View source for 18334/Descent: Rise Of The Man-Spider

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2024/06/25
|Location=East Village
|Synopsis=The Silver Samurai's attempted kidnapping outside a local FEAST Shelter is thwarted. But Spider-Man's troubles are just beginning...
|Cast of Characters=172,718,3948,303,379
|Tinyplot=Descent
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>New York City by twilight can be a rather magical place. <br><br>Despite it already being a little past nine in the evening, the last lingering traces of daylight still cling to the sky and while the tapestry of night increasingly spreads it's blanket across the city below, a red glow still hangs in the western sky. And just like the light still clings to the city with that determined grip, so too does the day's warmth, lingering in the air, the vanishing of the sun towards the distant horizon only giving scant relief to the inhabitants of the city below. <br><br>A few days of that heat is a welcome reminder that summer has well and truly arrived. A week of it however is enough to make anyone wish that they lived just about anywhere else, the hum of air conditioners and fans nearly ubiquitous by this point. <br><br>Twilight is also perhaps enjoyed a little more from a slightly better part of the city. The towering skyscrappers of Midtown, the lamplit paths of Central Park maybe. The waterfront of Battery Park. The Lower East Side is not exactly a garden spot with it's eclectic mix of rundown warehouses and industrial sites along with sprawling, tenement like apartment buildings <br><br>Definitely not one of the safest neighborhoods out there to be sure. <br><br>But that isn't the reason why Peter Parker -- or rather the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man -- happens to be swinging high above these streets on this particular evening. That last webline anchors itself to the corner of a nearby building and the red-and-blue clad hero uses that momentum to hurl himself up onto the rooftop right across from his real target for the evening. <br><br>The local FEAST shelter. <br><br>One of the many that have sprung up through the city over the past couple of years and one of the ones that he, a number of his friends and his Aunt of course regularly volunteer at, it is that which has brought him out this way tonight. <br><br>For one, he doesn't love when his Aunt May is volunteering at this particular shelter, particularly when it creeps later into the evening like this. This might not be the worst neighborhood in the city by a long stretch, but it is one of the more dangerous ones. <br><br>But mostly Peter is just out this way hoping to catch her at the end of her shift, to maybe take advantage of the -- much smaller then expected -- 'winfall' he received from the Bugle for the few photos of the Savage Land that he was ultimately able to smuggle out. Perhaps take her to a late dinner before she makes the trek back to Queens. He hasn't been making it back there quite as much as of late. For a whole host of reasons. <br><br>Perched up on that rooftop, peering down at the entrace to that shelter he sees a few familiar faces go in through the doors. Wherever they have sprung up, the FEAST shelters have proven to be a welcome lifeline to the local community and Pete smiles briefly behind his mask. <br><br>While a few people head in to the shelter itself, only one comes out -- this man in a business suit and carry a black leather briefcase. But he too is known by Peter -- Daniel Huang, Chief Operating Officer of the Shelter program and certainly one of righthand men for Martin Li, the shelter's founder and operator. <br><br>While he might be here for his aunt, it would seem that others are here for the suited man because no sooner does he step out onto the pavement then a quartet of figures emerge from the shadows of a nearby alleyway. As they do, it becomes almost impossible to imagine how they've stayed unnoticed. <br><br>All four are dressed in armor, in the feudal Japaneese style and while three of them are mostly dark, the foremost of them is dressed head to toe in armor that positively gleams silver-like, only a red crest across his chest breaking up that sheer silvery sheen.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:718|Mary Jane Watson (718)}} has posed:'''<br>Mary Jane Watson is currently heading in to help out at the shelter for a late shift after she got off 'work'. That means she's still got all of her equipment with her, and she would be heading up and over to the rooftop sto drop it off and stash it in one of the boltholes that Peter had showed her. So she's got a large duffel bag wtih her that has a combat uniform, her swords, an ICER, a couple other 'official' things with it that she's going to just leave up until she finishes up her volunteer time..<br><br>Then she catches sight of the man from her approach through the backstreets, even as she recognizes the armor. She might nto have met the name, but she knows who he is broadly from his file.<br><br>The Silver Samurai.<br><br>She goes to slowly, slowly and quietly take a few steps backwards.. But she stands out a bit much carrying a large duffel bag that's clinking over with rather heavy metal even as she goes to slide her hand back to take her 'personal' phone out behind her back. THank heavens for all that time as a teenager spent texting as she sends it along the Spider-Comm..<br><br>&lt;&lt;Ninja and Yakuza heading to FEAST&gt;&gt;.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:3948|Kaine Parker (3948)}} has posed:'''<br> On the Spider-Network, a new icon appears. It's the default setting, or picture, and it shows where Blood Spider is. He stares at the phone seeing where Spider-Man is. Watching the screen, Spider-Man moves, moves and then still. He stills for a little bit. <br><br> "Damn it. What trouble are you getting into now," Blood Spider thinks Spider-Man is on some kind of stakeout. Watching some kind of trouble brewing. He doesn't expect that stop to be so innocent. <br><br> And to those watching the handy device made by Ted Kord and Co., the new icon on the board is moving on Peter's position pretty quickly. <br><br> Blood will just keep swinging along thinking the fireworks are about to start. Getting closer, Blood doesn't realize what -exactly- Spidey is watching. If he did, Blood might have stayed home.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:303|Felicia Hardy (303)}} has posed:'''<br>Relationships are hard work under the best of conditions. <br><br>There are scheduling issues, 'making time for each other' in busy lives, miscommunications, learning each other's preferences, _adapting_ to those preferences, deciding which side of the tooth paste to squeeze from (or just keeping two tubes), and a myriad other complications. That's not even counting meeting and trying to get along with the other person's family, if you're willing to even take that step at all.