Chapter 214

In the span of one minute, Peter Parker had already crossed most of the distance to the unfinished skyscraper where Ali was hiding.

His muscles burned, his lungs ached, but he kept going, pushing his body far beyond its limits.

Every fibre of his being was screaming at him to move faster.

And yet—it still felt too slow.

This wasn't like the other times he had rushed into danger.

He had been in life-threatening situations before. He had fought enemies far more powerful than himself, had been in battles where his own life was on the line.

He had even faced situations where his loved ones were in danger.

But this time—this time, it was different.

This wasn't just another fight.

It wasn't just about being a hero.

This time, it felt like something was going terribly wrong.

It felt like he was about to lose something forever.

And that thought terrified him.

SWING!

His red and blue suit zipped through the air, streaking across the dark New York skyline, his reflection flickering past the glass windows of skyscrapers as he swung at unprecedented speed.

He had never moved this fast in his life.

And still—it wasn't fast enough.

Meanwhile, in the half-finished building, Ali leaned casually against a cold concrete support beam, his posture relaxed, completely at ease.

The dim glow of the city lights reflected faintly off the black metal of his Desert Eagle, the barrel of the gun firmly pressed against the back of Mary Jane's head.

Her knees dug into the rough cement, her body trembling violently.

Tears rolled down her pale cheeks, her muffled sobs barely audible behind the duct tape sealing her lips shut.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, her mind racing with prayers—desperate, silent pleas for Peter to find her.

For him to save her.

But Ali stood beside her, unmoving, his dark eyes watching the city skyline, his expression one of complete indifference.

He was in no rush.

This was nothing more than a waiting game.

SWING!

Peter's final web shot latched onto the steel frame of the building, and he landed soundlessly on the unfinished rooftop.

His movements were silent, calculated.

He didn't make a single sound as he crept toward the edge of the roof, his body flattening against the cold cement.

His hands and feet stuck to the surface, his white lenses narrowing as he peered down toward the floor below.

His breath was steady, but his heartbeat was erratic.

Then—

"I know you're there… Come out."

Ali's voice echoed through the empty building, cutting through the silence like a blade.

His tone was casual.

Unbothered.

And worst of all—amused.

Peter's body tensed immediately.

There was no hesitation in Ali's words.

No nervousness.

Whoever this guy was—he wasn't afraid of Spider-Man.

Peter took a deep breath and dropped down, landing lightly on the floor below.

He straightened, raising his hands slightly in a cautious but non-threatening gesture.

His sharp eyes locked onto Ali, studying him carefully.

"Okay, okay… I'm here."

Every part of him wanted to attack, to end this before anything worse could happen—

But Mary came first.

Her life was all that mattered.

Ali barely reacted, his black hood casting a shadow over his face, obscuring his features.

But his cold eyes gleamed beneath the fabric, sharp and calculating.

"Take off the mask."

Peter's breath hitched slightly, his fingers twitching as he hesitated.

"Is that what you want?" he asked, his voice steady but controlled.

"I take it off, and you let her go?"

Ali said nothing, only pressed the barrel of the gun harder against the back of Mary's head.

Peter's body locked up as he saw her flinch.

Slowly, carefully, he took a small step forward, trying to close the distance between himself and Mary—Trying to give himself a chance to do something.

BANG!

The gunshot echoed through the building.

Peter nearly lunged forward as the bullet whizzed past Mary's head, slamming into the concrete under her.

Mary flinched violently, a muffled cry escaping behind the duct tape.

Ali's grip never wavered.

"Mask off, or she dies."

Peter's fists clenched, his heartbeat pounding violently.

He had no choice.

Slowly, his hands reached under his mask—

And he pulled it off, revealing his face.

Ali's eyes widened slightly.

Ali had seen his face on the internet before now but it was different seeing Peter in real life.

A fictional character—standing in front of him, alive and breathing.

"Listen, man. Tell me what you want. Who are you? Why are you doing this?", Ali smirked, shaking his head.

"It's hard to shoot your webs at my gun when I'm holding it behind her head, huh?"

Peter stopped moving.

Ali reached into his pocket, retrieving a small syringe filled with a clear liquid.

"If you want Mary to walk out of here alive…"

He tapped the gun against Mary's head again, making her flinch violently.

"Then stab yourself with this."

Ali tossed the syringe, and Peter caught it instantly.

His grip on the vial tightened.

His stomach churned.

"What is it?"

Ali tilted his head.

"It's what I want from you, Spider-Man."

His voice was calm, cold, and completely certain.

"Inject yourself, and Mary walks away."

Peter's fingers trembled as his mind raced.

Was it poison?

A sedative?

A tracker?

He had no way of knowing.

Ali's hand slowly rose in the air, fingers curling.

"Three…"

Peter's breathing was uneven.

"Two…"

His heartbeat pounded in his skull.

"One—"

"WAIT, I—"

BANG!

"NOOOOO!"

Ali pulled the trigger, the bullet tearing through Mary's thigh. She screamed violently, but the duct tape swallowed her cries.

Peter snapped.

He shot his webs at Ali's gun hand—

Only for them to freeze in midair.

His eyes widened in pure horror.

Ali simply waved his hand, and the webbing flew out of the building.

"I told you I didn't want to kill her… but you're forcing my hand, Peter."

Peter's breath shook as he looked down at Mary's leg, blood pooling around her.

Ali exhaled. "Four minutes before she bleeds out."

Peter had no choice.

STAB!

Peter then stabbed himself with the needle and injected the vial into his body in front of Mary, who shook her head at him for doing so. Even though she was shot and bleeding out, she still didn't want to risk Peter's life for hers.

