Gadgets

At the entrance of the house there was a truck, from which a couple of movers were carrying oversized boxes, it looked like someone was moving in, although the neighborhood was not the most prosperous.

After squeezing past the workers, we entered the apartment. The place had changed dramatically since we'd been away, with the almost complete absence of the plants Ivy had taken with her on her business trip. It felt empty and uncomfortable.

Glancing over, I noticed a sinking Harley looking sadly at the few leftover unpretentious potted flowers on the windowsill.

"Hey, don't worry. - I hurried to hug my faithful assistant. - She's not gone forever, she'll be back soon, and we'll go on a date, and then... - My hand clenched the girl's appetizing ass.

"Uhm, Mr. J. - The sadness instantly evaporated from the blonde's eyes, and sparks of love and passion lit up in them.

After kissing Harley's sweet lips, I still managed to pull away from her, feeling that just a little more and my plans for today would go one particular place.

After apologizing to the girl and picking up my duffel bag, I locked myself in the room that had been set aside as a workshop. My maneuver resembled an escape, but I would have preferred the term "tactical retreat.

The first thing was to deal with the broken cane, because it was not only a stylish accessory, but also could be a weapon and a means of overcoming obstacles, and with a possible surveillance should be dealt with, though... Looking at the surrounding walls of the apartment provided by Bats, I became sure that this place is full of surveillance equipment.

Shit, so Mash saw and heard everything I did with the girls... Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, let him be jealous! Maybe he'll start dating someone, too, because in the comics, he mostly took some guys as partners.

"Eh. - A sad sigh escaped me when I saw what the gift had become. When I was leaving the battlefield, I had no time to look at the damage, but now it was obvious that not only the handle was damaged, but also the cable winding mechanism, along with a piece of the battery. Fortunately, there were several power sources, so it was feasible to repair everything with little loss of capacity.

"Let's see what we can do. - After stretching my fingers like a pianist, I began to completely dismantle the miracle I had received.

It turned out that the harpoon functioned on the principle of a Gauss gun. The batteries power a converter, which is a transformer with a ferrite core that charges a high-voltage assembly of electrolytic capacitors. Then all the accumulated charge is discharged sequentially into several coils installed along the entire length of the cane, causing the harpoon to literally shoot out due to the resulting powerful magnetic field.

The solution was quite ingenious. A key-switch, or what was left of it, was found, which allowed the accumulated charge to be sent not to the winding, but to the cable itself, transmitting the discharge to the harpoon's tip to produce a shocker effect.

"Hmm, there's a reason Harley taught me how to disarm things, and without that knowledge I wouldn't have been able to figure out how the cane works.

I had a feeling that the laws of physics were a little different in this world, because the solution was really elementary, and such a weapon could be made by any schoolboy with straight hands. In the old world I had heard of something like this, but I doubted that such systems were very effective, and here a rather weighty projectile could easily fly fifteen meters, and even embed itself in the brickwork!

Although what am I saying, most of the weapons of villains and heroes with the prefix super clearly have some supernatural properties unrelated to magic. But the important thing is that it all works, and I can do it again!

"Huh, there's the bug!" A low-powered radio transmitter with a microphone was found in the converter, with a microphone routed to a missing knob somewhere, judging by the remnants of wires. Somewhere in the open, it is useless, but in the city, using repeaters, it can be used.

I wasn't going to stop there, knowing the Dark Knight's paranoia, everything that could theoretically be disassembled was taken apart, including the batteries. Unfortunately, I lost another power source when I damaged its shell, but the last one had a tracking device hidden in a small recess. The loss of two batteries cost me half of the available capacity, but I don't have much regret, having secured privacy.

After getting rid of the extra gadgets, it was time for repairs. Clever Harley had taken everything she could from the shelter, including a small lathe. It wouldn't do anything serious, of course, but it wasn't hard to drill an extra hole in the cane's covering for a new button, and it wasn't hard to grind out a new headpiece and coil.

