As soon as the police arrived to take Captain Boomerang into custody, Peter left the rooftop and continued toward the smaller warehouse in Queens. He landed on a neighboring building and studied the property through his mask's lenses, immediately noticing that it had far fewer guards than the Red Hook location. Only six men patrolled the surrounding alleys and loading areas, and large sections of the building were completely unprotected. "It's nice to finally visit somewhere that doesn't employ a private army," Peter whispered.
Peter crawled down the side of the neighboring building and waited for the first guard to pass beneath him. A strand of webbing pulled the man upward before he could make a sound, leaving him stuck beneath a fire escape. Peter caught the second guard behind the loading dock, webbed a third inside an empty delivery truck, and silently dragged the remaining men into the shadows. Within several minutes, every guard outside had been restrained without anyone inside realizing they were missing.
Peter spotted an open skylight and climbed the warehouse wall before cautiously crawling through it. Guns and boxes of ammunition were stacked along one side of the building, while tables covered with drugs filled the center of the floor. Several civilians wearing only their underwear were being forced to weigh and repackage the drugs while armed men watched them. Peter counted the guards, memorized their positions, and quietly crawled back through the skylight.
Unsure whether the workers might be caught in the fighting, Peter called the police station responsible for that section of the city. "I need to speak with your watch commander," he said when an officer answered. The officer immediately asked, "Who is this, and what do you want with the commander?" Peter looked through the skylight and replied, "Spider-Man. I'm standing on top of a warehouse being used as a drug-repackaging center, and there are enough guns inside to make that everyone's problem."
The officer told him to hold, and Peter heard muffled voices while the phone changed hands. A woman soon came onto the line and said, "This is Lieutenant Yuri Watanabe, the watch commander. Give me your location and tell me exactly what you're looking at." Peter provided the address before explaining that several civilians were being forced to package drugs under the supervision of approximately fifteen armed guards.
"I'm raiding Hammerhead's warehouses because I'm trying to draw him out," Peter explained. "He placed an open contract on me, and I would really like to discuss his cancellation policy." Yuri asked how he had obtained the locations of Hammerhead's properties when the police had spent years trying to build cases against them. Peter answered, "I know people who know things—very serious people with badges and absolutely no appreciation for rooftop humor."
Peter explained that he had already taken down every guard outside without raising an alarm. He warned Yuri about the civilians and asked that her officers treat them as victims until they could determine whether any had been working willingly. Yuri immediately began sending patrol officers, narcotics detectives, emergency medical personnel, and a tactical unit toward the warehouse. "Units are on their way," she told him. "Do not let those gunmen move the drugs or harm those civilians."
"That's all I needed to hear," Peter replied before ending the call. He slipped through the skylight without waiting for the police to arrive and crawled silently across the ceiling. The first guard disappeared into the rafters when Peter pulled him upward, while another was webbed inside a bathroom before he could return to the floor. Peter moved from shadow to shadow, quietly removing half the guards before anyone noticed that their numbers were shrinking.
One of the remaining gunmen finally spotted a webbed shoe hanging behind a crate and reached for his radio. Peter fired a web across the room, ripped the radio from his hand, and struck him with it before catching the device. "Sorry, your security team is unavailable," Peter announced. "Please remain on the line until everyone in the building has been gift-wrapped."
The guards raised their weapons, but Peter webbed several gun barrels shut before they could fire. He dropped between the tables, kicked one man into a stack of empty boxes, and pulled two others into each other with opposing web lines. A web bomb burst beside the final group and pinned them against the concrete floor. Less than a minute later, every armed man inside the warehouse had been disarmed and restrained.
The frightened civilians remained crouched behind the tables until Peter assured them that the fighting was over. He found their clothing locked inside an office and tore the door open before carrying everything to them. "The police are coming, and I already explained that you were being forced to work here," Peter said as he climbed back onto the ceiling. "I'm going to face this direction while you get dressed, because today has already been uncomfortable enough for everyone."