<br><br>Felicia isn't.<br><br>That's why she's dressed up like Black Cat (in her newer outfit from the Spider-Man Playstation Game instead of the old school leather catsuit), black micro-weave suit and white polymer gloves and boots, silver-white hair up in a high ponytails, and keeping a good five or six rooftops between herself and the guy in the blue and red spider-print pajamas.<br><br>He might know she's there. He might not.<br><br>She didn't technically tell him what she was up to. He told her where he was going to be, and she decided to... keep an eye on him. It wasn't like she was overly busy heisting jewels, after all. And yes, being this mothering was going to get old _very_ quickly for both of them, but Peter just hasn't been acting the same ever since Kraven shot him with that tranq dart.<br><br>He's been acting _so_ off, in fact, that they'd had to completely call off their whole "I'll teach you how to be a superhero" training sessions when Peter missed a few web-shots and nearly got himself shot. In the face. Twice.<br><br>So, it isn't that Felicia has absolutely no reason to be concerned. It's probably not a great justification for stalking him, but let's be serious. Not having a reason to stalk Spider-Man has never stopped her before, and if she ever actually gave it up, they'd both miss it. Right, Spider?<br><br>So there's Black Cat, hanging out on one of the taller buildings, as she often is. She'd been there for a good five minutes before Peter ever got into sight, just lounging in the evening air, soaking up the sounds of the city, and...<br><br>'Yakuza heading to FEAST'?<br><br>She gets the message as a text-to-speech through her masks's comm system and perks her head up, then the rest of herself, stretching out of her reclining position. She slips her phone out of its belt holster and looks it over.<br><br>Oh, look. Even Blood Spider's almost here. Turns out, it's going to be a regular family reunion after all. How wonderful. With a click, she turns her location on (she normally keeps it off) and sends a quick message. <br><br>&lt;&lt; Fifteen seconds out. &gt;&gt;<br><br>Then she's leaping off of the edge of the building and sending out a wrist-fired grappling hook. If Peter didn't know she was there before, he does now.<br><br>See, girls? This is why it pays to stalk your boyfriend. Give it a try! Black Cat would never lead you astray...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:379|Tandy Bowen (379)}} has posed:'''<br>Tandy is actually at FEAST for the intended purpose - dinner. Normally she has enough to manage her own meals, but she hasn't been working as many doubles lately and she had to unexpectedly buy new shoes, meaning the budget is tight. Since she's in the neighborhood, she drops in for dinner, then sticks around to help with the post-dinner cleanup. She considers it a more than fair trade for a free meal and a small bag of fresh and shelf-stable items for later. <br><br>As she steps out of the building, she comes to an abrupt stop, eyeing both Mr. Huang and the surrounding cosplayers with no little alarm. She lets the door shut behind her and leans against it, making sure anyone else trying to leave the building will be discouraged from walking into the mess that she finds herself in. Her hand stays in the pocket of her pants, and she's grateful she put her new suit on under her street clothes, fully expecting to join Ty as they hunted some of the city's scum.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>The emergence of that quartet of armored figures seems to be some sort of signal as down the block the headlights of a dark van parked along the side of the road suddenly spring to life and the vehicle careens out onto the road, the lighter traffic by this time of night letting them build up an impressive burst of speed before they came to a screeching stop right out side the shelter, cutting off another avenue of escape for the FEAST executive. <br><br>The side door of that dark van flies open and another two darkly-clad figures slip out like shadows, hands on the hilt of the blades that nestle at their sides, advancing towards Daniel Huang, their intent clearly nothing good. <br><br>It is all rather unexpected. <br><br>In fairness, even in New York, one does not often see a collection of nina-like figures and one undeniable silvery samurai sort. Except maybe in Hell's Kitchen if you're a certain devil. But for everyone else? <br><br>Yeah. Unexpected. <br><br>Up on the roof, across the street, Spider-Man does at least get a brief tingle in the back of his head. That strange malfunction of his powers from last week hasn't exactly repeated itself -- much to his relief -- even if he still doesn't feel like his old self. <br><br>Much like Felicia, he has set the Spider-Comm to buzz it's notifications in his ear and he hesitates for only half a moment when MJ's alert comes across it, that masked gaze instinctively seeking out her presence down below and when he doesn't immediately spot her, he lifts a hand and lets one of those weblines fly anyways, diving towards his perch above, using that webbing to break his fall, as he descends towards the unlikely scene taking place in front of the shelter. <br><br>Tandy is not the only one to emerge from the shelter, or pause on their way in, eyes wide, backing away from the menacing figures. It's just so unexpected, how could they do otherwise. Even Mr. Huang looks shocked, taking an instinctive step back from the group that advances on him, eyes wide. "No, this is not necessary..." he starts to protest before his words are cut off. <br><br>Stalking his way out of the alleyway in the lead, the Silver Samurai spots Mary Jane a short distance away, those eyes narrowing ever so slightly behind the helmet he wears. Something about the way she carries herself perhaps, or maybe some telltale bulge in the duffle bag she carries seems to draw his attention and he gives a curt motion towards one of his men, the black-clad figure scampering over towards the redhead, the short wakizashi blade at his side already beginning to slide free of it's sheath. <br><br>Then he turns his full attention to Mr. Huang, voice booming. "You will come with us now Danial Huang. Or I will kill you where you stand now and your body can rot in the gutter," he says, words and tone equally harsh as he slowly draws out a silvery katana, the blade rasping against that sheath as it slides free. <br><br>Which is when Spider-Man completes his descent, landing heavily on the rooftop of that van, immediately falling into a crouch. "I gotta say, this is either the absolute coolest Uber ever. OR you all got some 'splaining to do."