Sirens wail from every direction.
Police cruisers form a wide perimeter around the shattered street, lights flashing red and blue against cracked pavement and broken glass. Officers shout into radios, weapons raised but trembling, unsure whether they're facing a man or a walking disaster.
Commissioner Gordon stands near the front line, coat pulled tight around him, eyes locked on the chaos unfolding ahead.
Lightning crawls across the street like veins of living light.
Max kneels at the center of it, hunched over the metal grate, electricity pouring from him in violent waves. The air hums so loudly it feels like the world itself is vibrating.
Spider-Man lands a few yards away, skidding to a stop, one web-shooter smoking and cracked.
"Max!" Spider-Man shouts, holding his hands up. "Hey hey, look at me. Look at me, man."
Max turns slowly.
His eyes glow bright blue now, unfocused, wet with tears that evaporate before they can fall.
"They shot me," Max says, voice breaking, layered with crackling static. "I trusted them. I trusted you."
Gordon swallows hard.
"Jesus…" he mutters. "He's just a normal guy."
"No," an officer whispers beside him. "That thing isn't a guy anymore."
Gordon snaps his head toward him. "Watch your mouth."
Spider-Man steps closer despite the electricity snapping at his boots.
"I didn't forget you, Max," he says urgently. "I remembered you. I meant what I said. You matter. You still do."
Max laughs.
"Then why does everyone keep pointing guns at me?" he screams.
Lightning detonates outward.
Spider-Man's spider-sense explodes and he dives just as a bolt slams into the pavement where his head was a moment ago. The blast flips a squad car onto its roof.
Gordon staggers back, shielding his face from the heat.
"Fall back!" he yells. "Everyone fall back!"
Max rises slowly into the air, electricity lifting him like wings made of fire.
"I just wanted to be seen!" Max roars. "I fixed their machines. I worked late. I did everything right and they still left me to die!"
Spider-Man lands hard on a light pole, clinging upside down.
"Max," he says, voice shaking now, "I see you. I swear I do."
Max's gaze snaps to him.
"LIAR!"
A massive lightning blast tears across the street and Spider-Man is thrown through a storefront window, glass exploding outward.
Gordon flinches.
"Spider-Man!" he shouts instinctively, like calling after a son.
Spider-Man crashes through a display rack and slams into a wall. He groans, rolling onto his side, suit smoking, muscles screaming.
"Okay," he pants. "Okay… still in this."
He staggers back into the street just as another bolt hits him square in the chest.
Spider-Man screams as electricity tears through his body, arcing across his suit, locking his muscles.
Gordon watches in horror.
"He's taking it head-on," Gordon whispers. "He's going to kill himself."
Spider-Man collapses to one knee, smoke rising from his shoulders.
Max floats closer, eyes wild.
"Why won't you fight back?" Max demands.
Spider-Man looks up at him.
"Because I don't want to hurt you."
That stops Max just for a second.
Gordon feels his throat tighten.
Max's face twists, pain and rage colliding.
"I don't want your pity!"
He slams his hands together and unleashes a storm.
Spider-Man is flung across the street, bouncing off a bus and skidding across the pavement. His mask cracks slightly near the eye.
He doesn't get up right away.
Gordon steps forward despite his officers grabbing his arm.
"Get him out of there!" one shouts.
"No," Gordon says quietly. "He's still fighting."
Spider-Man pushes himself up, shaking, barely steady.
"Max…" he says softly. "Please. If you keep going, they're going to hurt you. Or worse."
Max looks around.
Guns.
Fear screens replaying his face like a monster.
"No one's ever looked at me like this before," Max whispers. "Not even on my birthday."
Spider-Man's chest tightens.
"I would've come," he says. "If I'd known."
Max's scream shatters the air.
Another blast fires but this time Spider-Man moves into it.
He swings low, webbing light poles, yanking them down to ground the electricity. Sparks explode harmlessly into the pavement.
He darts through the storm, faster now, more focused, dodging bolts by inches.
Gordon's eyes widen.
"He's adapting," Gordon breathes.
Spider-Man launches himself upward, wrapping webs around Max's arms mid-air.
"STOP RUNNING FROM ME!" Max howls, electricity surging.
