Cad Bane observed Spider-Man's improvised slingshot maneuver with growing confusion, his experienced bounty hunter instincts telling him that something dangerous was about to happen. This confusion lasted only a brief moment, however, because he quickly realized that the massive web slingshot was aimed directly at his position.
Although Bane couldn't quite figure out exactly what this strange young man was planning to do, his survival instincts immediately recognized the threat. He reacted almost instantaneously, activating his rocket boots and launching himself away from his sniper's perch just as Spider-Man came hurtling through the air and landed with considerable force exactly where the bounty hunter had been positioned moments before.
"Well, hey there!" Peter said with forced cheerfulness as he straightened up on the rooftop. "So... any particular reason why you were shooting at me just now? Do we have some kind of personal grudge I'm not aware of? Because I literally just arrived on this planet a few hours ago."
Cad Bane said nothing in response, instead answering Spider-Man's question by raising his remaining blaster and firing several quick shots. But the agile teenager easily avoided each energy bolt with seemingly effortless grace.
"Whoa, whoa there! That's pretty rude, buddy," Spider-Man said as he ducked and weaved between the laser blasts. "I used to think laser weapons were really cool, but honestly, you're starting to make me hate the whole concept."
Cad snarled with frustration and said in a menacing tone, "Soon enough, you'll discover that there are many, many things in this galaxy that are far worse than a few blaster bolts."
"Oh great, I didn't realize you were also a pessimist on top of being a sniper," Spider-Man quipped as he tilted his head just in time to avoid another searing energy beam.
Dodging continuously wasn't really the young superhero's preferred fighting style, so he decided to take a more proactive approach. Cad watched in surprise as the kid fired out one of those strange sticky projectiles, which struck one of his blasters with perfect accuracy. With a sharp tug, the weapon was yanked completely out of the bounty hunter's grip and sailed through the air directly into Spider-Man's waiting hand.
Spider-Man examined the alien weapon for a few moments with obvious curiosity, then casually tossed it aside and fired a web line to swing away to a different section of the rooftop.
Fortunately for Cad, he always carried backup weapons and quickly drew his second blaster.
Once again, Spider-Man found himself dodging the bounty hunter's relentless attacks.
By this point, Cad was beginning to realize that his earlier missed shots hadn't been due to poor marksmanship or bad luck—this kid was simply too fast and agile for conventional blaster fire to be effective. He holstered his energy weapon and instead fired one of his wrist-mounted capture cables, only to be genuinely surprised when the young vigilante caught the reinforced cord with his bare hands in a split second.
Cad immediately tried to use the cable to restrain his target, but found to his amazement that he couldn't budge the teenager at all. Whoever this mysterious individual was, he possessed considerable physical strength—unnaturally enhanced strength that defied explanation.
But raw strength alone wouldn't be enough to save him. Cad pressed an activation switch with a cold grin, sending a powerful electrical current through the cable and directly into Spider-Man's body.
"Ahhh!" Spider-Man yelled in pain, immediately releasing his grip on the electrified cable. He stumbled backward several steps, his entire body convulsing violently from the electrical shock.
Cad stared at his target with some surprise, genuinely impressed by the young man's resistance to the high-voltage attack. Several possibilities flashed through the experienced bounty hunter's mind—perhaps the kid had some kind of natural resistance to electrical attacks, or maybe that strange costume provided some degree of protection.
But speculation about his target's abilities was secondary to completing the job and collecting his substantial bounty. Cad quickly switched tactics, deploying a wrist-mounted flamethrower and unleashing a concentrated stream of superheated fire.
"Oh man, that's really hot!" Spider-Man exclaimed, quickly retreating from the advancing wall of flames.
Although he managed to get away from the main blast of fire, Peter could still feel the intense heat singeing his costume and exposed skin. In his haste to escape the flames, he backed into the rooftop's safety railing and lost his balance, tumbling over the edge and falling toward the busy street far below.
Cad cursed himself for not anticipating this complication and immediately activated his rocket boots, diving after his falling target.
The bounty hunter managed to grab hold of Spider-Man while they were both still in mid-air, only to have his captive fire a large glob of webbing directly into his face, completely blinding him.
"Why are you spitting at me, you disgusting little brat?!" Cad yelled in anger and frustration.
He quickly slowed their descent using his rocket boots, remembering that there was a large public platform just a few meters below their current position. He managed to land on it somewhat gracefully, then pulled out a sharp utility blade and carefully began cutting around his eyes to remove the sticky webbing that was obscuring his vision.
