C609 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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Peter squared his shoulders, facing the stoic Silver Surfer with a confident grin. "Hey there. What brings you to my small planet?" he asked, attempting to break the cosmic silence that surrounded them.
The Surfer's gaze remained unwavering, devoid of any emotion. "Where is the Mad Titan?" he questioned, his metallic voice resonating in the lunar atmosphere. "I sense the energy of the infinity stones from you. Where are they, and where is Thanos?"
Peter, maintaining his casual demeanor, decided to try diplomacy. "Look, Surfer, right? We're not enemies here. I'm just a guy trying to enjoy a quiet night on my couch. Thanos is long dead, and as for the stones, well, they’re none of your business."
After Peter finished speaking, the surfer looked at him with a dumbfounded expression on his silver face. After all, it’s very rare for a person to speak to him, a Harold of Galactic, like that.
“So, why don’t you turn around and head back home before you end up like Thanos?” Peter made a shooing motion with his hand.
“…” Gwen silently stood behind him, clearly fearful of the whole situation. She didn’t know why Peter was purposefully demeaning the being in front of them, but she hoped he wasn’t biting off more than he could chew.
The Silver Surfer, unyielding in his mission, responded, "I won’t be going anywhere. My purpose is clear, locate the Mad Titan, dead or alive, and retrieve the infinity stones. You will cooperate willingly or face the consequences."
Undeterred, Peter continued, "Well, I’m afraid that Thanos has been disintegrated into nothing, so you won’t be able to find him anywhere. As for the stones, like I said before, that’s none of your business…”
The Surfer's metallic exterior betrayed no sign of acknowledgment. Without warning, his silver surfboard materialized beneath his feet, and he shot forward towards Peter with incredible speed.
Peter, anticipating the attack, swiftly sidestepped the oncoming cosmic entity. As the Silver Surfer zoomed past him, Peter executed a powerful roundhouse kick to his shining, platinum-like stomach. The force behind the blow was substantial, sending the Surfer hurtling backward through the lunar expanse.
The Surfer, recovering mid-air, adjusted his trajectory with an almost supernatural ease. His expression remained impassive, devoid of any reaction to Peter's counterattack. It became evident to Peter that this version of the Silver Surfer was not the noble, conflicted herald he knew from certain comic storylines. This Surfer was merely an instrument of his cosmic master's will, devoid of empathy or personal motives.
Peter smirked up at his opponent. “You really need to learn the art of negotiation. How are you going to get anything from me when you’re this… robotic? Come on, try again, but this time offer me something like most evildoers. Maybe wealth or power?" He said, seemingly uninterested in both. “Or we can just go back to fighting. I don’t mind either way…”
Gwen, peeking from behind Peter, couldn't help but gasp at the display of power. She realized that the situation was escalating rapidly, and Peter's horrible attempt at a peaceful resolution had fallen on deaf ears. The Silver Surfer, undeterred by Peter's initial counter, continued to hover in the dark vacuum of space, readying himself for another assault.
Peter, assessing the situation lazily, motioned for the surfer to come at him. "Are you coming or not? I don’t have all night, you know? I’m a busy man with a lot of TV to watch…" he complained as he prepared for the next round.
The Silver Surfer, devoid of emotion, didn’t see Peter as a threat. He looked down in his opponent and the woman cowering behind him with an air of superiority.
Without a word, the surfer scoffed before disappearing in a burst of speed, appearing beside Peter with his fist drawn back, swinging towards his opponents face.
The Silver Surfer's fist rocketed towards Peter's face with incredible speed, but Peter, quick to react, ducked just in time. “Woah, you’re pretty quick, huh?” He commented, actually impressed by his opponents speed. ‘He might actually be the faster guy I’ve ever fought…’
The cosmic entity's movements were almost too fluid and swift, a shocking display of agility and power that caught Peter off guard. As the Surfer continued his assault, Peter found himself on the defensive for the first time in a long while, dodging each strike with a combination of acrobatics and Spider-sense.
‘Holy sh*t… Has this guy always been this strong?’ Peter wondered between dodges, attempting to buy himself a moment to analyze the situation. “Hey, mind slowing down? I’m starting to get-“
Before Peter could finish speaking, his opponents hand suddenly started glowing in a white light before a ray of energy shot out. The energy pierced through the air before impacting Peter’s chest, sending him hurtling backwards.
*Boom!* Slamming into the surface of the moon, Peter’s body created a large crater, which kicked up some moon dust, clouding the area.
Gwen, her anxiety escalating, watched the scene unfold. “Peter?!” she called out, her voice trembling with concern. She wished nothing more than to rush forward and check on Peter, but the mere presence of the Silver Surfer kept her at bay.
The Surfer, unmoved by the entire situation, remained stoic as he waited for the dust to clear. “…”
Before the dust could clear, a golden rimmed portal opened behind the Silver Surfer. And before the cosmic entity could react, Peter lunged forward, attempting to strike with the element of surprise on his side.
However, the Surfer, unfazed, turned with unnatural speed, catching Peter's attack with a single hand.
A surge of energy rippled through the Surfer's metallic frame as he effortlessly held Peter’s fist in place. With a casual yet powerful kick to Peter's stomach, the cosmic entity sent him hurtling across the lunar surface once more. The impact created another crater, marking the extent of the Silver Surfer's dominance.
