Due to Sandman's new ability to create copies of himself Spider-Man is beaten and captured. After breaking free he takes Keemia with him and using the fact that Sandman cares about her, Spider-Man is able to dodge the traps in the Sandman-based Sand Castle. Being surrounded by the Sandman copies outside the Sand Castle, it comes to light that the real Sandman doesn't have as complete mental control over his clones as he thought since certain clones were the ones responsible for the death's of Keemia's mother and the lawyer. The promoter was also killed due to the fact that the Sandman subconsciously wanted to keep the Island all for him and Keemia. Spider-Man becomes concerned for Keemia's safety since this could subconsciously put Keemia in danger too.

After the real Sandman absorbs the clones and attacks, Spider-Man lures him to a ventilation factory, once Keemia is separated from Spider-man and is out of hearing range, Spider-Man admits he knows that due to Sandman being a Sand-based Human Mutate, he cannot be Keemia's real father. Sandman admits he was her only father figure and kept sending her presents while locked up at Ryker's Island, and only when she visited him that she instinctively called him "daddy". Using more acid webbing Spider-Man gets him caught up in the giant fan spreading him through the air. Spider-Man then returns to the mainland through the same underground tunnels that he realized the Sandman used to get to the mainland to obtain food and gift for Keemia without having to deal with his weakness to water.

Spider-Man meets with Gloria Grant at City Hall to drop off Keemia so she can be reunited with her grandmother. However, representatives from Child Protective Services are there as well who declare their judgment that since Keemia's grandmother is clearly unfit to raise Keemia due to letting her play outside so she can watch TV, Keemia is to be placed in a foster home. Keemia hates Spider-Man, believing he lied to her. Peter meets with Carlie at the Coffee Bean, where Carlie has been freed from all charges thanks to Spider-Man proving Sandman's involvement in the murder case and Carlie suspects the evidence were actually parts of Sandman's body that disappeared from the evidence locker because they were being recalled by Sandman. Though Peter is upset over what happened to Keemia, thinking it made things worse and not better, Carlie states that her father told her that life is about making hard choices. Keemia is placed in a bad foster home, but still holds onto the belief that one day her father will rescue her and take her back to her kingdom where she is a princess.