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/qst/ - Quests


You are Ben Parker, super-powered criminal and thief extraordinaire. After being bitten by a radioactive spider, you underwent a miraculous change, and adopted the identity of "The Huntsman"! You also adopted the identity of "Spider-Man", for anyone that doesn't know about your illegal exploits, but that's besides the point.

Archive:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Max%20Spider%20Quest

WARNING!!! IF YOU'RE CATCHIGN UP TO THIS QUEST AND FIND THAT YOU'RE CONFUSED BY A LEAP IN THE STORY'S PROGRESS, YOU MUST READ THROUGH THIS ARCHIVED THREAD: https://archived.moe/qst/thread/5342491/

A ROGUE JANNY DELETED OUR THREAD, AND WE HAD TO CONTINUE IT THROUGH THIS ONE. ONCE AGAIN, READ THROUGH THIS THREAD IF YOU'RE GOING FROM THREAD #4 TO #5: https://archived.moe/qst/thread/5342491/

Last time:
Ben returns from Neverland and makes significant progress in the case of Cindy's missing voice. While he isn't able to contribute much at the moment, Ben intends to do everything he can to save his young ward's smile. But in the meantime, he has to see a wizard about some magic fairy flowers!

Rules:
Most dice rolls will be 1d100. Modifiers will be added depending on the situation or on the alien being used(Usually +10 or -10). Crit successes and crit fails apply. Crit fails can be overridden by crit successes, but crit failures cannot override crit successes.

How to Roll:
To roll dice, type “dice+1d100” in the options field without the quotations. To roll dice with positive modifiers, type “dice+1d100+modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number. To roll dice with negative modifiers, type “dice+1d100+-modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

Good luck and have fun!
>>
File: Strange Tales.jpg (1.26 MB, 1821x2800)
1.26 MB
1.26 MB JPG
“Well, that depends on what I can use them for. I was thinking that they might have some valuable alchemical properties, or something. Do you think you can take a look at them?” you requested. “I can share some of them with you if you tell me more about them.”

Strange stroked his beard with a yellow, gloved hand and flitted his sharp, gray eyes between you and Cat. It felt like he was sizing you up.

“I suppose that would be a decent trade.” he finally decided, taking the box from your hands. “You were wise to come to me before doing anything drastic.”

“Why? Are they dangerous?” you asked.

Strange nodded. “Oh, yes. Very much so. When handling powerful reagents such as these, there are many opportunities for catastrophic failure.” he said in a conversational tone as he turned around and began walking towards the steps.

No, wait. He wasn’t walking. He was…floating! His feet were hovering just above the ground, while the rest of his body was being pushed forward by some unseen force.

“Although, I haven’t seen a strain quite like this one. I’ll have to run a few tests.” Strange continued.

“Fine with us, magic man.” Cat said absentmindedly. You had a pretty good idea of why she wanted to stay.

“Thanks again. And sorry for disturbing you, by the way.” you added. “I didn’t realize you actually, uh…slept. Figured you had a spell or potion so that you could do your work ‘round the clock.”

“I do, but I don’t like using them.” Strange confirmed. “Sleep is a valuable commodity these days, and I’d rather not lose it. It’s also good for your mental health. The spells and potions can keep you awake and alert for a long while, but they cannot heal the brain damage that such a decision would cause.”

As Strange continued to speak, your attention drifted away from his words and began to latch onto the rustic appearance of the Sanctum. It seemed like it would cost a fortune to live here, and you weren’t entirely sure if the good doctor was keen on paying taxes. Was he capable of hypnotizing the IRS, or was his presence here something that warranted tax exemptions? It was a question to look into for sure.

—-----

The deeper you went into the Sanctum, the less sense it made. You were certain now that the building was far larger than it had any right to be. The hallways were long and seemingly endless. The winding staircases went up into infinity, and the walls were constantly shifting and folding into one another to lead to secret passageways.

You were thoroughly convinced that if you or your friends ever broke in here, you’d quickly find yourself lost, or dead.

Strange led you through several rooms. Each one, more fantastical than the last.

(Cont.)
>>
Nice.
>>
There was a library where books flew like birds and formed platforms for other guests to step on as they traversed the upper levels. Strange warned you explicitly not to touch any books, and you were properly motivated once you saw what looked like a flock of books ganging up on an old grimoire, and picking it avert savagely. You and Cat stared in horror, and in gross curiosity.

There was a museum that displayed nightmarish skeletons for the sorcerer to study. Or maybe they were simply trophies. Either way, you had no desire to see what they had looked like when they were alive and healthy. Anastasia might, though. You’d have to ask the doctor about paying him to be a tour guide someday.

The next room was a greenhouse, and strangely enough, it wasn’t your destination. Various plants, vines and tendrils reached out to grab at you as you passed, and you felt your spider sense tingling ever so slightly in the back of your mind. Something, or various “somethings” wanted very much to hurt you in this room. You remained alert, trying not to jump at the flowers that bloomed and turned to face you as if they were watching. Strange didn’t seem to mind, so he must’ve been confident in his ability to prevent any “accidents” from occurring.

Finally, you arrived at a lab of some sort. It was somehow the most normal looking room out of all of the ones you’d visited tonight. There were a bunch of oddly shaped beakers and alchemical tools strewn about the tables, but nothing that seemed like it could come alive and kill you at a moment’s notice.

The books that lined the walls were distinctly inanimate, and there was a noticeable lack of piranha plants. You relaxed a bit, and pretended not to notice the way that Cat was roaming around the room. If Strange minded at all, he didn’t say anything.

—-------

Admittedly, the tests and experiments took a bit longer than you’d expected. So much so that you thought that it might’ve been better to drop them off and come back later. The thoroughness with which he examined the fairy flowers was admirable in its own right, but you were sort of hoping that he could cast an appraisal spell on them and tell you exactly what you wanted to know.

You rolled up your sleeve, checked your watch, and gawked at it for a moment.

Was this thing broken? It says that only 15 minutes have passed since you entered the Sanctum. It felt more like 2 hours and some change. You expected Cat to be as miserable as you were, but she seemed to be having the time of her life.

Anything that she pocketed was somehow magically lifted out of her possession and returned to its original position. Strange was apparently perfectly capable of splitting his focus, and had been keeping an eye on the beautiful burglar. At first, the two of you froze in fear, wondering what sort of punishment the sorcerer would mete out as a result of Cat’s actions.

(Cont.)
>>
But surprisingly, he didn’t seem all that upset. On the contrary, he and Felicia seemed to be making a game out of it. She would attempt to steal something when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, and he would foil her plans using some magic trick or another.

Sometimes, the stolen property would fly right out of her pockets or cleavage. Other times, it would just melt in her hands and then blink back into existence, exactly where it had been before. It was admittedly very entertaining to watch, but Cat forbade you from watching too closely, lest you give away her cover.

Thankfully, Strange’s experiments didn’t take much longer. Once he was done, he waved you both over.

“The properties of this particular strain are rather fascinating, but not complicated enough for me to seek outside help.” he declared. “There are multiple ways to utilize such rare materials. With specific instructions, you could plant and cultivate them in a plot of land, and their sweet smell would regularly attract fairies, regardless of the realm that they might originate from. The type of fae that arrive, and their reaction to your flowers will vary based on what you plant there along with them.”

That’d be an impressive sight for sure. It would also give you opportunities to freely converse with magical creatures.

“As for their alchemical properties, there are more than a few ways to make use of these flowers.” Strange provided. “They have many applications, such as strengthening certain spells, anointing charms or divination tools, and guiding astral projections. The possibilities are seemingly endless when you know how to handle them correctly.”

What will you say?

>”That’s…honestly more than I was expecting.”
>”How likely is it for an amateur to make good use out of something as rare as this?”
>”I don’t suppose you’d be willing to teach me how to do any of that, would you?”
>”Would it even be a good idea to attract fairies in the first place? I hear they can be pretty mischievous.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5371859
>”That’s…honestly more than I was expecting.”
>"Any idea what kinda Fae would show up if I planted these next to some dogwood and garlic?"
>>”Would it even be a good idea to attract fairies in the first place? I hear they can be pretty mischievous.”
>>
>>5371859
I'd like to learn to make some use out of them. Is there something you need doing that I can earn your tutelage?
>>
also good to have you back.
>>
>>5371875
>>5371854
Thanks. I would've come back sooner, but the ban was very specific about when I was allowed to post again
>>
>>5371876
We understand. We were freaking out in the general lol
>>
>>5371877
Nah, I saw. I wanted to say something when I saw people theorizing that I was either demoralized or dead. I think the worst part was that we ended on an inconclusive vote, so I couldn't even write an update while I was gone.
>>
>>5371859
>>”How likely is it for an amateur to make good use out of something as rare as this?”
>>
>>5371868
>Support
>you wouldn't happen to have a magic for dummies book would you
>>
>>5371868
Support.

I gotta say I like the more magical approach to Spidey. Ben might not be a tech genius like Peter but maybe with enough time we could be a magic equivalent
>>
>>5371906
I'd say we already are getting there. Just need to be more open. This could lead to more possibilities with the spider god thingy.
>>
>>5371868
Support.
Jannies are the greatest supervillains.
>>
>>5371859
+1 to >>5371868
And also
>Ask about the monster that took Cindy's voice but without going so much in detail

Idk, but if I remember correctly, the name of that creature was the "Silvertongue" or something like that, and silver could be linked to fairies... So yeah, maybe we can use these flowers to make a trap for the creature
>>
>>5371868
>>5371902
>>5371906
>>5371931
>>5371933
>”That’s…honestly more than I was expecting.”
>"Any idea what kinda Fae would show up if I planted these next to some dogwood and garlic?"
>>”Would it even be a good idea to attract fairies in the first place? I hear they can be pretty mischievous.”

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“That’s…honestly more than I was expecting.” you admitted.

“I’ll say.” Cat muttered under her breath.

“Any idea what kind of Fae would show up if I planted these next to some dogwood or garlic?” you asked.

Strange frowned at you. “Dogwood roses and garlic, ey? Having vampire problems, are we?” he asked in a conversational tone.

You didn’t answer, because Stephen didn’t give you much of an opportunity to. He just kept talking right over you.

“If I had to give an answer I’d say…none. No type of fairies would even be remotely interested in flowers that are meant to ward off supernatural creatures.” Strange explained. “They wouldn’t be nearly as effective as something like Rowan, but typically, fairies don’t appreciate components that meddle with their abilities.”

“So they wouldn’t show up.” Cat concluded.

“Precisely.” Strange confirmed.

“Would it even be a good idea to attract fairies in the first place? I hear they can be pretty mischievous.” you said.

“In my personal experience? No.” Strange proclaimed with a shake of his head. “They play childish pranks and get their kicks out of incessantly annoying mortals with their ridiculous games. Most people that are aware of them try their very best to avoid having them interfere with their lives, let alone having them in their homes. I can honestly say that I don’t recommend it.”

“But there are probably some benefits to having magical friends, right?” Cat asked, surprisingly interested in this particular topic. She had even stopped trying to steal from the wizard.

Strange shot her an amused grin. “My dear, there aren’t many people that the fae would consider to be ‘friends’. And it works quite the same when you flip it the other way around. If they aren’t hated, then they are feared. And if they aren’t feared, they are held in high regard. I keep them out of my Sanctum so as to avoid offending them, for that is far worse than avoiding them altogether.” he said, trying, and failing to suppress a shudder.

“That bad, huh?”

He shook his head and blew out through his mouth so as if to say, “You have no idea.”.

“Be warned. The fae are old, inhuman, bitter and very cold when it comes to their approach to morality. They do what amuses them, regardless of how we humans feel. Don’t go to them expecting favors and friendship. For if they don’t scorn you outright, they’re likely to play a trick on you.”

You glanced at the box of flowers and frowned. Hanging out with fairies honestly sounding like it was more trouble than it was worth. Sure, you’d be able to get in contact with magical creatures, and the possibilities were seemingly endless where that was involved. But if you were to mess up or misspeak, then you’d have a real problem on your hands.

(Cont.)
>>
On the other hand, there seemed to be a decent amount of potential where alchemical reagents were involved. That astral projecting part sounded particularly interesting, if only a little terrifying.

What will you say/do?

>”On second thought, maybe I should just sell you the whole box.”
>”Do you have anyone that you trust to handle these materials as alchemical reagents? Maybe I can talk to them about making something useful.”
>”Tell me more about astral projecting. Are there any tips or tricks that’d be useful for beginners?”
>”Are there any ‘Dos and Don'ts' for interacting with the fae? I wanna avoid being smote for my ignorance if at all possible.”
>”What are some of the effects that I can expect by mixing and matching different gardening combinations? What sort of fae are likely to be attracted by them?”
>Writing.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5372087
>"If I started growing these and selling 'em, would you want a regular supply? If not, I'm sure you could at least pass the word along to your friends and see if they're interested."
>>
>>5372126
This actually has me thinking. Maybe we could expand this magical flower cultivation thing into a legit side-hustle.
If we start growing various alchemical reagents, we could start selling them to customers in New York City.
The delivery system I have in mind is one we already have; the sewers!
>>
>>5372126
This
>>
>>5372086
>”Are there any ‘Dos and Don'ts' for interacting with the fae? I wanna avoid being smote for my ignorance if at all possible.”
>"If I started growing these and selling 'em, would you want a regular supply? If not, I'm sure you could at least pass the word along to your friends and see if they're interested."
>>5372135
Rather than doing it as a side hustle and running it through the sewers, we could see if the Morlocks wanted to grow it instead. It’d give them a steady source of income and we could probably get some materials from them for free. Though we’d need to make it clear that growing these comes with risks so their gardeners need to be specially picked.
>>
>>5372246
>support
>>
>>5372246
+1
>>
>>5372246
>>5372279
>>5372436
Taking these. Writing...
>>
>>5372087
>”Do you have anyone that you trust to handle these materials as alchemical reagents? Maybe I can talk to them about making something useful.”
>”Are there any ‘Dos and Don'ts' for interacting with the fae? I wanna avoid being smote for my ignorance if at all possible.”
>"If I started growing these and selling 'em, would you want a regular supply? If not, I'm sure you could at least pass the word along to your friends and see if they're interested."
Oh good, the vampire ward is going to protect us from fae bullshit as well
>>
>>5372598
>>5372644
Oh, I guess I should have updated first before posting.
>>
“Are there any ‘Dos and Don’ts’ for interacting with the Fae?” you asked. “I’d like to avoid being smote for my ignorance, if at all possible.”

Strange frowned, and he gave you a reproachful look that told you exactly what he thought about a complete amateur meddling in the affairs of the Fae. “If you don’t know already, I shall go over the basics.” he declared. “First off, don’t give them your name. Names can hold power, and creatures like the Fae can use that power to take control over your actions. I advise you to use a nickname or a made-up name when conversing with them.”

“And the reverse is true, too.” Cat put in. “If you find out and use a fairy’s real name, then they’ll leave you alone.”

Strange blinked, and then nodded approvingly at her.

“That is correct, miss. I can see you’ve read up on such fairy tales.” Strange said, seemingly not intending to make a pun.

Cat just shrugged and gave him her usual easygoing smile. “I used to read books about them as a kid. I’m surprised to hear that they got a lot of things right.”

“Ah, but there is usually a genuine nugget of truth to be found in all things. Even in bold-faced lies.” Strange said with a raised finger. “But that is neither here, nor there. The second rule of interacting with the Fae is a fairly basic one. Do not behave rudely towards them. You must pay close attention to your words, and mind your attitude around them.”

Cat nodded. “Right. Don’t be lazy, or selfish, or inhospitable.” she said, listing things off on clawed fingers.

“And you definitely shouldn’t abuse them, verbally or physically. That would undoubtedly earn you a nasty punishment.” Strange added, shuddering once more at the mere thought of it.

“Don’t eat their food, either.” Cat said. “Because if you do, then you won’t be able to leave the fairy realm, or eat human food ever again.”

“That’s only if you’re already in the fairy realm to begin with.” Strange corrected her. “But yes. Do be careful of receiving food from them. And watch for any fairy circles.”

“What the hell’s a fairy circle?” you asked, genuinely confused and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Maybe you should be writing this stuff down.

“Sometimes, when a tree dies,” Strange began. “A ring of mushrooms will grow in its place. By no means should you enter one if you see it. You’re likely to get stuck there, dancing like a mad-man until you either pass out or die from exhaustion.”

Sheesh. You never knew that fairies were such dicks.

“Aren’t those supposed to act as portals to the fairy realm, too?” Cat brought up.

(Cont.)
>>
“Some of them, yes.” Strange confirmed. “Your mentioning of their realm is what prompted me to bring it up. There’s a possibility that you’ll become trapped there after entering the circle. And then there’s the grim prospect of wasting whole entire centuries, just standing in one place. The time dilation one experiences from those circles is woefully disorienting.”

Did…did he just say ‘whole entire centuries’?

“Lastly, and most importantly,” the sorcerer continued. “Never accept a gift from Fae that you don’t wholeheartedly trust. It’s best to pretend to accept it…and then destroy it later.”

“Wouldn’t that be…rude?”

Both Strange and Felicia shook their heads.

“You never know what they might give you. And whatever you do, DON’T thank them for the gift.” Black Cat cautioned you, her easygoing smile now replaced by a serious look.

“Absolutely! Never!” Strange agreed.

“Why not?” you asked.

The Sorcerer Supreme had a grave expression on his face. “Because thanking a fairy for something implies that you’re indebted to them. And owing a favor to a fairy is no laughing matter.”

“They can pretty much ask for anything in return. Be sure to keep that in mind, spider.” Felicia warned.

You nodded and rubbed your hands together nervously. “Alright. Got it. Don’t mess around with fairies, don’t be mean to them, and don’t trust them. That about cover it?”

Strange sighed. “Well, it’s a start. Personally, I can’t for the life of me figure out why anyone would willingly interact with such creatures, but you are your own man. All I can do is advise caution and minimize the damage should you not heed my warnings.” he said with some resignation.

The tall man stepped aside to allow you to take the box back, not making any move to stop you. This guy was far more reasonable and patient than you expected him to be, despite having been abruptly woken from his sleep. Maybe you just caught him on a good day.

“If I started growing these and selling ‘em, would you want a regular supply?” you suggested. “If not, I’m sure you could at least pass the word along to your friends and see if they’re interested.”

The sorcerer stroked his beard thoughtfully and began to pace around the table.

“I don’t think I’ll have much use for them myself. I’m more likely to forget about them and let them wilt before I can make proper use of them. Although, I’m sure that a potent preservation spell would solve that problem.” he muttered to himself, before shaking his head and remembering that there were other people in the room. “If you’re looking to grow and sell those flowers, then I might know a few individuals that would be willing to partake in your services.”

You smiled broadly, perfectly aware that no one could see the goofy grin on your face through your dark mask.

(Cont.)
>>
File: a0d756aad9.jpg (664 KB, 1080x1097)
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664 KB JPG
“However,” Strange continued. “I won’t be telling them anything until I can verify that you truly are a trustworthy individual that knows what they are doing. I’ll need to see your first harvest and examine it before we do any further business.”

You deflated a bit at that, but you weren’t angry. His words were harsh, but they made sense. You’d have to brush up on your botany knowledge and do some tests. Maybe the Morlocks might want to get involved.

Actually…now that you think about it, this might be a good way for them to obtain a steady source of income. So long as they don’t start any trouble, if actual fairies do end up showing up that is, then they should be fine. You’ll just have to give them a quick rundown of the rules on interacting with faeries.

If everything goes right, then you might be able to buy some of their harvest and pass it around to Strange’s buyers. You might be able to corner the market on fairy flowers.

Seeing that you were amenable to the bargain, the Sorcerer Supreme made a beckoning gesture with his hand, and a clump of fairy flowers came flying out of the box and onto the table.

“Excellent. Do let me know how all that goes. But for now,” the tall man said, waving his arms and artfully stretching his fingers into painful-looking positions. “I bid you farewell.”

Just then, the space around him seemed to stretch and warp unnaturally as you were suddenly thrust out of the room! The corners of your vision had begun to blur, and the vision of Doctor Strange seemed to be growing further and further away with each passing second. It was as if you were looking through a giant fisheye camera lens that was zooming out rapidly, showing you where you had been in the Sanctum, retracing your steps exactly. Strange was the focal point of the iris, while everything else seemed strangely out of focus.

With a disorienting whoosh you found yourself standing back outside the Sanctum Sanctorum, in your original positions before you were let in.

You exchanged a confused glance with Cat and checked your watch.

Precisely 12 minutes had passed while you were in there.

—--------

After you got home, you took the flowers from Cat and watched her swing away from the hideout. You stared at the box for a long while after that.

Magic flowers. Yet another angle for you to work in your busy schedule. It could either end up being a solid scheme, or an interesting, but ultimately futile, business venture. But you were getting ahead of yourself. First, you’d have to convince Callisto and the other Morlocks to go along with it.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you do tomorrow?

((I’ll bring it up again, but there are certain events that won’t take effect until a "timeskip" happens. Therefore, I’ll be leaving the option to initiate it early in the votes going forward. If you don’t wish to pursue something, you’re welcome to ignore it.))

>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>Visit Madame Web. You have a couple things that you wish to discuss with her.
>Head down to Morbius’ night club. You might need his help for this “Silvertongue” hunt.
>((TIMESKIP))
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5372692
>Visit Madame Web. You have a couple things that you wish to discuss with her.
>Head down to Morbius’ night club. You might need his help for this “Silvertongue” hunt.
Helping Cindy>>>>Anything else
>>
>>5372692
>Write-in.
>>Look to take a cooking class with Cindy.
Either of us have been eating fast food lately. She needs to eat more healthyly to develop well, and we have the money to spare on good ingredients. Also we have webbing that comes out of our body, if it's not entirely magical it means we produce it in our body, which gets affected by our own diet.
It can also be a fun bonding experience that doesn't involve superheroing.
>>5372704
+1
>>
>>5372692
>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
We could also visit Madame Webb and see if she’d have a use for the flowers. If not, she’s likely have contacts that could use it or would be willing to spend time showing us how to make use of them. That’s the only thing I can think of asking her though, not worth a visit in itself.

We actually have quite a few people who could make use of this in our contacts, or would at least benefit from related products. The Midnight Mission could maybe enhance their holy symbols with them (they’re a type of “charm” against vampires), Moon Knight and Madame Webb probably have plenty of uses for for astral projection or enhanced magical equipment, and I don’t know anybody who wouldn’t benefit from a divination tool that can be used to find something they want, be it a priceless artifact, the location of a tome on ancient horrors and how to kill them, or a Russian super-spy. Even if it’s not super precise, knowing if you’re in the wrong city is a good start!
>>
>>5372708
Supporting. Sounds like good way to wind down a smidgen.
>>
>>5372708
Support the cooking
>>
>>5372692
>>5372711
Switching my vote to >>5372708. Relaxing sounds good, and everyone appreciates a man who can cook.

Actually, since BC was present for the whole thing about the flowers:
>Ask Black Cat to see if the Morlocks want to grow fairy flowers.
She got along with them well enough, and I’d trust her to get us fair compensation. Either a small cut of profits (maybe a moderate cut if we need to invest heavily in a separate growing area) and/or skimming some product for our own use. Nothing too outrageous, she knows we like them and this is a long-term investment. One less thing on our plate then.
>>
>>5372721
>>5372724
>>5372737
I did not expect to be taken seriously
>>
>>5372708
Supporting. We should spend a little more time with Cindy.
Also you're probably on to something about our diet affecting the quality of our webs.
>>
>>5372740
We all love our daughter wife
>>
File: Filename Pending (35).jpg (97 KB, 533x471)
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>>5372753
>daughter wife
>>
>>5372753
Ease up Cletus
>>
>>5372740
>>5372753
Ditto all but that last word. And even Ben is commenting on her eating habits so it’s clearly time to do something about it.

Besides, how often do we really get to chill as non-supers? Even when learning ASL we had to suit up since it was with Spider-Woman. We could actually do this as Ben!
>>
>>5372753
>daughter wife
Anon, I...
>>
>>5372737
Sending Cat to do the bartering sounds like a good idea.
Just got to remember to tell the Morlocks to grow some dogwood and garlic near the flowers together with the fairy tips, doesn't hurt to be safe
>>5372753
A Crusader Kings player has been detected in the thread, all hands on deck.
>>
>>5372766
You misspelled dick
>>
Unrelated question since Felicia shared her name, should we share ours? Given how solid we made The Desparados crew, it doesn’t seem like a major risk.
>>
>>5372831
with Flint calling us Ben all the time, I think that cat was out of the bag since a long time ago
>>
>>5372839
ROFLCOPTER
>>
>>5372839
I’m torn between “Fair” and “Damnit, Flint”.
>>
>>5372831
Yeah we should probably open up a bit more with our team, we can more than trust them.
>>
>>5372878
I can get wanting to keep full identities off the table. That sort of thing is a weakpoint as it can be beaten/mindwormed out of someone. It only makes sense to share that if people want to spend time together off the clock. Sharing our name with the crew is something I’m cor.

That said, we’ve kept our cards close to our chest for a while, and Prowler hasn’t shared his name. If people didn’t want to share it with him, I’d go along with it. Just boils down to how much distance Ben wants to keep between his work and personal lives.
>>
>>5372708
>support
>>
>>5372708
+1
>>
>>5372708
>>5372721
>>5372724
>>5372750
>>5372737
>>5372917
>>5372936
Overwhelming support for the cooking class! You have chosen a comfy adventure.

Writing...
>>
This might seem like a simple way to unwind, but just wait, it'll come in clutch when we have to duel someone in an iron chef style competition
also glad that the quest is back
>>
>>5373184
You'll really have to polish up those skills if you want to beat T'Challa in "Vibranium Chef", and Logan in "Adamantium Chef"

And glad to have you back, anon!
>>
As your head hit the pillow, your mind started racing with possibilities. You weren’t in a terrible hurry to follow up on any pressing matters. At least, not at this very moment.

You were still waiting on the others to come back with information concerning the Silvertongue, and those jobs that Cat told you about weren’t particularly time sensitive.

You were free to do whatever you wanted. But all you wanted to do right now was help Cindy. And if you couldn’t do it by killing a supernatural monstrosity-

Just then, the sound of the fridge door opening and slamming shut broke you out of your reverie. And immediately afterwards, a brilliant idea popped into your head!

There was something else you could do that would help you and Cindy both.

Stretching out your arm, you snagged your phone with a webline and pulled it into your waiting hand. And with it, you did some rather thorough Google searching.

—-------

The next day, you got up early, confirmed that everything had gone exactly as planned, and got a jump start on breakfast. This time, though, Cindy didn’t wake up to help. She was still exhausted from her training session with Matt.

Seeing as how your class wasn’t for another few hours, you put some foil over her plate and allowed her to sleep in. She was working hard, after all.

—----

After a hushed conversation with Flint, the big man headed back out, and you decided that it was better for you to wake up your ward and inform her of your plans for the day.

You stepped into her room, wearing your Huntsman suit and carrying your casual clothes in a gym bag at your side. Despite being a light sleeper, she didn’t stir when you approached. You took this time to examine her physical condition, noticing the amount of bruising on her arms weren’t nearly as bad as you’d thought they’d be.

Either she was learning fast under Matt’s tutelage, or he was very good at controlling the amount of force he exerted. You wouldn’t be surprised either way. The guy knew how to scrap.

“Hey, Cindy. Wake up.” you urged her, shaking her shoulder with a gloved hand. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

She groaned and waved you away. You sighed, bent down, ripped the covers off of her slight frame, scooped her up in your arms and picked her up. This elicited even more groaning.

As you turned to carry her out of the room, she surprised you with a sudden burst of activity. In a blur of motion, her legs kicked up, her hands clasped around your neck, and her body swung downwards like a pendulum. But instead of landing on the round normally, she utilized her momentum and her athletic capabilities to swing back up and make another round trip by using her upper body strength to swivel around your head.

(Cont.)
>>
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Finally, when your surprise had turned into frustration, the little hellcat pushed off of your back and flipped back onto her bed in a crouched position. She was glaring up at you, resting on all fours like a wild animal. You were simply too flabbergasted to respond.

After a few seconds, she blew a stray strand of black hair out of her face, and a mischievous grin spread across her lips.

Despite yourself, you returned the grin and even managed a weak chuckle. “Alright, you little spidermonkey. Get up and get dressed. I made breakfast. We’ve got a big day ahead of us?” you declared.

She gave you a puzzled look.

“I’ll tell you after you get ready. It’s a surprise!”

She frowned slightly, but eventually consented and got up to take a shower. You left her to own devices and texted Matt to inform him that Cindy won’t be attending her training sessions for a while.

Yep. Everything was going according to plan…

—------

“Cooking classes?” Cindy asked, in sign language as she shoveled a slice of pancake into her mouth.

“Yeah! I thought it’d be fun for us to do it together.” you said, leaning over the table. “And it's a good life skill to have, you know?”

Cindy nodded, thought about it, swallowed her mouthful of pancakes and smiled.

“Sure. Sounds fun!”

“Attagirl! We’re headed out as soon as you finish eating and get suited up.” you said, pulling your mask on.

Judging by her confused expression, she was probably wondering why you were suiting up for a cooking class.

“Traffic’s still abysmal out there. Especially for public transit.” you explained. “They still haven’t cleared the roads completely, and I personally find it convenient to circumvent the whole process.”

She didn’t need much convincing after that. After breakfast, the two of you gathered your things and headed out in full costume.

—----------

By the time you’d arrived, the class was just about filling up with middle aged men and women. There were a few younger people too, but not many that were close to Cindy's age.

“I see we have a couple of new faces here today.” said the bubbly cooking instructor. She was a slightly overweight redhead that looked to be in her early 30’s. “I’m glad that all of you could join us. Rest assured that we’ll be keeping it simple in today’s lesson.”

The objective today was to make “Pan-seared Pork Chops with Minced Peppers”. True to her word, it sounded reasonably simple. Cindy was more excited than you were, honestly. She even brought her own apron from home.

“Be sure to follow the recipe exactly, and just call me over if you feel like you need help.” the instructor said. “Remember, these lessons are all about giving you some confidence in the kitchen. Don’t rush, and just have fun!”

(Cont.)
>>
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After that rousing speech, Cindy pinned her hair away from her face and tied the rest back into a neat little bun. She got started almost immediately, taking stock of the kitchenware available to her, checking the recipe, and getting to work by prepping the ingredients.

As she had once explained, you saw evidence of her experience in the kitchen from when she helped her mother in the past. She worked fast and efficiently dicing up the vegetables with blinding speed and drawing the attention of just about everyone in the room. They marveled at her knifework, her swift movements, and the confidence she displayed in the kitchen.

You worked much slower than she did, regularly checking the recipe and paying close attention to the instructor as she worked through simple problems. You relearned basic stuff like the positioning and placement of your fingers when using knives to cut small foods, the correct temperature to use when sautéing veggies and the method with which to stir them in order to get them to cook evenly. It was kind of fun.

You seasoned liberally as you did so, noticing out of the corner of your eye that Cindy had slowed down in order to keep pace with the rest of the class. She seemed to blush a bit after remembering that this was an activity that you were supposed to do together.

—----

“Hey, you’re pretty good at this.” you commented, as you liberally seasoned the pork chops and kneaded it into the meat. “You weren’t kidding about knowing how to cook.”

She smiled at you briefly, only taking her eyes away from the knife for a moment as she used the flat of it to crush garlic cloves.

“Why don’t you cook more often?” you asked.

“No ingredients.” she signed, lathering the pan with olive oil as she did so.

You frowned at her. “You could’ve just bought the ingredients, you know.” you argued.

“No money.” she signed, turning up the heat on the stove.

“What are you talking about? We have loads of-”

Your money.” she interrupted you, looking a tad bit sheepish.

Huh? Oh.

Ohhhhhhhhhh…

You’re an absolute dunce. A moron. A blithering nincompoop.

You never gave Cindy an allowance! And you never decided how much of the cash you would split with her, or what her privileges regarding said cash would be. She didn’t know how much she was entitled to, so she simply kept quiet, ate your leftovers, and tried to stay out of the way.

You were supposed to be protecting her and looking out for her, but this whole time, she’s been treating your place like a crash-pad. Not a home. Not a place where she was comfortable enough to discuss these matters with you privately. She probably didn’t think that she had a right to it.

