Hawkeye was never the type to waste time in a fight he couldn't win.
Without hesitation, he slung his bow over his shoulder, spun on his heel, and dashed into the twisting network of alleyways. His athletic skill gave him an edge—Doctor Octopus might be dangerous, but Otto Octavius couldn't match a trained S.H.I.E.L.D. operative's agility when it came to urban terrain.
Frustrated, Otto lashed out with his mechanical tentacles, smashing through walls, tearing apart market stalls, and sending debris flying in every direction.
A burst of light from one of the tentacles seared across the street—right toward a young girl standing on the sidewalk.
It was seconds away from piercing her skull—
Hawkeye, catching the motion mid-run, twisted around and loosed a rope arrow. His aim was true, the cable zipping toward the girl to pull her clear—
...
"What's going on with Felicia?" Cindy Moon muttered as she left the art gallery. She'd been worried about her best friend all day. "She hasn't replied to any of my texts…"
She was still glancing at her phone when her spider-sense suddenly flared—hard. Her head snapped up just as a beam of light sliced through the air where she'd been standing.
Instinct took over. Cindy fired a webline to a nearby streetlamp, flipping herself up onto it in one clean motion.
An arrow rope whipped through the space she had just vacated, hitting nothing but air.
Her eyes narrowed. "Who's attacking me?"
It didn't feel like an accident. If it was random debris, fine—but a rope arrow aimed directly at her? That meant someone had her in their sights.
Both Hawkeye and Doctor Octopus paused at her reaction. The precision, the agility—it was like watching Ghost-Spider in action.
....
Cindy scanned the street, spotting both combatants.
Who were they? Could they be connected to Morlun? The thought made her stomach twist. That would explain the ambush—if it wasn't him directly, maybe it was one of his allies.
Run or fight?
Easy choice. Run. Cindy Moon valued survival over pride, and this was not the time to test her luck.
She tugged her collar higher to obscure her face and prepared to slip away—
Hawkeye recovered before Otto did. With a snap shot, he fired a specialized arrow that exploded into a mass of quick-hardening polymer, splattering across Doctor Octopus's tentacles and locking them up in the gaps of the joints.
...
"A fight?" Cindy muttered, pausing mid-swing.
She didn't understand the context, but every instinct screamed don't get involved. If they wanted to beat each other up, fine—she was no one's referee.
She spread her fingers, preparing to fire a new webline—
Buzz.
Her breath caught.
That feeling. That unmistakable pulse in her mind—the same resonance she'd felt when her spider-sense had connected with Jack Kadere's.
"Is he nearby?" she murmured.
As Cindy's strange sensation grew stronger, two figures in sleek, high-tech combat suits dropped down beside her.
Bang—
Gwen landed first, boots hitting the pavement hard enough to send a small cloud of dust swirling into the air. She flexed her gloved fingers, the faint glow of her suit's energy lines tracing over her arms. "This feels amazing~" she said with a satisfied grin.
Jessica, clad in a similarly advanced battle suit, turned her gaze toward Cindy and raised a brow. "Cindy? How did you end up perched on a lamppost like that? And… what's that floating between your fingertips? Is that spider silk?"
Because of Jack Kadere's involvement, Jessica and Cindy had crossed paths a few times lately. Still, Cindy's current display was something unexpected—she looked and moved a lot like Gwen.
"Jessica? So it's you… and Ghost-Spider. The suits look a little different from what was on the news," Cindy replied as she hopped down. Her tone was casual, but her sharp eyes never left Gwen.
Her spider-sense was practically buzzing, guiding her to the source. There was no mistaking it—Ghost-Spider was right in front of her.
"Cindy, are you another Spider-person?" Jessica asked, walking over and giving her a closer look. "Wait… don't tell me—you're the Black Spider?"
It was a theory Jessica had been nursing for a while.
When they'd gone to pick up their new gear, Sky had passed along Jack Kadere's instruction—don't mention he provided the suits. If anyone asked, say they came from the Black Spider.
Back then, Jessica and Gwen had both suspected the mysterious ally was actually the Black Spider. That would explain why the vigilante kept helping Gwen—it had to be because of Jack.
It all fit perfectly.
The possibility that Jack himself was the Black Spider had crossed Gwen's mind before, but she'd quickly dismissed it. Jack was warm and easygoing… whereas the Black Spider was cold and intimidating.
Now, seeing Cindy exhibit powers so similar to Gwen's—and clearly having a personal connection to Jack—Jessica's suspicion flared again.
The Black Spider was assumed to be male, but… could he be in disguise? Jessica eyed Cindy's build critically. Tightened gear could easily conceal a lot.
"Huh? What are you thinking about, Jessica?" Cindy asked, clearly puzzled. "I'm Silk, not the Black Spider."
"Jessica, her abilities are almost the same as mine," Gwen chimed in. "But the Black Spider's suit and style are different… and he doesn't use webbing like this. So she's probably not him."
"Yeah, that's true," Jessica admitted reluctantly. "Besides… the Black Spider can fly."