[THE CAT'S CURSE] ARC

CHAPTER 21

Delivery From A Doctor

The morning comes as you wake up, Felicia resting on your lap. As you wake, so does she, smiling up at you. But, there's things to do today so you help Felicia fix breakfast and eat with her before she goes to curl up in her bed for a while more. You, meanwhile, have a curse to break.

Stephen Strange, the TV expert on magic is somewhere in the area. Gwen's also probably working on Felicia's DNA, and there's also the old, creepy Asian man you bought the statue from.

You head out from Felicia's, making sure the door stays shut behind you, as Peter Parker and head a few streets away before heading into a dark alley and, upon confirming nobody's there, scaling it and changing into your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man!

Unfortunately, you have no idea where he's at as nobody seems to know. He shows up in town, films, and then leaves. Hopefully, though, by standing out as Spider-man in your Red and Blue outfit you'll be able to draw him out.

You websling through areas that seems like they're highly populated and areas that seems like he might show up. Which is any that look interesting- you're not one of his loyal viewers after ll. However, as you stop on a high tree ledge on the edge of a park, you DO notice something.

"It's Spider-man, dad!"

Looking down, you see a young girl, probably about twelve-ish, maybe, pointing up at you. She's got reddish hair and her father seems to be a large man with a very distinctive moustache. You see the man pull out a camera and focus it on you quickly, obviously snapping pictures. Seems like he probably does it for a living.

Waving, you decide to show off a little before you continue on. Falling off of the tree backwards, you let yourself fall a bit before extending a hand and shooting a web to the large tree branch you were standing on earlier, using the momentum to propel your swing as you head off into the city in search of Stephen Strange.

You should continue looking around, but you might as well do some public services too. You should look around for any crime you could stop.

You head towards the North, looking for Strange or any signs of crime. There's less good web slinging spots. So, you don't pay attention to where you're going as you land on a building's rooftop.

Until the Sirens blare and your Spider-sense rings loudly. Looking around, you see guards currying around, points guns at you. You look around until you spot a flag, your mind quickly remembering where you last saw it…

Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit SHIT

You're on the roof of the Latverian Embassy.

And their Heir returned to New York Recently.

Nearby, you see two arms grip the edge of the rooftop as a cloaked form jumps onto the roof like an acrobat, landing on the edge gracefully. Considering the man's attire, it's nothing less than impressive! He seems to be wearing a full suit with some sort of cape, along with metal gauntlets and a mask.

Pointing at you dramatically, the man's eyes narrow behind the mask.

"You! Masked menace! Tell DOOM the reason behind your violation of the Embassy that represents the Sovereign Nation of Latveria or suffer my wrath!"

You raise your hands non-threateningly. "I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I was keeping an eye out for any crime to prevent while looking for this wizard guy and I didn't see where I landed. I never would have done it intentionally and I deeply regret my actions."

The man crosses his arms as you wait for him to say something. He presses a finger against his mask and a few moments later you see the guards stand down.

"You, Man who dresses in a Spider Costume. DOOM will forgive you but this once. In return, you must appease DOOM's curiosity- what seek you with a wizard?"

"Well… I was looking for one to help break a curse."

DOOM seems to be looking carefully at you as he nods. "Then, perhaps you have been guided by destiny to DOOM, for he is on the way to mastery of the Arcane Arts! I shall break this curse, if it is within my power, but first you would have to do one task for DOOM."

"I'm certainly interested, but I'm more in awe you believe me. However, before any of that, I would like to know about this task?"

DOOM nods and back flips off the roof, landing on the balcony underneath. "Enter, then. DOOM will tell you of this task in privacy, where no others can overhear!"

Your Spider-sense isn't tingling so it seems legit. Hopping down after him, he closes the door behind you into a large, ornate room. Gesturing for you to follow him, he goes over to a bookshelf and pulls on a book, causing the bookshelf to slide to the side and reveal a secret door. Opening it, he gestures for you to follow. Entering it, you find yourself in a room that seems like it's the child on Snape's dungeon from Harry Potter and a Stark Expo.

Turning towards you, DOOM spreads his arms as if to show off. "This is DOOM's workshop. As to how I believe you, as a practitioner of the arcane arts, I can vaguely see your connection to the mystical side of this world. However, it does not seem to have the typical negative problems that are common in curses."

