[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/RUtJzFy.png[/img][/center] [sub][h3][color=SKYBLUE][b]T H E ‘ E M B A S S Y ‘[/b][/color][/h3][/sub][hr][sup][color=skyblue]Four Months Ago[/color] | [color=darkgray]Manhattan, New York[/color][/sup] The man stood in their living quarters sweating in his armour, whilst Booster and Ted gave furtive glances between each other. [color=skyblue]“See, the thing is-- We’re not really looking for a ‘sword guy’…”[/color] Ted said, trying to break it to the man gently. Booster looked back down at the résumé the man had brought in, “Curriculum Vitae” was written large across the top, with the ‘C’ in a truly elaborate exhibition of calligraphy. [Color=darkgray][b]“Well, Thor is a 'hammer guy'. And he’s very much ‘In’ at the moment.”[/b][/color] Dane Whitman offered in rebuttal. [color=skyblue]“That is true.”[/color] Ted accepted, holding out a finger. [color=skyblue]“He [b][u]IS[/u][/b] a hammer guy. But he can also spin his hammer around and fly off with it. If you wave that thing about can you fly with your sword?”[/color] [Color=darkgray][b]“Like a helicopter?”[/b][/color] Dane looked down at the Ebony Blade. [color=skyblue]“Sure—”[/color] Ted perked up, trying to get Booster on board with some level of interest. [color=skyblue]“—if that helps. Like a helicopter.”[/color] [Color=darkgray][b]“Well, no.”[/b][/color] Dane said glumly. [Color=darkgray][b]“It’s a sword.”[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]“OK. I’ve heard he can spin his hammer around and open up portals. Can you do that with your—what did you call it? Ebony Blade?”[/color] [Color=darkgray][b]“No.”[/b][/color] He once again admitted. [color=skyblue]“So, it’s pretty much just good for. Slashing and stabbing, I suppose?”[/color] Ted asked. [Color=darkgray][b]“Well, AND I can hit things with the flat part too…”[/b][/color] [color=goldenrod][b]“Well, that’s even sadder.”[/b][/color] Booster broke his silence. [color=goldenrod][b]“Because it’s not even a sword then. You’re basically just holding a metal stick if you’re just going to hit things with the flat.”[/b][/color] [Color=darkgray][b]“In some ways that’s better anyway…”[/b][/color] [color=goldenrod][b]“Maybe you could come back in a few weeks and cut the girls’ birthday cake…”[/b][/color] Booster offered. Trying to find a way to make the visitor feel useful. [color=skyblue]“I keep telling you. They’re not twins. They have different accents for crying out loud. Ice is from Norway, Fire is from Brazil. They’re not related. I don’t know how to make this any clearer for you. I don’t know why you keep tripping up over this!”[/color] Ted turned and yelled at Booster. It was seemingly not the first time he'd had to have this argument. [Color=darkgray][b]“…after all, the curse on it will just push it to make me kill more if I use it to spill blood…”[/b][/color] Dane continued. [color=goldenrod][b]“So you mean that sex kitten thing they have where they dress ali—”[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]“Dude! That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about there! And they don’t dress alike!”[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]“Well, not alike, alike. But you know. They dress similarly… simpatico. I don’t know. They kind of match.”[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]“They don’t match at all, what are you even talking about?!”[/color] [Color=darkgray][b]“…like that time I fought the wicked Mordred and gave him a debilitating blow, before learning the full extent of the cost in using the Black Blade. Ever since then it’s bloodlust has been ebbing away at the edges of my mind…”[/b][/color] Max Lord walked in the room and grabbed an apple off the kitchen counter whilst the pair of Blue and Gold heroes argument was in full swing. [color=goldenrod][b]“You know. Style. Not colour, I mean obviously they dress in different colours. But they kind of always just seem to wear something that just ‘goes’ with what the other one wears. Not that you would notice aesthetic…”[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]“Hey! I notice everything!”[/color] [Color=darkgray][b]“…sometimes I wonder if I should just cut myself, just to see if that could quell the blade’s dark pull…”[/b][/color] The pair turned and stared at the third man still in the room. [color=goldenrod][b]“…wait, did you just say your sword tells you to kill people?”[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]“…And that you’re constantly considering self harm..?”[/color] [color=tan]“No way our insurance covers that…”[/color] Max said, crunching through the apple. [color=tan]“…and he’ll drive our medical premiums through the roof with the psych bills alone. [b]*Mmm-mm*[/b] Cut him loose.”[/color] [hr] [sub][h3][color=SKYBLUE][b]T H E ‘ E M B A S S Y ‘[/b][/color][/h3][/sub][hr][sup][color=skyblue]Three Months Ago[/color] | [color=darkgray]Manhattan, New York[/color][/sup] [color=skyblue]"--And you will not touch it. Again, because my uncle gave me that."