I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 463 [Two Chapters Combined] The Cat Strikes

"Eek, that familiar tone. Peter, how many pink-fuzzy foxes do you eat in one meal?"

"Huh? What fox?"

"Ahem, it's nothing. I just meant... oh dear, it's so late, we should head back. We still need to buy groceries for our families, otherwise we won't have dinner tonight!"

"Oh? Oh! Right! I almost forgot! We have to take a different route today; the supermarket over there is having a sale!"

"That sounds interesting. I don't have much to do today, so why don't I come with you?"

Peter's teasing made Riley raise an eyebrow.

But just as Riley was about to explain, a quick glance out of the corner of his eye made him immediately change his mind and head out of the stadium first.

Gwen and Peter immediately understood and, following Riley's lead, chatted back and forth as if they were having a normal conversation, leaving the stadium.

The three of them walked out of the school, weaving through the crowds like slippery fish, and easily turned into a secluded alley. They activated a mechanism on the wall and entered a secret passage leading to District 13.

Riley then picked up where he left off and responded.

"You said it yourself, I promised to take Xiaoyu to the deer park. So, I'm not going to put this problem off until tomorrow."

"Oh? So you're planning to do it yourself..."

"No……"

Riley shook his head, a subtle smile curving his lips.

"I'm now certain that guy came here specifically for 'Spider-Man,' and he's already guessed that 'Spider-Man's' true identity is a student at Midtown High School."

"In this situation, if he had just conducted a round of probing at Midtown High School, and Spider-Man immediately went to cause trouble for him, it would be tantamount to admitting his suspicions, so..."

"While we were putting on a show for that guy who might be hiding behind the monitor, a clever little cat had already started her operation~"

"A kitten? You mean... Felicia?!"

"That's right. After school yesterday, I asked her to secretly follow that guy today to see what he's up to. Judging by the time, we should have good news coming back soon."

"I see... I was wondering why Felicia, with her skills, would have passed the test. Why didn't she sign up? So you figured out all along that Masters wasn't a good person! You're something else, Riley!"

Peter exclaimed in genuine amazement as he raised his hand to scratch his hair.

Clearly, Peter, who has been enjoying a lot of leisure time lately and whose mind and body have gradually relaxed, has forgotten...

Just how skilled was his brother, whom Sheriff Blake privately called "the modern-day Jia Xu," in scheming and planning?

Riley rarely fought unprepared battles. Every seemingly passive response was actually backed by several escape routes or counterattack paths that had already been laid out.

Even now, thinking back on it...

Was it Masters who was plotting against Spider-Man...?

Or was he caught in Spider-Man's web from the moment he stepped into Midtown High School?

……

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, in the backyard of a used appliance store called "Old Gear".

Felicia crouched on the fire escape, her black bodysuit accentuating her curvaceous figure, providing excellent camouflage in the darkening sky. So much so that even if someone glanced over casually, they wouldn't notice the extra person on the fire escape.

Her cat-like eyes were fixed on the man who had just parked his car in the yard below.

Anthony Masters, or rather, the man who claims to have that name.

Felicia has been following this guy ever since he left Midtown High School.

But, just as Riley had guessed...

Masters, who appears to be just an ordinary physical education teacher, drove around in circles three times and changed his route twice after leaving the parking lot of Midtown High School.

Finally, after confirming that no specific vehicle was following him, he drove into the backyard of the seemingly ordinary electronics store.

Even so, it doesn't mean Masters has reached his destination.

He turned off the engine, got out of the car, and took out a special instrument. He carefully inspected the car, making sure there were no tracking devices or similar gadgets installed. Only then did he turn around and walk into the depths of the alley.

Furthermore, Masters continued to deliberately take detours and circuitous routes throughout this process.

The most direct evidence is that, according to Justice's real-time scans, more than 70% of Masters' previous route was in a blind spot of the surveillance system.

Felicia's skills in infiltration and tracking were thanks to the generous teachings of her father, the legendary thief, The Cat.

This allowed Felicia to remain undetected by Masters like a shadow, while maintaining a distance of about fifty meters from him no matter how he dodged and weaved.

To ensure that Masters' figure remained within her field of vision.

But soon, Felicia suddenly felt that something was wrong.

According to Riley's description, the other party should have received professional training and was at least a retired military veteran. Their counter-surveillance capabilities and sense of crisis should far exceed those of ordinary people.

But this tracking operation went far too smoothly.

It's as smooth as...

It's as if the other party is deliberately leading the way.

This dangerous thought made Felicia stop at an intersection, hide in the shadow of a newsstand, and watch Masters turn into a narrow alley ahead.

She was familiar with that alley; it was a shortcut connecting the old neighborhoods on both sides.

But almost no one walks there at night, three streetlights are broken, and the end of the alley is a dead end.

Does he really live around here? Or...?

Is this a trap?

Felicia hesitated.

Before the operation, Riley's instructions were merely to locate Masters and, more importantly, to ensure Felicia's safety. If anything suspicious was discovered, she was to immediately retreat.

The various unusual pieces of information gathered so far have repeatedly reminded Felicia that retreating now is the only correct choice.

But what would she gain if she chose to retreat now and return to District 13?

Knowing Riley as she did, she knew he would only pat her head and say, like comforting a little sister, "It's good that you're back safe and sound." Then he would turn around and continue with his work.

Everything will return to normal, just like any other day.

But Felicia wasn't content with always being seen as Riley's "little sister."

Especially after Felicia learned that Jade had done a great service, thus earning the "privilege" of going to the Deer Park with Riley.

Although Felicia didn't say it, she was secretly waiting for the opportunity to go on a date with Riley alone.

