimefighter allowing Mechnican to take in the dramatic view of the elegant three-story building against the backdrop of the afternoon sky.

Going up steps and to the door, the Masked Mallard opened it and held the door open so that Mechnician could enter. "Let's see who's at home today." He remarked, on the look out for one of his teammates.

[Mechnician]

Mechnician had no problem when her companion suggested a blindfold for the trip. After all, super-heroes had to keep their secrets. And, as she'd chattered to the Masked Mallard during the journey, how did he know she wasn't an international jewel thief? Or a master spy? Or an alien masquerading as a mouse?

The trip passed pleasantly, until the duck hero finally announced that they had arrived.

With the blindfold removed, Gadget blinked a little, before refocusing her gaze on the sight before her: The Overlook.

"Golly!" The place was huge, and pretty fancy for a secret hide-out. "It's sure not a cave, is it?"

The little mouse flew at shoulder-height to her guide to make conversation easier, gawking unashamedly as they entered, though the gentlemanly way the elderly duck held the door was not lost on her.

[Bongo]

It wouldn't be very long at all before the Masked Mallard would run into one of his teammates - and Mechnician would meet yet another Dream League member.

The Overlook seemed strangely quiet today. Either most of the Dreamers were cooped up in their rooms, sleeping, or on a mission, or simply not here... whatever the case, it was a golden opportunity for a little bear with an insatiable appetite. The fridge was wide open, and his for the pilfering! True, he was scolded many times (most often by Dreamchild) for sneaking one too many foodstuffs from the kitchen, leaving little for any teammates with a hankering for a snack, and he always felt genuinely guilty after being scolded for exactly that... but when his stomach grumbled, he simply couldn't help but succumb to his carnal desires and forget any guilt he might have felt.

Of course, today, Bongo wasn't as alone as he thought, as he trudged through the main hall holding what looked like quite a sizable chunk of leftover ham. Not much would have been left of it, though, by the time he passed by the front doors. Smacking his lips after having just swallowed a piece, his eyes suddenly shot wide open and he froze like a statue, as he became aware of the presence of the Masked Mallard just a bit too late.

Immediately stuffing the rest of the ham into his mouth, as if expecting that would hide the fact that he was sneaking leftovers again, he whirled around to face the Mallard with his paws placed innocently behind his back. He gave as charming a smile as he could with his cheeks stuffed with ham, and quickly set about trying to send some of that ham out of his mouth and down his throat - his smile dissipated and he blinked with surprise, however, at the sight of a little mouse floating right beside the Mallard. The fact that it was a floating mouse wasn't odd, to Bongo - in fact, he was immediately reminded of a certain supermouse he and some other Dreamers had run into on Pleasure Island. But... who was she, and what was she doing in the Overlook? Could she be a new member?

Not aware of his bad manners, Bongo just stared with innocent curiosity at Mechnician, cheeks still packed full of chewed up ham.

[Sunshine]

A keen eye would notice that Sunshine's boots were removed and placed out of the walkway, near the mansion's door. But even someone with a less gifted eyesight could see the lovely Sunshine on the couch. She was asleep, napping on the comfortable furniture. She was on the couch to read her paperback novel. But now the novel was spread open and faced down on her chest, which rose and fell slowly as she breathed. Presumably, the book was at the page where Sunshine left off, before she slipped into her siesta.

She didn't snore, and her breathing was gentle, barely audible. With that said, though, she was a notoriously heavy sleeper. She didn't wear her mask, but she did wear her reading glasses, behind which were closed eyelids.

[Mechnician]

A small bear made a sudden appearance. Normally, coming face to face with a bear might be cause for alarm. But the fact tat her guide didn't seem upset about it, and the circus costume the bear was wearing combined to make Gadget think he probably belonged there.

"Oh--hello." The little mouse had to stifle a giggle at the bear's embarrassment at being caught with its hand in the cookie jar. Or paw in the meat locker. Or whatever.

Man, was he cute! Like a big teddy you just wanted to squeeze.

[The Masked Mallard]

The Gentleman's Crimefighter nodded at Mechnician's impressed observation about the Overlook. He himself was used to such finery, and in fact, often tended to take it for granted. "As the city's premier crimefighting team, we need a large headquarters to house us. And some of our members even live here."

There were indeed a couple of other Dreamers present today. One of them happened to be a certain bear with penchant for pilfering the refrigerator. He appeared to be eating some sort of meat, but the Mallard didn't doubt that it had come from their fridge. He fixed the super-bear with a stern look, eyes narrowed into slits and arms folded over one another.

"Bongo..." He began warningly, more of his true Glaswegian brogue noticeable in his voice then usual due to his ire. He didn't notice this change however. "How many times have we told ye not to eat all the food?" He had that food bought for everybody, not just him! Did Bongo think he was made of money?

