1209/Chinese Chop-Socky

Chinese Chop-Socky
Date of Scene:	18 April 2020
Location:	Chinatown
Synopsis:	Spider-Man helps foil a gang fight between Chinese Triads, meets up with a destroyer...then chats with her over noodles.
Cast of Characters:	Sandra Wu-San, Peter Parker

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Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Lady Shiva patrols the streets of New York City, specifically Chinatown. Beautiful as she is, there is an indefinable air of coldness that wraps her quiet progress down the crowded sidewalk. Men glance at her, admiring the luster of her silken black hair, and then quickly glance away once they meet her obsidian eyes. Insouscient of any stares, she strolls, eyes upward, and she would think that she is in Hong Kong with the long vertical signs in biaoyi wenzi, eyes at street level, and it is unmistakably New York City. The lady is on a quest for something from home.

Peter Parker has posed:
Life is looking pretty good for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Peter is now working away at the Ironworks in a plum job that will cover his tuition and cover his regular bill to boot. He's still going to keep taking pics for the Bugle, though. Spidey needs all the good press he can get.

Tonight, he's doing Patrol Route Five, and that takes him through Chinatown.

On impulse, he decided to stop by Mr. Chin's little store and check in on him and his family, see how they are doing. His daughter calls him "Honorable Spider," and it's a title he takes seriously.

So, a brightly-colored guy in red-and-blue longjohns lands on the streetlight outside Chin's Cottage, dropping down to a bare patch of street, brushes himself off, and then steps into the shop like any normal customer.

There is the joyous cry of "SPIDEY!" from the middle-school girl inside before the door closes again.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
In the distance is the restaurant that she had read about (even a master of martial arts is not omniscient about good restaurants) but her steps slow at the knot of men that come out of the street perpendicular to it. Five young men with the stance of fighters in their walk, feet slightly turned out, backs straight and eyes hard.

Only a deep breath betrays her interest in them as she searches for their target. They have the look of sharks circling prey.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey smiles to Mr. Chin, who has apparently held some special ramen noodle boxes for Spidey. Chicken, beef, and pork.

He is just about to explain that he actually intend to pay for them when it happens. The Spider-Sense kicks up and he sags a little.
It's coming from three directions. Two large groups and one...single red nodal point.
Mr. Chin eyes him. "Trouble?"
Spidey nods. "Could be. Get everyone down on the ground..."

It was time for a change.
The Wing Seng triad had held on to this profitable section of Chinatown for too long, and the Won Longs were going to carve out a slice of it for themselves. A show of dominance was necessary.

Unfortunately, Wing Seng's info network was as keen as their blades, and seven men appeared from an alley to the right of the Taipei Haven Restaurant, and they themselves were carrying daos swords, thin curved blades that had all seen combat and tasted blood.

And the dinner bell was about to ring.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Eyes widening as she sees the Triad men that is their target, her pace quickens, boots beating a staccato rhythm on the concrete as she breaks into a run. The clash is about to break over the head of a young woman pushing a baby stroller. Her reputation marks her as a cold hearted killer. Truth. But she has also had a child.

Peter Parker has posed:
The two groups see each other and their faces harden. The element of surprise is lost, but there is still the mission.

And then, a note of sanity and both groups slow as they see the woman and the baby. Even these hard cases follow the old code of Never Involving Non-Combatants.
The leader of the Sengs calls out to her, "<Go home, woman, before the air turns to dragons!>"

Both groups are looking at the woman and baby, who is now rushing to get out of the way. The rest of the pedestrians are backing away, realizing their hangout has become a battlefield. No one sees the door to Chin's Cottage open and Spider-Man leaping up a good thirty feet to attach to the wall overlooking the intersection.

Well...maybe SOMEONE might see.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Lady Shiva is at a full run, expecting these American Chinese not to respect the old ways. Hardly has she heard the call for the young woman to clear the area, then she perceives a flash of red and blue that disappears upwards. Committed to stopping the clash, she has no sides in the ongoing turf war in China Town and cares nothing for the repercussions. Twelve against one seem even enough odds for her.

Perhaps twelve against two if it is the fighter that she thinks he is.

Peter Parker has posed:
The woman clears the battlefield, and the two sides gear up for a fight. Swords are raised...

"Hey! Can't we all just GET ALONG?"

Eyes from both sides look up at the figure not perched on the streetlight overlooking the intersection. What they saw caused concer among both sides.

SPIDER-MAN has joined the game. And he was an unknown quantity.

The leader of the Sengs spoke first. "This is not your concern, Spider-Man! We have no quarrel with you!"
"You're planning to LARP the Chinese Civil War right outside my favorite store in Chinatown. You're MAKING it my business!" Spider-Man pointed between one group and the other. "You're harshing my great mood over a territory squabble? Cut me a BREAK. You decide to..."

