Intersecting Paths {Invite}

[Super Chick]

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Darkness was not often a friend to Maya Lopez, but she'd grown to find comfort in it all the same. As a child, night held many fears for her including monsters under her bed and a chilling loneliness that resulted from her perceived isolation even in her own home. The former was similar to every child in the universe who eventually outgrew the notion. The latter was more unique to her deafness. However, neither the perception of isolation, feeling of loneliness, nor the notion that monsters lurked around every corner ever truly vanished for Maya. Rather, they were too often reinforced by her life experiences. The murder of her father. The betrayal of another who assumed that position. Battling her own inner demons and developing into a vigilante who battled more literal ones in the form of those who had chosen darkness over righteousness.

And yet, the woman walked the darkened alleyways of New York with no perceivable fear. Oh, she felt the danger of her actions. She knew the risks. She had fear, but it was mostly of being caught unaware - something far easier to do to a woman with her handicap. The fear of death, though, was absent. Maya had already experienced this in battle at the hand of Elektra. It was not what she had expected it to be, but then there was nothing memorable about the absence of life. She was told she was only dead for a short time, not long enough to ascend the mountain to her ancestors. Not long enough to be found by her father. There was a part of her that longed for her death just so this could happen, but there was a greater part of her that knew her time was not yet. There was too much left for her spirit to accomplish in this body with its many gifts that it was no wonder the spirits did not claim her when they could.

Of course, her confidence had as much to do with her abilities as it did her resurrection. Maya was no push over. If someone ambushed her and did not kill her outright, they would regret it. She was a master of many warrior arts even if she was denying their usage at the moment. Maya had not returned to New York to be a vigilante again, but if necessity arose to protect herself or another in her path, she would not walk away. Still, she would much rather simply make it to her destination peacefully than find her previously exalted gifts were required. She just wanted to enjoy a meal with a friend, provided she could make it on time and they did not leave! She was running a little later than she intended. Hence her chosen shortcuts through the alleys.

Maya exited one alley and prepared to cross a street to enter the next. No cars were seen in the darkness as she looked both ways, which was not unusual since she was yet in a neighborhood and had not entered the busier area of the borough. She stepped into the street and was halfway across when she caught the glint of metal from a streetlight. Maya looked up in time to see a car barreling toward her without its headlights on. She started to move, but it was questionable if her reaction would be in time.

Perhaps this was the day to see her father, after all?

Slim

[Slim]

"Kill the lights, Bennett! WE'RE FREE AND CLEAR!"

The SHOCKER cackled triumphantly as the the old Cadillac rounded a corner at high speed, fishtailing slightly before his driver got it under control and complied with his boss' instruction. The newly rich supervillain looked over his shoulder out the back window to make sure that the SUV full of the rest of his men (and the rest of his money) was still following, just in time to see their headlights go dark as well.

The sirens were fading fast, having been expertly blocked by sudden semi pulling in to block the entire intersection during the escape. The distant wails were music to Herman's ears. A heavily gloved hand lifted the radio towards his mask and hit the button. "Flynn, call your brother and make sure that boat engine's running! And tell him the first round's on m—WATCH OUT!"

Just take a mulligan on this one, Reilly. Tell Pete and MJ you went and saw a movie. Try again tomorrow.

As his internal monologue could confirm, night one of the Scarlet Spider's grand return to superheroics had been a disaster from the jump. Even something as routine as putting on his costume had been an ordeal. He'd taken his old suit out of storage the day before, and when he slipped on the mask tonight, Ben felt exactly a second of hope and possibility before feeling a tickling sensation on his cheek, right below his eye. Turns out an ACTUAL SPIDER had taken residence in his mask, and wasn't a fan of having its space invaded.

And while there had thankfully been no additional arachnids in his gloves, the fluid in his web-shooters had solidified over the past three years, rendering them both pretty much inoperable. He had a backup pair, but had to borrow a few fresh web cartridges from his new roommate, causing him to flash back to Felicia's tease about a change of alignment. The temptation only grew stronger with each passing setback.

That trademark Parker Luck continued through to Ben's first attempt at actual heroism. He followed the shrill sounds of fire alarms towards a building that was likely full of people needing rescue..only to find out that it was all just a routine fire drill. From there, he'd opted to trust the police scanner rather than his own eyes or ears, but the city had picked tonight of all nights to be fairly quiet.

Until it wasn't.

Just as he was pondering dropping to the sidewalk below and getting a hot dog from a street vendor before calling it a night, the police scanner lit up. From the small speaker by his ear built into his mask, Ben listened closely. A bank robbery, six injured. Reports of explosions, two getaway vehicles, pursuit completely blocked. The nearest police chopper couldn't take off, someone had cut the fuel line. And suddenly, an officer relayed a name that made it all click: SHOCKER.

