Chapter 72: Stay With Me – Part 2

“Gwen, how about this one?”

I held up a piece of clothing hanging on a rack for her to see.

“…Are you seriously suggesting that?”

At her words, I silently put it back on the shelf.

We were inside a thrift shop somewhere in New York City.
Apparently, it was one of Gwen’s recommendations.

Being second-hand, the prices were fairly reasonable.

“Okay, then how about this one…?”

I showed Gwen a tiger-print shirt.
She gave me the most intense look of the day.

It was a face that mixed exasperation, disgust, and contempt.

“If you show up at school wearing that, your nickname’s gonna be… ‘Tiger.’ And yes, I mean it in the making-fun-of-you kind of way.”

In other words, it didn’t suit me at all.
I put it back on the shelf again.

When I turned to look at Gwen, she seemed less energetic than when we’d first come in.
Honestly, so was I.

“M-Maybe you should just pick something for me?”

“If I pick it for you, your sense of style will never develop. Be grateful I’m even giving you feedback.”

“…Right.”

Dragging my feet, I wandered along the shelves, checking out the clothes.
But honestly… I had no idea.
Which ones were actually cool?

…Maybe I should’ve bought a fashion magazine first?
But those magazines are always full of tall, handsome models, and the stuff they wear would never suit me.
And those pants with the chains on them—I never get those.
What are they even for? Keeping your wallet from falling out?

I was about to sigh when a woman walked past me.

She had long black hair… striking green eyes… and a sharp, intense gaze.
She looked very strong-willed.

But what really caught my eye was her outfit—
A short black tank top, cropped enough to show her midriff.
A bright red belt over sleek, shiny black pants.
All-black shoes.
And while most of her outfit was black, she had a silver chain draped around her pants.

How should I put it…? It was an aggressively bold fashion style.

…The complete opposite of me.
Better stay away.

That’s what I thought—until she stopped right in front of Gwen.

…Ah, if this is about to turn into trouble, I’d better step in!

I hurried over—

“Oh, Gwen, hey?”

“Ah, what a coincidence.”

They shared a quick hug.
I stared in surprise.

Then the black-haired woman glanced at me, jerked a thumb in my direction, and turned back to Gwen.

“He’s been staring at me—who’s this?”

“My friend, Peter Parker.”

“…Huh.”

With a face that seemed satisfied with the answer, she walked up to me.
She was just a little taller than I was.

Stopping right in front of me, she held out her hand.

“Laura Kinney. Call me whatever you want.”

“Uh, yeah… nice to meet you?”

I reached out hesitantly—only to have my hand gripped firmly.
…Whoa, that was a strong handshake.
For a second, I almost pulled my hand back.

But maybe she wasn’t as intimidating as she looked.
I’d thought she’d be scary as hell, but she might actually be pretty easygoing.

“So… Gwen, is this your boyfriend?”

“No.”

That was instant.
But at least she didn’t sound disgusted, just matter-of-fact.
She was probably being careful not to give Laura a bad first impression of me.

“So, just a regular friend then.”

Her reply was so flat and unbothered, it felt like she wasn’t all that interested in me at all.

Gwen let out a sigh and spoke.

“Well, fancy meeting you here. Especially since we’re seeing each other tonight… So, what are you here for?”

Oh—so this was the friend Gwen mentioned for tonight.
…Yeah, I kind of suspected. Gwen doesn’t seem to have that many friends to begin with.

“I’m just here to buy clothes. You too?”

“No, I’m just here with Peter.”

“His clothes?”

Laura looked straight at me.
Her gaze had such force that I almost had to look away.
It wasn’t just that she was scary—it was that she was beautiful, sharp-eyed, and had this overwhelming presence.
…Yeah, still scary.

“Hm… how about this?”

She reached over to a shelf, pulled out a shirt, and handed it to me.

A black shirt with a big white skull printed right in the middle.

“Uh… yeah, I’m gonna have to pass.”