Taking into account the disadvantages of the previous model, in the process I had to shorten the rope, leaving seven meters, otherwise I could not make the system removable. For this purpose, I used a small carabiner attached to the harpoon, and now it is possible to carry this beautiful accessory everywhere, having made two handles in different styles. One of them I made round for going out. In this form there is no rope and, accordingly, no reeling mode, but there is a possibility to make a harpoon shot, to hit with a shocker or to hit the enemy with a heavy steel knuckle. The second version is made in the form of a slightly bent letter "G" and adds mobility, but it is undesirable to hit with it because of the relatively fragile structure. It will be necessary to make such a thing out of a more durable material.

Thinking about the upgrade made me think of money. The money I had gotten from the prosecutor would soon run out, so I would have to force the compensation from Strange, which would have to be either hedged or used through a front man, which was not very convenient.

"I wondered if Mousey would agree to participate in this venture for a small percentage. - I muttered to myself, answering immediately. - No, she's too decent for that.

Suddenly it hit me. I was going to organize a small game studio, and what did small game studios do in my past world when they planned to do something ambitious? Crowdfunding!

For answers I went to the omniscient Internet, and was disappointed to find out that in this world there is no such system, because in the case of a worthwhile idea, its creators are sponsored by large companies, taking all the cream, while worthily gifting the inspirers.

Another interesting option seemed to me the creation of a trust fund, which I had to discard after studying all the nuances, but in the process I came across a very interesting forum with information on such funds, where one of the users described an elegant solution to reduce taxes through charity. And by golly, it was excellent! After all, a charitable foundation could exist as a separate division of the main organization, with the ability to accept donations from other people.

So, who in DC's world needs help? The heroes, of course!

The unfortunate creatures have to live practically in a small two-room apartment in a not the most prosperous neighborhood of Gotham. They don't even have enough money to buy their own superhero shelter, because at night they save the residents from crime, and during the day they rest... And what is there to say, if one humble hero in the prime of life has to beg gadgets from wealthier comrades in the trade. It's not fair!

I even jumped up, knocking over my chair and pacing around the room.

I'm setting up a game studio, then a little charity for Strange to donate his money to. Besides, other heroes can really be helped. Since my first game is planned to be "Defense of the Towers", I can use the well-known images of existing supers as "Towers" and add a "donate" button. I'm sure I can find the right people and give them their due. Hmm... For the tax office, of course, it will require more normal reporting, because the money will essentially go nowhere, but Gotham, despite the efforts of Bats and the commissioner, is still one of the most corrupt cities, so it shouldn't be a problem, but it's still worth consulting with Alan about it.

"Mr. J," Harley peeked into the room, having heard the strange noise, "is everything okay?

"It doesn't get any better than this!" I ran up and picked the girl up in my arms, whirling her around the room. - I have a favor to ask of you.

"Anything!" The assistant responded readily.

"Ahem... Could you go out and buy me a compact laptop for work? Within a grand and a half. Here's a card. - I handed her a plastic rectangle. - And you can buy yourself something.

"Shopping!" She was clearly pleased with my request.

"Uh, don't spend it all. Three grand max, or we're gonna have to tighten our belts.

"Okay, Mr. J. - With a peck on my cheek, the happy harlequin ran to get ready.

"Maybe I shouldn't have let her go alone. - The question remained unanswered, but I wasn't too worried about it, because I hadn't noticed the girl spending a lot of money when she came to this world, so everything should be fine.

"I'm out! I'll be there in two hours.

Before I knew it, Harley had already packed up and left the apartment, slamming the door.

The first thing I did, since I had some free time, was to contact Alan and arrange a meeting at his office. Then I called Alfred, whom I planned to see tomorrow, and Bruce, too, hoping to learn more about the sorceress's tastes.

My eyes fell on the lathe. Hmm, I wanted some kind of throwing projectiles, like batarangs, but in keeping with my sense of beauty.

Since I'm cosplaying Tuxedo Mask, I'll try to follow my chosen style.

After an hour of fiddling, I had a metal rose in my hands.

"Let's try it. - Setting the wooden target against the wall, I threw the artificial flower.

~Dzang~

The projectile slammed into the wall, missing the shield.

Yeah... The aerodynamics of this thing are a mess. Even a chair and a garbage can were much more comfortable to throw, and this thing not only flies unpredictably, but I spent a lot of time on its creation. Perhaps I should have thought of making the flower petals out of dense plastic or paper, like a dartboard in darts.

"I'm home. - While I've been doing my nonsense, my faithful companion has made her way back.

