First blood was drawn and not by Felix.
With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Felix swung through the chaos, dodging bullets with lightning-fast reflexes. A second glowing silver bullet pierced through his leg, sending a jolt of pain through his body. It wasn't a measly cut, the bullet had gone through entirely.
'Shit, I've been shot!' Out of amateur panic, his breath hitched and he let go of his webbing, slamming into a wall as a result. From an outside perspective, it appeared as though he purposely released the webbing to leverage the momentum and speed up. A millisecond of rest was offered to him but no more.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Handguns and machine guns went off, penetrating the wall around him. There was no time to dwell on the injury as he focused on evading the hail of gunfire raining down on him.
Thwip! Thwip! He shot out strands of webbing, using them to propel himself into the center of the room. High up, bullets following, every movement was calculated, every dodge a split-second decision as he swerved between the deadly glowing projectiles.
He went down, down, down and—slam! Landed feet-first into one of the two Inner Demon gangsters that had been prepared to bat up Officer Grimm. The guns suddenly stopped firing as they realized he was on the ground floor and they were at risk of friendly fire.
Thwip! Webbing attached to the second batter and with a pull the metal weapon collided against his head. Meanwhile, Officer Grimm, on his knees with his arms tied behind him, watched in wide-eyed astonishment at Spider-Man's miraculous appearance. The sight of the masked vigilante swooping in to save him filled him with a mixture of relief and awe.
On the walls were swords and katanas, and due to the high risk of friendly fire, the Inner Demons opted to go close range with those weapons. With swords and katanas flashing in the dim light, ten Inner Demon swordsmen closed in on Felix. Dodging and weaving with the grace of a seasoned acrobat, Felix evaded the razor-sharp blades that came at him from all angles. With each movement, he calculated his next step, his spider-like agility allowing him to stay one step ahead of his adversaries.
But he couldn't dodge forever. With a well-timed kick, Felix sent the first swordsman reeling, leaving him vulnerable to a punch that rendered him unconscious on the ground. Without missing a beat, Felix turned his attention to the next two swordsmen, using his speed and agility to get in close in a fraction of a second. With a flurry of punches and kicks, he quickly subdued the pair of adversaries, leaving them incapacitated beside each other.
His Spider-Sense tingled and he heard a gun go off. He jerked his head to the side and activated his web-shooters. The ball of webbing blocked the pistol and he followed up with webbing to the mouth and feet. Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Another handgun went off. He dodged with surprising ease. 'Machine guns are a no but pistols are good!' Moving on to the second gunman, Felix scanned his surroundings. 'Found it!'
Thwip! He accurately latched onto the wooden crate behind the gunman and pulled. Crash! The sudden weight and broken wooden pieces incapacitated his opponent.
More and more Inner Demons came downstairs. Everyone that was upstairs was now on the ground floor. The ten that became five were now filled back to twenty. They surrounded him in a wide circle, machine guns at the ready. No friendly fire would be happening.
Officer Grimm was just outside the circle of Inner Demons. A relief, because otherwise, Felix wouldn't be able to push himself like this. The concern would have been too much. Surrounded on all sides, Felix remained calm and focused, his senses heightened as he prepared to face the onslaught. 'Focus on your Spider-Sense. Come on. You can do this.'
Inhale, exhale. Inhale…exhale.
As the Inner Demons tightened their circle around him, machine guns at the ready, Felix knew he had to rely on his speed and Spider-Sense to evade the deadly barrage of bullets. According to Herbie, the amplified bullets travelled at close to Mach 5. As fast as the 220 Swift, the semi-rimmed rifle with the fastest velocity of a commercial bullet. There were five of these Mr. Negative-enhanced machine guns, to boot.
The Inner Demons were yelling at each other in Mandarin. Herbie translated in real time:
"Do we kill him?"
"Screw it, just do it!"
"But he's been dodging everything!"
"He won't dodge this!"
His Spider-Sense went off and he leaped into the air. As if time had slowed, he saw the bullets whizzing by his previous position. It had come directly from behind. His eyes scanned everything they could from this eagle eye view.