It was loud.
And besides—it reminded me way too much of the Punisher.
That guy wears black with a white skull logo too.

Wait… this is a thrift store, right?
Could this actually be one of the Punisher’s old shirts?

…Nah. I can’t picture the Punisher walking into a thrift shop to sell clothes.

I put it back on the shelf. Laura chuckled when she saw that.

“Yeah… guess it really doesn’t suit you.”

If she thinks that, then why even hand it to me?

After that, it went like this:
I’d pick something, Gwen would shoot it down…
Laura would occasionally bring me some bizarre shirt…
And before I knew it, nearly an hour had passed.

When I glanced at the clock, I was honestly a little surprised.
Time really does fly.

Lowering my gaze from the clock, I noticed Laura had stopped walking.

She was staring at a wooden doll.
It sat on a shelf, wearing a red hat, with a long nose.

She looked at it for quite a while.

Gwen, unable to ignore it, finally spoke up.

“…What’s wrong, Laura?”

“Huh? Oh… my mom used to read me this story when I was little.”

Laura turned her eyes away from the doll.

If I remember right… that was Pinocchio.
The wooden puppet whose nose grew whenever he told a lie.
A puppet who wished to become human… and, in the end, had his wish granted.

I wondered if she was feeling nostalgic.
But when I looked back at her, she had a slightly sad expression.

…Most likely, her mother is no longer—

“Ah, sorry. Talking about this probably just makes things awkward, huh?”

“No, uh… it’s fine. I don’t mind.”

When I said that, Laura smiled at me.
Her eyes felt like they could see right through to my real thoughts.

Then she smoothly shifted her gaze to Gwen.

“…I see. You’ve got a good friend, Gwen.”

“Really? He’s just a nerd.”

I followed Gwen with my eyes.
I wish she’d think about how it feels to be insulted just to cover up her embarrassment.
…Well, I am gloomy and, yeah, kind of an otaku.

“Heh… well, fine. I’ll let you have that one.”

“…Aren’t you misunderstanding something?”

“Who knows… Anyway, I’ll be off. And you—good luck picking your clothes.”

She seemed to be in a better mood than when she arrived.
Waving her hand as she turned away, she left the store.

In the end, she didn’t buy anything.
Guess nothing caught her eye.

She really did feel like a whirlwind of a person.

“…Peter, I’ve got to go soon too. Can you hurry up and decide?”

“Ah, yeah, got it…!”

For a moment, it felt like things were already over, but I still hadn’t bought a single outfit.
In the end, it took me another thirty minutes to find something that got Gwen’s approval.

When I tried to pay for the clothes Gwen was going to buy for herself—

“With that money, why don’t you treat Michelle to something nice instead?”

—she said, and shoved the bills back into my wallet.

…She’s really kind.

Gwen, Ned, Michelle… they’re all kind.
Such good friends that I almost feel like I don’t deserve them.

Holding both my own shopping bag and Gwen’s, I left the store.

I just hoped Michelle wouldn’t think I looked weird tomorrow.
With that simple, modest wish in mind, I found myself smiling without even realizing it.

---

I took off my clothes… and unfastened the blue-and-white shattered rose accessory I had pinned to my chest. Carefully, so it wouldn’t break, I placed it on the shelf… then pulled on my black stab-resistant tights. Without putting on any underwear, I slipped into a pitch-black turtleneck that covered me up to the neck… and stepped outside.

“Ready, Tinkerer.”

As usual, standing before me was Tinkerer, clad in a black suit with faint violet light seeping through it.

『Alright, let’s get started with the fitting, shall we?』

“…Is that really necessary? You could just use the data from my last physical measurement.”

Grumbling, I began putting on the armor suit. Its shape was different from the previous one—my chest protector, shoulders, elbows, knees, feet… all the way from the base of my fingers to the tips, were covered in red metal. The fingertips came to small, claw-like points. Clearly, this was designed with hand-to-hand combat in mind. If so, then… what exactly was this red metal?

