Summary:Felicia, Peter, and Gwen meet up on a rooftop, and discuss Morlun and pants and stuff. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
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Peter has been trying to pick up the pieces after Morlun's death, and what happened after. A lot of things, a lot of people…giving thanks to be alive, mourning the dead, recovering from injuries.
Tonight, he is seeking out one person. One person he feels an unspeakable guilt for getting them involved.
"ALICE…pinpoint Spider-Woman's location."
The green waypoint appeared, and Spidey fired a webline to head in her direction.
Gwen is currently sitting on top of a skyscraper; one of the modest height ones, not like the Empire State Building or anything. She's dangling her legs over the edge, with her elbows rested on her knees. She's looking out over the city, with what's probably a pensive expression behind the mask.
Down below, some bully is webbed to the side of the same skyscraper, having been left with a stern admonishment that picking on people smaller than you isn't cool, and the webbing will dissolve in a couple hours.
"Yeah. Picking on people isn't cool," Gwen mumbles, pulling out her phone to idly check facebook and see what's up at the University party that she's totally missing out on.
Spidey's waypoint appears as he gets within a mile of Spider-Woman. That is when the first text message comes through.
<It's Pete. You…you got some time to talk?> Even his text sounds hesitant.
Gwen gets the text right away, as it pops up on her phone while she's looking at it — right while she's finding out all about what awesomeness she's missing out on at that party.
<of course!> is the reply sent within seconds. She tucks her phone away again, and sits up straighter. She watches Peter's waypoint approach on her head's up display, and stands up on the edge of the building as he gets closer.
Spider-Man seems to go for the Olympic stuff purely out of reflex, or habit. It's not enough for him to swing from one building to another, he has to do the somersult, the backflip, and the rest. It does show signs he's closer to being back to normal.
He soars over Gwen's head, landing on the far side of the roof, landing without a single skid because Clinging. He straightens, then walsk towards Gwen, assessing her for signs of injury. He has patched himself enough times, he knows what it looks like.
Gwen watches Spider-Man do all the gymnastics; maybe she'll start doing that kind of stuff eventually, as a matter of course, but right now she's pretty proud of herself just for making it to the top of skyscrapers and swinging around between them. She waits for him to land, then she's walking towards him as he approaches her. She doesn't look like she's injured, either; Thea must have done a good job of patching up everything she earned from her first encounter with Morlun.
"Hey," she greets, coming to a stop in the middle of the building. "Haven't seen you since…" Since that. Yeah, that. "How're you?"
Spidey smiles under the mask, but it is a sad smile. "Well…I went home, fell asleep, slept for twelve hours. During that time, Aunt May came home early and found me still conked out…and half of my suit laying on the floor, the bandages, and the puke from drinking iodine neat with a Prussian Blue chaser."
He sits down on a pedestal near a air-exchanger unit. "So…24 hours after that, it's the first time I see Aunt May since this mess started…and she tells me she knows I'm Spider-Man."
Gwen picks a seat on an air-duct pipe, one of those big square ones, near where Spidey is sitting. "Ouch… I'm sorry to hear that. Must've been a rough way for her to find out, and can't have been a fun conversation for you, either. HOw'd she take it?" She holds her legs up to sit cross-legged, almost like she's about to meditate.
"My Dad came home like… almost twenty hours after the whole thing was over. We went out to dinner. That was… that." She shrugs her shoulders lightly.
Spidey sighed. "It…was very difficult. She was angry at me for lying to her…repeatedly. She asked me why…so I told her, that it was my fault Uncle Ben was dead…" He looks at his hands. "Then she told me it wasn't. She told me it was HER fault. They'd had an argument that afternoon. Aunt May can't remember what it was all about, but it made him mad enough to head out to the porch. He was out there for awhile…which means he was there when Carradine came to the house…"
Gwen watches Spidey and listens, and shakes her head slowly. "I…" What do you say to that? "Peter," she murmurs, breaking the rule about using names while masked but really, who'd be listening up here. "I… I'm not really sure what to say," she admits. "But I'm here for you, no matter what, right?" She pauses, resting her hands on her knees once more, like she was sitting earlier, just without her legs hanging off the edge of the building. "Did you and your Aunt manage to talk things through?"
