Chapter 51
Mysterio Rises
An Arc Reactor.
Largely credited to Howard Stark, it was thought of as a 'publicity stunt to appease the hippies' as a form of power generation. A dead end.
And then Tony Stark turned the world on its head by miniaturizing it.
And now you have one you are holding in your hands. Right now.
You made this.
Mind you, you already had all but the math basically held out for you, but you still managed to do it.
And you can't even tell anyone.
But, also importantly, there's that meeting with Tony Stark in nine days. If you spend all your time, you could make something from your ideas to impress him possibly. There's also the whole 'your girlfriend's probably working with a criminal mastermind because it has something to do with her father's death' thing.
So.. What are you to do Peter Parker?
Well, you should probably focus on messing with criminals and looking for leads on the Kingpin. If you find a lucky break or Gwen comes through with some details, then you might be able to spend some time on ideas, if only to have something to show Stark.
You spend the rest of the evening cleaning up the basement and stash the arc reactor away. It's about nine at night and you received a text from Gwen saying she'd need two days to accurately get the data on people who might be associated with the Kingpin. It is Wednesday night and the meeting with stark is in nine days, on next Friday.
You could head out to fight crime, but there were those guys earlier… ugh, you're feeling depressed just thinking of it.
Regardless, heading out you keep your police scanner active as you go and websling around for a while when the reports of a stolen armored truck came in.
apparently it was there one moment and gone the next. There's also a report of a car being stolen an a different area.
Arriving at the scene of the crime, you make sure to take photographs of everything and record all testimony the police are getting while remaining out of sight. As things are currently going, you've noticed some unnoticed fresh truck tire marks, along with some sort of discarded ticket on the side of the road.
There was some sort of bright slash that made people disorientated for a few moments, but then the truck was gone. Apparently there was also some sort of street performer nearby, but that person's since left the area.
You've gotten some ideas, but you'd need to look into this more.
You move around to get a better look at the ticket before pausing. There seems to be a location from where the ticket was bought- it's a lottery ticket- and it has today's date on it. There's probably fingerprints or such on it, but you don't have the access to databases you'd need for that.
Making note of the location where the ticket was bought from, you look as the tracks seem to lead into an alley.
Following them, you find, a very short way away, a small parking lot that seems to be empty with nothing in it.
Searching around, you almost miss it, but looking back, you find several cans of quick-drying paint along with paint covered rectangles in the nearby dumpster as you look back at the parking lot and see that there's several spots that, if you do the math, could look like the outline of a truck.
But no way.
There's no way that'd work.
Really? Really?!
Did whoever stole this truck really just go and paint it and get away with it?
What did they do, paint it as an icecream truck or something?
…
It's been a little while since the crime, but if you were some sort of madman who stole an armored truck and painted it and somehow got away with it, then… looking at the paint amounts…
Well, they dumped them all out so it's hard to say, but there was white as well as most colors of the rainbow.
So, your gut wants to say 'Ice Cream Truck'
Because that is the exact kind of nonsense this seems to be.
But, just to be safe, you keep an eye out for any sort of truck that could look like an armored truck.
Swinging via webs you spot two trucks. One's a very classic looking ice cream truck with multicolor polka dots and the other is a dark, unmarked van. They're driving in two different directions.
Moving up, you quickly get close to the unmarked truck and throw at tracer to its roof and let out a sigh of relief as it attaches and activates, driving off. Heading back towards the ice cream truck, you do th same and follow from above, unseen. Seems like there's a big Ice cream cone on top as it plays classic 'ice cream truck music' but it looks… off on a closer glance.
It has to be this one.
Following, you see as it drives for a whole and seems to be heading to a warehouse.
Landing on top of the truck as quietly as you can, you remain quiet as the truck pulls into the warehouse. You keep yourself hidden by the ice cream cone as someone with th description of 'street performer' walks out of the truck's rear gates as the warehouse closes behind it.
Another inconspicuous person is there as the two of them start unloading money, not noticing you in the slightest. You notice, however, there is a shrouded form on the other side of the warehouse, with the lighting specifically made to hide the person.
"How went the Mission?"
The voice is deep, magnified and distorted to have an illusionary quality to it. Who it is, you can't tell, as when you try to zoom, you notice that there's obscuring, tinted glass between the figure and you. One of the two, the street performer, gives a load sigh as he shakes his head.
"Look, Boss, this was easy, but I don't think it'll work again."
The voice of a woman comes from the man? As it begins to peel away the disguise at a nearby sink. The other guy is moving the money. They're both a little distance from you.
You move silently as you quietly take down the guy as he heads back into the truck to grab more bags. With a few tactical uses of webbing and a careful punch to the face, the guy is unconscious and webbed up in the back of the truck. After a few moments, you hear the woman- girl,really, she doesn't seem too much older than you- call out.
