Marvel's Iron Lady

The Night Before the Operation

Miss Stark had certainly not expected Nick Fury to assign Frank Castle, the infamous Punisher, to assist her in the upcoming operation.

Although she had anticipated that Fury would send her some help, she never imagined it would be him. Frank Castle's background was notoriously complex, and his extreme life experiences had shaped an equally extreme approach to combat.

Castle was an urban combat specialist with extensive experience in CQB (Close Quarters Battle) tactics, proficient in defensive positions, battlefield triage, and other specialized skills. Even Miss Stark had to admit that Frank Castle was the ideal candidate for this mission.

Fury's choice made perfect sense—Castle was the right man for the job, whether it was leading from the frontlines or handling tactical command.

The only issue? His methods. Castle rarely left survivors, which could lead to conflict with Steve Rogers.

After some consideration, Miss Stark decided to keep Castle on the team but only as a specialist consultant, not a combat operative.

"This is the man Nick Fury sent—Frank Castle, an urban counter-terrorism expert. He'll be in charge of directing the rapid response team," Miss Stark announced after Rogers and his team returned, introducing the seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. veteran to the group.

"They told me you were back, but I wasn't sure I believed it. Good to see you, Captain Rogers," Castle said with a nod of respect.

Even for Frank Castle, growing up hearing about Steve Rogers, the living legend, had left a lasting impression. Many American kids, having grown up on tales of Captain America's heroism, had developed a near-obsessive admiration for him.

Another meeting ensued, as Agent Romanoff compiled the intelligence gathered by the team. Rogers reported on the Inner Demons' movements over the past few days, while Brock Rumlow merely gave a casualty count—the number of Inner Demons operatives eliminated by the rapid response team.

The volatile negative energy coursing through these Inner Demons members made them walking bombs. The only way to stop the energy from triggering an explosion was to neutralize them before they could detonate.

As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s invited specialist, Frank Castle proposed a more direct solution—target the leadership. His suggestion was to lead a strike team straight into the Inner Demons' headquarters and eliminate their leader, Martin Li, a.k.a. Mr. Negative.

This plan, while seemingly efficient, carried significant risks.

The Inner Demons members were like remote-controlled bombs. They could detonate themselves, and Mr. Negative could remotely trigger explosions as well. No one knew just how many operatives Mr. Negative had converted, nor did anyone know the size of their headquarters.

Although Captain Rogers and others acknowledged the merits of a decapitation strategy, Miss Stark ultimately decided to delay the operation. She wanted to wait for more intelligence, especially given that Spider-Man was now involved in the investigation.

Miss Stark believed Peter Parker could be the key to uncovering more vital information about the Inner Demons.

Peter, of course, had been investigating diligently. He had already gathered crucial evidence and confirmed the identity of Martin Li.

Unlike S.H.I.E.L.D., Peter had been at Norman Osborn's speech, witnessing the Inner Demons' bombing firsthand. Amid the chaos, though Peter had wanted to take down the attackers, he had chosen instead to help the injured civilians.

While helping the wounded, Peter had noticed a figure in the crowd—the man being protected and revered by the Inner Demons: Martin Li. Peter had seen him in a white suit, taking a mask from one of his followers and putting it on.

Miss Stark had been open with Peter about the information S.H.I.E.L.D. had on the Inner Demons, and in return, Peter shared his findings with her.

In the past few days, Peter, alongside his ex-girlfriend Mary Jane, had been tracking down all of Martin Li's assets across the city. They had personally visited each one.

It was through this investigation that Peter finally made the connection between Martin Li and Mr. Negative.

At first, Peter had doubted it. After all, the Martin Li he knew was a good person—someone who had even celebrated Aunt May's birthday with them.

But as more and more undeniable evidence surfaced, Peter was forced to set aside his personal doubts.

Aunt May was still working for Martin Li at FEAST, which meant she was in constant danger. Peter couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

When Peter returned to the FEAST shelter, everything seemed normal. The shelter's operations were unchanged, and they continued to help the homeless, seemingly unaffected by the Inner Demons' violent activities across the city.

Peter found Aunt May in her office and was about to ask her to take some time off—to go home and stay safe until the danger passed.

But just as he was about to speak, someone else appeared at the office door.

"Sorry to interrupt your family time, May. I just need to ask you for a favor," Martin Li said, stepping into the room.

The sudden appearance of Martin Li made Peter's hairs stand on end, his back suddenly drenched in cold sweat.

Of course, FEAST was Li's domain, but Peter hadn't expected him to show up out of the blue like this.

"I need to leave New York for a bit. While I'm gone, I need you to manage things here, May," Li said.

Fortunately, at this moment, Martin Li was unaware that his identity had been compromised and that Peter was watching him closely.

Li was simply asking May to manage the shelter in his absence—nothing more.

"I will, but how long will you be gone?" Aunt May asked, glancing between her nephew and Li.

"I'm not sure yet, but I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't worry," Li replied with a warm smile and a shrug.

"Is everything alright? Do you need any help?" May asked with concern.

"It's just personal business. I've had it planned for a while. Just keep things running smoothly here," Li reassured her.

Peter stood there, caught between the two, his instincts screaming that the Inner Demons were planning something big.

Soon after, Martin Li left the office. It wasn't clear where he was going or whether he had left New York.

Peter considered informing Miss Stark immediately but stopped short as he passed by Li's office. An odd impulse made him pause.

He decided to search the office, hoping that Li might have left behind some clues.

The office was ordinary. There were only some paperwork and documents Peter had already seen—financial records and invoices for the homeless shelter. Everything seemed normal—too normal, in fact. It didn't feel like the secret base of someone plotting to bring down the city.

But it was this excessive normalcy that made Peter even more suspicious, convinced that something was being hidden.

He scanned the room again, and eventually, his gaze landed on something that seemed out of place.

It was a framed wedding photo of Martin Li and his wife, hanging on the wall in an ornate, carved frame.

While Peter wasn't Chinese, he doubted most people would keep their wedding photos in their office, especially in such a formal setting.

Carefully removing the frame from the wall, Peter wasn't surprised to find a hidden safe behind it. A digital keypad lock stared back at him.

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