Su Yi woke early, his mind already on making breakfast for Vanessa. He quickly realized, however, that her minimalist studio home was utterly devoid of groceries. He had to go out and procure ingredients.
When he returned, carrying bags filled with fresh food, he found Vanessa standing in the middle of the room, wearing a thin, sheer blouse and a look of visible anxiety. Upon seeing him, she immediately rushed into his arms.
Su Yi gently set down the bags and embraced her. It was clear that Vanessa, having little prior romantic security, was anxious and uncertain. She feared he was simply a heartless man who would leave after a night of passion.
"Su," she murmured into his chest.
"Don't worry," he soothed, running a hand through her hair. "I won't leave you. I was just getting breakfast."
Vanessa felt instant relief. She stood on her tiptoes and initiated a passionate kiss.
"Mmm, that's very nice," Su Yi chuckled when they separated. "But, I think we should eat something first to replenish our energy."
Vanessa finally let him go and watched as he worked efficiently in the small kitchen space. Seeing his competent, loving actions filled her with an immense sense of warmth and happiness—a feeling she had never experienced.
He glanced back and saw her just watching him. He extended a hand, and Vanessa immediately walked over, leaning into his embrace. Holding her with one arm, Su Yi skillfully prepared a simple Western breakfast with the other. Vanessa reveled in the intimate closeness.
After breakfast, Vanessa didn't want to leave his side, only wishing to nestle close. Since it was the weekend, Su Yi agreed to stay. They visited the gallery together to collect the lonely landscape he had purchased, bringing it back to her apartment. In the evening, the activity of drawing hearts on the periphery of the painting was an essential, intimate ritual.
While Su Yi was occupied with Vanessa, Peter, Gwen, and Matt Murdock (Daredevil) were executing their plan. Based on Daredevil's intelligence, they targeted an abandoned warehouse believed to be a major Kingpin hideout.
The three heroes, acting with increasing teamwork, broke into the derelict building. They found criminals, but the scene felt hollow—it was a bad lead.
Daredevil's hyper-hearing immediately alerted him. "Be careful! Something's not right," he warned.
As they cautiously advanced under Matt's direction, he made another discovery. "The main personnel here have already relocated, but there's a different situation. It seems some low-level criminals have captured a highly crucial person."
The trio split up to confirm the intel. They soon saw a group of armed thugs holding a single hostage—a Law Enforcer in plain clothes.
With clear, pre-established tacit understanding, they attacked simultaneously from three directions, aiming to subdue the thugs and secure the hostage.
Suddenly, police sirens wailed outside. Good, Peter thought. Reinforcements. The three decided to act fast and extract themselves before the police complicated their vigilante activities.
But the criminals had a counter-plan. One thug, seeing the rapid attack, grabbed the hostage and leveled a gun at his head. "Don't come any closer, or I'll kill him!"
Protecting the hostage became paramount. Gwen knew this was her moment for a precise, non-lethal intervention. The Symbiote Suit extruded a thin, nearly invisible thread that silently snaked across the floor and up the thug's arm.
Before the thug could react, the symbiote thread tightened, instantly restraining his gun-hand. "What is this?" the criminal yelled in surprise.
That was all the opening needed. Gwen, Peter, and Matt surged forward, incapacitating the thug and securing the now-terrified hostage.
All the criminals were bound just as a uniformed team of Law Enforcers rushed in.
"The Law Enforcers are here, our mission is complete, retreat!" Gwen whispered urgently.
BANG!
A single gunshot shattered the quiet night. The heroes immediately tensed, but the person who fell was not one of them. It was the hostage they had just rescued.
The three vigilantes were utterly bewildered. They were here to save him! Why would they shoot him down now that he was safe?
Then, they heard the chilling shout from the leader of the uniformed police team.
"They killed the hostage! They're escaping!"
"Requesting immediate backup! Requesting backup!"
Gwen, Peter, and Matt instantly realized the horrific truth.
"Stop, you three masked criminals!"
Gwen felt a wave of confusion. "What?"
Despite his blindness, Daredevil Matt saw the truth with his senses. "This is a trap! They are also Kingpin's people, working for him!"
Before Matt could finish, the uniformed officers opened fire.
DA-DA-DA-DA!
A hail of bullets covered their position. The three quickly scattered. Gwen covered their retreat; her Symbiote Suit could momentarily withstand the bullets. Matt, just a trained human, and Peter, vulnerable to gunfire, were forced to scramble frantically.
The heroes abandoned the abandoned factory. Surprisingly, the police didn't pursue them aggressively, letting them escape with relative ease.
They stopped on a high rooftop to catch their breath. Peter and Gwen were visibly shaken. They had only ever faced criminals; they never expected to be framed by the very authorities meant to uphold justice.
Matt was calmer, his anger contained. "This was a calculated move. It's a clear attempt to frame us. Tomorrow's headlines will feature the three of us as murderers and criminals."
Peter was devastated. "How could this happen? They're police! Kingpin bought them all?"
"We've hit Kingpin hard enough that he had to strike back," Matt confirmed, though he admitted, "The direct involvement of the police force in a frame job exceeded even my expectations."
"What do we do now, Lawyer Matt? Continue operating while being hunted by the police?" Peter asked, his voice low.
Gwen, however, remembered the preparation. "Fortunately, Su had already prepared for this. We have a way to prove our innocence."
She summoned three small, advanced drones—custom-made Stark Tech creations Su Yi had acquired specifically to record their "Superhero careers."
"The drones recorded the entire situation! We just need to release the footage to prove we're innocent," Gwen declared.
"But how do we disseminate the evidence safely?" Matt asked.
Gwen smiled, her confidence returning. "I have two ways. My father, Captain Stacy, won't be bought off. We can send him a copy of the footage."
"And second," she added triumphantly, "Hero Daily!"
Matt recognized the paper's name—a new venture backed by Stark, specializing in reporting on vigilantes fighting crime. Sending the evidence there would ensure it saw the light of day.
"If we get the footage to Captain Stacy and the Hero Daily, we can definitely break through the rumors," Matt agreed.
Gwen immediately contacted Su Yi, but he was still busy—with Vanessa.
The heroes have been framed, but they have the evidence and the media outlet to fight back.