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Marvel: King of The Swarm Chapter 19: Pilgrimage
🕑 Added 2025-06-03 16:10:21 +0000 UTCA homeless man in dirty clothes pushed a bent and warped shopping cart laden with plastic tarps down an old, long-dried. At the end of the canal was a large outlet pipe that like wise hadn't seen a drop of water since the turn of the century. Despite the seemingly uninteresting scene the homeless man kept looking over his should and up the slanted sides of the canal as if watching for peering eyes.
However in his caution the man missed the shadow that dropped out of the dark night sky and landed on his cart balancing effortlessly on the thin metal frame, "Whatcha doing?"
The homeless man let out a shout of surprise as he stumbled back nearly tripping over himself, "O-oh my god, y-you're her, you're Spidergirl!"
Gwen rolled her eyes as she jumped off the cart and landed in front of the man whose hands twitched clearly not liking being separated from his property, "It's Spiderwoman, but that doesn't matter. What matters is what you're doing here."
"D-doing, I'm not doing anything," The man stuttered but the shifty look in his eyes and the nervous sweat on his brow said otherwise.
"Then what's in the cart?" Gwen asked making the man freeze before he slowly shook his head, "N-nothing, j-just some stuff I've collected over the years, n-none of it is stolen!"
Gwen stared at the man hard, "Oh really? Then why is there blood dripping onto the ground?"
The man's face paled and he glanced around Gwen to stare at the scarlet drops falling onto the ground beneath the cart, "I-it's not what you think! I-I swear!"
"Really, because I've been keeping tabs on this place. People keep going in but they never come out. But maybe you can tell me what's really going on?" Gwen asked though by her posture it was clear that she wouldn't be taking no for an answer. It had been two week since the start of Fisk's hostile take over, and while things weren't as hot as the beginning there were still daily shoot outs that left Gwen scrambling. However she hadn't forgotten her other on going investigation, figuring out how and where thirty bodies had disspaered to without anyone noticing. At first there hadn't been any leads, and Gwen wondered if the culprits were biding their time when Yuri told her of a sudden increase in missing persons reports, and a sudden increase in vacancy in homeless shelters in the Bronx area which was a true anamoly.
After investigating Gwen had managed to narrow the scope of her search to a localized area after mapping out the last seen locations of those reported missing. A few nights of observation and Gwen caught wind of a supposed a portal to another world located in an abaonded canal. A rumor she waisted no time investigating while wondering about what was truly going on. Her money was on an underground cult performing blood sacrifices
The man glanced from Gwen to the cart to the storm drain, clearly dealing with warring thoughts before he let out a pained sigh, "If you've found this place, then you know about the stories."
Gwen nodded once as she waved her hand sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah the whole portal that supposedly leads to another world. Sounds suspect if you ask me."
The man grinned reavling a mouth of yellowed crooked teeth, "That's only part of it...it's not just a w-world but a Sanctuary, where all pain is replaced with pleasure, thanks to his radiance."
"His?" Gwen echoed.
The man nodded eagerly a frantic light igniting in his eyes, "The creator of Sanctuary, t-they call him Genesis, t-they say those who welcome his light are cleansed and allowed to enter his kingdom!"
'Well I was right about the cult part,' Gwen thought before she glanced back at the cart still dripping blood, "And what you're bringing him an offering?"
The man shook his head, "N-no, Genesis is a healer, I-I need his help, l-look."
Gwen stepped aside as the man walked over to the cart and pulled back the plastic covering to reveal a woman curled up in the fetal position clutching her side where blood welled up between her fingers.
"Oh my god what happened?" Gwen ask genuine concern in her voice as she went to reach down only for the man to slap her hand away.
"Don't touch her!" The man screamed as the frantic look in his eyes intensified, "She got hit by a stray bullet...the doctors took out the bullet and stitched her up...but she won't stop bleeding."
Gwen held up her hands trying to pacify the man, "I can take her back to the hospital, they can save her."
The man shook his head, "T-they won't, the bleeding is internal, and I-I don't have the money for surgery. Sanctuary is my only hope."
"Listen, what's your name?"
"Frank."
"Alright then, Frank, let me be honest with you, whatever the source of these rumors is, it's what you think it is. This Genesis character won't be able to heal her. B-but I know someone who might, I have a friend, a nurse, her name is Rio, she can probably help your friend-"
"No!" Frank shouted as he grabbed the shopping cart and started to pull it towards the storm drain, "I'm taking her to Sanctuary, and when we get there, we're going to live together in paradise for eternity!"
"There is no paradise, Frank," Gwen pleaded as she walked alongside the determined and delusional man, "You have to know that deep down!"
"I don't have any other choice!" Frank insisted as he kept walking, "It has to be true!"
Gwen looked from the man to the half-comatose woman in his shopping cart, who looked like she was getting paler by the second, "Alright, look, Frank, I can see that you mean well. So, how about we make a deal? I'll go with you to find Sanctuary, but if it doesn't exist, you let me take your friend to the hospital."
"You can tag along if you want, but Sanctuary is real, I just need to have Faith!" Frank insisted as he sped up, "And if I were you, I would change my tune, who knows what Genesis will do to nonbelievers."
---
"Frank...we need to go back," Gwen muttered, her arms outstretched as she carried Mary, Frank's wife, in her arms. They had long abandoned the cart for the sake of speed, but they had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes without any sign of the supposed Sanctuary or its creator.
"No if I go back now, I won't have the Faith needed to enter his Kingdom!" Frank insisted as he shuffled along ahead of Gwen, his eyes darting in every direction as if looking for a hidden sign.
Gwen's footsteps paused, and Frank turned around after a second to find her standing in place, "W-what are you doing?! W-we need to move, Mary doesn't have much time!"
"I know Frank, that's why I'm taking her to a hospital," Gwen replied calmly, but Frank's eyes still went wide, "N-no you can't! You'll kill her!"
"I'm sorry, Frank, but I can't let Mary in my arms," Gwen insisted as she took a step back, "I'll bring her back to you, I promise!"
"No, don't-" Frank screamed, only to be cut off by a flash of golden light that flooded down the storm drain, temporarily blinding Gwen and Frank.
"Who is bringing conflict to the doorstep of Sanctuary?"
A calm voice asked, and as the golden light receded, Frank and Gwen looked over to find a normally unassuming man standing in the storm drain wearing a plain white robe and holding a golden orb in his hand, which glowed softly, illuminating the pipe.
Frank's face lit up while Gwen's eyes widened beneath the mask, "Y-you said Sanctuary, a-are you him, are you Genesis! If so, please heal my wife!"
The man looked from Frank to Gwen who still hadn't moved from her spot, "I am not the savior, but I have felt his touch as have all of his followers. He can offer your Sanctuary."
The robed man then turned to look directly at Gwen, "He would also be interested in meeting you, Spiderwoman, even if you do not welcome his saving light."
Gwen didn't respond, too preoccupied with the fact that the man in front of her was invisible to her silk sense, 'It can't be a coincidence...there's no way.'
"Please follow me," The man invited as he turned around and walked back the way he came.
Frank didn't hesitate, yanking Mary from Gwen's arms before running after the mysterious man, leaving Gwen standing alone contemplating her options before she made up her mind and followed after both men, wondering what the hell she had stumbled into.
