One Final Aria
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Encore
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******* Sarah Summers / ̶N̶u̶d̶g̶e̶ *******
Wasp is a woman of her word.
I asked to be put in a cell, she had me put in a cell.
No lab. No experiments. No big talk of ‘using my powers for justice’ and the ‘greater good’.
I suspect she asked the AVENGERS a little favor to make sure no government agency could take me under their custody. And they were all too eager to put me out of reach if it meant no secret organization could get their hands on me.
My cell is isolated in the extreme security wing of the prison complex. I heard it was designed by Tony Stark himself to block my powers. Thick walls and empty corridors separate me from the other inmates. Except when meals are delivered to me, I’m alone. The guards think it’s the best way to contain my threat.
They probably don’t realize the gift they’ve given me.
Finally… Finally, things are quiet…
Often, I think of Taylor and Charlotte. I hope they’re doing fine. I hope they’re safe and free. I hope Taylor will one day forgive me. She’s always wanted to help me – but ultimately she’s never been able to give me what I needed the most.
Peace.
My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of my cell’s door being opened.
The man is bald, and on a wheelchair. He looks harmless – sympathetic even – but there’s something about him that feels odd to me.
“Hello, Sarah.”
I’m unnerved. I don’t sense his emotions. Nothing.
“How do you do that?” The question escapes my lips before I can stop myself.
The man smiles. “It appears my theory was correct. Our powers are the two sides of a same coin. Outwardly opposite in every way… but still part of the same coin.”
He seems well-meaning, but I have no way to confirm if his emotions match his demeanor. I realize how much I was relying on my empathy to read people until now. It feels odd to not be able to tell if someone is sincere.
Odd, but not necessarily bad.
The wheel-chaired man moves next to me.
“My name is Charles Xavier, and I wish to help you. But only if you want it.”
******* Jeannine Sauvage / Guillotine *******
I’m glad to be back in Europe, where things are usually less flamboyant.
Key word being ‘usually’.
Because indeed, two tourists robbed, and left half-naked and trussed up on the bed of their hotel room aren’t exactly ‘un-flamboyant’.
But in this specific occurrence, I know American (or more accurately Canadian) citizens are behind the situation.
Finesse and I check the pulse of the two women restrained onto the bed of their hotel room. Slow and steady. They have the soft breathing of people who have been drugged into a deep sleep.
The two tourists are in their thirties. One has light brown hair hair, a light skin, light green eyes, and a shoulder-long medium ponytail. The other has dark brown hair, a tanned skin, hazel eyes, and a shoulder-long square-shaped haircut.
When we take off the sheet, we see the green-eyed brunette is clad in a black balcony bra with a red bow in-between the cups and a floral pattern, and a matching lacy thong. The brown-eyed one is wearing a hot pink demi-bra adorned with white lace, and hot pink lacy tanga panties. Both are tied to the bed with strips of sheet and cleave-gagged with thick scarves. Long strips of sheet are wrapped around their waists and the bedspring to make sure they’re snugly restrained.
Meseret finishes searching the discarded handbags lying in a corner of the room. “I found these women’s IDs. Turns out they’re a married couple, spending a few days of vacation in the theme park.” Meseret has been sent to Europe with Jeanne and I to track down Taylor and Charlotte.
I refrain from glancing too much at the raunchy undergarments. “More than a mere vacation, I wager.”
People say I can be too grim and serious, but do they really think this zaniness is better?
“Drugged women left trussed up in their undies. This is their calling card.” Finesse adds. “They’re in the park.”
“Maybe they’ve even already changed clothes.” I add. “Let’s go after them.”
It’s time to show these two fugitives Europe is my turf. And I won’t let them spread chaos forever!
******* Jeanne Foucault / Finesse *******
I don’t mind returning to Europe, but I confess I prefer the United States. I’ve gotten used to this place, where things are usually more flamboyant.
Key word being ‘usually’.
Because Taylor and Charlotte have indeed left a lot of ‘flamboyance’ during their European trek.
And by ‘flamboyance’, I mean trussed up half-naked girls.
It started as soon as the Charles de Gaulle Airport. Two visiting tourists from Japan – a mother and her daughter – found trussed up in a cleaning closet of the restrooms.
Then the pair of gendarmettes they locked in the trunk of their stolen car – after stealing the officers’ uniforms and leaving with their car.
They drove to Luxembourg and Belgium – stealing the outfits of customs officers, traveling saleswomen, and nuns on the way. Then they bifurcated to France again – stealing the outfits and identities of two stewardesses to snatch an airplane ride to Strasbourg. Two mugged students later, they were hitchhiking to Germany. And then stealing a car and new sets of clothes.
Now we’ve found an other clue of their presence – two other tourists robbed of their clothes and money – in a hotel next to Europa Park. No doubt they intend to evade us in the crowd, and steal an other ride to God knows where.
Their capture is international top priority – it has even been deemed important enough to have SHIELD team up with the Champions of Europe.
Jeanne is furious. She can’t stand the idea these American – technically Canadian – criminals are spreading chaos and zaniness all across Old Europe.
But if I have to be completely honest, I’ll admit Taylor and Charlotte are pretty tame – for international criminals and terrorists, that is. They’ve never left dead bodies behind them. Only girls bound and gagged in their undies.
Still, it would be better for everyone if they were put behind bars – including for them.
Gwen, Angelica, Yuri, and Kate are counting on me. Better not disappoint them!
******* Charlotte Beaulieu / Blender(?) *******
I love theme parks. The constant noise, the crowd, the background music… I love them.
Europa Park is my favorite. I remember my parents would regularly take me there – Dad was from France, near the German border, so every year we’d take a plane for a vacation here.
“Look alive, Charlotte. We’re not here to sightsee.” Taylor comments.
“We’re dressed as tourists.”
To emphasize my point, I gesture at my long sundress with a flower pattern, large white hat, and the camera tied around my neck.
Of course Taylor doesn’t appreciate my perfectly valid objection at its fair value. She doesn’t answer. She just glares.
“Don’t be meeaaaaann…”
“They’re still after us. They may even have found the girls we mugged at the hotel. We’re here to lose them. And for that, we need to disguise ourselves.”
I nod. Makes sense. “So… Who are we going to mug?”
“I don’t know yet. Keep your eyes open.”
In the Scandinavian section of the park, I notice a group of cute performers dressed as pirate ladies for a spectacle.
“Do we mug these ones?”
“No. Their costumes stand out too much.”
In the French section of the park, I notice a bunch of cute cancan dancers.
“Do we mug these ones?”
“No. Backup dancers aren’t supposed to roam the park.”
In the Italian section of the park, we come across a spectacle featuring a Marilyn Monroe impersonator and a woman in a gorgeous black dress – though I don’t know which celebrity she’s supposed to impersonate.
“Do we mug these ones?”
“No. Any moron will see I’m not the original performer. Plus, they stand out even more than dancers.”
In the Austrian section of the park, Taylor notices two female employees slowly driving a small truck meant to collect the garbage bags in-between the visitors.
They’re heading to an employee only section of the park – probably to throw all the trash bags they’re transporting.
“These ones.” she decides. “We mug these ones.”
“But employee uniforms are dull and boring…”
A dope-slap follows my perfectly valid criticism.
“Ow! So unfair!”
“We go after them.”
******* Taylor Woodward / Sparks *******
I hate theme parks. The constant noise, the crowd, the background music… I hate them.
At least those are slightly more tolerable in employee-only areas.
Following these two has been easy – nobody expects trouble in a theme park. I just had to climb one wooden barrier.
Neutralizing the employees has been easy too. They were busy grabbing some tools after getting rid of their trash bags. Two nerve-pinches, and they were asleep like babies. After that, taking their uniforms was a mere formality...
I cross-tie the woman’s wrists behind her back with the strings I found on a shelf in the tool shed. I make sure there isn’t any slack in the knots. No gentleness, but no needless cruelty either. Just like how I was trained.
Ironic the training my government gave me is making me so efficient at eluding those same governments...
I have nothing against the woman. She’s just a mean to an end. I needed her uniform, and now I need her out of the way for a couple of hours.
The employee is in her mid-thirties. A tall plain-looking blonde with blue eyes, a white skin, and a pudgy waist. Her hair are tied into a functional ponytail. She’s clad in comfortable white control briefs and a matching t-shirt bra. Both the haircut and the undergarments are logical choices, since she’s supposed to perform manual labor all day.
I gag the blonde with thick duct tape, then I stash her in the small shed that’s used to store maintenance equipment near the garbage dumpsters.
Inside the shed, there’s already the other unconscious employee – this one with medium brown ponytailed hair, a light skin, and grey eyes. She’s clad in plain black boxer undershorts and a grey seamless bra, and also bound with strings and gagged with tape.
The two employees are left lying against each other. In-between the various tools and shelves, the fit is tight – they’re snugly pressed against each other, with the blonde’s head resting against the brunette’s shoulder. I close the door and lock the handle.
Just in case.
Then I adjust the uniform I’m currently wearing. Thick brown safety shoes, black work trousers, a grey t-shirt, grey gloves, and an orange reflective vest.
“I wanted to ride the attractions…” Charlotte – also fully disguised – complains next to me. “They even have a new roller coaster...”
“We’re not here to have fun, Charlotte. We’re here to lose our pursuers.”
How many times have I already reminded her that since we got here? Three? Four? With Charlotte, it’s never enough. Theme parks reduce her already short attention span – she makes me think of a moth attracted by a bright light.
“So unfair…”
Charlotte is definitely a lot harder to handle than Sarah. She’s always been… But I refuse to leave her behind. Even now, I still don’t know why. Is it what mothers and older sisters feel?
It’s weird to not have Sarah with us anymore. Something’s missing. Some quiet presence. But I will respect her choice. She wanted a new life. She didn’t want to run anymore.
She wanted something I could never give her, no matter how hard I tried…
I hope she’ll get what she wants.
I hope she’ll be alright.
******* Silvija Sablinova / Silver Sable *******
Robert Kelly lost the election.
Ultimately, the numerous attempts against his life worked against him. They gave him the image of a problem magnet. Many people feared putting him in charge of the country would invite chaos.
However, the last straw were the reveals of several scandals involving William Jefferson and Orchis – made by some anonymous freelance reporter. They were ranging from financial wrong doing to assault of civilians to framing of innocent parties to illegal experimentation of back-then minor Sarah Summers. Since they were a big support of Kelly, his image suffered from these affairs during the last lap of the campaign.
Mentally, I shrug.
At least, civil war was narrowly avoided. After Taylor Woodward fled the country, Mystique was left in a coma, Sarah Summers was arrested, and the rest of their team was disbanded, Magneto lost his best agents to spread chaos. Plus, with Jefferson discredited, Kelly became once again the sole head of the anti-mutant side, and his appeals for calm robbed Magneto of what he was hoping for – escalation.
This doesn’t concern me. I don’t work for Kelly anymore. I’ve been fired.
It’s unfair – Orchis is the lone responsible of the whole mess – but Robert Kelly decided he had had enough with mercenary companies. He preferred to take his chance on his own. With the AVENGERS breathing down Magneto’s neck and Taylor’s team on the run, he’s probably right.
Sadly, the complete fiasco that was Robert Kelly’s protection reflects poorly on my company’s reputation.
Damn infiltrators… They made us look like clowns! I’ll make them pay one day!
The memory of when I was found naked after I was mugged is still vivid in my mind, like an open wound to my pride. I suppress it. They’ll pay for that too…
I pass in front of our headquarters's maintenance closet. Suddenly, I hear something.
Grunts. Groans. Soft muffled moans.
I swear, if someone is attempting to infiltrate us again, I will murder them…
I grab the knob, but at the last second I hear someone talking through the door.
“Next time... I keep the suit… You’d be surprised what I can do... with the tail…” a panting woman says.
I recognize the voice. Elaine Coll. Scorpia. What’s she doing here? Technically, she’s still on probation, but she doesn’t work for me.
“Shut your trap... and work your fingers! I’m not done yet!”
And that’s Claire.
“Bitch, I’m gonna make you reach octaves you’ve never hit before!”
Even the door’s frame doesn’t manage to silence the sounds of their dirty talk, and aggressive smooching.
No need to be a genius to know what they’re doing.
I bang loudly on the door.
“Shit!” Scorpia exclaims. “Give me my panties!”
“Hand me my bra first!” Clair retorts.
Okay. Too much information.
“Claire, I give you one minute to get dressed or you’re fired.”
“G- Got it boss!”
******* Angelica Jones / Firestar *******
When I hear someone opening the door of the female changing room of the weapons facility, I hurriedly close the locker in front of which I’m standing.
It would be awkward to explain why there’s a trussed up woman in her skivvies stashed inside…
The ponytailed olive-skinned brown-eyed brunette is sitting curled up in the cramp space, with her chin resting on her knees. Her mouth is gagged with tape. Her wrists are zip-tied behind her back. Her ankles are zip-tied together. Her only articles of clothes left are a cream white bullet bra, blue hip-huggers, and striped blue-and-white socks.
Two women dressed in the classic Orchis uniform and combat gear enter the changing room.
“Boss is in a foul mood…”
“Who wouldn’t be? An other scandal broke out today. Daily Bugle itself published the files. And for this one he can't throw Jill, Erin, and Lynn under the bus, and have them arrested.”
