Ayaan, Anshuman, and Sara were sitting peacefully on the rooftop when suddenly both Ayaan and Anshuman grabbed their heads.
"Ugh..."
A sharp pain shot through their bodies.
The mutation that had awakened during the fight was becoming unstable.
Anshuman nearly lost his balance.
"My head..."
Ayaan felt the same thing.
His vision blurred for a moment.
The black color in their eyes briefly returned before fading again.
Sara immediately stood up.
"What's happening to you two?"
Ayaan took a deep breath.
"I don't know."
Another wave of pain hit him.
He stumbled slightly.
Then he looked at Sara.
"Sara, hang on to me."
Sara quickly held onto his arm.
Anshuman grabbed the side of the building for support.
"We need to get back."
The three quickly left the rooftop.
A short while later, they entered the apartment.
Emma was working on several screens when the door opened.
She looked up.
Then froze.
"Sara?"
Sara gave a small wave.
"Hi."
Emma looked surprised.
"She's with us now?"
Sara smiled.
"Yes."
Emma blinked a few times.
Then looked toward Ayaan.
"You know, Ayaan was saying you're really beautiful."
Sara immediately looked at Ayaan.
Ayaan almost choked.
"What?!"
Anshuman pointed at him.
"You absolutely did."
"I did not!"
"You did."
Emma nodded.
"You did."
Sara tried not to laugh.
Ayaan covered his face.
"This is a setup."
Before the conversation could continue, another surge of pain hit both agents.
Anshuman grabbed his head.
"Not again."
Ayaan leaned against the wall.
The symptoms were getting worse.
Emma immediately became serious.
"What happened?"
Anshuman pointed at himself and Ayaan.
"The Spider Serum."
"The mutation."
"It's affecting us."
Emma immediately sat at her computer.
Her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard.
Ayaan sat down heavily on a chair.
Sara looked worried.
"Will they be okay?"
Emma continued searching through agency files.
"I don't know yet."
The room became silent.
Then Emma's eyes widened.
"I found something."
Everyone immediately looked at her screen.
The Spider Serum file had just opened.
And what Emma was reading didn't make her look reassured at all.
Emma quickly opened the agency files and found a hidden training video about the Spider Serum.
"Look at this."
Ayaan, Anshuman, and Sara gathered around the screen.
The video began playing.
A scientist appeared on the screen.
"Spider Serum Evolution Program."
The screen displayed three stages.
Stage 1
The scientist explained:
"The user gains enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, endurance, senses, and web abilities."
Ayaan nodded.
"That's the stage we started with."
Stage 2
The screen changed.
"The user's body begins adapting to extreme combat conditions."
"Power output increases dramatically."
"Natural web production begins."
Anshuman pointed at the screen.
"That's what happened when our web-shooters broke."
Emma nodded.
"Exactly."
Stage 3
The screen suddenly turned red.
Warning symbols appeared everywhere.
A figure with completely black eyes appeared.
The room became silent.
The scientist's voice became serious.
"Final Evolution."
"When activated, the user's eyes turn completely black."
"Physical capabilities increase approximately ten times beyond normal Spider Serum limits."
Ayaan and Anshuman looked at each other.
That was exactly what had happened during the fight against the ninjas.
The video continued.
"Strength increases."
"Speed increases."
"Reflexes increase."
"Durability increases."
"Instincts increase."
"Every ability is pushed to its maximum."
Sara looked impressed.
"That sounds overpowered."
Emma kept watching.
Then her expression changed.
"Wait..."
The scientist continued.
"There are dangers."
The room became silent again.
"The body requires time to adapt."
"Early activation may cause extreme pain."
"Uncontrolled activation may result in loss of judgment."
"Users may unintentionally harm allies or civilians."
Anshuman slowly sat back.
"Okay."
"That's not good."
The scientist continued.
"If the Final Evolution activates repeatedly before adaptation is complete, permanent damage may occur."
The video ended.
Silence filled the apartment.
Ayaan looked at his hands.
"So that's why our heads hurt."
Emma nodded.
"Your bodies are trying to adapt."
Anshuman sighed.
"Great."
"So we became stronger and now we're suffering for it."
Sara crossed her arms.
"You two always find a way to make things complicated."
Anshuman pointed at Ayaan.
"It started with him."
Ayaan immediately pointed back.
"It absolutely did not."
Sara laughed.
For a moment the tension disappeared.
But Emma looked back at the screen.
