AndyC

MARVELS: Streets of New York

"Come on out, Mister Mittens," I say, calling out to the big-ass pet tarantula of the little girl on the first floor. Getting the girl and her folks to safety was easy enough, but in the middle of all the excitement, a piece of debris knocked the tarantula's terrarium out of my hands, and it broke open on the floor. I've cleared out everyone on the first floor now, except for that damn bug.

I was gonna leave it at that, but the girl started crying, and well, here I am, back in the towering inferno. Maybe raising Danielle has made me go a little soft, but I can't stand to see kids cry if I can help it.

"Niiiice, tarantula," I say gently, picking through the rubble to get to the next floor. "Gooood tarantu--oh jeezus!"

Out of nowhere, the big furry hand-like body of Mister Mittens drops down from the ceiling right onto my shoulder. My reflex is to swat the damn thing, but I stop myself just shy of splatting it, then it skitters down my back and I start to squirm. God, I hate bugs.

Before I can grab him, the tarantula scrambles off to where I can't see it.

"Get back here, you eight-legged freaky--"

There's a scream from upstairs, and I sigh.

"This ain't over, Mister Mittens," I call out. "I'm gettin' your ass before this is done."

Bounding up the stairs, I grumble to himself, wishing Spider-Man was here so he could control that thing with his spider-telepathy. He can do that, right? Or am I thinking about Ant-Man? One of the bug guys, I know that.

There's a buzz on my hip, and I see it's a text from Jessica. Not a lot of time to sit here chatting, but I always check when it's from the Missus in case it's important.

"Hey, on a case atm. Unsure how long it will be. I'll try to get home at a reasonable hour, but no promises.

And sidenote: heard of any animals demonstrating superpowers? Indulge me

Love you

PatientBean

I tap a button to go talk-to-text as I run up the stairs. "We talking like Lockjaw? You might wanna ask the Thing about something like that. Dealing with a fire right now, call you back when I'm done. Love you too."

Making it to the upper floor, the damage from the fire's a lot worse. Flames lick up the walls, the ceilings are blackened with soot and smoke...

...and speaking of smoke, why haven't I heard any smoke alarms? I told the super here that this place wasn't up to code, that they were gonna need to renovate if they wanted H4H to keep their current rates. "Second time today some cheap-ass landlord is causin' me trouble," I mutter to myself.

Going floor by floor, I kick in doors, clear the way for the FDNY to put out the blaze, and get as many people as I can to safety. Working my way to the top, I know there's only a few places I haven't checked.

"Okay, folks," I call out, "Things are gonna be okay, just stay calm and--"

Part of a wall gives way, and I see something in the blaze.

"...oh, sweet Christmas..."

The flames cast monstrous shadows against the walls, distorting his silhouette into something other. Something inhuman. To anyone watching from the street, it was a nightmare unfolding before their eyes. A fire made worse by the addition of the Vampyre.

And if any so-called hero had come to play savior tonight, they would only see one thing:

A monster in the fire.

For Michael Morbius his good deed might not have gone to waste, but it definitely wasn't going to go unpunished.

@Half Pint

As if blood-sucking landlords weren't bad enough. Now I gotta deal with an actual damn vampire.

"Hey gruesome!" I shout out, cracking my knuckles. "You best take your hands off that lady. Or I'm gonna send your ass back to Transylvania in a bucket!"

MARVELS: Streets of New York

We've got a lot of folks well past the two-week deadline, and several who seem to have gone AWOL. So as a check-up to see who's still here:

On the Chopping Block: over 2 weeks with no activity, have received a call-out already and haven't responded.

@Master Bruce
@udonoodles
@Supermaxx
@Hillan

First Call-Out: last post was over two weeks ago.
@Half Pint: 16 Days (that one is partially on me for not jumping into collaboration sooner)
@PatientBean: 20 days
@Mao Mao: 20 days
@Hound55: 20 days
@Ezekiel: 22 days

Those on the chopping block have 24 hours to respond or they'll be dropped- a post would be great, some signs of life at the minimum. Everyone else, sound off so we know you're here.

MARVELS: Streets of New York

@AndyC Am I right in thinking that the fire Luke is responding to is the same as the one Morbius is responding to? I was setting things up at the end of my last one for Morbius to cross paths with any other heroes who were at the fire to see him and assume he had been feeding on the fainted woman. I'm happy to write another one in the fire either way, but I'm not sure how much I could write that isn't fluff if he's alone.

@Half Pint

Yes, he's at the same event, just hasn't encountered the fainted woman yet. That can be Luke's next post.

MARVELS: Streets of New York

Finding my way to the apartment fire isn't hard. For one thing, H4H keeps records of any business--or in this case, residential block- that hires us, meaning we've got the building's location in our GPS. And for another thing, even if I didn't have its exact location on my phone, it's simple enough to follow the sound of sirens and the big-ass cloud of smoke billowing over the Brooklyn skyline.

The place is called Spring Water Flats-- hell of an ironic name right now-- an old five-story apartment building in Red Hook. Anyone's guess how it caught fire: crossed wire somewhere, oily rags left out, a gas leak, who knows. Old buildings like this, half the shit in it isn't up to code anymore, if it ever was in the first place. Last time I patrolled this place, I told the landlord he needed to get it back in shape. Once I'm done earning my pay, I'll be sure to serve him up a plate of told-you-sos.

When I pull up to the scene, the NYPD has already got the streets blocked off, and the FDNY's got a truck parked out front, with a crew hooking a hose up to the nearest hydrant. Most of us in the cape-and-tights crowd like to swoop in all dramatic, save the day, and split before the authorities can ask any questions. When you're a professional, though, you've gotta at least pretend to follow due process.