Great. Of course it had to be the two stoogettes who could recognize me…
(However, it always warms my heart when I hear that the "Orchis Bully Squad" has been put behind bars, and is awaiting trial for the many civilians they mugged.)
I make sure my own Orchis helmet and visor properly conceal my face, head, and hair.
Marilyn sits on a bench, takes off her helmet, and massages her face. “God, I hate Mondays…”
Ruth doesn’t answer. She goes straight to her locker, and begins to take off her uniform.
Her partner notices something’s off. “You got a problem?”
Ruth carefully chooses her words. “You’ve seen the list of what boss is accused.”
“Boss claims it’s fake news, spread by the anti-mutant agenda…”
“You believe that?”
There’s a short pause. I listen discreetly.
“No.”
Ruth puts her uniform inside her locker, and grabs her civilian clothes. Then she finally speaks again: “I won’t come back tomorrow. Or any other day. I’m quitting.”
An other pause.
Then Marilyn also begins to change clothes. “Yeah. Me too.”
Uh. Guess Gwen was right. Not all hope is lost.
I discreetly pat the locker’s door. “Chose a bad time to enlist, rookie.” I whisper to the woman stashed inside.
Then I exit the changing room. It’s time to deal the final blow to Orchis.
I head to the engineering lab.
Mary-Jane and Felicia did a lot of the work already. Their leaks in the press have pretty much destroyed Jefferson’s – and Orchis’ – credibility as a peace force.
Time for me to finish what they started…
Like with many private corporations, there’s only one way to properly destroy Orchis. You have to go after its profits. The company has three main sources of income: private protection service, arms sales, and research. After the whole scandal surrounding Kelly’s political campaign and Mary-Jane’s reveals, a huge dent has been put into the first one. The virus I intend to use against their whole database and assembly line will cripple the other two…
I know Professor Xavier wouldn’t agree with my method – that’s why I didn’t tell him about it. Nor did I tell anyone of the Institute for that matter. Only one person is in the knowing. Black Cat.
I’ll leave the legal battle for my friends, but the sad truth is that William Jefferson doesn’t play by the rules – so to bring him down for good, neither will I.
******* Janet Van Dyne / Wasp *******
A good idea is always stolen.
That’s the quip any self-respected sarcastic hero would make seeing me about to ambush a baddie and snatch her outfit and identity. (So yeah, Peter Parker.)
Then again, the idea IS good. Kinda surprised it took so much time to catch on.
I remember the time it was still an unusual novelty – sure, you had Kate Bischop making a habit of robbing Madame Masque of her outfit and, well, mask. And there was the whole ‘Joystick Going Commando’ debacle. (Come to think of it, maybe that’s why nobody used the tactic for a couple of years – nobody wanted to risk coming across a naked baddie!) Then Black Cat and Gwen’s red-haired friend (what’s her name again? Marie-Jeanne?) entered the picture. Gwen followed suit, Angelica did too, those Canadian criminals came around, and now everybody begins doing it again.
So I guess it’s my turn tonight. In hindsight, it’s logical. My Wasp suit is made for scouting and infiltration – Black Cat didn’t steal it for nothing. Odd I never tried the ‘uniform stealing tactic’ before…
For my first time, the scenery is actually quite original. No warehouse or mansion here. Instead, a gigantic casino cruise ship. A gambling ship, shall I say – transiting to international waters to evade local anti-gambling laws and play loose with financial transactions.
And, if SHIELD’s information are correct, even shadier deals are taking place tonight.
We have one particular. Miranda Kalte. Shipping magnate. Occasional smuggler. Was actually a backer of Taylor’s team back when they were passing themselves for art and artifact thieves. The link with Magneto’s former enforcers is tenuous, but it’s still a lead. Besides, if she’s conducting illegal business under the cover of a casino cruise, best foil her anyway.
Problem is, one does not simply. Well, technically I can if I use my suit to shrink to wasp size but then it would make worming information out patrons quite awkward... And I suspect they have some sensors in the ‘private’ (e.g. shady) parts of the ship.
Currently, I’m discreetly hovering in the back of the sentry I’m stalking. Thanks to my suit, I’m the size of a small bird, so in the night sky I’m basically invisible.
Diamondback – real identity: Rachel Leighton – is a tall sculptural woman with a slim fit-looking body, a white skin, and green eyes. Her hair are dyed pink, cut short, and fashioned into a slightly shaggy square cut.
A good-looking woman, but also a criminal mercenary-for-hire, member of a team called B.A.D. Girls, Inc.
As their name not-so-subtly implies, they’re bad news.
One would think Miranda and all the other rick folks gathered on this floating casino are taking a big risk with the law, hiring Diamondback and her friends as part of their protection.
But technically, we’re in international waters. Ship is sailing under the flag of a state that doesn’t recognize them as criminals, and refuses extradition requests. The guests are rich enough to win any case in court. Most of them aren’t even criminals – save for the fact they’ve purposefully gone to international waters to bypass all tax and gambling restrictions. They simply believe it’s very exciting to have hot mercenary girls as part of their protection.
Well, murky laws can work both ways… Nobody will (or can) make a fuss at a court when it turns out a bunch of B.A.D. girls have been mugged and impersonated – and will later be left trussed up in front of a police station.
Diamondback is wearing a dark pink full bodysuit that covers her from the collar to the feet. The villainess costume’s collarbone area and pelvis area are black. She wears black gloves. She also has a matching pink eyemask. Of course, befitting her name, her bodysuit and gloves are adorned with (fake) diamonds. One on each shoulder, one of the back of each glove, one on each ankle of the suit, and several around the waist. Careful, I remind myself. Those aren’t for show. They’re actual weapons – their point can pierce through bones.
She’s tough – anyone has to be in her line of work. But she also has the strength and stamina of a normal – if well-trained – human.
Which means it’s time to use my “Wasp’s Sting”. Lately, with Taylor’s team and Black Cat on the loose, heroines have been on the wrong side of identity stealing too much for my taste… Time to balance things out.
I aim my gauntlet at Rachel’s neck, and grow back to my original size.
Z-KOW!
A quick blast from the gauntlet sends a jolt of electricity right at my target. Diamondback reels for a moment, then with a groan, falls backwards. She didn’t even have the time to fully process what just happened.
I fly behind her, and catch her limp unconscious body. Then, using the wings of my suit to move faster, I hover backwards and drag her in a blind spot around a corner of the bridge.
Good. Given how fast I was, there’s no way somebody saw me.
I lay the limp mercenary on her back, and pull off her gloves and mask. Then I work to open her bodysuit, and peel it off her slim body.
Underneath, Diamondback is wearing plain dark pink socks, a violet full-cup bra with dark purple edges and straps, and comfortable matching violet classic briefs with a dark purple waistband strap. Small diamonds are encrusted on the waistband strap of the panties and the shoulder straps of the bra. (There’s also a bigger one in-between the cups.) Those look like real deals, contrary to the ones on the costume. Luckily for Diamondback, I’m not Black Cat, so I don’t touch them.
Rachel Leighton is fitter than your average minion – probably hardier too – so to not take any chance I use some Oscorp ultra-sturdy ropes to bind her wrists and ankles tightly. Probably overkill, since she has the strength of a non-enhanced human, but better safe than sorry. I gag her mouth with some strips of tape.
Now, on to the disguise.
It’s more Black Widow’s shtick, but she lent me a nice toy.
I carefully open a small case strapped on my belt, and pull out a flabby thin translucent face-shaped device.
It’s a high-tech mask that can imitate the facial structure of anyone. Then, thanks to some complex nanotechnology or something like that (don’t know the details), it uses a holographic projections to change the head of its wearer to perfectly match the one of whom they’re impersonating. A shame it can only replicate the head.
But when the woman you impersonate wears a full bodysuit and gloves, it’s not much of a problem…
I realize my blunder when I notice the mask must be applied on Diamondback’s face first to imprint her facial appearance – and therefore I gagged her too soon. (The whole mug-and-disguise shtick is indeed a lot more Black Widow’s cup of tea than mine.) Nothing a good de-gagging and re-gagging can’t fix, but I’m glad nobody is here to comment on my mistake. Best not provide grist for the critics who think I don’t deserve a spot in the Avengers!
Once the mask imprinted Diamondback’s facial appearance, and the villainess is gagged once again, I slip into the dark pink and black bodysuit and black gloves. I smoothen the mask on my face. It’s weird how it espouses my features. It’s slightly cool too. I feel some ripples – like water on my face – and then when I look at my reflection, I see Rachel Leighton staring back at me. To perfect the disguise, I put on the mask, and is satisfied to see it doesn’t disrupt the holographic illusion.
Perfect.
I stash Diamondback in a small closet used to store lifebuoys, to make sure nobody disturbs her nap – and she doesn’t disturb the whole operation by being found too soon.
Plus, SHIELD’s stealth boat is discreetly following the cruise ship. They’ll collect Diamondback once our operation is over – the unlucky villainess will wake up in a police cell.
“I’m in position, ready to pay a visit to the restricted areas.” I whisper in a hidden microphone. “Diamondback is down. I’m disguised as her.”
******* Peter Parker / Spiderman *******
Cleopatra ‘Cleo’ Nefertiti – villainess name ‘Asp’ – is a statuesque woman with brown eyes and armpit-long black hair. Her skin is lightly tanned. She’s a stunner, with shapely legs – and her sleeveless thigh-high slit white dress with a green snakes motif (slit on both sides by the way) is clearly designed to emphasize them. There are also green ring-shaped metal jewels wrapped around her bare arms and calves, bandages wrapped around the forearms, and green shoes.
But she’s not my type. I’m not exactly into hardened baddies. That, and she can shoot paralyzing bio-energy blasts.
Of course, when you’re unaware two intruders are hanging on the ceiling of one of the ship’s inner corridors, and about to jump you from above, shooting blasts with your hands isn’t exactly useful…
In my earpiece, I hear Janet mention Diamondback has been taken care of.
White Tiger, my partner, makes her move. She too has received the message, apparently. Ladies first, the saying goes.
Ava jumps from the ceiling, and pounces on the unsuspecting villainess. Asp lets out a brief shriek, and lands on her stomach with a dull thud, cutting her breath and preventing her from shouting for alarm.
White Tiger wraps her arms around Cleo’s throat, blocks the villainess’ arms and waist with her legs. Asp’s arms are pinned against her torso. She can’t use her blasts to defend herself. The sleeper-hold prevents her from calling for help.
The snake-themed mercenary struggles, kicking the floor with her feet, but in vain.
Once Asp lets out her last muffled moan of distress, and passes out unconscious, Ava releases the woman’s limp body, and jumps back on her feet.
I land next to her.
“Spider sense?” she asks.
“No threat nearby. I’ll warn you if it changes.”
She nods, and takes a knee next to Asp, studying her costume.
I clear my throat a bit awkwardly. “So, we successfully ambushed this very specific villainess like you wanted. What’s the next step?”
Ava grabs Cleo’s left leg, pulls off the shoe, and begins removing the green rings wrapped around the calf. “Her hair and mine look similar. I take her clothes, and impersonate her.” She then does the same to the other leg.
Figures. It seems Gwen, Felicia, and MJ are being emulated.
“You know what they say. A good idea is always stolen.”
“Don’t play wise guy, Parker. I haven’t forgotten what you girlfriend did to me.” White Tiger retorts while unwrapping the bandages around Asp’s forearms.
“Ex-girlfriend.” I reflexively correct her. “By the way, you do realize your skin is darker than hers?”
“Not by much. And really, with the kind of dress she’s wearing, how many patrons are still able to think with their head?” At the same time, Ava rolls Cleo’s unconscious body to her back, and studies the dress to find the best way to take it off.
“Fair point.”
“Now if you’re done gawking, can you turn your head? And no peaking.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
Team-ups with a female partner who insists on stealing an other girl’s outfit often end up awkward. I already had the same problem with Gwen once or twice.
Even with my back turned, I can still hear the rustle of the clothes being removed. It’s embarrassing, to say the least.
Hopefully I’ll never have to go through this ordeal during a team-up with Mary-Jane… Especially now that I have found the nerve to ask if she was interested to grab a drink with me.
Well okay, I didn’t ask. I asked Gwen to ask.
Gwen told me she said yes, but only if I’m paying. I don’t know if the last part is true – Felicia is rubbing off on Gwen a bit.
Still, I don’t mind either way.
Ava’s voice interrupts my thoughts of having some kind of date with Mary-Jane. “I’m done. You can web her.”
“Please tell me she’s not going commando under her costume.”
I swear I can hear Ava rolling her eyes when she answers: “It’s okay, Parker. The naughty bits are covered.”
“Sorry. I’ve heard about Joystick’s story… It’s made me paranoid.”
The naughty bits are indeed covered. Though not by much – just an emerald green bandeau bra, and high-cut panties of a matching green.
White Tiger is now wearing the Asp dress and jewels. With her hair loose and her tiger amulet hidden, she indeed bares a passing resemblance with Cleo – enough to fool unobservant blundering henchmen and perverted half-drunk patrons.
I cover Asp’s mouth with web, then restrain Cleopatra’s wrists behind her back. I encase her hands completely to try and contain her power. I mummify her legs and her shoulders, thinking of how ironic her name is being right now.
To be honest, I don’t think we’ll find any former member of Woodward’s gang among B.A.D. Girls, Inc. I mean, it’s not because they’re the only group with a more ridiculous name than ‘Team Awesome’ that Screwball, Trapstr or Carpenter will want to join them…
Still, B.A.D. Girls, Inc is helping with a shady scheme right now. Putting a few more baddies to jail can’t hurt… We’re not the only ones after the remnants of Magneto’s team of infiltrators anyway.
