NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23: A Shadow in the Dark
Chapter 23: A Shadow in the Dark
Peter Parker barely had time to process the enormity of the situation before the Green Goblin's hulking mechanical suit lunged at him, its metal limbs crashing against the walls of the facility. The sheer force of the attack sent a tremor through the ground beneath Peter's feet. His spider-sense screamed, and with no time to spare, he launched himself upward, narrowly avoiding the Goblin's jagged, gloved fist as it slammed into the spot where he had just been standing.
He didn't waste a second. He fired a web to the ceiling, swinging himself across the room to the far side of the facility. He landed in a crouch, his eyes never leaving the mechanical monstrosity in front of him. The Green Goblin's voice crackled through a speaker in the suit, distorted and amplified.
"Is this really all you've got, Spider-Man? You think you can take me down with your little tricks?" Osborn's voice oozed with disdain. "You can't stop me. Not now, not ever."
Peter gritted his teeth. He didn't have time to think about Osborn's taunts. The Goblin was fast, far faster than Peter had anticipated. Every time Peter tried to land a hit, the Goblin's mechanical arms swiped at him with deadly force. The metal claws screeched against the concrete, barely missing Peter's skin as he danced around them.
Osborn's eyes were cold through the visor of the suit. "You see, Spider-Man, your precious webbing? Useless. You're not fast enough to catch me." With that, the Green Goblin swung a massive missile-launcher into view, aiming it squarely at Peter.
Peter's heart raced. He had to think. No time for flashy moves, no time to pull his punches. It was all or nothing now.
With a burst of adrenaline, Peter shot out a web that hit the missile just before it launched, pulling it off its trajectory. The missile crashed into the wall, exploding in a fiery eruption that filled the room with smoke and dust. The shockwave knocked Peter back, but he quickly regained his footing. He wasn't out of the fight yet.
"Nice try, Spider-Man," Osborn mocked from within the suit, his laughter echoing off the walls. "But you're just delaying the inevitable."
Peter's mind was racing, trying to calculate his next move. He needed to get closer, find a weak point in the suit. But the Green Goblin was too fast, too powerful, and his webs weren't enough to break through the heavily armored exterior.
Suddenly, the Goblin swung his massive arms, smashing the floor beneath Peter with one devastating strike. The ground cracked open, and Peter had no choice but to dive out of the way, narrowly avoiding a collision with the debris. His body hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from his lungs, but he forced himself to roll to his feet.
"You're stronger than I thought," Osborn said, his voice taunting. "But even the strongest spider gets caught in the web. And this web is mine."
Peter's chest burned with each breath, but he wasn't backing down. He wasn't going to let this madman win. He pushed himself forward, webs flying from his wrists, until finally, one struck the Goblin's helmet. The helmet cracked, sending a jolt of pain through Peter's wrist as the force reverberated through the webbing.
The Green Goblin let out a mechanical grunt and recoiled, and Peter seized the moment. With all his remaining strength, he vaulted himself at the Goblin's chest, punching the suit's vulnerable joints with all the precision and speed he could muster. The suit's outer plating gave way, sending sparks flying.
Osborn's voice came in a shriek of anger. "No—this is impossible!"
Peter landed gracefully, spinning around to face his opponent. The fight wasn't over yet, but he could see the crack in Osborn's armor. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
"You thought you could break me, Osborn," Peter said, his voice steady despite the chaos. "But you're wrong. You're not as invincible as you think."
Osborn's laughter faltered for a moment, and in that split second, Peter shot another web at the Goblin's exposed chest, pulling himself forward and slamming his fist into the crack he had created. The impact sent a shockwave through the suit, and for the first time, Peter could hear Osborn's desperate gasps beneath the metallic armor.
Peter's hand hovered over the web-shooters, ready for the final blow. He was close. So close. He could end this now, could stop Osborn once and for all.
But just as he was about to strike, the entire facility trembled with a violent quake, the lights flickering and the ground beneath Peter's feet shaking like the world was falling apart. Something was happening.
Osborn's voice suddenly shifted, the confidence gone, replaced with fear. "What is this… What's happening? No!"
Peter took a step back, trying to steady himself against the growing tremors. He could hear a loud humming noise coming from deep within the facility, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.
Osborn's eyes widened, and for a brief moment, Peter saw something he hadn't expected: fear.
"No, no, NO!" Osborn screamed. "It can't be… He's not supposed to—"
But before Peter could react, the ground split open once again, and from the depths of the facility emerged something far more dangerous than the Green Goblin.
A massive figure, silhouetted in the dark, stood in the doorway. It was tall—towering over Peter—and encased in a black, jagged armor that seemed to shimmer with an unnatural energy. Its eyes glowed a deep red, and its movement was smooth, almost predatory.
Peter felt his heart skip a beat. This was no ordinary enemy. This was something different.
Osborn backed away in fear, his voice shaking. "No, not him. Not yet. This wasn't supposed to happen."
Peter's spider-sense flared, and every instinct in his body screamed that this new foe was far more dangerous than anything he had ever faced before. The figure stepped forward, its voice low and resonant, sending chills down Peter's spine.
"You're in my way, Spider-Man," the voice boomed, each word dripping with power and malice. "And for that, you will pay."
Before Peter could make a move, the new enemy lunged, its armored fist sending shockwaves through the room as it collided with the ground. The force was so immense that Peter was thrown back against the wall, struggling to regain his balance.
"What… what is this?" Peter muttered, his head spinning from the impact. The figure loomed over him, its dark, foreboding presence swallowing up the light around it.
Osborn's voice trembled, barely audible. "This… this is Venom. The Symbiote."
Peter's eyes widened as the realization hit him. Venom—one of his deadliest foes—had arrived. But this version wasn't the one he had faced in the past. No, this one was different. Stronger. More malevolent.
The creature's red eyes glared down at Peter, its smile revealing rows of jagged teeth.
"You're going to regret crossing me, Spider-Man," Venom growled.
Peter tried to rise to his feet, but the immense pressure of the moment threatened to crush him. Osborn had just unleashed a new nightmare—and now, Spider-Man was caught between two deadly enemies, both intent on his destruction.
And this time, the odds were stacked against him.
End of Chapter 23