"Luke Cage, Hero for Hire," I say as I step out of the car, showing the cops the little ID card Danny had made for us as credentials. "The people in that building are paying clients, an' I'm here to help."

One of the cops sneers. "Sorry, pal, we've already got this under control, and we don't need some spandex-wearing freak interfering in--"

The flames roar higher, and while the firefighters struggle with the blaze, I hear screams from inside.

"....ah, maybe we can let you through," a second cop says, nudging his buddy aside.

Striding past, I give the first cop a side-eye. "'Spandex-wearing freak,' my ass. This is silk, man."

Speaking of, I unbutton my nice shirt and jacket and set it down by the fire truck-- it's gonna get dirty, sure, but dirty's better than burnt.

"Hey," I call out to the fire captain. "Here to help, I'm--"

"Luke Cage, thank God," the fire captain says. Nice to see every once in a while there's someone in uniform who's happy to see me. "We could use your help. There's a couple dozen people trapped inside, and the main passageway's blocked by heavy rubble."

"Got it, move the heavy stuff," I nod. I may not have the most out-there powers, but it does at least mean I get to keep things nice and simple. "Got a map of the place? If I'm gonna start knockin' down walls, I wanna make sure I don't hit anything load-bearing."

"The walls around the elevator are reinforced concrete," he says. "Other than that, just don't hit the main corners."

"Cool," I say, taking off my shoes so I don't get them scuffed. Can't do much about the pants, though, without causing a scene. "You got a spare oxygen mask in there?"

The fire captain raises an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be, like, indestructible?"

"From the outside, yeah," I say, "But a lung-full of smoke is gonna be just as bad for me as the next guy."

He nods, and gestures to the other members of his crew, who are quick to hook me up with a mask and a tank of O2.

"Here goes," I say as I tighten the oxygen mask over my face, crack my knuckles, and charge into the burning building.

Crashing through the front door, a wave of unbelievable heat washes over me. "Gahh!" I shout. Thanks to my steel-hard skin, I don't burn, but just because I don't burn doesn't mean I don't feel it. I still gotta have nerve endings and pain receptors like normal so I can do things like open a door without crushing the knob, or shake someone's hand without ripping their arm off. Which means that being on fire still feels like being on fire.

Still, ain't like I've never been on fire before. If I couldn't handle a little pain, I'd never have gotten into this hero business.

"Is anyone in here?" I call out. "We're gonna get you out!"

"Help! Helllp us!" comes a cry from what sounds like a little girl on the first floor. "We can't get out!"

"On my way," I say, shoving flaming debris aside as I make my way to the apartment door. "Take a step back from the door, sweetie, cause I'm comin' through!"

I loudly count to three, then kick the door down. Inside, there's a family of four--a girl who looks about seven, a mom and dad in their forties or so, and a grandma--but the girl is the only one still conscious. All around the little apartment, flames close in.

"Hey there," I say gently, putting on what Danny calls my 'big teddy bear' voice, trying to make sure the girl doesn't freak out at the sight of a guy my size crashing through the door, "My name's Luke. I'm a superhero, an' I'm here to get you to safety, okay?"

Wide-eyed and scared half to death, she nods.

"Okay, we're going to get you out first, then your grandma, then mom and dad," I say, holding out a hand.

"...and Mister Mittens?" she asks, pointing to the far wall.

I start to nod, thinking she means a little kitten or a puppy, or maybe her favorite stuffed animal.

But no.

On the far wall, they've got a terrarium. And inside that terrarium is the biggest damn pet tarantula I've ever seen. 'Mister Mittens' must've got his name because he looks like two grown-ass human hands wearing furry gloves.

"Oh, sweet Christmas," I mutter.

I can do fires, I can do gangsters, I can do terrorists and super-villains any day of the week.

But spiders? No. Helllll no.

"Pleeeease," she pleads, "you've gotta save Mister Mittens too!"

She looks up at me, her eyes welling up with tears, and I sigh.

"This building doesn't pay us near enough," I say as I pick up the girl in one arm, the terrarium in the other, and get to work.

Two down, about twenty more to go. And not much time left to get the rest of them....

MARVELS: Streets of New York

Might as well throw my hat in the ring.

Leave Them To Khonshu

M O O N K N I G H T

---

^{_{Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley ♦ Vigilante/Entrepeneur/Cab Driver ♦ Murray Hill, Manhattan ♦ N/A}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^{"Welcome to the Midnight Mission. My name is Mr. Knight. How can I help?"}

What do you do when your god has you try to take over the world only for both of you to end up flat on your asses beaten by the Avengers?

You open a mission.

Moon Knight has been operating for ten years in New York City and all over the globe. Now, he's focusing himself on keeping his neighborhood safe. He runs the Midnight Mission, a place where the downtrodden can find aid with any problems they face. Especially the ones that need punching. Khonshu has been imprisoned by the Aesir in Asgard, but even still he is able to reach Marc and communicate with his fist, though he can't do much more than talk.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

Marc's intent in starting the Midnight Mission is to atone for his role in Khonshu's attempt to take over the world. By going back to his roots as a vigilante in the Big Apple and opening a mission for the people to come straight to him with their problems, he hopes to slowly but surely make the streets safer. He does still venture out beyond his neighborhood a lot of nights, tackling anything from petty street crime to mob meetings.

My intent with this roleplay is to have fun and interact with other characters. I might tell a solo story here or there but for the most part I'm here to do crossovers and collaborative posts. I'm down for any and all kinds of plots.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

Moon Knight doesn't have much at all in the way of powers, but he does employ a grappling hook, a pair of batons, and a near endless supply of crescent darts in his crusades. His cape also doubles as a glider, allowing him to soar from rooftop to rooftop.

