Chapter 138: NY Police Story - Part 2 End

The site of the repeat offense this time wasn’t Queens like before—but Manhattan.

Because it was close to the precinct, we arrived relatively quickly, but—

The scene was already surrounded by police officers.

Since it happened during the day, the call must have drawn nearby officers.
But even so, it looked like they couldn’t take action.

Several police vehicles were lined up around the bank with nothing but an ATM inside—the crime scene.
…Except, some of those cars were overturned or half-destroyed.

Captain Jaws narrowed his expression slightly, then patted the shoulder of a nearby officer—one who seemed to have a grasp of the situation here.

"Backup’s here. What’s the situation?"

"…There are six suspects. But they’ve got some strange weapons, and… we can’t move in."

"Thought so."

Captain Jaws glanced at the twisted heaps of scrap metal and let out a bitter smile.

Just then, Nightcap appeared from behind him—well, more precisely, the black mask appeared.

『What about the civilians in the area? Is evacuation complete?』

"Eh… y-yes, yes. No hostages either."

The officer flinched at the sudden arrival of the black-clad figure, but quickly nodded with understanding. He must’ve heard of her secondhand or something.

I turned my eyes away from the officer and looked toward Nightcap.

"Um… what do we do, Nightcap?"

『Officer Katie, you’ll stay here with Captain Jaws. If the suspects try to flee, secure them or at least slow them down… within safe limits.』

"…Flee? But they seem barricaded inside…"

『For now they’re holed up, wary of the surrounding police. But if subjected to greater violence, they’ll bolt.』

I blinked.

"Violence…?"

『This.』

Nightcap pulled a flat, black handgun-like object from her car.

It was unlike the sidearms the police carried—an unfamiliar, seemingly custom-made weapon.

"S-s-shoot to kill…?"

『No. Non-lethal. But—』

She turned her face toward the crime scene.

『—painful enough to wish you were dead.』

And with that, she slipped behind the front police vehicle in one smooth, fluid motion.

She herself was clearly prepared—but watching from outside, I wasn’t.
Worried, my eyes followed her.

"Officer Katie, no need to fret so much."

"B-but…"

"Think about it. Why do you suppose she’s handling this alone—without other agents at her side?"

That was indeed puzzling.
Why had she come to the scene by herself?
Why weren’t other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with her?

Even for a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, tackling a supernatural case solo should be reckless.

And yet, here she was. Alone.

The reason was—

"…Because she can handle it by herself?"

"That’s how I see it."

At that moment, Nightcap burst out from behind the police vehicle.
She was close enough that I could see it clearly.

The suspects were wielding devices that shone with bluish-white light, like spotlights.
Those must’ve been anti-gravity generators—remnants of the Chitauri, repurposed.

And yet, even with Nightcap charging in, they weren’t aiming them at her.

No matter how advanced the weapon, these were amateurs who chose to rob an unmanned ATM.
Even trained police hesitate to point weapons at a person.
Amateurs wouldn’t manage it in the heat of the moment.

In an instant, Nightcap pulled the trigger of her strange weapon.

What fired wasn’t a bullet—but light.

It pierced one of the suspects’ bodies.

A sharp CRACK! split the air.

"G-gyyaaaaahhh!!!"

From the trembling in his voice, I realized he’d been electrocuted.
A weapon to subdue suspects with electricity… a taser, maybe?

No. Tasers shoot out wires with barbs to carry the current.

This thing fired no wires or threads.

It must’ve been some kind of hi-tech S.H.I.E.L.D. gadget.
That’s the conclusion I reached on my own.

Shouts of rage and fear rang out.
The suspects raised their anti-gravity devices at Nightcap.

But they were slow. She could’ve dodged easily—yet—

"Eh…!?"

She didn’t dodge. She stood her ground.

Why?
With her agility, she could’ve evaded—

The device glowed.

Tiles ripped from the floor, the ceiling cracked, glass shattered.
A fierce distortion of gravity slammed into her.

…And then I understood.

If she had dodged, the blast might’ve struck us behind her.

She shielded us with her body.

The urge to cry out rose in my throat—but I swallowed it.

Because she was still standing. Unscathed.

Her black suit remained intact, faintly glowing with a pale violet light.

And then—

That violet light burst outward as a shockwave, blasting the suspects away.

The force was tremendous. Their anti-gravity devices twisted, shattered, and broke.
As delicate equipment, they clearly weren’t built for durability.

"Ugh…!?"

Dust filled the air, and I narrowed my eyes.

Through my squint, I saw the suspects sprawled on the ground—half of them unconscious.

The rest, still conscious, scrambled to flee from Nightcap—

"Ah…! Secure them! Move in!"

I shouted, and the surrounding officers surged forward.

Gunfire cracked in the air.

"Hands on the ground, all of you!"

Captain Jaws bellowed, firing a warning shot upward.

Perhaps realizing resistance was futile, the suspects dropped their hands to the pavement.

I averted my gaze from them and looked at Nightcap.

