Hello everyone, Lealius here with a new chapter
In this one, Izumi faces a different kind of challenge
With that, enjoy
Shikimori´s not Just a Cutie and its characters belong to Keigo Maki
Spider-man and its characters belong to Marvel Comics
Cover Image made by KrystalDragonArt
Nekozaki struggled to find the words to express her state of mind
Right now, Spider-man (Izumi), the talk of the town, for better or worse, was sticking to the wall next to her bedrooms window
Talk about meeting a celebrity
-"It… It really is him!" she thought, eyes wide, and pink in her cheeks
-"Good evening" Izumi said once more
-"Um, g-g-g-good evening" she was stuttering
Izumi could not help but find her reaction cute "Focus, Izumi!"
His idea was to cheer his friend up, but if he couldn't do it as Yuuki Izumi, he could do it as Spider-man, someone he knew Nekozaki admired, and not in the same sense as a certain senpai he's been working with… right?
-"Are you ok?" he asked concerned
-"Um, yes!" she screamed her answer, waving her arms "T-Totally ok! Why do you ask!?"
-"I was patrolling the area and I noticed you on the window, you looked down. I was worried you were in trouble, so I came to check on you"
Now she was blushing more "Oh my god! I can't believe this! He took the time to check on me. ME! OF ALL THE PEOPLE!"
She took a quick look at herself
-"Shit! I am wearing my pajama clothes!" a black long-sleeves shirt with blue shorts. She smelled her armpits "I don't smell, right?! I mean, I took a shower, but who knows if he doesnt have some sort of enhanced sense of smell, or something like that"
-"So" Izumi said, scratching his cheek
Nekozaki was brought back to reality, she looked at the superhero
-"S-Sorry, how rude of me! Um, can I help you with something?"
-"That should be my question" he said concerned "You look like something was troubling you"
-"Who, me?! Please" she waved his question off "I am bright as ever!"
Izumi knew that was not the case
-"Really?"
-"Yeap" she raised a thumb
She knew that was not the case, but
-"I am not ok, but I can't bother a superhero who stops armed burglars and fights mercenaries in theme parks with my silly family issues"
-"I mean, shouldn't you be out there? You don't have to worry about a random civilian like me"
-"But"
-"Spider-man, I am ok as ever" she smiled at him
-"This is not good" Izumi thought "She's far more concerned with my duties than looking after herself"
This was not going the way he was expecting
-"Listen, I"
But before he could say more, and just in time with his usual bad luck
His stomach began to growl
-"Huh?" Nekozaki was surprised
-"S-Sorry!" he put a hand on his belly "Damn it, I should have eaten something before coming here!"
His stomach growled even more
-"I"
-"Pffft" Nekozaki was struggling
-"Eh?"
-"Pftt… Hahahahahahaha!" she was laughing out loud
Beneath his mask, Izumi was blushing, feeling embarrassed
-"Hehe" she wiped a tear "Sorry, that was rude of me, would you like something to eat?"
He felt ashamed to admit it "Yes, please"
-"Coming right up!" and she left, most likely towards her kitchen
Meanwhile, Izumi had his face buried in his hands "Well, at least I can stay longer in order to help her, but damn you, stomach!"
After a few moments, Nekozaki returned with a sandwich and a glass of orange juice
-"I don't know what you like, so I went with a cheese, ham, lettuce and tomato sandwich, hope that's ok"
-"It is, thank you, um…"
-"Oh, right, Kyou Nekozaki, nice to meet you!"
He already knew who she is, but, gotta pretend he doesn't
-"Nice to meet you, Nekozaki-san" he took the sandwich first, and went to pull off his mask, but before that "Um, sorry, but, would you mind?"
-"...Oh" she realized what he meant "Looking away now!"
After a while, he finished eating
-"Thank you for the food, it was delicious"
-"N-No problem" she was blushing once more, not everyday that a superhero compliments your cooking, even if it was just a sandwich "Gotta say, Spider-man, I am surprised"
-"Why?"
-"I mean, with all the cool stuff you do, and yet here you are, eating like any other person would do"
-"I know I am a superhero, but I still have my issues, family, highschool, and"
-"Wait?!" she caught him on that "You´re just a highschool student as well?!"
His eyes went wide once he realized his slip of tongue "Damn it, I am so used to talking to Nekozaki-san, but I need to be more careful, no need to expose my identity!"
