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Looking at you now, no one would be able to tell that you were about to receive important information that had been dredged up from a Russian super-spy’s encrypted hard drive. Julia was locked and loaded, fully prepared to deliver a presentation that would most likely alter your perspective of the world, forevermore.

But before any of that happened, you had to get yourself some brain food. A dog with mustard and relish should perk you right up. Just making it to the end of this line was a challenge in and of itself. There were a lot of Autumn tourists out and about around this time, and more than a few of them were taking this opportunity to take pictures of you as you impatiently tapped your foot and checked your phone. The first few requests weren’t as annoying, and you even posed for a few when the kids mistook you for an off-duty superhero. You mostly went along with it because you thought it was funny to imagine these guys bragging to others on the internet about running into an Avenger, only to find out who you really were and faint from shock upon realizing who their kids had been posing with.

You gave them all types of fake names and origin stories, wondering whether any of them would catch onto your little ruse and call you on your bullshit. But then again, being “bitten by a radioactive spider” was a pretty ridiculous origin in and of itself. It was honestly a miracle the damn thing didn’t kill you or give you super-cancer. And the last thing you ever would’ve done on this earth was paying $32 for a ticket to a lab and stealing Curt Connors’ watch.

Man, it feels like that was a lifetime ago. How time flies…

“Sir?”

“Huh?”

You snapped to attention immediately, absently realizing that you were suddenly at the front of the line. The Middle Eastern hotdog vendor was giving you an imploring look.

“Can I help you?” he said slowly.

You nodded. “Dog with mustard and relish. Ooh, and throw in a hot pretzel!”

The man smiled at you good-naturedly. “Very well, sir. That will be $15.75.”

The sheer weight of that ridiculous news hit you harder than any of the Rhino’s punches could have. You very nearly staggered backwards in shock, performing a double take and checking your surroundings to make sure that you weren’t on one of those hidden camera shows.

“Damn! And people call me a crook…” you muttered under your breath.

The man’s smile began to falter.

“What kind of racket are you running here? There’s no way that anyone would be dumb enough to buy a fucking hot dog for…”

You slowly trailed off as you glanced around again, noticing just how many tourists there were in the immediate area. Dumb, susceptible, impressionable tourists that’d buy anything so long as you slapped a sticker on it saying that it was “authentic” and “local”.

(Cont.)

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You sighed, and then turned to face the people around and behind you. “Right. Who here has bought a hot dog from this man for more than $10?”

For a moment, everyone just stared at you in stunned silence, clearly surprised to be addressed by someone in a costume for what might’ve been the first time in their lives. A surprising amount of them raised their hands, looking confused and more than a little bit pissed. One such woman claimed to have bought hers for $30, and that’s when the insults started flying.

The snake of a hotdog vendor began to cower and retreat from the growing mob, his hands held up in a placating gesture. He looked like he was about to turn and run, but before he could, you flipped over the man and landed behind him.

You placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch and let out an involuntary squeak.

“Now, I might not be great with directions, but I’m pretty sure we’re not in a ballpark. So, why’re you charging an arm and a leg for a damn hotdog?” you asked, narrowing your eyes and leaning in close until you could see your mask reflected in his watery eyes.

“I-I h-have fallen on hard times, my friend. Please forgive-”

He didn’t manage to get any more words out, on account of you webbing his mouth shut and all.

Now, how will you deal with this guy?

>Web him up and hand out refunds to the people that bought food from this swindler. The cops can deal with him later.
>Suggest that he hand out hot-dogs for free for the rest of the day. At least that way he can avoid getting beaten up like he was about to.
>Swing him up to a nearby building, away from the grasping hands of the public, and give him a chance to explain himself. You might not agree with his business practices, but you've been the culprit of many a hustle back in your heyday. You sincerely doubt it, but maybe he had a decent reason for doing this.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5627826
>Swing him up to a nearby building, away from the grasping hands of the public, and give him a chance to explain himself. You might not agree with his business practices, but you've been the culprit of many a hustle back in your heyday. You sincerely doubt it, but maybe he had a decent reason for doing this.
He is probably going to get stabbed within the next 10 min

>>5627826
>Swing him up to a nearby building, away from the grasping hands of the public, and give him a chance to explain himself. You might not agree with his business practices, but you've been the culprit of many a hustle back in your heyday. You sincerely doubt it, but maybe he had a decent reason for doing this.

>>5627826
>Swing him up to a nearby building, away from the grasping hands of the public, and give him a chance to explain himself. You might not agree with his business practices, but you've been the culprit of many a hustle back in your heyday. You sincerely doubt it, but maybe he had a decent reason for doing this.

>>5627826
Damn immigrants

Suggest that he hand out hot-dogs for free for the rest of the day. At least that way he can avoid getting beaten up like he was about to.

>>5627842
>>5627844
>>5627865
>Swing him up to a nearby building, away from the grasping hands of the public, and give him a chance to explain himself. You might not agree with his business practices, but you've been the culprit of many a hustle back in your heyday. You sincerely doubt it, but maybe he had a decent reason for doing this.

Taking these. Will start writing as soon as I'm done eating...

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For a second, you thought about leaving him down here to face the wrath of these fine, financially liberated folks. But, there was a distinct possibility that they might just beat this man half to death if they got their hands on him. Sure, this guy gave hotdog vendors a bad name, but he didn’t deserve to be savaged by an angry mob.

You held a hand out to forestall their charge, but it didn’t seem to be working. “Alright, time out!”

Instead of giving out another command, you simply wrapped an arm around the man’s waist and shot a webline at a nearby building, flinging both you and the scam artist into the air. You could hear angry shouts from down below, all of them directed at some imaginary figure you’d constructed in the heat of the moment.

Like, “Ricochet”, or the “City Slinger”.

You almost chuckled to yourself before you remembered why it was that you were in the air. Glancing over at the man, you could tell that even without the use of his mouth, he was wordlessly screaming in terror, his eyes wide and watering even more from the wind whipping away at them.

Without delay, you dropped him onto the closest rooftop you could find, well out of anyone’s reach if they’d wanted to punish him for his misdeeds. He fell to his knees immediately, and you gave him a moment to collect himself before starting again.

“Look, man. Just breathe. I’m not gonna drop you. I only brought you up here to stop them from ripping you apart without hurting anyone.” you explained.

He glanced up at you cautiously, wondering whether it was okay to get up.

“But you’d better have a damn good reason for ripping these people off.” you said, a sliver of malice creeping into your voice again.

The vendor shot up to his feet in an instant, dusting off his pants and taking a few tentative steps back.

“I did, sir! I did.” he said, nodding quickly.

You gestured for him to sit down on the building’s ledge, and he gave you a fearful look in reply. You rolled your eyes at him and pointed at it more insistently this time. Slowly, he moved over to the building’s ledge and swung his legs over it. He seemed to be gripping the stone as if his life depended on it. Well…you guessed that it sort of did.

In an effort to give him a sense of security, you firmly attached a webline to his back that was secured to a metal vent. He jumped upon feeling the web impact his back, but he visibly calmed down when he realized what you had done.

With that crisis dealt with, you walked over to sit down beside him. “Now, start from the beginning. Why’re you doing this?”

The vendor turned away from you, glancing down at the people below. His mouth moved wordlessly for a few seconds as he struggled to work moisture into it. You just barely managed to suppress a sigh as you checked the corner of your vision to see whether Julia was still on hold.

(Cont.)

When he finally did start talking, it almost came as a surprise. “My…my ex-wife divorced me just last year. She gained full custody of my son, despite not having a job, and now I have to pay child support to someone who barely cares about him. The court demands that I pay more than I earn, and my appeals haven’t been going through. I can barely afford a lawyer as it is.”

“And fleecing these people is the only way you can think of to earn a little more money? Don’t you know you can end up in jail for something like that?”

He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. The man practically radiated shame and impotent rage. From what you could observe, he didn’t seem to be lying. But, then again, he did just scam all those people down there. Maybe he’s a better con-artist than he’s leading you to believe.

Man, you sure wished you had Abel’s empathic abilities sometimes! It’d save you a whole lot of time and effort in making snap judgements.

What will you say/do?

>”Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”
>”Yeah, the legal system’s a bitch. Here, I know a good lawyer that might be able to help you out. Just tell him what you told me.” (Give him Franklin Nelson’s information, as well as the money to pay him.)
>”Well, I happen to know a place where you could make a lot more money than you are now.” (See if you can’t get Julia to find him the optimal location for his hotdog stand.)
>”Why don’t you try blackmailing her? I hear Jessica Jones does great work. She can probably get you some evidence that might be admissible in court.”
>”Alright. What if I rented out your services? You cater to me and mine without complaint, and you can have this money.” (Offer to pay him for his troubles.)
>"...Want me to plant something in her apartment? I'm sure we can do something to muddy her image a bit."
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5628144
>”Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”
>Contact Julia, see if she can check the man's story

>>5628144
>”Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”
>Contact Julia, see if she can check the man's story. If it checks, slide him Franklin Nelson's number and a suitable amount to pay for his services.

>>5628144
>”Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”
>Contact Julia, see if she can check the man's story. If it checks, slide him Franklin Nelson's number and a suitable amount to pay for his services.

>>5628144
>"Have you tried GoFundMe, or something?"
>”Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”
>”But yeah, the legal system’s a bitch. Here, I know a good lawyer that might be able to help you out. Just tell him what you told me.” (Give him Franklin Nelson’s information.)
>"Convince him, build your case and I'll give you give you a small time loan. Plus whatever's left of your cart."

>>5628144
>>”Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”
>Contact Julia, see if she can check the man's story. If it checks, slide him Franklin Nelson's number and a suitable amount to pay for his services.

>>5628149
>>5628151
>>5628154
>>5628160
>>5628180
>”Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”
>Contact Julia, see if she can check the man's story. If it checks, slide him Franklin Nelson's number and a suitable amount to pay for his services.

Taking these. Writing...

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You shook your head at him. “Landing yourself in prison won’t do anything to help your son. Keep your nose clean, and stick to what you know. I’m no stranger to a good side hustle, but don’t let it get you into trouble.”

He nodded mechanically, his whole body seeming to deflate upon being admonished. While he wasn’t looking, you quickly whipped out your phone, opened up the cloud recording app and brought up a snippet of footage that had captured the vendor’s face.

“What’s your name?” you asked.

“Nasir Hamedi.” he replied without so much as looking at you. Even without being an empath, you could tell that guilt and shame were practically radiating off of this man. But, it never hurts to be thorough.

“Got it. Give me one sec.” you said, getting up and walking away from him so that he couldn’t eavesdrop on your conversation. “Hey, Julia. Still there?”

“Barely. You’ve got me falling asleep over here!” she complained. “I mean, honestly. How long does it take for someone to go and buy a hotdog? I could’ve ordered one from Grubhub in the time it took you to-”

“You can bite my head off later. Right now, I need a favor.” you interrupted. “Could you do me a favor and run a search on this guy? His name is ‘Nasir Hamedi’, and he’s currently disputing a custody battle in court right now. I’m sending his photo over now.”

“Ah…alright, gimme a few. I’ll do a quick background check.”

“Thanks.”

—----

Several minutes later, Julia got back to you. “Good news. His story checks out. This guy’s been getting shafted by the court system for months now. And judging by the wife’s credit history, she hasn’t been spending a whole lot of that money on her son. In fact, the more I read, the more I feel like this doesn’t exactly fall under the category of ‘good news’.” she said. “Anyway, it looks like he’s telling the truth. What do you plan to do about it?”

With a sigh, you pulled a business card out of one of your belt pouches, along with a fat wad of cash.

“The right thing, I guess. I’ll call you back right after this.”

After putting her back on hold, you walked back over to the ledge, knelt down and handed him $7,000. His eyes went wide with confusion when he turned to look at you.

“Here’s the number for a good lawyer that should be able to help you out, along with some money to afford his services. Just tell him what you told me, and you’ll be fine.”

He reached a shaky hand out to accept the gift, but pulled away at the last moment, trying to figure out whether this was a trick or not. Surely, this was much farther than the average hero was willing to go, and he had no reason to believe that you had his best interests in mind.

His eyes met yours, and he gave you a searching look. “Why…why would you do this?”

(Cont.)

What will you say?

>”No kid should grow up without a father. And you sound like a better option than your ex-wife.”
>”You seem like an honest guy, it just breaks my heart to see a hard-working man be put down by the system. Don’t let this go to waste.”
>”Let’s just say that I had a ‘Grinch moment’. Your story spoke to me, and I don't think I'd be able to sleep tonight if I just let this slide.”
>”Because I can. Simple as. Now, are you gonna take the money or not?”
>"Just take it before I change my mind..."
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5628257
>>”No kid should grow up without a father. And you sound like a better option than your ex-wife.”

>>5628257
>”No kid should grow up without a father. And you sound like a better option than your ex-wife.”
>”Let’s just say that I had a ‘Grinch moment’. Your story spoke to me, and I don't think I'd be able to sleep tonight if I just let this slide.”

>>5628257
>”You seem like an honest guy, it just breaks my heart to see a hard-working man be put down by the system. Don’t let this go to waste.”

>>5628257
>”No kid should grow up without a father. And you sound like a better option than your ex-wife.”
>”Let’s just say that I had a ‘Grinch moment’. Your story spoke to me, and I don't think I'd be able to sleep tonight if I just let this slide.”

>>5628257
>"Because it ain't always black and white. What you done may have been wrong, but you did it for the right reasons, get it? Besides, nobody got hurt...and I can't really complain about shafting some tourists."

>>5628257
>No new yorker should ever buy expensive hot dogs. Ever.

>>5628257
>>5628266
Supporting.

In reality the world is as full of bad mothers as it is of bad fathers, and it is not the motherless children who become delinquent but the fatherless ones.

>>5628260
>>5628262
>>5628263
>>5628264
>>5628266
>>5628326
>>5628276
>”No kid should grow up without a father. And you sound like a better option than your ex-wife.”

Taking these. I'll be providing an update right after I get some rest. This week has been a rough one.

Back now. Writing...

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“No kid should grow up without a father. And you sound like a better option than your ex-wife.”

In the blink of an eye, his searching look became one of incredulity, his hands tentatively reaching for the money and business card as if they were the most fragile things in the world.

Slowly, he took them and began clutching them close to his chest. Tears were now pouring down his face. You tried to comfort him, but in a blur of movement, the vendor threw himself at you and wrapped his arms around your torso.

Instinctively, you reached for your spider-sense and tried to figure out whether or not the man was a threat, and it took you a moment to realize that you weren’t being viciously attacked. You were being hugged.

