Epic Crossover IC - Metropolis Freeplay

[Michale CS]

Metropolis. The city most held up to symbolize the American dream. Liberty and Independence, Delaware's motto. Held tightly to by Metropolisians (or Metropolites, the terms are in about equal use).
A city shaped by its savior, Superman. A symbol of how one man can accomplish anything, and do the right thing, despite the outside pressures of the world and opposition.
Not that Metropolis doesn't have its dark side, it's ugly side. Many of its villains sit in glass skyscrapers, enacting their evils from inside of board rooms and on conference calls
There's a dark side to Metropolis. It just gets a new coat of paint and some shiny chrome to hide it.

Welcome to Metropolis.

LIke what you see? Join Epic Crossover!
​

 

[Sir Kaltao]

He reached under his counter and brought out a rather ugly looking old Blackberry. "This runs on a prepaid network, and is not equipped, like the modern phones, with a GPS. It's illegal to make them like that now, but the old models are grandfathered in. It makes calls... reasonably well, and as you see has a full physical keyboard. I hope you have Red's number memorized because you're going to turn off the phone you have now remove its battery, and recycle or destroy the device, but not yet. I really don't want the last place that phone was traceable to be in my shop, or else you might not have my help long, if your hacker comes after me."

@Sir Kaltao

"I'm not worried about Red. He always adjusts the GPS position. Otherwise the hacker would have known already." Joe refrained from giving the old guy a hot foot for the comment about Millennials. He wasn't worth the effort. He took the phone back and turned it off before accepting the new/old one. "Obviously you're sensitive about your age, so I'll just call you TI-82. Now, TI-82, indulge my theory."

Joe went to a bare wall and leaned back on it while talking. "Now. You said you, the hacker of hackers, couldn't break Red. But what if a lot of them banded together? I'm sure at least three hackers of a little less caliber than you have a better chance of doing it together. But that still doesn't quite explain the TV situation. To do that I'm guessing they need more than just hacking know-how right? I mean maybe if they were all the smart TVs jacked into the internet, sure. But not all of them were.Labels would have said so. That being the case, then I'm looking for someone with abilities that affect technology."

He sighed, shrugged, and asked "What do you think? Know of any metahumans or hackers with the pull to do all of that?"

@Michale CS

 

[Michale CS]

"I'm not worried about Red. He always adjusts the GPS position. Otherwise the hacker would have known already." Joe refrained from giving the old guy a hot foot for the comment about Millennials. He wasn't worth the effort. He took the phone back and turned it off before accepting the new/old one. "Obviously you're sensitive about your age, so I'll just call you TI-82. Now, TI-82, indulge my theory."

"I'm actually not sensitive about it, son. I'm just aware it gives me certain advantages." Joe was proving his view of millennials right by the fact that he couldn't take criticism and seemed to think he already knew everything.

Joe went to a bare wall and leaned back on it while talking. "Now. You said you, the hacker of hackers, couldn't break Red. But what if a lot of them banded together? I'm sure at least three hackers of a little less caliber than you have a better chance of doing it together. But that still doesn't quite explain the TV situation. To do that I'm guessing they need more than just hacking know-how right? I mean maybe if they were all the smart TVs jacked into the internet, sure. But not all of them were.Labels would have said so. That being the case, then I'm looking for someone with abilities that affect technology."

He sighed, shrugged, and asked "What do you think? Know of any metahumans or hackers with the pull to do all of that?"

"My daughter, and a friend of hers but they don't share my particular vocational bent. She could do it without powers to manipulate electronics. As could I. Of course one would have to be fairly close by with a microwave transmitter, but one could do it. It's highly unlikely, however, because that someone would have had to have been tailing you the whole time and timed the transmissions just right. It's easy enough to step on a TV transmission especially now that they've gone digital." He smiled sardonically and waggled a finger at him.

