The teacher's voice was a low hum. It blended with the distant rumble of traffic outside. Takuya stared at the empty desk beside him. It used to be filled with the bright energy of his father's work. Now, it was just a space. A blank. His own thoughts were loud, deafening even, despite the quiet classroom.
Aliens.
The word echoed in his mind. He couldn't shake it. His father, a scientist, a man of facts and reason, had spoken of them. On his deathbed. It felt wrong. Like a story from a cheap manga, not the terrible truth of his own life. Takuya rubbed his temples. The dull ache behind his eyes had been there since yesterday.
He heard the bell ring for morning break. The sudden jolt of sound made him flinch. The other students stood, their chatter filling the room. It felt miles away, like static on an old radio.
Then, a bright splash of orange.
"Takkun!"
Nijika bounced over. Her usual enthusiasm felt like a physical force. She waved a glossy magazine in front of his face. It was a motocross magazine. He saw the familiar cover, a rider mid-air, dirt flying.
"Did you see the new issue? There's an article about the upcoming national circuit!"
He barely moved. His eyes stayed fixed on the window. The sky was a pale, indifferent blue.
He shook his head once. A small, almost imperceptible movement.
Nijika's smile faltered. Her hand dropped, the magazine still clutched tight. She stood there for a moment, a hopeful weight. He didn't look at her. He couldn't.
She sighed, a soft sound. Then she was gone, her energy moving elsewhere.
Later that morning, the halls filled with students changing classes. Takuya moved through the crowd. He was a ghost, invisible, unheard. He kept his head down, shoulders hunched. He didn't want to see anyone. He didn't want anyone to see him.
A soft voice cut through the noise.
"Takuya-kun?"
Haruna. She stood a few feet away, her hands clasped. Her eyes were warm with concern. He could feel her quiet empathy like a gentle touch.
"I… I hope you're doing okay."
He mumbled something. A syllable, maybe two. He didn't know what he said. He kept walking, avoiding her gaze. He felt her eyes on his back as he walked away. The worry in them was almost too much to bear.
Lunchtime. He sat alone at his desk in the corner. He watched the others eat, talk, laugh. The sounds were muted. The smells of food were distant. He had no appetite. He hadn't eaten since… since before.
A shadow fell over his desk.
"Hey, Yamashiro."
Rito. His voice was awkward. He held out a bento box. The lid was colorful, with cartoon characters on it.
"My sister made too much. Seriously, way too much. You should… you should eat something."
Takuya looked at the bento box. Then at Rito's earnest, worried face. He pushed the box away without a word. Just a gentle shove. He didn't have the energy for politeness.
Rito's shoulders slumped. He looked deflated, but he didn't leave. He stood there, a silent presence. A friend, trying to help. Takuya just stared at the wall.
The final bell screamed. It sliced through the quiet that had settled over the room. Takuya pushed his chair back. He grabbed his bag. The weight felt heavy on his shoulder.
"Takkun!"
Nijika was there again. Her voice was sharp now, not bouncy. Her eyes held a new fire.
"What are you doing? Why are you pushing everyone away?"
She moved closer, her hands on her hips.
"We care about you! You can't just shut us out!"
He pulled his bag tighter. He didn't look at her. He couldn't.
"Leave me alone," he said. The words were flat, dead. He shoved past her. He felt her stiffen. Her frustration was a palpable thing.
He walked towards the door.
"Takkun!" Her voice cracked. "Don't you dare walk away!"
He didn't stop. He just kept walking.
The city sounds faded. The words of his friends still echoed. Leave me alone. He regretted them instantly. But the words were out. He couldn't take them back. He just wanted to be alone. He wanted the noise in his head to stop.
Comrade… come to me…
The voice was back. It was clear. It wasn't a dream. It was the same voice he heard when his father died. His skin prickled. He recognized it. A chill ran down his spine, but it was not from fear. It was a strange pull. A curiosity that overshadowed his fear.
He felt himself moving. His feet carried him away from the school. He walked without thinking, his mind fixed on the voice. It grew stronger with each step.
