July 16, 2009

The clicking of mechanical limbs echoed across the rooftop as Alistair Smythe knelt waiting for the moment he was looking for. Screens flickered across his visor, displaying live security feeds, heat signatures, and news reports—all showing the wreckage Black Cat and Silver Sable had left in their wake.

His eyes scanned the latest report.

SUBJECTS: TEMPO, HAMMERHEAD, THE OWL—NEUTRALIZED.
STATUS: INCAPACITATED. LOCATION: RECOVERY PENDING.

A slow, deliberate smile curled on Smythe's face.

"Predictable."

His metallic exoskeleton hissed as he moved, shifting its weight. These fools—Bain's hired help—had been a means to exhaust Silver Sable and Black Cat, nothing more.

But now?

Now, it was his turn.

Smythe turned to a large metallic frame at the center of the workshop—a tangle of mechanical arms, sleek, eight-legged drones, and a towering exosuit. The Iron Web loomed over him, its sensor lights glowing a menacing red.

He ran a gloved hand over its frame, speaking aloud, as if to an old friend.

"I told them this would happen."

The Iron Web twitched in response, its mechanical limbs flexing, eager.

"I told Bain she should let me handle them from the beginning. But no…" His voice turned mocking. "She wanted to be the one to 'break them herself.'"

He chuckled, dark and humorless.

His fingers danced across the console, inputting commands. The screens flickered, switching to heat tracking, movement projections, escape routes. The city grid illuminated, mapping every possible path his targets could take.

"Enough games," he murmured.

A sharp mechanical beep signaled the activation of every Spider-Slayer under his command. The Iron Web's frame came to life, unfolding, whirring, hissing with power.

He turned, stepping into the exosuit's harness, letting it lock onto him like an extension of his own body. The red optics of the Iron Web flared to life, scanning the city beyond the workshop's reinforced walls.

"They've had their fun."

His lips curled.

"Now, it's my turn."

With a final command, the Iron Web launched forward, tracking, hunting, descending upon the city like a metal storm.

The hunt was on.

Black Cat vaulted over a shattered railing, narrowly dodging a missile blast that blew open another wall. Silver Sable spun, firing precise shots that shattered a nearby light fixture, sending sparks cascading onto Smythe's mech. One Enforcer lunged at Black Cat, but she flipped backward, planting both feet into his chest and kicking him over the edge of a broken stairwell.

Smythe retaliated. His mech's weaponry charged, emitting a high-pitched whine before releasing a devastating blast that ripped through the structure. The entire floor beneath them gave way.

They plummeted.

The city rushed up to meet them as they crashed through an open wall, falling onto a busy street. Cars screeched to a halt. Pedestrians screamed and scattered, some ducking behind vehicles, others sprinting for cover.

Black Cat groaned as she picked herself up, dusting off her jacket. "Okay," she muttered. "New plan?"

Silver Sable rose beside her, expression unreadable as she reloaded her pistol. Her gaze flicked back to the ruined building, where Smythe and his Enforcers emerged from the smoke and wreckage, stepping onto the pavement with slow, deliberate menace.

"Fight," Silver Sable said simply.

Black Cat exhaled. "Figured you'd say that."

And then, the battle began again.

The street erupted into chaos.

Smythe's Enforcers fanned out, their heavy boots pounding against the pavement, weapons gleaming under flickering streetlights. Black Cat and Silver Sable stood back to back, their muscles coiled like loaded springs. The tension crackled between them, broken only by the first hail of gunfire.

BANG!

Silver Sable ducked low, spinning on her heel as she fired a precise shot. The bullet slammed into an Enforcer's knee, sending him toppling like a felled statue. Black Cat moved in tandem, flipping onto the hood of a parked car, using the extra height to launch herself into a spinning kick that sent another goon sprawling onto the asphalt.

WHIP-PSSSHH!

A baton lashed toward Black Cat's head, but she twisted midair, narrowly avoiding the blow. She landed in a crouch, her fingertips grazing the ground before she shot back up, delivering a brutal uppercut that sent her attacker stumbling.

"Are we winning?" Black Cat asked breathlessly, pivoting as another Enforcer lunged.

Silver Sable caught the goon's wrist mid-strike and wrenched his arm, twisting it until he crumpled. "No."

KRA-KOOM!

