Chapter 124: Born Again - Part 3

Ulysses Klaue unleashed a sonic blast.

Black Panther leapt back, kicked off the wall, and sprang high into the air.

Concrete shattered, fragments scattering everywhere.

Panther kicked the debris toward Klaue.

' Tch…! '

Klaue turned into red static noise, and the concrete chunks passed through him.

"…Troublesome."

Muttering that, Panther landed—and at the same time, pushed off the ground with bent legs, closing in on Klaue.

He swung his arm, slashing with claws.

"Fool!"

Klaue again turned into noise to evade, instantly reappearing behind Panther, arm raised—

But Panther, without even glancing back, lashed out with a flying kick.

"Gah!?"

An unexpected strike.

The earlier claw swipe had been nothing but bait, leaving an opening to lure him in—this was the real attack.

Panther pounced on Klaue as he rolled across the ground, clearly intending to press the assault before he could escape again by converting to sound.

He lunged forward, tearing into the ground with his claws, using the strength of his arms to spring upward—then brought his foot crashing down.

"Urgh!?"

Klaue blocked with his arm—then converted to sound again, slipping away from the spot.

The two faced each other.

…Klaue’s arm trembled slightly. The damage was real.

"No matter how convenient your power may be, it alone cannot defeat the Black Panther."

"Shut it… You can’t kill me either. Makes us the same, doesn’t it?"

"We’ll see about that."

Black Panther crossed his arms, spreading them wide.

Claws at the ready… he closed in again.

"You just don’t get it…!"

Klaue kept evading with repeated sonic conversions.

But that also meant he couldn’t attack.

…A stalemate.

Like an endless deadlock—nothing would happen at this rate. No conclusion could be reached.

…Does His Majesty T’Challa, the Black Panther, have a plan?

I regenerated my shattered jaw, spat out broken teeth mixed with blood and phlegm, and scanned the area.

Shuri was hidden behind a car, operating a projected virtual console from her Kimoyo Beads.

…So there was a plan.

I stopped myself from glancing at her and instead gripped the vibranium spear at my feet.

Panther slashed at Klaue.

The wall behind them bore claw marks like those of a raging beast.

A strike deep enough to disable anyone it hit.

Every blow was a potential kill.

Klaue, remembering his earlier mistake, didn’t counter recklessly. He avoided them all by turning into sound.

"Useless, useless!"

"Whether it has meaning or not—that is for me to decide."

"Always spouting nonsense!"

Panther stomped hard into the ground.

Tiles shattered, pieces flying upward.

…I didn’t know what Shuri was trying to do.

But I did know Panther was buying time.

Deliberately provoking Klaue, keeping him from fleeing.

For if Klaue chose to escape, he could safely vanish into sound.

If he did, who knew when the next attack would come? Wakanda would have to live in fear until then.

But His Majesty T’Challa would not allow it.

He intended to end this here, without doubt or regret.

I opened and closed my hand.

…Good. Eighty percent of my body was healed. I could move.

…But I would not interfere in the fight between Panther and Klaue.

Not that I’d slow them down, but without knowing their plan, I couldn’t risk disrupting it.

All I could do was be ready—if Klaue noticed Shuri’s actions, I would protect her.

So I didn’t join the battle, didn’t even look her way… yet I never let Klaue leave my sight.

Tense seconds passed.

Then the battle shifted.

Klaue managed to put enough distance between himself and Panther to aim his sonic blaster.

And behind Panther… was the car where Shuri hid.

I sprang forward, scooping Shuri under my arm.

"W-whoa!"

She yelped in surprise—then the sonic blast fired.

Panther glanced at me—no, at me holding Shuri—then kicked off the ground, dodging the blast.

I too leapt away with Shuri, moving us to a safer spot.

A building wall crumbled, glass windows shattering.

I shielded Shuri beneath a roof, ensuring no shards struck her.

I didn’t mind being cut, but if she was scarred… it would leave a mark. That could not be allowed.

No girl her age should suffer wounds to her face or body.

But Klaue’s eyes followed us.

