#so can we please get my man an upgrade in alien girlfriend

[josephinekhawaja]

Happy to have it confirmed that Emilia Clarke will be playing the daughter of Ben Mendelsohn in the MCU, though I thought her name would be Veranke. Not only to see Talos daughter all-grown-up, but out of amusement that throughout the Star Wars anthology films, I always thought Felicity Jones and Emilia Clarke could pass for cousins. I mean, biologically, Director Krennic is not Jyn Erso's Uncle Orson...but functionally, and evilly, he is✅☑. (All I am saying is from admittedly what little I care to remember of the Solo film, we never get a surname for Qira; and what even is the Star Wars galaxy without Daddy Issues and needing to hit up Maury Povich. I can see it in my own head at least.) I have had this vision for years, and now at least get to see it in their multiverse variants. Looking forward to their father-daughter dynamic, and glad Emilia gets to be her natural brunette self and not have to dye her hair green or whatever.

Also, can we please be having her meet Dane Whitman sometime. For...reasons, of science. Thank you.

[olkarianprincess]

Can you write a shiro x pidge and one-sided Pidge x loter were there on opposite sides of the war Pidge is Gaara and betrothed to Prince lotor shiro is a pilot of Voltron

1

Huff. Huff.

Shiro doubled over the moment he rounded the corner. Inhaling as deeply and quietly as he could, he attempted to catch his breath. He couldn’t relax, though. They were still on his trail. The dark alleyway was a temporary sanctuary from the alien police force, but stopping also meant losing his momentum.

All too aware of the sweat pooling beneath his armor—of the painful tension in every muscle of his body—he waited in silence. The footsteps grew louder. Closer. In one hand, he clenched his bayard, ready to strike. In the other-

The sphere was gone.

Suddenly, everything melted away. The pain, the sounds, the worry of being caught—all gone. After all, none of it mattered if he had lost the one thing it was all for. Frantically, he searched the small satchel looped around his torso, and then the ground. The sphere was nowhere to be found.

And then there were footsteps.

On instinct alone, he spun around, but he was unprepared for what he saw.

At the end of his bayard was a single, cloaked figure. No police. No guns aimed for his head. Just an entity shrouded in darkness.

“I think you dropped this,” the mysterious stranger said.

Shiro paused before he looked down to their extended hand. A reflection caught his eye. Barely visible, beneath the shadow of a hood, he saw a yellow visor. Behind the visor, two piercing eyes.

And in the outstretched hand was the sphere.

Realization, followed by relief, swept into his body as the air did in his lungs. Without hesitation, he snatched the sphere and tucked it safely into his satchel. His eyes were only off the figure for a moment, but when he looked up, his strange ally was gone.

When Shiro peered out of the alleyway in hopes of spotting them, he saw nothing but the bodies of unconscious, bruised police littering the ground.

2

Music filled the grand room and, although he was certain it sounded like a fanciful masterpiece to the planet’s resident aliens, it was utter torture for Shiro’s human ears and acoustical tastes. Still, he forced a smile on his lips and waited, eyes glancing around the ball.

The wine, or whatever deep purple liquid it was that swirled about in his glass, wasn’t half bad, and he did recognize a few of the attendees. But Shiro was still bitter. This wasn’t supposed to be his mission.

Lance was the one that suggested they make a covert exchange with their informant. Lance was the one that insisted it had to be at a diplomatic ball. LANCE was the one that emphasized how much he wanted to go.

And yet...

Shiro tried to push away the bitter thoughts that attempted to take over his mind. He knew Coran had his best interests in mind. He also knew that he and Coran had very different ideas of what a “much needed relaxing break of a mission” looked like.

With a sigh, Shiro abandoned that train of thought and focused on finding his contact. Unfortunately, being a super secret matter of intergalactic importance, team Voltron got very little information on what their ally looked like. There was but one clue: the contact would wear a flower pin. They’d at least been given a photo. If they hadn’t, Shiro was certain that Matt would’ve gone on a full out rant about how disappointed Colleen would be that a group of intelligent aliens didn’t recognize not only how common flowers could be in decorative attire but what variety of flowers there are across inhabitable planets. Fortunately, the green lion’s paladin had only done a mini-rant.

Two hours into the ball, Shiro had seen no flower pin. Awkward conversations were plentiful, as were suspiciously jiggly finger foods. But no pin. With a sigh, Shiro pressed his back into the column behind him. He was about to contact Allura to see if the plan was a bust when something caught his eye.

Across the ballroom floor, in a perfectly tailored Galra-equivalent to a suit, stood a handsome gentleman with a gold flower pin on his chest. Wolfs-bane, Shiro recalled Matt saying. That’s what the flower resembled. He stared for but a moment, and startled when brilliant yellow eyes stared back.

A genuine smile on his lips, he moved swiftly across the dance floor. On the other side, his companion awaited with an extended hand. Warmth bloomed in his chest, as did a different feeling. Familiarity. He felt as though this was not the first time they’d met.

“May I have this dance,” Shiro asked as he delicately took the other man’s hand into his own, pressing a soft kiss to the back.

“That’s what we’re here for,” the Galra replied.

“Oh is it?” Shiro asked.

He would never tell his friends, but he was enjoying the opportunity to flirt with a pretty stranger. The Galra had a short, slim body, but was clearly in good shape. His mess of deep purple, puffy hair reminded Shiro of Matt, although Matt didn’t have two soft cat-like ears hidden beneath his cut.

“I thought a gentleman like you would be here for something else,” Shiro continued.

“Perhaps I’m here to meet a friend,” his dance partner replied.

“That makes more sense. For some reason, you don’t strike me as the kind of person to voluntarily attend these events.”

A delightful laugh spilled from the Galra’s mouth, forcing Shiro to turn his head away. It was hard to hide a growing blush when in close proximity with another person. So he switched tactics. The conversation changed, ebbing and flowing with the melody that surrounded them. Until, at last, the song ended.

“I think you dropped this,” his partner remarked with a grin.

Eyebrows furrowed, Shiro tried to decipher the words, but was answered by warm hands wrapping around his own. His heart skipped a beat and then his mind took over. The Galra drew away, but left something behind. Grasping the small device firmly, Shiro moved toward the edge of the crowd. He had to let Allura know that the data had been delivered.

3

Please be safe.

Shiro’s heart pounded heavily in his chest. If he hadn’t known better, he would’ve thought the beat alone was shaking the cockpit of the black lion. They hadn’t been able to respond. The distress signal came just after Haggar’s forces launched a surprise attack. There was no way for them to respond.

Shiro prayed to whatever gods would help him that the city was safe. The Rodlians had been one of the first members of the Voltron Coalition. They didn’t deserve to be punished for that.

