Byrd Man

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Scarsdale, New York

Adrian and Misty sat in luxurious wingback chairs and watched two men playing pool. One was tall and heavyset, dressed in jeans and a tacky Christmas sweater that had a goofy reindeer on it. The other man was short and thin, wearing a tailored navy suit with french cuffs. They’d been playing the game when the two goons had pushed the he and Misty through the doors of the study and made them sit in the chair. The two men continued their game for a few minutes before Misty finally spoke.

“Ten bucks says you miss the six,” she said to the at man.

A look of annoyance flashed on the big man’s face as he struck the cue ball with his stick. The white ball rolled across the table and struck the six. It started towards the corner pocket before veering to the left and clattering against the side wall of the table.

“Pay up,” said Misty.

“I don’t think Mr. Regetti will be doing that,” said Chase. “Even though he’s already paying ten times that for Mr. Wexler’s time. Isn't that right, Jake?”

“Very astute,” Jake Wexler, the man in the suit, said as he rubbed chalk on the end of his cue. “But if you did your homework, Miss Knight, you’d know that Mr. Regetti abhors gambling.”

“I’m sure he does,” said Chase. “He’s a smart man, after all. As the head of one of the biggest bookmaking empires on the east coast, the temptation to gamble with house money would be too great.”

“Those are baseless allegations,” said Wexler. “Mr. Regetti has proven time and again that he is an upstanding businessman whose source of income is completely legitimate.”

“So why does Angelo Campisi have him so scared?” asked Misty. “Scared enough to bring us here at gunpoint to have this little meeting. This is what my father calls a ‘come to Jesus’ talk.”

“Really?” asked Chase. “See, my dad called it ‘the nanny’s job, that’s why I pay her.’”

“Angelo keeps his mouth shut,” ordered Regetti.

His voice took Chase back. It was so... high, almost as if he had been sucking on helium. It was a complete contrast to the big, imposing man with heavy eyelids. He didn’t bother to even look in Chase and Misty’s direction as he lined up for another shot. This time, he easily sunk the six ball and moved to make another shot. Chase thought that it was a good thing Regetti hadn't looked their way. Misty was shaking with silent laughter. Chase elbowed her in the ribs. A loud "HA!" popped out that she quickly turned it into a cough. Regetti and Wexler stared hard at the two of them. Chase suddenly remembered the don's street name... it was Squeaky Regetti. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as he spoke.

“As a lawyer, I have to do what’s in his best interest,” said Chase, clearing his throat.

“Do what’s in your best interest,” Regetti said in his cartoon voice. “Angelo takes the deal and goes into witness protection, then that’ll make me very angry. With Angelo gone and out of reach, I’ll have to turn my rage… towards the people who helped him.”

“My client speaks legally,” Wexler said quickly. “We would be forced to pursue… legal action towards you, perhaps a lawsuit for slander.”

“Yeah,” Regetti said as he looked up from the table. “And we all know how fucking bloody those slander lawsuits can be.”

---

Brew Brothers
Midtown

“We gotta leave town,” said Misty.

She and Chase were on barstools at the watering hole just around the corner from the office. This had been their original destination before the mob detour into upstate. Chase nursed a scotch while Misty was on her third coke and rum. The jukebox was playing “Jingle Bell Rock” for what had be the sixth time since they’d arrived. She resisted an urge to shoot it before turning back to Chase.

“That’s the only way we can come out of this okay. You resign from Angelo’s case and let the chips fall where they may.”

“A new lawyer takes over, Regetti is still going to hold us -- me, actually -- personally responsible for it. If he can’t get us, he’ll go after our families. My old man in Connecticut would be harder to get at, but what about your dad?”

“Yeah,” Misty said with a sigh. She put her head down on the bar. “And that poor murdered girl."

"You think Regetti did it?"

"Why would he take away a potential alibi for Angelo?" asked Misty. "No, someone killed her because she had to know something.”

“Which was what?” asked Chase.

Misty polished off her drink and shook her head. “I don’t know. But it was important enough to kill her.”

“If Angelo is really innocent,” said Chase. “Then there’s gotta be something in all those boxes of files that prove it. I’ve just got to comb through them in the morning with Gladys. Maybe something will shake out. What’s your gameplan for tomorrow?”