He noticed Shuri’s Kimoyo Beads projecting the console, and his brow furrowed.

"Huh? What are you—"

The words never finished.

Black Panther had pounced.

"Rrraaahh!"

With a beast’s roar, he grabbed Klaue. Yes—grabbed him.

A moment’s distraction, a delayed reaction—and Klaue was caught.

It happened in a single breath.

Panther wrenched Klaue’s right arm—the sonic blaster—and tore it off.

"Gyah!?"

By the time Klaue screamed in pain, his arm was already flying.

He hadn’t even had the chance to turn into sound.

The prosthetic arm, solidified, clattered to the ground.

"What’s wrong? Your reactions are slow, Klaue."

"You bastard… Twice now, my arm—!"

Klaue staggered back, trying to rise—

"Brother! It’s ready!"

Shuri shouted.

Klaue snapped his head toward the voice, suspicion in his eyes—

"Do it, Shuri!"

At T’Challa’s command, Shuri nodded and worked the console.

At that instant, my enhanced hearing picked up a strange sound.

A synthetic electronic tone at a precise frequency.

…From above.

It came from the Wakandan jet Panther had leapt down from.

"Huh? What? What are you trying to pull?"

But Klaue didn’t seem to hear it.

So this was their plan all along?

I didn’t know what it meant… but I could guess.

"Ulysses Klaue. You will not escape this time."

"…What?"

At Panther’s words, Klaue frowned—and then seemed to realize something.

He clenched his hand, opening and closing it several times, as if testing the sensation.

Shuri’s satisfied voice followed.

"Sonic Converter Jamming… How does that feel? We analyzed your sound waves and generated their perfect opposite, canceling them out."

"Wha—what? How… You only figured out my ability just now—"

"I made it just now. Me."

At that, I turned sharply toward Shuri, stunned.

She’d analyzed Klaue’s sound power mid-battle—while under attack—then built a system on the spot to negate it?

And adapted Wakanda’s jet tech to put it into practice?

…I knew she was brilliant, but this was beyond anything I’d imagined.

"Y-you’ve gotta be kidding me!"

Klaue understood—but he could not accept it.

He glared at Shuri in rage—

"Are you prepared?"

Panther stepped forward—one step, then another—closing the distance to Klaue.

Purple lines pulsed along his black suit.

…Yes. I recognized that light.

"I’ve… I’ve spent years—years!—for the sole purpose of taking revenge on you! I won’t let it end like this—!"

"Do not underestimate Wakanda. A mere ‘few years’ is not enough to scar this nation."

That light… yes. It was the same glow my own suit once gave off.

Vibranium, absorbing impact and releasing it in that radiant saturation.

Step by step, he drew nearer.

And finally, Klaue seemed to realize it—he was not the predator here, but the frog staring helpless into the eyes of the black panther.

Klaue stumbled back.

"S-stay away! Don’t come any closer!"

He turned, bolting, desperate to shake off the jamming signal coming from the jet overhead.

In that instant, Panther kicked off the ground and soared—

Landing directly in front of Ulysses Klaue.

And then, a tremendous shockwave erupted.

Even from where I stood, I felt it deep in my bones, rattling my very core.

At the epicenter of that blast, Klaue was hurled like he’d been struck by a truck, smashing into a wall several meters high.

"Ghh—ahh…"

The rasp escaped his lips, and then his eyes lost their light as he fell to the ground.

A heavy crack resounded as he landed, fissures splintering across the concrete.

The man who had transcended humanity lay sprawled out, unmoving.

…Not a twitch.

He must be dea—

"He’s not dead."

At some point Panther had appeared at my side, speaking quietly.

The nanotech vibranium mask receded, flowing back into the necklace around his neck.

There stood His Majesty T’Challa, gazing at Klaue with distant eyes.

…Of course. Klaue was his father’s killer.

And yet—even now—he had not surrendered himself to rage, had not taken the kill.

Just as he had said earlier… he intended to bring Klaue back, to be judged under Wakanda’s law.

Even if the end was execution, it did not have to be done in blind fury here and now.