The black lion entered Rodlia’s atmosphere. As they descended, smoke obscured the lion’s screen, and Shiro’s heart raced faster. Prepared to launch straight into battle, he was overcome with dread when the city became visible and no enemy was spotted. The worst, it seemed, had already come to pass.

Landing roughly, Shiro sprung from his lion-ship, ready to do everything in his power to find survivors. But the streets were not littered with victims of war. Here and there, buildings suffered damage, but the citizens seemed to be in good health, if not tired. Spotting him, the city leader came forward.

“What happened? We were attacked and couldn’t get here in time. Did you defeat them yourselves?” Shiro launched into inquiry.

“It’s alright, son,” the older alien patted his leg.

Her head only went as high as his thigh, and yet her voice commanded respect. Instantly, he felt a little better.

“We’re alright. Lady Pidge came to our aid.”

A bony finger pointed in the direction of a cloaked figure, several yards away. Shiro thanked the leader and apologized once more (to which he got a gentle head shake in response) before heading over to greet the one called “Pidge.”

“Excuse me,” he called out.

The figure turned at the sound of his voice, revealing a familiar face.

“Lady Pidge?” Shiro sputtered, “Oh shit I’m so sorry, I called you a man before, I-“

Pidge, the handsome contact he had danced with at the ball, waved off his words with a smile.

“It’s fine,” she said. “I don’t care.”

“Ah, alright. Well, what are you doing here?”

“The Coalition sent me. I’ll tell you more, but it’s going to cost you.”

Once again, the Galra had thrown Shiro for a loop.

“What?”

Pidge pointed and Shiro followed the direction of her finger...all the way to his metal arm.

“Let me take a look at it?” she asked, an intense sparkle in her eyes.

“Oh, okay,” he responded with a laugh.

Warmth filled his chest as he trailed after her towards a laptop (of sorts) situated at the base of a statue.

4

“No fair! How come Shiro gets a secret admirer?!” Lance whined.

“Yeah! How come Coran lets Shiro have two girlfriends and I get none?” Hunk joined in, a huge smile on his face.

“Hunk,” Keith shot him a glare, “That’s biphobic.”

“Oh, you’re right Keith, my bad. How come Coran lets Shiro have a girlfriend and a boyfriend and I get none?”

Keith collapsed onto the couch with laughter at Hunk’s response and even Shiro couldn’t keep himself from grinning. He scooped up the package Coran had deposited on the table and turned to make his escape, sparing Allura a brief glance before he went. She looked...done, to put a word to it.

In his quarters, alone and away from prying eyes, Shiro gingerly opened the heavy metal box. Of course he knew it wasn’t a present from a secret admirer. That whole bit of drama was entirely a product of Matt’s desire to stir up trouble. But he still didn’t know what it was or who it was from. All Coran said was that someone from the Coalition had sent it.

With bated breath, and a quick prayer that there was not, in fact, a bomb inside, Shiro pressed the buttons on either side of the box and watched as it clicked open. Inside, delicately wrapped, was a thin holopad. He activated and it glowed with life, displaying the message:

Thought you could use an upgrade.

(PS: I’ve included installation instructions.)

And below the message was a little icon of some cute gremlin face with swirly glasses.

Shiro set the device to the side and opened the compartment below the first one. He almost cried when he saw the gift.

Inside was a brand new, clearly custom-made, prosthetic arm.

5

“I’m still not comfortable going into the heart of the Galra empire, invited or not,” Shiro stated as they approached the massive space station.

“I’ve gotta agree,” Matt said, although his voice lacked its usual carefree tone.

“Relax,” Allura assured, “now that Lotor’s emperor, we don’t need to worry about the Galra attacking us. At least, not the ones under his command.”

“Oh yeah and what about the other 40% of Galra that aren’t?” he heard Lance mutter.

Apparently Allura heard him too, as was indicated by the thump and yelp that followed.

“Lotor is gaining more and more of the Galra’s allegiance each day,” Allura reassured them. “I’ve heard a large part of it is due to the support for his fiancé. Many of the Galra feel more comfortable about his rule knowing they’ll be married.”

“Must be some lady. Or dude. Or, ya know,” Hunk added.

“Quite right,” Coran chipped in. “Maybe you’ll get to meet them.”

Further conversation was cut off by their arrival. Boarding the station was tense, but otherwise uneventful. As they walked through halls radiating with purple light, Shiro couldn’t help but make a pattern of clenching and unclenching his fist. It was an uncomfortable situation for all of them, but Shiro would be lying if he said it wasn’t worse for him and Matt. In truth, there were several thoughts on repeat in his mind keeping him sane.

First was the knowledge that they’d receive valuable access to Galra tactical data and technological schematics. He’d be able to study it and come up with better plans to free the universe. Second was the thought of getting to punch Lotor in the face, should the emperor step out of line. It was an unlikely situation, but the fantasy brought him joy. And like that fantasy, his third thought, of potentially running into Pidge again, kept him going.

Lotor greeted them outside of the throne room and Shiro focused on taking deep breaths while his friends questioned the new Galra ruler. He could barely process what everyone was saying. It was just another mission, he told himself. It would be over soon. Hunk asked about culture and Lance exclaimed something that sounded like “a nanny,” but the full conversation didn’t register in Shiro’s mind. They were being swept into the throne room, Lotor monologuing some nonsense, and light flooded through the opening of the heavy doors as they stepped in.

Shiro blinked once, twice, and then his gaze locked onto a pair of familiar yellow eyes. Warmth flooded his chest. A smile danced on his lips. The tension melted away and suddenly he found himself able to focus. It was just in time for him to hear Lotor say:

“And I’d like to introduce you to my fiancé, Lady Pidge.”

The yellow eyes that had met his quickly looked away.

[takadasaiko]

Houseguest: Chapter One

FFN II AO3

Summary: Two months after the battle of New York, Tony gets a surprise visit from Steve Rogers at his home in Malibu. Still uncertain exactly what brought him there in the first place, the two not-quite-friends find themselves in the middle of an increasingly dangerous mission to recover stolen alien tech.

Chapter One: The Surprise Visitor

It was all planned out. The reservations had been made, he'd had JARVIS set three alarms - including one that gave him a ten second warning that his systems would be shut down and all unsaved designs would be lost - to make sure that he was out of the workshop in time, and he was showered and ready with a few minutes to spare. He was not going to mess this up. He didn't dare mess this up.

Tony ran a hand back through his dark hair to smooth a few strands into place and pulled in a deep breath, going over everything again. Pep had had a five-thirty phone call with the Board in New York, but she'd promised to keep it under an hour when he'd told her their dinner reservations were set for seven. Just after six she'd have time to change and they'd drive to her favourite restaurant on the beach. It had to be perfect.

"Miss Potts has arrived," JARVIS announced as Tony snapped his watch into place. "She is not alone."