“Thank you! Thank you…!” he cried.

“Okay. It’s fine. You don’t have to…do all that.” you said, patting him awkwardly and trying to find a way to pry him off of you. When you found no such way to do so safely, you decided to just let him stay like that.

“Alright. You’d better hold on tight, then. I’m gonna drop you off a few blocks away to give you a good head start.”

The man either didn’t hear you, or didn’t care, because he showed none of the fear or doubt that you’d glimpsed in those sad eyes mere moments ago. So, you grabbed hold of him and swung off towards your destination.

—--------

After dropping off Nasir, you wished him the best of luck and went about your own business. You honestly hoped that he and his son got a happy ending out of this.

“You did good, Benji. I’m proud of you.” Julia chirped in your ear. “Webb would be too.”

“How is she, by the way? I haven’t really seen her since the party, and-”

Julia sighed. “She’s doing better. At least, for the time being. The disease that paralyzed her legs is slowly working its way through her body, making her everyday activities even harder than they used to be. I’m trying to pick up the slack, but…it just makes me feel so useless to not be able to do more to help her.”

“Hey, you do so much for all of us already. You’re one of the least useless people that I know. I don’t want to hear any more of that negative talk.”

“I just clean up around the house and manage her finances for her. Her foresight is the real reason why she can stay on top of the stock market, even with her philanthropic streak.” she explained. “Sometimes I feel more like a part-time hacker, full-time live-in house maid.”

You rolled your eyes. “You played a part in this operation too, you know. Couldn’t have done it without a bit of tech support propping me up.”

“Nah, you definitely could’ve. I only gave you a bit of evidence to prove that he wasn’t bullshitting you.”

“And that was what led to me making the decision to give him the money. You see? Teamwork.”

(Cont.)

“Huh. I guess you’ve got a point. I think I’ll treat myself to an extra slice of cake later.” she thought aloud. “But enough about that. I’ve been waiting to tell you about what I found on the drives for ages now!”

“Lay it on me.”

“Right. So, this ‘Low School’ that the Chameleon keeps mentioning was a bit hard to pin down, but I think I picked up enough hints to piece the puzzle together. It’s actually a school for training thieves and criminals! Like…Hogwarts but for bad people.”

“Why do you think the Chameleon was keeping tabs on them?” you asked.

Julia laughed. “Oh, he was doing more than that. He was in contact with them. From what I gathered, these guys are part of a little global organization called the ‘Thieves Guild’. Ever heard of them?”

Your jaw dropped. “The Thieves Guild? I thought they were just a myth.”

“And I think that’s just the way they like it. They're involved in all sorts of shady business all over the world, but their main power structure is broken up into factions, or branches. I’m not entirely sure which branch the Low School belongs to, but it seems to function like its own regional power structure, with its own connections and alumni.” Julia said. “Either way, I wouldn’t recommend messing with these guys. They’ve got deep connections and even deeper pockets. A bad combo, if you ask me.”

Hmm, interesting.

>”Could you let me know how the Chameleon went about contacting them? Having a contact in the Thieves Guild could prove invaluable later.”
>”What else can you tell me about the school? What does their curriculum even consist of? Do you get robbed as soon as you walk through the front door?”
>”Do you think they accept adult applicants? I might need their help to sharpen my skills someday.”
>”Be careful when you’re poking your nose into their business. I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.”
>"What about the other thing? 'Orchis', was 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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5629127
>>”Do you think they accept adult applicants? I might need their help to sharpen my skills someday.”

>>5629127
>”Could you let me know how the Chameleon went about contacting them? Having a contact in the Thieves Guild could prove invaluable later.”
>”Be careful when you’re poking your nose into their business. I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.”

>>5629127
>>”Be careful when you’re poking your nose into their business. I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.”
>"I hope you're hiding behind seven proxys."
>>”Could you let me know how the Chameleon went about contacting them? Having a contact in the Thieves Guild could prove invaluable later.”

>>"What about the other thing? 'Orchis', was it?"

>>5629127
>”Do you think they accept adult applicants? I might need their help to sharpen my skills someday.”
Gray Fox time

>>5629127
>”Could you let me know how the Chameleon went about contacting them? Having a contact in the Thieves Guild could prove invaluable later.”
Our rolodex must be getting full.
Would Julia even get that reference?
>"What about the other thing? 'Orchis', was it?"

>>5629127
>>”Do you think they accept adult applicants? I might need their help to sharpen my skills someday.”

>>5629127
>”Could you let me know how the Chameleon went about contacting them? Having a contact in the Thieves Guild could prove invaluable later.”
>”Do you think they accept adult applicants? I might need their help to sharpen my skills someday.”

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Soonish?

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>>5629138
>>5629139
>>5629145
>>5629194
>>5629195
>>5629521
>>5629538
>”Do you think they accept adult applicants? I might need their help to sharpen my skills someday.”
>”Could you let me know how the Chameleon went about contacting them? Having a contact in the Thieves Guild could prove invaluable later.”

Taking these. Writing...

>>5629616
Anons really out here asking for Carnage to show up SOONER

Not for a while, no. I can't really give you a time estimate, but there are a few major things that I need to tackle in the main story first. I have big plans for both, and I want them to show up at an appropriate time. I am excited for you guys to get to that point in the story, however. My take on both characters will be a little different from what most people have seen.

>>5629940
Ah look he's smiling

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“Do you think they accept adult applicants? I might need their help to sharpen my skills someday.”

“I’m sure they do. But trust me, Benji. Whatever you want from these people, it’s probably not worth what they’ll ask from you in return.” Julia warned. “It’d probably be best to stay off their radar entirely.”

“I’m not about to go asking favors that I can’t pay back. I just think that it wouldn’t hurt to know someone within their organization. Do you think you could let me know how the Chameleon went about contacting them?”

Julia made a noise that was caught somewhere between thoughtful and displeased. “The most I know right now is that they’re most likely operating out of Egypt. I’ll contact you after I’ve done some more digging. I doubt it’s as simple as calling an operator and waiting for them to patch you through to the Thieves Guild.”

“Please and thank you.”

“Moving on,” she said quickly, clearly not liking the direction that this conversation was taking. “I also found out a few things about that ‘Orchis’ thing. The Chameleon’s been in contact with them pretty frequently over the past few months. And from what I gather, they’re even more well-connected than the Thieves Guild, and twice as secretive, strangely enough.”

“How big are we talking?” you asked.

“See, I’m chaining multiple VPNs and a juiced up version of Tor that I coded myself, and I’m pretty sure that a few of the locations that I’ve been using as dummies got raided while I was sniffing around!” Julia said, unable to keep the edge out of her voice. “So I’m pretty confident in saying that I’m fine with abandoning my effort to find out more about them. This shit scares me, B. All it took was a little peek behind the curtain for them to come knocking on my firewalls with a fucking sledgehammer.”

Man, you’ve never heard her sound this shaken up before.

“I know you’ve got friends in high places, but for once, I want you to remember that you don’t need to kick every single hornet’s nest that you come across. Some secret organizations want to stay secret, and they’ll do anything to keep it that way.”

(Cont.)

What will you say?

>”Alright, I’ll drop it. I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel like you’re in danger.”
>”Send those files over to me. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.”
>"There's no one else that can do this that I trust as much as you. Just tell me what you need in order to get this shit done without exposing yourself, and I'll see that you have it."
>”Maybe if you could decrypt more of those files, you could find an ID that the Chameleon was using to communicate with them. If you impersonate him, you might be able to get a closer look at what’s behind the curtain."
>”The Chameleon should still be locked up at The Raft. Maybe I can convince Hill to let me speak with him for a bit.”
>"Do you need me to come over? I'm free after this anyway. We can sit down and watch a movie, or something."
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5629977
>”Send those files over to me. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.”
>”Alright, I’ll drop it. I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel like you’re in danger.”

>>5629977
>”Send those files over to me. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.”
Hill can have fun dealing with all that nonsense.

>>5629977
>>”Alright, I’ll drop it. I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel like you’re in danger.”
>>”Send those files over to me. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.”
>"Let's make it someone elses problem."

>>5629977
>”Alright, I’ll swing by and pick up the files. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.”
I’d rather pick them up in person than have them sent wirelessly if the info is that sensitive.

>”Alright, I’ll drop it. I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel like you’re in danger.”
>"Let's make it someone else’s problem."

>>5629977
>”Send those files over to me. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.”

>>5630001
>>5630014
>>5630019
>>5630119
>>5630616
>”Alright, I’ll swing by and pick up the files. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.”
>I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel like you’re in danger.”
>"Let's make it someone else’s problem."

Taking these. Writing...

File: 2020-02-24-Maria-Hill-SHI(...).png (1015 KB, 1200x628)

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“Alright, I’ll swing by and pick up the files. I’m bringing them to SHIELD the first opportunity that I get.” you promised. “I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel like you’re in danger.”

Julia breathed a shaky sigh of relief. “Thanks, Benji. I’ve been pretty jumpy these past few days, wondering if they could’ve tracked me without me noticing. It doesn’t happen often, but I’ve run into people who’re way better than me at this.”

“Let’s hope this isn’t one of those times.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” she said with a dry chuckle. “What do you think SHIELD will do with the information?”

“No idea. But I’m entirely willing to make it their problem instead of ours. They’re better equipped to deal with this stuff anyway.”

“Fair enough.” Julia admitted. “Let me know when you’re almost here. I’ll give you a slice of cake for the road. You’ve earned it, hero.”

“A slice of cake, classified documents AND reliable customer service? Maybe Abe was onto something when he signed on with Web. I might have to rethink my allegiances here.”

—-------

After acquiring some dessert and those classified documents on Orchis, you paged Hill and waited for a reply. Several hours later, she agreed to a meeting, where the two of you had a brief exchange of information. But as soon as you mentioned the name ‘Orchis’, Hill gave you a hard, uncomfortably long look. You felt like a child who’d just stumbled upon nuclear launch codes and decided to show them to his Mom, after making them into a paper airplane. Whatever this was all about, everyone clearly thought that you had no business poking your nose anywhere near it.

She didn’t reveal any specific details exactly, but from her body language, you could tell that she was in a hurry. The jets going to and from the Helicarrier have been scrambling all day. Something was brewing, but Hill was being rather tight-lipped about it. She quickly thanked you for your contribution, and even hinted at the possibility for more work in the near future.

If it was anything like what you’d experienced on Neverland, it was bound to be interesting.

—----

The rest of the week seemed to fly by as you and your fellow Desperados made preparations to depart for Vegas. A welcome disturbance in the form of Sam came by to drop off your newly repaired suit, which he had managed to repair early!

He was still waiting for Richards to return so that he could bring up the meeting, but you weren’t terribly worried about that at the moment. Being able to put on your old Huntsman uniform was reason enough to celebrate. The Slip Drive was still busted, though. You’d have to hope that either Reed was willing to fix it, or Phin came back to town within the next few weeks.

—-----

(Cont.)

File: 684956-phantomblonde2.jpg (20 KB, 320x320)

20 KB JPG

On the day of your departure, you told the rest of the Desperados to wait back at the base for you while you welcomed Cindy and her roommate to Vic’s house. It was good to see your old roommate again, but her roommate seemed to be excited for…other reasons.

“Um, you could’ve warned me that your foster dad was this much of a hottie before we got here, Cindy.” said the chipper blonde, nudging Cindy’s ribs and waggling her eyebrows at you.

Cindy rolled her eyes and lightly punched her shoulder in reply. “Can we not do this right now?” she said, before giving you an apologetic nod, clearly embarrassed by the turn this conversation had taken. “Sorry, she’s a little boy-crazy.”

You laughed nervously. “It’s cool. The only boy in that house is probably Pete, anyway.”

“Is he cute?” the blonde asked.

Cindy gave her a knowing smirk. “Not in the way that you’re expecting. Also, you should probably try and find your manners after you pick your jaw up off of the ground.”

Cindy’s roommate gave her a puzzled look, before her eyes flew wide in surprise. “Oh my gosh~! I forgot to introduce myself! Duh!”

The girl extended her hand out to you and flashed a radiant smile. “Hi, my name’s Wanda. It’s so nice to meet you.”

You grasped her hand lightly and shook it. “Ben. I’m glad that you and Cindy are getting along.”

“Oh, yeah! She’s great. Best roomie I’ve ever had.” Wanda declared.

Cindy gave her an amused look. “I’m the only roommate you’ve ever had.”

“That doesn’t make it any less true.” Wanda said.

Cindy rolled her eyes again. Before either of them could say anything else, however, you whipped out the card you’d used to store Cindy’s emergency money.

“Use this only in case of emergency. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone for.” you said, offering it to her.

She accepted the card and turned it over a few times to examine it. “How much is on it?”

“Hmm…about $1,000.”

Both girls swore in surprise, eliciting a chuckle from you. “Try not to spend it all in one place.”

Wanda whistled. “Okay so, is your dad looking to adopt another one? Because I could use a bigger allowance.”

“You’ve already got your own dad, Wanda.”

Wanda shrugged. “So? I can have two dads! We live in a progressive society now. They’ll call me brave for it.”

You held up a hand to interrupt them. “Sorry, but I’m not interested.” you said flatly.

Wanda’s face fell in clear disappointment. “Aww…”

“I meant that I wasn’t interested in your dad.” you corrected. “You’re actually pretty funny.”

Wanda visibly brightened at that. “Aww…”

(Cont.)

File: 26828.jpg (36 KB, 400x400)

36 KB JPG

Just then, another girl pulled up in Vic’s driveway with a mountain bike. She had short brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing light clothing that probably doubled as casual gym wear. She also looked to be of Southeast Asian descent, but that was just a guess.

“Sup.”

Wanda’s face brightened even more upon seeing the new girl. “Ari! You made it!”

“Yeah, well someone had to make sure that you wouldn’t hurt yourself.” Ari claimed, climbing off her bike and walking over to join her friend. She was noticeably taller than the others by a few inches.

“Well, you came just in time to help me and Cindy practice for cheerleading try-outs. She’s already pretty athletic, so we’re just working on our coordination.” Wanda said, gesturing at Cindy.

You sincerely doubted that Cindy needed anyone’s help with coordination, but she probably didn’t want others to know that.

Ari leaned over to glance at her and a huge grin spread across her face as she stepped past Wanda. “Yo! Is that THE Karate Kid? What’re you doing hanging out with this dork?” she asked, jabbing a thumb at an affronted Wanda.

“We’re roommates. I’m guessing you two know each other?”

“Oh, yeah. We go way back.” Ari explained.

“We’ve been competing since we were kids, picking up sports and trying to figure out who was better at what.” Wanda added.

