So yes, another magical girl chapter. Don't worry, I'm going back to the main plot for a bit starting next chapter so this won't drag. I'm actually wondering if I should make this another separate mini-fic since all my plans means that I enough material for at least 2 more chapters before the ending.

The response I got back from the last chapter was mixed. Seems like half the readers wanted more magical girl shenanigans while the other would prefer to leave it to the imagination. So like I said this will be the last magical girl chapter for a bit so I can go back to the main plot with Gwen and Mary Jane next chapter.

I also wrote this trying to write a more 'anime' tone from an outsider's POV but I don't think I succeeded. Weird considering I probably digest more anime/manga than comics but somehow writing it feels more difficult.


Three days in and he was already back to the usual. Murakami realized his presence in the city but that just meant he had to be more careful getting his info. Doubly hard considering a foreigner stuck, but if he could survive Sowande's death squads in South Africa he could stand the Tokyo nightlife.

Now here was here in a seemingly normal storage warehouse watching trucks go inside. Peter narrowed his eyes and crouched down to look over the edge of the roof. Spector hadn't answered his call so he was either dead or following up on a lead. Peter wasn't worried whicever it was, "Hm..." He eyed the trucks. What could've been inside? Murakami wasn't as...desperate as the rest of the Hand was. Always too busy with honor and reputation. He doubted it was anything as crude as guns or explosives. Too simple for someone like him.

He hopped over to a nearby high street light and let the darkness cover him. He preferred places like this. Back in France and South Africa he was forced to fight out in the open far too many times for his liking. His powers gave him an edge but they didn't make him bullet and blade proof. Better if he could take them down before they realized he was there.

Peter shot Gwen's webshooter at a ninja below him and dragged her up to the rafters. She let out a brief choking sound before he punched her in the face twice and covered her body in webbing, 'One down.' And dozens more to go. If there was one thing the Hand had it was bodies. Even after the Beast being removed from existence they still didn't hesitate to throw their goons into the meatgrinder.

Least they were simpler to fight. Compared to Sowande's mercenaries, Murakami's ninjas were more like the braindead puppets Matt sent after them all those months ago. No guns, just weapons and fists, though that was probably part practicality on top of his bizarre honor rules. The Hand could survive only because they didn't draw attention to themselves. Buncha people waving guns around would change that real quick.

He took a quick scan of the area. Place was absolutely loaded with crates, boxes and shelves filled to the brim with god only knew what. It'd make an open fight harder for them if it came down to it. Entire thing was a maze.

'What is that...?' He crouched over rafters and looked down at the truck. At first glance it didn't stuck out. White color, generic logo and peeling paint that showed clear signs of aging. Anyone else wouldn't have looked twice...except for some reason his spider-sense was thrumming in his skull like a jackhammer. Whatever they were bringing it wasn't just a weapon. It was something more dangerous than that.

Meaning he couldn't let them leave this place with it.

'So much for being subtle.'

No time to pick them off one by one, two of them were already opening the truck's rear shutter. Peter jumped down as the back of the truck was halfway open and landed on the one to the left, "What the-" He grabbed the shutter and slammed it down. The ninja to his right didn't remove his hands in time and his fingers were crushed by the sudden impact. He didn't get a chance to scream for more than a couple of seconds before Peter elbowed him in the face and knocked him out.

All hell broke loose after that. The ninjas came at him all at once with blades, staves, nunchucks and whatever else they had on hand. Peter covered the shutter in a net of webbing before he quickly disappeared. Too many of them for a straight up fight; he'd have to find a way to even the the odds.

He hopped up to a particularly large crate and shoved it over the edge after a couple of hard tackles. The tightly sealed box crashed down below, taking three ninjas down on impact, "Come and get me, idiots!" he disappeared again and grabbed what looked like an expensive vase from a nearby open package. It was small enough that he could carry it with one hand.

He landed behind a particularly large crate and pressed himself up against the corner. Just as one of the ninjas passed by he shoved the porcelain at her face, breaking it on impact and knocking her to the ground, 'Gotta keep moving.' He stomped on her face to make sure she stayed down and resisted the urge to pull out his guns. He needed to conserve his ammunition. No sense in wasting bullets till he really needed it.

Two more ninjas dropped down from above. Peter shot a net of webbing over his head and the two red-clad goons were were caught and tangled up together. Their struggling only made it worse and another quick shot covered them entirely. Murakami made sure his webs wouldn't paralyze but they hadn't figured out a way to make them not stick just yet. Moon Knight told him it was only a matter of time, though.

"Die!" Another ninja charged towards him, bringing a katana straight down at his face. Peter brought out the hellfire knife and blocked the well-worn metal before it could make contact. The dull gray blade chipped on impact and completely broke after another push. The ninja's eyes widened just as Noir grabbed his neck and smashed his nose in a painful headbutt.