He has two allies who work for his Midnight Mission: Reese, a young woman turned into a vampire who was rescued by Moon Knight, and Soldier, a former client turned friend who was also turned into a vampire in order to save his life. He also has an ally and rival in Yehya Badr, AKA Hunter's Moon, the other Fist of Khonshu.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

"Welcome to the Midnight Mission. My name is Mr. Knight. How can I help?" The words come out of my mouth in a practiced cadence as I tug at my cufflinks.

The old man before me doesn't seem very impressed. "You're that Moon Guy? Thought you'd be wearin' spandex."

"An assumption many make about those in my line of work."

"Hmph. Well, I came here 'cause there's a real nasty son of a bitch who's been working over everyone in my apartment block. Comes by and threatens to stab ya dead unless you give him all the cash you got on ya."

"Say no more."

And that was how I found myself crouched on top of an apartment building a few blocks from my Mission, watching the parking lot for any movement. It's just getting dark. A car pulls in and takes the nearest open spot, the driver stepping out and grabbing her purse. I hear footsteps in an alley below me. A guy in a leather jacket and a ski mask makes a b-line right for the woman.

He grabs her by the wrist with one hand and flicks open a knife in his other. "Hurry up and give me that purse, bitch. I'll slice you open if you try anything." That's my cue to drop down right behind him.

I wrap an arm around his neck and pull him away from the woman. She screams and runs away, hastily unlocking her apartment door and slamming it shut. The man in my chokehold is whimpering. I twist him around and push him to the ground, letting him fall on his ass. "Oh fuck! You're Moon Knight! I heard you cut off people's faces!"

"Haven't done that in a while, but hey, might be nice to get back to it." I stalk forward, looming over him as I crack my knuckles. "There's two ways this can end: you put up a fight and I break a few bones, or you listen to what I tell you and walk away unscathed. Which will it be?"

"What do you want?!"

"I want you to stop harassing the people in this apartment complex. Instead of robbing people, you go get a job and become a nice, upstanding member of society. And if I hear tell of someone threatening to stab the residents of some other apartment block, then I come back for you. And maybe that time I will take your face."

"Okay! Okay! I won't do it ever again!"

"Good. Now run."

With that, he gets up and runs away. I sigh and shake my head, then pull out my grappling gun to pull myself back onto the roof. The night is still young. The hunt has just begun.

@Simple Unicycle

Upon GM review and a unanimous decision, Moon Knight is APPROVED.

Going to get things moving with the apartment fire event this evening.

MARVELS: Streets of New York

Checking in, since the starting events have both been up for a hot minute. Still waiting on a first post from some folks.

MARVELS: Streets of New York

The Dragon Unleashed!

I R O N F I S T

---

^{_{Daniel Thomas "Danny" Rand ♦ CEO, Rand International; Owner, Thunder Dojo ♦ Manhattan ♦ Heroes for Hire, Inc.}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^{"Yeah, yeah, Hydra is legion. But when was the last time you faced a dragon?"}

Born into immense wealth, Danny Rand's life was forever changed when accompanying his parents on a private flight to China. Wendell Rand, billionaire tycoon and Danny's father, was betrayed by his business partner, Harold Meachum, whom Wendell had been secretly investigating; Meachum arranged for the plane to crash over the Himalayas, hoping to eliminate the threat in an apparent accident. Danny and his mother, Heather, survived the crash, but were soon set upon by brutal cold and ravenous wolves. Heather was killed, and Danny would have perished as well -- save for the intervention of two monks, who rescued the 10 year-old boy.

The monks brought Danny to K'un-Lun, an extradimensional city accessible by Earth only once every 10 years. There, the orphan was taken in by the mystical city's Grand Master, Lei Kung the Thunderer, and trained in the martial arts. Danny focused all his pain into his training, eventually rising to become K'un-L'un's most fearless warrior and earning the right to face the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying. Upon defeating the dragon, Danny plunged his hands into a brazier containing Shou-Lao's heart and gained the power of the Iron Fist.

When the portal to Earth finally returned, Danny departed K'un-Lun for New York. There, as Danny, he inherited his rightful place at Rand-Meachum, and as Iron Fist, continued his father's investigation -- eventually uncovering Meachum's connection to a criminal organization known as the Hand. Meachum was assassinated before he could be brought to justice, a crime for which Iron Fist was framed. This brought Danny afoul of one Luke Cage; after proving Danny's innocence, the two teamed up to take down the bad guys, forming the basis of a lifelong friendship.

The rest, as they say, is history. Iron Fist and Luke Cage co-founded Heroes for Hire, Inc. Rand-Meachum was renamed Rand International and, under Danny's direction, began taking a more philosophical bent. Danny also used his wealth to establish the Thunder Dojo in Harlem, providing a safe haven for underserved communities. To this day, Danny continues to use both his identities to improve the lives of as many people as he can -- one punch at a time, when necessary.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

I've always enjoyed the duality of Iron Fist. He's a billionaire, but he does all his crime-fighting down on the street, often in the poorest neighborhoods of NYC. Besides the titular Iron Fist, his powers are relatively mundane, yet he also has a foot in the world of the weird and the mystical. He has honed his body and mind to an intense degree, and he's still sometimes an airhead. I like playing with the "man of two worlds" aspect of the character, while never losing sight of the grounded roots that make him a perfect fit for this story.

Beyond that, Danny is a wealth of interpersonal dynamics. There is, of course, his famous friendship with Luke Cage, a buddy cop dynamic that any writer would kill to write. There's the quasi-rivalry with the sundry martial artists of the Marvel Universe -- your Shang-Chis, Daredevils, and the like. There's his complicated history with on-again, off-again partner and fellow professional butt-kicker, Misty Knight. The list goes on and on. Danny's affability and proximity to the heroes of New York makes him an easy and entertaining insert into any team-up, which is something I certainly hope to do a lot of.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

Powers and Abilities

Chi Manipulation: Danny has acute control over his body's natural energy, which itself was augmented by the spirit of Shou-Lao. This allows Danny to achieve several supernatural effects, most notably:

• The Iron Fist: Danny's fist becomes as strong and impervious as iron, allowing him to strike with superhuman force.
• Healing: Danny's chi can be focused inward or outward to heal himself or others.
• Superhuman Senses: Danny increases his awareness, sharpening all his senses.

