"By the way, I heard Dr. Octopus mention that you used to work for Kingpin? What's the story there?" Peter asked Felicia curiously.
Felicia nodded, her eyes softening. "It's a long story. Do you remember when I suddenly vanished during freshman year without saying a word?"
"Of course I do. I even went looking for you, but found nothing. I nearly called the police."
"I know. I was secretly watching you back then. Thank you—you're the first person in this world who ever truly cared about me," Felicia said, blushing slightly.
She continued, "That's when I started working for Kingpin. It all began because of my father. He was the legendary thief known as Black Cat—he also once worked under Kingpin. But their ideologies clashed, and my father left the organization. Kingpin was furious. He had my father imprisoned, then captured me and forced me to become the new generation Black Cat. If I dared resist, he would have killed my father."
"For years, I struggled just to stay alive and protect him. I hoped that if I performed well enough, Kingpin would eventually let my father go. But I was too naive. Despite everything I did for Jinbing, he never planned to release him. A few days before your accident, my father died of illness in prison. That day, I had nothing left to lose."
"And that's when I found out you were Kingpin's next target."
"I see. So you were pretty high up in the organization?" Peter asked, deep in thought.
"Not exactly Kingpin's confidante. He was always cautious around me. But aside from Dr. Liv and his inner circle, most of his subordinates called me 'Sister Cat.' I guess that counts for something."
"Sister Cat? Sounds like a title with serious clout. Do Kingpin's people know you've betrayed him?"
"No. Only Kingpin and Dr. Liv knew I was being used as a test subject. The Lizard Serum project was top secret."
"Really? That's perfect. I'm planning to take over Kingpin's empire, but I lack insider knowledge. I could really use someone like you. How about it—work for me?" Peter asked, eyes gleaming with purpose.
Felicia's face lit up. She leaned close, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered, "Not just work for you—from now on, I'm yours. I'll do whatever you say. Whether it's business or pleasure, I'll be your most loyal servant and secretary. As they say, 'When there's work, the secretary handles it. When there's no work...'"
"Ahem! Let's talk about that later!" Peter coughed, his face flushing, though he felt a thrill inside.
"Why wait? Are you saving yourself for Gwen? Hoping she'll be your 'first time'?"
"What are you talking about? That's nonsense."
"Heh. You can lie to others, but not to me. I've known about your feelings for Gwen for a long time. She's a good girl, sure, but I can be the woman behind you. I'll support you... or push you forward, if needed."
"..." Peter didn't respond.
"Hehe, you look so cute when you blush. Hurry and turn me back—I can't wait to repay you!"
"I will. But I need a proper lab to formulate a special antidote."
"I might be able to help. Floors 25 to 35—ten entire floors—are Kingpin's most important zones. No one else knows this, but that's where all the real experiments happened. My experiments were done there too. New drugs, weapons, unknown tech—all of it is housed inside. There's definitely a lab that suits your needs."
"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
With 2b Miss's AI system having hacked into the entire building network, accessing floors 25 through 35 posed no problem. Guided by Felicia, they reached a vast lab complex. This particular lab occupied five entire floors—it was more a research and development hub than a traditional lab.
Inside stood two massive mechanical devices. One, in particular, drew Peter's attention: a towering, cylindrical steel structure lined with a spiral track along its inner wall—much like a gigantic nut.
As a transmigrator, Peter recognized it instantly: a particle collider. In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Kingpin had used such a device to open portals to other universes in hopes of retrieving his lost wife and son. That plan failed disastrously, bringing in multiple Spider-Men instead—and ultimately led to his demise.
Peter didn't yet know Kingpin's goals in this world, but the existence of the collider hinted at ambitions far beyond this universe.
A terrifying thought. He hadn't even solidified his position in this reality yet, let alone started dabbling in the multiverse. But the collider could be a double-edged sword—a tool of destruction, or a powerful cheat code to help him reach the top.