A blast roared from above. Smythe, still perched atop a nearby building, extended his cybernetic arms, aiming his high-powered rail cannons down at them. Twin beams of searing red light slashed through the street, carving deep, smoking gouges into the pavement as the ground beneath them buckled.

Black Cat barely leaped away before a crater swallowed the spot where she stood. "Okay, I don't love that," she muttered.

Silver Sable dove through the smoke, rolling to her feet as another Enforcer charged at her. She grabbed his rifle mid-swing, twisted it out of his hands, and used the butt of the weapon to crack it across his skull. He collapsed instantly.

Smythe's voice crackled through unseen speakers. "This isn't a fight you can win."

Black Cat smirked, dodging a stun baton with a well-timed backflip. "Oh, honey, you must be new."

Another Enforcer lunged at her. Without missing a beat, she ducked, snatched the champagne tray from a nearby street vendor's overturned cart, and smashed it into his face. Silver Sable, now wielding twin pistols, vaulted onto the hood of a taxi, using it as a springboard to propel herself into the fray.

BAM-BAM-BAM!

Each shot was measured, controlled—an Enforcer's shoulder, another's kneecap, disabling them without killing. Efficient. Precise.

Meanwhile, Black Cat was all flair and momentum, sliding across the hood of a sports car, kicking a goon in the chest while catching another's arm and flipping him onto the pavement. She landed with a dramatic hair toss, grinning.

Silver Sable, mid-fight, shot her a glance. "Stop showing off."

Black Cat dodged a flying fist. "No."

Another concussive BOOM tore through the street.

Smythe had fired again, this time targeting a nearby traffic light, sending the massive pole crashing down. Sparks erupted as power lines snapped, casting strobing blue and red lightning into the night.

Sable and Black Cat barely dodged the falling debris.

Smythe's robotic arms whirred as they recharged for another blast. "Enough games. Time to end this."

Black Cat huffed. "Agree to disagree!" She looked at Silver Sable. "We need to move."

Silver Sable, already formulating a plan, holstered her pistols. "Get ready."

With that, she grabbed a discarded smoke grenade from an unconscious Enforcer's belt, pulled the pin, and tossed it high.

PFFFTT—BOOM!

The street exploded into a thick cloud of gray mist.

Black Cat grabbed Silver Sable's wrist. "I love when you do that."

Then they vanished.

Smythe's scanners flickered wildly, trying to track them. His mechanical eye adjusted, searching through the haze, but by the time it cleared, all that was left was empty street and unconscious Enforcers.

Smythe clenched his jaw.

This wasn't over.

The night air hummed with electricity as Black Cat and Silver Sable crouched in the shadows of a ruined rooftop, gazing down at Smythe's mobile command center—an armored vehicle bristling with antennae, drone launchers, and glowing red sensor lights. Inside, the feed from his Enforcers' visors flickered across monitors, tracking the city in real-time. If there was any record of where they had taken the Iron Web, it would be in there.

"We do this fast," Black Cat whispered, adjusting her gloves. "You keep him busy. I'll do my thing."

Silver Sable nodded. "If you don't have it in two minutes—"

"Oh, I'll have it." Black Cat smirked, slipping into the darkness.

Down on the street, Smythe stood rigid, scanning his monitors. His mechanical eye pulsed red, his cybernetic arms flexing with tension. He knew they were out there.

Then—

THOOM.

Silver Sable dropped from above, landing a few feet in front of him, her twin pistols already aimed at his chest.

"Smythe." Her voice was a blade's edge.

Smythe tilted his head. "You again."

"Disappointed?"

"Not at all."

His mechanical arms snapped up, cannons charging—

BANG-BANG!

Sable fired, aiming for his shoulder joints. Smythe dodged with inhuman speed, twisting out of the way as one of his arms clamped onto a streetlight, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

Silver Sable sprinted forward, leaping onto a toppled car for higher ground. She was the distraction. She had to keep him moving, keep his systems engaged, keep his focus entirely—

Smythe's sensors flickered. Something was off.

His optics caught a brief anomaly on his HUD—a flicker, a motion behind him.

Inside the armored vehicle…

Black Cat materialized from the shadows, slipping past security drones with feline grace. Her eyes flicked over the command console. Bingo.

A sleek, black terminal pulsed with data streams. She plugged in her device and cracked her knuckles.

"Alright, sweetheart, show me your secrets."

