Wayne’s performance was flawless.
But it wasn’t enough to completely dispel Spider-Noir’s suspicions.
No ordinary person would go jogging in the middle of the night, let alone have the nerve to walk into an alley that was practically the perfect place to commit a murder after hearing a suspicious noise.
However, Spider-Noir’s first priority now was figuring out how to conceal his identity.
The Spider-Man of this world was already dead.
The entire city had witnessed the public memorial service.
If he handled this carelessly, he might end up saddling that Spider-Man with the accusation of deceiving the public.
“Oh, no, no, no. I’m just a huge Spider-Man fan. I only added a few of my own ideas to his costume.”
“Think about it—how could Spider-Man possibly fall off a wall? Right?”
“But, sir, why are you out jogging in the middle of the night?”
With those words, Spider-Noir smoothly shifted the conversation and took the initiative.
He felt it was a perfectly reasonable question.
“Insomnia.”
“I’ve been under too much pressure lately. I thought maybe running would tire me out enough to help me sleep.”
Wayne rubbed his temples, looking thoroughly exhausted.
“People always say that if you’re tired enough, you’ll sleep well, right? I don’t want to take sleeping pills. If I keep them at home, I’m always afraid that one day… if I lose hope… I might use them to kill myself.”
His voice was filled with the helpless frustration and anxiety of someone suffering from chronic insomnia.
Spider-Noir didn’t know how to respond.
Back in his own era, there weren’t many people who depended on sleeping pills just to get through the night.
Now that he had arrived in this time period, he couldn’t help feeling that although technology had advanced tremendously…
People seemed to carry even greater burdens.
Spider-Noir finally lowered his guard somewhat.
Taking a step forward, he reached out, intending to place a hand on Wayne’s shoulder.
The pose, however, looked a little awkward.
A man standing around six feet tall trying to rest his hand on the shoulder of Wayne, who stood well over six-three, inevitably looked a bit strange.
But comforting Wayne wasn’t Spider-Noir’s only goal.
He also wanted to see whether Wayne would instinctively guard against him.
Would he reject such a sudden invasion of his personal space?
Someone suffering from anxiety and insomnia should naturally be wary when a complete stranger crossed that boundary.
Spider-Noir did indeed feel Wayne tense up in resistance.
Though it lasted only a brief moment.
Seeing Wayne’s reaction, Spider-Noir immediately withdrew his hand instead of pressing the issue.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… I have a habit of talking to people like that.”
Holding down the brim of his hat, Spider-Noir apologized sincerely.
“It’s alright.”
Although Wayne said so, his expression remained noticeably stiff.
“I hope you’re able to get a good night’s sleep someday.”
Leaving those words behind, Spider-Noir turned and walked out of the alley first.
He wanted to see how Wayne would react after he left.
Everything Wayne did matched Spider-Noir’s most optimistic expectations perfectly.
Taken together, all the signs finally convinced Spider-Noir that Wayne was nothing more than a man tormented by insomnia, someone desperate enough to risk his life by jogging alone in the middle of the night.
“It looks like insomnia is even scarier than death.”
Spider-Noir had never experienced insomnia himself.
But after seeing Wayne’s condition…
He genuinely felt it was a terrifying affliction.
If possible, he hoped he would never suffer from it in his lifetime.
When Wayne finally emerged from the alley, Spider-Noir had already disappeared without a trace.
Even so, Wayne still deliberately acted startled, as though he had been frightened by Spider-Noir’s sudden disappearance.
Then he immediately turned and ran back the way he had come.
Watching from the rooftop of a nearby building, Spider-Noir finally relaxed and quietly left.
“What a cautious guy.”
As Wayne jogged back home, he couldn’t help admiring Spider-Noir’s vigilance.
Then again, considering what New York had been like during Spider-Noir’s era, surviving as a private detective required more than just superpowers.
It required extreme caution.
Otherwise, in a city like that, he would have died long ago.
Even private detectives in today’s New York couldn’t be certain they wouldn’t mysteriously end up dead one day.
Still…
This encounter only strengthened Wayne’s determination to deal with Kingpin as soon as possible.
Being tailed just because he went out for a nighttime jog…
That was simply too restrictive.
Meanwhile, after Spider-Noir returned, Peni Parker, another Spider-Person, was still awake.
She had quietly been waiting for him to come back.
“What happened?”
Peni was obviously worried that this person she’d only recently met might run into trouble in a completely unfamiliar world.
If one Spider-Man could die…
Then a second one could die too.
No matter who it was, Peni didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.
“Just someone who couldn’t sleep, so he went out jogging, hoping to exhaust himself enough to pass out.”
When speaking to Peni, Spider-Noir naturally dropped the guarded attitude he’d maintained with Wayne.
He answered her honestly.
Hearing that, Peni finally let out a sigh of relief.
“I guess insomnia is miserable no matter what era you’re in.”
Peni understood insomnia all too well.
Even in her highly advanced world, there was still no real cure for it.
The only solution was medication that forcibly put people to sleep.
The wealthy had another option.
When they couldn’t sleep, they used sleep pods to forcibly relieve fatigue. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
But a single sleep pod…
Cost more than many people could earn in several lifetimes.
“Alright, off to bed.”
“Kids need to get proper sleep.”
Spider-Noir gently urged Peni toward her room.
“You should go to bed early too.”
Peni still worried that Spider-Noir might secretly sneak out again to investigate something without telling the others.
That would only make everyone worry.
“I know.”
Spider-Noir nodded.
He lay down on the sofa.
Then deliberately yawned, making it obvious that he was sleepy.
Seeing that, Peni smiled and walked away.
If he was already that tired, then surely he’d fall asleep soon.
However…
The moment she left…
Spider-Noir’s drowsy appearance vanished completely.
His large white eyes snapped wide open.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that during today’s encounter with Wayne…
He had overlooked something.
Something extremely important.
“What was it…”
Staring at the cozy-looking ceiling above him, Spider-Noir fell into deep thought.
Then, all of a sudden…
He realized that somehow, he’d been dragged into the same terrifying state Wayne had described—
Insomnia.
He immediately shut his eyes and repeatedly told himself,
Sleep.
Go to sleep.
But no matter how many times he tried to convince himself…
Sleep refused to come.
The feeling was unbearably unpleasant.
Wayne, of course, had no idea that he had somehow managed to give a Spider-Man with excellent sleeping habits a case of insomnia.
At that very moment, he was at home carefully stretching his body.
He wanted to make sure the workout hadn’t reduced his flexibility.
Otherwise, certain movements in combat would become much more difficult.
And the slightest mistake…
Could very well put him in mortal danger.
(End of Chapter)