9231/Along Came A... Wizard

Along Came A... Wizard
Date of Scene:	17 September 2019
Location:	Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Synopsis:	Kid Arachnid gets an arcane save from none other than Zachary Zatara!
Cast of Characters:	Kid Arachnid, Zachary Zatara

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Kid Arachnid has posed:
"Wait, wait, wait. You don't understand!" Miles exclaims while hurtling through the air at break neck speeds. He'd hoped that luring his would-be captives past Stark Tower that they'd activate some sort if... laser? Robot? Thing? Nope. Nadda. "I'm not running because I'm scared." Another webline zips and Kid Arachnid takes a sharp turn down 214th and toward Strange's place. Maybe this will work. Pass the buck and get to work on time? Probably not. "I just don't want to be seen actually fighting you, man. No offense."

Turning in mid air, Miles Morales lets off rapid bursts of webbing at the... well, the half naked elderly man in gym shorts that's riding some sort of silvery sky chariot. That looks like the Silver Surfer had taken up sledding. Green bolts of energy fire from the contraption. As webbing splats the pilot, Miles takes a bolt of light to the black and red spandex clad chest. Rag doll effects are not flattering. He barely has time to stick the landing and web that wild sky sled thing. He certainly doesn't have time to stop the blue sedan that's barrel rolling through the air at him. Eyes widen as he looks over shoulder, time slowing in his head enough to wonder if this is how it ends?

Splattered by a Chrysler while trying to stop some deranged and off his rocker scientist on a... weird, futuristic Hoverround? Please no one be filming...

Zachary Zatara has posed:
Street performances are a little below most Zataras' pay grade, but Zachary didn't have the fame and renown as his relatives, loathe he is to admit, and there was a trendy, artistic bunch out today that pressed him for a trick or two. Naturally, that led to an impromptu show that's gathered a healthy (and growing) crowd. Luckily, Bunny's shooting.

He loves this stuff, really. Internet trolls and magic debunkers sometimes call him out for doing most of his illusions right in the comfort of his own studio. Turns out, fooling an audience in person is just as easy. And that's why he does it: the gasps, the applause, the amazement.

"Um, Zat?" His assistant, a black-haired woman who is wearing a tank top and a fishnet shirt, is looking up. Who looks up?

"Gimme a minute, Bunny," Zachary's holding a dulled sword. "Who wants to see me shove this down my throat?" Crowd. Goes. Wild.

"But," She protests. "He really looks like he could use some help. I don't know why an old man is chasing him. Maybe it's his-"

"What," Zach follows her gaze, bites down on his lip, and turns back to his energic audience with a megawatt smile. "It's your lucky day folks! Today, you will witness what it means to be a true magician."

"Dnepsus eht rac ni eht ria!"

Kid Arachnid has posed:
He keeps telling himself that one of these days he's going to fight a big time bad guy. You know, Rhino or Punisher, right? Maybe kick it up a notch and take on Killer Croc. But no. He's dealing with a senile space segway jockey. Arms trembling, Miles held onto half a dozen web lines connected go the silver sky sled as it powers harder and harder to try and break free. Asphalt cracks under Kid Arachnid's feet. He has enough time to register the facts.

The underside of that car is filthy as it bares down on him, mere feet from his masked face. A crowd on the sidewalk, clearly out of harms way and most now looking at him. "Really?!" He exclaims as a flash goes off. That's when the car just... stops?

Blinking dully, Miles looks at the levitating cars undercarriage. The crowd. Eyes widening with recognition, he transfers the web lines to his left hand. Arm shaking with strain as he keeps that weird rocket cart from escaping. Free hand pointing a red finger at Zachary.

"Bruh! I follow you! This you or am I dead?" He asks with a nod at the suspended Chrysler.

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"For the moment, you are very much alive. How long that holds true remains to be seen," The young magician bows. The top hat's missing, so it doesn't look as good as it could, but the motion's clearly well-practiced. "Zachary Zatara, at your service. You're a spider-person...but with the wrong colors. Spider-Lad? Spider-Boy? Anyway."

"Who let this guy out of his nursing home?" Zachary approaches, and Bunny tuuuuuuurrrrrnns the camera towards him. "Oh, is this, like, a family matter? I'm not supposed to get into those unless they're demons involved." He doesn't look like a demon, though, does he? So Zach figures he's safe to cast another spell.

