Chapter 50: Armor Wars - Part 1

Gwen pulled me behind a nearby register, trying to hide us from that green-colored attacker.

“Mi-Michelle! You're... bleeding!”

Ignoring her panicked voice, I gently touched my stomach. …That's a pretty big bullet wound.

Way too much firepower to be used on a person.

Analyzing it calmly, I reached to dig the bullet out with my fingers—but then realized I couldn’t, not with Gwen beside me. Too brutal.

Trying to reassure her, I spoke to Gwen, whose hands were drenched in my blood and shaking in fear.

“I-I’m fine... really, there’s nothing to worry ab—khah!”

Mid-sentence, blood came up from my throat.

…Looks like the damage reached an organ, causing internal bleeding.

I looked at Gwen, realizing my attempt to reassure her had only made things worse. Just as I feared, she looked like she was about to cry.

“M-Michelle, wh-what should I do...?”

“This place is dangerous. Gwen, you should go—get out of here alone...”

If Gwen weren’t here… I could activate my healing factor and fully regenerate. After that, I could just shoot myself in the stomach again to recreate the wound. Simple.

“No, not me... If I run away now, you’re going to die… What am I supposed to do?”

Her tears mixed with my blood—what a mess.

Seeing her sobbing like that, I narrowed my eyes.

…That’s right. Gwen isn't the kind of person who could abandon a friend and run.

But still, the reason this all happened—

It was my own carelessness.

The moment that green armored thing came down nearby, I should’ve grabbed her and made a run for it.

But I hesitated. Just for a second. I didn’t want Gwen to see the real me. I was scared of exposing who I truly was, afraid it wouldn’t be... ladylike.

That one moment of hesitation led to this.

…I looked at the armor out in the plaza.

It was firing indiscriminately.

Luckily, whether due to faulty AI or bad aim, there were injured people, but no signs of actual casualties.

I picked up a metal ruler I found behind the register we were hiding behind.

…Better than nothing.

“Gwen, please… just run. I’ll handle this.”

No suit.
No weapon.
No mask.

But even so—

I felt I had to protect Gwen.

Even if it meant exposing my identity, I didn’t want her to die.

This was my fault.

I had to make up for it.

It’ll be fine.
That kind of armor—no, that drone—I can destroy something like that easily.
There’s nothing to be afraid of.

…But.

“…Wh-what?”

My body trembled.

I was scared.

Not of that green toy drone.

But of Gwen finding out who I really was.

If she knew I was a killer with blood on my hands—

Then I probably wouldn’t be able to stay with them anymore.

“…Why is this… happening…”

The ruler slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor.
My legs buckled.

No good.
No good, no good.

No—
I have to save Gwen.

If she died because I was selfish—
I’d never forgive myself.

So move!

My knees gave out and I collapsed slowly onto the floor.

“Why… my legs…”

“Michelle…!”

Through my blurred vision… I saw Gwen grab my hand.

She held my trembling fingers in hers… her eyes locked onto mine.

In her gaze, I saw it. Determination.

“…Michelle, stay right here.”

Her words caught me off guard. My thoughts froze.

“B-but…”

“…I’ll protect you, Michelle.”

Like comforting a crying child, she spoke gently and stood up.

And in front of her—stood a murderous drone.

“Don’t—!”

I tried to grab her by the hem of her outfit, but she gently brushed my hand away.
With a soft touch, Gwen broke free and stepped away from me.

She pulled down the neckline of her undershirt.

There, I saw a huge scar—running vertically like a lightning bolt.

…I recognized that wound.

It was from the time she got caught up in the Green Goblin incident.

Then Gwen turned back toward me—and smiled.

“Michelle, what you’re about to see… you have to keep it a secret, okay?”

“…Huh?”

Black, tar-like liquid began to ooze from Gwen’s scar.

It slithered like a living creature, sticky and thick, crawling over her body.

Soon, it morphed into something like a black suit, with a black mask.

It looked like Spider-Man’s costume.

But the eyes were pure white, and she wore a hood-like covering—its edges were white, and the inside, hideously red like raw organs.

From where the wound was, something like a tongue stretched out—covered in jagged, white fangs.

“…Ah.”

I knew what it was.

That was a symbiote.

An alien costume, just like Venom, that came from outer space.

『We’ll go take care of that thing real quick.』

Gwen’s voice overlapped with a childish one, creating a distorted, buzzing sound.

Those sharp, white eyes winked.

She leapt from behind the counter where we had been hiding.

