8187/What a shocking turn of events.

What a shocking turn of events.
Date of Scene:	05 July 2019
Location:	Chinatown, New York City
Synopsis:	Gwen and Peter fight.. THE SHOCKER... and then have some shocks afterwards revealing identities.
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Man, Ghost Spider

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Spider-Man has posed:
"Use your words, Herman!" Spider-Man shouts down from the shadowy corner of a warehouse where he'd tracked the villain known as Shocker. The career super criminal turned his powered gauntlets in the direction of that voice and let loose a duel blast of energy that smash out the side of the roof in a spray of concrete and raining particulate to the floor, but Spidey had already moved.

He had also called in some backup. Thumbing at his burner phone through the simchip he'd given to Gwen. Text reads as: Hey Ghost what up nothing new here could use help with shocker if you not busy, plus coordinates. Then another: We need 2 wrk on ur name.

"Come on Herman, be reasonable! You stole a bunch of diamonds. How did you think this was going to end?"

*WOOP WOOP*

More vibro-shocks sent in two different directions.

"The communication is gone from this relationship."

Ghost Spider has posed:
The text that comes back reads as (eye roll emoji) Spider-Woman is taken and she is like an Avenger. OMW SpiderPain.

Thankfully though Gwen was pretty close by and on patrol since it is a holiday week and Alchemax like many technology companies gives their employees the Friday after the 4the of July off.

"Wait his name is Herman... I'm not sure what I expected to be honest but that is shocking." is quipped from another rafter, thanks to the convenient hole in the roof that Gwen was able to duck through. She is also ready to dodge vibroshocks at this point. "Also shouldn't someone named shocker have electricity powers..."

Spider-Man has posed:
"Don't be so judgemental, you'll give him a complex." Spidey says in reply to Gwen's quiries about Shocker's shocking lack of electrical powers as he swings across the warehouse to deliver a kick that nearly costs Herman one of his gauntlets. The villain goes airborne for a moment, flipping backwards and angling his wrists towards the wallcrawler to fire off two more WHOOPING blasts of vibroshock energy in Peter's direction before crashing bodily through a stack of old, rotten, crates with an OOF!

Spider-Man barely twists off his line, contorting his body inhumanly out of the way of the blast, but it still knocks him off course with the runoff bits of energy radiating around the fired main ball that tears another hole int he wall about the size of a dumpster. His hand snaps out and grabs hold of a walkway support beam and carries him around into an upward dive back towards the ceiling. This is aided by another THWIP of webbing.

A portion of his costume is tattered along his right flank where a bruise is already developing. "It might not be electricity, but it still hurts. You hear that Herman? You're still powerful okay? Even if you are a gimmicky subpar Electro! You got this buddy."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Yeah no need to blast little old me Herman!" then she exclaims "Wait .. Electro.. I knew there was an electric themed villain."

She leaps off her perch before the resounding WHOOP of vibroshock blows the beam and a chunk of the ceiling away, just in the nick of time. She also plants the landing and grabs into the rotten crates that Herman is in and tries to yank him back out of them and toss him up into the air, maybe she is trying to set him up for Peter. Still she is not nearly as versed in actually fighting supervillains as Parker by ay degree and this may be a mistake "Do you make these yourself??"

Spider-Man has posed:
"Electro is very electric." Spider-Man confirms, pressing two fingers to his side to make sure there's no blood oozing. Finding none, he goes right back into action with another leap and webline, swinging directly towards the arial Herman. A stick ball of web smacks right into the villains face a half second before he was about to put the hurt (try anyways) on Gwen down below him.

"Now that's not nice, Herman. You shouldn't hit a lady. Or should you? I'm confused by how political correctness works, sometimes." Peter, finishes his swing with both feet planting into the chest of the would be villain to turn him in air and launch him back down towards Gwen and himself back up towards the ceiling.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen watches as the web balls smacks into Herman's face and sends the vibroshock WHOOPing wide to blow a hole in one of the side walls now. Her white eyes on her mask widen at the hole before her attention turns back to the villain being launched right at her. "Oh crap"

She does this little back and forth on her footing dance and then goes for the heroic uppercut, which well doesn't punch Herman back up into the air so much as up and behind her now since he was already moving towards her.

