The telepathic pressure around Peter weakened as Superboy watched Cadmus prepare four replacement bodies inside the empty cloning chambers. The clone looked from the restrained heroes to Doctor Desmond, finally understanding that Cadmus intended to control every life it created. Aqualad told him that being created inside a laboratory did not make him property. Peter added, "They built your body, but they don't get to decide what kind of person you become."
Desmond ordered Superboy to stop listening and return to his pod before his conditioning suffered permanent damage. He called the clone a weapon and reminded him that his thoughts, memories, and abilities belonged to Cadmus. Superboy's expression hardened as Desmond continued shouting orders. Without warning, he grabbed Peter's restraints and tore them from the platform.
The nearby genomorphs withdrew from Peter's mind, allowing his strength and concentration to return. He ripped through the remaining restraints and freed Aqualad while Superboy opened Robin's platform. Kid Flash looked at the broken machinery surrounding him and said, "I knew he'd come around." Peter freed him last and replied, "You were unconscious for most of the important emotional development."
Desmond retreated from the cloning chamber and activated the facility-wide alarm. Reinforced barriers dropped over every doorway while security teams converged on sublevel fifty-two. Robin accessed the nearest terminal and discovered that all elevators had been locked. Peter looked toward the ceiling and asked Superboy, "How do you feel about making our own exit?"
Superboy jumped and smashed through the reinforced ceiling, creating an opening into the floor above. Peter carried Robin upward while Aqualad used his water-bearers to pull Kid Flash through the hole. Superboy continued breaking through several more levels until armed security officers began firing into the damaged shafts. Peter webbed their weapons to the walls before anyone could be struck.
Robin found another terminal and restored access to an emergency stairwell extending toward sublevel thirty. The group entered before the doors sealed again, but combat genomorphs immediately followed them inside. Kid Flash raced upward and struck the creatures from different directions while Peter covered the stairs behind him with webbing. Aqualad and Superboy handled anything strong enough to tear through Peter's barriers.
They reached sublevel thirty only to find the next stairwell blocked by a massive security door. Robin began overriding the lock while heavy footsteps approached from both directions. Peter and Aqualad defended the corridor as Superboy held the damaged ceiling above them. "Any time you want to open that door would be wonderful," Peter called while webbing a clawed genomorph to the floor.
Robin opened the door seconds before the creatures surrounded them. Kid Flash rushed everyone through while Peter sealed the entrance beneath several layers of webbing. Aqualad asked Robin how many more barriers separated them from the surface. Robin checked the facility map and answered, "Too many, unless we convince Cadmus to stop trying to kill us."
A tall, pale genomorph appeared in the corridor ahead and ordered the pursuing creatures to halt. He introduced himself as Dubbilex and revealed that he had started the fire above Cadmus to attract outside attention. He had guided the young heroes toward Superboy because he wanted the clone to see the truth and choose his own future. Superboy asked why Dubbilex had not freed him personally, and the genomorph explained that Cadmus constantly watched his actions.
Dubbilex opened a concealed passage that bypassed several security checkpoints and led toward the primary elevator shaft. Guardian waited inside with several security officers, forcing everyone to prepare for another fight. Dubbilex removed the telepathic control suppressing Guardian's mind, leaving the hero confused by the orders he had followed. Guardian quickly commanded his officers to stand down once he saw the evidence Peter had recorded.
The main elevator remained disabled, but its shaft extended almost directly to the top of the facility. Peter constructed a wide platform from reinforced webbing while Aqualad wrapped his water-bearers around the emergency cables. Kid Flash restored power to the pulley system by rapidly turning a damaged mechanism. Superboy pulled the entire platform upward whenever the machinery began to fail.
Security doors opened along the shaft as they passed, releasing more genomorphs and armed guards onto the maintenance platforms. Robin disabled the doors ahead of them while Peter webbed the attackers behind them to the walls. Several energy blasts severed one of the elevator cables, causing the platform to tilt dangerously. Superboy caught the broken end and continued dragging everyone upward with one arm.
At sublevel ten, the damaged pulley system finally broke apart and sent pieces of machinery falling into the darkness. Peter attached web lines to both sides of the shaft and transformed the platform into a massive slingshot. Aqualad helped pull it downward while Robin calculated the distance to the final maintenance level. Once everyone held on, Peter released the webs and launched the group toward the upper floors.
