Capítulo 39: The Devil You Know
Two months later:
Training under Dr. Strange was...odd to say the least. It honestly felt both amazing and confusing at the same time. Plus I had to resist the pantheon of easy and silly 'Strange' puns that I could use.
I had to study and research so much before I even attempted the most basic of spells. And not only that I had to constantly meditate to allow my mind to access the power known as magic. Honestly I need to find a different name for that, screaming I can do magic just sounds silly. Strange might be okay with it, but I'm not.
The man was an amazing teacher, and that's the least I could say about him. He understood how magic worked on such a fundamental level he could explain it to me like he was talking about the weather.
It took me a while at first to actually get it, but now, I understood just what magic was. And after I understood...well, I began to experiment.
BOOM!
Strange walked into my room and looked around. My spartan like room was trashed, scorch marks everywhere with me embedded into a crater in my wall. I wore the dull red robes of an apprentice, they weren't half bad actually.
He looked at me and sigh, "let me guess, you tried to recreate the pouch of storage I gave you but forgot about conservation of mass and tried to just drown the container with magic, yes?"
I blinked, "...yes."
Strange sighed, "Peter, I told you, just because you know how it works, doesn't mean you can replicate it," he snapped his fingers causing my room to glow gold before it rearranged itself, returning back to it's previous state before the explosion.
I found myself being pulled out of the wall and sitting down on my chair before my table on which I had a backpack, now no longer ashes.
Strange came up behind me and took the bag, "let's see what you did wrong shall we?" he looked in the inside of the seems and hummed spotting the runes I had drawn inside, "ah, I see."
"What did I do wrong?"
"The Kuru rune, it's too long," he took a white quill, which we used to draw runes, and corrected the error. When he was done he placed the bag on my desk, "there, now try it."
I nodded as I closed my eyes and focused, pouring the extra-dimensional energy he called magic into the bag. It glowed bright red for a moment, I feared it was going to explode again, but luckily this time it worked.
The mouth of the bag glowed gold as I found it's inside expanding to near infinity. Strange smiled, "I have to say, I'm impressed. Only one month of training and already you are crafting your own enchanted objects."
I smiled, "honestly I'm ashamed it took me this long."
"It took me years to learn magic Peter."
"Yeah, but there's nothing wrong with overachieving is there?" I smiled.
Strange nodded, "true. Now, I'm assuming since you're here and not in the training room, you have finished the assignment I set out for you?"
I smiled as I stood up and moved away from Strange. I moved my arms clockwise before bringing them forward and throwing my hands out creating a giant magical circle made of reddish energy that covered my whole body.
Strange smiled, "the Shield of Sharum, impressive Peter. But let's see if it can hold up it's form when under attack," he said sapping his fingers and summoning a ball of plasma on his finger tip.
"Wait what-"
TANG!
The plasma bolt hit my shield hard. I was actually pushed back a few feet, but held the shield intact. I looked up and winded my eyes finding more plasma bolts coming right for me. Immediately I held up the shield and braced for impact.
TANG!
TANG!
TANG!
They stopped and I lowered my shield, "a little warning next time!"
Strange smiled, "in real life you'll get no warning. Also, behind you."
But he didn't have to say a thing, my spider senses were already flaring. I ducked down from the plasma bolt coming at me from behind. It sailed over Stranger's shoulder hitting my wall and breaking off a chunk of stone.
"Your spider senses continue to impress me Peter," Strange said snapping his fingers to repair the broken part of my wall, "tell me, have you had time to practise it?"
I shrugged, "no, not really. Why? It's not magic is it?"
"I told you, magic is just another word for science. And I believe that your spider senses might have some...prophetic powers. It could be worth looking into," Strange replied.
"Huh, cool," I said lowering my shield and letting it discharge. "So, what now?"
"Now? I have something special to teach you," he smiled.
"Teleportation?!"
"No, astral projection."
I groaned, "I don't want to be a ghost! I want to teleport!"
Strange smiled, "well you can do both if you wish. But first, astral projection. Come Apprentice Parker, we have much work it do."
I groaned but followed the man into his meditation room where I sat down in the pile of cushion I designated as mine. Strange sat opposite to me and took a deep breath breathing in the increase in the room.
