Chapter 8
Rio paced around the living room, a worried expression on her face while Jeff sat at the table with his phone up to his ear.
“It’s almost midnight Jeff! Miles is never out this late. Not without telling us. Where is he?!”
“He’s not picking up,” he told his wife with a sigh, dropping the phone to the table and rubbing his face.
Rio's hands nervously wrung together, nails digging into her skin. She hated the feeling of helplessness that washed over her. Her son was out there somewhere, and they had no idea where he was or what had happened. "We have to find him, Jeff," she said, her voice quivering with fear.
Jeff stood up and began heading to the door.
“I’ll hop in the cruiser and drive around, see if I can find him. You wait here in case he comes back.”
Before he could open it himself, it was pushed from the other side, startling them both. Rio and Jefferson watched as Gwen, Hobie, and Pavitr rushed into the apartment. Their faces were etched with worry and exhaustion, and they were supporting a badly injured Miles between them.
“Oh my god! Qué te ha pasado Miles?, ” Rio screamed.
They laid Miles down carefully on the couch. Rio's heart clenched at the sight of her son, battered and bruised, his Spider-Man suit torn in several places. She rushed to his side, tears welling up in her eyes.
Jefferson joined her, concern etched on his face as he examined their son's injuries. "Is he okay?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Rio's hands trembled as she gently touched Miles's bruised face, examining it. She shifted to look at Hobie and Pav.
“Boys. Down the hall in the closet should be some washcloths and antibiotics. Grab them for me.”
They nodded and walked off. She then turned to Gwen.
“Gwen, what happened? Who did this?”
The girl froze, unsure of how to explain that.
“Uhhh….”
“It was Phin,” Miles chimed in, his voice barely above a whisper. His parents wheeled around when they heard that.
“Phin did that to you?” his dad asked in disbelief.
Miles sighed, partly from the pain of his injuries, but mostly from the long conversation he knew this was about to be.
“There’s something I have to tell you guys.”
“...and that’s how we ended up…here,” Miles finished, nervously fidgeting with his hands.
Rio, who had moved to sit next to Miles so she could clean his wounds, leaned back, shock written all over her face. Jeff, however, stood up from the chair he’d dragged over and began pacing in front of the couch, a stern look on his face.
“Miles, what the hell were you thinking?!”
“Dad. I was…”
“I’ll tell you. You weren’t thinking! How could you do something so stupid? And irresponsible! Have we taught you nothing about-”
“Jeff.”
Rio’s soft, but strong voice cut through Jeff’s rant. She gave him a pointed look, which made the man sigh before raising his hands in defeat and sitting back down. She then turned to look at the other three teenagers in the room. All of whom looked awkward to be sitting in on the conversation.
“Would you three mind giving us a moment,” she asked them.
“Sure thing Mrs. Morales,” Gwen replied. She led Hobie and Pav to Miles’s room so they could head out the window. She gave Miles one last soft, encouraging look before walking in and closing the door.
“Why didn’t you say anything to us, mijo? ” Now that they were alone, Rio turned back to Miles. “ Hablamos de esto. No more secrets, remember.”
“I know Mom. I shouldn’t have kept this from you. But it…it was Phin. She’s family.”
“So are we.” his dad cut in.
“I know Dad. And I knew if I told you the Tinkerer was Phin you’d try to have her arrested.”
“Miles, she’s a criminal who’s put a lot of people in harm's way. Including your mother! It’s my job to put a stop to people like her!”
“I’m not denying that! It’s mine too. But I get why she’s doing this. Hammerhead murdered her brother. And he’s planning even worse! She’s not a bad person.”
“I understand that Miles. Neither was your Uncle. That doesn’t excuse their actions!”
“Boys.”
Once again, Rio stopped the argument before it could escalate. She gave Jeff another look that told him to reign it in before going back to her son.
“Miles. I can wrap my head around you not telling me or your father. But what I can’t, is why you didn’t tell Phin about who you really are. Superhero and all. You lied to her. Right to her face. Why?”