(Cont.)
>>
Various thoughts whirled around your head, then. Cindy undoubtedly felt indebted to you. But instead of coasting on your revenue, she had developed a type of anxiety based on her lack of contribution, or any real ability to pay you back for your kindness. It was probably hard for her to understand completely. Hard to adjust to a new environment as well as you thought she had.

The girl was still struggling, fighting some private war in her head, all by herself. She was scavenging for food when all she had to do was ask for help. Although...it was probably hard for her to do so. Maybe she had too much pride, or she was nervous about how you might react...but you should've addressed this a long time ago, dammit!

What will you say?

>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5373268
>"No, it's our money."
>>
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>>5373268
>"First off, we're in this together. Food, medicine, all the essentials, you don't need to ask me for any of that."
>"Second, you've more than earned an allowance. How's five hundred bucks a week sound? Keep in mind you'll be expected to keep on top of your chores and "extracurricular activities" to get that dough."
>"Oh and uh, any of my jobs you happen to be involved with, you'll get a cut. I don't want you thinking you're obligated to take part in every one though, understand?."
Five hundred a week is plenty enough for her I think.
It's enough for her to be well fed with just enough left over to establish how important it is to save your money. A lesson far too many people learn too late in life.
>>
>>5373310
+1
>>
>>5373310
>support
>>
>>5373268
>>5373310
I’ll support this.
Additional write-in, though it should be done separately, not while in cooking class, and definitely in a place where we can hug her. Feel free to suggest tweaks, I couldn’t really link up my first and second train of thought, but kept it since it could be considered IC.
>”Hey. I know I’m a pretty shitty person. Look at my rap sheet and it’s a given. So I know I’m not the greatest candidate to look after a kid. But… shit.”
>”What I’m trying to say is I may not be able to teach you cooking like your mom or build scale models like your dad, but I don’t want you to feel like you need to treat me like I’m just giving you a hand-out. Like the warehouse is just a place to hang your coat. I want you to be able to call it a home. To know that you can lean on me. And that you don’t need to be afraid of losing it again. That’s the important part, okay? You DO NOT need to run away from it so it can’t be taken away again.”
>”I don’t expect you to believe it now, Cindy, but I will keep fighting until you do. You’re too sweet a kid to have this take away your happiness for the rest of your life.”
>>
>>5373310
>+1.
>>
Another unrelated/random question, is the NYC water utility a private company? It’d be amusing if we could help the Morlocks purchase it so they’d have the deed to their house, so to speak.

And by help I mean get them revenue streams because there are both limits to generosity and it’d mean more if it wasn’t a hand-out. Maybe we could connect them to Madame Webb jobs for a small brokerage fee? I doubt she’d mind the extra hands.
>>
>>5373649
>>
>>5373310
Yeah, I like this. She's been working hard, hope she understands that she's earned it
>>
>>5373268
>"OUR money Cindy"
>"I would like to know for the things you want to buy beforehand, but just need to ask. And for basic nescessities, or when I'm not around, you don't even need to worry about that"
I'm too foreign to understand allowances or each family member having their own separate income.
>>
>>5373719
Typically in America, an allowance is used as an incentive to get kids to do their chores without complaining about it, but it kinda went the way of the dinosaur.
>>
>>5373658
So unless NYC is different because being ground-zero for a ton of disasters means the public purse is dry and government went on a privatization drive to “reduce costs”, that plan is a no-go. That’s a shame.

I guess the only way they could own the land would be to convince the city to zone residential land in the sewer system, and I don’t want to get into city management simulator. SimCity and its ilk never really clicked with me.
>>
>>5373310
>>5373335
>>5373340
>>5373439
>>5373621
>>5373659
>”Hey. I know I’m a pretty shitty person. Look at my rap sheet and it’s a given. So I know I’m not the greatest candidate to look after a kid. But… shit.”
>”What I’m trying to say is I may not be able to teach you cooking like your mom or build scale models like your dad, but I don’t want you to feel like you need to treat me like I’m just giving you a hand-out. Like the warehouse is just a place to hang your coat. I want you to be able to call it a home. To know that you can lean on me. And that you don’t need to be afraid of losing it again. That’s the important part, okay? You DO NOT need to run away from it so it can’t be taken away again.”
>”I don’t expect you to believe it now, Cindy, but I will keep fighting until you do. You’re too sweet a kid to have this take away your happiness for the rest of your life.”

Taking these. Writing...
>>
>>5374226
Just realized that I copied the wrong prompt. My mistake. Here's the one that had the most votes

>"First off, we're in this together. Food, medicine, all the essentials, you don't need to ask me for any of that."
>"Second, you've more than earned an allowance. How's five hundred bucks a week sound? Keep in mind you'll be expected to keep on top of your chores and "extracurricular activities" to get that dough."
>"Oh and uh, any of my jobs you happen to be involved with, you'll get a cut. I don't want you thinking you're obligated to take part in every one though, understand?."
>>
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“Okay, Cindy. First off, we’re in this together. Food, medicine, all the essentials. You don’t need to ask me for that.” you declared. She stopped working and looked at you with an unreadable expression on her face.

“Second, you’ve more than earned your allowance. How’s five hundred bucks a week sound?”

Cindy’s jaw dropped as she gaped at your wordlessly.

“Now don’t give me that look. It won’t be for nothing.” you explained. “You’ll still be expected to stay on top of your chores and ‘extracurricular activities’ in order to get that dough.”

Cindy’s dumbfounded expression might've led you to believe that her head was spinning at the sheer thought of holding that much cash. But before she could make a gesture telling you that it was too much, you kept right on talking.

“Oh and uh, if you happen to be involved in any of my jobs, you’ll still get a cut.” you continued. “But you’re not obligated to participate in every single one. Understand?”

After a minute, Cindy closed her mouth and nodded slowly. The two of you got back to work, but it took Cindy another minute to recover from what she had just been told.

She tried to hide it at first, but you could see her smiling when she thought you weren’t looking. After the brief pause, the two of you fell into a comfortable rhythm and the rest of the lesson went off without a hitch.

More than a few times, you caught some of the other ladies checking you out, and you could’ve sworn that the instructor was getting closer to you every time she came over to check on your progress.

Seeing as how you were here to spend time with Cindy, you pretended not to notice their attention and kept your focus on the task at hand.

Once the dish was finally done, you felt a vaguely familiar swell of pride upon having made something with your own two hands. Everyone else had finished with varying degrees of success, but your pork chops seemed to impress the instructor the most. They must have, for she had gotten closer again and gently placed a manicured hand on your bicep as she leaned over the table.

Cindy’s mood had greatly improved by the time the class was over, and you had a very animated conversation that lasted all the way to the grocery store, and on the way back home on public transit.

Of course, you could’ve made the trip a lot faster if you traveled via rooftop, but you wanted to savor the time that you were spending with her today.

For the first time in a while, you thought that it wasn’t so bad to just slow down, take a breather and appreciate the things that you normally take for granted. You’ve got a lot on your plate, sure. But you can afford to let them sit for a little while.

—---------

(Cont.)
>>
Several hours later, you, Flint and Cindy were in the common area of your hideout, eating a hot, home-cooked meal and watching her paint a new piece. Inspiration had struck her on the subway, and her brush was now placing strokes on the developing canvas that were somehow both gentle, yet feverish in the frantic motions of her wrist.

In the meantime, you and Flint were practicing your ASL. He was better than you at this point. Something that he didn’t let you forget very often.

He would casually correct you with an air of condescension in his voice that just irked you. But on certain occasions, he would get something wrong, and Cindy would have to correct the both of you. For that, to see the flustered look on Flint’s face when he’d mix up his gestures, you appreciated the little vigilante all the more.

She didn’t get to finish her painting, so she covered it up and slipped the easel back behind a wooden crate. While she cleaned up her station, you were stuck cleaning the dishes by yourself. Because apparently, Flint was incapable of doing so.

In his own words: “mY hAnDs WoUlD gEt WeT, aNd ThEy’D cRuMbLe AnD bReAk ApArT!”

The cheap bastard.

Before your frustration could manifest itself in any meaningful way, however, a small figure pressed itself against you, wrapping her arms around your waist and pulling you into a big hug.

You froze up, smiled sheepishly, and patted her arm with wet, soapy hands. As soon as she’d let go, you tried to turn in order to face her, but she had already fled to her room.

And just like that, your dark thoughts were blown away, and you finished washing the dishes by yourself, whistling a jaunty tune and relishing the sense of fulfillment that rose up from within you.

That night, you all went to bed with full stomachs, a fully stocked fridge, and a wallet that was slightly less full than it had been the day before.

>$500 has been removed from your savings!

—--------

What will you do tomorrow?

>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>Visit Madame Web. You have a couple things that you wish to discuss with her.
>Head down to Morbius’ night club. You might need his help for this “Silvertongue” hunt.
>((TIMESKIP))
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5374342
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
Time to see what Flint's cooking. Also we're ordering some rubber gloves for him, he's not weaseling out of chores that easy.
>>
>>5374342
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
Unless someone else can come up with something as good as the cooking class, I don’t really care the order we do these in.
>>
>>5374342
>>Visit Madame Web. You have a couple things that you wish to discuss with her.
>>Head down to Morbius’ night club. You might need his help for this “Silvertongue” hunt.
>>
>>5374376
>support
>>
>>5374376
+1
>>
>>5374342
>>Head down to Morbius’ night club. You might need his help for this “Silvertongue” hunt.
>>
>>5374342
How much of a time skip?
>>
>>5374695
It'd be several months. We're not ready to skip whole entire years yet
>>
before any timeskip we need to get Cindy's schooling situation sorted.
preferably we also get a regular apartment so eventually either of us be able to have family and friends over, something for the civillians Ben Parker and Cindy Moon
>>
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>>5374883
I think Brooklyn Visions Academy would be a good fit for her, but only if it has good sports programs to go along with the academic curriculum.
>>
>>5374890
>Cindy gets enrolled in the academy
>makes friends with 1.6 Kilometres Morales
>parents evening rolls around
>Cindy introduces Benny to her new friend
>his parents are both working late so he’s here with his uncle
>from around a corner comes a familiar voice complaining about the layout of the building
>Prowler in civilian clothes stops talking when he sees Cindy, then Ben
And that’s how Prowler and Benny simultaneously blew their identities to one another thanks to their own highly flexible schedules.
>>
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>>5374900
>>
>>5374900
That's just fucking funny, I want that
>>
>>5374900
Let's do it
>>
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>>5374376
>>5374377
>>5374389
>>5374395
>>Visit Madame Web. You have a couple things that you wish to discuss with her.
>>Head down to Morbius’ night club. You might need his help for this “Silvertongue” hunt.

Taking these. Writing...

>>5374900
>>5374905
>>5374915
>>5374972
Mfw genuinely considering changing some plans for this meme
>>
>>5374978
Hey man, I know what I'm voting for when we get Cindy enrolled in a school, just saying.
>>
>>5374978
Huntsman and Prowler, the two super criminals that are also father figures.
>>
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>>
The following day, you and Cindy slept in and lazed about for a while, knowing full well that you didn’t have a concrete schedule to keep to. You were planning to be out until late in the evening, after all.

Sometime in the afternoon, the two of you suited up and headed out to where Madame Web’s manor was located. It took a bit longer to get there than you would’ve liked, considering how there weren’t any tall buildings nearby, but Cindy didn’t seem to particularly mind the workout.

When the young girl laid eyes upon the mansion for the first time, her slitted eyes grew as big as saucers. Considering how sheltered she’d been, she had probably never seen a house this big.

With mild amusement, you walked up to ring the doorbell, only for it to swing open at your approach. It was then that you realized the old crone had probably foreseen your visit.

“Hey hey. Who’s your friend?” Julia said as she opened the door, glancing between you and Cindy.

“This is Cindy. I wanted to introduce her to you today.”

Cindy’s eyes went even wider as she expressed a gesture of exaggerated panic.

“Relax. These guys already know who we are.” you said in a reassuring tone. “Plus, it’d probably be better if the two of you are totally open with each other.”

Her panic had transitioned into immediate confusion, but before she could make any questioning gestures, you motioned her to follow you inside. You had a lot to talk about.

—-----

After a brief introduction and summary of what you went through on the night that you’d first met these two women, Julia explained the role that she played in this organization. Cindy seemed impressed by Julia’s claims of being a computer whiz, even if she didn’t completely understand it.

When you brought up the topic of having Julia support Cindy out in the field, she suddenly got excited and started gushing about some new AR lenses that she’d been making. They were supposedly far more advanced than what you had installed in your mask, and had a fully intuitive HUD that could be brought up and collapsed at will.

Her excitement had dampened slightly when she remembered that Cindy was incapable of speech, and the three of you sat there trying to wrack your brains in order to find a solution. After about a minute, Julia snapped her fingers and brought up a program that she’d been writing.

With a bit of tweaking, she thought that she’d be able to create something that recognized sign language and auto-translated it in real time. It wasn’t a perfect solution by any means, but Julia seemed confident that she could install the program into the lenses and slide them into Cindy’s mask.

While the two of them were busy discussing that, you headed upstairs to meet with Madame Web. Unsurprisingly, she was already waiting for you, facing the door in her fancy, golden hi-tech throne.

(Cont.)
>>
“Good afternoon, Ben. I see you brought the little one with you.” she said, sounding pleased. “I do hope things are going well between you two.”

You nodded hesitantly. “They are, yeah. I’m still getting the hang of this whole ‘guardian’ thing.”

The corners of her lips curved upwards into a slight smile. “Well, you could be doing a lot worse. And in my personal opinion, making an effort to improve is already a large step in the right direction.”

This lady is far too invested in your personal life. It was already hard enough to avoid thinking rude thoughts about telepaths when she was around.

“But enough about that. I assume you didn’t come here for idle chatter.” she continued, leaning back in her chair.

What will you say?

>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>”Any updates on those ‘other Spider-Totems’ that you told me about?”
>”I don’t suppose you’d know where the Chameleon is hiding, would you?”
>”Got any new jobs for me?”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5375034
>>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>>
>>5375034
>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>>
>>5375034
Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>”Any updates on those ‘other Spider-Totems’ that you told me about?”
>>
>>5375034
>>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>"Or maybe you don't, you did say you can't see what happens inside that house. Still, any help would be welcome, you know more about the mystical part of these spider powers than anyone else."
>>
>>5375034
>>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>>”Any updates on those ‘other Spider-Totems’ that you told me about?”
>>”I don’t suppose you’d know where the Chameleon is hiding, would you?”
These three are equally important, at least for me. If there's the chance that Madam Webb could have saw what happened and followed Chamaleon for us, we should know.
>>
>>5375075
>Support
>>
>>537503
In order from easiest/shortest conversation to longest/most important:
>Mind if I contract out some of your jobs. Seems I keep getting busier and I know some people who would put the money to good use.
See if she’s okay with sending jobs to the Morlocks, or with us sharing the jobs with the rest of The Desperadoes to work as solo gigs. It’s money to a good cause either way.
>Know any good school systems for Cindy?
I just want to see her reaction to the question now that anons have started talking about it.
>Know anything about Tombstone’s daughter?
I’m guessing she’ll know the context. If she does, may as well ask her about finding a cure for her condition. No real skin off our back if she doesn’t want to get into it, but it’s important to recognize that a Tombstone with nothing to lose is a dangerous thing for everyone.
Being able to call in favors is always nice too.[/spolier]
>”I don’t suppose you’d know where the Chameleon is hiding, would you?”
>”Any updates on those ‘other Spider-Totems’ that you told me about?”
>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>>
>>5375148
>>5375034
Deleted a number in the quote by accident. Also had the rest of my post munched?
The more important convos:
>”I don’t suppose you’d know where the Chameleon is hiding, would you?”
>”Any updates on those ‘other Spider-Totems’ that you told me about?”
>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>>
>>5375036
>>5375047
>>5375054
>>5375060
>>5375075
>>5375132
>>5375153
>”Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt. Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”
>”Any updates on those ‘other Spider-Totems’ that you told me about?”
>”I don’t suppose you’d know where the Chameleon is hiding, would you?”

Taking these. Writing...
>>
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“Since you’ve probably been watching me, you probably already know about the ‘Silvertongue’ hunt.” you theorized. “Do you have any leads on where it might be hiding?”

Madame Web’s eyebrows narrowed under that blindfold of hers. “No, I do not. But perhaps you would like to inform me.” she requested.

“Can’t you just read my mind?” you asked.

Cassandra gave you a lopsided frown. “Do you really want me to do that? Think about it for a moment.”

“...No.” you admitted.

And so, you explained the entire situation to her, forgetting that she was unable to view the events that took place within the Midnight Mission. It was either due to interference of Khonshu, or the supernatural nature of the building itself.

She nodded along, but otherwise kept quiet for the entire explanation. By the time that you finished, however, her frown had noticeably deepened.

“This isn’t anything that I’ve encountered or heard of before. Or perhaps…”

She fell deep into thought, stroking her pointy chin and lowering her head slightly.

“Perhaps I have seen it before, but I simply didn’t recognize it for what it was. My visions aren’t always clear to me.” she reasoned. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for it, and inform you once I've pinned down its location and identity. But you must promise me one thing.”

“Yeah?”

“If it truly is as dangerous as you say, be careful in your approach. Don’t go after it unless you’re fully prepared to face the consequences.” she advised.

You nodded gravely. “Trust me, I’m not planning on losing the ability to speak anytime soon. That’d totally take the fun out of this whole ‘masked mercenary’ thing. It’s pretty much half of the job.” you said. “Any updates on those ‘other Spider-Totems’ that you told me about?”

Madame Web leaned forward a bit and steepled her fingers.

“I’ve confirmed a few things.” she declared. “As I had described earlier, I’m certain that there are two of them. They’re fairly new totems, and as such, they’re being hidden from my sight by higher totemic deities. They probably don’t want me spoiling their fun.” she said, shaking her head ruefully. “However, your ‘Dr. Connors’ isn't among them. I can see him just fine.”

“And you can’t see where the other ones are?” you said.

She shook her head again. “I am forbidden from interfering with their development at such an early stage. Honestly, it’s unprecedented for this many totems to be within such close proximity at any given time.”

“Well…what about the Chameleon?” you said abruptly. “You know. The guy that pretended to-”

“I remember.” Cassandra interrupted, raising a hand to halt your recollection. “And believe me, I’ve tried. And from my attempts, I have drawn some rather…ill-boding conclusions.”

(Cont.)
>>
“Oh?”

“I don’t think your little imposter is hiding from me on purpose.” she theorized. “I think he's…just a little too close to someone else that I can’t see.”

“Wait. You don’t mean…”

It was Cassandra’s turn to nod gravely.

“Unless your Russian friend is a powerful psychic, I do believe that he is either within close proximity to a Spider-totem, or he himself has become one. My gut is telling me that it's the former, though.”

What will you say/do?

>”And, what? I’m just supposed to sit here twiddling my thumbs until either he decides to attack me, or your Spider-Gods get bored of hiding him?”
>”I’ll deal with him another time. For now, let’s try to put all of our effort into tracking down that voice-stealing monster.”
>”I’m not gonna lie. I thought having a clairvoyant on my side was gonna be a lot more convenient.”
>”I can’t go off of ‘gut feelings’! This guy’s gonna come back for revenge someday. I just know it!”
>Calmly excuse yourself, take a walk and find something inexpensive to break outside.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5375903
>”Well, that’s foreboding. Guess I’ll just have to find him the old-fashioned way.”
>”I’ll deal with him another time. For now, let’s try to put all of our effort into tracking down that voice-stealing monster.”
May as well focus on what we can do rather than gripe about what we can’t.
>>
>>5375911
Support
>>
>>5375903
>”I’ll deal with him another time. For now, let’s try to put all of our effort into tracking down that voice-stealing monster.”
>>
>>5375903
>"So, I don't know how this works, but- say, if you were to sweep the city - wouldn't the spots where you can't look in be points of interest? Or does it not work by location?"
if it would:
>"I'd start with everyone who knew about the research on the engineered spiders. Dr. Connors thought someone likely was trying to enginee super soldiers. So lab guys and greedy enough execs."
Julia can surely whip up a list of addresses to check.
>"Other starting point would be Goblin. The Russians are working against him. While I don't know if that was only because of that shield or not, but if they still have beef with him, the Chameleon might be in disguise there."
got to get a copy of Tombstone's empire from Matt back.
>>
>>5375903
>>5375967
Support. Adding one more:
>Can you see each of my family members and my crew? I shouldn’t be hiding them since you can already see me, and I’d like to know if they’re safe.

It’ll be a hoot if Peter is hidden
>>
Rolled 89 (1d100)

roll
>>
I wish my id was lollixd
>>
>>5375911
>>5375948
>>5375949
>>5375967
>>5376074
Votes are currently tied, with this being the option with the most support:
>”I’ll deal with him another time. For now, let’s try to put all of our effort into tracking down that voice-stealing monster.”

Would you like me to update like this, wait for more votes, or throw your support behind another vote?
>>
>>5375903
>>5376731
I'll back >>5375967 with >>5376074
doesn't hurt to ask
>>
>>5375903
backing >>5375967 and >>5376074
>>
>>5375911
>>5375948
>>5375949
>>5375967
>>5376074
>>5376757
>>5376761
>"So, I don't know how this works, but- say, if you were to sweep the city - wouldn't the spots where you can't look in be points of interest? Or does it not work by location?"
>"I'd start with everyone who knew about the research on the engineered spiders. Dr. Connors thought someone likely was trying to engineer super soldiers. So lab guys and greedy enough execs."
>"Other starting point would be Goblin. The Russians are working against him. While I don't know if that was only because of that shield or not, but if they still have beef with him, the Chameleon might be in disguise there."
>”For now, let’s try to put all of our effort into tracking down that voice-stealing monster.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“So, I don’t know how this works, but–say, if you were to sweep the city–wouldn’t the spots where you can’t look in be points of interest? Or, does it not work by location?” you inquired.

Madame Web exhaled slightly and rested her chin on her interlocked hands. “It isn’t quite that simple. I cannot psychically sweep the entire city in a limited amount of time. Such a task requires astral projection if I want a clear image of where the Spider-Totems are.” she explained. “Day-by-day, I would have to send out consciousness to scan for these totems. I wouldn’t perceive them as ‘blank-spots’ as you’ve probably come to suspect. However, there would almost certainly be a location that the Totemic Deities would prevent me from entering. If I can find that…”

“Then you can figure out where they’re hiding!” you concluded.

“It’s possible.” she replied, not trying to get your hopes up. “But it would be rather time consuming. Not to mention exhausting…” she muttered under her breath.

“I’d start with everyone who knew about the research on the engineered spiders.” you continued, pretending not to hear her. “Dr. Connors thought it was likely that someone’s trying to genetically engineer their own super soldiers. So, that sort of narrows it down to lab guys and greedy execs.”

“Ah, yes. That truly narrows it down.” Cassandra said, with more than a little sarcasm. If she could still use her eyes, you were certain that she’d be rolling them right about now.

“We can also try to look into the Goblin.” you suggested. “The Russians are working against him. And while I’m not entirely sure of whether it was only because of that shield, I feel like they still might have beef with him. There’s a decent chance that the Chameleon might be disguising himself as one of his lackeys.”

It wouldn’t be the hardest thing in the world. Even you pulled it off for a little while.

“I suppose it would be possible to put him under my personal surveillance. Julia would need to take over some of my other responsibilities, but I should be able to keep track of him where there are no security cameras to make use of.” she boasted. “The difficult part would be investigating each and every one of his lackeys. Sifting through their thoughts and keeping track of them would take a not insignificant amount of my time to do so. I recommend choosing where you would like me to begin my search.”

Damn. You were sort of hoping that she could explore each option. Choosing just one would seriously slow down your progress.

“Alternatively,” Madame Web continued. “We could request that Julia pick up the trail of another one of your suspects. I wouldn’t have her devote all of her time to this, of course. She has an important job to do here, and I would feel much more comfortable with her focusing on her primary role while I am…indisposed.”
>>
You nodded and folded your arms over your chest. “Before we decide on anything, I want to check something.” you said. “Can you see each of my family members and my crew? I shouldn’t be hiding them since you can already see me, and I’d like to know if they’re safe.”

She stared at you for a good long while, before leaning back in her chair and exhaling slowly. “Very well.”

You didn’t have to wait long for her to start talking. The woman became unnaturally rigid. Even the movements of her mouth were stiff. The only sign of life she showed were the slow, shallow breaths that were moving her chest up and down.

Cindy Moon: Safe. Julia Carpenter: Safe.”

The next pause was a lot longer, and you suspected that she was projecting her consciousness through the city, desperately searching for your family and friends, feeling for familiar minds.

Victoria…Parker: Safe. Richard Parker: Safe. Peter Parker(Nephew): Safe. Peter Parker(Father): Safe. Ann Parker: Safe.”

Another pause, but this time you were able to release the breath that you didn’t know you’d been holding, so the wait was infinitely more bearable.

Flint Marko: Safe. Callisto: Safe.”

Another pause. Her brows creased in concentration.

Black Cat: Safe. Prowler: Safe. I am unable to find that ‘Glass’ fellow, however.” she said.

You shrugged. “He’s on something of an extended vacation. He’ll be out of town for a little while.” you explained. You were a bit surprised that she chose to use aliases for certain members of your crew. Maybe it was because she knew that they had yet to reveal their true identities to you.

Several moments later, Madame Web’s entire body shuddered, and she visibly slumped in her chair. You made a move towards her, but she raised a hand to stop you.

“Your Russian friend…is nowhere to be found among your cohorts.” she reported, breathing a bit heavily.

“Thanks for doing that.” you said. “I really appreciate it.”

“Think nothing of it.” she said, pretending that it wasn’t a big deal, despite you having contrary physical evidence to refute her claim. “You have yet to make a decision Ben. What should we focus on first?”

How do you want to handle this?

>Have her do a full sweep of the city. It’ll take longer, but you want to be thorough.
>Trail the Goblin and investigate his groupies. The Chameleon could be hiding amongst one of them.
>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5376836
>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large
>>
>>5376836
>>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large.
>>
>>5376836
>>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large.
>>
>>5376836
>>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large.
>>
>>5376836
>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large.
Thanks Auntie Web.
>>
>>5376836
>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large.
>>
>>5376836
>Hand Dr. Connors’ list over to Madame Web. If you look into Oscorp’s staff and the researchers that were involved in the project, you should be able to connect it to the culprit at large.
Weird that she hitched when talking about Victoria. Is her last name actually something different now? I’d assume she got married without telling anyone.
I also guess we can add Madame Webb to our potential buyers for the flowers since she mentioned astral projection is a thing she does. Kinda figured as much, but confirmation is nice.
>>
>>5377057
I'm actually curious as to how they would enhance Astral Projection.
Do you just dry the flowers out and roll 'em into a blunt? This needs to be tested.
>>
>>5377084
Could also be something like a flower crown, or creating a circle. Might be more of a defense to keep other spirits from entering our body. But yes, science must be performed.
>>
>>5377084
Unironically like most things ingested it's best to go anal with it.
>>
>>5377084
Sew the flowers into a cloth of blonde or red hair, to maximize the level of fae interest. Red hair was the shit for fae, pretty much a magnet for magical shit.
>>
>>5377177
Should make it thirteen flowers strung together by thirteen red hairs. Fairies love the number thirteen, if I remember correctly.
>>
>>5376840
>>5376845
>>5376846
>>5376851
>>5376872
>>5376965
>>5377057
Taking these. Writing...

>>5377177
>>5377679
I did leave a few things out during the Fae rules explanation, but if we're going through with this plan, then I should probably just make a pastebin listing the rules there.
>>
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“Dr. Connors gave me a list of people that he thinks might be involved with the mutated spiders. They’re all Oscorp alumni and researchers that worked on the project along with him.” you offered. “The culprit’s gotta be one of them.”

Madame Web nodded, clearly having pulled the ideas from your head while you spoke. “Me and Julia shall look into them. We’ll report anything that we find once we’re satisfied with our results.” she promised.

“Thanks. I’ll be glad to know that the both of you will be hunting for that rat bastard.”

“This is as much for me as it is for you.” she admitted. “If this ‘Chameleon’ character is somehow involved with two spider-totems, then it requires my full attention. I can only hope that no harm comes to them before we can pin down their location.”

And you can only hope that these spider-totems aren’t Russian assassins or impressionable, super-powered assholes.

—------

After your discussion, you and Cindy departed from Web’s mansion, feeling good about the progress you were making in your pursuit of the Russian spy. Cindy and Julia seemed to get along as well, which was encouraging to hear.

Those AR lenses that she was talking about sounded particularly interesting. You’d probably need to invest in them if you wanted the two girls to work together out in the field.

Realistically, Cindy would probably be better off working with them for cash. It’d be a decent way for her to support herself in the future. And speaking of the future, you were really going to have to get her schooling situation figured out someday. Peter’s too.

If you had to guess, Cindy was most likely home-schooled in her little fallout shelter of a home. That meant that you might have to go back and visit her place in order to grab some important documents. It was a good thing that you didn’t let her torch the house before getting everything you needed.

—-------

Later that night, after the sun had dipped over the horizon, the city was transformed into a neon-lit nightscape, heavily polluted with the dim glow of street lights, store signs and headlights from passing cars.

To your great surprise, Morbius’ nightclub had been almost entirely rebuilt from when you had last seen it. The place looked like it’d been hit by a bomb! It should’ve been in the news, or at least investigated more thoroughly.

But oddly enough, you didn’t see any articles, reports, or credible rumors regarding the event. Either the average New Yorker was way more jaded than you thought, or Morbius pulled some strings to sweep the whole event under the rug. It might’ve been easier to just pin the attack on those Gamer Terrorists that keep popping up.

(Cont.)
>>
When you and Cindy approached the front door, you noticed that the bouncer was a different vampire. They weren’t nearly as big as the last, but they carried themselves with the dignity and poise of a seasoned fighter and a trained killer. His red, piercing gaze washed over you and your companion, and his body seemed to tense for a moment. But instead of attacking, he simply stepped aside, opened the door, and gestured for you to enter with a slight sneer.

Another vampire, one you couldn’t completely see in the dimly lit halls, led you through the winding, maze-like corridors, until you ended up at another metal door. Rhythmic music and pulsating lights seeped through the cracks, and you could sense the presence of yet more dangerous creatures in the room beyond. Creatures that sensed you coming already. Creatures that could smell your sweat, hear your heartbeat, taste your fear.

You could never get over this part. The waiting. The not knowing whether you would be ambushed from behind, or dog-piled as soon as you dared to enter their territory. Strangely enough, having Cindy by your side seemed to erase some of your worries. Her family were friends of Morbius, and she was likely the only reason you got through the front door without excessive violence.

A quick glance in her direction told you that she wasn’t terribly worried, and you felt a bit silly for letting your fears get the best of you.

However, that thought was immediately blown away when the door slid open with a creak, revealing a dark, dimly lit room, with glowing eyes and glinting fangs flashing with malice and hunger. It was then that you were realizing that you were feeling a completely healthy and normal amount of fear.

“Huntsman. It is good to see that you are well. The same goes for you, Miss Moon.” said a familiar voice from deeper within the room. Just the sound of it made most of the others stop hissing almost immediately. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

What will you say?