******* Yuriko Watanabe / Wraith *******
“Asp and Diamondback are taking their nap. What’s your status? Did you find your generous clothes donor?” Parker says in my earpiece.
“I’m on it.”
I don’t waste time with pointless details and cut the transmission. Working with Peter is different than working with Gwen – Ghost Spider is the polite ‘first of the class student’-type, he’s the wise guy who sits next to the window. A police captain like me has trouble with his type. Still, he’s as efficient and reliable as he claims to be, so I’ll ignore his idiosyncrasies.
Putting on my Wraith persona feels like putting on a second face. There are things a police captain can’t do – and it frustrates me to no end. Like, for instance knowing something illegal is taking place on a ship, but being unable to do anything about it because, technically, the letter of the law (or plain corruption) prevents me from getting a warrant.
When the letter of the law fails… that’s where my second persona steps in. Yuriko Watanabe fights crime in broad daylight, and Wraith does it from the shadows.
Sometimes though, it’s hard to keep my fear-inducing compsure.
For instance, when I search for my mark, and end up spying on her innocent(?) daughter instead. And she’s not doing anything illegal. And she’s actually doing something intimate. And said intimate thing turns out to be mild kinky roleplay with her secret girlfriend.
Fiona Kalte is, as far as I know, mostly kept in the dark about her mother’s shady dealings. She’s running the legitimate side of the family business. She probably has suspicions, but Miranda made sure that her daughter and heiress doesn’t know enough to be held accountable in front of a court – and wants it to stay that way.
Though right now, it’s hard to see Fiona is something of a prodigy – she’s already an accomplished businesswoman at such a young age. Right now, she acts like a lovestruck college girl.
She’s lying on the couch of her cabin, eyes blindfolded, with young socialite Alice Waybright lying on her. The brunette is playing a little game with fruits, putting them in between the blonde’s lips, and pulling them away when Fiona tries to take a bite.
At least they’re wearing their clothes…
“I’m so glad our mothers got along in Kelly’s party… Wouldn’t have received an invitation to this cruise otherwise…” Alice purrs. “My mom is having fun regaling the other guests with tales of her misadventures, we have the whole night in front of us...”
“Please don’t tell my mom.”
“What? That we’re together? I thought she didn’t care you’re bi.”
Fiona shakes her head. “Don’t tell her I’m a bottom. She just… wouldn’t get it.”
Alice smiles a bit, willingly leaving Fiona squirming a few seconds. One thing is certain, she’s quite good playing the ‘dominatrix’ part… “I’ll think about it.” she then says with a playful voice. Then she apparently decides she’s tired of fruits, and wants to taste her girlfriend’s lips with some kisses.
Okay. Maybe I’ve spent too much time listening to them through the open porthole. I thought I may hear something interesting about Miranda, but it’s clear these two have other things in mind.
Thankfully, there is an other reason I’m sticking around this cabin.
I hear the faint sound of footsteps getting closer, and immediately move to hide further in the shadows.
I suspect Miranda would leave someone to guard her precious daughter – given the number of times Fiona ended up roped in the shenanigans of vigilantes and anti-heroines. And I also suspect she won’t just leave a bumbling no-name mook either.
And as it turns out, my suspicion is correct.
There she is, turning around the corner.
Black Mamba (or Tanya Sealy). Criminal. Mercenary-for-hire. Former member of the Serpent Society. Current member of B.A.D. Girls, Inc.
Shoulder-long deep black hair, a flawless white skin, a slim curvy body, and deep green eyes. Beautiful and dangerous. A deadly combination. She’s wearing a grey leotard with a front zip that exposes her upper thighs and shoulders, green fingerless long gloves, and matching midthigh-long soft boots. Her gloves and boots have some ‘snake scales’ appearance. A snake-themed green circlet is tied around her forehead and skull.
She patrols the bridge near her daughter’s cabin.
Using the cover of the shadows, I stalk my target.
I’m careful.
Black Mamba has some super-powers. Hypnosis. And something they call ‘Dark Force Manipulation’. However, I’m not afraid.
I know she needs line of sight and concentration to use her powers. What use are they if she can’t even see from where the attack is coming?
Black Mamba pauses near the porthole. She chuckles to herself. “That’s your idea for steamy roleplay? How old are you? Twelve?” She rolls her eyes indulgently. “Two pampered little princesses… Wish boss stationed me in some place more interesting…”
She turns around a corner, and passes near a row of lifeboats.
At that very moment, she ends up in a blind spot.
I pounce on her.
I clamp one hand on her mouth, press a stun gun on her neck with the other.
“Whooot?!” she moans.
I release the power jolt before she can react.
“Gak!” she cries, but my palm muffled her grunt.
Her body has a few spasms. Her eyes roll back into her skull, and she goes as limp as a rag doll. I ease the falling unconscious body, and lay it on the floor. A quick check of the surroundings confirms nobody noticed my assault – in their cabin Fiona and Alice are way too busy.
Grabbing Black Mamba by the legs, I drag her near the lifeboats. I’m careful to walk crouched down, to make sure I stay invisible in the night.
Letting go of my burden, I don’t hide a small frown of disgust at the stripperiffic costume. Sex-appeal is also a weapon, I’ll give her that, but it’s not one I’ll ever want to use.
Still, I don’t have much choice. I just hope she didn’t follow Joystick’s lead…
At least, Black Mamba’s costume is easy to remove. That’s the only compliment it’ll get from me. I just need to take off the snake-themed head circlet, pull off the glovesand soft boots, and unzip the leotard and peel it off.
Thankfully for me (and for her), Black Mamba has heard of the ‘Joystick Debacle’. She’s wearing a green stick-on bra, and green tanga panties with a gold waistband strap. It’s not much, but it spares me the sight of her naked.
I use one of Black Widow’s spare high-tech masks to replicate Tanya’s head, then I grab the handcuffs strapped on my belt. Those are made of a sturdy metal – not adamantium, but close. The cuff Black Mamba’s wrists behind her back, and restrain her ankles together with a second handcuff. To gag the mercenary, I rip a few straps of my Wraith costume, and tie them into a makeshift cleave gag.
To make sure the unconscious Tanya is not discovered too soon, I lift her trussed up body and stash her inside a life boat. I use the tarp to conceal her.
Getting dressed in her Black Mamba costume is even easier than peeling it off, but I don’t enjoy it at all.
I don’t know if we’ll get our hands on interesting information about the remnants of Taylor’s team from Miranda Kalte, but it’s worth a shot.
If anything, we’ll have delivered B.A.D. Girls, Inc. to the authorities, I think to myself when I send an encrypted message to the stealth SHIELD ship following us, telling them to wait my signal to dispatch a team to collect Diamondback, Asp, and Black Mamba.
Besides, we’re not the only ones after the remnants of Taylor’s team...
******* Michelle Meyer / Trapstr *******
So the whole ‘Team Awesome’ business ended up in a complete mess. In hindsight, I should have known better. Never get involved in politics…
Banditry, yes. Gang warfare, why not. Politics, huge red flag.
I mentally shrug, then reflexively adjust my sunglasses.
Oh well. Live and learn. What’s important is that I managed to escape the crackdown. Sure, I’ll miss these girls a bit – Taylor was a decent boss, all things considered. And teasing Charlotte, Jenna, and Screwball was tons of fun.
But I much prefer freelance work.
Now, I simply need to vanish during a few weeks, the time for an other supervillain to take the forefront and make everyone forget about Magneto’s ploy…
However, first, I’m going to grab the money I’ve hidden after our first heists.
What? You’re surprised I kept part of the money for myself? Why? I’m pretty sure Taylor knew, but didn’t care. She probably considered it my ‘fee’. I mean. I was the most useful member of her crew!
So here I am, in this abandoned building. The very one in which we ambushed Kate Bishop actually. I move a ventilation grill, and grab the duffle bag concealed in the air duct.
Good. The bills are still all inside.
I allow myself a satisfied smile.
Next thing I know, something flies right next to my ear.
It’s an arrow.
Oh shit!
Reflexively I turn, and pale when I see the shooter, standing at the other side of the hall.
Kate Bishop aka All-New Hawkeye. Looking radiant in her heroine costume – most likely a spare one, since Charlotte had ripped off the one she had stolen.
Kate’s smile makes me shudder. She knows I took part in the operation to capture her, steal her identity, and use her as bait.
The bow-wielding heroine nocks a blunt arrow. “I’m giving you a five seconds head start.” She’s clearly relishing the situation.
I begin to run away. But deep down inside, I know it’s useless...
And indeed, five seconds later the blunt arrow hits a very specific spot at the back of my head.
Before the impact knocks me out, I have the time to realize it’s back to jail for me.
Damn it!
I shouldn’t have… gotten involved… in politics...
Then everything becomes dark.
******* Kate Bischop / All-New Hawkeye *******
It feels incredibly satisfying to shoot a blunt arrow at Trapstr. I almost regret she made it so easy. A part of me wishes things devolved into a fistfight…
Hey! A heroine is allowed to hold a grudge from time to time.
I confess I’m tempted to strip the wannabe ‘hip villainess’ down to her skivvies, and steal her outfit. Just to show her. But I decide against it, and instead I simply cuff her wrists.
Don’t want to pull out a Felicia, and be kink-shamed by everyone!
Still, I steal her sunglasses as trophy.
Then I sling her onto my shoulder.
“Okay. Back to prison for you. Hopefully, you’ll have company soon.”
******* ̶M̶a̶r̶y̶ ̶S̶m̶i̶t̶h̶ / Screwball *******
“Hello Screw-Crew! Your favorite superstar is back online and back on track!”
Ah, my legions of adoring fans! How I’ve missed you!
“And she has a new concept for you all!”
Dramatic pause. Very important, the dramatic pause.
“Live infiltration!”
I adjust the camera on my helmet to show the unconscious security guard lying on the floor, with a sleeping dart embedded in her neck. (Thanks a lot for the blowpipe lessons by the way, Taylor!)
“More accurately, live uniform stealing!”
I must say, I chose the perfect guard for my stunt. She’s slim and athletic-looking – which will make me look like a badass spy. And she’s also attractive-looking: round breasts, curvy bottom, flat stomach, some dark freckles, tanned healthy-looking skin, and shiny brown hair tied into a ponytail. Because a little fanservice won’t hurt my views at all.
I begin to undress the brunette, making sure everything is in the camera’s line of sight. I take her black baseball cap and pull off her shoes, revealing white socks. Then I shimmy the guard’s black trousers down the legs, revealing hot pink seamless briefs. Finally, I take off the black security uniform jacket and white t-shirt. Underneath, the woman is wearing a dark grey tank top, which gives a brief glimpse at a striped white-and-blue bra.
“Now, if you hit the donation goal, I’ll remove the tank top just for you. Not the bra though. This is supposed to be a quality stream, not porn. Also, should I use tape or zip-ties? Don’t forget to vote in the poll! ‘Cause-”
“Hello, Screw-Up.”
I wince at the hated nickname. However, what angers me the most is the comment section turning wild on my phone. They loved the joke!
I turn to face the jerk who dares steal my thunder during my great return.
I recognize her white-and-pink costume – in no small part because I wore it at one point.
Gwenpool.
My blood boils. “It’s Screwball!”
“Screw-Up’s much better. More accurate too. But maybe you prefer Mary Smith?”
I feel my face becoming bright red. How does she know? Who snitched on me?!
“Don’t you dare call me that!”
“Whatever. I’m here to propose an alternate concept for your stream. How about: ‘Getting arrested live.’?” Gwenpool points an aggressive finger at me. “There’s only room for one quip-spewing blonde in this story!”
“Don’t you mean ‘in this town’?”
“Yeah! That too!”
I snarl. “So it’s a fight that you want?”
Then I realize she’s more muscular than me. Probably a better fighter too. And Taylor isn’t here anymore to tip the scales in my favor.
I’m glad the camera doesn’t film my face, because I can clearly feel I’m turning ghostly pale right now.
Gwenpool lunges at me.
“No no no no no wait!”
Next thing I know, I’ve been judo-chopped onto the floor and I’m lying on my stomach. Gwenpool sits on my back to immobilize me. (Ouch.) She’s holding thin sturdy (bright pink!) ropes.
Then, suddenly, she removes my camera-helmet, and places it onto the floor in front of us.
“Hello everyone! On today’s stream, I’m going to show you how to properly hog-tie a bad girl to make sure she stays put until police comes to collect her. First, you gotta pin her down onto the floor. Bad girls are usually slim and athletic. It’s best to use your entire body weight to immobilize them. Like that.”
She moves her thighs a bit to tighten her hold.
I can’t help but shriek briefly. “Ow!”
Gwenpool chuckles. “Ignore all their complaints and pleas. They’re bad girls, so it’s most likely a ploy to make you drop your guard. Then, take the wrists and cross them behind the back… like that. Wrap the ropes, make a few loops, and tighten the knot. Be careful to not leave any slack. Then you do the same with the ankles. Experts use one long coil of rope, but if you’re a beginner, I advise to use three. One for the wrists, one for the legs, and one to connect the first two.”
As she’s talking, she forcefully moves my wrists to bind them, and then my ankles to thoroughly truss them up. Finally, she connects the wrists and ankles with a third rope, and tightens the knot.
