Professional Courtesy comments
Ouch, sore subject for me, lost a good friend to cancer, she died before her 17th birthday. So this guy talking about losing 5 family members, just painful. Double ouch, framed for a crime by someone rich and powerful. Hope we learn why he was framed by the end of the story. Weird response from bland, possibly "devil" guy, though it does lend credence to him being something not quite human. Good grief, this guy was sent to jail and he has a skill set as impressive as James Bond.
Principal, sounds like this is a recruiter for DeVille Academy. And complete re-make with 20-39% survival rate, guessing it isn't without unexpected changes during the re-make process. Honest man putting a lot of thought into this, love how he is conflicted about taking such an offer. 3 days and had to see himself as an innocent victim of a corrupt system to do it, though it is the truth in his case. They sent a woman that attractive for him, no wonder the guard was smirking.
She survived this process and came out looking like that!?! Guessing by how she eats she has an Exemplar's appetite or its equivalent. Power to set and control fires, impressive. *eyes bug out* Process makes you into a young hottie female and gives you super powers, I can understand why they don't advertise it. And this babe is a fellow transsexual like the guy/girl she is talking to, didn't expect that.
All that to keep the procedure a secret, at least they train you afterwards. 1 million for the procedure and all those fees for jobs, upkeep, etc., yikes. Talon, masked voice over a phone, evil version of
Charlie's Angels."Yeah, but I'm Farah,
Bwahahaha, she has the attitude to be Farah. Yikes, hasn't hurt or permanently maimed anyone, but that temper issue, connected to the powers she got in the procedure or unintended side-effect I wonder. Well that was very...ahem...detailed of her. Contract and revisions, wonder if that includes details on what you want to look like if you survive the procedure.
Hot Stuff, apt name. And a week going over the contract and making corrections and revisions, ouch. Two gelatin capsules and a card reading 'Eat Me', two rich, now we just need one of the women who survived the procedure to have powers like the Cheshire Cat. Now that is more realistic, takes at least a few moments or even minutes to register such a big chance. Now there is a classic and hot look for the transformed woman.
Tina Montgomery, trying to get the joke but I missed it. They did the works for her cover identity, and I can see why they would make it so she changed her name, Helga Eileen Dubcek, ouch, the amount of teasing the poor girl must how got. 3 months at the 'Fitness Spa', oh boy. Lower reaches of Spiderman's weight class, that would be 2-3 tons! Lap an Olympic track in half a minute, so close to 30 mph.
And she was floating, from limited gravity manipulation! That is a very dangerous power even at low levels in the hands of someone creative. All those capabilities with it already, scary to imagine once she gets some experience with it. DeWinter Residence in New York, residence hotel for young ladies. Talon knows how to set up his operation.
Yikes, hope she is right about Dark Avenger being dead, sounds worse than the Punisher even. Madam Maria Zeleska, the concierge, seems like a nice lady. Blending in Talon's girls and other supervillains with actual affluent young women, smart and draws less attention. Pinball, know I've read that name in a Whateley story before. Lady Medusa is new, though Hexfire sounds familiar. Rumble Rose, is that a reference to the female wrestling video game series Rumble Roses? And Bloody Mary, boy, a lot of female villains like to use that old urban legend in various forms of fiction.
Secret entrance in the showers to a sub-basement, very cool. Everything to do with their supervillain life is kept or done down in the sub-basement, smart, most fiction pieces with criminals or villains don't think of how they keep from being detected like this. Good grief, they have their own mini-Workshop tunnels for entrance and escape into the place, talk about thorough. Help in a quick and stealthy get-away is just a phone call away, good lord they have thought of nearly everything.
Nice costume on the new girl who just showed up, keep them guessing as to what all it does. Ah, she is Pinball, definitely not the other Pinball I was thinking of. The Countess, dang, I barely remember a few words in German and Spanish I took decades ago. Jackie seems a little forgetful or possibly ditzy to think that Mdm. Zeleska would bring someone not in the supervillain biz down there.
Demo of Tina's power, and she is right, it isn't what you have, it's how you use it. Would be more afraid of a low level TK or PK with high level control who could pinch a blood vessel than a high-level brick. Okay, going with ditzy for Jackie if she has to be reminded to get dressed first before showing Tina around. Dooz, non-angsty Emo, is that even possible. Ah, so this is Lady Medusa, interesting look, subdued for the most part. Show business words for stuff in Super-crime in New York, interesting.
*smacks forehead* Been so long since I saw or read anything with Three Musketeers I forgot about Milady DeWinter. An independent coffee shop in New York, they found a rare gem. Pinball's a mutant, Lady Medusa is a 'Legacy Witch', with Melody figuring out Tina has a sponsor, smart girl. Melody has made a pretty accurate guess as to the origin of Tina and the other girls sponsored by Talon, hope this doesn't bite her in the butt later on. Oh boy, talk about Tina's sponsor and Melody has to warn off Jackie about not needing, nor wanting to know. Jackie really is dense not to drop it when Melody is trying to warn her off.
