Ranma « used without permission
Spider-Man used without permission

     Hikaru Gosunkugi: The Amazing Spiderman
     Issue Twenty-One


     Gosunkugi reluctantly awoke when the morning sunlight
through his window refused to stop playing hell with his
closed eyes. A dull ache throbbed throughout his entire body
from the severe beating Lorelei had thrown him the night
before, and from dealing with that Kraven nut on top of
having evaded seemingly the entire Tokyo Koban by sheer dumb
luck.
     He looked down at his body, not terribly surprised to
find he was still wearing the musty clothes he had found in
that apartment building's basement. The costume was still on
as well, holding in the sweat and the smell from it. A quick
check of his digital clock revealed that it was almost noon,
far later than he usually slept. As Hikaru rose from his
tangled bed sheets, he thought about the not-so-pleasant
conversation he'd had with his parents on coming home at
nearly four that morning.
     "What the hell was I thinking?" he muttered as he
stripped off the shirt, revealing the top of his form-
fitting costume beneath it. He hadn't meant to snap off at
them like that. If he hadn't been under so much stress.
     He wouldn't have vented on them.
     It was true, he hated this arrangement he and his
family lived under. When the company had transferred his dad
out to Nerima, they had managed to find a rather comfortable
house close to his work.
     After he had been laid off, however, the bills began to
mount. It hadn't taken long for the owner of the home they
rented had told them to hit the highway. This tiny apartment
at the edge of the ward had been the only thing available.
Now both his parents had to work all the time simply to keep
what little they had left.
     Hikaru stripped off the costume and nearly gagged at
the stench. Webslinging was, if nothing else, sweaty work.
He tossed the filthy outfit into the secret compartment of
his closet and shut the panel before selecting a faded tank
top and blue knee-length shorts along with some wristbands
to hide the web shooters. A shower was now the first
priority of the day. Later, he would wash the costume. There
was no way he'd allow it to stink up the house.

     The hot water immediately set to work relaxing the pain
from his muscles, which induced a sigh from Hikaru. He stood
there for a while, merely content to feel the jets of
steaming water stabbing his sore body and washing away the
sweat and grime.
     It got pretty hairy last night, he thought. If those
cops had looked a little closer, they would have found my
costume still on. What then? At least the bruises and the
webs convinced them that Spiderman put the hurt on me. How
long did they search that building? I bet they were pissed
when they found out that Spiderman gave them the slip.
     Hikaru reached for the soap and rag. Time to get clean
before he became cooked by the water. He turned on the cold,
lowering the temperature and began to soap the rag.
     At least the night hadn't been a complete fiasco. A
major one, sure, but not a complete one. He had managed to
defeat Lorelei - with Cologne's help - and saved Ryoga's
life. One crisis was over, and now for the next.
     Kraven was still out there. That crazy Russian - at
least he looked and sounded Russian - wouldn't be deterred
by half the police force in the city showing up to crash his
party once. Hikaru couldn't shake the feeling that Kraven
would try again and try to be a little more discreet about
it. What if he took a hostage? Kraven certainly seemed
willing to stop at nothing to nail Spiderman.
     Spiderman, he thought as he rinsed the soap from his
body and reached for the shampoo. It always came back to
that. The power had given him a lot, but it was taking a lot
away. As long as he kept the costume, he would attract
danger from all directions. Spiderman was the cause of all
these problems.
     "Spiderman will also put an end to them," Hikaru said
as he worked the lather into his hair. The battle with
Lorelei had reinforced the lesson that Miku's kidnapping had
taught him all those months ago.
     "People expect the Koban to protect everyone," he said.
"They expect it, but the Koban are only human. They can't
save everyone. I guess that's where I come in.
     "But, I can't save everyone, either." His sense of duty
shrank a little when he remembered the battle where Doc Ock
had thrown that truck, and Hikaru's own webbing hadn't been
enough to save the people below.
     Even that had been a lesson; he had to pick and choose
his battles. Simply rushing in headlong wasn't always the
answer. He couldn't just fight hard, he had to fight smart.
     There were many threats to innocent people in the city,
not the least of which was Doctor Octopus. How could the
police fight a monster like him? How could they have dealt
with Lorelei?
     I can't give up, Hikaru thought as he finished washing
his hair. Spiderman can't give up. There are more than just
super-villains out there to deal with. The cops can't do it
all. I gotta help out the most I can.
     "And I'm gonna start with you, Kraven," Hikaru said as
he shut off the water. It wouldn't be easy with so many
police looking for him, but it had to be done. He couldn't
afford to wait for the Russian to strike again, to set the
battle on his terms. For once, Spiderman was going to move
first instead of reacting blindly.