“Ouch! Not so tight, jerk!”
“Most of the time, the bad girl will try to call for help. Or just annoy you with her talking. I suggest you bring something to silence them. Tape or scarves are fine, but I have a fondness for those.”
She pulls out a big ball-gag, with a bright pink rubber ball.
“You can find them in any shop. Now, dear assistant, please open wide!”
I shake my head. There’s no way I’ll play along! This was supposed to be my moment of fame! Not hers!
“Of course, the bad girl will most likely refuse to cooperate. So it’s best to do that.”
She pinches my left buttcheek.
“OUCH!”
Of course, she immediately shoves the ball-gag into my mouth and straps it behind my neck.
“Thkh ht hut! Plhhsh thkh ht hht!”
“There you go! All ready to be packaged! Now, since you’ve all been such a nice audience, I’ll leave the camera here so you can watch her squirm and struggle till police comes. I have to save a bystander’s modesty.”
She goes to help the security guard.
Struggling a bit, I find out she indeed didn’t leave any slack.
I can’t believe it… Such humiliation…
I attempt to glance at my discarded phone.
… So… Are the views going up?
******* Jenna Duffi / Carpenter *******
As the saying goes: ‘Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.’
I adjust the collar of my costume. God is this thing impractical! The collar chafes against my neck. The fabric is itchy. And I’m sweating like a wart hog.
I’m wearing black boots, black trousers, and a black long tunic-like coat that’s tight on the collar and tent-like baggy around the knees. On the mantle, white threats form a pattern mimicking bricks. A black belt with a gun is tied around my waist. On my head I’m wearing some black hat designed to look like a rook’s top.
Chess piece motif. The jerk’s using a chess piece motif.
Alas, beggars can’t be choosers. After the failure of Taylor’s plan, I needed a patron to escape the heat. I guess no matter how much I try, I can’t completely leave behind the gregarious mentality of a mook. In spite of Taylor’s training, the first thing I did was to join a crew of minions.
The boss is a mysterious figure calling himself the ‘Chessmaster’. And he has surrounded himself with henchwomen dressed as chess pieces. When I joined, I recognized many of them as former colleagues – a good chunk of them were recruited from White Rabbit’s gang. Apparently, Lorina has encountered tough times shortly after I left – she’s currently in prison after a fated encounter with Frog-Man. Serves her right!
Some rumors pretend the boss is Gary Fischer, a former chess champion disgraced after he was caught cheating. Other rumors pretend he’s Obadiah Stane – Ironman’s nemesis – himself. Only the two Queens of the gang know his real identity.
Whoever he is, I’d have words about his choice of uniforms!
“At least White Rabbit is crazy. What’s his excuse? Some sort of fetish?”
My partner, dressed as a White Bishop, shrugs. “Come on, Rook! At least chess motifs are a novelty. Everybody uses the card motifs, but nobody ever thought of using chess…”
“Yeah! Boss saw those ‘Chess is a harem series’ memes, and themed a gang around them.”
White Bishop glances sideways at me, and briefly breaks character. “You’ve spent too much time with your team of infiltrators, Jenna. You’re forgetting your place.”
“I know. Sorry.”
She means well. I’m thankful for the warning. Gang bosses don’t exactly like it when mooks question their whims. I have to get back in the habit.
But she’s right. After months of working with Taylor, I’ve gotten used to be more than a lowly henchwoman. Taylor was stern, and the scope of her heists was way too intense for my taste, but she didn’t treat the women of her team like expendable mooks. She cared to teach us, and to associate us with the plans.
Irina passes in front of us, carrying some furniture.
Poor girl is dressed as a Pawn. Can you make it more obvious?
If there’s one good thing about being a henchwoman, it’s that you will always find somebody unluckier than you...
One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
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rufusluciusivan
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rufusluciusivan
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Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
******* Mary-Jane Watson *******
When the lone henchwoman carrying some furniture comes near my hiding spot, I suppress a groan.
Of course I’d get a Pawn!
The girl looks young. Probably the newest recruit. Basically, she’s like a temp. An evil temp, but a temp nonetheless. Sometimes, the criminal world and the business world are very alike… I’m sure there’s a joke or a clever social commentary there...
Pawn’s hair are black and her skin is lightly tanned, but there are dark freckles on her cheeks. She has hazel eyes and a square-shaped lob haircut with a long fringe.
She’s wearing black boots, black trousers, and a dark grey vaguely medieval-like tunic with long sleeves. The buttons of the tunic are black though. A black belt is tied around her waist, with a black gun strapped onto it. She also wears black gloves. The black round helmet covering her head is meant to look like the pawn chess piece.
When the oblivious henchwoman passes in front of the door behind which I’m concealed, I yank her inside the maintenance closet.
“Whap?!” she squeaks.
Black Pawn clearly isn’t a fighter. Probably some petty street delinquent thinking a gun and a gimmicky costume make her tough. I almost feel bad knocking her out cold.
I’m thankful the door’s frame muffles the sounds of punches and grunts. Given how one-sided the fight is, I wouldn’t want the other henchwomen to think I’m a bully.
When the Black Pawn finally takes her nap, I lay her on the floor, and swiftly strip her off her costume. First the boots and the helmet, then the belt, the tunic, and the trousers. Then I lift the henchwoman’s upper-body to yank off her tunic, and shimmy her trousers down her legs. I can already feel the clothes are made of a cheap itchy fabric. Tellingly, the henchwoman is wearing a plain white short-sleeved t-shirt to not have the tunic chafe against her bare skin. I also steal it.
The henchwoman is left wearing long socks, cheeky panties, and a full-cup bra. They all have a black-and-white checkered pattern.
I roll my eyes.
“Trying too much to fit in, obviously...”
I use some clean dust rags and a roll of tape taken from the shelves of the maintenance closet to gag the henchwoman. A roll of strings and the remaining duct tape make for good bondage tools. I bind the girl’s wrists behind her back, tape her hands and fingers, then I tie up and tape her legs.
I stash the Black Pawn – now relieved of her duty and her clothes – inside the broom locker, leaving her sitting in-between the mops in a corner, with her head lolling to the side.
With her out of the way, I take off my plain grey clothes, and slip into my disguise.
The costume is both cheap and ridiculous. Plus it itches in so many places. And I bet I’m gonna swat like a hog in it.
But all in all, it feels good to return to lone wolf vigilantism.
The usual routine. Juggling between part-time hobs. Moonlighting as a crime fighter…
… Sigh… Having trouble paying my rent… Buying a drink to Angela, Jessica, and Amber, even though they didn’t understand why I was being so nice and awkward all of the sudden...
The whole fight against Taylor’s team was intense. So much that destroying Jefferson’s reputation with some carefully written press articles and Internet leaks felt like an afterthought.
A useful pleasant afterthought which will make the world a better place, but an afterthought nonetheless. I didn’t even need to mug anyone!
(Though I suspect Felicia discreetly gave me a hand, even though she didn’t reveal herself. And she probably mugged a girl or two. I haven’t figured out which one yet – had to find ways to pay my landlord.)
Sure, we make a good team with Gwen and Felicia. But in-between the two of them, it’s easy to feel inadequate. So I’m glad to have a solo adventure for once.
We can still team up later. For now, I’ll lead the show!
******* Gwen Stacy / Ghost Spider *******
I’m not one to judge other people’s fashion sense. Still, I must admit chess piece motives is a bit weird. Sometimes, originality is not a quality.
The henchwoman is meant to look like a white pawn chess piece: white round-shaped helmet, light grey long-sleeved medieval-like tunic with white buttons, white belt and white gun, white trousers, white gloves, and white boots.
Since the girl is short and has light blond hair, a bob haircut, pale blue eyes, and a pale white skin, I’m pretty sure her boss chose her role on purpose.
White Pawn moans feebly and wiggles.
I motion her to stay still. “Nobody can hear you, so stop struggling. You’ll only hurt yourself.”
She’s indeed literally webbed on a steel beam in a blind spot under the roof of the warehouse. The web is mummifying her from the calves to the shoulders, and a thick layer of web is gagging her. I don’t blame her for feeling distressed though. One moment she was patrolling the warehouse, the next she was grabbed from above, yanked out of sight, and cocooned and gagged with web dozens of feet above the ground.
The henchwoman looks dejected, and I feel a little bad for her. Only a little though.
“I made sure those webs won’t dissolve by themselves. They’ll keep you here till I come back with my solvent. I promise I won’t leave you hanging there. Once I’ve stopped your boss, I’ll help police pick you up.”
Of course, my statement receives mixed feelings. On the one hand, White Pawn is understandably not willing to go to jail. On the other hand, she’s relieved she can’t fall and she’ll be safely picked up once the ordeal is over.
From my vantage point under the roof, I observe the other thugs patrolling the warehouse. There are still many of them. Too many for me to just brute force my way to their boss. In theory, all of them should be normal humans – but even then one’s never too cautious. I can’t dodge all the bullets if they shoot at me from many angles, and I always work on the assumption that large gangs have technologically advanced weapons. Any gang worth their salt knows to prepare for super-heroes when they criminalize in New York. And their leader calls himself the Chessmaster…
Maybe I should steal an outfit to better blend in?
I wish I could have taken White Pawn’s costume, but it’s way too short for me.
I notice an other lone henchwoman. A tall brunette with a tanned skin and her hair tied into a strict bun. Given her outfit, I wager she’s supposed to be a Black Knight. She’s wearing black riding boots, black equestrian trousers, and a black jacket with white buttons.
“Be right back.”
I jump-rope with my web.
The henchwoman notices me just as I’m about to pounce on her. Without slowing down my fall, I shoot web at her face, sealing her mouth. Then I grab her, and whisk her away. Easy.
Yet somehow, it feels a bit wrong to mug the Black Knight. I don't know exactly why. Just a hunch.
Using my web, I return to my vantage point under the roof.
Tough luck. This one is way too tall for me to steal her clothes.
Therefore, I waste no time and web the woman to the steal beam facing White Pawn. I add a little chemical that will make the web sturdier and longer-lasting.
“Looks like Spider takes Knight.”
Clearly, the two henchwomen are not impressed by my attempt at a quip. I can see it in their blasé stares.
I scratch the back of my head. “Sorry. I'm still learning.” Miles is giving me lessons on quips - in exchange of me teaching him how to dance - but my progress is quite lackluster in that department. Though in my defense, lately our lessons usually end up with us cuddling in a hammock made of web. He's not exactly the most involved teacher. (Then again, I'm not complaining. Don't you dare ask for more details though!)
I need a new approach. The more henchwomen I capture, the more likely the gang is to notice some of their own are missing.
Sigh. Things are easier with MJ and Felicia… They’re a lot better at the whole mug-and-disguise shtick… Didn’t hear much of them lately, since we neutralized Magneto’s team and Felicia escaped. Directly at least. Because indeed, when I read all the scandals popping up about William Jefferson and Orchis, I knew pretty well what they were busy at.
The mooks’s hair are apparently color-coded – the white pieces are blondes, the black pieces are black-haired girls, brunettes or redheads. I need to grab a white piece around my size.
“Stay quiet.” I instruct the two webbed henchwomen.
I ignore their glares that just scream: ‘It’s not like we can do anything else.’
“I’ll pick you up later.”
******* Felicia Hardy / Black Cat *******
When the lone henchwoman comes near my hiding spot in the storage room, I can’t suppress a cat-like grin.
Once again, my lucky star doesn’t fail me. The woman is dressed as a Queen.
It’s the simple things in life, really…
The White Queen wears fancy white boots, white trousers, and a white regal-looking tunic-like long mantle with golden buttons. Her white hat is stylized after the top of a queen chess piece. I can’t decide if her villainess costume looks tacky or classy.
Lucky me, the moron leading this gang wants all the ‘white pieces’ of his syndicate to have blond hair – whether natural or dyed. The White Queen is a slim leggy natural blonde with shapely thighs, round attractive breasts, green eyes, and a light skin. Her hair are tied up into a tight neck bun.
The henchwoman is apparently letting her costume get to her head. She’s walking with an air of superiority, acting as if she owns the gang.
Time to knock her down a peg…
I pounce on her back like a cat on a mouse, and wrap my arms around her throat and neck. In no time, her head is locked into a tight sleeper-hold.
White Queen utters a: “Gurk?!” Not the best villainous comeback…
“Sorry, but there’s only room for one Queen.” I whisper in her ear.
She obviously tries to disagree, but my sleeper-hold makes it hard for her to voice her opinion.
It’s a moot point anyway, since she quickly ends up passing out.
I drag her behind some crates, and begin to work on removing the classy-but-also-tacky costume.
Seeing her from up close, I admit White Queen does have a quite good-looking body. No wonder she walks as if she owned the place. However, as much as it pains me to wound an other girl’s pride, she’s still a league beyond a real stunner – like me.
I pull off the weapon belt, open and take off the mantle, and also snatch the grey t-shirt she wears underneath. Then I pull off the boots, and shimmy the trousers down the woman’s long legs.
Once I’m done with her, White Queen is left clad in a hot red lacy balcony bra highlighting her cleavage with frilly edges and a black bow in-between the cups, a fancy-looking red thong with frilly black lace, a bright red garter belt with black lace, and long matching red socks.
Looks like someone had plans… or just likes to show off.
Let’s make things spicier then, shall we?
