Act 4: Black & White
Night falls upon the immense city of Manhattan.
The ambiance of heavy traffic cluster, angry cab drivers, and pushy executives birthed from the hustle and bustle of the big apple's infamous business class is slowly replaced by the intense atmosphere of ultraviolet lights, hypnotic music rhythms, couples out to dinner, and the exhilarating optimism of the New York City night life.
As Spider-Man swings gracefully above the spectacle of the city, he often is lost within its captivating grasp. "Whoooooooo!" He shouts out as he launches himself high into the air allowing his body to free-fall into the lights below. He clinches a nearby flagpole and flips himself around until he is perched upon it like an eagle. Within seconds, he uses the bounce of the pole to spring forward into an impressive side-winding summersault as he shoots webbing from his wrist while swinging above the excited citizens. Several people point to the sky in amazement, cheering in awe of the young hero. "Go Spidey!" A husky off-duty construction worker yells, raising his half eaten hoagie sandwich to the sky in approval. "I Love You!" shouts a young college girl clutching her chest, swooning with infatuation.
These were one of the few precious moments Peter could truly feel free. Unshackled by the weight of guilt, depression and regret; he could breathe again. In these moments with the intensity of air whisking across his masked face at sixty stories above the earth, he could feel as close to the heavens as humanly possible. -And in those moments spent within the heavens he could feel just a little bit closer to his blonde haired fallen angel.
In mid swing, Spider-Man propels himself high above the skyscrapers landing on a rooftop near New York's famous Chrysler building. He walks towards the edge of the adjacent structure and catches a glimpse of the OSCORP building in the distance, standing high with the presence of a concrete metal titan in the middle of the city.
Instantly, his head rings with the imminent buzz of his spectacular "Spider Sense" warning him of danger. Similar to a super sixth sense- Spider-Man's focus and attention is immediately drawn to the direction of the disturbance. He watches as a dark figure scales the buildings of Manhattan several feet away, hidden in the shroud of shadows provided by the night. "Just when I thought I'd finish up in time to catch a little cup of coffee…" Spider man says to himself, annoyed. "Ya know? That's all I ask…just an over-priced venti frappuccino with caramel and whipped cream… in a cup that's small enough to fit The Lizard's IQ.." He continues. Under the guise of night, the young hero leaps across several buildings and silently peruses the ninja-like suspect. "I meet a nice girl… agree to meet up in like… 10 minutes from now… and I can NEVER seem to be anywhere I say I'll be ON TIME." Spidey mumbles under his breath, disturbed by his unlucky social etiquette but compelled by his heroic responsibility.
The dark figure darts across the rooftops gracefully with amazing stealth in the direction of the illuminated Chrysler building. Spider-Man observes the suspect's abilities as he follows closely. "Wow… this person was clearly trained by Yoda and the Jedi Masters" Peter jokes. The person stops at the edge of a building directly in front of the skyscraper. Spidey stops in his tracks. The ninja reaches behind and pulls out a weapon from its backpack.
Spider-Man can hear the loud "CLICK-CLACK!" sounds of the hand gun cocking back as the figure points upward in the direction of the glass windows encasing the facility. Just before the gun fires, Spidey readies his position preparing himself to leap out and grab the assailant before they assassinate their target. However, when the gun goes off, it is surprisingly not a round of bullets but a steel cable connected to a grappling hook. The metal hook launches into the sky connecting to the concrete frame high above within the protruding spikes extending from the rooftop. The figure tugs at the steel cable to assure its stability and swings into the air, landing on the side of the Chrysler building. "Hmmph!" Spider-Man says as he watches the ninja climb the enormous skyscraper. "I wonder if he carries a Light Saber in that backpack too?"
The chopper sound of an approaching helicopter can be heard in the distance as the ninja moves faster upon the buildings surface to avoid detection. Once close to the top, the building mechanically opens up, extending seven floors down revealing a secret landing pad. Spider-Man is utterly amazed watching from his view as the entire top half of the Chrysler building breaks apart and extends outward to receive the helicopter "Oooookayyyy… I suddenly feel like I'm watching an episode of those transforming robots.." Spider-Man replies in awe "...Skyscrapers in disguise." Three suited men exit the helicopter escorted byheavily armored, masked and fully weaponized bodyguards unaware of the intruder hanging from above. The intruder clings to the surface and pries open the covering for the facility's ventilation shaft. As the upper side of the building closes back to its original position, the ninja slips into the air duct entering the facility un-noticed. Spider-Man leaps into action, swinging after his target.