"Close your eyes and focus, I want you to imagine the world as two, overlapping each other, the incantation to access this world is 'Bachim', pronounce it mentally and you should be able to feel the vibrations in your soul reach out allowing you to slip out of your physical body."
I nodded, "right," I took a deep breath and focused, 'Bachim,' and I felt the power I could channel call out. It was like a bandage being pulled off your hand, only there was no pain. This won't work, I need to go deeper.
I focused and found myself slowly melting away into myself as my mind began to work into it's meditative state. I felt myself go deeper into the trance, accessing my magical abilities became almost second nature to me now as I slowly felt a distinct line being formed between my soul and my body, slowly pushing the former out.
And then, I felt free.
I opened my eyes and saw the back of my own head. I blinked as I felt myself float backwards, the open space around me working more like a fluid than air, allowing me to feel surface pressure on my whole body.
"This my apprentice, is you spiritual form," I looked behind me, spinning to a vertical position to see Strange floating before me, now looking transparent.
"This, is cool," I grinned as I looked at my transparents hands, "so cool!"
"Indeed. Now, shall-"
"STRANGE! HELP ME!" the cry was so powerful and loud it forced a cut in my magic, forcing my spirit back into my body.
I opened my eyes and gasped, "what the fuck!?" I saw Strange's spirit enter his body, he gasped in shock as well, "Master, what the hell was that?!"
"A friend asking for help," he replied as he tried to get on his feet, only to fail dropping down to one knee.
"Master," I was by his side immediately, holding him steady, "are you okay?"
"H-he was in such pain," Strange frowned as he got to his feet with my help, "I have never felt him so...powerless."
"Who was it? Who called for help?" I asked.
"Mordo," Strange gasped.
"Wait...isn't Mordo your worst enemy?!" I cried out.
Strange nodded, "he is...but he is also my friend. Over the years we grew to respect each other and our stances on magic. Though I may not respect his, I can sympathise with it...we need to help him."
I clicked my teeth, "the last time I helped an enemy of mine he came back and tried to rip me in half. Granted he didn't know who I really was but still..."
"Mordo's pride wouldn't allow him to ask for help if he truly didn't need it," Strange said as he snapped his fingers summoning forth several books from his shelf, all of which opened up and began to float before him, as he looked through pages.
"Alright, what do you need from me?" I asked.
"Nothing," Strange summoned a potion cauldron and several jars of material, "you stay out of this. Whatever this is...it's far too dangerous for you. Leave," he summoned water into the cauldron and dumped several ingredient inside, turning it red, "now apprentice."
I sighed, "fine. But don't call me if you break a hip or something."
"Or mystical waters of Asagiris, reveal to me the location of the one I seek," Strange focused and pulled out a ball of magic, but it felt off, it didn't feel like his. No, rather, it felt like someone else's...Mordo. He must have implanted it into Strange letting him track him with this ritual.
Slowly the waters began to build, peered over the pot and looked inside, "show me what I seek, show me the location of Baron Mordo! Show me..." the pot glowed, Strange's eyes went wide, "oh no..." he looked up, "run!"
I didn't move, I couldn't leave him alone. Especially not after seeing his face like that.
BOOM!
The cauldron exploded as suddenly a flaming portal opened up in the middle of the floor. Strange was sent flying back before he stopped in mid air and began going in the reverse direction, being sucked into the portal.
And then, I felt the portal suck me in as well. "What the fuck?!" I activated my adhesive powers, sticking my feet to the ground. But the pull was too much, before I could even use my claws to stick to the ground, I was pulled off my feet and pulled right into the portal, falling downwards through a tunnel of flames.
"ARGH!" I cried out in horror as I suddenly landed on the scolding hot ground. I groaned as I picked myself up and looked around, gasping at the sight before me.
Everything was on fire...and I mean everything. The sky, the far away plains, even the cavern like sky above me was covered with spots of flames. And in the middle of it all was a castle that reached far up into the cavern ceiling, reaching well over a hundred feet.
The castle was gothic, the walls covered with the skeleton of humans with a lake of blood around it. I got to my feet and looked around, around me was a small gathering army of red skinned imps with horns and tails wearing nothing at all.
"Ah, Strange? Strange?!" I called out, looking around, surprised to find myself alone. 'Fucking hell! Where is that guy?!' I gulped and looked around, the army of imps was around me now leaving dagger and pitchforks at me, "okay...this is new."
