14238/The Spider Goes A Hunting

The Spider Goes A Hunting
Date of Scene:	24 February 2023
Location:	5D - Gwen's Greenwich Loft
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy

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Peter Parker has posed:
Today is Peter Parker's birthday. Sadly, it is not a day that Peter Parker will remember.

Peter Parker went to bed last night, happy and content. Looking forward to spending the rest of the day, and honestly, the rest of his life with Gwen Stacy. It was a nice time to reflect upon his life up until then, and the transition that happens when one turns 21.

But before dreams could claim Peter, something else did. A foul ritual performed by Calypso, at the behest of her sometime partner Kraven the Hunter, swapped the two mind for mind, body for body. Peter would not wake up in Kraven's body, of course - a strong dose of tranquilizers and sedatives would ensure that he would not get to take Kraven's body for a ride much the same way Kraven would take his.

Kraven had been studying the Spider for years, and could not understand why someone primed to be an apex predator settled for being what he was. He had to know for himself. And he had realized, quickly, that many of his assumptions about the Spider had been inaccurate.

He had planned to leap straight into an exploration of the city as the Spider, visiting his new brand of justice on the villains there. He was delayed, slightly, by receiving the Spider's birthday gift from his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. The girl was very convincing.

But now, finally, the Spider was out in the city. He had figured out quickly how to work the simplistic web casters, and there was so much muscle memory built in that he found no difficulty at all swinging from building to building.

All he needed now was a villain to thwart.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The city was ripe for the taking. And Paste Pot Pete was the man to do the taking!

Just recently released from prison after that nefarious Spider-man had stopped one of his robberies there he was back at it again. Lack of sustainable evidence they had said. Good thing that vigilantism wasn't much of a legal way of putting villains away so more often than not they were out before someone could blink an eye.

And now? Pastey had his eye on a nice little jewelry store on 5th Avenue.

"Alright, this is a robbery. Feel this bag with all the high end jewelry and make it fast!" This is him telling the terrified woman at the counter to get to it fast. As a security officer comes walking from a side room he shoots his gun at him, the man thrown against the wall and glued to it. He cackles as the woman screams.

Peter Parker has posed:
The difference between what Kraven is used to seeing and perceiving and what he has now is incredible. Every sense of the Spider is sharper, clearer than what he has known. It took a few minutes to sort it out, all of the senses firing off at once, but he used the same meditative techniques that allowed him to slow his body down to almost undetectable when out on the hunt. Similar at least in concept.

But the gunshot? That comes through loud and clear, even though it is a few blocks away. The Spider starts swinging in that direction before any sirens or alarms can be rung. He feels the exhilaration begin to rise in his body as the cool air flows against him. Soon, he will make his first strike as the Spider.

And that villain will know true fear.

Gwen Stacy has posed:

    The security officer isn't dead but he won't be going anywhere after Petey shot him with his GLUE gun. Even if he may have a crushed rib at the pressure felt. That gun -is- powerful after all.

"Alright beautiful. Start feeling it up. That's right ..., go on. Those too." He points to a shelf behind the woman where this beautiful diamond necklace is in display. "Yeees, that one will give me quite the money in the black market.."

He can already feel it. The money that will flow again. And then he'd get some respect around here. Because money buys happiness right? Or power. But aren't those the same thing?

But like most C-string villains he doesn't know when he has abused his welcome. He should had ran off by now so there was no danger of some meddling hero to interfere. Like Spider-Man is about to.

Peter Parker has posed:
The scene is obvious. A jewelry store being robbed. The Spider almost passes it up in favor of something more dramatic, but realizes it might not be so bad to get some practice in with lower stakes. He would not want to ruin this body in a bad battle with a super villain before he knows how to use it.

So he ends his swing on the uptake, spinning in the air until catching a pole on the way down, dropping down into a crouch just outside the jewelry store. The Spider would have just dropped in - no sense of drama or panache!

He strides into the store, looking around to see where the thief is, so he can take him out. He probably could have done with a bit more stealth, but surely nothing in there poses a threat to the Spider.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The woman that is filling up Paste Pot Pete's bags with the jewelries is just finishing up with that necklace when she spots Spider-Man walking in. Right through the front door. There's a relieved look in her, along with a gasp with alerts the villain to what is going on.

"What?"

He looks over his shoulder to find Spider-Man there. "Oh Oh oh. So you return." he turns to face the Spider. "And this time without that Ghost Spider with you.." he snorts. "Well, you are in luck because I got the new and improved formula for you..!"

And then he levels up his gun to shoot at Spider-Man!