Physics.

""Ow!" which is mirrored by Herman as he makes a hole in more crates now. Gwen though is cupping her hand "That hurt..." okay she still needs a lot more practice really. "Also I am starting to worry about the structural integrity of this building.."

Spider-Man has posed:
"We need to work on your spartial awareness in combat settings." Peter says, dropping down into a crouch beside Gwen as easily as someone reaches over to grab a dropped quarter. He's been doing this awhile, afterall. He doesn't lose track of Herman, however. The villain is trying to pull himself out of the boxes with one arm and pull the webbing out of his face with the other. It is going comically poor. Webbing is very sticky. Now his hand is webbed to his face. Peter laughs.

It is super amusing.

"Uhh, yeah that's probably not a bad thing to be worried about, now that I'm thinking about it." He launches himself up and fires several rapid successive webs to create a structural lattice to keep creaking beams from tumbling on one side. It's giving Herman the time he needs to get himself situated. Poor guy.

*WHOOP*

It's a wild blast of energy from the powered gauntlets and it makes the structural integrity that much worse. "I'LL BRING THE WHOLE PLACE DOWN!" With one hand webbed to his face, it looks like he's facepalming.

It is STILL super amusing.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Hey I am trying!" Gwen protests and then gets distracted watching Peter work on the structural integrity. She will really need to remember that trick actually in the future. It is just physics really when it comes down to it.

"Ack... Herman you are in here too you idiot!" she ducks when the WHOOP of energy makes things worse and then turns and runs at the comically facepalming Shocker.

There is a thwip as she attaches a webline to his other gauntlet and she keeps on right past him wrapping the line around so both hands are now pointed right at his own face. YANK.

"Do it again and you hit yourself in the face..." she notes and then looks up to Spider-man. "Well.. this is a step up from the Ringer I guess... I mean.. .." she steps aside and pulls a phone out for a photo of the super amusing super villain's predicament.

Spider-Man has posed:
Herman stumbles forward, then backwards when Gwen webs his gauntlet up pointed at his own face and there's a half a second there where he actually looks like he might shoot anyways. Schultz is a lot of things, self destructive included. But for now, he seems content to keep tugging his other hand away from his mask only to smack himself right in the face when the webbing pulls it back.

Still very amusing.

Spider-Man is busy at work on another section of wall. It wont hold forever, the webbing will desolve in a few hours after all, but it'll suffice for now. "Yeah, totally, you're doing good. I'm just making a mental note of things I need to teach you." At some point he has to appreciate that, even though he never saw himself as the mentoring type, he is one... at least to another spider powered vigilante.

"Uhhh..." Standing upside down on the bottom of a walkway with his hands on his hips, "I think that's it? I think we're good... Herman, how you doing over there buddy? You ready to call it quits?"

Ghost Spider has posed:
While Spider-man works on the building and talks, Gwen has taken it upon herself to babysit The Shocker. "I would probably think about a name change, I'm pretty sure you do not want to google your choices." it is said in a caring fashion.

Though what is less caring is when Gwen reaches out and snags him by the arm and spins him around a few times pretty fast to get him dizzy, then gives him a shove towards the ground tripping him up.

*THWIP* goes the webbing as she glues him down to the floor there. "I think he is good with calling it quits.. I mean I would call it quits... and also isn't your webbing temporary.. like won't the building need some emergency work pretty quickly despite what you just did?" curious about the science really Gwen is.

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man looks up, or down depending on perspectice, at Gwen. "Yeah, probably, but as with most super villains, this isn't in a highly populated section of the city... could do a controlled fall to make sure it doesn't cause in property damage." Pause, "Aside from the obvious." Motioning around with turning hands in a small circle.

