Chapter 91: AKA Michelle Jane - part 3

Alias Detective Agency.

I was sprawled out on the sofa there.

A bottle of liquor in hand, staring up at the ceiling. The fluorescent light flickered with a buzzing noise.

Ever since that day—after falling victim to Kilgrave—I had been searching for him.

But no lead turned up.

I set the unopened bottle down on the desk. Torn between the urge to drink just to get by, and the gnawing frustration that this wasn’t the time for it.

Letting out a sigh, I sat back up on the sofa and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. Twisting the cap open and taking a sip—my phone screen lit up.

"…What now."

Husband? Or maybe a new case? Tilting my head, I picked it up.

It was an email. Opening it… information about Kilgrave.

『Zebediah Kilgrave is at the Hell’s Kitchen police station.』

That’s what it said.

"…From who?"

The sender’s address wasn’t one I recognized. Likely just a disposable relay address. No useful information to gain from it.

"…A trap, huh."

Opening the attached video file—it was surveillance footage from inside the station. How had they gotten this? And why had it leaked?

Whoever sent this wasn’t anyone trustworthy.

"…Not reliable at all, but—"

Before I realized it, I’d squeezed the water bottle flat. The water spilled across the floor of the office.

"Even if it’s his trap—"

I threw on my leather jacket and headed out the door.

"I’ll be the one to settle this."

Wrapping a red scarf around my neck, I stepped outside.

---

New York City, Hell’s Kitchen. Inside the police station.

"A little lower."

In the chief’s office, I rested my foot down. The purple heel of my shoe pressing onto “something.”

"Yes, there. Perfect."

I tested the soft flesh beneath with my foot.

"Not bad at all… you might actually have a talent for being a footrest."

Her eyes were vacant. A woman lying on her back, face up, under my heel.

"…Stressful work. Why must I be the one dealing with such nuisances."

I frowned slightly in irritation. The woman beneath me groaned. Perhaps I pressed too hard.

I had brainwashed the son of a certain man, turning him into a criminal. It was a job given to me by some organization.

…I’d never met anyone from that organization. But their level of science was abnormally high. They might even have equipment capable of resisting my powers.

I despise being ordered around, but I also know there are some orders I cannot refuse.

Pressing down harder, I could feel the ribs beneath my shoe. A little more force and they’d snap.

This woman had entertained me long enough. Time for a replacement.

I shifted more of my weight down—

"Chief!"

A cop burst into the office. They all believed I was the precinct’s chief now. The previous one… was at the bottom of the Hudson River.

"Hey, what is it… Damn it, I told you to knock first."

"S-sorry, but this is urgent—"

I lifted my foot off the woman and straightened up. Adjusting the collar of my purple suit, I stood in front of him.

"What is it? Out with it."

"It’s just… hard to believe, but—"

"Enough. Say it all."

His hesitant tone irritated me. I invoked my ability. Through the special pheromones, he had no choice but to obey.

His face slackened at once, and he spoke.

"A mysterious… superpowered woman has entered the station."

"Superpowered?"

I shoved him aside and stepped into the adjoining room. Looking at the monitor on an empty desk.

The feed showed a black-haired woman throwing one of my puppet officers across the hall. He flew several meters, slammed into the floor, and lay limp, unconscious.

That woman—no, Jessica Jones—lifted her gaze to the security camera. Her eyes sharp, burning with fury.

"Heh… good. Perfect."

I switched on the mic, activating the station’s PA system.

"Shoot the black-haired woman who entered the building! But don’t finish her off! Bring her to me alive!"

Obeying dolls drew their guns and began moving through the station. Jessica… bullets alone wouldn’t kill her. But they’d do enough damage.

And she had to hold back—making sure not to kill the police officers under his control.

Without being able to unleash her full power, could she overcome sheer numbers?

A spectacle worth watching. A magnificent entertainment.

As I grinned at her through the monitor, Jessica glared directly at the security camera.

And then, she flipped me off.

"Heh… vulgar behavior. When you come back to me… I’ll have to retrain you."

I sank into the leather chair, fingers steepled together. Tonight was going to be perfect.

That was the feeling I had.

"…Hm? What’s this?"

Some of the security cameras in the station… had gone dead. Static fuzz filled the screens.

---

Running through the station.

"There she is!"

A shout from one of the officers. I immediately turned toward the voice and hurled a nearby potted plant.

The glass partition shattered, the pot slammed into the officer.