[/color] Ted demanded, inserting the 9 ounce disc. [color=goldenrod][b]"Again with that? Your uncle gave you everything! You can't claim sentimentalism over everything!"[/b][/color] Booster complained from the lounge in front of the television set. [color=skyblue]"Five things.[/color] Ted corrected. [color=skyblue]"He gave me [b][u]five things[/u][/b],"[/color] counting them off on one hand as he started the Laserdisk player. [color=skyblue]"The hat; which I've already lost, the Scarab; which L-Ron lost, the model toy car replica of the Scarab he drove on the classic [I]'Blue Beetle Power Hour'[/I] tv show; which I still have... which [b]NONE OF YOU WILL TOUCH[/b] - L-Ron, I am particularly looking at you,"[/color] He pointed at the team's robotic member. [color=skyblue]"The Criterion Edition version of [I]'Karl LaFrey and The Plunderers of the Ark of the Covenant'[/I] on LaserDisk… and the LaserDisk player he bought for me to watch it on, when he had to go meet with the Producers somewhere around here in New York and they announced there would be a sequel."[/color] Booster opened his mouth to reply, but Ted cut him off. [color=skyblue]"Five things. Three of which remain. You will not use the LaserDisk player, and you will not touch the disk. I've seen you try and use the waffle iron."[/color] [color=goldenrod][b][sub]"...well who can figure out that thing anyway. It doesn't even have an autocook function."[/sub][/b][/color] [color=limegreen][b]"Literally children...[/b][/color] Replied Bea, impatiently waiting for the movie. [color=skyblue]"Exactly. Thank you."[/color] Ted said, flamboyantly gesturing to Fire as evidence in his argument. [color=limegreen][b]"No. The pair of you. You're literally children."[/b][/color] [color=skyblue]"Oh[sub]…[/sub]"[/color] [color=red]"Metaphorically."[/color] Corrected Hank, not looking up from his laptop. Bea's right hand burst into emerald flame as she scowled at Hank Pym, who continued working obliviously. [color=yellow][b]"C'mon Ted! Start the movie!"[/b][/color] Janet called out, ending the fight before the combustible situation could grow further. A brief jingle played from the wall console's intercom system, causing everyone in attendance to groan. The Superbuddies marketing jingle appealed to nobody, and proved an exception to the negotiating rule that 'if nobody leaves happy, then you've probably made a good deal'. Suddenly Max Lord's face appeared on the display, as he had apparently started talking before the receiver had picked up. [color=tan]"...so you all need to be there before Emergency services can respond, because as we all know..."[/color] Ted clicked the intercom call button on and off a few times until it blasted a long chirp. [color=tan]"Ahh! What was--?"[/color] [color=skyblue]"I told you before, you have to wait until the screen flicks over and the bar at the bottom says it's 'OK to talk'. We didn't get any of that."[/color] [color=tan]"Unbelievable. We have two or three supergeniuses on the team and we can't get a comms system that works properly.[/color] [color=red]"The comms system works fine when used correctly.[/color] Hank defended his own work. [color=skyblue]"He's right, Max. The problem with designing idiot proof products, I find, is that nature just keeps designing better idiots. Whether they're people who can't program the clock on their own video player, or set up their own printer... Or sometimes nature will even send to the future to bring back strains of superidiots who can't even use a waffle iron properly..."[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Hey! You can't hit me with the same line twice in less than two minutes! That's not fair!"[/b][/color] Booster protested. [color=yellow][b]"What is it, Max? Where's the call?"[/b][/color] Janet asked, putting everyone back on task. [color=tan]"Thank you. A number of our clients in the financial community have called through to inform us of some nutcase marching down Wall Street making demands."[/color] [color=goldenrod][b]"Some nutcase in a suit? In Manhattan? Can't Spidey just go deal with it? We're about to watch--"[/b][/color] [color=tan]"'Spidey' isn't being paid by our clients to deal with this kind of situation--."[/color] Max Lord scowled. [color=tan]"--and neither will we, if we continue that attitude. Now the guy's calling himself Major Disaster. 'He says he'll bring the whole thing crashing down if the banks don't pay him ten million dollars to walk away'. I don't know if he means the stock market, or the buildings, or what he's referring to, but if we don't make a presence before Emergency Services make the scene it [b]will not look good[/b].[/color] Max got more exasperated as he went on, yelling at the monitor by the conversation's end, before pounding on his desk with a fist, quickly ending the call. [color=skyblue]"Alright, movie's on hold, I'm bringing the Bug around now... This should take us no time at all."[/color] Ted said, fiddling with his wrist controls.