Location: A low-end hotel room, somewhere within Kyoto. Interacting with:@FatPrincess
That.. was not the shock and awe he had expected. Jan's first impressions of his master were; sharp. Dangerously sharp! Both in wit and in observation. He had to confess, what little he knew of magecraft before his death was negligible. That lack of intel, filled in with information from the Grail made him wonder, was sharpness such as this commonplace among Magus? If so, it was perhaps for the best Jan had never walked down that particular path in life. He'd have struggled to match wits! He held no illusions about his life, he was a wise tactician, and a strong military leader. That was about it. Cleverness was better left to his lovely Marie. Ah, now she would have excelled as a Mage. As she excelled at all things, of course!
"You've no need to worry there. My faith is ingrained deep within me, it is true! But I have always had an open mind. Even against those who wished me ill! Besides, if an object as Holy as the Grail saw fit to permit you as master, it would be foolish for me to second guess."
Fortunately, afterwards more proper greetings followed. It seemed there was no true venom in her earlier statement, or if there was, it had been set aside. That was good, he did not wish for conflict to arise between allies! Especially not the one keeping him anchored in this land of the living.
"The pleasure is mine, Lady Grimmelshausen! And the shoddy dwellings can easily be remedied, so worry not. I am happy to once again walk the earth with great purpose. As I am certain you are aware, warfare happens to be my expertise-"
"I know almost nothing about you."
Most kings recorded within the Throne of Heroes would take great issue with this, that one dared call upon them without truly knowing them, without paying proper homage to royalty. It was, after all, the duty of a King to be the grandest possible. To be a beacon to their people. So to be unknown.. well, it was similar to a snuffed torch. Unable to shine light upon their subjects.
While not a legendary king on the same level as Arthur or Alexander, Jan was certainly not like most kings.
"Oh my! How embarrassing for me to brag as if my exploits were obvious. I hope you can forgive my boisterousness, I fear I let my excitement get the best of me. And Marie is not hear to bend my ear about it!"
As a larger-than-life presence eager for battle, one would not expect humble to be a trait ascribed to this Rider. But after his greatest victory, he rather firmly directed the honor and praise away from himself, and towards God and the Hussars. A good trait for a hero, but an unfitting one for a king. It seemed instead of taking offense, he was instead chastened by the admission.
"I fear it is my own fault I am not as well known. To spare you a droning lecture I shall keep it brief; Whilst I was dominant on the battlefield in my era, and commanded a great company of cavalry, I was merely a passingly decent ruler. Poland suffered no losses while I was king, but it did not do much growing either."
He spoke with a sort of reluctance saved for long-past mistakes that, while no longer weighed heavily on the mind, were clearly still embarrassing. No deep sorrow for a failing, but more self-criticism for the lack of remarkability he showed in all facets other than the battlefield. He did not fail his people, after all. But he certainly believed he could have done more for them. Jan smiles wryly, and waves away the hesitance with practiced ease. No need to dwell on it now, it would not help anyone.
"Regardless, you needn't worry you've summoned a dullard or a lesser spirit. Whilst my sweet Marie was far better suited to the court, I find myself quite comfortable in battlefields such as this Grail War."
Location: A low-end hotel room, somewhere within Kyoto. Interacting with:@FatPrincess
The magic circle that the German mage stood over begins to spill over with golden light as the summoning ritual occurs. A sign of powerful magics being worked, of something being dragged through the veil into the realm of modern man. The light grows taller, forming a pillar from floor to ceiling, as a shape begins to gradually grow visible within the glow. The figure was tall, though not overly so, with a broad build that suggested a great musculature. But beyond that, they were too obscured to make out specifics.
The chant continues, as the link grows stronger. The magics pulling this figure into this world nearing their completion. Just as the spell nears its end, the figure begins to think once more. Not yet fully manifested, but just enough to take in that they once again existed as more than spirit. They did not hunger. They did not hear the voice of their wife. Which meant there was only one reason for them to breathe, think, be.
It must have been for War.
