"Evening, officers," I said, rolling down my taxi window.
Two cops stood beside the car, holding flashlights. In front was a makeshift checkpoint.
A few cars had passed mine before, but they were let out after giving cursory glances. Even those who stopped were let go after some random formal questions.
"Evening. Routine vehicle check. Pull over," one of the cops said with a stern face.
It looks like I am going to get special treatment.
I smiled. The tired and harmless smile a taxi driver would show after hours of driving.
"No problem, officers," I complied and eased the taxi to the side.
"License and registration," the cops started with the standard stuff.
They visibly tensed as I reached my front pocket. I maintained a harmless smile as I pulled out my wallet. The tension left their bodies, but they remained vigilant.
I preferred keeping my license in my wallet, but mostly kept my wallet in the front pocket while driving, as it was uncomfortable to drive long hours with it in my back pocket.
I retrieved the papers from the dashboard compartment and showed them to them. I ignored how their eyes were fixed on the glove box while it was open, like they expected a bag of cocaine to jump out.
"This is your car?" the other cop asked, likely after seeing the name on the registration papers.
"No, officer, it is not. It belongs to a family friend. He has a taxi business, and he lets me drive it to pick up fares as a part-time job," I answered truthfully.
"Step out for me, hands where I can see them," one of the cops said.
I complied smoothly, hands always in front—no hesitation, no reluctance, and especially no irritation. Any of that could escalate the situation to the point of no return.
"Pop the trunk."
"Absolutely, sir."
I walked to the back and opened the trunk wide, and stepped aside for the cops to look their fill.
The inside was mostly empty save for a spare tire, jack, and a toolkit.
The cop looked towards me. "What's in the kit?"
I shrugged, opening the kit without hesitation.
"Just a tool kit provided by the company. I think the wrench is older than I am."
The cops now looked visibly relaxed with how compliant I was. I took advantage of that by pointing towards my phone, attached to the dashboard, with the taxi app open and the ride location displayed.
"Sir, I actually have a pickup scheduled at the hospital in ten minutes. I can call them to delay, but… You know how people get when taxis are late."
The first cop waved a hand. "No, no. Just let us check the back seat."
I pulled the door open for them and even pulled out the floor mat.
The cop barely looked for ten seconds.
"All right, driver. You're clear. Thanks for your cooperation."
"No problem, officer. It is my duty to help hard-working police officers like you who keep our country safe from the inside."
The cop looked visibly pleased. He laughed, "You are a good kid." Then he left with his fellow cop to look at other cars.
I sat back in the taxi and also left. I looked back through my rear-view mirror, and two other cops stopped another cab behind me. In contrast, other vehicles were let off with a formality.
So, they are only targeting taxis? Did someone tip them off?
With such thoughts, I left to pick up my ride.
Though before going to the passenger, I took a detour and arrived in front of an old apartment block. Cracked paint. Dead lights. Rusted mailboxes.
I opened a secret compartment I had installed in the car below the dashboard that no one would ever suspect. Inside was a loaded gun with a silencer and a spare magazine. Sitting beside it was a white package. I picked up the package and closed the compartment.
Stepping out, I arrived near the only potted plant in front of the building. I placed the package behind the pot, which was big enough to cover it completely for anyone looking at it from the front.
I came back to my taxi and left the area. Then, within time, I arrived at the pickup location.
After dropping the passenger off at his location, I arrived in a quieter area and shut off the engine.
Pulling out my phone, I dialed Captain Corrupt's number.
"I dropped the package," I said when the call was connected.
A bored grunt. "And?"
"Nothing," I said evenly. "Just got stopped at a checkpoint."
"So what?" Robert snapped. "Let them do their job. Why are you wasting my time?"
I heard papers shuffling, keys tapping. He wasn't even listening.
"Next time, don't call me unless it's important. I'm busy."
Click.
The line went dead.
Only then did I realize how tightly I had clutched the steering wheel, with veins visible on my hand.
I inhaled slowly through my nose… held it…
Then exhaled through my mouth.
A moment later, I laughed. Quiet, then louder, then uncontrollably.
