Chapter 121: No-Normal - Part 2

Under a sky where exhaust fumes blotted out the stars.

A city I didn’t know.

Without knowing left from right, I was running.

What do I do! What do I do! What do I do! Did they see my face!? What if someone was recording!?

──Mara, ──ra!

Maybe I shouldn’t have helped after all? No, if I had abandoned her, I could never face Mom, Ami, or Dad, Abu! That’s why I won’t regret it! I mustn’t regret it!

"Kamala!"

Hearing my name called, I lowered my gaze. Bruno’s face had gone pale.

"Eh, w-wait, Bruno? What!?"

"J-just, f-first, stop running!"

As the four-meter-tall stick-figure giant I had become, I came to a halt. Then I looked at Bruno.

"So, what!? Is something really bad—"

"I-it was shaking like crazy, I thought I was gonna die…"

"Eh? Ah, s-sorry! Bruno!"

Panicking, I set him down on the ground… and returned to my normal size. He was holding back nausea, taking deep breaths.

I turned around. There didn’t seem to be anyone chasing us. Well, I had been running faster than cars… no one could keep up.

Exhausted, Bruno leaned against a concrete wall. The wall was covered in graffiti sprayed on it.

He let out a long breath and looked at me.

"Urgh… you really stood out back there."

"Eh, ah, yeah… sorry, I did something unnecessary."

At my words, Bruno gave a strained smile.

"No… it wasn’t unnecessary. It had to be done. You think so too, right, Kamala?"

"Uh… yeah, I don’t regret it."

"…Phew. That’s fine. That’s just like you, Kamala."

Bruno chuckled faintly, then crouched down. I was tired too, so I leaned against the wall.

…Something feels missing in my hands. Why is that?

I opened and closed my hands… and then I realized.

"Ah… ahhh!"

I shouted. Bruno flinched in surprise.

"W-what? What is it?"

"My stuff! I left everything back at the venue!"

My phone, my clothes, the merch I bought. I’d left the bag with everything in it back at Avengers Con.

"Eh? Isn’t that… kinda bad?"

"It’s bad! Mom Ami’s gonna kill me!"

I scrunched up my face in distress. Should I go back to the venue? No, I can’t. My face has been seen. If I get mobbed… that’d be the least of it. If my face gets spread nationwide… I won’t be able to go home.

"And also—"

My new friend, Michel. I’d left her behind too. I didn’t even get her contact info. We might never meet again… Maybe.

No, more than that, she might have seen me grow big. Then she’d probably be scared of me, find me creepy. …Even though we’d just become friends.

Thinking about what comes next made my stomach ache. I wanted to curl up and shrink away. Physically and emotionally.

Katsuun. Katsuun.

On the quiet night street, something was tapping.

"…Bruno?"

"No, I hear it too this time."

The sound was getting louder. …It was approaching.

Someone was chasing us!

"W-what do we do… who is it? What!?"

"Wait. Calm down, Kamala."

Negative images flashed in my mind.

"This is bad… it must be some shadowy organization that saw my powers! They’ll hand me over to a mad scientist, cut me open, and then use my DNA to mass-produce superpowered clones—"

"You—quiet down a bit! If you yell like that—"

From the roof of a nearby warehouse, there was a sound. Then I realized—it was footsteps running across the ceiling of the building.

"Ah, aah—"

The moment I let out a weird, frightened noise… someone jumped down. From several meters up. A normal person would’ve been badly hurt, but this figure didn’t even stumble.

This is bad. Definitely a spy from some shady organization. A superpowered assassin sent to kill me!

That’s what I thought—until the figure stepped into the light of the streetlamp.

""Eh?""

Both Bruno and I let out dumbfounded voices in unison.

Chasing after me through the dark had been—

"M-Michel?"

It was Michel.

"Phew… finally caught up."

Saying that, Michel tilted her neck slightly. …Not a drop of sweat. Her breathing was steady. No sign of fatigue.

But—I’d just been running at ridiculous speed. And she’d been leaping across rooftops the whole way, hadn’t she? Covering those distances between buildings, meters at a time? How?

"Uh, um…"

My heart was filled with confusion. And just a tiny bit of suspicion.

She slowly came closer to me.

I froze. Not knowing who she really was, I trembled—

"Kamala, here. You forgot this."

Michel held something out to me. …Ah, my bag. The one I’d been hesitating whether to go back for, stuffed with my things.

"Eh? Ah, thank you."

"I couldn’t bring the drinks you asked for, though."

"…Th-that’s totally fine…?"