Spidey drops from his perch and reverses in midair to land in a crouch. He stands and starts towards Herman, "Oh, Hermy... you look so silly laying there all webbed up, has anyone ever told you that?" Chiding a man while he's down, that's just rude innit?

Herman finally gets his hand unwebbed from his face and fires directly at Peter, nearly point blank. Spider-Senses go off, sure, but the wallcrawler is like... right there. Dodge as he might, the concussive blow back is enough to knock the wind out of him and send him flying towards another stack of old metal machinery. Heck, it's enough that even Gwen might need to dodge away to keep from getting thrown by the force of the bleed off of vibro-energy.

"Who's laughing now you circle clown?" Look at Herman?! HE'S GOT JOKES.

They aren't funny, but he has them.

He's also blasting himself free of Gwen's webbing. His suit is designed to take the vibroshock so he could, in fact, shoot himself in the face if he had to.

Spider-Man is breathing heavily and staring up at the ceiling with blood running down from his nose.. the whole left side of his mask torn off. The compressor he hit is laying ontop of his legs, pinning him to the ground.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Okay see Gwen didn't know that about his suit or his abilities. I mean sure Peter very much should have which makes her wonder as she dodges out of the way and gets clipped n the foot and goes down into a pile of crates why he didn't consider this better. "ack.."

Definitely no dignity and now her punching fist and her left foot are going to hurt like hell. Which is better than Peter's face right now. "You alive Spidy?" she calls even as she gets herself back up and watches all her good work being undone as she speaks. "Dangit." she considers the angle of everything, and then THWIPS with both hands and hits the same aircompressor that is pinning Peter.

The next part of this trick is to YANK and get it airborne and twirl is around building up momentum without hitting any more loadbearing foundational posts ... spin... spin..... and then she pivots and tries to bring the whole thing down onto Herman and hopefully end the fight with him pinned under an aircompressor and regretting his bad jokes. "It's circus clown to you!"

Spider-Man has posed:
Just because someone can take a shot to the face, doesn't mean they should or will. Spidey assumed Herman knew that concussive force worked regardless if exacting vibroelectric blasts didn't. See how Shocker's mask is all tattered and he is also bleeding? What Spider-Man failed to consider is that someone might rather die than go to prison.

He'll regret it later.

Right now he's giving Gwen a thumbs up from where he's pinned against the ground. One of his arms beneath the compressor with his lower extremities. He's got no leverage with which to try and lift it, nevermind the fact that he's still spinning a little where he hit his face against the metal object. Resiliance being what it is, he should be dead. So there's that going for him.

Then he's free and turning to get his legs beneath him, it's a testiment to exactly how strong he is that he's able to use his legs and arm. Meanwhile, Shocker is blasting the flying compressor with both fists now free, and sending it flying away harmlessly while stalking towards the lesser trained of the two spiders. "You'll be a circus midget when I cut those legs off..." He gripes from a bleeding mouth. WHOOPING out shots at Gwen to keep her on the defensive, completely forgetting that Spider-Man isn't so easily taken out by something silly like a metal object to the face and a few broken ribs.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen is foiled by her air compressor being vibroshocked clear and she does end up on the defensive "God you are an arrogant jerk..." flipping back out of the air of a shot. Then leaping clear of another shot.

I mean she isn't getting off any shots of her own but so far she has managed to not get plastered which Gwen is definitely counting as a success. "You wouldn't blast a girl would you?" and she ducks low and leaps to the side. "Okay maybe you would."

She isn't totally blind though and has noticed Peter back up on his feet there. She starts to dodge and pivot the blasts to make sure Herman's back is to Peter and give him an opening to hopefully finish this off.

Spider-Man has posed:
Herman is deliberate in his shots and is clearly not screwing around with Gwen. Some villains might try to out play Parker, but Schultz is all about the finish and he really doesn't want to go back to prison. Enough so that he shot himself in the face. It's an important distinction.