He webbed down two more before doubling back to the truck. Had to make sure they didn't grab it while he was busy, "Hey!" He jumped and kneed a ninja at the back of the head. Her head smashed against the side of the truck with a painful smack.

Another ninja grabbed him from behind, hands wrapped around his neck in a chokehold "Hands off!" Peter rushed back and slammed him against another container again and again till his grip loosened. He groped for the ninja's head with both hands and, as soon as he caught cloth, he threw him to the ground and stomped on his gut. He'd be feeling that in in the morning.

He was tempted to just grab the package, whatever it was, and run for it when his spider-sense screamed at him again. Danger, but a different kind than the usual, 'What the...' He was nearly put to his knees at the intensity of it. Peter grit his teeth and shook off the dizziness. He only got this once since he came to this country. But there was no way it'd happen twice in a row, right?

His question was answered when he saw a female ninja stumbling a fair distance away...and she was leaking black smoke, "Shit...!" He fumbled for his gun and aimed for her head. If he could kill her before she could turn to one of those monsters-

He fired twice. Her head jerked suddenly and she crouched, dodging the bullets by a hair. Peter grit his teeth and fired again. This time the woman jumped up on top like a marionette on a string and crawled out of the site, "What the hell?" Last guy turned into a pig and stood still. This one was all jerky and erratic.

He was about to head up to catch it when three more ninjas charged towards him, "Damn it, now is not the time!" He kneed one in the stomach and winced as the remaining two tackled him desperately and tried to push him to the ground. It only took him a second to realize that they were were trying to distract him now, "Get...off!" He elbowed one away and webbed the other in the face. Did they know about the transformation or were they just hoping it'd kill him on top of them?

A high pitched scream pierced his ears. Peter winced again and barley stood up before the monster dived down after him. It was still humanoid in shape, but its elongated limbs, talons and dark feathers made it look like a harpy straight out of legend. He dodged out of the way and winced as its sharp claws cut through his reinforced jacket. Damn it, he couldn't replace this thing without going back to New York!

He emptied the rest of the magazine and was only half surprised that it ignored the bullets impacting its skin. He was hoping its wirier physique meant it wasn't as bulletproof, "God damn it..." He took out the hellfire knife again and lowed himself into a combat stance. He could hear the ninjas regrouping around him. Fighting on two fronts was never a good time.

He debated going invisible or trying to charge at the thing when the door behind him opened with a loud crash, "Everyone get away! We'll take care of the- wait, you again?!" He looked back and was torn between being relieved and put-off when he saw the magical girls standing at the entrance and...posing? The hell? The one who screamed was the redhead with the ponytail and chains.

Peter looked back at the harpy and ninjas. No time for chatting, "One of your monsters is here."

"Yeah, I can see that!" Redhead shouted again, "What the heck did you-"

"This isn't the time to chat, Valencia. We should purify the Inversia first." Magenta cut in. Least somebody was talking sense.

The Magical Girls (god, it made him feel stupid even just thinking that) rushed towards the harpy. Magenta and Orange took to the air while 'Ishikawa' flat out teleported to one of the higher crates, bow already drawn. The only one who stuck to the ground was Redhead, who prepped her chains with both hands and lashed them at the Harpy's misshapen, clawed legs.

Or at least she would have if three ninjas suddenly didn't tackle her.

"What the hell?!" Redhead shouted. She was strong enough to not get pushed to the ground but her attack was halted.

Peter webbed two of the ninjas back then grabbed the third, "They are working for that monster...?" He whispered to himself. He wasn't really surprised considering their past relationship with the Beast, but he was hoping this'd turn into a melee a trois to take some heat off.

The Harpy dodged 'Ishikawa's' shot arrow and beelined for Orange. The kid's eyes widened before she suddenly...disappeared. It wasn't like 'Ishikawa's' teleport. One second she was floating in the air and the second she was right behind the harpy like someone skipped ahead on a video, "Focus on the Inversia! These people are- darn it!" Magenta flew to the side to avoid the barrage of shurikens thrown her way.

The Harpy aimed for him and redhead now. Peter rolled to the left to avoid the razor-sharp swipe while Redhead jumped and tried to ensnare it again only for another ninja to take the blow, "Are these people brainwashed?! Didn't know the Inversia could do that!"

"They shouldn't be able to!" Magenta shouted back.

Peter grabbed another ninja and tossed him at another shipping crate. One kick to the face later and he was out, "I will take care of the Hand. You deal with the monster."

He didn't know if they heard him but they attacked the monster regardless. It was obvious from the way they moved that they weren't used to being attacked by people. If they really had just been fighting those monsters then it was probably hard to shift gears to fighting people with faces who bled red. 'Ishikawa' had her leg grabbed and, despite aiming at the ninja's face, couldn't bear to let go of the bowstring till Peter grabbed the offending goon and tossed him away.

