Chapter 125: Creeping Shadow - part 1

Hey, everyone.

I’m Peter Parker.
I’m 19 years old, a freshman at Empire State University.

Five years ago, I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and I gained superpowers.
A freak stroke of luck—and I thought I’d use it to make some money.

I wanted to do something for Uncle Ben and Aunt May, who raised me.

But I got carried away… and I made a mistake.

The result was that Uncle Ben, who had been like a father to me, was killed.

Because of me.
Because I turned a blind eye to wrongdoing right in front of me… and let it slide.

But the words Uncle Ben left me still live on inside me.

『With great power comes great responsibility.』

It was only after his death that I truly understood what he meant.

So I decided… I would use this superpower—this great power—for helping people.
So that I would never regret it again.

That’s why now…

I’m the Amazing Spider-Man.

…Hmm, maybe “Amazing” is too much of a show-off?
How about “Spectacular”?
No? That doesn’t work either?

What do you all think?

…Okay.

Then let’s just drop the adjectives.

I’m Spider-Man.

As New York’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, I help people—whether it’s something small or something big.

Even now.

"Ugh… grr… uuugh…!"

I’m helping someone right this moment.

"Hey… hurry, come on… I can’t hold out much longer…!"

Right now, I’m lifting up a tanker truck that flipped over at an intersection.
A regular car got crushed under it, roof smashed flat.

And inside it… there are still people.
A mother and her child.
They’re trapped, pinned by the wrecked frame.

Creeeak.
I can’t even tell if that sound is my bones or the tanker’s frame.

While I’m practically screaming without opening my mouth, the rescue team shows up with a power saw.

"Spidey, hold it just a little longer!"

"Y-Yeah… totally fine! But, uh, as quick as you can, please!"

The power saw’s blade sparks as it bites into the vehicle.

My back feels like it’s about to snap.
But the sound of that child crying… pushes me to keep going.

I won’t falter. I won’t let my knees touch the ground.

At last, the car is cut open.

"Get that mother and child out of there!"

They pull them out—safe.

"You’re good now, Spidey!"

"O-OK! I’m letting it down!"

At the rescuer’s signal, I lower the tanker truck.

"Hahh… fuhhh…"

…Catch my breath.
That was heavy. That one really took it out of me.

The crowd breaks into cheers.

Now that the danger’s passed… I calm down a little.

If I’d taken photos of the rescue, maybe I could’ve sold them to the Daily Bugle for a good price.
Not that I had time, though…

The moment I saw the accident, I jumped right in. Yeah… nothing I could do about it.

As I’m catching my breath, one of the rescue workers comes over.

"You saved us there, Spidey."

"Nah, it’s fine. I’ve been working on my strength training lately anyway."

I crack a joke and fire off a webline overhead.

Waving goodbye to the bowing rescuer, I swing away.

Spider-Man’s job is helping people, protecting the folks of this city.
Being a hero isn’t about beating up bad guys.
Only those who can help someone else can be heroes.

That’s what Uncle Ben said.

…Well, sometimes, to protect people, you do have to fight bad guys.

"Huh…?"

Like right now, for instance. Over there. Smoke rising from that ATM corner down the block.

I hurry toward the scene.

Thwip! Webline to the building—big swing through the air.
My whole body bending like a spring as I launch myself…

And land in a hero’s crouch.
Right hand to the ground—
Okay, wow, that really makes your arm go numb.
I should ask Mr. Stark for some pointers.

At the ATM corner… yeah, no civilians around.

Instead, there are some weirdos in bizarre masks. One, two… three of them.

"Ahem… cough."

I clear my throat, roll my shoulders, and step into the ATM booth.

…They haven’t noticed me yet.

"Hey, hurry it up."

"You, help out too."

…Is that a voice changer?
Their masks are black-and-white, kind of tribal-looking… honestly creepy designs.
Fangs, horns, that kind of thing.

But from the neck down? Business suits.

Totally mismatched.

And those swords in their hands? Seriously?
Swords, in this day and age?
What, do they all wanna be Swordsman?

Still, it’s no laughing matter.

There’s this nasty haze, some kind of bad aura, seeping off them.
And my Spider-Sense is buzzing like crazy.

The ATM had been smashed open, its vault exposed.
No doubt about it—this was a robbery.

I stepped over the shattered glass, sneaking up behind them.