But Gwen is as hard to pin down as Peter is. He'll fire off a blast and she's already dodging away. Predicting where she's going to land is problematic as well because she's got spider-senses of her own. "Stop moving and I'll show you!" He gripes, WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP.

It's too bad Herman doesn't have spider-senses.

Spider-Man is on him like a bad habit. A foot snaps into the back of his knee so hard he might have dislocated his patella and the elbow to the top of Schultz skull would rattle even the rhino. Spidey leaps back and puts two weblines to either of the Shockers shoulders and yanks, bodily smashing him backwards against the floor as another blast goes off from one gauntlet and hits the roof far above.

The ceiling falls and Peter lets it once he's shirt nothing sharp is going to stab through the villain, who is now properly pinned down by heavy stuff.

Spider-Man, for his part, looks pretty bad off. Suit torn, mask gone, blood running down from his left nostirl where he smashed his face against an air compressor. "You shouldn't hit ladies, Herman." The usually verbose Spidey says in a quiet voice as he stumbles towards something to support him. "It's rude and you look like an idiot when they clown you... not that there's anything particularly clownish about getting beat up by a girl... whatever, my head hurts." Slinking down to the ground with his back leaning against the stone pillar upon which he was leaning.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen watches it all go down and can't help but look satisfied with the outcome. "Yeah." okay she is kind of out of quips right now but she definitely agrees. Then blinks. "Also girls can beat people up as good as guys can!" pause "Especially superhero girls..."

She steps over and crouches down by the mess of roof that Herman is under and then leans and reaches in and gives a solid yank on his gloves twisting. She isn't trying to break his hands but she does manage to get a seam and then she fires web fluid inside his suit, both in his glove and down his sleeve. Another thwip to just web him up in the rubble before she goes dancing back. "I think he is out cold.. but I didn't want to take it for granted this time." she mms "an I hope he doesn't just get let go by the cops... like all the other criminals I have been arresting. This whole Foot thing is getting really obnoxious."

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter raises his hand towards Gwen in a what she said fashion, then grabs the side of his head to stop it from pounding. His fingers curl into the tatters of his mask and pull it off his head, not like it was doing any good keeping him hidden anyways. Nor is Herman in a position to see anything, what with the rubble between him and Peter sitting against the support beam. "Yeah." Said with a clipped nod and an arm dragging beneath his bloody nose and darkening left eye.

"I've helped stop Herman four times this month." Said with his head leaning back against the bricks, "I don't know if it's from the magic coins or he's got a good lawyer, but I'm definitely needing a break from vibroshocks. They hurt... and they're mathematically stupid." Wiggle pointing, "Break the gauntlets... there's a compressor coil that runs along the lower wrist there... snap that.." Spidey has been playing this game with Schultz for a very long time.

Ghost Spider has posed:
For a very long gaping (though that is hidden by her mask moment) Gwen is just staring at Peter sitting against his support beam. .. ... "Uh." ... ... ..

"Oh. Uh. Right." and Gwen turns mind twirling now as she reaches into the rubble past her own webbing and reaches out snapping one... then two of the compressor coils. "Not sure why he is doing crime if he can invent stuff like this really.. seems silly..."

Gwen straightens and walks to Peter and offers him a hand up. "We need to get you out of here before the cops come... and probably.. uh.. talk some."

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter grunts when he tries to move and lays a hand against his obviously broken ribs. Purple and black bruises along his right flank where his costume is already torn from earlier. When Gwen stands gaping, he waves it off with a flicking wrist, "Yeah yeah, I look like I kid, I get that a lot." Not like anyone would recognize him, right? Besides, it was hard to breath through the mask AND broken ribs.

Hand out, Peter takes it and pulls himself up painfully, "A few minutes and I'll put on my other mask." Combing fingers back in his hair to push it out of his bloody face. Sweat has it all sticky anyways so it's just a mess. This is the problem with spandex as a costume choice. "You think you can handle the police? We can meet up a few blocks over at Wong Pans chinese resteraunt? Best Wonton soup in New York."

