Chapter 100: Death of Redcap - part 2

A shockwave blasts out from my gauntlet. It slams straight into that weird-ass robot and sends it flying.

…And I’ve been doing this over and over.

"…Tch!"

The small battery loaded in the gauntlet pops out—empty. I reach for my belt and grab the last one.

…Shit. Just firing like this isn’t gonna work. My shockwaves can’t take it down. What, is its body absorbing the impact or something? I’ve hit it that many times and it doesn’t have a single scratch… Must mean it’s resistant to shock and vibration. Should’ve realized that sooner, but…

I hear a noise. The robot’s trying to stand back up.

This thing’s a bad matchup for me. A goddamn awful matchup.

I slot the battery into my gauntlet and take off running—in the opposite direction, just to put some distance between us.

I needed a breather.

Dammit! I’ve been running nonstop today! My breathing’s wrecked, my throat hurts, and my lungs feel like hell! Guess this is what I get for never exercising. Should’ve cut back on booze and smokes too!

Ah, whatever. Thinking about it now won’t change shit.

The robot finally stands all the way up and thrusts out its right hand. It glows red… and launches a fireball.

…The hell!? So much for keeping my distance! What, am I so exhausted I can’t think straight anymore!?

"Son of a bitch!"

I spin around and thrust out one gauntlet. Squeeze the trigger—another shockwave bursts forth. It snuffs out the flames and knocks the robot back down.

Of course, it still doesn’t take a damn bit of damage.

"…But still."

I’m almost out of juice in these gauntlets. So instead, I charge toward the robot.

I fiddle with both gauntlets, cranking up the output.

"I don’t hate… a gamble."

One shot at this level… and the gauntlets will probably break apart.

I’d been planning to hold back, keep them for later. But I don’t need to anymore. I don’t have to be the one to save that girl.

Saving a kid’s not something a villain does… That’s what heroes are for.

Spider-Man—I hate the guy, but I trust him. He’s a real hero. Dumb as hell, reckless, green as grass… but his heart’s in the right place.

So I don’t need to hold anything back here. I can leave the rest to him.

I hold down the button to prime the gauntlets. They vibrate, leaking light—proof the energy’s at saturation point.

I keep running straight at the robot. If I’m too far, it won’t finish the job. I have to get close. Blast it point-blank. That’s the only formula for winning here.

The robot raises its arm again—launches another fireball.

It fired!

But the gauntlets can’t defend me right now. I’ll have to deal with this barehanded.

If it hits me… I’m dead on the spot. Boiled and melted into sludge.

I’m scared. But I can’t let that stop me.

I’ve nearly died more than once, and he’s pulled me out of it each time. So if it’s for him, I’ll risk my life. Not that I plan on dying.

I dive to the right. I can’t dodge cool like Spider-Man with his flips and acrobatics. I stumble, clumsy, dirty… practically falling into the dive.

The fireball sails over my head and slams into a wall. Even through the suit I can feel the heat.

"Heh, lousy aim!"

I force my knees under me and aim both arms at the robot. It turns its gaze toward me—but too late.

"Break apart!"

The moment I release the button, sparks fly from both gauntlets. The saturated energy collides, detonating with a crack.

A shockwave erupts, spiraling from both arms and twisting into a tornado. It rips up concrete, shatters glass from surrounding buildings, and plows forward.

The robot doesn’t dodge. It takes the shockwave head-on… and its body lifts into the air.

Then—split right in two. From the shoulder down through the waist, ripped diagonally apart.

"Serves you right…"

Inside the gauntlet, I flip it the middle finger.

The robot’s torn body gets hurled back down, smashing into the ground, tearing up the concrete floor, and collapsing in a heap.

I drop down, gasping. My arms—shit, they’re done for. Probably broken. You try firing an oversized shell from a flimsy cannon—what happens? The barrel blows apart. Same deal here.

…Oh, and I twisted my leg dodging earlier too. Hurts like hell.

About to collapse myself, I look back at the robot.

That eye was still glowing.

"...What!?"

It hasn’t shut down yet!? Just how tough is this piece of shit!?

The arm that was barely hanging onto its body turned toward me.

Shit, shit, dodge—

My legs won’t move. I can’t stand.

The gauntlet’s out of energy. …No, worse than that. Firing it at full output wrecked the damn thing.

The robot’s arm began to glow red.

Crap, I’m really gonna die—

Immediately after, something dropped onto the robot. For a split second, I saw it—a sphere, glowing orange.

