2011 10 20 Mighty But Mini Or Thanks For The Help Sue Lynn

Log Title:
Mighty But Mini OR Thanks For The Help, Sue Lynn!

Characters:
Xiu Lin Tseng, Spider-Man

IC Date:
2011-10-12

Location:
Manhattan alleyway

Brief log summary::
Almost run down by a limo fleeing an SUV, Xiu Lin Tseng investigates and ends up confronting the Enforcers. She gets some timely help from Spider-Man

Rating:
pg

There is no TS in this log::
Yes

Post your log::
The skyline of Manhattan is a majestic thing. Standing tall and looming like some great series of sentinels that glower down upon the hub bub and throng of mankind so far below. At this time of day, just perhaps an hour before the sun sets, the city is still thriving. The crowds are moving as people go about their commutes, cars are honking, and it's all a form of chaos yet one that can be understood with time. It's controlled in streams by the shift of lights and the flow of traffic. One can almost get a feeling for the motion of the city's population, so much so that they can read it with experience.

Then there's a break in that subtle order. A white limousine comes barreling through a red light, and careens up off the road and partially onto the sidewalk. Pedestrians dive off the the side, barely avoiding being hit as behind it a large black SUV pursues. There's a squeal of tires as the limo swings around and almost /slams/ into a lamppost yet only scrapes it. Into an alleyway it barrels with the black SUV in hot pursuit. Then, the next moment there's a _CRASH!_

Xiu does not drive. She doesn't even have a license. She usually takes public transportation. But even more often, she walks. Walking puts her amongst the citizenry. It gives her a chance to connect, however fleetingly, with people. That's harder to do in New York, where the prevalent culture has taught generations to avoid connecting with the strangers they pass. But she tries.

What probably stands out most is that this tiny young woman manages to completely avoid being run over by the white limo. The table she was passing at the cafe is so much scrap right now. The planter's contents are spread over most of a block. But Xiu - who wasn't even looking - leapt up at the right moment to clear the hood of the onrushing limo, then touch down long enough to leap to the side. When the black SUV rushes past, and the crash sounds, she sprints after them full-tilt on her short little legs, heading for the alley without apparent fear. Someone could be hurt.

The sight that greets her eyes is telling. At first she can see little more than the black SUV turned at the mouth of the alleyway as it if to prevent anyone ingress into the alleyway. And for someone of her height she might find it difficult to see past. But the sound of voices might spur her on further inwards.

"Look! I know what you want! Stay back!" It's the sound of desperation in the man's voice that might seem so utterly plaintive. At the other end of the alleyway is a man in a black and grey suit who apparently has just left the back of the crashed limousine. The long vehicle apparently must have slammed hard into the wall of the alleyway so that now it's entirely stuck and has created a place within the city with little to no chance of escape…

For at the other end of the alley, advancing slowly up its length towards the limo's passegner, is a group of three distinct men. One is tall with a cowboy hat cocked back jauntily upon his head. He's dressed in a brown suit and is currently swinging a lasso idly. Then to his right is a humongous monster of a man with huge meaty hands that looms large. To his left is a smaller man in a bowler cap, smirking as they close the distance.

"Now that's just downright impolite there, slim. How do ya know what we want with ya if'n ya don't let us talk to ya?" The man in the cowboy hat murmurs. Then the tall monster of a man laughs a low 'hur hur' of a laugh.

The smallest man steps forwards and neatly grabs the limo's passenger, twisting the man's arm _painfully_ into an armlock and slams the fellow against the exposed and shattered trunk of the limo, "Mr. Fisk seems to think you've been rude. I can see why now."

Xiu can't see much past the large SUV, but she is small enough to squeeze past it, and she does so quickly enough to see some of this unfolding. Given the accident, she can be reasonably assured that police will be on the way, so she does not call for 'backup'. Not that she can, really, but she could direct-dial a detective's cellphone. Instead, she slips in as quickly as she can behind the three men, assessing carefully before she takes action.

