Chapter 34: Sinister Six - Part 2

Dark skyscrapers loomed beneath clouds that blotted out the moon, lit only by the faint glow of scattered streetlights.

I was blown out of the Daily Bugle building.

“Guh…!?”

Pain nearly knocked me unconscious as I plummeted toward the ground.

From above, the New Goblin descended on his glider, rapidly closing in even faster than I was falling.

He dropped a pumpkin bomb from his belt.

I reacted instantly, firing a webline from my shooter and smacking the bomb upward.

The bomb was launched back toward the sky and exploded near the Goblin.

“Gwah!?”

The explosion clearly damaged his glider. He immediately leapt away, landing on the Daily Bugle building.

But that moment cost me dearly—I was dangerously close to the ground now.

There wasn’t enough time to save myself with a webline…!

I jabbed my hand into the building’s wall—right into the glass—to slow my fall.

I couldn’t stop completely.

I kept falling, shattering the windows as I scraped downward.

Crack-crack-crack—loud enough to be mistaken for thunder.

And the shards became razor-sharp blades, tearing into my suit and skin.

“Ugh… ngh…!”

But if I let go now, I’d plunge straight to the pavement.

Even if the fall didn’t kill me, I’d at least break a few bones.

And if that happened, I wouldn’t stand a chance of escaping those six… they’d kill me.

I’d already given up on fighting back.

The difference in power was too great… I had no choice but to retreat.

Timing it just right once I’d slowed enough, I kicked off the building and leapt into the air.

The Sinister Six were likely still up on the upper floors—probably looking down right now.

I fired high-output web shots at nearby streetlights, destroying them.

With the popping of shattered bulbs, the lights went out, plunging the area into darkness.

Ten meters left to the ground.

The pavement loomed above me.

Hoping not to be seen in the dark, I fell into a dumpster in the alley.

I used the stuffed trash bags as a cushion to soften the impact.

The recoil from landing shut the lid tight. No one outside would know I was in there.

…Damn. My consciousness was starting to fade.

No good… If I fall asleep now… if I sleep…

I peeked out through a gap in the dumpster’s side.

Two figures landed.

…Shocker and Redcap.

Shocker had used his gauntlets to neutralize the landing impact.

Redcap… didn’t seem to do anything at all.

Maybe he had some ability to absorb shock?

As I tried to analyze it through my foggy thoughts, Shocker spoke up.

“Damn it, he got away. What a coward…”

『If anything, considering our overwhelming numbers, we’re the cowards.』

“…Huh? You takin’ Spidey’s side now?”

『Just stating facts, Herman.』

…The two of them seemed to get along well.

The fact that Redcap called Shocker by his real name, “Herman,” and didn’t get chewed out for it said it all.

I remembered Shocker hated being addressed by name. He must’ve made an exception for Redcap… or something like that.

I was surprised by the unexpected friendship between two villains I thought I knew.

Suddenly, Redcap turned his face toward the dumpster I was hiding in.

Crap, did he spot me?

I started preparing to bolt—until Redcap looked away.

I let out a silent breath of relief.

In my current state, I’d lose for sure if I fought.

I held my breath and relaxed my body.

Then Redcap spoke.

『…There are six of us.』

“Huh?”

Out of nowhere, those words caught Shocker off guard.

『No way Spider-Man can win alone against us.』

And with that, Redcap started walking away from Shocker.

“Hey, wait—what’s that supposed to mean!?”

Shocker followed after him, trailing behind.

I exhaled in relief.

…but then.

Damn. I was losing consciousness…

The blood loss, the crash of adrenaline—it all hit me at once.

And just like that, I blacked out.

Spent the night in a dumpster hotel in Midtown.

---

Clatter. The lid creaked open.

That instant, I woke up.

My mind was hazy, my vision a blur—I forced it to focus.

Still dim… but the sun was up.

It was probably early morning.

One figure stood over the dumpster, peering down at me.

“…What’re you doing?”

My vision cleared, and so did my thoughts.

A woman stood there.

A beautiful woman, probably in her early thirties.

Black jacket, black shirt, black jeans. All black. Her hair too.

Which only made her pale skin and deep plum lipstick stand out more.

Her brows were lowered as she looked at me. Less concerned… more like mildly annoyed.

“…Morning, Spider-Man?”

…That’s right.

I was still in my Spider-Man suit… running from the Sinister Six.

I had to play this off somehow—get out of here.

“Ah, um, this is—”

“Yeah, yeah. Wanna come to my place?”

