Chapter 27: Chapter 27- Puzzling Dilemma
POV- Peter Parker
It's been peaceful since Nathan left on his, 'don't call me because I won't pick up,' holiday, and by that, I meant I wasn't feeling obligated to train every day alongside him. I'd celebrated with my friends, though based on the blush on Kate's face and the way Jess hobbled the morning after our shared one, the festivities were significantly less…climactic. The morning after a night sleeping beside Liz was when my rest period ended, and suddenly at that.
Moving some of the presents and cards off the desk in my room, I notice the gift that was Nathan's second present. He'd said not to read it until after my party, and to be completely honest, I'd forgotten about it, too distracted by Ned's jokes, MJ's sarcastic comments and Liz's lips. Picking it up as I set down my coffee, I look at the neat handwriting, recognising it to be a note rather than a card. 'At least I can read it, if Ned had written this it would be scrawl.'
"I am a bird, who circles its prey.
A scavenging prick makes money all day.
Hidden by a mask, from ALL but my wake.
Tombs are made for my family's sake.
Who am I?
This is the only hint I'm giving you, everything you need is in there. And if you don't capture him by the 18th, I'll just go kill the guy."
'A puzzle of sorts?' "What kind of asshole sends someone a riddle as a gift," I mutter to myself, calmed only by the incredible motorbike that he'd given as the first gift. 'At least he's not a COMPLETE monster.'
The first line was simple, telling me that the note was referring to the Vulture, who, based on the last sentence, had only a week or so to live before Nathan hunted him. I hated literature and loved puzzles, which made riddles a kind of love-hate relationship, and pulling out some scrap paper for note-taking, I set to breaking it down line by line, the coffees I'd made for both myself and Liz long forgotten on the desk.
It wasn't until Liz kissed my cheek that I realised she'd even woken up, far too distracted by the puzzle. I knew it was important afterall, and held the identity of the bastard that's been keeping me busy so often at night I couldn't spend time with Liz. 'Cockblocked by a birdman. Nate would never let me hear the end of it.' I'd figured out the third line, which implied no one but his fellow 'vultures,' knew of his identity as the weapons dealer, but there was something in both the second and fourth lines that made me think I was missing something. 'After all, there's nothing to be learned from knowing he's killing for his family's sake, without knowing who his family is.'
"What's this, Pete?" My stunning girlfriend asks, equally as fascinated by the puzzle as I am.
'I obviously can't tell her it's a puzzle that reveals the identity of a supervillain, but I could really use the help.' "It's a riddle from a game that I'm stuck on, I feel like I'm missing something." Her long, delicate fingers take the riddle, her head flicking between the puzzle and my embarrassingly small list of notes. 'At least he's not a public name yet, hiding from pretty much everyone except the Avengers and Vought.'
"Well, whoever you're playing with is kinda rude don't you think? Is it one of those RPG games Ned was talking about yesterday?" She asked, and I nodded instantly, praying that she views it as nothing more. "If it's one of those loot-based ones I've seen him play, maybe that second line refers to that. I've heard Ned call someone a loot thief or vulture before because they were scavenging the loot items after a big fight."
"Hrmm, maybe." 'I obviously couldn't explain that I was looking for someone in reality rather than a screen, but added it to my notes to search up later. Maybe that's how they got the Chitauri tech in the first place, scavenging from the battle like vultures.' I was now almost certain I was on the right track and with an excited jump, pulled Liz into a deep kiss. "You have NO idea how helpful that was babe. I'll go make you a cof-"Looking down at the desk and towards the two full, but very cold cups of coffee, I adjust my offer. "Another cup of coffee." Searching on my phone for the group that took over the cleanup of the Chitauri invasion, the 'Damage Control,' who were essentially government-hired janitors and city management team that deals with rebuilding after damaging confrontations and removing the wreckage from fights. 'There's something off about them though, not that they're evil, but they are focused on rebuilding, rather than looting the scraps…SCRAPS! Goddam it I'm a genius." Bursting into an excited happy dance as I continued making Liz her coffee, I couldn't stop myself from grinning like a lunatic. 'The vulture was one of the junk scrappers, who must have seen the tech and seen opportunity.' "At the very least it gives me somewhere to start." Sending a message to Vision, who was genuinely one of the nicest people ever, to build a list of the teams of junk scrappers and scrapper crews working in NYC at the time of the invasion, I duck back up to my room with the cups and the sudden urge to kiss Liz again for the hint.
