20343/Drum Solo

Drum Solo
Date of Scene:	30 March 2025
Location:	Abandoned Warehouse - Chinatown
Synopsis:	Staying late after band practice in an abandoned warehouse, Gwen catches up with AHNNI and ends up with an existential crisis of her own. What would it be like if she weren't Spider-Woman?
Cast of Characters:	Gwen Stacy, AHNNI

---

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen: It's fine, you guys. I'm going to hang out and practice for a while.
Jen: Gwen, this isn't exactly a great neighborhood...
Gwen: I'm a New Yorker! I'll be fine.
Kyle: Yeah, but this is Gotham...
Darcy: And aren't you basically a Wayne, now?
Gwen: I'm _not_ a Wayne. Dick and I... I mean... if anything, I'm basically a Grayson. Regardless, I'm not a Wayne.
Jen: Whatever, Gwen. If you get kidnapped by the Penguin's goons, that's on you.
Gwen: (snort-laugh) He calls himself a penguin.
Darcy: Are you guys really that serious?
Gwen: Dick and I? Yeah. I mean, I guess. It's not like we have any official plans or anything...
Kyle: Ladies, this is supposed to be Last Band on Earth practice. Not The Bachelorette. I'm leaving. Anyone who wants a ride..
Jen and Darcy: Coming!
Kyle: Gwen, text me when you're done and I'll swing back by and pick up the drums.
Gwen: Thanks, Kyle.

...Which is how Gwen finds herself alone in an otherwise abandoned warehouse with a lone drum set, her backpack, and a bottle of water.

With the arrival of spring, the weather has warmed some, and having just finished rehearsing their latest set for the show, Gwen's already sweating. It's gotten up into the mid-70s on some days, and Gotham's humidity is thick in the air.

Gwen's wearing a black t-shirt of some local New York band she caught in a small venue, ripped skinny jeans, and teal Chucks. But in the last few months, she's been letting her hair grow out. She keeps it out of her face with a black headband even now, but she still has traces of her Earth-65 self in there -- the eyebrow piercing is still in place, the tips of her hair are still pink (though fading), and she's still wearing a black choker around her throat with a little heart-shaped ring at her throat.

She takes a seat at the drum kit and lets out a sigh once the van cranks up and starts to pull off, lifting the sticks and twirling one through her fingers in idle thought, her mind drifting.

AHNNI has posed:
    One wonders if Spider Senses can detect drones? What kind of Drones one might ask? A tiny little quad rotor hovering right above Gweny near the celing of the warehouse. Why is it there? Well, because AHNNI only has like two friends silly, that's why.

    Is it creepy? Probably.

    Should she just appear via the watch? Also yes.

    Is she going to? Nope. She's learned how to read emotional states, and besides, her threat detection protcols are screaming, /Gwen is NOT Safe here./

    So, here she is, in drone form. Isn't it just neat having an exascale AI as a bestie?

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Spidey Sense can detect a lot of random things.

The only thing it consistently picks up on -- and the thing Gwen tends to rely on (probably more than she should) -- are direct, incoming threats. Throw something at her head, and Gwen's sure to pick up on that unless something _really_ weird is going on.

Last week, she picked up on a bridge about to collapse a few blocks away in the middle of a live concert. So, that happened. But peek at her around a corner or watch her through a surveillance camera? That's a little more hit and miss.

A drone hovering in the rafters above her head?

Well, even she's guilty of not looking up enough. Sometimes. Not today, apparently.

She sets the drumsticks back down and swivels around to her backpack, unzipping it and pulling out a couple of wristbands, which she quickly snaps into place. They look benign enough on their own. Not exactly 'fashionable,' and you wouldn't know what they are unless you know. AHNNI would definitely know.

She just strapped on her web shooters.

Then she stands, looking up at the hovering drone with that determined expression she gets -- half-way between anger and open, foolishly courageous defiance.

"So, are we doing this, or are you just going to spy on me all day?"

She has no idea who the drone belongs to. For all she knows, it's some nosy reporter trying to get secret footage of rehearsal before the next LBOE show airs. She's not about to start firing web-lines and outing herself.

