Gender Switching – A Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures Fanfiction

By Akane-Rei


Race Bannon counted silently to ten. Ever since breakfast, he had this nagging feeling that someone was watching him in an almost stalker-like fashion. And, given the security of the Compound, he knew that it had to be one of the people who lived in the house.

On second thought, it could also very well be the dog. Who, of course, turned out to be not just a dog. Just like the Benton's kids, who turned out not to be just boys. And let's not forget his daughter, who turned out to not just be a girl.

Race would have to admit to himself that he had always wished he had a son. He would never have traded Jessie for all the sons in the world, but that didn't keep him from having what his ex-wife would have called a male chauvinistic desire to have a son.

He should have been more careful for what he wished for.

He entered the living room, intent on looking for his daughter so they could have a talk. Seeing his red-headed daughter, he gave a sigh of relief. He had to admit that he had been a little unsure as to whether it was going to be one of those father-daughter talks, or whether it was going to be a he gulped> man to man talk. He didn't know what was going on with kids these days. Back in his own youth, people were quite content to be what they are. Girls were girls and boys were boys.

"Jessie," he heard Jonny's voice. "C'mon. Tell us how you did it."

He saw his daughter shake her head vehemently. "I'm telling you," she said insistently, "I don't know. It just turned out that WAY."

Race winced at the change in his daughter's voice. It was THAT voice. He shook his head. Kids these days. He cleared his throat and interrupted, "Ponchita," he said sternly, "we need to talk."


Jonny gave a sigh of exasperation. He knew, he knew, that Tuxedo Kamen had to have been Jess. The voice that occasionally came out of her was too familiar, and too coincidental for it not to be.

"Race," he implored, "tell Jess to tell us how she can transform without any problems."

"WITHOUT ANY problems!" demanded Jessie. "What do you CALL THIS?" she exclaimed, pointing at her throat, indicating her once-in-awhile masculine voice.

"At least you can hide it!" argued Jonny. "You don't have to go to school looking like a–-

"Enough," said Race. "Jessie," he said, "you and I need to talk. NOW."

"But Race," Jonny started to whine, "this will be quick."

Race gave him a look that spoke volumes before he said, "Jonny, Jessie and I need to talk to your father right now. She'll be right back with you after we clear something up."

With that, Race led Jessie out of the room.

He turned to Hadji, who had been silent all this time. He seemed to be more involved in reading some journal than he is at their present predicament.

"Well, Hadj," he said, "what do you think was that all about?"

Hadji looked up at him. "I do not know Jonny," he replied. "To what are you referring to?"

Jonny gave a sigh of exasperation. "What is that you're reading, anyway?" he asked, curious to know what his friend found so fascinating that he must have completely blocked out the fact that Jess can change back correctly or the fact that Race seemed more uptight than his usual self. Walking over to where his friend was sitting on the floor, he gave a tiny yelp.

"What?" asked Hadji, almost defensively.

"Why?" questioned Jonny. "Just tell me why. And it better be a good why because I don't see any reason why you could be reading this…this…" his voice trailed off.

"I was just trying to see if they could recommend a better product," stated Hadji. "If we are to continue to have these…problems with our hair then—"

"But Hadji," Jonny said disbelievingly, "Glamour?"

"I found it among Race's things," said defended Hadji. "And besides, in times such as these, it is better to consult the experts rather than go about things in a haphazard manner."

Jonny thought about that for awhile.

"Well," he said leadingly.

"Well what, my friend?" asked Hadji cautiously.

"Did it say anything about how to control these…these…these meatball hair?" he burst out.


"What's this about, Dad?" his daughter asked on their way to Benton's study.

"Ponchita," he declared, "you are going to transform into that…that guy I saw last night."

"But Dad," she protested.

"There is no buts," he stated, clenching his jaw. Thinking about last night, he knew, will always have the same effect on him. "You will come up to Benton's study and you will transform yourself," Race started again. "You will let Benton know that you were the man in your bedroom last night and not some…some…" Again, he clenches his jaw.

