Chapter 49: Brand-New Power - part 8

I fire my web lines to the left and right ahead of me, sticking them to the corners of the buildings.

Then I launch myself backward, letting the tension in the webs fling me forward into the air.

Cartridge 2—rubber webbing.

From there, I deploy glider wings shaped like spiderwebs from both sides and start gliding.

There aren’t any tall buildings around here to swing from, so this was the best option—even if it’s a bit slower.

If I move at full speed and take the shortest route, I’ll reach it in five minutes.

I soar through the sky toward a building equipped with a shelter, owned by Stark Industries.

…There it is.

And I can also see a heat signature coming in from another direction—heading straight for the same building.

“…What the heck is that?”

The words slip out of my mouth before I realize it.

Visually, it looks… kinda like Iron Man. But it’s not red and gold.

It’s deep green.

Iron Man flies using ‘repulsor rays’ from both arms and legs—beams of heat energy. But these things are flying with jet propulsion from their backs.

They seem to have some kind of energy core in their chests too, like Iron Man’s, but nowhere near the output of an Arc Reactor.

…Fakes. Or maybe weapons made as some kind of homage.

And yet, their shoulders bear the words “Stark Industries.”

But these were supposed to be weapons hidden away by Hammer Industries, weren’t they?

Besides, Stark Industries doesn’t manufacture weapons anymore.

They used to, but Mr. Stark shut that division down.

Which means these must be Hammer-made weapons—and they’re trying to frame Stark Industries.

I felt a flush of heat rise to my face.

The idea that they’d try to disgrace someone I look up to with such a cowardly tactic—it made me angry.

I retract the gliders and deploy a parachute from my back.

It’s a small, spider-shaped chute—just enough to slow my descent. I detach it mid-fall and drop the rest of the way down.

I roll through the landing and come to a stop in one of the offices inside the Stark Industries building.

I look up at the incoming Hammer weapon drawing near the building.

It stands just under two meters tall, and it’s green.

Its head is shaped kind of like a rooster’s comb—flat and wide. There doesn’t seem to be enough space inside for a human head.

Probably just sensors. Its shape doesn’t account for a human pilot at all—no doubt it’s an unmanned drone.

…Alright, I’ll call these things Hammer Drones.

Let’s see… one, two, three… fourteen of them.

…Wait a minute?

I could’ve sworn there were twice as many when I checked last night.

The Hammer Drones lock onto me, pointing their arms while still flying.

No time to think this through.

Their arms are outfitted with machine guns.

Probably Hammer’s attempt to replicate Iron Man’s repulsor rays.

They must not have been able to recreate the actual tech.

Bullets start flying at me—each one with rifle-level destructive power.

They tear through everything they touch, devastating whatever’s in their path as they close in on me.

But I use my Spider-Sense to predict their trajectory and dodge them.

Even without taking a direct hit, the force alone shatters windows.

Desks explode. Chairs go flying.

…Yeah, getting hit by that wouldn’t just “hurt.”

Luckily, all the employees of Stark Industries are holed up in the underground shelter.

No matter how much damage is done here, there’s no risk of stray bullets hitting civilians.

A Hammer Drone crashes through the shattered window and lands inside the office.

Looks like they’ve got limited flight time.

Unlike Iron Man, they can’t handle fine movement controls, and they burn fuel fast.

…If this is a ground battle, then I’ve got a chance.

I shoot a web at the first Hammer Drone and pin down the sensor on its head.

Then I leap at it and yank its arm with all my strength.

Rip!

With a tearing sound, the arm comes off.

Sparks fly from severed cables sticking out of the exposed cross-section.

Since these are unmanned, I don’t need to hold back.

I can use all the strength I normally keep restrained.

…The other Hammer Drones aim their machine guns at me but don’t fire.

They’re probably programmed to avoid friendly fire.

Sure enough, the moment I move away from the drone, they open fire.

I flip a desk to use as cover, then leap at the next drone.

Its functions, its AI—even its design.

All of it is inferior to what Mr. Stark creates.

To slap a “Stark-made” label on this junk? Absolutely ridiculous.

Using the other drones as shields, I take them out one by one.

They won’t shoot if I keep a drone between us—these AIs are predictable, making this routine work.

