Spider-Man of Earth 65

Lexington Avenue and East 58th Street was the location of Daxter Labs where he fitted himself with the Big Time costume. Starting off from the ledge of the building, with a swift leap, his wrist burst forward and shot a web. The crisp breeze rushed past him, and the vibrant city lights illuminated the nocturnal landscape.

As he swung, the Empire State Building loomed in the far, far distance. Even in the night, if a person looked for it, it was possible to see. 'That's where I'll be in a week. Well, assuming Maria is correct and Dr. Octavius takes me anyway.'

Each length of webbing propelled him forward, guiding him through the concrete canyons of New York. Skyscrapers blurred into streaks of light, and the sounds of the city's heartbeat filled the air. Soon, the towering silhouette of the Chrysler Building came into view. Its Art Deco spire gleamed under the moonlight.

Thwip!

Felix continued his journey, guided by the rhythm of his web-swinging. The United Nations Headquarters appeared on the horizon, a symbol of global diplomacy nestled along the East River. 'I wonder if Princess Shuri is in there right now. She must be, right?'

As the primary ambassador of Wakanda, it was unlikely she didn't go to the UN HQ at least once. His suit's interface popped up with a map guiding him further south, and soon the majestic silhouette of the Empire State Building came into view once again. It stood like a sentinel, a beacon in the urban sprawl. Felix couldn't help but marvel at the sight as he swung past, the wind whistling in his ears.

Thwip!

Webbing in traverse mode dissolved after a couple of minutes, in comparison to combat mode where it could last hours. Felix was quite literally leaving a trail of invisible threads across the cityscape.

Night time was the best time to move in costume. Coupled with stealth mode, where his suit turned black and the fibres of his soles absorbed kinetic energy and created virtually no sound, he was able to move without being seen. He landed on the rooftop of a high school. He crept up to the ledge, arms and legs together in a crouch. Park Row was stuffed with police and government vehicles; specifically, between Frankfort Street and Chatham Square. He saw MTA buses, emergency vehicles, and lots of police cars, even in the night.

Why were the streets flooded with police? Because of the building in front of him. A cubicle building located on Park Row in Civic Center, Manhattan near New York City's City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge.

'The headquarters of the NYPD,' Felix thought to himself, his heart hammered in his chest. 'For the criminal database and whatever the hell else they have, I need to infiltrate it.'

The zoom feature let him hone in on the windows. All of them were shut and, judging by the reflection, bullet-proof. He had done an excessive amount of research on bullet-resistant and bullet-proof windows in his first year to help out a senior professor. So yeah, Felix knew his stuff.

"With my strength, it's child's play breaking it. But…this is a stealth mission."

"The 1 Police Plaza, otherwise known as the 1PP, has fourteen floors, is 335 by 245 feet, and is 1,000,518-square-feet. Dr. Faeth, how shall we proceed?"

"An inverted pyramid in elevation with 14 floors and is a horizontally-oriented brutalist building," Felix muttered to himself. "It's a tough nut to crack."

"Yes." Herbie spoke though did not offer much in the way of answers. One hand left the ledge to curl on his chin. Was it asking for too much to have an open window? Probably. This was the 1PP after all.

His gaze scanned the exterior walls, searching for any vulnerabilities. The windows were sealed tight, and the outer structure appeared resistant to any casual attempt at entry. Felix pondered his options, weighing the risks and benefits of each potential approach.

"How close do we need to be to gain local access?"

"We must be inside. While patterns have emerged regarding Oscorp security, it is not an infallible strategy. Due to the timing of their deals with the NYPD, it is possible that the security is stronger too."

"Great. Any estimates?"

"None. We will have to find out and see."

The rooftop of the school was at a slightly lower elevation than the 1PP. Even so, Felix got an idea. On the school rooftop were two parallel antennas. Thwip! Thwip! He shot two lines of webs from each of his hands and slowly walked back.

'If physics class serves me right…' He went further and further back till the webbing began to stretch. 'This should work as a slingshot!'

He released himself and slingshot across the street, landing on the side of the building with perfect dexterity. He crawled up the building, giddy that his plan worked. Up, up, up, he went.

Operation 1PP Infiltration had begun.

"Security cameras are scattered throughout the street," Herbie said. "Hacking into their feeds now."

He acknowledged his AI friend with a nod and reached the top of the building. Here it was, the helipad. He had briefly caught sight of it when he swung by.

'If there's a helicopter pad, then there has to be an entrance for the people that get off.' He looked around. 'There!'

