C513 Spider-Man (Patreon)
Content
The tension in the battlefield, which was once the entrance of the Justice League’s planetary headquarters, was palpable as the worlds most powerful heroes clashed, like gods descended to earth. In the midst of the chaos, Peter found himself facing off against the Scarlet Speedster, The Flash.
"Tony, go find your own punching bag," Peter said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I call dibs and on this one."
Tony Stark hesitated for a moment, sizing up the situation. The Flash, his red suit a blur of motion, had already accelerated toward them, intent on preventing Tony from leaving. But Peter had a trick up his sleeve. He flicked his wrist, casting a swift spell that removed the friction from the floor beneath The Flash.
In an instant, the speedster's footing gave way, and he slipped uncontrollably across the polished surface, slamming headfirst into the nearest wall with breakneck speed. The impact was a resounding crash, and for a moment, The Flash was left dazed and disoriented.
“Haha! What an idiot…” Tony couldn't help but laugh at The Flash's misfortune, a smirk playing on his lips as he made his escape to engage another member of the opposing faction. Peter turned his attention back to his downed opponent, a wicked grin stretching across his face.
"Flash, you really need to watch your step," Peter quipped, his tone laced with mockery. "This is no ordinary fight, and you can't simply rush in mindlessly, like I’m sure you’ve grown used to doing over the years."
The Flash, shaking off the dizziness from his collision with the wall, shot a glare in Peter's direction. "You won't get away with that cheap trick, and you certainly won’t get away with corrupting my friends and turning us against each other."
“And what are you going to do about it?” Peter chuckled, weaving strands of Eldritch energy between his fingertips. "You’re quick, I’ll give you that. Bit speed isn't everything, my friend. Watch and learn." He smirked and disappeared, teleporting directly behind Flash and smacking him upside the head.
“Wha…?!” Flash muttered in confusion as he was hit, launching across the battlefield. ‘I didn’t see him move!’
Quickly recovering from the surprisingly fast attack, the speedster darted around the area, his movements almost too swift for the human eye to follow. Peter, on the other hand, exhibited a remarkable combination of perception and agility.
Flash delivered a flurry of rapid punches, his fists a blur as he aimed for Peter. With his enhanced spider senses, Peter effortlessly dodged the lightning-fast strikes, narrowly avoiding the speedster's blows with the assistance of his short ranged teleportation spell.
Appearing beside Flash, Peter retaliated by launching a web line, which coiled around The Flash's legs, tripping him up for a moment.
“Eww, what is that!?” Flash asked as he recoiled at the foreign body fluid, which was now glued to his legs. However, the speedster quickly vibrated his molecules, phasing through the webbing and regaining his footing.
"Nice try. But you'll have to do better than… whatever that was," The Flash taunted, his confidence unwavering.
Peter's response was a mischievous grin as he activated another spell, which he had been sneakily preparing since the beginning of the fight. “Okay, then try this.”
Suddenly, Arcane symbols glowed beneath The Flash's feet, and instantly, the frictionless surface reappeared, sending the speedster sliding once more. This time, however, he didn’t just slide off into a wall, but instead, ran in place like a treadmill, trapped in the same spot no matter how much he struggled to get free.
"You know… this reminds me of that meme with the guy who’s trying not to fall on the ice," Peter said, feigning innocence. "You know what I’m talking about, right?"
“…” With no other choice, Flash was forced to allow himself to fall, so that he might be able to slide out of the trap he’s found himself in, but once again he didn’t get very far.
*Crunch… Crunch… Slurp…* Breaking from his struggling situation, Flash looked up to find Peter sat down in a couch, which wasn’t there before, whilst eating snacks.
“Don’t mind me.” Peter waves at him dismissively. “I’ll wait until you’re ready, so just take your time. I know it’s hard for you to use your brain, so it may take a while before we can continue our fight, but I’ve got food and a show to watch in the mean time, so don’t worry.”
“!” Instantly, an infuriated look appeared on Flash’s face as he vibrates his body once again. Phasing through the floor by a single inch, he was able to bypass the spell and leap out of the area, landing on the friction-filled ground once again.
“So you do have a brain… incredible.” Peter muttered as he stood from his seat and clapped his hands in applause.
