15727/Heart of Shadows: Rising From the Darkness

Heart of Shadows: Rising From the Darkness
Date of Scene:	21 October 2023
Location:	City Island, Bronx, New York City
Synopsis:	Zoe senses something is coming. But that mystery will have to wait as Gwen plummets from the sky! Peter tracks her but all's well that ends well with Zoe parting with a couple of new allies.
Cast of Characters:	Zoe Laveau, Ghost Spider, Spider-Man
Tinyplot:	Heart of Shadows

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Zoe Laveau has posed:
It was rather late and the island was not nearly as busy as the mainland. Late enough that the restuarants that scattered the island were now closed and leaving behind the quiet neighborhoods that split off from City Island Avenue, the main road that ran the full length of the island from the bridge over to the Bronx proper. Yet the sounds of the city were never lost entirely in New York, even this far out.

They even had their own cemetary here on the island: Pelham Cemetery. It was rather large and served the population well. But there was another cemetery that was more well known to those who lived on the isle. That one was the island to the east called Hart Island. It had been used for over a century as a potters field, to bury the unclaimed who had passed, for more than a million people.

On the end of a dock near Promenade on Fordham Street stood a young woman. She had lovely warm brown skin and her hair was styled in heavy dreadlocks. A red bandana was tied around, holding them back from her face and out of the way. She wore a short black skirt, pleated, falling to mid thigh. With this was a white blouse in a peasant style. She had a few bits of gold at wrists in the form of bracelets, large hoop earrings and a gold necklace with a large charm hanging at chest level. Her olive shaped eyes were focused on some point out in the darkness. Despite the coolness in the air this time of year, she had no jacket.

And out in that darkness, beyond the slap of the waves gently against the moorings of the pier and beach, there was something else. Something she could sense.

Under her breath, she was murmuring in a soft language that she didn't even know. Her eyes were glowing ever so slightly but not something that would be noticed unless a person were in front of her, instead of behind her. And there was the faintest image of a skull superimposed over her face though again, this was lost unless someone on the water was close enough to see.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Spider Gwen sprints across the flat rooftop of a towering skyscraper, every fiber of her being honed in on a helicopter in the distance. Its blades whirl noisily, chopping through the evening air. Inside, the dim outline of Kingpin's goons becomes clearer. They're trying to flee, but Gwen's determined pursuit won't allow them an easy escape.

With a surge of strength and speed, Gwen propels herself off the edge, leaping towards the whirring machine. Mid-air, she fires a precise web shot that latches onto the helicopter's landing strut. "No you don't!" she bellows with defiance, "You're not getting away this time!"

As the helicopter gains altitude, Gwen dangles precariously, her silhouette swinging wildly against the city lights. Gunfire erupts from the chopper's windows, bullets whizzing past her, their deadly dance a constant reminder of the peril she's in. The night wind is deafening, punctuated by the sporadic crack of gunshots and the drone of the helicopter blades.

But she can't maintain her grip forever. As the chopper climbs higher, racing northeast, Gwen is forced to release her hold. Her spider-sense blares a warning. In a split second decision, she fans out her webbed wingsuit, becoming one with the vastness of the night. Silently cutting through the air away from the helicopter as the steadily *thump* *thump* *thump* carries it yet farther way, the sparse glint of moonlight upon her costume is the only indication of her presence as she glides.

Eastchester Bay to the south of City Island looms below, its dark waters threatening to swallow her whole. Panic surges, "No, no, no, no..." she mutters, eyes darting around for a landing spot. City Island appears ahead, a few streetlights illuminating it, but it offers little relief -- its low buildings aren't the tall skyscrapers she's used to. They don't provide the height she needs to slow her descent.

As she gets closer, in the distance, she spots a dock... a dock with a lone figure standing on the end of it. What was she doing?

Ooooh crap. That didn't matter at the moment. The ground was coming up FAST. She spots the buildings of Barron's Boatyard and AmandaBear PartyRentals. Fingers moving swiftly, Gwen crafts a makeshift net of webs, stretching it between the two buildings. As she crashes into it, the netting strains, slowing her momentum, but not enough. With an ungraceful flip, she tumbles out of the net's grasp, rolling uncontrollably until she *thumps* heavily against a construction dumpster, releasing startlingly hollow, metallic noise loud enough to set a couple of dogs barking.

