#WildCard
Observing the scenarios of the last fights in which the Super Hero Girls were involved, Otto Octavius imagined all the possibilities he had put into practice. Thinking about how the confrontation and his journey to take control of Metropolis, in his own vision, could be the start of something much bigger than anticipated. Having put himself in every imaginable situation, he saw everything. The struggles of Vulture, Electro, Kraven, Mysterio, all those who had been sent so far and who had ultimately failed in their attempt to defeat Metropolis' team of heroes. However, it was clear that Otto was thinking of more than he could have foreseen. Above all, imagining many possibilities, he had a huge reason to take everything into account, because in the face of everything, it was very clear how much trouble he had been in so far to defeat the heroes who continued to resist his plans.
"I always considered myself a visionary, thinking about how everything could be different, only if I went deeper between the issues. No matter what happened, I believed I had to do the impossible to do everything for the greater good. At least, the vision I had. Beck. Dillon. Kraven. Toomes. They all failed to fulfill what I had imagined. Defeating a team of heroines, plus Spider-Man among the group, which makes it clear how, in every battle, they manage to band together and stay united at all times." Through his thoughts, Otto made it clear that he had a certain desire to understand what had led to the defeats, apart from the heroes' unity. There was no denying the fact that there was problem after problem taking hold of everything he was working on and, given the possibilities, he didn't intend to submit to his enemies. - "All the power that exists around this city, illegal syndicates, gangs, every one of them will have to bow down to me, but how will I make it work?" Otto began to let the thoughts take over his mind, certain that he had walked into something very complicated. Then, something unexpected popped into his thoughts. - "Of course. I've taken too many risks, but this time, I'm going to use everything. Everything I have in front of me. Maybe it's time to make my plan work."
Pressing a button on one of the monitors, Octavius began to look around the place, certain that he would need to use a unique opportunity to confront his enemies at all costs. In this way, Electro appeared behind him, as did Mysterio, Shocker and Prowler, maintaining every possible conviction of victory against his enemies in the face of everything. Otto was determined.
"Why did you call us here, Octavius?" Electro asked, almost in shock at what it could be.
"I'm going to give all four of you a chance at redemption from the latest defeats you suffered against the Super Hero Girls. Plus, there are two more people who will accompany all of you amidst the circumstances. Because this time, I intend to use everything I have in mind." Suddenly, a door opened, where a man, wearing a green blouse with stripes, as well as sand in his fists, appeared before them. - "Guys, meet Flint Marko. Bank robber, a man with rather peculiar abilities to deal with certain situations."
"I was told I'd have a chance to prove myself with all the crazy things that could happen. Dealing with a team of heroines, plus a guy with Spidey powers? Believe me when I say I'm not a wasted investment." Marko was driven by his desire to make everything work, always living by certain risks in the midst of the bank robberies he carried out around him, standing firm against the other possibilities.
"Okay, then, but who's the other guy who's going to join us?" Mysterio said, trying to understand what was going to happen, until Octavius gave a smile, leaving everyone surprised.
"Me, of course. But let's wait a bit. We'll prepare the ground for what's going to happen now. And this time, I feel we'll have a chance of victory." Heading towards a device, Otto deactivated the tentacles, in the process activating it, concealing the tentacles, and retracting them into the device in his hands. - "Let's give them the impression that they'll have a certain peace going forward. And to tell you the truth, I have some appointments today. I've arranged a meeting with some people from STAR Labs around here. So let's just say it will be the perfect opportunity to make everything work."
It was clear that at that moment, Otto Octavius' mind had come up with a plan unlike anything he had ever been used to. Camouflaged among the crowd, Otto was prepared to use a trick he hadn't expected to have to use in an attempt to defeat the Super Hero Girls and remove the opposition so that his plans would work out in the end.
At STAR Labs, Otto Octavius began to walk around the place, seeing some of the experiments that the scientists in the environment were carrying out, realizing how much there were still certain brilliant minds trying to prove values and prove the willpower they had to solve problems, on a complex and almost uncertain level in certain parts. In an unexpected moment, Otto saw what brilliant minds, with the right encouragement, could do, until he walked into the office of someone he could see much less: the silhouette of a one-armed man, working on some personal experiments. The renowned scientist, Curt Connors.