The webs burn away but not before Spider-Man slams into him, driving them both into the street.
The impact creates a crater.
They tumble, rolling through smoke and sparks.
Max surges up again, but Spider-Man grabs him, wrapping insulated webbing around his torso, pinning his arms.
"I'm sorry," Spider-Man whispers, forehead pressed against Max's. "I'm so sorry."
Max's power flickers. Just for a second then it fades.
He collapses, screaming in grief more than pain.
The street goes quiet.
No lightning.
No explosions.
Just smoke and sirens.
Spider-Man stays kneeling, holding Max down gently until armored containment units rush in.
Gordon steps forward slowly as Max is restrained, specialized cuffs snapping into place.
Max looks at Spider-Man, tears finally falling.
"You said I mattered," he whispers.
"You do," Spider-Man says, voice breaking. "Even now."
Max is lifted onto a transport vehicle, electricity still crackling faintly beneath his skin.
The doors close and the vehicle pulls away.
Spider-Man stays kneeling in the street, shoulders slumped, head hanging low.
Gordon approaches carefully.
"You saved lives tonight," Gordon says quietly.
Spider-Man doesn't look up.
"I didn't save him."
Gordon rests a hand on his shoulder.
"Sometimes," Gordon says, voice thick, "saving someone doesn't mean fixing everything."
Spider-Man finally stands, exhaustion weighing him down.
He looks toward the transport disappearing into the night.
"I'll come visit him," Spider-Man says softly. "If he'll let me."
Gordon nods.
"I'll make sure he gets that chance."
Spider-Man fires a web and swings away but slower this time.
Gordon watches until he's gone then he exhales.
"God help us," he murmurs.
Timeskip
The streets of Gotham were quiet now, but the weight of the chaos lingered in the smoky air. Spider-Man perched on the edge of a building, the city spread beneath him like a living, breathing organism. The transport carrying Max had long since disappeared into the night, leaving only the faint hum of fading electricity behind.
Alex slowly pulled his mask away, letting it rest in his hands. He stared at it, red-and-blue fabric dulled by smoke, tears, and soot. The weight of the night pressed against his chest. He had saved lives, yes but Max… Max had been lost to him tonight.
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I… I tried," he whispered, almost to himself. "I tried."
The sun began its slow descent behind Gotham's jagged skyline, casting gold and orange across the darkened streets. He tilted his head, watching the city soften in the dying light. But even that beauty felt hollow.
"You did good, Alex."
The voice was low, calm, unmistakable. Alex jumped, spinning to face it.
"B-Batman?!" His heart skipped a beat.
Batman stepped from the shadows, cape billowing slightly in the wind. His eyes, hidden beneath the cowl, were steady, unwavering. "You kept people alive tonight. That's what matters."
Alex swallowed hard. "But… Max… he…..he's gone. I didn't… I couldn't save him." His voice cracked.
"You did what you could," Batman said quietly, stepping closer. "You protected those who couldn't protect themselves. You acted. And that counts."
Spider-Man let the mask drop from his hands, gripping the edge of the rooftop. "Do you… ever regret it?" he asked softly, looking up at the fading sunlight. "I mean… all your villains. Every one of them you couldn't save from turning… from becoming monsters. Do you regret it?"
Batman hesitated, silent for a long moment, before kneeling slightly beside him. "Regret is… dangerous. It can freeze you. But if I let it… guide me instead, it becomes something else. A reminder. A warning. A reason to try harder. To do better. To protect more."
Alex's fingers tightened on the edge of the building. "I… I just… I don't want to feel like tonight was all for nothing."
Batman's voice softened, almost a whisper. "It wasn't. You risked everything. You faced fear and pain and you didn't give up. That's the part people forget sometimes. Heroism isn't about perfection. It's about persistence."
Spider-Man let out a shaky laugh, the first hint of relief breaking through his exhaustion. "Persistence, huh? I can do persistence. I've been… kind of practicing."
"You've been more than practicing," Batman said, voice steady. "You've been surviving. Adapting. Learning. You're stronger than you realize."
Alex looked at the mask in his hands again. "I just… I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."