"Looks like my death date is getting nearer."
…
It was already getting late at night. I had picked up a few more fares, but with Namor's attack in the morning, not many people left their houses today.
Which explained the sudden flood of police checkpoints — the city's favorite way of pretending they had everything under control.
The Fantastic Four were once again praised and further solidified their fame as the country's first superhero family/team.
Iron Man also got a ton of praise. When Tony Stark's bomb was capable of forcing Giganto to return to the ocean, the stock prices of his company saw a sharp increase.
Spider-Man and Arachne arrived late when the fight was already over, but they helped with the aftermath. The people loved them, but, of course, J. Jonah Jameson would twist the tale tomorrow to be against them.
No casualties thanks to the early evacuation, but the property damage easily stretched into the billions.
The Defense Secretary appeared on the news, speaking in the usual politician dialect — vague promises, diplomatic phrasing, and absolutely no substance. He mentioned "peace talks" with Atlantis, which was hilarious considering their "king" had just tried to flatten NYC.
Many people were angry with such a vague reply.
But this response from the government was to be expected. Namor was the king of a sovereign nation, even if said nation was underwater and destroyed.
The government could only treat the incident as an act of war from another nation and not an act of terrorism. This alone would give Namor diplomatic immunity.
Translation: they couldn't touch him without starting a global political shitstorm.
Social media was buzzing with the incident.
"Monster Attack in NYC – Who Is Namor?"
"The REAL Reason Namor Attacked New York (Government Cover-Up?)"
"10 Kaiju Weaknesses (Number 5 Will Shock You)."
"Is Namor justified? Government has been dumping waste in the ocean for decades."
"Where is the government?? How can we allow a KING FROM THE OCEAN to invade OUR borders??"
#BroCameFromTheOcean
#OceanSentYouAProblem
#ProtectTheOceans
#AtlantisStrikesBack
#CleanTheSeaNow
#WhereIsTheGovernment
#USVsAtlantis
#GreenTrunkHunk
Many vloggers were even caught attempting to live-stream from the port where Giganto attacked, because clout was apparently worth dying for.
All in all, it was pretty lively on the internet right now.
After driving aimlessly for another half an hour, I arrived at a public park. Since it was late into the night, the park was practically deserted. Good enough location for the important meeting I was going to have there.
I parked the car, went into the park, and sat on a bench, waiting for others.
The wait wasn't long as a figure appeared in my vision. She was dressed in purple from head to toe.
— Jessica Jones —
I finally arrived. Due to the earlier monster attack, police activity was increased today, so the criminals were pretty much subdued. Zebediah was also keeping his head down, which allowed me to meet with Kevin.
I was looking forward to meeting with Kevin again, even though we just met yesterday, but it felt like a long time ago.
It felt surreal. I thought I would never be able to meet again after our first meeting, but here he was, like a prince in shining armor, protecting me, when I wasn't paying attention.
We finally introduced ourselves to each other and finally got to know his name. And now we were meeting again.
I arrived at the park where we decided to meet. There he was sitting on a bench.
God. Was I late? Did he wait long?
"Jessica," he said with that small smile. My heart raced seeing that smile.
"Kevin," I breathed out, walking straight into his arms and hugging him tight.
When we pulled apart, I kissed him — just a quick peck on the lips. I wanted to kiss longer, but help back. Kevin was such a gentleman; he never forced me to do anything I didn't want to do.
Kevin gave me hope and love when I was just a walking corpse, with no hope left. I had given up on life when I realized there was no getting out of Zebediah's control.
But when I met Kevin. That single night made me want to live again. Just to meet him again.
But I felt insecure. I thought I wasn't worthy of his love. With my current circumstances and what Zebediah had made me do or would make me do in the future, I felt I wasn't worthy of him.
Moreover, I absolutely dreaded the possibility that Zebediah might order me to kill Kevin. I would do it. I would cry tears of blood, but I would still do it because Zebediah's control over me was absolute. If he ordered, I would do it. Of course, my soul would also die on that day, and all Zebediah would have was a soulless husk to control after that.
