July 16, 2009
Madame Menace's private suite overlooked the city, a towering monument to her control. The glow of digital interfaces reflected off the sleek, obsidian walls, holographic schematics of stolen tech pulsing in the air like trophies of her empire.
The doors slid open.
Hammerhead strode in first, grinning like he had just won a prizefight. The Owl followed, the Iron Web in his grasp, its synthetic fibers shimmering under the dim lights. Tempo trailed behind, her expression unreadable.
Bain, better known in these circles as Madame Menace, sat reclined in a high-tech chair, fingers tented, observing them with calculated detachment.
"Well," she said, voice even. "That took longer than expected."
The Owl held up the Iron Web. "But we got what you wanted."
Bain's lips curved ever so slightly. "That much is true. But I imagine you had… resistance?"
Hammerhead cracked his knuckles. "Black Cat and Silver Sable gave us a bit of a workout. But thanks to Tempo, we pulled through."
Tempo raised an eyebrow. "Nice to be appreciated."
Bain stood, stepping toward them with an almost lazy confidence. She plucked the Iron Web from The Owl's grasp, turning it over in her hands.
"You see, gentlemen, and lady," Bain mused, "this was an inconvenience. However, it was also proof of something invaluable."
The three enforcers exchanged glances.
"They showed up," Bain continued. "Exactly as I anticipated. Their pride wouldn't allow them to sit this one out. And now that they've wasted their element of surprise…"
She turned to Tempo, studying her.
"You played your part well," Bain said smoothly. "I imagine you've already received compensation. But what if I told you there was far more waiting for you?"
Tempo crossed her arms. "I was paid to do a job. You need something more, that's gonna cost extra."
Bain smiled. "Of course. And I'm more than happy to accommodate. Double your previous advance. All you have to do? Help put an end to this little 'hero' problem. Permanently."
Hammerhead grinned. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about."
The Owl's eyes gleamed. "I've been waiting for the day Black Cat finally stops being a thorn in my side. This'll be fun."
Tempo considered for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. But I expect the transfer before the job's done."
"Done," Bain said without hesitation.
She turned away, tapping into her sleek, holographic console.
One name appeared on the screen:
Alistair Smythe.
A hologram flickered to life, revealing a man with slicked-back blond hair, cold eyes, and the telltale sneer of someone who never truly forgave the world for his failures.
"Madame Menace," Smythe greeted, his voice lined with curiosity. "I assume this call means you require my expertise."
"You assume correctly," Bain replied smoothly. She tilted the Iron Web in her hands, letting its fibers gleam through the projection. "I need you to locate two nuisances for me—Black Cat and Silver Sable. And then, we'll be making arrangements to ensure their permanent… retirement."
Smythe's expression twisted into a smirk. "Consider it done."
As the call cut out, Bain turned back to her enforcers.
"Get yourselves ready," she said, her voice sharp with finality. "Tomorrow, we make sure Black Cat and Silver Sable never interfere again."
The morning light flickered against the remnants of last night's chaos. A half-eaten protein bar sat abandoned on the table, a bullet casing glinting near the couch. The neon sign outside the window buzzed intermittently, casting jagged streaks of pink and blue against the cracked walls.
Felicia Hardy—Black Cat—was sprawled across the couch, still wrapped in the remnants of her torn disguise. She groaned as consciousness dragged her back, an arm flung over her face. "Ugh… what fresh hell is this?"
Across the room, Silver Sable slumped in a chair, arms crossed, a deep scowl carved into her face. "The morning after failure." She rubbed her temple, as if willing away the pounding headache left in the wake of their botched heist.
Flashes of the night before surged through Felicia's mind in disjointed fragments:
Tempo, appearing out of nowhere, warping time just enough to throw off their escape.
The Owl, smug and triumphant, snatching the Iron Web from their grasp.
Hammerhead's men, laying down relentless fire.
The explosion—deafening, blinding—hurling them into the rain-slicked streets.
Felicia sat up with a wince, stretching the stiffness from her limbs. "We really let those goons walk away with our payday, huh?"
Silver Sable's glare was ice-cold. "You mean your payday. I was here for the mission."
Felicia huffed, swinging her legs over the side of the couch. "Oh, sure, let's get all high and mighty about it. I don't remember you complaining when we were both about to cash in."
Silver Sable stood, her movements taut with restrained frustration. "Because I trusted we had a plan. A plan that did not involve Tempo ruining everything."
Silence hung between them for a beat.
Felicia exhaled, rolling her shoulders. "Yeah. Tempo. Didn't see that one coming."