She groans, pain shooting up her limbs as she begins dusting herself off and pulling the small backpack off of her shoulders.

"Well, that sucked."

Zoe Laveau has posed:
The sound of the helicopter drew her out of her reverie. Glowing eyes turned to track the flying machine as it arched over the island and then away. But something was there. A spot in the sky that didn't seem the same as the rest. It took a moment to realize it was a person.

A few words in English escaped and there were quite a few words that her mother would wash her mouth out with soap for uttering. Things in New Orleans were still more old school than these more northern cities. She found herself turning, reaching out a hand in an attempt to slow the fall of the figure. It was risky. Her magic was there but she was still mostly untrained outside what she knew form her parents. And thus, she wasn't in the best of control.

Thus her attempt to stop the fall instead linked her to the falling figure. "Oh shi--"

She never got to finish the word as one minute she was on the pier, feeling that draw of so many lost voices on Hart Island, the next she teleported in a flash of green light to the same place as Gwen. Thankfully not at the same tragectory nor velocity, instead just suddenly standing there in front of Gwen.

Again for that instant, there was that almost painted looked of a skeletal face and glowing green eyes but then they were gone leaving a young woman, probably in her teens, with olive-shaped brown eyes regarding the superhero.

"Uhm. Hey there." A hint of a southern drawl to her voice as she speaks. "You okay?"

Ghost Spider has posed:
Ghost Spider's hazy vision tries to adjust, her head throbbing from the sudden stop against the ground. Every part of her feels like it's singing an aria of pain. She blinks when she realizes there's a hazy figure in front of her, the big, white eyes of her mask going suddenly wider, her spider-sense jangling with uncertainty. The instant she sees the skeletal face and glowing green eyes, Gwen reacts on pure instinct.

In a comically swift motion, she backflips with surprise, sending herself sailing up, over, and /into/ the construction dumpster she had come to rest against with a series of loud clangs. The dogs in the distance seem to bark even louder now.

"That depends!" she calls from inside the metal container, her voice echoing oddly. The sound of something shifting and maybe a trash bag being pushed aside is heard. "Friend or foe?" There's a moment of silence. "... Ow ... God ... that was a really bad idea..."

A moment later, her mask emerges from the top, covered in a bit of trash with a discarded banana peel sitting on her shoulder, Gwen blinks a few more times at the suddenly less frightening form of the 'ordinary' young woman in front of her.

"That was you.. on the dock."

Zoe Laveau has posed:
And jump scare begets jump scare as Gwen suddenly is leaping into the air and that has the stranger stumbling back several feet and holding up her hands defensively. Which shows one thing clearly: The girl has never had a self defense class in her entire life. That was neither a boxing nor karate stance. It was more a 'please don't kill me I'm too young to die' thing. Despite trying to look tough while doing it.

When she hears the voice, she drops her hands back to her sides and takes a cautious step forward as Gwen's head pops up. Which has her jumping slightly anew but she doesn't take a step back this time. "Yes. I was on the dock. And now I'm here. I'm not a foe. Don't mean harm to anyone." The drawl was faint, not so heavy as some areas like Alabama might have.

She offered a hand. "You need help out of there?" Although the woman got in easy enough so probably not. But it was only polite to offer after scaring her into the dumpster in the first place.

Ghost Spider has posed:
It was so (probably) cute to watch from the outside in.. the way the two of them spooked each other back and forth, neither willing to go into 'attack mode' against someone they weren't sure was actually trying to hurt them. Really, it seemed quite the opposite, but everything had been so abrupt for a few seconds that it was nice to just sort of... peek over the edge of a solid metal container until Gwen was sure the coast was clear.

And that seemed to be at about the time that olive branch -- err... hand -- reached out towards her.

