1965-06-13 - Sparring with Science
Summary: Chris and Peter try to beat eachother up. Mostly, Chris tries to.
Related: None
Theme Song: None
chris peter-parker 


Slowly, Chris had begun to recover a bit from the download of the language into his head. It hadn't really helped with the aggression issues from the suit, but he was at least beginning to understand some of the whispers that accompanied the psychic dissonance in his head, and that at least let him start to learn that the suit was communicating some things to him while he was possessing it and while in combat, and that had made him feel a little better about things, even if his head continued to not quite understand what was going on. "So what it's sharing with me is something it calls the data song, and that's what I'm not really able to interpret and what messes with my head," he explains to Peter as they head out to the park in which to spare and practice.


"Have you tried asking it to… not share the data song?" Peter wonders, even as he heads towards the park. He's dressed in his suit, even if he's walking. In case someone happens by, they can't see Peter and Darkhawk sparring, they need to see Darkhawn and Spider-Man. Still, his mask is held in one hand, and he grins over at Chris, "I mean sure I assume you tried that, but you know what they say about assume—"


"Umn, I don't know if it entirely has control over that or not," Chris admits with a rise and fall of his shoulders. "I'm still hazy on how all of this stuff works. I just know without a doubt that it works." He grins a little lopsidedly. He's dressed in his usual clothes without any kind of a mask, but then, hs suit comes with one. He chuckles a bit and says "Yeah, I tried that."


"Well, I'm basically nearly done with the current project, so we'll experiment with your bracelet next." Peter nods his head encouragingly, tilting a little to the thoughtful. Once they reach the center of the park, he takes a deep breath, slips his mask on, and rolls his shoulders, "Hmm, I'm at a disadvantage in a rural environment. The webslinging is particularly effective in dense urban settings. I mean I can stick it to a tree but the tree doesn't have a whole _foundation_ to brace against."


"Well, we could do this downtown but I'd be a little bit worried about random people getting in the way or property damage or, you know, crashing into something embarassingly in front of tv cameras or something," Chris says, chewing on his lower lip just a little bit absently as he is lost in thought. "I mean, mostly I just want to see if I can hit you at all. You're pretty good at dodging without needing to web sling off a skyscraper.. though we could go up there." He nods toward where there are several rocky outcroppings that are like small buildings, very small buildings. Look. We work with what we've got.


"My dodging is cheating." admits Peter with a quick grin, "But I figured out how not to break everything early into my powers. I'm actually going to try to not use it but its not an ability I can turn off. I react on instinct more then specific choice: there's not enough time for choice." He pauses, thoughtful, "At a run you're faster then me but as for actual reflexes, I'm not sure. But. Go ahead!" The grin is on his voice.


"Well, I wasn't able to hit you the last time we tried, so I'm just going based on that, and you don't need to turn it off. That's not the point. The point is me getting practice trying, not whether I actually land or not — though if I do, that'd be impressive," Chris says. He summons the suit then, pulling it from where it resides when he is not possessing it, and then he stretches, rolling shoulders and neck and flexing his digits, getting used to the feeling of the differently sized body. He gives hismelf a moment to warm up and then he leaps at Peter, attempting to land a blow on the slippery Spider-Man.


Spider-Man just stands there, casual, relaxed, "Well true, still, its just not really a fair contest." And he believes in fairness! Mostly. Bad guys don't count. But then his muscles are tensing before Chris has even fully decided to take a shot, and he's flinging himself to the side, doing flip in the air as he does so before coming down with a graceful landing. His hand flips out and he sends webbing towards Darkhawk's legs, and if it hits? He's more then strong enough to break through, though it taks a moment of actual effort to do so.


