By now, Finnian Murdock was juggling multiple jobs.
Tony Stark was paying him a cool $100 million a year to be his "personal consultant."
With Maria Hill's recommendation, he'd joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agent (rank yet to be determined).
And if Finn guessed correctly, it wouldn't be long before HYDRA extended him a very tempting olive branch.
The only problem? With all these overlapping roles, Murdock Investigations couldn't realistically keep operating.
Murdock Office – First Floor
Skye came in, clutching a stack of case files with a glum face.
"Boss, is the firm shutting down? Do you know how much trauma this causes to my fragile young heart? This is my first official job."
Finn leaned back in his chair, gesturing for her to keep going with the melodrama.
"You little drama queen. When did I ever say we're closing? I'm the number one detective in Chinatown. No way I let my reputation as Chinatown's best go to waste."
Skye snorted. "Aren't you working at your ex-girlfriend's company now? I figured you'd ditch this place."
"That gig's flexible," Finn said casually. "Give it a few days, I'll skip work there and come back here whenever I feel like it."
"Great. Then, Boss, midnight snacks on me tonight."
"I already ordered takeout—it should be here any minute."
Truth be told, Finn liked Skye. Not in a sleazy way. More like she gave off this "little sister next door" vibe—always bright, always loyal.
A girl who poured all her attention into you.
And honestly, who wouldn't be moved by that?
Later, Finn checked the new items refreshed by his system.
[Skill: Piano Master – $1000]
[Item: She-Hulk's Pants – $1]
[Item: Black Widow's Stockings – $1]
He rubbed his temples. The system was broke, and the quality of items reflected it.
Piano Master? Eh, could be fun. When I'm president someday, I can sit in the White House and impress secretaries with a sonata.
But Black Widow's stockings? What the hell was he supposed to do with those? Rob a bank wearing them as a mask?
And She-Hulk's pants… known in Marvel circles as the most powerful weapon in existence. Tempting, but useless.
Unless…
"Wait." His eyes lit up. "This could actually work."
He pictured it: lure Hulk and Abomination into a crowded area using She-Hulk's pants as bait, then make his dramatic hero entrance to save the day. Instant fame.
"Buy Piano Master and She-Hulk's Pants."
"Ding. Purchase successful. Stored in system space."
The office door opened, and a delivery guy walked in.
"Pizza for Mr. Murdock."
"Thanks, just leave it there."
Finn grudgingly handed over a $10 tip and sighed. His wallet was so thin he wasn't sure he could even pay Skye's salary this month.
He needed money. Fast.
"Skye, let's eat."
But while Finn was worrying about money, across town, another man with too much money to spend was worrying about something else entirely.
Stark Industries – Lab
"It's too difficult!" Tony Stark dragged his hands through his hair, eyes bloodshot from exhaustion.
The problem wasn't going from 1 to 10—it was the leap from 0 to 1.
The White Can Armor was the pinnacle of Iron Man tech from future timelines: liquid metal, symbiotes, advanced reactors, bleeding-edge weapons. For Tony now, it was like trying to bench-press the moon.
Even with Dr. Yinsen's help, they were both frustrated as hell.
It felt like having a gorgeous woman naked in front of you… and not knowing how to even unhook the bra.
If you couldn't get past that step, forget diving into core tech.
"Tony," Yinsen said, adjusting his glasses, "change your approach. Our goal should be the Mark I, not a one-to-one replica of the White Can Armor. Unit One isn't there yet."
Tony sighed and managed a tired smile. "Fine. Mark I first. Then we'll build up."
They shook hands on it and went back to work.
"Sir, you and Dr. Yinsen haven't rested in thirty hours," Jarvis interjected. "Might I suggest you stop before you collapse?"
Tony rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, noted."
"Jarvis, when we wake up, remind me to call Murdock. I want him to bring the mechanical dog over. I've got ideas for a transformable Mark suit."
"Yes, Sir."
"Actually, scratch that—just send him the money directly. I'll explain over the phone."
"Roger that, Sir."
When Finn's phone buzzed with a bank notification, he nearly choked on his pizza.
"Your account ending in 9527 has received $5,000,000. Current balance: $5,003,271."
His eyes watered.
Who is this generous sugar daddy? Brother Tony, I could cry.
Seconds later, Stark's name flashed across his phone. Finn answered instantly.
"Don't worry, Mr. Stark. I'll send Blackie over right away."
Dog, you need to learn to earn your own keep. I can't keep doing this. Your master's broke.
But in the back of his mind, Finn remembered the terrifying system truth: it monitored his bank balance constantly.
"Shit. This money's going to be gone in minutes."
Even so, he didn't move the money. Because for all its scams, the system's products were worth it.
The White Can Armor rivaled the Hulkbuster. The Perfect Spider Serum and the Omega-level mutant ability Freeze had all been real, game-changing rewards.
The mall's motto was basically: you get what you pay for.
It wasn't that the system sucked. It was that Finn was broke.
"As expected," he muttered. "Lies don't hurt. But the truth? The truth cuts like the sharpest knife."
Fuck, that stung.
He grabbed the stack of client forms on the desk. "Skye, head upstairs and play your games. I'm heading out."
"Boss, want me to tag along?"
"No, stay here."
Someday, Skye would awaken her powers as Quake. Inhumans needed Terrigen Crystals for that—but who knew when that day would come?
Finn looked over the highlighted cases Skye had prepared for him.
Mr. Smith suspected his wife was cheating on him… with her sister.
Mrs. Smith suspected her husband was cheating on her… with his sister.
"…Uh." Finn scratched his head. I don't get paid enough for this level of soap opera.
After a long pause, he scribbled his simplified notes:
Today's commissions—
Investigate a cheating husband.
Investigate a possibly lesbian wife.
Reward: $100,000 each.
He chuckled. "These two are talented people. Honestly, why bother investigating? They should just settle it by becoming a threesome."