34: Chapter 34 The Shadow of the Peace Conference

Felicia opened the window and smiled brightly: "Come in, it'll be ready in a second."

"Are you nervous?" Peter jumped into the room and stretched his shoulders.

"Why would I be nervous?" Felicia said, biting her lower lip accidentally as she changed her jacket.

"Because you bite your lip when you're nervous." Peter smiled, took off his mask, removed his suit, and changed into casual clothes.

Felicia's gaze swept over him, and she licked her lips: "If you're trying to seduce me, that trick works quite well."

"Kitten, you always know how to make a man happy." Peter kissed her on the cheek, "But we have to go now; if Aunt May finds out we're late, she'll kill me."

Upon arriving outside Aunt May's house, Felicia took a deep breath: "Okay, I'm actually a little nervous."

Peter knocked on the door, and Aunt May rushed over enthusiastically: "Peter! You're finally here! This must be Felicia, dear, it's so good to finally meet you!"

Uncle Ben also walked out of the kitchen, smiling and greeting them.

Sitting at the dining table eating cookies Aunt May had just baked, the conversation quickly turned to how the two of them got together.

"Actually… he didn't officially confess to me." Felicia admitted generously, "He just kissed me, then stared at me until I gave him an answer."

Aunt May and Uncle Ben looked at Peter in shock.

Peter covered his face in pain: "Can you guys have a little faith in me? Can't you be a bit more romantic?"

"No." The three of them said in unison.

Peter banged his head on the table: "I hate you all."

Felicia leaned over and kissed him with a smile: "No, you don't."

Peter was instantly revived: "You're right, I don't."

The warm afternoon passed with the elders wildly exposing embarrassing stories from Peter's childhood. For example, spilling hot coffee on his pants and having to take them off on the spot, or getting stuck in a tree as a kid and ripping a huge hole in his crotch. Felicia blended in perfectly, even naturally calling her "Aunt May."

When leaving, Peter casually mentioned he had to work overtime with Susan Storm tonight.

After leaving Aunt May's house, the two walked towards the city center.

"They are wonderful." Felicia said softly, holding onto Peter's arm, "So warm, so kind… just like real family."

"Don't have a good relationship with your mother?" Peter asked, knowing the answer.

"She only ever cares about herself." Felicia sneered, "She's a lawyer who specializes in getting scum off the hook and making the poor take the fall. The bankers and jewelers she robs are all her clients. That swindler who cheated three hundred families, and the rapist who won his case because of her…"

Peter sighed and squeezed her hand: "Want to do something exciting tonight? Let's go monitor that corrupt fat pig, Nick Davis."

"Aren't you supposed to work overtime tonight?"

"Kitten, this is work."

Night fell, and the two put on their gear and crouched on the roof opposite Davis's house.

Peter stared at the target through the night-vision goggles of his mask, unable to help but complain: "This lousy mask doesn't even have a zoom function; I have to upgrade it next time."

He turned to look at Felicia, who was shivering from the cold, wearing only a regular black tracksuit.

"This outfit isn't cold-resistant at all, and it offers zero protection." Peter frowned, "I'll make you a suit."

Felicia was stunned: "You're willing to make one for me?"

"Of course, I'm your boyfriend; I can't just watch you go risk your life against criminals in a tracksuit." Peter said as if it were obvious.

Felicia's eyes reddened, and she suddenly asked: "When you found out I was Black Cat, why didn't you stop me?"

"Felicia Hardy, the line between heroes and criminals isn't that clear." Peter took off his mask and looked at her seriously, "I'm a criminal too; I'm currently illegally monitoring a government official. People treat me like a savior, but I know what I am. You don't need to change, and I won't make you stop."

Just as he spoke, Davis walked out and got into his car.

Davis's car drove into an underground tunnel.

"I know where he's going." Felicia pointed to the high-end hotel in front, "The tunnel only leads to the highway and that hotel's underground garage."

The two snuck in through a fifth-floor window, avoided the security, and snuck into the surveillance room.

Felicia pulled out two wires and picked the lock of the surveillance room in five seconds.

Peter stared in awe: "That skill is really attractive."

On the surveillance screen, Davis walked into room 1010. The person who opened the door was a black man in a suit. Peter immediately raised his phone and scanned the other person's face.

Afterwards, he sent the photo to the S.H.I.E.L.D. technical department to request identification.

Instant reply.

Peter looked at the information on the screen: "Dominic Marcel, a gang leader. The one who opened the door is his right-hand man, John Travis. Davis really is a mole."

"Go outside the window and take a video for evidence; I'll handle the guards."

On the tenth-floor terrace, there were five armed guards.

"You stay hidden." Peter handed his phone to Felicia, then twisted his neck.

Felicia flipped out the window as nimbly as a cat, stuck to the edge of the glass, and pushed it open a crack to start recording.

Peter walked out swaggeringly.

"Excuse me, which way to the restroom? I think I'm lost."

Just as the guard was about to raise his gun, Peter had already shot out Webbing, pulling the one in front away, and smashed his jaw with a punch.

"Open fire!"

Bullets poured out, but Peter's Spider-Sense warned him frantically, and he leaped easily, with all the bullets missing.

