Play Testers Wanted Pt. 06

"Just a few questions so that the people of New York and beyond can get to know you a little better." She began and painlessly eased me into the interview.

After it was all over MJ passed me the first business card from a recently printed stack. I read it over once before she snatched it back and scribbled her personal cell number on the back. I added it to that of the Wakandan driver. May placed a hand on my shoulder and told me the backyard was all mine. I stepped outside and let out a frustrated growl.

"I know that sound anywhere." A woman said. "You aren't Peter." She stated as she stood up wiping sweat from her damp brow.

"Doing a bit of gardening?" I asked seeing the hand trowel in her grip.

"Yeah. It is either that or... something not quite satisfying enough for all the effort." She said before introducing herself. "I'm Helen."

"Danny." I said shaking hands with her.

Helen was of average height, dark red hair with fiery highlights, and fierce brown eyes. I guessed her age to be in her late thirties or at most early forties. She had a slim athletic build and I saw why May found her so attractive with her girl next door good looks.

"Oh! You are that Danny! May speaks quite highly of you." Helen purred. "You are her new man of the house. I love gingers!"

"Helen!" A man called from the back door of her house. "Have you seen the remote?"

"It is on the coffee table Bob!" Helen growled as she turned to face him.

"Holy shit!" I gasped softly seeing her ass. "Sorry."

"Oh hey, you must be Dennis!" Bob said waving from the doorway.

"It is Danny!" Helen shouted as she wiggled her ass at me. "He is May's new man."

I winced when I realized half the neighborhood could hear this little exchange. Bob went back inside, and Helen spun around to face me her eyes wide with hunger and our gazes locked. I fought and succeeded in keeping the charming gaze from affecting her.

"You cursed when you saw my butt. Why?" Helen whimpered.

"It is an incredible ass," I replied. "I hate to say this... who is that?"

A tall leggy black-haired cutie stepped out of the back door. She came over to the fence and introduced herself as Vi, Helen's daughter.

"Hi, I'm Vi," She stated as the damn charm tried to go off again. Why did it keep doing that?

'You are aroused, that triggers the effect.' Traci explained. 'You need to calm yourself before you entrance half the neighborhood.'

"I can't believe I am saying this. Can we hang out after I deal with Mr. Fantastic?" I asked forcing myself to stay on target.

"What about Reed?" Helen asked suddenly all business and focused.

"I believe he's been poisoned by spending too much time in the Negative Zone, why?"

"I warned him! Damn it, I warned him!" Helen cursed. "I even told him about the Amazing Phazo." She frowned as she launched into the tragic end of a post war superhero. His power was dimensional travel. During one of his many experiments to document other realms he ran into the Negative Zone. "Hold on, Vi be a dear and fetch me that autograph copy of 'Professor's Kelvin's Encyclopedia of Dimensions and Parallel Earths' will you."

"Sure mom," Vi said and turned to leave. I bit back a whimper when I caught sight of Vi's ass.

'Calm.' Traci giggled. 'It is a nice butt.'

"How did you know Phazo?" I asked to pass the time until Vi returned.

"We worked together we had a few rather impressive team ups." She said with a wink. "He could create portals besides being a skill teleporter."

"When you say portals... you smiled. Why?" I asked not expecting the reply I got.

"The cheeky devil would open a portal, have me bend over and bugger me from behind like a fiend." She said. "Oh, you don't get it. He would open the other end of the portal so he could watch the faces I made. That was his kink after all."

"Sounded like yours too." I replied and she agreed. "Sounds like you miss him."

"I'd give anything to just... never mind. Here's Vi." Helen said wistfully. "Borrow it, bring it back and we'll talk about portals and such." She offered as Vi handed me the book.

"I wouldn't mind learning about portals too." Vi added with that same mischievous wink as her mother.

"The two of you eh." I stated. "I can't wait."

"Neither can we," they said in one voice.

They returned to their home while I began hand to hand forms to take my mind off the pair. I looked at it as a martial version of a cold shower. If I didn't the entire neighborhood would hear the three of us going at it.

"I need to get my shit together." I muttered as I went through every combat form, I knew to help settle my nerves and focus my thoughts. "Traci, are you online?"

"Right here Ghost man." She purred as a hologram popped into existence from my wrist communicator. "What do you think? I combined all the best parts including a healthy attempt at mimicking that MILF's incredible ass."