Those big, white, expressive eyes seemed to soften under her slouchy hood, and she without answering at first, she gracefully enough slipped up to sit on the edge of the dumpster. Then she actually reached for and took the offered hand in her gloved fingers as she slipped off of the other side.

And just as she lands gracefully on the balls of her feet, that banana peel that she didn't seem to realize had been there falls off of her shoulder and splats on the ground next to the teal Chuck Taylors that were such a stark contrast to the rest of the black and white of her outfit.

"That's... super gross," she mutters, blinking down at it, and then looking back up.

Up close like this, she's probably not nearly as intimidating as the mysterious wing-suited figure that crashed into a dumpster and kept making sudden, random movements. She's only about five-seven and not all that broad, her figure more lean and willowy, if toned into a dancer's physique.

"Hi. Sorry. This is... not my proudest moment. I guess you kinda caught me on an off day. Like... a really off day."

There's a beat, then, and she can't seem to get the burning question out of her mind. Or the burning eyes.

"So.. what's up with the whole..."

Her free hand came up to make a little circle around her mask. She didn't seem to realize she was still holding Zoe's with the other. Not for the moment, anyway.

Zoe Laveau has posed:
As she got out and then took the offered hand, the young woman relaxed slightly. At least she wasn't going to get punched in the face. Or so it seemed. That was always for the best when starting off. Though, was this a hero or a villain? She knew the big city had their share of both and being new in town, she didn't know anyone but the big names. Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man. Though this gal sort of seemed like that spider motif in a way? There were web designs at least.

She didn't yank back her hand as she listened to the reaction from Gwen as she chattered on, nodding slightly that yes, this was not her proudest of moments. Until she did that finger thing.

Brow furrowing a little, it was obvious she had no idea what Gwen meant at first. "Whole...face....thing....OH!" The lightbulb went off and her expression shifted from confusion to understanding to...embarassment.

"I...okay this is going to sound crazy." Which was never a good way to start a sentence. "I know a little bit of magic. Family thing. And I was sensing something." She caught her bottom lip in her teeth briefly as she tried to explain this without sounding like she should be committed. "It's what brought me to New York but it's not just here. Or there." She pointed east, toward Hard Island, which wasn't even visible in the darkness. "It's something here in the city somewhere. And it's big."

Then something reminded her and she gave a little shrug then shifted that hold for a brief pump of Gwen's hand in a handshake. "I'm Zoe."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen's curious expression shifts to amusement as Zoe explains the sudden appearance of the spectral face. She listens intently, nodding at intervals, her grip on Zoe's hand neither too firm nor too weak. The mention of magic doesn't seem to startle or bewilder her; after all, in her line of work, she sees plenty of strange things. The more important thing was that she wasn't about to use it to summon a hoard of angry demons to come rampage through New York.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

"Less... crazy than you might imagine?" Gwen admits with a wry grin, thinking of certain encounters from her past. "I've seen a little magic. It's usually... complicated." She tilts her head as Zoe points east, her expression pensive. "New York has its mysteries, that's for sure. Sounds like you've got a doozy on your hands."

She returns Zoe's handshake, her gloved fingers pressing lightly against Zoe's skin. "People call me Ghost-Spider," she introduces, releasing Zoe's hand with a smooth motion. "Actually, they tend to call me Spider-Woman, which is awkward because there /is/ a Spider-Woman that's actually an Avenger. She's really cool, but she's not me and she has a totally different costume.. but that's sort of hard to get through to people without a giant PR campaign that /I/ couldn't possibly afford. So, I just end up correcting people one at a time. Which... it's New York. So, nobody listens, anyway."

Breath.

What were they talking about?

"So... magic. That's pretty neat. I'm guessing that's how you got /here/ so quickly, too." She points down. "From... over there." She thumbs over her shoulder.

"You seem like the real deal... so are we talking like... evacuate the city big? Or like.."

She holds her hands up in front of her, spreading them out.

"Bigger than a breadbox big?"

Zoe Laveau has posed:
As Gwen went off, there was a rather slow blink from Zoe. She had not expected the rambling without pausing for breath. And it sort of was like she was letting out the words that were flowing through her mind instead of taking a moment and sorting through them. Very much the opposite of Zoe since Zoe had secrets. Well, normally they were secrets. But the siren call of the lost souls across the way kept drawing her attention. Though, that was not what had drawn her to the city itself.