That stopped him in his tracks. "What do you mean not alone?" he demanded, but it was Pepper's voice from downstairs that answered him, not the AI.

"Tony? Are you upstairs?" He darted over to the hall just outside of his room that overlooked the living room below, hearing the telltale signs of Pepper's heels against the marble floor and her voice drifting up, even if it didn't sound like she was talking to him. "Tony didn't mention that you were coming into town."

The inventor slammed to a stop at the voice that answered her. "Uh… he didn't know," came Steve Roger's awkward answer. "He mentioned I should look him up if I was in Malibu and -"

"Hey, Cap. You forgot how phones work?" Tony popped off, starting down the stairs. "I mean, I know there've been some upgrades since '45, but it's still a pretty basic concept." Pepper shot him a withering look as he circled down and he flashed her a grin. "Not that you don't look great in a business suit, but that's not what you're wearing to Nobu, is it?"

"My dress is out in the car, but you had a guest lingering at the front door when I got here. It's like he was afraid to knock. Couldn't imagine why."

"I'm interrupting something, aren't I?" Steve managed, looking more awkward by the moment. Good. Maybe he'd slink right back out the door and they could get on with date night.

"We had dinner plans, but that's alright," Pepper answered and damn it if she weren't reacting to the lost puppy look Rogers seemed to be wearing like a pro. "I didn't get a chance to meet you while we were working on the tower's redesign."

"And you can meet him tomorrow," Tony cut in as he came to join them on the ground floor. "I mean, you're not flying out tonight, right, Cap? And we have reservations…."

"Because we've never canceled reservations before? It's fine. We'll go later. You have a friend in town."

Friend was a stretch, but there was no arguing with her when she was like this. Well, no winning the argument, at any rate. He'd thought that she might have caught on to the fact that this wasn't just another dinner, but if she'd had an inkling of an idea it had gone out the window the moment she had seen their spangliest Avenger standing on Tony's doorstep. Great. The best laid plans did tend to blow up more spectacularly than just winging it.

"I don't want to intrude," the blond tried and Tony didn't miss the brief look his girlfriend gave him.

"Too late for that," he answered with a forced smile and for a second he thought Pepper might smack him for it. Instead she just shot him a warning look that only a blind man could have misinterpreted.

"I think I have some clothes to change into upstairs. Do you have any food in the house? I can cook dinner or we can order in -"

"I have liquor," he offered and boy did he need some about then.

"Okay, but I'm something a little more substantial to go with it," Pepper answered, but at least she was smiling while rolling her eyes at him. "I'll have them deliver a pizza."

"Perfect," he managed as he watched her start for the stairs, her ponytail bouncing with each step and pulled her phone from her purse to call it in.

Tony turn an accusing glare on the taller man. "Please tell you've got a damn good reason for being here. Bad guys chasing you? Aliens back? Something that makes it worth it that you just crashed a night I've been planning for weeks."

"I'm sorry, Tony. I should've called."

"Yeah."

"I'll go."

"Oh no. She wants you to stay, so if you go now I'll get an earful about forcing you out." He tilted his head a little, studying the man that his father had spent decades searching for and his entire childhood talking about. He didn't look afraid or even worried. More embarrassed than anything, and Tony reached up to massage some of the tension from the bridge of his nose. "It's been two months since New York. Last I heard you took a motorcycle out and nobody's heard from you since. You drive clear across the country?"

"I did, actually."

"So what? Just need a place to crash when you hit the West Coast?"

"No, nothing like that. I'll get a motel or something. I just… I wanted to…."

"Pizza's on its way," Pepper called as she started back down the stairs, now dressed in a pair of jeans and one of Tony's AC/DC t-shirts. "Captain Rogers, you strike me as more of a beer than a wine man."

"That'd be great, thank you," he answered politely. "And Steve's fine, Miss Potts."

"Then I'm going to insist on Pepper." Then she was gone again, descending downstairs to the wine cellar below Tony's workshop.

Tony turned back to Cap. "How'd you find me, anyway? My address isn't exactly listed."

"Nick Fury."

"But he couldn't give you my phone number? Weird."

He turned up the stairs towards the kitchen, motioning for the taller man to follow and he heard him snort in response. "I'm sorry. I should have called. I just assumed you'd be holed up in your lab or something. I didn't even know you had a girlfriend, much less one that you would be -"

Tony turned, quirking a dark eyebrow. "One that I'd be what, Cap?"

"That you'd… I just didn't realize you were… in a …"

"Uh huh. Keep going. You're doing great." He offered a shit-eating grin and chuckled. "It's fine. Keep your reasons for all I care. The night's planned events are a bust now so we might as well make some new ones."

He opened the fridge and reached in, grabbing two beers as he did and went back for a bowl of limes as an afterthought. Hey. They weren't working and apparently they had no place to be. The least he could do was furnish the great Captain America with a hangover for crashing his night. Tequila worked nicely for that.

"Where all have you been to see in the last couple of months?" Pepper called from the living room.

Tony pressed one of the bottles into Cap's hand and breezed past him, the other man following until they reached the base of the stairs and Tony split off towards the bar. "I just made my way across the US. I really didn't travel as a kid and while I saw a few cities with the Army I never really got to enjoy them."

"That sounds amazing. Neither of us have been on a real vacation in…. years. Tony, what are you looking for?"

"Tequila." He could practically feel her quirk a questioning eyebrow from the living room. He found what he was looking for and snagged the bottle and glasses, starting back out. "I mean, in our defense, last time we tried we got attacked."

"You did what?" Rogers asked cautiously.

"He wouldn't have been able to get to you if you hadn't decided you wanted to play race car driver."

Tony made a face. "Yeah, because him showing up at the expo didn't happen right after."

Pepper flashed him a playful smile. "But that wasn't on vacation." She turned back to their drop-in guest. "Sorry. You were saying?"

Cap was watching them like he was trying to decide if they'd lost their minds or if this was supposed to be normal for them. Tony was fine with letting him guess. As Pepper kept the conversation going he busied himself with three generous glasses of tequila, salting the rims and handing them out.

"Oh that's way too much," Pepper argues.

"It's fine. When's your first meeting?"

"Ten."

"It's fine. Cheers. To Cap's impromptu visit." He lifted his glass, flashing her his most innocent smile. He waited until the other two knocked against his, the clink echoing. He tilted it back and stuck a lime in his mouth. A shudder ran through him. Okay. Wow. It'd been a while since he'd done that.

