{Chapter: 30 - Spiderman Spiderman Does Whatever A Spider Can Really?!}
He looked up.
Hanging upside down from a thin strand of webbing was a figure clad in a tight red-and-blue costume, a white-eyed mask covering his face. The moment Aiden saw him, he knew exactly who it was.
Spider-Man.
The webslinger gracefully flipped off the line with a soft thwip, landing a few feet away in a crouch that almost looked too casual for someone confronting a supposed villain.
Seeing that Aiden was just standing there all broody and mysterious while still holding Susan. "Okay, wow," Spider-Man said, standing up and gesturing dramatically. "You've got some serious nerves, pal. Kidnapping the Invisible Woman? Seriously? That's like picking a fight with an Avengers-adjacent celebrity VIP, right? She's the sister of my buddy, y'know—the guy who turns into a fireball and has the temper of a spicy burrito? You're really playing with matches here."
Aiden scoffed. "You? Pffffft… Hahaha…"
He couldn't help it. The absurdity of the situation was laughable now. First, Susan had attacked him without a second thought, and now this kid shows up and starts mouthing off without even asking a single damn question.
He didn't bother answering at first. He'd already tried to explain things to Susan, and she'd gone straight for his throat. These so-called 'heroes' were quick to act and slow to think.
And did he look like a coward or so easy to bully that now even Spiderman is threatening him? If Spiderman had asked about what happened before and not straight away accused him, Aiden would have been polite with him but now he was just irritated and frustrated.
Spider-Man, unfazed, tilted his head and folded his arms, the white lenses on his mask narrowing slightly.
"Y'know, normally I'm the one doing the sarcastic monologuing, but you're giving me a serious run for my money. Credit where it's due. Still,"—he gestured toward Susan—"how about we drop the lady and skip to the part where I web you to a lamppost?"
That was the last straw.
Aiden gently placed Susan to the side, stood tall, and without another word, launched himself forward like a cannonball. His fist cut through the air with the force of a sledgehammer.
Spider-Man's eyes widened behind the mask. His Spider-Sense screamed at him, and he brought his arms up in a cross-guard, barely managing to block the incoming punch.
WHAM!
Even with the block, the sheer force of the blow sent Spider-Man skidding across the street, his feet carving grooves into the gravel. He stumbled, the shock reverberating through his arms. Pain bloomed in his forearms, and for a moment, he couldn't feel his fingers.
"Holy—what the hell are you made of?!" he gasped.
"Annoying kid," Aiden growled, cracking his knuckles. "Stop your endless charade. If you can beat me, take her. If not... then back the fuck off."
"Cute. But I don't do backing off."
Without missing a beat, Spider-Man shot his hand forward with a familiar thwip, and webbing burst from his wrist. Aiden could've dodged it—but he didn't. The webbing wrapped around him, thick layers piling up until his arms and chest were tightly cocooned.
Spider-Man moved quickly, zig-zagging to the side while reinforcing the bindings.
"Honestly?" he said, panting slightly. "This is textbook superheroing. Tangle up the big guy, distract with a few quips, wait for an opening… boom. Good night, Grumpy."
Aiden stood still, completely webbed, like a statue. Then, slowly, he lifted his head.
"You really think this… net will hold me?" His voice was calm—almost disappointed. "I have to admit, it's clever. Just like your style—fast, evasive, and tactical. Your strength just began to build up! You've got potential. But…"
His voice darkened.
"You've only been doing this for a few months, haven't you? You've never truly fought anyone who could burn you alive. Someone who could throw punches harder and faster than you! Someone who has more than two hands! And now you've made the mistake of treating this like one of your friendly neighborhood beatdowns."
Spider-Man hesitated, suddenly unsure. "Wait… who are you?"
"Do you want to use this spiderweb to narrow down my movements or to stop me from moving? I have to say that this is a very clever trick and it is consistent with your usual style.
"Oh wow, thanks for the compliments—flattery and kidnapping? You really know how to charm a guy," Spider-Man quipped. "Buuut you might wanna hit the brakes, Edgelord. Last chance to surrender before I web you up like yesterday's trash."
"Did you think I am complimenting you? Although you are a bit smart and know how to use your strengths to fight and have some adaptability, but… you forgot one thing…" Spiderman became a bit curious, what could he have forgotten.
"Some people cannot be defeated with just your mind and bag of tricks!" Aiden flexed—Aiden used his strength to free his hands from the spider web and took his lighter out. A second later, flames erupted from the lighter. The wave ignited and evaporated in a wave of heat, disintegrating into black flakes in the wind.
The flames then moved towards Spiderman.