"ATTACK!" a demon cried out, the army pouncing at me.
"SHIT!" I cried out, pushing my energy out to summon forth the shield of Sharum before spreading it out to create a dome around myself, protecting me from the demons around.
"KILL HIM!" they cried out.
"BURN HIM ALIVE!"
"FLAY HIM!"
The hits kept coming, but my will held, they couldn't break the shield if I remained strong.
"Someone call the lord! We have captured the sorcerer supreme!" an imp standing taller than all the rest cried out as the army kept me pinned down with their attacks, their forked tongue practically salivating in excitement.
"I'm not the sorcerer supreme!" I focused my energy and pushed it outwards as a blast of energy, sending the shield outwards like a shockwave, knocking down the first three rows of enemies before me.
"Kill!" an imp with a dagger launched itself at me. I ducked under it's swipe and before it could get back to it's feet I kicked it's ribs, sending him flying away.
I turned, three demons came at me. I pushed one away, one sliced at my bicep, the other cut my cheek. By the time I managed to throw them off five more had joined in.
Soon their sheer numbers began to overwhelm me, I couldn't take the sheer overwhelming amount. I was being dog piled, pushed down over dozens of imps. I growled, I felt myself became angry, I was cornered, I was going to die if I didn't do anything and I...I refuse to die.
SKIT!
I let go of myself, I knew if I held back I could die. They could cleve my head from my body, and I didn't think I could survive that.
"GRAAA!" I growled as I pushed onto my feet, the pile of imps on top of me were pushed off through sheer force alone. My bluish grey claws glowing brightly in the fires of this hellish realm I found myself in.
I charged over the downed army of imps, charging straight ahead like a bullet through a particularly thin faction of imps. I swiped my claws like a mad man, slicing through their lowered weapons and finger, cleaving a path through them, the claws tearing through flesh, the tiny amount of resistance their flesh gave made it all he most satisfactory when I cleaved it apart.
I broke through their encirclement and turned around, the imps walking over their injured comrades, not caring about them, only about me. They charged, and I grew ready to run. But then, I saw a giant shadow loom over me, making the imps stop immediately.
I slowly turned around, and staring down at me was a being standing at 10 feet tall with blood red skin, a skin tapering frame with a jackal like face, pupil less eyes and a evil smile with a widow's peak. He wore nothing but a red cloak and loincloth, his nails long and sharp like claws. I knew who he was...I didn't even have to guess.
He smiled looking down at me, "now...why are you here?" He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, I knew nothing more. The last thing that went through my mind was, 'why the hell does Marvel's version of the devil, an omnipotent being, chose to wear only a loin cloth?'
Some time later:
My eyes blinked as I found myself waking up. Only to feel my entire sense of gravity reversed. I opened my eyes fully, finding myself hanging upside down from the ceiling, wrapped around chains, tied to a topless ceiling.
I felt heat slowly wash over me, my head felt boiling hot, I looked directly below me and found that I was dangling over a vat of molten lava kept inside a swimming pool sized cauldron with runes along the side. I recognized a few, and the ones I didn't I memorized for later reference.
I then looked around, I found myself in a royal chamber of sort, with a throne before me and a hearth right before it with feasting tables on either side of the hearth. And sitting in on the throne was Mephisto, the ruler of hell...or at least this version of it.
He had on leg over the leg rest of his throne and a elbow on the other, holding his head on his hand, looking bored. And tied to a chain attached to the throne was a man dressed in black and green torn rags, his hair white and his face covered in wrinkles. He looked old and in pain, his body covered in cuts and bruises.
I recognized him, Baron Mordo, once a great threat to the world in his own right, now an old man that looked broken, his eyes were skittish, looking between Mephisto and myself, curling into a ball, pulling his knees to his chest.
"What do you think of our guest my pet?" Mephisto asked in a singing tone.
"He's nothing important," Mordo replied, his voice soft, but behind his tone was a steel, an iron will that Mephisto has yet to break.
He smirked, "and that's why I believe just the opposite," turned to me, his eyes immediately meeting mine, "ah, so you are awake. That's nice. I thought we would have to wait a few more hours before you came too."