I sat beside him on the bench. His right arm linked with my arm, and my head rested on his shoulder.
We just sat in comfortable silence, occasionally talking about random things or talking about what happened to us during these days.
"By the way, have you heard about that new guy, Big Man?" Kevin asked. "He sure is making headlines these days."
I laughed hearing that name. Kevin cocked his eyebrow, hearing me laugh.
"Yeah, I know him," I said. "He went to Zebediah. Paid a stupid amount of money just to buy his own life."
Kevin started laughing, hearing that. "So he basically bribed Zebediah so that Zebediah won't send the Purple Death after him in case someone bought his life."
I became embarrassed when I heard that nickname.
Why did that guy have to take this name in front of Kevin? Couldn't he just die quietly?
Previously, I absolutely hated that nickname because it reminded me of what Zebediah forced me to do. Each new kill only increased the weight on my soul, crushing me under ever-increasing guilt.
But after meeting Kevin, my thoughts were only occupied by him. The guilt was there, but wasn't as much. It now mostly felt like background noise.
The weight I had always felt somehow felt that it didn't matter anymore as long as I had his memories in my mind and heart.
I didn't want to admit it, but truthfully, now, I felt proud when Big Man, the new crime boss who forced multiple gangs to follow him out of fear, shuddered at the sight of me. He kept his gaze down after that, never daring to look at me again as he completed the deal and left.
It gave me a strange excitement to see a big crime boss cowering because of me.
It might be because of Kevin's advice always echoing in my head:
"Sometimes, if we can't control something, it's better to enjoy it."
So, I did. No, I didn't enjoy killing the gangsters, but I stopped feeling guilty about something outside my control. Moreover, they were criminals, so all the less reason to feel any guilt.
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," I answered, embarrassed. "Unless Big Man steps on the wrong toes, he is pretty much safe with how much money he has offered to Zebediah."
"Interesting," Kevin said with a thoughtful look.
I wondered what was in his mind.
"By the way," Kevin said a few moments later, changing the subject. "She should be coming soon, too."
Yeah, she.
It was about what Kevin had talked about yesterday, about someone who could help with the Zebediah problem.
I didn't believe in miracles, and I sure as hell didn't believe in freedom. I'd already made my peace with being a puppet for the rest of my life, as long as I could steal moments like this with Kevin. That was enough.
But when he asked me to meet her, I said yes. Not because I had hope — I didn't — but because it meant another hour sitting next to him.
What bothered me wasn't the plan.
It was the "she."
Yes, I felt jealous.
The second Kevin said it was a woman, my stomach twisted into knots.
My brain went straight to worst-case scenarios:
Who is she?
How close are they?
Does she love him?
…Does he love her?
The last question stung the most. It might be because I didn't dare think of myself as his girlfriend with a sword named Zebediah hanging over my neck.
But my chest still felt painful.
Yeah. It hurt. A lot more than it should.
Would I still be able to spend some time with him, even with a girlfriend?
It might be because I didn't say anything for a long time, so Kevin spoke again.
Kevin must've noticed the silence dragging on.
"Jessica? Everything alright?" he asked gently.
"Yes," I answered with a strained smile.
"Jessica, can I request something?"
"Anything," I replied quickly. A little too quickly.
Kevin gently took my hand in his.
"I didn't tell you about her because I want her to explain things herself. I just need one thing from you."
His thumb brushed my knuckles.
"Don't react. No matter what she says. Just let her finish first."
I didn't like that.
At all.
But if Kevin wanted me to hear her out… then I would.
"Okay, Kevin," I said quietly.
He smiled, relieved, and that alone made swallowing my jealousy worth it.
Before either of us could say another word, footsteps approached through the dark.
Speak of the devil.
Calling her suspicious would be an understatement.
Hoodie, mask, gloves, big glasses. She tried hard to show not a single bit of her skin.
Whatever the reason for her getup was, it only made her look even more suspicious.
She paused, her gaze fixed on my hand in Kevin's hand.
I internally rolled my eyes. She was too obvious. That action alone proved she would be my "competitor".
