Chapter 100: Bestial Howl

New York — Streets of Manhattan — Night

The city was now plunged into darkness. The streetlights cast a pale glow over the still-damp sidewalks, while the usual roar of traffic seemed to have gradually faded, giving way to a much quieter, almost unsettling atmosphere. Manhattan was obviously never truly silent, yet some streets seemed much emptier at this hour, as if the darkness had managed to swallow part of the commotion that had filled them just a few hours earlier.

Suddenly, a man burst out of an alley at full speed, running without even taking the time to look behind him. He tightly clutched a bag he had just snatched from a passerby against his chest and, convinced he was about to successfully escape, hurried into another dark alleyway in order to disappear as quickly as possible. Inside the bag were money, a few personal belongings… and, for the woman he had just robbed, probably a little hope lost along with them.

But his escape was abruptly interrupted when several black webs shot out of the darkness without the slightest warning. They wrapped around his body with sudden violence and, before he could even understand what was happening to him, the man was thrown against one of the alley walls and securely immobilized from head to toe. The bag immediately slipped from his hands and fell to the ground as he began struggling frantically, his panicked gaze scanning the surroundings in search of whoever had just attacked him.

A heavy sound then came from somewhere in the darkness. Slowly, a massive silhouette began to emerge from the shadows, crawling along a wall. Its movements produced a dull sound with each step, while its claws slowly scraped against the concrete, leaving deep marks behind. Then, in the middle of this dark mass that was still difficult to make out, two large, bright, menacing white eyes suddenly appeared.

— "Hey! Who are you? What do you want from me?!"

As panic rapidly took hold, the thief desperately tried to understand who he was dealing with. Between the webs, the imposing silhouette, and that vaguely familiar appearance, only one idea eventually crossed his mind.

— "Spi-Spider-Man? Is that you?! Fuck, goddammit… alright, okay, I give up! Take the bag."

No answer came.

The silhouette simply continued approaching, slowly, until it stopped right in front of him while remaining clung to the opposite wall. At this distance, the man finally began to make out more details and immediately realized that something was wrong.

The jaw he could see was anything but human. It was deformed, lined with long, sharp teeth, while a slimy and abnormally long tongue slowly swayed between them, almost as if it were tasting the air around him.

— "S-So…? Y-You're not taking the bag…? Y-You're not calling the police or taking me to the police…?"

The silence was becoming increasingly oppressive. The man pulled with all his strength against the black webs imprisoning him, trying to free at least one of his arms, but the material didn't give at all. The more he struggled, the more he understood that he was incapable of freeing himself, while the creature simply continued staring at him.

Then, without the slightest warning, its mouth suddenly opened in a sharp movement, stretching far beyond what a human face could have allowed and revealing a gaping cavity filled with teeth.

— "My God… what is th—"

He didn't even have time to finish his sentence.

The creature lunged at him and brutally swallowed him, its jaws closing around his body as it tore him apart in the darkness of the alley.

For a few seconds, not another sound could be heard, before a deep, guttural growl slowly rose into the night.

— "It's not enough… we want more. We want MORE!"

The creature then slowly raised its head toward the sky, its enormous mouth still partly open, before letting out a howl that echoed between the buildings.

— "WE NEED GWEN STACY!!!"

TO BE CONTINUED.