"Now, if you're going to keep holding me in contempt, you can move right along and find this person or people on your own. Threats of violence sadly, won't work to coerce me. I've lived a long, fruitful life as you've so graciously pointed out to me. I've got a heart condition now, so torture would likely just kill me, and you'd still be down a hacker and on your own. If we're to continue to work together, you'll address me as Mr. Kuttler." Kuttler's smile got wider if that were even possible.

He swivelled the screen of a PC around to face Joe. "See, I'd already done the preliminary work. Metahuman wise, we have - and I included living and presumed dead. This is a few simple internet searches away for anyone."

Technopaths:

• M.O.D.O.K (At Large)
• BRAINIAC (Missing, presumed active)
• Control Freak (In Prison)
• At least two Stark Industries employees, exact identities unknown
• Ultron (Presumed deleted)
• The Drummer (Real name unknown, ally to known super heroes)
• Detective Misty Knight (NYPD - range of Technopathy unknown)
• Sylvius (Mercenary, At Large)

"This was a list of those I felt had some possibility of trying to hack Red. We can cross a couple of them at least off when you factor in the taunting you received. But... that's all you get from me until you show a little respect for your elders."

@Sir Kaltao

 

[Ringmaster]

The sound of a sudden thump and then a heavy knocking on glass was heard from the window.

And if the shutters were pulled up, it'd reveal the following.

"Yo, DC Hack and Firestarter! Help a brutha out?"

One hour ago....

Worlds changed, properties that must never cross might come into conflict and he would never, find the perfect crayon for this picture- Ah, never mind that last. But childish drawings did not pay for bullets, booze and hookers and there was plenty of work to be found around a place like this. And it was a good job! Hard work, out of doors...And by the end of the day, no matter what costume they wore? You could always count on someone, wanting another person dead. And much, more more who could pay for it.

Still, you're doing a job in METROPOLIS.

"Shoot, people kill each other everywhere! Its a natural state of affairs."

Yes, but not every place has some guy in tights and a cape who's faster than a speeding bullet.

And who could shove your head, up your own ass effortlessly.

"Hey, its either this or we show up in one of the other freeplay threads. And we spent all our ticket money earlier on candy."

I think it was spelled 'Candi'. With an I.

"Eh, tomato-toh-ma-toe. Anyway, we deserved that party. We survived against Dormammu and his horde of Twitter followers."

They're called 'Mindless Ones.'

"Yeah, Twitter followers. Right then!"

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

And waiting for a beat, dropped a timed grenade to explode before the car and kill his targets aboard.

Well that was.....

Anticlimatic. Why didn't you jump?

"Pffft, so February twenty-sixteen! Besides, that's our cue to run. TO THE DEADMOBILE!"

One traffic-filled hour later....

The people in Metropolis were jerks.

Stupid Rhino. Messing up the Pool-Machine. Still, the proceeds from that job were good. And he wasn't red, yellow and blue'd by anyone yet. Now to find another job....

Which was why, after some discreet searching that we find ourselves back to the beginning.

With Deadpools face smushed against the glass.

@Michale CS @Sir Kaltao
​

 

[Michale CS]

The sound of a sudden thump and then a heavy knocking on glass was heard from the window.

And if the shutters were pulled up, it'd reveal the following.

"Yo, DC Hack and Firestarter! Help a brutha out?"

One hour ago....

Worlds changed, properties that must never cross might come into conflict and he would never, find the perfect crayon for this picture- Ah, never mind that last. But childish drawings did not pay for bullets, booze and hookers and there was plenty of work to be found around a place like this. And it was a good job! Hard work, out of doors...And by the end of the day, no matter what costume they wore? You could always count on someone, wanting another person dead. And much, more more who could pay for it.

Still, you're doing a job in METROPOLIS.

"Shoot, people kill each other everywhere! Its a natural state of affairs."

Yes, but not every place has some guy in tights and a cape who's faster than a speeding bullet.

