MARVEL:ABSOLUTE EVOLUTION (AU)

[After Some Weeks Somewhere]

—-Underground Fight Club—-

"MENACE! MENACE! MENACE!"

The chant echoed through the air, rattling the walls of the underground arena. I stood in the centre of the cage, my black mask hiding my face, every muscle in my body coiled and ready. My opponent lay at my feet, barely conscious, but the crowd wasn't satisfied. No, they wanted more—always more.

I took a step back, eyes still locked on him, letting the tension bleed out of me.

"Limit yourself," I muttered under my breath, reminding myself to keep my superhuman strength within the bounds of peak human abilities. I couldn't afford to let the rush of power overtake me. Not here. Not now.

The past few weeks had been a blur—raids on Kingpin's compounds, keeping tabs on Viktor, my next target in the Russian Mafia, taking down shipments, clearing the streets of his influence. People loved us—Eternal Spider and Ghost Spider. Citizens cheered. Criminals? Hated us. Kingpin was adjusting, but his empire had been stifled. The longer I pushed him, the more I saw just how far I'd go to take him down.

But that wasn't the hardest part.

The hardest part was Gwen.

She was pulling away. Slowly, at first—avoiding my texts, missing patrols, going out on her own to take down criminals. She was slipping, and I felt it. It was like sand through my fingers, slowly drifting away. I knew she was starting to catch on—that I wasn't being honest. That, more than anything, frustrated me. She was slipping from me, and I couldn't hold on.

I glanced across the room. Colleen Wing was in the next cage—no, she was obliterating her opponent. Every punch, every kick, each one precise, calculated, brutal. She was ruthless here—a far cry from the Colleen I knew, the one who taught discipline and honour. She wouldn't take help from anyone, not even Danny. That woman was stubborn.

I watched her for a moment. She hid something behind that calm, controlled exterior—something deep, something only a few closest to her would ever see. It reminded me of myself. We both wore masks, not just for the world, but to protect something more.

Then, my mind drifted to Danny Rand. He'd finally taken 51% of Rand Enterprises back, but... he didn't seem to care. His focus wasn't on power or wealth, not even on the responsibility he'd just regained. It was strange. It was like the man cared about nothing but bringing down the Hand and uncovering the truth behind his parents' deaths. Fine by me. He wasn't concerned with money. That would make things easier.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, dragging me out of my thoughts. A message, maybe Gwen? Nope. Another disappointment. I gritted my teeth.

"Calm down, Peter," I muttered, forcing the frustration down.

I stepped into the cage, the crowd's noise thundering around me.

"MENACE! MENACE!" They shouted, their chant pumping through the air, feeding into my every move. I smirked beneath my mask, letting the sensation wash over me. The announcer's voice cut through the noise, his excitement nearly deafening.

"ALRIGHT FOLKS, IT'S THE ONE YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!"

"MENACE IS BACK AND READY TO FIGHT TWO OF OUR TOP GUYS! ARE YOU READY FOR THE CARNAGE?!"

I wasn't here for the show. I was here for the kill. The two men I was facing were massive—probably bigger than anyone I'd fought before. But size meant nothing. It was all about breaking them. And these two? They were going to be examples.

The bell rang.

One of them rushed at me, charging like a bull, throwing a wild punch. Slow. Predictable. I dodged effortlessly, stepping aside. Before he could even react, I was on him. I grabbed his arm, twisting it violently and slamming him face-first into the cage. The crack of his skull against the steel? Music to my ears.

"DOWN HE GOES!" the announcer screamed, but I wasn't paying attention. The guy was finished. I lifted him by the throat with one hand, slamming him back down with a sickening thud that shook the arena. I felt his ribs crack beneath my grip.

The crowd roared, but I didn't hear them. My focus was on the second guy.

He was quicker. Stronger. He swung, and this time, he connected. It didn't matter. I let his punch graze me, then twisted my body, burying an elbow in his stomach. The crack of his ribs told me I'd already won.

The crowd went wild, but I didn't care. I grabbed his head, slamming it into the cage wall. The sickening crack echoed through the arena.

I shoved him to the floor, watching as his body crumpled in a heap. The crowd chanted, but I was done. Their cheers meant nothing to me.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, my breathing steady and controlled. I glanced around the cage. This wasn't enough. I needed more. I wasn't here for applause. I wasn't here to be some spectacle.

I was here to take control.

As I walked out of the cage, Colleen passed by me. Her face was serious, determined.

'Sensei, I'm about to give you a big surprise,' I thought inwardly, a smirk creeping onto my face. I thought about her strict adherence to the Bushido code and how, now, she was breaking her own rules for pride.

But before I could linger on that thought, the referee slapped me on the back. "Hell of a show, kid. Keep it up, and you'll be the king of this pit in no time."

"Mhm..." I grunted, not interested in his words. "Just hand me the money. You can keep half for yourself."

"Why?" he asked, confused.

"I want to fight her next," I said with a playful tone, nodding toward Colleen.

"Are you sure, kid? She's not someone you can just deal with. She's real. And she always leaves her opponents half-dead…"

I shrugged, a devious grin spreading across my face. After all, it's about time to tame her and show her I'm not some teenager.

..

..

[After some hours outside a bar owned by Viktor]

—1 a.m.—

I stood in a restroom near the club, wearing an expensive suit that cost between $5000–$10,000. To most rich people, it wasn't much, but for me, it was a lot.

