Science has no Price Tag - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 11)

[rufusluciusivan]

Took me a lot of time to get to that one, but hopefully the result will be worth it.

The saga now comes with a characters description: viewtopic.php?t=10048

**************

Science has no Price Tag

**************

“The trousers are a bit tight around the waist…” Charlotte complained.

The pudgy amber-brown-eyed woman used a scrunchie to tie up her curly neck-long brown hair into a ponytail.

“And whose fault is that?” Taylor retorted. “You never want to hit the gym with me.” She adjusted a red baseball cap to conceal her black hair.

The two were wearing the uniforms of delivery women: red baseball caps with the company logo, red short-sleeved polo shirts, black trousers, and black laced work boots.

Charlotte chose to change the uncomfortable subject, and turned to look inside the back of the delivery van. “You okay back there, Nudge?”

“You know I don’t mind the company of unconscious people. I like their quietness.”

‘Nudge’ – real name Sarah Summers – had light blond hair tied into a messy low bun. She had a skinny figure and an angular face, with a pale white skin. Her voice was soft and whisper-like, as if she was always tired. Dark rings were circling around her washed out blue eyes.

The blonde was sitting in the back of the delivery van, still dressed in her civilian clothes, most of her hair covered by a beanie.

Near her, two unconscious women were lying on the floor in their skivvies. One was an auburn-haired short woman with a dark skin, golden brown eyes, and a round-shaped face. Her haircut was a low chignon. She was clad in white bikini panties with a black waistband strap, a lavender bullet bra, and white socks. The other was a brunette with green eyes and a light skin. Her face was diamond-shaped, with sharp cheekbones, and a tall figure. She had midback-long hair tied into a ponytail. She was clad in hot pink tanga briefs with light pink lace around the waistband strap, a matching pink full-cup bra, and scarlet red socks.

The pair were of course the real delivery women, who had been assaulted and robbed of their uniforms by Charlotte and her team during their shift. The girls didn’t have any training. Sparks had made short work on them – one neck-chop, one left hook to the temple, and lights off.

The two women were bound back-to-back, with one’s hands tied in front of the other’s stomach, with package strings and package tape. They themselves looked like one lovingly trussed up package. Package tape was also wrap-gagging them. They were blindfolded with scarves and their ears were plugged.

The trio of criminals’ tiny hidden earpieces sprang to life.

“Charlotte. You’re in position?” Trapstr asked.

“I thought we agreed we use code names!” the latter retorted.

“And how am I supposed to do it when you didn’t even settle on the one you’ll use? BLENDER.”

“Is it my fault the best ones are already taken?”

“Is it my fault your power is actually very common? Maybe you should call yourself ‘Mystique II’.”

Charlotte’s face became scarlet red. “Mystique-is-a-cheater-who-can-shapeshift-clothes-as-well.” she whispered fast through gritted teeth.

“Right. Thanks for reminding me you’re the same, but less efficient. ‘Diet Mystique’ it is, then.”

“Knock it off you two.” Taylor intervened. “Trapstr, tone down the sass. You weren’t hired for your mouth. Tell Screwball to make her move. We’ll find a way to enter the building from the bottom.”

**************

The place they were ordered to rob was Oscorp Industries’ head office, a tall pristine-looking skyscraper in the middle of New York’s business district.

The guise of the delivery women allowed Taylor’s team to check out the location without arising suspicions. Nobody would indeed question a delivery van making regular stops, and round trips.

Today was a specific day. According to their informants, a team of health inspectors were supposed to check if the building followed the new norms. Taylor wanted to take advantage of the opportunity...

They drove around the skyscraper a couple of times, until something picked Charlotte’s interest in its backyard. At her teammate’s insistence, Taylor parked the van in the alleyway nearby.

“See the pair looking at the air vents?” the shape-shifting cat burglar asked. “That’s them.”

The two women she was pointing at were wearing yellow reflective vests with two silver grey vertical stripes, dark grey work trousers with big leg pockets and silver grey reflective stripes, and black work shoes with a yellow reflective band. One, a brunette, also wore a blue long-sleeved sweat shirt. The other girl, who had bluish black hair, wore a burgundy brown sweat shirt. (Apparently, sweat shirts weren’t part of the uniform.)

The first woman had grey eyes and a slightly tanned skin. Her brown hair were armpit-long and loose. One strand on hair rested on each of her cheeks. There were two bangs on her forehead. The bluish-black-haired woman had a white skin and dark brown eyes. Her haircut was a medium ponytail reaching up to her shoulders, tied with a reddish brown hair tie. She had a side-swept bang.

Charlotte particularly appreciated what she saw written in silver grey letters on the back of the two women’s reflective vests.

‘Health and Safety Evaluation Inspector.’

It was basically an invitation card. Even better than a clipboard.

“The old man wasn’t wrong…” Taylor nodded. “Nudge. Get ready to work your magic.”

The pale blonde nodded.

The three women exited the van.

Nudge went to lean against a nearby wall, in a spot allowing her to keep the inspectors in her field of vision. She pretended to read something on her phone.

The black-haired inspector was taking out an air vent when she and her colleague were approached by Charlotte and Taylor.

The former spoke up, making sure the logo of her company on her polo is properly displayed, and pretending to be a bit exhausted. “Hello! Ex- Excuse me! Could I ask you a favor?”

Nudge’s eyes were focused on them.

**************

Describing my power would be easy. I’m an empath. I read emotions, and can influence other people’s.

Whatever you feel, I can sense it. I’ll never know what exactly you’re thinking, but I’ll know if you’re angry, sad, suspicious, happy... Calling it a sixth sense would be inaccurate though. It uses the senses I already have. It’s something I see, something I hear. An aura of colour around each person. A specific ringing in a corner of my ears.

Needless to say, when I’m in a busy street, my senses are being constantly assaulted. It’s not exactly easy to remain focused.

Thankfully, in this alleyway, there are only my accomplices and their hapless targets. I also sense some faint emotions at the other side of the alley. Maybe some stray cat? In the distance, I hear the ruckus of the main street. I ignore them all. I need to remain focused on my targets.

Charlotte and Taylor approach the two health inspectors. Around Charlotte, I see an aura of red. In my ears, the rhythm of her ringing is fast-paced. Excitement and adrenaline. Taylor’s aura and ringing are duller, more subdued. She’s a former special op. She’s trained to keep her emotions in check.

