Capital: Holly + Gwen
It was Gwen's second night in the suit.
The first night had (technically) been a dress rehearsal. She hadn't interacted with anyone, unless pigeons were being considered people these days (they weren't). She'd wanted to try the webs, which she'd modified (and improved) from their original design. She had a super sneaking suspicion she could probably generate her own, but she didn't want to try. Taking that step would totally solidify the fact that she was more symbiote than human dead girl, and she could totally do without the confirmation. Which, hello, yes, was super unscientific, but cut her some slack, okay? This was a big change without more loss of humanity.
So, she'd tried the webs. She'd had more practice sessions in the Upside-Down than she could count, and Repose's woods had been totally useful. Even the lab, with it's super high ceilings and lenient commanders, had been good learning ground. But the city was different, and she'd fallen and missed ledges, but she'd caught herself with every fall. And she'd liked it. She wasn't sure she liked it more than being in a lab and looking into a microscope, but she liked it enough to want to come back. This time, she was trying with actual people (not pigeons).
Her suit was snug, black and pink and white, and she wore a full face mask beneath her hood. She was totally incognito, which felt kind of super (unexpectedly). But, okay, test run No. 2, and she was totally going to do this.
And the night had started out super great. She'd rescued two cats, and she'd kept an old lady from getting flattened as she crossed the road, and she'd chased down one very agile purse thief. And, since she totally appreciated the concept of quitting while she was ahead (in theory), she was planning on going back to where she'd stashed her backpack, super high on the roof of a skyrise. That was the plan.
The plan totally went awry.
It was a super crummy part of town, and she web-stumbled onto something super nasty in a back alley. A boy, no older than her, was facing down three bigger guys, and one of them was holding a crowbar. They had the kid cornered, and three-on-one was totally not fair. So, plan altered, and she swooped down into the fray. Now, she totally wasn't aware that this was some mafia shakedown of a lackey who'd betrayed so-and-so. But, even if she'd known, she probably would've done the same thing.
And the same thing, was swooping down on her webs with a loud (and hopefully distracting) yell. She kicked the crowbar out of the biggest guy's hand (and they were totally bigger and older up close), and she webbed her way from wall, to wall, to wall, until the big guys were all tangled up.
Perfect! Mission accomplished! The smaller guy was running away, and the three big guys were tied in knots, and... where did those other guys come from? Okay. Problem. Problem. Solution, solution, think, Gwen! Wait! Move while you think! Duh!
She pursued, webbing from building to building and staying above the new (and bigger) guys, and this was totally a test of her enhanced senses. The little guy was headed right toward a girl leaning into a window (for what Gwen assumed was a harmless conversation with a friend), and hello civilian casualty!