Superboy smashed through the maintenance barrier as the platform reached sublevel two. Peter secured it to the walls before anyone could fall back down the shaft. They climbed through the opening and found a final staircase leading toward the laboratories visible from the street. Smoke from the earlier fire drifted beneath the upper door, confirming that the surface was directly above them.
Robin bypassed the final lock while alarms continued echoing throughout Cadmus. Peter's spider-sense warned him that something dangerous waited beyond the door, but the collapsing security forces left them no path backward. Superboy stepped beside him, prepared to face whatever Cadmus placed between them and freedom. The lock released, and the five young heroes pushed through the door together.
The five young heroes pushed through the final door and entered the smoke-filled ground floor of Project Cadmus. Doctor Desmond stood near the damaged lobby holding a large injector filled with glowing blue liquid. Peter's spider-sense warned him a moment before Desmond raised it toward his arm, and Peter immediately fired a web. The strand struck the injector, but Desmond forced the needle into his skin before Peter could pull it away.
Desmond collapsed as the formula spread through his body, causing his muscles and bones to expand violently. His skin hardened into thick gray armor while his hands grew large enough to wrap around a person's entire body. Within seconds, he had transformed into a towering monster that barely fit beneath the ceiling. Peter noticed the words PROJECT BLOCKBUSTER printed across the discarded injector and said, "Subtle names clearly aren't a Cadmus specialty."
Blockbuster charged toward Robin and Kid Flash before either could move. Peter jumped between them, caught the monster's arm with both hands, and redirected the attack into a concrete support column. The collision shattered the column and sent cracks running across the ceiling. Peter strained against Blockbuster's strength and shouted for the others to clear the collapsing section.
Superboy struck Blockbuster from the side while Peter continued holding his arm. Together, they drove the creature through several desks and into the reception wall. Blockbuster recovered almost immediately, grabbed both of them, and threw them in opposite directions. Peter twisted in the air, caught Superboy with a web, and prevented him from crashing through an exterior window.
Aqualad attacked with his electrified water-bearers while Kid Flash raced around Blockbuster's legs. Robin threw explosive discs against the monster's armored back, but none of their attacks appeared to cause lasting damage. Blockbuster swung blindly toward Kid Flash, and Peter's spider-sense warned him before the blow landed. He pulled the speedster away with a web and took the strike across his own shoulder.
Peter crashed through a laboratory wall but returned before Blockbuster could reach Robin. He webbed the monster's eyes and wrapped several strands around both elbows, preventing him from extending his arms completely. "Don't attack him separately," Peter warned the others. "Keep him turning, force him off balance, and let his strength work against him."
Kid Flash followed Peter's instructions and raced past Blockbuster while shouting to attract his attention. The monster charged after him, but Peter webbed one ankle to a damaged support beam as Aqualad struck the other leg. Blockbuster stumbled, allowing Robin to place several explosive discs beneath his feet. The blasts destroyed the floor and trapped the creature up to one knee.
Blockbuster tore himself free and caught Aqualad before he could retreat. Peter fired two webs around the monster's wrist and pulled with all his strength, slowing the arm long enough for Superboy to free Aqualad. Robin became trapped beneath falling debris when another support cracked, but Peter caught the concrete above him with a web net. He held it in the air until Kid Flash carried Robin to safety.
Peter fired web lines across the lobby, connecting the remaining support columns into a massive elastic trap. Robin placed explosives along the floor beneath the center while Aqualad wrapped his water-bearers around Blockbuster's legs. Kid Flash raced forward and struck the monster repeatedly, drawing him directly toward Peter. Blockbuster roared and charged without noticing the web lines surrounding him.
Peter jumped over the monster at the last moment and pulled every web tight. Blockbuster crashed into the elastic strands, which stretched beneath his weight before hurling him backward. Robin detonated the floor beneath him while Aqualad pulled his legs sideways, destroying his balance. Blockbuster fell into the center of the shattered lobby exactly where Peter wanted him.
Superboy leaped toward the fallen monster, but Blockbuster recovered quickly enough to catch him in midair. Peter webbed Superboy's back and anchored himself against the opposite wall, preventing Blockbuster from throwing him away. He pulled the web like a slingshot until the strand stretched to its limit. "Superboy, get ready!" Peter shouted before releasing it.
The web launched Superboy toward Blockbuster with tremendous force. Superboy broke free of the monster's grip and struck him beneath the jaw with both fists, lifting the enormous creature off the floor. Peter jumped after them, planted both feet against Blockbuster's chest, and added his own strength to the impact. Together, they drove the monster through the remaining floor and into the reinforced level beneath them.