Would've been nice if she hesitated with him a few days ago...

"Ugh, I can't focus with these ninjas!" Unlike the rest of her teammates, Redhead wasn't shy with hitting the ninjas back. She used her chains to toss them at each other and even punshed another in the gut that tried to stab her, "Hey, knife guy, who the heck are these ninjas?!" she shouted.

"Now is not the time for twenty questions." He flipped over another ninja, kicked him to the wall and webbed him to the surface. He just needed to keep their attention on him. He didn't like his chances without the magic users.

A couple dozen ninjas later and the harpy let out a piercing shriek that almost made his eardrums burst. Redhead caught it on a lasso of her glowing chains, "Now!" Orange shouted, surprisingly loud. The other Magical Girls, focused their whole attention on the struggling harpy while he mopped up with the ninjas that remained. The rest of the pajama brigade seemed to realize that this wasn't going their way and beat a retreat. He was too busy to chase after them.

"Purification Arrow!"

Peter punshed the last ninja into unconsciousness just in time for the harpy to let out a final shriek. Ishikawa show an arrow right through its chest and it was suddenly covered in a blinding light. Peter covered his eyes and looked away with a slight wince. When he looked back the harpy was gone, replaced instead by an untransformed ninja lying unconscioouus on the floor.

...Was it over?

Peter put his hands on his knees and panted just before his spider-sesne rang. He jumped back just in time to avoid the red-hot chains that would've entangled his feet, "Watch it..." He glared at the Redhead.

"Stop right there." Redhead pulled her chains back to her wrists and glared in return, "We still don't know if you weren't responsible for this."

"Are you kidding me? You do not think I would have attacked you with the rest of the Hand if I was responsible for that monster?"

"This is the second time you showed up next to an Inversia. Fool me once, knife boy."

"Stop it, Valencia. I don't think he had anything to do with it," 'Ishikawa' said.

"But-"

"Lumine is right." Magenta hummmed, "The Inversia attacked him too during the fight, and he was the one who stopped the Inversia a few days ago before we arrived." She crossed her arms, "Still, Valencia is correct. It's rather unlikely that you would find yourself entangled with the Inversia two times in a row."

"I already told 'Ishikawa' that I did not come here for these monsters. I came to fight the Hand, and while I was doing so that woman turned into a harpy. Believe me, I would have preferred if she stayed human."

"The...hand? Is that what these people are called?" Orange asked softly.

"It is the name they use most. I am sure they have other aliases." Not that he cared much what they were. Names didn't change the fact that they were just parasites underneath all the fancy trappings, "If you came here to stop that monster then you have already accomplished that, now leave me to my own work."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Magenta said. Peter sighed; of course it wouldn't be, "These 'hand' people worked with the Inversia and the normally uncontrollable corrupted also didn't attack them, focusing only on us. This kind of behavior is simply unprecedented. Until we find out the reason why we can't just leave it like this."

"Th-They didn't seem brainwashed," Orange said softly.

"They also ran away just before we defeated the Inversia," Ishikawa looked down at the floor, "It seems a bit too intentional. They weren't normal citizens either. All of them were carrying weapons and knew how to use them. Kiyone's right, we can't just leave without at least investigating."

"Tch, do what you want. I am here for my own reasons." Peter scoffed and turned away. The back of the truck still had that package.

He was about to open it when Orange suddenly appeared to his right, "Jesus..." He took a couple of steps away from her. Definitely not like teleportation. It was as if she was always supposed to be there.

"There's corrupted magic in that truck. Same as the one in your knife."

"I kind of figured that. The Hand have more than dabbled in such things." Ignoring the weird feeling he got from the little girl, he opened up the shutter and blinked slightly at what was inside. Just a single box that had another smaller, more intricately designed one inside it. He reached out to grab it and winced when his gloved hands made contact with the varnished wood. Even without direct contant he felt just how...wrong it was.

Peter pulled it out and set it on the floor. The other magical girls crowded around the box opposite him and he was too tired to complain, "Hm..." He got down on one knee and undid the latch. Felt like he was opening Pandora's box...

He only opened it halfway before he felt it. He wasn't a stranger to corruptive magics, the Judas silver immediately came to mind, but even with that he almost tossed the box away in a panic, 'Open me. Read me.' A dark voice whispered at the back of his mind. He felt tendrils shaking its way through his limbs and even as he tried to slam the lid back down his limbs refused to cooperate.