"It seems that time has helped you to perfect your experiments, Dr. Connors." Curt turned, seeing Otto standing in front of him, a smile on his face. - "It's good to see an old friend at such times."
"Otto Octavius. The man who dared to discover beyond science. I admit it's been a while since I've seen you." Shaking Otto's right hand, Curt greeted the scientist, recalling some unexpected things. - "If you ask me, you're out of the spotlight."
"It's just that a scientist like me needs a bit of privacy to work on new projects. The irony of it all, Curt, is that I find myself trying to find ways to overcome my limits, but it's as if I'm reverting to old habits in order to put what I have into practice."
"It's good to go back to the basics. Even if it's difficult, it's good to have a base to work from for what may or may not be planned." In order to keep up appearances, Otto knew very well that his plans against the Super Hero Girls had to be hidden even from people who knew him, as well as the public figure he could be, even though he spent much of his time in hiding, drawing up plans and helping to put villains on the streets, to defeat the heroines who protected Metropolis, no matter what threat might appear, day after day, week after week, Otto seemed to be facing a crossroads in dealing with all the problems that surrounded him, all the more so because his mission kept running into unbelievable problems. - "Curt, I look at this city and you know what I see? Hope. Hope that better days may lie ahead for Metropolis, in a way that even I can't imagine. Because I look around and I see people fighting to make a difference and the scientists who are working at STAR Labs are trying to challenge themselves, to prove that they can do anything for the greater good, even when everything seems difficult. But I know that better days will come for this city." Speaking indirectly about the villains that have been appearing around Metropolis and all the problems that have followed, Otto tried to convince Curt that everything would work out.
"It's good to see the optimism you have at these times, Otto. I've missed hearing all this. Want to see what I'm working on? Let's just say it's a bit shocking, in certain ways."
Before Curt could show them what was happening, suddenly, grains of sand began to enter the laboratory, surprising the pair of scientists, but in an unexpected way, Otto gave a smile, without Curt seeing, showing that this was part of his plan. Behind them, Sandman appeared in the middle of everything, with the scientists remaining in shock, until the fog took over the corridors, leaving everyone perplexed by what had happened.
"It seems that the lights will be turned off now." Sandman said, with a certain coldness in his body and knowing full well the risks he was about to take, but Otto could sense that this was the first step in ensuring that he would be able to take control of the whole city, through what could be his masterpiece in the meantime.
The risks were established, but above all, the possibilities were endless. It was undeniable that all paths were converging on what could be the beginning of the end for Otto Octavius' plans for the future of Metropolis and in the face of everything, the scientist didn't intend to submit to anything and knew full well the consequences that would come, but he was willing to risk everything in the name of his ambitions and desires, to command an entire city and nothing was going to stop him from getting what he wanted. Nothing.
In an office, a man, wearing red glasses and using a stick, began to use his hands, looking at some documents from a specific case: The Wilson Fisk case. Faced with everything, the silhouette smiled as he placed his fingers around the document, analyzing everything around him, with the mere feeling that there might be something very wrong going on. That man was Matt Murdock. A lawyer. When he was a child, he was blinded by chemicals, but as a result, his other senses became sharper, allowing him to develop abilities beyond comprehension. Just then, his friends and co-workers, Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, entered the office. Matt's silence made it clear how attentive he seemed to be to detail, even though he couldn't see a thing.
"I guess we didn't manage to surprise you, did we, Matt?"
"Let's just say I've been thinking about how to deal with everything from a different perspective. However, it seems that after a long time, we've managed to make our case work." Feeling an ache around his body, Matt put his right hand to his back, noticing some cuts around his back.
"You can't keep doing this, Matt. Putting yourself at risk like that." Foggy said, making it clear that he and Karen Page knew Matt's secret.
"Daredevil is necessary. When everyone looks around and ends up seeing certain crazy things, I have to pay attention. I can't just sit back and do nothing."
"The real problem is when everything goes wrong. You can't keep dealing with all this without being able to solve the problems."