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:718|Mary Jane Watson (718)}} has posed:'''<br>Well, she doesn't exactly have much of a chance now does she? Mary Jane goes to snap the duffel bag down to the ground, and from it goes to snap out her weapons. ICER is flipped to hip, standard needler pistol to the other, serrated basterd sword of ancient Hyborean steel, weapon of a fallen Aesir Shieldmaiden in the other. A few seconds and Mary Jane is up and ready, posed and ready to fight. She goes to hold the blades up and pointed towards the man.<br><br>"I'm giving you a chance now to disengage with honor intact and no loss of face for having something come up unexpected." If she outright challenges him then it will just guarantee a fight. But if she comes up this way and is something that he has no diea what is.. Well, perhaps she can throw him off guard.<br><br>Her weapons are in a guard position, even as seh would hold the two blades lightly, rolling on the balls of her feet.<br><br>She just waits for him now, expecting there to be no chance of him falling back, but the outright offer hopefully slowing him down.. And giving the others some more time to arrive even as she doesn't pay attention to the replies on ehr comm. Namely as she's slung it back to have her hands free.<br><br>Her posture flickering between two states of challenge.<br><br>'Do you feel lucky, punk?'<br><br>And 'That's not a knife. THIS is a knife.'<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:3948|Kaine Parker (3948)}} has posed:'''<br> Blood Spider isn't known on the system, because he needs to be identified. Or at least that's what Silk said. Blood will land on the ledge, Spider-Man was on. The eyes narrow. <br><br> "Damn it...," Blood feels like his past is coming out to haunt him. "...Yakuza or freelance. Fucking great," he curses. Breathing out, he focuses himself and decides how to do this. <br><br> Focuses, he will line up the web hands then try to go for the henchmen. He's trying just get theira ttention with webshots. <br><br> Blood Spider waves from his spot, "Hi! Remember me? Yeah. Been a while," they know of the contract on his head, Maybe worked with him in another life. Right now, he's trying to be a more tempting target than the others around him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:303|Felicia Hardy (303)}} has posed:'''<br>That's a... lot of Asian-inspired martial artists in one place.<br><br>Luckily, there were also a lot of Spider-theme-adjacent vigilantes in the same place! ... Yeah, okay, so maybe there some inconsistent branding issues between MJ the Warrior Princess, a _Cat_ Burglar, a couple of Spider-clones, and... weren't they playing a pick-up game, today? Surely the nice lady guarding the door isn't just an innocent bystander...<br><br>Regardless, Felicia's a little late to the game. She'd been the farthest out of the whole group, even if it was just by a few seconds, but a few seconds count for a lot when MJ is actively being stalked by someone with a _very_ tiny sword (by comparison to hers, not that size matters) and the Silver Samurai was whipping out his... well...<br><br>"Yikes!"<br><br>Felicia lands on the ground right in front of Daniel Huang, in all her black-and-white glory.<br><br>Yes.. technically she didn't really look like a cat. Selina has the whole market cornered and on the cat-eyed glasses and the ears and all the stuff, okay? She doesn't have to look like a cat to be a cat burglar. That's not important.<br><br>What _is_ important, is that she settled a hand on one hip and gives a little tilt of her head, smiling that oh-so-sweet, oh-so-seductive smile at the absolutely enormous Silver Samurai.<br><br>"_Someone's_ compensating. Am I right? It's okay. You don't have to be embarrassed."<br><br>One clawed finger flicks up and down to indicate his sword.<br><br>But ever so subtly, those aquamarine eyes behind that mask were flickering around herself, every muscle in her body alert. <br><br>She might not have had Spider-sense. But she did already have a hand full of of Shock-tacs -- little half-dollar sized stun devices that she'd used on Peter more than once to slip away (sorry Peter). Who knew if it worked through whatever they were wearing, but it was worth a shot once they made their move, right?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:379|Tandy Bowen (379)}} has posed:'''<br>"Yeah, no, that's not gonna fly." Implied in Tandy's raised eyebrow is a bit of 'you idiot' mixed with a bowl of 'what anime have you been snorting, bro?' and a heaping dose of 'really? REALLY?' <br><br>She gives Mr. Huang a side-eye, and can't decide if it's more "Daaaaaamn, what did you do to piss the anime guys off" or "Awwww dude please don't be a bad guy." She settles on "Hey dude, the historical reenactment was in March. I don't know when the next one is, but there's a cultural center a few blocks over. The murder threats aren't going to go over well though, you're definitely more likely to just get the cops called on you or piss off the..." Shit. Oh hell no, she is not signed up for someone trying to piss where the Triads eat. Nuh-uh, that is strictly above her paygrade, which is zilch.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>It is a worthy attempt. <br><br>Surely anyone else watching as a virtual arsenal suddenly all but materializes on Mary Jane would be suitably deterred. Convinced to back the hell up, even if the redhead doesn't otherwise scream huge threat. <br><br>And if the figure in black were just a mercenary, some honorless dog scrouging for a payday that might have been enough. Instead MJ's gambit buys her a second or two as the advancing, well, ninja, pauses in place, clearly reassing just the sort of threat that she actually poses. Then, gripping that blade in his hand the one wakizashi sword suddenly splits into two equal blades, one in each hand. While the expression might be hidden away by the hood he wears, the cruel smile that is surely in place there is still reflected in his eyes as he lunges towards MJ, those honed blades raised and ready to strike. <br><br>Whatever the Silver Samurai was bargaining on in his attempt to seize Daniel Huang, it was probably not this. Before his men even have a chance to grab their would-be hostage, there are Spiders and Cats and Warrior Princesses and who knows what else coming out the wazoo. <br><br>And the man at the heart of all of this is not happy. Even with just his eyes revealed that much is apparent. Though it is not a raging fire that fills them but instead a truly cold and icy stare that fixes on Black Cat first, then Spider-Man before seeking out Blood Spider as well. Recognition may well be present in that chill stare, but if it is he seems to care about little else but the fact that