And then—

"Hey there. So, what exactly are you guys up to?"

"…………"

"…………"

"Having trouble withdrawing some cash? Want me to give you a hand?"

The masked group turned to look at me.
…And it wasn’t just swords they were packing. One of them had a gun.

Not just any gun—an assault rifle.

Uh-oh. That’s… actually pretty bad.

His finger tightened on the trigger—

"Whoops!"

I fired a webline in an instant, wrapping around his arm.

"Uh-uh. No shooting in the middle of the city."

I yanked the rifle toward me, pulling it in along with his arm—and slammed my elbow into his face.

It all happened in a split second.

There was the briefest pause, then—

"Kill him!"

One of the masked men swung his sword, now shrouded in a dark haze.

I barely dodged—

"Whoa!?"

I exaggerated my dodge, springing back far.

The blade carved into the ATM like it was butter, tearing the machine to pieces.

My Spider-Sense was screaming, almost painfully.
Even grazing that thing would’ve been dangerous.

"…So, uh, where’d you get that? Buy it somewhere? Or was it an early Christmas gift from Santa?"

I plastered over the fear and tension with a bit of banter.

My fingers brushed the cartridges on my web-shooter.
For a moment, I hesitated.

Hmm… I really don’t like using this option. But… no choice.

"Here—my present to you."

I tossed a small metal piece from my wrist into the air… and it burst into a web.

The web blossomed like a flower, tangling up everything around it.

"Wh—!?"

Then I fired a webline at the metal fragment in the center.

Switched cartridges—linked it to a miniature battery.

"This might sting a little. Try to hold still."

CRACK! A deafening snap.

A powerful electric charge coursed through the spread webbing, arcing across the entire area.

"GYAAH!"

"Ghhk!"

As strong as a full-on stun gun, the jolt nailed all of them at once—the masked men collapsed, unconscious.

…Those disposable batteries cost a fortune.
Seriously, would it kill them to pay me back? Being a broke college student sucks.

While they were out cold, I webbed them up tight and picked up one of the masks.

Underneath was just a regular man’s face.

…What the heck?
Who are these guys supposed to be?

I pulled a small device from my pocket and snapped a photo.
I’ll ask someone more knowledgeable about this later.

…Ah. Sirens. Police cars.

Time to go. If they drag me into questioning, that’ll be a problem.

I hurried out of the ATM booth, shot a webline, and vaulted into the air, swinging away.

…That dark haze.

The way it prickled against the back of my neck—it left me uneasy.

---

"Well? Do you recognize it?"

I handed the woman in front of me the photos I’d just printed.
She flipped through them with slender, pale fingers—and frowned.

We were in my room.
I wasn’t even in the Spider-Man suit right now.

Which meant, by necessity… she was someone who knew my real identity.

"…Yeah. Looks familiar."

Across the desk from me sat a platinum-blonde woman.
She lifted her eyes from the photos and fixed me with her cobalt-blue gaze.

She was my girlfriend, Michelle.
Michelle Jane Watson.

"Huh? Really?"

"Though the Doctor sealed away my memories…"

She used to have special memories, a strange gift that let her glimpse events from other worlds.
Because of how dangerous it was, those memories were sealed away now.

"Ah… so you don’t remember?"

"No. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, I’ve seen it before."

That’s right.
She was an agent of the international peacekeeping organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.

With a thoughtful expression, she pressed her fingers against her chin.

"A mafia group based around Chinatown… the ‘Demons.’ That mask matches the ones their members wear."

"…The ‘Demons,’ huh."

A mafia group… yeah, that tracked. They’d been carrying assault rifles.
No way those were bought by individuals.
Which meant, logically, they had the resources of a large criminal organization.

I lowered my eyes to the photo again.
It showed a sword wreathed in black haze.

"And this sword?"

"Rumor has it the ‘Demons’ recently obtained a new source of power."

"So this sword is it?"

"Exactly. That sword… was imbued with power. Dark energy."

"Imbued…?"

I muttered, bewildered at the sudden shift into the occult.
If it was ‘imbued,’ that meant there wasn’t just the sword—there was someone who had given it that haze.

Michelle nodded.

"Most likely, there’s a latent mutate behind it—someone who awakened to a special power after birth."

"…I see."

I crossed my arms and nodded.
Michelle did the same, mirroring me.

