9/15/2006 Upper Manhattan ------------------------------------------------------------------ Upper Manhattan could be described as the "non-tourist" section of Manhattan, that part far less influenced by the gentrification that had taken place in New York over the past 30 years, until recently. Not only do New York tourist maps not normally acknowledge the outer boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island (and if so, only in the most rudimentary way), but they also regularly neglect Upper Manhattan as well. This is likely due to the perceptions that it is less glitzy, less tourist-friendly, and the relatively high-crime nature of the area. Even many native New Yorkers tend to treat Upper Manhattan like an outer borough; its greater distance from Midtown Manhattan and comparatively lower rents lead many to exclude this northern neck from the area New Yorkers call "The City". ------------------------------------------------------------------ Humming along in between the various tall buildings of Manhattan is what should by now be a rather familiar, if not fearsome, sight. Norman Osborn, AKA The Green Goblin, seems to be out enjoying the late night, semi-smog-free air. As of yet, he hasn't caused any mayhem. Because he's several hundred feet up in the air, it's hard to tell what he's doing, but 'adjustments' on something would seem to be a good guess. After having both his regular and his spare glider completely destroyed in the space of weeks, he's built new ones and, well... Unless he wanted the entirety of Oscorp and by extension the public to know who he was, it's up to him to be the test pilot. The Goblin isn't the only one refusing to dignify terra firma with his presence. The distinctive figure of Doctor Octopus clings to the top of one of the taller buildings in the neighborhood, anchoring himself against both wind and a rather perilous perch with his tentacles while he fiddles with a blinking device. Dark glasses have been traded out for the more specialized goggles, though the rest of the doctor's clothing is pure civilian, and not even especially dressy -- long green coat, khaki pants, some sort of sweater underneath (even this close to summer's end, it gets chilly up this high, especially at night). Hearing the glider's whine, he looks up, frowning. The glider scoots past the Octopus in a blur, then slows, making a long banking turn and gradually slowing to a hover "Dr. Octavius, I presume," Green says in mock cheerfulness, leaning back and forth on his ride. As he does so, the craft follows his motions, and he gets a good look at the man from just about every angle available. Otto switches off and pockets the device in his hand and turns a tight smile to the masked figure. "And the Green Goblin... I presume." He shifts his weight slightly, his metal claws taking firmer grip on brick and mortar, his face turning to keep an eye on the other villain. "How are you this evening?" His voice is all amiable courtesy, and it's as sincere as a politician's grin. How does the Goblin answer such a question? Most people tend to start cursing at him when they see him. Of course, that's /usually/ because he's thrown sharp or exploding objects at them prior to that but... "I am..." he shrugs, holding up his hands in an insincere little 'meh' gesture. "Enjoying myself," he decides finally. Yep. No winged do gooders around to throw things at him, no crazy nutballs with rocket launchers, and most of all... No Spiderman. "Is the Octopus well?" asks, the hum of his glider varying. Sounds like, in car terms, it might have a rough idle. "Never better," says the multi-limbed one heartily, arms folded across his broad chest. Of course, a lack of Spider-Man would make anyone's night a good one. "You've been busy lately. It's strange. Up until a few weeks ago, I could have sworn you were dead." Norman waves a hand dismissively, "Busy?" he considers the word, "I've been taking care of chores," he sneers. "Eheh..." he snickers a little, "As for me being dead... No, I was just on /vacation,/" he pauses, shifting a foot on his flying platform and changing the note of the engine. Otto utters a grating chuckle. "Gathering your strength, eh?" His grin is harder, and his voice holds the faintest touch of mockery. "You might want to go back. Really, Goblin... the /Punisher/?" "At least I'm not afraid of /insects,/" Norman grids his teeth behind hsi mask, "Nor small children!" A gloved finger juts out at Otto in an accusing manner, "Aha! I heard you ran away without even being beaten! Hah!" he cackles, face twisting into a wicked grin. Otto sneers. "You heard wrong." No hesitation, not even a twitch. "/Otto Octavius/ does not run away." Norman seethes, "LIAR!" he shouts, pulling his glider back, "I know it for a fact! They had witnesses, on television!" Green snarls, starting to lose his cool for the umpteenth time, "Do you think I'm /stupid?