'Ishikawa' suddenly shoved him back and slammed the lid shut. All at once his focus came back and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, "...Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiled back slightly and turned her attention back to the box. Redhead and Magenta were both in wary stances, the former brandishing her chains while the latter deftly held a book in her left hand, "That magic was...intense." Magenta frowned and looked at him, "For your sake I hope you weren't planning to use it." He couldn't tell if that was an assurance or a threat. Either way he shook his head.

"No. I had no idea what the Hand wanted but I knew it would be bad news." He stood back up, "Demonic magics are just some of the things they have used to amass power. This is not any different."

"What the heck is this thing? It's oozing corruption worse than any Inversia I've seen." Redhead clicked her tongue.

"I only caught a glimpse of it but it looked like a page." One page, singular. If there was more than one - or, God forbid, a book - of these things then he had good reason to be scared.

"The magic is similar to the knife you're holding, but far more...potent. We should purify it," Magenta said.

Peter shrugged, "Be my guest. If you can turn whatever that is into dust that will help both of us." At the very least he doubted they could somehow make it worse than it already was.

"So glad we have your cooperation." Magenta smiled at him. Again he couldn't tell if it was sincere or sarcastic.

Peter walked away to call Moon Knight while they did...whatever it was they had to. Two rings later and Spector picked up, "Update," he said in English.

"Got rid of the Hand. There were some...complications." He looked back and saw all four of them surrounding the box with a magic circle around them. Just gonna ignore that, "I caught a glimpse of what Murakami was smuggling. A...page of some kind. Whatever magic it was it felt even worse than the Judas silver."

"A page? Hm...I think I know what that is." A few seconds later and he received a photo. Peter looked at the screen and winced at the vaguely familiar writings, "If it's the same thing I dealt with then the Hand are smuggling pages of the Darkhold. It is a respository of demonic magics. The book itself was destroyed but its pages remain scattered and even a single one is valuable."

"Demon magic again. Tch." Peter scowled. Why the hell couldn't they leave well enough alone? "What do we do about this then?"

"All we can do is keep it from the Hand. Whatever they are attempting to do with the pages will only end in tragedy for everyone."

"Yeah, but we need-"

"Reilly-san." He turned back to look at Ishikawa with a slightly raised brow, "We did our best..." She bit her lip, "We staved off at least a part of the corrupted magics but the vast majority of it remains."

"Not surprised." He raised the phone again, "I'll have to call you back."

He croushed down in front of the box again and opened the lid by just an inch. Still felt wrong, but at least this time he kept in control of his limbs. He sighed and closed the latch again, "...Thank you for trying, but it does not seem like this thing will be rid of so easily."

"At least some of the magic is like that of the Inversia. If I had to guess this thing might be the reason why the Inversia transformed just now and why it only attacked us." Magenta put a hand to her chin, "And if these 'hand' people are trying to use the Inversia for their own gains then we can't have that."

"Do what you wish, though I suggest you be careful. The Hand takes slights against it worse than any ravenous beast. If you are really doing this then be prepared to look over your shoulder from now on. "

They got quiet after that. Made sense to him. From what Saito told him these Inversia things came out every other week, the Magical Girls stopped them and that was that. There wasn't much in the way of retaliation once the danger passed. The Hand was different.

Magenta suddenly clapped her hands and beamed. He suddenly got a bad feeling, "Then I guess the next thing we need to do is clear. We'll be under your care from now on, Reilly-kun."

...What?

"Huh?!" Redhead shouted so loud she was surprised none of the ninjas woke up, "Wait, you want to work with this guy?!"

"Yes," Magenta said without missing a beat, "It's clear that he's been dealing with these 'hand' people for a while and he's correct in that we don't know the risks. Regardless, we can't ignore the threat they pose. If they're trying to control the Inversia then that means they're a danger to everyone in the city. It's our duty as Magical Girls to see this through the end."

"Hey, that was not an invitation to-"

"And it's not as if we're bringing nothing to the table," she continued, blithely ignoring the look he gave her, "You've fought the Inversia twice now to know how difficult they are. Can you say with confidence you could've dealt with this on your own?" He didn't say anything, "The way I see it we both need each other. We have experience in fighting the Inversia and you've dealt with these 'hand' long enough to know how they work. We both benefit."

"...She's right." 'Ishikawa' nodded, "We've only ever fought Inversia, never people. We need to be able to do both if these people are harnessing the Inversia."

Orange didn't say anything and just nodded, holding onto her wand tightly.

Redhead looked at him with a scowl, "...I don't like this."

"You think I do?" Noir bit back. Still, he couldn't deny the logic. The knife gave him a fighting chance but he didn't know how these Inversia things worked and why make his life harder than it needed to be by refusing help from the people who made a living fighting the things? "...Fine. I guess we wil work together." He picked up the box carefully, "I will be taking this to someone who can hopefully keep it away from the Hand. Unless any of your four wanna try stuffing it under your beds or something."