Spider-Man…Peter…looks to her. "We did. She doesn't like me lying to her, but she understood why. She said it was a shame, because she spent the day thinking. About me, about her, about us. She realized that she understood why I do this, why I'm Spider-Man, and she thinks it is Uncle Ben's influence." He looks out to the city, "She also wants to help. She thinks it's a shame she didn't know because it changes how she sees me, and herself. She wants to volunteer her help to something…ANYTHING. She wants to give back, because she know I am giving back."
Gwen smiles under her mask, and sits up a little straighter, like she does when a worry is lifted off her shoulders. "I figured she'd understand," she replies. "I mean, once she got over the surprise. It's not just Uncle Ben's influence on you, you know, it's hers too." She tilts her head, glancing off to the side. "I didn't take your advice, by the way. I tried four times to tell my Dad, but I just… couldn't do it. I'll worry about it later, I guess." She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "How're you, physically? I mean, you literally drank radiation. Thea got you through if obviously, but… you're… alright?"
Spidey shook his head. "I'm all right. Angel's help plus the medicine, plus my own healing abilty equals no lasting effects, no genetic decay." He chuckles. "Want to hear something funny?"
Gwen hmmms? "Of course," she replies, lightly. "Present to me your best joke, or worst pun, or the bastard child of both from an illicit breeding program for humor."
Spidey snickers. "Oh, this tops them all. Aunt May knew I had some kind of secret…but her guess wasn't that I was a costume-wearing hero…it was that I might be gay."
Gwen stares, the spffts, and chuckles, shaking her head. "Okay, that's silly," she replies bemusedly. "I mean, it's not, there's nothing bad about being gay obviously, but… I mean did you ever introduce her to Helena?" She giggles softly, "Maybe you should, you know. But anyway." She leans back a bit on her seat, and glances off to the side again. "Peter, is it… do you mind if I ask you something?"
Spider-Man gazed fondly at Gwen. "You can ask me *anything,' you know that."
"Is it… always like that?" Gwen turns to face Spider-Man once more. "What it was like with Morlun, I mean. YOu've faced super-villains before. But it was my first time, and I just… I didn't think I was going to make it. I spent the whole time just… just utterly terrified that I was going to lose you, or Dad, or Anya, or someone else that I care about. I thought I was going to break." She sucks in a deep breath, "And I was just… terrified, like I said, the whole time. That I wasn't going to be good enough and someone else was going to get hurt because of it."
Spider-Man looked at her. How could he tell her anything less than the truth?
"…Yes. A lot of times, yes. One good thing about this mask is that Morlun couldn't see how terrified I was of him. A lot of times, you are going to wind up in over your head. So don't just accept the idea of calling for help…EMBRACE it."
Gwen bobs her head. "Yeah, I… I don't have a problem asking for help, I'm not arrogant," she replies. And she really isn't; Gwen has never been outspoken about her abilities, she always just been the person who's quietly good at something without bragging about it. "Do you ever get used to it? I don't think I've had a good night's sleep since before Halloween, not… not really." She pauses, "I mean, not that I *need* a full night's sleep anymore, but… but you know." Her shoulders sag, and she sighs softly. "When he was… using me, I've never felt so helpless. All this strength and I just… couldn't do anything. He had me and he knew it and I knew it."
Spidey rests a hand on Gwen's shoulder. "It's been two years. I havent' gotten used to it yet. And I have felt helpless many times. What matters is what you do in the face of that. Do you use your mind and try to think of a solution? Or do you give up?"
Gwen sighs softly, hunching down further. "I want to say "I use my mind and try to think of a solution," she replies, "But I didn't. I just… I just surrendered and did what Morlun told me to do. I didn't know what *else* to do, I just… I couldn't fight him, I was already half-broken, and if I didn't do what he told me, he was going to hurt a lot more people, so I just… I just did what he said." She presses a hand to her forehead. "And I felt like the worst failure ever. …You did it, though. You beat him."