Charlotte makes sure the logo of the delivery company on her jacket is in full display, and pretends to pant a little when she engages the conversation with the inspectors. She knows the devil is in the details...

“Hello! Ex- Excuse me! Could I ask you a favor?”

The two women are taken aback. They share a quick glance. “Uh… I suppose it depends what you need…” one answers hesitantly.

“We’ve been hired to deliver a few crates to this building. But the jerks back at the depo didn’t tell us how heavy they were. We’re having trouble putting them on the trolley. Could you lend us a hand?”

When I focus on the health inspectors, I hear a low ringing. Around the women, I see an aura of dull dark orange. The sound and color of wariness.

Let’s rectify that...

Charlotte and Taylor didn’t bring me for my ability to read people’s emotions. They hired me for my ability to influence them… I can stir emotions up or quell them at will. The closer I am, the stronger I can influence someone.

It’s not true mind control though. I’m just nudging people.

That’s why Charlotte calls me ‘Nudge’. She has no imagination for names.

I take a breath, and use my power on the two health inspectors. I ease their distrust, stirs their trust up. Gently. Subtly. Even the densest muggle will notice something’s wrong if their emotions change drastically. Gradually, the aura of color surrounding the two women brightens.

The black-haired inspector smiles. “Yeah, we can help you.”

Charlotte flashes them her brightest grin. “Oh thank you!” Her cute face does wonders. She doesn’t need my help anymore.

The inspectors follow her to the van.

The black-haired one smiles slightly. “I used to do a job like this before I started inspecting, so I know what it’s like.”

“Oh, I bet!”

Charlotte opens the van’s backdoors.

The two health inspectors let out noises of surprise. I hear the ringing of their emotions turn high-pitched, and see their auras turn into a chaotic mess of all colors. Surprise. They must have seen the real delivery women inside the van.

Taylor grabs each woman’s neck with one hand.

One pinch.

One pinch.

The two health inspectors grunt. They fall into the back of the van, face down, legs still resting outside the vehicle.

Their auras of colors vanish, and the ringings coming from them quieten. The alleyway is now a little more silent. Not completely, I can still hear the ringings coming from Charlotte and Taylor. And also faint ones coming from other side of the alley or the street a block away. But things are almost quiet.

Almost…

But never fully.

Why do you think I prefer the company of unconscious women?

**************

Charlotte and Taylor climbed into the back of the van, grabbed the two health inspectors by the undershoulders, and dragged them further inside the back of the van. They closed the doors.

Then, the yellow reflective vests were swiftly unzipped and taken off. Next, the shoes were unlaced and removed. The work trousers were loosened and peeled off the legs. Finally, the sweat shirts were pulled off.

The brown-haired health inspector was left clad in sports socks, a navy blue underwire bra and green boxer undershorts with a brown waistband strap. Her black-haired colleague was left wearing grey socks with light pink polka dots, pink panties with yellow edges and waistband strap, and a matching t-shirt bra.

Charlotte insisted to bind the two women face-to-face this time. Taylor didn’t bother questioning her partner’s eccentricities. Humoring her was faster.

They used package strings and package tape to truss up the underwear-clad health inspectors, binding each woman’s wrists behind the other’s back. The legs were tapes and tied together. More tape was used to gag the two women. They were blindfolded with scarves and their ears were plugged.

Charlotte and Taylor took off their current outfit, and slipped into the health inspectors’ clothes.

“Still too tight around the waist!” Charlotte complained.

Taylor rolled her eyes. “That’s it. Next time I hit the gym, you come with me. Even if I have to drag you screaming and kicking.” She grabbed the tiny microphone, and pinned it inside her reflective vest. “Trapstr. We have our way in. How is Screwball doing?”

**************

Screwball was jumping from roof to roof. In-between the wind and the height of the buildings, her stunt was very dangerous. But the parkour expert didn’t feel any fear – she was never feeling more alive than when she was in free fall, with the wind whistling in her ears, while being broadcasted to the entire world.

“Usually, thousands of people are watching me when I do that…” she complained to herself as she grabbed a flag pole and landed on an air vent.

However, today her goal was the opposite of being seen. She wasn’t wearing her usual white-and-fuchsia outfit. Her helmet and full-body jumpsuit were made of a very special fabric that reflected the light. Screwball didn’t know the technical details, but the result was that her outfit somehow changed color to match the area around her. The suit had been given to them by Taylor’s – Sparks’ – employer. Screwball wasn’t an expert, but she was aware this technology was of the “secret experimental weapon”-kind. Whoever their boss was, they were powerful.

Screwball checked her wristwatch. Her schedule was tight. The plan relied on her taking advantage of the cleaning crew’s change of shift. It meant she had 10 minutes left to reach her destination.

It shouldn’t be too much of a problem...

“Charlotte and her team have acquired their disguise. The health inspectors are all tucked in.” Trapstr said in her earpiece. A camera on the blonde’s helmet was allowing Trapstr to follow her progression live.

“Didn’t Blender want us to use code names?”

“Yeah, but she got all fussy when it came to hers.”

“Of course. Her nickname is dumb.”

“Yours isn’t much better.”

“Says the one who can’t spell hers right.”

“I didn’t remember you being so sassy.”

“My fans love sarcasm. Gotta stay relevant. Blame the latest superhero movies.”

The Internet-fame-junkie resumed her run, jumped while using a railing as a fulcrum, and landed on the roof of the building next to her destination.

Oscorp Industries’ head office had tight security at its entrance, but nobody had bothered to secure its roof. Of course, they thought they didn’t have to. The only way to reach the area from the outside would be to jump from the nearby building. And it was a long jump. They believed nobody was brave and dumb enough to try.

Screwball ran to gain momentum, and jumped.

She landed perfectly on the other roof.

“Nailed it! That one would definitely have been part of my Top 10 Best Stunts – if I’d been allowed to film it!” she complained.

“Stay focused. I recorded your entire parkour. We can upload it after the mission is over. I’ll give you the file if you give me 50% of the profits.”

“40.”

“Deal.”

On the roof, there was a helipad and a door leading to inside the building. It was locked, but Screwball had been given other gadgets. She inserted some kind of high-tech lockpick in the key hole, and twenty seconds later the door was unlocked.

