A bank card, pinched between Silver Sable's fingers, was flicked out with a sharp motion, striking the wall before rebounding smoothly back to her fingertips.
Inside that card was three million dollars—the "confidentiality fee" paid by Norman Osborn after Silver Sable uncovered the human experiments conducted in the basement of the Osborn Corporation's second sublevel.
Seated in the president's office of Silver Sable International, she casually tossed the card toward the open window.
From the precision of her technique and the force behind it, it was clear she had no intention of keeping the card—or the three million dollars it held.
Snap!
Just as the card was about to sail out the window, two fingers darted out like lightning, catching it mid-air and flicking it back toward Silver Sable.
Someone outside the window wasn't surprising—but Silver Sable International was on the twentieth floor.
An intruder!
That was her immediate thought. She pushed off her desk with both hands, vaulting over it in one fluid motion. Without even glancing at who was outside, she hooked one leg up and launched a swift kick.
As the president and chairman of a security company, Silver Sable was no stranger to attacks from rivals or enemies.
But someone brazenly breaking in through the window in broad daylight? That was a first.
Her kick landed solidly on the intruder, but she didn't relax. Instead, her heart sank.
It felt like she'd struck a steel plate. The intruder didn't budge an inch, while her own foot throbbed from the impact.
Rather than pressing the attack, Silver Sable used the kick's momentum to roll across the floor, springing to her feet. She crossed her fists in front of her, ready for a fight.
Now, she could see the intruder clearly: their entire body was cloaked in a black-and-gray armored suit, its sharp lines exuding menace. A pair of blade-like ears protruded from the top of their head.
Though the exposed chin suggested they might be human, Silver Sable had seen stories in the Daily Bugle about creatures like "Squid-Man." Combined with the intruder's steel-hard body, she wasn't so sure that exposed chin wasn't just a trick to throw her off.
"Who hired you?" she asked. "I'll pay double."
The moment she saw this figure, Silver Sable decided to avoid a fight if possible. Her kick could have shattered an ordinary person's ribs, yet this intruder stood by the window as if it hadn't fazed them at all.
The intruder was none other than Batman. He deliberately lowered his voice and said, "I'm not here to make an enemy of you, Silver Sable."
"And you are?"
Silver Sable tucked her silver-gray hair behind her ear, ensuring it wouldn't obstruct her vision if a fight broke out, and asked in as calm a tone as she could muster.
"Norman's second sublevel lab," Batman said, offering a hint since she hadn't recognized him.
At that, Silver Sable's expression shifted from confusion to realization. "You're the man in black from that night?"
That evening in the Osborn Corporation's underground lab, Batman had worn a simple black stealth suit. Now, clad in his armored suit, it was no wonder she hadn't recognized him at first.
"That's me," Batman confirmed.
"What do you want?" Silver Sable lowered her fists and sauntered back to her desk, sitting down.
"I'd like you to recommend a lawyer," Batman said, still standing motionless by the window.
Silver Sable leaned back in her chair, looking unusually relaxed. "A lawyer?"
"I thought you were here to discuss exposing Norman Osborn's crimes to the public."
"That night, I sent the video I recorded on my phone to the Daily Bugle. But the next day, nothing came of it. Do you know why?"
"The military covered it up," Batman replied.
"Norman Osborn has military backing?" Silver Sable said, frowning. "That complicates things. Even if we leaked the evidence to social media, it'd likely be scrubbed."
Batman fell silent for a moment. "…So what's your plan?"
He'd come only to ask for a lawyer bold and capable enough to take on Osborn, but he hadn't expected Silver Sable to already be plotting against the Osborn Corporation.
"You know about Norman's military connections. Do you know which general is backing him?" she asked.
"General Ross, Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force," Batman answered.
Silver Sable's eyes widened, and she clicked her tongue. "A lieutenant general? My God, Silver Sable International has barely two hundred people. He could command entire divisions with a snap of his fingers…"
"Wait, what did you say his name was?"
Something seemed to click in her mind. She shot to her feet, pressing both hands on the desk, her eyes locked intensely on Batman.
"General Ross," Batman repeated.
"I've got a way to strip Norman of his military protection," Silver Sable said, a sly grin spreading across her face. "From what I know, General Ross has made capturing the Hulk his life's mission. If I can find a way to track down the Hulk, Ross will have no choice but to mobilize his forces."
"And when that happens, he won't have time to keep shielding Norman Osborn."
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, pacing back and forth in her office. "Ross is protecting Norman, likely because he's developing something to use against the Hulk—something so valuable he's willing to overlook human experiments."
"I'll make preparations and head out to find the Hulk in a few days."
She glanced at Batman, who stood by the window like a statue, unmoving. "By the way, what's this about needing a lawyer? There are over three hundred law firms in New York, and you come to my security company?"
"Because I'm also targeting the Osborn Corporation," Batman said.
"Sorry, Silver Sable International doesn't have any regular lawyers to recommend," she began, but before she could finish, the office brightened slightly. She turned to the window—Batman was gone.
Knock, knock.
The office door opened, and several of Silver Sable International's operatives walked in.
"Jason, look into whether Norman Osborn's backers are as that man described," Silver Sable ordered.
"Miss Sable, you don't trust him?" Jason glanced at the window. "I thought he came to deliver intel."
Silver Sable shook her head, chuckling lightly. "I don't even know him. Why would I trust him?"
Batman knew finding a lawyer with the guts and skill to take on Osborn would be tough, but he hadn't realized just how difficult. For now, he set the matter aside, focusing on securing the funds Dr. Otto Octavius needed for his experiments.
On a rooftop overlooking the city streets, a faint hiss sounded as a nitrogen spring launched a web-line at high speed. Batman tugged hard, his immense strength propelling him through the air.
Silver Sable's company was on the edge of Hell's Kitchen. He needed to get back to the abandoned shipyard, shed his suit, and resume his life as Peter Parker.
But a short baton came flying from behind, aimed at the back of his head. Just before it could connect, Batman released the web-line and swatted the baton aside with a flick of his hand.
The baton rolled across the ground, coming to a stop at the feet of a man clad in a dark red suit, two short horns protruding from his forehead.
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