"Yes, I did…and just look at the cost of it. Aunt May is going to offer Spider-Girl's grandmother the spare room. The uncle's death fractured the whole family. And the 'solution' nearly killed me. Not to mention Spider-Girl has her own psychological scars, and Angel did something she had stopped doing a long time ago." Spider-Man rubbed his masked face. "It'a all right to fail. But it also means to try again. Uncle Ben once told me that many times, the winner of a boxing match was the last guy to get knocked down…and get back up again."
Gwen sighs softly. "I know… I was there for all of it. And I know I'm probably just being selfish… I mean, I got off pretty light, all told. He threatened my Dad but I still have him, and he beat me unconscious but it was just broken bones and torn muscles." Well, and a life threatening injury to her kidney. "So. I gotta just pick myself up, yes? I mean, it's what I've been trying to do all week. I'll… I'll manage it. I'll get there." She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I've still got a hell of a role model." She scratches the back of her head, through her hood. "I'm glad your Aunt is looking after Anya's Grandmother… but I'm worried about Anya. I think she needs our help more than she's going to admit."
Spidey nods. "Yeah. And I am going to need help with her. Frankly, I think she needs ALL our help. We have to show her that we're there for her, come what may." He sighs. "You got dropped in at the deepend, Spider-Woman. But you made it through. Morlun is dead. But there are others. He called them the Inheritors. A family of these monsters. And they are going to be none too happy about losing their patriarch."
There is the softest of sounds…beneath the sounds above the rooftops. A figure in a patent leather catsuit and silver hair a fly behind her zip lines onto the roof and steps forward, approaching the pair of spiders quietly, but not stealthily. She approaches from the front. There is no secrecy in her intent.
"You have more help than you know. No matter how many exist in this 'family.' You have a family, too. Extended." The Black Cat looks between the spiders, her eyes bright and sparkling a mysterious green.
"So we can be expecting some housecalls," Gwen observes. "Well, that's just… that's a problem for tomorrow. Hopefully we don't need to have anyone drinking pure radiation to beat them, but if we do, it's my turn next time. I'm not trying to be a martyr, don't worry, just… you did it once, and Spider-Girl already lost enough."
She's about to say more, when the Black Cat arrives, and Spider-Woman looks up to observe her approach. "…Yeah, you were there," she replies. "At the warehouse, I remember. You were trying to help get Morlun off of Spider-Girl. I…" She pauses, "I don't know what happened to you after that, Morlun knocked me out and kidnapped me. I'm really, really glad you're okay."
Spidey looks to as well. Hoo, boy, the Oh, My Girl.
He stands up quickly, because a woman has approached them, and then says quickly, "Uhm, different one. That other one was Catwoman. Spider-Woman…I'd like you to meet the Black Cat. Cat…this is Spider-Woman, who helped me during that hellish day…"
…and paid for it, you bastard, another voice in his head tells him,
Cat tilts her head, watching Spidey silently. One brow arches delicately as she looks between the two, but she nods. "I'm glad you all have each other. I've never been much one fo that whole…" She gestures vaguely. "Teamwork thing. But it benefitted you guys, and I respect that." She rakes her fingers through her hair and looks Spidey over. "You doing all right? Not turning into some were-asshole on the full moon, hmm?"
One benefit of the mask, is that nobody can see you blushing like a tomatoe after a case of mistaken identity. "Err, well," Gwen mumbles. That's okay, Gwen. People mix each other up all the time. Especially when you only have ten seconds to meet the person, and someone is trying to kill you and your friends at the time. Just move on.
"No more radiation smoothies for this one," she confirms, jumping up to stand beside Spider-Man and poke him in the arm. "Well, then. Pleasure to meet you, Black Cat. And, I'm really glad the hellish day is over and we're all still here, if that's what teamwork can do for us, I'll take it all the way to the bank."
Spidey smiles wryly under the mask. "I'm okay, Cat. Morlun's…not. But I'm fully-recovered, and still the bastion of justice that crooks fear, and GAD that sounds so pretentious coming out of the mouth." He sighs. "Anyway, Cat, Spider-Woman's a brave person. But I do have to cuation you. You play straight with me, I play straight with you. I think it's safe to say Spider-Woman's the same way. Don't BS her. She knows a few cops."
Cat moves slowly and deliberately in a tightening circle around Spider-Woman and Spider-Man, but as she comes alongside Spidey, her arm brushes against his. Lightly.
