Most of Hydra Security Solutions' personnel had been redeployed due to the escalating battle, making it easier for Peter and Felicia to enter the seemingly bottomless elevator shaft. Since Felicia couldn't climb walls, their descent became Peter holding her with one hand while slowly lowering them with his webs, all the way down to the water's surface.
From here, Peter's assistance was no longer strictly necessary. Black Cat already had good physical conditioning, and Peter had brought the updated breathing masks from Avengers Tower, handing one to Black Cat.
Felicia had initially intended to use her father's old gear, but seeing the newer model Peter offered, she didn't refuse. They both took the equipment and prepared to move. They submerged themselves at once, following the elevator shaft all the way down.
As they descended, they eventually saw the end of the elevator shaft, where an elevator door appeared at the abyss's bottom. Peter turned on his light in the darkness, then gestured to Black Cat before swimming to the elevator door and opening it wide.
Immediately, a torrent of water rushed into the tunnel. Black Cat quickly darted inside, and Spider-Man instantly closed the door again, preventing the entire tunnel from being flooded by the Hudson River.
Felicia complained, wringing her long, soaked hair.
"Yesterday I climbed a ventilation shaft, then took a shower, and now I'm diving underwater. Does working with you always involve these kinds of places?"
"I think that's pure slander." Peter naturally wouldn't admit that Spider-Man had to be associated with sewers and ventilation shafts—Spider-Man, of course, flies among skyscrapers, how could he be immersed in sewers?
It must be slander.
Felicia chuckled, saying nothing more. The two walked along a seemingly endless corridor. After a long distance, they finally saw another large door. Peter looked back at the distance and concluded:
"We should be directly beneath the Hudson River right now."
"Are you sure?" Felicia was a bit surprised, then realized something. If they couldn't defeat the Hydra agents inside, escaping would be incredibly difficult. It meant they'd have to climb up from the riverbed while evading attacks.
"Of course I'm sure. Spiders have an excellent sense of direction." Peter, who had reached the door, suddenly extended a hand, stopping Felicia. "Watch out, danger ahead."
Felicia was quite surprised and looked at Peter. But at that moment, Peter didn't explain. Instead, he lunged, tackling Felicia to the ground, thereby dodging a fatal energy blast. Felicia, sprawled on the ground, looked with lingering fear at the gaping hole blown in the doorway. "They've already found us?"
"Probably found us a long time ago," Peter said, cloaking himself and looking at Felicia before he completely vanished. "Remember to take care of yourself. I might not have time to look after you."
"You take care of yourself first, little spider. You deal with these guys, I'll go rescue the prisoners."
The completely vanished Peter shrugged, but since no one saw it anyway, he swung directly into the lab. This was a massive hub, at least several thousand square meters. The one who attacked them just now was dressed like a snake, with arms and legs, but a huge snake tail. This person had used their tail to fire the laser.
"Hello there, friend. What's your name? No, never mind, don't tell me. I'm afraid I'll have nightmares."
A Hydra operative, still focused on the enemy, suddenly heard a voice right beside him. Then, a flash of electricity later, he was shocked until smoke streamed from his orifices. Peter had originally intended to rip off this person's tail, just like he did with the Scorpion, but it seemed impractical. Not only was this tail much more securely attached than the Scorpion's, but several other oddly shaped individuals appeared around them. Compared to the normal people in Hydra Security Solutions outside, these new arrivals were absolute freaks.
So Peter opted to use the guy's tail as a hammer, swinging it to hit several of them at once before throwing him aside. After releasing the bio-electricity, his invisibility wore off. At this moment, a legless Hydra operative, modified with mechanical prosthetics, wrapped his tail around Peter's leg, intending to strangle him.
Not only that, he raised his hands, and sharp, poisoned blades popped out from his mechanized forearms.
"I am Viper! Die, Spider-Man!" Viper roared. "I'm not afraid of your electricity."
"Actually, you don't look like a snake at all. You even have two arms," Peter said, grabbing the descending blades with both hands, then forcefully yanked, tearing off his bionic arms. Viper let out a pained howl, then Peter directly tore him off his body and threw him aside. "And now, you look more like a snake."
Another Hydra super-soldier charged forward. Peter threw a punch, which the opponent effortlessly caught. The opponent didn't speak their codename but instead opened their gaping maw after gripping Peter's hands—a literal gaping maw; the mouth was clearly a result of mutation, larger than Peter's entire head.
"My God, do you guys never brush your teeth? What's your codename? Stinky Breath Snake?"
Kicking the opponent, Peter sent them flying over ten meters away, then threw them aside. He then webbed the newly risen automated turret, completely sticking and tearing it off, and slammed it onto the large-mouthed individual. The opponent, despite being hit, surprisingly remained lively and even bit through the turret.
"Oh... I don't even want to imagine what you normally eat if you enjoy that so much."
"Spider-Man! You're mine!"
A sudden voice interrupted Peter. He turned to see a woman in a brown, snake-like outfit charging towards him. She had two steel claws implanted on the backs of her hands—just simple steel claws.
"Sorry, but you didn't pay Wolverine his royalties!" Peter said, webbing the opponent and then giving them a round of electroshock therapy with bio-electricity. "And, as you know, metal conducts electricity well."