I went to meet the girl and picked up the failed experiment, straightening its slightly bent tail on the way. It might not be much use in combat, but it could be used for something else.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful girl. - I handed the metal plant to a stunned Harley. - It, like my love for you, will never wither. - The blonde's face flashed red as she realized my words, and then she threw herself at my neck with joyful squeals.

"Thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you. - When she was silent for a second, trying to catch her breath, I pulled her close and kissed her.

The blonde broke the kiss and stared at me with eyes full of absolute happiness. I doubt the Joker spoiled her with gifts, much less gifts of his own making.

"I've prepared something for you, too, but before I do, I need to get ready.

"Okay, sweetie. - I kissed Harley again, and helped her carry several bulky bags into the center room. As I carried the bags in, a wonderful idea popped into my head: I looked almost like some kind of magician, and that image was strongly associated with playing cards. The idea so captivated me that I didn't even look at the laptop I'd bought, going straight to the workshop while the girl went to the bathroom to clean herself up.

Ten minutes later, a small deck of cards lay before me, though that's too loud a name for several metal rectangles, measuring six by nine centimeters and a couple of millimeters thick. One of them is sent flying, jabbing into the wooden shield. Now let's try it harder.

~Knock~

With a thud, the throwing projectile slams into the target almost halfway through.

It's not bad, it's fine against normal people, and you can slash their throats with it if you want, but you need something more effective against meth.

I took a new rectangle with a good aim. I wish I was the Gambit of the Cross people, I could throw garbage that explodes. The map goes flying, and I feel terribly tired, as if I've unloaded a carload of cement in one face.

~Clap~

There was a quiet pop and something glinted faintly on contact. For a second I froze in shock, forgetting how bad I felt, but the metallic taste in my mouth hinted that something was wrong with my health. Like an old grandfather, I made my way to the target, where I found a projectile that was slightly darkened at the edge.

Holy shit, I'm a wizard!

We just have to wait for the letter from Hogwarts...

My thoughts were interrupted by the trill of the doorbell.

Okay, that's not good.

I gingerly approached the door, still feeling weak, but that didn't stop me from gripping the baseball bat in the umbrella stand tighter. I'd have to remind Harley not to throw her stuff around, because last time I'd found one of the bats in the refrigerator, not a bad thing, but it was a little stressful at times.

I pulled my cap on, trying to hide my face, and opened the door.

A big, hairy man with a huge beer belly, dressed in some kind of rags, stood on the doorstep. No, if he suggested I go to magic school now, I'd go to hell. I'm not some battered kid living under the stairs.

"Hello. - Nedohagrid greeted me in a hoarse, smoky bass.

"I'm not going to Hogwarts without an official owl. - I decided to make my position clear.

"The individual in front of me was actively thinking. - That is, I should warn you. - He rummaged through his pockets until he pulled out a soiled piece of paper from which he read out. - According to the court order.

Great, man, looks like unauthorized magic is punishable by law, and I feel so broken right now and unlikely to be able to put up a decent resistance to this hog, even with a bat.

---I am required to notify you that I am a sex offender.

For a second, I imagined a half-bum like that coming to the Drusls in Poterrian and asking for Harry to be given to them with the same words, and they happily agreed.

"Ha ha. - I couldn't contain my laughter when I pictured that picture, and then I noticed how the visitor froze. - Sorry, I just remembered something. Anyway, I understood everything, I'll know.

I slammed the door in the face of the confused man.

It's a good thing he's a slow thinker, because he could have taken offense and beaten me up, and then... done what he went to jail for. Ugh.

"Who was that?" Harley came out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. And that's all she was wearing. She knew how I reacted to her, and she'd have to shower all over again, but I was in no condition to do anything right now, and my only immediate plans were to crawl into the living room and crash on the couch.

"Bullshit, some big homeless guy came in and said he was a sex offender. - One step, one more step.

"Mr. J, are you sick?" As if sensing my condition, the girl was at my side, offering her shoulder.

"Remember when you used to shoot sparks out of your vibrator? That's what's happening to me right now."

"Why did you take my vibrator?" The blonde even froze, looking at me with bulging eyes.

"Uh, let's crawl to the couch, I'll lie down, and I'll tell you all about it."