Thoughts of spiders, movies and hot dogs evaporated as Ben took off at a dead sprint towards the edge of the roof. He took a tremendous leap into the air and muscle memory kicked in, his arm raising at the perfect angle to fire a web at a building ahead. His hand gripped the web and he was swinging, cutting through the breeze as his feet were nearly low enough to kiss the top of a bus below. He was close to where the police had lost them, he just needed to look.

He held each swing until the very last moment so that he would be sent skyward upon release, surging high into the air and surveying the world below with each arc. Soon, his luck took a turn for the better, as a loud and furious honk from three blocks east drew his attention. He just barely saw it: two vehicles speeding through a red light, heading south and narrowly missing the cars passing through the intersection. He fired another web, and the chase was on.

He followed the sounds of squealing tires through the city, moving as fast as his arms and webs would allow. He cut through the borough at an angle, intending to intercept the crooks and hopefully put a stop to this whole thing. He finally made it to the same street as them, sprinting along a rooftop alongside the road. In a few seconds he would catch-

No!

There, in the road. A woman. Dead center, right in the path of the first fleeing car. Ben was too far back, would never get to her in time! His body acted before he could think, arm surging forward while his middle and ring finger raced to his palm. It was a one-in-a million shot, but there was no other way..

The web line connected with the front left wheel of the Cadillac, and Ben pulled with all of his might. The car was yanked off course, veering hard left and barely avoiding where the woman had been standing. The entire wheel was torn from the axle, and the driver lost control entirely. The car's weight shifted and suddenly it rolled, metal glass and asphalt smashing together in a harsh symphony as it tumbled two or three times, only stopping when the roll took it right into a parked truck.

Ben leaped down to the street to check on the woman, just as the SUV screeched to a halt just past the wrecked car. And doors started to open. Ben saw the glint of steel, military-grade rifles in the hands of men in masks. Ben acted quickly, putting an arm firmly around the woman's waist and leaping from the center of the street, landing behind some kind of delivery truck just as the gunfire erupted.

Ben looked at her, his eyes wide with concern but hidden by the mask. "Are you alright?"

Tag: Super Chick

[Super Chick]

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The action felt like a blur in her unpreparedness, but Maya still took in each millisecond perfectly. The vehicles approached with speed that was far beyond the legal limit for the area, clueing Maya into the fact that these were unlikely locals to the neighborhood and much more likely criminals of ill intent. Her mind's immediate question as she reacted to avoid their expected collision with her comparatively fragile body was whether they were out to target her specifically or if this was a case of bad luck for the former vigilante. Her keen eyes saw the splash of webbing that caught the tire and with a blink her vision cast upward searching for its caster even as the van itself veered off toward a parked car on the street. (Of course, she wasn't aware it was webbing at the time, but something hit the tire!)

All of that happened while her body was bending at the knee and attempting a leap out of the way. Maya barely left the ground when she was caught up in the arms of the Spider-Man! ... In a hoodie? Maya's face likely registered the shock of coming face-to-face with the webslinger even if a part of her mind wasn't entirely taken aback. There had been, after all, something that came from the sky and pull the traveling van away from her trajectory. Thankfully, the Spider-Man had her out of the way before the following vehicle came to a stop on top of where Maya had been standing. She saw men exiting the vehicles over the Spider's shoulder. The pair of them dropped behind a metal dumpster just in time to avoid gunfire. Spider-Man-in-a-Hoodie set Maya on the ground and his facemask moved, alerting Maya to his speaking from beneath it. She had no idea what he was saying but assumed it was something akin to asking about her health. That's what heroes always asked, right?

"I'm fine. Thank you," she said, ducking away from the man in spider-tights. She started to look around the dumpster, not having seen the men begin shooting. She stopped abruptly after touching the dumpster and feeling the vibrations of the rapid-fire bullets striking it. Maya winced but found comfort in the deduction that this was probably just a case of coincidence rather than a targeted assassination attempt since Spider-Man-in-a-Hoodie had been on their trail. That meant she could leave the vigilantism to the crime fighting web-head. She didn't have to get involved.

Maya remained ducked behind and against the dumpster so she would both stay safe and be able to feel when the gunfire ceased. She looked up at the Spider and said simply, "So, are you going to just stand there or are you gonna go fight some bad guys?" Maya wouldn't know what he replied, if anything, but she'd know by his movements. Then she'd watch from the safety of the dumpster as best she could. If the Spider looked like he needed help, she'd jump in. Maya just doubted he would need any help. He was the Spider-Man, after all.

In a hoodie.

What's up with the accessory, she wondered.

