As the shroud of night fell over Manhattan, sinister events were unfolding at Empire State University, as a darkly-garbed figure in a green-and-purple costume moved stealthily across the campus rooftops, taking care to keep to the shadows to ensure no-one would notice him. Beneath his head-covering purple mask, the Prowler smirked to himself and flexed the sharp claws of his steel-tipped gauntlets eagerly. It had been child's play to sneak his way across the campus and avoid the small number of old security guards casually patrolling the grounds, and now he had reached the top of the building that, according to the Rose's intel, was where he would find the lab containing the plutonium.
"Hah! This is almost too easy," smirked the Prowler quietly to himself, as he leaned over the roof ledge and anchored himself with his gauntlets, the sharp claws digging deep into the brickwork. Moving with all the furtiveness of the professional and infamous cat burglar he had been for years, he crawled down the wall with incredible speed and grace, and made his way around the different sides of the building, until he reached his objective: The window that led into the lab of that old fool, Baylor. And in there, the sneaky cat burglar would find the 'Deadly Dust' as some people called it.
The Prowler snorted, thinking to himself how complacent this Baylor guy must be to store such deadly material in an ordinary old-fashioned lab, rather than have it sealed up in a vault. The foolish old scientist was practically inviting someone to steal the suff!
As he got nearer to the window, the Prowler was about to cut his way through the glass, when he suddenly noticed that something was seriously amiss. The window was ajar, and hanging by it was a strong rope connected to the ledge of the rooftop above. So intent had he been on his task, the Prowler had not spotted the end of the rope tied in place on the other side of the roof away from him before he had started climbing down. Worriedly, the crook peered through the glass, and his heart sank at what he saw. In the centre of the room was a large transparent rectangular container with a pair of heavy protective gloves on the end of little 'sleeves' set on one side. The protective glass of the container was placed on the top of a large reinforced metal box, with the words 'Danger! Radioactive Material' stamped on the side, and the top of the metal box had a circular lid set in its centre, with a mechanical telescopic arm standing by it. This was where the radioactive material was clearly meant to be contained.
One side of the transparent container on the top had been unscrewed and put to the side, and the lid of the metal box had been left open on its hinge. And from his position, the Prowler could see though the gaping hole, which clearly showed that the lead-lined box was empty.
It was all too painfully clear what had happened. The plutonium was supposed to be in that box, and now it was not. It had already been stolen. Someone had beaten the Prowler to the punch!
Before the Prowler could think of what to do next, there came a sudden cry of fright from beneath him. Looking down, he saw to his annoyance that a young woman with glasses had happened to be walking by and spotted him clinging to the wall.
"Help!" cried Debra Whitman as she frantically tried to raise the alarm. "Someone's breaking into the lab!"
Cursing under his breath, the Prowler quickly scaled his way back up the walls and disappeared from sight. By the time the startled security guards had arrived on the scene, the masked crook was long gone...
To her credit, Gwen Stacy had recovered from her initial shock quite quickly, and she was now listening with rapt fascination as Teresa explained over dinner how she had spent years searching for her birth parents, how the trail led to the Parker family, and the subsequent evidence she had found confirming she was the daughter of Richard and Mary Parker, and thus, Peter Parker's sister. At first, Gwen wondered to herself if the girl was a fake, but Teresa's manner came across as completely sincere and her manner not the least bit rehearsed like a con artist. Furthermore, the woman did have a strong and definite resemblance to her late brother, which accounted for why Gwen had initially found her appearance familiar.
Gwen's mind also thought back to what little she had heard about Peter's parents. She remembered how distressed Peter had been when he first told her how he had just discovered that his unknown parents were supposed traitors to their country, and she also remembered hearing shortly afterwards how their names had been cleared by Spider-Man. Gwen now knew of course that it was Peter himself who must have found the evidence proving that his parents were in fact US secret agents, working undercover to foil the schemes of terrorists and would-be dictators. But never once had there been any indication that Richard and Mary had had a second child. Then again, the large amount of time that the Parkers had spent away from their son whilst on their secret missions did allow for the possibility of Mary becoming pregnant again and giving birth just before the Red Skull had arranged for the untimely death of Richard and his wife. If that was so, then baby Teresa was lucky not to have met the same cruel fate as her parents. Perhaps Richard and Mary, knowing full well how dangerous their lives were, had arranged for their newborn daughter to be put in the orphanage to keep her safe, intending to return for her once their latest mission was complete. But of course, the Parkers sadly never got the chance to see either of their children again.
It seemed to Gwen that the various members of the Parker family were full of secrets, even keeping ones from each other, and she wondered how Peter would have reacted if he had ever learnt that he had a lost sister, and what other twists there might be waiting to be revealed in the future.
