'Beep beep! Beep beep!'
In Kagura's room, beside a cozy, warmly decorated bed, stood a refined little nightstand.
At that moment, a sleek silver-gray communication device—shaped somewhat like a chocolate bar—suddenly lit up.
"Master, are you there? I have a rather… special mission I'd like to assign to you."
"Mmmnyaa…"
Kagura stirred slightly, her head peeking lazily out from beneath the covers. She let out a sleepy yawn.
"What kind of mission? Are aliens invading Earth again?"
"No, nothing on that scale. It's just a situation within the New York City limits."
Cortana responded calmly.
"However, this incident is rather unique. I believe it's best if you handle it personally, Master."
"Mmm… What's so unique about it…"
Kagura rubbed the corners of her eyes, wiping away the yawn-induced tears.
"Don't forget—I'm currently the little version of Kagura, remember? I can't just wander around freely like this! I'd rather stay in and chill. I'll leave the rest to you, Cortana."
"Due to the nature of the situation, I don't believe it's appropriate for either Rhodes Island Industries or the Griffin Security Agency to intervene."
"However, you, in your current form, you actually have the perfect identity and skillset for this task."
"Mmm… Don't try to butter me up. Are you seriously saying this is something only a little me can handle?"
Kagura waved dismissively and rolled over with a "thump," spreading out in a big starfish pose on her bed and attempting to drift back to sleep.
"More or less, yes, Master,"
Cortana answered politely.
"In fact, a young girl—someone your current age and appearance—would be ideal for this operation."
"Then just send the little one from YoRHa 9S!" Kagura mumbled.
"Didn't I create the YoRHa units specifically so they could deal with this kind of stuff for me?"
"That's the thing…" Cortana hesitated for a moment, then continued. "Because of how peculiar this case is, I'm afraid the YoRHa 9S units might not be suitable…"
"Mmmn…" Kagura frowned and puffed up her cheeks. "Just what kind of mission is this anyway? What makes it so special?"
"Here's the situation, Master…"
Cortana sounded relieved that Kagura was finally showing interest and began to explain.
"To put it simply, one of our equipment transport trucks—contracted through FedEx—was hijacked."
"…Huh?!" Kagura's brow furrowed.
"Someone still dares to hijack a Rhodes Island transport truck? Don't they know all my vehicles, cargo, and equipment are GPS-tracked to the centimeter?"
"Unfortunately, it's not that simple, Master." Cortana replied. "According to the logs, the truck was intercepted on a highway in the outskirts of New York."
"The attackers disabled the auto-pilot drone, forcibly breached the cargo hold, and then… left the scene."
"Left the scene? They didn't take anything?" Kagura's cheeks puffed up more.
"These hijackers… are they crazy? What, did they just rip open my truck for fun?!"
"That does seem to be the case. The whole thing is incredibly illogical. That's why we need to investigate further—and we need your help to do it."
"Okay, but even if the truck was attacked, that's not that unusual, is it?"
Kagura said after thinking it over.
"With the Argos Project and CTOS systems, we could just run a quick trace to find out who did it. Then just dispatch the YoRHa squad to arrest them, right?"
"That's exactly what I tried, following standard protocol." Cortana replied.
"However, the suspected hijackers… have very unusual identities. That's why I came to consult you."
"Unusual identities? Are we talking about some super-criminal? Like a giant lizard or a walking pile of black goo or something?"
Kagura raised an eyebrow.
"So that's the real issue, huh? Sounds like I'm gonna have to handle this myself after all. Don't tell me… it's some kind of perverted freak that like little girls, isn't it?!"
"Master, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about… but in any case, let me continue with the briefing."
Cortana's voice carried a hint of helplessness.
"After conducting reconnaissance and analysis using Rhodes Island Industries' comprehensive intelligence network, we've identified the hijacker. His name is—Peter Parker."
"Pffft—!"
Kagura practically spat blood at the sound of that name—figuratively, of course—as if a fountain had erupted in the middle of the room.
"Peter Parker?! What's going on with that kid? Isn't he supposed to be Spider-Man?!"
"You're absolutely right, Master." Cortana confirmed, "According to our records, the individual who attacked the Rhodes Island Industries transport truck was Spider-Man."
"That makes no sense! Isn't Spider-Man supposed to be Queens' friendly neighborhood hero?!"
With a twist of her waist, Kagura sat up and snatched the holo-comm device from her bedside table, holding it up to her face.
"Why the hell is he out there hijacking trucks?! Has he lost his mind? And wasn't he scouted by Mr. Stark himself?"
"Doesn't Stark Industries supply all his gear now? What, he short on cash or something? Why not just ask Tony?!"
"That's exactly what we need to find out, Master." Cortana responded calmly. "Given that Peter Parker is a reserve member of the Avengers."
"We've decided it's not appropriate to take any forceful action against him for now. Our inquiries with Tony Stark have also gone nowhere. That's why we need your help."
"My help? And what am I supposed to do—pretend to be one of Peter Parker's classmates and start dating him?" Kagura tilted her head in confusion.
"Even if that were an option, have you seen me lately? I don't exactly look like a high schooler right now…"
Due to some power-related issues with the Infinity Stones, Kagura had been revived in a de-aged body.
At the moment, she looked about eleven—still at the age before full development.
Yup.
An actual, literal little girl now…..
"That's correct, Master." Cortana continued, "After the Ultron and Dormammu incidents, the Avengers have been recruiting new heroes globally. New teams of superheroes are also beginning to form."
"Oh? That's new." Kagura perked up. "So what happened next?"
Cortana pulled up a data chart.
"The current Spider-Man has teamed up with a few like-minded individuals—young people who've developed fairly advanced tech of their own—and formed a teenage superhero organization…"
"Huh? You mean… the Young Avengers?" Kagura blurted out instinctively.
"What's that? Sounds like a weird name, Master…" Cortana immediately quipped.
"Peter Parker's team calls themselves the Friendly Neighborhood Task Force of New York."
"Pfft! Alright… yep, that's definitely a 'Peter Parker' kind of name." Kagura scratched her head. "So… not something from the MCU. What about the other members?"
Cortana brought up a few more data charts.
"We're still gathering intelligence, but so far we've confirmed that the 'Friendly Neighborhood Task Force' includes Spider-Man, a female archer, and someone who appears to possess psychic abilities."
"Oh?" Kagura narrowed her eyes. "Now that's interesting…"
"So, Master, will you assist in the investigation?" Cortana asked. "Based on the analysis VEDA and I have completed"
"You're in the perfect position to approach Peter Parker, infiltrate the Friendly Neighborhood Task Force, and retrieve the intel we need."
"With that information, we can determine whether Peter's actions warrant any disciplinary or forceful measures."
She added, "Until then, Peter Parker remains one of the top candidates for the next generation of Avengers. We won't make any aggressive moves against him."
"Hmm, I get it." Kagura nodded. "This actually sounds like… a pretty fun mission!"
Besides, I need to start building up my QP from scratch again, don't I?
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[New Side Mission Unlocked]
[Investigate and Resolve Peter Parker's Current Activities / 10 QP]