his will has been thwarted. <br><br>"Very well," he says slowly. "I am an honorable man and none of you have yet wronged me. Stand aside and I will let you live. Otherwise..." he says curtly, giving another motions. <br><br>Of the two black-clad 'ninjas' at his back, one turns and stalks towards the entrance of the FEAST shelter, sword appearing in his hand. Headed towards Tandy perhaps, as the only person there actively showing defiance? Or just seeking any hostage that they might use. <br><br>The other whirls, hand darting to the sash that circles his waist, a handful of star-shaped throwing knives appearing in his hand as he lets them fly -- one after the other -- in rapid fashion towards the place that Blood Spider stands, following immediately afterward, already reaching for his sword. <br><br>The two by the van whirl suddenly, seemingly abandonning their pursuit of Mr. Huang to their master, instead drawing those blades in one smooth motion and slashing out at the Spider on the roof of their getaway vehicle, swords coming crashing down in the exact spot that Spidey was... <br><br>...a second earlier. Again that buzz in the back of his head gives him warning just in time, and even from that crouched position he is able to launch himself into the air, flipping backwards and landing on the far side of the van's roof. "That's your best? Really? I might have been way overe-estimating how well Bruce Lee would fare against me over the years. All those 'Who would win' discussions, wasted," he chimes in before spraying a face full of webbing right at the nearest of the two ninjas, tugging him off balance and slamming his head into the roof of the van. "Ooops, sorry about that. I break more ninjas that way." <br><br>And as for the Silver Samurai? He glares at Felicia, that katana gripped in his hand. He ignores her barbs and instead just suddenly sweeps that blade out. <br><br>But not at her directly. Instead he swings it at the light post by his side. Instead of just clanging, metal against metal, the blade rather casually shears through the post as if it is paper, sending it toppling towards the Black Cat and Daniel Huang. <br><br>Clearly in the hands of the Silver Samurai, that weapon is far more then any mere katana. "Last chance, girl," he hisses, that blade coming back up, gripped in both hands now after that casual swing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:718|Mary Jane Watson (718)}} has posed:'''<br>All right, they tried this. Mary Jane doesn't have time to mess with the man. She had given him a warning, she had given him a chance. He goes to draw the two blades on her. Thin, smaller blades designed for short range combat and maneuvering. Normally used in an off-hand to make weight issues easier, like a dagger. A quick strike with one hand could then be switched to defense with the other thanks to the lightness.<br><br>Mary Jane goes to grin at the man, and then speaks in rather stilted Japanese, "It isn't their name but for now you can call this.." She raises up her basterd sword, "Danzan." Which in English was 'Separator'. As in would separate limb from the rest of the body.<br><br>Mary Jane doesn't bother to get into a series of maneuvers with the man or try to circle him. She was stalling him, now he's stalling her. They're in fights where it's a game of seconds now. And the more time she deals with this man, the harder it is for her to back up her friends as they hvae to deal with these Yakuza in separate pockets.<br><br>Mary Jane goes from standing still to charging in. Asgardian blade slashing forwards in a sideways strike. The man will have to either brace to defend and block, or dart to the side. Meanwhile her other hand with the Hyborean basterd sword goes to slash in an opposite arc. The man will either have to dart completely out of the way to evade her which will let her bum rush right past him, go defensive to try and block her.. In which case hopefully her superior strength and the sheer make of her blades would shred through his and shatter them. Even if the man went to brace and counterstrike to her she could just shoulder slam him. <br><br>So, her intents were to hopefully disable her enemy or bypass him - which may or may not end up the way she wanted.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:303|Felicia Hardy (303)}} has posed:'''<br>No time for a quippy retort. Not at first, anyway. With a *SHINK* (not a snikt), that light pole comes toppling down, and Felicia gets to show off that she's no ordinary burglar! She has the propionate strength of a... cat! Maybe. Something like that. It sounds better when Spider-Man says it.<br><br>Felicia spins in place, and one arm comes around Mr. Huang's middle, lifting him as if he weight nothing and sweeping him backwards a good six or eight feet, out of the path of the light pole just before it crashes where they were standing and shatters on the sidewalk.<br><br>"Sorry," she says to the man, still with her arm around him. "Turns out, size _does_ matter. You seem to be the belle of the ball, so let's get you out of of here, okay?"<br><br>Two things happen next. The first is that Felicia turns and flicks shock-tacs as best she can towards the ninjas closest to her -- completely ignoring the big bad and his crazy armor.<br><br>The second is that her hand comes up and fires a grappling line towards the top of the building. Arm still firmly around Daniel, she was _obviously_ intending to pull Batman and get the guy up and out of trouble. The problem with that was two-fold: Batman had the cloak of Gotham's darkest allies to retreat up into, and he wasn't usually facing giant samurais that can cut through his cable. Or, if he did, he just knocked them out first.<br><br>Somehow, that didn't look like it was going to be an easy option. So this was worth a shot, right?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:379|Tandy Bowen (379)}} has posed:'''<br>Oh, these dudes are just here for murder. Cool. Coolcoolcool. Tandy has no idea why they're after Mr. Huang of all people - honestly, did he renege on a deal or something - but not on her watch. And definitely not the innocent - and not so innocent - dwellers inside FEAST, including the very nice Ms. May. Well. Never let it be said that she only brought one dagger to a frickin' sword fight. <br><br>Tandy's hands tingle, and the light blades cross together just as a sword comes swinging down at her. "Nuh-uh man, there's rules. No violence in the damn shelter. Homeless folk deserve a safe night of sleep just as much as you do. Maybe more." She glares at the ninja-anime-warrior dude from the other side of her blades, unyielding. <br><br>The good thing about her position is that her back is to the door, and that makes her harder to sneak up on. The bad thing is that she sees the light pole get cut, and doesn't quite have the maneuverability she needs to punt this dude into it. But she tries, raising her foot and pushing off the door in one move, steel-covered toes heading straight for the ninja's crotch. With luck, they'd stagger backwards into the pole. With less luck, maybe just fall on their ass.