Chapter 101: Death of Redcap - part 3

I hurled the shield, cleaving off a robot’s head.
Twisting the throttle of my bike, I accelerated.

I raised my hand, catching the returning shield without losing speed.

Missiles exploded overhead.
The blast rang in my ears.

…It feels like a battlefield.
Familiar, but not something I’d ever call welcome.

Peace is a wonderful thing.
Conflict… I don’t enjoy it.

But if there’s something worth protecting, then fighting is necessary.
That is what it means to be a soldier.

And those who can continue fighting like that—people call them heroes.

I am called a hero.
Then I must live up to that name.

Redcap.
That’s the girl’s name. Her brother betrayed the organization, the Unseelie Court, to save her.

And him… I was informed by Spider-Man’s friend that he has already passed away.

…Do the wishes of the dead simply end with their deaths?

No. That’s not true.
As long as there are people to inherit those wishes and push them forward… they will not stop.

His wish—we will inherit it.

Racing across the bridge to my hometown… my serum-enhanced vision caught sight of two figures, a boy and a girl.

The two were embracing.
The girl was crying.

Even dressed in a black armored suit, clutching a bloodied mask, she was crying just like any other teenager.
And in her arms, holding her tightly, was the one in red—Spider-Man.

With his mask off, he stroked her back, trying to comfort her. The two held each other close.

“…Good.”

The word slipped out before I realized.

I didn’t slow the bike.
So my voice probably didn’t reach them.

But still, it was good.

I’d heard how much effort he had put into saving her.
That he’d been her friend, sharing her private life.

So seeing her saved… from the bottom of my heart, I felt it was good.
I could truly rejoice.

But my feet don’t stop.
The bike doesn’t stop.

The ones who hurt her… the ones who hurt others.
The ones who will keep hurting someone, again and again.

There’s no way I could forgive that.
To prevent anyone else from ending up like her, I will strike down evil.

It’s his job to stroke her back.
Our job… the job of adults, is to create a better society.

For those villains, there’s no place to live in this country.

I glance at the bike I’m riding.
…A bike tuned by Tony Stark.

Not some high-tech marvel.
If anything, it’s vintage.

The Avengers Tower was once Stark Industries’ headquarters.
In its basement were cars and bikes from his private collection.

I borrowed one from there.

With permission, of course.
Though he did point at me and say, “If you wreck it, you’re paying for it.”

I hurled my shield again.
It ricocheted, piercing through the chest of a robot overhead.

Crossing the bridge, I sped straight into the city.
What came into view was a derelict warehouse, built of brick.

According to Tinkerer, that’s the headquarters of the Unseelie Court.

…To think they had a base hidden in the middle of the city—I question their sanity.

I stopped the bike and kept watch of my surroundings.

…Is Tony already inside?
Strange, I don’t hear any sounds.

I raised my gaze and saw shattered glass.
Did Tony enter from there?

I stood before the door… and sliced through the lock with my shield.
Then pushed it open.

The rusted hinges groaned.

Peeking inside… I saw exposed concrete walls and floors, worn and filthy.

No one was there.

“…Clear.”

I raised my shield, moving forward cautiously.
Looking at the grime underfoot, I could tell the path where people regularly passed.

“……”

I silenced even my breath and footsteps, advancing quickly.

That’s when I saw a door with its handle bent out of shape.
Half-open. I pushed it and stepped inside.

The floor had been cut open into a perfect square hole, as if sliced by an overly sharp blade.

“…Tony, huh.”

I loosened my guard slightly, letting out a sigh.

From the start, we had decided only a small number of us would infiltrate the enemy’s facility.

Among the data leaked by Tinkerer, there had been mention of a weapon called “Sentinel.”
The other Avengers were called to deal with those.

So this was all within expectations.

Iron Man and Captain America.
It was decided the two of us would infiltrate the facility.

I dropped down through the square opening.

