Spider-Man of Earth 65

Miles' Uncle Aaron. The kid mentioned him once or twice during their gaming sessions. He was very much a part of Miles' life up until the Kingpin incident. 

According to the NYPD files, many officers theorized that the arrest of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, was orchestrated by Matt Murdock. There was no hard proof for it but it was often mentioned as a side-note. Wilson Fisk was arrested by Captain George Stacy but the lead-up to that point was violent and chaotic. Safes were discovered and betrayal ran rampant.

That was when Jefferson Davis' betrayal occurred. During an investigation, a shoot-out broke out. And during that shoot-out, he stole the Kingpin's riches and disappeared. Years later, Jefferson Davis reappeared as the Scorpion; as the head of a secret black market called Club Scorpions. 

The sheer amount of profit from the black market ring was estimated to be in the millions. The Scorpion was no longer a cop in any sense, he was a criminal.

But one day, Gwen Stacy caught and jailed him. Gwen Stacy, the great Spider-Woman, who accomplished the impossible.

Until the Scorpion broke out and disappeared again. Now, the NYPD had no clue where he was, whether Club Scorpion was still operational, or if Jefferson Davis was still in the country. All this information was top-secret. Only the commissioner and the select the spies that had been sent to Club Scorpion were aware of Jefferson Davis and his heinous crimes.

To the public, there was nothing. No report that Jefferson Davis the Scorpion was arrested. No word to Rio or her family that he was in fact alive and not killed during the shoot-out.

"You're telling me that Jefferson Davis, Rio's husband and Miles' father…shot you?" Felix did a double-take. "For what, for fun?"

"It's the truth!"

So that day, Aaron was shot? Felix believed it.

"How did you recover?"

"I…I was wearing a bullet-proof vest! The bullet was deep but it didn't penetrate any organs!"

Felix squinted. 'He's lying. There's nothing wrong with his explanation but I can feel he's lying.'

There was more to this story. But what?

"He was an honest man and an honest cop. Why shoot you?" Felix knew it was a lie. He knew that Jefferson Davis was a criminal but he had a part to play.

Felix had to figure this out. Where was Jefferson Davis? How did he disappear? Why the sudden betrayal when he had a wife and kid? There was a mystery afoot and Felix planned to solve it.

"Look, you're just some guy—"

Felix pushed him deeper into the wall, one hand pressing and the other touching the pocket outlining his phone. "Some guy is keeping you from being arrested."

A haggard exhale. "Fine. Look, he runs a black market ring. He's dangerous. Powerful. Especially since Martin Li is gone, crime is bubbling like a volcano."

"Isn't Spider-Man around to stop them?" Felix prodded.

"Spider-Man." Aaron clicked his tongue. "Yes, everyone is scared shitless of him. But from what I hear, he's not like the old one. He doesn't go on patrols as often. He keeps to the shadows and hunts crime. But I doubt you know this, but when a big shadow like him appears, smaller shadows can co-exist and hide."

In other words, criminals were aware of him and conducting their crimes in total secrecy. Unless he was willing to plant a camera at every alleyway in New York, stopping it was impossible.

"You sure know a lot," Felix noted.

"I'm a former cop, of course I know a lot," Aaron said a little too quickly.

Yep, he was hiding something.

'His profile mentioned the Prowler. Maybe…' 

"So this club," Felix said. "You want to find it by stalking Rio?"

"That Jefferson would go back to Rio so that I could follow him. That's all! But I'm dead. I can't just reveal myself. Not yet."

"Until what?"

"...that's none of your business."

To kill Jefferson? Was that his goal?

Felix had to pretend he was a normal person being concerned over Rio. Nothing more, nothing less.

"As long as you're not here to hurt Rio…"

"I'm not," Aaron insisted. "I'm not here to hurt her."

Slowly, he released him, stepping back but staying on guard. Aaron rubbed his wrist where Felix had held him. 

"You're damn strong."

"Try getting into karate," Felix replied.

"Hm. Look, you probably don't get it, but I have to find Jefferson, even if it costs me my life." Aaron's gaze drifted to the FEAST building. He clenched his fist tightly. "This isn't just about me. Can you…I know I'm asking a lot, but can you not tell Rio?"

Felix sighed. "You're a dead man walking, how would I even convince her you're alive?"

Aaron barked out a chuckle. "Yeah, fair. But seriously, don't tell her. Not a word."

"Or else what?" Felix crossed his arms. "I don't know what you do but it's nothing compared to the power of karate."

"What, you train under Mr. Miyagi or something?"

"...something like that."