Silver Sable's arms remained crossed, her expression unreadable. "We should have."
Felicia snorted. "Oh, right. Let me just consult my Villains Who Might Crash the Party handbook."
Silver Sable stepped closer, her gaze sharp enough to cut. "You think this is funny?"
Felicia shrugged, the smirk never quite reaching her eyes. "I have to. Otherwise, I might start getting as grumpy as you."
Sable's jaw tightened. "This isn't a joke. We are outnumbered. Outmaneuvered. And at this point, I am not convinced I should still trust this partnership."
Felicia arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Well, I was just about to say the same thing."
A mechanical spider-drone skittered along the rooftop's edge, its crimson optics scanning the safehouse below.
Alistair Smythe watched the feed from a shadowed perch, flanked by his heavily-armed cybernetic enforcers. A slow grin curled his lips as he observed the tension unfolding inside.
"They're unraveling," he murmured. "Perfect."
Below him, his enforcers checked their weapons, chambering rounds with mechanical precision. More spider-drones prepared to infiltrate, their targeting systems locking onto the safehouse's only exit.
Smythe leaned into his communicator, voice a low purr of satisfaction. "Wait for my signal. Let them stew a little longer."
The glare between Felicia and Sable stretched taut until, finally, Sable broke first. She sighed and looked away. "We don't have time for this."
Felicia leaned against the table, nodding. "Agreed."
Sable straightened, her focus shifting from frustration to strategy. "We need a new plan."
Felicia cracked her knuckles. "And fast."
Then—
A mechanical click.
Both women froze.
Felicia's gaze snapped to the window. A spider-drone clung to the glass, its red light pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Sable?" she breathed.
Sable was already reaching for her pistol.
"Move. Now."
The world shattered into motion.
Perched on a rooftop across the street, Alistair Smythe watched through the glowing red interface of his cybernetic eye. A live feed from one of his spider-drones displayed the grainy, flickering image of Silver Sable and Black Cat inside. His lips curled into a smirk. The city lights behind him cast long, angular shadows over his towering form, while his Enforcers stood at the ready, their weapons primed for the assault.
"Target confirmed," one of them said into a comm. "Black Cat's hideout."
Smythe extended his metal fingers, flexing them as if savoring the moment. "Then let's burn it down."
The first blast shattered the reinforced windows, sending shards of glass and debris scattering like jagged confetti. Inside, Silver Sable reacted instantly, pivoting on her heel as she pulled a pistol from her holster. Black Cat rolled over the couch just as a barrage of gunfire tore through it, stuffing exploding in every direction. The air filled with the sharp stench of burning fabric and ozone.
Sable launched into action, kicking a wooden table toward the doorway. It crashed into an Enforcer, knocking him back into the hall. Black Cat moved like liquid shadow, flipping over another attacker, yanking a hidden wire as she did. The trip-mine detonated, sending another Enforcer sprawling into a wall. Gunfire erupted from every angle, ricocheting off surfaces, forcing the two women into defensive positions.
Outside, Smythe observed with clinical detachment. Predictable. These two had an impressive ability to adapt under fire, but he had anticipated as much. He reached to his wrist-mounted control pad and pressed a button.
A deep mechanical whir reverberated through the building, rattling the floors and walls.
Then, the wall behind Black Cat and Silver Sable exploded inward.
Through the smoking wreckage, Smythe's trump card emerged—a towering, heavily-armored mech-suit, bristling with weapons and lined with pulsating energy cores. Its twin cannons glowed ominously as it stepped forward, crushing shattered furniture beneath its weight.
Black Cat and Silver Sable exchanged a look.
"Sable…" Black Cat said, barely breathing. "Tell me you've got a plan."
"Survive," Silver Sable muttered, shifting into a combat stance.
"Terrible plan," Black Cat muttered.
The mech's cannons fired. A concussive shockwave ripped through the room, obliterating walls and tearing through the floor beneath them. Everything buckled—then collapsed.
They fell.
Black Cat twisted midair, barely managing to grab onto a broken support beam before swinging herself onto a crumbling platform. Silver Sable crashed through a wooden desk below, landing in a crouch as dust and debris rained down around her. Above them, the Enforcers rappelled down through the ruined floors, their laser sights cutting through the dust clouds.
Smythe descended last, landing with a metallic clang.
"Run all you like," he called out, his voice smooth and amused. "You won't get far."
Black Cat met Silver Sable's gaze. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and the entire building was falling apart around them. They didn't need to speak to know the next step.
They ran.
The pursuit was chaos.