Deeper than expected—I fell several meters, angling my shield beneath me as I landed.
The vibranium shield absorbed the shock, letting me touch down unharmed.

…I looked around.

“Another underground…”

When I first learned there were countless tunnels beneath New York, I was astonished.

Do villains really prefer the underground?
…From the standpoint of avoiding eyes, I suppose it makes sense.

…I strained my ears.

The grinding of metal.
The sound of Tony’s armor.

I ran toward it.

On the way, I passed by wrecked machines.
Like mounted guns… turret drones.

I kept running—until I saw a pale blue light.

"Tony!"

I threw my shield.
It passed by Tony, who had just turned around, and smashed through a humanoid robot.

It seemed these robots were lower performance than the ones above ground.

『Captain… could you not startle me like that?』

"No, but—"

I almost argued back, but this wasn’t the time for bickering.
So I decided to yield.

"…I’ll keep that in mind."

『Do that.』

Tony raised one hand—unleashing a blast of light.
It blew away a robot that had been sneaking up behind me, destroying it.

…I had already noticed its presence despite the silence.
But I’d left it alone, knowing Stark would deal with it.

『That makes us even.』

Tony Stark hates being in someone’s debt.
So this was a necessary “overlooking” for the sake of smooth teamwork.

…Well, Tony has probably figured out what I was thinking, but leaving things unsaid is part of communication between adults.

"…Let’s move on."

『Yeah, no need to tell me.』

Tony’s armor flared, lifting him into flight.
I ran close behind.

Now and then, traps triggered, but we smashed through them and pressed forward.

"Tony, do you know where the boss is?"

『I’ve already scanned the entire facility. There’s a large chamber with a device capable of transmitting the signal to trigger their bombs… that’s where he’ll be.』

I swung my shield, crushing a robot.
Tony followed up with a blast of light, finishing it.

"…These things are built different from the ones above ground."

『Sentinels, wasn’t it? Must be a pain to manufacture.』

Tony kicked one back and I cut it apart with my shield.

The “Sentinels”… robots we’d heard about from Tinkerer’s intel.
Supposedly, each one was a weapon capable of destroying an entire city.

And they were building multiple of them… The Unseelie Court was clearly a dire threat.
On top of that, performing human experiments on underage boys and girls—such disregard for ethics made them all the more dangerous.

"Or maybe… they’re using them as ‘materials.’"

『Heh. That’s not a bad angle. Could even be connected to those bizarre psychic-like powers we’ve seen.』

After leaving a trail of scrap behind us, we finally reached the doors to the large chamber.

I was about to check inside—

『Step back, Captain.』

"What are—"

The shoulder of Tony’s armor opened, launching a missile.
A micro-missile, small but deadly.

It struck the doors head-on, blowing them apart.
I raised my shield to block the blast—and shot Tony a glare.

"Next time, a warning first?"

『I did warn you.』

Tony showed no hint of remorse. I sighed.
He probably trusted I’d be able to react, but… it’s still hell on my heart.

He kicked aside the scorched, twisted door, and I stepped in after him.

Inside—

『Quite a sight.』

"Yeah."

Even someone as unversed in machines as I am could tell.

The walls were embedded with technology far beyond modern science.
Strings of numbers and graphs I couldn’t make sense of at a glance.

Shifting my gaze… I looked to the master of this room.

The man sat in a chair.
Positioned directly opposite the entrance.

He wore a purple cloak, almost religious in its aura, over green clothing.

For someone I’d heard was from the future, his clothes seemed oddly outdated.

But that impression lasted only until I looked at his head.

The man wore something like a purple cylinder.
Metallic, gleaming with a polished sheen.
Six eye-like devices were embedded in it, glowing a dull yellow.

The moment "he" registered our presence, he shifted the way his legs were crossed.

"Welcome, Iron Man. And Captain—"

A blast of light struck the man full in the face.

"Tony!?"

