To NYC

[Harley]

"Normy, where is this bar then?" Harley asked as she looked at Osborn and debated what to do if he did start acting like his green alter ego and tossed a flaming pumpkin at them. "Not everyone here is as familiar with the city as you are."

"I am going to reach into my pouch and get out a card. No funny business," Osborn said as he looked at the crew around Harley and Omega Red. "Here. Tell the bouncer that I sent you."

Harley looked at the card and smiled. "We can hoof it, peeps!" she shouted as the looked at Osborn one more time. "Why?" she asked as she waved the card around. "What favor do you want in return?"

"That you stay out of my way. You draw too much attention to yourselves," Osborn said as he put on his mask once more and flew off.

"We do what? Draw too much attention? Is he serious?" Harley laughed as she looked at everyone and  then motioned for the group to follow her down the block. "They better have nachos!"

Then Harley stopped short. "Oh man. Your babies, Sewer King. What if they won't let them in? Should we bring the van, and they can nap in there?"

[Sewer King]

           The Sewer King watched as Osborn parted with a card. A scowl formed the minute the latter mentioned the cronies drawing attention to themselves. ''We don't draw attention to ourselves!'' he said. The Sewer King glanced at his pets prior to another smile. There was a gentle laugh. ''Nothing unusual about a man near his pretty pet alligators.''

             The Sewer King laughed in a gentle tone while he scratched one alligator's snout. He viewed its tail wagging twice. He followed Harley down the street. ''Yes. Yes. Yes. We'll figure out how to get rid of the evil bat,'' he said.

         Frowning, the Sewer King's eyes were wide for a few seconds. He glanced from his alligators to Harley. His smile came back. ''I'm certain the bar owners are willing to let my pretty pets in.'' The alligators snapped twice. There was a new scowl. 

         ''My pets should rest in the van. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. They should. They should.''

[Harley]

"The van it is then," Harley said as she nodded to the Sewer King before everyone piled back into their transport. "I didn't want some loon thinking that your pets were something on the menu or for some crazy animal fighting ring or something. I've heard about those places, and they make my skin crawl."

As Harley drove, she looked at the distant midtown skyline and saw the Avengers Tower and the Baxter Building. "You know, we should visit the Chrysler Building sometime and see if the good old Kingpin is there," she chuckled. "He is no fan of Normy's, or so I've heard, but I'm not so sure what he'd think of all of us. Arkady, have you ever crossed paths with Kingpin?"

[Omega Red]

         Omega Red began to blink repeatedly after he heard about fighting rings. ''Animal fighting rings?'' There was one glance at the pet alligators. Another glance at the Sewer King. He watched while the latter's eyes widened. ''I assume you know what occurs at those places.''

      Omega Red faced Harley. He started to shrug. ''I remember hearing about Kingpin. I never crossed paths with him,'' he said. There was another shrug. ''Sorry.''

      One glance at the other passengers. A vampire and a woman resembling a toddler. Omega Red never forgot about the vampire mentioning his deceased wife or the Salem Witch Trials. As for the woman resembling a toddler? Did he wish to know other things about Baby-Doll? What she was capable of? He wasn't sure if he wished to find out.

[Harley]

"Then we will stay clear of old Wilson Fisk tonight," Harley said as she pulled the van up to the street in front of the bar. "And this place looks about as inviting as..."

Then Harley blinked. The crummy looking facade with the broken neon light phased in and out to reveal a very swanky club with a velvet rope and a bouncer. "OK then, these guys have the place all magicked-up! They have some sort of spell making it look like a dump, but it's not. I still would not take your babies inside, Sewer King. We can come out and check on them as needed. Maybe bring them some food."

As Harley got out, she looked at Arkady and watched as the rest of the group exited the van. She walked to the bouncer with the card in hand and waited for him to let them inside. "They better have decent whiskey. And a karaoke machine! Norman Osborn sent us," she said to the bouncer as she showed him the card.  He opened the rope to let the group inside. The place had flashing lights and fairly loud music. There was a bar on the second level and a dance area on the ground floor. "Upstairs, everyone?" Harley asked as she stood on the steps.

[Sewer King]

     The outside of the building never caused the Sewer King to bat a single eye. He did dwell under the streets for some time. He frowned and glanced from Harley to his alligators. The Sewer King saw worry in their eyes. The corner of his mouth almost reached his eye. One gentle laugh while snouts were scratched.

     ''Daddy is going to return as soon as possible. You should be safe here. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.''

     The Sewer King entered the building and cried out after he viewed flashing lights. They weren't as bright as the light in a certain chamber under the streets, but they still managed to hurt his eyes. He used his cloak to shield his eyes. ''The lights! The hateful lights!'' He glanced at Harley. ''Yes. Yes. Yes. We should dwell upstairs.''

      Hopefully there weren't as many bright lights upstairs.