The night air was still thick with the acrid smell of smoke and burning debris. The factory continued to burn behind Felix and Eleanor as the mushroom cloud, born from the explosion, hung in the sky like a dark omen. It hadn't dissipated, its form dominating the horizon, while firefighters rushed inside the factory. Helicopters whizzed above, circling like vultures as news vans screeched to a halt nearby, reporters rushing out to capture footage of the disaster.
Felix stood far back, his clothes singed and dirty, his Spider-Sense still buzzing. His eyes tracked Eleanor who had been guided back to her car some feet away. A sleek, black car where her bodyguards had already assembled. Her face was still pale, streaked with soot, but she carried herself with that same poised grace as before. Despite the chaos swirling around them, she remained composed—until she turned to Felix.
Her eyes softened and she jogged to him. Tension and fear swirling every look and step. "Felix, I—" She hesitated, glancing toward her bodyguards, who had already opened the car door, urging her inside. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done. I owe you my life. I'll never forget this."
Felix gave a small nod, his pulse still racing, his Spider-Sense still buzzing. "I just did what anyone else would have done."
A thankful smile tugged at the corner of Eleanor's lips. "No," she said softly, her voice barely audible over the sirens and chaos around them. "Not everyone would have done what you did."
One of the bodyguards cleared his throat. "Mrs. Bishop, we need to go now."
Eleanor sighed, casting a quick glance at the car. She turned back to Felix, eyes scanning his dirt-covered face. "Come with us," Eleanor said. "You can't stay here. You shouldn't. It's dangerous."
The bodyguards exchanged wary glances, clearly not keen on the idea, but Eleanor's resolve was strong. "He saved my life," she said, her tone brooking no argument. "We are not leaving without him."
The bodyguards looked at each other for a moment before one of them relented with a terse nod. Felix, a little taken aback by her insistence, wasn't about to refuse the offer. He glanced back at the smoldering wreckage of the factory, the firefighters charging into the flames, and nodded to Eleanor.
'I'm sure Yelena is watching. For the sake of the mission, I should accept.'
"All right," he agreed.
They were quickly ushered into the backseat of the luxurious black car, the interior cool and silent, a stark contrast to the noise and heat outside. The Advanced Glasses were malfunctioning and unable to supply information. Felix was no idiot though. These windows and the metal of the car, it was all explosion and bullet proof. The door shut with a loud thud, and they pulled away from the scene of destruction.
As they drove through the chaotic streets, Felix looked out the tinted windows, watching as the mushroom cloud continued to hang ominously over the city.
Ambulances raced past them, lights flashing, while injured people were rushed away on stretchers, their faces grim with pain.
So much happened and Felix couldn't help but question who did it. Who caused this massive explosion.
The silence in the car was heavy, broken only by the faint hum of the engine. Eleanor sat beside him, her hands folded tightly in her lap, her eyes fixed on the window. Despite her outward calm, Felix could feel the tension radiating off her in waves.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they pulled into the underground parking lot of the St. Regis Hotel, one of the most opulent hotels in Manhattan. The sleek marble floors gleamed under the bright lights, and the staff moved with the precision of a well-oiled machine. Felix had heard of the St. Regis—its penthouses were legendary, known for their luxury and exclusivity, and his father stayed there once for a meeting.
Felix and Eleanor were escorted to the top floor via the elevator. The doors opened to reveal a living space as extravagant as any other he had seen. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city skyline, the lights twinkling like stars against the backdrop of the dark sky. The furniture was modern and elegant, all sleek lines and neutral tones, while a chandelier hung above.
'Wow. This penthouse is almost as big as Shuri's.'
Eleanor walked in first and sat down on the sofa. A glass of wine was served to her by one of her body guards. Eleanor then shooed him away.
She drank, sighed, and let the glass hang between her fingers. She turned to Felix, her expression softening once again. "I have to call my daughter, Kate," she said. "She'll want to know that I'm all right."
Felix nodded. "Of course. I will…"
"Use the shower, please," Eleanor suggested. "I will have clothes prepared for you."
Felix did just that, disappeared into the adjoining bathroom, shutting the door behind him. The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of the penthouse, with a massive glass shower, heated marble floors, and a view of the city that would have taken his breath away if he wasn't so focused on what happened.
He took off his Advanced Glasses. 'No amount of black lightning is going to fix this. I'll need to go back to the lab and get the materials.'
But how? Before this, he had buffed the durability of the Advanced Glasses, so what happened? What could possibly have affected it to the point of total malfunction? Some soot and rocks would have been insufficient.
He stripped himself of his clothes. The hot water hit his skin, washing away the grime and soot from the explosion, but his mind was elsewhere.
'Think, think. What caused the explosion? Why did the Advanced Glasses malfunction? And was it a coincidence that it happened right after I found a corpse?'
That would imply someone saw him and Ashley. But who could possibly sneak up on Felix? His Spider-Sense would alert him.