Wait what?

Clearing your throat, you shake your head. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm pretty sure I'm not cursed. My friend was. I bought a statue from this odd shop and now my friend seems to have physical changes to resemble that of a cat for seemingly no reason."

DOOM pauses. "While your story does seem to have the large possibility of being a curse, are you sure your friend isn't just a mutant?"

You pause. "Wait, what? Besides, I'm pretty sure, the statue changed as well. The cat on it disappeared without so much as a missing paint mark. Furthermore, it seems more rapid than a normal biological mutation should be."

DOOM nods, writing some notes down. "There is, you may know, a section of humans with superhuman abilities that exist. However, common knowledge of them is quieted down and those with unique abilities are rounded up. Latveria is currently an asylum for a few and if they should come for you due to your abilities, DOOM will grant you asylum as well, for DOOM is magnanimous in that manner. But, this is off the topic."

DOOM struts over towards a table and pulls out a picture before walking back and handing it to you. "Do you know who this is?"

Nodding your head, you recognize the face. "Yeah, she's Susan Storm. She was with Reed Richards on his space flight and is currently isolated within the Baxter Building."

DOOM nod his head, his hand coming up to touch his mask as he tenses at Richard's name. "Indeed. That is story told by RICHARDS to the public. But I, DOOM, know the truth! Poor Susan, along with her boorish brother are being isolated from the outside world so RICHARDS can keep her away from me!"

You notice DOOM seems to spit Reed Richard's last name as you recall there was a history between the two. Something Richards did to him that forced him to return to Latveria shortly before the space flight. Taking a calming breath, DOOM points at you.

"DOOM will break your curse, no matter how long it may take or how arduous it may be, if you, MAN of SPIDERS, infiltrate the Baxter Building and bring me evidence of Susan's well being, along with this letter!"

DOOM poses dramatically before holding out a letter towards you expectantly.

"I'll do it."

Carefully taking the letter and storing it in your largest, most secure pocket, you notice the elaborate and delicately written cursive that reads 'To Susan Storm' on it. DOOM nods, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"DOOM is trusting you with a very sensitive task. You must be swift, MAN of SPIDERS, and return within the day. If that letter were to reach the wrong hands, terrible things would happen."

Removing his hand he turns around, looking at large shelves of books. "In the meanwhile, DOOM shall consult his repertoire of Tomes to identify this curse. However, you may yet need to bring the cursed object and the one who was cursed to DOOM for a cure to be found."

DOOM looks back at you. "For DOOM to honor this bargain, you must return tonight with evidence of Susan and the letter's delivery. A guard will hand you a camera on your way out. When you return, enter at the Embassy's front gates and DOOM will personally escort you inside."

He looks back towards the books, hands held behind his back. It seems like he's dismissed you. Taking the cue, you head out side and when you're safely away from the embassy, you pause on a rooftop. What should you do?

You pull out your phone and quickly dial Felicia's number. After a few moments of hearing her fumble around, she finally answers. "Hello? Peter? Sorry about that. I have to use the damn speaker phone!"

Yeah, she seems a little annoyed. "Soooo, I'm following a lead on the curse. But I have to break into the Baxter Building to complete this quest. Any advice?"

There's a few moments of silence. "What."

"I need to sneak into the Baxter Building."

"The place quarantined because of SPACE RADIATION."

Her voice is flat and you hear a slight sounds of a hiss in her voice.

"Yes?"

You hear her take a deep breath. Then another. "Try the roof. Most skyscrapers don't think too much about their roof security because its nigh impossible to climb. Other than that, it's owned and maintained by one of the smartest people on the planet. Expect a lot of security systems, but considering the quarantine, I wouldn't expect any real guards."

"Thanks, Felicia."

You hear her let out a sigh. "Yeah. You're lucky you're cute and funny or else I'd kick your ass for stressing me like this."

"Love you too, bye."

"Maybe I'll kick your ass juuuust a little bit..."

Hanging up after she does, you sigh and get closer to the Baxter Building. Getting in and out of there will requires all of your skill and cunning.

You spend a moment limbering up as you recall of your science lessons because that building is covered in damn windows. There's no way you're climbing that thing. Remembering the elasticity of your webbing, you use it to make a slingshot for yourself, mentally double-checking the math before releasing it and sending yourself flying into the air upwards and towards the top of the Baxter building. As you near the top, you web two different places on the roof and use it to pull you in, before spraying a bunch of webbing to act as a giant net.

