Chapter 18 - 16: Master vs Master
Location: New York, Queens
Tiline: August 26, 1947
Ti: 7:00 PM in the Night
As I swung through the city streets once again, my senses on high alert, I noticed a commotion in a secluded dark alley where no people were around.
"Get off !" a woman in her thirties exclaid, her voice filled with fear and desperation.
"Hehehe, you're mine now, se??orita," replied a man in his thirties, his tone nacing and predatory.
I swung down into the alley, landing between the woman and her assailant with a determined stance. "Let her go," I demanded, my voice firm and commanding as I faced the would-be attacker.
The man turned towards , visibly shocked and angry as he assessed the situation. "Tsk, Spider-Man, youuu," he spat, his gaze narrowing on
with a mix of frustration and rage.
"Ignoring his rage, I focused on the safety of the woman, but as I looked closer, But then, I realized sothing familiar about her. This woman... she was my teacher. Mrs. Bridget. Her son, Ken Bridget, was my classmate." I thought to myself.
Realizing that she was my teacher, I couldn't let any harm co to her. "Are you alright, ma'am?" I asked, reaching out to her.
Mrs. Bridget looked surprised and relieved when she saw . "Spider-Man!" she said with shaky voice, taking my hand. "Oh, thank goodness you're here!"
After making sure Mrs. Bridget was safe, I focused on the attacker again. "Stay behind , ma'am. I'll handle this," I said firmly.
The attacker's face twisted into an angry scowl, but beneath the rage, I could see a flicker of fear. "You think you can take
down, Spider-Man? Think again," he snarled, raising his fists nacingly. "I'm a master of Capoeira, a spider like you can't even touch !"
I rolled my eyes beneath the mask. "Oh, great, another tough guy with a laundry list of skills," I quipped, my sarcasm evident even through the mask. "Why is it always the sa old story? 'I'm unbeatable, I'm invincible'... yada, yada, yada. Seriously, can't you bad guys co up with sothing more original?"
Then, he lunged at , but I swiftly dodged his attack.
I quickly instructed my mind system to check his status.
"System, can you check his status?" I silently requested.
"Affirmative, host," ca the AI system's response.
The system displayed the information:
Na: Roberto Rodriguez
Nationality: Latin Arica
Age: 35
Attributes:
Strength: 33
Agility: 32
Endurance: 35
Stamina: 33
Intelligence: 28
Reflexes: 32
Charisma: 25
Luck: 15
Skills:
Pickpocket
Heavy drinker
Dancing
Coach
Technique:
Capoeira: Master level
"What the heck? What's up with his skills?" I muttered to myself, puzzled by his abilities. "And he's a coach?"
His attributes are quite formidable, which explains why he's a Capoeira Master. But unfortunately for him, it's not enough to defeat . I have a wide range of techniques at my disposal. Maybe I should stick to boxing for now. After all, I need to hold back; I'm not here to kill anyone.
(The good the bad and the ugly (Cowboy) – The)
[Ready Set Go]
As Roberto lunged forward with a flurry of Capoeira kicks and spins, I made a split-second decision—I wouldn't rely on my web shooters this ti. I wanted to face him in hand-to-hand combat, to test my skills against his without the aid of my powers. since he's just one person.
I focused on stopping his moves by moving out of the way at just the right ti. Even though his fighting style was smooth and hard to predict, I could tell what he was going to do next. Thanks to my spider sense, I dodged his hits smoothly, like soone who had done it many tis before.
To think I said that I won't rely on my powers here Iam Spider Sense (chuckle) ... Well, hey, it's not like I can turn off my spider sense, and I'm not stupid enough to try. Who knows what danger I'll face
I quickly moved to the side to avoid his spinning kick. Then, I hit him hard with a jab and a straight punch, using my boxing skills. The punches were so strong that Roberto stumbled back, looking surprised by how hard I hit him. {And also, I'm holding back, you know. I always holds back, Im afraid that I might kill soone, If i didnt hold back. So anyway, back to the scene.}
Roberto tried to protect himself from my punches by using his arms, but I kept hitting him hard. Each punch I threw was strong and made a loud noise when it landed. It was clear that my attacks were making him tired, even though he was really good at Capoeira. He couldn't keep up with how fast and strong I was.