“I think I’ll see what my old boss has to say about Rosa’s murder,” said Misty. “After that, I’ll head back up to the scene of the crime and see if I can find anything out.”

“NYPD still probably has it sealed.”

“Yeah,” Misty said with a smirk. “They probably do. But I don’t think that’ll stop me.”

Chase laughed and took a sip from his drink. “Well as your attorney in this matter, I have to advise you that this course of action is highly illegal, dangerous, and just my knowing about it could be grounds for my disbarment.”

“You gonna stop me?”

“Hell no.”

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

NYPD 28th Precinct
Harlem

Captain Alex Stone wouldn’t make eye contact with Misty. Instead he looked straight ahead as he smoked his cigarette. Everyone at the Two-Eight knew the captain’s favorite hideout to smoke was a half block away from the precinct in a doorway of an alley. One of the holy commandments of the Two-Eight was “Thou Shall Not Interrupt The Cap During His Smoke Break,” and Misty had never even thought about doing that when she was here.

But now she was a civilian out of Stone’s reach. But even still, she felt a little bad to have cornered him here while he enjoyed one of his few pleasures of the day.

“It was short notice,” said Misty. “That’s the only reason I’m here now.”

“Right,” Stone said, blowing smoke from his nostrils. “When I said ‘keep in touch’ I meant a phone call every so often, a text here or there, Facebook friends, maybe get a drink and catch up. I didn’t mean you coming to pump me about information, Misty.”

Misty held a hand up and nodded. “Cap, I get that. I really do. You know me, right? I am not a heretic. I wouldn’t interrupt you while you were smoking unless it were a serious matter. Someone is dead and I think their death was related to this mob guy case Chase is working on.”

Misty noticed Stone’s face grimace at just the mention of Chase. The two had mixed it up once or twice back when Chase had been investigating her for the DA’s office. The captain had put his entire career at risk to go to bat for her in that one. It was all for nothing, unfortunately. Misty was still on the outside looking in, and the political blowback from it meant there was a good chance Stone would never make inspector.

“When did this murder happen?” Stone asked with a sigh.

“This afternoon,” said Misty. “In Crown Heights. I think that’s Seven-Seven territory.”

Stone tilted his head, making eye contact with Misty for the first time. The way his eyes bored into her made her remember very well, the captain’s storied history as a homicide detective.

“Tell me again how you know this murder happened?”

“I went to the apartment to interview the woman who lived there and saw cops and vans from the ME’s office there. I saw a body bag being wheeled out. I went back later and saw crime scene tape on the apartment listed as her home address.”

Stone’s eyes refused to look away. Misty was sure he could smell the bullshit on her story. Instead, he finally looked away and tossed his cigarette butt to the ground, crushing it beneath his heel.

“If I call and find out who was murdered in that apartment, and if I give you that information and it does turn out that this murder was related to whatever you and [i[Mr. Yale[/i] are working on, then you go right to the Seven-Seven with what you know and you let them do their job.”

“Okay,” said Misty.

“Because this won’t end how you think it will,” said Stone. “You won’t earn your badge back if you bring in a murderer on your own. That part of your life is over with. Pains me to say it, but it’s the truth. If this information leads somewhere, then you do the right thing and let NYPD take over.”

“I promise,” Misty lied. “And thank you, cap.”

“Don’t thank me,” Stone said as he started to walk away. “Thank Earl.”

---

Federal Plaza
Lower Manhattan

Adrian Chase stared at the US Attorney’s seal on the wall of the lobby. It appeared to Chase to be just off-center. A little crooked. He had been resisting the urge to correct it for almost an hour now. He’d come in two hours ago with his copy of the signed discovery request. The receptionist had politely but coldly asked him to take a seat and someone would be with him shortly.

During that time he’d used the bathroom, asked three times how much longer it would be, was kindly but firmly rebuffed by the receptionist, managed his fantasy football lineup, received a cryptic text from Misty saying something had happened, she was now working the case, and she would be by the office later tonight when she found something.

“Mr. Chase?”

Adrian stood and followed the receptionist back through the corridors to an ornate corner office. A tall, thin man in an expensive three-piece suit was busy practicing putting a golf ball down a strip of fake turf. He looked up at the door opening, his steely gray hair perfectly combed and a set of perfect white teeth flashing as he smiled.

“Welcome, welcome, welcome.”

