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"I'm not eating shit," Punisher growled in a voice as pleasant as two boulders grinding against each other. The born killer crossed his arms as he glared at Harry with a look that promised violence, "I'm just here to tell you, pull some shit like this again and next time you won't see me coming."
Reaching into his pocket, Punisher pulled out the metal business card and tossed it on the table before promptly turning around and clipping himself back onto his zipline. Harry watched as he zipped away with a motorized attachment and shrugged before reaching out and taking back the card, "That's unfortunate, but predicted."
"It's not much of a loss; it would have been hard to rebrand his image after all his murderous rampages," Silvija commented as she rolled her shoulders and kept a steady gaze on the remaining guests.
Harry let out a sigh, but knew Silvija was right, "True, but his fighting experience would have been helpful. Regardless, I think that the remaining talent currently present more than makes up for it. That is, unless anyone else wishes to leave?"
After a moment, when no one moved, Harry nodded, "Alright then, I assume you have a lot of questions, and rightfully so. And I'll answer all of them, though I imagine it will take quite some time, so I ask again, please have a seat."
"Don't mind if I do," Squirrel Girl laughed cheerfully as she sat down in the chair closest to Harry and shot him a smile before her eyes started to roam over the food, "OMG, it all looks so yummy!"
Following Squirrel Girl's example, Spider-Woman and Daredevil sat down as well, followed by Cloak and Dagger, and finally White Tiger.
"Great, now that we're all seated and settled, we can talk business. Who wants to go first?" Harry asked even as he started filling his plate with more food, moving to catch up with Squirrel Girl, who had already dug in wth abandon.
"How about the fact that you called us all out here, after leaving your calling card in our homes and places of work?" Daredevil spoke up, his tone making it clear that he was accusing Harry as he put the metal card on the table, "I hope you're not planning on blackmailing us...for your own sake."
Unphased by the threat, Harry shook his head, "No, nothing of the sort, in fact, I've taken great care that your identities remain secret even from people within my own circle."
"So what is this?" White Tiger asked as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, "Some type of power move to show us you're a man of means?"
Harry shrugged, knife and fork in hand, "Partially, but it was also to show you that your secret lives are not nearly as hidden as you might believe. The moment each of you started your crusade against evil or injustice, the various players in the world took notice, and I assure you they're keeping track."
"Players?" Tyrone asked his hooded visage, half hidden in shadows.
"Governments, shadow organizations, shadow government organization," Harry explained as he gesticulated with his utensils, "They've let you all run around mostly unchecked, but I assure you that the time is drawing near where they start to realize you all are an untapped resource. And I don't need to tell you what happens when the rich and powerful see a resource they can exploit."
"You mean the rich and powerful people like the son of a billionaire?" Dagger criticized with a pointed look at Harry, "How can you possibly think you stand on a moral high ground when your father runs Oscorp, and his whole campaign is about turning people against us and telling them that the solution is to create a private army of superhumans that he can use however he pleases."
"Because I've been doing my best to ensure that doesn't happen," Harry replied as he stared back at Dagger, "Believe me, you don't have to convince me that my father is an awful person who only cares about himself. I know that fact far too well. That's why I convinced him to give me control of Ascend, and why I keep lying to him that the technology is still a work in progress."
"Wait," Daredevil suddenly spoke up as he leaned forward, "Does that mean you can actually give people superpowers?"
"It's not giving people superpowers, they're called augmentations, and it's just using science to genetically enhance their physical and mental faculties far beyond the human limit," Harry explained, breaking down the specifics.
"That sounds like giving people superpowers," Spiderwoman muttered, earning a side eye from Harry. "Regardless of the semantics, I don't want these augmentations going to the people my father chooses. I want them to actually make a difference, to protect the people who can't, and fight against the threats that seem to be peering over the walls ready to break through at a moment's notice."
"Yeah, join the club." White Tiger growled as she pointed a clawed finger at Harry, "The difference is that while we've been risking our lives, getting stabbed, shot at, and scrapping by, you've been living it up like a spoiled brat. If you wanted to make a difference, where have you been all this time?"
For a moment, Harry was silent before he reached up and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt and pulled aside the collar to reveal a massive surgical scar down the center of his chest, "When I was fifteen, I learned that I was a mutant and in my ignorance, I told my father. Instead of celebrating me, or even disowning me, he decided to fake that I had a terminal illness in order to put me into a coma and secretly experiment on my body. The thing is that my powers stopped my mind from going under fully, so I remained aware of everything that was down to me. For three years, he exploited my body by taking tissue, blood, organ, and bone samples, using them to make new medicines and drugs that he sold at an exorbitant rate. Only when my body started to fall apart did he look for a possible treatment, and he barely found one in time."
The room was silent as Harry rebuttoned his shirt and gathered himself before speaking once more, "What I'm trying to prevent is the same cycle of exploitation that has been repeating itself throughout the world's history. Soon, geopolitics is going to be determined not by the number of nukes a country has, but by the number of superheroes. Either they make them in a laboratory, or they start coming after you all with chains and collars."
Once more, everyone was silent as they imagined the bleak future Harry's words painted and realized that it wasn't a far stretch of the imagination, "Like you said, they'll turn the public against you, paint you as criminals, and then lock you up and use you for whatever means they have."
"And you can stop that from happening?" Tyrone asked, now looking at Harry in a different light.
"Yes," Harry answered immediately without hesitation, "That's what I've built Ascend Agencies for, so heroes can focus on doing the thing that matters most, saving people and the world, without having to worry about things like their own government stabbing them in the back."
"Alright, that sounds nice, but what's the catch?" Daredevil asked, "And what happens when your father eventually finds out that you're not on board with his whole private army of super soldiers?"
"The catch is that Ascend will research how your powers can be applied in developing new technology, our research in augmentations has already resulted in numerous drug patents that we're able to sell at an affordable price, imagine if we could replicate how you, as a visually impared man, can use his other sense with such reliability that you no longer need the use of your eyes. Imagine giving that utility to everyone on the planet...or finding a cure outright. As for my father, let me worry about him."
White Tiger scoffed as she stood up, "I can't sit here and listen to this bullshit any longer, this is doomed to fail, just cause you have money doesn't mean you know what you're doing."
Without another word, White Tiger vaulted over the side of the ship, dropping out of view.
"I hate to say it, but she's right, kid," Daredevil muttered as he stood up, "I think you mean well and you really want to help, but in my experience, it's better to keep going solo. That way, even in the worst case scenario, you don't take anyone down with you."
As Daredevil started to walk away, Spider-Woman stood up as well, but froze as she glanced at Harry, who stared up at her before turning away without saying a word.
"I'm sorry, but we've been offered a golden ticket before, and it changed our lives forever," Dagger muttered as Cloak opened himself and she stepped inside, "We can't take that risk again."
Then, in a flash, they were gone as Cloak folded in on himself, disappearing into thin air.
"If it's any consolation, I think you had a really nice speech," Squirrel Girl muttered around a mouthful of food.
"Nice enough to convince you to give me a chance?" Harry asked as he resumed eating.
Squirrel Girl nodded enthusiastically, "No one ever gave me a chance to be a hero, they said being able to talk to squirrels wasn't enough. But I didn't listen to them, and you shouldn't either; they'll come around eventually."