Marvel: My Eyes Defies Fate.

Under the Bridge

Kurogai's figure shimmered into existence at the entrance of a Manor in New York.

After leaving Kamar-Taj, he had returned straight to the city, the night skyline glowing faintly in the distance.

"Kurogai! You're back!" Rogue hurried toward him, her expression bright with curiosity.

"How did things go with the vampires? Everything under control?"

Kurogai gave a calm chuckle.

"Smooth enough. A pack of vampires isn't enough to make things difficult for me."

His voice carried a quiet confidence that left no room for doubt.

There wasn't much to say about what had happened—Kamar-Taj had its share of problems lately, and he wasn't interested in adding to them.

"Oh, right," Rogue said suddenly, remembering something.

"The materials you asked for are ready. You can take them whenever you need."

"Materials?" Kurogai blinked, then realization struck.

"Ah, yes. The experimental materials. Show me."

He followed her down the hall toward a storage area.

The request had been made weeks ago, when he'd encountered Spider-Man and Doctor Octavius fighting near the bridge.

That incident had prompted him to support Octavius's research, offering to gather certain resources.

They'd agreed to reconvene after three days—but with all that had happened since, including Ebony Maw's invasion and the vampire crisis, the matter had slipped his mind.

"This is everything you wanted," Rogue said as she gestured toward the neatly packed crates.

Kurogai nodded.

"Perfect. I'll handle it from here."

He opened a shimmering spatial rift beside him—his Kamui space—and the entire collection of materials vanished inside in an instant.

Without another word, Kurogai stepped through the portal and disappeared from the manor.

A heartbeat later, he appeared beneath an iron bridge on the outskirts of the city.

The place was damp and quiet, littered with broken equipment and power cables.

Amidst the clutter stood a makeshift laboratory—and at its center, a man with four mechanical arms sprouting from his back, moving with precise synchronization.

Doctor Otto Octavius was fully absorbed in his work when Kurogai arrived.

But the moment the dimensional rippled formed, Octavius turned sharply, eyes narrowing in anger.

"You!" Octavius barked, his voice full of resentment.

"You deceived me!"

The metal arms snapped toward Kurogai with violent speed—but as they reached him, a wave of spatial distortion twisted through the air.

Each arm froze, bent backward, and was harmlessly deflected.

"There's no need for hostility, Doctor," Kurogai said evenly.

"I was delayed by… other matters. But I'm here now, as promised."

He extended his hand, opening another rift.

The materials Rogue had prepared materialized in front of Octavius, stacked neatly at his feet.

The scientist's anger vanished instantly, replaced by fascination.

"All the materials... complete."

Octavius's tone shifted from rage to excitement.

"Excellent! I can finally resume the experiment!"

In an instant, the doctor was back to work, his earlier frustration forgotten.

Kurogai couldn't help but admire that kind of obsessive focus.

Octavius truly was a man consumed by science—nothing else mattered once he had his tools.

Then, a faint muffled sound drew Kurogai's attention.

From the corner of the lab, he spotted a young woman bound to a metal pillar, her mouth covered with cloth.

Octavius noticed his gaze and spoke offhandedly,

"That woman's connected to that annoying Spider-Man. He kept getting in my way… so I took her. Keeps him distracted."

Kurogai studied her more closely.

"Spider-Man's woman…" he murmured.

"Mary Jane Watson, if I'm not mistaken."

He recalled her face from his past life.

The situation was almost identical to one from the original timeline.

In truth, this mess was indirectly his fault.

Had he not gone silent after their last meeting, Octavius wouldn't have gone hunting for materials himself—and wouldn't have clashed with Spider-Man so many times.

This kidnapping was a consequence of that chain of events.

"Interesting," Kurogai mused quietly.

"If she's here, then Spider-Man won't be far behind."

And sure enough, moments later, he felt a familiar presence nearby—a faint tremor in the air, light but distinct.

Kurogai turned toward the shadowed side of the bridge, eyes narrowing.

A red-and-blue figure crept along the beams, moving silently toward Mary Jane.

Spider-Man swiftly reached her, cut her bindings, and helped her to her feet.

Kurogai didn't intervene.

He simply watched with mild amusement.

As long as the experiment remained untouched, he had no reason to interfere.

But the peace didn't last long.

Once Spider-Man got Mary Jane to safety, he turned back, sprinting straight toward the lab.

"Octavius!" he shouted, firing a web line and landing beside the equipment.

"You have to stop this! That experiment will kill people!"

His tone was desperate but firm.

Before he could take another step, a sudden wave of spatial distortion slammed into him, sending him crashing to the ground.

Kurogai stepped forward from the shadows, his expression calm.

"Peter… letting you take your girlfriend was an act of generosity," he said coolly.

"But interfering with this experiment? That, I can't allow."

He stood above Spider-Man, eyes glinting faintly as the air shimmered around him.

"I want to see how this turns out."

_____

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