A dumpster lid slammed shut as Silver Sable and Black Cat darted through the maze of alleyways, their boots splashing through puddles of questionable liquid. Smoke and dust still clung to their clothes from the wreckage of the motel hideout, and Felicia was pretty sure she had a burn mark somewhere really inconvenient.
"This night is going great," Felicia panted. "First, we get blown up, then we almost get perforated by Smythe's goon squad, and now we're doing cardio."
Silver Sable, slightly less winded, didn't even glance at her. "You're complaining?"
"No, just setting the mood."
They turned a corner—only to skid to a stop as two figures blocked their path.
Hammerhead. The Owl.
Behind them, a lot of goons, armed to the teeth and very much in the mood to make an example of them.
Hammerhead cracked his knuckles, his signature metal-plated skull gleaming under the flickering streetlight. "Well, well, well. If it ain't the bad luck charm and the mercenary ice queen. What are the odds?"
Felicia leaned over to Silver Sable. "I'd say... very bad."
The Owl flexed his clawed fingers and grinned, his sharp teeth practically glowing. "Ladies, I've been looking forward to this. You cost me a lot of money lately."
Felicia sighed. "Ugh, every guy I meet just won't stop talking about money. It's either money, power, or 'I'm going to kill you now.' No one ever wants to talk about hobbies."
Hammerhead cracked his neck. "You ain't leavin' this alley."
Silver Sable immediately opened fire.
The goons scattered, taking cover behind trash cans and abandoned crates. Bullets ricocheted, sparks flying. Black Cat leaped into the fray, using the tight quarters of the alley to her advantage, flipping off a wall and kicking a thug square in the jaw.
Silver Sable, meanwhile, made a beeline for Hammerhead, flipping over a bullet before landing a brutal roundhouse kick straight to his skull.
WHUD.
Hammerhead didn't even flinch.
Silver Sable blinked. "...Hmph."
Hammerhead grinned. "That all ya got?"
She threw three more rapid-fire strikes—elbow, knee, spinning kick. Each one landed squarely. Each one did absolutely nothing.
Hammerhead wagged a finger. "You really shoulda read the file on me, sweetheart." Then, before she could react, he swung.
She barely ducked in time. His fist collided with the brick wall behind her—shattering it.
Meanwhile, Felicia had flipped onto a fire escape, trying to shake the half-dozen goons chasing her. She landed gracefully, striking a pose.
"Okay, show of hands," she called out. "How many of you don't have dental insurance?"
The goons hesitated.
Felicia smirked. "Great, just checking."
She ripped a loose pipe from the side of the building and sent it crashing onto the goons below, knocking out two instantly.
The Owl, still perched above, screeched.
Felicia barely had time to dodge as he dove at her, claws slashing the air where her face had just been.
"Okay, okay! I get it, you're a scary bird man!" she yelped, ducking another swipe.
The Owl's glowing eyes locked onto her. "Mock me all you want, cat thief. You'll be screaming soon enough."
Felicia dodged a swipe, flipped backwards—only to find herself on the edge of the fire escape.
She gulped. "So. You fly. I don't. That seems... unfair."
The Owl grinned. "Then let's make it even."
He lunged.
Felicia jumped.
She barely caught a hanging clothesline, swinging wildly while The Owl slashed at the air just inches behind her. Below, Silver Sable had grabbed a discarded steel pipe and was wailing on Hammerhead's skull.
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Hammerhead, completely unfazed, just stared at her.
"Are you done?" he asked.
Silver Sable exhaled. "Yes."
Hammerhead grinned.
Then she kicked him in the knee.
He actually buckled.
Silver Sable smirked. "Not unbreakable everywhere."
Felicia, still dangling from the clothesline, watched all of this with mild amusement. "Hey, do you mind? Some of us are dealing with literal bird demons right now."
Silver Sable glanced up, sighed, and reloaded. "Switch?"
Felicia flipped off the line, landing beside her. "Thought you'd never ask."
And with that, they swapped opponents.
The second Black Cat and Silver Sable swapped opponents, the fight changed.
Felicia darted past Hammerhead, planting a hand on his shoulder and flipping over him, landing gracefully behind him. "See, Sable? You were going for the head. Rookie mistake. You gotta—"
She swept his legs out from under him.
Hammerhead crashed to the ground, hard.
"—aim lower."
Silver Sable, meanwhile, fired a precision shot at The Owl's winged cape, hitting just the right spot to send him spiraling into a dumpster.
She didn't even blink. "That was satisfying."
Owl hissed as he crawled out of the garbage, banana peels hanging off his claws. "You think this is over?"