>”I’m hunting for something dangerous. And I needed to know if you had any tips on tracking down supernatural creatures.”
>”Can’t a guy just drop by and check up on his friends every once in a while? Why do you assume that I want something?”
>”I need to see you in your office for a sec. It’s about someone we both know. A specialist. I might want to hire him sometime soon.”
>”You sure rebuilt fast. Labor costs must be different for the living dead."
>"Have you noticed any movement from the rogue vampires' forces, lately?"
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5377758
>Business. Mostly personal, but I’m not in a rush. I’d like to talk shop a bit first if you have time.
>”You sure rebuilt fast. Labor costs must be different for the living dead. Or do you just get more hours in the night?”
>”I’m hunting for something dangerous. And I needed to know if you had any tips on tracking down supernatural creatures.”
>”I need to see you in your office for a sec. It’s about someone we both know. A specialist. I might want to hire him sometime soon.”
Seems pretty natural to go from “hey I have questions about this thing” to “hey can I hire you to kill it”. It’s technically his lackey we’d be hiring, but that’s besides the point.
>>
>>5377758
little smalltalk first
>"Have you noticed any movement from the rogue vampires' forces, lately?"
afterwards
>”I’m hunting for something dangerous. But I'm currently
in the... 'pooling resources'-phase of the plan. Though I'd rather discuss it in private."
>>
>>5377758
>”I’m hunting for something dangerous. And I needed to know if you had any tips on tracking down supernatural creatures.”
>”I need to see you in your office for a sec. It’s about someone we both know. A specialist. I might want to hire him sometime soon.”
>>
>>5377758
Oh, on a completely unrelated note - I just finished reading the backlog of your Ben 10 quest. I didn’t get much into the show, but I look forward to that continuing as well!
>>
>>5377773
>support
>>
>>5377758
>”You sure rebuilt fast. Labor costs must be different for the living dead."
>”I’m hunting for something dangerous. And I needed to know if you had any tips on tracking down supernatural creatures.”
>>
Had a thought.
Should we send Sam to college?
Sure, he's a self taught genius already, putting a masters degree on top would still help.
And I think only relying on the Tinkerer himself will bite us in the ass some day when we give him stuff to analyze and/or evaluate.

And we know already we'll have timeskips eventually.
>>
>>5377766
+1
>>
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>>5377907
If he wants to get an education, I don't see why not. I do have another idea though.
What if we got him an internship with The Tinkerer?
He's clearly got something of an aptitude for super science, and it would give him access to much better tools than we can get right now.
The hard part would be swaying Phin, but I imagine there's something we can do to make the deal happen.
Keep in mind we'd still be taking him with us on jobs regularly, especially those involving Electro.
>>
>>5377766
>>5377768
>>5377773
>>5377893
>>5377902
>>5378188
>Business. Mostly personal, but I’m not in a rush. I’d like to talk shop a bit first if you have time.
>”You sure rebuilt fast. Labor costs must be different for the living dead. Or do you just get more hours in the night?”
>”I need to see you in your office for a sec. It’s about someone we both know. A specialist. I might want to hire him sometime soon.”
>”I’m hunting for something dangerous. And I needed to know if you had any tips on tracking down supernatural creatures.”

Taking these. Writing...

>>5377774
Happy to hear it! I do miss the characters and the aliens from that quest. It was my very first one, and I made some mistakes along the way, but I'd like to get back to it at some point if there's still some interest in it.

>>5377907
>>5378218
An interesting thought. If it's something that you want to do before the timeskip, then you'll have to be sure to remind me when the vote comes up again.
>>
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“Business. Mostly personal, but I’m not in a rush.” you said, as nonchalantly as you could manage. “I’d like to talk shop if you have time.”

“Why, of course. Word on the winds is that you’ve taken care of the man who made an attempt on my life, destroyed my domain, and murdered one of my children.” Morbius said, his tone changing from one of light amusement, to that of grim satisfaction. It sent a shiver down your spine.

Cindy glanced over to you, but your eyes were clearly locked on the crimson, burning orbs that were staring back at you from beneath the inky cover of darkness. You nodded back at him.

“...Good. If you didn’t do it, I would have.” he declared. “You have my thanks.”

You nodded once more, and then glanced around the room in vain. You couldn’t see shit.

“You sure rebuilt fast.” you said, desperately wanting to change the subject. “Labor costs must be different for the living dead. Or do you just get more hours in the night?”

“Actually,” Morbius began. “Most of the work was done by humans. We didn’t even have to hypnotize them. They did it for free.”

“Why? Did they owe you a favor?”

“No no. Nothing quite so dramatic.” he said with a light chuckle. “There are such humans that would do anything that a vampire asks. Some simply wish to be near us. To exist within our circles. While others do favors and odd jobs in the hopes that we might one day make them one of us.”

“So you were pretty much working around the clock. Not a bad system.” you admitted. “And speaking of work, I have something that I’ve been meaning to discuss with you.”

His red eyes narrowed slightly, and you saw the glint of his fangs in the dark. “Oh?”

“It’d be better if we took this to your office.” you suggested.

“Is it a…private matter?” he asked.

“I’d say. It involves someone we both know. He’s a bit of a specialist.” you said, narrowing your eyes at him in return. “I might want to hire him soon.”

Morbius’ eyes widened in recognition, and he rose from his seat as calmly as he could.

“You are right.” he said. “We should take this in my office. Follow me.”

The living vampire took a candle from one of the tables and lifted it up to his face, gesturing for you to follow in his path exactly. You didn’t need much convincing in this regard, as you and Cindy would’ve been fumbling around in the dark and constantly bumping into things without his help.

Once you got close to his office, Morbius blew the candle out and placed it on a small table right outside of his door.

“Right this way, please.” he said, ushering you inside.

It looked exactly the same as when you’d seen it last. Chances are that Randal’s airstrike didn’t even scratch this place.

(Cont.)
>>
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“Now that I can see it in sufficient lighting, I can say with confidence that your new suit suits you, Miss Moon.” Morbius stated, nodding his approval. “Your parents would be so proud if they could just see you now.”

You tensed up a bit at the mention of her parents, but Cindy just gave the vampire a gracious bow. You wondered what sort of face she was making under that mask.

“So,” Morbius said, drawing your attention back to him. “You seek to hire Terminal’s services. Might I ask why?”

“I’m hunting for something dangerous. And while we’re still sort of in the planning phase, I’ve come to realize that we’re probably only gonna get one shot at this thing.” you explained. “So when we do find it, I want to make sure that it stays dead.”

Morbius nodded his understanding. “Ah, I see. That does so happen to be Terminal’s specialty.” he agreed. “But what is it that has you so riled up? There aren’t many creatures so dangerous that I would consider deploying my trump card.”

You and Cindy shared a glance, and then together, you proceeded to explain the true nature of the creature that stole her voice. Morbius listened without interrupting a single time, but you could see him clenching his teeth from time to time.

You were all quiet for a long time after your explanation had concluded. The living vampire reached for a bowl on his desk, plucked a dull brown orb from it and popped it into his mouth. Cindy gazed at them longingly, but Morbius was positioned in such a way that he could forcefully move the bowl away if she made a move for them.

“I must say,” he began, crunching the strange confection between his fangs. “This is the first time that I’ve ever heard of something so unusual. This ‘Silvertongue’ that you speak of–-it must be a very old creature, indeed. Far too old for a fledgling vampire such as myself to have known about.”

“Wait. How old are you?” you asked.

He shrugged. “I would probably be in my 40s or 50s by now. I am not even a century old, yet. It was quite hard to elevate my status as much as I did when I was just a mere babe in the eyes of these bags of bones. But that is a story for another time.” he said, smiling mischievously. “If what you said is true, the monster that you are hunting would be better described as a parasite. You were wise in seeking out Terminal’s services.”

“I was?” you said.

“Yes! For Terminal can do far more than eliminate bacteria and diseases. He can also detect foreign bodies within organic lifeforms.” he explained. “If he gets close enough, Terminal is capable of sniffing out diseases, distinctly inhuman biology…and parasites.”

Cindy’s eyes lit up, and the two of you shared an excited, hopeful glance.

(Cont.)
>>
“However, it could take some time. We have no idea where this creature is, and Terminal will be forced to take routes that limit his amount of exposure to biological lifeforms. This might be the longest that I’ve ever allowed him outside ever since I diagnosed his condition.” Morbius said, a thoughtful look on his face. “If you wish to hire his services, then you will have to do so over the phone. He always negotiates his rates and tailors them to the requirements of the job.”

And you have no doubt that he’s gonna request a metric fuck-ton of cash in order to do it, too.

“Alternatively” the vampire continued. “We might be able to waive the fee, or at least cut it in half if you agree to owe me a favor.”

You narrowed your eyes in suspicion. “What kind of favor?” you asked.

“Why…anything that I want, naturally.” Morbius said, flashing you a devilish grin. “It wouldn’t do to spoil the surprise this early.”

What will you do?

>Call Terminal and negotiate the terms of your contract over the phone.
>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future.
>On second thought, this is probably a bad idea. You’ll find another way to kill the Silvertongue. Hopefully, one that doesn’t have a risk of releasing an incurable disease.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5378483
>Call Terminal and negotiate the terms of your contract over the phone.
>>
>>5378483
>>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future.
>>
>>5378483
>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future.
>>
Going on a short trip to my home state. This'll be the same deal as before. Whenever I get a moment, I'll try to connect to somebody else's Wi-Fi and post an update from there. If I go a day or two without posting, then it'll be because I wasn't able to find a good time to write and post an update. Fingers crossed.
>>
>>5378483
>Call Terminal and negotiate the terms of your contract over the phone.
Boys, boys. We don’t have to decide right now. Before we jump into an agreement with Morbius, let’s see what Terminal’s rates are like. If it all ends up too expensive we can take the deal or go elsewhere, but there’s no reason to make a decision right this second.
>>5378500
Have a nice trip, Score.
>>
>>5378483
>"Is that a favor like taking care of the man that - how did you say - made an attempt on your live destroiyed your domain etc. etc. ? Because if so, way ahead of you."
But
>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future.
Can someone remind me if simply killing it would restore Cindy's connection to language?
>>
>>5378483
>Call Terminal and negotiate the terms of your contract over the phone.
>Sorry Morbius, but I don't like owning such open ended favors.
>Still, Cindy wouldn't trust you if you were an asshole, and you have helped me out plenty before, so I'll be glad you give you a more than fair fee for any service you need. As long as I hear the details first, of course.
>>
>>5378483
>>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future.
We aren't made out of money!
>>
>>5378483
>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future. As long as Cindy is not a part of it.
>>
>>5378483
>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future.
>>
>>5378483
>>5378501
+1
I’m okay with owing the favor on the condition that *we* owe the favor, not our crew. This is personal business, after all. But we’re not in a rush as we still need to track down the creature and our plate already seems full right now.
>>
>>5378483
>Call Terminal and negotiate the terms of your contract over the phone.
>Agree to owe Morbius a favor in the future.
>"Keep in mind that this is a favor from ME, not my whole crew. Anything where I gotta bring them in means they get compensated."
>>
>>5378483
>>Call Terminal and negotiate the terms of your contract over the phone.
>>
File: 1661057054285813.png (3.62 MB, 1168x1774)
3.62 MB
3.62 MB PNG
>>
>>5379305
what the fuck.
>>
>>5379336
Welcome to modern Spiderman comics.
>>
>>5379338
I want to burn books now.
>>
>>5379339
Yeah it be like that sometimes
>>
>>5378483
Backing >>5378501 but if we do the favor, also backing >>5378807
>>
>>5379305
Oh shit, it’s Barbara Gordon!
>>
>>5379305
Are her villains construction companies making non wheelchair acessible buildings?
>>
>>5379473
Her greatest enemy is Stilt-Man.
>>
>>5379305
Wait is she actually paraplegic?
Stupid as the character's is, that's not a bad cover honestly.
>>
File: 1649249312515.jpg (123 KB, 1280x864)
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[red]"Let's give him a call."[/red] you requested, not wanting to play into the vampire's hands before you've exhausted all of your options.

Morbius then proceeded to open a small compartment embedded within the wall behind his desk, revealing an old black telephone. You had almost expected to see a rotary dial, but you weren't quite lucky enough to see such a bizarre spectacle. To this day, Callisto's sewer phonebooth remains the strangest form of communication that you've ever come across.

When the living vampire moved to dial Terminal's number, you paid close attention, hoping to get his contact information for yourself. Your hopes were quickly dashed, however, when Morbius only keyed in four numbers. Likely a code of some sort that you weren't supposed to understand. You wouldn't be surprised if the code was changed come tomorrow.

When the phone started ringing, Morbius handed you the phone and stepped aside to give you some room.

After a few seconds, the line on the other end clicked, and you were greeted with a violent, rasping cough.

[red]"...Hello?"[/red] said a slightly congested voice. For an elite assassin, the guy sure sounded miserable.

[red]"Hey, is this Terminal?"[red]

[red]"Who wants to know?"[/red] he replied with a sniffle.

[red]"This is the Huntsman. We met back at Morbius' club after it was attacked."[/red] you recalled.

Another sniffle.

[red]"Oh, yeah. You were that guy with the fur cloak."[/red] he said, recognition clear in his voice. [red]"How've you been?"[/red]

[red]"Uh…good? Been a bit busy lately, but I can't complain."[/red] you replied, wondering why you were making small talk with a deadly assassin.

[red]"Just humor him."[/red] Morbius whispered. [red]"He doesn't get out much. Not without my permission, at least. His lack of human interaction has made him into a rather lonely individual."[/red]

You nodded slowly.

[red]"...How about you? What have you been up to?"[/red] you asked.

Another sniffle.

[red]"I killed a pack of werewolves in Brooklyn the other day. They were trying to grab a midnight snack out in the park, so I had to deal with them."[/red]

[red]"Oh, sweet. What'd you, uh…what'd you use?"[/red] you said, noticing Morbius' gesture for you to continue.

[red]"12 gauge and a battle-axe. Shells were custom-made. They had to be in order for me to spread the virus."[/red] he said in a casual tone.

[red]"Huh. Well that's cool."[/red] you said, not knowing how you should continue this line of dialogue. [red]"Listen, I was hoping that I could hire you for a job that I'm preparing for."[/red]

[red]"Uh-huh. You need somebody whacked?"[/red] he asked.

[red]"Pretty much, yeah."[/red] you confirmed.

[red]"Anyone I should know?"[/red]

[red]"Probably not…"[/red]

You then proceeded to explain everything that you knew about the Silvertongue, as well as its capabilities.

You heard another sniffle on the other end of the line.

(Cont.)
>>
File: clean (1).jpg (548 KB, 1821x2800)
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[red]"Well, when you put it like that…"[/red] you said, weakly.

[red]"As things stand, I'd say it'll cost you…$3 mil."[/red] Terminal declared.

[red]"$3 million dollars!?"[/red]

[red]"You don't know shit about this thing. You don't know what it looks like, how tough it is to kill, its offensive capabilities, its location, or how smart it is. This is shit that people like me need to know, and you just have me going in blind."[/red] Terminal described in a surprisingly eloquent way. He didn't cough or sniffle a single time during that rant.

[red]"Either you figure out more information and come back later,"[/red] he continued. [red]"Or you hire me now and pay my fees. After that, I'll handle the rest. Because when I kill something, it stays dead as fuck."[/red]

You glanced at Morbius, and the look on his face told you that he could guess what you were thinking.

[red]"If Terminal's rates are too steep for your liking,"[/red] he began. [red]"We can always come to a deal ourselves."[/red]

[red]"On two conditions."[/red] you said with a finger raised to the air. [red]"Cindy won't be a part of whatever this is, and my team isn't included in this debt. If you want to hire them, you'll have to pay them normal rates."[/red]

Morbius hissed. [red]"Don't be ridiculous, Huntsman. If I wanted to make a deal with Miss Moon, then I would have spoken with her directly."[/red] he said, pointing a fanged finger at the girl. [red]"And secondly, it is entirely up to me whether I [b]feel[/b] like hiring your men for said favor. I have not met them, and thus, I do not have many reasons to trust them. If I do not like what I see, then I won't allow them to accompany you on any mission that I deem important or sensitive."[/red]

The bluntness of his statement caught you off guard for a moment, but you quickly recovered.

[red]"If all my requirements are met, then, and only then, will I allow them to accompany you. Do keep in mind, however, that there are some missions that will require a more sensitive touch."[/red] he continued. [red]"A scalpel, and not a mallet. If you wish to work for me in the future, then you will have to prove that you are the former."[/red]

Morbius extended a pale hand over to you. You stared at it, and then back at him.

[red]"I can cover about half for a simple job. But if you want me to waive the entire fee, then I'm sure we can find something more…suited to your talents. Do we have a deal?"[/red]

What will you do?

>Offer to do a small job.(Half the fee will be waived)
>Offer to do a more complicated job.(The entire fee will be waived)
>Hire Terminal for the full fee.
>Attempt to haggle with Terminal.
>Turn down both, and offer to gather more information before returning to make the same offer.
>Write-in.
>>
I guess I'm not getting any decent formatting on hotel Wi-Fi. Sorry folks. It's the best I could do at the moment.

>>5379305
I think that's supposed to be the winner of some Spidersona art contest. They made a fan-creation canon(kinda).

>>5379559
I imagine fighting crime will be VERY difficult, however. On the bright side, she can whip her legs around as hard as she wants to. They'd probably make for devastating melee weapons.
>>
>>5379642
>Attempt to haggle with Terminal.
>"So, first off, you're totally right, you need to know all of this shit."
>"But, as I told Morbius already, we're still trying to figure the entire situation out. I'm not asking you to do all the work. I'm not asking you to even do half of the work."
>"I was just looking to see if I can have you on stand-by. Only when I feel like I know enough about the thing, and have everyone agree on the plan - you included - will we carry it out."
>"How does your cost estimate look now?"
>>
>>5379642
>Offer to do a more complicated job.(The entire fee will be waived)
Morbius doesn't seem the type to make use do something we aren't capable of nor unwilling. He may have us by the balls, but we can potentially spin this into a lot of money down the line.
>>
>>5379559
Speculation is the spider bite cured her but she carries the wheelchair on her back so she has it as a disguise when she gets out of costume
>>
>>5379305
>The Dark skined white guy
They aren't even trying anymore.
>>
>>5379642
Hire terminus at the full fee.
>>
>>5379791
I say this bc we still have over 7 million. We can still do some stuff for morb but we have a lot on our plate. New electro is still out there kingpin is coming chameleon is among us.
>>
>>5379642
>Turn down both, and offer to gather more information before returning to make the same offer.
I really want to work with these guys, but Terminal is right. Doing him a disservice is a dick move to both him and Morb-man
>>
>>5379642
>Offer to do a more complicated job.(The entire fee will be waived)
Metal Gear Solid: Spider Eater
>>
>>5379675
+1
This is a nice middle ground between the haggling and the waiting to gather more info. Terminal might be enthused to know we’ve already got some reliable people doing the research.
>>
>>5379642
>>Offer to do a small job.
>>
>>5379642
>Offer to do a more complicated job.(The entire fee will be waived)
>>
>>5379642
>>Offer to do a more complicated job.(The entire fee will be waived)
>>
>>5379675
>>5380000
>>5379725
>>5379791
>>5379822
>>5379992
>>5380030
>>5380077
>>5380097
>Offer to do a more complicated job.(The entire fee will be waived)

Taking these. Writing...

Back home, btw
>>
After about a minute to think about it, you grasped Morbius’ hand and shook it.

“You said you’d waive the entire fee?” you asked, not releasing his hand.

“I can,” he replied simply. “But that would require an even bigger commitment on your part.”

“I’ll do it.” you said firmly. “Whatever it takes.”

Morbius nodded, seemingly satisfied, before releasing your hand and reaching for the phone.

“Terminal? Don’t worry about the fee. I’ll reimburse you for this one.” Morbius offered.

You didn’t hear the assassin’s response, but it sounded snippy. The living vampire simply chuckled and hung up the phone.

“If you wish to speed this investigation along, then you’re welcome to offer me any new information that you come across, so that I might pass it to Terminal.” Morbius said, his crimson eyes fixed on you. “If not, then you’re welcome to leave everything in his hands, so that you might direct your attention to other matters.”

You nodded. “And you can send me the details of that job that you want me to do.”

“In due time, Huntsman.” Morbius replied. “In due time.”

—------

After you bantered for a while longer, you and Cindy were led out of the vampire club by one of his trusted bodyguards. All the while, the kid crimefighter was practically vibrating with grim delight at the prospect of having someone as deadly as Terminal going after the voice thief.

Personally, you were feeling nervous about having Terminal anywhere near you, or anyone else that you cared about. But if Morbius trusts him to go out and operate without close supervision, then you supposed that you could think of him as a professional.

That being said, you were probably going to have to report this to the others during your next meeting. They should know that a walking biohazard is about to put himself in the Silvertongue’s crosshairs.

But at the very least, you made some headway in solving two of your biggest problems. Hopefully, both avenues will pan out, and you’ll be rid of both menaces by this time next month.

If only you could be so lucky…

—---

What will you do tomorrow?

>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>Try to figure out Cindy’s schooling situation.
>((TIMESKIP))
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5381103
Visit the morlocks
>>
>>5381103
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
I’m up for something different this time. I’m more interested in the heist as it’s the more nostalgic of the two.
>>
>>5381103
>Try to figure out Cindy’s schooling situation.
>>
>>5381103
>Try to figure out Cindy’s schooling situation.
>>
>>5381103
>>Try to figure out Cindy’s schooling situation.
>>
>>5381103
>Try to figure out Cindy’s schooling situation.
>>
>>5381103
>Try to figure out Cindy’s schooling situation.
>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
>>
>>5381116
>>5381127
>>5381128
>>5381285
>>5381437
>Try to figure out Cindy’s schooling situation.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
>>5374900
Miles Mole Ass existing is abhorrent, but woke characters existing in the periphery would be bound to show up, and the moment sounds funny.
>>
File: Midtown_High_(NWH).jpg (465 KB, 1920x800)
465 KB
465 KB JPG
Later that night, you were laying in bed, staring at the ceiling as your mind raced back and forth.

For some reason, you couldn’t calm down. You had the distinct impression that you were forgetting something really important. But, what?

You were making progress in the Chameleon case, and Terminal was supposed to help you hunt the SIlvertongue whenever one of you stumbled across it. Those were your two biggest problems.

Other than that, you still had to figure out whether the Bratva were still on your case, meet with Silvermane’s contacts, help your brother find his missing girlfriend, and pin down Max’s location. Was that everything?

No, wait. You still had that fairy flower thing to worry about. The only things that were on your plate that didn’t feel like a high priority were the jobs that Black Cat dug up, ironically enough. They’d be good for making money, but you could always make money later.

So then, what was it that was bugging you so much!? Did you forget to turn the stove off?

Hmm…

OH, WAIT! Cindy’s schooling! You’d nearly forgotten!

You shot out of bed, snagged your phone with a webline and pulled it into your hand with a lightning fast movement. Immediately, you began researching different schooling options for girls her age.

You’d have to check and see how far along her home-schooling had gotten, but you were sure that she should at least be at the tail end of middle school, or at least a high school freshman by this point. And if not, then you’ll help her study until she reaches that point.

There were a ton of options to choose from, here. Only a few stood out, though.

There was the school that you attended back in the day, Midtown High. You wouldn’t exactly call it prestigious, but it was decent for what it was meant to do. Honestly, the best thing about it were the experiences you had and the people you met along the way. For one reason or another, Midtown seemed to attract weirdos from all walks of life. If there’s any school that can cure any sort of social awkwardness that Cindy might have, then it’s probably Midtown. Getting her accepted should be fairly easy, as well.

If that doesn’t pan out, then you can try for something a little fancier. You heard that Visions Academy has a pretty impressive curriculum. And it isn’t like you couldn’t afford to send Cindy to a private school. You might have to double down on her studies in order to get her to a point where she can enroll without issue, however.

But with how many smart people you’ve surrounded yourself with, you couldn’t imagine that being a problem for either of you. Visions Academy would probably be the best school to ensure that Cindy has a bright future ahead of her, in whatever field she decides to work in.

Aside from those two options, and perhaps a fallback school like Milton Summers, you weren’t seriously considering any other options. Although, you did remember hearing about some "super secret schools" that were most likely bullshit rumors.

(Cont.)
>>
Like how the Avengers were secretly raising superpowered kids in a program called “Avengers Academy”. And then there was the even more ridiculous rumor that Doctor Strange had founded a magic school, like in Harry Potter.

It all sounded pompous as hell, and you weren’t sure how wise it was to affiliate yourself with superheroes anymore than you already have. But then again…if any of that ended up being true, then that could seriously change Cindy’s future for the better if she got enrolled in either of those “secret schools”.

You’d have to look into it.

Which school interests you?

>Midtown High
>Visions Academy
>Avengers Academy
>Strange Academy
>Spend some more time doing research and asking around about prestigious schools and programs.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5381603
>Spend some more time doing research and asking around about prestigious schools and programs.
>>
>>5381603
>Visions Academy
Cindy's a smart kid, but more than that, she's extremely determined. Again, I just hope Visions has a good Gymnastics program.
>>
>>5381603
>Visions Academy
I'm contractually obligated to choose this for the memes.
>>
>>5381603
As the prohpecy foretold
>Visions Academy
>>
>>5381603
>Avengers Academy
>>
>>5381603
>Visions Academy
I think she needs some normalcy in her life. Socialising with the regular people of NYC should provide that. I just hope she doesn’t get picked on or some stupid shit because of her muteness or social inexperience.
Of course, if anyone does try anything then I doubt she’ll have much trouble making them stop.
>>
>>5381603
>Visions Academy
>>
It occurs to me that we should probably sit Cindy down and ask her for her opinion on each school. It’s all well and good for us to prefer one, but she’s the one who’ll actually be attending..
>>
>>5381627
>>5381648
>>5381653
>>5381712
>>5381731
>Visions Academy

>>5381804
You're not making the decision for her. This was more or less to gauge your interest in the schools presented to you, as Ben will advocate for this school in particular when Cindy is making her choice.
>>
Yeah. Brooklyn Visions Academy was sounding better and better the more you thought about it. Even as you drifted off to sleep, you were running through possibilities in your mind, coming up with study plans and setting goals that would allow Cindy to attend the academy.

—------

The following day, you surprised your roommate with a stack of papers that you had printed earlier that morning. Her cereal spoon paused on its way towards her mouth, and her tired eyes blinked at you blearily for a second.

“So, I’ve been thinking.” you began, no doubt confounding her with the amount of energy you were displaying so early in the morning. “We should start thinking about school soon. You were home-schooled, right?”

Cindy nodded cautiously.

“And you just about finished all your course work for middle school? Like, up to at least 8th grade?” you asked.

She nodded again, quicker this time.

You beamed at her. “Great! Then we can start talking about potential schools.” you said, spreading the documents all over the table and flipping through them until you found what you were looking for. “Here. I think Brooklyn Visions Academy would be great for you. It’s a private school. Admission rates are low, but I think with some studying, we can raise those test scores and raise your chances of getting in.”

Becoming a bit curious, Cindy leaned over to glance at the paper where the school’s information had been listed.

“They’ve got a great science program, and I’ve heard some good things about their musical and language studies programs as well. What do you think?”

Having her interest fully piqued, she pushed aside her cereal bowl and began shuffling the papers around so as to establish some semblance of order on the table. Surprisingly, she didn’t linger on “Avengers Academy” or “Strange Academy” for very long. You know if you were a kid, you would’ve jumped at the chance to go to a school for heroes.

Maybe it was because of her mission and her duty to Khonshu that she didn’t particularly find the idea to be that appealing.

With those set aside, she seemed to linger on Midtown High the longest, before pushing it into the “discarded” pile and setting her sights on Brooklyn Visions Academy. Her eyes danced along the paper as her finger ran down the course list. She seemed genuinely impressed. For someone that’s never attended a proper school, it was probably a bit of a shock for her to learn just how broad her horizons could get.

After a few minutes of silent observation, she brought over another paper. It was a rough map of the school grounds. She frowned slightly, and glanced up to make a series of gestures with her hands.

“This is a boarding school?” she asked.

(Cont.)
>>
>>5381846
Will we be touring the schools by any chance? Maybe Visions + 1 other she’s interested in?
>>
“Yeah. You’ll probably be spending a good chunk of your time there.” you said, not entirely liking the idea, but accepting that it would be good for her in the long run. “You’ll have to share your room with someone else, too.”

Her frown deepened.

“It would be hard to sneak out at night.” she signed.

“I guess you’ll have to start coming up with alibis.” you said with a shrug. “That is, if you want to go here.”

Cindy sat back in her chair, and you saw several emotions playing across her face over the course of just as many seconds. Anxiety. Resignation. Curiosity. Excitement.

Finally, she gave you the "ok" hand sign. “I need to recover my documents from home.” she signed, pushing her seat out and grabbing her bowl.

“I’ll try to find out more about the school and their policies while you do that.” you promised.

Since her hands were full, she gave you a small smile and an accenting nod of her head.

You had no idea of how good her test scores were, but there was a decent chance that she would need a tutor. Lucky for you both, you already knew a bunch of brainiacs!

Who should tutor Cindy in her studies?

>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now.
>The Prowler. He likes Cindy well enough, and he’s your team’s certified tech genius.
>Sam. He made that invisibility suit, and he already has a little sister. Maybe you can put him to use until Prowler figures out that energy source.
>Julia. She’s a super-hacker, so you’re gonna assume that she’s plenty smart. She and Cindy were supposed to be spending more time together anyway.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5381890
>>Sam. He made that invisibility suit, and he already has a little sister. Maybe you can put him to use until Prowler figures out that energy source.
>>
>>5381890
>>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now.
>>
>>5381885
That Cindy? She's hot
>>
>>5381890
Julia
>>
>>5381887
>>5381890
You can tour Midtown and Brooklyn Visions to see how she would like them. As for A.A. and Strange Academy, you don't even know how to get there, or properly enroll. They're more like rumors that you've heard passed around, but there are more than a few people that believe they really do exist.

It's not that the idea of attending such fantastic schools doesn't appeal to Cindy, but she made some very quick judgements about them, based on what she knew. She discarded Avengers Academy because she believes that most of their curriculum would be focused on training and learning to control metahuman abilities. She isn't convinced that they can teach her anything that the Desperados or your contacts can't.

Strange Academy did interest her, but she made a similar judgment. More time spent cooped up in a dusty old room, pouring over dusty old books, learning basic spell theory and arcane schools. She doesn't believe that such intensive studies would lend much time for her to fight crime and keep the streets safe.

She'd be willing to visit, Midtown and Visions Academy, but if you wanted her to consider the other two options, you'd have to convince her that it would be beneficial for her.

And of course, you're always welcome to ask around and find unorthodox alternatives to her education.
>>
>>5381890
>The Prowler. He likes Cindy well enough, and he’s your team’s certified tech genius.
Given the meme, he may have some recommendations for other tutors as well.

>>5381900
Ultimately, I don’t want “unorthodox” for Cindy. She’s got enough of that in her own life. Being able to tour the two “regular” schools is all I was looking for.
>>
>>5381890
>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now.
>>
>>5381890
>The Prowler. He likes Cindy well enough, and he’s your team’s certified tech genius.
THE MEMES
>>
>>5381890
>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now.
Our sister loves Cindy, and surely mom and Dad too, it should be good for her if she starts to get that feeling of a new family

Plus, I want to surprise Prowler
>>
>>5381890
>"Well, just for the record, you could go to Midtown if you want."
>Tutor
>All of them
>>
>>5381890
>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now.
Prowler has his own stuff going on and we don’t quite know Sam well enough yet. Julia’s the only other option I’d consider, but she’s probably busy too. She has a good relationship with our family after our trip to Neverland.
>>
>>5381890
>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now
Return the favor after Peter
>>
>>5381890
>Julia. She’s a super-hacker, so you’re gonna assume that she’s plenty smart. She and Cindy were supposed to be spending more time together anyway.
>>
>>5381890
>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now
>>
>>5381894
>>5381994
>>5382117
>>5382274
>>5382384
>>5382430
>Richard. Your brother’s always been a smart guy, and it's not as if he’s working right now.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
After Cindy left, you swung on over to Vic’s house, where Rich and Pete were staying after your brother’s release from the hospital. As always, your nephew was delighted to see you drop by unannounced.

Unfortunately, though, you’d just missed your sister. She was out shopping, and Rich was holding down the fort. He seemed to be moving around a lot better, but it would be a while longer before he could make a full recovery.

“You want me to tutor Cindy?” he asked, glancing over at Peter, who was busy watching cartoons in the living room. “What does she need help with?”

“I don’t know yet.” you admitted. “I’m still waiting to see her transcripts when she gets back.”

Richard shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Vic told me about her parents. She’s been staying with you this entire time?” he said.

You nodded. “I’m helping take care of her, yeah. At least, until she can take care of herself.”

Richard chuckled. “This from the guy who swore up and down that he’d never have kids?”

You rolled your eyes. “Quit changing the subject. I need your help to get her grades up. I’m trying to get her into Brooklyn Visions Academy.”

Your brother whistled sharply, drawing Peter’s attention. “A rich kid’s school. That’s a tough one.” he said. “How does she feel about it?”

“We’re gonna take a tour of the place sometime soon to see what she thinks about it. We’re also considering Midtown.”

