[Third Person Pov]
Storm raised her arms with deliberate precision, her movements slow and commanding as the atmosphere itself answered her will. The air pressure around the battlefield thickened and multiplied, pressing down like an invisible ocean. Breathing became laborious, each inhale feeling shallow and strained, while gravity itself seemed to intensify, dragging everything toward the ground with crushing insistence.
Even under those punishing conditions, Peter refused to stop. He forced one foot in front of the other, muscles screaming in protest as the ground beneath him cracked and sank under the sheer strength required to move. Every step was an act of defiance, yet his posture remained steady, eyes sharp and focused.
Seeing Peter advance regardless, Colossus let out a metallic growl and charged. The ground trembled as the towering mutant barreled forward, swinging a massive fist meant to end the fight in a single blow. Despite the overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, Peter moved with uncanny grace, slipping inside the arc of each punch. He blocked, parried, and redirected the blows with precise timing, his movements fluid and efficient.
Webbing snapped and recoiled as Peter used it to yank himself around Colossus, constantly invading his personal space. He stayed close—too close—never giving the metal giant a moment to stabilize. From that proximity, Peter unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes, his fists hammering into Colossus's torso again and again.
Each punch grew faster than the last, momentum stacking upon momentum. The impacts rang out like thunderous gongs, blurring together as they became charged with crackling energy. With every successful hit, a visible shockwave rippled outward, forcing everyone else on the battlefield to keep their distance. Even under the immense pressure crushing down on his shoulders, Peter's speed never faltered. He moved in rapid arcs around Colossus, his fists a near-constant blur.
Shallow dents began to form along Colossus's metallic frame as arcs of electricity danced across his steel sheen. The massive mutant was driven backward, unable to regain his footing, until Peter suddenly slid directly in front of him. Both of Peter's fists pulled back at once.
They shot forward simultaneously, supercharged with power, striking squarely into Colossus's midsection. The resulting shockwave tore straight through, visibly bursting out behind him as his body folded inward and was hurled backward like a missile while vomiting blood. He slammed into the air at tremendous speed before his form fractured and dispersed, the holographic projection shattering into nothingness.
Peter barely had time to breathe before his spider-sense screamed a warning. He turned just in time to see Scott lowering his goggles, crimson light already burning behind his eyes.
Peter twisted his body and planted his feet firmly into the ground, crossing his arms just as the optic blast slammed into him with the force of a runaway train. The beam carved across his suit, tearing pieces of fabric away and sending them flying. Still, Peter held his ground, grinning wildly.
"This. Is. So. Much. Fun!!" he laughed.
He punched forward, his fist colliding with the beam itself. The force recoiled, driven back by sheer strength. Peter stepped forward and punched again—then again—each strike pushing the blast farther back until Scott was forced to retreat.
At the same time, Rogue swooped in from above, her fist cocked back and ready to strike. Peter reacted instantly. With one hand, he caught Scott's blast mid-motion, and with the other, he seized Rogue's wrist. Using her momentum against her, he flipped her overhead and drove her into the ground with bone-rattling force, the impact sending her bouncing upward.
Peter raised his foot high and brought it down in a crushing stomp, ending the projection in a burst of light as it shattered into countless fragments.
Before the dust could settle, Peter vanished in a blur just as Bobby, Jean, and Storm attacked together. Ice surged across the battlefield, lightning split the sky, and psychic force tore through the air, all converging on his last known position.
Peter reappeared elsewhere, racing across the terrain at super speed, weaving effortlessly between the attacks. Scott tried to track him, sweeping his optic beam across the field, but Peter ducked beneath it and continued charging forward, his eyes sparking with barely contained power.
He stomped the ground hard enough to make the earth quake, then lunged forward, becoming imperceptible for a fraction of a second.
Suddenly, he was behind Scott.
In the next instant, Scott's projection destabilized, his head spinning helplessly in the air as his optic blast fired wildly. Peter flipped backward through the air, grabbed Scott's head as the hologram began to dissolve, and aimed the force of Scott's optic blast straight toward Storm.
Caught completely off guard, Storm was struck midair and sent crashing down, losing control of the storm she had summoned. Scott's projection vanished entirely as Storm hit the ground hard, injured and bleeding from the hit and rough landing.
Jean let out a raw, anguished scream as she witnessed Scott fall, grief and fury overriding any sense of caution. Power flared wildly around her as she charged forward without hesitation, her control slipping under the weight of emotion.