The shot misses, and Chris attempts to come around for another attempt, but the webbing hits his legs and throws him a little off balance. It's not enough to send him careening, but it is enough to put him off his stride, and for him to have to take a moment to disentangle himself from the sticky webbing. But then he's making another go of it. He makes many attempts over the next half hour or so, running through the trees, using cover, even launching into the air using his wings and performing aerial acrobatics in an effort to chase the Spider down and land a hit on him, but none of them prove particularly successful. It's not a bad workout though, and he manages to only crash into one tree when his wings become entangled.


There's doding, flinging, even one time he flings his web out to attach to a tree, pulls on it to yank himself— and ends up yanking the tree out of the ground. That time Chris got real close. An embarassed Peter coughs behind his mask and once this part of practice is over, glances around and pulls up his mask, grinning. "Well that was pretty good. If we keep doing that, you might be able to get the drop on me eventually! Err, sorry abotu the tree."


Chris can't help but grin a little bit, even though it's entirely invisible within the suit. Though once the suit phases out and Chris phases back in, the grin is still on his features, and he says, "Yeah, sorry about the other tree." He rubs a little bit at the back of his neck and then laughs. "Yeah, maybe. Either way, the practice is good. It can't hurt to keep trying. It'll help dealing with those who aren't as fast to dodge, anyway, making it easier."


"I'll practice with you anytime. The thing that annoys me is of all my abilities, this one is the one I can't get a plausible theory for." The science-nerd that is Peter Parker is vexed by that. Peter reaches into the back of his utility belt, and pulls out… a syringe? "Gimmie your arm. I want to test your blood to see if this is possible hormone related: my theory is it might involved an elevated adrenaline in the bloodstream, along with… other stuff that might be contributing. Like, I don't think this is an entirely in-your-head reaction-response."


Chris grins and slides his hands into his pockets, leaning back against an unmolested tree that they had managed not to ruffle, uproot, or crash into. When Peter suddenly just whips out a syringe, that defensive urge is a little too hard to fight and he suddenly snarls just a little bit and pulls back and away from the needle. But then he takes a deep breath and lets it out again, pulling himself back under control as much as he can and says, "Yeah.. sure, sorry." He holds out his arm then. Fortunately, just showing off the suit or sparring only seems to make him easily irritated, but it passes quickly.


"See, fight or flight, or for you a little mix of both. You instinctively stepped away while snarling. The brain release adrenaline to support _either_ reaction; it changes a whole lot of ways your body operates to facilitate speed and intensity." Peter pulls out a rubber band, reaches out to wrap it around Chris' arm, tightly, then taptap, "Okay I've done this before but not super a lot so if ow? I'll let you hit me and not dodge." And with that he very carefully looks for the best vein and slide the needle in. He is not an expert nurse, so it pinches for sure, but it doesn't HURT more then in that moment.


There's a slight flinch at the pinch but otherwise he doesn't seem to have a problem with the needle after the initial surprise. Once he's prepared for it, he does stay still for Peter to go ahead and draw the blood. He studies Peter for the moments that he's got the needle in his arm, focusing on the other boy to avoid thinking about the needle. "Well, you can study whatever you need to. I mean, my body isn't physically in the suit when it's here, so I guess whatever is going on with my body is happening wherever the suit is when it isn't with me."


Once an almost see the gears spinning in Peter's head. Thoughtful. He pulls out the needle carefully, unscrews the needle itself, then slips the vial back into where the needle was. He's then at a loss for what to with the pointy end that is technically medical waste now. "That's another possibility; it could be whatever … state … your body is in while you're int he suit? It wasn't designed for human physiology, so it might not be the data song. Just exposure to whatever sustains your body." He flushes a bit suddenly, "As for studying, ahh…" Ahem. "…I mean, like…You're not a experiment for me to poke and prod on."


"I kind of am," Chris points out, nodding toward the needle, but a little bit of a smile follows as he shrugs his shoulders. "I mean, it's okay though. I don't mind you studying me." He watches as the phial and needle away. "I've never liked needles," he admits and then takes a deep breath, letting it out again. He puts a little pressure on the spot where the blood was draw and then leaves it alone.


