I'm going to recap the last few posts from the last thread so that everyone's caught up!

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Flying over to the floating jumpship had been fairly easy, but you were careful to avoid the spot where Gwen had thrown up. Looking at her now, the color had more or less returned to her face, and her eyes were back to normal again.

She gave you a weak glare as you landed behind her.

“I hate you so much right now.”

“You know, you could’ve just refused.”

“Yeah, but…”

“I know. You wanted to help. And that’s why you’re the one that I asked.”

Gwen opened her mouth, closed it again, and then let her head fall back against the headrest with a sigh.

“I seriously hate you.”

You laughed at her, but you quickly composed yourself and dipped your head in apology, before crawling over so that she could see you better. Her eyes followed you. They were a bit red, but there wasn’t a hint of yellow in them now.

“Sorry, but I’m gonna need another favor from you.”

She gave you a suspicious look, but she let you continue.

“I need your help to defeat Doctor Doom, because your shield is just about the only thing I know of that can cancel out his magic.”

Gwen’s eyes went wide, and she blinked several times, almost as if she suspected that this was a dream or a hallucination. Her jaw worked wordlessly as she struggled to come up with a response.

“Can’t I just…let you borrow it?”

“No, I can’t just take it away from you like that.”

“No really, it’s no trouble. This thing makes it hard to lean back when I sit down. Like, right now, it's kind of digging into my back.”

She grunted as she squirmed in her seat to reposition herself.

“Here, let me get it for you.”

She reached over her shoulder to grab her shield, but before she could, you reached out to grab her arm.

“You’re right. I do need the shield. But I need you to be the one holding it. Hill trusted you to hold onto it, and so do I.”

Her muscular arm tensed in your grip, and you got the impression that she wouldn’t have any trouble breaking out of your grasp if she really wanted to.

“But why me? We both know that I’m not the only one who can throw this thing.”

She gave you a pointed look. You nodded.

“I can throw it, but I need you just as much as I need that shield. You’re smart as a whip, resourceful, and a hell of a lot more heroic than I am. And I need someone like that fighting by my side, because I know for sure that you won’t run when the going gets tough.”

She let out a frustrated breath and flopped back into her seat.

“I’ve only ever fought C-Listers and common thugs. I can’t fight Doctor Doom! He’d squash me.”

“Yeah, and you’ve never flown an alien fighter jet before either, and look at what you did just a few minutes ago.”

You argued. Gwen sputtered in protest.

“This and that are two entirely different things! I just…!”

You cut her off before she could continue.

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“When your back’s against the wall, you always come through, because you know that you have to. I believe in you, Gwen Stacy. And it’s about time you did too.”

She stared up at you in silence. Her breathing had visibly slowed, and she looked to be considering something during the pause in the conversation.

“I don’t know if I’m half as cool as you think I am, but…I trust you. So…I’m going to try and believe that you’re not just trying to flatter me.”

She smiled up at you, and you couldn’t help but feel like it was a particularly dazzling smile from someone who’d just thrown up. There must be something about super soldier serums that gave you perfect teeth. That seemed a little unfair to you.

She still didn’t sound very comfortable with the idea of going up against Doom, but you could sense her determination and her faith in you. And that inspired you to want to try harder to get her through this in one piece.

“So, hero…”

She let that word hang in the air. Something about the smugness in her tone and the grin on her face irritated you a bit. But if that was the way she saw you, who were you to argue?

“I don’t suppose you have a plan of some kind.”

Fortunately for her, you’ve been paying attention to the regular updates that Julia’s been sending to your phone. This city had plenty of strong, capable, and legally insane people who would jump at the chance to either ruin Doom’s day, or at least defend their city.

>((MULTIPLE REPORTS OF A MINIATURE DRAGON ENGAGED IN COMBAT WITH DOOM’S ROBOTS))

>((A BREAK-IN AT RYKER’S ISLAND HAS BEEN REPORTED))

>((MULTIPLE REPORTS OF UNUSUAL WEATHER PHENOMENON//BEWARE OF VIOLENT DUST STORMS AND THUNDERSTORMS))

>((THE MUTANT LEADER CYCLOPS AND HIS FELLOW X-MAN, ICEMAN, HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN TIMES SQUARE))

>((TYPHOID MARY HAS BEEN SPOTTED IN BROOKLYN))

>((RESERVE MEMBERS OF THE AVENGERS TEAM HAVE BEEN SPOTTED ALL ACROSS THE CITY))

(Cont.)

What will you do?

>Call up Chat and have her help you locate and identify the backup Avengers members.
>Follow up on the lead about that weather phenomenon. You’re pretty sure you know who’s responsible for both.
>Fly on over Ryker’s and see if you can’t recruit some unsavory folk for your team.
>Swing on over to Times Square to help the X-Men. It’s pretty close to Hell’s Kitchen too, so you might just run into Daredevil.
>Try to find that mini-dragon from earlier. You could use some extra firepower like that on your side.
>Call Julia. There’s a lot of information to parse through here, and you could really use her help to summarize all of it.
>Call your sister. You need to be in a lot of places tonight, and you could really use Van’s help to cut down on travel time.
>Track down Hill and see if you can’t convince her to recruit some help from her maximum security prison, otherwise known as “The Raft”. If you want any hope of defeating Doom, then you’re going to have to break out the big guns.
>Call up Morbius. You have need of Terminal’s services again.
>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

>>5805163
>Call Julia. There’s a lot of information to parse through here, and you could really use her help to summarize all of it.
>Call your sister. You need to be in a lot of places tonight, and you could really use Van’s help to cut down on travel time.
Repeating my vote from last thread

>>5805163
>Call Sam, ask where Reed Richards is.
>Call Vic, have her alter ego come on out
>Collect Flint, collect the Fantfourstic
>make a small plan on how to deal with Doom, because he'll not be defenseless even if the shield gets his magic down.
>Then go and make ourselves an enemy in Doom

>>5805163
>Call your sister. You need to be in a lot of places tonight, and you could really use Van’s help to cut down on travel time.
Even shuttling between the Morlocks, Webb’s mansion, and our place would be a benefit for picking up Desperado’s, getting status updates, and grouping up in safe places.
>Check in on the Morlocks and see who else is out in the city. Iara was tangling with the dragon earlier so they’re not all holed up.
Only for this if we can get our sister to help with transport. Probably not a good idea to pull Callisto for a phone call if Doom or the Pixel Punks are in the sewers for some reason.
Backing the rest of >>5805196 for now.

>>5805163
>Swing on over to Times Square to help the X-Men. It’s pretty close to Hell’s Kitchen too, so you might just run into Daredevil.
>Follow up on the lead about that weather phenomenon. You’re pretty sure you know who’s responsible for both.
>Call your sister. You need to be in a lot of places tonight, and you could really use Van’s help to cut down on travel time.
Only if she is willing. She did seem like she wanted to lie low.


>Write-in.
>Check in on Cindy.

>>5805186
>>5805196
>>5805370
>>5805398
>Call Sam, ask where Reed Richards is.
>Call Vic, have her alter ego come on out
>Collect Flint, collect the Fantfourstic
>make a small plan on how to deal with Doom, because he'll not be defenseless even if the shield gets his magic down.
>Then go and make ourselves an enemy in Doom

Alright, so we're gonna do this step-by-step. Writing...

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“In fact, I do. Let me just make some calls.”

You weren’t sure if Gwen had any more questions or concerns, but you didn’t give her much of a chance to address them. You were already flying off and up into the air, taking a lap around the Helicarrier while you dialed Sam’s number. He should still be in the Baxter Building, so he’ll know where Reed Richards is.

“Hey, Sam. Any chance you could put me on the line with Reed Richards?”

“Huntsman!? We’re a little busy right now!”

Sam answered. There was a shit ton of static on his end, and you could swear that you could hear a combination of laser fire and explosions happening somewhere in the background.

“Hold on, don’t hang up! I need his help to stop Doom. What’s the situation like over there?”

“Doombots! Doombots everywhere! Way too many.”

He was breathing heavily, and he had to shout to be heard over the noise in the surrounding area.

“Reed thinks that he can cobble together a device that should emit a frequency that shorts them all out, but it’ll only work once. These things are built to adapt to scenarios like this, and Doom’s keeping the majority of his army focused on the Four.”

“So even if I could get them out of there, the Doombots would follow.”

“Yup. Now you see the problem.”

So Richards wants to take out as many as he can, all at once. He’s torn between using it at the Baxter Building to protect his family, or saving it for a better opportunity.

“Right. Thanks for the update. I’ll see what I can do.”

“What’s it like out there?”

Sam asked. He sounded like he really needed some good news right now.

“Not much better. We’ve got the Avengers and the X-Men on the scene, but they’re scattered. I want to find a way to strike back at Doom before he does something crazy.”

Sam let out a sardonic laugh.

“You mean crazier than this?”

“Never underestimate criminal masterminds, Sam. They can always get crazier.”

You heard a loud crash, followed by a curse from Sam.

“Well, whatever you’re going to do, do it soon. I plan on making it home alive tonight.”

“Will do, buddy. Stay safe.”

“You too.”

You hung up, and immediately dialed the only other person in this city that you considered indispensable to your plan.

“Hey, Vic? Is everything alright?”

“Ben! Where are you? What’s happening out there?”

“Doctor Doom happened. Actually, he’s still kind of happening. I’m trying to figure out what I can do to get things under control. But in order for that to happen, I’m going to need Van’s help.”

“Um…I’m actually not sure if she’d want to go out during all of this.”

“Probably not, but I’d like to try and convince her. I can be pretty persuasive.”

You tried to ignore the way that your sister scoffed at that statement.

(Cont.)

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“How’s everyone else? Rich and Pete. Are they safe?”

“They’re fine. They were both home when the attack happened, thank god. Pete’s a little spooked, though.”

“Then we’ve all got something in common.”

“He’s worried about you, Ben.”

Poor kid. He was probably waiting for you to come back from Vegas this entire time. But instead of a heartwarming reunion, he gets a Latverian terrorist attack.

“Let me talk to him. I’ll see if I can calm him down.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to Rich while you do that.”

There was a pause, and you found a nice perch to land on while you waited. You heard some shuffling and muttered exchanges over the phone, before the voice of a young boy came through on the receiver.

“Uncle Ben? Are you okay?”

“Hey, kiddo. I’m doing just fine. It’ll take more than this to keep me down.”

Peter let out a weak chuckle.

“Dad said that too. But I think he and Aunt Vicky are scared too.”

“They’re always scared. Listen to me, Pete. This is the safest place for us to be right now. We’ve got the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and a bunch of other heroes here to defend us. But more importantly, you’ve got me.”

“You?”

“That’s right. I’ll kick Doom’s shiny metal can if he touches a single hair on your head. I’ll walk right up to him, roll up my sleeves and teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.”

Despite himself, your seemingly absurd, half-imagined scenario had Peter in stitches. His innocent laughter was enough to let you forget how dire the situation had become, if only for a moment.

“And the next time he thinks about attacking New York, he’ll shake his head and go: ‘I’d better not. Ben Parker’s nephew lives there.’ And that’s what every bad guy’ll say after I get done with them.”

“I think you should still let the Avengers handle it.”

Pete said, sounding much cheerier than he had before.

“Alright, fine. I’ll let them have this one. But next time, it’ll be my turn!”

There was more shuffling and muttering on the other end of the line, and you heard the phone exchange hands again.

“Hey, Ben. I hope you’re keeping your head down during all this.”

You were relieved to hear Richard’s voice as well. You may have had your differences in the past, but you were still family at the end of the day.

“Oh, you know me.”


“I’ll take that as a no, then. Vic’s saying that you want her to go out into that mess?”

“I need Van’s help. Her ability to teleport can save a lot of lives tonight.”

“But that’s still our sister’s body that she’ll be using. She could get hurt, or-”

“Richard. The phone please.”

That voice belonged to your sister, but the tone of voice that came off as cold and detached belonged to another, much older being.

“You…”

(Cont.)

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“It’s alright. Let me speak to him.”

There was another brief pause, after which the voice of Va Nee Gast answered the phone in your sister’s stead.

“Hello, Ben.”

“Hey, Van. Thanks for coming out. How much of that did you…?”

“I got the general idea. You want my help to defeat someone vastly more powerful than yourself. Or at least, thwart his plans.”

“Well, I don’t know about ‘vastly’...”

Van just plowed right through, pretending as if you hadn’t said anything.

“Ben, this is an extremely public event that is taking place. If I show myself now, there is a good chance that the world will learn of my existence once more. There will be no going back after that. Are you certain that your allies can protect me from your world’s governments? Because if not, then I will have no choice but to assume another identity and go into hiding again.”

What would happen to Vic if she did that? Would she be erased? Could Pete handle losing his aunt? Could the Parker clan handle losing such an integral part of the family, even if it had all been an illusion from the beginning?

“I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

For a while, Van didn’t respond. You were starting to wonder whether she had hung up on you, until she let out a long sigh. It was so unlike her that you had to wonder whether the expression had come from her or Vic.

“Very well, then. I suppose it had to happen sometime.”

“I’m sure they’ll change their opinion of you when they see you saving lives out there.”

“We shall see. Where would you like to meet?”

—-------

Several minutes later, you, Gwen and Van emerged out of thin air and onto a street that you didn’t recognize. It was absolutely covered in sand, which was a good sign! It meant that Flint had been through here. And judging by the piles of scrapped Doombots, he’d been cleaning house.

As if you had conjured him by thinking of his name, Flint’s sand form materialized in front of you. He was colorless and lacking in definition, but it was undeniably him.

“There you are! It’s about time you-”

He froze. His gaze was now firmly locked on Van. She was wearing a strange yellow jumpsuit that you’d never seen before, but it was clear to anyone who knew Vic personally that this person shared her exact facial features. The only difference being her unusual hair and skin color.

She gave him a firm nod.

“Flint Marko. It is good to see you. You have my thanks for lending my alter your protection.”

Flint’s jaw tensed. He wore a complicated expression on his face, as if he was unsure of how to address her. Then, his eyes flitted over to you, almost as if to ask whether her being here was a good idea or not. You nodded slightly.

(Cont.)

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He looked like he was about to say something, but a loud crackle of thunder drew everyone’s attention to the west. In one particular part of the city, the weather had gone completely haywire. Hurricane winds, torrential rain, and violent lightning storms erupted all at once. All with a lone, floating figure at its center. That must be Storm, another powerful mutant from the X-Men.

Flint shivered as he looked up at her.

“I don’t care where we go, so long as it's away from her. She’d blow me to pieces if I went over there.”

Gwen seemed to agree. She was caught somewhere between fear and awe.

“We sure could use the firepower, though...”

Just then, you got a notification from your phone warning you about an incoming call. It was the Prowler!

“What’s up?”

“Huntsman. It’s Cindy. She’s hurt bad.”

Your mind went blank for a moment, and you could feel the bottom dropping out from your stomach.

“How bad? What happened!?”

“I think she got cornered by some Doombots. There’s another kid here. A vigilante, I think. She helped find me. She also says that Typhoid Mary saved them. Don’t know why, but I’m not gonna question it. I’m gonna give her a dose of the Horton Cells that I got from Vegas. Should help speed up her healing process.”

“‘Should’?”

“The results can be a bit unpredictable sometimes, but I’m pretty sure it’ll work.”

He muttered a curse under his breath.

“I never should’ve let her go off on her own.”

Gwen was giving you a concerned look, but you couldn’t find it in you to pay her any attention right now.

