Chapter 14 | The Spy

Friends for every 200 power stones one additional chapter

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"What... What is this!?" suddenly Kingpin was looking at himself from the other side, while his past self gradually vanished as if he had never been there.

"It's all over, so why not tell you?..." that calm voice sounded again from behind - "What you saw, and raised your hand against..."

"...You were in the future!" the stranger continued - "You, from a couple of seconds ago... saw your future self. This is the ability of my King Crimson!" the man said more loudly, feeling a complete superiority as his eyes flashed pink - "I erased time and made it leap forward."

"I won't allow anyone to threaten 'paradise'!" striking from behind and easily piercing through the stomach, he exclaimed - "I will erase... every single one!"

"Be it heroes or villains!" abruptly pulling his hand back, causing Kingpin to bleed and clutch the hole in his body, Kira prepared to deliver the finishing blow with his stand.

"...'Heroes'?" the heavyweight spat out blood, struggling to stand, feeling his strength leave him - "...So you're the one who dealt with Daredevil?"

"Yes..." Kira swung his arm, replying - "Your journey ends here!"

"THAT'S FOR ME TO DECIDE!" Kingpin shouted, refusing to die like this. Only he would choose under what circumstances his end would come. He wouldn't let a stranger dictate his fate. He put all his strength into these blows, determined to kill this upstart. The power to erase time? He had never heard of such a thing. Surely there must be a limit to using such an unprecedented power. It couldn't be used continuously!

Trying to dodge, Kira was slightly surprised - "Now it's clear, luck didn't make you the leader of the city's strongest mafia. You even managed to stand after I pierced your body..." he thought, as fists with incredible power flew towards his head - "Ordinary people couldn't do this... they would have lost consciousness a long time ago..."

"However!" summoning his stand again, Kira was ready to use its ability - "King Crimson has already...!" suddenly a pink wave, perceivable only by him, swept away everything in its path, leaving only him in the erased time against the backdrop of space - "Foreseen" he calmly moved aside as the fist continued its path with the intention to kill him.

"I can foresee the traces of your movements..." circling around his opponent, who continued to slowly deliver punches into the void, Kira relaxedly watched the phantom images of future movements - "The traces of your actions! My King Crimson erases time from this world. And no one can remember the traces left in that interval of time."

"It's as if the fire didn't notice it was extinguished" Kira concluded, having circled his opponent along with his stand - "With this ability, only the result matters, and all actions leading to it, in the world of erased time, lose all meaning!"

Suddenly, a second pink wave swept through, returning everything to its place - "Huh?" - Kingpin was surprised, realizing there was no one in front of him, then felt intense pain in his left shoulder.

King Crimson delivered a slashing blow that could split the body in half, but his hand stopped halfway as blood sprayed around like from a fountain - "...This... ability...!" squeezing a few words out of his blood-filled mouth, Kingpin fell, losing the last glimmer of life in his eyes.

No longer standing on ceremony, Kira created a lightning bolt in the floor and disposed of the corpse, then returned the floor to its original state - "There's no place for the likes of you in the new world."

Somewhat relaxed, Kira was about to head home when suddenly he heard a shuffling sound from above. Looking up sharply, he saw a hand through the glass ceiling that quickly disappeared.

Kira's heart skipped a beat. Had he been followed, and he hadn't noticed?! How much had he heard?! And most importantly, did he see his face?! The worst scenario, naturally, was the latter - "A mistake" - although his voice seemed calm, inside Kira was very agitated. Fortunately, he knew who it was, as he wouldn't mistake that red-suited hand for anything else.

× Peter | A bit earlier ×

Another evening where instead of watching a movie or hanging out with someone like a normal person, I'm flying around the city catching various criminals. Nothing new. Though, I wouldn't mind having a heart-to-heart with someone. But why bother? I can't share most of my current life, my experiences, emotions, so I might as well stop thinking about it.

Launching into the air once again after releasing a web string, then beginning to fall, I carefully landed on the corner of a building's roof. From here, the view of the sunset was pleasant.

I wonder what MJ's doing right now?... Why am I thinking about this? I don't even talk to her...

She seems to have been spending time with Harry lately... - "Ah, don't think about that!" - I muttered, grabbing my head and slowly walking along the edge of the house - why would she be with him? They're just school friends...