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the Masked Mallard took his middle and index finger and massaged his forehead, trying to calm down. Bad show to take one of your teammates to task in front of guests. He hadn't quite noticed Sunshine or her boots close by yet.

"Bongo, this Mechnician. Mechnician, meet Bongo." His tone, while not as angry as it had previously been, was somewhat flat, though he returned to utilizing his "hero voice" that was part of his disguise.

[Bongo]

Bongo's wide-eyed, curiosity-filled gaze soon drifted over to the Masked Mallard, and the little bear flinched immediately upon noticing the stern look in the duck's narrowed eyes, having momentarily forgotten that he was just caught in the act of pilfering the fridge - again. Darting his eyes nervously from side to side, all he could do to try and hide his crime was just swallow the evidence, then and there - with a heavy, audible gulp, the remainder of the leftover ham had now entered Bongo's stomach. He smiled as innocently as he could at the Masked Mallard, but his smile soon became a very guilty frown as the duck went on to scold him.

This was all instantly forgotten, however, as Masked Mallard then addressed the floating mouse that Bongo was gawking at earlier. Now properly introduced to their guest, Bongo gave an amiable smile towards Mechnician and greeted her with a tip of his strap-on cap. He was clearly quite happy to meet her - maybe she'd join the Dream League?

Suddenly, Bongo appeared to remember something or other, as he blinked in realization. He smiled at Mechnician, holding up one claw as if to say "just a minute," before scampering off to one of the couches not too far away - specifically, the one Sunshine was slumbering upon. He nudged the sleeping beauty, not roughly but not exactly gently either, to awaken her so she, too, could meet the new arrival.

[Sunshine]

The beautiful teenager in pink and blue slept on the sofa, and was obviously having a happy dream. Her deeply red lips formed a gentle smile, and she moaned softly in content. When Bongo nudged her, she giggled and, in her slumber, wrapped her arms around the bear's upper body and pulled his face to hers.

She whispered softly, "Hehe... I love you..."

She giggled again as she tightened her grip. She held Bongo so close that his furry cheek brushed against her slender, soft face. Bongo was her involuntary teddy bear. She soon calmed down after grabbing hold of the bear, and fell silent as she continued to sleep. Her grip was locked, and she would need a little more effort to wake up.

[Mechnician]

Mechnician stifled a giggle at the little bear's predicament. Even when he was being choked by a sleeping hero, he was adorable.

"I guess she's a sound sleeper." Then, inspiration struck. "I could build an alarm clock. It'll only take a minute. All I need is that TV remote, that lamp and some kind of bell. Hmmm..."

She already had the basic premise worked out in her mind as she reached into her tool belt for a screwdriver.

[The Masked Mallard]

The Masked Mallard watched as Bongo attempted to awaken Sunshine. But Sunshine was a notoriously hard sleeper, and he was unsuccessful, ending up caught in a hug in the arms of super-strong beauty.

The Mallard seemed to glance at the ceiling. In actuality he was rolling his eyes, though due to the way his mask appeared, the gesture couldn’t actually be seen. However, there was a good-natured smile on his bill, indicating that he wasn’t truly mad. Sunshine cuddling Bongo as if he were a stuffed teddy bear actually made for a rather adorable scene. Her mumbling “I love you” turned his smile into an amused smirk. She must’ve been dreaming about a boy or something.

He was fortunate that their guest was Mechnician and not some serious professional who might have frowned upon Bongo and Sunshine antics. Mechnician wanted to build an alarm clock to rouse Sunshine, but the Masked Mallard interrupted the mechanical-minded mouse. “A sound idea, but let me try to wake her first."

Going over to the sofa, the Gentleman’s Crimefighter placed a for hand on the girl’s shoulder and gently shook her, a little harder then Bongo had done, while addressing her. “Sunshine m’dear, we have a guest.”

[Sunshine]

It took the combined efforts of speech and physical force, but Sunshine ultimately stirred from her slumber. She moaned daintily and her eyelids slowly opened. She blinked a few times, her eyes glazed and heavy. Once awake, the brave, compassionate superhuman... closed her eyes again and fell limp, ready to go back to sleep.

Fortunately, she came to her senses. She gasped and her eyes opened, revealing gorgeously lavender eyes that now had life in them. The now awake Sunshine looked down to Bongo, realizing that she was hugging him like a teddy bear. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment, and she released her grip on the bear. She scooted back on the sofa, hugging her long, slender legs to her chest, revealing that she was quite lithe.

"Oh! Oh, Bongo, I--I'm so sorry!" She smiled helplessly and looked away from the group, feeling very awkward. "I didn't mean to... I thought you were..." After calming herself down sufficiently, she smiled more warmly to the bear, and she playfully tapped his nose with her slender index finger. "I thought you were the man in my dream."