"Look, Gwen, I can see this must be a considerable surprise for you," said Teresa gently, from the side of the restaurant table facing Gwen.
"That's putting it mildly," admitted Gwen, managing a friendly smile. "Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just... trying to process it all. My head's still spinning. There's so much to take in."
"I understand exactly how you feel, dear," said May sympathetically. "Why, when Teresa first contacted me, I thought the whole world had turned topsy-turvy. But we have checked everything, and it seems Teresa is indeed Richard and Mary's daughter."
"And you've been searching for them this whole time?" Gwen said to Teresa. "Ah man, that can't have been easy."
"It wasn't," admitted Teresa a little sadly. "I spent years trying to find out why I was put up for adoption, becoming quite obsessed by it. I thought that maybe my parents had abandoned me for some reason and I wanted to find out why. Now I find out that not only had they been killed, but so had the brother and uncle whom I never got the chance to meet. So when I heard that May was still here, I just had to come and see her."
"And I'm sure we're all glad you did," said Nathan kindly. "Just as I'm sure May would be happy to tell you about your parents and brother."
"That's why I asked you to come and join us, Gwen," explained May. "Since you and Peter were so close, I thought you'd be able to tell Teresa what her brother was like."
"Err, sure," said Gwen, trying her best not to sound apprehensive. It was not that she did not want to trust Teresa, but this was all too sudden, and the girl was still a total stranger to her. Besides, it would be tough enough for Gwen having such a conversation about Peter whilst also trying to avoid letting slip that Teresa's dead brother was the Amazing Spider-Man. "So, um, how long are you going to be around for, Teresa?"
"Just a few days, I'm afraid," said Teresa regretfully. "You see, I've got an assignment to do for the Weekly Examiner. They want me to be in Los Angeles to report on the President's address."
"Now there's a coincidence," remarked Gwen casually. "I'm heading to L.A. as well, for the science conference taking place afterwards."
"Then why don't the pair of you go off together?" suggested May helpfully. "You'd then have time to talk and get to know each other."
"Say, that's a great idea," said Teresa. "I don't often get the opportunity to hang out with friends, galavanting around the world the way I do, and I'd love to hear Gwen's stories about my brother."
"Ah, sure. Why not?" said Gwen, deciding she had to put her doubts aside and go along with this suggestion. If Teresa really was Peter's sister, then it was only fair that Gwen tell her as much about him as she dared. She could surely disclose a fair bit about Peter without mentioning his alter ego, could she not?
Just then, Gwen's phone began buzzing. Puzzled as to who might be calling her at this time, she mumbled an apology to the others and got it out, seeing on the screen that it was Debra who was calling.
"Hi Deb, what's the matter?" asked Gwen as she answered the phone. Then a look of considerable worry came across her face upon hearing Debra's frantic message. "What? Are you sure? Aw, geez! Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thanks for calling."
Hanging up, she turned to the others seated at the table. "Sorry, guys. There's been an incident at ESU and I have to get over there right away."
"Oh dear! Has someone been hurt?" asked May in concern.
"No, but there's been a break-in at one of the labs. The police are already on their way. I'll catch with you guys later."
As Gwen got to her feet, Teresa eagerly jumped up too. "Hang on, Gwen, I'm coming with you."
"You are?" blinked Gwen in surprise.
Teresa grinned. "I told you, I'm a freelance journalist, remember? And a good journalist never passes up the opportunity to get a major story." She turned to May and Nathan. "You don't mind, do you?"
"Of course not, dear," said May assured Teresa. "You do what you have to do."
As Gwen headed off with Teresa, May gave Nathan a knowing smile. "Teresa really is just like her brother, always abruptly dashing off into trouble!"
Gwen would have preferred to suit up as Spider-Woman and web-sling her way to the campus, being the quickest way to get there. But that was impossible with Teresa in tow, so instead they hailed a taxi to get them there. Luckily the traffic was light that evening, so the cabbie was able to get them to ESU in just ten minutes, where the police cars were already parked outside. Gwen rushed on ahead with Teresa close behind, and soon they had reached John Baylor's lab. The police were already at work, interviewing Debra, who was giving a description of the apparent thief to a sketch artist, and Dr Baylor was there as well, checking the room over with a geiger counter, whilst talking to an intent Jean DeWolff.
"John, Deb called me and said that someone broke in here," said Gwen as she breathlessly came over to join them. "Is the plutonium...?"
"Yes, Gwen, I'm afraid it's gone," said Baylor gravely. "All five kilos have been stolen."
"And just when we were about to help tighten security too," grumbled Jean. "Guess you were right to worry about that plutonium, Gwen."
Teresa came over to join in. "Plutonium? Isn't that the stuff used for making A-bombs?"