"During the last months, I've been hitting several operations from Fisk, without hesitation, without fear of what could happen to me. We need to stay united, no matter what. After what happened, I hope that this time, Daredevil won't be needed to solve this. We have evidence that could put Fisk on trial. We're putting together a case that could draw a lot of attention, but we're taking risks in a way that's making it clear what's going to happen." Matt reaffirmed his oath to protect the city, as a lawyer and as a vigilante, risking everything to stop Fisk. - "We've played this game many times, but we're going to end it all."
"I hope you're right about this." Karen said, knowing full well that it was crazy.
Matt had a gift unlike anything else. In addition to his dexterity and willingness to fight injustice, Daredevil always took risks that other people wouldn't be able to take, but after all, it was necessary to take a step, the leap of faith that would prove the limits that would be broken to bring down Fisk, once and for all. And no matter what, Matt Murdock would not hesitate to fulfill his oath and bring down the Kingpin, once and for all.
At the school, Peter was imagining the events of last night all over again, getting a sense of the problems that were arising from it all. After the confrontation with Kraven, the Web-Head imagined that he would at least have the chance to take a break from the problems that were taking over his body. In the cafeteria, sitting next to his friends, Peter imagined many possibilities. Knowing that Diana had started something that couldn't be stopped with this "partnership" between him and the girls, Peter was sure that many crazy situations would arise further down the line. But with a smile on his face, things seemed to be quite clear from what was happening.
"What's so funny? Are you thinking of something you can't tell us?" Kara asked, feeling certain that there might be something very strange around, until Peter imagined something different.
"Nothing. It's just that things have been calmer lately. No villains have appeared to threaten the city, no crimes to be stopped, nothing. It's as if we've been given the day off and didn't even realize it." Peter said, which made the group realize that something was very strange.
"Do I think we're seeing some absurd situations right now? First, a guy dressed as a vulture who flies, then two electricians, then an illusionist with tricks that seem more real than expected and now, a hunter who faces any adversary, in and out of a natural habitat." MJ said, having a laugh at the scene, and being sure how there could be a certain unexpected situation taking hold of them now. - "I admit it's just another day at work, like any other."
"Are we still working on the theory that all these villains are connected? Because, we still don't know what will be the endgame about all of this." Mary talked, showing a bit of doubt around her body, certain that there might be something out of the ordinary. Slowly, using her Wisdom of Solomon, Mary tried to understand the variables, almost as if she was thinking about many things at once, until she opened her eyes, nervously. - "I go back over everything and yet, it's as if there's no exact answer. The objectives of each of the people we've faced so far seem to be completely isolated from each other. Kraven wanted the perfect hunt. To defeat Spider-Man. Electro didn't seem to have a defined objective, Mysterio wanted to take the opportunity to defeat the team through illusionism and trickery, including the fact that he tried to knock out everyone in the theater on the day of one of his shows to ensure that the Super Hero Girls wouldn't show up and that was as close as we got to a defeat. Electro, on the other hand, didn't seem to have an exact motive, apart from taking advantage of Livewire's plans to defeat us. Vulture wanted revenge on Norman Osborn, along with Shocker and Prowler. They seem like isolated cases, but I can't find a connection as to why they appeared."
"Maybe there's a man behind the man. You know, the boss of the bosses around this story? The guy who might be ordering everything behind the scenes, just to satisfy his desire to defeat the heroes, without having to get his hands dirty." Babs said, to the point of surprising the group at that moment. - "What? To be a good detective, you need to keep in touch with certain theories."
"Seriously, Babs, I don't understand you certain times." Kara started to talk, making sure she could hear a lot of crazy things coming from the red-headed girl, until Ned picked up a glass of water, nervous.
"But it makes sense, hypothetically speaking. If we can't find someone who's sending these villains, it's because they know how to hide their steps. It could be anyone. Who knows, something even worse?
"Well, we can think of lots of things, but if there's one thing I know, it's that there's a chance we'll be able to find out who's doing all this." Peter looked at his friends, confidently. - "Does anyone agree to what we will do now?"
"Indeed." Diana talked, confident about what would happen.