They chatted, Rogers telling them where he'd been and what he'd seen. He'd gone down the East Coast first, cut across Louisiana into Texas, and then made his way to Southern California from there. He still wanted to make it up to Washington State and back around. Chicago was on his list, he knew. Minneapolis. Detroit. As long as there were no major catastrophes that had them all coming back together, he thought he had time. He didn't say anything about Tony's invitation that he'd extended to all of the Avengers. Not that any of them really had. It had been a stupid idea anyway. An expensive one too, with the living quarters that he'd designed for each of them. Ah well. At least he and Pepper had a place to stay when they were in New York.

Pepper leaned against him a little more as the conversation continued, her long day mixing with the alcohol, and Tony wrapped an arm around her on the couch. She nestled into his shoulder and he played with strands of strawberry blonde hair in a way he knew she liked. He lifted his newly refilled glass to his lips with his free hand. "Where's Peggy Carter these days?"

Tony couldn't miss the way that Cap stiffened at the question. "I'm not… why?"

"You guys were a thing, right?"

"How do you….? Is that in a file somewhere?"

Tony snorted louder than he meant to at that and mumbled apologies to his snoozing girlfriend before dark eyes flickered back up to meet blue. "I knew her when I was younger. Dad worked with he - on SHIELD, I guess, not that he ever told me that - and I met her a few times. Haven't seen her in years, but I thought…"

"She moved back to England," Rogers said softly. "That's what her file said anyway."

"Those things are always outta date. If you want I can track her down for you. Might be nice to say —"

"No."

The word was sharp enough that Tony stiffened at it. Cap winced. "Sorry. No, thank you. That's really not necessary."

"Okay then." The room went quiet and Tony shifted Pepper gently so that they'd both be a little more comfortable. She inched the rest of the way down so that her head rested on the couch next to him, freeing him up to move a little. He glanced over to the bottle that they'd already put a dent in that night and grabbed for it. If he was feeling the affects, surely Cap was. He hadn't been sure the man even drank until that night.

"Everyone's gone."

Tony pauses mid-reach. "Gone?"

"My whole unit. Your dad. Peggy's alive, but she has a family and I…. I'm just part of a past she moved on from."

Tony chewed on his lower lip before refilling his glass and leaning over to refill Rogers' as well. They were both going to need it. "So what are you doing here? I mean, I wasn't exactly your favourite of our little makeshift team of superheroes."

He watched blond brows draw together thoughtfully and he took a long sip from his glass. "Your dad took some getting used to. He was…. brash. Arrogant. Obnoxious. But when push came to shove he was there when you needed him. I wouldn't trust another pilot back in the war. I thought I saw….." His lips twitched downward. "I guess I missed him, but he's been gone for years now." Blue eyes finally flickered to meet brown. "You're here though."

And just like that Tony's mood plummeted. "Always nice to be a fill in for a dead man," he snapped quietly.

"That's not —"

Tony dragged in a breath and tilted the glass back. He couldn't feel his lips anymore. Scratch that. He couldn't feel his face. "Listen, I should get her upstairs to bed," he managed, motioning at the still-sleeping Pepper.

"Oh. Maybe I should get going then."

"Nah. I have like… six guest rooms. Pick one. There's a gym on this floor if you want. You saw where the kitchen is. Despite what Pep says, it's usually pretty well stocked. If you need to know where something is, just ask JARVIS. G'night."

"Tony, if I offended you somehow…."

"Why would I be offended, Cap? We're not friends. You were pals with my old man. I don't mind putting you up for the night."

He ignored the kicked puppy look the other man was giving him as he roused Pepper just enough to get her on her feet, teasing her the whole way about how the tables had turned and what a bad influence he'd been on her. She leaned into him as they made their way up the stairs to his bedroom and told him she loved him. Well. At least the night wasn't a total bust. That made it alright.

                                          ______________________

TBC

Notes: So begins another crazy story. One that I did not actually plan to write, mind you, but the boys wouldn't leave me alone until I did. I do love shoving them in a room together and making them play nice.

Next time: A hungover Tony gets news of a breakin at a Stark Industries facility.

[that-shamrock-vibe]

Movie Review: Spider-Man Far From Home (Spoilers)

Spoiler Warning: I am posting this review the weekend after the movie’s release in the U.K, so if you haven’t yet seen the movie do not read on until you do because there are some rather juicy spoilers here.

MCU Ad Campaign:

This is why I feel Kevin Feige needs to have full control over Spider-Man because he is a master of teasing us with enough in the trailers to get us excited for the movie.

Even with Avengers: Endgame which kept so much secret in the trailers built up that hype and anticipation, okay yes it was the culmination of 11 years of movies and the second part of what was one of the greatest cinematic cliffhangers in history, but even so there were so many theories and speculation about what could happen that it obviously helped with that juggernaut release.

But the issue with Spider-Man: Far From Home is the trailers and promotion just made the movie seem like your average superhero flick. It was necessarily the case of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 or Suicide Squad where so much was shown in the trailer that wasn’t in the final movie, but there wasn’t enough to speculate on or build up the hype unless you’re already a comic-book fan and want to see another Spider-Man movie and know that in the comics Mysterio is a villain so want to see what happens with him here.

I’d say the introduction of the multiverse may have been what both Feige and Pascal thought could be a key plot point to draw in the hype, but that was proven just to be a facade. It was only really mentioned in that scene that everyone has seen in the trailers and there was never a time in the trailers where I thought “Yes that is what everyone will talk about”.

With Thor: Ragnarok for example, it was penned as a fun 80s style buddy movie and that is what the trailers showed, but then you add in Hela and that shot of her destroying Mjolnir as well as the “He’s a friend from work” scene and that’s what made it one of the most watched trailers of all time.

I said in my non-spoiler review that I fear for this movie’s performance if we are to base mainstream audience interest on watching the trailers, I still feel that even though the two times I have now seen the movie the theatres have been relatively full.

Characters:

Spider-Man:

As I said in my non-spoiler, Tom Holland continues to prove why he was such a perfect casting choice for Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Not only does he still look like a teenager so you believe he should still be at school, he has so much charisma and charm that you can’t not like the guy.

I loved when he was at Aunt May’s support centre and was, as May said, a little stiff but it was believable.

Let’s face it, this is a guy who is still a teenager, he is still dealing with the average student problems like fancying a girl and possibly getting good grades, although at Midtown it’s a wonder any of them can get good grades with those teachers, we’ll get to them. But also Peter is dealing with the added stress not only of being Spider-Man but the aftershock of what happened in Endgame both in terms of “The Blip” and Tony’s death.

It was interesting to me that they were kind of going down the Iron Man 3 route of Peter having PTSD from “The Blip” but that quickly turned simply into either guilt or grief over Tony’s sacrifice and the responsibility everyone is now putting on his shoulders. With great power comes great responsibility, that saying is echoed throughout this movie in particular.

I also really like the Spidey suits in the movie, because there were so many it was like a Spidey fashion show at one point.

