Chapter 67: Kill Them All - Part 6

I… my thoughts froze for a moment at the sight before me.

Harry’s ally… an agent possessed by a symbiote… and that agent’s true identity—Gwen?

A friend from my everyday life, suddenly appearing right before me.
That figure…

Why?
How?

But, come to think of it… she was thrown from a building by the Green Goblin—Norman Osborn—injured so badly she was told she’d never walk again, and yet somehow made a full recovery.
If it was the symbiote that did it… yeah, I could understand that.

But her, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent?
An agent from a peacekeeping organization that fights terrorists, aliens, and all sorts of threats?

…That’s dangerous.
Why would she get herself into something so dangerous…?
And the symbiote itself is dangerous, too.

Harry… Harry knew about this, didn’t he?

Harry was holding Gwen, who had collapsed after separating from the symbiote and could no longer stand.

Without a doubt—he knew.
He absolutely knew.

Why didn’t he tell me?
…Was I the only one who didn’t know?

No, at least Ned wouldn’t know.
Michelle, either…

But even if I did know, it’s not like I could have done anything about it.
That’s not the point I want to dwell on right now.

Even so, why…? I don’t get it.

My thoughts are in disarray.

“Spider-Man!”

Harry’s shout snapped me back to my senses.

Venom was charging toward Kasady.

“Damn it!”

I forced my mind to switch gears.

There’s so much I want to ask Harry.
Gwen, too.

But right now, I’m your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
If there’s someone in front of me about to die, I’ll save them—no matter who they are.
That takes priority.

I fired a strand of web from my web-shooter, attaching it to Venom’s arm.

Keeping my grip, I shifted to the side and pulled, trying to tear him away from Kasady—

‘Get out of my way!’

Venom grabbed the web with that same arm and yanked back.

“Tch…!”

Our strength was matched.

I drove my feet hard into the ground.
The impact cracked the stone pavement beneath me, chunks flying upward.

I kicked one of the floating pieces straight at him.

‘Gah!?’

It struck Venom in the face, his grip weakening.
Taking the opening, I switched the cartridge on my other web-shooter—shockwave mode.

“Stay down!”

I triggered it with my middle finger and fired.

From experience with Carnage, I know shockwaves work on symbiotes.

Staggering from the hit to his weakness, Venom faltered.
I stomped down on the web still attached to him and yanked downward.

His arm was pulled toward the ground, and Venom toppled over.

‘Guh—agh!?’

His face slammed into the stone flooring, shattering it as I ground his head against the surface.

I aimed my web-shooter to restrain him—

No good!

Venom isn’t the only one after Kasady!

I dove in front of Kasady, blocking a kick with my arms.
A black, metal-armored leg… Redcap.

“Kh…!”

My bones creaked.

With power no ordinary human should have, his kick forced its way through my guard, the tip of his foot slamming into my temple.
My vision reeled, and I was knocked aside.

I quickly regained my stance and looked at Redcap.

But his gaze wasn’t on me—it was locked on Kasady.

I shot a web, snagging his leg.

"Out of my way!"

He swung his leg back, dragging me with it.
Pulled forward, I fell, scraping across the stone floor as it cracked beneath me.

Redcap had lost both arms.
His right arm had been severed by Kasady.
His left… maybe burned by an explosive—there wasn’t even a hint of movement.

He was severely injured.
And yet, his movements hadn’t slowed.

“Ugh…!”

The strain made the wounds Kasady gave me throb with agony.
It hurt. It hurt so damn much.

Right now, I just wanted to go home and sleep.
Lie down and rest.

It hurt so much that the thought slipped out without meaning to.

But Redcap had to be in even more pain—without a doubt.
I didn’t know why his hatred toward Kasady burned so strong.

Maybe this was part of that “job” he kept talking about.

Unable to break free from my web, and unable to get closer to Kasady because I was pulling him back, Redcap seemed to snap.
He charged straight at me instead.

I kicked off the ground with both feet and lunged at him.