'Aaron Davis was all the way on the other side of the street using binoculars and I still sensed him. Who could slip past that? There's just no way. The Advanced Glasses too, at that point, it was operational. It should have hacked the local cameras and kept watch.'
"So what the hell happened? Was the explosion a coincidence? Or did somebody really blow up the factory because we found the body?"
This world was simply too great a mystery to solve. Whatever evidence there might have been was gone now.
Through the sound of the running water, Felix could hear Eleanor on the phone in the next room. His heightened senses, the ones granted to him through the bite of that fateful spider, made it impossible to ignore.
"Kate, I'm fine," Eleanor was saying, her voice muffled but clear enough for Felix to hear. "No, no—I'm fine. Really. I... I wasn't alone. A young man, Felix, he saved me."
There was a pause as Eleanor listened to her daughter on the other end. Felix stood still under the stream of water.
"No, he's here," Eleanor continued. "I had him come with me... Yes, you should come by. I'll send the driver to get you."
Felix shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist as he exited the bathroom. As he walked into the main room, Eleanor looked up at him from her phone conversation, and for a split second, her composure faltered. Her cheeks flushed a light pink, and she quickly averted her gaze, clearing her throat.
"I, uh, had some fresh clothes brought for you and was about to hand them over too," Eleanor said, nodding toward a neatly folded stack of clothes on the armchair near the bed. "They should fit."
'Please don't blame me, blame Maria.'
"Thanks," Felix replied casually, glancing at the clothes. He moved to the armchair and went back to the bathroom to change. Once he was dressed, he came back out. Eleanor had ended the call and turned back to face him, her blush gone.
"My daughter will be here soon," Eleanor said, her tone businesslike again. "I'm going to take a shower myself. Feel free to make yourself at home."
She disappeared into the bathroom, and Felix sat down on the plush sofa, his mind still racing from the night's events. He couldn't shake the image of the mushroom cloud, the destruction of the factory, and the burning question of what had caused it all. But he pushed those thoughts aside as Eleanor emerged from the shower, dressed in a silk robe, her damp hair falling loosely around her shoulders.
They sat across from each other, the air between them more relaxed now that they were safe. After a moment, Eleanor broke the silence.
"Felix," Eleanor began, her voice softer now, "I didn't know you were involved in so much. Besides being a scientist at Oscorp, I mean."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"FEAST," Eleanor said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. "I remember when it was Martin Li's charity. Now I hear you're running it?"
'Ah, she had her people do a quick background check on me. Impressive.'
Felix smiled faintly, leaning back against the cushions. "Yeah, I took over after... well, after things went south with Li. It's been a big part of my life. Helping people, especially in the city—it's important to me."
Eleanor's expression softened, and she nodded thoughtfully. "That's impressive. You're not much older than my daughter, I believe."
"Twenty-five years of age," Felix confirmed.
"You're quite the genius then," Eleanor remarked. "Running a charity, working for Oscorp... I'm surprised Harry Osborn hasn't tried to steal you away for his personal projects."
'Personal projects meaning the Emily-Peter Foundation.'
Felix chuckled. "You exaggerated."
Eleanor smiled at that, but her expression grew serious again. "Kate will be here soon. You'll meet her—she's very protective of me. But I think you two will get along."
Felix hesitated. "I can give you both some space when she gets here. You know, if you want."
Eleanor shook her head. "No. You saved my life, Felix. You deserve to be here. Kate will want to thank you too."
A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened and Eleanor's face brightened. Walking in, she wore a sleek black coat, her dark hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Felix, but she quickly covered her surprise with a bright smile.
"Mom!" Kate exclaimed, running over to embrace Eleanor, "I was so worried! T-there was an explosion, I heard, and, and…"
"I'm fine, Katie," Eleanor reassured her, pulling back to look her daughter in the eyes.
"What even happened? Like seriously, what kind of factory just blows up when people are there!"
"I…" Eleanor didn't know. "Look, all that matters is that I'm safe. You see that young man over there? He saved me."
Kate turned her attention to Felix. There was a flicker of surprise and understanding. Sure, he probably did it for the sake of the mission but she was genuinely thankful too.
"Thank you. Uh…"
"Felix," Felix supplied.
"Thank you," Kate said, smiling. Together, the mother and daughter crossed the room and sat on the sofa. "Thank you, Felix. Really. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been there."
Felix shrugged, trying to play it down. "Just glad I could help."
Kate's gaze lingered on him, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. To gain Eleanor's trust and get closer to Club Scorpion—neither of them expected it to go this well. Felix would keep playing his part, and Kate would play hers.
"Ah, food is coming soon," said Kate. "I hope you don't mind, Mom."
"Anything you order is fine with me." Eleanor smiled and shooed the bodyguards that had been standing near the elevator. This was a private matter.
***
After dinner or lunch or whatever it was, Kate looked him right in the eye. Eleanor was outside, busy with a phone call. She had been receiving dozens of them from work friends and executives. She was, after all, a CEO and news of the incident had spread like wildfire.