"…If they’re taking action now, it could be a sign of things to come. I’ll report this upstairs. What about you, Peter?"

"I’ll investigate on my own too—by pounding the pavement."

At that, Michelle’s face tightened with concern.
She turned toward me and spoke softly.

"Peter, if you ever feel it’s too dangerous… I want you to fall back. Don’t hesitate."

Her gentle hand touched mine.
She was genuinely, deeply worried for me.

But even so—

"Sorry. I don’t think I can promise that."

Because I had power, I had to spend it helping others, even if it wore me down.

And to never regret my choices, I had to give everything I could, here and now.
That was the weight of "great responsibility."

Michelle looked at my face… then smiled faintly and let out a sigh.

"Alright. I won’t try to stop you anymore. But you’d better come back safe."

"Of course."

"I’ll help however I can, too."

"…Thanks."

Her hand slipped away, and Michelle stood up.

"Huh? You’re leaving already?"

"Yeah. I need to report to S.H.I.E.L.D. No time like the present."

"Ah… I see."

True enough, there was no telling when the Demons would strike again.
Tomorrow? Tonight? Maybe even right now.

If so, the sooner it was reported and dealt with, the better—before innocent people were caught in the crossfire.

I understood, I agreed… but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of loneliness.
Not that I’d ever say it aloud—that would just be selfish.

"…Peter."

Noticing my feelings, Michelle stepped closer—

—and brushed a light kiss against my cheek.

I blinked at her in surprise, and she softened into a smile.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah… thanks, Michelle."

Embarrassed by my own weakness—and overwhelmed by how cute she was—I nearly melted on the spot.

"Good. Then… see you in three days."

"Right… three days from now."

Our schedules lined up in three days.
She’d already pushed herself just to come tonight.
So even if I felt lonely, I couldn’t hold her back.

Still—

"I’ll walk you. It’s late."

"No, it’s fine. I’m heading to Avengers Tower after this."

"Ah… got it."

Rejected.
…All I could do was wave as she left.

Then I flopped back on my bed.
My eyes wandered up to the exposed wooden beams of the ceiling, and I frowned.

"…The ‘Demons,’ huh."

The word "demon" brought back unpleasant memories.
A crimson demon had once shattered my life completely.
It had dragged me into such despair I thought I’d be alone forever.

But now… now I was happy.
Thanks to Michelle.

I really had to be grateful to her.
So sweet, so kind—far too wonderful for someone like me.

"………"

My eyelids grew heavy.
I’d been in lectures all morning, helped people in the afternoon… no wonder I was exhausted.

"…Man, I’m beat."

Completely drained in body and soul, I drifted into sleep… without even remembering to shower.

---

And then, the next day.

"Peter, Peter?"

"…Huh? Ah? Yes!?"

I was at Empire State University, where I was enrolled.
This was the science lab.
In front of me stood a professor in a white lab coat.

"Are you half-asleep, Peter?"

"S-sorry, sir…"

The bespectacled, slightly overweight professor chuckled.
This wasn’t part of a class—I was helping him out.

Mostly just carrying heavy things, that sort of work.

"You’ve got something on your mind, don’t you?"

"Uh… well, yeah."

The Demons. They were eating away at me.
Especially that black haze… that was dangerous.
Even my Spider-Sense kept buzzing about it.

It made me question whether I could really just go on with daily life like this…

"Still fretting over your girlfriend?"

"…Ah, yes, exactly."

I lied lightly.

Michelle would probably handle the Demons somehow.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. was investigating, things shouldn’t get too out of hand.

So yeah, I knew I didn’t need to obsess over it.
I knew that—but still…

"Peter, putting energy into romance is fine, but overdo it and it could ruin you."

"…Is that from personal experience, professor?"

"What? Watch it, you cheeky boy."

We laughed together as I carried a box filled with electronic circuits.
And some machine parts too.

Walking behind him, my eyes suddenly caught on a piece of equipment.

"…Huh? Is that a robotic arm?"

There was a mechanical arm in the lab—something that hadn’t been there the day before yesterday.

"Ah, that? It’s a universal arm I’m researching."

"Universal… not just multi-purpose?"

"I mean truly universal. Something that can do anything."

I liked tinkering with machines.
After all, I built my own web-shooters.

