As bothered as Cindy was by this development, she momentarily pushed her concern aside so that she could get Louise back to the palace. Without any other option, the people of Monster Metro allowed Louise to feed her Goldblood to the King. And, miraculously, it somehow stabilized his condition!

What will this mean for the future of Monster Metropolis? What does Ma’at and Ammit want with B? And why did that Kumiho help Cindy?

Find out all this and more in the latest issue of…MAXIMUM SPIDER QUEST!

Rules:
Most dice rolls will be 1d100. Modifiers will be added depending on the situation or on the alien being used(Usually +10 or -10). Crit successes and crit fails apply. Crit fails can be overridden by crit successes, but crit failures cannot override crit successes.

How to Roll:
To roll dice, type “dice+1d100” in the options field without the quotations. To roll dice with positive modifiers, type “dice+1d100+modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number. To roll dice with negative modifiers, type “dice+1d100+-modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR

Good luck and have fun!

Disclaimer: You are still currently playing as Cindy, but we will be relinquishing control to Ben after these next few votes.

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It took a while, but you all managed to convey the gist of what had happened over these past few days. During the time it took, Pandora was engaged in mystical multitasking. She not only assisted in portaling monsters out of the palace, but she also cast a few repair spells at the city. At this distance, though, you couldn't tell how well any of it was working.

By this point, the room had been cleared of almost everyone who wasn't relevant to the conversation at hand, with the exception of Shaggy. Now that Pandora was here, your grandmother's guardian was free to go fetch his master.

“So…the kid slew Varnae and trapped his soul. But not before he possessed that child over there…”

Pandora pointed at the collapsed form of Limbo's true ruler with her free hand. She was laid beside the Kaiju King in a medical tent, with Louise, Mina and a group of physicians overseeing their condition.

With her other hand, her wand moved near constantly as she continued weaving her magic.

“Who has an undisclosed relationship with Belasco, the one who was previously thought to be the ruler of Limbo.”

“Who was swallowed by a giant Egyptian crocodile god.” Ben explained.

Judging from the disappointed look on Ana’s face, she would have very much liked to see that.

“It didn't make sense the first time you said it, Huntsman. I'll be looking into that personally.” Pandora said, bringing her wand to rest in its holster. “This is all right up Varnae's alley, though. He's supposed to be a master manipulator, but it looks like you all managed to foil his ‘Hellbat’ plot.”

Huh. Looks like the term “Hellbat” might actually stick.

“If I didn't know any better, I'd say it sounds like you're grateful for my meddling this time.” Ben said smugly.

Pandora rolled her eyes slightly and planted a hand on her hip.

“The Monster Metropolis’ existence isn't nearly as classified as the other thing.” she clarified. “Besides, I won't turn down free help when it comes to field work. You were on top of this before our seers and psychics caught wind of it.”

Ben raised an eyebrow expectantly. Pandora folded her arms over her chest and panned her gaze around the room.

“I appreciate what you all did here. It wasn't your job to step in, but you did it anyway. If Strange were here, he'd probably make you all honorary Defenders.”

Everyone exchanged confused looks.

“Uh…what're those?” B asked aloud.

“Oh, it's his little supernatural super team.” Pandora explained while idly wiping at her eye. “It's not exactly ‘exclusive’. If you've teamed up with a Defender before and you call yourself a Defender, then I guess you're technically a Defender. Some people just come and go.”

She wasn't making it sound very special. At least “Defender” sounded better than “Slayer”.

(Cont.)

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“Is it anything like being made into an Avenger?” Ana said, sounding a bit hopeful.

Pandora shrugged. This was the second time in one day that you saw Ana being visibly disappointed.

“You probably won't get a lot of reactions out of people from our realm, that's for sure.”

She pointed a finger at Harpy.

“Her husband was a founding member, actually.”

Harpy flinched, and the various pieces of jewelry still attached to her clothing jingled. She narrowed her eyes.

“Ex…” she hissed.

“Sorry. ‘Ex-husband’.” Pandora corrected herself. “Point is, they aren't all bad. They've done more work to stomp out extradimensional threats than most. I won't lie and say that it was their ticket to fame, but it's respectable work. And…why am I even arguing this?”

She ran a hand over her face. Ana perked up at the mention of “extradimensional threats”, and, even you had to admit, that part had you curious.

“What I wanna know is where you know Harpy from?” Ben put in. “Did you read her mind or something?”

“Nope. I just pay attention to some of the more notable Gamma Mutates and their whereabouts.”

“Afraid they'll go berserk and start rampaging?” Ben asked.

Pandora slowly shook her head and pointed down at the floor.

“Just making sure they aren't working for the man downstairs.”

“You mean Mephisto?” you inquired.

Pandora shook her head again.

“Even lower.”

You gave her a confused look, but she didn't bother clarifying any further.

Delphyne chose that moment to speak up.

“And? Is she?”

Everyone stared at her, then at Harpy, and, finally, back at Pandora. The woman continued staring at Harpy out of the corner of her eye for a few more seconds, before returning her attention to the group as a whole.

“Not at the moment.” she calmly reported.

Ben proudly jabbed a thumb back at himself.

“Good. She'll be coming with me, then.”

Pandora gave him and Harpy a curious look.

“Is it safe for me to assume that you're just making new friends instead of trying to date the Hulk's ex-wife? Because, l don't think you need me to tell you how bad of an idea that is.”

Anastasia glared at her from Delphyne's side. Harpy tilted her head to the side slightly.

“Ah. Technically she was married to Bruce Banner.” Ben corrected her, raising a finger to the air.

“I hope you'll come up with a better excuse than that when the Hulk comes knocking at your door.” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, it's not my right to tell her where to go or how to live her life.”

Carnelian let out a thoughtful hum that almost became a soft growl.

“The Green Knight will have less to worry about in her absence. And it will become safer for merchants to travel as well, now that the harpies have lost their leadership.” he added.

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“Until they start splintering and we have to suppress all the annoying little bandit gangs that'll keep popping up.” Delphyne said with a sigh.

“I can help with this. I have much experience shooting down birds.” Ana volunteered.

This seemed to cheer both of them up a bit.

Harpy sneered at them from over her shoulder, and shook her head before returning her attention to Pandora. But Pandora wasn't looking at her. Or any of you, for that matter. Her eyes were locked on the one person that hadn't contributed to this conversation.

“Walker...” she breathed, her usual mask of indifference falling away in an instant.

Deadhead shifted from his position leaning against a cracked pillar. He pushed off of it and stepped into the light where everyone could see him.

“Hey, Dora. Long time no see. How ya been?” Deadhead asked, his voice unusually soft.

“Fine. Were you wrapped up in all this too?”

He rubbed the back of his helmet and averted his gaze.

“Kinda. Another job gone wrong. Just my luck, right?” he said with a shrug. “You…figure out anything new with that puzzle box?”

She blinked a few times before responding.

“I…not really, no.”

“Oh. Well…keep at it. I'm sure you'll figure something out. You're smart.” Deadhead encouraged, giving her a thumbs up.

Pandora opened her mouth, then closed it. Neither of them seemed to be able to figure out what to say next.

“Okay, what is happening here?” Delphyne asked, a sharp fingernail alternating between pointing at either one.

“Good question…” Ben chimed, a look of mischief playing across his mask as he stroked his chin.

Fortunately for them, they didn't have to answer that. Because another portal opened up, drawing everyone's attention to it. And emerging from it was your grandmother and her trusty hound.

She looked around the room, her eyes lingering on Pandora for a bit. But when they found you, her whole face lit up. You rushed up to meet her, moving faster than most professional athletes just to hug your grandma. She swept you up as soon as got within range of her arms, and spun you around like you were a toddler.

“There's my little genius! You were incredible out there!” she boasted, nuzzling your vulpine ears with her cheek. “Not even Nari could do something like that at your age.”

Your eyes shot open.

“Really!?”

She nodded down at you.

“Nari remains one of the most impressive fighters that I have ever seen, but her true strength lies in her ability to craft unique spells.” Young explained, gently setting you down on your feet.

“Mom's a spellweaver?” you asked in surprise.

“And a right powerful one, at that.” Shaggy mentioned. “Under the right circumstances, Nari Moon can be a real nightmare to fight.”

(Cont.)

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Grandma Young seemed to agree. Your mom never explained to you exactly how her magic worked. And if all that was true, then how was she overpowered by vampires on the night that you were separated?

Yet another thing to add to the pile of questions you had for your mother.

—----

Pandora had more questions of her own, too. She still didn't know enough about Beast's involvement in all this, and no one offered to tell her about the mutant cure. B smoothly omitted that part from his understanding of what had happened. You and the others were also expected to answer more questions as more of WAND's number filed into the palace through their own portals. All the while, she made sure that Deadhead didn't slip out from under her nose.

“Where’s that spell tattoo I got you?” she asked.

“The flesh that you printed it on is gone. I got a fresh coat.” he answered with a shrug.

Pandora crossed her arms and frowned.

“And the ones I put on your bones?”

“Those break all the time.” he argued, gesturing at himself. ”C'mon, Dora. I'm like the friggin’ Ship of Theseus over here!”

You chuckled at that. Grandma Young looked down at you curiously, but you shook your head. Your eyes continued to travel the room.

You saw Ana and Delphyne engaged in a heated spar, with Ben and Harpy watching from the sidelines. Louise and the King's medical staff were giving them dirty looks as they tended to the King's needs. Meanwhile, Mina, Carnelian and James were busy debating something. You didn’t manage to catch everything, but you thought you heard them discussing the possibility of Carn teaching James how to fight.

And you were just watching it all go down. You and your grandmother were standing side by side against a wall, with Shaggy patiently sitting next to you.

“They certainly are a lively bunch.” she remarked, a look of amusement clear on her face.

