Unlikely G Man

Josh and Geiko had been busking on the street for two months before trouble found them. Every day, Josh would set up a small space on a busy Manhattan corner, laying out a makeshift stage with cardboard and a tin can for tips. Geiko, the star of the show, never failed to amaze the passing crowds with his intelligence and agility. The tiny gecko performed intricate tricks—leaping through small hoops Josh fashioned from scrap wire, balancing on a toothpick Josh held between two fingers, and even pretending to play dead before springing back to life to the delight of the audience. The act had gained a modest following, with some regulars tossing spare change and dollar bills into the tin, praising Josh for the creativity of the routine. That day, Geiko had outdone himself, drawing cheers with an elaborate stunt where he flipped mid-air through a spinning hoop. Feeling the weight of a few crumpled bills in his pocket, Josh was content as he headed to find a quiet spot for the night.

Josh was cutting through Central Park back to Queensboro Bridge when the city's atmosphere began to change. The faint glow of streetlamps filtered through the skeletal branches of winter-stripped trees. The crisp night air carried a blend of earthy dampness and the faint, metallic tang of nearby traffic. Central Park, even at this hour, was alive in its own way—rustling leaves, distant laughter from late-night joggers, and the occasional bark of a dog echoed through the vast expanse. The moonlight painted pale silver streaks across the park's winding paths, and Josh's boots crunched softly against the gravel as he hurried along. He wanted to save time, but the shadows stretching across the park's vastness had him glancing over his shoulder. He spotted three mean looking men of various height, that looked like trouble.

"I'm not the best guy to rob guys. I know it's pretty dark, but my clothes should scream homeless man. I've got enough for dinner and breakfast tomorrow."

"We don't want your money, Pipsqueak; you stole something that belonged to our employer," the giant man responded in a slow rumble.

"Hey, once you throw the food in the garbage, it's public property, even if it's the end-of-shift goods. That is Hobo 101. In my defense, the KFC employee throwing out the food said it was okay."

"Not the food, you numbskull." The Short-sized man in the hat sneered, his tone dripping with derision and his lips curling into a condescending smirk. "Do we look like we care about garbage?" We are the Enforcers; Oscorp hired us to discover who stole their research. We caught you on camera outside of Oscorp with the Test subject, and we were hired to get it back." The Short man in the hat said.

"Okay, cool. We are making up stories. It's a weird way to rob someone, but I'll play along. My name is Zephyr Zamboni. I was hired by the Canadian Government to find out who is stealing the ice from their Ice Rinks. We have you three on camera teleporting it to the North Pole to stop global warming. A noble cause, but the Government wants their ice back."

The last man in a hat pulled out a lasso and quickly used it to yank Josh off his feet and hang him upside down from a tree.

"Ox, hold the rope." The lasso man passed the rope to the Giant, apparently called Ox." Do you think this is a joke, kid? Oscorp invested a lot of money into that Gecko. It is the last surviving test subject for some powerful forces. We tried to find you through facial recognition and fingerprints, but no database could discover anything about you. That means no one will care or know if we end you right here and toss you in the ocean."

Josh could feel Geiko climb from his usual hiding spot on the back of his neck up his chest towards the lasso, holding his feet up in the air. His mind raced. These men were clearly after Geiko—the only being in this universe who had shown him any kind of companionship. The thought of Geiko being dragged back to Oscorp, subjected to whatever experiments had created him, filled Josh with a protective fury. He knew he couldn't fight back, not in his current position, but he would do everything in his power to give Geiko a chance to escape. He was hoping to stall so that Geiko could make an escape. These men were obviously after their runaway test subject.

"Woah, dude, agro much. Since this isn't about you robbing me of my money. How about we start from the beginning?"

"Sure, Fancy Dan, help jog Zephyr Zamboni's memory." Montana's voice was smooth and almost amused, as if he were issuing an order for something as mundane as fetching coffee, rather than orchestrating a beatdown.

The short-hatted man proceeded to use Josh's midsection as a striking post. Doing a few quick punches and kicks, Josh was glad that Geiko had made it up to his pants before he got his ribs tenderized. He definitely felt one of his ribs crack during the beatdown.

Montana leaned in closer, his smirk unwavering as he watched Josh struggle. His calm, deliberate tone was both menacing and assured, as though he had no doubt Josh would give in sooner or later. "Two months ago, we caught you coming out of the sewer next to Oscorp." Montana's voice was icy and measured, carrying the weight of someone who was confident he held all the cards. His eyes narrowed as he continued, his tone laced with contempt. "You then captured a very expensive gecko and have been using it to make money all around Manhattan Island as a mini circus show. Oscorp would like its property back."