At my words, Michel’s lips curved just slightly. In contrast, I gave a sheepish smile. …I felt stupid for being scared.

There’s no way such a sweet, cute girl could be a hitwoman for some evil secret society.

"…Ahem!"

Bruno coughed loudly, obviously on purpose. Both Michel and I glanced at him.

"Bruno?"

In the awkward silence, Bruno finally spoke.

"Uh… so, Michelle, do you also have some kind of superpower?"

"…Well, just a little."

A little? She could follow me through pitch darkness without hesitation? That’s way too modest.

…Suddenly, I realized something.

"Wait, the reason you spoke to me… was it because I have superpowers—"

"That’s not it."

Before I could finish, Michelle shook her head.

"Then, for what reason…?"

"Huh? No reason, really…"

"…By chance?"

"Yeah, by chance."

Hearing that, I felt relieved. Because it meant she saw me—not my powers. It wasn’t just one-sided feelings from me after all.

I brushed the hair at the back of my head. It was because I was happy.

The moonlight pierced through the thick clouds of exhaust, and I could see it shining. The night breeze felt cool and comfortable.

Then, Bruno tilted his head.

"So then… what are you, Michelle?"

"What do you mean, ‘what’? I just came here because it’s my day off and there’s Avengers Con, that’s all."

"…I see."

Bruno covered his face with his hand. I understood how he felt. He must’ve started to realize how ridiculous all his caution had been.

Well, I’d already dropped my guard long ago. It was easy to talk to her.

"So Michelle, what do you usually do? Are you, like, secretly doing some kind of illegal hero work, like a crimefighter?"

"No… um, well… ah. I’ll show you my ID."

Michelle rummaged through her bag, pulled out a pass case, and showed it to me.

"You can relax. I work for a public organization, so I’m not doing anything bad."

Inside was—

‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’
‘AGENT’
‘MICHELL JONES-WATSON’

Along with the eagle emblem and only the most essential information. Was this… a S.H.I.E.L.D. ID card?

"…Michelle."

"What?"

"You know falsifying an ID is a crime, right? Maybe you didn’t know, but…"

"Huh?"

I sighed. I knew she was an Avengers nerd. She must’ve loved it so much that she went and made something like this.

But forging the ID of a public institution is a crime. I had to be firm here—

"Still, you did a good job making it. Looks almost real."

"Uh, no… it is real…"

Michelle tilted her head, looking a bit troubled now, unlike earlier.

"Kamala, that’s real."

Bruno, fiddling with his smartphone, spoke up.

"Huh? No way—"

"See this serial code? I just checked the official S.H.I.E.L.D. site. Look—serial code, key number, and the emblem all match."

Apparently, S.H.I.E.L.D. has more authority at crime scenes than the police, and to prevent forgeries, the IDs are tied to multiple verification keys that confirm authenticity.

"…Wait, so what does that mean?"

"It means she really is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"For real?"

"…Yeah."

Michelle crossed her arms and nodded. I was so shocked I opened my mouth.

"You’re actually part of S.H.I.E.L.D., and yet you came to Avengers Con!? …Why?"

The night breeze passed between me and Michelle.

"…………"

The silence deepened, and only the sound of the wind reached my ears.

Her brows slowly drooped downward. Her face turned… well, kind of pitiful.

Then, with trembling lips, she spoke.

"…My hobby and my job just happen to be the same thing."

The look on her face was so absurdly funny that I almost burst out laughing. Bruno elbowed me in the ribs so I managed to hold it back.

Michelle pressed her hand to her mouth and coughed lightly. She was clearly trying to force the conversation back on track.

"Anyway, since I’m with S.H.I.E.L.D.… I’ll have to report you to my superiors, Kamala."

The moment she said that—

"Ehh!? No, wai—th-that’s a problem…"

I shook my head frantically. I knew superpowers always came with responsibility. That much I understood.

But more than that, I didn’t want Mom, Ammi, or Dad, Abu, to worry. I didn’t want to drag them into trouble.

Seeing my reaction, Michelle patted my shoulder reassuringly.

"It’s okay. I’ll make sure nothing bad happens."

"Michelle."

"…I’ll try my best."

"Michelle…"

My brows drooped. She didn’t sound very reliable.

"Yeah, so. We should exchange contact info."

"…That’s okay?"

"Huh? Of course."

And so, I exchanged contact info with Michelle. Bruno did too. Her name being added to my tiny contact list made me strangely happy.

"Well then… I need to make some reports and stuff, so I’ll head home. If you run into trouble, contact me."

"Uh, yeah… um, thank you, Michelle!"