-"No" he tried to sound confidently "My point is that, I have problems, like anyone, so"
-"Huh?" she tilted her head in confusion
-"I´ll ask again, are you ok?"
Normally, she would have said no, but this time, she grabbed her arm "He's obviously concerned, he took the time to check on me, and" she took a deep breath "Well, I suppose there´s something that has being troubling me"
-"I see, what is it? Just tell me what you feel comfortable sharing with"
-"Well, its my parents"
He knew what she was referring to
-"Lately, they have been arguing a lot, dad's been acting strange these last couple of days, and mom has no idea why, I don't have any idea why, but" she shudder "Yesterday night, he came back, reeking of alcohol"
Now that was news to him
-"He has never touched a bottle in all of his life, and now this? Are you kidding me?!" she looked away "And I also found some divorce papers on one of mom's folders, not signed of course, but"
-"I see" he said "Where are your parents now?"
-"Dad´s out, who knows where, mom is at a friend's house"
-"So you are alone now?" he asked "That would explain why her parents havent showed up yet"
-"Not that it matters"
-"Huh?"
-"I tried to interfere, ask them to calm down, and talk together, but they won't listen to me" a tear formed in her eyes "So much for a happy family"
Izumi remained quiet, allowing her to continue
-"Then again, compared to what some friends have gone through"
-"What do you mean?"
-"I have this friend whose father was killed a month ago"
-"Wait" Izumi thought "Is she referring to me?!"
-"Plus, my best friend also lost her father, in a different way though, but"
-"But"
She let out a sad laugh "Look at me, despite everything, I still have my two parents alive and with me, they went through the pain of loss, and yet, here I am, complaining my heart out like they haven't go through much worse"
-"Nekozaki-san" he thought, feeling sad for his friend "Ive never seen her like this… But I guess even the most optimistic of the people have their burns"
-"They probably think I am just a spoiled bitch"
-"Huh?"
-"I just" the tears began to fully fall at this point "I just don't know what to do at this point, my family and friends mean everything to me, and yet, I can't do anything for either"
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He put a hand on her shoulder
-"Huh?"
-"I don´t think your friends think of you like that" he knew that fully well
She wiped her tears "But"
-"True, I don´t know them, but I can see how much you love them, and they wouldn't be your friends if they didn't felt the same way about you"
-"You… You think?"
-"I do, it's only a matter to talk to them, same for your parents"
-"But, what if they don't listen?"
-"Then try again, over and over, but dont give up, because"
-"Because?"
-"Because giving up won't solve anything"
That's one advice he could apply to himself
-"I… Yeah, I gotta give it another shot"
-"That's the spirit"
She sniffed one more time "You know, Spider-man, I don't get why people hate you"
-"That makes two of us, but I dont mind"
-"Good, because for me" she smiled at him "You're really cool!"
Now he was the one blushing
The words of Captain Kamiya echoed on his mind
-"Focus on the positive ones"
-"Thank you for the kind words"
-"No problem" she stretched her arms "Man, I really feel better now, thank you for taking the time to listen"
-"No problem, I gotta go now"
-"Take care out there, goodnight"
And with that, he was gone
Nekozaki walked to her bed, and immediately fell on it
-"Waaaaaaaa!" she screamed once she remembered him touching her shoulder, she knew it was only in a reassuring way, but "That was way too crazy, my heart was about to explode!" but she did feel better
The following day, Thursday, the bell rang, it was time to lunch
But at soon as he took out his lunch box, he felt being dragged by his wrist
-"Huh?"
He was not the only one
-"Nekozaki?!" Shikimori asked, equally confused
-"No time, rooftop!" she quickly replied
She opened the door to the rooftop, and walked into it, dragging Izumi, Shikimori, Inuzuka, and Hachimitsu
She sat them against the fence
-"Wait here!" the black haired said, walking into the building once more
-"What was that about?!" Inuzuka annoyingly asked
-"I feel dizzy" Hachimitsu said, her eyes spiraling
Suddenly, Nekozaki kicked the door open once more, this time dragging Kamiya
She sat her down
-"Um, sorry?" the blue haired said, not understanding what was happening
-"Let me guess" Inuzuka said "She walked into your classroom and dragged you here?"
-"Yes?"