     Feeling suitably refreshed, Gosunkugi stepped out of
the bathroom and realized that he wasn't alone. Through the
hall came the sounds of someone moving around in the
kitchen. Hikaru went rigid, pulling back the wristbands and
exposing his webshooters. Whoever was in his home messing
around was gonna be real sorry real fast!
     Wait, no spider sense, he thought as he crept closer.
This isn't a burglar? Then who the hell would be in his
kitchen? Hikaru eased toward the corner which led to the
kitchen, peering around the corner.
     "Mom?" he asked, bewildered as he snatched the
wristbands back down. "What are you doing here?"
     "What do you think, silly?" Nanase Gosunkugi asked with
a warm smile as she dipped a knife into a jar of mustard.
"I'm making lunch, since you slept through breakfast."
     "Um. I thought you had to work today."
     "I did," she replied as she placed a slice of bologna
on white bread. "I have some sick leave saved up, and I
decided to take some."
     "Oh." Hikaru walked over to the small table as his
mother finished preparing the sandwiches and sat down. How
long had it been since he and his mother had eaten together?
Gosunkugi had really missed it.
     "I know bologna's your favorite," Nanase said as she
sat down at the other end of the table and set out the
sandwiches. "I would have cooked something, but our
freezer's a little empty right now."
     "That's okay, mom," Hikaru said as he took a massive
bite out of the sandwich. "It's a lot better than pop-
tarts."
     "Hikaru-chan, slow down," Nanse chided gently, "you
could choke!"
     "Mm. Shorry." A gulp of milk chased the demolished
sandwich down his throat and took the edges off of his
tremendous hunger. "That was great, mom. Thanks."
     "Oh, no problem, son," Nanase said. "I thought it would
be nice to spend a little time together for once, since your
father and I have to work all the time."
     "Yeah." Something was wrong with this picture. His
mother had always been a nice woman, true, but the entire
situation felt a little forced. She knew how many debts the
family had, so why was she taking a day off?
     Who cares? Hikaru asked himself. This could be a nice
day off for both of us. Too bad I can't tell her about how
my day at the office was. She'd have a stroke!
     "So."
     "So."
     "How's school?"
     "Fine, mom.
     "Just fine?"
     "Yeah." What was I saying about this being a nice day?
Hikaru mentally groaned.
     "Do you have a girlfriend yet?" Nanase asked with a
wink.
     Oh, you *would* have to ask that, wouldn't you? "No,
not yet. I'm too busy with schoolwork." I wish it was just
schoolwork.
     "Oh, come on," she returned, "a handsome young man like
you should have girls all over him."
     "Mom." Hikaru groaned, genuinely embarrassed.
     "Well, it's true," Nanase replied, chuckling. Her smile
seemed a little less strained, more genuine. "You've really
filled out lately, Hikaru-chan."
     "Yeah, I guess." Gosunkugi looked down at his arms,
past the muscles and to the wristbands. "I've been working
out a lot lately."
     "It really shows! Are you studying martial arts?"
     "Nah, just a lot of time in the school gym." At least
that sounded like a good lie. This was already getting very
awkward. How long before his mom asked a question about
Spiderman? Why the hell did he have to lie to her, to his
own damn *mother*, in the first place?
     "Hikaru, I want to ask you something about Spiderman."
     Okay, so it didn't take very long at all. "Spiderman?"
     "Son, were you out taking pictures of him last night?"
     "Yeah, I was." With every word, Hikaru felt his earlier
heroic view of himself decline. Manga and anime superheroes
didn't have to lie to *their* mothers. But this wasn't a
manga or an anime, and he wasn't one of those people.
     "Hikaru-chan," Nanase said softly. Her soft brown eyes
locked on his, begging for the truth. Gosunkugi's heart
nearly quailed at the thought. Fighting bad guys was nowhere
near as difficult as this. "How do you know that. man?"
     "I don't know who he is." *HUGE* lie! "He came to me."
At least that part had a small kernel of truth.
     "Why did he come to you?"
     "I don't know, he didn't say. He asked if I was
interested in taking photos of him for money."
     "And you agreed?!"
     "Hey, we need all we can get!" Hikaru replied hotly.
"If taking pictures of him can bring a little more money in,
then what's the big deal?" Oh, I am *such* an ass.
     "The big deal is that Spiderman is a menace!" Nanase
exclaimed shrilly.
     "No, he isn't!" Hikaru retorted before he could stop
himself. "Spiderman's a good person, no matter what the news
says!"
     "If he's such a good man, if he's such a hero, then why
did he run into that apartment building?" Nanase was
practically shouting now, her frame trembling with anger.
"Why didn't he save those people in Odaiba?"
     Hikaru felt the rage explode behind his eyes, and
regretted the words as soon as he spoke them.
     "HE TRIED, DAMNIT!" Hikaru screamed. "HE WAS THERE TO
SAVE SOME GIRLS FROM A SLAVER! THAT GUY WANTED TO KILL THEM,
AND SPIDERMAN WANTED TO SAVE THEM!"
     "Son."
     Hikaru Gosunkugi was beyond words, beyond all thought
as he vented the pent up frustration. He would not be denied
his say.
     "Spiderman didn't know that someone else was after that
guy! He didn't know that Doc Ock would throw the truck at
that building! He beats himself up for that every day! I
know that!"
     Nanase Gosunkugi's eyes filled with agonized tears.
Tears that Hikaru had put there. The sight lanced the
righteous rage that had burned in his breast and left him
deflated and weak. He had hurt his mother, the one woman
anywhere on this planet he never wanted to feel any pain.
     "Mom. I."
     "No, Hikaru. Don't."
     "Hey, I'm sorry."
     "Just shut up!"
     Gosunkugi froze in his chair, his heart frozen.
     "I'm going out. Since I took the day off, I might as
well get some groceries."
     Hikaru sat there, unable to move as his mother rose to
her feet. The chair fell to the floor with a loud bang and
her feet stomped on the linoleum and into the living room.
     The door to the apartment slammed shut like a gunshot.
     Hikaru couldn't believe it. He had just shouted at his
mother, had just wounded the one person he wanted to keep
safe the most. And why? Because of Goddamned SPIDERMAN!
     Gosunkugi threw himself out of his chair, a scream
erupting from his throat. Why was this hero shit so fucking
hard?! Why did everything he touched turn to poison?
     "Time to wash that damned suit," he muttered as he
stomped back to his bedroom. Kraven the Hunter was still on
the loose and a little webslinging would get his mind off of
what he had just done.
     One thing was clear. If he was to be Spiderman, then he
would have to live alone. He would have to leave the nest
and fly on his own. He needed a place somewhere away from
his family, from Furinkan, from Miku.
     If he was to be Spiderman, then Spiderman would have to
be the only other in his life. It demanded no less.


     Ichijiro read the crime scene report. It wasn't
technically his department, as there was no homicide and it
apparently didn't involve the case he was currently
investigating, but some deep instinct told him otherwise.
     "Um, sir," Akira said, "why are you reading that file?"
     "I think there may be a connection."
     "I fail to see how."
     "Call it a hunch."
     The old Setsuna Shrine, he thought, what's the
connection? He scanned the photos of one of the remaining
courtyard walls. The forensics weenies determined that the
cracks had been made that night by something that had hit it
like a battering ram. Some hairs had been found, which had
been sent off a few hours ago to the university for DNA
testing. Also, a tree had been recently snapped in half.
Where was that photo.?
     Ah. Here it is. That cherry tree hadn't broken on its
own. Other trees in the area had been cut, not with a saw
but with some kind of strange blade that cleaved them in one
go. What the hell had happened there?
     One crucial piece of evidence had been fresh strands of
webs that were far too thick to come from the usual house
spider. That definitely placed Spiderman at the scene.
     "Spiderman," Samanosuke said aloud. "Gosunkugi knows
Spiderman. Connection?"
     "Possibly," Akira allowed, "but nothing we could really
base an investigation on. Besides, sir, all we know is that
Hikaru Gosunkugi took pictures of Spiderman. That doesn't
prove that the two even know each other."
     "Good point and well made." One thing Akira was good
for was playing the devil's advocate. If one partner was
merely a yes man for the other, then bouncing ideas off one
another was an exercise in futility. Besides, even though
Akira was the junior, he didn't just blindly agree with his
superior. Samanosuke respected that.
     "Then there's the matter of that strange strip of
paper," Akira said, selecting the photo. "It looks like a
spirit ward like you'd find in any shrine."
     "They sell for not even a couple hundred yen. I have no
idea why people waste their money on them."
     "The writing on it is very strange. I think it's
Chinese, but I'm not familiar with the dialect."
     "The paper looks weird, too," Samanosuke said. "It
doesn't look like the paper most wards are made from."
     "Forensics is running a search on that. Should be in by
tonight."
     "Okay. The DNA results from those hair strands won't be
here until next week sometime. What's the next unexplainable
part of this mystery?"
     "This, sir," Akira replied. Samanosuke took the photo
from his outstretched hand and began to study it.
     "Now this is really weird," he said. The photo showed a
patch of the ground where the grass - as well as a good
amount of the topsoil, according to forensics - had been
scorched. Even stranger was that the burn pattern was eerily
human-shaped. "Think it's a joke of some kind?"
     "I have no idea on this one, sir," Akira replied.
"However, I don't think that the ashes found were human at
all."
     "No kidding. If this had been a person, then the heat
necessary to reduce him to ashes like that would be off the
scale." He knew full well how heat resistant bone was. Not
even the hellish heat of a crematorium's furnace could
totally desiccate a human body. The body was rolled around
in the chamber, crushing the bones into powder. It would
take a literal nuclear reaction to do such a thing. "I don't
think this was spontaneous combustion, either."
     "Very funny," Akria replied with a sour look. "Last,
but not least, is the man we found."
     "Ryoga Hibiki. Not much of anything on him, except for
some school records. He had lousy attendance."
     "There is ample information about him and his family
having a sense of direction that is. well. comically absurd,
really."
     "So he wasn't being a smart-ass when he said he
couldn't find the bathroom. Anyway, Hibiki says he doesn't
remember anything after meeting some girl in the forest. He
said that she had been attacked by Ranma Saotome."
     "Sir, it is known that Ryoga Hibiki has an almost
pathological hatred for Ranma Saotome," Akira said. "I
wouldn't take his word as gospel on this."
     "Good enough." Samanosuke wanted to question Ranma on
that, but this wasn't his case. "What's the description of
this girl?"
     Akira fished through the sheets of paper, finally
finding the transcript of Ryoga Hibiki's questioning.
     "Would you believe, sir, almost identical to the
description Hikaru Gosunkugi gave us on this mystery girl
whom he said was with Natsuki Ichimonji on the morning of
her death?" Akira asked, his face having gone slightly pale.
     Samanosuke snatched the report from his partner's hands
and devoured the transcript. "Well, I'll be damned. I knew
there was something more to this."
     "Two sightings of this unknown girl, a strange crime
scene, and Spiderman," Akira said. "I can tie Hikaru
Gosunkugi to at least two of these."
     "I think it's time to pay him another visit,"
Samanosuke said as he rose from his chair. "Right now, in
fact." If Hikaru was involved with Spiderman, perhaps he was
also involved with this killer? Samanosuke felt the
excitement tingle in his stomach, the way he always did on
discovering a juicy connection in a complicated case.
     "Sir, that is a very good idea," Akira replied with a
smile.
     As the pair left their office, Samanosuke couldn't help
but feel that something was missing from the whole jagged
puzzle. Somewhere deep inside, in a place beyond all logic
and rational thought, he couldn't help but feel that this
unknown killer was done.