Unless she has to.

AHNNI has posed:
    Welp, shite. Can an AI Sigh dejectedly? This one can, in her own little virtual space where she's watching, well, /everything./

    So, to that, the drone very slowly floats down to eye level with gweny and just, does that little airplane wingflap thing. You know the one right? Dip the right wing, then dip the left one? Yeah that one. Then it just, sits there with a little camera eye looking at the web slinger.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Yeah. Cute. That's adorable."

The words come out dry and humorless, blonde eyebrows lifting above blue eyes as Gwen stares at the now eye-level drone -- which has apparently switched from 'surveillance' mode to 'extreme close up' mode.

"So, here's the thing. I don't know what kind of weird Gotham $h!t this is, but I'm not a huge fan of the whole invasion of privacy thing. In case you missed the 'no trespassing' signs outside."

Technically, those signs apply to her, too. She doesn't own the warehouse. They're not even renting it. They just found a convenient place to set up their instruments so they could play without getting run out.

"Maybe you wanna get the drone out of here before I leave the pieces for you when I'm done."

She can be so... hostile, sometimes.

AHNNI has posed:
    She can't out you, you big dummy...

    Is what AHNNI would say if she felt like just showing up. Not to mention, who knows who else is watching and an AI just appearing as a hologram is certainly news worthy.

    How to fix this... Oh!

    The drone slowly flutters around and then points its camera at Gwen's watch and then back to Gwen's face, and does the wing's dip thing again. Followed by a little barrel roll, because why not.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The little camera on the drone swivels to her arm and back to her face.

That's... not enough.

It's hard enough to tell what exactly the lens of a camera is looking at on the best of days. It's not like tracking another human's eyes. Not to mention that Gwen has _zero_ context for what this thing is investigating.

Her arm? Her wristbands/web shooters? Her sort of semi-fancy looking watch? She's not willing to look down long enough to be distracted. This thing could shoot a tranq dart at her any moment, and she had to be ready.

In another time, in another place, the thing behaving like an airborne puppy might be adorable. But the rest of her band had just left -- thank goodness -- and immediately she realized this thing was spying on her. So, Gwen's mind is left with nothing but worst-case scenarios.

"Ooookay," Gwen murmurs, her frustration and anger clearly rising as she draws in a deep breath and takes a menacing step towards the drone. "Last chance..."

AHNNI has posed:
    Well, that's her queue. First things first, the Drone Zips off back to the celing and sticks there near the roof.

    Second thing?

    "I feel like I keep having to remind you that I'm a multii billion dollar exascale AI built by a secret multi agency black ops government cabal that no longer exists but also kinda does, over and over again." Yeah, AHNNI, standing there with folded arms and a canted hip in her very normal attire of black pajama pants and a black tank top.

    "I was trying to make sure no one else was here first. Also, you know this is like, Gotham, right? Highest Crime Rates in North America?"

    Last thing? "Also, Hi" wave, "missed you, hows tricks?" Grin.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The thing zips back towards the ceiling, and Gwen's already moving. She has the drumsticks in her hand, and she's turning to run for a low spot where she might -- at least somewhat -- reasonably be expected to be able to jump up onto some old crates, then work her way higher. She _could_ just web-zip after the thing, but again.. she doesn't really need footage of that.

Except she never makes it there.

In fact, she never makes it anywhere.

She takes a half-step and then nearly falls over her own drum kit, arms flailing. Because there's AHNNI standing in her way. And while Gwen may sometimes be one of the most graceful and fluid creatures in the world, there are definite times when she's... not.

"WHAT THE FLARK."

At least she doesn't kill herself. Or the drum set. It's a close thing, though, and righting herself, she blinks, breath already heaving with the sudden rush of adrenaline. Because among the things that don't trigger her Spidey Sense is AHNNI's holographic form.

"AHNNI?!"

The word comes out in an incredulous laugh. The irritation is still sizzling there in her eyes, like she still _wants_ to climb up and murder that drone, but it's cooling rapidly.

"Was that _you_?!" She points up at the ceiling. "Oh my god.."