"Huh?"

It exploded.

The built-up heat inside the robot burst out, slamming against my suit.

The robot’s already-busted arm tore off and went flying. Its glowing eye dimmed, and it collapsed to the ground.

What had fallen was a bomb. …But who dropped it?

When I lifted my gaze, I saw a brat riding something like a flying skateboard, clad in green armor plating.

"You okay!?"

Coming down while shouting that was… oh, goddamn it. The little bastard who stabbed me once before. Harry Osborn.

"If this looks ‘okay’ to you… your eyes must be rotting…"

"…Looks like you’ll live."

Harry folded his arms and snorted. …That smug attitude pissed me off.

Then I glanced behind me—and froze.

It was those heroes I’d seen back during the Sinister Six mess, walking straight this way.

That guy. The kung-fu freak with occult powers.
That musclehead with skin like stone.
Daredevil.
…What, the flying lady detective’s off duty?

That crew… what were they called again? The Defenders?

"Tch… all of you crawling out of the woodwork…"

"Sp–Spider-Man was transmitting his coordinates in real time… we got your location through him as well."

"…Ah, figures."

Feeling the cold concrete beneath me, I let out a sigh.

…Damn it. So in the end, it’s all thanks to that spider punk. Really ticks me off.

"So? You guys here to chase after the spider punk?"

"No…"

"Huh? Then what the hell did you come for?"

That’s when I heard it—the sound of jets.

I tore my eyes off the brat and turned around.

The sound was coming from the direction Spider-Man had run off to. And it wasn’t just one or two. Layer upon layer of jet engines.

When I squinted, I saw them. A swarm of robots flying this way. The jet noise came from them.

"…The hell?"

Can you blame me for blurting out in shock?

I’d pushed myself to the limit… and even then, I couldn’t beat just one of those things. Now there were too many to count.

But while I gawked, Harry Osborn beside me was surprised, sure, but nowhere near panicked.

I couldn’t figure out how the brat was staying so calm, and glared at him.

"Oi… you saying you came here to fight that?"

"That’s right."

Makes sense—it’s that bad. Bad enough that chasing after the spider punk isn’t even an option.

But… if I’m being honest—

"This ain’t enough. Look at those robots. No way in hell this is enough."

The Defenders… how many robots per head? Surrounded and pummeled, and that’s it. No way they can win.

"It’s fine. We’re not the only ones here."

"Huh? You got other allies—"

At those words, I tilted my head in confusion—

The very next moment, a round disk slammed into one of the flying robots. Its neck was severed clean, and the machine crashed to the ground. The disk bounced back up into the air.

"Th—that’s…"

I watched it as it spun through the sky… no, not just any disk. A shield.

Red and blue, with a white star. A design like the Stars and Stripes turned into a weapon.

And I… I recognized it. Recognized it all too damn well. So much it made me sick.

---

A hole opened in the chest of the robot coming at me. It fell straight to the ground… and shattered with a loud crash.

I turned around. My heart was pounding, ringing like a bell.

Red and gold—an armored suit. But it looked more refined than the one I’d seen before. Boosters flared, keeping it afloat.

"St–Stark!"

Iron Man… Tony Stark. He cut the boosters on his back, angled his repulsors downward, and looked at me.

『Sorry, the meeting dragged on… but heroes are supposed to arrive late, right?』

He landed, cracking the concrete floor beneath him.

『Evacuation, traffic control requests… there was a lot. Well, it went smoothly thanks to your friends. They relayed precise positions early on.』

"Ah… so that’s why…"

Even if it was late at night, the reason New York had looked so deserted… it was because of that.

Stark laughed as he approached, placing a hand on my shoulder.

『Hm… you’re in pretty rough shape, bleeding too.』

"Yeah…"

His tone was almost gentle, offering comfort. I didn’t know why he came here… but right now, I felt I could truly rely on him.

He kept his hand on my shoulder.

『Leave the rest to me. Why don’t you rest here?』

"…No."

I shook my head.

『No one would complain if you did, you know?』

"Even so—

No matter how beaten up I am, I can’t just lie down here.

"I… I still have someone I need to save."

『I see. Got it… J.A.R.V.I.S.!』

He called for the AI J.A.R.V.I.S. …but nothing happened.

I tilted my head.

"Um, Stark?"

『I’m glad it won’t go to waste… your graduation gift.』

"Graduation…?"

『High school, beginner’s mark, whatever works… I just needed an excuse, you get me?』

"Uh? Ah, yeah…?"