She wanted to prove herself, that she was fully prepared. She wanted to be a reliable ally, like Gwen and Peter, fighting alongside Riley, instead of being a hothouse flower, always protected by Riley!

So when Riley approached her before the assessment and asked if she could withdraw from the competition so that she would have enough free time to help track Masters, she agreed without hesitation, almost as if she was afraid that Riley would change his mind.

It wasn't because the mission was particularly important, but because this was the first time Riley had entrusted her with such a crucial reconnaissance mission.

Does this mean that, in Riley's eyes, she also believes that she is ready and just needs the right moment to appear before the world and announce the birth of a new superhero?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The image of Xiaoyu proudly holding up the amusement park tickets and showing them off to her flashed through my mind.

As Riley rubbed his hair, his eyes held a pure, unadulterated look of affection, a brother's doting love for his sister.

not enough.

She wanted more.

When the eyes reopened, the feline pupils contracted into two thin slits in the dim light.

The next second, instead of informing Riley of the anomaly she had discovered via communication devices, Felicia proactively shut down her communications. This was to ensure she could complete her mission before Riley realized something was wrong and forcefully demanded her return to District 13.

Following the technique her father had taught her, Felicia immediately lowered her breathing rate to a minimum. Like a true black cat, she silently crept along the wall, following Masters' footsteps as she slowly entered the dimly lit alley.

Perhaps due to years of disrepair, the alley was even darker than Felicia remembered.

The neon lights of the main street in the distance are now just a blurry, diffused reflection.

The ground was full of puddles from the previous two days' rain, which gave off a faint rusty smell.

But Felicia always manages to choose the best footing and the force of her steps to ensure that each step she takes is silent and does not reveal her location.

At the same time, Masters' footsteps sounded quietly ahead in the alley, and then...

The footsteps suddenly stopped and disappeared.

This caused Felicia to stop abruptly, leaning against the wall, her entire body tensing instantly.

She listened intently, trying to pinpoint the other person's exact location. But after a while, all Felicia could hear was the faint sound of a car in the distance and the rustling of rats scurrying through the alley.

What about people?

She slowly peeked out.

About twenty meters ahead in the alley, there is a right-angle bend.

Turn the corner, and you'll find a small open space where building materials are piled up, with no other exits.

Masters' footsteps stopped at the corner.

and so……

The other party has either already arrived at their destination, or...

He had indeed discovered Felicia's presence and was hiding nearby, waiting for her to come to him!

Thinking of this, Felicia's hand silently slid to the outside of her thigh.

The nanosuit covering her entire body showed subtle ripples on its surface after sensing her intention, ready to condense into a weapon form at any moment.

She held her breath and moved closer to the corner step by step, each step as light as if she were walking on cotton.

Twenty meters, fifteen meters, ten meters, five meters, three meters, one meter...

The corner is just ahead.

She stopped at the edge of the corner, not daring to peek out, but instead flicked a coin-sized lens from her wrist. Then, using almost invisible nanowires, she controlled it to slowly extend out from the corner.

Soon, the image reflected in the mirror made her heart skip a beat.

No one is empty.

On the open ground after the corner, there was only a pile of building materials covered with waterproof cloth, a few discarded tires, and messy graffiti on the wall.

Masters, a living, breathing man, vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated into thin air!

How is that possible!

This alley is clearly a dead end!

The exterior walls of the buildings on both sides are smooth, offering no footholds for climbing.

Besides, there were no doors or windows. Even the fire escape ladder, intended for emergency escape and refuge, was at least four meters off the ground. And the ladder was still folded up and not lowered.

Where could a grown man like him go?

Just as Felicia's brain was rapidly analyzing various possibilities, she heard a very faint, metallic creaking sound coming from above her head.

Her pupils suddenly contracted.

Without even glancing up, Felicia propelled herself forward with a powerful leap. Simultaneously, her nanotech suit responded instantly, conjuring a circular shield behind her.

"clang--!!"

The next second, a piercing sound of metal clashing exploded in the narrow alley!

A dark shadow descended from the sky, carrying the momentum of its fall, and slammed heavily onto the shield.

The sudden impact threw Felicia off balance, causing her body to tumble forward uncontrollably. The circular shield made of nanomachines rippled under the impact.

But it was precisely because of the shield that it absorbed most of the attack and blocked the sneak attack. This allowed Felicia to roll behind a pile of tires, and, still shaken, half-kneel to her feet, looking up in the direction from which the attack came.

Then, she gasped.

A completely unfamiliar figure, like the Grim Reaper reaping lives, suddenly appeared in the alley.

He wore a tactical uniform with silver and black trim, reinforced with armor at the joints, and a skull-shaped hood that completely obscured his true face. Only through his glasses could one vaguely see his sharp, cold, and murderous eyes.

Most surprisingly, the real-time video playback provided by the nanosuit showed...

The reason Felicia hadn't noticed this guy before was because he had silently clung to the high wall, just like Spider-Man, and was hiding right above Felicia's head!

"Electromagnetic chuck... I see, no wonder your footsteps suddenly disappeared."

Fortunately, thanks to the faint, familiar sounds that occasionally reached her ears, Felicia quickly realized that the other party did not possess the superpowers of "Spider-Man" like Riley and the others.

Instead, it's like the nanosuit Harry wore when he played Spider-Man, using high-tech devices to create a similar suction ability to Spider-Man!

Unfortunately, the equipment design of the other side was clearly not as sophisticated as the equipment that Riley provided to Harry.

This is why, when the distance was close enough, the inevitable noise emitted by the machine when it was running alerted Felicia.

This allowed Felicia to narrowly escape a blow that should have severely injured her!