Thus, Takuya released Harry, and the two stood in the corner, raising a red-and-blue Spider banner high.
"The man who takes on a hundred Spider-Men!"
Takuya shouted, striking his signature pose.
Harry waved the banner, chiming in, "The invincible Spider-Man!"
Before they could finish their chant, Scruffy Peter swooped in, landing before them. Holding a slipper, he laughed with hands on hips.
"The thrilling moment has finally arrived!"
"They're traitors—get them!"
Instantly, a swarm of Spider-Men pounced, engulfing the trio.
"Ah~ Not the face!!"
The comical scene made Miguel lower his head in shame.
"I finally get why you don't want to join us," he said.
Charlie stretched his limbs, replying casually, "A Spider-Man is only truly Spider-Man when he's at his loneliest."
"Exactly."
Miguel looked up. "But I won't change my mind. The web of life and destiny needs my protection, and no one's going to ruin it."
"You'll regret it."
"No more talk, Charlie Parker. Accept your fate!"
In an instant, Miguel lunged, a red whirlwind erupting, his razor-sharp claws unstoppable.
Charlie's eyes blazed with blood-red light. He shot out from a web slingshot, his speed even more terrifying than Miguel's.
"You tell me what my fate is supposed to be!!"
Bang!!
BOOM~~
Charlie roared, their collision a fleeting clash. Miguel staggered, the red spider emblem on his chest dimming.
"You're Spider-Man—loneliness is your fate!"
Before Miguel could counter, red-and-blue webbing exploded at his feet.
"Wake up! That's just an excuse you tell yourself."
BOOM!!
Wild magical energy whipped up a hurricane, hurling Miguel's body into a pristine wall.
Bang~
In the human-shaped crater, web-like cracks spread.
A red-and-blue figure charged, knee slamming into Miguel's chest.
"What made you so weak? The death of loved ones?"
Charlie spoke. "No, it's the fear and guilt in your heart."
His strength surged, the crater trembling. Miguel sank deeper, a trickle of blood seeping from his mask's seams.
"What?"
Seeing this, the Spider-Men stopped fooling around.
"They're serious!"
"Miguel's being overpowered. Charlie Parker's as strong as that guy said!"
"My God, should we break it up?"
"Can't. Miguel's about to lose it."
A Spider-Man slid down as a blinding red laser erupted from the crater.
Zzzzt~
BOOM!!!
The energy exploded, collapsing the wall.
Amid the debris, Miguel's claws tore through steel and concrete.
"No, it's not fear or guilt. This is just what Spider-Man is!!"
To Miguel's hoarse cries, Charlie hung his head, moving like a lifeless puppet. Yet, in this eerie state, Miguel's lightning-fast claw strikes couldn't touch him.
Even the flying debris couldn't graze Charlie's body.
The Spider-Men watched, eyes wide with shock.
"What sharp spider-sense!"
"Miguel's fast, but he can't keep up."
"No, it's not that he can't keep up—he's being predicted."
"How's that possible? We're all Spider-Men. Why's his spider-sense so insane?"
As the Spider-Men gasped, Miguel was equally stunned.
Since gaining his powers, no opponent had ever remained so composed under his onslaught.
This guy was the first.
Wait—why wasn't he fighting back?
Suddenly, Miguel realized something, his movements speeding up.
"I get it. You've abandoned all self-awareness to push your spider-sense to its peak."
Red, razor-sharp light flashed as Miguel swung atop a geometric structure, firing laser webbing to seal off Charlie's space without trying to bind him.
As expected, the laser webs filled the space around Charlie, who didn't react.
Miguel's eyes gleamed. "I must say, mastering this technique is impressive, but too bad—without room to maneuver, your spider-sense won't save you."
He yanked the webbing, and the trap snapped shut.
Swish swish~
Shwick shwick shwick
Just as the web trap was about to work, Charlie's eyes flared again. Blood-red tendrils slammed the ground.
RUMBLE!
Whoosh~
The ground collapsed, and Charlie dropped to the lower level, easily dodging the laser web encirclement.
"What!"
Miguel gasped. Before he could react, the other end of the floor exploded, a red-and-blue streak wrapped in a magical tornado tearing through a geometric structure.
Crack crack crack
Debris fed the growing tornado, its dangerous aura sending chills through the Spider-Men.
"Crap, run!"
"This place is coming down!"
The Spider-Men swung away.
Under the night sky, countless Spider-Men poured from the headquarters' windows.
Before they could land, dazzling magic erupted, tearing the building's outer walls and hurling Miguel toward the street.
"Oh, sh*t, look at those Spider-Men…"
"They're fighting each other!"
Onlookers screamed, fleeing in terror.
"No, Baal!"
On the street, a boy with an ice cream cone stared at the falling black-and-red figure, his big eyes full of confusion.
Behind him, his mother ran desperately, but her speed couldn't save her child from this "accident."
As Miguel was about to crash, a magical portal bloomed before the boy.
"Go do your homework. And eat less sugar."
Charlie snatched the boy's ice cream, then shot webbing to send him away.
He took a bite of the ice cream, using a web slingshot to catch the falling Miguel.
Miguel's suit was heavily damaged, but nanomachines repaired it, covering the bloodstains.