She then looked to the Gentleman's Crimefighter, who had successfully wakened the Ray of Hope. "I'm sorry! I'm so embarrassed, and--oh?" Her lips pursed when she noticed an unfamiliar sight: a (likely female) mouse in a mostly purple bodysuit, goggles, and a leather helmet. The Overlook's guest (and newest member) was about to learn just how friendly and compassionate the blonde teenager was.

Sunshine offered the mouse a very friendly, tender smile. "Hello!" She removed her thick-rimmed black eyeglasses, closed her eyes, and flipped back her long, golden curls behind her shoulders. Her hair splashed against her back, and Sunshine opened her eyes to the mouse, revealing her purple eyes even better than before. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Sunshine." Her smile widened sweetly. "Are you friends with the Masked Mallard?" She assumed the mouse was indeed a friend, considering the two's close proximity from where they were.

Sunshine only rarely wore her purple eye mask in the Overlook. She had trusted her friends enough to reveal her identity as Aurora, Princess of Eyvindria. Sometimes she wondered why she bothered to wear a mask at all, but every time she questioned it she convinced herself that she wore the concealing mask in the Epcot City public to protect her Briar Rose guise.

[Mechnician]

The sleeping girl woke up at last; looks like Gadget wouldn't have to make that alarm clock after all.

"Are you friends with the Masked Mallard?"

"Oh, yes. Well, sort of." The little mouse curbed her enthusiasm, glancing at the caped duck. After all, she'd just met him. Maybe it would be presumptuous to assume they were friends.

"We only just met. And he was nice enough to invite me to your headquarters. My name's Mechnician. Hi."

[Bongo]

Bongo probably should have known better than to try and wake Sunshine up like that - he'd gotten himself into a real predicament, now. His eyes bulged wide as the sleeping heroine squeezed him tight, pressing his fuzzy face closely to her own. Normally, Bongo quite enjoyed hugs, especially from the warm-bodied Sunshine - sometimes, though, the girl just didn't know her own strength! And these thoughts were coming from a super-powered bear who was almost as physically powerful as Sunshine, himself.

It soon became clear that the girl, deeply locked in slumber, wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon... and Bongo was about ready to be put down. He began squirming about and flailing his short legs within her firm hold, to no avail. Suddenly, however, he plopped down onto his rump on the floor - thanks to the Masked Mallard, Sunshine had finally awakened. Wiping his paw over his brow, Bongo sighed in relief, but quickly shined a (rather strained) grin back up to the girl to let her know all was well. When she explained why she had such a locking grip on him, and tapped his nose playfully, Bongo smiled sheepishly, sinking his head into his shoulders and locking his paws together coyly.

[The Masked Mallard]

The Masked Mallard's shoulders sagged in disappointment when it seemed as though his attempt to wake the Ray Of Hope failed. Sunshine stirred, only to go slack and appear ready to return to slumber land once more.

But thankfully Sunshine fully awakened, and released her grip on Bongo (and just in time too, it would seem!) and apologized to him before offering an apology to the Masked Mallard himself. Casually, the elderly duck waved the self-conscious teen's worry off. "'Tis perfectly fine, lass."

When Sunshine asked if Mechnician was a friend of his, the Masked Mallard nodded his head when the mouse glanced back at him . "Aye. Mechnician and I crossed paths when we were chasing after some bank robbers downtown." He explained to his cohorts.

[Mechnician]

Although it was hard to see, what with the goggles and all, even that faint praise was enough to make the little mouse blush. "Yeah, it's the first crime I ever foiled. As a super-hero, I mean. I'm kinda new at this."

"Have you been super-heroing long? I wonder if that's a real word--'super-heroing'..."

Gadget wasn't exactly an expert conversationalist. Mostly she just blurted out whatever was on her mind.

[Sunshine]

Now that she thought about it, Sunshine couldn't recall if the Masked Mallard ever lost his patience with her. He was just a gentlemanly crimefighter, and a warm (grand)fatherly figure through and through. Maybe that's why he was nicknamed the Gentleman's Crimefighter. Of course it was, silly!

The blonde teenager's smile increased in sincereity and sweetness as the Masked Mallard complimented the Mechnician, and when the latter admitted her heroic assistance. Sunshine immediately felt a little guilty for not being awake and active in the field, instead of reading a book until she dozed off. But if she was needed, she would have been notified, she reminded herself.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" she praised with her soft, feminine voice. "I'm happy your first mission was successful, Mechnician." She sat more upright on the sofa to sit more elegantly, her purple eyes remaining on the goggled mouse. "If the Masked Mallard is your friend, then you're my friend. Welcome to the Dream League." Her smile warmed, then she glanced at the mute bear. "We have a new companion, Bongo!"