“Yeah. I wonder when the Kaiju are getting back, though. I wanna see them before I say goodbye.”

Grandma Young squeezed your shoulder, and you craned your neck to stare up at her.

“I'm just glad that I got a chance to see you before you go.” she said, her smile growing a bit somber.

“You're…not coming with us?”

She shook her head slowly, and your heart sank.

“Not yet. There is much that needs to be done to repair this city. Even if the council is no longer serving as it once was, we cannot sit idly by.”

You nodded, but you knew you weren't doing a very good job of hiding your disappointment.

“But,” she went on, her smile growing warmer. “Once this city is back up and running again, I intend to make up for lost time. We will have a lot of catching up to do.”

You returned her smile, and you felt her hand reach for yours. You squeezed it tight.

“Yeah. We sure do.”

(Cont.)

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Hand-in-hand, you and she casually strolled over to the palace entrance. Her hand was far warmer, and far less wrinkly than it had been prior to you implanting the Bloodstone.

As you reached the steps, you stared down at the Monster Metropolis. It was still broken, but it was healing. Its people had hope. WAND's mages were slowly piecing everything back together, and everyone was pitching in to fix up their home. Whether it was salvaging building materials, serving food, or helping with repairs, there was more than enough work to go around.

From these ruins, you would all build something better.

“Cindy, look!” Grandma Young said, pointing at a group of Kaiju racing towards the Metropolis.

You started jumping up and down and waving at them frantically. They probably couldn't see you, but you didn’t care. You were just glad to see them again.

—-----

When it was time for you to leave, you suddenly found yourself feeling like you didn't have enough time to say goodbye. Grades and school assignments were important, sure. But these people were your friends and allies.

You knew B would be staying, and you figured that Louise would wait until the Kaiju King was back on his feet before she considered leaving.

“Be safe, Moon Girl. Don't do anything I wouldn't do.” B said, willingly subjecting himself to another suffocating hug from you. His leather jacket creaked under the weight of your arms.

“That should be easy. I bet I can count those on one hand.” you joked, accidentally meeting Beast's gaze over his shoulder, before quickly looking away.

As soon as you pulled away from B, Louise was right there waiting to envelop you in a warm embrace, her cloak closing around your shoulders to trap you within a curtain of silky hair and sweet smelling perfume.

“You've grown so much since I last saw you!” she said with a laugh, squeezing you tight as she did so. “I am afraid the word ‘petit’ is no longer fitting for you.”

You managed to fight through the mass of curls enough so that your face could be seen.

“Aw, but I like the way you say it.” you said, smiling back up at her.

“In that case, I will be sure to say it again when we next meet.” she promised, giving you a wink. “We have much catching up to do.”

To your disappointment, she released you, and turned her head to spot the man who was approaching you both.

“My thoughts exactly.” Ben said. You noticed Ana was watching from a distance, but Louise didn't seem to care, because she flew right over and wrapped her arms around his neck.

You quickly averted your gaze before the imminent fallout of that decision could take place, and found three members of the Monster Council patiently waiting for you to notice them.

(Cont.)

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Delphyne gave you an enthusiastic wave, and both sides of Carn's mouth were upturned into a smile. Even the demon-possessed side. Although, you weren't sure if that was more of a malicious grin, or one of genuine joy. Probably the former.

Not that his normal smile was much better. He didn't seem very used to doing it.

The lower half of Mina’s face was still hidden behind a red cloth, but the fact that she had come to see you off was sentiment enough.

You wasted no time in running up to hug Delphyne. She was a bit bruised from her bout with Ana, but it didn’t seem to be bothering her at all.

“Make sure you call, okay?”

“I'm more of a texter, but I'm sure we can, like, squeeze in a few calls here and there.” she promised, rubbing your head affectionately. It made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Your eyes opened as Carnelian stepped closer. He offered a small book bound in tanned leather. It seemed to be a journal of some sort.

“For you. To suppress the beast within.” he explained.

You detached yourself from Del and gingerly accepted the book from his hands.

“And you're sure I can have this?”

He nodded.

“It will be put to better use in your hands. I can only hope that it proves effective.”

You clutched it to your chest and went in for a one-armed hug. The Were-Hyena tensed up, and for a moment, all you could feel was his cold, hard metal plate armor pressing against your cheek. Then, a hand moved, and you felt a meaty arm wrap around your shoulder. His claws dangled near your face, but he made sure to tuck them so that they wouldn't hurt you. It was an awkward hug, but you still thought it was sweet.

After it ended, you turned your attention to the only person other than your grandmother who had chosen to invest in you. You didn’t know what to say.

“Would you care to take a walk with me?”

You blinked in surprise.

“Y-yeah, sure.”

“A bit of warning,” she said, raising a finger. “There will be stairs involved.”

Her eyes turned towards the palace gates.

“It's cool. I can walk.” you said, falling into step with her.

Looking over your back, you saw Grandma Young and Shaggy watching you go with Mina as Pandora asked them more questions. You waved at them to let them know you were going to be okay.

“Excellent.”

That was all Mina said. Your eyes searched the room for the one other person you never got to say goodbye to, but you couldn't find him.

“If you are searching for my new lab assistant, I have sent him to deliver samples to a contact of mine within the city.”

You turned to stare at her. Had she just said “lab assistant"?

“Knowing him, he will most certainly delay his return in order to aid in reconstruction efforts.”

You snorted a laugh.

“Yeah, that sounds like him. I had no idea that he was mentoring under you.”

(Cont.)

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“It was a very recent arrangement. He wishes to repay his debts. Such a foolish boy…” she sighed, shaking her head.

“He seems pretty smart. I'm sure he'll be great at it.”

“I have no doubt. There was no mention of monetary compensation or lodgings. He has left it all up to me. I fear that someone would take advantage of the boy if I did not step in.”

“Well, I guess it's a good thing that you're such a nice person.”

“You children are always so quick to assume…” Mina muttered, keeping her eyes forward as you both descended the steps.

They were lightly populated with WAND agents and monster citizens, both trying to enter the city. Flying overhead, you saw Slizzik and Scragg struggling to carry Mekara and Aegis up to the palace. You waved at them as they passed, and they all turned to acknowledge you. Mina’s hands were busy holding her dress, but she gave them a respectful nod.

A bolt of blue energy shot past them and struck the palace roof. Several WAND agents cursed and started pulling out their wands, but when the smoke cleared, they only saw Hi-Vo crouched down and staring at them curiously.

“It appears that you will have the chance to say your goodbyes after all.” Mina commented. “It is a miracle that so many survived.”

“A miracle from Khonshu.” you thought, but didn’t say aloud. Mercy had no such qualms, though.

What will you say/do?

>”What're you planning on doing with Louise's Goldblood?”
>”What's gonna happen to the Monster Council after this?”
>”Be honest with me. Should I be worried about Ward? He did help us fight Varnae, but he also tried to take us all out.”
>”You wouldn't happen to have any more of those Bloodstones, would you?”
>”You know…I wouldn't mind giving House Morvayne a glowing endorsement the next time I come back. I'm sure there are a lot of misguided vampires out there that could use some solid leadership.”
>Write-in.

>>6308482
>”What's gonna happen to the Monster Council after this?”

>>6308482
Hello again, Scorekeeper!

>”What're you planning on doing with Louise's Goldblood?”

>”What's gonna happen to the Monster Council after this?”
Supporting the other anon.

>”Be honest with me. Should I be worried about Ward? I don’t want to hurt his feelings if he tries to fight him again.”
If Mina gives us a blank look, clarify it’s because we’ll pound him into the ground and that’s gotta sting when you’re a powerful vampire fighting a teenager.

>”So what will you be up to when I’m gone? Repairing the city, setting up trials, consolidating power over vampiric politics for the next century?”
Gotta be a number of power vacuums that just opened up.

>>6308615
>>6308887
>”What's gonna happen to the Monster Council after this?”
>”What're you planning on doing with Louise's Goldblood?”
>”Be honest with me. Should I be worried about Ward? I don’t want to hurt his feelings if he tries to fight me again.”
>”So what will you be up to when I’m gone? Repairing the city, setting up trials, consolidating power over vampiric politics for the next century?”

I'll take be taking and combining these. I should have the update done by tomorrow morning.

>>6308887
Hey, anon! How are ya?

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“What's gonna happen to the Monster Council after this?” you asked hesitantly.

Mina lowered her eyes and turned to face forwards once more.

“If I am being honest with you…I am not so sure myself.” she admitted. “I doubt that Simon will be allowed back on, given the circumstances. And my brother has lost any of the trust or goodwill he has accumulated up until this point. I have even heard talk of the Were-Tribes wanting to pull Carnelian out of his seat in order to protect him from any further attacks.”

“And the Amazons?”

“They will follow their queen, regardless of their feelings on the matter.” Mina answered. “I suspect that Delphyne will wish to retain her seat on the council. As will I. Carnelian will likely have to meet with the tribes to assuage their worries and defend his position as their representative.”

You grimaced.

“Sounds like a lot of politics.”

“It is more violence than politics, but I suppose one could call it that.” Mina said with a wave of her hand. “Carnelian will not want to give up his position, or his seat on the council. He has worked too hard to obtain both, and I doubt that he will give up on either without good reason.”

“Isn't nearly being assassinated a good enough reason?” you asked.

“For some, perhaps.”

When Mina didn't elaborate any further, you decided to change topics.

“So, if Ward isn't gonna be on the council, what'll he be doing?”

Mina half turned to look at you out of the corner of her eye.

“You worry about my brother seeking vengeance upon you?” she asked, sounding more curious than offended.

You raised an eyebrow.

“Should I be?” you said, sounding a little defensive by your own admission. “Because if he takes another swing at me, then I might have to embarrass him again.”

Mina turned all the way around to face you directly.

