Chapter 13: Into the Shadows
Midtown High was its usual blur of noise and chaos the next morning, but Ark felt detached from it all. It was strange how quickly he had adapted to his new traits. Every step he took was instinctively silent, every motion controlled with ridiculous precision. His senses were sharper than ever, his body working in perfect harmony, and it wasn't even something he consciously had to manage anymore.
It was like slipping on a perfectly tailored suit. No effort. Just results.
He drifted through the hallways like a shadow. People walked past without noticing him unless he spoke. He barely needed to try. The Stealth Master trait worked passively, tuning his body to blend naturally, to step where people wouldn't look, to avoid attracting attention.
He almost missed the days when he had to sneak around the old-fashioned way.
"Morning, Parker." Gwen's voice cut through his thoughts, grounding him as she appeared beside him, falling into step.
"Morning," Ark replied, adjusting his backpack. His voice was casual, but his senses noted the subtle shift in her gaze, the slightly longer glance she gave him today. She was watching him more closely now. Suspicion? Curiosity? Either way, she was piecing things together faster than he'd like.
Harry caught up a moment later, laughing as he held up his phone, showing them the latest batch of Spider-Man memes circulating online.
"Dude's everywhere now," Harry grinned. "Look at this one—someone edited him surfing on a pizza while fighting aliens. I swear, people have too much time."
Ark snorted lightly. "Yeah, some people really need a hobby."
"You're telling me," Harry laughed, scrolling through more posts. "I kinda get why people are obsessed though. He's got style. Flipping around, dodging bullets, webbing up bad guys—it's like something out of a comic book."
"You sound like a fanboy," Gwen teased, though her eyes flicked toward Ark again.
"Hey, I respect good marketing," Harry shrugged, grinning. "Besides, he's the first hero we've got around here that's not wrapped up in some alien invasion or billionaire scandal."
Ark let the conversation roll past him, responding with the occasional nod or dry remark. It was almost too easy to blend into the background now, to hide in plain sight even among friends. His system-assisted instincts made it natural.
But even as he sat through classes, listening to half-hearted lectures and mindless chatter, his focus remained elsewhere.
The mission.
The memory of last night's notification lingered in his mind.
Investigate missing persons near Hell's Kitchen. Two Trait Tokens, plus a system reward for completion.
The stakes were obvious. Hell's Kitchen wasn't the kind of place you wandered into casually. And the fact that his system flagged it with a special reward meant there was more at play than random street crime.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of lessons he didn't need and conversations that barely registered. Gwen kept glancing his way, subtle but noticeable, and Harry kept cracking jokes about Spider-Man's growing internet fame. Ark played along, but his mind was already in motion.
By the time the final bell rang, he was already halfway through planning his approach.
He slipped out of the building with practiced ease, moving through the crowded sidewalks unnoticed. His new traits made it almost laughable how easy it was to vanish when he wanted to. Even cameras struggled to track him when he really focused on using Stealth Master.
Once he was clear, the familiar system notification reappeared.
Optional Mission Available.
Target: Hell's Kitchen.
Time Limit: 12 Hours.
Mission Rewards Upon Completion:
2 Trait Tokens.
System Function Unlock (Details Locked).
Ark's gaze sharpened.
Another system function unlock. Rare. That alone confirmed this mission was something significant.
He didn't hesitate.
Within minutes, he was suited up, mask on, web-slinging through the towering cityscape as the sun began to set. Each swing was effortless. His body moved like it had been made for this, with his enhanced reflexes syncing perfectly with every launch and flip.
As he approached Hell's Kitchen, the atmosphere thickened. This part of the city felt different—darker, rougher, and heavier with tension. Old brick buildings leaned into the streets, casting deep shadows as neon signs flickered weakly over cracked pavement.
Even from the rooftops, Ark could feel it.
Danger.
He perched on the edge of a rooftop overlooking a warehouse district near the riverfront. The system's interface glowed softly in his vision, highlighting a specific building several blocks away.
Heat signatures detected. Unusual energy readings. Multiple armed individuals.
Target Located.
"Figures it'd be a warehouse," Ark muttered under his breath. "Why is it never, like, an ice cream shop?"
He moved fast, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, sticking to the shadows. His Stealth Master trait ensured he remained unseen, his body automatically positioning itself in blind spots and shadowed corners without conscious thought.