     Kraven was on the prowl. He maneuvered his massive
frame through the scattered pedestrians with an almost
panther-like grace, a predator on the hunt. The ritual
outfit was gone, replaced with casual dress clothes which
had been specially tailored for him, covered by an insulated
coat of gray wool that hung down to his knees.
     The hunt was far from over. The prey had escaped once,
and now had to be tracked down again. Their first meeting
had been the result of the most improbable luck. With the
heightened police presence in this city, leaping across the
rooftops in search of Spiderman would merely lead him to
more Koban. It was time for a new tactic.
     The highest spots in Tokyo could not be the only places
in which he could find Spiderman. Behind the garish costume
and spider-like powers had to be a man and like any man he
had to descend to the ground.
     Sergey Illych Kravenov didn't stop to consider how
remote his chances were as he scanned and sorted the jumbled
mass of scents carried by the air. All he had to find was
that one which belonged to Spiderman, the one scent in a
veritable sea of them. It was a desperate gambit, but the
only safe method available. The longer he dallied, the less
chance he had of bagging the prey. He couldn't just wait for
Spiderman to appear once more. Kraven would have to be in
the right place at the right time, and the chances of that
happening were even more remote than what he was doing now.
     He stopped cold, sniffing the air with renewed
intensity. Could he be so lucky? Was God truly smiling on
him like this? Kraven began his walk again, more slowly this
time. The scent was close, and it was *fresh*! He stalked
closer, his eyes passing over every person and assessing
them with nearly the speed of a computer. One of them had to
be Spiderman!
     The trail ends, he thought with a barely hidden smile
as he neared the small vegetable stand which displayed the
sign of the grocery next to it (FRESH VEGGIES! the sign
read. FROM THE FARM TO YOUR TABLE!). Spiderman's scent was
strong here. This was the place, no doubt about it.
     In front of the stand were a small group of middle-aged
women, each examining the produce intently. Sergey strode
over, selecting an apple from the wooden tray as he
searched. The only man here was the skinny youth with
bloodshot eyes who apparently ran the stand. When he stepped
closer, Kraven inhaled deeply.
     What? He almost couldn't hide his surprise. The youth's
scent was strange: sweat mingled the burnt rope stench of
marijuana. Beneath that, however, was not Spiderman's scent.
Kraven felt his frustration rise to a slow boil. Where the
hell was he?
     "Oh, excuse me!" stammered one of the women as she
bumped into him. "I wasn't paying attention."
     "Of course, madam," Sergey replied distractedly. She
was hardly half his height, a navy blue dress and blouse not
doing much to flatter her full figure. Dark bags hung
beneath her red owlish eyes - she had been crying recently,
then? - And her jet black hair looked as if it had merely
had passing acquaintance comb that morning.
     Kraven's nostrils flared slightly. This was it? This
was where Spiderman's scent had reached him from?
     "I really didn't mean to," she said again, eyes locked
on his face.
     "No apologies are necessary." Spiderman's scent was all
over her. Was this woman a friend? Was she a relative?
Perhaps she was a lover? "Could you help me, madam?" he
asked in a friendly voice. His size clearly intimidated her
- and the other women around her - somewhat. Best to appear
as harmless as he could.
     "I'll try, mister."
     "How rude of me, not to introduce myself," he said,
genuinely embarrassed. Even on a hunt, a gentleman could not
forget his manners especially in front of a woman. "I am
Sergey Illych Kravenov."
     "I'm pleased to meet you, Kravenov-san," she replied
with a small smile. "I am Nanase Gosunkugi."
     "A pleasure, Gosunkugi-san," he replied with a grin of
his own. She visibly relaxed, as did the others. Good.
"Anyway, I am new to this town, and am a little lost."
     "Really? Where are you headed?"
     "I am looking for Eighty-Ninth Street. A friend of mine
has a home there."
     "You're on the wrong side of town, Kraven-san," one of
the other women said, a portly sort with a face that was
beginning to sag and wrinkle.
     "I am?" Kraven asked. He knew full well where he was.
Before coming, he had studied maps of Tokyo and the
surrounding wards intently.
     "Yes, Kraven-san," Nanase Gosunkugi said. "If you want
to get there, just go down this street to the bus stop, and
take the number four. Get off at the next stop, and wait for
the number ten. It'll get you there in fifteen minutes at
the most."
     "Thank you, Gosunkugi-san," Kraven smiled. "I haven't
seen my friend in over twenty years, and am anxious to meet
him again."
     "Then you'd better get going," another lady said.
"Don't want to keep your friend waiting."
     "True enough, madam. Thank you again." Kraven bowed to
them and purchased the apple. The young man - obviously
buzzing pleasantly - took his money and surprisingly gave
out the proper change. Kraven took his leave, walking
briskly in the direction of the bus stop.
     That woman, he thought as he took a bite from the sweet
red fruit. Spiderman's scent coated her! She had to be the
key.


     Hikaru leaned back in the recliner, absently watching
the television and wondering where Kraven could be hiding.
The image of the crazy Russian filled his mind and forced
out all other thoughts, especially those of his family.
     Kraven had to be lurking somewhere, awaiting his next
chance. Who knew what kind of scheme he was cooking up? One
thing was for sure, Spiderman wouldn't give him the chance
to.
     "Hikaru Gosunkugi?" said the muffled voice- accompanied
by three loud knocks - from beyond the apartment door.
     "Hang on," he replied as he pulled himself out of the
chair and trod over to the door.
     "Oh, hi, Detectives," Hikaru said as he beheld
Samanosuke and Akira on the other side. "What can I do for
you?"
     "We have some more questions for you," Samanosuke said
as Hikaru moved to allow them inside.
     "Okay, sure." Play it cool, Gos, he thought as he
clicked the door shut. What the hell did they want this
time?
     "Gosunkugi-san, do you know a boy named Ryoga Hibiki?"
     "I know of him, Detective Ichijiro," Hikaru replied.
     "We found him inside the Setsuna Shrine last night."
     "Oh, no. Don't tell me."
     "Ryoga Hibiki is fine, Gosunkugi-san," Akira said.
     "Oh, thank God," Hikaru breathed, hoping his relief was
believable. He knew full well what had happened in that
dilapidated shrine. That had to be what this was about.
"What does he have to do with me?"
     "He told us about a woman who had come to him, claiming
to have been attacked."
     "Excuse me?"
     "The woman matched your description of the one you said
ran off with Natsuki Ichimonji on the day of her death."
     "Oh." Hikaru couldn't stop his face from going slightly
pale. Lorelei, damn her, was still making a mess of things!
What would he tell these two cops about her? Yeah, I know
this girl - she's really a demon who eats people - and an
old Chinese woman and I managed to send her back to hell.
     *That* would go over well.
     "D. do you know who she is?"
     "No, we were hoping you would," Samanosuke said with a
hint of accusation.
     "I told you once, I don't know who she is."
     "Gosunkugi-san," Akira began, peering into Hikaru's
eyes. "Just how closely are you connected to Spiderman?"
     "What?" Oh, DAMN! "I told you, I used to take photos of
him, and that's it." Hikaru waited for his spider sense to
start buzzing. What would he do? He could take them out
easy, but that would just tip them off to his secret.
     "Really? We found webs on the scene, and they didn't
come from any ordinary spider. Also, Spiderman mixed it up
with a good amount of Tokyo Koban's forces on live
television the same night."

