When the wormhole finally spat us out, the world around us settled into something that felt so familiar, so right. The harsh city lights of New York bathed everything in a golden glow, their faint hum vibrating through the cracked pavement beneath our feet. The towering skyscrapers stretched above us like silent guardians of the city, their glass windows reflecting the chaotic pulse of life below. The constant sound of honking cars, distant chatter, and the rumble of subways underground filled the air. For a moment, I just stood there, soaking it all in, breathing in the rich scent of city streets and the faint tang of rain that still lingered in the air from earlier storms.

Spider-Man and I were alone on a rooftop, the wind tousling our hair as it whistled between the high-rise buildings. We stood next to a large, illuminated screen plastered with J. Jonah Jameson's latest rant. His voice, now familiar and insistent, blared from the speakers attached to every corner of the building. "Spider-Man's a menace! An outlaw!" He shouted in his signature, abrasive tone, and I couldn't help but shake my head. Even after everything that had happened, Jameson still hadn't caught on.

Spider-Man turned to me, a soft smile under his mask as he took in the sight of our familiar city. It was strange, feeling like we were back to square one, but at the same time, it was comforting. We had weathered so much, traveled through countless worlds, and yet here we were again. The sense of relief, mingled with a fresh dose of determination, washed over me.

"It's good to be home," I whispered, the words feeling like a weight lifted off my chest. I glanced over at Spider-Man, his silhouette framed by the neon lights as he looked out at the endless horizon.

Spider-Man gave a nod, his voice slightly muffled by the mask, but I could hear the quiet assurance in his words. "Yeah, it is."

For now, it seemed like everything was okay. The world didn't seem to need saving in this moment. The two of us were just standing there, alone but together, atop the roof of a familiar building in a city we both knew like the back of our hands. The stillness around us didn't last long, but in that brief, fleeting moment, it was enough.

The calm, fleeting moment shattered in an instant. A distant rumbling reached our ears, the kind that vibrates through your bones, a forewarning of something big, something dangerous. Without a word, Spider-Man and I sprang into action, webs shooting out to anchor us to the sides of the nearby buildings. We soared toward the sound, hearts pounding in our chests.

As we approached the East River, my eyes widened in disbelief. There, rising from the depths of the water, was the familiar shape of the old SHIELD Helicarrier. My old home. The place I'd once called a base of operations, now looming above the city like a relic of a past I never fully left behind.

I felt a familiar, venomous presence coil around my mind, a low, raspy chuckle in my head. Yeah, that's right.

I winced as the connection deepened, the symbiote's voice sharp and unsettling. It was the last thing I needed right now.

I turned to Spider-Man, my breath coming in shallow bursts. "Looks like we aren't finished yet," I muttered, my voice heavy with the weight of what was coming. We weren't safe, not by a long shot. There was something on that Helicarrier—something that had set the gears in motion, something tied to the chaos we couldn't outrun.

Spider-Man nodded, his expression a mix of determination and concern. "You think they're back?" he asked, his gaze locked on the slowly rising Helicarrier, now cutting through the river's surface like a massive, silent beast.

"Let's find out," I said, steeling myself for whatever came next. With a steadying breath, I shot another web and swung toward the looming ship, knowing that this was far from over.

SCENEBREAK

We soon found out what the Helicarrier was for, and the realization sent a chill down my spine. The Goblin had turned it into a twisted laboratory, a grotesque monument to his madness. He was using it as a facility to amplify himself—an unholy concoction of ambition and cruelty. The machinery around us hummed with an eerie, malevolent energy. Monitors displayed rows of DNA samples, each one labeled with the names of spider-powered individuals from across the multiverse.

I clenched my fists, fury bubbling within me. "He's trying to make himself more powerful," I muttered, my voice barely audible over the noise of the machines. My gaze darted to one of the displays, where the words Spider-Woman - Petra Parker blinked ominously. He was harvesting their DNA—an abomination.

But I wasn't part of his twisted equation. My DNA was different, something the Goblin couldn't use. That fact gave me the smallest edge, but it didn't diminish the danger we were in.

Without thinking, I leaped at the largest machine, claws extending as Venom surged through me, lending me strength. The sharp tips of my claws sliced through the thick cables with ease, sparks flying as the machine sputtered and groaned.

A low hiss of fury erupted from behind me, and before I could react, a metal appendage coiled around my throat like a serpent. The Goblin's trap. He had anticipated my move. The appendage tightened, and black spots danced across my vision. My claws flailed uselessly at the unyielding grip.

Suddenly, a familiar thwip sounded, and the tension around my throat lessened as I was yanked back with a jarring force. Spider-Man's webbing shot out, wrapping around my waist, pulling me free from the Goblin's grasp. I landed hard on the ground, gasping for air, Venom hissing angrily in my mind.

"You can't do that!" Spider-Man shouted, worry etched into his voice as he crouched beside me. His wide, white eyes were expressive, practically radiating concern. "You can't just charge in like that! He's ready for us!"

I coughed and rubbed my neck, the symbiote wrapping protectively around me as if to soothe the pain. "We don't have time for careful," I rasped, glaring at the Goblin's monstrosity of a machine. "He's going to finish what he started if we don't stop him now."

Spider-Man hesitated, his fingers flexing against the ground, the weight of our predicament sinking in. "Then we stop him together," he said, his voice steady and determined.

I nodded, Venom coiling around me like armor, and we turned toward the heart of the Helicarrier's lab. The Goblin's laugh echoed around us, and I knew we were in for the fight of our lives.