I adjusted my suit in the grimy mirror. The fabric fit me like a second skin. The mask covered my face, and my eyes glowed neon blue, thanks to my 360° vision being activated. I didn't want to leave any trace of my original identity behind, and I could sustain this skill for hours before it started straining my mind.

Tonight, I wasn't Peter Parker or the Eternal Spider—I was a different man, one who would go to any length to achieve his goals and take whatever he desired. I needed to project authority, coldness, and calculation—a perfect persona for the king of the underworld.

I stepped into the club, the neon and red lights blending with my suit. My steps were slow, but filled with arrogance and confidence as I scanned everything with my 360°. It was pure debauchery—strippers gyrating while drunk men inhaled cocaine and other drugs. This was truly a place for the devil to reside. The air was thick with greed and decadence. Viktor's kingdom—is just a crude imitation of power, built on blood, lies, and desperation.

Tonight, Viktor's empire was about to burn.

I walked past the guards stationed around the private room like pawns on a chessboard, knocking them out one by one, barely breaking a sweat. I was beyond them now—no longer just a man. I was a force.

Viktor's office was luxurious but empty. His kingdom was just a façade, and I knew it. When I stepped inside, his eyes locked with mine—curious but exuding the calm of someone who's been in power long enough to know arrogance.

"Now, why the hell did you knock out my guards?" he asked, confusion in his voice, but I could feel his heartbeat quicken as he pulled out a revolver from under the desk. It was just a pretence to lower my guard, and I allowed him to do it. It's always more satisfying to crush a man who thinks he's in control.

"Viktor, the guy who owns multiple bars across New York City, and someone who oversees everything in the Russian mafia... Don't you get tired of being ordered around like a dog?" I chuckled darkly and mocked him.

"You got guts to mock me, boy!" he growled, pulling out his gun and firing at my chest and head. I dodged with efficiency—my spider-like reflexes looking almost supernatural in his eyes.

"What the…?!" he yelled, only to receive a sharp slap across his cheek, breaking his teeth as his body slammed against the wall, shattering it. I used more force than usual. After all, what better way to subdue a crime lord than by showing your strength first and tempting or threatening second? Mind control? Not yet, but that would come soon enough.

"Ugh… WHAT ARE YOU?!" he groaned in pain and defiance, but all he got was a boot with enough force to break his ribcage.

"Me? I'm just a man with ambition. They call me Lucifer Morningstar…" I said proudly, my voice dripping with coldness.

"Hope you've learned your lesson—be obedient…" I smiled beneath my mask, bending down near his face and watching him cough up blood. His eyes reflected nothing but fear.

"What do you want?" he asked, finally calming down just a little.

"What do I want? It's simple… just eternal servitude," I said, as though it were nothing.

I frowned as I saw him try to speak but only cough up blood, some of his broken teeth mixed in.

"Fine. I'll show you mercy." I pulled out a newly finished healing serum I'd been working on under Dr. Connors and injected it into him. I watched as his wounds and broken bones healed. He exhaled in shock as he felt the miraculous transformation.

"Okay, now speak," I commanded.

"Kingpin… he… he will kill me if I betray him," he finally spoke with fear evident in his voice.

" And what about me? I won't kill you?" I shook my head at him, a little speechless.

"Uh… Viktor, I don't need you to betray Kingpin or the Russian brothers—at least, not yet," I said, looking down into his eyes with a cold, calculated gaze.

"And I know, deep down, you're frustrated. You're angry that they don't let you influence anything. But with me… you'll have everything: protection, power, everything…" I sold my speech like a devil should.

"I can offer you everything you need, and all I needdd is your loyalty," I finished.

"What makes you so sure I won't betray you?" He spat back, his voice dripping with venom.

"Oh, don't worry," I chuckled, pulling out my phone. I showed him footage of an 8-year-old girl and a woman.

"You recognise them?" I asked, calm and composed.

"YOU!!!… HOW THE HELL DO YOU HAVE VIDEOS OF MY DAUGHTER AND WIFE?!" he shouted angrily, only to receive another kick in the face from me.

"Calm down. They're safe… and damn, your wife is cute," I laughed. And while it was true, most Russians are beautiful and handsome, I was still playing my cards.

Viktor's mind was racing. I could see it—the panic in his eyes. His family. His wife and daughter. The only things that mattered to him. And that was the key. That was the leverage I needed.

"How… how the hell did you find them?" Viktor whispered, his voice tight with disbelief. His hands trembled as he looked between the footage on my phone and my face. He thought he'd hidden them from everyone, including Kingpin. But here I was, with undeniable proof that I had found them. "No one—no one could've known they were… there!"

"You've been hiding them for so long… and yet, here I am," I said, my voice calm, almost taunting, watching the realization dawn on him.

His lips quivered, but no words came out. The walls he'd built to protect his family were crumbling. His whole world was unravelling, and it was all because of the choices he had made. Desperation painted his face now—he knew he could either bend to my will or lose everything.

"Make your choice, Viktor. Loyalty or betrayal. Family or power. It's all up to you."

The silence between us was deafening. He was at the crossroads now, and I knew—I knew he would bow to me. Viktor had no choice. He was mine.

After all, I needed his influence and power as a stepping stone for my future…