Kevin smiled at her, "Hey, Kara."
He hugged her, and even through the ridiculous disguise, I could see how tightly she clung to him.
I rose to my feet automatically, spine straightening. I couldn't afford to look bad in front of a competitor.
"Kara," Kevin said, gesturing toward me, "this is Jessica Jones."
"Hi," I said curtly.
"And Jessica…" Kevin hesitated — just for a breath — then pointed back at her.
"She is Kara Killgrave."
My heart stopped.
Kara Killgrave?
Killgrave?
No, no, no, don't overreact. It might just be someone with the same surname.
"Hi," Kara said softly. "You're not overthinking. I'm related to him. I'm his daughter."
I stood stunned for a moment. Then my brain finally comprehended what she said.
I felt my vision go red. I wanted to tear this bitch apart.
"Calm down, Jessica," Kevin shouted. His reassuring hand on my shoulder. His other hand was unexpectedly tightly clutching my hand, which I found was outstretched and was dangerously close to Kara's throat. I froze instantly. I didn't want to hurt him.
Kevin gently lowered my arm. I wanted to pull out that bitch's spine, but complied as I didn't want to hurt Kevin.
"I know," Kevin whispered. "But you promised. Just hear her out first."
I swallowed hard. My whole body was shaking.
I took a deep breath. Yes, I promised Kevin. I couldn't go back on my word. What if he hated me for it?
"Sorry, Kevin," I apologized, with a guilty look on my face.
"No problem," Kevin forgave me with a smile.
I smiled at him. I really didn't deserve him.
Then I turned back to face Kara. My face was cold as ice.
"Speak," I said coldly.
I couldn't see Kara's expression since her face was covered, but she looked slightly shaken after the earlier incident.
Good, she should be.
But, despite that, she still nodded, agreeing.
Kara removed her glasses and mask and lowered the hood.
Huh, she was actually very pretty, her shoulder-length black hair framing her face, which only accentuated it.
Great, not only was she my competitor in love, but she could even compete with me in beauty. That somehow made me want to snap her neck even more.
Kara looked at Kevin as if asking for his permission or reassurance.
Kevin nodded with a gentle smile. "Don't worry, she will not judge you."
Kara smiled brightly as if Kevin's reassurance was all that she needed to proceed.
This bitch.
My jaw clenched.
Oh, she definitely liked him.
Did every woman have to fall for him the moment he smiled?
Fine. Sob story time.
Yes, Zebediah abandoning her mother was sad — but in this messed-up country, that wasn't rare.
Meanwhile, I lost my entire family, got enslaved by a psychopath, and turned into a weapon.
So, excuse me for not crying for her absentee-dad trauma. How could her pain be anywhere near mine?
Wait, Jessica, control. We aren't having a competition about who was more tragic.
Whatever, I focused on her story again.
So, she had similar powers. But as she described it, her powers, even if identical to her father's, were nowhere near as strong as his. It might be because she had awakened her powers not long ago, or Zebediah was just plain stronger than his daughter.
But it didn't matter how strong her powers were; when I heard she had similar powers, I once again felt the urge just to bash her skull in. I controlled myself when Kevin clutched my hand.
I continued listening to her story. I actually felt bad for her when she awakened her powers and could no longer interact with others without accidentally using them, only to be labelled a freak.
Personally, I somehow felt connected with her due to how those criminals considered me a monster when I effortlessly killed them with my powers.
After she was done telling her story, I could at least tell she hated her father very much. The hate was real, that much I could tell by seeing in her eyes. The hate was both from her father leaving her family and from his "legacy" pretty much destroying her personal life.
Then she told me she had seen me with her father. How she thought he left his family for me.
Her eyes were full of years of resentment and loneliness — not for Zebediah, but for the version of him she imagined—a father who chose some random woman over his own daughter.
At that point, I actually felt sorry, and the urge to kill her actually decreased. I could understand that the man who had left his family and changed girlfriends every week was now fixated on a single woman for months.