I felt fear hit me, hard. I was so not ready for this! This guy could kill me in seconds! Fuck, he didn't have to move to knock me out! Who knows what he can do to me?! I need to get out of these chains! And now!
"Tell me apprentice sorcerer, what is your name?" Mephisto asked with a cruel smile adorning his face.
"Ah...my name's Bruce Wayne, nice to meet you," I blinked.
"You fool!" Mordo cried out.
"Silence!" Mephisto growled as he snapped his fingers summoning a metal gag over Mordo before he turned to me, his smile remaining, "so, Bruce Wayne, interesting, tell me Bruce, what are you doing here?" Mephisto asked, magic pouring into my body's system.
It tried to take hold of me, if any magic user was sufficiently powerful, and knew another magic user's name, they could use magic to persuade them into several things, like answering questions.
But since I gave a fake name….I could use this! I pretended to be under mind control, acting slow, "I tried to summon a sex demon."
Mephisto's face dropped, "what?"
"I tried to summon a sex demon." Mordor blinked in confusion.
"...why?"
"To have sex with her."
"Could you not have simply used magic to hypnotise some human female into your chambers?"
"Neah, too boring. Plus, I have a things for chicks with tails and a huge rack. Wait, that is true right? The rumor that all demoness have huge racks?"
Mephisto blinked, he peered at me for a second before sighing, "your name's not really Bruce Wayne is it?" Immediately Mordor's eyebrow's went up in shock before he laughed in joy, his laughter muffled by his gag.
"Nope!" I chuckled, "sorry about that."
"It's fine," Mephesto waved it away, "such cunning. All you humans are the same. Why just last week Mordo….ah," his jackal like face grew wide with a smile so vile it sent a flaming dagger into my heart, "I see, so your Strange's apprentice are you? Very interesting."
I raised an eyebrow, "why do you think I'm Strange apprentice?"
"Because, only he would ever pick up an apprentice with a mouth like yours," Mephesto laughed, "I can sense your fear Bruce, and it is delicious. But you just push it aside, making jokes, why, if I didn't know any better I would say…." Mephisto's eyes widened comically, "impossible!"
He practically flew out his throne, instantly his whole white eyes were upon me, gazing at me, looking for something. He sniffed the air around me, he closed his eyes before the curiosity and focus melted away to form mirth.
"A dimension hopper," he scoffed, "so not only are you an apprentice of the previous sorcerer supreme, but you're also a dimension hopper. And...oh, what's this? You're..." his eyes went wide with shock, "you're not even you are you?"
"I don't-"
"-Shush," he silenced me with a glare. He held up on gigantic arm and flexed his fingers, summoning a magical circle of pure black. He held it before me and rotated the circle, I felt his magic hit my gut, forcing me to scream.
"ARGHH!" soon the sound just became white noise, I was too focused on the pain I was feeling. It was like a thousand blades were cutting into me at once. Slowly, piece by piece, parts of me began going numb. My fingers, my toes, my legs, my arms, my chest.
It was like he was ripping through my body, looking for something. The pain was so drastic, I snapped from the pain, slipping into an unconscious state.
I found myself in my mental landscape, the city now featured a new building, the Sanctum Sanctorum of Strange's. I was about to try and enter it, when I saw the sky turn red as Mephesto managed to enter my mind.
He stood like a giant over my city, the skyscrapers not even reaching his groin. He looked down, his eyes narrowing at me, but then, his attention was drawn elsewhere, towards the giant dark tower that stood near the edge of my mind, that contained all the knowledge of my world.
'There!' hope flooded into me, I knew this was my only chance. Mephisto felt my hope, he turned to me again, but I was already flying through my mind, heading straight towards the tower.
"You can't escape little spider," Mephisto said as he followed behind me, crushing several buildings along the way. I ignored him, looking behind to see pieces of my memory being destroyed.
Boom!
That was my memory of Hell's Kitchen, Matt...Matt Murdock but...I forget what sort of relationship I had with him. He was the Daredevil but...who is he to me?
Boom!
The Baxter building….the FF? Did...did I speak with them? Was I friends with them? Whatever, it's not like they were important, if they were I wouldn't have forgotten...no! No, he's making me forget! No!
Mephisto raised his foot again, and this time it was a building rooftop...the place where I met Felicia for the first time. He was going to destroy my memory of every meeting her!