“The old stomping grounds, eh? Not a bad choice.” Richard said with a wistful smile on his face. “It might not be as fancy as Brooklyn Visions, but it’s still a good public school.”

“I’m just trying to do what’s best for her.” you declared.

“More expensive doesn’t always mean ‘better’, but I see what you mean.” Richard agreed. “At least your heart’s in the right place.”

“So…you’ll do it?” you asked.

“Once you figure out what she needs help with and what she’s learned already, I’ll be happy to.” he said with a warm smile. “It should give me something to do while I wait for my contacts to get back to me.”

You cast a wary glance over in Peter’s direction. “Is this about…?”

Your brother nodded slowly. “I need to find her, Ben. She could be in danger.”

What will you say?

>”You need to lay low for a while, Rich. The Russian mob might still be after you. Let me handle this.”
>”Maybe she doesn’t want to be found. If she’s a spy, then she’s probably hiding for a reason. Us looking for her might put her in even more danger.”
>”Well, you’re not doing it alone. I know some people that can probably help.”
>"I know that Pete needs his Mom, but he needs you even more right now. Focus on him for now, and we can figure out the rest later."
>Write-in.
>>
>>5382935
>”Well, you’re not doing it alone. I know some people that can probably help.”
but...
>”Maybe she doesn’t want to be found. If she’s a spy, then she’s probably hiding for a reason. Us looking for her might put her in even more danger.”
>>
>>5382946
Support
>>
>>5382935
>>5382946

>”Well, you’re not doing it alone. I know some people that can probably help.”
but
>"I know that Pete needs his Mom, but he needs you even more right now.”
and
>”Don’t make me be the more responsible one between us. Mom and Dad wouldn’t know what to make of it”
It’s just a different flavor of >>5382946. He has a kid, he doesn’t get to keep running away from that. He might want to find Peter’s mom, but it’s better to outsource that than it is to outsource raising his kid and he should damn well know that.
>>
>>5382935
>”Well, you’re not doing it alone. I know some people that can probably help.”
>Lay low and help Peter for now Rich. She got to have a plan on how to contact others that might help, or how to better run away and hide.
>If you investigating got someone like the Chameleon involved, than it might be better for us to take more of a support role. Otherwise we might make it harder for her
>>
>>5382935
>>5382946 +1
>>
>>5382946
+1
>>
>>5382946
>>5382947
>>5382994
>>5383345
>>5383399
Taking these. Writing...
>>
“Well, you’re not doing it alone.” you declared. “I know some people that can probably help.”

“Yeah, so do I.” he said, wringing his hands restlessly.

“But, maybe…” you continued. “Maybe she doesn’t want to be found right now.”

Richard glanced up at you curiously.

“If she’s a spy, then she’s probably hiding for a reason, right?” you reasoned. “Us looking for her might put her in even more danger.”

“Or, it could save her from getting captured, or tortured, or-!”

Richard paused, realized that he was raising his voice, and sat back down, looking embarrassed. Peter was scrutinizing the two of you closely.

You’d heard about how kids soak up information like sponges, and how observant they are of their guardians, but you never truly understood it until now. The scary part was, you were fairly certain that Pete was smart enough to understand what was going on, if he was given enough evidence and context clues.

A long time ago you had a feeling similar to what you were experiencing now. And your thoughts hadn’t changed from then.

You were going to have to be careful around this kid. Now, and in the future.

Richard sighed. “You’re right. I lost my cool. Sorry.”

You didn’t say anything.

“I need to trust her and…take care of Pete while she’s away. We’ll give her some time.” he declared.

You placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him an approving nod. “Good. For a second there, I thought I was becoming the responsible one.” you joked. “I don’t think Mom and Dad could take the shock!”

Richard laughed. “Oh, really? I think they’ll be a little too distracted by the recent news of flying pigs and Hell having frozen over.”

You gave him a gentle punch in the arm, and the two of you shared your first normal sibling moment in a long time.

After the brief moment of good cheer had passed, Richard took a moment to look around. You winced when you realized what he had been looking at. The place was still kind of a wreck, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been right after your fight with Snowsnake.

Vic had to move back here after Richard got out of the hospital. He wanted to stay close to both Vic and Pete, and his apartment wasn’t big enough for the three of them. The same could be said about Flint's apartment, but you had a feeling that your sister was all too eager to move out at the first chance she got.

All of the broken furniture had been moved out by some of Dad’s friends, and your brother was taking his time cleaning up where he was able. It was a good way for him to keep busy.

“Vic told me you had something to do with this.” Richard said, still glancing around. “Said it was some burglar.”

Is THAT the story that she went with? Vic seriously needed to become a better liar if she was gonna keep secrets this big.

(Cont.)
>>
“Was the intruder a charging rhino, or were the two of you just practicing for the upcoming ‘Wrestlemania’?” he asked, gesturing at the place where a smashed table used to be.

>”I said I’d reimburse her for the damages, and I will. As soon as she gets back.”
>”Maybe you guys can move into a bigger house. One that’s a little less banged up. I can help you if you’re short on cash.”
>”She was a vampire ninja assassin, actually. I still have her swords if you wanna see them later.”
>"In my defense, she was using Pete and Vic as hostages in order to lure me there. Forgive me if I wasn't considering the importance of property value."
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5383686
>>”I said I’d reimburse her for the damages, and I will. As soon as she gets back.”
>>
>>5383686
>”She was a vampire ninja assassin, actually. I still have her swords if you wanna see them later.”
>"In my defense, she was using Pete and Vic as hostages in order to lure me there. Forgive me if I wasn't considering the importance of property value."
>>
>>5383686
>>”She was a vampire ninja assassin, actually. I still have her swords if you wanna see them later.”
not like that sounds not made up.
>>
>>5383686
>"In my defense, she was using Pete and Vic as hostages in order to lure me there. Forgive me if I wasn't considering the importance of property value."
>>
>>5383705
Support
>>
>>5383686
>>”I said I’d reimburse her for the damages, and I will. As soon as she gets back.”
>>
>>5383686
>Vic seriously needs to become a better storyteller. And the rhino came later.
The polite way of admitting it was BS without telling Peter too much. And we technically fought Rhino much later…
>”I said I’d reimburse her for the damages, and I will. As soon as she gets back.”
>Money isn’t the hard part. I know I can’t give the sense of security back.
>>
Mobile is fucked so if my ID changes I'm sorry
>>
>>5383792
>>5383751
Me
>>
>>5383686
>”She was a vampire ninja assassin, actually. I still have her swords if you wanna see them later.”
>"In my defense, she was using Pete and Vic as hostages in order to lure me there. Forgive me if I wasn't considering the importance of property value."
Whisper that shit, though. Don’t want Peter hearing.
>>
>>5383784
>support
>>
>>5383686
>>”She was a vampire ninja assassin, actually. I still have her swords if you wanna see them later.”
>>
>>5383980
+1
Yeah, either whisper or take a look in case Peter is hiding near
>>
>>5383702
>>5383705
>>5383751
>>5383714
>>5383747
>>5383766
>>5383784
>>5384081
>>5383980
>>5384241
>>5384554
>”She was a vampire ninja assassin, actually. I still have her swords if you wanna see them later.”
>"In my defense, she was using Pete and Vic as hostages in order to lure me there. Forgive me if I wasn't considering the importance of property value."

Taking these. Writing...

>>5383792
And it's fine. I don't plan on driving myself crazy in an effort to suss out IP's. I only ask that the players have some common decency and just vote normally without stuffing the ballots. Thanks
>>
“She was a vampire ninja assassin, actually.” you said, leaning in to whisper. “I still have her swords if you wanna see them later.”

Richard just barely managed to stop himself from taking on a dumbfounded expression, and instead narrowed his eyes at you.

“Dare I ask what you did to piss off a vampire assassin?” he asked.

“Why’s it have to be my fault?” you protested.

“Because normal people don’t usually get chased around by ‘vampire ninja assassins’, Ben!” your brother quietly hissed between clenched teeth. “And in any case, couldn’t you have taken the fight outside?”

“In my defense, she was using Pete and Vic as hostages in order to lure me there. Forgive me if I wasn’t considering the importance of property value.” you argued.

Richard’s eyes flashed, and you were surprised to see a look of pure malice in his eyes. It wasn’t often that you saw your brother getting angry, so it caught you off guard.

“Well…at least no one got hurt.” he reasoned, taking a moment to calm down. “I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

You nodded slowly. “I…I never wanted any of this to lead back to them.” you said, trying not to glance at Peter as you did. “I had never fought anything like that before, and I didn’t think that they could-”

“I know.” Richard said quickly. “It’s fine, Ben.”

His tone of voice gave you the impression that everything wasn’t “fine”, so you took a deep breath, confirmed Peter’s position relative to yours with a casual glance, and explained things as best you could. You told him about your first encounter with Cindy, and her circumstances with the Cult of Khonshu. You didn’t bother to explain anything about her connection to the Moon God himself, because that would greatly complicate things.

The explanation did, however, take longer than you would’ve wanted it to, since you were phrasing it in a way that made it sound like you were explaining a video game setting, or a recent show that you’d been binging.

You weren’t sure how much of it Peter could understand or hear, but you didn’t want to take any chances.

“She was part of a…vampire cult?” Richard asked.

“No, no. It was a normal cult. The vampires came later.”

The look on his face told you that your clarification had, in fact, failed to clear up anything at all. But before he could inquire any further, the front door swung open, and Vic stepped inside, struggling with a bunch of plastic grocery bags. You and your brother immediately moved to help her carry them, and she expressed her thanks upon having her burden lifted from her aching arms.

(Cont.)
>>
She didn’t seem terribly surprised by your arrival, so you helped her put away the food and stayed to chat with her and Pete for a bit. When you informed her of your plans to enroll Cindy in high school, she gave you an approving smile that seemed to wash away whatever awkward tension had been between you and her these past few weeks.

To your delight, the conversation eventually turned to her asking what Richard was planning on doing about Pete’s schooling. Richard squirmed a bit under your sister’s scrutiny, which was a rare sight. But in reality, neither you nor Victoria were really that upset with him. It was clear that Peter was very developed for a boy his age. You were mostly concerned about his social skills and societal development being jeopardized by a lack of progress.

Plus, it’d be a shame for all those brains to go to waste.

—--------

A little while later, you left Vic’s house with the promise of paying her back someday soon and swung back to your place. Unsurprisingly, Cindy was waiting for you with her transcripts when you got there.

According to her records, her grades were already pretty high. She was excelling in math and science, and her literature grades weren’t bad at all. Her worst grades seemed to be centered around history, but her average had never gone below a C+.

When asked about it, she sheepishly signed that the subject had simply “bored her”.

Well, at least you knew what you were dealing with. You’d have to focus on history and literature primarily, while polishing up on math and science in order to raise those test scores. If she was going to make it into Brooklyn Visions, she was going to have to be at the top of her game. At the very least, you were confident that she was going to have a good tutor.

What will you do tomorrow?

>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>((TIMESKIP))
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
Should I make a list of the events and story beats that are locked behind the timeskip, or just leave it as a complete surprise?
>>
>>5384710
>>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
>>
>>5384710
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>>
>>5384710
>>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>>5384712
Don't spoil it unless we somehow vote for something too soon in the timeline
>>
>>5384710
Morlocks
>>
>>5384710
>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
>>
>>5384710
>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
They need a way of generating income so they aren't entirely dependent on scavenging and donations, so let's frame the idea as such.
Obviously we'd take a cut of that income, but not an unreasonable one. I figure once we have a good crop going and a few buyers lined up, we can finalize our terms.
>>
>>5384710
>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.
We should inform them of the risks of fairy contact beforehand. Don’t want Morlocks getting kidnapped because some bored nature god decided they make great ornaments.
>>5384712
As long as nothing serious goes down in the timeskip, I don’t think you need to. Don’t make it like in Click where we skip the important shit on autopilot, you know?
>>
>>5384710
>>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>>
Spooderman
>>
>>5384713
>>5384790
>>5384803
>>5384809
>>5384856
>Visit the Morlocks and pitch them your fairy flower scheme.

Apologies for the delay. Gonna try and squeeze out more than one update tonight. Writing...
>>
The following day, you brought Cindy over to Vic’s house and informed Matt that she’d be late for training. When you explained why, he was perfectly fine with the change, and suggested that it should be permanent.

Pete and Vic were especially excited to see Cindy again, even if it was just a studying session. It would seem that everyone took a serious liking to the mute ninja during her time watching over them in the hospital.

After exchanging pleasantries, both Richard and Cindy sat down at the dining room table to go through the impressive amount of textbooks that Richard bought recently. You were glad to see that he was taking all this seriously.

Why, he was even letting Pete sit in on the study sessions in order to spend time with them both. You felt a bit bad for the kid, then. It wasn’t like he could understand such complicated material, yet. It’d be better for him to keep watching TV and study separately from the two.

Vic seemed to have similar thoughts, but the two of you kept it to yourselves and left the three to their own devices. Unfortunately, you didn’t really have time to wait around. You had a date with the Sewer Queen herself.

—------

“Magic flowers.” Callisto said, attempting to confirm what she had just heard. “You want us to grow ‘magic flowers’ for money?”

“Pretty much.” you confirmed, adjusting your grip on the wooden crate. “I was thinking that you could grow these in your little greenhouse, I’d sell them to a couple buyers for profit, and we'll split the proceeds.” you explained. “Of course, you’ll be getting the bigger cut, since you guys will be doing most of the work.”


Callisto glanced down at the glowing box, and then at the surrounding Morlocks that were gathering around to take a peek at it.

“How much work?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

“Well, there are a few rules regarding human interaction with fairies.” you began, listing the things that Strange and Felicia explained to you earlier.

Callisto nodded, furrowed her brow, and to your surprise, she interrupted you halfway through your explanation.

“So it’s exactly like the shit they tell you as a kid?” she said. “In that case, then I think I have an idea of what you’re talking about. Those flowers are the trick gold that they leave to deceive humans, right?”

“Why the fuck does everyone know so much about fairies?” you asked incredulously, shaking your head. “I didn’t think you were the type to believe in all that stuff.”

“Fuck off. My folks used to buy me books as a kid, alright?” she said, shrugging as if it weren’t a big deal. “That’s the fake gold that you filched from Captain Hook, right?”

You nodded. “I never expected that we’d be pranked into carrying home a treasure chest full of flowers.”

(Cont.)
>>
Callisto scoffed. “Some things are too good to be true, I guess.” she said, picking up a flower experimentally. “I’m not surprised that your feline friend hadn’t picked up on it immediately. Those fake coins smelled like old metal, and they didn’t look at all counterfeit.”

“Probably fairy magic fucking with our senses.” you reasoned.

“Undoubtedly.” she replied, placing a flower back into the box and picking up another.

While she played with them, you went on to explain the rest of the rules, making absolutely certain that your shared knowledge matched up perfectly. It wouldn’t do for someone to get spirited away to the land of the Fae, after all.

You also explained your idea of sowing garlic and dogwood along with the fairy flowers in order to drive off any visitors that might think of showing up.

Callisto scrunched up her nose and complained that the greenhouse would “fucking reek like nobody’s business”, clearly forgetting that she spent all her time in a sewer. The only reason you weren’t complaining about the smell was because the gas filters in your mask were sparing you the pain of having to hold your breath or breathe through your mouth.

What will you say to convince Callisto?

>”This’ll be good for you guys, Callisto. You’ll have your own stable source of income. Food crops AND cash crops.”
>”I think this could be a fun little hobby for anyone that’s interested in growing and maintaining the flowers. Do you know any Morlocks who might want to volunteer?”
>”The dogwood and garlic are more of a precautionary measure against vampires in the future. I have a feeling that they’ll be coming back for revenge someday.”
>”I will admit that I have no idea how to properly grow these things, so there will be quite a bit of trial and error involved with this process. Do you think you’ll be up for it?”
>"In case something does show up, I can get you some cold iron, or whatever it is that drives these fuckers off."
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5385578
>>”This’ll be good for you guys, Callisto. You’ll have your own stable source of income. Food crops AND cash crops.”
>>
>>5385578
Option 1 and two. App I'm using won't let me highlight for some reason.
>>
>>5385578
>"Let's be real here, you guys need a source of income that isn't a career criminal. If something ever happens to me, you guys will at least have something to fall back on."
>"In case something does show up, I can get you some cold iron, or whatever it is that drives these fuckers off."
>>
>>5385578
>”The dogwood and garlic are more of a precautionary measure against vampires in the future. I have a feeling that they’ll be coming back for revenge someday.”
We killed some high-ranking vamps, but couldn’t cut off the head. Plus the Mission might be willing to educate and pay to keep them as a backup source in case the vamps hit their own supplies.
>”This’ll be good for you guys, Callisto. You’ll have your own stable source of income. Food crops AND cash crops.”
>Along this line,
>I know my money isn’t making friends with everyone down here. It’s good to know someone up top gives a shit, but others would feel better knowing they’re in a place that can do more than survive even without a handout. If some of them can have a hand in it, even better.
>This isn’t the only way to make a good cash flow happen. But I already know people who would be interested in buying and running flowers is definitely better than running drugs or people. It’ll have its own dangers, but you know what they are. And it’ll earn you unique allies up above, even if it’s only a matter of business. It’s a good deal.
As an aside
>Being a leader sucks, huh?
>>
>>5385578
>"In case something does show up, I can get you some cold iron, or whatever it is that drives these fuckers off."
>"The dogwood and garlic may ward of the majority of the fairies, but it's also a precation against vampires. The fuckers went after my family once, I have no doubt they will try going for my friends too if they come back for revenge. I don't know if the sewer system counts as flowing water and I would rather not find out."
>"Honestly, the flowers are quite pretty, so you could turn it into a little comunity garden to relax in that also gives you legal source of revenue. Also maybe a bit of protection from Dr. Strange, since he is the buyer."
>>
>>5385643
Oh, and if the garden idea doesn't work because of the bad smell, then
>”I think this could be a fun little hobby for anyone that’s interested in growing and maintaining the flowers. Do you know any Morlocks who might want to volunteer?”
Is captcha giving a TypeRrror: Failed to Fetch to anyone else?
>>
>>5385649
Mine just hangs. So far I’ve been able to fix it by disabling and enabling my wi-fi on my computer, then refreshing the thread before attempting to post again. No shortcuts allowed.

It works fine for a while after that though.
>>
>>5385585
>>5385587
>>5385593
>>5385608
>>5385643
>>5385649
>”This’ll be good for you guys, Callisto. You’ll have your own stable source of income. Food crops AND cash crops.”
>”The dogwood and garlic are more of a precautionary measure against vampires in the future. I have a feeling that they’ll be coming back for revenge someday.”

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“This’ll be good for you guys, Callisto. You’ll have your own stable source of income. Food crops AND cash crops.” you argued. “Plus, the dogwood and garlic are more of a precautionary measure against vampires in the future. I have a feeling that they’ll be coming back for revenge someday.”

Callisto froze, then. She dropped the flower back into the box and gave you a serious look. “And what gives you that idea?” she asked.

“The fact that the Son of Dracula had to step in to save the head vampire in charge of the takeover.” you explained. “And I…sort of killed some of their top soldiers. Something tells me that they won’t just take that lying down.”

Callisto sucked her teeth in annoyance. “And one of them was already down here before. Probably looking for you, I’d bet.”

That must have been Snowsnake.

You shook your head. “She was actually looking for Cindy.” you said.

Callisto’s remaining eye widened. “The kid? What for?”

“Probably to finish the job.” you responded. “I think she played a part in killing her parents.”

Callisto sighed and shook her head mournfully. “Poor thing…” she muttered.

After a moment of silence, she regained her composure and steeled her expression once more.

“These ‘cash crops’.” she began. “How big of a cut are you planning to get out of this whole operation?”

>10%
>15%
>18%
>20%
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5385746
>10%
>First dibs on any product that would be “open market” i.e. stuff that a client didn’t pre-purchase (don’t want to screw her over)
>2% emergency fund for Cindy and another kid we know (Peter) if we get killed or our money vanishes (until we get it back)
I’m also willing to toss in a direct introduction to our buyers if she’s up for it. If we croak then she doesn’t need to scramble to find out who we were selling to. It does allow her to lie to us about the cut, but it’s not like this she couldn’t do that anyway by selling goods on the side.

If she’d rather work through a middleman like us, that’s fine too.
>>
>>5385746
Just 2 points.
>>
>>5385746
>>10%
>>First dibs on any product that would be “open market” i.e. stuff that a client didn’t pre-purchase (Try not to screw her over)
>>
>>5385766
>>5385746
Ah, one more condition if we want to be nice:
>If she pays us back for all investments we’ve made so far (plus a flat 10%, why not), she just needs to send us a nice gift basket every once in a while. Further investments don’t count, we’d be discussing if/how those get covered later.
I don’t think they’ll make *that* much money quickly, but may as well give them a reasonable out to perpetual royalty fees.
>>
>>5385746
>10%
>And a discount on things around here when it turns into a underground city I guess.
>>5385654
I'll have to try that sometime. For now I'll just cobtinue phoneposting to get around it.
>>
>>5385578
>hating garlic
Wow, that's some shit taste there
>>
>>5386022
you're mom
>>
>>5386022
It's probably the dogwood she was talking about, not the garlic.
>>
>>5385746
>12%
>And a discount on things around here when it turns into a underground city I guess.
>>
>>5385766
>support
>>
>>5385766
>>5385768
>>5385809
>>5386142
>>5386152
>10%
>First dibs on any product that would be “open market” i.e. stuff that a client didn’t pre-purchase (don’t want to screw her over)
>And a discount on things around here when it turns into a underground city I guess.

Taking these. Writing...

>>5386022
>>5386041
She was indeed talking about the dogwood. Most people think that they smell pretty good, but the fragrance that they give off is fairly strong, and Callisto has a very strong sense of smell. Strong enough that she notices your presence whenever you enter the sewers.
>>
>>5386905
Dang. What does Benny smell like then?
If she says anything besides manliness and cash, she's fucking lying.
>>
“How’s 10% sound?” you proposed.

Callisto’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and she gave you a long, scrutinizing look.

“I’d say that’s pretty generous.” she said.

“Almost suspiciously so.” were the words that were left unsaid.

“And I want first dibs on any product that would be considered ‘open market’.” you added. “Basically, anything that hasn’t been pre-purchased by a client.”

Callisto raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as you continued listing things off.

“And I want a discount on things around here when it becomes a sprawling underground city.”

Callisto scowled. “You’d better rein in those expectations. This ain’t no fucking carnival.” she shot back, using one hand to gesture at the surrounding Morlocks. “We do some trading every now and again, but we don’t expect to get much traffic down here.”

You put your hands up in a placating gesture and took half a step back. “Hey, that’s not what I meant.” you said, quickly. “I was just saying that a day might come when more mutants come down here to stay. And maybe someday…people might not be so aggressive and fearful towards you guys.”

The sewer queen stared at you in complete silence for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face. You could even hear the faint muttering of the other Morlocks at this point. After about a minute of this, Callisto scoffed. “Right. I’ll believe it when I see it.” she said, sounding only slightly amused as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “Will that be all?”

You nodded. “That about covers it.”

“Right, then. You can hand those flowers off to her. She’ll take care of them.” Callisto proclaimed, pointing her head to your right.

You turned to face her fellow Morlock, only to be met by the scrawny knees of a humanoid being. You looked up, and up, and up, until you saw the timid face of an extremely large woman. She was the one that wore a patchwork dress that looked to have been sewn with clashing fabrics and patterns. She was obviously too big for normal clothes.

Actually, now that you could get a better look at her, the term “woman” didn’t quite fit here. While she was truly massive for a human being, her disposition, body language and general behavior was that of someone either very young, or someone who’s had their emotional and mental development stunted. Either way, despite her size, she looked absolutely harmless. Your spider sense didn’t so much as twitch when you were in front of her, which helped to prevent you from taking another involuntary step back.

A lesser man would’ve shit himself and run for the hills upon being greeted by such a sight without warning.

(Cont.)
>>
Without a word, you fired a webline at the ceiling and rose to meet her at eye level. She jumped a bit, and you began to think that you might have been a tad bit too bold in front of the skittish thing. But to your surprise, an amused grin began to play across her features as she got a better look at you without having to kneel down or bend her knees. You got a better look at her as well.

Her facial features were indeed youthful, if a little stretched to fit the rest of her frame. If she were of average height, you guessed that she might even be younger than Cindy. Her long, unruly black hair had been braided into pigtails, and looked as if it hadn’t been cut in a few years.

You lifted your other hand to offer the box of flowers to her, and she took it from you with shaking hands. They were even bigger than yours.

You glanced back at Callisto, and she seemed to be staring at the two of you intently. You sensed conflict in her gaze. On one hand, she looked like she wanted to talk to you about something else, but on the other hand, she seemed unwilling to interrupt this peculiar interaction.

What will you do?

>”What’s your name?”
>”Do you like flowers? Those ones are magical, you know.”
>”You must be pretty responsible if Callisto trusts you with those.”
>”Do you think you can take care of these until we can get the greenhouse set up?”
>Give her an encouraging nod and head back down to talk to Callisto.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5386956
>”You must be pretty responsible if Callisto trusts you with those.”
>”What’s your name?”
>>
>>5386956
>”What’s your name?”
>”Do you think you can take care of these until we can get the greenhouse set up?”
>>
>>5386956
>”What’s your name?”
>”Do you think you can take care of these until we can get the greenhouse set up?”
>>
>>5386956
>”What’s your name?”
>”Do you help Callisto? Good. She’s probably got too much on her plate.”
>>
If she doesn't have a name I shall call her Ethel.
>>
>>5386956
>”What’s your name?”
>”Do you think you can take care of these until we can get the greenhouse set up?”
>>
>>5386956
>>”What’s your name?”
>”Do you think you can take care of these until we can get the greenhouse set up?”
>>
>>5386961
>>5386970
>>5386975
>>5387047
>>5387327
>>5387367
>”What’s your name?”
>”Do you think you can take care of these until we can get the greenhouse set up?”

Taking these. Writing...

>>5387061
I was gonna go with Emily, but considering the context and implications behind the name, I think I'll take it.

>>5386936
I don't know, anon! Why don't you ask her what you smell like?
>>
“What’s your name?” you asked.

The girl’s eyes widened slightly. She seemed genuinely surprised that you were talking to her at all. Her mouth began moving, as if to sound the words out before she spoke.

“E-Ethel.” she said in a frail voice. “My name’s...Ethel.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Ethel.” you said in an encouraging tone. “Do you think you can take care of these until the greenhouse gets set up?”

The girl nodded eagerly with a tight lipped smile.

“I’m…good at making things grow.” she promised. “It’s…it’s how I got so big.”

You weren’t sure of the specifics of her mutant ability, but you were beginning to understand why Callisto had chosen her to watch over the flowers.

With a bit of careful planning, Ethel here could speed up the growth and productivity of the flower garden. The same might apply to their food supply as well.

“Well that puts me at ease. Thanks for stepping up, Ethel.” you said, extending a fist towards her.

She glanced at it, and then back at you. Carefully, and ever so slowly, she brought her other hand up, curled it into a fist and lightly tapped her knuckles against your own. The action caused you to swing back and forth a bit, but the girl seemed amused by the whole thing.

“Take care.” you said, lowering yourself back down to the ground.

When you glanced over to Callisto, you were lucky enough to catch a genuine smirk playing across her features. Suddenly, the murmurs and mutterings of the Morlocks surrounding you sounded a little less hostile, and a little less suspicious. You had the vague impression that the girl you just talked to was beloved by many a Morlock around these parts.

For your own sake, it would probably be prudent to avoid upsetting or hurting her.

The Morlock leader gave you an approving nod and gestured for you to follow. Many pairs of eyes followed you as you went, but some stayed fixated on Ethel as she excitedly gushed over her new magic flowers.

When Callisto was certain that the two of you were out of earshot, she fixed you with a frank look.

“Look,” she began. “I appreciate what you’re doing down here. I’m not ungrateful enough to turn away free help. God knows some of these people could use it.” she said, glancing back at them. “But a good number of them still don’t trust you. They’re not entirely comfortable with a topsider coming down here and dictating how they should live. They think that it strips them of their ‘independence’ and ‘agency’.” she described.

You thought as much. If the hushed whispers and dirty looks weren’t a big enough hint, then the gentle hum of your spider sense was an immediate giveaway. There were some among them that contemplated violence against you, but knew that they wouldn’t be able to get away with it.

(Cont.)
>>
“Some of them aren’t too happy with your involvement, and my apparent willingness to allow you and your people free passage through the tunnels.” she continued. “If possible, I’d like to get ahead of the issue and do something about it before the pot boils over.”

What will you say?

>”You’re talking about a hostile takeover, or a riot. Do you really think they would go that far?”
>”They’re only saying that because they haven’t seen any of the big changes yet. Once they get a chance to experience the convenience of it all, I’m sure they’ll come around.”
>”I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time. We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren't getting any funny ideas.”
>"What do I need to do in order to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?"
>”Maybe we can set up a different community. One that’s separate from the one that we’re building in this section of the sewers.”
>”Was that whole interaction with Ethel staged to make me look better?”
>”You’re their leader. What is it that you want? If you want me to go, then I’ll pack up and leave.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5387397
>"What do I need to do in order to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?"
>”Was that whole interaction with Ethel staged to make me look better?”
>>
>>5387397
>”I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time. We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren't getting any funny ideas.”
>"What do I need to do in order to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?"
>>
>>5387397
>”I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time. We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren't getting any funny ideas.”
But at the same time...
>"What do I need to do in order to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?"
>>
>>5387397
>”They’re only saying that because they haven’t seen any of the big changes yet. Once they get a chance to experience the convenience of it all, I’m sure they’ll come around.”

>”I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time. We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren't getting any funny ideas.”
>>
>>5387397
>”I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time. We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren't getting any funny ideas.”
>"What do I need to do in order to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?"
Though really, I think
>We’ll never convince all of them. But maybe it’d be enough to give them a way of contributing so the community can act more independently. As long as they know you *can* get rid of me and still thrive, it takes the pressure off. At that point I’m just an occasional houseguest. Or an asset to smooth over topside issues or find more opportunities.
>Would signing a contract actually help? A businessman can be cut loose whenever, and it gives people guidelines on what I can and can’t do in exchange for certain services.
>>
>>5387372
I would rather shoot myself than ask a woman what I smell like.
That said, in Benny's case...
I imagine he smells like toxic chemicals, burnt gunpowder, hints of spider's silk, and cheap pizza.
>>
>>5387539
Hey, if she can smell us clearly then other people can. It’s not bad business to figure out what we smell like and scrub anything that could be used to narrow down where we live.

Know what,
>>5387397
>Parting question, ask what we smell like and see which smells might let people narrow down where we live or who we are. Do we smell like a spider, for example? Follow-up with a question on what can scrub the smell without turning is into a beacon.
>>
>>5387397
>”I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time. We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren't getting any funny ideas.”
>”They’re only saying that because they haven’t seen any of the big changes yet. Once they get a chance to experience the convenience of it all, I’m sure they’ll come around.”
>"What do I need to do in order to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?"
>>
>>5387401
>>5387402
>>5387449
>>5387507
>>5387538
>>5387562
>"What do I need to do in order to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?"
>”I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time. We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren't getting any funny ideas.”

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“What do I need to do to get them to stop seeing me as a threat?” you asked.

“It’s nothing personal. They associate topsiders with trouble, and it brings back bad memories.” Callisto replied, leaning against a rusted pipe. “There are a lot of us that are grateful for what you’re trying to do. But for others…they can’t trust grand gestures, or altruism or anything that makes them feel like they’re indebted to someone else. And to be brutally honest with you, I’m not that different from them.”

If there was one thing you liked about this girl, it was her straightforward personality. She didn’t bullshit you or try to make excuses for herself.

“If you came down here trying to shower me with gifts out of the goodness of your heart, then I’d probably still be waiting for the other shoe to drop.” she admitted, whipping out a knife and twirling it between her fingers. “The fact that you’ve been clear about your demands, and what you want in return for these ‘services’ is the only reason that I can comfortably say that you’re not some two-faced asshole. After all,” she said, pointing a clear blue eye and the edge of a knife in your direction. “A business transaction is easier to accept than a favor from a stranger.”