『Then good.』

Right then, I noticed something falling. It cut through the cloudy sky, plummeting straight down.

…Was it launched from one of Stark’s satellites?

『You’ve grown a lot while I wasn’t looking. You’re a full-fledged hero now. And a full-fledged hero deserves full-fledged gear.』

So his order to J.A.R.V.I.S. was to launch that thing…? But what exactly—

『Also, if you’re gonna keep this hero thing up… you’ve gotta wear a mask. Hide your face. Isn’t that right?』

In that moment, the falling object shifted trajectory toward me. It was a red-and-gold mass of metal, the same colors as Iron Man.

"Uh, wait—"

『Relax, have I ever done anything dangerous?』

"Eh…? You have, though."

Plenty of times, actually.

Stark scratched his cheek. Pointless, since it was over armor.

『False memory. I haven’t.』

The moment I opened my mouth to argue, the "thing" crashed into me.

"Uwah!?"

But there was no impact. It molded like clay, wrapping around me. It shifted shape, covering my broken suit. The metallic clay reinforced torn parts, reshaping as it spread.

Functions restored, my mask’s OS rebooted. Blue lines flashed across my vision. White tracings formed an interface.

My sight cleared.

"Uh…"

That was nanomachines. The same kind as the suit I wore… but different from before.

"This is…"

I looked down at myself, raising a hand. My usual suit… but lined with gold. The spider emblem was edged in gold.

Red and gold. Like Iron Man’s armor.

Yet accented with blue and black. A fusion between Spider-Man’s suit and Iron Man’s.

『Upgrade complete. Integrated Suit. Multi-function, high-performance, new systems… a suit optimized with data from all the experience you’ve gained.』

Various applications appeared across my vision.

『And the main feature—built-in jamming function.』

"Jamming function?"

Stark turned his face toward me. His mask’s eyes glowed pale blue.

『I know most of what’s going on… do you know she’s got a bomb strapped to her heart?』

I gasped. He meant Michelle.

"Yeah… I found out just now."

『This suit’s jamming device interferes with its detonation.』

"…Eh?"

It was exactly what I wanted most. I couldn’t help but look at Stark.

His mask shifted slightly under my gaze. …No doubt he was grinning smugly beneath the armor.

『A micro pulse is generated, canceling out and neutralizing the psychic waves emitted by the mutant──』

Stark glanced at me.

『Well, to sum it up: “As long as you’re within a 200-meter radius of her, the bombs will be neutralized.”』

"Mr. Stark…!"

I couldn’t help but stand up. My body ached.

"Ow, damn it!"

『…Once this is over, make sure you get yourself properly checked at a hospital, alright?』

The suit was new, but my body wasn’t healed yet.

"B-but… those robots…?"

I looked up at the swarm of robots flying overhead. Each one had incredible power. Even for Stark, that number was overwhelming.

『Ah, those?』

Stark chuckled.

『I’m not the only one who came here. So it’s fine.』

The next instant, a thunderous roar shook the air. It sounded like a lightning strike—no, lightning itself struck the robots directly.

"Ah…"

A hammer wreathed in lightning pierced through a robot. It defied the laws of physics, flying freely through the sky.

『Don’t forget—I belong to a team. The strongest team of heroes there is.』

A massive green body shot through the air like a bullet, grabbing a robot and slamming it into the ground. For good measure, it smashed the fallen robot with a brutal punch.

A red-clad witch released a beam of light. The robot exploded midair, its pieces raining down.

Suddenly, a giant appeared on a robot’s back and slammed it into the ground. He hadn’t been there a moment ago… it was like he had grown instantly.

A black Iron Man suit unleashed a hail of Gatling gunfire at a robot, riddling it with holes and blasting it away.

A woman glowing with radiant light flew through the sky, knocking robots aside. Blinding beams shot from her hands, melting the robots’ armor.

I recognized it. The sight of heroes in action.

『Now then, Peter. The heroes are all here… anything you want to say?』

Beneath my mask, my eyes welled up.

"Thank you… Mr. Stark."

The very meaning of heroes—those who break through hopeless situations… the joy of having comrades who come to your aid—it was overwhelming. I couldn’t help but feel moved.

I wasn’t alone. There were so many people willing to help her. And that made me so happy.

『…Hm?』

My words of gratitude didn’t seem to sit right with Stark. He tilted his head.

『Ah—Peter, no, no. That’s not what I meant.』

"Eh… what do you mean?"

