"Mary Sue Arrives in Toronto"
by Tina Cooling
with input from Amy Hull and Jill Kirby

Time: After "The NatPack Makes a Move."  After NatPack posts previous to
this one.

"Janette?" asked the girl, coming up to the two NatPackers.  "I've always
wanted to meet you!  Will you bring me across?" 

"Huh?" Tina looked over at Amy, puzzled.

"Don't look at me, I don't have any idea what this is about," said Amy.

"I mean, I know you're an alternate universe Janette, and you're obviously
Human Factor Janette from the way you dress, but would you autograph this
for me?" 

"What?" Amy looked down, puzzled, as a booklet was pressed into her hands. 

"Oh, it's the Amy-Deb thing," said Tina.  She rolled her eyes and looked
over at Amy, a grimace on her face. 

"God, not again," said Amy.  "We did that in War five."

The girl rummaged around in her purse, her long raven-colored hair falling
around her face.  She pulled out a pen, and handed it to Amy, her violet
eyes pleading for her to sign the booklet. 

"All I wanted to do was go on a food run," said Amy.  "You would think
that we could just go out and buy some peanut butter and bread and not be
besieged by War participants!" 

"Could you please, please sign it, Janette?"  The girl was hopping from
one foot to another anxiously, waiting to get her book back.  "Make it
say, 'To Mary Sue Lehman, who's found the final cure, Love, Janette.'" 

"Found the final cure?"  Amy looked at Tina, comprehension dawning.

"Mary Sue?  Oh boy, we're in trouble now," said Tina.

"Why would you be in trouble?" Mary Sue paused and gestured to her book. 
"That's my cure.  You don't need to worry about being brought across
again, because you can cure yourself now.  It's really simple--I don't
know why no one ever thought of it before." 

"Oh good grief," said Tina.  "Look, Mary Sue, this is Amy.  See?  She's
wearing glasses.  She doesn't need to be cured." 

"Oh, glasses?  That's no problem, you must just be Nearsighted Human
Factor Janette!"  Mary Sue grinned, the mistake in continuity solved
easily.  "I cured nearsightedness just *eons* ago, so I can help with that
too!" 

"I think we should just leave," said Amy slowly.  "I don't think there's
anything we can do." 

"Probably not.  She's far too gone for any help," said Tina.  "Mary Sue
Syndrome can affect anyone, and she's obviously been hit with a severe
case of it." 

"Yeah, let's just get back to Nat's apartment.  We need to get back and
figure out what's going on," Amy said.  They brushed past Mary Sue quickly
and started back to the rest of the NatPack. 

"But I wanted you to tell me where to find a vampire to bring me across! 
Where's Nick?"  Mary Sue wailed helplessly, her cure discarded on the
ground, unautographed. 

"You know," said Tina, ignoring Mary Sue's anguished cries.  "I hope this
doesn't happen for the *entire* War.  That'd get more than a bit
annoying."