"I thought you were a creature of the night, never showing up in broad daylight?"
In an abandoned low-rise building in Hell's Kitchen, Black Cat, dressed in a crop top and hot pants, lounged on a chair, addressing the fully armored Batman.
"Also, decked out like that in the middle of the day—are you looking for a fight? Just so we're clear, I'm not jumping into bed with you."
Batman's lips twitched slightly. He had to admit, Black Cat was strikingly beautiful. Her white crop top couldn't conceal the chiseled lines of her abs, sharp as if carved by a blade, while the curves rising from there traced a breathtakingly soft arc.
Her long, powerful legs were casually crossed, her round, jade-like feet dangling playfully in the air… Black Cat was wearing open-toe white high heels.
"I'm here to discuss the lawyer situation," Batman said, his face unreadable beneath the mask.
Black Cat sighed at the mention. "I've been racking my brain over this. Things were going smoothly at first, but the moment those lawyers heard my target was Kingpin, they all bolted."
"Cowards," she muttered.
"We need a lawyer with enough guts and skill," Batman stated.
"You think I don't know that?" Black Cat rolled her eyes. "You seem awfully invested in this."
"No, I need a lawyer too," Batman replied. "I'm helping a scientist sue Oscorp."
"Sounds like Oscorp really got under your skin," Black Cat said with a grin. "I'm dying to know who's under that suit. You're not actually that vampire legend New York's been buzzing about, are you?"
She stood and sauntered to the window of the abandoned building, leaning forward to watch the hurried pedestrians below.
"Every day we delay finding a lawyer, Kingpin gets closer to laundering that money. Once he's fully clean and transforms into some respectable businessman, taking him down will be nearly impossible."
Her words hung in the air, but no response came.
Black Cat turned to where Batman had been standing, only to find he'd vanished without a trace.
"…I'm not that unattractive. Why does this guy always ditch me so fast?" she muttered, bored. She opened the window and vaulted out.
At the Manhattan precinct of the New York Police Department, George Stacy was overseeing officers as they loaded Squid into a transport vehicle.
The vehicle had been specially modified, its walls wired with high-voltage currents and its frame reinforced to prevent Squid from escaping during transit.
Thanks to the tip from that mysterious figure and the recovered victim list provided by Auggie, Squid's case had progressed at breakneck speed.
After today's routine court hearing, barring any surprises, Squid was almost certainly facing the death penalty.
George Stacy slammed the transport compartment shut and waved to the convoy, which promptly rolled out toward the courthouse.
"Dad, is this Squid guy really that dangerous? Needing an armed escort and all?"
Beside George Stacy stood a teenage girl in a pale yellow top and a checkered skirt, her curiosity evident.
She had long, pale blonde hair and a porcelain complexion, with a few wind-tossed strands framing her delicate, almost painterly features.
"Gwen, didn't I tell you not to come to the precinct while I'm working?" George Stacy frowned slightly.
"I was just curious," Gwen Stacy replied, her lips curling into a slight pout. "Also, are you coming home for dinner tonight?"
"Of course," George said, chuckling at his daughter's sulky expression. "Thanks to that mysterious guy dropping off criminals at the precinct's doorstep, I haven't left work early in days."
"Really?" Gwen's pout transformed into a sly grin. "So, what's the deal with this mysterious guy?"
Seeing her persistence, George reluctantly gave her a brief rundown of the past few days' events.
"Sounds like he's a good citizen, just like Spider-Man," Gwen mused thoughtfully after her father's explanation.
George's expression turned stern, and he looked at Gwen seriously. "He's nothing like Spider-Man, and neither of them are 'good citizens.'"
"Spider-Man thinks he can just slap on a mask and play vigilante. By the time the police get a call and rush to the scene, all we find is shattered glass and criminals strung up in webs. Sure, he's doing good, but he operates alone, and the headlines are all about him."
"When he's around, resignation rates at every NYPD precinct skyrocket. Officers feel useless, like New York only needs Spider-Man, and we're just the cleanup crew."
"If this keeps up, New York will turn into a criminal's paradise. How many crooks can Spider-Man handle at once?"
Gwen shrank back, startled by her father's intensity. In a small voice, she ventured, "What about… the mysterious guy?"
"He's just a terrorist using crime-fighting as an excuse to vent his violence," George Stacy said flatly.
At that moment, his assistant Auggie passed by and overheard. "Should we issue a warrant for this mysterious guy?" he asked.
George shook his head. "No name, no face, not even sure if he's human. According to yesterday's criminal, he might even be a vampire."
"You and I know that's unlikely, but issuing a warrant would only spark unnecessary public panic."
As the armored vehicle transporting Squid disappeared down the street, George Stacy finally stepped back into the precinct.
Atop a high-rise, Batman stood on the edge of the rooftop, watching the transport convoy below.
Only when Squid was securely caged and delivered to the courthouse without incident did Batman silently depart.
Back at the abandoned shipyard, Batman didn't remove his suit. Instead, he sat at his computer and began searching for information on "Silver Sable."
Black Cat's search for a lawyer had stalled, and this matter couldn't be delayed any longer.
As Black Cat had said, once Kingpin's money was fully laundered, the window to take him down would shrink drastically…
Silver Sable, being part of a security company, likely had ties to underground networks and might know lawyers bold enough to take on cases against both Kingpin and Oscorp.
Not knowing Silver Sable's real name, Batman resorted to his usual method: sketching her by hand and letting the computer run facial recognition.
"Silver Sable , real name Silvija Sablinova. Her father led the government-formed 'Wild Pack.' After his death, the group became a private mercenary outfit. Silver Sable then founded Silver Sable International, serving as its chairman and CEO…"
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