Chapter 5: The Mask I Need
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The city was quiet tonight.
I sat alone on the rooftop, watching the lights stretch across the streets below. Somewhere out there, people were going about their lives, completely unaware how close one man had come to tearing it all apart.
Uncle Ben was alive.
I'd stopped the chain of events that would've led to his death.
But even with that win, I couldn't relax.
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The system's message still hovered in the back of my mind, a quiet reminder that things weren't done yet.
[Mission Complete: Uncle Ben's Death Prevented]
Reward: +1 Trait Token
Trait Tokens: 1
Timeline Status: Stabilized (Temporary)
One Trait Token.
My first.
I opened the system's guide out of curiosity, reading the details carefully.
Trait Tokens:
— Each token allows you to copy one unique trait from a living target.
— Only one trait can be copied per person.
— Traits can be physical abilities, skills, or even mental capacities.
— Copied traits are permanent and cannot be reversed.
— Tokens are rare. Use them wisely.
Simple enough.
But it didn't feel like something I needed to rush into.
I closed the menu with a sigh, leaning back on the rooftop as the cool breeze brushed against me.
I'd stopped one disaster—but this world wasn't safe.
Not by a long shot.
I couldn't afford to walk around in jeans and a hoodie anymore.
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I needed something more.
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The next few days were quiet. No missions from the system, no sudden emergencies. Just me, focusing on what came next.
If I was serious about this… I needed a suit.
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I didn't want to copy Peter Parker's red-and-blue costume. That wasn't me.
I needed something practical—something built for the streets, for stealth, and for the kind of work I'd be doing.
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I started sketching ideas late at night in my room.
Dark colors, flexible material, nothing too flashy.
Midnight blue felt right. It blended in with the shadows but wasn't pure black.
For accents, I added thin silver lines—web-like patterns that weren't too obvious but gave the suit an edge.
Something sleek. Something quiet.
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The mask was the tricky part.
I wanted something simple but effective—full face coverage, with sharp, white lenses that glowed slightly when I needed them to.
The result was something that looked clean, sharp, and intimidating without going overboard.
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This wasn't a costume for attention.
It was armor—for the streets and rooftops where I'd be working.
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I didn't have Tony Stark's budget, but I knew how to scavenge.
I spent a few nights gathering supplies—black compression fabric, flexible polymer plates, and materials from a few discreet online orders.
I worked in secret, sewing the suit together by hand in my room and later refining it in an old, abandoned warehouse I'd found. Quiet, out of the way, perfect for testing.
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The suit was surprisingly comfortable—stretchy where it needed to be, reinforced around the chest and limbs.
I added some padding for protection without losing mobility.
It wasn't bulletproof, but it would take a hit.
And the organic webbing? It worked perfectly with the suit. No web shooters to worry about, no extra gear to carry.
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When I finally put it on and looked at myself in the cracked mirror, I didn't see Peter Parker.
I saw something new.
Something I'd built with my own hands.
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I tested the suit over the next two nights, swinging through the city under the cover of darkness.
It moved well—no resistance, no drag.
The gloves were tough enough for climbing, the boots gave me solid grip.
Everything worked the way I needed it to.
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This wasn't about making a statement.
It was about surviving—and winning.
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On the third night, just as I was preparing to head back, the system pulsed again.
[Optional Mission Available]
Mission: Investigate Mysterious Mercenary Activity (Gotham/NYC Border)
Reward: +1 Trait Token (Guaranteed upon success)
Bonus: Potential High-Value Trait Copy Opportunity.
Warning: High Risk — Target is a combat specialist with lethal capabilities.
A high-value target.
The system didn't say much, but the hint was clear enough.
Someone dangerous was operating nearby.
And if the system was offering a Trait Token for the job, it meant whoever it was… wasn't just another thug.
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I accepted the mission.
Immediately, a glowing thread of light appeared in my vision, marking the target's last known location—an industrial district between Gotham and New York.
Right on the border of two cities crawling with crime.
I couldn't help but smirk.
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Seemed like my quiet nights were over.
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I grabbed my suit and slipped it on, tightening the gloves and mask before stepping out onto the rooftop.
The city's lights reflected faintly off the silver lines of my suit as I looked toward the south.
Time to see what kind of monsters this world really had to offer.
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I fired a web and swung into the night.
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[To Be Continued]
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