『When all the heroes gather, there’s something you’re supposed to say, right? Now’s your chance. C’mon, you know, that thing.』

"…That thing?"

『Yeah, the one that starts with “A.” A… Aaa… Hurry up, or else──』

Before Stark could finish, a commotion erupted in the direction where Herman was.

And then, Captain America’s voice rang out:

"Avengers! Assemble!"

At that call, the assault on the robots intensified. Light streaked across the midnight sky over New York.

The world’s hope—the mightiest team of heroes. The Avengers had assembled.

While I was still spacing out, Stark folded his arms and let out a sigh.

『Ah, Peter… that was your chance to say it, you know? And you blew it.』

"Ah, uh… yeah, I guess so?"

It wasn’t like I really wanted to say it anyway. Honestly, the one who can pull off “that line” best is the Captain. For me to say it… it feels presumptuous, like I don’t have the right.

I gave a wry smile under my mask—then felt a light thump on my back. Stark had patted me.

『Alright, feeling less tense now?』

"…Yeah!"

That whole exchange just now… it was all to cheer me up.

…And it worked. Strength welled up inside me again. Hope filled my chest.

Seeing that, Stark nodded in satisfaction. Then he pointed to himself.

『Okay, here’s how this goes. We take down the bad guys and save the world.』

Next, he pointed at me.

『And you go save your girlfriend.』

"…Right."

He opened his hand toward me, meeting my eyes.

『The right person for the right job. Any hero can save the world… but only you can save that girl.』

"…I know."

His hand rested on my shoulder.

『Good. Then get fired up. Normally I hate spouting pep-talk clichés, but this is different. You’re a full-fledged hero now… so go out there and make it happen.』

"Yes, sir! Thank you…!"

With that, I turned to run after Michelle—

『Come on, hurry! Swing over there like you always do, and get to your princess… uh, wait, what are you doing?』

Stark frowned at me as I started to run instead of swinging on my webs.

I glanced back. …Yeah, not the coolest look.

He seemed to catch on, sighing again as he looked at me.

『…Fine, I’ll take you myself. But from now on, always carry some spare web cartridges, got it?』

"…Sorry."

With that, Stark slipped his hands under my arms and fired up the jets on his back.

---

I was looking at the sky.
…Standing on the roof of a wrecked car on the bridge, left behind by the aftermath of battle, I simply looked upward.

Light streaked across the dim, clouded night sky.

Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, War Machine…

The heroes I had once admired so dearly were striking down villains before my eyes.

I watched as a shattered robot crashed into the ground.

…It was a weapon built by the Organization.
Wherever they had been hiding it, it didn’t matter. Backed into a corner, they must have deployed it in desperation.

But even so—it was meaningless.

Against the Avengers… utterly meaningless.

Even a single ray of hope burns bright enough to sear the eyes. Gathered together, those lights became one blazing spear, piercing through evil.

…Yes.
This world was a comic book world.

Evil would be vanquished.
By the hand of justice.

“…Ah.”

The sound slipped from me.

I wanted to die.
But not pointlessly—I wanted a death with meaning.

I wanted to believe that the lives I had taken up until now hadn’t been wasted—that they had meant something.

And yet… even if I did nothing, evil would fall. By the heroes’ hands.

I had so much stolen from me… and I had stolen so much from others.

And now, even the reason to die has been stolen from me.

It’s cruel.
Utterly cruel.

This is… unbearable.

The mask’s visor was stained with blood, the world blurry.
And yet the radiance of the heroes burned my eyes.

That light… was too bright.
I couldn’t endure it.

…The car I had been standing on was self-driving.
No one else was here. Alone on the bridge, I stared at the light as if gazing at the stars.

…Then came the sound of something landing.

Red and gold—Iron Man soared overhead, casting a glance at me.
Then he shot forward, toward where I had been heading… toward the place where the boss waited.

I stepped down from the car roof and turned around.

『…You really don’t give up, do you, Spider-Man.』

"I’m stubborn like that."

His suit was different from when I last saw him.
Stark’s handiwork, no doubt. He could barely stand, and yet here he was.

Beneath that fresh suit he had to be covered in cuts and bruises.

Even so—

『…Why won’t you let me die?』

"Michelle."

I let the knife in my hand fall.

I couldn’t fight him anymore.
Not even pretend to.

I had broken.
My heart had broken before the knife did.

『All I wanted… was a death with meaning.』

To atone for the lives I had taken.
To prove, even a little, that their deaths had not been in vain.

