While Clark was still lost in his thoughts, Norman continued his presentation, talking non-stop.
His tone was filled with pride and genuine enthusiasm.
This was Norman Osborn before the Green Goblin— a capable businessman, a brilliant scientist… and, for now, even a decent father.
“Each specimen here,” he said, gesturing toward the enclosure, “is a unique biological miracle…”
Peter and Cindy were completely captivated.
They had practically pressed themselves against the glass.
“Incredible…” Peter murmured, his eyes reflecting the simulated rainforest like he’d stepped into another world.
“Look at that one…” Cindy pointed at a vividly patterned spider, equally mesmerized.
Off to the side, Harry had long since tuned out his father’s well-rehearsed speech.
Instead, he studied his new friends.
Peter and Cindy’s obsession.
MJ watching Peter with quiet admiration.
And behind them—
A silent battlefield.
Felicia moved like a cat—fluid, boneless, impossible to predict.
Once again, she slipped right up beside Clark.
Her gaze barely lingered on the spiders.
This wasn’t her world.
If it were jewels?
Money?
Sure.
But right now—
Clark was far more interesting.
Her lips drifted dangerously close to his ear, her breath warm enough to send a shock straight down his spine.
Clark froze.
His face flushed instantly, every nerve standing on end.
He took a step back—
Honestly?
This was scarier than fighting criminals.
“Clark…” Felicia’s voice was low, teasing, almost hypnotic.
“If someone got bitten by one of those… do you think they’d become as strong as you?”
Her hand reached out, brushing toward his arm.
“…Felicia,” Clark said, immediately sidestepping to create distance, “maybe we should keep a safe distance.
We’re not that close.”
He had barely moved—
Before another force yanked him right back.
Gwen stepped in.
Smiling sweetly.
Eyes crackling like lightning.
She inserted herself perfectly between Clark and Felicia, cutting off all space.
“Felicia,” Gwen said politely, her tone flawless on the surface, “Mr.
Osborn is still explaining things.
We should pay attention, shouldn’t we?”
Polite.
Elegant.
Deadly.
The edge in her voice was impossible to miss.
Harry and the others could practically smell the jealousy in the air.
Clark stood wedged between them, feeling his temples throb.
This was worse than listening to the entire world talking at once.
His senses were far sharper than anyone else in the room.
Beyond Norman’s voice, he could hear every breath, every heartbeat… and the invisible clash between the two girls beside him.
But there was something else.
Above them.
Inside the ventilation shaft.
The sound was faint—so faint no one else would ever notice.
Clark instinctively looked up, but the lead-lined ceiling blocked his vision.
He couldn’t see anything.
Probably just faulty equipment, he thought, and let it go.
Right then, Cindy suddenly raised her hand, interrupting Norman mid-speech.
“Mr.
Osborn, I have a question.”
Her tone was calm, but puzzled.
“You said there are fifteen spiders… but I’ve counted several times.
There are only thirteen in the enclosure.”
Silence.
Total silence.
Even Norman paused, frowning as he glanced toward the habitat.
Then his expression darkened.
Two were missing.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
“Security,” he snapped into his communicator, “lock down Lab Seven immediately.
Full life-sign scan across the facility.
I want those spiders found—now.”
Too late.
Clark had already found them.
A loose vent above had shifted open just enough.
Others couldn’t see it.
Clark could.
To him, moments like this never arrived too late.
Time stretched—like it did for speedsters.
Every fraction of a second unfolded in perfect clarity.
Two spiders were falling.
The first—
The one Peter had been staring at earlier, marked with vivid red-and-blue patterns—
Dropped with uncanny precision.
Right onto the back of Peter’s hand as he lifted it to write.
Pain exploded through his nerves.
He didn’t even see what bit him—just flung his hand instinctively.
The spider flew.
A perfect arc.
Straight toward Cindy.
He could’ve stopped it.
In less than a heartbeat, he could’ve crushed it into dust.
But he didn’t move.
A thought surfaced.
Inside his mind, the angel and devil versions of himself were already fighting.
The angel insisted—
He didn’t need more heroes.
He alone could protect everyone.
The devil argued—
This world was dangerous.
Too dangerous.
Organizations, monsters… Wilson Fisk lurking in the shadows… and worse things yet to come.
Clark couldn’t be everywhere.
This wasn’t just risk.
It was opportunity.
The devil won.
Laughing.
The angel lay defeated.
The spider landed on Cindy’s ankle.
She had just turned toward Peter, startled by his cry—
And never saw it coming.
It bit.
Hard.
Peter hadn’t even finished shouting before Cindy cried out too.
At the same time—
The second spider, pale white with black markings, fell along a different path.
Originally—
It was heading toward Felicia.
But fate had other ideas.
Gwen, seeing Felicia once again take advantage of the chaos to get close to Clark, instinctively stepped in—
Shoulder-checking her aside.
“Watch it!” Felicia snapped, annoyed.
But Gwen didn’t even get the chance to respond.
The spider landed.
At the back of her neck.
And bit.
“—Ah!” Gwen hissed in pain.
In less than three seconds—
Everything descended into chaos.
Only after confirming all three had been bitten did Clark finally “react.”
He couldn’t let those creatures hurt MJ or Harry too.
He was about to move—
When a hand caught him.
Felicia.
Effortlessly, she scooped up one of the spiders and sealed it back into a specimen container.
Then she glanced at Clark—
And gave him a playful wink.