One significant reason why Harry Osborn entered on his glider was practicality; he couldn't crawl along the ceiling like Peter. Widening the area made it easier for Harry to assist or retreat if needed.
"Peter, you came to find me so soon? And you didn't bring your Avenger allies? Is this your backup? He doesn't seem particularly strong..." Richard Parker turned and smirked upon seeing Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. His knowledge of the outside world exceeded Peter's expectations. He not only knew about Peter's Avengers affiliation but also recognized Harry Osborn immediately.
"I remember Norman, that old fool, is dead. This armor you're wearing must be his, right? So, you're his son?"
"I never thought you'd team up with Peter. Are you here for revenge together? Shouldn't you two be fighting each other first? After all, I'm Peter's father. Aren't you worried this might be a trap?"
"I would never trust you, old man, but I would never doubt Peter! He is my best friend, no matter what our families have been through!" Harry's eyes flashed with anger, and he fired a beam of energy from his glider at Richard Parker.
"Whoosh!" But just as the energy beam was about to hit Richard, a massive figure appeared in front of him. This giant spider shielded Richard completely and took the hit directly.
"Hiss!" The energy beam dissipated upon impact, not even breaking the spider's outer shell.
"Even though I knew your strength was lacking, I didn't expect you to be completely ineffective. Peter could at least slow down my little pet. I thought you might have some tricks up your sleeve, but it seems you're just here to die!" Richard Parker commented nonchalantly from behind the giant spider.
"Now, I'm torn. Should I feed you to my little pet as a snack, or use you as a test subject for my new experiments?"
"I remember starting this experiment right under Norman Osborn's nose. Using you, the heir to the Osborn empire, for the crucial step seems poetic…"
"Whoosh!" As Richard spoke, the giant spider's eyes gleamed reluctantly, but it lunged towards Harry, spraying a thick, milky white substance from its mouth.
The liquid solidified and spread out in midair, forming an enormous web that covered the area above Harry, making it hard for him to evade even on his glider.
"Zzzz!" Peter sprang into action. He couldn't let Harry be trapped by the web, especially since he wasn't sure if it had other properties. Spiders are often venomous, and although the giant spider hadn't shown this ability, Peter couldn't take any chances. He knew spiders could carry electrical charges, and who knew what this giant spider's web might contain?
Peter unleashed his lightning power, not even using his webbing as a conduit, directly striking the giant web with raw thunder.
"Hiss!" The web instantly disintegrated into ash and vanished.
Fire isn't the only source of high temperatures. Lightning contains extreme heat, which burned the web like a blazing inferno.
"Tsk, tsk, even though it's not the first time I've seen you use that power, I'm always amazed. How do you do it?" Richard Parker marveled. "Is this a gift from the Avengers? There's no way your genes could produce such an ability… I spent so long researching it with no progress, which proves it's beyond your genetic capabilities."
"You have my genes?! How did you get my genes?!" Peter's eyes narrowed as he detected a slip in Richard's words, raising his suspicions.
Richard's understanding of the outside world and his apparent acquisition of Peter's genes were alarming. Peter's genetic makeup had evolved after his transformation and subsequent bond with Mjölnir, and Richard shouldn't have access to such data.
"You find that surprising?" Richard smirked. "Your abilities, except for the lightning, all come from me. Why are you so shocked?"
"You mean… you can nullify my spider-sense?" Peter's heart tightened as he warily eyed Richard. At that moment, Harry shouted a warning.
"Peter, watch out!"
"Bang!" Peter was knocked off his feet by an unseen force. Though it didn't injure him, he landed clumsily on the ground.
"Crack! Crack!"
Where Peter had stood, a shadowy figure materialized, resembling the Shadow Corps but radiating a different power. More disturbingly, this being had eight spider-like limbs protruding from its back.
"What is that creature?! How did it sneak up on me without triggering my spider-sense?!" Peter was alarmed. This confirmed Richard's ability to neutralize his spider-derived powers, a revelation that unsettled him deeply.
"Is it that black substance?" Peter recalled Richard's earlier actions. Richard hadn't done much physically, but his hand had held a mysterious, flowing substance. Peter suspected that this substance was responsible for nullifying his spider-sense.
Despite losing his spider-sense, Peter retained some insight into supernatural phenomena, and this recognition helped him grasp the situation.
"You're smart and lucky that he saved you…" Richard chuckled, glancing at Harry, who stood up despite his damaged glider.
Harry had saved Peter from the spider-legged man by crashing into him with the glider. Although it saved Peter, the impact destroyed the glider.
"I told you, we're best friends. Our bond is something you could never understand!" Harry adjusted his armor, now his only means of defense and offense.
Though Harry knew his role in the fight might be limited, he was determined not to be a burden to Peter.
"What is this thing? Your latest experiment?" Peter asked, nodding at Harry and then addressing Richard about the spider-legged man. "He wasn't here last time. Did you create him recently? How many innocent lives have you taken this time?"
"No, no. This is an old failure. He gained some spider abilities, but he's not nearly as good as you. Apart from the extra limbs, that is…" Richard shook his head, a gleam of fanaticism in his eyes.
"My real masterpiece will be a perfect spider-human hybrid, unlike this one without much awareness, who can't even retract his spider limbs!"
Richard's voice dripped with disdain as he spoke of the spider-legged man. The creature lacked self-awareness, responding to nothing, not even Richard's scorn, unlike the giant spider, which at least showed signs of understanding.
"So, your ultimate goal is to create what you call a perfect spider-human?" Peter took a deep breath, probing Richard further.
"Create the perfect spider-human? No, no, no. I aim to evolve all life on this planet into perfect spider beings. I want to turn this world into a spider's paradise, the perfect garden for the Master!" Richard's eyes widened with manic zeal as he spread his arms, almost shouting in his fervor.
Faced with Richard's rant, the giant spider instinctively backed away, while the spider-legged man stood still, awaiting orders.
"Master? There's more behind this!" Peter and Harry exchanged glances, realizing there were deeper layers to this situation.
"Boom!" Peter vanished from his spot, darting towards Richard, aiming to capture him and end this madness. Despite the threats, Richard himself seemed to lack direct supernatural powers, apart from his mysterious substance.
"Ha, when have you ever seen a shepherd dog being chased by sheep? You're just sheep, and I'm the shepherd's loyal servant. I have the means to deal with you!" Richard scoffed as Peter closed in.
"What?!" As Richard mocked him, Peter felt a sudden weakness. His spider-derived powers vanished, giving Richard the time to finish his taunt.
However, this world's Peter Parker differed from others. Although he was still Spider-Man, his abilities were no longer his only asset.
Before gaining Mjölnir, Peter had trained with Robert in qi, which, while not extensively fruitful, had strengthened his body significantly.
After Mjölnir's acceptance, he absorbed lightning powers, which meant that even with his spider abilities gone, Peter retained considerable strength.
"Zzz!" As his spider abilities faded, Peter's body surged with lightning. He continued his charge towards Richard, forming a ball of lightning in his hand, hurling it at the giant spider trying to block him.
"Boom!" The giant spider was blasted away, landing on its back, its legs flailing helplessly. Blood oozed from its injuries.
Peter's current strength far exceeded his previous encounter with the giant spider. Even without his spider powers, he was now much stronger.
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