“The security cameras?” she asked in her microphone.

“Disabled. I’m playing fake footage.” Trapstr answered.

Screwball carefully entered. According to Taylor’s intel, the last floor of the building was used to store equipment – there shouldn’t be any employee. Still, Screwball had been instructed to be as discreet as possible.

Infiltrating a place without making any noise was a new experience. Strange, but surprisingly exhilarating, she admitted to herself.

Her suit was still helping her conceal herself, matching the color of the walls.

The last floor indeed looked like some sort of attic, with unused pieces of furniture. It was also where the cleaning equipment was stored. An elevator and the stairs could be used to reach this floor.

Screwball checked her wristwatch.

“Just in time.”

If their intel was correct, the janitress should be beginning her shift now – and her first step would be to resupply.

Screwball ducked behind cover when she heard the ‘ding’ of the elevator.

A woman of the cleaning crew exited the elevator. She was pushing a cart.

The janitress was listening to some music on her I-phone. She was wearing a light blue work jumpsuit with long sleeves. The garment had one white stripe on each side, a white collar and white sleeve cuffs. A built-in cloth belt allowed to tighten the jumpsuit around the waist. She was walking in black plastic clogs, the kind of footwear cleaners often used.

The girl was in her early twenties and of average size. She was white-skinned, with chestnut brown eyes. She had a bixie haircut with curtain bangs and pointy tips on the neck, and her hair were dyed light pink. There were three rings on her left ear.

The janitress went to a closet, and started to resupply her cart.

The opportunity was golden.

Screwball grabbed a blowpipe, and put a small dart coated with a sleeping drug inside.

“Check this. The result of a week of training.” she muttered in her microphone.

“Don’t remind me. I’m still trying to get rid of the mental image of you blowing all day on a phallic-looking device.”

Screwball ignored the snark, and blew the dart at her unsuspecting target.

The projectile completely missed the mark, and bounced onto the wall. Fortunately, it was small and didn’t make any noise. Plus, the janitress was distracted by her music.

Trapstr snorted. “Impressive…”

“It was for the bloopers!”

Screwball reloaded her weapon, and blew a second dart. This time, she hit the pink-haired cleaning woman in the neck.

“See! Bullseye!.”

“Lucky shot.”

The janitress paused, and frowned. She took off her earphones.

“Is there anyone here?”

Unfortunately for her, the drug was fast-acting. In no time, she started to feel dizzy.

“Wh- What’s going on?”

She leaned against the wall, and fell seated onto the floor. Her protests were already faint slurred moans. She fell on her left side, and closed her eyes.

Screwball approached the woman, who was already deeply asleep.

She rolled the janitress onto her back, and unzipped the jumpsuit.

“Maybe I should live-stream uniform stealings… Girl-on-girl action gets you tons of fame.”

“Meh. I’m sure someone already did it.”

Screwball lifted the pink-haired woman’s upper-body and arms to peel off the top part of the garment. The janitress was wearing a grey short-sleeved t-shirt, and a candy pink t-shirt bra with white shoulder straps.

“I could even set up donation goals. Like, ‘removing the t-shirt’.”

She untied the belt to loosen the jumpsuit at the waist. Next, she took off the cleaner clogs, though she didn’t touch the light pink socks. Finally, she peeled the jumpsuit down the woman’s legs, revealing pink bikini panties with white edges.

“The name just writes itself. Uniform Stealing Screwball.”

“USS? You want to get in trouble with the Trekkies?”

“Everybody fancies themselves a critic...”

Screwball grabbed a bunch of zip-ties strapped onto her belt, and used them to bind the unconscious cleaning woman’s wrists, and ankles. To make sure the girl wouldn’t be able to wiggle too much, Screwball grabbed a roll of tape in the maintenance closet and wrapped a few layers around the upper-arms, then around the thighs.

“You know, it’d be easier with your paste gun.” she complained.

“Right. As if I’d trust you bozo with my gun...”

A clean sponge (from the maintenance closet as well) and a few strips of tape were used as a gag.

Finally, Screwball stashed the trussed up pink-haired janitress inside the big bin of her cleaning cart to get her out of the way. The girl was left sitting with her chin resting against her knees.

The blond acrobat removed her full-body jumpsuit, only keeping her Screwball-themed white-and-fuchsia tank top, sports bra, boyshorts, and socks. She slipped into the janitress jumpsuit. She was more athletic than the girl she had mugged, but the jumpsuit’s material was loose, so it didn’t make a difference. She zipped the garment, fastened the belt, and put on the clogs. She hid her discarded costume inside the bin alongside with the trussed up janitress, and closed the lid.

Screwball pinned her hidden microphone onto the collar of her new outfit, and closed the lid of the bin holding the original owner of the clothes.

“I’m good.”

“They’re waiting for you at the back entrance. Let them in.”

Screwball grabbed the janitress’ access card. The device could open almost every door of the building. The blonde smiled.

**************

Taylor, Charlotte, and Sarah were waiting in front of the skyscraper's back entrance.

“Screwball’s on her way. I’ve hacked the security cameras inside to loop fake footage.” Trapstr informed them

Taylor nodded appreciatively. “I bet giving up on the ‘evil glue gunslinger shtick’ for the ‘evil hacker shtick’ was the best idea you’ve ever had.”

“You have no idea.”

The backdoor was opened from the inside.

A smiling Screwball greeted them. “Right on schedule.” She eyed Sarah’s faded clothes and beanie. “She comes too? She doesn’t exactly wear office clothes.”

Taylor walked past her, Charlotte and Sarah in her wake. “We intend to rectify that.”

**************

While we don’t come across anyone in the corridors, the building is still full of people. Walls aren’t thick enough to contain so many emotions. To me, the place feels unbearably noisy. Plus, Charlotte and Screwball are bundles of strong emotions. So many noises, so many colors… I’m having a hard time focusing on my footsteps.

I think I’m going to have a migraine tonight...

Luckily, I don’t have to think or do anything – I just have to follow Taylor and Charlotte, and let them handle everything.

Since Trapstr disabled the cameras, we can move freely in the building – we only have to be wary of not catching undue attention from the employees.