Slim

[Slim]

"Good! S—" Ben flinched as gunfire erupted from the street and the dumpster's steel tolled with each bullet strike. "Stay down!" he said, trying to shout over the sound of it all. From his crouched sound, the Spider surveyed their immediate surroundings, trying to formulate the perfect plan in the blink of an eye. Every second that he wasted risked the lives of himself, this woman, and anyone else in the buildings nearby.

Thankfully, the bystander he'd rescued wasn't running for her life or screaming, though he wouldn't have blamed her for either. She seemed calm, calmer than almost anyone should be in this situation? In fact, as Ben realized that the only plans available to him were bad ones, he got a freakin' yelp review implying he was taking too long!

"Easy! I'm not bulletproof!" And then, the big white eyes on his mask widened, signifying the lightbulb moment he'd just had. The Scarlet Spider took a step back from the dumpster, getting into some kind of ready stance. His arms aimed ot either side of the dumpster and he fired two webs, one from each wrist. They connected with the cars on either side of the dumpster, currently parked bookending the trash container.

Don't blow it, Ben.

And then, everything happened all at once. Having given himself a little space, the hero KICKED the dumpster with enough force to make Gerard Butler proud, and yanked his arms inward at the exact same moment to pull the two parked cars together to close the gap left by the dumpster, so that his harshest critic would still have some metallic cover between her and any guys with guns.

The dumpster crashed forward as if fired out of a massive cannon, crashing dead-on into two of the gunmen and clipping a third. The fourth dove to the ground to get out of the way of the giant metal projectile. Ben wasted no time, releasing the webs and leaping high into the air. Though he was only up there for two seconds, it was enough time to fire webbing at three of the scattered guns on the ground so that these crooks couldn't pick them back up again.

He landed a few feet away from the one guy who had dodged the dumpster, just as he was getting to his feet and raising his rifle. Ben grabbed the barrel of it with his left hand just in time to shove it skyward as the man pulled the trigger. His right hand came down on the gunman's elbow, causing him to let go of the weapon. A pretty crisp spinning kick sealed the deal, sending him down for the count.

Ben straightened, and gave the rest of these guys an ultimatum. "We all know how this ends! So save me some time, climb on into the trash can so I can roll it down to the police st-"

Without warning (or regard for good quips), the side of the overturned Cadillac just..exploded in a massive burst of energy. This shockwave sundered the asphalt of the street on its way to hitting Ben with full force, blasting the Scarlet Spider backward and crashing into the side of a truck, which crumpled around him at the sheer force of the impact.

Out from the original lead car climbed the Shocker, his gauntlet vibrating as it began to build up a second dose of energy.

"You're DEAD, Spider-Man!"

(Reference: Kinda like this, but into a truck)

Tag: Super Chick

[Super Chick]

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He said something again. Maya was sure of it because his mask moved as she was used to seeing others' masks move when they didn't realize (or remember) that she wouldn't have a clue what they were saying with their mouths covered. Maybe he didn't know her because she didn't have a handprint across her face, or maybe he just didn't know her at all. Maya wasn't sure of her memories from before the Hand resurrected her. She constantly doubted who she recalled meeting, who knew her alter ego was associated with her real self, or who knew she was raised by Wilson Fisk. It was all so troublesome, really. Had she met Spider-Man out of Echo's or Ronin's costume?

Bah. It didn't really matter right now, did it? Right now there were bad guys and the Hooded Spider-Man was going to take them out. Maya was excited to watch. She'd removed herself from this life, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate it. Beyond that, there were always more tricks to learn, more skills. She studied the masked vigilante as he appeared to have a lightbulb moment and stepped back from the dumpster. He extended his arms and released his iconic webbing at the two parked cars on either side of the street surrounding them. Maya was unsure what he planned but quickly discovered it when he kicked the dumpster she was leaning against right out from behind her. Her reflexes kicked in quickly and saved her from falling to the ground where the dumpster had been, which was incredibly lucky considering Spider-Man pulled the two cars crashing into one another in its place. He thought he was being clever by using the dumpster as a tool but had she been an average person, she probably would have fallen without any warning. Then again, Maya thought, that could have been what he was saying when his masked moved earlier. She'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

When Spider-Man leaped into the air over the cars with the height that only superhuman abilities could perform, Maya turned again and rested against the cars, using them as cover. She peered over the top and saw his kick of the dumpster had taken out a couple while his quick, reflexive web tricks took out their guns. He then made certain to take out the one who had avoided the truck before casually walking toward them. The mask moved. Maya assumed he was making some commentary, as she knew Spider-Man was prone to do. Then, she saw it before she felt it. Shocker exited the lead vehicle that almost struck her. He aimed a huge, ostentatious wrist gauntlet at the Spider hero and let loose some kind of sonic waves at him. The car Maya was leaning again fairly shook with the power of that blast and Maya quickly removed her hand from touching it. She watched as Spider-Man was caught in the blast and sent flying backward into a van, denting it deeply.

