1954/The Swing is the Thing, or Webworks

The Swing is the Thing, or Webworks
Date of Scene:	03 June 2020
Location:	NYC, Midtown
Synopsis:	Mania meets with Spider-Man to learn about webbing. He also fills Red Sonja in on a potentially big problem she recognizes.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Andi Benton

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Peter Parker has posed:
Mania had sent a message to Spider-Man while Peter was stepping out of the BUGLE with the usual receipt from JJJ, the perennial skinflint. It was a waypoint and a request to meet.

He had made some plans to hang out with MJ, talk over a few things, or maybe make up for a little lost time. But Mania was in a delicate place right now, psychologically.
So, Peter had offered a change of venue...and a different type of "hanging around." He had even set up a special harness fitting MJ exactly, so no waste of time adjusting it.

It was a familiar thing, Peter putting his personal fun on hold for the sake of someone else. But that was who he was, for better or for worse.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane showed up, wearing her makeshift costume... well, since she didn't have much else to use just yet. She really needs to consult with someone about that.

As it is, she got the message, and read into it a bit as she showed up where Peter wanted to meet, sword and batons handy. Her lips quirk a bit as she looks over at Peter, "Hey Tiger, what's up?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Some things were on Mania's mind. That is, the symbiote more than the host. Even while Andi slept, the symbiote was thinking. About what?

Webs.

Specifically, Spider-Man's. There had already been multiple up-close experiences with them, seeing how they could wrap and bind an enemy, be used to swing from one place to another, and hold cars together during tests of strength. He'd even showed Mania the cartridges, but what the symbiote didn't have was a way to analyze the stuff just yet. Could it make its own?

Once Andi awoke, the day was filled with distractions. The spiders were on the symbiote's mind, in its thoughts, and by extension, Andi couldn't stop thinking about them either. That's why she sent the request to meet somewhere in the city, somewhere they wouldn't easily be spotted, somewhere at night.

Then, Mania went there.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey waved from the roof of the high-rise apartment building. "Hey, there. Private message from Mania, wanted to meet here. Wouldn't say what it was about, only that it was important. I got the feeling she needed help with something." He smiled wryly under the mask. "And you know how I get when someone asks me for help."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Red Sonja grins at that, "Yeah, I know. You giving me a lift?" She looks up towards Spidey, "She doing okay, or is this going to be a bit more talking her down from something." She's not sounding judgemental about it, since... well, she can relate to having someone else in her head. Just wanting to make sure what's up before getting in.

Andi Benton has posed:
Upon reaching the building in question, Mania leaps up a couple stories alone just from the street, then she climbs her way up the side of it from there until she's joined them up top. She looks much the same as Mary Jane saw her at the juvie facility, except the eyes and body language do not reflect an urge to kill or maim. Those eyes do hint at a little surprise to see her as well, as attention shifts from Spider-Man toward her. "<We see you, red warrior.>"

Then, she holds a hand out to one side, the palm facing the red and blue hero. "<We would like you to web our hand.>" There is no explanation given, not without asking for one.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man tilted his head, then shrugged. "Okay. Hold still."
He raised one arm, took aim and...

THWIPP!
A moment later, Mania's hand is covered up to the forearm with a fine net of webbing.

"Well, there you go. Can you tell us why you wanted me to do that?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja nods towards Mania, then looks curiously between the pair. "Unusual request. You've been well, then?" That's directed towards Mania, as the warrior has no weapons drawn, standing at ease. Though it's more like a gunslinger, at ease, but ready should the situation arise.

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania's eyes sharpen on this as Spider-Man goes through with it, only asking after he's sent the blast of webbing over to her hand and arm. Isn't doing things first and asking about them second a way to lead to trouble?

That hand is held up and brought closer to the girl's 'face,' turned this way and that, fingers flexing within the constraints and limitations of the webbing. She can feel its strength and see how it would hold up to struggling.

"<We have found the joys of chocolate,>" Mania explains to Sonja, which seems to be her way of saying everything is all right.