After some time (how much? five minutes? ten minutes? I can’t tell, too much noise), Taylor grabs my shoulder to make me pause.

In front of us, I see an employee throw an empty beaker into a bin and unlock the door of her office room. She’s most likely just finished her coffee break.

The woman seems to be an office drone like many others in the city. She looks almost as worn down as I. Her auburn hair, tied into a functional ponytail, look dull. Her light skin has this grey-ish undertone common with tired people, and there are small dark rings under her blue-green eyes.

She’s wearing a burgundy button-up shirt, a black light jacket, dark grey trousers, and brown shoes.

Just as she’s about to enter her office room, the employee notices our group – and her eyes dwell on my outfit. She frowns. “Who’s that?”

Charlotte moves forward, and makes sure the woman gets a good look at her health inspector reflective vest. “A colleague of us. No one of consequences.” she retorts.

Of course, the situation is suspicious. I sense the woman’s wariness and doubt. I immediately work on suppressing these feelings.

Charlotte notices the subtle changes in the woman’s stance. The office worker suddenly looks more relaxed. My partner knows I’m using my power. She flashes her biggest innocent-looking smile. “Can you come here, please? It’s important.”

The woman hesitates and frowns. The peculiar situation and request are taking her by surprise.

Once again, I nudge her emotions a little. Just enough to convince her there’s no threat.

The woman complies.

“What is it?”

Taylor nimbly walks in the employee’s back, and pinches her Vagus nerve.

The woman’s eyes widen. She lets out a moan, and her body becomes limp. Taylor catches her mid-fall.

Screwball glares at us. “Impressive… Like a fly attracted by a jar of honey...”

She has no idea… ‘Nudge’ was actually Charlotte’s second attempt at a nickname. First, she proposed ‘Venus Flytrap’.

…

She really sucks at nicknames.

**************

They dragged the unconscious employee in her office room, and locked the door. In-between Charlotte, Taylor, and Screwball, the woman was quickly stripped down to a grey full-cup bra, dull beige cotton control briefs, and white socks.

Charlotte and Taylor then undressed Sarah, and redressed her in the new clothes.

“Now, for the most important detail.”

Charlotte proudly pulled out a ‘TEMP’ badge, and pinned it onto Sarah’s shirt.

Taylor turned towards Screwball, and pointed at the unconscious half-naked office worker. “Deal with her.”

The blonde started to object. “Hey! I’m not into hardcore snuff video-”

“I meant restrain her and stash her somewhere to hide her!” Taylor didn’t try to hide her annoyance.

“Ooooh…”

**************

Walking in the building is a pain. I hear a constant loud ringing – the emotions of Charlotte, Taylor, and everyone in the vicinity. Walls barely muffle them.

Thankfully, my partners know the layout of the place. We don’t spare any more time than the strict necessary.

We reach the 30th floor. Our destination.

Oscorp’s head office isn’t only an office building - though the information isn't public knowledge. It also holds several discreet laboratories on its upper-floors. Seeing a scientist walk its corridors isn’t a rare sight.

And, more importantly, in the 30th floor, there are archive rooms – including a bunch in which important prototypes are stored. Unfortunately, their access is restricted, and the door’s security is too high-tech for Trapstr to hack it. We need someone to open the door for us...

A secretary is sitting behind a desk, typing something on her computer. She’s a cute woman with light brown hair, amber brown eyes, and a light skin. Her hair are midback long. She’s wearing a white button-up long-sleeved shirt, a light pink sleeveless suit vest, and a light pink pencil skirt. A thin brown belt is tied around her waist. She’s also wearing brown pantyhose, and black shoes.

Nearby, there is the door leading to the restricted part of the floor. Even Screwball couldn’t access it with her stolen janitress pass.

Charlotte walks to the desk, and speaks with all the authority she can muster up. “We need to access the archives.”

The brown-haired secretary frowns. “Excuse me?” I sense her immediate distrust.

“We must see the building's blueprints.”

“Why?”

Charlotte slams her hand on the desk. “Have you any idea how many safety standards you’re breaking? Have you even LOOKED at your air vents? Trust me, with the flagrant violations I’ve witnessed, I can shut down the entire building!”

That’s my cue to act.

The justification is ludicrous at best, but I only need to mingle a little with the woman’s emotions to make it work. Dull down her wariness and her courage, strengthen her nervousness and worries...

And now Charlotte’s threat, coupled with her uniform, are enough to intimidate the secretary.

“O- Okay. I’ll lead you to the archives...”

Charlotte doesn’t break character. “Good.”

The secretary unlocks the restricted door. “Please follow me.”

The three of us follow her. The restricted area feels a little less noisy, but not by much.

Of course, the archives aren’t our destination. We’re looking for an other room of the restricted area.

We pass next to a specific door. Charlotte and Taylor share a glance.

“By the way. Is this the prototypes room?” Charlotte asks with a calculated casual voice.

The secretary frowns. “Yes. Why?”

Taylor’s neckchop sends the woman to slumberland.

It barely eases the noise I’m hearing. There are too many people inside that building. I can hardly focus.

I’m definitely going to have a migraine tonight...

**************

Taylor caught the limp unconscious body of the secretary under the shoulders. She briefly scanned the area, and assessed the situation.

“Nudge. You drag the girl inside this closet. Take off her clothes, and restrain her. She’s my size. It’s best Charlotte and I change outfits before we leave the building. The health inspectors’ absence will be noticed soon.”

The pale blonde nodded with a grateful expression. Taylor let the secretary’s body fall into Sarah’s arms. The latter dragged her burden away.

Taylor grabbed a remote-looking device. It was her jammer. She activated it. Now that they were in a restricted area, they should assume any person seeing them would try to call security first. Thankfully, the jammer wouldn’t disable all communications – its reach was limited to this floor. Indeed, employees would get suspicious if all phones suddenly stopped working at the same time…

Taylor checked the device was working properly. Then, she turned towards her partner: “Let’s go.”

**************

“I’m telling you. I think I’ve found a real money-spinner.” Screwball was insisting in her hidden microphone. “Live-Uniform Stealing.”

She finished wrapping brown package tape around the auburn-haired employee’s lower face to gag her.

The woman’s wrists and ankles were both zip-tied. Some tape was restraining her thighs and her upper-arms.