“I think not. Ward seems to have learned his lesson. His pride was wounded before the eyes of his colleagues, but at the very least, you did not disgrace him before our clan.”

“So I embarrassed him in front of his coworkers, but not his friends and family.” you clarified.

Mina nodded.

“Somewhat. So long as he has the approval from our House, little else matters. And seeing as how he was seen playing a pivotal role in our battle, his support among them will only grow stronger.”

“Even though he almost betrayed them?” you said in a hushed tone, leaning closer to her.

Mina leaned in as well. The woman was pretty tall when she didn’t slouch.

“For my brother's sake, they were not given the full story. And for my sake, the council has agreed to keep this matter between us.”

“For your sake?”

“Yes. Despite what you may think, Ward is very popular within our clan. He may as well be the face of House Morvayne.”

Your jaw dropped.

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“Wha-!? Seriously!?” you hissed, struggling to keep your volume down. “How do they like him more than they like you?”

Mina let out a deep sigh and shrugged her shoulders.

“Some find me unsettling, and Ward appeals to their sensibilities. He is what they aspire to be.” she explained, a bitter note creeping into her voice.

“What kind of vampire wouldn't want to be a cool, collected blood witch?” you said, hoping to cheer her up.

Mina brought a hand up to her mouth, despite it being covered.

“Not enough, I am afraid. If this trend continues, then more people will look to my brother for guidance instead of me.”

You must have made a horrified expression, because a nefarious chuckle slipped from Mina’s lips. It was the kind of laugh that you'd expect from a cliche villainess.

“Do not worry. I do not entirely dislike this arrangement. It will give me more freedom to move about as I please, and more time for my experiments.”

“And you can be there to correct Ward's mistakes when he screws up, giving you more support.”

Mina glanced away, as if to say “Your words, not mine”. You supposed it was only a matter of time before her brother slipped up again. Might as well capitalize on it.

“Okay, well…what else will you be up to while I'm gone?” you asked. “Repairing the city, setting up trials, consolidating power over vampiric politics over the next century or so?”

“Among other things, I suppose.” she said, staring out at the city. Repairs were already going faster now that the mages had arrived.

“Absorbing another clan is never an easy transition. I will let Ward handle the dissenters while I root them out. It will take some time.” she continued, her body language showing none of the weariness in her voice. “Between that and my council duties, I will be quite busy for the foreseeable future.”

“What about Louise’s Goldblood?” you asked, leaning forward to get a better look at her face. “I bet you can't wait to start running tests on it.”

“Yes. Between her and your guardian, it is perhaps one of the most interesting blood samples I have ever observed.”

You frowned at that, and nearly overbalanced, but all four of your tails fanned out to prevent you from falling. Mina’s hand twitched, almost as if she was going to throw it out to stop your fall, but when she saw that you'd regained your balance, she hesitantly withdrew it.

“‘Guardian’? Which one?” you asked warily.

“The Huntsman, of course. It is hard not to smell it.”

“And what does it smell like?”

“...Power.”

Mina looked you straight in the eyes.

“If I may ask a favor of you, would there be a chance of you having your guardian donate a bit of his blood? It may carry a property that would be extremely valuable to my research.”

That didn't sound like the type of thing Ben would normally go for.

“What about the Goldblood? Isn't that way more impressive? It saved the life of your king!” you said, hoping to get a better idea of what this ‘research’ of hers entailed.

She nodded slowly.

“This is true. But I hear rumors from a little goat boy. Rumors saying that Goldblood ‘nourishes all’.”

Your brow unfurrowed when you fully grasped what she was implying.

“And you want to see if it can nourish vampires…”

Mina said nothing. She neither confirmed nor denied it.

What will you say/do?

>”I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises.”
>”And what do you wanna do with the Huntsman’s blood? Are you gonna start shooting fireballs out of your hands by the time I come back?”
>”Why don't you take mine instead? Kumiho blood can't be that easy to come across, right?”
>”What if I got you something else? There's gotta be another creature or monster on your ‘blood sample wishlist’.”
>”I'm sorry, but…I don't feel comfortable asking him to do something like that.”
>Write-in.

>>6310029
>>”I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises.”
we can just say yes but lets pretend we are playing just one character. she seems cool, and we already gave our blood to gloria so what's one more

>>6310029
>”And what do you wanna do with the Huntsman’s blood? Are you gonna start shooting fireballs out of your hands by the time I come back?”
Hmm, maybe if Mina could offer a power up to Ben from her blood research it may sell better. Power for power. Or maybe we can hire her for a Blood Department branch off from the Biotech company because I doubt she would relocate.

>>6309726
Work is being the usual bear. Too many meetings, not enough people to stay on top of everything. It is what it is though.

>”I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises.”
>”And what do you wanna do with the Huntsman’s blood? Are you gonna start shooting fireballs out of your hands by the time I come back?”
Yeah, I’ll back these too. Cindy would expect Ben to feel comfortable making the decision himself, but he’d obviously want to know what she wants from it at a minimum.

>>6310141
Having some vampires moonlighting at the biotech company would be entertaining. Ben didn’t help Silvermane assemble his squad of supers, but damn if he can’t network his way into building a groundbreaking research institution.

>>6310053
>>6310141
>>6310281
>”I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises.”
>”And what do you wanna do with the Huntsman’s blood? Are you gonna start shooting fireballs out of your hands by the time I come back?”

Taking these. Writing...

>>6310141
>>6310281
Without her obligations, Mina would make a great addition to any bio-science staff!

>>6310281
Yeah, I was struggling for a bit at work too. Multiple people taking vacations at the same time, and the workload is only increasing. Things are starting to look up, though. I'm also hoping to switch jobs sometime in the near future. Hang in there, anon!

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“And what do you wanna do with the Huntsman’s blood?” you asked, folding your arms over your chest. “Are you gonna start shooting fireballs out of your hands by the time I come back?”

“I would prefer not. Being able to spontaneously combust would only provide new hazards and setbacks to my research.” Mina said, seemingly acknowledging your sarcasm, but choosing to answer plainly as she normally would.

You shifted your weight from one foot to the other and waited for her to answer your first question.

“The Huntsman’s ability intrigues me.” she went on. “I can sense something in his blood. They vibrate intensely, at roughly the same time that he bursts into flames. I have also observed a thin, but dense layer of gas beneath the layer of heated plasma that coats his body. I suspect that his body is naturally resistant to heat, but I am curious about this extra layer that coats his body. And I cannot help but wonder whether such a thing can be adapted to vampiric biology.”

Her red eyes focused on you with a newfound intensity.

“Tell me, Cindy Moon. What would such a thing be called?”

Your eyes widened.

“A Daywalker…” you breathed.

Mina nodded slowly, before tilting her head back to stare up at the inverted mountain peaks that hung over the Metropolis. Some were covered in the same bright, fluorescent lichen that lined the walls that the palace was built into.

[red“I yearn to see the sun. Must we be forced to dwell in darkness for all eternity? Is this all we deserve?”

Goldblood to nourish them, and a heat shield to allow them to walk in the sun. If it could be done, then it would either create a possible future where humans and vampires could co-exist, or it would spell the end of mankind. Just like the mutant cure, it would be a dangerous thing to propose. Depending on the results of Mina’s research, the face of the world might change drastically.

If vampires could walk around during the day and drink blood substitute, what would stop humans from turning into vamps for a couple of new perks. Vampires would have a clear advantage over humankind. That would reshape the entire political world, on multiple fronts. But…was that such a bad thing?

There would still be a need for vampire hunters like you, Louise and Blade. Heck, even Huntsman fits that category after everything he's done.

What would Khonshu think? If vampires started attacking people during the day instead of night, would he ask you to interfere? Would he even know about it in time to-

Mina was staring at you intently. She had been for some time now. You blinked several times and shook your head slightly.

“Sorry. I was just…thinking.” you said, rubbing your arms. “I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises.”

Mina lowered her head in a respectful bow. It was a surprisingly deep one, given her position on the palace steps.

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“That is all I ask. Meeting you was more fortuitous than I could have ever predicted. If my hypothesis proves correct, then I will have my most loyal servants of House Morvayne swear themselves onto you.”

“Servants of the night serving the Lord of the Night. Can we trust them to do his bidding?” Mercy posited.

You didn't know. Ultimately, the decision would be left up to Ben.

“C'mon, Mina. You don't have to keep bowing.” you said, gesturing for her to pick her head up.

—-----

>Ben

“She is a worthy opponent. Perhaps the last of her kind, or so I hear.” Ana said, staring down Delphyne Gorgon from across the room.

“You're not thinking of doing what I think you're doing, are you?” you asked, narrowing your eyes at her in suspicion.

Ana had calmed down some after getting her share of bloodshed at that massive monster mashup, which you were grateful for. You've been trying to keep a close eye on her ever since this whole mess started. You trusted her, but when it came to rare and exotic creatures, you thought it best to err on the side of caution.

“No. I have yet to finish studying her. The Hyena will be next.” she said, turning her attention to Carnelian, who was conversing with the Gorgon.

“Think you can take him?”

Ana shook her head, but she didn't seem at all upset about it.

“Perhaps not without preparation. A head-on assault would be far too risky.”

“So you'll take him out from long-range, then.” you concluded.

“He is too fast, too perceptive, and too heavily armored.” Ana replied, walking you through her thought process. “I would first need to slow his movements. The use of poison might become necessary, as well.”

“How would you deliver it? Darts are too slow, and he'd probably sniff out most poisonous gases.” you added. “He doesn't seem like the type to let you touch him with a poison blade, either. How about bullets laced with poison?”

“There is nowhere for me to ambush him outside of the city. He knows the terrain far better than I, and it would be difficult for me to lure him into an effective trap. But…I have several ideas.”