And who could shove your head, up your own ass effortlessly.

"Hey, its either this or we show up in one of the other freeplay threads. And we spent all our ticket money earlier on candy."

I think it was spelled 'Candi'. With an I.

"Eh, tomato-toh-ma-toe. Anyway, we deserved that party. We survived against Dormammu and his horde of Twitter followers."

They're called 'Mindless Ones.'

"Yeah, Twitter followers. Right then!"

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.

And waiting for a beat, dropped a timed grenade to explode before the car and kill his targets aboard.

Well that was.....

Anticlimatic. Why didn't you jump?

"Pffft, so February twenty-sixteen! Besides, that's our cue to run. TO THE DEADMOBILE!"

One traffic-filled hour later....

The people in Metropolis were jerks.

Stupid Rhino. Messing up the Pool-Machine. Still, the proceeds from that job were good. And he wasn't red, yellow and blue'd by anyone yet. Now to find another job....

Which was why, after some discreet searching that we find ourselves back to the beginning.

With Deadpools face smushed against the glass.

@Michale CS @Sir Kaltao
​

"Fucking cosplayers. Always bugging me. It's that costume shop down the street." He walked up to the other side of the window. "Down the street! Three doors down, that's the costume shop."

@Sir Kaltao @Ringmaster

 

[Sir Kaltao]

"Fucking cosplayers. Always bugging me. It's that costume shop down the street." He walked up to the other side of the window. "Down the street! Three doors down, that's the costume shop."

"This happen often?" Joe asked, following him out to investigate the disturbance. Upon seeing who it was, Joe was visibly surprised. Who just walks around in their gear like that? It took a little longer for everything to click.

"Deadpool, right?" Joe asked, stepping between the two. "If you're here for a hit on him, we're going to have a big problem. I got a bone to pick with someone else and he's my only help in tracking them down." He'd heard about Deadpool, alright. Read a dossier on him from Red with the note 'Not our problem, unless he's hired to be.'

"So if it's not a hit, how can we help and why should we?"

@Michale CS

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Felicity managed to get a hotel room with some of her money and opened her laptop and used her phone to make a private wifi server. After a few moments, she started to look for the patterns that her father had always left, she knew his signature and could use this to her advantage. If all went well, she would be able to locate where he was located, She hoped that it worked.

@Michale CS

 

[Michale CS]

Felicity managed to get a hotel room with some of her money and opened her laptop and used her phone to make a private wifi server. After a few moments, she started to look for the patterns that her father had always left, she knew his signature and could use this to her advantage. If all went well, she would be able to locate where he was located, She hoped that it worked.

@Michale CS

After a little work... okay, a lot of work, she finally tracked him down via a flash drive Noah had used when he was last in Star City.
A flash drive that, while mainly blank, had all of her best encryption protocols on it. One that, until she just found the signature of, she'd assumed missing or destroyed.

Well, she found the flash drive at least. Daddy had "borrowed" it, apparently. She hadn't found a home address, the place it was used was near a community college in the heart of Metropolis. A quick search found it was an electronics repair shop. Hide in plain sight, right?


@LuckycoolHawk9

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

After a little work... okay, a lot of work, she finally tracked him down via a flash drive Noah had used when he was last in Star City.
A flash drive that, while mainly blank, had all of her best encryption protocols on it. One that, until she just found the signature of, she'd assumed missing or destroyed.

Well, she found the flash drive at least. Daddy had "borrowed" it, apparently. She hadn't found a home address, the place it was used was near a community college in the heart of Metropolis. A quick search found it was an electronics repair shop. Hide in plain sight, right?

Felicity hadn't expected it to be easy to find her father, he was a man who was good at hiding behind firewalls amongst other things. She paused when she realized what she had traced. It was her own flash drive that seemed to be tracked and she had assumed that it had been lost or destroyed.

