บท 76: Revelation
The Prowler. A thief that lay in the shadows. Herbie pulled up all the NYPD files on him. Everything from his equipment to his tactics were a step-ahead of the police. The Prowler never got caught and never left evidence behind.
The sole reason for his existence was a collection of evidence left behind by Jefferson Davis. Evidence that the NYPD dismissed as being questionable.
Well, guess what? It wasn't. Jefferson Davis was correct: his brother was indeed the Prowler.
According to the files, the Prowler's first successful score was the Braxton heist. He stole prototypes from their tech division and did so without ringing a bell. The only reason Jefferson Davis learned it was his brother was explicitly because of the removal of evidence. No one except someone on the side of the authorities could be that efficient. It had to be a detective, an officer, a commissioner, or someone that was formerly in some sort of investigative unit.
That narrowed the suspects.
The profile on the Prowler was pretty insane. Both detailed and long, Herbie counted up to several dozen different case files.
"Jefferson Davis sure was committed."
The spider-bot clung to a shadowy corner of the ceiling. Its optical sensors zoomed in on Aaron Davis who stood motionless before his iconic suit. What was he thinking?
"Well, who cares," Felix muttered under his breath. "Spider-Bot, get down to the computer."
As if hearing Felix's thoughts, Aaron reached out, his fingers brushing the metallic surface of the Prowler mask. His expression was a mix of longing and trepidation, like an addict eyeing a forbidden substance.
Felix and the Spider-Bot were drawn to a sleek computer setup in the corner of the room. With silent precision, the spider-bot had detached from the ceiling and was scuttling down the wall. It paused momentarily as Aaron shifted, but the man's focus remained on the suit.
The bot made its way to the floor where the computer sat, its tiny legs carrying it swiftly across the desk. It positioned itself next to a USB port and extended a thin, wire-like appendage.
"Easy does it," Felix coached, more to himself than the bot.
The appendage slipped into the port. Immediately, lines of code began scrolling across Felix's display.
"Bingo," he grinned. "Now, let's see what you've been up to, Prowler."
As the data transfer progressed, Felix split his attention between the download and Aaron. The man had now opened a hidden compartment in the wall, revealing an array of high-tech gadgets. Aaron picked up what looked like an advanced hacking device, turning it over in his hands with a grim determination.
Suddenly, an alert flashed on Felix's display. The spider-bot had encountered encrypted files.
"Damn," Felix hissed. He quickly typed a series of commands, trying to activate more advanced decryption protocols. Alas, it failed. The spider-bot's creation was too rushed and lacked the processing power to do it.
"Come on, come on…"
One minute, two minutes, three minutes…
"This thing was built to spy, not hack. Shit, shit…"
The encryption began to crack, revealing fragments of information. Felix's eyes widened as he caught glimpses of blueprints, security schedules, and what looked like a list of names.
Meanwhile, Aaron had begun suiting up. Each piece of the Prowler suit locked into place with a soft hiss, transforming the unassuming radio station employee into the sleek, dangerous figure of the Prowler.
"Where is he going?"
Felix didn't get an answer as the Prowler suddenly disappeared. The spider-bot was equipped with several miniature cameras, one at each leg. Felix had been keeping an eye on him through the three pointed back and yet…
"He's gone? W-what, how…" Felix leaned forward. Thermal vision caught nothing. "Even IR and x-ray can't find him? How did he…? What kind of invisibility tech lets a guy do that?"
Luckily for him, there were sounds. The door opened and closed and the Prowler was gone. Felix let out a breath of relief.
"At least he's gone."
Ten minutes passed. At last, the spider-bot hacked and copied all the data it needed.
"Got it," Felix exclaimed as the last of the files were copied. "Alright, little guy, time to make your exit."
And so the spider-bot did. He didn't have time to spare either. The spider-bot was running on fumes.
"The battery is shorter than expected. Only one and a half hours of life." Felix stroked his chin, watching as the spider-bot flew and ran across New York. "Gotta improve on it. I suppose that will be my next invention; not just for the Spider-Bots but for FEAST too—renewable batteries."
But inevitably, the spider-bot returned. There was a specific vent for it to crawl through. Thwip! With a snap of his wrist and webbing, he reeled the spider-bot into his hand and wirelessly plugged it into the Fantastic Computer.
Felix sifted through the files he'd acquired from the Prowler's secret lair. Most of it was as he expected - blueprints, security schedules, potential targets, and his other stashes and secret locations. But before that, Felix saw something that caught his eye. A folder labelled "Beats".