A web fires straight up and he doesn't so much jump as get drug out through a hole in the ceiling. It's no where near as agile as usual, but most people would need an EMT and an emergency room, so he can be forgiven a little slowness right?

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen just winces "Uh yeah we can meet at Wong Pan's sure..." she stares after him shaking her head now and then turns and looks over Shocker and his rubble. She returns to dig around in his pockets and look for one of the magic coins. That done she heads out front to meet the cops "Okay hey .. good guy... not menace.. uh.. Ghost Spider... The Shocker is in there with all the stolen diamonds and stuff... his gauntlets are busted now so you should be able to take him in no problem."

She tops it off with a salute then fires her own webline and pulls herself up and away swinging out of sight from the cops. With her father being who he is she really doesn't want to spend much time with cops, god knows someone may recognize her voice or affectations and then dooooom. Doom.

Not too long after that interaction she drops down on the roof of Wongs and looks around for Peter, costume or not at this point she isn't sure what he meant about meet over at Wongs.

Spider-Man has posed:
The cops train guns on Ghost, but they lower them upon seeing she's got the Shocker taken down nearby. None seem inclined to stop her or, more accurately, feel certain they couldn't even if they thought to try. They're use to dealing with Spider-Man by now, so it's a little professional courtesy at the very least.

It's also a busy night for them and nobody needs that extra paperwork.

over at Wongs, once she's arrived, Peter is sitting with his back against an airconditioning unit. A new mask lays across his leg, likely an extra he carries for just such occations, but it's still hard to breath and he's not replaced it just yet. There's a big plastic container of wonton soup beside him too because that's priorities. Also likely why he's got the mask out, having temporarily put it on to acquire his food.

"I'm not really hungry." Without glancing up or over in her direction, likely aware that she's there only because of his spider-senses. "You did pretty good back there." Holding out soup as if this is a reward.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Honestly Gwen's mind has been spinning the whole trip over to Wongs. What the holy hell Parker. Jesus. I mean. What. How. Who. Where. Really.

The masked spidergirl watches him when he offers up the Wonton Soup and then accepts the container. "So well ... I'm very durable I've discovered but I made this suit out of some pretty high tech high tensile threading. It really helps keep it together and on my body Parker." she pops the top of the container of soup open watching him to see what happens when she drops his last name like that.

I mean he might panic but really she is still trying to wrap her head around Peter being Spider-Man. She peels her own mask off after only torturing him for a moment and tucks it in her beltline as she sips the soup watching the reaction to this revelation now.

Yup definitely Gwen Stacy, evidently Spider-Gwen, blond hair, blue eyes, though at some point she dyed the tips of her hair dip dye really pink, very pink.

Spider-Man has posed:
Spider-Man is listening to her explanation of her suits tensil strength with nods that indicate he's listening, but not processing the information. He's in pain, which is obvious. Not so much that he doesn't hear that name drop, though. His eyes snap in her direction then, "What did you say?" Skeptical. Certainly it must have been the pain playing tricks on his ears, right?

Then her mask slides off and... "huh..." Jaw slack, hanging open wide enough that flies can catch themselves in his mouth. "Gwen Stacy? Seriously?" That's some really small world type stuff right there. "So let's look at this objectively... Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, high school friends, both bitten by mutated spiders and given spider powers, both independently becoming super hero with spider themes.." Them's the details. Peter narrows his eyes.

Reaching up to touch the pink tips of her blonde hair, "Nice." Thumbs up rather than actually touching her hair.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I am as shocked as you are Peter." she admits staring at him some more and then taking another sip of the soup. Not one to turn down wonton soup. "I... well the odds of two people being bitten by mutagenic slightly irradiated spiders and being given spider powers is ridiculously low. Without dying or turning into giant spider monsters or something... and trust me I have been seeing a lot of animal themed mutants that look like they escaped a furry convention lately and that does not seem to be us. Thank god."