What will you do?

>”Tell me where you are. I’ll be right there.”
>”Forget that. I know someone who fixes up vigilantes for a living. Madame Web should be able to get us in contact with her.”
>”Hold on. I know a pretty good doctor in the city.” (Beat down Doctor Strange’s door until he lets you in.)
>”If you’re confident that you can save her, then I’ll leave her in your capable hands. If I’m being honest, I feel more comfortable with her out of the fight.”
>”Don’t beat yourself up. I should’ve checked in with her earlier.”
>”Khonshu! Get your skinny ass down here and do something for once!”
>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

>>5805701
>"How bad?!?"

>>5805701
>>”Forget that. I know someone who fixes up vigilantes for a living. Madame Web should be able to get us in contact with her.”

>>5805701
>>5805718
>"How bad?!?"
I agree to have the possibility to have a tiny update with prowler declaring how bad it is.

the Dad thing to do would be...
>"Put her on the phone."
>to Cindy "Do you want me to come?"

if it's not too bad we don't need to go. She probably will insist herself that we don't need to come.
>”Forget that. I know someone who fixes up vigilantes for a living. Madame Web should be able to get us in contact with her.”

we don't need to be involved the entire time and could even go check on Cindy
so slight change of plan for the rest anyway:
>we should probably put someone to observe the Doom/Arcade situation before they are gone, if they haven't changed location already.
I'd reason Van, as she doesn't want to step into the spotlight
>have most go to the Baxter Building and keep the fire off Reed while he works on his device
we probably need him to face off with Doom again


also IP change, I'm that guy >>5805196

>>5805701
>”Tell me where you are. I’ll be right there.”
>”Forget that. I know someone who fixes up vigilantes for a living. Madame Web should be able to get us in contact with her.”
>"We had an entire team for the horton cells to work, and I don't want to gamble on it depending on someone already having fire powers before hand."

>>5805701
>>”Forget that. I know someone who fixes up vigilantes for a living. Madame Web should be able to get us in contact with her.”
also, where's Abe?

>>5805701
Backing >>5805942. If Webb can’t help then we could try Silvermane. We’re part of the family, if he knows someone then he’ll tell us. Maybe he’s not up to his neck in fighting Doombots either.

>>5805718
>>5805830
>>5805942
>>5805920
>>5806492
>"How bad?!?"
>”Forget that. I know someone who fixes up vigilantes for a living. Madame Web should be able to get us in contact with her.”
>"We had an entire team for the Horton Cells to work, and I don't want to gamble on it depending on someone already having fire powers before hand."

Taking these. Writing...

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>catch up on the quest again after a few months
>Cindy is injured
>New York is on fire
>Ben is also on fire
>Doctor Doom is doing as he pleases
Good to be back

>>5806652
Glad to have you back, anon!

>>5806492
Abe's helping out in other places, but you can call him if you need him for anything.

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“How bad?!?”

“Her right arm’s broken, and it looks like she’s lost a lot of blood. Once I can get back to my hideout and grab a sample, she should be fine.”

“Forget that. I know someone who fixes up vigilantes for a living. Madame Web should be able to get us in contact with her.”

“The blind psychic lady? She’s not gonna peek into my head, is she?”

“She very well might. But I trust her friend more than I trust those Horton Cells.”

“You mean the ones that you had them pump you full of in Vegas?”

“Yeah, but back then we had an entire team dedicated to tailoring those Horton Cells to perfectly suit my body. Who knows what would happen if we tried it on her without testing it?”

“Horton Cells were engineered to be compatible with most people, but I see your point. If you know someone else, then I’ll defer to your judgment.”

You heard a pained groan in the background, followed by a familiar voice that made your breath catch in your throat.

“Prowler. Let me talk…”

“Hey, kid. Try not to move too much.”

“I’m fine. Just need…some rest…”

She sounded exhausted. And judging by the night she’s had, you could sympathize with her.

“Alright. Here.”

Cindy mumbled a thank you and coughed before she started to speak again.

“Hey. Don’t worry about me. So long as I stay out of trouble, Khonshu will heal me. It just…takes a while.”

Her pained grunts made her story sound less convincing, but this also wouldn’t be the first time that you’ve seen her shrug off injuries. You just hoped her body could withstand the punishment.

“Either way, we’re gonna get you looked at. I’m going to be sending Prowler some info as soon as Julia and Web get back to me.”

Cindy tried to say something, but she was cut off when Prowler snatched the phone back.

“What should I do about her little sidekick? She’s still following us.”

“Let her stay. It’s too dangerous…”

Cindy trailed off for a moment, before catching herself and continuing.

“She’s my roommate.”

Wait. Wanda’s with her? And she’s a vigilante?

You wanted to ask more, but those were questions for another time.

“I’ll have Julia send you the Nurse’s address. Call me if anything happens, or if you need anything.”

“Will do.”


After he hung up, you suddenly became aware of everyone staring at you.

“Is everything alright?”

Gwen asked.

“Not really, but there isn’t a whole lot that I can do about it at the moment. For now, we need to focus on building up a proper team.”

Van nodded.

“Where would you like to go?”

(Cont.)

What will you do?

>Ryker’s Island. There are probably some criminals that can be convinced to join your cause.
>Try to pin down the location of some of the Avengers that are fighting around the city. (Random)
>Aid the X-Men in their fight against the Doombots.
>Help Flint gather up some more sand and have him trap the Doombots in the Baxter Building, while Van teleports the Fantastic Four out of the building.
>Call up Julia and have her give you specific locations on the Avengers.
>Contact Squirrel Girl and Chat. They should have a decent idea of where Doom is and what he’s doing.
>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

>>5806726
>>Help Flint gather up some more sand and have him trap the Doombots in the Baxter Building, while Van teleports the Fantastic Four out of the building.

>>5806726
>Help Flint gather up some more sand and have him trap the Doombots in the Baxter Building, while Van teleports the Fantastic Four out of the building.

>>5806726
>>Help Flint gather up some more sand and have him trap the Doombots in the Baxter Building, while Van teleports the Fantastic Four out of the building.
What better introduction could there possibly be?

>>5806726
>>Ryker’s Island. There are probably some criminals that can be convinced to join your cause.

>>5806726
>>Help Flint gather up some more sand and have him trap the Doombots in the Baxter Building, while Van teleports the Fantastic Four out of the building.
or the other way around with Flint keeping the air clear to let Reed work on and finish his device.

step 1 Teleport with working device to Doom,
step 2 disable his bots and magic at the same time
step 3 ???
step 4 profit

>>5806734
>>5806738
>>5806741
>>5807269
>Help Flint gather up some more sand and have him trap the Doombots in the Baxter Building, while Van teleports the Fantastic Four out of the building.

Taking these. Writing...

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“We need to get to the Baxter Building.”

You said, pointing a finger at yourself and Gwen in turn.

“But most importantly, I’m gonna need you to get this guy to the beach.”

Gwen looked confused for a second, but she seemed to connect the dots after examining her surroundings. Flint just looked downright giddy.

“Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”

“I thought you’d like it. Sweet and simple.”

“The best plans are.”

Gwen glanced between the two of you.

“Alright boys, you can pat yourselves on the back after we’ve saved the Fantastic Four, and—wow, I’m just now realizing how ridiculous that sounds. Are we sure that this is gonna work?”

You gave her a confident smile.

“We have yet to encounter a problem that a metric fuck-ton of sand can’t solve.”

Flint nodded eagerly.

“Works every time.”

She gave you both an uncertain look, before shrugging and letting out a small sigh.

“Sure, why not? Who am I to argue with that logic?”

“That’s the spirit. Beam us up, Van!”

Without another word, Van stepped towards you and Gwen. Before her hand even touched you, the world around you shifted, and suddenly, you were a few blocks away from the Baxter Building. Only, the sight that greeted you was far from welcoming.

A literal army of Doombots were swarming the building, bombarding it with energy weapons and explosives. From the faint blue shimmer surrounding it, you assumed that there was some sort of active force field protecting it. How it was still up after all this time, you didn’t know, but you chalked it up to Reed Richards’ ingenuity and put it out of your mind for the moment.

You could also see several teams of Doombots patrolling the surrounding area. Some were on the ground, but most were flying circles around the surrounding area. If Van had teleported you any closer, they might have detected you and taken your presence as an attempt to assist the First Family.

“Whoa…”

Gwen breathed, tightening her grip on her shield’s strap.

“Yeah. I wonder if it’d be too much to ask to get Magneto to come here. It’d make our job a hell of a lot easier.”

Gwen grimaced at the thought.

“Are we sure that they wouldn’t just help each other?”

“You think those two would get along?”

You asked. Gwen just shrugged.

“Who knows? Maybe they’re in the same book club.”

You went to ask Van for her opinion, only to find that she’d left without a word.

“Well, that’s rude…”

Gwen gave you an incredulous look.

“Seriously? You insult people all the time.”

“No, not you. I was talking about-”

You never got to finish. Van appeared right beside you a split second later, staring directly at the finger you had pointed at her face. You quickly retracted it.

“Where’s Sandman?”

(Cont.)

File: 6369214-9e53b958-e2de-400(...).jpg (193 KB, 432x989)

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“He will be here shortly. If I tried to teleport an entire beach all at once, the stress would probably kill me.”

“How long is that going to take?”

Gwen asked. Van shrugged and shook her head. You guess that must be a universal gesture.

“I have no idea. We could be here for an hour or—oh, look. That must be him.”

She pointed past your head and far out into the distance, where you could faintly see a large cloud of dust rising up into the air, and moving towards you rather quickly.

“Looks like he’s traveling by air. I guess we should start getting ready.”

You brought out your phone and dialed one of the last numbers that you called. Sam picked up almost immediately.

“Huntsman?”

“Hey, Sam. You’re still doing security work for the Four, right?”

“Uhh…yeah?”

“Then you’ve probably got a detailed map of their building, right?”

“Where are you going with this?”

“I need you to send me that map, along with the relative locations of you and everyone else in that building. I’m getting you guys out.”

“But, the Doombots…!”

“Don’t you worry about them. We’ll take care of it.”

“‘We’? Who’s ‘we’?”

“You’ll find out after you send me that map.”

“Okay, okay. Give me one sec.”

A minute later, you received a new file from Sam, but it wasn’t any kind of file type that you’d seen before.

“I can’t convert this.”

Gwen leaned over to peek at your screen, looking interested.

“Let me see. Send it to me.”

You did so, and to your surprise, her phone began projecting a 3D replica of the Baxter Building above the screen.

“How’d you-?”

“Shield tech. There’s some perks to the job. Now, let’s see here...”

At certain points in the holographic image, there were blinking red dots with names next to them. Sam was somewhere on the fourth floor with Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters, while Susan and Johnny Storm were actively moving around on the thirtieth floor.

“Reed and his kids are somewhere in the basement. He’s working on the device that I told you about.”

Sam explained.

“I guess it was too much to hope for you all to be in the same place.”

Van was staring hard at the 3D projection, committing it to memory before she made her move. A little while later, she nodded and focused her gaze on the real Baxter Building.

“Tell this ‘Sam’ that I am coming to get him.”

“Hold tight, Sam. I’m sending someone in to come get you. So if you happen to see a blue alien chick appear in front of you-”

“OH, SHIT!”

Too late.

A moment later, both Sam and Van appeared outside in front of you. The shock of it nearly made Sam stumble to the ground, but Gwen was quick enough to catch him by the arm. He seemed just as alarmed to see her, though. The sheer size of the girl was probably a shocking sight to the uninitiated.

(Cont.)

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“Careful. Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I’m good.”

She gave him a warm smile and patted him on the back. That was nearly enough to make Sam lose his balance. Gwen blushed a bit. She was about to apologize, when Van waved a hand to get everyone’s attention.

“I am going after Alicia Masters next.”

Same held out a hand to stop her.

“Hold it. Ben won’t let you take her without taking him too. And if you take him, then the Doombots are gonna react.”

“So we need to get them all out at the same time.”

You concluded.

“Then it would be better for me to remain in the building and assemble the team until Flint arrives.”

Van said. You looked out into the distance and caught another glimpse of the roving dust cloud that was your best friend.

“Should be any moment now.”

Van nodded and disappeared once more. After that, it was only a matter of waiting.

—------

When Flint arrived, he descended on the Baxter Building like a biblical swarm of angry locusts. The sandstorm darkened the sky and swallowed up every Doombot that dared to get in its way. And by the time it had touched the ground, the entire 35-story tower was obscured by the abnormal weather phenomenon. It truly was a marvelous sight to see.

A few minutes later, Van returned with a few new friends. Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Ben Grimm, Johnny Storm, Alicia Masters and four children had hitched a ride with her. Interestingly, two of the children seemed to be aliens. One was a Skrull, and the other had blue skin, so you thought it safe to assume that their heritage wasn't entirely human.

They looked around in confusion, but they shook off their disorientation in record time. Reed breathed out a sigh.

“Thank you…Va Nee, was it?”

“That’s right. And when we have time, I would like to talk at length about what I briefly mentioned before.”

Sue placed a reassuring hand on Van’s shoulder.

“Of course. But for now, we’ve got a whole city to worry about.”

Van gave the woman a rare smile, only for it to fade slightly when she heard The Thing grinding his teeth together and letting out a low growl.

“I swear, when I get my hands on that big ugly refrigerator magnet…!”

He slammed a craggy fist into an open palm. Johnny seemed to agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment.

“I know! I had a date tonight. With a supermodel! And Doom picks now to invade? I swear he’s spying on me.”

Johnny folded his arms in a huff. Sue just rolled her eyes.

“Right. Because Doom wants nothing more than to ruin your dating life, Johnny.”

You, Gwen and Sam just watched as they bantered with one another. Gwen looked absolutely starstruck, and she seemed to be trying to find a good time to introduce herself.

(Cont.)

What will you do?

>”Hey, Reed. Long time no see. I was wearing a different suit when we first met.
>”As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I think we should move this party someplace else.” (Have Van teleport the group away)
>”Alright everyone, gather ‘round. This is Gwen Stacy, and she’s our key to bringing down Doom with her anti-magic shield. Take it away, Gwen!
>”Feel free to save that device of yours for later, Reed. I think Flint can hold down the fort while we’re away.”
>”Web your business card to The Thing’s chest. “Thank you for riding with us today. I’m the Huntsman of the Desperados, and that giant storm cloud is my buddy Sandman. Feel free to hire our services another time if you’re ever in a pickle. I don’t have the website set up yet, but we’re getting 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

>>5807580
>”Web your business card to The Thing’s chest. “Thank you for riding with us today. I’m the Huntsman of the Desperados, and that giant storm cloud is my buddy Sandman. Feel free to hire our services another time if you’re ever in a pickle. I don’t have the website set up yet, but we’re getting there.”
>”Hey, Reed. Long time no see. I was wearing a different suit when we first met.
>”As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I think we should move this party someplace else.” (Have Van teleport the group away)

>>5807580
>>”As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I think we should move this party someplace else.” (Have Van teleport the group away)

>>5807580
>”Web your business card to The Thing’s chest. “Thank you for riding with us today. I’m the Huntsman of the Desperados, and that giant storm cloud is my buddy Sandman. Feel free to hire our services another time if you’re ever in a pickle. I don’t have the website set up yet, but we’re getting there.”
>”As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I think we should move this party someplace else.” (Have Van teleport the group away)

>>5807695
+1

>>5807580
>>”As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I think we should move this party someplace else.” (Have Van teleport the group away)

>”This is Bastion, and she’s our key to bringing down Doom with her anti-magic shield."
>"Now with all the kids safe, I'd hope to first go back and allow you to finish that frequency disruptor thing Sam talked about."
>"The plan is to then just teleport before Doom's nose, disable his magic, disable his bots, Sandman as a force of nature outside
and defeat him as quickly as possible."
>"I hope that doesn't sound too optimistic."