Before he could react, a familiar voice rang out.
"Let me show you what Spider-Man should be."
Charlie released the slingshot, catapulting Miguel skyward, his particle cloak turning into wings for flight.
"Charlie Parker, you forced me!"
Furious, Miguel dove, activating his wrist device.
Instantly, the Spider-Men's wrist devices flashed red.
"Crap, Miguel's issued a mission—capture Charlie Parker."
"What do we do?"
"For the web of life and destiny, we have to."
"Let's go, no time to waste."
A swarm of Spider-Men swung toward Charlie.
Swish swish swish
Webs of all colors flooded in. Charlie punched, stirring an air current that reflected the webs, ensnaring a few unlucky ones.
"Meow!"
Garfield Spider leaped past the trapped, puffing up mid-air, fur standing like needles to pierce his foe.
But Charlie sidestepped, pulling a hapless Spider-Man in front as a shield.
"No!!"
Shwick!!
"Ow!!!"
The unlucky Spider-Man clutched his rear, hopping. Garfield Spider, unable to retract his fur, was dragged into a sewer.
Clang~
The manhole cover spun, and Charlie stomped it.
Crack!
A clear footprint appeared, and Charlie swung into the air, firing spatial webbing.
"My God, he can fly!"
"What's so surprising?"
A Spider-Man with web-wings soared. "Charlie Parker, surrender… No, my wings!!"
The magic web exploded, shredding his wings into fragments.
As he fell, Charlie shot from a web slingshot, weaving through the spider nest, leaving thuds and screams as Spider-Men plummeted.
"No~"
"Sh*t, you hit me!"
"Sorry… Ow, who stepped on my head?"
The Spider-Men were in disarray. On a nearby bridge, a white-haired old man snapped photos of the unprecedented scene.
Click!
"Haha, such adorable Spider-Men."
The old man smiled at his camera screen. "Perfect, I'm inspired. I'll create a Spider-Man comic."
As he turned to leave, dazzling magic lit the night sky, turning into lightning arcs.
Zzzzt~
Bang bang bang
More Spider-Men fell, the arcs closing on Miguel.
"Look closely—this is Spider-Man."
"Damn it!"
As an arc reached him, Miguel bared fangs through his mask, lunging for Charlie's neck.
Zzzzt~
The arc vanished, and Miguel's fangs missed.
A sharp pain hit his spine, and he crashed into the street like a cannonball.
BOOM!!
Buried in rubble, Miguel lay still.
In the air, Charlie unclenched his fists, wagging a finger.
"Your teamwork's a mess!"
"What?"
His disdainful tone infuriated the Spider-Men.
"Damn guy, I'm getting serious!"
"Me too—I'll throw dirt in your eyes!"
"Get down here!"
Dozens of Spider-Men leaped, webs enveloping Charlie.
Charlie shook his head. "Fine, I'll take you all out at once."
He didn't dodge, grabbing the incoming webs.
"Come on!"
With a burst of strength, the Spider-Men on the other end were yanked upward.
Mid-air, Charlie dove, as the swarm clenched their fists.
In the street ruins, Miguel staggered to his feet.
He looked up, shocked, his red eyes flickering.
"A lonely Spider-Man, defying his own fate.
To protect those around him, he'd fight anyone, even Spider-Men…
Have we misunderstood Spider-Man's fate?"
He murmured as the Spider-Men scattered in the dazzling magical energy.
BOOM!!!
The night sky roared for seconds, Spider-Men falling like rain. A red-and-blue figure dove down.
Bang!
Amid trembling rubble, Charlie faced Miguel.
"Now, can I take him?" he asked calmly.
Miguel hesitated, glancing at the battered Spider-Men, then sighed helplessly.
"You'll only get Harry killed. No Spider-Man can change their fate."
He pointed at the Spider-Men. "Each of them lost their Harry, their best friend. They understand you. No one truly wants to stop you.
But you can't recklessly endanger your universe. That's irresponsible."
As he spoke, the Spider-Men stood.
"Charlie Parker, give up!"
"Give up!"
"We won't succeed."
"Our lives are doomed to lose everything."
"Mary Jane, Gwen, Harry, Uncle Ben, Aunt May… The more we resist, the more we lose."
"It's our fate."
"Accept it!"
"No matter how strong we are, we bring disaster to those around us. That's the truth."
"Accept our fate. Join our family—it's the best outcome."
"Heroes are lonely."
"But heroes are necessary."
"Remember what Uncle Ben said?"
"With great power comes great responsibility. To protect the innocent, they'll forgive us."
"Stop struggling."
"All we have left is each other."
The Spider-Men closed in, their clamor making Charlie cover his ears.
"Shut up!!"
His shout shook the ruins.
As debris rolled, the Spider-Men fell silent.
Charlie took a deep breath, staring at them.
Unknowingly, they'd removed their masks.
Some were young, some old, some haggard, some numb.
They'd fought, struggled, despaired.
Each saw their former selves in Charlie.
Powerful, confident, never ceasing to defy fate.
They could imagine the despair and pain of failure.
They wanted to help Charlie, to help their past selves.
But they couldn't.
Unable to resist, they learned to accept.
It was a lesson written in blood!