"-If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer!"
The chant is complete, as the figure grows more defined. Information rushes into their mind, granting them an understanding of where they were, and more importantly; why they were here. The Holy Grail War.. A chance to return to the battlefield once more, in the name of a Holy Artifact. Only one gift would be sweeter, but perhaps.. That could come later. The light reaches a fever pitch, and then vanishes all at once. Replaced with a now fully defined man standing in the center of the magic circle.
"I have heard your call, and it has been answered! Rejoice, my Master! For you have brought forth the Savior of Christendom! I, the servant who represents the class of Rider, accept your call to action!"
The booming voice of the Rider-class servant was of a deep octave, joyful and intense all at once. And with his words, the contract between Master and Servant was sealed.
Said servant was a large man with strong facial features, well-kept blond hair, and an extremely cared for mustache. His body was not that of a bodybuilder with zero body fat. It was far closer to a powerlifter, bulky, and clearly immensely muscular, but not without fat. He wore a strange mixture of half-plate and fine noble clothing (said clothing being red and white in its coloration), and had a six foot lance strapped to his back, making the lance only slightly shorter than he was.
Perhaps most notable about him, was that for a split second after he had fully manifested, before the light faded fully away, the large shadow that he cast had a pair of massive wings.. Only for them to vanish the next second.
"So.. This is the modern world. It is humble, I have to confess! Bwahahaha! But no matter, no matter! I am certain it can be improved upon. Well met, Master! Shall we exchange proper greetings, now that the formalities have been dealt with?"
True Name: Jan Sobieski III Region: Poland Class: Rider Gender: Male Alignment: Lawful Neutral Attribute: Man
Strength: B Agility: C Endurance: B Magical Energy: C Luck: C
Even before he became King, Jan Sobieski was Poland's champion. Born in 1629 as a noble in the Ruthenian Voivodeship of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, his early years were spent studying and traveling. But in 1648, upon hearing the news of the then-King's death and the Khmelnytsky Uprising, he and his brother volunteered for the army. By 1649, he was already fighting with distinction, finding the role of warrior far easier than that of nobleman. He climbed through the ranks, earning glory and victory in every battle he fought in. By 1656, he was Standard-bearer of the Crown. By 1659 he was elected a deputy to the Sejm (Polish parliament). By 1660, he was awarded with the office of starost of Stryj.
His life was a series of battles and diplomatic meetings. Ending conflicts, starting new ones, ending them. And so on, and so on. For many others, this cycle would weigh heavy on their shoulders, but not for Jan. Fighting for Crown and Country felt natural to him, and while he did not relish taking lives he greatly enjoyed the combat, and the feeling of victory. The only thing that distracted him from his purpose was love. Marie Casimire was a French noblewoman and the recent widow of a Polish nobleman, she was also, in Jan's eyes, the most beautiful woman to have ever lived. He was infatuated with her, and through a great deal of courtship that maybe was not appropriate given how recently she lost her husband, he won her hand.
Now married, his view of life practically doubled in size. War was still his passion, but equal in his esteem was his lady wife, whom he adored and was especially devoted to. Some would say too devoted, they did not like how much power a French Noblewoman had over one of Poland's greatest commanders. He continued to win battles, though despite his track record, even he suffered defeats. But the good far outweighed the bad, eventually leading to him receiving the rank of Grand Hetman of the Crown, the highest military rank in the Polish Commonwealth, second only to the King. At this point he had found himself in a strange state of limbo, his pro-French views (influenced heavily by his wife, whom he loved so dearly he could practically never refuse) damaged his popularity, but his skill as a commander healed it.
Then, the Ottomans began their invasion. The greatest enemy Poland had ever known up to this point, a dominant military force crashing down on their Kingdom. Jan was on the front lines of every battle he could manage, fighting them off wherever he could. As their greatest shield against the Ottomans, when the current King passed away, he was elected monarch of the Commonwealth... A title he did not officially receive for two years after being elected, as he was too busy battling on the front to attend his own coronation.