"I think, gentlemen, that perhaps you should indeed stay back. This man was willing to run down pedestrians to get away from you. That does not speak highly for your manners." You know, lines like this would be ever so much more impressive and intimidating if delivered from some six-foot tall buxomly bodacious heroine in skimpy clothes pretending to be a costume. But coming from a five-foot-nothing girl in urban hiking boots, jeans and a polo shirt, it has all of the verbal punch of a yipping poodle. She has to try, though.

As she speaks she can see the men are indeed looming over the man who is slammed down upon the trunk of the car. They're all smirking to each other, amused with the situation. And, of course, that's when they hear her.

Over his shoulder the man with the cowboy hat looks askance towards Xiu's arrival, his brow furrowing in consideration. Then a raucous laugh is torn frmo him as he gestures with a gloved hand in her direction. "The hell is this?"

The huge man looks back and laughs, even as Montana turns to Fancy Dan and says levelly. "Dan, take care of the lil girly. We'll take care of this guy."

"I still get my cut," And as Fancy Dan lets the man go he gives their hostage a right /thump/ on the back of the neck vindictively. The short man in the bowler hat turns and starts to walk towards the small woman, his black gloved hands interlacing fingers as he causes his knuckles to give a low cartilaginous crackle. "Get lost, kid."

In that moment the chaffeur manages to get the door open to the limo and falls out on the other side of the vehicle. He rolls to his feet awkwardly and holds his hands up. "I didn't see nuttin'!" And with no further words he turns to beat feet away from the situation. Dan glances back at the man, smirks, then looks back towards Xiu.

"I am neither a 'kid', nor am I getting lost. You three are threatening and accosting that man." Xiu comments. She actually seems intent enough to mean it, but then again who could possibly take a little girl like this seriously when she's trying to be ominous and dangerous. It just won't work. She holds herself loose and ready without taking any visible fighting stance. "Please let that man go. I have no desure to hurt anyone." She can't possibly be serious, right?

As the chauffeur makes his break for it Montana and Ox heave a laugh, guffawing and amused at the discomfiture of the man. Meanwhile on the trunk the hostage finds his voice again, "Whatever he's paying you I'll double it!"

"Yeah, since double-crossing the Kingpin's worth a one time payout. Yer a crazy feller, ya know that buddy?" And with that Montana loops the end of the lasso around the man's neck.

It's in that moment that Dan steps forwards and lowers his hands, "Don't say I didn't warn ya, kiddo." As he says this there's a moment of a glimmer in his eyes, a faint flicker of decision and she'll be able to read. The decision is made, his body shifts stance subtly, and then his arm snaps back suddenly, fist flashing forwards in a blur of motion.

As Dan snaps that fist forward, Xiu Lin moves. Indeed, it must seem as if she was already moving, though there was no sign of it a moment ago. At once she gives the impression of moving in slow motion, so calm and graceful, while at the same time moving impossibly fast. The likes of Dan are not used to being resisted much, and likely never by someone as small and seemingly insignificant as Xiu Lin. She bends and flows like a reed, one hand snapping up to both deflect the punch at the wrist and to seize it as a point of balance. With a subtle shift of the hips and a twist, all of his moment and her considerable strength is used to throw Dan wide and past her, right into the side of the SUV he climbed out of earlier. Most disturbing of all, assuming that isn't enough to KO the man, is the fact that she is already moving forward, leaping into the hood of the limosine to confront his partners.

She moves perfectly in counter-point to the approach of th eman and she might even catch the slight furrow to his brow as he realizes that… 'this isn't how it's supposed to go'. She's able to grasp his wrist, twist, then turn and suddenly /WHAM!/ he's pushed hard into the hood of the SUV. It's enough to send him down then rolling back as he staggers a step, stumbles, then shakes his head to try and clear it. Luckily she doesn't press the attack as she's already past him to confront his partners.