I loved the fact he kept the Iron Spider suit and especially seeing it pixelating in that container was really cool. Also the upgraded suit he was given which is a mainstay of the character at this point.

Then there’s the return of the original Spidey sweatsuit during one of Mysterio’s illusions which was a nice little nod and a reference to the Emperor’s New Clothes with who the world has built him up to be compared to how he feels on the inside.

Also, his new red and black suit that he created in the Stark Industries jet was a fantastic sequence. Not only was it crystal clear that they were trying to make Peter resemble Tony in that scene, but it was done so effortlessly and it was really fun once again to see someone play with the Holo chamber.

But in terms of my negatives, because I do have negatives for all these characters, I cannot believe he was that stupid that he gave away EDITH to Mysterio, not because Mysterio was an obvious bad guy because he wasn’t, but because EDITH was such a useful device and Peter apparently doesn’t have KAREN anymore so he needs some form of AI assistant.

I did however really enjoy the onscreen partnership of Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland, you can tell off-screen the two really got on and it resonates on screen.

There was also a really stupid moment when he’s facing Hydro-Man and he wears that mask to try concealing his identity from his classmates, despite the fact that he is wearing the same clothes his classmates know he is wearing so why didn’t anyone attempt to put 2 + 2 together. I mean it’s implied MJ may have but who knows.

With the Elementals as well, as much as I think they are brilliant antagonists visually, and of course in this instance weren’t real but may still exist, I don’t see how Spider-Man can combat any of them because his synthetic webbing would have no effect on water, fire, sand or air. It was obviously Mysterio’s perfect plan to make himself the hero, but the fact no one thought to question that Spider-Man was less use than Black Widow would have been in that fight really bugged me.

I did like him trying to court MJ, I thought his six-step plan was well thought out and the rivalry between him and Brad over MJ was also refreshing to see in a superhero movie.

We’ll talk about the post-credits scene further down but that ending scene before the credits of him doing Spidey’s traditional scout of the city was a great way to end the movie. The main reason I love playing the Spider-Man games is simply to swing through the city and will gladly spend a lot of time doing it just to explore. Also if that’s not the Oscorp building he swung through than it’s the biggest misdirect in a Marvel movie.

Mysterio:

By far my favourite Jake Gyllenhaal role, I have never been a massive fan of his as he and his sister have simply been actors I gloss over. But Mysterio was a very comical villain for me in terms of looks yet Gyllenhaal manages to make the suit and the fishbowl look awesome.

I loved how he was so committed to his role as a parallel world superhero, you honestly believed he was a good guy right up until the moment when the illusion fades.

Speaking of illusions, these are potentially the best use of visual effects I have seen since Doctor Strange. I haven’t seen the movie in 3D but I was almost tempted to the second time just to experience the splender of how the visuals looked. They were literally effects ripped from the comics, everything came together and it was magic.

When he was revealed as a villain and that epic reveal scene of his and his crews master plan, including throwbacks to Captain America: Civil War and the first Iron Man was jaw-dropping. I really appreciate both Feige and  Peter Billingsley who was the actor playing the former Stark Industries scientist turned Beck’s henchman for making it seem like this was the plan overall all those years back. I doubt very much that Feige planned it from Civil War let alone 2008.

However, the ending for Mysterio is where my negatives come in. Not only did Beck turn into a raging child running out of ideas but also the fact they killed him off is something I really can’t get my head around. Vulture, Shocker and Scorpion are all alive and if they want to build a Sinister Six then surely this Mysterio is a likeable candidate, yet now he’s dead. It just reminds me of the likes of Hela and these one-movie villains with so much more potential.

Nick Fury:

I love Samuel L. Jackson, I know I sang his praises during Captain Marvel but he’s just as great here.

I loved the running theme of Peter ghosting him by sending him to voicemail, then eventually when Fury and Peter do meet and there’s the constant interruptions of staff and students that makes him turn and say “If one more person touches that door you and I will be attending another funeral” it was so great and only could be said by Nick Fury.

However, and I’ll get into the reasons more in my post-credits discussion, but with the reveal at the end that the Fury we have seen throughout the movie is in fact Talos the Skrull, there are tells throughout the movie that indicate that which I can’t tell as to if they’re deliberate or accidental.

For instance, during Spider-Man’s first meeting with Mysterio, Fury says “He’s from Earth, just not yours” so why didn’t he say “ours”? Also when he said that appearances can be deceiving I bet that was also a tell that he was the shapeshifting alien.

For that reason, it is hard for me to say that I enjoyed Fury in this movie because the real Nick Fury is only in one small scene at the end of the movie. But Samuel L. Jackson still delivers. Also “bitch please you’ve been to space!” never gets old.

MJ:

Commiserations to Zendaya for not getting Ariel, but at least now she is the girlfriend of Spider-Man so yay. 

I really love Zendaya in this role, I think she brings a much needed grounded modern realism to the role that I feel is needed for the younger female audience of today.

I loved it when she revealed that she always knew Peter was Spider-Man but when he eventually confirmed it she said “Really, because I was only 67% sure”. They really played up the character’s awkwardness and vulnerabilities in this movie which explain why she is such an outcast and how she just seemed to float on by in the first movie.

My one negative is where the character goes now, I think that scene after she found out Peter was Spider-Man was definitely her weakest because she just seemed like a very mopey love interest. But then she’ll have kick-ass scenes like knocking out a drone with a mace.

The ending with her swinging around with Peter was already shown in set photos but it was hilarious to see the final thing, I loved how she kept saying she wouldn’t look down and then kept looking down. Then when they landed and her hair had seemingly grown in weight was very funny.

Happy Hogan:

I am so happy for Jan Favreau being a mainstay in the MCU, you would think that after RDJ left that his entourage would also leave. However, now that Happy is seemingly Spider-Man’s support staff it gives him more reason to be around.

I will say this though, everything you see of Happy in the trailers you pretty much see in the movie itself, with some extended scenes. There are a couple more funnier scenes added in but other than that you’ve seen pretty much everything he does in the movie.

As I said, I loved the recurring gag of “ghosting” Nick Fury, it was interesting in the first instance because I swear up until now Happy and Fury have not actually met before, but now Tony is dead I guess they have some association with each other.

His relationship with Aunt May in the movie was a very sweet and understated coupling in the movie. I actually do see the two of them together and it would be great going forward if they remained in a relationship just to give them both something to do other than support Peter Parker.

It was such a great moment when Peter started designing his suit on the plane and Happy was watching in awe. He saw what the audience was meant to see which was Peter acting like Tony Stark.

I have also enjoyed his progression from Tony’s bodyguard to Spider-Man’s right-hand man. Not only did he come and save Peter from the Netherlands, but also he saved Peter’s school friends and put himself in danger in the process.