Then, just as I take down the third drone, my Spider-Sense flares—danger, big time.

I leap away instantly—and right after, a mass of metal crashes through the window and smashes through the wall.

“Whoa!?”

Concrete explodes, kicking up a cloud of dust.

From within it, something armored in green gloss rises to its feet.

There’s a star-shaped emblem on its chest. Jet engines are mounted not only on its back, but on its elbows, knees, shoulders—even its heels.

Unlike the drones, its face has depth. A square sensor glows ominously red.

…No doubt about it.

This one’s on a whole other level.

It stands a full two meters tall—way bigger than me.

“…So. You’re not Tony Stark after all.”

It spoke—filtered through mechanical speakers.

Which means there’s a person inside.

…Must be that mercenary Deadpool mentioned.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Stark’s currently in recovery. I’m more than enough to—”

“Then die.”

My sarcastic comment doesn’t faze him—he just swings that massive arm of his.

I dodge it, and the wall behind me craters as his fist slams into the concrete.

…Yeah. Getting hit by that wouldn’t just “hurt.”

Unless there’s a Superman in that suit, it has to be equipped with some serious power assist.

And the armor itself is absurdly tough.

Not even a scratch after gouging out part of the wall.

“Hey, how about we do introductions first? I’m Spider-Man. You?”

I keep dodging as I talk, trying to buy time.

If I can just throw him off for a second…

“My name is Titanium Man. Not that you need to know—dead men don’t need names. But I figured if you didn’t even know who killed you, you’d be too scared to rest in peace.”

He activates the jets in his arms, spins around his grounded foot, and throws a massive hook punch with all the momentum behind it.

I counter with a kick—but pain shoots up my leg.

Damn it—he’s way tougher and stronger than the drones!

The force of his punch carries through, and I just barely manage to dodge it, sliding along the floor.

Then, right at that moment, the area is bombarded by a hail of machine gun fire from the drones.

“Kh!”

I barely avoid the bullets, but Titanium Man’s attacks keep grazing me.

My Spider-Sense is the only thing saving me. One misstep, and it’s over.

Get close, and he’ll punch me.

Back off, and the drones will gun me down.

I hit Titanium Man with a full-force kick.

He rocks back slightly—but it doesn’t even scratch the suit, or him.

“It’s useless. You’ll never get through my armor.”

…Is this what Mr. Stark deals with on a regular basis?

Titanium Man smashes a desk with his fist, sending chunks flying.

“Gh!”

If I were still using my old handmade suit, those shards would’ve stabbed right into me.

But this nanomachine suit holds up fine.

The metal fibers deflect the debris as it bursts apart.

“…Huh?”

He lets out a surprised grunt—the fiber suit held up better than he expected.

Then, a low sound of realization, maybe even admiration.

“…I see. That suit—it's one of Tony Stark’s, isn’t it? Things just got interesting.”

“Really? I think staying home and watching daytime drama is a lot more fun.”

“What I enjoy are slasher films. The real gory kind. Starring dead heroes.”

He fires up his jets again and charges in.

Jets across his body—not just the back—are all firing, allowing him to maneuver in sharp, quick bursts.

He sways left and right in tight movements, then suddenly lunges with a punch.

Impressive control—but I manage to read the boxing-like motion.

My Spider-Sense can track the movement.

But if my own attacks won’t work—

—I just need something else to attack him.

I dodge Titanium Man’s assault and flick a web at his arm.

But this one’s ultra-thin.

So thin it’s nearly invisible.

As I keep avoiding him, I quietly attach other webs to various objects—desks, vases, anything I can find around the office.

Over and over again.

Delicate. Precise. Invisible.

Then, just as he pulls his arm back for a big swing—

—The web attached to his elbow yanks on the vase.

The vase crashes to the floor—

Smash!

—shattering with a loud noise.

Just for a moment.

For the briefest second, Titanium Man’s attention flickers.

That’s all I need.

I shoot rubber-web lines from both sides—Cartridge 2—and launch into a flying kick.

The rubber webs snap mid-flight, sending me spinning through the air.

I pull in all the ultra-thin web lines I had spread throughout the room, wrapping them around myself and drawing them in—

“Ghh!?”

I yanked hard and launched myself backward.

