2425/Food-Trucking

Food-Trucking
Date of Scene:	12 July 2020
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	Four heroes visit a bunch of food trucks and find out one of them has a BIG rat problem...
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Jovian Anderson, Johnny Storm, Gwen Stacy

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Peter Parker has posed:
Saturday night is good for food trucks. People are out and about, the temperature drops as dusk comes on, so there's still plenty of sunlight to enjoy the spectacle of the city around the park.

One of the parking lots near the lake is quickly filled with ten food trucks with varying cuisines, from Tex-Mex to Korean fusion, and there are plenty of places to sit on the grass.

For Spider-Man, this is the reason he likes running Patrol Route Seven on a Saturday night, because it ends right near the Park. So, time to hop from buildings to branches and grab some chow. He sends a group notification over the Spider-Comm system: <Patrol done, time for grub. Food trucks grouping at Lot 12 in Central Park. Everyone who's someone will be there. BE SOMEONE.>

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson is wearing his ski suit under a leather jacket with his motorcycle in a backpack. He doesnt...really have a costume per se. He has been staking out the park waiting for a bail jumper and the guy looks like a no show. And he's hungry so he heads over to a nearby food truck.

Johnny Storm has posed:
It's maybe a bit on the weird side of things that someone who could literally fly, and lives in the public eye wouldn't fly around everywhere, but then again, why fly when you can drive a Lambo. That's exactly what's going on with Johnny Storm as his Blue and White Lamborghini pulls up on the nearest street access to the collection of food trucks and out steps the famous Johnny Storm, "Come pick me up in thirty minutes." He says to the car, which procedes to start driving itself off, circling the park no doubt. Johnny's dressed casual, today, snug tee shirt, designer jeans, and a pair of air jordans on his feet, the super exclusive unstable-molocule edition. Once the car's off, Johnny starts his way across to the collection of food trucks that are all parked, offering up their delicious food.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen herself -did- have a costume, one that was rather distinct. Probably for the best really, because the 'Ghost Spider' (Or Spider-Woman depending on who you asked) tended to move pretty similarly through the streets and skies of NYC to the more notorious web-slinger. One might even suspect it was the man himself simply in a new outfit...at least until they actually looked at her. Loose costumes don't exactly favor acrobatics after all!

<I could eat,> the response came over the comm system, the 'shrug' to those words practically audible as Gwen twists mid-swing and fires off another webline. One of the fastest ways to get around town, it certainly beat an 'Uber'!

Zipping downwards, there's an elegant course cut by her swing until the female Spider touches down by the trucks in her white ballet shoes, stretching her arms over her head and inhaling the scent of the trucks offerings. "Yeah," she speaks aloud, "I could definately eat."

Peter Parker has posed:
Ghost Spider is soon joined by Spider-Man, landing lightly on the grass near the pavement. He waves to Ghost as he walks up, unconcerned by any attention he might get. Truthfully, the guy from the car-that-is-worth-more-than-Peter's-HOUSE is getting more attention. Must be nice to have that kind of money. Ah, well.
He notices Jovian, but only in passing, and since he's never met the guy...
"Hey, Ghost. Glad you could make it. I heard there's a truck serving Cajun food here tonight..."

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson blinks in total shock at....Spiderman and Ghost Spider just....showing up at a food truck. He'd ask for an autograph but isnt trying to attract attention to himself. As it is, he slowly pays for the burrito and just...gawks. It's awkward as hell but he isnt the only one doing it. And he's hardly going to put on his helmet and say "look I too am nifty"....

Johnny Storm has posed:
It's not every day a pair of spider-themed superheroes land near you in Central Park, close to it, but not every day, and this draws a bit of attention from Johnny Storm as they land and start conversing with one another. The next thing that draws Johnny's attention, however, is the cluster of food trucks, which have him pondering and staring for a lot longer as he tries to make up his mind on which one to get a meal from.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"I mean, at this point I'd settle for a hotdog, buritto, pretty much anything that counts as food regardless of how bad it is for us." Gwen speaks up, glancing about the suprised faces of their dual arrival and casual greetings exchanged. It was normal enough to get a few stares in costume for pretty much any hero, right? Especially two at the same time! Gawking is fine.

