McMillan Tech Industries Lake Point Branch, Marketing and Accounting floor, waiting area near the meeting room
Ryanne, Rachel, and Jeffries observed the distraught CEO Richard McMillan, who was still stuck in the form of a young woman dressed in a Forestville High cheerleader's outfit. The other two Board Members present, Nicolette Quarterson and Elliot Stallsworth, were so far staying out of this one, as was the nurse Jaclynn. Dr. Anissa Fairlane had left to check on the traumatized figure skater who had previously been Roman Coakley.
McMillan was looking miserable and shaking all over. "I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't let them see me."
It was then that Detective Maura Dunbar arrived, accompanied by a security guard ... and Richard McMillan's wife Susan McMillan and their daughter Sarah McMillan.
Sarah was the first to notice the transformed Board members. A male baseball player, a woman dressed like she just stepped off the set of a movie set in the 1920's, and a girl dressed in a Forestville High cheerleader's outfit. Sarah knew right away that these were people changed by the Random Gun, since they seemed so out of place in the environment of an office building.
She noticed right away that the cheerleader was cringing at the sight of Sarah and her mother. And then the realization hit her.
"No... no." the cheerleader was saying, looking around for a place to hide.
And as Sarah realized who the cheerleader was, she blurted this out. "You have got to be kidding me!"
Sarah knew from having seen it in action that the Random Gun's effects were random. Anyone could be turned physically into any other person, with a persona to go with it sometimes. And yet ... THIS was what the Random Gun had changed her father into? A cheerleader for Lake Point High School's biggest rival? What were the odds?
"Dad?" Sarah uttered.
"No, it can't be." her mother Susan said, shaking her head.
"Please, leave me alone." the cheerleader said, turning away from them and facing the back of the couch.
Sarah started to laugh. She laughed a harsh and bitter laugh. This was the universe playing a ridiculous prank on the McMillans. This was just too absurd a coincidence.
Detective Maura Dunbar interrupted what would have been a long, protracted session of bitter laughter from Sarah by speaking up. "I am a detective from the Lake Point police department. My partner and I are investigating all the reported events in this building surrounding these Transformation Guns."
Dunbar's partner, Detective Alec Bartlett, was currently questioning the people assembled in the Marketing department, none of whom Sarah recognized. Sarah was so caught up in her father's transformation that she barely heard Maura saying that she'd like everyone there to answer questions regarding the Transformation Guns, the incident in the meeting room, and the deaths of Clay Dankworth and the security officer Kaplan.
"Is anyone here under arrest?" the 1920's flapper asked.
"It's too early in the investigation for that." Maura said. "We're still trying to work out who has done what to who, and we need as many witness statements as possible to get a complete picture."
Rachel spoke up. "I'd like to go first." she said. "Where would you like to begin?"
"From what I understand, you were a witness to the incident in the meeting room, is that correct?"
Rachel nodded. "Yes. The fact is, I was kidnapped by a Marketing executive. Martin Stragey ..."
It was at this point that Denise Brewster arrived on the scene, accompanied by Samantha Duncan and Teresa Talton. "Excuse me," said Denise Brewster. "I am here to see Mr. McMillan."
On the way over, Samantha had received a text message with the photograph of Ryan, now Ryanne. Even so, seeing her transformed friend in person was quite a surprise. However, now wasn't the time to talk with Ryanne about the Babe Gun transformation. This was Denise Brewster's time to evaluate the condition of Mr. McMillan and the other Board members. And for Detective Dunbar to ask her questions to witnesses.
Maura Dunbar turned to Denise Brewster. "Excuse me. Who are you?" Maura asked.
"I am Denise Brewster, current head of the Pittsburgh Branch of McMillan Tech Industries." Denise replied. "And I may be called upon to be acting CEO in the near future."
"Like hell you will!" Susan McMillan exclaimed. "You may fool this detective with all your pretentious airs and sudden formal speech, but I know what you really are. You slept your way to your current position!"
"I assure you I did not." Denise Brewster replied, attempting to remain calm. "I've attended business school, and I have my degrees."
"Only because those schools went easy on you because of your looks, bitch!" Susan shouted back.
"You're one to talk!" Denise shouted back, losing her composure entirely. "You got by in high school and college on your good looks alone, and married into money! You know Richard only married you because you look good in a swimsuit! You've never worked an honest day in your life! I had to work harder than many men to get where I am today, facing sexism every step of the way!"
"Bullshit! You slept with my husband, and he's probably not the only one you slept with, either!" Susan proclaimed.
"Yes, I slept with Mr. McMillan, and for all his faults, he's good in the sack!" Denise shouted back. "But I know that's not why I got my promotion. If Richard promoted every good looking female employee who slept with him, Gloria Galinsky wouldn't still be just a secretary!"
Gloria Galinsky, who was nearby and still affected by the Prude Gun, looked very uncomfortable. But she stayed quiet as Denise Brewster continued her rant.
"I was just as qualified as Mr. Dankworth to be one of this company's power players, and the two of us fought constantly for power and influence! The reason Mr. Dankworth persuaded Richard to make me head of MTI's Pittsburgh branch was so that I'd be away and not be able to be a threat to his attempt to take over the company! He knew Mr. Sallow, Ms. Breakfall, and Ms. Sendletter wouldn't stand up to him either, but that's beside the point! The point is, I got to where I am today through my knowledge of good business, the markets, and negotiation, and that negotiation involves conversation, paperwork, and deals that have nothing to do with anyone's sex lives!"
"I don't care! You're just a manipulative bitch trying to take the company away from my husband!" Susan shouted back. "I bet you planned this whole thing!"
"I did not!" Denise shouted back.
"You did, you deceitful cow!" Susan shouted.
Sarah, meanwhile, was looking back and forth between her mother, her transformed father, and Denise Brewster not knowing what to do, what to say, whose side to take.
"Calm down everyone!" Rachel shouted.
"You're acting like children!" Samantha shouted. But Denise Brewster and Susan McMillan continued shouting insults at each other. To make matters worse, Gloria Galinsky began shouting at both Denise and Susan, ranting about both of them using their appeal to manipulate men. Her words were drowned out by the shouting of Denise and Susan, and by Sarah McMillan's yelling at all of them to just plain stop it.
Teresa Talton, meanwhile, had just placed her pack down near an end table. She grabbed the referee's whistle, the one her close friend and neighbor Coach Felicia Barry had given her. It had helped to end a shouting match earlier in the night, and she was sure it would help in this situation, too.
Just as she was about to blow the referee's whistle, she was knocked to the ground by someone else. Looking up, she saw an Asian nurse who she recognized as the transformed Martin Stragey. The whistle fell to the ground, as Stragey reached for Teresa's pack and pulled out one of the Transformation Guns inside.
Everyone else was too distracted by the shouting going on to notice the struggle between Teresa and Stragey. Teresa tried to pry the Transformation Gun out of Stragey's grasp, but in the process, the Transformation Gun went off and zapped someone in the room.