'Twenty—'
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Now eighteen. Still in the air, still in a state of slowed time and high alertness, he webbed himself to the second floor wall and stayed there for a chance to breathe and change modes. "Web Barrier Mode activated," Herbie announced.
Bullets soon followed him and he burst forward, dodging and weaving between the incoming bullets with uncanny precision. Floating above the circle of Inner Demons, he released a giant blanket of webbing and let it fall on them. Bullets managed to pierce through the webbing and Felix continued dodging until he landed on the closed front entrance of the warehouse.
Luckily, no bullet followed him afterward. The massive blanket of webbing was keeping everyone trapped and sticky. Triggers couldn't be pressed. If they could shoot, because of how they were lying down, they were at risk of injuring themselves or someone else.
"Phew." Felix jumped and flew over again, adding another layer of blanket-like webbing. Ten by ten by one and a half feet, the blanket would keep them down.
"Web cartridge at thirty-two percent," Herbie informed him.
'Yeah, creating two web barriers like that drained it. I should probably find out a more efficient way—'
"Wow, dude! You clobbered 'em!"
Oh, right, Officer Ben Grimm. The lack of a blue police hat revealed a chummy man with brown hair and a big grin. There were bruises on his cheek, a sign of abuse from the Inner Demons. On his knees, limbs bound, he waited for Felix to help him, which he did. He went behind and broke the thick rope as if it was a rubber band.
"Thanks, man! Phew, that shit was tight." Officer Grimm got up, rolling his wrist and his neck. He turned and cracked a smile. "Looks like I owe ya too! First kings, now cops!"
Felix gave a nod. 'Right, so should I address him as—'
"Ah, hold on. I heard from those guys that Mr. Negative is going to be here in fifteen minutes! We should investigate while we can!"
The groans and cries of the Inner Demons went on in the background. Officer Grimm ignored them and without explaining himself went up the stairs to the second floor. Getting off the stairs were a bunch of laptops and monitors. Much of it detailed Manhattan, its sewer system, and some other locations Felix was unable to identify but Herbie and Officer Grimm could.
"That's Grand Central," Officer Grimm said. "Hey—oh, you're on the wall. That's cool."
Felix thought it would be lame for his image if he was just standing so he crawled on the walls and craned his neck to see the screens.
"Anyway, this is vital info! From the looks of it, they were planning an attack in a week or two." Officer Grimm clenched his fists. "These gangsters sure are getting bold. They wanted me dead because I captured one of their guys during a deal with a mercenary. Want to guess who he was dealing with?" Silence. Officer Grimm awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "It was one of Crossbones' guys. For some reason, the Inner Demons are colluding with them! I mean, before we kinda had our suspicions because of the identical usage in EMPs but now it's confirmed."
'Crossbones is involved. I knew it.' Felix narrowed his eyes. He crawled elsewhere after noticing that they had ten minutes left. There were some shipments in the corner, large crates and boxes. On the lower level, he had used one to defeat a gunman.
While Felix was crawling, Officer Grimm jogged over. The symbol and lettering branded caused the two to tilt their heads.
"Li Shipments?" Officer Grimm's voice echoed like Felix's very own thoughts. "Never heard of it but it sounds official. Hm, I'm gonna text a guy, see if he knows."
Herbie already got to work and found the answers he wanted. A minute later, Officer Grimm recited the same information he had. "Martin Li runs Li Shipments. He's a billionaire philanthropist and bought these warehouses and sold them to another company."
Felix was reading a newspaper that Herbie had pulled up. 'Martin Li founded F.E.A.S.T: Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter and Training. He seems like a nice guy. No scandals, no nothing. Is it just a façade?'
Because there was only one conclusion that could come from this: either Martin Li was Mr. Negative or he was hugely affiliated with the Inner Demons. A Captain or more likely the Underboss. Either way, he needed to be investigated.
"I smell something fishy here. Do you?" Officer Grimm asked. Felix gave him a nod. "You don't talk, do ya? Well, that's fine by me. I doubt my superiors would like it if I was saved by a vigilante. Also…" He glanced at the front entrance and the echoing groans of the trapped Inner Demons. "We should skedaddle in case he arrives early."
"Detecting Mr. Negative's disruptive signature in nearby CCTV. Arrival estimate: three minutes."