Martial Arts Mastery: Danny has spent most of his life studying the various martial arts of both K'un-Lun and Earth. He is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. This includes both hand-to-hand combat and weapon mastery.

Peak Human Physicality: The combination of Danny's training and his mastery of chi has allowed him to attain peak performance in human strength, speed, agility, and stamina - bordering on the superhuman.

Skilled Acrobat: Danny is capable of the highest difficulty acrobatic and gymnastic feats, a trait he uses frequently to evade incoming attacks.

Limited Energy Absorption: Using his chi, Danny can sometimes absorb - and even redirect - external sources of energy, like fire, electricity, and magnetism.

Allies and Supporting Characters

• Luke Cage: The original Hero for Hire. Danny's longtime friend and business partner(-in-crime[fighting]). Luke and Danny bring different perspectives, and if they don't always see eye-to-eye, they'll always be in each other's corner.
• Misty Knight: Ex-NYPD officer turned bionically enhanced private investigator and Danny's on-again, off-again romantic partner. Currently separated after a false pregnancy drove a wedge between the couple.
• Jeryn Hogarth: Danny's personal attorney and the day-to-day manager of Rand International. Also manages the legal business of Heroes for Hire, Inc. if, at times, grudgingly.
• Colleen Wing: A world-class martial artist and samurai who became one of Danny's earliest allies upon his return to New York. Later joined forces with Misty Knight, both of whom frequently collaborate with Heroes for Hire.
• Jessica Jones: The best friend's missus. Danny and Jessica sometimes find themselves at odds, particularly on account of their conflicting personalities, but in the end, their shared love for Luke always wins out.
• Black Cat: The newest Hero for Hire, a former thief who turned a new leaf. Danny and Felicia may not know each other well - except by reputation - but he sees in her the opportunity to put his faith in someone.

Enemies

• Steel Serpent: The son of Lei Kung, Davos was Danny's biggest rival in K'un-Lun. When Danny was granted permission to face Shou-Lao, a jealous Davos took it on himself to challenge the Undying first - and failed. Cast out, the Steel Serpent seeks vengeance on the man who stole his perceived birthright.
• The Hand: An ancient order of evil ninjas who are heavily involved in organized crime around the world. Harold Meachum was involved with the Hand before his death (which they also orchestrated), and they have been implicated in the murder of Danny's parents.
• Master Khan: A dread sorcerer with connections to K'un-Lun, Master Khan has harried Iron Fist and Heroes for Hire from the shadows, often sending magically-enhanced foot soldiers and assassins after them.
• Crane Mother: The ruler of K'un-Zi, a rival city to K'un-Lun. Crane Mother has an eternal vendetta against that city and their Immortal Weapon ever since the previous Iron Fist killed her son.
• Sabretooth: Though better known for his lifelong rivalry with the Wolverine, Victor Creed was one of the first supervillains Danny ever faced, and the years haven't cooled that animosity - with Danny still bearing the scars to prove it.
• The Golden Tigers: Led by the warrior known as Chaka, this street-level gang with connections to the Triads has long harried Chinatown, putting them firmly on Danny's radar.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

The Meeting

The executive assistant leads me through the bullpen of Xianhai Global, making smalltalk in an accented voice. I nod along, agreeing that the weather has been very nice and confirming that I've spent a great amount of time in Chinatown, but all the while, I'm taking stock of what I see. Xianhai’s offices are first-rate, if sparsely decorated and even less populated; only one in ten workstations is manned, even now in the middle of the day.

“How recently did you say this branch opened?” I ask, trying to betray nothing with my tone.

“Only last month,” the assistant confirms, “but we are confident we'll be at full strength soon.” She turns on a heel, smiling at me as she motions to an open door on our right. “This way, please, Mr. Rand.”

I step past her into a spacious conference room, sunlight flooding through the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the far wall. Much to my surprise, I'm the first to arrive. I find myself smirking; I never beat Jeri to these things.

“Would you care for some refreshment, Mr. Rand?” the assistant asks.

Unbuttoning my jacket as I cross the room, I reply, “A sparkling water would be great, if you have it.” If there's one thing I know about these pre-merger meetings, there's an awful lot of talking involved – even for me. I stride to the windows and take in the view. From this high up, New York looks pristine. It's only once you're down on the ground that you see the city as it really is.

The assistant returns a few moments later with a glass, and I accept it graciously. “My bosses will be with you shortly,” she says with a bow before exiting. I take a sip of my water and grimace immediately; I wasn't expecting it to be flavored, and it's bitter as all get out. Setting the glass down, I turn back to the windows.

When next I check my watch, several minutes have passed, and Jeri is officially late. Odd. Jeri is never late. I take out my phone and dial him up. “Hey, Jer,” I begin loudly before thinking to lower my voice, “are you on your way?”

There's a pause at the other end of the line. “On my way to what?”

I frown. “The meeting with Xianhai Global.”

“With who?” he asks, sounding as confused as I feel. “Danny, I'm looking at my calendar, and there's no meeting right now. What did you say the company's name was again?”

“Xianhai,” I repeat, furrowing my brow. “The meeting invite came from your account just last night. It said that–”

The door clicks, and a pair of masked and hooded figures walks in. They're soon followed by a second pair… and another… and another… and another. Spreading out at the far end of the conference table, they all assume a fighting stance. Ninjas. Why is it always ninjas?