I panicked and shifted sideways—trying to follow her with my eyes.

She landed atop the fountain.
The drone spotted her.

Gwen—the symbiote—let out a roar.

The air trembled.

Then she kicked off and launched into the air.
The drone raised both arms to target her.

From those arms came the same autocannons that had torn through my stomach—

“G… Gwen…”

Ignoring my fear, something black and whip-like extended from Gwen’s hand and stabbed into a wall.

Using it, she yanked herself sharply out of the line of fire.

…She had jumped upward first to redirect the muzzle—so any stray shots wouldn’t hit innocent bystanders.

The drone couldn’t keep up with her movement; its bullets flew harmlessly into the air.

Gwen twisted mid-air and grabbed the drone’s head.

With a piercing, animalistic scream… she wrenched it with both arms.

The drone’s neck snapped off.

Its head rolled to the ground, its sensors going black.

With a crackle of sparks, the drone collapsed.

She let out a triumphant roar and stomped on the downed drone.

A sharp crunch echoed out.

…She was like a beast.

A wild, untamed beast—completely unlike the Gwen I knew.

I forgot all about my wound, just staring at her in awe.

---

The moment I gained that power—
No, the moment I began to coexist with it—
was about a month ago.

After I parted ways with Michelle and Harry...
When I was alone in the hospital room—

A stern-looking man with an eye patch came in.
He introduced himself as Nick Fury, the director of the international peacekeeping organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D.

He asked me:

"Do you want to walk again? And if so, are you willing to give up a normal life for it?"

I nodded.
Because... if I couldn’t walk anymore, I felt like I’d just be a burden to the people I care about.
Sure, I know they’d probably still smile and forgive me, even if I did burden them.

But I couldn’t stand that.
I was scared.

So, I reached out to him.

They told others I was being transferred to another hospital, but that was a lie.
I was taken to a research facility under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s jurisdiction.

And there, I met it—no, them. Or maybe...
neither he nor she—
this being without a gender.

They were kept in a sealed cylinder, and I was told this being belonged to a species called a Symbiote.

Aliens from beyond Earth that grant humans incredible powers—
In exchange, they feed on and amplify their host’s emotions.

Apparently, I have a rare biomatrix at the genetic level that allows me to deeply bond with one.

In other words, we’re compatible.

Fury and I entered a sealed chamber, and then he opened the cylinder’s lid.

A black, liquid-like creature slithered out.

At first, I was... honestly, a little grossed out.
I was scared, too.

But when I touched them, I could feel it—
this creature was still like a newborn, blank and innocent.

"That one was separated from a Symbiote known as Venom.
It hasn’t been claimed by anyone, hasn’t touched the outside world...
You could say it’s like a blank notebook."

"A baby Symbiote...?"

"Huh. That’s a take we haven’t heard from the researchers."

I gently stroked the creature.

"Ma... Ma?"

Suddenly, I heard a voice.
A warped, childlike voice.

And I knew it came from this little one.

I didn’t reject it.
I held them close.

"Wha...?"

Fury looked flustered as the creature and I merged.

The black liquid seeped into me.

Its loneliness, its sorrow—
I couldn’t fully understand it, but I could feel it.
No parents.
Alone in the world.
That sadness—it was real.

"Mama...?"

And so, I decided—
I would become her mother.

"Mr. Fury... does this little one have a name?"

"A name? No... not yet.
Some wanted to call it Fanatic or Mayhem—"

"That’s not cute at all."

"...Cute?"

Fury looked puzzled, touching his chin.
Adults, honestly...

"Then..."

The creature’s father is Venom, VENOM.
And I’m Gwen, GWEN.

Put the two together—

"I’ve decided. Your name is Gwenom, GWENOM."

"Gwenom?"

"Yes, that’s your name."

In that moment, Gwenom’s joy radiated into me.

Since then, Gwenom and I have trained together, side by side.
With her help, I was able to walk again.

Symbiotes apparently love brain matter—or chocolate.
I’d feed her chicken brains or chocolate to keep her happy.

Felt like being a babysitter.

Sometimes, Gwenom would throw tantrums, reacting to my emotions.
Fury called it a rampage, but… if I calmed her down, she’d settle immediately.

And when I scolded her—she’d actually listen and reflect.
I was starting to get used to this wild, difficult child.

Once I got the hang of fine control, our real training began.

S.H.I.E.L.D.’s condition for letting me keep Gwenom was this:
One day, I’d serve them, fighting for the peace of the world.

My path had been decided for me...

