Chapter 38: The Cat Returns

The Black Cat was about to break into a place that was harder than any other place she broke into: Tony Stark's residence. As a challenge lover, however, she loved the idea nearly as much as she loved the money her client offered her as payment for the job. After disabling the security cameras that would've caught anyone intruding the perimeter, she entered the mansion and looked around. The place was full of works of art that would be worth the effort but her client wasn't paying for any of those. 'Maybe next time.' She thought.

Upon entering the computer room, the burglar hacked her way into Stark's systems and found what she was looking for: armor designs. After copying everything into a pen drive, she tried to leave but was interrupted. "Going somewhere?" Iron Man asked her.

"Look into my eyes while asking that." The Black Cat asked with a flirtatious tone and activated her bad luck power.

"Going some…" Iron Man tried to repeat his question but his armor malfunctioned. "What happened?"

"Bad luck, Iron Man." She teasingly asked and left.

Iron Man tried to follow her but ended up bouncing around like he did during his first flight.

In the next day, at Malibu University, Danny Fenton was walking to his next class when a girl approached him. "Danny darling, how about we watch Musa's show in Gardenia next weekend?" She asked. "She's just became famous but she's good."

Danny frowned and showed the ring on his right hand. "Mandy, how many times must I show you this before you finally take a hint?"

"Don't you think I'm more magnificent than Alex and her loser friend?" Mandy asked.

"No." Danny bluntly answered. "Don't you think you could get a boy who, unlike me, is available?"

"Why should I settle for any of them when I can have you?" Mandy asked.

"That's the point." Danny replied. "You can't because I'm with Alex."

Everyone around them nodded in approval at Danny for being a loyal boyfriend and disgust at Mandy for not respecting that.

"Now, if you excuse me, I don't want to be late for class." Danny replied and left. One class later, Alex approached him. "Danny, I've got two tickets for Musa's show this weekend in Gardenia!" She said. "Do you wanna go with me?"

"It'll be a little awkward, Alex." Danny commented.

"Don't worry, Danny." She tried to reassure her boyfriend. "I won't let Mandy's presence bother me."

"That's not that." Danny replied but then rethought that. "Well, not only that. Musa is one of the girls I could have chosen instead of you."

"Wow, somebody was already popular even before being exposed as Danny Phantom." Clover commented as she and Samantha approached them. "What's next? Will you say Total Drama star Gwen is another of those girls?"

"Well…" Danny hesitated. Their conversation was interrupted by a tube sucking the four of them. As usual, they landed inside Jerry's office. 'I wonder if my counterpart from that dimension I chose Kitty Pride knows how Jerry treats his spies.'

"Girls, and Danny, Tony Stark's mansion has been robbed by someone one of you know very well." Jerry said and showed a picture of the thief.

"Black Cat." Danny said and frowned.

"Do you know her?" Samantha asked.

"I met her once during the summer I was in the dating service, Samantha." Danny explained.

"Which girl were you dating back then, Danny?" Alex asked.

"Felicia Hardy." Danny answered.

"Any chances she's the Black Cat?" Alex asked, remembering how others spoke of her and hoping to see something bad about Felicia.

"Considering my life, I can't exactly rule out that possibility." Danny commented. "Especially compared to the idea of alternate realities where I chose other girls or Mandy became a supervillainess."

"Well, her father is the notorious John Hardesky." Jerry stated.

"Who?" Danny asked, having never heard of him.

"John Hardesky was the most notorious cat burglar from his time, Danny." Jerry explained. "He was considered "The Cat". His infamy reached a level that his wife Anastasia changed her surname to "Hardy" to protect herself and their daughter. But that doesn't prove anything since Hardesky and this Black Cat are merely two of the several burglars to ever be compared to cats. Had the Black Cat acted in Gotham, people would suspect her to be Catwoman's daughter."

"Point." Alex said.

"But why would Mr. Stark call us?" Samantha asked. "Doesn't he have a whole team of superheroes he could've called instead?"

"He didn't call us, Sam." Jerry answered. "We have reason to believe she stole armor plans. Girls, I want you to investigate two suspected buyers: Justin Hammer and Ezekiel Stane. Danny, given your history with the Black Cat, are you willing to help?"

"Yes, Sir." Danny answered.