There was one final warning at the bottom of the file.
SUBJECTS WHO REACH STAGE 3 TOO QUICKLY MAY ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF OTHER EVOLVED SERUM USERS.
Emma's smile vanished.
"Ayaan..."
"Anshuman..."
"You might not be the only people with Spider powers."
The room became completely silent.
Ayaan was sitting on the balcony with Sara.
The city lights stretched across the horizon.
For the first time in years, Sara looked relaxed.
The two talked quietly about their lives.
Sara told him about growing up alone.
About her sister.
About the years she spent searching for answers.
Ayaan listened without interrupting.
Then he told her stories about his missions with Anshuman.
Some were serious.
Most were embarrassing.
Sara laughed more than once.
Inside the apartment, Anshuman was sitting on the couch.
He was trying to understand his new powers.
He stuck to the ceiling.
Fell off.
Stuck to the wall.
Fell off again.
"Why is this harder than it looks?"
Emma didn't even look up from her computer.
"Because you're you."
Anshuman looked offended.
Suddenly Emma's computer beeped.
A new message had arrived from the agency.
She opened it.
Then looked toward the balcony.
"We've been called in."
Ayaan and Sara walked inside.
"What happened?"
"The agency wants Sara."
A short time later, the four arrived at headquarters.
The doors to the main office opened.
The Man had returned.
He immediately noticed Sara.
His expression hardened.
"Why is that girl with you?"
Ayaan stepped forward.
"She's alright now."
The Man looked unconvinced.
"She's dangerous."
Anshuman folded his arms.
"No, she's not."
The Man looked at all three of them.
Then sighed.
"It is your problem now."
Ayaan smiled.
"We'll handle it."
The Man shook his head.
"I expected that answer."
Several days passed.
Things were surprisingly peaceful.
No villains.
No chases.
No giant monsters.
No mind control.
For once, everyone got a chance to rest.
Then one evening—
Breaking news interrupted every screen in the city.
A news reporter appeared.
"A strange object has been detected approaching Earth."
Images of a blazing object filled the screen.
Scientists around the world were tracking it.
The object was moving incredibly fast.
Governments began issuing warnings.
Anshuman looked up from the couch.
"That's not normal."
Emma immediately started checking the data.
The object continued descending.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!
The meteor crashed into a remote area outside the city.
The impact shook the ground for miles.
Shockwaves spread across the region.
People everywhere watched in shock.
Scientists quickly arrived at the crash site.
Military teams surrounded the area.
Cameras broadcast the operation live.
Ayaan, Anshuman, Sara, and Emma were watching from the apartment.
Everything seemed normal at first.
Then one scientist shouted.
"What is that?"
Something moved inside the crater.
A black substance slowly crawled across the meteor.
Then another.
And another.
The meteor suddenly cracked open.
Everyone watching the broadcast froze.
Dozens of living black creatures emerged from inside.
The scientists backed away.
"What are those things?"
The creatures moved unnaturally fast.
One jumped onto a nearby soldier.
The black substance covered his body.
The soldier screamed.
Then suddenly stopped.
When he stood up again, his eyes looked different.
The creature had bonded with him.
The live broadcast immediately cut out.
Emergency alerts began appearing everywhere.
Anshuman slowly stood up.
"That doesn't look good."
Emma was already searching for information.
Sara's expression became serious.
Ayaan activated his suit.
Outside, sirens began echoing across the city.
And somewhere near the crash site, the first wave of symbiotes was already spreading.
Ayaan looked at the news footage of the meteor crash.
"We have to go there."
Anshuman immediately stood up.
"Ayaan, you take Sara with you."
"I'm heading there too."
Ayaan nodded.
Then he looked at Sara.
"Get on my back."
Sara blinked.
"What?"
"We don't have time."
Sara climbed onto his back and held on.
Anshuman walked toward the rooftop door.
"Let's move."
A few moments later, the three stood on the edge of the roof.
The meteor's location was visible in the distance.
Ayaan activated his suit.
Anshuman activated his as well.
Then both jumped.
WHOOSH!
For a second everything felt normal.
Then—
Nothing happened.
Their webs didn't fire.
Ayaan's eyes widened.
"Oh no."
Anshuman immediately understood.
"Oh no."
Both started falling.
Fast.
Very fast.
Sara looked down.
Then back at Ayaan.
Then down again.
"Are you trying to kill me?!"
"We are working on it!"
"THAT DOESN'T HELP!"