There is a shrug from Gwen. "But for us to be highschool friends... I mean this is statistically... it should be even remotely possible. Also why not spider themed.. I mean you were out there doing it and I copied you sort of... I mean.." gesturing at you and your costume.

"Also.. uh.. thanks" blushes a touch. "I'm in a band in my abundent free time now... which has been suffering a lot since I am trying to hold down a job, fight crime, and be in a band...."

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter mms at the statistical impossibility of their situation, but the gears are turning in his head. Worry on his face as obvious now as it was back in highschool. The last two years of which, he was already Spider-Man... He's wondering if all of this is somehow his doing. If by proximity all of his friends have been exposed through some twist of fate?

Stranger things have happened.

"A band, huh?" he wonders himself out of the long off thoughts of guilt and impossible math. "Well, it only gets easier." That's a bold faced lie. "Social lives become so much easier the longer you do this, ya know?" They do not. "I was gonna get married." He murmurs absently, head lulling back against the airconditioner unit behind him.

"In no way did being Spider-Man screw that up." It totally did.

"Sorry, I'm being a little whiny tonight. I just got my ass kicked by a schmuck.. found out one of my best friends is also a super hero and accidentally revealed my identity all in the same night." He motions around with his palms pointed at the roof, "This is a low point of my week."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Come on... buck up Pete." she smirks a little and sips more soup. "You may have got your ass kicked by a schmuck but on the bright side you found out one of your best friends is also a super hero by sharing our identities with each other in now way an accident... and uh... now you don't need to shoulder all of this burden alone. I mean it is an utter pain in the ass to not have anyone to talk to about all this and keep the mask on 24/7 and I only started this a few months ago right."

More wonton drank. "I do have some questions though. Like.. how did this even happen to you? I got bitten by a spider I was genetically modifying at work like an idiot. Alchemax had me working on a spider genetics project and it got out somehow." sheepish look. "I was just so glad I didn't die and then boom next thing you know I'm sticking to my ceiling after a feverish nightmare.... ok so yeah that and how did I miss you almost getting married??"

Spider-Man has posed:
"Yeah yeah, optomism." Peter waves a hand in the air, not yet ready to feel better about the course of events, but smiling none the less. "Cut it out, I'm trying to brood." With his smile, comes his wit. "Lurking broodily in my spiders web, that's me all the way." It isn't, not really.

In his bathtub maybe.

Soaking in ice.

"Remember that field trip to Ozcorp back in high school? A couple weeks before my uncle got shot?" Peter hasn't thought about THAT day in a very long time. Almost ten years now, to be precise. "I got turned around trying to snap a picture for the school newspaper and wound up in one of the genetics labs. Stumbled into some exhibit where a spider bit me... same thing. Fever, crazy sick for a few hours, and then I was stronger than any football star and faster by leaps." His head lulls back again, hair once more pushed out of his face.

"That's why Uncle Ben died." Nope, he doesn't want to talk about that. Thought he did, he was wrong. So he quickly changes the subject, "We weren't engaged long. Never had a date or anything. Wasn't meant to be or something."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Okay well Gwen sinks to sit with her back to the same thing you are using to sit against now and takes another sip of soup while she listens, then devours a wonton. "I've never known you to brood.. I mean yes be super weird and not very reliable in school towards the end. Though that makes more sense now. Also why you may have stood me up that one time you asked me out too." thoughtful noise.

Then more listening. Ozcorp. Fuck. Then he pivots into how his uncle died, and then the engagement and then. Crap. "Okay Pete you just gave me all sorts of whiplash.... who were you engaged to and how does this have to do with Ben?" yeah she knew Uncle Ben. "A robber did that, stick up or something not you." confused. Also gnawing at her is the Ozcorp business.

Spider-Man has posed:
"That is... surprisingly accurate, yes." Pete confirms of why he stood her up, "You're going to laugh about this later, but that was actually the first time I fought Shocker..." He isn't laughing now, hopefully that changes at some point because even now he can see the humorous irony of her finding out the truth of it after having fought Shocker for the first time.

