The first guard raised his rifle—too slow.
Ethan was already in motion, grabbing a nearby office chair and hurling it with enough force to send the guy crashing into a server rack. Sparks erupted as he crumpled to the floor.
The second and third guards barely had time to react before Peter moved, webbing one's gun before yanking him forward into a spinning kick. The man collapsed, unconscious.
The last guard, to his credit, actually managed to fire a few shots.
Unfortunately for him, Ethan had already adapted.
His reflexes had kicked into overdrive, and before the bullets could even touch him, he was already dodging—twisting, shifting, moving faster than any normal human should.
Then, with a blur of motion, he was in front of the guard.
A single, well-placed punch to the gut sent the man flying back, slamming into the wall with enough force to knock the wind out of him.
Silence filled the room.
Peter looked at Ethan, raising an eyebrow. "Showoff."
Ethan shrugged. "Hey, I'm just getting warmed up."
Peter rolled his eyes but quickly turned back to the computer. "Alright, I got what we need. Let's get out before—"
THUMP.
A loud, heavy sound echoed from outside the room.
Ethan's instincts flared. "That didn't sound like regular security."
Peter muttered, "No. It didn't."
The two of them exchanged glances before slowly turning toward the door.
Then—
BOOM!
The doors exploded inward, and a massive figure stepped through.
Rhinoceros-hide skin. Towering height. A murderous glare.
Rhino.
Peter sighed. "You just had to jinx us, didn't you?"
Ethan cracked his neck, grinning. "Guess I'll get my cardio in today."
Rhino's massive frame filled the doorway, his armored hide practically glowing under the dim server room lights. His beady eyes locked onto Ethan and Peter, and his lips curled into a sneer.
"Well, well, well," he rumbled, cracking his thick knuckles. "Spider-Man and… whoever the hell you are."
Ethan smirked. "Wow, I don't even get a cool nickname? I feel insulted."
Rhino snorted. "You will when I'm scraping you off the floor."
Peter sighed. "Okay, big guy, look—"
BOOM!
Rhino didn't wait.
He charged, the floor shaking under his weight.
Ethan barely had time to react before Peter webbed him up and yanked him sideways, just as Rhino's massive fist obliterated the server Ethan had been standing next to.
Sparks flew, metal crumpled like paper, and half the room went dark as the impact knocked out the power grid.
Ethan groaned from where he landed. "Okay. He hits hard."
Peter shot a web at Rhino's face. "Yeah, welcome to my life."
Rhino ripped the webbing off like it was tissue paper and charged again.
Peter flipped over him, landing on a nearby server rack. "Alright, Ethan, new plan—don't get hit."
Ethan scowled. "Oh wow, great strategy. Wish I'd thought of that."
Rhino turned toward him. "You talk too much."
Ethan smirked. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
Rhino swung his fist.
Ethan dodged—barely—but even the air pressure from the punch sent him skidding back.
Okay, so getting hit is NOT an option.
His adaptation was kicking in, processing Rhino's movements, calculating attack patterns. His body was already adjusting to react faster, muscles tensing instinctively.
Peter fired another web, wrapping it around Rhino's legs. "C'mon, big guy, let's dance."
Rhino roared and yanked—Peter was whipped through the air, slamming into a wall.
Ethan winced. "That looked painful."
Peter groaned. "It was."
Rhino turned back to Ethan. "Your turn."
Ethan's heartbeat slowed, instincts sharpening.
His adaptation was fully active now.
Rhino charged again—and this time, Ethan moved perfectly.
He sidestepped at the last second, letting Rhino barrel straight into the reinforced wall.
BOOM!
The entire wall collapsed from the impact, sending debris everywhere.
Ethan whistled. "Damn. I'd hate to see your repair bill."
Peter groggily got to his feet. "We really need to go."
Ethan glanced at the exit. "What's stopping us?"
Peter pointed. "Him."
Rhino was already getting up, shaking off a literal wall like it was nothing.
And this time… he looked pissed.
Ethan cracked his knuckles. "Alright then. Round two."
Rhino stomped forward, rolling his shoulders as chunks of concrete fell from his back. His glare locked onto Ethan, nostrils flaring like a raging bull.
"You think you're fast?" he growled. "Let's see how fast you are when I'm stomping you into the ground."
