AGE OF MARVELS: MysterioISSUE #1: Mirror Images
157th St. ♦ Queens, New York CityThe biting chill of winter was coming full force this night, with a blanket of snow covering the busy streets of The Big Apple. However, something a bit more pertinent was occurring this night beyond the slow crawl of frost across windows. Abruptly, a group of armed thugs bust into a nearby convenience store, guns at the ready as their leader is quick to hold up the cashier. "Alright, lady! No funny business! Ya dump out the register, we snag what we please, and we're on our merry way for Christmas." Even underneath their mask, you could simply sense the smug grin from the man as the poor woman is left with little option but to comply.
However, this confidence was to be short-lived for the would-be crooks.
As if following right behind them, the doors slammed open once more, with a cloud of green mist flooding the entryway, gently gliding through the aisles. The petty thieves paused their criminal acts, their attention now turned to this strange phenomenon; even their leader, laser-focused as he had been mere moments before, turned away from the cashier. The woman took this chance, making a mad sprint for the exit. However, the head gunman and his trigger finger were too fast...
Fortunately, someone else was even faster.
What seemed to be a green barrier of some kind formed in front of her, guarding her from a hailstorm of bullets.
"Well, that was just pointless. What exactly were you hoping to gain there?" With bravado in their steps, from out of the mysterious cloud emerged an unusual, almost alien figure. With an opaque glass dome on their head, vibrant green clothing, and a billowing purple cape, he made confident strides towards the lead gunner. The man had completely lost his target now, allowing the cashier to safely retreat. That should make things easier...
"Now, gentlemen, we can do this the easy way, or-" The figure found himself caught mid-sentence as a rain of lead hit him...Only for his form to puff away, as if made of smoke. If these thugs were confused before, they were now shaken; just
what were they dealing with here?!
"Well, that was just plain rude."The leader whipped around in a panic, but was only met with the resounding
CRACK! of the figure's fist, having mysteriously manifested right behind him; he was out cold before he even hit the floor. The others took that que rather well, and began scurrying like the rats they were, darting to outside the store...Only to be confronted by another horrifying sight.
In front of them were nearly a half-dozen of the very same helmed vigilante that had just laid their boss out flat, with most of their menacingly floating overhead, and one standing right in front of them, arms crossed and posture clearly suggesting a sense of boredom. One of them, already flightier than the rest, had stumbled to the ground upon the sight, and could only squawk out a frightened response. "W-What the hell are you?!"
In unison, the figures laughed, and it felt as if it resounded across the entire street. They even spoke in unison, if only to compound the fears of these lowly crooks.
"Us? We are the greatest sorcerer you shall ever know! But you may call us....Mysterio!" With a flourish from the ground-bound cape now known as Mysterio, another burst of green mist emerged, and only the shrill shrieks of the thugs could be heard in the cold dead of the night.
By the time all was said and done, the beaten and bludgeoned criminals were all rounded up, bound together in tight rope bindings; not the fanciest thing, but they got the job done. With a quick call to the NYPD to inform them of the incident, our glass-domed 'hero' took the chance to enter the convenience store once more. The cashier was long gone. No thanks for this job well done, of course...Still, he could take his own compensation. With a 10$ bill left behind as recompense, the enigmatic Mysterio left the scene...With a box of store-brand glazed donuts in tow.
Soon enough, Mysterio had arrived at a small warehouse being rented out by Oscorp's Chief Engineer, one Quentin Beck. What could he want with such a locale? Well, that became clear when he stepped inside, revealing an elaborate set-up; six individuals were hard at work, piloting drones, watching feed from micro-cams, prepping special effects remotely, and more. Indeed, these individuals, too, were part of Mysterio. As was the man behind the helmet.
Entering his self-owned lair, the 'sorcerer' removed his spherical helm, revealing none other than Quentin Beck himself, a smug grin on his face as he hoisted the box of sugary delights overhead.
"Brought some spoils of war! C'mon, enough of staring at blue monitors for a night." His fellow creators were all too happy to oblige, putting their work aside for the moment to hail a night well fought. "You were great out there, Quentin! That entrance you planned was great, and the
finale? Wow. Just wow." Victoria Snow was quick to congratulate him, but he shrugged it off.
"Nonsense. Wouldn't have been possible without you; you're becoming an ace when it comes to those drones, and that save on the cashier? Couldn't have done it better myself."From that point on, it became a storm of compliments both to and from Beck for everyone's efforts as they cheekily watched the footage from tonight's brawl. The Mysterio that had initially entered the store? Not even the real him; just a drone feigning him with some fancy holograms and a voice synthesizer. Like hell Quentin was just gonna wander headfirst into a gunfight. Same with that barrier trick; it was just the drone taking the shots, but the important thing was that the crooks bought it. And the big finale outside? More of the same; drones taking on his likeness as an intimidation factor. Though he
was actually there, as the sole Mysterio on foot. It was risky, but it was worth it to really sell the ending. The mist? Well, it is actual mist, just not magical in any sense; the drones are simply loaded with some canisters they can vent at will. Granted, the finishing stunt means they'd need to restock sooner than later...Oh, and as for how all those grunts actually got laid out? Well, simply put...The drones just full-body smashed into them. Thankfully they were built sturdy...For the drones, that is. Those guys might have a few fractures.
So, with stale-sweet store-brand pastries in hand, Quentin and his tech crew celebrate another job well done. Tomorrow would be another day as the 'sorcerer' Mysterio, but for now? For now, they could sit back and relax.
Simple Unicycle
Damycles
Hitman
Eviledd1984
Yankee
Hound55
Noctis
Sep
Roman
