Chapter 192: Black Cat

Location: Abandoned Warehouse

Walking in slow circles, the lieutenant stopped when he heard footsteps approaching.

He moved toward the sound with his weapon drawn.

Only two people used this warehouse, and one of them had been the one to call him. The other was himself. He knew the caller could not have arrived this quickly, leaving him with only one logical conclusion.

The footsteps belonged to someone else.

He raised his pistol toward the source, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Then the footsteps stopped.

He tensed.

A figure burst from the shadows toward him, prompting him to fire. The stranger dodged the shot and delivered a kick that sent him crashing to the floor.

"Argh!"

Recovering quickly, he aimed his pistol once more.

"Who are you?!"

"Oh? Are you a police officer?"

A woman’s voice answered as the figure stepped into view.

"My apologies. I thought someone had kidnapped you and brought you here."

"Sigh... How did you reach that conclusion?"

He lowered his weapon.

"Well, there is a tracker on you, and trackers are usually placed for a reason."

Her voice was dry and matter-of-fact, devoid of hidden meaning. Her expression remained cold and detached.

"You two would get along wonderfully," Dan said, remembering someone else who spoke in much the same way, except his voice was hoarser, drier, and even colder.

"You could get into serious trouble for placing a tracker on a police officer. You are lucky it was me and not someone else. I am unusually tolerant in situations like this."

"I know. But it was necessary to complete my mission."

"Anyway, why were you looking for me?"

"I found a lead on the thief, Lieutenant," she replied bluntly. "I would like the New York Police Department to assist me in locating him."

She would have preferred to handle it alone, but she had traveled here as quickly as possible and had not brought all of her equipment.

"Good. We already have one detail about him. That narrows the list considerably," Dan replied tersely.

Just as the woman was about to continue, another voice interrupted her.

Instantly, she drew both pistols and aimed them toward the source, every muscle in her body tensing.

If she, an elite operative trained by the very best, had failed to notice someone approaching, then that individual was genuinely dangerous.

"Recklessness," Spider-Man said flatly, his cold gaze fixed on the person responsible for the recent property damage and the unnecessary risk to innocent civilians.

"You are fortunate," he continued, addressing the woman in a controlled yet irritated tone, "that there were no casualties. Only minor property damage."

Before the situation could escalate further, Dan stepped between them.

"Stop. He is an ally."

Silver studied Spider-Man carefully, her expression remaining guarded.

After a moment, she gave Dan a curt nod and holstered both pistols.

Dan quietly sighed in relief.

"Spider-Man, allow me to introduce—"

"Silver Sablinova. Queen of Symkaria and rival of Doom, King of Latveria," Spider-Man said.

She frowned.

"I know who she is."

"I prefer Silver Sable while I am working."

"And I would prefer that you did not operate in my city without informing me first."

Sensing the conversation rapidly deteriorating, Dan quickly intervened.

"She is looking for someone who stole some jewelry."

"The thief," Silver corrected. "I know who he is, but I cannot locate him alone."

"What do you know about this thief?" Spider-Man asked.

"Only his alias. Black Fox. He recently stole several jewels from Symkaria. I believe there is an imitator operating here, but this one is inexperienced."

Spider-Man gave her a brief analytical glance.

Short silver-gray hair, with the right side partially covering one eye.

A white trench coat over a fitted uniform of the same color.

Twin pistols secured in thigh holsters.

"That is why we need your help," Dan said.

"Shall we proceed?" Silver asked.

"Silver, please. He is considerably more than just a masked vigilante," Dan replied, rubbing his temples.

Silver watched Spider-Man analyze everything around him without seeming to blink.

"I respect your official judgment, Lieutenant, but make sure you do not interfere," she told Spider-Man. "I will not be pleasant about it."

"Interesting words from someone who has been under a sniper’s sights all evening without ever realizing it."

He turned to leave but suddenly noticed a red laser dot resting on Silver’s forehead.

She immediately stiffened and looked at him.

"I am going after someone who has information more valuable than a mere alias."

He looked toward Dan.

"Stay here."

"Wai—"

Silver turned around.

He was already gone.

The laser sight disappeared with him.

She slowly turned back toward Dan.

"First time?" he asked with an amused smile.

He had long since grown accustomed to the masked vigilante’s silent entrances and exits.

More than once, he had wondered whether the man could teleport.

"You get used to it. It is almost as if he was trained by ninjas... or by some league of silent assassins. You never actually see him leave. You blink, and he is gone."

Silver considered the comparison.

It was not unreasonable.

Training like that would explain why she had neither heard nor sensed him approaching.

The realization that he could have neutralized her at any point without warning sparked a reluctant yet genuine interest.

"While he is making his way back, let us hope something along the route distracts him for a few minutes," Dan said before walking over to an old chair and sitting down.

Seeing the lieutenant settle in, Silver took out her phone and began searching for everything she could find about Spider-Man.

Within only a few minutes, she discovered considerably more than she had expected.

....

Felicia Sara Hardy collapsed onto her bed and buried her face in the pillow, letting out a muffled cry of frustration.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

She cursed the drones that had attacked her.

Because of them, she had missed an incredible opportunity.

Whoever had sent them would pay dearly for the inconvenience.

"Black Cat."

Felicia sprang off the bed like a startled cat the instant a voice echoed through her room.

"Who is there?!" she shouted, instinctively raising her hands into a defensive stance.

Thump. Thump.

A small sphere rolled across the floor after being kicked.

Before she could react, it deployed into a net that wrapped around her and pulled her to the ground.

"What the hell?!"

She looked toward the source.

The moment she saw the most dangerous masked arachnid in New York standing there, she froze.

Her heart pounded so violently it felt as though it were trying to burst from her chest.

"Scared, Kitty? Did you see Death?" he asked.

He slowly opened one hand, revealing retractable silver claws.

Felicia instinctively recoiled.

"Behave yourself, and nothing bad will happen, Felicia Hardy."

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