The sewers beneath New York's underdistrict on Earth-731 reeked of rot and rust, a fitting refuge for fugitives like Peter Parker, now Mad Spider, and Gwen Stacy. It was 2030, and the city above pulsed with Oscorp's drones, their red eyes scouring the slums for the pair who'd dared defy Norman Osborn. Peter swung through the tunnels, his blood-red costume tattered but defiant, Gwen clinging to his back. His spider-senses buzzed, picking up the faint hum of pursuit, while his regenerative powers healed the bruises from their escape from the Neon Shadows' burning hideout. But the pain from Oscorp's electroshock torture lingered, a searing pulse in his lower body that drew a manic laugh from his lips. "They keep trying to zap the fun outta me," he quipped, his voice echoing off the damp walls. "But I'm a real spark now, ain't I, Gwenny?"
Flashback: At 15, Peter sat in a dimly lit classroom, his notebook filled with doodles of heroes. Gwen slid a note across his desk: "You're stronger than they think." He blushed, her words a shield against the bullies who'd tormented him. Days later, Oscorp's vans came, ripping that strength away.
Gwen's arms tightened around him, her stolen tablet flickering in the dark. "We need to keep moving," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos. Her blonde hair was matted with grime, but her blue eyes burned with resolve. The betrayal by Jinx, the Neon Shadows' traitor, had cost them their allies, scattering the hackers into the city's shadows. Peter's grin was sharp, his mind teetering on the edge of madness. "Jinx thought he could sell us out," he said, webbing a pipe to swing around a corner. "Gonna make him regret that punchline." Gwen frowned, sensing the darkness growing in him, but she stayed silent, her love a quiet anchor.
The sewers opened into a cavernous junction, where rusted pipes dripped into stagnant pools. Peter set Gwen down, his pain flaring as he stumbled. She knelt beside him, her hands gentle. "It's getting worse," she whispered, her fingers brushing his arm. The ritual they'd begun—her touch to soothe his experimental side effects—was becoming a lifeline, a moment of intimacy that grounded his fractured psyche. "They hurt you to break you," she said, her voice cracking. "But you're still here." Peter's laughter softened, his eyes meeting hers. "Because of you, Gwen. Always you."
Their moment was shattered by a low hum. Oscorp's Blackweb Unit had found them, drones flooding the junction like mechanical wasps. Peter sprang up, his spider-powers igniting. "Showtime!" he crowed, webbing a drone and hurling it into a wall. His movements were chaotic, a blend of agility and raw violence, his Deadpool-like banter cutting through the fight. "What's the matter, tin cans? Battery low?" He laughed, but the pain slowed him, each jolt a reminder of Oscorp's cruelty. Gwen hacked the tablet, redirecting a drone's laser to blast another, her tech skills a match for his strength.
The fight spilled into a flooded tunnel, where Blackweb operatives in tactical gear joined the fray. Mad Spider was a blur, webbing enemies to walls, his regeneration healing gashes as fast as they appeared. But the operatives were trained, their shock-batons mimicking the lab's torture. One caught Peter in the side, sending him to his knees, pain exploding in his mind. Flashback: Strapped to Oscorp's table, Peter screamed as shocks tore through him, scientists laughing. "Useless," they sneered. The memory fueled his rage, and he surged up, snapping the baton and slamming the operative into the water.
Gwen grabbed his arm, pulling him toward an exit. "We can't win this, Peter!" she shouted. He nodded, his laughter wild but focused. They fled, weaving through tunnels, the drones' hum fading. In a quiet alcove, Gwen checked the tablet, her face grim. "The Neon Shadows are gone," she said. "We're on our own." Peter's grin didn't falter. "Not alone. We've got each other." But his eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt, the madness whispering louder. They needed a new plan—find the remaining hackers, steal more data, and hit Oscorp harder.
As they emerged into a rain-soaked alley, Peter's spider-senses screamed. A Blackweb sniper perched on a rooftop, his scope glinting. "Gwen, down!" Peter yelled, webbing her behind a dumpster as a shot grazed his shoulder. His regeneration kicked in, but the pain was a cruel echo of the lab. "They don't quit, do they?" he laughed, his voice edged with hysteria.
Cliffhanger: Mad Spider swings Gwen into the night, the sniper's shots echoing. "Time to rewrite the script," he says, his madness surging as a new Oscorp bounty flashes across city screens, their faces plastered everywhere.