Location: Now York City
Date: Friday, January 13th, 1989
Gwen POV:
Gwen had thought she was ready for anything when she finally found the masked man.
Maybe he'd try to kill her for cracking his ribs. Maybe he'd threaten her, or worse, try to blackmail her by going after her father. She'd spent days imagining how the confrontation might go.
She was absolutely not prepared for him to joke about his injuries like it was no big deal.
He was weird, seriously weird.
But, despite everything, Gwen had been relieved when it seemed he wasn't hunting her down. That was something, at least. But it was considerably less reassuring when he didn't confirm if he knew who she was.
Ultimately the whole experience had been exhausting, and Gwen would have liked nothing more than to put it behind her. Except for one problem: the warnings and advice he'd given her.
He seemed to know a lot about people with powers. Much more than she did anyway. And, despite everything she'd seen him do, he'd given her the impression that he actually wanted to look out for her.
But Gwen wasn't about to trust him just because he'd been helpful. Free advice from a dangerous stranger was still free advice from a dangerous stranger.
Unfortunately, she couldn't just ignore it either. And, if she was being honest with herself, she wanted to know more.
So she settled for asking him what exactly he wanted from her, and if she did not like the answer, she was gone.
"It's everything I have already said. I want you to understand that you are part of the metahuman world now. All kinds of crazy things are possible and I want you to prepare for trouble before it comes looking for you."
Gwen narrowed her eyes, "That's it?"
"For now."
She wasn't sure whether that made her feel better.
Then he asked, "Have you ever been in a fight?"
Gwen almost laughed, "Seriously?"
"A single cheap shot to the ribs does not count." he said dryly.
"Cheap shot?"
"Yeah. Effective, certainly. But hardly a demonstration of skill. You are physically powerful. That does not mean you know how to fight."
'Oh, you think I can't fight?' she thought with a flash of irritation.
Before she could respond he continued, "Besides, I need a sparring partner that is strong enough to push my limits, and is preferably not trying to kill or capture me. You seem to fit those requirements quite well so, win-win."
He said it in such a casual way, as though this were the most obvious arrangement in the world. It pissed her off.
Gwen just stared at him, 'Is he seriously asking me to spar with him? After I laid him out before? And why does he sound completely casual about it?'
He was treating this whole thing like she'd accidentally wandered into some kind of audition.
Even more annoyingly, he was right. And she hated that she wanted to prove him wrong. She had powers now, but she had absolutely no idea what she was doing in an actual fight. That didn't mean she was going to admit it though.
She stepped forward, jaw tight, "Fine," Gwen said, and pointed at him, "But don't complain later when I knock you on your ass again."
"Looking forward to it."
She hated how much that sounded like a challenge, so she took it as one.
Gwen lunged forward in a burst of speed, intent on knocking him down immediately, but he was already moving. She threw a wild right swing that missed his chest by inches as he slipped to the side.
She gritted her teeth. He wasn't faster than her. If anything, he seemed almost slow. Yet somehow he always moved before she could hit him.
He also didn't counterattack, which irritated her even more.
"Stand still!" she snapped and charged again.
"That seems like a poor strategy."
"Then fight back!"
Her onslaught continued for several more swings before she stopped and glared at him from under her mask, "How are you doing that?"
But he just chuckled, "Weren't you going to knock me on my ass?" he asked, beckoning her forward.
He actually engaged her then. Despite her clear physical advantage, he was somehow able to match her. And as the spar continued something changed.
Where they had begun by feeling each other out, testing their strength, and leaving some bruises. They slowly started shifting into a friendlier competition at time passed.
---
"Got you!" she said in triumph.
He looked down at the spot she had hit, then back at her, "Apparently."
There was something almost amused in his voice and Gwen was grinning beneath her mask.
Their spar had turned into a game, and she was surprised to realize she was enjoying herself. It was the first time she'd had a chance to test her powers against someone, and he could actually keep up with her. Somehow, it was a lot of fun.
"Oh, I'm definitely going to get you again." she said and rushed him. For the next several seconds, the rooftop became a game of tag. She chased while he slipped away; she lunged while he pivoted; she jumped over a vent and came down with a kick while he ducked beneath it.
Gwen landed, spun, and immediately saw him moving toward the edge of the roof. She sprinted after him.
He glanced over his shoulder and said, "You are enjoying this."
"No!"
She tried to tackle him, but he sidestepped.
"You are."
"I am not!"
She was, and she knew it, but she no longer cared.
By this point they were both having trouble tagging each other.
"This is ridiculous!" she said, and darted left, as he moved right. She changed direction, and so did he. They circled each other without attacking.
Gwen launched herself forward. She did not think about winning. She did not think about the masked man she had feared, her father, or what any of this meant.
She simply moved.
For the first time since getting her powers, Gwen understood what her body was capable of. She could run, jump, twist through the air, and feel danger before it happened. And there was someone in front of her who could actually keep up.
She had not felt this alive in a long time.
Then Gwen jumped, intending to come down directly on him, but he reached out, and the air seemed to grab her.
"What-?" her momentum abruptly changed. She twisted sideways in midair, as though an invisible hand had grabbed her and spun her around. She landed hard on one hand, rolled, and came back to her feet.
She looked around but he was gone.
Then a finger tapped her shoulder from behind, "Dead."
Gwen whirled around, "You cheated!"
"How?"
"You did something!"
"I did."
She stared at him. He had actually admitted it, "What was that?"
There was a pause before he shrugged and said, "Maybe I will tell you someday, if you stick around."
Gwen narrowed her eyes. "You're really annoying."
"I've been told."
She frowned, "I came because I wanted answers."
"You got some."
"Not nearly enough."
"Then I suppose we will have to do this again."
Gwen hesitated. That sounded suspiciously like an invitation, and she was surprised that she was considering it.
She should have left, regardless of the fun they had. She had come looking for answers, not another mystery. And he had proven to be dangerous, but not necessarily in the way she'd feared. He had killed someone, and Gwen still didn't know what to make of that yet. Whatever else he was, she wasn't ready to forget it.
Yet he had also given her some good advice, helped her improve, and it was nice to stop holding back this part of herself. Now he had offered her an opening, however deliberately irritating, and she found herself unwilling to let it close.
After a long pause she finally said, "Maybe."
"Maybe?"
She turned away, "Don't get cocky."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Rib Tickler."
Gwen spun around, "Don't call me that!"
He laughed, and, annoyingly, she laughed too.