A small cube—a rooftop enclosure with a door. As he approached, he noticed a sophisticated electronic panel next to the door. The security lock glowed with a faint blue light, a digital fortress guarding the entrance.

He chewed on the inside of his lip. He figured as much. 'A code on top of an ID, huh? Makes sense, the only people using the helipad aren't going to be a run-of-the-mill officer.'

"No schematics of the entire structure have been revealed. However, it is known that on the fourteenth floor is the office of the NYPD Commissioner," Herbie said. "Proceed with caution."

Shit, so was it possible he'd run right into the biggest officer of them all? Commissioner Nalini Karnik? She had been recently promoted and was a strict, gruelling woman that did not take no for an answer. Her stance on vigilantism wasn't clear, though if the history of the NYPD was anything to go off of, it was likely on the negative side of things.

"Can we hack it?"

"Detective Mode would theoretically be capable of unlocking this. However, without it, only the code hack may be conducted due to the visible handprints. Someone has made a clumsy mistake. The ID, on the other hand, is physical through and through."

His mind raced. Thoughts clambered together and, in an instant, he formulated a solution. 'What if…I used Officer Ben Grimm's ID? If I run and do a security scan, I might be able to find him and get them…'

But then he thought about the repercussions. If there was one officer he didn't want in trouble, it was Officer Ben Grimm. He saved his life and gave him Reed's phone. 'Not to mention if an innocent officer is caught up, it might come to an investigation. Besides cameras, they probably stamp who comes in and out of each door, hence why IDs are used.'

"Is it possible to stop the signal stamp, Herbie?"

"Unknown. It will be a risk."

'I really don't want the officer to get caught up in this…but I also don't want to brute force my way through.'

"Access the Fantastic Computer. I want a list of crooked cops. Then, cross reference footage of those cops in their beat—and try to create a copy of the badge." Felix peered over his shoulder. "That school likely has a 3D printer. I see an open window too. Let's go."

Conveniently, there were a set of antennas on the rooftop of the 1PP building. Thwip! Thwip! He attached webbing, walked back, and slung himself back to the school. There was no need to crawl, he perfectly dove through the window and rolled into an empty classroom. Through the darkness and high speed, he was able to slip inside.

"Phew. That was fun."

There was no 3D printer in the classroom he currently occupied, though that didn't matter. "Herbie, scan for 3D printing devices in the area."

The response was near instantaneous. "Printer found. Head to the first floor."

As Herbie said, there was a 3D printer down on the first floor. He went down the stairs, noting the lack of security. From the looks of it, he entered the computer lab. He flicked the lights on, went past the computers, and approached the printer.

At the very back of the room was the marvellous yet intuitive 3D printer. It was all he needed to complete his infiltration.

"Herbie, is the badge finished?"

"Processing…processing…processing…"

His plan relied on the crooked officers showing their IDs and lots of zooming. Which, in all honesty, wasn't too far-fetched. With the most advanced computer in the world, it was within the realm of plausibility.

"Aren't schools supposed to have night guards?"

"They are currently eating donuts in the teacher's break room."

"Fair enough."

In half an hour, the ID was forged. Police IDs were made of copper brass. However, what was important wasn't the material but the thickness and barcodes. Due to the simple nature of the construct, the actual printing took a little less than five minutes.

"Who does this belong to?" Felix asked as he went up the stairs.

"Vincent Gonzales. Video evidence has shown he regularly participates in bribery, extortion, and assault."

"Good to know." He leaped through the window, diving head-first, and quickly attached a cord of webbing behind him. He pulled himself back to the school and repeated his previous method of entry.

Thwip! Thwip! Sling-shot!

He flew over the police guards and security underneath and rolled onto the helipad. The darkness of the night would have made this operation otherwise impossible. He ran up to the security lock, slid down the thick card, and—

Click!

The ID worked! Now all that remained was the code. "Herbie?"

"Loading…loading…fingerprints have been verified. Six possible combinations."

"S-six?" Oh hell no. Was this coming down to luck? "This is being sent over to the Fantastic Computer, right?"

"Without detective mode, the prints cannot be seen with sufficient resolution."

"Dammit. We've come this far. I can't quit yet." He inhaled sharply. "Plus, if I mess up, the cop that gets investigated is crooked anyway. It's not a big deal. Come on, you can do this."

He inputted the first set of numbers: 6-0-0-0-3-2-0-1-8.

Click!

