Chapter 30: The Black Spider
Spider-Man held a distinct advantage against grounded, cumbersome foes like Doctor Octopus or the Lizard. But against a flying, heavily armed adversary like the Green Goblin, he was at a severe disadvantage, forced to evade and desperately seek an opening.
He swung through the urban canyons, his body a blur of motion as he dodged another volley of razor-sharp projectiles.
The Green Goblin, hovering effortlessly on his glider, trailed him with leisurely menace. "Run, little spider! Run!" he cackled, hurling a cluster of spinning blades.
Spider-Man fired a web line, yanking himself sideways in mid-swing to avoid the deadly steel.
"Not bad! Let's try this!" The Goblin applauded sarcastically, then produced a pumpkin bomb. He set the timer and lobbed it at the swinging hero.
Beep-beep-beep—
Knowing the Goblin's tactics all too well, Peter fired another web, pulling hard to accelerate. But the bomb's concussive blast was immense. The shockwave caught him, hurling him from his arc.
CRASH.
He landed back-first on a taxi, the impact cratering the roof, shattering every window, and blowing out the tires.
Groaning, Spider-Man rolled off the ruined vehicle. Knowing Talon's AI was monitoring the situation, he shouted into the air, "Talon! Help! If you don't come, he's going to kill me!"
A voice, filtered and calm, emanated from the wrecked taxi's radio. "If you can't win, then hide."
"If I hide, Harry might not call the Lizard! What then?" Peter argued, clutching his ribs.
"Fine. Just hold on. I'm on my way," the voice replied with a hint of resignation.
Talon calculated the situation. Joining the fight would force the Green Goblin's hand. Outmatched, Osborn would have no choice but to call for the only backup available to him now that Octavius was gone: the Lizard.
Donning his new, pure black suit, Talon opened the hotel window and stepped out into the open air.
The wind roared in his ears as he fell, a primal fear gripping him. This was his first freefall. When he was five stories from the ground, he acted. His right wrist shot a line of webbing that anchored to a building across the street. He gripped the line, his body swinging in a wide arc.
As he neared the opposite building, his left wrist fired another line ahead. Releasing the right, he pulled with the left, propelling himself forward with increasing speed. He repeated the process, left, right, left, right—a continuous, efficient motion that was less like swinging and more like controlled, linear flight.
The exhilaration was incredible. "Hahaha! This is amazing!" he laughed, the freedom and raw power intoxicating.
He arrived at the battle to find Spider-Man battered, his suit torn, his mask gone. A crowd had gathered, some filming, others screaming, a few die-hard fans cheering their hero on.
"Spider-Man, you can do it!"
"Spider-Man, I love you!"
"Kill that demon!"
Their support meant little as another pumpkin bomb sent Spider-Man crashing to the pavement, unable to rise.
"Talon, where are you?" Peter groaned, his hope fading.
The Green Goblin, his personality warped by the suit's influence, reveled in the chaos. The screams of the crowd were a symphony to him. Enraged by their insults, he pulled two more pumpkin bombs. "You were so brave a moment ago! Don't run! Stay and play!" he screeched, hurling the bombs into the fleeing crowd.
Spider-Man tried to raise his hands, to shoot a web and redirect the bombs, but his arms felt like lead. "No... I can't..." he whispered, despair washing over him.
As the bombs descended toward the terrified citizens, two white web lines shot down from above, snagging the explosives an instant before they landed. The lines yanked the bombs high into the sky.
BOOM! BOOM!
The twin detonations harmlessly lit up the morning sky. All eyes turned upward, toward the roof ledge where a figure stood silhouetted against the sun. He was clad head-to-toe in unadorned black, a stark and menacing contrast to the colorful Spider-Man.
The Black Spider had arrived.
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