MARVEL: CARD EXTRACTION SYSTEM

"So, guys, do you have names?" Deadpool asked as he leapt nimbly onto the hood of an overturned car, posing as if he were on a catwalk.

"I'm Gwen Stacy."

"And my name is Lucas. You don't need to introduce yourself, I know who you are," I replied to Deadpool.

"Yeah, me too," said Gwen, looking at me briefly. Apparently, there was a famous Deadpool on Earth-65 too.

"Do you know me? Looks like my fan club has finally reached the new generation." Deadpool jumped off the hood of the car and landed "Where were you, Gwen and Lucas? Didn't you know that all of Manhattan is actively being searched by the Hulk?"

"We... hid in the basement of my building when it all started. We were safe there, but we ran out of food and..." I tried to come up with a story.

"Ah, so you're the classic bunker freaks, but in a basement... Well, I think you did well. Too bad the monster under the bed decided to come out and play." He interrupted me.

I looked at the back of the mercenary in the clingy red outfit. It was hard to believe that the famous Deadpool was standing in front of me and, even better, had saved me from a Hulk.

In this reality, New York was just a shadow of what it once was. The entire city was shrouded in a morbid silence, but the occasional moan of hordes of dead wandering the streets made it clear that not everyone had disappeared. Despite this, Deadpool walked nonchalantly, as if he were strolling in a park, through the city's empty alleys. He seemed to be used to it.

Because of this calm, I decided to start a conversation to try to get the system to give me a mission.

"Hey, Deadpool, how did all this start? Do you know anything? What happened to the Hulk? What about... the other heroes?"

Deadpool suddenly stopped and turned to face me. His eyes were hidden behind his mask, but the hand on his chin and the pose indicated that he was thinking.

"Ah, lots of questions... and it's all a long story. You know, I'd say the whole thing is one of those stories full of drama, betrayal, hungry zombies and, of course, lots and lots of blood."

"Like The Walking Dead?" I asked.

"Exactly! Like The Walking Dead, but, you know, without all those actors being killed off because they didn't want the roles anymore. I don't blame them, after all, living in Georgia must suck, but... where was I again...? Oh, I remember!" He was happy to remember and then shook his head with a theatrical sigh. "It's a lot of information to remember and, honestly, after the Hulk ate half my brain on our first date, I can't remember some things. I'll leave the story to Cap. He's going to give one of those speeches about hope and perseverance, but you can handle it."

Soon, we arrived at a large access grate to a sewer near a city canal, and Deadpool used a radio to send a signal.

"Hey, I'm out here. Open up."

A mechanical hum echoed in the silence and, within a few seconds, the grate was lifted by a technological device.

"Nice, isn't it? It serves to prevent ordinary zombies from entering my secret base." Deadpool said and winked at Gwen and me before climbing down the metal ladder.

On entering the sewers, I was surprised that what we found was what looked like a section of underground refuge. The passages, normally dark and damp, were lit by makeshift lanterns. On the way to the central part of this refuge, we found small groups of people, dirty and tired, who were setting up wire traps and hammering iron bars to create gates that closed off tunnels.

Gwen came a little closer to me and said:

"This place... it looks like they've managed to organize themselves here. We're in luck."

"Lucky? I hope so..."

When we reached a larger chamber, where there were several tents and even a fire with a pot of soup being prepared, Deadpool exclaimed:

"Cap! I am back! And look what I found wandering around! Survivors!"

In the center of that chamber, there was a very tall man with his back turned. On his back was a shield attached to a support, which bore a star in the center. When this man turned around, my eyes widened and a slight smile appeared at the corner of my mouth, because I was seeing not only that classic blue and red uniform but also the hero who usually wore it. Captain America!

When the Captain saw Gwen and me, he said something quickly to the woman who was talking to him, then stepped forward and held out his hand. A gesture I never thought I'd experience in real life.

"Survivors? Ah, that's good, very good to hear! My name is Steve Rogers." He said, shaking my hand firmly and then Gwen's. "It's good to see that there are still survivors out there. Did Deadpool help you?"

"Help is a word..." Deadpool said, but I interrupted.

"He saved my life."

"Good one, Deadpool. What are your names?"

After another section of introductions, Captain America smiled and said:

"We're trying to keep everyone safe down here, while we come up with a plan to... well, take back what we can."

Still incredulous, I nodded, at a loss for words. It was as if I had been transported straight into one of the movies.

"Cap, our new friend here was curious about what happened up there. Maybe it's time to tell the bedtime story..." Deadpool suggested, putting his finger in some soup that was being prepared on a fire in the center of the chamber.

Captain America looked at Deadpool with an expression of mild irritation, but then turned his attention back to me. "Where were you when it all started?"

"At a gate in Manhattan, then we went to the basement of the building and locked ourselves in there until today." Gwen went into the story with me and lied. She knew we couldn't tell the truth under any circumstances.

"I see, so you must have had a lot of food there. Eight months ago, a virus spread rapidly, turning heroes, villains, civilians and government agents into the starving monsters you've probably already seen. At first, we tried to understand it, to fight it, but... we'd already lost too many..."

He paused, as if reliving the painful memories of his comrades falling one by one.

"Hulk... Thor... Tony... they were all taken by surprise. Some of us managed to fight back, like us, but we're definitely outnumbered and facing enemies who were once friends. We're hiding here, in the sewers, because it's the only place we can be out of range of the Hulk's sense of smell. He can smell fresh meat from miles away."

"So that must be how he found me..." Thinking out loud, I said.

"What?"

"Don't worry, Cap! I threw a truckload of flammable gas at the Hulk's head just as he was about to pick up that kid." Deadpool said. "Although I didn't even see it..."

"I see, so that's what caused the tremor just now. Well, the whole city must have heard it. With luck, the explosion should concentrate the zombies on that side of Manhattan, because I doubt the Hulk was killed by just one truck... Anyway, we need all the hands we can get. If you're going to stay here, we're going to need you to help."

Deadpool leapt up, slipping between Gwen and me and wrapping his arms around us. "Look, my fans have barely arrived and they're already being recruited by Cap! Now that's what I call talent!"

"I'll help," said Gwen.

Deadpool smiled broadly from behind his mask, "Way to go, girl! And don't worry, if you don't die in the first five days, I'll teach you the route I have to a public restroom outside that's intact!"

Steve gave a small smile, although his face showed his tiredness. "We'll find somewhere for you to settle in. Then we'll discuss how you can help us."

[You've joined the Underground Survival Shelter!]

[You've unlocked several missions!]

[Secondary Mission 1: Bosom Buddy.

Goal: Make Deadpool consider you a friend.

Rewards:

+2,000 CPs.

+1 Uncommon Ability Card].

+

[Secondary Mission 2: Doing your bit.

Objective: Return with food to the shelter.

Rewards:

+1,000 CPs.]

+

[Secondary Mission 3: Killing Idols.

Objective: Kill a hero who has turned into a zombie.

Reward:

+5,000 CPs.

+1 Epic Skill Card].

[New Side Quests may appear as you continue your journey.]

[There are still 22 hours left to complete the Main Mission.]

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