As Hydra Steve and Bucky stepped into the room, Ophelia had already donned a green, python-patterned robe.
Clearly, she was on high alert, ready to strike like a coiled serpent.
"Ophelia, is that you?"
When Hydra Steve caught sight of the elegant woman before him, a flicker of something strange flashed in his eyes—perhaps a memory from a darker timeline.
Bucky glanced at Steve beside him, his brow furrowing.
He knew all too well what Steve had sacrificed back in the day to gain Hydra's power.
In the last century, Hydra wasn't just Red Skull's show. One of its core players was Ophelia—Madame Hydra herself.
Without her approval, Steve wouldn't have had a shot at wielding Hydra's might.
To win her over, Steve had pulled every trick in the book, groveling and scheming until he personally ended Peggy Carter's life. Only then did Ophelia grant him her trust.
Now, facing her again, a flood of ugly memories crashed over him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
His guilt over Carter gnawed at him even more.
But he knew this Ophelia wasn't the same terrifying figure from his past.
He needed her power, and showing any hostility was out of the question.
Forcing a thin smile, he steeled himself to speak—only to freeze when he spotted a red-and-blue figure on the bed.
"Spider-Man!!" he blurted out, and Ophelia's brow creased in response.
"Is he your target?" She cast a glance at Charlie on the bed, then tugged the gauze curtain shut, blocking Hydra Steve's view.
Hydra Steve stared at the veiled silhouette, his expression growing uneasy.
Had this guy already swayed Ophelia?
No way!
How could he even know Hydra's contacts?
And with Ophelia—well, this world's Ophelia might not even hate Spider-Man.
The thought darkened his mood further.
Ophelia watched Hydra Steve's face shift through emotions, piecing things together.
She paced slowly, circling the two men like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Steve Rogers, care to share your little secret with me?" she asked with a light, venomous chuckle.
Hearing this, Hydra Steve let out a small breath of relief.
Good. Ophelia knew this world's Steve. That gave him an in.
He jumped at the chance. "Madame Viper, allow me to introduce myself.
I'm from another universe, no connection to this world's Steve. But in my reality, we're allies—you're the one who granted me the power of Hydra."
As he spoke, he activated the energy in his spine. A blood-red mist began to spread, and crimson tendrils slithered forth, exuding an evil vibe that piqued Ophelia's interest.
"Hiss~"
Her tongue flicked like a snake's, tasting the air and analyzing Hydra's power.
"Hmm, an intriguing force, but it's still imperfect," she said, her face betraying disappointment. "I don't trust easily, and I certainly don't trust you. After all, seventy years ago, you died by my hand."
"What?"
Her words hit Steve like a thunderbolt.
This world's Steve and Madame Viper were enemies?
That was bad news.
He opened his mouth to explain, but Ophelia cut in with a twist.
"You came to me because you need my help. Fine, I'll agree."
Hydra Steve: "???"
"I haven't even told you what it is."
"You already did."
Ophelia smirked, waving a hand to lift the gauze curtain.
There was Charlie, staring at the three of them, deep in thought.
Hydra Steve knowing Ophelia meant the main world had its own Madame Viper—one who hadn't shown her face yet.
Carter had investigated for so long and found no trace of her.
The deeper she hid, the bigger the threat.
Who knew when she'd pop up and take Charlie's life?
This clue made the restart worth it.
"Swish~"
In the next moment, Ophelia tapped the spider emblem on Charlie's chest. The nanometal suit retracted, and Hydra Steve flinched.
"It's him—Charlie Parker!" he growled, glaring at the familiar face with a spark of hatred.
Ophelia brushed a finger across her red lips, her smile curling upward.
"The moment you walked in and saw him, I knew you recognized him—and that you're not friends.
If you're a Steve from another universe, then he's a Spider-Man from another universe."
"Yes, Madame Viper."
Hydra Steve took a deep breath. "Is he here to team up with you?"
His heart raced as he asked, but Ophelia's answer sent him into a spiral of delight.
"No, he's my slave now. I can kill him whenever I want."
"Perfect, Madame Viper! This guy's slippery—we have to take him out, or else—"
He stopped mid-sentence, realizing he'd slipped up.
Every time Spider-Man was involved, his IQ seemed to plummet.
Ophelia's smile turned mocking. "Or else what?"
"Or else—"
Hydra Steve cursed inwardly. He'd gotten too excited and tipped her off.
No excuse he'd prepared would fool her now.
He knew exactly who Ophelia was—better than anyone.
Even if this Madame Viper wasn't the exact same one he knew, the difference wasn't big.
Seeing him hesitate, Ophelia's tongue flicked again. A plume of green gas poured from her mouth, spreading rapidly through the room.