She was checking the unconscious suspects inside the wrecked bank.

…She really had solved it all on her own.
With power I couldn’t even fathom.

I caught my breath.

And then, Captain Jaws spoke to me.

"…Scared of her?"

Scared, huh.

It did look like more power than any one person should wield.
Power far beyond what we officers had—what you’d call great power.

And with great power, comes great fear.

Even if there were a beast that never bit people, could you truly live beside it without fear? Of course not. That’s normal. A natural instinct.

That’s why Captain Jaws assumed I was afraid after seeing her strength.

But I exhaled softly.

"No. I’m not afraid."

"…No?"

"Because I know she’s a kind human being."

"…Heh, haha… you’re right. Seems I underestimated you. My apologies."

"Quite so."

The criminals were dragged away into the police vehicles, and Captain Jaws smiled softly.

It was different from the sarcastic smiles I’d seen before—this one came from the heart.

"…Yeah, I think I can trust you with this."

"…Excuse me? Trust me with what?"

"To be the NYPD’s liaison to ‘S.H.I.E.L.D.’."

"…Huh?"

"I’m getting on in years, you know. Once you’re in management, it’s harder to go out into the field. That’s why I want a successor—"

"Th-that’s… um, I understand, but…"

"What is it, you don’t want the job?"

"…N-no, that’s not it at all."

"Good to hear."

Captain Jaws pulled out a cigarette with a wry smile.

She doesn’t like cigarettes. Normally she avoids smoking when we meet.
…Which must mean she doesn’t intend to come near her anymore.

Exhaling purple smoke, Captain Jaws looked at me.

"The other candidates for successor—ah, meaning your seniors and peers—they were all afraid of her."

"…Did they resign or something?"

"Well, they never said it outright. But I could tell. They were avoiding her—and I’m sure she realized it too."

"…That’s awfully rude of them."

"Isn’t it? Thanks to that, I could never leave the field. But I suppose that ends today."

Smoke rose between me and Captain Jaws.

It stung a little, and I averted my eyes.

"Officer Katie, I’m appointing you as liaison with her. It’s not an official title, so don’t expect any extra pay."

"…Understood."

"Good. Now then… there’s something you should be doing right now, isn’t there?"

Captain Jaws turned her gaze toward Nightcap, still inside the bank.
…I nodded.

"Yes… then… I’ll be going!"

"Good. Stay lively. And give her my regards."

I saluted Captain Jaws and left her side, striding quickly into the bank.

Broken glass crunched underfoot, and a black mask turned toward me.

『Officer Katie.』

"Good work, Nightcap."

When I offered those words of thanks, she froze for a moment… then nodded.

『No, I didn’t do much.』

"If what you just did doesn’t count as ‘much,’ then what does that make the rest of us?"

『…You’re right. My mistake. Needless modesty.』

I gave a wry smile, and she too… probably smiled beneath that mask.
I couldn’t see her face, but I was sure of it.

『Where’s the Captain?』

"Captain Jaws had other business."

『I see.』

Nightcap shifted half a step, rubble creaking underfoot.

…Something felt off.

"…Um."

『What is it?』

"…That earlier conversation—did you hear it, by any chance?"

There was something in her behavior.
And I could only think of one possible reason.

『No, I didn’t.』

Her answer, though, implied she knew exactly what I meant by "that earlier conversation."
She was choosing to pretend otherwise.

"…I—"

Which is why I had to say it.

"I won’t run away from you."

『…I see.』

"Yes. No matter what happens."

Nightcap sat down on a bench that had somehow survived inside the half-collapsed bank.

My gaze lowered, but she didn’t look up at me.

Our eyes never met—they passed by one another.

『…I’m not being conceited, but I am stronger than most people.』

"…That’s true."

『I can kill an armed man with my bare hands. Even if you resist, I could crush you regardless.』

"…That’s also true."

『Even so, can you really stand before me without fear? Me—someone you only met yesterday—』

"Of course."

The reply came instantly.
I didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

"Because you work so hard to protect people. That includes us… and yet people are afraid of you. That doesn’t make sense."

『Doesn’t make sense? I… think it’s a perfectly normal reaction.』

"That’s not true. It’s strange. I just can’t forgive something that’s wrong, even as a matter of logic."

At my words, she lifted her head.

"My sense of what’s right—I’ll never bend it."

『…You’re amazing.』

That must be why she understood this stubbornness of mine.
Still, I looked away slightly.

"Ah, no… I’m just stubborn. I’ve been told I’m inflexible too… but…"

『…Hah, indeed. You are a bit inflexible, aren’t you.』

"…Are you mocking me?"

『No, I’m praising you.』

Nightcap stood up in front of me.
Her eyes were slightly higher than mine.
But that was probably partly due to the soles of her armored suit’s boots.
Originally, she would be roughly the same height as me—or perhaps—

『Well, let’s meet up with the other officers soon. We can’t keep chatting at the crime scene forever.』

"Eh? Ah… yes, that’s true."