Peter reacted instantly.
A repulsive blast erupted from beneath his feet, the force launching him upward while simultaneously knocking Jean off balance. He flipped cleanly over her, twisting midair before coming down hard onto her back, pinning her in place before she could recover.
Placing both hands against the sides of her head, Peter couldn't help but quip, his voice sharp and almost theatrical.
"Execution by the electric chair!"
A surge of contained energy discharged from his palms, crackling violently as it poured into her brain. Jean screamed, her psychic presence unraveling as the construct destabilized, her form breaking apart into cascading pixels that dissolved into nothing.
Peter barely had time to land before the air warped beside him.
Nightcrawler appeared in a burst of brimstone, twin blades already in motion as he slashed toward an opening in Peter's damaged suit. Peter twisted aside at the last possible second, weaving through the attack with reflexive ease. One clean punch followed—fast, precise, and overwhelming—sending Nightcrawler's projection flickering before it vanished entirely.
Then came Logan.
Wolverine charged in with a feral snarl, adamantium claws flashing as he swung with relentless aggression. Peter stepped into the attack instead of retreating. In a sudden move, he clapped both hands sharply over Logan's ears, the impact throwing him completely off balance as his ear drum burst, blood visibly gushed out. Before Wolverine could recover, Peter reached into his utility belt and slapped a small disk onto the side of Logan's head.
The device activated silently.
Almost immediately, Logan stiffened. His adamantium skeleton began to destabilize as the frequency interfered with the metal, causing it to break down from within. Grey liquid trickled down from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. He dropped to one knee, his form flickering erratically before collapsing and shattering into light.
Peter straightened just in time to see Kitty and Bobby rushing him together. He brought his claws together with a sharp metallic scrape, then began rubbing them rapidly. A piercing, resonant vibration filled the air, growing louder and more intense with every movement.
Bobby's ice constructs wavered, cracks racing across their surfaces before they shattered apart. Kitty cried out and dropped to her knees, clutching her head as the sound overwhelmed her senses, forcing her to curl in on herself.
Peter ended it swiftly.
He drove his claws into the ground, releasing a controlled electrical surge that raced through the terrain. The energy rippled outward, catching both Kitty and Bobby at once. Their projections destabilized simultaneously, dissolving as the electricity surged past them.
Silence followed.
Peter lifted his head and saw only Storm still standing, hovering above him amid the roiling clouds.
"Give up," Peter said casually, brushing dust from his suit. "You and I both know you don't stand a chance."
Storm's eyes burned with resolve as she spread her arms wide, the storm answering her defiance. The wind howled louder, clouds spiraled violently, and towering funnels formed around the battlefield.
"As long as I live, hope will prevail," she declared, her voice carrying through the thunder.
Peter tilted his head slightly. "Then hope will be short-lived."
In one smooth motion, he opened a portal and fired a web through it. In the same instant, Storm was yanked off course and pulled directly toward him, her focus broken by the sudden displacement. Peter met her midair, slashing once with precision.
Her projection fractured immediately, dispersing into light.
With Storm gone, the raging weather around the battlefield began to fade. The winds died down, the clouds thinning until only silence remained. Peter rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"…I was starting to sound like a full-on villain back there."
He opened another portal and stepped into the observation area. The rest of the X-Men stood frozen, faces pale, eyes locked on him with a mixture of shock and unease.
Scott swallowed hard, rubbing at his neck. Rogue held a hand against her chest, as if she had been the one to be stomped out. Jean clutched her head, visibly shaken.
"Overdid it a bit, don't you think?" Gwen said, amusement creeping into her voice.
Peter shrugged. "I did say I wasn't going to hold back. Not my fault they proved themselves to be… so capable."
"That vaz terrifying to vatch," Kurt said honestly, "but also incredibly impressive."
Peter laughed sheepishly. "Heh… thanks."
His gaze shifted to Professor Xavier and Hank, his tone growing more serious. "So, Professor," Peter asked knowingly, "what do you think? Did I pass your test?"
"A test?" Scott echoed, confused.
Professor Xavier smiled wearily, folding his hands together. "So… I was found out," he admitted. "You are remarkably perceptive."
"It wasn't that hard to figure out," Peter replied with a casual shrug.
Xavier's expression sobered. "Forgive me for testing you, Spider-Man. I needed to be certain your abilities truly matched your reputation. A matter is upon us now—one that threatens the safety of mutantkind itself. And you, along with your group, may be the only ones capable of helping us."
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