A Spider in Gotham - Chapter 10

"Take a look at your palms." Selina instructed. "And flex your fingers."

He did. A rough patch raised across the pad of his palm and claws popped out of the fingertips.

"Those pads help with climbing without sacrificing speed. Bounce your weight on the toes of your boots to activate a patch there as well." Selina explained. "They work best against stonework. The claws add to the maneuverability. They are not good in a fight. Using them might give you a bit of time, but they can't stand up to anything major."

She motioned to the belt.

"You've got a set of traditional lockpicks as well as one that targets electronics." Selina continued. "The buckle acts as a scrambler. Camera, heat sensors, and most laser tripwires will register you as a glitch. The more sophisticated the system, the less time you've got."

"I don't get a whip?" Peter asked with a wry smile.

"Do you know how to use one?" Selina countered.

She ran a finger along the stretch of fabric along his arm. It sent a shiver along his skin.

"The suit itself is flame resistant and insulated." She booped him on the nose. "Limited armor to maintain speed and agility. Common blades will skip right along, but anything custom is an issue. It will slow down small arms fire but that doesn't make it bulletproof. It won't stop a bullet if you get tagged. Don't trust it to do much against any of the masks. We shop at the same store."

"Don't get shot." Peter summarized. "Got it."

"Now." Selina motioned to his face. "Your mask can switch between wide-spectrum infrared, dark-vision, and investigation mode."

"Dark vision? I thought it was night vision." Peter asked.

"They're close, but not the same." Selina explained. "Tap the side of your mask twice."

Peter did. His vision shifted to flat grayscale. He couldn't see any shadows and it muted the lights. An odd sense of vertigo hit him briefly.

"It takes some time to adjust." Selina laughed. "Use it for sneaky times, not when you need to move fast."

Peter tapped his mask twice again, returning it to normal mode.

"And the other two?" He asked.

"Wide spectrum infrared picks up heat signatures, fresh and those that linger, and light beams invisible to the human eye." Selina mimed tapping the mask once.

Once he did that, he saw her as a humanoid shape of heat. He could also see their faded footprints on the floor as well as where her hands had touched the box.

"It works great for keeping track of everything around you. The lingering heat signatures can also clue you in on any security codes and secret passages." Selina giggled. "Last but not least, investigation mode."

Peter tapped his mask twice, skipping over the dark vision option. He looked around the room. His pulse and body temperature were listed in the top right of his vision. Focusing on the furniture, art, and other décor made information screens pop up. They looked like something out of a video game. It listed the estimated weight, value of each item, and status. Some had more information such as previous owners and if they item was on a 'wish list' for special clients.

"What is the status?" Peter asked.

"It marks something that's dangerous." Selina sighed. "Magical items, alien tech, or something power hungry idiots are looking for. Avoid anything marked as dangerous. Tag it if you're curious. I have contacts that can track down more information."

Peter tapped the mask to set it back to default.

"The lenses will also protect your eyes when you're moving at high speed. Dust and grit too." Selina added. "I learned that lesson fast. I think that's it." She circled around him before coming to a stop where she had been before. "Now, where were we on the people of interest?"

"The psychos." Peter answered.

"Oh, goody." Selina deadpanned. "Before I forget, the investigation mode also works on people. Just the highlights: arrest warrants, outstanding convictions, and affiliations."

Selina took a seat. She motioned for him to join her. Peter relaxed on the couch, finding it incredibly comfortable. The investigation tag let him know it cost over four thousand dollars.

"The psychos are not good for anyone." Selina lounged in her chair. "There is the Joker. He likes to kidnap, murder, and torture seemingly at random. Sometimes he has a plan or scheme that only makes sense to him. He lives to piss off Batman. The clown make-up makes his minions easy to spot. Never, under any circumstances, work with him. Most likely, he'll try to kill you regardless of how the job goes."

Selina left for a few minutes before returning with a bottle of wine and a large glass. She drank an entire glass before she continued.

"Scarecrow." Selina rolled her eyes. "He dresses like a scarecrow. Once upon a time he was a chemist. Now he uses 'fear toxin' for some reason. Shits and giggles, I guess. He won't kill you, probably lock you in a room and test his latest batch on you. I don't understand him or his plans."

She poured herself a smaller helping of wine. This time, she drank it in sips.