For Kara, it would undoubtedly look like her father chose me over his family, over his daughter. Yes, I knew it wasn't my fault. I was the victim here. But that didn't stop me from feeling guilty for her.
I stretched my hand towards her. She flinched, but seeing I didn't have any ill will, she didn't back off. I hugged her.
Kara started crying loudly. I let her cry and let out all her bottled emotions.
I held her.
Because I knew exactly what it felt like to lose everything and still be blamed for things you never chose.
When I glanced at Kevin, he gave me a proud smile.
And for some reason… that made everything feel worth it.
When Kara finally stopped crying, Kevin gently patted her hair.
"You feel lighter?"
She nodded, wiping her eyes.
Then he turned to me.
"Jessica, Kara can help you with your problem."
"I can't nullify his control," Kara said quietly. "I'm not strong enough for that."
I didn't say anything and let her continue.
"But," she continued, "I can override it. As long as you're close to me, his commands won't sink in. If he's nearby, I won't be able to overpower him… but if he's not, I can give you breathing room."
So to escape one leash… I had to wear another.
"I know you have been under his control for a long time. When I use my powers on you, you will essentially be under my control. I will not ask you to believe me, as trust is earned. But I can promise you that I will not misuse my control over you," Kara solemnly explained.
I didn't answer. I felt conflicted.
For a long time, Zebediah had controlled my freedom. Now, to temporarily regain my freedom, I still had to give it up.
I turned to Kevin in helplessness, looking at him with an imploring expression, hoping he would give me direction.
Kevin gave me that warm, steady smile.
"Jessica… you've been through enough. I won't force anything. If you don't want this, we'll find something else. I promise I'll help you, no matter how long it takes."
I held back my tears as I nodded.
I turned back to Kara and said with conviction, "Let's do it."
Kara also nodded, her expression serious, matching my own.
Kara's skin became purple. I felt a shiver run down my spine, and then I felt light. Lighter than I had felt for a long time. I felt as if the noose around my neck loosened.
I noticed my hands. They were purple. I took out my phone and saw my reflection in the screen. I was purple.
"It's just a small side effect. Don't worry, it is temporary and will stay like this only until I use my powers on you," Kara explained after she saw me checking my purple skin.
I, however, tuned out whatever she was saying.
Freedom.
I felt free.
I was free.
I knew I was free.
Even if it wasn't complete… even if it was temporary… it was the first time in so long that invisible strings weren't pulling my mind.
I could breathe.
So what if my skin turned purple? It was a small price to pay for freedom.
Then suddenly something clicked.
Purple skin?
Kevin?
I immediately turned to Kevin. With fear, I looked at him.
What if he no longer liked me?
What if my skin disgusted me?
But my worries were baseless.
"Are you happy, Jesscia?" Kevin asked with a smile.
The more he behaved this way, the more I felt I didn't deserve him.
I didn't answer. I kissed him instead — hard, desperate, grateful. He kissed me back without hesitation.
When we finally parted, I turned to Kara.
"…Thank you," I said with heartfelt gratitude.
Kara flushed. "Y-you're welcome."
I sat beside Kevin again, instinctively curling into him, linking our arms.
My head rested on his shoulder as if it belonged there.
Kara stared for a moment, jealousy flickering through her eyes.
Our gazes locked.
I gave her a tiny nod — permission, acknowledgment, a truce.
Her eyes widened.
Then she nodded back gratefully and quietly sat on Kevin's other side, linking her arm with his.
Her head rested on his other shoulder.
If anyone had walked by at that hour, they would've seen a boy sitting proudly between two purple-skinned girls clinging to him like he was their anchor.
And honestly?
That was precisely what he was.
…
While Kevin was meeting with Kara and Jessica, in another part of the city, Spider-Man and Arachne were fighting a bunch of armed thugs.
"Why the fuck do you insects have to put your nose into other people's business?" A thug said in anger and frustration as he shot at the two wall crawlers.
Though the said wall-crawlers easily dodged all the bullets.
"Hey, I don't choose to be here. You guys keep committing crimes in my commute path," Spider-Man quipped as he fired a web shot that pinned the thug's arm with the gun to a nearby wall.