'Damn, I'm the evil bastard here… 'Ali thought, looking down at the girl beneath him, crying out for Peter.

"Good, you can have her now…" Ali said as he grabbed Mary's arm and forced her to stand on her feet, even though she couldn't put any weight on the leg where she had been shot.

She stumbled as Ali walked her slowly toward Peter, the gun still pressed against her back.

Peter threw away the syringe, his body tense as he prepared for whatever came next.

"Slowly…" Ali whispered into Mary's ear, making her flinch as he nudged her forward.

Then, when they were close enough, Ali locked eyes with Peter, taking in the barely restrained rage burning behind them.

Suddenly, Ali shoved Mary forward.

She stumbled toward Peter, unable to keep her balance with her wounded leg.

Peter immediately reached out, catching her as she collapsed into his arms.

But just as his fingers wrapped around her, Peter's instincts screamed.

Everything was happening in slow motion.

Behind Mary, Ali moved—his shoulder turning slightly, his stance shifting in a way that Peter instantly recognised.

'No—!'

His body reacted before his mind could process it.

Peter shot out a web, aiming for the far side of the floor, trying to pull himself and Mary away from danger—But something was wrong.

His movements were sluggish.

His reactions were delayed.

Ali was too close, far closer than Peter expected.

Normally, he would have been able to dodge, would have already been out of the way—

But something was slowing him down.

SPARK!

Suddenly, a blinding flash of red erupted, illuminating the entire floor in a violent, crackling glow.

Peter's eyes nearly went blind from the intensity of the light.

The air around them heated instantly, the temperature rising as an unearthly energy surged through the space.

Ali's right arm was now engulfed in red lightning, the crackling energy coursing from his fingertips all the way to his shoulder, moving at impossible speeds, flickering every fraction of a second.

The sheer heat from the lightning was so intense that Mary's shirt began to burn before Ali had even reached her.

Peter saw it too late.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH—!"

Peter screamed as he pushed his strength and speed to their absolute limits, desperately trying to react in time—

But it wasn't enough.

Ali's body tensed, his skin darkening with blackened lines as his power spiked.

And in that instant—

Peter was a moment too late.

STAB!

Ali's lightning-covered hand pierced through Mary's back with ease, his fingers shredding through her spine and ribcage, destroying both her heart and lungs in a single, merciless strike.

The force of the impact drove his hand forward, exiting through her chest—

But Ali wasn't done.

His hand didn't stop.

The red lightning surged violently, its power growing even stronger as it passed through Mary's body—

And then it slammed into Peter's suit.

The impact hit hard, the energy rippling through the advanced fabric, overloading the nanotechnology built into the suit.

This wasn't just any suit—it was designed by Tony Stark himself.

But even Stark Tech had its limits.

The lightning burned through the protective material, melting the fabric instantly, leaving Peter's bare chest exposed as the energy coursed through his body.

The electricity surged through him, burning his flesh, sending waves of agonising pain through his nerves.

Then—

STAB!

Ali's fingertips touched Peter's skin.

And they didn't stop.

His entire hand drove through Peter's chest, skewering him just as he had done to Mary.

"UGH—!"

Peter's breath hitched, his vision blurring, his body going numb.

The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

His chest felt hollow, the heat of the lightning searing through his organs.

His vision dimmed, his head tilting downward—

And that was when he saw her.

Mary Jane.

Her soft brown eyes were already losing their light, but she was still looking at him.

Her lips trembled as blood spilled from her mouth, but even through the agony—

She smiled.

Through the pain, through the horror, through the blood, she smiled at him.

And in her final moments, she hugged him weakly, her fingers clutching onto his suit as if she didn't want to let go.

Ali's hand jerked back, pulling himself out of their bodies.

The motion was rough, unceremonious—

Like they were nothing more than discarded waste.

The moment Ali withdrew his bloodied arm, the couple collapsed to the floor together, their bodies hitting the cold concrete as if they had been gently placed there by fate itself.

Peter's hand was still wrapped around Mary, their faces just inches apart.

Two young souls, full of dreams, love, and hopes for the future, had met a demon that night.

A ruthless, merciless demon who took everything from them before they ever had the chance to truly live.

Ali looked down at them, his black eyes completely void of emotion.

No remorse.

No guilt.

Nothing.

His gaze drifted toward Peter Parker—The famous Spider-Man.

But in the end, he was just a boy in this world.

'If he didn't have enough tranquilliser in his system to take down ten elephants…'. Ali thought, his eyes cold and calculating.

'I would have lost this fight. Miserably.'

Ali exhaled slowly, wiping the blood from his forearm as he turned around and walked away.

Superheroes.

They were monsters.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C…

In the capital of America, deep within the luxurious penthouse suite of a five-star hotel, Tony Stark was sleeping soundly.

Two stunning women lay beside him, their bare skin covered by the silk sheets, their breathing soft and steady.

Everything was calm.

Everything was perfect.

Then—

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Tony's bracelet vibrated violently, its emergency alert flashing bright red.

He groaned, his eyelids fluttering open as the noise yanked him from sleep.

"Ugh… What?"

His voice was hoarse, thick with exhaustion.

The two women beside him stirred slightly, one of them letting out a soft whimper at the disturbance.

Tony rubbed his eyes, blinking blearily at the glowing alert on his wrist.

His expression twisted into a scowl, his fingers rubbing at his temple in irritation.

Then—

A voice spoke.

"Sir."

It was his AI assistant, the voice cutting through the silence with eerie precision.

"It's the Spider-Man suit. The life signal has been cut."

Tony's blood ran cold.

"There is no response from the suit."

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