But my father, George, is a police officer—
He fights to protect our city.

I never said it out loud,
but I always admired that about him.

So fighting to protect the world didn’t feel like a bad thing to me.

If fewer people got hurt the way I did…
That would make me happy.

There was only one answer.

So, for the next three weeks,
I trained under Fury and a female agent named Natasha.

How to use a handgun.
Hand-to-hand combat.
Parkour.
Tracking.
Everything I needed.

Time passed, and the day of the summer trip arrived—
I was granted permission to go out.

Even after returning, I’d need to train three times a week and undergo routine checks with Gwenom.
In exchange, I’d be paid a little.

I guess that makes me a trainee agent.

...And as a trainee, I was being warned by Fury.

"Listen carefully. Whatever you do, don’t raise your synchronization level on your own, got it?"

"I know, I know... Mr. Fury."

Raising the synchronization level with the Symbiote grants massive power... but the mind gets dragged along with it, becoming increasingly violent.
Inside the facility, Natasha could restrain me if things went south.
But if I lost control out there—
It wouldn’t be surprising if someone ended up dead.

I nodded at Fury’s words.

But clearly, he wasn’t satisfied at all...

"You don’t understand how serious this is... Honestly, you—"

Fury started grumbling again.
He’s been like this for weeks.

Just as stiff and uptight as he looks.
A total perfectionist.

After running through all the usual warnings, Fury suddenly said, as if something just occurred to him:

"...Right. I should tell you your codename."

"Codename?"

"Yeah. Natasha’s codename is Black Widow, for example."

Hearing that name brought something back to me.
Black Widow... Right, Natasha was an Avenger.
I think I saw her in a magazine or a newspaper.

I was a little surprised.

Natasha looked at me and smiled.
As if to say, “You’re only just realizing that?”

"Your codename is—"

Fury pulled out my IC card.
It had a name engraved on it—different from my real one.

"Agent Gwenom."

◇◆◇

"Damn it!"

I dodged Titanium Man’s attack, maneuvering so I wouldn’t get hit by the drones’ gunfire.

But just as I landed, Whiplash swung his whip at me.
I forcefully dodged using a thread-web.

"You insolent brat!"

Titanium Man lunged in closer and threw a straight punch.
I deflected it and landed a kick in return—

...But he didn’t even flinch.
Didn’t look hurt in the slightest.

Titanium Man, clad in a heavily armored suit, covered the front line.
Whiplash stayed in the rear with his long-range, deadly whips.
And the Hammer Drones constantly interfered with my movements.

A perfect formation.
Honestly, I’d want to compliment it—if I weren’t their enemy.

I have to protect Gwen. And Ned, and Michelle...
And of course, the people of this city.

I have to beat them fast—

I was getting desperate.

"This is getting nowhere... Titanium Man, kill Stark’s subordinates first."

Whiplash gave the order.

"Hm...? But is it wise to leave this spot?"

"That kid alone won’t be a problem. Go."

Titanium Man glanced at me, then turned and headed for the exit.

No—this is bad!

He’s going to the underground shelter to kill the people from Stark Industries!

I quickly fired my thread-web at Titanium Man to stop him—

"Just as I thought—you’d step forward."

Whiplash spun his whip.

The electrified whip, glowing blue, entangled and burned away my thread-web.

Then the whip lashed out at me, slicing past my side.

It hit the shattered reinforced glass window, scorching it into a white, foggy mess.

...Titanium Man kept moving away from us.

This won’t do.

If he gets away, the people hiding in the shelter from Stark Industries will be slaughtered.

I took a deep breath, and focused.

I switched cartridges.
Slot number 2—Rubber Thread-Web.

There’s not much fluid left.
I can’t afford a miss.
I’ve got one shot.

I kicked off the ground and charged toward Whiplash.

"You’re walking to your death...!"

He swung a short whip low, aiming at my feet.

I jumped over it—

Whiplash, predicting that, swung his second whip at me mid-air.

...I can’t dodge in the air.
That’s what he thought.

But I had predicted that he would attack the moment I exposed an opening.
That’s why I chose to jump.

I fired the rubber thread-web at full power at the incoming whip.
The empty cartridge auto-ejected.

The whip that had been aimed at me lost its momentum and dropped to the floor.

Then the whip he had just used to attack the ground—
met the now-slack first whip.

The rubber thread-web doesn’t conduct electricity—
So it wasn’t burned by the electric whips.
Instead, it fused the left and right whips together.

In that instant—

A sharp, explosive sound rang out.