He collapsed, bleeding. Looked unconscious, but not dead.

"God, what a nasty, underhanded trick!"

Leaping over a chair, I rolled into another room.

That voice over the PA earlier—it had been Kilgrave’s. So the intel was right.

But he had the entire station under his control. Every single civilian inside was now my enemy… and I couldn’t kill them.

From the sound of footsteps, more officers had heard the shout and were rushing to back him up.

I grabbed a long bench from the room, braced at the doorway.

And the moment they rounded the corner—

I kicked the bench hard, sending it sliding.

The screech of wood against the floor echoed as it barreled into several officers, toppling them.

I sprinted at the downed officers, kicking, striking, knocking them out cold one by one.

A hard blow to the lungs, robbing them of breath—that was enough to make someone pass out.

…Good thing Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, had taught me how to do it properly.

Another officer at the corner raised his gun toward me. I launched off the ground, hands grabbing the ceiling barely three meters above, and tore down a fluorescent light.

"Eek!?"

Even in shock at my strength, he started to raise the barrel upward—only to have the light fixture smashed over his head.

Glass shattered, cutting his face in several places.

Sorry about the injuries, but they’d have to live with it. Someone had to fight the real villains in their place.

Flying in tight spaces was awkward… but in buildings like this, I could at least use it to boost my jumps.

I pushed forward, kicking off the floor.

This wasn’t my first time at the Hell’s Kitchen precinct. I’d been here before, dragged in when cases blew up.

But I didn’t know the layout.

No signs inside either, so I had to check rooms one after another.

I stopped on the stairwell landing and looked up.

Several officers had their guns trained down at me.

"…Well, that’s not good—"

Gunfire erupted.

I kicked off the floor, grabbed the stair railing, and tore it free.

Pulling back into a blind spot, I hurled the broken railing upward with all my strength.

CRASH!

The skylight shattered, the sound echoing.

The officers startled, looking up.

"Wide open."

Taking the chance, I bent my knees and launched. Using flight, I closed the gap instantly.

I grabbed one officer and flung him sideways. He slammed against the wall and went limp.

Three left.

One officer, clearly more skilled than the rest, leveled his gun at me as I charged.

The trigger pulled.

The gunshot rang out, the bullet cutting through the air—

—and struck me in the shoulder.

“Gh—!”

Pain shot through me.
But the bullet only grazed the surface, leaving a bruise.

Not enough to stop me.

I clenched my fist and smashed it into his face.

“Ghhuh!?”

The officer staggered and went down.

Swinging my arm wide, I drove my elbow into another one.
As he stumbled back, another shot rang out.

“—ahh!?”

A burning impact in my back.
Hit again.

I twisted around, lifted my leg—

“God, that hurts!”

—and lashed out with a high kick.

The officer spun half a turn in the air before crashing to the floor.
I’d kicked harder than I meant to… but he wasn’t dead.

Exhaling in relief only made the wounds throb.

『Oh, poor Jessica… you look like you’re suffering.』

Kilgrave’s voice oozed from the station PA.

I clicked my tongue and scanned the walls.
…There. A camera.

That was where he was watching me from.

“Sit tight, Kilgrave. I’ll find you—and when I do, I’ll smash your face in.”

『So defiant… do you really think you’re a hero?』

I turned away, ignoring his needling tone, and pushed down the hall.

One after another, I knocked out the officers under his control.
Gunfire tore into me, bruising, cutting, slowing me down—
—but I kept moving forward.

I kicked down a door into the next floor.

A mob of cops waited for me.

I fought through them—punching, being shot, kicking, being hit, throwing bodies aside, getting struck again.
None of it was lethal.

But every hit stacked up.

“Hhff—khh… nngh…”

I pictured Kilgrave’s smug face. The anger numbed the pain.

My leather coat was shredded full of holes. I ripped it off and tossed it aside.
Hand on the knob, I shoved into the next room.

Unlocked.

And inside—

“Well, it took you long enough, Jessica.”

“…Kilgrave.”

I pushed my hair back and glared at him.
The same purple suit, the same smug bastard.

The man I had hunted endlessly.
The man I hated more than anyone alive.

“Oh my, such a scary face… and yet, you still came crawling back to me.”

“This isn’t the same as last time.”

“Mm… maybe. But I’ve changed too.”

His calm, unfathomable confidence twisted my gut.

I shut the door behind me. Locked it.

“Oh? Bold move. You realize you’ve just cut off your escape?”