Through the shattered glass window, I saw my colleagues trying to escort the criminals.

"…We’ve been talking for quite a while… I can’t deny it if someone calls this slacking off."

『…I’m just as guilty. If Captain Jaws scolds you, tell me. I’ll take the scolding with you.』

She spoke so casually, so openly.
I thought it was because she wanted to get closer to me.

And that made me happy.

"Thank you, Nightcap sa—"

『It’s Michelle.』

"Huh?"

Her interruption made me blink.
It was a name.
Someone’s name…

『It’s my name.』

"Eh? Ah, but… aren’t you supposed to be keeping it secret!?"

『No, I’m not hiding it. I don’t plan to make it public, though.』

"Th-then… why tell me?"

I asked without thinking, and she turned toward me.
I couldn’t see the expression beneath her jet-black mask.

『Because we’re going to have a long association… or rather, it’s a wish that we will.』

But I could tell she was smiling.
I don’t know why.

After resolving the incident in Queens a few hours later.

『S.H.I.E.L.D.』 had recovered the Chitauri relics used in the crime.

A pitch-black heavy vehicle was loaded with the anti-gravity generator.

『The rest is up to you.』

"Leave it to me."

Leaving it to the 『S.H.I.E.L.D.』 agent who was driving, I leaned back against the wall. Damage Control personnel were inspecting the collapsed site, working to repair the aftermath.

Watching them out of the corner of my eye, I let out a long breath.

Officer Katie had already returned to the station. So had Chief Jaws.

That’s why I alone remained here at the scene.

『…………』

This incident… the Chitauri relics. The reason they ended up in civilian circulation.

It wasn’t someone else’s problem. I was directly involved.

『…Haa.』

The way Officer Katie looked at me, with admiration in her eyes. I’m not the kind of person worthy of that gaze. It’s not as though I run around solving incidents purely out of goodwill.

Goodwill is there, yes. The goodwill that says I must protect someone.

But the guilt is greater. If this incident had caused casualties… I would regret it deeply.

Behind my mask, I narrowed my eyes.

The alien Chitauri who attacked New York about ten years ago. They were annihilated and driven back by the Avengers. Countless weapons left behind by the Chitauri had been abandoned across the battlefield that was New York.

Those were recovered by 『S.H.I.E.L.D.』 and Damage Control.

But not all of them. Some were stolen from the sites.

…And the ones who recovered those stolen relics were—

The Unseelie Court. In other words, the organization I once belonged to.

But the Avengers destroyed that organization. The relics disappeared, only to resurface in the hands of villains once they were all but forgotten.

If it were only that, I might not blame myself.

But the one who held onto the Chitauri relics was one of the organization’s executives. And that person was—

『…………』

I stepped away from the wall I had been leaning on. Then I called out to the 『S.H.I.E.L.D.』 agent assisting in the site inspection.

『Sorry, I’ll excuse myself now.』

"Ah, yes! Understood!"

I gave a wry smile at the agent’s salute. My career is shorter than his, after all.

It’s just that I’m a little stronger… yet so many agents still treat me like someone special. …They don’t know that I was once 『Redcap』.

Would they be disillusioned if they found out? Still, revealing that name is forbidden by my superior, Nick Fury.

Leaving them behind, I got into my own car and rested my arms on the steering wheel.

『…I really am not someone worthy of respect, Katie.』

I let the words spill out to the officer who had trusted me from the very moment we met. Even though she wasn’t here now. As if to make excuses.

『I’m only solving incidents for selfish reasons. To wipe away my guilt, and—』

In the window glass, the reflection of my black-masked self stared back.

『To clear away what my brother left behind.』

The Chitauri relics recovered by the Unseelie Court—those had been kept by my brother, Tinkerer. From their technology, he likely created many tools designed to kill. Even if the relics themselves weren’t directly used, they were still stained with blood.

My brother wasn’t a good man. He was a villain.

Even so, despite that… I still adored him. Even before he took his life. Even more after.

No matter how many crimes he committed. Still.

I… still think of him as my brother.

But he’s gone now. Tinkerer is dead. He put a bullet in his own head to save my life.

He will never commit another crime again.

『…………』

And yet, the things he left behind continue to cause crimes.

They keep piling sins onto him even after his death. That, I could never forgive.

『…The Chitauri relics, and the malice left behind by the Unseelie Court…』

I switched the car window to shading mode and removed my mask.

"I have to settle it all myself…"

I clenched my fist.

When I lowered my gaze… the ring on my left ring finger gave a dull glimmer.

"…This isn’t good. Bucky told me not to carry so much weight, or he’d scold me."

…Just that thought made me feel a little lighter.
I let out a deep breath, exhaling along with the heavy feelings sitting in my chest.

"…Once I file my report to 『S.H.I.E.L.D.』, I’ll head over to Peter’s place."

I shifted from my work face to my private one. I could feel the heat of my fighting spirit rapidly cooling off.

Opening my personal device from the car, I found a short message waiting from Peter.
After easing my heart a little, I started the engine.