“I was usually better at everything, though.” Ari claimed proudly.

“Uh, I think that football you took to the head during summer camp might’ve knocked some brain cells loose. I’m pretty sure I won most of those matches.” Wanda corrected.

“Keep dreaming, Barbie-”

You cleared your throat to remind everyone of your presence, and everyone fell silent so that they might acknowledge you once more.

Ari had an abashed look on her face as she stepped forward to offer her hand to you. “Oh, my bad. I’m Ari. Thanks for having us over, Mr…”

“Parker. Ben Parker.” you finished.

“Ah. Nice to meet ya, Mr. P.”

You gave her the most sincere smile you could muster. “Ben’s fine, actually.”

Ari gave you a sly grin and winked. “You got it, P.”

You really hoped that that wouldn't catch on.

(Cont.)

What will you say?

>”The fridge should be fully stocked, so you don’t have to order food. But you’re welcome to if you’re in the mood for something specific.”
>”This goes without saying, but try not to trash my sister’s home while I’m away. She’s a bit of a neat freak, and she might literally kill somebody if she notices a hair out of place.”
>”Remember, no boys allowed. My nephew and my brother are the only boys allowed past that front door.”
>”Are there going to be any more surprise guests, or is this all of you? I’d like to know beforehand so I can warn my sister.”
>”Are you girls sleeping over? If so, make sure that you’ve got everything you need, and that your parents are okay with it.”
>”Not trying out for cheerleading, Ari? That’s technically a sport if you wanted to cross that off your list.”
>”How’re you girls liking BVA so far?”
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5631111
>”Are there going to be any more surprise guests, or is this all of you? I’d like to know beforehand so I can warn my sister.”
>”How’re you girls liking BVA so far?”

>>5631111
>”The fridge should be fully stocked, so you don’t have to order food. But you’re welcome to if you’re in the mood for something specific.”
>”Are there going to be any more surprise guests, or is this all of you? I’d like to know beforehand so I can warn my sister.”
>”How’re you girls liking BVA so far?”
>"Be nice to Pete, ok? Don't go teasing the poor boy or something like that, alright?"

>>5631105
The word you're looking for is suggar daddy

>>5631111
smalltalk
>”How’re you girls liking BVA so far?”

>"Alright, girls, run it by me, what are the rules?"
>Make them list off things they should and shouldn't do.

>"Then, Cindy. I trust you. When Neither Vic nor I are here, you're the captain. This is not a democracy. Don't let them talk you into things you're not comfortable with. No mutineers allowed."

>>5631111
>”Are there going to be any more surprise guests, or is this all of you? I’d like to know beforehand so I can warn all the necessary government agencies. Oh, and my sister I guess.”
The best jokes poke fun at reality.
>”The fridge should be fully stocked, so you don’t have to order food. But you’re welcome to if you’re in the mood for something specific.”
>”How’re you girls liking BVA so far?”
>"Be nice to Pete, ok? Don't go teasing the poor boy or something like that, alright?"

>>5631357
+1

>>5631357
+2

>>5631113
>>5631115
>>5631357
>>5631765
>>5632706
>>5631214
>”Are there going to be any more surprise guests, or is this all of you? I’d like to know beforehand so I can warn all the necessary government agencies. Oh, and my sister I guess.”
>”The fridge should be fully stocked, so you don’t have to order food. But you’re welcome to if you’re in the mood for something specific.”
>”How’re you girls liking BVA so far?”
>"Be nice to Pete, ok? Don't go teasing the poor boy or something like that, alright?"

Taking these. Writing...

Sorry for the delay. I was in no state to make any updates this morning.

File: tumblr_inline_obm8i2Lv9C1(...).png (139 KB, 500x250)

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“Are there going to be any more surprise guests, or is this all of you? I’d like to know beforehand, so I can warn all the necessary government agencies.” you said, jabbing a thumb back at Vic’s house. “Oh, and my sister, too.”

Wanda and Ari exchanged confused looks, before turning to Cindy for an answer. She just shrugged.

“Nah, it’s just us. Is that supposed to be like a new dad joke, or something? Cuz, I don’t get it.” Ari admitted.

“Maybe it’s like a reference to an old tv show, or an old movie, or…something before our time.” Wanda suggested.

Ouch.

“So, how’re you girls liking BVA so far?” you asked, not wanting either of them to dwell on the topic of your age for too long.

Wanda brightened at that. “Oh, it’s amazing~! They’ve got so many facilities that we can make use of.”

“They’ve got a weight room, pool, a tennis court, a basketball court…” Ari added.

“And their clubs are pretty high-spec too.” Cindy chimed in. “Saya gave me a tour of the robotics club. I think she and Carolyn want me to join, but I don’t know the first thing about robots.”

Ari raised an eyebrow at that. “Just tell them that you’re joining one of the sports teams on campus. Barbie here tells me that you’ve got recruiters beating your door down for a chance to get you to try out. Everyone already knows that you’ve got the moves. Might as well put them to good use.”

Cindy rubbed her neck and glanced at the ground a few times before answering. “I don’t know. Joining a team would really eat into my free time. I’ve got some…hobbies that I like to make time for.”

Like crime-fighting, for one.

Ari shrugged. “Shame. It’s not my choice to make, but I think you should at least give it a shot. It’s better to make mistakes than have regrets, right?”

Wanda nodded her agreement. “She’s right, Cindy. You only go to high school once in your life. Might as well make the most out of it.”

Cindy gave them a small smile. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

That was going to be a hard call for her to make. Would she honor her commitment to her god, to her friends or her academic career.

It was an important decision, but one that she would have to make on her own. If you didn’t leave soon, you were going to be late to catch your flight.

“Alright, girls, it looks like I’ll have to head out soon. The fridge should be fully stocked, so you don’t have to order food. But you’re welcome to if you’re in the mood for something specific.” you explained.

Each of the girls confirmed their understanding of the situation, whether verbally or visually.

“And be nice to Pete, okay? Don’t go teasing the poor boy or anything like that.” you warned.

(Cont.)

File: communityIcon_zo0q5zlhmjf61.png (1.67 MB, 1000x1000)

1.67 MB PNG

Each of the girls vehemently denied that they would do anything of the sort, and you felt that you could believe them. Either way, this was going to be a very interesting and enlightening experience for the young lad. So long as they didn’t try to paint his nails, or give him a makeover or something.

“Alright, then. You kids have fun. I’ll be back by next week at the earliest. If something happens, I’ll call to let you know.” you said, reaching over to affectionately tousle Cindy’s hair.

She swatted your hand away with a smile. “Try to behave yourself while you’re over there, okay?”

“Unlike you guys, I won’t have a chaperone where I’m going.”

“And that’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” Cindy muttered.

—----------

It took you a while to go back home and get dressed, but you were finally ready to meet up with Ana for your flight!

What were you wearing?

>An expensive, eye-catching suit that makes you look and feel important. People might think twice before trying to mess with you.
>A refreshing mix of casual and formal wear that shows off your unique fashion sense, while also displaying how much you’re willing to spend to look this good.
>A floral pattern shirt and khaki pants. It leans more towards the casual side, but you want these guys to let their guard down around you.
>Your Huntsman outfit! You couldn’t help yourself. You were too excited not to wear it immediately.
>The suit that Ana made you. She might appreciate the gesture.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5633173
The suit that Ana made you. She might appreciate the gesture.

>>5633173
>>The suit that Ana made you. She might appreciate the gesture.
I'd also like to have purchased a suit in similar style that was off the rack but then custom fitted/adjusted to us.
Likely we didn't have the time for a real custom tailored one

>>5633173
>>An expensive, eye-catching suit that makes you look and feel important. People might think twice before trying to mess with you.
we agreed to no costumes for the flight didn't we? also this is a luxury ride, i wanna feeel rich

>>5633173
>An expensive, eye-catching suit that makes you look and feel important. People might think twice before trying to mess with you.

We also need to get align our stories with Prowler for Miles.
We're already coworkers, or at least freelancers who worked together a few times.
Now it's easy for him to learn that Cindy's guardian is away while he is too.

>>5633173
>An expensive, eye-catching suit that makes you look and feel important. People might think twice before trying to mess with you.
>And a low profile ballistic vest underneath everything. For as fun as this trip's gonna be, you couldn't help being the least bit cautious.

>>5633173
>>The suit that Ana made you. She might appreciate the gesture.

>>5633173
>An expensive, eye-catching suit that makes you look and feel important. People might think twice before trying to mess with you.
>And a low profile ballistic vest underneath everything. For as fun as this trip's gonna be, you couldn't help being the least bit cautious.

>>5633173
>>5633252
Supporting. This says to me “well-heeled man who has been in his share of scrapes” and that’s a good angle to play.

>>5633202
Adding
>And a low profile ballistic vest underneath everything. For as fun as this trip's gonna be, you couldn't help being the least bit cautious.
To my vote

>>5633196
>>5633202
>>5633252
>>5633325
>>5633367
>>5633369
>An expensive, eye-catching suit that makes you look and feel important. People might think twice before trying to mess with you.
>And a low profile ballistic vest underneath everything. For as fun as this trip's gonna be, you couldn't help being the least bit cautious.

Taking these. Writing...

Guess we have a bunch of Ana haters around now

File: 90878945e0b4040c737ea5483(...).jpg (529 KB, 2750x4175)

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You were, of course, wearing an expensive, eye-catching suit that made you feel as important as you looked. And that was a pretty big deal in a city like Vegas. First impressions were everything.

That was why the low-profile ballistic vest that you were wearing underneath was almost an identical color to your dress shirt and undershirt.

There was no denying that this would be a fun trip for many reasons, but it never hurt to practice a little caution. And while you were more than capable of dodging bullets in a tight situation, there may be times where it might be preferable to avoid blowing your cover by taking a bullet or two. At the very least, you were fast enough to pick and choose where the shots would land. It was sort of like your fight with Bloody Lips, but a lot less dangerous by comparison.

The rest of your team were also wearing some manner of formal attire. Hobie’s outfit was somewhere between fancy and casual, giving him a fashionable, but relaxed look with a beige suit and a black turtleneck in place of where a dress shirt would normally be. He topped it all off with an expensive gold chain, a gold watch and a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes.

Felicia, on the other hand, looked like she could stop traffic with nothing but a glance. She wore a tight, dark blue number that hugged her curves in all the right places and rose well above the knee, putting her long, flawless legs on full display. Her hair, which had always been nice, was now a sea of soft platinum curls that cascaded down her back and draped over her shoulders, somehow complimenting the pearls she had hanging off of her neck, as well as the furred collar and mesh cover-up that was doing a rather poor job of concealing her cleavage. At the moment, she was admiring the shiny black, elbow length gloves that covered her hands and nails.

In hindsight, you were glad that you made the decision to dress up a little bit. If you hadn’t you would’ve stuck out like a sore thumb. Kind of like how you expected Flint to be. But out of everyone, his appearance was the biggest surprise of all.

Flint’s inability to change his clothes made the butt of many a joke, and you were worried that he might get upset about being the only one not able to dress up. But when he showed up wearing a tan, green and black three-piece suit, you knew that he hadn’t just been twiddling his thumbs while everyone else was packing their bags.

Somehow, he’d managed to arrange his sand particles in such a way that he appeared to be wearing another outfit entirely. This most likely required a decent amount of focus and coordination, but he had all the time in the world to practice. All he had to do was avoid shifting his shape carelessly, or getting grains of sand everywhere when he bumped into somebody.

(Cont.)

File: Anastasia_Kravinoff_ 28Ea(...).jpg (179 KB, 487x760)

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The one upside to him being a pile of sand, however, was the fact that the warm Nevada air wouldn’t bother him in the slightest. You weren’t ashamed to admit that you were jealous of him for that. But more than anything, you were absolutely fucking proud of him for obtaining enough control over his powers to even attempt something like this.

By the time you’d arrived at the airport, Ana was already waiting for you in front of her private plane. Even before you got close enough to get a good look at her, you knew that she would be absolutely stunning. And you were not disappointed.

Whereas Cat went for a short, tight dress, Anastasia’s was long, bright red and flowing. Its fabric curled, ruffled and intertwined at interesting angles that forced you to stare at her enviable figure. Her muscular arms were on full display due to the single strap that wrapped diagonally over her shoulder, and her dress hugged her midsection so as to outline her tight, chiseled stomach through the fabric, as well as the natural curve of her ample bust. Your eyes trailed down to her toned legs, where a red garter and dark gray fishnet stockings traced the enticing curves of her legs, all the way down to the ruby red heels holding it all up.

The woman honestly looked like a princess that was going out for a night on the town. Much like Felicia, she looked damn good, and she knew it. But seeing you take notice of the fact seemed to please her, if that confident smile was anything to go off of.

To your surprise, Felicia was the first to approach her. “Damn, Annie! I might have to check Nevada state law, because I’m pretty sure it should be a crime to look this good.”

Ana’s grin widened ever so slightly as she regarded Cat. “From what I understand, your group is fairly comfortable with committing crimes. It is good to see that the laws of fashion are not among the ones you are prone to violating.” she said, glancing over at you and drinking in your appearance with a hungry look in her eye.

“I was just as surprised as you are. Prowler over here is a repeat offender, so I was a bit worried about how he would end up looking.” you said, jabbing a thumb at your co-captain, who was now scowling at you through his shades.

“Oh, I think everyone here cleaned up rather nicely.” she said, her eyes scanning the group before landing back on you. Her gaze lingered on your for a while longer before she stepped aside to gesture at her private jet. “We leave in half an hour. Take this time to get comfortable and stow your luggage away. I have an in-flight meal prepared, as well as a fully-stocked mini-bar.”

Everyone walked up the ramp excitedly, clearly intending to do exactly that. You were the last in line, allowing you to have a moment alone with Ana.

(Cont.)

What will you say?

>”I don’t think there’s a single Hallmark Valentine card that could express how beautiful you look. ‘You take my breath away’ comes close, but it doesn’t quite do you justice.”
>”I think Cat was onto something. It’s a shame how hard we’re gonna have to embarrass the rest of those Jokers over there.”
>”You sure know how to make an entrance. It makes me wonder what you’ve got prepared for our dramatic exit. I’m thinking fireworks!”
>”I thought the point of us losing the costumes was to avoid drawing attention. There’s no way they’ll be able to ignore a couple of sexy beasts like us when we hit the streets.”
>Pull her into a kiss. “I thought I told you not to make me wait so long next time.”
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5633426
>Pull her into a kiss. “I thought I told you not to make me wait so long next time.”
>”You sure know how to make an entrance. It makes me wonder what you’ve got prepared for our dramatic exit. I’m thinking fireworks!”