“You know what, Jer? That's my mistake. I'll call you back.” Slipping the phone back into my pocket, I begin slowly removing my jacket. No sense in ruining perfectly good Armani. I also loosen my tie, for good measure. “Alright, fellas, you've got my attention. Now…” I clench my fist… and nothing happens. Well, that's not good. My eyes dart to the glass of water. Bitter, indeed. I should've identified the herb right away. I can only grin. “Fair enough,” I concede. I roll up both sleeves and crouch into my own stance. “The old-fashioned way, then.”

@Eddie Brock

Since IC is up, we've decided that as long as the decision is unanimous, we can forego the 24-hour wait. So with three thumbs-up, Iron Fist is APPROVED

MARVELS: Streets of New York

"Y'know, Mister Cranston, I can't help but feel like at least some of this is on me," I say, feeling the man's leg wriggling in my outstretched arm.

"Christ, I-I-I didn't do nothin'!" the fat balding man in a suit way too expensive for him blubbers, the blood rushing to his head turning his face red as he dangles upside-down in my grip. Ten stories below him, a shiny new Rolls catches a sunbeam and gleams brightly. "I was j-just followin' our contract!"

"Uh-huh," I sneer. "Then maybe you wanna tell me why I got a call from little old Missus Thompson in Apartment 22D? Sweet old lady from the sound of it, says she's retired, livin' on a fixed income, tryin' to take care of her grandkids. She calls me just about ready to burst into tears, askin' me where the hell I get off callin' myself a hero while drainin' good people of money they can't afford to lose."

"B-b-but you're a Hero for Hire," the landlord protests, "Everybody knows you d-don't work f-f-for free!"

"That's right," I nod, "Everyone knows we're no charity. I get those sorta calls all the time, wonderin' why my associates an' I charge a reasonable rate for our services, when people like Iron Man do what they do for free. I told her the same thing I tell everyone: we're not Tony Stark. We don't have unlimited money to cover damages, medical bills, legal fees, all that. So we ask for a reasonable, affordable rate so we can continue to offer premium protection to all our clients."

Mister Cranston nods. "S-s-so what's--"

"Missus Thompson doesn't accept that, though," I cut him off, "Tells me she's gonna lose her home, that she an' her sweet little grandkids are gonna be out on the street 'cause that fee's too much for her. Apparently other folks in this building are sayin' the same thing, too. Now the word is goin' round that Heroes for Hire is a shake-down operation, just another protection racket like all the punk-ass gangs we run off."

Mister Cranston can see how unhappy I am, and he's starting to sweat.

"All that raised my eyebrow. So I asked Missus Thompson how much she's paying."

"Three hundred a m-month, j-just like we agreed on!"

"Three hundred a month for the whole building, asshole," I correct him. "You got at least four hundred, four-fifty people livin' here. So each individual tenant would be payin' less than a dollar apiece. See, we protect a lot of buildings in this neighborhood, an' the idea is we sell more for less. By keepin' our rates low, we get more folks willin' to do business. So we get to cover all our expenses an' make a comfortable living, while the people livin' in buildings like this get top-shelf heroics for less than a cup of coffee."

My grip on the man's ankle tightens a little. Not enough to actually hurt him, just enough to let him know I'm not happy.

"Unless," I say, "some greedy-ass landlord looks on the Heroes for Hire website, sees that we've got a Neighborhood Rate that just says $300 a month, an' decides to start charging $300 per tenant. So y'know what? That part's on me. I shoulda been more specific. My bad."

"Y-yeah, it was j-j-just a m-misunderstanding!" he pleads.

"I thought that," I nod, "Give you the benefit of the doubt. But I looked in our records, found your payment history. You've been givin' us the correct amount, the $300 for the building. So where's the rest of that money goin', Mister Cranston?"

I glance over the ledge of the building, and looking at the Rolls parked in his reserved spot, I give a low whistle.

"That's one nice set of wheels, man," I say. "Looks pretty new, too. Same with that suit you're wearin', an' that watch on your wrist."

I let my grip slip just a little bit, enough to let him drop maybe a half-inch before I catch him again.

"Oh God!" Cranston cries. "I-I'm sorry, okay, I'm sorry!"

"Damn right, you're sorry," I say, casually carrying him back from the ledge and dumping him on the rooftop. "An' your sorry ass is gonna make this right. You're gonna give back every single cent you've been skimmin' off these people. You're gonna apologize, in person, to every tenant in this building, and then maybe I don't press charges against you for defaming the business I bust my ass to maintain. An' that's if your tenants don't take your ass to court first."

"Y-you can't j-just--"

My phone buzzes, and I put up a hand to silence the pudgy landlord.

"Cage here," I answer. "Uh-huh.....right. We got anyone in Lower Manhattan right now?....uh-huh....well, see if we can get someone in the area. I'll send for the car an' make my way to Brooklyn; that block's got paying clients. Be there in five."

I end the call, and shrug.

"I got work to do, Mister Cranston," I say as I walk past him towards the stairs. "You got til the end of the week to make this right, or we're gonna have a few more words."

MARVELS: Streets of New York

Detached Gwen from her 'here to recruit you to an interdimensional war' introduction that's usual for her among a few other changes I feel work for the rp. Hope this works as an idea.

