Chapter 22
The world had just stopped swaying.
What just happened?
Nijika rubbed her head. Her entire body ached from the impact. A strange, metallic smell burned her nose, mixing with the acrid smoke that now filled the train car. The dim orange light cast long, dancing shadows, making everything feel wrong.
People groaned, some cried out. A woman near the door was sobbing, clutching a child.
The figures stepped out of the smoke, tall and dark. Their red visors glowed. They were not human. Robots? They looked like something out of a bad sci-fi movie.
Thump… thump… thump.
Their footsteps were heavy, deliberate. They carried rifles, long and black, pointed at the passengers.
More of them poured in from the front, filling the aisle. They moved with a chilling, synchronized purpose.
Nijika grabbed Ryo's arm. Her fingers dug in, a desperate, silent plea for protection. Ryo didn't pull away, her yellow eyes wide and fixed on the approaching figures.
A woman with silver hair and cruel red eyes entered, her black and red outfit gleaming. She moved with an eerie grace, her gaze sweeping over the terrified faces. Beside her, a hulking figure of polished silver chrome, his head a smooth, helmet-like shape, stood like a statue. Energy tendrils flowed from his head, crackling faintly.
His presence alone was enough to make the air feel heavy.
"You are now property of the Iron Cross Army."
The woman's voice was calm, yet it sliced through the whispers of panic. Iron Cross Army? What is she talking about?
A few passengers, initially stunned, started to mutter. "Cosplayers?" someone asked.
The Ninders didn't respond. They simply moved, their movements sharp and efficient. They began grabbing people, pulling them from their seats.
Nijika tried to speak, but her throat felt dry.
This can't be real.
She fumbled for her phone. "We need to call the police!" she whispered to Ryo.
Ryo shook her head, holding up her own phone. The screen showed no signal. Nothing. They were cut off.
A man in the row ahead of them, older with a brave but foolish glint in his eyes, stood up. He yelled something about human rights.
A Ninder turned, its visor flashing. The robot moved with surprising speed, slamming the butt of its rifle into the man's stomach.
Thwack
The man crumpled, falling to the floor. Two more Ninders descended, their metallic hands grabbing him, dragging him away. No one else spoke. The car fell silent, filled only with the mechanical clicks of the Ninders and the soft sobs of the child.
Nijika felt a cold dread spread through her. A sickening wave of helplessness.
We can't do anything.
The Ninders continued their grim work, herding the passengers. Their red visors seemed to stare into each person's soul, demanding obedience.
"Stop!"
A new voice, powerful and clear, sliced through the air. It wasn't a scream of terror. It was a command.
Nijika looked up, her heart leaping. A figure in red and black burst into the train car, landing with a soft thump between the Ninders and the terrified passengers.
The silver-haired woman, Amazoness, spun around. Her cruel smile vanished, replaced by a snarl.
"Spider-Man!"
Spider-Man?
Nijika stared, her breath caught in her throat. Who was this person? He moved with such confidence. She glanced at Ryo, whose wide yellow eyes reflected the same bewildered hope. The new figure stood tall, ready to fight.
Are we safe now?
* * *
The cold dread twisted in Takuya's gut, sharper than any warning before. His Spider-Sense didn't just tingle; it screamed, a thousand frantic threads pulling him toward the station. It was too specific, too raw to ignore. This wasn't some random mugging. This was different.
He knew, with a certainty that chilled him, that it was them. Nijika. Ryo.
He needed to move. Now.
He darted into a narrow space between a darkened ramen shop and a vending machine, out of sight. His hand instinctively went to the Spider Bracelet.
The metallic click resonated in the quiet alley. Nanomachines, like liquid shadow, flowed over his skin, a tight, second skin of black and red. The lenses snapped into place, bringing the world into sharp, digital focus.
Spider-Man.
He launched himself skyward, a burst of web propelling him from the alley wall. The city blurred beneath him, concrete and steel a playground. He moved faster than thought, a red and black streak against the night sky, driven by a growing, desperate hope he wasn't too late.