“Gah…!?”

It was the sound of the circuit powering the electrified whips shorting out.
The rubber thread-web got caught in the blast and tore apart,
but it looked like the shock was enough—Whiplash staggered.

Still mid-air, I fired another thread-web at the ceiling above—
and swung.

With all that momentum, I launched a flying kick at Whiplash.

He went flying and tumbled down the stairs.

...The armor probably absorbed most of the impact,
so it likely didn’t do any serious damage.

But it bought me time.

Just then, the drones turned their guns on me—
but they couldn’t fire.

Because I’d positioned them so they all lined up diagonally from each other.

Spinning in midair, I fired thread-webs in rapid succession.

I snared their arms and sensor units, immobilizing them completely.

Once I confirmed the drones were neutralized,
I took off after Titanium Man.

...There he is.

He was using jets to descend through the central shaft of the building.

But he hadn’t taken off yet.

I switched the web-shooter to cartridge 3.

I fired.

It looked like a normal web—but when it struck Titanium Man,
it reacted with the atmosphere and began to freeze.

It was Ice Web—a thread-web laced with chemicals
that steal heat from the air and rapidly freeze on contact.

That’s when Titanium Man noticed me.

“Hmm...? Did Whiplash let him slip past!?”

My target with the Ice Web was the jetpack.

Jets use heat to ignite fuel and convert it into thrust.

So what happens when that gets rapidly cooled?

The fuel freezes—and no thrust is generated.

“What the...?”

Titanium Man looked puzzled as the jets failed to activate.

The Ice Web doesn’t stop at a measly zero degrees.
It drops to nearly minus one hundred.

Cold enough to kill a human on contact.
Perfect for messing with engines.

“I made it in time.”

In that very instant, my Spider-Sense screamed in the back of my head.

I tried to move—tried to dodge—
but my legs wouldn’t respond.

...Too much fatigue.
Too much accumulated damage.
I couldn’t move in time.

A jolt of pain slammed into my back.

“Gahhh!?”

Electricity scorched my body.
It pierced my suit—searing agony shot through me.

Whiplash—!

He’s already back!?

My suit’s HUD glitched, filled with noise.
Even the assistive functions went haywire.

I collapsed, smoke rising from my charred back.

...I could still move, just barely.

I placed both hands on the ground and tried to push myself up—

“Hmph...!”

“Guh!”

Titanium Man stepped on my back.

I forced my head up—and there he was.
Whiplash stood before me.

“That surprise earlier... was pointless.”

He kicked my face away.

“Ugh...!?”

“…Such a defiant look.”

Blood coated my mouth.

“It might have bought you some time... but the outcome won’t change.
After I kill you, we’ll just move on to slaughtering Stark’s men.”

Whiplash spoke those cruel words.

When Titanium Man ignored me and tried to kill the Stark Industries employees,
I thought I had to stop him—so I pushed myself too hard.

It was all for nothing.
More than that, it was a huge failure.

I only bought a little—just a little—time.
Neither of them took any damage.

It was my mistake.

“You won’t protect anyone.”

My vision flickered.

My consciousness began to fade.

I... can’t save anyone—!

Inside the suit, an alert sounded.

In the corner of my vision, the radar lit up.

The AI Karen’s voice announced:

“High-speed incoming object detected.”

...There’s still another enemy...?

“5 seconds to impact. Identification code 0529—”

The ceiling window shattered.

“Hmm!?”

Titanium Man flinched and brushed away the falling shards with his arm.

Against the backlight, a shadow plummeted.

With a thunderous roar, something landed nearby.

The impact was so strong the ground shook.
The concrete floor cracked outward from the landing point.

It looked like a small meteorite had fallen.

That something crouched with its right hand planted on the ground.

Red and gold armor reflected the light.

A glowing blue inverted triangle shone at the chest center.

I knew it well.

That something’s name is—

“Iron Man.”

The hero I admired who wasn’t supposed to be here.

Even though I’d said he was broken—badly injured.

“Mr. Stark...?”

Iron Man slowly rose.

His figure reminded me of a time long ago—before I was Spider-Man—when I was just a little kid.

The same way he saved me back then.

Stark probably doesn’t remember, but to me it’s still crystal clear.

No matter how much the suit changes, he remains my hero.

Then he aimed his hand at Titanium Man, who was still stepping on me.

His palm glowed pale blue.

“Let’s call it quits, both of you.
...Unless you want to see just how angry I can get.”

Iron Man’s voice came through, unusually sharp and biting.