Felix gave a nod and crawled towards the hole he made when he crashed in. Officer Grimm, meanwhile, ran downstairs and out the door. It was a fast, thirty-second long exit for the cop. Tasting the fresh sunset air, Felix stayed crouched on top of the warehouse, watching him run.
'Should I try to ambush Mr. Negative here and now? It's not like my injuries are bad. In fact…' He checked his arm and leg and found nothing. The suit automatically covered up the small wear and tear. It wasn't regeneration or anything; more like closing how a shape ship had emergency doors everywhere. 'He's conducting a drug operation and is planning to take over Grand Central too. If I don't act now, it might be too late.'
The drug operation would take longer to dismantle but by defeating the boss, long-term planning would dissipate. It was because of his inhumane powers that he was growing in the underground world. To stop him now meant—
"Loading…loading…judging by CCTV glitches, Mr. Negative's car had made an incorrect turn."
"Huh?"
"Mr. Negative is not arriving at the warehouse."
"Where the hell is he going then?" Felix asked.
"Unknown. Rather than Brooklyn Heights, he is in Brooklyn Downtown. Narrow streets make it easier to track him."
Every time Herbie pulled up footage, it would glitch and inevitably end. Despite being in a normal black, Mr. Negative's sheer presence was a huge deterrent to all things technology. Felix contemplated web-swinging over.
"Do I have the webbing necessary to go there?"
"Yes. Estimation: twenty-nine percent. He seems to be heading to Brooklyn Navy Yards."
"A yard…? Maybe Li Shipments has a huge stake in it?"
"Loading…loading…you are correct, Dr. Faeth."
Inhale, exhale. 'Calm down. I should try and avoid a fight with Mr. Negative for now. Information. Research. Preparation. If I want to find the traitor, I can't let myself get too battle-hungry. There's also a matter of my blood in the warehouse. I should clean that up as best I can.'
Without Detective Mode (because dammit, having it would be so useful right now), mopping up his blood required complete reliance on his sense of sight and smell. There wasn't much to clean up, so in a minute, he was able to wipe away all visible traces. And then Herbie said it:
"Mr. Negative's presence is certainly heading toward Brooklyn Navy Yards."
'Ugh, screw it, let's just spy on him for now.' Felix crawled out of the warehouse through the hole he made and leaped off, web-swinging into the city streets. Herbie was north of here and east of Manhattan Bridge.
It was Felix's first time going to downtown Brooklyn and he wished he wasn't here in costume. The area was quite scenic with new high rise condos and very, very walkable. The roads were small because it was all intended for walking. Crowded, noisy, and crazy, it was everything that Felix thought Brooklyn would be like. Sticking to the rooftops for the sake of avoiding phones and cameras forced him to take detours and gaze at the area a little longer. He was glad to do it. A Spider-Man perspective was very much different from a normal human perspective.
He caught a glimpse of the purple logo of the New York University Tandon School of Engineering and even the Brooklyn Borough Hall, Brooklyn's oldest public building. He wouldn't have known that tid-bit if it wasn't for Herbie. He was like a walking, talking fun-fact machine.
Unfortunately, all the fun in a mission like this had to come to an end. He went around Cadman Plaza Park, took a sharp right, and arrived at the Navy Yard. He blinked and stopped. A large ship was already at the bay. 'No wonder Herbie isn't picking anything up. Mr. Negative is in a big ass ship the size of a cruiser.'
Felix's instincts kicked into overdrive and he read the articles of information Herbie sent him. The Brooklyn Navy Yard was a massive industrial complex once serving in World War II as a source of navy ships. Nowadays, the local government ran it as a space for maritime industries, largely for commercial usage. In recent years, according to Herbie, Li Shipments became hugely involved in its development and usage. Felix was at Dock 72, running on the Ping Pong Table facility. A building that was rather long and served useful to stay hidden. At the end of the lengthy run, he stopped and crouched, observing the end of the dock. There was a ship, Mr. Negative, and a welcoming bald Japanese gentleman.
"That's definitely not a passenger ship," Felix commented in a low mutter.