-"Welcome to the club" Hachimitsu said
-"Ehem" Nekozaki coughed, calling attention to her "Thank you all for coming"
-"We didn´t, you dragged us here" Inuzuka said
-"Why me though?" Kamiya asked
-"Well, this is important, and I would like to talk about it with all of my friends present, and I didn´t feel like telling the same story twice"
-"Is something wrong?" Shikimori asked
-"Hehehe" she mischievously laughed "No, my dear Micchon, something great happened!"
-"What? Just tell us!" Inuzuka said
-"You see, last night" she had stars in her eyes "SPIDER-MAN PAID ME A VISIT!"
Izumi's eyes went wide in surprise, he was not expecting that
-"Well, It's not like I asked her not to say anything, so that one is on me"
However, their friends were just staring at her
Until
-"So, you guys had any problem with math´s assignment?" Inuzuka asked
-"Hey!" Nekozaki yelled "Did you hear what I say?"
-"I did, but I find it hard to believe"
-"Your lack of faith is unsettling"
-"Sure, Nekozaki, Spider-man visited you" Hachimitsu said "There's also a man with the power to control electricity terrorizing the city"
-"I don't appreciate your sarcasm" she then looked at Shikimori and Kamiya "Micchon, Kamiya, you two believe me, right?"
The pink and blue haired ones exchange looks, and then looked at Nekozaki and said "The important thing is that you´re happy"
-"Don't patronize me!"
-"I do believe you, Nekozaki-san" Izumi said
She looked at him, hope in her eyes "Really?"
-"Yes" he sure as hell could, he was there last night
-"See, you guys could learn from him!"
-"Fine" Inuzuka said "And what exactly happened?"
-"He was patrolling around my neighborhood when he approached me, then we talked"
-"How did it go?" Kamiya asked
-"It went well, the guy is an amazing listener, I also cooked for him"
-"Really?" Shikimori asked
-"Well, to be fair, I just made him a sandwich, but he said he liked it"
-"What did you guys talk about?" Inuzuka asked
-"Some family stuff"
-"Oh, right" Kamiya said "Shikimori texted me about it, how is that going?"
-"Still no progress on that, but no matter, thanks to Spider-man, I know what I have to do now!"
Izumi felt happy that he could cheer her up and strengthen her resolve
-"Well, seems things worked out at least" Inuzuka said
-"Yeah, and he can be quite adorable too, when his stomach growled, he was so embarrassed!"
He was not fond of that, but at least it worked
-"So when is the wedding happening?" Hachimitsu asked
To this, Nekozaki choked on her food, while the others looked at her surprised
Izumi had to fought to not choke himself, that would look way too suspicious
-"Really, Hachimitsu?" Inuzuka asked
-"What? Those things take time"
-"First of all, no one is getting married!" Nekozaki said, having recovered herself "Second of all, if I do get married, you three" she pointed at Shikimori, Kamiya, and Hachimitsu "Are my maids of honor!"
They smiled at that
-"And third, I already told you, I don´t love Spider-man or anything, I just admire him!"
-"Fourth, I don't see her that way" Izumi thought to himself, he already has someone in mind for that, thank you very much
-"Say, Nekozaki" Shikimori said, sounding somewhat concerned "When you met Spider-man"
-"Yes?"
-"... It's nothing" she shook her head
-"Shikimori-san?" Izumi asked concerned
-"Don't worry, it's nothing"
-"By the way" Inuzuka added "Should you be telling us this?"
-"Eh?" Nekozaki was confused
-"I mean, it seems like it was rather private, did you ask him whether you could tell us this or not?"
To this, the long black haired innocently whistled
-"Of course you didn´t"
-"Oh, come on, what's the worst that could happen?"
Izumi nodded in agreement "It's not like fighting was involved, so nothing bad can come out of someone talking"
Little did they know, someone heard their entire conversation
Slamming the door of the bathroom open, Kyöshinja went into one of the booths
She took her Spider-man folder, a vein on her head pulsating, signalizing how mad she was
-"YOU WENT TO THAT NEKOZAKI GIRL!?"
She got no answer, since she was talking to a picture of the hero
-"But, you are mine, Spider-man!" she held her book close "You inspire me, you dont leave me alone like others!"