"Justin Hammer is the CEO of Hammer Industries, Stark International's greatest competitor, and is known for having tried and failed to copy Stark's technology." Jerry stated. "Meanwhile, Ezekiel Stane is the son of Obadiah Stane and blames Tony Stark for his father's death."

"Obadiah Stane?" Clover asked. "Do you mean Iron Monger, the first supervillain to ever be defeated by Iron Man?"

"Precisely, Clover." Jerry answered. "Now that Danny Phantom agreed to help us, I want the four of you to split in two pairs and each pair to investigate a suspect."

"I pick Danny!" Alex quickly said.

'Teenagers.' Jerry thought in disdain. "Well, for as long as the both of you remember you're going to New York to investigate and not to date…"

"Y-yes." Alex replied.

"Of course." Danny added.

"The both of you will investigate Justin Hammer while Sam and Clover will investigate Stane." Jerry instructed the spies and Danny and pushed a button, revealing some gadgets. As usual, Danny wasn't offered any since he's not an official spy.

Danny and the girls took a jet to New York and landed on a spot where (they hoped) S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't find them. Alex used her compowder to locate Justin Hammer's office. After that was done, Danny flew them to an alley near the building. Alex then used her compowder to change her catsuit into a janitor's uniform. "I'll use this to look for clue, Danny." Alex explained.

"I'll turn invisible." Danny said and did so. "No way Hammer will find me now."

Danny flew inside and reached Hammer's office, happily believing he wouldn't be located. Until he's got a shock, that is.

A few moments later, Danny found himself shacked with ghost-proof shackles. "Testing your parents' anti-ghost technology, Mr. Fenton?" He heard someone ask.

"Who are you?" Danny asked with a demanding tone. He actually recognized Hammer from when Jerry showed pictures of him and Ezekiel Stane but was too dazed by the anti-ghost technology to properly think.

"I am Justin Hammer, CEO of Hammer Industries." Hammer answered. "What were you doing in my office, Phantom?"

"Uh, I was testing my parents' anti-ghost technology as you guessed, Mr. Hammer." Danny replied with a tone that obviously screamed "lie". "And it passed! Can you release me now?"

"I don't believe you, Mr. Phantom." Hammer replied.

"I can perform more tests if you want." Danny offered.

"That's not what I meant and you know that." Hammer bragged. "I think Stark figured out I'm Black Cat's client and asked you to spy on me."

"So it was really you?" Danny asked.

"True but you won't tell anyone unless you return as a full ghost." Hammer declared. "I'll wear a titanium version of Iron Man's armor and, when Black Cat's father John Hardesky is released from prison, I'll abduct him so he'll be hunted not only by the cops but also by her. Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Her father?" Danny asked in horror. "Does that mean Felicia Hardy is the Black Cat?" 'I hope there's no universe where I chose her.' He thought. 'Only Vicky and Cree would be worse.'

"Oh, you've heard of her?" Hammer maliciously asked. "I'll tell her you said hi."

Suddenly, Hammer's intercom beeped. "Mr. Hammer, Project Titanium is ready to be tested."

"Thank you, Sasha." Hammer replied. "Phantom, I'll turn you into a full ghost later and don't even think about calling for help. Your cell phone and everything else you had in your pockets is now on this table."

'No wonder Jerry doesn't give me gadgets.' Danny thought.

Justin Hammer was in such a hurry to leave he failed to notice a 'janitor' approaching the door. Minutes later, John Hardesky was being released from prison. "Good luck, Mr. Hardesky." A guard said.

"I'd feel better if my wife and my daughter were here." The Cat commented.

"Mom isn't here but I am, Dad." Felicia said as she revealed her presence.

"Felicia!" John Hardesky happily exclaimed. "Guys, this is my daughter Felicia Hardesky!"

"It's Hardy now." Felicia explained. "Mom wanted to distance us from you. She doesn't even suspect I'm here."

"You know, Felicia?" Her father asked. "I can't hear the name Hardy without thinking of Laurel's overweight friend."

Their conversation was interrupted by 'Iron Man' showing up and grabbing Felicia's Dad. "You're coming with me, Hardesky." He said.

"What're you doing with my father, Stark?" Felicia angrily asked.

"You should've thought about that before stealing from me, Black Cat." 'Iron Man' replied and took off with her Dad.

