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Marvelous Shop, Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2024-07-24 15:38:22 +0000 UTCNatasha Romanov, and Yelena... Something, I can't remember her last name as I certainly didn't watch the Black Widow movie and she wasn't that relevant in the universe altogether.
But there was no denying that the blond was another 'Black Widow' which meant that she was superhuman in a number of ways.
"Hello, may I help you?" I asked curiously while I noted with a bit of annoyance that Shield and or other entities must have been keeping the people out of my shop as it had already been a day and I already knew the videos those kids posted popped off.
And with it being a fresh new day, with my store being right on Time's Square with tens of thousands of people walking through there every day. I should have had people coming in just to look around at the least.
'The' Black Widow in Natasha Romanov raised an eyebrow and spoke calmly. "We are with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division... Otherwise known as SHIELD."
She took a breath and then continued. "We are both here to tell you to in no certain terms to stop selling your power-granting objects to the general public."
I gave her a long look and I spoke bluntly. "And I will tell you in no uncertain terms to go sit on a banana and spin on it."
But I smiled and folded my hands together on the counter and continued. "But we aren't meeting today to give one another ultimatums are we? The world is a dangerous place and having more enemies would be quite unpleasant wouldn't it?"
To which Natasha nodded with Yelena splitting off from her to look at the merchandise I had out.
But my gaze from the frankly beautiful blond was pulled back to the hot red head in front of me as she spoke again. "My name is Natasha, and my partner's name is Yelena. I want to know what it would take for you to supply my organization with a steady supply of the power-granting candies and confections."
I brushed a hand across my face before I said with a shrug. " My name is Jake Bariss, and so long as the price is paid... All may purchase from my shop unless they are Nazis." I spoke with a hint of steel in my tone that made Natasha raise an eyebrow.
But before she could continue I raised up a hand to stop her and then I pointed at the rules list for the shop.
The rules list that governed my shop, the portal system, and some general tidbits I thought a good idea to share.
[Rule 1- No returns
Rule 2- No fightning
Rule 3- No stealing]
Simple common sense rules and of course the information on the portal itself as many higher-end objects couldn't be bought without preparation.
"Natasha, I think it would help, if you read all the information I have listed, as it will help you come up with any more relevant questions"
She went to go do so and then I blinked as a loud bleeping noise rang out before a sharp shriek rang out as Yelena abruptly turned upside down and was floating in the air.
[Thief Detected] The shop's intercom droned on as the magical force kept Yelena in the air while I could feel a connection with the shop asking if I should banish/teleport her to the cells beneath the store.
I put on a deep scowl as Yelena floated towards me still upside down while I saw Natasha with a dark scowl on her face striding back towards me with a hand behind herself... Undoubtedly on a gun.
But I wasn't worried about her having a gun, if she drew it with any intent of doing harm to me, the shop would teleport the gun away and she would likewise be restrained in the air.
"Miss Yelena... Did you really try stealing one of the cheapest candies I have in my shop." I asked exasperated.
And without shame, Yelena nodded and said firmly. "I needed to make sure that your merchandise was safe so other people couldn't steal it. And if they did we would have several newly empowered criminals running around."
That shameless way of saying it only made me snort in amusement so I gave her a look and said plainly. "You get the one... You do that again, and you will not like the consequences."
She seemed to understand that my threat wasn't an idle one as she visibly stiffened before nodding in agreement.
But as I mentally ordered the shop to put Yelena down on her feet, Natasha spoke curiously. "The items you are selling... They have some very interesting costs to them, how do you plan to have people pay such things in more detail. And most importantly, are you making all these items?"
I firmly shook my head and I spoke honestly. "I am more of a metahuman than a mage or whatever even if I am capable of magic. Hmm, its a bit complicated but my powers have rules to them."
Pulling out the list of themed shipments and shop upgrades, I continued to explain. "I don't know if my powers are actually reaching into fictional worlds but I am sure many of you recognize many of the items I am selling like the Everlasting Gobstopper for example."
At both lady's nods of understanding, I continued. "My powers are in a way reality altering but they are highly... Controlled, I can't manipulate them beyond the clear-cut lanes I am given, but for example I could expand my shop to include technology from Star Wars including ships, lightsabers, and all other things... I can reach into any fictional universe basically, but in the end I myself have to bear the cost of doing so."
"Why are souls the primary cost though?' Yelena asked with a bit of trepidation and I exhaled before answering frankly.
"Souls are the most valuable thing in the universe if you know how to use them. A simple 'human' soul who lived a boring life on a farm their entire life is like a candle of flame... A candle that will never, ever extinguish. Get enough of those candles and even more powerful ones and you can do great and powerful things."
I shrugged and pointed to the end of the shop where the large portal was glowing brightly ready to be used. "I can go to different worlds where the worst kind of monsters reside, and I can without guilt kill the monsters to gather souls, that world technology, magic, or anything else I desire while I am there."
There was a pause before Natasha blinked and looked at me with understanding as she folded her arms under her large breasts and stated. "The 10% cut the shop gets from people going on those adventures is what unlocks those future projects along with whatever you sell right."
I held out my hands in a 'what can you do?' manner. And went on to say. "That is indeed the case. I myself am conceptually immune to harm within my shop as all its reality manipulation abilities make me all but immune to anything while I am in the shop, but all my protections leave outside of it and while I am in those other worlds so I am looking to make friends."
Admitting weakness in front of Shield that was likely ridden with Hydra agents was likely risky. But in reality, as I made the shop a manifestation of my powers that would mean that said organizations would believe they be a manifestation of my powers and would thus disappear should I die.