When he finally did become King, very little changed about him. He ruled fairly, perhaps not the wisest a king could be, but certainly not foolish. He fathered thirteen children with his wife, allied with the Holy Roman Empire, and above all else; kept fighting Ottomans. Leading to the Battle of Vienna, where the dominant Ottoman Empire's attempts to destroy the Holy Roman Empire were met with a cavalry charge of 18,000 of some of the finest cavalry in the world, the Winged Hussars. Led by Jan himself, of course. With the might of his cavalry, Jan broke the siege and beat back the Ottomans from Vienna. Earning glory and respect from both allies and enemies. Labeled 'Savior of Vienna and Western European civilization' by the Pope, and the 'The Unvanquished Northern Lion' by the Ottomans.
This battle was a turning point, and while the Ottoman Empire was never vanquished, they were never able to encroach so far again. And eventually, while no true peace was had, the war faded to mere territory skirmishes. Despite he and his army's contributions, Poland gained little in terms of wealth or land from this war, something Jan greatly regrets.
For the first time in most of his life, Jan had no battles to fight, had no war to wage against the enemies of Christianity and Poland. And as if the moment he put down his lance his life had concluded, Jan's health rapidly deteriorated. He passed away soon after, leaving his wife a widow twice over.
Riding B - Denotes one's ability to ride mounts or vehicles. At this level, most vehicles and animals can be handled with above-average skill, even vehicles that did not exist in the time period one was alive in, for they are no exception. However, one cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species such as Monstrous Beasts.
Magic Resistance C - grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. At this level, it cancels spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of greater magecraft and Greater Rituals.
Protection of the Faith B - A Skill gained from his status as the ‘Savior of Western Christendom’ according to the then-Pope. This grants him the ability to use his own faith as fuel, temporarily bolstering his physical prowess for a short time, and allowing him to temporarily ignore injuries and debilitating effects. At this rank, it can be maintained for a fair bit, and grants enough of a kick to give Jan a second wind of sorts.
Tactics B - As a very successful commander who leads from the front, Jan's tactical prowess, while not unmatched, is certainly impressive. This skill grants him greater prowess in larger-scale conflicts, and increases the strength of one's own Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, as well as bolstering the user's prowess when fighting against an enemy Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.
Cavalry Charge A - Because Jan is the man who led history's largest cavalry charge, there are few who would be able to match him at this particular talent. This skill gradually increases the speed and durability of any mount or vehicle Jan is riding while they are moving straight forward. Once they come to a halt, or change directions, this resets. If given enough time to gain power, even mundane vehicles can harm powerful Servants on impact. This skill also allows Jan to adjust the length of his lance to fit his mount (or lack of mount), to a minimum of six feet and a maximum of nineteen feet.
Bravery C - A skill that grants the user resistance against mental effects, both mundane and mystical. At this level Jan is immune to lesser cases, and able to resist and potentially overcome more powerful ones. It also grants a boost to damage inflicted via Melee Combat. This secondary effect allows his Lance to compare (not match, nor overpower) to greater weapons. And when combined with Cavalry Charge, even match them.
“Venimus, Vidimus, Deus vicit” (We Came, We Saw, God Conquered.) Rank: B Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Range: 0 Maximum Number of Targets: 1 Person Description: A manifestation of both his status as the Savior of Western Christendom, and his status as the leader of the Winged Hussars. This Noble Phantasm is etched into his being due to the declaration he made following the Battle of Vienna, granting the glory of his victory to God. It can be activated near-instantly with little to no fanfare under most circumstances for a smaller mana cost, though if done this way it is weaker. When activated this way, a pair of shining angelic wings grow from Jan's back, granting him high speed flight for as long as the Noble Phantasm remains active. These wings technically count as a 'mount' for a rider, and do not operate off of Jan's own agility stat.