"Long dark hair, face is a nice touch of the original and elven flair, and yeah that ass is to die for. Great job!" I praised her. "Listen. I need one thing from you. I need you to keep Archimedes from stopping me. If he doesn't interfere neither do you. Also, keep him out of your head."

"I've already taken that into account. I have adopted some seriously cool protocols from that dark elf A.I. I'm more of a hybrid now. I believe I have rid myself of any backdoor action from either Reed or Archimedes. Of course, if you want some of that just whistle."

"I'll do that." I laughed as the hologram vanished.

I waited until nightfall. I sat meditating when the rush of power hit me as the sun set. Being a daywalker was fine but I was strongest while darkness reigned. I opened my eyes breaking my meditation. I clenched my fist and hoped I was strong enough. If I failed, Reed would only grow worse. I sensed the stealth drone's arrival. Shuri had worked nonstop on my new weapon. I took the small cylinder from the craft's claws. I was about the same length and diameter of a lightsaber. I did like the dark elf runes on the exterior. The drone rose but didn't leave immediately.

"Well? Give it a go." Shuri's anxious voice was clear and curious.

I found the activation stud and pressed it. The staff unfolded silently at its heart the jewel from the statuette. I held it in the palm of my hand and found its balance point. I launched into the eighth form of combat I had just learned from the Sith Justicar. I threw myself into its embrace and found peace and assurance. With a growl of accomplishment, I finished the first series. I told Shuri that her gift was perfect.

"Ghost man?" Shuri called out. "What do those character's mean?"

"Phonetically they read Shuri's Pride, but in the dark elven tongue that say that which strikes silently. It is a rough translation." I told her and she let out a soft satisfied purr.

"I approve." She replied as the drone flew off.

I touched the deactivation stud and placed the folded weapon on my hip. It was time to get his attention. I closed my eyes and reached through the shadows and touched the Baxter Building. The shift was instantaneous. I stood in the alley where I had first spotted MJ and smiled at the pleasant memory. Here is where it all began.

"Once more onto the breech." I whispered and reached out a second time.

The alarms announced my presence. I hopped from room to room until I had Reed's undivided attention. I ended my little romp on the roof. I sent the ready signal to Morya aboard the newly christened Ghost Dancer in geostationary orbit above me. I liked the name and once I subdued Mr. Fantastic, they would teleport him straight to the freezing tube. Reed took his time and when he appeared, he was alone.

"Ben not with you?" I asked.

"He quit." Reed growled. "So, where are they?" He asked and then yelled. "I know you are here! Come on out!"

"Who the hell are you talking to, it is just me." I said.

"Where are Susan and Jennifer?" He asked his eyes narrowing.

"I have no fucking clue. Archimedes tricked me into the zone, it took forever to find a way back, and here I am." I said as cool as I could.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" He shouted as his anger grew. "You were supposed to find and rescue them! You were supposed to fail. I was scheduled to go in tomorrow at exactly five in the morning and save all of you! How the fuck did you get out?!"

"I found a giant stone cube and stole a ship. I was able to open a portal and escape before the place self-destructed." I stated with enough truth to make it believable.

"Self-destructed... but... how did you get close enough to get in?" He asked his thoughts about Susan forgotten for the moment.

"I'm dark elf, it let me in." I stated as I revealed my real face to him and watched the shock spread slowly across his features. "I even got a trophy." I said holding up the dagger.

"Where is Susan?" Reed finally circled back. "I asked you a fucking question. Where is she?"

"I... don't... know." I growled displaying just a little anger. "She was your wife." I snarled choosing the past tense deliberately.

"Was!" Reed roared as his temper worsened.

"She wouldn't have fucked me if..." I began when he slugged me forcing me back a few steps. "Not bad for an old man." I said rubbing my jaw.

"I don't have time for you!" He shouted as he turned to leave.

"Time. How long has it been for them? Let me check, ooh, it has been nearly two days out here. That must be almost two years there." I stated as I estimated our actual time in the Zone at roughly seven months. "I'm sure they are okay. They are clever..."

"Stop!" Reed screamed as he fell to his knees. "Shut up!" He wept as a strange ruddy radiance spilled from his eyes and mouth. "I didn't kill her!" His voice taking on a queer otherworldly quality now. "It is all your fault!" He declared the light now seeping from every portion of exposed skin. "I'll destroy you!"