“Escape? No. I shut it… so you can’t run.”

I forced my legs to move, step by step, pushing through the old fear.

Kilgrave smiled, all too relaxed.
Too confident.
He had something planned.

And the moment I realized it, he inhaled deeply—

“Don’t. Move.”

The words cracked like a whip.

And my body froze.

"…!"

"I thought you were clever, but in the end… you were just a fool."

His tone carried the weight of disappointment, and it made me bristle. I glared at him.

He pulled out an empty glass vial from his pocket and held it up to show me. Inside it, there had once been… small pills.

"This is a drug that enhances my ability… You may have tried to come prepared, but… it didn’t matter in the end, did it?"

Smirking, he tucked the bottle back into his pocket.

"It was quite expensive… No, this isn’t about money. To get this, I had to take on several jobs… But it was all to make you mine. I had no choice."

He walked slowly toward me, his face twisted into a revolting smile, and ran his hand across my waist.

"…"

"Can’t even speak? Come on, let’s be a family again… Look, smile for me."

I forced an awkward smile. Seeing it, Kilgrave nodded with satisfaction, as if savoring the moment.

"Yes… perfect."

He moved past my side, standing directly in front of me. He licked his lips, stretching his hand out toward me—

"Don’t touch me, you bastard."

I grabbed Kilgrave’s arm.

"Huh?"

And swung him hard, slamming him into the wall. The concrete cracked, and he crumpled to the floor.

A few bones must have snapped—he coughed violently, struggling for air.

"Gu—ghk… wh-what…!?"

"Too bad for you. I was acting… Best Actress Award of the year goes to me."

I drew back my leg.

"Take this!"

My foot drove straight into Kilgrave’s solar plexus.

"Ghah!?"

"I waited until you came close enough… into a range where you could never escape me."

I walked up to where Kilgrave writhed, clutching his stomach.

As long as he could speak, he could make every cop in this station kill themselves. If he got the chance to use them as hostages… lives would be lost.

That’s why I waited. I needed him arrogant enough to step into striking distance.

"Why… doesn’t my… ability… work…!?"

"Here."

I tapped the side of my head.

"When you brainwashed me and sent me crashing into the Avengers… I met someone. Thanks to you, I gained a real friend. A best friend."

"A… best friend?"

"Oh? I guess that’s not a word you’re familiar with."

I let my memory drift back.

She’d visited me constantly when I was in the hospital. My red-haired… now long-gone best friend.

"Jean Grey… She was a telepath. She broke your brainwashing and built a mental defense, a shield, so I’d never be controlled by you again."

"N-no… impossible…! My ability is supposed to be absolute…!"

"‘Absolute,’ huh? For someone with so many enemies."

I stepped closer to him. The earlier blow had left him too battered—he was slumped on the floor.

"Ready yourself."

I clenched my fist tightly.

"From now on, I’m going to keep hitting you until you pass out."

"Eek…!"

"And even if you do, I’ll keep hitting you."

"St—stop—!"

I swung my fist upward and sent Kilgrave flying.

For a moment, he hung in the air, and the objects on the desk clattered to the floor. A mug shattered, scattering shards across the ground.

But he was born with a naturally strong body. Not on my level, but still sturdy enough.

He didn’t lose consciousness—he crouched down, clutching his face.

"Th-this… has to be… some kind of mistake…!"

"Why don’t you try your slick little brainwashing routine? Go on—before I smash your face in so no one will ever hear it."

"A-are you… planning to kill me!?"

That gave me pause.

…Yes, I hated him enough to want him dead. If I could rip him apart with my own hands, I’d feel nothing but joy.

But—

"Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not worth that much."

I said it plainly.

I have a husband I love. I have comrades. I had a best friend.

I’m not about to throw all that away for scum like him.

"Ugh, grhh… damn you… damn, damn you!!"

Kilgrave’s face twisted with rage, humiliation, jealousy, and spite. His pride was shredded.

A calm relief washed over me, and I let out a deep breath.

And then… something flickered across my vision—a monitor.

It was showing what looked like security camera feeds… but several of them had turned to static.

"…What?"

I narrowed my eyes, focusing.

One of the screens showed the hallway I’d used to enter this floor earlier.

Now… it was out.

"…Something—"

I glared at Kilgrave. He was too caught up with his own misery to be behind this.

So who did it? Someone else was here.

Already close.

Ka-shon.

"…No way!?"

