Monday, July 16, 2018, 2:30 PM Norfolk, VA

  I woke up before the sunrise with my nightly focus back on the AElemental Maelstrom, and started my meditation to recover my arcana energy. The mother cat had jumped off without too much struggle or complaint. I saw the four Mini-Avengers waiting to get to work. I got dressed and checked on my old armor. There were some improvements, but if I had to guess, it was going to be ten days before the old armor could be considered functional. At this rate, maybe it would only be useful for a display item or as a materials sacrifice for future armor.

  I gathered up the Mini-Avengers and got them working again on the suit that they were finishing up. If I pulled them from it, it would stop all progress. I started making the next batch of Dedicated Wrights, starting with a Mini-Hawkeye. I temporarily opened the hole in Mini-Hawkeye’s torso and head, and poured the blood in. It took me four hours to finish the enchantment, like yesterday with the Mini-Wong, but after the enchantment was done, I had a helper for the next one. This Mini-Hawkeye had more of the color and styling of his current costume, rather than his old one.

  When I was done with the Mini-Hawkeye, I followed the process with the Mini-Captain America. As Mini-Steve got the vital fluids installed, Mini-Hawkeye and I managed to cut the enchantment time in half, getting Mini-Steve knocked out in just two hours. With the Star Spangled Avenger and Clint finished, I knew that I was rounding the bend on getting the process finished off. That was when my remote cellphone speaker buzzed, letting me know that Bob was outside with this week’s detachment of firearms to enhance. I instructed the two of them to carry bags of salt over to the table while I went out of the unit.

  Outside the unit, Bob was waiting in his SUV. I opened up the roll up door and walked out to see him and talk. I was only slightly surprised when he thanked me for what I did yesterday. I started to say that I didn’t do enough, and Bob stopped me, saying that no one knows what those things were going to do after, and as far as he was concerned, I saved a lot of people yesterday. I thanked him for his praise, but I knew that I had not managed to get to the people in time.

  Bob told me that he had seen from the news that he had gotten there in under five minutes, which was better than any other response time from someone else. He joked that it was even harder now to throw off claims of the others back at the Gun Shop that he was some kind of religious icon. I laughed a little as this broke the mood that I had been in. Bob laughed with me and asked if I was going to be okay. I nodded and said that I was going to be okay, and that my new armor would probably be done in a week or so, so just enough time to heal.

  Bob nodded as he listened and told me that if I needed to go out for drinks or anything during this next week, he would be more than willing to join me. I smiled and told him that I might take him up on that offer later on in the week. I shook Bob’s hand, grabbed the two cases of guns, and turned to bring them inside me. Then I thought better of it, stopped, and turned to face Bob and asked him if he wanted me to call when they were done, or if he just wanted to pick them up Thursday/Friday. Bob thought about it, and claimed that they were probably safer here than just sitting around in his shop, so he’d just call to confirm that they were ready on Thursday, and then pick them up Friday morning.

  I told him that this sounded like the wisest solution, and that I would make sure that they were ready for pickup. Bob got back into the driver seat of his SUV, and drove off, waving. I brought the cases into the storage unit, went back outside, locked the gate down, and used my boots to hop back inside. Rex was there, waiting, and I asked him if he could do me the favor of moving the rifles from the case, one rifle at a time, to the Quality Improvement Chamber, add a bag and a half of salt every time you put a new rifle in, wait an hour, then remove the rifle. Rex started the process while I watched the first time, just to make sure he had it.

  With that process started I joined Mini-Clint and Mini-Steve in enchanting Mini-Natasha. I cast my Prestidigitation cantrip and opened up a hole in the torso and head, again, for the blood’s inclusion to the new Dedicated Wright. We worked together for an hour, and I left them to continue finishing up on the Mini-Natasha while I helped Rex with removing the rifle from the Q.I.C., placing it on the levitating table, to be cleaned by the magic of the tent automatically. We started on the next one, and I took the opportunity to spend a spare moment to cast Cure Light Wounds on myself. I wasn’t fully healed, but I had recovered at least some from the night resting. Then again, the blood needed for the dedicated wrights wasn’t coming from nowhere, so it seems pretty valid at this point.