>>5807580
>>5807995
I’ll back this and add
>”We have a squirrel scout network and people managing it, plus the Helicarrier has landed but should still be functional. If there are others in S.H.I.E.L.D. or the city that can help with the disruptor then we can reach out and see if we can grab them quick.”
If we teleport to the Helicarrier then the bit about it can be dropped since we’ll already be there.

File: Spoiler Image (1.07 MB, 2000x2500)

1.07 MB JPG

Spider-Bros...we won.
Except not really because they're just bringing back the Ultimate universe. Free my nigga 616 Pete

>>5808355
kill 616 peter, put him out of his misery
you know, the concept of a spiderman starting out adult is kinda like this quest isnt it

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>>5808355
>>5808358
I've been so fucking excited ever since they announced Ultimate Spider-Man coming back. Elseworlds are usually the only interesting stories in cape comics these days, because they have no status quo, and are subject to lasting changes. Shit actually matters, and the writing for the characters is actually consistent.

Mainline Spider-Man will almost always be a "down on his luck loser" that can't hold a job, can't maintain a stable relationship, and can't raise a family. Continuity and canon are completely worthless in my eyes, and I'd much rather see my heroes grow, develop, and eventually retire. I feel like the "true fans" are genuinely unhinged for wanting Peter to suffer in limbo as a 20-somthing year old for all eternity.

>>5807589
>>5807594
>>5807695
>>5807736
>>5807995
>>5808096
>”Web your business card to The Thing’s chest. “Thank you for riding with us today. I’m the Huntsman of the Desperados, and that giant storm cloud is my buddy Sandman. Feel free to hire our services another time if you’re ever in a pickle. I don’t have the website set up yet, but we’re getting there.”
>”As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I think we should move this party someplace else.” (Have Van teleport the group away)
>”This is Bastion, and she’s our key to bringing down Doom with her anti-magic shield."
>"Now with all the kids safe, I'd hope to first go back and allow you to finish that frequency disruptor thing Sam talked about."
>"The plan is to then just teleport before Doom's nose, disable his magic, disable his bots, Sandman as a force of nature outside, and defeat him as quickly as possible.
>"I hope that doesn't sound too optimistic."
>”We have a squirrel scout network and people managing it, plus the Helicarrier has landed but should still be functional. If there are others in S.H.I.E.L.D. or the city that can help with the disruptor then we can reach out and see if we can grab them quick.”

>>5808373
Taking these. Writing...

File: 8113336-fantastic_four_vo(...).jpg (118 KB, 666x1024)

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While the four bickered, you discreetly removed a business card from one of the pouches in your belt and webbed it onto Ben Grimm’s chest. Everyone stopped talking to stare at it.

The Thing spluttered as he stared at the card in disbelief.

“What the…!”

Before he could get any further, though, you loudly cleared your throat and launched right into your sales pitch.

“Thank you for riding with us today. I’m the Huntsman of the Desperados, and that giant storm cloud behind us is my buddy Sandman.”

The Four and the rest of their extended family stared at you, and then they turned to stare at the swirling sandstorm behind them.

“Feel free to hire our services another time if you’re ever in a pickle. I don’t have the website set up yet, but we’re getting there.”

You gave them a wink, and in the corner of your eye, you could see Gwen shaking her head.

The Thing turned to look at Johnny while pointing a thick finger in your direction.

“Is this guy serious right now?”

Johnny nodded, an amused grin on his face.

“I think he is. And…I think you just became his mascot. Your chest is like free advertising space. Why didn’t I see the potential before?”

Ben grumbled something under his breath and shook a fist at you.

“This stuff had better come off with hot water, or I’ll come and find ya later, ya hear!”

“If I were you, I’d try ‘Goof Off’.”

Johnny whispered, without any intention of being discreet. Ben looked about ready to lash out at the hot-headed hero.

“I’LL ‘OFF’ YOU, IF YA DON’T-!”

“BOYS! BOYS!”

It was at this point that Susan Storm stepped in. Despite her being much smaller than either of them, she somehow managed to project her voice into the domineering tone of a mother disciplining her bratty children. The actual children in the family, seemed to be greatly amused by their mother figure nagging at anyone other than themselves, and watched with great interest.

“You’re both goofs. Now, can we shut up and focus on the situation at hand? Victor’s still at large, and we’ve only just managed to take a single step outside of our home. We need a plan.”

The family turned to Reed expectantly, but before he could get a word in, you loudly cleared your throat once more to get everyone’s attention.

“As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I think we should move this party someplace else.”

You signaled Van, and she nodded. A moment later, you and everyone other than Flint shifted to an empty side street that you didn’t immediately recognize. There weren’t any Doombots in sight, thankfully.

“Would it kill ya to warn us before doing that again?”

Ben groused.

“That was my warning. And now that the kids are safe, I’d like to know how much progress you’ve made on that frequency disruptor that Sam told me about.”

Reed glanced at Sam, who gave him a helpless shrug.

(Cont.)

File: 8238729-3664431-01c.jpg (805 KB, 1262x1920)

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“It’s nearly finished, but I can have Valeria help me with the finishing touches.”

Reed gestured to the little blonde girl, who you assumed to be his daughter. He showed no shame in accepted help from someone so young, and the girl didn’t so much as blink at the implication of such a thing. In fact, the confident look in her eye led you to believe that she thought the task to be beneath her.

You gave them a thumbs up.

“Great. I was thinking we could just teleport in, get the drop on Doom, disable his magic, disable his bots, have Sandman hit him, and defeat him as quickly as possible. Does that sound too optimistic?”

Sue seemed impressed by your willingness to try and “get the drop” on someone like Doctor Doom. Ben was looking at you as if he was trying to figure out whether you were genuinely stupid or not, and Johnny just started laughing to himself.

To your surprise, the kids looked downright offended by your assertion that they would hold any of the adults back in a fight. The alien kids in particular seemed to carry themselves differently than the other two. While Valeria had confidence in her intelligence, the Skrull girl and the Kree boy gave you the vague impression that it would be a mistake to overlook them entirely if push came to shove. It was worth noting that both races had enhanced physiques, and could perform far better than any human child.

Van was glancing at them every now and again with a considering expression on her face. You suspected that she was thinking something along the same lines.

Reed was the first to speak up.

“I’m afraid that it won’t be that easy.”

“If it means anything, we also have access to an information network made up almost entirely of squirrels.”

“That won’t be enough to-”

Reed paused.

“I’m sorry. Did you just say that you had an information network composed almost entirely of squirrels?”

You nodded.

“And a few birds. There are some people managing it too, but it’s mostly the squirrels doing the heavy lifting.”

Gwen placed her head in her hands and whined as if you proceeded to go into detail about your squirrel connections.

Strangely enough, though, Reed didn’t seem the least bit put out by your claim. If anything, he actually looked interested in hearing more.

“Fascinating…”

That actually took some of the fun out of it.

“How exactly are you-”

“Reed, honey.”

Reed paused mid-sentence and glanced over at his wife. The beautiful blonde woman was giving him a sympathetic, patient smile that said: “Honey, I love you, but you need to stop getting distracted.”

Mr. Fantastic read her expression perfectly and shook himself out of his earlier fascination.

“Like I was saying before, you won’t find it so easy to catch Doom off guard. He’ll likely sense us coming before we were able to close in on him.”

Johnny nodded his agreement.

(Cont.)

File: Dxo6DDhUUAAFvqb.jpg (95 KB, 856x1300)

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“Trust us. It’s easier said than done. He may dress like an idiot, but the guy’s an evil mastermind. He wouldn’t have come here without accounting for us breaking out and coming to stop him.”

“Won’t stop us from clobberin’ him, though.”

Ben added. Both men bumped fists, having completely forgotten about their bad moods from earlier. It was as if the distance between them had evaporated in an instant. Or maybe there wasn’t any to begin with. In a way, you could relate. You had brothers as well.

“And how exactly do you plan on ‘disabling’ his magic?”

Sue asked.

You grinned at her and snagged Gwen’s shoulder with a webline, pulling her over to your side with a sharp tug. The girl nearly stumbled, but she caught herself quickly.

“I’m glad you asked. This is Bastion, she’s our key to bringing Doom down with her anti-magic shield.”

“Uh, hey…”

The girl smiled nervously and waved at them as you propped her other arm up to put her golden shield on display. The kids looked very interested in it. Everyone other than Valeria ooed and aahed. Even Sam had to whistle appreciatively. Much like his daughter, Reed was giving both Gwen and the shield an appraising look.

“And if that isn’t enough,”

You continued.

“S.H.I.E.L.D.’s got a halfway functional Helicarrier, and their agents are moving into the city. If we need to, we can grab them real quick and have them help with our plan.”

The Thing raised a rocky eyebrow and folded his arms over the business card stuck to his chest. In all the excitement, he seemed to have forgotten about it. Maybe you really were getting that free advertising after all.

“Oh, yeah? Did ya have anyone in particular in mind?”

What will you do?

>”Well, we’ve got two major superhero teams in the area. I’d say we’re a bit spoiled for choice. Do you have any personal recommendations?”
>”Lemme consult my tech guru on that real quick.” Contact Julia and have her give you a rundown of the major superheroes present in the city and their whereabouts.
>”It’s probably better if we travel light. A small group has less of a chance of getting spotted by Doom and his personal army. I think we should go after him as soon as that disruptor’s finished.”
>Contact Squirrel Girl and Chat. They should have a decent idea of where Doom is and what he’s doing.
>”I’ve got a decent plan, but I’m not exactly a super-genius, so I’ll let you guys take the spotlight on this one.”
>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

>>5808447
>”Well, we’ve got two major superhero teams in the area. I’d say we’re a bit spoiled for choice. Do you have any personal recommendations?”
>”I’ve got a decent plan, but I’m not exactly a super-genius, so I’ll let you guys take the spotlight on this one.”

>>5808447
>>”Lemme consult my tech guru on that real quick.” Contact Julia and have her give you a rundown of the major superheroes present in the city and their whereabouts.
>”I’ve got a decent plan, but I’m not exactly a super-genius, so I’ll let you guys take the spotlight on this one.”
>"You guys ARE the authority on picking fights with Doom after all."

>>5808447
>>”Well, we’ve got two major superhero teams in the area. I’d say we’re a bit spoiled for choice. Do you have any personal recommendations?”
>Contact Squirrel Girl and Chat. They should have a decent idea of where Doom is and what he’s doing.

>>5808447
>Pull out your phone and scroll through. “Well, Doc Connor’s more of a bio guy, Pandora’s definitely busy, I know some vampires but it’s not nighttime, I ran into Otto Octavius but moved on for our first attack on Arcade where Doom was…”
>”Lemme consult my tech guru on that real quick.” Contact Julia and have her give you a rundown of the major superheroes present in the city and their whereabouts.
>”I’ve got a decent plan, but I’m not exactly a super-genius, so I’ll let you guys take the spotlight on this one.”
>"You guys ARE the authority on picking fights with Doom, and some of us gotta play second string or the whole orchestra falls apart.”

>>5808488
>it’s not nighttime
are you sure about that

>>5808495
I suppose I’m not! Lots of mentions of “tonight” so maybe it is late enough for vamps to come out and play.

Not sure they bring anything special to the table though, I only brought them up as a joke option.

>>5808488
Stop improving on my write-in banter, you're making me look bad!

>>5808358
>>5808373
I cannot begin to describe the sheer animosity I feel toward Zeb Wells and the Spider-Man editorial team for the last 20 or so issues. between the time skip and unexplained breakup leading to Paul and the fucking kids, Kamala dying and then coming back, the explanation finally showing up that call is just the son of a recycled throw away villain from Dan Slot’s run, the Golden Goblin mini series basically being completely invalidated now that Norman is back to being a bipolar dumbass, the evil Spider-Man showing up for all of three issues, Spider-Man getting his ass handed to him by Tombstone AND Vulture, EVEN BEING MADE TO BEG FOR HIS LIFE, TWICE, LIKE BRO, HOW CAN SOMEONE DEFEND THIS??? WHO IS PUT HERE BUYING THIS?
This whole bullshit sold more mini series and tie ins than it did mainline comics bro, and good fucking thing I say. Wells can suck a fat fucking DICK, do NOT put him as lead writer of SHIT. He’s better on the sideline, because everything he IS in charge of either SUCKS or is MID AS FUCK. Mark my words, Marvel Zombies will be a solid 70/60 on Rotten Tomatoes come next year. Fuck Zeb Wells.

>>5808603
>Kamala dying and then coming back
Yeah when I saw she died I just went "Well, see you next week".
Also Marvel Zombies is getting crammed into the MCU machine now?

>>5808583
Look, we just gotta keep going back-and-forth until we’re sure everyone would be groaning too loud to hear the final punchline. I’m sure there’s more comedy silver to be mined at worst.

Unrelated, do you think the Carlos meme exists in the Spidey’s world or is does he supplant that meme in pop culture? If we team up with Abel can we be the Statler and Waldorf meme?

>>5808488
+1

>>5808448
>>5808454
>>5808468
>>5808488
>>5809078
>Pull out your phone and scroll through. “Well, Doc Connor’s more of a bio guy, Pandora’s definitely busy, I know some vampires but it’s not nighttime, I ran into Otto Octavius but moved on for our first attack on Arcade where Doom was…”
>”Lemme consult my tech guru on that real quick.” Contact Julia and have her give you a rundown of the major superheroes present in the city and their whereabouts.
>”I’ve got a decent plan, but I’m not exactly a super-genius, so I’ll let you guys take the spotlight on this one.”
>"You guys ARE the authority on picking fights with Doom, and some of us gotta play second string or the whole orchestra falls apart.”

Taking these. Writing...

I'll do something about the whole "nighttime" bit.

>>5808603
Spider-Man is sort of too big to fail. Even though things have gotten this bad, you have plenty of hate readers, archivists and copers buying these comics. Hell, even the comic book stores are getting strong-armed into buying these issues, because the distributors will only send them variant covers if they buy a certain amount of issues. So if they want the specialty goods that customers come to them for, then they've got to play ball.

Batman comics are more less in the same boat. Do yourselves a favor and try out more fan content and "non-canon" stories. They've usually got more soul, and a hell of a lot more respect for the subject material.

>>5808611
She barely stayed dead for two weeks. Ms. Marvel is a perfect example of a character having great potential with a strong fan base, but Marvel has absolutely no idea what they want to do with them.

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You pulled out your phone and started scrolling through your contacts.

“Well, Doc Connors is more of a bio guy. Pandora’s definitely busy. I know some vampires, but I’m pretty sure they’re in hiding. I ran into Otto Octavius earlier, but I lost track of him after I went to confront Doom and Arcade.”

This wasn’t looking good. A lot of the powerful people that you knew were probably tied up with their own stuff.

“I had no idea that Otto was here...”

Reed muttered to Sue.

“Hold on. Lemme consult my tech guru real quick.”

You held up a finger and walked away from the group so that you could have a bit of privacy. You were starting to recognize the neighborhood a bit more. You were pretty sure that you were somewhere on the Lower East Side.

