After Action

What happened is that a crazy octopus lady attempted to kill Lex Luthor and unleash a bio weapon on New York.  I stopped it.

My usual patrol duties were far from my mind as I wandered among the exhibits at the annual LexPo in the New York Expo Center. Dressed casually, without my Spider-Man suit, I strolled through the bustling crowds. Admittedly, after my encounter with that spider bite, I had considered skipping this year's event altogether. The thought of anything associated with LexCorp sent shivers down my spine. But my uncle convinced me to give it a chance.

The expo was a hub of activity, filled with demonstrations and displays that were both intriguing and awe-inspiring. My eyes darted from one exhibit to another, taking in all the cutting-edge technology and scientific advancements on display. Despite my reservations about LexCorp, I couldn't deny that their innovations were impressive.

A prototype holographic platform was being showcased by a woman named Quenna Beck. It appeared to have great potential, if she could only solve the issue of its power requirements.

The expo was bustling with activity, vendors showcasing their latest equipment and inventions. Most of the displays appeared harmless, but a few caught my eye, raising red flags in my mind. Despite this, the event seemed to be running smoothly until an unexpected guest arrived - Lex Luthor. As soon as he appeared, chaos erupted at the expo. A deranged woman in a green jumpsuit and lab coat began causing trouble, her wild eyes darting around as she wreaked havoc among the booths and exhibits. The once jovial atmosphere quickly turned into one of panic and fear as people scrambled to escape the chaos.

Her back was equipped with four metallic, cybernetic tentacles that seemed to serve some purpose. She zeroed in on Lex Luthor with a vengeance, wreaking havoc and causing destruction wherever she went. Her screams echoed about getting revenge on him filled the air. The crowd began to scatter in fear as she rampaged through the area, but I knew I had to act fast and help them evacuate. While security kept her distracted and Luthor escaped, I guided people to safety.

Once I had safely led everyone to a secure location, I made my way up to the rooftop and quickly changed into my suit that I always carried in my backpack. The battle between the octopus lady and Luthor, who was now clad in one of his power suits, was already raging through the city. Without hesitation, I swung after them using my webs for the first time since roof jumping wouldn't be practical.

I couldn't understand why I was so anxious about it. Swinging from webs is...well, there's no other way to put it except that it felt completely natural. It was as if I had been doing it my whole life, like it was something I was meant to do since the moment I created my web shooters. It felt like I was born for it.

For the duration of the chase, I frantically snatched up debris in a desperate attempt to shield the innocent bystanders. With lightning reflexes, I managed to catch a towering crane and even a police helicopter as they plummeted towards the ground. My body quaked with adrenaline and my heart pounded in my chest as I risked everything to keep those on the ground safe.

As I caught up to them at LexCorp's building in Manhattan, both of them looked drained and tired. Olivia Octavius, the woman with the cybernetic tentacles, launched into a tirade against Luthor while brandishing a device from her lab coat. It was the same device I had seen at the expo center - an aerosol dispersion device. She then pulled out a small vial filled with red liquid from her coat and inserted it into the contraption, causing Luthor's face to turn pale. She gloated about her plan to destroy Luthor’s reputation before ultimately taking his life.

Based on the helpful monologue, it seems that the ampoule contained a powerful biological substance that was essentially a lethal pathogen, accidentally created by LexCo while attempting to develop a universal cure.

As she held the bomb, for lack of a better term, over her head I swiftly snatched it with my web and fired off a witty remark. The woman's intense gaze bore into me for a moment before she completely lost her composure. Her anger was palpable as she began to berate me, accusing me of ruining her life. Confused, I tried to recall if we had ever met before, but I couldn't place her face in my memory.

Our battle was fierce and unrelenting, each blow landing with an echoing thud. Octavius was a skilled opponent, matching my every move with precision and strength. I could feel the beads of sweat forming on my brow as I desperately tried to keep her off balance and focused solely on me. It seemed like hours had passed, our energy draining with every strike. But then, in a moment of quick thinking and desperation, I lured her towards a power junction and watched as she unknowingly impaled it, sending a surge of electricity through her body. With one last burst of energy, I delivered the final blow and ended the fight once and for all. The smell of burnt metal lingered in the air, a reminder of the intense battle that had just taken place.

Octavius fell into a heap on the ground, unconscious and unresponsive. I realized that I had just not only saved Lex Luthor, who had a front row seat to the fight, but the lives of millions of people in the city.

The crowd below erupted into cheers and applause as I stood there, breathing heavily in my suit, realizing the weight of the responsibility I now carried. Lex Luthor approached me, his expression unreadable behind the mask of his power suit. He extended a hand towards me, a gesture of gratitude and maybe even respect. Reluctantly, I shook it, feeling a sense of unease at the alliance we had unintentionally formed.

As emergency services arrived to secure Olivia Octavius and clean up the aftermath of our battle, I glanced up at the darkening sky above. The city lights began to flicker on one by one, casting a warm glow over the chaotic scene below. Sirens wailed in the distance, a reminder that danger was never far off in a city like this.