Redhead looked like she was going to cuss him out but she bit her tongue and looked away. He'd take that as a no.

"Before we go, we should exchange numbers, Reilly-kun," Magenta said.

"Fine. Let's make this quick."


He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Peter looked up at the fancy apartment building with a slight grimace. It'd been two days before Magenta messaged him a location to meet up and discuss plans. He told Moon Knight about his new deal, half-hoping Spector would tell him to keep them out, but he was all for it. Apparently making friends with the local heroes was something he'd done himself. He was working with a heroine called Aero right now, supposedly.

Even with just one look he could tell this building was meant for someone well-off. Did being a Magical Girl pay a lot? Maybe he was in the wrong line of work. He pressed the buzzer on the indicated room number.

"...It is me."

"Reilly-kun? You're early. Oh well, please come up."

He took the elevator to the designated floor and knocked on the door. 'Ishikawa' answered the door and quickly dragged him inside, "Please hurry. We don't want anyone seeing us." She shut the door just as quick and locked it for good measure. She and the rest of the group were in their full magical girl attire. He suddenly felt underdressed in his casuals and bare face.

They already made themselves comfortable. Magenta sat at the table with a cup of tea while Redhead and Orange were playing games on the couch. He half-expected the place to be an empty room they just used for convenience. At least a few of the Chaste safehouses were like that, "Nice place." He stepped inside and raised a brow when 'Ishikawa' gave him a look, "...What?"

"Please leave your shoes at the door."

"Right, forgot, sorry." Great, proving he was the ignorant foreigner again. His sneakers looked out of place next to their fancy boots and dress shoes.

"It's good to see you again, Reilly-kun. Would you like a cup of tea?" Magenta gave him a closed-eye smile.

He was about to say no before thinking better of it. For all he knew refusing would be seen as rude, "...Sure, thanks." He leaned with his back against the wall and crossed his arms. It felt...awkward here, watching Magenta boil the tea while the rest of the group did their own thing. There was a reason he didn't like working with teams. The place also made him feel out of place. Reminded him of the penthouse Felicia used to own.

"Here, Reilly-kun. Please take a seat." Magenta gestured across from her.

"Thank you." He took a sip of the chamomile tea and did his best to smile politely. He was never a fan of the stuff, "...We should get down to business. We are here to exchange information about those monsters and the Hand, correct?"

"Not just that. If we're going to be fighting together then it's appropriate to tell each other about our abilities, don't you think?"

"I can see the logic in that." He nodded.

"Then I think proper introductions are in order. My magical girl name is Kiyone and my real name is Suzune Tachibana." He waited for the ring of his spider-sense to tell him it was an alias.

It didn't.

Redhead suddenly dropped her controller and stamped over to them, "Hey, hey, what are you doing?! Why are you telling him your real name?! I thought we agreed to give him fake ones!"

"No, I merely said that you could do so if you wish, but if we're going to establish trust in one another I think honesty is the best course of action." Tachibana hummed lightly and took another sip of her tea, "I felt it was only fair since I did my research on Reilly-kun. Your identity is public knowledge."

"If it is then why are you still calling me that?"

"Because I assumed that you felt more comfortable with that alias. I could change it, if you wish?"

"Do whatever you want." He took another drink and kept his expression neutral. Felt like she was playing with him, "Can we hurry this up? You can skip introductions if you want. Knowing each other's capabilities is far more important."

"You're kinda rude, aren't you?" Redhead said. He didn't point out the irony of her saying that, "Whatever. Name's Valencia and I'm not gonna bother with a fake name. Just call me that since it ain't like we're gonna see each other outside of work."

"Sure. I already know 'Ishikawa' so the only one left is the kid."

The youngest person in the room walked towards the table with 'Ishikawa' behind her and bowed politely, "M-My magical girl alias is Kumiko and my name is Kaede Shirogane." That was a lie. Peter didn't react at all while Tachibana looked at him with a knowing smile.

"Right. Go by Spider-Man when I'm wearing the mask and Peter Parker without it. Let us exchange information already."

They had their similarities and difference. Each magical girl was stronger, faster and more durable than the average person even without transforming, but they had their own unique abilities. 'Ishikawa' could use that bow and teleport, Valencia had those chains and she was even more of a powerhouse than the other three, both Tachibana and Kumiko could fly but the former used spells from her book while the latter could control time. Apparently the reason for her jumping around the way she did was her pausing time and changing position before resuming it.

Apparently that was also the reason Valencia appeared in front of him in that alleyalmost a week ago - she could use her powers on other people too. With enough training, at least according to Tachibana, she could stop time almost indefinitely or feeeze an entire stadium's full of people in place. Scary.

