Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Chapter 89: The Last Stand

The air in the room felt thick with tension as Peter stood face to face with Venom. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to act, but something about the way Venom moved—graceful, yet powerful—made it clear that this would be no ordinary battle.

Venom's red eyes glowed with an unsettling intensity, and his grin stretched impossibly wide, revealing rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth. His form was fluid, shifting between shapes, like he was both there and not there at the same time. The black tendrils that extended from his body twitched like snakes waiting to strike.

"Do you honestly think you can stop me?" Venom's voice was a low growl, reverberating off the walls of the lab. "You are nothing compared to the power I possess."

Peter's grip on his web-shooters tightened. He knew that Venom was right about one thing—he wasn't dealing with a regular villain. But he also knew that this was a fight he had to win. For Mary Jane. For Harry. For everyone who depended on him.

"I've stopped worse," Peter said, his voice steady despite the fear that clawed at the back of his mind. "And I'll stop you too."

Without warning, Venom lunged at him, tendrils shooting forward like whips. Peter leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, and fired a web at the ceiling, swinging to a safer vantage point. Venom growled in frustration, his eyes never leaving Peter as he advanced.

"You think your webs can save you?" Venom taunted, his voice reverberating throughout the space. "They can't save you from me."

Peter knew Venom was right. His usual tactics wouldn't be enough against an opponent like this. He had to think differently.

As Venom approached again, Peter swung low, aiming for Venom's feet with a well-placed web shot. It caught the symbiote off guard, causing him to stumble. Peter followed up with a roundhouse kick, landing a blow against Venom's side.

But Venom's body twisted like liquid, absorbing the impact without any sign of pain. With a roar, he lashed out, his tendrils wrapping around Peter's waist. Before Peter could react, Venom yanked him toward him with terrifying force.

"Gotcha," Venom hissed. His tendrils constricted around Peter's chest, squeezing the air from his lungs.

Peter gritted his teeth, struggling to break free, but it was like trying to fight against steel. His webs did little against the symbiote's liquid form. He could feel his strength waning, the weight of the fight pulling him down.

And then, through the pain and the exhaustion, a voice echoed in his mind.

Think, Peter. Think. There's always a way.

The words of Uncle Ben, of Aunt May, of everything he had ever fought for, pushed him forward. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't give up.

Peter's mind raced. He remembered something. Something he had read about the symbiote—Venom's weakness. Heat. Extreme heat could destabilize the symbiote, force it to retreat.

I have to find a way to make it work.

Peter summoned every ounce of strength he had left. With a grunt, he activated his web-shooters, sending out a flurry of webs to wrap around the symbiote's tendrils. Using the webs as leverage, he pulled himself free just enough to fire a concentrated web shot directly at the nearby power core—the facility's backup generator. It was risky, but it was their only chance.

The web shot hit the core, sparking with electricity. A surge of power coursed through the room, lighting it up in flashes. The air grew thick with tension as the humming of the core intensified.

"No!" Venom snarled, releasing Peter momentarily as the electricity surged through the air. "You think you can defeat me with that?"

But Peter wasn't trying to defeat Venom directly. He was stalling.

With the backup generator overloaded, the lights in the room flickered, the air turning increasingly hot and charged. Peter knew he had only moments before the explosion would occur. He had to move.

Without waiting for Venom to recover, Peter swung toward Harry, who had been hiding behind a nearby console, watching the battle unfold. "We need to get out of here. Now!"

Harry nodded, eyes wide with shock and concern. "Is it working?"

Peter didn't answer. There was no time. They sprinted toward the exit, but before they could reach the door, a massive crash echoed through the room.

Venom had recovered. His form was even more monstrous now, and his tendrils lashed out with even greater force, smashing through the walls and floors.

"You cannot run," Venom growled. "I will consume you."

Peter turned, narrowly dodging another wave of tendrils. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel the heat building up around them. "Harry! Get to the exit, now!"

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He turned and bolted toward the door, leaving Peter to deal with Venom. Peter knew it was a risk, but there was no other choice. Harry needed to get out of there with the data they'd downloaded, the only thing that could possibly stop Oscorp and Project Genesis.

Peter swung toward Venom, firing webs at the creature's legs, attempting to slow him down. Venom swatted at the webs, breaking them effortlessly, but the distraction gave Peter the opening he needed. He lunged at the backup generator, grabbing the exposed wires and pulling them with all his might. Sparks flew, and the system overloaded. A blast of heat and electricity exploded from the core, sending both Peter and Venom flying backward.

The explosion rocked the entire building, causing the walls to tremble. Venom let out a deafening roar as the symbiote writhed in pain. The heat from the explosion had affected it, but it wasn't enough to stop him entirely. The creature was still powerful, still dangerous. But it was weakened.

Peter gritted his teeth, already feeling the fatigue setting in. He had to keep fighting. He had to finish this.

But Venom wasn't done. He reared back, tendrils whipping through the air, and with a single, decisive strike, he slammed Peter into the wall.

Peter's head collided with the concrete, stars exploding in his vision. Blood trickled down his forehead as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He could hear Venom laughing, the sound deep and guttural.

"You cannot win, Spider-Man," Venom growled. "The symbiote is beyond your power. The age of heroes is over."

Peter's heart raced as he pushed himself to his feet, despite the overwhelming pain. His mind was reeling, his body screaming for rest. But there was no rest. There was only the fight.

And suddenly, an idea struck him.

The building. The heat from the explosion. Venom's weakness.

He had to destroy the building's core. He had to overload the entire facility.

With his remaining strength, Peter sprinted toward the heart of the lab. Venom followed, his massive form barreling toward Peter, but this time, Peter was ready. With a flick of his wrist, Peter launched a web at a nearby control panel. The system sparked and short-circuited, triggering the fail-safes.

The building began to shake as the core overloaded, the countdown ticking away.

"Pete!" Harry shouted from the exit. "We've got to go! Now!"

Peter glanced back at Venom, whose form was shifting and warping in the heat. The symbiote screeched in fury, trying to fight back the damage, but it was too late. The countdown hit zero, and the entire building erupted in a massive explosion.

The last thing Peter saw was Harry's face, filled with fear and determination, as the blast engulfed them all.

End of Chapter 89