"What the hell happened?" Kate asked in a hush.
"I have no clue," Felix admitted.
"None at all?"
"None. Even as an Oscorp employee, I have no clue who or what caused the factory to blow up—or that it had a self-destruct sequence in the first place."
"Shit…" Kate leaned back and crossed her arms. "Your friend Aaron Davis got scared when the camera thing on you broke. He left with Yelena if you're concerned for him."
"Oh, that's good." Honestly, he had forgotten about Aaron Davis. He was too neck deep thinking about everything else to remember. "Haa…man, I was worried. Me, your mother, Aaron…I didn't think in a million years that that would happen."
Kate was silent for a moment. "Thank you for going out of your way to save her. I know you probably did it because of the mission and…I know after this, we'll have to arrest her, but…"
"You don't have to say anything," Felix said. "I get it. I…" He exhaled loudly. "I don't like to admit this but my dad was a piece of shit. I hated him. But…would I want him to die? No. I don't know why but it just is. It's not about blood, I guess…it's about the time I've spent. The good, the bad, and the precious few."
Kate looked down at the table and the food that was spread. "Because of her, I had a roof over my head. I ate comfortably. I could do what I want and do it while knowing she would support me. That doesn't change the fact that she's a criminal but…she did help me ride my first bicycle. Buy me my first bow. Encourage me when I felt like giving up."
Almost every time he studied, his dad snapped and raged. Any minor mistake was caught and fervently exposed. Every time Felix felt like a winner, his dad made him feel the opposite; a complete failure. So Felix kept trying until he had no choice but to accept he was a success.
But when it came to men like his dad, success was just an excuse to be a piece of shit. To drink, to yell at him and his mom because he himself wasn't where he wanted to be. His great lifelong thesis was rejected. The higher-ups of Stark Industries wouldn't promote him. To top it all off, his mom was much smarter than him.
So in that respect, what Kate said did not resonate with him. The good memories that he had with his dad were far and between: when he was young, his dad got promoted and he took them out for ice cream; another time Felix won the science fair and he gifted him the new Need for Speed game; the last time was when Felix was sixteen and he pointed out a huge flaw in his work. That last one earned him a smile and a pat on the back.
'The good, the bad, and the precious few.' Felix snorted in his head. The only good in him was his loyalty to his family. Remember when Felix called the cops on him? After the cops left, his dad did not hit him. He just laughed, ripped up his homework, and grabbed him by the collar to tell him to never do that again.
Then he set him down and went on with his day.
"Felix?" Kate asked. "Are you okay?"
"Sorry, just thinking." Felix forced a smile. He glanced at Eleanor who was still outside. He leaned in and asked, "What's our next move?"
"Yelena said she and Aaron are going to do a stakeout and find out what happened. This whole thing could be unrelated but on the off-chance it's not…" Kate trailed off, her throat bobbing. "Plus, my mom almost died. I have to know what happened."
'Me too, Kate Bishop. Me too.'
***
Beep!
The small apartment in Flushing was quiet, save for the distant hum of traffic outside the cracked-open window. It was a modest place—barely furnished, with simple furniture and an old television in the corner. The light was dim, casting long shadows on the walls. At the center of the room, seated on a threadbare couch, was a figure, her legs crossed, a sleek phone held casually to her ear.
Ashley leaned back against the worn cushions, her free hand playing absentmindedly with a lock of her stark white hair. Her gaze was unfocused, her eyes distant as she listened to the voice on the other end of the call.
"You did not say anything about an explosion," she said, a sharp edge threaded through her words. "That wasn't part of the plan."
"I don't know what to say either."
Ashley's lips twitched, a barely contained scoff forming. "You don't know? A full-blown factory explosion and you don't know?" She shook her head, the tension in her shoulders betraying her annoyance. "I came for information, not a war zone. What happened wasn't part of my deal."
"You're still alive, Black Cat. And the mission was completed."
"Yeah, because I'm good at what I do," she shot back. "But I expect a bonus for that mess."
There was another pause on the other end of the line. She could hear a soft clicking, like someone tapping a pen or drumming fingers on a desk. After a moment, the voice replied, "Is that how this works?"
Black Cat's eyes narrowed, her grip on the phone tightening just slightly. "What you asked for, it has been completed."
"Yes, technically speaking, the spiders were eradicated," the voice replied smoothly. "But is that deserving of a bonus?"
She exhaled sharply. "You never gave me the full details on much of anything."
"The blueprints and uniform weren't enough? I thought you were a specialist."
"I was told this would be quick and easy, and yet, on the night of my infiltration, it's become nation news. In my line work, that doesn't sound right."
"Fine. You will get your bonus. You earned it. The explosion... was unexpected and you did make it out while doing what I asked."
She bristled at the tone, but kept herself smiling. "Lovely. Glad we could get that off our whiskers."
"Agreed. You've proven yourself once again, and trust is... important. You'll get your bonus tomorrow. And I'll be in touch."
The line went dead with a soft click.