Maya stood as if to react, then thought better of it. This was Spider-Man. He didn't need her intervention, right? He had survived far worse than this second rate villain with nothing but tech on his arms had to offer! Maya squatted back down and continued to watch. Surely, Spider-Man didn't want her stealing his thunder. He obviously needed this win to boost his reputation so he could get his face on a cereal box and rid himself of that ridiculous retro 80's look. A hoodie with the sleeves ripped off was definitely not cool in the twenty-first century superhero business.

Or maybe it was and she'd been gone for far too long?

Slim

[Slim]

Welcome back, Ben Reilly..

The sound of his own sarcastic inner-voice barely rose above the sound of the ringing in his ears or shattered window glass hitting asphalt. He heard someone distinctly yell something in that distinctly villain-esque cadence, but at a certain point he felt like his whole rogue's gallery ran together on that front. When Sandman, Electro and Tombstone were all from New York, you didn't get a big variety on the accent front. At least Kraven added a little variety to the mix.

He blinked several times as the world came back into focus, and he saw exactly who was strolling up to either gloat or finish the job. The yellow quilted pattern beautifully highlighted by neutral brown gave it away pretty quickly. "Oh thank god," he groaned, as he planted his hands into the buckled metal on either side of him and pushed himself out of the Ben-shaped dent in the side of the vehicle.

"So much for your stupid spider-sense!" laughed the Shocker as he approached, vibro-gauntlet audibly charging up for a follow-up blast. Ben's eyes went wide as hell froze over: Shocker was right. His danger-sense hadn't warned him that he was about to get rocked by that first shot, and it wasn't going off now, even though danger was staring him right in the face.

Old fashioned way it is.

At the last possible second, Ben's flicked his wrist and a ball of impact webbing fired. If asked to make a wager, most people would probably have assumed he'd go for the face, or the gloves themselves. But Ben Reilly had learned a thing or two from his ex, and so this particular projectile tagged Herman SQUARE between the legs. This...didn't stop Herman from firing his gauntlet on reflex, so the Scarlet Spider did get hit with a short pulse of energy that sent him (and the van!) crashing into the brick building it had been parked in front of.

It was a step up from being liquefied by a sustained assault, though. So as the Shocker doubled over in pain from the low blow he'd received, Ben fired a web at a street light looming over the fight and yanked himself into the air above his foes, firing a quick barrage of impact webbing at the Shocker's back, slamming him to the ground and sticking him there. Ben landed (a little shakily) near one of the other two who hadn't been fully incapacitated by the flying dumpster. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other getting to his feet.

Goon 1 roared and charged at Ben with a pretty mean looking tactical knife, but his malicious momentum only led to an impromptu Spider hip-toss, sending him flying right into the chest of Goon 2 and sending them both crashing to the ground. Ben returned his attention to Shocker, who was pinned facedown to the street with his arms underneath him. 'Immobilized' wasn't the same thing as 'neutralized' with this guy, so Ben stepped forward to take him out of the fight.

"Someone's grumpy! I think it's time you took a nap.." Sadly, he'd soon learn that the resourceful Shocker wasn't done with his little tantrum. As soon as Ben reached him, he heard the tell-tale sound of tech-gauntlets powering up, and the street in a fifteen-foot radius pretty much just exploded beneath them. When the dust cleared, what remained was a crater two lanes wide, with the Shocker and the Scarlet Spider down against opposite sloped walls.

The more blast-proof of the two (thanks, yellow-quilt-suit!) Got to his feet, cackling at how this battle was going. Sore though he was, it was SHOCKER in position for the coup de grâce. "You've had this comin' a LONG time, bug!"

Tag: Super Chick

[Super Chick]

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Maya could not hear what was going on but she had a great view to watch the theatrics. Spider-Hoodie crawling out of the hole his body made in the van. Shocker aiming to misbehave. Spider-Hoodie (as she now called him in her head) web throttling Shocker's crotch. Shocker bending over in, well, shock! And, likely, pain. (When did Spider-Man become so practical!?) Shocker reflexively shooting back at the Spider hero and sending him and the vehicle back into the brick building again. (It was almost deja vu!) Maya winced for the hero assuming that had to hurt. From his place in the dent, Spider-Hoodie reached out and sent webbing at a streetlight, pulling himself out of the hole and deftly pinning the villain to the ground with some well-aimed web blasts. Maya was impressed - more so when Spider-Hoodie took out the henchmen who were rising up against him for round two with a strong twerk of his hips. Now that was a new move for her to copy!