In the storage room, there are both ropes and tape. I use some shibari techniques to restrain the White Queen’s upper-body and legs. Then I gag her by wrapping many layers of tape around her lower face.
Once I’m done, White Queen is the perfect picture of helplessness and sexiness. If you’re into bondage at least. Stashed inside an empty crate, it almost looks like a giant present box is waiting to be opened.
I heard Chessmaster’s White and Black Queens are also his lovers – gossip magazines pretend there’s some threesome going on. If that’s true, then let’s hope White will be found by her fellow Queen or her boss. That would be quite the pleasant surprise…
I close the lid – leaving just enough slack to make sure the henchwoman can breath fine.
Stripping off my own clothes, I then put on the White Queen’s t-shirt, trousers, robe, boots, and belt. I tie up my hair into a neck bun copying her style.
I perfect my disguise by adjusting the ‘queenly’ hat to conceal my head as much as I can. From afar, I should be able to fool the rank and file. But I better make a beeline for the Chessmaster’s safe to snatch the jewels inside. I heard the moron even has a chess game entirely made of precious gemstones. That would be quite the addition to my collection.
I leave the storage room.
This is my first infiltration since Sarah surrendered, Taylor and Charlotte vanished, and the rest of their team either was arrested or went into hiding. (Well, technically I mugged a journalist when I helped leaking all of Jefferson’s misdeeds – Angela Yin was really unlucky lately – but does it count when it’s only one person?). Normalcy feels almost weird. Things are kinda quiet, a bit lonely even.
Am I truly missing working with Gwen and Mary-Jane? Sure, I’m proud of what our teamwork accomplished. But it’s best to not have too much of a good thing.
(No, me helping Red off-screen doesn’t count. I didn’t show myself to her – bet she didn’t even hear about Angela’s mugging yet. Hopefully, she won’t hear about it period.)
Black Cat is and always will be a solo act first and foremost.
For now, I’m glad to be a one-woman show once again. There will be time for an other team-up later. In the meantime, I need some space.
It’s not like I’m going to randomly come across one of them today, right? What are the odds?
…
I just tempted fate, did I?
**************
It turned out she did. Gwen webbed her and MJ together in the safe room before she recognized them.
All in all, life goes on.
When the lone henchwoman carrying some furniture comes near my hiding spot, I suppress a groan.
Of course I’d get a Pawn!
The girl looks young. Probably the newest recruit. Basically, she’s like a temp. An evil temp, but a temp nonetheless. Sometimes, the criminal world and the business world are very alike… I’m sure there’s a joke or a clever social commentary there...
Pawn’s hair are black and her skin is lightly tanned, but there are dark freckles on her cheeks. She has hazel eyes and a square-shaped lob haircut with a long fringe.
She’s wearing black boots, black trousers, and a dark grey vaguely medieval-like tunic with long sleeves. The buttons of the tunic are black though. A black belt is tied around her waist, with a black gun strapped onto it. She also wears black gloves. The black round helmet covering her head is meant to look like the pawn chess piece.
When the oblivious henchwoman passes in front of the door behind which I’m concealed, I yank her inside the maintenance closet.
“Whap?!” she squeaks.
Black Pawn clearly isn’t a fighter. Probably some petty street delinquent thinking a gun and a gimmicky costume make her tough. I almost feel bad knocking her out cold.
I’m thankful the door’s frame muffles the sounds of punches and grunts. Given how one-sided the fight is, I wouldn’t want the other henchwomen to think I’m a bully.
When the Black Pawn finally takes her nap, I lay her on the floor, and swiftly strip her off her costume. First the boots and the helmet, then the belt, the tunic, and the trousers. Then I lift the henchwoman’s upper-body to yank off her tunic, and shimmy her trousers down her legs. I can already feel the clothes are made of a cheap itchy fabric. Tellingly, the henchwoman is wearing a plain white short-sleeved t-shirt to not have the tunic chafe against her bare skin. I also steal it.
The henchwoman is left wearing long socks, cheeky panties, and a full-cup bra. They all have a black-and-white checkered pattern.
I roll my eyes.
“Trying too much to fit in, obviously...”
I use some clean dust rags and a roll of tape taken from the shelves of the maintenance closet to gag the henchwoman. A roll of strings and the remaining duct tape make for good bondage tools. I bind the girl’s wrists behind her back, tape her hands and fingers, then I tie up and tape her legs.
I stash the Black Pawn – now relieved of her duty and her clothes – inside the broom locker, leaving her sitting in-between the mops in a corner, with her head lolling to the side.
With her out of the way, I take off my plain grey clothes, and slip into my disguise.
The costume is both cheap and ridiculous. Plus it itches in so many places. And I bet I’m gonna swat like a hog in it.
But all in all, it feels good to return to lone wolf vigilantism.
The usual routine. Juggling between part-time hobs. Moonlighting as a crime fighter…
… Sigh… Having trouble paying my rent… Buying a drink to Angela, Jessica, and Amber, even though they didn’t understand why I was being so nice and awkward all of the sudden...
The whole fight against Taylor’s team was intense. So much that destroying Jefferson’s reputation with some carefully written press articles and Internet leaks felt like an afterthought.
A useful pleasant afterthought which will make the world a better place, but an afterthought nonetheless. I didn’t even need to mug anyone!
(Though I suspect Felicia discreetly gave me a hand, even though she didn’t reveal herself. And she probably mugged a girl or two. I haven’t figured out which one yet – had to find ways to pay my landlord.)
Sure, we make a good team with Gwen and Felicia. But in-between the two of them, it’s easy to feel inadequate. So I’m glad to have a solo adventure for once.
We can still team up later. For now, I’ll lead the show!
******* Gwen Stacy / Ghost Spider *******
I’m not one to judge other people’s fashion sense. Still, I must admit chess piece motives is a bit weird. Sometimes, originality is not a quality.
The henchwoman is meant to look like a white pawn chess piece: white round-shaped helmet, light grey long-sleeved medieval-like tunic with white buttons, white belt and white gun, white trousers, white gloves, and white boots.
Since the girl is short and has light blond hair, a bob haircut, pale blue eyes, and a pale white skin, I’m pretty sure her boss chose her role on purpose.
White Pawn moans feebly and wiggles.
I motion her to stay still. “Nobody can hear you, so stop struggling. You’ll only hurt yourself.”
She’s indeed literally webbed on a steel beam in a blind spot under the roof of the warehouse. The web is mummifying her from the calves to the shoulders, and a thick layer of web is gagging her. I don’t blame her for feeling distressed though. One moment she was patrolling the warehouse, the next she was grabbed from above, yanked out of sight, and cocooned and gagged with web dozens of feet above the ground.
The henchwoman looks dejected, and I feel a little bad for her. Only a little though.
“I made sure those webs won’t dissolve by themselves. They’ll keep you here till I come back with my solvent. I promise I won’t leave you hanging there. Once I’ve stopped your boss, I’ll help police pick you up.”
Of course, my statement receives mixed feelings. On the one hand, White Pawn is understandably not willing to go to jail. On the other hand, she’s relieved she can’t fall and she’ll be safely picked up once the ordeal is over.
From my vantage point under the roof, I observe the other thugs patrolling the warehouse. There are still many of them. Too many for me to just brute force my way to their boss. In theory, all of them should be normal humans – but even then one’s never too cautious. I can’t dodge all the bullets if they shoot at me from many angles, and I always work on the assumption that large gangs have technologically advanced weapons. Any gang worth their salt knows to prepare for super-heroes when they criminalize in New York. And their leader calls himself the Chessmaster…
Maybe I should steal an outfit to better blend in?
I wish I could have taken White Pawn’s costume, but it’s way too short for me.
I notice an other lone henchwoman. A tall brunette with a tanned skin and her hair tied into a strict bun. Given her outfit, I wager she’s supposed to be a Black Knight. She’s wearing black riding boots, black equestrian trousers, and a black jacket with white buttons.
“Be right back.”
I jump-rope with my web.
The henchwoman notices me just as I’m about to pounce on her. Without slowing down my fall, I shoot web at her face, sealing her mouth. Then I grab her, and whisk her away. Easy.
Yet somehow, it feels a bit wrong to mug the Black Knight. I don't know exactly why. Just a hunch.
Using my web, I return to my vantage point under the roof.
Tough luck. This one is way too tall for me to steal her clothes.
Therefore, I waste no time and web the woman to the steal beam facing White Pawn. I add a little chemical that will make the web sturdier and longer-lasting.
“Looks like Spider takes Knight.”
Clearly, the two henchwomen are not impressed by my attempt at a quip. I can see it in their blasé stares.
I scratch the back of my head. “Sorry. I'm still learning.” Miles is giving me lessons on quips - in exchange of me teaching him how to dance - but my progress is quite lackluster in that department. Though in my defense, lately our lessons usually end up with us cuddling in a hammock made of web. He's not exactly the most involved teacher. (Then again, I'm not complaining. Don't you dare ask for more details though!)
I need a new approach. The more henchwomen I capture, the more likely the gang is to notice some of their own are missing.
Sigh. Things are easier with MJ and Felicia… They’re a lot better at the whole mug-and-disguise shtick… Didn’t hear much of them lately, since we neutralized Magneto’s team and Felicia escaped. Directly at least. Because indeed, when I read all the scandals popping up about William Jefferson and Orchis, I knew pretty well what they were busy at.
The mooks’s hair are apparently color-coded – the white pieces are blondes, the black pieces are black-haired girls, brunettes or redheads. I need to grab a white piece around my size.
“Stay quiet.” I instruct the two webbed henchwomen.
I ignore their glares that just scream: ‘It’s not like we can do anything else.’
“I’ll pick you up later.”
******* Felicia Hardy / Black Cat *******
When the lone henchwoman comes near my hiding spot in the storage room, I can’t suppress a cat-like grin.
Once again, my lucky star doesn’t fail me. The woman is dressed as a Queen.
It’s the simple things in life, really…
The White Queen wears fancy white boots, white trousers, and a white regal-looking tunic-like long mantle with golden buttons. Her white hat is stylized after the top of a queen chess piece. I can’t decide if her villainess costume looks tacky or classy.
Lucky me, the moron leading this gang wants all the ‘white pieces’ of his syndicate to have blond hair – whether natural or dyed. The White Queen is a slim leggy natural blonde with shapely thighs, round attractive breasts, green eyes, and a light skin. Her hair are tied up into a tight neck bun.
The henchwoman is apparently letting her costume get to her head. She’s walking with an air of superiority, acting as if she owns the gang.
Time to knock her down a peg…
I pounce on her back like a cat on a mouse, and wrap my arms around her throat and neck. In no time, her head is locked into a tight sleeper-hold.
White Queen utters a: “Gurk?!” Not the best villainous comeback…
“Sorry, but there’s only room for one Queen.” I whisper in her ear.
She obviously tries to disagree, but my sleeper-hold makes it hard for her to voice her opinion.
It’s a moot point anyway, since she quickly ends up passing out.
I drag her behind some crates, and begin to work on removing the classy-but-also-tacky costume.
Seeing her from up close, I admit White Queen does have a quite good-looking body. No wonder she walks as if she owned the place. However, as much as it pains me to wound an other girl’s pride, she’s still a league beyond a real stunner – like me.
I pull off the weapon belt, open and take off the mantle, and also snatch the grey t-shirt she wears underneath. Then I pull off the boots, and shimmy the trousers down the woman’s long legs.
Once I’m done with her, White Queen is left clad in a hot red lacy balcony bra highlighting her cleavage with frilly edges and a black bow in-between the cups, a fancy-looking red thong with frilly black lace, a bright red garter belt with black lace, and long matching red socks.
Looks like someone had plans… or just likes to show off.
Let’s make things spicier then, shall we?
In the storage room, there are both ropes and tape. I use some shibari techniques to restrain the White Queen’s upper-body and legs. Then I gag her by wrapping many layers of tape around her lower face.
Once I’m done, White Queen is the perfect picture of helplessness and sexiness. If you’re into bondage at least. Stashed inside an empty crate, it almost looks like a giant present box is waiting to be opened.
I heard Chessmaster’s White and Black Queens are also his lovers – gossip magazines pretend there’s some threesome going on. If that’s true, then let’s hope White will be found by her fellow Queen or her boss. That would be quite the pleasant surprise…
I close the lid – leaving just enough slack to make sure the henchwoman can breath fine.
Stripping off my own clothes, I then put on the White Queen’s t-shirt, trousers, robe, boots, and belt. I tie up my hair into a neck bun copying her style.
I perfect my disguise by adjusting the ‘queenly’ hat to conceal my head as much as I can. From afar, I should be able to fool the rank and file. But I better make a beeline for the Chessmaster’s safe to snatch the jewels inside. I heard the moron even has a chess game entirely made of precious gemstones. That would be quite the addition to my collection.
I leave the storage room.
This is my first infiltration since Sarah surrendered, Taylor and Charlotte vanished, and the rest of their team either was arrested or went into hiding. (Well, technically I mugged a journalist when I helped leaking all of Jefferson’s misdeeds – Angela Yin was really unlucky lately – but does it count when it’s only one person?). Normalcy feels almost weird. Things are kinda quiet, a bit lonely even.
Am I truly missing working with Gwen and Mary-Jane? Sure, I’m proud of what our teamwork accomplished. But it’s best to not have too much of a good thing.