He told them about his own abilities as well. Not enough that they could exploit it, but enough for them to get a general idea of what he could do. Just cause they were working together didn't mean he was going to trust them so easily.

He turned his right hand invisible and visible at Kumiko at request when Valencia snorted, "That's it?" Peter just gave her an unamused look while she shrugged, "All I'm saying is it feels kinda weak, you know? I did some reading on those Superheroes you guys had over in America. Compared to Spider-Woman or She-Hulk you don't seem that impressive is all I'm saying."

"Did not realize it was a competition. Besides, I am not here to impress you."

"We should acknowledge our limitations as well, Valencia." Tachibana set down her empty cup of tea, "While his abilities seem less impressive on paper he doesn't need to transform like we do. That's useful in different ways than our own gifts."

"If you are through with this pissing contest then let us continue. These Inversia...are they all bulletproof or was I just unlucky?"

"Yeah?" Valencia leaned her chair back with a snort, "If they weren't you think the city would need magical girls? There's a reason cops can't handle it."

"We're the only ones who can purify them and save the corrupted people too," 'Ishikawa' said.

"Right. Well, do not bother with their histories or origins. All I need to know is if there is a way to track them. Maybe we can use it to find the Hand."

"No, at least not as far as I can tell." 'Ishikawa' shook her head, "When these people transform Kuro-chan gives us a warning and we go over as soon as possible. If there was a way to stop it before it happened then we'd do it."

"Hm..."

"Something to say?" Tachibana asked.

"Before that guy transformed into a pig my spider-sense gave me a warning. When I saw him too he had this...ooze coming out of him. Same with the woman who turned into a harpy."

"We've never seen that before..." Kikumi mumbled.

"Ara ara, you're just full of surprises, aren't you, Reilly-kun?" Tachibana laughed. For some reason that made a shiver go down his spine.

"Must be another of those 'wrong place magics' Saito told me about. Either way it means we cannot use it unless the next monster is nearby." Peter put a hand over his mouth and frowned, "We stopped them from getting that one page, but I doubt it was their only one. These Inversia things seem dangerous enough on their own. Having the Hand control them would be a disaster."

"That's why we're going to stop them." 'Ishikawa' nodded resolutely.

"On that note, it's your turn to tell us about this group. My research on them only led to some conspiracy theories, similar to the Illuminati. It's difficult to tell fact from fiction." Tachibana put a hand on her cheek and sighed.

"I can tell you, but make sure you are ready to hear it." He looked right at Kikumi when he said that.

"I-I'll be fine! I promise!" She sat up on her seat and pumped her fists, "I'll do anything if it means protecting the city from monsters!"

"...Fine, do not say I did not warn you."

Contrary to his words he did leave some things out like the breeding factory. Still, they got the gist of it: deal with a devil, coming back from the dead, immortal cockroaches who were scared of dying. It was enough to get them on the right track and know what they were signing up for.

He also made it clear that it was imperative they kept their identities secret. If the Hand found out their lives would be in danger and they wouldn't care how young they were.

"Then I suppose that's it for today." Tachibana finished her third cup of tea, "This is something we haven't dealt with before, but I'm sure that with your help we can succeed."

"...I would not place so much trust in a stranger, Tachibana."

"Hey, what's with the rude way of talking? Normally you'd use an honorific," Valencia said.

"Does it matter? I am just a rude foreigner, remember?" He gave the girl a wry smile verging on a sneer. He didn't like her, he decided.

"See, we're getting along already." Tachibana clapped her hands together.

"Hah?! With this guy?!" Peter shook his head and made to leave. Any longer here and his head was going to explode.


...How the hell did he get here?

Another couple of days passed and they already had warning of another Inversia. This one was surrounded by Hand ninjas too so he could ignore that vain hope of all this being a massive coincidence. Still, with as much reservations as he had he couldn't deny that working with that group made things simpler. He could focus on the Hand while they focused on the monster. It was a win-win all around.

But it didn't mean he was any closer to figuring out where Murakami was. The Chaste weren't much help either. So far their info was rudimentary and didn't much help him with tracking their bases down. At this point he was tempted to crash some Yakuza fronts so he could feel like he was actually accomplishing something besides playing glorified pest control.

He was out on a walk at one of the suburbs (he hadn't really paid attention to where he was going) when he heard the crying, "Hm?" He stopped in front of the playground and frowned worriedly at the sight of a boy who looked maybe 6 or 7 crying all by himself. It was already late with the sun having gone down just a few minutes ago. Pretty soon it'd get dark out.

No place for kids that late.

He looked around the street and found no one there. Damn it, he couldn't just ignore it, could he? Sighing, he walked in front of the kid and crouched down slightly, "Hey, what is wrong?"

The kid stopped crying after a few seconds and looked up at him through tearstained eyes, "I-I'm lost..."