If the Noble Phantasm is activated by speaking its name and raising Jan's lance skywards, the wings manifest larger and brighter, dwarfing Jan's own body in size. In this state they are even faster than before, and provide the user with a series of blessings to expel harmful effects and mend, though not completely heal, pre-existing injuries. In either state, the wings, while durable, can be damaged and even destroyed, but no harm inflicted upon the wings will impact Jan's own health. In its fully active state, the large wings can be used to whip up powerful winds, or even be used to bludgeon opponents with great force.
“Amor Patriae Nostra Lex” (Love of the fatherland is our law.) Rank: B+ Type: Anti-Army Range: 1-99 Maximum Number of Targets: 700 The crystallization of Jan's greatest victory, the Battle of Vienna. In this battle, Jan commanded and lead into battle the largest recorded cavalry charge in history, a dominant 18,000 Winged Hussars with the King of Poland at its front. Despite being greatly outnumbered in terms of overall troops, the quality of the Winged Hussars and the massive cavalry charge was able to break the siege and win the day. This event is the primary reason Jan Sobieski has remained a historically important figure, and why he is so well suited to the Rider class. Because of that it is without question his most powerful ability.
It manifests as a shining light that manifests within twenty feet of the user, before the light transforms into a cavalry charge of shining white spectral rider. The riders are all adorned in the heavy plate armor of the Winged Hussars, wielding either massive lances or sabers. The size of the charge is entirely up to the user, from a small line of riders that can be used to simply force an opponent to act on the defensive, to a massive flood of riders that can mow down everything in their path. These riders do not have a proper physical form, and cannot be killed nor halted, but can be overpowered and destroyed by a superior Noble Phantasm. They function closer to a unified beam than a set of individuals, as they all move in perfect unison in the same direction, never separating nor changing course.
Every individual member of the cavalry charge is functionally made up of harmful magical energy, allowing them to damage everything save for the user on contact. The charge can only be manifested in a singular forward path, but is not limited to any cardinal directions, nor is it deterred by inconvenient terrain or non-magical barriers. Optionally, the user can manifest a spectral horse of their own to lead this charge. If they do so, it becomes even stronger, gaining the + from the Cavalry Charge and Tactics skills. The user can also manifest this spectral horse on its own, which functions the same as a regular mount save for the fact that its speed is not reduced by injury, and will ride just as swift until it is destroyed.
Hopefully everything is in order here, if anything needs changing (whether through lack of accuracy or balancing reasons) just let me know!
True Name: Jan Sobieski III Region: Poland Class: Rider Gender: Male Alignment: Lawful Neutral Attribute: Man
Strength: B Agility: C Endurance: B Magical Energy: C Luck: C
Even before he became King, Jan Sobieski was Poland's champion. Born in 1629 as a noble in the Ruthenian Voivodeship of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, his early years were spent studying and traveling. But in 1648, upon hearing the news of the then-King's death and the Khmelnytsky Uprising, he and his brother volunteered for the army. By 1649, he was already fighting with distinction, finding the role of warrior far easier than that of nobleman. He climbed through the ranks, earning glory and victory in every battle he fought in. By 1656, he was Standard-bearer of the Crown. By 1659 he was elected a deputy to the Sejm (Polish parliament). By 1660, he was awarded with the office of starost of Stryj.
His life was a series of battles and diplomatic meetings. Ending conflicts, starting new ones, ending them. And so on, and so on. For many others, this cycle would weigh heavy on their shoulders, but not for Jan. Fighting for Crown and Country felt natural to him, and while he did not relish taking lives he greatly enjoyed the combat, and the feeling of victory. The only thing that distracted him from his purpose was love. Marie Casimire was a French noblewoman and the recent widow of a Polish nobleman, she was also, in Jan's eyes, the most beautiful woman to have ever lived. He was infatuated with her, and through a great deal of courtship that maybe was not appropriate given how recently she lost her husband, he won her hand.