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>Weapon-wise, it is something of a mismatch between MJ and her foe. But clearly the man understands some of his dilemma, even if he doesn't truly understand that the redhead is stronger then she looks. <br><br>Either way, he doesn't try to block the blow of her much heavier sword directly, not when it very well might shear through both blades with the weight and force of that swing. Instead he looks to catch it at an angle, to let it slide off his own sword, deflected to the side as he slides to the side, giving her the anticipated opening as she expected. <br><br>It was that, or very likely he would have indeed lost a limb. <br><br>But getting by him doesn't mean that she is done with him, not by a long shot. His intent might no longer be quite so clearly to kill her -- the man seems to realize that might be easier said then done afterall. But that doesn't mean he won't still do his all to keep her from joining the frey, the two much lighter blades practically dancing in his hands as he swings -- not at the mass of her body -- but at her extremities, seeking to wound arms and legs. <br><br>Blood Spider is also no spared and while he might avoid the ninja stars tossed his way, the black-clad man is undeterred, leaping after him with swords drawn. "The reward on your head will be a most pleasant bonus gaijin," he man hisses as he slashes out with rapid, flicking slices of those lighter blades. <br><br>As it turns out, the FEAST Shelter is well guarded afterall and as one of the other ninjas moves in, expecting to find little if any resistance, that blade is instead met by one made out of pure light. <br><br>This time it is the bad guy's turn to be surprised, eyes widening behind that narrow slit in the hood that otherwise shrouds his features and he steps back in surprise from Tabdy and her unexpected weapon. Eyes dart about, looking for a different potential hostage to use -- but by now the others have darted through the doorway that the blonde woman bars -- and a low growl of anger slips from her would-be assailant as he suddenly launches that short blade her way once more. <br><br>While they might have had to suspend their 'how to be a hero' lessons, it would seem that hanging out with the Spiders has taught the Black Cat a little something about their priorities at least. And the very first one to keep in mind is that the bystanders are always the most important things. Watching the bad guys get carted away at the end of the night might be the goal, but it has to take a backseat to making sure that everyone gets out of the situation alive. <br><br>Something that Felicia seems to have taken to heart as she beats that retreat, grabbing hold of Mr. Huang and seeking the relative safety of higher ground. "Th... thank you..." the petrified man manages to get out before a new, panicked 'Aiiiieeee!' escapes him as the pair are abruptly carried up towards that waiting roofotp. <br><br>But not before the platinum blonde thief tosses those shock-tacs towards the last of the ninja's by the van. Focused on Spider-Man, he never sees them coming, thousands of volts rushing through him as they find purchase in all that black fabric, sending a series of convulsions through him before he slumps, half-draped in the open door of that vehicle. <br><br>Which leaves Spidey free to cover her escape. As he spots his Aunt just inside the entranceway to the shelter, his first instinct is to go to her. But then the blonde defender produces that light blade and seems to have things well in hand, so instead he darts in front of the Silver Samurai. "Looks like we're going to choose option B, you martial arts film reject. So time to..." he starts, moving to lash out at the other man with a clenched fist.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>Which is when the first convulsion goes through him. That sword doesn't shift, doesn't catch him, but a cry of pain slips from Spider-Man, harsh and brutal and his punch falls short of the target as he suddenly keels over, bent in half, clutching at his sides. "Oh god..." he manages to gasp, the pain in his voice obvious. <br><br>Which is when the Silver Samura rather casually backhands him across that masked face, sending him rolling towards the mouth of the alley way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:718|Mary Jane Watson (718)}} has posed:'''<br>The man is able to hit at her arms and legs, which is irritating. Mary Jane's just bleeding, the wounds aren't incapacitating her at all. She growls. "Since you insist on wasting my time, your life be forfeit!" Now Mary Jane goes to let loose Sonja a bit, holding bcak on her dance partner to prevent her from going too far but as Sonja goes to respond to his attacks with ones of her own.<br><br>Quick slash maneuvering her Hyborean blade aimed at his shoulder, moving the weapon at high speed. Following it up by attempted kick aimed at his gut, reverse and now using the Aesir blade to strike along his torso. Then she goe sto pirouette over to her opposite leg, trying to smash it down to hit the man behind the knee if possible, intent on crunching it hard in heavy combat boots.<br><br>She continues on the assault regardless or not her strikes are effective - if the man has to stay on the defensive then he can only go for quick counterattacks without full power to them, with luck. Another attempted brutal hack is given to his other leg, an attempted uppercut to his chin, a body check to his torso..<br><br>There's no particular finesse to her style. Just brutal, efficient force. Of course, if the man is really skilled then he can keep up with her on raw speed and go for openings to counter.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:3948|Kaine Parker (3948)}} has posed:'''<br> Pulling himself downward, Blood Spider dodges those tossed objects. Not only did his own eyes see that coming, but those spider-senses screamed at him. That tingle in the back of the hand causes him to move quick. "Totally didn't miss that!" Sitting up, he rolls his shoulders. <br><br> Then there's a sudden man in black. Slicing at him. Those blades move quick. "I'm not your normal Gaijin. I'm ichiban gaijin," Blood's familiar with the slur that Gaijin can be. A derrogative term to westerners. <br><br> "In a weird way, it's nice to feel remembered. Thank you," Blood knows he can't shot a web orb at the guy. This ninja is too quick. So, he takes a gamble. Trying to treat this moment like a chess match, Blood tries to think where would the ninja go on certain moves. "Don't shoot where I am, shoot where i'm going," approach. When the legs are just right, Blood will shoot at one of the feet planted down, but the shot is aimed a little further back. He's counting on the backstep, but the ninja could easily leap or do something fancy to get him to miss.