"I'm not here to hurt you. Shit, man, it's the opposite." Creases of stress lined his forehead and a hand rubbed the back of his head as he clicked his tongue again. "But getting you to believe me is impossible, right?"

"Right."

Aaron locked eyes with Felix, before sighing. "I'll go now."

Felix didn't say a word and let him go. A minute later, Aaron Davis was far, far away. Immediately, Felix tapped at his glasses.

TRACKING AARON DAVIS NOW. 

"Perfect. I want to know where he's going and why."

Felix returned to the Harlem FEAST center, shaking off the tension from his encounter with Aaron Davis. The lively atmosphere of the center greeted him warmly, a stark contrast to the shadowy alleyway he had just left behind. Volunteers were still bustling about, setting up tables and preparing the evening meal, their energy infectious. Felix scanned the room, searching for Rio, and quickly spotted her talking to Gloria by the donation bins.

Before heading over, Herbie sent out a series of graphs and messages.

DR. FAETH, I HAVE JUST UPDATED YOUR PORTFOLIO. YOUR STOCK INVESTMENTS HAVE SEEN A POSITIVE INCREASE OF 3.7% TODAY, AND YOUR TOTAL ASSETS NOW EXCEED $30 MILLION. I'VE ALSO NOTED THAT THE OVERALL MARKET HAS BEEN QUITE FAVORABLE RECENTLY. ADDITIONALLY, YOUR PHILANTHROPIC FUND ALLOCATIONS ARE ON TRACK FOR THE NEXT QUARTER.

Felix smiled to himself, appreciating the good news. "Thanks," he whispered while walking. "Keep monitoring it, and let me know if anything significant changes."

Felix reached Rio and Gloria, who were deep in conversation. Rio noticed him first and smiled. "Hey, there you are! Long bathroom break, huh?"

"Sorry, I'm all good now," Felix replied, his demeanor relaxed. "Had a call to take care of. How's it going here?"

Gloria glanced at him, her face now more familiar with the man standing before her. "We're about to bring dinner, so…thank you. This wouldn't be possible without you."

Felix grinned, genuinely pleased by the compliment. "I'm just glad to be here. Anything else that needs doing?"

Rio shook her head. "We're almost done for the day. The last of the supplies are being sorted, and the kitchen's nearly ready to serve dinner. You've done plenty."

Felix looked around at the bustling center, taking in the scene. It felt good to be here, to see the impact he was making firsthand. But he knew he had other responsibilities waiting for him.

"I'm going to have to head out soon," Felix said, turning to Rio. "But I'll be back. This place is important to me. And like I said, give me a couple of months, and we'll have this place running even better than before."

Without Martin Li's influence here, the cost of goods and services in certain sectors, specifically Chinatown, had increased notably. This included many of the supplies needed to run FEAST. Felix guessed that it was going to take two or three months for FEAST to be the powerhouse charity it used to be. Tainted by Martin LI, its PR was in the mud and investors and the city itself appeared uninterested in helping.

Helping those that couldn't help themselves was what he did. Spider-Man, Felix Faeth, it didn't matter.

Rio smiled warmly. "I know you will, Felix. FEAST is lucky to have you. And I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

Felix returned the smile. "The feeling's mutual, Rio." He glanced outside, where the evening sky was beginning to darken.

"I should get going," Felix said, breaking the silence. "But I'll be in touch."

Rio nodded. "Take care of yourself, Felix. And don't be a stranger."

With a final smile, Felix stepped outside and flagged down a taxi. The taxi pulled up, and Felix slid into the backseat, closing the door behind him.

"Take me to Lexington Avenue." 

***

Felix was back at Daxter Labs. He wasn't lying when he promised to help FEAST.

His current new project was designed to help the homeless—an all-weather thermal shelter pod. The pod was compact, lightweight, and could be easily assembled by one person in just a few minutes. It was designed to provide warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer, making it ideal for those living on the streets.

The exterior of the pod was made from a durable, weather-resistant material that could withstand rain, snow, and harsh winds. The interior was lined with a special thermal fabric that retained body heat during cold nights and reflected heat away during hot days. The pod also featured a small solar panel on the roof, which powered a built-in ventilation system to maintain a comfortable temperature inside.

It was all very experimental, of course. The current edition functioned at about fifty percent of what he desired.

While he did this, he was observing the Fantastic Computer and the big monitors. 

The Fantastic Computer was displaying a live feed of CCTV footage from various locations around New York. Herbie had been monitoring Aaron Davis ever since their encounter at the FEAST center. 