“I didn’t think I could,” Miles sighed. He looked down at his hands. “I thought if I told her straight up that I was Spider-man she wouldn’t tell me anything. And I had to figure out what she was up to so that I could stop it. So I lied. And once I did, I couldn’t take it back and now--I didn’t wanna lose her and that’s exactly what happened.”
Feeling tears starting to form, Miles buried his head into his hands, overwhelmed by the events of the past week.
“All I keep doing is making things worse and worse and worse. Hammerhead’s gonna try to take over the city. And Phin…she’s on a warpath now. And I don’t know if I have the strength to fix it. To stop her before this all ends horribly.”
Rio and Jeff both felt their hearts twist as they saw their son look so defeated. Rio wrapped her arm around Miles while Jeff moved over to the couch and wrapped his arms around both of them. Miles embraced the comfort of his parents, allowing himself to take as much strength from it as he could.
“Miles,” his mother softly said. “You've always had a kind heart, and a determination to do what's right, even when it's hard. That's a different kind of strength.”
Jefferson nodded in agreement. “Your mother's right, son. The powers are a gift, but it's your character, that’s what makes you the hero you are.”
“But I’ve already messed up so much. And I can’t…what if I fail again.” Miles felt like a little kid again with how weak his voice was.
“What do I always say about our family Miles,” his mother asked him in response.
“We don’t run from things,” he answered with a sigh. A hint of a grin appeared on his face.
“That’s right. Miles, we all make mistakes. That's a part of being human. But it's how we learn and grow from them that defines us. If you do it, you’ll find the strength to overcome anything. And me and your father all the faith in the world that you will.”
Jeff squeezed Miles's shoulder affectionately. “We're proud of you, Miles. Remember, you're not just Spider-Man; you're our son, and we love you. Always.”
The grin turned into a smile as Miles leaned his head onto Rio’s shoulder. His parents were right and their unwavering belief in him gave him a renewed sense of purpose. He would stop Hammerhead. He would stop Phin. And he would save the city.
“Alright, here’s what we do.”
The next day, everyone gathered in the living room as Miles explained the plan for stopping Phin and Hammerhead. His parents, Gwen, Hobie, and Pav all listened intently.
“We need to start evacuating people. Get them as far away from the danger zone as possible. Just in case.”
“I’ll get all the officers I can to help with that,” Jeff replied.
“And I’ll go door to door,” Rio also added.
“Great.” Miles turned to Hobie and Pav. “Will you go with my mom? Help people get to safety and keep an eye on her. If this thing goes sideways…”
“No worries Peter Pan.”
“You can count on us Miles!”
He gratefully smiled at them before shifting his gaze to Gwen.
“What are we going to do,” Gwen interjected.
“We,” he motioned between them, “will go stop Phin. I texted Ganke and he’s working on finding her for us. We need to get the Nuform. That’s our main priority. Once we do that, we can worry about Hammerhead.”
Gwen smiled at seeing Miles take charge as the rest nodded in understanding.
“We better get going then. Let’s get this evacuation started,” his father announced. Rio walked up to Miles, hugging him tight.
“Cuídate hijo, ” she whispered into his ear. Miles squeezed her back just as hard.
“I will, Mami,”
With that she and Jeff started walking out the door, Hobie and Pav pulling their masks on and following right behind them.
“Keep an eye for Hammerhead goons and Underground,” he called out to them. “I’m sure they’re gonna start stirring up trouble.”
They both acknowledged his warning before leaving. Gwen turned to him once they were alone. “How long is it gonna take Ganke to find her?”
“I don’t know. He said he’s cross-referencing Underground activity with buildings that could store Nuform.”
“Ahhhh…”
“You have no clue what that means do you?”
“I know what that means!”
Miles snickered as Gwen blushed. “Of course you do.”
“Shut up.”
Their banter was interrupted by the sound of Miles’s phone ringing. It was Ganke. He answered, putting it on speaker so that Gwen could hear.
“Hey Ganke.”