The moment I put distance between me and Titanium Man, the Hammer Drones opened fire on me.

That instant, I pulled Titanium Man into the line of fire, using his body as a shield.

Heavy rounds slammed into his armor.

“Ggh…! Ugh!?”

The large-caliber bullets ricochet off the armor—but the force still reverberated through to the man inside.

The drones stopped firing quickly, but a few rounds had already hit.

While Titanium Man reeled, I grabbed and flipped him in a shoulder throw—something I’d learned from Iron Fist.

A martial arts technique for using balance and leverage to toss opponents much bigger than yourself.

I drove upward with my legs and hips, trying to hurl him away.

…Damn—he’s way heavier than I expected.

“Ugh… down you go!”

I aimed to throw him down—right into the courtyard pool below—

---

Suddenly, a whip crackled through the air—surrounded by electricity.

It sparked blue, searing the air as it shot toward me.

I could tell at a glance—getting hit by that would be bad.

I dodged just in time—but lost my grip on Titanium Man.

He fired up jets embedded all over his body, burning through the webs restraining him.

…What the hell was that attack?

I turned around to look.

The drones had destroyed the door behind me—and standing right beside it was…

Someone else in a suit, not unlike Iron Man’s—but the colors were totally different.

Bare, gunmetal armor with no paint job. Just the minimal coating required. All function, no flash.

In his chest—a glowing blue reactor.

My suit’s heat sensor confirmed it: a massive power output. Much higher than Titanium Man’s.

It had to be… an Arc Reactor. Like Iron Man’s.

Did he build it himself? Or steal it?

But the most eye-catching feature—were the whips.

They weren’t leather or anything remotely tame.

They were brutal. Metal fiber whips, woven like cables, extending directly from the suit’s arms.

Each one crackled with electric current, powered by the Arc Reactor in his chest.

Two of them.

One for each arm.

“…Whiplash, huh? Appreciate the assist.”

Titanium Man spoke up.

…Whiplash? That his name?

“Hmph. I just figured things would get tricky if Stark showed up.”

Whiplash grunted, then spun both whips in tight arcs.

Sparks flew. A cracking sound burst in the air.

Wait—not sparks. That sound…

The air itself was rupturing.

The tips of those whips were breaking the sound barrier—creating a sonic boom.

…Yeah. This is bad.

Really bad.

But you know, when you’ve hit rock bottom—there’s nowhere to go but up.

Or so I thought—until Titanium Man opened his big mouth.

“If we just take our time, we’ll reach our goal anyway… but here, we should take the extra effort and make sure he dies.”

“…You’re saying too much.”

Whiplash’s cold warning cut through the tension.

“It doesn’t matter. There’s no stopping it now.”

Titanium Man laughed, completely unfazed.

…Wait. Isn’t Hammer’s plan just to attack Stark Industries personnel?

“Hey—what are you guys talking about?”

“…You don’t know? Then let me enlighten you, Spider-Boy.”

“…Don’t.”

“Ah, who cares? It’s too late anyway.”

A chill ran down my spine.

…Too late?

“You really think this whole operation is just about hitting this building?”

“……”

He hit the mark. I stayed silent, trying not to give anything away.

“Killing Stark’s lackeys isn’t our only goal. In fact, it’s not even the main one.”

“Then what is?”

“Oh, it’s simple, Spider-Boy. Hammer’s planning a massacre—he’s going to slaughter innocent civilians… and pin the blame squarely on Tony Stark.”

——Sure enough, the Hammer Drones had the Stark Industries logo engraved on them.

No way.

...So the reason the number of drones attacking here is fewer than the number of heat signatures hidden in that building...

“They’re attacking multiple locations besides this one... the Miami Art Museum, the Airline Arena, and—”

Sweat began to bead in my palm.

“Was it the Dolphin Mall?”

For a moment, I felt like I’d been struck in the head with a blunt object.

Gwen’s there. Ned’s there. Michelle’s there too.

“Huh...?”

“You talk too much, Titanium Man.”

“Hmph, the operation’s already begun. The massacre is underway... There’s no stopping it now.”

Pushing Whiplash aside, Titanium Man stepped forward.

“I don’t intend to ask you, ‘Can you stop me?’ I’m not some TV villain... I just want to laugh and say, ‘So you couldn’t stop me after all.’”