"Look, I feel we're taking a huge risk and in the face of everything, I think we have to be prepared to deal with the unexpected. If there's a villain about to emerge at this time, we need to pay attention to the details." Kitty made it clear that they had to come up with a plan because of everything that could happen and given the latest events, the young mutant was sure that they needed to be on their guard.
"Guys, don't look, but there's someone coming up here." Everyone looked around, seeing Harry Osborn approaching the table, where everyone put a smile on their faces, sure that they could see any situation coming.
"Hey, Pete. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Harry. Thanks."
"MJ. Ned. Glad to see you again." Harry seemed to be keeping a tight smile around the group, while he sat next to Peter in front of everything. - "So, how's my favorite group?"
"Well, we've been taking care of certain things lately." Mary talked, realizing how many problems could follow in the face of everything. - "But it's good to see you again, Harry."
"I can say the same from all my friends, who I consider my siblings, my family. It's nice to see you again, Harry." Diana made it clear on that point, that besides their hero lives, while also trying to juggle their personal lives, Diana made it clear that everyone she saw as Peter's friends were part of her family, too."
"Well, Harry, to be honest, you kind of disappeared without leaving any records. In fact, you were even here when Livewire and Electro appeared, but after the others, you seem to have gone incommunicado." Peter spoke, visibly nervous about the whole thing and knowing full well that he still had to hide his secret from Harry, who still didn't know that Peter was Spider-Man and saved the city, several times.
"It turns out that my father invented a trip at the last minute a few days ago and asked me to go with him to visit some relatives outside Metropolis. He thought I needed to get away from the madness and all the villains and problems going on around the city. It seems that the city has been turned upside down in recent days. He worries about me too much, guys, but that doesn't mean I'm going to disappear, again. This time, I'm back to stay." Harry remained vigilant, willing to stay in the city at all times, but there was a much bigger reason why he wanted to stay: Because of his friends, besides, everything that happened lately, he wanted to stay.
"So, talking for all of us, a toast." Raising some water glasses, Peter talked again. - "To Harry. A friend that shows us how to be different and to be the best version of himself in the face of danger."
Laughing at the scene, Harry just smiled, realizing how much he had missed everything, and as complicated as it was, it was really good to be back, even so, being willing to risk everything, he needed to make sure, given all the circumstances, knowing full well how much they had to pay attention to the details. Slowly, Peter felt that normality seemed to be returning to their lives, but the Web-Head was sure that things were just starting to get more tense, knowing full well that in order to put an end to the threats, he had to risk even more to find out the truth about who might be behind everything that had happened.
After a few minutes, outside the school, a device in Babs' backpack started beeping, which caught our attention, almost as if there was something very strange going on. Slowly, Babs picked up the device, alongside her friends, looking surprised at everything, showing a map of Metropolis on the device, almost as if it were a kind of makeshift radar.
"I've connected some gadgets to the computer from the hideout. It seems it's happening an invasion on STAR Labs right now. It seems it's going to take all of us now."
"How many villains?" Peter asked, as the situation seemed to be getting far more worrying than anticipated.
"Five. Four of them, already faced by us and one that we don't know yet." Breaking into the cameras at STAR Labs headquarters in Metropolis, they saw Electro, Shocker, Prowler, Mysterio and Sandman inside the lab, with some scientists trying to flee the scene.
"Looks like the day off is over." Ned said nervously.
"Zee, can you do the honors? Take us back to the hideout." MJ said, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Zee opened a portal with her magic, making the situation clear. Looking to Peter, Mary, Kitty, Diana and everyone with them, the group stood ready for the unexpected.
"It feels like it's up to us."
Prepared to deal with a new challenge, they knew that the union of all these villains meant the chance that the endgame set up by the person behind all of this would showcase that they were near to seeing what would happen in the meantime, willing to risk it all to save Metropolis from the villains lurking around, but the Super Hero Girls were ready for the unexpected.
In a penthouse, Wilson Fisk began to look out over Metropolis, seeing the beauty of the city in a way that made it clear that there was a certain power taking over his body, to a point where he couldn't even admit what had followed. On the face of it, to all the people, he was a man of high society, but between the shadows, he was Kingpin. The man behind the helm of all the gangs and criminal organizations in Metropolis. It was very clear how much he had to be willing to watch everything, for a certain greater good, but above all events, to maintain the power that was a question of balancing the scales. Then a figure approached him, which made Fisk smile, almost as if he was grinning with something. The figure of none other than Norman Osborn, maintaining a certain conviction in the face of everything.