『And you would take even that from me…?』

My brother’s life…

Even if he wished for me to live happily, I couldn’t do it.

『…Tell me, Spider-Man.』

I couldn’t bear it.
The guilt pierced too deeply.

『What should I do…?』

I wanted to run away.
From this guilt, from reality, from the world itself.

The Spider-Man before me—Peter—made a show of thinking, then looked straight at me.

We both wore masks, but our gazes crossed all the same.

"I don’t know."

The answer he gave… no, it wasn’t an answer at all.

"I don’t know what you should do."

『…I see.』

My gaze dropped—

"But…"

I lifted my head.

Spider-Man touched his chest.
The mask came off, and his true face was revealed.

"I don’t want you to die. I don’t want you to disappear."

Scratches ran along his cheek.
Blood trickled from a small cut on his head.

It hurt to even look at him.

Because I was the one who gave him those wounds.

『…No. I can’t. I’m a sinner. I’ve killed people.』

So many… I had killed so many, selfishly.
That’s why I had no right to live.

"If you feel guilty… if you really can’t bear it… then I’ll carry half that burden with you."

Peter’s eyes glistened with moisture.

"If it hurts so much you’d rather die… then I’ll be the one to comfort you. I’ll stay with you. I’ll remind you that it’s okay to live. And if you want to make amends… then I’ll go with you to apologize."

『…Spider-Man…』

"If you’re going to get hit, then I’ll be hit alongside you. If something needs fixing, I’ll help rebuild it…"

Both our hands clenched tight.
Neither reaching out to the other—
just holding onto our own helplessness.

"So don’t run away. Dying won’t atone for anything… Live, and make it right. I’ll be there, struggling beside you."

Tears spilled down Peter’s face.

…And I—

『Peter… but the bomb—』

"That’s… Stark already took care of it. As long as you’re near me, it won’t go off."

『If I stay alive, enemies from all over the world will come—』

"I’ll beat them. Whatever tries to hurt you, I’ll protect you from it."

…Peter doesn’t know about my memories.
He doesn’t realize how dangerous they are.

But even if I explained… I knew his answer wouldn’t change.
The time I’d spent with him had shown me that.

Even in the face of global disaster… he would never abandon a single person.

『Let me tell you… about my old memories.』

"…Memories?"

I couldn’t keep them from him any longer.

『Once… there was a man who loved comics.』

I began to speak.
A blurred, half-forgotten memory.
Something I’d carried with me since before I was born into this world.

『That man loved heroes. His favorite… was Spider-Man.』

"…Me?"

『Yes. The hero who never bowed to evil, who stood back up again and again. The man admired him deeply.』

A hero beloved across the world.
A hero I loved as well.

『But one day, that man died. Suddenly, without warning.』

"…That’s…"

『And then, before he knew it… he was a woman.』

Peter looked at me with confusion.
…Ah. He still hasn’t realized.

『In a world he thought was just a comic, he had become a woman.』

Peter’s eyes stayed fixed on me.
In them, the reflection of my bloodstained mask.

『That woman… is me.』

"…What?"

His eyes trembled.

『I perceived this world as if it were a comic. And because of that perception… I knew things no one should have known.』

"…"

He couldn’t even speak.
…Would he hate me for this?

"I knew you were Spider-Man from the moment we met. Even when I’d already fallen… even when I was an enemy… shamefully, I still wanted to stay close to you."

I pulled off my mask.
…What kind of face was I making now?

I didn’t know.

"And yet, somehow… just being with you, Peter, made me happy. Even though I never deserved it."

My vision blurred.
My gaze fell before I could stop it.

"I kept making excuses, convincing myself I was forgiven… lying… I don’t even know if I’m really a woman, if I’m really anything at all, but—"

My voice cracked.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Peter’s face.

"I’m the worst, the lowest, a piece of trash. You must be disgusted with—"

He pulled me into a fierce embrace.

"I’m not disgusted with you."

The hold was strong—so strong I could feel it through the armor.

"…Peter."

"I could never hate you. Not for this. Not for anything."

His scarred, battered face was right beside mine.

"But… I was a man, before…"

"Even if that’s true… it doesn’t make me stop caring about you. It doesn’t change how I feel."

"But… but—"

The suit between us was reinforced with vibranium.
It shouldn’t have carried any warmth.

And yet—

"Come home with me. If there’s more you want to say… then tell me. Tell me, Gwen, Ned, Harry—we’ll all listen."