He took Adrian’s hand into his. While the skin was soft, his grip was firm.

“I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Jack Thomas. US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.”

“I know who you are,” Chase said softly.

“You remember me?”

Thomas smiled warmly and went back to his short game.

“I mean, anyone who is plugged into the legal community in Manhattan knows who you are.”

“Oh, shoot,” Thomas said as his putt went slightly right of the cup that served as the hole. “I thought maybe you remembered me from when I was at CPZ.”

“You worked for CPZ?” Adrian asked with a raised eyebrow. “When?”

“Oh, back when you were a boy,” said Thomas. “I was a senior associate back then. I got my start with the firm as a summer associate right out of law school, back when Little Al was running the show and it was just Chase & Prescott. No Zucker.”

Alfred Chase Jr., Adrian’s grandfather, had been the man responsible for turning Chase & Prescott Attorneys At Law from a debt-ridden two-man firm that he'd inherited from his father into one of the largest and most prestigious law practices in the mid-atlantic and northeast. Despite overshadowing his father in almost every single way, Alfred was always known as Little Al until the day he died.

“So how is Trip?” Thomas asked. “I haven’t seen him in nearly five years.”

“He’s good,” Chase said as he looked out at the impressive view of the city. “He’s on his second heart, third face lift, and fourth wife. So all is well.”

Thomas lined his putter up for another attempt. “I have to say I admire your gumption. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for you to get a job at CPZ and just coast on the family name. But you’re out here hustling.”

The US attorney made a little fist pump as the ball went into the cup. He laughed and turned his attention back to Adrian.

“That’s what I’m talking about. But take for example Angelo Campisi. My office has crossed swords with all the mob lawyer firms in town so often it’s downright boring. So it is a breath of fresh air to see you in here, hungry and eager to take the case. I respect that.”

“Well, thank you,” Adrian said with a smile. “It means a lot coming from someone like you.”

Thomas gestured towards Adrian with his putter.

“That is why I want to work out a deal with you, since we’re both part of the CPZ Family, as it were. Our FBI brethren are looking hard at Angelo’s bosses, but so far these guys have actually showed good discipline. It’s rare for mobsters. They want a win, so Campisi gets Queen for a Day and he tells us every dirty little secret that the Regetti Crime Family has and the he and his family go into WitPro and with your help we dismantle one of the last big major Mafia operations.”

“Wow,” said Adrian. “You start with Queen for a Day?”

“I start and end there,” Thomas said with a humorless laugh. “Get with your client, Adrian. This deal is only good for forty-eight hours. After that, we go to trial. And while you got heart, kid, you can’t win at trial. My AUSA’s would tear you apart. So, tick-tock, counselor.”

Thomas’ warmth had seem to evaporate. He turned back to his putting and spoke without looking back at Adrian.

“You can pick your discovery up on the way out. Make sure you shut the door behind you as you leave.”

---

Heroes for Hire Offices
Midtown

Misty came up to the fourth floor landing of the walk-up office building. The door with “Heroes for Hire” stenciled on it in gold still had lights shining through the door’s opaque window. She used her key to open the door and stopped at the threshold when she saw the boxes.

Groups of file boxes were scattered around the reception area Gladys usually sat at. Boxes on her desk, on the chair’s for clients, on the floor wherever there was room. Misty furrowed her brow and called out for Chase.

“Back here,” came his reply.

She stepped over boxes and made her way to Chase’s office. Like the reception area, it was cluttered with stacks and stacks of files. Misty noticed for the first time that every box had the same government seal on it.

“This is what they do,” Chase said from behind a wall of boxes. “The federal government. They try try to drown you in paperwork. I had to rent a U-haul to get them to the office.”

“But you don’t drive.”

“I had to hire an Uber driver, pay him to drive the Uhaul and help me unload, and then pay for him to take an Uber back to his car.”

Misty opened up one of the tops of the boxes and looked in.

“How much of this is legit?”

“All of it is,” said Chase. “But there’s so much here. Everything from Angelo’s FBI file, to FBI agents runsheets. I used to do the same when I was an ADA and wanted to overburden a one-man defense firm.”

“Sounds like a punk move.”

“It is,” said Chase. “But when I do it it’s a brilliant example of gamesmanship. So what happened with the goomar?”