Then she asks the tough questions.

His frown deepens a little as he combs his fingers through his hair, which isn't nearly as damp as it was back in the warehouse. "Have you ever heard of Betsy Braddock?" She's a celebrity, kind of, so it wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if she had.

All this to stall answering the OTHER question.

It takes him a while to put that into words, "I was trying to impress MJ.. saw an ad for a wrestling compitition with a five thousand dollar reward if I could last three minutes with whoever their top wrestler was." Bonesaw, it was definitely Bonesaw. He was NOT ready. "I did... technically. I beat him in a minute and thirty seconds, which, as the booker informed me, was not what I was being rewarded to do... so he refused to pay me."

Pete runs his tongue across the inside of his bottom lip, along the front of his gums. "A few minutes later a robber came in and held the guy up.. I let him go because the booker had just stiffed me." He snorts into a humorless laugh, "A few days later, he tried to steal a guys car.. ended up shooting him. That guy was Uncle Ben."

Ghost Spider has posed:
There is a bit of a snrk and a headshake "I.. okay I'm wondering if someone is just messing with us... The Shocker... that makes me feel kind of bad for being so mad at you Parker."

Then he goes darker there well first celebrity gossip. "I think so.. I mean the name sounds a little familiar." oh right Gwen is also modeling some on the side, in all her abundant free time. She makes bad life choices all around really with free time.

Then the darkness. "Oh god Peter..." she thinks about that for a very long horrified moment, then pivots scooting her ass and setting down the wontons. She reaches and grabs him to hug him. "God Pete... I.. " yeah it explains a lot about more than just Ben dying in school for those days before college happened. Why Peter seemed to kind of blame himself inexplicably. "You didn't pull the trigger Peter..."

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete inclines his head as the revelation starts to sink in and drifts it backwards until he's resting it on the bricks staring up at the darkened sky where rainclouds are starting to form, "No, I didn't pull the trigger." He agrees, turning so he can just make out Gwen from the corner of his eyes, "But I might as well have. I could have easily stopped that guy. He even thanked me for letting him go..." That's not funny, but there's a sardonic smirk on his face all the same.

"It was a long time ago." Nine years and a few months. His hand curls into the mask laying on his thigh, "That's why this takes presidence over everything. I can stop the robbers now and nobody will ever get killed because I didn't act... never again." His entire adult life has been about that moment. Every decision, every missed date. Every failed test. Every flunked class and lost job. Ever failed engagement, everything.

He blows out a long sigh through his nostrils, which looks like it's already starting to heal. A credit to how quickly his body repairs itself. "I can't bring Uncle Ben back, but I don't have to let his death be meaningless either.." His hand rubs at the back of his neck as he leans his head forward so as to pull his mask back on after smoothing his hair from his forehead.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Well even if it was a brief hug she still dragged him briefly into it before letting him go to continue talking and explaining.

God so much makes sense about being Parker's friend for the last decade plus now. Even if they have grown a bit distance with lives and jobs and all of that. So much just makes sense.

"Okay." she finally says when he finishes. Like. Just. Okay. She nods "You have to do this." then a pause "But you don't have to be out here alone Pete. Also I should take a look at maybe reinforcing your suit a bit." she fishes her own mask up and puts her mask on now as well.

"Ozcorp ten years ago. I think some of the scientists working at Alchemax worked there.. I think my research into spider genetics to help people may actually be derived from the work at Ozcorp." still such a boggling set of coincidences.

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter isn't inhumane, just being written by an unobservant curr.

He accepts the hug and even smiles at Gwen genuinely before pulling back to slide his mask on, adjusting it with his palms so the neurolink mesh rests appropriately against his cheeks and brow. That's how the eyes move, afterall. Can't not have the eyes move.

