A Great Day For Phantom Thievery (A Marvel Quest)

Dave and Time:
[X] Character image: QM choice
[X]Case A Score: You need to always be aware of your surroundings, and how things work. Modern New York is not like the Seventies, where you could break in and the cops were none the wiser because you were smart. Now you need to do everything right. (Add Linetail of where you case out)
-[X]Dave's Rivals: Sure Dave has rivals, and he wants to make something clear. He's the top dog, and those fences are encroaching on his territory.
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[X] Character image: QM choice

You sighed as you looked at the robes that you had acquired from the sorcerer, and damn did you look good in it. Sure there was always something better you could have worn, something that was both distinguished and awesome, but it was the little things you loved about it.

For one thing, it could change to suit your interests. You had learned, much to your joy that the entire set of robes was honestly suited for being a one size fits all kinda thing. Like if you concentrated enough, you would be wearing a 3 piece suit, a black tie with a cover bum, or wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

It took a long time to learn how to do such a thing, but hey, that was what learning was for. You had time, but not a lot of it. Just looking the part for anything was key to blending in. You could look like a waiter. A delivery driver or salesman. It didn't matter.

What did matter, was how it would affect things.

How it would affect you, and how people would perceive you.

Dave, for instance, epitomized the old guard—a weathered man, rough around the edges, whose soul bore the scars of a bygone era. He was a relic of a time when New York City stood tall, unyielding, before the seismic shift that was 9/11 reshaped its landscape and its people. Yet, in Dave's mind, he remained untouched by the city's transformation, clinging stubbornly to the memories of a past that seemed increasingly distant.

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Dave had seen horrors that few could comprehend. Yet, somehow, he had managed to cobble together a semblance of a life in the aftermath. There was a time when he had a family—a wife who once shared his dreams, a son and daughter who were the embodiment of hope. But life, in its cruel and capricious manner, had a way of exacting its toll.

His wife, seduced by the allure of wealth and comfort, had left him for a man who could offer her more than Dave ever could—a man who showered her with material riches and hollow praise, rather than the sweat and toil of honest labor. And so, Dave watched helplessly as the foundation of his world crumbled, the fractures widening with each passing day.

His children, scarred by the specter of loss and disgust by their mother's abandonment, had fled the wreckage of their family to their grandparents, in search of a new beginning, leaving behind the pain and ghosts of the past. Their departure had left Dave adrift, a solitary figure adrift in a sea of memories and regrets.

Those two events broke him, somewhat… but he somehow managed to persevere.

And his pawnshop became his instrument of revenge. He knew his wife was in bed with a Maggia top lieutenant. He knew that. Everyone did.

And that's why he turned to Fence for stolen goods and worked with the few independents that still were in New York. Like you.

You entered and smiled at him. "Dave, how's it going?"

"The Jets are still a terrible team, and nothing can change that." He said as he changed the channel on the tv that was playing the highlights of the previous season's game, where there was a beatdown of epic proportions. "So what is it you got for me?"

"Nothing yet, I'm more worried about you?" You said. "Head that a couple more pawn shops opened up along the way? That right?"

"Yeah, you know, the usual," he began, his words trailing off as he paused to choose them with care. He understood the delicate balance of maintaining his clientele—especially with you, one of the most skilled pickpockets in the city, among them. Losing your trust could mean a significant loss of business. "Got some other folk. All of them in the pocket of the Maggia, or higher powers?"

You raised an eyebrow at the mention of the Maggia, a notorious crime syndicate that held sway over the city's underworld. "Fisk?" you inquired, your tone casual but betraying a hint of curiosity.

He chuckled, surprised by your astuteness. "You're keeping up on the underworld now? Thought you were trying to stay out of the muck and politics?"

You offered a nonchalant shrug in response. "Can't be a good thief by being careless and uninformed."

He nodded. "Fair enough. Listen, kid…" Still, after all this time, he knew your face, but not your name. Probably for the best. "We're dealing with people with pockets, resources, men who won't bother with negotiations. They'll go to war with you if you let them. If you let them."

"Well, that means there must be profit now? A very large profit." You said.

He nodded. "So you're interested?"

"Why not?"
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[X]Case A Score: You need to always be aware of your surroundings, and how things work. Modern New York is not like the Seventies, where you could break in and the cops were none the wiser because you were smart. Now you need to do everything right. (Add Linetail of where you case out)
-[X]Dave's Rivals: Sure Dave has rivals, and he wants to make something clear. He's the top dog, and those fences are encroaching on his territory.

Dave was in the back room, looking over the map of New York. "Both of these places are lower down in Hell Kitchen, ten blocks apart, but they form a triangle… trying to muscle me out and sell my shop or work for their bosses."

You frowned and saw that that was indeed the case. Hell's Kitchen was a truly scum-infested neighborhood, between the Maggia, Fisk, and the independents like yourself. "So?" You asked. "What needs to change?"

"Gone for the most part. I know they are working for fisk and the Maggia, but they are also independent for a place. They want me gone, and I want them gone."

"And how do you plan to do that?" You asked.

"I'm sure they paid top dollar to the city superintendent and the alderman… and the business commission to get their licenses. While I had to go through the legal pitfalls all by myself." He then smiled at that. "Can't have assholes like that just steal all my years of work."

You frowned. "Alight, what for? Steal from them, rob them, find incriminating criminal evidence?"

Dave smiled. "None of the above. Well kinda. I want you to rob them of course, but I want you to steal the things that belong to their bosses. Jewels and gold and other shit, knick nacks that places like this use for storage. And branding."

"And bring them to you?" You asked. "Rather dangerous."

"And lucrative. They don't know I have you, and once they do, and once they realize you can steal shit from them, they'll play ball and not do something stupid like muscle in on my business."

