15771/The Alien and the Spider

The Alien and the Spider
Date of Scene:	04 November 2023
Location:	West Harlem, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Hyperion and Spider-Woman meet...and despite a rather tense conversation, they work together to take out a villain named 'Sun Guy'. No, they did not ask him what his name was.
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Woman (Drew), Hyperion

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Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Of late, one Spider-Woman hasn't been spending as much time out on the streets of New York. There's plenty of reasons for that, most of which her SHIELD-assigned therapist knows far too much about. But there are certain things she has great weaknesses for.

A really, really good cheeseburger is right up there.

There's a new pop up food truck that's surfaced and been all over social media of late. #bestburgersinNY #outofthisworldburgers -- one or the other would be sufficient lure, but both? Jessica Drew is sold.

Problem is, the moment it opens there's a line a block long. So Jessica makes an utterly shameless choice and totally cheats: she shows up as Spider-Woman, gliding over the long (looong) line, right to the front, landing on the top of the truck. She hangs over the edge, peering in the window from above. "Hi. On my way to a totally important, life-saving event and I'm starving. Any chance of a quick burger?"

The folks inside stare blankly for a moment, before one of them mutters, "Avenger," and the others gradually realize. "Sure, sure!" But this causes a considerable disgruntlement among the waiting crowd. "Unfair!" "Even Spider-people have to get in line!" Which means that Jessica's standing up, hands up in a placating manner to the crowd, "Friends! It's okay! I'm just your friendly neighborhood-" no wait, that line doesn't hit so hard anymore, "-uh, superhero!"

She even does one of those superhero poses, which is grand and all. At least until something fast and thin slams into her, knocking her off the top of the truck, sending her flying across the street and into a building. "Ugh. Rude," she groans. It's probably not helping her ego that a few people in the queue cheer, and one yells, "That's what you get, line jumper!"

Hyperion has posed:
Among the 'New Yorkers' standing in the line was a tall man, about 6'3", 6'4" tall with a baseball cap on his head, red flannel shirt, and well-worked jeans with dirt stains on the knees and work boots worn on his feet that climb up to just above the ankle. A full beard covers his face, colored auburn and his hair seems to come down a little bit underneath his hat, his blue eyes staring ahead at what remains of the line and occasionally checking his watch for the time.

Nowhere to be, just wondering how long he's been standing and occasionally moving forward in this line.

Though up ahead is - much to his surprise - a hero arriving in the form of Spider-Woman! He tilts his head a little bit, a small smirk touching his lips but he's not joining or opposing the masses vocalizing their distaste with the situation. Instead he's just watching.

He hears something...

And something slams into Jessica hard enough to knock her off the top of the truck and send her across the street into a nearby building! Marcus is forced to focus then. It was something thin. Something fast. Could've been a utensil, but thrown hard enough tos end her sailing? Couldn't be.

He looks around. Could be a speedster. He ewas fast too. FAR faster than anyone had any right to be.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
If there's one thing that Jessica's good at -- through sheer volume of practice if nothing else -- it's getting up after being knocked down. Granted, she does it without the grace and dignity of most superheroes. She looks more than mildly peeved about this situation.

"This is completely unaccep- ugh." Yeah, Jessica's not looking so good. She leans against the building after she sways a bit. "Ah, shit," she mutters. Fortunately, one of her abilities is to completely adjust to incoming radiation -- it just takes her a moment. A moment in which her opponent intends to take full advantage.

Marcus is the first to spot the man standing on the far side of the street. He could be mistaken for a reflection of the sun, because he's so bright -- he's wearing a red suit, but it's the visible glow that surrounds him like the outline of the sun that's key. He leans back and seems to hurl something -- like a gleam of gold light -- towards Jessica again.

"Get out of the wa-" Spider-Woman doesn't quite finish her warning as the blast hits her again, though this time when she goes flying and hits the building, she /stays/ there. "I mean, this is just getting old now," she grumbles, as she spots the bright figure in question. "What are you, Sun Guy?"

Absolutely no one is listening to Spider-Woman's attempted warning. This is New York. People are just shuffling around in the line, getting out their phones, and recording everything.

Hyperion has posed:
That's not great.

Spider-Woman's getting the shit kicked out of her by the looks of things. She gets blasted towards that building and promptly stops moving, at least for the moment. Though, Marcus's eyes glint for a moment as he feels the /power/ coming from the man who glows bright like the sun. In many ways....Marcus might /be/ the sun. He draws his power from the solar radiation, from the brilliant daylight that shines on them all.

In less than a blink of an eye, Marcus is /gone/.

As Spider-Woman tries to warn civilians to scatter, there's suddenly a figure standing in front of her, leaning down to offer her a hand. He's still dressed in the same clothes. He's not sure how America would react to a Hyperion sighting, so instead, one moment he's there, another he's completely not. "Can I give you a hand up?"

He asks, not /does/.

No doubt though that Sun Guy is just trying to blast them again.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica notices everyone still crowded around in the line. Where is Captain America when you need to convince a crowd to do something? "It's radioactive, you people really need to run!" Low on the list of things Jessica Drew is good at is swaying a crowd. She just doesn't have that charisma, or the authoritative nature to make herself believed.

"You just want the burgers!" "Yeah, line jumper!"

I mean, it's a fair accusation. She really /does/ want the burgers. It doesn't make her statement less true, just her motivations a little questionable. Jess sighs. "Fine, I'll-" and then another bright burst of light is thrown her way. This time she's expecting it, bracing for it rather than letting it slam into the building behind her.