I really hope Happy continues to be a part of the MCU, even if it is in the Spider-Man movies but also branching out elsewhere.

Brad:

Hudson from Neighbours is in this movie. For anyone that doesn’t know what I’m on about there was a minor-recurring character a few years ago who was a gay competitive swimmer who became romantically involved with a main character at the time but also got into trouble with the police, this was him and I am so glad to see him still working.

I am unsure if the character was part of the first movie, but I am happy to see him here as he was a great example of how The Blip affected Midtown High.

He did present himself as a bit of a douche but also he did start off simply as a decent guy, it was just that he let his competitiveness for wanting to be with MJ and screwing over Peter get the better of him.

This did cause problems for me as the movie progressed, not only did he become the whistle blower that no one listened to and simply came across as a bitter individual, but also there was never really any resolve to his story after the outburst of questioning why Peter was always disappearing.

Aunt May:

Marisa Tomei continues to be a great and innovative Aunt May. I’m still unsure about having a younger and somewhat hotter Aunt rather than the sweet old lady we are used to but I still say Sally Field in The Amazing Spider-Man movies was my favourite of the bunch.

I am really happy that she set up her charitable rehoming shelter as she has done in the comics and the latest Spider-Man game. Her delivery of when she “blipped back” into existence and the new tenants of her apartment thought she was a ghost or a mistress was hilarious.

I do think May was a bit harsh to Happy, I don’t think she led him on but she clearly invited him to her office and you don’t do that if there’s not something there more than just a summer fling.

I am a fan of the fact that May now knows of Peter being Spider-Man and supporting him in his endeavours, as well as using him to boost support for her homeless campaign.

Maria Hill:

Much like Fury, it is hard to say how well Maria did in this movie because she spent the entire movie as a Skrull. However in terms of Cobie Smulders performance, I am glad she got more screen time than she has done recently.

Although she didn’t have many lines, she had a lot to do action wise. I loved in the climactic battle when she went to the roof with that bazooka because both she and Fury had anticipated Mysterio’s drone being sent to assassinate the two.

Ned:

If I found Ned annoying in Spider-Man: Homecoming, I found him unbearable in this one. Not only are the negative qualities of him from the first movie back in force here, but that added story of Ned and Betty getting into a relationship was simply pointless and made Ned even more unlikeable if possible.

First of all, I don’t care how he defends himself, Ned got a girlfriend and then blew Peter off despite not only being adamant in wanting the two guys to be American bachelors in Europe but also in supposedly being Spider-Man’s “guy in the chair”.

Also, Brad’s jealousy over Peter was understandable and actually good for the movie, Ned being jealous of MJ after she found out about Peter being Spider-Man was just pathetic. Not only because that is the point when he actually tries to help Spider-Man but also because MJ didn’t really need him, no one did.

Teachers:

With the teachers in the movie, I will say I miss Selenis Leyva as physics teacher Monica Warren from the first movie. Not only because her being Latina fit in rather well with the Queens neighbourhood, but also because it was some gender diversity in the ranks.

Here we have the Caucasian Harrington and Mr. Dell who I believe was created for the movie after J.B. Smoove was involved in the Audi commercial with Tom Holland to promote the first movie.

I do agree with Dell about there being no science on the science field trip and this is also why I’d prefer Monica Warren to be there over Harrington, Harrington is a crap teacher. Not only did he not plan ahead with the trip but also his incompetence nearly got a bus-load of students killed. Bearing in mind he was also the teacher responsible during the Washington incident.

Students:

Aside from the students already mentioned, the other students involved in the movie are Betty Brandt, Flash Thompson and Jason Ionello. I thought on the whole the students of Midtown High still continue to be a great and modernly accurate portrayal of Queens in the present day, but also they proved themselves necessary to the movie rather than just clutter in the way.

Post-Credits:

Alright so we have two very juicy post-credits scenes that not only shape the next Spider-Man movie but also the future of the MCU.

The first scene picks up directly where the movie ended and has Peter return MJ to the ground before taking off for some superheroism. However he is then stopped by a breaking news bulletin which was set up by Mysterio and delivered by William Ginter Riva showing a doctored version of events in the climactic battle where apparently Spider-Man was the one orchestrating the drone strike and Mysterio was the hero who Spider-Man killed.

The bulletin then cut to none other than J. Jonah Jameson, returning to the live-action Spider-Man movies portrayed by the one and only J.K. Simmons. My audience cheered at this point because not only is it about time Jameson returned to the movies but to have J.K. reprise the role he is probably most notable for is a delight.

Although here, the Daily Bugle seems to be an online media outlet rather than a newspaper company but for the modern day it works rather well.

However, believing that Peter will one day get a job at the Daily Bugle seems very slim with the reveal that Mysterio identified Spider-Man as Peter Parker, meaning the world now knows Spider-Man’s identity. I want to see the fallout now.

The end-credits scene shows Fury and Hill in a car before shapeshifting into Talos and his wife Soren from Captain Marvel. Talos reports to the real Nick Fury who is in front of the most fake green-screen imaginable as it is revealed he is actually on some form of space-station crewed by Skrulls.

This could be a myriad of things, but my favourite theory is that this is the start of S.W.O.R.D. to become Fury’s new organization after S.H.I.E.L.D.

Overall I rate the movie an 8/10, I’m not going to say it’s a perfect movie but it is a brilliant movie and definitely the movie needed to follow up after Avengers: Endgame.

So that’s my review of Spider-Man: Far From Home, what did you guys think? Post your comments and check out more Marvel Movie Reviews as well as other Movie Reviews and posts.

[ask-the-phan-site]

Phan Cam: Phantom Force 5 (I prefer 12)

>The Hub underneath Vert’s garage. This place became our hideout thanks to Battle Force 5.

>I was walking in to find everyone just doing their thing, hanging out and getting to know each other. Then, I notice Oracle, Sophie, and Wayne with Sage, Sherman, and Tezz all surrounding a holographic computer screen. It looked like they were up to something.

And there we have it. Let’s try it.

Ready, Sophia?

I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.

Then let it rip!

>After pressing a few buttons, a light started flying around. Then... Sophie appears out of Oracle’s phone. Everyone saw this.

SUCCESS!

Holy shit! Is this for real!?

Sophia? Is that really you?

Sophie: Yes. In some form.

>Vesuvius puts his hand right through Sophie as if he was sticking his hand as if he was putting it through light which he was.

Un ologramma?

A hologram?

Pretty impressive, eh? Now she can be on the same level as the rest of us.

But only in the Hub. Outside, she can only go around in Cyberspace.

That’s a shame. But at least you can go around a bit on your own, Sophia chan.

Sophie: Thank you, Sumire san.

You should thank my little brother. I may have the looks, but he’s got the brains and brawn.