  The two Dedicated Wrights needed another fifteen minutes or so, so I decided to take a step outside of the storage unit and maybe get some actual food to eat, and get Rex a treat for his help. I grabbed my S.H.I.E.L.D. bike and put T & T Seafood Market into the Maps program. It took me all of seven minutes, but I got there without too many problems. When I arrived, there was a guy out front demanding people help him. I could see that he was suffering and in need, so, to stop him from having more problems, I offered to buy him lunch and lend an ear to his struggles.

  He accepted as we got three meals (and an order for a fresh salmon for Rex when I was to leave), and made our way to a table. While we sat there, I told him to let me know what his story was. He told me that his name was Dave Sawyer, and that he had been without food for several days. I listened and asked him why he had not gone to the Shelter, and Dave admitted that he had caused problems there in the past, and wasn’t welcome there anymore. I asked him if he’d cause the same problems if I could get him allowed back.

  Dave thought about it for a minute, and said that he didn’t think that he could. Too much had happened and all that. I nodded and told him that there are a lot of things that have happened, and a lot of things that would still happen, but that I’d give him the same advice that I had been told by the guy that mentored me. “As long as you are alive, anything can happen, but once you’re dead, you’re fucked.” The guy looked at me, cracked a smile, and said that this was one of the most real things that he has heard in a while.

  I asked Dave what he did for work, and he told me that he had not had a job since the Snap. I asked him what he had skills to do, and he told me that he was a carpenter a long time ago, but that since he lost his family in the Snap, he just didn’t feel like it was worth it anymore. I perked up and asked if he had heard that there was an Avenger that had disappeared for decades before returning. Dave scoffed and said that Captain America was different, he wasn’t dead, he was just gone. I asked if he had any proof that his family was dead.

  Dave looked at me and was silent. He finally spoke up and said that he saw his co-workers dissolve into dust in front of him, and when he got home, his wife, his son, his daughter, and even his dog were all gone. I asked him if he thought that meant that everyone is dead, or if they might just be… elsewhere. Dave looked at me oddly, and I told him that everything that we see is actually four dimensions, not three. Dave asked me to explain, and I took the salt shaker and placed it in front of him.

  I asked him if he saw the salt shaker, and Dave agreed. I told him that this was because the salt shaker is in a place, in three dimensions, that is there in the time that we are there. If I move the salt shaker in one direction, it moves in our view. Same if I move it two other directions, side to side, front to back, up to down. Dave seemed to understand this, and then I gave him the other dimension, time. I put the salt shaker back where it was, and surreptitiously cast Vanish on it, making it look like just ledgerdemain.

  His eyes almost bulged out of his head, and I told him that the Salt shaker is now out of time with us, and that it will reappear in thirty seconds. We waited and watched as the time ticked down. Once thirty seconds of invisibility passed, the salt shaker reappeared. I explained that it was “out of temporal sequence” with us, but that doesn't mean that it won’t come back. I added that I arrived here, in Norfolk, just after the Snap, and everything that I had been expecting in my life was gone, and I found that I felt that I needed to do good to help others.

  Dave looked at me and asked if I thought that the people would just return back, and I shrugged, and said that you can either live like they won’t, and stay here where you are, or you can work to keep yourself moving on, in the thought that when your family comes back, you will be ready for them. I added that both approaches are valid, but that one of them has you wallowing in the misery of a possibly temporary situation, while the later, goes more in line with the phrase my mentor had taught me, long ago. Dave seemed to be turning in his outlook. He told me that he had nowhere to go, and that the Shelter likely wouldn’t accept him, with their supplies so low. I told Dave that he didn’t necessarily need to worry about that for now, just enjoy the meals, and think about how he can show his sincerity to get back, that we will need skilled people like him in the future, to prepare.