"Ecrofnier sih gnibbew htiw ym skcigam." The web lines take on a glittering golden glow, not too unlike a famous lasso. It should hold now. Should being the operative word.

Kid Arachnid has posed:
"Why does -everybody- assume Spider-Lad? Don't get me wrong, that's almost better-" Miles asides as he digs his feet in harder, bend the knees to get that better anchor. Concrete crunches. All the while, a car remains levitating and an almost ashen grey old man frantically jams on controls. Webbing muffling very, very profane curses. "Than Kid Arachnid."

The sleds jet engines shriek, green flames roaring from turbines while Miles tries to hold as casual a conversation as he can manage. Which, in black and red skin tights is tough enough but adding all this? A challenge. "Yeah, yeah. He was all 'revenge against Luthor' and blah, blah, blah. Sucker zapped me over Incredible Amir's. You know, with the crazy good falaffel rings?" The sled tugs, webbing starts to fray and Miles returns to a two handed grip. "Hey, that trick you did when you breathed fire, was that kerosene and muscle control or are you -really- part demon? Because both are... Oh, hey!"
Hiss webs start glowing gold, tingling watmly in his grip, Miles feels the strain lessen. Swining hard, he flings silver sky sled and rider straight at a bus stop. "Both are killer. Bus STOP!"

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"You're a lad, you're a spider," Zachary shrugs. "I admit I'm not very creative with superhero aliases, considering real ones work just as well. Rewol eht rac." He drops a hand and puts the car back on its wheels.

"Never been, but I've heard good things," The Zatara wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead. He pulls off the 'casual sorcerer' well, but sustaining certain spells actually take a degree of concentration. "A real magician never reveals his secrets, right? Stick around and find out. Spoiler: I am not part-demon. That's not an actual option."

"Oh, the property damage," He sighs and lowers both hands, as the sledder crashes. "Sbew emoceb epor." The elderly man finds himself expertly tied in rope where there was once web stuff.

Kid Arachnid has posed:
"You're a lad." Kid Arachnid fires back without skipping a beat. That wide arching swing didn' either. Carrying that streamlined vehicle a d rider crashing into steel and safety glass. It's a mess. "Nobody -ever- talks about how hard that is. Super hero names aren't easy. Then when you pick one, some newspaper says 'nope' and slaps 'lad' on you." Miles clucks his tongue at the wreckage but ultimately gives a non-challant shrug.

Clapping his hands relatively clean, Miles hops up onto the roof of that now grounded sedan. Crouched and resting both hands atop knees. "Not part demon, huh? I'll buy it for now." A brow arches, surprised and still pretty awed by the magic on display. He snap-points as webbing morphs into actual rope and entwines the would-be assailant. "That is so cool. Oh! Aaaah, man! Were you doing a thing? I didn't ruin it, right?"

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"Well, let's see what they think..." Zachary turns and gestures towards the crowd that's expanded maybe tenfold in the brief heroic interlude. And, of course, the two teenage supers are greeted with an enthusiastic wave of applause and a few flashes. "They love it. They might think the whole thing was staged, or controlled, but when the curtains fall, this won't be something they'll ever forget."

"Might be able to help you with that name problem," Zach retrieves his phone from his pocket. "Selfie? I'll use the proper hashtag, and come tomorrow, a newspaper or two may just stop calling you Lad-anything."

Kid Arachnid has posed:
The applause is -startling- to say the least. Taken aback at first, Miles almost cringes back but ends up chuckling under a breath at his own reaction. A black gloved hand waggling crimson webbed fingers in a little wave. "Between you and me, Mr. Zatara? I'm still not convinced it wasn't staged." He says with a wide, unseen grin. He just can't help it. A wave here, a wave there as Miles drinks it in. Oooooh man, what a rush to the ego.

Snatching out his own phone, Miles hopes down off the sedan to snap a picture with Zach. "Ahhhhh, you're too righteous. Don't let anybody tell you different. Thanks for the assist! They guys'll never believe it until they see it!" That said, Miles leaps upward and THWIP! Off he goes. Making it look all too easy.