"Lets see what we've got, huh? If you're the one putting the invitation out, does that mean you're offering to pay this time?" The grin was pretty much visible even beneath the mask at those words, probably teasing but...well, a rather large number of 'Spiders' seemed to be college students!

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man grinned wide enough for it to be visible under the mask. "This investment banker lady gave me a tip for saving her life from a stalker. While I was webbing up the guy, she slipped a $50 into my backpack...I didn't even know it was there until I opened up my backpack for some bottled water."

Spidey takes out the bill, then looks at it for a long moment. "...And I did not even notice she wrote her phone number on it. YYYYYEAH, we're going to DEFINITELY use this one." He stops as he whistles quietly. "How do mini-chimichangas sound? Beef, chicken, or steak, with guac and sour cream. Portable and they sound tasty." He points out the Tex-Mex truck called THE SIERRA MADRE.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson is a bit surprised by the sheer lack of ....funds...as he hears this conversation. He had just assumed that major heroes got money somehow and that he was scrambling from bounty to bounty because he was a newb. It's impressive. He eats his burrito pensively.

Johnny Storm has posed:
Over to the Web Slinging Wonders goes Johnny storm after a few more moments of pondering the trucks, and he flashes a bit of a grin towards the two, "You two look like you spend a lot of time at these food trucks. What's the best one here, in your opinion?" he asks, casting a glance over towards the collection of vendors.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Ouch," Gwen laughs, giving a little gesture of mock shock as she brings her hand to her mouth...or where her mouth would be under her mask anyway. "Immediate regection for snack foods? That's cold Spidey. Very cold...although mini-chimichangas do sound pretty awesome."

Addressed as they are, Gwen turns on her heel to look at the approaching Johnny. Hey, it was neat when people actually said Hi rather than pointing and staring.

"Generally anything quick, hot and easy to eat with one hand. Although there's this one street vendor a couple blocks over who does churros that are just...mmpf!"

Elegant summary, but who didn't like good food?

Peter Parker has posed:
Yikes. Handsome, suave, rich, related to the smartest man on Earth...

Geez, Pete, envious much?

"I dunno about the churros, but I heard enough about these mini-chimis to give them a try." He pauses, long enough for the facial recognition in the A/R feed to come up with a name. "John Storm, right?"

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson is just...stunned at the random collection of the three heroes all at once. He feels even more tempted to get Johnny's autograph but his training as former secret service kicks in since he knows the stories of what its like to get hounded for it...ALL the time, even from the ones who like giving autographs. But as it is...he blinks and looks into the crowd. No FREAKING way. Is that him? He moves around to the back of the food truck.

Johnny Storm has posed:
"In the flesh." Johnny says with a smile flashed towards Peter Parker as he stands there before the two Spiders, Mini-Chimi's?" he says after a few moments, "That sounds intriguing, how about I treat the two of you?" he asks, casting a glance between Peter and Gwen in turn.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
There were plenty of warnings and words she herself had occasionally pointed out about accepting meals from strangers...but well, that sort of seemed to waver a little bit when faced with a local celebrity and a slimmer bank balance right now. Of course, she's quick to cover it with a shrug and a smile, even if the latter can't be seen beneath the shroud of her mask.

"I mean, I'm not gonna say no. But we should get something soon. All the swinging, punching and general...Spider-ing works up an appetite."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man was about to speak when the Spider-Sense went off. Wherever the danger was, it was behind the Waffle Haus truck.

"Uhm, Ghost...we might have trouble." He hands the $50 bill to Ghost before leaping on top of the food truck.