As he approached, he spotted the guards. Six men patrolling the perimeter, armed with advanced rifles and wearing tactical armor. These weren't random thugs. Their movements were sharp, coordinated.
Mercenaries.
Ark's lips curled under the mask. "Great. Rent-a-soldiers with laser guns. My favorite."
He slipped closer, watching their patrol routes carefully, then dropped silently behind the nearest guard.
"Hey," Ark whispered, tapping the man's shoulder before flipping him into a web-lined wall with a thud. "Nap time."
Before the others could react, Ark moved, fast and precise.
He weaved between them with impossible speed, webbing guns to hands, hands to walls, feet to the ground. All while cracking jokes.
"Seriously, you guys need a new recruiter. No sense of humor, bad reflexes, and honestly, these helmets? Not flattering."
Within seconds, the perimeter was cleared, the guards left dangling from walls or stuck to the pavement.
He grinned under his mask.
"Neighborhood's a little safer now."
With the outside handled, Ark turned his attention to the warehouse itself. His system scanned through the walls, picking up dozens of heat signatures inside—civilians and more guards. And something else.
An armored figure at the center. Power readings spiking.
Ark's eyes narrowed.
Definitely the boss.
He slipped through a high window, landing silently on a metal beam above the main floor. Below, rows of unconscious civilians were lined up like cargo, guarded by another squad of soldiers. The armored figure stood nearby, giving orders in a cold, mechanical voice.
"Prepare the next batch for transport. No witnesses."
Ark's jaw clenched.
No chance he was letting that happen.
He dropped from the rafters, landing right in the middle of the guards.
"Hi there," he quipped cheerfully. "I don't see a tour guide, so I'll just help myself."
Panic erupted.
The guards raised their weapons, but Ark was already moving, webbing rifles and disabling men with precise strikes. His enhanced reflexes made it effortless—every punch, every dodge perfectly timed.
"You guys ever consider a career change?" Ark joked, flipping over two stunned mercs. "Maybe yoga. Or baking."
The last guard lunged with an electric baton, but Ark caught his wrist mid-swing, grinning.
"Seriously? Another one of these? Does everyone shop at the same villain outlet?"
He yanked the baton away and sent the man flying into a stack of crates.
Silence fell.
All that remained was the armored figure.
The man turned slowly, his glowing red visor locking onto Ark.
"You're interfering with forces beyond your understanding."
"Yeah, yeah," Ark said, stretching lazily. "I've heard that before. Usually right before I ruin someone's business plan."
The armored man raised an arm, a glowing weapon forming around his gauntlet.
Ark's system flashed an urgent warning.
Extreme Threat Detected. High Energy Output.
The blast fired before he could finish reading.
Ark barely dodged in time, flipping away as the shot obliterated a section of the wall behind him.
He whistled. "Okay, credit where it's due—nice fireworks."
The armored man charged, faster than expected, swinging a massive strike.
Ark met him head-on, blocking with a web-reinforced kick, but the force sent him skidding back.
This guy wasn't just tech—he was strong.
Ark flipped over another strike, shooting webs to tangle the man's arms and slow him down.
"Man, you're really committed to this whole dark-and-broody vibe," Ark quipped, weaving around another blast. "But honestly? You're a little too dramatic."
The fight raged across the warehouse—Ark using his agility and webs to control the battlefield, the armored man countering with raw power and energy attacks.
But Ark's speed and wit gave him the edge.
He waited for the right opening, then fired a web to anchor the man's legs before swinging in with a devastating kick to the chestplate.
The armored figure slammed into the far wall, dazed.
Ark didn't waste the chance. He quickly secured the rest of the unconscious guards and disabled the transports.
His system chimed softly.
Mission Objective Complete.
Rewards Earned:
+2 Trait Tokens.
System Function Unlock: Trait Fusion Preview.
Ark's breath caught slightly at the last line.
Trait Fusion ?
Before he could explore it, the system displayed a message.
Trait Fusion Unlocked. You can now view potential combinations of your current traits.
"Well," Ark muttered, catching his breath as he surveyed the scene, "guess I just unlocked the crafting menu."
He didn't realize it, but behind him, the armored figure's fingers twitched, faintly sparking with unstable energy.
Ark's eyes stayed focused forward, unaware of what was stirring behind him.
For now.
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To be continued
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