She remembered the figures of people, all walking away from her
-"And that Nekozaki and her group, acting all "friendship is magic" and the like" she clenched her teeth "It makes me want to throw up"
She then came up with an idea
-"I see now, she is manipulating you, but" she stroke the picture of the masked hero "Dont worry dear, she won't get away with this"
The school day was over, Nekozaki was leaving the classroom, until she bumped into Kyöshinja
-"Woah" both said, landing on their butts
-"S-orry" the elder girl said
-"No, it's ok, are you hurt?"
-"I am fine"
They both picked up their fallen wallets, and went their separate ways
Until
-"Oh, Nekozaki-san" she walked to him "I picked up your wallet by mistake"
-"Oh" she checked, she was right "It's ok, here is yours"
-"Thank you, see you" and the elder girl walked away, smiling ear to ear, since she got what she needed
The following morning, Nekozaki left her house, feeling hopeful
-"Good, dad says he's coming home tonight, so is mom, and today, Ill get them to listen and properly talk!" she fist bumped
As she was walking down in her way to school, she noticed someone on the ground
-"What the?!" she walked towards this person
-"Ugh" she was holding her chest in pain "H-Help"
-"I gotta call an ambulance!" she turned around while calling with her phone
However
She felt a handkerchief being pressed against her nose and mouth
"Mgh!" she felt a strange smell going into her nostrils "Ngh" her eyelids got heavier, and her body began to fell
She was held by Kyöshinja, who had a maniatic smile on her face "You won't get in my way"
Hours later
-"Ngh" Nekozaki began to slowly open her eyes "W-Wha" she felt groggy
Little by little, her vision got more clear
She saw chairs all sort out in rows, while a red carpet extended all the way to where she was
Looking up, she saw an arc, the same that there are at weddings, where the soon to be married couple will exchange their vows and such
-"Where am I?" she tried to stand up
Only to realize she was tied up to a chair
And
-"WHAT THE HELL?!" she realized that her chair was right next to the edge of the building, separating her from a 35 floors falling
She saw the elevators door opening
And saw Kyöshinja coming out of here, holding her katana sword
-"About time you woke up" she said as she was walking towards her hostage
-"Wait… You are Kyöshinja-senpai!" Nekozaki said
-"Correct, good to see that you know that much, imagine being invited to a wedding and not knowing the bride's name"
-"Wedding!?" she looked around "Wait, you brought me here?!"
-"Why so shocked? You are about to witness the greatest ceremony in the history of Hino"
-"Untie me! Now!"
-"Nonono" she lifted her sword, and put the tip of it on Nekozakis cheek "You will stay here until Spider-man shows up"
-"Spider-man?! What does he have to do with this?!"
She applied strength on the sword, digging the tip of it into her cheek, causing a drop of blood to fall down
-"Ngh!" she was terrified
-"Better question is, what do you have to do with HIM!?" her voice was filled with venom "Now, you will wait here until Spider-man shows up, and once he proclaims his love for me, you´ll be free to go"
-"You´re crazy! There's no way he would love someone who kidnaps people!"
With a swift movement, she slashed at the black haired leg, leaving a cut on her thigh
-"Agh!"
-"Oh he will, just stay quiet and not do anything" she leaned closer to her
Nekozaki began to sweat at she could feel this person's madness, her ear to ear smile sending shivers down her spine
-"And if he wont, well, be glad, once I cut you down, it will be way easier to bury your remains"
She began to laugh maniacally, a feeling of dread plaguing her hostage´s mind
-"Spider-man, please, help me!" Nekozaki thought desperately
The school day was over, and there was one issue
No sign of Nekozaki
-"She hasn't answered any messages" Shikimori said concerned
-"Not even the teachers have any idea what happened to her" Inuzuka added
-"We should check at her house, perhaps she's sick" Izumi suggested
-"Excuse me" Kamiya said as she joined the group
-"Hi Kamiya" Shikimori said
-"Hello, sorry to interrupt, but you guys wouldn't know what happened with Nekozaki?"
-"We were wondering the same" Hachimitsu said
-"You got any leads?" Inuzuka asked
-"No, she hasn't answered my messages, I am worried about her"
-"We were planning to go check on her house" Izumi said
-"Would you like to come?" Shikimori asked
-"Thank you" but before they could go, her phone rang, she checked on the ID "It´s Father, one moment" she picked up the call "Hello Father… Huh?... Yes, we were about to check on her… Questions for us?"
