Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Chapter 44: Tidal Forces

The air around Peter crackled with tension as he hung from the crane's arm, watching the massive creature thrash against the webs that held it in place. It had been knocked back into the water, but it wasn't down—not by a long shot. Its form writhed and shimmered like liquid night, each ripple radiating an otherworldly energy.

Peter's spider-sense was still buzzing like crazy, warning him of the creature's every move. He could feel it in the air, in his bones—the creature wasn't just powerful. It was relentless. And this wasn't the kind of fight where strength alone would win. He needed to find its weak spot, and fast.

As the creature lunged again, its tentacles cutting through the water like whips, Peter jumped off the crane, narrowly avoiding a strike aimed at his head. He shot a web to the nearby dock, swinging out of the way just as another tentacle slammed into the wood, splintering it into jagged pieces.

"You're persistent," Peter muttered to himself, his voice filled with grim determination. "I'll give you that."

The creature screeched, its voice seeping into Peter's mind like an echo from the abyss. "We do not need your approval, Spider-Man. Your world is ours to claim. You are a mere… obstacle."

The words stung like a slap to the face, but Peter pushed them aside. He wasn't going to let this thing intimidate him. He had fought worse—he had faced gods, aliens, and men who believed they were gods. But this… this was different. The Tide wasn't just a physical threat. It was the beginning of something much bigger. Something that Peter didn't fully understand yet.

Another massive tentacle shot toward him, and Peter instinctively leaped into the air, barely avoiding it. As he soared over the creature's head, he saw something—a faint glimmer of light flickering beneath the surface of the water. It wasn't natural. It was as if the very water itself was alive, pulsing with an unnatural energy.

The Tide isn't just a creature, Peter realized. It's a part of something much bigger. It's the vanguard.

Suddenly, everything clicked. The creature wasn't just trying to destroy the city—it was trying to weaken the barrier between worlds. The gate that Oscorp had opened, the rift they had created with their experiments—it wasn't just a doorway to another dimension. It was a signal. A signal to bring more of The Tide through, to flood this world with whatever horrors came from the void.

Peter's chest tightened. He wasn't just fighting for his life anymore—he was fighting for the survival of his world.

"MJ," Peter called over his shoulder, his voice sharp. "Get back to the car! Now!"

MJ hesitated for a moment, clearly torn, but Peter didn't give her a choice. The creature was still writhing in the water, but Peter's mind was already working through a plan. He had to stop it before it could bring more of its kind through the rift. If he could destroy the source of the energy—the glowing spot beneath the water—he might have a chance.

But that meant getting closer to the creature, which was still thrashing around wildly. One wrong move, and he would be flattened by its tentacles.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Peter fired a web toward a nearby piling, swinging himself closer to the water's edge. His heart pounded in his chest as he approached the glowing light. The creature's eyes fixed on him again, and its tendrils lashed out in anger. It was learning. It knew he was going for the source of its power.

Peter wasn't fast enough. A tentacle shot toward him, wrapping around his waist with a bone-crushing grip. Peter gasped as the air was forced out of his lungs. He shot webs into the creature's tendril, trying to break free, but it only tightened, pulling him closer to the creature's massive body.

"You think you can stop us, Spider-Man? You think you can stop the Tide?" the creature's voice boomed inside his head, filling him with a sense of hopelessness. "You are nothing. We will wash your world away."

Peter's breath came in sharp gasps as he struggled against the creature's grasp. His webs were useless against the creature's strength, and every time he tried to break free, the tentacle only squeezed harder. He could feel his ribs protesting with every squeeze, his body crying out in pain.

But even in the face of certain defeat, Peter's mind didn't stop racing. Think, Peter, think. He couldn't let this creature win. There had to be something he could do. He couldn't let it get away, couldn't let it open that rift wider.

His eyes darted around, searching for anything that could give him an advantage. He had no time to waste. Every second that passed brought the creature closer to completing its mission.

Then, his gaze locked onto the nearby steel beams—rusted, old, and barely hanging on. They were weak. They could be his ticket to escape.

With the last ounce of his strength, Peter focused all his energy on a single, focused web shot. He fired toward the steel beams, his webbing striking them with a sickening crack. The impact sent the beams tumbling toward the creature's body, striking it with force.

The creature let out a howl of pain, its grip loosening for just a moment. That was all Peter needed. He fired another web at the glowing energy source beneath the water, his aim precise, and pulled with everything he had.

The force of the web shot through the air, and the creature's grip finally broke. Peter flew through the air, narrowly avoiding another sweeping tentacle. He landed hard on the dock, sliding across the wet surface and coming to a halt against a pile of crates.

He gasped for air, his body aching from the impact. But he didn't have time to rest. He had to act fast.

With a deep breath, Peter pushed himself up and shot another web toward the glowing spot beneath the water. He focused all his strength on pulling the energy source out of the depths, the pressure building in his chest as he yanked harder.

For a moment, nothing happened. The water churned violently, as if resisting him, but then—there it was. The glowing energy source began to rise, slowly at first, then faster, until it broke free from the depths with a powerful burst of light.

The creature screamed in agony, its tentacles flailing wildly as the light from the energy source surged into the sky. The ground shook, and the air was thick with tension. Peter's webs began to glow with the same unnatural light, as if reacting to the energy. The Tide was weakening.

Peter didn't stop. He pulled harder, his body screaming with exhaustion, until the creature's form finally began to disintegrate, its dark mass breaking apart as the energy overwhelmed it. With a final, deafening roar, the Tide was gone, its form collapsing into the water in a cloud of black liquid.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Peter collapsed to his knees, panting for breath, his heart still racing in his chest. He had done it. He had stopped the Tide. But he knew, deep down, that this wasn't the end. It couldn't be. Whatever Oscorp had unleashed, whatever this was—it wasn't over. It was only just beginning.

MJ approached cautiously, her footsteps light as she came to his side. "Pete… is it over?"

Peter looked up at her, his face grim. "No. It's just the beginning."

End of Chapter 44