Just before impact—
THWIP!
A web finally shot from Ayaan's hand.
The line attached to a building.
The sudden swing saved them.
Ayaan and Sara landed safely on a nearby rooftop.
Meanwhile—
BOOM!
Anshuman crashed through a pile of cardboard boxes below.
Silence.
Then his hand slowly emerged.
"It hurts."
Sara looked over the edge.
"He's alive."
Ayaan nodded.
"Unfortunately."
"HEY!"
A few minutes later the three regrouped.
Sara crossed her arms.
"Please don't hurt me while we're going there."
Ayaan smiled.
"Don't worry."
"I'll get hurt for you."
Sara looked at him for a moment.
"Oh."
Anshuman stared at both of them.
Then pointed toward the meteor.
"Can we save the world first?"
The three agents quickly began moving.
Web after web launched across the city.
This time their powers cooperated.
They swung between skyscrapers at incredible speed.
The crash site grew larger and larger.
Soon the smoke from the impact became visible.
Military vehicles surrounded the area.
Sirens echoed everywhere.
The closer they got, the stranger things became.
Black tendrils covered the ground.
Destroyed vehicles were scattered everywhere.
The air itself felt wrong.
Then they saw it.
The meteor.
A gigantic crater surrounded it.
Pieces of the black substance crawled across the wreckage.
Ayaan slowed down.
"Those things are alive."
Sara immediately felt something strange.
Thousands of voices.
Whispers.
Thoughts.
All connected.
"They're communicating with each other."
Anshuman looked around.
"That's creepy."
Suddenly several black shapes turned toward them.
The symbiotes had noticed them.
Dozens of glowing eyes opened across the crater.
The creatures began moving.
Fast.
Very fast.
One leaped onto a destroyed tank.
Another climbed a tower.
More emerged from the meteor.
Then all of them rushed toward Ayaan, Anshuman, and Sara.
Ayaan lowered his stance.
Anshuman cracked his knuckles.
Sara's eyes began glowing.
The first battle against the symbiotes was about to begin.
The symbiotes rushed forward like a black wave.
Their bodies twisted and stretched unnaturally as they crossed the crater.
Ayaan immediately fired a web.
THWIP!
The web hit one of the creatures.
The symbiote simply absorbed it.
Ayaan's eyes widened.
"That usually works."
The creature lunged.
Ayaan barely dodged.
BOOM!
The ground exploded where he had been standing.
Anshuman jumped into the fight.
He threw a punch directly into a symbiote's chest.
BAM!
The impact launched the creature across the crater.
But before it even landed, its body reformed.
Anshuman stared.
"Oh."
"That's annoying."
Three symbiotes attacked him at once.
One grabbed his arm.
One wrapped around his leg.
The third tried to cover his face.
Anshuman slammed himself backward into a boulder.
CRASH!
The rock shattered.
The creatures loosened their grip.
Meanwhile, Sara extended her hand.
A powerful psychic wave erupted outward.
Several symbiotes were thrown across the crater.
For a moment it looked effective.
Then the creatures simply stood back up.
Their glowing eyes focused entirely on her.
Sara felt something.
A voice.
Then dozens.
Then hundreds.
All speaking at once inside her head.
She staggered.
"They're talking."
Ayaan landed beside her.
"What are they saying?"
Sara looked frightened.
"They're hungry."
Suddenly the meteor itself cracked open further.
A larger symbiote emerged.
Much larger.
Nearly three times the size of the others.
The creature roared.
The smaller symbiotes immediately stopped moving.
As if they were taking orders.
Anshuman pointed.
"That's definitely the boss."
The giant symbiote looked directly at them.
Then charged.
BOOOOOOM!
The crater shook.
Ayaan jumped.
The creature's fist missed him by centimeters.
The shockwave alone sent him flying.
He crashed into a military vehicle.
CRASH!
Metal bent around him.
Ayaan stood up.
For the first time, he looked serious.
"Okay."
"Now I'm annoyed."
The giant symbiote attacked again.
Anshuman intercepted it.
The two collided.
BOOOOM!
The impact shook the battlefield.
For a second they seemed evenly matched.
Then the creature's other arm slammed into Anshuman.
He was launched across the crater.
Skipping across the ground like a stone.
"DID IT JUST HIT ME TWICE?!"
Sara used her telepathy.
The giant symbiote slowed.
Its movements became unstable.
For a brief moment she managed to affect it.