The Ghost Spider

G H O S T S P I D E R

---

^{_{Gwendolyn Maxine "Gwen" Stacy 🕷 Interdimensional Fugitive / Biochem Student / Musician 🕷 Manhatten / Queens}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^{"How's That Manhunt For Me Going?"}

With a few years of the superhero life under her belt, this version of Gwen Stacy was just hitting her strider as her dimensions one and only Spider-Woman. She navigated those awkward early years with all the disputes with her friends and family and daring escapades that many versions of Peter Parker also share. For a moment it might look like she'd even finally began to move past the grief and shame of her best friend's death, in her personal life she was several years into college and as the hero Spiderwoman she was truly starting to make a difference. Then everything went wrong. Harry Osborne returned to New York, aligning with both NYPD Captain Frank Castle and the new Kingpin, Matt Murdock, in their shared aim to bring an end to Spider-Woman. New York became a conflict zone of increasingly extreme proportions as the trio expended their great reserves of resources and ambition in their aim, culminating in a plot that began to pull the very fabric of their reality apart. In her efforts to prevent disaster, Gwen Stacy has ended up stranded in another dimension, but with little but hurtful memories to return to and in the interest of protecting her embattled father, Gwen is in little rush to return home, instead lost in the present of this new reality.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

With a more grown up Spider-man present in the game, I thought it would be interesting to play a Spider-Gwen who's also further along in her story than she's usually portrayed both in wider media and her own comics. Rather than a fresh superhero before being thrust into interdimensional threats, her displacement is a result of conflicts directly tied to her journey as Spider-woman. Rather than a High School senior or first year college student, she's made it through half a decade of Spidering, starting to just about get a handle on the usual Spiderperson issues of being chased by the law and balancing her personal life before being displaced. She's not entirely upset about her situation, however, seeing her separation from her friends and family as a neccesary evil to keep them safe from the increasingly hostile reality of her home. The stories I want to tell are the consequences of a well meaning Spider-Gwen unmoored from her reality, yet still wishing to do good, as well as the struggles of living in a reality where you don't legally exist, at least not among the living. I want to deal with the very early process of this, rather than start her mostly on the way to making a new home.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

Powers/Suit

Spider-Woman, or Ghost Spider as she will style herself in this new reality, shares the generic abilities of Spider-people, although as with any of those she puts her own spin on her approach. A ballet dancer through high school and a musician beyond that she exhibits a style which is athletic and graceful in a rhythmic sense. Her webshooters and suit are gifts from her dimensions Janet Van Dyne and so provide a few more unique abilities, the formers able to recharge overtime without the need for her to create her own webfluid, and the later able to shift colour at her will, alongside extendable glider wings from beneath her arms when required.

Allies and Supporting Characters

• Captain Stacy: Now retired, George Stacy is Gwen's father and only parent following the death of her mother. Previously in charge of the taskforce put together to catch Spider-Woman, George was eventually dismissed in favour of Frank Castle. His relationship with Gwen was strained by their differences but close in bond, until in the passing moments of Gwen's time within her own dimension she admitted her identity to her father. She never saw her father again before her final confrontation with Harry, but the fall out of the reveal no doubt contributes to her lack of desire to seek a way home.
• Peter Parker: Her best friend in High School and her greatest failure, during Gwen's early years as Spider-Woman she fought with the Lizard, who turned out to be Peter. The later did not survive and she's carried the guilt with her.
• The Mary Janes: Gwen's band and her longest last friends. Gwen's secret identity and life as Spider-woman created a great deal of conflict between herself and her other bandmates during the later years of High School, but the maturity of the following years lead to a greater degree of balance. While she may miss them, she now sees her absence as a way to protect them from what Harry may be willing to do to hurt her, as he narrowed in on her identity.
• Janet Van Dyne: Retired hero and role model to Spider-Woman, Janet took a chance on a young woman caught between self aggrandisement and doing some real good in the city of New York. The tech required for Gwen to be Spider-woman was Van Dyne make and Janet is the only person back home for Gwen who has any idea of what has happened to both Spider-woman and Gwen Stacy.

Enemies

• No Way Home: The trio of Harry Osborne, Frank Castle and Matt Murdock united in their desire to rid New York of Spider-woman, for very different reasons. Frank Castle, the obsessed police captain who blamed her for a series of embarrassing failures for the PDNY put aside his differences to unite with the new Kingpin, Frank Castle, who had once hoped to recruit Spider-woman to his cause. The final member, Harry Osborne, spent years away from New York training to take vengeance on the hero he blamed for his best friend's death, combined with the vast resources of OsCorp. Originally a private agreement, this triumvirate eventually became a public force in New York, wielding increasingly large political power to achieve their end. Harry's eventual plan, involving the use of a Super-Collider to punch through to realities where living, and superpowered, Peter Parker's may reside, is the plot which resulted in Gwen being stranded in this reality. Gwen has little idea of what now occurs back home, but the Trio continue to exert influence across that alternate New York.
• Make The Most Of It: Gwen hasn't been in this version of New York to establish her own identity or true rivals, but already the whispers of a new crimefighter herald her presence on the scene. She's starting small, but once she's sure her presence isn't about to cause any sort of dimensional collapse, she's going to come out swinging.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

“Ow Ow Ow……Hey EmmJay”

It wasn’t every day you had your face bashed up against a scaled up LED version of your best friend’s face, plus a decade or so, while trying to fight a slightly wrong version of one of your longest running enemies. Not every day, but definitely this day.

Gwen only had a moment to give her greetings to the large advertisement of her frontwoman’s face before she was bouncing away from it, propelled by the force of the impact. It was an embarrassing hit, even with spider sense to warn her, she’d been rather distracted by the revelation her roommate of days gone past was apparently now a movie star. Still, radioactive spider enhanced endurance meant that she’d recovered before she struck the ground, pirouetting through the air to land in a crouch.

“Your movements are fluid, a dancer then, that is new.” The voice carried over the sound of the city all around them as a gust of rushing wind brought the Vulture down close by. Not her Vulture, but definitely still ‘a’ Vulture.’