There was a rat digging into one of the large trash cans set up by the city. A LARGE rat. A HUMANOID rat.
The HUD identified him as one of his recurring problems, sharing it with everyone on Spider-Comm. <Whelan, Edward. AKA Vermin.>

Geez. How did he get loose? He need to call for backup before Ed...

As if on cue, Whelan looked up at Spidey and HISSED.
...saw him...

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson puts on a helmet and takes off his jacket. TA DAH! Oh its an amazing costume change. He grunts and puts a few bolos on his belt and runs out frombehind the food truck. He is about to shout that Whelan is under arrest when he ralizes that, not only does Whelan have powers, but its freaking out the A lister. This is not something a freaking Bolo is going to solve. Well....probably...but Bolo charges at the guy anyway. Well. Running. He begins swinging the bolos over his head, ready to take him on.

Johnny Storm has posed:
"We couldn't let you go hungry then." Johnny Storm says to Gwen Stacy, flashing a quick grin at her in those few moments before the emergence of Vermin is really noticed by him, anyway. "Up and coming heroes of Manhattan need all the energy they can get afterall, I suspect."

The warning that's sort of raised, if only just the change of body language of the two does get Johnny's attention, the verbal cues don't hurt either, as he starts to turn around to catch sight of whatever this threat might be.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Ah crap..." Ghost Spider was already moving, her own Spider-sense offering warning as readily as her fellow spider. "Everyone get back!" she calls, falling into the routine of crowd control with the two of them there, but she was already lifting her arms to try and fire off a snaring web at the Vermin.

"Can't Superheroes get a lunch break? I just wanted a quick snack!"

Peter Parker has posed:
Vermin wasn't a MENSA applicant by any stretch of the imagination, but he did possess some intelligence, coupled with an innate cunning.
People are scattering, and Edward was maddened with hunger and a fever to boot, which seemed to cook his brain. Which was the main reason Jovian had been called in to try and capture him.

Spider-Man had tangled with him before, enough to know about the abusive childhood, the unwanted experimentation, the issues of unrestrained rage and abject terror depending on the situation.

And four hero types converging on him wasn't just triggering the fear switch, it was POUNDING on it.
He reacted by instinct, grabbing a guy in sweat pants and a t-shirt that had JUST DO IT by Nike written on it. Claws dug into the man's arm as he held the other clawed hand against the guy's neck.

"SSSSTAY BACK! SPIDER! YOU COME ANY CLOSER...!"
Not too difficult to decipher. Spider-Man instantly froze.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson is trained by instinct to protect the innocent; not altruism (not that he doesnt have it) but training from day one. However, he isn't going to let the guy just sit there and dictate the terms of the situation. Then again, frankly, hostage negotiation was never his forte. The bolo doesnt make much noise as it moves right next to him, but its a stationary target. But the claw to the guy's throat....what he needs to do is provide a distraction. Captain fireball is better suited to handle that. Instead, he moved around behind, quietly. He is no ninja but four heroes means four directions. That means a blind spot at some point.

Johnny Storm has posed:
"The real drawback of taking our lunch in public!" Johnny says before he exclaims the ever famous "Flame On!" And bursts into fire, starting to lift up off of the ground half a dozen feet or so, "You two got a handle on this?" he asks, making no immediate move to launch in and join the frey with his fire blasts, though ready should the need arise!

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Situations like this? They sucked, but they were certainly a lot more manageable with two of them. Her hand snapped up, moving far before the voice in her earpiece spoke up. Maybe it was a Spider-instinct thing, or perhaps great mutli-dimensional heroic minds just think alike! A line of webbing zips, tangling and gunking the clawed hand at the man's throat before Gwen twists and hooks the line around her leg, twisting and stomping down to yank the line and the mutated criminal's arm away -hard-.

"GO!" she calls to Spidey, hoping he was as quick to move on his plan as he was to suggest it.

Did hey have this? She didn't answer Johnny, he'd have to judge for himself!

Peter Parker has posed:
Vermin's eyes flick from Spider-Man (constant enemy) to Johnny Storm (FIRE FIRE FIRE) and began to look more panicked.

