The moment the energy shield dissipated, a red-and-blue blur shot forth like a slingshot fired into the air.
BOOM!
A gale erupted as Charlie launched himself like a missile, striking a Rhino Mech dead-on. The sheer force shattered its hull, sending metal shards flying in all directions. The suited pilot within was consumed by the explosion, disappearing in smoke and sparks.
"No!!"
Shrieks of terror filled the mountain cavern as the red-and-blue figure swung through the air on a peculiar webline. Each strike obliterated another Rhino Mech as though they were made of paper.
BOOM!
Flames and explosions painted the battlefield as Charlie moved with unparalleled precision. The Rhino Mechs, so formidable against ordinary soldiers, were helpless against his relentless onslaught.
"Spider-Man!"
"It's the real Spider-Man!"
"Who else could wield such terrifying power?"
The soldiers cheered, but their true enemy had already made his move. Kingpin had climbed into the cockpit of the massive Spider-Slayer.
"Switch to manual controls!" Kingpin barked, gripping the joysticks with a murderous gleam in his eyes.
"Spider-Man, let's see how you handle my Spider-Slayer!"
The enormous mechanical spider stormed through the battlefield under Kingpin's command. Its eight legs tore through the chaos, casting a massive shadow over Charlie.
"DIE!!!"
Kingpin roared as the Spider-Slayer crashed down with its overwhelming size and power.
BOOM!
The mountain quaked. Dust and rubble cascaded from the ceiling, and the impact carved a massive crater into the ground.
"What?!"
The spectacle left everyone stunned.
"That mech is terrifying!"
"What happened to Spider-Man?!"
"He's on top of it—he's fine!"
Clint Barton, Hawkeye, squinted and spotted the red-and-blue figure perched on the Spider-Slayer's back.
The next moment, Charlie raised his fist and struck down hard.
BOOM!
A devastating punch slammed into the mech. Its massive frame shuddered, its legs buckling slightly under the blow. However, a glowing buffer system on the Spider-Slayer absorbed much of the impact, leaving only a shallow dent—less than an inch deep.
For a machine of such size, it was barely a scratch.
"Huh?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow in surprise, while Kingpin smirked from within the cockpit.
"Surprised? Your strength isn't enough to overpower technology. My Spider-Slayer is equipped with countermeasures for all your combat data. You can't win."
Kingpin pressed a red button, and a white mist burst from vents on the Spider-Slayer's back.
A dense, steam-like fog spread outward, severely dulling Charlie's heightened senses.
Whoosh!
Reacting quickly, Charlie swung away from the Spider-Slayer, regaining his spider-sense as he distanced himself.
"Spider-Man," Kingpin taunted, "you think I captured all those impostors just to absorb their powers? No, I developed counters for every ability you might throw at me!"
Laughing, Kingpin maneuvered the Spider-Slayer to charge after Charlie.
Sensing the danger, Charlie tugged on a gleaming webline, activating a trap he'd set up earlier.
Snick!
The Spider-Slayer's charge slowed as razor-thin webbing tightened around its legs. The more it struggled, the deeper the webs cut into its armored body.
But before the webbing could inflict critical damage, Kingpin pressed another button. The Spider-Slayer emitted a series of vibrations, shattering the entangling threads.
"Die!"
Freed from its binds, the Spider-Slayer fired grappling cables from its jaws, moving faster than before.
"What the—" Harry Osborn, observing from above, gasped. "How is it moving so fast now? Was it holding back earlier?"
Kingpin had planned this all along. He knew a full demonstration of the Spider-Slayer's capabilities would make Spider-Man cautious. Only by feigning weakness could he draw him out.
Thanks to his spider-sense, Charlie narrowly dodged the oncoming cables. Switching to a new web mode, he fired a barrage of synthetic webs, engulfing the Spider-Slayer.
Thwip! Thwip!
With a mighty heave, Charlie gripped a bundle of webs in his hands. His nanotech suit turned jet-black, and his muscles swelled with newfound power. His eyes gleamed red as seventy tons of raw strength coursed through him.
In one explosive motion, he hurled the colossal Spider-Slayer into a nearby Rhino Mech.
BOOM!
Shrapnel scattered as the Rhino Mech crumpled like paper. With another tug, Charlie swung the Spider-Slayer again, smashing it into multiple mechs.
"Retreat!" Carter, watching from a distance, shouted. She could see the strain on Charlie as he struggled to maintain control over the Spider-Slayer's massive inertia.
Sure enough, after several more swings, Charlie released the machine. The Spider-Slayer hurtled into the mountainside, crashing through rock and rubble.
BOOM!
The mountain trembled violently. Cracks spider-webbed across the cavern walls as boulders began to fall, shrouding the battlefield in dust.
"What's happening?"
Inside the pyramid, two young figures swung out of the chaos.
Seeing the collapsing walls, their expressions turned grim.
"This place is going to collapse."
"We need to get out!"
"You're not going anywhere!!"