Mention of the messed up spell got another slightly embarassed look. A drop of Zoe's gaze to the side and down before she forced herself to look at those lenses in Gwen's mask. "I was trying to catch you. So you didn't crash and get hurt. Which involves creating a line of magic betweenus and manipulating it. Only, I rushed it and instead of stopping your fall, I just tethered myself to you and that pulled me over here from over there. It was a total accident." Not a good thing to hear when someone was talking about magic.

Though when they got to the point of the danger, Zoe hesitated. She reached out with her senses and there was that nails on a chalkboard feeling in the air for her. She shook her head. "Way bigger than a breadbox and maybe evacuate the city but I can't pinpoint it. It's...all over. Everywhere." A little frustrated sigh but then she added, "Let me put it this way. I felt it in New Orleans. Then I convinced my folks to come here with me so I could try to figure it out. While my power is hereditary, passed down in the family line, I have some unique abilities that are outside what my Mama can do."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Ages were sometimes a tricky thing to guess, but Gwen had been pretty sure that Zoe was pretty young -- at least, compared to her own twenty-six years. The fact that she had to convince her parents to bring her from New Orleans to New York doubled down on that suspicion.

A girl completely out of her element. Completely out of her home territory. Out here on the end of a pier at night, using magic in the dark, and apparently risking more danger than she realized to save a complete stranger from spontaneously falling out of the sky.

"Hey... I'm gonna..."

Gwen's fingers pointed up at her own face, but that was really the only explanation before she took the bottom of her mask and pulled it up over her head. The hood remained on, the mask apparently perched at the ready on top her head, but tendrils of blonde hair peeked out around her newly exposed face.

Without the big white eyes of her mask to do all of the expressing for her, she was just a young woman underneath with, smiling lopsidedly.

"Sorry. I don't know what I landed in, but it was /really/ smelly under there." Likely story. "My name's Gwen." Then her finger comes to her lips and she winks. "Shhhh. Don't tell anyone, or there's going to be all these people wanting autographs... it'd be this whole thing."

Granted, most of those people being in the law enforcement and legal communities wanting her autograph on charging documents and law suits for property destruction, even though she was /sure/ her effect on the city was net positive. It wasn't like /she/ was the one out robbing banks!

"All the way from New Orleans is a /long/ way to chase a feeling... have you explained to your parents what's going on?"

Zoe Laveau has posed:
As Gwen began to pull up her mask, there was a moment of concern on Zoe's expressive face. But then she relaxed. The woman had her right to make her own choices. If she wanted to go showing her face, that was on her. But the explanation of the costume being stinky was a good sell and Zoe actually bought it.

"I can fix that. The smell. If you trust me. Which I get if you don't after the whole Come Over Here moment. Though guess it was more a I'm Coming Over There. Anyway." She dropped that and focused again on the conversation.

"I won't tell anyone. We all have secrets." And some of them were doozies! She was the last person to go revealing things about others as she would want the same courtesy if someone knew about hers.

She did nod. "I explained the feeling. I have the family magic but a little something different. I pick up on things they can't." Understatement. Since necromancy wasn't in the family wheelhouse. Yay for being special! Or not. "But they trust me, know that I wouldn't make this up. It's bad enough I felt we needed to come here. I know there are other magic users but maybe they aren't sensitive to what I am. Or maybe I can help." That hint of embarassment as she gave a little half grin. "That sounds kind of egotistical I guess, to think I can do something that Doctor Strange can't. He's probably all over it already."

Spider-Man has posed:
Look, New York is a big city.

Pretty ridiculous big with the five borroughs and if one wants to look at it even beyond that the area really starts to get pretty big. A little less so if one is a Spider mind you, and can swing through the city, avoiding the worst of the traffic and congestion. It shrinks things, and makes those unlikely run-ins a little less unlikely.