Now married, his view of life practically doubled in size. War was still his passion, but equal in his esteem was his lady wife, whom he adored and was especially devoted to. Some would say too devoted, they did not like how much power a French Noblewoman had over one of Poland's greatest commanders. He continued to win battles, though despite his track record, even he suffered defeats. But the good far outweighed the bad, eventually leading to him receiving the rank of Grand Hetman of the Crown, the highest military rank in the Polish Commonwealth, second only to the King. At this point he had found himself in a strange state of limbo, his pro-French views (influenced heavily by his wife, whom he loved so dearly he could practically never refuse) damaged his popularity, but his skill as a commander healed it.
Then, the Ottomans began their invasion. The greatest enemy Poland had ever known up to this point, a dominant military force crashing down on their Kingdom. Jan was on the front lines of every battle he could manage, fighting them off wherever he could. As their greatest shield against the Ottomans, when the current King passed away, he was elected monarch of the Commonwealth... A title he did not officially receive for two years after being elected, as he was too busy battling on the front to attend his own coronation.
When he finally did become King, very little changed about him. He ruled fairly, perhaps not the wisest a king could be, but certainly not foolish. He fathered thirteen children with his wife, allied with the Holy Roman Empire, and above all else; kept fighting Ottomans. Leading to the Battle of Vienna, where the dominant Ottoman Empire's attempts to destroy the Holy Roman Empire were met with a cavalry charge of 18,000 of some of the finest cavalry in the world, the Winged Hussars. Led by Jan himself, of course. With the might of his cavalry, Jan broke the siege and beat back the Ottomans from Vienna. Earning glory and respect from both allies and enemies. Labeled 'Savior of Vienna and Western European civilization' by the Pope, and the 'The Unvanquished Northern Lion' by the Ottomans.
This battle was a turning point, and while the Ottoman Empire was never vanquished, they were never able to encroach so far again. And eventually, while no true peace was had, the war faded to mere territory skirmishes. Despite he and his army's contributions, Poland gained little in terms of wealth or land from this war, something Jan greatly regrets.
For the first time in most of his life, Jan had no battles to fight, had no war to wage against the enemies of Christianity and Poland. And as if the moment he put down his lance his life had concluded, Jan's health rapidly deteriorated. He passed away soon after, leaving his wife a widow twice over.
Riding B - Denotes one's ability to ride mounts or vehicles. At this level, most vehicles and animals can be handled with above-average skill, even vehicles that did not exist in the time period one was alive in, for they are no exception. However, one cannot ride the likes of Phantasmal Species such as Monstrous Beasts.
Magic Resistance C - grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether. At this level, it cancels spells with a chant below two verses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of greater magecraft and Greater Rituals.
Protection of the Faith B - A Skill gained from his status as the ‘Savior of Western Christendom’ according to the then-Pope. This grants him the ability to use his own faith as fuel, temporarily bolstering his physical prowess for a short time, and allowing him to temporarily ignore injuries and debilitating effects. At this rank, it can be maintained for a fair bit, and grants enough of a kick to give Jan a second wind of sorts.
Tactics B - As a very successful commander who leads from the front, Jan's tactical prowess, while not unmatched, is certainly impressive. This skill grants him greater prowess in larger-scale conflicts, and increases the strength of one's own Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, as well as bolstering the user's prowess when fighting against an enemy Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.
Cavalry Charge A - Because Jan is the man who led history's largest cavalry charge, there are few who would be able to match him at this particular talent. This skill gradually increases the speed and durability of any mount or vehicle Jan is riding while they are moving straight forward. Once they come to a halt, or change directions, this resets. If given enough time to gain power, even mundane vehicles can harm powerful Servants on impact. This skill also allows Jan to adjust the length of his lance to fit his mount (or lack of mount), to a minimum of six feet and a maximum of nineteen feet.
Bravery C - A skill that grants the user resistance against mental effects, both mundane and mystical. At this level Jan is immune to lesser cases, and able to resist and potentially overcome more powerful ones. It also grants a boost to damage inflicted via Melee Combat. This secondary effect allows his Lance to compare (not match, nor overpower) to greater weapons. And when combined with Cavalry Charge, even match them.