“Wishful thinking.” Trapstr retorted.

“Well, we’ll see who’s right when I upload today’s footage!” the blonde retorted as she was concealing the trussed up woman under her desk. She left her lying curled up on the side, with her thighs touching her breasts.

“I stopped the recording when you got inside.”

“What?!”

“I stopped the recording when you got inside. Before you started to strip women, you degenerate.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Secure the escape route, instead of complaining. They’re in the restricted area. Hell can break loose at any moment.”

**************

The prototypes room was filled to the brim with schematics and devices – some big, some small – any of them was worth a fortune. However, the two burglars had one very specific goal in mind.

“Start searching.” Taylor ordered. “It has to be around here somewhere.”

They spent quite some time searching the room. At one point, Taylor glanced around her.

“Something wrong?” her partner asked.

The black-haired woman shook her head. “I thought I heard something. Must be my imagination… or some fly.”

She resumed her search. But she never stopped watching her surroundings.

A couple of seconds later, Charlotte smiled when she got her hands on some blueprints and a few ring-shaped metal devices, some big enough to be wrapped around the arm, others around the head.

“Sparks! I’ve hit the jackpot!”

She was almost bouncing with excitement.

“Congratulations.” a voice suddenly intervened. “You’ve won a lengthy stay in prison.”

A woman walked out of the shadows, right next to Charlotte.

“I’ll give you one chance. Surrender, and nobody gets hurt.”

Taylor grimaced. Shit. They’ve tightened security.

She recognized the woman. The long silver white hair, and silver grey full-body costume were a clear giveaway.

Silver Sable, highly-skilled mercenary-for-hire and occasional ally of the Spider Team.

The white-haired light-skinned woman was looking as intimidating as her reputation made her out to be. Her blue eyes had the cold glimmer of steel. She had the well-shaped athletic body of an expert martial artist. Her shining metal grey full-bodysuit was armored, and had a protective Kevlar lining if Taylor recalled well. An equipment belt with several weapons was tied around her waist.

Silver Sable didn’t look apprehensive at the prospect of facing two robbers at the same time, but given her proficiency as a martial artist, it wasn’t surprising.

At least, Taylor knew that with the jammer strapped onto her belt, Silver Sable hadn’t been able to call for back-up...

Charlotte walked towards the mercenary and pointed an aggressive finger at her. “Back off! I’ve trained my body into an unstoppable weapooooooo-” Silver Sable effortlessly grabbed Charlotte’s arm, judo-chopped her onto the ground, and cuffed the chubby woman’s wrists behind her back. Before the latter could even register her defeat, the white-haired mercenary was already back on her feet, ready to face the second threat.

Taylor sighed, resisting the urge to face-palm. God dammit Charlotte... Though she couldn’t blame her partner too much either. Silver Sable ate punks ten times tougher than the chubby shape-shifter for breakfast.

She assessed the situation. With her partner captured, she didn’t have much choice. She had to go all-out.

GOD DAMMIT CHARLOTTE!

Not many people knew, but Taylor wasn’t nicknamed ‘Sparks’ for nothing…

“Hey! You know how fast electricity travels?” she called the other woman.

Silver Sable frowned.

Just as Taylor expected, her foe was taken aback for a fraction of second by her quip.

Sparks used her right foot as a fulcrum, and dashed. Faster than any human.

The silver-haired mercenary’s eyes widened.

No human could be that fast. More precisely, no non-superpowered human…

Silver Sable was taken aback. Usually, super-powered criminals were wearing some sort of gimmicky outfit. She was expecting a random robber, not a metahuman. She didn’t have the time to adjust her combat stance.

In no time, Taylor was in the platinum blonde’s back. She grabbed the mercenary’s neck. Her hand released a powerful surge of electricity.

The shock instantly knocked Silver Sable out. With a groan, she fell face down onto the floor, curled up, and laid still.

The cuffed Charlotte squirmed. “That was so cool!” she said with a beam.

“You know I hate to use these powers needlessly. I hate it when you make me do that.”

Her chubby partner pouted. “Sorry...”

Taylor inhaled deeply. In spite of her best efforts, she had a hard time not finding her partner endearing.

She searched Silver Sable’s unconscious body, and found the keys of the handcuffs. She released her friend.

“You’ll be the death of me one day…” she complained.

And yet, she couldn’t muster up the will to abandon her.

Taylor glanced at the unconscious defeated Silver Sable. The mercenary looked a lot less intimidating when she was lying curled up like a sleeping child.

Taylor got an idea.

“Can you match her hair?” she asked her partner.

“Yes. It’s just a drag to grow them up.”

“Then you have your outfit. Nobody will question Silver Sable escorting the prototype out of the building.”

“Woohooh!”

Charlotte immediately got down to work. She removed the combat boots and untied the weapons belt, then started to unfasten the mercenary’s armored full-bodysuit.

“Ironically, I thought Black Cat would have been the first to mug her…” Taylor commented. “Given their general resemblance, it’s a mystery this hadn’t happened already...”

Charlotte raised a triumphant fist. “HA! I land my first hit in our rivalry!”

While Taylor was carefully watching the area, she peeled off the full-bodysuit, leaving the mercenary clad in silver grey socks and boyshorts, and a matching sports bra.

“Of course the underwear would match…” Taylor commented with a sigh.

She grabbed the handcuffs Silver Sable had used to restrain Charlotte, and cuffed the mercenary’s wrists behind her back. There was a second pair strapped onto the weapon belt, which she used to bind the mercenary’s ankles. A quick search of the prototypes storage room allowed her to spot a device that looked like ropes made of metal. According to the note nearby, they were supposed to be used to restrain super-powered people.

“Interesting…” She glanced around. “Hurry up, Blender. I have a strange feeling. Like we’re being watched.”

While still observing her surroundings, she grabbed some coils, and bound Silver Sable’s calves, thighs, and shoulders with them. Then, she decided to keep the rest of them.

They could come in handy later… Especially if they could replicate them...

At the same time, Charlotte ripped the discarded sweat shirt that used to belong to the unlucky health inspector into strips, and shoved several pieces of cloth into Silver Sable’s mouth. One other strip was used as an OTM-gag.

Then the shape-shifting car burglar removed all her other clothes save for the underwear, and slipped into Silver Sable’s suit.

