"Spider-Man, you're up next!" someone called out.
"I know."Peter stepped out of the dressing room and moved behind the stage curtains to wait for his cue.
On stage, the plot was unfolding: Sally, who played "the woman whose jewels were stolen," had just discovered her gem missing and was crying dramatically.
Her crying was heard by Black Cat, who then decided to go steal the gem back from the jeweler.
"I accepted the invitation only because I knew you'd be here."
"I dressed up like this only because I missed you too much."
Black Cat walked across the stage, speaking as she moved.
The curtain at one corner of the stage lifted, revealing the interior set:
A wall, a safe, and a web of red strings representing a laser security system.
"Cheers!"
"I know you want to be captured by me ~"
"I just love teasing people ~"
With agile movements, Black Cat slipped through the "laser grid" and reached the safe, speaking softly to it:
"Did you really think a few silly tricks could keep us apart? Impossible!"
"You're exquisite and right within reach… let me touch you properly…"
Clearly, every line she said was directed at the jewels inside the safe.
"Peter, it's your cue!" Flash stared nervously at the stage. Since he couldn't play Spider-Man himself, he was determined to manage everything perfectly—he couldn't let his idol down.
"I wonder if Spider-Man knows about this performance. I hope the money I spent advertising on that Daily Bugle site wasn't wasted…" Flash thought.
He had even paid out of pocket to place an ad on a small media site called The Daily Bugle just to make sure his idol would see it.
The large turnout today? In his mind, he definitely deserved some credit.
Of course, the others coming didn't matter—what mattered was that Spider-Man would come!
But what he didn't know was that his actions hadn't attracted Spider-Man—Spider-Man was already here.
Instead, Flash had attracted… an uninvited guest.
"Alright." Peter pulled down his mask, ready to head onstage.
BOOM!
A deafening sound erupted.
A commotion rose from backstage on the opposite side. Then the corner of the curtain was yanked up, and a figure in bomb-proof armor—fully armed—stepped out, stopping right in front of Betty.
"Where is Spider-Man?"
Betty jumped.…This wasn't in the script?
"You're Spider-Man's girlfriend—Black Cat, right? Where is he? Tell me!"
Betty blinked.Oh—so they changed the script last minute?
Her mind raced. Her eyes sparkled, and she bent her body slightly, posing with Black Cat's signature graceful finesse."I have no idea what you're talking about! If you're here to cause trouble for any creature of the night, you've made the wrong choice! Because I am the brilliant and beautiful superhero—Black Cat!"
As she spoke, she even pulled her hand back, brushing the white fur on her wrist against her cheek in a cat-like grooming gesture.
Slap.
Peter pressed a palm to his face.
Betty clearly had no idea what was really happening.
And neither did the audience.
Most of them didn't know the original script at all—they assumed this armored intruder was simply the villain of the show.
They admired how realistic and high-quality his gear looked while enthusiastically cheering for Betty and the others.
Only Tony Stark, sitting in the front row, sensed something off.
He hadn't read the script either, but one look at the newcomer's equipment told him it was very real—and very lethal.
"EDITH, analyze him." Tony tapped his glasses.
"Taskmaster. Operative of the Red Room, a covert organization from the Bear Nation. Possesses the ability to mimic opponents' movements. Typically active in the Bear Nation and parts of Europa."
"So… the same place Natasha came from?" Tony raised a brow.
"Yes, Mr. Stark."
"What's he doing all the way in New York, and why is he specifically looking for Peter?" Tony frowned, thinking through the possibilities. "Send this info to Peter. And dispatch two industrial drones—make sure they're equipped with holographic projection tech."
"Right away, sir."EDITH executed the commands immediately.
With preparations in place, Tony didn't act rashly.
First: Taskmaster was an operative—but ultimately, still human.
All his equipment had been scanned. Aside from the explosive arrows in his quiver—which could cause collateral damage—everything else was for single-target combat.
Clearly, he was trained for infiltration operations.His strength lay in precise, silent takedowns.
Second: Tony knew Peter's track record.
One-versus-two in Berlin Airport's main hall—beating Falcon and Winter Soldier.
Working with them outside to take down Giant-Man through quick thinking.
After returning, he single-handedly dismantled an illegal weapons ring in the NYC underground—gear that Tony found unimpressive, but only because his own tech was vastly superior.
Peter's suit didn't have many offensive capabilities, yet he still handled them cleanly. That alone said enough.
Third: Tony himself was the safety net.
Peter had made a nano-suit—how could Tony Stark possibly fall behind?
He had already built his first prototype of the Nano Iron Man armor. The tech was still early, and its weapons limited, but it was more than enough for a situation like this.
"Tony?" Pepper reached over and grabbed his hand.
Of course, after everything she'd experienced at Tony's side, she too sensed something was wrong.
Tony turned his hand over and held hers, speaking softly, "Don't worry. Trust Peter."
Pepper nodded slightly. Holding Tony's hand filled her with a steadying warmth, helping her calm down.
Backstage.
Only Peter remained now.
Flash had fully immersed himself in the role of director. Seeing the disturbance on the other side, he could barely contain himself.
But he was also worried Peter wouldn't make his cue in time.
Peter made a gesture."Flash, go check over there. I know exactly when to go on. I'll be up at the right moment."
"Okay."And with that, Flash hurried off.
-----------------------
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