“Yeah well, these glutes didn’t come out of the Spider too.” Gwen snapped back as she was already moving, a handstand spring forward as winged villain landed, launching over his head as he did so. Two strands of webs fired out from his hands, momentary linking the Vulture’s suit by wing tips to ground. The strands held for long enough for her to complete her landing with a kick to the back of the man’s head, sending him sprawling forwards. “I can recommend a work out plan, because even for you, you look like you might need a bit of a health check, Adrian.” It was true enough. ‘Her’ Adrian might have literally had red eyes, but this one looked like he’d aged his whole life all again at once.

The Vulture was quick to recover though, the momentum of their fall turning into their own roll, before launching into the air in a spear tackle towards her. “New, but just as annoying.” He snarled with grim purpose.

“Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint.” She was already aware of the presence of an alternate ‘her’ in an established hero donning the spider motif, Gwen presumed this was what the Vulture referred to as she dove to the side, the motion turning into a forward roll as she spun back onto her feet, just in time to launch another pair of strands to add to her building web binding the Vulture to the ground. It was already beginning to prevent him from lifting off in full, just a little longer and she could probably wrap this up.

There was a frustration to his movement and actions which suggested more than just her wit getting under his skin, he seemed surprised at the effectiveness of the webbing. Perhaps a different formula, some things would have to be different in this place, no matter how it still looked like her city.

“I don’t know how you know him….but I’ll make you regret this.” The wizened Vulture snapped, lunging out for her once more. This time she slipped under him, two further lashings of web now to his ankles as she did, an incoming trip as she swung out the other end and the Vulture crashed forwards.

“Would you believe me if I said we’re entirely unrelated?”

The muffled sound from beneath the collapsed form of the Vulture certainly sounded like it was closer to a negative.

“Fair enough I suppose…Well…you sit there. I’m sure someone’s noticed this by now.” It would be hard to consider otherwise, Gwen had been swinging around the city, getting her bearings, when the Vulture had struck, possibly confusing her for ‘this place’ counterpart from a distance. A very public mid air crash sending her spiraling into a neon glowing advertisement was hardly a subtle start to a brawl. She didn’t have the best relationship with the PDNY back home, she somewhat doubted her ability to explain her situation to law enforcement here either. “Stay in school, Adrian!” She called out before zipping away, well before the ubiquitous sirens of New Yrok drew closer.

She’d already decided she needed to find a way to rent these Jackpot films.

The only issue was she doubted her credit card was interdimensional.

@Ezekiel

It's been 24 Hours, and the GMs have discussed it. Ghost Spider is APPROVED.

Now to get to work on actually posting.

MARVELS: Streets of New York

Detached Gwen from her 'here to recruit you to an interdimensional war' introduction that's usual for her among a few other changes I feel work for the rp. Hope this works as an idea.

The Ghost Spider

G H O S T S P I D E R

---

^{_{Gwendolyn Maxine "Gwen" Stacy 🕷 Interdimensional Fugitive / Biochem Student / Musician 🕷 Manhatten / Queens}}

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

---

^{"How's That Manhunt For Me Going?"}

With a few years of the superhero life under her belt, this version of Gwen Stacy was just hitting her strider as her dimensions one and only Spider-Woman. She navigated those awkward early years with all the disputes with her friends and family and daring escapades that many versions of Peter Parker also share. For a moment it might look like she'd even finally began to move past the grief and shame of her best friend's death, in her personal life she was several years into college and as the hero Spiderwoman she was truly starting to make a difference. Then everything went wrong. Harry Osborne returned to New York, aligning with both NYPD Captain Frank Castle and the new Kingpin, Matt Murdock, in their shared aim to bring an end to Spider-Woman. New York became a conflict zone of increasingly extreme proportions as the trio expended their great reserves of resources and ambition in their aim, culminating in a plot that began to pull the very fabric of their reality apart. In her efforts to prevent disaster, Gwen Stacy has ended up stranded in another dimension, but with little but hurtful memories to return to and in the interest of protecting her embattled father, Gwen is in little rush to return home, instead lost in the present of this new reality.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

---

With a more grown up Spider-man present in the game, I thought it would be interesting to play a Spider-Gwen who's also further along in her story than she's usually portrayed both in wider media and her own comics. Rather than a fresh superhero before being thrust into interdimensional threats, her displacement is a result of conflicts directly tied to her journey as Spider-woman. Rather than a High School senior or first year college student, she's made it through half a decade of Spidering, starting to just about get a handle on the usual Spiderperson issues of being chased by the law and balancing her personal life before being displaced. She's not entirely upset about her situation, however, seeing her separation from her friends and family as a neccesary evil to keep them safe from the increasingly hostile reality of her home. The stories I want to tell are the consequences of a well meaning Spider-Gwen unmoored from her reality, yet still wishing to do good, as well as the struggles of living in a reality where you don't legally exist, at least not among the living. I want to deal with the very early process of this, rather than start her mostly on the way to making a new home.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

---

Powers/Suit

Spider-Woman, or Ghost Spider as she will style herself in this new reality, shares the generic abilities of Spider-people, although as with any of those she puts her own spin on her approach. A ballet dancer through high school and a musician beyond that she exhibits a style which is athletic and graceful in a rhythmic sense. Her webshooters and suit are gifts from her dimensions Janet Van Dyne and so provide a few more unique abilities, the formers able to recharge overtime without the need for her to create her own webfluid, and the later able to shift colour at her will, alongside extendable glider wings from beneath her arms when required.