"NO!" I cried out, stopping and turning around. I rotated my hands, summoning forth a whip of magic and shot it out, whipping his shin.
"Oh? Is this memory precious to you?" he smiled, bringing down his leg, hard.
"I won't let you!" I pulled into myself, trying to push out my own magic to its very limits. I threw my hands forward, pushing out several whips of magic in the form of webs.
They took on the form I was most used to seeing, that of a giant web. It appeared over the building, Mephisto pausing in surprise as his leg was halted.
"Not bad," he smirked removing his leg, my webs slowly dissolved as I panted, "not many could stop me through sheer force of will, let alone using something like the whips of Vastha," he snapped his fingers, as suddenly my energy drained me.
I felt powerless as I watched him flick me across my own mindscape, flying through the land of my memories before crashing into the outer layer of the Dark Tower.
"Now then," he brought his foot down hard, crashing the building.
Why did I want to protect that building? Was it important to me? No...no it can't be….right?
BOOM!
I looked down, the remains of the building read 'Midtown high'...was that important to me? No...it sounds like a horrible place...yeah...horrible.
Boom!
That house...it looks familiar...why?
BOOM!
That mansion, it looked big, why did I remember a red head living there? Was she my friend?
The dark tower I was on began to open up, sucking me inside. Slowly the knowledge of the Marvel universe began to flow into me, Midtown hgh, that was where Spider-man studied! So cool!
And that house, it looked like where Spidey lived...wait, I'm Spider-man...did I live there? And that mansion, the X-men lived there! So that's why it looked so big!
"And what is this?" Mephisto asked, running a hand down the surface of the tower, intrigued he casted a spell on it, but gained no reaction, "aren't you a stubborn one? Well then, let's crack you open!"
He raised his fist and brought it forth. I remembered someone else trying that...it didn't turn out too well for him.
KRAKOOM!
The inside of the tower light up first, all my memories in hre turned bright gold before sending a pulse of magic outwards, hitting Mephisto right in the chest, exploding upon impact.
As the golden shockwave came rippling out, Mephisto's form disintegrated into nothing, he was pushed out of my mind. Slowly The energy began to seap into my memories as well, I saw the rubble slowly reform abck, building itself back.
Jean...Jean Grey! My friend! I forgot about her, not just her, Logan, Xavier, Ororo, Scott, Rouge, all of the X-men! I forgot about them!
May! Ben! Matt! Felicia! MJ, Liz, Johnny, Sue, Ben, Reed! They all came back to me now. My eyes watered, how could I ever forget them?
I opened my eyes and found myself hanging upside down, back in the real world. Mephisto was on his back, looking at a scared right hand in absolute horror.
"H-how?! How did you do this?!" he turned to me and leapt forward, slapping my body so hard it sent me flying off in one direction, straining the chain to such a degree that it snapped, sending me flying into the throne room wall.
Crack!
I felt something break upon impact. I landed in a heap, slowly my body healed itself. I gasped in pain and looked up, afraid of Mephisto once again striking me.
He loomed over me, he growled as he held his hand, it was bleeding, something had carved into it, Mephisto now bore the mark of a spider on his right forearm, "I am an immortal, a being that reaps cosmic deities! And you scarred me?!"
I smiled, not because I was happy, but because I knew it would piss him off. "Well, then next time don't touch my stuff."
"You insufferable-"
"Crimson bands of Cyttorak, I summon thee to bind my foe upon his form!" Strange's voice called out causing a wave of ruby red energy to come forward, flooding Mephisto's body, binding it with five ruby red bands.
"Strange!" the devil himself cried out as he dropped to his knees, his magic sealed away. And standing behind him, floating in mid air, was Strange, looking very pissed.
"Mephisto...this time, you went too far," Strange snapped his fingers causing the chains around me to loosen, I gasped as I immediately felt sweet relief flood my body, my cells working overtime to heal my body.
"You're late," Mordo walked up to us, the metal gag long since removed, "I called you days ago."
"Time flows differently here," Strange replied before turning to me, "my apprentice, are you alright?"
I nodded as I rolled my shoulders, "nothing a little rest won't fix."
"STRANGE!" Mephisto roared flexing his arms, causing the bands binding him to strains, one snapping instantly.