Blockbuster attempted to rise from the crater, but Peter immediately covered his arms, legs, and torso with every layer of webbing he could produce. Aqualad reinforced the restraints with heavy cables while Robin attached the ends to the strongest sections of the foundation. Kid Flash rapidly wrapped additional cables around the monster before he could recover. Superboy stood above Blockbuster, ready to strike again, but the transformed scientist finally lost consciousness.
The damaged ceiling began collapsing as fires spread through the upper laboratories. Peter caught the largest pieces of debris with web nets and created a protected path toward the exit. He carried Guardian over one shoulder while Superboy dragged the restrained Blockbuster behind them. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad helped the remaining Cadmus workers and genomorphs move through Peter's web-supported corridor.
They reached the exterior doors seconds before the lobby collapsed. Peter held the damaged entrance open with both hands while everyone escaped past him, then jumped clear as the ground floor caved in. The young heroes emerged into the street together with Blockbuster restrained behind them. Without Spider-Man's strength, webs, and constant warnings, none of them would have made it through the fight unharmed.
The remains of Project Cadmus burned behind the young heroes as firefighters moved through the ruined entrance. Police officers surrounded the unconscious Blockbuster while paramedics treated Guardian and the injured Cadmus employees. Peter helped reinforce a damaged wall with webbing before checking the crowd for anyone else who needed assistance. Superboy remained near the street, staring at the night sky as though it were the most incredible thing he had ever seen.
The Justice League arrived moments later, descending around the emergency scene in small groups. Superman stopped when he saw the teenager wearing his symbol, while Batman immediately approached Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash. Flash and Aquaman joined him as the three mentors demanded to know why their partners had disobeyed orders and entered Cadmus without support. Robin began explaining what they had discovered, but Batman reminded him that the successful rescue did not erase the danger they had created.
Flash told Kid Flash that charging into an unknown genetics facility could have gotten everyone killed. Aquaman spoke more calmly to Aqualad, although he also made it clear that acting without preparation had placed innocent lives at risk. Green Arrow gestured toward the destroyed building and asked whether any of them had considered calling for help once they regained a signal. The three younger heroes defended their decision by pointing toward Superboy and the rescued genomorphs.
Batman turned toward Peter and included him in his questions about the unauthorized mission. Peter raised one hand and said, "Just to clarify something before this becomes a group lecture, I'm not a sidekick." He pointed toward the burning building and continued, "I arrived to help evacuate civilians, found three heroes already inside, and then discovered fifty-two underground levels full of illegal experiments."
Robin told the League that Spider-Man had saved them several times inside Cadmus and had been essential to defeating Blockbuster. Aqualad agreed, explaining that spiderman had protected the injured and prevented the facility from collapsing on everyone during their escape. Batman acknowledged the information but continued questioning Robin about the decisions that had led them underground. Peter quietly stepped away and allowed the mentors to deal with their partners.
Peter approached the officers managing the evidence and asked whether they needed anything else from him. The officer in charge checked the files Peter had transferred from his mask and confirmed that they had his complete recording of the laboratories, Project Kr, Desmond's transformation, and their escape. "We have everything we need," the officer told him. "Thank you, Spider-Man. Without this recording, Cadmus could have claimed the evidence was destroyed in the collapse."
"No problem," Peter replied as he looked toward the restrained Blockbuster. "I recommend storing the giant gray scientist somewhere with extremely strong walls." The officer promised that specialized containment was already being arranged and told Peter he was free to leave. Before Peter could fire a web, Gwen's name appeared across his HUD as his phone began ringing.
Peter accepted the call while standing within hearing distance of the League. Gwen asked, "Are you still coming over, or are you going to wait until it's too late again?" Peter checked the time displayed in the corner of his HUD and saw that it was already approaching midnight. He glanced at his torn suit and answered, "I'm not going to make it tonight."
Before Gwen could respond, Peter added, "You can come over to my place tomorrow if you aren't working." Gwen told him that she had the day off and would come over sometime before lunch. Her voice softened as she asked whether he was injured. Peter assured her that he was only bruised and promised to call again once he reached home.