Allies and Supporting Characters

• Captain Stacy: Now retired, George Stacy is Gwen's father and only parent following the death of her mother. Previously in charge of the taskforce put together to catch Spider-Woman, George was eventually dismissed in favour of Frank Castle. His relationship with Gwen was strained by their differences but close in bond, until in the passing moments of Gwen's time within her own dimension she admitted her identity to her father. She never saw her father again before her final confrontation with Harry, but the fall out of the reveal no doubt contributes to her lack of desire to seek a way home.
• Peter Parker: Her best friend in High School and her greatest failure, during Gwen's early years as Spider-Woman she fought with the Lizard, who turned out to be Peter. The later did not survive and she's carried the guilt with her.
• The Mary Janes: Gwen's band and her longest last friends. Gwen's secret identity and life as Spider-woman created a great deal of conflict between herself and her other bandmates during the later years of High School, but the maturity of the following years lead to a greater degree of balance. While she may miss them, she now sees her absence as a way to protect them from what Harry may be willing to do to hurt her, as he narrowed in on her identity.
• Janet Van Dyne: Retired hero and role model to Spider-Woman, Janet took a chance on a young woman caught between self aggrandisement and doing some real good in the city of New York. The tech required for Gwen to be Spider-woman was Van Dyne make and Janet is the only person back home for Gwen who has any idea of what has happened to both Spider-woman and Gwen Stacy.

Enemies

• No Way Home: The trio of Harry Osborne, Frank Castle and Matt Murdock united in their desire to rid New York of Spider-woman, for very different reasons. Frank Castle, the obsessed police captain who blamed her for a series of embarrassing failures for the PDNY put aside his differences to unite with the new Kingpin, Frank Castle, who had once hoped to recruit Spider-woman to his cause. The final member, Harry Osborne, spent years away from New York training to take vengeance on the hero he blamed for his best friend's death, combined with the vast resources of OsCorp. Originally a private agreement, this triumvirate eventually became a public force in New York, wielding increasingly large political power to achieve their end. Harry's eventual plan, involving the use of a Super-Collider to punch through to realities where living, and superpowered, Peter Parker's may reside, is the plot which resulted in Gwen being stranded in this reality. Gwen has little idea of what now occurs back home, but the Trio continue to exert influence across that alternate New York.
• Make The Most Of It: Gwen hasn't been in this version of New York to establish her own identity or true rivals, but already the whispers of a new crimefighter herald her presence on the scene. She's starting small, but once she's sure her presence isn't about to cause any sort of dimensional collapse, she's going to come out swinging.

S A M P L E P O S T:

---

“Ow Ow Ow……Hey EmmJay”

It wasn’t every day you had your face bashed up against a scaled up LED version of your best friend’s face, plus a decade or so, while trying to fight a slightly wrong version of one of your longest running enemies. Not every day, but definitely this day.

Gwen only had a moment to give her greetings to the large advertisement of her frontwoman’s face before she was bouncing away from it, propelled by the force of the impact. It was an embarrassing hit, even with spider sense to warn her, she’d been rather distracted by the revelation her roommate of days gone past was apparently now a movie star. Still, radioactive spider enhanced endurance meant that she’d recovered before she struck the ground, pirouetting through the air to land in a crouch.

“Your movements are fluid, a dancer then, that is new.” The voice carried over the sound of the city all around them as a gust of rushing wind brought the Vulture down close by. Not her Vulture, but definitely still ‘a’ Vulture.’

“Yeah well, these glutes didn’t come out of the Spider too.” Gwen snapped back as she was already moving, a handstand spring forward as winged villain landed, launching over his head as he did so. Two strands of webs fired out from his hands, momentary linking the Vulture’s suit by wing tips to ground. The strands held for long enough for her to complete her landing with a kick to the back of the man’s head, sending him sprawling forwards. “I can recommend a work out plan, because even for you, you look like you might need a bit of a health check, Adrian.” It was true enough. ‘Her’ Adrian might have literally had red eyes, but this one looked like he’d aged his whole life all again at once.

The Vulture was quick to recover though, the momentum of their fall turning into their own roll, before launching into the air in a spear tackle towards her. “New, but just as annoying.” He snarled with grim purpose.

“Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint.” She was already aware of the presence of an alternate ‘her’ in an established hero donning the spider motif, Gwen presumed this was what the Vulture referred to as she dove to the side, the motion turning into a forward roll as she spun back onto her feet, just in time to launch another pair of strands to add to her building web binding the Vulture to the ground. It was already beginning to prevent him from lifting off in full, just a little longer and she could probably wrap this up.

There was a frustration to his movement and actions which suggested more than just her wit getting under his skin, he seemed surprised at the effectiveness of the webbing. Perhaps a different formula, some things would have to be different in this place, no matter how it still looked like her city.

“I don’t know how you know him….but I’ll make you regret this.” The wizened Vulture snapped, lunging out for her once more. This time she slipped under him, two further lashings of web now to his ankles as she did, an incoming trip as she swung out the other end and the Vulture crashed forwards.

“Would you believe me if I said we’re entirely unrelated?”

The muffled sound from beneath the collapsed form of the Vulture certainly sounded like it was closer to a negative.

“Fair enough I suppose…Well…you sit there. I’m sure someone’s noticed this by now.” It would be hard to consider otherwise, Gwen had been swinging around the city, getting her bearings, when the Vulture had struck, possibly confusing her for ‘this place’ counterpart from a distance. A very public mid air crash sending her spiraling into a neon glowing advertisement was hardly a subtle start to a brawl. She didn’t have the best relationship with the PDNY back home, she somewhat doubted her ability to explain her situation to law enforcement here either. “Stay in school, Adrian!” She called out before zipping away, well before the ubiquitous sirens of New Yrok drew closer.

She’d already decided she needed to find a way to rent these Jackpot films.

The only issue was she doubted her credit card was interdimensional.

@Ezekiel

While actively doing multiverse plots is well outside the scope of this game, we never explicitly said "no multiverse characters," and from your app it looks like that isn't going to be a main plot focus for Gwen. As long as it's understood that the interdimensional stuff is just how she got here rather than the main thing she's doing, I think it'll pass muster.