That is a lot of slang to keep things secret, though not as bad as original criminal jargon centuries ago. Supervillain Code, poor Tina has a lot to absorb in a short amount of time. Ah, nice to see the code spelled out and detailed for all the rules they use to keep themselves in business and professional. Interesting 12 rules there.
'Next Step', nice name for a personal electronics store. Ah, using Montauk's files to find out the criminals they couldn't go after to get justice and recover stolen items. Using social media to make her reputation as a thief, 480k for 7 old pieces of artwork, most of which are probably in the collections of people Montauk is investigating but can't act on. Betting on herself, she definitely has the youthful ego and stubborn streak.
Ah, she is actually hitting the Guggenheim, was expecting at least one of the painting she mentioned to be in the private collection of someone secretly. 'Spark Suit', is that a reference to something, if so I don't know it. All that gear and GizTech, Shane is a good salesman. *Eyes bug out again* Okay, she has the superhuman abilities combined with skills and years of experience. Uh oh, scrambling for that one piece is going to cost her. Being spotted on purpose to try and make a name for yourself, bad idea in New York with the number of superheroes and vigilantes around.
The Steel Falcon, oh brother, the way he talks and his look are like a mix of Blue Falcon and Batman. Slipped on her accent, at least she didn't try to correct that, and taunted SF with one he has heard time and time before. And she keeps taunting him, now with names of rich people. Her first job as a supervillain and she has got the snarky banter and taunting down pat. Boy, that spark suit is a definite must have for those who don't like grappling with others or being tied up or bound in any way.
In the middle of a fight still and he tries to cuff her, that is downright rude and cocky on his part. Iron Turkey, she is starting to sound a little like Imp with her nicknames for superheroes, bet they would get along. Or snark at each other a lot. Magnetized cuff, yikes. Capture goo, good she dodge that, don't think even the spark suit would have helped her get out of that easily. Dang, she thinks fast on her feet and adapts quickly. Ouch, the cuff fouls her up again and she gets gooped, and it slips right off, that spark suit is more impressive than I thought.
Strongarm ignoring the professional courtesy rule and trying to excuse it by stating she isn't a professional, he is going to get in trouble for that one. Calling her a skank, saying she is a screwy chick playing at sexy catburglar, he deserves what happens to him. Steel Falcon a welcome distraction and allows her to toss Strongarm giving her a headstart on the two. Boy, she keeps turning their attacks against them. Darn, gets down through the roof into an apartment and through the building only to bump into SF and get another magnetic cuff, forcing her arms together. Leaping to escape, only to be snagged by Strongarm, not her night.
Cryogenic spray to the face and then a palm strike with gravitic wave through his head, Strongarm is hurting. Steel Falcon keeps finding her, bet he has a tracking device inside those cuffs on her. Mine that explodes into expanding plastic tentacles, what kind of perv would use those with how they go everywhere. Finally she figures it out, tracking her with the cuffs. Those cuffs and his tactics with them are almost sadistic in nature.
Gets the cuffs off with two of the GizTech gadgets, but gets slammed by Strongarm, but had to use the GizStop to protect herself. Uh oh, Bloody Mary is here, this feels like it could go either way for Tina. SF goops both Bloody Marry and Strongarm, Tina left untouched thanks to forcefield. At least she got the other cuff off and bolted, And Bloody Mary is a bad thing, attacking Tina and trying to take the score and more. Vibrational weapon that shook them and the fire escape, even Bloody Mary says it was better than he last 3 dates. They taunt SF about selling it on a sex toy site, Mary starts to agree with Tina until she goes back to full on insane.
Force field taking the hits from Mary's razors and flickering, but Tina hits her with a wide-angle spray of fullerene dust which makes it too slippery to stand. SF targets her again only for his gauntlet to overheat and explode, leaving his covered in his own goop, now he sees what it is like. Saying he should take the name the Coyote and does the Roadrunner <beep beep!> before running off. Gets to the spot where her gauntlet starts only to be grabbed by Strongarm.
Oh, that is just too perfect, took away his command link to his cybernetics with the Omni-tool. SF shows up and she gets another cuff on the wrist, finding out he has Cuff-A-Rangs, that is almost cheating. Using Strongarm to take out SF without Strongarm having any say, just too perfect. Cuffing them together and fighting over who has control over the situations, they will never live this down. Gets to the gauntlet and of course runs into Bloody Mary when she hoped not to. Darn it! Some guys show up who Bloody Mary owes money to and Tina is going to just leave her, only to be ratted out about the paintings. It is a wonder someone hasn't killed Bloody Mary yet, with how she treats fellow supervillains.
Cyber-Tribe, sounds like something out of a cyberpunk setting or Rifts. A card that acts a triggered flash grenade, now that is a tool any thief or spy could use. Yeah, Tina, Mary isn't doing an act, she is a giggling knife-crazy psycho. Vertigo-inducing light barrage, good idea to play along and lure SF in. Justice always comes in first and he was going to lecture her, good grief, he is this close to being a comic book character from the Silver Age. Uses his own cuffs to cuff his hands behind his back and his legs, the humiliation of SF just continues.