Then, the webbing begins to disappear within the black substance making up Mania's arm and hand. Whether it's simply absorbed in or the symbiote parts to allow it to touch bare skin before covering it back over is not immediately clear. What /is/ clear is the webbing is no longer outwardly visible. "<We were curious.>"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man tilts his head as the webbing is...absorbed? Devoured? Analyzed? Although the fact that he asked afterward was more the fact he was willing to trust Mania a little more.

If you want trust from others, you have to show some first.

He glanced to MJ, then back to Mania. "You were curious...about the webbing? How it's made? Or what it's made of?"

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja hmms, and grins at Mania, "Really? We'll have to hit a Ghiradelli's at some point." She glances sidelong at Spidey when he asks, then looks back at Mania with a curious expression through the helmet.

Andi Benton has posed:
"<Everything,>" is all Mania says about the webbing, a cryptic reply if there ever was one. Whatever is happening within, the hand and fingers seem to be normal again, no sign of the webbing itself left behind as any sort of hindrance.

She looks away from them, toward an access door behind which is a stairwell into the building. "<We approve of Ghiradelli.>" A hand is raised toward it, eyes showing a sharper focus, and as she mimics the way Spider-Man does it with his hands, a spurt of webbing is shot out...only for it to only go about a third of the distance it would have taken to reach the door.

"<Neither of you saw that,>" Mania says of the subpar result, and whatever shot out is quickly reabsorbed back into her. How? By going over to step on it.

Peter Parker has posed:
OhhhKAY. The symbiote is trying to mimic a mechanical/chemical function by making it a biological one. Still...

"...Saw what?" Spidey asked, sounding slightly puzzled. "Apropos of nothing, I aim the webshooter up a little so it fires in an arc. Gravity can be a factor."

He looks over to MJ. "I am glad you're here for a different reason. Apparently some of the homeless in Brooklyn are saying there are monsters in the deeper subway tunnels. They gave a description. If you want to take a look, I drew up an approximation of what the guy saw..."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja looks over at Mania, and grins, "Not a problem. You don't want to know what happened the first time I tried to pick up a sword." She chuckles, "And we will definitely hit Ghiradelli's."

She then glances over at Spidey, and her stance changes slightly, growing more intense as Sonja seems to come more to the forefront, "Monsters? Show me."

Andi Benton has posed:
Nodding once at Spider-Man, Mania says, "<Exactly,>" interpreting his response to mean he's playing along with 'not seeing' the first attempt rather than drawing too much attention to it. The eyes narrow for one reason or another, around the time he talks of aiming higher, but there was more to it than just that.

"<Did you cut yourself?>" she asks Sonja, then she shortens her distance toward the door and aims a bit higher.

As Spider-Man brings up the problem with something in the tunnels, she asks, "<Monsters?>" Then another glob of symbiote webbing is shot out. It's similar to what the Wolf Spider fired at her when he first saw her. This time, it splats against the door and sticks near the handle. It's not quite webbing, but it's close.

The eyes reflect a sense of pleasure at the experiment.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looks up to Mania's first (second) attempt, nodding. "Good shot. Make sure to adjust for wind, though."

He taps a few virtual buttons. A picture pops up on MJ's HUD.

MJ doesn't recognize it. It looks like a skinny guy in a loincloth with pointed ears, jagged teeth, claws for fingers.

But for Red Sonja, the last time she was one of these, it had been trying to rip her throat out roughly 120 centuries ago...along with its 14 kinsmen.

A "lesser" Quoggoth-spawn.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Sonja hisses out, "Quoggoth-spawn. Typical slaves of Kulan Gath. They like eating people for fun. Lesser demonic things that hunt in packs." She pauses, as MJ takes back the driver's seat.

"Wait, these were in the NEW YORK sewers? That's a serious problem!"

