Chapter 197: Adopting Jenny
Matt immediately jumped away, throwing his blind cane to hook onto a nearby eave to distance himself from the eerie little girl.
"Ahhh!" The remaining thugs scrambled over each other, trying to crawl away. They didn't even dare to put up a fight. In their eyes, the Shadow-Eater was a monster sent by God to punish them.
For a moment, the entire street was filled with miserable screams. Blood splattered against the buildings, and the area looked as if it had been doused in scarlet dye—a literal hell on earth.
"Ugh..." Once it was over, Jenny felt a wave of powerlessness wash over her. It felt as if her very being had been hollowed out. She collapsed to the ground from where she had been hovering.
After completing its task, the massive Shadow-Eater Ninja vanished back into the Shadow Kingdom.
Matt Murdock processed the scene through the vibrations of sound, carving the carnage into his mind. Once everything returned to a deathly silence, he jumped back down to the pavement and walked slowly toward Jenny.
"The world has truly gone mad," Matt muttered as he reached her side. Who could have imagined that an ordinary-looking little girl would possess such terrifying power, capable of summoning monsters to fight for her?
"Let's go, little one." Matt picked up the unconscious Jenny. He whispered to himself, "I'll raise you. I'll teach you how to use this power so you don't lose your way."
Matt feared that the death of her parents, combined with such overwhelming power, would lead Jenny down a dark path. He felt a responsibility to take her in and an obligation to guide her as she grew up.
"Sigh... I didn't expect to pick up a daughter while out on patrol." Matt knew he couldn't leave Jenny to an orphanage; she was far too dangerous for that.
The Parker Residence
"Hurry up, Peter!" Silas shouted, his hiking backpack already strapped on.
Aunt May and Uncle Ben weren't home this morning. He didn't know where they had gone, but they had left breakfast out for the Parker brothers.
"I'm coming!" Peter's voice drifted down from upstairs.
In his room, Peter was frantically gathering his gear. His hand paused when he saw his Spider-Man suit in the drawer.
Spider-Man should take a vacation, Peter thought, turning to leave.
"Forget it!" He turned back, grabbed the suit, and tossed it into the Shadow Kingdom. With the help of the Spider-Squad, Peter could now use the Shadow Kingdom as a portable storage dimension.
Downstairs, Silas rolled his eyes as Peter finally descended. "Hurry up, Peter. You're seriously slow."
"Sorry, sorry. But tell me, Silas, why are you always up so early whenever Misty is involved?" Peter asked as he pulled on his shoes.
"It's called love! Let's go!" Silas stepped out of the house.
Peter looked at the toasted bread on the table and realized he hadn't eaten yet. He pulled a web-shooter from the Shadow Kingdom and strapped it to his wrist.
Thwip!
The web hit the toast, and Peter pulled it toward him with a flick of his wrist. "Perfect," he said, taking a bite.
Beep! Beep! A car honked outside the door. Peter grabbed the rest of the toast and ran out.
"Come on, Peter. What took you so long?" Silas asked. He had just seen Peter following him, only for his brother to disappear back inside the doorway for a second.
"Forgot my breakfast," Peter mumbled through a mouthful of toast.
"It's fine. We still have plenty of time," Misty said from the back seat.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Misty shouted, "Let's move!"
"Of course, Miss Misty. However, I must state that the boss said—" the driver began.
Misty cut him off immediately. "And I said, if you don't drive us right now, you can hand in your resignation."
"Very well... Miss Misty. We're leaving." The driver sighed. He knew which side his bread was buttered on.
"Where's Ned?" Misty asked Silas. She just remembered there was a fourth member of the group.
Silas and Misty were sitting in the back, while Peter was in the front passenger seat, eating his toast and tinkering with his new camera.
"He said he was taking a taxi with a friend," Silas explained. Ned had called them earlier that morning to let them know.
"I see. Do you guys want a soda?" Misty asked, pulling three drinks from a cooler in the car.
"Cool~ you even have chilled Coke in here? I'll take one, thanks," Peter said, taking the soda in surprise.
"Whatever works," Silas said, taking a bottle of chilled juice.
Misty smiled as Silas took the juice. "I knew you'd want that. I specifically put extra in here for you."
"Thanks," Silas said, leaning over to give Misty a quick kiss.
"Nothing to thank me for." Misty's smile wouldn't leave her face; Silas's gesture clearly made her very happy.
"..." Peter watched them through the rearview mirror and suddenly felt like his Coke didn't taste that good anymore.
Whatever, whatever. At least I'll have Ned later, Peter thought.
"What a bunch of energetic kids," the driver muttered. He wondered if he'd get chewed out by the boss when he got back. Probably not; as long as Miss Misty put in a good word, even if he was fired, the boss would just hire him back the next day. He was used to the routine.
After a thirty-minute drive, the car pulled up to the base of a mountain.
"Let's check the gear, Miss Misty." The driver opened the trunk, revealing the supplies. "Three tents, a double-barreled shotgun, fishing rods and bait, a folding shovel, a crate of water..." He ticked the items off as he unloaded them.
"Whoa~ Misty, you brought a lot of stuff," Peter said, impressed.
"Of course. You have to be prepared." Misty didn't mind the cost; these were essentials.
Silas's eyes locked onto the shotgun. Wasn't this the same one her father had pointed at him? He had a very deep impression of that particular firearm.
"How is it? Looking familiar?" Misty teased, raising an eyebrow. She had brought it on purpose.
"More than familiar. It makes me feel a little uneasy," Silas said, rubbing his chest.
"Haha~" Misty laughed and leaned against Silas.
"Alright, Miss Misty." The driver clapped his hands. "Everything is ready for you. I'll be back here at the base of the mountain tomorrow at noon to pick you up."
"Got it. Don't worry about my dad; I'll handle him," Misty reassured the driver.
"Thank you, Miss Misty. Have a great time." The driver got back into the car and drove off.
Peter looked at the pile of gear on the ground. "Should we start carrying this up?"
"Let's wait for Ned," Misty suggested. Another person meant more strength. Peter and Silas didn't look particularly sturdy; she doubted the three of them could move all this at once.
"Fair enough," Peter agreed.
Silas felt the same way. If he wasn't worried about exposing his powers, he would have just summoned the Shadow Corps to move it. Doing it himself wasn't tiring, but it was a hassle.
About five minutes later, another car pulled up.
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!