1146/A Prelude to Mania

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A Prelude to Mania
Date of Scene: 13 April 2020
Location: Financial District
Synopsis: A rich-kid gang threatens Andi Benton, who gets a save from Spider-Man. And a hot dog.
Cast of Characters: Andi Benton, Peter Parker




Andi Benton has posed:
Money moves in the Financial District. Even on a weekend, when the markets are closed, there is no shortage of people out and about. Shopping, sightseeing, tourism, people rubbing the bull statue, you name it.

Andi is not rubbing the statue, because ew. Germs. That and she just doesn't care about some silly statue people go crazy over. She is still something of a tourist herself, still learning about different parts of New York City compared to Philadelphia, and she's got her leggings on to go with a nice (to her) but ratty dress, keeping up with her blacks and purples to match her hair and eyeliner. Multiple rings and studs for her piercings, and hands tucked into the pockets of an overcoat.

Her eyes rise up the sides of some of the taller buildings in the area, then she radars in on a corner hot dog stand. Good time for a snack.

Peter Parker has posed:
Some things stay the same, no matter where you go. If you are in the Bronx, you might run afoul of the Homicide Kings. In the Village, it's the Greenwich Punkz.

And in the Financial District, It's the Billionaire Boyz Club. Not very original, which fits them to a T. A "gang" of teenagers from well-heeled families. Trust-fundies with chips on their shoulders and a terminal case of the boreds.

So, for fun, they tend to go cruising around for anyone who they think doesn't belong on their "turf." They tend to target anyone who looks different, but usually it's anyone who looks "poor." It works perfectly. Who cares about poor people?

And when Connor sees Andi heading for the hot dog stand, there might as well be a computer voice saying, "Target sighted. And closing."

Connor points her out, then the nearby alley path leading to a small park. Corral her, have their fun, toss a few 20s on what's left of her, leave on a high note.

Andi Benton has posed:
There's nothing to really alert Andi to evil plans from bored, rich trust fund brats. Just that hot dog she's about to load up and devour, plus a drink to go with it. She hands over the few dollars it takes, completing the transaction with minimal conversation, then she turns around to have a look up and down the block while taking a bite.

People around, if focused on other things. A few giving her looks as if she has a third eye or something. The alley isn't far away, and she was headed in that direction already. Unscrewing the cap on the bottle, a sip of cola is had.

Peter Parker has posed:
One thing you have to say about them, they do this well. But then again, they've had the experience.

Andi is right near the alley when three guys move in. One behind, one to the left, one to the right, pressing up against her and steering her towards the small lawn between the two tall buildings. They pass under the graffitied sign that says, "PPP."
A private joke for Club members. It stands for "Poor People Prison."

They don't say anything to her until she is pushed forward into the small lawn. "Hey there, Bum-girl! What are you doing around here. Only money talks here."

Andi Benton has posed:
"What the fuck."

Andi's reaction is pretty typical for her when someone's moving in on her personal space like that, and even if they aren't grabbing her they are definitely herding her toward a place where there are fewer eyes around to see whatever they've got in mind. She wasn't born yesterday. There's a grassy area, shadows, places where bad things could happen, and while there's a fear-based reaction in her that threatens to surface, she takes it in another direction as her sneakers reach the lawn.

"Bum-girl? Did your coke-snorting parents teach you that one? Get the hell away from me before I kick all of your asses!" There. Threaten them. That'll work, right?

Peter Parker has posed:
The three guys - Connor and his friends - smiled at her. It was a malicious smile filled with evil intent.
Connor whistled and two other guys came in from the opposite side of the lawn.

"See, Bummy...that's where you're wrong. Because all five of us are going to have some fun with you. Play your cards right, you might make...a hundred, maybe even two hundred. I figure that's the going rate for a bum-girl."

The five of them began to converge on Andi, still wearing those same creepy smiles.
Connor chuckled. "Time you learned. We're Money. You're not. And Money does whatever it wants."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's eyes narrow. Three of them, maybe she could have kicked one in the junk and fled. Five of them? Odds not so good. Think, girl. Think. These guys can't be used to someone fighting back, can they?