“Venimus, Vidimus, Deus vicit” (We Came, We Saw, God Conquered.) Rank: B Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Range: 0 Maximum Number of Targets: 1 Person Description: A manifestation of both his status as the Savior of Western Christendom, and his status as the leader of the Winged Hussars. This Noble Phantasm is etched into his being due to the declaration he made following the Battle of Vienna, granting the glory of his victory to God. It can be activated near-instantly with little to no fanfare under most circumstances for a smaller mana cost, though if done this way it is weaker. When activated this way, a pair of shining angelic wings grow from Jan's back, granting him high speed flight for as long as the Noble Phantasm remains active. These wings technically count as a 'mount' for a rider, and do not operate off of Jan's own agility stat.
If the Noble Phantasm is activated by speaking its name and raising Jan's lance skywards, the wings manifest larger and brighter, dwarfing Jan's own body in size. In this state they are even faster than before, and provide the user with a series of blessings to expel harmful effects and mend, though not completely heal, pre-existing injuries. In either state, the wings, while durable, can be damaged and even destroyed, but no harm inflicted upon the wings will impact Jan's own health. In its fully active state, the large wings can be used to whip up powerful winds, or even be used to bludgeon opponents with great force.
“Amor Patriae Nostra Lex” (Love of the fatherland is our law.) Rank: B+ Type: Anti-Army Range: 1-99 Maximum Number of Targets: 700 The crystallization of Jan's greatest victory, the Battle of Vienna. In this battle, Jan commanded and lead into battle the largest recorded cavalry charge in history, a dominant 18,000 Winged Hussars with the King of Poland at its front. Despite being greatly outnumbered in terms of overall troops, the quality of the Winged Hussars and the massive cavalry charge was able to break the siege and win the day. This event is the primary reason Jan Sobieski has remained a historically important figure, and why he is so well suited to the Rider class. Because of that it is without question his most powerful ability.
It manifests as a shining light that manifests within twenty feet of the user, before the light transforms into a cavalry charge of shining white spectral rider. The riders are all adorned in the heavy plate armor of the Winged Hussars, wielding either massive lances or sabers. The size of the charge is entirely up to the user, from a small line of riders that can be used to simply force an opponent to act on the defensive, to a massive flood of riders that can mow down everything in their path. These riders do not have a proper physical form, and cannot be killed nor halted, but can be overpowered and destroyed by a superior Noble Phantasm. They function closer to a unified beam than a set of individuals, as they all move in perfect unison in the same direction, never separating nor changing course.
Every individual member of the cavalry charge is functionally made up of harmful magical energy, allowing them to damage everything save for the user on contact. The charge can only be manifested in a singular forward path, but is not limited to any cardinal directions, nor is it deterred by inconvenient terrain or non-magical barriers. Optionally, the user can manifest a spectral horse of their own to lead this charge. If they do so, it becomes even stronger, gaining the + from the Cavalry Charge and Tactics skills. The user can also manifest this spectral horse on its own, which functions the same as a regular mount save for the fact that its speed is not reduced by injury, and will ride just as swift until it is destroyed.
In Times Square, thought there was more to the plan than stealing the staff.
"Ohh.."
Oliver comes to a halt, clinging onto the side of a building as he watches the Spider-Monkey's weapon get lobbed towards a building. He thinks to himself.. Okay, that's probably fine. We've been at this for a bit, they've probably evacuated the nearby buildings by now. It still draws a wince from him, but that's primarily just reflex from something big hitting something else big. Things were still good, they disarmed the Spider-Monkey, now Spider-Woman could clue him in on step two of the plan, and-
"Ohhhhh..."
Oliver witnesses a burst of web trap Spider-Woman and the Arachnid, sticking them to the side of a building. He knew from plenty of second hand accounts how tough normal sized webs were to get out of, so that looked pretty, uh, pretty not great. And apparently that was just the start of the Spider-Monkey's retaliation. Fair enough, bad things usually happened in groups to Oliver. This was par for the course. Very scary! But par for the course. He just had to get moving, and think on his feet. He'd done it before, he could do it again.
"OHHH!!"