The hero in red tights and blue hoodie approached Shocker as he knelt on the ground beneath his web. Maya stood up and watched Spider-Hoodie's mask move and knew he was saying something. The hero's body language spoke of caution but also confidence. Maya thought maybe she was right. Maybe this was already over. But, no. Something wasn't right. She could feel it, quite literally, in her bones! Vibrations met her feet through her casual shoes, warning Maya that more was to come. Her eyes looked back to the scene hastily. She stepped forward and tried to call out a warning, but even as she did Maya could feel the world shake around her! She was thrown back a few feet even from her position on the other side of the car about fifty feet away!

Landing on her feet in hero pose she'd seen far too many heroes use, Maya found herself no longer amused. Glass reigned down around her but she only knew it was happening by the glint of light that reflected off of it as it fell. Her dark eyes narrowed. Shocker just rattled the beehive. He would soon regret the decision to endanger people in their own homes!

Before the glass had fully ceased it descent to the earth from the apartment buildings surrounding them, Echo unleashed herself from her reigns. She leaped over the car that had been between them and closed the distance. Her advantage was that Shocker was so focused on Spider-Man-in-a-Hoodie that he would not see the woman charging him from just over his right shoulder. Her feet were light on the pavement, but quickly entered the shattered road with debris. Maya never wavered from her course despite the jutting pavement pieces. Rather, she used them to her advantage, skipping across them as graceful as a gazelle with all the power of a lioness.

She saw Shocker take aim and his jaw move with speech. His gauntlet charged, she felt it as the pent up energy reverberated the air. Then, before he could pull the trigger an crush the Spider-Man with another assault, Maya leaped from a raised piece of pavement and extended her foot. Her aim was true, just as she'd seen Daredevil do so many times. Her foot should connect with his neck just below his head in three... two... one split second!

Slim

[Slim]

The Scarlet Spider wasn't sure what was more painful about all of this. The rhythmic throbbing in his head, with a light dusting of possible tinnitus? The cracked rib or three, from getting repeatedly blasted by immense waves of vibrational energy? Or his pride that the first two ailments had come at the hands (literally) of Herman Schultz?

Ben pushed himself out of the spider-shaped indent in the crater wall, right hand coming up to hold his left shoulder which suddenly felt more than a little dislocated. Despite that pain, he thrust his wrist forward again with the intent of providing Shocker with another shot to the jewels (second time's the charm?), but the webshooter opted to spark and click instead of firing, damaged by the pummeling he'd taken so far.

I can take another hit. Probably.

Shocker's gauntlets were nearly fully charged. "Say goodni-"

Ben didn't see her coming. Herman REALLY didn't see her coming. Out of seemingly nowhere an angel descended foot-first, delivering a perfect kick right to the back of the Shocker's neck. The super-crook dropped like a quilted sack of potatoes, skidding forward through dirt and debris. The Spider's mask eyes went wide as he realized that his savior was the very woman he'd swooped in to save from being struck by a speeding truck.

Before he let himself try and get to the bottom of this unexpected plot twist, Ben knew that he had to put the finishing touches on this whole boss fight. He stepped forward and dropped a knee onto their prone adversary's arm so that he could use his good hand to tear out a critical component of his "vibro-smasher". He repeated this on the other arm, leaving the Shocker's tech as broken and useless as his own.

As the man groaned in protest, Ben looked up towards his mysterious ally with grateful awe. "Uh, thanks! That was..really cool. Real quick though, do you have a phone? We should probably get the boys in blue here for a pickup."

Tag: Super Chick

[Super Chick]

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Her boot connected to the back of Shocker's head and the villain went limp beneath it. His body was pushed forward as it landed, then skid across the debris for a foot before coming to a stop. Maya looked at his prone form and shook her head. She had fought so many villains in her lifetime. Few fell so easily, but then the Shocker was just like any other man without his technology. And, he wasn't exactly wearing any body armor outside of those sonic gauntlets. Maya looked at the oversized gauntlets while standing over her victim. Ostentatious, she thought, but then Shocker probably couldn't make tech as sleek and savvy as Stark.

A shadow fell over Shocker from the streetlamp that was oddly tilting form the previous sonic blast that caused a crater in the street. Maya looked up to see Spider-Man approaching, his face cast down at the form on the ground. He dropped to his knees beside the villain and removed something from his gauntlet. Maya's eyebrows lifted that he knew precisely what to remove from the tech to make it unusable. The Spider was either tech literate or simply very familiar with this villain. Both were possibilities, she supposed, but only the former was at all interesting. After all, if Shocker was someone with whom the Spider was so familiar, then why was he not behind bars? Did he continue escaping from the police or was Spider-Man inept? Maya considered her thought and knew it had to be a lapse in the incarceration or police system. This man who knelt before her seemed far from inept.

The hero's masked face turned up toward her and Maya saw it move. He was talking but she had no idea what he was saying. She sighed. "If you don't mind, can you lift the mask up over your lips? I'm deaf and I have no idea what you're saying when your lips are covered."