"We need to leave, now," Strange said, "he'll break free soon!"
"No! We can't leave! Not without saving her!" Mordo pointed at the hearth before Mephisto's throne.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Look boy! Look with your third eye! Not the two you are currently using!"
I did and suddenly, I could see it. Inside the flames was something, something...devine? No...holy. A soul, a pure soul, and looking deeper with my real eyes I could see it was the soul of a small child, the flames imprisoning her within.
Strange gasped, "a pure soul? Morod, why….."
"Redemption Strange," the older green loving wizard replied.
I raised an eyebrow, "wait...what?"
"I have done a lot in my life that I regret boy," Mordo explained, "in my twilight years I wish to repay some of my debt...and saving a pure soul like that one from Mephisto's grasp is one path to redemption."
Ping!
The second crimson band snapped, leaving only three remaining on Mephisto, "when I get out of these, I'll feed you to my dogs boy!"
"Ah guys, we have the devil himself right before us! Maybe we should hurry this along!" I cried out.
"This will take time," Strange replied, summoning a magical circle to analyse the flames, "a pure soul is a great accelerant for certain fields of magic! If someone as evil as Mephisto uses one, his own powers would be amplified immensely!"
Snap!
Two left.
"Argh! I hate this!" I summoned forth several whips of Vastha and covered Mephisto with them, over and over.
The devil raised an eyebrow, "you can't be serious."
I growled, "bite me!"
He snarled, "happily!" he rose to his feet and flexed his arms again.
SNAP!
He freed his right arm, the last band binding his left arm to his torso. "Come here boy! I'm not done with you! You will suffer for marking me!"
I looked at the mark, and suddenly, I felt hope. He wasn't a true immortal, he wasn't God. He could die. That mark, that was proof that he could be hurt, that he bleed.
His arm grabbed me by the throat and lifted me into the air. "Peter! No!" Strange cried out.
"Keep on the flames Strange! I'll help your apprentice!" Mordo cried out as he summoned a green magical circle and launched at Mephisto, who barely even acknowledged the hits.
"Any last words?" Mephisto narrowed his eyes as he squeezed. Mordo grew panicked as he began to go into a long complex chant, reading a powerful magical spell.
"Yeah," I coughed, "tell me, do you bleed?"
Skit!
I jabbed both set of claws across his forearm, the spider scar he had glowed gold for a second, allowing my claws to sink in and through. It truly was a weakness in his armour. And I took full advantage of it.
SLICE!
I landed on the ground, the arm falling to my side, blood pouring out of the stump.
"ARGH!" Mephisto cried out in pain, holding the stump of his hand.
"I, Baron Mordo do call upon the power of the Tribunal! Banish his form away from my presence!" Mordor's spell grew to a climax. A green and gold blast of energy in the form of an arrow hit Mephisto in the back, vaporizing him in a bright flash of light.
I panted as I looked down, my claws covered in the devil's blood, I looked at Mordo, he looked even older now, if that was possible. He was panting, his hands on his knees, exhausted.
"Is he dead?" I asked.
"No, just transported somewhere else...how did you manage to hurt him?" Mordo asked looking at the stump before me. It was huge, at least three feet long, blood pouring out in the liters.
"I-I don't really know," I knew the spider scar aided me, but I don't know how, "I do have pretty sharp claws."
"Maybe," Mordo narrowed his eyes at my claws, "but I believe there are other forces at hand….ones that chose to remain hidden...for some reason."
"Mordo! Come quick!" Strange called.
"Right," Mordo nodded to me, "good job apprentice. Pick up that stump, it is your spoils of war, temperament!" he casted a status charm on the stop, preventing it from bleeding anymore.
I nodded as I got on my feet and opened my infinite storage pouch, putting the arm into that before zipping it up and rushing to Strange's side.
"It can't be drawn unless by someone of strength and virtue," Strange informed us as he dropped his magical scanners, "the flames are from the Brazier of Truth, constantly breaking up the soul, making it tender for consumption. Only the hands of someone good and pure may be allowed to pass through it to remove the soul from within."
"So? What are you waiting for Strange? Grab it and let us leave!" Mordo cried out.