"You think I want your fuck money? Is this the only way you can get some, because everyone else sees you for the fucking losers you are?" Get under their skin, get in their heads, get them off the game they're used to.

And, yeah, pull out the pepper spray and direct it right at the guy in front of her while she tries the kick at the one to her right, aiming between his legs.

Peter Parker has posed:
Connor saw the pepper spray come up. There had been others with pepper spray, and no one had liked it.
This time, though, the were ready.
One of the guys behind and to her right grabbed the hand with the pepper spray, tugged it from her hand, even as her kick scored a sizable hit and Manny was suddenly un-Mannyed, going to his knees and moaning in a high-pitched voice.

Connor looked at Andi with such sudden hatred. She was NOT supposed to DO that!

"Okay, Bum-Bitch. After you're done, we're going to shove that pepper spray up your -"

"CONNIE!"

Everyone stopped. They froze, like a photograph. Even Manny looked up suddenly towards the sound of the new voice.

Sitting on the wall, about fifteen feet above them, was a red-and-blue-attired individual that really needed no introduction. The hands on Andi abruptly loosened as the Club looked up at the disapproving face of Spider-Man, who was holding up a camera.

"NICE, Con-a-wanna-doo-dah-day. This should go well in the NEW YORK POST. 'Trust-Fundies Commit Gang Rape.' WhatEVER will they say in the HAMPTONS, Connie?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton is not very strong. She is also not much of a fighter. A lot of this was false bravado, putting up a front, trying to intimidate the ones doing the intimidating. If she could get them to flinch, she could get out, call for help, all that.

Instead, she doesn't get the spray off before her fingers are being pried away from it, though there is some satisfaction as she scores that kick. As she's grabbed and threatened, she stops along with everyone else, turning in unison to see who it is that's showed up.

Spider-Man? The guy she's seen in the papers a bit, the guy who was around not too long ago when that other gang was trying to kidnap someone?

(What /is/ it with gangs, anyway?)

"Ohhh shit, you dorks are in for it now!" she taunts them, thinking she's in the clear now. Just can't shut up, can she?

Peter Parker has posed:
Connor scowled at Spider-Man. "You oughtta just leave. What makes you think you..." He is about to say something else, but one of the guys reacts to Andi, raising a hand to strike her.
A webline shoots from under the left arm, striking the would-be striker and the guy is suddenly YANKED back and up. He is plucked out of the air, then tossed against a nearby wall and webbed to it. Spider-Man seems to have gotten the guy's wallet in the process, and he takes a picture of the guy's ID before putting it back in the wallet (stuffed with money and cards) Before tossing it to the grass under the guy.

The other four are stunned. Manny is REALLY unable to do anything so that leave Connor and two very-nervous friends.

"So..." Spider-Man says in a conversational tone. "Tell me...did his money protect him from that?"

Connor stepped forward. "I am going to have my dad sue the PANTS off you!!"

Spidey snorted. "They cost twelve bucks, Connie. Not a big payday." He looked to Andi, then beckoned to her to move away from them to the right, a direction Spidey had opened with his recent catch.

Andi Benton has posed:
There's a flinch from Andi as the hand goes up and starts to swing toward her, only to have it interrupted by an up-close look at a string of webbing that immediately takes the guy out of range. "Whoa," she says, not quite a Keanu Reeves impersonation, but close enough.

She just watches what Spider-Man is doing with the guy, momentarily surprised into her own silence. It ends when Connor makes his threat. "He's not even wearing pants, you dipshit. It's more like...well, it's a costume, obviously." But, she's moving, not one to pass on an opportunity given.

Peter Parker has posed:
Connor sneers at him, "What does a cheap Goodwill-shopping hero like you think? That you're BETTER than us?"

Spider-Man drops off the roof and lands lightly on the grass. "You'd be surprised. I have spoken to royalty, met with genuises, and know a girl who has the kindest heart and the strongest will. I have eaten with ninjas, chatted with vampires, and helped out superspies. YOU guys? What have YOU done? Apart from spending Daddy and Mummy's money?"

Connor reacted first, rushing forward to swing at Spider-Man. Only he doesn't get that far. Spidey webs his feet to the ground, and he pitched forward as inertia kicks in, leaving him on his face in the dirt.