  Dave thanked me, and I told him that he didn’t need to thank me, he just needed to have everything ready for when everything, and everyone was back. I left fifty dollars on the table, and the third meal, got up, grabbed the fresh salmon for Rex, and headed back to my bike, to get back to the storage unit. By the time I had gotten back, Mini-Steve, Mini-Clint, and Mini-Natalie were all waiting next to the Mini-War Machine. I immediately went over and started on the final Dedicate Wright, pouring the last of the blood into his torso and head. I quickly checked in on Rex and gave him the Salmon for his continued dedication, before the four of us, Clint, Steve, Natalie, and myself, worked on the enchantment.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  When the process was done, and my Mini-Avengers were all enchanted, I knew that I had an opportunity to get ahead on making something else that I would need. I got the four of them working on upgrading my Endless Bandlier, to something… new, which should be finished by the end of the day, with any luck. After an hour of getting them started, I checked in on Rex, who was diligently back to work, and I knew, would be expecting another fresh fish after he was done with more rifles. I went to my plans and started figuring out my next steps. I had the salt, and the workforce, but needed the items to be enchanted, and possibly enhanced beforehand. It isn’t too much extra to do so, and maybe I’ll just make sure that they are enhanced no matter what.

  **********

  Monday, July 16, 2018, 8:30 PM Norfolk, VA

  After a good hour of studying, I heard the tell-tale sound of a text from the speaker that had run into the tent. It wasn’t the S.H.I.E.L.D. sound, so I didn’t immediately panic. Instead, it was a text from Amber, checking up on me, saying that she saw the fight on the news, and just wanted to make sure I was okay. I replied back, thanking her for her concern, and telling her that I was on the mend, but that if there was any issue or danger, that I would be right back out, armored or not. She wrote back thanking me, and said that I was always welcome to just drop by for a drink at the hotel, that a hero deserves a chance to relax from time to time.

  I wrote back thanking her and that I would consider it, maybe later in the week. Amber wrote back that she is just glad that I am still okay, and that I should get some rest after all that. I let that hang for a minute before thanking her again, and said that I would be doing my best to do that after all that. Amber sent me a picture, I guess from some place on line, that showed me on the bike, in costume, on the Elizabeth River, with Rex pulled behind it, his legs on some skis of some sort, and had a phrase at the bottom that said, “waterski the Elizabeth.” - Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. With the picture was a note that said that I should at least see what online is posting about me now. It was ridiculous, but at least it wasn’t negative.

  I thanked her again for being my unofficial social media manager, and that it was at least a humorous picture instead of a negative one. Amber told me that she was glad to, to just keep that I can drop by whenever. I responded back that I hoped that her night went well, and that I was going to rest for the day. Amber acknowledged and said goodbye for now, and I replied back the same. It was nice to get concern from one of the people who were nice to me upon first meeting me.

  Thinking about it, I sent a text to Sarah and David Williams (no relation), letting them know that I would not be available for the next week, that I wasn’t trying to ignore or leave them without help, I just had some things to take care of that were going to need me being constantly available, but if there was a circumstance where they needed immediate healing or help, to contact me. David was the first one to answer, and told me that their supervisor had already explained everything, and that they hoped that everything would be okay for me, and that I could let them know if I needed any help with anything. I thanked them for their concern and wrote back that I would be as available as I could for emergencies. The conversation didn’t drag on like it did with Amber, but then again, David and Sarah were almost always busy. Finally, I sent a text to Jonathan, indicating that if possible, I could use some of the starting gear to be enchanted for the city’s orders, reminding him that it would be good to have two dozen each of the pairs of gloves and safety goggles, and one dozen of the visors, as I would like to have a spare in case it is needed due to the magic or the process causing issues.