POV- Nathan Cross
Waking up refreshed after possibly the most violent consensual sex ever performed, I pull on a morning robe and step out onto the balcony, leaving Ophelia's still bloodied, but healed body curled up beneath the covers. It had involved knives, whips and a gentle touch, but after watching some movies together and doing some sparring, the two of us enjoyed my last night of freedom.
A soft swirling sound emanated from beside me, revealing as I turn the Ancient One, dressed as she usually is, with that near permanently etched confident smile on her face. "Good morning, Nathan."
"Last time it was Mr Cross and now it's just Nathan? Were you waiting for me to wake up to come see me, or is it just a happy little coincidence?" I ask, though there was little effort made to hide my annoyance at being forced to socialise this early in the day.
"I was waiting. This is your first day 'back at work,' as they say." Another tired sigh slipped from me as I realised it was obviously of at least some level of importance. "And since it was our third meeting, I believed we were on friendlier terms," she said completely carefree, as if she was going to ignore any complaints made regardless.
"I would offer you a coffee, but I know you don't drink it. 'Not that I would make you one anyway since I'm not the host of the house. Just master of the host,' I mentally snorted in amusement.
"That's fine, we can stay out here," she says and with a wave of her hand two cups of steaming hot drinks rest on the outdoor table that was positioned in the warm glow of the morning sun. "I've come to discuss my decision."
Taking a sip of the incredibly average-tasting coffee, I look up from over my cup. "That's…not telling me much. I don't remember the specifics of what we talked about after all."
"We discussed my death, and the coming world-threatening forces that would seek to invade should I and Odin perish."
"Ragnarok is coming, that much is certain," I counter. "And based on your appearance here, Kaecillius is still looking for power where he shouldn't."
Exhaling deeply as she looks over the balcony and towards the street below, she replies gently, as if afraid the volume of her words would ruin the image. "Yes. Despite my efforts to be more proactive, he remains bound for ruin." I didn't have a perfect memory of the films, but I had a feeling she felt little more than guilt and pity for the man.
"The same ruin as you," I mutter, eyes flashing to her brow, leaving no room to doubt what I was referring to. "Servitude."
"Yet again, your knowledge is surprising. Yes. They wish to bind themselves to another dimension in the hope of power and immortality, ignoring the blatantly obvious consequences."
"But that doesn't answer WHY you're here," I said in a low tone. 'Obviously, it has something to do with her decision on whether to live or not, but I truly couldn't bring myself to care if she did or not. Either she dies and canon continues, or she lives, hidden away, and I make sure to profit from having a super-powerful sorcerer alive and on Earth.'
The Ancient One took a small sip of her tea, then paused, as if about to say something before taking another sip. "I thought over your idea to live, to hide away for a while to face the later threats, but I worry of the effect of such changes on the future. I won't be accepting your offer Mr Cross, so when Dormammu is brought to Earth, I will die, as I am expected to." 'Well then, what the fuck was the point in telling you any of this you stupid old bat? If you were just going to needlessly kill yourself anyway to 'protect the balance,' you could have just said that.'
"Looking at me with an accusatory glare isn't the most subtle, Mr Cross."
Almost growling in annoyance my voice sounds out in reply, "Wasn't trying to be. You are one of, if not THE most powerful person currently on earth, but in order to protect your stupid fucking timeline, which will be ruined eventually anyway, you are killing yourself."