The arm… no, more like several pipes linked together, writhing like tentacles.
At the end was a three-pronged claw.

"Titanium steel. Hard, resilient, difficult to break."

When the professor moved the remote, the arm slithered fluidly, twisting in every direction.
Up, down, left, right—wherever he wanted.

I see. It was even more versatile than a human arm.

"…Amazing. Did you build this yourself, professor?"

"I did. Ultimately, I want it to serve as new limbs for those who’ve lost theirs. That’s the goal."

…That really impressed me.
I’d already respected him—but now, even more so.

"…I’m rooting for you, professor."

"Thank you, Peter. I appreciate that. And I appreciate all the help you always give me."

He smiled warmly.

As I smiled back, my eyes fell on a stack of papers beside the arm.
An instruction manual.

…Neural interface?

Ah, I get it.
So patients missing limbs would control the arm by transmitting brain waves—allowing them to move it freely.

If this worked, so many people could be saved.
It was research for the sake of humanity.

"Alright, Peter. Enough chit-chat. Let’s get back to moving those supplies."

"Ah, yes! Got it!"

I followed behind him.

The Demons still weighed on my mind—but right now, I had to focus on my own life.
I was Spider-Man, yes… but I was also Peter Parker.

For the sake of someone I respected, I had to give it my all.

Slapping my cheeks in my heart to fire myself up, I followed after the professor—
Professor Otto Octavius.

---

It was getting late.

New York shows a different face at night compared to morning and afternoon. From vibrant and lively to… a little more dangerous.

I was sitting on top of a building in my usual red and blue suit. In my hand was a small handheld device.

『Incident reported on 24th Street. Men wearing strange masks have──

I was using it to intercept the police communications.

"…Alright, looks like it’s my turn."

I slipped the device away and dashed across the rooftop. Pushing off the edge, I fired a web. A wide swing, and I was soaring through the air.

At the peak of my height, I cut the webline and fired another. One swing after another, I dashed across the skyscrapers.

Flying through the night sky of New York, bathed in light from street lamps of every color.

From the intercepted chatter, I gathered the culprits were the "Demons." Those black misty weapons of theirs seemed way too much for the police to handle.

I had to move fast, before anyone got hurt──

Suppressing my impatience, I kicked off a wall and accelerated. And then… the scene came into view.

"…Huh?"

Dozens of patrol cars were parked there. But it didn’t feel like a fight was going on.

Masked men in cuffs were being loaded into vehicles.

I landed on the ground, tilting my head.

"Guess I wasn’t invited… better ask around."

As I got closer, I spotted a familiar officer. I’d once saved his grandmother from a mugger. That earned me a little goodwill from him.

"Good evening, officer. What happened here?"

"Save the rubbernecking… oh, it’s you, Spidey."

He sighed when he saw me. Sighing at a guy’s face—or well, mask—that’s rude.

"Some freaky masked guys took over this place. We’ve got ’em in custody now."

"Huh… did they have any of those black misty weapons?"

"Misty…? Oh yeah, we found something like that in the evidence."

"No one got hurt? Those things are pretty dangerous."

"Nah. The worst case was someone getting clocked in the face and breaking his nose."

"Yikes… cops really have it rough."

"The broken nose was one of the suspects."

"Oh, that side. Got it."

With the red lights spinning around us, I gave a wry smile. …But still, how did they take down the Demons? I was curious.

I kind of wanted to check the scene myself. Just as I was thinking that, the officer stepped over the tape.

…I quietly followed. He couldn’t exactly say "Come on in," given the circumstances.

As I walked behind him, his expression grew a little more serious.

"Something wrong?"

"…We’ve got some higher-ups here tonight. If they spot me letting you in, I could catch hell for it."

"Higher-ups?"

"A guest from S.H.I.E.L.D."

Ah, that explains it. Thanks to Michelle’s report, S.H.I.E.L.D. was also moving on the Demons case. Good.

"So that means the ones who actually beat the Demons were──"

"An agent from S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Figures."

I crossed my arms and nodded.

Then we stepped further into the site──

『Sector is 44. Send the evidence over to S.H.I.E.L.D. later. Science division will analyze it. Strict orders: do not touch the seized blade’s edge.』

A voice came through, filtered, electronic, impossible to tell if male or female. Probably an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

But… wait. That voice sounded familiar.