But then—
A backlash hit her.
She screamed.
The symbiote hive mind pushed back.
Ayaan immediately rushed toward her.
"Sara!"
A smaller symbiote jumped toward her.
Ayaan reacted instantly.
Something inside him changed.
The Spider Serum evolved again.
His eyes turned completely black.
Everything around him slowed down.
The symbiote appeared frozen.
Ayaan moved.
BOOM!
One punch.
The creature flew hundreds of meters away.
The battlefield became silent.
Even Ayaan looked shocked.
He slowly looked at his hand.
"What was that?"
Meanwhile Anshuman stood up.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
The giant symbiote charged again.
Anshuman smiled.
"Let's try something."
His eyes suddenly turned black as well.
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
His body moved faster than ever before.
The giant swung.
Anshuman vanished.
The punch missed completely.
The next moment Anshuman appeared above it.
BOOOOOOM!
His kick smashed the creature into the crater floor.
The impact created a shockwave across the battlefield.
Even Ayaan felt it.
For several seconds the two fought like monsters themselves.
Black-eyed.
Faster.
Stronger.
More powerful than ever before.
Every movement shattered rock.
Every punch created shockwaves.
Every web ripped through armored vehicles.
The symbiotes that had overwhelmed soldiers moments earlier were now being thrown around the battlefield.
But the transformation came with a price.
Pain.
A lot of pain.
Ayaan suddenly grabbed his head.
His black eyes flickered.
Anshuman felt it too.
The power was unstable.
Their bodies hadn't adapted yet.
The giant symbiote noticed.
And smiled.
For the first time.
It had realized they were reaching their limit.
The creature slowly stood back up.
Its wounds healed.
More symbiotes crawled out of the meteor behind it.
Not dozens.
Hundreds.
Ayaan stared at the growing army.
Anshuman stared too.
Then both said the same thing.
"...We're going to need a better plan."
Ayaan looked at the endless army of symbiotes pouring out of the meteor.
Hundreds of them were spreading across the crater.
The giant symbiote leader stood in front of them.
Behind it, something even bigger was moving inside the meteor.
Ayaan wiped blood from his face and looked at Sara.
"Sara."
She looked at him.
"What?"
"You have to use your true powers."
Sara shook her head.
"I don't know what my true powers are."
Another symbiote jumped toward them.
Anshuman kicked it away.
"Sara!"
"We're running out of time!"
Sara looked at the battlefield.
The soldiers.
The civilians in the distance.
Ayaan and Anshuman struggling against an endless army.
"I don't know how!"
Ayaan stepped closer.
Then smiled.
"Just believe in yourself."
Sara froze.
Those words reminded her of something.
Her sister.
The memories.
The promises she never got to keep.
She slowly closed her eyes.
The sounds of battle faded.
The explosions disappeared.
The screams vanished.
Everything became silent.
For the first time she stopped focusing on her pain.
Her fear.
Her anger.
And focused only on herself.
Then—
Her eyes opened.
A brilliant light appeared within them.
A massive psychic wave erupted outward.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The entire crater shook.
Every symbiote stopped moving.
For a brief moment, the battlefield froze.
The symbiotes turned toward Sara.
As if they had sensed something terrifying.
Sara extended her hand.
The psychic energy became visible.
Hundreds of symbiotes were lifted into the air.
Then slammed back into the ground.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The battlefield exploded with impacts.
Anshuman stared.
"Okay."
"That's definitely her true power."
Sara's consciousness expanded.
She could feel everything.
Every thought.
Every movement.
Every living mind nearby.
Then she did something she had never done before.
She entered Ayaan's mind.
And then Anshuman's.
Only for a few seconds.
But it was enough.
Inside their minds, Sara saw the Spider Serum.
The mutation.
The locked potential.
The Stage 3 form.
She reached toward it.
And unlocked it.
Ayaan's eyes turned completely black.
This time without pain.
Without instability.
Without hesitation.
Anshuman's eyes became black as well.
The power flowed through them perfectly.
Both agents immediately felt the difference.
Everything became clearer.
Faster.
Stronger.
Ayaan looked at his hands.
The air itself seemed slower.
Anshuman jumped.
He crossed nearly fifty meters in a single leap.
The ground shattered beneath his landing.
The giant symbiote leader took a step backward.
For the first time.
It was afraid.
Then the meteor exploded.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Everyone turned.
A gigantic hand emerged from the crater.
Then another.