  Jonathan sent back to me, asking if I was certain that I was going to be ready already. I told him that ensuring that all of the items were ready for enchanting was going to take some time. Jonathan responded that he would have everything available by eight PM tonight, and that he was going to get another pallet of salt on order, since the drone capture was so important. I thanked him and told him that I was glad to help. I texted back that I would appreciate a better setup than just a plug in line, even if it is just something that the phone can sit in, so that I don’t need to plug and unplug every time.

  Jonathan replied that he had an idea of something that could work, but that he would make sure that it would work, and get back to me. I thanked him, replugged my phone into the speaker, and went back into the storage unit. I realized that I needed to still bump up the armor’s fabrication, if at all possible, so I went over there to expend as many Unseen Crafters as possible. From what I could ascertain, many of the Crafters working on the Boron Carbide underlay were done, and would likely finish up tomorrow or the next day, so I focused on the other armor pieces. Since I had one spell left that I could cast of those upper levels, I kept it uncast, in case there was an emergency of some kind and I needed to get somewhere fast.

  With my lesser spells, I flooded my body with healing energy from almost all of my remaining lesser magic slots to cast Cure Light Wounds spells, and found substantial improvement. I had a few hours, and decided to just work with Rex to get the rifles run through the process. Since noon, Rex had been chugging away, and had gotten several done, and I went to them and started back with the Prestidigitation and Mending. That also left me with some ideas for further options I could provide, maybe later on, should things progress as they are. I also started doodling away at some designs for other Constructs, maybe something that could operate as a “teacher” of sorts. Something that I will have to look into further, later.

  I cast my last lower level spell to create an Unseen Servant, and had it dedicated to removing the newly enhanced rifle after the spell takes effect, placing the new rifle in the case, and dragging sixty pounds of salt over to the Q.I.C., so that the process can start. It would not be as efficient as me or Rex, but it would continue working over the night. Just a proof of concept that won’t cause us to lose any time and maybe get us ahead on our needed projects. Now I understand why mages get apprentices. Having an extra body would DEFINITELY be useful right about now.

  I went back to study my various notes that I have taken so far, just to see where I am with everything. I heard the text that usually is associated with Pepper Potts, so I put down the book I was referencing and headed to the phone. It was a simple message that Tony was interested in whatever bits or pieces that I could provide from the drones that were left from their destruction, and that they would be sending someone with a case that the drone could be placed in to prevent signals from being received or transmitted, if I was available tomorrow before noon.

  I texted back that this would be fine, that they can contact me tomorrow, and that they should keep it from S.H.I.E.L.D. if at all possible. Pepper acknowledged this in a response, and that she’d send someone who should be very discreet. I thanked her and told her that I was still on the mend, but should be able to bring the person back to the Chrysalis. Pepper wrote simply the word Chrysalis with a couple of question marks, and I replied that it was the name I was giving to the extra-dimensional tent. Pepper replied back that this made sense, and said that she would have the timeframe for when they would be in Norfolk, Va by tomorrow morning.

  I thanked her and set the phone back down on the stack of salt with the audio cable plugged in, ready for any other disturbances. I went back to my notes, grabbed some food from the Field Provision Box, and snacked while I went back over things. I thought over how I could use a larger library, and how I might accomplish that, aside from repeatedly casting Page-Bound Epiphany and Amaneunsis. I was still pondering over it when I got the text from Jonathan.

  I had apparently been studying the notes and making follow-up questions for several hours, right up until eight PM. I went out and got the phone, and the text read that Jonathan was on his way here with the items to be enhanced. I walked out of the tent and then lifted the roll up door to the storage unit, greeting Jonathan as he entered. He had a large box with him, and he carefully walked between the two salt towers and into the Chrysalis proper. He walked in, giving the whole of the Mini-Avengers a look, before dropping off the box on the rapidly filling levitating table.