I turned toward my ally who had fired.
I couldn’t see what expression he wore beneath the armor, but without looking at me, he spoke.

『Cut the theatrics. That can’t be your real body.』

"His real body…?"

I looked back at the man again.

The head was gone.
But no blood flowed from the severed neck.

"…An L.M.D.—Life Model Decoy."

『Exactly, Captain. The nerve of this bastard.』

Tony stepped forward.

Instantly, the monitors lining the chamber lit up with a purple glow.
Simplified human-like faces appeared on the screens.

『How cruel of you, Iron Man.』

The voice came from everywhere at once.
The same voice as before—the man’s voice.

『If you think that, then why not show yourself?』

Stark snapped back, irritation clear in his tone.

『I already have. That form you saw—was what I looked like, back when I still had a flesh-and-blood body.』

"…Had a body?"

I frowned in suspicion.

The voice addressed me directly.

『Captain America… it’s simple. The place you stand in now—this facility itself—that is me.』

My eyes narrowed.

Something like Arnim Zola.
A scientist who had transferred his mind into machines, gaining a twisted kind of immortality. There was precedent.

Tony, meanwhile, was already scanning the surrounding machinery.
…Then I would stall for him.

"What are you?"

『Hmm, what am I…? That’s a rather philosophical question.』

The voice echoed as though pondering.

『Some call me “god,” “the ruler,” “Rama-Tut,” “the immortal,” “the conqueror”… ah, lately it’s been “Oberon,” hasn’t it? Yes… many names. But—』

I furrowed my brow.

『Call me Nathaniel Richards, if you like.』

"…Is that your real name?"

『Long ago, some did call me that.』

Just talking to him made my head ache.
What I wanted more than anything was to smash every last machine in this facility.

『But… you’re merciless as well.』

"I show no mercy to villains."

『Oh? I wasn’t talking about myself… I meant them. The girls.』

"The girls…?"

The girls… Could he mean the other agents of the organization, aside from Redcap?

No—wait.

They weren’t harmed… but then, why hadn’t we encountered them?
The members of this organization should have been here.
So why hadn’t we seen a single one?

A sinking premonition hit me.

『Hm, you hadn’t realized? The “Bio-Sentinels” you’ve been fighting… those are modified versions of the anti-mutant weapons mass-produced in the future.』

…Bio?
The word didn’t fit something mechanical.
Weren’t they just ordinary Sentinels?

My suspicion deepened.

"What are you saying—"

『No need to rush. Listen until the end.』

A mocking laugh echoed.

『I knew from the start you would come here… so I administered a certain drug to the members of this organization.』

The monitors lit up with video.
…A young child being injected with something.

"That’s—"

『Yes, the improved version of the “Super-Soldier Serum”… the same one you’ve been so desperate to protect her with.』

The child’s eyes rolled back, foam spilling from their mouth.
I widened my eyes, staring at the monitor.

『Don’t trouble yourself, Captain America. It’s already long over.』

The child collapsed. Adults dragged the body off to another room.

『The drug was originally meant to draw out human potential, to create artificial mutants—Mutates.』

He spoke of this atrocity as though it were a triumph.

『Her healing factor, her heightened abilities… those were merely dormant traits awakened.』

"…And what are you trying to prove by that?"

『The improved serum is magnificent. It can turn anyone into a Mutate. The cost? Their brain is destroyed—their ability to think, erased.』

"…What?"

『The entire capacity of the brain, the seat of emotion and memory, is rewritten solely to host that power. Isn’t it glorious?』

"You—!"

I hurled my shield into the monitor.
It shattered with a crack, sparking violently.

『Not so rational after all, are you, Captain America? Very well, let’s continue.』

The monitors flickered again—showing the same child now lying strapped to an operating table.

His earlier words seared through my mind.

The girls.
The brain, overwritten.
“Bio”-Sentinels.