The former vigilante knelt beside Shocker on his other side and began patting him down. She wasn't necessarily looking for a weapon. This guy's weapons of choice were on his arms, though considering the wanton damage he inflicted without a thought it wouldn't surprise her if he also packed a gun or three. Her hands patted his pants pocket on the front right and pulled out a cell phone. She held it out to the Spider while her other hand continued the pat down. At his left boot, she found a handgun and pulled it out as well. She held that out to him, too. "There's almost always more on these guys," she commented and finally brought her eyes back up to the Hooded Spider with a wry smirk. "Villains always overcompensate."

Slim

[Slim]

Ben Reilly was no stranger to the occasional faux pas. He had all of Peter Parker's memories, including the entire teenage experience. From the ages of 12-17, every nerve-wracking conversation with a girl, every missed social cue. Every joke that didn't land in the early days of super-heroics. Every time those first few homemade costumes ripped in the heat of battle. Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time was a key part of the famous Parker Luck.™

But they all really paled in comparison to what transpired there, in the heart of the crater. It started with confusion, when the woman that had just landed a critical hit on Herman responded to his compliment with a sigh that he felt in his soul. That confusion blossomed into complete and utter mortification when his unexpected savior revealed her hearing impairment, and with the patience of a saint requested that maybe he lift the mask up so that she actually knew what the heck he was saying.

Never had a spider-mask's giant white eyes gone so wide, and only when actually lit on fire by a close-call with a pumpkin bomb had he ever pulled the mask up this quickly. "Oh god, um.. Really, REALLY sorry about that. If it makes it any better.. you weren't missing much." God, he was digging himself a bigger hole than the one he was already standing in. Just setting new records for jackassery left and right.

To her credit, she stuck around. He watched her crouch on the other side of their quilted foe and start searching him. If the flying kick hadn't been evidence enough, this did the trick. This woman was a pro. Within seconds, she had produced a cell phone and a pistol, which Ben accepted from her as she passed them along. His gut wanted nothing more than to continue his profuse apology, but it was outweighed by the pressure of her professionalism in this moment.

"No kidding. I once found a prototype in Doc Ock's lab for a harness with sixteen seperate arms."

After that, he took the phone (a burner, to Herman's credit) and dialed 911. He put the phone on speaker and set it down between Shocker's shoulderblades as he worked on the handgun. "Hi ma'am, just an anonymous tip.. someone beat up a supervillain and all his friends out here on West 50th, near.." Ben looked quickly for a second street sign as he ejected the cartridge in the chamber and released the pistol's magazine. He found it on the other side of the crater, mangled but readable. "...near tenth. Every cent of damage was done by the bad guys. And uh, that's it. Thanks!"

He quickly hit the end-call button on the phone and took a quick second to wipe down both to clean them of any fingerprints she might have left. Really didn't want to open her up to any misunderstandings from the fuzz on this whole thing.

"We've only got a few minutes to get scarce," he said, having been through this song-and-dance a thousand times. He scaled the nearest wall of the crater, and offered down a hand to help her up and out of it. Once they were up and out, Ben put his hands on his waist and surveyed the scene. "I've still got a little clean up to do, but..thank you for the assist, back there. I guess I'm still a little rusty." He would have to manually web these guys up by piercing the cartridges, since the webshooters were pretty much busted.

Tag: Super Chick

[Super Chick]

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Color her bemused. The Spider-Man-in-a-Hoodie stammered an apology after quickly tugging up his mask. Maya pretended to be all business as she patted down the Shocker, but inside it had lifted her spirits just a little to know he was falling over himself to make up for his unknown mistake. To his credit, Maya never carried herself as someone who was handicapped. She had worked very hard to sound like everyone else when she spoke, enunciating her words clearly just as she'd practiced since childhood. She moved with confidence that had been greatly bolstered by extensive training throughout her lifetime. And, she rarely went out of her way to draw attention to the fact she couldn't hear anything. In this case, however, it had become necessary and Spider-Man simply felt guilty for not catching something he couldn't possibly have known.

It was that pity, that backtracking and stumbling over himself to apologize, that kept Maya from telling anyone of her disability. No one wanted to be the object of someone's pity - which was exactly what that kind of self-inflicted guilt of his self-perceived offense was offering. Maya, as amusing as it was to see a superhero feel stupid, did not want his pity and thus ignored it. She stood after having handed off the gun and cell phone to the hooded hero. He made the comment about sixteen arms for Doc Oc and her wry smirk remained until her called for reinforcements. While he was on the phone, Maya's smile faded as easily as she had placed it on her face. She watched him wipe down the phone and a little part of her appreciated thinking that he had done that for her. (After all, he had gloves on.)