“Go on.” you prompted her.

She chewed her lip and seemed to think on it for a moment, but she ultimately chose to turn away from the both of them.

“No. Not yet. Not while he is listening.” she said.

One of Carnelian’s ears twitched, and the demonic side of his face flashed you a wicked, hungry grin. It almost felt mocking, even.

A chill ran down your spine. Ana didn't seem terribly bothered by this at all. If anything, she looked like she was trying to factor this into her calculations. Just another challenge for her to overcome at the end of the day, you guess.

“I hope he knows that this is just a thought exercise…” you murmured.

Just then, the Kaiju King's elite warriors all burst into the room at roughly the same time, demanding to see their King right away. It was a good thing the doors had been opened all the way, or else some unlucky sap might’ve been scraped into paste as soon as it swung back on them.

A sudden gust of wind alerted you to the fact that Carnelian had just run past you. He came to a screeching halt and held out a hand in front of them, preventing the Kaiju from potentially trampling anyone in their mad scramble.

“Think you could take one of them?” you asked, jabbing a thumb back at them.

Ana looked about to answer, but she instead pointed past the Kaiju, at a pair of familiar women that were striding towards you. It was Cindy and Mina. They both had serious looks on their faces.

“Where've you two been?”

“We, uh…went out for a walk.” Cindy quickly answered. “Listen, Mina’s got a favor to ask.”

You glanced at Mina, who was standing a little behind Cindy, not stepping forward or saying a word.

“Uh-huh. And, what can I do for her?”

“She, uh…well…she wants your blood.”

Your hand reflexively moved to cover your throat. Ana’s eyes narrowed at the vampiress. Mina gave Cindy an annoyed look.

“A sample! She wants a sample!” Cindy clarified as she waved her hands apologetically.

“Well I hope she's not expecting it straight from the tap.” you shot back.

“Wait, just let me explain.” Cindy offered. “Trust me…you're gonna wanna hear this.”

—-----

Cindy’s explanation wasn't a long one. It barely took three minutes, and Mina didn't bother to interrupt her even once. You were starting to see why she was so flustered earlier. Judging by the frown on Ana’s face, she could understand the weight that your decision might have on the rest of the world. Her research could take months, or years, or decades, even. But if her theory held water, then life as you knew it would cease to be. And a new life, one where the living and the undead walked under the same sun, and lived with roughly the same consequences, would begin.

Mina wanted your blood in order to make her vampires immune to sunburn. And she was offering an even closer alliance with you and Cindy in return.

What will you say/do?

>”Wouldn't you rather try and find a cure for vampirism instead?”
>”I'll only agree to this on one condition. I want whatever Grannie Moon got. Or at least something equally as impressive.
>”If you want me to agree with this, then I'm gonna need you to make some concessions. All research on my blood needs to be done under the supervision of my company.”
>”I appreciate your honesty, Mina. But the answer's no. I don't trust these other vampires nearly as much as I do you, and we only just met.”
>”Don't you think this'll shake up the status quo a little too much? Humans won't stand a chance if this gets misused.”
>Write-in.

>>6310988
>>”I'll only agree to this on one condition. I want whatever Grannie Moon got. Or at least something equally as impressive.
be greedy, we deserve it

>>6310988
Ah, now we get to the destroyer of mankind/savior of monsters portion of the prophecy. I’d been considering a cure for vampirism, sure, but I wasn’t thinking daywalkers.

So I’m thinking of these requirements
>Research at the company.
>A cure for vampirism will be researched at the same time.
>Ownership of manufacturing and distribution within house “Huntsman” for any product breakthroughs.
>A sponsor to protect her politically from hero agencies.

Company is a no-brainer, a vampirism cure will make it a more equal two-way transition, we (plus Cindy plus Ana(?)) get to keep a say in the creation/sale of the medicines if we have a break with Silvermane, and she needs someone to deal with the regular headaches of Blade and allies trying to shut them down because playing forever peacemaker is no fun. She can’t just keep killing them, heroes are a finite (if renewable) resource and they serve a vital role in the ecosystem.

I get why she doesn’t just want a cure for vampirism, some are happier as vamps than people. I also get that shaking up the status quo isn’t a real excuse to bury this forever. Gee, the mutant cure parallels are obvious.

>>6310989
>Personal bribe
I’m willing to toss this in if she wants us to link her to allies upstairs. Something like a retainer fee for additional services beyond our blood.

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>>6310989
>>6311000
>”I'll only agree to this on one condition. I want whatever Grannie Moon got. Or at least something equally as impressive.

Taking these. Gonna start writing...

Also, I'm going to be making arrangements for a big change in this quest. I've been using this site for some time now, and I've had a had a lot of time to think on this. The quest board is nice and all, but I think Max Spider would be much more convenient for me to run on Discord. I would be making a server specifically for this quest, and I'm getting advice from another server owner who runs a Discord RP, just to make sure that I'm not overlooking anything.

As far as I know, the archive isn't going anywhere, and will be used as a resource for anyone who would like to catch up. I will be looking into alternative ways to backup the Discord posts aside from the chat's archive, but I won't worry too much about that right now.

I know this is a pretty major change from what we've been doing, and I know that I very well might lose old readers and prospective new readers, but this site doesn't work very well when I want to make posts from anywhere other than my computer, and even then, it's not that friendly to writers. I have to run a Userscript extension through another extension just to make this site more usable, and its pretty awful. I can't do any formatting without posting through my original IP, and that takes mobile off the table in most cases. If I could post and edit on the go, that would lead to more frequent and timely updates. Also, the ability to edit posts instead of deleting and reposting them. I could go on and on about the potential benefits here.

But that's just me trying to explain my reasoning. I know some people on this site(and in general) don't like Discord, or have a straight up unnatural hatred towards it. I'm not fully supportive of their business practices or the layout of their app, but I do also recognize that they have nearly no competition in the chat client business, so I'm not gonna complain too much.

Lemme know what you guys think about all this! I do very much hope that the friends and readers I've made during my time here will follow me so that the story may continue. I might consider alternatives if it bothers people that much, but Discord is the most appealing option currently in my mind. I will make a formal announcement in the QTG once this current thread reaches the end of the catalogue.

And if you're on-board with the idea(or at least accepting of it), feel free to suggest new features and channels that might be used in this new server. I was thinking of a new "game mode" where players can create their own OC's within the Maximum Universe and play around in other parts of the world. Maybe they can crossover or be referenced in the story every once in a while.

>>6311000
Feel free to suggest these at a later date! Mina will be available as a new contact after this.

>>6312179
i'm on board. the playerbase has been stagnant for a while so there's pretty much no downside, and i already play a quest on discord. i can't think of a better alternative, i'll leave it to the other anon or anons to negotiate if they want

>>6312179
I’m not much for Discord, but that’s a mixture of unfamiliarity with it beyond very basic use and finding social interaction exhausting. I can certainly understand it being better than /qst/ though! 4Chan is archaic.

I’m wondering how you’ll bring in new players. You’ve probably been speaking to your friend about that already, and I certainly don’t have any advice. I’ve never been on a quest run on Discord before or if it has any tools/servers to help you find them.

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“I'll only agree to this on one condition. I want whatever Grannie Moon got.” you demanded. “Or at least something equally as impressive.”

Cindy’s brows shot up in surprise, and Ana frowned slightly. Both women then turned to regard Mina. The Nosferatu looked to be deep in thought, tapping the side of her face with the tip of a sharp fingernail.

You didn’t know a lot about magical artifacts, but from the way that she and Cindy spoke about that Bloodstone thing, you had to imagine that it was something rare and powerful. Especially if it could bring Grannie Young back from the brink of death. And from what you could observe, there were little to no side effects.

Was it a selfish thing to ask for when it concerned all of humanity? Sure, maybe. But you didn’t need to get stronger for your own sake. Because when you were back there fighting Belasco, you honestly couldn't find a way to beat him before Cindy got involved. And if it weren’t for Ammit, you might not have made it out of there in one piece.

You haven't felt that vulnerable in a long time. You might be on your way to becoming a big fish in your own pond, but this wasn’t your pond, and there were far larger fish swimming around down here.

Mina’s movement abruptly halted, before returning her hands to their previous position.

“I am afraid that I have no other Bloodgem fragments to part with.” she admitted. “But if power is what you seek, then I might have something to offer.”

Mina reached into one of her dress’ pockets and pulled out a black medallion with a ruby spider clinging to its surface. She stepped forward and held it up to the light, where it refracted through the crystal spider, shedding spots of crimson light over you and the others.

“Legend has it that Arachne herself wove this out of her own blood-soaked thread, before overlaying it with bronze. And it is said that whoever wears it, will receive her blessing.” she explained.

Cindy’s eyes were glued to the medallion as Mina slowly dropped it into your waiting hand.

“Okay…but what does it do?” you asked.

“You must wear it until the spider moves from the medallion. It will attempt to bond with you. I am told that the process is somewhat painful, but I trust that you will be able to handle it.”

“How will it affect him?” Ana put in, staring dubiously at the strange trinket.

“It is meant to infuse the wearer’s body with the enchantment that Arachne wove into it.” Mina offered, patiently waiting for you to fulfill your part of the bargain. “Your biology is unique, but you should be able to draw some measure of strength from this. If you are skeptical of its effectiveness, then you are welcome to try it on here and now.”

You stared down at the medallion in your hand.

What will you do/say?

>Put the medallion on, and wait to see what happens.
>”Nah, I trust you.” (Give her the blood sample.)
>”Why'd you have this on you in the first place? Were you planning on using it yourself?”
>”Do I have other options? Invasive surgery isn't entirely off the table.”
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR

>>6312892
>>”Nah, I trust you.” (Give her the blood sample.)