The other Enforcers blink as this little slip of a child floors Fancy Dan, and their reactions are clear. Montana, for his part, busts out with a loud guffaw of laughter even as he holds the man there with the loop of rope around his neck. Ox rocks back on his heels, giving a hefty belly-laugh.

"Girly, you are a right peach. I tell you what. I ain't seen anyone floor Dan like that in a dog's age." Montana eyes Yishi with amusement in his gaze, while Ox chortles further. Dan, however… is getting to his feet and reaching inside his jacket for his sidearm.

Xiu Lin is not even visibly looking at Dan. She cannot possibly - or so it would seem - be aware that he is even on his feet, let alone that he is reaching for a gun rather than closing on her from behind. Yet the little slip of a girl reacts in what is likely the last way anyone present is expecting. She hops off the hood of the limo in a sideways handspring motion, both of her legs missing Montanna, though it would appear they were /trying/ to reach him. Instead, she lands smoothly right beside him and then twists … as her hand snaps up with a flick to extend one of her collapsable batons, smacking the titanium steel sharply into Montanna's wrist. The intent is to cause him - nay, force him - to release his hold on the rope around the other man's neck, even as she twists inside of his position, using Montanna himself as a body shield against Dan's firearm. Again, it seems at once as if she somehow started moving before anyone saw her, and yet it is not so. She just seems to be in exactly the right place at the right moment. It's eerie.

She'll fel that baton snap out and /crack/ against the man's wrist. He abruptly lets go of the rope even as he dances back grasping it and howling with pain. "Dammit all girl, yer in fer it now! Get 'er Ox!"

And the giant mammoth of a man lifts his meaty paws and starts to advance upon the tiny Asian girl. His humor suddenly contorted into rage as he stalks forwards as he growls, "Ya shoulda done that."

Dan, for his part, scowls and holds up a menacing nickel-plated .45 and tries to take aim. "The hell outta the way ya jerks." He frowns as he adjusts his moustache with one hand, the barrel of the pistol tracking…tracking… there that might be a clear shot…

And suddenly from somewhere above a red and blue flicker slices downwards and _lands_ hard upon the shoulders of Fancy Dan, slamming the man to the ground and whomping his head soundly. Spider-Man looks up, still perched on the balls of his feet which are in turn upon the now unconcsious Dan's shoulders as he pipes up.

"Ah pity the fool that points guns at lil girls."

Most anyone with any sense would gape at the sudden arrival of Spider-Man. Xiu Lin is aware of who he is, of course. He has been active for nearly a decade, and she has heard of him even out in San Francisco. And she has seen coverage here in the Bugle since returning to the States. But Xiu Lin does not gape. She does not pause, nor even slow down. She continues the movement she apparently had planned even before she hopped off the car hood.

The tiny Asian girl twists, grabs both lapels of the formerly cative man, and throws him end over end in a forced tandem somersault away from btoh Montana and Ox. It will only gain her about four feet of distance, but it will also bring both of them down well below Ox's reasonable punching range. And, in point of fact, would have assured that Dan would have hit the brick wall, not either target.

After both she and the victim are clear, Xiu Lin twists and rolls up to her feet to cover the fallen man, facing down Ox without much outward sign of fear. Which is not to say she is unafraid, but she isn't showing it. She's just waiting for whatever is coming, trying her best to be ready.

The victim gulps once quickly before suddenly he's tossed in that quick somersault with Yishi's nimble movements flipping him out of harm's way. When they come to a halt he shakes his head and is clearly dizzy even as he tries to scurry away from not just her but the other men as well.

Then the gargantuan behemoth of a man seems to blot out the sun, his long shadow cast heavily upon her as he stalks forward. Those small eyes narrow even further as he gives an almost animal-like growl and then breaks into a charge that would honor his namesake. Heavy feet thud-thud-thud upon the ground, seemingly shaking the earth as he moves towards her, a huge fist drawing back and then slamming forward as if trying to utterly /smash/ her.