"It would be more accurate to say I am letting myself finally die…but yes." 'If I was capable enough, I'd fucking kill you now just for annoying me so damn much.' "Regardless, we should discuss the favour you owe me." To be honest, I had been dreading the looming debt, but the possibility of enticing her to survive past Dormmamu had been too much to resist.
"And WHAT does the very soon-to-be dead sorceress want from a rather insignificant person like me with no magic?"
The Ancient One let out a small sigh, finally showing signs of her frustration and appearing human rather than her usual, holier-than-thou persona. " I can understand your frustrations, truly. However, I need you to swear that you will avoid killing the innocent. I've seen the monster you could have become had you succumbed to your desires and as you grow stronger, the more dangerous you will become. Swear a magic oath as your favour to me."
"Umm…no?" She looked at me with a high level of concern, but I quickly realised she misunderstood me. "I don't mean I'll go hunting down innocents or anything, but if push came to shove, like if I was literally starving to death, or if some random person had a power I needed to save those I care about, I'm going to rip into them like chicken wings." 'I'm a monster, but I have standards. Low standards, but they're there.'
The Ancient One stared at me for a while, probably contemplating the risk I posed and the value of my words. 'Or she's a robot doing a scan,' I joked privately. "That…is fair. Can you at least promise not to eradicate the human population of Earth?"
"So long as I and those close to me can be accepted, you have my word." 'For whatever that's worth."
"Good enough," she sighs, and a bright orange spell circle forms above us, shrinking into a small tattoo-like branding around my left wrist, shaped like a woven chain bracelet, with a small serpentine monster swimming around the chain, seemingly alive, though it remained around the tattooed chain. "I hope you don't mind the design. I assumed you would prefer this to a literal magic symbol for a promise." While not entirely pleased with the idea of having been branded with a chain, 'reminding me,' of my new oath, I had to admit the tattoo was cool, and, so long as I wore a watch in public…hidden. Nodding my head in reluctant acceptance, she smiles for the first time since the conversation began. "In exchange for the contract, I offer a gift. I know that you fear consuming enhanced individuals due to the unfortunate side effects they may carry, and so I enchanted," she says pulling out a fancy-looking, if somewhat sinister fountain pen, "this." I so wanted to take it and recite possibly the only good quote from an otherwise painfully bad movie, but I assumed she wouldn't get the reference. "Simply get some of their blood into the pen, and hold it over a sheet of paper, or anything you could write on really, and it will describe the ability and any side effects they have on their user. You are strong. Of that, there is no doubt, but if what you said is true, then you will need to grow stronger if you wish to challenge fate. Thanking her for the gift, I also thank the gods for the fact I wouldn't need to actually USE the pen. 'I'm 17, not 120, I don't know how to write with a fountain pen. A quill, I kind of understand, but a fountain pen just seems like a mess waiting to happen.'
"Will we meet again, or is this your goodbye?"
Turning her head back to me as she passed through the portal, she gives a warm, yet somehow teasing smile, "Missing me already, oh great Leviathan? This is the last we shall meet, but I sincerely wish you well little monster." With that the portal closed, leaving me still standing on the balcony dressed in nothing but a dressing gown and a small smile, wondering if I had actually come to somewhat enjoy the quirky eccentricity of the ancient sorceress. 'Whatever. I'll go make Ophelia some breakfast before I leave.'
POV- Peter Parker
Looking beside me at my sleeping girlfriend I was conflicted. I know she had no clue about her father based on the riddle, but when it finally clicked in my head a few minutes ago, I almost had a panic attack about the identity of the vulture. 'Liz's dad is the Vulture. And I have to arrest him or find evidence of him being the vulture at least. Maybe I can just get the evidence and hand it to the police?' I knew I was only lying to myself, putting off the inevitable. I was going to have to arrest my girlfriend's dad, and eventually, when I tell her my secret, she would hate me. 'I've got about four days before Nathan will kill him, something that CAN'T happen.' Placing a soft kiss to her forehead, I get changed and climb out the window, a small note describing an emergency at my internship. 'I'm so sorry Liz.'
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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