And having me die? That was a complete net negative once the information from Natasha and Yelena got out there.
Because you can't tell me that the dumbasses in Hydra won't do everything in their power to help me get Starwars technology unlocked so they can get the plans to make their own Star Destroyer or some other nonsense.
After a moment Natasha asked the pressing question. "How dangerous are these worlds... And what can we get from them?"
To which I shrugged and replied honestly as I stepped back from the counter and walked towards the portal side of the store. "The rewards are based on the world, and if you go into the world with an objective or complete a grand task or feat within the world. Killing a evil god for example will give you stupidly amazing rewards to say the least."
I then pointed out the portal's soul-binding feature and looked through the worlds for an option before I locked onto one and tilted my head to the side and spoke. "Ok take this one for example. It's an insertion into the world of Fallout New Vegas around New Vegas itself."
I took a breath and explained the insertion and objective. "The goal is for a group of up to four to enter the world with six hours allotted to them in the world. They have the objective to clear a bunker called Vault 3 that is infested with a good hundred drugged out-of-their-minds psychopaths that are well armed."
Looking through the information, I said honestly. "The rewards aren't that great honestly. A GECK isn't that valuable to me or the world really as far as I am aware. But you could take the unwanted weapons and sell them to local forces in the world during the time allotted to get more powerful weapons and technology for example."
Both ladies looked at each other in confusion before Natasha spoke unsurely. "I see... I have no idea what 'Fallout New Vegas' is. But you seem to know it well, in either case, I will be returning to my higher-ups with the information you have given."
Even as Natasha seemed ready to disengage, Yelena had something to say as she gave me a long look and asked. "Why haven't you gone to these worlds Jake? If you already know them and have idea's how to best take advantage of them?"
And I smiled wryly and admitted. "Although I have the same protection as you guys do from betrayal and shit like that. I only have my one life and all these worlds are one bad step from dying like a dog."
I coughed and then added on mentally. 'Plus I kinda need a weapon if I am going to pop into these worlds... I refuse to pop into a world without a gun and maybe some body armor.'
With that Natasha coughed and said more firmly. "We will keep that in mind. Now if you will excuse us, we will be leaving now."
I nodded and then likewise said bluntly. "Alright, that is fine. Have your men stop blocking off my store though. I need my customers."
There was a pause before Natasha grimaced and I shrugged, I was going to get customers either way when the crowds outside inevitably broke through the blockade and wanted to see about getting their own superpowers.
"Have a good day then ladies." I finished in clear dismissal with the ladies turning on their heels and leaving the shop and... Damn they looked good as they left in all that tight leather.
-
Natasha grimaced as she saw the clear crowd of people standing around the hurriedly put-up fences lined with barbed wire and the moment they stepped out of the shop cries rang out.
"We want in! We want in! We want in!"
With Yelena, her protege wolf whistling and saying sarcastically. "Five bucks says a truck is going through that chainlink fence in less than a couple more hours."
To which Natasha sighed and said tiredly. "Humanity in a group tends to make the worst decisions... In either case, we will be handing over all the recordings to Fury along with our reports for him to sort out."
The two Black Widows climbed into an armored van without another word with Natasha pulling out of the locked-off area with armed national guard holding the line as she drove through a passage through the people wanting to get into the shop to get into the shop.
Yelena on the other hand had taken out her phone and was looking up Fallout New Vegas and after looking through the lore and the mission itself she spoke up. "So the world of Fallout seems to be an irradiated hellhole after a war between China and America went hot, there doesn't seem to be an obvious magic and the mission itself is sound with his description being complete in its dangers."
Natasha gave a slight hum before Yelena stilled as she looked up something else... The GECK. "Natasha... The GECK, is a suitcase-sized machine that includes a cold fusion generator and is capable of recycling any amount of radiation out of land and water sources. The suitcase also contains schematics on how to make more of itself, variations, and other technology."
"How much can it do at a time?" Natasha asked her voice hard.
As the Kaiju's didn't die peacefully... They died messily and their remains always tainted the land with magic, radiation, and many other effects.
There was some silence as Yelena did more research before she spoke frankly. "I am not sure, none of the wiki's have a defined answer but it's a start as the GECKs burn away the radiation and other energy sources they take in as fuel for the cold fusion reactor... And there seems to be a super-sized GECK in another game called Fallout 3 that is supposedly able to clean out the very Atlantic Ocean after a few years."
As of late, the main method of getting rid of irradiated land was to have drones drag up all the tainted topsoil, seal it into barrels, and hide them deep underground in the desert far from any water sources.
But what about any water systems that were already contaminated?
The United States of America had a major clean water shortage coming in the future with how many of its lakes and rivers had been polluted via Kaiju's monsters and just plain overuse.
And with a lack of water came a lack of food.
"And all we have to do, to get one of those GECK's is kill off some bandits in a bunker?" Natasha asked incredulously.
To which Yelena nodded and said with amused frustration. "Jake was probably just a civilian before he got his powers. He doesn't know the real struggle in the background of the world... His powers probably are working on a grander scale as I saw magic worlds as he cycled through the options."
There was a pause before Natasha spoke again. "I see... In that case, I suggest we both push to have a team to Fury, with the goal of pushing through the Vault to get such a reward. And if we are lucky if we turn over the GECK to Stark or Reed Richards they will be able to copy the technology."
Comments
ShinS0777
Not gonna lie but this Jake is kinda like those jap isekai manga except that he’s the guild master and has a lot of commissions?
Goddess of Victory
TFTC, really enjoying this one so far