     The apartment superintendent sat hunched over his desk,
a copy of the Tokyo Sun Times unfolded in front of him which
hid the copy of Shaved Schoolgirls in Bondage which really
drew his attention.
     "Ahem!"
     "Yeah?!" he exclaimed, hurriedly closing the newspaper
and hiding the porn. The man who towered before him glared
down with a look of contempt.
     "This if for the Gosunkugi residence. See that it is
delivered promptly," he said in thickly accented Japanese.
     "Yes, sir," the super replied after swallowing past the
lump that had been growing in his throat. As the enormous
man walked away, trench coat billowing slightly behind, the
super realized that not doing as he asked would prove
hazardous to his health.

     "That doesn't mean I was there." Hikaru was starting to
get anxious. He had to get these two off his trail before
they found out that Spiderman was in fact standing right in
front of them.
     "Then where were you?"
     *Knock knock knock*
     "Who is it?" Hikaru asked. What else was gonna happen?
     "I have a package for the Gosunkugis!" replied the
voice from behind the door.
     "It's the super," Gosunkugi explained to the two
detectives. "Do you mind if I see what he wants?"
     "Go ahead," Samanosuke said.
     Hikaru walked over to the door, thankful for the brief
respite. Maybe the few seconds to check out this package
would give him time to think up a good lie, even though he
hadn't ordered anything. Maybe it was for his parents?
     "Hello, Ishido-san."
     "A man left this for you," Ishido replied softly,
visibly shaken.
     "Excuse me? What man?"
     "He didn't give a name. He only said to take this to
the Gosunkugi apartment."
     "Okay. Thanks," Hikaru replied as he shut the door. The
superintendent never brought up packages, and he had never
looked so intimidated before. Something funny was going on.
     "What did he want?" asked Akira.
     "He just dropped off something for dad," Gosunkugi
answered as he tossed the manila envelope onto the couch.
"Anyway, I was here last night. Where else would I be with a
city-wide curfew?"
     "Come on," Samanosuke said, "not everyone obeys
curfews. Hang on a second." Samanosuke pulled a ringing cell
phone from his pants pocket and flipped it open. "Ichijiro.
Yeah? Crap, when?! Can't the beat cops handle it? Okay,
we'll be there."
     "What is it?" Akira asked.
     "We have a homicide, Twentieth Street."
     "Is it."
     "No, looks like a mugging that got out of hand. We're
the closest detectives. Brass wants us on the scene now."
     "We'll continue this another time, Gosunkugi-san,"
Akira said as he bolted out the door after Samanosuke.
     Hikaru stood there for a moment, not quite able to
believe what had happened. He was glad that the detectives
were now gone, but also sorry that it had to be to
investigate someone's death.
     I can't do anything about that, Hikaru thought as he
walked over to where he had discarded the package. He felt
somewhat better with the knowledge that it wasn't Lorelei.
She wouldn't hurt anyone again, and it was best not to dwell
on her.
     Hmmm... It's not addressed to Dad or to anyone in
particular just to Gosunkugi. The plain manila envelope was
light enough, and bore no return address. What the hell was
in here? Hikaru opened the flap and reached in to extract
several Polaroid photos. What kind of photos.
     "Oh, my God."
     Hikaru's throat closed up from the shock. This just
couldn't be! No, damn it, NO!
     There were four photos, each one of his mother from
different angles. Her eyes were closed as if in sleep, rope
wound around her body and a strip of duct tape over her
lips. Hikaru's heart began to race as rage bloomed in his
mind like a destructive flower. Whoever this was, he was
gonna pay! BIG TIME!
     With a roar, Hikaru ripped the envelope open and a note
fell out. Hikaru picked up the note, and the rage in his
veins became ice cold.

     "Spiderman," the note began, "this woman's life is in
my hands, but her ultimate fate is in yours. I have no wish
to kill Nanase Gosunkugi, but if it comes to such a terrible
decision."

     Hikaru could hardly believe this was happening. The
curse of Spiderman had finally touched his family.

     "I know you will find this, Spiderman," the note went
on. "Your scent is all over this woman. You know her. If you
want her to live, then come to the Tokyo Zoo at sunset. She
will be waiting for her rescuer in the section that is
currently closed for repairs. I will be waiting there as
well. We shall see who is the hunter and who is the hunted.
     "Sincerely,

     "Sergey Illych Kravenov"

     Hikaru Gosunkugi shredded the note, rage burning like
molten lava in his veins. How... DARE HE! Hikaru balled up
the note, growling deep in his throat.
     "Okay, Russkie," he snarled, "you want to play
hardball? I'll play hardball." It was half past four. The
sun would set in a few hours, but Hikaru Gosunkugi had no
intention of waiting that long.


     "Drink."
     Nanase Gosunkugi took a deep breath through her lips
when the gag was removed, exhaling just in time to take the
water bottle that was thrust to her lips. She drank
greedily, her mouth having felt parched for the past. how
long had she been here, anyway?
     "Enough," the same voice said, taking the bottle away.
"You do not want to choke."
     "K. Kraven?" she stammered. Her eyes focused on the
massive Russian who was wearing a fur-lined vest emblazoned
with a lion's head which stretched over his immense chest.
"What."
     "I am sorry if my knockout dust has left you ill,
Nanase, but I had no choice."
     "What?" The memory was a little vague. All she
remembered was a sweet-smelling powder flying in front of
her nose, and then nothingness. "What do you want with me?"
     "From you, nothing," Kraven replied. "You are bait.
Once my prey arrives, and he is defeated, then I will set
you free."
     "Prey? What prey?" Nanase shouted, regretting it as her
head set to pounding.
     "Do not play dumb with me, Nanase," Kraven replied.
"Spiderman has no doubt found the photos I have sent."
     "Spiderman?" she croaked. "What does he have to do with
me? And what photos?!"
     "I assure you, nothing embarrassing. Your clothes, as
you can see, have been disturbed as little as possible.
     "How reassuring," Nanase deadpanned, even though it
was. "Now, untie me!"
     "I cannot do that."
     "I think you can, seeing as you're the one who tied me
up in the first place!"
     "Your manners are unbecoming a lady," Kraven snarled.
His eyes flicked down to the roll of tape in his hand, and
Nanase realized that she had best keep her tone respectful
if she didn't want to be gagged again.
     "That is better," Kraven said as he knelt down before
her. Even on one knee, the man was still frightening. "Now,
as I was saying, you are here to lure Spiderman."
     "But, I honestly don't know him."
     "Do not lie to me, woman," Kraven hissed. "His scent
coats your clothes, your skin."
     "How can you smell it, anyway?"
     "I am the greatest hunter this world has ever seen,"
Kraven began. "I have hunted prey from one end of the world
to the next, and have overcome them all. No one can evade me
forever. Your love will come for you."
     "My love?! I am NOT in love with Spiderman!" This man
was off his rocker!
     "Deny it if you will, I do not care. Your husband will
be here soon."
     "Hoichiro? You have to be kidding! Hoichiro Gosunkugi
is not Spiderman!"
     "Why defend him? I know that he is close to you."
     "My husband can barely lift a barbell," Nanase snarled,
"what makes you think he can do what that freak does?!"
     "Ah," Kraven said, understanding dawning on his face.
"I see now. Spiderman is your lover, then."
     "WHAT?! No! I am not having an affair!"
     "I care not for whom you lie with, Nanase Gosunkugi,"
Kraven said as he stuffed her mouth with a rag and covered
it with a wide swath of tape. "The sun has nearly set.
Spiderman will be here soon."