“Hey. I found Phin’s setup. The Oscorp Science Center. It’s closed for renovations.”
Miles realized Phin’s plan instantly. “Oh my god. Our energy converter! That’s how she’s gonna finish making the Nuform unstable enough to blow up the Hammerhead building.”
“Whoa,” his friend breathed. “It’s like she picked it to get back at you.”
“Maybe she did.” Miles frowned. Did she really hate him that much?
Gwen clenched her fists by her side. There was no doubt in her mind that Phin’s choice was intentional. Meant to hit Miles right where it hurt.
Miles shook his head, focusing back in. “Doesn’t matter. Thanks, Ganke.”
“No problem. Anything else I can do to help.”
“Nah man. Just get yourself somewhere safe.”
“Will do.”
Miles hung up the phone and pulled on his mask, Gwen following suit.
“Let’s go. Phin needs to know what’ll happen if she goes through with her plan.”
“Hold on a sec,” Gwen said before he could jump out the window. “I doubt Phin will be all that willing to listen. And frankly, I don’t why you’re still trying to reason with her anyway.”
“I have to try Gwen,” Miles pleaded with her. “I know she’s done some bad things but…she’s still my friend. I have to keep believing that I can reach her. Reason with her.”
Gwen let out a frustrated sigh. She admired his loyalty but as far as she was concerned, Phin had done nothing in recent memory to earn that.
“And what if you can’t?”
“Then…then I’ll take the Nuform. Destroy it if I have to.”
Gwen acquiesced at that, satisfied enough with the answer. They opened the window and jumped out, heading for the Science Center. They had a city to save.
After swinging for a while, Miles and Gwen arrived at the science center. And it certainly bore the signs of having been closed for a while. Combined with the overcast weather, it painted a very gloomy picture.
“Museum closed for renovation, and the Underground moves right in,” Miles remarked. Scanning the area, he noticed two of them on the roof, standing guard over a similar barrier to the one at the theatre. “Phin has to be inside somewhere. Let’s take care of the lookouts.”
The two quietly crossed the concourse before crawling up to the roof. Sneaking behind them, Miles zapped one with some venom while Gwen slammed the other’s face into the ground, taking them down quickly. Turning to the barrier, they smashed through it, landing in the lobby.
“How long has this place been closed?” Looking around at the scaffolding and dirty floors, Gwen couldn’t help but wonder.
“No idea,” Miles responded, looking at the LED screen on the wall. It read “The Future of Science is Today.”
“Hey Miles.” He turned to look at Gwen. “It’s been a few years since you guys made that energy converter. Why is it still here?”
“They asked us to keep it actually. Show people that no matter how young, it’s never too early to do amazing things in science.” He gestured to the screen. “The Future of Science is Today. You just have to be willing to take the leap.”
Gwen smiled softly at him and nodded.
“Come on.” He began walking down the hall to the left. “The exhibit was this way.”
Miles led her down the short hallway, only to find the doors to the next room blocked off. Gwen tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a hole in the ceiling. They zipped up through it, landing on a large molecule display hanging in the air.
“C’mon Phin,” Miles shouted, looking around. “We need to finish this!”
His words echoed across the room but there was no response to his challenge.
“She must be with our project. Down that hall,” Miles told Gwen, pointing at a door labeled Sea Living. They hopped down and moved towards the entrance.
Walking through it, A wave of nostalgia hit Miles as he took in the all-too-familiar sights. He had to pause as the memories rushed through him.
“Miles,” Gwen called out to him when he stopped moving. “Something wrong?”
“No. I’m just… remembering the last time I was here.” He resumed walking through the sea life exhibit. Gwen bounded up beside him.
“When was that?”
“Me and Phin came here to see our energy converter on display. Didn’t quite go as smoothly as we thought.”
“What happened?”
“We uh…had to sneak into the special exhibit room.”
Gwen giggled as the two of them walked into the largest exhibit room in the place. Various projects were placed around it, each one covered in layers of dust.
“And why did you have to do that,” she queried.
“You needed a ticket to get in and neither of us had one.”