“But don’t let me stop you from collaborating with each other on this. I’ve got a decent plan, but I’m also not a super genius, so I’ll let you guys take the spotlight on this one. I mean, you guys are THE authority on picking fights with Doom, and some of us have gotta play second string, or the whole orchestra falls apart.”

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Gwen asked.

"Don't worry! I'll be quick!"

Everyone watched as you edged away from the group, but they quickly decided that they didn’t have the luxury of waiting for you to come back, so they launched into another discussion.

“Hey, Jules. What’s the word?”

“Hey, Benji. How’d things go with Doom? Is Abe okay?”

“We’re alive, so that’s something. I was wondering if you could update me on the whereabouts of the major players in the area.”

“Sure…”

You could hear her fingers rapidly typing away at her keyboard.

“Last I checked, Beta Ray Bill and Herc were fighting a huge robot in Staten Island. They’re really tearing up the neighborhood over there, but I don’t know if anyone’s gotten seriously hurt yet.”

“Those are some heavy hitters. We could really use their help right now.”

“I don’t know. If those two got involved, you might not have much of a city left.”

“Good point. What else do we got?”

“Doc Ock and Hank Pym seem to be trying to create a field where the Doombots can’t function. I think they’re making decent progress, so I gave the cops a tip to treat those areas as safe zones for civilians.”

“Good. That should take some of the pressure off everybody.”

“Also, we’ve got Mantis and Wasp fighting Doombots and leftover Pixel Punks in Central park. And–get this–there's a giant tree and an army of killer plant monsters that’re helping them protect civilians and attack the Doombots.”

“Whoa. I don’t remember any of that being there on my last midnight stroll.”

(Cont.)

File: 8231387-4288678242-shred.jpg (792 KB, 1363x1920)

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“Neither did I. But then again, I don’t get out much these days. The only other backup Avenger that I’m not sure about is Agatha Harkness. She keeps popping up in random places, and I can’t manage to pin her down.”

Hank and Jan are the only core members in that group. Not a great sign, but you could work with that.

“What about the X-Men? I’ve run into Storm already.”

“Cyclops, Iceman and Wolverine are pretty much carving their way through every Doombot in sight. I have no idea where Jean Grey is, and I’m not sure if they brought anyone else. Maybe Shadowcat, but I can’t say for sure.”

“Even with the squirrel information network?”

“There’s a lot going on tonight, Benji. There are places where they can’t go, and Chat only has two ears to listen to them with. This is the best that we can do right now.”

“No, I know. Sorry. You’re doing great right now.”

Julia snorted a laugh.

“I’ve got a cat poster that says that exact same thing. You’re gonna have to try a little harder if you want to wow me.”

“Would it impress you if I told you that I just saved the Fantastic Four?”

“That is impressive! And with them around, your chances of beating Doom are a lot higher than zero. Unfortunately for you, though, it looks like Doom and Arcade are on the move.”

“What? Where are they going? What’re they doing?”

“No clue. All I know is that they’re tearing up the city. Maybe they’re looking for something.”

“Or someone.”

You posited.

“Could be. Either way, this is what we’ve got to work with.”

“The Four are cooking up a plan as we speak. I’m hoping that they can manage to take him down on their own, like they always do.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice.”

Before you could reply, a notification popped up in the corner of your vision. Prowler managed to get in contact with Black Cat. He says that she’s making deliveries. Objects that she claims to be mystical in nature.

Did she…

Did she literally just steal these?

What will you do?

>Return to the group and listen to the plan that the Four managed to come up with. You’ll support them in any way that you can.
>Inform Abe of the safe zones that Otto and Hank are setting up. He can pass the message along to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sable International.
>Inform Flint of Doom’s location. You’re probably going to need him during the final battle, and he has the best chance of distracting him without being seriously injured.
>Call Black Cat. If she’s giving away magic artifacts, then you have no right to turn her down.
>Have Chat send out messengers to specific people or locations. (Who?/Where?)
>Write-in.

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

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

>>5809371
>>Inform Abe of the safe zones that Otto and Hank are setting up. He can pass the message along to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sable International.

>>5809371
>>Inform Abe of the safe zones that Otto and Hank are setting up. He can pass the message along to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sable International.
>>Inform Flint of Doom’s location. You’re probably going to need him during the final battle, and he has the best chance of distracting him without being seriously injured.
>Ask Julia when she has a free minute if she can't find the phone number of an ESU student by the name of Ember Quade.

>>5809371
>Inform Abe of the safe zones that Otto and Hank are setting up. He can pass the message along to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sable International.
>Return to the group and listen to the plan that the Four managed to come up with. You’ll support them in any way that you can.

>>5809371
>Pass along the list of the heroes Julia told you about and mention the safe zones so the Fantastic Four are working with a full set of info. Maybe one of them would really simplify part of their plans.
> Inform Abe of the safe zones that Otto and Hank are setting up. He can pass the message along to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sable International.
>Call Black Cat. If she’s giving away magic artifacts, then you have no right to turn her down. If she’s selling them you’re still interested.
>Ask Julia when she has a free minute if she can't find the phone number of an ESU student by the name of Ember Quade.
>Message Pandora and see if you can borrow either of the Silvertongues. They should be able to speak squirrel to help Julia and Chat, right? That would let them expand the network for more heroes.
>Pass along messages via the Squirrel Express
>>Morlocks, let them know about the safe zones if they need it.

>>5809371
>>5809382
Damn, thought of one more squirrel message.
>Nature Girl, with the delivery of something to get her in touch with Julia and the squirrel network. She can definitely translate.

>>5809372
>>5809374
>>5809375
>>5809382
>Inform Abe of the safe zones that Otto and Hank are setting up. He can pass the message along to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Sable International.
>Ask Julia when she has a free minute if she can't find the phone number of an ESU student by the name of Ember Quade.

I'll be taking these, but I probably won't be able to pump out an update before tomorrow. Getting a bit busy.

File: inhyuk-lee-1 (4).jpg (232 KB, 1000x1518)

232 KB JPG

“Thanks Jules. And if you get a minute, could you look up a phone number for me? It’s for an ESU student named Ember Quade.”

“I’ll check it out. Stay safe out there.”

“I’ll try my best.”

After ending the call, you immediately went to reach out to your clone brother. When you eventually picked up, you could hear nothing but sirens, distant gunfire, and the sound of Abe’s labored breathing.

“Hey bro, you alright?”

“Yeah…just peachy. Just need a moment to catch my breath. How’re things going on your end?”


He must be really going at it for him to get tired at all. You’d know that better than anyone.

“Me, Flint and Van rescued the Fantastic Four, and now they’re cooking up a plan to help beat Doom. I’d rather not end up on his shitlist, so I’m letting them take the spotlight on this one.”

“Smart choice. I’d rather not make an enemy of the entire country of Latveria. I think Sable’s struggling with the same problem right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know how Symkaria and Latveria are neighboring countries? I think Doom’s putting pressure on Sable so that her forces back out of the fight. If she lends her support to S.H.I.E.L.D., then it might cause an international incident.”

“Great. And right after I convinced Hill to get in contact with Sable. I guess we’re gonna have to hope that the Four can take him out for us.”

“Well, they’ve got a great track record so far. I’d put my money on them any day.”

“We’ll go gambling later. Right now, I think you should start sending people over the safe zone that Doc Ock and Hank Pym have been setting up. There’s a field that prevents Doombots from entering without shutting down.”

“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll spread the word.”

“No problem. I should get back to the others now. Wish me luck.”

—-------

When you returned, the Four seemed to have formed a plan that Reed was satisfied with. He was about to start assigning roles when you gave everyone a quick summary of what Julia had told you. Upon your mention of the anti-Doombot field, you could see his eyes lighting up with interest.

“Alright, then. Valeria, I want you, Sam and Jo-Venn to bring Alicia to that safe zone the Huntsman mentioned. While you’re there, I want you to learn everything you can about that energy field.”

Valeria nodded, and the Kree boy walked over to stand beside Reed’s daughter. He was shorter than her

“You want me to reprogram it so that it disables Doom’s suit as well. I’ll see that it’s done.”

Her father gave her an approving smile.

“I know you will, Val. N’kalla,”

Reed continued, turning his attention on the Skrull girl.

(Cont.)

File: Mister_Fantastic 27s_Armo(...).jpg (396 KB, 1529x2352)

396 KB JPG

“I need you to turn into Sue. You and Nathanial will need to stick together. It should distract him from the fact that the real Sue will be concealing Gwen and herself from his detection.”

Gwen flinched slightly at the mention of her name, but Sue placed a calming hand on her shoulder. You could see the tension draining out of her as Sue’s soothing, motherly aura washed over the girl.

The green-skinned girl’s form shifted, her skin crawling and twisting until she resembled a perfect copy of Susan Storm. It was almost uncanny.

At the same time, Reed’s son tapped a finger to the “4” emblem on his chest, causing a series of grayish-blue armor plates to form around his body. You suspected that they were either made of some sort of liquid metal or nanomachines, because the armor seemed to flow around him until it perfectly fit his slender frame. When the suit finished forming, you couldn’t help but think that it bore a striking resemblance to one of Iron Man’s suits. Except, there was a “4” where the arc reactor would normally be.

The mini Iron Lad removed a device from a compartment in his wrist and tossed it over to the Skrull.

“Take this. It should help simulate the force fields that mom creates. It’ll burn out if you use it too much, so try not to get hit too often.”

The Skrull rolled her eyes.

“I don’t need you to tell me that.”

She said in Sue’s voice, clipping the device to her wrist like a bracelet. A moment later, the bracelet disappeared before your very eyes. It must have a cloaking feature.

Reed stretched an arm out to pat the Thing on the shoulder.

“In the meantime, Ben and I will set up a trap for Victor, while Johnny and the Huntsman lead him towards us. After we manage to cut him off from his army, Va Nee will gather up Valeria and Jo-Venn and bring them back to us. Hopefully by then, we’ll have managed to disrupt both his magic and suit’s functions. He’ll have no choice but to retreat at that point.”

Everyone nodded along. It sounded like a solid plan, without too many complex maneuvers involved. All you would have to do is distract Doom while others did their thing. You could do that.

Ben was affectionately hugging his blind lover, wishing her luck and praying for her safety. Sue was doing the same to her children, much to their embarrassment. Johnny was eyeing you curiously, probably wondering whether you were competent enough to keep up with him. He was in for a shock.

You were going to say as much, when a quick notification from your phone drew your attention. It was Julia. She’d managed to pinpoint Ember’s location based on her phone number. And if her calculations were correct, then it would place Doom and Arcade dangerously close to her estimated location. Did that mean that Doom was chasing her? Did he find out that she was also capable of producing the pixels? Was Squirrel Girl still with her?

(Cont.)

What will you do?

>Inform the Four of Ember’s capabilities. If you rescued her, she could prove to be a valuable asset during your confrontation with Doom.
>Have Julia get in contact with Squirrel Girl through Chat. As strange as it is to admit, having her squirrel army on your side would make you feel much better about your chances.
>Go with Reed’s plan. If everything goes right, you should be able to peel Doom off of Ember’s trail and defeat him without revealing her identity.
>Try to duck out before the plan goes into motion. It genuinely sounds like they can do this without you, and you don't want to make an enemy out of Doom if you don't have to.
>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

>>5812416
>Inform the Four of Ember’s capabilities. If you rescued her, she could prove to be a valuable asset during your confrontation with Doom.

>>5812416
>>Have Julia get in contact with Squirrel Girl through Chat. As strange as it is to admit, having her squirrel army on your side would make you feel much better about your chances.
We should tell Julia either way where the party is going to go down
>Inform the Four of Ember’s capabilities. If you rescued her, she could prove to be a valuable asset during your confrontation with Doom.
>Go with Reed’s plan. If everything goes right, you should be able to peel Doom off of Ember’s trail and defeat him without revealing her identity.
the plan wouldn't need to change much

>>5812416
>>Go with Reed’s plan. If everything goes right, you should be able to peel Doom off of Ember’s trail and defeat him without revealing her identity.
i wanna keep Ember around and not in jail so

>>5812416
>Inform the Four of what Ember likely stole, and why Doom would chase her for it. It’ll give them a reason to include extracting her in the plan without revealing her abilities.
Compromise vote? No idea if she actually stole it and if she did she’d likely have to give it up, but her abilities could be handwaved as related to the device and undisclosed abilities she has to let her use it. She can pass as an unnamed vigilante/hero instead.

If she doesn’t have the device then the cat’s out of the bag when they see her powers, but at least we tried throwing her a bone.

>>5812424
>>5812431
>>5812486
>Inform the Four of what Ember likely stole, and why Doom would chase her for it. It’ll give them a reason to include extracting her in the plan without revealing her abilities.

Taking these. Writing...

File: FpGB5vwaYAIMh1z.jpg (1.41 MB, 2698x4096)

1.41 MB JPG

“There’s one more thing I should mention. The girl that helped Arcade make those Pixel Punks—I’m pretty sure she’s getting chased by Doom right now.”

The Thing raised a rocky eyebrow.

“The what?”

“The Pixel Punks? Those gamer terrorist guys who’ve been terrorizing the city for months?”


Johnny looked like he had some vague idea of what you were talking about.

“Oh yeah. Those guys. Is that really why Doom came all the way over here?”

“I think he either wants to take Arcade home, or take him out so that no one gets their hands on his tech.”

Johnny nodded, a self-satisfied smile on his face.

“Yeah, that sounds like him.”

His sister looked far more concerned than he did.

“You want to save this girl?”

You nodded.

“If Doom’s figured out what she can do, I don’t think we can afford to leave her alone.”

Gwen stepped forward to show her support.

“He’s right. Even if she’s committed a crime, I think it would be a mistake to let Doom get his hands on her.”

Reed made a thoughtful hum and stroked his slightly unkempt beard.

“Then we’ll have you rescue her while Johnny distracts Doom.”

Johnny shrugged, seemingly unperturbed by this change in plans.

“I’m game. So long as Susie’s able to cover for me.”

Sue shook her head at him.

“I don’t see how that’s any different from usual, but fine.”

Johnny gave her a shameless grin, and it took everyone a minute to realize that the wrong Sue had responded in her stead. Now it was N’Kalla who was wearing the shameless grin as Johnny glared at her.

—---------

Reflecting back on the thoughts of your past self from 15 minutes ago, you still felt that it was worth involving yourself in this mission, just to see the look on Johnny’s face when you showed him that you were more than capable of keeping pace with him. After the initial shock wore off, he suddenly became a lot more interested in you.

He even challenged you to a race, but Reed and Sue quickly intervened to get him back on track. Aside from that, you found Johnny Storm to be surprisingly good company. He had no problem carrying a conversation, and your combined radio chatter was enough to flood the private channel that the Four temporarily invited you to. Reed and Valeria very nearly created an entirely new channel for just the two of you.

It was almost enough to make you forget about the fact that you were using your body as bait for a major supervillain. Almost.

“On your six!”

Johnny shouted, but you were already turning to allow the volley of enemy fire to fly right past you. If not for your spider sense, this would’ve been 10 times harder. The fact that Johnny was managing without it was admirable in its own way.

(Cont.)

File: il_fullxfull.4565512659_dhmh.jpg (1.28 MB, 2000x3000)

1.28 MB JPG

You didn’t know how many Doombots were currently chasing you, but you also didn’t want to turn around to find out. They must be programmed to focus all of their attention on any member of the Four, and you were unlucky enough to be flying in his vicinity when they detected him.