It's one of the reasons why Spider-Man and Ghost Spider will run into one another on patrol so often. Just that. Not because they've let each other see where the other one's location is at all times. That's for emergencies of course. And the odd convenience of timing now and then. Certainly not to keep tabs on one another.

While Spidey might have resolved to lay low and try to keep out of sight -- and out of trouble -- that particular resolution dies a fairly quick death most days and if he can keep from taking to the streets and rooftops until after dark settles in over the city, well, he's doing a pretty good job. Of course as autumn creeps ever onward and evening descends earlier and earlier, it is getting a little easier, admittedly.

When he does take to the streets, he usually at least sends Gwen a quick text, just to let her know. Maybe to plan where they can meet up, or make sure that there is nothing too dangerous on one another's plate. Which is what he was doing, sitting on the rooftop of a building, legs casually dangling over the edge as if it weren't a fifty-foot drop to the street below.

It is pretty hard to be afraid of heights when one is a Spider afterall.

It is much easier to be concerned however when popping open a map of the city and watching his girlfriend's dot soar far too fast and in such an erratic pattern. Just what could account for such a thing? Well, Pete could make a few educated guesses. But his first instinct is just to leap, to follow, to begin swinging northward through the city, angling away from Manhatten, across the Harlem River and into the Bronx.

And yet everytime he steals a quick peek at his phone as he swings, or races across rooftops, Gwen's dot continues to drift further north and east. Until it finally comes to a stop on City Island.

What on earth is she doing out there?

No matter how you cut it, that's a hike, even for Spider-Man and when buildings give way entirely to the greenery of Pelham Bay Park, Spidey is forced to hitch a ride on top of a truck.

Finally however, as he steals a peek at his map he can see that he is getting awfully close to the destination, casually flipping off the back of the truck, flying through the air and sticking the landing as if just leaping from a balance beam and not a speeding vehicle.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Thanks... for not telling anyone. And, you know, you'd think with a Masters in Biochem, I'd have figured out a way to make my suit smell-resistant by now. But I haven't, so if you can help I'd appreciate it." Gwen reaches up under that hood again and pulls the mask the rest of the way off, handing it over to Zoe and releasing more of that mane of blonde hair in the process. It flows freely out from inside the hood, hanging down against the fronts of her shoulders. "And hey.. don't sweat the whole teleporting thing -- I've had worse surprises."

She tilts her head, studying Zoe with a thoughtful expression, taking in the younger girl's words. There's something endearing about Zoe's candor, her vulnerability mixed with that spark of confidence. "You know," she begins, her tone soft, "it sounds like you have something unique to offer. The world's filled with all kinds of magic, all kinds of talents. Just because someone's a big name doesn't mean they've got a lock on every mystical thing happening in the city." She smiles gently, reassuringly. "Trust your instincts. They led you to New York for a reason."

And then that familiar red and blue suit flips out of the back of a truck just yards from from them.

And of course he sticks the landing. Because he's freaking Spider-Man.

Show-off.

"Speaking of big names not having a lock on everything..."

Gwen's smile softens, though, as she looks over at Spider-Man.

"So, there's a good explanation, I promise," she calls over to him, /trying/ to sound innocent about it. Though, for a few seconds, it's obvious that she doesn't actually /have/ an explanation. Admitting to latching onto a helicopter and being drug half-way across New York City seemed like a bad thing to open with.

"Would you believe I came out here to meet my good friend Zoe?"

Gwen's eyebrows lift and she smiles appeasingly, her hands coming up to indicate the young woman beside her... whom she'd never mentioned before.

Yeah.. that was definitely a.. well.. let's just say.. inaccurate statement.

Zoe Laveau has posed:
As he arrived, there was that moment from Zoe anew. She stepped back, bringing up those hands. It might be meant to seem like she was able to protect herself like Bruce Lee to the uneducated. But to those that were educated? Ever seen Emperor's New Groove? She was very much Cuzco saying No Touchy moment. So if it came down to a fist fight ever, Zoe was going down in a heap in seconds.

Then she realized who it was and she relaxed. "I know you. Not personally. But of you." Hopefully she had read the good things people said in social media and not the bad things in the papers from JJJ. Since she wasn't running screaming, probably the former.

