Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Chapter 104: The Echoes of Time

The landscape around Peter Parker and Doctor Strange was still unsettled, the air thick with residual energy from the shattered Nexus Point. Time itself felt like it was pulling at the very fabric of reality, like it hadn't quite accepted its defeat. Even though they had successfully disrupted Kang's grip on the multiverse, Peter knew it wasn't over.

"Is it… really over?" Peter asked, staring up at the sky as ripples of temporal energy swirled around them.

Doctor Strange, his face still shadowed with concern, looked toward the horizon. "No, it's not. Kang will be back. He's like a shadow that can't be outrun. We may have delayed him, but he's only going to grow stronger from here. And if we don't act soon, he'll come back with even more power—more knowledge of our weaknesses."

Peter let out a heavy sigh, his muscles still aching from the strain of the battle. His suit was torn in several places, but he didn't mind the pain. The real pain was what was yet to come. He knew Kang wouldn't go down without a fight. A fight that was bound to get even worse.

"Then we need to prepare," Peter said, his voice resolute. "We need to get ahead of him before he has time to adapt."

Strange nodded, turning his attention back to the distortion in the sky. "I have a plan," he said, his voice low. "But it will require every last bit of our power. We may not be able to stop Kang entirely—he's too intertwined with the multiverse itself. But we can slow him down."

Peter's thoughts raced. Every decision he made felt heavy, but he had never been one to back down. "Then let's do it," he said, cracking his knuckles. "We don't have time to waste."

Before either of them could move, a strange energy ripple shot out from the heart of the Nexus Point—now a chaotic swirl of raw energy. Peter instinctively shot a web at a nearby building to stabilize himself, but the force was too strong. He was thrown off balance and almost collided with a nearby wall. Strange's magic shield flickered as he tried to stabilize the disturbance.

Suddenly, the air grew cold, and a voice echoed through the shifting storm of reality.

"Foolish mortals… you think you can defeat me?" Kang's voice reverberated with eerie confidence.

From the center of the time-storm, the air began to shimmer, warping in unnatural ways. There, in the eye of the storm, Kang appeared—his figure solidifying into view. But this time, he was different. His armor was darker, more refined, almost glowing with an otherworldly energy. The hourglass emblem on his chest gleamed, pulsating with the force of the very timeline he controlled.

"You've only delayed the inevitable," Kang said, stepping forward with a chilling calmness. His eyes glowed with the knowledge of countless timelines, and his presence radiated a terrifying power. "I don't need the Nexus to defeat you. I am the Nexus."

Peter's heart sank. This wasn't just the conqueror anymore—this was something more. Something terrifying. It was as if Kang had transcended the need for time manipulation, becoming an entity tied to the very existence of the multiverse.

Doctor Strange clenched his fists. "He's adapting faster than we can anticipate. The multiverse is still unstable—he's exploiting its weaknesses."

Peter looked at Strange. "What do we do? We can't let him keep growing stronger."

"We need to cut off his access to the time-stream entirely," Strange said, his voice hardening with determination. "If we don't, he'll become invincible. We'll be fighting an infinite war we can't win."

Peter nodded, adrenaline surging through his veins. "Then let's do it. I'm ready."

The battle that followed was unlike any Peter had ever fought. Kang didn't just manipulate time. He became time—shifting through it, warping his presence across the battlefield like an unstoppable force. He appeared behind Peter, then beside him, then in front of him—all at once. His attacks were not physical punches or strikes, but shifts in time itself. Kang could stop Peter in his tracks by rewinding a few seconds or send him into the future where nothing was familiar. Every move Peter made was countered before it even happened.

Strange stood his ground as best as he could, summoning mystical shields to block Kang's attacks, but it was clear they were being pushed to their limits. Their usual strategies weren't enough against an enemy who could manipulate the very passage of time.

"Peter!" Strange shouted, throwing an arcane bolt at Kang. "We need to disrupt his connection to the multiverse! He's drawing power from it. We can't fight him head-on!"

Peter's mind spun as he dodged a time-warped strike, narrowly avoiding it. "How do we disrupt something like that?"

Doctor Strange's eyes flickered with an idea. "The Eye of Agamotto. It contains the power to manipulate time itself, but more importantly, it can sever a connection between a being and the flow of time."

Peter's heart skipped a beat. "But I thought it was destroyed!"

Strange's gaze darkened. "It was, but not completely. I may be able to recreate it using the mystical energies around us. But it will take time—and I'll need your help."

Peter didn't hesitate. "I'll buy you the time you need."

He swung into action, using his agility and webs to keep Kang occupied. Every movement felt like it might be his last, but Peter knew the stakes were higher than ever before. Kang's power was growing, but so was Peter's resolve. With each swing, he felt the weight of the multiverse pressing down on him—but he wasn't going to let it collapse.

Strange's hands moved rapidly, summoning spells that twisted the fabric of space and time around them. The air hummed with magic as Strange spoke in ancient tongues, focusing all his energy on recreating the Eye of Agamotto.

Meanwhile, Kang's attacks became more frantic, his eyes blazing with fury. "You cannot stop me!" he thundered. "You are ants, trapped in my infinite web!"

Peter shot back, "I'm not giving up. Not now. Not ever."

Kang lashed out with another burst of temporal energy, this time sending Peter hurtling backward. His back slammed into a building, cracking the wall as he slid to the ground. His head spun, but he pushed through the pain, shaking off the dizziness. He could feel Strange's magic building up. The Eye of Agamotto was close.

"Kang!" Peter shouted, trying to buy more time. "You think you can control everything? You think you know what's best for all of us? You're just afraid of chaos—of the unknown. But without it, everything is meaningless. You're just a coward hiding behind a mask of control!"

Kang paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "You dare lecture me on chaos? I have seen what chaos brings—it brings destruction. It brings… death."

Peter squared his shoulders, limping slightly but standing tall. "Maybe, Kang. But it also brings life. The ability to grow. The ability to change."

A spark of uncertainty flickered in Kang's eyes. For the first time, Peter could sense a crack in the conqueror's resolve.

It was enough.

In that moment, Doctor Strange completed the incantation. The air around them shimmered with light as a replica of the Eye of Agamotto materialized in front of him. Strange reached out, grabbing it with both hands.

"Now, Peter!" Strange shouted.

Peter leapt into action. With a final burst of energy, he shot a web at Kang, pulling him forward just as Strange activated the Eye. The time-warping energy surged outward, colliding with Kang's form. A deafening scream echoed through the air as the connection between Kang and the multiverse was severed.

Kang's body jerked violently, his armor crackling with energy as he struggled against the pull. But it was too late. With one final pulse, the Eye of Agamotto flared brightly, and Kang was cast back into the depths of the timestream.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then, the multiverse began to heal itself.

End of Chapter 104