>>6312255
>>6312362
Glad to see I've got some people onboard with the idea! The player base has been dwindling, and I know that there are some people reading through the archives, but they're free to read and catch up at their own pace. As for bringing in new players, I'll try and advertise the quest on QTG, as well as in other discords(and potentially on that twitter account that I barely use). I'm trying to come up with better ways to handle that. I'll be leaving a permanent Discord link in this thread as well, so anyone who's catching up and is interested in joining can do so.

>>6312894
I'll follow wherever you are going. I'm a fan of this quest and want to continue.

>>6312892
>”Nah, I trust you.” (Give her the blood sample.)
Pretty sure Ben trusts her intelligence enough to know she won’t burn an investment like him/Cindy with a bad exchange.

Having a spider god giving a blessing to a Spider Totem ought to be interesting.

>>6312892
>>Put the medallion on, and wait to see what happens.
>”Why'd you have this on you in the first place? Were you planning on using it yourself?”

>Write-in.
>"This isn't going to make me grow extra arms or extra eyes is it? I'm extremely comfortable with my current number. Ecstatic even."

>>6312893
>>6313286
>”Nah, I trust you.” (Give her the blood sample.)

Taking these. Writing...

>>6313165
I'll keep writing so long as y'all are willing to read! Thank you for supporting me throughout your time reading this quest.

>>6313286
You'll be one step closer to becoming the Maximum Spider!

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“Nah, I trust you.” you said, offering your other arm to her.

Mina’s eyes softened, and she carefully reached for the extended limb. Her sharp claws gingerly brushed against your skin, and you resisted the urge to flinch back as her thumbnail pressed deeper to form a shallow puncture wound. A trail of blood trickled from the opening in your flesh, and as she released your arm, your blood followed the path of her hand. It floated through the air, in a stream, in tiny droplets, before coalescing into a tiny globule the size of a baby's fist.

The ball of plasma was oddly reflective. You could see yourself in it. Not just your mask–but your actual face. It morphed into a rictus of pain, then a big goofy grin, before shuffling through a series of expressions that were uncannily lifelike. You thought you could have seen more–taken a deeper look into what your blood said about you, but Mina closed her hand over it before it could be shown. You blinked in surprise, and subtly glanced between Cindy and Ana. If either of them had seen the same thing you had, their expressions didn't show it.

“I appreciate the faith that you have placed in me. Both of you.” Mina said, bowing to you and Cindy in turn. “I, and House Morvayne, will not soon forget what transpired here on this day.”

“I hope you find what you're looking for.” Cindy said, giving her a warm smile. “Maybe then, we can go for a walk during the day. Or go to the beach.”

Mina nodded, her eyes crinkling at the edges.

“I would like that very much.”

You smiled as well, trying not to notice how troubled Ana’s expression had grown, even if she tried to hide it.

>You have acquired Arachne's Spider Token

—-----

After Cindy said her goodbyes to the Kaiju King's Honor Guard, you, Ana and Harpy found yourselves being escorted through a portal created by Pandora Peters herself. You turned back to see that Deadhead wasn't following behind.

“You coming?” you asked.

He stared at the portal, and then back at Pandora. It didn't look like she was done talking with him.

“Eh…you guys go ahead. I'll catch up.” he said, waving a hand dismissively.

You looked between them for a moment, and then shrugged. Deadhead was a big boy. He could make his own decisions. And it seemed like the two of them had history, so you doubted that she would try and do something crazy like scrub his brain or banish him to another dimension.

“Suit yourself. Feel free to give me a call when you get back. Maybe we'll get those drinks we talked about.”

Deadhead shot you a two-finger salute.

“Sounds like a plan. I know a place that isn't stingy about masked clientele.”

He must be talking about “The Bar With No Name”. You've been meaning to go check it out for some time now.

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With that, you and yours stepped through the portal, and reappeared in an empty lot surrounded by office buildings. There weren't very many cars around, and there were even less people to notice your arrival.

Not entirely sure where you were, you turned your phone back on, and waited for it to regain service. It was a little after 2am, and, as you expected, there were multiple missed calls and messages waiting for you.

There were several from Abe, a few from Cindy’s school, a truly concerning amount from Vic, and one from Araña.

For the most part, Abe and Vic were both reaching out to you for the same reasons. That being, Cindy had been pulled out of school by a masked vigilante, and had been absent from school ever since. Aside from that one call you'd taken before delving into the Monster Metro, no one had been able to contact you. And, since you couldn't be reached, Abe skipped his classes to impersonate you and inform the school that Cindy was still recovering at home. You would have to thank him for that later.

Vic also wanted to know whether you were still planning on going trick-or-treating with Peter. You sent her a quick text confirming that you would, along with an apology for your lack of contact.

And then there was Araña. Her text was quick and concise. She and Benga had bribed a homeless guy that squatted around the area where your mystery drug dealer had been spotted, and they found out that she was a regular at the F.E.A.S.T. shelter. They sent Ember so she could pretend to be a homeless woman, and she managed to get a name.

“Tandy”.

The text was followed by an update saying that they would try to get their hands on a database to narrow down their search, but they didn't provide any information on how they planned to do so. There was no request for additional resources or backup. Just an update and a declaration of intent.

Already, they had made considerable progress in only a short amount of time. Resourceful or not, though, you tried to remember that you were still dealing with children. It made you feel better that Ember was with them. She still hadn't mastered her powers, but if the girls kept each other safe, then you should have very little to worry about.

After shooting them a text of confirmation and an update on your living status, you put your phone away and glanced back up at Cindy and Ana. Both women were checking their phones as well, only Cindy kept grimacing as she went through her friend's texts. Harpy was just staring up at the sky, basking in the moonlight.

“Come on. You can look at those when we get back.” you offered. “We can pick up some takeout on the way. My treat.”

The mere mention of food was enough to make Cindy’s stomach growl. She put a hand over it and threw her head back.

“God, yes. I could eat a whole Deathbird right now.”

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“So the thought crossed your mind as well.” Ana said. “The Amazons did not appreciate the idea when I suggested it, even as a joke.”

“I don’t think Taco Bell has Deathbird meat as a protein option, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.” you said, firing a webline at a nearby building. “Got any dietary restrictions, Harpy?”

“No. Meat is meat. Bloody, raw or cooked.”

You shuddered at the thought of watching Harpy tear into a raw, bloody steak.

“Might just be easier to let you abduct a cow and be done with it.”

To your horror, Harpy actually looked excited at the idea.

—-------

Turns out, you got dropped off a couple miles away from Midtown High! It was easy to get an idea of where you were when you could see the city from a literal bird’s eye view. Getting home after that was a breeze. Despite everything that had happened over these past few days, you didn’t feel all that tired yet. After all, you couldn’t imagine going to sleep before Cindy finished telling you about all the quips she made while facing down Varnae.

At this rate, Van would once again be in the running for “Worst Family Quipper”.

—------

“And then I said: ‘The only thing you need right now is a training bra!’.” Cindy said.

You and Ana burst out laughing as you finally arrived home. She seemed particularly proud to have gotten a laugh out of Ana.

Normally, you'd just slip through the back, but due to Harpy’s considerable size, you decided to go in through the garage door. You all had to step around the Wall Crawler, but you managed to squeeze through pretty easily. Harpy glanced at it curiously, her head tilting slightly.

Flint and Ember were both sitting in the living room, playing some sort of racing game. Ironically enough, Ember was the one who was losing right now. A fact that you guessed must be immensely frustrating for her.

Flint's head rotated around like that of an owl, a wide grin on his face.

“Benny! It's about time you got-”

He never got to finish what he was saying, because his eyes flew open as soon as he laid eyes on the giant bird woman and fox girl entering your hideout. Ember turned as well, and her reaction was a lot more volatile.

She shot up, and drew upon a stream of energy from a nearby electrical socket. It enveloped her hand, momentarily lighting up the room, before forming into a grid of yellow pixels in the shape of a Megaman blaster. Flint got up as well, turning the rest of his body around to match the current direction of his head.

You raised both hands in order to halt any further hostilities.

“It's cool! She's with me.” you said. “Everyone, meet Harpy. Or, better known as Betty Ross.”

Flint and Ember both exchanged confused glances, but they at least lowered their arms.

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“When you said you were going to the park, I didn't think you'd be bringing something back with you.” said a sultry voice from above. “And I’m not talking about your 'bedside companion', over there.”

Everyone turned to stare up at New York's most eye-catching cat burglar. She leaned over a railing on the second floor, exposing a truly ludicrous amount of cleavage to everyone who was brave enough to stare. She was practically spilling out of that latex suit.

“Hello, Cat.” Ana said with a nod.

“Good to see you back in town, Annie.” Cat replied with a wave. “Kill anything interesting, lately.”

“Uh, when did you come in?” Ember asked.

Felicia cradled her head in one palm and smirked down at the fledgling fugitive.

“Oh, you know me. Quiet as a kitten when I wanna be.” she said, her smile a teasing one.

It was a clear deflection. Her eyes settled on Cindy, and you spotted a mischievous glint in them.

“Speaking of kittens,” she went on. “I am loving the new look, sweet pea. The tails are a nice touch.”

Cindy blushed a bit, but didn’t rise to the bait.

“Thanks. They don't exactly come off, though.” she said with a shrug and an awkward laugh.

Cat's eyes widened, ever so slightly, in a rare show of genuine surprise.

“What? Did you use super glue by accident? Is this an arts and crafts project gone wrong?”

“Oh, right.” you said with a sigh. “Guess I'd better explain that first, huh?”

Everyone nodded in unison.

—----

After a truly dusty and lung-rattling dap from Flint, as well as a trip to the kitchen sink to wash the sand out of your eyes, you gathered with everyone in the living room and joined Cindy and Ana in explaining where the three of you have been doing these past few days.

