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Winter is here and it's past the good jolly times of the early dustings from Christmas-time. The happy embrace of the cold weather has given way to the gloomy grumpiness of old dirty snow clinging to streets and buildings in that unwelcome way of long term visitors over-staying their welcome. Moods have darkened, even as reconstruction is seen around the city though life continues, life goes on. It's just New Yorkers have a unique way of making each other miserable to exorcise their own negativity.
"Watch it, I'm walkin' here!"
"Your mom let you go out the house with that face!"
"I cleared that parking spot, buddy. If you park in it I'm beatin' your ass!"
And so on. Yet for every grousing and grimace, there are at times glimpses into the better side of the city. Moments when even a public menace can shine just a smidge of light onto a grey winter's day.
"But momma, my balloon!" The young girl in the bright yellow winter coat cries out as she is drawn along by the hand of her mother. The tourists are out on the weekend despite the weather and the chill, and this mother and child are no different. The only difference now is the momentary utter sense of loss that grips the child as she reaches up for the rapidly fading red sphere that disappears… up upwards into the sky.
"We'll get you another one tomorrow, dear." The parent says as she pulls the child along, a brisk pace must be maintained lest they not complete the museum circuit in time to say they did 'everything' in the big city.
A sniffle is heard from the child even as they both shuffle into the crowd, their steps kicking up snow and muck. But then not a minute later there's a voice, jovial and light-hearted that comes from somewhere above. "Say, did someone lose this? I found it while I was snarfing down lunch."
Looking upwards the child's eyes widen as there, perched upon the lamppost is the Spectacular Spider-Man in his red and blue, though his current look is augmented not just by the white scarf his aunt had knitted for him… but by the red balloon wrapped around his wrist.
*
Despite the winter weather, the attacks on mutants throughout the city, and her shifts at the Diner, Kitty refuses to give up her runs. She'd argued with Piotr at length about whether it was perfectly safe for her to trail through the City alone, and despite relenting on the strange place their home had become (thanks to aliens, mutant hunters, and a powered police force… oh my!), they both knew he had no means to truly dissuade her.
And so, through the Square, with her gym bag slung over her shoulder, Kitty Pryde attempts to navigate the crowd. Of course, the crowd through Times Square with their constant nattering does little for her faith in humanity.
"Hey Lady, watch where you're going!" a heavy New York accent quips at her.
Kitty lifts a wry eyebrow. If she'd wanted to, she could easily negotiate this crowd without touching anyone, but that little bit of anonymity and blending was almost worth it. Of course, even the glare Kitty sends to the man can't compare to the remark he sends Spidey's way.
"Spider-freak, get your own damned neighbourhood with the other bugs and beat it!" And as the man moves, Kitty can't help but catch the FoH badge sewn into the fellow's jacket.
"Aw geese," she mutters to herself as her eyes trail up towards Spiderman. It's possible her workout time may be derailed.
*
It's with that amazing agility, that crazy flourish and ease of motion that for one moment Spider-Man is there perched, and then the next he swings around the lamp post, flips off of it and lands in a kneeling posture before the little girl as he extends the balloon to her. "There you go, kiddo. No worse for the wear."
There might be a moment, just a single moment when the little girl might be able to see through those lenses in the eyes of his mask, see the all too human gaze of the young Peter Parker as the side of the fabric curves up a bit in a smile. Even as the mother pulls the child back slightly and protectively even as she stammers a taken aback, "Th-thank you…?"
"You're welcome, hey, have a safe visit to the city and all." He straightens up to his… really not that considerable height, and perhaps is even choosing to ignore that first insult thrown his way.
Of course the second and the third ones from two other people in the crowd, yeah that gets him moving. "See you good people around!" He says as he starts to step back placing a splay-fingered hand upon the side of the lamppost as if getting ready to crawl upwards.
*
And the insults don't stop.
But not all are sent towards Spidey. Instead, the anti-powered rhetoric seems to interject the general sentiment of those gathered. The Friends of Humanity badges exhibited by many demonstrate that same sentiment and a general attitude of displeasure. "Go back to where you came from, Spiderfreak!"
A blue-skinned woman — with nothing else apparently powered about her — gets pushed through the crowd. "Found another one!" one of the FoH members yells.
Kitty peers over her shoulder at the young woman, and then back towards Spiderman, only to stop. Her head shakes slightly. More that she'll have to explain to Piotr later. She inhales a deep breath, and literally runs through the crowd, to pull the woman into intangibility with her.
"They're everywhere! Grab them!"