At the same time, Taylor stashed Silver Sable inside a closet. The fit was a bit tight, the mercenary was left seated in a ball-like position, with her chin against her knees and her thighs pressed against her breasts. Charlotte also concealed her health inspector outfit with the bound-and-gagged woman. Then Taylor closed the door.

Charlotte finished slipping into Silver Sable’s costume, and tied the weapon belt around her waist.

“So tight…” she complained.

The shape-shifter then took a breath. Her hair started to grow up fast, though the process made her grimace in pain. Once they had the desired length, she colored them silver.

“Like the real deal.” Charlotte bragged once she was done.

Taylor noticed how the costume was too long at the limbs, and too tight around the waist.

“If she was a couple of inches smaller, and had raided a pastries store, maybe…”

Charlotte pouted. “Don’t be mean!” she complained. “It’s not my fault my powers are weak!”

“For now.” Taylor commented. Then, she eyed the ring-shaped devices they had stolen. “But if the old man is right… these things may be the solution to your problem...”

**************

When Charlotte and Taylor regrouped with Sarah, the secretary was already stripped down to her red demi-bra with black lace and a pink bow between the cups, and black thong with red lace; with her wrists and ankles zip-tied, and her lips tape-gagged. She was seated in a corner of the closet, her left cheek resting against the wall.

Her outfit was lying on the floor, neatly folded.

Taylor smiled appreciatively.

Sarah didn’t so much smile at her as quirked her lips.

Taylor removed her current clothes, and slipped into the secretary’s outfit.

Charlotte had a hard time staying still. She was pacing and quietly whining about the outfit being too tight.

Once Taylor was done, she spoke in her hidden microphone. “Screwball. We’ve secured the package. Meet us at the back exit. Jenna, come pick us up.”

**************

With their disguises, exiting the building was a piece of cake.

Too easy even. The few people who came across them didn’t seem to notice ‘Silver Sable’ was shorter and chubbier. A part of Taylor felt disgusted by how unobservant they were.

Easy victory was better than defeat, but still...

Jenna came to pick Taylor, Charlotte, Sarah, and Screwball up with a stolen civilian van. They left the delivery van, and the four bound-and-gagged women locked inside, near the building’s back entrance. The police would deal with them when they’d come to handle the aftermath of the raid.

**************

Once they were inside their hideout, the team finally celebrated their success.

“I admit I had reservations about this team-up… But can’t argue with results.” Trapstr commented while drinking a can of soda.

Charlotte nodded with the enthusiasm of someone who was high on sugar.

“Boss didn’t choose us for nothing.” Taylor commented.

Sarah and Screwball didn’t answer. The former was sitting in a sofa and listening to loud music with earphones. The latter was too busy uploading the footage of her latest stunt.

“But I didn’t even get to do anything!” Jenna complained.

“You can start by bringing me an other soda.” Trapstr intervened, after expertly throwing her empty can into the bin like some basketball.

Jenna glared at her. If looks could kill, the sunglasses-wearing villainess would have been turned into a smoking pile of dust.

Trapstr wisely chose to not press her luck.

Instead, she pointed at the stolen devices. The metal rings were displayed on the table. “So… What are those exactly?” They didn’t look very threatening, but she knew that with Oscorp technology looks were often deceiving.

“Enhancers.” Taylor explained.

“Of what?”

Charlotte beamed. “Of mutant powers!”

[meditions142]

Great story. Love it.

I particularly liked seeing Sarah use her powers on the women the team needed to take out and steal their clothes.

First off, great scene of the double pinch knockout of the inspectors. The idea of Taylor giving the women simultaneous neck pinches is fantastic.

Next, I really liked the scene with the employee they encounter. Great the way Sarah while not fully controlling the woman's mind, uses her powers subtly to influence and somewhat control her target. And this scene is great. Love to picture the auburn haired woman suddenly relax and become willing to follow the others, falling right into the trap.

I also love that Taylor knocks the woman out by giving her a Vagus Nerve pinch. Love that description. "The woman’s eyes widen. She lets out a moan, and her body becomes limp. Taylor catches her mid-fall."

I also loved the exchange at the end of the scene: Taylor turned towards Screwball, and pointed at the unconscious half-naked office worker. “Deal with her.” The blonde started to object. “Hey! I’m not into hardcore snuff video-” “I meant restrain her and stash her somewhere to hide her!” Taylor didn’t try to hide her annoyance. “Ooooh…”

I also really liked the scene with the secretary. Again Sarah does a great job of manipulating the woman's mind and making her obedient. Great too the way after the secretary has led them to where they want to go and they have no need for her anymore Taylor knocks her out with a neck chop.

Great scene too the way Taylor catches the woman as she drops and then drops her into Sarah's arms. Was also fun to see the secretary was wearing rather racy underwear.

As much as the scenes with Sarah were spectacular with the mind manipulation, the good old dart scene with Screwball was fantastic too. Wonderfully funny the first shot missed. Also loved the description of the janitress going out. “Wh- What’s going on?” She leaned against the wall, and fell seated onto the floor. Her protests were already faint slurred moans. She fell on her left side, and closed her eyes."

The drug is impressive. It not unless knocked the woman out quick but put her into a deep sleep.

Just such a fun story. Thanks so much for posting.

[simon4343]

good story but have to mark it down, as silver sable wouldnt be that sloppy lol

[tirepanted3]

With the slight caveat that I had a small hand in developing this story, this was a very enjoyable chapter.

I love the banter in this chapter - feels right out of a Marvel comic or movie - as Screwball winkingly implies.

Speaking of Screwball, it's nice to see her getting her own shot at a USB mugging scene. She's indirectly responsible for kickstarting the whole Marvel-USB world over a year ago as MJ's victim, and it's cool to see her take a more proactive role in the proceedings.

She and Trapstr had some entertaining banter this chapter. It's amusing to see these two villains, both second-stringers being made to work together, getting on each other's nerves all the while. This exchange was my favorite of the chapter:

“Nailed it! That one would definitely have been part of my Top 10 Best Stunts – if I’d been allowed to film it!” she complained.

“Stay focused. I recorded your entire parkour. We can upload it after the mission is over. I’ll give you the file if you give me 50% of the profits.”

“40.”

“Deal.”

