Charlie's focus was glued to the screen as Iron Spider delivered a powerful kick, sending Ophelia crashing into the ground with an impact that left a gouge in the dirt. Her expression, though usually stoic, now showed something close to shock. She was stunned—she'd actually been hit that hard.
How much strength would it take to break through that?
Charlie didn't know the exact answer either, but he did know that this Iron Spider suit was no basic model. The version he was using had been designed with an arc reactor, like Iron Man's armor, which meant it could pull off feats most regular exoskeletons couldn't even touch. Unlike the nano-suit from the movies, this armor had been tailor-made to amplify Spider-Man's strength, effectively putting raw power on top of his natural agility. And that made him a threat to even a powerful Elder like Ophelia.
As Charlie controlled Spider-Man, he swung him back into position, while Shadow, watching from the edge of the battlefield, stood frozen. He muttered, "Note to self: never pick a fight with these guys."
Hovering above, Iron Man caught sight of Shadow and called out, "Hey!"
Shadow jolted upright. "Yes, sir!"
"The infected is trying to run. Get after her and leave this one to us."
"Right away, sir!"
Shadow darted off, and Charlie turned his attention back to the battle. Ophelia had slowly pulled herself to her feet. She looked rattled—more so than she'd ever shown before. The kick she'd taken had left her shaken, and her movements now showed a touch of hesitation. She began channeling her wind powers, forming air blades around her, then sent them hurling at Iron Spider, forcing him to dodge quickly.
Charlie, keeping his eyes on the attack pattern, maneuvered Spider-Man into a series of rapid dodges and flips. The air blades sliced past him, cutting through the air dangerously close. Clearly, Ophelia wanted to keep him at a distance; she had no intention of taking another hit like the last one.
Iron Man took up position on the other side of her and fired a laser directly across the ground in her direction. The beam left a sharp, bright line on the pavement, marking a scorched path right at her. Ophelia used her wind control to slip sideways, barely avoiding it. But just as she regained her footing, something sticky latched onto her back and yanked her backward.
A strand of webbing had caught her, dragging her toward the side of a nearby wall. As she was pulled in, a web mine at the end of the line burst, trapping her in a net against the concrete.
Ophelia froze for a second. What is this? She tugged against the webs, but the sticky strands held tight.
It was one of Spider-Man's high-tech web mines, rigged to snap back and explode into a net when it sensed movement nearby. But Charlie knew it wouldn't hold her for long—Ophelia's powers were too strong for that. Sure enough, she wasted no time, conjuring wind blades that shredded the web instantly, breaking free before dodging another shot from Iron Man's repulsors.
Ophelia scowled. She'd broken free from the web, but she was annoyed—clearly not used to dealing with these kinds of traps. As she darted forward to put some distance between herself and the heroes, another mine activated, a fresh web latching onto her leg and yanking her down. This time, she hit the ground hard.
Again? Frustrated but quick, she sliced through the webbing once more and took off again, barely getting airborne before a third mine exploded under her. Another strand slapped onto her shoulder, pulling her toward a lamppost. When the web mine exploded, the sticky web attached her to the post, pinning her in place.
Ophelia's face twisted with irritation. How could these humans have so many tricks? She'd been pulled into trap after trap, and though none of them could hold her for long, each was a momentary setback that chipped away at her focus.
She tore herself free with a quick flick of her wind blades, barely dodging a repulsor blast from Iron Man that left a smoldering crater where she'd been standing. Taking a deep breath, she fixed her gaze on Spider-Man as he swung past, clearly setting up for another attack. She'd figured out the web mines by now, though, and kept a careful distance, determined not to fall for it again.
Just as she thought she'd escaped the pattern, another mine went off. This time, it wasn't a web—it was a field of blue energy. The moment it activated, she was suspended in mid-air, as if caught in some invisible grip.
"What the—" Ophelia struggled against the field, but the force held her tight, leaving her floating awkwardly. She hadn't expected anything like this.
"Suspension Matrix," Friday's voice chimed into Charlie's headset. "Keeps enemies floating, just long enough to make them easy targets."
Charlie couldn't help but smile. "Nice move, Friday."
"Happy to help," Friday replied. She'd predicted Ophelia's movements, guiding Charlie to set traps at strategic points. All he had to do was follow her cues, dropping mines exactly where she'd indicated, and now Ophelia was stuck.
Ophelia's expression darkened as she hung there, trapped in the Suspension Matrix. She glared down at the red-and-gold figure swinging up to meet her.
Spider-Man shot forward, delivering a solid punch that launched her higher. She spun helplessly in mid-air as Iron Man's repulsors sent twin blasts at her, the explosions sending sparks flying. Then, Spider-Man closed the gap, following up with an uppercut that sent her hurtling back down.
Iron Man followed up, unleashing a pair of mini-missiles that detonated as they hit. Ophelia tumbled from the explosion, catching herself only to be grabbed by another strand of webbing. Spider-Man wasted no time, swinging her into the air and following up with a rapid-fire combo, each hit landing with precision. As she was sent flying one last time, Iron Man caught her in mid-air with another blast, the two repulsor beams crossing paths and creating a final, fiery explosion.
Charlie kept his eyes on the screen, waiting, half-expecting Ophelia to come back even stronger—maybe in some monstrous form, like a second-stage boss fight. But as the dust and smoke cleared, she wasn't there. She'd simply… vanished.