“Whose idea was this again?”

“Hey, you agreed to it. Don’t chicken out on me now.”

“I’m not! It’s like how retail workers gripe about their jobs. I should be well within my rights to gripe about my job.”

Johnny laughed, turned to avoid another group of laser bolts, and returned some fire of his own. The guy was shining as bright as a star in his flame form, so it was no wonder how you were spotted so quickly.

“Well look alive, because I think I see chrome-dome up ahead.”


You followed the line of where he was pointing, and your eyes widened when you caught a glimpse of Doom’s back. He was currently tearing through the city, chasing after what appeared to be a bright neon purple car that wouldn’t look out of place in a vaporwave wallpaper. Arcade floating helplessly by his side, not at all assured by his captor’s temporary protection.

“Is that your girl over there?”

Johnny asked.

“Yeah. That’s her, I think. We should get closer.”

Johnny let out an excited laugh.

“Oh, yeah. This is where the fun begins.”

You both dove down, a swarm of Doombots hot on your trail. You fully intended to fly right past the Latverian dictator before he got the chance to notice your presence, but when he turned his cold gaze on you, your heart nearly stopped.

Despite the paralyzing fear that you felt in his presence, your body maintained its momentum, and you rocketed past him to land on the hood of Ember’s car.

“Don’t you hate when you get bugs on your windshield?”

Ember cursed and swerved violently in an attempt to shake you off. But when she realized who you were, she seemed to calm down a bit. But, only a bit.

“What took you so long!?”

What will you say?

>”Come with me if you want to live.”
>”I brought some friends along to help. If you want to escape, now's your chance.”
>”Where’s Squirrel Girl? Wasn’t she with you?”
>”Is it too much to hope that you managed to destroy that pixel machine instead of stealing it?"
>"Couldn't you have made a light-cycle instead? There'd be less traffic to deal with."
>"Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out here. I know a safe place where you can stay." (Where?)
>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

>>5813899
>>"Couldn't you have made a light-cycle instead? There'd be less traffic to deal with."
>"Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out here. I know a safe place where you can stay." (Pocket Dimension)

>>5813899
>"Typical New York traffic, what can I say?"
>"Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out here. I know a safe place where you can stay." (Pocket Dimension)

>>5813899
>"Typical New York traffic, what can I say?"
>"Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out here. I know a safe place where you can stay." (Pocket Dimension)
>”Just remember: Don’t litter, don’t feed the animals, don’t start any forest fires.”

>>5814111
111+1

>>5813917
>>5813935
>>5814111
>>5814720
>"Typical New York traffic, what can I say?"
>"Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out here. I know a safe place where you can stay." (Pocket Dimension)
>”Just remember: Don’t litter, don’t feed the animals, don’t start any forest fires.”

Taking these. Writing...

File: 6398058-ember quade.jpg (59 KB, 349x537)

59 KB JPG

“Typical New York Traffic. What can I say?”

Ember didn’t look quite as amused as you’d hoped, but at the very least she hadn’t tried to attack you, so that was something. Instead of replying, Ember swerved again to avoid some sort of invisible attack from Doctor Doom. He just pointed, and the ground beside Ember’s car exploded.

“Don’t worry. I’m gonna get you out of here. I know a safe place where you can stay.”

You pulled out your portal projector and waved it at her. She glanced between it and you.

“Uh, what the hell is that?”

“Your ticket out of here. It creates a portal to a pocket dimension that I own. I’m still renovating it, though.”

Ember gave you an incredulous look.

“And I’m just supposed to just let you cram me inside of that thing?”

“Well, it’s either that, or test your luck against Doctor Doom. Your choice, really.”

Ember bit her lip and glanced over at her rear view mirror. After a second of consideration, she groaned and slipped off her seatbelt.

“Fine. Just…pull me back out when you think it’s safe, okay?”

“You got it. Just remember: Don’t litter, don’t feed the animals, and don’t start any forest fires.”

You said, as you leaned over to create a portal within the car. A red, swirling rift opened up beside Ember. She started sliding towards it almost immediately, and you could tell that some part of her was resisting, if only on reflex.

“Wait, there’s animals in there!?”

“Well, one of them is a sentient plant, but I’ve yet to confirm what else lives there. Just…try not to move around too much.”

Ember opened her mouth to protest, but she had already sunk so deep into the portal that no sound could escape her mouth without being distorted beyond recognition. When the portal winked out of existence, there was no one left to drive the car. But Ember’s absence didn’t seem to affect the vehicle’s functionality in the slightest. And that just left you crouched on top of the hood of a runaway vehicle that was being chased by about a thousand Doombots and Doctor Doom himself.

What will you do?

>Force the car to slow down, and then store it in your pocket dimension as well. You can always use it later.
>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.
>Stop the car and fly back up into the air. If Johnny wanted to lead Doom on a wild goose chase, he wasn’t going to do it alone.
>Pick up the car, place a bunch of explosive marks on it, and throw it at Doom. It might not hurt him, but it should at least take out a decent chunk of his Doombots.
>Bail out and have Johnny and Sue cover for you. You did your part. The others can take it from here.
>Write-in.

>>5814832
>>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.
DO YOU LIKE
MY CAR?

>>5814832
>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.

>>5814832
>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.
No way we’re actually fooling him, but how often do you get to joyride a hardlight racing car? Gotta find excuses to have fun while on the job.

>>5814832
>>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.

>>5814832
>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.
There has never been a better time to take a drive in NYC, let's be real. Also;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gah8FnYSypk
I was trying to pick a single song but fuck it, you can never have too much Eurobeat

>>5814832
>>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.
>Coordinate where you should be leading Doom.

File: cover1.jpg (81 KB, 1429x803)

81 KB JPG

>Arcade gets his shit pushed in in-quest
>Bungie Studios, and Destiny by extension, seemingly dies overnight
COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT!

File: tobey_maguire_spider_man.jpg (69 KB, 1200x600)

69 KB JPG

>>5814839
>>5814840
>>5814857
>>5814931
>>5815068
>>5815551
>Hop into the driver’s seat and steer this thing towards the location that Reed designated. If Doom still thinks that Ember is in this car, then he’ll be twice as motivated to follow you.

It's unanimous! Writing...

>>5815862
I must use this newfound power responsibly...

File: 170886.jpg (219 KB, 1300x920)

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You eyed the steering wheel hungrily, suddenly forgetting about the fact that you were being chased by Doom and his robot army.

“I really shouldn’t do this…”

You said, even as you were slipping through the window and into the driver’s seat. You didn’t bother with the seatbelt. The adhesion of your hands and feet should protect you from flying through the windshield. But just to be safe…

You strapped a webline over your chest and attached it to the driver’s seat.

“This is probably a terrible idea.”

You gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand and caressed the shift lever with the other. The car seemed to hum, not with the power of a combustion engine, but with the sheer power of the pixels that allowed it to move in the first place. The interior had a soft, consistent glow to it, similar to the pulsating lights on the outside. There was something inexplicably soothing and hypnotic about it, and the seat was surprisingly comfortable, despite the hard-light material that it was made of. If it weren’t for the fact that you were getting shot at right now, you might’ve been afraid to fall asleep at the wheel.

“Oh, what the hell. When have I ever let a terrible idea stop me before?”

You shifted gears, jerked the steering wheel to the left, and narrowly avoided another attack from Doom. Your spider-sense served you better in warning you of attacks than the rear-view mirror did.

“This car handles like a dream…! I think Ember might’ve missed her calling.”

Effortlessly, you used your superior reflexes to maneuver the vehicle around and between the numerous obstacles that littered the road in the form of debris, running civilians, abandoned cars, and the resulting wreckage of having a supervillain attack the city. But this being New York, the streets weren’t as conveniently empty as you would’ve hoped, and you were forced to take numerous detours in order to get to where you needed to go.

Where will your detour take you?

>Through the subway tunnels. You shouldn’t encounter any Morlocks down there, and the number of Doombots that can chase after you will be limited.
>Message Hill and see if you can’t borrow Lost Boy and Tinkerbell for a little bit. Having a flying car would turn this joy ride into a thrilling dogfight!
>Central Park. All those plant monsters and those two Avengers should be able to help peel these Doombots off of you.
>Steer clear of any areas that might be populated. You’ll be risking your tail without having much cover, but at the very least you won’t be risking anyone else’s safety.
>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

>>5816246
>>Through the subway tunnels. You shouldn’t encounter any Morlocks down there, and the number of Doombots that can chase after you will be limited.

>>5816246
>>Steer clear of any areas that might be populated. You’ll be risking your tail without having much cover, but at the very least you won’t be risking anyone else’s safety.

>>5816246
>>Central Park. All those plant monsters and those two Avengers should be able to help peel these Doombots off of you.

>>5816246
>Central Park. All those plant monsters and those two Avengers should be able to help peel these Doombots off of you.
>Does this thing have hands-free calling? Open a line to Julie and keep her informed of where you’re going. She and Chat can have heroes steer civilians out of your path.
I’d keep the end destination a secret, good chance Doom can listen in on the call. Could also call Hill instead and get transferred to a S.H.I.E.L.D. coordinator.

>>5816246
>Message Hill and see if you can’t borrow Lost Boy and Tinkerbell for a little bit. Having a flying car would turn this joy ride into a thrilling dogfight!
>Steer clear of any areas that might be populated. You’ll be risking your tail without having much cover, but at the very least you won’t be risking anyone else’s safety.

>>5816296
>>5816466
>>5816487
>>5816492
We're currently tied between Central Park and Steering clear of populated areas! Would anyone like to change votes, or are we waiting for another one?

>>5816853
>>5816248
I'll change to
>>Central Park. All those plant monsters and those two Avengers should be able to help peel these Doombots off of you.

>>5816466
>>5816487
>>5816861
>Central Park. All those plant monsters and those two Avengers should be able to help peel these Doombots off of you.

Taking these. Writing...

File: Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_5_(...).jpg (702 KB, 1127x1712)

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You tore through the city, weaving between cars with only so much as an inch of space on either side, narrowly avoiding obstacles and giving pedestrians as much space as you possibly could. One thing that struck you immediately was the sheer speed of this vehicle. It felt like your surroundings were bleeding past you in a blur. The only reason Ember hadn’t been driving faster was because she didn’t have the reflexes to operate it with peak efficiency like you did. Of course, you had to slow down to turn every now and again, but Doom’s robots didn’t seem to have nearly as much horsepower as this baby. You could feel your heart racing, the blood draining from your hands as you gripped the steering wheel, and the weight of gravity pushing you back into your seat.

You’d have to ask Ember to borrow it if you ever decided to go to Vegas again. A long stretch of uninterrupted road with minimal traffic would allow you to really cut loose and see what this thing was made of.

But as much fun as it was to drive through the city, you knew that you would eventually have to steer Doom towards your true destination. But you’d need to take a little shortcut to get there. So you chose the only place you knew of that would be hard for Doom and his army to navigate through.

“Central Park, here I come!”

You jerked the steering wheel to the right, veering off the road and towards the monument, your foot firmly pressing the gas pedal into the floor. On the way there, you found yourself having to try harder to avoid running anyone over. This car was far too silent for its own good. It reminded you of why electric cars needed to simulate engine noises to avoid accidents.

Somehow, you managed to avoid committing vehicular manslaughter on your way to the park. So long as you didn’t pay any mind to all the property damage and traffic violations, you were behaving like a model citizen. And if someone did notice, you could always blame it on Doom.

As soon as you ran out of asphalt and concrete to drive on, you braced yourself for the car’s maneuverability to drastically decrease. The car was practically flying over the grass and dirt, your tires losing almost all of their traction right away.

“Well that’s not good. Maybe now would be a good time for a web-shaping exercise.”

You leaned your left arm out the window and fired some web-nets at both tires on that side. You repeated the same on the right side, and immediately, you could feel your tires gripping the dirt far better than it had before. For a brief instant, the dirt, grass and rocks were clinging to the webbing, but they were quickly burned away by the intense heat emanating from the tires. But your webs weren’t. They were more than up to the task of withstanding both the heat and pressure of you using them as makeshift treads.

“Oh, man. I have got to remember this next time I need to get snow tires!”

(Cont.)

File: EPDJDDMX4Ao8Aon.png (431 KB, 465x638)

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You refocused your attention on the road, only for your eyes to go wide when you spotted two familiar figures. A flying shark girl, and an asian girl with antlers. Iara and Nature Girl were here!

When the former spotted you, her eyes grew as wide as yours. Without much effort at all, she flew up to fly beside you, easily matching your speed.

“Hey, Ben! No one told me you were coming.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth. What’re you doing out here?”

The look she was giving you made you feel like she thought your question didn’t make any sense.

“What’s it look like? We’re helping.”

She pointed to Nature Girl, who was standing under a truly massive tree, whose branches seemed to stretch out in all directions to cover the entire park. She was giving orders to a group of aggressive looking plant creatures. They were mostly a bundle of teeth and plant fiber that resembled muscle. Some were literally only a pair of legs and a mouth. They looked vicious, but they were only as big as small dogs right now, so their size wasn’t very impressive. But that opinion changed when you saw a small, golden fairy-like creature flying between them, and shooting them with tiny blue projectiles.

Suddenly, the affected creatures grew to several times their size and in an instant, their threat level jumped up several times in your mind. Now, they looked more like dinosaurs than dogs. The “fairy” that you spotted was most likely the Wasp.

“And those?”

“Oh, those? All the noise made Ethel, that tall skinny girl, freak out, and all the plants in our greenhouse started growing like crazy! And one thing led to another and Donny became like…that.”

She pointed to the giant tree. You gaped at her.

“THAT’S Donny!? What happened?”

She gave you a slightly annoyed look.

“I literally just told you.”

“No, I got that. But…how’d he get so big so quickly?”

Iara made a thoughtful noise.

“Nature Girl thinks it’s a combination of her and Ethel’s combined efforts, and a pinch of…’Pym Particles’? Am I saying that right?”

You continued to stare at the tree. A pale woman with short black hair and antennae sticking out of her forehead was riding atop one of the larger plant monsters. That was probably Mantis.

There were multiple civilians, both human and mutant, scrambling around to get out of the way of your car, and the oncoming storm of Doombots.

Iara’s jaw dropped when she turned to stare at them.

“Wow. That’s a lot! Are they chasing you?”

“Yup. That’s the plan, at least.”

(Cont.)

What will you say/do?

>”Would you mind taking a chunk out of their forces? It’d really help me out. Try to steer clear of the real one.”
>Drive between the feet of the giant plant monsters. Nature Girl and Mantis should be able to help cover your escape.
>Approach Wasp and ask her to give you one of those shrinking devices. It could come in handy in a pinch.
>Have Wasp grow to giant size, pick up your car and toss it across the city!
>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

>>5816965
>”Would you mind taking a chunk out of their forces? It’d really help me out. Try to steer clear of the real one.”
>Drive between the feet of the giant plant monsters. Nature Girl and Mantis should be able to help cover your escape.

>>5816965
>Drive between the feet of the giant plant monsters. Nature Girl and Mantis should be able to help cover your escape.
>”Feel free to chip in weeding them out but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Stick to lasers instead.”
I have fewer qualms about endangering the giant plants than I do anyone else but I’m betting Iara will want to fight so let’s settle for quipping at her instead.

>>5816965
>>”Would you mind taking a chunk out of their forces? It’d really help me out. Try to steer clear of the real one.”
>>Drive between the feet of the giant plant monsters. Nature Girl and Mantis should be able to help cover your escape.