That was of course, when the Spider-Monkey threw a car at his head. Rising from a full frog squat to a crouch, Oliver proceeds to chain several backflips together up the side of the building he had clung to in order to avoid getting involved in a tenth story car wreck. The Sedan pierces right through the side of the building, hanging halfway through the wall. "Yipes!" Oliver declares after realizing how close he was to getting squashed. Immediately, he's grateful for two things; that he apparently didn't piss the monster off enough to earn the larger car thrown, and that he isn't all that near the other spider-folk. Hopefully they didn't hear that very un-heroic yelp.
"Come on man! That Sedan didn't do anything to you, and I know for a fact that barely any places offer insurance for this kind of stuff!" He was barely even quipping, there was real monetary anguish in his heart for the poor New Yorker who just got put in a financial hole by this Kaiju. Now this was personal. 'Cause if there was one thing the Not-Quite Spectacular Argyros had in spades, it was working class solidarity. He springs off of his cling-point, and free-dives down towards the ground, firing off twin ropes of webbing aimed at one of giant monster's eyelids. If he managed to connect, he planned to yank the eyelid down to screw with its line of sight, and use that pull to start swinging again. He had no plans beyond this. It was time to approach this like he did Man-Mountain Marko, improv and irritate until he managed to scramble together a winning sequence of moves.
Oliver Raulot, AKA, Argyros.. AKA, Awesome Suit-Man, apparently.
Still in Times Square, starting to realize he had it pretty good when his idea of a big baddie was only seven feet.
Maybe it was immature to have power envy.. And it was definitely a bad way to sort one's priorities to experience it mid-fight, but Oliver couldn't help it. Seriously.. one of the other spiders could make giant web fists!? He even had color-coded webbing too. Ugh, Oliver knew that was awesome, and he hated it. It was a good thing Oliver had experience compartmentalizing pity parties, because it allowed him to internally gripe without accidentally swinging right into a building.
The raining shards of glass from the Spider-Monkey's roar had been exactly what Oliver was worried about at the start of the fight, terrified of civilians getting sliced. It was an immense relief that they had cleared them out before pissing off King Kong's even more mutated cousin. He moves to dive down and assist Spider-Woman and Weaver, knowing for a fact that despite their strength, trying to play tug-of-war with that thing had to suck, only to halt his descent and cling to the side of a building as he witnesses the arrival of the Arachnid.
That was probably for the best, Oliver didn't have nearly as many arms to assist with. Still, it was kinda.. off. Almost every Spider-Person there was had shown up here, and none of the other heroes that called New York their home. Oliver really wanted to call his suspicion paranoia, but a spider-themed foe versus all spider-themed heroes just felt weird. Either way, not much he could do about that right now, but what he could do, was what Spider-Woman told him to. Granted it took a minute to realize the call to action was for him. In his defense, typically he was either called 'Sea Spider' (dead wrong) or 'The Spider-Man of the Narrows' (also not true, but at least more accurate), or very rarely, his actual alias of Argyros.
"Awesome suit, huh? Shucks, I'm blushing up here. And here I thought the cut of this spandex made me look scrawny!"
Leaping off the side of the building, Argyros flips through the air, firing another bombardment of web shots. This time taking particular care to aim an extra few shots at the area Araltus tagged the Spider-Monkey with her baton. He figured if his role was to keep its focus split, he'd try and aim where it'd sting the most. It was kind of nerve-wracking, drawing this much focus to himself from an enemy this huge. He was really hoping his tentative trust in these other spiders wasn't going to bite him in the ass.
"Pot shots coming up! I seem to be pretty solid at annoying the big guy and I'll try not to read into why for the sake of my recently bolstered ego."
Having diffused the poor timed argument between two other cruise-goers, Jun is able to double-time out of the Lucky Catch.. Only to stop short, looking behind him to see.. Norbert, his Exeggutor, was still trudging at an extremely sedate speed. Jun jogs backwards to rejoin his Pokemon, waving him hurriedly forward. "Norbert! C'mon! Something's seriously goin' wrong here! You gotta mosey!" After giving his Pokemon the skinny on the situation, Jun continues in his sprint towards the safety of the evac point. Weaving through the ship at an accelerated pace, before glancing over his shoulder to see-
No sign of Norbert.
