The industrial district of New York, Earth-731, was a graveyard of rusted factories and flickering holograms, a perfect hideout for a fugitive like Peter Parker. He crouched in an abandoned warehouse, his body aching from the spider-serum's aftereffects. His skin healed rapidly from cuts and bruises, a gift of his new regenerative powers, but the pain in his lower body—lingering from Oscorp's electroshock torture—flared with every move. It was a cruel reminder of his decade in captivity, each jolt designed to break his spirit. Yet, in the darkness, a new voice laughed in his mind, a manic edge that sounded like it belonged to someone else. "They thought they could cage me," he muttered, grinning despite the pain. "Joke's on them."
Flashback: Peter, age 15, stood outside Gwen's house, nervously holding a crumpled note. He'd meant to confess his feelings, to tell her she was the only light in his bullied, lonely life. But before he could knock, Oscorp's black vans screeched up, men in tactical gear dragging him away. Gwen's screams haunted him as he was thrown into a van, her face the last thing he saw before the lab consumed him.
Now, Peter scavenged through the warehouse, piecing together a costume from scraps—torn red fabric, a hood stained with motor oil. He didn't know why he needed it, only that it felt right, like armor for the madness growing inside him. His spider-senses tingled, picking up the distant buzz of Oscorp's drones. They were hunting him, and Gwen was in danger. He remembered her face in the lab, the risk she'd taken. "She's always been there," he whispered, the thought grounding him, even as his laughter bubbled up, dark and chaotic.
Meanwhile, in Oscorp's lab, Gwen sat in a holding cell, her hands cuffed. Norman Osborn paced before her, his voice smooth but venomous. "You betrayed us, Miss Stacy. For him." Gwen's jaw tightened, but she said nothing, her mind racing. She'd known the cameras would catch her, but saving Peter was worth it. A flashback flooded her: at 13, she'd watched Peter protect a younger kid from bullies, taking a beating without complaint. She'd loved him then, a quiet, unspoken devotion that grew through years of watching his suffering in Oscorp. Now, she faced Norman's wrath, but her heart held no regrets.
Peter, now calling himself Mad Spider, moved through the city's underbelly, his agility letting him scale walls and swing between rusted pipes. His senses guided him back to Oscorp's facility, a fortress of steel and glass buried in the industrial district. The pain in his body spiked, a burning reminder of the shocks, but he pushed through, his laughter masking the agony. "Time for an encore," he chuckled, slipping through a maintenance hatch. Inside, the lab was a maze of corridors and humming machines. He dodged patrols, his spider-senses flaring at every corner, until he found Gwen's cell.
The Blackweb Unit was waiting. Drones whirred, their red eyes locking onto him as mercenaries opened fire. Mad Spider danced through the chaos, his regenerative powers healing bullet wounds in seconds. "You guys need better aim!" he taunted, his Deadpool-like banter clashing with the violence. He webbed a drone to the ceiling, then tackled a guard, his strength overwhelming. Gwen, hearing the commotion, banged on her cell door. "Peter!" she shouted, her voice cutting through his madness.
He reached her cell, ripping the door off its hinges. Gwen's eyes widened at his costume, a jagged red silhouette that screamed defiance. "You came back," she whispered, tears mixing with relief. Peter grinned, wild and unhinged. "Couldn't leave my best girl." They fled, alarms screaming, as the Blackweb Unit closed in. Gwen led them to a service elevator, her knowledge of the lab their only edge. As they ascended, Peter's pain flared again, dropping him to his knees. Gwen knelt beside him, her hands gentle. "It's the shocks," she said softly, her voice trembling. "They… they hurt you in ways that don't heal." Peter's laughter faded, replaced by a raw, vulnerable look. "You saved me, Gwen. Why?"
She hesitated, then leaned close, her breath warm against his ear. "Because I've always loved you, Peter. Since we were kids." The elevator doors opened, revealing the city's skyline and a swarm of drones closing in.
Cliffhanger: Mad Spider, clutching Gwen, swings into the night, drones in pursuit. "Hold on, Gwen," he laughs, his voice a mix of madness and hope. "We're just getting started."