Matt and Luke Cage successfully delayed the Hydra agents and confirmed that the so-called Viper Security Company was most likely a front for Hydra. This was great news, providing them with a convenient target for investigation.
Naturally, the best candidates for infiltration were Spider-Man, with his invisibility, and Black Cat, a professional thief (though she hadn't actually stolen much, it seemed). It was then that Black Cat finally understood why Spider-Man could appear beside her when she infiltrated Oscorp, even though she hadn't seen anyone.
"So, as a spider, you can not only crawl on walls but also turn invisible."
"Yeah, spiders aren't like little cats; no one finds them strange anywhere they go. If a normal person saw a spider, they'd probably grab a feather duster and give the place a good cleaning."
Peter said this as he crawled from the ceiling into the Viper Security Company. As a security company, this enterprise actually owned a thirteen-story building as its headquarters in New York, demonstrating its considerable strength or strong security awareness. For safety, Spider-Man had specifically changed into his old suit with no high-tech gadgets and old web-shooters. Besides an old miniature communicator, he brought nothing else.
At the same time, Peter was the first to enter the Viper Security Company. After all, there was no guarantee of the company's internal safety, so it was better for him to go first.
By the way, who exactly were the Viper Gang again?
This organization was quite obscure. Peter only remembered a few guys who looked more like snakes than humans. But at least for now, Viper Security Company seemed to be just a mercenary organization equipped with some high-tech gear.
As Peter tried his best to recall any memorable-looking members of the Viper Gang, he crawled from the bathroom ventilation shaft all the way into the elevator shaft. He looked down, the bottomless abyss of the elevator shaft staring back at him.
"Why do all villain organizations like to build their bases underground?"
Looking at the bottomless elevator shaft, Peter couldn't help but complain. He then slowly climbed down. It seemed no one would have expected an invasion from here; he encountered little resistance along the way, just constantly delving deeper and deeper.
Then the communicator's connection broke.
He looked at the deep passage above, then below. Below was water; undoubtedly, their secret was hidden underwater. Spider-Man moved up a bit to restore communication. After clearing his throat softly twice, Felicia's voice came through the communicator: "What's the situation?"
"Hard to say. It looks like the Viper Gang isn't land snakes but sea snakes. Don't know how deep they sleep."
Peter said, accelerating his web-swing back inside the security company: "They can't hide everyone underwater, otherwise personnel flow would be a big problem. Besides that secret base, where else do you think the Viper Gang—I mean, the security company—would hide its secrets?"
"I think 'Viper Gang' sounds pretty good, rolls off the tongue better than 'Security Company'," Felicia said something Peter hadn't expected at all: "I'm in their, uh, server room?"
"Where are you?"
"Don't be dramatic, little spider, just stealing something."
Plugging a USB drive into the Viper Security Company's main computer, Black Cat also entered the ventilation shaft: "You should worry more about the cleanliness of these vents. If there wasn't any other way in, I really wouldn't want to crawl through here."
"On the bright side, no one would ever think someone in the real world would actually be able to climb into a 13th-floor ventilation shaft."
Peter chatted with Felicia as he crawled through the ventilation shaft, but he soon stopped because Black Cat was lying in his path, smiling and shaking her communicator: "Hey, why aren't you invisible anymore?"
"Because no one can see me."
"Then why are you still wearing your mask in a place like this?"
"Because... there's a lot of dust in the ventilation shafts." Peter couldn't help but scoff: "Completely different from ventilation shafts in movies, right? Dust and mold everywhere, sometimes spiders, rats, or other stuff. And you have to make sure this three-millimeter galvanized steel sheet can bear your weight and not make any sound in the process."
Having given Felicia a clearly unsatisfactory answer, she couldn't help but roll her eyes, then rolled over and lay on the pipe, taking out a phone: "I definitely need to take a shower when I get home, no, several days of showers. Luckily tomorrow's the weekend, otherwise I wouldn't know how to explain the smell on me to my classmates."
"That's the benefit of wearing a mask." Peter looked at the program flickering on Black Cat's phone: "Wait, you're processing information with a phone?"
"It's a palmtop, but it's pretty much the same. Don't worry, if anyone tries to trace the signal, they'll only trace it back to their own server room, since we're right here." Felicia rummaged for a while, then suddenly found something, handing the phone to Peter: "Wait, isn't this the girl Detective Jessica has been looking for?"
Peter took the palmtop, looking at a comatose girl being placed on a stretcher cart and transported into an elevator that could go underwater. The two exchanged glances, confirming what had likely happened. Then, Peter quickly used the palmtop to pull up several other video clips.
"There's no footage of them bringing these people in, but these people definitely left through Viper Security Company. That elevator must lead to Hydra's new secret lab. Are these the targets you found matching the criteria at that hospital?"
Felicia took the palmtop, held it up, and confirmed the footage. Then, Peter noticed something unexpected: he actually saw someone he knew being strapped onto a stretcher and taken into the elevator.
"Martin Li?"
"You know this Asian man?"
"He's a wealthy man from Chinatown who runs a soup kitchen specifically for the homeless."
Black Cat then put down the palmtop and looked up at Spider-Man's head.
"You do community service too?"
"...Why not? It's very meaningful."
Felicia sighed.
"Alright, now that we've found out what we need to do, what are we waiting for?"
Peter answered the question.
"Waiting for the Viper Gang to be lured out."