"Then keep doing what you're doing," Batman said. "Protect them. Teach them. Inspire them. That's all anyone can ask. Even you."
Spider-Man's gaze drifted back to the city below, the sunset painting the skyline in fire and gold. The pain of tonight still throbbed in his ribs, but somewhere beneath it, a quiet warmth spread. Max would survive this, in some way. Somehow. And he would be there to try again.
"I'll… I'll keep trying," Alex said, voice steady now, the beginnings of resolve in his tone.
Batman placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "That's all anyone can ask of a hero. Even a young one."
Alex looked up at him, then back at the city. The sun dipped lower, shadows lengthening, but for the first time tonight, he felt… capable. Determined.
"I'll do better next time," he said softly. "I promise."
Batman gave a slight nod, almost imperceptible, and melted back into the shadows.
Alex stayed on the rooftop a moment longer, letting the wind whip against his face, the mask still in his hands.
Arkarm Asylum
The tank hissed and spat steam. Mac floated in the water, his body restrained by magnetic cuffs and the armored electrodes humming with low, steady pulses. Blue light flickered across the chamber, reflecting off the water, off the reinforced glass. Every breath sent ripples that caught the light, turning his reflection into shards of electricity.
"Max Dillon." The voice cut through the hum of the machinery, smooth and controlled. Hugo Strange stepped into the room, hands clasped behind his back, eyes glinting like a predator sizing up prey. "Do you know where you are?"
Max glared at him, blue sparks dancing along his skin. "Yeah. Some fancy cage in Arkham. Big deal."
Strange smiled faintly. "Not just any cage, Max. This… is a place where we understand people. Where we can help them."
"I don't need help," Max growled, muscles twitching against the restraints. "I needed help before anyone cared. You weren't there then!"
"Ah," Strange said, tilting his head. "You needed someone to see you. To acknowledge the power inside you. And then… that Spider-Man came along." His tone dropped, venom thin but sharp. "Didn't he? He shows up. Plays the hero. Saves lives. Steals your spotlight. Makes everyone love him. Everyone."
Max's fists clenched, blue arcs leaping from his fingertips, sizzling against the tank. "He… he doesn't understand! He thinks he's doing the right thing. He's…he's a mockery! He's… he's everything I wanted to be!"
Strange leaned closer, voice soft, coaxing, like he were soothing a wild animal. "And yet… he humiliated you. He humiliated you in front of the city. In front of everyone who should have seen your worth. Do you feel that, Max? That burning anger? That… betrayal?"
"I… I hate him," Max whispered, voice trembling as his eyes glowed brighter. Sparks shot off the water in tiny arcs. "I… I want him to pay."
"Good," Strange said, pacing slowly. "Hate is clarity. Hatred is power. And power… power is yours, Max. You could be unmatched. But you can't do it while feeling small, weak. You need… focus."
Max's breathing was ragged. The blue glow of his skin pulsated with every pulse of electricity. "I… I am powerful. But… he…"
"Spider-Man is fragile, Max. Fragile and arrogant. He doesn't understand what it's like to truly have power and be ignored. To fight for your life and have it dismissed as luck, coincidence, some childish morality. You are the superior force. The rightful one. Gotham will see that. You'll make them see it."
The electrodes hummed louder. Strange's reflection merged with Max's in the tank glass, his smile widening. "And soon, you'll have a chance. A perfect opportunity. And he… will learn what it means to face the consequences of underestimating you."
Max's eyes blazed. Blue electricity shot up the glass, sizzling and crackling. "I… I'll make him… regret it. Everyone will see! He can't… he can't…"
"Good," Strange said softly, almost lovingly, stepping back. "You're learning. You're understanding your place in the world… and his. Now, rest. Heal. When the time comes, we'll awaken the full Max Dillon. The Spider-Man Hunter. And he… will finally pay for everything he took from you."
Max slumped back slightly, exhaustion heavy but determination burning. The tank hissed again, the water swirling around him. Sparks danced faintly across the surface. His hands twitched, trembling with power.
"…I'll show him," Max whispered to himself. "…I'll show him all of it."
Outside the reinforced glass, Strange's shadow lingered, watching, smiling.
"Soon," he murmured. "Soon, the world will remember your name."