Chapter 342: Black Cat: Come Over to My House to Play
Before Felicia could finish her sentence, she remembered that her bedroom was in even worse shape than the living room. More importantly, her Black Cat suit and mask—as well as various jewels she had stolen over the past few days—were scattered across her bed.
"What is it?" Silas Parker asked, noticing her sudden silence.
"I just remembered... there are a lot of private female things in the bedroom. I need to tidy up first."
Felicia cleverly used that excuse, placing her hands on Silas's shoulders and guiding him down onto the sofa. "Just sit here for a moment. I'll call you as soon as I'm done," she said with a charming smile.
Her secrecy only piqued Silas's curiosity. He immediately summoned a Shadow Ninja into her bedroom and established a shared vision.
So that's why, Silas thought, finally understanding her hesitation. With stolen goods lying in plain sight, of course she wouldn't let him in.
Click!
Seeing Silas quietly watching TV, Felicia ducked into the bedroom. The Shadow Ninja dissolved back into the Shadow Kingdom the second she opened the door.
"Sigh, what a mess," Felicia muttered, slapping her forehead as she looked at the disaster zone. In a blur of motion, she began shoving everything—stolen jewels, the catsuit, and laundry—indiscriminately into her closet. It wasn't as if Silas would randomly go rooting through her wardrobe, right?
Once she was sure no incriminating evidence was left out, she opened the door with a smile. "I'm done, Silas. You can come in now."
"Alright." Silas turned off the TV and entered.
The walls were covered in posters and photos of Felicia herself, including one of her in her Black Cat persona with the words "BLACK CAT" written in bold letters.
"That's the Black Cat I told you about. Pretty sexy, right?" Felicia said proudly.
"Very sexy," Silas replied, holding back a laugh. He decided to play along with her bragging.
"Of course it is." Felicia beamed at the compliment.
Just then, a light breeze blew through the open window, gently catching the door and swinging it shut with a soft click.
"Silas..." Felicia stepped closer, her breathing hitching slightly as her chest rose and fell.
"Felicia," Silas responded, moving toward her.
...
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The alarm on Felicia's nightstand went off. This was her internal biological clock—the time when she usually donned the mask of the Black Cat to prowl the city.
"Mmm~" Felicia stretched instinctively, her hand reaching out to slap the alarm silent. She reached over to the other side of the bed, but it was empty. She felt a bit speechless; she had been so exhausted that she had fallen into a deep sleep the moment they lay down together.
Still, the day had brought them much closer. She might have lacked energy in the morning, but she certainly had plenty now.
Moving with feline grace, Felicia dressed in her Black Cat suit. She knew Silas's home address by heart. "Here I come~" she whispered, leaping out the window and navigating the rooftops toward Queens.
Queens
"Peter isn't back yet?" Silas asked in surprise. It was nearly 7:00 PM, and his brother still wasn't home.
"Yeah, he called. Said he'd be home late because he's having dinner at a classmate's house," Uncle Ben said, working his fork and knife.
"I hope he isn't being too wild," Aunt May added, looking at the wall clock.
Silas was impressed. Peter usually stayed under the radar, but now he was already having dinner at Gwen's house.
"Whose house is he at? Ned's?" Aunt May asked, taking a bite of salad.
Uncle Ben and Silas exchanged a knowing glance.
"Hmm? Why are you two so quiet?" Aunt May asked, noticing the silence.
Uncle Ben chuckled. "Our Peter... the boy is growing up."
Aunt May's eyes widened in realization. "A girl?! Who is she? What's her name? Is she a classmate?"
"Easy, May. One question at a time," Uncle Ben laughed.
"Of course I'm excited!" May said. "I wouldn't be as shocked if it were Silas, but this is Peter! I didn't think he'd find a girlfriend so quickly with how shy he is."
The Stacy Residence
"Hello, sir," Peter said, offering a polite smile and extending his hand to Gwen's father.
George Stacy barely spared him a glance. He didn't take the hand; instead, he adjusted his police cap and said, "Gwen, it's dinner time. There's no need to invite a wet-behind-the-ears cook into our home."
"Uh..." Peter awkwardly withdrew his hand and scratched his head. It was obvious George was being intentionally difficult.
Gwen wasn't happy. "Dad! He's my classmate. His name is Peter Parker, and he is not a 'cook'!"
"Right. Sir, nice to meet you. I'm Peter Parker," Peter added, trying again.
George looked between his daughter and Peter. Seeing Gwen's expectant gaze, he gave a dismissive grunt. "Fine. Let's eat. I'm starving." He walked right past Peter without another word.
"Actually..." Peter started, feeling like he should probably leave.
But Gwen grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Peter. My dad is just like that. He's the Police Chief; he's used to being serious."
Peter sighed and followed her into the dining room. Helen Stacy emerged from the kitchen, carrying chicken and pumpkin lasagna. Unlike George, Helen liked the shy, quiet boy.
"How was work today?" Helen asked.
"Frustrating. Just like everything else," George said, sitting down and tugging at his collar.
"Dad!" Gwen snapped. "Whether you like him or not, can you at least wait until he leaves to be rude?"
George grunted but fell silent. Helen sat near Peter and spoke softly. "Peter, do you like lasagna?"
"Yes, it smells amazing," Peter said, grateful for her kindness.
Gwen tried to keep a conversation going to ease Peter's stress, and Helen joined in. The three of them effectively ignored George's brooding. Eventually, Helen asked, "George, did you run into trouble with a criminal today?"
George's temper cooled slightly now that his wife was talking to him. "Yeah. The Green Goblin caused too much chaos yesterday. The government is putting pressure on us." He sighed. "We can't catch him unless they give us the same tech he has. With our current weapons, catching a flying goblin is like trying to touch the stars."
"Don't worry, Dad. Spider-Man will catch him," Gwen said confidently.
At the mention of Spider-Man, George's face darkened again. "He's no different from the Goblin."
"Dad! Spider-Man isn't a lunatic like the Goblin. He's a hero, like the Avengers," Gwen argued.
George snorted. "Then why does he wear a mask? And do you realize this explosion was caused because of the feud between him and the Goblin? They bring their personal vendettas into public spaces! Is that a hero? And the Avengers? Heh, they're just arrogant vigilantes who think they're above the law."
"Dad, how can you say that!" Gwen cried, feeling he was being unreasonable.
George opened his mouth to retort, but Gwen grabbed Peter's hand and stormed out of the house.
SLAM! The door echoed.
"Do you have to ruin every family dinner?" Helen snapped, losing her appetite. "You know damn well that Spider-Man saved your daughter's life!" She stood up and went to the bedroom.
George sat alone at the table, lost in thought.
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