What snapped me out of these thoughts was my spider-sense, suddenly and finely tingling through my consciousness, alerting me that something was wrong. Turning my head towards this feeling, I saw the lights go out in Kingpin's building. What's Fisk up to? I need to check it out.

Jumping down, I shot web from my web-shooter and headed towards the building. Even though I was quite far away, I managed to get there in a couple of minutes.

"Probably this attempt to catch him with red-handed evidence won't be successful either," I muttered, landing on the roof of a high-rise building - "He always gets away scot-free, even when we know he's guilty."

Jumping to the middle of the roof, where there were glass inserts, I cracked one open and stealthily climbed inside.

"It's all over, so why not tell you?..." hearing a voice I recognized, I saw Fisk standing near a demolished column in the dim light while someone was behind him. Next to this person was some... man? Something pink was floating next to him, something with a strange face, and this something had a second face on its forehead. The same kind of thing... just like with Felicia! Only last time it was blue! He must be connected to all this! - "What you saw, and raised your hand against... You were in the future!" - What...?

"You, from a couple of seconds ago... saw your future self. This is the ability of my King Crimson!" - That voice... In a second, it dawned on me. It was my teacher, Kira Yoshikage. His voice, I remember it! So, he's involved in the assassination?! Why?! - "I erased time and made it leap forward."

My heart began to beat faster and faster, and my vision blurred, so I didn't notice as the phantom swung for an attack - "I won't let anyone threaten 'paradise'! I will erase... every single one! Be it heroes or villains!"

Falling to the ground with a pierced stomach, Fisk just spat out blood, clutching the wound, unable to move - "...'Heroes'?" - now my sense is hammering my brain, making me stick to the ceiling. It seems any noise I make will kill me. I've never felt such intense danger! What is this?! Is it because of the mentioned "time erasure"?!

"...So you dealt with Daredevil?" Fisk asked - "Yes..." - So Murdock didn't just disappear... Kira... killed him? Why?! - "Your journey ends here."

"NOT YOUR DECISION TO MAKE!" - unexpectedly, Kingpin jumped to his feet, but when his strike almost reached its target, the space around seemed to twitch, and then Fisk was standing a bit farther away, with Kira behind him. So this is... time erasure...? - "Huh?!"

The phantom immediately delivered a strong blow through the clavicle to the chest, then withdrew his hand and shook off the blood. What should I do?! If I make a mistake, I'll die! Pull yourself together, Peter! - "...This... ability...!" - Kingpin whispered before falling dead.

My mind froze. A second felt like an hour. Is he dead? Did he die while I was hiding in fear in a corner? N-no... At such a moment... did I do nothing?

Thinking I had gathered myself, I was ready to rush into battle, but in the end, I also couldn't move - "W-what's wrong with me?! I need to go to him! Why doesn't my sense let me move?! Is it that dangerous?! So dangerous that fighting is just useless?! Entering the battle, I'll die?!" - I hadn't recovered when I noticed the body was hidden.

"I must run... immediately!" - everything after was like a nightmare. It seemed I was running from a monster that wasn't even chasing me. I only remember flying as fast as possible towards home. I just wanted to lock myself in my room and think things over. All this time, the one who killed Murdock and tried to kill Felicia was my teacher?! Why does he need this?! Felicia stole the arrow for him, but why did he need it?! Why then did he kill Murdock?! How are they connected?!

Suddenly I remembered his words about "paradise" and had even more questions in my head. What did he mean?! Was my teacher part of a cult?! Maybe the leader?! And also another question... Where did he get the ability to erase time?

Asking myself countless questions, I approached the house near mine and, after changing, ran to my place. Bursting through the door, I was greeted by the pleasant smell of food, which couldn't calm me as it used to - "Oh, you're finally here," Aunt May smiled, coming to me in the corridor - "Something wrong? You look beaten."

"Huh?" I was surprised - "N-no, everything's fine. Just stopped by the store on the way, wanted to buy something for dinner and saw the prices."

With a gentle smile, May went to the kitchen, calling me to follow her - "Someone was waiting for you here."

"Guests?" I asked, walking to the kitchen, wondering who it could be. When I reached the doorway, I saw the last person I expected. Sitting at the table, Kira was sweetly talking with Aunt May, who was preparing something - "Your teacher came. Says even though you often run late, you still study well."

Looking at him, I saw no hostility, just a light smile, but my sense was screaming that it was dangerous here - "Sorry for the unexpected visit."