>>5633426
>>”I thought the point of us losing the costumes was to avoid drawing attention. There’s no way they’ll be able to ignore a couple of sexy beasts like us when we hit the streets.”

>>5633426
”I don’t think there’s a single Hallmark Valentine card that could express how beautiful you look. ‘You take my breath away’ comes close, but it doesn’t quite do you justice.”

>>5633426
>>”I thought the point of us losing the costumes was to avoid drawing attention. There’s no way they’ll be able to ignore a couple of sexy beasts like us when we hit the streets.”

>Coordinate with Prowler about our businesstrip

>>5633426
>Pull her into a kiss. “I thought I told you not to make me wait so long next time.”
>”You sure know how to make an entrance. It makes me wonder what you’ve got prepared for our dramatic exit. I’m thinking fireworks!”

>>5633426
>>”I thought the point of us losing the costumes was to avoid drawing attention. There’s no way they’ll be able to ignore a couple of sexy beasts like us when we hit the streets.”

>Coordinate with Prowler about our businesstrip

>>5633426
>Pull her into a kiss. “I thought I told you not to make me wait so long next time.”

>>5633438
>>5633445
>>5633448
>>5633452
>>5633573
>>5633576
>>5633789
>Pull her into a kiss. “I thought I told you not to make me wait so long next time.”
>”I thought the point of us losing the costumes was to avoid drawing attention. There’s no way they’ll be able to ignore a couple of sexy beasts like us when we hit the streets.”

Sorry for the delay. Was incredibly tired when I got home

Taking these. Will start writing as soon as I'm done eating.

>>5634235
Were you a UK QM?

>>5634268
Nope, I just work shitty night shifts. Planning on switching jobs soon. I'm eager to get back to working a normal time.

>>5634272
I bet, hope you find someplace that's a good fit for you. You may want to look into working for Choice of Games and stuff. You'd fit right in and I could see you being one of their bestsellers.

>>5634273
>>5634268
Sorry left trip on

>>5634273
Wow, that's actually a huge compliment, anon. I really appreciate that. I love playing text adventures. I was thinking of making one at some point in the near future. I still want to brush up on my writing skills a bit before committing to that plan, however.

>>5634274
All good, homie

>>5634281
Anytime bae, don't forget about us anons when you make it to the bigtime lol

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Without hesitation, you pulled her into a kiss. Your lips met in an outpouring of affection and lust. Her tongue flicked out to caress yours, and your hands traveled down her back to grope her tight, firm backside. The heat and intensity of it all was enough to make even Black Cat blush.

After giving her ass another tight squeeze, you released each other and came up for air. The look in her eye was ravenous, and you half-expected her to dive in for more, but you were both too professional to go at it like animals right here on the tarmac.

“I thought I told you not to make me wait so long next time.” you said, staring down at her and stroking her cheek affectionately.

“Believe me, Huntsman. If I were capable of circumventing the politics involved with meeting the Great Families, I would do so in a heartbeat.” she explained, before giving you another lust-filled look. “Especially if it meant spending more ‘quality time’ with you.”

“That can still be arranged. It’s a decently long flight, and we’re gonna have a hotel room all to ourselves.” you noted.

Anastasia chuckled. “While you may have a point with the flight, I do think you’re forgetting an important factor in our plans.”

You tilted your head in confusion.

“We will not be sharing a hotel room. Doing so would draw suspicion to you when we reveal ourselves to The Family.”

Damn! You were really looking forward to getting a chance to roll around in the hay with this fiery wildcat. Oh, well. You’d just have to create your own opportunities later.

“Speaking of revealing ourselves, I feel like we’re somewhat defeating the purpose of going undercover.” you said, taking a step back and gesturing at yourself. “I thought the point of us losing the costumes was to avoid drawing attention. There’s no way they’ll be able to ignore a couple of sexy beasts like us when we hit the streets.”

Anastasia’s grin grew slightly. “There is such a thing as hiding in plain sight.” she reasoned. “Besides, I would not dare to tarnish the Kravinoff name by looking anything other than my best.”

Right. I guess that means you’ll be repping for the Parker clan this week.

Anastasia stepped aside and gestured for you to join your friends. “Come on. We’re wheels up in 30.”

“Alright, hold your horses, Hotch. I’m going, I’m going.” you said, holding your hands up in mock surrender and ascending the stairs leading up into the jet.

—-------

It didn’t take terribly long for you to stow your luggage away and find a seat. Much less so for Flint, since he had no need for a change or clothes or toiletries.

You still had some time before Ana gathered you all for a mid-flight debrief.

(Cont.)

What will you do?

>Sit with Prowler and discuss ways to hide your criminal activities from your loved ones.
>Sit with Black Cat and get the latest word on what’s been happening in the streets and criminal underbelly of New York.
>Hang out with Flint. The big guy was long overdue for a mental wellness check after everything that’s happened to him.
>Ask Ana more about her dealings with the Great Families.
>See if you can’t sneak in a quickie with Anastasia before you get down to serious business.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5634339
>Hang out with Flint. The big guy was long overdue for a mental wellness check after everything that’s happened to him.

>>5634340

>>See if you can’t sneak in a quickie with Anastasia before you get down to serious business.

>>5634340
>Hang out with Flint. The big guy was long overdue for a mental wellness check after everything that’s happened to him.
>Ask Ana more about her dealings with the Great Families.

>>5634340
>>Hang out with Flint. The big guy was long overdue for a mental wellness check after everything that’s happened to him.
>Ask Ana more about her dealings with the Great Families.

>>5634340
>>Sit with Prowler and discuss ways to hide your criminal activities from your loved ones.

>Hang out with Flint. The big guy was long overdue for a mental wellness check after everything that’s happened to him.

>>5634348
>>5634353
>>5634551
>>5634756
>Hang out with Flint. The big guy was long overdue for a mental wellness check after everything that’s happened to him.
>Ask Ana more about her dealings with the Great Families.

Taking these. Writing...

File: William_Baker_(Earth-5631(...).jpg (96 KB, 448x484)

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While you waited for the plane to take off, you got comfortable and sat next to Flint. While his suit looked rather impressive from a distance, you couldn’t help but notice the flaws that stuck out when you got too close. The suit was a bit too smooth in some places, and a bit too coarse and rough-looking in others. He tried his best to correct said errors, but for every wave and ripple that passed through the imaginary fabric, the more Flint risked exposing himself as a metahuman to the general public.

Of course, if this “Family” was anything like what Anastasia described them to be, it wouldn’t take them very long to figure out Flint’s identity if he ended up making a scene. He never wore a mask, after all. You were slightly worried about them tracing that relation back to Ben Parker, but that would require far more time and effort than you were willing to give them right now.

“Hey, man. How’re you holding up?” you asked, leaning over to address him.

Flint shifted in his seat slightly, and you could hear tiny grains of sand grinding and flaking against the expensive leather seats. “I’m alright. Just trying to make sure I can keep this up without losing focus.” he said, gesturing at his illusionary suit. “I wasn’t much of a snappy dresser before the accident, so it’s a bit harder for me to imagine myself wearing something like this. I think that’s what’s holding me back.”

That made sense. If Flint’s most comfortable mental image was of himself wearing that damn green striped shirt, then you imagined that it would be pretty difficult for him to sculpt himself into a detailed shape that he’d never taken before. Especially when his proportions weren’t entirely consistent at any given moment. It might be a while before he was comfortable taking on alternate forms like this, but you were glad that he was putting in the effort.

“Keep trying. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.” you said, lightly tapping your knuckle against his shoulder, and shaking a few more grains loose in the process. “We’ll let you know if you get a little too far from baseline.”

He gave you a weak smile. “Thanks. I’ve got pictures on my phone to make sure that I’ve got references to draw from. It ain’t exactly perfect or ideal, but it’s kinda fun to steal somebody’s look without having to leave the house.”

You couldn’t help but nod as the big guy took a moment to admire the fake-cufflinks attached to his sleeve. They seemed to be the most detailed parts of his ensemble. Maybe it was because your hands were the parts of your body that you tended to look at the most.

“I see what you mean.” you muttered, clearly impressed by Flint’s new shapeshifting prowess. “And…there isn’t anything else bothering you?”

(Cont.)

File: Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_(...).jpg (207 KB, 791x1200)

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Flint looked up from his cufflinks and gave you a long, searching look before laying back in his seat with a sigh. It was a curious action from a man that no longer needed to breathe, and it almost seemed as if his whole body had deflated from the gesture. And given his unusual anatomy, that just might have been the case.

“I’ve been…working on other things besides this, you know. Reading up on medical books and trying to recreate a tongue that can…you know, taste things.” admitted.

You sat up sharply. “And…?”

Flint shook his head. “I managed to taste ‘something’, but everything tastes like shit.”

“Well that’s a step in the right direction.” you said encouragingly.

Your best friend just shrugged at you. “Not good enough. I want to get back to where I was before the accident. I just want…”

Flint paused, looked down at his “suit”, and let out a groan when he noticed that it had turned into a swirling mass of untextured color. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath that he probably didn’t need, and the suit was back on him.

He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times before opening his eyes and continuing the conversation. “I just want to feel like myself again.”

What will you say?

>”After the incident, I made a promise to you that we’d find a way through this together. It’s time I made good on that promise. When we get back, you’re going to be my first priority. No more distractions.”
>”I haven’t been a very good friend to you lately. I got so caught up in my own stuff that I convinced myself that you were slowly accepting your situation.”
>”I’m sorry, man. I always feel like such an asshole whenever I eat or drink anything in front of you. As far as genetic mutations go, I sort of won the lottery here.”
>”You’ve done so much for me over the course of this year. And you never even complained that I was taking too long in paying you back. I want to do something to help you for once, instead of the other way around.”
>”You know, given her new situation, Vic probably wouldn’t care too much if she found out that you were made of sand. It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing in her life.”
>”As it so happens, I happen to know someone who knows a back-alley doctor. Maybe she can help you with the whole ‘tongue thing’.”
>“I’m potentially meeting up with Reed Richards once this is all over. If anyone can help you, it’s probably him.”
>”Is there anything else that you need? We’ve got a decently long flight ahead of us, so feel free to make a list. I’ll do my damnedest to make sure that you get everything you deserve.”
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5634841
>”After the incident, I made a promise to you that we’d find a way through this together. It’s time I made good on that promise. When we get back, you’re going to be my first priority. No more distractions.”
Flint marko arc
I really hope there isnt a sandy tongue creature that stole sandmans human form
I would ask reed richards for help but he cant even fix his rock man
Maybe a magical solution?

>>5634841
>”As it so happens, I happen to know someone who knows a back-alley doctor. Maybe she can help you with the whole ‘tongue thing’.”
>”You’ve done so much for me over the course of this year. And you never even complained that I was taking too long in paying you back. I want to do something to help you for once, instead of the other way around.”
>“I’m potentially meeting up with Reed Richards once this is all over. If anyone can help you, it’s probably him.”
>”Is there anything else that you need? We’ve got a decently long flight ahead of us, so feel free to make a list. I’ll do my damnedest to make sure that you get everything you deserve.””

>>5634841
Mix of everything but especially Vic.

>>5634841
>”I haven’t been a very good friend to you lately. I got so caught up in my own stuff that I convinced myself that you were slowly accepting your situation.”
>“I’m potentially meeting up with Reed Richards once this is all over. If anyone can help you, it’s probably him.”
>"There's some magic friends too..."
>"Whatever route you want to walk down on. Getting you back to base human, advancing this body to feel again, or crafting some avatar body with which you can feel things with for a while, whatever. I'll be there for you, okay?"

>>5634841
>”I haven’t been a very good friend to you lately. I got so caught up in my own stuff that I convinced myself that you were slowly accepting your situation.”
>“I’m potentially meeting up with Reed Richards once this is all over. If anyone can help you, it’s probably him.”
>"I’ve also met a god, and know plenty of magic users. If science’s solution isn’t good enough, each of them should have a path forward too.”
>”You know, given her new situation, Vic probably wouldn’t care too much if she found out that you were made of sand. It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing in her life.”

>>5634844
>>5634863
>>5634865
>>5634871
>>5635103
>”I haven’t been a very good friend to you lately. I got so caught up in my own stuff that I convinced myself that you were slowly accepting your situation.”
>“I’m potentially meeting up with Reed Richards once this is all over. If anyone can help you, it’s probably him.”
>"I’ve also met a god, and know plenty of magic users. If science’s solution isn’t good enough, each of them should have a path forward too.”

Taking these. I'll start writing as soon as I'm done eating

He's back!!!

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You lowered your head slightly and sat back in your chair, thumping your head against its plush padding.

“I haven’t been a very good friend to you lately. I got so caught up in my own stuff that I managed to convince myself that you were slowly accepting your situation.”

You knew that Flint was looking at you now, watching you intently, but you couldn’t bring yourself to meet his eyes just yet. An intense feeling of shame and guilt had washed over you as soon as the admission had left your lips.

“I’m potentially meeting up with Reed Richards once this is all over. If anyone can help you, then it’ll probably be him.” you continued.

Flint let out a dry chuckle. “Oh, yeah? No kidding? What would a rich egghead like him want with me?”

You could tell that he was just trying to brush aside the heavy atmosphere that had just fallen upon the cabin.

“He’s a known philanthropist and a superhero. So long as we don’t let it slip that you’re a crook, he shouldn’t have any problems with helping you out. Hell, even if he did know, he might still do it.” you said with a shrug. “And if he can’t help, there are other avenues for us to explore.”

Flint raised an eyebrow. “Like what?” he asked.

“Magic. I know more than a few people who’re good at it, and one of them should know something that can help you.”

Flint gave you a skeptical look. “I don’t know if I want some weird old wizard casting spells on me without me knowing what it is. Let’s try the science stuff before anything else.”

You nodded. “Fair enough.”

Flint wasn’t present during the majority of your Silvertongue mission, so he’s probably never really had a reason to rely on magic for much of anything. But you believed in leveraging every advantage that you could find, so even if you had to hire an alchemist to concoct an illegal potion, then you’d do whatever you had to if it meant fixing him.

—----------

A little while later, Flint got caught up in a conversation between Cat and Prowler, allowing you a moment alone with Anastasia. The plane had taken off a little while ago, so you were all being forced to stay in your seats for the time being.

“So, what was it like to meet the Great Families?” you asked.

Ana rolled her eyes. “Mostly? It was boring and frustrating. You get over the regal, pompous act and the ill deserved sense of majesty pretty quickly. Now I see why my father refuses to meet with them anymore than necessary.”

