Looking up, Su Zhan spotted Spider-Man hanging upside down from the rooftop, his iconic red-and-blue suit and web-patterned mask unmistakable in the city's neon glow. Instantly, Su Zhan realized the legendary hero had misunderstood the situation. Today was truly not Su Zhan's lucky day-first Susan Storm, now Spider-Man, both jumping to the wrong conclusions about him.
Spider-Man dropped gracefully to the ground, landing lightly in front of Su Zhan. He pointed at Su Zhan and said, "Hey, if I'm not mistaken, that's Susan Storm you're holding. I know her brother, the Human Torch, pretty well. So, you'd better put her down."
Su Zhan narrowed his eyes, his patience already worn thin. "And if I say no?"
Spider-Man shrugged; his tone casual but firm. "Then I'll have to take action. But… Believe me, you're no match for me, so you'd better just-"
Before Spider-Man could finish, Su Zhan-still holding Susan-closed the distance in a blur and delivered a powerful kick, sending Spider-Man flying back. "Enough talking! If you can beat me, you can take her. Otherwise, stay out of my way!" Su Zhan snapped; his voice edged with impatience.
Spider-Man's reflexes were quick. He blocked with his arms, but the force of the kick made him stagger back several steps. Shaking off the pain, he remarked, "Wow, you're strong!"
Without missing a beat, Spider-Man fired his web-shooters, sticky strands flying toward Su Zhan. Even while holding Susan, Su Zhan dodged easily, the webs barely slowing him down. Spider-Man swung into the air, using his webs to move with agility, launching more attacks from above. In moments, the alley was crisscrossed with webs, restricting Su Zhan's movement.
"Trying to restrict my movement with webs? Smart, and very much your style," Su Zhan said, smirking. "But you forgot something…"
Spider-Man hesitated mid-swing. "Forgot what?"
Su Zhan grinned, a spark of fire flickering from his lighter. "Some people can't be defeated just by brains."
With both hands still holding Susan, Su Zhan ignited a surge of flames. The fire raced toward Spider-Man, burning through the webs in an instant. Spider-Man tried to dodge, but the flames were relentless, chasing him through the air.
"Who are you? I've never seen you before. Are you new?" Spider-Man called out as he swung away, trying to keep his tone light, though his movements betrayed his caution.
Su Zhan wasn't interested in banter. He gathered the flames into a massive fireball and hurled it at Spider-Man. The fireball exploded in the air, scattering sparks like a burst of fireworks. Some of the sparks landed on Spider-Man's web, burning it and causing him to fall.
As Spider-Man fell, he tried to shoot another web, but Su Zhan set Susan down, gently covering her ears, and unleashed a powerful sonic attack. The sound wave rippled through the alley, blasting Spider-Man into a wall before he crashed to the ground, dazed and unable to regain his balance.
Su Zhan picked up Susan again and said coldly, "Remember my name: Su Zhan. Next time, stay out of my way!"
Spider-Man, still groggy, tried to fire another web, but Su Zhan burned it away with a flick of flame and vanished from sight.
As Spider-Man looked around, dazed, Su Zhan suddenly appeared right in front of him, sneering. Spider-Man raised his hand in surrender, "Hey, I was just joking. No hard feelings, right?"
Su Zhan smiled slyly. "Of course not. But I want to play a joke on you too."
He rushed forward. Spider-Man's yelps and the sounds of fists and feet echoed through the alley. After five minutes, Su Zhan emerged, smiling brightly, carrying Susan in his arms, feeling much better after "beating up" Spider-Man.
Spider-Man limped out, battered and embarrassed. Though Su Zhan hadn't used his full strength, it was enough to leave Spider-Man badly shaken. If he'd been an ordinary person, he might not have survived. Even so, Spider-Man was badly injured and knew he wouldn't recover quickly.
"Su Zhan… Who is this guy? I'd better contact the Fantastic Four right away and let them know Susan needs help!"