Spider-Man of Earth 65

The investigation on Luke Cage did not turn up anything. His new girlfriend, Claire Temple, was a brilliant albeit ordinary medical professional that worked the ER at Metro-General and did part-time at a free clinic. A charitable type of woman who appeared to share the same values of hard-work and justice as Luke Cage.

However, it appeared that her need to work hard and help people led to a divorce with her childhood love, Bill Foster. In other words, she and Luke were in the same boat. They understood each other. And so, they fit.

Claire Temple was good for him. Her presence on social media was limited but had spiked ever since she began dating Luke Cage. Pictures of them going on picnics and having dates at mid-end restaurants. They were having fun. Smiling and hugging.

Luke seemed happy.

'Whatever it is that the NYPD wants him to die for, it's off the records,' Felix thought. And since Felix couldn't be Spider-Man, that meant he could only wait. Wait until the worst of it began.

'Either that or I ask Maria Hill. But honestly, as much as I trust her abilities, I don't trust her as a person. She told Luke where I lived for a couple hundred bucks. Although knowing her, she did it knowing that Luke wasn't out to hurt me. If it was the NYPD or SHIELD, I doubt she'd rat me out. But…' 

Felix drank his smoothie quietly.

'That might be my optimism talking. The fact that Maria slept with me so quickly is kind of a red-flag. I should keep a better eye on her.' 

Felix sat alone in the cafeteria. Every other employee sat in cliques and all that. Usually, he was accompanied either by Herbie in the form of the Advanced Glasses, Alistair, or—

"Mind if I join you, handsome?"

Czarina. This was on the rarer occasion when their breaks lined-up. 

He looked up to see the bombshell, her red hair cascading over her shoulders, a small smile on her lips. Felix gestured to the seat across from him.

"Be my guest," Felix said, watching as she gracefully slid into the chair.

Czarina leaned forward, her blouse dipping just enough to draw Felix's gaze momentarily. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Felix chuckled, meeting her emerald eyes. "Just another day of note-taking and testing. How about you? Keeping busy with the boys?

"Oh, you know how it is," Czarina replied, her voice low and smooth. "Lots of filing, lots of gossip." 

'I bet. Hard not to talk to you with those knockers,' he thought, his tone rather objective than pervy. 

Czarina twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "Speaking of gossip, I heard something interesting about Project Rebirth."

Felix raised an eyebrow, his guard going up despite Czarina's casual tone. He enjoyed their flirtatious banter, but he never quite let himself relax around her. Whether she was a part of SHIELD or not was yet to be confirmed. Something about Czarina in general always kept him on edge too, even as he found himself drawn to her.

She was hot but maybe, just maybe, she was too crazy. If she ended up being a serial killer, then no way was he touching her with a ten meter pole. If she was a vigilante, he was fine. A SHIELD agent? Probably not, too risky. 

The hot/crazy scale was real, people. 

"Is that so?" Felix asked, almost teasingly. "And what might that be?"

Czarina leaned in closer, her perfume wafting over him. "Word is, human testing is about to begin. Care to confirm or deny, Dr. Faeth?"

Felix laughed and shook his head. "Hold on, Czarina, you know I can't comment on ongoing projects. Confidentiality and all that."

Czarina licked her lips. "Not even a little hint? For me?"

"Especially not for you," Felix replied. "You're the walking red flag here." 

Czarina laughed, a rich, melodious sound that turned heads in the cafeteria. "Can't blame a girl for trying. Talks here are either confidential or fun."

True, true. Everybody was kinda up their own ass. Czarina herself wasn't the type to laugh often. Felix was glad that he earned that sound from her.

'Wait, could this just be a ploy to get closer to me?' 

First-world problems for vigilante superheroes. You never know who to trust and when to trust them. 

As they continued their lunch, the conversation drifted to lighter topics. Felix found himself, as always, both enjoying Czarina's company and analyzing her every word. She was the picture of calm collectedness, her movements graceful and deliberate, her words carefully chosen. It felt equally fake as it was real.

So strange.

"So, any exciting plans for the weekend?" Czarina asked, delicately dabbing her lips with a napkin.

Felix shrugged. "Nothing special. Probably just catch up on some work. You?"

"Oh, this and that," Czarina replied. "Maybe we could grab a drink sometime? I know this lovely little bar downtown."

'She asked me this before too…' 

Felix hesitated for a moment. Part of him wanted to accept, drawn in by Czarina's allure. But the cautious side of him, the side that wanted to work on his new Spider-Man suits, held him back.

"Maybe," Felix said noncommittally. "I'll have to check my schedule."

Czarina was seemingly unfazed by his hesitation. "Well, the offer stands. You know where to find me if you change your mind."

Lunch came to an end and they both stood to leave. Czarina brushed past Felix, her hand lightly touching his arm. "Always a pleasure, Felix. Don't work too hard, now."