That was nobility. The conviction befitting a king.

"Brother."

Shuri approached, rushing into her brother’s arms.

He patted her back lightly, brushing a hand over her hair.

"You did well."

"Yeah… and thank you too, brother."

It was not the king and princess of a nation I saw before me, but the simple bond of siblings.

I narrowed my eyes against the brightness of it—because it was precious, almost sacred.

"Shuri, see to Okoye’s injuries."

"Ah—right! Got it!"

She hurried to where Okoye lay, Kimoyo Beads already glowing as their medical functions engaged.

…Yes. It was safe to say the danger had passed.

I exhaled deeply and pulled off my mask.

The surface was slashed to ribbons, the lower half shattered.

My Spider-Man mask, in tatters… but for once, I felt proud of it.

T’Challa turned his gaze to me.

"I owe you thanks."

"No… I only did what anyone should."

He shook his head.

"You protected Shuri. That is not something just anyone could do."

"…Is that so?"

"You should take pride in it. On behalf of Wakanda, let me offer my gratitude."

His lips softened into a faint smile… and then the king of a nation bowed his head to me.

He bowed. To me.

I flailed my hands in panic.

"N-no, please, you don’t have to—!"

"…Hm. Forgive me. I didn’t mean to trouble you."

Sensing my flustered state, he raised his head again.

Then looked toward Klaue’s prone form.

"I’ll bring him back to Wakanda. He’ll never trouble you again. You can rest easy on that."

"…Thank you."

"The one who should be thanking is me… but no, let’s leave it at that."

Shuri waved to us. It looked like her treatment was complete.

…The fight was over.

Amid the ruins of this corner of New York, relief finally washed over me.

And then—

As though my strings had been cut, my strength gave out and I collapsed to my knees.

T’Challa caught me quickly, but my body had no energy left to hold itself up.

"Are you alright?"

His worried voice reached me, and I managed a faint nod.

…Ah. Shuri was already running toward us.

"Michelle, a-are you okay!?"

"Ughh…"

I tried to sound reassuring, but what came out of my mouth was a strange, broken voice.

I’d lost too much blood.

Even with a healing factor, I wasn’t regenerating from nothing. The fatigue of losing flesh, the toll of energy consumption… none of that could be avoided.

Right now, I was on the verge of collapsing from sheer exhaustion. I wasn’t even sure blood was still properly flowing through the vessels in my brain. I wanted to sleep immediately—but falling asleep here would be careless.

Shuri pressed a Kimoyo bead against me. She must’ve activated its healing function, but… no, that wasn’t it. I wasn’t injured anymore. I was just… tired.

“…Huh? Wait, Michelle, weren’t you hurt?”

Seriously? That’s what she asks now? She saw my jaw, my bones—basically my whole body—getting snapped and broken earlier. Maybe her mind just hadn’t caught up in the chaos.

“…I-I’m fine. Just… really, really tired.”

I forced the words out with what little strength I had left. Shuri exhaled in relief, hand to her chest. In her place, T’Challa spoke up.

“…Shuri. Who exactly is she? What’s her relationship to you?”

From his perspective, his sister had sent out a distress call. The enemy was Ulysses Klaue, a man he’d hunted for years. And standing by her side, protecting her, was some stranger. Of course he wanted answers.

“Um…”

Shuri scratched her cheek, glanced at me once, then said, “...A friend, maybe?”

…So at some point, I’d apparently become her friend. Well, we were close in age, and we had chatted quite a bit while sightseeing in New York. Not that I minded.

Besides, I wasn’t her colleague. I wasn’t her subordinate. By definition, there was no real connection between us.

But… yeah.

A friend, huh?

That didn’t sound bad at all.

Thinking that, I finally closed my eyes.

I’d reached my limit.

Shuri’s voice grew faint in my ears. I felt sorry for worrying her, even as consciousness slipped away.

---

It felt like forever, but I was back in the Avengers Tower infirmary. Practically a year since the last time.

I was lying on a bed, hooked up to an IV drip. Supposedly, I’d been out cold for two full days.