"Let's get one thing straight. I am not afraid if either of you. /Because/ I am shooting straight. If I weren't, I'd be watching you from up there." She jerks her thumb toward the rooftop next door. "Well, let's be honest, I'd just really be watching…parts…of you." She winks at Spidey.
Once again, Gwen is glad of the mask when her cheeks heat up; this time at the compliment heaped upon her. <Thank you,> she subvocalizes just to Spidey, <I'll do my best to live up to that.>
And then Spidey is receiving a lesson in objectification from the circling Black Cat, who Gwen has to admit really does move like a cat; she plants her hands on her hips, and debates if she should… say something or not.
Nah.
"I'm not suggesting anyone should be afraid of me," she answers at last, once the blushing has passed. "Well… unless they're muggers or bullies or abusive boyfriends. I can't stand those. Especially the abusive boyfriends."
Spidey gulps, then says, "Just…clearing the air, Cat." He looks around. "So, what brings you out on the town tonight? It's been kinda quiet with the increased police presence."
" Just keeping an eye on things," Cat replies, her gaze spreading out over the rooftops. "With the information I've gained from your…family…I have just been keeping an eye out for anyone who might be seeking…Retribution," she purrs.
"I didn't mean any offense," she says, settling her gaze on Spider-Woman. "I'm not particularly used to playing nice with…well, anyone." Her tone seems sincere. But she blinks once, slowly, then grazes Spidey with her gaze as she returns it to the city. "The more eyes we have out here, the better."
"I fully agree," Gwen acknowledges. "And yeah, it's been quiet. Best thing I've found to itnervene in today is high-school bullying, and I'm quite confident that kid won't be pushed around again for a while." She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "And, yeah, if any of Morlun's bunch come looking for retribution, it'd be really great to have a heads-up, and not just get… thrashed, like… yeah."
Spider-Man nods. "Well…we've also been trying to help people get back on track, with varying degrees of success. For what it's worth, Cat…I'm glad you didn't get involved. Morlun was a murderous, tricky bastard, and I can't shed any tears for him. We found out his weakness is radiation, so…we can use that if any of his family come calling. Hopefully not in the same way."
Black Cat nods thoughtfully. "Well, whether you, or any of the others for that matter, believe in me…I can help in surprising ways. If you'll keep me in the loop, I'll gladly surprise you." She frets at her lip for a moment, eyes wide as she looks back to Spidey. "I'm /not/ all bad."
Spidey looks at her. "Cat, if I thought you were, I would not have helped you the first time. And I would avoid you when I could. I don't think you're a bad person. I have seen you act for the right reasons, even if your methods are…different. I've never thought you were a bad person, Cat…and it's going to take a lot to convince me that you are."
"Cat smiles slowly, her eyes softening as she looks back to Spidey. "I'm not entirely good, either," she says, sounding apologetic. "But you've shown me a few things along the way, and it's sort of…changed my perspective. I'm not a good girl, Spidey. But I'm…I'm trying to be better."
"Nobody's entirely good," Spider-Woman points out. "I'm pretty sure anyone who is, would be really intimidating, too." She flares her hands in front of her, "And he, if you're okay by him," she nods to Spider-Man, "Then you're okay by me, too." She pauses. "And, yeah, hopefully there will be no more of the atomic smoothies." Is that what we're calling it now? "But who knows when they might show up, so… yeah, I guess we do need to think about that."
Spidey nods. "Yes. Trying to be better. It's safe to say we are ALL working on that, Cat. And if you need help, just call." He smiles wryly. "If you prefer, I can give you my number."
Oh, I think she's got your number already…
Shut up, Stupid Mouth.
"O-oh…Your number. That would be…that would be…nice." Cat ducks her head. Tucking her chin down. What is that…bashful?
She turns her eyes to Spider-Woman. "Thank you. Your faith is unexpected. But appreciated, all the same. I app—appreciate all that you went through to protect him. And…and I'm sorry that you had to go through it. All of you."
Spider-Woman shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I'll admit, when I signed up for this super-hero thing — or rather, got signed up for it, 'cause what else are you gonna do when the world hands you super-powers — I had no idea what I was in for. I thought I did, but I was so wrong about that. But it's part of the job, so as long as I still have my arms and legs I'll keep doing it, 'cause it's right."