Montana spins around towards Spider-Man, reaching into his jacket and withdrawing a heavy leather whip with a /CRACK!/ of sound. "Shoulda kept outta this, bug." He says even as he swirls the weapon over his head and sends its barbed tip lashing right at the wallcrawler.

"Don't give me that jibba-jabba, Montana." The Amazing Spider-Man _leans_ back as the tip of that whip licks the air just above him. He carthweels abruptly to the side then seems to dart upwards, perching upon the side of the alleyway's walls as he perches there for an instant. "Sorry, I was up all night last night watching the A-Team marathon on TNT."

The whip cracks again, and he flips back down narrowly avoiding the stroke of the bullwhip, landing in a crouch closer to Montana, "I mean I've fought you guys like twenty times, I'm all out of cowboy jokes."

The difficult thing when fighting a much larger opponent is overcoming that reach advantage. But when the opponent is bound and determined to charge headlong, that neatly solves that problem. Xiu Lin remains aware of where the fleeing civilian has gone, but does nothing to stop him: she's busy, and 'away' is a better place for him right now anyway. She holds her position, on the balls of her feet, as Ox charges in. She waits. And waits. He has to be completely sure he is going to flatten her.

Then, in a single smooth and graceful motion, she falls to the ground with a twist to her hips as she lands, taking the fall on her hands, not her hips as she kicks way out, driving both of her feet through Ox's ankles as the behemoth charges. It is a vicious sweep technique that should, she believes, send him hurtling headfirst into the cement wall of the alleyway, right overtop her prone form.

Of course, if she's wrong she may end up flattened to the asphalt as a girly street pizza.

The brain processes of a being such as Ox are not the most staggeringly fast things upon the planet. He thuds towards her heavily, and gets a lurid sneering look to his face even as he stomps! He reaches out, reaching, grasping, seeking to tear and rend…

And then she's not there anymore. She moves, twisting, slicing her feet across the ground and slamming them hard into his ankles. She's able to rob him of his balance and send him hurtling forward straight into the brick wall of the building along the side of the alleyway. With a resonant /WHACK!/ he collides with the wall and almost instantly snaps back, falling backwards like a great redwood in the forest. His eyes are wide and dazed, a small trickle of blood is clear upon his brow and he seems terribly woozy, though he's already scrabbling, trying to turn… but dazedly so.

Meanwhile across the way, Montana's bringing his hand back to lash that whip at Spider-Man one more time. His eyes are ablaze with anger as he rages, "Ahm so sicka yew, insect. Just you wait…"

But he never gets to finish that sentence as there's a /THWIP!/ and suddenly his hand's webbed to the wall, unable to lash forward with the whip. The next instant the masked wallcrawler is face to face with him.

"Aww Montana," Spider-Man's reflective lenses give Montana's face back to him two-fold as he confides, "I wish I knew how to quit you." And then there's a /WHACK!/ as one sharp uppercut from the Spectacular Spider-Man robs the cowboy of consciousness.

Having felled Ox, at least for the moment, Xiu Lin kippups cleanly to her feet and spins, that baton appearing and telescoping almost magically as she brings it down sharply on Ox's throat, enough to sting but it should not be enough to actually break anything in that mightily muscled shaft of flesh and bone. "That is enough. Do not make me hurt you any further." she barks sharply. Granted, the likes of Ox are far less likely to respect proper avoidance and legsweeps as 'I beat you'. But maybe, given blood and dazedness, it can work this once. Or maybe not. She seems resignedly ready for either eventuality.

There's a resonant /THWAK!/ as her baton slams hard into the giant man's throat, causing him to cough and gag almost comically if he wasn't in such pain. He lifts those large meathooks to his throat and turns one way, then the other, straining to breathe but able to do so… at least enough to survive if not fight.