Ethan exhaled slowly, feeling his body adjusting with every second. The moment he dodged that last charge, his muscles had already started recalibrating. His movements felt smoother, sharper—like his body had already learned how to deal with Rhino's speed.
Peter rubbed his ribs. "Ethan, stalling is fun and all, but unless you've got a 'Rhino Repellent' spray hidden somewhere, we should probably—"
BOOM!
Rhino lunged again.
This time, Ethan didn't just dodge.
He moved into Rhino's charge, twisting at the last second, slamming his palm into the side of Rhino's knee.
There was a sickening crack.
Rhino roared, stumbling mid-charge, his leg buckling slightly.
Peter blinked. "Did you just—"
Ethan smirked. "I'm learning."
Rhino snarled, swinging a massive fist at Ethan.
But Ethan was already reacting, his body adjusting to Rhino's attack patterns. Instead of just dodging, he redirected the strike, slapping Rhino's forearm aside and using the momentum to spin behind him.
Peter whistled. "Okay, that's kinda badass."
Rhino turned, frustrated. "Quit dodging and fight me, you coward!"
Ethan grinned. "I would, but I prefer not getting turned into pavement."
Peter fired two web-lines, attaching them to Rhino's back. "Ethan, keep him busy for like… five seconds?"
Ethan rolled his shoulders. "No promises."
Rhino charged again, his injured leg slowing him just a fraction.
It was enough.
Ethan ducked under his swing, spinning low and sweeping Rhino's leg.
With his weight already off-balance, Rhino toppled forward—and right as he did, Peter yanked on his webbing, pulling Rhino's legs backward and sending him crashing face-first into the floor.
The impact shook the entire room.
Ethan whistled. "Man, that was satisfying."
Peter grinned. "Not bad, huh?"
Rhino groaned, pushing himself up slowly. "You little—"
KRSHHHH!
A sprinkler pipe from the ceiling had burst from the impact, spilling water everywhere.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Oh. That's convenient."
Peter turned toward the exit. "And also our cue to leave."
Rhino was already recovering, but now the floor was slick with water, making his movements clumsier.
Ethan smirked. "I think I like fighting you."
Rhino growled. "I'm gonna—"
CRACK!
A large chunk of the broken ceiling gave way, landing right on top of him, knocking him flat again.
Ethan snorted. "Okay, that was just bad luck."
Peter waved him forward. "Come on! Before he gets up again!"
With one last glance at the struggling Rhino, Ethan turned and bolted after Peter.
Their escape was on.
Ethan and Peter sprinted down the dark hallway, their footsteps echoing off the concrete walls. The facility's alarm system had fully kicked in now—red warning lights flashed overhead, and a robotic voice droned through the speakers:
"Unauthorized personnel detected. Security lockdown in progress."
Peter groaned. "Why do villain hideouts always have self-locking doors? Like, who even builds these things?"
Ethan panted as he ran. "I don't know, man, but if I ever find out, I'm sending them a very strongly worded Yelp review."
Peter shot a web at a door just before it shut, slipping through with Ethan right behind him. "You know, for a guy who just got out of a science torture chamber, you're handling this pretty well."
Ethan smirked. "Oh yeah, totally. Super normal night. Get kidnapped, wake up with freaky superpowers, fight a mutant rhino, and now I'm running through an evil lair with Spider-Man. Just another Tuesday."
Peter snorted. "Welcome to my life."
A sudden burst of gunfire erupted from ahead.
Ethan and Peter dove behind a metal crate as security guards in black tactical gear stormed into the hallway, rifles aimed.
"Freeze!" one of them barked.
Ethan exhaled. "Okay, what now?"
Peter gave him a look. "Now? Now you stay here while I handle this."
Ethan frowned. "Dude, I can help—"
Peter was already swinging into action, flipping over the guards and webbing their rifles to the walls. "Yeah, no offense, but I don't think dodging one punch makes you ready for a firefight."
Ethan muttered. "I disagree."
One of the guards managed to pull out a stun baton and took a swing at Peter—only to get a face full of webbing in response.
Peter landed on the ceiling, looking down at the struggling guards. "Wow, guys, this is just embarrassing. Do you want me to leave? 'Cause this isn't convincing me to stick around."