“You couldn’t have bought one?”
Miles stared at her.
“With what money? It’s not like either of us were rich,” he uttered in disbelief. “Besides, we didn’t think we needed to pay to see our own project.”
“Fair enough. So how did you guys get in?”
Miles smiled at that. “Phin of course. She came up with this crazy plan to hack the lock on a door using our phone flashlights, a reflective sticker, and some shape-memory alloy.”
“Shape memory.” A thought came to Gwen’s mind. “Is that where she got the idea for her programmable matter?”
“Yup.” Miles and Gwen jumped up to the highest floor, where the special exhibit room was. “She was so confident she could make something better than what they had. And she wasn’t wrong. Anyway, we got through the door and snuck around to the elevator from the back. And that’s how we got in.”
“Seems like you two went through a lot of trouble,” Gwen remarked. “Why didn’t you just come back another day.”
Stopping outside the exhibit room, Miles twisted to look at her, his eyes downcast.
“I was starting at Visions the week after. Phin really wanted us to hang out. She thought it might be the last time.”
Miles remembered the look on her face when she said she’d miss doing things like that with him.
“I told her that wouldn’t happen and that I’d never be too busy to hang out with her. Obviously, I didn’t keep up my end of the bargain. And I can’t help but feel like we wouldn’t be in this mess if I had been the best friend I was supposed to be. That I promised her I’d be.”
“Miles.” Gwen put her hand on his shoulder. “You have to stop blaming yourself for Phin’s choices. She made them. Not you.”
“I know, I know.” He couldn’t dispute her words.
“You should be a lot more upset with her as far as I’m concerned,” she muttered, crossing her arms.
“Maybe,” Miles admitted, before grinning lopsidedly at her. “But I have a hard time staying mad at the people I care about.”
Gwen blushed and bowed her head so that Miles couldn’t see how red her cheeks turned. She couldn’t hide the smile on her face though.
“You’re such a corny dork, you know that?”
Miles just laughed as they entered the exhibit room. On one side were entirely glass windows, allowing a beautiful view of the large room below. There were plenty of other projects on display, but the one they were looking for was in the back.
The energy converter sat proudly on display. And attached to it, was the canister of Nuform. The energy inside violently crackled. Miles crouched down and began disconnecting the wires so that they could take it.
A scream of anger and their spider sense going off alerted Miles and Gwen to the danger behind them. They rolled out of the way just as Phin slammed her sword down. The swing destroyed the converter. Glaring at the two from behind her mask, Phin grabbed the canister and put it on her back before walking away.
“Phin,” Miles called out to her before she could leave. “You need to know-”
“I’m done listening to you, liar,” she spat at him.
Miles shot out a web at the canister, but Phin blocked it with a shield. She ran off, right as more of the Underground ran in.
“Get back here Phin!” Gwen took off after her, sliding around the reinforcements and taking off after her.
Miles tried to follow, but he was cut off by one of the large guys wielding a hammer and a shield slamming his weapon down, sending out an energy shockwave that he had to jump out of the way of. Three more came forward to box him in. Miles prepared himself for the fight, hoping he could end it quickly. He needed to get after Gwen and Phin.
Meanwhile, Gwen continued her chase. She followed Phin all the way back through the Science Center. They found themselves in the lobby and just before Phin could jump through the hole in the ceiling, Gwen slammed into her. They skidded across the floor, landing across from each other.
Phin’s mask dematerialized, a harsh glare on her face as she stood up.
“You’re really starting to piss me off.”
Gwen got to her feet as well and glared right back. “I could say the same for you! You need to stop this Phin.”
“Like I told your boyfriend, ” Phin spat out that word. “I’m done listening. I’ve had enough of being lied to.”
“Ugh, you’re such a fucking hypocrite!”
“What!?”
Gwen clenched her fists. “You’re so mad at Miles for lying to you when you were doing the same thing to him! The only reason you told him you were the Tinkerer is because he found out about it first!”