"…No…"

『You’ve finally realized? Bio-Sentinels are nothing more than weapons—mutate brains converted into conduits for special abilities.』

The footage showed the child’s skull being split open.
I averted my eyes instinctively.

『Every “biological resource” in this organization has already been consumed. Only I remain. …No, not quite. I am no longer biological, am I?』

"You monster—!"

『Science requires sacrifice. Isn’t that right, Iron Man?』

Tony turned at last, shaking his head.

『No. That’s the thinking of a third-rate hack. The greatest minds create their inventions without sacrifice.』

『Hahaha… and yet, your analysis of me is taking quite some time, isn’t it?』

Tony didn’t answer.

The villain had seen through Tony’s ploy… but if he was stalling, then Stark was pushing him into a corner.

"What’s the purpose of all this?"

『To unite the countless universes of the Multiverse.』

"…The Multi—verse?"

The word was unfamiliar.
I glanced at Tony.

…He shook his head.

Multiverse.

The theory of multiple universes?

But that was supposed to be nothing more than fairy tales.

『Power was necessary… That’s why I conducted my experiments in this era. And now, I have achieved my goal.』

“…Your goal?”

『The creation of a system that can manufacture Mutates artificially… and the theft of memories from other universes.』

The first half, I understood.
The second—I didn’t.

Our confusion only made the mocking laughter from the monitors louder.

『You didn’t even know, did you? That girl you’re trying so hard to protect… she possesses a “Sight” that borders on godhood. A material that can peer into the Multiverse itself.』

It sounded like conspiracy theory madness.
What was this man?

And what burden… had she been forced to bear?

『I peered into her brain. A magnificent harvest of memories. Did you know? There exists a universe where every living being is a zombie. Ridiculous, isn’t it?』

I couldn’t follow his logic.
But I knew one thing—this monster had destroyed her life.

『But she’s no longer needed. That memory is too dangerous for you to handle. She must be erased.』

Tony moved at once.

『You’re too late. The bomb has already been neutralized. That makes this our victory.』

The monitors began flashing.

『Heh… hahaha… how foolish you are, Iron Man.』

『What’s so funny?』

『Ah… Doom would have handled this better than you. At least he knows how to think.』

Tony raised his arm, agitation breaking through.

『Answer me. What’s so funny? Where’s the mistake you think I made?』

『Very well. An answer, then.』

One of the monitors displayed a schematic.
I recognized it instantly—it was the bomb embedded in her heart. The very blueprint Tony had studied to design his countermeasure.

『Yes… that is the bomb I placed inside the agent.』

By showing it… he was confirming the worst.
He had anticipated Tony’s solution.

『The receiver was mine—constructed using the brain of a telepathic Mutate, a prototype created with the very serum I mentioned earlier.』

『But I blocked that signal. I cut it off.』

『Exactly as I expected, Iron Man.』

Another schematic appeared.
Similar to the first… but different.

『…No.』

『You see it, don’t you? A timed mechanism. Analog, yes—but sturdy. Reliable.』

Her image rose in my mind.
That young girl—tears in her eyes, clinging to a boy her age—saved, or so we thought.

At once, I barked at Tony:

“Tony! We need to send help—now!”

『Already on it!』

His voice was tight, hurried. I nodded grimly.

But around us, the voice sneered.

『The bomb activated an hour ago… and its timer was set for one hour. Tell me, can you grasp what that means?』

“You—!”

I hurled my shield at the monitor, fury overcoming me.
But of course—it was useless. This wasn’t his true body.

『Ha… haha… Iron Man. One day, you will thank me.』

『Thank you? For what? There’s nothing you’ve done I’d ever be grateful for.』

『Oh, but you will. You’ll be thankful you killed her when you did. You’ll be relieved her death was your mistake.』

Tony fired upward—a blast of light striking what looked like an ordinary piece of machinery.

But the monitors erupted with static and noise.