The roofing material began to sputter, spark, and smolder. His arteries and veins began to pop and glow giving him an almost demonic quality. I hadn't planned on this. It was going to be a bitch of a fight before this complication. I cursed as I dodged his next attack. I felt the heat radiating off his fist and glad it had missed. I tried slamming him backward with a telekinetic blast but damn it all if his body didn't simply absorb it and roll off him like water off a duck's back.

"Fault!" He rumbled being less and less coherent as the power took him over.

"I don't want to hurt you." I said but he was beyond reason.

"Kill! Destroy!!" The voice was no longer human.

I was on the defensive and kept up a forcefield as I did my best to dodge until I came up with a new plan. The thing that had once been Reed Richards wailed like a host of lost souls. The sound was so loud neither of us heard his approach. The motorcycle launched upwards from the side of the Baxter Building and landed between me and Reed it's rear tire sliding towards me. I recognized the figure of the Ghost Rider instantly. The flaming skull atop the leather clad rider was enough to throw fear into anyone especially the wicked and evil doers.

"Don't kill him!" I yelled. "It isn't his fault. He's ill. Please!" I begged.

"Kill!" Reed shrieked.

"He doesn't seem to agree with you." Ghost Rider chuckled as he yanked the chain wrapped around his chest.

Reed's attention focused on the newcomer. I wasn't sure what to do and I hated it. The only thing I could do was draw my new weapon and activate it. Ghost Rider's chain erupted with flame and lashed out in a whip like arc through the air. Reed avoided it and hissed when it brushed against him for the briefest of moments. The spot where it touched no longer glowed. Seeing that his chain affected Reed the Rider let out a demonic cackle.

"Spawn of evil, you will be sent screaming back to hell." The Rider growled as Reed lashed out in his blind rage.

"He's been poisoned by energy from the Negative Zone." I explained. "It has corrupted him."

Reed or whatever was inside of him responded by firing a gout of hellfire from his mouth in my direction. My shield turned it aside and that angered it even more. The Rider moved so that Reed was between us and his motorcycle placed itself out of the battle. Reed had to choose who to attack. He couldn't possibly catch both of us with one action. I did the only thing I could think of to help the Rider.

"Your wife has the tightest ass this side of..." I began and Reed let out a steady stream of hell fire and I was forced to dodge the blast. Unfortunately, the attack struck the massive satellite dish array that was fixed and mounted to the top of the building. The steel mounting melted like butter under the assault and the whole thing began to slide off. I cursed as I used my web shooters to anchor it to anything that looked like it might hold the load of that much weight. Ten lines later and it no longer shifted. I was so caught up that I missed Reed and the Rider fighting. I turned to see the Rider's chain wrapped around one of Reed's arms. Reed was screaming in anguish as sparks and smoke gushed off the area touched by the flaming links.

"I can't hold him." The Rider called out.

Before I could react one of Reed's fist lashed out and struck the Rider in the chest sending him head over heels off the side of the building. I sent a strand of webbing that connected, and I was able to lock my legs and pull. I spun on my axis with the Rider soaring through the air and back onto the roof. He howled in rage as I aimed him at Reed like a demonic missile. The Rider and Reed collided and sent the two of them crashing through the roof and into Reed's main lab. I followed and tried to avoid hell fire and flaming fists as I dove after them.

"Kill!" The Reed Thing roared as a fiery aura formed around him.

I brought the Vibranium battle staff into a ready position and waited for my opening. Reed sent the Rider staggering back and before he could defend, I struck out. The barrage of attacks sent the thing that had been Reed into a rage, and it roared as I pummeled the shit out of him. Sadly, Reed's power of stretching gave him an inhuman resiliency and while I landed over a dozen attacks, they did little real damage.

"What did you do to piss him off like this?" The Rider asked as we remained on opposite sides of Reed.

"I fucked his wife in the ass," I replied, and Reed lashed out at me and I went on the defensive. I spun the staff like a fan blade in front of me and the Rider attacked. "I also fucked her twin sister at the same time." I chuckled so that Reed would stay focused on me. "Man, she had a sweet ass!" I said reinforcing the past tense in Reed's mind.

"KILL!" Reed roared as the Rider's chain wrapped around his waist. "AHH!!" He shrieked and tore at the chain around him.

"I can't hold him!" The Rider hollered a second time as Reed freed himself.

"I can!" I laughed nervously as I drew on my shadow abilities and formed a pool of darkness below Reed. Reed sunk into it as if it were quicksand. I locked him in when his waist hit the surface of the portal. "Hurry! I can't hold him for long!"