Her fingers danced over the keys. Firewalls crumbled. Location data scrolled across the screen.

Outside, Smythe suddenly froze.

Silver Sable lunged with a spinning kick—but his arm shot out, grabbing her ankle mid-air.

"You think I don't know a distraction when I see one?" he growled.

Sable barely had time to react before he hurled her into a car, denting the frame.

Inside, Black Cat's eyes lit up as she found the coordinates.

"Jackpot!"

She yanked out the drive—

ALARM BLARES.

She turned. The red lights were back.

"Uh-oh."

The armored vehicle exploded open as Black Cat flipped backward onto the street. Smythe's Enforcers rushed in from all directions, their visors gleaming as they leveled weapons at the two women.

"I really hate these guys." Black Cat muttered.

Silver Sable, already on her feet, exhaled sharply. "We move now."

They broke into a sprint—weaving, flipping, dodging. Black Cat leaped onto a lamppost, swinging over an Enforcer's head before kicking him square in the jaw. Silver Sable, more direct, bulldozed through them with precise, brutal takedowns.

They almost made it.

Then—

WHAM!

A mechanical arm slammed into Silver Sable, sending her crashing through a storefront window.

Black Cat barely had time to turn before—

ZZZZT—!

A jolt of energy surged through her. Her body locked up as electricity coursed through her limbs.

Smythe loomed over her, his cannon still crackling from the blast.

Black Cat's vision blurred.

Silver Sable groaned from the wreckage, trying to push herself up—

Smythe's metal hand closed around Black Cat's wrist.

"You almost had me." He leaned down, a cruel smile spreading. "But almost doesn't count."

Black Cat barely had time to curse before darkness took her.

The armored transport truck rumbled down the empty road, its tires grinding against the cracked pavement. Inside the dimly lit cargo hold, Black Cat and Silver Sable were slumped against the cold metal floor, wrists and ankles bound with high-tech restraints. Their heads lolled slightly—the tranquilizers were beginning to wear off, but neither was in any shape to fight back.

Sitting across from them, Hammerhead, The Owl, Tempo, and Alistair Smythe loomed like vultures, each with their own agenda.

Hammerhead cracked his knuckles, his unyielding forehead glinting under the weak fluorescent light. "This is a waste of time," he growled. "We should scrap 'em now. Break their necks, toss 'em in the river, call it a day."

The Owl, perched in his seat with an unsettling calmness, slowly turned his head toward Hammerhead. His lips curved into a smirk, but there was nothing friendly about it.

"Oh, I don't disagree," he murmured. His sharp fingers tapped rhythmically on the seat's armrest. "I'd rather gut her myself and hang what's left from my perch. But…" He let out a theatrical sigh. "The woman in charge wants them alive."

Smythe, seated near the front, glanced back with a detached expression. His mechanical frame hissed as he adjusted his stance.

"Exactly," he said. "Madame Menace has specific plans for these two. And last I checked, she's paying us more to deliver them breathing."

Tempo, slouched against the side of the truck, nodded lazily. "More than double, actually," she reminded them, arms crossed. "And after the beating we all took, I could use the payday."

Hammerhead snorted, crossing his arms. "Buncha fancy tech-heads and money-grubbin' freaks. I don't see why Bain needs 'em at all."

The Owl's eyes narrowed. "She doesn't need them. She wants them. There's a difference."

Tempo kicked her feet up on a crate. "Who cares? Long as we get paid, right?"

Smythe's cybernetic fingers tightened over his knee. "I don't particularly care for Bain's reasoning either," he admitted. "But I know this much—once we deliver them, they're no longer our problem."

Outside, the facility loomed in the distance—a cold, industrial sprawl hidden in the outskirts of the city. Towering fences, security drones, and the faint glow of surveillance cameras marked the perimeter.

Smythe glanced toward the front monitor, seeing the tracking data for the Iron Web's main server node glowing on the screen.

"We're almost there."

The Owl's grin widened. "Good."

Hammerhead cracked his knuckles again.

Tempo smirked.

And behind them, Black Cat's fingers twitched.

They were waking up.

The hum of high-powered engines filled the air as Smythe's armored transport rumbled through the city. Inside, Black Cat and Silver Sable sat restrained in reinforced restraints, their wrists clamped to metal braces designed to neutralize their skills. Sable tested her bindings, jaw tight, while Black Cat leaned back against the cold metal walls, watching the red glow of security sensors flicker across the cabin.