"What's this?" Felix muttered, double-clicking the folder.
Inside were dozens of audio files with names like "Prowler's Groove" and "Midnight Heist Remix." Curiosity piqued, Felix clicked on one titled "Trap Jam."
As soon as the beat dropped, Felix's face contorted into a grimace. The rhythm was off, the bass overpowering, and the melody... well, 'melody' might have been too generous a term.
"Oh man," Felix groaned, quickly lowering the volume. He listened for another thirty seconds, his expression growing more pained with each passing moment.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. Felix paused the track and leaned back in his chair, shaking his head.
"No wonder he turned to crime," Felix said to himself, a mix of amusement and genuine pain in his voice. "This shit is ass."
He scrolled through the rest of the folder, noting the sheer volume of tracks Aaron had produced. It was clear the man had put a lot of time and effort into his music... unfortunately, quantity didn't equal quality in this case.
He closed the folder, making a mental note to never, ever let Aaron Davis know he'd heard these tracks. Some secrets, Felix decided, were better left buried - both for the sake of justice and for the sake of his own eardrums.
Then he stretched his arms high in the arm.
Investigation time.
The data was vast, but Felix had already identified several key points. The first was the connection between Aaron Davis and some of the most dangerous men in New York—Simon Krieger, Wilson Fisk, and most recently..
"Hammerhead."
Felix clicked on a folder labeled "Transactions," and the screen filled with a list of financial records. It was all there: payments, transfers, and under-the-table deals. Aaron Davis had been on Fisk's payroll for years, using his ill-gotten gains to purchase a penthouse.
He whistled. "Nice place. Must be what? Two million dollars?"
"Five million and still appreciating," Herbie corrected.
Felix cross-referenced the property records with the NYPD database, only to find that the penthouse wasn't officially listed under Davis's name. Instead, it was still legally owned by Fisk, even though the crime lord was behind bars.
"So the Kingpin still has reach," Felix muttered to himself. He wasn't surprised—he was a criminal mastermind and those types maintained control even when physically restrained. But the fact that Davis was living in one of Fisk's properties, using it as a base of operations, spoke volumes about the kind of relationship they had. There was trust.
"There was lots of money."
Felix's gaze flicked to another file, this one marked "Contacts." He opened it, revealing a string of encrypted messages between Davis and Hammerhead. As Felix decrypted the messages, the true nature of Davis's recent activities became clear.
Hammerhead had been using Davis to steal advanced technology from companies across America. The list of targets was impressive, including some of the most secure and cutting-edge tech firms in the country. Felix quickly scanned the messages, piecing together the timeline and scope of the thefts.
Then, something caught his eye—a specific message exchange between Davis and Hammerhead that referenced an event Felix knew all too well.
> Hammerhead: What appened?
> Hammerhead: I saw the news, I saw the explosions. Was it you?
> Hammerhead: Did you blow up Oscorp Tower.
The Prowler was there. He was there that day. On April 3rd, the day Crossbones attacked, the Prowler was in the shadows.
> Prowler: In and out, clean. No one saw me.
"With that invisibility tech that hides him from infrared vision…"
No fucking wonder.
> Hammerhead: Did you get what we needed?
> Prowler: Already at the rendezvous point.
> Hammerhead: Good.
Then Hammerhead did something strange.
> Hammerhead: Did ya see anything strange.
In the prior messages, this had never happened. Their relationship was quick and simple. Do the job, no questions asked. So why ask?
> Prowler: Why?
> Hammerhead: Just tell me.
> Prowler: Saw a lady with weird octopus arms and she wasn't alone—SHIELD was with her. Followed Crossbones for a while. Huge shootout.
> Prowler: I think it was over some casings or something.
"Casings." Felix crossed his arms. "The spiders."
> Hammerhead: What happened to it? The casings?
> Prowler: There was a huge explosion and a bunch got knocked and broken. SHIELD took what they could with their agents and flew off in their choppers.
> Hammerhead: Did Crossbones take anything?
Hammerhead knew. At this point, the Prowler was probably aware that there was something weird going on. That Hammerhead had too much info.
> Prowler: Just one thing. The casing was different. My optic readings were going crazy just looking at it.
Felix sat up straighter. All of it suddenly made sense.
Crossbones had failed in his primary mission in stealing the spiders. To make for it, he stole the Symbiote and somehow became one with it. Addicted to it.