She casually stuck her thumb over her shoulder, pointing behind her.

Toward the alley.

“It’s a bit of a walk, but I’ve got an office.”

“Office…?”

“Yup. Detective agency.”

I sat up and tried to get out of the dumpster—

“Ow…”

“Well… I’ve got at least a first-aid kit. I’ll patch you up a bit.”

With that, she grabbed my arm—

"Up you go."

With one hand, she picked me up.

"Whoa!?"

Even though I’m a teenage guy, she didn’t look the least bit strained carrying me. That alone told me how strong she really was—far stronger than she looked—and it caught me completely off guard.

Just as she started walking with me in her arms… she wrinkled her nose.

“…Ugh. You stink.”

She dropped me unceremoniously to the ground with a thud.

“Nope. Can’t do it. You reek. Walk on your own.”

Ugh…

That was the first time a woman had ever told me I smelled bad… and it hit harder than I expected.

My body and my heart were both in shambles.

I staggered to my feet and called out to her as she walked ahead through the alley.

“Um, when you say you’re a detective…”

“Hmm? Private investigator. I take money to look into things.”

I hurried to catch up before she left me behind, walking without hesitation.

And then, I asked something that had genuinely been on my mind.

“…Who are you, exactly?”

Someone who can lift a person one-handed… she clearly wasn’t just some ordinary person.

She didn’t seem like a villain, but not knowing who she was made me uneasy.

“You sure ask a lot of questions. Curious type? Even though you’re the one hiding your face?”

“A-ah, sorry…”

She looked back at me with an expression like she couldn't care less.

“…Jessica Jones. There, I told you. Happy now?”

With a weary tone, Jessica started walking again.

---

Midtown West.

Also known as Hell’s Kitchen.

In one of the many clustered, run-down buildings stood the Alias Investigations office.

Jessica was the sole person working there—handling management, casework, everything on her own.

Now, stripped down to just my mask and underwear, I was being bandaged up by Jessica.

The embarrassment was overwhelming.

…Feels like I’ve been getting treated by other people a lot lately.

Last time it was Michelle who patched me up.

“Okay, done.”

Whap!

She gave my back a solid slap, clearly pleased with the job.

“Ow!?”

“You’re a guy. Deal with it.”

That’s not the point—I almost snapped at her, but I owed her for the help, so I held back.

Still… there was absolutely no reason to slap me.

“So? Something happen? That mess at the Daily Bugle yesterday—was that you?”

“That was—”

I started explaining everything that had happened yesterday.

How I was being falsely accused.

How a group of villains with a grudge had banded together.

And how I’d lost.

Jessica listened, nodding with a look of mild interest.

“…Huh. So, what now?”

“What do you mean, what now…”

“You’re a hero, right? Think it through. Act on it.”

She gave me a wicked grin—mocking, amused, like I was some funny little creature.

I started turning things over in my head.

…Impossible.

How could I ever beat six of them?

…Come to think of it.

"One person can’t win."

That’s what Redcap said.

Which means—if I’m not alone, maybe I can win.

If it’s one-on-one, I might not lose.

…Probably.

What I need is more allies.

And as for allies I can actually call—

“Ms. Jessica, can I use your phone?”

“Sure, but who’re you calling?”

“Iron Man.”

I reached for the landline and started dialing Iron Man—Mr. Stark’s—number.

“…Ah, yeah. The Avengers, huh…”

Jessica muttered under her breath, sounding… oddly unenthusiastic.

---

In the end—

…It was a no-go.

The one who answered was JARVIS.

JARVIS is the AI Mr. Stark created.

As for Stark himself—or rather, all the Avengers—they were apparently off in space and wouldn’t be back for months.

Something about fighting the Kree, or some alien war…

The scale was so mind-boggling I could only stare blankly at the phone.

No way I could ask them to come back for this.

And suddenly, my own problems felt painfully small.

In the end, I guess this is the price I pay for not trusting people, for keeping my identity hidden behind a mask.

I don’t have contact info for any other heroes… and even if I did, it’s not like I’m close enough with them to ask for help.

I may have one mentor-like hero I can rely on, but no real peers. No equals I can call friends.

“…Hah.”

I couldn’t help but sigh, and Jessica gave me a look—somewhere between exasperated and vaguely relieved.

“Didn’t work out, huh? I can tell just by looking.”

“Ugh… Sorry. Even after borrowing your phone…”

“Don’t worry about it. Honestly, would’ve been awkward if he had shown up.”

…Jessica seemed to know Mr. Stark—or rather, the Avengers.

