Chapter 92: AKA Michelle Jane - part 4

…Self-loathing, guilt, and… the fact that Peter is looking for me, Michelle.

What kind of lie could I make up to return to my normal life?
How can Michelle Jane keep on living the way she always has?

Someone… Tinkerer… no, that won’t work.
…I ignored Tinkerer’s warning.
He must be furious with me… he won’t help me now.

What should I do, what can I do… With a dull headache and nausea gnawing at me, I walked down the underground passage.

That’s why I didn’t notice.

Only when I heard the footsteps behind me… did I realize I was being chased.

『…Spider-Man?』

I stopped in my tracks and turned around.

There he was… Spider-Man, Peter Parker.

"Finally caught up…!"

『How… did you…?』

Looking down at myself, I noticed a small red device attached to my arm.
A spider-shaped… tracker!?

『…Tch!』

I clicked my tongue without thinking.

My focus had slipped.
I’d been lost in thoughts of normalcy, instead of watching reality.
This was my mistake.

I pinched the tracker between my fingers and crushed it.
It cracked with a sharp snap.

But in that brief moment, he had already closed the distance.

A fist came flying toward me.

『Ghh…!?』

I crossed my arms to block, but even through vibranium armor, the shock pierced me.
The impact forced me a few steps back.

…This is different.
Spider-Man isn’t holding back anymore.

He’s… furious with me.

Because his friend was shot… of course.
If I were in his place, I wouldn’t forgive the enemy either.
That’s why I killed Kilgrave.

『You seem awfully angry.』

I tossed out a taunt while thinking of an escape.
I forced myself to act relaxed.
…My arms were still numb.

I had to buy time, even just a little.

"Give Michelle back…!"

『…Hmph.』

Why does he go this far, trying to save me, Michelle? …Because, to Peter, I’m a friend.
Beneath the mask, a mix of joy… anxiety, and guilt churned.

『I told you, if you behave yourself, I’ll return her unharmed.』

"Like I’d ever believe you!"

Spider-Man slammed both hands into the ground and swung a kick at me.
I stepped back to avoid it, but he rolled forward and launched another kick upward from below.

This is bad.
I can’t win if I keep getting distracted!

I dropped lower than Spider-Man’s crawling stance and kicked his arms.
Losing balance, he toppled over.

I drew a knife and thrust it straight at him.

"Kh…!"

But he caught the blade in his hand.
The knife didn’t pierce the suit… no blood flowed.

『…Tch!』

Damn, it’s just a disposable carbon knife.
I don’t know what his suit is made of, but it’s tougher than this.

"You—!"

Spider-Man twisted the hand holding the knife.
Such strength.

Fearing my arm would be broken, I let go of the blade.

…Not like it would’ve landed a real hit anyway.
All I could rely on was my bare fists, reinforced with vibranium and adamantium.

"…Why did you kidnap Michelle!?"

『Why? Because—』

I swung my arm, driving my elbow down.

『That’s none of your concern!』

The blow struck Spider-Man’s face.
It actually staggered him back a step.

Seizing the opening, I lashed out with a kick, slamming it into his gut.

"Kh—!?"

『Go home right now… this isn’t a place you belong!』

I pressed forward another step… only to be blasted in the face with webbing.

『Nn—agh!?』

The threads stuck hard to my mask, blinding me.
The material was semi-transparent, like a one-way mirror—no secondary cameras.

I couldn’t see.

The next moment, I was smashed against a wall.

『Ghh!?』

"Give her back!"

The impact rattled my brain.
Even in vibranium armor, a shock beyond its tolerance couldn’t be absorbed.
Without the suit… I’d probably already be down for good.

The web tore away as my face scraped against the wall.
I swung a backfist at Spider-Man.

"Ugh!"

He gritted through the pain and punched me back.

『Khh…!』

A punch.
A kick.
A throw.
A slam.

We exchanged blows again and again, striking each other in equal measure.

『Haaah… damn it…』

Damage was piling up across my body.

The healing factor erased the external wounds, but… my stamina was draining away.

If this brawl continued… I’d eventually lose consciousness.

But Spider-Man wasn’t unscathed either.
I’d landed several strikes—enough that he should be bleeding beneath that suit.

…On the surface, it looked even.
But in truth… my body would be the first to give out.

I slipped a small needle from my calf.
It was about the size of a dart.

"…!"

He flinched warily, but… this needle couldn’t pierce his suit.

My real target was—

Crash!

The sound of shattering glass rang out.