That got the other's attention
-"Somewhere safe… Does the school's rooftop work?... Ok, give me a moment"
She looked at the others
-"This is gonna sound strange, but let's go to the rooftop"
-"Why?" Izumi asked
-"Father has some questions for us"
Puzzled at the strange request, the gang went to the rooftop, once in there, Kamiya put her phone on speaker mode
-"We are here Father, no one followed us"
-"Good"
Izumi recognized the voice "Captain Kamiya?!"
-"Hello everyone, Captain of Hino´s Police Department, Meiyo Kamiya, nice to meet you all"
They were all surprised to hear him
-"The Captain of the Police?!" Inuzuka asked surprised
-"Yeah, this seems rather unorthodox, but we are on a time limit, so I´ll have to skip formalities, and get straight to the questions"
-"What kind of questions?" Shikimori said
-"Well, for starters, you, alongside my daughter, are friends of Kyou Nekozaki, correct?"
-"Yes" they all said
-"Ok, next question, and this is gonna sound strange, but… Has she met Spider-man recently?"
All of their eyes went wide, especially for Izumi. How did he knew about his encounter with Nekozaki?
-"Yui Hachimitsu here, she told us she met him on Wednesday´s night" Hachimitsu said
-"Did anything important happen in that meeting?"
-"All she told us was that they talked about some of her family issues" Kamiya said
-"I see"
-"Excuse me, Captain Kamiya, Miyako Shikimori speaking" Shikimori said "Why are you asking us that?"
-"Well, this is a delicate matter, so you guys can´t talk about this to anyone, plus, there's only so much I can share with you, but…"
He took a breath in
-"She's been kidnapped"
-"WHAT?!" they all said, the news shocking them
-"A neighbor of hers found her phone and her other belongings on the street this morning, and weve already checked on school, she didn't show up"
-"Oh my god" Kamiya said
-"This can't be happening" Inuzuka grabbed his head in desperation "I mean, why would anyone kidnap her?!"
-"But sir" Shikimori interfered "What does Spider-man have to do with it?"
-"That actually leads me to my next question, but, does the name Kyöshinja Kuruoshī sound familiar to any of you?"
They all looked at Izumi
-"Yeah" Izumi replied "She's our senpai, and my project partner"
-"I see, listen, I am sorry, what's your name?"
-"Yuuki Izumi"
-"Izumi-kun, did Kuruoshi-san seem… attracted to Spider-man, for a lack of a better word?"
-"Well… She certainly is, one could say that she might as well be in love with him" he shivered at the idea
-"I see… I think I am starting to get the picture now, it adds up with the note here that was left for Spider-man"
-"Note?" Inuzuka asked
-"Sorry, but I can't talk about this much longer, I need to get back to the investigation, we don't have much time"
-"What about Nekozaki?" Shikimori asked
-"We will save her, dont worry, thank you for your answers" and he hung up
-"This is so messed up" Inuzuka said
-"What do we do now?" Kamiya asked
-"I think I see what your father´s implying, Kamiya" Hachimitsu said
-"What do you mean?" Shikimori asked
-"I think Kuruoshi-senpai sees Nekozaki as some sort of rival"
-"Rival?" Kamiya asked confused
-"Think about it, why else would he ask about whether she loves Spíder-man or not?"
-"I mean, that does make sense, I guess" Inuzuka scratched his head "But why target Nekozaki? She´s not the only one who is a Spider-man fan"
-"Wait!" Shikimori said, once she realized what she meant "You think Kuruoshi-senpai heard our conversation the other day?!"
-"It's the only explanation I can think of. Either way, Spider-man is the key here"
Izumi clenched his fist
-"I mean, he seems like he is, but how are we gonna inform him that the police need him?" Inuzuka complained "It's not like we have the hero's cell phone"
They all looked down, feeling helpless
Except for Izumi, who felt ashamed and angry
-"Guess we have no choice but to wait for now" Shikimori said
-"I´ll keep you informed of any progress Father makes" Kamiya said "He's at her house at the moment, but I am sure he will move soon"
-"Thank you, Kamiya"
Taking their separate ways, they were all hoping for the best
Except for Izumi, who felt responsible
-"Damn it, I can't believe this, poor Nekozaki-san!" he walked into an alleyway "I have to save her!" and put on his hero suit
At Nekozaki´s house, Captain Kamiya was discussing something with a fellow officer, while her parents were sitting in the living room
Until
-"Sorry to interrupt" Izumi, as Spider-man, said as he climbed into the room through a window
-"Spider-man!" the black haired officer was about to take out his gun
-"Not now, Natsumi" Meiyo said "Spider-man, how did you find us?"