Peter Parker has posed:
Seeing the look on the woman's face, the amazement and relief. He starts to get it. The pure adoration in her eyes. The Spider is well liked, it seems. Now he sees why he does it. No doubt that girl was taken in by his charms and heroics before, and that would explain all of it.

The villain, though? He seems not to have much in the way of admiration. He watches the man take aim, almost in slow motion. Does he think he is going to hit the Spider with that? But before he even knows what is happening, the Spider has lept up and stuck to the wall above as a stream of glue passes below his body, missing by several feet.

So that's what it was, he realizes. A precognitive sense of danger, that automatically moves him away from it. The Spider was never _better_ than him, he was _cheating_ this whole time.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Petey curses loudly when Spider-Man evades the shot. "Stay still, damn you!" the first shot missed, but since he doesn't learn fast he tries to shoot him right after when he is up on that wall! Will it hit? Most likely not.

And that just makes him more angry. "What, no quips today?" he comments. Spider would had started with the little jabs already. It made him furious but this silent treatment he isn't sure how to take it. So he reaches for the bag on the woman's hands.

"Give me that..." he tugs at it, making the woman yelp and sort of fall down across the counter.

Which is when Paste gets a brilliant idea. He points it at the woman.

"Let me out or she is gonna get it.." he presses the gun to her back. Prison time is clearly making Paste Pot Pete more vicious!

Peter Parker has posed:
It is easy to evade the shots from this villain. For a time, that is all he does. After all, it is simplistic to do, and it allows him to contemplate other things. Such as how the Spider is able to move so fast. And whether this was part of his body, or his mind? Must be a body response, if he can still do it.

He does not even really hear the comment about the quips. There are no quips today, and likely won't be. So much effort wasted when fighting that could go into actually accomplishing things. Another leap out of the way of the glue. The Spider could do this all day. But then it is clear that the villain has a different purpose in mind.

The Spider drops down to the ground and looks at the villain and his hostage for a moment. And without warning he leaps forward, leading with his fist, a quick punch directly to the villain's chest where he has what seems to pass for armor. Maybe that will slow him down long enough for the Spider to disarm him.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
There's a little smirk on Petey as he looks at Spider-Man. This will work, right? But whatever his plan was here it wasn't expecting for Spider-Man to just ..., lunge directly at him. Maybe a spider-web towards his gun. But a punch to his chest? Good thing he has that body armor. "Ah, you fo--" but he never finishes that sentence because that Spider just moves faster than he was expecting.

Faster than he has seen him move before.

And then there's the sickening sound of metal bending in, crushing the man's chest. What happens is a lot more than slowing him down as Paste Pot Pete is thrown back against a wall, blood spitting out his mouth in a gasp on non-comprehending shock that soon turns into pain.

He crumples to the ground, unmoving. Dead? No, but he's out for the count. And who knows what kind of permanent injuries he might have, if he even survives.

The woman looks up with a gasp, flushed, a glance over her shoulder at the fallen villain, then to Spider. She looks horrified at the blood. And she -heard- that punch.

"Is ..., is he alive?"

Peter Parker has posed:
As surprised as Paste Pot Pete is by the punch, the man delivering it appears to be even more so. The Spider stares down at his fist, and then looks back at the villain. He turns to regard the woman. "Crime doesn't pay," he says, and then he turns and walks out, taking back up to the skies, leaving the mess behind for someone else to clean up.

The Spider swings a few buildings away, clearing from the scene, before he hops up to a nearby water tower. He drops to a crouch, listening in to the scene by the shop as the sirens come. And things start to make sense. The Spider was not simply incapable of taking advantage of his powers. He was deliberately holding back, all these years. He had far more strength and speed than he used. But why?

A grin starts to form on his face. It will not just be a matter of using better tactics to exploit these powers. The new Spider will make full use of those powers the way he never has before.

It will be a whole new Wallcrawer in this neighborhood.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Crime doesn't pay.

That leaves the poor woman unsure whether to swoon or just stare in horror. Maybe a mix of both. She is heard reaching out for her phone to make a call. "Hello, 911...." the rest of the conversation lost in translation when Spider-Man moves away.

Yes, Spider-Man had been holding back all this time which is telling. He never fought with his full strength so how outclassed had Kraven really been?

The police cars come in, along with an ambulance. Kraven gets to see Paste Pot Pete being brought out of the store on a stretcher. A breather on his mouth. He might live. If his internal injuries aren't too dire.

Yet one thing Spider-Man can be sure of? This will be in the News tonight.