>>5816965
>"How are things down in the sewers? Is Joyce running around anywhere out here?"
>”Would you mind taking a chunk out of their forces? It’d really help me out. Try to steer clear of the real one.”
>Drive between the feet of the giant plant monsters. Nature Girl and Mantis should be able to help cover your escape.
I initially felt bad about putting this kinda thing on Ethel with no warning, but if she can't see a swarm of Doombots from this far out then I don't know what to say.
Also she has Lara and one or two Avengers backing her up. She should be fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

>>5816965
>Drive between the feet of the giant plant monsters. Nature Girl and Mantis should be able to help cover your escape.
>”Feel free to chip in weeding them out but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Stick to lasers instead.”

>>5816966
>>5816972
>>5816975
>>5816980
>>5817048
>”Would you mind taking a chunk out of their forces? It’d really help me out. Try to steer clear of the real one.”
>Drive between the feet of the giant plant monsters. Nature Girl and Mantis should be able to help cover your escape.

Taking these. Writing...

File: 505931.jpg (63 KB, 450x700)

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“Would you mind taking out a chunk of their forces? It’d really help me out if you could. Just…try to steer clear of the real one.”

She gave you a wide, toothy grin that served as a painful reminder of the woman she used to be. For her sake, you tried to match her energy.

“Leave ‘em to me! It’s way better than staying down in some dark, dingy sewer.”

And before you were able to get her to elaborate on that, Iara shot off towards the swarm of Doombots. A thin, blue line of light projected from her eyes carved a swathe through the cloud of killer robots, creating a cacophony of explosions that lit up the night sky in a brilliant display of fireworks.

You whistled in appreciation, but you didn’t have the luxury to sit and watch the action. Instead, you turned and drove towards the stampede of giant plant monsters that were charging to join Iara in her fight. It was only because of your spider sense that you were able to evade being crushed by feet that were just as big as the vehicle you were driving. You drifted between the lumbering giants, feeling disoriented by the cloud of dirt and dust that was being kicked up in their passing. A choking cloud of the stuff infiltrated the car, forcing you to squint to avoid being blinded. A thick layer of grime was now coating the underside of the car, giving it a more dingy, time-worn appearance. Luckily, however, that was the extent of the damage to your car. If you’d been a split-second late on that last turn, then your car likely would’ve spun out of control and hit a tree.

In what little of what was left of your rear view mirror, you could see Mantis, mounted atop a plant beast, glancing back at you curiously. You waved at her and scanned the area for Nature GIrl. You found her easily, standing close to Donny, nurturing some of the smaller plant creatures.

“Damn, Donny. What’re they feeding you?”

You muttered to yourself. A moment later, Nature Girl noticed you and started waving her arms around in an attempt to flag you down.

“Whatever you do, don’t let him anywhere near here!”

She pointed at a burning comet in the distance, which you quickly identified as Johnny Storm. He was following you, now relegated to a supporting role after you stole the show. He probably wouldn’t like that too much, but you didn’t particularly care at the moment.

“Trust me, I’m just passing through. Sorry for all the trouble, but you guys are really helping me out.”

“It’s cool. I know you’ve got stuff to do. The squirrels have told me so many wonderful things tonight! Go save the city!”

She gave you an encouraging smile and pumped a fist into the air as she cheered at the retreating hard-light vehicle.

—--------

(Cont.)

File: 7741449-7630716-25-variant.jpg (208 KB, 820x1280)

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To your great relief, Doctor Doom and a good chunk of his bots kept chasing you. It shouldn’t have been a very comforting thought, seeing as how he was a major supervillain that could grind you into the dust if he caught up to you, but if he was here, then he wouldn’t be able to hurt any of the others in the park. At least, you hoped that was the case. The Morlocks couldn’t afford to suffer any more losses tonight.

Luckily, that little stunt you pulled allowed you to create enough distance between yourself and Doom that you were able to make it your destination without much trouble. It was an old metal refinery on the edge of town. It was unpopulated, unguarded, and otherwise unremarkable. But, Reed made it seem like this was an important factor in his plans, so you didn’t ask questions. You just drove straight into the facility, parked your car in a corner somewhere and waited.

And so did Doom.

He and Arcade hovered just in front of the refinery. The mad dictator seemed entirely content to allow his Doombots to tear the facility apart, rather than allowing himself to be possibly cornered.

For a second, that had you worried. But only for a second. Before the Doombots got a chance to do any real damage, you saw five people appearing behind Doom. The buff blonde one with the golden shield threw her magic-canceling disk at the metal masked menace, bouncing it off the back of his head and disrupting his levitation for a brief moment. And in that brief window, Nathaniel Richards fired a beam of energy from his chest directly at Doom. Doom somehow managed to block it with his hand, but he was momentarily distracted long enough for Gwen to catch her shield and slam it down on Doom’s face. She then used her full weight to force both of them down.

He struggled against her, unable to focus on keeping Arcade afloat, defending himself, and commanding his Doombots at the same time with his magic disrupted. And it only got worse when Valeria came out with N’Kalla, carrying a cube-shaped device that you thought was meant to disrupt the functions of both his suit and the surrounding Doombots. At once, both Doom and Arcade fell, while Gwen and the First Family struggled to bring down Doom.

You moved quickly, abandoning the car and launching yourself with a web-slingshot and a burst of flame in order to reach Arcade before he hit the ground. You grabbed him by the back of his jacket and swung him to the side, where you set up a web net to cushion his fall.

“We regret to inform you that your account’s been suspended. If you have any complaints, please direct them to your local police department.”

Arcade struggled weakly against the webbing for a second, before flopping back and letting out a frustrated huff.

Meanwhile, Gwen and Doom were wrestling with each other, with Gwen pushing the shield into him, and Doom attempting to push it down and away from his face.

“Don’t just stand there! Do something!”

(Cont.)

File: 8131085-dr.doom(2).jpg (174 KB, 1280x721)

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Arcade shouted. And for a brief instant, Doom turned his dark glare onto the demented game developer.

“Doom. Does not. Take. Orders!”

With each word, Doom seemed to overpower Gwen a little more at a time. Even with his suit’s limited functionality, and without the use of his magic, he was able to push her back with sheer force of will.

Gwen strained under the weight of his strength, before she was eventually batted away so that Doom could recuperate. With the distance that he managed to create between himself and the shield, Doom gained some semblance of control over his magic again.

Lightning crackled on his fingertips, and he pointed a hand at Nathaniel, who was currently preparing another powerful blast from the suit’s core. But you knew that the kid wouldn’t make it in time.

Your body moved on reflex, and before you knew what you were doing, a web-bolt flew from your wrist and nailed Doom right in the eye. Well, the eye of his mask at least.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to momentarily distract him long enough for Susan Storm to create a bubble of force around him. And when Doom unleashed his magical attack, the energy from it bounced right back and hit him at full force. Doom cried out in pain and outrage as he electrocuted himself.

When the light show ended, Doom fell to one knee, his clothing slightly blackened and smoldering from the attack. He glared hatefully at where he thought Sue was, and he raised a hand to retaliate.

Five, metal spikes flew from his fingertips, shredding the shimmering barrier as if it had never been there at all. Gwen jumped in front of deadly projectiles and deflected them with her golden shield, sending the disk back at Doom with a powerful throw.

He blocked it with his forearm, but that only left him open to be shot by Nathanial from above. Both N’Kalla and Sue bombarded him with force projectiles while his attention was split, and you considered getting in there as well. But all of a sudden, everyone backed off all at once.

In the blink of an eye, Van returned to the battlefield, teleporting Valeria and everyone else to a safe distance. It was then that you noticed Mister Fantastic standing above you, his elongated arms coiled around a thick metal pipe. With a show of effort, he brought it down on top of Doom, while The Thing threw large bits of metal at him, one after another. Neither of them stopped until Johnny was flying directly above him. And that’s when he finally got his chance to shine. Johnny Storm, the second Human Torch, dropped the hammer.

A spear of blinding light crashed down from the heavens like an almighty display of divine retribution. It was almost painful to look at, and if it wasn’t for his sister maintaining the forcefield around it, you had a feeling that it would’ve roasted you and everyone else on the spot.

(Cont.)

File: 3577922-avenunder2014003-(...).jpg (150 KB, 900x1367)

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The metal burying Doom melted and pooled around him almost instantly, and his armor was nearly glowing white hot from the sheer intensity of the blast. A few seconds later, Johnny mercifully ended his attack, leaving Doom to simmer.

But before he could get a chance to retaliate, recover or escape, Reed rolled a purple cube of crackling energy at his feet. The cube immediately expanded to encompass Doom, and the molten metal at his feet reacted just as quickly. As if it was being manually manipulated, the metal rearranged itself into a complex cage-like structure that restrained all of Doom’s limbs.

Everyone other than the original four stared in disbelief, unsure of what to think about the outcome of the battle. It had all ended so quickly! Was that really it?

Nervously, Gwen glanced at Sue, and she nodded. All at once, everyone sagged in relief.

“How much do ya wanna bet that this is another advanced Doombot?”

Ben Grimm asked. You wanted to curse him for trying to jinx you like that, but Reed seemed to be considering that possibility as well.

“It’s a strong possibility. It wouldn’t be the first time that we were attacked by one of his creations.”

Gwen had a pitiful look on her face. She was likely wondering the same thing that you were. Was there another fight to be had here?

“But…on a citywide scale…?”

Sue nodded gravely.

“You’ll get used to it.”

Gwen let out a hollow laugh.

“I don’t think I want to.”

What will you do/say?

>”Does that mean that Doom probably doesn’t know about any of this? Are they all synced up like some sort of hivemind?”
>”When did he make the switch? Was he always a Doombot? How does a robot even use magic in the first place?”
>(Point up at Johnny) “Alright, you win. You have GOT to show me how to do that someday!”
>(Look at Gwen.) Well? What did you think about your first big superhero team-up? Pretty exciting stuff, huh?”
>”So, do you think you guys might be willing to hear Va Nee out after all this is done? I think she’s done more than enough to earn an appointment.”
>“I don’t mean to rain on everyone’s parade, but do we have a way of cleaning up the remaining Doombots in a timely manner?”
>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

>>5818535
>>”Does that mean that Doom probably doesn’t know about any of this? Are they all synced up like some sort of hivemind?”
>(Look at Gwen.) Well? What did you think about your first big superhero team-up? Pretty exciting stuff, huh?”

>>5818535
>Pat Gwens back "Awesome job, couldn't even tell you were nervous.”
>and after the inevitable 'fuck you/i hate you' from her, but even if not: "Seriously. You had a key role in the plan and you came through. You always come through, like I told you."

>(to group again) "Anyway, Doom still probably know about all of this? Aren't the bots all synced up like some sort of hivemind?”
>“And I don’t mean to rain in on the parade further, but we still need to clean up the remaining ones.”

>>5818535
>>”Does that mean that Doom probably doesn’t know about any of this? Are they all synced up like some sort of hivemind?”
>(Look at Gwen.) Well? What did you think about your first big superhero team-up? Pretty exciting stuff, huh?”
>”When did he make the switch? Was he always a Doombot? How does a robot even use magic in the first place?”

>>5818535
>”So, do you think you guys might be willing to hear Va Nee out after all this is done? I think she’s done more than enough to earn an appointment.”
>“I don’t mean to rain on everyone’s parade, but do we have a way of cleaning up the remaining Doombots in a timely manner?”

>>5818569
>>5818766
>>5818799
>>5818835
>”Does that mean that Doom probably doesn’t know about any of this? Are they all synced up like some sort of hivemind?”
>(Look at Gwen.) Well? What did you think about your first big superhero team-up? Pretty exciting stuff, huh?”

Taking these. Writing...

File: 8925025-drdoom.jpg (65 KB, 564x821)

65 KB JPG

“Does that mean that Doom probably doesn’t know about any of this? Are they all synced up like some sort of hivemind?”

Reed shook his head.

“They don’t all share the same memories, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he has them uploaded to a server upon their destruction. So if this really is a Doombot, then the real Doom shouldn’t have any personal recollection of what transpired tonight unless he reviews the footage himself.”

Van frowned.

“Why would he send an inferior duplicate of himself in his place instead of resolving the issue on his own?”

Sue let out a weary sigh, casting a sideways glance at the bound supervillain as she did so.

“He probably felt that it was beneath him to come here personally for Arcade.”

Gwen just looked confused.

“But…he was doing magic, right? Can robots do that?”

“They can if you inscribe powerful runes inside of them. Then, they act more like highly advanced magical constructs.”

Reed answered. Gwen nodded in the way that people do when they don’t truly understand something, but don’t want to admit it.

You walked up and patted her on the shoulder.

“Well? What did you think about your first big superhero team-up? Pretty exciting stuff, huh?”

She gave you a weak smile.

“Yeah, I think I’ve had my fair share of excitement for one night, thank you very much. I’d much rather be in a lab than on the front lines.”

A peel of laughter came from above, and you turned to watch as Johnny landed beside Doom.

“Oh, you and Reed are gonna be the best of friends. I can already tell.”

Reed rolled his eyes, but his wife wasn’t afraid of having a laugh at his expense. Ben Grimm had even cracked a grin when he thought Johnny wasn’t looking. Valeria just kept fiddling with her device. Interestingly enough, Van was watching over her shoulder as she worked.

“By the way,”

Gwen continued.

“What ever happened to that girl that you told us about?”

She was probably talking about Ember.

What will you say?

>”She’s somewhere safe. Don’t worry.” (Pat your Portal Projector)
>”I dropped her off when I cut through Central Park. She might still be there, but I wouldn’t count on it.
>”I managed to save her, but she ran off while I was distracting Doom. She could be anywhere by now.”
>Write-in.

Also, what will you do now?

>Link up with Spider-Man and Sandman. With Doom out of the way, the rest of this should be a cakewalk.
>Ask Van if she wouldn't mind teleporting around the city with Valeria’s jamming device. That should turn the tide of battle drastically.
>Go check on Cindy. She should still be with Prowler.
>Check on Ember. You’d like to have a chat with her now that the city isn’t in immediate danger.
>Volunteer to drop Arcade off to the nearest police station. You'd get to taunt him the entire way there, too.
>Write-in.

>>5821159
>”She’s somewhere safe. Don’t worry.” (Pat your Portal Projector)

>Ask Van if she wouldn't mind teleporting around the city with Valeria’s jamming device. That should turn the tide of battle drastically.
>Check on Ember. You’d like to have a chat with her now that the city isn’t in immediate danger.

>>5821159
>>”I managed to save her, but she ran off while I was distracting Doom. She could be anywhere by now.”

>>5821159
>”Van’s not the only one who can make someone vanish. I’m surprised Doom didn’t realize I was the only one in the car, but it was way fun to race him in that thing. I think I’m keeping it as a gift.”
I’d like to keep quiet on the details in case the other heroes want her turned in as a criminal.

>Ask Van if she wouldn't mind teleporting around the city with Valeria’s jamming device. That should turn the tide of battle drastically.
>>Suggest Gwen and Reed tag along. The three eggheads out to have plenty to talk about, and Van could use the extra rapport.
Make sure Van has friends to vouch for her wherever she’s going, both now and hopefully in the future.

>Give Silvermane a quick call (text?) and let him know Arcade and Doom are beaten so the heroes are going to sweep soon. If any of his guys were taking advantage of the chaos, they’d better wrap up soon.
Black Cat may not be the only one taking advantage of the chaos.