Peter hung upside down several feet above the floor while the civilians dressed and began telling him how Hammerhead's men had threatened their families. He activated his mask's recorder and asked them to repeat anything they felt comfortable sharing with the police. Peter promised that the armed men would not reach them again, although he carefully avoided promising what the justice system might do afterward. By the time sirens reached the surrounding streets, several workers had begun answering his questions.
The tactical officers breached the warehouse from two entrances with shields raised and weapons ready. Instead of an active gunfight, they found every guard webbed to the floor or walls and Spider-Man hanging upside down while speaking calmly with a group of newly dressed civilians. "Armed criminals are the ones wearing matching web accessories," Peter told them. "Everyone standing near the tables needs protection, medical attention, and probably something warm to eat."
Yuri entered shortly afterward and ordered the officers to secure the guns, drugs, money, and imprisoned workers' statements. News crews monitoring police communications arrived outside and filmed Peter helping officers detach Hammerhead's men from the walls before placing them into patrol cars. The reporters shouted questions about the bounty, but Peter refused to reveal anything that might compromise the investigation. He wanted Hammerhead to see the arrests without learning which warehouse Peter intended to strike next.
After inspecting the crates of firearms and the enormous quantity of drugs, Yuri approached Peter near the loading entrance. "Once everything is counted, this may be one of the largest weapons and narcotics seizures in New York City history," she told him. "You saved those people and handed us an entire criminal operation. Thank you, Spider-Man."
"So I'm guessing this warehouse loses points on its next health inspection," Peter replied. Yuri struggled not to smile before warning him that entering alone had been reckless, even if it had worked. Peter fired a web toward the neighboring rooftop and answered, "Reckless is such an ugly word. I prefer aggressively helpful.
Hammerhead stood in the office overlooking the Red Hook warehouse while the evening news played across a large television. Live footage showed police officers carrying crates of weapons, packaged drugs, and bundles of cash from his property in Queens. Reporters crowded around the scene as Spider-Man helped officers remove webbed gunmen from the building. The headline beneath the broadcast called it one of the largest criminal seizures in New York's history.
A reporter praised Spider-Man for rescuing the workers and alerting the police before entering the warehouse. Hammerhead grabbed a glass from his desk and hurled it through the television, shattering the screen and silencing the broadcast. "Six months of product was inside that building!" he shouted at the men gathered in the office. "How does one kid walk through my entire operation without anyone warning me?"
None of the men dared answer until the telephone on Hammerhead's desk began ringing. Everyone in the room recognized the private line, and the little color remaining in their faces quickly vanished. Hammerhead ordered everyone except his most trusted lieutenant, Rocco, to leave the office. Once the door closed, he lifted the receiver and forced himself to speak calmly. "Kingpin, I was just about to contact you."
"No, you were about to invent another excuse," Kingpin answered. His deep voice remained controlled, but the anger behind it was unmistakable. "One of my most profitable distribution centers is now surrounded by police and reporters. Millions of dollars in merchandise have been seized because you failed to stop one masked child."
Hammerhead argued that nobody could have predicted Spider-Man would begin attacking their warehouses. Kingpin reminded him that Hammerhead had been ordered to eliminate the vigilante before he became a threat to their larger operation. "Instead, you opened a contract that attracted reckless mercenaries from around the world," Kingpin said. "Their public failures have made Spider-Man more popular, and now the police are openly assisting him."
"The bounty hunters failed, not me," Hammerhead replied as his fingers tightened around the receiver. Kingpin responded that Hammerhead had hired them, supplied their information, and guaranteed their success. Deathstroke had failed, Captain Boomerang had failed, and Spider-Man was still swinging through New York with enough confidence to strike Hammerhead directly. Every failure belonged to the man responsible for the operation.