Warmth spread through me. Not through skin, but from somewhere deeper—my chest, my heart.

"Peter…"

Tears welled up again.

"It’ll be okay. Whatever comes next, we’ll figure it out together."

My breath hitched.

I had wanted to die so badly.
But now, the knots in my chest were loosening.
One by one, all the reasons I’d clung to for dying were falling away.

A sound escaped my throat.

"Do I… do I really get to live… to stay with you…?"

"You don’t need qualifications to live. Or… would you rather not be with me, or Gwen, or Ned, or Harry?"

…Those were the same words he’d said once before.
The morning after the day I’d wounded him.

"…Ah… ahh… aahh…"

The emotions I’d tried so hard to keep buried burst free at last.

The tears wouldn’t stop.

"I… P-Peter… I…"

"It’s okay. I’ll be with you. I’ll make sure you don’t have to suffer alone anymore."

"Aah… ahh…"

"I’ll stay with you. Always."

He held me tighter, his hand rubbing my back.
The suit should have dulled it, but the comfort came through all the same.

We had spent so much time together.
Only a single year, really.

But it was the happiest year of my life.

Tinkerer—my brother.
The year he started, the year I built alongside my friends.

A year I should have let go.

A year filled with love, and memories.
A year that now pulled me back from the edge of death.

And so the tears came again, unstoppable.

.

.

.

How long had we been like this?

My surroundings had blurred away, and before I realized it, even the robots that should have been in the sky were gone. The heroes must have defeated them.

My tears and my voice had stopped… and Peter and I finally let go of each other.

"Michelle…"

Peter looked like he wanted to say something… struggling to find the right words.

He had looked so cool before, yet right now he seemed almost unreliable. But that hesitation was his kindness—he didn’t want to hurt me.

And that made me feel an unbearable tenderness toward him.

"…It’s okay. I’m not thinking about dying anymore."

"…I see. I’m glad."

Peter sank to the ground, exhausted. These past few days… they must have been so hard. Because of me.

"…I’m sorry, Peter."

"It’s fine… this is just a fight between us."

He really did look tired. I hadn’t slept either, and even standing on my feet was painful.

Peter gave me a faint smile. Seeing his smile again after so long… made my heart skip.

"A fight…?"

"Yeah… Michelle, you and I never fought before, but… you know how they say, after you fight and make up, you end up even closer than before?"

"…Do you think so?"

I leaned back against the bridge railing. …With the armor being so heavy, it felt like the railing might actually snap if I really put my weight on it.

"Of course. So… don’t worry about it. I did all of this because I wanted to."

Because he wanted to… wanted to, huh.

…Wanted.

I like Peter. That much is undeniable.

We had kissed, yes.

But… I don’t think I’ve actually said the words out loud yet.

"Peter."

"What is it, Michelle?"

…Peter likes me. He told me so earnestly, again and again. I wanted to return those feelings.

With that thought, I looked at Peter… and opened my mouth.

"…I… I also… about you, Peter, I lo—

.

.

.

A ringing filled my ears.

"Ah… eh?"

Something hot spilled from my mouth.

I pressed my hand against it.

Blood.

It overflowed. My life was overflowing, slipping away.

Blood… why?

My chest felt unbearably hot.

My heart hurt.

It felt like something had burst. Like it had been torn to shreds.

Why? Peter said… Iron Man said the bomb was taken care of.

"Michelle…? Why…!?"

Peter was saying something right in front of me.

I couldn’t hear him.

My hands and feet went numb.

The blood wasn’t reaching them anymore.

This was cruel.

When I wanted to die, I couldn’t.

But when I wanted to live, that’s when I was dying.

Too cruel.

The railing at my back gave way.

I swayed, lost my footing, and slipped backwards.

"Ah…"

And then, I fell.

Down beneath the bridge.

Into the river.

A fitting end for a sinner.

And yet… in that moment, I found myself wishing I could live just a little longer.

That lingering attachment was born.

And so, this must be… my punishment.

Reaching for an ideal, only to have my waxen wings torn away… the fate of a fool.

"Michelle!"

…Something wrapped around me, holding me tight.

Through my blurry vision, I saw his face.

Peter.

The one who came to love me—my ideal.

The one I came to love—my ideal.

I’m sorry.

I’ve caused you such pain.

So, I’m sorry.

Peter.

I’m sorry.

We were falling.

Together.

Just like that.

We plunged into the river below.