C617 Spider-Man (Patreon)
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Amidst the pulsating explosion of Galactus’s purple energy, Peter's instincts kicked in. With swift precision, he conjured a golden-rimmed portal in front of himself, using it as a shield against the all-encompassing attack.
The portal absorbed the portion of the onslaught aimed at him, redirecting the attack to the connected portal, which opened up behind him, shooting the energy off into the vast emptiness of space.
Peering to the side, Peter marveled at the relentless energy wave continuing its destructive journey. He couldn't help but be impressed by the sheer magnitude of Galactus's power, a force capable of obliterating entire solar systems, perhaps even galaxies with increased intensity.
A wave of relief washed over Peter, grateful that he had chosen the far reaches of the universe for their battle, sparing countless lives and planets from annihilation.
As the distant energy dissipated into nothingness, Galactus, appearing where he floated moments before, breathed heavily, his glowing eyes searching for any sign of Peter's demise.
Expectation hung in the air, but as his gaze landed on a golden-rimmed portal, he knew Peter was at the very least alive. And as the portal closed, revealing Peter standing unscathed, he couldn’t help but click his tongue.
“What a tantrum that was. You’d think someone as old and decrepit as you would have better self control…” A smirk played on Peter's lips as he casually asked, "So, should we kick it up a notch now?"
Before, their fight was only conducted with pure physical combat, but seeing as Galactus decided to use his powers, Peter felt that it was finally time that they start taking this battle seriously.
Of course, Peter couldn’t help but feel a bit smug from the fact that he wasn’t the first to break. It was Galactus who broke their silent agreement to not use their abilities, not him.
Galactus, his arrogance not completely shattered, scoffed, "Enough talk! Come and fight!"
Despite the broken armor marring his colossal form, Galactus had quickly recovered from the aftermath of his explosive attack. The cosmic energy coursing through him repaired the damage, leaving only battle-worn armor as evidence of the prior onslaught. His gaze remained fixed on Peter, determination etched across his features.
The dynamics of their confrontation shifted. No longer a mere exchange of blows, the silent understanding between them shattered with Galactus's last explosive assault. Now, it was an all-out clash, both combatants fully aware that the stakes had escalated.
Excitement surged through Peter as the prospect of going all out finally arrived. Instantly, his body expanded and morphed, transforming into the immense, towering figure of the Red Hulk. Galactus, floating across from him, observed with curiosity rather than immediate aggression, intrigued by the unfolding transformation.
As the metamorphosis finished, Peter extending his hand and wielded Hela's power, crafting a colossal black sword, which fell into the palm of his hand. The giant bastard sword stood as tall as, if not taller than, Peter's Red Hulk form.
Galactus, still withholding his assault, watched the transformation unfold, his eyes reflecting anticipation, which he rarely has the chance to experience.
With the transformation complete, Peter's eyes met Galactus's at an equal level. ‘Let’s see how much more powerful my Red Hulk form is now…” A sly smirk played on Peter's lips as he advised, "Try not to die."
As the words left Peter's mouth, white cosmic energy enveloped him and the colossal sword, enhancing his already formidable presence.
Galactus, feeling the surging power from Peter, responded in kind, coating his colossal form in a shimmering purple energy.
Before Peter could initiate the first attack, Galactus seized the opportunity, vanishing in a burst of speed. In an instant, he reappeared in front of Peter, his hand outstretched, unleashing a thick beam of purple energy at point-blank range.
Peter, anticipating the assault, swung his enormous sword with finesse, slicing the energy in half and redirecting it away from his now-colossal form.
The sword, nearly bisecting Galactus in the process, managed to just barely graze his arm, shaving off a layer of skin and muscle. Though a moment later, the wound healed as if it had never existed.
Undeterred, Peter smirked, signaling the beginning of his relentless onslaught. “Like I said, try not to die too soon! I really need a test dummy like you right now…”
Galactus rolled his glowing purple eyes. “Yeah, yeah, enough talk already…”
The empty battlefield echoed with the clash of powers. Peter focused on empowering his every movement, wielding the massive sword to strike at Galactus with precision.