Arachne then came and, before the thug could say anything, she clocked him with a right hook. The poor sucker fainted with a single punch. She pulled his arm from the web and then hanged him together with his buddies already hanging on a nearby pole.
In the meantime, Spider-Man defeated the only other remaining thug, hanging him from the pole.
"I must say, we make an awesome team," Spider-Man chirped.
Arachne stared at him flatly.
"Yeah, no, not interested," Arachne rejected him ruthlessly. "It was just a coincidence that we targeted the same thugs."
"Really? If you say so," Spider-Man said dejectedly. "Tell me if you change your mind."
Arachne ignored him and went towards the men hanging from the pole. One by one, she started stripping them of all their valuables.
After Kevin taught her the importance of looting after defeating her enemies, she had religiously looted every thug she had defeated till now.
Spider-Man looked stunned.
"Um, what are you doing?" Spider-Man asked with confusion.
Arachne stopped and turned to him. She looked at him like he'd just asked the dumbest question in New York. She said with irritation, "What does it look like? Of course, I am collecting my paycheck."
Arachne turned back but suddenly remembered she didn't defeat the gangsters on her own. Feeling even more irritated, she asked, "Do you want half?"
"I don't?" Spider-Man said with confusion. Then, suddenly, he realized the ridiculousness of the situation. "No wait? What do you mean by half? We help people because we have powers. It is our responsibility to help others. Why do we need money for that? We shouldn't use our powers so irresponsibly."
Arachne from a month ago might have agreed with Spider-Man, but the Arachne of today just looked at him like he was an idiot.
"Great, then I don't need to share," Arachne said and went back to looting the valuables from the gangsters.
Spider-Man looked at her, perplexed, wondering how to make her understand the wrongness of her ways or whether he should use force to stop her.
After Arachne looted the thugs, she walked towards a small bag full of cash.
The gangsters defeated by them were actually from two different gangs, exchanging drugs for cash. She wasn't interested in drugs. But why refuse more free cash?
Spider-Man could have ignored Arachne taking the thugs' personal money. But when he saw her moving towards the bag of cash, he knew he had to stop her.
He fired a webline, but Arachne's spider sense had already alerted her, so she pulled back her hand on time. Unfortunately, the bag still stayed on the ground.
"What do you mean by doing that?" Arachne asked, rage boiling from within.
"Wait, Arachne, relax," Spider-Man said quickly, hands raised in a calming gesture. "You can't take that money. That will be theft."
"Theft?" Arachne scoffed. "I am taking what I rightfully earned after defeating them. And seriously—" she pointed at the unconscious thugs, "—you think these guys are gonna file a police report?"
"That's not the point!" Spider-Man shot back. "We don't use our powers for crime. We don't cross that line. With great power—"
"—comes great responsibility. Yeah, yeah." She waved him off, unimpressed. "Who exactly died and made you the moral referee? You follow your rules, I follow mine. Don't force yours onto me."
After saying that, Arachne once again walked towards the bag.
But Spider-Man was determined not to let her take the bag and make her understand the wrongness of her ways.
He fired another web, this time intending to pin her leg to the ground. But the wall-crawler forgot the other one was also a wall-crawler with similar powers, and she dodged it again effortlessly by backflipping.
Her voice dropped to a cold growl. "Fine. If that's how you want it…"
She lunged towards him, her punch aimed at his face.
Spider-Man side-stepped, and the punch struck a wall, breaking it in pieces.
"Okay—whoa—" Spider-Man froze, staring at the damage.
"I may hold back for normal humans," Arachne said, stepping toward him, knuckles cracking. "But not for you. Hold back, and you die."
Arachne once again punched. Spider-Man dodged again, but the air from the punch stung a bit. He knew his opponent was serious. But he still couldn't bring himself to use his full strength.
This was the first time Spider-Man was fighting someone equal to him, and that was putting him off balance.
Spider-Man fired another web line, which Arachne dodged easily once again. But that was a feint all along. He fired another web line from his other hand, hitting a trash can, then hurling it towards the location Arachne jumped to dodge the first web line.