Kingpin ordered Hammerhead to move the remaining shipments and reinforce every important warehouse before Spider-Man could attack again. "If you lose another piece of my organization, I will appoint someone capable of protecting it," he warned. Hammerhead promised to handle the situation, but Kingpin ended the call without another word. The silence that followed felt more insulting than anything he had said.
Hammerhead slowly placed the receiver down before crushing the telephone beneath his hand. "His organization," he muttered as he paced behind the desk. "I recruited these men, bought these warehouses, and built every connection he uses in this city. That fat bastard hides somewhere safe and acts like he personally controls every street in New York."
Rocco remained beside the door and carefully watched his boss. He had served Hammerhead longer than anyone else and was one of the few men who could speak honestly without immediately being thrown through a wall. "Maybe it's time you stopped letting him take credit for everything you built," Rocco suggested. Hammerhead turned toward him and asked whether he understood what he had just implied.
"I'm saying we split from Kingpin and run our own crew," Rocco answered. "Most of these men are loyal to you, not him. The warehouses, shipping routes, dealers, and weapons all move because you give the orders." He stepped closer to the desk and added, "Kingpin already threatened to replace you, so why wait for him to try?"
Hammerhead stared through the window at the hundreds of armed men guarding the Red Hook property. Rocco explained that they could quietly identify which captains would follow Hammerhead, move part of the money into separate accounts, and secure the operations Kingpin did not personally oversee. If they prepared carefully, Hammerhead could control his own criminal family before Kingpin realized that anything had changed. Spider-Man's attacks might even provide the perfect cover for missing money and relocated shipments.
"You're suggesting we steal from the most powerful criminal in New York," Hammerhead said. Rocco shook his head and replied, "I'm suggesting you take what you earned before he gives it to somebody else." Hammerhead's anger slowly gave way to a satisfied smile as he considered the idea. For years, he had accepted Kingpin's orders while doing the dangerous work required to enforce them.
Hammerhead placed one heavy hand on Rocco's shoulder and told him to begin speaking with their most dependable captains. Nobody was to mention Kingpin, and every conversation needed to sound like preparation for Spider-Man's next raid. "We keep following orders until everything is ready," Hammerhead instructed. "Then we find out whether the Kingpin can still call himself king after his entire kingdom walks away."
A week passed without Peter's life becoming any less dangerous, although the constant attacks slowly began to feel routine. He stopped three more bounty hunters, broke up two ambushes, and raided four additional warehouses connected to Hammerhead. None of the hunters came close to matching Deathstroke, but each fight forced Peter to remain alert whenever he left home. Even a quiet swing across the city could turn into a battle without warning.
Peter continued balancing patrols with time at home and brief visits with Gwen, although he avoided discussing specific targets or locations over the phone. Every successful warehouse raid removed more guns, drugs, and money from the streets while providing the police with additional evidence. Hammerhead's smaller operations began closing or relocating before Peter could reach them. The pressure was working, even if Hammerhead himself remained hidden.
While Peter attacked his criminal empire from the outside, Hammerhead quietly prepared to tear it away from Kingpin. Rocco contacted loyal captains one at a time and presented every meeting as a discussion about defending against Spider-Man. Money disappeared into private accounts, shipments were redirected, and men loyal to Kingpin were gradually transferred away from important positions. Hammerhead continued accepting Kingpin's orders while secretly building a crew that answered only to him.
Peter discovered the first sign of that rebellion during a raid on a small warehouse near the Brooklyn waterfront. The building contained little more than several crates of stolen electronics, two trucks, and fewer than twenty armed men. Peter entered through an upper window and began removing the guards silently, webbing them beneath staircases or pulling them into the rafters. As he approached an office, he heard two men arguing inside and stopped above the doorway.
"I'm telling you, Rocco said these trucks belong to Hammerhead now," one of the men whispered. "We don't report the routes to Kingpin's people anymore, and we don't give them a cut." The second man looked toward the office windows before warning that Kingpin would kill them if he discovered what was happening. Peter activated his mask's recorder and remained motionless above them.