"We have to stop meeting on these occasions, Fisk. It won't go down very well for someone like me to meet you in the middle of certain accusations."
"You know very well why we're meeting. You know I need to talk." Offering Norman a glass of wine, the billionaire declined, imagining many possibilities. - "Oscorp has been thriving in certain ways, however, I wonder what else can happen in these times."
"Why do you need me?"
"Contrary to what you think, I know about some of the situations you're trying to hide." Norman sat down in a chair, looking at Fisk, trying to understand what might follow at that moment. - "I know what really happened: why Adrian Toomes was fired."
"He was fired because he was a lunatic. He practically tried to kill me some time ago and it's been hard to forget some of the traumas I've been through in that time." Norman remained firm and convinced of what could happen. But it was clear that the conversation was about something different in every way. As if Wilson wanted to assert some kind of control over Norman. - "You'd understand that very well by all accounts."
"But I know a truth that no one would want me to know. The fact that Oscorp was the one who ended up creating a villain, and that he ended up provoking something quite uncontrollable. Imagine what I can do, with just a few words, I say that there are some controversies. The military was looking for a way to use the glider and other projects in wars. I know what happened. And I know all the problems you've been dealing with. Adrian Toomes did what he did because he might have been right." Fisk made it clear how much influence he had around the city and also what he could do, with just one simple push, one twist of his words, to ruin Norman.
"You're lying."
"No. For once, I'm telling the truth. You stole his aerodynamics project. Even if Toomes tried to kidnap you and kill you, you stole his project. And you're making weapons for the military. Some secret experiments I don't know about." Fisk made it clear what he really knew. All the details and everything he could have been hiding at the time. - "How would the public know what happened without the truth?"
"What do you want?" Norman said, trying to come to an agreement.
"This city is seeing a lot of situations that I wouldn't want to describe at this time, but I know very well what it's like to deal with certain problems. The villains that have been popping up all around are the greatest proof of how the problems are increasing. I want you to help me. To create some bad guys who can serve as a kind of protection for this city. I need to ensure that some problems are solved, even if I can't solve them. So you help me and in return, I won't tell you anything about what you did to Toomes and how this whole chain of events caused him to lose his sanity. Otherwise, let's just say that some of my associates will be paying your family a visit very soon."
"Never threaten my family."
"Do what must be done, Osborn. And I'll forget what you've done. Otherwise... you know."
Being put up against the wall, Norman Osborn seemed to be looking at everything in a very risky way, because it meant the chance to solve everything in his own way, however, being in the hands of Wilson Fisk, there was a chance that his problems would get even worse, knowing very well in whose hands he had stopped and by whom he was being blackmailed to hide the truth of the chain of events that ended up provoking the transformation of Adrian Toomes into Vulture, he now knew that he needed to fulfill a part of the debt he owed, knowing very well how all the odds were conspiring against him now.
Inside STAR Labs, with their hero suits, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Zatanna, Supergirl, Bumblebee, Green Lantern, Miss Martian, Lady Shazam and Shadowcat began to walk around the place, which was apparently deserted in the face of everything. The feeling was one of tension, because they knew very well that anything could happen now, without knowing for sure who might be behind the attack.
"Guys..." Megan talked, looking at Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and Lady Shazam, which made Miss Martian activate the psychic link between the quartet, leaving the rest of the group out. - "I think we should talk about "you know" thing."
"Now? Can't we leave this for later?" The Web-Head said nervously.
"I know we said that we wouldn't tell our friends about this odd relationship of yours, but don't you all think that there's a chance that may find out, one way or another?" Miss Martian reaffirmed the fact that they could be up against anything, but she wasn't going to miss the chance for a chat. - "But I admit that even with what I'm saying, it's amusing that they don't know what we're doing."
"Let's just say it's been strange, let's face it. But in a good way. I can tell we're going to see a lot of crazy things ahead." Lady Shazam kept an eye on everything, even with the psychic connection activated. - "Maybe there's something telling me that there's a chance of this whole thing going wrong."
