15208/HELLO NEW YORK CITY!

HELLO NEW YORK CITY!
Date of Scene:	23 June 2023
Location:	Brooklyn
Synopsis:	Spider-Man and Cypher help a runaway mutant.
Cast of Characters:	Douglas Ramsey, Miles Morales

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Douglas Ramsey has posed:
    Brooklyn's Chinatown is not as large as the original, in the Bowery - but it is a lot consolidated into a few blocks. It goes vertical, with not an inch of space wasted - hanging makeshift hydroponic gardens suspended in nets, stores that threaten to spill out into the street, and lots... and lots... of people.

Doug is currently investigating a rack of shoes, and studying a pair of very well-made knockoff all-stars. He turns them over in his hands, and says to the woman running the stall, "These are very nice - do you have a pair in a size 10?" ...He says it in Mandarin.

It's at this moment that a kid grabs a purse from another woman browsing a stall nearby, and takes off at a run.

Doug looks up at the clamor, and then says, "...Excuse me, I'll be right back." He turns to walk off, and then proceeds to cut through an alley - which will bring him out right in front of the kid after he turns a couple of corners.

Miles Morales has posed:
The kid runs fast.

But Douglas isn't the only good samaritan in New York. Not by a mile. While the Avengers are off fighting the big threats and more than enough heroes to cover the city for the big stuff that might arise - somebody has to look after the little guy. More specifically...a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

TWHIP!

The Kid suddenly has a line of webbing attached to the back and lifted slightly off of the ground as if to hold them briefly hostage, giving them time to scramble their purse. "You know, stealing is /real/ bad." Says a figure wearing a black suit and red webbing, with red-rimmed eyes that are covered in film and shaped in ovals, while on his chest is a red spider-emblem. The mask is slightly lifted over the mouth, revealing african-american heritage at the very least, while a bagel is being slightly snacked on.

"You interrupted my bagel break! Rude."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Upon closer look, this kid has funny proportions - real funny. His legs are VERY long. And then his hood flies back - and his features are a mixture of human and locust. He glares at Miles and says something in Arabic - and there's that tingle at the back of his neck, signifying that something wild is about to happen. Then the boy's turning and swinging into the edge of a building and bouncing off it with a jump to rival Miles's, as he tries to tangle Miles up in his own webline and bounce from building to building, frenetically.

Doug came out just in time to watch the boy get yanked upward, and he says, "...Huh. Look at that."

He climbs up a nearby fire escape, and leans on the railing. "...Careful, Spider-Man! ...He's a mutant. He's gonna have sharp spines on his legs, so don't let him kick you!"

Which is precisely when the kid comes leaping by and swinging one of those ridic long legs at Miles. The sharp spines have already torn through the kid's track pants.

Miles Morales has posed:
"Woah, you know, you should really see a chai-"

Spider-Man's senses start going off like a tornado siren. "Oh no." And sure enough, the boy is suddenly LEAPING into the air and bouncing off of numerous surfaces and wrapping him up in his own web! He's hanging upside down still, though the mutant seems to be moving quickly, swinging one of those long legs at Miles with those sharp spines threatening to cut!

"Oh man!"

He knows his webs better than anyone. He tugs the right way, uses his momentum to shift and move out of the way of the kick, angling it just so to cut his own web and free him.

"No kidding! Also hi. Spider-Man. You're name?" He tries to leap after the spindly-legged mutant, as if attempting to tackle him to the wall.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"...They call me Cypher." Doug says, "And he's in a panic!"

He heads up the fire escape toward the rooftop, as the kid, now free, bounces from wall to wall and then his hoodie bursts outward, revealing a long pair of insectoid wings.

He lands on the rooftop and says, "And he's flipping out because he's getting major predatory vibes off of you. I mean, he's a grasshopper. You're a spider. But if you can pin him down, I might be able to talk to him-" He heads across the rooftop at a run. "I'm certainly not gonna be able to catch him."

The boy is very fast. He doesn't seem to be able to fly for long distances, but they aid him greatly in moving around, along with that vertical jump. Every time Miles gets close, he lashes out with kicks from those long legs, trying to slash Spider-Man with those spines. The whole time, he's shouting... babbling, really, in Arabic.

Miles Morales has posed:
"Cypher? Wow, that's a cool name. I really should've picked a better name."

But he's Spider-Man! But at least it's not like Cypher has a shadow to be in. Cypher has he, himself, and him! Miles takes in the information he's been given, and he nods. "Ah, yeah, biology. Gotta love some animal behavior. Not a worry man, I'll catch up to him. Do you have anything specific going on that you can convince them or is it kinda a luck thing? No judgment!"

Miles immediately leaps into the air, using his webs to sling himself to a higher altitude to at least be able to catch up. "Hey man! I mean no harm! Uhh...how do I say that in Arabic?"

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
That actually makes Doug laugh. "It means I'm nobody!" He says. "No, but I'm pretty sure if I talk to him I can talk him down!"