For now, he suppressed his curiosity. First, he needed to restore Felicia to her normal form and complete the Robot Kingpin to take control of the organization quietly.
He left the large collider lab and headed for a biological research floor—specifically the one on the 31st level.
As Felicia had said, the Jinbing Tower labs were top-of-the-line. Every resource he needed was here. Peter began work immediately on formulating the antidote for the Lizard Serum.
Because he had already mastered the serum's formula, creating an antidote was straightforward. However, Felicia's Black Cat powers were valuable—stripping them entirely would be a waste. She was now one of his own, and she needed to be strong, not a liability.
Thus, Peter crafted an antidote that removed only the beast-like transformation but retained her enhanced abilities.
A day later, the antidote was ready. Felicia injected it eagerly.
Her body began to change instantly. Her feline form shrank, black fur receded, and in less than a minute, the monstrous creature was gone—replaced by a curvaceous, stunning woman.
Felicia Hardy was back.
Standing completely bare before Peter, her figure was on full display. Peter quickly turned around, flustered.
"There's a lab coat by the table—put it on."
"Why hide? I told you, I'm yours—body and soul."
Felicia strolled over, hips swaying, and wrapped her arms around Peter from behind.
"Peter, I'm cold... won't you give me some warmth?"
She hugged him from the front, pressing her body against his. Peter's mind raced.
Felicia smiled mischievously. "Let me show you my gratitude, properly."
And then—regardless of Peter's response—she slowly knelt down.
Three Days Later — 32nd Floor Laboratory, Kingpin Tower
A fully lifelike robot Kingpin now stood before Peter. Constructed with a titanium alloy skeleton and synthetic skin, it was nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
Creating something this realistic in just three days would shock the outside world—but not Peter. After all, he had once built 2b Miss under far worse conditions, and that took only seven days. With better resources now, this was child's play.
Of course, this Robot Kingpin wasn't meant to match 2b's advanced capabilities. His role was simply to maintain control and not raise suspicion. So Peter didn't waste time on extra features.
To enhance realism, Peter even replicated Kingpin's fingerprints. He programmed the robot with the original Kingpin's voice patterns, tone, speaking style, gait, and habitual gestures. It was eerily authentic.
When activated, the robot's face adopted a commanding expression of authority.
"Greetings, respected Creator. I am Strategic Robot-1," it said.
Felicia, standing beside Peter, was stunned. As someone who had worked under Kingpin for years, she was intimately familiar with his voice and mannerisms. What stood before her was indistinguishable from the man she had once feared.
"This is unbelievable… it's not a copy—it is Kingpin!" she gasped.
Peter smiled. "Two words: technology."
He turned to her. "Felicia, you know Kingpin best. Can this fool the others?"
Felicia nodded quickly. "Absolutely. If I didn't know better, even I would've been fooled."
Peter grinned. "Then the robot is a success. Time for the next phase."
He turned back to the robot. "Number 1, your name is now Kingpin. To the world, you are the feared Black Emperor of the U.S. underground. But to me, you're my most loyal servant. No one outside this room can know the truth. Understand?"
"Yes, Boss. Kingpin is the Boss's most loyal servant and will serve faithfully until deactivation," the robot replied.
"Good. Also, don't call me 'Creator' anymore—it's too awkward. From now on, call me Boss."
"Yes, Boss!" the robot Kingpin, Felicia, and 2b Miss all replied in unison.
Peter finally felt it—the sense of command, of being a true boss.
"Felicia, from now on, you'll act as Kingpin's assistant. Outwardly, you represent him. But in truth, you represent me. You'll handle all day-to-day operations within Jinbing. If anything is beyond your control, tell me directly. The robot will also send me daily reports."
"I understand. I won't let you down."
"I trust you."
Peter rubbed his temples. After three intense days building the robot, he finally had time to rest.
Just as he was about to take Felicia back to relax, the dedicated office phone rang.
Peter's expression immediately darkened.
[END OF CHAPTER 23]
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