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All of this managed to distract you long enough for you to miss the disk-shaped platform rising up out of the floor. You eyed it suspiciously, before risking a glance at Flint. He was hardening his hands into fist-shaped boulders, preparing for the worst.
The platform flickered, drawing your attention back to it, where a holographic image of a slender, well-dressed figure filled the empty space on the opposite end of the truck. And it only took you a moment to realize that something about this whole thing was horribly wrong.
<span class="mu-b">“Greetings, gentlemen. I suggest we make this fast, since we may or may not be double-parked right now.”</span> said the man who you assumed to be the Inventor.
<span class="mu-g">“Are you wearin’ a mask?”</span> Flint asked, his gaze becoming uneasy as he studied the creature before him.
And in his defense, it was a good question. Because to you, the Inventor appeared to be a humanoid, bipedal bird man in a three-piece suit.
The Inventor narrowed his beady, black eyes at him and cocked his head slightly. <span class="mu-b">“No. Are you?”</span>
Flint scowled and balled his fists once more.
<span class="mu-r">“If your intention was to do this meeting over Zoom, then the two of us could’ve just stayed home.”</span> you said, attempting to use humor to diffuse the situation a bit.
He nodded slightly. <span class="mu-b">“You’ll forgive me if I’m a little wary of sticking my neck out too far. I wanted to see the people who I might be working with before we start talking business.”</span> he said, lazily waving a clawed hand through the air. <span class="mu-b">“Please, sit. Help yourself to any refreshments that are currently stocked in the vehicle. Just remember to place the bottles back exactly where you found them on the shelves.”</span>
Paying close attention to your spider sense, you sat down slowly and deliberately. After a few more moments, Flint let out an exasperated sigh and did the same.
The corners around the Inventor’s beak quirked into a slight smile. <span class="mu-b">“Excellent. Let us begin with introductions.”</span> he said, gesturing for you to go first.
A bit rude, but you’ll play ball. <span class="mu-r">“I’m the Huntsman. And this is-”</span>
<span class="mu-g">“Sandman.”</span> Flint finished for you, a clear edge to his voice.
If the Inventor was bothered by this, he didn’t show it. <span class="mu-b">“A pleasure to meet you both. As you already know, I mainly go by ‘The Inventor’, but you may call me <span class="mu-s">‘Thomas Edison’</span>.”</span> he proclaimed. <span class="mu-b">“Some feel the need to shorten it to ‘Tom’, or ‘Eddie’, but that is neither here nor there.”</span>
(Cont.)
