Su Zhan never imagined that a simple coffee outing with Pepper would turn into a front-row seat to chaos. They had barely settled at their table when the street outside erupted in violence. Through the café window, Su Zhan watched as Spider-Man was ensnared by Doctor Octopus's mechanical tentacles and slammed forcefully against a brick wall. The building shuddered, cracks splintering outward from the impact. Su Zhan winced, unable to suppress a sympathetic grimace.
"That's got to hurt," he muttered.
Inside the café, Pepper clutched her cup, eyes wide with alarm. "Isn't that Spider-Man?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Before Su Zhan could answer, Spider-Man, ever the quipster despite his predicament, shouted at Doctor Octopus, "Is that all you've got? I was hoping for something new!"
With a sudden burst of agility, Spider-Man shot a web straight at Doctor Octopus's face. The sticky silk splattered across Octavius's goggles, blinding him for a split second. As Doc Ock reached up to tear the web away, his focus slipped. Spider-Man seized the moment, breaking free of the tentacles and swinging a web behind Doc Ock to anchor himself. He launched a powerful kick, but just as he thought he'd gained the upper hand, a thick, black tendril shot out and wrapped around his ankle.
Spider-Man was yanked from the air and slammed into the wall with bone-rattling force. The impact left a crater in the brickwork, and Spider-Man slumped, dazed. Venom's monstrous face appeared, grinning with savage delight. With a flick of his muscular arm, Venom hurled the helpless hero again—this time, directly toward the café.
"Ah! Run!" Pepper cried, instinctively ducking behind Su Zhan.
Su Zhan just smiled, unhurried. "Don't worry. I'm here."
The glass window shattered as Spider-Man crashed through, tumbling toward their table. Before he could collide with them, a shimmering barrier materialized, gently rebounding Spider-Man and depositing him safely to the side.
Doctor Octopus, having just freed himself from the webbing, looked up in time to see Spider-Man flying through the air. Without a second thought, he lashed out with a tentacle, swatting Spider-Man back out onto the street. Spider-Man landed hard, groaning as he tried to recover.
The whole scene unfolded in a blur. Pepper stared, speechless, as Doctor Octopus advanced on the battered Spider-Man, intent on finishing him off.
"God, go save him!" Pepper urged, tugging at Su Zhan's sleeve.
Su Zhan calmly set down his coffee cup and glanced at Spider-Man, who was struggling to rise. He was about to move when a mechanical tentacle suddenly snaked toward their table, smashing aside chairs and scattering frightened customers.
"Save him? With just you?" Doctor Octopus sneered, his other tentacles pinning Spider-Man to the ground. Spider-Man's arms dangled limply, his head lolling—he was clearly dazed.
Su Zhan shook his head, unimpressed. "You're making a mess of my coffee break. I don't mind you teaching Spider-Man a lesson, but you picked the wrong place for it. Since the lady asked, though, I'll have to step in."
He turned his gaze to Venom, who still clung to the wall outside, watching the chaos with a predatory gleam.
"Why don't you come down and join us?" Su Zhan called, his tone almost playful.
Doctor Octopus burst out laughing. "Are you crazy? You want Venom to come first? Do you even know who he is? He's stronger than Spider-Man! He could kill you with a flick of his finger!"
Venom's eyes narrowed as he stared at Su Zhan. For a moment, the air seemed to freeze. Venom felt a chill run through him, a sense of danger so intense it was almost suffocating. He did not move. Doctor Octopus frowned, puzzled—he knew Venom's temperament and could not understand his hesitation.
Finally, Venom shifted. Doctor Octopus grinned. "That's right, kid. You'd better run if you know what's good for you—maybe you'll live a few seconds longer."
But then, to everyone's shock, Venom did not attack. Instead, he turned and fled, leaping from wall to wall until he vanished down an alley.
"He… he ran?" Doctor Octopus stammered, unable to believe his eyes. "Venom ran away?"
Su Zhan watched Venom disappear, a hint of disappointment flickering across his face. "Looks like I was too eager. He sensed the threat and ran before I could even test him."
Doctor Octopus scoffed. "Scared away? You think you can scare Venom? Who do you think you are?"
He lashed out with his tentacles, slamming them down where Su Zhan stood. The ground cracked and dust billowed, obscuring the scene.
"Kid, you're just an appetizer. I'll squash you, then finish off Spider-Man!" Doctor Octopus boasted, his tentacles pinning Spider-Man in a spread-eagle grip. The mechanical arms began to tighten, and Spider-Man cried out in pain.
Su Zhan's voice rang out from the settling dust. "You know, if you're going to kill someone, at least be professional about it. Don't drag it out."
Doctor Octopus spun around, eyes wide as the dust cleared to reveal Su Zhan standing unharmed. He instinctively dropped Spider-Man and took a step back. "Impossible… you're still alive? Who are you?"
Su Zhan smiled, stepping forward, the green energy of his ring swirling around him. "Just someone who really hates having his coffee interrupted."