"You're what?!" Alazne shrieked excitedly, jumping up from the couch.
"Uh...cursed, Ali." Mia replied, arching an eyebrow at her.
"That's so cool!" the young hero gushed. "I always wanted to meet someone who was cursed! It's just like a st-"
"ALI!" Snap yelled, drawing the girl's attention. "Calm down and let him...her...finish!"
As Ali sat back down, she grinned at Mio and her gender-bent friend grinned back. "As I was saying, so my contact in Croatoa found out that it wasn't WRider's potion after all. It turns out I'm cursed because of, uh, borrowing that book from the Cabal to help you, Snap, and the only way to get cured is to defeat Mary Macomber and ask her to remove it."
"I've met Mary Macomber. She's not the type to grant favors," Snap shrugged. "I guess she might if she respects you enough, but you'll need friends. Lots of friends. She'll be surrounded by hers, I guarantee it."
Mia looked a little disappointed. "I, ah...hadn't thought of that...well..."
Snap grinned and pitched a couch pillow at him. "Ah, cheer up. You're a Teamster. We'll go tonight-you, me, and whoever else I can drag up. We'll want Yuki along, for sure-she's practically indestructible-and, let's see, maybe WRider..."
"What about me?" Ali pitched in.
Snap gave her a look. "You're on patrol tonight, remember? So you patrol and I'll swap out with you later tonight. You can meet up with Mia once he's Mio again."
"Fine," Ali assented grumpily, sulking. Mia grinned at her.
"You know, once I get cured, i still owe you that date..."
Snap sat bolt upright with a mischievious grin. "A date? Mia, you still haven't taken Ali out on that date?"
Mia cleared his throat guiltily. "Uh, well, I didn't think it would be right for me to take her when I was cursed and all...I mean...I'd just really rather be myself...you know?"
The faery shrugged. "I guess. How'd you wind up getting a date with her anyhow, again?"
"I challenged him to a race!" Ali chipped in. "If I won he was going to join Miskatonic U-this was before I came back to the Teamsters-and if I lost he wanted to take me on a date."
"And she lost," Mia finished, grinning. "Because she went to Miskatonic U's base instead of to the Teamsters base."
"I would have won if I hadn't gotten confused!" Ali protested.
"Well, I'm glad you lost," Mia teased. "Otherwise you'd never have looked at me twice."
Ali blushed and Snap groaned. "Okay, lovebirds, I'm going to go make a few calls and see if I can dig up a team to help take down Mary. Ali, hit the streets."
"Awww...okay." Ali reluctantly uncurled her tall form from the couch and headed for the base portal, waving and telling Mia good luck on her way out. Snap disappeared into the room she shared with Alaric, and Mia, looking first one way and then the other, was left alone to contemplate exactly what was going to happen once he was himself again.