     The sky was cast in fiery gold over the tops of the
skyscrapers as the sun relinquished its control over the
heavens to the moon and stars. It was ordinarily a beautiful
sight, though one casually ignored by the thousands of
people on the streets below.
     Hikaru Gosunkugi ignored it along with them, though he
wasn't on the street. He sailed above them as fast as his
webs could carry him, uncaring that he was doing so in
relative daylight. His arms lashed out on autopilot, firing
webs onto building after building while his body performed
mind-bending acrobatics on its own.
     Above the fear, beyond the sheer horror of what Kraven
had done and what it implied, was the unbridled fury that
spread like a wildfire from Gosunkugi's heart into his
brain. The rage threatened to burn away all logic and reason
that stood before it, to strip away all vestiges of anything
resembling mercy or honor.
     He came back to himself when he saw the familiar oasis
of the Tokyo Zoo far below. Hikaru came to a stop on the lip
of a nearby roof, barely half a block away. Some sense of
reason began to reassert itself with the realization that he
couldn't simply swing down in there. It was a miracle that
no police helicopters had swarmed on him yet.
     Kraven's down there, he thought, with my mother. I
can't let him get the drop on me.
     With that thought, Hikaru crawled down the side of the
building, aiming for the shadowed end as the sun set even
further.

     The security guard - whom had just come on his shift -
smiled his usual pleasant smile at the last of the zoo's
patrons to leave, a man with a little girl who seemed fully
content to sleep while Daddy carried her home. With a polite
bow and a reminder to come back soon, the guard closed the
main gates with a loud clank and made his way to the small
shack which rested merely five meters away alongside the
outer wall.
     He fully intended to meld himself to the small chair
inside, break out a book, and settle in for another long,
dull night. After all, who the hell wanted to break into a
zoo after hours? Nobody wanted to see monkeys and pandas
that badly.
     As he shut the door and took a cursory glance at the
array of monochrome monitors which lined one wall of the
small guardhouse, he reflected that he had the safest
security job in the world. No one ever tried to break in and
it wasn't as if the animals could really escape. Okay, so
the graveyard shift was the pits, but the pay was decent.
     One last check showed the other four guards on duty
patrolling the grounds, flashlights in hand and walking as
if they were bored stiff. He almost wanted to give a shout
out to one, just to break up the monotony, but decided
against it. Management was tight on radio usage for non-
official means. Bunch of jerks.
     The security guard immediately buried his nose in a
book he had only read a dozen times. Had he delayed a few
seconds more, he would have seen something that would have
definitely made his night more interesting.

     Cameras, Hikaru silently cursed as he crouched atop the
monkey house, safely out of the machine's line of sight. Why
the hell did a zoo need cameras? Who'd want to steal a
monkey?
     Gosunkugi took several deep breaths in an attempt to
bring his heartbeat back under control. The spider sense
buzzed steadily at the base of his skull, pointing out two
more cameras, and something moving his way. He flattened
himself on the roof as the security guard walked by with
agonizing slowness.
     "Nothing to report," he said into the radio he had
pulled from his belt.
     "Acknowledged," came the squawking reply as the guard
trod off and eventually out of sight.
     Guards, too? What is this, a prison? The irony of that
thought slipped Hikaru's grasp as he leapt across the narrow
street to the top of another structure which bore an ice
cream sign on the front. Hikaru leapt up into the branches
of a nearby tree and from there sprung across to an open
enclosure which held two sleeping pandas, each time narrowly
avoiding the gaze of a nearby camera.
     Cool it, Gos, he thought. You don't want to get
spotted. Gotta be careful. Another few moments of skulking
about brought him to a closed and chained iron gate, beyond
which there were only darkened shadows with a very faint
pattern of light shining through. On the gate was a sign
that read "Closed for repairs."
     "Bingo," he whispered as he bent apart two of the iron
bars as easily as he would bend a rubber band. After
stepping through, he put the bars back to their proper
shapes and made his way toward the light.
     It's a door, he thought as he approached, his spider
sense buzzing more intensely. Kraven was in there, as was
his mother. Slowly, he pushed open the door.
     Whoa, he thought, it's a jungle in here. The path wound
its way between thick trees that stretched off as far as he
could see which wasn't very. The faint lights came from the
domed ceiling above, with stronger ones lining the path on
which he now stood. From a distance, he could hear the
rumble of falling water, yet nothing else. Aside from that,
the arboretum was deathly silent.
     Don't think about that, he said to himself as he leapt
into the branches of a nearby tree. There was no way he'd
take the path; Kraven would nail him for sure. Hikaru leapt
from limb to limb, making as little noise as he could. With
each second that crawled past, he expected his spider sense
to start going nuts. Kraven had to be trying for a surprise
attack.
     Gosunkugi came to rest in the boughs of a thick tree
well away from the lighted path. What was the deal? He had
been here for almost five minutes, and Kraven hadn't made a
single move! The spider sense grew from a low hum to a
tingle that told him something was up but didn't lock onto
anything in particular. Kraven was doing a damn good job of
hiding himself if the spider sense couldn't find him.
     Hikaru nearly moved on when the spider sense flared up
like an explosion, commanding him to get clear. He jumped
higher into the tree's branches just as he heard the sound
of something small hitting the trunk where he had once
crouched.

     Sergey grunted in mild surprise as Spiderman bounded
clear of the dart not even a second before it had left the
blow gun which was still in his mouth. The man's reflexes
were beyond even what he had expected, but it was of no
consequence. Spiderman was on his turf, now, and the outcome
of this fight would be far different from the last one.
     Kraven leapt down to the grass and moved forward in a
low crouch. Spiderman was up in the trees, now, looking down
into near total darkness through a thick canopy of leaves.
He would have great difficulty spotting him.

     Gosunkugi crouched on the tree's rough bark, heart
thundering in his chest and adrenaline pouring into his
blood. Kraven may have had the home field advantage - so to
speak - but the deranged hunter didn't know the extent of
Spiderman's powers.
     There you are! he thought with a savage grin as the
spider sense locked on to Kraven's retreating form. Hikaru
leapt down through the branches after him and fired a web
down into the darkness. If he timed this right.

     Kraven heard the faint rustle of leaves far above him,
a tell-tale sign that Spiderman was trying to chase him.
Could he see through all this foliage and shadow? No, it
wasn't possible.
     Sergey barely had time to curse when a thick shadow
lanced the air above his head and bloomed into a large web
between two small trees before him. He knew he was too
close, he couldn't change course! Kraven reached for the
knife in his belt - knowing he didn't have time to use it -
before colliding with the web. The silk threads - each thick
as steel bars - stuck to his flesh and held him fast.
     Sergey hung suspended in the air, cursing his
incompetence. How could he have forgotten that spiders were
also predators, ones that specialized in traps? Kraven
couldn't think about it any more when he spotted a shadow
land gracefully in front of him.
     "Where is she?" Spiderman snarled, stepping forward a
few paces.

     "Well played, Spiderman."
     "I didn't ask you for a compliment! Where is Nanase
Gosunkugi?!"
     "Your woman is still in this world, Spiderman."
     "My. what?" Hikaru almost reeled. "What do you mean, my
woman?"
     "Your love still lives," Kraven growled as he struggled
to pull the knife from his belt.
     "Good to hear." So, Kraven didn't know that she was his
mother. That meant he didn't know who Spiderman truly was.
Despite the situation, Hikaru felt a great sense of relief.
"Now where the hell is she?"
     "She is here, in this arboretum."
     "I figured that, now WHERE?!" Hikaru took another step
forward. "Tell me, or I'll just beat it out of you!"
     "You would attack a defenseless enemy?" Sergey asked in
shock.
     "They're the best kind. Now, if you don't want to end
up with a face not even a mother could love, TELL ME WHERE
SHE IS!"
     "Very well," Kraven replied. "She is in the center of
this arboretum, near the waterfall. You only have a few
minutes, however, to reach her."

     Sergey watched with satisfaction as Spiderman bounded
off in search of the woman. She was the centerpiece of the
trap which would seal the freak's doom.
     With that happy thought, Sergey wrestled the
monofilament blade from its sheath and began to slice apart
the web which held him. Even if Spiderman managed to save
her from the trap, well, he had laid others just in case.