Infuriated by Peter’s condescending and sarcastic words, Flash rushed at him, a mad glint in his eyes. But infuriatingly enough, Flash was always a millisecond too late before Peter would simply disappear, dodging his speedy attacks with relative ease.
The battle raged on, a dynamic exchange of blows, dodges, and spells. Peter's mastery of the mystic arts allowed him to teleport at short range and even create portals, making it difficult for The Flash to predict his movements. Meanwhile, every time The Flash failed in his attacks, Peter would punish him with a quick punch, slap, or kick that left the poor speedster with a torn costume and minor cuts and bruises all over his body.
And soon enough, after using his opponent like a living punching bag, Peter cast a binding spell, restraining The Flash with mystical chains. The speedster struggled against the ethereal restraints, but Peter's control over his magic was absolute.
"Give it up," Peter declared, his voice firm. "You won’t be able to escape."
The Flash, panting and bloodied, tried to vibrate his molecules once again, but soon realized the futility of his situation. He finally relented, his voice strained. "Fine, you win. Kill me already."
“Is that what you think of me? That I’m some mindless killer who slaughters everyone that I meet?” Peter asked with a scoff as he released the mystic chains, allowing The Flash to stand once more.
“What…?” Flash mutters in confusion as he picks himself up off the floor.
Peter gazed at the speedster with a mixture of triumph and sympathy. "I don't want to kill you, Flash. I just want you to understand that sometimes, the world isn't as black and white as we'd like it to be. Some threats are beyond redemption, and we have a duty to protect innocent lives, even if it means taking the lives of others."
“…” Flash looked down at the ground, unsure how to feel about all of this.
“Come on, you can’t tell me that you didn’t feel the least bit relieved knowing that people like the Joker or Reverse Flash were dead?” Peter asks incredulously. “I mean, Gotham literally held a parade and named Joker’s death date a citywide holiday. How can you not see the logic and good in ridding the world of its most heinous criminals?”
“…” Flash remained silent for a moment, but after a few seconds of thought, he spoke. "I admit, when I heard Thawne was gone, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. I thought, no one will ever have to suffer because of him again, but-"
Peter raised a questioning eyebrow, interrupting before he could add anything else. “Then why are you on Batman’s side? It seems like you agree with us…”
“Just because I was relieved doesn’t mean I agree with their deaths…” Flash said weakly, as if he were internally conflicted
“So you like that they’re gone but don’t like what was needed to be done in order to make that happen?” Peter asked in annoyance.
“I guess?” Flash answered.
“You’re really an idiot, you know that?” Peter stated matter of factly. “You remind me of animal lovers, who would argue all day long for the lives of cows or other farm animals, whilst still regularly enjoying meat from their local grocery store. You’re a hypocrite who doesn’t have the balls to do what they know is right.”
“…” Flash winced at his every word.
Peter continued. “Just like they should either shut up and enjoy the food, or cut it out of their diet for good, you should either shut up and do what needs to be done, or hang up that suit and retire.”
“I…I…” Flash stuttered in self doubt before turning into a blur and disappearing into the distance.
Peter watched his opponent leave the battle, wondering whether he should chase after him. But ultimately, he decided to give the speedster some space to think. ‘Maybe he’ll change his mind?’
…
Moments earlier…
Amidst the chaos and discord, the moment everyone had feared had finally arrived. Superman and Batman, the pillars of the Justice League, faced each other with a heavy burden of responsibility and regret. The front yard of their once-united headquarters bore the scars of the confrontation between heroes, each determined to defend their principles to the end.
Superman, his blue and red costume still pristine despite the turmoil around him, floated just above the ground, his expression a mix of sorrow and determination. He knew that this would happen, yet he still hoped that words alone would be able to solve everything.
On the other side, Batman, his mechanical suit gleaming with the unmistakable green glow of Kryptonite, stood resolute. He couldn’t turn a blind eye to Superman’s behavior any longer.
Seeing that Superman wasn’t making the first move, Batman decided to be the one to kick things off. With a burst of inhuman speed, he lunged forward, his every move enhanced by the suit, which covered his entire body.
A/N: 1647 words :)