Unexpectedly, the overweight officer who had been knocked out by Electro just moments before regained consciousness and, without hesitation, fired a shot that struck Electro.

"Uh—!"

Caught off guard, Electro was completely unprepared. The bullet hit him, but arcs of electricity coursed through his body, forcing the slug back out almost instantly.

Infuriated, Electro surged forward, hurling himself straight at Spider-Man.

Peter had sensed the danger the moment the gun went off; his reflexes were already primed for defense.

But this wasn't easy. Electro had once idolized Spider-Man, and Peter didn't want to hit him directly. After only a few exchanges, however, Spider-Man was already taking heavy punishment.

Fan or not, Peter thought grimly, he's still dangerous. I can't hold back.

It wasn't that he lacked courage—he simply couldn't land an effective blow. Every time he tried, Max's body discharged electricity on contact, shocking him violently.

He couldn't counter, couldn't hide, could only dodge constantly. The few makeshift attacks he managed had no lasting effect.

"This isn't working… I can't drag this out," Peter realized.

Electro, meanwhile, showed signs of strain. His power output was immense—millions of volts—but his body couldn't generate energy on its own. He relied on external sources, and the stronger the current he absorbed, the more unstable and explosive he became.

He knew stalling wouldn't help either.

After one exchange, Electro suddenly stopped.

"Spider-Man," he rasped, "I admit you're powerful. I even admired you once. But whenever I needed you… you were never there."

His voice rose to a hoarse shout. "That worship—it's over!"

Electro crouched, palms pressed to the ground. His entire body blazed with blue light as he prepared to unleash everything at once.

The street cracked beneath him, glowing with electrical currents. Sparks spread outward like veins of lightning, the ground itself turning into a grid of raw power. Thick arcs snaked through the cracks like bloodthirsty serpents, shattering pavement and hurling cars aside.

"Holy—damn. That's actually terrifying," Blaine muttered, watching from a distance.

Spider-Man leapt upward to avoid the strike.

"Spider-Man!" Electro roared. "Look behind you! If you dodge, they die. That's your weakness… ha ha!"

Peter froze. He couldn't abandon the bystanders.

"Mr. Hunter! Are you there?" he called out desperately, landing atop a car. "I know you're watching—help me think of something!"

"If you don't step in, people will die!"

From the shadows, Blaine scoffed. "This is your fight, not mine. Don't count on me."

Peter's heart sank at the reply.

"Mr. Hunter, please—you'll get people killed if you stay out of this. I can't beat him alone!"

"Kill someone? What's that to me?" Blaine muttered coldly. "I've already helped you enough. Don't push your luck."

No matter how Peter shouted, Blaine refused to intervene. The boy's desperation grew.

Then Peter's eyes caught something: a broken fire hydrant gushing water.

Electro, grinning at his imminent victory, suddenly noticed as well. His face twisted in realization.

"That's right," Blaine said dryly. "Pay attention in class—you'd know water shorts circuits."

Water conducted electricity, and Max, living as a capacitor, was vulnerable to it.

Grinning, Peter flicked his wrist, vaulted across the street, and yanked the hydrant's pipe, sending a stream of water surging toward Electro.

"Smart kid," Blaine muttered with a wry smile. "Can't envy brains like that."

The water hit Electro full-on. His body spasmed violently, discharges sparking across the soaked pavement. The intersection flooded with arcs of wild electricity.

Peter watched Electro writhe, pity stirring despite everything. But then his spider-sense flared violently.

Electro, who should have been drained and collapsed, suddenly rose. His energy was stronger, not weaker. The dimmed lights around them revealed why—he had tapped into nearby power cables, absorbing every drop of current.

"So that's it…" Peter thought grimly.

Determined, he lifted the hydrant hose again, firing more water. But this time, it failed.

In a blur, Electro transformed into raw lightning and shot straight at Spider-Man.

The blow came faster than Peter's reflexes could track. His spider-sense screamed, but he had no time to react.

"Cough—!"

Blood sprayed through his mask as Electro's charged fist slammed into him.

Electro didn't relent. With a thunderous kick, he struck Peter in the abdomen, hurling him backward like a ragdoll. From afar, Blaine could hear ribs cracking.

"Mr. Hunter…" Peter gasped, his voice faint. "Help… I can't…"

He collapsed, unconscious.

Electro loomed over him, preparing the final strike. He would see this through—taking advantage of Spider-Man's weakness to end him once and for all.

*************************************

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