As I examined my new suit, Tinkerer spoke.

『You’re still sixteen, right?』

“Seventeen.”

I put on the helmet—bright red, with a mannequin-like, expressionless faceplate. From the outside it was an opaque, solid red, but from the inside, I could see through it—like a one-way mirror.

『…Huh? Really? Well, you still have a lot of potential for growth, physically speaking.』

『…Is that so?』

My reply came out in a synthesized voice produced by the suit’s systems. Now that I thought about it… when was the last time I’d had a physical measurement taken? Had my height increased?

I glanced at the mirror. …With the suit on, I couldn’t even recognize my own face.

『Exactly. So if anything feels too tight or too loose, I want you to tell me.』

『…Hmm. Fair enough.』

I moved my body lightly. The armor pieces didn’t interfere with one another, and didn’t make the slightest sound. I bent down to touch my legs, twisted my torso, arched my back—

『How’s the fit?』

『Well… generally fine, but the chest feels a little tight.』

『……Ah—really? Got it. I’ll make some adjustments.』

Tinkerer fell silent for a moment, perhaps embarrassed. …This was the same person who’d seen me naked during the arm-connection surgery, and the LMD had been completely unclothed anyway. He’s not some awkward adolescent boy—what’s there to get flustered about?

I sighed inwardly. Ever since being born into this world, I’d fully understood that I was a woman. I’d gotten used to bodily changes, even menstruation. So a reaction like this only left me at a loss. …Still. Well, maybe pointing it out would be a little cruel.

I decided to change the subject and asked Tinkerer about something that had been on my mind.

『What’s with these red parts?』

I meant the red components on various parts of the suit. Given the claw-like fittings on the fingertips, I figured they must have some special function.

『Ah, that? That’s adamantium.』

『…What? You mean adamantite?』

Adamantite—the mythical metal from legends and fiction. Light, indestructible… much like vibranium.

『Well, pretty close. It’s a special alloy made by combining eight different metals—that’s adamantium alloy.』

『…I see.』

I touched my chin, thinking. Yes, I’d definitely heard the word adamantium before. Most likely from my memories of my previous life. It seemed to have some important property… but I couldn’t recall what it was.

『We were short on vibranium, so I couldn’t make the arm parts. While digging through S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database to see if there was something else I could use, I happened to find it.』

『…Wait. S.H.I.E.L.D.?』

Why on earth could he access S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database?

『Heh. I’m not just a genius inventor—you’re looking at a top-class hacker as well.』

He proudly gave me a thumbs-up. …Come to think of it, maybe there’s nothing he can’t do. He can perform near-medical-level procedures, too… Annoying as he is, I can’t deny his skill. Shaken, I kept listening.

『Adamantium is made by layering multiple special metals and melting them together. And once it hardens—nothing in existence can scratch it.』

『…That’s impressive.』

『The trade-off is, the material’s extremely expensive… so this might be the only time I can make it. At least, not on my budget.』

『Your budget?』

Not the organization’s? …Was this coming out of Tinkerer’s own pocket?

『…Forget I said that. It was purely out of personal curiosity. I just wanted to see how tough it really was.』

I eyed Tinkerer with suspicion. After all, there was no particular reason to use such a rare metal for my suit. If he just wanted to test it, he could’ve kept it for himself.

『…………』

Still, I didn’t feel like pressing the issue. If I were being charitable, I could call it an act of consideration on his part. Even if it wasn’t… I owed him. Annoying as it was, this guy had helped Herman and come to my aid more than once.

So, I decided to change the subject.

『Which is harder—vibranium or this?』

『In terms of sheer hardness, it beats vibranium.』

『…That much, huh.』

I hadn’t expected the metal he’d brought in to fill the gaps from the shortage to actually outperform vibranium.