“That’s different!” Phin ground her teeth. It really wasn’t, but her anger wouldn’t let her admit that.
Gwen scoffed. “Of course, you’d say that. Whatever. Unlike Miles, we aren’t friends, so I won’t bother trying to talk you down. I’d rather just kick your ass. Give me the Nuform Phin! Or I’ll take it.”
Phin’s mask shifted back into place as gauntlets formed on her fists.
“Just try it!”
The first move came from Phin. She lunged forward, fist raised to smash Gwen into the ground. Gwen's agility and spider-sense allowed her to evade the attack, but the force of Phin's strike shattered the holographic display, sending shards of glass-like projections scattering.
Gwen responded with a quick web shot, attempting to immobilize Phin but she again threw up a shield to block it before shooting a grappling hook back. Gwen grabbed it and used it to fling Phin to the other side of the room, where she managed to land on her feet.
The battle between the two women intensified, each movement calculated and precise. Forming a gun, Phin tried to hit some shots, but Gwen zig-zagged her way through them, sliding under Phin’s feet and kicking her in the back.
Phin growled, swinging her fists in a flurry as she tried to hit Gwen, who seamlessly dodged and blocked each attack before roundhouse kicking her in the face. Getting frustrated, Phin formed a sword and tried to slash her.
“You lied to Miles to begin with. He deserves an apology too,” Gwen yelled as she narrowly avoided the strike and retaliated with her own series of rapid punches and kicks.
Phin struggled to block the barrage as Gwen pushed her back. “Not gonna happen!”
Spotting an opening, Gwen flipped over her, shooting out webs at her back and using the momentum to fling Phin into the wall.
“Ahh,” she groaned in pain as she slid down to the ground.
Gwen moved to stand over her. “Give up Phin.”
She glared up at the masked superheroine, her blood starting to boil from the rage coursing through her veins. It was infuriating. She’d been jealous of Gwen's relationship with Miles since the first day she’d met the girl. The fact that they were now dating only exacerbated her resentment. And to have the girl standing over her--She’d be damned if she let Gwen be the one to stop her now.
She tried to leg sweep Gwen, who jumped over it. This gave Phin a chance to go back on the offensive, putting Gwen on the backfoot this time. She formed a large gauntlet on her right fist and tried to jam it into Gwen’s chest. The hero managed to bring her arms up in time to block it, but the force rattled her bones.
The fight raged on, both women trading vicious blows, looking to deal as much damage to each other as they could.
Fueled by her resentment and jealousy, Phin pressed the attack. She created a massive hammer and swung it at Gwen with all her might. Gwen avoided being crushed, but she couldn’t dodge the wave of energy that came out, which sent her rolling back.
Taking advantage of the opening, Phin swung her hammer and caught Gwen in the chest. It was her turn to fly into the wall before crashing on the floor, groaning in pain.
Smirking at seeing the blonde defeated, Phin turned and jumped out through the ceiling. Right at that moment, Miles came running in. Seeing Gwen on the ground, he rushed over.
“Gwen, are you ok?”
She waved him off as he tried to look her over.
“I’m fine,” she assured him as she got back up.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes! Come on! We need to get after Phin!”
They soared out of the Science Center and began swinging toward Hammerhead Industries. Overhead, the overcast sky had fully turned into a storm. It was pouring rain, soaking their suits in seconds. Miles brought his watch up and contacted Hobie.
“Hobie! Talk to me! How’s the evacuation going?”
“Not good mate,” Hobie answered. There was a brief pause as Miles heard someone yell in pain. “Underground and Hammerhead are all over the gaff. It’s like a bloody revolution out here!”
“Is my mom safe?”
“You’d have to ask Pav! I got separated from ‘em.”
“Got it! Thanks!”
A couple of taps and Pavitr came on the line.
“Miles!”
“Pav! Are you guys ok? Where’s my mom?”
“She’s holed up inside one of the buildings with a few other civilians! They’re safe but not for long. I’m trying to clear a path for them!”
“Where are you?”
“I’m over on…wait. Look out!”
