The hours seemed to drag on as you waited in the shadows with Daredevil and Spider-Man. You could feel the unease in the air, the sense that you were being watched, even when no one was near.
"Something's off," Daredevil muttered. "His movements don't make sense. Phantom is too careful—he's hiding something."
You glanced at Daredevil, narrowing your eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know yet," he said, "but he's leaving too many traces. The way he moves—there's a pattern to it."
Before you could respond, Spider-Man spoke up. "I don't know if I'm the expert here, but I've seen Phantom pull off some crazy stunts. He's got a way of staying under the radar. He's been doing this a lot longer than we have."
Daredevil nodded grimly. "That's the thing. The longer we wait, the more time Phantom has to prepare for us."
The silence that followed was thick with tension. It felt as if the city itself was holding its breath.
Then, out of nowhere, a voice crackled through your earpiece.
"Target acquired."
You didn't need to ask who it was. Voss's voice was unmistakable, cold, and efficient.
"Phantom's moving again. He's at the docks."
Your heart rate spiked. The docks. Of course. It was the last place anyone would look if they wanted to hide something.
"We're going in," you said, determination seeping into your voice. "We don't wait anymore. We move now."
Daredevil gave you a sharp glance. "You're not going in alone."
"I don't plan to," you shot back.
Spider-Man's voice was lighthearted as usual. "You two have fun with the brooding. I'll handle the webs."
You had to admit, his easy-going nature was a strange kind of relief. You were about to dive headfirst into a dangerous situation, and the last thing you needed was more tension. But you couldn't afford to think about that now.
The docks weren't far. You moved quickly through the streets, avoiding the crowds, blending into the night. Each step was one closer to Phantom—and the answers you desperately needed.
As you reached the edge of the docks, you felt it. The unmistakable pulse of energy. It was faint, but it was there. Phantom had arrived.
"Stay sharp," Daredevil said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We don't know what we're walking into."
The moment you set foot on the dock, you knew something was wrong. There was an eerie quiet, the kind that made your skin crawl.
Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the shadows.
"You made a mistake coming here," Phantom's voice echoed, distorted by the mask he wore.
You tensed, every muscle ready for a fight. But Phantom didn't make a move.
Instead, his figure flickered—and in an instant, he vanished.
"Dammit," you muttered. "He's gone again."
Spider-Man's voice cut through the tension. "He's not gone. He's right here."
Before you could process his words, the ground beneath you cracked open, and several shadowy figures erupted from the shadows, surrounding you.
This wasn't just Phantom.
This was something worse.