Sarah is also developing nicely; I like the way the story occasionally shifts inside her head and gives us her own view of the situation. Good way to use first-person storytelling while still incorporating multiple perspectives into the story as a whole. And allows for some internal snark - "She really sucks at nicknames."

Good stuff overall, and builds to a nice "boss level" climax with the takedown of Silver Sable.

[rufusluciusivan]

Great story. Love it.

I particularly liked seeing Sarah use her powers on the women the team needed to take out and steal their clothes.

First off, great scene of the double pinch knockout of the inspectors. The idea of Taylor giving the women simultaneous neck pinches is fantastic.

Next, I really liked the scene with the employee they encounter. Great the way Sarah while not fully controlling the woman's mind, uses her powers subtly to influence and somewhat control her target. And this scene is great. Love to picture the auburn haired woman suddenly relax and become willing to follow the others, falling right into the trap.

I also love that Taylor knocks the woman out by giving her a Vagus Nerve pinch. Love that description. "The woman’s eyes widen. She lets out a moan, and her body becomes limp. Taylor catches her mid-fall."

I also loved the exchange at the end of the scene: Taylor turned towards Screwball, and pointed at the unconscious half-naked office worker. “Deal with her.” The blonde started to object. “Hey! I’m not into hardcore snuff video-” “I meant restrain her and stash her somewhere to hide her!” Taylor didn’t try to hide her annoyance. “Ooooh…”

I also really liked the scene with the secretary. Again Sarah does a great job of manipulating the woman's mind and making her obedient. Great too the way after the secretary has led them to where they want to go and they have no need for her anymore Taylor knocks her out with a neck chop.

Great scene too the way Taylor catches the woman as she drops and then drops her into Sarah's arms. Was also fun to see the secretary was wearing rather racy underwear.

As much as the scenes with Sarah were spectacular with the mind manipulation, the good old dart scene with Screwball was fantastic too. Wonderfully funny the first shot missed. Also loved the description of the janitress going out. “Wh- What’s going on?” She leaned against the wall, and fell seated onto the floor. Her protests were already faint slurred moans. She fell on her left side, and closed her eyes."

The drug is impressive. It not unless knocked the woman out quick but put her into a deep sleep.

Just such a fun story. Thanks so much for posting.

You're welcome. In-between the various neck pinches / nerve pinches, the sleeping dart, and Sarah's powers, I realized once I was done this part sounded tailored for your likings - and I confess it wasn't even on purpose. (Or maybe subconsciously. ) I rarely have plans in advance for the take-downs I use. I usually write whatever comes up in my head...

Yep, Taylor nailed a double neck-pinch. That's how dangerous (and badass) she is.

Sarah's powers are inspired by the Soothers and Rioters of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy - people who can riot or soothe emotions. However, just like them, she can't control someone's mind - just put them in an emotional state that makes them more gullible. In the Mistborn books, several characters even explicitly mention a Soother can't rely on their powers alone because they're not mind-control, and if the Soother is not a good manipulator and social expert, their powers aren't very useful. However, in Earth-USB, Sarah is usually busy with being sad and tired all the time, so Charlotte is the one who handles the whole 'manipulation' shtick while Sarah uses her powers from a distance.

Screwball is a good joke villainess. I liked coming up with the joke of her missing her first shot. The drug was indeed very fast-acting, an other way to highlight Taylor's team has access to cutting edge technology - thanks to this mysterious 'old man' backing them up.

That secretary wearing racy underwear wanted to feel sexy while at work. She has a thankless job, so she wanted to lift her spirits.

I also loved the exchange at the end of the scene: Taylor turned towards Screwball, and pointed at the unconscious half-naked office worker. “Deal with her.” The blonde started to object. “Hey! I’m not into hardcore snuff video-” “I meant restrain her and stash her somewhere to hide her!” Taylor didn’t try to hide her annoyance. “Ooooh…”

Taylor is usually so intense, one can't fully blame Screwball for misinterpreting her ominous statement. But yes, I love the joke that Taylor is basically the only sane woman having to deal with a snarky tech expert, a fame-obsessed celebrity-wannabe, a depressed empath, a handywoman who doesn't get respect from anyone, and Charlotte - who's so out-of-touch with reality and so high on a sugar rush all the time she's in a league of her own.

good story but have to mark it down, as silver sable wouldnt be that sloppy lol

I think we can give her some slack. She thought she was dealing with petty robbers. She got attacked by a former elite black op and a metahuman who's superhumanly fast AND can produce electricity with her bare hands. Silver Sable is a normal (if well-trained) human, with normal (if well-trained) human reflexes. The description of this story doesn't dwell on too much on that topic, but Taylor is meant to be a whole league above someone like Silver Sable - Taylor can keep up with mutants like Spider-Man or Ghost Spider. Plus, this story is meant to take place in a different universe - so this Silver Sable can be whatever I want her to be.

With the slight caveat that I had a small hand in developing this story, this was a very enjoyable chapter.

I love the banter in this chapter - feels right out of a Marvel comic or movie - as Screwball winkingly implies.

Speaking of Screwball, it's nice to see her getting her own shot at a USB mugging scene. She's indirectly responsible for kickstarting the whole Marvel-USB world over a year ago as MJ's victim, and it's cool to see her take a more proactive role in the proceedings.

She and Trapstr had some entertaining banter this chapter. It's amusing to see these two villains, both second-stringers being made to work together, getting on each other's nerves all the while. This exchange was my favorite of the chapter:

“Nailed it! That one would definitely have been part of my Top 10 Best Stunts – if I’d been allowed to film it!” she complained.

“Stay focused. I recorded your entire parkour. We can upload it after the mission is over. I’ll give you the file if you give me 50% of the profits.”

“40.”

“Deal.”

Sarah is also developing nicely; I like the way the story occasionally shifts inside her head and gives us her own view of the situation. Good way to use first-person storytelling while still incorporating multiple perspectives into the story as a whole. And allows for some internal snark - "She really sucks at nicknames."

Good stuff overall, and builds to a nice "boss level" climax with the takedown of Silver Sable.

The banters are easy to come up with - with these characters' personalities, they almost write themselves.

I barely even knew Screwball and Trapstr existed before I began this saga, but the more I write them, the more I like them. Spider-Mand joke villains have a lot of potential - I think I like them more than his "serious" villains.