"Sad." He looked to Andi. "You okay, miss? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton grows quiet for a time. Not that she wasn't in a mess from the moment she was ushered into this alley, but she made it worse for herself with the way she poked at them, insulted them, tried to attack them first. She was going to pay or that until Spider-Man showed up. Thankfully.

But, no matter what he's doing to save the day and protect her from the rich-kid gang, a look of discomfort forms and she reacts not only to the way he handles Connor, but also his question, by glancing away from him. "I'm..fine, yeah. No harm done, right? Just..look. Don't touch me, okay?" The emotions of what just happened are hitting her, suddenly. It's a lot to process and she's starting to close up.

Peter Parker has posed:
Yeah, she's starting to feel how close she came to something...horrible. Spider-Man looked to the other two still standing, then beckoned with a hand. "Wallets."

They react with relief. Spider-Man just wants their money. That makes sense to them. They eagerly hand their wallets to Spidey. Ricky says, "Hey, just leave the wallet, okay? It was worth a cool grand..."

And then they look puzzled as Spider-Man takes snapshots of their IDs as well, before tossing the wallets back to them...and then webbing THEM to the ground. They aren't running so they stay upright.

Manny is on his knees, so he is webbed in that position.

"Now then, you polished turds. If I hear any of you look even CROSS-EYED at a girl, I will make you all my first and best hobby. I will vilify you in social media, spread your secret shames over the Internet. Your parents will see stuff that will make them DISOWN you..."

Wow. Threaten to hurt them? Nothing. Threaten to kill their cash flow, and THEN they get scared.

"But...if you behave, I'll cut you a little slack. But you had better be on your BEST behavior. Because I don't have to lay a finger on you to hurt you."

He turned his back on them and walked over to Andi, but staying at least eight feet away. "Want to get out of here, or do you need a moment?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton fumbles with her phone and comes up with it to take pictures of each of them, herself. She didn't get their full names like Spider-Man did, but she'll be damned if she doesn't commit their faces to memory in case she ever sees them again.

One just never knows what the future holds.

Spider-Man's threats seem to be doing the trick for the moment, but she hastily tucks the phone away again before hustling over to retrieve her pepper spray and stuff that back in her other pocket. So far, she hasn't had a situation where she meant to spray someone only to whip out her phone instead. That would be embarrassing.

Watching the red and blue hero for a few seconds, she admits, "I don't know what to do right now."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Well, first we get out of here. I'm sending the pics to their families and the cops. They might need you to make a statement, but at least it will be part of the public record." He points to the exit to the alley. "I can walk with you, if you think that will help."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton eyes the way back out, then takes a couple steps only to find her legs don't seem to want to move the way they're meant to. "I don't want to talk to the police. Just..need a minute to catch my breath." They're witness to this, probably giving them a little satisfaction even as Spider-Man's effectively castrated them when it comes to what they had in mind.

She uses a hand against the side of the alley to help support her steps, but dark thoughts are already forming in her mind about the five of them, a contrast to the guy with the spider motif and big bug eyes who prevented things from getting worse. "I think I'll be okay, but..thanks."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey nods. "Okay. Take a minute. Oh, hey, we weren't properly introduced." He extends a gloved hand to her. "I'm your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton gives the hand a look, as if it's going to snap out at her and strike. When it doesn't, she clears her throat and tentatively meets it with her own. He can feel that the hand is on the weak side right now, even a little shaky. "I'm..Andi. Just Andi."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey shakes her hand for a moment, then lets go and steps back slightly. "Well, Andi, take your time. When you feel you're ready, we can go. Want something to drink? Got some water in my backpack."

He sounds concerned, but he's only going to push a little. Nothing too much, just to get her away from this place. But if she needs time, hustling her away isn't going to do any good - hustling her elsewhere was how all this started."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton looks around, having lost that hot dog and soda. Oh, there they are, dropped on the ground near the grass, the contents of the bottle mostly emptied out. Bastards. "I just..look, I'll be okay, all right?" Dropping her voice so the others can't hear as they struggle to get free of the webbing and worry about the whole situation to themselves, she adds, "My dad and I are living out in Happy Harbor. I'm stuck in school there. I'll just take the bus back there or whatever." She hesitates with making eye contact, and besides, he's got those big white eyes instead.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods as he looks from her to the food on the sidewalk. "Lemme talk to the vendor and see about getting your food replaced, if you're still hungry. If you still want to go home...I can help you get home." He pauses. "Do you have any issues with motion sickness...rollercoasters...or heights?"