"Trying go back home?" He nodded after a few sniffles, "Where's your phone? Is there anyone you can call?"

"I...I lost it."

"Hm. You do not know your family's number?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"N-No..."

"Great..." Now he really couldn't ignore it. He stood back up to his full height and kept his hands in his pockets, "Do you remember your house number, at least? I will try to help you find it."

"Y-Yes. Thank you, nii-san."

It took almost a quarter of an hour of wandering around the place before they managed to find it. Even with the GPS system the language barrier and having to calm the kid down made it drag on longer than necessary. Thankfully they made it, "We are here." He rang the doorbell and waited. No response, "...You said your sister should be back by now, right?" Apparently he went out without persmission then got lost.

"Y-Yeah. Nee-chan always comes back from school early."

"Maybe she went out to look for you? We should wait and-"

"Tatsu-kun!" He turned and just barely saw the figure before she rushed past him and took the little boy in a bear hug, "Where have you been?! I've been looking all over the neighborhood for you!"

"S-Sorry, nee-chan, I got lost." The boy hugged her back and sniffled.

The two sibling stayed that way for half a minute before reluctantly separating. She turned to face him and bowed deeply, "Thank you so much for helping him! I don't know how to pay you...back..." When her head raised and their eyes met she froze. It took him a few seconds to recognize her without the wig and contacts but his own eyes widened slightly in recognition.

Ishikawa. It was definitely her.

"A-Ah...I..." And judging by how she was acting she recognized him too.

This was awkward. Better he leave, "I should go." He walked past the pair when he suddenly felt a tug on his jacket. He looked down and saw the kid's tiny fist grabbing hold, "Hm...?"

"U-Um, w-would you like to come inside? I-It's the least I can do after what you did."

"...Sure." Something told him just leaving would make things even more awkward in the future.

And so he ended up here, sitting across from 'Ishikawa' with neither saying a word. Her little brother was upstairs taking a bath right now, leaving the two of them alone, "U-Um..." She looked down at her untouched cup of tea and winced, "Th-Thank you for helping Tatsu-kun. I had no idea he snuck out till half an hour ago. I should've paid more attention. It's all my fault."

"Do not beat yourself up, Ishikawa. It is already done."

She winced again, "I was kinda hoping you didn't recognize me."

"Even if I did not your behavior was not exactly subtle." He pushed his own untouched cup of tea away, "If you are worried that I will expose your identity then do not. I have no intention of getting you into trouble."

"I know. Still, of all the people in this city to help Tatsu it had to be you. What are the chances, hm?"

"About as much as me running into a monster my first day here." Teresa told him once that he was immune to fate. Sometimes he wondered if it was cause the Spider-God loved putting him in these kinds of situations, "...You sure it was a good idea inviting me inside? I am not sure how easy it will be to explain a stranger being in your house to your parents."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Both my parents are on business trips right now so usually it's just me and Tatsu around."

He wanted to make a joke about CPS before remembering he wasn't exactly much better. Neither was Lana, now that he thought about it, "Maybe I am being pushy, but who watches your little brother when you are..."

"I ask my friends to watch over him when I can, but when they can't..." She bit her lower lip, "Then I have to leave him alone. I don't like it, but we can't let the Inversia cause trouble. I always try to finish it quickly and come back, but-"

"No need to feel guilty. Like you said, you have no choice. You cannot let those monsters hurt people." Or worse, "...Where is that animal who was with you?"

"Kuro-chan? She's been busy the past few days. The higher number of Inversia are causing an imbalance and she needs to...well, actually it's really hard to explain. Sorry."

"It is fine. I probably do not want to hear the explanation anyway." He brought two hands across his face and let out a soft breath. He wanted to leave already but he could practically hear May chiding him for not offering to help more. And maybe he felt bad for her somewhat. Teenagers shouldn't have to be parents, "...Is your kitchen open?"

"Huh? Yes, why?"

"I could make something for you and your brother." That and it'd be good practice for when he got back to New York. He had that chocolate dish he saved up for Gwen and her partner.

"E-Eh? You don't need to do that! You've already done too much!" She waved both hands in a panic and her cheeks reddened.

"It is fine." He stood up before she could protest any more and looked over the kitchen. Standard fare from what he could see. He'd done with worse. Back in South Africa he had to make do with tins and campfires to feed the rebel he was escorting. At least Ishikawa wasn't gutshot like his last escortee was, "You have a cookbook? I am a bit rusty."

"Upper left cupboard. But are you sure-"

"Like I said, it is fine." He got the cookbook out and scanned through the pages quickly, "Any suggestion?"

"Um, Tatsu-kun really likes curry rice. I actually already prepared the rice. That might cheer him up."

"Got it."