"What if they try to kill you?" You asked. You needed him alive for his money.

There was a smile. "Kid, I was in Nam… they won't be able to kill me with those pea shooters and bombs they can throw at me."

"And the building?" You asked.

"All insured. I'm a legitimate business after all." He smiled. "I'll walk away a millionare if they tried to destroy this place with the amount of insurance I have on this place."

"Why not commit fraud?" You asked.

He smiled. "I ain't giving this place up, not for them, not for no one."
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Both places were shit at security. No security cameras, their locks were standard deadbolts, and their security around the building was laughable. They had open windows and open vents, and they were even trying to keep things on the hush-hush.

Minimal staff, only two people, one at the register, and one at the door.

But you did notice that there were two men in cars, watching the store as well. They would be their handlers or something.

It was going to be easy to steal what you needed or wanted.

You just needed to be quick and prepared.

Reward: You have cased out the rival location, and can now conduct a heist.
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Dawn Rises and it's morning again.

You had school soon, might as well try to figure things out.

What do you do?:

Choose 3

[]Flash Thomson and the lads?: Flash and the Boys are trying to talk you into accepting the fundraiser idea. Maybe it has merit.

[]Trying your Luck and Studying: You want to try and learn something new
-[]Write in what you want to learn

[]Bullying Parker: Time for Parker to taste the toilet water again.

[]Dad and Mom and Marc: Mom and Dad said that you can see Marc again. No way you can miss this.

Spend time with someone?: You want to spend time with someone and get to know them more. Who do you do that with?
-[]Write in (Doing more than one costs an action)

AN: enjoy.

New Ways:

-[X]Flash Thomson and the lads?: Flash and the Boys are trying to talk you into accepting the fundraiser idea. Maybe it has merit.

You looked at Flash and his friends and looked at them with a weary smile. God, you were tired, but you had a heist tonight, maybe, and you couldn't try and focus on other things.

A moment passed before Flash snapped his fingers and Liz shook you. "You alright Jean?"

"Huh," you grunted and felt the stares become more intense. "Sorry, you say something?"

"Of course we said something you idiot?" Flash said as he looked over towards the plan that was there. "See we figured it out. The funds that we can get can be donated by the-"

Oh, not this again. "Flash, I get you want to help, but why are you trying so damn hard!" You demanded. "Why do you care?!"

"Because you are my friend, why shouldn't I care that my buddy's brother is in the hospital and there is something I can do about it?" He asked. "Do you want to be alone with no one to help you?"

Maybe, but you think that after this, there might be a chance that…No "Flash how would you even do that, no offense, but you don't seem like the type to set something else up with that."

There was a smile from Flash. "Well, it wasn't just me. Harry was happy to do it for me if I stopped picking on Peter for a few weeks, and for that, it felt like it was a fair trade. Most of the paperwork was done by some of the lawyers that his daddy has. Everything will be tax-free and going straight towards your brother. No strings attached."

Wow… "Wow, I didn't know you would do something like that?"

"Well Harry Osborne is a son of a billionaire, so they play by different rules all the time." Flash said. "Maybe that will be enough."

No strings attached… just what you needed.

Reward: Flash through a deal with Harry has set up a large donation fund towards Marc's recovery, and recuperation.

A Perfect way to launder money towards helping your brother…

Seems Flash has his uses.
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-[X]Trying your Luck and Studying: You want to try and learn something new
--[X] Economics

Stealing required many things. But above all else, the money that you gained needed to be laundered, so that the Tax man of the United States didn't get their fair share of the pie.

You were no bootstrapping entrepreneur, you were someone wanting to not only get the money you needed, and so your brother would heal. That was the only thing that mattered.

The problem was, that laundering money and fencing goods was a very hard thing to do in the modern world. Sure the dark web and pawn shops helped with that, but that required… infrastructure that you did not have, and could not afford, leaving you with other things…

Well, other things and ways to worry about.

Like how to change illegal cash into legal cash. So you needed a side gig.

And thus, you studied the economy, study people.

And hey, Midtown High has one of the best Econ classes in New York… Go figure.

Reward:

Gain Skills:

Criminal Economics (D+): There is a way to how the world works. Thievery and fences, and money and laundering. You know the basics of how it's done, and how to get meager amount of money, into your pockets.
Macro Economics (D): Learning how to get into the Global trends of MArkets, people, and big moves was something you are beginning to take interest in.

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-[X]Dad and Mom and Marc: Mom and Dad said that you can see Marc again. No way you can miss this.

Marc was waking up, but still in bed, and you grabbed his hand. "Hey bud, how's it going?"

Marc yawned. "I feel a little better." He said. "Though I wish I was out of here."

Mom smiled. "The doctors are just going to make sure that you are going to be okay, so you can leave?"

"But I want to be with you?" He demanded.

Mom looked ready to lose her mind in tears and hysteria before your father cleared his throat. "There is nothing we would rather do than to have you leave with us. But we just want to make sure you can leave without… dying."

"But being in here isn't any better." He said as he curled up into a ball. "I miss my friends. I miss you."

You couldn't watch, and you walked away. You needed to keep your… mind focused.

There was so much that you wanted to say to him.

But you couldn't even look at him. Not without thinking that you were the one who caused this.
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Night Falls, Time to get to work.

You have a Hiest to do: Do you take it?
[]Yes
[]No: You need more time. (Automatically starts another casing of the scene. And another Civilian Turn will begin)
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During the Heist what will you go after?:
[]Cash: King Cash, a simple thing that is untraceable, and very very…easy to get.
[]Jewels: The Shop has jewels, that could be worth something in the right place.
[]Other items: you think there is something to steal.
[]Write in