"I updated my webshooters resently." That's not entirely true, "Alright, Tony Stark did." Name drop. "A lot more efficient now, but I did modify what he modified. Got some pretty awesome new options." His thumbs press into his palms without actually firing. Just making sure they weren't damaged.

"Told me there might be suit upgrades eventually, but I've been using the same basic design for a decade." He hops up from his seat onto his feet with uncanny ease. Almost like he floated up and tucked them beneath him. "But I appreciate it. Not being alone, I mean." A hand reaches out to lay on Gwen's shoulder.

"Now that I know I'm not alone I'm more excited about help train you. You're good, but I've got nine years of experience..." Also, "And can we please work on your name? Ghost Spider sounds like a really spicey dinner option at a Tai place."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Spidy" absolutely trying t keep in practice now that the mask is on. "Spider-Woman is taken. I'm open to ideas but I think I will kick someone in the junk if they say Spider-Girl .. and Spider-Gwen is right out." she considers and then mock shudders.

"We should compare notes on webshooters too, mine pulls from the atmospheric water content and ... I think I mentioned this.. but I'm curious what starktech is in yours. I kind of cribbed tech from Stark.. Hammer.. Alchemax.. Ozcorp to make all this work." sort of rambly about shop keepin and all that now since the alternative is a bit daunting still what with all the guilt Peter seems to have, best put that off for later.

"But yeah.. lot to learn what with all your grizzled experience and all." a head bob. Teasing. "Can I get a blood sample?" and there she goes.

Spider-Man has posed:
"Holograph technology, tracking, like nine different webshooter variants on an uplink to my mask." Pete holds up his wrist, "Still uses cartridges though. Honestly, I've been doing it this way so long, I think it would mess me up if I tried to change now." It's a very strange revelation. Having to manually reload his weblines has almost become part of his fighting style. It's second nature.

He demonstrates. A button press on his trigger assembly in his palm and the cartridge launches up into the air, another placed in before the first is even falling back towards his palm. Almost half a second, if that and he's reloaded. "Not as quick as pulling it from thin air, but there's enough compressed air in one of these to send the last bit of webbing out like a bomb... more than once I've tossed a cartridge in a fire as a quick escape from overwhelming odds."

Adaption.

"Blood sample?" He looks down at his arm, then back up at Gwen, "Uhhh no. Maybe.. not right now though. I'm scared of needles. Also, I'm scared of what you'll find out."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Fair." she notes amused "Also I'm the biochemist and geneticist" pause "That turned herself into this on accident but yeah eventually I'd like to compare our blood samples." a shrug still amused.

"Also damn.. I need to suck up to Daddy Starkbucks I think.. that is ridiculous. "I've managed to tweak mine to do blobs, nets, weblines, and a couple other variants but that sounds extensive... also I will grant you web bombs sounds very useful... may need to work on one of those even if not launched from my shooters."

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter turns the cartridge over in his fingers for a second, then flips it at Gwen. "Give the formula a once over, it's just a typical compressed air delivery system though." He muses, hand now free pressing against his ribs to test them. He's not grunting in pain anymore, even if they are still mostly black and blue. Bruising happens, breaks mend.

"I trust you." He assures her, taking his hand back as he inches a few steps towards the edge of the roof, "More so now that I know who you are." He steps up on the ledge and turns to face her, arms spread out to either side. "Next time we can do the science stuff, I promise. I was always told that you keep one thing a secret just in case you need an ice breaker." And there goes the quips.

"Seeya around, Spider-Girl." Then he's falling backwards into the void off the edge of the roof, THWIP of webbing, and he's swinging with wildly flailed legs in the general direction of Queens. He's a sudden and intense need to see Aunt May.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I'm so going to pop him in the shoulder when he is healed." she notes mostly to herself. Mostly due to the spider-girl quip as he got the last word in.

Still she looks over the web fluid canister and ponders what she can do with a formula that is years more advanced than hers. Well maybe. She won't know how much better it is until she gets it into her lab.

Speaking of which she should get back to her lab and take a look at this, not like sleeping is an option right now.