"Eat some Webbing!" He shot out two lines of Webbing, precisely disarming them, then followed up with a roundhouse kick to knock the rest down one by one.

Finally, he grabbed one person and smashed through the floor-to-ceiling window, throwing him into the living room.

In the living room, Marcel, Davis, and the others stood up in terror.

"Good evening, Marcel. What are you chatting about with Councilman Davis?" Peter stepped on the broken glass, closing in step by step.

"Kill him!" Marcel screamed.

The subordinates rushed up with baseball bats and a long sword.

Peter sneered: "You know who I am, right? Spider-Man. I've beaten Electro and flattened a tank with a sewer manhole cover. You think a few broken sticks can stop me?"

The subordinates looked at each other and threw down their weapons to surrender.

"Useless trash! I didn't pay you to be freeloaders!" Marcel cursed.

Peter couldn't be bothered with nonsense and plastered everyone to the wall with clumps of Webbing.

At this moment, John Travis suddenly pulled a gun from his coat.

Just as Peter was about to dodge, a TV remote flew in from the window, precisely hitting John's wrist. The gun fell to the ground.

Peter looked back and saw Felicia holding her phone outside the window, playfully blowing a kiss.

Peter smiled, wrapped the gun in Webbing, and turned to plaster John to the wall as well.

The two climbed back to the roof and played back the audio just recorded.

"…We have to pay! That person will kill us!" Davis's voice was hysterical.

"Who exactly is he?" Marcel asked.

"He gave me a package, and inside was Kathy's hand! My mistress had her hand cut off!" Davis yelled in a breakdown, "He said if we don't pay, he'll do the same to my family!"

"Why did he target you?"

"Because… because that Spider-Man! He messed up our business! That person said we intruded on his turf!"

"Did he give a name?"

"He said… he is a member of The Hand."

Hearing these three words, Peter's blood instantly ran cold.

The Hand?!

How could it involve The Hand so quickly?!

In the transmigrator's knowledge, these ninja lunatics were terrifying. In the original work, these people were ruthless characters who could even push Wolverine and Daredevil into desperate situations.

"Tiger? Peter? What's wrong?" Felicia noticed his stiffness.

Peter turned his head abruptly, his eyes filled with rare fear and seriousness: "Felicia Hardy, listen to me. If this matter has anything to do with The Hand, run immediately! Don't look back, and call me right away!"

Felicia was frightened: "Peter, what exactly is The Hand?"

"An ancient Japanese ninja gang that worships demons and is extremely cruel. All the gangs in New York shut their mouths when they hear their name. It's too dangerous, you absolutely cannot touch it!" Peter's voice even carried a hint of pleading, "Promise me, Felicia Hardy. Promise me!"

Felicia swallowed and nodded solemnly: "I promise you."

Returning to Felicia's apartment, Peter edited the video and uploaded it directly to social media.

Less than two minutes later, a "Publishing Rejected" notification appeared.

Immediately after, an encrypted call came in.

Peter answered the phone, and Nick Fury's roar came from the other end: "Is your brain filled with mush?!"

"What do you mean?"

"You went to catch a gang leader all by yourself! Do you have any idea that you almost ruined an operation the FBI spent four years setting up?!"

"I just caught a corrupt politician and happened to discover he was involved with a gang." Peter retorted.

"Next time you find a gang, call the Police! This is not your job! Also, don't drag your girlfriend into this! You think we couldn't extract the full video from your phone? Black Cat is a well-known thief, don't let her get involved with Spider-Man!"

Peter's eyes went cold, and he completely blew up: "Fury, you're overstepping. Spider-Man is not your puppet; I'll collaborate with whoever I want!"

"I am your Officer, kid!"

"You're just the guy who sends me missions, not my father!" Peter didn't back down, "Give me my first official mission, Fury. Otherwise, go play by yourself."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds: "You'll regret this." Then he hung up.

Peter sneered and threw the phone onto the bed.

Felicia watched from the side, dumbfounded: "Who… who exactly are you?"

Peter sighed and took off his mask: "Remember the time with Electro? I almost died. Later, a man named Nick Fury broke into my house and said he was the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He recruited me and provided me with equipment and training."

"You're an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.?!" Felicia exclaimed.

"An intern Agent." Peter corrected, "They monitored my account, so the video wouldn't go out."

Felicia was angry and scared: "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I was afraid you'd hate me." Peter smiled bitterly, "You don't even like that I'm a superhero; if you knew I was an Agent, wouldn't you break up with me?"

"Does S.H.I.E.L.D. know about my existence?" Felicia asked worriedly.

"No, and even if they did, they wouldn't care. In their eyes, we're just small pawns." Peter held her hand, his eyes firm, "But I promise you, no one can hurt you. Whoever dares to touch you, I'll kill them. I will never let anyone I care about be harmed."

Felicia looked at him, her eyes reddening, and she took the initiative to lean in and kiss him.

Peter took the opportunity to push her onto the bed, his fingers running through her long hair, his breathing gradually becoming heavy.

Just as the two were about to lose control.

With a "click," the bedroom door was pushed open.

A bone-chilling female voice rang out: "What are you two doing?"

The two sprang apart as if scalded, sitting up straight.

Peter turned his head and saw Felicia's mother standing at the door, looking at them coldly.