In contrast to Peter’s finesse and sword skill, which he learned from Natasha during his early years of training, Galactus made good use of his unadulterated, raw power, unleashing destructive energy attacks with overwhelming force.
Peter, however, relied on his enhanced Spider-Senses to predict and evade these assaults, strategically countering with well-timed sword strikes.
But despite Peter's skill, finesse, and predictive ability, facing Galactus proved to be an overwhelming challenge. As the battle raged on, he began to take damage from Galactus's relentless attacks. His opponents nearly infinite energy, strength, and healing ability made him a formidable adversary.
Fortunately for Peter, he possessed similar abilities as well, matching Galactus blow for blow, though he could tell that his opponent was stronger than him, not to mention more versed in his abilities.
After all, Peter was still unused to many of his newfound abilities. Though this was the perfect chance to test them, so he wasn’t complaining.
The battlefield echoed with the clash of powers, and though Peter managed to slice up Galactus here and there, it became increasingly evident that Galactus held the dominant position. The sheer force of Galactus's attacks left Peter on the defensive, navigating the onslaught with agility and resilience.
Yet, rather than despair, excitement welled up within Peter. Laughter erupted from him, a maniacal expression taking over his features. The battle, as chaotic and perilous as it was, fueled a newfound joy for battle within him. Every blow exchanged, every wound healed, only heightened the exhilaration coursing through him.
“Haha! Stand still for a moment!” Peter laughed as he swung his sword like a mad man, his body constantly healing from the damage taken.
Keeping his distance, Galactus unleashed a wave of purple energy at Peter, who decided to just stay there and tank it so that he can test something.
‘Hopefully, this works…’ Peter, attempting to use his newfound phasing ability, allowed the wave of energy to collide with his body.
Of course, he was sure to avoid any vital areas, knowing that he could just regenerate from his wounds, which he’s been doing this entire time anyway.
‘I might actually be able to regenerate vital organs now though…’ Peter thought, though he wouldn’t be testing that right now.
Galactus raised a brow in confusion as he watched Peter purposefully stop, his energy wave colliding with his opponent, enveloping his purposeful outstretched arm. “?”
The battlefield fell into a hushed pause as both combatants looked down at Peter’s arm, looking to see any damage.
However, just as Peter hoped, there was no damage whatsoever. The wave of energy simply passed right through him, leaving him completely unharmed. “Haha! This might be my most overpowered ability yet!”
After all, with this ability, Peter had the perfect defense, especially with his spider senses warning him of when to activate it.
As long as Peter has the chance to use it, nothing should be able to hit him. ‘But I should still be careful…’ He thought as he didn’t know if Galactus or anyone else would have an ability that could counter his phasing.
A triumphant grin adorned his face as he looked at Galactus, challenging the cosmic giant to push him even further.
“How odd…” Galactus commented on Peter’s ability, but he was swiftly interrupted before he could continue.
Peter, now much more confident in his defense, launched himself back into the fray with renewed vigor. “Haha! Let’s test something else next!” He shouted as his eyes began to glow in a red light.
As the battle continued, Peter, now more confident in his own defense, decided to test his newfound heat vision. Beams of red energy shot forth from his eyes, aiming directly at Galactus. The purple clad giant, sensing the imminent danger, swiftly dashed away, but Peter's gaze effortlessly followed him, redirecting the heat vision with precision.
The battlefield became a dance of lights as the red beams tracked Galactus's every move. Peter, calm and collected with his newfound phasing ability, used this opportunity to explore the extent of his powers.
As time passed, Galactus grew increasingly frustrated, finding himself unable to land a single attack. No matter what he did, his every move would simply phase right through Peter, leaving his opponent completely unscathed.
The hours stretched on, and the battle continued. Peter unleashed a myriad of abilities, each more powerful and unexpected than the last. From invisibility to Chaos magic, he was sure to test them all, using this opportunity to refine his control to the highest degree.
And Peter did all of this without taking a single bit of damage. ‘Man, this phasing ability is overpowered…’ He thought, relieved that he was smart enough to take a blood sample from Martian Manhunter when he had the chance.