She told them everything. About the talking dog. The existence of Cradle and Monster Metropolis. The fact that her parents and grandmother were still alive. And especially the part where she became a half-fox demon and fought against the very first vampire, as well as the previous ruler of a Hell Dimension in order to save the world.

You made sure to mention your meeting with Harpy, as well as the part she played during this whole event.

For a long time, the only things you heard from Flint and Ember were shocked exclamations between long stretches of stunned silence. Cat offered the occasional wisecrack, but even she had nothing to say when Cindy retold the story of Varnae's attack on Monster Metropolis.

When she was finally finished, another hour and a half had passed, and the food you bought had been scarfed down by everyone other than Flint. You wave of guilt washed over you for a few minutes after that.

Ember placed a hand over her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

“Ohhh, I can't believe I missed all that!” Ember lamented. “A secret city of monsters!? That's so much cooler than what I've been doing these past few days.”

“Minus the genocide.” Cindy put in.

“Right. Of course.” Ember agreed, seeming to remember herself.

“You seriously did all that, kid?” Flint asked, sounding more than a little horrified at the implication of someone so young going through so much.

She stared down at her hand.

“Trust me, I wish I hadn't. So many people got injured, or worse, just so a crazy old vampire could make a power grab. But…I also feel like those that did survive made it out stronger, you know? Me included.” she said, clenching her hand into a fist.

“And you’ve got three more living family members than you did before you left. That’s something.” Cat added.

The two of them shared a smile.

“Yeah…I guess I do. Thanks, Cat.”

She got up to give her a hug, and Cat wasted no time in wrapping her arms around the slender girl and shoving her head into her ample chest. Cindy’s arms waved about frantically as she was practically being drowned in Felicia’s cleavage. Ana snorted a laugh, and you were having trouble holding back your own laughter. Flint looked distinctly envious of the treatment Cindy was getting, and even Ember had to stare. Harpy was staring as well, but her focus was squarely locked onto Cat’s shiny, metal-tipped claws.

Just as you thought, this was probably going to end up being an all-nighter. Official introductions would have to wait until later.

—------

What are your plans for later?

>Ask Harpy to change back into Betty so she can meet the team officially.
>See if you can’t set up a meeting with Cindy’s mom. There are some important things that you should probably go over with her.
>Put on the medallion and have everyone watch what happens. It should prove to be interesting, at the very least.
>Swing on over to the Helicarrier to see Bloodhound about potentially acquiring some vibranium.
>Tap your resources in order to help Cindy find a way to mask her nature as a fox demon. She can't go back to school looking like that.
>Check on the Morlocks to see if anything's changed on their end since you've been gone.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR

>>6314055
If only quipping could be used to substitute for social skills, Cindy would be golden. Not surprised to see Ana is uncomfortable with what we just did either, but we have Mina on our side and Beast is still alive. We can still get a vampirism cure out of them to even the scales.

Lot to cover here:

>Ask Harpy to change back into Betty so she can meet the team officially.
Though I’d accept a “no” from her if she’d rather not.

>Put on the medallion and have everyone watch what happens. It should prove to be interesting, at the very least.
May as well get started on it sooner rather than later.

>Check on the Morlocks to see if anything's changed on their end since you've been gone.
Maybe not tonight, but soon. We should break the news of a mutant cure to them.

>See if you can’t set up a meeting with Cindy’s mom. There are some important things that you should probably go over with her.
For after the meeting with the Morlocks. May as well have Ben see what brand of crazy we’re dealing with.

>See what you can dig up on Klynar.
I’m not interested in the vibranium suit anymore since Khonshu one-upped us with his “suit”, so I’d like to see if we can get that genetic code instead so Mercy can be upgraded to stick it to Khonshu by helping his disciple in a way he couldn’t/didn’t and getting Cindy an indirect upgrade by extension.

Cindy did get a book to help with suppressing her nature and Grandma Young had ideas involving polymorph potions. We should make getting her squared away a priority, but I think it’d be better to lean on her current resources than finding new ones.

>>6314055
>>Put on the medallion and have everyone watch what happens. It should prove to be interesting, at the very least.

>>6314078
>>6314124
>Put on the medallion and have everyone watch what happens. It should prove to be interesting, at the very least.

Taking these for now. Writing...

File: Arachne-min.jpg (168 KB, 1024x746)

168 KB JPG

“Hey guys, wanna see what happens when I put this on?” you asked, waving the medallion around.

“What's that?” Ember asked, looking up from her phone.

“It was supposedly made by the Greek spider-goddess, Arachne.” Ana explained. “Woven from blood-soaked silk thread, and encased in bronze.”

Flint and Felicia leaned forward in order to get a better look.

“We sure this ain't cursed, or something?” Flint asked.

“It's definitely old enough to be from the bronze age.” Cat observed. “We could sell it to a museum, steal it back, and resell it for a pretty penny. Especially with that shiny red spider attached.”

Felicia's eyes gleamed with delight.

“It's the cherry on top.”

“Okay, but…what's supposed to happen when you put it on?” Ember said.

You shrugged.

“That part wasn't totally clear.”

“Didn't Mina say something about it being painful?” Cindy put in, treating her tails like throw pillows.

“She also said that the spider would attempt to move from the medallion and ‘bond’ with you.” Ana added.

Ember drew her legs in and scooted away from you slightly.

“That thing's supposed to move?”

Definitely sounds cursed.” Flint concluded, pointing at the spider.

“Only one way to find out.” you said, slipping the medallion around your neck.

Cindy stretched out a hand in warning, but she was too late. As soon as you put it on, the spider's legs twitched. Slowly, they slid from the indented slots carved into the face of the necklace. It moved cautiously at first, like how you would expect an insect to love if it were animated in stop-motion. But, after about a minute, the medallion flipped over on its own, and when it rotated back around, you found that the spider had moved from the middle of the trinket to your chest. It stared up at you with its gem-like eyes, you saw yourself being reflected in them.

Then, it spread its fangs and sank them into your flesh. You recoiled, and a moment later, you felt your heart hammering in your chest. The sound filled your ears, drowning all else out. Your vision grew blurry, and grew red at the edges. You got up and staggered back. Your friends made to move towards you, concern clear on their faces. When you fell back, Ana was there to catch you. She stared down at you, her mouth moving, but no words came out. An excruciating, throbbing pain spread through your chest where you were bitten, traveling down your arms and spreading to your spine.

You didn’t have a whole lot of free space to think through all these intense sensations, but on some fundamental level, you could tell that your body was changing.

In your final moments of consciousness, your eyes rolled back into your head, to see Harpy watching you from atop her perch in the rafters.

—-----

(Cont.)

When you next awoke, you found that someone had undressed you and carried you to your bed. Probably Ana.

You felt at your chest where the spider had bitten you, and felt no mark. You slid out of bed, went to the bathroom to check yourself in the mirror, and found an immediate difference in your appearance.

A large red spider symbol had been tattooed onto your chest. Its body covered your pecs, and its legs wrapped around your ribs and converged into a single point on your back. At the center of your chest, a small red oval-shaped crystal protruded from your flesh. It felt like it was made from the same material as that crystal spider from before. Was the rest of it still buried in there?

“Well, there's no hiding that.” you said, watching yourself carefully in the mirror.

You opened your mouth experimentally and ran your tongue over your teeth. Had your canines gotten longer as well?

A visual quick inspection confirmed this.

“Not the worst physical change. Hope I don't burn in sunlight now.”

You leaned away from the mirror and wreathed your hand in flame. But unlike your usual emerald flames, these burned bright red. You quickly extinguished it, and snagged your toothbrush mug with a webline. A cord of red silk shot from your wrist, and pulled the cup into your waiting hand.

Aside from being a sexy beast with a sick spider tattoo, you didn’t feel very different.

What will you do?

>Ask Ember to set up another training space. You need to run a self-diagnosis.
>Pick out an outfit for the day.
>Go for a quick swing around the neighborhood to clear out the cobwebs.
>Inspect the crystal and tattoo more thoroughly. Maybe you could have Cat take a look at it.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR

>>6315084
>>Ask Ember to set up another training space. You need to run a self-diagnosis.
ah dammit, now our the color of our flames/webs doesn't match with the Chasm Suit. We need to rebrand...

>>6315084
>Ask Ember to set up another training space. You need to run a self-diagnosis.
Do you think we can paralyze foes with a bite now?

>>6315084
>Ask Ember to set up another training space. You need to run a self-diagnosis.
Damn. You’d think Ben would be used to body modification pain by now. Also, if we use a new suit (maybe just go in street clothes?) then we can have people thinking there’s ANOTHER spider-themed hero swinging around for a bit. It’d be worth a laugh or two.

>>6315084
>>6315085
while we are at it
>Pick out an outfit for the day. ("Great Expectations" Suit)
Might as well put on the suit she made for us. It matches the colors!

>>6315085
>>6315098
>>6315375
>Ask Ember to set up another training space. You need to run a self-diagnosis.

Taking these. Gonna start writing. I should have an update for you guys by tomorrow morning.

>ah dammit, now our the color of our flames/webs doesn't match with the Chasm Suit. We need to rebrand...

So, I changed the color of the flames based on what you used to get an upgrade, but I'm willing to make an exception and keep them green if you feel it's important to your aesthetic.

>Damn. You’d think Ben would be used to body modification pain by now.

It hurt a little different each time!

>Also, if we use a new suit (maybe just go in street clothes?) then we can have people thinking there’s ANOTHER spider-themed hero swinging around for a bit. It’d be worth a laugh or t

The amount of rumors and speculation that Ben and Abe could start alone would be insane.

>Do you think we can paralyze foes with a bite now?

You're about to find out!

>Pick out an outfit for the day. ("Great Expectations" Suit)

I'll pick this as the default if no one else votes. Or, if you guys want to keep the colors green, you can stick to the Chasm suit.