Grabbing his waist with both hands, I rolled us over in one motion.

『Don’t get in my way!』

“That’s not a request I can grant!”

We rolled—over and over—until he was beneath me, and I was straddling him from above.
His arms were useless.

I aimed my web-shooter—

—when my Spider-Sense screamed danger at my back.

I quickly blocked the incoming kick aimed right at me from behind.
Flat on his back, Redcap had swung his leg up toward me.
What kind of flexibility is that?

Keeping his leg blocked, I fired a web toward Venom in my line of sight.
The strand hit him in the face just as he was trying to get up, wrapping over his head.

That should buy me a little more time.

Harry wouldn’t be able to leave Gwen’s side.
She was defenseless right now.

That meant, in practice, I had to take on both Venom and Redcap alone.
A brutal fight.

But there’s no choice.

“Kasady is not going to die!”

『Why… why go that far?』

I heard Redcap’s voice from beneath me.
The same mechanical tone as always.

What emotion—if any—was carried in it, I couldn’t tell.

『He’s a murderer… an escaped death row inmate. Even if you catch him and hand him to the police… he’s still someone who will die sooner or later! Do you really think he’s worth protecting?』

From his words, I could feel his genuine bewilderment toward me.

“It’s not about whether he’s worth it or not… that’s not for me to decide. He should be judged by the law! No individual—whether it’s me or you—has the right to pass judgment like that!”

『…That’s just like you. But!』

In the next instant, Redcap’s left arm moved and clamped around my neck.

“Ghh—ugh!?”

What the…? He shouldn’t be able to move it—

『If keeping him alive means more people suffer… then that alone is reason enough to kill him.』

Still choking me, he shoved me sideways, reversing our positions.
Now he was on top, and I was pinned beneath.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Gwen in Harry’s arms.

“There are… people… who hate Kasady…”

Gwen had lost her father—George—to Kasady… to Carnage.
Of course she would hate him.
Of course she would want revenge.

『Ah… yes, of course. Then—』

“But… she… chose not to kill him… And so… I… want to protect… that choice…”

『…Wha—』

For a split second, Redcap’s grip loosened.
I fired a web at the wall, yanked it with all my strength, tearing part of the stone free and pulling it toward me.

The chunk of rock smashed into Redcap’s back, making him stagger.
I shoved him off and got to my feet.

He recovered quickly, and our eyes—or rather, my eyes and the blank, mannequin-like black mask—met.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
He flexed his left arm, opening and closing the hand.
…Yeah, it still wasn’t at full strength.

So it wasn’t that he’d been faking it earlier.
…He must have regained some movement in just these last moments.

I crouched low, one hand on the ground, legs bent—
Ready to leap in at any time.

…And in that instant, Venom was closing in on Kasady.

“Not good—!”

I moved to rush that way—

Redcap pinned me down.
I was slammed onto the ground and dragged across it.

“Ghh—agh!?”

『…You and I will just watch from here.』

My arms were wrenched behind my back, his knee pressing me into the floor.
No matter how I tried to move, nothing budged.

Venom seized Kasady by the head, lifting him up.

『Well, well, Kasady… you sure had your fun beating on us earlier, didn’t you?』

“Heh… if you’re going to eat me, hurry up and do it… Eddie… I’ve got no strength left. At least… let me become a part of your body.”

Even with death staring him in the face, Kasady laughed without fear.
Venom scowled at him.

『Creepy bastard… Well, if you wanna die that badly, relax. I’ll make it quick—』

Suddenly, the stained glass overhead shattered.

The crash froze Venom for just an instant.

I looked up.
Redcap did the same.

A black figure was falling toward Venom from above.

A woman—red-haired, clad in a black leather-like rider suit.

She held a pair of batons crackling with electricity.
One of them slammed straight into Venom’s head.

A flash of light as the shock surged through him.

『Ghh—what the hell—!?』

He swung his arm violently, trying to throw her off.
She released the baton mid-motion and kicked him square in the face.