"Oh, God… how can you…" His spider sense started tingling and seeing the flames, he hurriedly used the spider web to swing out of there, and hung on a nearby building with its help.
Then, like his thoughts completely derailed mid-rant, he squinted and asked, "Wait—who are you, anyway? How come I've never heard of you before? Are you, like, new to the whole supervillain gig? First day? Need a mentor?" Spiderman asked.
This Spiderman was slightly more comical than the movies.
Unfortunately, Aiden right now had no interest in chatting with him. From the palm of his hand, a flickering fireball swirled to life. He spun it in his fingers like a coin.
"Do you like fireworks?"
Before Spider-Man could react, Aiden flung the fireball skyward. It exploded mid-air with a sharp BOOM, scattering white-hot sparks like a meteor shower. Even with his Spider-Sense, Peter couldn't dodge them all. Two sparks scorched his side and shoulder, searing through the fabric of his suit and blistering the skin underneath.
"AH—DAMN IT!" he shouted, pain shooting through his nerves as he lost control of his momentum and tumbled off the edge of the dark alley.
He managed to shoot a web just in time to save himself from falling, swinging to a nearby building and clinging to the side like a wounded animal. Smoke rose from his scorched costume. His breath came in ragged gasps.
"What the hell are you?! You're not normal— a mutant, or something else."
Aiden's eyes shimmered with a faint glow as he stepped to the edge of the rooftop, the air around him distorted by heat.
"You wanted a fight. Now you're in one."
"Right," Spider-Man muttered to himself, spitting out a bit of blood. "Note to self: when a mystery dude survives being webbed, don't try to go full solo hero mode."
He shot another web and launched himself back into the air, flipping behind Aiden and delivering a solid kick to the back of his head. The blow made Aiden stumble forward slightly.
Not enough.
Aiden turned, and with a swift backhand, struck Spider-Man mid-air. The force sent him crashing into a nearby billboard, snapping one of its support beams with a loud crack. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he groaned and rolled off the edge, webbing himself again to avoid a nasty fall.
"Dude," Spider-Man wheezed, "you hit like a wrecking ball dipped in steroids."
"No more warnings."
Aiden inhaled—and opened his mouth.
From within, a harsh, sonic screech erupted. It wasn't just sound—it was a vibration incarnate, a soundwave so forceful it cracked glass windows nearby and warped the air itself. Spider-Man barely had time to react before it slammed into him like a tidal wave.
His entire body spasmed uncontrollably as he lost grip on his web. Like a severed marionette, he crashed into a concrete wall and slid down, coughing and groaning.
He lay there for a moment, blood trickling from his nose and ear, stunned and overwhelmed.
"What…" he gasped, "kind of monster… are you…"
Aiden stepped closer, the flames flickering around him like living serpents. His gaze was cold.
"I'm not your enemy. But next time you assume I am… you'd better be ready to die for that assumption."
Spider-Man's breathing was shallow, but his hand still twitched toward his web-shooter.
Aiden glanced once more at Susan, still unconscious.
Aiden glanced down at the dazed Spider-Man, who still clung to consciousness, his limbs trembling as he struggled to rise. Scooping Susan back into his arms with effortless ease, Aiden's voice cut through the tension—calm, cold, and scathing.
"Remember my name. It's Aiden," he said, eyes glinting. "And next time, maybe think twice before leaping into a situation you know nothing about. Charging in blindly? That's how people get hurt—and lawsuits fly. This is the United States, kid. Suing you into oblivion wouldn't even be difficult. I could blacklist you from every police station coast to coast."
He gave a pointed glance at Susan in his arms. "She'll take the stand with me if it comes to that. And even if I somehow lost, you think you can afford the kind of lawyers I can throw at you? Hell, J. Jonah Jameson would foam at the mouth for a scandal like this. You'd be his golden goose for months to come."
Aiden tilted his head, then gave a mocking sigh. "But… I'll let it go. Consider it mercy, Mr. Parker. You're young. Reckless. I'll chalk this up to immaturity."
"You can't take—!"
Spider-Man tried to push himself up, but the pavement seemed to tilt beneath him. He collapsed again with a grunt, ears still ringing from Aiden's deafening sonic scream. The world spun, his thoughts fragmented, unable to process the venomous words being flung at him.
The last thing he saw was Aiden's silhouette—his feet igniting with fire as he ascended, carrying Susan like she weighed nothing at all. With a roar of flames, they disappeared into the night sky, leaving the broken hero sprawled helpless in the shadows of the alleyway.
---
After thirty minutes, Spiderman finally emerged from the location, limping as he walked.
"Aiden, where did this guy come from… No, I have to contact the Fantastic Four and save Susan!"