『But it doesn’t have any shock-absorbing properties. That’s why it’s only used on places meant for attacking—like claws or elbows—or layered like a plating over vibranium.』

『…So you can’t really say one’s better than the other.』

『Right tool for the right job… Besides, adamantium has another amazing feature.』

『Amazing feature?』

I asked back.

『It can block psychic telepathy from mutants. Even mind control won’t work. That’s why I used it in the mask too.』

I touched the front of the mask. Honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference from before.

『Ah, but the front is the same as before. There aren’t many metals you can see through from the inside like a one-way mirror… and they end up being fragile. Still, unless a dump truck runs you over, you won’t have to worry—it won’t even crack.』

『…………』

I stayed silent, remembering the times my mask had taken damage. So in the end, this was just a polite way of saying it wasn’t completely trustworthy. In this world, there were plenty of people who could hit harder than a dump truck. I’d often wondered if my mask might shatter one day.

『I did think about putting a camera on the outside and projecting the feed directly to your retina… but if the camera itself can’t withstand an impact, it’s pointless. One good electric shock and it’s fried, and then you’re done. So, this is still the best option.』

At his excuse-laden explanation, I nodded.

『I get it… Can I take this off now? The fitting should be more than done, right?』

『Hm? Oh, yeah… I’ve got all the data I need.』

He fiddled with his tablet, apparently collecting some kind of information.

…Could it be this suit is sending data to Tinkerer all the time? It’s not like the thought had never crossed my mind—I’d even wondered if he was recording mission footage.

But before, when I fought Lizard while wearing the suit, Tinkerer had successfully concealed it from the organization. So I’d assumed he wasn’t recording. Then again… maybe he’s actually editing the mission footage he gets from my suit before sending it in?

As I stared intently at the tablet, Tinkerer looked up at me.

『…Hm? What’s wrong?』

『Nothing…』

Averting my gaze, I removed my mask—

“Yo, I’m comin’ in—wait, huh?”

Right on cue, the door opened and Herman stepped in.

For a moment, my thoughts froze. Looks like his did too.

…And then I glared at Tinkerer.

“Why is he here?”

『Huh? Oh, he’s one of my regular customers now. I figured if you both had business, I’d schedule you on the same day—』

I nearly stepped forward and swung at him. But no… I’m not some unhinged woman who throws punches over this.

Instead, I turned my face toward Herman.

“Ah—uh, well… bad timing, I guess?”

“…Not really.”

He already knows what my face looks like. I certainly don’t want to be stared at, but… it’s more that it makes me feel embarrassed.

I removed the armor. There was a hiss of air, and the pieces separated, clattering down to the floor. What emerged was the form-fitting black underlayer that clearly showed the lines of my body.

…Herman averted his gaze from me. Honestly, it’s not like I care. Or… did I never actually tell him that? Well, it’s not like the atmosphere now would allow me to say, “Go ahead and look.” Not that I want him to look anyway… saying that would make me sound like some kind of exhibitionist.

I opened another door and stepped into the changing room.

Through the door, I could hear Herman and Tinkerer talking. I stripped off the underlayer and put on my underwear. Moments like this make me acutely aware that I’m a woman.

I pulled on black over-knee socks, then a pair of hot pants that only reached mid-thigh. Over that, a loose brown shirt, and on top of that, an oversized white shirt.

Women’s bodies are prone to getting cold. If it were just my body—strengthened by that fake “Super Soldier Serum”—it wouldn’t be an issue… but there are always eyes watching. Even if it’s a bit of a bother, I should wear an extra layer.

As for fashion… it’s not that I have no interest. It’s not that I dislike dressing up. But no matter how well I pull an outfit together, it’s still me wearing it.

…Even if the looks are there, on the inside—

I sighed. No, this is pointless. Save the self-loathing for when you’re at home.

…Or maybe it just means this place feels comfortable enough for it to creep up on me.

I opened the door and stepped out… Herman glanced at me, looked away, then looked back again.