『Mmph—!?』

The recoil spun her through the air before she landed gracefully.

“Not the most satisfying kick I’ve ever given.”

…Black Widow. Natasha.
We’d fought together a few times before, on Avengers business.
An elite spy. And—well—beautiful, too—

“Ugh—!”

Redcap’s boot dug harder into my back.

『Black Widow.』

Redcap muttered the name.
Hearing it, she turned her gaze our way.

“My, long time no see… Did your face turn black while I was away?”

『That doesn’t matter.』

Apparently they knew each other—there was an ease in the way they spoke.
I took the opportunity to twist and try to break free of the hold.

“Fury told me to bring you in. If you don’t resist, it won’t have to hurt.”

『Hmph. If you want things to end like last time—』

Black Widow smiled at his combative tone.

“Don’t get the wrong idea… I’m not the one you’ll be fighting.”

『…What are you—』

Before he could finish, Redcap was suddenly blasted off me.

He flew like he’d been hit by a truck, crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact.
The church trembled, stone shattering and dust filling the air.

“Wh—what the—?”

Still lying on the floor, I turned my eyes toward the thing that had sent him flying.

A silver arm.

And attached to it, a man.
His black jacket covered his right arm entirely—but from the left shoulder down, there was nothing organic.
It was entirely silver, ending at a point where it could be detached, like a zipper mechanism.

The exposed arm creaked faintly as he moved.

Who was he?
I’d never seen him before…
But… I had the feeling he was on our side.

Kicking aside chunks of stone, Redcap emerged from the rubble.

…His suit was in tatters, but he was still on his feet, walking toward us.
So it hadn’t been a fatal hit.

Herman hurried over to his side.

“O–Oi, you alright?”

『No problem… This much is nothing.』

But his movements were stiff, awkward.
No surprise—after being blasted like that, it wouldn’t be strange if bones were broken.

Then Redcap spoke again.

『Still… to think the Winter Soldier would show up.』

“Winter… Soldier?”

I pushed my hands against the ground, getting to my feet, my gaze fixed on the man with the silver arm.
A black mask covered his face from the nose down, hiding his expression, but his sharp eyes were locked on Redcap.

“I threw that name away… I’m just Bucky Barnes now.”

Bucky—once called the Winter Soldier—leveled the firearm in his right hand, his normal human arm, straight at Redcap.

“Surrender, Redcap.”

『…As if I ever would.』

Redcap drew a knife from his belt, gripping it tightly.
Venom, who’d been in front of Black Widow, rose to his feet.

The air was quiet—tense—but it felt like the fighting could erupt again at any second.

In that taut silence, Bucky spoke.

“Redcap… you’re a lot like I used to be. I’m not here to hurt you. Surrender.”

I had no idea what that meant.
…Because I didn’t know who Redcap really was.
I didn’t know his role in all this, his true objective.

But Bucky clearly did.

I wanted to know.

Why he wanted me dead… why he could be ready to kill me one moment, then ignore me to go after someone else the next…
And why—when he should’ve been my enemy—he’d saved Gwen and Harry that time.

The truth was, I didn’t know anything about him.
And that’s why…

『You and I? …Don’t be absurd, Winter Soldier. I’m nothing like you.』

The refusal was sharp, unyielding.

“Then you’ll just have to take a little punishment.”

『I’m used to that… and to killing people like you.』

In the same instant, Redcap hurled his knife.

---

The knife comes at me.

I knock it away with my cybernetic left arm.

It was just an ordinary knife—ordinary in design, maybe, but made from some heavy, high-rigidity special alloy.

But my left arm is a high-purity vibranium prosthetic.

No damage, no impact.

“Tch!”

The black mask in front of me… clicks its tongue through a mechanical voice.

…So this is Redcap.

She doesn’t look exactly like what Steve Rogers—Captain America—had described. But… I get it now. This killing intent, the lack of composure, the obsessive drive pressing her forward… I understand.

No teenage girl should be giving off killing intent like this. She’s a specially conditioned killer—same as I once was.