The chain was wrapped around Reed's chest as a massive pulse of power raced down the links towards Reed. Mr. Fantastic screeched. I clapped my hands over my ears. That sound wasn't for the faint of heart. I found myself crying as a host of the lost wailed and begged for mercy and forgiveness. Reed's body dimmed as the last of the dark energy was purged.

"NOW!" I ordered and the teleport beam snatched Reed out of the Rider's grasp and the empty chain fell to the floor. "We'll take him from here." I said as I faced the Rider alone.

"You would rob me of my prey?!" He growled as we closed ranks. It was time to face the Rider's gaze.

"I would. Reed is a good man." I stated locking eyes with the sockets of the flaming skull. I was held fast just as I had in the Negative Zone by the Svartalfar A.I. when it blasted my body. My body began to smoke, and I wept. "I have no regrets this day." I said the words stammering from my lips.

"Tears... bloody tears... the city is full of evil but not here." He said. "Maybe next time daywalker."

I staggered back as I was released. My knees buckled and they hit the broken glass and debris. I had survived! I heard his motorcycle roar to life above us. I spied its flaming wheels first as it flew down into the shattered remnants of the lab. He straddled his motorcycle and the engine revved. With a practiced gesture the Rider slung his chain around his chest, gripped the handlebars of his bike and pulled it up into a wheelie. With an ear-splitting cry, the Ghost Rider launched his bike into the air and off the side of the skyscraper.

"Now that's how you do an epic fucking exit!" I declared. "Damn, that was cool!"

'Your HUD is buzzing lover!' Traci purred in my ear.

I looked over the experience and trophies I had earned. I think I liked Staring Down the Devil the most. I whistled and the teleport beam snatched me up and I joined the crew of the Ghost Dancer. Reed looked at peace inside the cryo tube. He looked so young. Susan's hand caressed the icy surface of the cylinder.

"You still love him." I said and she nodded. "I understand."

"You are an idiot." Jennifer declared frowning at me.

"Huh?" I blurted out.

"I love him, but he'll never change." Susan said blinking away the tears. "I will always come second to his work. I can't live like that. With you the worst case is that you are busy fucking some other gorgeous woman. I wait a day or two and boom, I am screaming like a banshee. You think I am going to pass that up? Hell no!"

"You are stuck with us." Jennifer laughed.

"I wouldn't ever call it that." I chuckled. "Time for phase two, Shuri?"

"Ghost man," Shuri replied over the commlink. "How did your smash and grab go?"

"Reed is on ice. Can you help him?" I asked and she answered honestly.

"I can only do my best. I cannot promise a miracle. If it is within my capable hands he'll pull through." She said. "Speaking of in my capable hands... what are you doing tonight?"

"See." Susan laughed. "Park us over the Wakandan Embassy."

"As you wish." Morya replied with a naughty wink. "I hear that weightless sex is quite popular."

"Ooh!" Jennifer chuckled as she clapped her hands together. "What do you say sis?"

"Ground control to Major Tom?" Susan suggested. "We can add that to the playbook."

Mandatory Break:

I was walking towards the embassy when my HUD alerted me.

'Mandatory Break. Scene paused. Prepare for extraction.'

I emerged from the game. I removed the eyewear and slowly sat up. The dizziness wasn't so bad this time around. I let me feet touch the floor and leaned against the bed for a little while. Once my head was clear I headed straight for my room's mirror. I tugged off my shirt and checked out my reflection.

"Damn, not bad." I commented at the new man I had become. "If this could work for others like me, it beats the hell out of going to the gym."

"My thoughts exactly." Kat Shaw said from behind me. "Would you join me for dinner?"

"I'm starved." I replied as I turned and saw the little black dress she was wearing. "I am a little under dressed."

"Actually, I'm the one overdressed. I just left a charity benefit." She replied. "Follow me so I can change into something less clingy. Don't pout."

I put my shirt back on and we took the elevator to the penthouse. It was one of several she owned worldwide. I opened a bottle of wine while she showered. It was impossible to hide my erection poking against my sweatpants. Bad time to go commando in front of the boss lady.

"Booker?! Wine me!" Kat called out from the bathroom. I poured a glass and walked in. Her hand protruded from a crack in the sliding glass door. "Thank you." She giggled as she accepted the glass. "MMMM... excellent year." She said as I turned to leave. "I knew it!" She purred and I turned my head to see hers poking out of the shower. "I got you excited."