The alley was filled with shadows, the only light coming from a flickering streetlamp above. The Hand ninjas moved like ghosts, their blades catching the dim light as they circled Spider-Man and Daredevil.
Peter's eyes adjusted, tracking every slight movement. His rapid adaptability was already at work, mapping out their attack patterns.
Alright. This should be fun.
Daredevil shifted his stance, his senses tuned in to every heartbeat, every breath. He knew they were outnumbered, but he also knew one thing-Spider-Man was reliable and unpredictable. The YouTube videos he had heard about were more than enough proof.
The first ninja lunged.
Daredevil countered, twisting to the side and cracking his billy club against the attacker's temple. The ninja dropped, but two more came from behind.
Before they could strike, a web shot out, yanking one off his feet. Spider-Man flipped over the second, delivering a spinning kick to the face.
"Nice moves," Daredevil muttered, deflecting another blade.
"Thanks," Peter quipped, dodging a sword by a hair's breadth. "But I gotta say-red's not exactly the best color for stealth."
Daredevil ignored the comment, throwing his billy club with pinpoint accuracy, hitting a ninja right between the eyes.
More came.
One went for Peter's back... he dodged, grabbed the ninja's wrist, and flung him straight into another. "Man, I'm not even breaking a sweat here. Do they not train these guys properly?"
A kunai zipped past his head, almost tearing his suit.
"Okay," Peter muttered, eyes narrowing. "Maybe they do."
A ninja leaped from above, katana aimed at Daredevil's back.
Peter moved on instinct. A webline shot out, yanking Daredevil backward just in time. The sword slashed through empty air.
Daredevil landed on his feet, exhaling sharply. "I had that."
"Sure you did, buddy," Peter grinned. "Now, how about we wrap this up before more show up?"
They moved in sync. Daredevil took the left, Spider-Man the right. Kicks, punches, webs, and billy clubs flew in a blur. The last few ninjas tried to retreat, but Peter webbed them to the alley wall.
Silence.
Peter stretched his arms. "Well, that was a workout. How's the head count looking?"
Daredevil listened. "No more for now."
Peter leaned against a dumpster. "So, do we talk about how the Hand's getting bolder? Or do we pretend this was just a coincidence?"
Daredevil crossed his arms. "It's not just them. Kingpin's been expanding. More muscle. More resources."
"Yeah, I've noticed," Peter said, tapping his chin. "I mean, when a ninja army starts making regular appearances, something's definitely wrong."
Daredevil sighed. "This city's about to get worse."
Peter nodded. "Then we better be ready."
After a long night of fighting and then uploading the daily video, Peter woke up tired. But his phone was already buzzing.
He checked the notifications.
"SPIDER-MAN AND DAREDEVIL TEAM UP! EPIC FIGHT AGAINST NINJAS!"
The video had gone insanely viral.
Multiple angles, close ups, slow-motion edits.. the video couldn't get better, Peter thought.
He scrolled through the comments.
• "Spider-Man is just casually joking mid-fight. Absolute legend."
• "Daredevil is cool, but Spidey was styling on those ninjas."
• "Why does Spider-Man always make it look so easy???"
Peter sighed. "I hope they don't keep the expectations too high every time I fight."
Shaking his head, he put his phone down and got some rest.
The next day, Peter walked into Oscorp's research division, still thinking about the fight last night. But that thought vanished the moment he looked at the latest test results.
His eyes narrowed.
He went through the data again.
No.
This was wrong.
Peter sat in front of his workstation, scrolling through the latest test results. At first, everything looked fine, normal genetic markers, stable sequences, predictable mutations. But then, something caught his eye.
Wait.. that's not right.. How did no one notice this?
He zoomed in on the sequence. There was a basic miscalculation in the genetic splicing process.. an unstable integration point between human DNA and the Scorpion genes. If left unchecked, the mutation wouldn't just enhance strength and durability. It would spiral out of control.
This… this could lead to mental instability.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, double-checking. No doubt about it. The subject's body wouldn't just adapt, it would overreact. Hormonal imbalances with unpredictable results. Extreme aggression. This was a disaster waiting to happen.
Reporting this to his team, will only result in his voice being ignored... Again...
He needed to report this. Now.
Peter pulled out his phone and dialed Norman Osborn's number. It rang twice before going straight to voicemail.
He tried again. Nothing.
Where the hell is he?
Frustrated, Peter opened his email and shot off a message detailing the issue. A minute passed. No response. He refreshed the page. Still nothing.
A passing scientist muttered to a colleague, "Osborn's not in New York. Something about a military deal overseas."
Peter clenched his jaw. Great.
Norman was gone. His phone was unavailable. His email? Probably buried under a mountain of corporate nonsense.
And that meant…
No one's stopping this in time.
Peter's mind raced. Did they ignore it? Did they rush the project? Or... did someone want this to happen?
Before he could think deeper, a senior scientist-Dr. Tennyson-walked by. He glanced at Peter's screen and scoffed.
"Leave the real science to actual scientists, Parker."
Peter clenched his jaw. He could already tell-this was the type of guy who hated that Peter was even in the lab.
Fine.
If they didn't want to listen, they could learn the hard way.
Peter leaned back in his chair, watching the test subject through the observation glass.
A man strapped to a table. Electrodes attached to his body. His muscles tensed unnaturally as the modified Scorpion DNA coursed through his veins.
Dr. Tennyson and the others stood behind the control panel. They didn't look concerned.
Peter exhaled.
Alright. This is happening.
"Mr.Gargan, are you ready?" Asked Dr.Tennyson, to the test subject.
Gargan? He already knew how this story ended.
This was this universe's Scorpion origin story.
And there was nothing he could do to stop it.
You reap what you sow.
The warning signs came fast.
The subject's breathing turned erratic. His heartbeat spiked. His veins bulged, turning dark green as something inhuman spread through his body.
"Increase the stabilizer!" one scientist called out.
Another scrambled to adjust the settings.
Then-
SNAP!
The subject ripped through the restraints.
The glass chamber shattered.
A scientist screamed as the mutated man grabbed him, crushing his ribs with inhuman strength.
Alarms blared. Red lights flashed.
Peter stood still for a second, watching the inevitable unfold.
Yep. Totally called it.
Then he moved.
The situation needed the Spider-Man.
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Today's regular chapter
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