There was a large explosion before Pav suddenly cut out.
“Pav? Pav!?” Miles screamed. He received no reply. He turned to Gwen with a worried look on his face.
“They’re in trouble! We need to move!”
She nodded and upped her pace even more, Miles following suit. They sped through the streets. The rain continued to pelt them.
“Maldita sea! Where did this storm from? ”
As they continued to move, the sounds of gunfire and explosions began to get louder. They followed the noise, eventually landing on the side of a building. Littered throughout the streets were flipped-over police cars, trashed APC tanks, and the bodies of both Hammerhead and Underground members. But there was no sign of their friends.
“Let’s split up,” Gwen suggested. “We’ll radio each other if we find anything.”
Miles nodded. Gwen took off down the street while he zipped up to the rooftop of the nearby apartment. It was hard to see anything through the rain, but he could just make out the sight of Hammerhead security and the Underground firing on each other.
With a flick of his wrist, Miles fired a web line at a nearby water tower, using it to swing down and land directly in front of a group of Underground members. His sudden appearance startled them. Before they could react, he unleashed a burst of venom that incapacitated them.
As they fell to the ground, he turned his attention to the Hammerhead security guards on the other side of the plaza, who were engaged with more Underground.
He leaped into the fray, his spider-sense guiding his movements as energy bolts whizzed past him. Miles used his agility to dodge and weave through the chaos, disarming guards and Underground alike and webbing them to nearby walls.
He continued doing this across several rooftops, following the sounds of fighting. Whilst he did this, he kept on looking for any sign of his mom, Pav, or Hobie. After finishing up with the last group on the roofs, he dropped to the ground.
“Mom! Pav! Can anybody hear me?” Miles called out, hoping that someone would respond. Down the street, the large, oppressively painted white Hammerhead building loomed. He brought his watch up.
“Gwen, there’s no sign of anyone here! How about you?”
“You’re really spoiling what should’ve been a big night for me, bug. You and that little girlfriend of yours.”
Miles whirled around to see Hammerhead, in his suit, walking up. He had a smirk on his face. Miles glared at him, crouching down into a fighting stance.
“One, Phin’s not my girlfriend. Two, I would say sorry, but that would be a lie. And I’m trying not to do that anymore,” he quipped back at the villain.
Hammerhead chuckled. “You got a smart mouth kid. I like that. But unfortunately for you, that’s not gonna last much longer. Like I said, I have a mob that needs to be revitalized. And that starts with me breaking you in half!”
“Bring it on!
The villain charged at Miles with terrifying speed, his exo-suit amplifying his strength and agility. Miles dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the punishing blow. It punctured the hull of the APC tank behind him and that’s when Miles knew he was in for a tough fight; Project Olympus was no joke.
As the battle raged on, Miles tried to land a few attacks of his own, but Hammerhead's suit absorbed most of the impact. It was like fighting a brick wall. He couldn’t seem to do any real damage to the man.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Miles leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding a devastating punch from Hammerhead. He somersaulted through the air and landed gracefully on a nearby lamppost, before launching himself back at his foe, fists charged with venom.
But Hammerhead lunged as well, catching Miles with a powerful uppercut before blasting him with an energy beam. Miles went flying through the air, crashing into a nearby car and denting it with the force of the impact. Miles groaned in pain. The cold of the rain seemed to make his bruises hurt worse.
“That suit packs a punch," he muttered to himself. “I need a plan.”
He looked up to see Hammerhead charging for him once again. Preparing to defend himself, Miles felt his spider-sense go off. Right as Hammerhead was about to reach him, Gwen swung in, planting her feet into his face and sending the hulking man away. She landed and rushed over to him.
“Need a hand,” she cheekily asked him, offering him a hand. Miles smiled widely underneath his mask.
“Actually I could,” he answered, allowing her to pull him up. “Did you find anyone?”
Gwen shook her head. “No, but I think you and I have a more pressing issue.”
They both turned to look at Hammerhead, who was back on his feet, glaring at them.
