Mha: The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol.1

Spider-Man: Hunted

"Spider-sense isn't going off, we should be good," Taeko said, making his way towards them. He stood just a few inches away, not wanting to invade their personal space. In truth, he was slightly nervous around them, seeing how skillful they were with their Quirks in battle.

By now, he wasn't too concerned about the dangers that lay ahead. Taeko became increasingly more adapted to rebelling against the hostile takeover by the World Federation. The mere sight of Aeon's team of heroes gave him hope, that very kind he lost when seeing Kaina again. No longer did he feel outnumbered, the strength of his cousin was a beacon of glimmering inspiration he called upon.

"I hope you're right, otherwise it's three against an entire city of villains... I don't like those odds." Takeda replied, subconsciously pulling his gloves back towards his wrists. A common fear of his was losing his gloves, as they helped contain his powers from accidentally activating.

Takeda's Quirk was called Wither-Surge, a power that allowed him to make any non-sentient object implode by his touch. Taeko was quickly understood how his ability worked after the battle. As a kid, he lost control over his power many times. The results yield injury and fatal wounds for those around him, including his parents. His lethal touch at such a young age caused him to isolate himself, shutting his presence off from the world. That was until he had met Jeannine Guillaume one fateful day.

"absurdité my love, we can overcome a simple challenge." Jeannine grinned, cracking every knuckle in both her hands. She seemed to greatly contrast from Takeda in outlooks on situations, as she found ways to bring courage despite the rough odds.

"I wish it were that easy, back home our villains can literally atomize buildings," Taeko replied, remembering one villain faced during the first few hours of the Beautification. The difference between enemies in Japan compared to the U.S was very noticeable. Although, many of the villains here had shifted their priorities to building new empires, rather than senseless destruction. "I remember fighting a villain this vampire guy, honestly a really creepy looking guy."

"You seem to have a lot of villains, is that why we're staying in Connecticut?" Takeda commented. They weren't entirely knowledgeable about Taeko's reasoning for staying.

Taeko nodded, still gazing out at the approaching land. During his reunion with Aeon, one of the heroes had pulled him aside to inform him about the numerous sightings of his rogues' gallery. Taeko was beyond anxious at the thought of his enemies chasing him to another country.

He could still feel the rain colliding against his blood-soaked suit from the Tartarus breakout. If they were still here, Taeko needed to find them before anyone else got hurt. He needed to find them to satiate that feeling that beckoned for another fight. Something inside Taeko convinced him to beat them down, enduring they'd never hurt him again.

"Can't have these five villains out in the public, trust me," Taeko warned, looking back on various individuals duels he had with each member. During his imprisonment, Kaina informed him how she executed Miu Hase. Taeko wasn't particularly fond of the Vulture, he was a villain who assassinated dozens of people. However, he would have never killed him. That stuck in the back of his mind, eating away at his perception of Kaina. Their core differences led to conflict, but, Taeko wouldn't give up on trying to save her.

As the boat steadily drifted closer to the lakeshore, Takeda lifted the paddle back inside. Before the front bow of the boat could collide into the elevated grass, Taeko stopped it by thwipping padding of webs in the middle. The three slightly rocked once the boat came to a complete halt, having completed their small journey across the water.

Taeko was the first to jump off the boat and step foot on the grassy shore. He felt stable upon the Ryegrass surface, feeling the gleaming of the sun even through his new symbiote suit. He looked back and watched as Jeannine carefully helped Takeda off the ship by carrying him on her back. The latter rested his chin on her head, and the two synchronized in a pleasant hum.