"The Ventriloquist and Scarface are exactly like they sound." Selina continued. "It you see guys dressed like 1940s gangsters then they're working for them. They are on the lesser side of the psycho. Still better to avoid them."

"Mad Hatter." She shuddered. "Obsessed with Alice in Wonderland and has hats that can control minds. Also likes to kidnap blonde women to be his Alice. It doesn't end well for them. His goons will keep fighting until they drop dead. He's creepy and I don't like him."

"And I'm glad for that." Peter added.

"There's a psycho with tally marks on his body." She mimed the lines on her arm. "Serial killer. Avoid. Then there's Firefly. He likes to burn things, especially people and isn't picky about who they are. Bane, big muscular guy. Very big, very muscular, and a lot smarter than you'd expect. Years back, he had his own mercenary company. Now, it's just him. I've seen him pick up a truck and toss it at Batman. He doesn't like collateral damage, but it doesn't slow him down much."

She took another drink.

"Anyone else?" Peter asked after a moment.

"Those are the big ones." Selina said thoughtfully. "At least the ones I can remember."

Peter ran a hand through his hair. A small sting reminded him to retract the claws on his gloves.

"Now." Selina sat up, placing the wine glass on the table beside her. "Let's come up with a name."

"I was attached to Thrift Store Man." Peter smiled at her.

"Not in that suit." Selina shook her head. "What was it that I called you when we ran into Bats?"

"Awesome Cat Man?" Peter offered.

"No." Selina sighed. "Stray! That was it." She tapped her chin with a single finger. "No, that doesn't work with you looking so good."

"Thank you." Peter winked at her.

"Alley Cat." Selina shook her head. "I think there is already a Wildcat… and a Catman." She studied him for a long moment. "I'm overthinking this. Back Cat. It matches your suit."

"Black Cat." Peter repeated.

He wasn't sure why, but it sounded familiar.

"Black Cat." Peter said with a chuckle. "That puts the 'Parker Luck' in a new perspective."

"With that settled, let's move on to the final stretch of intel." Selina poured a little more wine. "The Bat Family. As it currently stands."

"What do you mean by that?" Peter asked arcing an eyebrow at her.

"It changes." She sighed but didn't say any more.

"That doesn't sound ominous at all." Peter muttered.

"There is Batman, the big guy." Selina waved a hand around. "Big, brooding, and has more gadgets than you'd ever think."

"And you are dating?" Peter asked.

"That's complicated." Selina rolled her eyes. "Nightwing, black suit, blue emblem that kind of looks like a bird. Fast, agile, and mouthy. Robin, red and green suit, carries a sword, and has a bad attitude. He has a temper and is fun to piss off. Red Robin was Robin before the current one. Red and black suit, sometimes with a domino mask, sometimes a full cowl. He's smart and fast, but he's easily flustered." She shot him a cat ate the canary grin. "For me at least."

Peter chuckled.

"Red Hood, most of the time he has a leather jacket. He swaps between a mask and a red helmet. A year ago, I would have counted him as one of us. He's the only one who uses guns." She made finger guns at him. "On to the ladies. Batgirl number one. Blonde, peppy. Grey and purple suit. Batgirl number two, black suit, yellow bat emblem, and the lower part of her cowl is blocked. I've only heard her say a few words the entire time she's been here. Finally, there is Oracle, she runs the information network and keeps everyone informed. All of them work together to keep the psychos and the rogues from ruining the city while we have fun on the rooftops."

Peter nodded slowly. "Why didn't I join up with them?"

"No brooding." Selina tossed a couch pillow at him. "You could if you want. I would be incredibly insulted, but you could." She took a sip of wine. "Breaking into a criminal hide-out to steal money would have put you on their radar. Not in a good way. Plus, you look like you could use less brooding in your life. Bats is surprisingly caring to his brood, but brooding is a daily chore he never forgets."

Peter stretched out on the couch and tucked the pillow under his head.

"No boots on the couch." Selina waved at his feet.

He laughed as he set them back on the floor.

"I'm too tipsy to go out tonight." Selina wiggled the wine glass at him. "Tomorrow, we'll get out there and work on the compact launcher."

"Where do I put the suit?" Peter asked.

"In your room, silly." Selina chuckled. "You live here now, remember?"

"Thanks." Peter spoke softly as he headed back to his room.