I jumped back from the door behind me. I’d heard the scrape of metal.

I knew that sound. The reload of a lever-action shotgun.

And I’d been right.

Because the very next instant, a blast roared through the air.

The wooden door splintered apart, bursting inward. From beyond the flying debris, a pair of black armored legs stepped through.

The one who’d taken out the cameras and made her way here… was her.

A crimson mask stared directly at me.

"Redcap…"

We had only just crossed paths not long ago, and now she entered again, shotgun in hand. The wood fragments cracked under her boots with every step.

"What do you want? I’m a little busy right now."

Redcap scanned the room… and fixed her gaze on the cowering Kilgrave.

『…My business is with that man.』

…Kilgrave.

That pill he had used to boost his ability—there was no way he could have made something like that on his own.

I’d suspected he was connected to some larger organization… Could it be hers?

Redcap herself wore a suit of futuristic high-tech armor. Clearly, her organization possessed advanced science and resources.

So why was she here? She’d said her business was with Kilgrave.

To rescue him…? That would make sense.

"Sorry, but I can’t just hand him—"

"Protect me! Kill this woman!!"

Kilgrave screamed with everything he had left.

…Whatever her true objective was, his command had now overridden it.

This was bad.

『…Hmph.』

Redcap leveled her shotgun at me.

If she pulled the trigger, I’d take the hit. I dodged aside—only for her boot to slam into me.

"Ugh!?"

The shotgun had been a bluff. She’d used it to lock my focus, then launched her kick.

Normally, I would’ve dodged it. But my body was already battered to the core.

The heavy blow sank into my stomach, tearing through my insides.

She spared me only a glance, then stepped to Kilgrave’s side.

"Y-yes… good… heh… the tables have turned now… Jess—"

『What gave you that idea?』

The shotgun muzzle swung toward Kilgrave’s head.

"Wha—?"

『The one who dies here is you. Purple Man.』

Her finger curled on the trigger—

"Wait—!"

The shot erupted.

A red bloom splattered against the wall.

The wet sound of liquid spraying filled the room. A moment later, his body toppled.

Kilgrave—now faceless, now lifeless—slumped against the wall.

Blood smeared down as he slid to the floor, sprawled limply.

…For a second, my mind fled into denial. So his blood was red after all.

This color… was poison to the eyes.

"Why…"

I couldn’t help but ask, and the red mask turned to me.

『Did you really think I would stand before him without countermeasures?』

She answered why she hadn’t been controlled.
But that wasn’t what I wanted to know.

"Why did you kill him…!?"

『…What a strange question. An enemy you despise dies without you even dirtying your hands. Shouldn’t you be pleased, Jessica Jones?』

"…He should have answered for his crimes."

At that, she let out a laugh through that mechanical, genderless voice.

『Crimes too great to ever be atoned for.』

"Even so… no individual has the right to decide someone else should die…"

『A fine moral stance. But I have no intention of being forgiven.』

I lashed my cracked knees into motion and forced myself to stand.
Clenching my fists, I raised a fighting stance.

At that, she tilted her head slightly, as if surprised.

『…Are you serious?』

"I’m sick of my own stupidity too… but—"

I exhaled deeply, focusing strength.

"This is who I am."

『…I have no intention of fighting you. In fact, I should thank you.』

"Thank me…?"

I frowned, and Redcap explained.

『I didn’t know where he was hiding… but because of you, I found this place.』

"…You tailed me?"

The idea of a detective like me being tailed—what a damn joke.

『I was tracking him to kill him… and by chance, I saw you running. I was fortunate.』

"Tch…"

The email I received, the one that lured me here… because of that, Kilgrave was killed.
A man who deserved death, sure, but… it should have been by law.

This was my mistake.

『You’ve no real reason to fight me, do you?』

"…On the contrary. Knowing someone like you, a killer, walks free in this city… I can’t stomach it."

『…Hmph.』

"You’ll answer for your crimes. I’ll be the one to bring you in."

I stepped forward.

『Unfortunately, I’m in no mood today.』

"Asking me to go easy on you, then?"

『…No.』

She leveled the shotgun upward.

『I’m telling you—I can’t hold back.』

The shotgun roared.

Overhead lights shattered, plunging the room into darkness.
Only the faint glow of streetlamps through the windows lit the space.

I had no night vision. Fighting in the dark wasn’t my strong suit.

But—

"Ugh!?"

A heavy strike jolted my arm.
A spinning kick—her attack.

