Marvel: Cultured Reader System

We arrived at the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York at around six in the morning. Stepping through a portal conjured up by Wong, I realized that the place wasn't much different from the movies, but still surprisingly larger. After leaving our bags near the staircase, Wong headed up to the second floor, climbing the stairs that cut through the center of the main courtyard.  "I need to take care of the maintenance of some items in the collection. Feel free to explore... New York," he said, giving us a quiet look.

As we turned to leave, Wong's voice echoed through the room again. Descending a few steps, he said, "Wait!"

He had a discreet smile on his face. "I almost forgot, this is a gift from the Ancient One. You won't be able to survive in the modern world without it."

Holding out his hand, Wong handed us two cell phones.

"Fantastic Phones? Aren't they super expensive?" asked Illyana, examining the devices.

"You've served Kamar-Taj for years. That's cheap, considering the amount we put into your bank accounts," Wong concluded with a smile, turning to go up the stairs again.

We were grateful, even if I wasn't very excited about the idea of using a cell phone again. However, they were essential in this day and age. The Fantastic Phones had the Fantastic Four logo on the back and were identical to an iPhone. As I imagined, the most famous Steve in this reality was Rogers, not Jobs.

Opening the apps, I entered my bank account. My eyes couldn't believe what was in front of me 'This... This has got to be a lie! I've never seen so much money," I said in disbelief.

Illyana opened the door "You've worked for three years, non-stop, at Kamar-Taj. You shouldn't be so surprised"

Nodding my head, I agreed, "It makes sense... I didn't spend a dollar and I was working. I don't know, I thought monks weren't supposed to earn a salary"

Lya paused for a few moments, looking at me from outside the building "Well, I don't want to work at the Kamar-Taj and at Wendy's to pay the bills"

"So you guys have Wendy's but not Iphones?" I whispered, surprised.

That's it, now after three years stuck in a monastery, I'm finally free in a new world. But the truth was that this place was not so different from the image of New York that I had. The city was full of people of different nationalities. You could see helicopters going from one side to the other, that city seemed to be much busier than anywhere I'd ever been.

Every street in that city had a gigantic amount of life. "What's that?" said Illyana, in her extremely sexy Russian accent. Following the direction she was pointing, there was a person glued to the wall of a building.

Several people were taking pictures, while the policemen laughed at the situation. "He did it again? This guy is a genius of humor," said one of the policemen.

That was undoubtedly the traces of one of the services of my favorite hero, Spider-Man. However, for a girl who had spent years locked away in a dark dimension, that scene didn't seem to make much sense.

"Americans have a weird sense for art," she said, "Dante!" she said excitedly, pulling me by the arm.

Her strength was surprising, hurting my arm a little. But without question, I kept running with her. As she was in front of me, I didn't recognize what was happening, but soon the aroma of cheese reached my nose and bewitched my mind.

My mouth began to salivate as I felt a sensation of pleasure that I couldn't describe. All my senses were enveloped by what was probably one of the best wonders of this world.

We were in front of a pizzeria.

"Patriot's: America's Best Pizza" I said out loud, as I entered the building.

As soon as we walked through the door, the sound of a bell caught the attendant's attention. The place had a cozy atmosphere, there were lots of pictures and flags of Captain America. Among the tables, there was an American flag signed by Steve Rogers, next to which was a black and white photo of him and Buck.

"You're paying close attention to the decor, first time in New York?" said a kind man, who looked to be in his sixties.

Illyana and I nodded at almost the same time, "We're foreigners," she said.

He looked deep into my eyes, adjusting his glasses. "How strange... I feel like I've seen you before. Well, maybe it's just my mind trying to trick me again." He continued laughing, then walked over to the wood-burning stove a few meters behind the bench.

"I'll have two pieces of your most famous pizza," I said. 

Illyana sat down on one of the stools in front of the counter. "I want two pieces too"

...

The tasty cheese, the crunchy yet light dough. The combination of flavors between the wheat, the cheese and the tomato sauce. What I was feeling was nothing more than pure happiness in its essence. One bite after another, Illyana and I devoured that pizza with surprising speed.

The owner of the restaurant, even in his many years of work, had a frightened look in our direction. "How... How did you manage to eat so quickly?" he said in disbelief.

Passing the napkin across my mouth, I looked at him seriously. "That was the best meal I've had in six years, thank you very much," I said, as tears streamed down my face.

Illyana ran her hand down my back, her gentle touch comforting me as I held back from crying even more. The room was lit by a soft glow, and the smell of freshly baked pizzas filled the air, making the atmosphere warm and welcoming. When I got up to pay, my heart raced when I saw the total amount.

We had eaten seven whole pizzas, and the total of 135 dollars took me by surprise. At first, I hesitated, but soon realized that, for me, that price was insignificant. I'd pay up to three times for that meal if I had to. 

The combination of flavors was unparalleled, and even with all my powerful spells, nothing compared to the experience of savoring the crispy, perfectly baked dough of a pizza that had just come out of the oven. Each bite was an explosion of flavors, with fresh ingredients that danced on the tongue, making everything else fade into the background.

...

[ To be Continued in MCRS #09 ]

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