     Nanase Gosunkugi had never known imminent personal
danger before in her entire thirty-eight years. She knew it
now.
     The rope harness held her over the foaming fenced-in
pool below which was fed by the roaring waterfall behind.
She stared down in stark terror at the over six meter drop
into the water. The height was enough to make her cringe -
there was no telling how deep that pool was - but there were
other things down there and those were worse. All three of
them moved about on the shore, their elongated and scaly
bodies green against the dirt.
     She didn't know if they were alligators or crocodiles,
and didn't care either way. All she noticed was the way they
looked up at her, massive jaws laden with sharp teeth
snapping open and shut.
     The fact that she was safely suspended above them might
have been a small consolation, if she hadn't seen that she
was about to join them for a late supper. The rope which
held her aloft was thick and arced over a steel beam far
above to an iron peg in the ground beyond the cage which
surrounded the pool. Beneath that rope, at its lowest point
just before the peg, was a merrily burning candle.
     She screamed, but the thick gag reduced it to a faint
whimper.
     Nanse Gosunkugi looked into the trees in time to see
someone charging through the foliage. Was it Kraven?
     The figure entered the light around the waterfall, lean-
muscled and wearing a black suit with a red spider design on
the chest with smaller ones on his shins and forearms.
     "SPIDERMAN!" she tried to shout, which came out as
merely another muffled cry.
     He looked up at her, the mirrored eyeplates in his mask
reflecting in the lights, and said nothing.
     Nanase didn't know what to fear most: Kraven, the
alligators, or Spiderman.

     Hikaru's heart leapt in his throat at the sight of his
mother suspended so far over the waterfall basin. He almost
called out to her, and barely managed to stop himself. Even
muffled through the mask, she would know it was her son's
voice. He glanced down at the enormous alligators which
waited on the shore of the basin, just beyond the steel
cage, and then spotted the rope which held his mother aloft.
     The candle beneath it had caught it aflame!
     SHIT! he almost screamed as he charged toward it. If
that rope burned through.
     The spider sense slammed into his skull again and he
jumped up just as the two huge logs swung from the shadows
of the trees which surrounded the clearing. They collided
with a massive thud, shuddering all the way up the chains
which held them aloft. Gosunkugi landed lightly on them
before jumping toward the candle again. Panic threatened to
seize his mind as he focused solely on the candle's flame on
which his mother's life depended.
     As such, he misjudged his thrust and landed short.
Everything happened at once. The spider sense went nuts, his
feet hit the earth, and the explosion numbed his senses
while sending him flying back.
     Hikaru righted himself quickly, somersaulting once and
landing on the logs which had once meant to squash him into
a pancake. This place was mined!
     "Ah, I see you have discovered the little surprises I
have set for you," came Kraven's smug voice from behind.
Hikaru whirled about as the Russian emerged from the
shadows, covered in threads from his web. He saw the long
bowie knife in the hunter's hand, and cursed himself for not
taking it earlier. "You only have a couple minutes more to
defeat me and rescue Nanase Gosunkugi."
     Yeah? Hikaru thought. How about I skip that first part!
     Gosunkugi sprung backward off the logs with all the
strength his legs could muster. He twisted about as he flew
toward the lip of the cage and saw immediately that he had
enough thrust to vault him over the top and to the rope
which held his mother. This was almost too easy!

     Kraven readied the bowie knife as Spiderman grasped the
lip of the cage and twisted to use his momentum to carry him
to the woman.
     "I knew you would fall for that, Spiderman!" he roared
as he let fly the knife.

     Hikaru twisted about the second his spider sense
screamed of danger from behind. The blade of the knife
passed within a millimeter of his chest, yet still left a
shallow cut which caused him to gasp in surprise. The
maneuver had thrown his trajectory off, yet allowed him to
see where the knife had been headed.
     SHIT! he mentally screamed when the realization set in.
The knife had been meant to run him through, but avoiding it
had given the cobalt blue blade a clear shot to the rope
that held his mother above the water and those overgrown
handbags!
     The knife struck true, splitting the rope in twain.
     The muffled scream of Nanase Gosunkugi reached his ears
as she fell.
     Hikaru twisted about, web shooters at the ready.
     His feet hit the waterfall, unable to stick to
anything.
     Gosunkugi watched in horror as his mother plunged into
the foaming pool just as the alligators dove in for the
freshest meat they'd ever had in captivity.
     Desperate, he flung himself forward with all that
remained of his agility and the cold depths enveloped him.

     Sergey Illy'ch Kravenov shook his head in
disappointment. After such a promising beginning, Spiderman
had been done in by his own blind emotions. Such a pity. Oh,
well, the hunt was now done. Even Spiderman didn't have the
power to fend off three crocodiles in their natural habitat
while holding onto a bound and gagged woman.
     Kraven felt a sling twinge of his conscience at having
killed a seemingly innocent person to bag Spiderman. It
couldn't be helped, though. Bait was never meant to be left
alive once the prey had been snared. Still, he would
remember that sweet woman. She had to have been somebody's
wife and somebody else's mother, after all. Such a shame
that two people would be deprived of her, but that was the
way of life.

     Hiikaru couldn't see in the inky depths, but that
didn't matter. The spider sense pointed out his mother
sinking rapidly below, and three forms converging on her.
     Didn't have time to get a good breath before diving in,
he thought. I have to wrap this up fast! Gosunkugi kicked
for all he was worth, closing in on his mother in record
time, just before she hit bottom. His feet touched the sandy
floor of the pool and the spider sense reported the
oversized reptiles closing in like torpedoes!
     C'mon, spidey strength, he thought desperately, don't
let me down! Hikaru crouched down and, using every ounce of
power he had, shot himself and his mother upward to the
distant lights.

     Sergey wished he had brought along a cigar. He would
have; in fact, had he known that his victory would come so
easily. Oh, well, he had a fine Cuban stogie waiting in his
motel room for his celebration. He fully intended to enjoy
the subtle aroma of the tobacco as he beheld the trophy he
would make of Spiderman's mask and count the twenty million
yen his capture - or death - would award.
     "What the hell?!" he shouted as Spiderman launched from
the roiling surface of the water like a missile. Kraven's
trained eye spotted the form of Nanase Gosunkugi safely in
the wall-crawler's grasp. Spiderman latched himself to the
bars of the cage briefly before he dropped down to the shore
and ripped the tape from the woman's lips.
     I have severely underestimated you, web-head, Kraven
thought as he readied the small pouches of poison dust. I
will not do so again!

     Hikaru un-gagged his mother, hoping she hadn't inhaled
too much water. He was rewarded when Nanase began to cough
up small amounts of water as her lungs fought to clear
themselves. His relief was short-lived when the spider sense
hollered again.
     He leapt forward with his mother as a small cloud of
purple dust exploded where they two had once been. His
spider sense grew more intense as the cloud began to
disparate and slowly began to fade again. Hikaru knew from
the way his sense had flared that the dust had been lethal.
What other tricks did Kraven have in store?
     "You are indeed agile, Spiderman!" Kraven boomed, "But
I don't need to waste anymore of my poison dust on you! The
crocodiles will finish what I started!"
     CRAP! I FORGOT ABOUT THEM! Hikaru silently raged.
     "Not so clever now, are you?" He heard Kraven say in a
mocking tone from behind the bars. Hikaru slunk backward as
the three crocs emerged from the depths he had once
occupied. "These magnificent animals will crush you!"
     We'll see about that! Gosunkugi thought as he shielded
his mother from the first two crocs to emerge from the
water. Those animals were fast underwater, but were
ponderously slow on land. He hoped.
     "Spiderman! What."
     Hikaru ignored her as the first croc stalked toward
them. A quick burst of webbing clamped the reptile's jaws
shut before they could open any wider, but didn't stop its
advance or the others.
     I've got a whole new respect for that crocodile hunter
guy now, Hikaru thought as the second beast charged him with
jaws wide open to chomp him in half. Spider sense screaming,
Gosunkugi reached out and grasped each end of that gaping
maw.
     Easy fella, he thought while the crocodile thrashed
about. How about a flying lesson?