Personally, my favorite banters were the ones revolving around Charlotte's (aka Blender, Mystique II, and Diet Mystique) nicknames - and when Screwball and Trapstr beging to argue on who of the two has the worst nickname. (It's Trapstr. No debate for me. I can't condone such blatant mispelling. It sounds like those old men desperatly trying to be young and hip. The "How do yoy do fellow kids?" meme all over again.)

Glad to hear the first person perspective wasn't a turn-off, since it's pretty discordant with the usual narration. It was the best way to showcase Sarah's point of view and to explain her powers.

Poor Silver Sable though... That's one blow to her ego that will never heal!

[tirepanted3]

Personally, my favorite banters were the ones revolving around Charlotte's (aka Blender, Mystique II, and Diet Mystique) nicknames - and when Screwball and Trapstr beging to argue on who of the two has the worst nickname. (It's Trapstr. No debate for me. I can't condone such blatant mispelling. It sounds like those old men desperatly trying to be young and hip. The "How do yoy do fellow kids?" meme all over again.)

I actually kind of like the name Trapstr, or at least think it's fitting for the character - she's a young, very online supervillain, not as camera-hogging as Screwball, but familiar with Internet quirks and usernames. So it makes sense that she would want to distinguish herself from the old Trapstr by misspelling her name in a "modern" way.

Besides, it's worth remembering that the original Trapster from the 1960s comics had a different name - Paste-Pot Pete. He eventually changed his name to Trapster because he felt his initial name sounded too ridiculous, but other supervillains still teased him about it for years afterward.

[rufusluciusivan]

Paste-Pot Pete... The Silver Age strikes again... Suddenly, Trapstr doesn't sound so ridiculous anymore.

[meditions142]

You're welcome. In-between the various neck pinches / nerve pinches, the sleeping dart, and Sarah's powers, I realized once I was done this part sounded tailored for your likings - and I confess it wasn't even on purpose. (Or maybe subconsciously. )

Sarah's powers are inspired by the Soothers and Rioters of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy - people who can riot or soothe emotions. However, just like them, she can't control someone's mind - just put them in an emotional state that makes them more gullible. In the Mistborn books, several characters even explicitly mention a Soother can't rely on their powers alone because they're not mind-control, and if the Soother is not a good manipulator and social expert, their powers aren't very useful. However, in Earth-USB, Sarah is usually busy with being sad and tired all the time, so Charlotte is the one who handles the whole 'manipulation' shtick while Sarah uses her powers from a distance.

Taylor is usually so intense, one can't fully blame Screwball for misinterpreting her ominous statement. But yes, I love the joke that Taylor is basically the only sane woman having to deal with a snarky tech expert, a fame-obsessed celebrity-wannabe, a depressed empath, a handywoman who doesn't get respect from anyone, and Charlotte - who's so out-of-touch with reality and so high on a sugar rush all the time she's in a league of her own.

Well, you may have not intentionally created this one for me but you seem to have gotten almost all of my favorite concepts!

I actually think Sarah's powers not being full mind control add a really great layer to the stories. As you say "she can't control someone's mind - just put them in an emotional state that makes them more gullible." As we saw regardless of if it wasn't really mind control, Sarah was able to manipulate the women and basically make them easy targets to be neutralized.

And also like the idea "Sarah is usually busy with being sad and tired all the time". It is fun to picture her skulking in the background like a depressed teenager yet easily reaching out with her powers to manipulate a woman's mind. She stayed in the shadows yet easily led four women to their fate.

The idea of Taylor being very intense and matter of fact actually sets up something I also like. That is the detachment and not really caring about the victims. Here we first have the "Deal with her" comment about the first employee. Then we also get “Nudge. You drag the girl inside this closet. Take off her clothes, and restrain her." Taylor may not kill the women but she doesn't seem to care to much about what she does to them. The women are just obstacles and disguise opportunities to her. She has a job to do. Her comments show a detachment that I always enjoy.

So much looking forward to more of the team's adventures!

[rufusluciusivan]

Well, you may have not intentionally created this one for me but you seem to have gotten almost all of my favorite concepts!

I actually think Sarah's powers not being full mind control add a really great layer to the stories. As you say "she can't control someone's mind - just put them in an emotional state that makes them more gullible." As we saw regardless of if it wasn't really mind control, Sarah was able to manipulate the women and basically make them easy targets to be neutralized.

And also like the idea "Sarah is usually busy with being sad and tired all the time". It is fun to picture her skulking in the background like a depressed teenager yet easily reaching out with her powers to manipulate a woman's mind. She stayed in the shadows yet easily led four women to their fate.

The idea of Taylor being very intense and matter of fact actually sets up something I also like. That is the detachment and not really caring about the victims. Here we first have the "Deal with her" comment about the first employee. Then we also get “Nudge. You drag the girl inside this closet. Take off her clothes, and restrain her." Taylor may not kill the women but she doesn't seem to care to much about what she does to them. The women are just obstacles and disguise opportunities to her. She has a job to do. Her comments show a detachment that I always enjoy.

So much looking forward to more of the team's adventures!

Taylor is indeed a former black op - a rogue agent of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "Best Canadian secret agent" doesn't sound that much fearsome, but she's nonetheless as deadly as any elite assassin - and that's without taking her powers into consideration. The key words to understand her mindset is that she doesn't kill people "anymore". It technically hasn't been revealed yet, but it's not much of a spoiler: Basically, at one point she'll explicitly mention it to an other character:

Trust me, Michelle. I killed more people in my life than you ever will. After a while, you grow tired of it. I prefer to save executions for when it’s indispensable.

Taylor avoids killing people, but she's not adverse to the idea if the need arises. That, plus her past as a black op, explains why she's so cold and detached. Basically, she's a more positive counterpart of Emery - one of my very first characters.

Sarah will play an important part when the saga reaches its climax, so I'm resisting the urge to reveal too much about her. Her past is one of the major reveals of the saga, but I can say there's a reason she's always quiet - and quietly brooding. Her powers are indeed the wet dream of any person who needs to manipulate other people...

[esercito sconfitto]

Rufusluciusivan, thanks, I have a weakness for vans filled with girls tied up and unconscious in their undies, pity only four