MARVEL: CARD EXTRACTION SYSTEM

[Does the user wish to equip the skill card "Blood Manipulation (from Jujutsu Kaisen)"?]

After hesitating for a few seconds, I confirmed it. At first, when the power of this skill card began to take effect, I felt the strangest sensation of my life so far, more like traveling to another universe. It felt like something was flowing through me and around me at the same time. The sensation was similar to a tingling sensation, but it wasn't.

When I looked at the blood flowing down the tip of my right index finger, I felt that this was somehow a part of me, and better yet, I could control it.

"Let's see if this is what it looks like." I said to myself and raised my right hand.

With a thought, I tried to command the blood flowing from the cut. At first I couldn't and I didn't see it move, but after a few seconds of concentrating on it, I saw the blood slowly making its way back into me.

"This is working… I'm getting better."

The feeling of control was as if I was directing an invisible current through my body.

As the blood returned to my body, I made sure to turn my hand over and look at my finger from different angles. With the confidence that I really could control my blood as I wished, it was time to try something new. So I extended my arm forward and pointed my index finger, literally making a gun signal.

"Let's see if I can turn my hand into a gun."

It would be great if I could shoot my blood at breakneck speed, so I would never have to carry anything to protect myself.

This time, I closed my eyes and began to imagine my blood coming out of my finger in a rapid burst. I could feel the blood coming out, but it wasn't what I wanted. Only one large drop jumped out and fell miserably to the ground inches in front of me.

"That wasn't how I imagined it." I said as I watched my blood spread evenly across the wooden floor.

My control of this skill was clearly still in its infancy and I needed more practice.

"Maybe I should use the Omniversal Anime Travel Ticket and go to the Jujutsu Kaisen universe. This power originated from there, so the best place to master this power is surely in the world it originated from." I thought aloud as I walked to the kitchen to get a damp cloth to clean the floor. After all, I didn't want to ingest the blood that fell on the floor.

When I reached the kitchen, however, I felt a sudden weakness that quickly brought me to my knees. For the first few moments, I thought I was going to have another one of those memory recovery sessions, but I just felt so much, like my world was spinning and nothing else was happening.

'I must be a little dehydrated...'

Suddenly, the dizziness got worse and my vision went black.

[You've used too much cursed energy, and you're exhausted. You will pass out in 3... 2...]

I don't even remember the last second of the countdown because I passed out right there on the kitchen floor.

Hours later...

I woke up to the insistent sound of someone knocking on my apartment door.

*Knock, knock!...*

At first it was normal, but soon the knocking became impatient.

*Knock! KNOCK!

My head throbbed and hurt a little, which made me slowly open my eyes and finally stand up, using the kitchen counter for support.

The apartment was semi-clear, and considering that everything was orange, it was already late afternoon.

"Who could that be...?" I muttered when the knocking at my door didn't stop.

When I reached the door, I remembered that I should check who was on the other side before opening it. I put my eye to the peephole and saw, a little blurred, the figure of a slender young girl with long white hair tied up in a ponytail. She looked to be about twenty years old and was walking around.

'Okay, whoever she is, at least she's not a brute,' I thought as I straightened up and opened the door.

"You can't just leave trash in the hall like that! Just because this building is old doesn't mean you have to act like a pig!" the girl shouted in annoyance, pointing at the black bags in front of my apartment door.

I blinked, a little confused. "Okay, I'm sorry. I just put the garbage here for a minute. I was cleaning up my apartment," I explained, my voice still heavy with sleep.

The young woman crossed her arms, took a deep breath, and seemed to calm down. "I left a few hours ago, and I'd already seen this garbage in the hallway. It's still there now that I'm back."

As the girl spoke, I frowned and looked directly at her, trying to remember where I recognized her from. When I realized that I might have been staring too long, I lowered my head.

"I dozed off a bit after the cleaning. I was tired. I was going to take out the garbage as soon as I felt better."

"Look, honestly, it's no big deal. I'm just warning you because the landlord is a very annoying old man and he might impose a fine if the garbage stays here. Where are your parents?" She asked, apparently meaning that it wasn't just my responsibility not to leave things here.

"Oh, I live alone."

She frowned, and I could tell she was taking a closer look at the situation. "Well, I understand how it is. Living alone can be tiring."

I smiled to reassure her. "Yes, that's true. Life here has been a bit... challenging. My name is Lucas Hayes, by the way. Are you a neighbor?"

"Yes. I live in apartment 17 on the fifth floor. My name is Felicia."

I shook her hand. "Lucas. Lucas Hayes. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. Anyway, Hayes, don't leave the trash in the hallway, okay? Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to my apartment. It's been a long day."

As the girl walked up the wooden stairs, I walked down with the bags of garbage. The building was the same as always, a small building in the suburbs of the Bronx.

As soon as I entered my apartment, I had an epiphany that made me finally connect this girl's face and features with her name. My eyebrows went up.

There weren't many girls with white hair who were also named Felicia. So, even though I was still a little slow and sleepy, I realized that my neighbor was Felicia Hardy, also known as the Black Cat in the Marvel Universes.

"It can't be... My first comic book crush is my neighbor..." An incredulous and delighted smile appeared on my face.

For many boys my age, their first comic book crush was either Mary Jane or Wonder Woman, but mine was Black Cat, because the first comic I read was by a classmate, and that comic was Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1.

"Okay, now things are starting to get VERY interesting in this building."

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