I swung my leg toward the source—only to strike empty air.

『What are you even kicking at?』

"…!?"

Her voice came right beside me. I turned instinctively—

"Agh!?"

A fist slammed into my face.

A fist encased in metal. Stronger than flesh—like being struck with a blunt weapon.

White flashed across my vision. My body wanted to collapse, but I clenched my teeth and forced myself upright.

Sounds from the side… behind… in front.

No doubt—she could see in the dark.
Fighting here was suicide.

I sprang toward the windows—

『Just as I expected. Running.』

My arm was seized.

We crashed straight through the glass, shards scattering, her still locked onto my arm.

She pressed her elbow against my joint.

I knew what was coming.

『Sorry. You’ll be out of commission after this.』

Crack—the elbow drove into my joint.

"Nggh—gaaah!"

Bone snapped.
Pain radiated through the nerves, my mind burning in white-hot agony.

My concentration broke, and I plummeted, slamming into the ground face-first.

"Hhh—haaah… g-ggh…"

I pressed down on my arm, forcing my breath into some rhythm, and pushed a knee against the ground.

When we fell, Redcap had rolled clear of me.

The commissioner’s office window… from that height, we’d dropped well over ten meters.
And yet she was unscathed.

Not the slightest hint of damage—just walking toward me. Slowly.

The streetlights caught both of us in their glow.

『Have you finally decided to give up?』

"As if…! Not a damn chance!"

I bit down hard on my lip, trying to drown out the pain in my arm with another.
Kicking off the ground, I forced my battered body into the air, closing in on her.

Redcap caught her shotgun, spun it in her hand—then hurled it into the air.

"…Tch!?"

It cut straight into my flight path, leaving me no choice but to twist away.
I spiraled midair, skimming past above her head—when something bit deep into my leg.

"Ah—!"

A clawed wire.

It was tethered to the armor wrapped around her arm.

She yanked. Hard.

My body smashed against a metal sign, the bracket tearing loose so the whole thing collapsed on top of me.

"Gh—cough—!"

I spat blood, trying to shove the massive sign off me—only for her boot to pin my hand.

"…Agh—!"

『Tell me, Jessica Jones. What would make you stop fighting?』

Her foot twisted, grinding down, bones in my hand cracking under the pressure.

"…If you… turned yourself in… I’d consider it…!"

『…Stubborn, like all so-called heroes.』

"I told you… I’m no hero… I’m just a damn detective…!"

Her boot lashed out, smashing across my face.

"Ughhh—!"

Blood sprayed from my nose, splattering the pavement.

『No. You are a hero. Blindingly so.』

I couldn’t tell if that was praise or mockery—the distortion in her voice gave nothing away.
But one thing was certain… I was in deep trouble.

『This is a problem. If you won’t quit, you’ll just keep coming. That’s… inconvenient.』

Her calf armor split open. From within, she drew a knife.

"Well… stylish touch. You pick that up at a hardware store?"

『…A finger or two shouldn’t be an issue, right?』

She crouched in front of me, bringing the blade close to my hand—

—and then she was sent flying.

Her body blasted backward, slammed into a wall with bone-jarring force.

I lifted my head, startled.

Hovering above me, a small, red, spider-shaped drone.
But that wasn’t what had hit her.

I tilted my gaze higher—

—perched atop the jutting remains of the broken sign, a figure crouched.

"…Spider-Man."

"Thought I’d drop by to return a favor… though truth is, I’ve got business with her too."

He flipped down and landed between me and Redcap.

---

I pushed the signboard off of Jessica and dragged her out from underneath it.

…Bullet wounds all over her body. Bruises turning her skin purple. A bleeding nose, hands blackened and red.

Her battered state was so terrible I almost had to look away.

Jessica tried to get up… but her strength failed, and she collapsed onto her backside.

"Sorry… I don’t think I can be of much help right now."

I nodded, walked past her, and turned to face the Redcap I had just kicked away. Shoving aside the rubble, the red mask emerged from beneath it.

『…Well, now. What business do you have here?』

The way he acted—surprised, as if he knew nothing—made me frown.

"Why… did you shoot Ned?"

I voiced the question. The Redcap standing before me… had even saved Harry before.

Deep down, I wanted to believe he was actually a good guy.

But—

『Ah, I see… you heard it from that kid, didn’t you?』

"Answer me…"

I clenched my fist tight. The nanomachine suit gave a low mechanical creak.