"Chance, are you being a lazy ass again? The boss is waiting!"
There's nothing as the woman lets out a growl as you hear footsteps approaching.
"POWELL! GET YOU ASS OUT THERE OR YOU'LL SEE HOW I GOT MY NICKNAME!"
You hide the guy Chance, or Powell, or whatever his name is as well as yourself as you see a girl come to the back of the Truck's open doors.
"Powell? I'm not FUCKING AROUND!"
She glances around before starting to move in before pausing and putting a hand to her throat and clearing it before SCREAMING into the back of the truck as you FEEL the sound hitting you- as it does so, you see her cut off and look where you've stashed powell, then where you are.
Was that echo location?
With her voice?
"BOSS! TROUBLE!"
As she's already running.
Extending an arm to web her up, you see her glance back as you do so and drop to the ground as the webbing flies where she's been. Picking up a bag of money, she grabs it and begins running, her sonic voice blowing the door open.
"I'M OUT AND TAKING MY PAY! NOT WORTH IT!"
She seems to be making a run for it, but that means her boss probably knows you're here now and with the webbing that hit the wall, might know who's after him.
Spider-man, that is.
You let her run. She's the thug, and the person you can't let get away is the mastermind, the boss of this operation.
Getting out of the truck, you see that the figure hasn't moved from its chair in thee shadows, behind tinted glass.
"Ah, so that's the bug that crawled into my home. Spider-man."
The voice seems calm and almost amused.
"Oh, and who are you all dark and mysterious?"
The figure pauses, quiet for a moment. "Mysterio, huh? I think I'll take it! Yes, call me Mysterio, Spider-man!"
As you move to advance, you see a hand raise itself. "Ahahaha, I'm quite liking this banter, so please do entertain me but for a moment more. It isn't like I'm going anywhere, so let us talk like civilized Gentlemen!"
There a pause as the voice grow ominous. "…Or will I have to destroy you with my mastery of the arcane arts?"
Reaching Into your pocket with one of the spare disposable phones, you stealthily mute it and call the cops as you keep the self-proclaimed Mysterio's attention.
"Well, to be honest, I don't think you're really a master of the arcane arts, buddy. Parlor tricks and illusions are the only real magic!"
You hear something thud as Mysterio's raised hand slams down before, moments later you hear chuckling. "Yes, I see. You have a point, Spider-man. You can't make someone a believer in magic without first giving them proof! I will show this entire city my mystical might!"
Mysterio's quick to reign in his temper, but you notice calling him on his claims might be a berserk button, or it might just be a good façade. You don't know well enough to find out. You hear the police dispatch in your ear to your location as Mysterio pauses.
"So, that was your game? I'm afraid the police have no way to jail my magics. It's like trying to bottle the air itself."
"So, you've humored me, Spider-man, and as such I must thank you! You've begun something new! Normal crime and police shall tremble in the wake of the likes of you and I, who are above the common man!
"Next time, let us have a truly great battle of wits!"
"And how are you going to get away? Magic?"
Mysterio laughs as your Spider-sense starts to tingle slightly as the tinted area where he sits starts to turn red.. "Indeed! EFREET! YOUR MASTER BECKONS!"
Flames and the form of a large beast made out of flames appears behind Mysterio's form as the area he is begins to ignite. "NEXT TIME, SPIDER-MAN!"
Jumping back to by the truck, you feel the heat as a curtain of flames bursts forth and, when its gone, there's nothing but you, the thug, the truck and a large intricate, almost eldritch circle of ash.
And that's when the police sirens become audible.
Yeah, you should get out of here. You've gotten some information, even if this guy isn't related to the Kingpin, it seems like it was probably better to get involved. Might actually be magic, might be it was a fake and he was gone all along.
You'll find out when you catch him.
Bringing up an image of the girl with her face mostly clear of make-up in your comm-lens, you have at least one lead. But Mysterio seems egotistical enough to lead you right to him. You'll just have to be ready.
And he still might have a connection anyway.
Regardless, you need to call it a night, maybe you'll have some good news in the morning.
OO
"Wilson, on your best behavior. We have to look good for our cover for the foreseeable future. Don't fuck it up this time."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm always awesome with people. I'm the people person."
"Alright, fine, I get it. Best behavior."
*Door Bell Noise*
"Hello?"
"Yes, sorry to bother you Ma'm, but we're new just down the street and we're introducing ourselves."
"Oh, a pleasure to meet you gentlemen. I'm Anna Watson, and you are?"
"Oh, I'm Jack. Jack Wilson, but all my friends call me Wade."
"Pleasure to Meet you Miss Watson, I'm Frank. Frank Castle."
END
TO BE CONTINUED...
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