Arachne didn't pause after dodging the first web and somersaulted backwards, dodging the trash can. While in the air, she fired a web line, hitting the cash bag, and pulled it towards her.
Spider-Man wanted to stop it, but was late as it wasn't an attack aimed at him, so his spider sense didn't alert him.
"I don't have time for any more games today," Arachne said, firing another web line to a nearby rooftop. "You'd better not come in my path again. And keep your morals to yourself."
Arachne left with those words. Spider-Man stood and watched her go. He wanted to stop her, but knew the chances of that happening weren't high.
"Next time…" Spider-Man muttered softly. "Next time, I will stop you."
And he swung away.
The conflict between them was far from over.
Kevin's House:
— Kevin —
I was finally back home. Today was very exhausting. At least, I made significant progress with both Kara and Jessica. Both of them were ready for the next phase.
Now, whenever Jessica wanted, she could call Kara to let her temporarily be free from Zebediah's control. That would allow them to get close and remove any remaining hatred between them.
Since I was so exhausted, I decided to retire for the day. But just as I was about to lie in my bed, my phone started ringing. It was Gwen.
"Hey, Gwen. Everything alright?" I asked, concerned.
"Yeah, everything is alright, Kevin. Sorry for calling so late," Gwen said. She tried to cover, but I could tell from her voice that she was down.
"Come on, Gwen. Do you think I can't tell from your voice?" I said, with a slight angry tone. "What happened? Why do you sound so down?"
"I-it was nothing, Kevin," Gwen said.
"Gwen," I said sternly.
"Fine," Gwen said in defeat. "It was Spider-Man."
"Spider-Man? Did he hurt you?" I asked hurriedly.
"No. I mean, yes. I mean, no. No, I mean, not really," Gwen said hesitantly.
"Gwen," I said, my voice more stern than before. "What happened?"
Gwen groaned loudly, hearing that, but in the end, she told me what happened earlier with Spider-Man.
So, she looted all the thugs and even took their cash bag?
I wiped an invisible tear. I felt proud to call her my student.
"Who is he to lecture me about morality?" Gwen said, gnashing her teeth.
Then she suddenly quieted down. Then, in a low voice, she asked, "Kevin, was I wrong in taking their money?"
And here I was feeling proud of you.
"Gwen," I started calmly. "I can tell you what's right or wrong. But that would be my judgment. I want your judgment. Tell me what YOU think. And whatever you decide, I'll support you."
Gwen didn't answer for some time. I also didn't hurry or force her, and let her think.
"I, I don't think I did anything wrong," Gwen started with a low, hesitant voice. But as she continued, it became louder without any hesitation. "I defeated those thugs. I made the city safer. It is my right to take their money. Others work for free. Why should I do so too? I put my life on the line every time I fight those criminals. What is wrong is expecting compensation for my work?"
"Nothing," I answered with a smile. "There is nothing wrong."
"Thank you, Kevin," Gwen breathed, her voice much lighter. "You always know how to make me feel better."
"Of course, I am here for you," I said cheerfully. "You are my dear friend, and I will always support you."
Gwen once again quieted down. I conveniently ignored when she repeated "friend" with a low and slightly bitter voice.
"Oh well, no need to worry, Gwen. You are not doing anything wrong. Now, I gotta go, feeling sleepy after a long day," I said with a fake yawn. "See you tomorrow."
"Huh?" Gwen said, as my words immediately pulled her out of her thoughts. "Oh. Uh—yeah. Good night, Kevin."
I hung up.
I looked at my phone with a smirk.
Each girl was different, so I was using different archetypes for all my targets.
For Jessica, it was a romantic but tragic lover.
For Kara, it was the "daddy" figure who gave her the validation and recognition she so desperately craved.
For Felicia, it was a toxic boyfriend. The one whom she hated, but in the end couldn't help but crave to go back to.
For Gwen, it was the only creature in the universe who could friend-zone a hot girl and even then make her chase him.
The Beta Harem Anime Protagonist.
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[Author's Note]
New Year Bonus Chapter.