She should have expected that her dad had borrowed it and she looked over to see that it wasn't an exact address. After she searched, she found that it was an electronics repair shop. He was indeed a clever man. She was going to have him credit for that though. She headed there.

@Michale CS

 

[Michale CS]

"This happen often?" Joe asked, following him out to investigate the disturbance. Upon seeing who it was, Joe was visibly surprised. Who just walks around in their gear like that? It took a little longer for everything to click.

"Deadpool, right?" Joe asked, stepping between the two. "If you're here for a hit on him, we're going to have a big problem. I got a bone to pick with someone else and he's my only help in tracking them down." He'd heard about Deadpool, alright. Read a dossier on him from Red with the note 'Not our problem, unless he's hired to be.'

"So if it's not a hit, how can we help and why should we?"

Little voices? Hey guys, why aren't you there? He tapped his head a few times. Okay, this was bad. He could be going... sane! Where's my writer? What are my next lines? And why the heck do I care what Sir Kaltao said?

"Hold that thought. See, I got this thing... where I gotta go see a guy... about a thing, that I just remembered." Then Wade did what he thought was prefectly logical, and quickly crab-walked away while exclaiming, "Whoop, Whoop, Whoop, Whoop-Whoop!"


"Moron." he shook it off and was about to continue to talk to Joe when...

She should have expected that her dad had borrowed it and she looked over to see that it wasn't an exact address. After she searched, she found that it was an electronics repair shop. He was indeed a clever man. She was going to have him credit for that though. She headed there.

"Whoop, Whoop, Whoop, Whoop-Whoo- Oh hey, vaguely hot girl in glasses. Your dad's just around the corner, and he's still a dick." He hopped back on the scooter ahem, the Deadmobile 2.0 and puttered off.

@LuckycoolHawk9 @Sir Kaltao @Ringmaster (had to segue Deadpool out to compensate for your IRL away-ness, you can get him back in later)

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

"Whoop, Whoop, Whoop, Whoop-Whoo- Oh hey, vaguely hot girl in glasses. Your dad's just around the corner, and he's still a dick." He hopped back on the scooter ahem, the Deadmobile 2.0 and puttered off.

Felicity paused and looked at the man. She didn't have much information to go on, but if a mysterious man in red spandex tells your dad is around the corner, she had no choice. She had a man to confront about hiding and her stolen flash drive.

@Michale CS

 

[Michale CS]

Felicity paused and looked at the man. She didn't have much information to go on, but if a mysterious man in red spandex tells your dad is around the corner, she had no choice. She had a man to confront about hiding and her stolen flash drive.

@Michale CS

And there he was, talking to some guy in a leather jacket and going back into his shop. He hadn't seen her yet at this point. There was still time to turn back, or she could brace herself and go confront him.

@LuckycoolHawk9 @Sir Kaltao

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

And there he was, talking to some guy in a leather jacket and going back into his shop. He hadn't seen her yet at this point. There was still time to turn back, or she could brace herself and go confront him

Felicity had a chance to turn back. She could go back to Star City and just help Ollie. She could forget about her horrible father and live her life. Maybe get more committed to that Russian guy. Well, nope. Felicity braced herself and went to confront her and entered the store.

@Michale CS

 

[Michale CS]

Felicity had a chance to turn back. She could go back to Star City and just help Ollie. She could forget about her horrible father and live her life. Maybe get more committed to that Russian guy. Well, nope. Felicity braced herself and went to confront her and entered the store.

"...well, well. How coincidental. Joe, this is my daughter, Felicity. Felicity, this is Joe. He works for a man who did me a big favor once, so I'm inclined to help him now. I trust you've been well in Star City? Married yet? I didn't get an invitation, not that I expected one, really." Her father smiled that smile she knew was just for show. He really hadn't changed a bit.

@LuckycoolHawk9 @Sir Kaltao

 

[Sir Kaltao]

"Uh-huh. Don't know what I was expecting, but not that." Joe shrugged and went back into the store.

