6228/Re-Weaving Webs

Re-Weaving Webs
Date of Scene:	15 May 2021
Location:	Queens
Synopsis:	Spider-Man is greeted by a de-commisssioned Spider-Woman for a late night sojourn.
Cast of Characters:	Peter Parker, Jessica Drew

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Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man tends to require making some allowances. Like showing up at off-peak hours for various eating establishments. But that is sometimes 2 AM on a Friday morning.

After dealing with some study of the logistics of the Silvermane family, and some study of the movements of unstable particles in a vacuum, he is more hungry than tired.

<Spider-Comm broadcast message. If you see this, 1. I am grabbing food at the new White Castle in Queens. 2. It's late, go to BED, you lunatics.>

Jessica Drew has posed:
Spider-woman, after recent events, knows that she qualifies as one of the lunatics. Being in New York is dangerous. Answering the call on the Spider-Com would qualify as suicidal and crazy. Business, deeply secret business, has her in the city. On a lunatic whim, she decides to show up to the call.

Even without spider senses she would know she was within a block of the White Castle. The very bricks of the buildings around it are permeated with the smell of onions fried on an open griddle. She had had a friend, dead now, who loved nothing more than a bag of their hamburgers washed down with a pint of buttermilk.

Cautiously, she climbs the side of the building on high alert. Nothing has been easy since the downfall of SHIELD and the pogrom launched by General Hale.

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is sitting on the roof. He's already ordered, picked up a dozen of those tasty little sliders, two fries, and a tall cherry Coke. Carbo-loading at its finest.

He looks up, mildly startled to see the figure in black hop over the roof's edge. For a moment, he looks for silver-white hair. Nope. Just black hair.

"Uhm...stopping by for a late snack?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Holding up a finger in what she hopes is a familiar gesture, the black-clad woman shakes her head and steps over the parapet. "The onions give me indigestion though I suppose, those chicken waffle thingies might do me right," she answers with a decidedly Oxford accent bequeathed to her by parents, long dead at the hands of HYDRA.

"I'm afraid that I don't want to be seen on any cameras they might have monitoring the counter. So, unless you're offering to get me something, I'll watch you eat. Oh. It's Jessica. Drew. It has been a while, I'm afraid."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey blinked suddenly. For a moment, he is stunned.

He'd heard about what happened to SHIELD, of course. The Bugle had run stories for a week about it. She had gone quiet during that time, because OF COURSE she had. For awhile he dreaded she had been caught...or worse.

But here she is. She's alive, in good shape, and...well...

"Thank God you're all right, Jessica. Although..." he paused and then said with a smirk, "You TOTALLY missed your shot at 'Drew. JESSICA Drew.'" He shakes his head sadly. "Ian Fleming would not approve."

He looked around, then beckoned to her to sit while he pulled out his phone, opened the White Castle app, and ordered four chicken-and-waffle sliders and a large Coke. After a moment, he slid his fries over to her, the fries still hot.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Whatever had kept her, had certainly consumed calories. Spider ears might hear her stomach grumble as she eagerly reaches for a french fry. "Too bad the Yanks don't like mustard or vinegar on their fries." She bites it in half. "Not bad, at all. Sometimes I yearn for a good fish and chips. If you hear of one, let me know."

Her eyes don't meet his when she adds, "It's been bad." Forcing a smile, "It has messed with my comic timing. It /is/ good to see you."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man, the mask up at nose-level now, smiles apologetically. "Even Gilda Radner had her off-days." He ohs at her remark, then reaches into the bag and takes out a small handful of mustard packets, handing them to Jessica. "I have my own, anyway."
Well, he had gotten two, but her tummy-rumble automatically made one of them hers.
"It should hold you until the rest of the food's ready." He looks around. "I could check around on the fish and chips for you. Uhm, do you have a place to stay and lay low?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica pauses, eyes locked on his half-masked face then looks way with a quick huff of breath, not quite a sigh. Training her gaze back on his, she smiles briefly, more at ease. "Ever prepared. Perfect. Tomato sauce is too sweet for my tastes."

Shaking her head, "No, not in town, at least. I could compromise any safe places you might have. Anyone outside the norm is watched now."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man frowns. He looks torn for a few moments.

"Uhm...suppose someone in Queens had an extra room you could use? Someone no one would possibly associate with SHIELD in any way?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Leaning forward, she reaches out a hand, not quite touching him, saying apologetically, "I wouldn't go anyplace that could put someone in danger. Think about that. SHIELD people are positively radioactive these days." Straightening, she sits back and lightens her tone, "Let's eat. Catch me up with your news. I am absolutely weary of SHIELD and HYDRA right now."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man is about to speak when his phone buzzes. "Hang on."

