Volume 1: Calling Cards

Riven paces the room rather than sit down. She'd like to sit but this whole situation makes her nervous for some reason. The dust covers didn't exactly fit her form. It made her feel awkward. She told herself that her costume was little more than a bathing suit anyway, so it shouldn't matter, but the way the extra layers bulged and curved with her body...just felt weird.

But it wasn't just her self consciousness. Somebody new how to find her despite all her work to keep her two lives distinct. Her mask probably wasn't reliable, but she rarely went out as Becky Sanders since landing that gig as a medical coder from home. It didn't pay much but it kept her afloat. 'Afloat. Good one.' she thought to herself.

Now someone was giving her $500 bucks just to listen to their sales pitch. And if the vibe was right, more money was on the table. But who did that sort of thing. In this day and age the heroes wouldn't let a bunch of supervillains organize into a gang. Most super baddie team-ups were forged out of convivence and proximity. And they didn't last long.

Maybe this was just a one time gig? But bringing them here, rather than an empty abandoned warehouse somewhere? If they were meeting here, it meant the mastermind had ties to this company. So they were taking a risk. Which could excuse the veiled threat but Riven didn't like it either.

The snacks and drinks were a nice touch too, but still a risk at this point. She'd wait to see if anyone else took something.

I enter slowly, head bowed trying not to look at all the valuables, and making notes of exits. I check my makeup and fake ears in a reflective surface, nodding once, before looking for a place to sit.
Something is fishier than the time I tried to rob the seafood festival.
At least a cat running around that wasn't too strange.
No idea how my clothes somehow go with Me when it happens but I'm thankful for it....
I look to the two other women in the room, nod and smile despite the fact they can't see my mouth

Brigid O'Hickey strolls around the lobby in her power armor. Each step is accompanied by the muffled thud of the power armor's weight landing on rough commercial carpet, and the hissing of the joints' hydraulics. As for the dust cover, Brigid wore it over her body, and not the power armor, as per the letter of the request rather than its spirit.

After looking around to see if anybody noticed that she was underaged, Brigid sidled over to the wet bar and poured herself half a shot out of the fanciest looking bottle. Just enough to taste.

Shot glass in hand, Brigid decides that it would be fun to partake in conversation as she partook, so to speak. The nervous one pacing seemed to be thinking about stuff, so Brigid decided to speak to the one dressed like a cat. Leaning in next to her, Brigid greeted her.

"Hi there!"

Cocks her head. "Hello. Nice place isn't it?
"

Five hundred bucks was more than what Dan had seen in a month, in recent months that is. That was pretty much enough to cover the dry cleaning for the suction cups to make them sticky again. He had been stealing cleaning lotion from the laundrette two streets away and while he could've continued to do so, it felt good to march up through its front doors and tell the little old lady that he wanted the costume hand-handled, not man-handled, but no ironing in case it ruined the ribbed torso section on the wrong heat setting.

It seemed almost a pity to disguise it with construction wear at first, but Tentacular understood discretion! And also the lure of more money! The overalls got in the way of the first couple of rooftop swings as he tried to get to the stated destination by the waterfront. That when it occurred to him that he could simply carry the dust covers with one of his, um, arms, while swinging freely with the other three. That made the journey go much faster. Even so, he was the latest. Entering he saw three others already present, and a fourth woman sitting behind a desk.

"Sorry I'm late, traffic was hell! Have we started yet? Oh I see we're still sitting around, waiting for someone else? Or me? Oh me! Yes, hello, I am the Spectacular Tentacular! Please to meet everyone!" Four limbs shot out from his body, proffering hand?shakes to everyone, including the woman behind the desk.

"You can call me Macavity the Mystery Cat.Or just Macavity

Brigid nods in response to June.

"Yep, it is. Shame that we're here on business, I'd like to explore the area a bit. Name's Brigid, Brigid O'Hickey, but my codename's Terminal. Nice to meet you, Mystery Cat!"

Upon seeing the Spectacular Tentacular enter, Brigid gasped in surprise.

"Hang on, I remember seeing you on TV when I was a kid! I honestly thought you were a childhood fever dream or something."

Not to leave a tentacle hanging, Brigid takes up the offered hand(?)shake.

Riven jolts at seeing the tentacle/hand being shoved in her face. She frowns and tilts her head to see the man behind it. Using one finger she pushes the appendage to the side.

"Yes. Hello Tentacular." Her tone is dry and uninterested. Now that the kid has started drinking, Riven seems prepared to risk a drink. She pours three fingers of whisky into a glass, but just carries it for now, waiting to see if the girl in the power armor suffers any ill effects.

After another minute she realizes the young girl probably hasn't ever been drunk before and there is no way Riven will know if slured words are from knock-out drugs or just the alcohol. Deciding there's little risk in a trap after all this setup, Riven sits in a chair and takes a sip.

"I go by Riven. Sorry about not introducing myself before. I...I guess...I was just nervous. I though I'd covered my tracks better. I don't suppose any of you have a clue what we are doing here? I mean beyond the cryptic invites we clearly all got?"

"Why that's terribly flattering young lady, Terminal is it?"The tentacle made a flourish accompanied by a obsequious bow (if tentacles could indeed do that). "I shall try to deserve my reputation then. Oh the wonders of this contraption of yours, I'll bet it can bench press more than my appendages combined!" The compliment went straight to Tentacular's head, followed by wistful heyday thoughts of being the gangrunner for the Go and Glow twins. He came back down the earth when Riven pushed his hand aside. "Well someone doesn't like calamari very much. No point speculating girl, it's all going to be revealed." One of his fingers pointed backward at the woman at the desk. "A good villain is always fashionably late."

"I don't know about you guys, but I really hope it's some eccentric, rich supervillain offering to sponsor us. Wouldn't that be great?"

That would be Brigid's best case scenario. It'll be hard for her to achieve notoriety in a short time without some ample support.

hmm. that would be good. and if they can bankroll this and $500 just to talk? she trails off and looks to the woman with the files who has stayed silent. Is it you then?

Tentacular found himself strangely uncurious. He didn't need to know whom he was going to work for; he wasn't about to judge their provenance nor their background. In fact, the less he knew the better. In fact, there was one time he was the first to be released from police interrogation because it was easy for the fuzz to ascertain that he knew next to nothing about the arcane plot of the Grand Poobah to substitute soda in the city's supply for water. His role then was to simultaneously turn off a bunch of spigots in the plant, hardly a capital crime.

He smiled vapidly at the secretary's offer but asked nothing.

As perpetually curious as her resting face may be, Brigid didn't have many pressing questions for the secretary. Or rather, she'd rather wait until Dr. Gennison appeared to ask questions.

"Nah, We can just wait for this Gennison guy to show.

"Well, I'm just charmed at your illustrious praise, Mr. Gennison," ElectroLite smiled kindly at their suitor while pouring a double shot of tequila. Alcohol: moderate depressant, minimal risk of arrhythmia...

"But I reckon this is a bit much to do for a handful of autographs and a photo-op, much less in such esteemed company. I'd not deny you the pleasure of lauding our talents, but do feel free to bring us up to speed with any plans you may be harboring at your earliest convenience."

Riven gives a huff as she sits down in a nice chair, seeming put off by the style comment outwardly, but when she crosses her legs she turns in her seat to show a lot of thigh to their host.

"The invite didn't make it seem like we were here for a fan meet-and-greet Gennison. Why don't we skip the pleasantries and get to the point? If we like what you have to say we can make with the chit-chat later."