Then a massive black body.
The creature slowly rose from the meteor.
Towering above the battlefield.
Larger than buildings.
Larger than anything they had ever fought.
Its body constantly shifted.
Blades formed from its arms.
Spears emerged from its back.
Axes.
Swords.
Shields.
Every part of its body could become a weapon.
The giant symbiote king had awakened.
The creature looked down at them.
Its voice echoed across the entire city.
"You are insects."
Thousands of smaller symbiotes roared behind it.
The ground trembled.
The sky darkened.
Even Sara felt nervous.
Anshuman slowly looked up.
Then at Ayaan.
Then back at the monster.
"Please tell me you have a plan."
Ayaan stared at the enormous creature.
The black eyes of Stage 3 reflected in the monster's body.
Then he smiled.
"No."
"But this is going to be awesome."
The Symbiote King roared.
Ayaan and Anshuman launched forward.
Sara's psychic energy exploded outward.
And the greatest battle of their lives began.
When Anshuman launched his punch at the Symbiote King, the giant creature didn't even try to block.
BOOM!
The punch connected.
A shockwave blasted across the crater.
But instead of being thrown back, the enormous body suddenly dissolved into black liquid.
Ayaan and Anshuman stopped.
"What?"
The liquid rushed downward.
Then gathered at one spot on the battlefield.
Slowly, a figure emerged.
A humanoid symbiote.
About nine feet tall.
Muscular.
Covered in black armor-like skin.
White glowing eyes stared directly at them.
He stood completely fearless.
As if nothing in the world could threaten him.
Ayaan landed in front of him.
The symbiote smiled.
"We are merely insects before our king."
Ayaan crossed his arms.
"Then tell your king to come out."
The symbiote laughed.
"You misunderstand."
"He isn't awake."
The battlefield suddenly became silent.
"What?"
The symbiote looked toward the meteor.
"He has slept for millions of years."
"And even now..."
"You are fighting only a fragment of his power."
Ayaan narrowed his eyes.
"If all of you came at once..."
"I would still defeat you."
The symbiote stared at him.
Then burst into laughter.
Anshuman landed beside Ayaan.
"Don't act like you can beat us."
The symbiote's smile disappeared.
Then he suddenly vanished.
Sara was struggling nearby.
Her eyes glowed brightly.
She was holding back dozens of symbiotes with her telepathy.
But the power was becoming harder to control.
The voices.
The thoughts.
The pressure.
Everything was overwhelming her.
Then suddenly—
The nine-foot symbiote appeared directly in front of her.
Sara's eyes widened.
Too late.
BOOOOM!
His punch slammed into her.
Sara was thrown across the battlefield.
She crashed into the remains of a military vehicle.
The symbiote raised his fist again.
But before he could strike—
CRASH!
Anshuman landed between them.
The ground shattered beneath his feet.
His black eyes glowed.
"You can't hurt her."
The symbiote looked at him.
Anshuman pointed toward himself and Ayaan.
"Not until you beat us."
Ayaan landed beside him.
Both entered fighting stances.
The symbiote smiled.
Then raised his arm.
The battlefield trembled.
From the meteor...
More creatures emerged.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
Hundreds.
The army was growing larger every second.
Sara struggled to stand.
Despite the pain, she raised her hands.
Psychic energy burst outward.
Several symbiotes were lifted into the air and thrown away.
She was still protecting them.
Still helping.
Even while injured.
The symbiote commander pointed at Ayaan and Anshuman.
"Kill them."
Immediately the army charged.
The ground shook.
The sky darkened beneath the swarm.
Hundreds of monsters rushed forward at once.
Ayaan smiled.
Anshuman smiled too.
"Race you."
"You're losing."
Then both launched themselves into the army.
BOOOOOOM!
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
Ayaan crashed through a group of symbiotes like a missile.
Anshuman spun through the air, smashing creatures aside with kicks and webs.
Behind them, Sara used every bit of her power to keep the army from surrounding them.
But far beyond the battle...
Inside the meteor...
Something enormous moved.
Something much larger than the Symbiote Commander.
And for the first time, even the commander looked nervous.
Sara's breathing became heavier with every passing minute.
Using her powers on such a massive scale was draining her strength.
The glow in her eyes began fading.
She tried to stand.
But her legs gave out.
Ayaan caught her before she fell.
"Sara!"
She looked exhausted.
Even speaking was difficult.
Anshuman saw her condition and immediately made a decision.