“I’m guessing you’re not a huge fan of theirs.”

“All they do is argue, Huntsman. It’s nothing but double meanings, loaded statements and ulterior motives at that summit. Elsa is one of the only ones who doesn’t make me want to tear my hair out.” she said, absently stroking the end of her long ponytail as it rested in her lap. “The sooner we get ‘The Family’ on our side, the better.”

(Cont.)

What will you say?

>”You’ve mentioned Elsa before. Are the two of you close?”
>”I guess no one ever told these guys that you don’t have to be a snob when you get rich.”
>"I hope they fight as well as they bicker. Is there anyone among them that I should be looking to make contact with?"
>”How’re your folks holding up at the Kravinoff estate after that whole ‘grandfather clone’ thing fell through?”
>”Then it’s a good thing you found an excuse to slip away. You look like you could use a vacation.”
>”Speaking of, we should probably start that debrief soon.”
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5635776
>”You’ve mentioned Elsa before. Are the two of you close?”
>”How’re your folks holding up at the Kravinoff estate after that whole ‘grandfather clone’ thing fell through?”
>”Speaking of, we should probably start that debrief soon.”

>>5635776
>”Then it’s a good thing you found an excuse to slip away. You look like you could use a vacation.”
>”You’ve mentioned Elsa before. Are the two of you close?”

>>5635776
>”You’ve mentioned Elsa before. Are the two of you close?”
>”How’re your folks holding up at the Kravinoff estate after that whole ‘grandfather clone’ thing fell through?”
>”Speaking of, we should probably start that debrief soon.”

3way with Elsa

>>5635776
>>”You’ve mentioned Elsa before. Are the two of you close?”
>”How’re your folks holding up at the Kravinoff estate after that whole ‘grandfather clone’ thing fell through?”

>>5635777
>>5635787
>>5635803
>>5636016
>”You’ve mentioned Elsa before. Are the two of you close?”
>”How’re your folks holding up at the Kravinoff estate after that whole ‘grandfather clone’ thing fell through?”

Taking these. Writing...

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“You’ve mentioned Elsa before. Are the two of you close?”

Anastasia gave you a rare, genuine smile. “Yes. She is a dear friend of the family. Her father and mine were comrades in the 1950’s when they did work for SHIELD. They had their fair share of differences, but they remained in contact after the team disbanded.” Ana explained.

“Sometime later, Ulysses Bloodstone had two children. One of which was Elsa. After his death, he left everything, his entire legacy to his estranged children. This included a great number of mystical relics, weapons, trophies, the entire Bloodstone estate, and a shard of her father’s Bloodgem.”

You gave her a questioning look. “Bloodgem?”

Ana nodded. “It is an ancient and powerful relic that grants the user supernatural abilities, such as superhuman strength, an enhanced regenerative healing factor, and a prolonged lifespan. She may appear to be young, but she’s much older than she looks. She and her assistant Frank would often watch over me when my family was preoccupied with important matters.”

You chucked a bit. “So she’s like your super nanny.”

Ana laughed as well. “In a manner of speaking, yes. I remember her being a constant fixture in my life. Her support in the Great Hunt is most comforting. Especially because of her immunity to vampire bites.”

You whistled. “Lemme guess. Another perk of having the Bloodgem?”

Ana nodded.

“That’s one hell of a package deal.”

A smirk formed on Ana’s lips as she leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially. “Just wait until you see her fire lasers from the palm of her hand. It’s quite impressive.”

“Sounds like Iron Man might want to file for copyright.”

Ana rolled her eyes. “Right. Because that is exactly what Tony Stark needs. More money.”

You arched an eyebrow at her. “Aren’t you rich too?”

Ana waved a hand impassively at you. “Yes, yes. But it’s more of a status symbol. We are wealthy, but we are not ‘Stark rich’.”

“Speaking of family, how’re your folks holding up at the Kravinoff estate after that whole ‘grandfather clone’ thing fell through?” you asked.

Ana sat back in her seat and let out a weary sigh. “Mother is angry with father for not following through with the plan, but it isn’t genuine anger. I think she just longs for the status and power that our family demanded when she had first married my father. But that is no fault of any individual person. My motherland has lost much of its prestige as a result of the Russian Revolution. My mother and father were only able to truly thrive after moving the main estate to Africa.”

“So…not much has changed, then?”

Ana shook her head. “No, not really. The goal remains the same. Only now we have a way forward that doesn’t disgrace our legacy beyond any hope of redemption.”

(Cont.)

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She turned a warm smile on you that caused your heart to flutter. “And I have you to thank for that.”

You returned the gesture. “Don’t thank me yet. We still need to make sure that the right people get behind this.”

“Yes. I suppose we should start the debrief soon.” Ana declared, getting up from her chair.

—-------

A little while later, Anastasia handed out folders to everyone present and made sure that you had time to read it before she started speaking.

“As some of you already know, The Family has multiple factions that contribute to its overall wealth. Rollo of Area 52, Gloria Munoz of the Mirage Hotel, Roberto Da Costa of the Wax Celebrity Museum, Mr. Delhi of the Devil’s Den, Silas Thorne of the Forbidden City, and Cassandra Mercury of Mercury Rising.” Ana said, sitting in her chair once more, her back straight as a rail.

“I didn’t hear about those last two until just now, actually. My informant neglected to…inform me of them.” you admitted.

Ana gave you a slight nod. “That is not very surprising. These two aren’t very well known for being involved in The Family’s dealings. They were mostly inducted into the syndicate as a method of restricting the growth of their respective businesses. They pay a monthly fee, and The Family doesn’t interfere with their profits.”

Felicia made a thoughtful noise. “Makes sense. Mercury Rising is one of the biggest casinos out there. If the Family didn’t control it, it’d be serious competition for them.”

“So Thorne and Mercury get sworn into the family, but they don’t even get a seat at the table.” Prowler added.

“They’re often too busy fighting with one another to worry about anything else.” said Ana. “Although, it’s almost always Thorne who’s antagonizing his sister, trying to goad her into retaliating in such a way that violates the terms of their contract. ‘Family’ aren’t allowed to fight openly.”

“Must be nice.” you muttered.

“Does this really change anything about our plans?” Flint asked.

Ana shook her head. “No. The plan remains the same. We contact Gloria Munoz and see if we can earn her support. We land in a little over an hour. It is entirely up to you whether we go straight to Gloria or unwind a bit before we get down to business. I am not exactly in a rush to return to the summit, so please, do take your time.”

(Cont.)

What do you intend to do when you land?

>Go straight to Gloria Munoz at the Mirage Hotel. You’d like to get the business out of the way as soon as possible.
>What else was there to do in Vegas? Gamble!
>Go check out a magic show to kill time. You saw an ad for one that’s supposed to be absolutely mind-blowing!
>Take Ana on a gondola ride. It’s a little early for romance, but you definitely think you can swing it.
>Walk the strip with the Desperados and see the sights!
>Catch a show. You’ve always wanted to check out Cirque d’ Soleil.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5636493
>Go straight to Gloria Munoz at the Mirage Hotel. You’d like to get the business out of the way as soon as possible.
Business before pleasure

>>5636493
>Go straight to Gloria Munoz at the Mirage Hotel. You’d like to get the business out of the way as soon as possible.

>>5636493
Will they know we are coming? It'd be a bit rude to just barge in with the door.
Announce ourselves, let them collect themselves while we have some fun.
>What else was there to do in Vegas? Gamble!
Since we expect to be watched, try and lose a considerable sum on purpose for them to let their guard down.

>>5636493
>>Catch a show. You’ve always wanted to check out Cirque d’ Soleil.

>>5636539
Support. Get a t-shirt for Cindy and a VHS for the morlocks.

>>5636493
>Catch a show. You’ve always wanted to check out Cirque d’ Soleil.
Great chance to snag some souvenirs and steal some of their moves.
Perfect equilibrium is great and all, but that's no reason not to learn from the professionals.

>>5636493
>Catch a show. You’ve always wanted to check out Cirque d’ Soleil.
Why not? Pay our respects to the people who earned their balancing skills.

>>5636539
>>5636566
>>5636585
>>5636687
>Catch a show. You’ve always wanted to check out Cirque d’ Soleil.

A surprising development! Writing...

File: 388.jpg (3.82 MB, 4032x3024)

3.82 MB JPG

Since you were going to be here for a while, you might as well try and catch a quick show. You’ve always wanted to see Cirque du Soleil, and now was as good an opportunity as any.

Sure, you pretty much had a perfect sense of balance and a superhuman sense of agility, but you didn’t have to train to attain any of that. Watching actual, practiced professionals at work, contorting their bodies into seemingly impossible shapes and performing jaw-dropping feats of athleticism was an exhilarating feeling. Especially since most performers prided themselves on not having any metahumans, mutates, or mutants of any kind in their troupe. It was all natural. The perfect culmination of human effort, talent and willpower.

Somehow, in a world of giant killer robots and space warlords, little things like this never ceased to amaze you.

When you gave voice to your idea, everyone agreed that it was a fine way to kick off your first day in Vegas.

—--------

Once the plane landed, you and the others snatched up your bags, gave them to Flint to hold, and then snuck out of the private jet under Prowler’s Invisibility Cloak. It wasn’t flawless by any means, but at the very least, you managed to avoid being spotted by any of the people that had been watching Ana’s family jet the moment it landed.

After that, the four of you went your separate ways, slipping out of the cloak one at a time, and pretending that nothing was at all unusual about a man appearing out of thin air in broad daylight. You at least tried to make it a bit subtle, but you were sure that someone, somewhere had spotted the strange phenomenon. You just hoped that it wouldn’t be traced back to Ana so soon.

Of course, there wasn’t any helping the stares you were getting. People were bound to stare when you walked outside looking this good.

—------

A few minutes later, you caught a cab to the Mirage Hotel and generously tipped the driver before getting out and stopping to marvel at the sight before you.

An artificial rock formation surrounded by clear water and palm trees stood in front of a tall, multi-story obtuse-shaped building. It was still bright out, so the volcano wasn’t “erupting” yet, but you thought the sight and sound of the palm trees swaying in the breeze was pretty nice. Surprisingly, the weather was pretty fair at this time of year. It wasn’t overly hot like you’d been expecting in a desert region, but you knew enough to be prepared for the nights to be much colder.

After taking a few pictures of you posing in front of the hotel, you grabbed your bags and made for the hotel entrance. On the way in, you passed by a pool and various restaurants that would’ve been extremely tempting if you hadn’t already eaten on the way over. You hadn’t even made it through the front door, and you were already blown away.

(Cont.)

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But that feeling was almost immediately overwritten when you entered the main lobby. Foliage and colorful, vibrant flowers lined the walkway that led to the reception desk, along with yet more palm trees, stretching up to the glass dome that encapsulated the entire room. Warm, sunrays shone down from above, but the well-regulated temperature made it feel infinitely more bearable than you would’ve originally thought.

To your great pleasure, the amount of attention you were receiving because of your expensive suit had actually increased now that you were indoors. You received a few winks that you returned from over your sunglasses, while covertly keeping an eye out for Munoz.

Ana provided you with more than a few pictures of her, but she didn’t appear to be anywhere in the lobby. Not that you expected her to be. That would’ve been one hell of a coincidence. But, it didn’t cost you anything to keep an eye out, just in case.

—------

After confirming your reservation and acquiring your room key, you took the elevator up to your room to drop off your bags and check the place out. The room you’d booked had been on the expensive side, but it was nowhere near as steep as what Ana had booked.

For someone who slept in the park, she had expensive tastes. But…that was to be expected. She was an important person, and she wanted to be seen as such. And while you could’ve afford to stay closer to her in a hotel like this, you thought it best to keep your distance for now. At least until you’ve met with Gloria.

While you waited for the others to get here and get ready, you unpacked your bags, checked for hidden recording devices, and made sure that your suit was in pristine condition. The fur cloak made it difficult to wear it under your clothes, so you usually stored it in a bookbag, or something. But here…you wondered if you could get away with something so conspicuous. Everyone was going to be watching you and Ana closely. Really, anyone who spent time around her in public would be a target for intense scrutiny.

Would you risk carrying your suit around with you? And if so, what would you carry it in?

>Same as usual. You’d keep it in your backpack. It sort of clashed with the suit, but it wasn’t the strangest thing to see in the world.
>You’d store it in a briefcase. It matched the suit, and made you look like a man that shouldn’t be trifled with.
>Ask Flint if you can store your suit inside of his body. Surely he can afford to spare a bit of space.
>Consult the others on their suit storage methods. Maybe they knew something that could help.
>Leave it hidden in your room. It’s better not to leave anything to chance.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5636786
>Consult the others on their suit storage methods. Maybe they knew something that could help.
>You’d store it in a briefcase. It matched the suit, and made you look like a man that shouldn’t be trifled with.

>>5636786
>You’d store it in a briefcase. It matched the suit, and made you look like a man that shouldn’t be trifled with.
Best that we keep it on our person.

>>5636786
>You’d store it in a briefcase. It matched the suit, and made you look like a man that shouldn’t be trifled with.
Yeah, I’d prefer to keep it close rather than in a room when we’re not in it. I’d ask the others, but we’re trying not to draw too much attention together.

>>5636786
Leave it hidden in your room. It’s better not to leave anything to chance.

This reminds me of staying at the Fairmont hotels in new Orleans and San Francisco. Before all the spice wardens came around.

>>5636786
>>You’d store it in a briefcase. It matched the suit, and made you look like a man that shouldn’t be trifled with.
You know, most of our rogues gallery is already accounted for except for one noticeable missing link, who I think would feel really at home in Las Vegas

>>5636786
>>You’d store it in a briefcase. It matched the suit, and made you look like a man that shouldn’t be trifled with.

>>5636789
>>5636806
>>5636814
>>5636915
>You’d store it in a briefcase. It matched the suit, and made you look like a man that shouldn’t be trifled with.

Taking these. Writing...

File: mirage-rooms.jpg (282 KB, 1601x1149)

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If you had to choose, you’d probably store it in a briefcase. It wasn’t exactly the most inconspicuous thing in the world, but it certainly did provide a whole new edge to your fancy outfit. You thought it made you look a little more dangerous. Not a bad appearance to have in the City of Sin.

You’d have to make sure that no one could easily find it if they ever searched you, though. It was a good thing that you knew a thing or two about smuggling. If you placed the suit in a vacuum sealed bag and hid it in the inner lining of the briefcase, you could probably get away with carrying it out in public. Your utility belt would be a bit trickier.