But it didn’t feel like fond familiarity. It felt more… uncomfortable, like something she didn’t want to remember.

I was curious, but something told me it wasn’t something I should ask about.

With a sigh, Jessica opened a shelf.

She took out a bottle, uncorked it, and started drinking straight from it.

No glass. Just right from the bottle.

I stared in disbelief at the sheer laziness of it all as she slammed the bottle down on the desk.

…It was alcohol.

The label read Heaven Hill Whiskey.

I’m underage, and I don’t know much about alcohol, but… is that something you’re supposed to drink like water?

“You want some?”

“Ah—no, I’m still a minor, so…”

“Huh?”

Jessica blinked, then gave me a double take.

“I figured you were small, but… you’re a kid?”

She clicked her tongue in irritation, and I flinched, wondering if I’d said something wrong.

“So? What now?”

“…I need allies. I can’t win alone.”

“Hmmm…?”

Jessica took another swig and gulped it down.

…And that’s when it hit me.

She’d lifted me with one arm like it was nothing.

She seemed to know the Avengers.

…She must—definitely—have some kind of superpower.

“Ms. Jessica, I… have a favor to ask.”

I began to ask for her help—

“Sure.”

She agreed before I even said anything.

“Wait, I haven’t even—”

“It’s a grown-up’s job to help a kid. And besides… I can’t just ignore scum crawling around this city.”

She placed the empty bottle next to the trash can, then grabbed the jacket hanging on her chair and threw it on.

“Best way to take on a villain team? Hit ’em with a hero team. That’s just classic strategy, right? You get it?”

“…Y-Yes. Thank you.”

Tears threatened to well up in my eyes.

She was a bit—no, very—rough around the edges, but… she was genuinely a good person.

“If you get it, hurry up and get dressed already… though I’d prefer you not wear that suit. Don’t you have normal clothes?”

“Uh, sorry…”

“…I’ve got some of my husband’s stuff lying around. A bit big, but here.”

She handed me some clothes.

A ridiculously oversized yellow shirt and even more absurdly huge shorts.

I cinched the waistband shut with some effort… and took off my mask.

It felt uncomfortable to take it off, but after everything—her helping me, agreeing to fight by my side—keeping my face hidden just felt… dishonest.

Jessica looked a bit surprised when she saw me unmasked.

“Whoa. You really are just a kid.”

She muttered it under her breath, but I heard it.

I tried to ignore it as I fiddled with the giant clothes.

The shorts were so huge that they practically looked like long pants on me. Same with the shirt. The sleeves, the hem—everything was drowning me.

It was like a child wearing an adult’s clothes… because, well, that’s exactly what it was.

Jessica’s husband must be enormous. Not just tall—wide, too.

Maybe some kind of bodybuilder or muscle-freak?

“…Alright. You’re dressed. Let’s move.”

She grabbed the door handle as she spoke.

“Move… to where?”

“Hmm? Well, if we’re gonna help a suspect who’s been falsely accused…”

Light spilled into the room as she opened the door.

“…we start with a lawyer, obviously.”

Jessica said that with a grin.

---

The teacher was writing something on the whiteboard.

I stifled a yawn, careful not to get caught.

God, this is boring.

Gwen’s in the hospital, so she’s not here.

Ned’s in another class.

And Peter… hasn’t come to school at all.

I’m a little worried, but the school said they got a call about him being absent, so at least I know he’s safe.

Maybe he’s just recovering from injuries…

Or maybe…

Maybe he actually listened to my advice, and he’s out looking for allies right now.

That’d be great. Makes things easier for me, too—Redcap.

Anyway.

With no one to talk to at break, and nothing challenging about the lessons, I honestly had no idea why I was even here.

The feeling in my chest… was loneliness.

I used to be fine on my own, used to think solitude was natural.

But now, being without anyone feels… lonely.

I guess that means I’ve gotten weaker.

Is that a step backward… or a sign my heart’s grown?

…During breaks, I keep pretending to nap, hoping Flash doesn’t try to talk to me.

I am absolutely not up for that conversation.

But it’s getting harder to keep the act up.

Some classmates are starting to think I might be sick. The guilt is eating at me.

…Maybe I’ll go see Ned at lunch.

Normally, I eat with Gwen, but she’s not here today.

Ned sometimes visits our class, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone to his.

When I finally did go to see him…

Every single classmate’s eyes were locked on Ned like lasers.

It made both of us super uncomfortable. What was that all about?

I tilted my head, confused—only for Ned to sigh.