Chapter 25: The Mistress of Illusion, Part 3

"Any idea where our friend Mysterio went off to?" Peter asked into his earpiece.

"Traffic drone showed her driving off to Steiner Studios."

"Good to know."

Peter ended the conversation, and he and Mary Jane swung off into the night.

"Now, let's see here. Where shall I go next?" Mysterio muttered to herself as she looked over a tourist's guidebook.

She paused for thought.

"How about MoMA? Surely they won't miss a few absent pieces of art?"

"How about not?"

Mysterio turned around and saw Spider-Man and Scarlet Spider enter the soundstage.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here?" she snarked.

"What's your deal, Mysterio?" Spider-Man asked.

"It's simple, you spandex-clad loon. I need money, and I'm on a blacklist from my best profession. Therefore, I'll use my skills to rob people blind."

"Give it up, fishbowl! You're not robbing anyone!" Scarlet Spider thundered.

"Not with you two interfering."

Spider-Man lunged at Mysterio…who promptly vanished into thin air.

"What th-"

"Tiger, she's using her image inducer!"

As if on cue, Mysterio seemingly materialized behind Spider-Man.

"You pathetic little fools! I've seen more intelligence out of the most vapid film stars in Hollywood- and I've had to work with them!" she thundered.

Before Scarlet Spider could get a running start, her opponent once again disappeared.

"Any ideas, Red?"

"We can't rely on our eyes, Tiger!"

"In that case, we use spider-sense!"

"Got it!"

Peter focused his mind and detected the cloaked Mysterio sneaking up behind Mary Jane.

"She's behind you, Red!"

Scarlet Spider turned around and punched Mysterio, knocking out her image inducer and sending her sprawling on the floor.

"Now, who are you really?" Spider-Man asked as he approached Mysterio.

The dome slid off, revealing a woman with black hair and blue-gray eyes.

"You can't do this to me! I'm Francis Klum, one of the greatest special effects people working today!"

"Well, maybe you'll have some time to think about your career choice in a jail cell." Spider-Man snarked.

LATER THAT NIGHT:

"I'll get you, Spider-Man!" Klum bellowed as she rattled the bars of her cell.

"I can help with that." another woman announced.

Francis's eyes went wide as she saw a busty platinum-blonde walk towards her cell.

"Who the hell are you?"

"They call me the Black Cat, and I've got an offer for you."

"What?"

"It's simple- I break you out of here, and you help me go up against Spider-Man. Deal?"

"Deal."