Kenna shoved three more survivors into the already-packed truck bed.
Benjamin grabbed a bleeding man, slung him over his shoulder, and tossed him in.
Cyrus transformed partially again, claws and fangs out, eight eyes glowing gold.
He held the swarm back, swinging his lightning-charged axe.
BOOM!
CRACK!
SHZZZRT!
Every swing killed thousands—
But millions replaced them.
Arachneon crawled down a building face-first, pink lightning collecting in her palms.
"Mother wants the hatchling," she said softly.
Kenna clutched the baby spider tighter.
"Nope. NOPE. He's mine now."
The baby spider hissed aggressively.
Benjamin shouted:
"EVERYONE IN! WE'RE LEAVING!"
But—
Big Jim wasn't there.
Kenna:
"Where's Jim?!"
Benjamin:
"I DON'T KNOW—!"
Cyrus:
"I SMELL HIM—HE'S FAR—SOUTH—RUNNING—AND HE'S SCREAMING—"
Kenna:
"Of course he is."
Nysessa leapt from rooftop to rooftop, hunting her new toy.
Veira crawled upside-down along the bridge rail, laughing hysterically.
Arachneon stalked Kenna with glowing pink venom.
Narya stepped toward the truck, eyes black as space.
Thara raised a hand.
"Bring me the hatchling."
The swarm surged.
Benjamin roared:
"GO! GO! GO!"
Cyrus pushed the truck with supernatural force, helping it squeal forward just as spiders crawled over the asphalt.
Benjamin accelerated—
But Kenna turned around.
"WE CAN'T LEAVE JIM!"
Cyrus snarled:
"HE RAN BACK FOR HIS DAMN TRUCK—WHAT DO YOU EXPECT—!?"
Kenna's eyes filled with tears.
"We go back for him."
Benjamin slammed the brakes.
The city groaned.
The sisters hissed.
The swarm closed in.
Benjamin growled:
"Fine.
We go get Jim.
And we do it NOW."
The truck roared across the broken highway, engine screaming as metal scraped concrete.
Behind them, five Spider Sisters crawled along the shattered buildings like gods descending.
The sky was red.
The air tasted like venom.
And the ground trembled with every step the Brood took.
Benjamin shouted over the engine:
"WE'RE NOT OUTRUNNING THEM!
WE NEED TO FIGHT—HERE!"
The truck skidded to a sudden stop on the ruined overpass.
People inside screamed, holding onto whatever they could.
Kenna felt something hot surge in her chest—
A pulse.
A memory.
Blood Reaper's hand pressing over her heart.
A gift, she had said.
Use it when you need it.
Kenna stepped off the truck bed, boots crunching broken glass.
"Yes," she whispered.
"We fight."
Benjamin looked at her like she'd grown a second head.
"KENNA—NO—"
His words cut off.
Kenna exhaled—
and SILVER WINGS exploded from her back.
Bright.
Sharp.
Powerful.
They lifted her off the ground as the wind blasted outward.
Her eyes shimmered with new confidence—
a Reaper-powered glow.
The spider baby in her arms chirped loudly.
And then—
It changed.
Its tiny black body shimmered.
Turned metallic.
Turned silver, matching her wings.
Benjamin froze, stunned.
"That ain't normal…"
Kenna smiled faintly.
"No. He's mine."
The spider nestled into her neck, shimmering.
Benjamin stepped beside her, lifting his weapon.
"I'm with you. We hold the line."
Behind them, the survivors climbed into the other truck, engines revving.
"GO!" Benjamin yelled.
"WE'LL BUY YOU TIME!"
The truck of civilians sped away down the ruined highway.
Kenna gently placed the human baby on the cracked asphalt.
Then set the silver spider down on top of him.
"Take care of him," she whispered.
The tiny spider chirped—
And immediately began weaving.
Silk shot from its spinnerets—
silver, glowing threads—
encasing the baby in a perfect spherical orb.
A shield.
A crib.
A cocoon strong enough to survive a bomb.
The spider sat proudly on top, guarding its new "brother."
Kenna's eyes softened.
"That's my boy."
Benjamin stepped forward, metal rod in hand, electricity sparking along it.
Kenna unfurled her silver wings fully, aura blazing.
Behind them, survivors fled down the highway.
Ahead of them—
The Five Spider Sisters approached.
Fast.
Hungry.
Laughing.
Thara led the charge, webs dripping from her hands, eyes glowing beneath her hood.
Narya drifted behind her, whispering prophecies that shattered windows.
Nysessa slithered between broken cars, tongue tasting the air.
Veira crawled along the guard rail upside down, giggling hysterically.
Arachneon's pink lightning flickered through the smoke.
Benjamin braced himself.
"They're coming," he muttered.
Kenna cracked her knuckles.
"Good."
Far behind them—
Cyrus roared, still in half-spider form, fighting an ocean of spiderlings.
Buildings collapsed around him.
Dust clouds billowed.
The ground trembled under the force of his lightning-powered blows.
CRASH—!!
A skyscraper fell sideways, blocking his view.
Cyrus snarled, ripping through the swarm.
"I'M COMING—!!!" he roared.
But the city was falling apart faster than he could move.