"Whoosh~"
In an instant, Hydra Steve and Bucky felt their legs buckle, their strength sapped away.
"Madame Viper, you—"
Hydra Steve's face went pale as he collapsed, staring up at her in terror, his fear spiraling out of control.
This was it!
Even with Hydra's power, he couldn't resist Ophelia's toxins.
Never had, never would—not even in this world.
Seeing her poison work its magic, Ophelia covered her mouth and giggled.
"Heh, don't get too worked up. I've got ways to make you spill the truth.
Cindy, take them to—"
"Wait, we're telling the truth!" Bucky gritted out. "No need for the hypnosis chamber—we know it too well."
Hydra's hypnotists were a nightmare no one understood better than them.
Ophelia, hearing Bucky's familiarity with Hydra, believed them seven or eight parts out of ten.
"Fine, tell me why you're here—besides Spider-Man." Her smile faded, her gaze icy.
Hydra Steve and Bucky exchanged a look, then shook their heads helplessly.
"Our mission is to destroy the world. That's how we get back to our reality. Does that make sense?"
"Yes."
Ophelia perched on the bed, tapping Charlie's cheek lightly.
"Are you here to destroy the world too, cute little thing?"
Charlie blinked.
Yes, yes, we're on the same side—detox me already!
"He's not. His mission is to save the world," Bucky said.
Charlie: "…"
Ophelia's expression didn't shift. "So, who gave you these missions?"
"We don't know."
Hydra Steve sighed. "Maybe a god?"
"A god?"
Ophelia sneered, standing to glare at the ceiling with disdain.
"I've never believed in gods. If there is one, it's me!"
She turned to Charlie. "Save the world? You?
Heh, this world's Spider-Man was created by me. Any Spider-Man is mine to slaughter.
If every human on Earth were a Spider-Man, I'd be the whole world to them all!"
Hydra Steve and Bucky gaped at her in horror.
Everyone turning into Spider-Man?
How?
Did she have infinite mutant spiders?
Charlie finally pieced together her plan.
Spread mutant cells worldwide, then use a toxin targeting those cells to control everyone!
Not just Spider-Man—Sinister Six mutations could also conquer the world.
Spider-Man was just the easiest to manipulate.
The gene toxin for Spider-Man was the strongest, the most unstoppable.
But Ophelia hadn't yet mastered rapid cell dispersal.
The world crisis wasn't fully here.
No—she had a way now.
"Madame, I sensed another Spider-Man in New York," Cindy said, stepping in. Her movements were fluid, unlike the stiff clones.
This was the real Cindy.
The others were lab-grown copies.
Hydra tech, Charlie realized.
Ophelia's eyes lit up at Cindy's words.
"Another Spider-Man? Excellent. Bring him here.
Oh, and don't bother with Gwen—no, never mind. She's not the perfect specimen anymore."
She eyed Charlie, her tongue flicking greedily.
Cindy's hatred flared as Ophelia dismissed Gwen.
Gwen, her best friend.
Madame Viper's spider experiments had chosen them both.
But their fates couldn't be more different.
Gwen gained Spider-Man powers, soaking up all of Ophelia's attention.
Cindy was ignored—a lesser Spider-Man, needing a second experiment to even get powers.
Ophelia let Gwen roam free, even wiping her memory of the painful tests for "pure" data.
But Cindy? She became Ophelia's dog, forever leashed.
She hated Ophelia, the root of all this misery.
But she hated Gwen more for living the freedom she craved.
Gwen could—why couldn't she?
She'd wanted to kill that damned Spider-Man for ages.
She'd never dared defy Ophelia.
But now, she could act.
A cruel "revenge" plan sparked in her mind, and excitement lit her face.
"Understood."
She sped from the underground base, returning in two hours.
Blood stained her clothes—she'd completed her "revenge."
Behind her, Octo-Cindy tossed a limp black liquid onto the floor.
"What's this?" Ophelia frowned. "I wanted a Spider-Man."
Cindy smiled. "This is a Spider-Man—a weird creature with spider mutant cells. It can bond with humans."
"Bond?"
Ophelia's interest spiked.
Her tongue sampled the venom's genes, and she grinned.
"Heh heh heh, perfect! Self-replicating symbiote cells! With this and the kid's spider genes, my plan's flawless."
Laughing, she told Cindy, "Have them build a launcher. I want symbiote cells spreading across the city overnight."
"Yes."
Cindy left.
Charlie finally understood how Ophelia would "destroy" the world.
Using the symbiote's traits, she'd spread it globally in no time.
Once it bonded with humans, the spider mutant cells would turn them into Venom Spider-Men.
Any Spider-Man was hers to command.
This was a catastrophe threatening the entire world!