Gwen, witnessing Peter's defeat, felt a pang of worry. The realization that this encounter might be beyond Peter's usual league settled in. The Silver Surfer, undeterred and seemingly invincible, hovered above the battered Spider-Man.
As Peter rose from the moon's surface, dust clinging to his suit, he couldn't help but grin. The pain in his ribs and the taste of moon dust in his mouth didn't dampen his spirits. In fact, he was smiling from ear to ear right now. “HehehahaHAHA…!”
It had been so long since Peter faced someone who could genuinely challenge him.
"You know, it's been ages since someone could kick my ass like this!" Peter exclaimed, his laughter echoing throughout the open space between them. “I’d almost forgotten what this feels like!”
‘Did he go crazy?’ Gwen wondered if the Surfer might have hit Peter a little too hard on the head.
The Surfer, still silent, observed Peter with an unyielding gaze. “…”
Kicking off the ground, Peter launched himself straight at his opponent, not an ounce of fear in his body. “Come on! Kick my a*s some more! This is the most fun I’ve had in a battle in a really long time!”
Staring at Peter in annoyance, the surfer wound back his hand and slapped him away, but this time Peter didn’t dawdle for long. Changing his trajectory mid air, he whipped his body around and shot back towards his opponent. “Hahaha! Come on! Is that all you’ve got!? My wife hits harder than you!”
‘Did he become a masochist or something?’ Gwen thought, staring at Peter oddly.
The battle continued, but now it was clear that the Silver Surfer held the upper hand. Peter, driven by an odd mix of excitement and determination, dodged and weaved, attempting to find an opening against his formidable opponent. Yet, the Surfer's movements were a ballet of precision and power, each strike calculated to exploit Peter's vulnerabilities.
But despite the dire situation, Peter's laughter persisted. The thrill of facing an opponent who could match his strength was a rare and exhilarating experience. His mind raced, strategizing for the next move, even as the Silver Surfer maintained relentless pressure.
Relying on his agility and combat skills to avoid the majority of the Silver Surfer's strikes, Peter exercised every bit of his power, hoping to land a single hit on the cosmic being before him.
The Surfer, unyielding in his pursuit, unleashed an energy blast from his hands, creating a burst of cosmic force. Peter, nimble as ever, evaded the direct hit but couldn't escape the shockwave entirely. The force sent him tumbling backward, struggling to regain control in the weightless environment.
Before Peter could regain his balance, a glint of silver streaked through the darkness as the Surfer closed in for another attack. Peter, realizing the need to change tactics, called upon the mystical powers he had acquired during his time at Kamar-Taj. Conjuring a protective shield of energy, he managed to block the Surfer's next onslaught.
The Surfer, momentarily surprised by Peter's newfound abilities, pressed on, relentless in his assault. He unleashed a barrage of energy beams, forcing Peter to weave and dodge with unparalleled precision. Despite his defensive efforts, Peter found himself pushed further into a defensive stance.
As the battle raged on, Peter tapped into the Phoenix Force within him, allowing the fiery energies to surround him like a protective aura. The flames danced and flickered, providing an additional layer of defense against the Surfer's cosmic onslaught. Yet, even with these newfound powers, Peter struggled to gain the upper hand.
The Surfer, displaying an unyielding determination, maintained his offensive onslaught. His attacks were precise and calculated, leaving Peter with little to no room for counterattacks.
Gwen, watching from the sidelines, felt a wave of helplessness, unable to do anything but watch and hope for Peter’s wellbeing. ‘…’
Peter, usually the agile and witty Spider-Man, was now locked in a defensive struggle against a cosmic force beyond her comprehension. Though that didn’t mean he wasn’t enjoying it. In fact, he’s been laughing this entire time. “Hehehe!”
The Surfer, undeterred, continued his relentless assault. But as Peter reveled in the exhilaration of the battle, he decided it was time to take it up a notch.
Before the eyes of both Gwen and the Silver Surfer, Peter's form began to undergo a drastic transformation. Muscles bulged and skin changed to a vibrant red hue. His entire being morphed into the formidable and imposing figure of the Red Hulk, with blazing orange eyes that glowed with intense power.
Gwen, witnessing this transformation, couldn't conceal her shock. She had never seen Peter's Red Hulk form before, and the sudden change left her in awe and fear. The once agile Spider-Man now stood as a hulking, powerful force of nature.
The Silver Surfer, though unscathed, displayed a flicker of surprise in his eyes. And that surprise only grew as Peter disappeared, his speed increasing to an insane degree despite his significant size increase. In the blink of an eye, before the surfer could react, he reappeared before the cosmic entity, his massive fist connecting with the Surfer's silver body.
A resounding impact echoed through the vacuum of space, and the Silver Surfer grunted in pain as he was sent hurtling backward, blood spitting out of his mouth.
Gwen, still processing the transformation and the incredible display of power, watched as Peter, now the Red Hulk, hovered in the open black space before her, shrouded in Phoenix flames. She couldn’t help but compare his appearance to that of a demonic war god.
Peter grinned maliciously as he watched the surfer bleed, his opponent looking a lot more serious than before. “There we go! That’s the look I was waiting for. Now the real fight can begin…”
A/N: 1958 words :)