I’d destroyed one of the fluorescent lights embedded in the wall.
The area—about fifty meters in either direction—was instantly drowned in pitch black.

"Tch…!"

Spider-Man had no night vision.
But my suit did.

I turned to retreat into the darkness—

Only for my arm to be caught in a strand of web.

『Persistent bastard!』

"I won’t let you escape!"

Our arms were bound together by webbing… and in the darkness, we glared each other down.

---

I focused on the pull of the web connecting us… and gauged my opponent’s position.

Through the thermal imaging in my suit, the silhouette of Redcap lit up before me.
Not crystal-clear—but far better than being blind.

I dodged as Redcap’s fist shot out.
…Strange. My spider-sense reaction had dulled against that strike.

Not just this one.
Every attack tonight… for some reason, my sense struggled to pick them up.
It should’ve been screaming at me—his hostility and killing intent should trigger it.

…No. The problem was me.
I was shaken.
Ned had been shot, Michelle taken away… I wasn’t sharp.

In my mind, I saw Uncle Ben again… lying dead because of me.

Never again.
Never… never again.
I won’t let anyone die.
I have to protect them.

And to do that—I have to stop him.

"…!"

I clenched my fist and swung at Redcap.
He dodged—and my blow cratered the concrete wall.

No doubt about it. He could see in this darkness.

…That suit.
High-tech. Even after all my blows, it still held together.
And his mask—it must have night vision built in.

Suddenly, my arm was yanked forward.

"What—"

The webbed arm.

I was dragged straight toward him!
And before I could react, Redcap’s fist slammed into my gut.

"Kh—ghhh!?"

The blow struck my solar plexus, bile threatening to rise.
But I held on.

…I hadn’t eaten much today—too anxious about Ned.
Oddly enough, that worked in my favor.

Normally, I’d be puking right now.

Maybe my quick recovery caught Redcap off guard—an opening appeared.
I lashed out with a sharp kick to his side.

『Ghh…!』

A dull thud, followed by a muffled groan.
The voice was distorted through a modulator, but his faltering movement told me I’d landed something.

Still… damn it. It wasn’t enough.
That black suit—just like Cap’s shield—it absorbed most of my attacks.

If it built up enough energy, he could release it like before… and I’d be finished.

I had to damage the person inside. End this fight fast.

But how?

I recalled Redcap’s appearance.
That black armor was flawless.

But the red mask—when I’d slammed him into the wall—I definitely saw a small tear.

That was it.
Different material. Weaker, so he could see.

If I hit the face, I could hurt him.

I had to bet everything on that.

I exhaled sharply, throwing out a kick.
But not at the mask—at his leg.

I couldn’t let him realize my true aim.
Not until the right moment.
I’d keep wearing him down until I had that chance.

The kick was blocked—no real damage.
But I hadn’t gone all in.
My stance held steady.

Redcap countered with a punch.
I dodged it.

And seized his arm—then,

"You—!"

I drove my head forward.

My skull smashed against his red mask.

For an instant, my vision flashed white.
But I forced it away.
I’d braced myself—there was no flinching.

But for Redcap, it was unexpected.
He staggered back a step.

I drew a deep breath, winding up my arm.

"Uaaahhhhhh!"

With a shout, I threw all my strength into one punch—
and drove it into Redcap’s face.

---

Bad, bad, bad! I have to dodge!

Spider-Man let out a shout as he swung his arm.

I tried to dodge—

A shock ran across my face. Cracks spread through my vision, and my brain rattled.

My sense of balance collapsed, my legs trembled.

But there’s no time to be worrying about that!

"This!"

A second impact struck my face.

This time the blow came from the side, throwing my stance completely off. I staggered, faltered, nearly toppled over.

But I held my ground. If I lose here… I’ll lose everything!

"Take this!!"

His fist drove up into my jaw, snapping my upper body back. My consciousness flickered, on the verge of blacking out.

Maybe the bone in my jaw had fractured, because the taste of blood spread inside my mouth.

"You—! You!!"

Blows rained down. I was punched, yanked by the web, then punched again.

No, no, no! No no no no!

I don’t want to lose!

I stomped my foot down against the ground—only for it to slip. I tumbled, crashing down—dragging Spider-Man with me.

He ended up straddling me, pinning me beneath him.

Normally, in this situation… he wouldn’t attack. He’s kind, hates hurting people… the gentlest person of all.

But now… he’s lost his composure, because his friend was hurt. In the darkness, he can’t even tell what state his opponent is in.