“I can’t force them to trust me. That comes with time.” you decided. “We just need to watch them carefully until we’re sure that they aren’t getting any funny ideas.”

“Agreed.” Callisto replied, stowing the knife away and averting her gaze. “For now, I say we let things play out. I’ll let you know if I notice any unhappy campers in particular, and you should feel free to do the same. Nothing will happen while I’m around, but I don’t want to have to keep glancing over my shoulder everytime one of your guys comes down here.” she said with a sigh. “I wish Glass were here. This’d be so much easier with him at my back.”

“Any idea when he’ll be back?”

Callisto scoffed. “Who knows. He’s probably taking the long way back. Walking. Hiking. Hitchhiking. Hopping on trains. I’m almost tempted to go out there and get him myself.”

“You said he spent a lot of time on the streets, right?”

Callisto nodded. “He grew up homeless. Never got put into the system. Been running for his life ever since his mutation popped up. He gave Xavier’s boys the slip more than once, but they eventually caught him.” she recalled with a laugh. “That boy fought like his life depended on it. Like a cornered rat. Somehow they managed to calm him down enough to talk him into following them back to the mansion. I think the guys up there are the only reason that he ever learned to trust people. Like really trust them.”

“He seems like such a nice guy. I never would’ve thought that he went through so much shit.” you said.

(Cont.)
>>
File: 3204483-weaponx01001.jpg (90 KB, 637x960)
90 KB
90 KB JPG
Callisto shook her head with a wistful smile on her face. “I honestly don’t know how he does it. It’s rough out there for a mute. And on your own, no less.” she said in a low, and surprisingly gentle voice. “With a world this shitty…I’m surprised that they didn’t kill his heart. Ironically enough, I think Xavier got the closest by putting him on his little black ops team.”

She fell silent for a little while after that. You somehow managed to change the subject to the upcoming construction, and how the Morlocks would probably have to temporarily relocate until it was done. You were expecting more friction on that front, but apparently, they were pretty used to having to relocate during an emergency. You tried your very best to not make it seem like you were forcing them out, but you couldn’t help it if some people got that impression.

After a few hours of planning, creating diagrams and taking photos of the area, you sent the relevant information to your contacts and told them to start gathering the necessary materials and equipment.

Feeling satisfied with your efforts, you and Callisto shook on your new deal and promised to keep each other apprised of any new information that popped up. As soon as you could get that greenhouse set up, you would try to figure out how to plant and care for those flowers.

Hopefully, Ethel would be able to keep them alive long enough for that to happen. You would have to try and speed up construction, if at all possible.

—--------

What are your plans for tomorrow?

>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>((TIMESKIP))
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5387729
Oh, right. You're also welcome to commission something from Phin before the timeskip as well. If it's costly and seems like it would take a while to build, now would be a good time to set that in motion.
>>
>>5387729
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>>
>>5387729
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>>5387732
Would it be possible to commission a Vulture suit of our own, but spider-themed? Not sure if we’d need Toomes and Phin or just Toomes for that, but it’d certainly be time consuming and cost money.

Can we also add a vote to hook up the Morlocks with Madame Webb’s board during the timeskip when we knock everything else out as well? It doesn’t seem like the sort of thing that we need another session for, we’ve been generous with the Morlocks so far so I doubt we’d give conditions that would trigger a counter offer.
>>
>>5387729
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>>
>>5387729
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>>
>>5387729
Go with flint. We need some brother from another mother time
>>
>>5387732
Hey Score, do we have a method of long distance communication besides our smart phone?
>>
>>5387852
Not really. Not unless you wanted to send someone an email.
>>
>>5387868
Thank you for the answer.
>>5387729
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.
>Call up Phin and commission a set of encrypted long-range communication devices for you and your team.
We could probably use something a lite more secure than our burner phone moving forward.
>>
>>5387732
>>5387887
I’ll back this. Shouldn’t be a huge dent in the funds.
>>
File: spodermang.gif (652 KB, 468x360)
652 KB
652 KB GIF
>>
>>5387739
>>5387748
>>5387769
>>5387817
>>5387887
>Go with Flint to follow up on his tip.

Taking these. Writing...

>>5387748
Are you asking to make a flying suit, but spider-themed? Or are you asking to make a suit that's powered by the experimental energy source that Prowler's looking into?

And as for the Madame Web thing, you'd probably have to talk that over with the Morlocks and explain things to them. Callisto wouldn't really argue about it, but she would probably be really careful about who she'd allow to take commissions.

>>5387887
>>5387912
You can probably just get Prowler to make those. They don't sound like they'd be terribly advanced in this setting.
>>
For the remainder of that night and a good chunk of the next day, you were running around, making calls left and right in order to get everything you needed to flip the Morlock’s underground home. It was rather exhausting, and far less exciting when you were the one that had to do the coordinating.

For one, those tunnels were super difficult to navigate on your own without a map, so you had to show them exactly where you wanted them to start working, as well as the detailed blueprints that you had drawn up.

Not wanting to keep coming down here every single day, you had a few maps printed out, explaining that they were, under no circumstances, to deviate from the path that you set for them. If they somehow got lost nearby, then they should be able to course correct without too much difficulty. You just had to hope that none of the Morlocks would try to interfere with the project.

If anything, you were confident that Callisto would notice one or two of them sneaking off in their direction, even if she couldn’t see them.

By the time you climbed out of there, your phone chirped a few times, signaling you to the missed texts you had from Cindy.

It would appear that her lessons were done for the day, and she was on her way home. You weren’t terribly worried about her traversing the city on her own. She could take care of herself just fine.

You sent a reply to confirm that you’d seen her messages, and then composed one for Flint. You and he had plans tonight, and it looked like he would be running a little late. You were only slightly offended by this inconvenience, seeing as how these were his plans.

At least this would give you a chance to figure out how you would go about this whole thing.

Tonight, you and he were going to meet with an informant at a bar on the shady part of town. The plan was to go out of costume and try to juice the guy for information, but there were other ways to go about things here.

The guy undoubtedly wanted money for this info. You knew that.

What you didn’t know, however, was how much he’d want, and how reliable the information would be. It's about a week old, and the shelf life of information is pretty damn short. The guy could just be using you to get a quick buck.

On the other hand, you could always let Flint go in alone, and then tail the guy to figure out more about him. Maybe get some blackmail, juice him for more info, or something that could be used to call in a favor later.

So, how do you want to handle this?

>Go in with Flint and try to get the info out of the guy without causing too much trouble.
>Let Flint go in alone while you monitor things from afar as “The Huntsman”.
>Invite someone else to tag along in case things get hairy.(Who?)
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s
>>
>>5388472
>Let Flint go in alone while you monitor things from afar as “The Huntsman”.
>>
>>5388526
>Support
>>
>>5388472
>>Let Flint go in alone while you monitor things from afar as “The Huntsman”.
>>
>>5388472
>>Let Flint go in alone while you monitor things from afar as “The Huntsman”.
>>
>>5388472
>>5388547
Supporting.

>>5388432
Either, honestly. I’d been hoping other anons would jump in with opinions and/or more ideas. Personally, I’d lean the former. Really sets the suit apart from the others since it’d have flight capability.

For the Morlocks discussion, Callisto limiting who does the jobs is fine. It’s not like we’re doing many of Webb’s jobs either. In the meantime, she’s offering up money that no one is taking! That feels like a crime in itself, and the possibility of a small handler fee is just a bonus.
>>
>>5388472
>Let Flint go in alone while you monitor things from afar as “The Huntsman”.
>>
>>5388526
>>5388547
>>5388548
>>5388578
>>5388705
>>5389264
Taking these. Writing...
>>
With your decision made, you sent Flint a few more texts, instructing him on the specifics of your plan, and then rushed home to grab a few things.

—--------

“Hey, Flint. Can you hear me?” you asked, overlooking the street down below from a nearby rooftop.

“Loud an’ clear.” he reported, surprising you with the clarity of his voice.

On this mission, you decided to take advantage of Flint’s unique biology. Sitting where his stomach would normally be, was a tiny speaker that was projecting your voice. Flint had formed an ear made out of sand and placed it near the speaker. Miraculously, the third ear worked the same as a normal one, without any confusing or disorienting complications.

The receiver had been cleverly placed in one of Flint’s teeth. Painlessly, of course. The pliable and adjustable nature of his new body made that sort of thing possible with minimal effort.

The more that you thought about it, the more you realized that Flint would’ve made a damn good S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. It was a good thing that Hill didn’t sink her claws into him. She might’ve tried to recruit him for that secret team of hers.

“Awesome.” you replied. “Just play it cool, and remember not to clench or grind your teeth. I can’t hear as well when you do that.”

You never got a reply, but you could see a faint nod as the green giant stepped into the dingy bar. You were confident that whoever this guy was, he couldn’t hurt Flint any more than you could. The only thing that worried you was the possibility that this guy might try to lead you into a trap.

The familiar noise of rowdy patrons filled your earpiece, and you heard the jolly green giant rattle off a few greetings to the people around him. A few seconds later, you heard the sound of him pulling a chair out and sitting down at a table.

“You’re late.” said a male voice on the other end.

“Sorry. You know how traffic is these days.” Flint said with an easygoing tone.

The other man made a rumble in his throat, but didn’t press the issue.

“But nevermind that.” Flint continued, lowering his voice. “I hear you know something about the guy that gave Silvermane the runaround.”

“I know a lot of things. It gets kind of hard to keep track of everything sometimes.” the informant said. “I might need a little something to refresh my memory.”

How do you want to play this?

>”Give him the money, big guy. We don’t want any trouble.”
>”This guy’s too confident. Shake him up a bit.”
>”You don’t have to take this shit. Make a hammer out of your fist and speed this exchange up.”
>Let Flint handle this on his own. He’s no amateur.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5389744
>Let Flint handle this on his own. He’s no amateur.
I figure letting Flint handle this as per usual is the best we can do right now.
Either he ends up getting some good info out of this guy, or he ends up making him leave and start tailing him icogneato.
>>
>>5389744
>Let Flint handle this on his own. He’s no amateur.
I trust our bro
>>
>>5389744
>Let Flint handle this on his own. He’s no amateur.
I’m sure he’s done this as often as we have.
>>
>>5389748
Support
>>
>>5389744
>Let Flint handle this on his own. He’s no amateur.
>>
>>5389744
>>Let Flint handle this on his own. He’s no amateur.
>>
>>5389748
>>5389851
>>5389753
>>5389808
>>5390110
>>5390438
Taking these. Writing...
>>
As much as you’d love to micromanage this by being the voice in his third ear, you were confident that Flint could close this out on his own.

The two were silent for a brief moment, and the next thing you heard was the sound of shifting sand and rustling paper. Looks like Flint decided to pay the man.

The informant slid the stack of cash closer and pocketed it before clearing his throat.

“Oh, yeah. It’s all coming back to me now.” he said, sounding a bit smug.

You rolled your eyes. This guy’s been watching way too many crime dramas.

“You’re looking for the Living Lightbulb that made the Maggia lose face. Am I right?” he asked.

“He made a lot of people look stupid that night.” Flint replied. “Believe me, I’m not the only one that wants a piece of that guy.”

“Don’t I know it.” the informant said with a greasy laugh. “You’re not the first to come to me about him.”

“How much did ya charge them?” Flint inquired, a hint of menace in his voice.

“Why, nothin at all, Marko my boy. They don’t have what we have.” the informant declared.

“Oh, yeah? And what’s that?”

“History, Marko! We’ve got history!” the informant said imploringly. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how often you’ve pulled my ass out of the fire. We’ve got an unbreakable bond, you an’ me.”

“Then why’d ya just charge me!?”

The informant chuckled dryly. “C’mon, jolly green. I’ve gotta eat too, just like everyone else. You know how it is.”

“Uh-huh.” Flint said, not sounding entertained in the slightest. “Have ya’ seen the guy or not?”

The informant made a noncommittal grunt. “A few friends of mine claim that they spotted the little thief with the Shocker about a week ago.”

“Were they fighting?” Flint asked

“Worse.” the informant scoffed. “They were talking. From the looks of things, it almost felt like they were negotiating something.”

“Damn…”

“I know.” the informant groaned.

“What do ya think they’re up to?”

“I have no idea, but I’m not looking to find out.” the other man declared. “Whatever it is, it sounds like something I’ll want to stay very far away from. I recommend that you do the same, Marko.”


“Don’t worry about me. All I need to know is where their hideout is. I’ll handle the rest.”

There was a pause between them, and you thought you heard a sympathetic grunt from the other man.

Then, you heard the informant scoff at your buddy. “Fine. It's your funeral.”

So much for an ‘unbreakable bond’.

“Follow this address, and you should find yourself standing in the lion’s den. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.” he cautioned.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” Flint said in a casual tone.

(Cont.)
>>
It sounded like they were just about wrapping things up, here.

What will you do?

>Prod Flint to ask for some more information.(Write-in.)
>Wait for the informant to exit the bar and tail him for a while.
>Scope out the location of the Shocker’s hideout with Flint.
>Call in backup, just in case.(Who?)
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5390659
>>Prod Flint to ask for some more information.(Write-in.)
The other guys he didn't charge, what information did they away with?
Or can we just trust this guy to not have said anything?
>>
>>5390659
>Ask Flint his story with that guy, if we can trust that he really didn't give the info to other people.
Depending on the answer we tail the dude or go to the hideout.
>>
>>5390659
>Scope out the location of the Shocker’s hideout with Flint.
>>
>>5390659
>>Scope out the location of the Shocker’s hideout with Flint.
Pick up some burgers for the scope out
>>
>>5390659
>Prod Flint to ask for some more information.(Write-in.)
>Ask who came around looking for the guy before you did.
We're probably gonna run into them regardless. We'd do well to try and pin down all the players.
>>
>>5390659
Wait for the informant to exit the bar and tail him for a while.
>>
>>5390662
>>5390677
+1 A little bit of info comes handy. We could even ask who where the other guys that asked or at least who sent them, i'm sure other mafia bosses didn't sent some metahuman or they came themselves for the info.

after that, we go for the hideout with the idea of who might be around aside from Maxwell and Shocker
>>
>>5390659
>>5390767
+1, he might not give names but if he only gives organizations then we’re still better equipped.
>>
I loved this guy as a kid
>>
>>5390662
>>5390677
>>5390692
>>5390724
>>5390767
>>5390815
>>5390772
>>5390777
>Prod Flint to ask for some more information.(Write-in.)
>Ask who came around looking for the guy before you did.
>Ask Flint his story with that guy, if we can trust that he really didn't give the info to other people.
>Scope out the location of the Shocker’s hideout with Flint.

Taking these. Writing...

Sorry for the slow pace of updates lately. I at least want to get back to doing two or three per day again.
>>
“Ask him who came around asking before you did.” you suggested. “Maybe see if you can find out what he told them.”

“Hold up, Jimmy.” Flint urged. “Ya’ still haven’t told me who it was that came asking about the guy.”

“Marko. Do you truly expect me to remember each and every detail about everyone that comes asking for information?” he asked, sounding mildly amused. “My memory ain’t what it used to be.”

Flint sighed. A strange action for someone who didn’t need to breathe anymore, but you understood it immediately when you heard Flint reach for another stack of cash. He slid it across the table, and a self satisfied grunt from Jimmy confirmed his assent.

“Well, they weren’t part of no gang or crime organization. I can tell you that much.” Jimmy admitted.

“And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?” Flint asked.

“The guy I met with gave me a different type of vibe.” Jimmy said. “His words were too clipped, and he didn’t seem like a local. I think he was pre-military. Now, he’s probably a part of a mercenary company.”

“Any idea which group he belongs to?” Flint inquired.

“It’s a bit hard to tell, without more info, but I think I have an idea.” Jimmy began. “You see, I’ve been hearing rumors about a roaming team of mercs that go around tracking down and apprehending international criminals. They call themselves the ‘Wild Pack’.”

“I don’t think Maxie boy fits that description just yet.” Flint argued.

“Maybe not. But he did steal a valuable piece of tech.” Jimmy noted. “And recovering lost property and assets is in the Wild Pack’s job description.”

“You think Richards hired them to recover the suit for him?”

“There’s a non-zero possibility.” Jimmy said casually. “I’m only expressing my thoughts on the matter. People don’t usually flash their ID when they come to me.”

“Hm. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to tell me what you told him.” Flint suggested.

Jimmy let out another greasy laugh. “Sorry, Marko. I’ve got something of a policy when it comes to confidentiality. I’ll only stick my neck out so far.”


“I just want to know if he knows what I know.”

There was a brief pause between them before Jimmy spoke again. “No. Not in such great detail. What I told them was vague, and it undoubtedly slowed down their progress.” he said. “However, it has been about a week since I gave you that tip. Information ages like milk, Marko.”

“So there’s a chance that they’ve caught onto where he’s hiding.”

“Could be. There’s also the possibility that he won’t be there anymore.” Jimmy admitted. “A lot can change in a few days. Just don’t come crying to me if things don’t work out.”

(Cont.)
>>
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You heard a scraping sound, and you assumed that Flint was getting out of his seat.

“Thanks, Jimmy. You’re a real peach.” he said, sounding none too amused.

“If you need me, you know where to find me.”

Soon after, Flint exited the bar and made his way down the street. You followed him from the rooftops, easily leaping from building to building.

“So, what’s this about a ‘Wild Pack’?” you asked.

“No idea. Never heard of ‘em.” Flint admitted. “We can’t even be sure that Richards hired these guys in the first place.”

“I mean, it’d make sense.” you said. “It’s still his property, and he probably wants it back.”

“And what exactly are we chasing the guy for?” Flint asked. “Are you trying to get that suit too?”

What will you say?

>”We’re tracking him because he’s dangerous and unpredictable. It'd be a mistake to let him run loose with tech like that.”
>”There’s a possibility that we can bring him onto our side if we’re careful about our approach. He’d be a powerful asset to have.”
>”Because it’s not too late to get the suit back to Silvermane. We can get him back on top if we can pull this off.”
>”Honestly, we might end up helping these guys if they really are working for Reed. The suit’s better off in his hands anyway.
>”We’re going with Cindy’s plan. That suit should be destroyed. That way, it can’t hurt anybody, and people can finally stop fighting over it.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5391611
>”We’re tracking him because he’s dangerous and unpredictable. It'd be a mistake to let him run loose with tech like that.”
>Honestly? I would rather strip the suit for parts, try to see if Prowler or Sam can learn anything and deliver the broken pieces to Reed. If he made the thing, he can always make another, so destroying it doesn't put an end to the fight. But that doesn't mean we have to make it easy to start again.
>>
>>5391611
>>5391619
+1
>>
>>5391619
+1, reverse engineer that baby.
>>
>>5391619
+1
>>
>>5391611
There’s a possibility that we can bring him onto our side if we’re careful about our approach. He’d be a powerful asset to have.”
>>
>>5391619
+1
>>
>>5391611
>>5391619
+1
Wonder is Cindy could turn in the parts when we’re done to Richards. Get her a bit more hero cred, maybe get a reward out of it too.
>>
>>5391746
I don't think she'd like to adorn herself with borrowed plumes.
We could use it to ask for a letter of recommendation to a college of Sam's choice if we go down the route I suggested a while back.
Richards surely doesn't want that promising young man to turn to a life of crime and give him another chance.
>>
>>5391619
>>5391642
>>5391652
>>5391727
>>5391746
>>5391662
>”We’re tracking him because he’s dangerous and unpredictable. It'd be a mistake to let him run loose with tech like that.”
>Honestly? I would rather strip the suit for parts, try to see if Prowler or Sam can learn anything and deliver the broken pieces to Reed. If he made the thing, he can always make another, so destroying it doesn't put an end to the fight. But that doesn't mean we have to make it easy to start again.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“We’re tracking him because he’s dangerous and unpredictable. It’d be a mistake to let him run loose with tech like that.” you declared. “And to be honest, I would rather strip the suit for parts. Try to see if Prowler or Sam can learn anything and deliver the broken pieces to Reed. If he made the thing, then he can always make another, so destroying it doesn’t put an end to the fight.” you continued. “But that doesn’t mean that we have to make it easy.”

“Yeah, I bet we could get some good money out of that.” Flint said, a satisfied smile on his face. “Speaking of, you ever get around to selling those ninja swords?”

“I’m still thinking about it.” you said.

“What about that horn you ripped off that Russian dude?” he asked.

“Oh, man. I completely forgot about that one.”

“That’s because you’re wrapped up in too much bullshit these days.” Flint shot back.

“Can’t argue with you there…”

—------

As you both made your way over to the address that Jimmy gave you, Flint told you more about how he’d known the informant.

A couple years back, the guy had been playing both sides of a gang war, and promptly found himself caught in the middle of it when a firefight broke out. Apparently, Flint was the one to pull his ass out of the fire when things got a little too hot. Ever since then, Jimmy’s been Flint’s go-to informant.

When you asked him whether he trusted Jimmy not to feed him false information, he’d simply laughed and said that he wouldn’t dare cross him. After all, the possibility that Flint would find out and pay his pal Jimmy a “little visit” was all too present in the informant’s mind.

—-------

Upon reaching the address that Jimmy gave you, you were surprised to see that it was an abandoned concert hall. It was large, spacious, and probably even more decrepit looking on the inside.

It was so recognizable and distinct that you failed to believe that it could function as an effective hideout for any meaningful amount of time. But then again, there were those buildings that stuck in people’s heads as landmarks, and nothing more.

Like a gnarled tree or an abandoned factory that you wouldn’t look twice at, just because you’ve seen it many times before. It was just a permanent part of these people’s lives.

As far as you could see, there weren’t any significant disturbances in the surrounding area. No explosions, police sirens or armored vehicles.

For the time being, it didn’t look like anyone else had arrived. But looks could be deceiving. And you wouldn’t know anything for sure unless you entered the building.

What will you do?

>Stay outside and continue your stake-out. If something does happen, you’ll be ready.
>Enter the building and search for signs of life.
>Split up. (Who goes where?)
>Write-in.
>>
File: Spoiler Image (5.31 MB, 498x280)
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>>5391796
>Split up. (Who goes where?)
Flint will go in through the ground floor in his sand form while we find a way in through the roof or an open window, scouting the outside while we’re at it. We’ll report to each other every so often and converge in the middle.
>abandoned concert hall
Oh, I know exactly where this is going. Shocker’s gonna fuck up Flint’s cohesion something terrible, isn’t he?
>>
>>5391796
>>Enter the building and search for signs of life.
>>
>>5391796
>>Enter the building and search for signs of life.
>>
>>5391796
>>Split up. (Who goes where?)
>Benny: Swing to the top of the building and look for a high window to enter from.
>Flint: Circle around back and seep in under a locked door.
>>
>>5391796
>>5391936 +1
>>
Was really busy today, but I'll try to push out some more updates tomorrow.
>>
>>5391936
>support
>>
>>5393051
take you're time. u da best and we love you
>>
File: thanos-smile.gif (4.19 MB, 498x471)
4.19 MB
4.19 MB GIF
>>5393169
This does put a smile on my face.

>>5391936
>>5392178
>>5393163
>>Split up. (Who goes where?)
>Benny: Swing to the top of the building and look for a high window to enter from.
>Flint: Circle around back and seep in under a locked door.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
File: 9voeb6ykne811.jpg (1.22 MB, 4096x2598)
1.22 MB
1.22 MB JPG
“We’re going in.” you declared. “I’ll go high, and you go low. Find a locked door to slide under, or something.”

“Got it. See ya’ on the other side.” said Flint, right before he leapt from the building to harmlessly splatter on the ground below.

You decided to do something far less dramatic and traumatizing, and swung over to the building on a well placed webline. Without putting much thought into it, you angled the upswing of the arc to place you directly beside a window on the fourth floor.

It had less to do with math than it did instinct. On some unspoken level, your powers allowed you to perform incredible feats through sheer visualization. You weren’t sure about the specifics, and Madame Web didn’t seem too keen on explaining how they worked. But they haven’t failed you so far.

—---------

Upon crawling inside the abandoned building, you were met with a thick cloud of dust that made you feel grateful for the filters in your mask. You would’ve undoubtedly choked on it without them. You couldn’t smell the mold that must’ve been growing in the carpets, but you knew that it had to have been there. If not because of your limited knowledge on home improvement, you couldn’t deny the gentle thrumming of your spider sense, warning you that lingering here for too long could have ill effects on your health.

The sheer versatility of it was baffling to you.

As you contemplated this, you activated your thermal lenses in order to get a better idea of your surroundings. The inky darkness of this opera house made it almost impossible to traverse these halls without bumping into something.

Suddenly, a tiny bright spot flashed across the corner of your eye, and your head whipped around to catch a glimpse of what it could have been. You moved with supernatural speed, jumping from wall to pillar to ceiling, and finally landing in front of whatever you had spotted.

It was a person. They were fully kitted out in military grade equipment, and clearly very startled by your sudden appearance. The merc was backing away very quickly, reaching for his weapon and was very close to drawing it on you. But you were faster.

Before they even had a chance to properly react, you webbed their hand to their hip, trapping both it and their sidearm in place. And just in case, you webbed their mouth shut as well. Can’t have them screaming for help, after all.

But right as you were about to subdue them, your spider sense flared up once more. You took a quick look around, and you were just now beginning to notice the multiple lasers trained on your head and torso.

Somehow, you had been surrounded without even knowing it.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you do?

>Put your hands up. You’re not here to start fights with random people.
>”And you must be the ‘Wild Pack’. I don’t suppose any of you have seen a walking light-bulb or a human-shaped quilt anywhere around here, have you?”
>”This isn’t what it looks like. I’m sure this is all a big misunderstanding, so why don’t we put the guns down and talk things out?”
>Create a flashbang and dip out before they can shoot you!
>Clog up the barrel of their weapons with a few well-placed web shots.
>Use the other merc as a human shield and force them to stand down.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5393809
>Clog up the barrel of their weapons with a few well-placed web shots.
Let's not leave much to chance. If we can hold 'em off long enough, Flint can get into position and really tip the scales for us.
>>
>>5393809
>”And you must be the ‘Wild Pack’. I don’t suppose any of you have seen a walking light-bulb or a human-shaped quilt anywhere around here, have you?”

>Use a Flashbang then
>Clog up the barrel of their weapons with a few well-placed web shots.
>>
>>5393809
>”And you must be the ‘Wild Pack’. I don’t suppose any of you have seen a walking light-bulb or a human-shaped quilt anywhere around here, have you?”
>I've got a grudge to settle with one of the assholes.
>>
>>5393815
Support
>>
>>5393826
+1
>>
>>5393811
>>5393815
>>5393902
>>5393826
>>5393968
>”And you must be the ‘Wild Pack’. I don’t suppose any of you have seen a walking light-bulb or a human-shaped quilt anywhere around here, have you?”
>I've got a grudge to settle with one of the assholes.
>Clog up the barrel of their weapons with a few well-placed web shots.

My internet went out again! I am now very excited to change ISP's when I move into my new apartment!
>>
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“And you must be the ‘Wild Pack’.” you said in an almost casual tone. “I don’t suppose any of you have seen a walking light-bulb or a human-shaped quilt anywhere around here, have you?”

Foreign and digitally processed mutterings filled the air around you as the mercenaries traded words and shot you suspicious glances. You felt like they could understand you just fine, but it didn’t seem like they would be letting you walk out of here in one piece.

“Because you see, I’ve got a bit of a grudge to settle with one of these assholes.”

And before any of them could respond, you became a blur of motion.

>Roll 1d100+10!
>>
Rolled 57 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5395150
>>
Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>5395150
>>
Rolled 69 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5395150
>>
>>5395170
>>5395173
>>5395183
Taking these. Writing...
>>
File: eff.jpg (110 KB, 1200x1132)
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110 KB JPG
>79

You spin and pivot your body at inhuman speeds, dodging gunfire and returning web-shots at your assailants with pinpoint accuracy. Miraculously, each and every shot finds its mark, and the befuddled mercenaries quickly find themselves without effective weapons.

In the time that it took them to glare at their rifles in confusion, you fired a webline at the ceiling and pulled yourself into the air, narrowly avoiding a bullet on your way out. It would seem that you didn’t manage to get everyone in that cute little maneuver of yours.

Already, the ones that you did manage to hit were replacing their weapons and rechecking their equipment. In about another minute, they would probably be hunting you again.

If Shocker hadn't heard you before, then the frenzied shouts of these flustered commandos were a dead giveaway.

What will you do?

>Swing back down and see if you can’t take a few of these guys out.
>Slip into the shadows and try to pick these guys off one by one.
>Whip out your silenced pistols and shoot to disable. You don’t have to kill anybody, but you don’t have to give them any chances to get back up, either.
>Head downstairs to check on Flint. There’s an awful lot of noise coming from down there.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5395213
>Swing back down and see if you can’t take a few of these guys out.
>>
>>5395213
>>Slip into the shadows and try to pick these guys off one by one.
>>
>>5395213
>Ignore these schmucks! Locate Shocker and Max Dillon ASAP
>>
>>5395213
>Head downstairs to check on Flint. There’s an awful lot of noise coming from down there.
>>
>>5395213
>Head downstairs to check on Flint. There’s an awful lot of noise coming from down there.
>>
>>5395213
>Head downstairs to check on Flint. There’s an awful lot of noise coming from down there.
>>
>>5395288
>>5395467
>>5396104
>Head downstairs to check on Flint. There’s an awful lot of noise coming from down there.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
Begrudgingly, you decide to let these guys hang back and recover. You simply don’t have the time to stay and slap them around a bit. Not when you’ve got a mission of your own.

Absently, you avoided the last couple of stray shots that whizzed past your head as you dove down into the concert hall’s lower levels. You heard shouting from above, which was immediately followed by a ceasefire. Even they knew that it was a waste of time and ammo.

With that out of the way, you focused on traversing this dimly lit maze. Even with your thermal vision, you were having trouble spotting obstacles. And so, you found yourself really leaning into your spider sense, treating your vision as something like a distraction, rather than a navigation tool.

And it was because of this that you were completely unprepared by the flash of blinding light that nearly sent your sprawling to the ground.

You raised a hand to shield your eyes, before remembering to quickly shut off your thermal vision. Through squinted eyes, you spotted two figures standing on stage, one of them burning as brightly as a miniature sun. You couldn’t properly identify the other person, but you had a hunch that it was the Shocker.

Both seemed to be arguing about something very loudly, neither of them having apparently noticed the fact that a firefight had just taken place in the floors above. Or maybe that was what they were fighting about? You couldn’t tell from this distance. You’d have to get closer.

Of course, all these toppled seats were preventing you from doing that without drawing attention to yourself. They were laid down and stacked on top of one another like a makeshift barricade.

Maybe if you approached them from above? Like, hanging from the curved, sloping ceiling. That might work.

Glancing around, you couldn’t see Flint anywhere in this room. You couldn’t believe that he was incapable of finding these two, so he was either hiding, or he had been held up by something, or someone.

What will you do?

>Try to get closer so that you can hear what they’re saying.
>Remain and hiding and wait for the mercenaries to make their way here. You intend to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.
>Attempt to contact Flint to find out where he is.
>Come out of hiding and make your presence known. You want to have a few words with these guys.(Write-in.)
>Prepare to launch a sneak attack on the Shocker. At the very least, you can probably catch him off guard before the shit hits the fan.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5396683
>>Try to get closer so that you can hear what they’re saying.
>>
>>5396683
>Remain and hiding and wait for the mercenaries to make their way here. You intend to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.
>>
>>5396683
>Remain and hiding and wait for the mercenaries to make their way here. You intend to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.
Flint probably has the same idea and is listening in the meantime. No sense doubling up the effort when he’s more stealth-capable than we are.
>>
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>>
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I'm excited for symbiotes
>>
>>5396683
>Remain and hiding and wait for the mercenaries to make their way here. You intend to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.
Try to see if we can spot any loose sand nearby writing out a word for us? If not, then that's still fine; he's better at stealth than we are, and there's lots of nooks and crannies here for sand to seep through...
>>
>>5396683
>>Try to get closer so that you can hear what they’re saying.
>>
>>5396947
I do and don’t t hope we get one ourselves
>>
>>5396683
>Try to get closer so that you can hear what they’re saying.
>>
Sorry for the delay! I overslept!

We're a bit tied between this:
>>5396754
>>5396967
>>5397218
>Try to get closer so that you can hear what they’re saying.