And then one of the Longs raised a pistol and fired at Spider-Man.
The bullet would have hit him right between the eyes, but he feinted to the left, and the bullet went past his ear instead. Spidey looked down at both groups, then cracked his knuckles.

Spidey channeled Bugs Bunny when he said, "Of course you realize THIS MEANS WAR..."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
The street miraculously clears as people duck down alleys, yellow cabs make U-turns. New Yorkers at their finest jumping to safety. This man, this Spiderman makes her smile but it is not his humor that tickles her. No. That is to be put aside as she tears into the side of the pistol wielding man. She mutters in Chinese for his benefit as her heeled boot connects with his head, "Thank you, little man for the entertainment. The street has two bigger dragons than you have ever had the good luck to see."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is one thing. The Bugle has reported his activities even as the chief editor lambasts him, and the word is out on Spider-Man.

But someone fired on him, and Spider-Man can sense his act of intimidation is not working. They're going to go for him or each other...

And then some woman strikes out from nowhere and deep-sixes the shooter. The others back away as she reveals herself, their ranks momentarily broken.

Fortunately, the Sengs are not stupid. They do not attack, constraining themselves. The Longs have lost face already, and the Sengs hold a superior position right now. The leader of the Sengs says, "If both withdraw, what will you do?"

Spidey looks down at them, then says, "I think the eminent sage Lil' Jon said it best. 'Don't START none, won't BE none.'"

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"His grammar is not very good but the sentiments are just!" Lady Shiva stands nonchalantly with a foot pressed painfully into the shoulder of the man she just took down with a kick.

"What he said, I wanted good mien. But I will kill you all if you ask nicely enough."

Peter Parker has posed:
The Sengs nods. They may not have beaten down their foes physically, but the Longs have lost face, making the Sengs the psychological winners. Their leader tells the Won Longs, "Go! You are done here!"

The Won Longs begin to move away, two of them lifting their prone comrade with an apologetic look to the female dragon in their midst. The guy probably had a very dim future in the Won Longs.

Spider-Man watches over the scene as the two gangs disperse. He sighs heavily. At least the violence was momentary and kept more violence from happening. And that was just fine with him.

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
The sigh is eloquent. Shiva looks up at the street lamp sitter, a smile ghosting across her stern face. Around them the men begin to disperse and the street quivers cautiously back to life.

"I'm hungry for handmade noodles. You?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks down, then drops to the street. He's got good moves, and his natural balance is a little eerie. He seems pleasant enough as he approaches her, without any fear in spite of her moves. Then again, he had dodged a bullet at range.

"Homemade? Lots of places for that...but my personal favorite is a block away. White Dragon. Best lo mein in town."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
Her black eyes follow the drop to the ground with his uncanny sense of balance. Brushing back her fan of black hair, she shakes her head, mildly dissatisfied. "Not homemade, but handmade, hand pulled. I had heard that Lan Zhou was the best. But I will try yours. White Dragon. That's fitting enough though maybe red and blue dragon more." Her English has an edge of Detroit to it and under that her native Chinese flirts with her inflections. She opens a hand in question. "Shall we?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods. "I dunno if I'd be any kind of dragon," he says as he begins walking in the direction of White Dragon. "I don't have a flamethrower as a standard option. The most I have are these." He holds up one arm so Sandra can see the web-shooter on his inner wrist. A little bulky, but very functional, and there is a hint of efficiency in its design, like a well-made timepiece.

"So...what would you like me to call you? I go by Spider-Man, respect the Hyphen, Spidey, or Webhead. There are others, but I might think less of you if you use them..."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"Your fighting name is it?" She looks down her nose at him though he is several inches taller. "Spider-man. Zhizhu. Now that is interesting."

Something in her straight-backed walk, she floats with the grace of a master of the martial arts, and the nod of her head speaks of approval. "Are you an auspicious sign then? For whom, I wonder. xi cong tian jiang - happiness comes from heaven or so the saying goes." A few steps in silence follow before she adds, "Lady Shiva is how most of the world knows me."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey tilts his head. "Shiva? Deity of Deities in Hinduism? Well, as a destroyer of evil, you certainly have a decent concept to live up to." He smiles wryly. "I have a secret interest in anthropology. Wanted to be Indiana Jones, once upon a time."

He lowers his arm, and she can see the suit has seen better days - it is patched and sewn in a hundred places. So maybe he can't dodge EVERYTHING.

"I try not to be too conspicuous in my auspiciousness. And I prefer not to fight if I can resolve a situation without resorting to it. But sometimes...talk doesn't work." He glances to her. "You were pretty auspicious, yourself. If you hadn't stepped in, things were going to get dicey. As in people getting diced. A lot of people would have ended up getting webbed up all over the place, but someone could have been hurt, or worse. So...thank you, for the timely action."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"I'm hungry. They were in my way." There is a glint of teeth as she glances at him. "I did not name myself but I can't dispute your logic. Anthropology is an interest of mine, as well. Lead on then? Will you eat dinner dressed like this?"