『Your body is already mapped, old scrapheap.』

『N-N…Nicely… done. B-but…the data… already… transmitted… to my… other selves… across… divergent… timelines…』

『Then come back to this era again. I’ll crush you the same way, every time.』

Tony’s jet unit unfolded across his back.

It shifted, petal-like, until it faced forward.

"Wait, To──"

Tony’s chest. His arms. The petal-shaped units.

They all combined into a single turret.

The one he once boasted about with that smug grin… the "Proton Cannon." A weapon born from linking every output unit together. It pulled in the air around it, condensed the light, and tore everything apart in a raging vortex.

Light was unleashed.

The torrent of energy swallowed monitors and his LMD—Life Model Decoy—shattering, ripping, and searing through it.

The sheer intensity melted metal, blackened glass.

I crouched low to the ground, shielding myself from the backlash. It wasn’t even aimed at me, and still, the energy was overwhelming.

And then—

High above, several dozen meters in the air.

"Before you fire… couldn’t you at least give some warning?"

『It wasn’t the time for that. Couldn’t be helped.』

Gripped in Tony’s arms, I looked down over the collapsing buildings. The supports must’ve given way—everything was crumbling, breaking apart.

……Another investigation for the clean-up later. A headache, but unavoidable. Still, I understood Tony’s urgency… and so, I couldn’t be angry.

『Captain, I’m heading straight for Peter now.』

Peter? …Ah, the boy. Spider-Man.

I nodded up at Tony.

"Understood. You can drop me off right away."

Carrying someone slows him down. No—if he really pushed to top speed, my unarmored body wouldn’t hold up.

I wasn’t about to be dead weight.

That was my reasoning when I said it—but──

『Sorry, Cap. I’ll buy you a burrito later.』

The moment he said it, he let me go.

At an altitude of several dozen meters.

……I get it. He’s in a hurry. I won’t complain.

Saving her comes first. He should prioritize that. He isn’t wrong.

And yet… he could have said more.

The wind battered against me as I raised my shield toward the ground. Bracing, adjusting my posture, I fell.

And with a thunderous crash, I landed.
No—crashed.

"Gu… ngh…!"

Agony ran through my whole body.

From this height, even I… feel it.

I thought that as I dragged myself out of the cracked concrete crater.

I caught sight of Tony accelerating toward the bridge.

The image of the crying girl returned to me. Still so young… with her whole future ahead of her. To be robbed of freedom by the petty ambitions and controlling greed of adults… that, I could never allow.

Even if it was meaningless, I couldn’t stay still.

I ran, chasing after Tony.

---

"Ku, pu… haa… hah…!"

I dragged myself out of the river… pulling Michelle up onto the riverbank.

"Kh… cough… gghh…"

She coughed violently… what spilled from her mouth was a mix of river water and blood.

It was clear—she was gravely injured.
The kind of fragile state where even a moment’s delay in treatment could mean death.

I knew it.
Because I’d seen it before—people we couldn’t save, people who died during hero work.

This wound… she wouldn’t last long.

"Mi, Michelle… I—I’ll go get help right now!"

But I didn’t want to accept it. I tried to move away from her—only for her to grab my arm.

So light… so frail… a grip weak enough that I could’ve shaken it off without thinking.

I turned back to face Michelle.

Her lips moved.

"Don’t… go…"

Her eyes, empty and dim, stared at me.

The hand that held my arm—I held it back.

…The moment we climbed out of the river, I’d already sent a distress signal. Someone will come. They’ll get here in time.

She’ll be saved. She has to be.

"It’s okay, Michelle… It’ll be okay…"

I clasped her hand with both of mine. My voice was trembling, without me realizing it.

---

Through blurred vision, with ears that could barely hear, limbs that wouldn’t move… I could still feel Peter.

I wanted to see more.
I wanted to hear more.
I wanted to touch more.

But everything reaching me was vague, fading.

…Still, maybe… no, definitely… he’s sad.
He’s grieving.