Misty managed to carve out a place to sit and tell Chase on what happened in Brooklyn, her meeting with Stone, and Stone’s warning.

“Damn,” said Chase. “Today seems to be warning day. I got a personal audience with the US Attorney and a very generous offer to settle the case. That offer comes with a time-limit, though. Forty-eight hours to decide or the offer is gone for good. Something’s up. I think they know they have a loser and don’t want to take it to trial.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time a prosecutor tried to offer up a deal to save face.”

Chase nodded and tapped his fingers on the desk. “I’m going to speak to Angelo tomorrow, but I’m sure he’ll turn it down.”

“Good. He shouldn’t take it.”

“Wait,” Chase said with a scowl. “I thought you wanted to dump this as quick as possible.”

“That was before a woman was murdered,” said Misty. “And your boy Angelo is a scumbag, at least this time he has an airtight alibi for the murder.”

“I still would have liked to have had Rosa as a witness,” Chase said with a sigh. “Alright, fuck it, I’ll deal with all of this tomorrow. Let’s get out of here. I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Only if it’s top shelf,” said Misty. “I know you rich people keep your money by being cheap.”

Chase chuckled as the two of them started to wade through file boxes towards the door. After locking up, they headed down to the street. Less than a half block away from their offices, Chase pushed Misty back behind him as burgundy Lincoln jumped the curb and skidded to a stop on the sidewalk in front of them.

“Get out of my way,” Misty said as she pushed Chase aside and started started to go for her gun.

“Easy does it, sweetheart,” a man said as he came out of the car, a gun in his chubby hand. He had been behind the wheel of the car and his tracksuit matched the paint of the car.

The passenger side door opened and another man in a tracksuit got out. He, too, had a gun. He motioned towards the car with it. “The two of you need to get in the backseat. We’re going for a ride.”

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

*looks left*

*looks right*

Hey, somebody...



_{Because if I post, then I'll only have one more prewritten cushion...}

@Eddie Brock

when I get home I will sacrifice one of my posts for your amusement.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

So, given it some thought and I'm really struggling to find my feet this time around with Strange. I won't drag it out, I'll have to drop for now. Sorry guys.

@ErsatzEmperor

Is this a new record?

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Hot take: Using images in posts is a crutch :P

@Lord Wraith

The same way using fancy formats in a cs is a crutch.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Did I do it right?

@Simple Unicycle

Spider-Ham is the one I most hyped to see for the Spider-Verse movie.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>



Edit: Just noticed the meme failed to put in the hyphen. For shame.

@HenryJonesJr

Same:

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

Manhattan Detention Complex
“The Tombs”

Angelo Campisi looked through the thick plexiglass partition at Chase. He wore the traditional orange all the DOC inmates wore, his clothing and jewels confiscated when the arrived. Chase noticed that Angelo’s dark hair was shiny and slicked back into place.

“At least you’re getting your hair gel in here,” Adrian said into the phone mounted on the wall. Angelo had a matching phone on his side of the glass.

“I had to trade away a carton of cigarettes for it,” Angelo grumbled. “But it was worth it. In here appearances are everything.”

“Let’s talk about your case,” said Chase. “I have to go to the US Attorney’s office to get discovery. I tried getting in touch with your previous counsel, but--”

“Jake Wexler isn’t gonna cooperate,” said Angelo. “I bet me dropping him and picking you has got the rest of the Family spooked. Jake is in their pocket, but you ain’t. They don’t want you whispering sweet little nothings into my ear.”

As a Capo in the Regetti Crime Family, Angelo knew more than enough about the Family to take them all down if he decided to start talking to the right police officers. As much as the FBI liked to tout their crime-busting prowess when it came to the Mafia, it had been informants and testifying mob bosses that had really done the most damage to La Cosa Nostra over the last fifty years. Paranoia was rampant among the mobsters. To even suspect someone was going to turn informant was grounds enough to kill them.

“And that’s what the feds are hoping for.” Angelo held his stubby finger out until it was pressed against the glass. “They framed me for this, Chase. They want to use this as leverage to get me to flip. I’m not a fucking rat, you hear me? I would rather die a hundred times over than give up my Family. Omerta, Chase. The code of silence, it is a powerful thing.”