"But Dad," began Jessie, "Of course I was the guy in my room last night. Who else could it be? And why would I have to prove this to Dr. Quest? I'd thought he, of all people, would pick up on that."

"Well, Ponchita," he said in a calmer manner, "I would have thought so too. But we have to remember that Benton isn't quite behaving in his usual self."

"Okay," he heard his daughter reply. "So…who did he think the guy was?"

He cringed. "That's not important right now," he replied. "What's important is that this whole thing is cleared up." And Benton could stop looking at me funny, he thought, shuddering. He can't believe that Benton thought he would—

"Hello, Race, Jessie" said a voice from below.

He looked down and saw that cursed dog that brought all these troubles to them.

"Not now, Bandit," he said, quickening his steps, and dragging Jessie to Benton's study. He firmly closed the door on Bandit's face and turned to look at his friend.

"Benton," he began, "I can explain."


"Well, really," sniffed Bandit at the deliberate snub he received from Race. "The way this family treats me, you'd think I was the plague or something," he complained loudly to no one in particular. He walked over to Jonny's room, which he was sure was empty due to the fact that the boys were poring over a magazine article back in the living room, and turned on the computer.

"It's me," he said gruffly at the screen.

"Bandit," a disembodied voice greeted. "There's been some new…developments that we think you might need to be aware of."

"Of course," he replied. "Have we found the rest of the sailor scouts?" he asked eagerly. "Because I gotta tell you, I need to get out of this house for awhile. The atmosphere is tense. I wouldn't mind surprising some new girl with the good news that she's a superheroine."

"Umm…" the voice replied. "Yes…well…that's one of the things we need to discuss. But first things first," the voice said determinedly. "We know that you have wondered why you were selected as a guardian for the scouts, and after searching our databases, it has been established that you are the reincarnation of Luna."

insert dramatic pause>

"Hmmm…Luna?" he asked confused. "As in the cat that was Sailor's Moon's companion throughout her life?"

"Err…yes."

"Are you telling me that not only is my previous incarnation a girl, but she was a cat too boot?" he asked slowly.

"Err… yes."

"I was a girl," he stated hollowly. "I was a girl cat," he said again.

"We know that this is hard to digest, so it is probably wisest to give you time to get used to the idea. Therefore--"

"Are you sure my reincarnation is not that of Artemis?" he interrupted. After all, a boy cat is better than a girl cat, right?

"Err…yes, we're quite sure," the computer replied. "We researched the whole thing quite well. Anyway, getting back to the subject at hand—"

"But how can you be so sure?" questioned Bandit insistently.

"Bandit," the voice said. "Now is not the time for you to dwell on petty vanities. We have the sailor scouts to assemble."

"Oh, of course," he said. "Of course," he muttered. Now I'm beginning to understand why everyone around here treats me like a leper, he thought.

"As we were saying," the voice continued. "We have found Sailor Mars."


"There," Race said triumphantly, "you see now?"

Benton gave a cough and a gasp as he stared at the former Jessie.

"Dr. Quest," began his daughter as Tuxedo Kamen, "I can explain."

"So you see, Benton," implored Race, "there was nothing going on last night. It was all a big misunderstanding. I would appreciate it if you stopped looking at me in that damn funny way of yours."

Benton was still coughing.

"I have no such interest in you in that way either," Race continued. He would have said more, if not for the scratching he heard at the door.

"Race," he heard a muffled voice.

"I think it's Bandit," Tuxedo Kamen said, coming towards the door and opening it.

Bandit trotted slowly into the room and sat in front of Race.

After a few seconds of staring, Race shook his head and said, "What, Bandit?"

Bandit shook himself.

"Bandit," Race said carefully, "what is it?"


"You're Luna, they said," Bandit muttered silently to himself. "Luna, for Pete's sake." He continued to stare at the carpet and ponder the implications of it all.