The situation sucked. Too many people freaking out, too many sources of fear, and the fever boiling his brain...
He was about to claw the guy's throat open anyway when the webline hit his arm from...another Spider? A white Spider?
His surprise was enough for Ghost Spider to pull the arm outward, a split-second before another webline from Spider-Man yanked the guy away from Vermin, Vermin too focused on pulling his arm free he didn't even realize his hostage was gone.

"DON'T HURT HIM!" was all Spidey could say, hoping to Hell the other guy with the bolo is there to take him alive. Even as dangerous as Vermin was, none of it was his fault...

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson doesnt even hesitate. He isn't olympic class with this thing but a stationary (well...mostly stationary) target his enough for this and for not having super human reflexes he is blindingly quick as adrenaline sense the bolo right for his midriff. Unless he dodges at the last minute Vermin is booked and cooked.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson . o O "Why do I never think to say something clever when I do that?"

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny doesn't directly engage as the two spiders, and the third heroic fellow all move in to engage Vermin, he zips up higher into the sky to get a good birds eye view, about treetop level give or take, a trail of fire following in his wake. He's scanning primarily, for the moment, for any bystanders that might have gotten themselves caught in the area of the Vermin attack!

Peter Parker has posed:
Vermin is capable of a lot of things, many to Spidey's detriment, but his brain is trying to function at 103.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and it's not doing well at it.
When the bolo hits him amidships, it wraps around him, trapping the arm not currently weblined, and Vermin looks down with a look of surprise that would be comical on a regular person. And then the next blast of webbing sealed the deal, the deal being Vermin.

Vermin lost his balance and fell onto his side, the unreasoning panic devolving into a piteous moaning, pleading with them not to hurt him, he'll be good, he'll do what he's told, just don't hurt him again...

It was heart-wrenching to listen to, and Spidey winced visibly upon hearing it. It reminded him that not all his enemies were like Dr. Octopus. Many of them were just like poor Edward, here.
He looked to Jovian, then said, "Be gentle with him. His father...hurt him badly. You don't want to know the details."

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson nods. He is, in fact surprisingly gentle, and takes advantage of the silence he already had to quietly cuff Vermin. He is good at Arrest Control Techniques, so he puts the cuffs just high enough behind his back that he can't get leverage to get out but just low enough that it won't hurt. He salutes to the three other heros, and quietly takes Vermin away.

Johnny Storm has posed:
And Human Torch descends to the ground again, flames fading away, leaving Johnny Storm once more standing there in his casual street clothes - even those made of the special unstable molocules created by Reed. "That was nice and clean." He says with a nod of his head towards the web slinger, and Jovian in turn.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey nodded, then looked to the former hostage, who was getting looked at by a nurse who was still wearing her hospital tunic and trousers. "Yeah...surprisingly bloodless. I hope they plug whatever hole he used to escape the hospital holding him. He needs more help than regular docs can give." He looked back to Johnny. "...Thanks for helping out, even if it was distracting him and providing overwatch."

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson is, apparently not going to be silent and mysterious but he smiles behind the mask and says, "Yes. Well, it helps with strength in numbers. I'll actually take a look at the report about how he got out. Its...kind of rediculous how it happen sometimes. Call me Bolo." He nods to all three other heroes and says, "I'll make sure he's handled by people who give a damn." He knows, after all, who does and who doesn't. "Pleasure meeting you."

Johnny Storm has posed:
"Well, it seemed like you had things well in hand - and if I'd hit him with a flame blast, well, I'd have just burnt away the webs or, whatever it is you call it that you throw. The Mask-Arang?" he suggests with a little shrug as he reaches to brush off the front of his shirt lightly, nothing was actually there of course.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nodded to Bolo. "Nice meeting you too, and thank you for using the kid gloves when handling him." He looked back to Johnny. "Still...I think you were a big help. So thank you."