When I woke, Gwen came rushing in, panicked with worry. Harry too. Opening my phone revealed a string of emails from Ned.

As for Peter… he hadn’t even realized I was hospitalized. Just an endless list of missed calls. In the end, Gwen found him wandering outside the Tower, clueless, and explained the situation. …I’d need to go see him myself and apologize once I was back on my feet.

That was what I was thinking, anyway.

Shuri and the others had already returned to Wakanda due to scheduling. They took my destroyed vibranium armor with them. Okoye left a short note of thanks, while Shuri’s message was excessively long—half apology, half gratitude.

As for King T’Challa, he had Klaue hauled back to Wakanda unconscious. What happened after that, I didn’t know.

A corner of New York had been left in ruins, but Wakanda promised economic aid for recovery. No lives had been lost, so at least the worst had been avoided.

In short, the incident was over.

The only thing left carrying it with me… was my body.

I picked up the fruit knife lying by my bedside along with the apple Harry had brought. Focusing, I swung the blade once.

Smoothly, without pause, I sliced several times. Neat apple pieces lined the plate. I stabbed one with a fork and popped it into my mouth.

Redcap.

My past. Those memories, those skills—they were still with me, supporting me. The feel of the blade, the way I carried myself, the habits etched into muscle memory.

I could act as Michelle, yes—but not at full strength.

I’d been avoiding flipping that mental switch, afraid I might slip back into being a killer.

But from now on, in helping others, I knew I’d have to fight. And I didn’t want to face a moment where I was too weak to save someone. So I’d use what I had.

…And I didn’t want to forget anymore. They weren’t only bitter, painful memories. My brother’s kindness was there too. That’s why I would let the Red Mask live on in my heart.

I wasn’t going to throw it away. Not anymore.

As I finished the apple, the infirmary door opened. A hand reached around to knock—after pushing it open.

…Isn’t that backwards? I sighed at the thought.

The man who stepped inside was a gruff figure with an eyepatch. My boss, Nick Fury.

I chewed another bite of apple.

Fury smirked at the sight before grabbing a chair and setting it beside me. The déjà vu hit—I’d seen this exact scene a year ago.

“How’s the body holding up?”

I nodded.

“I see.”

He nodded back, satisfied. Then I asked the question on my mind.

“What’s this about?”

“No need to rush. I came to go over your condition.”

Fury pulled out a tablet, showing me my vitals. I wasn’t a doctor, but I could make out some basics.

“No lasting injuries, no complications. You’ll be out of that bed tomorrow.”

“…Understood.”

That wasn’t the only reason he’d come. I tilted my head slightly, and—

“One more thing. A package arrived from Wakanda.”

He stood, stepped outside, then returned carrying a large trunk.

“This is from Princess Shuri. For you.”

“…What?”

I blinked. I couldn’t imagine what she’d want to send me.

“Better if you see it yourself.”

He tapped the trunk with a finger.

With some hesitation, I pulled it closer and undid the latch.

Tried to, anyway. It wouldn’t budge. No keyhole, either.

“…It’s ID-locked,” Fury explained.

“Ah—right.”

I pressed my S.H.I.E.L.D. ID card to the latch. A beep confirmed it, and the trunk clicked open.

I pulled it toward me, lifted the lid—

And froze.

“…My suit?”

Black. Vibranium. Reinforced here and there with crimson adamantium. My old suit from a year ago, repaired and restored, folded neatly inside the trunk.

I looked at Fury, shock written plain on my face.

“Princess Shuri had it recovered and repaired for you.”

“…But why—”

“She said it was thanks for saving her. Consider it a gift.”

I lowered my gaze to the suit. The mask was black. Of course—it had replaced the shattered red one. That last battle… I’d worn this black mask.

So… Shuri probably never knew that the mask was originally red.

But this was better. It was better that it was black.

This black mask… Tinkerer—my brother—gave it to me, separate from the organization. That’s why this mask means separation.

Even though I was a Redcap, this wasn’t the organization’s red mask… it was a black one. A black mask filled with my brother’s feelings, the one that freed me from my chains.