"Bandit!" Race's voice rose above his reflections.

He looked up immediately and saw that all the people in the study were looking at him.

Tuxedo Kamen was looking at him in an inquiring manner. That mask of his is quite cute.

Race's eyes were darting back and forth between him and his daughter turned son. He was looking a little nervous. Of course, he had every reason to be.

Benton was looking more than a little rough around the edges. Bandit did not think he could take any more "surprises" at this point.

But, given this household, surely Benton would find out about his news eventually, Bandit thought. Here goes nothing.

"Race," he said determinedly, "you are Sailor Mars."


Everyone face faulted.
Downstairs, while perusing their new magazine, Jonny and Hadji heard an odd sound.

"What's that?" Jonny asked.

"I believe that Father is starting on his song again," sigh Hadji.

Jonny nodded dejectedly, thinking the sound sort of sounded like the beginnings of a wail. He listened more intently when he heard another sound…the rustling of glossy paper in high winds.

"Now what's that?" he asked again, at the same time feeling pinpricks at the back of his neck.

"Oh no," said Hadji, looking past Jonny.


As his father and Bandit stared at each other, Tuxedo Kamen's growing awareness of the imminent wailing that will be coming from Benton Quest had him moving.

He forcibly dragged his father out of the room while calling to Bandit. "Let's all talk about this somewhere else," he said insistently. Closing the door to the study after Bandit had followed them, he winced at the abnormally high-pitched sounds coming from the other side. Looking at his father and at their once normal dog, he gave an exasperated sound.

They were still staring at each other.

"Listen, Bandit," he said, looking down at the dog, "what do you mean that Dad's Sailor Mars?" Thinking of what Jonny and Hadji looked like when they have transformed, he stared at his dad.

Visions of his dad in a sailor fuku danced in his head.

He stared at his dad again and then back at Bandit.

"Sailor Mars?" he whispered disbelievingly while the visions kept assaulting him. A chuckle broke out from the corner of his mouth and he caught the glare his father threw at him.

"Ahem," he said, he muttered discretely, "I think I'm going to do some transformation of my own and leave you both to settle this." He knew that once he really thought about the whole thing, he would curse the fates that made him into a man instead of a sailor scout. However, right now, the image of his dad in a sailor fuku is still too strong. And so, he made a quick exit, planning to go back to herself again.


"This is not funny," Race said as sternly as he could. "Don't you think you've caused this family enough embarrassment?" he asked.

Bandit continued to stare at him blankly.

Race could have sworn he heard him mutter, "Luna," but that didn't make any sense.

"Bandit," said Race impatiently.

Bandit shook himself out of his apparent stupor enough, "Listen, Race, let's talk about this later. I have some things I need to clear up first, okay?" He padded down the hall before Race could say anything different.


Jessie felt the draft as soon as she approached the living room.

"Moon Prism Power!"

"Mercury Power, Make Up!"

In a blinding array of lights, she saw her two friends transform from regular teenaged guys to busty young teenaged girls.

The transformation seems to work out fine now, she thought.

Seeing the magazine covered monster in the other side of the room, she gave a sigh. With a flick of a wrist, she was back to being Tuxedo Kamen.

"Really," he muttered to himself, after giving the monster another quick once over. "How do they come up with these?"

"What do you mean, Jessie?" asked Sailor Mercury. "I mean, Tuxedo Kamen," she corrected herself.

He pointed at the monster. "Why is it that this monsters are always made up of something ridiculous like make up kits or this," he waved his hand towards the Glamour magazine covered monster.

He heard a giggle escape from Sailor Moon. It was quickly cut short when she noticed her two best friends glaring at her.

"What?" she asked. "The giggle just came out."

He rolled his eyes. Jonny being girly just took some getting used to.

"Sailor Brats!" yelled the Glamour clad monster, interrupting his train of thought, "prepare to meet your doom! Paper Cut Attack!"