Felix watched her go, admiring her graceful stride even and her heart-shaped ass. No wonder they hired her without checking deeply on her credentials. God damn was that black dress tight and sexy.

***

"Still nothing on Luke's predicament," Felix muttered. "And I doubt it's this. Doesn't hurt to check though."

Felix Faeth sat at Daxter Lab, eyes glued to the massive screen of the Fantastic Computer, his face illuminated with a pale blue light. His fingers tapped anxiously on the armrest of his chair.

What was he watching? The news. More specifically, a trial. 

Today was the day the verdict would be announced for Martin Li, also known as Mr. Negative. Felix had brought him to put him in cuffs months ago but that didn't mean he was behind bars permanently. There was a case to be had. A billionaire's influence couldn't be underestimated and shaken off.

Christine Everhart stood in front of the courthouse and was the one to deliver the live report.

"Today marks a significant chapter in the battle against organized crime in New York City," Christine Everhart said. "Martin Li, also known as Mr. Negative, has been found guilty on multiple counts of domestic terrorism, attempted murder, drug trafficking, and holding hostages during his attack on the Empire State Building. His trial has been one of the most high-profile cases in recent history."

The camera panned to the imposing courthouse. A huge crowd was gathered outside, a mix of reporters, onlookers, and law enforcement officers. Christine continued her report:

"Martin Li orchestrated a terrifying attack on the Empire State Building, where he held numerous VIP hostages and caused widespread panic. His actions as Mr. Negative included the attempted murder of several high-profile individuals, drug trafficking operations that spread across the city, and numerous instances of violent crime. During his battle with Spider-Man, an entire construction site was destroyed. It appears in an attempt to save the neighbouring building, a crane was wrapped in webs. Unfortunately, all this has still caused millions of dollars in damages."

The screen cut to footage of the damaged construction site. The crane was fixed and so was much of the outer appearance. But then the camera switched to a POV of the local wiring system. Mr. Negative had completely fried it. The chances of Wi-Fi or electricity seemed to be a faraway dream now. Felix winced slightly at the memory, recalling the huge lightning avatar, the lives he had saved that day, and the damn crane.

"Mr. Negative's actions have resulted in not only a lengthy prison sentence but also substantial financial penalties," Christine continued. "Today, Judge Harrison sentenced Martin Li to twenty-five years in prison with no chance of parole and ordered him to pay restitution amounting to fifty million dollars."

Twenty-five years. 

"Excuse me—what!?" Felix nearly stood up. "Shouldn't he get the life-sentence? Multiple life sentences!? What is this bogus!?"

And fifty million dollars, while a substantial amount, seemed almost trivial given Li's vast wealth!

The camera cut to Judge Harrison, who was delivering the final remarks. "Mr. Li, your actions have caused untold suffering and chaos in our city. Your wealth and influence will not shield you from justice. You will serve twenty-five years in a maximum-security prison, and you are ordered to pay fifty million dollars in restitution to the victims of your crimes."

Twenty-five years with no parole and fifty-million dollars. Being rich and having the best lawyers in the world really changed things, huh? 

Felix exhaled slowly, his fists clenched at his sides. "Twenty-five years and fifty million dollars," he muttered. "And I bet he's at Rikers Island. Hasn't that place been broken fifty million times?"

"Correction: a hundred and fifty. It has stood since the 1970s and is often referred to as the poster boy for criminal brutality. While the sentence may not be as severe as desired, it is a step towards justice. Martin Li's influence has been significantly diminished."

"In his case, it might just bolster his influence," Felix replied. "He's rich enough to own that place. Rikers Island…god, if they're going to send him somewhere, SHIELD should be involved. They might be pieces of shit but they're good at keeping things secure, that's for sure."

SHIELD attacking Spider-Man was never once reported or caught on the internet. That was how skilled the organization was. 

"It feels like a hollow victory. What's to stop him from resuming his activities from inside? If he uses his powers or his money and forcibly gains the network he needs?"

Herbie paused for a moment, processing. "I have analyzed the list of criminals through the NYPD database. Your theory may be correct."

Felix put a hand to his head. 

"First I can't find what's happening with Luke, now this…"

Felix sighed again before turning his attention fully to the computer. "If I can't be Spider-Man, then it's time I go all-in for detective work. Herbie, bring up this month's crime statistics. No ninjas, Maggia, no Inner Demons, no Mr. Negative, and no Otomo either. I bet something has changed."

Herbie accessed real-time data feeds from various law enforcement agencies and city surveillance systems. He focused on specific areas: Harlem, Chinatown, the Financial District, and the Bronx.

"Okay, Harlem first," he muttered to himself. The screen displayed a bar graph showing a noticeable decrease in violent crime, down by 20% over the past few months. Drug-related incidents had also dropped by 15%.

"Just as I expected," Felix noted. "Now, let's check Chinatown."

