The rusted clank of metal echoed faintly through the Redfish Port, the salty air dense with the stench of seaweed and damp wood. Among the endless rows of shipping containers, Kiaan, flashlight in hand, moved cautiously, scanning every crate, every screw, every gap in the metal walls. His hoodie sleeves were pushed up, bandaged palm flexing slightly as he reached out to slide open another dented steel door.
Inside, darkness loomed.
His eyes scanned quickly—checking for drugs, false bottoms, coded labels. But what caught his eye wasn't a threat he could shoot, chase, or interrogate.
It crawled.
A massive black spider, its legs long and jagged, hung just above the corner of the container's ceiling, too close, too sudden.
Kiaan's heart slammed in his chest.
His eyes widened, throat tightening. He froze. The flashlight dropped with a clatter, rolling and casting a spinning light across the container floor. Sweat instantly beaded on his forehead as the spider slowly inched down.
"Shit—" he hissed, stumbling back.
His breath came shallow. His skin felt like it was crawling too. His legs gave a small involuntary shake.
"Tara! Dev! Rehaan!!" he barked hoarsely, stepping out of the container like it was on fire. He turned sharply, back pressed to the outer wall, his chest heaving.
The others rushed toward him.
"What the hell happened?" Dev asked, catching his shoulder.
Kiaan's voice cracked, panicked, "Kill it. Now. Kill it! It's in the top corner of the container—big, black—just get it out!"
Rehaan looked confused, "A spider?"
Tara blinked, suddenly understanding. "Wait—Kiaan, are you—? You're scared of spiders?"
Kiaan shot her a glare. "It's not scared. It's a fucking phobia! Kill it before I set the whole container on fire!"
Tara ran to get a stick while Rehaan grabbed the flashlight.
Dev stayed beside Kiaan, noticing the tremble in his hands, the paleness in his face. "Hey… you okay?"
Kiaan's breaths became sharp gasps. "I—I can't—breathe… I—" He clutched his chest. His knees buckled.
"Kiaan!" Dev caught him just in time as Kiaan's body tilted forward, collapsing into Dev's arms. His eyes fluttered closed, pulse racing erratically.
Tara ran back just as Rehaan returned from smashing the spider with the stick. "What happened?!"
"He fainted," Dev muttered, lowering Kiaan to the ground gently. "Shit. His phobia just triggered a panic attack. He can't handle spiders. Get water. Fast."
They scrambled, calling his name, fanning his face.
But they weren't alone.
---
High above, inside a control room behind layers of darkened glass, Rex stood alone, hands in his pockets, staring at the black-and-white CCTV footage playing across multiple screens. One camera feed zoomed on the very container Kiaan had just bolted from. Another followed Kiaan's every move down to the second he stepped out, stumbled, and collapsed.
A small smirk curled across Rex's lips.
He tapped the glass slowly. "So… we found a weakness, haven't we?"
He leaned closer to the monitor.
"Not drugs, not bullets, not knives… but something as tiny as eight legs."
Aarav entered behind him, glancing at the screens.
"You watching your new obsession again?" he teased.
Rex didn't answer at first, just nodded toward the scene.
"I want a detailed medical report on that phobia. Every incident. Every reaction. Track past hospitals if needed. If fear is his crack, I'll make sure it swallows him whole."
"Want me to send him a spider delivery?" Aarav smirked.
"Not yet," Rex said coldly. "Let's wait. Let him recover. I want him strong when I break him."
The camera showed Tara cradling Kiaan's head, Dev checking his pulse, and Rehaan cursing as he sprinkled water on his unconscious teammate's face.
Rex watched. Memorizing. Plotting. Smiling.
________________________________________
The sterile scent of antiseptic filled the small emergency room at Swindon City Hospital. The beep of monitors, low murmur of nurses, and the soft rustle of papers created a backdrop of quiet urgency. Kiaan sat propped up against the pillows, pale but conscious now, a faint sweat sheen still on his forehead. His hoodie had been pulled off, leaving him in his simple white tee—bandaged hand resting over his chest, eyes avoiding his teammates'.
He hated hospitals. He hated this even more—being seen like this.
"Don't look at me like I'm dying," Kiaan muttered with a tight jaw as Dev sat beside him, while Tara and Rehaan stood on either side of the hospital bed, tension thick in the air.
"We're not," Tara replied softly, arms crossed. "We're looking at you like someone who scared the hell out of us. You fainted, Kiaan."
Before he could respond, the door creaked open and the doctor, a man in his early forties with salt-and-pepper hair and a warm but firm tone, entered holding the medical file.
"Mr. Varma," the doctor said, nodding at the three others. "I assume you're his colleagues?"
All three nodded in sync.
The doctor flipped the file open. "Mr. Varma has a classic case of arachnophobia, but what he experienced today wasn't just fear. It was a severe panic attack—triggered by a phobic reaction. His pulse shot up to 160, breathing became restricted, body went into a shock response and eventually shut down temporarily."
Kiaan looked away, clearly uncomfortable.
Tara stepped forward. "But he'll be okay, right?"
"Yes, he's fine now. But," the doctor turned to face all of them, "this wasn't his first reaction like this."
Dev raised an eyebrow. "You mean…?"
The doctor glanced at Kiaan, who didn't answer. "There's a note in his childhood medical history. A similar incident when he was seven—he fell down the stairs while trying to escape a spider. Minor fracture, mild trauma, but it seems it never left him. These things get worse when untreated."
Kiaan let out a low breath and finally said, "I manage it. I'm not broken."
"You're not," the doctor said with a calm nod. "But you need to accept that your brain sees spiders the way someone sees a loaded gun to their head. And it will shut down your body to escape the threat. That's how real phobias are."
Rehaan's expression softened. "Is there a way to help him… you know, handle this in the field?"
"There are therapies—desensitization, controlled exposure, breathing exercises, medication in extreme cases—but it takes time. He's strong, no doubt. But this fear isn't going away by ignoring it."
Kiaan scoffed. "Fantastic. Now spiders get to make me look weak too."
Dev smirked and nudged his shoulder. "You just made all of us panic like idiots in a dockyard because of a spider. If anything, that's impressive."
Kiaan cracked a faint smile. "Remind me to shoot you later."
Tara leaned closer, eyes gentle but firm. "Next time, you tell us. No more of this 'I'm fine' crap. We're a team, Kiaan. Not your audience."
Kiaan met her gaze, something vulnerable flickering behind his usual confidence.
The doctor placed the file down. "He'll need rest tonight. Maybe skip rooftops and containers for a day or two."
Rehaan grinned. "Yeah, no spider missions for at least 48 hours. Duly noted."
As the doctor walked out, Dev flopped into the chair beside the bed and looked at Kiaan with a smirk.
"So... what's the plan now, Captain Spider?"
Kiaan sighed. "We go after Rex. Harder. Stronger. But next time—" he gave Dev a sharp glance, "—you kill the damn spider before I even see it."
Tara and Rehaan both laughed softly.
Outside the hospital, however, beyond the safety of its white walls, Rex had already replayed the hospital entry CCTV footage ten times.
And now, he had a new weapon.
Fear.