Maybe you could have the bottom unfold into a hidden compartment? You’d have to do some experimenting. At the very least, you had some time before the others were going to be ready. And while you waited, you could enjoy the beautiful view outside your window.

—--------

When the others were ready, you waited a few minutes, checked that your equipment was stored away properly, and made for the main lobby. You tried your very best not to glance at the white-haired woman having an animated conversation with one of the hotel staff, and instead kept your eyes glued to the casino as you stepped outside.

The five of you had agreed to meet at the Bellagio Hotel, where the show was going to be held. It was technically a rival business to Gloria’s, but you doubted that she’d even notice that you and the others went. If anything, Anastasia’s movements were probably the only ones she was even remotely concerned about. New people came and went every day, and you were no more suspicious than the average every-man.

—-----

As soon as you arrived at the Bellagio, you loitered around the lobby for a bit before running into the rest of the Desperados. You all treated it as if it were a complete coincidence that you all just happened to run into one another, and fell into your usual casual rhythm in record timing.

Thankfully, no one gave you any shit about the briefcase, so you kept it with you at all times. You couldn’t see how Prowler and Felicia were concealing their uniforms, but you weren’t about to ask in public.

When Anastasia entered the lobby, no one acknowledged her beyond a cursory glance. Instead, you sent her a message telling her where you were going to be sitting, and entered the auditorium for the show. You and the others filed into the room along with everyone else, carefully positioning ourselves close enough to chat, but far enough away to throw off anyone who might be trying to gather information from the audience.

It was tedious work for something so simple, but you weren’t trying to take any chances when you were on someone else’s turf. You would either have to play by their rules, or bend them just far enough for them to not take an interest in you.

(Cont.)

File: o-at-the-bellagio-las.jpg (339 KB, 1400x809)

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Despite all this, however, Anastasia showed no restraint in sitting right next to you without you having to say anything. The two of you engaged in light conversation as the room slowly filled, but when the lights dimmed and the music swelled, everyone around you fell silent.

The show was about to begin.

—----------

Over the next hour, you watched in utter amazement as contortionists, acrobats and performers pushed their bodies to their limit, as well as the boundaries of what should be possible for an above-average human.

You and Anastasia oohed and aahed, leaning in close to whisper to one another each time something incredible happened. You relished the feeling of her warmth in the relatively cold room, and the way her breath tickled your ear with each and every hushed consonant, straining to be heard over the catchy music they would play to aid in their performance.

But more than that, you found yourself paying close attention to the flowing movements and techniques of the aerial performers. The way they fluidly transitioned into dazzling poses while paying close attention to the speed at which they were moving, their height from the ground, the distance from one platform to the other, and their body’s position in the air.

It was strange to pick apart all the little things you found yourself doing unconsciously, and you had to wonder whether you could improve by watching trained professionals at work, instead of just winging it like you always did.

Sometimes, practice and knowledge were better than pure instinct.

As the show came to close, you all rose to your feet and began applauding loudly. The performers collectively took a bow, and you were about to point out which ones you thought did the best job, when a sudden realization dawned upon you.

There were more performers onstage than there should have been. And some of them hadn’t even been a part of the show.

You frowned and scrutinized them further, noticing that the new group stood out from the rest in terms of costume design and behavior. But it wasn’t until the one in the green suit and the tall top-hat stepped forward that the others noticed what you had been watching for.

“Thank you, thank you! You’re too kind!” the old man shouted, drawing everyone’s attention to him. The other performers were looking at him strangely now, and you could see some people signaling for security to take control of the situation.

“While it pains me to intrude on another troupe’s performance and spoil their grand finale, I simply couldn’t pass up the chance to speak with you all now that you’re gathered together in the same room like this.”

(Cont.)

File: 7882284-rco019_1467818355.jpg (208 KB, 783x960)

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A large screen lowered from the ceiling, and your eyes darted between it and the man addressing the entire audience. An enlarged image of his face appeared on the screen, giving you a close-up of the strange invader that barged his way on stage. He wore a bright, green suit covered in black stars, a purple top-hat with a swirling circle in the center, a black bolo tie, and round, thick-rimmed glasses. The strange man appeared to be getting up in his years, and he carried a long black cane in his gloved hands.

You glanced at Anastasia, and she gave you a concerned look.

“Now, I need you all to listen to me very carefully.” the man said, reaching for his hat and spinning the circular mechanism. “Help me rob this city blind!”

Almost instinctively, you shut your eyes upon feeling your spider-sense flare up, and you held them tight for what felt like an eternity, but was probably only about a minute and a half in real time.

When your spider-sense stopped buzzing, you opened your eyes again, only to see that everyone in the audience was staring blankly at the screen. Even Anastasia, Felicia and Prowler. Curiously enough, Flint was the only other person you had seen that didn’t appear to be affected at all. You guessed that being a big, sentient pile of sand without any discernible human biology had its advantages.

“Follow me, my impressionable minions! And together, we shall paint this city green!”

The guy in the green suit began to crackle as he twirled his cane, his unruly circus troupe laughing along with him. This was getting a little out of hand…

What will you do?

>Bend down until you’re out of sight and change into your Huntsman outfit. You should put an end to this before any of these people get hurt.
>Tell Flint to prevent these people from leaving to the best of his ability. Once you have enough of them detained, you can go after the perpetrators.
>Pretend to be hypnotized and follow the others outside. As soon as you get an opportunity to take this guy out, you’ll take it. You don’t need to be in costume to kick this wimp’s ass.
>Pretend to be hypnotized and just go with the flow. You’re curious to see how The Family handles “in-house” problems such as these.
>Use this as an opportunity to thrash the Bellagio Hotel. Maybe Gloria will be happy to discover that you helped her cripple the competition.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5637237
>Bend down until you’re out of sight and change into your Huntsman outfit. You should put an end to this before any of these people get hurt.
>Tell Flint to prevent these people from leaving to the best of his ability. Once you have enough of them detained, you can go after the perpetrators.

>>5637237
>Bend down until you’re out of sight and change into your Huntsman outfit. You should put an end to this before any of these people get hurt.
Imagine putting so many civilians in harm's way for such a vague score. Remember, professionals have standards.

>>5637237
>>Bend down until you’re out of sight and change into your Huntsman outfit. You should put an end to this before any of these people get hurt.

>>5637237
>Pretend to be hypnotized and just go with the flow. You’re curious to see how The Family handles “in-house” problems such as these.

We are on a mission still. From all we heard they don't appreciate costumed hero's here, at least all the people we are trying to work with don't. I figure we can still step in if the standard 'security forces' response isn't sufficient.

>Write-in.
>Attempt to stealthily break the Desperadoes out of the trance and bring them and Flint in on trying to play along.

>>5637237
>>Tell Flint to prevent these people from leaving to the best of his ability. Once you have enough of them detained, you can go after the perpetrators.

>>5637694
+1

>>5637250
>>5637418
>>5637447
>Bend down until you’re out of sight and change into your Huntsman outfit. You should put an end to this before any of these people get hurt.

Taking these. Writing...

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As fast as you could manage, you bent down, opened your briefcase and retrieved your Huntsman costume and utility belt. You had a bit of room to change into it, but you’d have to take it slow so as to avoid ripping your suit or getting it dirty. Oh, and to avoid being discovered, of course.

But with the hat guy’s last command, everyone turned all at once, and began marching towards the doors. Countless pairs of legs either stepped over you or threatened to push you over as you struggled to change into your other suit.

Thankfully Flint had the presence of mind to try and snatch up the people stepping all over you, and blocking off the path, while pretending that he was trying to detain them.

Good going, pal!

Unfortunately, the Ringmaster didn’t take too kindly to Flint’s interference.

“You there, in the striped, green shirt! What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

"Uh...your show stinks! I want my money back!" he barked back.

The hat guy bared his teeth in a snarl. "I assure you, my dimwitted friend, the show has only just begun!"

While Flint tried to conjure up a witty comeback, you used this opportunity to slink off into a dark corner and finish changing. Now all you had to do was fold your suit nicely, place it back in the briefcase and…there! You were ready to go!

You climbed onto the wall, swung up to the ceiling and proceeded to slather the screen above in webbing. Within seconds, the entire thing was covered in thick layers of gossamer. This, of course, did not go unnoticed.

The circus troupe was pointing and shouting up at you, and it quickly became obvious that the element of surprise had been lost to you. Resigning yourself to a straightforward battle, you launched yourself towards the stage and prepared for whatever these freaks might throw your way.

>Roll 1d100, bo3!
>Write-in quips or combat dialogue as you see fit. (Or not. It’s up to you, really.)

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5637992
House always wins

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5637992
>"Your mind control slides right off of our smooth brains!"

>>5637997
I smooth brain'd my roll, someone help

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>5637992

>>5637992

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>5638037

>>5637995
>>5637997
>>5638019
>37

Taking these. Writing...

File: 785816-cc1.jpg (123 KB, 493x699)

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>37

“Your mind control slides right off of our smooth brains!” you shouted, descending upon the gaggle of idiots like a bat fresh out of hell.

“Well, I guess my friend’s is a little more on the coarse and grainy side. But you get the point.”

Right before you hit the ground, a thick, white cable flew through the air to ensnare your foot. You attempted to avoid it, but the way that it coiled and writhed mid-flight made it seem as if it had a mind of it’s own!

The lasso wrapped around your leg and pulled you down hard onto the stage. It wasn’t much of a hard landing, but it threw you off balance and kept you locked down. A cursory glance around the stage told you that the lasso was being handled by some joker in a cowboy outfit.

The man in the green suit let out a wicked laugh. “Come now. If my inferiors insult their own intelligence before I get the chance to, then what does that leave me with?”

“I guess that puts you in an ‘8-Mile situation’.” you grunted. “You’ve got no other options but to throw in the towel.”

You attempted to snap the cable with your bare hands, but a bald, buff guy grabbed the other end and yanked you towards him violently before you got a chance to do anything else. You winced slightly as your back scraped against the stone floor, but judging by the growing shadow that was rapidly expanding around you, chafing was the least of your worries.

A thick, heavyset woman had leapt into the air while you were distracted, and her massive ass was rapidly approaching your face with unsettling speed!

“Holy-!”

Your eyes shot open, and you managed to roll to the side just in time to avoid being flattened. The ground shook with her landing, as did the countless rolls of fat and the truckload of blubber coating her large body. You actually bounced a few inches off the ground when she slammed down behind you!

On the bright side, you weren’t a spider-pancake. However, the cowboy somehow managed to coil the cable up and around your torso so as to ensnare you even further. And to make matters worse, the fat lady was pinning part of the cable down with her considerable bulk.

Or…wait. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing!

Sure, pinning the rope locked down your movement considerably, but it also meant that the strong-man couldn’t yank you around like he’d done before. And with the cable wrapped around your torso, you should be able to…there!

You flexed your pectorals and biceps, and pulled! The cable snapped as if it had been made of twine. Celebrating your newfound freedom, you rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the fat lady rolling over to crush every bone in your body.

But as soon as you got up, you found yourself in the unfortunate position of being placed on the backfoot by a swashbuckling swordsman. He swung, slashed and stabbed with reckless abandon, all without losing the precision and power behind his attacks.

(Cont.)

File: 2662138-avengersbuscema2.jpg (558 KB, 1101x1647)

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This guy was no Snowsnake, but you couldn’t deny that he knew what he was doing. On any other day, you’d probably wipe the floor with him. But with this many people gunning for you all at once…

The tip of his blade grazed your chest, tearing some of the fabric, and you snapped.

The next time he attempted to run you through, you skipped forward with blinding speed, catching him off-guard with a swift elbow to the cheek. You felt something crack under the weight of your blow.

But before you could press the advantage, a blur of fur, fangs and fury tackled you to the ground. It was a bengal tiger, and it was full of piss and vinegar!

The fearsome beast snarled, snapped and clawed at your face and throat, and it took a considerable amount of effort to avoid having your throat torn out. At the very least, having this thing’s hot breath fog up your lenses was well worth the protection he offered you. If he was their pet, then they probably wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. He might be big and scary, but until further notice, he was your shield!

As if to prove you wrong, a wickedly sharp dagger flew past your face and buried itself into the ground near you. That was uncomfortably close!

You traced the angle the knife had flown back to what appeared to be a clown holding a handful of them! He was laughing to himself, eyeing up his next shot and preparing to throw another. You didn’t give him the chance.

With a swift kick, you sent the tiger flying towards the clown. Both man and beast crumpled to the ground in a heap, allowing you some breathing room to roll off of your back and reorient yourself. Why the fuck were you struggling with these clowns? You defeated Typhoid Mary, for Christ’s sake! And with Callisto’s training, you should be mopping the floor with them.

Feeling a hot anger flowing through your veins, you glanced back and forth between the circus troupe for your next opponent. Eventually, your eyes landed on the guy in the green suit, and you grinned evilly.

Yes! If you could take out their leader, maybe you could get this situation under control and-

A fierce, deafening trumpet filled the auditorium, causing you to freeze in place involuntarily. A rumbling sensation reverberated through your body and the entire stage in rhythmic bursts, and it took you a while to realize that they were in fact footfalls. Footfalls created by a truly massive creature. And judging from the noise it just made, you had a good feeling of what was behind curtain #3…

“Get him, Rawal!” the man in green shouted, pointing a finger directly at you. Immediately afterwards, an enormous, bull elephant stormed onto the stage and lowered its head as if to gore you with its massive tusks. You leapt out of the way to avoid them, only to have the creature’s thick trunk wrap around your torso and pull you into the air.

(Cont.)

File: A1whLQPSF1L._UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg (259 KB, 1000x1000)

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You knew you should have burned its flesh with your Mark, shot some web into its eye to blind it, or really, done anything at all other than struggle feebly in its grasp. But the whole thing had happened so fast that you couldn’t properly react to any of it. Your life had always been a weird one, but this was beyond any of your expectations for the night.

Perhaps sensing your intent to cause it harm, the giant elephant lifted you up even higher and threw you back into the stands. Your back exploded in pain as soon as it crashed into the seats where the audience had just been sitting.

You groaned and blinked several times, struggling to untangle yourself from the bent metal and plastic of the ruined seats, when multiple shadows fell over you.

Without even realizing it, you had been surrounded by the hypnotized victims of the deranged circus troupe. Where there had once been blank, neutral expressions, you saw eyes filled with indescribable rage and balled up fists. And what was worse, you saw your teammates and prospective lover standing among them.

“Change of plans!” the man in green shouted, his voice still amplified, if not slightly distorted, by the large screen overhead. “I will need some volunteers to stay behind and deal with this petulant pest of a man!”