Kenna's silver wings glowed brighter as the sisters approached.
Benjamin tightened his grip on his weapon.
Thara stopped ten feet away.
"Give me the hatchling," she commanded.
Kenna stepped forward, silver light pulsing around her.
"No."
The Brood Mother tilted her head.
"Then you will die."
Kenna smirked, wings widening.
"Try it."
Thara's eyes burned white—
And the sisters lunged.
Kenna and Benjamin charged.
The highway cracked under the impact.
Silver light clashed with venom lightning.
And in the middle of the chaos—
The silver spider sat on its glowing cocoon, hissing,
ready to fight for its new family.
The ruined highway trembled beneath Kenna's boots as the Five Spider Sisters closed in. Her silver wings glowed, reflecting in the cracked asphalt. Benjamin stood beside her, weapon electrified, expression grim but ready.
Behind them, the silver spider sat atop its orb-cradle, hissing like it would take on Hell itself.
Thara raised her hand.
"Kill them all."
The swarm hissed.
Kenna smirked.
"Let's dance."
Thara lunged first—
a blur of webs, claws, and ancient fury.
Kenna met her head-on.
CLANG—!!
Wing met claw.
Silver light met black web magic.
Thara hissed as Kenna's new power burned through her arm.
"You carry Reaper magic," Thara spat.
Kenna grinned.
"Funny. I didn't ask your opinion."
She rammed her knee into Thara's chest, sending the elder sister skidding back across the asphalt, tearing a trench in the road.
Narya glided forward silently, black eyes soulless.
"I saw your death an hour ago."
Benjamin didn't flinch.
"I'll rearrange your face instead."
He WHIPPED his electrified rod—
CRACK—!!
Narya staggered as electricity tore through her webbing.
But she recovered instantly.
"You delay fate. But not long."
Benjamin spit blood.
"Come test me."
They collided in a blur of claws vs. lightning.
Veira crawled upside down along the shattered guard rail, laughing.
"Oooooh you two are FUN—!"
She landed behind Kenna—
Kenna spun, slicing with her wings like twin blades—
SHING—!!
Veira's cheek split open.
She touched the blood, smiled wide.
"Oh yes… YES."
She launched at Kenna with manic glee.
Pink lightning cracked across the bridge.
Arachneon targeted the silver spider's cocoon—
The tiny royal spider hissed, glowing even brighter.
The venom bolt hit—
But the orb absorbed it, turning hotter silver.
Arachneon recoiled.
"Impossible… he evolves," she whispered.
Nysessa slithered along the ground, eyes fixed on Benjamin.
"COME PLAY WITH ME."
Her tongue lashed out—
Benjamin dodged, barely.
She grinned and vanished into a web of illusions.
Benjamin shouted, "Kenna—she's low! Watch your legs!"
A building behind them collapsed—
CRAAAAASH!!
Dust exploded outward.
Then—
Cyrus erupted from the smoke, fully in his monstrous spider-demon hybrid form.
Eight golden eyes burning.
Four additional limbs extending from his back.
Fangs dripping molten lightning.
He ROARED—
The sound shook the bridge.
Veira turned, eyes widening.
"Ohhhh—HE'S MINE!"
Cyrus slammed into her with all eight limbs, sending her flying into a billboard.
The billboard snapped in half under the force.
Cyrus howled, smashing the highway to crack open the swarm beneath them.
Kenna kicked Thara backward—
Benjamin electrocuted Narya—
Cyrus threw Veira into a crushed SUV—
When suddenly—
HOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNKKKK—!!!!
Big Jim barreled down the collapsing highway, driving his truck full-speed THROUGH a wave of spiders.
"I AIN'T LEAVIN' MY BABY BEHIND!!!"
He hit Arachneon at 50 mph—
WHAM—!!!
She went flying over the guard rail.
Jim swung the wheel, fishtailed, and shouted:
"GET IN IF YOU WANT A DAMN RIDE!"
Cyrus yelled, "WHAT THE HELL, JIM!?!"
Jim yelled back,
"I'M SAVIN' YO' UNGRATEFUL ASSES—THAT'S WHAT!"
Thara rose again.
She slammed both fists into the ground.
CRACK—!!!
The entire bridge shuddered—
then split.
Kenna gasped.
"OH, NO—"
Benjamin:
"RUN—MOVE—MOVE—MOVE!!"
The asphalt crumbled.
Cars fell into the abyss.
The support beams twisted like paper.
Cyrus roared, grabbing Kenna and Benjamin, shoving them toward the truck.
The silver spider grabbed its cocoon and rolled it toward the truck with surprising intelligence.
Thara screamed:
"THE HATCHLING BELONGS TO US!"
She lunged—
Kenna's wings flared silver.
Benjamin turned to fight.
Cyrus charged.
Big Jim hit the gas—
And the entire bridge collapsed beneath them.
The truck launched off the breaking edge—
Sisters diving after them—
Swarm pouring over the falling concrete—
Silver light flashing—
Spiders screeching—
Kenna hugging the cocoon—
Cyrus grabbing the tailgate—
Benjamin holding onto the roof—
And Big Jim screaming:
"WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE IIIIIIT—!!!"
The truck soared into the air—
As the city fell behind them.