Cat ?
Peter was working on fixing the water leak in the clinic with the plumbing tools Taskmaster had brought him He wouldn’t lie... he found the tools strange and didn’t know how to use them, even though he searched for them on Google. He tried his best to solve the problem simply by himself, but as time passed, he felt that things were becoming a bit more complicated.
He looked at the twisted pipes and said to himself in frustration while tapping his chin, “Well, maybe this wasn’t what I expected, but why would I need a plumber when I can fix it myself?” He smiled a little with overconfidence and took a deep breath. As he twisted the pipe, in the end, despite everything, the job was finished satisfactorily. He smiled proudly. The final result was good enough in his eyes.
Or so he thought.
Then suddenly, water sprayed forcefully onto his face, and he stood there silently, drenched from head to shoulders, looking at the pipes in annoyance. He threw the silly plumbing tools aside and stood up to clean himself.
He would see how he dealt with this annoying leak.
The clinic was nearly empty now. The long day was over, and only the light from the overhead lamp and the sound of raindrops hitting the window remained. He stood at his medical table, slowly cleaning his tools. His hands steady, his movements precise, but his mind was elsewhere.
Having spider-like powers made him faster, stronger, and more resilient, but he didn’t use them here in the clinic He was just a doctor An ordinary man pretending that the world of heroes and villains didn’t knock on his door from time to time.
He didn’t want to enter or even think about that crazy world.
He wiped the last forceps, placed it in its spot, then turned to turn off the lights—before hearing a sound outside the door.
The knock was quiet but urgent, as if the person didn’t want to draw attention but couldn’t wait. Peter froze for a moment, his sharp senses picking up heavy breathing outside. A person was injured.
He carefully opened the door, his eyes widening slightly when he saw who was standing in front of him.
Black Cat.
Felicia Hardy was there, leaning on the frame, her black leather clothes torn at the side, and drops of blood slowly dripping from underneath the fabric. She was breathing heavily, but despite that, she smiled her usual smile, full of confidence and challenge.
“Good evening, ...Dr. Parker?” she said in a low voice but with that playful tone.
Peter sighed and raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess... This wasn’t just a simple accident during a robbery, right?”
Felicia tilted her head slightly and winked despite the pain. “Are you going to make me stand here and explain, or are you going to let me in before I pass out?”
Peter didn’t respond, just stepped aside, signaling her to enter. “Sit down, and don’t touch anything.”
Black Cat slowly entered, leaning against the medical table, while Peter closed the door behind her, making sure this night would be longer than he expected.
Peter watched the woman who had entered his clinic. He didn’t know her personally, but he had heard of her. Black Cat—an expert thief, skilled in combat, and had a complicated reputation among both heroes and criminals.
She moved slowly and sat on the bed, sighing quietly as she placed her hand on the wound on her side. Peter grabbed medical gloves, put them on skillfully, then approached her.
“Before I start, do you mind telling me why you came here specifically? I don’t think you picked me by chance.”
Felicia lifted her gaze to him, her bright eyes studying his face for a moment. “I heard you’re a good doctor... and more importantly, you don’t ask a lot of questions.”
Peter squinted his eyes but didn’t reply Instead, he pulled out medical scissors and began cutting the torn fabric around the wound When he uncovered it, he furrowed his brows slightly “It’s a shallow wound, but it needs stitching How did you get this?”
Felicia sighed, leaning against the wall behind her. “Let’s just say some people don’t like it when someone takes their property without permission.”
Peter didn’t look up from her, but he said with a light sarcasm, “You call this ‘taking’?”
Felicia smiled lightly, despite the pain “I prefer the term ‘permanent borrowing.’”
Peter didn’t comment. He just began cleaning the wound with antiseptic solution and pressed a cotton swab against it. Felicia gasped slightly but didn’t make a sound of complaint.
“You handle pain well.”
“You’re not the first person to stitch up a wound for me, and you probably won’t be the last.”
Peter continued his work in silence for a moment before suddenly saying, “Let’s be clear. This isn’t a criminal or thief’s clinic, so don’t expect this to be available whenever you need first aid.”
Felicia raised an eyebrow, the challenge in her voice clear. “Does that mean I should pay?”
Peter finished the last stitch, cut the thread, then turned to remove his gloves. “Yes. But not with money.”
Felicia leaned forward a little, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. “So, what do you want?”
Peter pointed to the old pipes in the corner of the clinic, where water was dripping slowly. “Do you have experience with plumbing? Because I’m tired of this leak.”
Felicia paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, a genuine laugh full of surprise. Peter didn’t smile, but he felt the tension in the air ease a little.
“You’re a weird doctor…”
“Parker.” He said, gathering his tools, and handed her a notebook and pen to write her name.
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask. She wrote her name in a fancy style and signed it as well.
Then she slowly got up, tested the wound with her hand, and looked at him “Well, Dr. Parker, I’ll see if I can ‘borrow’ a good plumber from my connections.”
She then turned toward the door, but before she left, she turned back to him and said in a soft voice, but with a playful tone, “Something tells me this won’t be our last meeting.”
Then she disappeared into the darkness, leaving only a faint trace of her perfume… and Peter, who stood there, sure that she was right, simply sighed
At least he wouldn’t have to deal with that annoying leak problem anymore.