“A ladybug too? How many of you insects are there?”
Miles and Gwen dropped into fighting stances.
“Anything I should know about this guy?”
“Be careful,” Miles warned his partner. “That suit of his is damn near indestructible. I’ve barely made a dent in it. And watch out for the blaster on his arm. It stings.”
“Got it.”
Together, they went on the attack this time. They fought flawlessly, weaving around Hammerhead and keeping up a steady assault. And with there now being two of them, the villain found it much harder to gain an advantage.
Gwen's fired webs at Hammerhead's legs, entangling them and momentarily restricting his movement. Miles followed up with a charged venom strike, sending a surge of bio-electricity coursing through Hammerhead's armored body, the villain roaring in pain as electricity coursed through his body. Gwen followed up by jumping above and slamming her feet into his back, driving him to the ground.
As she hopped off, she noticed the small, circular generator on his back, glowing blue.
“That must be how it’s powered! ”
“Miles,” she shouted to him. “There’s a generator on his back. If we take that out, the suit will stop working!”
“Got it!”
“If you think I’m losing to you two freaks, you got another thing coming,” Hammerhead growled. Charging up his blaster, he fired it at Miles, who somersaulted out of harm's way just in time. He twisted and rammed a fist into Gwen’s stomach as she tried to sneak up on him.
The battle raged on, Hammerhead fighting fiercely against the combined force of the two Spider heroes. But despite his determination, it was a losing battle. In a last-ditch effort, he activated jets built into the bottom of his boots. As Miles looked to attack, he was unprepared for the sudden burst of speed as the villain rammed his hardened head right into his gut. It knocked the air out of him and sent him crashing into the ground, wheezing.
Gwen tried to use the opening to hit the generator, but Hammerhead whirled around and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her into the concrete.
“Die,” Hammerhead sneered as he began to choke her.
Gwen tried to wriggle out, but his grip was vice-like. Gwen gasped for breath, her vision beginning to blur as the life was squeezed out of her. Her struggles grew weaker, and panic surged as the world started to fade to black.
So focused on ending the Spider-Woman, Hammerhead didn’t notice as Miles leaped into the air and slammed his venom-charged fist right into the generator.
Hammerhead screamed in pain again as it sizzled and shorted out, causing the suit's systems to go haywire. He staggered, letting go of Gwen as his control over the suit faltered.
Seizing the opportunity, Miles and Gwen launched a coordinated attack. Gwen used her webbing to restrain Hammerhead's arms, while Miles delivered a series of electrifying punches to the now-vulnerable exo-suit.
Sparks flew as the suit's systems malfunctioned, and Hammerhead's resistance crumbled. With one final, powerful Venom Strike, Miles hit the generator again, causing a spectacular explosion of energy that sent Hammerhead flying into the side of a building, landing in a heap.
The Project Olympus exo-suit sputtered and went offline, leaving Joseph Hammerhead defeated and helpless on the ground. Both Miles and Gwen webbed him up well, making sure he could go nowhere.
“Ahh,” Miles groaned, leaning back against a parked car that miraculously hadn’t been destroyed. “I’ll be feeling this tomorrow. That’s for sure.”
“You and me both,” Gwen agreed, falling next to him.
Gazing up, Miles noticed that the rain had finally slowed down to a light drizzle.
“Miles? Miles!”
The two turned to see Rio running towards them. Behind her were a few more people, as well as Hobie and Pavitr. Hobie was supporting the Indian Spider-Man, who seemed to be limping heavily.
“Mami!”
Miles sprinted over, meeting her halfway. They embraced tightly. Miles pulled back so he could look her over.
“Are you ok Mom?”
“I’m fine mijo.”
“I was so worried when I couldn’t reach any of you.”
“I don’t blame you. Yo también estaba preocupado. But Pavitr did a really good job keeping us safe.” She looked back to smile at the teenager.
“Of course Mrs. Morales. It’s the job,” Pav waved off her praise.
“Don’t think the job includes throwing yourself in front of a rocket, mate,” Hobie told him.
