Chapter 37 : AoE

Hello, everyone. I'm feeling terrible so… enjoy !

=========

So… What I'm about to try is either brilliant or very, ve~ry, stupid. Depends on if it works or not I guess. You see, compared to traditional spell casting that can affect differently according to the spell itself, my ink always gets applied in the same way : after applying it on a surface. It always affects this surface and nothing else. On the contrary, a spell can be launched in a straight line toward an adversary - something I can now do thanks to my belt - affect only one or several targets, or an area of effect.

I can do the first two every since the belt's been finished. The latter on the other hand… It was a matter of definition, programming and finding an easy symbol to draw… Not in that order, actually. First, I decided on the symbol, then defined it, and then I coded it… You get the gist though, right ?

Anyways, if my code's right, I can now create AoE spells. AoE = Area of Effects, for those of you who aren't RPG players.

Now's the moment of truth… Not exactly a make or break it moment, but definitely a little bit dangerous. My hands are trembling and I…

I shake my head. Enough dawdling ! Instantly after I've made up my mind, I start to act. First, I continue moving, since Cory won't just stop trying to shake my insides to turn them into outsides. However, while I was moving rather erratically before, I start to skate a little bit to the right, trying to close a loop of some kind. In the meantime, a little bit of ink is dropping on the floor from the reservoir in my belt.

Three strands of ink are intertwining, forming a cord. I need to connect the two ends and then… From the corner of my eye, I suddenly spot Cory, both arms raised.

« Shit ! » I duck and roll on the ground. She just blasted every obstacles in her line of sight… Thankfully, I can still feel the ink on the ground. As I start to dodge again, but this time more desperately, I try to will what I drop to connect. It's less than I would have liked and therefore, the circle is shrinking. However, as long as she stands in the center, the effect should still take effect… I just have to make her stand in the circle for a moment.

The ground explodes not far from me, the blast throwing me in the air before gravity claims its hold on me. Again, I find myself rolling on the ground and curse silently.

« Easier said than done… » I mutter, disgruntled.

That's when I see it… The damage she's doing to her body. At first, I thought she just shrugged it off, ignored it. That's not the case, though. She's slowing down and showing signs of fatigue. Granted, I would prefer if she just stops attacking.

« I'll take what I can get… »

And then, I resume my mad dash to avoid getting blown up. Gradually, I move to have her enter the circle. Silently, I also pray that she's not continuously vibrating her body. I don't think it could take it, and so I don't think she is. Still, given the fact that she's not exactly herself right now… In any case, as long as she doesn't step on the ink and vibrate, it should be fine. I hope…

As soon as I see her foot landing in the perimeter, I launch an ink rope toward the circle, all the while drawing another symbol in my hand before connecting the two… The impact is imminent. Cory drops like a sack of potatoes. I heave a sigh of relief.

« We didn't blow up ! » I fist-pump once before gazing at the devastation around me.

Sweat trickles down my face when I realize just how close to dying I just was…

* * * * *

Cory doesn't wake until the next day. That's actually something I expected, given the kind of spell I used. Basically, and without much the logic you can find in the usual spells, her sleep applies a recovery effect on both her mind and body. Her mind, because I'm not sure whether or not the discovery of Hyde's existence had an impact, or if he used some kind of experimental chemicals on his daughter. As for her body… Well, it was a mess ! She and her power really did a number on it.

She'll probably wake up still in pain, but at least, she won't have broken bones or torn muscles, ligaments and tendons. Maybe, she'll even be able to move around a little.

We're both back home and I've rested her in her bed. I wasn't about to wait for hours in the forest… Or what was left of it anyway. Plus, it actually would have been a bad idea. I don't really know how it works in reality, whether S.H.I.E.L.D. or some other organization can detect it, but given the activity and destruction we unleashed, it was better to leave before curious onlookers - or worse - showed up.

As for returning to the deserted office building… Yeah, that too was better left behind ! I just wonder if Peter's okay. The bugger's been growing on me. Besides, having more superpowered folks around meant that it would take a load of my shoulders when shit hit the fan, as they invariably would.

In the comics, on the forums and in the medias, there were a lot of theories about super-heroes, and whether they were actually the reason why super-powered threats popped out of the woodwork. Might be, might not… At the end of the day though, this was Marvel. I'd rather have them by my side than them not existing, or being dead… Spider-Man doesn't have the power-set to fight against shit like Galactus, but he often came in handy. Not to mention, the kid's much smarter than I am.

« That brings its own potential for trouble though… »

In the stories, Peter Parker often didn't amount to much in his civilian life, despite his intellect and potential. Either because he was plagued by personal demons, external factors, or simply because he was kinda dumb. Still, I can't help but think whether that's not a good thing. The genius of Marvel… The Reed Richards, Victor Von Doom, Tony Stark, Otto Octavius, Norman Osborn and more… Their intelligence always create some of their greatest foes and/or threats. Or they simply turn evil… I'm looking at you, Mister 'Maker' !

I cross my finger as the thought crosses my mind. Let's pray that Peter doesn't succumb to the Dark Side… An edge lord Peter Parker… Bully Maguire ? I shake my head at the silly ideas and resume working on my notebook. The short fight with Cory raised a concern about people who could simply nullify whatever I can do with my ink in the moment. And I'm struggling to find a way to remedy this situation…

I continue to do so late into the night and into the morning where I find myself dozing off… And even waking up, saliva dribbling onto the paper.