(No, me helping Red off-screen doesn’t count. I didn’t show myself to her – bet she didn’t even hear about Angela’s mugging yet. Hopefully, she won’t hear about it period.)
Black Cat is and always will be a solo act first and foremost.
For now, I’m glad to be a one-woman show once again. There will be time for an other team-up later. In the meantime, I need some space.
It’s not like I’m going to randomly come across one of them today, right? What are the odds?
…
I just tempted fate, did I?
**************
It turned out she did. Gwen webbed her and MJ together in the safe room before she recognized them.
All in all, life goes on.
-
rufusluciusivan
- Posts: 1556
- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 5:08 pm
Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
Note:
And that's it! I didn't expect this saga to reach such a scope, but it did, and I'm glad it did - but I'm also glad it's over. I hope you liked it.
Be careful, I had to split the actual story in two posts.
Rachel Leighton / Diamondback
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Rachel_L ... Earth-616)
Cleopatra Nefertiti (sigh... comics names...
) / Asp
https://comicbookrealm.com/report/chara ... iti&t=pics
Tanya Sealy / Black Mamba
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Tanya_Sealy_(Earth-616)
Also, for you non-European folks who may not know Europa-Park, this is a theme park whose attractions and themes are inspired by the various European countries and cultures. Quite popular in Europe (around 6 millions visitors per year). Not as much as Disneyland Park (Paris), but I think it's the second-most visited theme park of Europe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa-Park
And the spectacle with the Marilyn Monroe performer is a reference to a show that was actually featured in Europa Park in 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_75OU4K ... graiLoreng
And that's it! I didn't expect this saga to reach such a scope, but it did, and I'm glad it did - but I'm also glad it's over. I hope you liked it.
Be careful, I had to split the actual story in two posts.
Rachel Leighton / Diamondback
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Rachel_L ... Earth-616)
Cleopatra Nefertiti (sigh... comics names...
) / Asphttps://comicbookrealm.com/report/chara ... iti&t=pics
Tanya Sealy / Black Mamba
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Tanya_Sealy_(Earth-616)
Also, for you non-European folks who may not know Europa-Park, this is a theme park whose attractions and themes are inspired by the various European countries and cultures. Quite popular in Europe (around 6 millions visitors per year). Not as much as Disneyland Park (Paris), but I think it's the second-most visited theme park of Europe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa-Park
And the spectacle with the Marilyn Monroe performer is a reference to a show that was actually featured in Europa Park in 2024.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_75OU4K ... graiLoreng
-
tirepanted3
- Posts: 2300
- Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2017 11:40 am
Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
A fun epilogue and conclusion to the saga, rounding out the story nicely while still featuring enough "the adventures continue" teases to give the sense that the story never really ends.
Interesting idea to tell the entire story in first-person perspective, with over a dozen different characters, including some minor characters who hadn't gotten much development before. Really helps underscore what a vast and sprawling universe this story became over two dozen chapters.
I like the conclusion to Sarah's arc, with the arrival of Professor X. That feels very much like a Marvel movie's "post-credits" scene, with the tease of new adventures of a new team. And good to know Sarah will have a second chance at developing her powers.
I suppose it was inevitable that the two French superheroines would eventually team up in Europe. I love the idea of Finesse and Guillotine tracking Taylor and Charlotte by following the trail of bound and gagged women they've left in their wake. And Taylor surveying and rejecting various disguises before finally settling on a pair of theme park employees was amusing.
Great callback with Scorpia and Claire - it looks like they've gotten over their previous dislike for each other.
And the subversion of the previously-used "mugging mistaken for women getting personal" trope was quite funny.
Nice way to tie off the Orchis thread by featuring Firestar stealing an Orchis uniform, in a scene that recalls the mainstream comic scene that first inspired their inclusion into the saga. Love the dialogue, too - “Chose a bad time to enlist, rookie.”
Speaking of recalling mainstream scenes, the extended sequence calling back to the great Marvel Future Avengers scene with Diamondback, Asp, and Black Mamba being mugged was delightful. I like the portrayal of Wasp here, as a woman finally coming around to the concept of uniform stealing as an asset to her line of work, even if she's not as proficient as Natasha. Also love the use of the high-tech facemask from prior Marvel iterations, as well as the incorporation of B.A.D. Girls, Inc. from the comics.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/B.A.D._G ... Earth-616)
Poor Peter Parker, stuck in an awkward situation and surrounded by female superheroes who insist on stealing other women's clothes. (Also, why does it seem like everyone knows about Joystick? Poor gal...)
By my count, Black Mamba has gotten her clothes stolen twice already in the Marvel mainstream - both in the aforementioned Future Avengers scene and in the Captain America comics - so you'd think she'd be better on her guard.
I was admittedly a little disappointed that the escape of Trapstr and Screwball was not fully followed up on as a potential source of a villain team-up/getaway. Maybe it's just because I like their characters so much, both here and in the comics, but it seems like they could make a good villainous duo. Still, Screwball's takedown by Gwenpool was pretty amusing.
And of course, props to including a Hawkeye scene in which Kate Bishop does not steal a villainess' costume. That's some real character development there. That said, it's too bad she didn't try infiltrating the Chessmaster's team - I'm sure there's a joke to be made about her mugging a Bishop for her costume.
In a way, Screwball and Trapstr might be luckier than Carpenter, who ends up as a perpetually hapless henchwoman - though at least she doesn't get mugged for it. Those major villains seem to pick their themes based on what would make the most humiliating costumes for their lackeys to wear...
The trio of final scenes in which MJ, Gwen, and Felicia all infiltrate the chess gang by mugging various henchwomen was very fun, and a great way to show their different personas while engaging in a similar mission (without each one knowing the other two were also on that mission). Reminiscent of the earlier story where they mug White Rabbit and her minions.
I love the detail that MJ and Gwen wind up mugging pawns while Felicia nabs a Queen. It's also funny that the main three heroines of the saga spend their final scenes changing into such ridiculous outfits.
Great final spoken line of dialogue:
-------------------------------
Overall, I am obviously biased about this saga, as I not only am quite proficient in Marvel Comics lore, but wrote several chapters of the series myself, and contributed ideas for a bunch of different characters and potential disguises.
That said, I think the world you've built off the Marvel ideas is very impressive, well-detailed, and highly fun. The characters, especially the three leads, have great personality and chemistry with one another, and their escapades are just as fun as those in the Utopia series and its various spinoffs.
If I had one issue with the series, it's that the occasional attempts to weave the stories into the larger fabric of the Marvel world (i.e. Avengers-level stuff) don't always feel natural, but that may be because I'm so familiar with all that stuff from elsewhere. It's not that different from the world-building in the Utopia saga, except those stories were built from scratch (and more detailed in their world-building because of it) and I don't have any prior universe to immediately connect them to and judge them with.
All in all, this was a very fun saga with lots of great characters, quips, and uniform steals, and it was particularly enjoyable to see how many Marvel women could be fit into the series as possible. I'm sorry to see it end, but happy to see it conclude, if that makes sense. And of course, this being Marvel, nothing ever truly "ends"... does it?
Interesting idea to tell the entire story in first-person perspective, with over a dozen different characters, including some minor characters who hadn't gotten much development before. Really helps underscore what a vast and sprawling universe this story became over two dozen chapters.
I like the conclusion to Sarah's arc, with the arrival of Professor X. That feels very much like a Marvel movie's "post-credits" scene, with the tease of new adventures of a new team. And good to know Sarah will have a second chance at developing her powers.
I suppose it was inevitable that the two French superheroines would eventually team up in Europe. I love the idea of Finesse and Guillotine tracking Taylor and Charlotte by following the trail of bound and gagged women they've left in their wake. And Taylor surveying and rejecting various disguises before finally settling on a pair of theme park employees was amusing.
Great callback with Scorpia and Claire - it looks like they've gotten over their previous dislike for each other.
And the subversion of the previously-used "mugging mistaken for women getting personal" trope was quite funny.Nice way to tie off the Orchis thread by featuring Firestar stealing an Orchis uniform, in a scene that recalls the mainstream comic scene that first inspired their inclusion into the saga. Love the dialogue, too - “Chose a bad time to enlist, rookie.”
Speaking of recalling mainstream scenes, the extended sequence calling back to the great Marvel Future Avengers scene with Diamondback, Asp, and Black Mamba being mugged was delightful. I like the portrayal of Wasp here, as a woman finally coming around to the concept of uniform stealing as an asset to her line of work, even if she's not as proficient as Natasha. Also love the use of the high-tech facemask from prior Marvel iterations, as well as the incorporation of B.A.D. Girls, Inc. from the comics.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/B.A.D._G ... Earth-616)
Poor Peter Parker, stuck in an awkward situation and surrounded by female superheroes who insist on stealing other women's clothes. (Also, why does it seem like everyone knows about Joystick? Poor gal...)
By my count, Black Mamba has gotten her clothes stolen twice already in the Marvel mainstream - both in the aforementioned Future Avengers scene and in the Captain America comics - so you'd think she'd be better on her guard.
I was admittedly a little disappointed that the escape of Trapstr and Screwball was not fully followed up on as a potential source of a villain team-up/getaway. Maybe it's just because I like their characters so much, both here and in the comics, but it seems like they could make a good villainous duo. Still, Screwball's takedown by Gwenpool was pretty amusing.
And of course, props to including a Hawkeye scene in which Kate Bishop does not steal a villainess' costume. That's some real character development there.
That said, it's too bad she didn't try infiltrating the Chessmaster's team - I'm sure there's a joke to be made about her mugging a Bishop for her costume.In a way, Screwball and Trapstr might be luckier than Carpenter, who ends up as a perpetually hapless henchwoman - though at least she doesn't get mugged for it. Those major villains seem to pick their themes based on what would make the most humiliating costumes for their lackeys to wear...
The trio of final scenes in which MJ, Gwen, and Felicia all infiltrate the chess gang by mugging various henchwomen was very fun, and a great way to show their different personas while engaging in a similar mission (without each one knowing the other two were also on that mission). Reminiscent of the earlier story where they mug White Rabbit and her minions.
I love the detail that MJ and Gwen wind up mugging pawns while Felicia nabs a Queen. It's also funny that the main three heroines of the saga spend their final scenes changing into such ridiculous outfits.
Great final spoken line of dialogue:
And a very funny final joke to round out the series as well.“Sorry, but there’s only room for one Queen.”
-------------------------------
Overall, I am obviously biased about this saga, as I not only am quite proficient in Marvel Comics lore, but wrote several chapters of the series myself, and contributed ideas for a bunch of different characters and potential disguises.
That said, I think the world you've built off the Marvel ideas is very impressive, well-detailed, and highly fun. The characters, especially the three leads, have great personality and chemistry with one another, and their escapades are just as fun as those in the Utopia series and its various spinoffs.
If I had one issue with the series, it's that the occasional attempts to weave the stories into the larger fabric of the Marvel world (i.e. Avengers-level stuff) don't always feel natural, but that may be because I'm so familiar with all that stuff from elsewhere. It's not that different from the world-building in the Utopia saga, except those stories were built from scratch (and more detailed in their world-building because of it) and I don't have any prior universe to immediately connect them to and judge them with.
All in all, this was a very fun saga with lots of great characters, quips, and uniform steals, and it was particularly enjoyable to see how many Marvel women could be fit into the series as possible. I'm sorry to see it end, but happy to see it conclude, if that makes sense. And of course, this being Marvel, nothing ever truly "ends"... does it?
-
rufusluciusivan
- Posts: 1556
- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2017 5:08 pm
Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
Important note: I updated the notes of the story, and added some content to mention the fates of Lynn, Erin, and Jill in Firestar's part, and Miles Morales in Gwen's part.
Basically, Jefferson threw them under the bus, so they've been turned into scapegoats and arrested.
Also, let's observe a minute of silence for Miles Morales, whom I couldn't find a way to add. I shall add a reference to him in Gwen's part, because I really love their couple in the new Spiderverse animated movies.
Professor X is a character I really like, but sadly he can't be involved in USB shenanigans, so his contribution to the plot was scarce.
Plus I love the idea of a trail of bound-and-gagged women.
Also a case of real life writes the plot. Ever since I returned to Europa Park last year, I've been willing to feature a story taking place here. (Maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but I much prefer Europa Park to Eurodisney. The only thing Eurodisney has better is the mascots (Europa Park mascots are creepy in my opinion.))
I completely forgot to mention in the notes those backup dancers and celebrity impersonators Charlotte wanted to mug are based on an actual performance I saw there. (No this is not me filming - I'm not even sure it's the same performers, but it gives you an idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_75OU4K ... b25yb2U%3D
https://www.deviantart.com/shabazik/art ... -210005183
Love the way the intruder casually closes the locker's door to conceal the woman she's just mugged.
Wasp gets her chance to shine - it's a bit like with Gwenpool: I wanted to give her a bit of spotlight to show that, even though she at one point was a mere USB-victim, she's still a competent at what she does. She just got unlucky. Plus, given that she also stole a villainess costume in mainstream, it was a given she'd get to do it in Earth-USB.
Still, while MJ's and Peter's relationship has never been an important part of the saga, I wanted to feature a bit of a "Maybe Ever After" with them.
Joystick is, I think, one of the oldest mainstream Marvel scene ever featured on the Board, so it deserved the recognization. In Earth-USB, it's even something of a Ground Zero. One of the very first occurences of "proper USB tactic", but one that ended up so traumatazing that people refrained from stealing costumes for years until MJ and
I don't recall the one in the Captain America comics. Was it ever uploaded on the Board?