With the Enforcers down for the count, the man whose limo it was seems to have no qualms nor hesitation about beating feet. His nice clean white suit all grimy and muddied up by being tossed around and whomped on, he's barely visible as he makes it around the corner and almost loses his feet by skidding across the pavement. A moment later and he's gone.

It leaves Spider-Man there with his hands on his hips and looking across the way at the curious young woman. His head is tilted to the side and those mirrored lenses are level upon her. His lip curls behind the mask, though she is perhaps one of the few who might be able to notice it, perceptive as she is.

"Shang Chi once told me that if you take the base from the mountain, it must do naught but topple. I think he'd totally approve of that move." And that tone of his, so wry and self-amused. In that instant she might have a chance to really look at him, and probably the first few things that jump to mind might be… that he's _skinny_ and that he's short for a superhero. Though not as short as she is, of course.

Seeing that her remaining opponent is out of the fight - at least for now - Xiu Lin glances past the fleeing man, content to let him flee if that is his choice. Had he remained, she would have called the police and the ambulance for him. But if he does not remain, it is his duty to make those calls. Instead, she snaps the baton in her hand closed, and then clasps her hands together as she offers a brief bow to the brilliantly-masked hero.

"I suppose he might, at that." she answers, proving not to have the accent that most people would rightfully assume she would bear. "You must be the Spider-Man of which much has been said and written. I thank you for dealing with the man drawing his gun. I did not wish to see this become a deadly confrontation." The way she says it almost implies that it would have simply forced her hand, demanding lethal response. Most would assume that to be exceedingly cocky. But Spider-Man seems the sort who might approve of cocky.

"I confess. You are … slighter than I had been led to believe." Of course /everyone/ towers over Xiu Lin, but she doesn't seem to mind it. At least not most of the time.

"Hey, thanks for noticing. Atkins diet." Alright she can probably sense that that's just a joke. There's a pause, a single beat in the conversation as he tilts his head the other way as he considers her. She might detect the tell-tale shift of his mask that might signify the cocking of an eyebrow. Then the half-smile reappears as he casually bounds past her, flipping forwards, planting both his hands, then _pushing_ himself up off the ground to flip in the air. It's an almost casual movement, utterly graceful in its execution, like something that an olympic gymnast would be envious of. He twists, then lands atop that limousine neatly between all three of the fallen villains. "Hey fellas, those of you still awake, time for the whole web dealio."

As he says this he extends his hands to the side, and begins to web up the Enforcers, packaging them up for the arrival of the police… who as if on cue are heard distantly, sirens approaching though still some ways off.

"So you've heard of me huh? Trust me I'm not that bad." His tone is self-deprecating, and he's half-expecting her to hassle him for some reason as that's part of his luck. With Ox locked down in webs he turns to Montana, "So what's your name if I may be so bold? I mean it's kinda rare for someone to just hop to. Well not like hugely rare, lotsa heroes in this city. But rarish for them to be so tiny. And hope you won't get all mad, because you are really, you know, tiny. And I can say that since I'm short too."

Xiu Lin's only reaction to the joking quip is a slight arching of her eyebrows, as if to say non-vocally, 'Really? Going to go there? OK, as you wish.' She can tell he is considering her, but she has nothing to hide and no way to hide it. So she just stands her ground, watching him with the same intensity she seems to put into everything.

The sound of the police sirens does register for Xiu Lin, but she does not panic. She will probably have to explain this to them, but she did nothing wrong and knows it. She just has to hope it happens to be one of the cops she already knows, those that accept her 'involved' nature.

"I doubt any but a Baron Zemo or Red Skull could possibly be so bad as your undeserved reputation, Spider-Man." Ouch. This little woman definitely has a way with words. "I am Sue Lynn Tseng, Spider-Man. And you are correct. I am quite small, and well aware of it. I have learned to compensate, when necessary." So droll.