He made the curry in just half an hour with Ishikawa chiming in now and then. Eventually she excused herself to take a bath, leaving him to finish up alone, " Hm..." He took a sip of the broth and hummed. Wasn't his best work but not bad for being weeks out of practice. He divided it into three platefuls and set them on the table when the kid came padding in, "Hope you are hungry!"

"Ah, curry rice!" He sat down at a chair happily.

"Where is your sister?"

"Nee-chan's in her room!"

"Guess I should call her." He made his way up the stairs and stopped for a second to look at the family pictures. Dad, mom, Ishikawa and her little brother. Typical family. Also another reminder that they were way too young to be risking their lives every week.

Well, it wasn't any of his business.

"Ishikawa?" He knocked on the door. No response. He knocked again and, lacking another response, opened it slowly.

"Wait, Reilly-san!? KYAA-"

He shut the door as soon as he realized what was happening. Peter stepped away from the door and pinched the bridge of his nose. That did not just happen, and for the sake of his sanity he wasn't going to dwell on it.

It took another minute before she stepped out wearing a fresh shirt and pair of sweatpants. Her face was as red as a tomato, which didn't help in the 'pretending it didn't happen front'.

"D-Did you see?"

"No, I closed the door." He sighed, "Why didn't you answer? I knocked twice."

"E-Eh? But I didn't hear anything." She fiddled with her fingers awkwardly, "Rena-chan always tells me I don't pay attention when I'm thinking about things. I guess she was right."

"There should be a limit on how distracted you can be." He sighed again, "Come on, food is ready."

Dinner was awkward for a bit but Ishikawa's little brother made sure it wasn't quiet. Eventually they managed to out it past them and talked normally. It was probably the most pleasant conversation he'd had since making landfall.

Soon enough dinner was finished and Ishikawa saw him out, "Thank you again for making dinner. It was really nice."

"No problem." He put his shoes back on at the entrance.

"Um, if you want, you can come visit again."

"Not sure that is a good idea." This was already closer than he liked.

"I won't force you, of course, but...I do think that Tatsu really likes you. He'd be happy if you came back."

"...I will think about it." God, he needed a smoke.

He was on his way to the door when she called out again, "Akari Hirano." He looked back slightly, "That's my name."

"...Think I'll stick to Ishikawa."

She puffed her cheeks slightly and put her hands on her hips, "Rude. I'll see you later, Parker-kun."

"See ya." He closed the door behind him and lit a cigarette once he was out on the street, ignoring the little voice telling him he'd get in trouble if he was caught. After everything he went through the past few days he deserved to treat himself.

...He needed to call Gwen.


Yes, I wrote a character in this fic saying ara ara and put in that accidental pervert moment. Yes, I absolutely cringed writing both parts. At least Noir actually shut the door in the latter case instead of freezing up or blushing.

And yes, I wanted to milk misunderstandings as well via showing from an outsider POV. In any other anime setting this arc would be the one where the mysterious bad boy becomes an ally and possible love interest. From Ishikawa's POV this is that arc while from Noir's POV this just another stopover before he goes to another country.

Cringe comedy arises the longer the arc goes on and Noir still has no clue he's stuck in an anime arc and Ishikawa misunderstands how things are supposed to go.

Review answers:

Nameless - Noir becoming an actual magical boy I'm not sure of, but I do have plans for him to have to play along with the genre trappings. Also he technically already counts as a a magical boy given his power source.

Dr Crow - That kinda implies you read the Lana x Noir Extra, which was one of the weirder pairings for me to write. As for my preference? Depends. If it's a lighthearted romp then shorter, but if it's a long drama filled story then 90k above. Slow burn romances can also be really long.

They count as fillers, I guess. And I update whenever. Better to make an account to get update alerts if you want to avoid checking every day.

SpicyLemon54 - Don't think Noir's having a good time with this lighter story :)

Jeku - Flashback. It takes place during the one year timeskip between volumes.

DARKAI - MJ's segment in the next chapter shows her training under Gyrich, so yes. And yeah, I have more than a few fics that got abandoned. I read them to the end anyway so I can at least make up a theoretical end or how the story would go.

Questions:

1. Out of pure curiosity, how would you guys have reacted if I did pair off Peter with Matt? Please be assured that this is NOT me angling to break him up with Gwen. That pairing is set in stone. I'm just curious since a lot of people seem to like their frenemy dynamic and how destructive they are to one another, intentionally or otherwise.

2. Probably asked before, but does the power disparity between Noir and Gwen make them feel odd as a pairing? I have another friend halfway through V1 and he said that, while it wasn't bad, he found it rare and unusual given that in most power disparity couples the guy had the advantage ala Superman and Lois Lane. That and Noir having to be damseled and rescued, again unusual for the guy in the pairing.