The first man dismissed the warning and explained that Hammerhead was preparing to run his own crew. Several captains had already chosen sides, and weapons were being moved into properties Kingpin did not know existed. "When Hammerhead makes the split official, we control the docks," he said. "Kingpin can either accept it or start a war he might not win."
The other man nervously asked what would happen if the remaining gangs used the fighting to take their territory. His partner replied that Hammerhead expected them to try and was already stockpiling weapons for that reason. Peter listened until both men began discussing specific routes and locations, then dropped between them. "I appreciate criminals who explain the entire conspiracy before I interrupt," he said. "It makes the investigation much more convenient."
One man reached for a pistol, but Peter webbed it to the desk before pulling the second man out of his chair. A quick kick sent the first into a filing cabinet, while two strands of webbing pinned the other against the wall. Peter copied several documents from the desk with his mask's camera and searched the office for anything mentioning Kingpin. The papers used only coded initials and titles, leaving the identity of Hammerhead's superior concealed.
After securing the remaining guards, Peter contacted Detective Jean DeWolff and asked her to meet him at the warehouse. Police officers soon filled the property and began cataloguing the stolen electronics, weapons, and vehicles. Peter waited on the roof until DeWolff finished directing the first search teams. When she joined him, he transferred the recorded conversation and photographs onto her police-issued computer.
DeWolff listened without interrupting as the two men discussed Hammerhead separating from Kingpin. Her expression became more concerned with every sentence, especially when they mentioned captains choosing sides and weapons being stockpiled. "We assumed Hammerhead was at the top of this organization," she said after the recording ended. "If he answers to someone else, then we've been investigating only one section of something much larger."
Peter admitted that Batman had also suspected someone more powerful was operating behind Hammerhead. Neither of them had discovered a name, and Hammerhead's men seemed careful not to identify their real leader aloud. "The recording calls him Kingpin, but that could be a title," Peter explained. "For all we know, the guy wears a crown and spends all day judging criminal talent shows."
DeWolff barely reacted to the joke as she looked across the city. "If Hammerhead intends to separate, this could become the beginning of a gang war," she warned. "It won't remain a fight between Hammerhead and whoever he is betraying. Every criminal organization in New York will see their divided territory as an opportunity."
She explained that smaller gangs would attack exposed warehouses, steal unprotected shipments, and attempt to claim neighborhoods while both larger organizations were distracted. Old rivals would use the chaos to settle grudges, and frightened crews would begin striking first rather than waiting to be attacked. "Once the shooting starts, innocent people will be caught between them," DeWolff continued. "The streets will become borders, and every gang will try to expand those borders."
Peter looked down at the officers loading Hammerhead's men into police vehicles. His plan had been to weaken Hammerhead until he appeared, but the raids might also be accelerating a conflict already developing inside the organization. "So I started pulling bricks from the wall, and now the entire neighborhood might collapse," he said. DeWolff reminded him that Hammerhead and Kingpin had created the situation, but she agreed that they needed to move carefully from that point forward.
DeWolff promised to establish a task force to examine the captured records, follow the redirected shipments, and identify the man known as Kingpin. She asked Peter to report anything else he overheard instead of immediately attacking every location connected to the separation. If they could learn when and where Hammerhead intended to declare his independence, the police might prevent the first strike. Peter agreed, although both of them knew Hammerhead's bounty would make careful observation difficult.
Peter left Detective DeWolff on the warehouse roof and began swinging toward Queens, eager to finally return home. His body ached from the raids and bounty hunters he had faced during the week, while his stomach reminded him that he had missed dinner again. He had crossed several blocks when a dark column of smoke rose between the buildings ahead. "Of course," Peter sighed as he changed direction. "Going home before midnight was getting dangerously close to becoming a habit."