I had to make amends to Gwenpool after treating her like a casual victim of the week, so she gets to have one fourth-wall joke, and to humiliate Screwball.
I hope the joke of Gwen mugging the "Black Knight" makes up for it.
Alas, Kate is not a main character, and the "Chessmaster subplot" was reserved for our three main heroines, as a call-back of the very first part of the saga.
Still, Kate's part is the epilogue I feel miffed about. You can tell how un-inspired I was by how short it was. Still, she gets her revenge on Trapstr.
I had to make a call-back joke to the tacky outfits. Those jokes never get old, at least when you're me.
Well, technically Gwen also mugged a (Back) Knight. (Yes, I will annoyingly emphasize the joke just because I can. ) Though she couldn't steal either outfit.
To be 100% honest... the Cheshire Cat costume was probably more ridiculous.
Actually, I did, but I'll do it one more time.
-------------------------------
Writing the characters, their interactions, and their quips was my favorite part. Though finding ways to include famous and less famous Marvel characters or outfits was a close second. And I liked I was able to be a little emotional with Sarah's part.
The collaborative aspect of the saga was also of course a great motivator, I don't believe I would have gone so far had I been on my own. It was a pleasure working with you.
Then again, the door is only closed - not locked - so who knows what the future has in store. Probably not an other saga, but a one-shot? Maybe. Feel free to PM me if you ever have an idea!
Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. As I said in the previous part, I really felt that this saga specifically needed a "and then the adventures continue" kind of ending.tirepanted3 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 11:48 am A fun epilogue and conclusion to the saga, rounding out the story nicely while still featuring enough "the adventures continue" teases to give the sense that the story never really ends.
It's also a call-back to the very first parts of the saga, which were also written in first-person perspective. Hopefully this will give. In-between the viewpoint characters and the characters who re-appear without being a viewpoint one (like Charles Xavier, Ruth and Marilyn, Kelly and Jefferson (though they're only mentioned), Claire and Scorpia (and their sexual tension), Meseret Senai, Miranda, Fiona, Alice and Emilia...), I tried to bring as many regular characters as I could. In hindsight, should have added a line mentioning Jill's, Erin's, and Lynn's fate - I'll edit Firestar's part to mention it.Interesting idea to tell the entire story in first-person perspective, with over a dozen different characters, including some minor characters who hadn't gotten much development before. Really helps underscore what a vast and sprawling universe this story became over two dozen chapters.
Basically, Jefferson threw them under the bus, so they've been turned into scapegoats and arrested.
Also, let's observe a minute of silence for Miles Morales, whom I couldn't find a way to add. I shall add a reference to him in Gwen's part, because I really love their couple in the new Spiderverse animated movies.
I also love this conclusion - I wanted to finish Sarah's story arc on a positive note. It's not USB-related, but if I knew how to draw, I'd do a fanart of Sarah 10 or 15 years later, after serving her sentence and getting a parole, wearing an X-Men outfit. I think the epilogue is pretty explicit she'll become part of Xavier's insitute.I like the conclusion to Sarah's arc, with the arrival of Professor X. That feels very much like a Marvel movie's "post-credits" scene, with the tease of new adventures of a new team. And good to know Sarah will have a second chance at developing her powers.
Professor X is a character I really like, but sadly he can't be involved in USB shenanigans, so his contribution to the plot was scarce.
The French heroines get spotlight, and even appear in a location that's not too far away from my home. A bit of chauvinism.I suppose it was inevitable that the two French superheroines would eventually team up in Europe. I love the idea of Finesse and Guillotine tracking Taylor and Charlotte by following the trail of bound and gagged women they've left in their wake. And Taylor surveying and rejecting various disguises before finally settling on a pair of theme park employees was amusing.
Plus I love the idea of a trail of bound-and-gagged women.Also a case of real life writes the plot. Ever since I returned to Europa Park last year, I've been willing to feature a story taking place here. (Maybe it's an unpopular opinion, but I much prefer Europa Park to Eurodisney. The only thing Eurodisney has better is the mascots (Europa Park mascots are creepy in my opinion.))
I completely forgot to mention in the notes those backup dancers and celebrity impersonators Charlotte wanted to mug are based on an actual performance I saw there. (No this is not me filming - I'm not even sure it's the same performers, but it gives you an idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_75OU4K ... b25yb2U%3D
A bit risqué, but the moment I introduced their sexual tension, I knew I would feature a conclusion in the epilogues. Plus, it gave more personality to Silver Sable's part instead of just exposition on what happened to Kelly.Great callback with Scorpia and Claire - it looks like they've gotten over their previous dislike for each other.
And also a way to give Ruth and Marilyn a (sorta?) happy ending. The inspiration was more a very old drawing of Shabazik's SHIKS series (which featured a uniform stealing at one point):Nice way to tie off the Orchis thread by featuring Firestar stealing an Orchis uniform, in a scene that recalls the mainstream comic scene that first inspired their inclusion into the saga. Love the dialogue, too - “Chose a bad time to enlist, rookie.”
https://www.deviantart.com/shabazik/art ... -210005183
Love the way the intruder casually closes the locker's door to conceal the woman she's just mugged.
Indeed, a reference to the Marvel Future Avengers scene. And also the masks that can replicate someone's face in the Agents of SHIELD series.Speaking of recalling mainstream scenes, the extended sequence calling back to the great Marvel Future Avengers scene with Diamondback, Asp, and Black Mamba being mugged was delightful. I like the portrayal of Wasp here, as a woman finally coming around to the concept of uniform stealing as an asset to her line of work, even if she's not as proficient as Natasha. Also love the use of the high-tech facemask from prior Marvel iterations, as well as the incorporation of B.A.D. Girls, Inc. from the comics.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/B.A.D._G ... Earth-616)
Wasp gets her chance to shine - it's a bit like with Gwenpool: I wanted to give her a bit of spotlight to show that, even though she at one point was a mere USB-victim, she's still a competent at what she does. She just got unlucky. Plus, given that she also stole a villainess costume in mainstream, it was a given she'd get to do it in Earth-USB.
Poor (or lucky?) dog. The question is how would he react if MJ insisted to do it while teaming up with him? Whether it's when they're a couple or not, it's bound to lead to interesting things...Poor Peter Parker, stuck in an awkward situation and surrounded by female superheroes who insist on stealing other women's clothes. (Also, why does it seem like everyone knows about Joystick? Poor gal...)
Still, while MJ's and Peter's relationship has never been an important part of the saga, I wanted to feature a bit of a "Maybe Ever After" with them.
Joystick is, I think, one of the oldest mainstream Marvel scene ever featured on the Board, so it deserved the recognization. In Earth-USB, it's even something of a Ground Zero. One of the very first occurences of "proper USB tactic", but one that ended up so traumatazing that people refrained from stealing costumes for years until MJ and
Quite ironic, given how little cover her outfit provides.By my count, Black Mamba has gotten her clothes stolen twice already in the Marvel mainstream - both in the aforementioned Future Avengers scene and in the Captain America comics - so you'd think she'd be better on her guard.
I don't recall the one in the Captain America comics. Was it ever uploaded on the Board?
I think it wouldn't work. Screwball is way too self-centered, and Trapstr doesn't appreciate her much - save for teasing her. Plus, they don't have the same modus operandi and don't specialize in the same kind of heists. They were brought together by circumstance, and only Taylor's presence kept them together.I was admittedly a little disappointed that the escape of Trapstr and Screwball was not fully followed up on as a potential source of a villain team-up/getaway. Maybe it's just because I like their characters so much, both here and in the comics, but it seems like they could make a good villainous duo. Still, Screwball's takedown by Gwenpool was pretty amusing.
I had to make amends to Gwenpool after treating her like a casual victim of the week, so she gets to have one fourth-wall joke
, and to humiliate Screwball.Oh my Gosh I just realize now the missed opportunity!And of course, props to including a Hawkeye scene in which Kate Bishop does not steal a villainess' costume. That's some real character development there.
I hope the joke of Gwen mugging the "Black Knight" makes up for it. Alas, Kate is not a main character, and the "Chessmaster subplot" was reserved for our three main heroines, as a call-back of the very first part of the saga.
Still, Kate's part is the epilogue I feel miffed about. You can tell how un-inspired I was by how short it was. Still, she gets her revenge on Trapstr.
Then again, that's what makes her so sympathetic. Would we like her as much if she wasn't the "forever henchwoman"?In a way, Screwball and Trapstr might be luckier than Carpenter, who ends up as a perpetually hapless henchwoman - though at least she doesn't get mugged for it. Those major villains seem to pick their themes based on what would make the most humiliating costumes for their lackeys to wear...
I had to make a call-back joke to the tacky outfits. Those jokes never get old, at least when you're me.
That's the whole point - down to having Jenna reference White Rabbit. Plus, a good chunk of these minions are formerly part of White Rabbit's gang - only the most desperate crooks agree to dress as chess pieces.The trio of final scenes in which MJ, Gwen, and Felicia all infiltrate the chess gang by mugging various henchwomen was very fun, and a great way to show their different personas while engaging in a similar mission (without each one knowing the other two were also on that mission). Reminiscent of the earlier story where they mug White Rabbit and her minions.
Let's be real. There was NO WAY I'd pass the joke of MJ having to disguise herself as a Pawn. I mean, 50% of the saga's humour is based on the plot and/or Felicia bullying Mary-Jane.I love the detail that MJ and Gwen wind up mugging pawns while Felicia nabs a Queen. It's also funny that the main three heroines of the saga spend their final scenes changing into such ridiculous outfits.
Well, technically Gwen also mugged a (Back) Knight. (Yes, I will annoyingly emphasize the joke just because I can.
) Though she couldn't steal either outfit.To be 100% honest... the Cheshire Cat costume was probably more ridiculous.
Pretty much sums up Felicia's personality.Great final spoken line of dialogue:
Did I mention it's not the first time it happened?And a very funny final joke to round out the series as well.
Actually, I did, but I'll do it one more time. -------------------------------
This saga grew into something a lot bigger than I anticipated. At first, it was merely a one-shot with Screwball. Then it turned into its own mini saga. Then I added an other separate mini-arc with Kraven. Then I introduced Charlotte as a joke. Then I realized that with Screwball, Jenna, Charlotte, and Trapstr all in jail at the same time, a team of infiltrators was gift-wrapped to me. Then I introduced Magneto and Sarah to give the saga more stakes, and the rest is history.Overall, I am obviously biased about this saga, as I not only am quite proficient in Marvel Comics lore, but wrote several chapters of the series myself, and contributed ideas for a bunch of different characters and potential disguises.
That said, I think the world you've built off the Marvel ideas is very impressive, well-detailed, and highly fun. The characters, especially the three leads, have great personality and chemistry with one another, and their escapades are just as fun as those in the Utopia series and its various spinoffs.
Writing the characters, their interactions, and their quips was my favorite part. Though finding ways to include famous and less famous Marvel characters or outfits was a close second. And I liked I was able to be a little emotional with Sarah's part.
The collaborative aspect of the saga was also of course a great motivator, I don't believe I would have gone so far had I been on my own. It was a pleasure working with you.
For this saga I've always regarded the larger Marvel world as something of a backdrop, so yeah I confess I never tried to dwelve deeply into its workings. My focus has always been on character compatibility. I can picture the frustration of someone who has a deep knowledge of the lore. It's also why I made the choice to have this take place in an alternate Earth - it's an easy way to explain all the differences with the "canon".If I had one issue with the series, it's that the occasional attempts to weave the stories into the larger fabric of the Marvel world (i.e. Avengers-level stuff) don't always feel natural, but that may be because I'm so familiar with all that stuff from elsewhere. It's not that different from the world-building in the Utopia saga, except those stories were built from scratch (and more detailed in their world-building because of it) and I don't have any prior universe to immediately connect them to and judge them with.
To quote someone: Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. Sure, I also have this small twinge of sorrow because this saga in which we invested so much time is (most likely) over. I had the same feeling of sadness/nostalgia when I finished the Utopia, Vigilante or Pakal series. (And I anticipate I'll have the same when I finish the Ghazan series in a few months.) But at the same time, I'm happy I was able to give this project a conclusion.All in all, this was a very fun saga with lots of great characters, quips, and uniform steals, and it was particularly enjoyable to see how many Marvel women could be fit into the series as possible. I'm sorry to see it end, but happy to see it conclude, if that makes sense. And of course, this being Marvel, nothing ever truly "ends"... does it?
Then again, the door is only closed - not locked - so who knows what the future has in store. Probably not an other saga, but a one-shot? Maybe.
Feel free to PM me if you ever have an idea!-
tirepanted3
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Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
Same here, they make a cute couple. And their relationship is a good way to humanize Gwen and prevent her from feeling too far above MJ and Felicia on the superhero scale.rufusluciusivan wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 1:10 pmAlso, let's observe a minute of silence for Miles Morales, whom I couldn't find a way to add. I shall add a reference to him in Gwen's part, because I really love their couple in the new Spiderverse animated movies.
I assume he had a huge fight with Magneto somewhere offscreen, but no uniform stealing was involved, so it couldn't have been that important.Professor X is a character I really like, but sadly he can't be involved in USB shenanigans, so his contribution to the plot was scarce.