From inside the vents, Spider-Man crawls along the metallic surface silently. He continues to follow attempting to make out the identity of the masked, baggy clothed, darkly dressed intruder. His "Spider Sense" once again rings out diverting his attention is immediately in the direction of potential harm. Spider-Man's pursuit is side tracked by the sound of gun shots echoing from the corridor outside of the passing vent. He peaks through an opening in the ventilation duct to the sight of a room full of marksmen being trained in brutal assassination tactics and emergency response procedures.
Several of the marksmen viciously fire automatic rounds at a plastic human-like replica, more tackles the plastic dummies in a choreographed nick slicing technique while others perfect their hand-to-hand combat skills. "Sheesh! …These guys look like they're getting ready for a WAR!" Spider-Man whispers.
He crawls up a bit further to another opening and gazes through the vent of the next room. A tall, slinder male scientist in a white lab coat presses a series of codes on the computer interface of a wall. The wall opens and reveals a glass chamber encased with an unconscious muscular man strapped down within its glass contents. His pale-green skin is detailed with scales descending down both sides of his arm. A brunette haired female scientist with glasses enters the lab "Any change in status?" She inquires confidently. "Lets see…" the male scientist replies as he approaches the chamber. He lightly taps on the glass surface of the container. The creatures eye lids shoot open immediately revealing yellow eyes filled with darkness and savagery.
Peter pulls up the fabric of his spider costume near his waist, grabs a miniature camera and snaps shots of the scene. "Looks like somebody wants to pick up where OSCORP left off…" Spider-Man whispers. Continuing his path, Spidey crawls through the air dust shaft realizing that in his investigation of the facilities illegal activities, he'd lost track of the intruder. He finds garments of dark clothing as he turns the corner. The suspect's baggy pants and shirt with a discarded grappling gun lay scattered along the surface leading a trail towards a forced opening in the vent shaft ahead.
Within an enormous upscale room are priceless relics and artifacts displayed in their entire splendor. From across the room a large ruby red jewel sits perched upon silk cloth within gold plated glass casing. A figure emerges from the shadows strutting with the seductive walk of confidence as the moonlight seeps through the windowed ceiling revealing skin tight black leather clinging to the a body of feminine curves. Two combat knives are holstered and strapped to both sides of her long statuesque legs, while a silver plated utility belt hangs from her curvaceous hips right below her soft- yet muscularly toned stomach. A deep opening in the fabric of the costumes upper torso leaves her cleavage exposed as the moonlight glistens on the smooth milky skin encompassing her full breasts.
Spider-Man watches through the ventilation opening realizing his "ninja" was not at all what he expected. She approaches the jewel with a lipstick sized laser weapon melting a small whole within the glass casing.
Once stepping into the light shining above the pedestal the jewel sits upon, her face can finally be seen. Her captivating blue eyes gaze though a black slender mask as her long white hair falls upon her gorgeous face. She uses her white-gloved hand to whisk the strands of ivory hair away to clear her vision as she reaches for her prized ruby. Her retrieval is interrupted by the sound of web shooters.
"THWIP!" Instantly her hand is covered in webbing. "Ah-Ah-Ahhhh…" declares a voice from above. She turns around and furiously looks up as Spider-Man descends upside down from a web line. "That doesn't belong to you!" He states. As he inches down closer she stares at him intensly. A smirk comes across her lips and with cat-like reflexes she kicks Spider-Man square in the face. The force of the blow knocks Spider-Man from his web line into a tall historical Trojan statue. "Ummmm….Okay… Owww." He responds in pain as he attempts to recover.
She reaches inside the case, grabs the jewel and turns to Spider-Man. "…And who do you THINK this jewel belonged to before the scum bag who owns this place STOLE IT from my father?" The fem fatale rhetorically inquires as she walks slowly toward him. "Yeah? …well, two wrongs don't make a right!" Spider-Man replies getting up to his feet and thrusting thick strands of webbing towards her. The woman strategically dodges each line of webbing twisting, weaving and turning elegantly out of the way of each line of fire. She leaps toward him punching wildly with one hand while holding the jewel in the other. Spider-man avoids the attack grabbing her by the wrist and spinning her around then twisting her arm. He pulls her close and tries to pin her against his chest to prevent her from moving. With her legs still free, the woman uses her high-heeled feet to push him into a nearby pillar, pinning them both to the wall.