3/4 Pinckney Flange, is that a Darkwing Duck reference, or from some other fiction. Bloody Mary using Tina's gadget to catch up to her, yikes. Ouch, turning SF's wings into a glider and then getting knocked off it by crosswinds. Darn it! Mary running from Cyber-Tribe and turns them on her again, no respect for the supervillain's code.
Armed fire hydrant set to blast the next one past with a high pressure spray of water, simple, yet effective for at least slowing them down. Apache and Warpath, seriously, how is Warpath not getting a C&D letters from Marvel. Freezing the water with a cryogenic spray, those guys are going to be shivering for a while now. Electrified and hyper-magnetized chain link fence that shoots up behind her, it is a wonder you don't see of this stuff in comics. 3 day old Filipino restaurant scraps from a dumpster, that is cheap but vicious, the smell alone.
Spinning Tops of Doom! No wonder she went cheap with the rest, I wouldn't have been able to rest them either. D'oh! Cyber-Tribe show got ahead and have her surrounded, beating on her and she even calls Scalper a Drag Queen which gets her clocked in the face. About to be killed by Big Chief until some guy in a tiger costume shows up, fighting them Bruce Lee style. Oh good lord, he is like something out of the 70s and she can't tell which, aaahhh, my mind's eye burns at reading the description of his outfit.
Shere Khan and he is claiming her baggage and her as rightful spoils of conquest, this guy is stuck in the dark ages if that think that will work. She resist him and he comes across as a creep and perv in his response. So oh course Mary shows up right then. SK yanks Mary over to him with a chain and hits on her, this is going to get much messier and fast. And Mary goes to kill him, SK only saved by the golden chains of his jewelry, this guy needs this lesson. At least Tina is able to break free and start to run for it again. Nice escape and Mary slices the zip-line for the case and dummy in rage.
Finally safe back in the Residence tunnels, cleared by the VI she heads to the infirmary. She went through all that and only got that banged up, wish that spark suit existed in the real world. Mary breaks one of the house rules and attacks Tina, demanding where the paintings are, only to be stopped.
Dang, Madam Z reduces Mary to whining like a pissy teenager, have to respect that. Paying for a new wig for Mary, bill for the dress, and she pushes it with the shoes. That girl is a mental case, wonder how she got that way. Front page for 3 papers, and front page for City section of NYT, she has made the big time.
"All my room is taken up by the stuff T-Rex and the giant penny."
Nice, another Batman reference.
Going to
the Supervillain bar and she is meeting Imp. *hears high-pitched squees from a great distance* Wait, dropped out of sight 10 years ago or so, so she took the job at Whateley and is back visiting old friends. Bwahahahahahaha, Imp saying please rapid-fire over and over again until Countess tells her how she pulls off the Guggenheim job, she is still the same loveable Imp. Imp coming up with a television show idea like that, even a network for it, she hasn't slowed down either.
Though if Tina was seen with the forged paintings, taking them in through the AC, but didn't really do that, what is going on. One of the governors of the Guggenheim stole the real paintings and she stole them from him, I was right! The Guggenheim job was just to point out the forgeries in there already. And Imp proves she is a true pro on artwork, its history, and on the substances and fabrics the masters used, as expected, but still fun to read. Secret room in his condo for the real paintings, figures, always a secret room.
Countess is the 2nd Gen Imp, a professional thief who knows how to use her tools, skills, and powers to aid her. Too bad Imp is retired, seeing them work together for just one job would be fun. I'm loving the interaction between Imp and Countess, plus one job and she is a star. Jackie says she told Tina there are ratasses who don't go along with the Supervillain Code of Conduct, including Strongarm. Says he is just a jumped-up leg-breaker and will never be seen in the Black Mask, Carl behind the bar agrees, almost 10 years later and Carl is still there. Cyber-Tribe does shakedown work for a bookie, geez, that is bottom of the barrel stuff.
Bloody Mary only aloud to stay at MiLady's due to pity from Madam Z, she steps out of line and is toast, no one else in town likes her. Dang, she got lucky only those idiots came after her from what Jackie is saying. Dang, didn't expect the 'carrying case' to be a riff on an old magician's trick, even Imp is impressed. Yikes! Almost half a mil and she only got 20 grand taken off her debt from this job, that is harsh. Drunk and singing 'Wouldn't It Be Loverly' from 'My Fair Lady', now that is drunk.
Ah, so the Untrustee she hit for the paintings is on the short list for framing her and sending her to jail. Good reason to hit him hard and get ahold of any possible evidence of his doing so in the process.
Countess, Tina Montgomery, Christina, Monte Cristo, why didn't I get that reference sooner. It definitely fits for what happened to her. The Countess of Monte Cristo who targets the Rich and Powerful to see Justice done. Can't wait to read more tales with the Countess and her friends.
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