Not forgetting to test his other enhancements, Peter found that his normal bodily strength had increased exponentially as well, especially while in his Red Hulk form.
Peter felt a surge of power that dwarfed even the mighty Hulk. The sheer strength at his disposal astonished him. If pitted against the Hulk right now, Peter was confident he could end the battle with a mere flick of his finger.
Meanwhile, Galactus, once the dominant side of this battle, began to frown as Peter effortlessly turned the tides. The frustration deepened when he realized he had unwittingly become a testing ground for Peter’s growing powers.
And worst of all, he couldn’t even land a single hit, as Peter would just phase away…
In his rage, Galactus abandoned strategy, attacking Peter like a mindless berserker. “Aaarrggghhh!!!!”
However, Peter's phasing ability remained in full effect, and Galactus found himself unable to land a single hit. Now more a master of his abilities than before, Peter danced around Galactus with ease, retaliating to every failed attack on his person. But unlike Galactus, who couldn’t land a single attack anymore, the majority of Peter’s counterattacks connected.
“What’s the matter?” Peter asked tauntingly as a beam of energy phased through his chest. “Why so serious and angry? Is it that you’ve realized you’re losing?”
“Aaaaarrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!” Galactus refused to reply in words as he continued his pointless, frenzied assault.
…
..
.
As the battle raged on, hours passed as Peter made good use of his time, mastering his abilities in a much faster time than he originally planned.
Floating across from him, Galactus breathed heavily, every fiber of his being radiating pure exhaustion. The toll of the prolonged battle weighed heavily on him, a stark contrast to the confident force he once represented.
With a smirk playing on Peter's lips, he addressed Galactus, "You know, it might be a good idea to call it quits. You haven't landed a single blow in a while now, and you look like you're about to collapse."
Galactus, his pride still intact, scoffed in defiance, "I… REFUSE!" He declared, still catching his breath.
Peter merely shrugged, "Alright, suit yourself. But you asked for it."
In the blink of an eye, Peter disappeared from Galactus's view, reappearing right in front of the cosmic giant. Before Galactus could react, a powerful punch landed square across his face, sending shockwaves through his colossal form.
"What…!?" Galactus stammered, taken aback by Peter’s unexpected speed.
With a devilish grin, Peter replied, "Is it just me, or are you getting slower?" He then proceeded to unleash a relentless barrage of strikes, a symphony of fists connecting with Galactus's once-invulnerable body.
The next few hours unfolded in a chaotic dance of fists and cosmic energy. Peter, utilizing every bit of his newfound abilities, battered Galactus relentlessly. The once-almighty being, now reduced to a mere punching bag, struggled to retaliate. Blow after blow, Peter demonstrated the mastery he had gained over his enhanced powers.
Despite his diminished state, Galactus refused to give in. Fueled by sheer determination, he attempted counterattacks, but each strike phased through Peter's intangible form. The battlefield echoed with the grunts and roars of the cosmic giant, his futile attempts to regain control growing more desperate with each passing minute.
Amidst the relentless onslaught, Peter taunted, "Come on, Galactus! Is this really all you've got? I expected more from you..."
As Galactus faltered, weakened, and battered, he refused to acknowledge defeat. The once-unyielding force of the universe had been humbled by a being who had transcended his limitations.
Finally, as Galactus teetered on the brink of collapse, Peter delivered a final, resounding blow. A punch fueled by the culmination of hours of combat, a testament to the mastery of his abilities. The cosmic giant staggered, his once-glowing eyes now dimmed, and with a thunderous crash, Galactus crumbled, defeated and unconscious.
Silence settled on the battlefield as Peter stood victoriously over his opponents beaten body. “Huh… This fight felt easier than the last…” He commented, though it did last longer, so maybe his stamina and healing are just a lot more monstrous than before?
After all, he did go through a total of nine excruciating evolutions to prepare for this, so it made sense why he didn’t feel as tired or beaten compared to his battle with the Silver Surfer.
As Galactus lay defeated, knocked out cold, Peter couldn't help but revel in the triumph of his newfound power. But best of all, the bet was won, and he could feel the magical contract taking effect!
A/N: 2319 words :) Long… Boy…