As you get off of your webbing, you look at your web-shooters. Still plenty of cartridges, but you could really take the time to improve your web-shooters sometime. With more additions and modifications, you could do a lot more with them.

Heading over to the door, you turn the doorknob, which opens. Wow. They didn't even lock the door. However, Aunt May didn't raise a fool. So, instead of walking down, you wall climb instead, dodging security systems that would doubtlessly catch normal people.

Still, there's a residential section, if you recall correctly, on the ninth, tenth, and eleventh floors, a medical lab on the twelfth, and the lower floors are normally offices, all closed thanks to the quarantine. You're currently on the sixteenth floor, with this floor and the next four being Reed Richard's persona labs.

Which floor do you try to get to?

You head towards the elevator and get in it, hitting for the bottom floor before you climb out the maintenance hatch on the top and jump out, climbing by using your ability to climb walls until you reach the eleventh floor elevator door and open it, climbing out onto the ceiling. Climbing around, you see areas that lead into personal quarters, some with names.

In particular, you see one.

"Storm, Susan"

Thank god.

You're on the ceiling on the outside of the entrance to Susan Storm's personal quarters.

Dropping to the ground, you knock on the door, loudly. After a few seconds more, you knock again. You hear someone sigh on the other side of the door, and hear it unlock.

"Look Reed, I'm not-"

She freezes, as do you, as you see Susan Storm, so-called girlfriend of Reed Richards and doctorate in Biology open the door in her bathrobe, an irritated look on her face that quickly turns into one of shock. Her eyes widen in surprise as she points at you.

And then she turns invisible.

You keep your cool as you fish out the letter, looking around. "I'm here to deliver a letter for a Dr. Storm. Look, if you don't want to tip me, that's fine."

Taking a couple of deep, calm breaths, Doctor Storm is staring at you incredulously. "You're Spider-man. In The Baxter Building."

"Yes. Yes, I am."

She looks down both hallways before pulling you in, closing the door behind her. She runs a hand through her hair, looking exasperated. "Look, you are the first person I've seen in at least a week. And the only one that isn't military."

She pauses and looks at you. "You aren't military, are you?"

You let out a sigh. "Look, if I was military, the NYPD blue wouldn't be after me because of vigilantism. I'm here because someone asked me as a favor to check on you and give you this letter."

You hand the letter to her as she eyes the handwriting. "Victor?"

Opening it, she reads the letter before collapsing into a nearby chair, looking exhausted. She glances at you. "So, the Spider-man thing… is it mechanical or biological? Because you don't seem to have a lot of room for any mechanical apparatus for the wall-climbing. But I don't get how it works biologically, either."

Pinching her nose, she lets out another sigh. "Sorry, that's been bugging me. We've been in here, stable, but Reed's not letting us have any contact with the outside world, even though I've confirmed the tests that we're not infectious, contagious, unstable, or any of that. We've just been altered on a molecular level to have different…

"And there I go, rambling again. Sorry. It's just, we could be out there, but Reed keeps on keeping us in secret. I can understand Ben not wanting to, but Johnny and I-"

She pauses and looks at you. "Hey, you delivered Victor's letter, right? Could you get Johnny and I out of here?"

OO

Interlude

"Look, its Spider-man waving at Dad and me!"- Anya (10.30AM)

Click.

"He's so cool! I want to be like him one day!" - Anya (10.31AM)

Click.

"Gilberto Corazon"

Licking a bloodied palm, the figure looked at the images of Spider-man before looking back to the image of the girl with her pretty, red hair.

"I think you'll be my next masterpiece, it'll be so cool!"

Getting up from the chair, the figure heads over to the closet before opening it. Moving some linen, two short swords are revealed, voice quiet as always. "Man, I thought these would be cool, but they cauterize the wounds, making less of a beautiful scene."

Stretching, the figure yawns. "Well, I suppose it'll have to wait until next time. Will you catch me with this one, Spider-man? Maybe I should be a little more creative?"

Snorting, the figure shakes its head. "Yeah, right. And pigs will fly. Nobody's smart enough to catch me. Still, I should probably clean up. Ya never know when that pest will pop back up."

END

To Be continued

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