Spider-Man, Mario and Stitch dropped by a hospital window and played tic-tac-toe with sick kids

Young patients at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg, Virginia, got a very unusual view out their windows on Friday. A squad of costumed heroes came down the side of the building on ropes: Spider-Man, Captain America, Mr. Incredible, Stitch and both Mario brothers, waving the whole way.

The heroes were really members of Loudoun County Fire and Rescue in full costume. Some kids pressed their faces to the glass. Others waved back from their beds. A few clearly could not decide whether Spider-Man was supposed to be on a rope at all.

The crew did not just wave and drop out of sight. They brought games. Hanging outside the windows, the costumed rescuers played tic-tac-toe with the kids through the glass, called out bingo and blew bubbles for anyone who needed a laugh.

Lt. Jason Ilowite, who took on the role of Luigi, said the day did double duty. The climb gave the crew real rope training, he explained, but the bigger goal was cheering up kids who "might not be having the greatest day." Judging by the grins behind the glass, mission accomplished.

Training with a side of smiles

High-angle rope work is a real skill for rescue crews and practicing it on a tall building is part of the job. Doing it while dressed as a plumber from a video game is not. The team planned to slow down at each floor so they could spend time with the children on the way down instead of rushing to the ground.

For kids stuck in a hospital room on a Friday in October, it turned an ordinary afternoon into a story to tell their friends. Somewhere in Leesburg there is a child who can now say they beat Mario at tic-tac-toe.