I clasped her hand and thanked her.

Michelle narrowed her eyes a little, almost dazzled. Even though it was night.

"Kamala, even though it might cause you trouble later… helping people like you did—that was really cool."

"That’s—"

At that moment, I remembered how I’d hesitated. Should I help, or should I stay put?

But what pushed me forward were my family and—

"It was thanks to you, Michelle."

"…Huh? Me?"

Michelle looked at me in genuine confusion, long eyelashes fluttering as she blinked.

"Yeah. That’s why… I’m really grateful."

"…Um… oh. You’re welcome, then."

Michelle hesitated for a moment before nodding. She didn’t dismiss my gratitude—she accepted it. That small gesture showed her kindness.

I tightened my grip on her hand a little.

"…Hey, Michelle."

"What? If there’s something you don’t understand, I’ll explain it."

That’s what she said. But I gave voice to what I’d been holding in my chest.

"W-we’re… friends, right?"

I didn’t expect her to deny it. But still, I was scared.

I have a tendency to daydream. To imagine I know more than I do, to spin fantasies and get carried away. That’s why I needed to confirm… otherwise, the fear would eat at me—

"Yeah, friends. That’s what I think."

And hearing that affirmation made me so happy.

My eyes blurred. Not from sadness—this time, from joy.

"…Can I talk about the Avengers again sometime?"

"Of course."

"And maybe… invite you out somewhere?"

"Sure, just text me."

I gave her a quick hug before stepping back. Michelle was thinner than I expected—it surprised me.

…Where in that body was she hiding all that super strength?

Well, I guess the same could be said for me. Except compared to her, I’ve got… a little more padding.

No. I’m average. She’s just way too skinny.

Then Michelle glanced briefly at Bruno.

"Oh, don’t worry. Bruno’s a friend too."

"…Well, thanks."

Bruno dipped his head slightly. He looked cool and detached, but I caught the faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Alright then, you two. See you."

Saying that, Michelle walked back the way she’d come. …Wait. Did she just run straight up that wall? And that distance she cleared—she wasn’t flying, right? That was just… one ridiculously huge jump?

If she ever kicked someone, it’d probably leave a hole straight through their stomach. …Yeah, better not get into a fight with her. Not that I think we ever would.

"…Kamala, that’s good news."

Bruno nodded deeply, as if moved. I narrowed my eyes, smiling.

"Bruno, you look happy too."

"Well… yeah."

"You made friends with a cute girl, didn’t you?"

When I said that, Bruno made a face like he’d just bitten into something bitter.

"…It’s not like that."

"It’s not?"

"More importantly, let’s hurry home. There’s no guarantee Kamala’s mom won’t walk into the bedroom."

Bruno showed me the screen of his phone. The map app said it was a ten-minute walk to the nearest bus stop.

And just like that, the event that would change my life came to an end. A happy little origin story, don’t you think? I got to go to Avengers Con, just like I’d dreamed. I even got to help people. And I made a new friend.

It really was like a dream.

But the moment I tried to slip into my room, Dad—Abu—caught me.
Sneaking out without permission, breaking curfew… but more than anything, lying to Mom—Ammi—about it. I got scolded hard.

And my punishment? A whole month of being grounded.

What kind of hero gets in trouble for breaking curfew? Probably none.

Which means… I’m not a hero yet. I’m just Kamala Khan.

---

Inside Avengers Tower.

In the office of the Director of 『S.H.I.E.L.D.』, I—Nick Fury—sat reading through a report Michelle Jane Watson had sent me.

She’s still only a candidate for agent, but recently she’s been trusted with clerical tasks and minor assignments, like an OJT trainee.

The report detailed the recent accident… and the unusual girl who happened to be there, Kamala Khan. Personally, I’d prefer to speak with her directly, but according to Michelle, she’s in hiding for now. A teenager who doesn’t want her family finding out about trouble she was involved in… That’s how she sees it.

There’s no rush. I can wait for the right timing to make contact.

From the report, I can already tell she has a sense of morality and self-restraint. Left alone, she’s not the type to hurt anyone… I want to believe that.

For now, I’ll leave it to Michelle. She’s already formed a friendship with Kamala, so if anything happens, she’ll report back to me.

But the issue isn’t the girl herself. It’s her powers—their origin.

Michelle later investigated what triggered Kamala Khan’s awakening.

The mysterious "mist."

And I recognized it.

"…Terrigen Mist."

It’s a substance that awakens the latent abilities of a special kind of human—the Inhumans.