The nearby heroes overheard enough of the conversation to understand that Spider-Man had been expected somewhere that evening. Flash exchanged an amused glance with Green Lantern, while Robin smiled as Peter tried to explain why a secret underground laboratory had delayed him. Superman continued watching Superboy, but his enhanced hearing allowed him to catch every word. Several League members appeared surprised by how ordinary the conversation sounded after everything that had happened.
Peter ended the call and turned back toward the assembled heroes. "The police have my recording, nobody else needs help, and I'm going home," he announced. Green Lantern asked whether he was certain he did not want to remain for the complete debrief. Peter shook his head and gestured toward the time displayed inside his mask.
"School starts again soon, and I need to fix my sleep schedule before sleeping through first period becomes a superpower," Peter joked. "Apparently, 'I was fighting a giant monster beneath a cloning facility' isn't an accepted excuse for missing class." Kid Flash laughed.
The following day, Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Superboy were brought to a mountain overlooking Happy Harbor. Batman led them through a concealed entrance that opened into an enormous cavern filled with computers, training areas, living quarters, and an inactive zeta-tube platform. The cave had once served as the Justice League's original headquarters before the Watchtower was constructed. Kid Flash slowly looked around and admitted that it was considerably better than the public waiting room inside the Hall of Justice.
Several members of the League were already waiting inside, including Aquaman, Flash, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, and Red Tornado. Batman faced the four young heroes and told them that entering Cadmus had been reckless, disobedient, and dangerously uncoordinated. However, their actions had also exposed an illegal organization, rescued Superboy, and freed numerous genomorphs from mental control. More importantly, they had proven that they could accomplish something the League had failed to discover.
Aqualad stepped forward and explained that they did not want to return to being treated as assistants who waited while their mentors handled every important threat. Robin agreed that their training meant nothing if they were never allowed to use it independently. Kid Flash added that Cadmus had succeeded because everyone expected the League to handle only obvious emergencies. Superboy remained silent, but his presence provided the strongest evidence that hidden threats could not be ignored.
Batman explained that if they intended to remain together, they would do so under League supervision. Red Tornado had agreed to live inside the cave and serve as their supervisor, while Black Canary would handle their combat training. Batman would select their missions and provide intelligence, but the young heroes would be responsible for making decisions once deployed. Their success at Cadmus had earned them an opportunity, not unlimited freedom.
"The Justice League handles threats the world can see," Batman explained. "Our symbols, reputations, and public movements make secrecy difficult. This team will investigate the threats that operate beneath that attention." They would conduct covert surveillance, infiltrate secure locations, gather evidence, and stop dangerous operations before they became public disasters. Every mission would require teamwork and discipline rather than individual glory.
Kid Flash looked around the cave before noticing that one expected member was absent. He asked whether Speedy had rejected the team because of what happened at the Hall of Justice. Green Arrow confirmed that Speedy had ended their partnership and chosen to operate independently. He had been offered a place with the group, but he wanted to establish himself as his own hero rather than remain anyone's sidekick.
"So Speedy went solo, like Spider-Man," Kid Flash observed. Green Arrow nodded, although he pointed out that Spider-Man had apparently operated independently from the beginning. Robin remembered how firmly Spider-Man had separated himself from the sidekicks when the League began questioning them. Aqualad said that choosing independence did not prevent either hero from becoming an ally.
The zeta tube activated behind the League, filling the cave with white light. Martian Manhunter introduced the girl who emerged as M'gann M'orzz, his niece from Mars. She had green skin, red hair, and a nervous but excited smile as she looked around at her new teammates. "Hello, Megan," she said after realizing that everyone was waiting for her to speak. "I am honored to be included."
Kid Flash immediately volunteered to introduce everyone, although Robin interrupted whenever he exaggerated his own accomplishments. M'gann greeted Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash before approaching Superboy. She complimented the symbol on his shirt, but Superboy responded with an uncertain nod and moved slightly away. Having spent his entire existence inside Cadmus, he was still adjusting to ordinary conversation.
Once the introductions ended, Kid Flash turned toward Batman and asked, "What about Spider-Man?" The League members looked toward him as he explained that Peter had already fought beside them, protected the entire group, and helped coordinate the battle against Blockbuster. "If this team needs people who can handle secret laboratories and impossible situations, he seems like an obvious choice," Wally added.
Robin supported the suggestion immediately, saying that combined stealth, intelligence, and strength better than most heroes they could recruit. Aqualad agreed that Spider-Man had adapted to their abilities without trying to control them. Superboy looked toward the cave entrance and said that Spider-Man had been one of the first people to treat him as a person rather than a weapon. Even M'gann, who had not met Spider-Man, had no objection after hearing what he had done inside Cadmus.