"Affirmative. It is Ever After, a larger twin counterpart to Hudong-Zhonghu's Ever Alot. Ever After was built by Li Shipments and it is a cargo vessel among the largest in the world," Herbie explained. The schematics were laid out to him: 499.9 meters long and 71.5 meters wide. A green beast of a cargo vessel—and it was right in front of him.
Felix was lucky that the sun had come down and shadows were covering him. Otherwise, the men already on the ship might have noticed him. 'I have to get on though.' As soon as Mr. Negative disappeared into the ship, giving Herbie some breathing space. Surprisingly, Ever After didn't undock.
"They likely plan to take an hour-long break," Herbie said. "Wait a bit longer for the shadows to come down, then sneak inside."
Because of the way the ship was docked, the only way inside was through the front. Rather than wait and waste time, he considered circling to Pier C on the left and launching himself into the cargo ship. According to his own calculations, at full speed, it would take about thirty seconds. A smaller delay than waiting.
Which was what he ended up doing. He went from Dock 72 over to Brooklyn Clay Industries, then up north to Pier C. There were two buildings in between which Felix hopped and zipped over. He was mindful of his web-cartridge. If he ran out, then escaping would become tricky. Regardless, because of the sheer size of the cargo vessel, there was no need for an elaborate slingshot. The stack of red shipping containers counted up to eight. With a single thwip, he zip-lined over to the top and tip-toed to the edge, peering down.
"—isn't that right?"
'There they are…Mr. Negative and the baldy.' With his keen sense of hearing, he began to overhear the conversation. Gunmen scoured the vessel like sentinels in a video game searching for the protagonist. They didn't dare assume someone was watching up way on top of the large stack of shipping containers.
"I told you once and I'll say it again," said the baldy. "We of the Hand will not support your endeavors if you continue to be so brazen."
Mr. Negative snorted. "Do you think I care, Otomo? The Maggia and the Hand, just because you stick in the shadows doesn't mean I have to." Black and white oozed from every fibre of his being but Otomo was not intimidated.
"I've dealt with your kind before."
"No," Mr. Negative corrected. "You most certainly have not. Now, our deal. I have an operation to conduct in the coming future."
"Crossbones will not be happy," Otomo said.
Mr. Negative raised a crackling fist, then unclenched it, leaving sparks of black lightning. "Like I care. He's under your command. In my next operation, I expect him to participate."
"I will relay that message."
"You better." The threat hung in the air. The two men stood across from each other, still as statues, with three men flanking them. For Mr. Negative, it was three men in white Chinese men. For Otomo, they were…ninjas? Yes, that was exactly what they were, donning black garbs that hid everything, from gender to physique. Felix instinctively kept his heart still and his body very, very still. If they were ninjas, then he needed to be careful—
"Matt Murdock's second in command…now an advisor for the rising stars. Are you sure that's all?" Mr. Negative asked.
"We can spend all day stepping on each other's toes and go nowhere. Tell me, what are you implying?"
"Spider-Man," Mr. Negative said. "Who is he? Why is he here? How is he here?"
The bald Japanese man put his hands into the pockets of his black suit. "The Hand is investigating as we speak."
"No wonder." Then, out of nowhere, Mr. Negative glanced up at where Felix was. "Usually, you would have your men up on the roofs."
Luckily, Felix's Spider-Sense had warned him and he ducked. 'Did he catch me!? He didn't, right!? Breathe, breathe…breathe slowly…!'
"It's a delicate situation," Otomo said. His remark caused Mr. Negative's gaze to shift back. His Spider-Sense became calm again, but more importantly—
'Otomo! The Hand! The Maggia! They're behind the attack at Oscorp Tower! They hired Crossbones!' His heart was beating against his ribcage. This was it, this was what he was looking for. 'Give a name, give me a place, give me something!'
To find the traitor, to find their main base—something to cripple their plans! Anything!
"Norman Osborn is mine to kill." Mr. Negative snarled. "Whether this Spider-Man lives or dies means nothing to me. But if he gets in my way again, I will go after him and I expect full cooperation."
"Now that is something we can agree on. If you ever wish to kill Spider-Man…" Otomo extended a hand. "...the full force of the Maggia and the Hand will be on your side."
Oh. Oh shit.