"Ayaan!"
Ayaan looked at him.
"You take Sara somewhere safe."
"What about you?"
Anshuman looked toward the battlefield.
The army of symbiotes was still there.
"I'll hold them off."
Ayaan hesitated for a moment.
Then nodded.
He carefully lifted Sara.
"Hang on."
Sara weakly held onto him.
Ayaan fired a web.
THWIP!
Then another.
Within seconds he was swinging away from the battlefield.
Anshuman turned toward the advancing army.
His black eyes focused on the approaching symbiotes.
"Alright then."
"Come on."
Dozens of creatures stopped.
The entire army suddenly became still.
Anshuman frowned.
"What are they doing?"
Then one by one...
The symbiotes began retreating.
Back toward the meteor.
No attacks.
No fighting.
No roar.
They simply turned around and went back.
Hundreds of them.
All returning to the crater.
Anshuman stood there completely confused.
"That's weird."
Within minutes the battlefield was empty.
Only the meteor remained.
Something clearly had changed.
A little later...
Anshuman found Ayaan and Sara in a safe abandoned building outside the danger zone.
Sara was resting on a couch.
Ayaan sat nearby.
Making sure she was alright.
Then the door opened.
Emma entered carrying medical supplies.
She immediately rushed toward Sara.
"Move."
Ayaan stepped aside.
Emma gave Sara medicine and connected a monitoring device to her wrist.
After a few minutes Sara's condition began stabilizing.
Ayaan looked toward Anshuman.
"What happened?"
Anshuman sat down.
"They just left."
"What?"
"The entire army."
"They went back into the meteor."
Emma stopped typing.
"All of them?"
Anshuman nodded.
"Every single one."
The room became silent.
Ayaan looked toward Emma.
"You two investigate."
Emma nodded.
"I'll search the agency database."
Anshuman stood up.
"And I'll check the meteor."
Ayaan looked back at Sara.
"I'll stay here."
Emma and Anshuman left the building.
The room became quiet.
Only Ayaan and Sara remained.
The wind softly moved through the broken windows.
For a while nobody spoke.
Sara slowly opened her eyes.
Ayaan was sitting nearby.
Watching over her.
Making sure she was okay.
She quietly looked at him.
Ayaan noticed.
"Feeling better?"
Sara gave a small nod.
"A little."
Ayaan smiled.
"Good."
For a moment neither spoke.
Sara continued looking at him.
After everything that had happened...
The battles.
The pain.
The memories.
This was the first time she had felt safe in a long time.
And without realizing it...
A small smile appeared on her face as she watched Ayaan sitting beside her.
Ayaan and Sara sat quietly in the abandoned building while Emma and Anshuman investigated the meteor.
The danger outside seemed far away for the moment.
The room was peaceful.
For once, there were no explosions, no villains, and no missions.
Just silence.
Sara looked out the window.
"You know... this is probably the longest I've talked to someone without trying to fight them."
Ayaan laughed.
"That's not exactly a normal conversation starter."
Sara smiled.
"Maybe not."
She leaned back against the couch.
"What was your life like before all of this?"
Ayaan thought for a moment.
"Honestly?"
"A lot less dangerous."
"That's hard to believe."
"It's true."
The two continued talking.
About their childhoods.
About strange things that had happened during missions.
About embarrassing moments.
About things they liked.
And things they hated.
Hours seemed to pass quickly.
At one point Sara laughed so hard she nearly fell off the couch.
Ayaan pointed at her.
"You can't laugh."
"You literally got caught because you were arguing with a helicopter pilot."
Sara immediately started laughing again.
"That actually happened."
"And I'm never letting you forget it."
After a while the conversation became quieter.
Sara looked toward the floor.
"Do you ever get scared?"
Ayaan looked surprised.
"Of course."
"You don't act like it."
"That's because Anshuman would never stop making fun of me."
Sara laughed.
"Fair point."
The room became quiet again.
Sara looked at him.
"You know..."
"What?"
"When I first met you, I thought you were annoying."
Ayaan looked offended.
"Only annoying?"
"Very annoying."
"Wow."
Sara smiled.
"But now I'm glad I met you."
For a moment Ayaan didn't know what to say.
Then he smiled.
"I'm glad I met you too."
Outside, the sun slowly began setting.
Orange light filled the room.
The city looked calm.
At least for now.
Sara sat there talking with Ayaan about everything and nothing at the same time.