Flames poured from the upper floors of a large research building as firefighters surrounded the street below. Peter increased his speed, expecting to help evacuate civilians, but three costumed figures were already moving through the scene. Kid Flash raced between firefighters while carrying injured workers away from the entrance, and Aqualad redirected water from two damaged hoses toward the burning windows. Robin swung from a nearby rooftop and pulled several trapped employees from a collapsing walkway.
Peter recognized Robin immediately, although he had never met either of the other young heroes. He landed against the side of the building and used several layers of webbing to support a section of wall that threatened to collapse onto the firefighters. "I leave you alone for one trip back to Gotham, and you start hanging around with other masked teenagers," Peter called. Robin looked up in surprise before grinning beneath his mask.
"Spider-Man?" Robin asked as Peter lowered himself beside him. "What are you doing here?" Peter gestured toward the burning building and replied, "I live in New York. You're the one who crossed state lines without calling." Kid Flash stopped beside them and stared at Peter with open excitement while Aqualad approached at a calmer pace.
"You actually know Spider-Man?" Kid Flash asked Robin. "Why didn't you mention that before?" Robin explained that he and Batman had worked with Peter during their recent investigation in New York. Kid Flash extended his hand and introduced himself so quickly that Peter barely understood him. Peter shook it and said, "Nice to meet you, Flash Junior."
"It's Kid Flash," Wally corrected immediately. Peter nodded and replied, "Sorry, I've been informed that sidekick names are a sensitive subject." Aqualad introduced himself with considerably more dignity, and Peter returned the greeting before glancing between the three heroes. Robin explained that Aqualad was Aquaman's partner, while Kid Flash proudly added that he worked with the fastest man alive.
Peter looked around for Batman, Flash, or Aquaman but saw no members of the Justice League. When he asked where their mentors were, the three exchanged uncomfortable glances. Robin eventually explained that the League had been called away to stop a magical threat involving the sun, while the fire had been considered small enough for local authorities to handle. "And Batman told you three to investigate?" Peter asked, already recognizing the expression on Robin's face.
"He told us to stay put while they handled the League mission," Robin replied. "He never specifically told us not to investigate this." Peter stared at him for a moment before saying, "That sounds exactly like the kind of explanation I use right before an adult starts yelling at me." Kid Flash insisted that they could leave after ensuring nothing suspicious was happening, while Aqualad admitted that the situation deserved further investigation.
The firefighters brought the remaining flames under control, allowing the four young heroes to enter the damaged lobby. The name PROJECT CADMUS was displayed across the reception wall, although the visible portion of the building appeared to contain only offices and laboratories. Robin explained that Batman had expressed suspicions about Cadmus before the League received its second emergency call. Peter's spider-sense produced a faint pressure at the back of his skull as they moved deeper into the building.
Robin approached an elevator that should have been disabled by the fire alarm and connected a device to its control panel. Kid Flash asked what was taking so long, only for Robin to remind him that hacking security required more than running quickly. Peter examined the reinforced doors and noticed scratches along the floor where something extremely heavy had recently passed through. "Whatever they move in this elevator weighs more than office furniture," he observed.
Aqualad studied the building's evacuation map and noticed that it showed only two floors. Robin successfully activated the elevator and discovered that its controls extended through dozens of underground levels. "A high-speed elevator in a two-story building," Robin said. "Nothing suspicious about that." Peter leaned toward the open shaft and replied, "Maybe the basement has a basement—and that basement has several unresolved ethical violations."
Kid Flash stepped into the elevator without hesitation while Aqualad warned that they still did not understand what awaited them below. Robin reminded them that Batman had wanted Cadmus investigated before the League was called away. Peter considered contacting DeWolff, but his phone had no signal anywhere inside the building, and the security system was already attempting to close the elevator. His spider-sense continued humming, telling him that the fire was only the surface of something much more dangerous.
Peter entered the elevator beside the others and webbed the doors open long enough for Robin and Aqualad to join them. "Just so we're clear, sneaking into a suspicious underground laboratory was your idea," he told Robin. "I'm the responsible local hero who happened to accompany you." Robin smiled and answered, "Whatever helps you explain it to Batman."