"This is embarrassing," Black Cat muttered, shifting her shoulders. "I thought we were better than this."

Silver Sable exhaled sharply. "We'll get another shot."

Across from them, Smythe remained silent, monitoring their vitals through his augmented optics. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Relax," he said, adjusting a dial on his gauntlet. "You'll both be at Osprey Tower soon. Madame Menace is eager to have a word."

The transport jolted to a halt. The doors hissed open, revealing the sleek, high-tech interior of Madame Menace's headquarters.

The sterile, metallic glow of the hidden facility's interior cast sharp shadows along the walls as Tempo strode through the corridor, boots clicking against the cold floor. The aftermath of her job left a familiar taste in her mouth—success, with a side of unease.

At the far end of the hall, Madame Menace—Sunset Bain—stood behind a sleek, holographic display, fingers lightly tapping the glass console in a rhythm that suggested both boredom and calculation.

Behind her, Hammerhead and The Owl lingered, their expressions distinctly different—Hammerhead exuded impatience, rolling his shoulders like a boxer waiting for the next round, while The Owl smirked, eyes gleaming with the quiet thrill of the hunt.

Tempo stopped a few feet away, slipping her hands into her pockets. "Delivery's made. Silver Sable and Black Cat are officially your problem now."

Madame Menace smiled—a sharp, practiced expression that never quite reached her eyes. "Efficient work," she mused, keying in a command. A nearby screen flickered to life, displaying two figures bound in containment cells—Black Cat and Silver Sable, groggy but slowly regaining their faculties.

She turned her gaze back to Tempo. "You don't want to stay? See the results of our labor?"

Tempo scoffed, shifting her weight. "As fun as that sounds, I've got places to be. Friends to meet. And, you know…" She rubbed her fingers together in a universal sign. "Got paid. Got things to do."

Madame Menace let out a quiet chuckle. "I expected as much." She gestured to the tablet beside her, confirming the transaction had gone through. "Consider our business concluded."

Tempo gave a small, satisfied nod. "Always a pleasure, Bain."

"Likewise."

As Tempo turned on her heel, making her way toward the exit, Madame Menace barely spared her another glance before addressing the two men behind her.

"Well, at least I still have you two to enjoy the moment," she said smoothly. "And I know how much you both appreciate a spectacle."

Hammerhead's grin was pure malice. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get to the part where they beg for a way out."

The Owl simply chuckled, eyes fixed on the monitor. "Oh, they won't beg. Not at first." He leaned forward, voice dripping with amusement. "That's what makes it fun."

The doors slid open, and Tempo stepped out into the cold morning air.

She exhaled, glancing down at the funds transferred to her account.

Big score. Clean job. No loose ends.

And yet…

She gave one last glance over her shoulder before shaking her head and vanishing into the city.

Whatever happened next…

Wasn't her problem anymore.

Felicia and Sable were hauled from their seats by armed guards, pushed forward through a corridor lined with glowing monitors and intricate machinery. The halls were pristine, sterile, dripping with wealth and power.

Then, the doors ahead slid open, revealing Sunset Bain—Madame Menace herself.

She stood in the center of a lavish command chamber, draped in a tailored black suit with gold trim, exuding effortless control. Behind her, holographic displays showed fluctuating data streams—market figures, weapons schematics, and security footage of their capture.

She smirked.

"Look at this," she mused, gesturing toward them. "The infamous Black Cat and the relentless Silver Sable, delivered gift-wrapped. Smythe, you do have a talent for acquisitions."

Smythe gave a slight bow. "Only the best, Madame."

Sunset Bain strode forward, heels clicking against the polished floor. She circled them slowly, like a predator sizing up its prey.

"You've been quite the thorn in my side, ladies," she continued, clasping her hands behind her back. "But you see, I don't take these things personally. You're both exceptional talents. Wasted, of course, on the wrong side of the equation—but talented nonetheless."

Black Cat rolled her eyes. "Oh great, the villain monologue. We're really doing this?"

Sunset chuckled. "Oh, Felicia, you mistake me. I'm not here to gloat."

She stepped closer to Black Cat, her tone shifting. "I'm here to offer you something better."

Felicia's smirk faltered just slightly.

Silver Sable straightened, eyes narrowing. "She's not interested."

Sunset didn't even glance at her. Her gaze remained locked on Black Cat.