And this:
>>5396796
>>5396854
>>5396966
>Remain in hiding and wait for the mercenaries to make their way here. You intend to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.

Also that typo makes me die a little inside. Didn't notice it until it was too late.

>>5396947
>>5397007
I'm very excited for the Venom/Carnage arc. It'll probably be something of an action-packed emotional roller coaster. I have a bit of a slightly different take on Venom that I think should be entertaining to write if Ben decides to bond with him.
>>
>>5396683
>Remain in hiding and wait for the mercenaries to make their way here. You intend to take advantage of the ensuing chaos.
No reason to let Shocker and Electro know exactly who kicked the hornet's nest right away.
>>
File: 7672695-zzbdfgdfgf.jpg (756 KB, 1748x1680)
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After thinking things over, you decided to remain in hiding, using the toppled chairs as cover. If those mercs were truly here to reclaim the suit, then you might just let them take a crack at it.

If anything, they should serve as a good distraction while you launch a surprise attack of your own.

The two’s argument went on for two more minutes, neither of them willing to back down from whatever it was that they were so passionate about. Finally, when it seemed like both had started to cool down a bit, several loud pops erupted from the upper floors.

Small, silvery canisters clattered onto the stage and right below it, flooding the theater with blinding smoke.

You suppressed a choking cough and quickly switched over to your thermal vision, regretting the fact that Max was still burning just as brightly as he had been before.

You heard shouting from both sides, and then, all hell broke loose. Shots rang out from behind, and you could see the figure beside Max raising his hands in defense. It didn’t seem like either were being affected by the Wild Pack’s bullets.

Suddenly, the man beside Max stretched out his arm, and a deafening roar filled the room. What sounded like the humming of a thousand bees overpowered every other sound in the room, pushing the smokescreen away and causing your teeth to chatter painfully. Powerful vibrations resonated through your bones and shook you to your very core, and you couldn’t help but remember the people from that video.

There was no longer any question, or any doubt as to who that was beside Max. You were dealing with the Shocker himself. But right at this very moment, he was dealing with the Wild Pack.

You didn’t so much see what happened next, as you did feel it. Through your bones, your skin and your spider sense. In an instant, the upper levels where the mercenaries had been firing from exploded in a cloud of dust and rubble. It was as if someone had just shot a tank shell into the theater.

You winced at the noise, and wondered just how many of them had survived that attack.

Just then, Maxwell flared up violently, spreading his energy out into the walls and floor, forcing you to cling to a chair so as to avoid being electrocuted.

With a sharp click, the lights above you, and all throughout the theater went on, all at once.

“WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU’RE DEAD!” Max shouted, before firing multiple streams of electricity from his hands. The energy arced out sporadically, slamming into the marble pillars and plush seats with lethal intent. You weren’t sure if he’d actually managed to hit anybody, but you didn’t expect them to come back up for air anytime soon. They were probably only just now realizing how in over their heads they were.

Now that both were sufficiently distracted, it was probably a good time to make your move.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you do?

>Signal Flint to attack one of them.(Shocker/Electro)
>While they aren’t looking, fling a bunch of chairs at one of them!
>Throw your vibranium-coated dagger into one of their legs!
>Prime your Slip-Component, and jump out at them right before it explodes!
>Web one of their legs and drag them towards you so that you can pummel them with your knuckle dusters!
>Stay where you are and try not to attract any attention. If these two try to escape, you want to be able to tail them.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5397922
>While they aren’t looking, fling a bunch of chairs at one of them!
>Throw your vibranium-coated dagger into one of their legs!
Ramdom bullshit go!
>>
>>5397922
>>Throw your vibranium-coated dagger into one of their legs!
>>
Be sure to let me know which one you're attacking with each action!
>>
>>5397929
>Electro
>>
>>5397922
>>Throw your vibranium-coated dagger into one of their legs!
>electro
>>
>>5397922
>>While they aren’t looking, fling a bunch of chairs at one of them!
>Throw your vibranium-coated dagger into one of their legs!
>Max/Electro
Even if we don't do any lasting damaged, a blood trails makes tracking him a hell of a lot easier.
>>
>>5397922
>Throw your vibranium-coated dagger into one of their legs!
>Max/Electro
>>
>>5397928
>>5397929
>>5397937
>>5397961
>>5397994
>>5398449
>Throw your vibranium-coated dagger into one of their legs!
>Max/Electro

Taking these. Writing...
>>
File: rrh6um6yyj081.jpg (405 KB, 1920x1080)
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When you were certain that no one was paying any attention to you, brandished your vibranium-coated knife, aimed it at Max, and whipped it towards his leg with a flick of your wrist. You watched it slice through the air as it twirled end over end, patiently waiting to see whether or not you’d hit your mark.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but it certainly wasn’t the spray of blood that resulted from the thrown knife sinking deep into Max’s thigh. He let out a cry of pain and staggered backward. Shocker seemed just as surprised as his partner had been. Both were gaping stupidly at the thrown weapon, watching the sparks dance across it’s metal surface, and the blood seep into the green suit.

He still bleeds. Good to know.

Right as you were preparing to pounce on them, another projectile came flying out from the stands. A thick, tether-like cable whipped around like a bola and tangled itself around Max’s legs and torso, preventing him from removing the knife and leaving him struggling on-stage.

You whirled around to find another squad of mercenaries approaching the stage with weapons raised. These guys seemed to be wearing and carrying much more expensive gear. They somewhat resemble Spartans from Halo with their bulky combat armor.

Some glanced at you dubiously, but most of them kept their attention trained on the other two. Several more projectiles were fired out of under-barrel launchers, and Max suddenly found himself bound in a thick, foam-like substance. He was struggling wildly now, screaming his lungs out before the foam could reach his mouth. All this was apparently preventing him from pulling the knife out or attacking in any meaningful way.

Alright, you take back what you thought about these guys being completely incompetent.

What will you do now?

>Pile onto the assault by webbing up Max as best as you can.
>Focus on Shocker to prevent him from helping his partner.
>Call in Flint to attack someone.(Shocker/Max/Wild Pack)
>Hang back and let these guys do their thing. You’ll be lucky if both sides can wipe each other out.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5398767
>>Focus on Shocker to prevent him from helping his partner.
>>
>>5398767
Web bomb. Complete saturation.
>>
>>5398771
You, uh, don't have any left. Ben hasn't crafted any more gadgets or bought anything from Phin's shop lately.
>>
>>5398767
>Focus on Shocker to prevent him from helping his partner.
I guess Flint is doing the same thing we did in the cafe, staying back while we’re able to handle things. Must be thinking of coming in after the battle (or whenever a good opportunity arises) and abscond with the suit.
We should trust in him to make the right call on when to enter.
Wonder if we can dupe the Wild Dogs into thinking he’s a third party and letting us just walk out. We’d have gotten our revenge, after all. For all they know it’s all we wanted.
>>
>>5398774
Oof
>>
>>5398767
>Focus on Shocker to prevent him from helping his partner.
>>
>>5398767
>>Focus on Shocker to prevent him from helping his partner.
>>
>>5398767
>Focus on Shocker to prevent him from helping his partner.
>Tell Flint to be ready to attack the Wild Pack once Shocker is down
They’re useful right now, but I doubt they’ll let us leave with Max. Flint should keep himself hidden until the opportune moment to aid our escape by turning onto a giant sand cloud or something. We’re gonna need as smooth an exit as possible considering that the Wild Pack is probably surrounding the building right now.
>>
>>5399056
+1, bur we might need to GTFO if things get too hairy
>>
>>5398768
>>5398779
>>5398784
>>5399001
>>5399056
>>5399178
Roll 1d100, bo3!

I'll write and post an update as soon as I'm able!
>>
Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>5399220
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>5399220
>>
Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>5399220
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>5399220
>>
>>5399229
>>5399231
>>5399237
Taking these. Writing...
>>
File: 1056714020563631389.jpg (359 KB, 1264x1920)
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359 KB JPG
>74

“Hey, Flint. I’m going after Shocker.” you reported, preparing to pounce. “Be ready to jump when I say so.”

Flint didn’t voice his reply, but you heard the telltale clicking of his radio, and accepted it as an acknowledgement. He was taking this whole “stealth” thing really seriously.

And in the next second, you were off like a shot. Shocker’s eyes widened momentarily, and he’d barely managed to get his arms up in front of him before you were drop-kicking him through the scarlet curtains and into the solid wall hidden beneath them. Shocker head and back violently impacted the concrete with a crack, and for a moment you were worried that you might’ve accidentally killed the guy.

But to your surprise, he recovered from the attack with dazed and groggy movements, picking himself up and shaking his head a bit.

“Who the hell are you supposed to-”

Before he could finish, you were already on top of him again, throwing a flurry of punches that were far too fast for any normal man to react to. And to your delight, the great Shocker quickly found himself overwhelmed by your sudden barrage.

But for some reason, you didn’t really feel like you were doing a whole lot of damage to him. It sort of felt like pummeling a pillow. You knew that there had to be a man underneath all that fluff, but the impact from your blows was somehow being diffused, or deflected. Did it have something to do with that goofy looking suit of his?

Unfortunately, you didn’t have a whole lot of time to entertain this train of thought, because a violent shudder ran through your body and rattled you to your very core! It shot through you like a jolt, forcing you to a complete stop, your left fist hanging in the air as you struggled to process this sensation.

Through your unsteady vision, you somehow managed to perceive the fact that Shocker was throwing a counter-punch in your direction. And out of sheer reflex, you avoided it.

At least, you thought you did.

Despite being miles away from his fist, the bone-shattering impact of it was still enough to knock you back, sending you tumbling across the room. It was as if the guy had hand grenades stuffed into those mittens of his! Now how was that fair!?

Shocker threw another punch, and your spider sense gave you enough advance warning to avoid the incoming shockwave. Even from across the room, you had the distinct feeling that this guy could pulp you if he landed a few more of those.

“Quit hopping around!” he growled, firing one shockwave after another.

“Does that ever work when you yell it out? Just curious.” you said.

This, of course, did nothing to quell his mounting frustration.

You probably couldn’t keep this up forever. There wasn’t a ton of room back here, and you were going to be hard pressed to keep this guy separated from Max.

(Cont.)
>>
Speaking of, you couldn’t help but notice that the lights in this place were starting to flicker violently. Some of them had even exploded from the sudden, wild power fluctuations. There was no doubt about who was responsible for it. The Wild Pack might not be able to hold Max for much longer.

What will you do?

>Glue Shocker’s hands together so he won’t be able to throw anymore punches.
>Seal Shocker inside a prison of velvet and webbing.
>Pull the light rigging down on top of Shocker’s head.
>Bait Shocker into firing a powerful shockwave at Max’s back.
>Use your Mark to burn away at Shocker’s protective clothing. He might not be so tough without it.
>Wait for the lights to go off and pull a sudden disappearing act. You’ve got a feeling that things are about to get hot.
>Call in Flint to attack someone!(Wild Pack/Max/Shocker)
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5399637
>Use your Mark to burn away at Shocker’s protective clothing. He might not be so tough without it.
If suit prevent punches, get rid of suit, simple as.
>>
>>5399637
>>Use your Mark to burn away at Shocker’s protective clothing. He might not be so tough without it.
>>
>>5399637
>Bait Shocker into firing a powerful shockwave at Max’s back.
>Glue Shocker’s hands together so he won’t be able to throw anymore punches.
>>
>>5399637
>>Glue Shocker’s hands together so he won’t be able to throw anymore punches.
>>
>>5399637
>>Glue Shocker’s hands together so he won’t be able to throw anymore punches.
>>
>>5399661
>>5399786
>>5399892
>Glue Shocker’s hands together so he won’t be able to throw anymore punches.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
Just then, you had a brilliantly simple idea! If the Shocker couldn’t throw punches at you, then that should eliminate his ranged capabilities, right?

But in order for you to snag both of his gauntlets, you’d have to wait for the perfect time.

And so, for the next minute or two, you did nothing but bounce around the theater and taunt him from afar.

“Are you sure you can see through that mask?” you asked, ducking under another shockwave. “I mean, the whole white eye thing is cool and threatening and all, but you haven’t managed to land a solid hit on me yet. Did you forget your contacts, or are you too embarrassed to wear your glasses?”

“Do you ever shut up!?” Shocker shouted, struggling to keep track of you.

“On request? Not very often, no.” you replied, trying not to show any hint of the panic you were feeling. If this went on any longer, then Shocker just might bring the whole house down!

Had to get this just right. Almost…

NOW!

Without hesitation, you shot a thick glob of webbing at your opponents hands, gluing them together and leaving him sounding rather flustered. Before he could adapt to this new situation, you attached a webline to his hands, leapt up to the light rigging and strung him up so that his feet were dangling off the ground. Feeling satisfied, you watched Shocker kicking and screaming in impotent rage with a smile on your face.

“There! That ought to hold y-y-y-y-y-y-y-!”

You couldn’t force yourself to finish the sentence. Intense vibrations were emanating from the Shocker’s gauntlets, traveling up the webline you’d created, and was now reverberating throughout the entire metal light rigging that you were perched on top of.

The result was an almost complete collapse of the structure, causing the lights to flicker and the entire setup to go lopsided. You couldn’t see too well from up here, but you had a feeling that your webbing wouldn’t be able to hold this guy for very long at this rate.

And just when you thought that it couldn’t get any worse, the lights went out entirely. For one single terrifying moment, everyone went quiet. And when the lights came back on, you were in no way pleased to see that it was all coming from Max. He was radiating light and buzzing with malicious intent. Every member of the Wild Pack was now backing away slowly, unsure of what to make of this.

Suddenly, multiple blinding spears of lights shot through the windows from every which direction, arcing towards Max and filling him with energy. The cable tether was now broken, and the insulating foam was burned away by the sheer intensity of it all.

Through shielded eyes, you spotted your knife being forced out of his leg by another burst of energy. It flew across the room and lodged itself into a nearby wall, still smoking at the hilt.

(Cont.)
>>
Because of this, you almost missed the lightning bolt that shot out from Max’s left shoulder. Your eyes widened, and you quickly moved to avoid being electrocuted. Shocker, however, wasn’t so lucky. He’d only just managed to shake apart the webbing that kept him connected to the metal light rig, and had suffered a nasty shock because of it.

To your horror, Max was now using his remaining energy to strike down any mercenaries that couldn’t find cover in time.

Things were starting to get out of hand!

What will you do?

>Pounce on Shocker while he’s weakened and break his tech. At least then, he’ll be out of the way.
>Pry your knife out of the wall and try to stab Max with it!
>Try to help the Wild Pack subdue Max once more. If they’ve got anymore of that insulating foam, then you might be able to work something out.
>Call out Flint to attack someone!(Wild Pack/Max/Shocker)
>Call out Flint to create a sandstorm. You’re pulling out.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>5399969
>>
Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>5399969
So sand and electricity or heat is bad.

Help wild pack.
>>
>>5399969
>>Pry your knife out of the wall and try to stab Max with it!
>>
>>5399969
>Pounce on Shocker while he’s weakened and break his tech. At least then, he’ll be out of the way.
>>
>>5399969
>Try to help the Wild Pack subdue Max once more. If they’ve got anymore of that insulating foam, then you might be able to work something out.
>>
>>5399969
>Try to help the Wild Pack subdue Max once more. If they’ve got anymore of that insulating foam, then you might be able to work something out.
>>
>>5399969
>Try to help the Wild Pack subdue Max once more. If they’ve got anymore of that insulating foam, then you might be able to work something out.
Shocker isn’t our target, so let’s see if we can get him to disengage.
>Yell out to Shocker. His buddy doesn’t seem to care about friendly fire anymore and we’re not here for Shocker. Maybe he should consider ducking out before things get even more chaotic.
>>
>>5399969
>>5400186 +1
>>
>>5399979
>>5400019
>>5400059
>>5400186
>>5400465
>Try to help the Wild Pack subdue Max once more. If they’ve got anymore of that insulating foam, then you might be able to work something out.
>Yell out to Shocker. His buddy doesn’t seem to care about friendly fire anymore and we’re not here for Shocker. Maybe he should consider ducking out before things get even more chaotic.
>>
File: FSLMvEJWYAISbpS.png (854 KB, 1371x2025)
854 KB
854 KB PNG
It didn’t look like you were getting anywhere by letting those mercs handle things on their own. If you wanted to nab Max’s suit, then you would have to cut your fight with Shocker short and help the Wild Pack bring him down.

“This is honestly more than either of us probably signed up for. What do you say we cut this short, and-”

You never got to finish your sentence, however, as Max’s business partner had just blown a gaping hole through the wall behind you. Within the massive cloud of dust and debris, you spotted a shadowy figure shamelessly retreating into the night.

Huh. It actually wasn’t that hard to convince him to leave. That was a far more normal reaction than what you were expecting. Most super-criminals drifted more towards melodrama more often than not.

“Things are getting pretty hot in here, Benny.” Flint whispered over comms. “You still breathing?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Shocker just peeled out, though. I don’t think he’s very interested in putting his neck on the line for Maxie, here.” you observed.

“What do we do now?” Flint asked.

“I’m gonna try and help the other guys bring him down. I might need you for a surprise attack or a quick escape, so sit tight.”

“Just try not to get barbecued out there.”

Taking a deep breath, you snuck over to the wall and began crawling along the edge of the room in order to avoid Max’s notice. This was made slightly easier by the other mercenaries acting as bait while you crept closer to them.

Untethered by their gadgets, Max was now flying around the room, zapping anyone that looked at him funny, and striking them down with righteous fury. There was a broad grin on his face, and you got the impression that he was enjoying this a little too much.

Finally having reached a squad of mercs that’d been hiding behind a group of pillars and discussing battle strategy, you made no attempts to hide your presence from them.

“Howdy.” you said, waving at them with a bit more cheer than was necessary.

They rounded on you in the blink of an eye, their muzzles trained on your head and torso with cold indifference.

“Relax! I’m here to help.” you promised.

“We don’t want your kind of help.” one of the mercs said, pointing at a pistol that had been gunked up with webbing.

“It was either that or risk getting shot by you guys.” you reasoned. “And now we find ourselves in a rather awkward situation where we need to team up to bring this lunatic down.”

The looks they gave you and each other ranged from bewildered to dubious.

“What’s your stake in all this, then?” one of them asked, an obvious foreign accent sticking to his words. You couldn’t quite pin its origins, however.

Not wanting to tell a lie, you just shrugged and told them something as close to the truth as you could comfortably get.

(Cont.)
>>
“Simple. I don’t want to die.” you declared plainly.

They all seemed to understand that.

Slowly lowering their weapons, they exchanged another look and turned to face you once more.

“What did you have in mind?” said the biggest out of the group.

>”Do you have any more of those foam grenades? Give me all of those.”
>”If you can get another one of those cable tethers around him, then I might be able to knock him out.”
>”Roll out the heavy artillery! I know you’ve got to have a tank, helicopter or an APC squirreled away somewhere around here.”
>”Just keep him distracted. Me and my buddy will handle the rest.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5400667
>”Do you have any more of those foam grenades? Give me all of those.”
>”If you can get another one of those cable tethers around him, then I might be able to knock him out.”
>>
>>5400671
Support
>>
>>5400667
>”Do you have any more of those foam grenades? Give me all of those.”
>”Just keep him distracted. Me and my buddy will handle the rest.”
If Max happens to fry a few more mercs while they're running the diversion, I wouldn't complain.
>>
>>5400667
>>5400671
+1, though I’d let them keep one grenade. If we distract him and they see an opportunity, let them take it.
>>
>>5400671
>>5400673
>>5400834
>>5400838
>”Do you have any more of those foam grenades? Give me all of those.”
>”If you can get another one of those cable tethers around him, then I might be able to knock him out.”

Roll 1d100+10, bo3!
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>5401000
>>
Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>5401002
Woot
>>
Rolled 81 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5401000
>>
>>5401002
I forgot the plus 10 that doesn't nix this though oh great Scorekeeper?
>>
Rolled 40 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>5401000
maximum spider?
>>
>>5401002
>>5401026
>>5401044
That's a crit!

>>5401038
This isn't the first time that anons have forgotten the modifier, and it won't be the last. Nevertheless, I'm not such a hard-ass that I'll punish players for such a trivial thing. It's a perfectly good roll and I am perfectly capable of adding the multiplier myself.
>>
>>5401066
You're based and this is why you are a beloved QM
>>
>108!
>M-M-M-M-M-M-MAXIMUM SPIDER!

“Do you have any of those foam grenades left?” you asked. “Because I’m gonna need all of them.”

All at once, the Wild Pack checked their equipment and managed to scrounge up at least four canisters of the insulating foam.

“Hope you don’t mind if we keep one for ourselves.” one of them said, not waiting to hear your opinion on the matter.

“And if you can get another one of those cable tethers around him, then I might be able to knock him out.” you suggested.

The biggest one nodded. “We can do that. We’ll need a good distraction, though.”

“Watch and learn, boys.” you said, slinging the grenades over your shoulder and peeking out of cover.

Max was currently zipping around the room casting judgment on lesser beings and cackling like a maniac. Now THAT was how a supervillain was supposed to behave!

Feeling confident that he hadn’t seen you, you leapt out into the open, placed an explosive Mark onto one of the foam canisters and tossed it at his back.

The canister exploded in mid-air, mere inches away from Max! He cried out in surprise, turning frantically as he tried to spot his attacker. This gave you just enough time to toss two more canisters at him. Two more resounding explosions, and Max was being smothered in a rapidly expanding material that was now threatening to smother him.

By some unspoken coordination, the Wild Pack chose this time to come out of hiding and fire their tethers up at him. A credit to their skill and training, each cable tether hit its mark and wrapped themselves around his arms and torso. The energy that had been pouring out of his hands was now traveling down the cables, being transferred to whatever energy stores had been prepared beforehand.

Max was struggling wildly, being pulled down against his will. You, of course, were contributing by dragging him closer with a webline. As soon as he was within range, you pulled yourself into the air latched onto his back.

He was squirming and wriggling like a grub, but you put it all out of your mind as you delivered a savage punch to the back of his head. It whipped forward violently, but you could tell that he was still conscious, so you didn’t let up. Over and over, you clobbered the thieving engineer, feeling a jolt of energy run through your body with each strike.

By the time he touched the ground, he wasn’t moving anymore. The only evidence of him still being alive was his chest rising and falling faintly every so often.

“Target secured.” said a member of the Wild Pack, inching forward with his rifle raised. His squadmates were doing the same, moving until they had fully surrounded their captive.

Another group of mercenaries were carrying in a silver ring of some sort. It appeared to be made of high tech components that you couldn’t quite identify.

“Let’s wrap this up.” said a woman with dark hair and even darker eyes.

(Cont.)
>>
What will you do/say?

>”Is it true that Reed Richards hired you to snatch his suit back?"
>"Up top!"(Raise your hand for a high five)
>"Do you guys have a business card or something? How would I reach you if I wanted to hire you for a job?"
>Signal Flint to come in and grab Max!
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5401396
Apologies for the delays! Got wrapped up in something.

>>5401067
I appreciate you a lot, anon. I'm glad you're having a good time!
>>
>>5401396
>>Signal Flint to come in and grab Max!
>>
>>5401396
>”Is it true that Reed Richards hired you to snatch his suit back?"
>Signal Flint to come in and grab Max!
>>
>>5401396
>>”Is it true that Reed Richards hired you to snatch his suit back?"
>"Because I have my own reasons to bring him to Richards. Relax it's not money."
I don't want to make enemies of them
>>
>>5401396
>Signal Flint to come in and grab Max!
>Laugh. It’s petty, but he fucked your whole crew over earlier so screw the high road.
I’m still angling make it seem Flint is a third party and we got everything we really need out of this.
>>
>>5401396
>”Is it true that Reed Richards hired you to snatch his suit back?"
>Signal Flint to come in and grab Max!
>Sorry about this, but he is the one I have a grudge with!
>>
>>5401450
+1, these guys aren't that bad
>>
>>5401396
>”Is it true that Reed Richards hired you to snatch his suit back?"
>>
>>5401412
>>5401441
>>5401450
>>5401672
>>5401628
>>5401636
>>5401686
>”Is it true that Reed Richards hired you to snatch his suit back?"
>Signal Flint to come in and grab Max!

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“Is it true that Reed Richards hired you to snatch his suit back for him?” you asked.

“That’s confidential information.” said the biggest one.

“No it isn’t. He made a public announcement about it.” the dark-haired woman retorted.

The large man seemed to frown at her, but you could sense that there wasn’t any real malice behind it.

“We’re flying this guy back to the Baxter Building ASAP.” said another man coming up on your left.

“Where exactly was that again? I swear, I always pass it on my way to work, but I can never remember how to get there.” you said, trying to sound confused as you pretended to scratch your ear. Every time your finger passed over the area, you were quickly clicking your communicator on and off.

Anytime now, pal.

“Try Google Maps. We don’t have time to be giving out directions.” said a less friendly voice in their group. It was one of the guys that was carrying the silver ring into the room.

But before he could get any closer, a sudden and inexplicable sandstorm filled the space in the theater, sending some people to the ground and forcing them to shield their eyes. You watched in awe as a great, cloudy mass wrapped around Max’s limp body and began to lift him into the air.

You could hear the Wild Pack cursing and sputtering behind you as they struggled to regain their bearings.

What will you do?

>Stay right where you are and pretend to be clueless about the entire affair.
>Disappear right alongside Flint. You can’t wait for Max to wake up again.
>Pretend to chase Flint as he escapes with Max.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5402002
>>Disappear right alongside Flint. You can’t wait for Max to wake up again.
>>
>>5402003
Also, remember to pick up the knife!
>>
>>5402002
>Snag your dagger with a web line in the confusion.
>Disappear right alongside Flint. You can’t wait for Max to wake up again.
TO THE BAXTER BUILDING!
https://youtu.be/DKq4uoGdnFw
>>
>>5402002
>Disappear right alongside Flint. You can’t wait for Max to wake up again.
Don't worry Reed, you are getting it back. Eventually. In not pristine conditions
>>
>>5402013
+1
>>
>>5402013
Support
>>
>>5402003
>>5402013
>>5402014
>>5402032
>>5402038
>Snag your dagger with a web line in the confusion.
>Disappear right alongside Flint. You can’t wait for Max to wake up again.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
Not wanting to risk discovery or potential capture, you used this opportunity to flee the scene, running straight through an opening in the storm that had been conveniently created for you.

On your way out, you noticed your knife, still lodged in the wall on the far side of the room. You snagged it with a well placed webline, yanked it from the wall and snatched it out of the air with relative ease. At the same time, you were using your other arm to pull yourself into the air, and straight through the same hole in the wall that Shocker had escaped out of.

And trailing right behind you, was your partner in crime, tearing out of that stuffy old theater with your prisoner in tow. You took a big gulp of refreshing, non-moldy night air and breathed out a sigh of relief.

Alright. So far, so good. You had Max and the suit that he stole. Now you just had to figure out where you were going.

(I wasn’t sure if that Baxter Building post was only for the meme, or if the support that it got was for retrieving the knife. So I'm having this vote just to be safe, and to make sure that I don't have any misconceptions.)

>You’ll bring him back to your place, where Sam and Prowler will try and get the thing off of him.
>Take him back to Flint’s old apartment. It should still be vacant.
>Pick a random location and have everyone meet you there.
>On second thought, you think you might hand him over to Richards and collect a reward for it. Surely he’s got some money laying around in that big penthouse suite of his.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5402173
Flints place, tell prowler and bc to meet us there
>>
>>5402173
>Pick a random location and have everyone meet you there.
Somewhere by the docks? I’m worried they’ll call it in and someone (SHIELD?) will be able to ID Flint. Not many guys with sand powers, and his identity can’t be secret since he can’t change his face/clothes. His pad would be on the list of places to check.
>>
>>5402173
>You’ll bring him back to your place, where Sam and Prowler will try and get the thing off of him.
It's risky, but we need that suit off of Max before anything else.
As long as he has UNLIMITED POWAH, he's a liability.
>>
>>5402173
>>Take him back to Flint’s old apartment. It should still be vacant.
If the knife went through the suit then we can just cut it out off him. I want it destroyed anyways.
>>
>>5402173
>Pick a random location and have everyone meet you there.
Ok, get the thing off, pick it apart, reverse engineer whatever we can and hand over the pieces to Reed.
Probably should ask someone else to the middle man for that last part though.
>>
>>5402173
>>You’ll bring him back to your place, where Sam and Prowler will try and get the thing off of him.
>>
>>5402186
>>5402190
+1 to this but for the LOVE OF GOD, MAKE SURE THAT WHEREVER WE CHOOSE IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE GRID IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM! I'm talking natural light, a fucking regular ass padlock, NOTHING ELECTRIC.
>>
>>5402527
>support

>call julia and ask if she can find you a place away from the power grid.
>>
>>5402173
>>Pick a random location and have everyone meet you there.
>>
>>5402186
>>5402190
>>5402527
>>5402551
>>5402697
>Pick a random location and have everyone meet you there.

Taking these. Writing...
>>
File: two-prowlers-04.png (514 KB, 1200x600)
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At first, you’d considered taking Max back to your base, or at least Flint’s place, but you feared that that might somehow lead others to discover your location and your intentions for the suit.

So instead, you sent out a few messages to everyone in your group to meet you at a location of your choosing. Everyone except Cindy, of course. She was a growing girl, and she needed her sleep.

You would’ve conveyed this to Flint as well, but you knew that he wasn’t too good at multitasking when he was flying like this. Holding himself and Max up was taking up most of his concentration, so he’d decided to follow you wherever you went.

—-----

In the end, you decided to head to the docks. You knew that there wouldn’t be a lot of people there at this time of night, and there were minimal electronic systems for Max to take advantage of if he got free.

Nevertheless, you pushed such possibilities out your mind for the time being, as your allies had just arrived to inspect your catch.

When she saw Max, Cat let out a slow, sharp whistle.

“Damn. You really did it, huh?” she said, sounding clearly impressed.

“How’d you even manage to knock him out?” Prowler asked, running a claw along the solidified foam.

“Had a little help.” you said with a shrug. “We should really get this stuff off of him before he wakes up, though.”

“Right. It’ll take some time, but I think we’ll be fine if we keep him sedated with gas.” Prowler said. “Let’s find somewhere to lay him down.”

—-----

And so began some of the most stressful hours of your life. All of you were holding your breath, hoping and praying that the living lightbulb wouldn’t wake up in the middle of your examination. You were just waiting for his eyes to shoot open—for him to vault off the table and start hurling lightning bolts all over the place.

Thankfully, that never came to pass. Either you had hit him harder than you’d thought, or Prowler’s gas was more potent than any of you had expected, because the man in question was out cold the entire time, only stirring in his sleep ever so often.

Sam had arrived late to this little gathering, not possessing a grappling hook of his own to quickly traverse the city like the other two. To your great relief, he asked very few questions and got to work helping Prowler almost right away.

At times, their hands were a blur—making practiced and precise motions that could only be described as surgical. And other times, it appeared as if they were moving in slow motion as they carefully traversed the complex wiring scheme that had been built into the suit.

Every now and again, they would consult Cat on the topic of its power supply and microprocessors. But for the most part, the rest of you just sat back quietly and watched the masters work.

(Cont.)
>>
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After several, grueling hours, Prowler and Max took a step back to admire their handiwork. With your knife, they had cut off what they could from the suit without damaging some of its more delicate and valuable components. Besides the cutting part, Prowler’s handy dandy utility belt saw more use than your stabbing implement.

From what they could salvage, you saw a pile of advanced technological components stacked inside of a small bin. And from what they were unable to salvage, as they were forced to break or cut through some of it in order to remove the suit, you’d tossed the rest into a separate bin, along with the strips of green cloth that were now missing from the naked form of Maxwell Dillon.

Felicia had made many an innuendo on this topic, and you had all gotten very good at ignoring her when she did. The tension had just been far too thick for you to consider cracking wise. At one point, you felt as if you might choke on it.

But now that the procedure was done, you could breathe a sigh of relief. Absently, you checked your watch, and was surprised to see that it was roughly around midnight.

This whole adventure had taken you well into the night, but you were surprised that it wasn’t as late as it had felt.

“You’re gonna deliver the scraps to Mr. Fantastic, right?” Sam asked, breaking you out of your reverie.