The elevator descended rapidly, carrying them far beneath the burning building. Floor numbers passed so quickly that Peter's lenses struggled to track them, and the sounds of firefighters above faded into silence. Kid Flash looked at the three masked heroes around him and grinned. "So, are we officially a team now?" he asked. Aqualad answered that they were merely investigating together, while Peter muttered, "That's what every team says five minutes before everything goes terribly wrong."
When the elevator finally stopped, the doors opened onto an enormous underground facility filled with strange machinery and distant movement. Rows of small creatures worked behind glass walls while armed security patrols moved between the laboratories. Peter's spider-sense sharpened into a clear warning as Robin whispered, "Welcome to Project Cadmus." Peter stared into the hidden complex and replied, "I suddenly miss the gang war."
The elevator doors closed behind Peter and the three young heroes before carrying them deeper beneath Project Cadmus. Peter watched the floor numbers fall past twenty and then thirty, confirming that the facility extended far beyond anything visible from the street. Robin connected his wrist computer to the elevator controls and disabled the nearest security cameras. "If this place has fifty underground floors, I'm officially upgrading it from suspicious to supervillain suspicious," Peter remarked.
The elevator stopped on a wide corridor filled with white walls, sealed laboratory doors, and glass chambers. Small creatures with oversized heads moved between machines while others sat in rows with cables connected to their bodies. Their eyes glowed as energy flowed from their minds into the facility's electrical systems. Kid Flash stared through the glass and whispered, "Please tell me everyone else finds this extremely creepy."
Aqualad recognized the name Cadmus from Greek mythology and explained that the original Cadmus had created new life by planting dragon teeth in the earth. Peter looked at the genetically engineered creatures and admitted that the name suddenly seemed less like a coincidence. He activated his mask's camera and began recording everything they passed. "People rarely build secret underground laboratories because they're planning something legal," he said.
Robin led them through the corridors while avoiding security patrols and disabling cameras before they appeared. Peter crawled along the ceiling behind him, using his spider-sense to warn the others whenever guards approached from around a corner. Kid Flash wanted to rush ahead, but Aqualad repeatedly reminded him that they had entered an unknown facility without support. Peter quietly decided that Aqualad was the responsible one of the group.
They entered an unattended laboratory containing several empty growth chambers and a computer terminal. Robin broke through the first layer of security while Peter photographed the equipment and files displayed across the other monitors. The records identified the creatures as genomorphs, each species engineered with abilities ranging from telepathy to enhanced strength. Some had been designed for labor, while others were described as living weapons.
"This isn't just illegal experimentation," Peter said as he examined the information. "They're manufacturing people and deciding what their lives will be before they're even born." Aqualad agreed that the Justice League needed to see the facility, but their communicators could not penetrate the underground shielding. Kid Flash suggested returning to the surface, although Robin found one final directory before disconnecting from the system.
The file was labeled PROJECT KR, but three separate encryptions prevented Robin from opening it. He managed to determine that it was located on sublevel fifty-two and received more security than anything else inside Cadmus. Peter's spider-sense began tingling the moment the name appeared on the screen. "Whatever they're hiding down there really doesn't want visitors," he warned.
The laboratory door opened before Robin could copy the entire file, revealing Guardian and a squad of armed security officers. A small genomorph sat on Guardian's shoulder while he raised his shield and ordered them to surrender. Robin recognized him as a hero and explained that they had discovered evidence of illegal genetic experiments. Guardian appeared confused and suggested contacting the Justice League to resolve the situation peacefully.
Peter's spider-sense suddenly flared as the genomorph's eyes glowed brighter beside Guardian's head. Guardian's expression became empty for a moment before returning with cold anger. He ordered the security team to attack without restraint and hurled his shield toward Robin. Peter intercepted it with a web and pulled it into the ceiling before it could strike him.