"A woman like you doesn't work for scraps, Felicia." Her voice was silk. "You know that. You know you're destined for bigger things. The only thing standing between you and true power is the side you're standing on."

Black Cat's breath hitched just for a second, but she masked it with a lazy shrug. "I already have a side, thanks."

Sunset smiled, as if she had expected that answer.

"Let's see if you're still saying that by the time we're done here."

With a snap of her fingers, the guards hauled Silver Sable away toward another chamber, leaving Black Cat standing alone with Madame Menace.

And for the first time since the night began—Felicia felt truly out of her depth.

The isolation chamber was silent except for the rhythmic hum of concealed machinery. The walls were sleek, metallic, and lined with embedded security measures—motion sensors, high-frequency dampeners, and a single glowing camera eye fixed on Black Cat like a watchful predator.

Felicia sat in the middle of the room, hands resting lightly on her knees, the restraints removed but the threat of immediate subjugation still looming. She knew the game Bain was playing—control, intimidation, persuasion. The same tricks all power players used when they wanted someone useful to flip.

The door hissed open.

Sunset Bain stepped inside, her heels clicking with precise, unhurried confidence. She carried a glass of expensive whiskey in one hand, the other tucked casually behind her back. The door sealed shut behind her, leaving the two alone.

"Felicia Hardy," Bain began, rolling the name over her tongue like she was savoring it. "The Black Cat. You know, I've been keeping tabs on you for a while now. You've got style, skill, and a survival instinct that most people could only dream of."

Felicia flicked her hair back with an easy smirk. "Aw, I didn't know you cared. Does this mean we're besties now?"

Bain chuckled, stepping closer. "It means I see potential. I have an empire, Felicia. One that operates beyond petty crime, beyond street-level heists. What I do changes the world—one transaction at a time. And I think you'd like to be part of something bigger than just running jobs for the highest bidder."

Felicia leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "Let me guess. You want me to work for you?"

Bain took a sip of her drink. "More than that. I want you as my personal agent. My ace. With the Iron Web at your fingertips, you could be untouchable. Imagine the heists, the control, the power. No more close calls. No more running."

Felicia's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression unreadable. She had seen the Iron Web in action—hijacking cybernetics, turning elite fighters into mindless weapons. If Bain was offering it to her, that meant she wasn't just looking for an agent—she was looking for someone to weaponize.

Felicia exhaled, letting herself sink into the act. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "Huh. You make a tempting pitch, Bain. No more looking over my shoulder, no more near misses. Sounds pretty sweet."

Bain smiled, stepping forward just a bit more, confident she was winning.

Felicia smiled back.

And in a single fluid motion, her fingers, which had been idly tracing the seams of the chair, flicked out a micro-device she had palmed earlier—a tiny disruption chip, barely the size of a coin.

She casually pressed it against the side of Bain's wrist gauntlet, where the control systems for the room's security grid were housed.

A tiny click barely registered over the hum of the room.

Felicia's smirk widened. "But the thing is, Bain—I've always been more of a free agent."

A sudden spark erupted from Bain's gauntlet. The lights in the room flickered violently. The cameras stuttered, their red glow momentarily glitching.

Sunset's expression shifted from confident amusement to sharp suspicion. She flicked her wrist, attempting to reactivate the controls—only to find them unresponsive.

"What did you—"

Felicia launched herself up from the chair, twisting mid-air as Bain lunged for her. The businesswoman was fast, but Felicia was faster. She twisted out of reach, flipped against the far wall, and landed on her feet just as Bain snarled and reached for her communicator.

Felicia blew her a kiss. "Oops. Looks like we're having a little technical difficulty. Guess I'll be seeing myself out."

Bain's eyes blazed with fury as the room's security alarms blared. "Get her back. Now."

But Felicia was already moving.

Author's Note: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy the action in this one. Despit everything they've been through together, Black Cat and Sable will continue to face odds they could not anticipate as the presence of Smythe can remind. That sure won't stop the leading ladies from fighting for their freedom though. Tempo was probably had an anticlimactic exit, but I didn't think there was a reason to keep her around for much longer. On top of that I think she should be kept open for future stories but that will be another thing entirely. That being said, I hope you look forward to seeing the climax for what is to come and see how Black Cat and Sable are able to handle Madame Menace and hope to see how you all enjoy.