And so—

『Guh!?』

Still straddling me, he smashed his fist into my face.

---

I… I have to protect them! I can’t let anyone else get hurt!

Her—Michelle—I’ll protect her! No one else, me! I will, no matter what!

Clenching my fist, I pounded Red Cap. I hit, and hit, and hit again.

『Ugh!? Gah—ahh!?』

I heard the voice. The blows were landing for sure.

The feeling beneath my fists began to change. The sensation of the mask breaking apart clung to my hands.

『Ah… gh…』

By then, no more voice came out.

And then… the feeling of striking raw flesh pressed into my fists—

---

I can’t breathe. My head’s spinning.

My consciousness drifts in and out.

It hurts.

But more than the pain, my chest aches.

…Ahh, this must be divine punishment.

Punishment for deceiving him all this time. Punishment for feeding off people, and still trying to live happily.

But still—this is too cruel.

Everyone has the right to want happiness. Not just me.

Everyone I’ve ever met… all of them wanted happiness—

Ahh, I see.

I was the one who stole their chances to be happy. Those whose lives I took will never find happiness.

That’s why this is… karma.

My mask shattered.

Fragments cut into my cheek—only to be instantly healed by the Healing Factor.

But now his fist was slamming into my bare face.

My nose snapped, blood spewed out. Blood filled my throat, choking my breath. I couldn’t even speak.

His fist struck my face again. Bones shattered. The Healing Factor patched the wounds—but the blood I lost never came back. My face was soaked in red.

His fist smashed into my face again. My vision went dark, blindness swallowing me for an instant.

His fist struck again. Blood spilled out. And I… I…

---

"Haah… haah…!"

I hit, again and again.

I shattered the mask, and struck the bare face beneath.

…And then regret hit me, realizing I had gone too far.

But I forced myself to believe: He hurt innocent people… this much is only fair!

I had sworn never to strike anyone out of personal resentment again. Yet guilt filled my chest.

Not guilt toward him—toward the uncle I swore that vow to.

Snap. A sharp sound rang out as the darkness of the underground passage gave way to sudden light. The emergency lights had switched on.

Panting hard, I disabled the heat detection function.

My vision was bathed in green from the emergency lamps, but with light now, I could see.

And then—

My eyes drifted downward—

And I saw.

"…Mi, Michelle?"

Looking up at me, her face ruined by blood and tears, was the woman I loved.

---

『Michelle』

『Michelle!』

『Michelle?』

I heard my name being called.

Gwen, Ned, Harry… and Peter.

All of them, my precious friends. The first bonds I ever thought I could never bear to lose in this world.

But ever since we met, I had been lying to them. Always, always lying.

If they learned the truth about me, surely they would hate me.

So at least at the end… I had planned to slip away quietly, without anyone knowing.

Because I didn’t want them to hate me. I didn’t want them to think all our bonds had been lies.

…Peter.

He had feelings for me. And for the first time… I felt what it was like to be with someone and treasure them.

I don’t know if this was love. But if wanting to stay together forever is love… then yes, that’s what it was.

Eating the same food, going to the same places, doing the same things—laughing, crying, being moved together.

In those moments, I was without doubt "Michelle Jane."

He was special. To the world, and to me.

A hero I admired, and the one I wanted always by my side. When he was near, my heart was calm… and I felt shy, almost flustered.

Of all people, he was the one I didn’t want to hate me. Of all people, I wanted him to believe "Michelle Jane" was real.

I wanted him to see my face, and smile. Just like every morning.

"…Mi, Michelle?"

That’s why—I never wanted to hear him sound like this. A voice of grief, of anguish, of disbelief. Never.

Blood surged through my body. The Healing Factor repaired my veins, waking my oxygen-starved brain.

My head cleared. Reality slammed into me, forcing my mind to accept.

I could breathe. I could move.

"Gu—Aaaaahh!!"

I roared, shoving Spider-Man off me.

He must have been shocked by seeing my real face. He didn’t even resist, just lay stunned, rolling onto the ground.

And then—I ran.

I ran, ran, ran.

I ran aimlessly, just desperate to escape.

From Peter. From Spider-Man. From reality itself.

It felt like I ran forever, though barely any time had passed.

Finally, blood welled up in my mouth. I spat it out and collapsed against a wall, one hand braced for support.

"U—ah, ahhh…"

He saw me. He saw.

Spider-Man—Peter—saw me.

The precious thing I held in my hands slipped away. I tried desperately to clutch it back, but it was too late. It slipped between my fingers, fell to the ground—and shattered.