With a rapid series of punches, I landed a powerful uppercut followed by a hook, knocking Roberto to the ground. He hit the pavent hard, defeated but still awake. (Sound effect: SWOOSH)
Roberto's face went from angry to shocked as he stuttered, "Y-you... you..."
I couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. "See? I told you that you should've gone with the a new line like 'Oh, Spider-Man, I'll be a good boy now,'" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
However, my attempt at humor seed to fall flat with Roberto, who just stood there, silent and unamused. I swiftly web his whole body to ensure he wouldn't escape.
After making sure Mrs. Bridget was safe, I felt a sense of relief wash over . But, of course, she had no idea that I was actually one of her students.
"Thank you, Spider-Man," Mrs. Bridget expressed her gratitude, her voice filled with genuine relief.
"It was no problem at all, ma'am," I reassured her, my tone calm and soothing. Then, taking the opportunity to reassure her further, I added, "And do make sure to inform your husband about this incident. He's quite the cool police officer."
Mrs. Bridget seed surprised by my knowledge of her husband's profession. "How did you know my husband is a police officer?" she asked, sounding curious.
Internally, I panicked for a mont, realizing I had no good explanation for my knowledge. Thinking quickly, I ca up with a response to maintain my secret identity. "Well, ma'am, I know a lot about the people who serve this city, especially those in law enforcent. They're all heroes in their own way," I explained, hoping it sounded convincing enough to avoid any suspicion.
Mrs. Bridget nodded thoughtfully, seemingly accepting my explanation. "You're right, they are heroes," she agreed, a sense of pride evident in her voice. "Thank you again, Spider-Man, for everything you do."
With a nod and a small smile, I replied, "It's my duty to help whenever I can, ma'am. Stay safe out there."
As I swung away into the city skyline, I couldn't shake the relief mingled with a hint of worry. Keeping my secret identity safe was vital, and monts like this reminded
of the tricky balance between my normal life and my duties as Spider-Man.
But for now, the streets were safe, and I had done my part. With a sense of accomplishnt, then I go ho. My mother, Emberly Wilson, welcod , and my father, Edward Wilson, was watching television.
'Hi mom, I'm back,' I greeted.
My mother paused in her preparations for dinner, a smile brightening her face. 'Oh, how was your day?' she asked, her tone warm and inviting. 'You said you were hanging out with Chris, watching so baseball match.'
As my mother spoke, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. The lie I had co up with earlier flashed in my mind. 'Yep, That was the lie I ca up with,' I thought to myself
Then I replied to my mom, 'Yes, Mom, it was great. We had so much fun.'
I forced a smile, hoping she wouldn't sense the unease behind my words. Keeping secrets from those closest to
was always the hardest part of being Spider-Man."
"Oh, that's great," my mom said, her smile widening. She turned back to her task, bustling around the kitchen with an air of contentnt. "Well, dinner will be ready soon.
I nodded, relieved that she didn't press further. Then, right on ti, the TV blared with a familiar voice—it was J. Jonah Jason (Young). "Spider-Man is a troublemaker, always causing problems!" he yelled, his face twisted in anger.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Ah, good old J. Jonah Jason," I thought to myself, shaking my head. "This guy always has it out for Spider-Man. Maybe in his past lives, he was in an epic battle with a spider or sothing."
As I heard J. Jonah Jason's familiar rant on the TV, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "You know," I thought, "so people just can't let things go." With a smirk, I added ntally, "But hey, at least I've got so loyal fans out there, too."
It was always a bit amusing to see the lengths so folks would go to demonize Spider-Man, but I had learned to take it in stride.
Changing the subject, I turned to my dad and asked, "Hey, Dad, how was your day?"
My dad sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Well, it was tiring, but okay. I feel like I'm aging fast," he replied with a hint of exhaustion in his voice.
I chuckled sympathetically. "Ah, the joys of getting older, huh? You're still looking good, though, Dad," I teased, nudging him playfully.
My dad laughed heartily, shaking his head. "You kid, always teasing your old man," he said, feeling happy.
I grinned back at him, "Well, soone's gotta keep you on your toes, right?" I joked, giving him a playful nudge.
He laughed, his eyes crinkling with amusent. "This kid," he replied, ruffling my hair affectionately. "Guess it's a good thing I've got you around."
As I watched the news alongside my dad, I appreciated these monts of normal life.
To be continued
Reviews
All reviews (0)