"That little creature is doing something to his mind," Peter shouted as the officers opened fire with energy weapons. He webbed several barrels toward the floor while Kid Flash raced around the squad and removed their weapons. Aqualad blocked two blasts with his water-bearers before striking the attackers with controlled bursts of electricity. Robin filled the corridor with smoke and disappeared into the ventilation system.
Guardian charged through the smoke and struck Peter hard enough to send him into a laboratory wall. Peter recovered immediately, caught Guardian's next punch, and realized the man possessed far greater strength than an ordinary human. He refused to strike back with his full power while Guardian remained under outside control. Instead, Peter webbed the hero's legs together and pulled him away from the genomorph.
The creature released a sharp psychic pulse that sent pain through Peter's head and weakened his webbing. Guardian tore himself free as heavier footsteps began approaching from both ends of the corridor. Peter's spider-sense warned him that whatever was coming was much larger than the security officers. "We've officially overstayed our welcome," he said while pulling Kid Flash away from an opening laboratory door.
Robin dropped from the ceiling beside them and revealed that he had unlocked an express elevator farther down the corridor. The problem was that the elevator would only travel deeper into Cadmus, directly toward Project Kr. Aqualad argued that they should find another path to the surface, but a security announcement ordered every unit in the facility to protect Project Kr. Peter realized that Cadmus was more afraid of them discovering it than escaping.
"If Project Kr is another person, we can't leave without knowing," Peter said. Aqualad considered the risk before agreeing, while Kid Flash declared that they had already come too far to stop. The four heroes raced toward the express elevator as large, clawed genomorphs emerged behind them. Peter sealed the corridor with a thick wall of webbing, buying Robin enough time to override the doors.
The elevator descended toward sublevel fifty-two while powerful creatures tore through the webbing above them. Peter attempted to call the police, but the facility blocked every signal. Robin assured him that the League would eventually investigate once they realized the younger heroes were missing. "That is not going to make Batman any less angry."
When the elevator reached its destination, Robin disabled the lock and opened the doors into a dark chamber. A single illuminated pod stood in the center of the room, surrounded by small telepathic genomorphs. Inside floated a muscular teenage boy wearing a white solar suit marked with Superman's symbol. Tubes covered his body while information was continuously transmitted into his mind.
Robin reached the nearest terminal and finally opened the Project Kr files. The records identified the boy as a force-grown clone created from stolen samples of Superman's DNA, designed to replace the hero if he died or destroy him if he turned against Cadmus. Peter stared at the unconscious teenager inside the pod as anger replaced his usual humor.
Robin continued reading the Project Kr files while Aqualad examined the pod's controls. The clone had been grown in only sixteen weeks, but the telepathic genomorphs had filled his mind with years of information, combat training, and commands. Cadmus had kept him asleep beneath artificial sunlight while preparing him to serve as their weapon. Peter's lenses recorded every file Robin uncovered, creating evidence that Cadmus could not easily deny.
Kid Flash stared at the boy and asked whether they could safely wake someone with Superman's strength. Aqualad answered that leaving him imprisoned was not an option, regardless of the danger. Peter studied the cables connected to the clone's body and noticed that several carried no power or nutrients. "Those are feeding information directly into his brain," he said. "If we wake him, we need to disconnect the little telepaths first."
Robin began disabling the pod while Peter webbed the surrounding genomorphs away from their control stations. The small creatures did not resist, but their glowing eyes followed every movement he made. A warning appeared across the terminal, announcing that Project Kr's mental conditioning had been interrupted. Robin ignored it and released the final lock before stepping away from the chamber.
The fluid drained from the pod, and the transparent door opened with a rush of cold air. The teenage clone fell forward, but Aqualad caught him before he struck the floor. His eyes opened almost immediately, staring at the four heroes with confusion that quickly became anger. Peter raised both hands and said, "Easy. We're not with Cadmus, and we're trying to get you out of here."