Tugging off the tourniquet, he lifts a hand, and suddenly Chris' arm is encased in webbing, "Its bioneutral and naturally antiseptic. You can peel it off in maybe an hour." Peter then looks up at Chris, hesitant, but he protests, "I'm not experimenting ON you, I'm trying to help you! It's different. I mean." He hesitates, groans, and rubs at his face, "Sorry, Noh-Varr is screwing with my head."


Chris blinks as his arm is suddenly webbed and then he grins a little, poking at it a bit with one finger as he tests its tensile strength. Then he leaves it alone after the curious prodding. "Yeah, I remember. It's a little odd but it's all good." He looks back over at Peter and sees that hesitation and he tilts his head just a little bit. "Oh, I mean, I know you're trying to help me," he says quickly, reassuringly. "I just meant you know, I am kind of an experiment too, and that's alright. I don't mind if /you/ experiment a little." He reaches out and gives Peter's arm just a little squeeze. "What's up with Noh-Varr?"


"I dunno, 'experimenting on' people just seems … wrong." Peter has a keen sense of morality, and sometimes that's not entirely useful for him. "He's been hitting on me. Its awkward and embarassing." He seems a little flustered at the very thought, "Though its slightly less annoying now that I talked him into like, _stopping_ with the constant bragging." That makes him sound pained, "Believe me that took awhile."


"Well, I mean.. you're not keeping me in a cage in a lab, right? And I mean, I consented to the blood thing, so it's not really the same as like.. something bad," Chris kind of stumbles over and then he says "Oh," when he mentions Noh-Varr's hitting on him. He slides his hands into his pockets and says, "Yeah, I can, ah, see where that might make someone uncomfortable and all. Both.. of those things." Then after a pause he says, "But I mean, that's good.. that he's stopped with the bragging. I mean.. he strikes me as someone who.. really likes to talk himself up."


"Well, yeah. Okay, I'll stop stressing about being a mad scientist." Peter flashes a quick, bright grin, before he gets to flushing, "Its just… look, I've never really dated, and he's very pushy. It makes me uncomfortable." He shrugs, "Also compliments that aren't about my brain are not things I'm used to." Pause again. "Wait I'm whining now, aren't I?"


Chris grins a little bit lopsidedly and says, "I think you've got a long way to go before you could become a mad scientist." He fiddles a little with the webbing on his arm, poking at it but not peeling it off. He's just conscious of its presence, and can't quite stop prodding it every so often. He shakes his head though and says, "Nah, it's cool. I get it." He opens his mouth as though to say something else and instead just chews absently on his lower lip. "And I mean, you can talk about whatever. I don't mind listening. You've listened to me, too."


Peter is an observant guy, and so he peers at Chris a moment, "What were you going to say?" he asks with an air of oddly confident innocence, despite his tendency to blush. "And well, true. I just don't want you to think I'm weird. And I just don't know what to *do* about this situation. I kinda wish it would just stop. He's so…mercenary and self-absorbed." He wrinkles his nose a bit, "Plus like you know an_alien_guy which I had never thought about before, so, mind twisted in on itself." Poor Peter.


Chris shakes his head when Peter asks what he was going to say and mumbles something non-committal. Then he chuckles and says, "What's weird about a dude who got bit by a radioactive spider and can now anticipate my every move and dodge it while pulling over trees and slinging webs? Totally normal." He can't help but grin a little. "Just like me." Then he says, "I mean, have you just told him you're just not .. into him? Or does he just keep doing it anyway?"


"I don't know what I'm into, but I'd like to think it would be someone who had you know, _values_. Or something in common. I'm not going to like someone just because they're good looking." Peter looks pained again and then has to just laugh, "Which I moreorless said and he was all, oh so you do think I'm good looking, in this annoying smug voice. Oy." He shrugs, "Anyways, do you have a girlfriend or something? I don't know how this works. Especially when aliens are involved. Like I've been on a date or two. Sorta. But still."