Though hearing the explanation of Gwen coming to meet her there, she immediately nodded. "Yes. I asked her to meet me. Here." And she eyed the business they were in front of. "For..." A long pause Followed by. "Reasons?" It would've been more convincing if it sounded more like a statement than a question.

But instead she focused for a moment on the offer Gwen had accepted. "This one I'm good at. And I'm not startled so..." In other words, hopefully she wouldn't screw this spell up. This time when she brought up a hand there was a green glow around it. A few intricate movements then suddenly there was a fresh breeze and a light glow around Gwen. An instant later, she was perfect. Not like just her outfit. Her hair was like it had been freshly brushed, there wasn't a hint of debris on her or her skin even down to sweat like she was freshly showered, there was no negative smells she had carried from the dumpster. Even her teeth and breath were minty fresh as though she'd just brushed. "This came in handy when I was running late for school," she admitted.

Spider-Man has posed:
If they had to start to justify -- or even just explain -- all the weird, strange and downright baffling situations that they each manage to get themselves embroiled in, well, they wouldn't get a whole lot done, that much is for sure.

There is a palpable sense of relief as that familiar red and blue mask turns their way, gaze falling upon the pair -- one familiar and one not. Even with his features hidden away it is still somehow evident, maybe in those strangely expressive eyes that the Spiders seem to have somehow found a way to make a part of their hoods.

"Hey, you know you don't have to explain," Spidey says as he holds up a hand, starting to trot over towards them, the street blessedly quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of Manhatten, or even the borroughs. "It just looked like something strange was going on and I wanted to make sure you were alright," he assures her.

"Besides, I've been slacking on my cardio so making my way out here definitely covered me off for like, a week. I swear, I didn't just ride trucks the entire way," he insists lightly.

As he nears the pair, he finally cuts off that steady string of patter and instead turns his attention towards the unfamiliar face, studying Zoe as Gwen asserts that she's the reason that she came all the way out here. If he has any doubts about it, he doesn't give any sign. "Nice to meet you Zoe. Don't believe everything of you read. Or hear. Don't even believe most of it. Maybe just that small sliver that suggests that I'm not an entirely bad guy," he proposes.

Any further efforts to defend his reputation are set aside however when that green glow appears and then Gwen suddenly isn't quite so much a mess. "Wow, that's convenient isn't it? That would save me so much time in the morning. Jealous. Definitely jealous here."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Oh.. hey.. it's okay," Gwen assures when Zoe goes back on guard, her own hands coming out as if she wanted to reassure the girl, but then they slowly relax when it seems like the tension goes back down again.

"Zoe.. meet Spider-Man. Spider-Man, this is Zoe... she does magic."

There. Introductions done, and her expression softens at Peter's understanding tone... despite the fact that he definitely just followed her here. The long way. All /she/ had to do was fly.. and like.. crash land into a dumpster.

Just call her grace.

"Yeah... I know," Gwen sighs softly at Spidey, smiling. "But look, meeting Zoe here sounds /way/ better than the fact that I let Kingpin's guys get away /again/, nearly got shot trying to hang on to the helicopter, almost landed in Eastchester Bay and drown, and /did/.. actually.. break my fall with a dumpster."

Pause.

"But I didn't land /in/ it, at least."

Another pause.

"That... happened after."

She sighs softly.

"How does this story sound even worse out loud than it does in my head?"

Mooooore Gwen-rambling.

But then Zoe's doing her hoo-doo and she starts to glow.. and she freezes. Well.. this was it. The moment of truth. There's a glint of fear in her eyes for a moment and then...

Nothing. She just stops glowing.

She blinks a couple of times, still apparently frozen in place for several seconds, and then looks down at herself. "Oh..." She runs her tongue along her upper teeth and smacks her lips. "OH! That's..." Her fingers even come up to run through her hair, wide, amazed eyes shifting from Peter to Zoe.

"Right?! Can you teach me that?! Do you know how many hours I could save detangling my hair that way?!"