"No… no, nooo…"

Leaning against the wall, I cried. My mouth was filled with the taste of blood. Tears mingled with blood, dirty streaks running down my cheeks.

"No… I don’t want this… someone… someone…"

My precious friends.

The gentle happiness.

The everyday life.

All of it shattered, slipping away.

"Someone… help me… no…"

Images of the people I had killed surfaced in my mind.

Don’t kill me. Help me. Stop.

I had ignored their pleas, and killed them anyway.

So why should I be saved?

There’s no fairness in that.

"Uuuhh… no… uhh, guh…"

I’m hated. I’m definitely hated now.

I forced myself to stand, moving my feet even as nausea rose in my throat.

Right now… in this situation… there was no one left… who would stand by my side.

Step after step, I wandered through the underground passage—my body moving on its own along the familiar path—until I stumbled back into the underground hideout.

I looked at the clothes folded in the closet… the ones Gwen had picked out with me.

Tears wouldn’t stop.

It’s over.

I’ve already broken beyond repair.

I muffled my voice as I wept—

Footsteps echoed.

I turned, my face ruined, to look.

"…Tinkerer?"

The man in the usual black mask stood there. Slowly, he shook his head.

『…You’re a mess. Really, this is what happens when you never listen to me—』

"Please… Tinkerer… this is my last request… I don’t care what happens to me anymore, just…"

I forced the words out, and Tinkerer looked at me.

『…Honestly, you’re so troublesome. Fine, I’ll take care of it.』

His voice was flat as ever—but just for today, it sounded… almost gentle.

『So don’t cry anymore… Your tears are surprisingly hard for me to bear.』

He reached out and stroked my head. For some reason, that touch felt strangely familiar.

I opened my mouth to speak—

---

"Haah… haah…!"

I released the suit, collapsing onto the ground.

This was in front of my own apartment door.

Before I knew it, I had ended up here. I had run away.

What happened just now—it was a dream. A hallucination.

Yes, that’s it. It wasn’t real.

A lie.

But the sensation lingering in my hands pulled me back to reality.

The feel of flesh beneath my fists. The feel of bones breaking.

"Uhh—aaahh… aaahhh…"

A voice escaped me as I curled up.

I wanted to believe it was all a lie. But it was real.

Red Cap was Michelle. She had been aiming to kill me…

No. No, that’s wrong. Some kind of mistake.

The idea that she had been lying to me all this time… that has to be the lie. No no no no.

Because—she said See you tomorrow.

If so, then ending it like this… that breaks the promise. And Michelle never once broke a promise.

She never once lied to me—

『Because I’m a bad person.』

…No. No, that’s not true.

I lifted my head.

Michelle’s room… her door was there.

I clenched my fist and knocked. …No sound. No response.

After hesitating, I sent the nanomachines of my suit into the lock. Forced it open—and entered the room.

She must just be asleep. She’s here, and the one I saw earlier was just someone who looked like her. Yes, that’s what I wanted to believe.

But when I looked at the bed… no one was there. The neatly folded bedding only told me its owner was gone.

"…Michelle."

On her desk, I picked up a thin, pale-pink notebook.

When I opened it… inside were clippings of newspaper articles and magazine pages about Spider-Man.

…And in my mind, I remembered the scrapbook Punisher had once shown me.

"This is…?"

Good things, bad things—
all kinds of articles about Spider-Man were pasted inside.

The more pages I turned, the more it felt like each one was proof—
proof that Red Cap’s true identity was Michelle.

My face twisted.

Michelle had been deceiving me all along.
Gwen, Ned, Harry too.

And all the while, she’d been targeting Spider-Man’s life.

And then… Ned…

My breathing grew ragged.

My hand flipped through the pages faster and faster.

What… what kind of state of mind was she in?
Was she laughing at me behind my back?
Were all those moments lies?

The person I fell in love with—
was she nothing but a lie?

The grief, the frustration welled up, and before I realized it, tears spilled down my cheeks.

“…Uhh—ghhh… no… no way…”

I kept turning the pages.
Turning, turning.

And then—I saw a familiar photograph.

It was the picture of Spider-Man… the one I had given her on my birthday.

I averted my eyes.

…On her desk sat a photo frame.

Me, Gwen, Ned… and Michelle.

All of us smiling—
having fun—
looking so happy.

So calm.

Something like that.

Something like that…!

“…This is a lie…”

I couldn’t believe it.

Michelle, myself… everything.