The Game Cafe in Marvel and DC

27 – Research

[A/N: Whoops, kind of just hit the hay when I got home last night after a nine-hour shift, rip]

Soon enough time passed and Volkov was the first to exit the game finally.

"Not what you expected, was it?" I asked the silent thug staring into space with an empty gaze.

"No..."

"To be expected," I chuckled, causing the thug to flinch from its ethereal tone.

"What now...?" He asked.

"That's up to you, though we have a deal, you must introduce at least three people to my store. I will recommend keeping a go at the games and purchasing some things from the Credit Store," I suggested.

"Credit Store?" He asked.

"That's right," I told him, turning the computer screen I had on the counter towards him that showed the newly made list of items on the Credit Store.

I should probably mention today was May 1st of 2016, meaning I had to set up a new list on the Credit Store.

[A/N: I can't remember if I mentioned a date or not, and after a brief look through my chapters, I didn't find one, so here]

/=======+=======\

[Page 1 of 10, Five Items Per Page]

[Sorted by Most Expensive to least]

[Functional G.E.C.K (50,000 Credits) -  A wholly functional and stocked G.E.C.K that houses a wide array of seeds, materials, and holo-discs that contain a wide breadth of information that could be useful for Mankind in its attempt to rebuild soceity. It has a built-in shut-down feature in case of failure or misuse and includes the premium Vault-Tech corporate protection features to prevent theft of designs and property from unsuspecting individuals and groups]

[Conduit Gene Awakening Serum (15,000 Credits) - A serum, that when injected, will transform a part of the recipient's DNA to be that of a Conduit, giving the recipient the abilities that Conduits are known for. This Serum can only be used three times per recipient, the first serum will activate and implant the genes into the recipient, and the following two serums can and will upgrade or improve the Conduit Genes, allowing for the strengthening of both the recipient's body and abilities]

[Caged Tunneler Queen (8,000 Credits) - A caged Fertile Tunneler Queen, implanted with an I.D.C., Indenturerd Servitutde Chip to prevent possible disloyalty. The Queen's purpose is to give birth to more Tunnelers and protect her home when she feels it is threatened. It highly suggested that she be placed in a secure and well-protected environment with low-light conditions and plenty of water and food and that she be under full-time surveillance in case the Chip malfunctions or she was to escape. - Note by Enclave Branch: Victor]

[Highwayman (5,000 Credits) - Manufactured by Chryslus Motors Corporation. Combining a stylish design with a tough and resilient frame, the Chryslus Highwayman is an excellent vehicle for any survivor of a nuclear war. The car shares technology with the Chryslus Corvega, it has a fully analog system with no electronics, over 800 horsepower, and reaches 60 mph (97 km/h) in under a second. It has a spacious trunk and an interior capable of accommodating as much as six people, including a super mutant, a robobrain, and a deathclaw.

Like other cars in the resource-starved United States, the Highwayman uses replaceable fuel cells, energy cells, and fusion cores to provide its electric engine with power. The flow of power is regulated by the fuel cell controller, which is also the one part that tends to break down the most, usually burning out due to rapid acceleration. A fuel cell regulator was an optional upgrade that more resource-conscious drivers installed, to improve the mileage. Others did not care, as energy was considered cheap and plentiful]

[Cyberdog (1,000 Credits) - Cyberdogs are cybernetically augmented dogs that incorporate organic and mechanical parts. The abilities of individual cyberdogs vary from dog to dog, but as a rule, they are all physically superior to their organic counterparts and are far more long-lived, with advanced models being intelligent enough for conversation and theoretically, complex thought]

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"What is...all of this?" Volkov asked.

"Items, entities, and so much more. Think of it as countless Paths to power and strength, this world is quite an unforgiving place, and soon, this planet and everyone on it will have to face countless situations that could spell the end of this world and so many others," I informed him cryptically.

I could see that he looked at me suspiciously, but it appeared he accepted my words and nodded.

"I will be back tomorrow," He informed me.

"Before you go, could I recommend the Sierra Madre Martini? It's quite the drink, and has quite a few health benefits," I asked, smiling and waving my hand towards the glass fridge in the corner that allowed all of the items inside to be seen from outside.

I could see I got his attention and decided to add, "Even if you have no interest in alcohol, it would make quite a good gift."

"Perhaps another time..." He replied.

I wished him a good night and glanced at the time when he left.

10:49 PM

One hour and eleven minutes until close, I glanced back over to my customers who were still in the game, and let out a smirk.

---

Meanwhile, in a cave in Gotham, a figure in all black was on his computers searching for a particular few criminals that suddenly dropped off the radar.

If there was one thing that described this figure, was that he was quite the paranoid man, and had a habit of keeping track of every single notable individual in his city.

Going as far as to map out their habits, schedules, and whereabouts.

So, you could see how three individuals that disappeared from his radar concerned him to a high degree because whenever such a thing happens, it typically ends with some sort of situation in which he would need to get involved, such as a bank getting robbed, something or someone important getting robbed, or kidnapped, and countless other things.

So, he meticulously searched through every nook and cranny of the city through cameras, phone taps, speakeasy taps, bar taps, and a great many other methods.

Eventually, he did find where they were last seen, his taps informing him that they were seen heading downtown after leaving the Gold Bar speakeasy by the docs.

Momentarily glancing at the other screen, he glanced at the name of his contacts that he was trying to reach.

[Ancient One]

[Doctor Fate]

[John Constantine]

[Doctor Strange]

[Zatanna Zatara]

Various magicians and practitioners of Magic and experts in their respective fields hold countless connections with the Supernatural and Magical side of society.

Then he glanced at the creature he recently encountered that was at the very top of the page.

Donning his mantle and putting on his utility belt, he swiftly left his hideout and began heading toward where the three criminals were last seen.

He would have called in his apprentice, Robin, but they were on a field trip in Washington and wouldn't be available for a couple of more days.

He jumped and dashed through the rooftops of the city, frequently using his cape as a glider and his grappling hook to hasten the speed at which he was traveling, being able to avoid the streets and alleys.

Once he reached the downtown area of Gotham, he began to interrogate any thug and criminal he came across that called the downtown area home for the whereabouts of the trio, soon enough finding someone that last saw them entering an alleyway.

He froze when he recognized the sign that hung above the glass sliding doors of what seemed to be a store hidden away in the alleyway.

'New World Cafe.'

"No...that shouldn't be here," His gruff voice murmured atop the roof, and without hesitation, he jumped off the roof and down into the alleyway where he entered the cafe to find the very creature he has been researching for the past couple of days since he discovered it as well as the three women and the unknown man that was in the store the previous time he was in there.

"Uh...hey bats, what can I do for you?" The creature hesitantly spoke, tilting its head to look at me.

"You...why are you here?" Batman asked with a stern tone.

"Turn around, and you'll see why it's possible," The creature suggested, waving his hand toward him.

Turning around, Batman was briefly surprised to see two separate alleyways, both he recognized.

"If you don't understand, think about it like this, my store exists in two separate places at the same time, allowing customers to enter from both locations and to travel through both entrances, like an interdimensional crossroads, understanding me so far?" The creature explained and asked.

In response, Batman seemed to grunt in annoyance and frustration.

"What?" The creature asked.

"How many?" He asked.

"How many what?"

"How many other of these 'Entrances' and how many new customers?"

"No new entrances have been made as of yet, and as for the second thing, I'm afraid that's strictly for me to know."

Batman seemed to only growl in annoyance as his gaze toward the creature became even more stern.

"Oh yeah, the Credit Store has been expanded, if you are interested?" The creature informed Batman, only causing the Bat to become even more annoyed.

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