And for the first time in years, she wasn't thinking about revenge, powers, or the past.
She was simply enjoying the moment.
Sara looked at Ayaan for a moment.
Then she asked,
"Have you ever loved someone?"
Ayaan thought for a few seconds.
"I have."
Sara immediately became interested.
"Really?"
Ayaan nodded.
"Anshuman."
For a second Sara just stared at him.
Then she burst out laughing.
"That's not what I meant!"
Ayaan laughed too.
"What? We've almost died together a hundred times."
Sara shook her head while smiling.
"You know exactly what I mean."
Then she pointed at him.
"And earlier you told me that I have you."
Ayaan scratched the back of his head.
"Fair point."
Sara sat comfortably on the couch.
"Tell me about you and Anshuman."
Ayaan smiled.
"Where do I even start?"
"The beginning."
Ayaan looked toward the ceiling.
"When we first started working together, I thought he was completely crazy."
Sara laughed.
"And now?"
"Now I'm sure."
Sara laughed even harder.
Ayaan continued.
"We've gotten into trouble everywhere."
"We've fallen from buildings."
"We've been chased by criminals."
"We've crashed vehicles."
"We've fought giant monsters."
"We've stolen a scooter."
Sara blinked.
"You stole a scooter?"
"It was for a mission."
"Sure."
"It actually was."
Sara was laughing again.
Then she asked,
"So why do you trust him so much?"
Ayaan answered immediately.
"Because no matter how bad things get, he's always there."
Sara listened quietly.
Ayaan smiled.
"Even when his plans are terrible."
"They usually are."
Sara looked thoughtful.
"So he's your best friend."
Ayaan nodded.
"Yeah."
"More like a brother."
The room became quiet for a moment.
Then Sara asked softly,
"What if you never met him?"
Ayaan thought about it.
Then shrugged.
"My life would probably be a lot more boring."
Sara smiled.
"And safer."
"Definitely safer."
The two laughed.
Then Sara looked out the window.
"You know..."
"What?"
"I think you're lucky."
Ayaan looked at her.
"Why?"
"You have people."
"Anshuman."
"Emma."
She paused.
"And now me."
Ayaan smiled.
"Yeah."
Sara looked down.
"I never really had that."
Ayaan was silent for a moment.
Then he said,
"You do now."
Sara looked at him.
Ayaan smiled.
"You have people now."
Sara didn't answer immediately.
A small smile slowly appeared on her face.
For the first time in years, she felt like she wasn't alone anymore.
From outside, loud music suddenly started playing.
The sound echoed through the building.
Sara looked toward the window.
"What is that?"
Ayaan stood up.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
The two walked to the edge and looked down.
There, in the middle of the street, was Anshuman.
A huge music system was sitting beside him.
The music was loud enough for half the neighborhood to hear.
Ayaan covered his face.
"Of course it's him."
Sara laughed.
"What is he doing?"
Ayaan shrugged.
"Being Anshuman."
A few moments later they climbed onto the rooftop edge.
Anshuman looked up and waved.
"I got this music system on discount!"
Sara stared at him.
Then looked at Ayaan.
"He is definitely crazy."
Ayaan nodded immediately.
"Yes."
"Very."
Anshuman pointed upward.
"I can hear you!"
Sara looked back at Ayaan.
"How do you even survive being around him?"
Ayaan laughed.
"Because I'm just like him."
Sara raised an eyebrow.
"You're crazy like him too?"
"Yeah."
Sara looked genuinely surprised.
"I've never seen you like that."
Ayaan grinned.
"You'll see sooner or later."
Sara looked toward the ground.
"Let's get down."
Ayaan nodded.
Without warning he picked her up.
"What are you doing?!"
"Getting down."
"THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
Before she could protest further—
Ayaan jumped.
WHOOSH!
The wind rushed past them.
Sara immediately grabbed onto him.
"Ayaan!"
A web shot out.
THWIP!
They swung once.
Then landed smoothly in front of Anshuman.
Sara finally let go.
Then crossed her arms.
"You always lift me like a doll."
Ayaan started laughing.
"Because it's faster."
"It's rude."
"It's efficient."
"It's rude."
"It's both."
Anshuman was trying very hard not to laugh.
Sara pointed at him.
"Don't start."
Anshuman immediately laughed anyway.
The three stood there while the music continued blasting.
For a brief moment, with the meteor, symbiotes, and world-ending threats temporarily forgotten, it almost felt like a normal day.