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❄️ Chapter 29 — Storms on the Horizon
The Helicarrier floated like a dying whale, engines sputtering, smoke trailing across the night sky. Its vast decks were torn, scorched, and patched with makeshift repairs. Inside, the survivors of the last battle stirred awake, the echoes of chaos still fresh in their bones.
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INT. HELICARRIER – INFIRMARY
Peter Parker sat slumped on a medical cot, mask pulled up just enough to breathe. His ribs ached, his arms stung with bruises from where Hulk had nearly smashed him flat. Still, he stayed restless, fidgeting, eyes darting to the unconscious figures around him—Steve still recovering, Clint out cold, Natasha sitting nearby with haunted eyes.
They were all broken in different ways.
Tony paced like a caged animal, muttering diagnostics to himself. Thor stood off to the side, silent, shoulders weighed down by grief. The Defenders sat scattered—Luke rubbing his knuckles, Danny's ribs bound, Ava staring quietly at the floor. Nova lay in the corner, drained but trying to smile through it.
But Banner's cot was empty. Hulk was gone.
Peter clenched his fists. "We need him," he whispered under his breath. He wasn't sure if anyone heard—or if they were all too tired to reply.
For a moment, the weight of it all pressed down on him. He wanted to call Aunt May. He wanted to text Ned, Gwen, or Harry. But his phone was gone, left behind in another life, a simpler one.
The alarm in his head—the Spider-Sense—hadn't gone quiet. Something bigger was still coming.
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INT. VILLAIN BASE – PORTAL CHAMBER
Far away, deep in a cavern laced with stolen shield tech, Otto Octavius slid the final stabilizer rod into place. The towering machine pulsed with raw energy, arcs of light crawling across the ceiling. His mechanical arms twitched in satisfaction.
"It alive." Otto breathed, awe and pride mixing in his voice. "A bridge between worlds. Stable. Perfect."
Amora stepped forward, her green eyes gleaming with triumph. Kraven, Scorpion, and Hurricane flanked her, restless for violence.
"Protect him," Amora commanded. "Until the portal opens, Octavius must not be disturbed."
Kraven cracked his neck, grinning. "The hunt begins."
Scorpion's tail hissed. "Let them come."
Hurricane spun winds around his fists. "They won't last a second."
Amora's smile was cold. "Good. Soon, Midgard will kneel."
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INT. PARIS – MARINETTE'S ROOM
Marinette sat hunched over her sewing desk, scraps of fabric untouched. Her phone lay in her palm, screen blank. She scrolled, checked messages that weren't there, bit her lip.
"Adrian…" she whispered. "Please… don't be late."
Her hands trembled. She tried to distract herself with sketches, but every line blurred into worry. She wasn't a fighter. All she could do was wait. And hope.
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INT. NED'S ROOM – NEW YORK
Ned sprawled on his bed, surrounded by Lego bricks. He grinned as he typed into the group chat.
"Peter! Harry! Emergency meeting—my place. I've got the Falcon set, snacks, and stories about my legendary matchmaking skills ready to deploy. Don't leave me hanging, bros."
He hit send, waited for the familiar ping.
Nothing.
He frowned, typing again. "Hellooo? Peter? Harry? C'mon, guys. Don't ghost me."
Still silence. His grin faltered. "…You better not be ditching me for some girl, dude."
The room stayed quiet.
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INT. GWEN'S ROOM – NEW YORK
Gwen Stacy paced back and forth, clutching her phone like it was about to explode. Her guitar leaned forgotten in the corner.
"Okay, Gwen, you can do this," she muttered. "It's just Peter. Just… Peter. Not scary. Not scary at all. Just say it—'Hey, wanna hang out sometime? Maybe as more than friends?'"
She winced. "Ugh. No. That sounds like I'm in a rom-com."
Her thumb hovered over Peter's contact. She chickened out, scrolling instead to another name. Adrian.
She hit call before she could regret it.
"Hello?" Adrian's calm voice answered.
"Adrian! Uh—it's Gwen," she stammered. "I… need advice. Like, urgent."
He chuckled lightly. "Let me guess. Homework crisis?"
"My grades are better than yours and it not about that It's—ugh, don't laugh—it's about Peter. I want to… ask him out. But every time I try, I freeze up. What if I mess it up?"
Adrian let a pause stretch, then teased gently: "You're telling me Gwen Stacy is scared of Peter Parker? That's rich."
Gwen flushed scarlet. "I'm serious!"
His voice softened. "Then be serious with him. Don't overthink it. Just do it. If you wait forever, you'll regret it. And trust me—he'd be lucky if you asked."
Gwen blinked, caught off guard. A shy smile tugged at her lips. "…You think so?"
"I know so." Adrian's tone was warm but sure. "Now quit doubting yourself and go for it."
The call ended. Gwen sat on the bed, heart pounding, cheeks burning. For the first time, the idea didn't feel impossible.
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EXT. New York ROOFTOP – SAME TIME
Adrian lowered his phone, the faintest smile on his lips. The New York skyline stretched before him, beautiful and fragile.
Beside him, Natalie stood with her arms crossed, eyes hard.
Adrian's smile faded into something calmer. Steadier.
"So," he said, eyes narrowing toward the storm building on the horizon. "It's started."
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INT. VILLAIN BASE – FINAL SCENE
A chamber glowed with sickly green light. Loki stood before Otto's machine, the scepter in his hand, power thrumming in the air.
Suspended above the stabilizer in an orb of emerald energy floated Harry Osborn. His body twisted, black tendrils of symbiote crawling across his skin, merging with him in agonized pulses.
Venom's scream echoed through the chamber, raw and primal.
Loki's smirk was cruel and certain.
"Yes," he whispered. "Let us begin."
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❄️ End of Chapter 29 ❄️
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