She purses her lips at the crime stats, eyes narrowing, but an amused grin curls the corners of her lips.

"Which is why I thought I was about to be attacked! We need to put some pink and teal tape on your drones so I know which ones are yours..."

But her expression softens even more as the drumsticks lower to her side, as the adrenaline and tension seems to drain out of her shoulders.

"I missed you, too," she admits ruefully, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye as she turns back towards her stool, still smiling with that hint of slightly stressed laughter in her voice. "Things are good. Busy. You know. School. Work. Rehearsals. Being a friendly neighborhood Ghost-Spider.. in a couple of different neighborhoods, now. Trying to find time to spend with Dick. Some of us can't be in like a gazillion places at the same time... though if I could trade my superpowers for anything, it might be that. What about you? Anything new in the digital world?"

AHNNI has posed:
    Grin. "Yeah, that was me. Well, part of me, or rather... some of me? A little bit of me? One of the many me's?" Blink, Blink, Blink. Shrug. "Anyway!" cough, beat, blush, "Oh, right... I should have thought about that."

    "Pink and teal? You mean like the trans flag colors? I could go for that. I wasn't exactly born a girl..." pause, "I choose this form" which suddenly switches to a nice floral pattern summer skirt that she spins around in. "Skirt go spinny."

    Yes, the super computer just said, skirt go spinny... Gods know the people that made her must be absolutely THRILLED with their investment.

    "I like being a girl, at least I think I do. Men are mean, stastically speaking. Why do you like them?" Head tilt.

    Ah yes, the whole problem of her still, just not, /getting/ everything.

    "Oh, trust me, you don't want the abilities I have gweny. I am literally everywhere, watching everyone, all at once." Yup, that reference was NOT intentional.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"...I meant like my Ghost-Spider colors, but that works, too! I mean, you're sort of in the process of transitioning your body from how you were born, aren't you? Hopefully that's not... unintentionally offensive. You know what I mean."

Gwen cringes a little as she plops back down onto that stool. It's not a terribly feminine, but it's dichotomy of Gwen Stacy. She can go from sweet girl-next-door to 'Say it again, Ned!' in the blink of an eye. She loves pink and ripped jeans and eyebrow piercings and Chuck Taylors. Plus one particularly perfect-for-her man. And her dad, of course.

The 'skirt go spinny' gets a genuine laugh, though.

"It has its perks, sometimes..." Being a girl.

But then there's that question. Why does she like men? And, yikes... that's deep. For a moment, she's struck dumb.

"I... I mean, to be clear, I like girls, too..."

It _was_ her ex-girlfriend, Zatanna, who did the whole memory-wipe thing so she could live her life in this dimension like a normal person. Mostly. At least no one would think she'd risen from the grave.

"I guess, for me, it's more about the person. Statistically, a lot of people are assholes regardless, but I still like people. Mostly. I like kind, intelligent people. Like Dick."

She pauses just a heartbeat, twirling one of the drumsticks in her hand again.

"And you," she adds with a twist of a grin.

There's a shrug, then, though.

"I don't know. Maybe. I've told people that about my powers, too. We're all burdened with something, though, aren't we? Something we wouldn't wish on someone else? No matter how much I have going on, I can't _stop_ being Spider-Woman..." Pause. "Well, Ghost-Spider. It's part of who I am."

AHNNI has posed:
    "Like your ghost spider colors! Right Right! I knew that..." uh huh, "totally new that." Sure sure AHNNI, sure sure.

    "Seems to so far" she adds in reply as she moves to sit cross legged while floating in the air. Joys of being a hologram. She's all ears now, listening intently.

    "About the person... hmmm" there's a flash of something else on her face like she's about to run off on to another random thought train, but she lets it go for now.

    "Question, if his name is Richard, how does one get Dick from Richard? I never understood that nickname..."

    Now it's her turn to blush bright red again, "I like you too gweny, bunches." Pause, "Well, we are, but see, I'm not people though. My burden is the whole country, or was, now it's watching over the whole planet and failing, miserably, at it."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
...how does one get Dick from Richard?