The League members exchanged thoughtful glances, but none of them opposed the idea. Flash admitted that another experienced young hero could help the group, while Aquaman believed Spider-Man's independence might offer a useful perspective. Green Arrow pointed out that Spider-Man already protected an entire city and might not want to divide his attention. Batman listened to every argument before stepping toward the team.
"Spider-Man does not answer to the Justice League," Batman told them. "He has his own responsibilities, his own methods, and the right to refuse." Batman would neither order Spider-Man to join nor recruit him on their behalf. If the young heroes wanted Spider-Man on their team, it would be their responsibility to find him, explain what they were building, and convince him that joining would not take away his independence.
Kid Flash smiled and declared that recruiting Spider-Man could become their first mission. Batman corrected him, explaining that it was not an official League assignment and that they were not permitted to interfere with Spider-Man's work. Robin answered that they did not need to interfere; they only needed to visit New York and wait until Spider-Man appeared. Considering how frequently Peter encountered trouble, Robin doubted the wait would be long.
M'gann led the others through a passage branching away from the main cavern and into a concealed hangar overlooking the ocean. A smooth red vessel rested in the center without any visible doors, windows, or engines, and its surface shifted gently as they approached. Superboy placed his hand against the hull, causing a ripple to travel beneath his palm. "This is Bio-Ship," M'gann explained. "She's alive, and she carried me here from Mars."
Bio-Ship lowered a ramp and reshaped her interior as the team entered, creating seats and a curved control surface from her living hull. Kid Flash hesitated when the ramp curled behind him and asked whether a living ship needed to eat. M'gann assured him that Bio-Ship did not eat passengers, although her attempt to hide a smile made Wally less comfortable. "That answer somehow created more questions," he muttered as he took the nearest seat.
The hangar doors opened, and Bio-Ship rose silently above Happy Harbor before accelerating toward New York. M'gann connected with the vessel telepathically, causing her red exterior to blend perfectly with the afternoon sky until she became completely invisible. Robin projected a map of Manhattan from his wrist computer and identified several areas where Spider-Man frequently appeared. He carefully avoided marking Peter's neighborhood or revealing that he knew the person beneath the mask.
New York's skyline appeared ahead of them several minutes later as Bio-Ship crossed the Hudson River. Kid Flash stared down at the crowded streets and asked how they were supposed to locate one hero among millions of people. Before Robin could answer, police reports began mentioning a stolen helicopter flying dangerously low through Midtown. The transmission was interrupted by reports of gunfire, property damage, and a masked figure pursuing the aircraft.
M'gann turned Bio-Ship toward the disturbance while maintaining the vessel's camouflage. They soon spotted a black construction helicopter racing between the skyscrapers with smoke trailing from one side. Several masked gunmen occupied the cabin, and one leaned through the open door to fire at the red-and-blue figure swinging behind them. Spider-Man twisted between the bullets, released his web at the top of his arc, and launched himself toward the helicopter.
"Found him," Robin said as Spider-Man caught the rear landing skid with one hand. Bio-Ship silently followed above the chase, remaining far enough away that her movements would not disturb the helicopter. Aqualad instructed everyone to remain prepared in case civilians needed help, but he saw no reason to reveal themselves while Spider-Man controlled the situation. Superboy stood near the sealed exit anyway, ready to jump the moment something went wrong.
Spider-Man climbed along the bottom of the helicopter as it banked sharply around an office tower. A gunman leaned out and fired downward, but Peter swung around the landing skid and avoided every shot before webbing the weapon from the man's hands. "You stole a helicopter in the middle of New York," Peter called over the roaring wind. "Did none of you consider that the getaway vehicle might be difficult to hide?"
The criminals responded by launching an explosive toward Spider-Man. His spider-sense warned him in time to jump away, but the projectile struck the upper section of a construction crane beside them. Fire tore across its support cables, and the enormous crane began tilting toward the street. Peter looked from the escaping helicopter to the people below before immediately changing direction.
He landed on the crane's falling arm and sprinted across the descending metal while firing webs toward several surrounding buildings. The strands stretched beneath the crane's weight, slowing it without completely stopping its fall. Peter anchored his feet against one of the support beams and pulled every web line toward himself. "Come on," he grunted as the crane continued sinking. "Today is not the day you become New York's largest flyswatter."