-"I was patrolling the area when I saw the cars outside, I thought something terrible happened"
-"I see, well, can´t believe I am saying this, but good thing you showed up, I am Meiyo Kamiya, Captain of Hino´s Police Department"
Izumi knew why the Captain was introducing himself. They had to pretend they didn't know each other already
-"This is all your fault!" her father yelled at the hero
-"Huh?" Izumi could not get it
-"Nekozaki-san, sir, please calm down"
-"I won´t" he pointed at the hero "Because of this freak, our daughter has been kidnapped!"
Izumi looked down ashamed
-"Oh, now you care about your daughter?" her mother sarcastically asked "And here I thought you only care about bottles of alcohol"
-"Now, you listen here"
-"Enough!" Izumi yelled "Can someone tell me what's going on?"
-"Take a look at this" the captain handed him a note
My loved Spider-man, I know about you and that Nekozaki girl, but I don't blame you, you have been manipulated by her, and you don't have to worry, she won't be a problem soon
I´ll meet you by 5:30 at the event salon at the top of Sakuras building, when our love will be clear for all, as well as getting rid of any temptations
Don´t keep me waiting
Love you, Kyöshinja Kuruoshī
Izumi could not believe it, it was like Hachimitsu said
-"It's clear she was the one who kidnapped your daughter" Meiyo said
-"And it's because of the freak here" her father said
-"I was only trying to help your daughter when I showed up!" Izumi said
-"Help?! Help with what?!"
-"Your daughter was feeling really sad, she was crying when I talked to her"
-"Crying!" her mother was shocked "But why?"
-"She's worried about you two, about your constant arguments, apparently, you refused to listen to her"
-"That's" her mother said, feeling ashamed "It's not like we like arguing, but if only he" he pointed at her husband "Was more honest about what's been going on with him lately!"
-"D-Don't try to make me sound like the bad guy here, it's this so call hero's fault"
-"It doesn't matter who's right and wrong" Izumi said "All that matter is that Nekozaki-san wants to help you with whatever is troubling you, even after one talk, I can tell how great your daughter is"
They both look down
-"We know that" she said
-"It's just… I" he said
-"Sorry to interrupt" Meiyo said "But we are in a hurry here, the deadline is getting closer, now, Spider-man"
-"Yes?"
-"This Kuruoshi girl is waiting for you"
-"I know, I will save Nekozaki-san"
-"We´ve been studying the layout of the building" he showed the hero some blueprints "The main entrance to the salon is the elevator, which leads down the aisle, however" he pointed at a door "There´s an emergency exit here, that's where we will come in from, your job is to keep the suspect occupied to she won't harm the hostage"
He nodded in agreement "I will"
-"Sir" Natsumi interfered "Are we really gonna cooperate with him?"
-"Right now, the priority is Nekozaki-san´s safety" he looked at the hero "We are counting on you, Spider-man"
-"Please" her mother said
-"Save her" her father said
He knew that fully well, he was not gonna fail
At the salon, Kuruoshi was pacing around the salon, Nekozaki still tied up to the chair
Until a certain figure landed some feet away
Izumi could see the trail of blood on her cheek, and panicked
-"Nekozaki-san!" Spider-man yelled
-"Spider-man!" Nekozaki yelled back, feeling relieved
-"You don't get to talk!" she put her sword next to her neck
-"Wait, Kuruoshi-san!" the hero yelled
-"Yes, dear?" she had lust on her voice
-"Don´t do this, you have the wrong idea!"
-"Oh, I don´t dear, I heard the talk she had with the others, it was clear she was manipulating you"
-"So she did hear us" Izumi thought "She did not manipulate me, I was only trying to help"
-"Yeah, I was feeling down, and he came and we talked" Nekozaki said, ignoring the sword right next to her neck "And I don't love him!"
-"And I don't love her! This is just a big misunderstanding!"