Felicia casually dodged a wild punch from Hammerhead. "No, I think this is me leaving."
She kneed Hammerhead in the gut, vaulted off his back, and sprinted past the wave of goons blocking the alley's exit. Silver Sable gunned down the nearest streetlight, sending sparks flying everywhere, giving them just enough cover to make a break for it.
The two of them bolted.
Behind them, Hammerhead roared, "DON'T LET 'EM GET AWAY!"
Goons poured after them, but Felicia had the lead.
"You know what's great about being chased by a bunch of guys with guns?" she called over to Sable.
Sable didn't even look at her. "Nothing?"
Felicia grinned. "Exactly!"
She dropped a handful of smoke bombs, obscuring the alley in thick gray fog. The goons stumbled, coughing and tripping over each other.
Silver Sable exhaled. "That was useful."
Felicia winked. "I do my best."
They turned a corner—only to hear the distinct CLANK of Hammerhead's steel-plated skull smashing through a chain-link fence.
Felicia winced. "That dude's head is basically a wrecking ball."
Sable nodded. "Agreed. We should—"
A blur zipped past them.
Felicia barely caught the glimpse of a woman in a sleek, dark-blue bodysuit standing on the rooftop above them, watching.
Silver Sable did see her, and her expression darkened. "Trouble."
Felicia followed her gaze. "What, Garbage Bird and Tin Head aren't enough?"
The woman—Tempo—tilted her head curiously before raising her hand.
Then, reality shifted.
Felicia suddenly felt it—her legs sluggish, her movements off. Like someone had dialed her speed down.
"Ohhhh, that's not good."
Sable grabbed her arm, pulling her along. "Move. NOW."
Behind them, Hammerhead and The Owl closed in.
Tempo smirked. "Not so fast."
She clenched her fist—time itself warped.
Black Cat and Silver Sable had been in bad spots before.
But fighting Tempo?
This was a new kind of bad.
Felicia lunged forward—only to suddenly feel off-balance, like she was running through molasses.
Silver Sable raised her gun—then froze mid-movement, her own speed thrown out of sync.
Tempo, standing a few feet away, just smirked. "It's like watching a bad Wi-Fi connection."
Felicia gritted her teeth, forcing her legs to move. "Great. I hate buffering."
Tempo flicked her wrist—suddenly, Black Cat and Silver Sable lurched forward at double speed, their momentum throwing them off. Felicia barely caught herself on a fire escape, while Silver Sable went into a roll, landing hard.
"Okay," Felicia panted, "I'm officially not a fan of this."
Sable reloaded her pistol. "We need to get closer."
Tempo wagged a finger. "Oh, no, no, no. That's not happening."
She clenched her fists, and suddenly the world around them slowed again—except for her.
Tempo strolled forward at a normal pace while Felicia and Sable were trapped in what felt like a bad dream where everything was in slow motion.
On a rooftop above, Hammerhead and The Owl watched.
Hammerhead popped his knuckles. "This is gettin' good."
Owl folded his arms. "Patience."
Felicia struggled to move, her arms barely responding. "Y'know," she groaned, "I always thought I'd go out in a blaze of glory. Not… in slo-mo."
Silver Sable exhaled through her nose, voice strained. "If we… work together—"
Tempo snapped her fingers—speeding them up so fast they stumbled forward, almost smashing into a wall.
Felicia blinked. "Oh, I hate her."
Sable rolled her shoulders. "Agreed."
Tempo tilted her head, smirking. "Y'know, you two could just… sit down. Let the pros handle things."
Felicia's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, see, the problem with that…"
She suddenly lunged—but Tempo reversed time half a second, dodging before Felicia even moved.
Felicia froze mid-air. "Oh, c'mon!"
Tempo shrugged. "Tried to warn ya."
Felicia landed, turning to Sable. "We need a plan, like, yesterday."
Sable narrowed her eyes. "Then let's steal one."
She flicked her gaze up—to Hammerhead and Owl, still waiting for their moment.
Felicia followed her line of sight.
Then, slowly, she grinned.
"Okay," she whispered, "I like where your head's at."
Sable nodded. "Follow my lead."
Black Cat's mind raced. Tempo was too slippery, too unpredictable. Every attack, she dodged before it happened. Every plan, she rewound or fast-forwarded through like a bad DVD.
Felicia hated bad DVDs.
But Silver Sable? She played the long game.
Felicia met her gaze. Sable gave a slight nod.
They moved as one.
Felicia went left. Sable went right.
Tempo smirked.
"You think splitting up is gonna—"
Felicia faked a lunge. Tempo reacted—twisting just a little—and that was all Sable needed.