>>6315404
>>6315612
I’ll support “Great Expectation” too.

>>6315612
it's not that big a deal, and i don't believe in retcons

>>6315612
>>6315618
Oh, forgot to think about that.

I’m in the same camp. Sometimes shit happens, and in this case we need another wardrobe change if we want to be truly fashionable. Maybe this’ll teach Ben to not wear mystical jewelry that will bond to his body/mind/soul/whatever.

But probably not. That’d be boring.

File: paris-alleyne-scarletweav(...).jpg (782 KB, 1920x2560)

782 KB JPG

“Hmm. I'd better hit the practice range. Really see what I'm working with here. But first…”

You left the bathroom, and, after searching for less than a minute, were able to find what remained of the suit Ana designed for you. It was torn, burnt, and covered in dirt and zombie guts. This thing definitely needed a thorough scrubbing before you'd be ready to wear it again.

>The Hot Purr-suit is [Damaged] and [Soiled]. It needs to be cleaned and repaired before you can wear it normally again.

“I really should get a personal tailor on payroll.” you thought aloud, creating a web bag to store the suit in for the time being.

You then turned to your closet and flung the door open with a webline. Six suits awaited you within, but out of all of them, the one that Ember had made was calling out to you today. It was, intentionally, designed to resembled Abe's Spider-Man costume.

You snagged it with a webline, and, for just a moment, the surface of the fabric rippled, revealing a glimpse of the countless pixels that made it up.

“I wonder how long this suit is supposed to last? I guess I can always ask Ember to make me a new one if it ends up breaking down.” you said, carrying the suit in your arms as you left your room.

You could have just put it on, but then you wouldn't have gotten a chance to flaunt your sick new spider tattoo.

—--

When you walked out into the living room, you raised your arms in a big stretch, giving anyone present a good long look at your naked chest.

Ember and Flint were both in the kitchen, but the former was the only one eating. She'd made herself an omelet, and was too busy scrolling on her phone to notice you. Flint was nose-deep in a crossword, and you spotted a few puzzle books stacked at the corner of the table. This one must've been a real head scratcher, because there was a small dent in his head and a small pile of sand pooling by his feet.

Ana and Cindy were both sat in the corner of the room, legs crossed in matching meditative poses while they read from an old journal.

Neither Cat nor Harpy were currently present in this room, and you made a mental note to check on them both later.

Cindy and Ana were the first to notice you.

“I know it's tradition to draw stuff on the first person to pass out at a sleepover, but this is a bit much, don't you think?”

You spread your arms, baring your chest for all the see. And their reactions were…a little disappointing if you were being honest.

“Yup. It's still there.” Cindy noted, squinting slightly.

“It looks more prominent than it did before.” Ana added.

“I told you you were gonna get cursed, bro!” Flint helpfully put in, shooting up from his seat.

“Does it hurt?”

That was Ember. She had finally put her phone down long enough to see what everyone else was talking about.

“That gem in your chest.”

You tapped it experimentally, but nothing happened. You barely felt it.

File: 6470149-emulator ember quad.jpg (1.48 MB, 1985x2307)

1.48 MB JPG

“Ooh, don't touch it.” Cindy warned, rising from her sitting position.

Ana stood up as well.

“Do you feel any different?” she asked, slowly making her way towards you.

“Not really. I think my teeth got sharper, though.”

You opened your mouth to show her, and gently gripped the bottom of your jaw and peered deeper into your mouth to inspect it more thoroughly. Now you wished you had thought to brush your teeth before coming out here.

“They truly do look like fangs, now. They make you look…ferocious.” Ana observed, her fingers lingering on your chin for a few moments as she released her grip on your face.

You let out a sultry growl and made as if to bite her fingers. Ana giggled, practically delighted by your playful behavior. Cindy quickly returned to her book, her interest waning when it became apparent that you were going to keep flirting.

“Careful. You wouldn't want to bite your tongue.”

“You know, a way to prevent that would be to stop talking so much.” Ember suggested.

“Not a chance. I've got a reputation to uphold.” you said with a laugh, before going to the bathroom to change.

Less than a minute later, you emerged, fully clothed in the suit Ember made for you. She actually smiled when you saw it.

“You'll have time to ogle me later, SS. Right now, I need you to lay out another training course.”

She blinked in surprise, her jaw working slower to chew over your words and her food.

“Like...‘right now’ right now?”

“Do you have other plans?” you asked.

“Not really.” she said, shaking her head. “Is it just that it's a little early to be playing around with our powers. Aren't you worried someone might see?”

“Don't you worry about that. I've got a special place in mind.” you said, patting the portal projector on your belt.

—----

“How're we looking?” you asked.

“It'll be another minute.” Ember said, her eyes and hands aglow with all the energy she had stored.

According to her, Ember had been increasing the average amount of energy she held at any given moment. She was careful not to absorb too much before bed, and would even go out of her way to discharge the excess in silly and trivial ways. Like creating a ring of sheep to float above her head so that she could fall asleep easier. Or forming a virtual maid to clean up her messes. When you asked her where that one had gone, she mentioned something vague about needing to iron out “a few bugs” in her code.

You were about to ask her more about that when a pair of golden wings sprouted from her back, lifting her into the air without her having to move them. She was wearing a blue and silver version of her first costume that she'd created in no time at all. You could tell that she's been practicing.

File: artwork-fantasy-field-flo(...).jpg (1.18 MB, 2880x1800)

1.18 MB JPG

She rose higher into the air, her glowing hands converting the energy into interactable pixels in the shape of a square grid. Ember held it between her fingers, and flicked it away from herself. Then, she made an expanding motion with her thumb and pointer finger. The same one would make when trying to zoom in on a digital image via touchscreen. The grid expanded and started to appear more solid. It hovered there in the air, like a makeshift arena, illuminated by the perpetual sunset of this interdimensional space.

You rolled your shoulders a couple of times, wreathed yourself in flames, and prepared to take flight.

“Going up!”

You leapt into the air…and then fell back down into the dirt!?

“What the-?”

You tried again, pouring a bit more effort into it, but, again, you were unable to generate the amount of thrust required to propel yourself through the air. Your landing this time was more graceful, in the way that you didn’t absolutely eat shit.

What's happening? Why can't you fly!?

“No way that necklace made me weaker, right…?” you said, staring at your burning arms in disbelief.

It wasn't burning as intensely as it had once before. You were sure of it.

“It's ready!” Ember called down. “Quit fooling around and get up here!”

“Gimme a break, alright! I'm having a bit of a crisis here.” you groused, snagging the edge of the arena with a pair of weblines, and pulling yourself into the air.

“Training hasn't even started yet. What's got you all worked up?”

“I can't…‘Flame On’ like I used to.” you explained, landing on top of the arena in a crouch. It kind of felt like it was made of hard plastic.

“Mm. Sounds like you're having performance issues. Maybe you just need a warmup.” Ember suggested, flying around to look at you from different angles.

“Aha. I see what you did there.”

“You ain't seen nothing yet.” she remarked, smirking at you out of the corner of your eye.

She waved a glowing hand, and multiple rectangular pillars rose up out of the arena’s tiles. From each one, several cartoon ninjas emerged, all of them looking like they had just jumped out of a saturday morning action cartoon from the 80’s. They all wore black robes, had red menacing eyes that shone through an opening in their mask, and they wielded an arsenal of deadly weapons.

Within moments, you were completely surrounded by them.

“Hope you're ready for the first wave.” Ember teased.

“And I hope you're ready to mop up virtual ninja blood.” you shot back.

The intensity of the flames coating your arms suddenly spiked, spreading to other parts of your body. Interestingly enough, the flames seemed to linger around your knives and pistols.

You wanted to inspect them more closely, but your attention was suddenly ripped away when the gemstone in your chest sank deeper into your chest! The gem seemed to slip between your ribs, and latched itself onto your spine. You felt a pressure in your back, then.

What was going on with your body?

“Get him, boys!” Ember commanded.

The first ninja moved, and you realized that you didn’t have time to entertain these thoughts. Not at this very moment, at least.

>Pull out your pistols and open fire on clowns!
>Whip out your knives, attach them to weblines, and start flinging them around the arena.
>Focus on the feeling of pressure in your back.
>Try to crank up the firepower to its maximum output!
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR

>>6315942
>>Pull out your pistols and open fire on clowns!
firey guns? that's sick.

>>6315942
>Pull out your pistols and open fire on clowns!
I’d guess the gem is trying to give us wings of some sort. We can start with the ranged option first though.

>>6315943
>>6316058
>Pull out your pistols and open fire on clowns!
Taking these...

File: What_If__The_Punisher_Vol(...).jpg (183 KB, 994x1528)

183 KB JPG

Without waiting any further, you whipped out your pistols, pointed them at the first ninja and pulled both triggers. The offending virtual construct exploded in a burst of fire!

For a long moment, no one moved. Ember's mouth fell open, and you stared at your own guns in shock.

“The hell was that!?” Ember blurted out from her place above the arena. “Were those explosive rounds, or something?”

“They weren't when I loaded them.” you noted, still unable to believe what you just saw.

Why did exposing your ammunition to your fire aura cause them to explode? Were the rest of your bullets going to do that!?

Mm…no. Your spider sense would be acting up if that were the case. So that meant that they would only explode if the right conditions were met. A high velocity and impact probably played a part in its activation. But…why would an artifact made by a Greek spider goddess change the properties of your flames in such a way? It didn't track.

You wanted more time to think on this, but Ember’s minions had regained their courage during your time of introspection, and they were no longer waiting on you to make your move. They burst into motion, and your barrels were raised to meet them.

You fired out several more shots, each one impacting targets as if you'd fired rocket propelled grenades instead. They exploded with a wide enough radius to take out two or three at a time, and the ones that didn't get derezzed were blown away or stunned!