He blinked. Huh, it worked. The universe was really gunning for him. He carefully opened the door and headed down the fleet of stairs. Finally, he was on the fourteenth floor of 1PP. Finally, the operation was a go.

However, rather than open the doors and run through the police-filled floor, he crawled up the door and went up to the vent. He grabbed onto the ventilation hatch with his sticky fingers and pulled. The bottom half of the screws broke and he swiftly went inside the ventilation duct.

'I knew it. The bigger the building, the bigger the air ducts.'

The silver galvanized steel wasn't too cramped. A person of above-average height like himself was able to fit in. Alone, silently crawling through the vents, his ribcage felt like it was about to explode. It felt so nerve-wracking yet so thrilling!

He knew where he was going, vaguely enough. Cops worked late and had shifts to cover all times of the day, so of course they were still roaming around. However, his keen hearing picked up on the fact that they were often coming to and fro from an area in the east.

'That must be the Commissioner's office,' Felix thought to himself. Therefore, it was east he went.

He had one goal: to copy the data of the current NYPD database. That was possible through a local device like the Commissioner's laptop.

'But I also brought with me a USB. If I can get the USB to the RTCC on the second floor, I can get live data.'

The voices were getting louder. A vent was ahead. Peering through the slats, he glimpsed the interior of a spacious office. A large mahogany desk stood at the center, meticulously organized with files and a computer terminal displaying real-time data.

"Local device found. Hack commencing."

Commissioner Nalini Karnik occupied the high-backed leather chair behind the desk. She was a young Indian woman with short hair, a beauty mark on her cheek, and stern eyes. Adjacent to the desk, a polished oak conference table held scattered papers and folders. But what surprised Felix more than the Commissioner's youth and her desk was the officer across from her.

"Yes, my beat is in Yancy Street, ma'am. It's where I'm from."

'Officer Grimm?' That was his voice and that was his face. The atmosphere seemed awfully tense. 'Man, it's a good thing I didn't use his ID.'

"So on top of professional commitment, you have an interpersonal one. No wonder your records indicated so much overtime." Elbows on the table, hands together, the Commissioner's strict gaze would have intimidated anyone. "Officer Grimm, as I'm sure you know, I am the youngest NYPD Commissioner in history. I am also not special, as much as the media might proclaim I am."

Officer Grimm stared back unflinchingly. "Yes, ma'am."

"Inner Demons." This time, the officer did flinch. "Drugs. Missing children. These three elements have been increasing in the last three months. Ever since the attack on Oscorp Tower, criminals have become more active. However…this was what we anticipated anyway. What we did not anticipate was the sudden growth in fatal substance use. It's too much, even if we account for the increase in gang activity."

"...several children have gone missing. But from my independent investigation, I think it is not related to the substance use."

"Your evidence?"

"The lack of evidence," Officer Grimm replied. "When it comes to death through substance use, we are able to literally count the corpses. I have a plethora of witnesses. But the children? Nothing. The Inner Demons don't seem to care about evidence because they know they've grown too powerful, so why the sudden hush-hush with a bunch of kids?"

"I see…" Commissioner Karnik closed her eyes. "If we attempt to conduct an operation on the Inner Demons, it will have to be either surgical or an all out war. Unfortunately, because I am new, I am unable to exert the authority for the surgical method. Certain higher-ups of the FBI and the CIA would rather see me fail and have innocent cops die than swiftly defeat the Inner Demons."

The officer grimaced. "That is…unfortunate."

"That's the way police politics are. They wish for pawns, not rivals."

Felix didn't like the police that much due to his personal experiences. Officer Grimm was different and so was the Commissioner. He was glad to have witnessed this. Even if the NYPD turned on him (which they likely would given their prior stance on Spider-Woman and Gwen Stacy), he would do his best not to hurt them too badly.

"From now on, you report to me regarding this private investigation of yours. Currently, I am unable to give you support but I promise to reward you handsomely if you show results."

Officer Grimm sent her a smile. "Apologies, ma'am, but I did not take this job to be rewarded."

"That's good to hear, but it will be better to say it after a month-long vacation to the Bahamas."

Officer Grimm went wide-eyed. That specific vacation spot seemed to hit him hard.

"Well, ma'am, if it's the Bahamas, then I will take up that offer."

"Say it after the investigation, officer."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Officer Grimm left the room after that. Meaning, Commissioner Karnik was alone with her computer and, unknown to her, Felix.