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:303|Felicia Hardy (303)}} has posed:'''<br>The grappling hook only gets them most of the way there. Once Felicia and her cargo are at the top ledge, she has to sort of scoot him higher so he can grab on to it, then she boosts him up and over, all while hanging on to the grappling anchor point.<br><br>"Stay out of sight. I don't know why these guys are after you, but I'm guessing _you_ do. So, go. Hide."<br><br>Unfortunately, the ride to the top, the shimmying up over the edge, and that little warning happening while the scene was still unfolding below. And a lot can happen in a sword fight in a few seconds.<br><br>When Felicia looks back down to check on the progress, it's perfectly time to see Spider-Man get casually back-handed, and her eyes go wide.<br><br>"NO!" she screams from the rooftop, hand dipping into her belt, and she's throwing smoke pellets ahead of her, towards the big Samurai, as she rips the grappling hook free of its purchase and flips backwards off of the wall to re-join the fight.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:379|Tandy Bowen (379)}} has posed:'''<br>Tandy lets the blade glance her side. It'll bruise, but well... the uniform is damn good for something. At this point she's actually going to owe Warren a firstborn. <br><br>She sees Spider-Man get backhanded, but she's a little busy shoving both of her daggers into the guy trying to get through the front door. "No. Violence. In. The. Shelter." The words are ground out as her light daggers slide in. Hopefully the lesson will sink in just as easily. Behind her back, she mimes flipping the lock. Will that help against guys with swords? Probably not for long, but it'll help longer than an unlocked door. A handful of light daggers appear, and she flicks them like throwing stars at the other two ninjas she can see.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>Sometimes the direct approach is both the simplest and best approach. <br><br>Certainly it serves Mary Jane well enough in this particular moment as she channels that inner Sonja and takes the fight directly to her foe. Skilled as he might be, he isn't channelling a warrior born -- nor, plainly, was he prepared for the redhead to serve as quite so formidable an enemy. <br><br>For a moment there is a certain satisfaction in the man's eyes as that strike catches her across one arm, a darting strike quickly following it to that back of one of her legs to try and slow her down. <br><br>But if he expected that would be enough to incapacitate her, he is in for quite the disappointment. Instead of slowing her down, it just seems to make her angry. And suddenly MJ's foe finds himself on his heels, fighting for mere survival. <br><br>As she strikes at his shoulders with a speed he clearly didn't think possible given the size of her sword, he desperately tries to parry -- and does so -- at the expense of one of his blade shattering, leaving him with the hilt and no more then an inch or so of jagged, broken metal. Then that boot catches him in the gut, the air srushing out of him audibly, doubling him over and leaving him complete helpless as she smashes him in the back of the knee, sending him down to the sidewalk with a murmured whimper of pain, unable to call the breath for more, left helpless before her. <br><br>The soldier of Clan Yashida is undeniably quick and unddeniably skilled, but he is not really a match for a Spider in either of those respects. <br><br>Still, he does his best to close in on Kaine, to keep him off balance and unable to defend himself with a rapid flurry of slives with those deadly edged blades, always finding himself just a half-second or two behind. That frustration is clearly growing and when he lunges, trying to hit Blood Spider with the tip of that blade, it leaves him vulnerable -- planted for just an instant. Before he has the chance to withdraw, that foot is webbed up, surprising lighting there in those dark eyes as the ninja warrior seems to realize his predicament. <br><br>But realizing and doing anything about it are two very different things and now Blood Spider has all the advantage. <br><br>As light as the wakizashi might be, they can't possibly compete with blades of literal light and while the blad-clad figure in front of her might have ample training, he doesn't have anywhere the number of blades that Tandy can seem to manifest. <br><br>He lunges for the blonde, connects with her side in a glancing blow that is deflected away -- and leaves himself open to the pair of light blades that sink into his sides. Eyes go wide, fixed on Tandy's. Then he slumps to the floor, leaving her free to assist the others. <br><br>Behind her, May hesitates for just a moment. THen, while the others continue to cower back, watching in fear and startlement at the scene going on right in front of them, she steps forward and decisively turns that lock, at least delaying anyone from easy admittance if things should suddenly turn. <br><br>"I... I don't know what you mean..." Daniel Huang manages to gasp out as Felicia boosts him over the edge of the rooftop ledge, souttering in a mix of fear and feigned indignation. But she also doesn't have to ask him twice either as he scampers backwards, crab-walks on all fours until he can gain his feet, turning to run to the rooftop access door. <br><br>Surveying the scene around him, that helmeted gaze following the progress of the Black Cat up above, the Silver Samurai glances towards the shelter door and it's defender, glance to the other fights going on around him -- the six henchmen he brought all down or about to be down. He hears that cry coming from above as the Black Cat hurls herself back towards him, smoke capsules exploding on the sidewalk around him, beginning to billow out those plumes of obscuring mist. And he scowls. <br><br>Even as Felicia flies towards him, flipping from that building perch, he reaches for the ring on his finger, giving it a twist. <br><br>And vanishing from view.