Inhumans. Descendants of primitive humans genetically altered long ago by the alien Kree. Stronger than ordinary humans, gifted with unique powers… superhumans. Even now, their bloodline runs hidden among Earth’s population. Most don’t even know what they are.

That means Kamala Khan carries Inhuman blood, and her powers awakened because of the Terrigen Mist.

"But—"

The Terrigen Mist had been under the stewardship of Black Bolt, king of Attilan, the Inhuman capital on the moon.

At least, until recently.

Attilan was destroyed, wiped out in an invasion. As a result, the Terrigen Mist descended to Earth… causing countless problems.

The situation is resolved now, but Kamala Khan was caught up in it.

"…Troublesome."

How many carry Inhuman blood? How many live in secret, hiding their powers? Among them, how many could become threats to this country?

No answers. That’s what makes it dangerous.

I exhaled deeply, leaning back into my chair.

"…New Humans."

The new generation of Inhumans, awakened to their powers. People who gain abilities regardless of morality… and they’ll appear in numbers.

This country will face upheaval. The thought made me furrow my brow.

Ordinary people can’t stand against superhumans. They’d die pointlessly.

Which is exactly why we need strength. Even if unrefined… young sparks with the will to act, to help others.

I tapped on the tablet in my hand and opened the list.

There, I inscribed the name: "Kamala Khan."

---

"…………"

The next morning, I was in Peter’s room, eating cereal.
I shoveled spoonfuls of cereal soaked in milk into my mouth.

Peter was stripping the sheets off his bed to put them in the wash. I had offered to do it, but he insisted—since he was the host—that he’d handle it himself.

And so, there I was, eating breakfast alone in silence.

On the outdated LCD television, the morning news was playing. It was covering the incident at Avengers Con. I found myself staring at the screen.

There she was—Kamala, disguised in cosplay—saving a woman who had fallen from near the ceiling.

『Yesterday, in New York City, an accident occurred in which a cosplayer rescued──』

Then, the blonde girl who had mocked her appeared on-screen.

『She saved my life. Even though I said such awful things to her… she still saved me. She’s the real hero.』

Her voice trembled with tears as she spoke. There was no lie there, no pretense of wanting to look good.

…Seeing that made me happy, just a little.
To her, Kamala had become a true hero. And a hero’s light has the power to change people. …Maybe she too could change, for the better.

That was thanks to Kamala.

The broadcast switched back to the image of Captain Marvel’s costume from behind. …Any footage showing her face must have been deleted under 『S.H.I.E.L.D.』 pressure. I’d have to thank Nick Fury for that.

『Who is this super-powered hero…? Today we’ve invited an expert.』

『We don’t know who she is. But look closely—her costume is modeled after Captain Marvel.』

『That’s true.』

『In the past, Captain Marvel once went by the name “Ms. Marvel.” Others, too, have used the name “Ms. Marvel”… but there hasn’t been one for years.』

I stopped moving my spoon and kept my eyes fixed on the TV.

『The name has been vacant… and now we see a superhuman dressed in her image. This can’t be a coincidence.』

『Are you suggesting…?』

『Yes. She’s the fourth “Ms. Marvel.” That’s what I intend to call her.』

My cheeks loosened, and I let out a long breath.
So, even in this world, she’s called that…

"Michelle, are you done eating yet?"

Peter, finished with tidying up, called out to me from behind.

"Mm… just need to wash these dishes."

"I can—"

"It’s fine. If I let you do everything for me, I’ll turn into a cow."

I laughed as I stood at the sink. The water was cold; Peter’s place didn’t have anything as convenient as a water heater.

I turned back toward him.

"Once I finish this, shall we go?"

"Yeah. I’m all ready."

I placed the washed dishes in the rack, picked up the paper bag holding Avengers Con goods, and stepped out with Peter.

I locked the door with the spare key Peter had given me, then took his hand.

"I’m kind of nervous," he admitted.

"It’ll be fine. You’ll get along again."

We were headed to see Ned. The bag in my hand was a small gift. This was Peter and Ned’s first meeting again. He looked a little worried, but it would be alright. They’d reconcile, and become best friends once more.

When I smiled, the anxious crease between Peter’s brows softened.

Just the other day, Peter passed his high school equivalency test. He’s been slowly reconnecting with Gwen and Harry, too. And now, with Ned as well…

Piece by piece, he’s regaining what he lost.

It won’t go back to the way it was. But in a new form, it’s being reborn.

And I’m glad. If I can have even a small positive influence on his life… then that alone lets me believe in my own worth.

Hand in hand, the two of us stepped forward into the sunlit street.