2014.12.12 - Scarlet Tours

Sometimes kids do arrive in NY by train to visit family, some arrive by ship to become illegal immigrants. Others arrive with the Greyhounds, and some of those are runaways, having left home for various reasons. In Nicky's case it was partly getting away from home and partly fleeing from purifiers. Purifiers that wanted her dead for existing. As she arrived at the bus terminal, she pulled the jacket tight to her for the cold weather, grabbing her backpack from the transport compartment of the bus. Where to go now? Moments she looked around insecure, her hands in the pockets as she tried to determine where to go. Hall of Justice? Avengers Mansion? Titans Tower?

Hanging around the bus stop was Scarlet Spider. He was on a rooftop to a building nearby. Sometimes people tried robbing people that looked out of place. In short it was kind of like the Superhero version of shooting fish ina barrel. The black clad head bobbed back and forth as a song ran through his head.

Black coated fingers rapped on the rooftop's edge. Tonight was slow. So very very slow. Breathing out he just kept his eyes on the passengers. Hopefully their first trip to New York wasn't bad. Sometimes people got out of the busstop without a jerk waiting there. Hopefully they weren't fated to something so negative.

Nicky was obviously out of place, her eyes wandering over the place as she thought about what to do. She might look like the fresh flesh she was, but she also hadn't much of money on her, and neither did she looked like that. It had taken her like two weeks to get from her hometown to New York, working at some diners for a few bucks to afford the bus tickets to the next town, but now she was here. In the city of Heroes. And she had no clue what to do. Taking out a sheet of paper from her pocket, she peered at the notes she had made in some night when she ran away. Heroes she wanted to meet, and oddly enough none of them was above 20.

Three people in an alleyway started to move toward Nicky. One grabbed the woman and pushed her toward an alley. "Give us you're money and you'll be able to get on your merry way," another smiled staring at her. "Tax for newbies," the trio snickered. They were all facing Nicky and their backs to the street as they tried to corner Nicky.

What went unseen was Scarlet Spider landing behind the trio. The red and black clad hero put a finger to his mouth for Nicky to keep quiet. Suddenly Scarlet draped his arms around two of the assailants, "What are we doing tonight guys?!" Before the third could do anything Scarlet suddenly squeezed the shoulders of the two men. Nicky could hear the bones cracking. The two were down in seconds and gave Scarlet spider the right height to suddenly push off them and kick the third guy with both feet.

Nicky had enough time to move out of the way of the would be attacker coming at her. "Now, I understand you all want to date this girl, but she's not going to say yes with those guns!" Flinging one of the robbers he was holding to a wall his now free hand flicked out, "Thwp!" Suddenly the attacker was stuck to the wall. And then the same fate happened to the second.

Standing there Scarlet tried to make sure Nicky was okay.

Nicky wasn't exactly a woman, more a girl, and as the guys started to mug her towards the street, she did move... until the black clad hero dropped down to smack two shoulders and then doublekick number three. The blue eyes of the girl first narrowed, then went wide and... instead of screaming for help it was a fangirl squeal and she tried to practically jump at the Scarlet Spider, the list of teen heroes still in her hand. If he took a look upon it, he could see his own nickname on the list as number 14 before she tried to close her arms around him "Oh my god oh my god! It's the real and living Scarlet Spider!"

"Listen I'm not Spider-Ma," Scarlet stopped then did a genuine doubletake. "You know who I am?!" Even a membership in the Fantastic Four didn't disway anyone from thinking that Scarlet was just Spider-Man in a cooler costume. It took everything in his person not to jump up and down with her. His first fan, "Totally is!" he said in an excited voice. "Do I pose for a selfie? Is this the time we do that? Want an autograph? I'd give you a t-shirt if I had one," a finger suddenly went up. "One second," he webbed the guy that was kicked into the wall at the end.

Turning to look back at Nicky, "Like seriously, I'll sign anything you want. Within legal reason. You look younger than me and I don't wanna disturb that hornets nest," he was smiling under the mask ready to take paper and pen.

Nicky is taken by surprise - how could people mix up Spiderman with Scarlet Spider? They hadn't the same size! But she totally had no stuff to sign with her "uhm... No, I don't have any autograph stuff... but isn't there some spider-net or such to show your devoted fans or some tour to New York you could do? This city is totes too confusing and I have to meet that Fox and Axiom and Hulkling and Wiccan and Robin and the whole rest of the list!" Speaking of the list she waved with the sheet of paper, carrying hero names - all of them Teens.

Whoa. Someone had some superhero crushes, but she was his fan so it was cool. Scarlet then crossed his arms, "Not sure...I get the feeling I'm not so special anymore," he was teasing for a moment. His amsk looked back at her for a moment then away as he waited for pleading. "Besides, you probably have some place to go."

"Ehm... nope. No place to go." Nicky smiled innocently, looking at the list. "ehm, you have a pen? I have to make a note that I met you once. So I can count."

"Why no place to go?" Scarlet asked. The question was filled with genuine concern. "Why come to this place with no place to go? No hotel room? No anything?" he asked.

"Becase religios persecution?" Nicky answered with a sour look in her face, before she shrugged. "Anyway, I have my stuff, so would you show me this city?"

"I'll make you a deal. I'll hook you up with a room for a week. If I don't show you the city at night I can get some fantastic four people to show you the city during the day. During that week I'll help lay out your options so you've got food, a place to stay and maybe a job. Deal?" Scarlet said looking at Nicky and throwing the gauntlet.

Nicky pondered about the option, her face shifting some "As long as the job is legal and I can meet more from the list I am in. But now, City tour, right? Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Stark Tower?"

"It'd be a barista job that comes with a place to live if you take it. I'd have to pull strings," Scarlet responded. His eyes went to her, "Only if you beg really nicely," he said. "I'm a hero. You wouldn't do anything illegal."

"I was just reminding that barkeepering is not illegal per se, but for me." Nicky teased back a tad, before making huge puppy eyes, blinking slowly as she closed hands in each other in front of her "pleeeeeeeease? It is such a big city, and I can't get around here all alone, Mr. Scarlet Spider."

Nodding Scarlet scooped Nicky. "Hold on tight," his hand lashed out. "Thwp," went up to the air. Webbing snagged onto a building edge. Pushing himself he swung off into the city skies. To Nicky it would have felt like a rollercoaster. A rush of wind followed by a blood rush to the head. For a second they went through the air then another "thwp!" and a webline went out. The duo were pulled off in a direction, "Tall buildings? Tall statues? Here at Scarlet Tours we put the trip in your hands," he said in a monotone voice akin to flight attendants wehn they went through the safety procedures. From this view she could have seen all the city lights and the city from afar where it was beautiful.