Bandit came running back towards Race as fast as he could. He had been selfish and derelict of his duties. He shouldn't have been self-absorbed with all that had been happening. He was so focused on how his life was changing, on how he used to be a girl cat, that he hadn't been paying attention to the strange vibes that surely had been present. If only he had been more diligent, then he would have felt the presence of the Negaverse sooner than when they were right at his doorstep.

"Race!" he shouted. "Here's your pen!" He did a backward flip, and out comes a red pen from nowhere. From the corner of his eye, he saw Race catch it instinctively.

"Oh no," said Race, looking at the pen in his hand in horror.

"Race," said Bandit, trying to keep calm, "the kids are fighting a Negaverse monster. You have to help them."

At that moment, they hear the sounds of high-pitched voices screaming.

"You have to help them," Bandit insisted.

He saw Race go through a mental struggle, his eyes wrinkling in response.

"Just say the words," he urged. "You know what they are."


"MARS POWER, MAKE UP!"

Race felt the changes in his body. Funny. It wasn't as traumatic as he had expected. After all, he was turning in a woman.

Once the arrays of lights were over, he, rather, she looked down at himself in order to assess the damage.

Hrmm…

She looked down at her previously well-toned muscular chest and poked it with her gloved finger.

"Not bad," she said softly to herself.

She continued her assessment, her eyes going down to her long legs and red, stiletto heels.

"Not bad at all," she repeated.

"Sailor Mars!" Bandit's voice exclaimed, interrupting her perusal.

She looked up. "Yeah?" she asked, distracted.

"How come your hair's still white?"


At the living room, the three fighters for justice scramble to their feet, trying to get away from the razor sharp paper flying from every which direction.

"My bubbles are having no effect!" complained Sailor Mercury. "They're just making the papers damp."

"Better than doubling their number like my roses are doing," said Tuxedo Kamen.

"We're gonna die!" whined Sailor Moon.

The three superheroes/heroines tried to beat a hasty retreat from the room, running towards the hallway. They stopped in their tracks, however, when they saw Bandit with a new sailor scout.

"Should I go with blue-black or jet-black?" the white-haired sailor scout asked the dog, looking at two boxes of hair coloring products.

"Oh, jet black," Bandit replied nodding. "Definitely jet black."

"Dad!" yelled Tuxedo Kamen. "Now is not the time!"

"Dad?" said Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury in unison.

They saw Bandit give himself a definitive shake of his head before saying, "Race, use your attack!"

Just then the monster came rounding from the corner, accompanied by a wind tunnel of papers.

"Oh right," said Sailor Mars. "MARS FIRE, IGNITE!"

A the ball of fire shot from Sailor Mars' fingers and burned the wind tunnel of papers to a crisp.

"Now Sailor Moon!" they yelled.

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" Sailor Moon yelled as she tossed her moon tiara.

Like before, the monster was moon-dusted.

Silence permeated the room as everyone recovered from the aftershocks of almost being cut to death by tons of Glamour magazine paper.

"So," Sailor Mars said, breaking the silence, "do you think Clairol Nice and Easy would be gentle on my hair?"


"I can't believe it," said Jessie, shaking her head, as she looked at Sailor Mars, still admiring herself in the mirror.

"He hasn't transformed back yet?" asked Jonny, looking at his mentor with new eyes.

"No, he has not," replied Hadji with a perplexed look.

"Hey," Sailor Mars protested. "Look at this body," he demanded, "I am hot! Look at this face. I am cute! I'm so hot and cute, I'd hit on myself if I could."

"Ewww," said Jessie, disgusted. "Dad, Sailor Mars is fifteen years old!"

But Sailor Mars' attention was already back to the mirror.

"Now if only I could do something about this white hair," she muttered.

"Dad's not gonna like this," Jonny whispered to his friends.

"No he is not," replied Hadji, unable to say anything else.


February 3, 2002