The train station appeared below, a twisted wreck of metal and fractured light. He saw the smoke, the flickering orange glow, and the dark shapes moving inside. His gut clenched.
He burst into the wrecked train car. Twisted metal jutted out like broken bones. Smoke, acrid and metallic, stung his eyes. The dim emergency lights painted everything in sickly orange, making the terrified faces of the passengers appear like ghosts.
His enhanced vision cut through the haze, instantly pinpointing the Ninders. Their faceless visors turned, their energy rifles pointed at the huddled figures. He saw people, grabbed, pulled, herded toward the exit.
Then, his gaze locked onto two familiar figures. Nijika and Ryo. They were huddled together, pale with fear, but they were unharmed. A profound relief washed over him, hot and swift.
It lasted only a second.
A cold, protective fury replaced it, hotter than any fire. He saw Amazoness, her silver hair gleaming in the dim light, her cruel smirk a challenge. The towering figure beside her, Silvermane, looked like a nightmare made of chrome.
He met Amazoness's gaze, his voice tight with controlled rage.
"Iron Cross Army! Stand down!"
Amazoness's eyes narrowed, her smirk faltering. She snapped a command, her voice low and sharp.
"Spider-Man?! Destroy him!"
The Ninders turned, their red visors fixing on him. Energy rifles snapped up.
Spider-Man didn't hesitate. He moved like a whirlwind, a red and black blur. He kicked off the floor, propelling himself toward the closest Ninder.
Thwack!
His foot connected with the Ninder's chest, the impact sending ripples through the cheap armor. The automaton crumpled, its red visor flickering once before going dark.
Another Ninder lunged, its vibro-blade humming. He ducked under the swing, his Spider-Sense a frantic hum in his skull.
He twisted, a web shot from his wrist, splattering across the Ninder's visor. The robot flailed, blinded.
He brought his fist down, a precise strike to the critical energy core embedded in its chest.
CRACK!
The Ninder sparked, then collapsed into a heap of dead metal.
He moved, a flurry of precise, efficient strikes. Garia's training had honed his instincts, turned his rage into focused aggression. Each punch, each kick, found its mark. The Ninders were fragile automatons, easily dismantled by his enhanced strength.
Smash!
CRUNCH!
They crumbled around him, one after another, their forms breaking down into inert scrap.
His eyes darted to the remaining Ninders. They continued to herd the terrified passengers, pushing them toward the damaged exit. Nijika and Ryo were among them, their pale faces still locked on the chaos.
He had to get to them.
He started to move, a low growl escaping his lips, intent on intercepting the remaining Ninders and protecting the innocents. He would tear through them all if he had to.
Then, a towering figure stepped into his path. Silvermane.
He was a hulking wall of chrome and crackling energy, blocking his every move. The metallic tendrils of his mane sparked with blue-silver light. He stood like an immovable object, a mountain of cybernetic muscle.
"Who are you?"
Spider-Man's voice was tight with frustration, every fiber of his being screaming to get past this new obstacle. The passengers, his friends, were still in danger.
Silvermane's red visor glowed, a deep, resonant voice filling the wrecked train car.
"I am Silvermane. Your demise."
No time for this.
He dismissed Amazoness, his gaze locked on the chrome giant.
"I have no time for you!"
Spider-Man launched a powerful, rage-fueled attack, a straight punch aimed at Silvermane's armored chest. He put all his strength, all his fury, into the blow.
WHAM!
The punch connected.
Silvermane barely flinched. The impact resonated through Spider-Man's arm, a painful vibration that rattled his bones. The chrome behemoth simply stood there, an unyielding monument of metal.
Amazoness's voice, cold and mocking, cut through the smoke.
"Foolish spider. You think he is merely another Ninder?"
Her crimson eyes, sharp and predatory, locked onto him.
"Silvermane is a Machine BEM of the Iron Cross Army. The strongest and your executioner."
A cold unease settled deep in Spider-Man's gut. This was different. A chilling certainty washed over him. This wasn't just a fight; it was a test. A truly formidable opponent. This battle would be tough.
***
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