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania stops what she's doing, leaving the blob of goo stuck to the door. Within minutes, it will begin to break down and dissolve, leaving no trace behind. She does not respond to Spider-Man's suggestion, but there is definitely attention now shifted toward the pair. "<Packs of demons, eating people? That doesn't sound good.>"

There is a fidgety sort of response to the girl and her 'other,' head turning toward the edge of the roof.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man sighed. "Of COURSE you have a name for them."

He looked to Mania, then to MJ/RS. "Transit cops went down there, found nothing. No one's been eaten aas far as I know. But if you know what this thing is, then I have the unsettling feeling your nemesis Kulan Gath has opted for a comeback."
He glances to Mania. "Ancient sorcerer from 12,000 years ago. BAD juju."

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Red Sonja nods, "A vile creature that needs to be put down, quickly." She glances over at Spider-Man, "These things are monsters, and not like human miscreants."

Translation: Lethal force is alright. And encouraged.

Then she nods, and looks over at Mania, "We could use your help with this, as well. If you were willing. But if Kulan Gath is active here somehow... which makes sense, considering Sonja is probably here for a reason..." Well, then all hands on deck, for sure.

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania scoffs. "<That is not ancient at all. We are much older than that.>" Andi's voice cuts in, as if shutting out the symbiote as she clears her throat. "It..I don't know much yet, but I think whatever I bonded with comes from a really, really old race of..things."

"<12,000 years,>" follows again, a look of derision matching the tone of voice. "<But, still sounds like trouble. We will help kill it. But first, we want to fly like the spiders.>" Mania points out at the buildings, making a swinging motion with an arm.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man's eye-lenses expand in comprehension. Yeah, she had complained about not being able to keep up.

"Time to harness up, Red. Looks like we're in transit." He looks around, then spots an archway between the skyscraper and the parking garage next to it. "Try seeing if you can hit that archway, then if you can, swinging from here to that other building with the blue-tinted windows." He fires a webline to the arch, then salutes Mania before tumbling off the edge to swing towards the building, MJ in tow.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Red Sonja gets strapped in, clinging to Spidey as she shouts, "WOO HOO!" as either she likes it, Mary Jane likes it, or they agree about how amazing the act of web slinging is. Pity she doesn't have the proportionate strength and dexterity of a spider...

Andi Benton has posed:
The time will come to deal with the Kulah Gath problem, hopefully before things get worse. In the meantime, Mania and the webbing is something that could pay off further by that point. She looks back toward the door and takes aim at it again, firing off four bursts of what looks more like Spider-Man's own webbing, and by the last one her aim is about right - it sticks directly to the door handle as she cuts off the supply.

Rubbing her hands together, she stands at the edge of the roof and watches the pair swing out across to the other building, using the arch as the anchor point. They can see her head lifting toward the arch, then the building, then below. It's not super high up, and the night does mask their presence to an extent, but it is clear she's hesitating over something as she rubs her head.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man lands on the side of the building, startling the cleaning crew and waves to them before looking back to Mania.

<Don't worry, Mania,> Spidey sends through the comm. <I won't let you get hurt.>

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania's body language is typical of someone with the uncertainty of making the literal leap and falling. She doesn't answer Spider-Man, though she hears him loud and clear.

<Do it. I won't let you get hurt.> the symbiote tells her.

A few more seconds go by, then Mania raises a hand and adjusts her aim. Compensating for the distance and wind might take some trial and error. Sure enough, the first 'line' she shoots out comes up short, but not by all that much. It retracts back into her, then she tries again. This time it sticks. "Okay, here goes nothing..." Andi tells herself, and she steps off the side of the roof, beginning to swing in an arc.

The trouble is, the webline she created is simply too thin. About the point she's at the bottom of the arc, it snaps in half.

"Whoa!" Andi shouts, limbs starting to flail.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is waiting. He already has the angle plotted out, the arc of descent.

Mania drops a good 15 feet before the webbing-net appears under her. It is not sticky, so she is not bound to it, but it does keep her from becoming alien street pizza.

<I think you went a little too thin on the cabling there, Mania.>

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania would have figured something out before going splat!

...probably.