Unlike me who has all three.

Too bad one of them isn’t humility.

Stanford: Ah, now I’m just wounded.

I think you’re missing the bigger picture: Why did you make Sophia a holographic body?

Sherman: Believe it or not, Hub duty.

Hub duty?

Skull: But I thought you guys already collected all the Battle Keys.

Sage: The Multiverse is very large and almost infinite. My people my have created the Battle Keys, but we have made so many so long ago that we do not even remember how many we have created. Besides, it sounds like we might need someone here to monitor at a safe distance while the rest of you go on your mission to erase Sheriff Johnson’s distortion.

Queen: Why? We all usually go.

Sage: True. That is what I am told. However, I was also told that four of you usually fight enemies.

This is in case one of us falls and have to take their place.

Sage: I see. There is some logic in that. It is just that I was told that you also have vehicles. So, I have decided to upgrade them to make them more efficient in your mission. However, only five Sentient Chips can be used in a Battle Zone.

Yes, Vert told me. But Sage san, where we’re going isn’t a Battle Zone in the Multiverse, this is a Palace in the Metaverse which exists alongside Earth. So more than five chips can be used at once.

Tezz: This is true. We tested it with all seven of us and everything works fine.

>Tezz showed Sage their research.

Sage: I see. Very well, I think you could all use an upgrade.

Queen: I should let you know that only five of us drive.

Sage: I see. Now, can you please produce your vehicles so I may upgrade them?

Joker: About that.

>Me, Panther, Crow, and Wolf produce... our toy-sized cars from our pockets.

Crow: In the Metaverse, they are real cars, but in the real world, this is what we get. But I suppose your can upgrade our RV if you like.

Oracle: I don’t think Sojiro would be happy with that.

Panther: What about you, Ren? Don’t you have a car?

Joker: I do. But I couldn’t bring it with me since I’m so used to driving on the opposite side of the road. Even when I raced on Thanksgiving, I only came in 3rd Place.

Sage: Actually, I think we can work with this.

How so?

>Sage takes the toy cars and puts them under some kind of machine. Then, the cars suddenly get bigger until they were full size.

Oh my! And I thought Japan, Ant-Man, and the Atom were capable of that.

Sage: (after a little more scanning) It appears all the regular functions of the cars are in order... I guess that message I received the other day was right.

Joker: (curious) What message?

>Sage showed me a message on the screen. It talked about how if you change the cars’ sizes to full size, they would become real cars. However, the features they have in the Metaverse would not follow. The message ends saying that it was from “L”. At figures.

Sage: Now, please tell me which car is which?

Joker: My car is Phantom Flyer.

Mine’s Flaming Kitty.

Crow: Freedom’s Strike for me.

Wolf: And I’ve got Howling Silver.

Sage: Very well.

>Sage produces four triangle-shaped chips. One has an image of my mask, the second with Panther’s mask, the third with Crow’s mask, and the fourth with Wolf’s mask. Then, some machines started working on making modifications on our cars. Suddenly, some cable-like things came down on me, Panther, Crow, and Wolf.

Wolf: (fussing) Whoa, whoa, whoa! I know what those things are for and you are outta your minds!

Sage: You mean the designing of your Shocksuit? They are for withstanding high-impact G-force that is considered fatal.

Wolf: Trust me, lady, I’m still getting used to my thief’s outfit. There is no way you’re putting me in one of those ridiculous uniforms.

Joker: Actually, when I think about it, you might look good in a Shocksuit.

He’s right. You would looks almost as dashing as I am when I first got mine. Besides, it’s for your own safety.

Wolf: I understand why I have to wear it. It’s just that it reminds me a little too much of the man I used to be before I gained my Persona.

I didn’t think the Prefectural Police or even Public Safety wore something like this.

Wolf: It’s complicated. But please, Sage san. I must insist on the suit.

Sage: Very well. I understand. But in case you change your mind, I have the suit saved in my databanks.

Wolf: Thank you.

Wise choice. You go with what works best for you... That, and even I wouldn’t be caught dead in something so tacky.

Vert: (chuckling) Is that so?

Taro: You know what I mean.

>And so, the machines begin upgrading our Phantom Thief vehicles and the cables scan us and begin zapping us into Shocksuits. When it was over, we saw that our cars were now upgraded and me, Panther, and Crow were now wearing Shocksuits.

>My Shocksuit is black with red accents, a metal number five on the right side of my chest, and a pair of matching goggle that look like the ones Vert has.

>Panther’s Shocksuit is red with pink and violet accents with the same five on the right side of her chest.

>Crow’s Shockuit is black and white with gold accents with the five on the right side of his chest.

>We have gained Shocksuit Costumes for me, Panther, and Crow.

Sage: To complete the upgrade, you must name your vehicles. But it looks like you already did that.

Wolf: Howling Silver.

Freedom’s Strike.

Flaming Kitty.

Phantom Flyer.

Skull: (a bit envious) Dude, I totally wish I had my license now.

You’ll get it soon enough with a few more lessons... Just make sure you don’t drive wildly backwards at the beginning.

Skull: (caught up) For real?

Krakatoa: Just being honest.

Sage: It appears that there is one more chip here and I was told that five of you are the best drivers.

Queen: That would be me, but I don’t have a car and I don’t think your chips can upgrade a Persona.

What about this motorcycle here?

Fox: Ren’s motorcycle? I guess that would work, but who would drive it?

Mona: I can do it! I’ve been watching Joker ride it so many times, I’ve learned how. Besides, this would finally get Lady Ann to like me.

Panther: (unimpressed) Next!

Stanford: (smirking) Better luck next time, Kitty.

I have a license. Can I drive it?

Phantom Thieves: NO!!!

>The Scorchers and Battle Force 5 just stared in confusion.

Queen: (nervous and quickly) What we mean is, we might need you as a back-up driver in case I’m unable to drive Mona.

Haru: ...

Alright, that makes sense.

You owe me big, Queen.

Taro: I have already thought of someone who is best qualified to drive the motorcycle.

>Taro turns his eyes... to Fox.

Me?

Skull: You do remember our story 'bout all of us drivin', right?

Taro: I know I he told me that his true talents lie in his art, but if he has been with Ren most of the times on his motorcycle as much as Morgana has, Yusuke might know how to ride it. It will take a lot time to teach him, and I do mean a lot of time, I know I can do it. I have driven motorcycles before.

Fox: You would teach me?

Taro: Consider it part of our deal. I’ll especially teach Yusuke how to ride a motorcycle.

Joker: And in return, we help you reopen Highway 35.

Spinner: We already tried that using the Battle Keys.

Sage: However, the Battle Keys only go to the Battle Zones they are connected to. Sentient Tech and Acceleron Tech are much too different. Unless we can get ahold of some Acceleron Tech and Dr. Peter Tezla’s research, there is not much we can do.