"Hack complete. Access codes, passwords, emails, and sensitive information have been collected. Proceed to RTCC," Herbie declared. Felix smiled to himself. Quietly, he crawled out of the office area and went west. Aside from the office, he picked up the sound of the elevator.

'Time to go to the second floor.'

Upon reaching the elevator area, the ducts made a sharp turn downwards. There was no left or right, only up and down. If he were an ordinary person, it would have taken a long, long time to slide his way down. Not Felix. He was able to time the way he slid down flawlessly. His hands would merely need to graze the sides and he would promptly slow down to a stop.

He passed floor after floor, counting the air duct spaces, until he reached the second. In less than ten seconds of crawling, he found a vent and peeked through.

Herbie was correct. Located on the second floor of One Police Plaza was the RTCC (Real Time Crime Center). The massive data warehouse was dark and operated by detectives and civilian analysts. There were five sections, five main stations of monitors and desks.

Currently, there were very few detectives and solely civilian analysts. Everything was also quite dark and therefore vulnerable. His costume was bestowed with a sheen that allowed it to seamlessly blend in the darkness.

'...six, seven, eight, nine…' In total, he counted seventeen people on the floor. Fifteen of them were on their computers, typing away with headphones. Two stood near the elevator as watch guards, making small-talk while drinking coffee.

Directly underneath him was one of the stations: it was in a corner. Luckily, one of the civilian analysts removed his headphones and yawned. Following the one, four of them also took off their headphones.

"Wanna go for a break?"

"Sure."

"Mm. I need coffee."

Between yawns, pinching of eyes, and weary blinks, the four analysts went towards the elevator to go down. The lone remaining analyst remained engrossed in his tasks, his eyes fixed on the screens before him. Silently, his fingertips like glue, he removed the ventilation duck. He pulled his slim body through the vent and hopped down.

Within the darkness, he was essentially invisible. The watch guards at the elevator area, which overlooked much of the floor, were too busy talking to the on-break workers. That gave Felix time.

He tapped on the back of his palm and opened up a small compartment with a USB. With utmost precision, he plugged the USB into the empty computer. To his left, hardly six feet away, was the one working man. He didn't notice Felix at all.

"Oh, right, I forgot my water bottle!"

One of them returned. One of them came back for a water bottle. But when he came back, there was nothing but his water bottle. The male analyst failed to notice the USB sticking from his computer.

And Felix? He was already back in the vents. The suit interface told him how much time remained before the USB was done infiltrating. 'With this, I'll have live feed.' The timer had two minutes remaining. 'Come on, come on…'

Intercepting the NYPD radio was one thing. But gaining access to everything was a whole other game. Every secret file would be his. His heart was going crazy yet he kept his breathing steady. He watched each second tick by. Then…

"Hack complete. Live feed, present and past evidence, and classified information are now accessible to the Fantastic Computer. We will be able to view the NYPD with the same lens as the NYPD Commissioner."

Thwip!

From the vent, Felix yanked the USB away with a string of webbing. Discreetly, he closed the vent, making sure to retighten the screws. 'Don't want to leave behind too much evidence.'

Afterwards, it was a matter of back-tracking. Not too difficult with his spider-powers. He went to the elevator area, crawled up the air duct, returned to the staircase leading up to the rooftop, opened the door, and thwip!

From there, it was smooth sailing.

'I did it! I actually did it! I infiltrated the NYPD Headquarters without getting caught!'

Never before did the rush of being a vigilante hit him so hard. It was exhilarating. Being cooped up in a narrow air duct, always in danger of being caught or making too much noise, and alone with your thoughts and beating heart. As crazy as it was, it was super fun. Rather than go and drop his costume off at Daxter Labs, he went directly home.

Harlem whizzed to life in a matter of minutes and he landed on his apartment window. He didn't want to risk getting caught like this but he assumed he was safe given how late it was. Plus, with stealth mode, he was a bug in the night. An insignificant shadow carried by the wind.

He opened up the window of his apartment and went in feet-first. "Alright, Herbie, disengage Big Time." While there was a manual method of taking off the costume, he preferred the automatic splitting-in-half procedure. That way, he only needed to step out of it.

Walking out in grey sweatpants and a black tank top. From his pocket, he took out a capsule and threw it at the frozen, upright costume. Poof!

The costume turned into a form of red energy and was sucked into the capsule. "I knew it," Felix said, picking up the capsule and putting it in his drawer. "Pym Particles…I really want to understand them. But that'll be for later."

He threw himself onto his bed and pulled his blanket up. He yawned and nodded off to the dream world.