Andi Benton has posed:
The hand that shook his rubs the back of her neck, Andi moving closer to the edge of the alley with him nearby. "It's not exactly down the street. And..why do you ask?" Something else dawns upon her, and her next question is a more pointed one. "And what's the deal with the guy that writes all that shit about you?" She does have a mouth on her, evidently.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey chuckles. "Well, I could carry you home. Webslinging is much faster than the bus and the subway. I can web up a sling you can be carried in. And as for JJJ...well, he's entitled to his opinion. It's still a free country, and apart from his mad-on about me, he's actually a stand-up newspaper journalist. No one is completely evil, Andi. People react to me in strange ways, but that's until they see me for who I am. Then I can accept their criticism, because I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination."

Andi Benton has posed:
"I don't think I'm ready for something like that. If I texted my dad, he'd come get me. You don't have to do that. You've already done enough just stopping them," Andi answers, and it comes out more rapid-fire than not. A not so random question follows. "Do the cops like you? I mean, they don't try to stop you from all that back there, do they? And what do you mean see you for who you are? What is that?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man smiles. It can be seen even through the mask.

"The cops didn't like me very much, in the beginning." He paused, as if trying to remember something. "Well, I was messing up crime scenes, destroying evidence accidentally. I had to learn how to follow forensics, how not to disturb a scene, how to preserve evidence. The more I did that, the less grief the NYPD gives me. And I mean 'who I am' by what I do, not what people *say* I do. Being judged by hearsay is never good."

He looks up at the sky. "It's your choice, Andi. But it's no big issue to me. I tend to travel all over the city. And you wouldn't be the first person I've carried home."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton admits, "I could see why the cops wouldn't have liked you screwing up a crime scene. They're kind of anal about that, yeah." Just a little sarcasm and attempted humor out of her, it'd seem. "And I think I'm gonna just have my dad pick me up, but we could, I dunno, talk for a little bit if it makes you feel better. You did stop them from doing something bad and I guess I owe you now."

Her body language suggests awkwardness that she's even in a conversation like this with someone like him, someone who actually does this kind of thing normally.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man chuckles. "All right. I'll go get us some food while you call your dad."

Spidey walks over to the hot-dog vendor, pointing to himself and then to Andi while reaching into his backpack and pulling out a rather thin money clip. He hands over a couple of bills, then waits patiently there while Andi is given room to call her dad without him eavesdropping.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton texts rather than calling, and she as Spider-Man is dealing with a suddenly starstruck hot dog vendor, who hastily tries to refuse the cash while explaining some recent situation that Spider-Man himself apparently helped keep him safe from whether he was aware of it or not, she snaps a photo of the two in conversation. Then she tucks the phone away prior to his return.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey was pretty adamant, and said something along the lines of "I jump into my costume one leg at a time like everyone else" and that the vendor should be paid for his work.

One minute later, he walks back with two hot dogs wrapped in foil and two drink cups, balancing everything like a career waiter. He hands Andi the drink, then the wrapped hot dog. "The guy remembered what you ordered, so just got you the same. I got a chili dog."

Andi Benton has posed:
That makes the vendor even more thankful, and he even asks for a selfie with Spider-Man before the transaction is all said and done. That ought to earn him some cred with his fellow hot dog hawkers.

When the costumed hero returns with the goods, Andi doesn't waste much time tearing into her portion. If she's still got her appetite, that must be a good sign. "It's no Whiz wit' but..not bad," she declares, possibly speaking a foreign language there for a moment. "How did you know I was in here with those guys, anyway?" At least they're out of view now.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey taps his head. "I got a little radar in my head. Helps me notice when bad stuff is about to happen. I just wish I'd gotten there sooner before they got their hands on you."

