The names Mac. Mac Gargan, Private Detective. Not your average P.D. though. I only take cases that interest me. No dames in distress for this detective. But make no mistake, I still got heart. Heart enough to know that thugs and hustlers belong behind ice cold, iron bars. I'll crack a skull here and there off the job.I may be a hard ass on the job, but on the streets, I'm a bonafied thug smashin' hero. Anyway.
Last night I took a job. For me, this case was somethin' real interestin'. A man named Farley Stillwell. Claimed to be a doctor or a man of science. Whatever. He hired me to investigate the "Spider-Man" that's been takin' down mooks left and right this past year. He wanted me to investigate the guys powers and find out where they came from. Usually, I would have booted anyone out the door in an instant after a proposal like that. But I was bored as hell, so I let him keep talkin'. Wanted me to infiltrate this group of mooks that he heard were going to take the Spider out once and for all. Not only was he gonna pay be real good, but he offered me three boxes of Cubans. That's some payload. One hell of a way to get some guys attention. So I took the job and hit the streets.
I hit every bar, loose joint and club in this dirty town. Finally, I came upon the most well known speakeasy this side of the Atlantic. The Black Cat. Was a pretty desolate night for the Cat. Maybe three or four gents, if you could even call em' that anymore. High up politicians reduced to slavering cavemen with one flash of tail. Not seeing anything I figured I could use, I turned to leave. As I neared the exit, a voice called out.
"Gargan." the sweet, but strong voice called to me. I turned to the stairs. There she was. Felicia. This had to be the first time she had left her apartment in months. Her long white hair tumbled down her shoulders. A few strands fell over the mouth-less face-mask she was rumored to wear. Some fool catcalled her a few feet away. He was on the ground and out the door in a flash. Felicia's personal Lippy personal bodyguard was over him with an icy cold stare.
"Come here, Gargan" She called again. I sauntered over, then stopped about three paces from the dame.
"Felicia." I acknowledged.
"I heard you were looking for info on the Spider."
"Yeah, you heard right. Scientist paid me real interstin' to learn about him."
"You should forget him Gargan, it's not worth the time." She brushed my comment off like it was flakes of dust.
"Look Fel, you know I don't just drop cases so easy. Just give me some damn info and I'll be outta' your white hair."
She hesitated, then with a glance at Lippy she turned, but looked over her shoulder. "Come with me Gargan." I followed. Though, I was a little uneasy. Sure, I've been stared down by crooks, mooks, and every type of thug you could imagine. But no one but the special guys were taken to Felicia's private apartment. Up the stairs, to another pair of stairs, the old wood creaking as my heavy feet fell upon the steps. Finally we came through a door. The room was amazin'. I ain't no guy for fancy stuff, but this dame had fancy rugs and artwork all around her. And the cats. There had ta' be thirty of them. They crawled on the couch, table, anywhere I looked, pussycats there were.
"Have a seat Mac." She motioned to a couch over near the balcony. She herself remained standing. I could see her blue eyes flick this way and that, under her featureless mask. There were rumors she had been cut up real bad by a customer. Despite being a detective, I never put much thought into what was under the mask. I'd seen her many times before the mask. What a crazy beautiful dame she had been. My eyes flicked to the right, a picture of her and the late Ben Urich, a reporter for the Daily Bugle that had been shot last year. But that was the past. I wasn't bout' to ask her. Wasn't what I was here for anyway.
"So tell me what you know about the Spider, Fel." I started. Her eyes rested on me.
"Only that he doesn't need anymore problems with Private Eye's snooping his business."
"Alright' if that's how it is, tell me about this group of mooks that is plannin' to take him down."
"You mean the 'Sinister Five'"
"Hell of a name, what are they, crazies?"
"No, from what I have found they're past thugs Spider has defeated. Their ranks include Aleks "The Rhino" Sytsevich, and Maxie "Electro" Dillion."
Crap. I'd heard about those two. Aleks was en ex boxer who was all bulk and muscle, used to smash through cops with hjs hulking mass. Wasn't the smartest stick, but a power house no doubt. Maxie was a guy who brought girls to an old power plant and electrocuted them for his sexual pleasure. Was a real sick-o. But this may have been my in.
"Tell me where they meet."
"You should be careful Gargan, these guys aren't to be trifled with."
"Whatever, you know me Fel, I ain't no pushover myself."
She hesitated again. Her eyes coolly staring me over. She obviously saw my muscles under the green turtleneck on my chest. "Alright, they meet at the docks looking for recruits every Wednesday, like tonight. You have your info, you should leave."
I stood," Thanks Fel." and made my way out, taking note that there were no mirrors anywhere in this place. Musta' had somethin' to do with the mask.
As I walked out of the Cat I wrapped my coat around me, was a bit chilly. Cut and lit up the first Cuban. Not bad. Started walking off towards the docks.
"Sinister Five huh? Guess it'll be Sinister Six now."
______
I made my way down to the docks, Went through four cigars on the way. Despite my initial thoughts that the place would be crowded with people trying to get back at the Spider, there were only five people there, four guys and one dame. I sauntered on over.
“You the group tryin’ to get at the Spider?”
They looked at me slowly, finally the dame spoke up. From the way she spoke, I figured she was the leader.
“Yes, ve are ze group. And who are you?” Accent, sounded Russian.
“Names Mac.”
“Mac, vell ‘Mac’ vhy are you szo interested in ze Spider?”
“I was a detective, at least I was until the Spider brought down all my perspective cases. Outta’ work.” It was the most legit story I could come up with on the walk over here. Mixing a bit of truth with lies is always the best way to sound convincing.
“Sounds like a copper.” A little man to my right spoke up.
“Silence Morris.I make ze decisions here. He looks legit enough to me.” The dame hushed. Morris, had to be Morris Bench, the “Hydro Man”, was infamous for drowning children. He was a real crackpot.
“You seem interesting to me Mac, perhaps you and I can have a little chat, vhat do you say?” The dame responded.
“Sounds good to me doll.”
“You vould be wise to watch your tongue American, you may lose it if you call me such names again.”
“Yes ma’am.”
She beckoned me with her hand and I followed her as she walked away from the other thugs. I could feel their eyes boring holes into the back of my head. The whole we walked I studied the girls body. She wore a fur laden dress. From what I could tell, a few wild animals had been skinned to make it. I could see cheetah spots on the shoulders, zebra hide for the gloves, and what looked like ivory as a necklace. It was underneath her clothes that really captured my attention. She was muscular. I could see ripples of sinews and strength under those gloves. Suddenly she stopped. We were a good fifty yards from the other mooks.
“So, you vant to join our gang to take down the Spider, you’ve told me ze story of vhy you dislike him, but you think you can keep up vith us? Ve’re a serious crowd.”
“I can handle anything you throw at me.”
“You sound like typical man. But I have need for strength, and you seem to be able to bring that. Ze others, vhile strong, are weak in the mind, too focused on death and destruction. I need a man to be my right hand, and,” she stepped closer, “Someone I can keep a good leash on.” She was squeezing me softy with her hand. This dame was serious. Seriously crazy as well, but this was a job, and I needed to keep my cool.
“I think I can handle that.”
“Good, my name is Ana Kravinoff, meet us at the Bar With No Name next Vednesday. Ve have much to discuss.” Without another word she let go, smiled, and walked back to her group, who gave me one last hard stare, then disappeared into the shadows of the night.
I got back to my office about an hour later. Kravinoff. I had heard that name before, time to do some research.
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