On the other side, SHIELD had taken the only surviving spider.
And the Big Man was aware of it all.
What did it mean? Why was it that the more he learned, the bigger the web?
***
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Herbie?"
Felix had been settled while watching television. The sound was unexpected, especially at this hour. His Advanced Glasses told him exactly who was at the door. Felix inhaled sharply. Cautiously, he made his way to the door, peeking through the peephole.
A hoodie was pulled over the face.
'If push comes to shove, I'll just kick his ass again.'
Felix opened the door, trying to keep his expression neutral. Aaron Davis looked up, half-surprised that he actually opened it. "Uh, hey, man."
"Hey."
"I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday," Aaron said. "I didn't mean for things to get out of hand. You know how it is… life's been complicated."
"No hard feelings. You had your reasons," Felix replied, keeping his tone casual as if the confrontation was no big deal.
"Can I…come in?"
"Oh. Oh, um, sure."
Felix waved him in and Aaron stepped inside, glancing around Felix's apartment with mild curiosity.
"You live right across from Rio, eh?" Aaron said while taking off his shoes. "Maybe her new man?"
Felix let out a small chuckle. "Neighbor, yeah. As for the other part, we're just friends. I'm pretty sure I mentioned that last time."
"Friends that go on dates and volunteer together?"
"...yes."
Aaron seemed to relax a little at that. "Good to know. Ya know, we used to go there often back when shit was tough. Economy crashed and we had to resort to food stamps. I remember how embarrassing it was. As a middle-class dude, you think you're above it all, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do."
Felix sensed that Aaron was trying to find common ground. After all, other than a fight and tense arm hold, this was their first conversation. "For sure. You did good too. Miles turned out great."
"Out playing ball?"
"Probably."
Aaron smiled at the mention of Miles. "Heh, I used to play with him all the time. Kid's got potential, you know? Smart, athletic, got that Morales charm."
That was when they got to the living room and sat. Felix served a glass of mango juice which Aaron happily accepted and drank.
The glass left his lips and there was a brief pause, and then Aaron's expression grew more reflective. "I used to be close with my brother, you know? We grew up near this old arcade… he'd always lend me quarters so I could keep playing. We were tight, man. I wish I could see him again, talk to him. You know how it is, losing someone."
Childhood memories. How innocent. How cute. If only they lasted forever. Jefferson Davis was no longer the loving brother or father figure Aaron longed to reconnect with. He was something far more dangerous.
"I get it," Felix replied, his voice steady. "It's hard when family drifts apart. I used to be pretty close to my mom. My dad though, he was, well…I never got along with him, and because of him, I came here."
"You're not just some regular guy, though, are you?" Aaron was speaking sharply now, like a police officer interrogating. "Yesterday, in the alley, that wasn't karate. That was something else. Military, maybe CIA?"
"Nope, just karate."
Aaron's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to gauge the truth. "Look, I'm not trying to pry, but… I could use someone like you. There's something I need help with."
Felix tilted his head, curious but cautious. "What kind of help?"
Aaron hesitated, then took a deep breath. "I need to find Club Scorpion."
"That exclusive club you mentioned?"
"That one. Caters to the billionaire crowd. Sells high-tech gear, stuff you wouldn't believe."
"But you've never seen it." Felix was trying to play the part of an innocent, slightly skeptical civilian.
"Look, it's not my fault. It's like it's off the grid or something."
"And I'm supposed to help how? I work for Oscorp but it's not like I have Norman Osborn on speed-dial."
Aaron sighed, running a hand over his face. "I don't know, man. Call it a gut feeling."
"You accused me of being a CIA agent…out of a gut feeling?"
Aaron suddenly realized how stupid he looked—but at the same time, Felix realized how desperate the man was. Felix thought for a moment, then sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm not CIA. Fortunately for you. I might know someone. A private detective. She's the best in the city, and if anyone can find this place, it's her."
Aaron Davis did not look convinced. "A private detective? Really?"
"She's something else, trust me. I'll give her a call, see what she can find out."
He got up and went to his room. That secret little phone of hers was in his drawer. As for Aaron Davis, the Prowler, Felix wasn't concerned. His Spider-Sense wasn't tingling. Even if he did steal something, Herbie would immediately catch it.
And as mentioned, Felix was prepared to kick his ass anytime.
He got the secret phone out and pressed the call button, waiting for the line to connect.
"Hello?"
Ah, there she was. Felix smiled.
"Maria, hey. I've got a favour to ask…"
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