"No," Strange stepped away, "I am not pure, or virtuous, I cannot-"
"-Oh for God's sake we don't have time for this! I just cut off the devil's arms and I'm pretty sure he's going to come back for revenge, so let's just skip this part yeah?!" I reached out, my hands reaching into the fire.
"Peter no-"
My fingers curled around the form of the soul and I pulled.
BOOM!
I was sent flying back, mid flight I gained my sense of balance and spun, landing on my feet like an acrobat and in my right hand was a small ball of warm energy. I looked down at it and for a moment I saw the face of a small child looking back at me.
"Amazing," Strange replied as he and Mordo got onto their feet, that explosion had sent me back flying, but even Strange and Mordo got some of the heat, being pushed onto their backs.
"Not a bad kid you have there Strange," Mordo spoke eyeing the soul, "the girl's soul still feels whole...for the most part."
"We'll discuss this later," Strange threw open his arms and spun them, immediately creating a portal made out of golden sparks and on the other side I could see the living room of the Sanctum Sanctorum, "come! Quickly!"
"BOY!" I heard Mephisto's roar off in the background.
"Move!" I cried out as Mordo ran through and followed my Strange. I leaped through as well, and just as I turned around I saw the doors to the throne room explode open as an army of imps came rushing in with Mephisto at the lead, his gaze looking bloodthirsty.
"Close!" Strange cried out, but not in time, as a single imp managed to make it through the portal. It flew through the air, coming right at me, I moved instantly, claws bursting out, cutting straight through the imp like a knife through hot butter.
The imp exploded into red dust, covering my body with it. I blinked, wiping the dust away, "did that thing just explode onto me?"
"Yes, is this your first time getting imp juice on yourself?," Mordo chuckled as he walked over to a seat and plopped down, "what a rush. We're getting too old for this Strange."
"And why exactly did you think you could take on Mephisto alone?" Strange asked with an amused smile.
"If I was to guess? Arrogance," Mordo grumbled before looking at me, "now then, what to do with the brat? He really does have potential doesn't he?"
"Yes, he does," Strange nodded as he walked to over and smiled, "you did good Peter. Very good. The soul?"
"What? Oh, right," I looked down and passed the soul to Strange. The man took it carefully before slowly levitating into the air and summoning a small red circle through which it passed through, never to be seen again.
"What did you do with it?" I asked.
"It's safe," Mordo waved away my concern, "but what you should be worried about is yourself. After your stunt...Mephisto will be coming for your."
Skit!
"I managed to delimb him once, I'll be fine," I smiled as I held up my claws, which were still covered in the red stains of Mephisto's blood. I narrowed my eyes, "that's strange," pun not intended, "the stain is still there."
"That's the blood of the devil himself, trust me, it'll stay for sometime," Mordo grumbled, "but be warned child, he won't come at you directly, he's weaker in this world, and it's not his style. He'll wait till you want something desperately and then, he'll strake."
"He'll be ready," Strange assured the man, "I'll sure he will."
I nodded, "yeah. I'm aware how tempting he can be, and…I'll be ready for him."
"We'll be ready for him," Strange nodded as he snapped his fingers, summoning a tea set for all three of us, "now then, Mordo, how exactly did you-"
"ARGH!" I cried out.
Dum. Dum.
My heart started to pound in my chest. I grabbed it and held it tight, I heard it beat louder. Like drums from a marching band.
Strange and Mordo immediately moved, they rushed to my side and Strange helped me stand straight, "what's wrong?"
I felt it, my latent magical powers felt the pull of dimensional energies coursing through my body. "I-I think I'm going back," I told him, "I can feel it. The power, the dimensional energies are pulling me back home!"
Strange immediately summoned several magical circles around me and scanned me, "yes, you are correct. When you were exposed to the energy generated by Mephisto's realm the latent dimension energy inside you must have become active."
"I-I," I began to think I had so much to say and do, there wasn't any time. I turned to Strange, "tell May to be safe, tell her to think before she leaps and to never, ever fight for vengeance. Tell Peter that he's my hero, that he was right. I can't give up being who I am...I'll be putting on that damn suit again. Tell those morons calling themselves Avengers that they need to be better heros and the FF and ARGH!"