…What’s with that reaction?

“What is it, Herman?”

“Ah, no… it looks good on you?”

“…Why is that a question?”

I frowned, and Herman grew more flustered.

“No, I mean it! It really does suit you. It’s just… I’ve only ever seen you in, well… that other look—”

“Haa… is that so?”

Come to think of it, this is probably the first time he’s seen me in casual clothes. Last time I came back, he’d been asleep in the hospital room.

I sighed again. I’ve lost count of how many times today.

“So?”

“So… what?”

“What are you here for? This isn’t a hospital, is it? You’re not here for a follow-up exam.”

“Ah… well…”

At my words, Herman turned his head away and scratched his cheek. Was it something hard to talk about?

『I’m making him a new suit.』

Tinkerer cut in, raising a hand.

“A suit?”

“Yeah… something like that.”

I tilted my head, looking at Tinkerer.

『There are things you don’t really want to tell a guy, you know.』

“…You’re hardly a ‘boy’ at your age.”

“Hah? I’m still twenty-five!”

I couldn’t help but let out an amused snort.

“Round that up and you’re already thirty.”

“Guh—!”

Herman grimaced and stroked his neatly trimmed beard.

“If you tidied up that thug-like appearance a bit, you might look a little younger.”

“…This slightly bad-boy look actually makes me more attractive, you know.”

That made me smirk. Bad-boy? We’re full-blown villains. There’s nothing “slight” about it.

“…What? Is something funny?”

“No, nothing.”

Saying it out loud would be in poor taste. He looked visibly uncomfortable under my gaze.

『Huh… you two seem close.』

The moment Tinkerer said that, I glanced sideways at Herman. Ignoring my faint concern, Herman just gave a small smile.

“Yeah… guess so.”

Relieved by his answer, I nodded in agreement.

“Close enough.”

『Heh…』

Seeing me like that, Tinkerer chuckled. …There was nothing remotely funny about any of this, though.

“…I’m done here. I’ll head back first.”

“Yeah… ah—see you around?”

I nodded at Herman’s words and waved over my shoulder. As I opened the door and headed toward the underground passage, Tinkerer called after me.

『I’ll have the adjustments done and drop it off at the usual base before your next mission.』

“Appreciate it.”

I replied as I shut the door… and descended into the underground.

It was a dark passageway, with none of the brightness from earlier.

I walked beneath the faintly glowing lamps.

I couldn’t let myself forget—this is where I live. Not in the light, but in the darkness. I reminded myself of that.

I took out the phone from my breast pocket. Two emails had arrived.

One was from Peter, asking about plans for our outing tomorrow.

The other—

In the darkness, my eyes—enhanced by the counterfeit super-soldier serum—read the message. I decoded the cipher it contained.

『Next week, Madripoor. VIP protection.』

I gave a bitter smile. Protection? For me, a killer?

I scrolled down to see the target’s name.

…Power Broker?

The man who… no, the man who created the “super-soldier serum” that caused the deaths of the children my comrades—and my organization—had kidnapped.

And now… I was to protect him?

It was only natural that my grip on the device tightened.

Even now, I could remember the cries of the children, coughing blood, cursing, clinging to life.

“Help me!”
“It hurts! I don’t want to die!”
“Why me?!”
“Mom! No!”

Even now… I would remember them, always. The ones who wanted to live more than anything… died. And I survived.

I was someone who had survived… by killing them.

I put the phone back into my breast pocket. I felt a bit sick.

Don’t let it show. Kill your expression. Tomorrow is your day out with Peter, right? I am Michelle Jane. Right now—only right now—I am not Redcap.

I remembered the sight of Herman bleeding out on the ground. No. Don’t remember.

What were you thinking at that moment? Stop. Don’t remember anything.

Don’t get attached to the people you’ve killed. Tell yourself it was something you had to do to survive.

I leaned my back against the wall of the underground passage and steadied my breathing.

I… I am────