You nodded slowly. “Yeah. I have a feeling that he’s gonna try and fix this thing, but I didn’t want to make it easy for him.”

Sam gave you an expression that told you he doubted the supposed altruism that motivated your actions here tonight.

“Then what do you plan on doing with him?” he said, pointing at an unconscious Max.

What will you say?

>”I think I’ll drop him off at Ryker's. They’ll know what to do with him.”
>”Me and him are gonna pay Silvermane a little visit.”
>”We’ll gather our stuff and report his location to S.H.I.E.L.D. If anyone asks, we were never here, and we don’t know what happened to the suit.”
>”I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.”
>Write-in.

Also:

Who will deliver the suit’s remains back to the Baxter Building?

>Ben
>Black Cat
>Prowler
>Sandman
>Cindy
>Sam
>Matt
>Angela
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5402843
>”I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.”
>Matt
>Angela
>>
>>5402843
>>”Me and him are gonna pay Silvermane a little visit.”
>Black Cat
>>
>>5402843
>After several, grueling hours, Prowler and Max took a step back to admire their handiwork
Prowler and SAM, right?

vote:
>”I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.”

>Ben
>Cindy
>Sam

I want to bring up the possibility of sending Sam to college again and use this opportunity to have Richards give him a letter of recommendation to an institution of Sams choice
>>
>>5402860
>After several, grueling hours, Prowler and Max took a step back to admire their handiwork
Oh, whoops. Thanks for catching that.
>>
>>5402852
Support
>>
>>5402843
>”I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.”
>Sam
Sam's gotta own up to it at some point.
>>
>>5402843
>”Me and him are gonna pay Silvermane a little visit.”

>Black Cat
>>
>>5402851
>>5402860
>>5402921
What about Silvermane's revenge?
>>
>>5403420
He would ask rather pointed questions about the suit, I’m sure. Like why is it in so many finely-cut pieces instead of whole and in front of him.
>>
Currently, the votes are tied between:

>>5402851
>>5402860
>>5402921
>”I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.”

And:

>>5402852
>>5402864
>>5403375
>”Me and him are gonna pay Silvermane a little visit.”

Let me know if anyone wants to change votes or wait for more. I'll check back and update once I'm home again.
>>
>>5403504
I'll change to silvermane
>>
>>5402843
seconding >>5402851
>>
>>5403507
You already voted for Silvermane, so not much changes there
>>
>>5403510
lol sorry
>>
>>5402843
>”I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.”
But make sure to they know this is a trade. Without us they don't get no Max
much less a suit. Favors ain't given.

>Sam
He's a smart fucker, even if his association is... questionable.
>>
>>5403548
+1, time to go see Reed
>>
>>5402851
>>5403508
>>5402860
>>5402921
>>5403548
>>5403693
>”I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.”
>Sam

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“I think I’ll take him to the Baxter Building along with the suit. I’m sure they’ll have some questions for him.” you declared.

Sam gave you a weak smile, clearly pleased by your decision.

“Don’t relax just yet. You’re coming with me.”

Sam started to sputter, his eyes growing wide with panic. “A-are you gonna hand me over, too?” he asked, slowly backing away from you.

“Nope. But you do need to own up to what you did. I think they’ll be grateful if you could explain how you exploited their security last time you were there.”

Panic seemed to flash across Sam’s face, but after considering the matter for another minute, he eventually calmed down and resigned himself to his fate.

“Fine. Let’s just get this over with…” he said with a sigh.

—--------

Several hours later, when the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, you, Sam and a very grumpy Max were waiting in the Baxter Building’s reception room. You had found it easily enough, and to your surprise, you were let through the front door without much of a screening process.

Or rather, you were probably still in the middle of the screening process, as you were denied elevator access, and was told by the cute receptionist to sit down and wait for a member of the team to address you directly.

Not for the first time, Max struggled violently in the chair that you’d webbed him to upon entering the building. He was constantly letting out muffled screams and glaring at you with murderous intent.

“I could knock you out again if that’d make you feel more comfortable.” you offered.

That only served to enrage him even further. You shrugged and took another sip of the complementary soda that had been served to you by the receptionist. Besides the odd looks that she was giving your captive, she was being oddly calm about this whole thing. Perhaps this wasn’t the strangest walk-in she’s had.

Beside you, Sam was fidgeting nervously, apparently finding the gigantic “4” in the middle of the floor very interesting all of a sudden. He looked as if he might run at any moment.

Thankfully, the elevator door opened at the very moment, and a very familiar figure was stepping off to enter the receptionist room. He was a tall man with a decently muscular build, looking to be in his late 30’s or early 40’s at the least. Just like Dr. Strange, his hair was gray on the sides.

Reed approached you with a clear sense of urgency, his white lab coat flapping behind him. You and Sam stood to meet him, the box containing the Slip suit’s remains tucked firmly under your arm.

He glanced between you, Sam and Max, before focusing on the box. You cleared your throat to draw his attention back to you, and he blinked, before giving you a small smile and scratching at the stubble on his chin.

(Cont.)
>>
File: 91mCvHcWNWL.jpg (519 KB, 1686x2560)
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“Sorry. Long nights in the lab have me feeling a little wrung out.” he said with a chuckle, before extending an unnaturally long arm over to you. At first, you thought he was going for the box, and was just about to yank it away from him, when you realized he was going for a handshake.

Feeling a little silly, you shook his hand and paid close attention to your spider sense. It was completely silent.

“Is that him?” he asked, pointing at a struggling Max. “He’s the one that stole my experimental suit?”

He apparently wasn’t at all bothered by all the web fluid that you’d used to glue Max and the chair to the floor.

Sam took a step forward and a deep breath before speaking. “Actually…he stole it from me. I’m the one that stole it from you.” he admitted.

Reed’s eyes widened, and you could tell that he was surprised at how young the culprit was. Thankfully, however, you didn’t notice any anger in those eyes.

“If I’d known how dangerous it was, I never would’ve taken it.” Sam continued, looking like a kicked puppy.

Reed gave him a considering look and rubbed at his chin thoughtfully.

“My wife tells me that you used an invisible suit to infiltrate the building’s upper levels. What I don’t understand is how you managed to trick our heat sensors and pressure sensitive floors.” he pondered.

“Trust me. It wasn’t easy.” Sam said with a bit of a strained laugh. “I had to case the place for days in order to gather enough data to pull it off.”

Unfortunately, you were forced to stand idly by as both men indulged each other in an expansive and pretentious exchange of nerd jargon and tech terms that you didn’t quite understand.

Eventually, Reed remembered that you were still there and gave you an apologetic look.

“Sorry. We got a little sidetracked here.” he said with a sheepish grin. “Am I to understand that you wish to hand over the suit and the man stuck to that chair?”

What will you say?

>”Yup. If you could take him off my hands and lock him away for a super long time, that’d be great.”
>”Max here managed to rewire and repurpose the suit somehow. Instead of just absorbing energy, he was able to dish it out in massive amounts too.”
>”Why’d you even make this thing? What were you going to use it for?”
>”If I give this to you, then you have to promise me that you’ll destroy it and never make anything even remotely like it. This thing nearly tore the whole city apart!”
>”Not without getting something in return. I propose a trade.(Write-in)
>”So long as you don’t arrest my friend here, I’d say we’re good.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5404041
>”So long as you don’t arrest my friend here, I’d say we’re good.”
>”Max here managed to rewire and repurposed the suit somehow. Instead of just absorbing energy, he was able to dish it out in massive amounts too.”
>”If I give this to you, then you have to promise me that you’ll destroy it and never make anything even remotely like it. This thing nearly tore the whole city apart!”
>"Some things are more trouble than they are worth, and this suit has only given me headaches so far. Just give me a small finder's fee, a favor for Sam here so he can help his sister or even put him back on college and we can put this all behind us."
>"And pass along an apology to the wild pack. I really had a grudge with Max that I needed to settle, and I dislike making enemies of people in our line of work."
>>
>>5404054
+1
>>
>>5404041
>”Yup. He was a real menace to me and some of my friends."
>”Max here managed to rewire and repurpose the suit somehow. Instead of just absorbing energy, he was able to dish it out in massive amounts too.”
>”I understand that you had hired a crew to retrieve it. I'm glad to just have him out of action, sure, but it did take quite a bit of work and planning to take him down..."
how obvious is it that we picked through the scraps for the nice tech bits?
might leave off the fishing for a reward bit if it's clear that we already took our cut while cutting the suit
>>
>>5404054
+1
>>
>>5404096
That's a good point
If it's obvious that we tried to reverse engineer it instead of just prying him off might be better to just ask for Sam's freedom.
>>
>>5404096
>>5404101
Considering how he was the one who invented it, he will definitely notice the fact that it was tampered with by multiple people and scrapped for parts.


>>5404054
>>5404071
>>5404096
>>5404100
I'll take these votes and post an update early tomorrow.

In the meantime, think about what you plan to do with the rest of your day after this interaction!

>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>Visit Phin's shop.(Write-in.)
>Spend the rest of the day building gadgets with Prowler.
>((TIMESKIP))
>Write-in.
>>
>>5404606
>>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Heist)
>>
>>5404606
>>Spend the rest of the day building gadgets with Prowler.
we need gear
>>
>>5404606
phin to get supplies to build gadgets like web bombs with prowler
>>
>>5404606
In that case scrap the whole asking for payment part of my vote.
Promising that he won't build a new one and having Sam not go to jail are good enough.
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Heist)
>>
>>5404606
+1 to >>5404624 and >>5404633
>>
>>5404071
>>5404100
>>5404096
>>5404661
Taking these. Will try to adapt these votes to the best of my ability.

>>5404624
>>5404633
>>5404954
Looks like more people are currently leaning towards building gadgets.

>>5404606
Feel free to vote on this preemptive post while this interaction is still going.
>>
“So long as you don’t arrest my friend here, I’d say we’re good.” you said, throwing an arm over Sam’s shoulder.

Sam blinked in surprise, and you could see that he was beginning to remember that him being locked away at Ryker’s was still a very real possibility. He cast a pleading look at Reed, who was rubbing his chin thoughtfully again.

“Well...he didn’t injure or threaten anyone on the way in, or out. And him coming back to apologize certainly shows more than a little maturity and humility on his part.” he said, nodding to himself as he looked Sam up and down. The boy visibly gulped.

“I’ll tell you what.” Reed continued. “If you’d be willing to work off your sentence, then I might be persuaded to drop the charges.”

Sam frowned at him. “What kind of work?”

“Oh, it won’t be anything major. I just figured that I could use a new lab assistant.” Reed said with an amused grin.

Sam was practically sputtering now, which only served to further Reed’s amusement.

“Y-you want me to work here!?” he said, sounding clearly exasperated. “Here. In the Baxter Building.”

“Actually, it’d be more like an internship. But we can talk about promotions at a later date.” Reed said with a wave of his hand. “What do you say?”

“I-Yes! Yes, of course!” Sam declared, grabbing Reed’s hand and shaking it vigorously. Interestingly, the only parts of his arm that were actually moving were all located below his elbow. Everything else was almost completely still.

“Excellent! Your first job will be helping me adjust our security systems in order to avoid future-”

You cleared your throat loudly this time, drawing both pairs of eyes back to you.

“I hate to interrupt, but we still have a few more things to take care of.” you reminded them, pointing at both the box, and the man tied up in the corner of the room.

Reed nodded apologetically. “Right. That’s the man that rewired the suit?” he asked.

“Yup. His name’s Max, and he was a real menace to me and my friends.” you said. “He managed to rewire and repurpose the suit somehow. Instead of just absorbing energy, he was able to dish it out in massive quantities.”

“Interesting…” Reed mused as he ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. “He shouldn’t have been able to do that, but I suppose that’s my fault for not installing enough safety measures.”

“Since we’re on the topic of ‘things we shouldn’t do’,” you began. “I need you to promise me that you’ll destroy this suit, and that you won’t try to make anything else like it. I mean, this thing nearly tore the city apart!”


Reed winced at that. “I suppose you’re right. I should have never made it so accessible to just any old person. That was a…massive oversight on my part.” he admitted.

(Cont.)
>>
“Since we’re on the topic of ‘things we shouldn’t do’,” you began. “I need you to promise me that you’ll destroy this suit, and that you won’t try to make anything else like it. I mean, this thing nearly tore the city apart!”


Reed winced at that. “I suppose you’re right. I should have never made it so accessible to just any old person. That was a…massive oversight on my part.” he admitted.

Feeling satisfied with his answer and the genuine shame radiating off of him, you offered the box to him. Mr. Fantastic stretched his arms over to grab it, but you maintained your grip when he went to snatch it away.

“And one more thing,” you added, relishing the puzzled look on his face. “Can you pass along an apology to the Wild Pack? I had a grudge to settle with Max over there, and I don’t like making enemies in our line of work.”

A look of understanding suddenly crossed Reed’s face as you released the box into his possession.

“So you took him right out from under their noses.” he guessed. “I don’t know how effective apologies are amongst mercenaries, but I’ll be sure to pass your message along.”

You nodded your appreciation.

Reed was about to say something else, but he quickly interrupted himself and slapped a hand to his forehead.

“I forgot to ask you your names!” he said, sounding a little embarrassed.

Sam smiled nervously, no doubt feeling similarly embarrassed for not introducing himself earlier. “Sam. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Reed shook his hand again and introduced himself as if he weren’t an international celebrity. Then, he turned his attention to you.

“And what should I call you?”

>”Huntsman: Co-founder of The Desperados. Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.”
>”People have been calling me ‘Spider-Man’ on the news, so I guess you can too.”
>”Don’t worry about me. I’m just your average, concerned, run-of-the-mill citizen.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5405040
Aw fuck. This is a tough one.
Do we try to maintain the split persona with Spider-Man?
Or do we commit solely to Huntsman and deal with our mixed reputation in the Metahuman community?
>>
>>5405040
>”Huntsman: Co-founder of The Desperados. Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.”
Fuck it. It's simpler this way.
Hiding what we are is a great way to get chastised for it down the line.
If we're open and honest, they have to look at us like as a proper individual, with all the good and bad that comes with that.
>>
>>5405040
>”Huntsman: Co-founder of The Desperados. Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.”
>>
>>5405040
>”Huntsman: Co-founder of The Desperados. Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.”

I prefer victor von doom but we should be upfront about our merc work
>>
>>5405082
Hey, we can still work with Doom.
If we just play it like we were cleaning up another one of Richards' messes, he'll probably be alright with us.
>>
>>5405040
>”Huntsman: Co-founder of The Desperados. Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.”
We did mention our dealings with Max were personal, so it makes more sense. Mixed merc work doesn’t seem too damaging either since it helps market us as knowing the enemy (regardless of who is hiring) better than most and we didn’t break contract with anyone technically. If pushed, we can say getting Sam in Reed’s graces was worth any cash we could have gotten elsewhere.
>>
>>5405109
Being able to work both sides of the equation might offset the loss of business on either end anyways.
The heroes will appreciate a merc with morals, and the villains will appreciate a guy who can get the job done.
>>
>>5405040
Huntsman: Co-founder of The Desperados. Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.” though people have been calling me Spiderman on the news. It's up to you. Pleasure meeting you Mr Richard's.
>>
>>5405040
>”Huntsman: Co-founder of The Desperados. Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.”
>>
>>5405059
>>5405070
>>5405082
>>5405109
>>5405366
>>5405615
It's unanimous! Writing...
>>
“Huntsman: Co-founder of the Desperados.” you said, with no small amount of flair. “Feel free to give us a call if you ever need my services again.”

Reed gave you a lopsided grin and shifted the box under one arm so that he could shake your hand again. “Oh! Are you sort of like the ‘Heroes for Hire’?” he asked.

“Something like that.” you lied, not entirely sure of what you were agreeing to. “We can go over the particulars when you’ve got some more time, and a little more shut-eye.”

Reed thanked you with a relieved smile as you handed him a card that you had made for your mercenary business. You were rather excited to whip it out, since you just had these made.

“I’ll be sure to keep you in mind.” he promised. “I don’t think anyone around here would complain about having a little extra help every now and again.”

And with that, you said your goodbyes to both men, and swiftly left the building before you could see the look of disappointment on Mr. Fantastic’s face when he finally got a better look at the mangled remains of his experimental suit.

On your way out, you couldn’t help but tussle Max’s hair, just to get one last rise out of him. And to your great delight, he didn’t disappoint. That last tantrum actually caused his chair to topple over, so that his face was stuck to the floor.

—--

While you were swinging home, still struggling not to laugh, you were left wondering whether the state of the Slip suit would affect your chances of getting a job offer. At the very least, Sam was probably out of trouble for the time being. He even scored a sweet internship with the fucking Fantastic Four!

Who ever said that crime doesn’t pay!?

—-----

With the rest of the day to yourself, you decided to spend it with Prowler. Together, the two of you cooked up a storm, crafting all sorts of gadgets and watching Prowler experiment with Adrian’s power source.

Once he could figure out how to stabilize it properly, he and Sam could get to work on making that cloaking tech. Maybe you could even do something with that Unicorn horn and the pieces you ripped off of Max’s suit.

What will you make?(Feel free to choose multiple options)

>Web Bombs
>Spider Tracers
>Improvised Flashbangs
>Produce a new ammo type for your Hidden Gun.(Write-in.)
>Browse Phin’s shop to see what he has in stock.
>Try to create something entirely new.(Write-in.)

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5405796
>Web Bombs
>Spider Tracers
>Improvised Flashbangs
>>
>>5405796
>Web Bombs
>Spider Tracers
>Improvised Flashbangs
>Encrypted Communicators
I feel like I have brain damage, but I forget if we already had Prowler get to work on the team communicators.
>>
>>5405796
>>Web Bombs
>>Spider Tracers
>>
>>5405796
>Try to create something entirely new.(Write-in.)
The suit absorbed and discharged energy while the horn worked as a kind of focusing array, right? See if we can build an energy-based equivalent to a rocket launcher or drill out of them.

Size isn’t a strict concern for me. I’m envisioning it like a turret-mounted machine gun where it’s too large to use personally but can be set up. Given our group’s focus on infiltration and thievery, it’d see the most use as a breaching weapon to get into secured areas.

It would need to be something that is assembled and disassembled on the field. It’d be too hard to cart around otherwise. If that’s not possible, it’d need to be relegated to jobs where we know we have time to set it up and get it safely stored away which probably aren’t going to come up much.

A personal-sized version might be good enough for destroying locks or melting things, but I don’t want to break up the horn and that caveat might make it too unwieldy. A recharging weapon is a good thing to have though, especially since it’s hitscan unlike everything else in our arsenal. If a personal version can be built that can be plugged into the larger “fuck this vault” setup so we can use the smaller version when the big one did the job, even better.
>1 spider tracer
>As many web bombs as we can make. Sacrifice the tracer if it’s less than 5

Other ideas for anons to consider:
>Bullets/bombs that absorb energy and leak it out as electricity.
>Mark of Khaine hollowpoint bullets, results in incendiary/explosive rounds
>Whip/restraints that draw energy out of people. Could feed batteries for weapons/bombs?

>>5405824
I think Scorekeeper ruled that we could just buy them for relatively cheap. No need to eat up our time with development as a result.
>>
>>5405796
>>5405824 and >>5405840
This also seems like a good time to make taser webs
>>
>>5405796
>>Web Bombs
>Spider Tracers
>>
>>5405824
support
>>
>>5405819
>>5405824
>>5405826
>>5405840
>>5405930
>>5406047
>>5406088
>Web Bombs
>Spider Tracers
>Improvised Flashbangs
>Encrypted Communicators

Taking these. Writing...

>>5405840
>>5405930
These don't quite have the same amount of support, but that shouldn't stop you from bringing it up in the future. Taser webs would be a bit weird to pull off, considering how your web fluid is organic. The current would most certainly lead back to you if you tried to shock someone else with it. You'd either need artificial web-shooters, a device that both electrified your webline and insulated it to a point where it wouldn't hurt you.

As an example, I think the Prowler would be able to make better use of this than you, assuming that you allowed him to make use of(or replicate) your web fluid formula.
>>
>12 Web Bombs added
>6 Spider Tracers added

You had definitely gotten better at designing and constructing web bombs on your own, but the spider tracers still took up a significant amount of your time. The wiring and circuitry within them was so delicate, and you’d rather take your time than risk messing up and having to start all over again. Thankfully, Prowler was here to walk you through it and correct you when he spotted a mistake.

>4 Improvised Flashbangs added

As for the flashbangs, their design was somewhat similar to the web bombs, but their internal layering required a certain level of complexity for each grenade. In one compartment, you stored a bundle of your red barbs. And in the neighboring compartment, you stored the accelerant that would ignite the blinding chain reaction.

All things considered, however, they were very cost efficient. Hopefully, they were as effective as the real deal.

>4 Encrypted Communicators added

Surprisingly, Prowler had the easiest time making the encrypted communications for the team. His deft hands moved with practiced ease, and you felt like you learned a lot by peeking at his work from over his shoulder.

Sure, he would grouse and grumble whenever you got too close, or started breathing down his neck, but you could tell that he wanted you to pay attention. Someday, you might have to do this yourself.

—---

Once they were completed, you and Prowler decided to test the capabilities of these new communicators. This involved you and him climbing to the top of tall buildings, and going so low as to end up in the Morlock tunnels. As you expected, the signal got a little spotty whenever you went underground, but it was strong as ever, even when one of you was halfway across the city!

The communicators themselves looked like tiny little radio receivers that you would clip onto your belt. It worked as a proxy between your bluetooth earpiece and the encrypted transmissions. They were apparently highly customizable, as Prowler had gone through the trouble of making yours look like a spider-shaped refrigerator magnet, while Felicia’s was a winking cat face. To your amusement, Prowler’s looked like a perfectly round button that seemed to share his signature glare.

At some point during the test, the caped criminal mentioned that he was trying to find a way to jam other radio signals without interrupting their own. It sounded like it would be an extremely useful feature during heists.

You’d have to figure out the exact range later, but for the time being, these should suffice.

—----

By the time you were both done, it had already gotten dark. Prowler gathered his tools from the table, grabbed a quick bite to eat from the fridge and retreated back out the window. And for one brief moment, Prowler halted on the window sill, raised a hand and glanced back at you over his shoulder, before disappearing into the night.

(Cont.)
>>
Huh. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think that he actually said goodbye to you instead of disappearing without a word like he always did.

“Guess he’s in a good mood tonight.”

—------

What will you do tomorrow?

>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
>Visit Phin's shop.(Write-in.)
>((TIMESKIP))
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5406156
>>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Heist)
>>
>>5406156
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs. (Prison Break)
>>
>>5406156
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs (Heist)
Alright, time to make some MONEY
>>
>>5406156
Timeskip. I feel we've done enough. Want to see Cindy older
>>
>>5406211
Sure you would :^)

>>5406156
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Prison Break/Heist)
Jailbreak
>>
>>5406222
What are you trying to say?
>>
>>5406156
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Heist)
>>
>>5406142
Oh yeah I forgot we went with the organic web fluid, but yeah it could be interesting as tool for someone else.
>>5406156
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.( Heist)
>>
>>5406156
>>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.(Heist)
>>
>>5406162
>>5406191
>>5406263
>>5406314
>>5406351
>Look into one of Cat’s potential jobs.( Heist)

Taking these. Writing...
>>
Feeling sufficiently prepared for whatever life might throw at you, you figured that you might as well check out one of Cat’s prospective jobs. One offered a potential, if not problematic, teammate. While the other one offered the one thing you needed more than anything. Money!

Callisto’s construction has been seriously eating into your savings, and you suspect that you’ll be spending a lot more money in the days to come. It’s not as if you’re struggling right now. Quite the opposite, really.

You’ve never held this much money in your whole life. But if you wanted to issue bribes, pay your crew, invest in new tech, hire workers, and help your family out, you’d need some liquid assets on hand.

And by the time you had finished sending out the call to assemble your team, your mind was pretty much made up.

—--------

“Prepare yourselves, my fellow Desperados. We’re pulling a heist!” you declared.

Black Cat flashed you a Cheshire grin, exposing her pearly white, perfect teeth. “Took you long enough.” she said without a hint of malice. “And here I thought you wouldn’t spring for either of them.”

“I’ve always wanted to do a high stakes robbery!” Flint said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He was practically buzzing with excitement!

Prowler, on the other hand, seemed to have resigned himself to working with Felicia’s contact. He didn’t seem too jazzed about it, but even he wasn’t stubborn enough to turn down a big score just because of his personal preferences.

“That’s three to one, Prowler.” you said with an apologetic shrug.

“We still don’t know where this heist is gonna go down.” he replied. “For all we know, she could have us stealing chocolate coins.”

You glanced at Felicia, so as to ask whether she would actually do that.

“Trust me. She wouldn’t bother asking for help if she didn’t think that we would all benefit from it.” she said in a reassuring tone.

“Working with her is one thing, but letting her take the lead on this is a big mistake.” Prowler retorted. “She never takes anything seriously. Like this is all some big game to her.”

“I’ve heard some mixed things about her, too.” Flint added. “But we should at least hear her out before we do anything else.”

Prowler grumbled something under his breath that was almost certainly a vicious insult, but everyone decided to ignore it.

“Well all right, then! We leave in five.” you announced. “I want to be out of here before Cindy comes back from her tutoring session.”

If possible, you’d like to keep her in the dark about all this. You don’t know what Khonshu would think about your latest escapade, but you’re not willing to wait and find out.

—---------

(Cont.)
>>
File: DSC_8996.jpg (398 KB, 1500x864)
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An hour later, you and your team stood at the foot of an impressively large mansion that made Madame Web’s manor seem like a truly humble abode. Its hedges were perfectly trimmed to resemble an assortment of animals, and you were pretty sure that you spotted a pool, a greenhouse, and a neighboring estate for servants out in the distance.

Whoever this lady was, she wasn’t hurting for cash in the slightest.

Flint was still gaping at the opulent archway while you were ascending the stairs to knock on the front door. Even Prowler was looking around with some interest.

Before you made it to the top of the stairs, however, the door flew open to reveal a burly butler in a rabbit mask. You all froze, wondering whether you’d need to fight your way past him.

Through the holes in his mask, you could see dark, beady eyes flitting back and forth to inspect your group. Seemingly satisfied, he took a step to the right and gestured for you to enter.

You did so cautiously, feeling for your spider sense so that it might provide some guidance in this situation. Those thoughts were quickly halted, however, when you got a moment to take in the mansion’s interior.

In the dimly lit foyer, you could see what looked like spotted, redcap mushrooms growing up out of the walls and floor. There was also grass growing up in the corners of the room where black and white, checkered floor tiles should be. Whereas the lawn outside was neat, trim and tidy, the grass inside was slightly overgrown and shaggy.

The faint sound of rainforest frogs and chirping birds echoed throughout the estate, but you noticed that it sounded strangely artificial. That’s when you noticed the speakers up above.

And now that you were getting a closer look at this overgrown grass and all these multi-colored mushrooms, they all appeared to be quite fake. This was all purely decorative. Although, you didn’t know any classy people that kept their homes in such a state on purpose.

“Hope we didn’t interrupt your spring cleaning.” you said to the butler.

He just made a noncommittal grunt and started walking towards the marble staircase. You followed him, taking note of the low-burning candles lining the walls, and the various priceless paintings that had been defaced without a second thought. A particularly massive portrait of a middle aged man was filled in with black teeth, an eyepatch, red devil horns and a grand, curling mustache.

To your relief, the lady of the estate had the good sense to preserve the red velvet carpets that laced the halls. A big part of that was most likely due to its vibrant color. After spending a minute in her home, you had barely seen anything that wasn’t red, black, white or gold in color.

And what was with all these clocks!? They were everywhere, constantly ticking down and spinning far faster than they reasonably should.

(Cont.)
>>
File: 1479088-whiterabbit_dh.jpg (136 KB, 534x792)
136 KB
136 KB JPG
Eventually, the faint sound of heavenly piano melody broke you out of your mad, mental ramblings. It had a very soothing aspect to it, and you were surprised to hear something like it in this gaudy mansion.

As you drew closer, it became clear that there was someone else in the piano room. She seemed to be instructing whoever it was that was responsible for assembling the score.

The bunny butler politely opened the door to let you in, and you were met with the first ray of natural light since you’d stepped foot in this place.

Standing before the window was a leggy blonde, wearing a blue jacket, a white vest, leotard and boots that highlighted the shape of her thighs. It was a bizarre sight that was only made even more bizarre by your realization that she was wearing makeup that made her face resemble that of a rabbit’s. With a pale white face, a pink button nose, and black whiskers that ran across her cheeks. She even had big, floppy rabbit ears sitting on top of he head.

For the moment, both you and her were just staring at each other in surprise. Her gloved hands were frozen in mid-air, a conductor’s stick held elegantly in one of them. With a twitch of her nose, the White Rabbit’s pale face broke into a wide grin.

“My, my. Is it that time already?” she said, pulling out a gold pocket watch. “Oh, how time flies! That’ll do for now Francois!” she added, flinging the conductor’s stick into some dark corner of the room without a second thought.

Bowing politely, the pianist, who was also wearing a rabbit mask, stepped out of the room, along with the butler from earlier, leaving you and your group alone with Lorina.

Not a second after the door closed, White Rabbit squealed and ran over to embrace Felicia.

“Cat, darling! It’s so good to see you.” she said, exchanging air kisses with the cat burglar all the while.

“Hey there, Funny Bunny. Long time no see.” she replied in her usual seductive tone.

“Too long!” Rabbit agreed. “We must catch up.”

Felicia raised a finger to stop her. “Ah-ah. Business first, pleasure later~.” she said, gently tapping the tip of the other woman’s pink nose. This elicited an excited squeak from White Rabbit, and you exchanged a bewildered look with the only other guys in the room.

White Rabbit seemed to remember you were in the room suddenly, as she quickly cleared her throat and composed herself with a gesture that had her gloved hand pass over her face. In an instant, she transformed into a woman of confident determination.

“Right, then. I suppose you’re all here about the job.” she guessed. “Late as it may be, I welcome you to my quaint little home.”

“Ain’t nothing little about it…” Flint muttered.

(Cont.)
>>
File: 2205.jpg (153 KB, 550x835)
153 KB
153 KB JPG
“Before we get into the meat of the matter, I would like to know whether any of you would be amenable to a…change in wardrobe.” she asked. But upon seeing your confusion, she snapped her fingers and turned to retrieve something from the other end of the room.

When she came back, she was carrying a folder. One by one, she distributed papers to each and every one of you. On your paper, was a computer generated image of you, wearing a black and white, tuxedo variant of your suit. The majority of the suit was black, with a white column running down the middle, and white lines extending out from it in the pattern of spider legs.

Everyone else was closely inspecting their papers as well, making you wish that you could see what they had gotten.

“So…what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Honest answers only.” White Rabbit demanded.

What do you say?

>”It’s uh…very…something.”
>”Thanks, I hate it!”
>”It’s stylish, I’ll give you that. Not sure if it's appropriate for a high stakes bank robbery, though.”
>”Damn, I’d look good in this!”
>”It’s never a bad idea to have a nice, fancy suit on hand.”
>”Why can’t I wear this suit? I love this suit.”
>Sneak a glance at the others’ designs.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5406504
>Sneak a glance at the others’ designs. "Who plays the bride?"
>”It’s stylish, I’ll give you that. Not sure if it's appropriate for a high stakes bank robbery, though.”
>>
>>5406504
>”Damn, I’d look good in this!”
>”It’s never a bad idea to have a nice, fancy suit on hand.”
>Sneak a glance at the others’ designs.
>>
>>5406516
Support
>>
>>5406504
>"Throw in a dash of red for good measure, and I'd wear it."
>>
>>5406504
>”Damn, I’d look good in this!”
>”It’s never a bad idea to have a nice, fancy suit on hand.”
More suits is always fun
>>
>>5406504
>>5406516
>Supporting
The bride line got a smirk out of me, I admit.
>>
>>5407082
she might be a new waifu. we gotta take our chances
>>
>>5407082
also dudes id has Love in it. We gotta go for it
>>
>>5407103
if you go after another waifu, just remember to ask Ana first how seriously she sees our relation.
It may be just a fling, but she could still feel betrayed, you know?
>>
>>5407137
From personal experience they don't care until you commit to one. Then the catfights start.
>>
>>5406516
>>5406567
>>5407082
>Sneak a glance at the others’ designs. "Who plays the bride?"
>”It’s stylish, I’ll give you that. Not sure if it's appropriate for a high stakes bank robbery, though.”