A hulking green creature burst through the crumbling walls, its reptilian eyes gleaming with hunger. It was the monstrous Lizard, Dr. Curt Connors, consumed by his mutation.
"Spider-Man… I'm going to EAT YOU!!"
"What?!"
Terrified, the two swung away from the grotesque monster.
"That lizard is hideous!"
"And it can talk!"
"How did we end up here?"
"We're doomed…"
Their panicked screams filled the air as Connors pursued them relentlessly, his desire for Spider-Man's blood overwhelming his reason.
Unbeknownst to him, a shadowy figure followed silently, making no sound as it trailed his movements.
"The Time Stone is here, and Kingpin is losing to Spider-Man. Once I retrieve it, I can save my father," Felicia Hardy thought to herself.
The betrayal of her boyfriend had not broken her resolve. Her only goal now was to rescue her father.
Meanwhile, Charlie noticed the pyramid's unusual activity and grew concerned.
Dr. Connors seemed to have lost his mind. This needed to end quickly.
But not by fighting—there was no time for that.
Swinging back toward the pyramid, Charlie was suddenly struck mid-air by a tether.
Whoosh!
The specialized cable wrapped around him, dragging him down. Crimson eyes gleamed from the rubble as the battered Spider-Slayer emerged, sparks flying from its damaged frame.
"Spider-Man," Kingpin sneered, "for Charlie's sake, I'll give you an honorable death."
Kingpin pressed another button. Electricity surged through the cables, while crimson lasers lit up the Spider-Slayer's optics.
"Let's see you survive this!"
BZZZT!
BOOM!
The lasers fired, slicing through the air toward the pyramid. The intense current coursing through Charlie's suit caused him to stop struggling.
"Yes! Direct hit!" Kingpin cheered.
Carter, watching from a distance, frowned.
"Is he hurt… or dead?" she asked.
Beside her, Hawkeye squinted. "No, he's alive… but there's something… tentacles?!"
"What?" Carter's expression darkened.
If Charlie had succumbed to a blackened spinal mutation, his transformation could lead to catastrophic consequences.
But as the smoke cleared, she sighed in relief.
Charlie's metallic Doc Ock-style tentacles, now coated in black venom-like material, extended from his back. The deadly laser had been intercepted by these mechanical appendages, which were now regenerating rapidly.
"Thank goodness it's not Hydra's influence," Carter murmured, relieved.
Meanwhile, Kingpin's face twisted in rage.
"Impossible! How is he still alive? When did his web-arms become tentacles? None of this data was in the Spider-Slayer's systems!"
Seething, he commanded the Spider-Slayer to charge, firing another volley of crimson lasers.
Whoosh!
Charlie evaded effortlessly, the tentacles boosting his agility.
BOOM!
The lasers struck harmlessly around him, their once-secret weapon now utterly predictable.
Charlie seized the opening. With a burst of speed, he slid beneath the Spider-Slayer and delivered a devastating blow to its underbelly.
CRASH!
Metal groaned as sparks erupted from the Spider-Slayer. Using his tentacles, Charlie tore off its legs one by one.
"No!!" Kingpin roared, hammering the controls.
In desperation, he activated the Spider-Slayer's self-destruct mechanism. Flames burst from its core as it lifted off the ground.
"Spider-Man, next time, you won't be so lucky!" Kingpin spat.
But as the mech began to ascend, a black tentacle snaked into its thruster.
BOOM!
ZZZTT!
The flames sputtered out, and the Spider-Slayer spiraled out of control, crashing toward the pyramid.
Inside the pyramid.
"Run!"
"This is terrifying!"
Two figures swung in circles around the central statue, while the Lizard relentlessly chased them.
"Stop running! I'll devour you!" Connors roared, lunging again and again, only to crash into the walls.
Above, a small red-and-blue spider perched on the statue's head. It spat out webbing, aiming directly at Connors.
Thwip! Thwip!
BOOM!
The magical webs exploded, causing the walls to collapse. Debris buried Connors, leaving the two young figures sighing in relief.
"That spider helped us."
"Is it Spider-Man's pet?"
"Jonah Jameson mentioned it once—what a cute little guy."
As they admired the spider, Felicia Hardy, shrouded in shadows, reached for the Time Slate.
Suddenly, the little spider hissed.
HISSS!
Startled, the two backed away. Moments later, the Spider-Slayer crashed into the pyramid, shattering the structure.
In the chaos, Felicia was pinned under rubble, the Time Stone slipping from her grasp.
"Damn it! How did that thing get here?"
Bloodied and immobilized, she could only watch as Kingpin emerged from the wreckage.
Dusting off his white suit, he locked eyes on the Time Stone.
"Spider-Man, you can't win."
Holding the Time Stone aloft, Kingpin sneered at the approaching black-suited Spider-Man.
"Stay back, or I'll destroy it!"
Charlie landed atop the Spider-Slayer, shaking his head.
"Sorry, but you can't threaten me."
His goal was Kingpin. The Time Stone meant nothing to him.