Interesting, I don't recall that scene before. The heroine stuffing a henchwoman into a locker after stealing her uniform is always a fun trope.And also a way to give Ruth and Marilyn a (sorta?) happy ending. The inspiration was more a very old drawing of Shabazik's SHIKS series (which featured a uniform stealing at one point):
Indeed, that scene from the Thunderbolts comic is quite famous, even serving as the header pic for TV Tropes' "Mugged for Disguise" page for years.Joystick is, I think, one of the oldest mainstream Marvel scene ever featured on the Board, so it deserved the recognization. In Earth-USB, it's even something of a Ground Zero. One of the very first occurences of "proper USB tactic", but one that ended up so traumatazing that people refrained from stealing costumes for years until MJ and
It's interesting that Marvel is now making a Thunderbolts movie, and doubly interesting that the main character is Yelena Belova. Feels like a perfect opportunity to feature a USB scene in the MCU... but my hopes aren't too high.
Indeed, updated years ago.I don't recall the one in the Captain America comics. Was it ever uploaded on the Board?
viewtopic.php?p=3433
Technically Black Mamba is robbed not of her supervillain costume, but of a maid outfit she's wearing in preparation for a night of romance with Sidewinder. Viper and Fer-de-Lance knock her out so that Viper can use the outfit to impersonate her as part of an assassination plot.
True, that's understandable. I think they'd work as reluctant partners (i.e. villains on the lam), but this epilogue skips beyond that. Oh well, at least Screwball will always have her streaming fans...I think it wouldn't work. Screwball is way too self-centered, and Trapstr doesn't appreciate her much - save for teasing her. Plus, they don't have the same modus operandi and don't specialize in the same kind of heists. They were brought together by circumstance, and only Taylor's presence kept them together.
Kate is one of those characters who could easily headline a USB story on her own (whether it involve chess pieces or otherwise), considering her tactics and skills and established proficiency as a USB in the mainstream. Perhaps someday...Still, Kate's part is the epilogue I feel miffed about. You can tell how un-inspired I was by how short it was. Still, she gets her revenge on Trapstr.
Probably. And in fairness, about half the women in the Marvel Universe wear ridiculous outfits of some sort.To be 100% honest... the Cheshire Cat costume was probably more ridiculous.
One of the great things about writing on this board is you never know when a single story can turn into a sprawling saga. That happened to me with that Spacesuit story, as well as individual scenes within those early volumes I wrote that blossomed into multi-part spinoff stories. Sometimes it just evolves that way.This saga grew into something a lot bigger than I anticipated. At first, it was merely a one-shot with Screwball. Then it turned into its own mini saga. Then I added an other separate mini-arc with Kraven. Then I introduced Charlotte as a joke. Then I realized that with Screwball, Jenna, Charlotte, and Trapstr all in jail at the same time, a team of infiltrators was gift-wrapped to me. Then I introduced Magneto and Sarah to give the saga more stakes, and the rest is history.
In this case, it helped that the Marvel universe already had a wealth of ideas and characters to work with, but it was exciting to watch those characters be developed in new and unusual ways in this saga.
Thanks! Likewise here. My only regret is that I didn't write more chapters, but my own schedule sometimes got in the way. I'm happy to have played a part in developing the series.The collaborative aspect of the saga was also of course a great motivator, I don't believe I would have gone so far had I been on my own. It was a pleasure working with you.
Right, understandably so. That's why the multiverse exists, after all.For this saga I've always regarded the larger Marvel world as something of a backdrop, so yeah I confess I never tried to dwelve deeply into its workings. My focus has always been on character compatibility. I can picture the frustration of someone who has a deep knowledge of the lore. It's also why I made the choice to have this take place in an alternate Earth - it's an easy way to explain all the differences with the "canon".
It's always refreshing to see a writer who works to conclude their stories with proper endings. I always feel a little bummed when I read a story without a proper ending.To quote someone: Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. Sure, I also have this small twinge of sorrow because this saga in which we invested so much time is (most likely) over. I had the same feeling of sadness/nostalgia when I finished the Utopia, Vigilante or Pakal series. (And I anticipate I'll have the same when I finish the Ghazan series in a few months.) But at the same time, I'm happy I was able to give this project a conclusion.
(And I include myself in that group, or at least the self of years ago - I've tried a few times over the years to complete unfinished stories like "The Spy in Sunglasses," but my writing has changed so much since then that I don't know how to properly and organically continue it. It's why I push myself to write stories with conclusions nowadays.)
I just might.Then again, the door is only closed - not locked - so who knows what the future has in store. Probably not an other saga, but a one-shot? Maybe.
One-shots are certainly easier than multi-part sagas... although if you're not careful, the former can quickly turn into the latter. -
rufusluciusivan
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Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
A shame that in this instance he's in a USB story. Poor guy! Then again, I could make an other bondage joke.tirepanted3 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 2:07 pm Same here, they make a cute couple. And their relationship is a good way to humanize Gwen and prevent her from feeling too far above MJ and Felicia on the superhero scale.
Because Gwen's, Peter's, and Miles' webs are even easier to imagine used in "roleplay" than Wonder Woman's lasso.Bah! Just your usual fight with the fate of the world in the balance. Or as the average Marvel citizen would call it: Tuesday.I assume he had a huge fight with Magneto somewhere offscreen, but no uniform stealing was involved, so it couldn't have been that important.
I love this trope, and I think this picture plays a big part in my love for it. A shame it's an old drawing of Shabazik, I can only imagine how good it would look with his current artstyle.Interesting, I don't recall that scene before. The heroine stuffing a henchwoman into a locker after stealing her uniform is always a fun trope.
Wish it was still the header for Mugged for Disguise. Saw the trailer of this new movie... It would be an understatement to say I don't care about this new movie. Crazy how it feels so "Marvel Disney Generic" - right down to the characters immediately ruining an emotional moment with a badly-timed joke.Indeed, that scene from the Thunderbolts comic is quite famous, even serving as the header pic for TV Tropes' "Mugged for Disguise" page for years.
It's interesting that Marvel is now making a Thunderbolts movie, and doubly interesting that the main character is Yelena Belova. Feels like a perfect opportunity to feature a USB scene in the MCU... but my hopes aren't too high.
Thanks!Indeed, updated years ago.
viewtopic.php?p=3433
Technically Black Mamba is robbed not of her supervillain costume, but of a maid outfit she's wearing in preparation for a night of romance with Sidewinder. Viper and Fer-de-Lance knock her out so that Viper can use the outfit to impersonate her as part of an assassination plot.
That's indeed one of the greatest parts of writing with the flow.One of the great things about writing on this board is you never know when a single story can turn into a sprawling saga. That happened to me with that Spacesuit story, as well as individual scenes within those early volumes I wrote that blossomed into multi-part spinoff stories. Sometimes it just evolves that way.
The jokes just write themselves...Probably. And in fairness, about half the women in the Marvel Universe wear ridiculous outfits of some sort.
To be honest, that's a regret that can easily be fixed one day in the future.Thanks! Likewise here. My only regret is that I didn't write more chapters, but my own schedule sometimes got in the way. I'm happy to have played a part in developing the series.
Not being able to conclude my sagas is a huge fear of mine, to the point I end up sometimes rushing things a bit just to make sure I get to the ending. To be honest, I was a bit scared when I realized I was writing two sagas at the same time - Marvel and Ghazan - but it appears that 2025 will see the conclusion of these two. Ghazan has been put on hold the time to finally finish the Marvel saga, but there should be two chapters remaining + the epilogue. And Part 9's draft has been sitting in a state of "almost finished" on my desktop for months, so when I get back to it, it shouldn't take me long to upload it.It's always refreshing to see a writer who works to conclude their stories with proper endings. I always feel a little bummed when I read a story without a proper ending.
Do I smell some idea for a one-shot spin-off?Kate is one of those characters who could easily headline a USB story on her own (whether it involve chess pieces or otherwise), considering her tactics and skills and established proficiency as a USB in the mainstream. Perhaps someday...
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tirepanted3
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Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
It seems like audiences are getting tired of Marvel movies at this juncture. I don't think this new movie will change that very much - though it would be amusing if it featured some sort of USB scene. If DC could do it in the Wonder Woman movie, I'm sure Marvel could find an excuse too...rufusluciusivan wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 2:39 pmSaw the trailer of this new movie... It would be an understatement to say I don't care about this new movie. Crazy how it feels so "Marvel Disney Generic" - right down to the characters immediately ruining an emotional moment with a badly-timed joke.
Oh, certainly.To be honest, that's a regret that can easily be fixed one day in the future.
That's great to hear. I've committed myself to finishing my newer stories as well, which is why I've grown more hesitant about starting longer sagas (though I'm not entirely averse to them, as evidenced by "Madame Mayor"). I love longer and more sprawling stories, love the ideas of various characters and story threads intersecting - but I know the risks of not being able to finish one of those longer stories. So I try to prioritize those when I've started writing them - while I do have some ideas for short stories right now, both in the Spacesuit universe and elsewhere, they're (currently) on the back burner. And I'm committed to having the next chapter of "Madame Mayor" (most of which is already written) posted later this month.Not being able to conclude my sagas is a huge fear of mine, to the point I end up sometimes rushing things a bit just to make sure I get to the ending. To be honest, I was a bit scared when I realized I was writing two sagas at the same time - Marvel and Ghazan - but it appears that 2025 will see the conclusion of these two. Ghazan has been put on hold the time to finally finish the Marvel saga, but there should be two chapters remaining + the epilogue. And Part 9's draft has been sitting in a state of "almost finished" on my desktop for months, so when I get back to it, it shouldn't take me long to upload it.
As an aside, I had a PM discussion with Dave Dorc many years ago, where he mentioned his regret at not finishing some of his stories (like "Claire on a Mission"). He explained that when his stories included an innocent woman getting her uniform stolen, he would often feel bad for the woman (as long as she hadn't been written as too rude or obnoxious) and would want to eventually include her being rescued. But this in turn would create further complications in which that rescued USB victim would be added to the story, which in turn would create a new character arc and a potential new story thread, and at a certain point there were too many of these characters to contend with, and the story would be written into a corner. I've tried to keep this in mind whenever I write these long stories, and to not introduce new characters unless I have a reasonable idea of how they will fit into a story long-term.
Entirely possible. She's one of those characters who seems tailor-made for this universe.Do I smell some idea for a one-shot spin-off?
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rufusluciusivan
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Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
I'll watch this space then.tirepanted3 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 5:12 pm Entirely possible. She's one of those characters who seems tailor-made for this universe.
Maybe this is how your regret will be fixed. I share you two's pain. When a saga bloats out of proportion, usually because characters and their storylines keep piling up, it's both a blessing and a curse. At one point, it's becoming hard to keep everything on track, and give everyone their moment in the spotlight. I remember back when I was writing Rescue Operation, and I couldn't stand this storyline anymore at one point.That's great to hear. I've committed myself to finishing my newer stories as well, which is why I've grown more hesitant about starting longer sagas (though I'm not entirely averse to them, as evidenced by "Madame Mayor"). I love longer and more sprawling stories, love the ideas of various characters and story threads intersecting - but I know the risks of not being able to finish one of those longer stories. So I try to prioritize those when I've started writing them - while I do have some ideas for short stories right now, both in the Spacesuit universe and elsewhere, they're (currently) on the back burner. And I'm committed to having the next chapter of "Madame Mayor" (most of which is already written) posted later this month.
As an aside, I had a PM discussion with Dave Dorc many years ago, where he mentioned his regret at not finishing some of his stories (like "Claire on a Mission"). He explained that when his stories included an innocent woman getting her uniform stolen, he would often feel bad for the woman (as long as she hadn't been written as too rude or obnoxious) and would want to eventually include her being rescued. But this in turn would create further complications in which that rescued USB victim would be added to the story, which in turn would create a new character arc and a potential new story thread, and at a certain point there were too many of these characters to contend with, and the story would be written into a corner. I've tried to keep this in mind whenever I write these long stories, and to not introduce new characters unless I have a reasonable idea of how they will fit into a story long-term.
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tirepanted3
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Re: One Final Aria - Encore - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 24)
Ironic, as I loved Rescue Operation, and still think it's one of the most entertaining and ambitious stories ever posted at USB.
For me, writing "The Greatest Actress of All" was the best learning experience. Writing that story taught me how to balance multiple plotlines and intersecting perspectives. I decided the best way to do it was to spend most of the first chapter on one character, and then little by little introduce other women into the story, at first giving them their own little side-adventures and then slowly incorporating them into the larger narrative. Whenever the "main" story would start to slow down, I would introduce a new character on some sort of infiltration/uniform stealing escapade, with the intention of integrating her into the main plot down the line. I found this was a good way to keep the story fresh - keep readers curious as to how all the different puzzle pieces would eventually snap into place - and to feature lots of uniform steals in the story without it feeling too repetitive.
For me, writing "The Greatest Actress of All" was the best learning experience. Writing that story taught me how to balance multiple plotlines and intersecting perspectives. I decided the best way to do it was to spend most of the first chapter on one character, and then little by little introduce other women into the story, at first giving them their own little side-adventures and then slowly incorporating them into the larger narrative. Whenever the "main" story would start to slow down, I would introduce a new character on some sort of infiltration/uniform stealing escapade, with the intention of integrating her into the main plot down the line. I found this was a good way to keep the story fresh - keep readers curious as to how all the different puzzle pieces would eventually snap into place - and to feature lots of uniform steals in the story without it feeling too repetitive.