The black and white clad hero glances at Spidey, and one of the eyes on her mask gets bigger as she perks an eyebrow upward. …There he is, having girl trouble again. Ahh well, best not to interupt.
"ALICE, does she…?"
"Yes, Spider-Man, she does."
Spidey shrugs, then points a finger at Cat and says, "Bang."
A moment later, a new contact (SPIDER-MAN) appears in her phone. The number is spoofed, of course, so she can't see the real number, but dialing it will get the call to him. Whether it vibrates or not is based on her own settings.
"OoOOooh…" Cat's eyes sparkle, and widen. She looks down and plucks a phone from her cleavage, swiping the screen. "Meow~" she says, and the screen unlocks.
"Gotcha…Spideypants," she says, typing in the contact name…quite possibly the same way she said it.
Spider-Woman is standing here for this entire exchange. Her eyebrow rises when the phone emerges from Cat's cleavage. (Must be nice to have enough cleavage for that.) It rises even further at 'Spideypants', before she breaks down and giggles. "Is that how you do eeryone's contact?" she inquires, innocently. "Or… just his?" She suppresses another laugh, and shakes her head.
"But… yeah. If you ever need help, just call us, yeah?"
Spidey thinks, with some amusement, Yep. That's me. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spideypants. Trips right off the tongue.
"So…" he begins…and then Stupid Mouth sneaks in.
"…I guess you've got my number now."
STUPID MOUTH!
"ANYWAY…since you seem to know quite a bit, I was wondering if you might be able to provide any info you come across that could be useful? I wouldn't tell anyone we got the info from you, of course."
"Oh, yes. I've got your number. Thanks for that, Handsome." She looks between the two. "I'll definitely make you the first to know," she says softly. Then she looks back to Gwen and grins mischievously. "There's only one Spideypants, though…"
"Yeah, well, and there's only gonna be one Spideypants," Gwen replies bemusedly. "I refuse to be Spideyskirt. You seriously cannot do this job in a skirt. It's a onesy or" she pauses, about to say 'or nothing', and suddenly cognizant of where that might lead. "or a onesy," she finishes. Ahem. "Well, uhm, I don't mind if he gives you a number for me the way he just did for him, but I don't know how to do that sort of neat trick with a phone."
"It…helps to have a V.I. and a communications system built into the suit." SpideyPa…SPIDEY takes a deep breath. "Anyhow, we were discussing how to help some of the people that got caught up in this madness. Some people…got hurt badly." And more than one way to get hurt badly. "We were talking about how to keep on going in the face of that kind of threat. Have either of you seen any of the ROCKY movies?" He paused, then added, "Not the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Not relevant."
Cat smirks, bemused. "I'd like that. Maybe we could hang out and you can give me eyeliner tips," she says to Spider-Woman. Then, turning back to Spideypants, "I've seen both. One's more fun than the other. Just don't expect me to listen to 'Eye if the Tiger,' because bleh…just, no." She arches her brow, her smile widening. "But I'll chase ya, if you wanna run." Her brows wiggle.
"Actually, I have… not seen any of the ROCKY movies," Spider-Woman admits. "But I have seen Shaolin Intruderes, Millionaires Express, Burning Paradise, and House of Traps, if that helps." Yes, Gwen; because everyone has totally seen all of the weird, obscure Kung Fu movies that you have. "I— wait, what? Eyeliner tips?" She uhhhs, "I uhh… I dunno. Wear eyeliner, make your eyes look good."
God, Helena, I know it's been awhile and I didn't want you near the insanity I had to go through, but those green eyes…Jeez Louise.
"Well…the reason I brought that up is because the whole thing boils down to not quitting. Getting back up again even if you are knocked down. That's why Rocky's my hero. He doesn't give up. 'It's not how hard you can hit. It's how hard you can GET hit, and keep moving forward.' It's something I believed in as soon as I heard it."
"Cat's lips tug to one side in a playful smirk. "Ahh…I meant the ah…" She gestures toward Spider-Woman's lenses. "But…you're right, Spidey. It is all gonna come down to determination. I'm proud of you." She glances back to Spider-Girl. "All of you."