“Right” said Chase, clearing his throat. “But from what I’ve found out about the case they seem to be doing a full-court press. No bail, deeming you a flight risk, and a potential fifteen to thirty years in a federal prison. But, it may be a moot point, Angelo. Your wife said you have an alibi.”

“Yes,” said Angelo. “I… umm…”

“What’s her name?”

“Rosa. She’s what they call a--”

“A goomar,” said Chase. “I’ve seen The Sopranos, Angelo. So you were with Rosa the night of the truck hijacking?”

“Damn straight,” said Angelo.”She lives in Crown Heights. “ He gave Chase the address before a small smile crept on to his face. “She does this thing with her pinkie where she gets it up in--”

“I’ll get my PI on it,” Chase shouted as he held the phone away from his ear. On the other side of the glass, Angelo was reenacting a very animated scene. “I’ll be in touch!”

---

Stavros’ Greek Diner
Midtown

“I don’t like it.”

Misty Knight looked at the half-eaten turkey club on her plate before looking back up at Chase.

“The guy is a scumbag, Chase.”

“He certainly is,” Chase said between bites of his cheeseburger. “And he’s gotten away with countless crimes in the past. But if he isn’t guilty of this one, isn’t that all that matters?”

“How much is he paying you?”

“Enough to keep the rent and power on for the rest of the year,” Chase said without missing a beat.

“And that’s all that really matters to you,” Misty said coolly.

“You have to start thinking about this differently,” Chase said as he wiped ketchup from his lips with a napkin. “When you were a cop, you were part of the system and that machinery was unstoppable. You know yourself how many people get caught up in the gears, regardless of their innocence. Our jobs as defense is to test the validity of that machine. It’s not so much about if he was innocent or not, it’s if the rules were being followed. If things like prejudice and laziness led to them railroading Angelo then it's not rigt. You know yourself that there are a lot of lazy and corrupt cops out there. And you also know first hand that evidence can be tampered with.”

“Yeah,” she said after pushing her turkey sandwich around. “No thanks to you.”

“How many times am I going to have to apologize for getting you fired?”

“Until you get me not fired,” said Misty. She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I get what you’re saying, I do. I’m not some cape-wearing weirdo who sees the world as only black and white. I get being pragmatic, I do, you gotta do what you can to keep business going? But if Angelo is innocent and we get him back on the streets, what happens when he actually does something that gets someone hurt or even killed?

Misty was surprised by Chase’s reaction. For the first time since she’d known the lawyer, he was without an answer. He struggled to come up with anything as he looked down at his plate of fries.

“I’ll… work on a solution,” he finally said. “It’s the best I can do. I’m going to go downtown to get all the discovery from the US Attorney’s office and actually start looking at the facts of this case. In the meantime, I want you to head up to Crown Heights and talk to Angelo’s mistress and see if she has any concrete proof of where they were the night of the hijacking in question. If you think it’s not kosher, then you can walk away and I can cut a deal with the US attorney to have Angelo turn state’s witness. He gets off the street and we get paid. Sound good?”

“It’s not ideal,” said Misty. “But it’ll work for now.”

As Chase and Knight wrapped up their business, eyes were watching. While a black sedan with tinted windows watched the diner from one end of the street, a burgundy Lincoln with two men in tracksuits watched the diner from the other end of the street.

---

Crown Heights
Brooklyn

Misty came to the third floor landing but stopped the second she saw the open door. 3C, Rosa Torres’ apartment, was wide open. She started forward, wishing she hadn’t left her gun in the glove compartment of her car, and gingerly stepped into the apartment.

Laying face first on the hardwood floor was a dead body, a pool of blood beneath it. Misty’s cop training told her to back out right away before she could contaminate the crime scene, but she had to know who the body was. Misty bent down to look at the body. It was female, with long dark hair and a complexion that hinted at a Hispanic background.

“Rosa,” Misty said softly to herself. “Son of a bitch.”

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

<Snipped quote by Master Bruce>

Take me with you.

@Lord Wraith

No. You're a garbage person who deserves this hell you helped create.

Ultimate One Universe: Season Two

>Comes in to check on the status of the RP and ensure that the OOC thread hasn't burned down.
>Sees that everyone has planned to become Venom.
>Blue Beetle has been made a God.
>Sees multiple threats on my life openly being conspired.
>Sees a mutiny in progress.

@Master Bruce

And you run, like a coward!