I felt the power surge before me, I used what little power I had to manipulate the energy to stall for time, I still had things I had to say. I turned to Strange, now looking like a stone wall. I continued, "tell Felicia her daughter will always love her, tell Felicity to realise her mother loves her beyond anything else in the world. Te-tell Franklin his mother would be proud, I know she would. And Master Strange, thank you, for everything."
The man smiled, "you're welcome Pe-"
ZOOM!
It was like an explosion in my head. I found myself pulled back into a green wormhole, like the one from before. My stomach flipped, my body weightless. I came flying around in circles, green everywhere, I think I'm going to be sick. And then it stopped. Gravity returned and I found myself thrown head first out into a very familiar lab.
"He's back!" I looked up and saw Sue running at me, throwing her arms around me, tackling me into the ground.
I looked around, holding Sue tight, Reed was there and so was Johnny and Liz. I blinked, "how long was I gone?"
"Two hours," Reed gulped, "we tried everything….we were just about to give up when...I didn't think it would work."
I couldn't believe it, "two hours? I've only been gone that long?"
Sue immediately broke the hug and looked at me, "Peter, how long has it been for you?"
I looked her in the eyes, "three months, give or take."
"Where did you go?" Johnny asked as he helped me and Sue get back on our feet. He then noticed my red robes and blinked, "and why do you look like a warrior monk?"
I blinked in surprise, I didn't say anything, shock taking over. I couldn't believe it...I was home...really home...
"Peter," Sue's voice broke through, I looked down, meeting her eyes, "are you okay?"
"I...I am now," I looked around, they all looked relieved. My eyes then landed on Reed and they narrowed, "destroy that thing, or I will Reed."
Reed nodded quickly, "right, I'll get right on that," he said as he began typing away at his terminal.
"We need to get you into the med bay Peter," Sue said as she gently squeezed my hand, "we need to make sure nothing happened to you."
I smiled, "I'm fine Sue, really, I am," and just then, my stomach growled. I chuckled, "actually, I'm a little hungry."
Liz blinked, "you just traveled through to another universe, and the first thing you think about is food?"
I sighed, "I told you Liz, different time periods. I had three months to deal with this eventuality. I...I kind of just processed it better."
Sue sighed, smiling, "unbelievable. Come on Peter, let's get you something to eat," Sue said as she Johnny and Liz guided me out of the lab.
They sat me down on the kitchen counter and made me some pizza to eat, all the time Sue kept an eye on me, and Johnny kept sending me a watchful glance. I never realised how much I missed home until I saw my friends worried for my safety.
Soon the smell of pizza filled the air as Johnny took the freshly reheated pizza out of the oven and placed it before me, "there, one meat lover's pizza, perfectly cooked."
"Oh thank god," I slurped as I scarfed it all down, smiling, "I don't care what people say, frozen pizza is awesome!"
Sue blinked, "r-really?"
"Hell yeah!" I winked, "hey Johnny, you up for a video gaming session, it's been so long since we played!"
"A, sure man," the Human Torch nodded, "whatever you want."
"Peter? Are you okay?" Liz asked a little worried, "you seem...different?"
I smiled, "you mean I don't sound depressed anymore?"
"Well..." Sue looked at the other people with her before nodding, "yeah."
I grinned, "well, that's because I finally gained my mojo back. In fact I-" I stopped mid sentence as I looked over at the TV screen in the lounge that was currently showing the picture of a giant concrete facility was displayed with one of it's walls broken apart. It looked like it had been ripped apart.
"The National gaurd has filed a report of six criminals having escaped from a facility in Westchester. They have released the identities of the criminals along with a note left behind by them before their escape."
Six names came up on the screen;
Maxwell "Max" Dillon, AKA Electro.
Aleksei Sytsevich, AKA the Rhino.
Flint Marko, AKA the Sandman.
Adrian Toomes, AKA the Vulture.
Herman Schultz, AKA the Shocker.
Otto Octavius, AKA Doc Ock.
There was an aerial photograph taken at the time of escape. I could see the Rhino battle armour was out and about. Flying above it was Electro with Sandman traveling next to in in the form of a sand storm. Vulture, Shocker and Doc Ock road the Rhino's back.
Suddenly Sandman's storm grew bigger and the image disappeared. It had been taken yesterday.
The NEWS then displayed the note they left behind, 'Norman, We are coming for you.'
I narrowed my eyes, "Sue, I'm going to have to step out for a bit."
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