"Shiva is also known as the Destroyer."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man chuckled. "My tux is at the cleaners. And Shiva is usually depicted as a destroyer of evil." He looks up at the neon dragon looking down at them. the row of stools in front of the small restaurant makes him wonder if he's going to see Rick Deckard sitting on one of the stools.

Sandra can see the cooks in the back, and one of them is rolling out dough and utilizing a Chinese pasta cutter, one of the hand-held roller types.

Spidey points to the menu posted on the nearby wall. "Not many different dishes, but they do what they can very well."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"Master of the few is better than being mediocre in the many." Shiva's eyes move quickly across the menu and she gestures to a stool. "Good choice. I can see they know what they are doing. Let's order."

Once seated, she orders, "Zhajiangmian for me, with a Pearl River beer, please and whatever the gentlemen would like."

Peter Parker has posed:
Great. She knows what she's doing, and he's going to order like a tourist. Oh, well. Looking foolish is an asset...sometimes.

"I'll have the...#4, with lo mein noodles. And heavy on the soy sauce."

The guy behind the counter nods. "Drink?"

Spider-Man looks thoughtful. He reads the menu again...then perks up. "I would like you to do half your iced tea and half lemonade. Plenty of ice."

The waiter eyes him, then shrugs. "Four minutes."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"We are all tourists some place, Spider-man." She observes quietly before turning to him. "You seem young for someone as adept as you are. Would you tell me how that came to be?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey looks thoughtful. "Well...I was in the wrong place at the right time. When I realized what I could do, my first thought was 'How can I make money from this?' I became selfish, made the worst choice I could make...and destroyed my world." He looks down as their drinks arrive, her beer in an uncapped bottle with ice chips melting on the bottle. "That was when I learned never to squander the gifts you are given. That with great power must come great responsibility. I've been atoning for my mistake ever since." He glances to Sandra, smiling ruefully under the mask. "Clear as mud, I know..."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"More clarity than many people have." The dishes are slung before them with that a swiftness bordering on rudeness that only the Chinese seem to manage though the French come in a close second.

She twists off the top of the bottle and holds it up to him. "To your responsibility". After a long pull on the beer she picks her chopsticks, waiting for him before taking up long tendrils of noodle and sucking them in with gusto. "Good texture. So not so touristy if you know good noodles when you eat them. Where did you study fighting?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man lifts the mask up to nose level, revealing a perfectly-ordinary chin, set of teeth, and a normal nose. So far so good.

He picked up his chopsticks, then said, "Well, I learned some boxing from my father..." In all but name. "...but now I'm learning ninjitsu. It has to be officially ninjitsu because I'm learning it from an actual ninja. I'm still in the beginning stages, but I think I'm making great strides in being inscrutable."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
A dry sniff at the word inscrutable. "I was born in the United States but grew up speaking Chinese. Americans are so irreverent, aren't they?" Another long unabashed slurp before she points out, "Ninjutsu is many styles at once. But the adepts that follow the secret masters are deadly. There is someone here in New York?" That has piqued her interest enough to stop eating.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey grins, takes a bite and swallows before replying. "They're coming out of the woodwork. There's an entire clan of them. Call themselves the Foot Clan. Not much info on them, but they are pervasive. I'd tell you more about my ninja, but I think that would defeat the purpose of a ninja if they become known to people. All I know is, they're cleaning house for the boys back home. Seems a lot of ninjas giving ninjas a bad name in New York."

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"That interests me." Spoken in a tone of a Queen from her throne, behind it years of traveling the world studying with the very best until she mastered each art before moving on. "Cleaning house? And you study with them? Do you think today was just chance?" She watches him dispassionately but the next question is inevitable in light of who she is, "Would you introduce me?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man shrugs. "I can talk to them, see how they feel about it." Another bite. It had taken him the better part of a week to figure out chopsticks when he was ten. "If they want to talk to you, I can see about arranging it. But I hope you don't mind if I tell them about you first, and then let them make the choice? Seems fair?"

Sandra Wu-San has posed:
"I would expect nothing else. You may send them my respects." A pause, a glint of amusement shining in her black eyes as she lifts her chin, saying, "I would be in your debt. Highly unusual."

Another lift of noodles signals the end of that thought. "With great power comes great responsibility," Shiva says enigmatically. "You will have my thanks."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey smiles a little sheepishly. "We can talk about debts AFTER I follow through on my promises. Right now, it's all talk. And talk is cheap, unless you hire a lawyer."

He smiles and sips his drink. All in all, not a bad night. One ripe with promise instead of violence. And that ain't bad.