I don’t know about Tezla’s research... But I do have some Acceleron Tech.

Vert: (shocked) You what!?

Taro: Why didn’t you tell us before?

Harrison: Because I was afraid that it wouldn’t work. During that time when I betrayed you guys to join Clyp, I got my hands on some. But I left before they went down without ever learning what it does. But after learning this, maybe I should have said something.

Taro: Yes, you should. But, you had your reason and it was probably a good thing. You know little of how the tech works, but now that we have a little more help, we might have a way to get it to work.

Sage: I suppose we can. Do you have the Accelron Tech?

Harrison: Naw, it’s back at our hangout in L.A. But Everest’s girlfriend has a spare key.

He’s right. I can call her and tell her to mail it to us. It won’t be easy. How do you get alien tech through the mail without alerting the Plumbers, S.H.I.E.L.D., or even the Avengers?

Skull: Leave the Avengers to me. Or rather, my little brother. He knows 'em personally.

Crow: I’ll call Peter to see if he can help, too.

Spinner: How can they help? And how does your little brother know the Avengers?

Let’s just say, he’s not all hot air.

Sage: That just about covers the Acceleron Tech, but we still need Dr. Tezla’s research.

Taro: The only place we could think that he kept it was his old computer in the Cube. But it was destroyed with it and Tezla took what he memorized with him to the grave.

?? ????????: Actually, I think I can help with that.

>We all turn to see Mr. Wheeler coming in.

Vert: You know something, Pop?

Well, there’s something I probably should have told you. I didn’t say so before because, now that I’m no longer a Silencer, telling you could put you and your friends in danger.

Vert: I think we’re capable of taking care of ourselves from the Silencerz, Dad. You can tell us.

Mr. Wheeler: Alright... The Silencerz have Tezla’s research.

Everyone: (shocked) WHAT!?

Mr. Wheeler: Before Tezla’s Cube and computer was destroyed, Gig made a copy of the research in his memory banks and sent it to the Silencerz. The reason Tezla didn’t make a back-up of it is because he fully committed it to memory.

Vert: I see. He wanted to make sure that the secrets of Highway 35 die with him so Clyp or some other evil organization would take advantage of them.

Taro: Major- Do you still go by Major.

Mr. Wheeler: I left the Force a long time ago. You all can call me Jack for all I care.

Taro: Alright then, Jack, where is the research now?

Jack: Still saved in the Silencerz’ databanks. But since I’m not with them anymore, I can’t just ask them to let me look at them, never mind borrowing them... Even Banjee can’t help us.

Vert: I see. I would have thought that even after you left, you would still have some privileges.

Jack: It’s just our team’s policy. I’m just lucky they didn’t wipe my mind so I wouldn’t be telling you all this... Though, I’m sorry that they did wipe yours.

Vert: I’m still a little ticked off about that, but I knew why you had to do it. But thanks to Sage, I got those memories back.

Queen: Hold on a second. What do you mean by “privileges”?

Jack: That... is another story for another time. But I’m telling you, getting that research now is impossible. Even a skilled hacker can’t get into their databanks.

Until now.

Jack: (a bit surprised) You?

Vert: No offense, Futaba, but you heard my dad. Even a skilled hacker like yourself would have a hard time getting in.

Mona: That’s because they never had to deal with a hacker like Futaba before.

Tezz: (a bit skeptical) Really? How so?

Oracle: Ever heard of Medjed? You’re looking at the original founder.

Tezz: (shocked, which is a surprised to us) You!? You’re Medjed?

Oracle: You bet. But that was a long time ago. I’m Alibaba now. And I think I know how to solve this problem.

Sherman: How so?

Oracle: Jack said even a skilled hacker can’t hack into the Silencerz’ mainframe. But what about hackers plural.

Jack: You mean, more than one hacker?

Oracle: I think the mainframe can only be protected from one hacker at a time. But if more than one comes in, we might have a chance. Kinda reminds me of that movie, Hackers Jackers.

Jack: Well, even if you could get in, there’s still the failsafe. Any file in their databanks that you hack into will delete itself 10 minutes later. Not enough time to read or copy all of it.

Oracle: You never know until you try.

Jack: Well, I suppose.

Oracle: Good. I’ll just get into contact with of my hacker friends and see if we can come up with a plan.

Sherman: I hope you do. Actually, me and Spinner have a cousin who might help... But I think it can wait until after we’ve done this heist.

Sage: Now, if we may proceed.

>The chip suddenly now has Fox’s mask on it. She activates it and the motorcycle gets upgraded as Fox is dressed in a Shocksuit that is blue and white with red accents and the five on the right side of his chest.

Sage: To complete the upgrade, you must name your vehicle.

Oracle: Well, this is Inari we're talking about, the obvious choice would be the Inari Special.

Panther: That sounds like something out of a 60s cartoon.

Fox: I think I have an idea on what to call it.

Joker: What’s that?

Fox Wheel.

Skull: Goin’ with somethin’ simple and right to the point. I guess that works.

I like it. It suits you.

>Fox smiles happily.

Sage: So be it. From this moment on, you shall be known as... Phantom Force 5.

Joker: That’s a great name, Sage... However...

I prefer 12.

Sage: Why is that?

Joker: Sage, twelve of us make up the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. More if you count the Reserved Team. If you want five of us, you get all of us.

Tezz: He has a point. We’re called Battle Force 5, and yet there are seven of us. Sure, you were just counting cars that go into the Battle Zone, but still, you can’t deny that we’re all here.

Sage: Understandable. Since Ren is the leader, he may name his team.

Joker: Well, we all still technically called the Phantom Thieves and we’re not about to change our name, so I guess we can go by Phantom Force 5 for now.

Fox: I just hope I can handle this.

Joker: You’ll do fine. I’ll be there to help.

Taro: And me. I know it maybe to late to the the father you need, but I can still help you as a good friend can.

>Me and Fox can sense Taro’s sincerity.

Rank Up!

Confidant: Taro Kitano

Arcana: Force

Rank: 3

Ability: Fox Wheel

Fox now has a vehicle that and can ride. Also increases chance of enemies being Down after a successful ambush.

>We gained a Shocksuit for Fox.

Jet: (confused) Hold on. Seven? I thought there were eight. Where’s that ice guy who’s usually with you?

>Battle Force 5 suddenly begins to look grim. Particularly Vert and Tezz.

Taro: I think we should focus on the heist.

Jet: Right, sorry.

Vert: It’s okay.

Tezz: (looking down) Почему он должен был прин��сти его? Спустя все это время все еще тяжело.

>We were returning to what we were doing... when I thought I heard a magical swirling sound... Something tells me there’s more to this than what we’re told.

>To be continued...