Using what remained of the city's shadows, Peter swung toward home.
As he turned right, he noticed a small swarm of cockroaches moving in one direction. He would not normally consider that worth investigating, but they were all moving in perfect synchronization toward a single destination.
Changing course, he followed the swarm to an abandoned school.
Strange. I do not recall any cockroach-themed activity in this area, he thought as the insects disappeared through a hole in the wall.
Using only minimal force, he broke the door open and followed the cockroaches down the school corridor. After turning several corners and opening a few doors, he reached the basketball court.
Its windows had been covered, and paintings and pictures decorated nearly every surface, accompanied by stains of every color imaginable.
He took a few steps forward and saw the cockroaches gathering in one spot, directly beneath a woman painting on the wall.
"Miss. I do not know what you are painting, but I recommend you stop now."
He walked toward her.
She did not respond.
"Miss."
Now standing beside her, he noticed that her eyes were completely white, dark circles surrounded them, and her skin was as pale as a corpse.
He stared at her for a long moment.
"Damn it. I really am insane."
Then he turned to face whatever had possessed her.
"I am addressing the entity inside this body. Who are you? Tell me your name."
The woman finally turned to look at him.
"Listen to my words!"
He placed one hand on her forehead and the other against her stomach.
An instant later, she was hurled backward and began floating through the air, smashing everything in her path with what appeared to be telekinetic force or violent pressure waves.
"In the name of the Creator, I command you to leave this place! By the blood of man, stop and go!"
He traced the shape of a cross with his hands.
The woman instantly stopped moving and remained suspended in the middle of the court.
She reached toward him.
He reached back, grabbed both of her shoulders, and slammed her onto the floor, pinning her beneath him.
As she thrashed violently, her nails tore through his suit like paper, carving five deep gashes across his chest.
He placed one hand against her forehead, pinned one shoulder with the other, and trapped both of her legs beneath his own so she could not lash out again.
"Ab insidiis diaboli! Libera nos, Domine!"
The moment the final words left his mouth, the woman expelled a mouthful of crimson saliva, splattering his mask.
The last intact object shattered.
He remained over her, shielding her face from the rain of falling glass.
The woman took a deep breath before slowly sitting up, trembling as she looked around the court covered in red paint.
When she noticed him, she shuddered but managed to ask a question.
"What happened?"
"Do not worry, darling. It is paint."
The woman relaxed slightly.
"A spirit entered your body. Which one, I am not certain."
"That?"
He followed her gaze to the wall.
The cockroaches scattered in every direction, fully revealing the mural she had been painting.
"Lord Satannish."
"Correction."
He studied it for another second.
"Now I probably know who it was."
"Who?"
"Someone dangerous, love. I will have to visit a friend if I want more answers, but you are my priority right now. Come on. Let me help you."
He helped her to her feet, and together they slowly walked out of the court.
....
Inside the room, the only sound was the Ancient One gently fanning herself, while Mordo remained completely still, his eyes wide after witnessing a flawless exorcism performed without harming the possessed woman.
That was something that rarely happened.
If a demon refused to surrender its host willingly, the outcome often ended badly.
Yet despite exactly that occurring, the woman appeared to be in perfect condition.
"What?" Mordo finally said.
"Let us just say I gave him the tools, and he figured out how to use them. Someone prodigiously gifted in the mystic arts."
"Prodigious? What he just accomplished goes beyond prodigious. It is as though he..."
"Was born for the mystic arts," the Ancient One finished with a knowing smile.
"This is dangerous. We have to..."
"If he were truly a danger, the situation would already have resolved itself," she replied.
Mordo fell silent.
"Go. Tell the others there is no threat. The situation has already been resolved by an external agent."
Mordo gave a stiff nod before leaving the room, leaving the Ancient One alone.
She returned her attention to the projection and replayed the recording several more times.
If you continue at this pace, Peter, choosing the next Sorcerer Supreme will become considerably more difficult.
....
Back inside the cave, Peter disinfected the wound and examined it.
Five parallel cuts.
Little by little, they began to close, leaving only faint traces behind.
Sighing, he finished changing into something considerably more comfortable.
When he rode the elevator up to the dining room, he was immediately greeted by hugs from the girls and his children.
Seeing Cortana silently asking for an explanation, she simply pointed at the clock.
Only then did he realize that four days had passed since he had left.
He immediately understood the reason for the hugs, making him sigh as he silently cursed the One Above All for not freezing time in his own universe this time.
Before anyone could speak, he gently stopped them, sat down on the sofa, and stretched out with a weary sigh.
Yuri climbed onto him, then touched the wound.
A faint stain of blood spread across his shirt.
Without hesitation, she tore the fabric open and exposed the bandages covering his chest.
She looked at him with an expression that demanded an explanation.
"Before you ask, this did not happen just now. A woman possessed by a demon, or some other entity, managed to injure me, forcing me to perform an exorcism to save her life."
"Exorcism?" Cortana asked.
"Demon?" Susan echoed.
"Possession?" May added.
All of them stared at him as though he had somehow become even crazier than usual.
"This is going to be a long explanation."
He sighed.
"See you later."
He winked at an apparently empty wall or on ....us.
....
"Why am I so proud of Spidey right now? Do you know?" Wade asked, staring directly at the wall. "Do not worry. I will figure it out soon. See you later, readers."
"Mr. Wilson, we are almost there," a voice said.
"Oh. Thank you, Dopinder."
"You are welcome."