>Go check on Cindy. She should still be with Prowler.
Final destination. We can say we’re done for the night.

>>5821159

>”She’s somewhere safe. Don’t worry.” (Pat your Portal Projector)

>Go check on Cindy. She should still be with Prowler.
>Check on Ember. You’d like to have a chat with her now that the city isn’t in immediate danger.

>Write-in.
>Ask Van what she asked the Fantastic Four about.

>>5821159
>>”I managed to save her, but she ran off while I was distracting Doom. She could be anywhere by now.”
at least we might not enter Doom's shitlist!
>Find Squirrel Girl, what happened to her?

>>5821159
>”She’s somewhere safe. Don’t worry.” (Pat your Portal Projector)
>Ask Van if she wouldn't mind teleporting around the city with Valeria’s jamming device. That should turn the tide of battle drastically.
>Go check on Cindy. She should still be with Prowler.

>>5821159
>"Relaxing on a beach somewhere."
>”Same place I keep my alien starfighter. Safe. Don’t worry.” (Pat your Portal Projector)
>>Check on Ember. You’d like to have a chat with her now that the city isn’t in immediate danger.
first her to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid in there
>>Go check on Cindy. She should still be with Prowler.

File: 2-24-15-Jiffy-Pop.png (294 KB, 475x375)

294 KB PNG

I just realized, with our newfound pyrokinesis, Ben no longer needs to rely on external heat sources to cook Jiffy Pop.
No one man should have all that power.

>>5821163
>>5821199
>>5821200
>>5821230
>>5821903
>>5822186
>"Relaxing on a beach somewhere."
>”Same place I keep my alien starfighter. Safe. Don’t worry.” (Pat your Portal Projector)
>Ask Van if she wouldn't mind teleporting around the city with Valeria’s jamming device. That should turn the tide of battle drastically.
>Check on Ember. You’d like to have a chat with her now that the city isn’t in immediate danger.
>Go check on Cindy. She should still be with Prowler.

Taking these. Writing...

>>5822571
Ben's threat level might have to be re-evaluated by S.H.I.E.L.D.

File: 6470149-emulator ember quad.jpg (1.48 MB, 1985x2307)

1.48 MB JPG

“She’s probably relaxing on a beach somewhere.”

Gwen looked immediately confused, so you decided to clarify a bit.

“The same place I keep my alien starfighter. She’s safe. Don’t worry.”

You patted your Portal Projector. Gwen stared at it for a moment, before nodding.

“Good. I’m glad that you managed to get her out safe. What’re you gonna do with her?”

You glanced at the First Family. None of them were really paying attention to you right now.

“Not sure. I’m gonna check on her in a bit, so I guess I’ll find out then. What about you? What’re you gonna do?”

She turned her head to stare at Arcade’s defeated form, still weakly struggling in your web. A somewhat cheeky grin spread across her face.

“I’ll probably turn in Arcade and see if I get any prizes. After that, I’ll meet back up with Hill. She probably needs me for something.”

“Maybe Van can drop you off. Speaking of…”

You waved your sister over, and Van was by your side in the blink of an eye.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering if you could drop Gwen off somewhere. Also, I wanted to see what you thought about helping Valeria by teleporting her around the city so that she could use her Doombot jammer to shut down the robots.”

Gwen looked to Van hopefully, and she gave you both an encouraging smile.

“I believe I can manage both.”

—-------

After receiving the gratitude of the Fantastic Four, a fist-bump from Gwen, an approving nod from Van, and a scornful look from the potential Doombot in their custody, you swung away to a private location that you thought would be suitable to enter your Pocket Dimension without being disturbed.

You equipped the recall watch, webbed the flashlight to a wall and activated it, causing a tear in space to form in front of you. You strode in without hesitation. Your whole body seemed to vibrate as you passed through the field, but otherwise, the transition was seamless.

It didn’t take you very long to find Ember among the field purple flowers either. She was currently standing atop a hill, carefully scanning her surroundings with a hard-light rifle in her hands.

“So, what do you think?”

Ember whirled around and trained her rifle on you, but she quickly relaxed when she realized who you were. She let out a sigh and turned her head to catch an incoming breeze. Her ponytail fluttered in the wind, and she closed her eyes for a moment to appreciate it.

“It’s…kind of beautiful. Where are we?”

“A simulated reality, I think. I don’t fully understand it, but someone managed to create all this out of some complex alien code.”

She turned to face you again, and this time, a burning passion blazed behind her eyes.

“Seriously? Could you show it to me? I’d love to see it.”

If you remembered correctly, Ember was a programmer at ESU. Maybe she could be of use to you.

(Cont.)

What will you say?

>”If you come work for me, I’ll let you look at whatever you want.”
>”I could, but I’d like to extend a better offer. I’d like you to meet the rest of my team. I think we could do great work together.”
>”Knock yourself out. I can’t make heads or tails of it, anyway.”
>”We’ll worry about that later. First things first, how’re you feeling?”
>”Afraid not. I’ll be dumping you back at your dorm the first chance that I get.”
>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

>>5822641
>>”If you come work for me, I’ll let you look at whatever you want.”

>>5822641
>”We’ll worry about that later. First things first, how’re you feeling?”
>”I could, but I’d like to extend a better offer. I’d like you to meet the rest of my team. I think we could do great work together.”

>>5822641
We could always use another tech person, but maybe we should send her to Silvermane long-term?
I’ll settle for
>”Afraid not. I’ll be dumping you back at your dorm the first cha- just fucking with you. Knock yourself out, I can’t make heads or tails of it anyway.”
but I’m okay with any of the top 4 options.

>>5822641
>”I could, but I’d like to extend a better offer. I’d like you to meet the rest of my team. I think we could do great work together.”
There's a lot she has to offer to be honest. Also I want to offer her a job as a partner, not a subordinate.
God knows how she'd feel about that after the mess with Arcade.

>>5822641
>>>”If you come work for me, I’ll let you look at whatever you want.”

>>5822648
>>5822656
>>5822657
>>5822660
>>5823617
We're currently tied between these two votes:

>”If you come work for me, I’ll let you look at whatever you want.”
>”I could, but I’d like to extend a better offer. I’d like you to meet the rest of my team. I think we could do great work together.”

How would you guys like to proceed?

>>5823817
i'll swap>>5822648
>”I could, but I’d like to extend a better offer. I’d like you to meet the rest of my team. I think we could do great work together.”

>>5822656
>>5822660
>>5823818
>”I could, but I’d like to extend a better offer. I’d like you to meet the rest of my team. I think we could do great work together.”

Taking these. Writing...

File: Darkweb1A_1200x1200.jpg (320 KB, 781x1200)

320 KB JPG

“I could, but I’d like to extend a better offer. I’d like you to meet the rest of my team. I think we could do great work together.”

Ember’s eyes went wide. She looked completely and utterly dumbfounded.

“Your team? You’re recruiting me?”

You nodded.

“That was the implication.”

She turned to turn her full attention to you, her gun hanging limply by her side.

“But what about the Squirrel Lady? Weren’t you working with her?”

“That was more of a union born of circumstance. I needed her to help me get to my friend. What I’m offering you is a true partnership. A chance to make some real money.”

You rubbed your fingers together suggestively. Ember blinked for a moment, before narrowing her eyes and folding her arms over her chest.

“Oh yeah? I’ve heard that story before.”

“Yeah, I know. But I don’t want you to be my subordinate, or my minion, or my peon, or-”

Ember held a hand up to stop you.

“I get it.”

“I want us to be equals. If you join us, I bet we could put your powers to good use.”

Ember turned and walked down the hill, staring at you the entire time. Her eyes locked with yours for a long while as she quietly considered your offer. After about a minute, her gun dematerialized, and she relaxed her posture slightly.

“You really want me on your team? You barely even know me.”

“I recognize talent when I see it, and you’ve got it.”

Ember made the conflicted expression of someone who was pleased by a compliment, but wasn’t willing to trust it as coming from a genuine place. And when she next spoke, it was with a dour expression.

“I don’t…play well with others.”

She looked a little embarrassed after admitting that out loud. You laughed at her, which earned you a glare.

“Neither does Prowler, but we work together just fine.”

Her expression softened a bit, and you even saw the corner of lip turn up slightly.

“What do you guys do?”

“Ideally? We steal, sneak around, gather intel and do security work. But other times, we end up getting roped into ridiculous adventures that’ll make great stories to tell to our grandchildren.”

Ember made a thoughtful noise and bit her lip.

“What about Arcade?”

“He’s probably in police custody by now.”

Ember nodded.

“Good. It’s better than he deserves, but I’ll take it. The only downside is that he’s probably gonna blab about me to the cops to make himself look better. There’s no way I can go back to ESU after all this. I’m gonna need to lay low.”

She gave you a hopeful look.

(Cont.)

What will you do?

>”You can stay at my place until I get you sorted.”
>”How would you feel about having some roommates? I know two girls that are looking for an apartment too.”
>”I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, would you be alright with chilling in here for a bit? I'll bring in whatever you need.”
>”I know a guy that can probably set you up with a place.” (Reach out to Silvermane later.)
>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

>>5823935
>”How would you feel about having some roommates? I know two girls that are looking for an apartment too.”

>>5823935
>>”You can stay at my place until I get you sorted.”

>>5823935
>”I know a guy that can probably set you up with a place.” (Reach out to Silvermane later.)
If she does well with the Family she’ll be good even beyond us.

I can also back
>”How would you feel about having some roommates? I know two girls that are looking for an apartment too.”
if a tie happens again.

>>5823935
>>”How would you feel about having some roommates? I know two girls that are looking for an apartment too.”

>>5823942
>>5823961
>>5824640
>”How would you feel about having some roommates? I know two girls that are looking for an apartment too.”

Taking these. Writing...

File: artwork-fantasy-field-flo(...).jpg (1.18 MB, 2880x1800)

1.18 MB JPG

“How would you feel about having some roommates? I know two girls that are looking for an apartment too.”

For a second, you thought that she might complain about having to share an apartment, but she wisely avoided making a big deal out of it. You were the one doing her a favor, after all.

“I’ve had roommates before. It’s not always a great time, but I can play nice if I have to.”

And in this case, she did.

“Thanks, by the way.”

She added, tightly hugging her arms around herself and glancing to the side. She looked uncomfortable with the idea of genuinely thanking someone. She sort of reminded you of a mini-Callisto.

“For not turning me in, I mean. And for saving me from a supervillain. And for…giving me a place to stay, I guess. I’ll find a way to pay you back somehow.”

You nodded.

“Don’t mention it. Someone with your talents shouldn’t be rotting away in a cell somewhere. And you definitely shouldn’t be wasting them on some creep like Arcade. Those Pixel Punks were way overrated.”

Ember let out a dry chuckle at that, and her posture became slightly less guarded.

“Yeah, I thought so too. That ginger freak was obsessed with his little army of virtual trolls. I could’ve been making much cooler stuff. Like-”

“Like a 64-bit dragon.”

You said.

“Yeah, exactly. Except it wouldn’t just…fly around randomly and eat people. I can code games into reality! I can design levels and overlay them with the city’s terrain. The possibilities are endless.”

Her excitement was growing by the second, her frustration and fear forgotten momentarily.

“And I’d be more than willing to give you an outlet for your creativity. So long as you’d be willing to help me out every now and again.”

You held out a hand, and she eyed it suspiciously, her caution returning all at once.

“Come on. Would you rather live on the run, constantly looking over your shoulder? Or do you want to show the world what you can really do?”

Ember didn’t waver for much longer after that. Her gaze sharpened, and she grabbed your hand and squeezed it.

“Alright…’Huntsman’, was it? You’ve piqued my interest. Plus, I was getting bored of that school anyway.”

You firmly shook her hand.

“You won’t be disappointed, Ember. I’m sure the others are gonna love you, too.”

Even if they weren’t fans of her personality, they were going to absolutely love her powers.

She let out a sardonic laugh.

“That’s usually not the impression that I get from most people, but I’ll take your word for it. Lead the way.”

She gestured towards where you’d come from, and you turned to stare at the empty space. Did she want to meet the team right now?

You were technically going to go meet up with Prowler and Cindy, but you weren’t sure if you wanted Ember present for a private conversation like that just yet.

(Cont.)

What will you do?

>”I’m gonna need to pay my friend a visit first. He can be the first Desperado that you meet. And if you can get his approval, then you’re golden.”
>”Actually, would you mind waiting in here for a little while longer until I can assemble the whole team? In the meantime, you’re welcome to examine the code and learn what you can from it.”
>”Tell me, what are your thoughts on codenames? Because you’re probably gonna need one. I don’t need it tonight, but I do expect it to be on my desk by Monday morning. Just sit on it for now.”
>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

>>5824813
>”I’m gonna need to pay my friend a visit first. He can be the first Desperado that you meet. And if you can get his approval, then you’re golden.”
>”Tell me, what are your thoughts on codenames? Because you’re probably gonna need one. I don’t need it tonight, but I do expect it to be on my desk by Monday morning. Just sit on it for now.”

>>5824813
>>”I’m gonna need to pay my friend a visit first. He can be the first Desperado that you meet. And if you can get his approval, then you’re golden.”
if we can convince Prowler that's it, the others will just fall in place

>>5824813
>>”I’m gonna need to pay my friend a visit first. He can be the first Desperado that you meet. And if you can get his approval, then you’re golden.”
>”Tell me, what are your thoughts on codenames? Because you’re probably gonna need one. I don’t need it tonight, but I do expect it to be on my desk by Monday morning. Just sit on it for now.”

>>5824813
>>”I’m gonna need to pay my friend a visit first. He can be the first Desperado that you meet. And if you can get his approval, then you’re golden.”

>>5824820
>>5824821
>>5824837
>>5825006
>”I’m gonna need to pay my friend a visit first. He can be the first Desperado that you meet. And if you can get his approval, then you’re golden.”
>”Tell me, what are your thoughts on codenames? Because you’re probably gonna need one. I don’t need it tonight, but I do expect it to be on my desk by Monday morning. Just sit on it for now.”

Taking these. Writing...

File: two-prowlers-04.png (514 KB, 1200x600)

514 KB PNG

“I’m gonna need to pay my friend a visit first. He can be the first Desperado that you meet. And if you can get his approval, then you’re golden.”

You both turned to walk in the same direction, your arm draped over her shoulder. She tensed at the sudden contact, and you allowed her to carefully peel herself away from you. You tried not to take it personally.

“Desperado…”

She said the word slowly, as if she were testing the feel of it on her tongue. She didn’t seem to hate it at least.

“Tell me, what are your thoughts on codenames? Because you’re probably going to need one. I don’t need an answer right away, but I do expect it to be on my desk by Monday morning. Just sit on it for now.”

Ember made a thoughtful noise.

“Do I get a costume?”

She asked the question with full seriousness, and that surprised you. You didn’t think she would be the type.

“Of course! But, let’s take things one step at a time for now.”

—--------

For the sake of convenience, you kept Ember in the pocket dimension for a while longer, until you arrived at the Night Nurse’s clinic in Chinatown. It was a hole in the wall, tucked between a strip on Orchard Street. And if you hadn’t been given proper directions, you might’ve mistaken it for one of those “happy ending” massage parlors. To say that you didn’t fit in here was an understatement. You were about as inconspicuous as a brick flying through a glass window, but you suspected that she got visitors like you all the time.