His circus troupe laughed mockingly as they turned and prepared to leave you to your fate.

What will you do?

>Use your remaining web bombs to detain the hypnotized victims.
>Crush a garlic pepper pellet in your hand and throw it into the eyes of your assailants.
>Leave these guys to Flint and go straight for the Ringmaster again. You’ve gotta get your hands on that hat!
>Fall back with Flint until you could come up with a better plan. You might need some more backup.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5638135
>Leave these guys to Flint and go straight for the Ringmaster again. You’ve gotta get your hands on that hat!

>>5638135
>>Leave these guys to Flint and go straight for the Ringmaster again. You’ve gotta get your hands on that hat!

>>5638135
>Crush a garlic pepper pellet in your hand and throw it into the eyes of your assailants.
>Call out the attack
"Garlic Attack!"

>>5638135
>>Leave these guys to Flint and go straight for the Ringmaster again. You’ve gotta get your hands on that hat!

>>5638162
>>5638476
>>5638926
>Leave these guys to Flint and go straight for the Ringmaster again. You’ve gotta get your hands on that hat!

Taking these. Writing...

File: 1548603-coc3.jpg (73 KB, 377x491)

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Before anyone could make a move on you, you rolled back onto your hands and feet and sprang up into the air, out of anyone’s reach. Their eyes and hands chased after you with malicious intent, But Flint appeared to be trying his very best to keep them all in check. He might’ve been able to subdue the entire room if he had enough mass to work with, but you both had to play the cards you were dealt.

In this particular situation, you felt it best to pursue the Ringmaster and snatch that hat away from him. You weren’t entirely sure if destroying it would break these people out of their trances, but you figured that everyone would be much better off if it were in your hands instead of his.

“Keep these people busy! I’m going after the head honcho.” you declared, swinging down towards where the circus troupe disappeared behind the curtains.

"Can we switch jobs? Mine is wearing me down in more ways than one!" Flint complained, his body stretching out multiple directions in an effort to wrangle the audience. Every now and again, they'd take a swipe at his head in an effort to incapacitate him, only for it to fold in on itself and reform an instant later.

He could've easily solidified the sand and deflected their attacks, but that plan ran the risk of having the hypnotized masses becoming from their own attacks. Soft, pliable sand hurt a lot less than solid concrete, after all.

What are your plans for dealing with these guys?

>Attempt to tail them in secret until you can find an opportunity to ambush their leader.
>Hijack their elephant and use him to take them out.
>Fill the area with web grenades and disable some of the more meddlesome members of their troupe.
>Use your hidden guns to shoot that stupid hat off of the Ringmaster’s head!
>Fall into the rhythm that Callisto’s been trying to drill into you. You fight much better in enclosed spaces, 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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5639086
>Use your hidden guns to shoot that stupid hat off of the Ringmaster’s head!
>Fill the area with web grenades and disable some of the more meddlesome members of their troupe.

>>5639086
>Just web the hat and yank it off.

>>5639086
Webline our dagger and try to slash the hat.

>>5639100
>>5639149
>>5639156
Hmm, it seems like votes have really slowed down here. Should I take these and just move forward with a general "Take the hat" vote?

>>5639920
I have no problem with the hat yoink

>>5639920
Yes

>>5639100
>>5639149
>>5639156
>>5639924
>>5639928
>Just web the hat and yank it off.

Gotcha. Taking these. Writing...

>>5639920
I feel combat strategy is not our strong suit

>>5639933
We just like to throw things at the wall to see if they
Stick

File: Spoiler Image (86 KB, 720x765)

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You swung down towards the stage and through the curtains, encountering the elephant almost immediately. This time, he wasn’t ready for you, so all he did was rear back in shock and anger, blaring his trumpet at you again. There appeared to be a middle-aged Indian man on his back now, but he had his hands full getting the animal under control.

You tried your best to ignore them, and instead kept an eye out for the cowboy, the only one among them capable of snatching you out of the air. You found him easily, thanks to his outlandish costume. He had a new lasso made of the same material, but since you knew exactly what he was going to do, you were able to shut him down with a quick, precise web-shot. That should keep him busy long enough for you to get in and get out.

Right as the Ringmaster began to turn around, you snatched his hat right off of his head. But before it reached your hand, a tiny mechanical claw flew past your face and snatched it away from you!

You whirled around to see a young girl with brown hair tied into a ponytail, and plain white t-shirt, and tight jeans. She wore a pair of slightly oversized aviators with golden lenses, and the smug grin of a fisherman that had just reeled in their catch of the day.

“Yoink! Looks like we had the same idea.” she said, without a hint of malice.

Who is this kid? Was she a member of the audience?

“Give me that!” the Ringmaster demanded.

The girl held the hat possessively in both hands, the crimson claw-like device dangling from wire attached to her wrist as she pulled her prize away from him. “No way, Jose. I stole this fair and square.” she proclaimed, turning her attention back to you. “Any chance you know how to turn this thing off?”

You shrugged. “Not a clue. I was thinking of either smashing it or studying it.”

The young girl nodded to herself, seemingly coming to a decision. “Ight. Guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way.”

She yanked on the swirling in the center, causing several sparks to fly from the damaged circuitry underneath.

You expected the Ringmaster to be furious at this new development, but he only laughed derisively at her.

“Foolish child! Do you really think I’d allow you to steal my hat if it were truly my only source of power?” he asked, twirling his curly mustache between two gloved fingers. “No, I’m afraid that you’ll find it very difficult to disable me with cheap tricks.”

The Ringleader then reached up to remove his glasses, revealing a pair of monochrome, swirling orbs where his eyes should be. “The hat is merely a relic. A centerpiece, in a manner of speaking.”

The girl gave the goofy villain a pitying look, before shaking her head and making a tutting gesture by clicking her tongue. You could just barely make out a few muttered words in Spanish. “Man...you really, really shouldn’t have told me that.”

(Cont.)

File: Spoiler Image (273 KB, 486x487)

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The Ringmaster was visibly confused by her reaction. As was the rest of the circus troupe.

The girl let out a sharp whistle and nodded towards the Ringmaster. “Benga, Benga! You’re up.”

You looked back towards the Ringmaster, only to find that a young girl with dark skin was now standing behind him. It seemed to surprise the rest of the RIngmaster’s cronies as well. When they warned him of her presence, he turned around sharply, backed up a few steps and gripped his cane like a baseball bat.

Despite this, the new girl boldly stepped forward in an almost casual manner and reached up towards his face. It was slow at first, and the Ringmaster was just about to swat her hand away, when it suddenly blurred!

For a split second, you actually lost track of it, and you momentarily forgot that you were surrounded by prospective enemies as you leaned in to get a better angle.

An anguished scream filled the air, and the Ringmaster fell onto his back, clutching his face and crying pitifully. Tears of blood came streaming down his face, and his circus troupe gawked at him, at a loss for how to react.

Slowly, everyone’s eyes went back to the new girl, and then focused on the two bloody, black and white orbs in her hands. She glanced down at them impassively, juggling between her fingers as if they were a pair of colorful marbles. Her expression hadn’t shifted in the slightest at any point during the event. She was like a sphinx. Even more so than Hill or Pandora.

Actually, no. That was wrong. She was expressing the slightest feeling of displeasure at holding the fake eyes. Less because her hands were covered in blood and gore, and more because she seemed averse to staining her white hoodie.

As the Ringmaster’s cronies rushed to his side, the one known as “Benga” looked around the room until her eyes locked onto you. She raised her hands slightly, apparently…offering the eyes to you to hold?

Didn’t she care that the other goons were closing in on her while she was distracted?

What will you do?

>Accept the eyes. It was gross as hell, but you could probably find a use for them later.
>Deny her offer and point towards her friend. You don’t want to fucking hold those things.
>Ignore the offer and take advantage of the momentary distraction to dispatch the remaining criminals.
>Fire a pair of weblines at the boat prop dangling overhead and pull it down on top of the elephant.
>Sit back and watch. You were curious to see how competent these guys were. If it started to look like they’d need your help, then you’d step in.
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5640059
>Accept the eyes. It was gross as hell, but you could probably find a use for them later.
Eyes sell for a lot on the black market i think
We shouls get these chilled asap

>>5640059
>Accept the eyes. It was gross as hell, but you could probably find a use for them later.
>Make a mental note to get these in a bag and on ice when this is all said and done. It'd be a shame to have them rot in one of your pouches.
>Fire a pair of weblines at the boat prop dangling overhead and pull it down on top of the elephant.

>>5640059
>Ignore the offer and take advantage of the momentary distraction to dispatch the remaining criminals.
>Fire a pair of weblines at the boat prop dangling overhead and pull it down on top of the elephant.

>>5640061
>>5640062
>>5640080
>Accept the eyes. It was gross as hell, but you could probably find a use for them later.
>Fire a pair of weblines at the boat prop dangling overhead and pull it down on top of the elephant.

If nothing changes, I'll post an update tomorrow morning with these two votes.

>>5640059
>>Fire a pair of weblines at the boat prop dangling overhead and pull it down on top of the elephant.
>Fire a pair of weblines at the boat prop dangling overhead and pull it down on top of the elephant.

Back now. Writing...

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For reasons that you were beginning to deeply regret, you raised your hands so as to receive the eyes. Benga nodded slightly, wound her hand back and tossed them with full force in your direction. You caught them both easily, but you couldn’t help shivering as sleek blood coated your hand and seeped through your gloves a bit.

Surprisingly, the eyes didn’t feel soft or squishy like real eyes should, so you could only assume that they were cybernetic implants. They really were like marbles, after all.

You spared a glance for the girls, just to see how they were handling themselves. Benga was dancing and dodging around her oncoming assailants as if she’d rehearsed this. You had a hard time believing that anyone other than the cowboy would even have a chance of laying a hand on her. There were a few close calls, but that was mostly due to her hair flopping around with her each and every sharp movement.

Her partner, the one with the dark hair, was simply waiting and watching with a relaxed smile on her face. Despite her being the one to steal the hat and break it, everyone else had all but forgotten her presence after what happened to their leader. And you couldn’t blame them. Shit was brutal.

After a few seconds, you saw the girl glancing in your direction as if to say “Feel free to step in at any time”. She clearly had no intention of risking her own neck any further than she already had.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity, you created a web sack to contain the eyes and shoved them into one of the pouches of your utility belt.

>Hypnotic Eyes have been placed into your inventory!

With that out of the way, you scanned the room for an appropriate target. Who was the one you’d had the most trouble with in your previous engagement? The elephant? But how were you supposed to…aha!

You chuckled to yourself, and fired a pair at the dangling boat prop attached to the ceiling by a series of wires. With a sharp tug, you managed to snap the hooks and restraints holding the prop vessel in place. You continued to pull as the boat creaked and strained against the steel wires, steering it towards the elephant that hadn’t noticed what you were doing yet. By the time its large head swiveled to face you, it was already too late.

Seeing what was coming, the elephant rider jumped ship just in time to avoid having your ship slam into him. The gargantuan beast let out a loud, trumpeting cry as he toppled to the ground, clearly in pain and unable to get up. You were careful to hit it with the underside of the mast, so as to not run it through with the wooden pole. You were not at all in the mood to clean up elephant guts.

Predictably, the sound of both the impact and the elephant’s cries had drawn the attention of the others. However, this time, you were ready for them.

(Cont.)

File: df32es3-361d8ff2-9b7d-45a(...).jpg (811 KB, 2560x1440)

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The cowboy sent his living lasso flying towards you, which you swiftly caught and wrapped around your wrist. But before he could pull on the line, you firmly planted your feet and yanked him forward. As a result of your superior strength, the fully grown adult man was pulled into the air with ease, screaming in panic until you planted your foot into his stomach, sending him flying in the opposite direction again. Before the rope could go taut, you whipped out your knife and cut the line so you wouldn’t get pulled along with him.

A moment later, your spider sense warned you of an incoming attack just in time for you to narrowly avoid having your head caved in by a massive, old-timely round cast iron dumbbell. It seemed to crack the ground as it scythed down to bludgeon you to death. With surprising speed for a man his size, he managed another upward swing as a follow-up to his previous one. You easily avoided this one as well, leaning your head back with supernatural speed.

In between the gap of his attacks, you attached a web to his handlebar mustache and pulled his head into a rising knee. The man stumbled back groggily, and before he could retaliate, a familiar, feisty-looking blonde woman caught him on the chin with a flying kick from out of nowhere!

Anastasia had joined the fight, and she didn’t look at all pleased about having been hypnotized. Behind her, you spotted Flint reforming his body on stage, on his way to provide backup. And just like that, the outcome of this fight had pretty much been decided.

—-------

Once it was all over, you peeked through the curtains to see how the audience was holding up. They were recovering, if a little slower than Anastasia had. Felicia and Hobie seemed to be regaining their senses as well, and were helping in rounding up the confused civilians.

The sound of lonely applause drew your attention to the strange hispanic girl from before. “You handled yourselves well out there. You’re not bad for a couple of tourists. I especially liked the part where the elephant got run over.” she said, glancing at each of you in turn until her gaze landed on Anastasia.

“Ms. Kravinoff. Are you here for business or pleasure?”

Ana gave her a brief, assessing look before responding. “Business, mainly. I am here on behalf of the Great Families to request the assistance of Gloria Munoz in arranging the next Great Hunt.”

The kid shared a look with her partner that you couldn’t quite decipher. “I’m sure we can make something happen. 8pm sound good?”

So not only had they identified Ana as soon as she’d arrived, but Gloria Munoz had already given the order to send out an invitation for the two to meet.

Ana nodded. “That is acceptable. I would also like my associates to attend this meeting with me.” she said, gesturing at you and Flint.

It was Benga’s turn to give her partner a meaningful look this time.

“They can come.” the stoic girl said flatly.

“Thank you.” Ana replied, showing surprising deference to a couple of kids. “Will you be at the meeting as well?”

The Hispanic girl waved a hand at her. “Nah. We don’t normally get invited to those. But don’t worry. We’ll be around.”

It was only now that you realized the chatty girl’s grappling hook greatly resembled a scarlet spider.

What will you say/do?