-"And she's doing it now, dont you get it dear? She's not truly on your side, she's like the others, spouting their fake ideas of love and friendship"
-"What are you talking about?" Nekozaki asked
-"I´ve seen you and your group, all happy, best friends until the end of time, it makes me want to throw up"
-"Huh?" Izumi was confused "But they sound like such a nice group"
-"Please, they all say that, yet, when you least expect it, they turn their back on you" she looked at Nekozaki "You all like to pretend you are so close, but the thing is, you are lying to yourselves"
-"We are not lying to ourselves! We support each other through everything! And nothing can't separate us!"
-"Nekozaki-san" Izumi felt touched
-"You say that now, but trust me, something will happen that will lead you to abandon each other, just like me!"
-"What do you mean?" Izumi asked
-"PEOPLE HAVE ABANDONED ME MY ENTIRE LIFE, MY PARENTS DID, AND THOSE SO CALLED CLASSMATES, AS SOON AS THEY ARE DONE USING ME, THEY JUST LEFT ME, THEY THINK I AM CRAZY JUST BECAUSE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH SPIDER-MAN, BUT YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE WHO LOOKED THAT YOU WERE GENUINELY ON MY SIDE!
-" Kuruoshi-san" he felt bad for her, being alone, with no one to help
That can destroy anyone
-"I am really sorry for what you went through, but you know that Nekozaki-san is not responsible for that, so taking your frustration on her the way you did its not correct"
-"So you´re taking her side"
-"It's not about taking sides, I want to help those who need me, so please… let me help you"
-"B-But" she lower her sword "You don't love me"
-"Doesnt mean I cant help you, sure, I don't feel the same way, but I can still support you, so please, let her go"
-"..." she shook her head "No… You´re just like the others. Mom and dad left me when I was done being useful for them, and so will Nekozaki and others, and so will you" she raised her sword
-"Kuruoshi-san!" Izumi yelled
-"Ngh!" Nekozaki felt scared
-"IF THEY ALL ARE GONNA ABANDON ME, THEN SO BE IT!" but before she could further move
Izumi fired some web at the sword, and pulled back, disarming her
-"It´s over, Kuruoshi-san"
She looked down, feeling defeated
The emergency door opened, and Captain Kamiya entered, accompanied by two officers
-"Hino´s Police Department!" he yelled, aiming at her "Hands up, now!"
She did as she was told
-"I'll untie Nekozaki-san!" Izumi said, and went and untied her
Nekozaki stood up
-"Are you ok?" Izumi asked
-"Few cuts, but Ill live"
However, before anything further could be said
Izumi felt his vibrations going off
-"Huh?"
Suddenly, Kuruoshi pushed Nekozaki, sending her over the edge of the rooftop
Izumi tried to grab her, but he couldnt
-"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she was falling
-"NEKOZAKI-SAN!"
Izumi immediately jumped, following her suit
As he was diving towards her, he could feel the air pushing back against him
As much as he tried, she was still far from reach
-"Damn it, I am not gonna make it!"
Suddenly, he noticed a flagpole in one of the lower floors
Shooting a web at it, the sticky substance attached to it
Pulling back, he gained further speed and momentum, allowing him to pass Nekozaki
Using the rope, he circled around and went upwards
And he was able to catch Nekozaki, by pulling an arm below her armpit and holding her waist, she held to him by hugging his neck with her free arm
He then let go of the web, and fire another rope to the next building, and swang themselves towards, landing on the wall
-"Are you ok?" he said while recovering his breath
She only gave him a quick nod
Climbing up the wall, they eventually made it to the rooftop
He let go of her
-"So I can hold another person while swinging with my web!"
His excitement was cut short when he remembered Nekozaki was there
-"Nekozaki-san, are you"
He was cut off when she wrapped him in a hug
-"T-THANK YOU" she was crying on his chest "I WAS SO SCARED… BWAAA!"
He gave her a few pats on the back, feeling relieved that he saved his friend
After a few minutes, they both got down from the building and went towards the entrance of Sakura building
Where the police were gathered, alongside
-"Kyou!" her mother yelled
They run to hug their daughter like there was no tomorrow
Izumi smiled under his mask
-"Thank the heavens you're safe!" his father said
-"I am so happy to see you both!" they broke the hug "And you should thank Spider-man!"
-"Yeah, we…." her mother said, feeling rather embarrassed "Thank you so much, Spider-man, we misjudged you"
-"Yeah…you" her father scratched the back of his head "You really did more for her than us"
-"I am glad to see you all together, that's what's important. Anyway, I should go now"
-"Hey, Spider-man" Nekozaki said
-"Yes?"