On the screen, he watched as Aaron made his way through the streets of Downtown Brooklyn. He moved with purpose, slipping through alleys and avoiding the main roads. Felix leaned closer as Aaron entered a tall building near the eastern end of the Manhattan Bridge, one with a distinctive radio tower atop it. This was a location with zero surveillance. 

"He has evaded the police and been proclaimed dead for a reason," Felix said to himself. "No phone, no electronics. Nothing to eavesdrop him with." 

The shelter pod's ventilation device lay unfinished on the table as Felix's mind shifted gears. He needed to know what Aaron was up to. But without any existing surveillance in that area, his options were limited. He tapped his fingers on the table, thinking quickly.

Then, almost instinctively, he glanced over to another workbench on the far side of the lab. A project he had been toying with for some time, a concept that had never been fully realized—until now.

"The spider-bot…" Felix muttered to himself, already on his feet and moving toward the bench. The spider-bot was something he had conceived of months ago, a miniature robotic device with the capability to infiltrate tight spaces, record audio and video, and transmit it back to him in real-time. But he had never completed it. 

Partially because he was reminded of the device Reed used to give him the Extremis and partially because he wasn't sure he couldn't do it.

Now, though, with Aaron's suspicious movements and the lack of surveillance in the area, it was the perfect time to finish what he had started. He had befriended Alistair and his engineering knowledge that gained some distance.

"Maybe I can finish it."

Felix quickly set up his tools, pulling the half-finished spider-bot from the shelf. It was small, no bigger than his palm, with spindly legs that could grip almost any surface. The body housed a tiny camera, a microphone, and a transmitter—all of which needed to be fine-tuned and connected to its power source.

Time became a blur as Felix worked, his hands moving swiftly with the ease of an expert. He soldered the final circuits, connecting the spider-bot's nervous system to its tiny processor. 

"Alistair was telling me about that thing with legs, wasn't he?"

The master of engineering in Oscorp. That was who Alistair Smythe was. Time to use what little he learned from him.

Felix tested the legs, making sure each one moved independently and could support the bot's weight. 

After what felt like hours but was only a fraction of that time, the spider-bot was ready. Felix placed it on the table and activated it with a small handheld controller. The bot twitched to life, its legs moving in a synchronized pattern as it responded to Felix's commands. He adjusted the camera feed, watching as the tiny device's point of view appeared on the main screen.

"Time to see what you can do," Felix murmured, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

He guided the spider-bot through a test run around the lab, making it crawl up walls, navigate obstacles, and squeeze through narrow gaps between equipment. Satisfied with its performance, Felix didn't waste another second. He set the bot on a direct course to Downtown Brooklyn.

"X-ray vision, thermal vision, and night vision. I used the principles of Detective Mode and put it into this little guy." Felix crossed his arms, proud of himself. His engineering skills had improved by leaps and bounds during his time at Oscorp.

The spider-bot zipped through the streets, leaping between rooftops and scaling walls with ease. Felix watched the live feed intently, his focus entirely on the mission at hand. The bot crossed the river, moving like a tiny specter across the cityscape until it reached the building with the radio tower.

Felix switched the bot to stealth mode as it approached the building, its movements becoming slower and more deliberate. He guided it up the side of the structure, the bot's legs clinging to the rough surface as it ascended. The camera feed flickered with static as it entered the building through a small ventilation duct, the narrow space barely large enough for the spider-bot to fit.

Inside, the bot moved silently, crawling through the vents. The feed was dark, the only light coming from the occasional gap in the ductwork, but once night-vision came to life, Felix could make out the shapes of rooms and corridors.

"How about IR vision?" Felix said. "Where is Aaron Davis?"

The thermal vision activated and they found nothing.

"Guess we'll have to do this the old fashion way."

Search, search, search.

The bot navigated its way deeper into the building. After about half an hour, Felix caught the echo of a deep voice. An echo he encountered not too long ago.

Following the voice, the spider-bot emerged into a contained room. Felix adjusted the camera to take in the surroundings and to look at it with night-vision. The room was rather small. A fancy computer, a steel safe of purple and blue, some graffiti and machinery. 

And there, standing near one of the walls, was Aaron Davis. The hood of his jacket was down now, revealing his face fully. He faced a sleek, black suit that hung on a makeshift rack—a suit adorned with violet accents, sharp angles, and a menacing, almost predatory design.

Felix's breath caught in his throat. Herbie had immediately discerned what this was. The suit wasn't just for show; it was a high-tech armour, designed for combat and stealth.

MATCH FOUND: ARMOUR OF THE ELUSIVE PROWLER. 

This was the base of the Prowler.