     Nanase, for her part, could hardly believe what she was
seeing. Spiderman's webs had effectively sealed shut one of
the crocodile's mouths, and he was easily holding another
one open with minimal effort. How strong was he? Despite
herself and despite the imminent danger she was in, she
couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at his abilities. And
- most importantly - he was risking his life to save her.
Why? Who was he?
     She watched as Spiderman slammed the croc's jaws shut
and, with a mighty twist and heave, fling it into the third
that had been coming up from his other side before she could
even shout a warning.
     The two beasts collided and were covered by a thick net
of webbing from Spiderman's wrist. Within a few seconds, the
last crocodile was similarly snared.

     Hikaru almost whooped for joy. Kraven's three monsters
were beaten, and his mother was still okay! Time to make
sure it stayed that way. Gosunkugi bent down and scooped his
still-tied mother in his arms before leaping up to the
ceiling. A web line anchored to the arboretum's ceiling
pulled the two over the cage and into the safe darkness
above. The silk withdrew into the web-shooter on his left
wrist, hauling them out of Kraven's reach. On clearing the
treetops, he severed the web and fired another away from the
waterfall he and his mother had just left. Two swings
brought them down into the branches of a tree where he
pulled apart the ropes which held Nanase Gosunkugi bound.
     For the first time since he had arrived, Hikaru allowed
himself to really look at her. She stared into the eye-
plates of his mask, fear and awe mixed in those eyes which
had before only looked at him with kindness and love.
     She doesn't see me, Hikaru thought. All she sees is
Spiderman.
     "Spiderman," she began, "I."
     Hikaru bounded away without a word. She was safe, that
was all that mattered. Now, it was time to take care of that
Gunga Din wannabe.

     Sergey spun around just in time to receive a brutal
double-kick to his stomach. The air was forced from him in a
rush from the blow Spiderman had dealt him, made even worse
by the fact that the latter had gotten good momentum by
swinging around a tree.
     He landed in a sprawl quite a distance away from where
he had been, stars dancing in his vision and pain throbbing
all through his body. As Kraven tried to rise, Spiderman
appeared in the air above him with a fist poised to deliver
another harsh attack.
     Such ferocity! Sergey thought in mild panic as he
rolled clear of a punch that left a deep crater where his
head had been. Spiderman didn't miss a beat; however,
bounding clear of the desperate low kick Kraven retaliated
with.
     I can't let him keep me off balance! Sergey thought as
he regained his feet in time to narrowly avoid another punch
from Spiderman, this one aimed at his temple. Kraven swung
back with a right cross that grazed Spiderman's jaw. Kraven
swung again, pressing the attack.

     Hikaru dodged the ham-sized fist and lunged forward to
grab Kraven around his thick middle. The molten anger
returned in full force now that his mother was safe.
Obliterating this lunatic was suddenly all that mattered in
the world. Kraven would pay!
     "Fool!" he heard Kraven yell as two massive arms closed
about him in a vice-like grip. "I have been wrestling bears
since I was barely a man! If my strength could handle an
enraged grizzly, then what chance do you have?"
     Gosunkugi didn't have the air to scream as Kraven's
grip tightened exponentially. The strain on his ribs and
vertebrae grew to unbearable levels as the bones began to
grind against one another. His feet had been yanked off the
ground and left to dangle ineffectually.
     Can't. breathe. can't. Wait! Hikaru focused on the
still-buzzing spider sense. What was it. Gosunkugi suddenly
knew. Behind the two was the minefield he had stumbled into
earlier.
     Don't have. much time left. he thought as he aimed his
spinnerets at an angle to the nearest mine and pressed the
two middle fingers of each hand into his palms. The webbing
shot out like twin spears and the ground exploded.
     He heard Kraven roar in surprise as his death grip
loosened. The two were flung apart from the blast, each
landing in a heap over a meter away. Hikaru flipped himself
back onto his feet while Kraven struggled to his own.
Ignoring the throbbing pain in his chest and back, Gosunkugi
charged forward.

     Sergey saw him coming, saw the blow that was meant for
him, and knew he could never stop it. He was too
disoriented, too wounded to counter. This was it, then,
Kraven the Hunter had finally met his defeat.

     Gosunkugi felt gratified when the right hook slammed
into the side of Kraven's head like a sledgehammer. The
Russian hunter was thrown into the air again from the force
of it, spinning twice before landing in an unconscious heap
on the grass.
     Hikaru stood there, fighting to resist the temptation
to hurt him even more. The rage slowly began to fade, the
fire in his blood growing cooler with the realization that
he had won.
     "Spiderman!"
     Hikaru turned around to find his mother emerging from
the shadowed treeline, eyes wide with horror.
     "You killed him."
     Gosunkugi shook his head in the negative on checking to
see that Kraven was still breathing.
     I wanted to, he thought. Like I wanted to kill Shigeru,
but Kraven is beaten just the same. If I had killed him,
then that Yamata guy on TV would be right about me.
     The spider sense warned of approaching people, and
Hikaru launched himself to the domed ceiling. It was time to
make a discreet exit. He grabbed his mother around the waist
and leapt skyward.

     She had stopped screaming - which relieved Hikaru to no
end - once the first few minutes of web-slinging passed. He
swung from web to web as gently as he could, one arm wrapped
around Nanase Gosunkugi's waist and holding her as tightly
as possible without crushing her. Just so long as no police
choppers showed up to harass him, then everything would be
perfect.
     The cops will find Kraven, he thought as he rounded the
corner of a skyscraper and launched out another web. With
any luck, he'll be deported lickety-split and I won't have
to worry about him any more.
     He glanced down at his mother, holding onto him for
dear life, and looked away quickly. Carrying her around as
Spiderman felt awkward, and not because of her weight. He
was her son and her rescuer, but he could never tell her.
     If Kraven talks, he thought, it's gonna bring more cops
to our door. Maybe mom will deny it. I hope she will,
anyway.
     Gosunkugi felt the situation slowly begin to spin out
of control. If he kept this up, then it wouldn't be long
before someone found out, and it would likely be just the
wrong someone.
     Hikaru began to descend to the empty street below, just
outside the apartment building in which they all lived. The
window to his bedroom was on another side, well out of sight
of the main entrance. All he had to do was drop her off,
swing into the night, and double back for a quick change of
clothes.
     His feet hit the cold sidewalk just outside of the
light above the front door and his mother bolted away from
him. She stopped after a few paces and, trembling, turned to
look at him.
     Hikaru couldn't meet those eyes, full of fear. The
sooner he got back into his room and out of the costume, the
better. Without a word, he turned and sprang up to the wall.
     "Spiderman!"
     Hikaru stopped, turning to face her again.
     "You. saved my life back there."
     He nodded.
     "I just. I want to say."
     Hikaru waited.
     "Thank you, Spiderman."
     Hikaru nodded again before leaping into the night. It
hadn't been the same as acceptance - that was too much to
even dream of - but hearing those words had made his burden
a little lighter.