“Ho! I have no idea what's going on, but I'm all for it!” you cackled, leaping into the air and emptying both mags, your hail of gunfire blooming into death blossoms as they cleared out a significant chunk of Ember's forces!

You would have stopped in order to conserve ammunition, but then you realized that you should have already run out of ammo a little while ago. Except, for some reason, you simply didn't! So you kept firing, until each and every ninja had been cleared out, and there was little more than thick smoke covering the battlefield.

You were breathing hard, not out of exhaustion, but out of excitement. That was insane! You tightened your grip on both pistols, and noticed a recently unfamiliar sensation creeping up your hands.

A noticeable chill was settling into your bones, making your muscles feel a bit stiff. It wasn't enough to slow you down, but it was enough to draw your attention to it. You haven't felt cold ever since the procedure Gloria gave you. Was that android blood losing its effectiveness?

“I hope I don't need an oil change…” you said, shuddering at whatever that might entail.

Ember started coughing as the smoke rose up to meet her.

“What…just happened?”

You shrugged.

“Beats me. Looks like it beats your ninjas too.”

File: Spoiler Image (148 KB, 1037x1035)

148 KB JPG

“Oh, shut up. They were made to be weak.” Ember shot back, her eyes and hands glowing as she worked to repair the arena and create your next opponent. “What do you say we turn up the heat?”

You barked out a laugh.

“Talking back AND making puns? You're really growing into your role as a Desperado.”

She chuckled at that.

“What can I say? Shit's contagious.”

“You sure you're not just emulating your favorite spider-themed hero?”

The exposed part of Ember's face turned bright red.

You winked at her.

Ember rolled those golden, glowing eyes of hers and started to reshape her available pixels into something far larger than any individual ninja.

“Are you making a super ninja this time?”

“What's the difference?” she asked.

“Well, you added way too many last time. That's why they were so weak. Haven't you heard about the Ninja Theory?”

“The guys who made that weird Devil May Cry reboot?”

“No, not that one.” you said, shaking your head. “It's where a small number of ninjas is inherently more dangerous than a larger group.”

Ember paused in her creation of your new opponent's frame. It looked like it would be a hulking beast of some sort.

“The hell are you on about, Huntsman?”

You nodded and gave her a thumbs up for remembering to use your codename, even while it was only the two of you in here.

“It's not rocket science, Sis. A larger group of ninjas has to overcompensate for their relatively low fighting power by jumping the hero all at once, only to get packed up and folded without the hero ever breaking a sweat.”

She gave you a blank stare. You went on with your explanation.

“But when it's just one ninja, you've gotta wonder why they only sent that guy. Were they that confident? How strong is he?” you said, running her through your thought process. “More often than not, that one ninja is stronger than like thirty low-tier ninjas put together.”

Ember looked genuinely thoughtful for a second, before she returned to her work.

“That…actually makes a weird amount of sense.” she admitted.

“Right!?”

“Don't get too excited. Not until you've seen your next challenger!” Ember said with a wicked grin.

Despite her words, however, she took more time and care in crafting this solid light construct. You waited patiently for her to put on the finishing touches, but you still had no idea what game this was from. Because of course this had to be from a game.

Once she was done, you found yourself staring down a large, gorilla bull thing. It had a dropping face with small tusks inside of its mouth and under its chin, a long pair of erect horns that curved downwards slightly at the end, a tail not unlike that of a bull, two angry red eyes, and a body covered in slightly shaggy brown fur.

File: Spoiler Image (352 KB, 1540x1073)

352 KB JPG

The monkey thing scowled at you, stood up on its own two legs, and beat its chest as if to issue a challenge. Its screech was so loud and powerful that you could've swore it shook the entire arena.

“Where'd you pull this one from?” you shouted up at Ember.

She gave you a confused look.

“What do you mean? It's clearly Rajang.”

“Clearly.” you said with a nod and a less than subtle undertone of sarcasm.

She scoffed at that.

“How have you never played or even heard of Monster Hunter!?” she said, emphasizing each word with frustrated gesticulation.

You scratched your head in confusion.

“‘Monster Hunter’? That sounds cool. What do you do in that game?” you asked, as innocently as you could manage.

Ember buried her face in her hands and sobbed. You burst out laughing, unable to contain it any longer.

“Em, of course I know what Monster Hunter is. I’m not THAT out of touch.”

You just didn't know the names of each and every one. If she'd made a Rathalos, you were sure you would've been able to guess it, then.

Rajang's nostrils flared, and he scraped his back legs across the ground as he prepared to charge. You raised both guns and prepared to intercept, when you felt the pressure in your back building.

You didn’t even get the chance to call a time-out before your flesh tore, and a torrent of blood poured out! You fell to your knees, expecting to pass out from the sheer amount of blood loss…but that never happened.

The mass of blood flexed and undulated, in the air, forming four separate tendrils that were still connected to your back. You saw pulsating veins within those tendrils, a faint orange glow running through them to the beat of your heart.

Neither you nor Ember moved. You were both stunned speechless.

What will you say/do?

>”Now THAT'S what I call spider-like upgrade!”
>”It's, uh…probably not good to have all my blood be outside my body like this, right?”
>”I can't believe in saying this, but I might actually need to go to the doctor.”
>Try to balance your weight on these new limbs.
>Pounce on Rajang while he and Ember are distracted!
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE

The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip

Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR

>>6316246
>>”Now THAT'S what I call spider-like upgrade!”
>Pounce on Rajang while he and Ember are distracted!

>>6316246
>”Damn, I have a second form! Guess I need a catchphrase now. In the name of the Spider, I’ll punish you?”
We can workshop it.

>See if your spider sense works through your new blood legs. You can really tear him apart if it works like having your hands and feet on the ground.
>Pounce on Rajang while he and Ember are distracted!

Finally, Ben has magic. All acronym agencies may now tremble in fear.

I guess the medallion is channeling our essence into into things. We have fire powers, our bullets now have those fire powers. Radioactive spider bit us, we now have spider blood.

I knew conservation of ninjutsu, but I did not know Rajang. Monster Hunter never seemed like my cup of tea.

>>6316252
>>6316351
>Pounce on Rajang while he and Ember are distracted!

I'll take this for now, but would you guys like to combine votes or support one another? I'm going to write a bit tonight, and finish the post by tomorrow, hopefully.

>>6317356
i'm cool with combining

>>6317358
Gotcha!

>>6316252
>>6316351
>”Now THAT'S what I call a spider-like upgrade!”
>”Damn, I have a second form! Guess I need a catchphrase now. In the name of the Spider, I’ll punish you?”
>See if your spider sense works through your new blood legs. You can really tear him apart if it works like having your hands and feet on the ground.
>Pounce on Rajang while he and Ember are distracted!

Taking these. Roll 1d100, bo3!

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>6317360
aight, here goes...

>>6317401
fuck

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>6317360
Go go gadget spider powers!

>>6317403
>>6317447
At least you weren’t as bad as mine…

File: Spider3.jpg (35 KB, 640x640)

35 KB JPG

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>6317360

>>6317803
thanks anon

File: STL264859.jpg (795 KB, 2750x4175)

795 KB JPG

>73

“Now THAT’S what I call a ‘spider-like’ upgrade! I've got a second form!” you explained, poking one of the bloody tendrils experimentally.

It undulated like jello, and flowed like liquid. You flexed it, like a muscle, and it suddenly grew rigid.

“I should come up with a new catchphrase, like: ‘In the name of the Spider, I punish you!’...”

Eh, it could use some work.

Gently, you lowered your new legs onto the floor. You felt that they were connecting with something solid, but not much else. You thought you might sense nearby vibrations, but Rajang wasn't moving. Neither was Ember.

And while they were still in shock, you decided to pounce!

You crouched lower, compressing the blood tendrils until you felt a pressure building up in them. Then, you sprang forward, all four of your spider legs propelling you forward in a single, mighty leap.

“Holy-” Ember cried out, not at all prepared for how fast you could move.

Rajang moved as soon as you got within range, its meaty arm coming up to swing at you. You course corrected by attaching a pair of weblines to its head and yanked on them, pulling you out of the way of its punch. You flipped over the arm and slid off of it using your hand, your sticky fingers, now enveloped with fire, making certain that the outer layer of its flesh would be stripped away in the path your hand traveled. The damage done to its arm exposed a layer of shimmering pixels, but Rajang seemed to react as if you had actually skinned his arm.

Upon sliding onto its back, you were nearly deafened by the sound of the creature's roar. It shook you to your very core, making you regret having gotten this close. But here you were, clinging to its back, with multiple ways to make this thing’s life a hell of a lot worse.

“Yeah! Kick its ass, Benny!”

You glanced down at the arena’s floor, seeing the illuminated outline of Flint, cheering down below. Ana and Cindy were here too. The former looked greatly interested in these new changes to your biology, while the latter seemed mostly concerned. An open portal remained open behind them, leaving you with the question of who was still out there to make sure none of you got locked in. Hopefully Cat and Harpy were still here. Hell, you’d even take Betty.

What will you do?

>Drive your tendrils through Rajang’s eyes and mouth. Its hide might be a little too thick for them to do much damage otherwise.
>Bind the beast with your spider legs while you load it up with incendiary bullets.
>See if your fangs can’t puncture its flesh. Maybe you’ve got a super spider bite, too!
>Try to channel your flames through the blood tendrils.
>Write-in.

Pastebins:

Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV

Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd

Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s

Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2

>>6318148
>>Try to channel your flames through the blood tendrils.

>>6318148
>Try to channel your flames through the blood tendrils.
Gotta try new things while we’re learning what we can do.

>>6318148
>Bind the beast with your spider legs while you load it up with incendiary bullets.