Fact is, Andi started to panic, no matter what the symbiote was telling her right at that moment. She starts to twist herself around, but the web net stops her fall. There's a bit of a bounce, as if hitting a trampoline, and it lets her right herself so she can get back over to the building and try again.

"<We don't want to talk about it,>" she calls over, a mixture of embarrassment and wounded pride in her voice and expression. "<And we are not starting Mania-Fail, thank you very much.>" At least, she's had a taste of it. She can calculate a bit of what went wrong and try again. After catching her breath, of course.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man watches sympathetically.
This is why he's doing this, really. To ensure that there is no interest in a Mania-Fail.com. Because he is pretty sure the comments section ALONE would turn her homicidal.

<When you get your bearing, climb up, get back in position, and try again. We're not going anywhere."

Andi Benton has posed:
Make the line stronger, thicker. Maybe do two instead of one? Spider-Man gets around the fastest by doing that, building up his momentum through use of a couple attach points, not just one. One has its place, but two? Much better for certain purposes.

He's probably had a lot of trial and error to get to where he is. He never had a symbiote to help guide him.

Thus, Mania's second effort is better than the first. She sends out two lines toward the arch, spread apart just enough that they shouldn't get twisted or crossed up, and this time it's a much better pair of lines. She leaps out, as if starting from the apex of a swing, and speed picks up as she passes the midway point without anything snapping.

Speed is still too hot as she comes in toward the rooftop Spider-Man's on, and there's a "<Whoa!>" for a different reason as she overestimates the end of the swing, letting go too late. It sees her overcompensating forward in midair, en route to an awkward tumble and skid upon landing...assuming no intervention.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man aims again and this time the webbing is more of a cushion of rapidly-expanding pillow webbing. Sticky enough to catch and hold on to, but not to ensnare.

Multi-purpose webshooters are awesome, really.

"Gotta watch your inertia. You can move your body mid-swing to slow down or speed up. Although you are doing better than me. I broke my nose the first time I augered into a brick wall."

Andi Benton has posed:
Mania is a mass of limbs suddenly tucking into a ball to prepare for impact and roll, but the webbing catches her enough to stop the forward momentum and let her down after a small amount of disentangling. She sits up and looks around before her attention settles back on Spider-Man, and if he thought she might look spooked or afraid, that would be a no. The eyes are wide, large, as emotive as ever.

"<That was fucking sick!>" It's more Andi, but definitely part of the symbiote as well. It is feeling the thrill she feels, the rush of adrenaline through her body. "<We have to do more! Sucks about your nose, though. You should have been more careful.>" She's got room to talk, all of a sudden?

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man chuckles. "You're already ahead of me there, too. Much less yelling and screaming. Okay, Head back to the starting position, same swing, aonly be careful to slow yourself down or you're going to run right iinto that A/C unit. And then you WILL get that broken nose. Now. Gear up, practice the swing a few more times. Have to crawl before you walk. Or websling."

Andi Benton has posed:
Forgetting her prior indecision, Mania is back up on her feet..well, chunky symbiotic boots..and champing at the bit to get started again. "<Yeah, yeah. We got this now,>" she says, waving a hand dismissively at Spider-Man, even if host and symbiote are actually listening. She didn't do much with the lines to use them as a brake on the way in, nor did she do much else other than just swing wildly in.

Not this time.

Getting better at placing the lines on the arch, she dives into another one back across to the first building, and while she does overshoot a little bit, it isn't as bad as the last time. She slows up by the time she lets go, landing in more of a run than a tumble.

The return to his building shows further improvement, speed and angle much better, but it takes another couple cycles back and forth before she lands just about as well as a gymnast dismounting from one of the apparatus, only a minimal step forward next to him. Crossing her arms, she looks entirely too pleased with herself.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man golf-claps. "Nicely done. Red had to head home, but we'll touch base with her later. Now. ANGLED swings. This is how you change direction. We're also going to practice sustained webslinging, which means making a new webline right before you stop using the current one. It can be a bit distracting at the start, but you're doing better than I did at the start..."