“I didn’t throw myself in front of it!”
Miles couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that even in such a dire situation, Hobie and Pav could find time to bicker.
“Either way, thanks Pav. I owe you one,” he told his friend. He then turned to look at the rest of the civilians who were gathered. “Listen. We need to get out of here. Me and Gwen can carry most of you-”
He was cut off as a wave of energy washed over them. It shook the street with its force. They all turned to the Hammerhead building. A bright blue glow was emitting from that direction.
“Oh no. Phin’s started already,” Miles realized.
“We have to stop her.” Gwen was ready to head off, only for Miles to hold up a hand.
“No, you have to get everyone somewhere safe,” Miles told her. “I’ll stop Phin.”
Gwen moved around so she could look into his eyes. “I’m not letting you go alone, Miles!”
“I have to do this!”
“I know! But we can do it together!”
“Gwen!” Miles placed his hands on her shoulders. “She’s my best friend. It’s like I told you earlier. I can’t give up hope that she’ll listen to me.”
His voice softened then. “Gwen, I need you to focus on getting my mom and the other civilians to safety. If I can't stop Phin, you'll be their only hope. Please, trust me on this.”
Gwen cursed under her breath. She knew he was right. But she couldn’t help but feel she was leaving him at a time when he needed her most. And she’d swore she’d never do that again. But if this was what he wanted from him, then she’d do it.
“Okay, Miles, I'll get them out.”
She slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his chest, breathing him in one time before pulling back a little.
“But promise me you'll be careful. I don't…I can’t lose you.”
He framed her face with his hands, tilting his head. Gwen was sure that stupid, endearing lopsided grin of his was plastered all over his face underneath his mask.
“I promise Gwen. I’ll come back.”
He turned to his mom and his friends, giving them one last nod before swinging off. Gwen watched him go for a moment before turning back to the rest of the group.
“Alright people you heard him! Let’s get moving.”
Phin gazed at the reactor from behind her mask, watching in satisfaction as it started to overload. This was it. Finally, she’d get her revenge on the Hammerhead for killing her brother.
“NO!”
She whirled around to see Miles swinging down towards her, landing a few feet away. She ground her teeth. Why wouldn’t he just give up? She stalked over to him, gauntlets forming.
“You don't know what you’re doing,” Miles screamed.
She grabbed the front of his suit, shaking him.
“Hammerhead deserves what’s coming to him!”
Miles shrugged her off. “I already took care of him!”
“What?”
“I took him down. Once this is over, he’s going to jail.”
That brought Phin up short, but only for a moment. “Doesn’t matter. This place still needs to be destroyed.”
“No Phin! Hammerhead changed the specs on the reactor. You’re not just gonna destroy Hammerhead Industries. You’re gonna vaporize Brooklyn!” Miles began walking over to where she’d inserted the unstable Nuform canister. “I’m taking this.”
Before he could get there, he felt Phin grab him again.
“I’m not letting you lie to me again!”
Spinning, she flung him away. He managed to orient himself enough to land smoothly on the side of the building, only to be caught off guard as Phin punched him in the face. He shot up into the air. Phin continued to hit him, the two flying up towards the roof, where Miles landed hard. Phin gave him no respite. She shot out a pair of hooks, which wrapped around him. Spinning to gain some momentum, she threw him off the side.
Phin took a step back as she watched him disappear.
“You’re too late,” she muttered. She began rappelling back down the building, intent on finishing what she started. But halfway down, Miles came swinging back. He planted his feet into her back, the force sending them both crashing through the window and into a large lobby space. Phin bounced on the ground while Miles landed on his feet.
She slowly got back to her feet, mask dematerializing. The glare on her face was intense, the vein on her forehead almost bursting. But Miles didn't back down from it all. Enough was enough.
The two began circling each other, tension building between the two best friends turned enemies.
“I can’t let you do this, Phin.”
“I can’t let you stop me, Miles.”
It was settled then. Phin formed her sword, Tinkerer mask popping back into place. The two charged. And the final battle began.