Chris can't help but roll his eyes at Noh-Varr's reaction, "Yeah, that sounds about right. I mean I only met the guy the once but he does seem to fixate on what he wants to hear." He shakes his head just a bit, and then says, "No, I ah.. I've never been on a date. I found the amulet and things went weird. I've spent most of my time just trying to figure out what's going on there and not hurt people, you know? Dating… " he trails off and then says, "I wouldn't know anything about dating humans, let alone aliens."


"Oh. You neither?" Peter sighs, long-suffering. "I guess I can ask Mister Stark for advice." That would go _horribly_. "He's been on all sorts of dates and probably has all sorts of people interested in that he isn't really into." But he nods to Chris too, "Yeah, the spider bit me when I was 14. I just…stopped having time for normal teenage stuff where you're supposed to learn about this sorta thing. Now I have no idea what I'm even into."


"Yeah, maybe," Chris says, not having any idea just what a terrible idea that might be. But Peter's logic seems sound enough to him, anyway. "Yeah, he says. Makes things a little more complicated when you're trying to learn how to control your anger so you don't hurt somebody. And then dealing with all the stuff with school and fighting the bad guys, and.. I mean.. I know .. what I like. I just, you know. The idea of asking someone out, and then.. do I have to keep everythign in my life a secret?"


That gives Peter pause, and he considers, thoughtfully, "That's hard. If you tell them, in a way, you put them in danger, and what if it breaks up? Then again, if you don't tell them, you put them in danger— and they don't know it. How do you have a relationship with someone with either of those things hanging over your head?" He nods, "While you had to learn how to control your anger— hard, I'm sure, don't getme wrong I'm not making this a contest— mine was similar but different. The spider makes me alert but that's it… but the strength is always there. Nightmares are a little problematic."


"Yeah," Chris says and then he grins a little and says, "Yeah, it's not a contest or anything. It's just different, and problematic in different ways. And to be honest, yours is probably worse, since you can't really control it or even be aware of it to a degree." He then asks, "Do you have a lot of nightmares?" He studies Peter's face, his expression.


"For me it was about learning control moment to moment; I'm always in control but I had to learn to be conscious of the strength I used in everything— in giving someone a high-five— when my natural instinct before was to just… give someone a high five. Before? Slightly pained hands, grinning. Now? Accidentally rip someones arm off. The exact same amount of effort seemed to go into each action but its completely different." Peter doesn't sound upset or sad or pained by it, just thoughtful, "I'm still me, always just me, but I just have to be conscious." He hesitates a long moment, "I did, then. I don't… as often… anymore. I lost my Uncle. Its my fault he died. It used to haunt me. Now it just… fills me with dread."


Chris wanders over toward the fallen tree that had gotten knocked over, and sits down on its trunk which makes a kind of convenient bench, letting his elbows rest on his knees as he hunches over and studies the ground a bit, just listening. He glances over toward the end and says, "Yeah, you told me about your uncle. And .. I totally get why you feel that way. I feel the same way about what happened to my family, except I got lucky and they survived. But I know what it's like to feel guilt. Not.. the same.. again, just.. similar."


"Yeah, I know I told you, I just mean, that's what caused the nightmares, and.. thrashing in bed with the strength that can really trivially level a house, … its really lucky I didn't level a house. It doesn't happen a lot anymore." But Peters tone says it does still happen. He hesitates, "Like okay, we should try to agree that when we say a thing about our experience, we're sharing, and not trying to compare-contrast-balance, so we don't have to keep saying hey, its not quite the same but similar. We can agree to agree such things re all relative."


Chris smiles a little bit lopsidedly and says, "Sorry, yeah, I think we can agree to that." He fiddles a little with the webbing again and then seems to make a conscious effort to stop, shifting instead to sit on his hands, tucking them one under each thigh and leaning forward a little bit. "I'm glad it doesn't happen as often," he says a little bit awkwardly then, and falls quiet, perhaps not sure what to say after that.


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