"However, I feel we have to take even more risks. See what happens next and no matter how absurd it is, we have to keep an eye on the details. I feel that this relationship has a few more surprises in store for us, siblings. But it's worth it to take certain risks." Wonder Woman said, remaining confident through it all and knowing full well that the "love society" between Peter and some of her friends, she was willing to take everything.
"Then we won't say anything. For now." Miss Martian said, keeping an eye on everything.
"Supergirl, is your super hearing getting something around?" Batgirl said, while she looked into her mobile radar, at the same time, Ned and Michelle started to look between the computers, noticing what would happen.
"Nothing, Babs. We're in the dark now."
"And we're not being so lucky. There's not a single movement around the lab." Ned said, realizing that there was something very wrong going on right now, and with all the feelings that could arise at that moment, the Super Hero Girls were in a position where they didn't know what to expect.
Out of nowhere, a green mist appeared in front of the corridors, leaving the group surprised by the scene, everyone in position, until they saw Mysterio appearing in front of the heroes, where everyone began to stare at the opponent between them, while he started to laugh, in an insane way, as if he were trying to surprise the heroes.
"Honestly, did you really think I wouldn't come back for a rematch? It's great to see you again."
"Mysterio." Spider-Man began to speak, surprised.
"In the flesh, Super Hero Girls. In the flesh. I've been thinking about a lot of things, but above all, about a new trick that might surprise each of you."
"We've had this battle before, Mysterio. Believe me when I say you'll have no chance of victory." Diana remained confident, until Quentin Beck gave a confident laugh, surprising the heroines.
"You see, that's where the joke lies. Did you think that I wouldn't be here without a backup plan?" Mysterio said, leaving the girls confused as to what he meant by all this.
Out of nowhere, a wall of sand appeared around them, trapping the heroes against the wall. Trying to use her magic, suddenly, Zee's mouth became stuck in the sand, making any spell impossible, which left everyone worried. Through it all, Flint stood firm, using his powers to immobilize the heroines."
"Meet my new friend. We call him Sandman. And I think you know some of the ones you've already faced." Suddenly, Electro appeared in the middle of the corridors, using his powers all the time. Then Shocker appeared, alongside Prowler, confidently. - "My dear friends, Electro. Shocker. Prowler. See, most of us have been thinking dearly about this opportunity, ever since we started to think about it. We didn't intend to let it slip away. As a new act in the midst of the plans that are laid before us, believe me when I say that we have been thinking about everything under the circumstances.
"You won't get away with it."
"On the contrary. We have you exactly where we want you. Now, who wants a piece of the team? We have all the time in the world."
Trapped. That's how the current situation could be defined, because everything seemed to be conspiring against them now. In every way possible, the villains had the upper hand, but without realizing it, Miss Martian smiled, in a way that made something clear to Wonder Woman and the group, even if the villains didn't realize it: The Green Martian had the ability to get the heroines out of this problem and for what could be the biggest battle of their lives right now, it would take all the willpower possible to confront the villains, in the midst of yet another plan by Otto Octavius, before something worse happened.
The battle to save Metropolis was about to reach a new chapter.
To be continued...
Author's Note: Okay, folks. Indeed, this is a surprise, right? Well, I was gonna keep this a surprise, but we're reaching the end of this first arc. This arc, inspired by the Master Planner story from the comics, will be ending in the next chapters and as you saw in this chapter, also, yes. Yes. Finally, the Sinister Six is upon us. And thrust me when I say that some surprises will come ahead. Trapped in a battle they didn't expect, will the Super Hero Girls turn the tide of fight?
The next chapters will also see some situations, inspired by the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, like you saw here, like Norman Osborn creating villains for the Kingpin. And some stuff from the Daredevil series will appear here as part of some different chapters. (AKA the best superhero series in the urban setting of Marvel.) As you saw, Matt, Karen Page and Foggy Nelson will appear here in this story, but what I will show you between these chapters, will be more surprising than the usual. And I also have some ideas for the next story arcs will surprise you, dear readers, in all means possible, so don't turn around, guys!
See you all next time!