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>Over by the entrance to the alleyway, Spider-Man continues to grip his sides as another convulsion races through him, back arching until it seems like it might very well break under the strain that leaves his gasping -- wordless, breathless. He crawls forward, blindly seeking some respite, dragging himself across the paved path between buildings. <br><br>For five seconds or so the pain almost seems to receed. Then it hits again, harder then ever. <br><br>His body has been wracked by Kraven's toxins. His spirit compromised by the beating drums of the Hunter's mysterious ally. And he gone went and caught himself something primoridial with the trip to the Savage Land. Something his body's immune system was in no shape to fight. <br><br>A scream slips from him again as he barely manages to regain his feet and he clutches at his sides once more, eyes so damn wide behind that too-expressive mask he wears, those eyelets mimicking him even now. <br><br>Then there is a ripping sound, the seams of his costume actually tearing, bursting open at the sides. A quartet of bared arms suddenly burst into view, ripping free of the costume as Peter stares with growing horror at the four new, bloodsoaked limbs that dangle weakly from his sides.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:718|Mary Jane Watson (718)}} has posed:'''<br>She wants the man down. THe part of her that's Sonja wants to make sure he stays down. He's on the ground, disarmed and disoriented. Sonja's mind goes through the most efficient path to do it. Bringing the blade up and down takes time, the man could recover by then and roll out of the way or bring a limb up to deflect it. Better to stomp up on the neck. Crush the windpipe, snap his neck. Or if she wants it to be painful, do it to his ribs so he's paralyzed and asphyxiating. This sort of morbid efficiency in finishing someone helpless is natural to Sonja. So easy..<br><br>It almost overcomes Mary Jane's consciousness as she has to force herself to avoid going down that path, stumbling over it as the two personas fight for neutralizing. Then she hears those screams. That tearing. She barely avoids yelling 'Peter' as she goes to kick the man on the back of the head to leave him unconscious. Even as she's running in the direction of her best friend, right as he's tearing himself open, as four arms are sprouting out of him and his costume is coming off.<br><br>Nonononono. Blood on her body from the slashes given and taken, blades in her hands, she cna only look up helplessly at whatever is happening to Peter Parker, and barely hold herself back from screaming his name.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:3948|Kaine Parker (3948)}} has posed:'''<br> Blood Spider will focus a few moments trying to web the ninja in place. And to make matters better, "Thwnk!" comes from the web shooter. An orb flies at the ninja. It'll cacoon them for hours. The original plan is to interrogate the ninja. <br><br> Blood looks to see the ripping of the fabric. How those hands start to push forward in bloody glory. Spider-Man now has six arms. Instead of horror, Blood only has one thought, "I need a sample of that DNA." The way those hands, arms, generated, Blood needs that knowledge for something. <br><br> Just staring at Spider-Man, Blood thinks of where he can get several slides and a drop of Parker blood for each. That blood could solve a lot of his own problems. <br><br> Blood starts to look over the ground thinking that may be the best means of getting a dna sample extracted. Those extra arms or blood, not all of that blood could have stayed on his limbs. <br><br> Plus, maybe he could help come up with a cure for Peter when Black Cat gets bored of those extra hands.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:379|Tandy Bowen (379)}} has posed:'''<br>The man at her feet is unconscious, not dead, but Spider-Man's screams have Tandy turning and sprinting to his side just in time to see bloody limbs sprout at his sides. "Oh no spider-guy numero uno, that's gross. What the heck have you been into, dude?" It's a largely rhetorical question as she kneels at his side. A hand-sized, very thin dagger appears in her palm, and her eyes are apologetic as she slides it into his stomach. "I know, it hurts, but it'll catch any toxins in your system and purify them. The more there are..." she lets the words hang quietly in the air, hands pressed around the bit of dagger still sticking out. The light of it is fading into nothingness even as she speaks, so she pulls her hands back, chewing on her bottom lip as she watches him for any reactions.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:303|Felicia Hardy (303)}} has posed:'''<br>*THUMP*<br><br>Felicia lands _hard_ on the concrete where the Silver Samurai had been standing, her trajectory having brought her directly down towards his back, where she was apparently planning to rip off his helmet, head, and anything else she could get her hands on with her bare claws.<br><br>There is a GROWL of rage from within the plume of smoke, and a moment later, Felicia emerges in the direction of Peter's screaming, her mask clearing the black haze just in time to see Peter's costume shredding, the arms emerging from the sides, and she misses not one single step in that race towards him, arriving at nearly the same time as the others.<br><br>"What are you doing?!" she demands of Tandy.<br><br>That normally sultry voice is practically a continuation of that frustrated growl she'd let out when Samurai got way. She did _not_ like the sight of that dagger going into his stomach, but she slips her arm under Peter's, seeming less concerned about those extra limbs than he probably is. She just tries to not _crush_ them on the process of trying to help support him, getting them in front of her as best she can without a thought about how bloody they are.<br><br>"We need to get him inside," she insists to MJ, those blue eyes panicked. "I can... call..." Call who? She wasn't even sure. A ride. But to where? It wasn't exactly like she had a lot of medical or laboratory contacts, though she could probably find an unlicensed doctor or four.