Following the source──

An agent clad in pitch-black armor was giving orders to the police. …Someone I knew.

"Huh? …Eh?"

At my confused voice, the black mask turned my way.

『I knew you’d show up.』

The polished mask reflected my own.

『First time we’ve met like this… or should I say, long time no see, Spider-Man.』

"Mich──"

I nearly said her name out loud──

『Right now, I am Nightcap.』

She cut me off.

『Just as you are called "Spider-Man" in that outfit, I too have a name: "Nightcap."』

"R-right. Sorry."

『Hmph…』

She gave a sharp snort. With her different appearance, tone, and attitude, I was on edge as I continued.

It had been a long while since I’d seen Michelle in work mode. And… well, I’d been beaten senseless by her more than once, so maybe that was making me a little jumpy.

Nightcap—Michelle—cleared away the surrounding officers and began moving deeper into the site alone. Flustered, I hurried after her.

"Uh, so… what happened? Why are you here?"

『…If you want details, there isn’t much to say. The Demons case was reported to S.H.I.E.L.D., and I was the one dispatched to handle it. That’s all.』

"H-huh…"

Michelle came to a stop.

『Not happy, are you?』

"Eh, no… I don’t mean it like that…"

『No, you are unhappy. You didn’t want me directly involved in the case.』

"That’s not—… well, yeah, maybe a little."

…She hit the nail on the head. For this case, I didn’t want her getting too close to the one behind the Demons. Those black mist weapons are dangerous.

If they can hurt me, then they could hurt her too… and that worries me.

『…You’re kind. But──』

It’s only natural to not want someone you care about to be in danger. But she clearly didn’t appreciate it.

『Spider-Man… listen carefully.』

"O-okay."

『I am here of my own will. I fight, putting myself in danger, so I can help people.』

She slapped me on the shoulder. Pretty hard, too.

『Don’t deny that. Acknowledge that I, too, can help people. Please.』

"……"

Inside my mask, my eyes went wide.

She was right. Wanting to keep her away from danger was just me being selfish. She’s the same as me.

She wants to help people, hates seeing others hurt. She’s trying to fulfill her "great responsibility," so she won’t live with regrets.

…Yeah. We’re the same, she and I.

I never quit when told to stop. So I shouldn’t tell her to quit, either.

"Alright. Got it, Miche──"

『It’s Nightcap.』

"…Sorry. I’ll be more careful."

『See that you do.』

Names carry meaning. If she chooses to call herself "Nightcap," I’ll respect it. It must hold something she won’t compromise on.

…But I’m still not used to it. No, that’s just an excuse. I’ll just have to watch myself.

I stood by her side──

"So then… does that mean you’ll fight with me?"

『Of course. Didn’t I say yesterday, I’d "help as much as I can"?』

She clasped my hand.

Her outfit, her voice, even her name were different now. But… yeah, the hand I felt was firm, and unmistakably hers.

In private, we always supported each other. But this—working as heroes together—this was our first time.

"Then let me say it properly. Nice to be working with you… Nightcap."

『Ah… same here, Spider-Man.』

Behind my mask, I smiled. I wondered… was she smiling too? If so, that would make me happy.

『At least for now, don’t think of me as someone you need to protect.』

"…In that case, we’re partners. I’ll be counting on you."

『…Yeah. Count on me.』

Even with our faces hidden, even without touching bare skin, it felt like… our hearts were connected.

We walked through the site. Splintered wood and shattered glass were everywhere.

Then she spoke.

『Sorry, about earlier.』

"Huh? What for?"

Her sudden apology made me tilt my head.

『I came off harsh… cold, even. Not very charming… so, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t think less of me.』

…Well, she wasn’t wrong. Her usual femininity was nowhere to be seen. Her behavior, her look—it was all different.

"Yeah. I mean, sure, I think you’re ‘cuter’ as your usual self."

『…I see.』

Her normal self probably is "cuter." But──

"That’s not the only reason I like you. I like who you are right now, too."

That kindness, that strength—her determination to help others. That’s part of why I like her.

It’s not just that I like the usual Michelle. It’s that I like the usual Michelle too.

That was the one thing I wanted her to know.

『……I see.』

Hearing my words, Michelle turned her masked face aside.

Maybe I’d laid it on too thick. Maybe she was exasperated.

Even so, I matched her stride and kept walking by her side.