As he pulled up the statistics for Chinatown, his brow furrowed. The numbers had remained surprisingly steady, with only a minor 5% reduction in overall crime. It was odd, considering Martin Li's stronghold had been dismantled.

"Something's not right here," Felix said, leaning closer to the screen. "With Mr. Negative gone, there should've been a more significant drop."

Felix then shifted his focus to the Financial District and the Bronx. The Financial District showed a 10% decrease in white-collar crime but an unusual 8% rise in street-level crime. The Bronx had a 12% decrease in gang-related violence but a 7% increase in petty thefts and burglaries.

"These numbers don't add up," Felix mused. "Crime is down overall, but certain areas are seeing unexpected spikes."

Felix accessed another layer of data, this time focusing on communications. He had managed to hack into the phones of several Oscorp executives a while back and had not let go of his hold on their phones. 

"The Financial District is the playground for these guys. There's a good chance they might know something."

One particular thread caught his eye—a series of messages between two high-level executives discussing a new player in the criminal underworld. One was Mark Raxton, the Head of Security. He was reporting to David Lowell, a scientist and the newest of executives. 

> Mark Raxton: There's just no finding it.

> David Lowell: ARe you kidding me!? 

> David Lowell: So…waht? It's true then?

> Mark Raxton: I believe so.

> Mark Raxton: It has to be the Big Man.

"The Big Man?" Felix repeated, tilting his head. "Interesting." He scrolled all the way down. It appeared that much of their conversation had been done in-person, not by text. But there was one text that gave enough to give a big picture.

> Mark Raxton: It's too clean, sir. It's like a ghost.

A ghost had entered one of David Lowell's homes. A ghost had taken something. 

"The Big Man had ordered it," Felix muttered. "Herbie, I want CCTVs now. I think we're going to be doing a little stakeout. Grab me a beer and some chips. Okay, maybe not the beer, just some water."

A private stakeout where he sat in the confines of his lab and just watched and listened. With his enhanced senses, he could pick out the voices in the thousands of CCTVs. 

"Yeah, the Big Man—"

"The Big Man planned—"

"Hammerhead is his lackey—"

"You don't know what—"

Whispers. Hushes. Fear.

They did not speak of him in the same way they did Mr. Negative and Martin Li. Even Otomo was not treated this way.

"Hammerhead was once Maggia—"

'Oh?' 

"So of course he's the new head. There's no one else after Otomo."

Hammerhead was the Big Man's lackey. Hammerhead, who Felix accidentally snuffed out of a deal with Elektra, the greatest EMP maker in the western hemisphere. 

"So I accidentally ruined one of the Big Man's plans. After all, the type of EMPs that Elektra makes is expensive and rare. Speaking of Elektra…"

On cue, Herbie switched to her apartment.

"She moved out. Since I stole the EMPs, Hammerhead must think she scammed him. He's on the hunt for her."

So the woman half-responsible for the shut-down of Oscorp Tower was having trouble. Good.

As for the common criminals, Felix continued to listen in. The moon rose and fell outside. He listened for hours upon hours, being detailed how this "Big Man" was consolidating power, using former Maggia enforcer Hammerhead to unify various criminal factions under his command. There were small mentions of Chinatown remaining stable because The Big Man had already established control there, ensuring a smooth transition from the Inner Demons' regime.

Sunrise arrived. 

So much listening, so much eavesdropping, so much information.

Felix leaned back in his chair, piecing together the puzzle. "So, that's why Chinatown hasn't changed. The Big Man stepped in as soon as Li was out of the picture. And those crime spikes in the Financial District and the Bronx—it's something new. He's stealing from the rich for some reason. Probably black mailing them too."

He brought up a map of New York, overlaying the crime statistics with known Maggia territories. The pattern was clear: The Big Man was methodically taking over, filling the void left by the Hand and Inner Demons' collapse.

"Is it possible that the Big Man was behind the executives' decision to help the NYPD with hunting Spider-Man?" Felix went into a thinking pose, fingers stroking his chin. "If that's the case, then this Big Man is more dangerous than I thought."

Felix stood up, pacing the lab and thinking. 

Project S.S.S…

Luke Cage...

The Oscorp executives…

Hammerhead…

And then this mysterious Big Man. 

"He fits the bill," Felix muttered. "This Big Man…he could have been the one that told Otomo to hire Crossbones. One of his people could be the spy. He has the resources and influence, and most importantly, he has the shadows. The discreteness."

Felix stopped and glanced at the robotic Herbie. While Felix was investigating, the little guy was building pods into the wall to contain his new suits. The four of them, with the exception of the Big Time suit, were in their skeleton phase. 

"I need to get more information. Hammerhead's my best lead, but I can't just go in blind. Three weeks…three weeks until I can be Spider-Man again."

Three weeks until he could act in his fullest capacity.