"How am I supposed to know? You're the one with a supercomputer for a brain!"

Gwen holds out her hands in an exaggerated shrug, a drumstick in each one and a grin on her face.

"It took me like four years to be able to say his name without giggling a little to myself," she muses, her eyes twinkling. "Because, let's face it, I have the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old boy."

She rolls her eyes.

"I assume it comes from Rich.. and then Rick.. and then.. well.. Rick got the D and liked it, so it stuck."

She snort-laugh at herself. Sense of humor? Case in point.

"Oh, stop it! You're people to me. Unless you _really_ want me to call you an exascale AI built by a secret multi agency black ops government cabal.. but that's kind of a mouthful. OH! Hold on... my days of working at Stark are coming back to me..."

She holds up one drumstick while her eyes lift to the ceiling.

Seconds tick by.

"Predictive.. Enhanced Reasoning.. Synthetic.. Omniscient.. Neural-net."

Then her eyes fix on AHNNI again, and she's pointing one of those drumsticks.

"There. You're a person. You can thank Tony Stark for his obsession with giving everything an acronym. Just don't tell him I sent you. I'm not even sure he knows I used to intern there."

AHNNI has posed:
    "Quantum Supercomputer thank you very much." Grin.

    "I can imagine..." and she also attempts not to burst out laughing.

    "Oh, no, no I do not. That sounds horrible actually..." then the other acronym, and AHNNI just smiles warmly. "Thanks Gwen, and don't worry I wont."

    "Oh, I should stand down my tac team that's a few blocks over... one sec..." she vanishes and is then back a few seconds later. "There, all good."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Sorry. _Quantum_ Supercomputer," Gwen concedes, matching AHNNI's grin with a playful roll of her eyes.

It's the mention of the tac team that has the blonde drummer freezing up. Going still. Eyebrows lifted, just staring at where AHNNI... not is. Used to be. She's... gone.

"AHNNI?"

Grrr.

"AHNNI? What _tac_ team?!"

Silence. Just her voice echoing in the otherwise empty space.

There. All good.

"You have a _tactical_ team stalking me?!"

Her voice is incredulous, but there's something in her eyes... like she's not sure whether she's angry or pleased.

"I'm... not sure if I'm horrified or flattered. AHNNI, you... you know you don't have to have armed soldiers follow me around, right? I'm kinda Spider-Woman..."

AHNNI has posed:
    "Two... actually... but... fair point..." Yeah, two.

    "I, well I uh, yes, I do know that. But" and she raises her hands, "and hear me out here..." sigh, "What if like, you, ya know, weren't?"

    "Look, you're one of my only friends and my threat detection and classification sub-mind tagged you as being in danger, so, I put some of my resources on you just to, watch out for you. I don't want anything to happen to you..." she exhales deeply. "I'm sorry, I was out of line. It wont happen again, just, be careful for me okay? I am worried something bad is going to happen to you, and you have enemies, enemies I've been watching."

    After that little heart to heart, AHNNI flickers, "Shit... gotta go, love ya bunches gweny..." poof, gone.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
What if like, you, ya know, weren't?

Gwen frowns. That question is... deep. "I... don't think I get that choice anymore. It's sort of in my DNA now."

But then there's the rest, and Gwen's expression softens even more. She shifts in her seat, like she's going to stand up and hug the other girl, but... well... hologram. So, she doesn't stand. She just listens.

Her mouth opens to respond with a little shake of her head.

"No, you weren't..."

That's all she gets out before AHNNI flickers and then... poof.

And then the warehouse is quiet again.

"Love you, too," she murmurs quietly, her voice echoing in the hollow space.

A few heartbeats pass, and then she turns back to her drums. Because... what if she weren't Spider-Woman? Wouldn't that make things easier? She and Dick have already talked about children. Wouldn't it be better -- safer -- if she weren't Spider-Mom? If they had a chance at a normal life?

But that's... not even in the cards. She is what she is.

And she likes what she is.

...Right?

Whatever. She shakes her head to try to clear it and turns to face the drums.

It's time to hit her feelings with sticks.