  Jonathan took a look at the rifles that were stationed there in between their imbuement, cleaning, mending, and then replacing in the cleaned, repaired, and ready, gun cases that they were brought in here within. He noticed Rex taking a nap with the six kittens on him again, and all of the other unusualness that was abound, and asked if I was in the habit of just making the place, weirder, just to spite normal folk. I shrugged, and said that I was making due with the space that I had. He looked back over the Mini-Avengers and asked if they could do what the normal Avengers could do. I laughed and said that it was almost entirely cosmetic.

  Jonathan still looked a little weirdly at them, almost like he remembered something about them that he couldn’t quite point to, but felt would eventually come to him. I smiled and told Jonathan that I would be starting on the process as soon as possible, but that it would not be until tomorrow, at the earliest. He nodded, and started walking back out, before stopping and asking what the “thing” that was carrying the firearms was called. I looked at it and said it was an Unseen Servant that I had conjured to help do the scuttle work to make things go faster. Jonathan looked like there was immediately something that he needed to figure out as he quickly said his goodbye and walked back out to his S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV.

  I brought everything in and took a look at all of the items. They look like they can work, but I think I want to be certain, so I decided that to have a good start on it in the morning, we needed to have them enhanced to Masterwork, starting with the goggles. The momma cat walked out from my area of the tent looking at me like I was overdue from starting to nap. I yawned, realizing that she had suggested a rather good idea. I decided to finish up my notes and head to bed, to get another early start on the next day.

  Similar to Yesterday, Mini-Hawkeye, Mini-Captain America, Mini-Black Widow, Mini-War Machine were created, in that order. After Mini-War Machine was made, they set up to upgrade Curtis’s Endless Bandolier, as will be described below, along with yesterday’s started item (which was completed today).

  Power Suit: Aura: None; CL 9th; Slot: Body; Price: 14,210 GP. Weight: 4 lbs.

  Description: Originally just a “Shinobi Shozuku”, this item has been enchanted with the following aspects:

  This suit does NOT detect as magical, but it magically fits the wearer and appears as though it were tailor-made for any individual who wears it. It grants its wearer +2 Charisma and +3 to all Charisma- based skills. It can be changed into any suit of clothing that is needed for the situation, however in every form it looks exceptionally well made and fashionable, and fit perfectly. There is also an enchantment on one of the pockets (there will ALWAYS be at least one), where it can hold up to 10 pounds of items (limit of 2 cubic feet) in there with no increase of the weight of the suit or wearer’s encumbrance, and with a command word, the extradimensional aspect of this pocket can be opened of closed, and when it is closed, you can only fit what the pocket would normally hold.

  Construction Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, eagle's splendor, secret chest, magic aura, disguise self, Cost 7,105 gp

  Alchemical Vest: Aura: None; CL 9th; Slot chest; Price 7,700 gp; Weight 2 lbs.

  Description: A black leather vest with what look to be four loops to hold magazines, six thin pouches, and one larger pouch that can hold about a fist sized item. The four magazine loops each hold a magazine tight until specifically desired or 10 pounds of force are applied to remove it. Additionally, the six thin pockets on the vest are extradimensional spaces meant to hold extra guns and gear. The four small pockets can each hold a one-handed firearm, 1 pound of ammunition, a powder horn, or a similarly sized object. The two large pockets are large enough to hold a two-handed firearm or a similarly sized object. The wearer can draw an item stored in the vest as easily as if from an ordinary ammunition pouch or holster. The vest weighs the same no matter what is placed inside it. The larger pouch acts as a very small bag of holding (10 lbs, up to 2 cubic feet), that has a command word to activate. Saying it the first time opens up the space, and allows you to access the extra-dimensional pocket, while saying it the second time closes off the extra-dimensional space.

  Also, the vest grants the wearer a +2 enhancement bonus to Constitution. Treat this as a temporary ability bonus for the first 24 hours that the vest is worn. In addition, the wearer gains a +2 competence bonus on Craft (Alchemy) checks, and when the wearer uses an item on himself or another character that grants an alchemical bonus on saving throws, that bonus is increased by 1.

  Construction Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, glue, bull’s endurance, secret chest; Cost 3,850 gp