Then there's some guy there -- a civilian -- offering her hand up like it's no big deal.

He asks. Jess /doesn't/ -- she leaps towards Marcus, intending to bowl him over, and knock them /both/ out of the way of the incoming blast. It's a pretty noble gesture, all things considered. She certainly wouldn't bother if she knew who and what the man was capable of.

Hyperion has posed:
"Wow, people are really mean today."

Though as soon as he turns to look of his shoulders as a bright burst of light is thrown their way. It's fast. Too fast. Jessica leaps at him to try and nobly push him out of the way and he sells it, for his part. He leaps backwards with her in his arms and he in hers, though as she tackles him, she might realize taht they don't hit the ground. They're flying together in the air and slowly, Hyperion sets her on the ground. "We don't know his destructive potential. Let me take his damage." He looks at the spider-emblem. "Can you web him up to restrain him?" He looks back in her eyes.

"...if I'm understanding the symbol correctly."

He turns his attention then to the people. "Ahem-" He takes a deep breath, his blue eyes suddenly glowing a brilliant red color as he stays in the air, his voice deep and menacing.

"Run."

Maybe that will work, a subtle threat of deep harm? He's a scary guy, sure, but he's mostly just trying to get them to move. They tried being nice.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"What-?" Gravity is not doing the thing it should usually do, as Jessica braces herself for the landing. Her mouth opens, and then she scowls at Hyperion like /he's/ done something wrong. "This is why you don't do good deeds. But does Steve listen to me? Noo. I mean, obviously he's doing damage, but I can take it. He's radioactive, and I've totally got this."

"And wooow. Not all spiders web you know and we're kind of sensitive about it." And Jess looks put out, like it's a particularly sore point. She's got her hands on her hips, glowering as best she can, at least until another blast practically singes her hair as she leaps away lithely, just as Marcus does an expert job of finally sending the waiting crowds scattering.

"...okay fine. Maybe I could use a bit of help. I'll just play distraction." One thing she excels at. "Hey, Sun Guy! Your aim sucks!"

Sun Guy -- which is probably not his name, but Jess doesn't usually stop to ask for credentials -- merely snorts, his hands circling around a larger ball of energy, before he throws it towards Spider-Woman again.

Hyperion has posed:
"Well, good deeds is what makes people hope. But I can understand if you think I'm here to harm you." Marcus tells Jessica with a guilty look in his eyes. "But, I'll try and help. I assume Steve is Captain America?" You know, Avengers know each other and Captain America doesn't exactly have a private identity. Nonetheless, Marcus nods. "If you have this, then I won't interefere. Can't force you to accept help."

He understands, in a way. And maybe in that way, they're both far more similar than either of them may yet admit.

Though he rubs the back of his neck as she starts about the web thing. "Sorry...spider...webs...seems kind of...uh.." He clears his throat. "Sorry." He says, realizing that his people skills need a /ton/ of work. A blast is fired over his shoulder and she leaps away adeptly. He turns now to look at Sun Guy, a frown on his face. As soon as that ball of energy is launched at Jessica, Hyperion is suddenly in front of it, taking the blast straight to his chest and /not even moving/.

Instead he absorbs it. Takes it and uses it to power himself, his eyes glowing brilliant red and then orange as a blast of energy leaves Hyperion's eyes in the form of a beam, trying to blast Sun Guy onto his ass!

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica's eyes narrow. Granted, Steve is very public. Usually people don't make that immediate association though because everyone's used to calling the man by his codename. "Uh-huh." And the Marcus goes and looks super awkward about the web thing, and /she/ looks super awkward. "Look, it was a joke. Kind of. I mean it's /fine/, just, you know-"

And then Hyperion's leaping in the way to absorb that latest blast.

The energy Hyperion throws back slams into Sun Guy, and he staggers, only kept upright by the car he falls into. Sun Guy's eyes narrow. He's clearly met his match -- not just someone who can absorb it but give the energy back. Instead of throwing another ball their way, he flings one towards the food truck, just as he turns and runs.

He's not going to stick around to see whether it hits or not. Exit stage left, Sun Guy.

The problem with successfully getting people to run is, well -- everyone ran. Including the people doing the actual burger making. So fortunately there won't be any casualties. That very much wanted burger though? Jess is missing out. She actually groans aloud. By the time she looks back towards the assailant, he's long gone. "My therapist is going to hear about how you conspired with the universe to rob me of burgers, Fly Guy." Maybe it's because of that crack about the webs. Maybe just because she's not that imaginative.

Jessica dusts herself off and stalks off.

Hyperion has posed:
Hyperion says, "Okay...a joke. Got it." Hyperion trying to understand and he forgives easily, though it's the 'kind of' that's getting him. He genuinely didn't mean to offend her, but...she might not be the kind of person who's easily pleased. In any event, Hyperion does manage to slam that energy beam into the Sun Guy, who falls into a car.

"Surrender now and no harm will come to you."

But suddenly, that asshole is throwing that energy ball at the food truck! "...that's just diabolical." Hyperion curses, managing to fly straight into the beam to absorb it, though he's knocked slightly into the food truck, groaning as he finds he dented the vehicle...as opposed to getting absolutely demolished through.

Whew.

He turns to look at Jess, but sees her walking away after she claims she'll tell her therapist about him.

A frown.

"Marcus."

He tells her his name. As she stalks off....and because it's an assumption, a few hours later there will be a knock at the door of Avengers Mansion.

There's a wrapped cheeseburger inside a professionally wrapped bag that just says 'For Spider-Woman. Sorry about the web thing'. on the front via a sticker."