"Where were we again? Let's see we were past the point I showed a lot of restraint after your truly enlightening commentary on my generation which I have to say-" He raised a finger and took on an expression that waffled between a grimace and genuine smile "-Really something I've never heard before and will surely spark a change in millions of young minds, and not the fire that burns this place down-" He took a breath and beat then kept going "-but then I asked an honest question to keep moving forward, you tried to tick me off again, and then Deadpool derailed us." He moved his pointer finger between them, then the window and back to physically retrace his train of thought. "Alright, now I remember-"

At that moment he was interrupted by the arrival of a blonde bespectacled woman, whom he was introduced to as his daughter. He waved at her and then said to Felicity. "Want to say I'm not sure who I'm more sorry for. You, or your mother. I've known him under an hour and hope we never have to work together again after I'm done here." Sensing the tension, he spoke further and said "If you two have issues to work out, I totally understand, and just ignore me while you work that out. I'll just check out all the inventory I don't really understand. Pretend I'm not here." He turned to the rack of sim cards and read the labels to pass time while they had their talk.

@Michale CS @LuckycoolHawk9

 

[thatguyinthestore]

To: Lex Luthor

From: Profesor Hugo Strange

Meeting Request
​

Dear Mister Luther:

I apologize for contacting you via your personal e-mail, but I must meet with you as soon as is convenient. I have a business proposition for you, and I only ask for a small favor in return. We can discuss the details in person.

Sincerely,
Hugo Strange

@Michale CS​

 

[Michale CS]

To: Lex Luthor

From: Profesor Hugo Strange
Meeting Request

Dear Mister Luther:

I apologize for contacting you via your personal e-mail, but I must meet with you as soon as is convenient. I have a business proposition for you, and I only ask for a small favor in return. We can discuss the details in person.

Sincerely,
Hugo Strange

@Michale CS

He looked it over several times, and almost deleted it twice. Hugo Strange. Too closely associated with Arkham for his tastes. Nothing good ever came out of Arkham, especially the employees.

However... with the current chaos, perhaps he could be convinced that he needed a more stable employer. He had to admit, the little bit of research he had done on the man made him consider working with him.

He of course didn't reply personally. He forwarded it to Mercy, and had her draft a standard - we're delighted to meet with a potential business partner email, but then had her follow it up with a URL. It was explicitly spelled out that at a very specific date and time that the link would work to set up a video conference. Just the once, and it was stated that whatever computer he used to make the connection would be rendered inert at the end of the conference.

Have to cover the bases. If any word of him speaking to such a controversial figure as Strange leaked to the media, they'd have a field day.

Then, he shook his head, and decided. "I think that I might play both sides of the field. Mercy, do we still have any balance in the trust I set up for neighborhood restoration?"

She nodded, then looked up the number. "About three hundred thousand."

"I think we need to expand our renovations outside Metropolis. I'm thinking, we need to reach out to the employees and management of the Iceberg Lounge. Arrange a meeting with whichever Cobblepot is running the establishment now. I think we need to make a generous donation towards its renovation..."

@thatguyinthestore

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

"...well, well. How coincidental. Joe, this is my daughter, Felicity. Felicity, this is Joe. He works for a man who did me a big favor once, so I'm inclined to help him now. I trust you've been well in Star City? Married yet? I didn't get an invitation, not that I expected one, really." Her father smiled that smile she knew was just for show. He really hadn't changed a bit.

Felicity looked at her father and wasn't about to justify him at the end of the day. " Well, it looks like you haven't changed a day in your life. I don't know what I expected. You were never a good man or a good father. I rather not tell you about my personal life, also, I would like that drive you stole back," she said, growling. She was just done with the man and felt bad for the other guy just a little bit, but not too much.