One of the guards pulled out a sidearm—but before he could aim, Ethan moved.
His adaptation was fully active now.
His body reacted instinctively, calculating the trajectory of the gunman's movements. Before the guy even pulled the trigger, Ethan had already darted forward, grabbing his wrist and twisting it sharply.
The gun clattered to the floor.
The guard barely had time to react before Ethan kicked his legs out from under him, sending him sprawling.
Peter landed next to him, eyebrows raised. "Huh. Okay, that was kinda cool."
Ethan dusted his hands off. "Told you I can help."
Peter sighed. "Fine. Just… try not to die, alright?"
Ethan grinned. "No promises."
More guards were coming, their footsteps echoing down the hall.
Peter webbed the downed guards to the wall. "Alright, new plan—we run."
Ethan nodded. "I love that plan."
The two of them took off, sprinting toward what they hoped was the exit.
Behind them, the facility went into full lockdown.
Their time was running out.
Ethan and Peter tore down the hallway, the facility rumbling around them as more security personnel mobilized. The alarms had grown louder, echoing through the corridors like an angry beast demanding their capture.
Ethan panted. "So, uh… you got an actual exit plan, or are we just running toward the most well-guarded part of the building?"
Peter glanced over his shoulder. "What, you don't like the freestyle approach? It's very on-brand for me."
A metal shutter began to descend in front of them, threatening to cut off their escape.
Peter webbed Ethan's back and yanked, hurling him forward with a burst of momentum. "Slide!"
Ethan had no time to think—his body reacted instinctively, twisting mid-air and slipping under the closing door just before it slammed shut.
Peter followed suit, flipping over it with ease.
They landed in a massive loading bay, filled with black SUVs and shipping containers. The scent of oil and metal was thick in the air.
Ethan groaned. "You really could've given me a heads-up before launching me like a football."
Peter shrugged. "I had faith in you."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Oh, gee, thanks. I feel so safe."
A spotlight suddenly flashed onto them.
"There they are!"
Ethan groaned. "Of course."
At least a dozen heavily armed guards fanned out, weapons raised.
Peter raised his hands. "Hey, guys, let's talk about this. I mean, sure, we technically broke into a secret illegal facility, but in our defense—"
The guards opened fire.
Peter tackled Ethan behind a stack of crates as bullets riddled the metal around them.
Ethan exhaled sharply. "Yeah, great job with the negotiations, Spider-Man."
Peter webbed the side of a container and yanked it down, creating a barricade. "Okay, new plan: we kick their butts and leave."
Ethan sighed. "You really need to start leading with that."
Peter smirked. "I like to keep things interesting."
He flipped over the barricade, webbing two guards' faces before landing with a solid kick to another's chest.
Ethan, meanwhile, took a deep breath. His body was adjusting—his reflexes sharper, his movements more precise.
A guard came at him with a baton.
Ethan sidestepped effortlessly, grabbing the man's arm and twisting it just enough to send him sprawling.
A second guard lunged—Ethan ducked under his punch, driving a knee into his ribs before slamming his head against a crate.
Peter whistled. "Dude, you sure you didn't secretly train with a kung fu master?"
Ethan smirked. "Nope. Just adapting."
Peter flipped over two more guards, webbing them to the ceiling. "Yeah, okay, that's officially unfair."
Ethan grabbed a discarded smoke grenade from one of the unconscious guards and pulled the pin, tossing it into the middle of the room.
Thick gray smoke exploded outward, clouding their enemies' vision.
Peter grinned under his mask. "Ooooh, sneaky. I like it."
Ethan grabbed his arm. "Less talking, more running."
Through the chaos, they sprinted toward a loading dock door, barely visible through the smoke.
The exit was finally in sight.
But something felt… off.
Ethan's body tensed—his instincts screaming at him.
Something big was coming.
And then—
BOOM.
The entire loading dock shook as something massive landed right in front of them.
The smoke cleared just enough to reveal a towering figure in a high-tech exosuit, its crimson visor glowing in the darkness.
Peter groaned. "Aaaaand that's never a good sign."
The exosuit's voicebox crackled to life.
"Target located. Engage."
Ethan clenched his fists. "Well… this just got a whole lot harder."