Because he’s kind. Too kind.

…My chest hurts. The bomb must have gone off.

He said it would be fine, but… the world rarely works out so easily.
Just like my life didn’t.

I could feel it—I was slowly drawing closer to death.

That’s why… while I could still speak, there was something I wanted to say.

The words I’d thought to say, but never managed.
My feelings.

"Pe… ter…"

Every word made my wound throb. It was agony.

But Peter leaned close, listening, close enough that I could see his face.

…I wanted to tell him I love him.
Before I died… I wanted him to know.

I—

I loved Peter—

"Sorry…"

Of course I couldn’t say it.

I couldn’t possibly say “I love you.”

Not when I’m about to die.

"…So, rry…"

If I said it, it would only become a burden to him.

Peter is too kind—he would carry the weight of it forever.

"So… rry…"

When he falls in love someday… my words would only stand in his way.

My feelings—I can’t leave them behind with him. I don’t want to curse Peter with unhappiness.

"…Forget… about me… it’s okay…"

This world is already far too cruel to Peter.

At the very least, I wanted to be the one… the one who could understand him, who could share his struggles.

I wanted to make him happy.

But instead.

"Forget me… please…"

I am nothing but his misfortune.
Even in death, I would only become another sorrow for him.

Even after I’m gone… I’ll keep making him suffer.

I don’t want that.

I don’t want that…

I don’t want to make Peter unhappy.

Peter’s face drew closer, his voice whispering in my ear.

"…I’ll never forget you."

…That wasn’t the answer I wanted.

And yet, the warmth that spread through me at those words… that was just my own selfishness.

Truly… I’m the worst.

"Michelle… I’m glad I met you."

…Please don’t say things so kind.

"That’s why I won’t forget. And besides—we’re still together. Don’t tell me it ends here."

…Don’t be so kind.

Because—

It makes me want to live.

Even now, with death closing in… I don’t want it.

I don’t want to die.

I don’t want to die…

I still want to stay with you.

Me too.

I still… want to be together.

I still want to see this world.

With you, I know it would be full of joy.

So.

I don’t want to die.

And yet.

Already.

---

When I pulled my face back from her ear… her eyes turned toward me.

"Pe… ter…"

She called my name.
So faintly… so sorrowfully.

"Wh… ere…?"

"I’m here… I’m right here…!"

Just holding her wasn’t enough—she couldn’t feel it anymore.
Her limbs must have already gone numb.

Barely able to speak.
Barely able to move her lips… to breathe.

If that’s all she had left—

Then I brought my face close and pressed my lips to hers.

The first time we kissed… it had been from her.
I’d felt the sting of the syringe in my back.

The second time… it tasted of blood.
I could feel her life spilling away between us.

Why are our kisses always… so unbearably sad?

…When I pulled away, Michelle’s cheeks softened into a smile.

"…Tha… nk you… Pe… ter…"

Not an apology—
What I heard was gratitude.

It made me happy… but it broke me too.

"Michelle…?"

Her eyelids slowly closed.

"No… don’t…"

Her voice was gone.

"Please, wait…"

Her breath was gone.

"But… there’s still so much… I wanted to say…"

Her body went still.

Like… she had really died.

Michelle… dead?

Dead…?

"S—somebody…!"

I looked around.
No one.

New York was under evacuation orders.
Truly, no one was there.

"Anyone… please…!"

The tears wouldn’t stop.

"Help her… help Michelle… someone…!"

Clutching her as she grew cold… I screamed until my voice tore.

My cries rang hollow in the silence.

The blood kept flowing, and I couldn’t stop it.

My precious memories were being stained red.
At the very end of all our happy moments, her death had been carved in—an unbearable truth.

I don’t want that.

I don’t.

I—

.

.

.

"Peter!"

My name was called, and I turned toward the voice.

Running up to me was… Gwen, clad in the symbiote.