*"Bang!"*
The broken metal rod struck the wall of the subway car with a dull thud, sending shards of glass and metal flying in every direction like rain.
Amidst the cacophony of clanging and crashing, Peter clutched the spider silk wrapped around the metal rod with both hands, the metal floor beneath him twisting and warping under the strain.
The helicopter caught in the spider silk spun and plummeted downward.
The buildings flanking the subway were snared by the silk, crumbling as they were pulled down.
The powerful tugging force gradually slowed the speeding subway, turning the "death train" into a sluggish crawl.
*"What is he doing?!"*
Inside a police car, George Stacy stared in shock at the scene unfolding before him. With the subway's deceleration, the police car managed to catch up. Leaning out of the car window, George watched as the helicopter, ensnared by the spider silk, spun wildly.
Debris flew everywhere, with bricks and stones raining down on all sides.
*"Watch out!"*
George shouted as a massive rock hurtled toward the police car. The officer behind the wheel swerved sharply. The car skidded, tires screeching, before veering off the road.
*"Boom!"*
The boulder grazed the police car, crashing heavily into the ground and splattering mud everywhere. The police car spun out of control, slamming into a guardrail with a loud crash.
Ignoring his own injuries, George unbuckled his seatbelt and stumbled out of the car. He watched the subway disappear down the tracks and instinctively reached for his radio to call for backup. But he hesitated.
No.
There was nothing he could do now.
Even if he called for support, what good would it do?
Could any human hope to match such power?
A thought crept into his mind: *A being fell from the sky, like a god throwing lightning!*
*"Boom!"*
The spinning police helicopter, still tethered to the subway, slammed into the train. Sparks flew as the helicopter lost control, crashing toward the ground. The spider silk snapped at the last second.
The pilot gritted his teeth, struggling to regain control as alarms blared around him. The helicopter's tail narrowly missed colliding with a bridge.
*"Bang!"*
Inside the subway, Peter planted his feet firmly on the floor, veins bulging on his forehead, muscles swelling with effort. His body leaned back, and the black exoskeleton on his arms rippled like liquid.
*"Ah!"*
His heart pounded rapidly, adrenaline surging, unleashing his full strength. To the passengers' astonishment, the subway hurtled towards its last stop—the New York Museum of Natural History.
The train slowed, but the station platform loomed ahead.
A Mexican woman among the passengers clutched her daughter, folding her hands in silent prayer for Peter.
*"No!"*
Outside the museum, Gwen watched the subway hurtling toward the platform above, her mouth agape, eyes wide with disbelief.
The subway crashed into the station platform, demolishing its facilities with a deafening noise. Thankfully, the train had slowed enough that it only skidded a few more meters before coming to a halt.
In the lead carriage, the walls and ceiling around Peter had crumbled away. Clutching his chest, he stumbled forward, pain wracking his body, and his arms feeling as if they had been shattered.
His heart raced, and dizziness washed over him. The exoskeleton that covered his body had lost its sheen, turning dull and lifeless.
He staggered a few steps before collapsing to his knees with a heavy thud.
Blackness threatened to engulf his mind. Despite his attempts to stay conscious, his head drooped, and he toppled sideways.
*"No! No!"*
Gwen, standing beneath the overpass, snapped out of her shock.
*"He'll make it. He has to make it."*
She tried to reassure herself, staring at the mysterious Spider-Man struggling to stay conscious. After all, he had managed to stop a runaway train.
But when she saw him collapse, tumbling towards the edge of the viaduct, she knew things were dire.
*"No, he's not going to make it."*
With a determined shout, Gwen grabbed onto a wire fence, flipping over it with ease and sprinting towards Peter as fast as she could.
*"I can catch him! I can do it."*
She leapt over a car in a single bound, amazed at her newfound agility.
Although puzzled, she kept moving, vaulting onto a large truck and then jumping onto the fire escape ladder of a nearby museum.
Grabbing the fire escape, she climbed swiftly to the museum's rooftop.
Standing on the platform's edge, Gwen hesitated.
To catch "Spider-Man," she would have to leap to the elevated subway platform.
*Can I do it?*
She remembered how she had slipped during a previous attempt to leap between rooftops, nearly plummeting to her death.
If it weren't for Peter grabbing her hand back then, she wouldn't have survived.
*Will I fail again, like before?*
*No!*
*I told my father I would win this time.*
*I failed last time, but this time, I will succeed!*
In a flash, Gwen's thoughts resolved, though only a moment had passed.
Taking a deep breath, she made the jump.
She reached out and caught Peter mid-fall.
As they collided, Gwen felt the weight slam into her arms, pain shooting through her muscles. But she gritted her teeth, refusing to let go.
*"Bang!"*
Her feet hit the platform, the ground vibrating beneath her.
Gwen gently set the unconscious "Spider-Man" down, leaning him against a wall. Then, she stumbled back, breathing heavily.
She stared at her hands, disbelief in her eyes.
*"How did I do that?"*
How had she leapt so high and caught him in mid-air? Even if she hoped to soften his fall, she never thought she'd manage to do it without breaking her arms.
Suddenly, nausea overwhelmed her, and she pressed a hand to her mouth.
She fought back the urge to vomit, glanced around, and then hurried away.
On the other side, Peter leaned against the wall, a faint red light flickering in his otherwise white eyes.
As he regained his senses, he looked up, catching a glimpse of Gwen retreating into the distance, and lowered his head in contemplation.
Did Gwen save him this time?
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