The smoke from the shattered street had barely cleared when Su Zhan stepped forward, the etheric battle suit gleaming on his body. His eyes were cold as he regarded the stunned Doctor Octopus, who was still reeling from the earlier clash.
"Who am I?" Su Zhan said, his voice calm and chilling. "If you survive today, maybe you'll find out."
Without another word, Su Zhan charged toward Doctor Octopus. Octavius, though shocked, reacted instantly. Two of his mechanical tentacles shot forward, aiming to pin Su Zhan in place. But Su Zhan did not dodge. Instead, he reached out and grabbed both arms with his bare hands.
"Fire," Su Zhan intoned.
Flames erupted from his palms, intense heat searing the metal. The tentacles sizzled and began to melt, the acrid smell of burning metal filling the air. Doctor Octopus yanked desperately, but the arms would not budge from Su Zhan's grip.
Sparks flew as the tentacles began to disintegrate. Octavius quickly shifted tactics, using his remaining two tentacles to support his body and lunge forward, hoping to overwhelm Su Zhan with numbers.
But Su Zhan only sneered. With a swift motion, he conjured two identical mechanical tentacles of his own, matching Doctor Octopus's moves. The two sets of arms collided with a thunderous clang, the force sending Octavius tumbling to the ground.
"Wind," Su Zhan commanded.
The flames along the captured tentacles intensified, fanned by a sudden, violent gust. In seconds, the metal was reduced to ash, the remains scattering in the wind.
"Run, I have to run!" Doctor Octopus's mind raced. He suddenly understood why Venom had fled so quickly. Against this kind of power, escape was the only option.
Octavius fired light waves from his remaining tentacles, hoping to cover his retreat. Su Zhan conjured a wall of green energy, easily absorbing the blasts. By the time the smoke cleared, Doctor Octopus was already making a break for it, his two remaining arms propelling him at surprising speed.
"Catch him! Don't let Doctor Octopus get away!"
"Brother, come on, don't let him escape!"
"Your powers are amazing! What's your name, hero?"
Cheers and shouts rose from the crowd. Su Zhan's lips curled into a slight smile. "Run? Did he really think he could get away?"
A scream rang out from the fleeing Octavius. Su Zhan followed the crowd's gaze and saw a dark green cage—a vault, really—materialize around Doctor Octopus, trapping him instantly.
"Come back here," Su Zhan called, raising his hand. The vault soared back through the air and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Su Zhan's hands rose, and in them appeared a pair of Tang-style double blades, their edges gleaming.
With a metallic groan, the vault's door swung open. Octavius's remaining tentacles lashed out, trying to break free. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Be careful!"
But Su Zhan was unfazed. With a swift, practiced motion, he danced forward, his blades flashing. The mechanical arms were sliced apart, one after another, as easily as cutting through vegetables. The vault's energy shield flickered and faded, and Doctor Octopus, desperate, unleashed another powerful light wave.
Su Zhan raised his left blade as a shield, absorbing the blast. Step by step, he advanced, the light wave splashing harmlessly against his defense.
"Go to hell!" Octavius screamed, pouring all his remaining energy into one last attack.
With a final, decisive strike, Su Zhan's right blade slashed downward. The tentacle snapped, the light wave veered wildly, blasting a crater in the ground. The energy sputtered and died.
Su Zhan's voice was cold and final. "In your next life, remember: face the superheroes yourself."
He crossed his blades in a swift motion.
For a heartbeat, the world was silent.
Then, with a sickening thud, Doctor Octopus's head flew from his shoulders and landed on the ground.
The silence was absolute. It was as if time itself had frozen. The crowd stared, mouths agape, the noise of the city fading into a stunned hush.
Su Zhan let his blades vanish and glanced down at his suit. The etheric armor was spotless—not a drop of blood to be seen.
"Done?" he said quietly. "Let's go finish our coffee."
He turned and walked back to the café, where Pepper Potts was waiting, still shaken by the violence. Su Zhan sat down and calmly ordered another cup. Pepper was too stunned to drink, but when Su Zhan asked, she nodded automatically.
A moment later, Su Zhan gently took her hand. With a thought, he lifted her into the air and flew away from the scene, leaving behind only the broken tentacles of Doctor Octopus, the villain's lifeless body, and the still-unconscious Spider-Man.
It was a long time before anyone in the crowd found their voice.
"That was terrifying. Did you see it? He killed Doctor Octopus with those blades—just like that. His head just… flew off."
Another person replied, "What are you afraid of? That's real Chinese kung fu! It's awesome!"
"Exactly. He killed a supervillain and saved Spider-Man. If not for him, Spider-Man would be dead. That's what a real superhero does. People like Doctor Octopus should be wiped out."
As the shock faded, admiration and excitement began to replace fear. Though no one knew Su Zhan's true identity, his image was now etched into the memory of everyone present.
On the way back to the base, Su Zhan glanced at Pepper, who had been silent the entire flight. He spoke softly, "Are you afraid?"
Pepper nodded. "A little. Not because I think you'd hurt me, but… it was just so shocking. I've seen death before, but the way you did it—it was so strong, so decisive. I couldn't help but feel a little scared. But I'm better now."
Su Zhan smiled gently. "That's good. I don't want you to see me differently because of him."
Killing Doctor Octopus left no burden on Su Zhan's conscience. Octavius was a villain without superpowers, and his death was a warning: Su Zhan was not a soft-hearted hero. He wanted the world to know that he was not to be trifled with.
Back at the base, Pepper soon returned to her usual self and went to find Blink to help settle the workers, since Damage Control had taken over the project. Su Zhan, meanwhile, received a phone call.