She's still smiling, her weight shifting a bit to the balls of her feet.

"Thanks.. that's..."

She pulls the mask back over her head, tucking her hair in it as she does.

"... /so/ much better."

Big, wide eyes blink, squinting affectionately.

"And thanks for having my back. You're a pretty awesome kid. Listen.. I probably need to like.. see if I can track down where that helicopter ended up /actually/ going.. but.. can I call you? I'd.. like to hear more about the.. big thing. Whatever it is.. And.. you know.. if we /do/ need to evacuate the city... maybe we can help."

She reaches into her backpack and pulls out her phone, swiping quickly to the add contact screen and then offering it to Zoe to put herself in.

Zoe Laveau has posed:
"You need to have the right bloodline to be able to tap in. I mean anyone can read a spell from a book and get it to do something. Maybe not what you want. But something." Gwen had already seen a demonstration of magic gone wrong. "And something that everyone always forgets--Magic has a price. Of some sort. You never know what it might be."

Yet, it didn't stop her from using it for something as frivolous as getting herself ready for school in the morning. The folly of youth. She did take the phone from Gwen and added her info in quickly. Then she passed it back to her new found friend. At least hopefully. It was rough being in a new city.

"I'll keep you filled in. And let me know if I can help you with anything. I haven't done a tracking program before but might be able to put one together. Have to do a little research," she murmured, voice trailing off as she was already planning in her head.

Which is when the yellow glowing orb appeared in front of her. "Uh oh." The sound wasn't a terror uh oh. It was a resigned one. And slowly the orb expanded out until it was a portal, showing the interior of an apartment on the other side and a woman that looked much like an older version of Zoe was standing there. Though she wasn't tapping her foot, one got that impression. "Do you know what time it is?" came the southern accent from the woman within.

Zoe literally blushed but hopefully between her skin tone and the darkness of the area, the Spiders didn't notice. "I'm sorry, Mama. I was about to head..."

"Don't even try those lies. Come on now. You can save the world after you get some sleep."

Zoe gave Gwen and Peter an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Uhm. Nice meeting you both. I...gotta go." Because that wasn't obvious to them?!

She quickly stepped through the portal even as they could hear her complaining as the portal was starting to close. "Mama, you embarassed me in front of my new friends. They're heroes!"

"And you are seventeen years old in a city you don't know. Don't you..."

The rest was cut off as the portal closed entirely, leaving the pair alone.

Spider-Man has posed:
Hey, King of the Hard Luck Case, right here, okay?

If anyone is going to understand how things can go horribly, horribly wrong it is definitely Peter. That's practicaly his daily existence. So much so that when things don't go wrong he starts getting twitchy, waiting for the other shoe to drop. At this point, that's just his assumed baseline. Anything that deviates from that is far more likely to spike his anxiety.

It is... something when a decent, normal, average day is a cause for concern.

Still, that sense of a grin beneath that familiar mask is all too present, even if he's not about to poke fun at her misfortune. He'll save his mocking for where it belongs -- Kingpin. When they finally catch up with him.

"It's our lot in life. We were made to suffer," Pete suggests. At least until Zoe's magic wipes those particular consequences away. It's an impressive display, though Peter has been doing this long enough now to have seen some fairly impressive displays of magic.

All things considered, he'll stick to wall-crawling. For one, nothing beats wweb-slinging about the city. For another, if great power comes with great responsibility, great magical power comes with a heap of catches, loopholes and costs that he doesn't even want to imagine. He has enough problems without adding that to the list.

Then as suddenly as the introductions are made and abilities are demonstrated, Gwen's new friend is being pulled away. In another time, another place, watching a portal open might be somewhat concerning. But right now all Spidey can manage is a certain amount of bemusement. "Hey, no worries. Nice to meet you too," he agrees, lifting a hand to offer a quick wave of his hand.

Then the portal is closed and the two Spiders are left along, standing on that quiet street on the very fringes of the city. "Soooooo... wanna see if we can catch a truck back into the city? Because otherwise it's quite a hike through the park," Pete says, falling in beside Gwen.

Their night is definitely off to an interesting start.