Marvel : the Author

Hey guys ! Sorry about the missed update last week. Got injured, then lazy, then I started playing a game. Ghost wire : Tokyo. Add it in my library for a while and never played. Figured if it's a Bethsesda game, it had to be good… and, yeah ! It absolutely is ! It's set in modern Japan in… well, Tokyo, I guess ? They use Japanese myths about Youkai and spirits for the story. As for the gameplay, it's a fps with rpg features, kind of, but not exactly like Skyrim. You should try it, guys and gals !

Now, as usual, please leave a review, a comment or a few stones. And if you want to read ahead or discover some of the other things I write, visit my Patréon page and consider subscribing. You just have to search for Cathbel on their website.

Enjoy !

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For now, I'm safe enough… Sure, Octavius' heating up my cover enough that I have to cool it down every couple dozen of seconds. It still leaves me plenty of time to figure out how to accomplish one of two things…


Either prevent him from using his weapons, as well as that of any other preparations he stashed on the roof…

Or get him down in spitting distance. No pun intended.

Short of teleporting him to me, or opening a portal under his feet, I don't see how I can accomplish the latter. Problem is… I don't know the coordinates of where I am, much less Otto's.

Besides, I feel like it's the perfect occasion to test something… You see, until now, I've mostly been experimenting with my powers. First, I changed myself, then the ink… After that, the effect of the ink on an object, a person. And now… I wanted to affect an entire area. Like an array from a Chinese cultivation novel. I've already used it once, against Cory. It had been limited and later on, I realized that it was extremely flawed. No, not flawed exactly… Inefficient. Wasteful. That's how it felt anyways.

Since then however, I've been working on my code, the definitions of my symbols and how they interact together. Basically, the array I can make now are like a software made and used by one person versus one developed by an entire professional team, having gone through several beta test phases. Not finished, exactly as there always is something to tweak, kinks to iron out, dust to sweep. Still, it's miles better than what I used on Cory ! Better yet : it's supposed to work on much bigger areas, while also not impacting good guys or innocent bystanders.

There's one thing I'm wary of… But maybe it's just me being a scaredy cat.

Although I'm inwardly reasoning about what I'm going to do and why, my body's already started acting on it. Writings slither on the ground, circle around the building where Doctor Octopus stands on, words and symbols form in the air, traveling and arranging themselves. All this I see, the only one who can. Even when it all stills, creating an intricate pattern of geometric forms made out of letters and figures, and it lights up, the spectacle, as impressive as it is, only had one spectator !

I stand on my feet, making sure the wall behind me does not heat up anymore. Once I'm sure, I take a step… My consciousness is split and drawn toward a number of directions… People manifesting ill-intent : murderous rage or jealousy, premeditated violent acts like what Otto is… was doing. They all fall in the purview of this particular array. I briefly review them all before I pause at the one I'm interested and step forward.

Instantly, without feeling like I'm compressed on all side and being sucked through a straw, I find myself on the roof, a few feet away from Doc Ock… The man is lying face first down on the ground, the weapon discarded, his fingers interlocked over the back of his head. His tentacles are inert on either side of him. In addition, he is snoring, sleeping soundly.

I nod to myself, satisfied with the result. As I approach the man, I pause for a second to consider whether or not he is trying to fool me. It can be… Otto Octavius is, as mentioned, a genius. Not on the level of Tony Stark, Reed Richards or Vincent Von Doom, but then again, very few are. Could he have planned it all ? I shake my head and resume my advance, spit a glob of ink and shaping it into a solid set of restraints before I slap them on the guy.

Once that's done, I get back to the street with my prisoner in tow. I actually float him down in an anti-grav bubble on a sort of leash. The bubble, not Otto. And it's not an actual leash. More of a figure of speech. I mean, that there's always a set distance between the bubble and myself.

Back on the street, I go to find the Rhino. He's somewhat stopped squirming but if his glare's any indication, the man's not calling it quits just yet. Still, he's trapped and although I'm not sure how much time I took taking down Octavius, my steel trap doesn't seem to have the slightest dent. Guess Rhino still needs to get some momentum going for him to be unstoppable. Or… Am I confusing the villains, here ? He's kind of like the juggernaut : massive, almost unstoppable and kind of a one trick pony… The only difference I can think of at the moment is that… Rhino's got a horn.

With another spit and an exercise of will, Rhino falls asleep before he is extracted and restrained. His are much bulkier, made of sterner stuff.

As his unconscious body starts to float up, I glance aside, toward where I can guess my friends are still fighting.

« I wonder how they're doing… »

* * * * * *

Well. That's the answer to my question : they're doing well. In fact, by the time I join up with them, the other members of the Sinister 6 are similarly bound or put out of commission. Obviously, most are trapped in masses of webs, as if a gigantic and monstrous spiders had turned the area into its pantry…


I shudder at the image. Thankfully, the spider in question, while big, is friendly and neighborly ! I don't think he's vegan, though…

I shake my head both to dispel the disturbing image and get my thoughts back on track.

The only one I can't find is… Sandman. Well, he's the one guy Peter can't trap in his webs. Among these guys anyways.

« Where's Beachfront ? » I ask, my own prisoners trailing in the air behind me.

« Beachfront ? » Doreen echoes before she giggles once she understands. « Oh ! That's clever. 'Cause sands gets anywhere when you go to the beach, right ? »

I shake my head and tell her :

« If you have to explain it, it's not that funny. Anyways, where is he ? »

It's Peter who answers :

« We've… Watch out ! »

Despite his yell, I still find myself flung painfully to the side, my consciousness tittering on the brink…