"Yes, young lady, it is," said Baylor, as he finished scanning the place with the geiger counter. "It's not dangerous unless the thieves opened the container, which so far it appears not to have been. The room is clean of radioactivity."
"Will everyone be okay?" asked Jean.
"Yes," confirmed Baylor with a nod, but the restless expression on his face showed just how worried he was, a sentiment shared by those in the room. "But this is bad. The Dean will blow a gasket when he hears about this."
"Never mind the Dean! The whole city could be in danger!" said Gwen sharply. "Any idea who could have pulled off this heist?"
"A cat burglar perhaps?" suggested Teresa.
For the first time, Jean noticed the young ginger-haired woman and eyed her dubiously. "And who might you be?"
"Teresa Parker. I'm a freelance journalist. I have my credentials."
Jean raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Parker? Any relation to Gwen's old boyfriend?"
"His sister," said Gwen simply. "It's a long story, Jean. I only just heard it myself."
"Yeah, well, you can tell me about it later," said Jean irritably, as she got back to the matter on hand and turned her attention to the sketch artist. "Have you finished?"
"Sure thing, Captain," confirmed the artist as he handed the sketch to DeWolff. "This is the guy who broke in."
Peering over Jean's shoulder, Gwen took in the drawing of the masked figure that Debra had seen. "Say, I recognise that costume! It's the Prowler!"
"Sheesh, shady-looking character, isn't he?" remarked DeWolff.
"Yes, and I saw him by the open window, scaling up the wall like he was Spider-Woman," said Debra. "I reckon I must have spotted him making his escape after he broke into the lab."
"But what about the rope hanging by the window?" mused Jean. "If he could climb walls with his hands, why would he use that to get down? You know, something about this just doesn't quite add up..."
"Captain, what are you going to do about this?" asked Dr Baylor anxiously.
"What else?" said Jean simply. "Put out a APB on this Prowler guy. At the moment, he's our only suspect. And we better make sure this is kept as low-key as possible in the news. The last thing we want is a panic."
There was not much else that could be done, so Teresa hailed a taxi to take her back to May and Nathan, promising to call on Gwen at her apartment the next day. As she watched the cab drive off, Gwen was still getting her head around the revelation that Peter Parker had an unknown sister, and she was not quite sure what to make of the young woman. But first impressions indicated that the mystery Parker girl was a friendly and trustworthy character, and it would be good for Gwen to get to know new friends. Perhaps May's suggestion of Gwen and Teresa going off to Los Angeles together would not be a bad one after all.
But in the meantime, Gwen had a crime to help solve while she was still in New York. Quickly darting into the shadows of a nearby alley, she whipped out her costume, and within seconds, Spider-Woman was web-swinging her way across town towards the borough of Queen, where she believed the first clue to solving the mystery could be found.
THWIP!
As the masked heroine swung her way along, she cast her mind back to the first time that she had encountered the masked vigilante known as the Prowler, during an incident that had occurred not too long after Gwen's father, George Stacy, had died. It had involved a fierce fight between that masked vigilante and Spider-Man, taking place right outside Gwen's apartment window, with the Prowler claiming he was there to protect her from Spider-Man, since everyone believed at the time that the web-head was responsible for George Stacy's death. After that incident, Gwen had begun to wonder if it was in fact the other way around. According to the papers, the Prowler was some kind of masked thief, who once tried unsuccessfully to rob the Daily Bugle, though no-one ever discovered his true identity. Might the Prowler have been the one targeting her, and Spider-Man the one protecting her? Or could it have been a simple misunderstanding between the two masked individuals? Those were questions that had cropped up in Gwen's mind a fair few times, especially after she had discovered that Peter was Spider-Man.
Then, during the three years since she had first become Spider-Woman, Gwen had started crossing paths with various of Spider-Man's old allies and enemies, and the Prowler was among them. She learnt that the man behind the Prowler's mask was a young man called Hobie Brown, and was not a real criminal, but an ordinary well-meaning guy with good intentions, who had had his fair share of hard times, much like Peter Parker had. It turned out that the fight Gwen had witnessed between Spider-Man and the Prowler was indeed the result of a misunderstanding, and it was a sympathetic Spider-Man who had originally convinced Brown to avoid going down the road to a life of crime. Spider-Woman had also learnt from Brown that he had sworn to give up being a masked vigilante, preferring to live a normal life with his wife, Mindy, something that Gwen envied.
Now though, it seemed that it was the Prowler who had broken in and stolen the plutonium. And that meant trouble for everyone. So Spider-Woman was going to have a 'quiet chat' with young Mr Brown and hopefully get some straight answers. If Hobie was indeed the guilty party, then he had some explaining to do. If not, then perhaps he could give some clue as to the identity of the real thief.