>”Those were some impressive moves back there. Aren’t you guys a little young to be working for The Family, though?”
>”Thanks for the assist. Did you make that grappling hook yourself?”
>"Any tips on what we should expect from the meeting, or how we should behave in front of her?"
>”Just for the record, we’re not with those clowns. But out of curiosity, what do you plan on doing with them?”
>”I don’t suppose you’d be willing to trade me that broken hypno hat for something else?”
>”I bet these guys have got more stolen goods stashed around here somewhere. I bet no one would mind if we helped ourselves to the spoils.”
>”Now that the cast and crew of Cirque du’ Soleil isn’t evil anymore, I’m gonna take a few pictures with them. Wanna get in on that? I’m sure they’d be grateful.”
>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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5641404
>”Thanks for the assist. Did you make that grappling hook yourself?”
>"Any tips on what we should expect from the meeting, or how we should behave in front of her?"
>”Now that the cast and crew of Cirque du’ Soleil isn’t evil anymore, I’m gonna take a few pictures with them. Wanna get in on that? I’m sure they’d be grateful.”

>>5641404
>”Thanks for the assist. Did you make that grappling hook yourself?”
We have a thing for spiders, as she may be able to guess.
>"Any tips on what we should expect from the meeting, or how we should behave in front of her?"
>”Now that the cast and crew of Cirque du’ Soleil isn’t evil anymore, I’m gonna take a few pictures with them. Wanna get in on that? I’m sure they’d be grateful.”

Guessing they’re actual family, either direct or indirect. Not many ways for a kid to be a respected figure in organized crime otherwise, it’d be hard to get your foot in the door without support.

>>5641404
>>”Thanks for the assist. Did you make that grappling hook yourself?”
>”I bet these guys have got more stolen goods stashed around here somewhere. I bet no one would mind if we helped ourselves to the spoils.”

>>5641605
support

>>5641408
>>5641604
>>5641605
>>5641657
>”Thanks for the assist. Did you make that grappling hook yourself?”
>”I bet these guys have got more stolen goods stashed around here somewhere. I bet no one would mind if we helped ourselves to the spoils.”
>"Any tips on what we should expect from the meeting, or how we should behave in front of her?"
>”Now that the cast and crew of Cirque du’ Soleil isn’t evil anymore, I’m gonna take a few pictures with them. Wanna get in on that? I’m sure they’d be grateful.”

Taking these. Writing...

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“Thanks for the assist. Did you make that grappling hook yourself?”

The strange girl swung her claw around in a tight circle beside her, the head of it blurring until you were acutely aware of how sharp the pincers on the claw really were.

“Nope. I borrowed it from someone.” she said, reeling her line in and tossing it back out as if it were a yo-yo, while simultaneously twirling the Ringmaster’s hat around her finger with her other hand. “When and whether they decide to take it back is entirely up to them. Not that I’d make it easy for them.”

“Uh-huh. Then I guess it wouldn’t bother your conscience terribly if we helped ourselves to the spoils of their crime spree.” you suggested, gesturing at the fallen members of the Circus of Crime. Flint managed to ID them once he was able to get a better look.

“I doubt anyone would mind. And even if they did, they probably wouldn’t be able to stop us in time.” you continued.

The girl flashed a devious grin and placed the hat on top of her head. “Actually, I could stop you. Well...I technically already did. I broke in and robbed them blind during the show.”

“Along with several members of the audience.” Benga added.

The other girl chuckled nervously. “Ay, chica! We weren’t supposed to tell them that part, B.” she said through slightly clenched teeth. Benga just shrugged.

You and Flint both started checking your pockets, before you remembered that you weren’t wearing this thing during the show, and that Flint was a mass of sand masquerading as a flesh and blood human.

After clearing her throat, the girl continued speaking. “Anyway, I’m gonna be bringing back the majority of what they stole to our employer. Consider those purloined peepers that you’ve got packed away in your pockets as payment for this little sideshow act.”

You leaned over to whisper in Ana’s ear. “Try saying that ten times fast.” you muttered.

Her eyes flicked to you, and you could almost see the faintest hint of a smirk forming on her lips for but an instant, before she was all business again. “We are grateful to receive your gift.”

The smile that the brunette gave Ana was entirely genuine this time. “I like her. She’s way nicer and less patronizing than I pictured.” she told Benga, as if Ana wasn’t standing right in front of her. “I’m almost tempted to throw you all a bone for showing such good manners.”

“Any tips that you could give us on how to act in front of Gloria Munoz during the meeting would be much appreciated.” you requested.

To your surprise, Benga was the one to answer you this time.

“Don’t interrupt her, show respect, look her in the eyes, and don’t lie to her if you can help it. But at the same time, try not to let her walk all over you. Try to find a balance between having a spine and showing deference.”

(Cont.)

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You nodded gratefully. “Thanks. I’ll try my best.”

“You’d better.” Benga replied. It wasn’t at all meant to be a rude or aggressive statement, you were sure. It was most likely a genuine warning about the dangers of pissing off a main member of The Family.

“We’ll keep that in mind.” Ana offered. She was about to turn away when you jumped in to stop her.

“Hey. Now that the cast and crew of Cirque du’ Soleil isn’t evil anymore, I’m gonna take a few pictures with them.”

Ana looked surprised by your suggestion, but you were already looking past her and at the pair of pint-sized thieves.

“Wanna get in on that? I’m sure they’d be grateful.”

Both girls exchanged a look, and then nodded almost at the same time. The chatty one was clearly more eager, while the deadly human-like robot looked at least mildly interested.

“Hold on a minute. What are we gonna do about these guys?” Flint asked, reminding everyone of the unconscious men and women sprawled along the floor.

The brunette winced at the sight of the Ringmaster, a woolen cloth wrapped around the empty pits where his eyes used to be, red stains already soaking the filthy rag.

“Don’t worry about it. The cleanup crew will be here in a bit.” she confirmed.

This time, it was you and Flint’s turn to share a look. It was just a niggling little feeling, but you were pretty sure that you were both wondering whether you’d ever see these chumps ever again.

—-------

A little while later, you were back in your hotel room admiring the group photo you’d taken. As expected, the cast and crew were more than grateful for your contribution in freeing them, and agreed to your suggestion of taking a group pic with every member of the audience that had dared to remain in the hotel. You, your team, the two girls and a number of brave civilians stayed for the shot, with Prowler and Cat being evenly spaced so as to avoid suspicion. And seeing Ana pose near the downed elephant like a big game hunter who’d made the kill herself was absolutely priceless.

It was a nice photo. You’d have to show Cindy when you got back. You were also pretty sure that you saw Benga tucking it away in her hoodie for safekeeping.

Stashing the picture in your suitcase, you got up, turned on the TV, and checked yourself in the mirror. Still looking good, but it was a shame that you would have to change again so soon. Couldn’t go to the meeting without putting your face on, after all.

You grabbed your briefcase, checked its contents, nodded to yourself, and headed out the door. As casually as you could manage, you walked down to the casino in the main lobby, bought some cheap food, and engaged in some light gambling to kill time. An hour and a half later, you went back upstairs, but didn’t return to your room.

(Cont.)

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Instead, you found a place where there was very little video surveillance and changed into your Huntsman costume. You couldn’t actually be seen leaving the building, or else they’d have a fair shot of suspecting your identity. Well…a fairer chance after your appearance at that little shit-show at the Bellagio.

It took you a few minutes to find a good hiding spot for your briefcase, but once you were satisfied, you crawled into the vents and made your way up to the designated meetup spot.

—--------

At first, you’d planned to make your entrance alongside Ana and Flint. But seeing as how all eyes were on her, you thought it best to choose an alternative route. All this espionage and subterfuge was honestly starting to get on your nerves. You were supposed to be spending more time together, not trying to find ways to avoid being seen in her company.

You braced yourself slightly against the chilling winds as they blew against your cloak. It was a good thing that you thought to dress warm for the occasion. It allowed you to focus all your attention on stealthy ascending the Mirage without letting any of the guests see you.

The closer you got to the top, the clearer the sound of unfamiliar voices became. They were talking about you, and how late you were.

Great…

As soon as you climbed over the railing, you found yourself staring down the muzzle of a 9mm. It was being held by a large, muscular man with tan skin and tribal tattoos. He wore a formal suit that was informally unbuttoned at the top, and his dark hair was wrapped up in a tight bun at the back of his head, exposing the shaved sides. His hands were so massive that they made his gun look like a child’s toy.

“That’s far enough.” said the woman beside him.

From this angle, you could only see her side-profile, but that was all you needed to know that this woman was a stone-cold stunner. Her skin’s complexion was slightly lighter than her bodyguard’s, and her build was almost the complete opposite of his. She was on the slimmer side, with a nice figure that was complemented by the tailored pants-suit she wore. Her long, dark hair flowed in the wind, and she had to brush it out of her face as she turned slightly to address you.

“You’re the Huntsman, I presume? Glad you decided to join us.” she said. The woman was much younger than you would’ve expected.

(Cont.)

How do you want to play this?

>”Sorry I’m late. Jet-lag and all that. You know how it is. You’ve got a lovely place here, by the way.”
>”I met your agents a little while ago at the Bellagio. They were a huge help.”
>"Was I too optimistic in expecting a private lounge where we could all sit down and put our feet up? You've got one of those, right?"
>”I would’ve thought you’d be in a better mood after your competitor took such a huge hit. I’d bet the Bellagio’s guests are flooding out of there as fast as the front doors will allow after that debacle.”
>”I hope you didn’t wait long. This is a pretty big building, and it took a while to climb without making too much noise.”
>”I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you, I swear. This is just how I enter social situations involving rooftops. It’s a bad habit.”
>”Easy now. I’m not here to hurt you. Do you mind if I join Ms. Kravinoff and my associate over 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

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

>>5642258
>>”I hope you didn’t wait long. This is a pretty big building, and it took a while to climb without making too much noise.”

>>5642258
>”I hope you didn’t wait long. This is a pretty big building, and it took a while to climb without making too much noise.”
>”I met your agents a little while ago at the Bellagio. They were a huge help.”

>>5642258
>>”I hope you didn’t wait long. This is a pretty big building, and it took a while to climb without making too much noise.”
>>”I met your agents a little while ago at the Bellagio. They were a huge help.”

>>5642254
>”I hope you didn’t wait long. This is a pretty big building, and it took a while to climb without making too much noise.”
>”I met your agents a little while ago at the Bellagio. They were fun.”

>>5642377
>>5642267
>>5642298
>>5642306
>”I hope you didn’t wait long. This is a pretty big building, and it took a while to climb without making too much noise.”
>”I met your agents a little while ago at the Bellagio. They were a huge help.”

Taking these. Writing...

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“I hope you didn’t wait long. This is a pretty big building, and it took a while to climb without making too much noise.” you said, not paying any real attention to the gun pointed at your face.

Finally, Gloria turned all the way around and signaled for her man to lower his weapon. He did so without hesitation, still leveling a cautious glare at you.

“You’re a few minutes late. We’ve pretty much already started without you.” Gloria said.

You inclined your head in respectful apology and jumped off the railing to join the others.

“I met your agents a little while ago at the Bellagio, by the way. They were a huge help.” you added.

A bit of warmth crept into Gloria’s cold gaze when you mentioned the pair. “They had a lot to say about you, too. Nice work containing that threat before it could spiral out of control. Who knows what kind of damage they could’ve done if they got outside and started mind-controlling an entire army of people.”

Anastasia grimaced. “It was a rather unpleasant experience. These two and your assistants managed to prevent a disaster before it had a chance to grow into one.”

Ana gave you and Flint a genuinely grateful look, and you responded with a smile, even if she couldn’t see it.

Flint laughed. “Yeah, during times like that, I guess I don’t mind being a pile of sand.”

“You have a very fitting alias, Mr. Marko.” said Gloria, nodding to herself.

Flint wasn’t laughing anymore. A jolt of fear ran through your body, and you were forced to consider whether she had found out about Cat and Prowler, or if she had somehow found a way to peek beneath the surface of your mask.

Gloria’s eyes switched between you and Flint, a clear, assessing nature to her gaze. “You boys are a long way from New York. So are the men and women you stopped.”

You cleared your throat and raised a finger to the air. “Let’s not forget the elephant in the room. Not this room, though. The one at the Bellagio. This rooftop doesn’t actually qualify as a room, so…”

You stopped talking as soon as you realized that everyone was staring at you.

“You know what? Nevermind.” you quickly corrected.

Gloria returned her attention to Anastasia as if your little outburst hadn’t happened at all. “Am I right to assume that they want the same thing you do?”

Ana nodded. “For the most part, yes. I am here on behalf of the Great Families to formally request-”

Gloria put a hand up to halt her introduction. “That won’t be necessary, Ms. Kravinoff. I know who you are, where you’ve come from, and why you’re here. You want someone to fund your little vampire hunting campaign, right?”

The look Ana gave her was slightly surprised and unnerved. “That is…correct.”

(Cont.)

File: Gloria_Mu28Earth-61627s_V(...).jpg (53 KB, 250x475)

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Gloria smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “And why did you think to come to me about it? To save a city that I have nothing to do with. From what I understand, the theorized invasion is only taking place along the east coast. They won’t even come close to Nevada.”

“That will be the case at first, yes.” Ana admitted. “But if you allow them to gain a solid foothold on one side of the country, they will breed and spread their influence until even your home is overtaken.”

Gloria scoffed as if she didn’t believe it were possible. “I’d like to see them try and cross this desert. It’d be a death sentence for most of them.”

“That is if they haven’t already found a way to compensate for their weaknesses.” Ana countered.

Gloria raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“Our scouts and spies have found evidence of reflective suits being made to shield the vampires from sunlight. They will be weaker during the day, but if they manage to complete this project, they will have a way to hunt during all hours of the day and night, without risk of burning up in the sun.” she continued.

Gloria shrugged. “So we just poke holes in their suits. Bullets should do the trick.”

Ana shook her head. “You will need more than that. We have good reason to believe that Dracula’s generals will be involved in this attack, as well as Dracula himself.”

Gloria’s eyes noticeably widened at that. “Hmm. That does sound like a problem that would require my attention.” she admitted.

You all gave her a hopeful look. Could it truly be that easy?

After several minutes of agonizing silence, Ms. Munoz nodded. “Alright. If you want my support, then you will have to do something for me. And before I’ll even allow you to attempt the job I have in mind, I’ll have you do some work for me so that I can observe your team in action.” she declared. “I need to know that I can depend on you. You’ve already done a decent job of proving yourselves in front of Araña and Benga, but I can’t afford for you to make any major mistakes.”

Huh. So the other girl’s codename was Araña. Good to know.

“What sort of jobs did ya have in mind?” Flint asked, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest.

Gloria glanced at Flint, before turning to nod in her bodyguard’s direction. “Koa.”

The big, burly man reached into his jacket pocket and brandished three folders. He almost handed all three to her, but he hesitated to give her the third one.

“Uh, Lu? Didn’t they already solve one of these after that mess down at the Bellagio?” he asked.

(Cont.)