He lifts the mask up to reveal pink skin and a distinct lack of mandibles. He unwraps the chili dog, taking a bite before sipping his cherry Coke and chews with a smile on his face. "Ah Guefff..." He swallows. "...I guess a good term for it would be 'hyper-spatial awareness.' In any case, it told me someone was in trouble and in what direction."

Andi Benton has posed:
"I see," Andi remarks, studying him as much as her food as she watches the way he has to deal with eating around the way his face is covered. "Sounds like some kind of sixth sense thing," she determines, showing that she's at least got some smarts about her, some wits. Not on his level, if she only knew, but not everyone is. "I'm glad it worked out. They didn't, um, get as far as hitting me, and I kicked one of them pretty good."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey nods. "Yeah, I think that one's going to need medical help. Still...well, I'm just glad you're okay. It never sits right with me when I get there too late, or almost too late."

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton points out, "You can't be everywhere at once. At least you were here this time." Otherwise, let's just say they might not have even bothered to leave money on her by the time they were done, and she might be waiting for an ambulance instead of her father.

The food serves as something to comfort her, but she is still on the antsy side. Maybe it's the proximity to the gang members, webbed though they are. "So, look..I kinda don't want to be this close to them right now, or I might go spray them all in the face." She cuts herself off here. Might be she's not sure what to suggest next. Keep talking to this guy, this rescuer, or leave and wait for the old man?

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "Yeah. I suppose I can respect that. However, the cops have been called, and they will be here shortly. I have an app that makes the call and give the location based on GPS and stuff I selected." He looks towards the alley. "They'll be webbed up for another 90 minutes. And although I can understand you wanting to pepper-spray them, they are currently helpless and unable to defend themselves. So that...would not be a good thing to do. Because it would make a case easier for them to defend against..."

And not to mention the fact that it would reverse the roles and put her in the same place the Club had been.

"We do what we can, Andi. And that means showing restraint and control over the self."

Andi Benton has posed:
"I was helpless and unable to defend myself when it was five on one," Andi retorts, a bit of a bite to her words even if she tried to surprise them, but can she be faulted for what she's saying? They both know what the group was about to do.

Sirens in the distance begin to close in, right on cue after he's brought up the police being on the way. There is nothing she has to say about showing restraint and control except for a brief grimace. "Easy for you to say when you have those webs and everything," she answers, poking her head out of the alley as she checks the direction of the sirens.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man sighs. "Andi...it would be too easy to just...do what I wanted. If I did what I wanted to do against those guys for what they almost did to you, they wouldn't need cops...they'd need CORONERS. But that is my responsibility. Not to do what I want but what is necessary. With Great Power Must Come Great Responsibility. That means I have to use these gifts wisely...which means NOT using them sometimes. I don't like bullies, Andi. But I'm not going to become a bully to stop them."

Andi Benton has posed:
"Yeah, well.." Andi starts out, sounding ready to offer up a strong opinion that may or may not run counter to his, but she stops herself. She just doesn't know what to say to that right now. "I guess," is her very non-committal answer for the time being. Emotions are still raw, and she doesn't have a fraction of the experience he does in dealing with these kinds of things.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man doesn't belabor the point. She has to get to it in her own time. He just hopes she gets it faster than HE did.

The NYPD is here by now, and they are heading into the park area.

"Looks like they're going to get taken care of, one way or another." He finishes his chili dog, smiling wryly to Andi before pulling the mask back down.

Andi Benton has posed:
With the police on the scene, that is Andi's cue to put more distance between the gang and herself. "In that case, I'd better go wait for my dad. He's closer than I thought." He was already on his way to the city for other reasons, so it works out. "So..you know, thanks again. And stuff. Really." Her ability to deal with costumes and things like that appear to be approaching an end for one day. "If I see you around again, hopefully it'll be for a better reason."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "You bet your bippy, Andi. I'm going to get back on patrol. Listen...you take care of yourself, okay?" He tosses his trash in the garbage can, then fires a webline up to the roof of the nearby building. "Hasta lasagna, don't get any on ya."

And in the next moment, he is launched skyward, webslinging off into the night.