A faint ray of moonlight shines from the ceiling onto the couple as they realize the rather exotic situation they have found themselves in. Being slightly taller than her, Peter tries not to become distracted while looking down at her with her voluptuous cleavage and pushes any un-pure thoughts from his mind. "Look! ..uuhhhh…ummm. Ninja Chick!" He responds, "…I don't know WHO you think you are, but my aunt told me when I was a kid that I should never hit a girl!" Spider-Man continues pressing the aggressive woman tighter against his muscular torso as she struggles to break loose. She could tell he was attracted to her; all men are she thought to herself. Recognizing the uncertainty in Spider-Man's voice she quits struggling and uses a different method. She turns her head upward towards him to stare the young hero in the eyes of his webbed designed mask "Girl? …Hmph!" she replies confidentially. "I am all… WOMAN…" she whispers as she places her hand gently on the side of his inner thigh. Spider-Man jolts back slightly, surprised but still maintaining his grip.
"What the hell? …wha…what are you doi?" he confusingly protests as she runs her fingers from the outer portion of his leg to his inner thigh making seductive eye contact as she goes. She presses her back and buttocks even closer upon him and runs her finger towards his crotch before seductively grabbing at his private area. "Whooaaaaa! NO! …No we're not doing THAT!" Spider-Man shouts as he becomes side tracked by the violation, releases his grip. She smirks sarcastically, grabs him by the arm and flips Spider-Man over her shoulder into a table sized glass container holding a historical map. Debris shatter everywhere as the buxom beauty stands over him tauntingly. "I'm the Black Cat… little spider." she proclaims. "Anyone who crosses my path the wrong way... is one unlucky motherfu%er!"
The building becomes alerted to the noise the two combatants have stirred up and armed guards begin to storm the hallways of the facility. Stomping boots can be heard clattering in the distance as Spider-Man attempts to rise to his feet and recover from his fall, again. "Stop right there!" shouts an armored guard accompanied by his partner as they enter the room with guns drawn. Both Spider-Man and Black Cat stand beside each other putting their hands in the air in compliance. "Fellas, fellassss!" Spidey says to the guards relieved. "… It's not what you think… See, I'm the good guy! …I was trying to stop thi-" Spider-Man is interrupted by a hail of bullets as the two guards open fire immediately. "Kill Them!" shouts the other guard as Spider-Man and Black Cat take cover behind various pieces of furniture and casings.
"These men KNOW who you are spider! …Just because they LOOK like law enforcement doesn't mean they serve and protect!" shouts Black Cat from behind a metal table carrying rare sculptures being chipped away by the force of hot bullet shells. "This is the real world kiddo! …There IS no one who is all the way good or evil… human nature is naturally a grey area!" she continues "You HERO types always look at things in black and white!" she yells to him. Spider-Man peaks from behind the pedestal of a shattered jewel case trying to avoid gunfire. "Ha! ….Says the chick in the BLACK and WHITE skin tight pajamas!" he sarcastically replies.
The two men both run out of ammo and stop for a brief moment to reload clips. When they look up- the young hero and the feline intruder descend upon them. Spider-Man punches a guard in the jaw instantly fracturing the bone as Black Cat leaps into the air kicking the other in the torso, cracking his ribs and knocking the wind out of him. Both men drop to the floor in excruciating pain.
Spider-Man sprays webbing on the guards wrapping them in a bundle. "That was easy!" he says as he shoots another line into the ceiling, connecting it to the tied up guards and hoisting them high into the air like a piñata. "I've never fought along side someone before… it cuts the work in half by at least thirty percent!" Spidey quips. Black Cat darts her eyes menacingly at him. "Ummm.. forty percent?" he says as she stares at him still offended. "Okayyy… maybe… just maybe, you helped by like fifty percent…. but I tied up the goons!" Spider-Man concludes before his head is rocked once more by the tingling of his Spider-Sense.
Their juvenile argument is met with the ammunition CLICK-CLACK-CLICK-CLACK-CLICK! clamor from an entire mob of guards consisting of forty heavily armed mercenaries. Spider-Man and Black Cat freeze in their place as they feel the floor beneath them shaking. Heavy stomps can be heard entering the door way behind the guards as the two brace themselves for what may come. Black Cats eyes widen as an enormous twelve foot tall metal mech-armored robot piloted by Alastair Smyth armed with missile launchers, a razor sharp spiked metallic tail and two multi-barreled automatic Gatling Guns on each arm emerge into the corridor. "Ah! ..Spider-Man, its good to see you! ..Allow me to introduce you to…" Smyth continues as he steps forward locking and arming his missiles.
"…The Spider-Slayer."