The clone's gaze shifted toward the glowing genomorphs gathered around the chamber. Their eyes brightened together, and Peter's spider-sense erupted a moment before the boy attacked. Superboy knocked Aqualad across the room with one swing and caught Kid Flash as he attempted to circle behind him. He threw the speedster into Robin before charging directly at Peter.
Peter avoided the first punch, but the air displaced by it struck his mask like a powerful gust. He caught Superboy's second fist with both hands and slid backward several feet across the metal floor. The clone's strength exceeded anything Peter had expected from someone who appeared close to his age. "Okay, definitely related to Superman," Peter grunted as the floor bent beneath his feet.
Superboy drove his shoulder into Peter and carried him through the side of a control station. Peter rolled across the floor, recovered, and fired thick strands of webbing around the clone's arms and legs. Superboy flexed once and tore through the restraints before leaping after him. Peter sprang over the attack and landed on the ceiling, unwilling to strike someone whose decisions were being controlled.
"The genomorphs are commanding him," Peter warned as their eyes glowed again. Robin threw several small explosives between the creatures and the pod, forcing them to scatter without injuring them. Superboy hesitated as the telepathic connection weakened, giving Aqualad enough time to wrap his water-bearers around the clone's arms. Kid Flash raced around his legs while Peter added several layers of webbing.
For a moment, the four heroes managed to hold Superboy in place. Aqualad urged him to resist Cadmus and reminded him that they had opened his prison. The clone's anger weakened as he looked at the shattered pod behind him. Before he could respond, dozens of genomorphs arrived outside the chamber and unleashed a coordinated psychic command.
Pain exploded through Peter's head as his spider-sense reacted to every mind surrounding them at once. He lost his grip on the webbing and fell from the ceiling while Robin and Kid Flash collapsed beside him. Aqualad remained standing for several seconds before dropping to one knee. Superboy tore through the weakened restraints as the telepathic creatures restored their control over him.
Peter forced himself back onto his feet, but his spider-sense had become a storm of conflicting warnings. Superboy appeared in front of him and drove a fist into his chest, sending him through the pod and into the reinforced wall behind it. Peter remained conscious and fired webbing toward the clone, only for several massive genomorphs to seize his arms from both sides. More creatures flooded into the chamber while Guardian and the security team blocked the only exit.
Kid Flash attempted to escape through the corridor, but Superboy intercepted him before he reached the door. Aqualad and Robin fought back together while Peter struggled against the creatures holding him. He broke one of their grips, webbed Guardian's shield to the floor, and nearly reached the others before another psychic wave struck. This time, the telepathic attack forced darkness across his vision.
Peter awoke on a metal platform with his arms and legs secured by reinforced restraints. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad occupied three identical platforms beside him, each surrounded by machinery and empty growth chambers. Several genomorphs stood near Peter's head, maintaining a telepathic pressure that made concentrating on his strength difficult. Superboy waited near the doorway with an emotionless expression.
A man wearing a laboratory coat entered the chamber and introduced himself as Doctor Mark Desmond. He appeared more irritated by the intrusion than concerned that four teenagers had discovered Cadmus's illegal experiments. "You have seen facilities, projects, and research that cannot be exposed," Desmond told them. "Fortunately, Cadmus specializes in producing replacements."
Robin realized what the empty pods were intended for and warned the others that Cadmus planned to clone them. Desmond confirmed that the copies would possess their appearances, memories, and abilities while remaining completely loyal to the organization. Once the replacements were ready, the originals would be disposed of without leaving evidence. Peter pulled against his restraints and muttered, "I preferred the warehouses. At least those criminals only wanted to shoot me."
Desmond ordered the genomorphs to begin scanning their minds and collecting genetic samples. Peter felt a sharp instrument press against his arm while images from his memories flashed uncontrollably through his thoughts. Superboy watched from the doorway as Cadmus prepared to create four obedient replacements. For the first time, uncertainty appeared behind the clone's anger as he realized that the same people controlling him intended to do it again.