He walks over to the roof edge, then fires a webline down. Reeling it back up revealing a White Castle bag at the end of it. "Talk about fishin' chips."

He tugs the webline loose before handing the bag to Jessica. "Your chicken and waffles." He sat down again, then waits for her to chow down before saying anything else.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica smacks her head in pretended horror at his joke, a quick, bright smile belying her horror,"Do you think I swung over here to feed you lines for your fishy puns?" She takes the bag with the eagerness of someone who forgot to eat all day and sets it next to her after extracting a paper-wrapped waffle already getting grease-stained from the gravy oozing out.

After two bites, she finds the time to comment, "These are deadly little artery cloggers, but they are so good."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nods, but his face betrays his seriousness.

"I've been currently working on extending Spider-Comm to work in Gotham City and Metropolis. A lot of criminal organizations are connected to those cities, one way or another. Moving stuff like weapons, drugs, women...it's like they're trying to recreate the sugar-gold-slaves triangle in early America."

Jessica Drew has posed:
A few more bites dispatch the first waffle sandwich. After extracting a napkin from the bag, and wiping her fingers, Jessica answers gravely, "They have their fingers everywhere, HYDRA does. It is exactly what they want to do. They are manipulating the economies of Europe and the Americas from the bottom up. How is the extension going?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey sighs. "It's slow going. Bruce Wayne may be an even bigger playboy than Harry Osborn, but his WayneTech stuff is no joke. He certainly knows how to hire the right people. I've been analyzing his code, and I think I can do a similar setup that I did here in New York. But implementing it is going to be tricky as heck."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"I want to help. I wish I could help. I'd be more of a liability than a help, I'm afraid." She reaches into the bag for a second helping, clutching it unwrapped, head tilted to the side contemplating his face. "It's why I didn't answer on the comm. I can't be sure of what is monitored or not any longer. Would you know if you were being tracked or listened to?"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man nodded. "Yes, I would. I run daily scans for any signs of a breach, but nothing so far. It helps if you are running a network no one knows exists but you." Spider-Man smiles gently. "Listen...you know we'd do anything we could for you, right? You're one of us." He pauses. "I hope you think of me as your friend."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Sandwich forgotten, Jessica shakes her head, eyes unfocused, looking over his shoulder. "So many people have died." Coming back to herself, she breathes a chagrined laugh. "I'm glad you're safe. And, yes. Yes, I do trust you. I am one of you for what little I've done to help. SHIELD occupies the lion's share of my life. So, yes. Friends."

She brandishes the sandwich, "Good for caloric rooftop dinners!"

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey chuckles. "Seriously, though...you need help, call on us. And if you find yourself in Queens and need a place to lay low, recover, or just stay out of sight...go to 20 Ingram Street. Ask for Aunt May, or Peter. They'll know what you're talking about."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Seriously...Peter." She shrugs, smiling at her discomfort at using his name. "She must be quite something for you to include her. I hope I never have to go there. But, I'll remember."

Earnestly, leaning forward and lowering her voice, "I can't bring this down on anyone else. I probably shouldn't be carrying the comm, either. But, when I heard your voice this evening, I couldn't resist." The second sandwich finished, she stands, "Time to get on. I have a way out of the city and a place to stay this evening but I will be in touch the next time I'm on the grid."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spider-Man looked up to her. It kinda hurt a little to see her like this. She had been Brought Low. He could understand that.
He stood up slowly.
"And I could never have it on my conscience if you came to me needing help and I turned you away, Jessica. That's the solemn truth of it." He looked to the bag with the rest of the sandwiches. "At least take the rest. I'm barely going to be able to finish mine as it is."

Jessica Drew has posed:
It doesn't take him asking twice for Jessica to pick up the bag. She holds it up and tucks it into a bag slung across her shoulder. "I'll treat you next time. Stay in touch. I will ditch the comm if I see trouble nearing. I don't want your code compromised." She starts to turn and stops. "Thank you."

Peter Parker has posed:
Spidey grins, sipping his cherry Coke. "You're welcome, Jessica. Hint. If it gets close, say 'waterbug' four times in rapid succession. That will erase the code."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Indeed. A snack for any good spider," she replies with one leg dangling over the side of the roof, then disappears.