The Spider-Man told her that they only had a few minutes to "get scarce" to which Maya nodded in agreement. He mentioned that he had more clean up to do and added a thank you that dismissed her from any further responsibility to the scene. Maya shrugged it off. The hero was trying to be a hero even if he did recognize he needed her assistance before. Misogyny ran rampant in these male heroes. He couldn't help it.

And so, while Maya was intrigued by his "still a little rusty" comment, she accepted her dismissal with a brief nod. "Sure. See ya," she said, turning her back and starting to continue on her way to her destination. She figured that, given five minutes, the take down of this group of villains would be completely his win. She wouldn't even be a blip in his "rusty" memory.

Slim

[Slim]

If Ben hadn't already been bequeathed a sixth sense by the benevolent bite of a radioactive spider, his sixth sense could've been the ability to know exactly how long it would take for the cops to show up at any given crime scene. Years of superheroics in this city had burned into his memory the location of pretty much every precinct in Manhattan and the volume of traffic on just about any street at any given time of day.

So after a last-minute "Thanks again, by the way!" as she was turning that he wasn't sure she even saw, Ben got to work securing the scene. Weapons were dismantled, crooks were constrained. Part of his job was to make sure these guys didn't wake up and get away or try and take on any of the arriving responders. All the while the sound of approaching sirens served as a running clock for the Scarlet Spider. And though he was rusty, he still managed to be atop the nearest building by the time the first police SUV arrived on the scene, though it was a closer call than he would have liked.

His plan started out like this: hang out there on this roof for a minute or two to catch his breath and make sure the cops didn't need any help (sometimes the bad guys had friends try to come rescue them), and then head out to do more hero stuff. His body had other ideas, which Ben discovered as soon as the adrenaline started to wear off. Straightening his back felt a bit like being drawn & quartered, every breath felt like a struggle. Herman had really done a number on him, which was a sentence he planned to admit to exactly nobody ever.

So instead, a new plan formed. Get some food in his broken body and lay in an icy tub until he couldn't feel anything anymore. For the first half of that plan, Ben went back and forth in his head before ultimately opting for pizza, which he honestly hadn't had since waking up from his coma. There was a place nearby that he'd liked, he just hoped it was still open. A lot of places had closed or moved since the day he went down for the count.

Turns out that pizza was eternal, and the place on the corner he swore by had withstood the perils of the last couple of years, and looked almost exactly the same. After shoving his damaged hero-costume into an old backpack, leaving it somewhere only he'd find it and gingerly climbing down the side of a building, Ben made his way into the pizza place, wincing a bit as he shoved open the heavy door. The place was decently crowded tonight, and Ben navigated through the group of people to find his spot in line. While he waited, he caught his reflection in a bit of glass nearby, and saw that in addition to just looking like hell, there was a bit of blood on his lip. He wiped it away on the inside of the neck of his shirt, hoping that nobody saw.

Within a few minutes, Ben had ordered and received two slices of pizza, and stepped away from the register to try and find somewhere to sit. At first glance it looked like he'd just have to take his food and eat by the curb. As he scanned, his eyes passed over a very familiar face, and his heart skipped a beat. Not the least of which was the panic that he might get recognized (irrational, since he'd been wearing a mask!) and his cover might be blown, which would be on-brand for how his night had gone. But Ben couldn't turn back and go the other way because someone was behind him in the aisle waiting for him to move forward, so his only option was to walk directly past her and hope for a clean getaway.

Tag: Super Chick

[Super Chick]

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Maya walked to the pizza place where she was supposed to meet her old friend from school. The other woman never knew of her many adventures as a vigilante and that was how Maya would keep things. Maya honestly disliked anyone knowing that she had an alter ego at this stage of her life. That was in the past - mostly. Her adventure helping the Spider-in-a-Hoodie being an exception she would likely make again since she was back in the vigilante capital of the world. Undoubtedly she'd be caught up in the middle of something again. She was just thankful that, tonight, it wasn't costing her a good slice of pizza!

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Maya pulled it up to read the text. Her friend was not going to make it to meet her tonight. Her baby started with a fever and she didn't want to leave her. Maya sighed even if she understood. She was looking forward to catching up. Her eyes caught sight of the neon pizza sign over the small, local establishment. It wouldn't be everything she wanted from her evening, but sharing her night with a slice of New York pizza sounded rather heavenly right now. With her mouth watering in anticipation of a familiar favorite, Maya stepped into the restaurant and took her place in line. It was good timing. Only three people ahead of her, but a group of at least ten started lining up behind her after she arrived. She kept to herself as others talked around her and, when it was her turn, she ordered two slices of their supreme pizza and found one of the few seats remaining in the small dining room.

