Dr Curt Connors lay sprawled across the rooftop, his reptilian features shedding like dead skin. The transformation was painful, slow. As he gasped for breath, his frail human body shivered against the cold metal surface.
Soren sighed, watching from a distance. Another poor soul ruined by ambition…
But his focus shifted. The real problem was happening below.
"Captain! Captain!"
Spider-Man's voice was hoarse, panicked. Blood soaked through his tattered suit, dripping onto the rooftop, but he barely noticed. His focus was on the dying man in his arms… George Stacy.
The police captain's breathing was shallow, his chest rising and falling in ragged spurts. Blood seeped through his uniform, faintly pooling beneath him.
"Captain! Stay with me!" Peter pleaded. His voice cracked. "Come on, you're Gwen's dad! You can't~"
George's eyes fluttered, barely open. His lips moved, but his words were weak.
"…Lizard…"
"It's over! We stopped him! You're gonna be fine… I need to get you to a hospital!"
But the light in George's eyes was already dimming. His body trembled as the last threads of consciousness unraveled. The only thing keeping him alive was his iron will, his duty. And now that he knew the Lizard had been stopped, that duty was fulfilled.
His body went limp.
"No… No, no, no! Stay awake!" Peter shook him, his voice rising in desperation. "Please, Sir! I can't~"
"He's dying. But I can save him."
Peter slowly, he turned his head.
A figure stood behind him, illuminated by the city lights. He wasn't dressed like a doctor, more like a traveler, his coat billowing slightly in the wind. He had a warm, easy smile, but something about him radiated.
"My name is Soren Macaluso." The man said. "I'm the doctor."
Peter's heart pounded. "A… doctor?"
Soren knelt beside George's unmoving body. "He's not dead yet, but he will be in the next few minutes. If you want to save him, let him come with me."
Peter hesitated. He didn't know this guy. He didn't trust him. But something deep in his gut told him~
This man wasn't lying.
"Let me take him." Soren extended his hands.
Peter clenched his teeth. His mind raced, debating, analyzing… and then he looked down at George's lifeless face.
His future father-in-law. His hands trembled. He bit his lip, squeezed his eyes shut, then nodded.
"Please… save him." Peter whispered, carefully handing George over.
Soren gave him a reassuring nod and passed him the address.
"I'll see you at the hospital."
Soren disappeared with his patient.
Soren materialized inside his lit medical hall. This was his domain. This was where he could bend the rules of life and death.
He placed George onto the medical table. Blood dripped from the officer's wounds, staining the white sheets. His heartbeat was faint, uneven.
Soren inhaled deeply and pressed his palms over George's chest. A radiant golden energy surged from his hands.
The air crackled with power. Life force flowed from Soren's body into George's shattered organs, knitting them back together piece by piece. The torn spleen regenerated. The ruptured kidneys healed. The punctured stomach sealed itself shut.
He gritted his teeth.
"Come on, old man. Fight."
Minutes passed like hours. The room felt heavy with still silence.
And~
A heartbeat.
Then another.
And another.
George Stacy gasped sharply, his body jerking as his lungs filled with air. Soren exhaled. He's stable. Just in time, too...
Because at that moment, the door burst open.
"Doctor!"
A blood-streaked Peter Parker stumbled in, his mask gone, his identity exposed. He was breathing heavily, his eyes filled with desperate hope.
Peter slammed the door shut.
Then, without hesitation, he rushed to George's side. "Is he..."
"He'll live." Soren leaned back, wiping sweat from his brow. "But he'll need rest."
Peter's legs nearly gave out. He gripped the edge of the table, his entire body sagging with relief.
"Thank God…" His voice broke. For the moment, he just stood there, staring at George's steady breathing.
Then he looked up at Soren.
"…Who are you?"
"A simple doctor."
Peter crossed his arms. "Yeah, no kidding. But how did you~"
"It's complicated." Soren said, stretching. "And I'd rather not waste time explaining."
"That's not how this works. You don't just show up out of nowhere, save my future father-in-law, and then expect me to just..."
Soren ignored him and glanced at the notification from his system:
[Congratulations to the host for treating the world's E-class character, Captain George]
[This World - Class E]
[Abilities: Management Lv3, Investigation Lv5, Firearms Proficiency Lv 4]
[Random Draw Ability: Congratulations! You have obtained Management Lv3.]
He nodded to himself. Management Lv3?
With the treatment completed, Soren could sense that Captain George's body had fully recovered. The years of hidden injuries plaguing him were gone, thanks to the infusion of life energy.
Standing nearby, having calmed down, Spider-Man shifted nervously. "Doctor, how is Captain George?" His voice carried a note of concern as he glanced between the unconscious officer and Soren.
"He's fine. Should wake up soon." He turned toward Spider-Man, taking in the faint traces of blood oozing from the hero's torn suit. "You should let me treat you too."
Spider-Man hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nah, you've already done enough. Besides…" He chuckled sheepishly. "I don't exactly have a way to pay you a consultation fee."
Soren shook his head dismissively. This guy… "Don't worry about it. I'm a doctor first and foremost. It's free this time."
Before Peter could protest, Soren raised his hand, and a soft green glow enveloped the hero. Almost instantly, his wounds began to close, scabbing over before vanishing completely. A wave of renewed energy surged through his body, leaving him feeling refreshed.
Peter let out a slow breath. "Whoa…" He flexed his fingers, the dull aches and pains from his battle with Dr. Connors completely gone. "That… that was amazing."
[Congratulations to the host for healing C+ level character: Spider-Man (Peter Parker)]
[This World - Class C+]
[Abilities: Web Weaving Lv8, Enhanced Reflexes Lv7, Biochemistry Lv4]
[Random Draw Ability: Congratulations! You have obtained Enhanced Reflexes Lv7.]
Soren exhaled in relief. Thank God I didn't get web-weaving abilities… that would've been awkward.
"Seriously, thank you so much, doc! This is crazy." Peter beamed at him.
Soren chuckled and pulled a sleek, metallic business card from his pocket. "Here. My business card." He handed it over. "Crush it whenever you need treatment. No matter where you are, you'll be teleported straight to my clinic."
Peter took the card, inspecting it with curiosity. "Wait… really?"
"All my business card holders are considered friends." Soren added with a smile. "That means discounts and credit services on treatments."
"I like you already." Peter whistled.
Before their conversation could continue, a groggy voice broke through the air.
"Ugh…" Captain George stirred, blinking his eyes open. His gaze darted around the room, landing on Peter. "Parker? Where the hell am I?"
Peter scratched his head. "Uh… long story, Captain."
Soren folded his arms. "You just had a run-in with fate, Captain George. Welcome back."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Fellow Phantoms and aspiring Phantoms to be, if you seek to access advanced parts of this story procced to my shadowy realm of p@treon.
PhantomDream