/" he hisses, waving his arms about. "Do you think the /Green Goblin/ doesn't watch the /news?/" Octavius doesn't comment verbally on the question of the Goblin's intelligence, though his expression states his opinion of this quite clearly. "Witnesses," he says, derisively. "Primates bloated on fried food and muzak. They have no idea what they saw. No /comprehension/." As he speaks, he shifts his weight again, and behind the goggles he's watching the Green Goblin very carefully. Green narrows his eyes, hideous visage contorted in frustration, "Admit it! You're nothing but a coward. If it wasn't for those arms of yours, you'd still be a stuffy scientist, or seedy college professor," he cackles, "Bwaha! You're even dressed like one now!" he continues laughing and sneering, "Nothing but a weak, pathetic 'primate!'" The goblin leans to the left, bringing his glider around to Ock's side, "You're not even in SHAPE!" Otto's sneer twists into a snarl, and quick as a blink, one of those arms lets go of the piece of masonry that it's clinging to and slams out at the Goblin, aiming for his chest. "/Coward/?" His voice drops to a growl, all pretense at civility discarded. "/You/ call Doctor Octopus a coward? /You/, hiding behind a /mask/?!" Norman takes the hit square in the chest, and is sent flying backwards over the street, hundreds of feet up in the air with the wind knocked out of him. He fully crosses the man-made 'ravine' and bounces off the building on the other side. After that, the first thing he manages to do is catch his breathe, the second being bringing the glider around to catch him with the remote, he just narrowly misses hitting the ground. Doctor Octopus lets out an explosive, "Hah!" He's not one to rest on his laurels, however, and immediately climbs a few stories downward, moving swiftly and surely, one eye on the direction that the glider's zipped off to. He's fully expecting retaliation, but there's no sense in making things /easy/. With a leap (assisted by those amazing arms of his) he bridges the gap between this building and a lower on, landing on a flat rooftop scattered with dried pigeon leavings and other, more human litter. The whir of the glider changes pitch to where it sounds more like a screaming banshee as the goblin stomps his heel down on it, pushing the machine to its absolute limits in in a gravity defying vertical climb that leaves singe marks on the building Ock's standing on, so close is he to it. "SURPRISE, coward!" he shrieks at the Doctor, rolling two pumpkin bombs onto the roof as he zooms past at a little less than half the speed of sound. Octavius doesn't wait to see exactly what kind of 'surprise' the Goblin has in mind. Metal claws slam into the rooftop and metal limbs telescope with speed to carry him away from this threat. The criminal scientist might be middle-aged and decidedly thick around the middle, but his mind's as quick as a dodging webslinger, and those limbs of his aren't constrained by fleshy limitations. "You need to improve your aim!" he calls out, just before the bombs go off, one after the other. /Too/ close for comfort; the force sends Otto over the side of the building, though he's able to grab a hold onto a ledge with one tentacle before falling too far. Blast it. The Goblin's got the edge in maneuverability out here, and those bombs of his... Time to even the odds a little. "Admit it!" he calls out. "You're a hack, Goblin! A has-been! Probably a FAKE!" With that, he smashes open a nearby window and vanishes through it into an empty, darkened office. Some executive's going to be unhappy tomorrow morning. Norman exexcutes a loop, g-forces driving even his enhanced strength to the limit as he struggles to stay upright, then dives at the building, eyes focused on the window that Otto just entered. "A FAKE?! A FAKE?!" the goblin screams horsely, "Does this look FAKE to you?!" the villain cries, tugging on his mask. He fingers a smoke bomb, then decides on another incendiary, tossing it through the opening. "This isn't over, you fatty!" he snaps, whirling the glider around and taking off into the night without waiting for the device to even go off. >BOOM!< The whole window, one that gave such a nice view of the city, blows out from the force of the explosion, and the office within is probably destroyed. Octavius emerges from a makeshift shelter that combines one thick oak desk (now badly scorched and suitable for the trash) and his own nigh-indestructable tentacles. By the time he shows himself again -- at another window, from the office next door to the one he entered, the goblin's long gone. And Otto grins humorlessly, savagely. "Oh, no," he grates. "No it surely is /not/."