The crane stopped only a short distance above the neighboring buildings. Peter added more webs between the damaged arm and the strongest surrounding structures until the weight no longer depended on him. Workers trapped on the crane climbed across the webbing toward the nearest rooftop. Once the final worker reached safety, Peter turned toward the distant helicopter and saw that it was already several blocks away.
Peter attached two webs behind himself and stretched them until his feet tore grooves through the damaged crane. He aimed himself toward the helicopter and released both strands, allowing the tension to launch him over the surrounding rooftops. Kid Flash pressed himself against Bio-Ship's transparent wall as Peter soared beneath them. "I'm starting to understand why Batman didn't think recruiting him would be easy," Wally admitted.
Spider-Man landed against the helicopter's tail and crawled toward the cabin while the pilot rolled the aircraft from side to side. Two criminals opened fire through the rear windows, but their bullets missed Peter and struck the tail assembly instead. The helicopter began shaking as pieces of damaged metal broke away. "Excellent shooting!" Peter shouted. "You've successfully attacked both me and the machine keeping you in the sky!"
A gunman climbed onto the landing skid carrying a curved blade and swung it toward Peter's head. Peter ducked, webbed the man's wrist to the side of the helicopter, and kicked the weapon away before it could fall onto the street. He then pulled the attacker from the skid and secured him against the outside of the cabin. "Please remain seated until this terrible flight reaches a complete stop," Peter told him.
The final gunman fired another explosive through the cabin, forcing Peter to leap from the helicopter. The projectile missed him but destroyed the tail rotor, sending the aircraft into an uncontrollable spin. Peter fired a web toward the helicopter and allowed it to pull him through the air behind it. The damaged aircraft descended between the buildings while the criminals inside desperately attempted to regain control.
Peter pulled himself toward the spinning helicopter one web at a time. Loose wreckage tore away from the tail and fell toward the street, forcing him to release his main strand and catch the debris before it reached the people below. He attached every piece to the side of a building, then shot another web toward the rapidly falling aircraft. Bio-Ship descended behind him as M'gann prepared to use her telekinesis if Peter failed to reach it.
Spider-Man landed on the helicopter's roof and tore open the damaged control panel. He webbed the leaking fuel lines shut before crawling through the shattered cockpit window. The criminal pilot attempted to strike him with a pistol, but Peter caught the weapon and crushed the slide in one hand. He webbed the man to his seat before pulling the helicopter's unconscious original pilot away from the damaged controls.
The aircraft continued falling, leaving Peter no time to repair anything. He secured the pilot and criminals inside the cabin before climbing back onto the roof. The helicopter dropped beneath the surrounding rooftops and spun toward a crowded avenue. Peter looked between the passing buildings and raised both web-shooters. "All right."
Peter jumped up and back flipped before he fired webs in every direction, attaching dozens of strands between the helicopter and the buildings on both sides of the street. Each line stretched beneath the aircraft's weight before snapping tight, violently slowing its descent. The helicopter continued spinning, wrapping several strands around its damaged body while tearing Peter from the roof. He caught the landing skid and added more webbing as the street rushed closer.
The first group of webs began breaking away from the brick walls. Peter swung beneath the helicopter, kicked off a building, and fired another cluster toward a steel-framed tower farther down the avenue. The new lines pulled the helicopter sideways, carrying it away from the traffic trapped beneath it. Glass shattered across several windows as the aircraft passed between the buildings, but its descent finally began to slow.
Peter climbed over the nose of the helicopter while continuing to fire webbing from both wrists. He connected the landing skids, tail section, and rotor housing to every building strong enough to support them. The growing web network filled the space above the street until the helicopter hung inside it like an insect trapped in an enormous spiderweb. Its landing skids stopped less than twenty feet above the pavement.
The helicopter swung dangerously as the final strands absorbed its momentum. Peter planted his feet against the roof and pulled two central web lines until the aircraft stabilized. Once the movement stopped, he released the strands and jumped high above the helicopter. He flipped forward through the air while the five heroes watched from the invisible Bio-Ship.
Peter landed on top of the suspended helicopter in a low three-point crouch, one hand pressed against the metal and his other arm extended behind him. His head slowly lifted as police cars filled the avenue beneath the enormous web. Camera flashes erupted from the gathering crowd, capturing Spider-Man posed above the street while the trapped helicopter hung securely between the buildings. He remained there for a moment before rising to check on everyone inside.