Taking these. Writing...

>>5407137
>>5407138
Undefined relationships can end up like that sometimes. If you want to figure out where you stand with Ana and what the two of you might want out of the relationship, you're gonna have to talk to her about it.
>>
Seeing as how no one else was saying anything, you decided to glance at the suit designs that Lorina pitched to them.

“Who plays the bride?” you asked, sneaking a peek at Cat’s design.

All things considered, it wasn’t bad at all. Instead of her usual black catsuit, the primary color was a dark blue, with white leather covering her arms and the parts of her chest that weren’t exposed. Her boots were a tanned, brown color, with various straps and buckles running down their length. The most notable change, however, was how her goggles now seemed to have green lenses with an angry, black slit down the middle in place of a pupil. Like that of a cat’s.

It wasn’t lost on you how both women more or less shared a color scheme. According to the notes scribbled on the page, it seemed to be a wicked fusion between American McGee’s Alice and the Cheshire Cat from that somewhat recent Tim Burton movie. The writer didn’t seem terribly happy about deviating from the original, but she acknowledged that compromises had to be made.

Interestingly, you noticed that there were some alternative color schemes that White Rabbit gave her to choose from. One had gray leather instead of white, and another had blue stripes running down her arms and legs.

“What? Bride? Nobody?” Lorina said, whirling around to face you, the tassels of her waistcoat flapping in the breeze. “Why? Do you think there should be?” she asked, looking a bit concerned.

“It’s stylish, I’ll give you that.” you admitted. She seemed to brighten at that.

“Not sure if it’s appropriate for a high stakes bank robbery, though.” you added.

White Rabbit scoffed and placed her hands on her face, an amused, but incredulous look on her face. “There is no ‘dress code’ for a bank robbery!” she exclaimed.

“She’s got a point there.” Cat said. “Lorina, sweetie. Can you explain how this part’s supposed to work?” she asked, pointing at something on her sheet.

While she was fretting over the notes she wrote on Cat’s new design, you leaned over to glance at Flint’s. And you nearly lost your shit when you saw the absurdly high, red pants, big blue bow tie and red beanie. Apparently, he was supposed to resemble Tweedle-dee and Tweedledum.

The only thing that was stopping him from voicing his displeasure was the alternative costume that was offered to him. It was far more reasonable, being surprisingly similar to his current getup. Instead of green stripes, the tight shirt would be black white, with a pair of suspenders slung over his shoulders.

The big guy frowned and raised a hand to confess that, due to his condition, he was incapable of shifting into a form that portrayed him with different clothes. White Rabbit seemed disappointed, but the two of them began discussing alternatives that might meet her standards.

While that was going on, you crept closer to peek at Prowler’s design.

(Cont.)
>>
This time, it was an actual, physical effort to avoid breaking out in laughter. Luckily, Prowler was the only one that seemed to hear your snicker. That didn’t stop him from shooting you a death glare, however.

Out of everyone, Prowler had the brightest, and most garish costume. It was bright red, with black slashes around his claws, and a checkered pattern running down his torso. On multiple points throughout his costume, you saw the symbols for card suits. Spades, clubs, hearts and diamonds lined his eyes, chest, arms and shoulders. Even the inside of his cape seemed to have a card-like design.

Prowler’s angry glare had now shifted into a pleading look.

“Trade with me?” he begged.

>”No way! I actually like mine. I think I’m supposed to be a sexy Mad Hatter, or something.”
>”Why don’t you just ask her to change it? I don’t think it can get much worse.”
>”Sure, why not. I like the crazy color scheme on this one, anyway.”
>”You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I don’t think she’ll fire you just because of that.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5407198
>”No way! I actually like mine. I think I’m supposed to be a sexy Mad Hatter, or something.”
>>
>>5407198
>laugh
>>”Sure, why not. I like the crazy color scheme on this one, anyway.”
>>
>>5407198
>”No way! I actually like mine. I think I’m supposed to be a sexy Mad Hatter, or something.”
>"Your normal getup is purple and green Prowler, you are already wanted by the fashion police"
>>
>>5407198
>”No way! I actually like mine. I think I’m supposed to be a sexy Mad Hatter, or something.”
>"Your normal getup is purple and green Prowler, you are already wanted by the fashion police"
>>
Do you think we could buy some colored sand for Flint to incorporate into his body?
>>
>>5407198
No real opinion on the trade itself, but if we turn him down I’ll toss in a
>You could always request another character.
Mouse would be the funny one, Jabberwocky would be more serious. Not sure what else is available.
>>
>>5407198
>>”Sure, why not. I like the crazy color scheme on this one, anyway.”
>>
>>5407198
>”Sure, why not. I like the crazy color scheme on this one, anyway.”
>>
Currently, we're stuck between this vote:

>>5407216
>>5407220
>>5407236
>”No way! I actually like mine. I think I’m supposed to be a sexy Mad Hatter, or something.”

And:
>>5407217
>>5407340
>>5407761
>”Sure, why not. I like the crazy color scheme on this one, anyway.”

So we'll either have to wait for more votes, or have someone else change theirs.

Personally, I like this one:
>"Your normal getup is purple and green Prowler, you are already wanted by the fashion police"

So it'll make it into the next update. And speaking of updates, I think I might have Covid. Rapid test came back positive and I feel like shit. And by some stroke of luck, it happened on my day off. Maybe my self quarantine will allow me to update a bit more frequently.

I think running this quest has genuinely given me the Parker Luck.
>>
>>5407243
It's a distinct possibility that White Rabbit and Flint are discussing at this very moment.
>>
>>5408003
First the mad jannie went for OurGrandfather, and then for you. Now he gets Covid and you too as soon as he gets better.
Someone should warn the QM of DC Henchmen quest, the curse is acting up again.
>>
>>5408016
I should check that quest out at some point. Seems like it's pretty popular around these parts.

Also, I can't get over how I fucked up my prompt:
>>5407194
It was supposed to say:

"White Rabbit scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, an amused, but incredulous look on her face."
>>
>>5408005
Just go to one of those tropical island style gift shops and buy all the rainbow sand in a bottle they have, then have Flint chug them down, like the booze back at that one party Ben and Flint were in years and years ago
>>
>>5408003
Sleep tight spoderman
>>
>>5407198
>>5408003
>>5407283
Switching my unaligned vote to
>”Sure, why not. I like the crazy color scheme on this one, anyway.”
Though I’d keep the write-in ribbing Prowlers’s fashion choices. We can bust his balls while offering him a way out.
>>
>>5408147
Much appreciated. I'll pop out an update in a little bit.
>>
You thought about it, examined the paper once more, and then shrugged.

“Sure, why not.” you conceded. “I like the crazy color scheme on this one, anyway.”

Prowler’s shoulders visibly slumped in relief, but before he could speak, you just rolled right over him.

“Anyways, I’m surprised that you’ve even got hangups when it comes to clothing. You know, considering your, erm…unique tastes in fashion.” you said, gesturing to all of him.

His eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

You gave him a flat look. “Brother. Your usual getup is a purple and green suit. Trust me when I say this: ‘You are already wanted by the fashion police’.”

He looked like he wanted to argue the matter, but you had already snatched the paper out of his hands, leaving him spluttering in a fit of outrage.

Honestly, this wasn’t a bad design at all. If they removed or shortened the card cape, then you could probably make it work.

Having finalized your transaction, you brought this new change to White Rabbit’s attention. She didn’t appear to be bothered in the slightest by the change, as there would be very little work to do on her part if you were only trading costumes.

While you were busy trying to get a rise out of Prowler, Lorina had managed to convince Flint to try and adapt multi-colored granules of sand in order to pull off this new look. He was convinced that it would take a lot of work to prevent himself from accidentally throwing off the color balance, but he was open to experimentation.

—----

Once everyone had decided on their costumes, White Rabbit collected the papers, stuffed them back into a folder and led you all back out in the hallway. She guided you through the winding corridors, pointing out little decorations as she went, as if she were a tour guide leisurely strolling through an attraction.

You actually recognized some of these artificial landscapes and decorations from the old Disney film adaptation. And every time you drew attention to them, the lady of the house seemed to get a genuine kick out of it.

Without knowing where you were going, you followed the eccentric woman outside and into her greenhouse. At the entrance, there were an obscene amount of plastic flamingos stationed outside like unwavering sentries. As you got closer, the sprinkler system kicked on, and White Rabbit unfolded a purple umbrella without batting an eye. Flint, on the other hand, was forced to make a mad dash as the water droplets sank into his body.

Upon entering the greenhouse, you couldn’t help but gape at the seemingly endless rows of colorful and exotic plants that had been used to decorate its interior.

(Cont.)
>>
“Now, I bet you’re all wondering what it is that we’ll be stealing during this heist.” White Rabbit began, strutting around the greenhouse with an overly dramatic runway walk, as if she owned the place. You were simultaneously trying to pay attention to her words and the fluffy white nub of a tail that had been poking out of her backside.

“The answer to that question, ladies and gentlemen, is floating around in this very jar.” she continued, stopping at a metal table where she picked up and shook a glass jar. And hovering above that glass, was a single, solitary bee. BEES!”

Flint and Felicia gave her odd looks, and Prowler just turned to face you with an expression that just screamed “Told you so”.

“And now, you must be asking yourselves why we would even bother stealing bees in the first place!” she said, bringing the glass jar up to stare straight through it. “And the answer to that is quite simple, and it’s STILL in this very same jar. You see, inside the head of this tiny bee is the mind of a German, Nazi scientist! His name is Dr. Fritz von Meyer, and he apparently managed to transfer his consciousness into a swarm of bees!”

No one interrupted her as she went further into her tirade. There really were no words that you could use to describe what you were feeling at this very moment.

“But he got a little separated from the rest of his hive.” Lorina continued. “So we’re gonna go around the city stealing a bunch of bees, so that we can help him bulk up a bit. He’s crucial to the next part of my plan.”

You glanced around the room, taking in the expressions of your teammates before opening your mouth.

Cat was grinning from ear to ear, struggling to contain herself after being exposed to the absurdity of this supposed “Crime of the Century”.

Flint was still scratching his head and staring intently at the bee, as if he would spot some detail that confirmed the validity of her claims. And Prowler…

Well, let’s just say that he was almost about ready to storm out, right then and there.

What will you say?

>”This plan already sounds utterly insane. I love it!”
>”Question: Why don’t you just buy the bees instead of having us steal them? I mean, you clearly have enough money to do so.”
>”How do you know that that bee really is a Nazi scientist? Do you have any proof? Can it talk?”
>”What’s the next part of your plan?”
>”Tell me more about this Nazi bee.”
>”Nope, sorry. This is all a little too wacky for me.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5408226
>>”This plan already sounds utterly insane. I love it!”
>”Question: Why don’t you just buy the bees instead of having us steal them? I mean, you clearly have enough money to do so.”
>>
>>5408226
Tell me more about nazi bees. Do a Roman salute
>>
>>5408226
>"You're paying extra for every time one of us gets stung."
>"You wouldn't have called a metahuman team if you didn't need to. Who else is looking for these bees?"
>>
>>5408226
>”Tell me more about this Nazi bee.”
>"Not my archenemesis, Doctor Bees!"
>>
>>5408226
>>”Tell me more about this Nazi bee.”
>>
>>5408367
Actually changing the second part to
>"Is New York woefully underpopulated by bees or something?"
>>
>>5408226
>>”Tell me more about this Nazi bee.”

>"Is New York woefully underpopulated by bees or something?"
>>
>>5408226
Flint is a person made of sand, and one version of Spiderman is spiders that think they’re Peter. The most eyebrow raising part of this is that it’s a Nazi scientist in particular. Isn’t that overdone in villain circles?
>Not my archnemesis, DR. WAS- oh, he’s a bee. Duh. False alarm, sorry everyone.
>”How do you know that that bee really is a Nazi scientist? Do you have any proof? Can it communicate?
>Why bees? Since they die when they sting people, isn’t that a terrible idea?
>Is New York woefully underpopulated by bees or something?
>>
>>5408226
>”Tell me more about this Nazi bee.”
>>5408485
Swarm is an actual Marvel character and was created in the 70's
>>
>>5408248
>>5408266
>>5408338
>>5408367
>>5408368
>>5408374
>>5408456
>>5408485
>>5408645
>”Tell me more about this Nazi bee.”
>"Is New York woefully underpopulated by bees or something?"

Taking these. Writing...
>>
“Tell me more about this Nazi bee.” you requested.

Lorina gave you an eager grin. “He’s apparently an expert in toxins and beekeeping. One day, he came across super smart bees and tried to use some wacky device to put them under his control. But instead of controlling them, he only pissed them off!” Lorina exclaimed, retelling the event with the same enthusiasm that you’d normally see at a summer camp bonfire. “The mutant bees swarmed him, and stung him over and over and over until…”

You all leaned closer.

“He died!” she finished.

“Well, obviously.” Prowler scoffed.

“Or so we thought!” White Rabbit continued. “Instead of departing this world, Fritz somehow managed to merge his consciousness with the mutant swarm, becoming the living embodiment of a bunch of bees!”

Cat and Prowler traded doubtful looks, but you and Flint were a little more informed on how strange meta abilities could be. If Flint’s entire soul could fit inside a grain of sand, then you don’t see how Dr. Fritz’ mind couldn’t fit inside of a bee.

“So that’s really him in that jar?” Flint asked.

Lorina nodded. “My specialists have identified it as the ‘Queen Bee’. We think it's something like the ‘main brain’.”

“And you want us to steal a bunch of bees for you, so that you can put him back together again.” Cat concluded.

“More or less, yeah.” she shrugged.

“Is New York woefully underpopulated by bees or something?” you said. “Can’t he just go around and gather a bee army on his own?”

White Rabbit placed the jar back down and gave you a “tut-tut” gesture. “He can do that, sure. But it would draw too much attention, and he could only really cover so much ground before someone responds and tries to take him down.” she explained. “But if we all split up and hit multiple locations at once, then they’ll be too confused and disoriented to figure out what we’re trying to do.”

“Just how many do you need?” Prowler inquired with what you guessed was a raised eyebrow.

White Rabbit spread her arms wide and gave him a wicked smile. “I want him to be as big as a house! That way, we can use him to corral civilians and curb any pigs that decide to crash our party.”

“Enough with the foreplay, Lori.” Cat put in. “Tell us the full plan already.”

Lorina snapped a gloved finger and then pressed it to her pink, painted nose. “As I’ve already let slip, we’re doing a bank job. The first step is getting those bees and bringing them to a location of my choosing, where we’ll revive Dr. Fritz and convince him to help us.”

“And how are we supposed to do that when he’s as big as a house?” Prowler asked.

(Cont.)
>>
White Rabbit gave him a smug grin. “I very recently got my hands on an alien species of bees from another planet! There’s no way that he’ll say no if we offer it to him as a reward.”

“Is he stable enough to take orders?” Cat said.

Lorina tapped her chin thoughtfully, before giving her a shrug. “I can’t guarantee that there won't be any…slight casualties during the heist.” she admitted. “But, I have a plan for that! During the heist, I’ll have one of you tamper with the sprinkler system so that the water will have hallucinogenic properties. It’ll disable anyone still inside, and take out any bees that are trying to sting people.”

What will you say?

>”I don’t get it. If we have all that planned, then why use the bee guy at all.”
>”But that won’t stop him from going outside and stinging as many people as he can.”
>”I don’t know if we can trust this guy. He’s literally a Nazi.”
>”Can he understand everything we’re saying right now?”
>”So long as he doesn’t go too far, I don't care what he does.”
>”What’s to stop him from taking that alien bee of yours without asking?”
>”Let’s lay everything down on the table. What do we have in the way of resources for this job?”
>”I think we should come up with another distraction. This one sounds too unreliable.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5408746
>”What’s to stop him from taking that alien bee of yours without asking?”
>”But that won’t stop him from going outside and stinging as many people as he can.”
>”Let’s lay everything down on the table. What do we have in the way of resources for this job?”
>”I think we should come up with another distraction. This one sounds too unreliable.”
>>
>>5408746
>How did you get him anyway?
Wonder if she knows how he lost his swarm, or how he got into that jar. I can’t imagine she stuffed him in their herself as he wouldn’t be very “friendly” once reassembled.
>”What’s to stop him from taking that alien bee of yours without asking?”
I expect his ability to call bees will increase as he gets bigger. He may be able to find and grab the alien bee without asking if we feed him too much.
>”Can he understand everything we’re saying right now?”
If he knows the plan or heard it earlier then he may be prepared to avoid the failsafe.
>”But that won’t stop him from going outside and stinging as many people as he can.”
I don’t actually have a problem with this, it’ll continue making a distraction and killing random bystanders on the street is a bad idea if he wants to escape a hero response. Injuring them means people have to stay behind and help instead of chasing him. I’m curious how she responds though.
>>
>>5408746
>>”Can he understand everything we’re saying right now?”
>>
>>5408746
>”But that won’t stop him from going outside and stinging as many people as he can.”
>”What’s to stop him from taking that alien bee of yours without asking?”
>”I don’t get it. If we have all that planned, then why use the bee guy at all?”
>”I think we should come up with another distraction. This one sounds too unreliable.”
>>
>>5408746
Nazi scientist that was an expert on toxins?
This was likely not the fun "let's build a big rocket" paperclip kind of doctor, but a literal monster.
>>”I don’t know if we can trust this guy. He’s literally a Nazi.”
>>
>>5408761
>>5408867
>>5409001
>>5409497
>>5409706
>”What’s to stop him from taking that alien bee of yours without asking?”
>”But that won’t stop him from going outside and stinging as many people as he can.”

Taking these. Gonna try and hop back in the saddle.
>>
“What’s to stop him from taking that alien bee of yours without asking?” you asked.

“I’ve taken his range into account, and I’ve hidden it somewhere he’ll never be able to find or sense it.” Lorina answered.

“But what if he goes out and starts stinging as many people as he can? Do we have a plan for that?”

White Rabbit folded her arms over her chest and frowned thoughtfully.

“Alright, then. How would you handle it?”

>”I’ve got a bunch of Web Bombs that I just made. I could probably use them to trap all of the bees.”
>”This suit has a feature that lets me create massive explosions. If we can bait him into swarming me, then I’m sure that I’ll be able to take them out.”
>”Easy. We cut him out of the plans entirely and let Flint do his part. If we can feed him enough sand, then I’m sure he’ll be able to take Bee Guy’s place.”
>”Isn’t there anyone else you know that’d be willing to help us out?”
>”By doing this.” Snag the jar and smash it with the bee still inside.
>”Let me have him. He’s too dangerous to be let out.”(Offer to hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.)
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5410143
>”Easy. We cut him out of the plans entirely and let Flint do his part. If we can feed him enough sand, then I’m sure he’ll be able to take Bee Guy’s place.”
>”Let me have him. He’s too dangerous to be let out.”(Offer to hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.)
Just get rid of the brain bee, no need to hurt the other ones
>>
>>5410143
>>”Easy. We cut him out of the plans entirely and let Flint do his part. If we can feed him enough sand, then I’m sure he’ll be able to take Bee Guy’s place.”
>”Let me have him. He’s too dangerous to be let out.”(Offer to hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.)
I'm sure Fury would appreciate this when the info trickles down to him.
>>
>>5410143
>>”I’ve got a bunch of Web Bombs that I just made. I could probably use them to trap all of the bees.”
>>
>>5410143
>>5410172
>Supporting
Does this mean Flint gets to dress as Alice now?
>>
>>5410172
>>”Easy. We cut him out of the plans entirely and let Flint do his part. If we can feed him enough sand, then I’m sure he’ll be able to take Bee Guy’s place.”
>>”Let me have him. He’s too dangerous to be let out.”(Offer to hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.)
maybe also later call for a new commandment. Thou shall not ally with nazis or extremists of any kind
>>
>>5410172
>>5410255
>>5410173
>>5410177
>>5410595
>”Easy. We cut him out of the plans entirely and let Flint do his part. If we can feed him enough sand, then I’m sure he’ll be able to take Bee Guy’s place.”
>”Let me have him. He’s too dangerous to be let out.”(Offer to hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Taking these. Writing...

>Does this mean Flint gets to dress as Alice now?
:^)
>>
File: 7234417-rco016_1580919908.jpg (847 KB, 1582x1920)
847 KB
847 KB JPG
“Easy. We cut him out of the plans entirely and let Flint do his part.” you proposed, pointing a thumb at your buddy. “If we can feed him enough sand, then I’m sure he’ll be able to take Bee Guy’s place.”

White Rabbit tapped her chin and scrunched her face up a bit before giving you an approving nod. “That could work! Although, we’ll have to change up our plans to get that much sand, and it’ll set us back by quite a bit...” she said, popping out her pocket watch and glaring at it as if it were to blame for the delays.

“Sounds like this bank heist is slowly becoming a beach heist.” Cat said with a smug grin. “I’ll be sure to bring my swimsuit.”

Any groan that might’ve come from either you or Prowler immediately died in your throats as you considered the implications of such a prospect. Flint was the only one who had found his voice, as he was currently busy fending off White Rabbit’s attempts to put him into a frilly little dress that looked far too small for him.

“I said NO! I’m not putting it on!” he protested.

“Oh, come on! You’re a shapeshifter, aren’t you?” Lorina argued, her eyes burning with inspiration. “Quit complaining and shift that shape into this size 9! You’d be so adorable!”

You and Cat were practically doubled over in laughter at this point. Even Prowler was fighting a losing battle against suppressing a chuckle.

By the time you were able to speak again, which was clearly not soon enough by the look that Flint was giving you, you’d managed to distract White Rabbit long enough for her to leave Flint alone.

“If we’re not using Fritz in the plan anymore, let me have the bee.” you said. “He’s too dangerous to be let out.”

Lorina gave you a disappointed shrug and handed off the jar. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in purchasing an alien bee, would you?” she tried, a weak, but hopeful smile on her face.

When you didn’t react to her proposal, she attempted to push the product off on the others. To her great disappointment, no one was biting. They were too busy giving you curious looks, no doubt wondering what you intended to do with the Nazi Bee brain.

—-----

To Flint’s great relief, the meeting was called off early due to Lorina’s need to reorganize her plans and check her equipment. Despite it being her idea, she seemed greatly bothered by the prospect of the slightest hitch in her plans.

This worked out in your favor, as you were able to arrange a meeting with the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. once more. Yet again, you found yourself sitting in the back of an empty coffee shop, tapping your foot impatiently as you traced a gloved finger over the jar’s lid. Little holes had been drilled into the top. Small enough to allow air in, but not enough to allow the creature inside to escape.

(Cont.)
>>
File: YoRzQMTg_051218115356lola.jpg (1.43 MB, 1810x2000)
1.43 MB
1.43 MB JPG
A sharp ringing sound from the front suddenly drew your attention to a familiar, short-haired woman entering the shop. Her features were hidden with a reasonably fashionable trench coat and a pair of nondescript sunglasses, but anyone who knew her face wouldn’t normally be fooled by such a casual disguise.

Maria Hill quickly crossed the room in 4 or 5 long strides, before sitting down directly across from you. She seemed to be carrying a briefcase of some sort at her side.

“Huntsman,” she began. “What’s this I hear about you having a Nazi bee?”

You tapped the jar’s lid. “Director Hill, say hello to Dr. Fritz von Meyer. Or…part of him, at least.”

Maria frowned and leaned closer to get a better look at it. The bee was buzzing angrily and bumping around inside the jar now.

Slowly and deliberately, Hill made a show of reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out what looked like a price tag scanner. She pointed it at the jar, pulled the trigger and the device projected a green ray of light.

After moving it up and down the jar a few times, the device beeped and Hill’s frown deepened. For a moment, you were a bit worried that White Rabbit somehow got the wrong bee, or just outright lied to you for some unknown reason. But your worries were quickly vanquished when Hill replaced the scanner and placed her briefcase onto the table. Upon opening it, she revealed a cubical containment unit that was most likely meant to hold the jar until she could get back up to the Helicarrier.

“I’m not going to bother asking how you came across him, or how you trapped him like this, so let’s make it simple.” Hill offered. “What is it that you want for him?”

>Rub your fingers together. ”Money, of course.”
>”I want information.” (What do you want to know?)
>”I honestly just want this guy off the streets. Call it community service or an appeal to morality, but he sounds like bad news.”
>”What are you gonna do with him?”
>”Why, I just wanted an excuse to see you. We’re both so busy with work and we can never get a moment alone together these days.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>”I want information.” (What do you want to know?)
>"I'm looking for an undercover agent of Fury's... or at want to try and get a message through. Thing is that every link in this game of telephone is rather sensetive, and I don't know how much trust we have between us yet."
>>
>>5410877
+1
>>
>>5410877
Support
Got to help our bro.
>>
>>5410877
+1
This is for the BRO... who we resent for being too popular and the star of the family, while we ate shit all our life thanks to him...
Yeah no, this is for Peter so he can maybe get his mom back. This is NOT for Dick
>>
>>5410851
>”I want information.” (What do you want to know?)
>"I need to get a message through to one of Fury's undercover agents. Thing is that every link in this game of telephone is rather sensitive, and I don't know how much trust we have between us yet."
>>
>>5410851
Why, I just wanted an excuse to see you. We’re both so busy with work and we can never get a moment alone together these days.”
>>
>>5410940
>>5410877
>>5410878
>>5410900
>>5410923
>>”I want information.” (What do you want to know?)
>"I'm looking for an undercover agent of Fury's... or at want to try and get a message through. Thing is that every link in this game of telephone is rather sensitive, and I don't know how much trust we have between us yet."

Family is everything, after all. Writing...
>>
“I’m looking for an undercover agent of Fury’s. Or…I at least want to try and get a message out to them.” you said, pausing to gather your thoughts. “Thing is, every link in this game of telephone is rather sensitive, and I don’t know how much trust we have between us yet.”

For a long moment, Maria Hill said nothing and remained completely still in her seat. She removed her sunglasses and leveled a cold, measured look at you. If you weren’t able to see both of her hands right at this very moment, you were liable to think that she might shoot you, spider sense be damned.

She opened her mouth, closed it again, and then pressed her lips into a thin line before allowing herself to speak again. “Nick Fury hasn’t been seen or heard from in almost five years now.” she said, but you had a feeling that she wasn’t being entirely truthful with you. “What makes you think we can track down one of his agents? Better yet, how do you know one of his agents in the first place? Who are they to you?”

You remained silent, contemplating your next move.

“If you want me to pass along a message, then I’m going to need a codename or a real name.” Hill demanded. “Unless you don’t even have that.”

What will you say?

>Give Hill the description of Mary that your brother gave you.
>”...Her name’s Mary Fitzgerald. One of my clients hired me to look into her.”
>”Let’s just say that I owe her a favor and leave it at that.”
>”I only found out recently that she’s been working for Fury. I don’t know where he is, or anyone that does, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
>”I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the answers that you want. Even if I have to owe you another favor, I want to keep this just between you and me.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
>>
>>5410974
We have saved our sister, nephew, adopted daughter and brother.
Now it's time to help the sister-in-law.
>>
>>5410997
>Give Hill the description of Mary that your brother gave you.
>”I only found out recently that she’s been working for Fury. I don’t know where he is, or anyone that does, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
>”...Her name’s Mary Fitzgerald. The reason I'm searching for her is personal, but I only want to help her.”
>>
>>5411003
+1
>>
Actually, can the bee doctor hear us? Don't want a nazi with grudge going after our family
>>
>>5411008
If you're unsure, you can have Hill place him inside of her briefcase.
>>
>>5411014
Oh nice, please do.
>>
>>5410997
>"Do you mind sticking Fritz here in your case? I don't want Mengele Jr. hearing any dirty details."
>Give Hill the description of Mary that your brother gave you.
>”...Her name’s Mary Fitzgerald. One of my clients hired me to look into her.”
>>
>>5411025
+1
>>
Wait I got a question Score.
That alien bee that Lorina was trying to sell...can it still pollinate magical plants?
>>
>>5411036
You'd have to buy it off her to find out.
>>
>>5411025
+1
>>
>>5411025
+1
>>
>>5411025
>>5410997
+1 along with sticking the bee away. I don’t think we’d get away with the “client of ours” misdirection for very long. May as well tell her this is personal, to show we’re asking in spite of knowing it narrows down who we are considerably. It’s that important.
>>
>>5411025
>>5411029
>>5411141
>>5411182
>>5411378
>"Do you mind sticking Fritz here in your case? I don't want Mengele Jr. hearing any dirty details."
>Give Hill the description of Mary that your brother gave you.
>”...Her name’s Mary Fitzgerald. One of my clients hired me to look into her.”

Taking these. Writing...
>>
File: 17193.jpg (40 KB, 400x400)
40 KB
40 KB JPG
You opened your mouth to speak, glanced at the bee and then immediately thought better of it.

“Do you mind sticking Fritz here back in the case? I don’t want Mengele Jr. hearing any dirty details.” you said.

Hill glanced at the jar, nodded, and then motioned for you to move it further back. Presumably, to make room for the briefcase that she’d brought in. She placed the leather container onto the table, entered a code, and opened it up before your very eyes. Inside was a type of black memory foam that could likely take the shape of whatever was stored inside. This theory of yours was proven right once Hill had placed the jar flat on its side, only for said container to sink deeper into the briefcase, the memory foam molding itself around the bee’s glass prison. As she went to snap the briefcase shut, the bee’s mad buzzing became completely inaudible, plunging the empty café back into its usual, uncomfortable silence.

After placing the briefcase back down by her feet, Hill gestured for you to continue, apparently indicating that it was now safe for the two of you to talk.

So you took a deep breath, and went on to describe Mary Fitzgerald as best you could. From what Rich told you, Hill should be able to more or less recreate her profile in her mind.

“...Her name’s Mary Fitzgerald. One of my clients hired me to look into her.” you lied smoothly.

Hill’s assessing gaze never left your face the entire time. You got the distinct feeling that she knew you were holding something back. That you were telling an incomplete truth. You were more or less counting on that.

If she wanted to know more about you, and what connection you and Mary might share, then she was going to have to do some digging. It was a huge gamble on your part, and you knew that you would have to either reinforce or replace the lies that you were feeding her, but that was entirely dependent on the hope that she wouldn’t immediately call you out on your shit.

The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. remained silent for a long while, only waiting until you were done speaking to get a word in herself.

“And this ‘Mary Fitzgerald’,” Hill began. “If I do manage to get a hold of her, what sort of message do you want to deliver to her?”

>Write-in only

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2
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>>5411819
>Her son is safe, but misses her mother.
>Her boyfriend got into a lot of trouble searching for her, but he won't stop. It's better to hide with her family since they are already putting themselves at risk by searching for her.
>>
>>5411819
>"Okay, I didn't plan this through. How about 'The the PP is save, but the dick gets in trouble, and both yearn for her warmth'? Yeah, that'd do it."
>>
>>5411830
+1
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>>5411819
>Her son is safe, but misses her mother.
>Her boyfriend got into a lot of trouble searching for her, but he won't stop. It's better to hide with her family since they are already putting themselves at risk by searching for her.
>If she won’t, she’ll need to pass back a message that’ll convince her boyfriend otherwise. I can take the message to him if needed, I’ll sort out additional charges with the client if it happens.
>No promise he’ll listen, of course.
>Feel free to cipher that shit up. I have one that reads like a dirty joke if you can be sure she’ll take it seriously.
The write-in from >>5411852 is groan-worthy, but also 100% accurate. I’m not sure whether IC Huntsman should be proud or not of the joke in front of Maria Hill of all people.
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>>5411852
Support
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>>5411830
Supporting.
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>>5411830
+1
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>>5372753
Based daughter wife enjoyer
>>
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>>5412060
>>
>>5411819
>>5411830 +1
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>>5411830
>>5411864
>>5412048
>>5412058
>>5412506
>>5411881
>Her son is safe, but misses her mother.
>Her boyfriend got into a lot of trouble searching for her, but he won't stop. It's better to hide with her family since they are already putting themselves at risk by searching for her.

Taking these. Gonna post the new update in a fresh new thread. I'll post the link here when it's finished!
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New thread is up!
>>5412960
>>5412960
>>5412960

Also, the tread has been archived:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Max%20Spider%20Quest



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