“No... way...”

“And do you know why I told you all that, Spider-boy? It’s because you’re inexperienced. ...In that mental state, how are you planning to fight us?”

As his words ended, Titanium Man lunged at me.

I dodged instinctively—but just barely.

I’m not fully focused.

This is bad.

Whiplash clicked his tongue at Titanium Man’s rising excitement.

“Tch... This is why I hate dumb, patriotic meatheads.”

Muttering complaints, he began swinging his whip.

Then, aiming at me after I dodged Titanium Man’s strike, he lashed it toward me.

Where it hit the ground, it left a scorched mark like the claw of a beast.

...I have to beat these guys right now and go save everyone!

But how?

I was already struggling with just Titanium Man alone.

And the drones have surrounded me too.

I’m outnumbered.

...But I won’t give up.

Forcing myself to focus, I stood my ground.

---

Gwen noticed Peter’s absence and spoke up.

“Huh? Where’s Peter?”

...I had noticed.

He’d asked Ned for something and then ran off.

Then he changed into his suit and took off as Spider-Man.

...Even though this was supposed to be a vacation, he’s caught up in something again.

Poor guy.

As Gwen looked around anxiously, Ned rushed over in a panic.

“G-Gwen! Peter is, uh...”

“Is what?”

“H-He went to the bathroom! And apparently it’s really crowded, so he had to go far away!”

...Ned is trying way too hard to cover for him.

Could it be—Ned knows Peter is Spider-Man?

...If so, since when?

He didn’t seem like it yesterday... so maybe this morning? Or last night?

“Ned, you’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

“I-I'm not hiding anything!”

“...Then go get Peter. I don’t know where he really is, but whatever.”

Gwen glared at Ned, clearly annoyed.

Ned backed away hesitantly, distancing himself from us.

What’s he planning to do?

Peter shouldn’t be anywhere nearby anymore.

...Or did he just panic and retreat under Gwen’s pressure?

“...They’re definitely hiding something from me.”

Gwen said to me.

...This is bad.

If she starts getting suspicious here, Peter’s going to be in trouble.

“Maybe... he really did go to the bathroom?”

Even so, I can’t think of a clever lie.

“No, knowing them... there’s definitely something they don’t want us to find out... something shady.”

Calling it shady feels too cynical for what’s actually heroic.

“But I don’t think Peter or Ned are the type to do anything bad.”

“You’re so pure, Michelle.”

For some reason, Gwen patted my head.

Please don’t treat me like a small animal.

“All men are wolves. Beasts... If a man says he’s going shopping without a word, then—”

At that moment... I turned around.

I felt like someone was watching me.

But it wasn’t me they were focused on.

They were looking at something—or someone—other than me.

Yet, they had me within their field of vision.

“Michelle...? What’s wrong?”

——I looked toward the distant building.

Focusing my eyes and enhancing my vision with the serum—

“Hey, Michelle.”

“Ugh—”

Gwen shook my shoulder, breaking my concentration.

...Damn it.

It’s because I felt that unpleasant gaze.

Gwen was looking at me with a serious expression.

Then she placed her hand on my forehead.

“...You do feel a little warm. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I’m fine.

I have no injuries, and thanks to the serum, I don’t get sick.

So I don’t understand why she’s so worried.

“...I’m okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

But Gwen didn’t look convinced. She kept staring at me.

And then—

Boom!

A loud crash echoed as something landed nearby.

The tiled ground cracked and scattered into the air.

I instinctively turned around.

It was... green armor.

On the shoulder, the words Stark Industries.

“What’s going on?”

“Some kind of promo stunt?”

“Iron Man?”

People around us began gathering.

...Because of the name Stark, none of them seemed particularly alarmed.

Stark is the kind of hero known for doing outrageous things.

Even so, no one got too close.

Right now, the people closest to it are... Gwen and me—we were right next to the landing spot.

That’s why I was a little late.

“Ah—”

I threw myself onto Gwen and rolled her away.

“W-Wait, Miche—”

Gunfire.

...Smoke rose from both arms of the green armor.

“...Huh?”

Gwen let out a faint voice.

My abdomen had been torn open, and blood was pouring out.

I could hear someone screaming.