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:172|Peter Parker (172)}} has posed:'''<br>While a part of her might worry that her downed foe might recover, might try to strike back, he barely moves, groaning where he is, bot shattered sword and intact one falling from his grasp. <br><br>Maybe that's what spares him in the end, as the Mary Jane side of MJ seems to win out in the end, rendering him unconscious with a swift kick to the head. It might even be considered a mercy, all things considered.. <br><br>Nor does Blood Spider's foe fare any better, even if he is ultimately defeated in less brutal fashion. Up to this point his foe has been difficult to pin down. But with one leg more or less neutralized, with him now held in place by that foot that he vainly tugs against, trying to free, well, the end is inevitably, leaving the black-clad ninja trussed up in those layers or spider-webbing. <br><br>With the last of the ninjas down or at least out of the fight, with the Silver Samurai taking his leave -- for now -- there is at least a moment to catch one's breath. But for at least one of them, the night has exacted quite the toll indeed. <br><br>Of course one person's tragedy might indeed be another person's advantage. Little drips of blood do indeed drip from the fingers of those newly emerged quartet of hands -- giving Spiderman a grand total of six now. They even slowly seem to be regaining strength, no longer quite so limp and lifeless at his side. <br><br>Those responsive eyelets of his mask remain fixed in that wide-eyed stare, trying to hold up those limbs, to stare at them in shocked disbelief. So much so that he hardly notices MJ or Kaine, doesn't see Tandy approach him until that dagger of concentrated light plunges into his torso. <br><br>This time he doesn't scream, doesn't cry out. Instead Pete only gasps a little, eyes still wide, staring at that blade that is buried in him until it slowly begins to fade away. <br><br>And somehow, impossibly, he actually feels a little better. Physically at least. Some of that fogginess, that sluggishness that has been weighing him down since that night at the Central Park Zoo with Kraven begins to drain away. <br><br>But the emotional toll? That lingers. <br><br>He can't bring himself to say anything to the blonde, despite her help, not even a ragged thank you with a voice still strained from that scream that escaped him. BUt he finally takes not of MJ there, of Kaine lingering behind. <br><br>And then Felicia is at his side, Felicia is there tring to support him and despite himself he can't help but flinch away a little, instinctively trying to keep her from touching, from seeing those extra arms poking through his shreaded costume. <br><br>At the mention of taking him inside he positively recoils, taking a step back. Oh god, Aunt May. He was supposed to meet her, to take her out to dinner. How the hell is he supposed to explain all this? How the hell does he explain this to his friends? To Jameson and Joe Robertson and the rest of them at the Bugle? How can he possibly hide the fact that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same now? <br><br>That brief moment of almost calm vanishes almost as soon as it descends and with an inarticulate cry, Spider-man whirls, throwing up a webline and springing away, desperately seeking some escape into the depths of the city.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:379|Tandy Bowen (379)}} has posed:'''<br>Tandy watches Spider-Man flee with tired eyes. "Purging toxins from his system. What I could, at least." She answers the blonde in an almost-monotone voice. "I can -" her hand curls at her said, nails digging into her palm. "I feel like they should've been able to purge more, but it's. Normally I use them on addicts, or people that are infected with something, but it-" she looks up at the other woman. "It doesn't work on things that are already like... like cancers, or genetic diseases. I can't purge anything that deep, just the-the more. I don't know, I guess surface stuff? Like I can't heal rabies but if you got bit by a rabid dog and I was there my daggers could burn out all the dog saliva, and keep the rabies from getting an anchor in you. But once it has hooks in, I can't. I mean, addiction, yeah, kinda. I can purge the drugs out. The mental part's still on the addict. I can give them resources, safe places to go, and I can help them skip the withdrawal. But that's it." <br><br>She turns back to watching the sky with a shrug.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:303|Felicia Hardy (303)}} has posed:'''<br>At first, when Peter recoils, Felicia's sure she hurt him -- touched him somewhere painful, crushed one of his new arms (she hadn't fully processed that, yet.. she was just rolling with it until a professional could intervene or some rational explanation could be provided). She glances at him, draws her arm back a little, tries to see what went wrong...<br><br>But when it dawns on her that Peter was withdrawing from _her_ and not pain, her lips flatten and that frustration, for just a moment, turns on _him_.<br><br>"Don't you _dare_..."<br><br>It's little more than a hissed warning, an anticipation of what must have been going through his mind.<br><br>She tries to support him again, but he's spinning and bolting and, for the first time in their many years of playing this game, Peter is the one racing through the city while Felicia chases after him.<br><br>"SPIDER!"<br><br>Oh, she's not having it, but there's just a _little_ softness that creeps into her voice -- a modicum of understanding for the panic he must be dealing with, the urge to get away from everything and everyone.<br><br>"WAIT! DON'T RUN FROM ME!"<br><br>Tandy's talking.<br><br>She's trying to listen, but every second feels like she's holding the end of a burning match. Time is running out. She's more and more antsy every. single. second.<br><br>She makes it as far as 'addict.'<br><br>"Thank you for trying," she cuts in. "I'm sorry... I have to..."<br><br>*Tzzzzk-chk* <br><br>That grappling line goes out in the same direction, and Felicia's off. Because the problem with Peter running from her was that... he was faster.<br><br>He was always faster.<br><br>She had her gadgets and tricks that she could use to slow him down and get away in a pinch, especially back in the days when she was less worried about hitting him with a shock-tac on the edge of a building. These days, she was worried it might kill him. Parker luck really was a thing.<br><br>But since she couldn't grab onto him in that first instant, all she could do was try her best to keep up and follow. If he didn't _want_ her to catch him, the best she could hope for was that he would come home so that she didn't have to scour every dark hole in New York City.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:718|Mary Jane Watson (718)}} has posed:'''<br>And Mary Jane is far, far too slow. She goes to charge along after Peter, crying out his name as she finally stops resisting. But by the time she can, he's gone. He's gone. And god knows where he's gone to hide. She goes to take some deep, deep breaths as she stumbles, then forces herself to focus. SHe's not going to get anywhere by running after him while he's terrified.<br><br>She shudders, leans against a wall, and goes to heave several times. She can only hope and pray that he comes back to them.. Or that her kowledge of the places he goes when he wants to be alone is up to date and that she might be able to talk him down.<br><br>She holds herself up over and goes to look up at the sky. Time to fumble along..<br><br>Even as she's visible in the open now, to Dagger, to Blood Spider, to the Black Cat.. And now all she can do is wait.<br> <br>
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