Noelle - Day 83 (R.M.S. Again...again...and again...)

Hiya!
How are you on this Wednesday?  Well I'm grumpy, tired, and don't have a lot of time, so I'm going to post your favorite stuff and hope that will make up for the fact that I'm didn't really post much today.  Especially since Sunday and Tuesday were all poetical and stuff.  That's right - I'm posting R.M.S.!  I know, I know, I'm awesome.  Lets see...

Random Marvel-based Story (Parts 40 & 41) {Click here to read all parts!}

“I hate tuxedos,” Sam muttered as he stepped out into the gallery.  He fidgeted with his bowtie and glanced around for what Jess called “suspicious”, but didn’t see anyone yet.

“What about maintain radio silence until necessary do you not understand?”  Ava hissed through the com line that Spider-man had crafted them up overnight.  Ava was worried that if they talked too much they would attract attention from the Gallery’s “heavy” security.

“Relax, Kitty, I don’t see any angry guards heading my way,” Luke cut in, dipping a strawberry into the fantastic chocolate fountain.  “Besides, this is New York’s finest.  I would be surprised if at least half of them weren’t wired.”

“If the security is as good as Jess said, then they’ll be able to tell if one com link is not a professional one.  New York’s finest aren’t here without guards either, Luke,” Ava whispered, brushing past a disagreeable-looking man with sunglasses on.

Wait a minute, sunglasses inside?  Could this under-cover mission have paid off this early in the evening?  Ava retreated to a velvet couch and eyed the man as he wandered through the crowd.  A waitress offered him a drink of sparkling champagne, which he readily accepted and drank.

“I have eyes on someone,” Ava murmured, but another voice stopped her.  She stood with a start and started making her way towards the buffet, trying to get closer to Luke in case she was attacked.

“That’s not your guy,” the somebody said, but it wasn’t a voice that Ava recognized.

“Who are you?”  Sam growled over the com.  Ava spotted him chatting nonchalantly with Peter over in the corner.  If I was looking for someone who doesn’t belong here, they would fall under the radar nicely.

“Geez, you guys are jumpy,” said the same voice indignantly, “It’s just your friendly neighborhood me.”

“Jess?”  She said, her eyes widening.  The disguised voice switched to something more familiar.

“Oh, and by the way Ava, loosen up a bit.  You’re really obvious - just mingle, or at least keep moving.  Blend in with the crowd!”

“Where are you?” Ava said right back, scanning the crowd.

“What happened to maintaining radio silence until necessary Miss Bossy Pants?”  Sam grumped.  “Does this mean we’re allowed to talk now?”

“No,” Ava growled.  “Where are you Jess?”

*******

Danny was sitting on one of the many velvet and mahogany couches littered across the Gallery floor, chatting with the director.

“It’s is quite a party, no?”  The small-ish man said, glancing around the room.  “Two hundred and fifty people, the patrons of New York.  Even the famous Tony Stark is going to be here!”

Danny nodded, saying, “The Tony Stark?  I’m very impressed!”  The moustached director didn’t know it, but the blonde teenager wasn’t just engaging in polite conversation - he was fishing ever-so quietly for clues.  “How did you convince him to come?  My father says he’s very picky about what parties he attends.”

“Actually he asked to come himself!  Asked me!  The Gallery has never been so honored as it has tonight,” the director said with a flourish of his hands, nearly knocking the champagne of a near-by waitress’s tray.  She smiled gracefully and merely offered Danny and him a glass.

“No thank you,” Danny said with a smile, but behind that, he noticed that the waitress’s eyes were flashing - those sparkling...grey...eyes - “Do I know you?”  Danny said, standing up suddenly.

The waitress expertly smoothed her apron with one hand and offered another glass to a passing millionaire with the other before turning back to Danny, and shaking her head mutely.  And with that she disappeared into the crowd.

“Excuse me, sir,” Danny said hurriedly to the director, and walked over to Peter.  “I think we have a target,” He whispered, so that only Spider-man and those on the com link could hear him.  “Small waitress, possibly Asian, with grey eyes and a tray of champagne.”

Before Peter could respond, the very same waitress appeared and offered them a plate of rolls.  With a glance at each other out of the corner of their eyes, Danny and Spider-man accepted, and the waitress disappeared once more.  “That was her,” Danny hissed to Peter.

Peter nodded and instantly followed the waitress’s heeled footsteps into the hoard.  Danny glanced around before carefully scanning the dinner rolls for poison.

“Stop wasting your time Danny,” Jess said over the com, making him jump.  He had forgotten that Jess was wired into their network.  “They’re not poisoned.”

“Where in the name of-”  Danny spluttered angrily.

“-Language-”  Jess interrupted.

“-Where are you Jess?”  He finished, looking around the room again like he expected Jess to be jumping up and down and waving her arms.

“Places to see, things to do,” Jess whispered mysteriously with an airy laugh.

“No seriously,” Peter snapped, “I’m in a tuxedo here.  A tuxedo Jess?!  If you have some dirt on little Miss Champagne, then spill.  I don’t want to be here at all.”

“Sure thing,” she said with an exasperated sigh.  “All I know is she’s an informant - relax Nova, you’re taking my spotlight on the radio waves - for me.  Leave her be, she can’t spy on anybody if she has a certain Spider-man following her around.”

“That explains why she has a com,” Peter snapped and spun around, stalking over to Ava.

“I said...radio...silence!!” Ava spat, but Peter shook his head and selected a snack from the crystal-glassware buffet.

“Good eye, Spidey,” Jess commented.  “If only you could see that you’re about to eat that disgusting gouda that makes you gag in the middle of a ball with all of New York watching.”

Peter spat out the cheese, earning himself a disgusted stare from a nearby blonde girl (no doubt a famous TV star).  “Where the heck are you Jess?!”  Spider-man whispered after the blonde girl had looked away.

“I’m busy,” Jess said as if he was the one who kept interrupting.

“Of course you are,” Danny commented, finishing off a roll.  He noticed that a tiny scroll was poking out from under the pile of dinner rolls.  He pulled it out, glanced around to see if anybody was watching him, and undid the snap.

You guys are really bad at identifying a disguise.

Also, if I was the threat-writer, I could have killed

You five times now without your teammates

being notified.  I just have to go change out of this

waitress disguise and into my party dress, be back

soon.  Hang in there Danny, stay alert (cuz you’re

not right now)  -Jess

“Guys I figured out where Jess is,” Danny whispered into his com, scanning the crowd yet again, “But nothing on the threat-writer.”

“Took you long enough,” Jess commented mockingly, and Danny knew that she was off somewhere looking at her nails, smirking.  Bringing Danny back to earth, she added, “Look for a blonde actress in a red dress.  She’s been tailing you as well, though I’m not exactly certain.  I’m shutting off my com now, so keep an eye out for me - not that you could actually spot me in this crowd.”