It should feel like standing still on any other part of the country, but actually it is quite breathtaking. Not that it has anything eye-catching, but Peter Parker knows history. Years ago, the neighborhood was almost wiped clean by Thanos's donut-shaped ship, and his troops. Iron Man stood here somewhere, next to Dr. Strange, Wong and Bruce Banner. Peter's also heard that Thor and his brother Loki was spotted here once. And next to him, right on the other side of the door was where the Hulk had crashed after arriving from space. (Pretty cool huh? No, it actually isn't.)
Peter waits after knocking on the door. If there is any doorbell, it doesn't catch his sight for he has something else in his mind. Yet, the thought that Tony Stark once made his visit here reminds him of his huge loss and the hole that's left behind. He is thankful, for the door opens, inwardly praising the quick response, bringing him out of old and longing memories.
The door is actually answered by a bald man, thickset, and in robes. Peter recognizes him at once.
"You must be Wong," he says excitedly.
The man scorns at him. "I am who I am supposed to be."
"Hi, I'm Peter by the way," Peter says, extending his hand. "Peter Parker."
"You're Spider-Man," Wong says, letting the door open a bit wider. Peter, realizing he has his mask on, walks in.
It already feels like he's in some kind of a mystical place. This relic, that relic, it all stands before him. It's exactly how he thought it would be. And before him are the stairs. He doesn't know why he searches for a hole in them, because it's been years since Bruce Banner crash-landed on them.
"How may I help you Spider-Man?" Wong asks, standing in the corner.
"Uh, actually, I'm here to see Dr. Strange. There's something I wanted to say that maybe he can understand and help me with."
Wong shakes his head, and it almost startles Peter. "I'm sorry Mr. Parker, but Strange cannot see you right now."
"But why?" Peter asks, walking over to him. Wong looks down at the floor. "I really need his help. When could I make an appointment?"
"I'm afraid I don't know." Wong walks away and touches a cauldron. Before Peter can say anything he speaks: "Something is wrong with Strange. He's been sleeping for quite a few days now, and he hasn't woken up. Not even if you kick him, which I did try. Not even when you play pop or waltz does he open his eyes."
"What?" Peter almost thinks it's a joke, that maybe somehow Wong read his mind and refuses to help him because he is here with girlfriend issues, but it's the look in his face that tells Peter he is quite serious.
"Come I'll show you," Wong says, and shows Peter around to the former doctor's room. The curtains are drawn, darkening the room. On a bed somewhere towards the centre, Stephen Strange sleeps, breathing peacefully.
"Dr. Strange?" Peter calls out to him, but the man doesn't open his eyes. He turns back to Wong, who is watching from doorway. "What's wrong with him?"
Wong shrugs. "I don't know, but whatever it is, I hope it's not what I think it is."
"Then what do you think it is?"
Wong's about to reply, when something overcomes him and he changes the subject. "Tell me anyway," he says, "what you came here for."
"Right." Peter nods his head. "My girlfriend's mother has had an accident." He looks at Wong and waits for a reaction, maybe to chase him off, perhaps. There isn't any. "And then this other day, she is almost run over by a truck. What really bothers me is that one evening at a park I was talking to a man who claimed he was a postmaster, and he had this letter addressed to me, which told me to stay away from Michelle. I dismissed it, but I saw him once or twice in my dreams again. And when two days ago I went back to the park to talk to him, I was told that there was no such man who stayed there. Even the shed he came out from, I heard, never existed. And what's really weird is that what he warmed about, it's really happening, and strangely, after he read out the prophecy, I took the paper from him and it was nothing but empty. Blank. Absolutely blank! And right then the man had begun to laugh.
"So tell me Mr. Wong. Am I being ridiculous?"
A grave shadow passes over Wong's face. He must be thinking hard. "You said you saw him in your dreams again?"
Peter nods. "Yeah."
"What did he say?"
"The same things, like he was calling out a spell. He kept on chuckling and laughing."
Wong turns to fully face Peter. "Think hard," he says, "Do you remember what he looked like?"
Peter sighs. "He looked quite lot of creepy, actually. He was on a horse, like those ghost horses we see in TV. And he was dressed in green, tattered cloths. He also had a green cloak behind him."
Maybe it is a little too much for Wong to absorb. He draws in a deep breath. "Then what I feared is true," he says. "I've been seeing him too, lately. In my dreams."
"What does it mean?" Peter asks, but Wong's already about to say.
"I think it's Nightmare," Wong says slowly. "An entity from the dream dimension that feeds on our fears and sleep. And dreams and despair."
It is right then that Peter hears a loud explosion outside.
Before he is stopped, he dashes out.
Michelle doesn't know what's taken over Peter lately, but if there's one thing she definitely does know, it is that she will find out today. She has had enough, and she isn't going to let anyone hurt her again.
She somehow makes it to Bleecker Street when she has a new tap of a headache. Her eyes are drooping and she feels dragged down.
Suddenly a car races past her and hits a building, making a huge and nasty sound. It doesn't strike Michelle to be careful, for she doesn't notice a car racing towards her, at first.
But there's something that strikes her peculiar. The driver is not properly in his seat. His head is resting on the wheel, and turns it, steering the car onto a whole new direction. The wind strikes her face as the car hits a lamppost.
It's actually happening everywhere. All around Michelle there is confusion and mess. People are lying on the street, having suddenly collapsed.
Something red catches her eyes around fifty yards from where she is. She would have known even if she didn't look. It's Peter-Spider-Man-and he's racing towards her. Michelle, in all the confusion, takes a few steps towards him, and all the world has disappeared and it's only him and her.
And then he screams. "Look out!"
A/N: There's something important I wanted to tell you all. My younger sibling, who doesn't have an account yet, has written a story about Spider-Ham titled "The Perfect Meal". It's a really short one-shot, and we both would be very grateful if you could kindly try it and let us know what you think. I edited it, but the story wasn't plotted by me. It was planned by StormCity II (my sibling's name for now). You can find it in my profile.
Thanks everyone for your support in this story. My thanks to all those who have favorited and followed the story. Please leave behind your feedback if you liked it.
To Gmac,
Thank you, and do bear with me if the last chapter felt a little dry. Hopefully this chapter improved upon it.
And also, please don't mind as this and the previous chapters were comparatively shorter. I might take a little more time before coming up with the next chapter, because it's going to be a bit longer. We are nearing the end of the story. This fic was meant to be ten or eleven chapter long only. Anyways, I'm thinking of a sequel if I get the time.
