NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: The Beast Unleashed
Chapter 5: The Beast Unleashed
The creature's glowing red eyes pierced through the fog of the city's industrial district. Its amorphous form pulsed and twisted, growing more menacing with every passing second. Peter's spider-sense was on overdrive, screaming at him to run, but he stood his ground.
"This thing doesn't know when to quit," Peter muttered, shifting into a defensive stance.
Felicia, standing beside him, twirled her grappling hook with practiced ease. "I hate to break it to you, Spider, but this isn't looking like one of your usual friendly neighborhood fights."
Peter shot her a glance. "Thanks for the pep talk."
The creature roared, its form bulging and shifting until it resembled a grotesque, humanoid figure. Its arms were elongated, ending in razor-sharp claws, and its body was covered in a swirling, black-and-red mass.
"We need to keep it away from the city," Peter said. "If this thing gets loose in Manhattan—"
"I get it," Felicia interrupted. "You're the hero. I'm just here to make sure we don't get killed."
"Appreciate the vote of confidence," Peter said, firing a web at a nearby stack of barrels.
The barrels toppled, crashing into the creature and temporarily halting its advance. Peter used the moment to leap onto its back, firing webbing to try and bind its limbs.
"Come on, big guy," he grunted, dodging as the creature swung its arm wildly. "Let's see if you can handle a little spidey-style wrestling."
The creature bucked violently, throwing Peter off and sending him crashing into a nearby wall.
"Peter!" Felicia shouted, rushing to his side.
"I'm fine," he said, shaking off the daze. "Just wish this thing would take a nap already."
The creature turned its attention to Felicia, its glowing eyes narrowing.
"Oh no, you don't," Peter said, firing a web to pull its focus back to him.
The fight spilled into a nearby construction site, where skeletal frames of unfinished buildings provided some much-needed cover. Peter swung between girders, using the environment to his advantage, while Felicia darted through the shadows, striking with precision whenever she saw an opening.
"Do you always bring dates to places like this?" Felicia called out, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
"Only the ones who appreciate a good adrenaline rush," Peter shot back, flipping over the creature's head and firing webs at its legs.
The creature howled in frustration, its movements growing more erratic. It slammed its claws into the ground, sending shockwaves through the site and causing debris to rain down from above.
Felicia narrowly avoided a falling beam, her cat-like reflexes saving her at the last second. "Alright, Spider, this thing's getting on my nerves."
"You and me both," Peter said, firing a web to pull a crane lever. The crane swung, its wrecking ball smashing into the creature and knocking it off balance.
"That's gotta hurt," he quipped, but his victory was short-lived. The creature absorbed the impact, its form reshaping and solidifying as if feeding off the energy.
"Okay, that's not fair," Peter said.
Meanwhile…
From a nearby rooftop, a shadowy figure watched the battle unfold. Their face was obscured by a hood, but their posture was tense, their gaze fixed on the creature.
"Interesting," the figure murmured. "It's evolving faster than anticipated."
They tapped a device on their wrist, and a holographic display appeared, showing a series of readings from the creature.
"Chimera is exceeding all expectations," the figure continued. "But Spider-Man's interference could jeopardize the experiment."
The figure turned, disappearing into the night.
Back at the construction site…
Peter and Felicia were barely holding their own against the creature. Every attack they launched seemed to make it stronger, more aggressive.
"We're not beating this thing head-on," Peter said, dodging another swing.
"Glad you're finally catching on," Felicia replied, flipping backward to avoid a claw strike.
Peter's mind raced. They needed a new strategy—something that didn't involve brute force.
His eyes landed on a generator at the edge of the site, surrounded by a tangle of cables.
"That's it," he muttered.
"What's it?" Felicia asked, following his gaze.
"We fry it," Peter said. "That thing's got some kind of energy core holding it together. If we overload it, we might be able to shut it down."
Felicia frowned. "And by 'fry it,' you mean…?"
Peter fired a web at the generator, yanking it loose. Sparks flew as the cables snapped, crackling with electricity.
"Get those cables onto the creature," he said.
Felicia hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "You owe me for this."
While Peter distracted the creature, Felicia darted toward the generator, grabbing two of the live cables. She moved with precision, dodging debris and weaving through the chaos.
"Hey, ugly!" she shouted, whipping one of the cables toward the creature. The cable struck its arm, sending a surge of electricity coursing through its body.
The creature howled, its form flickering and destabilizing.
"Nice work!" Peter called, firing a web to anchor the second cable to the creature's chest.
The electricity surged, growing more intense with each second. The creature convulsed, its movements slowing as its body began to disintegrate.
"Come on," Peter muttered, watching as the creature's form collapsed in on itself.
Finally, with one last guttural roar, the creature exploded into a cloud of red-and-black particles, which dissipated into the air.
Peter and Felicia stood in silence, their breathing heavy.
"Is it… gone?" Felicia asked, her voice cautious.
Peter nodded, though he didn't look convinced. "For now."
As the dust settled, the faint sound of sirens echoed in the distance.
"We should get out of here before the cops show up," Felicia said, brushing herself off.
Peter nodded, glancing at the destroyed construction site. "Yeah. But this isn't over."
Felicia gave him a sly smile. "It never is with you, is it?"
Before Peter could respond, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.
"Try not to miss me too much, Spider," she said, disappearing into the shadows.
Peter watched her go, a mix of emotions swirling in his chest.
"Every time," he muttered, shaking his head.
As he swung away into the night, he couldn't shake the feeling that the creature was just the beginning of something much bigger.
End of Chapter 5