You were acutely aware of the eyes that you felt on you as you crawled into the building. This was enemy territory after all. Hopefully, news of your activity here wouldn’t travel back to Mister Negative. The last thing you wanted to do was cause trouble for the Nurse.

You considered knocking on the front door at first, but your impatience got the better of you, and you decided to slip in through a ventilation shaft. It was incredibly dusty, and very nearly gave yourself away by sneezing several times, but you managed to creep past the lobby and into the room where Cindy was currently resting in.

Her current condition was enough to make your breath catch. Her face was covered in small scrapes and bruises, her arm was in a sling, and her leg was in a cast and being propped up above her bed. One of her eyes was slightly swollen shut, but the other one was wide open when she stared up at you as you descended from the ceiling on a webline.

“Man, you look terrible.”

She smiled, coughed, and then gave you a weak glare.

“Hello to you, too.”

“What happened?”

“She got ambushed.”

(Cont.)

File: 6555351-linda_carter_(ear(...).jpg (241 KB, 656x1073)

241 KB JPG

You whirled around, abandoning your webline and falling into a battle-ready crouch, prepared to pounce on whoever it was that managed to get the drop on you. But you immediately relaxed when you realized that it was only the Prowler. He’d somehow managed to perfectly blend into the shadows of this room. You hadn’t even seen him.

“By who? Doombots?”

Prowler nodded.

“Yeah. She had to fight her way out of a corner, and from what I understand, Typhoid Mary was the one to get her out of it.”

“Why would she-”

Your question was cut off by both the Night Nurse, and a young blonde costumed individual bursting into the room. The Nurse’s eyes settled onto you, and alarm turned into recognition, but then quickly became frustration.

“Why can’t any of you learn to take the front door?”

She said, pushing past you and Prowler to check on Cindy’s condition. You looked away sheepishly, and your eye caught on what must’ve been the tattered remains of Cindy’s costume. It looked as if it had been cut off of her body. It was hard to imagine that she had been inside of that a few hours ago.

An audible crack and a pop from Cindy’s arm caused her to wince, and all eyes fell on her again. She quickly schooled her expression, however.

“I’m okay. My bones are just…settling back into place.”

“More moon magic?”

This question had come from the costumed blonde, who you identified as Cindy’s roommate. She wore a thick, magenta visor, a red bomber jacket and a black crop-top that exposed her stomach, and a similarly colored pair of short shorts with fishnet stockings covering her legs. All in all, it was a fairly revealing ensemble. One that provided little cover and left little to the imagination.

She glanced warily at you every now and again, but most of her attention was on Cindy. The girl nodded slowly.

“Yeah. I’ll probably be walking out of here tomorrow morning. The arm might take some time, though.”

The Nurse gave her a disapproving scowl.

“Oh no you don’t. You’re staying right here until I say you can leave. And you’re not getting out of that bed until you’re healed and well-rested. Do you understand me, young lady?”

Cindy shrank beneath her covers, and nodded after gulping visibly.

“Yes, ma’am…”

The Nurse gave her another warning look, but her expression quickly softened into one of genuine, loving concern. She reached down to brush Cindy’s hair out of her face.

“Good. Now, I’m afraid that I’ll need the rest of you to leave for a moment.”

You and Prowler exchanged glances. To your surprise, he didn’t look entirely comfortable with leaving her alone. Maybe he liked her more than he cared to admit.

You were the first to respond to the Nurse’s demand.

“It’s alright. We’ll be right outside.”

You assured Cindy and Prowler, pushing the man closer to the door. Wanda raised a hand to get the Nurse’s attention.

(Cont.)

File: 1322766-prowler.jpg (180 KB, 1203x1296)

180 KB JPG

“Uh, is it okay if I stay?”

The Nurse glanced at Cindy, who gave her a brief nod.

“Fine. You can stay.”

Wanda beamed at her, and you left the women to do their own thing while you and Prowler stepped out for a moment.

“Thanks for making sure she was alright. Things have been a bit crazy ever since we got back.”

Prowler grunted his agreement.

“Sometimes I forget that she’s just a kid. The same age as Miles, and she’s out there fighting crime and leaping from buildings.”

You let out a weary sigh and leaned against a nearby wall.

“I know. I can’t stop her from doing what she was raised to do, but I can at least try to prepare her as best as I can.”

“Let me handle that. It’s the least I can do. I’ll make her new gear, get her a new suit, one with more protection built-in.”

You gave him an appreciative pat on the shoulder.

“Thanks. I appreciate it. Is everything alright with your girl and your nephew?”

“Yeah. They’re fine. Neither of them were out there when things got real bad. I think the big-time heroes are out there mopping up the mess right now, anyway.”

“It’s the least they can do.”

You said, with only a hint of bitterness in your voice.

Prowler let out a cold laugh.

“Damn straight. What have you been up to, anyway?”

“Oh, you know. Stopping a Latverian invasion and saving the Fantastic Four. The usual.”

You said easily.

“Oh! And I’ve been recruiting help.”

As soon as you were sure that you were alone, you pulled out your portal projector and created a rift at the end of the hallway. Prowler’s eyes went wide when he saw Ember walk out of the portal and into the clinic. She glanced around warily, looking for any signs of immediate danger.

“Who the hell is that?”

“Prowler. I’d like you to meet Ember Quade. The original creator of Arcade’s Pixel Punks. She’s the one that helped me take him down.”

Prowler glared at her, and Ember waved at him awkwardly.

“Uh…hey.”

“Why’d you bring her here, Huntsman?”

“I want her to join us. I’m offering her a chance to become a Desperado.”

Prowler looked at you as if you just sprouted two more heads.

“So, let me get this straight. You found the girl who’s responsible for one of the biggest attacks on the city in months, and you want to give her a spot on the team?”

“She’s got potential, Prowler. Those Pixel Punks are the least of what she can make. She codes hard-light energy constructs into reality, and she can program them herself. Show him, Ember.”

(Cont.)

File: Prowler_SMITSV.jpg (58 KB, 703x548)

58 KB JPG

You turned to her, and she nodded, looking a bit nervous. The lights in the hallway began to flicker, and you watched as a cluster of blue cubes formed between her hands. After a few seconds, the cubes shaped themselves into a pixelated bird. It leapt out of her hands and onto the ground. You all watched as it hopped around, chirping cheerily and pecking at the ground every now and again.

Prowler’s eyes went from it to Ember. She cleared her throat.

“I can make bigger, more impressive stuff, but that requires more energy, and we’re in a clinic, so…”

Prowler held up a hand.

“You’re pretty young. You sure you’re ready for a life of crime?”

Ember swallowed hard, but she didn’t shy away from the Prowler’s intense glare.

“I’m just trying to survive, man. Things…haven’t really gone my way ever since I partnered up with Arcade, so I’m trying my luck with you guys. If I have to prove myself, I’ll do it. Whatever it takes.”

Prowler made a noise that was halfway between a thoughtful hum and a growl.

“You talk a big game, but all I see is a scared little girl who jumps ship as soon as shit gets real. You should’ve seen that Arcade was gonna use you from the beginning. You’re gonna need to be smarter than that if you want to roll with us.”

Ember’s cheeks went red, and from the way that her eye twitched and her jaw clenched, you could tell that she was holding back an explosive outburst.

“I was smart enough to take a good deal when I saw it.”

Ember replied through gritted teeth.

“Smart, or desperate? You probably didn’t have a whole lot of other options.”

Ember’s nostrils flared, but she demonstrated remarkable self-control for someone with her temper.

“Look, you guys are all I’ve got right now. And I’m not dumb enough to make enemies of you guys when the cops are out there looking for me.”

“Right. But what about when you find a ‘better offer’? How loyal are you gonna be when someone flashes a fat stack of cash in front of your face? How do we know that you won’t screw us later, when we went through all the trouble of keeping your ass out of trouble? You’re not the only one risking your neck here.”

Ember nodded, her lips pressed firmly into a thin line.

“I know. I know. You’re just gonna have to trust me, I guess.”

“No, I don’t. I don’t even know you, and I don’t even think the Huntsman does either.”

Prowler spat back. You were about to come to Ember’s aid, when Prowler continued his rant.

“But lucky for you, there’s an opening on the team’s hit squad, and you just might be able to fill it. I’m gonna be taking a backseat to the team’s normal operations for a while. And with some training and guidance, you might be able to help us out.”

Your eyes went wide as the meaning of Prowler’s words sank in.

“Prowler, what are you talking about?”

(Cont.)

“I need to be there for my family, Huntsman. Tonight reminded me of that. I’ll still help out, but I’ve got more than enough money to live comfortably for a while. If you or…anyone else needs me-”

He glanced back at Cindy’s room.

“I’m only a phone-call away.”

What will you say?

>”I get it. Believe me, I do. You just focus on what’s important in your life, and we’ll be here if you ever need us.”
>”No one can ever take your place, man. It’ll be right here waiting for you when you decide that you’re ready to come back.”
>”I appreciate it. I'd feel a lot better if someone like you was looking out for Cindy when I'm not looking."
>"Maybe we can...split your time between family and business? Why be comfortable for a few years when you can be set for life?"
>”Why can’t you give in your two-week’s notice like everyone else? You've really put me on the backfoot here.”
>”Congratulations, Ember. I think you just got the Prowler’s blessing. It’ll only get easier from here, I promise.”
>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

>>5825900
>”I get it. Believe me, I do. You just focus on what’s important in your life, and we’ll be here if you ever need us.”
>"I'm going to miss working alongside you, man. Remember to visit sometimes alright?"

>>5825900
>>”I appreciate it. I'd feel a lot better if someone like you was looking out for Cindy when I'm not looking."
>”Congratulations, Ember. I think you just got the Prowler’s blessing. It’ll only get easier from here, I promise.”

>>5825900
>"This isn't a 9 to 5 job, and- even though I act like the shot-caller all the time, I aint the boss of you."
>”I get it. Believe me, I do. You just focus on what’s important in your life, and we’ll be here if you ever need us.”


We need to get Wanda some proper gear. She's a kid, more inches of her skin need to be covered in kevlar than fishnets. We can't stop Cindy or her from going out, but they're not gonna go out unprotected.

My phrasing here makes me think that we should like getting a first sidekick is like getting a first girlfriend/boyfriend. It's cute, we're not against it, but they need to use protection.

>>5825900
>>”No one can ever take your place, man. It’ll be right here waiting for you when you decide that you’re ready to come back.”
godspeed hobbie, you are the man

>>5825900
>”I get it. Believe me, I do. You just focus on what’s important in your life, and we’ll be here if you ever need us.”
>Go for the dap and pull him into a hug.
>"And I'm glad you said it, because I was about to. She's talented, but definitely a little rough around the edges. Who knows, maybe showing her the ropes will keep you in-shape during your leave of absence."
>”Congratulations, Ember. I think you just got the Prowler’s blessing. It’ll only get easier from here, I promise.”

>>5825906
>>5825929
>>5825935
>>5825957
>>5825966
>”I get it. Believe me, I do. You just focus on what’s important in your life, and we’ll be here if you ever need us.”
>”Congratulations, Ember. I think you just got the Prowler’s blessing. It’ll only get easier from here, I promise.”

Taking these. I'll try and incorporate the other write-ins to the best of my ability as well. Writing...

>>5825935
I'll have to remember that for later. That's a good joke

File: clean (12).jpg (555 KB, 1821x2800)

555 KB JPG

“I get it. Believe me, I do. You just focus on what’s important in your life, and we’ll be here if you ever need us.”

You put a hand on his shoulder, and Hobbie let it stay there. Even more surprising, he extended a hand towards you, his claws retracted for your safety. You firmly grasped it and gave it a firm shake.

“You’re alright, Huntsman.”

You sniffled.

“That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me…”

He made a noise that was either a scoff or a dry chuckle, and you decided to believe that it was the latter. You were going to miss working alongside him, and you hoped that he felt the same about you.

“Be sure to drop by and visit every now and again, you hear? You’ll always have a place with us.”

“I might. Someone’s gotta make sure that this ship’s running smoothly.”

Hobie said, before turning to glare at Ember.

“And you. I’ll be watching you, so you’d better make sure that you’re on top of your game.”

The moment was meant to be threatening, but it was somewhat undermined by the presence of Ember’s blue virtual bird landing on the Prowler’s shoulder. He reached up to crush it, but it flew away before he could.

“Congratulations, Ember. I think you just got the Prowler’s blessing. It’ll only get easier from here, I promise.”

Ember didn’t look terribly convinced that that was what had just happened, but she tried to remain optimistic nonetheless.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for having me.”

She gave you a weak smile, but her eyes turned a bit cold whenever she regarded the Prowler.

You didn’t want to say it out loud, but Hobie had made some good points during that interview. Ember was an amateur, and more than a little rough around the edges. But, even more than that, she had some talent in controlling her powers, and she showed great promise. And if you could help her to refine her technique, she could become a huge asset to the team.

Now, it was time for her to meet the others.

—---------

As you suspected, Flint and Cat weren’t nearly as brutal as the Prowler had been. When they arrived at the clinic, you assured them that Cindy was safe and recovering, before introducing them to Ember. Cat seemed to like her attitude—referring to her as “spicy”---and Flint felt safe in trusting your judgment on the matter.

He was just talking about throwing her a welcoming party, when Hobie broke the bad news.

“Wait, you’re leaving!? Just like that?”

Flint said, clearly saddened by this development. You had been under the impression that they didn’t get along very well, but their relationship must’ve been more complicated than you originally assumed.

The Prowler nodded.

“I think it’s best that I take a step back and appreciate what I’ve got. I’m probably not hanging up the suit for good, but I could use a normal vacation.”

Felicia leaned back in her chair, throwing one leg over the other.

(Cont.)

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“I get it. Gotta take some time to spend the money that you’ve got.”

Hobie chuckled.

“Yeah. You can’t take it with you.”

The two of them shared a moment, just staring at one another with something that might have approached fondness. But, it didn’t last long.

“I guess there really is a decent guy under that mask. With all that growling and grunting, I thought you might’ve just been a small grizzly bear this whole time.”

Cat said with a teasing smile. Prowler narrowed his eyes at her, but his heart wasn’t really in it.

“Well, I guess now we’ve gotta throw a welcome party and a farewell party.”

You suggested.

Flint rubbed his hands together gleefully.

“Alright! I’ll buy the drinks this time.”

Cat nearly jumped out of her seat.

“Oh no you don’t. I’m not drinking that rubbing alcohol that you call booze.”

Flint’s face fell.

“Oh, come on. It’s the only way I can taste it.”

Flint protested.

“How’s a big ol’ pile of sand supposed to get drunk anyway?”

Hobie asked. Ember gave Flint a sympathetic look.

“You’re literally made of sand? Oof…that’s rough, man.”

You nodded sadly.

“Yeah, it’s coarse and grainy and it gets everywhere.”

You managed to dodge out of the way just in time as Flint took a swing at you.

“Why you…!”

You laughed, and for the first time since she got here, so did Ember. And so ended the long night.

—--------

What will you do tomorrow?

>Stay with Cindy while she recovers. You’d like to talk to her and her roommate about a few things.
>Throw Ember a welcoming party and Hobie a farewell party.
>Accompany Van to her meeting with the Fantastic Four. She’d probably appreciate your support.
>Check in with Silvermane. He should know that you’re back in town, and ready to commit yourself to the cause.
>Head back to Vic’s house and check on your brother and nephew.
>Swing on over to Central Park and see if the mutants are still squatting there.
>Call up Callisto and see if she and the others made it out okay.
>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