A decent workout.

Meanwhile at the University of New York…

Stepping out of the symposium and shaking hands with several scientists and researchers, Reed Richards smiled back as he made his way out to get something to eat and drink during the break in between speeches. Heading his way to the cafeteria, the man picked what to have for a meal and pulled himself up to a two-person table in the open area. Patting down his suit, Reed unclasped the plastic container of his tuna sandwich with swiss cheese and made to take a bight when a flash of light briefly blinded him and the spectral form of Doctor Strange appeared in the adjacent seat in front of him. Startling the crowd of students and professors taking the time to eat, only to find a non-corporeal man in red and green robes siting with one of their tenured teachers.

“Ah, Doctor Stephen Strange, how has your research been coming along?”

Resting his arms on the table and sitting back, the astral projection of the sorcerer supreme took on a serious face and closed his eyes. “Greetings Doctor Reed Richards, I have spent three days combing through the nether realms of the great north, the lands of the ancient spirits that dwells behind the veil of the living, the primordial realms from which the spirits dwell and flourish outside the purview of mortal eyes. From there I sought the cause of the curse, its creator; Tanaraq the great beast.”

“And…?” Reed asked tilting his head in rapt attention.

“Nothing” Sighing, the man opened his eyes and rested his head in the palm of his gloved hand in a look of frustration, plucking a small tablet of butter spread off of Reed’s tray and rolling it back and forth across the table. “A being like him would shine like a star in the night, I’ve not seen a candle’s worth of a flicker of him.”

“Well, my research was equally inconclusive.” Replied Reed, cracking open a bottle of water and taking a sip. “The samples provided by SHIELD have only shown me that the subject is human, but that’s about it… At least I found out our Wendigo’s name; Richard Smith.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I had to check news clippings and it turns out he was the initial start of the wendigo outbreak, the one who killed his co-worker and dumped his body in the ground beef meat processer.”

Hearing everyone in earshot suddenly spit out their food, or **** themselves to gag, Reed looked around and stood from his seat with his arms out. “It happened in Canada folks, not here!” Seeing everyone calm down, Reed returned to his seat to join Strange.

Scratching his goatee, Doctor Strange mulled over that information. “Interesting, perhaps THAT is why he remains as the wendigo, a punishment for such an atrocity…”

“I swear, magic is a topic I have NO hand in, how has it come so easily to you Stephen?”

“Magic is about what could ‘be’ in a world that ‘is’ Doctor Richards, imagination made manifest so long as one can tap into that which makes dreams reality.”

“Right… I am extremely comfortable with what ‘is’ Doctor Strange, unless you have something that can predict future events.”

“I have a magic 8 ball that tells the future.”

“Is it accurate?”

“It is!... If you shake it two or three times.”

*

Stepping out of the change room of the gymnasium Greer had encouraged Susan to join, the woman tugged at her nylon work-out clothes she purchased at the front desk while Tigra brought her son to the daycare in the same building. Holding herself close, the woman could still feel her stomach growl, something that was annoying her after eating three hamburgers all to herself. She did not know what was causing her sudden appetite, but she did know that if she did nothing about it, she would end up with thunder thighs in no time.

“Hi Suzie, I’m back, cute number.” Called out Greer, wearing black bike shorts and a tube top she changed into after dropping off her son, the tiger woman smirked as Susan hugged herself and looked out onto the gymnasium. “So, what do you want to try out first?”

Feeling a little overwhelmed by the facility, Susan began to stroll through the large space, finding rooms for yoga, calisthenics, a row of treadmills and bicycles, she did not know what to try out really. “How about… There.” Stepping through the weight training area, the two women garnered some attention from the local body builders until they came to the far corner where there was a boxing ring and fight training equipment. Looking up she watched as two men in gear sparred against each other while a spotter stood just outside of the ring to make sure things did not get serious. Nearby she could see others practice strikes and work on their swings. Looking at a man gather his tower and take a swig from his water bottle, he walked away from the punching bag now left open for anyone else to try. “How about that Greer?”

Moving up to the punching bag, Greer smiled a toothy grin and lolled her head and rolled her shoulders to loosen up. “So, you want to throw a few punches huh? Blow off some steam?” She asked, taking a few punches to the sand filled bag and listening to the satisfying rattle of its chain tether from the ceiling.

“Just trying to distract myself from this damn ache in my stomach.”

“Well if you want to work off eating a pound of ground beef, then girl, this is the way to do it.” Managing to pull a spare pair of fighting gloves from her bag, Greer helped Susan put them on and showed her where to stand on the mat, seeing the blonde bring her fists up, Greer stood back and brought her arm up. “Ready? Begin!”

The moment Tigra’s arm came down, Susan instantly began peppering the punching bag with swift jabs and punches, her fist bumping against the leather surface with all her might. Right hooks, left hooks, sharp jabs, she kept herself focussed on hitting the sandbag in front of her, her eyes narrowing as got into the routine. Then she felt something, a rush flow through her as her punches grew in speed and intensity. Every swing she felt something new, her mind wandering off as her imagination took over, daydreaming. Images of her taking swipes at an opponent that dodged and dove out of her strikes filled her mind’s eye, driving her to fight harder. Breathing hard she could feel her heart pound in her ears while the leather yielded to her fists, her punches growing in strength and intensity, so much so the chain tethering it protested with each blow.

“Uhm… Suzie, heh, getting a little carried away there!”

Susan did not hear a word Greer told her, so engrossed in her work out, her hunt, nothing else mattered to her right now. Sneering her lips, her teeth bared and grit while her punches became far more than practice swings. Her prey was almost down, struggling against her strikes yet still had not fallen. The gnawing ache in her stomach, the pounding in her chest and the booming in her ears drove her on, a singular drive to bringing the killing blow to her prey. By now she was no longer striking with clenched fists but with the palms of her hand, her fingernails cutting the leather with each palm strike that almost looked like the mauling blow of a bear or lion.

“Uhm… Mrs. Storm?”

Growling under her breath, Susan gave a final strike into the heart of the sand bag, practically roaring out loud and gaining the attention of the entire gym when her palm hit the surface and struck the punching bag with so much **** the stitching burst and the chain snapped, sending the 100 pound sand bag flying across the gymnasium to hit the opposite wall behind it and burst open, sending yellow sand splaying everywhere on the tile floor. She was not tired, or sweating, there was no sign that punching the bag weighing as much as she did across 30 feet had any effect on her save a look of elated excitement on her face. Watching stunned, Greer could only stare at the remains of the punching bag and back to Susan, the woman panting with her mouth open and a gleam in her eye that looked almost predatory with glee before she calmed down, her breathing slowing when she turned her attention back to her shocked friend.

“Heh… Heh… That was surprisingly good, what else is there to do here?”