Once he had cleared the adhesive material away from his face, he looked around to get his bearings and saw several concerned civilians who appeared somewhat startled by his sudden dramatic arrival. However, there was no sign whatsoever of Spider-Man anywhere in the immediate area.
Cad was preparing to expand his search to the surrounding platforms when he heard a commotion developing behind him.
From the gathered crowd of onlookers emerged two young women—Jedi Padawans who were unfortunately very familiar to him from their earlier encounter.
Ahsoka looked at the distinctively dressed figure in the fancy wide-brimmed hat that made him stand out dramatically from everyone else in the crowd, and felt a nagging sense of recognition.
"You there!" Ahsoka pointed directly at Cad Bane and shouted with sudden realization. "You're Cad Bane! I recognize you from the security footage of you holding those senators hostage!"
Barriss blinked in surprise, looking back and forth between her friend and the notorious bounty hunter with wide, alarmed eyes. The civilians around them began backing away nervously at Ahsoka's announcement, clearly recognizing the dangerous reputation that came with that name.
However, Cad simply smirked with shameless confidence and replied mockingly, "Oh really? Are you perhaps a fan of my work?"
Ahsoka glared at the bounty hunter with obvious hatred, but then something metallic caught the light and reflected a brief flash, causing her to flinch momentarily. Looking down at Bane's belt and equipment, Ahsoka clenched her teeth in barely controlled anger.
"Barriss, look at what he's carrying."
Barriss followed her friend's gaze downward and immediately spotted their stolen property. "That's my lightsaber!"
"Oh, you mean this little trinket?" Cad Bane casually pulled out one of the elegant weapons and examined it with mock interest. "I just use it as a glow stick when I need some light in dark places."
Without any warning, Barriss reached out with her hand and used the Force to yank the lightsaber away from the bounty hunter and back into her own grip. She immediately ignited the brilliant blue blade, pointed it directly at Bane with a calm but determined expression, and declared with righteous authority, "Cad Bane, in the name of the Jedi Council and the Jedi Order, I am placing you under arrest for multiple crimes against the Galactic Republic."
Cad was genuinely amused by this declaration and sneered dismissively, "Aren't you still just children playing dress-up? Why don't you run along and find your parents so the adults can handle serious matters?"
Before either Padawan could respond, Cad quickly drew his blaster and fired several shots at both young women while simultaneously activating his rocket boots to make a hasty escape. The two Jedi immediately began pursuing him without hesitation, deflecting his blaster bolts with their lightsabers as they gave chase.
Cad had no intention of killing the two Padawans in this location, primarily because they were so close to the Jedi Temple that such an action would bring far too much unwanted attention and complications. Besides, he still had his primary mission to complete—finding and capturing that Spider-Boy for his mysterious employer.
After putting some distance between himself and his pursuers, Cad Bane turned around with a mocking smile and called out, "Well, ladies, it's been absolutely delightful playing this game of chase with you, but now it's time for us to say our goodbyes."
Ahsoka retorted sarcastically, "If you honestly think you're going to escape that easily, you'd look a lot less ridiculous than you do wearing that absolutely preposterous hat of yours."
Cad's expression immediately darkened as he holstered his blaster and several small spherical devices dropped into his waiting hands. "You really shouldn't insult a man's hat, young lady. People don't usually walk away unscathed after making that particular mistake."
Without any warning, Cad activated the devices and tossed them in a wide arc around his position. Instantly, thick concealing smoke began billowing out and enveloping the entire area in a dense, choking cloud.
Both Padawans squinted through the smoke and rushed forward into the obscuring haze, using their connection to the Force to help dispel some of the concealing vapor.
Suddenly, a capture cable dropped down from above and wrapped around Ahsoka, yanking her up into the air with such force that her lightsaber fell from her grip and clattered to the platform below.
"Ahsoka!" Barriss called out with obvious anxiety and concern.
From somewhere above them in the smoke, Cad's voice rang out with cruel satisfaction. "I've heard that you Jedi are supposed to be compassionate and never abandon your fellow warriors. Well, here's your perfect opportunity to prove that reputation."
With that taunt, Bane released his hold on the cable, sending the bound Ahsoka plummeting toward the street far below.
Barriss immediately rushed forward in a desperate attempt to save her friend, only to be knocked backward by a concussion grenade that the bounty hunter fired directly at her position.
Barriss hit the platform hard, the impact driving the air from her lungs. She struggled to get back to her feet, watching in horror as her fellow Padawan continued falling toward the unforgiving pavement below, desperately calling out Ahsoka's name in anguish and fear.
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