Thinking fast, Josh had to come up with an excuse. "You think I stole that Gecko and have been using it to make money? No way, dude, that thing took off that night, I don't have a cage to put a gecko in, and I don't even have a home. Do Geckos go in cages or glass aquariums?"

"If you lost the Oscorp Gecko, how have you been putting on your little circus shows?"

"Okay, how racist are you guys?"

All three of them stared at Josh in shock.

"Look, im just trying to figure out if im going to die anyway."

They continued to stare at Josh.

"Alright, I'll say it. It's not like I can do anything, hanging from a tree. I'm a mutant from a remote rural mutant commune in Delaware. That is why I have no government ID. I can control small Reptiles, but it only works when I am awake, and since I don't have a cage and they help me out, I release the geckos after the show. I find a new gecko every day to put on my little shows. Why do you think I am in the park? I just released the Gecko that helped out today."

Fancy Dan and Ox looked like they bought it from their slight nodding, but the lasso man was still skeptical.

"Maybe he is telling the truth, Montana; you saw what those freaks, the X-men, can do. Although Reptile control is a pretty lame power." Fancy Dan pointed out.

"So you're racist? Cool. Big fan of the mutant hate speech. Also, power jokes? Really? I didn't exactly pick the ability to control lizards from a catalog. By the way, I don't see myself cracking short jokes about your 'travel-sized' stature, Short Stack."

Fancy Dan broke another rib after Josh remarked about his height. "Napoleon Syndrome, much," Josh muttered while trying to catch his breath.

"Search him" was the last thing Josh heard from Montana before Ox dropped like a sack and let go of the rope. Josh landed right on his head and was knocked out.

Josh woke to somebody smacking his face. The fog of unconsciousness began to clear, and his first thought was of Geiko. His heart pounded as he opened his eyes, fearing the worst, but relief washed over him when he saw the tiny gecko perched on his chest, chirping and slapping his face. Even in his dazed state, the sight brought a flicker of a smile to his bloody, bruised face. "You stayed," he muttered, his voice weak but filled with gratitude "Im just going to close my eyes for a second". Opening his eyes again, he found Geiko chirping on his chest while slapping his face pretty hard. The little gecko's frantic movements and high-pitched chirps carried an almost scolding tone, as if offended by the mere thought that Josh might have assumed he'd run away. Geiko stamped his tiny feet on Josh's chest for extra emphasis before resuming his desperate attempts to wake him. Josh groaned, managing a weak smile despite the pain. "Okay, okay, I'm up," he muttered, his voice hoarse. Geiko chirped again, tugging on Josh's shirt collar insistently, urging him to move as his wide eyes darted nervously toward the unconscious enforcers scattered around them.

"Okay, i get it, we need to go."

Josh got out of the lasso and looked around to see The Enforcers sprawled on the ground around him. He crawled a little ways to the tree trunk he was hanging from and used it to get up. Geiko moved up to his shoulder, proud of his work.

"Nice work, Geiko. Are they dead?" The Gecko shook its head and mimed them freezing.

"All right, im too beat up to figure out whatever that means. Let's get out of here."

Josh didn't even make it out of the park before he collapsed against a tree. He was coughing up blood, and it sounded like his lung had been punctured by one of his ribs. Geiko climbed onto his arm.

"I don't think I can go any longer. *Cough* It looks like *Cough* this is the end; *Cough* keep yourself out of trouble *Cough*, Geiko. Maybe I'll wake *Cough* up back in Utah *Cough*, and this will all be a dream. *Cough* Either way *Cough*, thanks for the help *Cough* in making money and for *Cough* keeping me company." He showed the Gecko a bloody smile. "Geckos be Crazy."

Josh picked up Geiko from his arm and moved to release him, but the Gecko stamped his feet angrily on his palm.

*Cough*" It's okay, I don't belong here *Cough*. Neither do you. *Cough* Be Free. *Cough*"

Instead of running away, Geiko bit down on his palm, refusing to let go. Josh's eyes widened as a searing heat spread from the bite, sharp and fiery, like molten metal coursing through his veins. The burning sensation quickly traveled up his arm, reaching his chest and radiating outward, making every nerve in his body feel like it was igniting. His muscles tensed involuntarily, and he gasped, the air caught in his throat as if his lungs were trying to fight the sensation. His skin prickled, his heartbeat thundered in his ears, and a strange pressure built deep within his core. Something was happening—something beyond pain, beyond anything he had ever experienced. The bite wasn't just hurting him; it was changing him, reshaping him from the inside out. As the fire consumed his senses, his vision blurred, and he slipped into unconsciousness, his last thought a desperate hope that whatever was happening would help him survive Marvel.