Fortunately, 'Iron Man' didn't go far before being intercepted by a girl covered in yellow using jet shoes to fly. "Let this man go, Hammer." She demanded.

Hammer quickly recovered from the surprise of someone knowing his name. "Well, if you insist…" Alex didn't need to see through Hammer's mask to know the villain was smirking while saying it and dropping John Hardesky, whose fall was suddenly stopped by some invisible force.

"Invisible Woman?" Hardesky asked. "Is that you? I didn't know you could fly but thank you."

Danny then landed on a rooftop and made himself visible. "Actually, Sir, I am Danny Phantom, ghost hero of Amity Park." Danny explained.

"Well, I don't know what brings you to the Big Apple but thank you." Hardesky said. "Not only for this but also saving the word from that asteroid with other ghosts."

"You're welcome." Danny said and flew away to help Alex fight Hammer. Hammer was trying to shoot repulsor blasters at Alex but she managed to dodge long enough for Danny to intervene. "You'd better surrender, Hammer." He said.

"You and which army will make me?" Hammer defiantly asked.

Danny smirked at the question. "How about an army led by America's most famous Captain?" He suggested.

Hammer turned around in time to see Captain America's shield hit his face. As the shield returned to its owner's hand, Hammer saw Iron Man (the real one), Black Widow, and the Mighty Thor. "Game over, Hammer." Iron Man said.

"My name is Titanium Man, Stark!" Hammer declared and flew away. Danny, Alex, Iron Man and Thor flew after him while Cap and Natasha took the Quinjet. Hoping he could lose the heroes by doing so, Titanium Man flew upwards.

"Excellent." Iron Man commented. "If I know Justin Hammer as well as I think I do, he, like Obadiah Stane, forgot to account for the freezing problem."

Iron Man's expectation turned out to be correct as Titanium Man's armor, just like Iron Monger's, got frozen and started falling. Before he could remove all ice, he fell on a web placed by Spider-Man. "Good work, Spider-Man." Iron Man commented. "But how did you know you would be needed here?"

"I just saw him falling and acted, Mr. Stark." Spidey explained.

Later, at Jerry's office, he, Danny and the girls were watching J. Jonah Jameson's report on the news. "Justin Hammer was captured with help from Danny Phantom, the Avengers and a woman who was later identified as an agent of the World Organization of Human Protection. There are unconfirmed rumors that Spider-Man also helped. In another related news, Felicia Hardy, daughter of recently released cat burglar John Hardesky, has been arrested as a suspect of being supervillainess Black Cat. Her parents refused to comment."

Jerry then turned off the TV. "Good job, girls. And Danny.

"Yeah." Clover agreed. "Who would suspect Ezekiel Stane was developing a way more addictive tobacco for all those executives?"

"And to think that, if not for the illegal substances he added to that new tobacco, we wouldn't be able to arrest them." Samantha commented.

"What'll happen to Felicia?" Danny asked.

"After you reported Hammer's statements about her, I've ordered a search at her residence for clues to confirm he wasn't merely lying or mistaken and some stolen items were found." Jerry answered. "Her mother hired a lawyer named Matthew Murdock and prosecution will offer her a plea bargain where she'll reveal clients' names in exchange for a reduced sentence."

"Believe me, Danny." Samantha tried to reassure Danny. "You're not the only person here to have dated someone who turned out to be a villain."

Danny was too shocked to properly answer.

"I don't understand why she didn't try to make an honest living as a model." Clover commented. If not for the fact it might hurt Alex, Danny would've voiced his agreement.

End chapter.

Author's Note: I've got the name "John Hardesky" from Spider-Man: The Animated Series.

Author's Note 2: Matthew Murdock's mention is inspired on how he was mentioned in Iron Man: Armored Adventures.

Answer to Leonardo (Guest): Sheldon não vai guardar tanto rancor de um cara que só fez parte da vida da Jenny por um dia. A Sam só está tão surpresa quanto o Danny estava. Obrigado pelo desejo de boa sorte. Sim, aquilo foi uma referência ao filme live-action de 2002. Ainda não decidi se o Tucker vai acompanhá-la ou não. Jazz está em uma universidade pública em Amity Park. A princípio era pra ficar perto do Danny antes dele se mudar para Malibu. Sam foi pra Harvard.