     Hikaru lay in his bed, thinking over his latest battle
as Spiderman. Kraven had been fast and cunning. Had it not
been for the powers given by that spider bite, Gosunkugi
would never have been able to save his mother.
     That was the rub. When she had looked at him in that
arboretum, she had seen only Spiderman. She had no idea that
her son's face was behind that mask. The fear in her eyes
had been unmistakable.
     Not for the first time, Hikaru Gosunkugi had trouble
separating Spiderman and himself. Seeing that fear had
driven a nail into his heart even thought it wasn't fear of
him, yet it was, but it wasn't.
     "I'm gonna drive myself ape-shit at this rate," he said
to himself as he lay on the bed, but that didn't chase away
the question: Where did he draw the line? Where was the
boundary where Hikaru Gosunkugi ended and Spiderman began?
Had there ever been one to begin with?
     The door to his room clicked open, startling him.
Hikaru looked over just as the light came on and his mother
walked in.
     Oh, no, he thought, I wasn't expecting this!
     "Hi, mom," he said around a yawn that wasn't entirely
fake.
     "Hikaru." The tone in her voice said it all. She sat
down at the foot of his bed and he could feel her eyes on
him.
     "Listen, I'm sorry about this afternoon."
     "I don't want to talk about that," she said in that
same I-want-an-answer-now voice she used to use on him when
he was younger. "I want to talk about Spiderman."
     "What about him?"
     "Son," she said, "I was kidnapped tonight by some
lunatic who wanted to use me against Spiderman."
     "Spiderman came to my rescue."
     "He did?"
     "Don't play dumb with me," she said in a tight whisper.
"My abductor said he had sent photos, said Spiderman's scent
was all over me."
     "How could."
     "Hikaru, turn on your lamp."
     Gosunkugi obeyed. The light fell on his mother's face,
showing the tears which streaked the sparse makeup she wore.
     "Hikaru Gosunkugi, I'm giving you a choice. Tell me
what you have to do with Spiderman, or leave this house."
     "Wh. WHAT?!"
     "Hikaru, damnit, I almost died tonight!" she hissed.
I've never been near Spiderman before tonight, so what was
his scent doing on me?"
     "Maybe he was just a nut. Kraven's a little off his
rocker." Too late did Hikaru Gosunkugi realize his mistake.
     "Hikaru, I never mentioned my kidnapper's name. How did
you know it?"
     "I." Oh, sweet holy SHIT!!
     "Son," she said as she slid closer to him. Her hands
fell on his shoulders, bloodshot eyes pleading for the
truth. "Tell me. I want to hear it from you."
     She knows, Hikaru realized. She knows, but doesn't want
to believe it.
     "Tell you what? How I met Spiderman? How I got to know
him?"
     "I want you to tell me the truth. You've never lied to
me before, and I'm begging you not to start now."
     "I." She deserved to know, but he couldn't tell her.
     Miku deserved to know as well, and he didn't tell her,
either. The same thing was happening again. Of all the
people in this world, he couldn't bear to lose Nanase
Gosunkugi.
     She fears Spiderman, he thought as the emotional storm
boiled to its peak. She thanked him, but is still afraid of
him. Of me. I don't want her to be afraid of me.
     No. Mom deserves to know. I won't let my secret ruin
another relationship, especially this one.
     "Okay, mom," Hikaru said as he rose from the bed. The
words suddenly left him, his throat frozen at the thought of
what he was about to do. He turned around to see her
pleading gaze on him and could not speak. The seconds
stretched into forever as the two looked at one another,
both fearful of what was about to happen and both knowing
that there was no way to avoid it now.
     "Go on, Hikaru-chan," she said.
     "It'll be easier this way, mom," he said softly. With
practiced ease, he jumped up. A quick flip put his bare
hands and feet on the ceiling where they stuck. Even upside-
down the sight of his mother slumping off the edge of the
bed, eyes wide in shock, was difficult to take.
     "H." Nanase's mouth opened and shut as if she had lost
control, yet no sound came out.
     "Mom."
     "You're. him." she managed in a hoarse whisper.
     "Yeah." Hikaru released his hands, standing on the
ceiling as if it were the floor. "Don't be afraid of me,
mom, please."
     "Hikaru. just come down from there."
     "Sure."
     "I. How did."
     "How'd this happen to me?" he asked, to which Nanase
only nodded. "I'm not sure, really. A spider bit me outside
of Tokyo University when I went to take some books back and
then I had all these powers." The words were coming easier
now that his secret was out to her. He began to explain his
improbable career as Spiderman, his mother staring in rapt
attention.
     "And that's that."
     "I don't know what to say, son. I really don't."
     "Mom, just don't hate me, okay?"
     "Son, I could never hate you," Nanase replied as she
patted the space on the floor next to her. Hikaru sat and
felt a warm arm around his shoulder. How long had it been
since he and his mother had talked like this? He only wished
it could be about anything else.
     "But you're still afraid of me."
     "No, son, not anymore."
     Hikaru looked up, his heart feeling as if one of the
many burdens on it had finally been lifted. "Really?"
     "Now that I know. I can't be afraid. But, son, why
didn't you tell me or you father?"
     "I couldn't. I couldn't tell anyone. Mom, there's a lot
of really nasty people after Spiderman's hide. The more who
know, the more danger everyone's in. The costume, the
secrets, it was the only way I had of keeping you and dad
safe."
     "And that Miku girl?"
     "Mom, I'd rather not talk about her right now."
     "I understand."
     "I try to help people with my powers, now. When Miku
got kidnapped, I realized that."
     "With great power comes great responsibility," Nanase
finished for him.
     "Yeah. That was pretty good, mom."
     "Thanks," she replied with a small grin which quickly
faded. "Hikaru-chan, I want you to do me a favor."
     "What?"
     "Son, I know you won't like this."
     Hikaru's stomach tightened into a knot of dread. He
knew what was coming.
     "I want you to stop being Spiderman."
     "No." That word came out with more force than Hikaru
ever knew his voice could muster.
     "Hikaru, please!" Nanase hissed. Her voice was
desperate, begging him to do as she wished. "You've gone up
against Yakuza, Triads, giant robots, insane scientists,
even demons! It's a miracle that you're still alive!"
     "I know it is," Hikaru replied, wishing all the while
that this conversation had never happened. "But I won't
stop."
     "Damnit, son, think about it! Do you ever consider what
could happen to you when you put that ridiculous costume
on?" Her arm grew tighter on his shoulders, as if she were
unwilling to let him go his own way.
     "Every time," he replied as he looked down at the
floor. Every time he became Spiderman he thought about what
could happen to him despite the thrill his powers brought
him. How many times had he come close to losing his life in
the past few months, anyway?
     "Whenever you go out as Spiderman," his mother went on
in that same low, desperate tone, "you put your life on the
line. From what you just told me, you've almost lost it
several times!"
     "Mom."
     "I can't bear the thought of losing you, son," she
said. Tears were streaming down her face, her breath
hitching as she spoke. "Think of what it would do to me and
your father, knowing that every time Spiderman goes to play
hero that our son might not come back to us!"
     Hikaru had never thought of it that way before. His
heart felt as if it would wrench itself apart. They did
care, they had never stopped. Now that his mother knew - and
his father would know as well - they would worry about him
more than ever.
     "I'm sorry, mom. I just can't."
     "Hikaru!"
     "Listen to me, mom," Hikaru said, forcing himself to
look at her. "People count on me, on Spiderman. I can't just
give up. Every time I tried, something happened to pull me
back."
     "But."
     "No buts, mom." That one statement made his world stand
still. He saw his mother in perfect clarity then, felt every
nuance of her love for him, and hated the fact that he had
to hurt her this way. There was no other choice, now. "I
have to fight."
     "No, you don't!" she ordered, but it was too late.
     "Yes, I do. You don't understand, mom, but it has to be
this way. I have the power, and I have to use it to protect
people."
     "Even if it hurts them," she replied softly.
     "I don't want to hurt anyone, but you can't walk like a
man without stepping on some toes. I'll start looking for
another place in the morning."
     "Son. I."
     "I can't stay here anymore now that you know. I can't
take the risk of anyone tracing Spiderman to this place or
to you and dad."
     "I won't tell him," Nanase said abruptly. "He wouldn't
believe it anyway."
     "Thanks, but my mind's made up." He watched in horror
as his mother's face fell even farther, at seeing the pain
his decision inflicted on her heart. Hikaru wanted more than
anything right then to say he would forsake Spiderman and
live as a normal man, but he knew inside that he would never
be able to do so. "If I let something happen, something I
could prevent, and someone got hurt or killed, then I
couldn't live with myself."
     "I understand." Her arms encircled him nearly fast
enough to exceed Hikaru's own spider-enhanced reflexes and
squeezed with seemingly the same strength. All he could do
was return the embrace and cry along with her. Nothing had
ever hurt as much as this. Spiderman - once again - had
forced him to cut off a relationship due to the necessity of
his existence.
     No. I won't think that way. I can't.
     "I'm sorry."
     "No, son," she said when the hug ended. "Don't
apologize. You're not a little boy anymore. You're a man. A
man I'm proud to call my son."