"Try 'Salam'!" He calls.

Miles gets too close, and the Locust boy lets out an angry buzzing noise. He says something else, as he slices through one of Miles's weblines. He is one of those rarest of creatures - a match for Miles in speed and agility.

"That one was 'Get away from me you freak'" Doug offers helpfully, from the rooftop. "I think he's Yemeni based on his accent."

An opening opens up - if Miles is quick with his webs, he'll be able to pin the kid's wings to a building and then web up the rest of him.

Miles Morales has posed:
"Salam!"

Spider-Man calls out to the mutant boy who's moving like a mack truck. Then he's getting too close and a one of those spindles cuts through his web-line. "Crap!" Spider-Man falls and is able to catch himself, landing on the edge of one of the HVAC units - one of those kinds that's strangely on the outside of the building - and leaping back up and using his webs to swing. "How do you understand what he's saying? That's crazy dude!"

"Salam!" Miles calls out again. He tries to shoot a webline towards the ankles to wrap him up, even if for but a moment!

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
The webline tags the kid on the ankle and his panic and experience catch up to him - his ankles are webbed together, and from there it's easy for Spider-Man to web him up. Just ignore the comparison to a spider webbing up a tasty bug.

The kid is crying, talking rapid-fire in Arabic.

Doug finally makes his way over, and then he mutters, "The in-depth explanation for it is a mouthful, but I'm also a Mutant. My power is that I can communicate in any language." He leans in, and has a conversation with the boy. "His name is Amir. When his mutant power manifested, his father threw him out. Someone promised him safety in America, but after they smuggled him here, they took everything he had." He listens. "Poor guy. He's starving." He rubs his chin, and looks over at Miles. "Do you have any candy?"

Miles Morales has posed:
Caught!

"I-"

Miles starts and then clears his throat. "You know, sometimes it isn't appropriate." Spider-Man webs up the kid and he kneels down next to him. "Hey, it's okay my guy. Salam? Salam." He lifts his hands up, palms out. "That's a cool power." Miles offers to him (Cypher) about his mutant abilities. "I wish I could do that."

"Amir."

Spider-Man repeats the name. He pats himself down and he pulls out a snickers.

...Ironic.

He unwraps it and he offers it to Amir. "Salam."

"Wish it was the first time I heard this. It's become commonplace, but I'm tryin' to do my best here in New York to help them out. I like mutants, you know? I think you guys are people too."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"Well." Doug says, "It's got its moments. Believe me if I was super-strong, super-fast and could cling to walks, I think it'd be amazing."
    He watches Amir look between the two, and then the boy takes a bite out of the candy bar, and then another, and another, and then he's devouring it ravenously. He practically sucks the second half of it out of the wrapper.

"They were making him steal, barely even feeding him - vulnerable people are easy to exploit, and Mutants have talents that make them a big ticket item for that sort of jerk." He and Amir have a brief conversation. "They told him he had 'debts' he needed to work off in exchange for bringing him to America. Amir is *fifteen*."

He sighs, and then pinches the bridge of his nose. "I know some people who can help him. Thanks, Spidey. Catching him without your help would've taken me days of tracking him across the city. And I wouldn't have been able to take him down, physically."

He exhales, and puts his hands on his hips. "After someone comes for Amir here, let me repay you. I was gonna buy some chinese food and go eat it out by the bay in Red Hook." He tilts his head. "I'll even spring for some for your madre. Or, you know. Whoever." He's grinning, just a little bit.

Miles Morales has posed:
"Hey hey hey, we don't price compare here."

Miles chuckles a little bit. He didn't have a choice whether or not he was Spider-Man - much like most folks don't get a choice whether or not they're a mutant or a regular or a metahuman. Though he watches as Amir manages to capture a bite of the candy bar. Then anotehr, and another, and he literally devours it whole. "There you go buddy, you got this." He pats Amir on the shoulder while he's webbed up.

Then he turns to Cypher. "Yeah. Taking advantage of his abilities for profit. It's a mutant slave trade." Spider-Man remarks. "Terrible. I've been trying to crack on it with some other like-minded youths and adults, but that's a work in progress. It's a big ring."

"Hey, anytime. It's what friendly neighborhood Spider-Men do. Plus, this is Brooklyn bro, we look after each other here."

He snerks. "I'm sure mi familia would appreciate it."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
"Maybe I can help you with that. My powers, they give me - well, I can pick up on things that aren't easy for other people to read. Plus, I'm sure once he's calmed down a bit Amir here can lead us to whoever's been handling him, and then maybe you can catch a break." Doug gestures. "Honestly though? I was just in Chinatown to buy a new pair of sneakers!"

He pats Miles on the shoulder, once. "I really do appreciate the help. ...Sometimes it feels like Mutants are alone against the entire world. It's nice to find someone who cares." He sighs, and has another brief conversation with Amir, before he gets out his phone and texts someone. "Ok. Just arranging for someone to come pick Amir up and take him to a safe place to spend the night."