@Sir Kalato @Michale CS

 

[Michale CS]

Felicity looked at her father and wasn't about to justify him at the end of the day. " Well, it looks like you haven't changed a day in your life. I don't know what I expected. You were never a good man or a good father. I rather not tell you about my personal life, also, I would like that drive you stole back," she said, growling. She was just done with the man and felt bad for the other guy just a little bit, but not too much.

@Sir Kalato @Michale CS

"I was only doing what your mother suggested. Let Felicity come to you, she said. You don't need this drive back. You could have wiped it remotely the first time I plugged it into a computer hooked to the internet. Now why would I purposely make that kind of mistake, hmm? If you really wanted nothing more to do with me... you wouldn't be here, now would you?" He tossed it to her anyway.

"Of course, if you leave now, you're going to miss out on trying to stop... well either a hacker or a technopath. I'm leaning toward technopath. Buuut... well, I understand, you've got a busy life. Palmer Tech, Oliver Queen, the night life in Star City. You probably don't have time in that schedule of yours to help your father, and this gentleman here as well. I'm sure I can find someone else to help. Cardiff, Scuito... oh wait, those folks are affiliated with law enforcement and I've had such a checkered past."

He went back behind the counter, but he left the monitor tilted as he had to show Joe the list of technopaths he might be dealing with...

Technopaths:

• M.O.D.O.K (At Large)
• BRAINIAC (Missing, presumed active)
• Control Freak (In Prison)
• At least two Stark Industries employees, exact identities unknown
• Ultron (Presumed deleted)
• The Drummer (Real name unknown, ally to known super heroes)
• Detective Misty Knight (NYPD - range of Technopathy unknown)
• Sylvius (Mercenary, At Large)

@Sir Kaltao @LuckycoolHawk9

 

[Gands]

Hercules

I am walking about, learning about my new home city. Feeling wonderful. A blue silk shirt, a black workman's kilt with my Olympian belt and boots, a smaller version of my duffle like a backpack.
A set of sunglasses that work as some sort of defense against flash grenades and help me see in the dark. Tony sent them to me as a housewarming. We had a little get together a few of us. Sif, Steve Rogers, She Hulk, Tony Stark and Pepper, me and Cardiff. I am musing a bit as I walk. There I notice that pretty woman I danced with at the strange Irish bar..

She doesn't look happy as she disappears into a shop. Electronics repair, hmmn...Well, I'll wait out here and get a hot chocolate and wait for her.

@Michale CS @LuckycoolHawk9 @Sir Kaltao

 

[LuckycoolHawk9]

Felicity wasn't about to let him throw her mother in his face, so she simply didn't reply to that comment. She also wasn't going to argue that she could have wiped it out remotely, it was the truth of the matter. She wasn't going to argue him on that, and barely caught the disk, she really needed to work on her hand coordination skills and it was a good thing that she did catch it too quite quickly.

" I must certainly have time to deal with some technopath or hacker. Oliver can wait... and the company can wait another day," she said. She knew that she was falling into his trap, there was no denying that but she wasn't about to admit that. She felt her pocket and just noticed that something was missing. The other flash drive. Was she seriously that easy to pick pocket without noticing? She hadn't bumped- oh wait, Brown hair had bumped into her, god damn she hated that she had missed that.

Felicity looked over at the screen, knowing that she was doing this for her too. She really shouldn't be doing this, he was bound to disappoint her.

@Michale CS @Sir Kaltao

James had been careful after his encounter with the cop lady. He checked his back a few times and had borrowed some food from an unsuspecting tourist who hadn't been paying attention. He still had Felicity's flash drive.

James looked around and barely noticed that he was in a shady part of town. It was kind of normal for the man, he often found the worst parts of all the towns and this seemed like one of them. He was cautious. No use blowing up some people, even accidently as it would be. He noticed the blond he had stolen from and noticed she had noticed the flash drive was missing.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck, James thought as he tried to find a quick exit and noticed there was one, but not before he almost bumped into Hercules. Fuck his life.

@Gands