After the Central Park festival where I wiped the floor with Deadpool and snagged Purple Whirl, I felt like a rock star. I was strolling through New York with Gwenpool and Deadpool, munching tacos and laughing at his dumb Wolverine jokes. Gwenpool yapped about "breaking the fourth wall," and I had 70 system points and a head full of ideas on how to spend them. But first? I wanted to soak up this city before I stumbled into another mess.
"System, got anything new, or can I chill?"
I muttered, sipping cola.
Ding!
SYSTEM RESPONSE: NO NEW TASKS. SUGGESTION: EXPERIMENT WITH PURPLE WHIRL OR SEEK NEW CHALLENGES.
CURRENT POINT BALANCE: 70.
"Experiment? Sure, but not on an empty stomach," I scoffed, tossing my empty cup into a bin. Gwenpool glanced at me, juggling a donut.
"Juri, what's next? Another show?" she squealed, doing a pirouette. "Maybe a TikTok challenge? You, me, and Deadpool dancing to K-pop!"
"Pinky, forget it," I laughed. "And you, katana-boy, got any plans, or you just gonna ramble about tacos?"
Deadpool, still with mustard on his mask, shrugged. "Plan? Find a chimichanga stand, beat some losers, and maybe write a fanfic about me and Spider-Man. You, purple? What's cooking in your anime?"
"Anime?" I snorted. "Dude, I'm the..." I didn't finish.
As if on cue, my Spider Sense Level 2 went nuts. Not "you're gonna die" nuts, but "something weird's up." I looked around. We were on Times Square—crowds, neons, chaos. Then I heard a bang and a scream.
In an alley nearby, something flashed—like a laser from cheap sci-fi.
"Oho, party time!" I shouted, firing up the Feng Shui Engine. My eye glowed purple, and my body moved like a rocket. Gwenpool and Deadpool followed, though Pinky was still chewing her donut.
In the alley, I saw… a raccoon. Yeah, a raccoon in a leather jacket, wielding a gun bigger than my head. He was blasting at some guys in weird, metallic suits who looked like aliens from a low-budget flick. The raccoon yelled, "Get lost before I turn you into dog food!"
"What the…" I muttered, stopping. "Pinky, who's this? A talking raccoon?"
"That's Rocket Raccoon!" Gwenpool clapped her hands. "From Guardians of the Galaxy! Total badass, just small and grumpy!"
"Small? Grumpy?" Rocket spun around, aiming at us. "Who's small, pink Barbie? And you, purple, what's this mess? Cosplaying or what?"
"Juri Han, dude," I shot back, hands on hips. "Not cosplay. And you're shooting up the city? What's with these aliens?"
Rocket snorted, holstering his gun. "Not aliens, just cyber-losers peddling stolen Kree tech. Gotta take 'em out before Groot lectures me on saving trees."
"Kree? Sounds like a problem," I laughed, feeling this was my scene. "Alright, raccoon, let's roll. I kick, you shoot. Pinky, you… keep eating that donut."
"Hey, I fight too!" Gwenpool yanked out a katana, pulling a fake-tough face. Deadpool just laughed, drawing his own swords.
"Okay, purple, show me what you got!" Rocket pointed at the guys, who were getting up. "But if you steal my target, I'm turning you into a rug!"
"Rugs are out, raccoon," I winked, charging in. Purple Pulse gave me speed, and Spider Sense Level 2 warned me of a laser.
I dodged with Dance Dodge, flipping, and nailed a cyber-guy with a precision kick. He slammed into a wall, leaving a dent.
Rocket fired, Deadpool sliced, and Gwenpool… caused chaos, chucking a donut at one guy. "Take that, loser!" she yelled, and I cracked up.
"Pinky, really? Donuts as weapons?"
I called, triggering Purple Whirl. I spun like a tornado, purple energy blasting out, sending two guys into a dumpster. The Times Square crowd started filming, chanting "Purple! Purple!"
"Ha! That's a show!" I shouted, landing. Rocket took out the last guy with a shot, then looked at me like he might hire me.
"Not bad, purple," he grunted. "Where'd you get those moves?"
"Training, raccoon, plus some purple vibe,"
I laughed, winking at him. "And you? Where'd you get that gun? Stole it from Star Wars?"
"Stole? I build, babe!" Rocket growled, but grinned. "Alright, you're cool. Come grab a beer, I know a spot."
"Beer? With a raccoon?" I snorted. "Fine, but you're paying, 'cause I blew my cash on tacos."
Ding!
TASK COMPLETED: GAIN AN ALLY AND TAKE DOWN ENEMIES ON TIMES SQUARE!
REWARD: +45 SYSTEM POINTS, PURPLE WHIRL UPGRADE (INCREASED RANGE)
CURRENT POINT BALANCE: 115.
"One-fifteen points? System, you're the king!" I muttered, heading off with Rocket, Gwenpool, and Deadpool. New York was nuts, but with Juri Han and this crew of weirdos? This was just the start.