As the residence of the Browns came into view, Spider-Woman landed gracefully onto the side of the building and crawled her way over to the bedroom window. Peering in, she saw Hobie and Mindy curled up beneath the duvet, apparently sound asleep.
"Hmm, doesn't look as though Hobie's been out and about," mused Spider-Woman, noting how relaxed and peaceful the Browns seemed to be. "But still, I better talk to him about what has happened."
She tapped gently on the window, and Hobie stirred awake. Puzzled by the noise, he got out of bed, taking care not to disturb Mindy, and crossed over to the window. As he lifted the glass frame up, he was startled when someone grabbed him and yanked him through the open window!
WHOOSH!
"Hey!" he protested as his unknown assailant swung them both upwards on a line towards the top of the house.
"Sorry for the rude awakening, Hobie," said Spider-Woman as she landed on the roof and deposited her surprised passenger onto the hard surface. "But we need to talk. Someone broke into a lab at Empire State University just an hour or two ago this evening, and according to a very reliable witness, the perpetrator was the Prowler!"
Hobie looked at Spider-Woman in surprise. "The Prowler?! Hey, no way, lady! I'm married now. I put the Prowler to rest months ago."
"I'd like to believe you, Hobie," said Spider-Woman sincerely. "But the police have already put out an APB for your masked alter ego. If you didn't commit the robbery, who did?"
"I don't know, but it sure wasn't me! I stuffed my old costume and gear in the storage room in the basement, an' I haven't been near it since. Look, lemme grab a robe and I'll show you. My gear must be all rusted up by now."
So after getting himself a dressing gown on, Hobie led Spider-Woman down to the basement and headed over to the supposedly untouched storage room, where the Prowler's old costume and equipment had been locked away. But as Hobie reached for the door, he immediately saw that something was wrong.
"What the...? The lock's been jimmied!" he exclaimed, as he swung the unlocked door open and peered inside to see that the room had been ransacked! "My stuff's all gone!"
It could have been an act, but Spider-Woman doubted it, as Brown was looking too genuinely surprised and furious, as he frantically checked the disarrayed room over.
"Everything! They took everything!" he fumed at last, his face practically glowing red with anger. "My tools, my schematics, the whole schmear! And that means whoever took it is usin' it! We gotta stop 'em!"
"Easy there, Hobie," said Spider-Woman gently, raising her gloved hand in a pacifying gesture. "You wanted to give this up, remember? Leave it to me. I'll find this new Prowler and make sure he gets what's coming to him."
As the morning sun rose over New York, most of the city's population were going about their normal everyday business, blissfully unaware of the drama that had unfolded at ESU and the potential danger hanging over their heads. But over at a seemingly-ordinary penthouse apartment, there was a definite tension in the air. The new Prowler was already feeling like he was in hot water, his brow sweating terribly as he had to report his failure to his employer.
"I tell you, boss, it wasn't my fault!" he spluttered, as he stood in the centre of the living room of the luxurious apartment currently used by the Rose. "Someone got there before I did and swiped the goods first. I swear, I would not double cross you!"
"Calm yourself, my dear Prowler," said the Rose calmly, as he leaned back in his chair, his thoughtful expression hidden by the head-covering purple leather hood and glasses that kept his true identity hidden. "I believe that you do indeed know better than to try and betray me. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that someone-else seems to have had the same idea as we had, and stole the merchandise before you did. We shall have to see about tracking them, and the plutonium they have in their possession, down."
The Rose turned his head towards his two righthand men. "Mr Johnston, have there been any reports from our own sources about our underworld rivals getting hold of this radioactive material and putting it on the black market?"
"No, boss," replied Johnston, as he and Varley stood to attention before their employer. "It's all quiet. No-one seems to know who could have pulled this off!"
"Maybe it was an inside job, chief," suggested Varley. "Some hot-headed student or disgruntled member of staff could have grabbed the plutonium for some reason."
"Hmm, possibly," said the Rose. "Have you any suggestions as to which member of the university might have done this?"
"I've put together a list of possible suspects," said Varley. "The one I've put at the top is a Doctor Gwen Stacy, a biochemist who works at the university. She may not be a nuclear physicist, but she's smart enough to pull off a heist like this, and it seems she's openly expressed some concern over the lack of security about the merchandise."
"So she might have stolen it to make a point?"
Varley shrugged. "Even if she didn't, I also gather that she and the NYPD captain are buddies. It's possible that Stacy might know something about the investigation that we don't."
The Rose considered this. "Then perhaps we should have a word with this Doctor Stacy. Prowler, I have a new assignment for you. And please, try not to mess it up this time..."