The roar of the engine filled the night. Takuya was on his motocross bike. He wasn't sure how he got there. He just found himself riding. He felt like he was flying. The voice was a whisper in his ear now, guiding him. He weaved through the late-night traffic. The city lights blurred around him. The voice led him away from the familiar streets of Tokyo.
He saw an old house. It stood alone, dark, on the edge of the city. It looked abandoned. The paint peeled from its walls. The windows were dark, like empty eyes. He slowed the bike. A sense of unease settled over him. This was it. This was where the voice led him.
He cut the engine. The sudden silence was heavy. He dismounted the bike. He walked to the front door. It was slightly ajar. He pushed it open. It creaked.
He stepped inside.
The air was cold and still. The house was dimly lit. Moonlight filtered through a grimy window. Dust motes danced in the pale light. He moved deeper into the house. Each step felt heavy. He scanned the shadows. He saw movement.
A figure emerged.
It was tall. It was lean. Its eyes glowed silver-blue. Its hair was long, silver-white. It flowed around its shoulders like a ghostly cloud. He felt a chill. This was not human.
"You heard my calls." The voice resonated. It was the voice from his dreams. The voice from his father's last moments. It echoed in the small room.
"Who are you?" Takuya demanded. His voice was shaky. He tried to sound brave. He tried to hide the fear that tightened his chest.
"I am Garia." The being said. "From Planet Spider."
An alien. The word hit him like a physical blow. He stared at Garia. The glowing eyes. The pale, almost metallic skin. It was real. All of it was real.
"Were you… did you kill my father?" Takuya asked. His voice was raw. The question tore at his throat.
Garia's glowing eyes narrowed slightly. A flash of sorrow. He shook his head.
"No." His voice was soft. "Professor Monster and his Iron Cross Army. They are the ones who killed your father. They destroyed my world."
Professor Monster. Iron Cross Army. The names were new. They were alien. But a cold certainty settled in Takuya's gut. These were the names of his father's killers. The terror of that night. It all connected.
"Why… why did you call me 'comrade'?" Takuya asked. He needed to know. He needed to understand.
"You were the only one." Garia said. "The only one who could hear my telepathic calls. It marks you, Takuya. It marks you as special."
Garia paused. His gaze was intense.
"Do you seek vengeance for your father, Takuya?"
The question hung in the air. Takuya's blood ran cold. Vengeance. The word tasted like ash in his mouth.
"I can give you the power to achieve it."
Garia's hand moved. A sleek, metallic bracelet appeared. It was black. A red spider emblem pulsed in its center.
"This is the Spider X Bracelet," Garia said.
Takuya stared at it. It looked powerful. It looked dangerous.
"This bracelet holds immense power." Garia's voice was serious. "If you accept it, Takuya, you will no longer be human. Your life will forever change."
Garia looked at him. His silver-blue eyes were piercing.
"Are you certain you desire this path? Do you truly seek vengeance at such a cost?"
Takuya hesitated. The bracelet seemed to pulse with a dark energy. The weight of the decision pressed down on him. His mind raced. His father's face flashed in his thoughts. The pain. The rage. He wanted to make them pay. He wanted to avenge his father.
Garia watched him. His face was unreadable.
"Professor Monster will not wait, Takuya," Garia said. His voice was low. "He is already here."
Garia placed the Spider X Bracelet on a nearby wooden table. The red spider emblem seemed to glow in the dim light.
"You only need to put it on your wrist to become Spider-Man."
Garia stepped back. He melted into the shadows. He left Takuya alone. Alone with the bracelet. Alone with his decision.
Takuya looked at the bracelet. It was small. It was dark. But it held immense power. It held an irreversible choice. He picked it up. It felt cold against his palm.
He turned. He walked out of the house. The night air felt different now. Colder. The city lights seemed to pulse with a new, hidden meaning. He walked without direction. The bracelet was heavy in his pocket. He felt the question hanging over him. Should he put it on? A storm brewed in his mind. He felt it. The path he was on now was much darker than the one he was on.
***
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