I remember what that was like.

Injected with the Super Soldier Serum, brainwashed… living as the “Winter Soldier,” an agent of Hydra, committing atrocity after atrocity.

I killed good people and soldiers who stood against Hydra.

Thanks to my best friend Steve, the brainwashing was broken… and now, I can work for redemption as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

Steve told me to take her alive, no killing. Fury told me the same.

Steve’s reason is probably pure goodwill. Fury… I’m not sure.

But if his goal is global peace, then I want to believe he won’t harm her—she’s a victim.

Redcap kicks the knife she lost back up, catching it in her left hand.

…Her right arm is missing from the elbow down. Looks like it was cut off in some battle.

A wounded beast… and that’s when they’re most dangerous.

She steps in toward me—fast.

No tell in her movements at all. Yeah… she’s mastered killing techniques.

Holding the knife in reverse grip, she swings it down toward me.

I drop my gun on reflex and crash my right arm into her wrist.

“…!”

The knife’s momentum dies just before it can fall, stopping short of reaching me.

But—damn, she’s strong. Even a slight lapse in strength and she would’ve driven that blade right into my face.

And I stopped her with my right arm… which means my left—my cybernetic arm—is free.

I draw tight, twist from the waist, and jab from minimal distance.

“Guh!”

A dull impact sound. Redcap’s body lifts off the ground.

I aimed for a body blow, but she jumped with it, bleeding the force.

She grabs my arm with the back of her reverse-gripped knife.

Her leg swings up, knee driving for my gut—

—but I catch that knee with my cybernetic arm and shove it away with brute force.

Using the momentum, she pulls back to create distance.

“Tch!”

Enhanced reflexes from the Super Soldier Serum. But that’s not all.

A human body moves through nerve signals—electrical impulses from the brain. My vibranium cybernetic arm reacts faster than human flesh can.

The difference is tiny, imperceptible to ordinary people. But to super soldiers like us, that fraction matters.

I clench my left fist tight, ready to counter the instant she moves.

But instead, she freezes and stares at me. Probably glaring under the mask.

“…Doesn’t make sense. Why did you throw your weapon away?”

…She must mean the rifle lying at my feet.

"This is an anti-tank weapon… it’s made for fighting monsters, not shooting people."

“…Don’t give me that crap.”

My goal here is to capture her. Not kill her.

I don’t know exactly what that armor of hers is made from… but from the feel when my cybernetic arm struck it, I can tell it’s just an ordinary alloy—neither magic-based nor alien in origin.

Sure, it’s probably tough stuff.

But… this rifle could likely punch through it.

If it hit, depending on where, it could kill her instantly.

I can’t use it.

I kick the rifle aside, letting it slide across the floor to the wall.

…Someone’s coughing behind me, getting to their feet.

Spider-Man, huh?

I’ve heard about him from the Avengers. The unlicensed volunteer hero who protects New York. I think Stark said something about him being his protégé.

But she’d be… a bit much for him to handle.

It’s not about raw power or strength.

It’s about killing intent—and cunning.

Just from clashing with Redcap a little, I could tell.

She’s a professional killer. The way her knife came straight for the space between my eyes—without a shred of hesitation, without an opening.

An unfeeling hitman who carries out her missions with mechanical precision… just like I once was.

Facing someone like her takes skill at killing.

I gesture to Spider-Man over my shoulder, palm down, telling him to hold back.

Better that he go help Natasha, who’s fighting Venom—or go capture that weird guy in yellow just standing over there—than interfere here.

Looks like he got the message. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a red blur heading toward Natasha.

I turn back to Redcap. She’s raised her knife.

“…You’ll regret throwing away your weapon.”

“I’ve still got one.”

I draw a knife from the holster on my belt.

A killer’s technique.
A slightly long blade.
Superhuman physical ability.

…She really is a mirror of me.

But Steve saved me.
No one saved her.

We close in on each other, knives held ready.

The moment we enter striking distance—

Blades cross. Sparks fly.