The Coordinator lets out a groan of frustration, and hastily backtracks again, re-weaving through the ship at the same accelerated pace to erase all progress made towards evacuating. He finds Norbert, sitting in a lounge room. "..Haa.. Okay," Jun takes Norbert's Pokeball off his belt, and with a click, returns the psychic palm tree. Having a psychic type with him would have been great, especially if any pieces of ship fell to crush him. Y'know, like what almost happened earlier with that Machamp. But clearly Norbert wasn't feeling suitably motivated for a quick escape.
For the third time, Jun sprints towards safety. Weaving through the maze-like halls of the massive cruise ship, headed towards safety. And because of these delays, when he arrives he catches none of the sinister monologue. Jun enters the stadium in time to barely clock the presence of masked figures, before the world began to shift, and- FLAASH! His vision was overcome by light.
The next thing he knew, it was midday. The masked figures he barely even clocked were gone, and he was left standing at the edge of the stadium, extraordinarily confused.
Still Times Square, wondering if this is a bad dream, with @Duthguy and @King Kindred
Oliver's bit of banter was returned his way with the addition of a chunk of emotional vulnerability he had not anticipated from a total stranger, followed by the spider who delivered it hurrying away. Oliver shrugs, figuring vigilantes had to take catharsis where they could get it, even if it was from talking to strangers.
He returns to helping move people, zipping around the area, helping people escape the immediate danger zone, while retrieving abandoned belongings and reuniting them with the fleeing people who dropped them. The Spider from the Narrows looked at home with this part of the job. Before things escalated to a supervillain-y level, he was good about solving small problems. Helping people get out of a dangerous area, returning missing belongings, that sort of thing.
What he was not used to, was having to assist falling spider-people getting flung around by a gigantic spider-monkey, so he was glad another spider was on that before he could move to help, it was probably better for everyone involved. The two other spiders land, with the Spider-Woman (recognized from newspaper articles) speaking to him and the other spider she had rescued. He tilts his head to one side while taking in her words. Teamwork with two strangers, huh? Well, probably better than the three of them trying to go in uncoordinated.
"You've got a plan? That's a relief. I was just gonna send up a prayer and hope what I remembered from high school improv would do the trick."
Mid-conversation, Oliver thwips out a cord of webbing, snatching an abandoned purse before tossing it gently over to the woman he saw had left it behind in the panic.
"I've done just about all I can down here, so I'll run interference while you two go after the weapon. Then we can go with whatever your plan is. I'm pretty good at the whole hit and run thing, although my experience is with people pretty human-sized, instead of full on kaiju. But, y'know, same basic concept.. Probably."
Oliver fires two cords of webbing, one from each of his wrists, latching onto a building to his left, and one to his right. He backs away from the other two spiders, backing up while his webs go taut, and then begin to strain from the pull.. Then he releases, shooting right up into the air, and fast too. See, Oliver wasn't any faster than your standard Spider when it came to his normal speed, but his costume was made to cut through the water, it was designed around minimal resistance. Which meant much less drag from the air when moving at high speeds, and thus more speed.
Building off of his momentum, he quickly fires another line of webbing while in flight, latching onto a building and letting the momentum carry him into a swing, and that swing into another, as he starts to circle the Spider-Monkey, making sure to keep moving and keep his distance. Once he fell into a rhythm, he starts to one-arm swing, using his dominant arm to continue to follow the rhythm, and firing quick bursts of webbing from his other arm at the giant monster. He'd seen what happened when you kept your webbing connected, so he ensures none of the webs remained connected after being fired.
Against something closer to his size, he'd probably be able to restrain them with this strategy. Against something this large? Well, it'd be bothersome for sure. Maybe sting a bit with the force.. But probably not much else.