She gave him a thumbs up, smiling from ear to ear "You really are a hero"
Izumi felt warm inside, a contrast to the gloomy sentiment he's been having over the last week
-"No problem" and he left
Days later, Tuesday, Nekozaki returned to school
-"Nekozaki!" Shikimori said as she and the others hug their friend
-"It's good to see you all again!" she said as they broke the hug
-"Are you ok?" Kamiya asked once she noticed the bandaid on her face
-"Yeah, just some cuts, but they weren't deep"
-"Hard to believe you were actually kidnapped" Inuzuka said
-"Well, it was crazy, thank goodness Spider-man saved me, but"
-"But?" Izumi asked
-"I was really scared, I thought I would never see my parents, or you guys ever again"
They felt sad for her
-"But, what Kuruoshi-senpai said, about our group" she looked at her friends "She was wrong"
-"Whats wrong?" Hachimitsu asked
-"Nothing, just…" she smiled at them "I am happy to have you all"
-"We all feel the same, Nekozaki" Shikimori said
-"Yeah" she wrapped them all in her arms
-"Huh?" Kamiya was confused
-"And we´ll be together forever!"
-"Such sweetness" Hachimitsu said
-"Come on, or we´ll be late" Inuzuka said
Izumi felt happy, he was able to save a friend
And yet, there was still a negative feeling bothering him
Once classes were over, Izumi was patrolling the area, until he noticed a certain individual on a rooftop
-"Captain Kamiya" he said as he landed here
-"Hi, Spider-man, I´ve been waiting for you"
-"Sorry, I was just patrolling here at random, no idea you were here"
-"It's ok, better if no one finds out we are meeting"
-"How is Kuruoshi-san?"
-"She's been either yelling your name, or Nekozaki-san´s name, or mumble jumble, but she's not leaving anytime soon"
Izumi looked down "Im sorry"
-"It's not your fault, plus, it ain't the first case of a crazy lover that I've dealt with"
-"Still, have I never showed up, this wouldn't had happened, Nekozaki-san wouldn't have been kidnapped, Shocker wouldn't have attacked, Kingpin wouldn't have turned the city against me, and"
-"A lot of people would be death if you havent" the Captain interrupted him
Izumi looked at him "Huh?"
-"The lady that you saved on your first heist would have died, the jewelry store owner would have died, the people at the park would have died, and the destruction at the amusement park could have been much worse, and dont get me started on what could have happened to Nekozaki-san if you haven´´t been there"
-"I…"
-"Thanks to your efforts, we stopped Shocker, let´s face it, if it was us, we wouldn't have been successful"
-"But, when I think about all the people angry"
-"Why don´t you focus on the ones that support you instead?" Meiyo asked calmly
-"...It's just… sometimes I think I should give up"
-"And yet, you haven´t"
His eyes went wide
-"It doesn't matter what the newspapers and social media says, nor what businessman, politicians, the police, including me, says, all that matters" he pointed at the hero "It's what you think of yourself"
-"What I think of myself?" Izumi closed his eyes
And remembered that, while those enemies might had show up because of him
He saved far more innocent people thanks to his actions, he saved random civilians, or people as close to him as Shikimori or Nekozaki
He reunited families that were in danger, protected friends and encourage them to act on their own issues too
He has done so much as Spider-man, far more good than whatever random hate comment on the internet could say
-"Actions prove what someone truly is, Spider-man"
He looked at the officer
-"And with the actions I have seen from you… I can say that the truth about Fisk will come out"
-"...Yes" he felt more confident "The truth will come out… Until then" he fist bumped "I´ll keep on fighting!" just like his father did "And I´ll save those I can to make up for the ones I cant!"
The Captain smiled "Good answer, I was worried you were gonna give up, good to see you won´t" his tone got serious "Now, there´s something you should know"
Having finished their talk, Izumi left
-"I won't give up…" he said as he swung across the buildings "I will stop Kingpin!"
Because that's his duty
And that´s the end of that, our man saved Nekozaki, in more than one way, and he seems to have regained some determination, how long will it last him though?
Next chapter, a new villain shows up
So, what do you think? Leave any comments if you like, or send a PM, and I will gladly anser
Until next time
Peace