Xiu Lin glances at the webbed-up and held Enforcers, and then walks over to where Spider-Man rests on the limo. "You should probably go. They will be here in a minute. I will take care of this." Just that, and she reaches into her windbreaker's pocket, extracting … an NYPD ID package, which she flips out and hangs from her belt like it is the most natural thing in the world.

There are some rumbled complaints from Ox even as the webbing covers him, but sooner than later the task is complete. At that Spider-Man turns back to the young woman and gives her a nod, "Well thanks Sue Lynn, s'good to see someone help their fellow…" Then when she pulls out the ID he snaps his fingers, "Ohh, you're a cop. Ok makes sense now." Naturally he makes some assumptions, then casually walks across the rooftop of that limousine, pausing long enough to plant a hand upon the wall then the ball of one foot, partially pullig himself up the side of the building.

"Still, good on you. And hey…" He pauses as he catches the Zemo Skull quip and crinkles his nose a touch behind that mask. "Well thanks for at least saying it's undeserved. You sure you got this? Not that I'm going to stick around, just I'd feel pretty lousy if I left you here to get in trouble or sommich."

The tiny young woman's face makes a crinkle as Spider-Man assumes she is a cop. A part of her would love to have a badge, but that is not (yet) to be. She does not correct his misconceptions, but she also does not reiterate them.

"I am sure, but thank you for asking." Xiu Lin sounds genuine, as she watches admiringly the Spider-Man's departure. Then she turns and waits for the first officers to show up to the scene. Granted, they're likely to assume she's bragging, taking credit for Spider-Man's work, rather than giving her credit where it is due for taking on the Enforcers as she has. But the crime scene techs will figure it out. No one will care, but they will figure it out.

As she gives him his freedom to go he moves up the side of that building with an ease of motion that seems entirely too smooth to be real. Once he reaches the lip of the rooftop he casually flips himself up and over, disappearing from view for a time.

It's about then when one of the black and white squad cars rolls up on the scene and the two men get out of the Ford Mustang Interceptor. They look back and forth between each other, the older patrolman gets a weird sort of smirk, then the younger fresh out of the academy rookie looks with a grin across the way at Xiu Lin, "Ma'am, ummm… what happened?"

She might recognize the older patrolman, Officer Thompson from Precinct 31. He recognizes her for some reason as he says, "Looks like we got us a little shindig here that we missed out on."

They had just levelled their considerable incredulity upon her when over the corner of the building that same too goofy voice is heard, echoing off the walls of the alleyway as Spider-Man calls out.

"Thanks again, Sue! They totally woulda kicked my butt, but good! Great policework, wow, man. Impressive!" And then he adds, "Toodles!" The next instant the Spectacular Spider-Man is no longer in view save for a flicker of movement against the skyline as he swings off with a /THWIP!/

Xiu Lin does recognize Officer Thomspon, and nods to him on sight. His amusement is noted, but she doesn't take any umbridge. It's not really in her nature. "Well …" she starts, but she doesn't get to explain before Spider-Man interjects, and then disappears. She gives this little sigh, glancing that direction, and then back to the rookie. OK. This is going to be harder now.

"As I was about to say, I spotted this SUV chasing this white limo about three blocks back. The limo nearly flattened the cafe I was passing." Xiu Lin is calm as she lays this out, waiting for the rookie to get his notebook out before she starts handing out details. Xiu Lin, as an eyewitness? Scary accurate, and it never seems to occur to her to tone it down. Name of the restaurant. Descriptions of other civilians around. And so forth. She tells it all just the way it happened with precise detail. Even tidbits like distinctive jewelry on the assaulted man who ran away.

She's going to be at this for quite a while. Because after Xiu is done giving this statement, the detectives will show up. And she'll have to give it again. Then down to the station, and she'll have to give it again. And again. And again. Sketch artists. Line-ups. More questions. Her day is shot, and most of her night. And yet she doesn't seem to mind.

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