It's fortunate that it's truly impossible to grab Katherine Pryde like this as she continues to draw the other girl with her. It's less fortunate that one of these seconds she's going to have to turn tangible to really catch her breath.
A buzz overhead likely catches the attention of a certain Spidey-sense, but nothing can yet be seen. Strange.
*
Quietly, most likely to himself, Spidey says, "But I was born here."
Of course the other folks don't hear him, as by that time chaos has broken out. That blue-skinned gal is ushered through the crowd as people hollar back and forth. There's that surge of bodies towards her, and perhaps a little slower towards him since the opinion on Spider-Man in Manhattan is a bit mixed. Yet that gives him time to respond, and respond quickly.
"Alright, just calm down, spinach teeth." Spider-Man comments as he flips forward and away from the young girl and her mother, perhaps urging for them to go with a gesture before he turns fully to face the crowd as it moves after Kitty and Blue. "Who made you the genetics police?" Of course once Kitty builds up some distance between her and the crowd, the time for talk is over as there's a /splat/ of webbing fired between the wall and a parked car that serves as a sticky tennis net of sorts to stop pursuit after the fleeing mutants. "I know the Giants had a crummy season, but is that any reason to flip out?" Ok maybe it's not the time for talk, but that rarely stops Spider-Man.
But then, abruptly, he turns his head to the side as that tell-tale tingle grabs his attention. Behind the mask his brow furrows as he looks up and to the side, turning his gaze away from the head man in the crowd. He might think that's a good time to take a swing, though really… it's not.
*
"Hey hey hey hey," Kitty coaxes the blue girl several blocks away. "You're safe. Honestly. Just… keep going," she instructs quietly. "I gotta check on — " her head ticks back towards the crowd. "I know he can get out of a pinch if necessary, but he really needs to learn to keep his mouth shut," a problem that sounds-all-too-familiar for the Jewish girl.
Kitty turns on her heel to tread back to the foray and ensure that no one gets hurt. Being intangible has its perks.
Ten orange pumpkins descend into the crowd, flashing brightly with energy not yet realized. The group continues to holler angry diatribes towards Spiderman, but seems to fall silent when a very maniacal cackle echoes through the scene.
The sound of the vibrating board that the green man rides is enough to call the attention of those below. But the green mask that hides his face is likely enough of a tip off that this fellow is bad news.
*
And suddenly all the quips are gone. All the assurance of control of the situation, and the bravado disappear in that instant. Those eyelets in his mask widen with a faint whir and /that/ is the moment the guy with the FoH emblem decides to take his swing.
"Freak!" He snaps before throwing the punch, only for the fist to be caught. And then the cackling monster is revealed. Spider-Man holds the man's fist there for just the barest of moments before he /pushes/ the guy back and into an alleyway as he shouts, "Everyone take cover!"
The pumpkins make their descent, only for Spider-Man to complete that quick _run_ up the side of the lamppost, the balls of his feet miraculously being the only parts of his body in contact with the surface as he moves in a blur of speed. There's a /thwiiiip/ as a web-shooter fires, creating a big web over the top of the crowd, like a tarp trying to protect them and drawn taut between two lampposts and a flag pole.
It's then that in the space of the same heartbeat he completes that climb up the street light, those pumpkins falling down past him as he leaps into the air, the movement of the world seeming to slow down all around him. Most of them will assuredly be caught by the sticky web, but two more… two are too far wide.
He's leaping upwards towards the Goblin, eyes locked on the monster's face, his arms crossing over his chest as he fires two thin weblines… snaring the last of those pumpkins and then swinging them around as he uncrosses those arms… only to send them hurtling back up at the Green Maniac as he charges at the man who has cost him so much.
*
The bombs that soar back towards the Goblin, explode just shy of his person. They create pretty fireworks around him that then emit massive amounts of smoke. The dense cover of smoke means he's unseeable for a few beats…
And when the smoke clears, he's gone.
*
Frowning behind that mask, Spider-Man lands against the side of the building. He's already tuning around to try and spot the Goblin, holding himself against the wall with one hand and one foot. His other hand is held up and he tries to take a bead at the maniac before he can flee… but there's no sign of him, save perhaps the echo of laughter in the distance.
Shaking his head, Peter scans the horizon and for once is without words. He looks down at the crowd, at the people who are still looking up from their places behind cover, the pumpkin bombs having gone off primarily with a smoke and fire payload. The webbing did its job, yet there's still the sound of coughing as people get lungfuls of nasty smoke.
"You freaks! Get out of our city!" A voice calls, and for once… Spidey has nothing to say in response. He leaps off the side of the wall, a webline firing with a /thwip/ and he starts moving in the direction the Goblin fled.