BANG.
A well-placed shot shattered a nearby power box.
The streetlights flickered. The air crackled.
And for just a second, Tempo's grip on time stuttered.
Felicia pounced. She twisted mid-air, snatching a live wire right out of the busted box—
ZZZRRRTTT!
Tempo shrieked, her suit sparking as the jolt scrambled her powers.
Felicia landed, panting. "I—" she coughed. "I think I just unplugged her."
Sable holstered her gun. "A temporary fix."
Felicia grinned. "Fitting."
Tempo staggered, blinking rapidly, her hands twitching. "You—" she growled. "You think—"
WHAM.
Felicia barely had a second to react before a steel-plated skull crashed into her ribs, sending her sprawling.
Hammerhead grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Ladies, ladies… forgot about us?"
Sable spun, raising her weapon—
But Owl was already behind her, talons flashing as he sliced the gun clean in half.
Sable hissed, stepping back.
Owl adjusted his coat. "Now, now. No need for all that."
Felicia groaned, pushing herself up. "Ugh. What is this, an open mic night for mobsters?"
Tempo shook off the last of the stun, cracking her neck. "Great," she muttered. "Now I gotta split the credit."
Hammerhead stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "So, here's how this plays out, kittens. You come quiet, no fuss, no mess."
Owl grinned. "Or, well… lots of mess."
Felicia and Sable glanced at each other.
They'd barely caught their breath from Tempo—now this?
Felicia sighed. "We really need to stop making so many enemies."
Sable squared her stance. "Later. First, we survive."
Felicia exhaled. "Fine. But next time? We get a day off."
Owl flexed his claws. "Oh, I promise…"
Tempo clenched her fists.
Hammerhead charged.
"…there won't be a next time."
Felicia wiped a streak of blood from her lip. Silver Sable reloaded her pistol with a snap.
Across from them—Tempo, Owl, and Hammerhead stood ready.
Three versus two. Bad odds.
But bad odds could be tilted.
Felicia smirked. "Alright, boys and girl. Last chance to walk away before this gets messy."
Tempo scoffed. "Cute."
Hammerhead cracked his knuckles. "You're the ones about to get—"
Sable fired.
Not at them.
At the fire escape above.
The rusted metal groaned as the support beam snapped, and before Hammerhead could finish his threat, an entire iron staircase came crashing down—
Right on top of him.
WHAM!
Hammerhead, despite his bone-plated skull, collapsed under the weight with a muffled grunt.
Felicia winced. "Oof. That's gotta be embarrassing."
Owl spread his wings, snarling. "You think a lucky shot—"
Felicia yanked a clothesline from a nearby building—right in his flight path.
Owl slammed into it face-first, spinning through the air like a drunken seagull before crashing into a dumpster.
THUD.
Felicia grinned. "I think that was a lucky shot."
That left one.
Tempo.
She snarled, raising her hands. "You think this is over? I can just—"
Felicia tossed something small at her.
A shiny metal ball.
Tempo's reflexes kicked in. She caught it.
"Ha! What was that supposed to—"
It beeped.
FLASH!
A high-powered strobe burst out—disorienting, flickering, throwing off her sense of time.
Silver Sable was already moving.
One quick, brutal kick—and Tempo went sprawling, head hitting pavement.
She didn't get up.
Felicia twirled a lock of hair. "Huh. Y'know, for a time-manipulating assassin, she sure didn't see that coming."
Sable exhaled, taking in the scene. Hammerhead buried under a fire escape, Owl knocked out cold, Tempo unconscious.
It wasn't pretty.
But it was over.
For now.
Felicia dusted off her suit. "Well. That was fun."
Sable narrowed her eyes. "No. That was necessary."
Felicia waved a hand. "Tomato, tomahto."
Sirens echoed in the distance. The fight had been loud. They needed to move.
Felicia sighed. "C'mon, I know a way out. This way."
They darted down the alleys, moving fast, weaving through the dark.
Silver Sable glanced at her. "Bain's hires won't stop."
Felicia nodded. "Nope."
"Smythe is still out there."
"Uh-huh."
"He will not stop hunting us."
Felicia smirked. "Yeah. But that's his problem, isn't it?"
Silver Sable didn't respond.
She just kept running.
Author's Note: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed this set of action that allowed us to see Black Cat and Silver Sable in action against three villains. That said of course, Smythe is still out there and preparing for the moment he can make his pursuit. The challenges aren't over just yet, but this will be the beginning of another great challenge the two will go through. I hope you're all going to be there to see for how big the action can get.