…And yet, I had been ready to throw away something so precious. I hadn’t even felt sad about it.

But now… having it back in my hands, I finally realized how important it truly was.

I pulled out the mask and held it.

The mask, polished spotless without a single scratch, reflected light like a mirror.

And my face appeared on its surface. A face twisted, on the verge of tears… my face.

“…Thank you.”

When I gave my thanks, Fury averted his gaze.

“That is the reward granted to you. I merely received it from Princess Shuri and passed it along.”

“Even so…”

Tears fell from my eyes.

I thought of my brother. They weren’t all sad memories. His aloof manner, his misplaced enthusiasm, his devotion to me… all of it had become my strength.

I regretted not having thanked him more. Even now, I still regret it.

But surely, my brother would never have wanted that.

I placed the mask back into the trunk and wiped my tears.

The past I had tried to discard had returned to me. That alone made me happy, and tears overflowed.

And then…

I voiced a single doubt to Fury.

“…How much did you actually know?”

“What are you talking about?”

It wasn’t an act. He tilted his head as if he really didn’t know. …Was I overthinking it?

“…Never mind.”

No… he must have at least suspected something. Even without certainty, he must have considered this outcome.

I felt a little weary of his secrecy, but I couldn’t bring myself to resent him for it.

My eyes drifted down to the suits laid out in the trunk. Then Fury spoke.

“That suit returned to you because you chose, and you acted. It is the result of none other than your own actions.”

His gaze, which had been turned away, came back to me.

“That is not S.H.I.E.L.D.’s property. It’s yours. Do with it as you wish.”

“…Yes.”

When I nodded, Fury’s lips softened into the faintest smile.

So small a change that normally I wouldn’t have noticed.

Maybe I did only because… I’d come to open my heart to Fury.

And I felt… that it was fine.

The heart I’d once kept frozen in vigilance had completely melted.

Fury pulled out his tablet again, eyes lowering to it.

“…I forced this incident to be counted as your final field evaluation. You are no longer a trainee. You are now… an official S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.”

Having declared that, he turned only his eyes toward me.

“You’ll need a codename as an agent. That has to be decided.”

He tapped on the tablet with his finger.

“I could choose one for you… but I’d rather you decide. What will it be?”

I understood what he meant.

Would I answer as Michelle Jane Watson? Or as Redcap?

He wanted me to choose.

…The answer was already decided.

“I am, Re—”

But then the black mask entered my vision.

I remembered the moment it had first been placed in my hands.

I remembered Tinkerer’s words.

“Ah, in that case—”

I remembered my brother’s voice.

“‘Nightcap’—how about that?”

…I tore my eyes from the mask and looked to Fury.

“‘Nightcap’…”

“…Hmm.”

“My brother… he gave this mask that name.”

He nodded and entered something into the tablet.

I wouldn’t discard my past as Redcap.

But I couldn’t stay as I was, either.

The self my brother had wished for—the me who could live in a peaceful world.

…I wanted to become that.

Not for someone else’s sake, but for my own… I made my choice.

The face reflected in the black mask… was no longer crying.

Clear and unclouded, it was the face of someone ready to step forward into the future.

…Yes. If this were one of my favorite comics, then until now, it had been the story of “Redcap.”

But from here on… it will surely be different.

The story of my life up to this point wasn’t a tragedy. It was the “origin”—the tale leading up to my own birth as myself.

Carrying sin, punishment, and regret… yet never neglecting who I am.

To live, to atone… at last, I had taken my first steps down the path.

Thanks to my friends, my lover, and the people I could respect…

Alone, I could never have stood back up. But even so… I rose to my feet.

Life still continues. This is not the end. My long, long story will go on, etched into time.

As Michelle Jane Watson.

And also… as “Nightcap, the new hero.”

A life devoted to atoning for my sins, to helping someone else, to becoming someone’s hero.

Even Captain said that anyone can become a hero.

So surely, I can too.

With gratitude for the people who love me… I closed the trunk.