Uncle Ben's words echoed in my mind once more - with great power comes great responsibility. I had always thought I understood what that meant, but today's events had shown me their true weight. Being gifted with abilities, intelligence, gadgets, and luck wasn't sufficient. The words he spoke during our argument the other day about my nighttime activities echoed in my mind. I realized that I needed proper training and support to fully utilize my skills.

Instead of heading out on patrol, I decided to go back home. The battle had taken a toll on me, leaving me weary and achy from the few punches Octavius was able to land. As I entered my room, I saw my uncle sitting on my bed; he must have seen the events on the news.

Before he could even open his mouth, I held up my hand and quickly interjected, "You were right," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I know now that I'm not fully ready for this." My heart raced as I admitted my vulnerability to him, the man who always seemed to have it all together. But in this moment, with my words hanging between us like a fragile thread, I couldn't hide from the truth any longer. “I’m going to try and contact the Justice League tomorrow.”

You know the rest.

Hey, Spider-Man. Your primary trainer/instructor/mentor Donna Troy here. Along with Green Lantern.

{Hullo, Spidey!}

Overall, a fine first go at the After Action reportage. Let’s review the specifics.

First, good instincts on Mr Luthor. Stay clear. This goes for all people who are that rich and powerful, like Wayne as well. People like that have powerful lawyers. And powerful investigators. Saving their lives, certainly. It’s best to avoid any entanglements beyond that, as I’d mentioned earlier.

{For what it’s worth, I strongly concur.}

Excellent work with getting civilians out of the way. Don’t ever forget, you can be a big hero without ever needing to pull out the costume. Obvs, keep the powers on the downlow. And don’t assume if no one sees you, you’re safe there. Cameras are everywhere.

{Even more so in London, should you ever visit}

Having the suit in your backpack is smart. Make sure it’s securely contained in a sturdy, separate bag, and that the bad is securely attached inside. You don’t want it popping out if your backpack gets torn open. (And yeah, that’s happened. When the Titans were teens we had all sorts of wardrobe malfunctions.)

Think of your costume as a part of your secret identity. Guard it carefully. Not all of us can store them in rings.

{Hey! It’s a uniform, for one. Also, it’s harder than it looks. Oh, unless that was aimed at Flash. In that case, snark away. Though his ring is pretty neat, isn’t it?}

You need to have him tell you about when he messed up the chemical treatment once, GL. His costume plopped out like soggy rags.

{Oh, that will be fun. Anyways, apologies for the digression!}

Luthor must have been afraid. He usually avoids breaking out the suits. He’s a respectable businessman, after all. He has lawyers to fight for him.

Again, protecting the civilians, good you made that a priority when your own life isn’t threatened. You will be facing times when you have to do that even if you’re in danger, trust me. We’ll be working on that in future sessions. Get the aspirin all set out now.

{Donna!}

Spidey needs the training, and pain is a wonderful teacher. Ask Diana. Or Artemis. Getting back to the report…

Nice employing the surroundings, like the junction. Watch out on this; not everyone can take those many volts.

{Amperage, Donna. It’s not the volts, it’s the amps.}

When did you start learning science, GL? Been hanging around with Professor Atom?

{Quite. And Spidey surely knows the science and more. You may have to study up to keep up with your trainee.}

I’m a photographer, not an electrician. Back to the frying supervillains! Basically, good move but you might have done more than knock her out. You got lucky this time. If it’s a situation where it’s you or them, that’s different. On the plus side, you know she can take it. As she’s got all the marks of a Stage 4 Supervillain all over her.

{Also concur. Watch out for this one.}

A very nice conclusion. As a note, while most reports are fairly dry and sparse, the added flavor and personal notes make this much easier to read. I like it, keep it up.

{I’m afraid mine are Sahara-like. Bullet points and footnotes galore. J’onn is always accusing me of verbosity and running long. I prefer to think of them as exceptionally complete.}

GL, they are each small books! Don’t listen to her, Spidey. Listen to your uncle, though. He’s one of the few people in the community with real experience in a dangerous profession that includes saving people. He even wears a protective suit.

Realizing you needed training is a big step. You were smart. Too many people who wear masks for the first time think they’re invulnerable from harm and impeccable in their actions. They aren’t. Everyone needs training, and that never stops. You’ve got a good, gut feel for your powers and using your weblines, which helps. Barfing into your mask while swinging across the city wouldn’t be fun.

{What Donna said. Without the unnecessary regurgitation mention.}

Have GL tell you about her own first time flying. And maybe later, her real first time flying.

{Enough, Donna. Diana’s mentioned a few stories I can share too!}

Okay, truce. Like I said, good report Spidey. Get used to writing them! Tell Ben I said hello, BTW. And that yes, you’re doing the reports. And doing a good job.

{Stay safe. And go get ‘em, Spidey!}