『Of course. It was just a job.』

"…!"

I fired a strand of web straight at the red mask in front of me. He sliced it apart with a knife, scattering it to pieces.

"If it’s a job, you’ll kill anyone, won’t you?!"

『Naturally.』

I switched my web-shooter’s mode and fired an Ice Web. He dodged to the side, but I immediately fired another strand at where he moved.

He failed to avoid it completely, and it caught his arm.

"Where did you take her…!?"

『…Her? I don’t know who you’re talking about.』

"Michelle!"

I yanked the line hard, pulling myself in close. Kicking out, I aimed straight for his face.

The Redcap bent backward, catching my leg instead.

『…Ah, I see.』

That knowing gesture only fueled my irritation. With my free leg, I kicked the ground and struck his arm away, breaking free and putting distance between us.

"Where did you take her…?! She’s—she’s mine—"

『Calm yourself. I’ll return her unharmed.』

At those words, I grit my teeth. So it really was him who took Michelle.

Return her unharmed? Like I’d ever believe that!

"You bastard…!"

I kicked off the ground, firing a web to the building wall. Using the momentum, I swung forward and launched a kick at the Redcap.

Maybe because my movements were large and obvious, he slipped away. I immediately fired another web with my other hand, this time aiming for his arm. Cutting the web behind me, I hurled him through the air and landed on the ground.

The Redcap rolled and caught himself, then turned to face me again. Barely scratched.

『…I told you, I have no intention of fighting.』

"Maybe you don’t… but I do! I’m taking her back!"

Frustrated, I rushed after him—

—and then noticed something rolling at my feet. A small metallic cylinder.

"This is—!"

The next instant, a deafening blast rattled my eardrums, and my vision went pure white.

A stun grenade!

For a moment, all sound vanished, and my vision went dark. A harsh stinging odor hit my nose.

My senses were under attack.

No doubt about it—he was trying to escape.

"Damn it…! I won’t let you get away!"

I relied on my heightened senses and fired a web toward the fleeing Redcap. My sight was gone, but my hearing was slowly returning.

Then I heard something being cut.

Most likely, the sound of my web being severed.

…But the web was only a feint. The real move was the tiny red beacon I fired at the same time—formed from nanomachines, my Spider-Tracer.

After a short while, my vision began to return.

I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again. Good. I could see.

I stood up and looked around.

…The Redcap was gone.

But the tracer was giving me his location. I needed to chase him right away—but first…

I turned around to look at Jessica. Bloodied, beaten, barely clinging to strength. I rushed to her side and called out.

"Jessi—"

"Don’t worry about me… You do what you have to do. You’re going after him, aren’t you?"

She fixed me with a gaze of steel. Fierce, unwavering. Even though she was clearly gravely injured.

I let out a breath and nodded.

"I’ll call an ambulance for you first!"

"…Thanks."

She gave a faint wave with her hand. I used the suit’s comms to summon an ambulance, then left the scene.

Following the tracer’s signal, I reached a narrow alley.

A stone wall stood before me.

"…A dead end?"

No. Impossible.

Checking the tracer’s coordinates, I realized—the signal was heading downward. From here, he had gone underground. A manhole… into the sewers?

I shoved the manhole cover aside and descended. Of course, I webbed it shut behind me.

But what I found below left me stunned.

"This… isn’t a sewer…?"

A dim corridor stretched on endlessly. Fluorescent lights embedded in the walls glowed faintly, but I couldn’t see the end.

It was long. Massive. A huge underground passageway.

"…Something like this exists under New York?"

I double-checked the tracer’s readings. The Redcap was already several hundred meters ahead.

I had to catch him.

I kicked off the concrete floor and ran.

The tunnels branched again and again, but thanks to the tracer, I never lost my way. Still, it felt like I was running through a giant maze.

The air was thinner here—breathing became harder. But I didn’t stop.

Michelle… Michelle Jane.

He said he’d return her "unharmed," but that didn’t matter. I couldn’t forgive him.

Right now, she must be terrified. I had to save her. Anything that dared hurt her—I’d tear it all down.

I followed the tracer’s path and then—

Found him.

Up ahead, I spotted the Redcap, one hand braced against the wall as he walked. His injuries shouldn’t have been that bad, yet he looked… weakened.

Noticing my footsteps, he turned.

『…Spider-Man?』

His voice carried surprise.

In the narrow underground corridor, the two of us stood face-to-face.