While savoring every bite of her favorite thing in New York (or at least it was in this moment), Maya kept her eyes on the other patrons. Most all of them were younger, mostly in their twenties. There were probably a few teenagers in there but they were on the upper edge of their teens. None under sixteen. No one over forty either, though she saw a couple who looked to be in their thirties enjoying what, from lip-reading, she knew to be their first date. Maya watched them a moment, enjoying the awkward intimacy as they attempted to get to know one another in this chaotic atmosphere. Then her eyes shifted to the line. It had continued to grow while she sat there, barely halfway through her first slice of pizza. A man caught her attention. He looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties by her estimation, blond hair that looked dark at the roots, fit but not particularly muscular, and moving as if he worked out too hard at the gym. Or was possibly injured. Her eyebrow perked up slightly.

He is about the right height of that Hoodie guy, she thought, but the thought was fleeting. No self-respecting vigilante would pause his night of prowling for action to wait in line at the most popular pizza joint north of Brooklyn. Not even one who took a beating into a wall with a sonic blast from Shocker and was probably still going to be feeling it tomorrow. She ate more pizza and vaguely watched the blond guy as he stumbled through the line with a bunch of college kids nudging him from behind. She had considered him before he paused awkwardly then tried to walk past her after obtaining his prize. Maya pushed the chair from the other side of her small table out into his path. How he reacted to that unexpected obstacle in his path would tell her a lot about the man and help her to decide if she would invite him to sit with her.

Slim

[Slim]

Spider-sense is a weird thing. Sometimes it's a whisper barely louder than the breeze, offering gentle advice to help its wielder avoid bumping into a fire hydrant. On other days it manifests as an ungodly roar, warning of a bomb seconds away from fulfilling its duty or the quickly approaching horn of a big angry rhinoceros man. It was the biological equivalent of telling Jesus to take the wheel, taking the reins from the mind and doing what needed to be done in a given moment.

All that said, if Ben Reilly's pseudo-precognition had anything to say about a chair being kicked in his path, it kept that message to itself. A hastily exiting Ben struck the chair with his knee and set it off balance, surely to tumble, clatter to the ground and bring just about every set of eyes in the pizza joint to point in Ben's direction. Or..that would have happened, if a different superpower entirely didn't cover for the ambivalent spider-sense.

Ben's hand shot forward and caught the back of the chair just above the seat, while not a single speck of grease fell from the pizza held in his other hand. The reflex and balance on display was so borderline mundane that in that moment Ben was pretty sure it'd go unnoticed by everyone around. His certainty on that front lasted about a second and a half, taking a major hit when he made eye contact with the chair's co-conspirator as he straightened and attempted to move the chair back into place.

She knows. Ben's momentary worry and ensuing indecision lasted just long enough for the college kids behind him to brush their way past, leaving him without the excuse of an Empire State University stampede to usher him out of the building. Still, the 'right' move was absolutely to keep on walking so that he didn't incriminate himself any further.

But the 'right' move wasn't always right. Instead, Ben Reilly left his hand on the back of the seat and maintained contact with the woman sitting across from it. "Hi. This seat taken?"

Tag: Super Chick

[Super Chick]

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"Good catch."

The words fell from Maya's lips as both an answer to his question and her observance of his quick reflexes to catch the chair from toppling over. The fact that the man did not get angry over her attempt to keep him from leaving bespoke of his character. He also maintained eye contact with her despite the fact she almost caused him a (potentially) embarrassing moment. That also said a great deal about the guy, all of it good. Maya approved. The smile that rested easily on her face likely related that much, but just in case he missed the dual meaning of her answer, Maya gestured at the chair in his hand. "Please do."

She watched the blond man as he would sit. His movements still showed some minor discomfort, but he showed none of it in his quick movement to catch the chair and avoid he obstacle. It couldn't be much of an injury, then. Maya dismissed it again as him having worked out too hard and was just experiencing sore muscles. Upon dismissing his injuries as insignificant, her eyes left him briefly to flit over the college boys ordering their pizza and beers. They came back to Blond Guy.

"I appreciate your sacrifice," she started. "I know sitting here was last on the list of things you wanted to do, but you're sparing me the possibility of those frat boys trying to insert themselves into a lone woman's space."

That was largely true, but it wasn't the entire reason she encouraged him to sit with her. He was an anomaly in this restaurant on any given weekend (ie., not a raucous college student) and he was easy on the eyes. Besides, it'd been a while since she'd enjoyed casual conversation with someone who had no idea who she used to be. So, in lieu of her friend being able to join her, this guy looked to fit the bill. Now, if only he was as intelligent as he was fast on his feet.

She opted to assume he was smart and didn't ask any stupid questions. "So, are you a college student, too?" Maya asked, referring to the frat boys, not herself (though he may not know that, obviously). She picked up her soda and watched the guy as she sipped. When he spoke, she'd catch it. God knew she didn't want him to realize that she was deaf. That would only complicate what might otherwise be pleasant dinner conversation.

Slim